《Myth: The Ruler of Spirituality》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 ¡°In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.¡± ¡°The earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.¡± ¡°And God said, ¡®Let there be light,¡¯ and there was light.¡± ¡°God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness.¡± ¡°God called the light ¡®day,¡¯ and the darkness He called ¡®night.¡¯ There was evening, and there was morning¡ªthe first day.¡± ¡ª¡ªGenesis ¡­ ¡°Another year.¡± On the barrennd, Laine awoke from his slumber. Looking around, the familiar yet strangend seemed as if it had never changed. Many years had passed since he came to this world, but Laine still wasn¡¯t used to the emptiness and destion. Unlike the divine creation recorded in the Bible, Chaos evolved from chaos, which he had witnessed with his own eyes. Therefore, it didn¡¯t beplete in a mere seven days; instead, it still seemed deste and broken. But today was different because as Laine was awakened, he could clearly sense that a new deity was about to be born. ¡°The twelve Titans, finally, the day hase¡­¡± Feeling the rhythm of thews and the waves of the Origin Sea, Laine looked up. At the far horizon, magnificent ribbons of color danced in the sky, and the tremors of thews became more intense. That was the sign of the birth of a new god. This was not the first time. In the newly born Chaos World, Laine had witnessed the birth of many gods¡ªone of them was just seven hundred years ago. Of course, in the newly opened world, ¡°year¡± was an inappropriate term because there was no sun and moon, no changing of seasons, and naturally, there was no concept of ¡°year.¡± But Laine liked to use it, so chaotic Chaos got its second term for counting time, ¡°year.¡± It is worth mentioning that the first term ¡°day¡± was also created by Laine after he witnessed the birth of the sovereign of the night, the triune ancient god Nyx. Therefore, he acquired the power of chronology. But unfortunately, power isn¡¯t authority, this was only a nascent form of godhood, so Laine remained the God of Spirituality. ¡°Cronus and Rhea, the true masters of time, are about to be born.¡± With a long sigh, Laine leaned against the excavated cave, gazing at the transforming spectacle between heaven and earth. Even with a deity¡¯s perception, across the boundlessnd that knew no borders, he could not sense the origin of everything. But Laine didn¡¯t need to ¡®see¡¯ because the sky and the earth wereing together. Regardless of which corner of the world, atop hills, beneath the oceans, the breath of desire was ascending, and new life was being conceived. For thousands of years, in Laine¡¯s observation, the newborn Chaos World differed fromter myths, but the birth of the deities seemed essentially the same. All things originated from the dark void, and the vastnd was born alongside Mother Earth. Before the sky existed, the Lady of the Night dominated the infinite void, while chaos-filled Tartarus appeared in his sleep below all things. As the first being in the world with self-awareness, Laine witnessed the birth of the Primordial Gods, and thus Chaos weed its first batch of creatures. Latterly, under the world¡¯s calling and Mother Earth¡¯s gestation, the sky, the ocean, and the mountains appeared in session. Uranus, Pontus, and Ourea were born from it, pushing Chaos closer to aplete world. Now, one thousand three hundred ¡®years¡¯ since Laine began marking time, Gaia¡¯s eldest son, the Heavenly Father Uranus, married his nurturer, and the twelve Titan gods were about toe into this world. Of course, at this time, there were no ¡°Titans¡±. They were the great primordial gods, born of the Heavenly Father and Mother Earth, supreme beings who possessed mighty powers from birth. Thews of the world would be perfected with their birth, and the throne of the Divine King would crown the ruler of the sky due to the manifestation of paternity. Aside from Laine, there may or may not have been Eros, who seemed to have died momentarily upon birth, he would be the first Divine King. ¡°But this has nothing to do with me.¡± Shaking his head, under Laine¡¯s divinely inspired eyes, thews of the world leaped forward towardspletion. The barren Chaos was gaining color with the birth of the new gods, bing more prosperous and thriving. However, the bustle was theirs; Laine had nothing. As a weak transmigrated spirit god, his power didn¡¯t evenpare to a single hair of the sky¡¯s ruler. Thousands of years ago, when he first arrived at the beginning of heaven and earth, Laine was very confused. Other transmigrators might be reborn or seize a body, or perhaps return to life in a corpse with soul fusion, but at least they all had a body to im. But when Laine arrived, Chaos had just begun, and the primordial gods were still gestating; he didn¡¯t even have an object to possess. Fortunately, as the first existence of this world, Laine¡¯s original soul transformed into the origin of spirituality and a faint temporal divinity. Leveraging this, Laine crafted a divine body for himself and avoided the fate of soul dispersal. Later on, the power of chronology also relied heavily on this¡ªnot just anyone could create a new concept and gain power from it. The existence of temporal divinity allowed Laine to take a shortcut; he barely made the world acknowledge the existence of ¡°year¡± and ¡°day¡±, earning the weakest of chronologies. But power is not authority; thetter is the essence of godhood, while the former is merely an extension of the dominion. If one wants to elevate power to authority, to obtain the status of the God of Time, one must still follow one of those two paths. Either directly, with great force inscribe the concept into the world or let thew¡¯s representatives, a sufficient number of deities, recognize him as the ¡°creator¡±, and then gradually gain that godhood over a long period. Unfortunately, Laine could do neither. He neither had the tremendous force to shake the world nor the ability to gain the recognition of the gods. So Laine could only wait patiently, waiting for a proper opportunity. For example, the time when this Divine King was about to be born. ¡°Hum¡ª¡± The humming sound suddenly rose, without a source yet seeming toe from everywhere. The sound was clear but not piercing, it was the agitation of thew. The next moment, endless light, limitless water, sprang into existence in the void. In the newborn Chaos World, the earth rested in the center, with the ocean wrapping around thend. But at that moment, in ces where the ocean could not reach, on thend, in the sky, new water appeared out of nowhere and began to form streams. Oceanus, also known as Oceans, the eldest of the twelve Titans, lord of the great seas, Circumterrestrial River, was finally born in the Chaos World. At that time, Laine could clearly feel that part of the authority originally belonging to Pontus, the primordial Sea God, was being split in two, with one part hurtling straight towards the global currents. The world was carving out his power. The ocean and water rose greatly, but Pontus suffered a severe blow to his vital essence. He still controlled the sea depths, coastal waters, and saline waters, but the emblem of fresh water and currents was taken by the newly born deity. In Laine¡¯s perception, the once-powerful presence in the ocean weakened in an instant. If we were to get more specific, it would be a fall from ¡°Great Divine Power¡± to ¡°Moderate Divine Power¡±. Chapter 2 Chapter 2 The deities of Chaos were divided into rankings of strength and weakness. ording to thews of the world, the gods of this realm were generally ssified into four tiers. Laine, for instance, embodied the typical Weak Divine Power. And the Primordial Sea God Pontus was born with Moderate Divine Power,ter growing into a being of great strength. As for the Primordial Gods, they were even more magnificent than those with great divine power before their consciousnesses were born, but after bing conscious, they were only about half a tier higher. ¡°Hum¡ª¡± The humming of thews resounded once again, and as Laine looked toward the ocean, the anomaly of the Chaos World persisted. The moisture in the air condensed once more, shaking the recently stabilized godhood of Pontus. The godhood of natural-born deities couldn¡¯t be taken away by theter generations, but the world that nurtured them was an exception. Apart from the Spirituality that Laine had condensed from his own soul, the world itself could retract all power. Of course, apart from when nurturing new gods, the unconscious world wouldn¡¯t interfere too much with the deities either. ¡°Luckily I arrived early. If the five great Primordial Gods had already been born with consciousness, I suppose my Spirituality godhood would have also be the world¡¯s possession.¡± Shaking his head, Laine continued to watch this century¡¯s epic unfold. The condensation of water vapor continued, and Oceanus, who had just been born, exhibited the same symptoms. Both gods, who shared dominion over the sea, lost part of their authority at the same moment, which was the aspect of their godhood rted to pure Water. The world¡¯sws vibrated, and all existing deities understood the implicit meaning. Thaesis, the God of the Primordial Waters, another ancient Titan had been born! With the consecutive births of two water-rted deities, the power of the world began to shift from the sea to the sky. Laine felt that the next Titan would be born there. ¡°Pontus was just a little short of maintaining his Intermediate Divine Power.¡± ¡°Even so, he could still beat me with one hand tied behind his back.¡± With a resigned smile, Laine turned his gaze toward the sky. Thebat strength of a deity was not only rted to their Divine Power Level but also to their authority. Fire God and God of Spring may have simr divine powers, yet theirbat abilities were vastly different. But unquestionably, even if Pontus¡¯s authority wasn¡¯t the best for battle, it was certainly much stronger than mere Spirituality. After all, pure Spirituality was like physical strength¡ª it seems useful, but it isn¡¯t very. ¡°Hum¡ª¡± After waiting for a while, as if it had recovered its energy, the world¡¯sws became active once more. This time, the Chaos World directly birthed two Ancient Gods and a brand-new celestial body. After thousands of years, Laine once again saw the Sun in the sky. Gazing at the sky, that new celestial body radiated light and heat, and the origin power of the entire world increased in an instant. Hyperion, the original Sun! Theia, Mother of Light, God of Eyesight! As the world¡¯s origin power rose, even though Laine was just an insignificant God of Spirit, his power also increased. The special Spirituality godhood did have its advantages¡ªhe wouldn¡¯t be med for the world¡¯s decline, but he could profit from its strengthening. If ssified ording to the levels Laine himself had detailed, this wave had likely moved him from Divine Power Level 2 to Divine Power Level 3. If he could ascend three more times, he would be able to shed his status as a deity with ¡°Weak Divine Power¡± and be promoted to be one with ¡°Intermediate Divine Power,¡± at the Divine Power Level of 6. This detailed division was not innately present in the Chaos World, but rather a ssification entirely fabricated by Laine, which helped him to measure the varied strengths of the divine powers among deities. Just like now, as the world as a whole ascended, Pontus, who had been teetering on Divine Power Level 11, finally regained some strength and stabilized his power. ¡°Om¡ª¡ª¡± The humming noise began again. Thews of the world did not stall for the will of a single god; the Source Sea churned once more. Soon, three consecutive tremors of thews announced the birth of three new deities to the world. In an instant, storms swept across thend, and numerous lightless celestial bodies appeared in the sky, a manifestation of the authority of two deities. The third deity followed her sister¡¯s path, partitioning a portion of the light from her newly born sister, Theia, and siphoning some power from the sun. Coeus, God of Celestial Bodies! Crius, God of Meteorology! Phoebe (Phoebe), God of Luminance! The emergence of the three new gods caused a rise in the world¡¯s Source Power, but the extent was not as prominent as when the sun appeared. However, although his divine power had not increased, Laine still felt a new power gestating within his body. This force had been present since the moment the first Titan came into being. With each new birth, it grew more substantial. Finally, it had be perceptible. ¡°Very good!¡± Seeing his expectations realized, and despite this being the change he had long awaited, Laine could not help but smile. Fortunately, this was not the era of King Zeus¡¯s reign; in these dark ages, there was still much he could achieve. ¡°I must at least try hard not to end up a weakling in the future. It¡¯s a minor issue if others look down on me, but a major one if Zeus takes an interest.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but shiver at the thought of the gods ofter generations, who did not differentiate by gender or race. The determination to be stronger solidified even more in Laine¡¯s mind. In this regard, at least, Uranus was quite trustworthy. Apart from Gaia, he took interest in no one else, and his twelve children seemed to have inherited his fine tradition. ¡°Hmm?¡± He was clearly engrossed in watching the ¡®big picture,¡¯ yet he suddenly recalled the past. Laine refocused his mind and instantly sensed the source of the influence. Two new deities were born, one after another, their powers leaning towards the domain of the spirit, hence the activews affected Laine¡¯s psyche. Mnemosyne, originally the goddess of memory, speech, and innate script, but until her name spread throughout the world ording to thew, the godhood of memory still had not emerged. Iapetus, God of Souls and Speech, simrly, for some reason, the aspect of his soul seemed to have vanished without a trace. Regarding this, Laine said this is not my responsibility to bear, although it was indeed my doing. ¡°Fortunately, I was not exposed earlier. Otherwise, Iapetus might not have been too much of a concern, but Mnemosyne would probably have been brought by Mother Earth to my doorstep by now.¡± He breathed a sigh of relief, feeling extremely fortunate for his previous actions. The soul and spirituality are two sides of the same coin and have already be a part of him. Memory, being subordinate to the soul, could not be attained as a godhood by anyone without his permission. If he were a deity naturally nurtured by the Chaos World, he either would have had his authority torn apart like Pontus or have already be a sub-god for one of those two new deities. However, his Godhood of Spirit stemmed from his own creation; he was the God of Origin for spirituality, the first soul to appear in this world, hence the world could do nothing against him¡ªunless it killed him outright. But killing a God of Origin was tantamount to annihting the authority it represented, and spirituality would likewise vanish from the world, never again to birth souls in the Chaos World. Therefore, Chaos, acting purely on instinct, ignored the divine authority of the soul and memory, and directly allowed the birth of two new deities. Chapter 3 Chapter 3 ¡°This is really no small trouble.¡± Although it was he who had done it, Laine still felt a hint of fear. It was one thing when it came to Iapetus, who had no idea he originally possessed a soul¡¯s godhood, but Mnemosyne was a different story. The godhood of Memory had already been born, but instead of crowning her, it had scattered across the world, waiting for him, the source of Spirituality, to absorb it. If she discovered Laine¡¯s identity in the future, she was unlikely to let things slide. However, even with that said, Laine did not regret his actions. Joking aside, with the Spiritual Authority already so weakened, if it were to be divided among others, he feared he might be a joke among the gods, the first one unable to maintain his deity status. As for serving as a Sub-God, that was even less likely. Once a dog¡¯s leash is put on, it¡¯s difficult to take it off¡ªLaine had not yet enjoyed the life of a god and had no intention of prematurely experiencing the life of a dog. ¡°But although I have provoked a potential enemy, this is not entirely a bad thing.¡± Sensing the godhood of Memory that had been born but scattered across the world, Laine smiled slightly. The godhood of Memory was not strong, but it was enough to take his Spiritual Authority a step further. After all, the strength of the godhood determines the upper limit of Divine Power. The deity of the Fountain could never be Intermediate Divine Power through ¡°Fountain¡± alone, no matter how much it enhances its Divine Power. At this time, one requires either to acquire more powerful godhoods or to ¡®expand¡¯ the capacity of the original one. Using ¡°Spirituality¡± to absorb ¡°Memory,¡± a lower godhood, is one way to expand. It increases the depth and breadth of the original godhood, making the rted concepts stronger. Of course, this absorption is not something that can be achieved at will; one must be able to epass another. Spirituality is quite suitable in this regard, as it can be linked to many godhoods. Shaking his head, Laine thought no further. Although the godhood of Memory currently had no master, he would still need a lengthy period to absorb it. After all, to the world, the origin of Spirituality is not controlled¡ªonce ¡°Memory¡± is absorbed by ¡°Spirituality,¡± it means that Chaos will also lose control over ¡°Memory.¡± So even though the world is without will, it would still instinctively prevent him, making the time he needs to spend multiply tenfold. ¡°Hum¡ª¡± Another hum resounded, and while it seemed that Laine had been in deep contemtion for a long time, only a brief moment had actually passed. After the birth of the two deities, the gestation of new gods continued. Having so many powerful deities born in one day could only happen at the beginning of the creation of the heavens and earth. Following the vibrations of the Law, the two deities who had emerged sessively dered their existence to the world. One breath was just and meticulous, like the evestingws; the other signified the unalterable passage of time, seemingly close at hand yet untouchable. Themis, the deity of Justice and Law! Rhea, the deity of the Flow of Time! The feeble authority of Chronology quivered with the birth of the two deities, but ultimately there was no reaction. Authority is only the nascent form of power, not yet eligible to be divided. Breathing a sigh of relief, Laine felt the rhythm of the Law subside, signaling that the birth of the deities this time around wasplete. But he knew the most critical one had yet to appear. Complete time and space will not have masters; this is not permitted by the world. Yet, one being will receive a portion from each of them and be destined to rule over the world. He is Uranus¡¯s youngest, yet in the future, he will be the eldest. Under his rule, the first humans will be born upon the earth. After their passing, the second generation of humans will also be born because of him. If it wasn¡¯t for his oppression of his own offspring, Cronus would in fact be considered apetent ruler. He didn¡¯t treat his wife as the Heavenly Father treated Mother Earth, nor did he unt his authority in the Mortal World arbitrarily. It¡¯s just that his divine fate wasn¡¯t all that great. While Zeus¡¯s brothers fought alongside him, Cronus¡¯s turned against him. ¡°ng¡ª!¡± The Chains of Law fell silent for a moment, before resuming with an even more intense ngor. The very fabric of time and space throughout the world began to destabilize, yet it seemed to be constructing a new structure. Maybe it was an instant; maybe itsted an age. With the disordered fluctuations of time and space, Laine couldn¡¯t determine how much time had actually passed. But at a certain moment, time and space suddenly found the rules that suited them, and all changes came to a sudden halt. Cronus, King of Time and Space! The name of the new god resonated throughout the world, carried to every corner of Chaos by the strings of space. The lengthy divine birth had finallye to an end. The sky grew higher, the sea deeper, the world moreplete. The already boundless earth expanded rapidly. Soon, Laine could no longer gauge the size of thend. The newly born twelve deities were not the source of the changes; they were merely a primer, allowing the world¡¯s umted power to vent. But none of this mattered to Laine at that moment, for all his energy was focused on sorting the power within himself. Divine Power Level, 4. Godhood, ¡°Prophecy.¡± After a long while, a slight smile formed on his lips. When he felt that expected Godhood, Laine still felt overwhelming joy. Yet it was but a momentary emotion. The deity in white quickly contained his feelings and turned to look outside his dwelling cave. His senses told him there was nothing there, but Laine knew that with the new gods¡¯ birth concluded, the honored Mother Goddess would surely seek him out. So, as if expecting her, he spoke: ¡°Respected Mother Earth, what do you think of this oue?¡± In a moment of bewilderment, a young woman in a green dress appeared before him out of thin air. The aura emanating from the woman was vast and profound, but a sense of irremediable vacancy still rendered her face somewhat pale. The Mother Earth before him was not the aged woman ofter times; her body was youthful and vibrant, her Origin still brimming. Having birthed twelve deities in session had drained her Vital Essence, but she still ranked a notch above the ¡°Powerful Divine Force¡± as a Primordial Ancient God. ¡°Prince Laine, it was I who was impertinent before,¡± she said. ¡°Regarding our wager, I am willing to concede defeat.¡± Speaking thus, the still young Mother Earth smiled apologetically. The storm in the sky moved away, and everything became joyous around them. ¡°I must admit, your precise prophecy made me ashamed of my earlier skepticism. Even the King of All Gods is astonished by your power to glimpse fate,¡± she said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Laine replied with a smile, epting the Ancient God¡¯s apology and expressing his own doubts: ¡°Then, honored Mother Earth, what brings you here, right after the birth of the Divine Child?