With a single sentence from Meng Lei, the Double Realm Mountain bandits became total history. All one million bandits died, leaving behind only the bandit chief dragging out an ignoble existence.
“Kill the weak ones and subdue the strong ones.”
Puhaman and the others carried out Meng Lei’s order excellently. In their eyes, only the bandit chief, who was a higher deity, counted as someone strong by a stretch.
The rest… They were all weaklings!
“Thank you for sparing my life! Thank you for sparing my life!” The frightened bandit chief kowtowed incessantly and said his thanks loudly.
“Tell me, what is this place?” Meng Lei ordered, “Tell me everything you know, and I’ll consider sparing your life.”
“Yes, yes! I’ll definitely tell you everything I know and withhold nothing at all!”
How would the bandit chief possibly dare to keep anything a secret from Meng Lei? He quickly told him everything he knew, wishing that he knew more so that he could continue speaking.
“Double Realm Mountain?”
“Dragon-Elephant City?”
“The Caesar Dragon-Elephant Gods?”
As the bandit chief narrated everything he knew, Meng Lei and the others gradually also got to know about the area.
This particular mountain range was known as the Double Realm Mountain and was a small mountain range near Dragon-Elephant City, while the Caesar Dragon-Elephant Gods built Dragon-Elephant City itself.
The Caesar Dragon-Elephant Gods!
The Caesar Dragon-Elephant Gods were a third-rate godly clan in the Earth Divine Realm. Said to simultaneously possess both the Giant Elephant and the Colossal Dragon bloodlines, they occupied territories that stretched for a radius of 10,000 light-years. The clan boasted innumerable experts where just higher deities alone already numbered as many as over 10,000. They were the most powerful force in the vicinity.
“What do we do next, Master?” asked a slightly uneasy Puhaman for further instructions while the others also gazed at Meng Lei. All of them felt immense pressure after understanding the situation.
The Caesar Dragon-Elephant Gods!
They were just a small, third-rate force in the Earth Divine Realm, yet they boasted over 10,000 higher deities among the clan and occupied territories that spanned 10,000 light-years in the surroundings.
With even a third-rate force being this powerful, what more the second-rate forces, first-rate forces, top-class godly clans, and the ten major godly clans? How powerful must they be?
“What do all of you think?”
Meng Lei asked instead of replying.
“I think we should go about things steadily and surely, and do things step by step.”
Puhaman said respectfully, “I’d suggest that we use Double Realm Mountain as our base for now and manage these few light-years of territory around Double Realm Mountain well before we then extend our reach to the outside step by step and take over more territories.”
The others nodded upon hearing his suggestion.
The Earth Divine Realm was simply too big. Just the Double Realm Mountain alone was already bigger than all the existential planes that they currently owned. They mustn’t let such vast territories go to waste! They had to manage it properly.
Expansion?
They had better just manage this bit of land properly before talking about anything else!
“Oh, you guys, your mindset has become too fixed.” Meng Lei shook his head and said, “To think you’re still thinking of managing territories, spreading your faith, and slowly harvesting power of faith!”
“Uhh… Shouldn’t we?”
Puhaman scratched his head, somewhat sheepish.
Meng Lei shook his head. Then, he pointed at the bandit chief in front of them and said jokingly, “All of you are stronger than this guy, yet your mindsets aren’t even as quick-witted as his. Why don’t you ask this guy whether or not he’s ever spread his faith?”
Perplexed, all of them turned to the bandit chief.
“S-sir…!”
Frightened, the bandit chief braced himself and said, “You’re awfully astute indeed, sir! I’ve never spread my faith before. All the power of divinity that I needed were… were… stolen from others!”
“Stolen?”
Everyone was taken aback.
“Sirs, you may not know this, but the common currency in the Divine Realms are Divinity Crystals.”
The bandit chief had no choice but to press on and explain, “The deities and trade caravans passing by here carry a substantial amount of Divinity Crystals on themselves, so you need only to just snatch them and use them for yourselves. W-who would spend so much time and effort to spread their faith, collect power of faith, and slowly form power of divinity?”
“Snatch and use them straight away?”
“You can actually do that?”
Puhaman and the others widened their eyes in shock. They suddenly felt as if poverty had limited their imagination. All they had in mind was spreading their faith, but little did they know that there was also such a method of obtaining power of divinity.
