Chapter 1653: Supreme Grade · Unique Lord Talent - Saint King!

Chapter 1653: No Superior · The Sole Master's Talent - Holy King!

The deities of all realms across the cosmos are now engaged in fervent, even frenzied, debates about these seven newly ascended beings of supreme will.

Among them, the most profoundly shaken are over one thousand and two hundred highest deities who had just joined the Jiaoyang Divine Nation yesterday.

Most of them had assumed yesterday that the Jiaoyang Divine Nation could boast only two new supreme will-tier deities—no more than a matter of luck.

But today, these seven newly elevated lower-tier beings of supreme will have utterly shattered their illusions.

Two new supreme will-tier deities? That might just be considered a stroke of luck.

Yet, merely one day later, seven more such beings have emerged—how can this still be called mere chance?

Are you saying this is also just luck?

Fine then—demonstrate to the deities of all realms across the cosmos exactly how one must position themselves to achieve luck, and yet still produce a total of nine beings of supreme will within just two consecutive days!

Nine beings of supreme will!

The entire Supreme Vast Cosmos, before Zhou Zhou had risen, boasted only fifty-five beings of Supreme Will Realm.

In just these two days, nine new ascents to the Supreme Will Realm have emerged—equivalent to roughly one-sixth of the original total number of such beings!

And those fifty-five Supreme Will Realm beings? They were the accumulated fruits of countless eons within the Supreme Vast Cosmos!

Yet these nine newly attained beings were cultivated by Zhou Zhou in less than a year of his rise!

What an utterly terrifying statistic!

To speak of it would be absurd!

Only those who have personally witnessed such a reality could possibly believe it to be true—though even then, their minds would still be flooded with incomprehensible wonder.

At this moment, Zhou Zhou stood still, gazing upward at the dazzling, radiant phenomenon of ascension in the sky, a faint, serene smile playing upon His face.

Though He had long anticipated this scene, when it truly unfolded, He found himself stirred by an unexpected surge of excitement deep within His heart.

These were seven newly ascended powerhouses of the Supreme Will Realm!

Even within the boundless expanse of the entire Supreme Megaverse, they would be considered top-tier paragons.

They were the kind of existence that countless living beings, races, and factions would look up to for their entire lives.

Now, as if operating a wholesale market, he had actually cultivated seven of them all at once—and counting those before and after, a grand total of nine—what an utterly inconceivable feat was this?

Even he himself, looking back on it now, still felt a sense of floating weightlessness wash over his body.

Right at that moment.

A great and majestic entity suddenly manifested before Zhou Zhou.

Zhou Zhou was taken aback for a moment, but then, showing no surprise, he smiled and said, "Greetings, Lord Supreme Will."

"The Common People's Emperor..."

The Supreme Will looked at Zhou Zhou with a complex gaze, which ultimately softened into a smile of profound gratification.

"You always manage to surprise and astound me."

"Speak, what is it you desire?"

"Do you want a new Supreme-tier Unique Lord Talent, or would you prefer to directly promote your standing from Third Reserve Supreme Lord to Second Reserve Supreme Lord?"

The Spring and Autumn Law Master thought: *Not good! My position!*

Zhou Zhou's expression turned peculiar upon hearing this. "I can directly take the position of Second Reserve Supreme Lord?"

"Then what becomes of the Spring and Autumn Law Master?"

"He will, naturally, be demoted to the Third Reserve position."

"With your current ability to nurture powerhouses of the Supreme Will Realm, you have already earned the right to break the rules, bypass the trials, and directly become the Second Reserve Supreme Lord."

The Supreme Will spoke indifferently: "If you nurture even more Supreme Will Realm powerhouses in the future, it is not entirely impossible for you to surpass the God-King of Heavenly Punishment and become the First Reserve Supreme Lord."

Zhou Zhou remained silent upon hearing those words.

Only a quiet sense of reflection stirred within him.

Indeed.

As His ability to cultivate masters of the Supreme Will Realm grew ever more evident, His significance surged rapidly.

Now, He could even bypass trials entirely, surpassing the Spring and Autumn Master directly, becoming a second-tier reserve of the Supreme Lord—perhaps even ascending to first-tier reserve in the future.

Such a rare talent in cultivating Supreme Will Realm masters made Zhou Zhou the most coveted and most cherished disciple in the eyes of the Supreme Will itself.

Yet…

With Zhou Zhou’s current mindset, He truly had no desire to acquire higher-tier reserve status through such a cunning, indirect means.

His title, the Sovereign of the People, was not merely a title denoting "Imperial Sovereign"—his very mindset had, without conscious effort, taken root in an unshakable sense of self-sufficiency, of absolute supremacy.

As an Imperial Sovereign,

He scorned the idea of obtaining what he desired through shortcuts or deception.

Of course.

Most importantly.

