Chapter 3157: Is It Even Ranked? Outmatched, My Fault? I...

A world where both True God Yaofeng and Venerable Yinlei were left wounded had come to fruition.

When all the Immortal-level Venerables had been called out by that Star Envoy-level True God,

The pupils of Venerable Yinlei finally shrank, and his countenance turned utterly, deathly pale.

Suffocated!

Miserable!

His own Badge of Glory had actually failed to advance in star-rank as well!

Even Venerable Zhumo had advanced by a star, rising from a four-star ordinary Badge of Glory to a five-star ordinary Badge of Glory.

But what about him?

He had originally possessed a five-star ordinary Badge of Glory, yet now it remained completely stagnant.

With his strength, such an outcome should never have come to pass.

And yet, this time, it did.

It was simply preposterous!

Venerable Yinlei desperately wanted to question it, but the moment he recalled True God Yaofeng’s fate, he tactfully held his tongue.

When even a True God-level existence like True God Yaofeng was no exception, what did he amount to?

In truth, before this, he had already harbored a faint premonition.

He had simply been unwilling to accept it.

He had originally clung to a shred of luck, thinking that since he was merely an Immortal-level existence, he shouldn't draw too much scrutiny from these True Gods.

Now, it seemed he had thought too highly of himself.

As a die-hard lackey of True God Yaofeng, it would be a miracle if he weren't targeted.

Furthermore, during that final decisive battle, he had vaguely sensed that he was being isolated.

It was all the handiwork of that Wang Teng.

The boy had aided the other Immortal-level existences, yet he had never once lifted a finger for him.

Consequently, he had been entirely unable to defeat those Calamity Fiend Bodies, and naturally, there was no military merit to speak of.

"Damn it!"

Venerable Yinlei slowly closed his eyes, his heart brimming with unreconciled resentment.

To think that he would capsize in a shallow ditch all because of a Cosmos-Lord tier martial warrior.

Before this, he wouldn't have dared to even imagine it.

Too ridiculous!

Originally, Venerable Yinlei, much like True God Yaofeng, had not placed Wang Teng in his eyes at all.

The current outcome could be considered a brutal slap to the face.

On the other side, Wang Teng, sensing Venerable Yinlei's gaze which had felt almost tangible just moments ago, cast a glance at him,

Only to see that the man had already closed his eyes.

He couldn't help but scoff inwardly; this Venerable Yinlei truly lived up to his reputation as True God Yaofeng's loyal lapdog.

He was actually attributing the root of his failure entirely onto him.

Without even considering why on earth Wang Teng should help him.

Given the conflict between Wang Teng and True God Yaofeng, not kicking him while he was down was already showing immense face.

Were it not out of consideration for their shared identity as martial warriors of the Light Universe, he wouldn't have been so polite.

His identity as a member of the Light Universe had saved him!

As for that murderous glare the man had just directed at him, Wang Teng didn't take it to heart at all.

He didn't even fear True God Yaofeng; if a mere Immortal-level Venerable wanted to kill him, did the man even make the cut?

Please step aside!

Aside from Venerable Yinlei, the other Immortal-level Venerables were overjoyed.

Venerable Zhumo was also grinning from ear to ear.

He hadn't harbored much hope initially, considering his military merits were truly too meager.

Unexpectedly, his Badge of Glory had still advanced by a star.

This was truly no small surprise!

"Can this count as this deity having hard work, if not great merit?"

Venerable Zhumo muttered to himself.

Previously, he had been corrupted by darkness and nearly fell into becoming a dark creature, a predicament that could not have been any worse.

At that time, anyone would have thought that he would not only gain nothing from this expedition, but would instead suffer a devastating loss.

Whether he could even survive was a question.

But thanks to Wang Teng's assistance, he had not only broken free from the state of demonic possession, but had also reaped considerable benefits from it.

That kind of benefit was no ordinary boon, but rather a benefit to his latent potential!

It was a benefit that could sustain his continued growth.

One must know that he was already at the Immortal Venerable level; how terrifying must a benefit be to allow him to keep growing?

A True God!

That was a benefit that almost touched upon the realm of a True God!

If word of this got out, who knew how many people would be shocked to their core.

But he had never mentioned it to anyone, save for the True God of his own clan.

This matter was of grave importance.

For their Candle Dragon Clan, it would not be an exaggeration to say it concerned their foundational heritage.

Therefore, he was profoundly grateful to Wang Teng.

Not to mention, he had later received Wang Teng’s aid during the final battle, which ultimately allowed him to secure quite a bit of military merit.

All of this was inextricably linked to Wang Teng.

"This kid, why does it feel like he's instead become my nanny?!"

Venerable Zhumo felt somewhat amused and exasperated in his heart.