¡± Meeting Laine¡¯s calm gaze, Gaia eventually uttered the words he had long been expecting: ¡°I¡¯vee to invite you to Mount Othrys to attend the Divine King¡¯s banquet.¡± With a gentle smile, Gaia extended the formal invitation: ¡°Prince Laine, on this day, on this special day, my first son, my husband, my sovereign, the ruler of the sky, Uranus wishes for you to visit the Mount of the Gods to meet with him and celebrate this significant day.¡± ¡°If you would honor us with your presence, that would be the best gift we could receive.¡± Visibly moved, Laine couldn¡¯t help but chuckle inwardly. Merely a prophecy had earned him such esteem from Mother Earth. ¡®It¡¯s just for a new prophecy,¡¯ Laine thought to himself. Nevertheless, when faced with an invitation from a Primordial God, Laine naturally epted with a bow. His expression was excited by the invitation of the Divine King, and his heart was equally stirred. Only he knew how many years he had been waiting for this day. ¡°You tter me, Lady Gaia,¡± said Laine with a smile. ¡°To witness the birth of Chaos¡¯s very first King of All Gods is an immense honor for me.¡± Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Walking beside Mother Earth Gaia, Laine headed towards a mountain in the central part of the continent, revered as the Mount of the Gods. The heavens and earth were different than before. With the Sun, celestial bodies, and a variety of meteorological phenomena, the world of Chaos now resembled a true world. Perhaps because he was walking on the ¡®original body¡¯ of Gaia at the time of her birth, Laine did not feel the vast distance. Under her guidance, he could cover thousands of rivers and mountains in a single step. Although at this time, there were neither ¡°thousands of rivers¡± nor ¡°mountains,¡± as the children of Ourea, the Mountain God, and the three thousand descendants of the God of the Ocean had not yet been born, the earth still looked deste. After roughly less than half a day, the sacred Mount soon came into view in the distance. ¡°Your Highness Laine.¡± From the moment Laine had agreed toe, Gaia had be increasingly pensive along the way. Not until they arrived at this recently sacred birthce of the gods did she finally speak up. ¡°This will be the ce where the Divine King will rule the world in the future.¡± Gaia looked at the towering Mount Othrys, where her third son Ourea had been born. ¡°This is the tallest mountain on thend, the closest ce to the sky.¡± ¡°My lord will deign to rule here in the capacity of the ruler of the sky, presiding over all beings on earth.¡± ¡°That is indeed a great undertaking.¡± Laine expressed his reverence, yet his tone sounded as if he had already known: ¡°As the first Divine King in the world, only such a ce is befitting of the authority of the Heavenly Father.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Gaia frowned slightly but still said: ¡°He will rule all things in the world, forever.¡± Clearly, at this point, the Heavenly Father and Mother Earth were still immersed in profound love, with no hint of the conflicts that would arise inter generations. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Influenced by the birth of my twelve children, this ce is filled with the chaotic Divine Power.¡± ¡°Please follow behind me to avoid any unpleasant incidents.¡± Nodding slightly, Laine readily agreed, seemingly oblivious to the subtle change in Mother Earth¡¯s demeanor. Following behind Gaia, the two began their ascent up the Mount of the Gods. As a ce where Mother Earth resided all year round, the Mount of the Gods was not like the barrennd with exposed rocks elsewhere; primitive vegetation had already spread here. Along the way, Laine saw many exotic nts and fruits whose names he could not call to mind¡ªthese were new creations under the godhood of nt Life. Perhaps in a few years, with the help of the God of Meteorology, this vegetation will spread across the world, bringing a touch of green to the destend. But that was a matter for the future. Soon, under Gaia¡¯s leadership, Laine reached the summit of the sacred Mount. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived,¡± Mother Earth stopped and said to Laine following behind her. Nodding slightly, Laine stepped forward to take in the appearance of the ce. The summit of the Mount of the Gods was open and t, without any trace of man-made structures. Compared to the mythical Mount Olympus ofter generations, it was like a deste mountaintop. However, this did not surprise Laine, for to the ruler of the sky, the sky itself was his pce. As he set foot on the summit of the Mount and observed his surroundings, thirteen deities of differing appearances also directed their gaze towards him. Although no divine power was used, Laine still felt some difort. It couldn¡¯t be helped; the primordial deities had yet to learn to contain their auras, and being near them was inherently oppressive. ¡°I present myself to you, Your Majesty.¡± Ceasing his inspection, Laine bowed slightly, showing respect to the male deity in the center. This was not his first encounter with Uranus. Unlike the youthful appearance during theirst meeting, Uranus now looked like a tall and majestic middle-aged man. It was thebined result of paternal authority and the position of the Divine King. A deity¡¯s appearance changed with authority and power, which wasmon knowledge among the gods. As they faced the meeting with a foreign deity, the twelve Titans were somewhat puzzled, given that they could sense the weakness of Laine¡¯s divine power. They looked towards their father, waiting for his reaction. Then they saw their majestic father extend his hands to embrace the deity before him, offering his greeting without any reservations. ¡°I am pleased you coulde, respected Foreseer, God of Prophecy.¡± Uranus¡¯s voice was wild and powerful, befitting his godhood immactely. ¡°Until today, I never truly believed you could see destiny, please forgive my previous misunderstanding.¡± ¡°Please take a seat, Prince Laine, you should join us at the table.¡± ¡°My honor.¡± Under the varying gazes of the fourteen deities, Laine chose a spot on the mountain summit to sit. This was a birthday celebration, as well as a banquet to honor Uranus¡¯s ascension to Divine King. As the twelve new gods were born, the crown of the world was automatically bestowed upon him. With everyone gathered, the fruits of the nts on the mountain, brought forth by Gaia, served as the feast for this banquet. The Divine King sat in the central position, with others lined up on either side, only Mother Earth seated beside him. When the banquet began, apart from asionally conversing with Laine, the Heavenly Father spent most of his time speaking to his newly born children. He shared his thoughts with them, instructing how they should respect him as their father and how to assist him in fulfilling the role of the Divine King. Perhaps due to the influence of patriarchy, his twelve children mumbled quietly, simply responding to the demands of the Divine King. ¡®Not bad at all.¡¯ Having tasted an unknown purple fruit, Laine quietly observed everything. He was aware of why he had been invited here and had his thoughts about it. But before that, he just wanted to enjoy a few more fruits. After all, the nts on Mount of the Gods were the progenitors of their kind, the very first batch from the Chaos World. The fruits had no small effect on deities. At least for Laine, they could help him reach the upper limits of his godhood more swiftly. Time hurried past, for deities do not concern themselves with the passage of time. When night and day had exchanged ces for the third time, Uranus finally ceased his admonishments. He turned to face Laine, sitting beside him, the deity who had prophesied the birth of his twelve offspring. Even now, he struggled toprehend how such weak divine power could glimpse into destiny. But since it was proven true, he did not mind asking him some questions. Especially since he had heard every word spoken by the other at the foot of the mountain. Raising his cup, Uranus spoke to Laine again after three days. ¡°Prince Laine.¡± ¡°Previously, during our first encounter, you prophesied the birth of my twelve children.¡± ¡°Fate is truly mighty,¡± said the Heavenly Father in his resonant voice, ¡°Only a deity as wise as you could detect its destined course.¡± ¡°Fate¡¯s dominion resides in the hands of Lady Night,¡± Laine said with a smile, raising his cup to clink it with Uranus¡¯s from afar before downing it in one gulp. ¡°I simply chanced upon a part of it.¡± This was not wine, but the juice of a nt, yet it was still delicious under the influence of divine power. ¡°Then, respected Prince Laine, I have a question I wish to ask you.¡± Uranus did not mind Laine¡¯s modesty; it appeared he was only curious about the ability of prophecy: ¡°I hope you can use the power of prophecy to tell me.¡± ¡°In Chaos, in the future of this world, am I the eternal Divine King, ruling over the sky, thend, and the ocean?¡± The banquet seemed to suddenly fall silent. The twelve Titans watched Laine with strange looks, while Mother Earth¡¯s eyes were filled with worry. Faced with Uranus¡¯s seemingly casual inquiry, Laine smiled faintly. He did not rush to answer, instead, he set down his cup, and began to exin the nature of all prophecy. Chapter 5 Chapter 5 ¡°Honorable Divine King, before the prophecy, I hope you can understand one fact, that prophecy has always been observation, not creation.¡± After taking another sip of the sweet juice, Laine solemnly exined: ¡°I cannot change destiny, I merely observe it, and sometimes only a part of it.¡± ¡°Moreover, observation is not without cost. When you know it, it knows you too.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± The Divine King, facing an unfamiliar realm, was somewhat puzzled, ¡°What does ¡®it knows me¡¯ mean?¡± ¡°Destiny is originally undefined; although it has a fixed trajectory, it is not necessarily unchangeable.¡± ¡°But if you try to observe it through prophecy, then destiny, on the contrary, bes a predetermined, unchanging oue. You can only dy its arrival, twist its meaning, but you cannot make it disappearpletely.¡± ¡°So, do you still wish me to make the prophecy?¡± In the end, Laine asked the Divine King in return. The words before were not fabricated by Laine; this information he acquired after he received the Prophecy godhood. When anyone tries to directly observe destiny, whether with the aid of other gods or not, he himself bes part of destiny. Just as one cannot lift oneself off the ground by pulling on one¡¯s hair, so no being can escape the shackles manifesting from their very essence. Knowing this, Laine decided he would never prophesy about himself. As for the ¡°prophecies¡± made by some gods inter generations, Laine would rather call them the curses of destiny. On the other side, after hearing Laine¡¯s exnation, Uranus breathed a sigh of relief, but then hesitated again. The cost of prophecy was high, which made him less wary of Mother Night, who controlled destiny, but he still wanted to know his own oue. ¡®The first Divine King.¡¯ Thinking of the title Laine had used for him down the mountain, Uranus made up his mind. ¡°I believe in my own strength,¡± Heavenly Father said, looking Laine in the eyes. At this moment, having just acquired the position of Divine King, his immense power filled him with confidence. ¡°Make the prophecy, Prince Laine. No matter the oue, I promise you one reasonable condition in the name of the Divine King.¡± ¡°I believe that under my current power, nothing is destined to remain unchanged.¡± As the first Divine King, a symbol of patriarchy, Uranus, already at the pinnacle of divine power, took another step upwards. Now he stood on equal footing with the Primordial Gods, and even Gaia, who was not adept atbat, was no match for him. This filled him with boundless confidence; he believed that even if the oue of the prophecy was not favorable, he could, as Laine had said, dy its arrival, warp its meaning. ¡®Heh, the god of Chaos, always so confident.¡¯ Laine chuckled inwardly, the events unfolding just as he had anticipated. Meeting the gaze of the Divine King, Laine nodded slightly, his dark eyes suddenly shing with a mysterious white light in the next moment. This was not a feigned prophecy to deceive; Laine was truly probing Uranus¡¯s future. But the result was clear; the godhood gained from a single prophecy was very weak, far less powerful than even the spirit-based godhoods by several times. In a void of nothingness, Laine saw nothing. With his current power, he was far from able to glimpse the Divine King¡¯s destiny. But this did not hinder him from making his first great prophecy. ¡°An era.¡± Under the watchful eyes of the gods, Laine said, ¡°You will rule the world for an era.¡± ¡°You and Mother Earth will also bear new progeny, but they will not be like us, with divine and perfect appearances.¡± ¡°One day in the future, your eldest son will raise a knife against you, and your reign shall thus be shaken.¡± Bang! ¡°Nonsense!¡± Before Uranus could react, Oceanus, standing beside him, could no longer tolerate Laine¡¯s words. Though only born three days ago, the eldest of the twelve Titans already possessed near-mid-level divine power. The savage force surged within him as he brazenly pressed towards Laine, attempting to stop this strange deity¡¯s madness. He indeed seeded, for Laine fell silent; but he also failed, because the Heavenly Father spoke up. ¡°Stop, my child.¡± With a wave of his hand, Oceanus¡¯s divine power was easily quelled, and Uranus¡¯s gaze turned towards him. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t strike a guest.¡± The tone of the Divine King betrayed no joy or anger, but all present felt his skepticism at that moment. ¡°Father, I swear to the world, I will never challenge your position as the Divine King.¡± Seeing his father speak, the Lord of the Oceans knelt on the ground, expressing his loyalty to his father. Uranus was nomittal. Oaths truly bound deities, but they were not fatal. Even now, before the authority of oaths had been decreed by the world, breaking an oath would at most cause a fall in divine power and instability in godhood. But if one could ascend to the position of the Divine King, all could be reimed. ¡°Honored Foreseer, is that the entirety of the Prophecy?¡± The Heavenly Father ignored his son, instead continuing to inquire of Laine, whose speech had been interrupted. If that was all, then the Prophecy was nothing special. He would divide his eldest son into three and cast him into the depths of Tartarus, the dark void, and the deep Earth, to ensure he could never oppose him. ¡°No,¡± but Laine¡¯s answer clearly did not align with his desires. Under the angry gaze of the Lord of the Oceans, Laine smiled at the Divine King and said, ¡°Prince Oceanus will certainly not be the true assant, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°The Prophecy shows that the one who will overturn your throne will receive assistance from another of your kin.¡± ¡°Where it all began, so shall it end.¡± ¡°And the eldest son holding the de will surely not be your oldest child.¡± As soon as the words were spoken, the remaining eleven Titans in the hall had a change in their eyes, only Oceanus breathed a sigh of relief. Although in theplete Prophecy, he too had the potential to be an aplice, Oceanus would definitely not be the main culprit. If everyone is guilty, then no one is guilty; he was very clear about this. Unless his father wished to sit on the throne alone, he would not be punished. The hall fell silent for a moment, until Mother Earth broke the stillness. Her gentle face was full of worry; at this moment, Gaia was not yet the calcting Mother of All Gods. She looked towards Laine, who had just uttered the Prophecy, and asked with a serious tone: ¡°Honored Prince Laine, wise Foreseer, may I ask if you can provide any further clues?¡± ¡°Because of your prophecy, suspicion will riddle the rtionship between father and child, and the nascent Divine Court will know little peace. I presume you would not wish to witness such a scene.¡± But facing Gaia¡¯s veiled threat, Laine calmly shook his head. ¡°I am truly sorry, Honored Mother Earth.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I am unwilling to interpret, but in this respect, the foreteller himself is often less wise than the listener.¡± ¡°After all, I am but an observer, a ryer; the true essence of destiny is still far from me.¡± Atst, Laine offered a reply that Gaia could not refute. ¡°If you still have doubts, you may go down to the domain of night.¡± ¡°I believe in the realm of destiny, one of the three aspects of Lady Night, the Destined Ananke, will provide a more detailed interpretation. As her elder sister, you will surely not return empty-handed.¡± Chapter 6 Chapter 6 The once joyful banquet seemed to havee to an end, for after Laine delivered his prophecy, only the sporadic sounds of eating resonated at the summit of the Mount of the Gods. Gaia was worried about the future of her children, while Uranus looked over the gods before him, his gaze asionally drifting to the distant sea. There, his brother, the second child birthed alone by Gaia, the Primordial Sea God Pontus. Without a doubt, the ¡®aid of another kinsman¡¯ mentioned in Laine¡¯s prophecy had caused him to be suspicious of his own brother. As for the possibility of Laine deceiving him, that was out of the question. Thest time, Uranus indeed had not felt a response from destiny, which was why he had mocked Laine, who imed to be the God of Prophecy. But this time, he felt the breath of destiny very clearly, a force that all gods birthed by Chaos could scarcely oppose. Regarding this, Laine affirmed that you are not mistaken. The previous prophecy he had indeed made empty promises, with destiny paying no attention to him the God of Spirit, but this time was different. Even relying on his godhood, Laine saw nothing, but when he made the correct prophecy in the name of the God of Prophecy, destiny would still respond, even if it wasn¡¯t something he saw through his divinity. There was another benefit, his identity as the God of Spirituality from the origin had been sessfully concealed. Ever since their first meeting, he had dered himself as the deity in charge of prophecy, and now he had indeed proven it. As long as he did not reveal himself, the threat from Mnemosyne could be temporarily ignored. Laine¡¯s prophecy had ended, and perhaps to mask his own intentions, the Divine King¡¯s banquet continued. Two dayster. Amidst an awkward atmosphere, Uranus finally remembered the promise he had made. ¡°Prince Laine,¡± the Heavenly Father stood up and spoke to Laine solemnly: ¡°Just now, before you made your prophecy, I promised to fulfill one of your reasonable requests.¡± ¡°As the first promise made by the King of All Gods, it is time to fulfill it.¡± ¡°I thank you again for your generosity, Your Majesty,¡± Laine also stood up to express his gratitude to the Divine King. ¡°It is your due,¡± said the Divine King. ¡°Please make your request now, for in the name of the Divine King, it shall be aplished.¡± ¡°Then I shall speak forthrightly.¡± Laine was not the slightest bit embarrassed, as such an emotion did not exist between the gods of this era. He had prepared for this well before setting foot on the Mount of the Gods. Until the end of Uranus¡¯s era, this was bound to be one of his two greatest gains. ¡°As great as you are, you should know that a long time ago, seeing that the worldcked a means to measure time, I created ¡®years¡¯ and ¡®days¡¯ to record it.¡± In the face of Laine¡¯s story, Uranus nodded. These two concepts did indeed exist, and he could read them from thew of the world. However, they were superficial and not yet fully acknowledged by time. ¡°Today I witnessed the birth of twelve new gods and the ascension of the Divine King, and I feel it is time to create a proper standard to record the years of your dominion over all things.¡± With an unchanged smile, Laine gently raised his right hand, and a phantom sphere of silvery-white light appeared there. The light sphere changed unpredictably, sometimes round, sometimes iplete. Subtle forces of Chronology spread over it; it was an illusion with no physical substance. ¡°This is an illusory luminous body,¡± said Laine. ¡°I hope it can hang in the sky, opposite to the Sun that rises each day.¡± ¡°I call it the Moon, and the rotation of the Sun and the Moon makes one day.¡± ¡°There are four surviving Primordial Gods, twelve newly born gods, and the esteemed Divine King, so a full cycle of the moon will mark a month, three months will be a season, and four seasons will make a year.¡± ¡°This is not just my personal vision of chronology,¡± Laine said, smiling at every deity present. ¡°This is also my congrattory gift to the Divine King.¡± Uranus was somewhat moved, he was indeed touched by Laine¡¯s idea. Such a way of recording time subtly expressed his supreme authority, even proving he was greater than the Primordial Gods, there was no better way than this. ¡°What about you, Prince Laine?¡± Uranus finally remembered the Foreseer before him, he had yet to set a time of his own. ¡°My children and I, like the Primordial Gods, all have our own share; you should also have your own time.¡± ¡°Then add one more day.¡± Laine seemed very casual, as if he didn¡¯t really care whether he had his part or not. ¡°Every four years in the second month, add one more day at the end of the month for me, that will be my day.¡± ¡°¡­Then so be it.¡± After pondering for a while, Uranus really did not know where else to add some more; he simply agreed to Laine¡¯s request. He stretched out his hand and took over the orb of light from Laine¡¯s palm. Of course, now it had to be called ¡®Moon¡¯. The next moment, the Divine King lifted it up to the heavens with his mighty power. The Moon grew in size and emitted light bright enough to illuminate every corner of Chaos. Standing on the Mount of the Gods, Uranus for the first time exercised the authority of the Divine King. Supreme power gathered upon him, and thews of the world were clear before his eyes. ¡°Heeding the request of the Foreseer, God of Prophecy Laine, I proim to the world in the name of the Divine King,¡± ¡°The chaotic and undefined Chronology shall be the past, they will be imprisoned at the center of the Moon.