After replying to Qin Shuang and the othersâ messages, Han Wu left his dorm.
Imperial College was quiet during summer break, with most students already back home. Only a handful remained behind to train and sharpen themselves.
Everyone who saw Han Wu greeted him. His story had spread across the collegeâs forums. He had single-handedly driven the Slaughter God King to his death. Whether the rumors were entirely true no longer mattered. In the eyes of Imperial Collegeâs students, he had already become something of a legend.
During the three days Han Wu had been sleeping, news of the Wisdom God King defeating the Slaughter God King had sent shockwaves throughout the entire Divine Civilization. Few could believe that an actual divine war had ended in less than a month. The outcome shattered every record in the history of divine wars.
Most surprising of all was the victor. Anyone familiar with the Wisdom Jurisdiction understood that its real strength lay in its potential. It required years of study and deep research before it could produce overwhelming combat power.
Xu Hai hadnât possessed his Divine Jurisdiction for long, so his battle prowess couldnât be so impressive. By contrast, the Slaughter Jurisdiction granted its bearer raw, immediate power from the moment it was obtained.
Most had expected the Butcher to win this divine war. The final result defied most peopleâs expectations. Some individuals paid handsomely to obtain firsthand accounts from participants in the divine war and eventually discovered that the person who had guided Xu Hai to ultimate victory was a student.
Those with sharp instincts gathered every scrap of information available and posted it to Imperial Collegeâs forum. In a single night, the name Han Wu became known to everyone, whether they were students, graduates, or people both on and off campus.
Han Wu himself ignored the attention. He walked to Xu Haiâs office as usual and knocked on the door.
Two seconds later, Xu Haiâs voice came from inside. âCome in.â
Han Wu pushed the door open and found several unfamiliar faces inside. He did recognize one of them, however. It was Su Lan, the attractive goddess who shared a close relationship with Xu Hai.
Han Wu had heard some gossip from Sun Qingnian before. Apparently, Xu Hai and Su Lan had once shared feelings for each other. No one knew why they never ended up together. According to Sun Qingnian, Xu Hai remaining single at his age had something to do with Su Lan. Recently, the two had also been seen together more frequently. Whether old feelings would rekindle remained anyoneâs guess.
Xu Hai stood and called out, âHan Wu, come sit beside me.â
The unfamiliar faces all turned toward Han Wu. They had already seen the information circulating online. Although they found it difficult to fully believe that Han Wu had driven the Butcher to his death, they also couldnât dismiss it outright. Either way, caution was necessary. Han Wu could one day become the youngest God King in history.
Before taking his seat, Han Wu gave Su Lan a respectful bow. Her mood visibly brightened, and she smiled.
Han Wu sat down while Xu Hai resumed the meeting. The discussion focused on the Wisdom Faction. Before the divine war, these visitors had lacked confidence in the Wisdom Faction and hadnât invested in it. Now that the Wisdom Faction had emerged victorious, they saw an opportunity for profit and rushed over to secure long-term investments and shares.
Xu Hai understood their motivations perfectly. As long as none of them had betrayed the Wisdom Faction during the divine war, he was willing to accept their investment.
Naturally, investment led to discussions about territory management and revenue distribution. Xu Hai was well-versed in those matters. He had already managed a substantial amount of territory before the divine war, and now he simply had even more of it.
Territory was only a small part of the meetingâs agenda. The main topic was the Wisdom Factionâs future direction. Without question, that direction was expansion through conquest. Who to conquer, how to proceed, and what to do afterward sparked fierce debate among everyone present.
Han Wu understood the general ideas but lacked familiarity with most of the specifics. He sat and listened cluelessly until the meeting finally ended. Once the visitors left in satisfaction, only Xu Hai, Su Lan, and Han Wu remained in the office.
Xu Hai casually cast a barrier around the room to block their voices before speaking. âNow that itâs just us, I wonât hold anything back. My survival in this divine war was all thanks to Han Wu. Without him, I wouldnât be standing here today.â
âSir, you are overstating it,â Han Wu said modestly.
âHan Wu, excessive modesty is arrogance. That is something you should work on,â Su Lan said gently.
Han Wu smiled bitterly. âSir, your wife is right.â
Su Lanâs face flushed red at once. Beside her, Xu Hai blushed until even his ears were red.
âHan Wu, y-you...â Xu Hai stammered, unable to find the right words.
Han Wu pretended to be confused. âWhat is it, sir? Was I wrong?â
Su Lan looked at Xu Hai, her beautiful eyes filled with expectation.
Xu Hai relented under their gazes. âYouâre not exactly wrong.â
Su Lan beamed. The moment she smiled, the entire room seemed to fill with a warm, pleasant fragrance.
Xu Hai glanced sideways at Han Wu and told Su Lan, âI had planned to wait until things settled down before confessing properly. I didnât expect this young man to get ahead of me.â
Su Lan winked at him playfully and said quietly, âYou can make it up to me later.â
The look left Xu Hai slightly dazed, but he recovered quickly and returned to business.
âLetâs discuss the important matter. Han Wu, your contribution to this divine war is beyond question, so Iâm awarding you something.â Xu Hai reached into his divine realm and produced an object.
The moment Han Wu saw it, he inhaled sharply. He recognized it immediately. Back when he inherited the Blood Coliseum, he had seen one before and even absorbed it. It was a complete Divine Jurisdiction, specifically the Butcherâs Slaughter Jurisdiction.
âSir, thatâs a complete and powerful Divine Jurisdiction. Itâs far too precious. I canât accept it,â Han Wu said quickly. âI already have two Divine Jurisdictions. I canât absorb a third. Giving it to me would be a waste.â
âHan Wu, Iâm giving it to you precisely because Iâve already considered everything. Iâve examined your situation using my Wisdom Jurisdiction, and I understand it fully. You have two incomplete Divine Jurisdictions, but they arenât enough. Do you know why some Major Gods deliberately delay their God King ascension even when the opportunity is in front of them?â
âIs it because of the Divine Jurisdiction?â Han Wu guessed.
âExactly. As your strength grows, the incomplete Divine Jurisdictions youâve grasped may no longer suit you. Thatâs why you need additional Divine Jurisdictions available as alternatives,â Xu Hai explained.