Chapter 153: Luring the Divine Beast Back Home

Having discovered the true strength of those major factions, Zhou Tian naturally could no longer afford to linger in the Black Blood Plateau.

The deep waters of the Black Blood Plateau were one reason, but above all, it was blatantly clear that this region was the territory of the Underworld. Although the Underworld was not the sole overlord of the Black Blood Plateau, there was no doubt that, at least in this place, the Church's influence fell short of the Underworld's. If the Underworld were truly determined to deal with Zhou Tian, he doubted he would have any chance of walking out of the Black Blood Plateau alive.

Realizing just how perilous his current situation was, Zhou Tian certainly had no intention of staying long in the Black Blood Plateau.

Yet, before leaving, Zhou Tian's mind hatched another plot.

He had taken a fancy to the little divine tiger.

Not yet an adult and already a divine beast, this little tiger either possessed some heaven-defying bloodline, or its innate talent was outrageously good, having grown to its current state simply by living in the Black Blood Plateau and borrowing the aid of the blood moon.

No matter the case, it was obvious that the little divine tiger's future achievements would be extraordinary. To encounter such a somewhat clueless divine beast with immense room for growth—surely anyone would try to lure and abduct it!

Zhou Tian could well imagine that if he managed to abduct the little divine tiger back to the capital, the capital would gain yet another top-tier combat powerhouse. With the little divine tiger's maturity, its help alone might well provide a sufficient guarantee for the capital's future safety.

With such a thought in mind, Zhou Tian looked back at the little divine tiger once more, then forced his courage and attempted to communicate with it.

"Hello there!"

"Roar!" A fierce beast was still a fierce beast. Compared to ordinary magical beasts, fierce beasts possessed greater destructive power, but their intelligence was generally low. If it were a magical beast—let alone becoming a divine beast, even an ordinary high-level magical beast would likely already be able to speak human words. Yet even though the little divine tiger possessed divine markings and could maintain a clear and sober mind, it was otherwise no different from any ordinary fierce beast.

The little divine tiger heard Zhou Tian's words, but perhaps it simply didn't understand their meaning! Although it held no murderous intent toward Zhou Tian because he had previously helped it, after hearing Zhou Tian speak, the little divine tiger gave no special reaction. It simply let out a direct roar at Zhou Tian and then sprawled on the ground to rest.

Seeing this reaction, Zhou Tian couldn't help feeling a headache coming on. His own personality was somewhat impatient, and making him deal with an object as difficult to communicate with as the little divine tiger left him genuinely stumped for a method of interaction. Seeing that the little divine tiger was acting indifferent to his words, Zhou Tian had no idea what to do next.

Forget it. Fierce beasts were hard to control even outside, and if this little divine tiger were to go crazy later, there was no telling how much destruction it might cause to the capital. Since it was an unstable element, abandoning it meant abandoning it. With a complete lack of moral fiber, Zhou Tian—who had just been plotting to take the little divine tiger back home—seemed to forget his previous decision in the blink of an eye. After merely making a tentative attempt to communicate with it and discovering that it could not understand him, Zhou Tian directly abandoned his prior plan and stepped forward, preparing to leave the Black Blood Plateau.

Yet just as Zhou Tian was about to leave, as if sensing his intentions, the little divine tiger suddenly sprinted over and blocked his path. Though it said nothing, its gaze fixed firmly on the Chaos Clock undoubtedly laid its intentions bare.

Realizing the little divine tiger's purpose in blocking his way, Zhou Tian felt a flurry of black lines appear on his forehead.

This little fellow certainly knew how to dream! It had set its sights on his Chaos Clock right from the start. How could Zhou Tian possibly agree to such a demand? What was the Chaos Clock? Putting aside how precious a magical treasure it was, his relationship with the little divine tiger certainly wasn't close enough to warrant giving away gifts before parting ways!

Demanding a gift unprompted was one thing, but this little divine tiger had directly set its sights on his most powerful magical treasure. It would be a miracle if Zhou Tian paid it any mind.

