Just as Chen Ling followed Mi Jiu and the dark mage, messages were also received by the various constellation palaces.

“Star Leader! Forbidden curse energy has been detected at the Flame Blue Beach on the border of the Fire Nation!”

“Star Leader! A dark curse practitioner of forbidden level has been detected at the Flame Blue Beach!”

“Star Leader! There’s the energy of the Pisces Star Leader, but now both sources of energy have disappeared, Pisces Star Leader was the first to disappear…”

He dared not say more, he didn’t dare to say the Star Leader was defeated, even if she truly was defeated, he didn’t dare to say, as this was a great taboo…

“What did you say!” Chen Tianming roared directly, springing up from the ground!

Terrifying aura burst out from his whole body, and all the energy within him surged in anger. His terrifying aura could be felt within thousands of kilometers around.

All the people within the range of his aura felt the overwhelming rage, similar to the terrifying aura Chen Ling emitted earlier. The difference might be that Chen Ling’s aura covered the whole world, while his aura only encompassed several thousand kilometers. It shrouded the entire Fire Nation.

The people of the Fire Nation trembled once again.

The other two Star Leaders of the Fire Nation naturally sensed Chen Tianming’s energy. At this moment, they also received reports from their own constellation palace’s energy detection personnel.

They both learned that a forbidden level dark mage had appeared in the Flame Blue Town of the Fire Nation.

“BOOM”

“BOOM!”

Chen Tianming immediately took action. As he soared through the air, terrifying energy constantly exploded behind him. By using the recoil force of the explosions, he propelled himself forward.

In his heart, he couldn’t help but silently chant: Jiu’er, wait for me… I’m coming…

You must wait for me… you must wait!

He accelerated once again in a frenzy.

A series of explosions in the sky above the Fire Nation resembled firecrackers, making everyone unable to resist looking up. However, they could only hear the sound, not see the person.

At this moment, from within the Aries Constellation Palace, several soul-shaking bell tolls resonated:

〚 Clang~ 〛

〚 Clang~ 〛

〚 Clang~ 〛

…

Within the constellation palaces stood massive ancient bells, which after a century, rang once again.

As the sound resonated, it carried a powerful energy filled with a chilling intent. In an instant, the energy reached the nearest Leo constellation palace.

Inside the Leo constellation palace, the ancient bell suddenly glowed and began to toll as well.

〚 Clang~ 〛

〚 Clang~ 〛

…

Then it continued to spread to the Sagittarius constellation.

The ringing continued, the transmission continued.

In the distance, the Pisces constellation also rang out, followed closely by Cancer…

In less than 30 seconds, the ancient bells of all twelve constellation palaces simultaneously rang. The bell tolls filled with energy reached every corner of the world!

The entire world resounded with the tolls that could shake everything in the world. The chilling intent pervaded the whole world.

Everyone stood in solemn respect, stopping all their actions. Some knelt in the streets, some jerked awake in their dreams and sat up, some plopped down and knelt in the water.

Without exception, everyone in the world knelt down, bowed their heads, pressed their hands together, silently prayed, and sought peace.

This bell only rang twelve times during the transition of political power each year. But it was far from the time of political transition, and the bell had already rung more than twelve times.

This meant it was the “Dawn Execution Edict.” A command that only the ruling Star Leader could issue. The highest-level execution order on the Rune Continent!

The ultimate command that mobilizes all the Star Leaders simultaneously, with no leader allowed to be absent.

Once the bell rang, no one could stand up, no matter what they were doing. They couldn’t look up to the divine beings of this world. They couldn’t make any noise to disturb, they had to silently pray.

The peculiar energy from the twelve constellation palaces perpetually reverberated in the human world. No matter how powerful the curse beasts were, they would retreat without question, not daring to contend against it.

Although the dark mages were not human, they hurriedly concealed themselves in the darkness, hiding immediately. After all, all the Star Leaders were mobilized. They didn’t want to die.

And that ancient bell was the “Dawn Bell.” When the bell rang, it shattered the darkness.

As long as the bell kept ringing, the darkness remained. When the bell stopped, dawn had broken.

Then the twelve constellation palaces would ring the Dawn Bell one by one, signaling the “Dawn.” It represented the dispelling of darkness. If the twelve bells rang, it meant that all twelve Star Leaders were safe and sound.

If there were only eleven tolls…

Or if a few were missing…

That meant death.

People didn’t know how long they would kneel for, they just silently prayed, hoping their beliefs could bring strength to the Star Leaders, praying for the twelve-fold “Dawn” to come soon to the world.

The tolls, sounding like they struck upon their hearts, made them fearful and uneasy. Some even trembled all over, shivering incessantly.

With a “plop,” Xuan Ming knelt directly on the ground, her heart greatly shaken! It was actually the “Dawn Execution Edict”!

Another forbidden dark mage had emerged!

〚 Ding~ 39 Dark Mages, emotional abnormality! Points +2.5 billion! 〛

They were the happiest now!

Min Jiangyun’s inner thoughts: Who is this “Execution Edict” targeting?

Could it be Chen Ling?! Definitely that big villain!

Kill him!

