A vast, golden spacetime tunnel unfurled before everyone. Ten thousand meters wide, stretching tens of thousands of meters long, the tunnel seemed forged of solid gold, glowing brilliantly. The Divine War Tunnel! This was a famed supreme life artifact of the Central Gods Temple. Its primary function was to connect directly to the Central Gods Temple, enabling its powerful cultivators to be transported to any location within the entire Temple of Gods. Not only that, it could also enhance the strength of those transported. Once the Divine War Tunnel appeared, terrifying auras surged from its end like a tidal wave, overwhelming the heavens and earth. The South Gods Temple cultivators all looked grim. The Central Gods Temple clearly intended to humiliate them today! Thunderous footsteps echoed from within the Divine War Tunnel. Everyone looked up to see a regiment of powerful warriors emerge, clad uniformly in red-silver battle armor. Their armor gleamed like polished mirrors, radiating a soft, moonlike glow. Each held a golden spear. A total of a hundred twenty-nine cultivators! All of them were at least Higher Gods, and the three at the front were Main God Realm powerhouses. They were immensely powerful. One of the Central Gods Temple's elite forces, veterans of countless battles across the universe. Every one of them was considered peerless within their realm. Qu Jin fixed a cold gaze on the leading figure, Xiao Yuan, his expression dark. The South Gods Temple warriors gathered around him, unafraid, their eyes filled with fury. The Central Gods Temple is here to stomp on our heads today! Xiao Yuan pointed at Ye Guan and shouted, “Take him down! Anyone who intervenes, treat them as blasphemers!” The Divine War Army responded instantly, focusing their battle intent on Ye Guan. Their combined pressure surged toward him like a massive net. Over a hundred elite cultivators unleashing their battle will simultaneously, what a terrifying sight. Moreover, each was battle-hardened. The suffocating pressure they unleashed shook the entire battlefield. Yet Ye Guan stood his ground without fear. He stepped forward, summoning the Qingxuan Sword, his killing intent sharp and his sword aura spreading around him. Nan Xiao, Qu Jin, and others also released their own auras, ready for a life-or-death battle. Just then, six terrifying auras swept through, forcibly suppressing the battle will of over a hundred warriors. Xiao Yuan's eyes narrowed. A rift in space tore open, and six figures slowly emerged. At their head was a middle-aged man in a dark blue robe. His gaze was profound, his presence commanding. The South Gods Temple warriors instantly bowed with respect. "Greetings, Executive Main God!" Executive Main God, Chu Ling! Nan Xiao bowed deeply, anxiety flashing in his eyes. Xiao Yuan grew alert. Chu Ling, flanked by five other Main Gods, approached. He looked directly at Xiao Yuan and said, with dominating pressure. "Just now, you said that even if he isn't a blasphemer, as long as you say he is, then he is?" Though outranked, Xiao Yuan was unafraid and countered, "Main God Chu Ling, Ye Guan is a blasphemer, he..." "Even if he is," Chu Ling interrupted, "he's on the South Gods Temple's land. We'll handle him. Since when can the Central Gods Temple interfere?" Xiao Yuan countered, "Anyone from our Gods Temple has the right to execute all blasphemers." Chu Ling coldly replied, "I'll say this one last time. He's on our land. Only the South Gods Temple can deal with him." Xiao Yuan held his ground. "I'm taking him today, alive or dead." Chu Ling nodded, spreading his palm. A beam of black light shot into the sky. A Main God Seat appeared, hovering above. The seat quaked violently, unleashing a torrent of oppressive energy. All the Central Gods Temple cultivators bent under the weight, as if bearing tens of thousands of mountains. Even the Main God Realm cultivators couldn't resist. Xiao Yuan's bones cracked as he was slowly forced to his knees. He was being made to kneel! In his own territory, with the power of his Seat, Chu Ling's Divine Domain was overwhelming. Not just unmatched in the same realm, but able to suppress higher realms! Xiao Yuan resisted desperately, but against the Executive Main God's Divine Domain, he was helpless. Despair overwhelmed him. He couldn't fight back. This was the brutal reality of power and authority. Just as he was about to kneel fully, a soft chuckle echoed through the air. "Chu Ling, bullying someone so much younger, don't you think that's beneath you?" A gentle force suddenly propped Xiao Yuan up, resisting Chu Ling's Divine Domain. Everyone turned to see a middle-aged man emerge from a space rift, a massive black sword case strapped to his back. He walked forward like a collapsing mountain, exerting immense pressure. Seeing him, Xiao Yuan immediately knelt. "Greetings, Main God Guan!" One of the seven Main Gods of the Central Gods Temple was Guan Jian, and he was ranked third in the Central Gods Temple. Guan Jian smiled at Chu Ling. "I thought this was a junior matter. Didn't expect you to step in yourself. A bit shameful, don't you think?" Chu Ling replied calmly, "Since when can your Central Gods Temple meddle in ours?" Guan Jian's smile faded. "Don't twist the argument. Our Central Gods Temple did not try to meddle in your affairs. We only came for the blasphemer. It's you who keep shielding him. I am extremely puzzled by this. Why is that?" Chu Ling repeated, "He's on our land. He's ours to deal with." Guan Jian replied, "Ah, you're protecting your pride. Fine. We won't take him. But now you must punish him yourselves." A strategic retreat, forcing them to act! Below, Nan Xiao's heart sank. Chu Ling looked at Guan Jian and said, "You've come a long way. Why not rest outside the city for a while? We'll give the Divine Law a proper answer." Guan Jian smiled. "We'll wait." With that, he led everyone away. Even Jun You glanced once at Ye Guan before leaving with the Jun Clan cultivators. Suddenly, Chu Ling coldly said, "I