Awakening：The Infinite Evolution of My Talent as a Low-Level Awakener

Sterl pressed his advantage further, saying, "You focus on suppressing the Blood of Contamination; don't worry about me for now."

His cold demeanor made the added concern all the more valuable.

"Mm! Mm!" Licitris nodded obediently.

Though she knew she couldn't suppress the Blood of Contamination, she assumed that Mephistopheles was unaware of this. Having just been meditating and recuperating, she obediently sat to the side and closed her eyes again.

Even though Licitris could have offered an explanation, her instinct led her to choose submission.

A flicker of realization crossed Sterl's mind.

"Good... A solid start."

His mood lightened a bit.

As Licitris continued her training, a faint ripple of Divine Power filled the air.

Sterl was taken aback; he realized he felt no pressure whatsoever!

He slightly opened his palm, and it seemed a radiant golden pattern flashed momentarily.

Hidden beneath the Holy Spirit Bloodline, the Blood of Contamination was a death sentence, but it also granted Sterl an explosive surge in combat power!

He was now capable of facing deities directly! The pressure of Divine Power was something Sterl could ignore.

Of course, this was only in direct confrontation; he wasn't capable of securing a kill yet.

Holy Spirit damage needed to strike a target to be effective.

Sterl could only be immune to all effects targeting him from the lower realms; he couldn't negate the effects of divine authority, such as teleportation or phasing, that those deities could impose upon him.

Even so, he understood that the Holy Spirit Bloodline was the greatest benefit of this journey into hell!

Its value was equivalent to the Origin of Chaos!

"Origin of Chaos can't enhance upper realms abilities either."

"With time, unlocking the full range of upper realms abilities through the Holy Spirit Bloodline will be worth far more than the Origin of Chaos!"

Sterl reflected.

With the aid of this cheat, other players, even deities, would merely suffer the blows.

Yet he obtained an opportunity that balanced both gain and risk!

If he succeeded, he could return to the main world with the Holy Spirit Bloodline! Confronting the impending catastrophe could turn out to be a blessing, as the disasters sweeping through both realms would likely start with a high intensity.

No matter how quickly Sterl improved, he still needed time.

The enhancement from the Holy Spirit Bloodline was crucial; it would elevate his abilities to a new realm. When he ascended to godhood, or even became a higher deity, this boost would likely still be effective!

Failure, however, would mean death!

"I will definitely return alive."

Sterl's expression was cold. Linna, Rayna—his family was still waiting for him.

It wasn't that Sterl was particularly devoted; he had only been rising for about a year and couldn't possibly forget the mortal realm like those traditional cultivators who had spent centuries or even millennia honing their skills.

"After I return, my strength will be at Alpha 8. I'll be able to walk straight through. I can enhance Linna and Rayna, then advance to the legendary tier, binding them as my primary stars, which will further boost my combat power."

Sterl mentally prepared himself, his gaze resolute.

He silently recited, "The Archduke of Blood, I will definitely slay you," repeatedly hypnotizing himself.

Sterl didn't consider himself a protagonist from a novel who could effortlessly achieve his desires. He knew that he could very well be buried in the layers of hell this time—

The influence of Licitris and his self-suggestion were all strategies he employed with the knowledge and abilities he possessed!

With firm strides, Sterl stepped out of the bedroom—or rather, the queen's chamber.

At this moment, his expression was as cold and hard as iron.

The warmth and joy that Licitris had brought him were now meaningless!

...

"You…."

"Are you insane? Mephistopheles?"

"It's the perfect time for a respected deity to suppress the Blood of Contamination. Why have you disturbed her for so long?"

The resolve he had just built up, picturing himself breaking free from his confines, was shattered in an instant.

At this moment, five Supreme beings had actually gathered around, with Flanda sticking out her tongue in the back, wearing a mocking expression.

Licitris had brought not just four subordinates to the layers of hell this time, but also several individuals hidden in the shadows, plotting and scheming.

Previously, the Succubus Queen had ordered this group to flee, while over at the Lord of Evil Spirits, the visible Supremes and almost all the powerful beings had been taken away. The hidden Supremes, however, had not received orders to escape and didn't dare to leave, thus they were affected by the pollution of the core area and all perished.

At that moment, Sterl noticed that, aside from Flanda, the five Supremes who confronted him were all quite handsome humanoid beings.

Flanda, over there, was reveling in their misfortune, and the questions from the five Supremes held some validity. Even deities could not suppress the Blood of Contamination, and non-divine entities could not be certain that this information was entirely accurate.

Theoretically, Mephistopheles might have compromised Licitris's interests.

But the five Supremes were merely using this as an opportunity to express their disdain.

Why should they?

Mephistopheles had been happily playing with the respected deity for three whole days!

Meanwhile, for him to get a chance at a mere moment of intimacy, he might have to wait several years, with each occasion lasting at most a few hours. Even these brief moments of joy were enough for them to savor slowly.

Of course, they had no idea.

The goddess in his heart was merely a toy to Sterl, without any real value.