Without thinking too deeply, he hadn't possessed this strange sensation.

But after tracing the events from beginning to end, this feeling suddenly cropped up, growing stronger and stronger.

It felt as though he had been protected rather well.

Utterly bizarre!

Such an experience, for an immortal venerable like himself, was truly the very first of its kind.

Exquisite!

That star envoy, a true god, seemed to be waiting for the crowd to digest the moment.

Only now, seeing that the immortal venerables present had all accepted the outcome of their decoration, did he continue:

"Next is the conferral of honors for the king-conferred and marquis-conferred immortals."

The attention of the crowd was drawn back once more, especially that of the remaining immortal entities.

Their eyes brightened one by one as they gazed toward that true god-level entity.

At last, it was their turn!

Judging from the current situation, they too stood a chance of obtaining a badge of glory, even if it were merely an ordinary one.

They simply wondered how many would receive it, and how many would be left empty-handed?

Among the remaining immortals, many had never before obtained a badge of glory.

This occasion was likewise their opportunity to transcend their social stratum!

As long as they obtained a badge of glory from the Hall of All Stars, their path ahead would undoubtedly be much smoother.

"King of Star Machinery!"

"Originally a one-star ordinary badge of glory, elevated to a two-star ordinary badge of glory."

"King of Frost Blade!"

"Originally a one-star ordinary badge of glory, elevated to a two-star ordinary badge of glory."

"King of Crimson River!"

"Originally a one-star ordinary badge of glory, elevated to a two-star ordinary badge of glory."

......

"Suchen, marquis-conferred immortal, receives a one-star ordinary badge of glory."

"Candace, marquis-conferred immortal, receives a one-star ordinary badge of glory."

"Krayse, marquis-conferred immortal, receives a one-star ordinary badge of glory."

"Gongyang Yu, marquis-conferred immortal, receives a one-star ordinary badge of glory."

"Marquis of Iron Wing, receives a one-star ordinary badge of glory."

......

Name after name was read aloud in succession, bearing almost no difference from the previous decorations of the venerable-conferred immortals.

Wang Teng felt extremely surprised in his heart.

This star envoy of the Hall of All Stars treated the conferral of a one-star ordinary badge of glory with such immense gravity, making no distinction whatsoever.

No, it should not be said that the star envoy held it in such high regard, but rather that the Hall of All Stars itself attached extreme importance to it.

He quickly deduced the crucial reasoning behind it.

Even for a one-star ordinary badge of glory, the Hall of All Stars would not lightly bestow it upon another.

"This grand battle has already been a remarkably rare campaign, which is why these immortal entities are able to obtain a promotion."

"Were it an ordinary war, they might not even possess the qualifications to receive an ordinary badge of glory."

The more Wang Teng thought, the more shocked he became, suddenly realizing that his seven-star ordinary badge of glory seemed truly extraordinary.

At the beginning, he had not paid it much mind, but now, compared against these immortal entities, its distinct exceptionality became manifest.

As expected, excellent things only revealed their worth through comparison.

He should not compare himself to star envoy-level figures like Elder Ji or the True God of Blazing Brilliance.

Instead, he ought to compare himself with these marquis-conferred and king-conferred immortals, and even venerable-conferred immortals like Venerable Starfall.

Even Venerable Starfall had only reached a nine-star ordinary badge of glory at present, and he was very close.

There was a chance to surpass them!

Wang Teng's gaze swept across the faces of the immortal entities one by one.

Gongyang Yu, Suchen, Candace, Marquis of Iron Wing... these marquis-conferred immortals had all just obtained their badges of glory.

King of Star Machinery! King of Frost Blade! King of Crimson River!

Some he recognized, others he did not, but there were only three in total.

Far fewer than the marquis-conferred immortals.

Their rank had only risen from a one-star ordinary badge of glory to a two-star, which could be described as considerably arduous.

Yet at this moment, smiles adorned their faces, and the joy within their eyes was impossible to conceal.

Wang Teng suddenly felt a touch of wistfulness.

These powerful beings were once entities he had to look up to, yet now they had all been surpassed.

This feeling was actually... quite satisfying!

But what came after the satisfaction?

Only wistfulness remained.

It seemed to be just so-so after all.

His gaze should be cast toward higher ground now, rather than lingering upon them.

Although he was currently just a sector lord-level cultivator, his strength and methods had already exceeded quite a few marquis-conferred immortals.

This was the source of his confidence!

"However, I still cannot underestimate these powerhouses; I have merely gained the upper hand through external means."

Wang Teng secretly admonished himself.

No matter what, strength was the primary factor, and everything else had to take a backseat.

