Yes, I became a god just by exercising.

Chapter 301 The Battle for Ancient Treasures!
Countless doubts, like raging waves, churned within my chest.

Xia Fa didn't dare to look any longer; he only glanced at it once before immediately looking away.

When he returned to his cousin's warp, he, like everyone else, removed his disguise, mainly because he was no longer afraid of the Scarlet Agents.

But now, Xia Fa never expected that the Crimson Executor... would actually climb up to the Mysterious Emperor, Dionysius!

This is troublesome, especially if the Crimson Proxy tells Dionysius, as if it were a complaint, that he has signed two Overlord-level secret pacts...

Given that Dionysius is only gathering information about the overflow of the [Eternal Critical Strike] authority, he is already ruthlessly driving away all beings of demigod rank and above from the City of Ten Thousand Stars.

This mysterious emperor, to ensure absolute success, might actually hunt him down...

“No… I’m not disguising my appearance or body right now. With the Crimson Agent’s abilities, they definitely spotted me just now, and even recognized my cousin and the Shark Princess…”

Xia Fa suddenly thought of something, turned around, and glanced back.

That glance, by sheer coincidence, met the gaze of the Crimson Proxy.

The Crimson Agent... did indeed spot him, and was even watching his back.

But in that instant, the gaze He cast upon him seemed to be scrutinizing an ant.

Beneath the scarlet surrogate's sorrowful old fisherman's appearance, a pair of emerald green eyes were filled with undisguised contempt, as if he didn't care about him at all.

Xia Fa even sensed a strange meaning in those eyes.

The Crimson Agent seemed to be saying that He had more important things to do, so even after discovering Shaphat, who had killed two of His men and stolen His Orb of Plunder, He was too lazy to take action.

Xia Fa had sensed this complete indifference and contempt from the Crimson Agent more than once.

Whether it was the initial second snow demon out of control,

At the Fog Carnival, He tried to kidnap Princess Victoria and almost killed Himself in the process.
And on the Greenbeard, when He was preparing to wipe out all the pirates on board, He almost lost His life to a single Soul-Destroying Bullet.

And now, it's like this again...

Of course, this time, Xia Fa no longer felt the anger of being completely ignored and looked down upon as before. On the contrary, he felt a sense of absurdity.

Clearly, the Crimson Agent may have a new plan, or perhaps contacting the Mysterious Emperor Dionysius was already part of His plan, causing Him to be unable to attend to Himself.

Perhaps, in the Scarlet Agent's mind, once His scheme succeeds, destroying Himself will be a piece of cake, unlike the troublesome situation He is in now.

But coincidentally, Xia Fa thought the same thing.

If I can sign the fifth Overlord-level Secret Pact and then seize the [Eternal Critical Strike], I can become a god...

At that time, what will a mere Crimson Proxy be?
The next moment, the Crimson Agent shifted his gaze from Xia Fa and instead looked at the two young masters of the divinely favored families, Ai Luo Tong and Norton Long, seemingly plotting something.

It seems that in His eyes, these two young masters are far more important than Xiafa.

Just then, below Dionysius and the Scarlet Agent, Patriarch Osius and Pope Carrot opened their eyes and regained consciousness.

The uncontrolled effects of the reality contamination caused by the Outer God's finger on the two people have been almost completely eliminated, and their complexions have returned to normal, no longer pale.

Dionysius crossed his arms and spoke in a cold tone:
"Osius, you should leave here too."

Patriarch Osius seemed to have gotten used to Dionysius's attitude, giving a faint "hmm" before turning to fly away.

Dionysius turned to look at Pope Carrot. Perhaps because Pope Carrot was not a member of the Silver Church but of the Natural Church, and was also the Pope, his tone was slightly more polite, but equally unquestionable.

“Pope Carlotta, please come in. This matter is of utmost importance, and I do not want any changes or mishaps.”

Pope Carrot, beaming, immediately responded:
"No problem, no problem, I understand."

Immediately afterwards, He also flew away from the City of a Thousand Stars, along with Patriarch Osius.

Throughout the entire ordeal, neither of them even asked who the old fisherman beside Dionysius was, whether out of fear of Dionysius or simply because they didn't want to ask.

Seeing this, Xia Fa subtly withdrew his gaze, turned around, and flew away towards the direction outside the Worm Islands without looking back.

……

after an hour.

About a hundred nautical miles overseas, in the pale, suffocating ocean.

Halibut Island.

Because of its proximity to the Pale, Suffocating Sea, this is an uninhabited, desolate island. The island is barren, without even half a coconut tree or a single crab.

But at this moment, Locke, the former vice-captain of the Wanxing Pirate Crew and a powerful superhuman with the rank of angel, actually came from a very far distance and descended upon this island.