¡± ¡°Year, month, and day will be the namesakes of the new Chronology, they will coexist with time and endure with the world.¡± As the words fell, the world changed ordingly. Under the authority of the Divine King, the new Chronology was deeply engraved into the depths of the Origin Sea. Laine immediately felt the power of Chronology beplete, it had undergone the transformation into authority, bing a true Godhood. At the same time, the Godhoods of year, month, day, and season moved towards their respective masters, but no one epted them. For a weak Godhood was inherently inferior in some aspects, and this was not something the powerful deities were willing to ept. Eventually, these Godhoods still merged into the nascent Chronology, making it appear more full. Laine could feel that at this moment, Chronology seemed more powerful than Spirituality. Indeed, over time, it would continue to grow before slowly bing stable. The Godhood of the Moon also appeared, but it was iplete. Laine knew this was because the real Moon was still in gestation, and this ersatz ¡®Moon¡¯ had no substance; it was just a temporary substitute. ¡®But this is enough, I don¡¯t want the real thing yet.¡¯ he thought with a lightugh in his heart, bowing slightly again to thank the Divine King for his gift. ¡°It is your due,¡± said the Divine King, ¡°Let us conclude the banquet, Gaia, please help me send our distinguished guest back.¡± ¡°Certainly, my liege.¡± Mother Earth responded with a gentle voice, turning to gesture to Laine. ¡°Then I thank you, Princess Gaia.¡± Without Gaia¡¯s assistance, it would indeed be somewhat difficult for him to leave, so Laine promptly epted the offer. With the gods watching behind him, Laine followed behind Gaia, leaving the Mount of the Gods that had brought him a rich harvest. Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Just like on the journey here, the earth and mountains shed beneath his feet. In just half a day, Laine had crossed a third of the continent. By the cave where he had set out, Laine received three stone tablets from Gaia¡¯s hands. ¡°These are the items agreed upon.¡± Mother Earth handed the tablets, which symbolized destiny, to Laine as proof of the wager they made when they first met. At that time, Heavenly Father and Mother Earth purely had not seen such a weak god, and thus, they took it upon themselves to find Laine. They inquired about Laine¡¯s godhood, and upon receiving ¡°Prophecy¡± as the answer, Uranus remained indifferent, and Gaia also believed that with such feeble divine power, he probably couldn¡¯t prophesy anything at all. So, in that moment, Laine was struck with inspiration and dered the birth of the twelve Titans on the spot, establishing a wager with Gaia. If he could prophesy about the Primordial Gods with such weak power, then these three stone tablets, born with the world itself, should rightly belong to him. The oue was clear, and so Laine epted his wager. ¡°Your prophecy was correct,¡± Mother Earth once again admitted her mistake, ¡°The Oracle rightfully belongs to you.¡± ¡°Your honesty is the true virtue.¡± With a slight bow, Laine took the tablets. It must be said that the gods of this era were nothing like those ofter times. If it were Gaia from the era of Zeus, she wouldn¡¯t have handed over the Divine Artifact so easily. The two conversed a little longer before bidding each other farewell. As she was about to leave, Gaia hesitated but still asked: ¡°Prince Laine, as the Mother Goddess, as the Queen of Gods, I really shouldn¡¯t be asking this question.¡± ¡°But I still want to know, is the war between child and father truly inevitable?¡± Gaia was somewhat saddened, she didn¡¯t even know which side she should stand on. ¡°You have to ask yourself that.¡± Laine did not directly answer her question, but he made a promise at the end. ¡°If one day, you can bear no more and decide to make your final decision, you cane find me again.¡± ¡°At that time, I will try to think of a way for you, as a way to honor your virtue of keeping promises.¡± ¡°I will, thank you once again.¡± The gentle thanks from Mother Earth, even though she did not know who she would ¡®bear no more,¡¯ whether it be her child or her husband. Perhaps it was her child, perhaps her husband, about this she nned to ask her sisters. Although as one of the three faces of the Lady of the Night, the Destined Ananke never interfered with destiny,pletely unlike her principal aspect Nyx who personified, she still hoped to gain some hints. Lost in thought, Mother Earth hurried off, returning towards Mount of the Gods. She needed to think seriously about where to go from here. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Laine closed his eyes slightly, immersing himself in the world within. After Mother Earth had left, he returned to the cave he had carved out. Things hadrgely concluded, and what was left was to wait; now, he needed to organize the path ahead. In a body constituted of divine flesh and blood, the powers of Chronology, Spirituality, Prophecy, and Moon coexisted, yet were distinctly separate. But apart from the Origin of Spirituality, which he fully controlled, the rest were merely godhoods bestowed by Chaos. Even Spirituality would not have been wholly his had he not arrived early enough, older even than the five great Primordial Gods. His otherworldly soul would only be devoured by worlds that have already formed the Law of ¡°Spirituality,¡± granting him a godhood of Spirituality equal to that of other gods, and then lose his power after the true God of Spirit arises, with the best oue being merely to be a Sub-God. This is the difference between a native son and an outsider, which is why if there is an opportunity to consume Chaos¡¯s power through ¡°Spirituality,¡± Laine would show no mercy. ¡°Sooner orter I¡¯ll feed all of you to ¡®Spirituality.¡¯¡± ncing at the other three major godhoods, Laine silently schemed in his heart. Without surprises, the Origin of Spirituality would have devoured them before the birth of the relevant deities. What is eaten into his stomach, nobody would think of taking back. Aside from Spirituality, among the remaining three godhoods, Moon appeared to be the weakest. If graded, it could barely support a divine power of the weakest godhood level 1. As time goes on, the power of the Moon would be strengthened, but the amount of increase would still be limited. After all, it is merely a shell, with concepts rted to time epassed by Chronology, and not an actual celestial body. If not for its opposition to the Sun, it would not even count as a godhood. ¡°Before the true Moon is born, I need to find it a new home.¡± ¡°The Moon of Spirituality and the actual Moon do not necessarily have to be the same entity.¡± Mulling over silently, Laine cast another nce at the illusory image of the moon in the sky. When the timees, it would also lose its function, and upon bing a part of Spirituality, once free from the control of Chaos World, Laine actually had some other ideas. With the Moon¡¯s arrangementsplete, it was time to tackle Prophecy. In the original trajectory, there were not a few gods in Chaos with the power of Prophecy. But apart from Prophecy that seemed more like a curse, only Prometheus and Apollo could be considered half a God of Prophecy. The rest of the deities, whether Themis or Phoebe, only had the ability for propehcy because they possessed the Oracle. Now that the Oracle Stone Tablet was in Laine¡¯s hands, these individuals probably wouldn¡¯t get the chance. So for the time being, he did not need to worry about the world splitting the godhood of Prophecy due to the descent of new gods. ¡°This godhood can exist for a while longer, and even though it is one of the godhoods to be integrated, it can still be strengthened. Yet without Prophecy to cover it up, it might inevitably expose my identity as the God of Spirit.¡± ¡°However, it still depends on the situation then. If Uranus is deposed just as I anticipate, I may not even have to worry about it.¡± ¡°Only Spirituality, this Origin godhood that exists within me, is my true reliance in this world.¡± Having made arrangements for the Prophecy godhood, which was roughly at divinity level 5, Laine then shifted his attention to Chronology. In the future, he would probably issue several major prophecies, just continue using this godhood as a front for now. ¡°Divinity level 9, and it¡¯s even on the rise.¡± ¡°If I can perfect the seasons and create ¡®calendars,¡¯ I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Chronology¡¯s godhood reached level 15.¡± ¡°However, let¡¯s forget about the seasons; calendars can be integrated into Spirituality, as they don¡¯t have a physical form, but seasons are part of material changes.¡± ¡°If they can¡¯t merge into one, then even if I create them in advance, once the actual Goddesses of Seasons are born, they will simply switch allegiance.¡± It has to be said,pared to Spirituality, which is only at divinity level 6, Chronology is now Laine¡¯s strongest godhood. But no matter how strong this godhood is, its ultimate fate will not change, and Laine would not even touch aspects that involve reality. Otherwise, no matter how well things develop now, once the Olympian Twelve take their ces, the symbols of the twelve months would simply be reassigned. Once the Three Goddesses of Seasons are born, the power of the godhood would be halved. It¡¯s ridiculous in Chaos World: Pontus, Hyperion, even Mother Earth Gaia, they were all originally powerful Ancient Gods, yet their godhood kept dispersing due to the birth of new gods, ultimately leading to a severe drop in their strength. That¡¯s why Laine decisively wants to merge them all into Spirituality. As for the Twelve Principal Godscking godhoodter, that¡¯s none of his concern. Iapetus and Mnemosyne are living just fine, aren¡¯t they? If those two Titan elders have noints, do you Olympian gods dare to take issue? Having taken the critical first step, Laine is full of confidence for the future. Once Zeus ascends, as long as he can be a powerful Divine Power, the other would not rashly be his enemy. Zeus, after all, is the Divine King who is best at relying on ¡®the power of the masses.¡¯ Chapter 8 Chapter 8 ¡°` Laine observed his Chronology Godhood for a while before withdrawing his mind. For now, there was no connection between his Spirituality and Chronology; there was no bridge for fusion between the two. ¡°I still need to focus on it.¡± ncing again at the illusory Moon in the sky, Laine¡¯s gaze deepened. ¡°For now, prioritizing the umtion of Divine Power is crucial.¡± ¡°Now that I have a powerful Godhood, the umtion of my Divine Power can also elerate.¡± In this era, there was no Faith, and gods were still using primitive methods to increase their Divine Power. Lainey on the ground, uniting with his Godhood, and entered a state akin to being both asleep and awake. The so-called ¡®Divine Power Level xx¡¯ of Godhood is merely the upper limit it supports, not the level of strength that Laine has already attained. Right now, he was just a minor deity with a Divine Power Level less than 5, needing a long time to gradually reach the limit allowed by his Godhood. The future Olympian Gods used ¡®Faith¡¯ as an elerator, quickly reaching this step, and even creating new Godhoods based on Faith. But the deities of the current time had no such ¡°cheat.¡± Including the twelve Titans, the new gods all needed time to grow their Divine Power until they reached their own limits. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ At the center of the Chaos World, the birthce of Ourea, the peak of Mount of the Gods. After Laine and Gaia left, an eerie calm descended on the ce. The Prophecy flowed through his mind as the Heavenly Father calmly observed his children, but the aura around him steadily climbed. He hadn¡¯t yet decided what to do, but that didn¡¯t prevent him from creating some pressure for them. ¡°Father¡­ Father.¡± Seemingly unable to bear the oppressive atmosphere, Uranus¡¯s youngest son, Cronus, stepped forward. He shrank back, looking at his father, a stark contrast to his own tall and heroic features. ¡°I am your youngest child, Father,¡± Cronus seemed on the verge of tears. ¡°I will never be the one from the Prophecy, and I¡¯m willing to swear to the world that I will never be the traitor who aids the rebellion.¡± No sooner had he spoken than the world responded to his oath. If Cronus were to be an aplice to the one with the knife in the future, then the world would punish him by stripping away a major rank of his Divine Power and retracting part of the authority granted to him. Listening to his youngest son¡¯s oath, the pressure around Uranus significantly decreased. In the eyes of the Divine King, he truly did not see this youngest son as the one in the Prophecy. Although he didn¡¯t quite understand what ¡°the eldest son is not the oldest child¡± meant, it surely could not be the youngest one regardless. The position of the eldest child was definitely not his to im. ¡®Aren¡¯t gods supposed to be immortal?¡¯ Uranus pondered to himself. At least up to this point, he hadn¡¯t discovered anything that could truly kill a god. Even he himself, who was infinitely close to Great Divine Power with the blessing of the Divine King¡¯s throne, could not extinguish the immortal essence of even the weakest Deity. This was Chaos. Gods are eternal and undying; they can be imprisoned, but never killed. ¡°Father.¡± As Uranus was immersed in thought, his aura undted unconsciously once again. Seeing this, the remaining Deities seemed to understand their father¡¯s intent, and they started to swear in turn: ¡°We swear to the world that we will never be the rebellious one with the knife, nor will we ever be party to aiding him.¡± ¡°` The world¡¯s response arose instantly, and Uranus too snapped back to his senses. He looked at his children, who were knelt before him, and couldn¡¯t help but let out a coldugh. He had yet to say anything, just lost in thought, and yet they were already so weak as to beg him for forgiveness. Are these the children of me, the King of All Gods? ¡°With such trash, overthrow me? That¡¯s a joke! It seems only the children spoken of in the prophecy that follow are the true killers.¡± Making a judgment in secret, the Divine King was nevertheless angered by his children¡¯s cowardice. It was aplex feeling. He wished they had more courage, but at the same time, he didn¡¯t really hope for them to be truly courageous. Conflicted emotions made the Divine King somewhat irate; he kicked Coeus, who was closest to him, then used his divine power to send his children tumbling to the ground. After ncing at his offspring, who still dared not resist, he wielded the authority of the Divine King and then proimed loudly: ¡°Enough, as the eternal Divine King, no one can overthrow me.¡± ¡°Since the rebels wield knives, here and now I dere that from now on, the creation of any weapon in this world will be perceived by me.¡± ¡°In the name of the King of All Gods, any forger is guilty. They will be locked in the depths of Tartarus and shall never emerge again.¡± The world responded to the unreasonable demands of the King of All Gods; however, it seemed as though his authority had been slightly reduced as well. The master of the sky didn¡¯t care about this, for as long as he remained the Divine King, the lost power would eventually be restored with time. Having concluded his promation to the world, the Divine King then turned his gaze back to his children. For the great Divine King to have such incapable children, this was nothing short of disgraceful. ¡°Ah, my children, my offspring, as your father, I am truly ¡®proud¡¯ of you.¡± Uranus looked at them with irony, and suddenly, he had a wicked idea. ¡°To reward your loyal vows,¡± he looked at them, without a shred of ¡®praise¡¯: ¡°the noble Divine King grants you the title of Titans.¡± ¡°From this day forth, you shall be the Deity Race of the Titans.¡± As the Divine King spoke, the world echoed in response. At the same time, his children instantly understood his meaning. At that time, the word Titan in the ancientnguage of the gods meant the nervous, the cowardly, the ones who face retribution. The Twelve Titans, meaning that they were twelve who trembled with fear for defying the Father God. As a noble Deity Race, such humiliation was unbearable to them. Yet, sensing their father¡¯s immense power, they couldn¡¯t muster the courage to resist. In the end, under the gaze of Uranus that was either expectant or threatening, no one dared to stand up in opposition. ¡°Hmph, be gone!¡± After waiting a while, the Divine King finally let out a cold snort and dismissed his children. Even he himself did not know whether he would have been pleased or enraged to lock them in the Abyss if someone had spoken out in retort. He was beginning to regret hearing that prophecy. Perhaps the Prophet of Prophecy was right¡ªbeing ignorant of one¡¯s destiny might be better. Shaking his head, his gaze fell from Mount of the Gods down below, and Uranus began to look forward to Gaia¡¯s return. Although he had previously guessed that the subsequent children were the threat to his throne, he did not embrace the idea of ceasing to procreate. As a symbol of patriarchy, the embodiment of masculinity, the master of the sky¡ªhis virile desire was simply irrepressible. Moreover, procreating offspring and expanding the scale of the Deity Race was his duty as the Divine King. ¡®And they are still very weak,¡¯ Uranus thought to himself. Within a thousand years, before their divine power could umte, they posed no threat to him. As for the future, the Divine King believed that with his supreme power, there would always be a solution. Chapter 9 Chapter 9 The Divine King had sent his children away to fulfill their godhood. In the primordial world of Chaos, time had always been of the least value. But it differed from the ¡®Chronology-less Primordial Wilderness¡¯ of the East. Since the advent of chronology, with the division into years, months, and days, the passage of time had been recorded. In the blink of an eye, a thousand and five hundred years had passed since Laine prophesied atop the Mount of the Gods. ¡­ On this day, another intense dispute broke out on the Mount of the Gods. This was not the first time. Ever since the birth of Uranus¡¯s three misshapen children, such arguments between the Heavenly Father and Mother Earth had erupted periodically. ¡°Uranus, they are your children, too!¡± Gaia¡¯s voice rose, but it was tinged with weakness and sorrow. She had tried numerous times to persuade the Divine King to ept those three offspring, even if only as his guardians, but time and again Uranus had rejected her. ¡°Children? No, they are not. They are but a base breed born of an ident.¡± The voice was cold, and the Divine King had grown weary of this debate. ¡°Please think about it carefully, my sovereign. They are only different in appearance¡­¡± ¡°Enough!¡± A thousand and five hundred years had psed, and the Mount of the Gods had grown even taller. The King of All Gods stood at the ce closest to ¡®The Sky¡¯ in this world, cutting off Gaia¡¯s plea with a cold indifference. Before him, three monstrous creatures with a single eye each red at him angrily. Although the great divine power of the Divine King pinned them to the ground, they seemed not to know what fear was and continued to stare defiantly at Uranus with their sole eyes. ¡°Look, Gaia. Such twisted life dares to confront my rage.¡± Once again inspecting the three giants on the ground, Uranus seemed to have reached a decision. ¡°The eldest son, yet not the oldest. Hehe, the leader of the monsters is also the eldest, isn¡¯t he?!¡± ¡°You¡¯re mad, Uranus!¡± Gaia, who now appeared to be in her twenties, called her husband by name for the first time. She didn¡¯t understand how Uranus could consider someone with low intelligence and an ignorance of fear to be fit for the Divine King. No Divine King would be unworthy of godhood. ¡°I¡¯m mad? Hehe, perhaps, but stop your ridiculous pleading.¡± Gaia¡¯s words finally incensed the Divine King. With a dispassionate nce at his once beloved wife, he extended his hand to push her aside. Standing atop the summit of Mount of the Gods, Uranus once again exercised the authority of the Divine King to pronounce judgment on the giants. ¡°I have tolerated you for a long time, perhaps a hundred years, or maybe two hundred.¡± Uranus scrutinized the three giants before him, yet still couldn¡¯t see fear in their eyes. ¡°But every tolerance has its limit. You dirty, ugly, a disgrace to my lineage, I am sick of your existence!¡± ¡°Cyclops? Aughable title. No more forgiveness for you because of Gaia, but instead, I will send you to where you belong.¡± ¡°Lowly trash, the Bottomless Abyss is your destiny. In the name of the King of All Gods, I dere you guilty by virtue of your inherent baseness. The sentence: eternal!¡± A mighty voice came from the edge of the sky, and in a cave, Laine slightly lifted his head. The sky outside had darkened, and the great Sun also tried intensely to restrain its own light. This was the rage of the dominion of the sky. Although Uranus was no longer the sky itself after giving birth to his Self, he still wielded absolute influence. ¡°It¡¯s a bit far.¡± Mere eyesight wasn¡¯t enough for Laine to see the Mount of the Gods, so he decisively chose another method, using the Moon in the sky to observe for him. After fifteen hundred years of orbit, this artificial celestial body had finally be somewhatplete. Its associated role of the Moon in godhood had also slowly climbed to the status of a level 3 deity. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Through the perspective of the Moon, Laine could vaguely see three streaks of light flying out from the central mountain in the vastnd, one after another, before plummeting into the western part of thend, piercing directly through the thick strata. Through that dark cavern, Laine could sense an incredibly chaotic and powerful aura seeping out. That was the Abyss, the bottom of the world, the physical shell of the Primordial God Tartarus. Unlike the other three Primordial Gods, Tartarus seemed to have abandoned awakening his self-awareness, maintaining a state of chaos and disorder. Because of this, he was the only being who had not fallen in power due to personification; he remained an Ancient God with Great Divine Power. ¡°Cyclops, huh¡­¡± Whispering the name of those three streaks of light, Laine felt no surprise. Unlike the twelve Titans, the Cyclops were more like monsters with great strength. There was no corresponding shift in the Law upon their birth, and the vicinity of Mount of the Gods did not even witness their presence, so it was only natural for Uranus to deny their existence. Even the future second-generation Divine King did not recognize his ¡®brothers.