Chapter 3154: Two True Gods' Promotion! Thank Him? Two True Gods...

"Star Messenger!"

Wang Teng's heart surged with astonishment. He had never imagined that this True God was actually a Star Messenger.

Then again, it made sense.

To have such a being preside over the awarding ceremony meant his status could not be simple.

"So, his star rank must be quite high," Wang Teng thought, a sudden spark of insight flashing through his mind.

Among the many True Gods present, there were surely others who held Star Messenger-level honor badges.

Yet everyone had unanimously accepted this True God to announce the honors—proof of his extraordinary rank.

There was only one possibility: his star rank surpassed all others.

Unfortunately, the True God said little more.

After revealing his identity, he immediately moved to the main topic.

"Your merits have already been announced."

"Now, I shall declare the honor badge ranks you have earned."

"First..."

His gaze swept across the crowd, finally settling on Chihuang True God and Zhulong True God.

All fell silent, holding their breath in anticipation.

The first to receive honors were these two True Gods, and neither seemed surprised.

After all, their strength was unmatched, and their ranks were undoubtedly the highest.

But some couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, glancing instinctively at Yaofeng True God.

Wang Teng also turned to look at him—though unlike the others, he did so openly, without concealment.

It was good that Yaofeng wasn’t among the first to be honored.

"... "

Yaofeng True God’s face darkened like a charred pot. In front of so many, he felt as though he were being judged.

But the Star Messenger-level True God paid no heed. He didn’t even glance at Yaofeng, speaking directly:

"Chihuang True God and Zhulong True God originally held Five-Star and Four-Star Star Messenger Honor Badges respectively."

"In light of their outstanding performance and immense contributions during this great battle, the upper echelons of the Star Hall have unanimously decided."

"To elevate the Star God Honor Badges of Chihuang True God and Zhulong True God by one star each."

"Chihuang True God is promoted to... Six-Star Star Messenger Honor Badge!"

"Zhulong True God is promoted to Five-Star Star Messenger Honor Badge!"

As the words fell, silence blanketed the hall.

Not peaceful silence—but the stunned, speechless hush of shock.

Every expression froze.

Six-Star Star Messenger Honor Badge!

Five-Star Star Messenger Honor Badge!

What glory lay within those titles?

Many immortal-level warriors present dared not even dream of a single-star Star Messenger badge.

And yet, Chihuang and Zhulong had already reached six and five stars!

This was nothing short of astonishing!

One must remember: every star level increase for a Star Messenger badge required astronomical accumulations of merit.

Even advancing from two to three stars likely demanded more merit than all prior achievements combined!

Let alone rising from four to five, or five to six!

Wang Teng himself was shaken, a flicker of disbelief crossing his eyes.

Six-Star Star Messenger Honor Badge!

Five-Star Star Messenger Honor Badge!

He didn’t think they were too high—he thought they were too low.

Though he’d known True Gods might only attain Star Messenger-level honor badges, he hadn’t expected them to be so modest.

Before this, Chihuang had only a Five-Star badge, and Zhulong merely a Four-Star.

Clearly, the Star Messenger honor badge was rarer than he’d imagined.

"Wang Teng, do you know what Five-Star and Six-Star Star Messenger Honor Badges mean?"

Ji Lao’s voice suddenly echoed in Wang Teng’s ear.

Wang Teng glanced at him and shook his head.

Ji Lao took a deep breath and spoke slowly:

"It means Chihuang True God and Zhulong True God now hold influence in the Star Hall equal to that of True Gods from major power factions."

Wang Teng’s pupils contracted sharply.

Equal to True Gods from major powers?!

That powerful?

After all, while both the Mechanical Clan and the Zhulong Clan were considered large forces, they couldn’t compare to giants like the Virtual Universe Corporation.

And the True Gods of these two races naturally lacked the authority and standing of True Gods from such colossal entities.

That gap wasn’t merely in martial cultivation levels—it was a chasm of factional power and prestige.

"Even..."

Ji Lao continued:

"In certain circumstances, they can mobilize the Star Hall’s forces to sanction other factions."

"Sanction?!" Wang Teng raised an eyebrow at the word…

"Yes," Ji Lao nodded. "For example, if a faction commits wrongdoing, the Star Hall can dispatch Star Messengers to intervene militarily."

"And holders of Five-Star and Six-Star Star Messenger Honor Badges possess the right to initiate 'sanction proposals.'"