Acting as if he hadn't seen the little divine tiger's expression, Zhou Tian directly pivoted in another direction and prepared to walk away.

However, just as he took a step, he suddenly discovered that the little divine tiger had once again blocked his path. Judging by its flattering expression, it clearly had no intention of letting him go.

Seeing this expression, Zhou Tian looked utterly helpless.

If the little divine tiger had resorted to brute force, although Zhou Tian lacked absolute certainty, leaving was not entirely out of the question. But given this expression from the little divine tiger, Zhou Tian felt rather embarrassed to just walk away. After all, he had just utilized the creature; turning his back on it immediately was something Zhou Tian simply couldn't bring himself to do.

"No way. This is my property; how could I give it to you!"

"Roar!"

"How about this—you come with me, and I'll give you toys."

"Roar~ roar!"

"You agree?"

"Roar~"

Originally, Zhou Tian had assumed the little divine tiger lacked its own sentience, but once real communication was established, he discovered that while its intelligence wasn't very high, it wasn't entirely nonexistent. Under the temptation of Zhou Tian's toys, the little divine tiger actually agreed to travel with him.

Zhou Tian didn't say much more about this outcome. Once he confirmed that the little divine tiger was willing to accompany him, he glanced at its size and said, "Since you want to come with me, can you make your size a bit smaller? If you go back with me at this massive size, I'm afraid it won't be very convenient!"

"Meow~"

"Good grief! Are you a tiger or not? Asking you to shrink doesn't mean turning into a cat! Where is the dignity of a tiger? Where is the dignity of a divine beast?" Zhou Tian was utterly defeated by the little divine tiger. Because its massive size made it inconvenient to bring back, he had wanted it to shrink down a bit, but he never expected the little divine tiger to transform directly into a tiny kitten. After letting out a cute, light meow, it even proceeded to act coquettishly toward Zhou Tian. Such a display left Zhou Tian truly at a loss for words.

Although the process wasn't what he had anticipated, the result achieved his desired effect. Since the little divine tiger had turned into a kitten, Zhou Tian could naturally take it away with ease.

Only...

Zhou Tian seemed to have forgotten that this was the Black Blood Plateau. While divine beasts were a rare sight in the outside world, within the Black Blood Plateau, fierce beasts of the divine beast tier were not hard to find. Earlier, the divine-tier powerhouses of the Underworld had had to give those fierce beasts a wide berth. Since Zhou Tian wanted to take the little divine tiger out of the Black Blood Plateau, how could the other fierce beasts possibly agree?

"Roar~" Almost the moment Zhou Tian picked up the little divine tiger and prepared to leave the Black Blood Plateau, a massive roar echoed from the distance. As the sound wave swept past, though it carried no overwhelming lethality, Zhou Tian was still sent rolling backward several times.

"Is this a warning to me?" Zhou Tian could tell that this massive roar likely came from the same fierce beast that had repelled the Underworld powerhouses earlier. Though he didn't know its relationship with the little divine tiger, judging by its actions, that fierce beast clearly did not want Zhou Tian to take the little divine tiger out of the Black Blood Plateau. Facing such a reaction, Zhou Tian naturally felt displeased.

Yet what could he do about his displeasure?

Though that earlier roar hadn't caused him any serious harm, that was only because the entity had shown mercy. If it had attacked with full force, judging by the strength the fierce beast had demonstrated, Zhou Tian would have had no way to block its attack at all. If he pushed his luck and the fierce beast stopped caring about the favor Zhou Tian had done for the little divine tiger, the next thing he faced would be far more than just a roar of this magnitude.

After hesitating for a moment, ultimately mindful of the terrifying power of that divine beast, Zhou Tian—though still wishing to take the little divine tiger away—turned around and prepared to return alone.

Yet Zhou Tian's hesitation gave the little divine tiger an opportunity. Before he could actually leave, the little divine tiger lunged forward, clamped its jaws onto his trouser leg, and directly put on a stubborn display of refusing to let him go.

