125: Cherry Blossoms Return to China

A loud bang, like thunder, echoed from outside. Shen Xiaochuan slowly lifted his hand from the blade of his halberd, dried blood on his fingers. He didn't look at the corpses on the ground, nor did he turn back to count the several Waguo deities lying in the ruins. His right leg was bleeding, and every step was excruciating, but he continued forward.

The wind was strong, making the metal plates clatter and sending ashes flying across the ground. He stepped through a collapsed doorframe into a pile of charred wood. Firelight flickered in the distance—more than one spot; the entire edge of the Divine Domain was smoking. He knew the Believers were fleeing for their lives, and faith was vanishing.

The Command Temple was still standing, but it was drafty on all sides. The map in the center was still lit, and of the nine-square grid, only one red square remained, flashing in isolation. He stood before the map, staring at that red dot for three minutes without saying a word.

Just then, the communication device rang.

"Boss," came White Snow Princess's voice. "The High Command just finished their meeting. Regarding the last Divine Domain of Waguo, it's up to you to decide how to handle it."

Shen Xiaochuan gave a grunt of acknowledgment.

"You can accept their surrender, or you can completely purge them."

"I know."

"They've already sent seven groups of people to the United States and Africa seeking aid. All were rejected. Was the border blockade order signed by you?"

"It was me."

"The High Command supports you. But for the final step, you must do it yourself."

"Understood."

The communication cut off.

He thought for a moment, then opened a call with Yang Lie and Shen Yan.

"Yang Lie, Shen Yan, what are your thoughts on Waguo's last Divine Domain?"

Yang Lie immediately said, "Boss, you can't be soft-hearted! They were so arrogant before; they must pay the price!"

Shen Yan also said, "I agree. We can't let them off easily."

Shen Xiaochuan nodded, looking down at his hand. Sweat and blood mixed in his palm, forming a thin scab. His faith points were increasing at a rate of one per second.

He raised his left hand and touched the copper gear pendant on his cuff. It was a gift from his parents, and he had worn it ever since, never taking it off.

He walked to the console and slid his finger across the screen to bring up global disaster data. When the heat map appeared, the entirety of Waguo was red. Earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions—these weren't coincidences, but a chain reaction. The destruction of the Divine Domain was affecting reality, and it was unstoppable.

Death toll: 29.07 million.

And still rising.

He closed the screen and looked at the coordinates of the final Divine Domain—[Sakura Capital]. The pillar of light atop the central tower was nearly extinguished.

The System suddenly popped up a warning: [High-energy faith fluctuations detected, detonation expected in three minutes]

Shen Xiaochuan stood still.

Ten seconds later, he opened the Faith Mall and immediately exchanged for three [Silence Barrier Scrolls]. With a flash of blue light, the entire area was covered, and the energy was suppressed.

"Stabilized," he said in a low voice.

Then he closed his eyes, sinking his consciousness into his S-Rank talent. +1 per second was too slow; he needed more. The copper gear pendant suddenly grew hot against his wrist, as if it had come to life. A surge of heat rushed into his mind with a buzz.

+3 faith points per second.

The Mall interface refreshed.

He typed "Seal" into the search bar.

The first result popped up: [Divine Domain Chains · S Rank], Price: 120,000 faith points.

He clicked exchange.

The sky split open, and an iron chain with golden patterns fell from the void, plunging straight into the top of the central tower. The pillar of light struggled, gave a violent shudder, and then completely went out.

[Congratulations to deity [Shen Xiaochuan] for capturing the last King-level Divine Domain of Waguo! The real-world nation has entered a 24-hour countdown to extinction!]

A server-wide announcement popped up in white text on a black background for everyone to see.

Shen Xiaochuan opened his eyes, his breathing a bit heavy. The wound on his left shoulder began to throb again, wave after wave of pain like a saw cutting through him. He leaned against the console to steady himself, his right hand gripping the table until his knuckles turned white.

On the map, the last red square turned blue.

All nine squares were controlled.

He had done it.