Wang Teng drew in a sharp breath.

It was getting more terrifying by the second!

The significance of the Star Messenger Honor Badge was becoming increasingly horrifying.

"Of course, such power isn’t used lightly."

Ji Lao added, "There must be sufficient evidence and justification, and at least three holders of five-star or higher Star Messenger Honor Medals must jointly support the initiative before the sanction procedure can truly be activated."

"Even so, that would still be an incredibly terrifying force," Wang Teng said, nodding in deep agreement.

Three holders of five-star or higher Star Messenger Honor Medals—those were three top-tier true gods. Combined with the authority granted by the Hall of Stars, such power could sweep through most factions without resistance.

"It seems the power of the Hall of Stars is even greater than I imagined," Wang Teng murmured, a note of awe in his voice.

"That’s only natural," Ji Lao chuckled, his expression tinged with nostalgia. "The reason the Hall of Stars has endured for so long is because all factions recognize its authority—and that authority is built upon countless merits accumulated over time."

"So if you ever have a chance to earn merit in the future, you must seize it," Ji Lao’s tone grew solemn, earnest.

"The Hall of Stars also assigns merit points. If you can obtain them, not only can you exchange them for treasures within the Hall, but you can also elevate your Honor Medal rank."

"When your Honor Medal reaches the level of Star Messenger, you’ll be able to walk across the cosmos unchallenged—no one will dare say a word."

Wang Teng couldn’t help but smile. "Master Ji, your metaphor…"

"Metaphors aren’t important. What matters is the truth," Ji Lao waved a hand dismissively.

Wang Teng nodded, committing the words to memory. Especially the idea of merit points from the Hall of Stars—his heart raced at the thought.

Another place where he could exchange for treasures!

This was truly... wonderful!

Just then, murmurs finally erupted around him, as if everyone had only now snapped back into awareness.

"Six stars!"

"Five stars!"

The first to speak was Yin Lei Zunzhe, his voice trembling slightly.

His excitement stemmed entirely from factional loyalty. As a subordinate of True God Yao Feng, and since Yao Feng clashed with True Gods Chi Huang and Zhu Long, he naturally shared their animosity.

Now, seeing Chi Huang and Zhu Long receive such high-ranking Honor Medals, his mind could not remain calm. He felt nothing short of horrified.

Previously, he hadn’t known the rank of the two true gods’ medals. But now, seeing them awarded six-star and five-star Star Messenger Medals respectively, the shock was overwhelming.

In his eyes, this rank was simply too high—certainly surpassing Yao Feng’s own status.

Back then, Yao Feng himself had aimed for the five-star Star Messenger Medal.

"To rise from four stars to five… how difficult that is, let alone advancing from five to six!"

"These two true gods have really struck gold this time!"

"Indeed, great battles like this are the best times to harvest prestige."

"Pfft, not so easy. Didn’t you see that one..."

Others chattered among themselves, but eventually fell silent.

Such comparisons were too sensitive.

"..."

True God Yao Feng roared inwardly. Did they seriously think he didn’t hear?

Yet no one paid him any attention. At this moment, all eyes remained fixed on the two true gods.

"We can’t even reach one star, yet these two true gods are already five and six stars—this is the difference!" a being of immortality level sighed bitterly.

"True gods truly are beyond our reach," another immortal-level figure echoed.

The nine true gods present via holographic projection also displayed varying degrees of astonishment.

"To advance from four stars to five, and then from five to six—within nearly ten thousand years, fewer than five individuals in the Hall of Stars have achieved such a feat."

"Chi Huang, Zhu Long—congratulations to both of you!" one true god declared solemnly, his voice thick with emotion.

"It truly deserves celebration. The Five-Star and Six-Star Star Messenger Honor Medals signify a significant elevation in your standing within the Hall of Stars."

"You both have earned this honor, completely deserving."

...

Other true gods followed suit, offering their congratulations.

How could they not envy? Not just the immortals—themselves, true gods, found it exceedingly difficult to reach such heights.

At least among those present, few could claim such a feat.

In this regard, Zhu Long and Chi Huang had clearly outpaced them.

Many regretted missing this great battle. Had they not been constrained, they would surely have sought a chance to attend.

But they also knew: the two true gods had the advantage of home-field strength. If true gods from other factions had come, they might not have achieved such feats.

Yao Feng was the perfect example.

As this thought crossed their minds, the envy in their hearts gradually cooled.

