Chapter 37: Imperial Summons

Inside the New God's abode,

Thirty cycles of rising and setting suns and moons passed. At dawn, the first rays of sunlight fell upon Ke Lu's eyes.

The moon gazed at the New God's radiant beauty and discussed with the rotating sun, wondering why their deity had yet to awaken.

Faced with this question, the sun could offer no answer, but draped the New God in a resplendent golden robe of light.

Birds flew in from afar, carrying twigs to build their nests.

This was the New God's abode, and residing here was considered an auspicious omen.

Beasts scurrying across the land brought offerings to the New God, praying for divine favor.

Among them, a clumsy tiger tilted its head, sensing a strange familiarity with the place.

At least in this sacred sanctuary, no creature dared to hunt, lest they provoke the newborn deity.

Inside the cave,

A hand gently poked Ke Lu's cheek. Receiving no response, Su Rou sighed in disappointment.

More than ten days ago, Su Rou had emerged from her deep meditative state.

Shortly after awakening, Hysilens entered and asked if she wished to leave.

Ke Lu possessed exceptional talent, allowing her to grasp concepts more profoundly and extensively. Consequently, her awakening might require an extended period.

Understanding the situation, Su Rou chose to stay and care for Ke Lu rather than leave the Secret Realm.

Today marked exactly one month.

Su Rou knelt beside Ke Lu's throne, propping her chin in her hand as she gazed at Ke Lu, murmuring, "Wake up soon."

Still no response. Disheartened, Su Rou was about to turn away and resume her usual routine of reading, practicing combat, and cultivating her skills.

The Secret Realm had been sealed off, and time no longer looped endlessly but flowed forward at a normal pace.

Here, Su Rou found no shortage of training partners.

Each day, injured animals sought her medical aid, allowing her Skill proficiency to skyrocket.

The creatures of the Lost Woods, recognizing her association with Ke Lu, had unilaterally bestowed upon her the title of "Divine Emissary," leaving her both amused and bewildered.

But today was different.

Just as Su Rou was about to turn away, she noticed an anomaly.

Ke Lu's long, delicate eyelashes fluttered gently, like butterfly wings about to emerge from their chrysalis.

Su Rou hurried closer, holding her breath and focusing intently, one hand gripping the handle as if afraid to miss the moment Ke Lu awoke.

She felt the familiar sensation of Ke Lu's hand covering hers. The slight tightening of the grip left her utterly certain—Ke Lu was about to wake up.

As the clock on her phone struck six, Ke Lu's eyes fluttered open.

Those familiar eyes, shimmering with the light of distant stars, focused on Su Rou, causing the spiritual energy of the entire valley to tremble faintly.

"Morning," Ke Lu murmured, her voice still raspy from sleep but already carrying an unmistakable divine resonance.

Su Rou gasped in delight, covering her mouth, her eyes instantly welling up. "You're finally awake!"

Yet Ke Lu showed none of the joy of reuniting with her close friend after so long. Instead, a palpable wariness emanated from her, like a territorial king driving out invaders. Her alertness seemed jarringly out of place against the harmonious backdrop of the valley.

Is she looking at me? Su Rou's scalp prickled with unease. Yet she sensed no hostility directed at herself, as if the threat lay further behind her.

"Lulu, it's me," Su Rou said, waving her hand in front of Ke Lu's face.

"I know," Ke Lu replied with a nod, her gaze deep and penetrating. "Hysilens, who are they?"

Since awakening, Ke Lu had sensed dozens of foreign presences lurking within the Secret Realm, each possessing power at least at the Expert level. As the God of this realm, she was naturally acutely sensitive to such disturbances.

Nearby, Hysilens materialized silently, clearly having been waiting for some time. She stepped forward, a barrier of command authority shimmering around her to isolate the conversation. Addressing Su Rou directly, she dropped the formal title of "Imperator":

"Miss Ke Lu, these are guards sent by the higher-ups to protect you."

Hysilens then recounted the incident from a month ago, when Shi Lei and his group had been blocked by a Superintendent from reporting their findings to the Vice Principal.

"Since then, the higher-ups decided to reinforce the protection measures for Miss Ke Lu."

"Why would he do that?" Su Rou stamped her foot in frustration. "Could he be deliberately trying to harm us?"

After hearing the full explanation, Ke Lu didn't react with Su Rou's shock. Instead, a knowing expression settled on her face, as if confirming a long-held suspicion.

"This was definitely aimed at me," Ke Lu declared. "My Talent is too high, making others jealous. They want to nip this 'threat' in the bud."

"Exactly. Even the highest levels of government are divided into factions, and there are always some petty men who thrive on internal strife." Hysilens' expression remained composed, but a hint of displeasure could be detected in her tone. "The Superintendent has already been dismissed and sanctioned."

A playful smile tugged at the corner of Ke Lu's lips. "Looks like we've been dragged into a factional power struggle. That Superintendent was just a scapegoat, discarded once his usefulness was exhausted."

Her tone shifted abruptly. "However, on my territory, you will not trespass uninvited again. Understood?"

Ke Lu projected her voice, reaching the ears of every "guardian."

With a subtle mental command, a portal shaped like a doorway materialized. "Please proceed."

"Understood," a unified chorus of voices echoed from the shadows.

In an instant, dark figures streaked across the sky, vanishing into the portal.

Sensing the guardians departing through the spatial gate one by one, Ke Lu nodded in satisfaction after confirming no stragglers remained.

"Let's go too."

Leading the two others, she stepped through the portal.

Back to reality. I've returned.

The System's notification chimed in her ear:

Ding! Congratulations, Host, for incorporating the "Lost Woods" faction. Reward received.

Cerydra Template upgraded to LV3. Acquired Skill: Imperial Summons.

Imperial Summons: With the target's consent, the Host can appoint them as a "General." The Host can then summon the General for "Imperial Guard Duty," bypassing any obstacles.

Host can currently appoint 1 General.

Bypassing any obstacles!

These three words were what struck Ke Lu most forcefully about the skill's power.

The System rarely made such basic linguistic errors.

Since the System dared to use such an absolute expression, it meant this bypass truly defied all barriers to communication in this world.

Even a Great Emperor-level super Martial Artist couldn't block the execution of [ Imperial Summons ].

Appoint a "General"?

"Yes," Ke Lu decided instantly, without hesitation. "Hysilens."

Acknowledged.

Ke Lu turned to see Hysilens giving her a knowing smile.

Ding! Host has successfully established a friendly relationship with the key figure "Shi Lei". Reward: One Ancient Spirit Array Diagram.

A Spirit Array Diagram was something no Spirit Array Master could ever take lightly.

Without one, even the most skilled Spirit Array Master would be useless.

A powerful Spirit Array could turn the tide of battle on the battlefield.

Based on the principle that "System-provided goods are always of superior quality," Ke Lu carefully stored the Spirit Array Diagram, planning to study it thoroughly when she had time.