It had only been a few short days since his return to the Divine Kingdom.

Zorn could already feel some of the changes brought on by the war.

The most immediate change was the mobilization across the Divine Kingdom’s land, sea, and air territories. Declarations of war had begun to appear in many places.

They detailed the Jade Realm’s various acts of war against the Calamity Court Divine Kingdom.

They also called for all Transcendents to participate in the war.

For many Extraordinary Sequences,

war was an opportunity for great rewards.

For example, Zorn’s [Fighting Master] Sequence allowed him to acquire Essence through combat.

The [Evil Spirit Wizard] Sequence allowed for rapid advancement by absorbing the Wandering Souls of the slain.

Many other Sequences were the same.

Therefore, the Calamity Court Divine Kingdom, which had developed in peace for a long time, could absolutely use war to foster a new generation of Holy Crowns and Legendary individuals, and even help them achieve Divinity Ascension.

If things had followed their previous trajectory,

the Calamity Court Divine Kingdom would have likely been gradually weakened by the war.

But with Zorn present this time, that was no longer a certainty.

...

Soon, the day arrived for the opening of the Holy Crown Rune Tree Nest.

Within a colossal floating island beneath the Celestial Dome Curtain of the Disaster Court Magic Ring Tree,

hundreds of Holy Crown experts had gathered.

Zorn spread his Angel Armament Feather Blades and descended toward the floating island with his companion, Buer the [Star Shepherd].

"Look, it’s [Demigod] Zorn."

"It really is [Demigod] Zorn. His reputation has been skyrocketing in our Divine Kingdom recently."

"Well, what can you do? [Demigod] Zorn has been at the center of so many major events lately."

"He convinced the powerhouses of the Dark Realm to surrender, helping the Divine Kingdom open the Dark Gate."

"He survived an assassination attempt from the Jade Realm."

"And most impressively, he wiped out a World occupied by an Evil God."

"It’s said that this incredible feat was witnessed by the gods themselves. Now, many Lower Rank Gods, Middle Rank Gods, and even Upper Rank Gods in the Divine Kingdom are seeking Zorn’s help, hoping to benefit from the [Demigod]’s assistance."

"If only I had that kind of power..."

Gazes from all directions converged on him.

Zorn met them with a calm heart.

"Well, Zorn, your reputation has certainly been growing in our Divine Kingdom lately."

"The tides of this era haven’t truly swept in yet. Once they do,"

"your Legendary Sacred Marks will be well-established within our Divine Kingdom."

Buer said with a smile from the side.

Although Zorn was a Demigod, he was also a Holy Crown. His subsequent advancement to the Legendary rank would also require a substantial amount of Legendary Sacred Marks.

When new epic and mythological Chapters began to unfold,

the coming journey of [Destruction of the World]

would allow Zorn to accumulate more than enough Legendary Sacred Marks.

"That’s all in the future. For now, the most urgent matter is to enter this Holy Crown Rune Nest and focus on condensing my Rune Magic Rings."

Zorn looked up at the Vortex Gate that had appeared on the silhouette of the Disaster Court Magic Ring Tree in the distance.

"Indeed!"

Buer the [Star Shepherd] nodded slightly, his gaze also turning to the Tree Nest that was about to open.

"For us right now, Rune Magic Rings are the most important path for improvement."

"They say you can increase your condensing efficiency several times over inside the Holy Crown Rune Nest. I wonder what the actual effect is like."

Zorn chuckled lightly.

"The effect is certainly good, but it varies from person to person."

"Some people are in a period of rapid progress with their Rune Magic Rings. They can go in and make astonishing gains in just a few years."

"Others are stuck at a bottleneck and can’t advance. Even if they stay inside for several years, they’ll hardly make any progress."

"If you’re in a phase of progress, it’s best to bring some resources in with you. That can speed up the efficiency of comprehension and condensation."

After hearing Zorn’s explanation, Buer the [Star Shepherd] squinted and looked Zorn up and down.

"Zorn, you’ve explained it in such detail. It seems you’ve made quite thorough preparations!"

Zorn smiled without saying a word.

Of course, he had prepared extensively.

He had spent all of his remaining thirty million Star Trace Coins on Essence of Magic Ring Spirit Fruit.

Ordinary Magic Ring Spirit Fruits were already having very little effect on him, now that he was above 100 Rune Magic Rings.

With over one hundred and thirty Rune Magic Rings, Zorn needed Essence of Magic Ring Spirit Fruit to effectively improve them further.

A full 150 Essence of Magic Ring Spirit Fruits.

Coupled with the astonishing effects of the Holy Crown Rune Nest and the increased affinity with Rune Profound Mysteries that Zorn gained upon becoming a Holy Crown Demigod,

Zorn planned to use this opportunity to significantly increase his number of Rune Magic Rings.

As for what level he could reach, that would depend on the results of his cultivation.

The turmoil in the Calamity Court Divine Kingdom was already beginning to intensify.

It was hard to say how many more opportunities for secluded cultivation like this he would get in the future.

He had to seize this perfect opportunity.

Before long, the will of a Divine Spirit swept over the area.

After everyone began submitting their Divine Kingdom Identity Tokens for verification, they started entering the Tree Nest one by one.

Passing through the Vortex Gate,

a canopy woven from vines, branches, and tree trunks filled Zorn’s vision.

Individual "Tree Nests," each the size of a single-family house, were naturally formed along the hanging vines.

Inside the Tree Nests were a considerable number of vine-like tentacles.

Once inside, these tentacles would touch and merge with the Holy Crowns, forming an effective link that accelerated their comprehension.

"Be careful. A lot of people are watching you."

Buer the [Star Shepherd] whispered a reminder from the side as Zorn was surveying the world of Tree Nests.

"Yes, I know."

Zorn nodded.

"I’m going to teleport away first, to shake off anyone trying to track me."

"Right."

After bidding farewell to Buer the [Star Shepherd],

Zorn teleported into the distance, searching for a suitable Tree Nest for himself.

Not long after, Zorn came to a stop near a Tree Nest that distorted the properties of time and space.

He studied it for a moment. The instant he drew near, a powerful Time Barrier repelled him.

’Nests with such a strong Time Barrier are rare.’

’Characteristics related to time, space, and the cosmos are usually more powerful.’

’And the time element is a perfect match for me.’

’This is the one.’

At that thought, Zorn’s Holy Crown of Time also burst forth with the power of time.

The two temporal forces clashed for a moment before beginning to merge.

Zorn passed straight through the Time Barrier and entered the Time Nest.

Translucent tentacles, glowing with temporal veins, swam toward Zorn.

VMM!

VMM!

VMMM...

With every temporal-veined tentacle that connected to Zorn’s Holy Crown of Time,

Zorn felt his Perception expand immensely.

The linkage between the majestic Tree of the Magic Ring, the vast cosmos, the Starry Sky, and the eternal Star Realm intertwined perfectly before him.

Zorn’s body and mind trembled slightly as he gasped for breath.

Countless profound mysteries of the Rune Magic Rings flooded the depths of his mind.

Even though Zorn was a Demigod with an extremely high affinity for Rune Magic Rings,

with the enhancement from the Disaster Court Magic Ring, his affinity still increased several times over.

Taking a deep breath, Zorn immediately consumed an Essence Magic Ring Spirit Fruit, calmed his mind, and began to meticulously comprehend and condense his own "Calamity Rune Magic Ring."

A heavy Power of the Magic Ring—filled with Death, wailing, distortion, depravity, and aberration—surged toward him like a tide.

And Zorn, immersed within it, rapidly absorbed these nutrients to construct his "Calamity Rune Magic Ring."