The People's God: Sacrificing Trillions to Ascend

Zhan Fanyin drew a long sword from the solidified Iron Throne Totem. Fresh blood still clung to the blade, as if showcasing the glorious battles it had once decided.

Han Wu’s sharp eyes fixed on the sword. From its quality alone, he could tell it was no weaker than an 8-Star Divine Weapon. For Zhan Fanyin’s Heavenrender strength, it was a fitting weapon.

“Today, I’ll wash away the shame of every humiliation I’ve suffered these past few days!” Zhan Fanyin declared as he unleashed a sweeping slash at Han Wu.

A blood-red blade aura surged straight toward him. Han Wu didn’t even produce a weapon. He simply turned sideways and stepped clear of the attack.

Having failed on the first attempt, Zhan Fanyin grew agitated. He swept his long sword rapidly, weaving a dense, airtight web of blade auras that closed in around Han Wu.

This time, Han Wu had no room to simply dodge. He raised his right hand, and the Divine Authority greatsword appeared in his grip. A single slash tore the entire web apart.

In the next instant, he was already standing behind Zhan Fanyin. The latter drove the Iron Throne Totem forward like a war chariot and hurled it at Han Wu before thrusting the hundreds of swords that formed the throne toward him.

Han Wu brought the greatsword down in one strike. The powerful Iron Throne Totem shattered and scattered across the ground in a heap of sword fragments.

Zhan Fanyin froze in place. Han Wu put away the greatsword, stepped forward, and slapped Zhan Fanyin’s face. This one carried at least thirty percent of Han Wu’s strength behind it. It was noticeably harder than any of the previous slaps.

The slap caused Zhan Fanyin’s face to swell dramatically. This truly was a slap worth six.

The slap snapped him out of his daze. He dropped to his knees in disbelief and clawed at the Iron Throne’s shattered fragments.

“How is this possible? The Iron Throne is supposed to be invincible!” Zhan Fanyin sobbed.

Han Wu had completely shattered the sense of superiority Zhan Fanyin had spent twenty years building.

Worried that Han Wu had actually injured Zhan Fanyin, He Xu hurried forward to pull Han Wu away and help Zhan Fanyin to his feet. After he spent some time consoling him, Zhan Fanyin stopped crying.

Han Wu watched from the side and snorted. “Crying and sniffling. You are acting like a little girl.”

The words reached Zhan Fanyin’s ears, and he burst into tears again. Like pear blossoms caught in a rainstorm, the unswollen half of his face gave the whole scene a certain tragic beauty.

“Stop talking,” He Xu scolded Han Wu. “This boy is hard enough to coax once he starts crying.”

Han Wu waved dismissively. He genuinely couldn’t understand why the Divine Civilization would go to such lengths to return Zhan Fanyin to the throne. Given his temperament and character, handing him an empire to rule would probably lead to its collapse within three days. Sending him to the throne was practically the same as sending him to his death. Did such a prince really need to exist?

Once He Xu finally managed to calm Zhan Fanyin down, he approached Han Wu and warned him again not to provoke Zhan Fanyin. They were already close to the Battlecraze Empire, and if the empire’s generals spotted the bruising on Zhan Fanyin’s face, it would reflect poorly on all of them.

Han Wu reluctantly agreed to restrain himself.

The group continued onward. The journey from the boundary of the Battleborn Civilization to the empire’s capital required at least ten days. During the trip, Zhan Fanyin no longer provoked anyone, though he occasionally shot Han Wu resentful looks whenever they stopped to rest.

Han Wu didn’t mind in the slightest. Frankly, he loved nothing more than seeing people hate him while being unable to do anything about it.

Before long, however, their luck ran out. While passing through an oasis, they encountered a second wave of assassins. This time, the attackers had learned from their previous failure and didn’t reveal themselves. Instead, they quietly laced the food and water sold at the oasis with poison.

The attempt was completely useless against Han Wu and the others. Han Wu could tell that the food was poisoned with a single taste.

The poison was potent enough that even World life forms would struggle to resist it. However, Han Wu had the Five Poisons title, along with the Life and Light Aspects. His poison resistance had already reached its limit. On top of that, his physical constitution already exceeded that of ordinary World life forms, so this level of poison had no effect on him.

The assassins responsible for planting the poison were quickly tracked down and dragged out one by one before being lined up in front of Zhan Fanyin for questioning.

Zhan Fanyin had spent weeks suppressing his frustration and was eager for an outlet. He showed no mercy as he drew a green, poison-laced sword from his restored Iron Throne Totem and forced confessions from the assassins one after another.

The assassins were all tight-lipped regarding who had sent them. However, from their totems, Zhan Fanyin already knew the answer. He simply couldn’t bring himself to accept it.

After that incident, the group seemed to have stirred a hornet’s nest. Assassinations came almost daily, whether through poison, long-range sniping, ambushes, or disguises. Each time, however, Han Wu, He Xu, and Qin Shuang kept a few attackers alive and handed them over to Zhan Fanyin for questioning.

With each new witness, the conviction Zhan Fanyin had clung to started to crumble. No matter how stubbornly he resisted, he could no longer deny the truth. Zhan Yuwen, the older brother who had always treated him kindly since childhood, genuinely wanted him dead.

Within only a few days, Zhan Fanyin changed completely. He became quiet and withdrawn, cautious and watchful, with a cold, calculating edge beneath the surface.

Han Wu and the others were pleased to see the change. They had no interest in the factional struggles within the Battlecraze Empire. They only cared whether Zhan Fanyin could successfully inherit the throne after his return. Only then would the escort mission truly be complete.

Finally, the group arrived at the empire’s capital, Battle City.

Zhan Fanyin’s return sent shockwaves through every major faction in the city. Some celebrated his return, while others were simply stunned. Ambushes had been arranged along every stretch of the route, so how had Zhan Fanyin managed to return alive?

Regardless, Zhan Fanyin was already outside Battle City. Royal protocol demanded that he be formally welcomed into the city before heading back to the palace.

Outside the city, Zhan Fanyin had already changed into a magnificent set of royal robes. He stood before the gates, waiting for the welcoming party. The three escorts stood beside him like guards, quietly watching the surroundings. With the mission so close to completion, none of them wanted any trouble at the last moment.

Thankfully, no one was bold enough to attempt an assassination in broad daylight and in full public view.

Before long, a ceremonial procession emerged from the city. At its head stood a striking man with sword-like brows, handsome features, and masculine vigour. A clove flower-shaped mark at the corner of his eye, however, softened the forcefulness of his presence.

Zhan Fanyin stepped forward half a pace and called out, “Brother Yuwen!”

The three escorts moved half a step forward as well to shield Zhan Fanyin.

“Fanyin, you’re finally back. Was the journey smooth?” Zhan Yuwen wore an expression of warm concern. Anyone unaware of the situation would have mistaken him for a kind and caring older brother.

“Smooth enough. We just ran into a few flies along the way,” Zhan Fanyin replied lightly, gaze fixed on Zhan Yuwen.

Zhan Yuwen smiled and placed both hands on Zhan Fanyin’s shoulders. “That’s exactly the spirit our Zhan family needs. I truly underestimated you before, Fanyin. Come. Father wants to see you.”