In the great capital of the Li Empire, the air itself felt different.
News travelled faster than the wind—traders speaking of abandoned cities suddenly restored, of mysterious troops who rebuilt roads overnight, and of a thunderous roar in the night sky that frightened bandits into surrendering.
At first, the Emperor dismissed the rumours as nonsense. But when even merchants from foreign kingdoms began reporting "a hidden army protecting the northern borders, the court could no longer stay silent.
Inside the Hall of Morning Court, hundreds of officials knelt as the Emperor sat upon the jade throne, his face cold like iron.
"Who commands troops without my decree?" he demanded.
No one answered. Only the faint tremble of robes and the steady sound of his breathing filled the hall.
Finally, the Head of Internal Affairs stepped forward. "Your Majesty, reports claim a coalition of mercenaries and refugees is retaking lost provinces. Their banner carries no name, yet their discipline is military. Twenty cities now owe allegiance to an unknown commander."
The hall fell into uneasy murmurs.
The Fourth Prince, Li Xian, bowed low. "Father, I warned of this after the border incident. Such movements always hide ambition. We should send the royal army before this 'commander' becomes a threat."
But the Second Prince, Li Rongjie, smiled faintly behind his fan. "Big Brother worries too much. Perhaps these men truly serve the empire, protecting what the army neglected. We could claim them as imperial vassals instead of enemies."
The Emperor's gaze swept downward, sharp and heavy. "Do you know who leads them, Rongjie?"
Rongjie's fan lowered slightly. "Not yet, Father. But I will find out."
The Emperor leaned back, his eyes shadowed. "Double the border surveillance. Dispatch three legions north. No one builds armies in my name without permission."
The princes bowed, but behind their calm faces, schemes were already forming.
Later, in a private corridor, the Fourth Prince hissed under his breath, "You and your ideas brought this chaos."
Rongjie smirked. "Relax, Brother. If this hidden army is who I think it is, the game's just getting interesting."
Far to the north, I felt the system's vibration before the words even appeared.
"Ding! Imperial attention detected. Risk Level: Medium. The host's activities have entered royal monitoring zones."
I sighed. "So, they've finally noticed."
Wen Zixing, standing beside a map scattered with red crystals marking our reclaimed cities, nodded grimly. "It was only a matter of time. Twenty cities are too many to stay silent. Still, our illusion arrays and false reports bought us weeks."
Mo Han crossed his arms. "If they send an army, we will crush it. Let them come."
Yue Zhilan shot him a look. "Crushing mortals isn't victory—it's noise. Once you draw too much attention, the heavens will see you as well."
I agreed. "No open confrontation. We move shadows against shadows."
But inside, I could feel the tension building. Even with the empire distracted, we were one unlucky detail away from discovery. That was why I had held on to the High‑Grade Summon Token.
Its surface shimmered gold and blue, heavier than the others I'd used. The system called it Divine Tier Summon – One Use Only.
I turned it over in my hand. "System, what are the possible outcomes of this summon?"
Tier restricted to High‑Grade. Possible summons include Celestial Generals, Godly Beasts, or Mythic Constructs. Loyalty range 30–60."
"Thirty?" I muttered. "That's barely loyalty at all."
"Reminder: High Tier Summons maintain independent divine will. Only through actions aligning with the Host's past karma can loyalty increase."
I looked toward the night horizon. In the distance, lightning flashed faintly over the twentieth city we had taken just days ago. The empire was waking up, and soon, soldiers would march north again.
"Perhaps it's time to even the board," I said softly.
Wen Zixing frowned. "What are you planning, my lord?"
I smiled. "A test. If the empire is sending three legions, they'll need to cross the Central Pass. We'll summon near there—see what kind of guardian fate grants us."
Mo Han grinned fiercely. "Let me ride with you."
I shook my head. "No. Keep training the mortal divisions. Once this summon is complete, the next phase begins."
At midnight, beneath the shattered towers of Frostveil Pass, I placed the High‑Grade Summon Token on the ground. The air turned strangely still. Even the snow seemed to hesitate before falling.
"System," I whispered. "Activate."
"Ding! High‑Grade Summon Token activated. Karmic connection forming… Engaging Divine Lottery."
The token shattered into light. Golden circles spun across the ground, reaching from cliff to cliff until the valley itself shone like molten sun. The power pressing down on me was suffocating—far greater than any of my previous summons.
Then, through the storm of energy, a figure stepped out.
He was tall, dressed in black‑and‑gold battle robes, a spear of pure flame resting in his hand. Behind him floated six burning stars. His hair was crimson, and his eyes were calm yet terrible—like someone who had once burned entire worlds only to regret it later.
"Summon complete."
"Identity: Celestial War Marshal Rong Tian. Realm: Peak God Transformation."
"Loyalty: 42."
"Innate Ability: Heaven Fire Domain / Command of Ten Thousand Spirit Troops."
He looked down at me. "So, you're the new master of the Myth System."
"You know of it?" I asked in surprise.
"Once, a man wielding the same power saved my dying army from destruction. I vowed that if the system called me again, I would answer." His hand tightened on the spear. "Until you prove you're worthy of his soul, I shall fight under you—for now."
Yue Zhilan appeared beside me, eyes narrowing slightly. She gave a curt nod, recognising a being of equal status. "This one might actually challenge me," she said quietly.
I couldn't help but smile. "Then let him try—after he helps us survive the court's curiosity."
The system's voice echoed again.
"Ding! Summon roster updated. Mythic Entity added: Rong Tian. Dominion + 500. Warning: Divine energy spike detected by Imperial Astrologers. Security status reduced."
Wen Zixing's face paled. "Heaven's light reached the capital. They'll send their best soon."
I looked at the glowing valley, the new god standing before me, and the soldiers training below the cliffs.
"Then let them come," I whispered. "While they look north, we'll build south. Let them chase phantoms while the world changes behind them."
And as thunder rolled through the mountains, the empire's watchers saw only faint light in the distance—unaware that a war was already being written into destiny itself.