Ol’ Amos suddenly raised a question. He asked, “If everyone relies on robbery to maintain their day-to-day power of divinity needs like you, then where do the Divinity Crystals come from?”
“There’s more to it than meets the eye, sir!”
The bandit chief hastily explained, “As the Divine Realms’ common currency, Divinity Crystals are also the most common and most important strategic resource in the Divine Realms. All the deities naturally come up with all sorts of ideas and ways to obtain Divinity Crystals. There are typically two ways to obtain Divinity Crystals.
“The first way is to spread one’s religious faith. All of the major godly clans and forces have their own power of faith domains. They also have laborers that specialize in manifesting power of divinity and purifying and refining Divinity Crystals. These laborers are essentially the farmers and workers of low-end existential planes.”
“You can actually do that?”
Everyone found this a huge eye-opener.
“The second way is mining the Divinity Crystal mines.”
The bandit chief went on. “There are innumerable Divinity Crystal mines of various sizes in the Divine Realms. These mines are rich in mineral deposits and contain an ample amount of Divinity Crystals. You need only to extract them, and you’ll be able to refine and use them. It’s simple, convenient, and quick!
“For the same reason, every Divinity Crystal mine is worth a lot. In particular, large ore veins with astonishing amounts of mineral deposits are even priceless in value! However, such ore veins are typically controlled by large godly clans and large forces. Ordinary deities can’t get a share of the action at all.”
“Divinity Crystal mines!”
Everyone’s eyes lit up. Compared to spreading religious faith, this method was practically way too convenient.
“Did you hear that?” Meng Lei smiled and said, “Divinity Crystals are aplenty in the Divine Realms. Relying on spreading faith to convert power of faith into power of divinity is too inefficient.”
“What a huge eye-opener!”
Ol’ Amos said with a sigh, “Little did I think that one can also obtain Divinity Crystals this way. We’re simply too ignorant and ill-informed!”
“That’s right, that’s right!”
Puhaman and the others nodded repeatedly.
“Our level of strength is constantly changing, as is the environment that we’re in. Therefore, our mindsets must also keep up with these changes,” said a smiling Meng Lei.
“In that case, what exactly should we do, Master?” asked Bubbles.
“Ask him!”
Meng Lei turned to the bandit chief. He said, “In the Divine Realm, how exactly do ordinary deities obtain Divinity Crystals? After all, I believe bandits that rob others like you are a minority.”
The bandit chief blushed in embarrassment and replied, “To obtain Divinity Crystals, ordinary deities typically choose to join any of the forces and earn their income through labor.
“Experts like all of you can also join a small clan somewhere and become their retainer or foreign minister[1]. You’ll be able to receive a handsome amount of Divinity Crystals every year.”
“Earn income through labor?”
“Become a retainer or a foreign minister?”
All of them looked at one another before turning to Meng Lei with queries in their eyes.
Meng Lei, however, shook his head lightly and said, “In comparison, I still prefer your method.”
The bandit chief was stupefied for a moment before he said disbelievingly, “Sir, you mean…”
“Didn’t you say it yourself just now? Divinity Crystals can be found everywhere in the Divine Realm, so wouldn’t everything be solved if you just take it and use it directly?”
Meng Lei gave him a slight smile.
The bandit chief was instantly rendered speechless.
Take it and use it directly? That’s even more goddamn shameless than what I’m doing!
Sheepish looks came over everyone else’s countenances, and they kindly reminded him, “This is the Earth Divine Realm, Master. Shouldn’t we exercise a bit of restraint here?”
“Restraint?”
A bewildered Meng Lei stared at them. “Since we can afford to be willful, then why should we exercise any restraint?”
-_-||
Everyone was rendered completely speechless.
“Let’s go to Dragon-Elephant City.”
Meng Lei held his hands behind his back and said, “In the Divine Realm, the strong are revered, and they can wantonly strip everything from the weak. This is a truth that’ll never change for eternity. You’ll be on the losing end if you’re too embarrassed to do it!”
“Yes, Master!”
The others could only follow after him in resignation.
“As for you, on account of how you’ve provided quite a bit of information, I’ll spare you for now.”
Meng Lei turned to the bandit chief and ordered, “Lead the way!”
“Thank you, sir!”
[1] [Annotation text missing]
