For a few months Pef and his new wife organized the newly conquered universe, sometimes breaking a few heads but the task went much easier with each converted Shin recruit adding to the impetus of the conquest.

Once the major bases of the Shin Admiralty and most of their high tier cultivators were subsumed into the Legion, Pef took a small break on a ring world encircling a gigantic blue star.

From his Shin recruits, Pef found out it took a million years and several Elder Gods to construct just an engineering marvel, although the investment paid itself back rapidly due to the gigantic population numbers that could be raised on such a ring world. The materials necessary to withstand the forces involved with such a gigantic construct had to be very resilient, and only Elder Gods could transmute sufficient quantities of adamantite and other rare compounds.

Pef turned towards Alchemist Rejin, "A sphere around a star would provide even more living space, right?"

The Alchemist nodded with a smile. "Yes, it would. Some Dian Gods have even crafted concentric spheres and the Dragon Emperor has shaped an entire universe into a single world."

Pef struggled for a moment to comprehend the size of such a world, before giving up. Perhaps his birth planet wasn't that large after all.

In fact, he too might be able to construct a planet like Lacrima now, if he had time and resources to waste.

"Why would the Dragons build such a gigantic world?" Pef asked with a frown.

Rejin chuckled. "You're a new God, so you don't understand the meaning of immortality. Do you have children?"

Pef nodded cautiously. "Three kids that survived until now and reached Saint rank. Dozens more that did not."

Rejin sighed and projected a red tree from his hand, branches splitting up into fractal shapes ever smaller. "Life for mortals is simple. People get born, have a few children, then die. But, what if they don't die? Population still grows. After billions and trillions of years, where will they live?"

While considering this, Pef measured the red tree until he figured out what it meant. "That is your family tree?"

The Alchemist nodded with a sad smile, as branches and leaves faded, leaving a dry husk instead. "These were only my immortal descendants. Over a billion grand-children, lost to the goliths invasion...and the subsequent clean-up."

Pef shivered, trying to imagine the pain of losing so many relatives. He had also lost wives and children, but the scale of this genocide was bewildering.

To his side Yue sobbed loudly, possibly being affected much worse.

"We shall avenge them, old man. There will be others like you, eager for revenge. And when we all unite and strike back..." Pef proposed in a grim voice.

The Alchemist just sighed in pain. "The Grand Alliance is already doing this, young boy. Every Xian, every race sends their best and brightest to the frontlines. And for a billion years they keep falling back, losing a universe after another. Perhaps it is destiny...all life must end." he muttered in a fatalistic tone.

Pef clenched his fist. "They didn't have me. And Yue here might be even stronger, once she trains her skills."

The ring on Yue's hand flashed, this time with a blue light and the Taotie appeared again. "These goliths...are so far above you that you do not even comprehend, silly boy. Perhaps if Master didn't fail his ascension...Anyways, you can't even hurt a regular Dian God, not to mention a golith. If my sweet Yue ascends to Dian rank, she will be able to release me and I'll take care of these goliths. I will eat them all!"

Pef glanced at Rejin who shook his head in negation. It didn't seem like a good idea then.

However, to his surprise Yue turned towards the glowing apparition and pointed an accusing finger. "Stop trying to influence my husband. You were not sealed and bound like this for your goods deeds. I've read the Jade Emperor's scripture and how difficult it has been to capture you, and the devastation you created when free!"

The devouring beast shrugged without concern. "It is my nature, my sweet host. If the Heavens didn't want me to have these powers, then why did I get them?"

'Maybe we can indoctrinate this Spirit badger, make it loyal and less murderous?' Pef wondered inward.

The glove took a while to answer. 'Perhaps, but I doubt it. Not even Word Guns will affect the Taotie. Its nature will simply Devour any attack, and shrug off any compulsions. That Jade Emperor almost reached Tier 8 and still didn't manage to completely subdue it.'

Pef searched his other memories for a solution, and although it didn't fit very well, it was a start. There had been other murderous beasts sealed before, and the hero still managed to turn them their side.

"Yue, the badger will make a great teacher for you. It must know millions of combat abilities and cultivation skills. You must learn everything it knows." he spoke with a serious tone.

His wife raised her eyes in surprise before turning to her spirit beast. "Grandpa Tao, will you teach me?"

The blue-glowing beast stared at the young woman for a long minute, before glancing at Pef with a wry look. "Don't think I don't know what you're trying to do, Legion Soldier! However, Yue has the bloodline of my Master. She is worthy to learn."

Pef grinned widely and took out an eye from the Flame-Eagle Godbeast. "I ate one of these before, and gained the voidsense skill. I can't help you with time skills, but space is useful too. And thanks, old badger. Yue means the sky to me."

The Taotie scoffed and grabbed the Godbeast's eye, before turning into a indigo sphere with Yue inside.

"You have an entire Godbeast in your glove?" Rejin asked with a curious voice.

"I might. Why, you need something for it?" our hero asked with a sly smile.

"Just show me the carcass, boy! I'll have to see what I have to work with." the Alchemist demanded gruffly.

Pef took out the Godbeast's corpse and allowed the Alchemist to conduct his examination, then watched in amazement as the old man swiftly dismantled the beast into various containers and jars, preserving each organ separately and storing the blood into a large white jade cistern.

Various grunts and snorts could be heard sometimes as the beast was being dissected and bones and feathers were being placed aside.

"It is good the body isn't damaged too much. The claws can be forged into decent weapons, while the feathers will make the base for various support artifacts like fans or shields. The skull itself can be shaped into a good armor, while the organs can be transformed into Universe Pills...as for the blood, start making more wine." Rejin said with a concentrated voice, lost in his work.