¡¯ Later on, Zeus rescued them but only used them as crafters and jailers. Despite Mother Earth¡¯s existence, which made the Divine King tolerate them for two hundred years, the Heavenly Father was not a generous god; he ultimately couldn¡¯t restrain himself from casting them into the Abyss. Boom! Another thunderous boom rose, and this time, Laine did not need the Moon to see it, because the sky and the earth were once again melding together. It seemed Gaia¡¯s pleas had enraged Uranus, who made the heavens and earth tightly embrace, just as they had before the birth of the twelve Titans. The Sun anxiously dodged, meteorology sought refuge fromnd to sea, arge number of nts were destroyed, and the once verdantnds that flourished over fifteen hundred years reverted to destion¡­ The Divine King violently unleashed his primordial desires to vent the dissatisfaction in his heart. Laine hid in a cave, quietly watching this scene unfold. The Divine King had ruled the world for fifteen hundred years, his twelve sons conscientiously fulfilling their spiritual duties under oppression, but Uranus still did not favor them. He often shattered celestial bodies, watching with coldughter as Coeus cried out in pain from the wounds. asionally, he would pluck the Sun from the sky and cast it into the sea, watching his children and brother suffer due to the conflict of their powers, which was one of his rare forms of entertainment. No music, no nectar, there was hardly any life upon the earth. Apart from the other Primordial Gods, Uranus could only vent his surplus energy on his own offspring. As for Laine, he had alwayscked presence, and the Prophecy subtly filled the Divine King with apprehension. So while Laine¡¯s location could not be concealed from him, the Divine King nevertheless did not seek him out to cause trouble. ¡°I wonder how much longer it will be.¡± ¡°Five hundred years, or perhaps a thousand. The era of the Heavenly Father was indeed dull; it is Cronus¡¯s reign that shall be more interesting.¡± Having nced at the Moon in the sky once more, Laine no longer focused on the outside world. The scattered ownerless Memories had mostly been integrated, and his role in Spirituality had thus risen by one level. It was foreseeable that when the Memories were fully assimted, Spirituality would gain another promotion. Besides the godhood, in terms of the growth of Divine Power, unlike the currently meager supply from Spirituality, the role of Chronology provided Laine with an abundance of Divine Power every second. A simr upper limit of godhood did not equate to the same speed of Divine Power provision. Light and Sun were equally potent, but thetter¡¯s Divine Power umted much faster than the former¡¯s. Though Chronology was not a role known for easily increasing Divine Power, it paled inparison to Spirituality, which hadn¡¯t moved up a level in thousands of years. Fifteen hundred years had passed, and he now stood at the peak of Weak Divine Power. Unforeseen circumstances aside, he should be able to shed this lowest tier of Divine Power before the birth of the Hekatonkheires. Themotion outside continued, and Laine once again entered a deep slumber. While the godhood is the upper limit, Divine Power is what one currently possesses. He would not leave this ce until he advanced even further. Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Five hundred years had hurried by since thest time the Heavenly Father¡¯s wrath was provoked. Just as Laine had predicted, a century after the Cyclops were imprisoned in the Abyss, the birth of the three Hekatonkheires incited the Divine King¡¯s thunderous fury once again. They each had fifty heads and a hundred arms, possessed of immense innate strength. Their names were Briareus, Cottus, and Gyes. Though they held no godhood, the Hekatonkheires still had the immortal essence, and together, theirbined strength could even defeat Titans who had attained intermediate divine power. But no matter their abilities, no matter how much Mother Earth spoke in their favor, the great King of All Gods could not tolerate their existence. This time, only fifty years had passed when Laine, newly ascended to weak divine power, was once again awakened. Through the vantage of the Moon, the descent of the three Hekatonkheires into the Abyss was clearly visible. The brutal act of casting six offspring into the Abyss in session sent tremors of fear through the twelve Titans. Although they did not particrly like their strangely shaped brothers, they couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of sorrow for their fate. The drama on the Mount of the Gods was captivating, but it had nothing to do with Laine. By now, having reached the seventh level of divine power, he sat quietly on a rock, awaiting the arrival of a visitor. Prophecy was somewhat useful. Though he had never actually foretold anything sessfully, he still received hints from fate about certain matters. Like today, when Laine, his expression changing, saw the green-robed goddess appear before him. Mother Earth wore a ck veil, her demeanor solemn and tinged with sadness. ¡°It has been many years, revered Mother Earth,¡± Laine said, guessing at her purpose foring. ¡°I had intended to greet you, but seeing yourplexion, I refrained from such an offensive notion.¡± Different from the youthful and vibrant goddess of a thousand years past, today¡¯s Gaia appeared much older, looking like a woman in her thirties or forties. Her once smooth skin seemed dull, with fine wrinkles hanging at the corners of her eyes. Her clear and gentle gaze revealed pain, and even though there was a great disparity in their divine power, Laine could still feel the emptiness and decline. Once the most robust in origin, Mother Earth was nownguishing among the Primordial Gods, struggling even to maintain her rank of great divine power. This was unprecedented. Although the Primordial Gods had lost power due to bing personified, their rank had always remained stable. The current state of Mother Earth indicated that the Origin of the Earth had suffered greatly. ¡°May I inquire the purpose of your visit, Mother Earth?¡± It seemed as if he had examined her for a long while, but it was merely an instant. Although he had already guessed Gaia¡¯s intentions, Laine still asked. ¡°Respected Foreseer, just as you said before, I can no longer bear it,¡± Gaia said directly, not minding Laine¡¯s feigned ignorance. ¡°Two thousand years have passed¡­ it started off well, although he was harsh on the children, he never did anything excessive.¡± ¡°He demanded too much from me, but I cannot me him. As the Heavenly Father and the symbol of yang, this is the influence of divine authority on him. I ept and understand it, and I do not resent him for this.¡± ¡°But it changedter,¡± Mother Earth said, looking back at the earth as if seeing her children locked away in Tartarus. ¡°When Cucrops (the Cyclops) were born, everything changed.¡± ¡°He began to be mad and despotic, irritable and irrational. He even believed that children, who did not possess godhood, could threaten his position. He abused the Divine King¡¯s authority, casting them into the Abyss.¡± ¡°Until now, he has set his sights on my offspring, the deities born of me.¡± Gaia¡¯s gaze left the earth and met Laine¡¯s directly. Although Mother Earth was not known for her martial prowess, such a look still imposed considerable pressure on Laine. He knew that Gaia was somewhat dissatisfied with him, despite the fact that none of this was his initiative. It was out of respect for fate, or perhaps a desire for a solution, that both Uranus and Gaia always behaved properly in his presence. But Laine knew that they behaved this way because they wanted to, not because they had to. ¡°So the Divine King feels threatened?¡± Laine asked with a smile, facing Mother Earth¡¯s gaze. ¡°Yes, the children who are growing stronger are unsettling him. Hyperion, Cronus, Oceanus, and Thaesis, these children have be beings with great divine power. Although they are not yet a match for their father, it is enough to trouble him.¡± ¡°Even my other offspring, except for the pitiable Iapetus and Mnemosyne, who possess only ¡®Speech,¡¯ ¡®Script,¡¯ and ¡®Language,¡¯ and are too weak, their brothers and sisters have all be deities with intermediate divine power.¡± As Gaia continued, her expression became somewhat sorrowful. She should have been happy to see her children possess such great strength, but the increasingly dangerous look from Uranus told her that if she didn¡¯t do something, they might follow in the footsteps of the Titans. ¡°I understand,¡± Laine nodded. ¡°You hope I can solve this problem and reconcile their differences, is that it?¡± ¡°If it could be done, that would be ideal,¡± Mother Earth said. ¡°But that¡¯s impossible.¡± Shaking his head, Laine spoke calmly: ¡°Respected Mother Earth, I am only the God of Prophecy, not the God of Destiny. The moment the Divine Kingmanded me to prophesy, his own destiny was enveloped by that prophecy.¡± ¡°A prophecy that envelopes the destiny of the Divine King, even the esteemed Ananke might be powerless against it.¡± Mother Earth was at a loss for words. Long before today, over the past two thousand years, she had visited her sister more than once, the Mother Night who reveled in silence with The Dark Overlord Erebus. But as Laine said, the power of a prophecy and a curse is closely tied to the one who initiated it. Once the Divine King personally sought to know his fate, that fate could no longer be stopped by anyone. Perhaps the world itself could, but the world does not have its own will. That is why the Divine King, who also visited Lady Night, believes so firmly in the prophecy, because he knows it cannot be changed. ¡°What if we tried a different method?¡± After a long hesitation, a struggle appeared in Mother Earth¡¯s eyes, but she finally spoke. ¡°If I want to solve this problem once and for all, what do you think I should do?¡± Upon hearing this question, Laine¡¯s heart gave a slight leap. This was not nervousness, nor surprise, but as Mother Earth made her choice, the power of History began to gather around him. Witnessing an entire era and possessing authority rted to time naturally grants one the godhood of History. This power was supposed to belong to the future Rhea, but now it reached out to an older deity. Laine dly epted it. Chapter 11 Chapter 11 In the Chaos World, at the foot of an unnamed mountain, a conversation powerful enough to influence the world continued. Feeling the power of history, Laine faced Mother Earth¡¯s questioning and expressed his helplessness. ¡°I am a god of Prophecy, not a god of Wisdom,¡± Laine said, shaking his head. ¡°Respected Mother Earth, I can only see the oue, and that too is only the unfathomable future.¡± ¡°If you insist on having my advice, then all I can say is that the Divine King cannot be overthrown by power alone.¡± ¡°The Prophecy shows that the one with the sickle shall shake the Divine King¡¯s position. Not defeat him, much less kill him, not only because no one can match the Divine King¡¯s power, but also because his kingshipes from the world and not from conquest.¡± ¡°A throne of godhood not gained by usurpation, naturally cannot be stripped away by sheer force alone.¡± Hearing this, Mother Earth appeared somewhat perplexed. She did not know what, other than power, could lead Chaos to reim the kingship He had bestowed. ¡°As the Divine King crowned by the world, his authorityes from within himself. He is the first to birth new gods through union, and his paternity rules the world; I am not sure how to shake his kingship either.¡± ¡°Then there is nothing I can do, respected Mother Earth,¡± Laine said with a smile, shaking his head: ¡°For the sake of your trustst time, I am willing to try and think of a solution. But as I said, I am not the God of Wisdom after all.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± After a while, Mother Earth brought up several ideas, but Laine negated each one. Finally, feeling Uranus¡¯s presence returning from the sea to the earth, Gaia had to leave for the time being. She hade out while the Heavenly Father was away ¡®entertaining¡¯ his own children. Now, she had to hurry back. ¡°Prince Laine, I am grateful for your help, no matter what,¡± Mother Earth said in the end: ¡°However, if I do make up my mind in the near future, I hope to receive your Prophecy.¡± ¡°I will,¡± Laine couldn¡¯t have been more willing: ¡°I will do my utmost to foresee the sess or failure for you once you are ready.¡± Nodding in satisfaction, Gaia¡¯s green robes vanished before Laine in a fleeting moment. Even with her Vital Essence greatly diminished, Mother Earth¡¯s movements were still undetectable by him. However, Laine did not envy her, for he knew Gaia¡¯s power would continue to decline. Even in the distant future, she would be the only Primordial God topletely fall from the peak of her Great Divine Power. Giving birth to Typhon, the monster-king who once defeated Zeus, would further deplete her Origin; the birth of the Goddess of Agriculture would tear apart her control over nts; the emergence of Hades would take thends of the Underworld from her; the line of Ourea¡¯s Mountain Gods and heirs of the lord of the vast oceans¡¯ River Gods would thin her grasp over the earth¡­ The goddess, born with the most abundant origin, thus became average through sessive childbirth and the betrayal of the world. Perhaps she still seemed powerful to mortals, but no generation of Divine Kings ever truly regarded her. This return to Mount of the Gods might soon be met with another torment. ¡°Level 7 Divine Power, once I get what I want from Cronus, everything should get back on track.¡± ¡°The next time we meet, I won¡¯t be so easy to talk to.¡± Looking again at where Gaia had disappeared, Laine knew that although Mother Earth respected him, it was merely superficial. In terms of power, like other deities, Mother Earth never took Laine seriously. Emotionally, even though Laine had always been on her side, she was still dissatisfied with him. Being lenient with oneself yet strict with others is no different between mortals and gods. Laine quietly assessed his own divine power and continued to slumber. In the time of Uranus, one of the three generations of Divine Kings of Chaos, he was just a witness. The earth, even devoid of animals, was not yet time for Spirituality to manifest power. It was not until the second generation of Divine Kings arose and the first humans were born, with a new generation of deities descending upon the world, that he would find space to act. Before that, he could only wait. ¡­ Mount Othrys, the Divine King¡¯s dwelling. Pleased to have trapped Phoebe at the bottom of the sea, Uranus admired the ¡®sea of light¡¯ for quite a while. The deity of light made the waves shimmer with extraordinary colors, but the lifeless sea soon bored the Divine King. ¡®They are getting stronger,¡¯ the King of All Gods thought upon returning to the peak of the Mount of the Gods. Two thousand years had passed, and the power of the Titan gods was nearing its peak. Even from the perspective of the ruler of the sky, if the bonuses his position as Divine King provided were disregarded, he had to admit the strength of his descendants. ¡®Three hundred years, five hundred at most, I must do something.¡¯ Determined, the Divine King rose and walked toward his wife. In the world today, deities are scarce. If he didn¡¯t want to rule this world alone after dealing with his children, he needed to hurry and create more gods. That¡¯s what he had done before, but Gaia¡¯s two births had disappointed him. He even began to wonder how the sky and the earth could produce such anomalies. If it weren¡¯t for Tartaruscking a conscious persona, he might suspect this ancient god, who dwells at the bottom of the world, of having offended the King of All Gods. ¡°Gaia, my wife, my Queen of Gods,¡± Uranus thought as he approached Mother Earth. He did not realize Mother Earth had ever left Mount of the Gods. As the personification of the earth, Gaia easily eluded Uranus¡¯s senses. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± Gaia seemed to understand the Divine King¡¯s intentions. Although she knew it would be useless, she still pleaded, ¡°Continuous childbirth has left me exhausted, and your divine power is even more immense. Perhaps you could grant me more time to rest, which might result in a child that better meets your expectations.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t this a situation you¡¯ve caused yourself?¡± Uranus retorted. Without any consideration for Gaia¡¯s refusal, he pressed her beneath him as usual. ¡°You know, Gaia, birthing deities and birthing monsters is not the same.¡± ¡°The power of deitieses more from godhood, the world bestows gifts upon them. Apart from my foolish brother Ourea, who took part of your godhood at birth, the birth of our other children has never left you so exhausted.¡± With a coldugh, Uranus became even rougher. ¡°But giving birth to a monster is different, they are innately powerful, requiring no growth. They hold no godhood, yet they are immortal. All their poweres from the mother, your own essence, and it¡¯s their birth that drains you, leaving you weak.¡± ¡°So, bear a proper deity, Gaia, just as you did in the beginning.¡± ¡°Let us together strengthen the power of our deity race, rather than providing the Abyss with a few immortal morsels.¡± Gaia seemed to yield, no longer trying to convince her husband. Under the watchful eyes of the gods of Chaos, the Sky once again descended, bing level with the summit of Mount of the Gods. They knew it was another union of the Heavenly Father and Mother Earth. Yet, unseen by the Divine King, thest of Gaia¡¯s hesitations faded from her verdant eyes. Just as he had said, Gaia had no wish to create ¡®immortal morsels¡¯, and so she made up her mind. ¡®Destiny is on my side,¡¯ Gaia thought, ¡®I will seed.¡¯ And so, in the next moment, her anger began to burn. Deep beneath the earth, among a mix of metals and stones, the authority of Mother Earth stirred the magma into motion. A sharp essence was extracted, and a special type of stone slowly took shape. It needed no smithing, for it was nurtured by the earth itself. It was curved and sharp, symbolizing Gaia¡¯s conflicted emotions and her ultimate resolve. And like that, three hundred yearster, the first sickle of Chaos came into being. Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Two hundred years had passed again. There was no birth of new deities, no changes brought by the movements of living beings. Apart from the growing vegetation spreading further, there were hardly any changes to thend from two hundred years before. But on this day, the disaster that Laine had long foreseen, still happened. Perhaps it had indeed urred before, or maybe it was just the Divine King¡¯s conjecture. In any case, after another round of ¡®entertainment¡¯ with his children, the Heavenly Father dered that he had seen dissatisfaction and resentment in the eyes of his children. ¡°So you have finally made your decision?¡± Uranusughed wildly as he stood by the sea, tossing thest child he had found, Rhea, in front of him. ¡°You harborints against me deep in your hearts, and now you want to turn your des against me?¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t, Father,¡± Hyperion said, ¡°We have all sworn an oath, no one dares to harm you¡­¡± ¡°Yes¡ª¡± Uranus interrupted his child¡¯s defense: ¡°Oaths are a good excuse, but I can think of another one for you.¡± ¡°For instance, you don¡¯t yet have a weapon, do you? To sit upon the throne of the Divine King, you would need at least a long sword.¡± The twelve Titans remained silent. They knew their defenses were meaningless, so they quietly awaited the judgement of the Divine King. This sort of urrence had happened many times in the past. The Divine King would always find some reasonable or unreasonable pretext to mete out punishment freely upon them. The Titans thought that, as in the past, they would experience pain or be subjected to mental humiliation, for which they were prepared. But clearly, the oue this time would beyond their expectations. At this moment, the deities did not yet realize the gravity of the situation, for Uranus was serious this time. After all, Gaia had still not bore him another Divine Child in the five hundred years that had passed. ¡°Listen to me, Titans. I have thought of many ways to deal with you, such as locking you up in the Abyss as well,¡± Turning his back, Uranus¡¯s voice suddenly calmed down. He did not look at the expressions of his children; he knew they would appear frightened, but in truth, they were not. They were different from those monsters; they were truly divine beings. Abusing authority would be punished by the world. Imprisoning a few monsters without godhood only temporarily weakened his Divine Authority. But if he were to imprison the twelve True Gods, their associated godhoods would be uncontroble, and the consequences would relentlessly affect him. This is exactly what happened with Zeus inter generations; after defeating the Titan Deity Race, apart from Crius and Cronus, the other Titans who submitted to him were spared. Because meteorology can be reced, and time and space were never fully controlled. But if he dared to lock away the Sun, the consequences would suffice for his elder brother to take his ce. It was not untilter, when Zeus¡¯s progeny were born and there were deities to rece the day, Moon, and stars, that the Titan gods began to fade from the Divine Court under his oppression. But Uranus had no substitute at the moment. Over the past thousand years, he was ceaselessly pondering how to deal with these children, until now, when he finally had an idea. How does one make a deity ¡®exist and yet not exist¡¯? It would suffice for them to have been born, but not quite born. Thus, the Divine King made up his mind, and his supreme Divine Power began to emerge. His two-thousand-five-hundred-year reign as the Divine King had brought him almostpletely to that step, and even in terms of strength, he was hardly inferior to the Great Divine Power. As the twelve Titans looked on in terror, Uranus turned the sky into a sharp de, concentrating it in his right hand. He looked at the deities before him and, in the name of the King of All Gods, delivered the final judgement. ¡°You are rebellious, cowardly, imperfect divine beings. You possess power, but you do not match your power. Therefore, as your father, as your king, I mercifully give you another chance.