Chapter 274: Divine Speculation

“From today onward, I’m the principal of Bell Tower. Anyone who objects can stand up now.”

Zuo Meng sat down in the chair. Apart from him and Li Zheng’s group he’d brought in, everyone else remained sprawled on the floor, unable to twitch a finger. At his words, the people in the room nearly coughed up blood – they wanted to stand too, if only he’d let them move!

“No objections? Then it’s settled.”

Zuo Meng flicked his wrist, altering gravity’s pull. The Vice Principal and visiting professors went tumbling out like discarded trash. He hadn’t come to hear opinions, only to announce the final outcome.

Bell Tower had new leadership.

The repercussions were immediate. Companies tied to the former principal and Director collapsed in the ordinary world. The rising Li Family rode this momentum to crush rivals and become financial giants, while secretly cementing their position in the Transcendent World as the new principal’s subordinate force.

The Transcendent Realm buzzed with wilder tales by the day.

Some claimed a newly awakened high-ranking extraordinary being had seized Bell Tower through sheer ambition. Others whispered of puppet masters from neighboring Yuzhou pulling strings, with millions perishing in secret regional wars during the power transition.

Zuo Meng, the subject of these rumors, remained utterly indifferent.

His silence became permission. Who would dare curb gossip that might originate from the man who’d crushed the Former Principal? To them, Zuo Meng was the ultimate ruthless demon – the kind who’d slaughter without hesitation. Let the rumors rage.

“They keep this drivel as accumulated knowledge?”

Trash!

With the principal’s office key, Zuo Meng accessed the restricted archives. Highest clearance meant unlimited access, yet what he found disappointed him.

Bell Tower ranked among the world’s top factions, ancient yet formidable. Yet their treasured knowledge barely surpassed mediocre. Using this to decode universal rules? Pure fantasy.

‘At this rate, I might as well go get struck by lightning!’

He snorted at the thought. The Origin World wouldn’t tolerate such recklessness. Lightning strikes he could endure – expulsion from this world he couldn’t risk. Without this world’s unique energy signature, relocating it in the primordial chaos would prove impossible.

“Divine Kingdom Theory?”

His gaze caught on an odd notebook in the folklore section. Though clearly handled before, it always returned to this dusty corner – even the Former Principal had dismissed it as myth.

The pages revealed an unconventional knowledge system.

Pre-Transcendent eras saw deities ruling the world – Sky Gods commanding heavens, Earth Gods governing land, with divine rulers for seas, sun, moon, and stars. All vanished during some ancient calamity, leaving only legends. The author had spun these tales into a hypothetical Transcendent path – laughable speculation no sane person would pursue.

Establish Divine Kingdoms!

Zuo Meng’s interest sparked. Successful divine kingdom creation could revolutionize his efforts. The theory suggested deified Transcendents would grasp world authority – essentially becoming rule administrators, much like his appointed saints.

“Externalized rules? Worth testing.”

Deification meant manifesting rules. Once achieved, research methods would be his to decide.

He summoned Bell Tower’s least popular professors to verify myths. Trembling initially, they blossomed when realizing his pure academic interest, flooding him with legends that sharpened his historical understanding.

As Zuo Meng buried himself in ancient mythos, the academy’s turmoil subsided. His fearsome reputation deterred challengers – most factions still probed cautiously. Reckless actors didn’t exist at this level; interests were too entangled for rash moves.

Small nations might war over trifles, but great powers – Transcendent or otherwise – couldn’t afford such luxury.

Three months later.

Zuo Meng compiled his findings.

Transcendent ranks split into lower, middle, and upper tiers. Lower tiers barely surpassed ordinary people, vulnerable to firearms. Middle tiers wielded uncanny abilities – curses, soul-devouring techniques – beyond conventional weapons. Upper tiers became essentially inhuman, marked by bodily spiritualization. The Former Principal Zuo Meng killed had achieved single-arm spiritualization.

“Tier One represents the upper tier’s peak. This world lacks true Tier Ones – none have reached completion.”

Missing Tier One cultivation methods blocked full spiritualization. Zuo Meng theorized complete bodily spiritualization would let upper-tier Transcendents establish Spirit Realm Divine Kingdoms, ignite sacred fire, and become rule embodiments – this world’s true deities.

“Pity there’s no deities left to dissect. Rules would’ve been clearer.”

Had anyone heard his thoughts, they’d deem him insane beyond redemption.

“What obliterated the deities? Whose hand?”

An old professor’s theory resurfaced in his mind – deities had been expelled by some overwhelming force. To eject rule-wielding gods required power surpassing theirs in regulatory mastery.

“Master and Junior Sister’s absence… Were they expelled with the gods?”

He’d tracked their energy here. Had they remained, he’d have sensed them.