Yes, I became a god just by exercising.

Chapter 172 The Generation of Overlords, Stepping onto the Real Stage, Benedict's Secret...

"Who?"

Xia Fa raised an eyebrow slightly. Could it be true, as Frederick said, that a beautiful girl from the Augustus family had boldly proposed to him?

In the dead of night...

Although I did see several pretty girls with good looks and figures while I was eating...

Some of them even offered him a special toast.

Filled with curiosity, excitement, trepidation, exhilaration, and composure, Xia Fa walked over and opened the door.

A hunched, withered figure shrouded in a black robe stood at the doorway, silent as a shadow.

It was... the third angel of the Augustus family!
Of the three angels of the Augustus family, Charcus is like a kind old grandfather, only with thinning hair, while Samuel is like an old lion.

This angel, however, was the most mysterious and the most silent.

When Marshal Gaius attended the banquet, this angel was the only one who didn't say a word, not even during the information exchange.

Just as he entered his Starry Silver Throne state and killed Pompeii, this angel was the only one in the entire Augustus family who was blocking his back, ready to make a move.

If Marshal Gaius hadn't intervened, Shafa probably would have fought the angel himself.

"you……"

"I am here on behalf of the Father of All Stars to invite you to go to sea."

A cold, metallic sound rang out, clearly echoing in Xia Fa's ears and throughout the candlelit corridor.

Xia Fa was suddenly startled and almost lost his composure:
"You, you represent the Father of All Stars..."

It's not his fault, mainly because the Father of Ten Thousand Stars... is one of the five pirate emperors of the sea!

An angel from the Augustus family stood in the corridor, outside countless doors, and stated bluntly that He represented the Father of All Stars…

What's the difference between this and openly rebelling?!

"Don't worry, the others can't hear our conversation, or even see me here. They'll just assume your door is closed."

The angel, shrouded entirely in a black robe, continued in a hoarse, rough, but remarkably calm voice:

"However, Marshal Gaius is certainly aware of our meeting, so you can rest assured."

Hearing this, Xia Fa felt a little relieved. He had almost thought that the black-robed angel was going to kidnap him, after all, that's how pirates operate.

"Inviting me to go to sea? Why?"

The angel, shrouded in a black robe, remained silent for a moment, then suddenly raised his head.

His entire face was originally shrouded in a black robe, but the moment he raised his head, Xia Fa saw a wrinkled, withered, round face, and... those terrifyingly bright eyes.

That shouldn't be the look of an old man on his deathbed; such a look is full of hope, expectation, and longing.

That is... a hope for a new era!

“You are a young overlord, a future extraordinary monarch. Augustus is too small, and Rum is even smaller. Neither of these should be your stage.”

"The Star Coin Continent has three kingdoms: the Augu Kingdom, the Wave Moon Empire, and the Cloth Bag Dynasty... Every hundred years, one or two talented young people like you will emerge, having signed a hegemonic-level secret agreement."

"You cannot set foot in each other's lands, therefore the free and opportunity-filled Barron's Ocean is the stage you should truly go to."

Some say that a war is inevitable among the young hegemons. Others say that if the young hegemons are willing to join forces, they will become the emperors of the world in the future.

"They have all signed a secret agreement at the level of overlords. Although their ranks or statuses may differ, they will eventually catch up with each other. Among the younger generation of overlords on the Star Coin Continent, who will emerge victorious, you or someone else? To be honest, many important figures are quite looking forward to it."

As the black-robed angel finished speaking, his tone gradually shifted from excitement to calm, but the anticipation in his eyes grew even more intense as he stared intently at Xia Fa.

"Therefore, going to sea is both a tremendous challenge and an unprecedented opportunity for you to make a name for yourself!"

Xia Fa smiled:
"Is it really necessary to go to sea just to compete with other young overlords? Didn't I hear that our planet Calig's only Mysterious Emperor will also be active in the Baron Ocean during this period?"

In fact, regardless of whether the black-robed angel came to persuade him or not, Xia Fa was already prepared to set sail.

But it wasn't for the sake of competing with other young overlords; it was for... an eternal proof!

He himself had already signed two top-tier secret agreements.