¡± The Titans were somewhat bewildered. They did not understand their father¡¯s meaning; since a deity had already been born, how could there be talk of ¡®another chance¡¯? Not until the Divine King¡¯s right arm swept across the earth, not until he seized his eldest son, did the Titan gods finally understand how they were to have ¡®another chance¡¯. ¡°Ah¡ª!¡± As the sky struck the earth, Gaia¡¯s pained voice echoed throughout the world. She, who had been waiting atop Mount of the Gods for her husband¡¯s return, suddenly felt immense pain. The earth was being torn asunder, and as the personification of the earth, Mother Earth felt it as her own. That was the Divine King¡¯s power, she was absolutely certain of it. The supreme force was forcibly cutting open her abdomen, and she felt something familiar being stuffed inside. ¡®Oceanus?¡¯ In her anguished wail, Gaia seemed to recognize the source of the breath. ¡°Ah¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡± The next moment, an even more intense pain struck her, this time it was Thaesis. Quickly, as one familiar presence after another made themselves known, Gaia lost even the strength to cry out. When Cronus also returned to the womb, shey back, dazed, at the summit of Mount of the Gods, staring at the sky that had been the same for ten thousand years. He had once been her beloved, but now he was her foe. They could not coexist in this world, she was absolutely certain of that. ¡°Gaia, are you alright?¡± She didn¡¯t know how much time had passed when Uranus¡¯s voice came from afar. The Divine King¡¯s tone was filled with joy, for he had finally solved the problem that had been troubling him. ¡°I no longer have to worry about my children,¡± Uranus said cheerfully. ¡°The prophecy can be dyed, this is feasible. As long as they remain in your womb, they are never truly ¡®born¡¯.¡± ¡°But you are defying my instincts.¡± Gaia¡¯s voice was devoid of emotion, she didn¡¯t even know how she still managed to speak: ¡°As ¡¯embryos¡¯ they will drain my power, but as fully grown deities, they will not gain any strength from it.¡± ¡°Yes, you are right. So, I must thank you, my Queen of Gods,¡± Uranus¡¯s voice suddenly softened, as tender as it was a thousand years ago. ¡°I will remember what you have done for me.¡± ¡°Now, let us celebrate this moment.¡± He embraced Gaia, but Mother Earth was indifferent to it. But the Divine King did not care. He was the King of All Gods, and all gods should offer everything to him. His children should do so, and so should Gaia. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ ¡°It has begun.¡± Laine raised his head, watching the chaotic meteorology of the moment. Heaven and Earth were once again in contact, but everyone who saw this scene felt an inexplicable sense of horror. The primal ocean trembled slightly, as though something terrible was about to happen. The wheels of fate began to turn, and just as the myths told, the authority of the Divine King was about to change hands. ¡°The feast is about to begin, yet I am the only spectator.¡± ¡°Of the four ancient deities that still exist, only Gaia has fully personified, and her fate is the most tragic of all.¡± ¡°Perhaps this is the beginning of Gaia¡¯s transformation, an experience profound enough to be etched in eternity, making her never trust ¡®Divine Kings¡¯ again.¡± Narrowing his eyes slightly, Laine took the initiative to step out of the cave for the first time. Between the Earth and the Abyss, there was a ce that was still empty at the moment, which wouldter be known as the Underworld. Eternal Night and Darkness interwove there, Mother Earth and the Abyss converged there. Though most of Chaos¡¯s myths took ce upon thend, the Underworld was in fact the most terrifying ce. The conversation toe, Laine wanted to have it there. If nothing unexpected urred, the Underworld would be his new home in theing eon. Chapter 13 Chapter 13 At the summit of Mount of the Gods, another seven years had passed, and the close union of heaven and earth momentarily ceased. The great Divine King, having vented his desires, began to wander aimlessly upon the earth once again. He found himself somewhat bored, as there were no more children for him to use as his toys. In his helplessness, Uranus could only use his divine power to strike at everything he saw at random, finding a bit of petty amusement amidst the destruction. After his departure, Gaia remained lying dazedly at the pinnacle of Mount of the Gods. She tried her best to conserve her energy, but it was futile. Visible to the naked eye, her immortal divine body began to age. Knowing she had to do something, Gaia made a plea inside herself, in the ce where the twelve children resided. ¡°You see, this is your father, the Divine King of Chaos. He has hurt me and imprisoned you as well. If things continue this way, when I fall into eternal slumber, you too will remain here forever, stuck in a state between life and death.¡± Gaia¡¯s calm tone wasden with hatred. With every passing second, she could feel her power ebbing away. Her spirit was focused on the twelve deities; they were herst hope. ¡°I need a warrior,¡± Gaia said, ¡°I need one of you to muster the courage to rebel against your father.¡± ¡°This is also part of the prophecy, the Heavenly Father will have his divine authority challenged by his own offspring, and you are destined to seed.¡± A silence ensued, and in that stillness, Rhea¡¯s voice hesitantly rose. ¡°Mother, we are willing to alleviate your worries, but ¡®the eldest son, yet not the eldest,¡¯ none of us meets this criterion.¡± The other Titans thought the same. Thousands of years had passed, and they still had not understood the meaning of this phrase. ¡°No, you do meet it.¡± Unlike the Titans, just before, right when the Divine King¡¯s transgressions had ceased, Mother Earth suddenly realized the true intent of the prophecy. The eldest son, but not the eldest by age, it was now time for him to arise. ¡°Whoever agrees to my request, will be the first to leave my body. You have been conceived again by themand of the Divine King, so the position of the eldest son will be reassigned.¡± When Mother Earth¡¯s voice fell, the deities were somewhat startled. Only at this moment did they deeply feel the power of fate. Two thousand five hundred years before, at the feast, everything had been prophesied¡ªthey would be conceived again, so the eldest son would not be the eldest one. ¡°But we have no weapon.¡± Hyperion seemed to have an idea, but also hesitated. As the sole Sun, who had not yet had his godhood divided, he was not inferior to his elder or younger brothers. If he could be the deity to defeat Uranus, perhaps he too had a chance to inherit the position of the Divine King. ¡°The sickle from the prophecy? It is ready,¡± Gaia said once more, ¡°The Divine King ordered all weapons under the heavens to be felt by him, so I nurtured a sickle from flint. It has never before appeared in the world, and its very purpose was to harvest nts, so it is not a weapon.¡± ¡°It is naturally formed without smithing, so it has no forger. It is a natural product.¡± The deities fell silent once again. They had not expected that the ¡®rtive¡¯ assisting in the rebellion mentioned in the prophecy was Gaia herself. Not one among their siblings, nor the uncles incarnated as mountains and deep seas, but their mother whoy before them giving birth. Indeed, nothing fits the description of ¡®rtive¡¯ more than husband and wife. ¡°But we have sworn an oath.¡± Before Hyperion could speak, Theia pinpointed the crux of the issue. Among the twelve Titans, she and Hyperion were particrly close. Hence, she did not wish to see her brother tempted by the Divine King¡¯s position and make a wrong decision. Faced with the reality Theia had spoken, even Mother Earth was at a loss for words. At this time, the guardian of the oath had not yet appeared, the River Styx had not yete into existence, and the world had not yet devolved the authority to uphold oaths. At this juncture, breaking an oath was a very dreadful thing. If the prophecy indicated that the one who held the sickle was destined to be the next Divine King, then the twelve Titans would not hesitate¡ªthey would fight for the right to wield the sickle. But since the Divine King¡¯s position was uncertain, nobody was willing to bear the consequences of breaking their oath. After all, bing the Divine King, the supreme Divine Authority couldpensate for the damaged Godhood. But if the wielder of the de was merely doing someone else¡¯s bidding, the deities were not willing to take that risk. Moreover, what was most crucial, and what Mother Earth had not yet mentioned, was that ¡®shaking the kingly power¡¯ did not necessarily equal ¡®overturning the kingly power¡¯. Had it not been for the Foreseer mentioning the term ¡®the first Divine King¡¯ more than once, the gods might not even dare to believe that their great and powerful father could also face the possibility of failure. Thousands of years of fear had already prated deep into their marrow. ¡°Let me do it.¡± In the midst of the prolonged silence, as Mother Earth was gradually losing hope, Cronus spoke up. Unlike before, his voice was now steady and maic, without any of the cringing that had been present in front of the Divine King. Until today, he had always been the most timid and inconspicuous of the twelve Titans. Because of his unique authority, he was never treated as a toy by his father. Being the youngest child, Uranus wasn¡¯t very wary of him either. Despite possessing the most powerful Divine Power among the Titans, he had always gone unnoticed by his siblings. But at this moment, as he raised his voice, the gods finally recalled his premeditated oath. As the first one to swear, he dered he was not a helper, but he did not say he was not the one to wield the de. Just as if he had nned it all along, Cronus intended to wield the de for himself, never to be the de in someone else¡¯s hands. ¡°Yes, my youngest brother.¡± Hyperion sneered coldly as if seeing him for the first time, ¡°I never thought you could be so far-sighted.¡± ¡°Indeed, Cronus. Perhaps, in terms of wisdom, you are not far behind the Foreseer.¡± Oceanus also spoke up. He still remembered the disgrace he had felt when the first part of the Prophecy was spoken. But Cronus was different. Facing the oppression of his father, he even dared to y these little linguistic games. If Uranus had not been inattentive, he would probably have spent his two thousand five hundredth birthday in Tartarus. ¡°Enough!¡± Mother Earth cut in coldly, her voice mixed with disappointment and a hint of surprise. ¡°Since you are all unwilling to wield the de for me, do not mock your brave brother.¡± ¡°Cronus, my youngest child.¡± After scolding her other two sons, Gaia¡¯s voice finally took on a hint of vitality, ¡°So, are you willing to pick up the sickle, for me, for your brothers and sisters, and for yourself to end this disaster?¡± ¡°Yes, I am willing,¡± Cronus said. ¡°I am willing to wield the de, but I need more specific guidance. The Prophecy definitely has more crucial parts; a mere de cannot allow me to contend with the Father God.¡± ¡°¡­ You are right, I will. I will find the Foreseer and ask him for the true essence of the Prophecy.¡± ¡°But he has said before that he is just an observer of fate,¡± Hyperion suddenly interjected. ¡°That¡¯s just because he has other demands. I see that more clearly now.¡± Seemingly regaining some wisdom through repeated devastation, Mother Earth calmly recalled every meeting with Laine, now that she faced her only chance for rebellion. No one who could peer into fate could resist using that power for their own benefit. The god of Prophecy definitely knew more, but he had not revealed it all, just as he had demanded Chronology from the Divine King, he surely had his own purposes. ¡°He is in the Underworld right now, between me and Tartarus; he is waiting for me. He will make his demands, and I am prepared for that, but you must also be prepared.¡± Mother Earth spoke calmly, theny silently on the ground. The time was not yet right; she needed to wait for the proper moment. When Uranus found a new toy, that would be the time for her to head to the Underworld. For now, she chose to endure the pain. Chapter 14 Chapter 14 In the Underworld, without the embrace of the sky, everything seemed silent and soundless. When the earth was torn apart, Laine had already passed through the ground and arrived at this emptynd. This was one of the three parts of Chaos. The sky and earth were one, the oceans and rivers coexisted, only the Underworld, shrouded in darkness, stood alone. Under the influence of divine power, as Laine passed through the strata and looked around, what he saw was an endless grey in. At this time, the Underworld was greatly different from the one recorded in the myths of his former life. There was no river of fire, no three-headed dog, no Styx or Acheron, and certainly no divine pce of Hades. The greynd thatter generations would call ¡®Fields of Truth¡¯ had nothing but emptiness, even more deste than thend a thousand years prior. At least the ground back then had mountains and seas, but here in the Underworld, there was nothing. ¡°This should have been the final resting ce for souls.¡± ¡°But it won¡¯t be in the future.¡± Shaking his head, Laine silently made his assertion. Using his divine power, he pinched up a small mound and then fashioned a set of furniture out of mud for himself. This was a new invention of Chaos, thus he acquired a trace of skill and creative divinity. ¡°Better than nothing.¡± With a casual gesture, he merged this insignificant spark of divinity, not even worth calling ¡®power,¡¯ with Spirituality. Laine did not continue to create new things but instead quietly waited for his guest. After all, without users and admirers, Craftsmanship could not be a godhood. In the future, when new gods were born and humans appeared, he had better ways to obtain them. Days passed by. Although there were no sun and moon in the Underworld, by sensing Chronology and the Moon, Laine could still determine how much time had passed. It was approximately twenty-four years after the twelve Titans had returned to the womb that a dark green light flickered and the solitary Underworld finally weed its second visitor. Seeing Gaia again, Laine clearly noticed her aging; the Mother Earth before him now looked like a woman in her fifties. Her emerald eyes were dim and without light, her hair, once embellished with vibrant flowers, was dry, yellow, and withered, and even the hem of her gown was coated with dust. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Mother Earth.¡± Without rising, Laine gestured with his right hand to the stone chair opposite him, indicating that she could sit down. He was not particrly courteous; to be exact, he did not much like these ancient gods. Gaia nced at Laine. On their fourth meeting, she clearly felt a change in his attitude. Unlike the previous respect and courtesies, Laine¡¯s demeanor was now indifferent and distant. Gaia was not surprised by this; with the wisdom of a Foreseer, she must have long detected her and her children¡¯s discontent with him. Before, she was the Queen of Gods and Mother Earth, an ancient god with supreme divine power, so he greeted her with a smile. But now, although she did not know what Laine was relying on, he clearly feared her no longer. ¡°Long time no see, wise Prince Laine.¡± After making eye contact with Laine for a moment, Gaia eventually sat in the chair. Whatever the deity in front of her was thinking, she no longer wanted to endure it. First, her six offspring were locked in the Abyss, and then her twelve children were forcibly stuffed back into the womb; Uranus, after performing such brutal acts, without hesitation indulged his desires for over twenty years. Gaia could feel her Origin ebbing away every moment. Though as a deity, she was immortal, but at this rate, one day, she would inevitably fall into an eternal slumber. ¡°I havee to seek help,¡± Gaia said tiredly: ¡°I have nurtured the de of Prophecy, which you once proimed could shake the seat of the Divine King. ¡°I asked my children, and although most of them swore oaths and dared not oppose their father, it was Cronus who bravely took on the heavy responsibility of wielding the knife,¡± Gaia said. ¡°I am the helper foretold in your prophecy, but now, the greatest challenge stands before me. Foreseer, wise Laine, please tell me how to truly shake the reign of Uranus and even prevent him from ever bing a threat again.¡± Faced with Mother Earth¡¯s earnest inquiry, Laine simply smiled and did not respond. ¡°What do you want?¡± Mother Earth asked again. Faced with Laine¡¯s silence, she directly posed the question. ¡°I am prepared to fulfill your request to the best of my ability, as long as you tell me how to end this nightmare.¡± ¡°Your Highness Gaia, you alone may not be able to afford what I desire,¡± Laine said calmly, unmoved by Gaia¡¯s words. What he wanted wasn¡¯t something Gaia could provide on her own, even more so, her part seemed insignificant inparison. ¡°I need the destined one with the knife, which now seems to be the noble Cronus. If he can end the Heavenly Father¡¯s reign, then he will undoubtedly be the new king. I want you, Mother Earth, to do two things for me, but I need him to agree to three conditions. Then, you will know what you desire.¡± These were Laine¡¯s terms: two tasks for the Primordial God, and three conditions from the future Divine King¡ªa price that was indeed steep. Although Gaia was still very weak, power coursed through her. Murmuringly, even though she had not yete into being again, the force of space and time coalesced within her. ¡°You made a prophecy, yet you¡¯ve met with me many times,¡± Gaia said coldly. ¡°If the Divine King learns of this, he will not spare you either.¡± ¡°Perhaps, but you need not concern yourself with that. I had foreseen this day the first time we met,¡± Laine retorted. ¡°I had prepared three things for you, but since you¡¯ve kept your bargain before, the oracle cancels one. Besides that, two requests and three conditions, not one less,¡± he insisted. Confronted with Laine¡¯s firmness, Gaia felt a mix of anger and helplessness. Although she didn¡¯t believe that he could have foreseen this day thousands of years before, she had to admit that since the Foreseer dared to sit there, he must have been fully prepared. At least in terms of ¡®foreseeing the future¡¯, Gaia had to concede she was no match for him. ¡°State your conditions. I cannot promise on behalf of my children, but for my part, I am willing to hear your demands,¡± Gaia spoke after some thought. Things had progressed to this point, and she could no longer hesitate. With a slight smile, Laine was not surprised by Gaia¡¯s submission. Clearly, she despised that tyrannical king more than she cared about some external possessions. ¡°A divine artifact,¡± he started. ¡°The Life Vase. I wish to borrow it for a thousand years. That is my first request.¡± The Life Vase was Mother Earth¡¯spanion divine artifact, manifesting its full might only in her hands. Away from Gaia, the Life Vase would slowly fall silent until it degraded into a mere object, which was why Laine intended to borrow it only temporarily. Of course, whether it would be returned intact, Laine did not guarantee. ¡°I agree. And the second one?¡± Gaia asked, nodding at Laine¡¯s request and then promptly continuing. ¡°The second condition is even simpler,¡± said Laine. ¡°I require you to arrange the growth of nts and the changes of climate ording to the waxing and waning of the illusory Moon as determined by the calendar I have established. This mustn¡¯t be altered until you challenge the Divine King.¡± This was Laine asserting the control of Chronology and the Moon over the growth of nts and the climate, further solidifying their powers. In theory, Mother Earth could annul it at any time after the new king¡¯s ascension, but Laine did not care. He needed only this period. As long as Chaos¡¯ parts for ¡®nt growth¡¯ and ¡®climate change¡¯ were briefly under the dominion of Chronology and the Moon, once he assimted this Origin, everything would be set in stone. Chapter 15 Chapter 15 ¡®Divine Artifacts and calendars.¡¯ Facing Laine¡¯s request, Mother Earth did not immediately respond, but she had already agreed in her heart. Unlike divine oracles, those were Artifacts born of the world, which could be transferred and handed over. However, the Vessel of Life, as Mother Earth¡¯s apanying object, could not truly be taken from her by anyone. As for allowing the Moon¡¯s changes to guide nts and climate, Mother Earth was simrly agreeable. After all, thend was her fundamental Godhood, and the God of Meteorology would certainly be willing to dedicate himself to this. ¡°Cronus,¡± Gaia called in her heart, she wanted to ask the opinion of her brave child. ¡°I can agree to his request, but what about your three promises?¡± At that moment, Mother Earth¡¯s belly was not at peace; when Laine spoke of ¡®an undoubted new king,¡¯ both the Lord of the Oceans and the God of Sun could no longer hold back. If they had known this oue earlier, they would have stepped forward before anyone else. But now, they realized that the matter was settled. Cronus¡¯s power was not weaker than theirs, and unbound by oaths, he was the most suitable to hold the knife, and Mother Earth would not choose another. ¡°I agree,¡± Cronus said to Mother Earth, his voice also transmitting outside his body. He had already gained an absolute advantage but also attracted his brothers¡¯ discontent. Now, he just wanted to obtain a more certain prophecy, ascend the throne, instead of bickering with his own brothers inside their mother¡¯s belly. ¡°I am willing to agree to your three conditions, Prince Laine. As long as it does not affect my sovereignty, I will do my best.