Countless pieces of information about the Divine Carapace surfaced in Aurek's mind.

The Divine Carapace was an ancient godly armor forged from a fragment of an ancient world's colossal tortoise's spirit, its physical form made from a sliver of that creature's shell.

It possessed three layers of defense: the Sacred Tortoise Luminmark, the Shadow of the Holy Tortoise, and the Aegis of the Sacred Tortoise.

A titled Master Rank cultivator could activate the Sacred Tortoise Luminmark to withstand a portion of a Grandmaster Rank strike.

If one's strength was sufficient, one could further invoke the Shadow of the Holy Tortoise or even the Aegis of the Sacred Tortoise, raising its defense to a level capable of enduring the attacks of a Saint Rank being.

In its ultimate state, it could even resist part of a natural calamity—and at its peak, it could defend against a blow from a god.

No wonder Sacco had been able to survive Aurek's repeated assaults.

With Aurek's current strength, he could already activate the Shadow of the Holy Tortoise, granting him the ability to withstand an average Stellar Rank attack.

The ranks beyond transcendence grew increasingly unfathomable; Aurek still couldn't precisely gauge what level of attack a Stellar Rank could unleash.

But one thing was certain—the stronger his power, the greater the Divine Carapace's defensive might.

For now, the Divine Carapace's protection even surpassed that of his Black Dragon Scale Armor.

However… once the Black Dragon scales' divine art reached completion and the empire's power advanced further, this ancient armor would inevitably fall behind.

After all, one was capable of continual enhancement, while the other's upper limit was fixed.

After some time, Aurek withdrew his mind power, then retrieved the Solar Sword and the Runic Dagger.

The Solar Sword was a superior-grade SS-level weapon, though still far from the SSS-level divine armament Glamer Holy Sword.

Even so, within a quasi–Overlord Rank faction, this sword would be considered an heirloom of priceless worth.

Aurek intended to entrust it to the Golden Armored Knight.

Wielding such a sacred weapon would greatly enhance its ability to break through enemy defenses.

After all, the higher the rank, the stronger the power—and correspondingly, the more terrifying the defense.

Ordinary weapons would never suffice against such enemies.

As for the Runic Dagger…

Without the unkempt old man's control, the dagger floated before Aurek, guided solely by his mind power.

At first, it shone as a faint speck of light, then gradually condensed into a delicate short sword, shorter even than a standard blade.

An aura of pure, concentrated killing intent radiated outward—so intense that the surrounding space itself seemed to fracture beneath its edge.

Through mental resonance, Aurek quickly discerned its nature.

The dagger had been forged from celestial blacksteel, infused with the sword will of a Stellar Rank powerhouse.

It contained a sword intent capable of cleaving through the void—its strikes imbued with devastating destructive force.

With sufficient energy to sustain it, it could easily annihilate the divine aspect incarnations of Grandmaster Rank opponents.

These were all truly fearsome treasures.

[Emperor Point +130,000,000!]

The sudden notification drew Aurek's attention to his system panel.

This time, he had slain hundreds of prodigies and their guardians—each one at Peak Master Rank levels eight or nine.

Among them were over a dozen half-step Grandmasters.

And he had also killed the Grandmaster Rank powerhouse—Silas.

The harvest in Emperor Points was staggering—over one hundred million in total!

Compared with his previous gains, this was an enormous leap.

Even though advancing beyond Titled Master Rank required energy in the billions, this bounty was still enough to push him several steps forward.

Such immense rewards were well within Aurek's expectations.

He glanced at the system again—

The Emperor's Scepter: Fourth Evolution Requirement — 5,000,000 Points.

With his current reserves, the fourth evolution could now be completed.

"Your Majesty?"

Beside him, Josephine noticed his distant expression and spoke softly.

"Are you still worried about the empire's situation?"

Aurek drew back his thoughts and looked ahead.

He didn't answer immediately.

He had already foreseen the empire's current predicament.

The Elemental Assassin had long informed him of the kings' movements and the various factions' intentions in full detail.

This so-called Sanctuary Prayer Ceremony—he realized—would likely mark the day they declared their independence.

"My dear Josephine," Aurek said slowly, "I am not worried at all."

"On the contrary—everything is unfolding exactly as I planned."

"If they do not rebel, if the powers behind them remain hidden in the shadows, then cleaning them up would actually be troublesome."

"The empire's future does not depend on the eighteen hundred city-states themselves—but it does require the foundation and accumulation they've built."

What Aurek did not say aloud was this:

Summoning and evolving military units demanded vast quantities of Emperor Points.

And the empire's rebellious children… were the perfect source of those points.

Since they had schemed and waited for millennia, he might as well grant them their wish—

Let them rebel, and in doing so, reveal every lurking wolf and tiger.

Once they all showed their fangs, he could wipe them out in one decisive sweep.

Moreover, the new kingdoms that would arise around the empire's borders would naturally serve as buffers—

Barriers between the Crossbridge Empire and the surrounding mighty empires.

Once they established their nations, they would inevitably face the crushing pressure of those neighboring powers.

Those kingdoms and empires were not like the previously hollowed-out Crossbridge Empire;

their royal lineages were ancient and terrifying, their consolidated power unimaginable.

And since the burden of that pressure would fall upon the newly formed kingdoms,

the Crossbridge Empire, at the center, would be spared from direct confrontation—

avoiding premature clashes with the blades of those other great empires.

By first pacifying internal strife—subduing the kings and the factions supporting them—

Aurek would harvest enough Emperor Points to fully evolve the Emperor's Scepter,

then reforge his dominion over the entire empire.

When that time came, he would effortlessly crush every neighboring kingdom and empire.

The Crossbridge Empire would not only become the sole Overlord Rank power in the Fasior Plains and Bimat Highlands,

but also the supreme ruler of the entire Eastern Domain.

Josephine could not fully grasp every detail, yet she could feel the boundless ambition radiating from Aurek's words.

Now that she was his wife, she no longer questioned his plans—

all she needed to do was support him with unwavering faith.

Still, she gently reminded him:

"Your Majesty must remain cautious of those quasi–Overlord Rank factions within the empire."

"They have existed for tens of thousands of years. Their foundations run unfathomably deep.

Each of them already possesses the accumulation of an Overlord Rank force—

with no fewer than a hundred thousand Peak Master Rank elites,

countless Grandmasters, and even Stellar Ranks or Saints among their ranks."

Aurek's eyes narrowed slightly.

"You know this much?"

Josephine nodded.

"My mentor once told me… these factions pursue not worldly kingship,

but the favor of the Goddess of Fortune, endless longevity,

and the chance to step into the realm of the gods."

"This path inevitably defies the world itself," she continued softly.

"When mortals attempt to shatter the bounds of fate, the world retaliates with calamity."

"When a Stellar Rank cultivator pierces the void, or when a Saint attains unity with heaven and man,

they stand in defiance of the natural order—and the heavens will strike them down."

"For those without sufficient strength, the only outcome is death."

"Only those powerful enough to resist can ascend into the divine domain."

"However, some factions lack the foundation to survive such a tribulation," Josephine explained.

"So they discovered another method."

"They nurture empires—supporting nations that gather national destiny and imperial fortune,

using the combined strength of their kingdoms to offset the punishment from the heavens—

a means to help them transcend the calamity."

"As long as their foundation is deep enough, they can gradually step toward true godhood."

"That," she concluded, "is why those near-Overlord Rank factions are so desperate to establish new kingdoms—

to solidify national destiny and accumulate the power of their realm."

"They even seal away Peak Master and Grandmaster Rank warriors who can no longer progress,

preserving them as part of their faction's eternal foundation."

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