Three domains invaded by dark species—now two true gods had risen in status and prestige due to this invasion. It truly fulfilled the saying:

—Misfortune and fortune go hand in hand.

Zhu Long True God wore a radiant red face, clearly delighted with the outcome, his eyes brimming with joy.

"Thank you all for your recognition. This humble deity feels unworthy! Unworthy indeed!"

He straightened his posture and gave a slight bow toward the ten true gods.

Though his words were modest, the suppressed grin at the corner of his mouth betrayed him.

Wang Teng twitched his lips. Never expected this Zhu Long True God to be such a show-off.

Interesting!

Truly intriguing!

"And my gratitude as well to the Hall of Stars for this recognition."

The True God Torch Dragon was still offering his thanks, his gaze sweeping across the gathering before finally settling squarely upon Wang Teng.

"Lastly, there is one more person I must thank."

Wang Teng’s heart skipped a beat—what was the meaning of this?

Thanking him?

Why did this feel so much like an acceptance speech at an awards ceremony?

He felt a strong urge to complain internally.

"Indeed, I must express my gratitude to young friend Wang Teng. Without him, this deity would not have been able to achieve such monumental military merits this time."

The True God Torch Dragon looked at Wang Teng, speaking with utter sincerity, the profound gratitude in his voice unmistakable to anyone listening.

Everyone present was momentarily stunned, their hearts filled with quite a bit of surprise.

They could understand thanking anyone else, but they had not expected the True God Torch Dragon to personally thank Wang Teng under such circumstances.

It seemed Wang Teng’s weight in the True God Torch Dragon’s heart was indeed not light.

However, nearly everyone present had witnessed the situation on the battlefield with their own eyes, and they knew Wang Teng had indeed been of no small assistance to the two True Gods, his impact on the course of the battle being nothing short of colossal.

Therefore, this action by the True God Torch Dragon was not entirely incomprehensible.

On the other side, though the True God Blazing Brilliance did not wear his emotions on his sleeve like the True God Torch Dragon.

Yet light flickered within those deep blue eyes, revealing that his inner mind was clearly far from tranquil.

He spoke up at this moment as well: "This deity must likewise thank Wang Teng."

"What the True God Torch Dragon says is no falsehood; without Wang Teng, this deity could not have obtained such vast military merits."

"Much less could the star-rank of the Star Envoy Honor Badge have been elevated."

His tone was exceedingly solemn, compelling everyone to believe him just a fraction more.

Those who had been somewhat skeptical at first were now entirely convinced.

For both True Gods to say the same thing simultaneously illustrated just how vital Wang Teng’s importance had been in this decisive battle.

No wonder the two True Gods treated Wang Teng with such an entirely different attitude.

They had truly received his favor!

The phantoms of those ten True Gods could not help but cast their gazes upon Wang Teng at this moment, their eyes bearing a trace of astonishment.

Even though they had already known something of the situation beforehand, they truly had not expected Wang Teng to have played such a crucial role in the achievements of the two True Gods.

Unless the parties involved spoke of such matters themselves, outsiders might never truly comprehend them.

But no matter what, at this very moment, Wang Teng's performance in this great war had been given tangible form.

The various True Gods seemed to truly behold the deeds Wang Teng had wrought, rather than just lingering on the surface of things.

Their expressions grew somewhat complicated.

For a mere Universe Realm martial warrior to achieve such a state was simply mind-boggling.

"..."

Wang Teng was somewhat speechless.

It was one thing for the True God Torch Dragon to act like this, but for the True God Blazing Brilliance to do the same.

These two, did they plan this together or what?

Why suddenly make things so emotional?

He felt a bit embarrassed.

Yet truth be told, being so thoroughly validated by two True Gods was actually quite a thrilling feeling.

He knew that many people had previously doubted the merits he achieved in this great war, primarily because the things he did were too outrageous, making them somewhat hard to believe.

But the achievements regarding him that the True God Blazing Brilliance had listed earlier had already shut everyone's mouths.

And now, the gratitude of the two True Gods left them even more completely devoid of doubt.

Because a True God would not easily express gratitude to another.

Everyone knew exactly how much weight the gratitude of a True God carried; it was certainly no laughing matter.

"The two True Gods overpraise me; this junior merely did what was within his duty."

Wang Teng remained silent for a brief moment before finally speaking up to show a touch of humility.

With matters having reached this point, he could not simply pretend not to notice.

The good intentions of the two True Gods had to be accepted!