What could Zhou Tian say?

Take it? He didn't dare. Kick it away forcefully? He dared even less. Staring helplessly at the little divine tiger, he had no choice but to plead for mercy: "My little ancestor, won't you let me go?"

"Meow~" Showing no intention of letting him go, the little divine tiger—still in the form of a kitten—responded to his words by leaping directly onto Zhou Tian's shoulder, striking a pose that declared its intention to travel together.

"Well, it's insisting on following me!" Whether the distant divine beast could actually hear him or not, Zhou Tian muttered to himself, finally casting aside the threat from the hidden beast. He hoisted the little divine tiger, summoned a cloud, and flew up into the air...

Fortunately, whether the entity in the shadows was truly at ease entrusting the little divine tiger to his care or had some other reason, the hidden fierce beast ultimately did nothing to Zhou Tian. Amidst his nervous, heart-pounding flight, Zhou Tian successfully brought the little divine tiger back to the capital safe and sound.

Since the little divine tiger was determined to follow him, Zhou Tian naturally wouldn't stingy with it. Using the Immortal-Binding Rope to string up the Chaos Clock, Zhou Tian tied both magical treasures around the little divine tiger's neck.

The little divine tiger liked the Chaos Clock, so Zhou Tian let it have it. Of course, this was merely letting it keep the items to play with; if Zhou Tian truly wished to reclaim the two treasures, the little divine tiger would be powerless to stop him.

Only Zhou Tian knew the incantation for the Immortal-Binding Rope. As for the Chaos Clock, although Zhou Tian lacked the ability to make it formally acknowledge him as its master, after such a long period of nurturing, his soul imprint had already been embedded deep within the clock. Unless someone refined the Chaos Clock back into an unowned item, a mere gesture from Zhou Tian would be enough to recall it.

Possessing absolute certainty in his ability to control those two treasures, Zhou Tian had dared to place them on the little divine tiger. But the fact that he held this trump card was known to him alone. To the little divine tiger, his action was an absolute sign of affection. Having already developed a certain fondness for Zhou Tian because he had helped it earlier, the little divine tiger's affection instantly deepened severalfold upon seeing this treatment.

Constantly licking Zhou Tian's face with its tiny tongue, the little divine tiger abandoned all dignity as a divine beast, acting for all the world like a domestic pet.

Having acquired the Chaos Clock, the little divine tiger stopped making a fuss along the way. While playing with the treasures around its neck, its tiger eyes stared with boundless curiosity at the sights of the capital.

For a little creature like the little divine tiger, the area of its activities since birth had been minuscule, and it had come into contact with very few living beings. Otherwise, it surely wouldn't have treated Zhou Tian like family simply because he had helped it once.

Now, suddenly thrust from the desolate wasteland of the Black Blood Plateau into the human world, it naturally found everything it saw and heard in the capital immensely fascinating.

"Come back here!" At first, Zhou Tian was quite pleased that their relationship had improved. But the little divine tiger's subsequent actions quickly taught him the true meaning of rejoicing turning to sorrow; its antics almost scared him out of his wits.

The little divine tiger had no idea how to survive in the human world. In its still-youthful mind, if it liked something, it simply snatched it away.

Because it liked Zhou Tian, it wouldn't do such things to him, but it showed no such courtesy toward strangers.

Upon entering the capital, the little divine tiger would pounce on anything that caught its eye and snatch it. Playthings were fine; after batting them around a few times, it would generally lose interest. But when it came to food, the little divine tiger discarded all restraint. It sampled practically every piece of food it laid eyes on. If something tasted good, it would even devour the entire shop's stock in one go. Such a performance was nothing short of terrifying.

In the wake of the little divine tiger's sprees, Zhou Tian was left footing the bill for its actions. After all, the capital was his territory; if the little divine tiger was going to cause trouble here, Zhou Tian couldn't join in on the chaos. Otherwise, if even the city lord acted lawlessly, who would ever dare to come to the capital again?

