He became the White-Haired Evil God after wearing the Seven Curses Rings.

Under Atoris's perception, Nido's aura suddenly leaped from demigod to true god, and was even comparable to a top-tier true god.

This isn't too outrageous; after all, as the gatekeeper of the Golden Age, how could his strength be inferior to those true gods?

But after finally passing the previous demigod trials, the final challenge suddenly elevates me directly to the top-tier true god level. Isn't that a bit too unfair?

Atoris's expression tightened, and he almost wanted to throw the greatsword at him and curse him out.

But the pressure from the true god forced her to suppress those emotions and calmly consider a solution.

After three seconds of calm reflection, Atoris finally came to a conclusion.

"How could we possibly win?"

The demigod stage was already difficult enough, and now she's leaped to true god, directly competing with the top true gods. Did they even consider her feelings?

Seeing that Atoris hesitated, Niduo slowed down his movements.

"Afraid to challenge those above their level? Back when I was just a demigod, I had to face a group of true gods while simultaneously ensuring the safety of the entire empire..."

"Can those things be the same?!"

Artorias immediately retorted.

"I won't say anything if you use these techniques to challenge a true god who is far above your level; that's your skill."

"But what's the situation now? Now both sides have the same moves. The foundation for surpassing a higher level no longer exists. Or do you really think the gap between a demigod and a true god is that small?"

Hearing the fierce accusations from the blonde little girl in front of him, Nie Duo replied quite naturally.

"But you can also use your own abilities to learn new techniques, thereby creating a foundation for defeating me even if you are above your level."

In an instant, Atoris's scolding mouth seemed to be blocked by something, and he stared at the other person in astonishment.

Are you sure?

"Sure."

Upon hearing the reply, Atoris's fingers suddenly recoiled.

"Are you kidding me? Don't you know how long it will take me to meet your requirements?"

Faced with Atoris's counter-question, Nie Duo pondered for a moment.

"Hmm... based on the talent you've shown so far, it should only take a year, right?"

A year is a long time for a normal person, and it's an absurdly fast one.

If other demigods were to challenge themselves on how to defeat a true god of a higher level, they probably wouldn't make any progress for thousands of years.

Moreover, Artoris was not facing an ordinary True God, but a top True God who was already at the ceiling of True Gods.

If you go any higher than this level, that's the level of a supreme god.

"A year?"

Atoris's pupils suddenly contracted.

A year might be terrifying for Nie Duo, but she knew that if she really spent a year here, the outside world would probably be in chaos.

No, there's no way I can pass this final trial. I can't possibly...

"Should we switch to easy mode?"

"Yes, if it could be made simpler, maybe I could..."

and many more?

That sound didn't seem like pinching, but rather...

Artorias turned his head to look.

Hey, missed me?

Xie Bai stood behind Atoris and waved to her.

When he saw a third person arrive, Nie Duo was suddenly taken aback.

Why does this little white-haired girl look somewhat familiar?

I feel like I've seen someone similar somewhere before...

He quickly used his privileges to check how Xie Bai got here, but the result made him even more silent.

"Insufficient permissions to investigate?"

What does that mean?

Is there someone in Valhalla with higher authority than the administrators? He's never heard of such a thing before.

Before he could understand what was going on, Xie Bai suddenly spoke up.

"Alright, the trial mode is over. Now it's time to enjoy the results of the trial. Am I right, Artoris?"

As soon as she finished speaking, a divine spark of civilization, radiating a pale golden light, appeared in her palm and slowly flew towards Atoris.

[Arrogant Theocracy: The Pillar Ritual]

As the divine essence of civilization floated into Atoris's arms, a complex, ancient golden magic circle suddenly rose beneath Atoris's feet.

Upon seeing this, Nie Duo's pupils suddenly contracted.

"The Ascension Ceremony of a Supreme God? Wait, isn't that something even the true gods of the High Court might not be able to master?"

Seeing Nie Duo's reaction, Xie Bai suddenly smiled smugly.

"Oh? I didn't expect you to recognize that thing. It seems you're quite knowledgeable. But to be precise, this isn't some kind of God-level ascension ceremony, but rather a ruling ascension ceremony that I've modified."

As he spoke, Xie Bai suddenly conjured another drop of pale blue blood and sent it into the ritual magic circle beneath Atoris's feet.

Seeing Xie Bai stuff so many things onto him, Atoris didn't even have time to be surprised at how Xie Bai got there before instinctively pushing him away.

"Um, I don't need these, my lord..."

Before she could finish speaking, Xie Bai pressed his index finger against Atoris's lips.

"Stop! What do you mean by 'need' or 'not need'?"

"Listen, you're mine. You have to accept whatever I say. Besides, since you're following me, you won't need to suffer. If you can't even do that, then what's the point of me becoming so strong?"

"Or are you saying you no longer consider me one of your own?"

Upon hearing this, Atoris's face immediately turned flustered, and he quickly denied it.

"No, no, that's not what I meant. I just wanted to say..."

"stop."

Xie Bai interrupted Atoris again.

"Now you represent my reputation. If you really don't want to let me down, then use all your skills to defeat that guy, including what I gave you."

"You need to show that bastard who the real challenger is."

After saying that, Xie Bai pushed Atoris back to the center of the battlefield.

While they were still struggling, the ascension ceremony had already fully integrated the divine essence of civilization and the blood of the witch, and was gradually moving closer to Atoris.

Although it cannot elevate Artoris's strength to the level of a true god in a short period of time, it is gradually transforming Artoris's body, causing her physical attributes to leap to a higher level.

Feeling the power gradually rising within him, Atoris took a deep breath and began to calm his mind.

"Yes, I understand, my lord."

Atoris nodded, then raised his crimson greatsword again and pointed it at Nido.

The promotion ceremony doesn't complete all the steps on its own; you still need to complete the final step yourself if you want to get promoted.

To complete the final step, one must return to facing the ultimate trial of Nido.

Only by overcoming her own inner fears and obstacles can she embrace the full power of the ritual and thus complete her final ascension.

Seeing that Atoris had regrouped, Nido temporarily put aside all his previous confusion.

After confirming that Xie Bai had reached a distance from the battlefield, he focused all his energy on Atoris and readjusted his own state.

Now, it seems that the person who should be skipping levels is no longer the other party.

……