¡± Nodding, Laine was not surprised by Cronus¡¯s answer. For him, if he could be the Divine King, any price was eptable. If he could only be trapped in the Mother Goddess¡¯s belly, then the smallest price was still just a worthless promise. ¡°Very well,¡± he said with a smile, voicing his first requirement: ¡°First, I want the origin of space-time.¡± The scene fell into silence for a moment, evidently neither Mother Earth nor the Titans had anticipated Laine¡¯s demand. It wasn¡¯t overly demanding, just quite strange. After a short pause, Cronus¡¯s voice came through. He was not angry, but somewhat puzzled and confused. ¡°The origin of a deity can indeed be transferred, Your Highness, but the recipient can never truly own it. Unless you intend to be my Sub-God, even if I give you much of the origin, it will return to me over time.¡± Cronus was not lying; unless divested by the world, the rights of natural deities could not be transferred; otherwise, the godly powers of the twelve Titans would have already been taken by the Divine King. Sub-God status is the only way to transfer powers for an extended period, but no one would think that the Foreseer would serve under another. ¡°That is my affair. Like the Vessel of Life, at least I need it for now.¡± Laine did not respond directly, simply reiterating his demand. ¡°Very well, I agree to your request. As the God of Chronology, the departure of the origin will not severely impact my power; I will give you as much as I possibly can,¡± Cronus promised. Pleased, Laine nodded and began to state his second condition. ¡°All right, my next demand involves the future of thend beneath our feet.¡± ¡°In an incidental Prophecy, I saw that one day, a new moon will rise in the sky. It will be a celestial body with substance, just like the Sun; more suitable to hang there than the Moon I created. Therefore, I want to find a new home for my creation.¡± ¡°So, you have chosen the Underworld?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Laine nodded in acknowledgment. ¡°Cronus, the future Divine King, I want you to make the following promises: the celestial bodies above the earth have substance; those below, do not. Therefore, the substantive Sun and Moon shall be above the earth; the insubstantial Sun and Moon, in the Underworld. The Sun symbolizes the masculine, so the Sun above is stronger than the Sun of the Underworld; the Moon symbolizes the feminine, so the Moon of the Underworld is stronger than the Moon above. The substantive Sun was born first, so all concepts of ¡®Sun¡¯ originate from it; the insubstantial Moon was born first, so all concepts of ¡®Moon¡¯ begin with it. Above and below, corresponding to each other, this will also be your aplishment as the Divine King.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± Cronus didn¡¯t hesitate, after all, the Sun and Moon had nothing to do with him, and he could use this to alleviate his brother¡¯s jealousy toward him. ¡°Please state your third request, you are always so full of wisdom.¡± Cronus really couldn¡¯t fault Laine¡¯s thinking. Just like the previous matter of Chronology, though no gods had taken on the godhood of ¡®year, month, quarter,¡¯ all the gods recognized the respect it orded them. Now the Foreseer was making a request for his own creations, but Hyperion also benefited from it. ¡°Mother Earth, and the rest of you listening at this moment.¡± Laine¡¯s smile became even more sincere. He was thankful for this still ignorant era. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if any of you have noticed, but between heaven and earth, amongst all things in the world, there exists a variety of special particles. They exist yet they do not exist; they can influence the material reality, and they can shape both Darkness and Light. They are chaotically scattered between heaven and earth, even close at hand.¡± ¡°Yes, I can feel it.¡± Mother Earth said, ¡°Earth, water, wind, fire, light, darkness, thunder, and lightning, they are special particles with distinct powers.¡± ¡°But in the face of divine power, they are as fragile as a sheet of paper. Apart from rhythmically following when the gods exercise their authority, I don¡¯t know what other value they have.¡± Laine simply smiled in response to Gaia¡¯s disparagement, neither confirming nor denying. What she said was not without reason, in the presence of divine power, the strength of elements was indeed negligible. But he had never intended to use them to oppose divine power. ¡°There will be,¡± Laine said, ¡°At least controlling them would allow me, whocks the godhood of water, to stir the waves, would allow me, whocks the Godhood of Meteorology, to create wind and rain.¡± Gaia offered a polite smile, and the gods within her wombughed more outright. With Gaia¡¯s protection, they were not afraid of being noticed by Laine. They had been led by the nose by Laine all day, and rage brewed in their hearts. But now, the other party¡¯s request finally helped them regain some confidence. Indeed, the God of Prophecy might be able to see the fate, but his own power was a ring weakness. ¡°Weak power,¡± Oceanusmented, ¡°From Chronology and Moon, to his ideas today, he has always been using alternative means to gain power.¡± ¡°Yes, he even dares to influence meteorology.¡± Crius sneered, unhappy with Laine¡¯s attempt to use a ¡®calendar¡¯ to control the climate, ¡°But godhood is fundamental, those ridiculous trinkets are meaningless.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t say that, it¡¯s at least an attempt, isn¡¯t it. Everyone knows the destructive power of prophetic divine power is a joke.¡± Because of Laine¡¯s ns for the Sun and Moon, Hyperion now harbored a bit less animosity towards him, but just a bit. After all, Laine¡¯s prophecies had only brought him hardship, and the throne of the Divine King had slipped through his fingers. ¡°So what will you do?¡± Unlike his brothers, at this most crucial moment, Cronus wasn¡¯t as wilful as his older siblings. His voice was gentle and sincere, as if genuinely considering Laine¡¯s interests, ¡°If you¡¯re interested in them, once I ascend the throne, I will, in the name of Divine King, grant you the authority to control them. As long as I remain Divine King, you willmand them as if they were your own limbs.¡± Laine smiled inwardly. He understood the underlying meaning of Cronus¡¯s words. With an unchanged expression, he gently shook his head to refuse. ¡°Thank you for your kind offer, Your Highness, but I have other ns.¡± ¡°I intend to weave a, to constrain these disorderly particles. When I need them, I will activate the pre-set structure, letting the strings of the resonate and intermingle. That way, I will be able to control them.¡± Having said this, Laine also extended an invitation to the gods: ¡°When that timees, if any of you present wishes to use this, you are most wee to do so.¡± Chapter 16 Chapter 16 ¡°Thank you for your generosity,¡± Faced with Laine¡¯s invitation, Cronus responded seemingly with pleasure,pletely unaffected by the influence of his elder siblings beside him. At that moment, within Mother Earth¡¯s womb, Crius was expressing his disdain for that .¡¯ Beside him, the other Titans concurred with his opinion, equally convinced that they needed no assistance from the elements. Even Cronus thought so; as a deity with potent divine power, he could achieve anything he desired with his divine power. Yet, since he was asking for a favor, he still expressed his concern. ¡°What do you n to weave this from? If you need, I could tan the fabric of space into strings to present to you as a gift,¡± ¡°No need, I have a better option.¡± Laine shook his head gently, then smiled as he gazed at Mother Earth. The request being made, it was time for the other party to act. ¡°We will do as you wish, Your Highness,¡± Mother Earth answered Laine¡¯s look: ¡°But don¡¯t disappoint us in a while.¡± As her words fell, Gaia reached out her hand. In the silence, a peculiarly shaped bottle appeared. Its form resembled the organs of a female nurturing offspring. The vase was inscribed with profoundly mysterious divine patterns, and right in the center was iid an unknown gold-green gemstone, from which Laine felt an endless breath of life. This was the Life Vase, a symbol of life, fecundity, and propagation. Even Gaia herself never possessed these divine authorities; it was the treasure bestowed upon Mother Earth by the world, and she had once used it to water vegetation and nurture new gods. ¡°For the next thousand years, it is yours. Though it holds the origin of life from Chaos, let me remind you that your absorption of its essence is meaningless. Like the origin of a god that eventually returns to its master¡¯s hands, the life you take from the vase will revert to the world.¡± With some reluctance, but Mother Earth still handed over the Life Vase to Laine. ¡°Thank you for the reminder, I have taken note,¡± Laine took the Life Vase in his hands, examining the legendary divine artifact: ¡°But it seems that the origin of life can be absorbed by mere mortals, at least that¡¯s what you did when you created nts.¡± ¡°Because mortals inevitably decay, and the birth of new life also strengthens the power of the divine artifact,¡± Gaia exined calmly. Nodding, Laine looked towards Gaia¡¯s womb, where Cronus and his eleven siblings were located. Under his gaze, the surrounding chronology began to fluctuate, and a mass of gold and silver source power slowly emerged. This was most of Cronus¡¯s space-time origin, and given the uniqueness of the powers of chronology, even with the origin separated from his body, he still retained most of his strength. ¡°It can only be maintained for five hundred years,¡± Cronus¡¯s somewhat weary voice reached them: ¡°This is the limit of what I can do, after which, it will uncontrobly revert to me.¡± ¡°That is sufficient,¡± Laine replied while securing the mass of origin. Chronology is the foundation of the world, if the Life Vase represents most of the world¡¯s origin of life, then at most, Cronus represented thirty percent in the space-time continuum. What Laine had in his hand was slightly less, roughly over twenty percent of Chaos¡¯s space-time source power, but this was already far beyond his expectations. ¡°I swear to the world, if you can tell me the true meaning of the prophecy, including how to truly overthrow my father, once I be the new Divine King, I will immediately uphold our previous agreement,¡± Cronus¡¯s voice came once more, his tone a bit urgent, and Mother Earth also followed closely with her oath. The initial exchangeplete, they were eager to hear the answer. Smiling inwardly, Laine knew that under the influence of destiny and the push of the world, even without him, Gaia and Cronus would have thought of the key to the problem. But such is reality, sometimes knowing something just a minute earlier can bring immense returns. Without urgency, Laine leisurely exined the reason Uranus became the Divine King. Among the three generations of Divine Kings, he was truly ¡®righteous in his rule,¡¯ for it was the reward given to him by the world. ¡°Heavenly Father¡¯s divine authority came from the world; he was the first existence to use union to reproduce deities. When he took this step, he obtained the symbol of masculinity, and when the Titans were born, he became the origin of paternal authority. For such achievements, the world crowned him king, allowing him to rule the sky, the seas, and thend.¡± ¡°So, how can we make him lose the world¡¯s favor?¡± Ignoring the mention of ¡®Titan,¡¯ a term of disgrace, Cronus hastily inquired. ¡°He is a male deity, so he represents masculinity. He is a father, thus he holds the power of patriarchy. Aside from me, aside from the Primordial Gods and his brothers, by now, all beings in the world are his offspring, which is unalterable.¡± ¡°Therefore,¡± Laine put away his smile and looked solemnly at Mother Earth, and at the King of Time and Space within his womb, ¡°you must use the Sickle to sever his symbols as a male deity and a father.¡± ¡°Once he loses these symbols, he will no longer be a male deity; the power of masculinity will depart from him, once he loses these symbols, he will be sterile, and the power of patriarchy will crumble and disintegrate. Without them, he will still be the ruler of The Sky, but no longer the Divine King who is beneficial to the world.¡± Gaia was shocked, and Cronus and his siblings also seemed to have lost their ability to speak. Up until a moment ago, they were still pondering the purpose of the Sickle. There was no doubt that it was a Divine Artifact, but it was not sufficient to threaten the supreme Divine King. However, as Laine elucidated its use, they finally understood its purpose. The Sickle was nurtured in the earth, so it naturally wouldn¡¯t harm Gaia; it could exist within her body and flesh. As long as Cronus wielded that blow at the appropriate time, everything would be over. ¡°Is this destiny?¡± Gaia scoffed, not knowing if she was mocking the Divine King or herself. ¡°He personally positioned the one to hold the de in the most suitable ce; he buried the seeds of cmity for himself. Oh my sister who presides over destiny, I wonder if she has foresaw this scene long ago.¡± To this, Laine did notment. He knew that Lady Night was different from Gaia; she and The Dark Overlord only personified a very small part of themselves. Even in the myths ofter generations, they oftencked any presence. ¡°Choose the appropriate time,¡± Laine said. ¡°Not now, not soon, but when the Divine King haspletely rxed and believes that the Prophecy has been thwarted.¡± ¡°I will,¡± Gaia replied. Having gotten the answer, she no longer wanted to stay here. To her, Uranus was hateful indeed, but Laine also made her reluctant to draw near. In front of this Foreseer, she always felt like a puppet being manipted. ¡°Wait a moment, mother.¡± Seemingly sensing Gaia¡¯s intention to leave, Cronus suddenly spoke up. His voice was formal and powerful; ever since he was confined within his mother¡¯s womb, he had stopped concealing his edge. Especially after listening to Laine talk about the key to overthrowing the Heavenly Father, his confidence surged within him. But before that, he wanted to ensure his own insurance. ¡°Before we depart,¡± he said, ¡°before we go to aplish this great deed of toppling the Divine King.¡± ¡°Respectable Foreseer, creator of Chronology; Lord of the Moon, God of Prophecy, as the future Divine King in Your Prophecy, I tentatively ask You in the name of the Divine King.¡± ¡°In Your eyes, with this Sickle destined to be engraved in history in my grasp, can I achieve themon wish of my mother, my brothers and sisters, to overthrow the cruel old master and mount the throne myself?¡± ¡°Can I create deeds greater than my father¡¯s in the future, and rule permanently over The Sky, the earth, and the seas?¡± After a moment of silence, Laine did not know what to say. This was the fate of Chaos¡¯s lineage of Divine Kings; even having witnessed the horrors of the Prophecy, they were still so obsessed with destiny. But since Cronus had asked, Laine might as well satisfy his request. Since they liked Prophecies so much, he would make onest ¡®great Prophecy¡¯ before merging with the Godhood of Prophecy. Having made the decision, Laine nodded to Mother Earth, and immediately his eyes glimmered with a faint light. Gaia and the Titans all quieted down, no one wishing to disturb the Foreseer¡¯s observation of fate. With different thoughts, they waited quietly for the final result. After a while, the glow in Laine¡¯s eyes had just subsided, and Cronus couldn¡¯t wait to ask. ¡°What did You see? Will I seed?¡± ¡°You will seed,¡± returning to his senses, Laine said calmly, ¡°You will seed in defeating your father. Although the process will require a battle, victory will ultimately be yours.¡± ¡°But I hope you remember¡ª¡± he looked straight at Mother Earth, as if gazing directly at the future Divine King within her womb. ¡°Nothing is eternal, Cronus. You will seed, but you won¡¯t seed forever.¡± ¡°One day in the future, when life and death trade ces, you will understand what I mean.¡± ¡°The way you obtain it is how you will lose it. A ruler rises by it¡­¡± ¡°¡ªwill assuredly fall by it!¡± Chapter 17 Chapter 17 It had been nearly three hundred years since Laine¡¯sst meeting with Mother Earth. Laine¡¯s power had increased, and although he had spent those years in the Underworld, with the implementation of the ¡®Chronology¡¯ and the rotation of the ¡®Moon¡¯, he had reached Divine Power Level 9, nearing the peak of Weak Divine Power. Among his many godhoods, it was ¡®Chronology¡¯ that had undergone the most drastic change; it was now powerful enough to support him reaching Divine Power Level 12. Iapetus, one of the twelve Titans, was even weaker than him¡ªafter all, mere ¡®Speech¡¯ was too insignificant. But Laine did not care because he knew that soon he would have a real foothold in the Chaos World. ording to the ¡®Prophecy¡¯ godhood¡¯s sensing, it might even be today. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Mount Othrys. Three hundred years had passed since the Divine King had imprisoned his offspring. At first, Uranus, whomitted the atrocity, was somewhat worried; he was not certain his scheme was indeed effective. He checked on the Titans intermittently and even cut open Gaia¡¯s belly again. But the eventual oue reassured him, the prophecy indeed had been thwarted. His children were behaving inside, and there were no major disturbances spotted in thews corresponding to their godhoods. Except for Mother Earth weakening day by day, nothing unforeseen happened. Uranus finally put his mind at ease, proving to himself that destiny could be stopped by power. From then on, he no longer worried about it. He had once sought out Laine¡¯s trail, for he had defeated the prophecy, and the god of prophecy was no longer fearsome. He nned to vent the anxiety he had developed over this, to show ¡®The Foreseer¡¯ that nothing is absolute in the face of true power. But to Uranus¡¯s disappointment, he searched the earth and seas, he wielded the authority of the sky to scour the world, but still could not find a trace of Laine. ¡®Perhaps he has taken refuge in the Land of Eternal Night, or some other ce.¡¯ ¡®At least in the matter of fleeing, ¡®The Foreseer¡¯ is quite capable.¡¯ In the end, the Divine King who hade up empty gave up his search. Not wanting to provoke other Primordial Gods and having nothing else to do, he could only spend his days by the side of his Queen of Gods, releasing his desires incessantly. On this day, as usual, the sky dipped slightly to touch the summit of Mount Othrys. Heaven and earth conjoined due to the personified actions of their embodiments; this was not the first time. But now in the silent Chaos, there were no onlookers. ¡°It¡¯s time,¡± Themis said. Unlike her siblings, the goddess of justice andw had been silent all along. She was not close to her kind, and her power was not great, because in the Chaos of that time, no one cared about justice orw. The Divine King wielded his power at will, and the weaker Themis could only watch in silence. For this reason, she had blindfolded herself. Contrary toter mythological interpretations, at this moment, she simply did not want to see all this disorder. But now, as the Divine King was about to be overthrown, she was the first to cheer on her younger brother. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s time,¡± Rhea also spoke up. Perhaps it was their simr godhoods; the Goddess of the passage of time had always been close to her youngest brother. As a goddess, she was not suited for the role of ¡®eldest son¡¯, so instead of envying her brother, she felt proud of his bravery. ¡°You are right.¡± ¡°It is time.¡± Cronus lifted his head. He reached out and plucked the sickle mentioned in the prophecy from his mother¡¯s flesh. It wasn¡¯t borate, even somewhat crude. The flint de radiated a shine, with nt vines wound around the handle. Cronus grasped it, feeling boundless pain and despair. It was the anguish Gaia had endured while nurturing this sickle; only the Titans who had suffered alongside her could hold it. As heaven and earth intersected within Gaia¡¯s belly, Cronus could clearly see the scene. His hand sping the sickle¡¯s handle trembled, with both fear and excitement. Even now, the fear Uranus had instilled in him for a millennium still lingered. He feared his father as anyone would fear pain. But still, he mustered the courage, because aheady the throne of the Divine King. ¡®I will seed,¡¯ he thought. Grasping the handle tightly, he swung down; an era thus came to an end. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Underworld. He was not standing on the ground, but suspended in the sky. Under the influence of divine power, Laine looked down at thend below. ¡°It¡¯s about to begin.¡± ncing upward at the space above the Underworld, Laine seemed to see through the strata to witness a scene destined to be recorded in history. He didn¡¯t go up to watch, not only because it was a war between the Heavenly Father and the Titans, but also because he had more important matters to attend to. ¡°I have to start now as well.¡± Laine was somewhat excited, knowing himself that he was about tomit an act surely forbidden by Chaos. But at this special moment, no one could stop him. Quietly, Laine watched ahead. At some unknown time, the Moon, which used to hang upon the ground, had vanished. Its creator, its very origin, had taken it down, passing through theyers of earth to a strange ce. Now, the silvery white celestial body hung above the Underworld. Soft yet bright light illuminated the Underworld, which hadn¡¯t seen sunlight for millennia, and the power inherent to the Nether Moon began to converge upon the Moon. This was not only because a Nether Moon rightly belonged here, but also due to the oath of the future Divine King. But Laine knew full well that once the true Nether Moon was born, Chaos would reim its authority, as this was the typical ruse of the world consciousness. It had no subjective consciousness, only instincts. ordingly, it never cared to whom something should belong; it acted solely on its own set of rules. ¡°However, from now on, such things will never happen again.