Pretending not to notice Figroa peeking from afar, Oakes deliberately maintained his humble posture in full view, ensuring the boy could clearly witness everything.
After this incident, Figroa's temperament would undoubtedly change for the better. At the very least, having realized the importance of strength, he would no longer resist cultivation.
"It was nothing—just a trivial matter."
Locke waved it off, unconcerned.
Across the seven Divine Planes and four Higher Planes, how many spoiled heirs relied on their backgrounds to act recklessly? With a father like Oakes—a Paragon-level expert—Figroa certainly had the qualifications to be arrogant.
But Oakes knew better.
Because of Locke, he understood that this world held many beings far stronger than himself. Having traveled across multiple planes on Locke's behalf, he had seen firsthand how deeply intertwined various forces were. If Figroa ever provoked the wrong enemy, someone who didn't care about Oakes' status, it might be too late to save him.
After all, Oakes couldn't keep his son by his side forever.
Children had to venture out eventually.
And in the outside world, only one thing truly mattered—strength.
After expressing his gratitude, Oakes finally asked what had been on his mind.
"Lord Locke, have you come out this time with some task in mind?"
Among all of Locke's subordinates, Oakes knew him best.
For over two million years, Locke had been utterly devoted to cultivation. Every time Oakes visited him, Locke was either training or researching how to grow stronger. Even his study of divine beast essence blood was merely another path toward understanding the deeper truths of the universe.
Oakes was also the only one who knew that Locke could now replicate divine beast innate abilities using essence blood alone.
The more he understood, the deeper his respect grew.
Only the strong could truly comprehend the strength of someone even stronger.
Oakes himself had fused seven Profound Mysteries of the Wind Laws—equivalent to others who had fused five—and with fused divine power, he was confident he could rival Shura's wielding Sovereign artifacts.
Yet before Locke…
He felt utterly powerless.
By now, Oakes also suspected that Locke might not even be a deity anymore.
And somehow, that made him even more awe-inspiring.
"More or less."
Locke didn't hide anything.
"I've made some new breakthroughs recently and will be entering seclusion for a while."
"For this, I'll need a large amount of treasures that can restore soul power."
"I understand."
Oakes nodded immediately.
"I'll contact the others and have them prepare such items for you."
"Good."
Locke gave a slight nod.
Oakes had been, without question, the most reliable subordinate he'd had in these two million years. Without him, many matters would have required Locke's personal attention, wasting valuable cultivation time.
Though Ryan had reached Seven-Star Fiend level, that was no longer the pinnacle. In this new era, Seven-Star Fiends were merely upper-tier—not supreme.
Only Oakes, with his abnormal strength far surpassing ordinary cultivators, could truly manage Locke's vast network across the planes.
And because of that, Locke had no intention of letting him fall in the coming chaos.
"Oakes, once you've completed this round and gathered enough amethyst for me, lie low."
"The tensions between the planes have reached a boiling point. Within a million years, a massive war will erupt."
"Even Sovereigns may take the field."
"In such a conflict, the only truly safe place… is the Netherworld."
Oakes' expression turned grave.
"Yes, my lord."
"The war you speak of… I can't even imagine it."
"Also," Locke continued, "while collecting the soul-restoring treasures, inform the various forces—if they wish to preserve their lineage, they should send some of their younger generation to the Netherworld."
"If Sovereigns truly clash, nowhere else will remain untouched."
"I understand."
"And you," Locke added, "once your task is complete, take your family and return to the Netherworld as well."
"I'll come to you personally to retrieve everything."
"Yes, Lord Locke."
—
Frostsnow Plane.
The plane transfer array lit up with a soft white glow, and Locke's figure appeared within it.
"Greetings, my lord."
A God standing guard nearby bowed respectfully.
Anyone assigned as a Plane Overseer knew exactly what it cost to travel from a Divine Plane to a material plane. At minimum, it required trillions of inkstones.
Anyone who could afford such a journey was undoubtedly a top-tier powerhouse.
"Plane Overseer, hm?"
Locke immediately recognized the man's role.
With a slight nod, his divine sense spread across the entire Frostsnow Plane.
Then—
"Hm?"
This time, he was genuinely surprised.
After two million years… those two were still here.
With a thought, his body dissolved into water and reformed within the imperial capital of the Frostsnow Empire.
"Who goes there?!"
Because Locke made no effort to conceal his aura, Celes detected him instantly.
Boom!
An enormous ice dragon burst forth from the imperial palace, tearing open a spatial rift dozens of meters long as it roared toward Locke.
"Your Majesty Celes, it's been over two million years. Is this really how you greet an old acquaintance?"
Locke casually waved his hand.
The spatial tear instantly closed.
The massive ice dragon shrank into a tiny serpent, which Locke held effortlessly in his palm.
"Water's fluidity… ice's sharpness… even traces of water-body techniques…"
He smiled faintly.
"It seems Your Majesty has reached a respectable level among Five-Star Fiends."
"...You?"
Celes' eyes widened.
"Locke?!"
Recognizing the familiar soul aura, he shot out from the palace, staring at Locke in disbelief.
"It's been a long time, Your Majesty. You seem to be in much better shape now."
Celes circled him several times before finally confirming it.
"It really is you…"
"I never imagined you'd survive the Divine Plane… let alone reach this level."
Standing beside Locke, he could feel the terrifying pressure of his divine power.
Just sensing it made his heart tremble.
How had this man cultivated?
Celes had spent millions of years ruling this plane, secretly gathering faith power. Only through that did he discover the secret of fusing Profound Mysteries, eventually achieving full fusion of two—boosting his strength tenfold.
And yet—
Compared to Locke now, their positions had completely reversed.
The cautious youth of the past had become someone utterly unfathomable.
"Haha, I've simply been fortunate."
Locke smiled, then took out the identity badge Celes had once given him.
"And I should thank you. Without this, I wouldn't have gained access to certain… useful information."
He handed it back.
Celes took the badge, his gaze distant.
"A captain of the Sovereign's army…"
Back then, he had stood at the peak of power.
But after offending another faction, he had been exiled to this material plane under the pretense of spreading faith.
Since then, his devotion to the Frostsnow Sovereign had wavered.
Here, he built an empire—but secretly, he also began cultivating his own faith.
And it was through that stolen faith power that he discovered the secrets of fusion.
Yet even after two million years…
He had only managed to fully fuse two Profound Mysteries.
Looking at Locke now, Celes suddenly felt—
Perhaps he had already fallen behind the times.
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