As long as Chen Ling died, they could survive…

The attitudes of all these dark mages had changed now. It was as if the embodiment of evil wasn’t them, but Chen Ling; he was the real villain…

They had been tortured too miserably.

Shen Jingbing’s mind remained relatively clear; he immediately guessed that it was a forbidden level dark mage. He prayed inside for him to survive and ascend to godhood, to kill the twelve Star Leaders, to kill that brat Chen Ling.

This might be their only chance of salvation in their lives.

So each of them was extremely excited.

〚 Points +2.5 billion… 〛

〚 Points +2.5 billion… 〛

With each toll of the bell, they became more excited.

Seeing this, Chen Ling sneered inwardly: So, you like earning points, huh?

You’re so happy now, but you’ll be miserable later…

He just found this thing noisy, annoyingly noisy, and even felt like going over and smashing those twelve bells…

Glancing at Sui Li’er’s projection status, he noticed that she was about to kneel.

Chen Ling: ???

“What are you doing?”

“Huh?”

Sui Li’er hadn’t knelt yet when Chen Ling’s voice suddenly appeared in her mind. Thankfully, this girl was always slow to react; she hadn’t knelt down in time.

“Chen Ling!?” She quickly looked around in circles, but didn’t spot his figure.

“Chen Ling… where are you…”

Chen Ling said casually: “I’m at the Flame Blue Beach, what are you doing? Don’t kneel.”

“Huh?” Sui Li’er felt a bit awkward at his words. This was the “Dawn Execution Edict,” she had to kneel…

In a small voice, she said, “But…”

Chen Ling cut her off directly: “But what? I said you’re not allowed to kneel! I’m the true god here!”

If you want to kneel, you can only kneel in front of me, and then raise your butt…

Sui Li’er scratched her head upon hearing this: “Oh…”

She suddenly felt a bit overwhelmed. The bell of the “Dawn Execution Edict” was still ringing, and she felt like she couldn’t even stand properly, feeling very uneasy all over.

“Go back to your bed and wait for me. Lie down obediently, don’t go anywhere else.”

“Oh~” Sui Li’er heard Chen Ling’s firm tone and quickly ran back to her bed, curled up under the blanket, and said in a small voice: “I-I’m back~ I’m lying down obediently…”

Looking at her clutching the blanket with her cute appearance, Chen Ling couldn’t help but chuckle: “Well, good girl.”

“Then, hurry back…”

But Chen Ling didn’t respond again.

All the Star Leaders who heard the “Dawn Execution Edict” immediately set off, heading for the Flame Blue Beach of the Fire Nation.

〚 Clang~ 〛

A muffled sound!

Even at depths of tens of thousands of meters in the sea, the chilling intent and the sound of the bell pervaded.

“Hahaha…” The white-haired old man chuckled coldly, “You’ve come just in time… Wait till I become a god. What can the ‘Dawn Execution Edict’ do to me?”

“Just a meal in the pan! Hahaha!”

The dark mages around also had smiles on their faces at this moment.

Because they had caught a Star Leader!

How much of a dream was this for forbidden level dark mages?

For so many years, the Star Leaders couldn’t become gods, but the forbidden dark mages could! As long as they could absorb the energy of the Star Leaders, they could become gods.

That’s why the “Dawn Execution Edict” existed. Any forbidden level dark mage had to be eliminated by the joint efforts of the twelve Star Leaders.

Cautious tactics are what lasts forever. Although a Star Leader might not necessarily lose in a one-on-one fight against a forbidden level dark mage, they would never face a forbidden dark mage alone, because they couldn’t afford to lose.

Once they became gods, no one could stop them, and the world would forever be shrouded in endless darkness.

Hearing the toll of this bell, the forbidden dark mages couldn’t even feel happy.

They had learned about the situation now. The Pisces Star Leader lost in a one-on-one fight. This meant that if the Star Leaders didn’t act quickly, the old guy at the Flame Blue Beach might become a god!

What exactly is the power of a god? No one knows, and no one has ever seen it.

If he can truly withstand the combined might of eleven Star Leaders. After he becomes a god, his first action will undoubtedly be to resist the execution, no Star Leader will escape!

By then, he will rule the world alone, and everyone else will be his slaves.

When someone becomes a dark mage and reaches the highest level, who wouldn’t want to become a king? Who wouldn’t want to become a god?

There have been many frictions among dark mages, but for many years, they’ve maintained a balance. Now, with this sudden jump in power, that balance will be shattered. They don’t want to be slaves, they just want to be kings.

They even prayed in their hearts that the Star Leaders can provide some assistance and quickly eliminate that person.

At this moment, the Pisces Star Leader, Mi Jiu, has already been taken to a secret underwater base. Because of the curse stone, her true appearance has been revealed, and the disguise effect has disappeared.

Ordinary curse stones naturally can’t imprison forbidden curse masters. But the one she was bound by is the PLUS version: 〚 God’s Shackle 〛

At this moment, she had also awakened due to the familiar tolling of the bell. She knew that Chen Tianming had launched the “Dawn Execution Edict.”