Fortunately, if there was one thing Zhou Tian didn't lack, it was money; he always carried a hefty sum on him.

Under his management, the capital already featured quite a few lucrative establishments. Whether it was the printing press or the amusement park, both were absolute cash cows, making it no exaggeration to say Zhou Tian brought in thousands of gold coins a day. Although the bulk of his funds went toward purchasing magical cores, Zhou Tian himself would never run short of spending money.

He didn't mind the money; what wore him out was the little divine tiger's hyperactive behavior. With the creature running amok, Zhou Tian was forced to follow closely behind cleaning up its messes. Once or twice was fine, but if this kept up, how could anyone endure it?

Yet fortunately, although the little divine tiger's true form was massive, its stomach capacity had limits. After sweeping through the food street for over an hour, the little divine tiger finally declared itself full.

Having learned his lesson, Zhou Tian dared not linger on the streets any longer. He had no idea what mischief the little divine tiger might get into next if it spotted another plaything. Gathering the now-quiet little divine tiger into his arms, Zhou Tian didn't waste another word and sprinted straight toward the City Lord's Mansion.

At first, the little divine tiger felt somewhat puzzled by Zhou Tian's reaction, but since its belly was full, it had no desire to resist. It simply stayed quietly in Zhou Tian's arms, curiously watching the bustling crowds of tourists passing by.

However, this state of tranquility did not last long. The moment Zhou Tian carried it near the amusement park, the little divine tiger grew restless once more.

Like any child, it was curious about everything. Earlier on the street, it couldn't help pawing at toys; now, seeing such a massive amusement park filled with so many fascinating things, how could it possibly sit still? Almost as soon as Zhou Tian carried it near the entrance, the little divine tiger broke free from his embrace and bolted straight toward the park without a second thought.

"Get back here!" Seeing the little divine tiger escape, Zhou Tian shouted after it and hurriedly gave chase.

Yet the little divine tiger possessed incredible speed. By the time Zhou Tian reached the entrance of the amusement park, the creature had already blended into the crowd and was having the time of its life. It took a tremendous amount of effort—and even joining in on some of the games—before Zhou Tian finally managed to lead the reluctant little divine tiger out of the park.

The rest of the journey home was an experience that left Zhou Tian with memories to last a lifetime. By the time he finally succeeded in bringing the thoroughly satisfied little divine tiger back to the City Lord's Mansion, a considerable number of people were already waiting for him in the courtyard.

While Zhou Tian couldn't claim that every single person in the capital knew him, everyone who came to the capital had certainly heard of him as the city lord. As for his subordinates in the capital, they had memorized his face long ago.

Therefore, the moment Zhou Tian returned to the capital, Aphra and the others had actually received the news. At the very first instance, they had rushed to the City Lord's Mansion to await his return.

However, what followed was something Aphra and the others could never have anticipated. Zhou Tian had indeed returned, but he had gone off "sightseeing" instead, leaving them waiting for several hours. To say Aphra and the others weren't burning with a bit of anger would be a lie.

The others were relatively calm, but Aphra was nursing a grudge that made her teeth itch. Because Zhou Tian had been away for so long, she had actually missed him. For him to pull this stunt the moment he returned—she was bound to blow her top.

Aphra had already made up her mind: when she saw Zhou Tian, she would not let him off easy. Unless he offered a proper apology, she wouldn't even let him share her bed tonight.

Zhou Tian had no idea that Aphra was boiling with such rage. Having finally calmed the little divine tiger down, he half-forcibly carried it into his living quarters at the mansion.

The moment he stepped through the door, Zhou Tian saw Aphra and the others sitting in the hall. Oblivious and entirely unthinking of what might be running through their minds, he offered a casual greeting and prepared to head straight inside to rest.

Zhou Tian was genuinely exhausted. Chasing the little divine tiger had felt like running several laps around the entire capital. His psychological fatigue was immense, though his physical body hadn't actually worn out from just a bit of walking. Knowing that Aphra and the others likely had something to say to him, he nevertheless found himself forced to excuse himself because he simply couldn't keep his eyes open any longer.