didn't say the Jun Clan could leave." Guan Jian paused and laughed, "Oh, you might not know. Jun You is now the Lord of the Divine Commerce in the Central Gods Temple. She has just been appointed. And I'm definitely not targeting you!" Chu Ling's brows furrowed. Laughing heartily, Guan Jian departed. Outside the city, Jun You stood silently, staring back at the Temple of Gods City. Nearby, Xiao Yuan said darkly, "Main God Guan, they..." Guan Jian cut him off. "Afraid they'll let Ye Guan go?" Guan Jian grinned. "Then it's perfect." Xiao Yuan paused, then understood. If they let Ye Guan go, it would confirm they were sheltering a blasphemer, putting them in the wrong and giving the Central Gods Temple an excuse to intervene openly. This was their real goal—to swallow the entire South Gods Temple. And if Ye Guan left the city? Without protection, he'd surely die. A perfect kill two birds with one stone move. Googlᴇ search 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⚫𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖⚫𝕟𝕖𝕥 Xiao Yuan asked, "What if they kill him?" Guan Jian replied, "If they have a justified reason for it, then good. If not, they can just create one. Or they can skip it altogether. In the end, power is what matters." Xiao Yuan nodded. "Understood." Jun You looked at the two but said nothing. Inside the city, Chu Ling and Nan Xiao walked slowly through the quiet night. The surroundings were extremely silent. Nan Xiao followed Chu Ling respectfully, feeling emotional. Chu Ling suddenly reached out and handed Nan Xiao a token. Nan Xiao was shocked. "Executive Main God..." Chu Ling gently remarked, "Everyone agreed to your promotion." Nan Xiao was silent, understanding the situation. Chu Ling continued, "You brought Ye Guan in. You deal with him. Once done, your promotion becomes official. This is your final task." Nan Xiao took the token, nodded solemnly. "Understood." Chu Ling nodded. "Go on." Nan Xiao bowed deeply before leaving. Chu Ling watched him leave with a deep, unreadable gaze. In the room, Nan Xiao raised his wine cup toward Ye Guan. "Brother Ye, I offer you a toast." Ye Guan glanced at Nan Xiao, raised his own cup, and the two drank in one go. Nan Xiao put down his cup. "Brother Ye, I'm sorry. I brought you here, but I didn't expect things to turn out ..." "It has nothing to do with you." Ye Guan smiled. "When there is cause, there will be consequences. This is my own matter." Nan Xiao's expression darkened, and he said nothing. Ye Guan asked, "Did the ones above send you to kill me?" Nan Xiao still remained silent. Ye Guan stood up. He walked over to Nan Xiao and gently patted him on the shoulder. "Brother, don't make it hard for yourself. I'll go face them myself..." As he spoke, he walked toward the door. Nan Xiao grabbed him. Ye Guan stopped in his tracks. Nan Xiao stood up and pulled a scroll from his robe, placing it into Ye Guan's hand. The scroll immediately burst forth with a brilliant light that enveloped Ye Guan. A teleportation scroll! And it was a Dao artifact in itself! Nan Xiao stared at him deeply. "Brother Ye, don't resist. I know you're worried about me. Don't be worried. I'll be fine. Once you're out of here, I want you to... take care of yourself!" As soon as his words fell, Ye Guan vanished into thin air. Guan Jian looked up. A moment later, he started laughing. "Hahaha! Great!" As his voice faded, he too disappeared. Jun You looked up into the deep sky, then turned and left. Main God Mu walked into the room and looked at Nan Xiao, who was drinking heavily alone at the table. A complicated light flashed in his eyes as he said, "Nan Xiao. You sheltered the blasphemer and betrayed the gods. From this moment forth, you are stripped of your divine seed; your cultivation is void, and you are reduced to a commoner. "You will never be able to hold any official position in your lifetime..." He opened his palm, and a flame shot into the center of Nan Xiao's forehead. The moment the flame entered Nan Xiao's forehead, the divine seed in his body trembled violently and then began to slowly vanish. At the same time, strands of faint golden light leaked from his body and dissipated. Nan Xiao clenched his fists tightly, his face twisted in unbearable pain, but he did not utter a sound. Before long, Nan Xiao collapsed onto the floor like a pile of mud, barely clinging to life. At that moment, the divine seed within him had been completely incinerated by the Purifying Fire, and his cultivation utterly abolished. He was now entirely a cripple. Moments later, Nan Xiao was thrown out of the Judicial Office... Heavy rain poured from the sky. At the gate, Old Ji and a group from the Judicial Office of the South Gods Temple looked at Nan Xiao on the ground, expressions complicated. At this point, Old Ji had already replaced Nan Xiao as the new Lead Judicial Officer, in charge of the Judicial Office. Old Ji and the officials of the Judicial Office simply watched Nan Xiao, who lay in the downpour, without a single person offering a hand. They all understood. Nan Xiao was finished. To help him now could earn them a reputation for righteousness, but it could also bring unimaginable disaster upon themselves. Their immediate priority was to find a way to cut all ties with Nan Xiao as quickly as possible to avoid being implicated. They still wanted to have a future, after all. The rain fell harder and harder. Nan Xiao, weak to the point of being unable to stand, could only crawl aimlessly. Moments ago, he was in heaven. Now, he was in hell. In a corner nearby, a young woman was holding an umbrella. A little girl was next to her. The little girl saw Nan Xiao on the ground and exclaimed, "Big Sis, that's Lord Nan Xiao!" Sang Mei looked at Nan Xiao struggling on the ground in the distance, silent. The little girl turned to look at Sang Mei, looking a bit nervous. "Sister Sang Mei, Lord Nan Xiao is a good person... why did he end up ?" Sang Mei gently rubbed the little girl's head. "It's because this world is sick."