Sky-Song Kingdom, Royal Palace, Treasure Hall.
A crowd of ministers respectfully knelt before Ian Song, seated on the throne. Three years had passed, and Sky-Song Kingdom's legitimacy was now recognized by the other God Nations.
"All of you may rise."
Ian Song gazed down slightly at the ministers below, raising his hand as he spoke.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
After court ended, Ian summoned Mona Meng and the others to his study.
With a casual wave of his hand—
—an energy-formed map appeared, suspended in midair inside the study.
"In the North Qin Kingdom, Heaven-Martial Kingdom, and Holy-Martial Kingdom, I've already subdued over ninety percent of the major city governors. Mona, tell me—which kingdom do you want to take over first?" Ian asked with a smile.
He had already completed the ultimate mission; once the trial ended, he would finally learn the truth and discover who created the System. So, his mood was especially carefree.
Hearing this, Mona Meng couldn't help but freeze for a moment, truly shocked. She hadn't imagined Ian Song would secretly subdue ninety percent of the city lords in three kingdoms—such a feat was nothing short of astonishing. Even as a fellow System Host, she felt a surge of genuine admiration and awe.
After a brief, thoughtful pause, Mona Meng analyzed, "North Qin's king is an eighth-layer Ancestral—so even with ninety percent of the major cities under control, trying to seize the throne would be risky and difficult. Heaven-Martial Kingdom is a much better fit: it's been bullied by North Qin for years, its king is spineless, and the people are already deeply resentful. If we take his place, it should be much easier."
Ian Song nodded with a relaxed smile. "Since you've set your sights on Heaven-Martial, we'll head there after a little break!" His gaze swept over the other five System Hosts. "Once Mona Meng succeeds, it'll be Xavier Cheng's turn to pick a kingdom!"
"Thanks, Ian!" Xavier Cheng replied with delight, while the other four Hosts couldn't help showing a hint of disappointment.
Xavier Cheng was clearly pleased, grinning broadly, while the other four Hosts showed a trace of regret at missing their chance.
As the saying goes, some bonds are closer than others. Though all six had come to support Ian Song, he was naturally much closer to Mona Meng and Xavier Cheng—after all, they'd been allies since the Immortal-World PK.
"By the way, how's Ethan Ye doing?" Ian Song asked, turning to Mona Meng.
Mona Meng answered, "These past years, Ethan Ye has performed brilliantly—he's outshone all the younger generation and has already been internally designated as the next clan head. Just recently, he broke through to the Creator Realm!"
At this, the other Hosts couldn't help but sigh. Back at the start, they'd all thought Ethan Ye had the greater advantage, but in the end it was Ian Song who succeeded in founding a nation—while Ethan still hasn't fully mastered his clan in Prosperia.
Fortunately, they'd chosen to follow Ian Song—at least now, they could see that completing their mission was finally within reach. If they'd put their hopes in Ethan Ye, who knows how long they'd have to wait.
The meeting ended.
The six of them left.
After Ian casually handled a few national affairs and was about to return to his cultivation, Mona unexpectedly came back.
"Mona, is there something you need?" Ian asked, a little puzzled.
"Can't I visit you for no reason?"
Mona gave a charming smile.
Ian chuckled. "Then let's take a walk together."
"Sure!"
After inheriting the throne, Ian hadn't changed anything about the palace architecture. To them, the Primordial Chaos Continent was just a temporary stop—they were here to complete their mission, not to enjoy luxury.
The two walked side by side through the scenic, treasure-filled palace. Ian, now the king, wore simple white robes instead of royal attire, his long black hair tied back with a cord, and his handsome face carried a gentle, spring-like smile.
Mona was also dressed in white, but hers was a long skirt. Her stylish short hair and stunning beauty made her and Ian look like a perfect couple—natural and harmonious.
"Ian, is it true you have a lot of wives?" Mona suddenly asked.
"That's right!" Ian nodded. "I'm a bit greedy and soft-hearted. I can't bear to let the women who love me be sad, and I won't let go of the ones I love. Life already has enough regrets—why add more for others?"
"You're just making excuses for your own fickleness." Mona laughed.
Ian smiled. "What about you? You've met plenty of handsome guys on your journey—never been tempted?"
Mona said, "Of course I've been tempted. Not afraid to admit it—when I first got the System, I even wanted to imitate the legendary Empress from our world's history and collect three thousand beautiful men for a harem."
"So, did you succeed?" Ian asked, amused.
Mona shook her head. "No. The higher my cultivation got, the higher my standards became. Ordinary guys just couldn't interest me. After the first Host PK, I realized that even with a System, if you slack off, you end up with nothing. So I focused all my energy on improving my cultivation. Especially after the second PK, I understood even more—this is a ruthless game, and a moment's laziness can mean elimination. Sure, if you fail, you just lose your memories and get sent back to an ordinary life, but I hate the idea of living like a normal person!"
"Don't worry, you'll definitely succeed in founding a nation this time. Even if you fail, there's still plenty of time left!" Ian comforted her.
Mona laughed again. "Yeah, with your help, I can't lose. I'm lucky I was able to 'see the future' and latch onto you early!"
"So how do you plan to thank me when you succeed?" Ian teased.
Mona stopped in her tracks, looked straight into Ian's eyes, and said, "I'll offer myself to you—do you dare accept?"
"Why wouldn't I? Not only do I dare, I'll start collecting interest right now!" Ian replied.
As he spoke, Ian suddenly pulled Mona into his arms and kissed her fiercely on her soft cherry lips.
............
A few days later.
The capital of Heaven-Martial Kingdom was thrown into chaos—the king died, and a woman named Mona Meng declared the founding of the Grand Dream Kingdom. The ten major city lords all acknowledged her as the new monarch.
A few days later.
North Qin, Westpeak, and Sky-Song all sent armies to attack.
But as soon as North Qin's army entered Grand Dream territory, six of their own major city lords suddenly rebelled. The king was furious and immediately recalled General Blake White and his million-strong army to crush the revolt.
With North Qin retreating, Sky-Song also pulled back. Westpeak saw there was nothing to gain and withdrew as well.
Just like with Sky-Song before, the supposed three-kingdom siege of Grand Dream collapsed without a decisive battle—the outcome was entirely shaped by Ian's Soul-Seizure web and strategic coordination.
Mona thus took her first major step toward completing her God-Nation-founding requirement, while Ian, having already fulfilled his, waited for the overall trial to end so he could finally learn the truth about the System and its mysterious creator.