¡± With a slight smile, Laine reached out to straighten his silver-white robes. On this significant day, he still wanted a sense of ceremony. He held the Oracle Stone Tablet in his hand and hung the Vessel of Life on his waist. Surrounded by the essence of space-time, Laine walked toward the Moon. Without seemingly touching anything, the master of the Moon thus entered its interior. Unlike the external brilliance, it was pitch ck inside at the moment. Chaotic chronology, bound by the orders of the Divine King, wandered here. The past and future were uncertain; the duration of time was without measure. It more closely resembled the dawn of creation, when everything was in turmoil. In the face of this scene, Laine lifted the intertwined silver-gold essence of space-time. He scattered it, merging it into the space. The original essence dissipated,mingling with the chaotic chronology of this ce. However, having lost its original consolidated form, it was escaping at a rate thousands of times faster. If nothing unexpected urred, in at most three months, maybe two, Cronus would reim this essence instinctively, and by then, Laine would not be able to use him of viting his oath. But now, these essences wouldn¡¯tst even a day. The essence of Spirituality, hidden for an age, surged from Laine for the first time, enveloping the Moon and its creation. Using this as a medium, chronology, prophecy, the Nether Moon, and even the powers absorbed by the Moon in its course¡ªlike light, celestial bodies, changes, and even the concepts of death and destion that had just begun to coalesce in the Underworld¡ªall converged with Spirituality at this moment. They mingled together, furiously torn asunder by Spirituality, morphing into an indescribable chaos of color, like an absolute darkness, a void of all things. Only Laine stood here; he was the sole existence in this ce. ¡°I¡¯ve finally waited for this day.¡± Laine felt a tinge of emotion, sensing that the will of the world was now fixed upon him. Without a doubt, his act of allowing Spirituality to devour other essences had enraged the world. Chaos didn¡¯t care whether these essences belonged to it; it only cared that things once under its control were trying to break free. Thus, it sent out a summoning through the void, and all the existing deities received this special message, simr to the call of the Law during a god¡¯s birth. All gods knew that within the depths of the Underworld, under the earth, a god who held the essence of Spirituality had defied the will of the world. Those who stopped him would be rewarded, while those who aided him would be punished by the world. But as Laine had calcted, time passed second by second, and nothing happened. In the center of the Moon, within the dark chaotic void, Laine¡¯s divine body began to disintegrate of its own ord, bing one with the matter and environment. At this moment, in the Moon, the earth was a void of chaos; the abyss above was shrouded in darkness; and Laine¡¯s spirit moved upon the surface of the water. Amid this emptiness, a voice broke the silence. This was the primordial one, from which all things were born. ¡°Let there be light!¡± he said. And at that moment, there was light in the dark void. He saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. He called the light ¡°day,¡± and the darkness he called ¡°night.¡± There was evening, and there was morning¡ªthe first day. Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Time rewound to not long ago. The Sky and Earth were still close, and the world was as tranquil as ever. But on this day, the unexpected happened. Without any forewarning, at a certain moment, the sky below, and thend above, were filled with the agonized roars that spread throughout the world. The supreme Divine Power shook the void, and all beings could feel the Divine King¡¯s pain and anger. At the same time, atop Mount Othrys, the great earth cracked open, and twelve Titans emerged one by one. The leader, holding a bloody sickle, had an expression of steely resolve. He was tall and heroic, with the flow of time surrounding him. Eleven brothers and sisters stood behind him, together resisting the oppression from the Divine King before them. When Cronus¡¯s sickle swung down, the oath was already over. They were not the wielders of the sickle, nor the helpers; they were merely informed onlookers who had not reported. But now, unconstrained by the oath, they decisively stood opposite the Divine King. Of course, by this moment, Uranus was no longer the Divine King. When the symbol of the male god was cut off, and his children stood against him, the symbol of Uranus¡¯s paternal authority copsed as well. Every moment, the Divine King¡¯s authority was slipping away from him. By the time he recovered from his agony, his power had already fallen by nearly half. ¡°Return it to me!¡± The Heavenly Father roared, hisrge hand reaching for the flesh that had fallen to the ground. With the regenerative ability of a god, as long as he could reim a part of himself, he could be restored to his former state the next moment. He was getting close! Uranus¡¯s face brightened with hope, but the next instant, a streak of silver light shed by, and the distance between them was once again suddenly extended. The Titans had stood by earlier to counteract the Divine Power released by the Divine King, but now, as Uranus¡¯s mind became clear again, his power no longer matched its former peak. After all, he was no longer the Divine King. Boom¡ª! The rage of the ruler of the sky was unleashed due to his flesh being severed, the Queen of Gods¡¯ betrayal, and his offspring¡¯s rebellion, all driving him somewhat insane. He frantically released his Divine Power, charging towards his own body¡¯s location. The Titans had some difficulty holding back, but Oceanus came up with a good strategy. He rushed forward, grabbed the remains of his father, and threw them hard towards the sea. The Sky instinctively resisted this act, but still, the remainsnded near the sea. Uranus looked in that direction with hopeful eyes, wishing for his brother¡¯s help. But he was disappointed once again, as Pontus betrayed him without hesitation; although he was usually quiet, he still harbored hatred for his tyrannical elder brother. So, using his Divine Power, he hid the remains in the waves, beneath the sea. The Heavenly Father thereby lost his connection to his body, and only the blood foam floated on the sea¡¯s surface. ¡°Ah¡ªhow dare you all!¡± Uranus roared, unable to believe that even his own brother would betray him. In his eyes, these rtives, beyond the Primordial Gods, had always been timid, allowing him to take whatever he wanted from them, never knowing resistance. ¡°My father, this is the consequence of your brutality,¡± Cronus said as he pointed the blood-stained sickle at his father. Until this moment, he still tried to persuade his father to yield with words rather than force. After all, he was well aware that even without the title of Divine King, Uranus was still the ruler of the Sky closest to the Great Divine Power. ¡°Give up, your madness has made all the gods resist you. Give up the position of Divine King, and you are still the master of the Sky.¡± Boom¡ª! Without responding, what awaited Cronus was the Heavenly Father¡¯s frenzied Divine Power. He expanded his divine form, and the Sky pressed down with it. As the embodiment of the Sky, he too had the potential for Great Divine Power. When he unleashed his full force, weather patterns were altered, celestial bodies were shattered. Pieces split off from the Sun, falling to the ground, setting everything aze; Light was obscured, currents were severed, and the Divine Blood of the Titan gods rained down like day. Only Cronus and Rhea escaped unscathed, furiously dodging with the authority of time and space, avoiding their father¡¯s final frenzy. Although he did not know why, Cronus could still feel that his father¡¯s power was continuing to weaken. Some kind of transformation seemed to be happening within him. He tried to suppress it with his Divine Power, but the transformation grew more and more severe, and so his Divine Power steadily declined. As long as he held on, Cronus believed he would surely be the final victor. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ The war of the gods had burst forth, and the Land of Eternal Night simrly gave birth to strange fluctuations. The Chains of Law danced across the heavens, signaling the birth of gods. Perhaps it was due to the negative emotions released before the Divine King¡¯s dethronement, or perhaps it was because of the disturbances among the sky, the sun, and celestial bodies, the children of Nyx and Erebus were born. Eight presences descended upon the world in session, two of which thinned out a fraction of the origin rted to light from the Titans, while the rest apanied negative emotions. Aether, the god of heavenly light! Hemera, the Goddess of Daylight. Moros, the God of Doom. Ker, the God of Destruction. Oizys, the goddess of decay. Apate, the Goddess of Deceit. Philotes, the Goddess of Lust. Unlike the birth of the twelve Titans, the birth of Nyx¡¯s eight children did not have a major impact on the world; thus, they did not receive any additional help at their birth. Without unexpected circumstances, it would take years for these gods to descend one by one. However, at this moment, something unexpected happened that surprised all the gods. The vibrations of the Law caused by the birth of gods and the war of the gods were still ongoing, but suddenly, a warning from the world came. In the Underworld, within the Moon, a being in charge of Spirituality was devouring the world¡¯s source force. Anyone who stopped him would receive a reward from the world; this was the world¡¯s natural response. But unfortunately, no one was free to address this matter now. ¡°It¡¯s him! It¡¯s him who has taken my godhood!¡± Mnemosyne had fallen to the ground, her garments stained with divine blood, yet she screamed out. As soon as she was born, she sensed that the godhood of Memory was born with her, but for some unknown reason, it was not under her control, ¡°Damn it!¡± Once again, the divine power of the lord of the sky shed, and Cronus¡¯s face also twisted with fierceness. He felt that not only had Laine concealed the godhood of Spirituality, but for some unknown reason, his power also had a faint aspect of temporal divinity. With this divinity, his origin that rightfully belonged to him was being devoured ruthlessly. This was the origin he had actively surrendered, so it did not resist in the slightest. He felt a deficit in his inner power, but Cronus could only grit his teeth and persist. With the help of the power of time, and the assistance of the Goddess of Time¡¯s Passage, he temporarily maintained his Divine Power Level. Without hesitation, he continued to engage Uranus. It was toote to go to the Underworld now, and Cronus could only hope to defeat his father and use the Divine King¡¯s authority to sustain his own power. Now, he had no way out. Meanwhile, in the Land of Eternal Night, the nurturing of the Divine Child began to elerate. What originally required several years for the children to be born was now condensed into a few days; yet, this still could not quench the immediate thirst. The world¡¯s pleas echoed along the Chains of Law, but for a long time, there was no response. This was Laine¡¯s only, and best, opportunity. The Heavenly Father and Mother Earth were at war with the twelve Titans, the Twin Gods of the Dark Night were birthing children, Tartarus was as will-less as ever, and no one could stop what he was doing now. The next moment, as if in response to the world¡¯s targeting, the fluctuation of fate came from the Underworld. All the gods could feel that the fate of Chaos had been torn apart. Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Time rewound to not long ago. Unlike the chaos outside at this moment, within the Moon, Laine¡¯s creation was still ongoing. At the core of the Moon, chaotic chronology was released. Just like at the beginning of creation, at this moment, time had no scale. This was a feature deliberately preserved by Laine. In his view, both chaotic and orderly space-time had their value, as long as they were controble, they had a reason to exist. Therefore, in the newly born world, the ¡®deeper¡¯ it was, the more chaotic the order of time. The ¡®shallower¡¯ it was, the more dominant the order. But at the very core, it was as orderly as the outside world, and that was also to be the future dwelling of Laine. At this nascent boundary, Laine no longer had a body, his spirit floated at the origin of the world. Materials from his disassembled divine formbined with the source power from the life vial, giving birth to a material that was both ethereal and solid. He used this material to form earth and water, the most fundamental substances in the world, but Laine needed something else to separate them. ¡°Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, to divide the waters from the waters,¡± he said. And so, in the realm of spirituality, there was a firmament, dividing the waters below from the waters above. He called the firmament Sky. There was evening, and there was morning; this was the second day. ¡­ With light and dark, with the sky, the world needed a substantial entity to bear it. So Laine¡¯s spirit moved to the midst of the waters, also the very midst of the world. ¡°Let the waters under heaven be gathered together into one ce, and let the drynd appear,¡± he said. And the waters were collected to one ce, and he called the drynd Earth and the gathering of the waters he called Seas. ¡°Let the earth bring forth grass, herbs yielding seeds, and fruit trees bearing fruits with seeds in it, upon the earth after their kind!¡± And the earth brought forth grass, and herbs yielding seeds after their kind, and trees bearing fruits with seeds in it after their kind. There was evening, and there was morning; this was the third day. ¡­ Thend appeared, the seas were separated, and with the help of the life vial, Laine began to create beings evolved from spirituality, starting with the simplest nts. He could feel that the outside battle was bing more intense, and the offspring of the Twin Gods of the Dark Night were also growing at an elerated pace. But none of this concerned him, for in this realm of chaotic chronology, he could easily stretch a day into seven. Laine¡¯s spirit looked up at the empty sky, where he solidified the concepts of the Moon and celestial bodies. The world of spirituality did not need the Sun, but there would be more than one Moon. He said, ¡°In the expanse of the sky, let there be luminaries to divide day from night; they shall serve as signs for the seasons, days, and years; let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth!¡± And thus, he made a great light, divided into seven; he also made stars, corresponding with the seasons, days, and years. He set these luminaries in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern day and night, and to separate light from darkness. There was evening, and there was morning; this was the fourth day. ¡­ As celestial bodies appeared, Laine had nearly exhausted his reserves. But aside from what he obtained in this world, he also had legacies from a past life. While the external world stillcked stars, the origin of stars was already in gestation. As he created the stars, the corresponding origin in the world began to be drawn upon by him. This extraction would not cease until the true God of Stars was born. Drawing from Memory, he extracted the concepts of flowers, birds, fish, and insects, and once again poured the liquid from the life vial. He could not yet create beings in reality on his own, but in the realm of spirituality, he was the sole supreme entity. ¡°Let the waters be filled with living creatures; and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky!¡± he said. Thus, he created great fish and various living creatures that teemed in the waters, each after their kind; and every winged bird after its kind. He blessed them to be fruitful and multiply. And so they were endowed with the ability to reproduce and gradually increase in numbers. There was evening, and there was morning; this was the fifth day. ¡­ Primitive life had appeared, and what followed was the hardest part. Laine had once thought of creating humans, but this was beyond his capability, for in his ¡°Memory,¡± there were no pure beings made entirely of Spirituality. So, he abandoned his original idea and mixed his own flesh and blood with the Origin of Life; he separated the good from the bad, the superior from the ordinary. He would use them to create life respectively. He said, ¡°Let the earth bring forth living creatures ording to their kinds: livestock, insects, and the beasts of the earth, each ording to its kind!¡± And so, he made the beasts of the earth, each ording to its kind; the livestock, each ording to its kind; all sorts of insects of the earth, each ording to its kind. He said, ¡°I will create them in my image, after my likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the heavens, and over the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth!¡± Thus, in his own image, he created divine life; that is, he created them in his image; Spirituality was in opposition to matter, thus the divinely feminized took on the form of females as they came into existence. He blessed them, promising them eternal life. Hemanded them to manage the Order of this world in his stead. There was evening and there was morning; it was the sixth day. ¡¤¡¤¡¤ The consumption of the many Origins by Spirituality was reaching its end. Time and Spirituality were the foundations of this world¡¯s existence, with Order and Chaos separating within and without the world. Laine stood at the root of the world, having shaped a new body for himself. He had taken most of the power of the Vase of Life, leaving behind the Source Power aligned with matter. From then on, the liquid from the vase would only affect matter, having no effect on Spirituality. All spiritual life in the world was to be governed by the dominion of Spirituality. The world grew increasingly incensed, though to use a personifying word like ¡°incensed¡± might not be fitting¡ªit was simply instinctively resisting the loss of authority. The Twin Gods of the Dark Night were approaching the end of their divine birth, but Laine was also facing thest day of creation. He removed the Godhood of Prophecy, he removed the Godhood of History, and finally, he took out the three Oracle Stone Tablets. He cast the three into the Origin of the new realm, and in an instant, Spirituality devoured them. Thus, the time and fate of the Chaos World were shaken, their Source Power endlessly pouring into the newborn realm. Transformed by the power of Spirituality, the Oracle Stone Tablets were reborn into the world. From then on, the world of Chaos had no predetermined fate. Spirituality would not interfere with what was destined; it intervened in the unknown. Reaching out his hand, Laine picked up the first tablet. Just as in the beginning, the tablet was inscribed with a maxim¡ªKnow thyself. Laine preserved these words but added new content above them¡ªKnow the world, then know thyself. Using the authority of Memory, he engraved everything he had witnessed since the beginning of creation onto the tablet. He assigned it ¡°History,¡± carving it with new characters belonging to the Spirit Realm. And thus, the embryonic form of a powerful Divine Artifact was born. It symbolized the world¡¯s past, an immutable truth. Reaching out again, Laine picked up the second tablet. Simrly, it was inscribed with a maxim¡ªNothing in excess. He kept those words, supplementing them with a new maxim¡ªNothing in excess, let thew be your guide. He engraved the chronology on it, the rules between realms on it. Its content would evolve as the realms were perfected. From that moment on, it became the ¡°Codex of Creation.¡± Last, he picked up the third tablet. ¡°Promises bring pain,¡± read its content. He wiped away these words, extracting the Source Power of the most ancient script. The tablet was not yet ready to appear in the world, so Laine set it aside. At that moment, at the root of the world, several Divine Artifacts were in the process of forming. Some belonged to Life, others to Chronology¡ªall were creations spontaneously born from the Origin. Laine nced at them and then allowed them to continue their gestation. Next, he extended his hand beyond the world and caught some of the spittle shed by the Heavenly Father, then seated himself at the center of the realm. He had created all the elements of heaven and earth, and he named this realm the ¡°Spirit Realm.¡± There was evening and there was morning; it was the seventh day. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ At the same time, outside the Spirit Realm. The new realm was now stable, and in the Underworld¡¯s sky of the Underworld, the silhouette of the Lady of the Night began to quietly emerge. ¡°I amte by a step.¡± Her ck dress gently swayed, releasing invisible power. In the next moment, before this supreme figure, the entire Underworld began to tremble slightly. Chapter 20 Chapter 20 ¡°Truly a miracle of creation.¡± ¡°Sevenyers of interfaces, each different. This is a new world, subordinate to Chaos yet independently originating.¡± Beside the illusionary Nether Moon, the gentle voice of the Night Lady came through. Just like her, it was elusive and seemingly both real and illusory. She wore a ck dress woven from the night sky, and anyone, mortal or god, who looked upon her could only sense her beauty but could never grasp just how beautiful she was, only able to envision it within dreams. Even Laine had only glimpsed the maiden form of Nyx at the moment of the birth of the Primordial Gods. Beyond that, the visage of this creation goddess was never known to others. She was like the night, mysterious and hazy. ¡°What a pity,¡± Nyx said in a tranquil tone that belied the cruelty of her words, ¡°If it were before, I could have shattered it. But now, its origin has been reshaped.¡± ¡°Time-space and fate are bound together by Spirituality, unless Chaos is willing to give me all of his remaining time-space source power, otherwise I can¡¯t touch it.