Yet the moment those words left his mouth, Aphra completely erupted.

"What is the meaning of this?! You've been gone for ages, and when you finally come back, you don't even say a word to us, and now you give us this kind of attitude!"

"No, I'm just too tired. Let me get some rest, and we can talk about everything tomorrow, okay?"

"No way! We are clearing this up today, or you and I aren't done!"

"You..."

"Meow-oo~" Just as Zhou Tian and Aphra were on the verge of a full-blown argument, the little divine tiger—having grown tired from its play and wanting to rest—finally let out a protesting cry toward Zhou Tian.

Only when the little divine tiger made a sound did the people present finally notice that Zhou Tian was holding a tiny kitten in his arms.

"How cute!" Aphra could well be described as a wild girlfriend, but no matter how wild, she was still a woman. Given the absolute cuteness of the kitten-formed little divine tiger, it possessed a charm capable of bypassing defenses across all ages from eight to eighty. Consumed by anger earlier, she had focused entirely on arguing with Zhou Tian. But once her attention was captured by the little divine tiger's cry, every ounce of her focus shifted instantly to the creature.

Abandoning the quarrel entirely, Aphra didn't hesitate for a second upon seeing the little divine tiger. She snatched it straight out of Zhou Tian's arms and began rubbing it frantically against her face.

Seeing Aphra's reaction, Zhou Tian broke out in a cold sweat.

Although they were quarreling, Zhou Tian cared deeply for Aphra. Seeing her actions now, he naturally worried for her safety.

What Aphra was holding and playing with was no ordinary kitten—it was a divine beast! If the little divine tiger grew annoyed by her actions and flew into a rage, given its strength, Aphra would likely be killed in an instant. How could Zhou Tian not worry as he watched her manhandle the creature like that?

Fortunately, whether the little divine tiger sensed that Aphra harbored no malice or recognized she was not an enemy, though it looked somewhat displeased and voiced a brief protest, from start to beginning it never made a single aggressive move toward Aphra.

"Ahem, ahem. Look, Aphra, hand that little fellow back. It's not a toy for you!" Although the little divine tiger's current behavior seemed docile, Zhou Tian didn't dare lower his guard. After letting Aphra play with it for a moment, he felt compelled to speak up and request the creature back.

Unfortunately, while Zhou Tian meant well, Aphra completely ignored him. Hearing his words, she didn't even hesitate before rejecting him outright: "No way! I'm sleeping with little Tiger today, I'm not giving it back!"

"You cannot!" Are you kidding me? Even among beasts, once they reached the divine tier, they could be considered sentient life forms. Zhou Tian suspected that beastmen were born from the union of humans and magical beasts. As his woman, how could Zhou Tian let Aphra sleep with the little divine tiger? Even if the tiger wasn't fully grown, Zhou Tian absolutely forbade such a thing.

However, Aphra was still burning with irritation and had genuinely fallen for the little divine tiger. Ignoring Zhou Tian's protests entirely, she pulled the creature tight against her chest and turned to march straight toward her bedroom.

Seeing her reaction, Zhou Tian panicked. Throwing caution to the wind, he lunged forward to snatch the little divine tiger back from her arms.

Naturally, Aphra wasn't about to let him take it easily. As Zhou Tian grabbed the little divine tiger's upper body, she grabbed its hind legs. After a mutual exchange of fierce glares, the two of them began a literal game of tug-of-war.

Given the durability of the little divine tiger's body, no matter how hard Zhou Tian and Aphra pulled, they couldn't possibly harm it. But their behavior left the little divine tiger immensely annoyed.

As a divine beast, when had it ever been tugged around like this? Feeling somewhat humiliated, the little divine tiger abandoned its previous lazy demeanor. Giving Zhou Tian an annoyed glare, it opened its mouth and let out a tiger roar.