Upon arrival, He immediately dived into the seawater near the shore, then swam nearly a hundred meters down to a patch of fine white sand on the seabed.

Just as it was about to crash into the seabed, its agile, cheetah-like body didn't stop for a moment. As if diving into a hot spring, it directly burrowed into the fine white sand.

After a strange fluctuation, as if the white sand on the seabed were the dividing line, the azure ocean with a hint of paleness transformed into a luxurious and magnificent emperor's suite.

Standing in the living room of the Emperor's Suite were Xia Fa, the Father of Ten Thousand Stars, Te Farrow, the Laughing Clown, the Shark Princess, and the Six Chestnuts.

Seeing Locke arrive safely, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and the Father of All Stars even waved his hand:
"Alright, now that everyone's here, we can discuss the specific plans."

Although the discussion was initiated by Him, everyone immediately turned to look at Xia Fa.

This subspace beneath the sea of ​​Flounder Island was naturally built by the Father of All Stars and Locke beforehand. As the saying goes, a cunning rabbit has three burrows, and they certainly didn't just have the Fishermen's District of the City of All Stars as a hiding place.

Just now, when the Mysterious Emperor Dionysius drove everyone away, they all agreed by spiritual intuition to meet here. Locke, because he only has the rank of an angel and has never signed a sovereign-level secret covenant, was the last to arrive.

Fortunately, everyone was safe and sound, and Xia Fa then delivered the explanation he had prepared for the flight in a very sincere manner.

"Everyone."

Xia Fa spoke, his tone more serious than ever before:
“I know what you’re thinking, and that’s precisely why I don’t want you to take any risks for this matter.”

He was about to continue speaking
Tefaro, holding the scimitar "Sen Yama," said in a deep voice:

"Can't even I help?"

Although Tefalo's words were somewhat disregard for others' feelings, when discussing such crucial and urgent matters, no one really cared about such trivial matters.

Xia Fa took a deep breath, his tone becoming even more serious:
"What I mean is... if there's anything I need your help with nine days from now, I won't hesitate to ask."

Then, he changed the subject, his voice becoming somewhat heavy:

"However, if the danger is too great, I hope you will listen to me and stay in an absolutely safe place, okay?"

The Father of Ten Thousand Stars hesitated and said:
"But……"

Xia Fa interrupted Him:

"In the struggle for the [Eternal Critical Strike], we will be facing a mysterious emperor like Dionysius, and perhaps other powerful beings lurking in the shadows, each of whom is at least comparable to a transcendent monarch. I... do not want to drag you into this."

Seeing that Xia Fa had already gone this far, everyone naturally couldn't say anything more and nodded in agreement.

At this moment, Locke played a role in easing the tension, smiling and saying:
"I say, now that you've all successfully returned from the 24-hour survival challenge of the Dream Come True Sea Train, you must have all gained quite a bit of benefits, right? Can you tell me about them?"

The moment this topic was brought up, everyone immediately became interested.

Since they're all people who can trust each other, there's nothing wrong with talking about this, said the Father of Ten Thousand Stars with a smile.
"I originally wished for a mysterious treasure, but the ticket seller on the Dream Come True Sea Train told me it was unlikely, so I changed it to an Old Fruit. After eating it, I mastered the second primal secret technique of the Gate of Stars."

Upon hearing this, everyone felt envious, especially Tefaro, who, as a fellow signatory of the Gate of Stars, knew all too well how powerful and useful the Gate of Stars' original secret techniques were.

The clown then took out the pair of eerie green daggers from his waist:
"At first, I wished for a Mystic Treasure, but I was told that it was impossible. So, I wished to make my pair of 'Vicious Poison and Deception Blades' even more powerful. Now, these daggers have reached the pinnacle of the Sovereign-level Mystic Treasures and are not far from becoming a complete Mystic Treasure."

Upon closer inspection, everyone noticed that the eerie green dagger had indeed become even more vibrant than before, with a faint trace of poisonous gas emanating from its blade and condensing into tiny runes in the air, clearly indicating that it was no ordinary weapon.

In fact, everyone vaguely sensed a sense of danger.

Princess Shark crossed her arms, a hint of joy on her delicate face—a rare sight given her usual icy demeanor.

"I wished for the egg of a supernatural creature, that after it hatches, it can be nurtured to adulthood and have the strength of a ruler. But the ticket seller only gave me an egg, and I don't know what will hatch yet. I'll let everyone know when the time comes."

As she spoke, she raised her fair and delicate hand, and after a flash of white light, a strange egg the size of a regular egg appeared in her small palm.

The egg was pure black, with large and small white spots, and was surrounded by lightning and flames, making it clearly extraordinary.

Do you know what kind of supernatural creature laid these eggs?

Princess Shark spoke in a clear, melodious voice, asking curiously.

An egg from the Dream Come True sea train must be extraordinary, so she wanted to know the result as soon as possible.