If only we could snatch the proof of eternity from the jaws of death, from the hands of that mysterious emperor...

At that time, the mere Crimson Agent, with two overlord-level secret contracts and an eternal certificate, will become a god and be able to crush Him like an ant!

Therefore, this sea must be crossed. No matter what, even if there is only a one in ten thousand chance of obtaining the Eternal Certificate, Xia Fa is unwilling to miss it.

A meaningful expression appeared on the face of the black-robed angel:

"The Emperor of Mystery... This great lord not only possesses the greatest talent in the history of our planet Caligia, being able to sign two overlord-level secret contracts at the same time, but His magnanimity... is also worthy of His status and talent."

Xia Fa raised an eyebrow:
"what do you mean……"

The black-robed angel spoke in a calm tone:
“If it were any other young people with mediocre talent, that would be fine; the Emperor of Mystery wouldn’t pay them any attention. But for young overlords like you, and other young overlords, He won’t easily take action against you. He’s more eager to see you grow and for you to pledge allegiance to Him and join His ranks.”

After a slight pause, the black-robed angel seemed to remember something and chuckled:

"Moreover, I've heard that recently, someone discovered clues to a Hegemon-level secret contract on the Baron Ocean. Even if you and the other young Hegemons can no longer sign a second Hegemon-level secret contract, if you could seize it and sell it, it would fetch a starting price of five million gold pounds, even if it's the All-Encompassing Forge, right?"

Five million gold pounds?
Xia Fa was slightly startled. What was going on?
Didn't Dick Tudor say that all the top-tier secret contracts start at two million gold pounds? The cheapest one is the All-Encompassing Forge, which is exactly two million gold pounds.

As for the silver throne He gave him, it was valued at three million gold pounds.

As for the Gate of Stars, the discounted price was 1.5 million gold pounds, but at the time, Xia Fa estimated that the real price was just over 2 million gold pounds.

"I don't want to ask who gave you your overlord-level secret contract, and I shouldn't be qualified to ask, but generally speaking, neither overlord-level secret contract can be measured in money."

The man in the black robe, lying prone, spoke with unwavering certainty, as if he had seen it all, and as if there was no room for argument:

"Five million gold pounds... This is only if you really don't need this overlord-level secret contract, but someone else really needs it and can afford the money. You might even have to add some promises and favors."

The black-robed angel pulled his cloak tighter over his head, concealing his face once more.
"Alright, my mission is complete. As you probably know, among the five emperors of the sea, only the Father of Ten Thousand Stars and the Princess of the Sharks are able to control their subordinates. To this day, their pirates have never truly harmed civilians."

"The Father of All Stars is very interested in your Silver Throne's secret abilities. If you want to go to sea, you can go directly to Him. He can make you a member of His ship, and your status will not be low."

"By the way, among the five emperors at sea, the Father of Ten Thousand Stars is the only one who is on good terms with Marshal Gaius, but he is unwilling to interfere in the power struggle between the three kingdoms on the Star Coin Continent."

After the black-robed angel finished speaking, he tossed a silver coin with one hand. The coin jingled as it flew over and was caught by Xia Fa.

"This is a token given to you by the Father of Ten Thousand Stars. We will not force you; it is up to you. But I sincerely hope that you will not give up this opportunity."

As soon as he finished speaking, his figure suddenly merged into the darkness beneath his feet, seeping into the marble floor like a puddle of water, and disappeared.

Only Xia Fa remained, rubbing the silver coin between his thumb and forefinger, lost in thought.

His first thought was that Dick's kindness to him seemed to be beyond his imagination...

If the All-Encompassing Forge starts at five million gold pounds, then the Silver Throne, the most powerful and domineering of the ten overlord-level secret contracts, which only a handful of beings in the entire universe have signed in the past 30,000 years, is simply beyond the measure of money.

But He simply gave it to me for free...

"Fortunately, I got Dick Tudor what He wanted most. I'll send it to Him tomorrow..."

After calming himself down, Xia Fa began to ponder the words of the black-robed angel.

He never expected that, in addition to the "Eternal Certificate", another top-level secret contract would be born in the Baron Ocean during this period!

