Faced with Li Xi's cold shoulder, Dick's golden scepter poked a hole in the floor of Li Xi's house. He huffed and puffed, shaking his sleeves as he left, clearly intending to cut all ties with Li Xi.
Li Xi was in a bind. It wasn't that he couldn't communicate with Dick amicably, but rather that their standpoints were irreconcilably opposed. Dick wanted him to join the Temple of Magic, and if he refused, he would be labeled a heretic. If he joined, he would merely be a pawn. So, what was the point of their falling out now? It was bound to happen sooner or later.
As he began to make a name for himself, it was inevitable that he would encroach upon the survival space of some people.
Moreover, the gods were currently walking the earth in their saintly forms, accumulating strength for their return to the divine realm. Li Xi didn't believe the Goddess of Magic would delay her return to the divine realm for him, especially in this world, where the waters were so deep and there were so many old foxes eyeing the Goddess of Magic's position.
His Sharingan had now evolved to three tomoe. Although the sudden evolution had been somewhat embarrassing and unexpected for Li Xi, the outcome was good.
This meant that Li Xi's abilities had once again improved. At the very least, Izanagi could now be unfrozen and used, which made Li Xi the happiest.
Compared to the one-tomoe and two-tomoe stages, the three-tomoe Sharingan represented a significant improvement. First and foremost was its perception. Kakashi was known as the Copy Ninja not because his Sharingan could copy ninjutsu, but because the Sharingan itself possessed keen perceptive abilities.
It was through his superior perception, combined with his multi-elemental chakra, that Kakashi successfully replicated and executed his opponents' ninjutsu. Kakashi's own talent was the primary reason for this; otherwise, out of so many members of the Uchiha clan, none would have earned an outsider the title of Copy Ninja.
Secondly, the three-tomoe Sharingan possessed a certain degree of genjutsu ability. A mere glance could trap the opponent in a genjutsu. When Deidara fought Sasuke, he was momentarily stunned by Sasuke's genjutsu, which allowed Sasuke to pierce his arms with a shuriken, turning the tide of battle and leading to his demise.
In a fierce battle, the fatal consequences of a momentary lapse in concentration were demonstrated by Deidara's death. In the past, Li Xi viewed the Sharingan as merely a supplementary function, but now it had finally gained the ability to be a primary combat tool.
Li Xi casually tossed a grape. He could clearly see every trajectory of the grape's flight, and even its tumbling motion, with the fine hairs on its surface not escaping his Sharingan.
That's right, the three-tomoe Sharingan could also control Tailed Beasts. In the original story, many Tailed Beasts had experienced the terror of being controlled by the Sharingan, with the Nine-Tails and Three-Tails being the most severely affected.
Li Xi had two Tailed Beasts within his sealing space, but their relationship was good, and he didn't need to control them with the Sharingan. If any unruly Tailed Beasts were to cross his path later, he would let them experience what it meant to lose control of their own bodies.
For the next few days, Li Xi lived a life of luxury, indulging in nightly revelries and varied amusements. Both women and Dick tacitly agreed not to publicize Li Xi's return, so no one came to disturb them.
Li Xi also took the opportunity to understand the current situation in Kado City. In a nutshell, the Konoha Merchant Group controlled the entire city.
Avril, with her powerful personal charm and the exceptional craftsmanship of the dwarves, attracted a continuous stream of merchant caravans seeking cooperation. This was something Li Xi had known before he left.
However, Avril was not content with these small-scale endeavors. After stabilizing the merchant group internally, she turned her attention to the Kado City Guard.
Everyone knew about the financial situation of the City Lord's mansion. The previous City Lord, Gadol, had offered all his wealth to the vampires in pursuit of eternal life, leaving the current young City Lord with only some inalienable ancestral assets. Everything else that could be sold had already been sold, and even then, it wasn't enough to support the vast army.
Just as the young City Lord was in distress, Avril stepped forward, offering to cover the guard's military expenses and even upgrade their equipment.
The price was that Kado City's future taxes would be used to offset the debt, along with a certain amount of interest. This meant the City Lord's mansion was borrowing money from the Konoha Merchant Group to fund the army. While the terms were somewhat harsh, at this point, even poison would be accepted by the young City Lord; otherwise, Kado City would go bankrupt, and he would cease to be a decadent noble. As for taxes, as long as his status was maintained, what did it matter? Besides, he was so young; he would eventually pay it all off.