She had even tried divination before, but to no avail. This egg was born with the ability to reverse divination and peek into secrets.

After observing carefully for a while, everyone shook their heads in unison.

Princess Shark seemed to have known this outcome all along, so she didn't say much.

Tefaro then smiled and said:
"I wished for a fist-sized piece of absolutely cut copper, but in the end I only received one the size of a lychee, and I even had to pay an extra ten million gold pounds. However, I must say, it did fulfill part of my wish," Locke said curiously.
"What do you need that sacred metal for?"

Absolutely cut copper is either used for absorption by those who have signed the "Primal Stomach" agreement, or for forging mobile armor by those who have signed the "Forge of All Things" agreement. It is very rare to see that those who have signed the "Gate of Stars" agreement need it.

Of course, adding absolute cutting copper when crafting a secret treasure can greatly enhance its lethality and destructive power, but that can only be done by a master craftsman.

That's why Locke asked this question.

Tefaro gave a mysterious smile:
"Of course, I'll use it to integrate into my Sen Yama. Although it won't completely repair it, it can at least increase its power by one or two tenths out of thin air."

It would have been better if Tefal hadn't mentioned it, because once he did, everyone immediately realized that the scimitar He was holding seemed to be quite different from the one he used to have.

"You got a new knife? Where did you get it?"

The amused clown asked a question out of curiosity, showing considerable interest.

In fact, perhaps because they were of the same generation and had similar strengths, and both broke through to become extraordinary monarchs at roughly the same time, the Clown of Surprise had always secretly wanted to compare himself with Tefaro.

Instead of answering directly, Tefaro subtly activated Senyanluo with a thought.

boom--!
The aura emanating from the mysterious treasure emanated outwards, almost causing everyone except Xia Fa to pop their eyes out in astonishment.

The father of all stars was utterly dumbfounded, his jaw nearly dislocating:

"An... mysterious treasure from beyond the heavens? My Lord, where did you find this?"

Even incomplete or damaged artifacts from the Outer Heaven are practically priceless, their value beyond measure.

Any extraordinary monarch would desire such a supreme treasure.

Tefaro and Shafa exchanged a glance, then Tefaro smiled and said:

"A place called 'The Land Where Time Stands Still'."

A place where time stands still?

This time, it was the clown who asked out of curiosity. Clearly, even for Him, who came from the Gilgamesh family, He had never heard of such a mysterious place.

Tefaro cleared his throat and began to speak, but very tacitly avoided mentioning the Bronze Cleaners and the new Overlord-level secret agreement signed by Xiafa.

Originally, everyone just listened to the two's adventure as an ordinary experience.

In particular, the Father of Ten Thousand Stars and Princess Shark, who had been at sea for many years, had extensive knowledge and experience. Although they had never heard of the place where time stood still, they had been to the even more bizarrely named Ghost Realm.

However, as Tefallo continued speaking, the expressions of the two pirate emperors gradually turned astonished.

"I know the universe is more than 30,000 years old, but what are the ancient gods?"

"A magician? A magician who can directly borrow the power of the ancient gods?"

"You even encountered a transcendent lord inside? My God, this...this..."

It must be said that Tefalo's recounting of these personal adventures is remarkably captivating. Even seemingly minor incidents, such as the initial ambush of the two by the sorcerer in the town, are told with dramatic twists and turns, making them thrilling and suspenseful.

Not to mention, when the Grand Master Wizrui came later, he described the two of them as if they had gone through a life-or-death ordeal, and only managed to hold out until the guardian arrived and escape.

As for the part about going to the underground cave of Arcane City, He described it as if the two of them had gone to an extremely dangerous and mysterious forbidden zone, exaggerating in various ways. Even the skeleton in the underground cave was described by Him as if it were a method left by an unknown being.

The Father of a Thousand Stars and the Clown of Laughter became increasingly engrossed in the story. Eventually, they brought out various snacks and treats, as well as bottles of expensive and extraordinary wines, and sat on the sofa, listening to Tefal's animated narration.

Xia Fa also had a rare moment of relaxation, watching as Tefaro embellished their adventure as if they had saved the world, which he found quite amusing.

It was a wonderful evening. Tefal spoke at length in the living room, getting more and more excited as he went on, and everyone listened intently, occasionally asking a few questions.

The tea table was laden with delicious food and wine, available for everyone to eat and drink as they pleased.

The Father of Ten Thousand Stars and the Laughing Clown listened without blinking, while Chestnut sat in Xia Fa's lap with a smile on her face. Even the usually icy Princess Shark was captivated by the two's unusual experience and listened quite attentively.

The atmosphere in the living room was so harmonious that it even felt like home.

Or rather, the Father of Ten Thousand Stars, Locke, and the Laughing Clown were all relatives of Shafa.

