Dyon dragged the several hundred-meter-long corpse to the shore. By now, he had fitted himself with a pair of black sweatpants and had released the four celestial beasts who decided to remain in their toddler forms.

Finally, he looked back toward the still confused Flaming Lily Sect disciples.

"I understand that you all have your own pride, or else you would have never been chosen for this trial. You're the best of the younger generation your sect has to offer and as such, you deserve to grow." Dyon's eyes scanned the crowd of women. It was clear that they hadn't expected him to take their feelings into account. It was rare for even Emperors to care about the thoughts of others, let alone Gods and True Gods.

"I don't want you all to think of this as me looking down on you. Instead, take it as a partnership." Dyon shook his head. "I know what you're thinking and that's not what I mean. I have no intention of taking part in the treasures you yourselves find and earn. The only thing I want in return from you all is your ability to fight when it comes time to.

"Although others might see me as very powerful, I'm limited in what I can do alone. Will you agree to help me?" Dyon smiled warmly.

Maybe it was the valiant image of a handsome man standing before the corpse of a beast he had slayed, or maybe it was the fact he seemed to care and understand their feelings, but even those who had planned to oppose couldn't find it in their hearts to do so. It felt to them that Dyon wasn't just a person they could trust, he was also a person worth following and laying you life down for.

By this point in his cultivation, Dyon no longer needed to actively release his Presence to influence others. His disposition as a leader was already so refined that he exuded charisma few could match. Matching this with his prince charming-like appearance and he was already just a small step away from his goal before he even began to speak.

Still, this didn't mean that he faced no opposition whatsoever. No matter how charming he was, these women had only just met him and they were more prideful than to simply fall for a pretty face. Although Dyon hadn't said it, it was clear that this fight he was referring to was against the Golden Crow Sect.

For one, their sect had sent double their numbers. Even after Dyon killed off a dozen of them, their numbers were still deeper by almost forty or so individuals.

In addition, the Golden Crow Sect disciples had access to far better resources, techniques, and talents than they did. This didn't even mention the fact that the Goldeen and Crow families shared two halves of the ancient Golden Crow bloodline, an extinct beast that had once stood as equal to Dragons and Phoenixes. This morsel of truth was especially prevalent since it practically made this Mystical World their backyard.

Plus, Dyon had said it himself. He was too weak alone. Even though he was a True God, Christian III was already a middle celestial and a God himself! While Dyon wasn't even a celestial.

The truth was that Yandevere could defeat God Goldeen easily one on one, but he wouldn't be alone! He was sent in with four peak celestial protectors. Although they were only between the first and third orders while Yandevere was of the fifth, if they combined their strengths, Yandevere could only run.

Dyon watched their emotions flash across their eyes, keying in on their turmoil.

"What kind of sect do you want to inherit?" Dyon suddenly asked.

The Flaming Lily Sect disciples froze, looking up toward Dyon and already understanding what he meant.

"For a long time, the Flaming Lily Sect has played second fiddle to the Golden Crow Sect. This isn't because you birthed less talents. It isn't because an all female sect is inherently weaker. It isn't because your ancestors built a shattered foundation. It's because you've been too kind to yourselves and not kind enough to the sister by your side!"

Dyon's words were like thunder in their ears. They had never heard such an eloquent way of calling someone selfish, yet they couldn't bring themselves to be angry.

They had watched so many of their sisters disappear over the years, yet they had done nothing. Mostly it was because they didn't believe that they could change anything themselves, but wasn't that what Dyon called being too kind to themselves? They simply used their own inadequacies as an excuse for not working toward a higher goal… Some of them would be happy to just reach the peak celestial realm one day, other would be content to simply touch upon the dao formation realm, was this the kind of mentality a cultivator should have?

Dyon smiled. He didn't expect to change the disposition of a person with a single speech, he just wanted to show them a path they could take should they want better for themselves.

"My proposal is simple. Stay within ten thousand kilometers of me. Whatever you find under my protection is yours and yours alone, I won't take any part in it. As long as you follow that singular rule, I guarantee that you all will survive this Mystical World."

Dyon didn't explain any further. He spoke as though maintaining complete control over ten thousand kilometers was an easy task, something they all found difficult to believe. However, he meant what he said.

"Some time in the future, I'll call you all back. I hope that you'll heed this call when the time comes."

The Flaming Lily Sect disciples soon dispersed. They didn't make any promises, nor did Dyon force them to.

In reality, Dyon had only said these words for the sake of building a foundation in the Flaming Lily Sect. He was confident that even if he was alone, God Goldeen's life was as good as his. That didn't mean that it would be easy, but it also didn't mean that he needed the help of others.

All he knew was that the culture of the Flaming Lily Sect had to change. He had grown up in the mortal world and he had come to understand how those with smaller fists could come into powerful positions of authority. All throughout human history, the strongest warrior wasn't always the best leader. Of course, when their history was more infantile and their cultures were more barbaric, this was the case. But as they evolved and their society's matured, what humans looked for in rulers changed as well.

In the martial world, however, it still seemed that the biggest fist ruled over all. But, Dyon believed that this innate need for a worthy leader hadn't entirely disappeared. He understood that if he wanted to build an empire, what he needed wasn't just a strong fist, but also a strong foundation of culture.

For now, he had allowed the Soul Rend Universe to grow organically, slowly instilling the idea that hard work resulted in more benefits. But, he knew that he had yet to go far enough.

Firstly, the people of Soul Rend Universe hardly knew who their leader was. They had heard of his name in passing, they understood his power, but they didn't know him. Secondly, could Dyon really guarantee the kind of culture that was currently being brewed? The answer was no… He wanted his people to have pride in him and their lands, but he wanted this to be for the right reasons.

As time past, Dyon thought more and more about these kinds of things. Building something so large was complicated, but he had to take it step by step.

"You guys go off too. This is good training for you all. But, unlike those disciples, I won't be monitoring your four. Do you understand what that mean?" Dyon's eyes flashed with seriousness as he looked at his beast companions.

Although the four of them had grown powerful, they had little to no battle experience. Since they too understood this, they nodded.

"Good. Stay together. Watch each other's backs. Learn what it means to fight as one." Dyon began to list off what he expected of them. "I won't be providing you four with any food, you must find it yourselves. Also, don't come and find me until at least one year later. Understood?"

The four beasts pouted, but nodded in the end. This task was far more difficult than Dyon was making it out to be.

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