On the surface, the situation seemed straightforward. The young City Lord readily agreed to Avril's terms. After taking over, Avril first settled the outstanding salaries owed by the City Lord's mansion and then proceeded with an equipment upgrade. These dwarf-made weapons were worth several years of salary for an ordinary officer. The taxes would take five years to fully repay the cost of the equipment, and the interest generated within those five years was an amount that would make anyone's head spin.
Coupled with the salaries paid to the city guards, Li Xi couldn't help but feel a chill for the young City Lord. He would need lifetimes to even think about competing with Avril.
So, did Kado City belong to the City Lord's mansion, the Konoha Merchant Group, or Li Xi himself?
This reminded Li Xi of a famous cosmic superpower from his previous life. Was it a country, a merchant group, a puppet, or a joke? It bore such a striking resemblance to the current Kado City.
It was precisely because of the Konoha Merchant Group's immense financial power and its gold-sucking ability, like a dragon drinking water, that it revitalized the entire Kado City. Its upstream and downstream industries spanned over a dozen surrounding cities, indirectly supporting tens of thousands of people.
Due to the economic recovery, there was naturally a huge demand for labor, which led to vagrants being taken in to work. Now, everyone praised the Konoha Merchant Group, considering it an honor to work for them, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them saviors of all households.
Avril walked the streets like a saint, worshipped by the people. Her words carried more weight than those of the young City Lord. Some of Kado City's administrative affairs were not even sent to the City Lord's mansion but rather to the top floor of the inn where Avril stayed. In contrast to the increasingly deserted City Lord's mansion, this highest room in Kado City was the true center of power.
As for Li Xi, the actual behind-the-scenes boss, only a select few knew about him. Ordinary people were unaware.
Li Xi couldn't fathom it. He had only intended to prevent Kado City from collapsing by stimulating the economy with the dwarves, so that the Adventurer's Guild could have missions and he himself could earn enough experience to level up. How had it escalated to controlling the entire Kado City in just over two months?
Li Xi had never interfered with business operations. When money was inexhaustible, who would bother striving to earn more? At Li Xi's level, gold coins were merely lumps of metal, exuding the musty odor of currency.
The Konoha Merchant Group was managed entirely by Avril. Later, Alice joined, but her talents were such that she couldn't be of much help. Therefore, everything that had been achieved today was solely through Avril's hard work. Li Xi marveled that even if he had used his knowledge from his past life and entered the fray himself, he might not have done as well as Avril. Was Avril not only a descendant of a god but also a business genius?
One day, as the three of them were enjoying grilled meat and drinking wine, a faint chanting voice suddenly resonated throughout the heavens and earth. The sound was not loud, yet it echoed throughout the entire realm. Every living being could hear this marvelous sound.
As winter approached and the weather slowly turned cold, the sudden chanting voice caused the climate to warm. This warmth did not emanate from the outside but from within everyone's hearts.
It was already dusk, and the sky was dim. However, moments later, as the chanting grew louder, a sun seemed to rise from the far east, its infinite radiance illuminating the heavens and earth. This sun did not rise in the east and set in the west but slowly ascended into the sky. The speed at which it moved was imperceptible to the eye, yet in reality, this sun was incredibly fast.
Li Xi stood up. What he heard and saw exceeded his understanding. What was happening? Ascension? A Saint's emergence? A vast expanse of purple qi stretching for ten thousand miles?
"The God of Light, Apollo, is returning to the divine realm." As a devout worshipper of the God of Adventurers, Alice knew what was happening as soon as she saw the celestial phenomenon. However, such phenomena had only ever appeared in books before. She never expected to witness it in her lifetime. Her voice was filled with longing and submission.
"Returning to the divine realm?" Li Xi activated his Dragon-Eye pupils and his three-tomoe Sharingan, staring with all his might at the ascending sun. However, he could see nothing but infinite light, as if Apollo was not within the sun, which was simply a sun.
The chanting voice between heaven and earth finally became clear, allowing people to understand the lyrics. It turned out to be a hymn in praise of the God of Light, recounting how the God of Light was born from the sun, brought light to the world, banished darkness, was the sovereign of all gods, and the nemesis of evil. The hymn was sung over and over, as if the entire world was cheering and celebrating.