Before we knew it, several hours had passed in the blink of an eye.

"...In the end, that's how it was. Xia Fa and I were on the sidelines, helping the Lord of the Guardians kill that arrogant Archmage Wizreil. When he fell, the heavens and earth changed color, the sun and moon were upside down, and the rivers dried up...it was as if the ancient gods were enraged."

“You have no idea how reluctant the Guardian was to let us leave the place where time stood still. If He had a daughter, she might have married me or Xiafa.”

“We made a promise with Him to meet again in fifty years, if we happen to be there when the Dream Come True sea train sets sail again in fifty years.”

As Tefallo finished speaking, he casually grabbed a bottle of extraordinary wine that had been opened on the table and it flew into his palm.

He seemed to have talked until his throat was dry, so he picked up the bottle and gulped down more than half of it. Then he wiped his mouth, let out a long, comfortable breath, and continued:
"That's the situation. Sigh, I really hope that fifty years from now, I can go back to the place where time stands still. By then, that place will definitely be very different. After all, the magicians will either be dead or in the dungeon. It will have become the world of us superhumans, just like this real world."

The father of ten thousand stars remarked with emotion:
“I would like to meet the Lord of Guardians; I feel that He is very much to my liking.”

The clown looked on with longing.

"I really want to fight those magicians. Do you think it's possible to use a condition of eternity to stop them from borrowing power from the ancient gods?"

Xia Fa pondered for a moment and said:
"It's possible, if we could keep their chanting trapped in the cycle of the previous stages forever..."

Everyone discussed it enthusiastically for a while, and even the chestnut gave some opinions.

As dawn approached, everyone felt sleepy instead.

After all, the 24-hour survival adventure on the Dream Come True sea train, the various anomalies caused by the [Eternal Strike], the incredible power of the [True Mystic Treasure - Skull of the World Tree], the Outer God's attack with a single finger, and finally the personal descent of the Mystic Emperor Dionysius...

These consecutive events have taken a heavy toll on everyone. They had just listened to Tefalo recount his adventures for hours with great excitement, and now that the excitement had faded, everyone sincerely felt that it was time to rest.

Shafa and Tefaro, in particular, made an extra trip to the Land of Time Stagnation and personally faced the attack of the Bronze Cleaners, leaving them feeling quite exhausted.

Immediately, everyone was assigned a guest room, and after exchanging good mornings, they prepared to get some rest and a good night's sleep.

Xia Fa entered the largest bedroom, which everyone insisted on giving to him, because he wasn't the only one there; Ban Li was also there.

He was preparing to take a hot bath to soothe his tired body and tense mind, and then have a good night's sleep.

Chestnut sat on the sofa in the bedroom. She didn't seem very tired and seemed to want to talk to Xia Fa.

But at that moment, a dark light flashed at the waists of both of them.

The dark light was so intense it was almost impenetrable. Immediately afterward, two treasure maps made of black animal hide flew out from the black pouches on the waists of Banli and Xiafa, respectively.

Xia Fa was taken aback at first, but then, instead of looking at his own treasure map, he looked at Ban Li's with some surprise:
"What are you..."

Chestnut, however, seemed even more surprised:
"Xia Fa, do you recognize this?"

Before Xia Fa could speak, the two treasure maps were each in one of their hands.

Both treasure maps featured five identical hourglasses, four of which were located at the four corners, with a large hourglass in the center.

At this point, less than one-tenth of the sand in the hourglass remained.

According to the calculations, there are still four days before the sand in the treasure map hourglass runs out, and then it will point out the location of the Rhine Sword.

Immediately afterwards, a line of text written in ancient cryptic script appeared on the two people's treasure maps, and it was exactly the same.

"The ninth person has assembled the Rhine Treasure Map. If the last treasure map is successfully assembled, the Old Forge will open immediately."

"Please make preparations in advance, all holders."

"This is the site of the former blacksmith's workshop."

The next moment, a star field was described below the secret text on the two treasure maps. Then, the star field began to zoom in, as if it was depicting the specific location of the "Old Forge".

This process was quite slow, so Xia Fa and Ban Li finally had a chance to catch their breath.

“Shafa, this Rhine treasure map of yours…”

"Chestnut, where did you get your Rhine treasure map?"

The two asked the question almost simultaneously, then both paused in surprise.

Chestnut began by saying:
"This is one of the heirlooms of our Silver Iris Orchid Rat Clan. My grandmother always made me carry it with me, saying that one day I would receive divine revelation."

Xia Fa said thoughtfully:

"Is that so? Mine were collected and assembled by myself, but..."

As they were talking, they saw that the exact same location was depicted on the two Rhine treasure maps.

But precisely because of this, Xia Fa's pupils suddenly dilated.

"It's here..."

(End of this chapter)