In terms of sheer power, this roar fell far short of the two roars Zhou Tian had heard in the Black Blood Plateau. But a divine beast was still a divine beast; even a roar without heavy murderous intent carried a distinct impact. While it didn't do much to Zhou Tian, Aphra and the others lacked his strength; under the force of the roar, they were all knocked flat onto their backsides on the ground.

"This... this is..." At this point, even a fool could see that the little divine tiger was extraordinary. Pointing with a trembling finger, Aphra cast a questioning glance at Zhou Tian.

Originally, Zhou Tian hadn't wanted too many people to know the little divine tiger's true identity. But judging by the current situation, keeping it hidden was no longer an option. Thus, when Aphra and the others asked again, Zhou Tian nodded and introduced it: "This is a 'friend' I made while traveling in the Black Blood Plateau. Don't let its small size fool you; its true form is quite massive. Moreover, this 'friend' of mine is a divine-tier fierce beast!" Knowing that the little divine tiger's intelligence allowed it to fully understand his words, Zhou Tian chose his phrasing carefully. He avoided any terminology that made it sound like a pet or a subordinate, directly elevating it to the status of a 'friend'.

Clearly, the little divine tiger was very pleased with this framing. Upon hearing his words, it immediately flashed a smiling expression. While a smile on a cat's face looked somewhat eerie, it didn't prevent everyone from instantly grasping the emotion it was trying to convey.

Of course, Zhou Tian was likely the only one paying attention to the little divine tiger's reaction. The others had no spare attention for that; every single one of them had been utterly stunned by Zhou Tian's revelation.

Judging purely by its exterior, nine out of ten people would mistake the little divine tiger for a simple house pet. Yet Zhou Tian was claiming that this adorable little kitten was a divine beast—and one of the fiercest among them at that. Hearing such a thing sounded deeply surreal no matter how one processed it.

Naturally, Aphra and the others didn't doubt Zhou Tian; he had no reason or need to make such a joke. Besides, the little divine tiger had already displayed its peculiar capabilities earlier. Though it sounded bizarre for Zhou Tian to call it a divine beast, almost everyone accepted his words instantly upon hearing them.

Maintaining its adorable appearance, the little divine tiger possessed an exterior capable of melting the hearts of most sentient beings. Yet now, that very appearance struck Aphra and the others in an entirely different light.

"Playing the pig to eat the tiger!" Aside from Zhou Tian, everyone present mentally assigned the exact same evaluation to the little divine tiger. Though they said nothing aloud, the fearful glances they cast at the creature made it clear that, in their eyes, the little divine tiger had instantly become a high-risk individual.

Without needing any telepathy, Zhou Tian could guess what Aphra and her group were thinking. With a helpless slap to his forehead, he hastened to offer some comfort: "Relax, everyone. Although it's a fierce beast, it's very gentle with friends. You saw for yourselves—even when Aphra and I were tugging on it just now, it didn't get angry. As long as you don't do anything to provoke it in the future, this little fellow is actually very easy to get along with."

"Mhm, perhaps you're right." If it were anyone else, even with Zhou Tian's backing, Aphra and the others likely wouldn't have believed it. But the little divine tiger's exterior was simply too cute; maintaining any sense of fear toward its current form was nearly impossible. Guided by Zhou Tian's explanation, they easily accepted his narrative and let go of their apprehension.

In fact, after a few tentative probes, Aphra scooped the little divine tiger back into her arms, and even Anna stepped up to tease it. They behaved as though they had completely forgotten its true identity, naturally treating it as nothing more than an unusual kitten.

Seeing this outcome, Zhou Tian nodded with satisfaction.

If Aphra and the others remained ignorant of the little divine tiger's true identity, it wouldn't be a good thing. Without knowing its strength, they might inadvertently offend it. If someone accidentally provoked the creature into a rage one day, given its power, the consequences were unimaginable.

Conversely, if they learned its identity and gave in to terror, that would ruin things just as easily.

Though the little divine tiger was a divine beast, its mental maturity was still that of a child; it craved being doted on. If it found everyone treating it like a plague god, Zhou Tian wouldn't even have to worry about taming it—the creature would likely pack up and flee back to the plateau within days.