A cheer erupted from a corner of Kado City, quickly spreading throughout the entire city. At that moment, it seemed as if the entire city was celebrating Apollo's return. This event was not confined to Kado City but was occurring across the entire continent.
Apollo, as the most powerful being among the gods, had repelled the abyss. While other gods dared not show themselves proactively, he was the first to successfully accumulate strength and return to the divine realm. He was truly incomparably powerful, possessing sufficient qualifications to disdain all life in all planes.
Li Xi had previously considered himself a powerful individual, but now, looking at it, in the eyes of a being like the God of Light, when everyone else was an ant, he should be considered a slightly stronger gopher.
"The prelude to the gods' return to the divine realm has begun, and the final frenzy is about to start."
Avril watched the sun, which was gradually disappearing into the sky, and sighed. This was the closest mortals could get to the gods. Ambitious mortals would surely seize this last opportunity to strive for it, regardless of success or failure.
The lifespan of mortals was at most a hundred years, while the time of gods was infinite. If one could seize this final moment to kill a god and take its place, it would undoubtedly be the most insane act of a madman, and the greatest gain. Whether successful or not, it would be an epic that would be sung and worshipped by future generations.
Seeing this, Li Xi also felt a sense of urgency. His Flame Demon bloodline evolution required the neutralization of divine power. If all the gods returned to the divine realm, where would he find divine power?
Furthermore, from this moment of absorbing divine power, Li Xi discovered an opportunity to absorb the cells of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, which was the divine power of this other world.
Just as the violent and murderous negative energies within the Flame Demon bloodline were purged, Li Xi dared to absorb them. The compatibility of Hashirama's cells was even stronger than that of the Flame Demon bloodline. Li Xi dared not gamble on successfully obtaining Wood Style immediately after injection. After all, in the original story, Orochimaru had cultivated numerous embryos, and only one had survived in the end: Yamato.
Li Xi never expected such good luck to befall him. If he could first use divine power to clear the assimilation of Hashirama's cells, the remaining parts could be absorbed harmlessly.
Therefore, Li Xi's next objective was divine power, which meant god-slaying!
It sounded simple, but it was extremely difficult to accomplish. Putting aside where to find these gods who walked the world in their saintly forms, the problem of how to kill them was also a major issue. Normal saints were beyond the level of demigods, also known as level ten.
Of course, not all saints were this powerful. Only a few main gods possessed this level of saintly power; the rest were much weaker. For instance, a lowly and weak deity like Grol, the God of Goblins, might not be as powerful as a level seven professional. Therefore, Li Xi's target was some weak deities of minor races or some evil gods cultivated by tribes.
Just as Li Xi was researching how to find these targets, on the second day after the God of Light lit up the divine realm and transformed into a bright star, Bishop Dick of the Temple of Magic, accompanied by an elegant and noble middle-aged woman, once again arrived at his doorstep.
Dick, completely forgetting their unpleasant parting last time, happily introduced, "Mr. Li Xi, this is our Archmage, Lady Angelina."
Almost all the temple positions were divided from top to bottom as Pope, Cardinal, Regional Archmage, and City Bishop.
This meant that Angelina was a Regional Archmage of the Temple of Magic, a powerful figure with real authority, controlling over a dozen cities in her jurisdiction.
Because the number of Cardinals above her was very small, typically in the single digits within the church, an Archmage was considered a figure of great importance.
Li Xi couldn't understand why they would come a second time after their unpleasant encounter, but with such a distinguished figure personally visiting, Li Xi couldn't be rude. "Your Excellency the Archmage, why have you come in person? Please forgive my lack of a proper welcome."
Angelina, while her magical fluctuations were not as strong as Heme's, was definitely at the level of an Archmage. "Mr. Li Xi, you are too kind. Dick was ignorant last time and displeased Mr. Li Xi. I have already punished him severely. We have come today to apologize to Mr. Li Xi and to discuss the matter of joining the church."
As expected, it was still about that matter.
Li Xi shook his head resolutely. "Let's not talk about joining the church. I'm used to freedom and independence. I won't join any organization. Being a mercenary is perfectly fine for me."