Just then, he discovered another noteworthy detail and could not help but let out a soft exclamation of surprise in his heart.

"It seems quite a few immortals have not received any decorations!"

"Those appear to be the immortals brought along by the True God of Yaofeng!" Yuan Gun-gun remarked.

"......"

Wang Teng was somewhat caught between laughter and tears.

It turned out that the people brought by the True God of Yaofeng had returned entirely empty-handed.

"Are you satisfied now?" Yuan Gun-gun laughed.

"Satisfied! A ten-thousand times satisfied! I didn't expect the Hall of All Stars to be so incredibly supportive," Wang Teng chuckled, sighing with emotion.

"Indeed, they are supportive!" Yuan Gun-gun nodded, his tone likewise filled with sentiment, but his voice shifted as he added, "However, the reason they returned empty-handed is largely due to insufficient military merit."

"Oh?" Wang Teng glanced with surprise at the merit values of those immortals and was instantly struck by realization.

They hadn’t made much of a mark on the battlefield—killing few of the Dark Species, nearly getting wiped out themselves.

He recalled that he’d casually saved quite a few people, including those immortal-tier beings brought by the True God Yowind. Back then, he hadn’t paid much attention, but now it all came back to him.

Well!

He was truly too kind—saving subordinates of his archenemy.

“It seems they’ll have to blame Yowind again,” Wang Teng shook his head.

“Going against you, that Yowind and His subordinates are truly cursed for eight lifetimes,” Roundy chuckled.

“Can’t beat me in skill? Blame me?” Wang Teng shrugged indifferently.

“…”

Roundy fell silent.

What a clever excuse—there was nothing he could say in response.

The thought of a true god and a host of immortal-tier beings being outshined by Wang Teng filled him with absurdity.

Utterly ridiculous!

“Wang Teng, you should be careful about their retaliation,” Bintis warned.

Wang Teng paused, then nodded.

Regardless of whether it had anything to do with him, these immortal-tier beings would surely, like Yowind, pin the blame on him.

But still, he wasn’t afraid at all.

With Yowind already standing before them, even if those immortal-tier beings wanted revenge, they’d have to line up and wait their turn.

“If they insist on retaliating, they’d better prepare to hand over their gold coins.”

Wang Teng narrowed his eyes, a flicker of danger flashing in his gaze as he smiled at Roundy and Bintis.

Roundy: “…”

Bintis: “…”

Both fell silent. How could this guy not only fear no one, but actually want to extract gold coins from those immortal-tier beings?

What did he take them for?

"Now only one remains unawarded!"

The star-ambassador-level true god suddenly smiled faintly, and the solemn atmosphere loosened.

Previously, everything had been serious and dignified; now, there seemed to be a hint of life.

Everyone snapped back to reality, pulling themselves free from the complex emotions stirred by the previous awards.

Whether joy or excitement, or disappointment and resentment, all were set aside for now.

All eyes turned toward one direction.

Wang Teng!!!

Everyone knew the last one was Wang Teng.

And clearly, he was an exceptionally important recipient.

This became evident from the expression of the star ambassador of the Star Hall.

The crowd’s feelings grew even more complicated.

They sensed that Wang Teng’s award would surpass most present—even immortal-tier masters might not match him.

After all, his combat achievements had surpassed three true gods, placing him directly at the top.

Moreover, many knew Wang Teng had previously received the Seven Stars Ordinary Glory Badge—a rank higher than that of Candle Demon Master and other immortal-tier masters after their promotions.

Only Starfall Master had surpassed the stars Wang Teng already held.

As for Alot, Rolfert, and Sky Deep Sea Masters, after their promotions, they were merely equal to him.

It was somewhat exaggerated!

But the truth lay right there—no matter how unwilling they were to believe it, they had to accept it.

“I wonder what level Wang Teng’s star rating will reach this time?”

An immortal-tier being couldn’t help but ask.

Their hearts brimmed with curiosity, and they began to secretly anticipate Wang Teng’s award.

Most powerful figures present held favorable views toward Wang Teng. Though their emotions were mixed—envy and jealousy mingled—they still hoped he would advance.

Yet no one answered the immortal-tier being’s question, because it was truly impossible to answer.

Wang Teng’s promotion defied prediction.

Looking at his past records, the influencing factors were far too numerous. Without professional evaluation standards, no one could determine what level he would ultimately reach.

Even True Gods Chihuang and Candle Dragon turned curious glances toward the star ambassador of the Star Hall.

They didn’t know either.

Though Yowind deeply disliked hearing it, he finally opened his eyes—cold, piercing gaze fixed upon Wang Teng.

Wang Teng felt those gazes, as if sitting on pins and needles.

Why the hell am I always the center of attention again? (End of chapter)