The Annihilator: Killer Of Gods

The runes lit up, humming a distinct sound. Nine larger, brighter runes appeared, more condensed and solid.

Karsha instantly realized there was a secret code to open the portal. Although the portal in front of him appeared open, he felt no pull from within as he had with all the other portals he had seen.

"So that's how it is," Karsha murmured, shaking his head before pressing the runes in various patterns.

After pressing the runes more than 200 times, the portal shook, and the golden light within it began shifting in a chaotic pattern. This continued for a few seconds before it finally came to a standstill.

"No wonder Xian's sister was the only one who managed to enter; she must have some extraordinary yin-type constitution," Karsha thought to himself before turning to face Xian and his family.

"I'll be going in now, Xian. Make sure everything is packed by the time I come out. Morris will be around, so don't worry about anything." He gave them a slight nod before entering. They watched the portal for a moment before heading back to start packing.

One day had already passed, leaving them a little over four days to prepare. Any further delay would mean leaving some things behind. Although Karsha had plans to buy a large house for them, having some of their belongings would make it feel more like home.

Once they left, there was no telling when they would return. They had stayed in this place mainly because of the divine garden, and now that Karsha had arrived, they felt free to go anywhere they wished and make a new home. Home is where there is peace, not necessarily where you are born and raised.

"This place is lit," Karsha said as he walked through the portal and emerged on the other side. Before him stretched an entire world—a world filled with greenery, a sun, and Karsha was sure even a moon.

It was, after all, a divine artifact. In grading items, especially weapons, there are Common, Rare, Epic, Legendary, Earth, Heaven, and Divine. Often, just before the divine grade, there are Pseudo-Divine items.

These grades aren't simply for show—a Heaven-grade sword is many times more powerful than an Earth-grade one.

Even within the same grade, such as Heaven grade, the difference between a High Tier and Low Tier sword is vast. However, this tier comparison applies only to items Heaven-grade and below.

For Divine-grade items, there are four tiers: Copper, Gold, Diamond, and Platinum. These tiers determine the item's strength, and the divine garden was a Platinum Tier Divine Grade item.

This meant that even though it was just a treasure, its value far exceeded what Karsha could imagine. He didn't feel the need to dwell on this thought and instead began exploring the area, taking in the various eye-catching sights.

There were beautiful streams and bodies of water, some exuding different types of energy, and within them swam countless varieties of fish.

"This brings back memories," Karsha murmured, watching the fish. He instantly remembered the old woman who tricked him into accepting the Divine Alchemist's legacy.

Back then, he had only wanted directions to the nearest town, but he ended up walking away with divine knowledge in the Art of Alchemy—wisdom from the Primordial era. A Knowledge so rare that even the slightest hint of it could drive many to madness in pursuit.

"Is that a statue?" After wandering for a while and using his third eye to survey the area, Karsha sensed a figure about three miles from his location. He immediately made his way toward it. As he drew closer, he could see the statue more clearly.

"It's the old man," Karsha muttered, moving closer. But he halted a few meters away when a familiar voice emanated from the statue.

"You know it's not polite to call your elders 'old men,'" the voice chided. Karsha was momentarily startled but quickly recovered—he recognized the voice.

"Master," he said, sounding a little happy for some unknown reason.

"Tsk, now you remember I'm your master. Unfilial brat."

Karsha just smiled. He had already given the sect elders permission to call him a brat, and now his master seemed to have taken a liking to the nickname as well. As for others—if they didn't want their balls crushed, they'd better not call him a brat.

(A/N: The Divine Alchemist's name is Rizz, so from now on, whenever they interact, I will use the name "Master Rizz" to represent him.)

"Tell me, what is the highest grade of pill you can concoct?" Master Rizz asked.

"With the strength of my pill flame, I can concoct Tier 4 Earth-Grade pills, but with a stronger flame, I'd be able to make Tier 7 Earth-Grade," Karsha replied.

"Not bad. It seems you haven't been slacking off," Master Rizz said, sounding pleased. "I'd have been disappointed if you were still struggling with King-Grade pills," he added.

