Chapter 10: Divine Kingdom Duel

Most of the audience below appeared to be drifting off, barely paying attention to his lecture. After all, such general planning and minor rules hardly meant anything to the scions of noble families.

In the entire classroom, perhaps only Ava Gray was listening intently. She seemed just like any ordinary, clueless student—if it weren't for that terrifying rate of advancement, one might have believed her completely naive.

At that moment, Ava Gray was intently observing the rules and the general guidelines for Divine Kingdom cultivation that were written on the board. They all seemed quite sound, so she carefully noted them down. Although most of these cultivation principles were related to faith, for her unruly devotees it hardly mattered; she thought it best to record everything, just in case it became useful.

Thus, with every sentence Lucian Star spoke, Ava Gray diligently jotted down a note—whatever he said, she recorded without exception.

By the time the class ended, Ava Gray's notebook was filled to the brim. She had committed the practical templates to memory, while the specific rules were meticulously recorded on a separate sheet.

Nearby, Chloe Star, brimming with curiosity, leaned over and pointed at the notebook, asking, "Big Sis Ava, may I take a look?"

Ava Gray nodded and scribbled something on another page.Chloe Star casually opened the notebook. It was filled with dense, precisely written rules—only a few pages contained brief introductions to the innate skills of various races. Every word was chosen with care, leaving no extraneous character; the pages were packed yet impeccably neat, leaving Chloe Star in stunned silence.

"Wow, is this the gap between me and a top student? Such a thick notebook, with not a single word wasted—Big Sis Ava is unbelievably diligent," Chloe Star thought.

But Ava Gray paid no attention to what Chloe Star might be thinking. She had just learned a few new special rules that would enable her to compose new divine decrees.Every time she wrote a decree, it was like drawing from a blind box—ideally, only those at the seventh tier or above should be able to craft divine decree cards.Yet, out of necessity, she was forced to attempt it at lower tiers. This meant she could only guarantee that the decrees would function, without any assurance as to the outcome.

With a sweeping gesture, she wrote three decrees and, without further ado, hurled them into her Divine Kingdom—then she silently recorded every detail of what ensued.

Soon, within her Divine Kingdom, floods, lightning, and hail descended. Ava Gray nodded in satisfaction. These minor celestial disasters had no effect on her unruly subjects; indeed, the floods and hail even provided much-needed water sources—an outcome she found very pleasing.

At that moment, as torrents of water flooded the valleys, hailstones over three meters tall pelted down, and violent thunder roared, not a single creature seemed to care.She couldn't tell how long it would last—she hoped it would persist a while longer so that the water supply might be replenished.After all, for a deity like her, having a bit of hail and floods was quite acceptable—rain, however, was out of the question.

Of course, there was one obvious downside: the already dilapidated altar was further worn down by the water, and who knew—perhaps next time her descent would leave Ava Gray soaking wet…

Setting aside the troubles arising from the decrees, Ava Gray soon faced another problem: in the coming days, she had to earn enough divine power crystals, or else disaster would strike.Should she borrow from someone? That didn't seem likely; given her limited connections, she'd probably have to approach Chloe Star for help.

Just when Ava Gray was at a loss, Lucian Star returned like a savior to announce an exhilarating piece of news to the entire class.

With a warm smile, Lucian Star said,

"Class, the new school social event is about to begin. The academy will soon organize a simulated duel competition.This duel won't deplete your divine aura or territory. The top five contestants will receive lavish rewards, and the top twenty will qualify to participate in the social event.We're using this Divine Kingdom duel to determine the spots. The competition is scheduled for three days from now—so I hope you all sign up enthusiastically."

He then revealed some enticing rewards that even students from well-established families couldn't help but marvel at:

First Prize: A special three-tier, ten-star card that accelerates civilization progress, along with a complete deck consisting of five one-star cards from the third tier and twenty five-star cards from the second tier, plus a divine artifact.Second Prize: 10,000 divine power crystals, a full deck, and ten random cards from tiers 2 to 3.Third Prize: 5,000 divine power crystals.Fourth Prize: A divine artifact.Fifth Prize: Five cards.For Ranks 6 to 30: 1,000 divine power crystals each.

Seeing these sumptuous rewards, Ava Gray's mouth watered.After a moment of calm contemplation, she mused, "Even though I'm not great at anything, I'm at least third tier. My expectations aren't high—I could try for 30th place."She silently hoped for divine favor. Yet, her strength was still somewhat unstable; she would need to find a way to boost her power further soon.

Watching Ava Gray's determined expression, Lucian Star's lips curled into a slight smile. It seemed she'd taken the bait. A person like her might not care much about resources or divine power crystals, but when it came to a social event, you simply couldn't pass it up.

The requirements were modest—just one duel would suffice for him to gather data. However, to obtain more detailed information, it appeared he'd have to raise the stakes a bit.

Clearing his throat, he declared solemnly,

"Class, I've heard that the winner of this social event will have the opportunity to be personally taken on as an apprentice by Victor Knight of the Heavenly Book Pavilion!"

At these words, the room erupted in astonishment. After all, Victor Knight had once been a legendary border war hero—a living legend who had returned from the front lines, possessing the realm of a Divine King. Rumor had it that he had even witnessed the secrets of the Abyss.After his return, he had issued a stern ultimatum: if anyone could inherit his mantle, they would be entrusted with the secrets of the Abyss.

Lucian Star was firmly convinced that no matter who or which family one belonged to, everyone was fascinated by the secrets of the Abyss.The Abyss differs from the void. Although both have powerful corrosive effects, the Abyss can truly infect a god.Being infected by the void is a slow process that can be purged through divine laws, but the Abyss can contaminate a deity's divine aura. Once that aura is lost, one becomes a walking corpse—a fate far worse than death.For countless years, the three Supreme Deities have exhausted every effort to eradicate the Abyss—not only because of its danger but also due to the wealth it contains.The Abyss has existed for countless years, and within it lie innumerable rare treasures; when the Supreme Deity's position was transferred in the past, the previous ruler's fortune was stored in the Abyss.I refuse to believe that those noble families would pass up such an opportunity. By then, this fellow should reveal some true power, shouldn't he?