To others, a hegemon-level secret contract simply represents unimaginable wealth, or a trump card to exchange for other top-tier secret treasures or sealed artifacts.

But for me, the Overlord-level Secret Contract... that's the foundation for becoming stronger!

"I just don't know exactly which overlord-level secret contract it is..."

He turned around, closed the door behind him, and lay down on the round, large red sofa.

The sofa was so soft it felt like a cloud. As soon as Xia Fa lay down, he felt completely relaxed, but the thoughtful look in his eyes didn't lessen at all.

"There are a total of ten overlord-level secret contracts. I have only signed two of them, and I have one in hand. That means there are still seven that I haven't signed. Five of them are known, and two are unknown..."

"If the hegemonic-level secret contract that appeared at sea this time is one of the seven types that I haven't signed, that would naturally be the best. But even if it's one of the two types that I have signed, I can sell it directly after I get it, and then try to find Dick Tudor's connections to see if he can help me buy the one I need to sign..."

Xia Fa's eyes lit up as he thought about it. So, this trip to the sea really was worth making a fuss about!
With the Eternal Certificate and the Overlord-level Secret Contract, it would be a waste not to go to the sea to see it. All the hard work I've put in to become stronger, as well as the little bit of talent and luck I've gained!

Anyway, with the ultra-long-distance teleportation array, he can return to Rum City at any time without any delay.

With the plan settled, Xia Fa relaxed and prepared to go to the church the next day to see if he could be assigned a job at sea.

He first took a comfortable bath in the bathtub, and then lay down on the large bed surrounded by golden gauze curtains and velvet cushions.

As I lay there, my thoughts began to drift away.

Of the five emperors of the sea, as the black-robed angel said, the Father of All Stars and the Princess of the Sharks were the most righteous and law-abiding, and never harmed the common people.

But that roaring emperor had hands stained with blood.

So, this afternoon, the Crimson Executor killed Greenbeard, one of the demigod minions of the Roaring Emperor, which can be considered a case of dogs fighting dogs.

"I've heard that Princess Shark is the most dazzling and radiant pearl in the Baron Ocean, so beautiful that any man who catches her eye would willingly join her ship as a pirate under her command. Yet, to this day, no man has truly conquered her, nor has anyone ever won her heart..."

Xia Fa couldn't help but wonder what this famous one of the five pirate emperors looked like.

I don't know if I'll run into them on this voyage.

As for what the black-robed angel mentioned, those young overlords in the Wave Moon Empire and the Cloth Bag Dynasty who are also about to set sail...

Xia Fa didn't care much. After all, they had only signed one hegemon-level secret contract, while he had two and was about to sign a third.

Especially this third overlord-level secret contract, "Mysterious Singularity," which even His Excellency [The Wise One], the leader of the Fate Carnival comparable to the nine great gods, is searching for everywhere.

Once I sign the Mystic Singularity, a supreme-level contract, I won't be like the Silver Throne, where anyone with a little knowledge can tell which contract ability I use every time.

For example, at this Augustus family dinner.

Of course, it doesn't really matter if you can see it; if you can't block it, you can't block it.

After Pompeii's son and grandson were suspected of dying at the hands of the Silver Throne's signatories, wouldn't he have tried to find out about the Silver Throne's secret abilities beforehand?
Yet he was still killed by himself, and killed with ease. Of course, in retrospect, everyone who saw it was actually wrong... For example, he clearly used the Secret Bond Fusion ability "Star Destruction Silver," but they mistook it for "Destruction Silver."

However, it's best not to be noticed, which is one of the major advantages of the "Mysterious Singularity" in addition to being a top-level secret contract.

"By the way, a whole day and night has passed, Benedict..."

Xia Fa suddenly remembered something, lay on the bed and looked around before casually sprinkling a handful of live iron powder.

Then, it distorted space again with "bending manipulation" to gather the living iron powder together.

Then, the "time concealment" technique was used to briefly hide the living iron powder before releasing it again.

In this way, with the velvet bed as the boundary, the space around him is not only enclosed, so he is no longer afraid of being spied on, but no one can use divination to recreate his current situation.

There's no way around it; after all, it's not in my own attic, so I have to be careful.

Then, Xia Fa flipped his hand over and took out the bronze-cased notebook, which was "Benise's Training Notes".