While Aphra and the others reacted this way largely due to their own personalities, their reaction happened to be the ideal method for interacting with the little divine tiger. Observing this, Zhou Tian refrained from saying anything further. With a faint smile, he stood aside and watched the playful commotion between the little divine tiger and the women.

After a short while, Zhou Tian left Aphra and Anna in the hall playing with the little divine tiger, calling Mike outside with him.

Zhou Tian was indeed exhausted. His initial plan had been to return and rest, but while the fatigue in his mind was real, his physical body wasn't genuinely worn out from merely walking a distance.

Since the little divine tiger had derailed his plans for a nap, Zhou Tian decided to handle the capital's affairs first, saving sleep for when he had genuine downtime.

"You should have a way to contact the Church of Light, right?" The moment they were away from the crowd, Zhou Tian fixed his gaze squarely on Mike and posed a question that left the man momentarily at a loss for how to respond.

Hesitating for a beat, Mike realized the truth was impossible to hide from Zhou Tian anyway. He simply nodded and replied, "Yes, I do have a way to contact the Church."

"Then send a message to the Pope. Tell him I want to make a deal."

If an ordinary devout follower of the Church of Light had heard these words, they would likely have fought Zhou Tian to the death. Such a casual, dismissive attitude toward the Pope was utterly intolerable to them.

However, Mike was a veteran of many 'trials.' During his time alongside Zhou Tian, he had grown accustomed to hearing such brazen declarations. Having developed a degree of immunity to Zhou Tian's 'disrespect,' he didn't react with shock, merely asking calmly, "May I ask what kind of deal the Captain wishes to make with the Pope? You must realize opportunities to contact His Holiness are rare. If I disturb him without a proper reason, I'm afraid I won't be able to bear the consequences!"

"Just tell him I'm willing to trade the twelve divine statues on the outskirts of the capital to the Church. I'm sure the Pope won't fault you for that."

"What did you say?" Zhou Tian offered a casual reply, but Mike himself was left completely dumbfounded.

As one of the Church's agents stationed in the capital, Mike was well aware of the massive storm the Twelve Heavenly Stems Demonic Array had stirred across the continent. To put it bluntly, those twelve divine statues guarding the capital's perimeter were coveted by every single faction on the continent. If not for various checks and balances—and regardless of how powerful the array was—those statues would have long since been seized by some opportunistic power.

For the sake of that very array, Zhou Tian had nearly broken ties entirely with the Church of Light, even forcing Vivienne—his closest friend among them—back to the Holy City. In Mike's mind, the twelve statues should have been an absolute scale on Zhou Tian's reverse side. How could he suddenly be planning to trade them away just like that?

Clearly, Zhou Tian's abnormal reaction made Mike suspect the credibility of his words.

Reading the expression on Mike's face, Zhou Tian sighed helplessly and offered an explanation: "Those twelve statues only display their full power when arranged according to specific positions. I can trade the statues to the Church, and I'll even help them set the statues up in the proper formation. In exchange, the Church just needs to cover the cost of constructing them." Fearing Mike wouldn't believe him, Zhou Tian added without pausing for breath, "You don't need to doubt me. Even combined, those twelve statues only possess the strength of demigods, whereas I now control divine-tier combat power. Keeping those statues in my hands would only be a liability."

After listening to the explanation, Mike finally chose to believe him.

Just as Zhou Tian pointed out, with a divine beast providing protection, the defensive utility of the Twelve Heavenly Stems Demonic Array had indeed diminished in importance.

Though the demigod tier and the divine tier were separated by only a single rank, the gap in actual combat strength could not be bridged by clever tricks alone.

Take the divine-tier dragon summoned by that young dragon earlier, for instance. When facing the Twelve Heavenly Stems Demonic Array, it had casually breathed a single puff of dragon breath and completely obliterated the array. Such a massive gulf in power eloquently demonstrated just how vast that gap truly was.