Above the firmament, winds and clouds surged in upheaval.
With the rouge ranking concluded, those three days of rest felt to the creatures of Douluo Continent like years of torment.
For the gods of the God Realm, it was an agony unlike any they had ever known.
They longed to see how valuable this so-called "Artifact Ranking" truly was, yet dreaded that their own life-bound artifact might place too low and cost them face.
At last, beneath the gaze of countless expectant eyes,
the ancient, majestic golden scroll unfurled once more.
This time, there was none of the fragrant, seductive aura that had accompanied the rouge ranking; in its place surged a solemn, oppressive, murderous air of war!
[Artifact Ranking: 10th Place!]
The scene shifted abruptly.
The golden heavenly screen transformed in an instant into a boundless, deep-blue ocean.
Amid towering waves, a jet-black trident that shimmered with ghostly blue light stood like a sea-calming pillar, forcefully suppressing the raging sea.
The very instant it appeared, every water-attribute Spirit Master on the continent felt their Spirit tremble beyond their control!
[Artifact Name: Sea God Trident]
[Holder: Sea God (Poseidon)]
[Faction: God Realm – Sea God Temple]
[Quality: First-Rank Godly Artifact (Primary Godly Artifact)]
[Reason for Listing:]
Weighing one hundred and eight thousand catties, it is the emblem of authority forged from the faith of the entire sea.
In Poseidon's hands, it is not merely a weapon but the key that unlocks the ocean's treasury.
It wields absolute dominion over water and the power to shatter the void with a single strike. Though its material is slightly inferior to a supreme artifact, its resonance with its wielder reaches a flawless 100%!
With trident in hand, Poseidon is invincible upon the sea!
…God Realm, Sea God Temple.
Seeing his beloved weapon on the list, Poseidon's anxious heart finally settled.
Immediately after, a surge of wild joy welled up.
"Hahaha! It's on the list! My seat is on the list!"
Clutching the true Sea God Trident, Poseidon grinned from ear to ear, showing none of the gravitas befitting a First-Rank God.
"Asura! Did you all see that?"
"Tenth place! That's tenth among all the artifacts of the heavens!"
Though merely the tail-ender, this ranking spans every plane of existence! Making the top ten proves its worth!
After all, with the Sea God Trident and his own strength, he stood near the very forefront of the God Realm.
Apart from the Five Great God Kings, few First-Rank Gods could match him.
Yet before he could finish strutting in the God Realm Council, the heavenly screen's reward descended with boundless divine might!
[Reward Announced:]
[1. Artifact Quality Advancement: Evolves from primary godly artifact to pseudo-supreme artifact (weight doubled! Gains special effect: Depths' Fury!)]
[2. Source Feedback: Poseidon's divine force refined by 30%!]
[3. Special Blessing: Boundless Ocean (when wielding the trident, spirit power consumption reduced by 50%, power increased by 50%!)]
A pillar of deep-blue light, ignoring the spatial barriers of the God Realm, crashed onto Poseidon!
At this moment, every person on the continent saw the true god through the heavenly screen.
Clad in deep-blue battle armor, long hair billowing, he bathed in divine radiance.
The original Sea God Trident now weighed twice as much—two hundred and sixteen thousand catties!
As Poseidon gripped the trident, an unprecedented torrent of power flooded every limb and bone.
Though previously top-tier among First-Rank Gods, he had still faced an unbridgeable chasm to the god-kings.
But now!
With his divine force refined and his artifact evolved, he felt that very threshold within reach!
"Ha!"
Poseidon shouted, casually sweeping the trident outward.
Rumble!
In an uninhabited sea of the God Realm, waves ten thousand feet high rose instantly!
That terrifying might even left hair-thin cracks in the surrounding space!
A pseudo-supreme artifact!
Though still bearing the word "pseudo," it now stood above every First-Rank Godly artifact!
Lin Yuan, eyeing the words "pseudo-supreme artifact," merely curled his lip and even yawned.
"That's it? Just two hundred and sixteen thousand catties?"
…The tremors in the God Realm continued.
Poseidon's listing left the other deities both envious and jealous.
Especially those First-Rank Gods not yet ranked, who stared at the heavenly screen as if wishing to carve their names upon it.
Immediately, the heavenly screen shifted once more!
If moments ago it had been a surging sea, now it was absolute order and majesty!
Black and white.
Good and evil.
Sin and judgment.
Two utterly opposed auras intertwined and clashed within the heavenly screen, finally reaching a bizarre yet perfect balance.
[Artifact Ranking: 9th Place!]
A strangely shaped enormous balance, glowing with black-and-white radiance, slowly emerged.
It hovered in the void, the left pan holding white holy light, the right pan black demonic qi.
Utterly impartial, it seemed the very embodiment of the world's most just law.
[Artifact Name: Judgment Balance]
[Holder: Evil God King (the Old Evil God)]
[Faction: God Realm – Evil God Temple]
[Quality: Supreme Artifact]
[Reason for Listing:]
It is the cornerstone of order in the God Realm, the scale by which good and evil are weighed.
Though not famed for slaughter, it wields supreme authority to decree life and death over all.
Whoever is locked upon by the Judgment Balance—if sin dwells within, their soul falls into the Abyss; if goodness remains, their divine soul ascends to Paradise.
Even gods cannot hide the secrets of their hearts before the Judgment Balance.
It is the incarnation of rules, the guardian of order!
…God Realm Council.
The Evil God King, who moments ago had mocked Poseidon for making a fuss, felt the smile freeze on his face.
Eyes bulging, he stared at the huge "9th place," half suspecting his aged vision had failed him.
"Ninth?"
"Are you kidding me?!"
The Evil God King slammed the table and leapt up, roaring in fury, "This seat is a god-king! One of the five supreme gods of the God Realm!"
"My Judgment Balance is a genuine supreme artifact!"
"Why does that fish-spear-wielding Poseidon place tenth while I'm only ninth?!"
"Is this Artifact Ranking broken?!"
Beside him, the Goddess of Good was equally stunned.
By all logic, a supreme artifact and a First-Rank Godly artifact were separated by a qualitative gulf.
Poseidon's "pseudo-supreme" had evolved only after receiving a reward, whereas the Judgment Balance had always been supreme!
And yet they were separated by a single place?
What did that imply?
It meant at least eight more artifacts even more terrifying than the Judgment Balance were yet to come!
"Don't panic."
Asura God remained calm, though the dread in his blood-red eyes deepened.
"Evil, look at the reward."
(End of Chapter)
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