Um… perhaps that wasn't quite right; she was an incredibly useful toy.

"Get lost."

Sterl had no interest in conversing further with these Supremes; they had been infected by the Blood of Contamination, and it had only been a few days.

Empowered by the Holy Spirit Bloodline, he unleashed a wave of energy with a flick of his hand. Instantly, within the faint glow, the expressions of the Supremes changed as they were all pushed back.

They looked surprised, not having used their skills; why could Mephistopheles overpower them?

Was it possible that he truly had immense potential, and had also gained the queen's utmost favor?

Even though they should now consider Mephistopheles a colleague, the five Supremes still found it hard to accept, their jealousy burning fiercely within them.

Originally, they just wanted to casually reprimand him to set some rules for the newcomer, but now their demonic nature had fully erupted.

"It seems you don't understand what respect means!"

A young demon with flowing golden hair stepped forward, unaware of Sterl's earlier achievements due to his assignment in the layers of hell.

After all, the events from Sterl's killing of Lovic to the Succubus Queen's arrival, the divine battle, and the eruption of the Blood of Contamination had all taken place within just an hour.

The other Supremes nearby, aside from one who was similarly uninformed, had ulterior motives and deliberately chose not to remind him.

One reason was to test whether Mephistopheles was still as invincible as before; perhaps he had used some special item previously?

Another reason was that aside from Mephistopheles, this golden-haired youth was also a romantic rival to them. If Mephistopheles truly proved to be overwhelmingly powerful, it would be amusing to see the golden-haired youth suffer.

The four Supremes stood by, waiting to enjoy the show.

Sterl felt somewhat annoyed. With the augmentation of the Holy Spirit Bloodline, combined with the knowledge he had accumulated from his prior life, he easily analyzed the thoughts of this group.

Faced with the Archduke of Blood, empowered by the Origin of Chaos, he felt immense pressure.

Did he have time to squabble with these people over jealousy?

"Get lost!" Sterl's principle was simple: minor offenses could be overlooked; there was no benefit in resorting to violence.

He just wanted to leave.

But the golden-haired youth seemed invigorated by the confrontation. "I didn't say you could leave."

He lunged forward, a platinum glow already manifesting in his hand.

His ability didn't seem to be one of large-scale destruction, allowing him to move freely within the Heavenly Palace. However, such fluctuations would not escape the attention of Licitris, who was currently meditating in seclusion.

She couldn't suppress the Blood of Contamination, but she furrowed her brow and left her room.

Thus, Licitris witnessed the scene before her…

And she was furious!

In that instant, Sterl concentrated and formed a blade made of Flowing Water Law. He didn't even use his Platinum Skill; instead, he activated the enhancement effect of the Holy Spirit Bloodline.

Since someone was challenging him directly, he decided to test just how powerful this buff could be.

To Sterl's surprise, he found that the energy he infused was minimal.

Yet under the influence of the Holy Spirit Bloodline, the Flowing Water Law transformed instantly into Flowing Water Divine Authority!

Sterl had grasped a power known as divine level!

The power of Flowing Water...

Endless and ever-circulating, it can compress and enhance strength!

The myriad forms of water flow allow Flowing Water Divine Authority to mimic other divine-level powers, albeit with some slight weakening.

And for abilities below the divine level, it can be completely replicated!

...

Messages about various Flowing Water Divine Authorities flooded into Sterl's mind. He realized that, under the influence of the Holy Spirit Bloodline, he might not fully comprehend the powers within the divine authority like true deities could.

Yet, the effects he produced were astonishingly similar! It was ridiculous!

The sword blade in his hand, composed of ordinary water flow, was alive, ceaselessly flowing and rapidly circulating.

The small amount of power he provided was compressed and refined repeatedly, revealing an incredibly terrifying might!

He held back a bit of his strength and swung the sword, cleaving the golden-haired youth in half!

Before the youth's Platinum Skill could even manifest, its brilliance was already torn apart.

"You! You've lost your mind!"

The quickest to react was Flanda, her face filled with terror as she looked at Mephistopheles.

The queen was right beside them; playing around like this...

Even if Licitris favored you, she would still punish you.

You are merely a demigod; Licitris is a true deity.

After being cleaved in half, the golden-haired youth felt the water flow invade his body, twisting him into a horrific mess...

He didn't die.

Sterl summoned his clone and unleashed a Protection Power for the golden-haired youth.

It wasn't that he didn't want to kill Licitris; it was simply because the youth was not infected by the Blood of Contamination, and Sterl couldn't demonstrate the curse-relieving effects that would come from killing him.

Moreover, Sterl didn't want to experience the death of an infected individual up close in the Heavenly Palace; he needed to save the person quickly...

However...

This could also showcase that beneath his cold exterior, he still cared about Licitris and wouldn't harm her subordinates—another point he could use to manipulate with words.

Sterl's mind raced with thoughts.

Meanwhile, the five Supremes present, including the youth who barely clung to life after being cleaved in half, all displayed expressions of excitement.

Good!