A Corpse as a Provocation

At first, Li Guanglong still held onto a sliver of hope, but upon hearing that the Elder Astrologer (Lao Jianzheng) had no intention of appearing in person, his mood immediately soured.

What good could a single pouch (jin nang) do?

The God King Zeus was one of the top powerhouses in the world, a terrifying being at the peak of the Grandmaster realm --- capable of crushing missiles with his bare hands and cleaving a destroyer in half with a single strike.

Would someone like that listen to reason?

As if seeing through his doubts, the elder didn’t say much, only smiled and said, “Whether it’s useful or not, Your Highness the Second Prince will know once you open it.”

“Then I’ll take a look at what treasure lies inside.”

Li Guanglong, expression stiff, quickly unwrapped the white brocade pouch.

Soon, a red talisman appeared before his eyes.

Frowning slightly, Li Guanglong pulled it out and examined it.

The talisman was entirely red, with its characters drawn in bright golden script.

He could barely recognize that on the front of the talisman was the character "Burn" (焚).

“What is this?” Li Guanglong asked, puzzled.

He had never seen such a mystical talisman before, yet he could clearly feel a strong energy emanating from it.

Obviously, this red talisman was not ordinary.

“To be honest, this is a divine talisman my father spent ten years crafting, called the Burning Heaven Blazing Talisman (焚天熾籙),” the elder said, with pride and confidence on his face.

“Burning Heaven Blazing Talisman?” Li Guanglong frowned slightly.

He considered himself well-informed, yet had never heard of this name.

“Most only know of the divine talismans from Longhu Mountain as being powerful, but truth be told, my father’s expertise in talisman craft is no lesser than that of the Grandmaster of Heaven Zhang Xuanji.”

The elder added confidently, “I’m not exaggerating --- this talisman is as powerful as a full-force blow from my father. It should be more than enough to handle this so-called God King Zeus.”

“Good! Excellent! This is truly a treasure!” Li Guanglong’s face lit up with joy at those words.

It was said the old Chief Astrologer’s strength had reached the half-step Fairy Immortal realm --- just a notch below Zhang Xuanji.

If this talisman was really equivalent to a full-force strike from the Chief Astrologer, then it was indeed a fearsome weapon.

In a critical moment, throwing this out could kill an Ultimate Grandmaster-level opponent. Even someone as strong as Zeus would be gravely wounded by it!

He had thought this trip would be fruitless, but unexpectedly, he had obtained such a powerful talisman --- what a pleasant surprise.

“Your Highness, I must remind you --- this Burning Heaven Blazing Talisman is extremely rare and precious. There is only this one. Please use it with utmost caution,” the elder warned.

“Thank you for the reminder. Unless absolutely necessary, I will not use this treasure lightly,” Li Guanglong nodded.

The talisman was incredibly powerful and a one-of-a-kind item --- once used, it would be gone forever.

Such a treasure was undoubtedly a trump card. Only a fool would waste it recklessly.

As for dealing with God King Zeus, he already had other thoughts.

“Your Highness, you are a busy man, so I won’t stay long. Please convey a message to Lord Montgomery on my behalf --- the favor I owed him is now repaid,” the elder said calmly.

“Of course,” Li Guanglong replied with a slight smile and took his leave.

----------

Night had already fallen.

At that moment, outside Li Guanglong’s residence, elite soldiers in full armor had surrounded the place.

General Wan Zhong stood at the gate, his face full of hatred.

Lying before him were over a dozen mutilated corpses.

These were the work of God King Zeus. Every incense stick’s time, he would kill one person in the residence and throw the body out as a provocation.

Among the dead were close associates and relatives of Second Prince Li Guanglong.

Yet without orders to attack, Wan Zhong could only stand by and watch. No matter how furious he was, he dared not act rashly.

"Thud!"

Another corpse was thrown from inside the residence, flying several meters before landing heavily at the entrance.

Bones shattered, flesh splattered, and blood sprayed everywhere --- coating Wan Zhong from head to toe.

The corpse wore luxurious clothing, clearly someone close to Li Guanglong. But the face was smashed beyond recognition.

“General Wan! The Pantheon of the Gods is going too far! They have no regard for us at all!”

“That’s right, General! A warrior can be killed, but not humiliated! Just give the order—we’ll charge in and tear those bastards apart!”

“Please give the command, General! Let’s kill those Pantheon of the Gods beasts!”

“……”

As another body was tossed out, the soldiers outside were pushed to the brink of fury.

Eyes wide with rage, they clamored for battle, eager to tear the enemies limb from limb.

“Silence!”

“No one is to act without the prince’s command. Anyone who disobeys—will be executed!”

Wan Zhong roared, instantly silencing the crowd.

His eyes were bloodshot, tears welling up.

Because among those corpses --- was his wife.

Seeing her brutally murdered, he wanted nothing more than to cut Zeus into pieces.

But as a soldier, his duty was to obey.

No matter how angry, no matter how much he hated --- he could only endure.

Endure until the prince returned. Endure until the order to attack was given.

And when that moment came--- even if it cost him his life --- he would make God King Zeus pay the price! - Marinien