But her shock wasn’t because of the “Execution Edict.” It was because of the dark mage in front of her. He had half-gray hair, deep wrinkles, a waxen complexion, looking very unhealthy.

Yet, there was a faint smile on his face.

“Why is it you… Master…”

The person before her was her mentor: Yu Fengying.

When she was a child, her family suffered a massacre at the hands of dark mages. At the critical moment, Yu Fengying descended like a heavenly being, single-handedly turning the tide and killing all the dark mages.

He saved Mi Jiu and took her in as his disciple. In her heart, Yu Fengying was not only her mentor but also her adoptive parent. Without Yu Fengying, there wouldn’t be the Mi Jiu of today.

Even though Mi Jiu had become a Star Leader, she had never forgotten his kindness.

She did her best to repay him. He was already a curse master, but Mi Jiu exhausted all her resources to elevate him to the highest position beneath the Star Leaders. His strength ranked first among curse masters!

She couldn’t have dreamed that the person who had once been so indignant, who had slain dark mages in a fit of anger, would now become a dark mage himself.

Moreover, he became the most threatening type of dark mage, a forbidden level dark mage!

Yu Fengying didn’t say anything, he just smiled faintly. That smile was just like how he used to look at Mi Jiu, gentle and benevolent.

When Mi Jiu made mistakes as a child, Yu Fengying never blamed her. He always wore this kind of smile on his face and would pat her head, saying: “It’s okay.”

Back then, Mi Jiu felt that he was the gentlest person in the world. He had healed all the pain of losing her loved ones. She even regarded him as her own biological father, even though she had never called him that. But in her heart, that’s how she saw him.

Now, looking at his smile, Mi Jiu felt only gloom and horror. She wasn’t afraid; her heart was wracked with pain!

“Why… why aren’t you saying anything, Master!” Mi Jiu yelled angrily, hoping he could give her an explanation. Hoping he could tell her that everything was fake, that he could come back to his senses.

The light in her heart was growing dimmer, and her faith was gradually collapsing. Tears were already brimming in her eyes.

Finally, her beautiful eyes couldn’t hold back the flood of tears, and they rolled down her lovely cheeks. Past memories flashed before her eyes, blurring her vision.

She truly was a genius, deserving of that title. She is also Yu Fengying’s proudest disciple. She reached the realm of a Curse Master at a young age, becoming the youngest Curse Master in history, gaining fame overnight.

When the previous Pisces Star Leader passed away, she was the only one among the many Pisces Curse Masters to resonate with the constellation, earning the qualification. That night, the stars of the Pisces constellation shone brightly, and the stars gathered around her curse star.

The energy of all the Pisces curse stars converged into her curse star, enabling her to become a Forbidden Curse Master.

Even she didn’t expect that the Pisces constellation would choose her curse star, making her a Forbidden Curse Master in a leap.

She might not be the strongest among the twelve Star Leaders now, but it cannot be denied that she is a legendary figure worthy of being remembered in history.

On the night she became a Star Leader, she cried, kneeling and kowtowing to thank her master. She only thanked him.

She never expected that today she would shed tears once again, all because of him.

“This can’t be real…” Mi Jiu looked at Yu Fengying in pain.

She would rather die by someone else’s hand than die by his. He’s her only family left in this world!

“Why?!” Mi Jiu suddenly cried out, in this moment, she wasn’t a Star Leader; in front of him, she was just a child.

Just like when she was a child, she would cry and run to him for comfort when she fell and got hurt. Just like when she would cry in grievance and wait for his gentle embrace.

But now, Yu Fengying wouldn’t comfort her anymore, let alone embrace her.

As she cried and cried, her voice grew hoarse. Like when she had knelt beside her parents’ bodies as a child, crying in agony. Today, she experienced the pain of losing a loved one again.

Yu Fengying was no longer her family.

“Jiu’er…” Yu Fengying suddenly spoke, his smile still on his face, “Do you know what I want?”

Mi Jiu cried and didn’t speak.

Yu Fengying opened his mouth, but in the end, he shook his head, a trace of loneliness flashing in his eyes, “Never mind, you wouldn’t understand, and there’s no need to understand. I have my reasons.”

Mi Jiu tilted her head back, her mouth agape in pain, and closed her eyes. But those beautiful eyes couldn’t hold back the surging tears.

Yu Fengying slowly walked towards her and said softly: “Now is your chance to repay me. Wish me to become a god, and I will treat your people kindly.”

With that, a thought sparked, a powerful aura burst forth, and magic energy ignited beneath Mi Jiu and him. Terrifying energy rippled out.

He walked up to her and took one last look at his proudest disciple.

Just at that moment, Mi Jiu opened her eyes and stared blankly at the ceiling above: “Stop it, Master…”

Her tears stopped, dried up. She lowered her head, looking at Yu Fengying in pain.

Yu Fengying shook his head and said softly: “I can’t go back now…”

Mi Jiu’s expression was agonized: “You won’t become a god.”

Yu Fengying was momentarily stunned, the smile on his face disappeared, and his brow furrowed.

Mi Jiu spoke again, her voice still carrying a hint of sobbing: “Because there’s already a god in this world…”

Chen Ling raised an eyebrow: She seems to be talking about me?