Commotion came from outside; it was the patrol shouting. He didn't go out to look. He knew what had happened—the last Divine Domain was gone, and the real-world Waguo was finished. The Emperor certainly wouldn't be able to sit still now.

Sure enough, in less than five minutes, the System intercepted seven secret diplomatic messages.

The first was to the President of the United States: Requesting to host a government-in-exile, willing to hand over all Divine Domain technical data.

Reply: Rejected. Reason: Violation of the "Divine Domain Neutrality Agreement."

The second was to the African Federation: Requesting to open borders and allow collective immigration of citizens.

Reply: Not accepted. A formal notice has been received from Huaxia, prohibiting the acceptance of any Waguo nationals.

The third contacted the NATO Provisional Council, but the channel wasn't even connected.

Shen Xiaochuan read them one by one, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.

He posted the contents of two of the secret messages to the public channel. Five minutes later, Waguo erupted into chaos. Some cursed the United States for being heartless, some wailed that Africa wouldn't save them, and others asked, "Is Huaxia behind this?"

The answer came quickly.

A second later, an encrypted intelligence report was deciphered: Three days ago, the high-level leadership of Huaxia had issued a warning to major global powers—any act of receiving Waguo exiles would be considered a hostile action against Huaxia.

As the news spread, Waguo fell into complete turmoil.

Shen Xiaochuan turned off the screen and took a sip from his water cup. The water was very cold, making his throat sting slightly as he drank. He set the cup down and noticed a faint ring of blood at the bottom, left behind when he had wiped his hands earlier.

He waited another twenty minutes.

The communication lit up again.

This time it wasn't White Snow Princess, but an unknown signal. A temporary channel with low encryption, clearly connected in haste.

A projection appeared: an old man in traditional clothing, kneeling on the ground with his hands flat on the floor. The background was a dim palace with old flags hanging on the walls.

As soon as Shen Xiaochuan sat down, the old man spoke with a trembling voice: "Great God King of Huaxia, I am the special envoy of the Emperor of Waguo, here to present the instrument of surrender. Our nation is willing to surrender unconditionally and merge into Huaxia as 'Sakura Province,' serving you for all eternity."

Shen Xiaochuan's eyes were icy, and a cold sneer appeared on his lips. His voice was frigid: "Sakura Province? Hmph! When you killed thirty thousand of my Believers and broke Tang Long's Jade Staff, did you ever think about leaving them a way out? Now that you're at a dead end, you want to change your name just to survive? Go back and tell your Emperor: I'm not here to take territory, I'm here to collect a debt!"

The room fell silent.

He slowly stood up and walked with steady steps to the projection, looking down at the trembling old man.

The old man suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with terror.

Shen Xiaochuan stared at him, saying each word deliberately:

"Let them repent in Hell."

After speaking, he reached out and cut the communication. The projection vanished with a pop, and the room dimmed by half.

He turned and walked back to the console, swiping the screen to close the surrender interface and block all incoming channels. Then he sat back in his chair, his right hand resting on the halberd and his left hand gently stroking the copper gear pendant.

The wind outside had stopped.

The only sound in the temple was the hum of the machinery.

He closed his eyes, his breathing gradually steadying. faith points were still rising at +3 per second, not yet receding. He knew this state wouldn't last long, but it was enough.

He had already made his decision.

All nine regions on the map were blue, with no red remaining. Waguo's Divine Domain had been completely reduced to zero. The real-world nation had entered its final 24 hours, and no one could save it.

He no longer looked at the data, nor did he open any communications. He just sat there like a statue.

Half an hour later, the System notification sounded.

[The central hub of Waguo's [Sakura Capital] is completely sealed. The faith network has been severed, and the citizens have collectively lost their God-given abilities.]

[Real-world nation synchronized collapse procedure initiated. Countdown: 23:59:47]

Shen Xiaochuan opened his eyes, his pupils shimmering with a faint gold light.

He watched the numbers decrease bit by bit, without saying a single word.

Outside, the last divine tower came crashing down.