"Well, this disciple of yours isn't just handsome; he's also brilliant," Karsha bragged.

"Tsk, add shameless to the list. But your progress so far is still lacking. You should be making waves in your world. Tell me, how many beauties have you pulled in so far?" Karsha was taken aback but quickly recovered. It seemed he and his master were on the same wavelength.

"Well, only one so far. I've been a bit busy fighting for my life," Karsha admitted. The first time he met this old man, Rizz had felt distant, like a mere ghost, but now the feeling was different—almost as if he were right in front of him in person. This filled Karsha with a strange joy, even though he didn't know why.

"Tsk, still lacking," Master Rizz chuckled.

"Says the man who only married one wife," Karsha fired back. For a moment, there was silence, and then they both burst into hearty laughter.

"You've got guts, brat. Seems the Hell Sister didn't make a mistake," Master Rizz says.

"Although you are making progress, Earth-Grade, and even Heaven-Grade pills are trash. You might feel accomplished as an Alchemist now, but let me tell you, the world of alchemy is vast. If you're satisfied after concocting an Earth-Grade pill, you're not going to get anywhere.

Heaven-grade pills are nothing when true alchemy comes into play. Real alchemy begins when you start concocting Divine pills. In alchemy, aside from Common, King, Earth, and Heaven grades, there are also Divine, Ancient, Mythical, Supreme, Celestial, and God grades," Master Rizz explained, and Karsha's heart shook at the revelation.

He'd been carrying himself with pride ever since he began concocting Earth-Grade pills, feeling like a true Alchemist. But hearing his master now, he realized he hadn't even scratched the surface.

The knowledge he'd gained from the initial memory transfer and from Master Artemis was clearly incomplete. He had thought that after Heaven grade, only Divine and God grades existed, but he'd been deceiving himself.

"Alchemy is broad. Even I don't know if there are pills beyond these stages. After all, I only had access to 10 percent of the knowledge from the Primordial Pill Records." Karsha felt numb hearing this.

If his master, who had traversed a path carved from the Primordial era, achieving supreme status in alchemy, had only been able to access 10 percent of that knowledge, then how was he supposed to fare when he was still so lacking?

"Don't be disheartened. To be honest, your progress is already faster than I had anticipated. The fact that you can already concoct Tier 4 Earth-Grade pills is commendable, but I know you can do even better."

Karsha felt slightly better. Receiving praise from one's master is something every disciple longs for.

"The Art of Alchemy is vast and powerful. You can rise to its peak as an alchemist. I know you are also a martial cultivator, but no matter how high you ascend, alchemy will always be necessary for further progress. There is no other way. If you want to become the strongest, focus on alchemy and always strive to learn something new."

Karsha sighed. He had wanted to keep alchemy as a side pursuit, but from what he was hearing, there was no way around it. Pills were essential for advancing in martial cultivation. He needed to progress in all areas. His knowledge in alchemy and his strength in martial cultivation would both skyrocket if developed together.

'My thinking was too small. Thank you, old man; this disciple understands what he must do,' Karsha thought inwardly.

"I assume you've joined an Alchemy Guild and obtained a badge. Tell me, what is your current level and badge color?" Master Rizz asked.

Karsha smiled before responding, "I signed up a few days ago and will be receiving a Saint Rank Bronze badge. I didn't want to appear too flashy, so I requested Bronze instead of Gold due to certain issues."

"Tsk, what's the point of hiding if you know what you're doing? Remember this: Alchemists are the most respected and feared figures in the entire universe. A single word from them can collapse the economy of an entire world. Perhaps you're still not fully exposed to the world of alchemy—that's why your thinking is so limited.

A time will come when your badge alone can make an emperor bow to you. The power embedded in those badges is something no one in their right mind will underestimate. If you want fame and power, my advice is to take your rank and status seriously."

"Thank you for the advice, Master. But could you tell me how many rankings there are in alchemy?" Karsha asked, realizing he might be wrong about this as well, just as he had been about the grading of pills. And as expected, he was indeed mistaken—completely wrong.