Chapter 119: A Sky Full of Stars

Several days later, within the royal palace, Adis gazed down at the approaching guards while quietly listening to the reports from below.

“How is the situation at the front line?” he inquired.

An officer rose and replied, “Your Majesty, at present, the royal court has withdrawn most of its forces. The main army that once gathered in the Northern Territory is gradually retreating. It seems they intend to abandon the vast lands they had occupied.”

Adis nodded silently, understanding the situation. In the Northern Territory, the vast expanse and sparse population meant that holding ground required an immense number of troops. The defensive line was too extensive, vulnerable to being broken piece by piece. Thus, abandonment was expected.

“The royal forces are slowly retreating southward, nearly reaching their previous defensive positions,” the officer continued.

“Has Nadiel caught up with them?” Adis asked.

A voice answered from below. A middle-aged knight stood up and said, “Three days ago, Legion Commander Nadiel managed to catch the enemy’s rear guard and launched an attack.”

“But it yielded little result. The enemy seemed well prepared in advance. Lord Nadiel was blocked by their rear-guard cavalry. Using the cavalry as cover, the main force gradually withdrew, making it impossible to stop them.”

Hearing this, Adis shook his head. “Reaching this point is already commendable. There’s no need to push too hard from now on.”

“Send word to the front line. Tell Nadiel to continue holding the enemy’s cavalry. There’s no need to defeat them outright—just maintain the current situation.”

He then turned his gaze elsewhere. “Bill, how are things in the other two territories?”

“They’re still at a stalemate,” Bill reported from the side.

Bill stepped forward silently. Compared to before, he now exuded a deeper divine aura, as if having grasped a profound truth and advanced further. His yellow priestly robes had been replaced by a long robe of golden-blue.

He had been promoted. Under Adis’s special care and after all this time, Bill had finally ascended to the rank of High Priest, now standing at the pinnacle of all priests.

“However, after more than a year of protracted conflict, the attacking forces are exhausted. Moreover, with the Northern Territory’s main force withdrawing and abandoning their position, armies in the other two territories seem inclined to retreat as well,” Bill continued under Adis’s watchful eyes.

“After all, with the defeat in the Northern Territory, the royal court appears to have abandoned any hope of quickly resolving us.”

He concluded the report.

“Good,” Adis nodded with a smile, then quietly observed the gathering crowd ahead.

Compared to the previous tension and anxiety, their faces now showed relief and a lightness, as if the successful defense against the royal court had buoyed their spirits.

This was natural. The royal court was the descendant of the Savior—the world's nominal ruler for countless years. Anyone opposing them would feel unease.

Thus, after this direct confrontation and repelling the royal forces, the frequent rebellions in the territory diminished significantly. Many nobles who had once favored the royal court withdrew their ambitions and began to place their faith in the Principality of Adis.

“Ultimately, the most crucial factor is time,” Adis mused inwardly.

“After this great war, both the royal court and the Principality of Adis are utterly exhausted. A long period of recuperation and rebuilding is inevitable.”

“And that time is exactly what I need most.”

Since his reincarnation as Adis, setting aside his earlier years of growth, it had been less than ten years since he raised his banner and swept through the Northern Territory, establishing a principality capable of standing against the royal court.

But in these fewer than ten years, the newly founded principality had waged war nearly every year, leaving little energy for development. Even with decades of support from the tribes he had previously evangelized, it was still insufficient.

With this thought, he closed his eyes and silently reached out to sense a distant presence.

With a movement of his mind, the immensely powerful true spirit within him trembled like a blazing sun, connecting through a tether to his main body somewhere unknown far away.

In a vast divine realm, a towering ancient tree quietly appeared. Its branches swayed gently, exuding a natural grace.

Compared to decades ago, the ancient tree now soared a thousand meters tall, majestic and imposing. Boundless faith flowed along the tether into its form, transforming into divine power that gradually strengthened its body. As the tree grew stronger, the divine realm it rooted in underwent subtle, unseen changes—slowly expanding and perfecting itself.

This place had nearly become a separate dimension, a divine domain supported by Adis’s main body, floating in the void.

Following the true spirit’s guidance, Adis’s consciousness seemed to traverse countless spaces, arriving here to quietly observe the ancient tree.

Suddenly, the tree trembled softly, and crisp leaves began to glow, emitting light. Within that radiance, countless tiny stars emerged, manifesting within the divine realm, transforming it nearly into a world of stars.

Adis looked up. Through the true spirit’s vision, the innumerable stars slowly shifted into devout worshippers, silently appearing.

These were his followers, placed here after death, attached to his main body.

At that moment, as his consciousness swept over the stars, a subtle ripple stirred. The stars—manifestations of true spirits—quivered gently, seeming to sense their god’s gaze upon them.

Among them, more than half of the stars glowed faintly with a red light.

This signified they had not died of natural causes, but rather by accident or slain on the battlefield. Here, stars with that red hue accounted for nearly half.

Seeing this, Adis sighed softly. Though devoid of sorrow or joy, he was quietly moved.

These tragic deaths were mostly followers who had perished in the struggles for dominance on the earth since his rebirth. Beneath the flourishing Principality of Adis, spanning three territories, the graves of his followers lay scattered everywhere.

“The cost has been too great,” he thought.

The vast true spirit power spread here, coalescing into a temporary apparition. He quietly watched the thousands upon thousands of stars surrounding him.

Yet, gazing upon this starry expanse, his resolve to kindle the divine flame only grew firmer, gradually etching itself deep within his true spirit.