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A beam of golden light descended directly onto the central square of the Holy Spirit Imperial Capital.
"I, Hu Han—ahem, no!
I, Ye Wen, have returned!"
Unlike when his divine consciousness had remained on Douluo Star, Ye Wen felt an overwhelming sense of comfort upon returning to this planet. It was as if the entire world was rejoicing at his arrival.
The grandeur of Ye Wen's return naturally caught the attention of all the god-level experts across Douluo Star.
Since they had long anticipated Ye Wen's eventual return, all the god-level experts—and even demi-gods and quasi-gods—had gathered at the center of this world.
When they finally saw Ye Wen's figure, everyone bowed respectfully and exclaimed in unison:
"Welcome back, Vast Sea God King!!!"
Faced with their reverence, Ye Wen said nothing, instead savoring this unprecedented sense of accomplishment.
After a moment, Ye Wen spoke. "Rise. Warriors who participated in the battle, follow me."
As Ye Wen walked past, a group of god-level experts neatly fell into line behind him and entered the Holy Spirit Council Hall.
The reason Ye Wen had delayed his return for so long was naturally to clean up the aftermath of the divine war.
Those enviable spoils of war were no ordinary treasures.
As relics left behind by gods who had survived in the god realm for countless years, there was no guarantee they didn't contain hidden traps or contingencies.
This was precisely why Ye Wen had repeatedly warned these god-level experts not to hoard any spoils privately.
Though a three-on-one fight could overwhelmingly crush the opponent, the longevity of those gods was no joke. Who knew what kind of applications they might have developed for their divine souls out of sheer boredom?
At the very least, Ye Wen had uncovered over a dozen hidden contingencies among the spoils. Fortunately, the issues were minor and promptly neutralized by Ye Wen.
Who could blame Ye Wen for having the ability to analyze divine skills? Though seemingly unremarkable, such auxiliary divine skills truly shone in moments like these.
Next came the much-anticipated segment of rewarding contributions.
You can't expect a horse to run without feeding it grass.
The fervent gazes of the god-level experts made even Ye Wen feel somewhat uneasy, fearing that if he withheld their rewards, they might lash out on the spot.
Such was the complexity of human nature.
In this divine war, aside from Ye Wen's family as the main pillars, the ones who contributed the most were naturally his ten direct disciples and the core members of Tian Xing Academy.
But Douluo Star was no longer the feudal era of old; everything required solid evidence.
With a wave of his hand, Ye Wen summoned hundreds of screens into the air.
"These are the video recordings of this divine war, and they will serve as the basis for evaluating contributions and distributing rewards."
As the footage played, the god-level experts carefully observed.
At their current level, their brains had developed to an extraordinary degree, allowing them to watch hundreds of screens without feeling overwhelmed.
Gradually, a ranking list quietly formed.
Names of individuals renowned across Douluo Star appeared at the top.
None of the god-level experts objected. On the contrary, they understood that it was these individuals who had borne the brunt of the pressure from the first-tier gods' insane combat prowess. Otherwise, their peak second-tier god-level existences would have been utterly crushed.
Though it couldn't be denied that their equipment played a significant role, who could argue with the fact that they were the disciples and trusted followers of Douluo's big brother Ye Wen?
Such dynamics were reasonable in human society, and they had genuinely fought on the frontlines. There was nothing to complain about.
"Do any of you have objections?" Ye Wen asked softly.
Silence filled the hall.
Ye Wen nodded calmly and then announced,
"In that case, let us formally begin the evaluation of contributions and distribution of rewards.
First Place Contribution: Huo Rui. Reward: A complete set of second-tier divine armor.
Second Place Contribution: Yang Wudi. Reward: A complete set of second-tier divine armor.
Third Place Contribution: Dugu Xin. Reward: A complete set of second-tier divine armor.
...
Tenth Place Contribution: Yang Chen. Reward: A complete set of second-tier divine armor."
The rewards for the top ten contributors were uniformly second-tier divine armor, capable of enabling first-tier gods to unleash power comparable to God Kings—a status equivalent to super divine artifacts.
As for why Ye Wen didn't award divine cores to these hardworking individuals, it was because he had already bestowed divine cores upon them before the war began.
Huo Rui: War God
Huo Quan: Martial God
Su Qiaoqiao: Medicine God
Hu Rou: Speed God
Xu Teng: Binding God
Wang Bao: Medicine God
Dugu Xin: Poison God
Though not every disciple received a divine core, each one was perfectly suited to their abilities.
Thanks to the bountiful harvest from this war, Ye Wen now possessed enough resources to officially guide all his direct disciples onto the path of godhood.
Beyond the top thirty names on the contribution list, other factions began to appear.
However, Ye Wen no longer intended to read them aloud, letting them view the rankings themselves.
Of the former top three sects, only two remained.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect, now renamed the Dragon Soul Sect, was one of them.
Yu Yuan Zhen had long perished in the river of time due to various reasons.
The current leader of the Dragon Soul Sect was a god-level expert with the martial soul of the Holy Light Dragon, a descendant of Yu Xiaogang. He gazed at his ranking with unrestrained joy.
Over the millennia, countless geniuses had emerged, gradually diminishing the influence of the older powers.
Though the Dragon Soul Sect still possessed a god-level expert and wasn't in dire straits, this time they had indeed gained considerable prestige.
In comparison, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect—now renamed the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect—shone brilliantly. Not only had its name changed, but the sect now boasted ten god-level experts guarding its foundation. Truly, it was the most investment-savvy sect.
On the rankings, Ning Fengzhi, along with the former Sword Elder Chen Xin and Bone Elder Gu Rong, also ranked highly, each receiving divine cores tailored to their abilities.
Though they were only second-tier gods, the divine cores fit them perfectly.
There was no helping it—they were connected to Ye Wen through familial ties, practically in-laws.
Ning Feng Zhi: Fortune God
Chen Xin: Sword God
Gu Rong: Defense God
Though only second-tier gods, their potential was undeniable. One could only say their previous incarnations were too weak.
The remaining god-level experts also received treasures that suited their preferences.
Unfortunately, the total number of divine cores was limited, unable to satisfy the needs of all 300 god-level experts to break through to the third-tier god realm.
Though the god-level experts coveted the first-tier divine cores Ye Wen hadn't distributed, they all understood those were off-limits to them.
To be honest, their primary targets in this war were the weaker second- and third-tier gods. The top-tier first-tier gods had been eliminated by Ye Wen's faction, sparing them much trouble. They should even thank Ye Wen for shielding them from those overwhelmingly powerful foes, preventing them from being placed at a disadvantage.
Thus, Douluo Star's first-ever divine spoils division—or rather, divine merit-based reward ceremony—officially concluded.
Though the god-level experts hadn't heard Ye Wen's plans for the future, they all knew he was bound to make significant moves.
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