The Supreme Will has always used the Reserve of the Supreme Lord as leverage, inducing Him to cultivate more Masters of Supreme Will, rather than directly appointing Him—sole heir of the Supreme Lord—as a means to produce such cultivators.

The difference between these two approaches is immense.

Look how the Heavenly Punishment God King, once designated as the First Reserve of the Supreme Lord, has spent countless ages—yet still remains at the level of Supreme Will cultivators, never having broken through into the realm of Will Transcendence, nor truly inheriting the position of Supreme Lord.

Perhaps He could break through, but only because He feels his accumulation is still insufficient, and thus chooses to delay.

Yet, without breaking through, without inheriting the position of Supreme Lord—that remains a fact.

Perhaps the Heavenly Punishment God King has gained vast resources due to his status as the First Reserve of the Supreme Lord.

But what of it?

He, possessing the unique, resource-based supremacy of the Supreme Lord's innate talent—the one who commands the Supreme Fate—will never lack resources.

So He did not find the title of First Reserve Supreme Lord of the Heavenly Punishment God King particularly alluring to himself.

Much less the Second Reserve Supreme Lord.

If it were the true position of Supreme Lord, Zhou Zhou would indeed be willing to accept it.

After all, that would mean inheriting the eternal and unshakable realm.

He may possess an imperial mindset, but that doesn’t mean he is rigid or inflexible.

Why not simply obtain what one desires directly, take a shortcut if necessary?

Yet, merely being a reserve lord carries no real benefit—only discomfort, and it robs him of the exhilarating thrill of personally defeating two legendary prodigies, the Heavenly Punishment God King and the Spring-Autumn Law Master.

With so many drawbacks, Zhou Zhou would inevitably decline this offer.

"Supreme Will Lord, grant me the ability of the Unranked, Sole Supreme Lord."

Zhou Zhou said.

"Oh?"

The Supreme Will stared at Him in surprise, "Do you not wish to elevate your rank in the Supreme Lord Reserve Sequence?"

"No interest."

Zhou Zhou shook his head.

The Supreme Will gazed at Him, and suddenly smiled.

"Previously, because of certain intense qualities radiating from you, I could never equate you with a world-class prodigy."

"But now..."

"You have acquired every trait possessed by a world-class prodigy."

He spoke softly.

Zhou Zhou smiled, saying nothing.

Previously, he had been cautious because he was still weak, and needed to hide.

Now that he was no longer weak, he naturally no longer needed to hide.

Late-game heroes have never cared about early-game stealth development.

"Alright then."

"What lord talent would you like to enhance?"

The Supreme Will asked.

"Peaceful Sovereign!"

Zhou Zhou replied without hesitation.

"Why this one?"

The Supreme Will inquired with curiosity.

Clearly, It also knew of Zhou Zhou's Master of Peace, a lordly aptitude.

"If I elevate this lordly aptitude to the Unranked·Unique level, I am confident I will command more subordinates within the Supreme Will realm."

Zhou Zhou didn't hide it—he stated it plainly.

At the Unranked·Unique level of Master of Peace, the aptitude can enhance the loyalty of Supreme Will realm practitioners toward Zhou Zhou.

Zhou Zhou had grown accustomed to having a group of loyal soldiers around him, faithfully serving his every command.

Without control over the loyalty of his subordinates, it would be as if a time bomb were always stationed right beside him.

Especially since the opponent had reached the Supreme Will realm.

It itself wasn't afraid—after all, its current strength made it nearly impossible for any non-Will-Transcendent master to threaten it.

But what about its subordinates?

He must be responsible for the safety of his subordinates, for the safety of the Sunlight Realm Nation.

Thus, elevating the Master of Peace to the rank of "No Superior—The Sole One" is of paramount importance to Him.

Only with loyal subordinates can He trust in delegating missions to them.

Most crucially,

In the realm of Tian Jun's corpse, the Yellow Heaven Great Universe, and the Ultimate Void Great Universe, there exist numerous masters of Supreme Will.

Every time Zhou Zhou's duplicates encounter these Supreme Will-level adversaries and defeat them, His duplicates still hesitate to incorporate them into His ranks—even when the foes weep and beg for surrender—yet still choose to eliminate them.

The reason remains the same: questions of loyalty.

Who knows what thoughts lie beneath the hearts of these external Supreme Will-level beings?

Because He cannot safely subdue these Supreme Will-level forces, He has already slain over a dozen such beings with regret.

Had He possessed the Master of Peace at the level of "No Superior—The Sole One" at that time, He could have fully subjugated all of them.

Then, today, the number of Supreme Will-level forces under His command might well have reached twenty or more!

So even if it meant forgoing upgrades to any lordly talents that directly enhanced power, He had to elevate this Master of Peace nonetheless.

"Very well."

Upon hearing this, the Supreme Will said no more.