I skillfully flipped to page five. Luckily, I had eaten and drunk my fill tonight, so I didn't need to eat any snacks. I could now read to my heart's content about the training record of this doll girl.

As Xia Fa had predicted, the training record was filled with another full page!
"This reminds me of when I used to read novels every day..."

Xia Fa smiled and shook his head, but still started reading from the latest line.

"Hmph, I will definitely become stronger!"

[In the whimsical castle, in the pretty and adorable pink bedroom, Benedict Cumberbatch, having just returned from the hall, clenched her little fists, her delicate face radiating confidence.]

"Lucana the Siren, and Serlina, you just wait!"

Just then, the surrounding space rippled, and the soul of the former Doll Queen Heatherbury emerged from the Obsidian Ring.

"I just awoke from my slumber and regained some of my strength. What happened to you?"

Heather Perriat, seeing Benedict's sullen yet energetic demeanor, couldn't help but ask with concern.

[Benise chuckled:]

"It's nothing, I just ran into a few bad guys. By the way, teacher, could you teach me another sword technique?"

Heather looked at her hesitantly. She had indeed fallen into a deep sleep in the hall earlier and was unaware of what had happened to Benedict.

"However, you're only at the Insect-level now. Forcing yourself to learn might backfire."

[Benise sensed the hidden meaning in His words, and her golden-red eyes suddenly lit up:]

"Teacher, do you mean there's a chance to avoid a backlash?"

Heather Pelia sighed.

"You silly child, why do you always try to be clever in these kinds of situations? Indeed, given how well you've learned the first two swords of the Twelve Divine Swords of the End, you could try to master the third sword at the Insect-level if you're really in a hurry."

[After a slight pause, the former queen of puppets added:]

"Furthermore, if you can master it successfully, it will help you break through to the Eagle Rank faster. Once you reach the Eagle Rank, if you master the Fourth Sword ahead of time and still don't suffer any backlash, it will help you break through to the Wolf Rank even faster, and so on..."

Beneath her flawless, radiant face flushed crimson.

"Wow! That's amazing! I want to learn it, I want to learn it!"

Heather sighed again, as if recalling something from the past:

"The doll girls are all different; not all of them are as warm-hearted and naive as you. As for the sirens, they live in the dangerous sea from a young age, some even pitifully driven to lakes on land by their own kind. Therefore, sirens are generally quite pragmatic, only caring about their own interests, so you don't need to worry about them too much."

Before Benedict could answer, Heatherpieria drew a third ray of light from between her eyebrows.

"This sword is called the Blood-Shattering Sword. Comprehend its power!"

With a "whoosh," a crystalline light shot into Bennett's brow. At the same time, Heather Perriat raised her hand, and water spheres the size of watermelons appeared around Bennett, almost enveloping her.

That's a water sphere specifically designed for healing; if Benedict suffers a backlash, it will minimize the damage she takes.

However, Benedict remained standing there, her face showing no sign of pain, but rather a look of utter bewilderment.

"Teacher, is that all? I think I've already mastered it."

Heatherpuria's pupils contracted slightly, and a rare look of surprise appeared on the face of this former puppet queen.

"No backlash at all? How is that possible!"

His semi-transparent soul form flashed and appeared beside Benedict, instantly grabbing her wrist.

"Don't panic, let me take a look at your constitution..."

Beneath stared wide-eyed at the teacher who was gripping her wrist, offering no resistance but simply gazing at him with curiosity.

After a long pause, Heather Polya withdrew her hand, a thoughtful expression appearing on her dignified and composed face:

"I can't see anything special about it, but that makes it even more special. To be able to master the third sword of the Twelve Divine Swords of the End so easily... Is it because my rank is too low that I didn't notice it?"

"Teacher...I...my head feels a little hot..."

Suddenly, Benedict covered her forehead, her face instantly turning a ghastly red, as if it were about to bleed.

Before Heather could react, Beneath suddenly leaned back and fell onto the bed.

Heather was startled and quickly flew to her side, immediately sensing a strange fluctuation emanating from the area around the girl's shoulder.

That fluctuation was filled with emptiness, filled with longing, and even more... filled with resentment!

