Chapter 7: Special Cards

Although Chloe Star harbored doubts deep down, she didn't press further; she simply wished for Ava Gray to teach her more about the relevant knowledge.Ava Gray was utterly exasperated—why did this little girl always have to ask her about how to cultivate a Divine Kingdom?But what others didn't know was that Ava Gray herself wasn't entirely clear on her own strength; didn't she know exactly what she was capable of?With no better option, she decided to offer only general, principle-based advice on increasing the number of divine devotees or expanding one's domain—without delving into specifics.

"So," Ava Gray began, "when it comes to cultivating your Divine Kingdom, the most important factor is balance. Then there's the matter of resources. I advise against allocating too many resources, because if a massive disaster strikes, it can lead to catastrophic depletion.Also, you must consider void incursions. Even though you may not worry about them much now, remember that every time your domain advances, you will inevitably face a void incursion in its tenth year.The black fog from a void invasion corrodes plants and crops—but that can also be an opportunity. When vegetation expands on a large scale, food shortages may occur, so it's necessary to teach your devotees some methods for storing provisions."

At first, Chloe Star listened intently. But when she heard "vegetation expansion," she couldn't help but interrupt, puzzled:"Wait a minute, sis—what exactly do you mean by vegetation expansion?"

Now it was Ava Gray's turn to appear uncertain. She hesitated for a moment before explaining, "Within forests, certain plants can absorb the black fog generated during a void incursion. When that happens, these plants will reproduce en masse, and the fruits they bear can serve as a food reserve.Aren't you aware of that?"

Chloe Star fell silent. If her guess was correct, the type of plant Ava Gray described was none other than the Void Tree—a crop that only a Divine Lord can cultivate.In fact, in a void invasion the greatest threat to a Divine Kingdom isn't the void creatures themselves—it's the black fog.This black fog can rapidly spread after an incursion, filling up the entire domain or sealing off every void crevice.Not only does the black fog cause a comprehensive decline in the attributes of your devotees, but more alarmingly, it can also lead to massive plant death.Usually, after a void incursion, one must expend resources to purchase a new resource card to ensure that the domain still provides basic sustenance for the devotees.But continually replacing cards isn't a viable long-term strategy, especially since some special resources come at an exorbitant price. There are essentially only three options to preserve them:

Choose vegetation that can actively absorb the void's black fog, forming a protective barrier around the crops.Use cards or assign devotees with guarding attributes to protect the domain's plants.Reach the Divine Lord level so that the power of divine laws can form a barrier to block the black fog.

For something like a Void Tree, even a Divine Lord must choose with extreme caution. These special-type divine domain cards are outrageously valuable—and when such high-tier crops are reserved for lower-tier gods, the required resources are astronomical.

A timid voice then asked,"Big Sis Ava, could you show me what kind of plant that is?"

Without hesitation, Ava Gray spread out a small section of her domain, revealing a patch of terrain.It wasn't immediately obvious what type of divine domain it belonged to—only that it was a small jungle area dotted with numerous plants. The largest trees were entirely jet-black and bore a resemblance to the Void Tree, though not as potent as the original version.The other trees were scattered, their leaves having a waxy quality—a typical sign of semi-arid woodland.

Gazing at these trees, Chloe Star fell silent. The Star family practically monopolized the production of these resource cards. In her own Divine Kingdom, resources were never in short supply—vegetation nearly blanketed the entire domain, and rare mineral veins stretched endlessly.Yet this small patch contained a Dragon Blood Tree that could enhance the bloodline of dragons, a variety of vibrant berries rich in elemental power, and several extremely precious high-grade medicinal herbs—such as Fire Nettle, Glowing Fruit, and Bauhinia.This patch wasn't very large; even Ava Gray couldn't pinpoint any distinctive features, nor could she tell what kind of Divine Kingdom it belonged to.But she knew that nearly all of these medicinal herbs were at least seven-tier cards, with some even reserved for Divine Lords.

So, what exactly is Big Sis Ava's true status? And what kinds of plants and devotees are these?Though overflowing with curiosity, Chloe Star held her tongue; probing further would touch on sensitive issues—and in the academy, discussing one's family background is absolutely forbidden. The fact that Ava Gray had even allowed her to see a small piece of her Divine Kingdom was an exceptional kindness.

After taking a deep breath to regain her composure, Ava Gray spoke in a measured tone,

"I must say, your Divine Kingdom truly makes me envious, Big Sis Ava. By the way, how far along are you in your cultivation?"

Ava Gray's face grew troubled as she replied,

"I'm only in the early stage of the third tier."

"Hmm? Eh! Big Sis Ava, are you serious? We've only just awakened a short while ago!" Chloe Star's eyes widened in disbelief.Could it really be? The speed of advancement to early third tier was nearly unimaginable.One must know that the conditions for advancement include having sufficient power of divine law, defeating high-tier void incursions or rival divine domains at least three times, and possessing a certain number of high-tier devotees.

First is the power of divine law, which means you need a tremendous amount of resources—or you can directly supplement with divine power crystals. Next, if your high-tier devotees lack talent, further advancement is nearly impossible; but if their innate talent is too high, the resource costs for training skyrocket.And finally, defeating high-tier void incursions or rival divine domains primarily requires the capture of high-tier divine aura—only the divine aura of a higher tier can serve as the stepping stone to reach that level.But no one is willing to "give it away" easily. Void aura is vast beyond measure; yet if you fail, it means death, and the void's black fog is an even more lethal toxin.High-tier deities cherish their divine aura dearly; whenever a deity loses a battle, their Divine Kingdom shrinks a bit. Even if a god is willing to "give some water," the price to pay is excruciating.

Seeing the astonished look on Chloe Star's face, Ava Gray remained indifferent. Truth be told, she herself didn't fully understand the exact process of advancement—she only knew it required battle and the improvement of her devotees' strength.For others, advancement meant clashing with foreign deities, losing hundreds or even thousands of square kilometers of domain to gather enough divine aura, then spending divine power crystals—about 100 crystals to reach the first tier, 1,000 for the second tier, and so on.Ava Gray's method was different. Her devotees, by continually growing, would accumulate divine aura through weekly void incursions, and her power of divine law would be supplemented during these incursions.Her sole aim was to ensure that neither she nor her unruly subjects would starve—advancement would come naturally even in sleep.