The war reached a state of tranquility, and Shang was no longer required on the frontlines.

The border areas between the Lightning Manor and the Judgment Palace were designated as High Mage Zones, allowing the Judgment Palace to utilize their full power in defense.

Since the Judgment Palace had already been completely expelled from the Lightning Manor's territories, there was little for Shang to accomplish there.

He spent a few days focusing on reclaiming some territories from the other two Empires, but they didn't put up much resistance.

It seemed they were not particularly determined to retain these territories for the next 500 years, preferring to let the war settle down for now.

Finally, peace settled upon the world.

Over the course of the next 500 years, many generations of mortals would be born and die, their legends recounting the ancient war that had once ravaged the world for thousands of years.

But the war was truly over, and it would never return.

Yet, this period of ceasefire was only a brief respite for the Empires.

Shang withdrew from the frontlines after ten years of collective fighting, during which he had strategically placed thousands of attack flags.

Shang was likely the sole reason why the Lightning Manor had not been pushed into the northwestern quarter of their Empire.

The rules of the war heavily favored Battle-Strength, and one individual possessing extraordinary Battle-Strength could have a tremendous impact.

Retreating from the frontlines, Shang returned to his Isolation Barrier in the north.

His first priority was to reach the Early Sword Lord Realm.

The higher his Realm, the easier it would be for him to comprehend Destinations and Concepts.

Moreover, he no longer needed to remain at a lower level since he couldn't find worthy opponents anymore.

The Affinity Wheel had lost its usefulness, and he had already triumphed over the strongest Beast Lord when he was still in the Void Break Realm.

Additionally, Shang wasn't particularly fond of fighting humans, as there could be potential traitors among them.

If an opponent noticed anything suspicious, they might risk everything to eliminate Shang.

As a result, Shang found himself lacking opponents.

However, he had an idea of where he could find some.

Instead of reaching out to the Lightning Emperor, Shang contacted Amarius this time.

He requested an Isolation Chamber made from Eighth Rank materials, with a size of just one kilometer.

Amarius took a moment to calculate the requirements and expressed concerns about the amount of powerful ore needed, as well as the involvement of a Mage King in the creation process.

Shang suggested involving the Heartdevil Queen, who, to his knowledge, was not occupied with any other tasks.

Amarius cautioned Shang against speaking about his colleagues in such a manner, reminding him that the Heartdevil Queen was still a Mage King working for the Lightning Manor.

Shang insisted, and after a brief silence, Amarius acknowledged that Emilia might indeed be the right choice.

However, he mentioned that it would take several years and consume a significant portion of Shang's Contribution Points.

Shang accepted these conditions and informed Amarius that he would contact him again in about a century.

Conversations with Amarius were far easier for Shang than those with the Starlight Queen.

Shang had requested the Isolation Chamber for when he reached the later stages of the Sword Lord Realm.

His intention was to find opponents who could rival him without exposing his secrets, and Abominations were the only remaining option.

Although Shang had fought a few Abominations before, the encounters were never truly serious, as his authority always suppressed them, making it impossible for them to pose a threat.

However, Shang believed he could somehow convince the Abominations to engage him in a genuine fight.

For now, Shang returned to his Isolation Chambers and tested the true strength of the stronger one.

Although he was unsure of the precise level of the materials, Shang relentlessly struck the chamber's wall, gradually increasing his power.

Even using his full strength, the walls remained intact.

Shang then employed Void Break, delivering a more forceful blow that resulted in breaking his own arm.

While the wall vibrated, it dispersed the force through vibrations, like a sword.

Shang attempted the same with his sword, but the wall held firm.

Adding the Blade of Death to his sword and utilizing Void Break to further enhance his power, Shang managed to leave a scratch, although it was barely half a centimeter deep compared to the massive wall.

Shang concluded that the materials were likely of Mid Seventh Rank. Such materials couldn't be destroyed by an Early Seventh Rank Mage Lord, and only a few exceptional geniuses could achieve that feat.

For the time being, Mid Seventh Rank materials would suffice.

As long as Shang didn't unleash his full power against the walls, they would be sufficient even for the Early Sword Lord Realm.

Satisfied with his assessment, Shang summoned an Early Abomination Lord to gauge its power and determine if he could persuade it to engage in a real fight.