I Am Hades, Lord of the Underworld!

The Heavenly Realm, the Ocean Realm, the Underworld, the Mortal Realm, and the Star Realm.

These constitute the complete system of a world, forming a unified whole. Hades, using a clever approach, had initially created the Underworld. Although at the beginning there were no apparent issues with this method, eventually, as the foundational challenges of the sky, earth, Pillar of Heaven, and the four elements (earth, water, fire, wind) were overcome, the subsequent challenge became evident.

What came next was the greatest challenge: the creation of a world. This is not as simple as it sounds.

Consider Gaia, who created the world. The result? Since the birth of the mythical world, Gaia has been in a state of near-death, exhausted from her efforts. This fact alone highlights that creating a world is not a trivial matter; it requires immense effort and sacrifice, and is incredibly draining for any being.

Therefore, Hades chose a clever method, the simplest one: creating the Star Realm, Heavenly Realm, Ocean Realm, and Mortal Realm in the same way as the Underworld. Although these realms were initially crafted, as the World Tree grows, the entire world would expand and stabilize. This method, while clever, ensured steady and stable growth.

The downside, however...

While others might experience explosive growth later on, Hades's method would result in slower, more gradual improvement, akin to a steady stream.

But this was something Hades was quite content with. He was not in a rush, and everything could progress at its own pace.

Just as he was doing now, Hades sent the 365 stars he had plundered from the mythical world—including the sun and moon—into the Underworld.

More accurately, Hades sent all the stars into the World Tree, which gradually began to connect them one by one.

As time passed, the Underworld began to radiate different lights. Although it still maintained the characteristic tones of the Underworld, the outward appearance and overall feel showed a significant transformation.

It felt as though the Underworld had undergone a tremendous change.

"Hmm..." Hades quietly sensed the changes within the World Tree, softly whispering to himself, "It has begun to gestate. This proves that the plan can succeed."

"The Star Realm now mirrors the Underworld. As long as it continues to grow slowly, it will be fine."

"Now then..."

Hades began controlling the World Tree, gradually modifying the stars to create a Star Realm suitable for the Underworld. The core of his creation was the Underworld, and the mythical world he envisioned would ultimately center around the Underworld.

Naturally, this required a localized adaptation. When the Heavenly Realm, Ocean Realm, and Mortal Realm were eventually formed, they too would undergo similar localization.

As time went on, 365 blood-red stars hung in the sky of the Underworld, with two of them emitting distinct colors—those were the sun and moon. But regardless of their appearance, it was clear from the sight:

"The Star Realm has been preliminarily formed."

"However..."

"The feedback from the World Tree isn't significant. It seems there are still many issues."

Hades was well aware of the numerous problems. Simply gestating a Star Realm was akin to crafting a single gear within a vast mechanism. To have the entire system function fully, it required more than just this small part. It wasn't something that could be resolved so easily or quickly.

Hades understood this well and continued to contemplate further.

"The creation of the Star Realm proves that the plan is feasible."

"Next."

"I need to integrate the Heavenly Realm, Ocean Realm, and Mortal Realm gradually into the Underworld, and then modify them through the World Tree to create a world that fits the Underworld, ultimately forming a complete world structure."

"In this way, the next level of enhancement can be achieved."

"However..."

"I still need to find the three remaining divine beasts of water, fire, and wind. There are some clues about the Wind Beast, but the focus should be on the beasts of water and fire."

"Aside from that..."

After completing the Underworld's version of the Star Realm, Hades began to contemplate even more.

There were simply too many things to consider. His own cultivation seemed to have reached a bottleneck and entered a stagnant phase for the time being.

Because of this, Hades had many things to think about. Starting from the foundation, he needed to methodically enhance his cultivation speed, whether it be through the cultivation of laws, nurturing the divine kingdom, or harnessing faith energy.

These three paths required careful consideration and a steady progression.

If the path of nurturing the divine kingdom and faith energy ultimately proves unfeasible, he would have to find a way to obtain pure Ultimate Power and then continue his ascent to the level of an Ancient God.

In conclusion, Hades had much to ponder, and beyond that...

However!

"The path of nurturing the divine kingdom still has some stable possibilities. The World Tree, the Underworld, and the Underworld Gods are inherently interconnected. Since the World Tree cannot be significantly enhanced in the short term..."

"Then."

"The best course of action is to focus on the Underworld Gods, using the power they generate to enhance the World Tree."

Hades was now considering his second plan.

The World Tree, the Underworld, and the Underworld Gods were all interconnected. The stars created by the Underworld Gods were gradually transforming into hellish entities. Over time, these stars would evolve into a complete hell.

In this scenario, the power generated by the Underworld Gods could be fed back into the World Tree, creating a virtuous cycle that would ultimately benefit Hades and open up new paths for further progress.

"However..."

"The cultivation of the divine kingdom is only one aspect. The cultivation of faith energy also needs to be considered. I will need to recruit and cultivate a larger number of followers."

Hades reflected on this issue, recognizing the importance of followers. It was no trivial matter.

After all!

Now that he had the statues of faith and the embryonic form of faith-based artifacts, his faith energy would gradually stabilize and grow.

Finally, there was the search for Ultimate Power, which he needed to break through his current barriers.

In summary, every path requires careful preparation.

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