He raised his right hand, lightly touching the brow of Zhou Zhou.

The next instant,

Zhou Zhou felt a familiar, warm force surge into his mind from the center of his brow, then spread out throughout his divine body.

A moment later,

lines of text appeared before Zhou Zhou.

……

[Your Supreme Tier · Sole Lordly Talent — Master of Peace has been elevated to the Unranked Tier · Sole Lordly Talent — Holy King!]

[The precise effects of your Lord Talent are as follows:]

[Lord Talent: Holy King (Supreme · Unique)]

[Holy King: A Lord Talent governing the ethos of your domain! You are the universally acknowledged Holy King of the entire Ultimate Void Cosmos. Under the pervasive influence of the Holy King's prestige, your realm flourishes in profound prosperity and stability. The administration of the state is pure and luminous; the citizens dwell in peace and delight in their labors; officials fulfill their duties to the utmost, the populace exerts their full strength, and all resources are utilized to their grandest potential. Items left on the road remain untouched, doors are left unbolted at night, the winds blow favorably and the rains fall in due season, leaving the land entirely free from calamity and distress.]

[Every citizen is profoundly content with the life they now possess, harboring an boundless reverence and love for you.]

[Yet they have by no means lost their drive for advancement; through individual endeavor and collective harmony, they shall elevate both their private lives and the development of the nation and society to even greater heights.]

[The living beings and mighty powerhouses across the entire Ultimate Void Cosmos acknowledge your domain as a sanctuary blessed with eternal immortality. Henceforth, an endless stream of deities, true gods, master gods, supreme gods, and even entities of the Supreme Will Realm shall journey here to pledge themselves to your domain, becoming your devoted citizens.]

[Your citizens shall possess a base value for their loyalty toward you, and with each passing day spent living within the domain, this loyalty shall steadily rise.]

[Specific Talent Effect 1: The base loyalty value of your citizens toward you is established at 95 points.]

[Specific Talent Effect 2: For citizens whose loyalty ranges from 95 to 99 points, each day spent living within your domain shall increase their loyalty by 1 point, continuing until they are elevated to Fanatical Believers.]

[Specific Talent Effect 3: Your Fanatical Believers, after dwelling within the domain for a span of 3 days, shall automatically be elevated to become your Holy Spirit Believers.]

[Specific Talent Effect 5: Within the bounds of your domain, not only will natural disasters never occur, but celestial blessings and rare omens will occasionally descend upon your lands, bestowing divine favor and prosperity upon your territory.]

[Specific Talent Effect 6: The soil within your domain is exceptionally fertile, making it far easier to cultivate high-value crops.]

[Specific Talent Effect 7: The people of your domain are fully devoted and meticulously dedicated to their craft, producing goods of the highest quality. Every user who has ever encountered goods made in your domain will develop deep trust in their excellence and will consistently choose to purchase and rely upon them.]

[Specific Talent Effect 6: The people of your domain are simple, hardworking, healthy, and wise, making it far more likely that they will invent breakthroughs through diligence and intellect—innovations capable of transforming the lives of both common folk and entire nations.]

[Specific Talent Effect 7: As the Holy King, you command an unparalleled reputation throughout the Ultimate Void Cosmos. Countless beings, powerful entities, and even the very essence of the Ultimate Void Cosmos itself regard you as one of the destined leaders of the future. From time to time, gifts from them will descend upon your domain.]

[Note: These abilities are effective only against beings below the realm of Transcendent Will. They have no influence on those at higher levels.]

……

After reading through the entire list, Zhou Zhou nodded in satisfied approval.

Since the Master of Peace has ascended to the rank of Holy King, he no longer cares much about the other domain talents.

As long as the crucial effect of enhanced loyalty proves effective against beings of the Supreme Will realm, the ability is sufficient.

And it had indeed fulfilled its potential, proving truly effective against the masters of the Supreme Will Realm.

That was more than sufficient for Zhou Zhou.

"Though..."

"Is the Holy King actually a figure of influence spanning the entire Ultimate Void Cosmos?"

"Hmph."

"I hope this doesn't significantly interfere with my duplicates' operations."

Zhou Zhou thought.

"Your reward has already been delivered."

"I must be going now."

"See you at the evening celebration."

As he spoke, the Supreme Will smiled gently.

"Hosting two consecutive Welcome Festivals—this has never happened before in the history of our Supreme Cosmos."

"All thanks to you," said the Supreme Will, chuckling lightly.

"All this is due to the Supreme Will's guidance. Without the Supreme Will, I would not have reached this point today," Zhou Zhou replied with a grin.

"Smooth talker," the Supreme Will scowled at him, yet his heart was deeply satisfied.

"When you next cultivate ten Supreme Will-level masters, I'll come again to reward you."

"If you're capable, make this Welcome Festival run for three days straight."

The Supreme Will chuckled.