【"This is……"】

With a single wave of her hand, Heatherbury caused Benedict Cumberbatch's figure to flip over while lying on the bed.

Heather Perriat glanced at Benedict's shoulder through the black, form-fitting dress, and shuddered, her expression one of utter astonishment.

[Even though He was once the Queen of the Dolls, a humanoid supernatural being who had reached the position of ruler, He now seemed to be witnessing something that even He found extremely unbelievable and had never seen before.]

Xia Fa was completely absorbed in what he was seeing. Seeing that he had recorded the last line of this page, he immediately turned to the next page without any delay.

It must be said that the "Twelve Divine Swords of the End" truly live up to their reputation as swordsmanship that only the puppet queens of all ages are qualified to learn. Mastering them early can even accelerate one's breakthrough.

Xia Fa was becoming more and more at ease. The stronger Benedict was, the less likely she would encounter danger. He no longer needed to worry about this silly doll girl every day, especially when Benedict returned to the Endless Realm to adventure.

Last time they encountered the wolf Fenrir, if it weren't for Benedict's breakthrough at the last moment... Shafa didn't even dare to think about the consequences.

He didn't want to lose this doll girl, he absolutely didn't want to.

The reason I want to become stronger is to protect the people I want to protect, whether it's Benedict or Chestnut.

After regaining his composure, Xia Fa continued reading.

He was genuinely curious about what Heather Polya, the former Queen of Dolls, had seen on Benedict's shoulder.

"The Doll God's ball joint? She was born with the Doll God's ball joint on her shoulder, but it was removed?"

Heather murmured to herself, her dignified face filled with shock, even her soul-like body trembling with emotion.

"A doll-like girl born with the ball-joints of a doll god—she has the potential to truly become the new doll god!"

"In over 30,000 years, only two such figures have appeared in our Endless Realm, and both were just a hair's breadth away from becoming the new God of Puppets..."

Heather was increasingly shocked, and deep doubt appeared in her eyes:

"Who on earth! Who on earth stole the ball joint of her Puppet God? If she hadn't happened to meet me, and if I hadn't happened to teach her the Twelve Divine Swords of the End, she wouldn't even have been able to grow it back..."

Heather Perria breathed a slight sigh of relief upon realizing this.

"Fortunately, if she started cultivating the Twelve Divine Swords of the End from the Insect-level, then when she reaches the Demigod level, she should be able to regenerate the spherical joints of the Puppet God. At that time..."

When Xia Fa saw this, that feeling of having a bellyful of complaints but not knowing where to start resurfaced, and it even made him unable to sleep.

A doll-like girl born with the ball joints of a doll god has the potential to become a true doll god...

Then, the only ball joint on Benedict's shoulder, the one resembling a doll of a god, was somehow dug out by someone...

This plot feels so familiar...

"Then does she have an older sister with double pupils? And it was her sister who dug it out?"

Despite his complaints, Xia Fa's brows furrowed tightly.

In any case, the ball joint of the doll god on Benedict's shoulder was indeed removed.

Although it can grow, it will have to wait until it becomes a demigod.

So, who exactly dug it?
A chilling rage surged across Xia Fa's face. If he were to find the culprit...

After that, there were no other records in the copper notebook, suggesting that Benedict was still in a coma.

Fortunately, he was protected by the soul of the former Doll Queen Heather, a soul of a ruler who also possessed the Twelve Divine Swords of the End, so Xia Fa wasn't too worried.

When Benedict returns, I'll prepare several plates of Extraordinary Dried Fish for her to help her recover.

After carefully putting away Benedict's training notes, Shafa lay back down on the bed and began to plot.

If he's going to go to sea, the sooner the better. He plans to go to the Extraordinary Market tomorrow to buy some necessities and then set sail.

In any case, let's first familiarize ourselves with the marine environment and get a feel for it.

Boom boom boom!
But just then, the knocking sounded again.

This time, the knocking was very soft, carrying an indescribable gentleness.

Xia Fa paused slightly, put on his slippers, walked to the door, and whispered:
"Who?"

A girl's voice suddenly came from the doorway:
“Xia Fa, it’s me…”

(End of this chapter)