Pef smiled as he recalled his wife Lin, who was also a crafter and had the same focused demeanor when presented with a nice bone to forge.

He began making more Godwine, while the Alchemist produced a gigantic purple cauldron at least 50 meters wide and began his own alchemy magic, throwing plants and seeds into the cauldron, while a green flame covered the base of the cauldron.

Luckily, Pef had obtained vast quantities of Spirit Rice Wine from his Shin recruits, which had excellent quality, as expected of the personal reserves of an Elder God.

By the time the first barrels of Godwine were getting brewed, the Alchemist had finished setting up his cauldron and was simply waving his hands in arcane gestures.

"Start invoking the Heaven Tribulation now!" Rejin demanded as the smell of the cauldron became more potent.

Pef nodded and had his inner Avatars unleash their Voidsplitter skills, which was immediately followed by black Tribulation clouds gathering above him.

"How do I condense the Tribulation? I've never done..." he wondered in a small voice.

"Just come here and hold your hands out. I'll do the rest." Rejin grumbled without stopping his voodoo spells.

The sky flashed in Heaven's anger and the tribulations began to fall, only to be diverted above the cauldron and transformed into liquid lightning, that poured into the purple cauldron like a waterfall.

"More! At this strength we will need nine thousands bolts!" the Alchemist ordered in a hurried tone.

Gritting his teeth, Pef began producing more tribulations. Although a vast portion was diverted into the cauldron, so many Tier 5 tribulations were beginning to overwhelm Pef, so he took out a Godwine gourd and took a few gulps to restore his energy.

One must know that the normal tribulation that most cultivators experienced when Ascending was much milder than these punishment lightning bolts, and they were mostly meant to prepare the cultivator's body and qi meridians for the rigors of the next realm.

What Pef did wasn't by any means normal, and many would consider invoking Heaven's Tribulation an insanity.

Even Pef sometimes doubted his sanity, especially while suffering from the pain descending from the Heavens. Still, there were advantages as well in doing this, not only to strengthen one's body but also to damage enemies, or in this case steal the energy of Heavens to produce ascension pills.

Each lightning bolt had enough power to fuel a star for millennia, and they all poured into the giant cauldron in thunderous gold and black waves.

"Nine thousands bolts, coming up!" Pef shouted in pain, as the blue jade armor around him began to slowly disintegrate under the constant assault.

Rejin glanced silently at the young Soldier, then produced a lid for the cauldron just as the electric waterfall ended. Booms and shrieks resounded from inside the cauldron, and the artifact trembled and shuddered as if immense explosions took place inside.

With a flick, the green flames subsided into a soft glow, while Pef crashed to his knees still gasping from the pain. Yue rushed to his side and tenderly patted his head and arms, trying to ease the pain. "You are a bit crazy, hubby. So many tribulations, and strong ones as well.." she whispered in awe and concern.

"Hah! I hope it was worth it." he answered in-between sharp breaths.

The green glow around the cauldron vanished and the Alchemist nodded with a proud smile. "We shall see soon, but I sensed a few three-line pills had formed. I do great work, even without the Nine Universe Array we had in our guild."

Pef had no idea what the Alchemist spoke of, but he smiled anyway. "That sounds great indeed. What are these three-line pills?" he asked as his pain subsided.

Both the Alchemist and the blue-glowing Taotie, even Yue and the nearby Elder Shin scowled at Pef's ignorance.

"Ignorant boy, a three-line pill is ten times more effective. It can also cross realms and ascend Highgods directly into Universe realm!" the spirit badger admonished Pef with a disgusted voice.

Pef just scratched his cheek, and turned toward the Alchemist. "Is that the best type of pill?"

Rejin sighed and sat down in his chair, then began sipping some Godwine. After a few minutes he began to speak. "There is a higher class of pills, known as cloud-pills, covered in a permanent lightning cloud that preserves them forever, even outside a jade bottle. They are also much more potent, and even work on mortals. Those that ingest a Universe rank pill with a cloud will reach the peak of Universe Realm strength, no matter what their cultivation was before."

"How long until you can open the cauldron?" Pef asked with a hopeful voice.

Rejin gazed at his purple cauldron for a moment, and began drinking again. "Best if we wait a year or two. Sometimes the condensed tribulation continues its work, and better pills might form. Plus, it is very hot inside. Even I would get burned badly."

The Taotie beast didn't seem impressed and snorted in contempt. "It won't burn me at all. Just say it, my dear host, and I can take out a few pills." it spoke towards Yue.

Pef nodded gently, as he was curious to see the beast in action. Even when sealed and limited by that ring, the spirit beast was apparently more powerful than a Tier 7 Alchemist.

Yue observed the cauldron with warry eyes for a moment. "We invested a lot into these pills, Grandpa Tao. We should not damage our future for immediate gains. We can wait two years."

The Taotie beast just snorted and flew above the cauldron. "I never said I had to open it now, sweet Yue. This cauldron, although it is a separate space and is sealed tight, it has been open before and will be open in the future. This grandpa just needs to find the right time, and ... return."

With a swipe of its ghostly paw, the Taotie flew back as if an elastic band drew it back towards its violet metal ring. Then he opened the claw to present a regular Universe Pill and another one with three purple lines circling the jade-blue pill.

Yue gently stored the pills into a jade bottle and smiled gratefully. "I need to learn that skill too, Grandpa Tao!"

The spirit beast growled as if annoyed and vanished.

"Soooo, how many pills did we get?" Pef wondered with a wide smile.

The Alchemist did a hand wave towards the cauldron and turned. "About 80 pills. I think there are three more three-line pills as well. Quite a good batch from a single Godbeast, must have been a powerful one."