¡± Nyx could feel that the Spirit Realm was right before her eyes, even covering most of the Underworld. But it was useless, because Spirituality separated the two realms. Nyx could use the powers of destiny to fix the trajectory of fate, but shecked the divine authority over time-space to break this shield. In many cases, divine authority is absolute. Even though her power was enough to shake the entire Underworld, she could not breach this barrier, just as theter Zeus could not stop the hypnotic powers of the God of Sleep. ¡°But Chaos won¡¯t do that.¡± Suddenly, a male voice that betrayed no age came from beside the Night Lady. The voice was very calm, but the tone was somewhat mocking. Clearly, the speaker did not favor the instinctive consciousness of Chaos. ¡°This is a world without self, just like our divine bodies, preferring to be slowly bled dry rather than knowing when to cut losses.¡± That was The Dark Overlord Erebus, his existence even more secretive than Nyx¡¯s, for he was darkness itself. ¡°Perhaps we can talk,¡± Erebus said. Laine knew he was speaking to him. ¡°In the past, I dismissed you due to your weakness. But the facts have told me that as a Primordial God older than us, your power is far greater than you show.¡± That¡¯s what The Dark Overlord said, and he truly believed it. As the most ancient deities, the Primordial Gods were all aware of Laine¡¯s existence. But after sensing Laine¡¯s power, they no longer paid him any attention. If not for Uranus¡¯s interest in ¡®the weakest of the Ancient Gods¡¯ter on, even Mother Earth would not havee to see Laine, let alone the subsequent prophecies. Within the Spirit Realm facing the invitation of The Dark Overlord, Laine felt a bit hesitant. In essence, Laine, who had justpleted creation, was extremely powerful. He had snatched a tremendous amount of origin power from the world, and even if he had not yet fully digested it, its intensity was far beyond his imagination. Especially the Oracle Stone Tablet, from which Laine had obtained a terrifying amount of the powers of destiny and order, and even many misceneous powers. For instance, Script was one of them. The inherently carved Script on the tablet was older than Mnemosyne, the God of Script, and it was with this power that Laine created the Spirit Script belonging to the Spirit Realm. The great origin powers stacked upon one another, and in Laine¡¯s perception, his current Spirituality, if measured by godhood, was nearly as strong as The Sky. Even when hepletely digested this gain, he could reach even higher levels, but in reality, Laine¡¯s power was not that strong. Like the original Sea God Pontus, before his godhood was divided, the Ocean was not inferior to The Sky, but he never matched up to Uranus. It wasn¡¯t a gap in godhood but a difference in actual strength. Godhood determines the upper limit of a deity¡¯s Divine Power Level determines a deity¡¯s current power. Laine had a powerful origin, but like the newly born original Sea God, he only had a Divine Power Level of eleven. If it had been another god outside, even Gaia, Laine would have dared to meet them, but the Twin Gods of the Dark Night were different. The personalities of these two Primordial Gods were not deeply individualized, therefore their power was much stronger. At this moment, both inside and outside the Spirit Realm, silence fell. After a lengthy hesitation, Laine ultimately gave up the idea of avoiding confrontation. He couldn¡¯t stay in the Spirit Realm forever, slowly umting divine power over tens of thousands of years. He had many more things to do, besides, he was born of the Spirit Realm. Even if he were captured, at worst he would die once and his divine power would fall. As long as the Spirit Realm existed, he could always reassemble his divine body, and they could not possibly trap him forever. However, by that time, his grudge with the Twin Gods of the Dark Night would have definitely solidified. With his mind made up, Laine took a step forward. In the next moment, he appeared outside the Spirit Realm. His silvery-white shadow shifted from intangible to solid, his robe adorned with light purple patterns. Laine stood before the Lady of the Night, nodding to her in greeting. He was no longer his former self. Even the Primordial Gods were no longer worthy of his bow. ¡°Good evening, Lady Nyx and Lord Erebus, I apologize for keeping you waiting. May I ask what you wish to discuss with me?¡± Narrowing her eyes slightly, the Lady of the Night scrutinized the young deity before her. Unlike the other male gods of this era, Laine didn¡¯t have distinctly built muscles, nor was he dressed in rudimentary garments congealed from divine power. His silver-white robe looked very distinctive, and he had an altogether different aura about him. ¡°Heh, you really are surprising, Lord Laine, you do seem out of ce among the gods.¡± ¡°I guess, in front of my unfortunate sister, you wouldn¡¯t have looked this way.¡± Apanied by a ripple of lightughter, Nyx¡¯s ethereal voice rang out again. But for some reason, Laine always felt that there was a mocking tone to it. ¡°Perhaps, but if Mother Earth could have set aside the pride in her heart earlier, perhaps she wouldn¡¯t be in the predicament she is now.¡± ¡°Besides, I fail to see where you and Mother Earth have shown ¡®sisterly love¡¯.¡± With a slight chuckle, Laine responded to the Lady of the Night¡¯s remark nomittally. When he was still weak, he always had to ¡®dust it off.¡¯ If he had the strength he has now back then, Laine wouldn¡¯t have had to go to such lengths to deal with any ¡®prophecy.¡¯ If he were a deity with great divine power now, even if the Twin Gods of the Dark Night sensed the will of the world, they would choose to turn a deaf ear. ¡°However, Lord Erebus, please forgive my impertinence,¡± Laine said with a smile, his tone a tad casual, ¡°but could you pleasee out and speak? It¡¯s quite unsettling speaking to a deity I cannot see. Since you¡¯ve invited me, it¡¯s only right to meet face to face, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°You are correct, it was impolite of me.¡± The next moment, as The Dark Overlord¡¯s voice fell, Laine caught sight of his figure. A ck hood draped over him, different from the darkness of Nyx¡¯s ck dress. Her dress¡¯s color was more like a mutable ¡°ck,¡± whereas The Dark Overlord¡¯s hood was more akin to a ck hole. It had no color of its own, but only byparing it to its surroundings did people realize it was ¡°ck.¡± Furrowing his brows slightly, Laine found that Erebus hadn¡¯t actually concealed his presence. He had always been standing there; it¡¯s just that his existence was so subtle, it was almost as if he didn¡¯t exist at all. Compared to Nyx¡¯s discourtesy in her words, the one who came straight up to ¡®shatter it,¡¯ this Dark Overlord was truly not easy to deal with. This move was undoubtedly a show of force, yet Laine still had to swallow it because this type of concealment ability worried him more than pure strength. Only three beings possessing the covert authority were gathered here at this moment. One could conceal secrets in history, one could veil secrets under the night sky, but only Erebus ¡ª darkness was a secret in itself. After a moment of thought, Laine spread his hands open. The radiance of Spirituality emerged, turning into thousands of nascent points of light. These were the embryos of souls; with divine power to mold their forms, he could create Nymphs or Daimones. And this was the gift Laine had prepared. ¡°The gods should be revered,¡± Laine spoke, ¡°They may obey someone, but they should not serve anyone. Treating one¡¯s own children as servants will ultimately invite disaster.¡± ¡°These are the embryos of souls, a modest gift, in the hopes that the tragedy of the Heavenly Father will never recur in the Eternal Night.¡± The only response to a threat is another threat. And the only thing in this world that could make the Primordial Gods wary was probably the unpredictable nature of destiny itself. The implication in Laine¡¯s words was clear ¡ª if you can¡¯t kill me, then you had better think carefully about the consequences of being my enemy. Chapter 21 Chapter 21 ¡°¡­Thank you for your gift.¡± It seemed like The Dark Overlord hadn¡¯t picked up on the underlying meaning of Laine¡¯s words; his expression remained unchanged. He simply paused for a moment before reaching out and epting the point of light from Laine¡¯s hands. Unlike the mythology ofter generations, when the Master of Spirituality was born, no life would appear in this world without his permission. For every soul that exists must have spirituality, but not all that have spirituality must have a soul; hence, the soul is epassed within spirituality. In the original trajectory, even without the help of the Titan Iapetus, known as the Divine Child of the Soul, natural spirits like Nymphs could still be born into the world. But now, without Laine¡¯s permission, only gods could be the exception. After all, gods are different. The structure of deity is very peculiar, and Laine didn¡¯t quite understand the mysteries within. ¡°What about mine?¡± Nyx, who had been watching from the side, suddenly spoke up. Laine was somewhat surprised. He had thought the rtionship between this couple was close and united, as there had never been a tragedy like that of Gaia between them. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that,¡± Nyx sensed Laine¡¯s surprise and exined somewhat discontentedly, ¡°He and I aren¡¯t really husband and wife, those Divine Children are the offspring of our true forms.¡± ¡°I thought ¡®The Foreseer¡¯ knew everything¡ª¡± Now Laine was genuinely surprised. Whether it was the mythology of future generations or the history that Laine had witnessed in this life, Nyx rarely made an appearance. His understanding of Nyx was more conjecture than knowledge. No wonder the Twin Gods of the Dark Night seemed not to care much for their offspring, who never received the treatment that children of Ancient Gods should have. It turns out, in their eyes, these so-called ¡®descendants¡¯ were just products of their true forms answering the call of the world. Having personally witnessed the personification of the Primordial Gods, Laine understood very well that for ancient gods who had already developed a sense of self, their true forms and their individual selves were not one and the same. This is also why, although Ananke was often on Laine¡¯s lips, he never really cared about her either. The three aspects of the Origin and the personified incarnation could not be equated. Nyx indeed could harness the power of destiny, but she herself couldn¡¯t see the fullness of fate. ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry, this was my oversight.¡± Without taking Nyx¡¯s sarcasm to heart, Laine used the power of spirituality to condense thousands more soul embryos. He let these embryos drift toward Nyx, but in addition, mingled among them was a small glowing trinket. Behind her ever-changing veil, Nyx seemed to twitch her mouth corner, but she still reached out and epted them. ¡°Never forgetting to snatch from Chaos¡¯s hands,¡± Nyxmented sarcastically again, not at all like an Ancient God, ¡°You truly know how to manage a household.¡± ¡°It¡¯s necessary if only the world respected the sovereignty of gods over their godhood, I wouldn¡¯t have to resort to this tactic.¡± Laine didn¡¯t shy away from his purpose, he intended to secure a portion of the Origin of stars before the collective God of Stars. But this particr star was a bit special, so he hoped Nyx would personally hang it in the sky. ¡°Now, Mother Earth, the Sea God, the forting God of Sun, and even the godhood of the Moon which I once controlled. Whenever I foresee them being torn apart by the powers of the world in the future, I worry about escaping the control of the world.¡± ¡°Fortunately, I seeded.¡± The physical stars would continue to be born, but their association with the concept of ¡®star¡¯ would be erased, bing Lightful celestial bodies, corresponding to Coeus, the Lightless Celestial God. In the present, starlight and pure light hardly differ, but in the future, Laine would personally endow them with distinction. ¡°But I could hang itter.¡± Nyx said ungraciously, ¡°As soon as the corresponding deity is born, your theft will no longer be effective.¡± ¡°Yes, if that is what you n to do, then please do as you like.¡± Laine spread his hands indifferently, not bothered by it. Chaos¡¯ ¡®uncertain fate¡¯ was already entirely within the Spirit Realm. Not to mention the origin of destiny absorbed during the birth process, the Spirit Realm, even Laine himself, is a product that should not have appeared in destiny¡¯s design. So if Nyx intended to wait for the corresponding deity to be born, she might wait until the world¡¯s Destruction and still not see it happen. ¡°Hmph!¡± Nyx was somewhat angered, and she didn¡¯t feel the need to hide her emotions. To the side, The Dark Overlord gave a slight chuckle, but he still spoke up to mediate: ¡°Alright, Nyx, since you¡¯re still here, I assume your thoughts are probably aligned with mine.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get straight to the point, Lord of the Spirit Realm. We want to know how you stole Source Power from the hands of the world,¡± No deity wanted to be controlled, but before they simply did not know such an option existed. However, Laine¡¯s sess undoubtedly showed them a direction, and that was precisely why Nyx and Erebus were still here. They too wanted to follow suit and be gods beyond the control of the world. ¡°It¡¯s simple.¡± Facing The Dark Overlord¡¯s inquiry, Laine waspletely open: ¡°To possess a portion of Origin beyond the control of the world, link it with space-time and fate, throw oneself in as the very first matter, and so the world was born.¡± The void that carries the world, the matter that constitutes all things along with spirituality, plus fate, these are the four pirs of the world. A deity¡¯s body can, to some extent, substitute for spirituality and matter, which was why the Spirit Realm was sessfully established. ¡°The problem is, how did you obtain ¡®an Origin beyond the control of the world¡¯?¡± Nyx was unsatisfied with Laine¡¯s exnation; it wasplete nonsense to her, like ¡®the three steps to put an elephant in a fridge¡¯. If she had such an Origin, why would she need to ask him? ¡°Then I have no way to help, it¡¯s innate to all. I was born earlier than all of you, and you know that,¡± Facing Lady Night¡¯s questioning, Laine smiled and shook his head, ¡°Why do you think, as one of the earliest Ancient Gods, my power is rtively weak?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hardly because the world finds me unpleasant; if that were the case, why would it nurture me?¡± Nyx fell silent, having never considered this question before. But now, she realized that in Chaos, the mighty were not necessarily ancient, but the ancient were mostly mighty. Erebus was also somewhat disappointed. If it was only rted to the time of birth, then indeed, he had no solution. Just as the Primordial Gods each have a part of the world as their very being, they can freely choose the degree of personification, but theter new gods can never achieve this. So if Laine¡¯s uniqueness was also because of being born early, Erebus could only ept it. ¡°It seems we shall return empty-handed today.¡± Erebus sighed. He did not n to be persistently annoying. After all, once Laine sessfully established the Spirit Realm, he was destined to be a being of equal standing. As Erebus mostly existed in his original form due to his degree of personification, he had no desire to do anything to Laine. In the end, Laine hadn¡¯t stolen the dark Origin. Chaos belonged to everyone; what Erebus possessed was truly his own. This matter had nothing to do with him anymore. Even before leaving, he intended to give a gift as a way to ease the awkwardness of his imposition. ¡°Prince Laine, I regret the disturbance today. To express my apology, I also have a gift for you.¡± Erebus beckoned with his hand, and a swirl of darkness appeared in his palm. The dark mist churned and changed shape, but under the hand of The Dark Overlord, there was no chance it would escape his control. Laine vaguely sensed that this might be an extreme form of emotion. ¡°This is my nephew¡¯s negative emotions. They shook the Origin of the world and led to the birth of many of my offspring.¡± ¡°I had previously been troubled about how to handle them, but now, they¡¯re yours,¡± Receiving the mist, Laine felt the most intense emotions of the Divine King before he was deposed. This wasn¡¯t just negative emotion; it was the hatred of a father for his son, the deadly intent of a king towards rebels. Raw emotion isn¡¯t frightening, but when born at the moment of the Divine King¡¯s change, the already extraordinary became even stronger. Such emotional power was indeed useless to The Dark Overlord; perhaps his children could use it, but Erebus clearly did not truly consider them his offspring. As for Laine, once the Spirit Realm transformed these emotions, he could use them to craft a Divine Artifact or give rise to a monster that could threaten the True Gods. Faced with the twelve Titans, they might have a different effect. ¡°Thank you for the reciprocal gift,¡± Laine said with a smile, putting away the mist: ¡°This has truly been a pleasant meeting.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± In response, Lady Night gave a cold snort, while The Dark Overlord met her with a smile. Regardless, what could have potentially been a vtile confrontation, ended peacefully in the end. Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Half an hourter, within the Spirit Realm. After chatting with the two Ancient Gods a bit more, Laine bid them farewell one by one. If not for the birth of a Divine Child and the calling of the world, it would have been difficult to see these two reclusive gods in a thousand years. Most of the time, they exist in their original forms. After parting, Laine took a step forward, passing through the sevenfold spacetime barriers, returning to the core of the Spirit Realm. As the Lord of the Spirit Realm, Laine created the world in seven days, thus dividing the Spirit Realm from the deepest to the shallowest into sevenyers. The concept of the Moon was also divided into seven, each ced within the sevenyers of the Spirit Realm. The deepyers could see the Moons of the shallower ones, but the shallowyers could not see the sights of the deeper ones. Thus, standing at the core of the Spirit Realm, Laine saw the seven different Spirit Moons hanging in the sky together. When originally designing them, Laine intended each kind of Moon to be dual-colored. They could be silver-white and also their own colors. In the future, he would assign them different ¡®symbols.¡¯ However, the nascent Spirit Realm couldn¡¯t achieve this yet, so at the moment, the seven Moons all appeared in the same hue. Looking around, the barriers between each of the sevenyers of the Spirit Realm could not obstruct their master¡¯s vision. At present, the realm still appeared empty, except for life in the outermost twoyers; the inner five were void of anything. This was also due to the current limit of Laine¡¯s abilities; he could only create more ¡®orderly¡¯ life forms. The further out theyer, the more stable the chronology, and the further in, the more chaotic. Consequently, apart from thest created beings, only the two outermostyers of the Spirit Realm could sustain ordinary spiritual bodies. Of course, as the core of the Spirit Realm, the order of the unnamed mountain peak where Laine resided was absolutely stable. Its predecessor was Laine¡¯s spine, piercing through the sevenyers of the Spirit Realm in the temporal dimension, which would also be the location of Laine¡¯s future pce. After admiring his creations, Laine casually fashioned a chair with his hand. He sat upon it and summoned the beings he had created. ¡°Liana.¡± ¡°I am here, Your Highness.¡± As Laine¡¯s voice fell, a winged girl responded to the call of the creator. She bore an appearance close to humans, but the silver-white wings undoubtedly proved her extraordinary status. In the Spirit Realm, she and her sisters held powers simr to that of a territorial god, capable of handling many matters for Laine. Laine called them Crystodes, meaning ¡®transparent, deceit-free souls.¡¯ As the sacred beings created on the sixth day, there were eighteen of them in total, with Liana as their leader. ording to Laine¡¯s judgment, they were not demigods, as they possessed an essence akin to that of a True God. Yet they were not True Gods either, for theycked godhoods. They were somewhat like the Oceanides ofter ages, divine yet not even amounting to Weak Divine Power. Divine Power Level 0, that was their state. ¡°I have a task for you to do.¡± Looking at the young girl kneeling before him, Laine said gently, ¡°Now, the projection of the Spirit Realm on the outside is the Nether Moon, with the light of seven crescent moons alternately shining through the projection onto the Underworld. Concepts associated with Chaos and the Nether Moon are thus converging towards the Spirit Realm from the Origin, but toplete this process, it will take at least two thousand years, and I cannot wait that long.¡± ¡°Hence, I need someone to operate the authority of the Nether Moon. She will take over this godhood on my behalf, which will greatly elerate the gathering of concepts.¡± ¡°To serve you is the purpose of my existence.¡± Liana¡¯s response was unhesitating. Faced with her creator, she had no thought of refusal. ¡°Very good,¡± Laine nodded. He stretched out his hand, and the richly gathered concepts of the Nether Moon in the Spirit Realm surged toward him. Soon, a crystal-clear, multifaceted crystal appeared in his hand. With a point of his right hand, the crystal instantly entered Liana¡¯s body. The next moment, a force belonging to a True God burst forth from her. ¡°From today on, you are the Goddess of Nether Moon,¡± Laine dered calmly. At the sound of his words, Liana¡¯s Divine Power surged upward, finally settling around the Divine Power Level 2. ¡°Nether Moon¡± Godhood currently has an upper limit of Divine Power Level 5, but if Liana can gather all the Origin rted to Chaos, then with this Godhood alone, she could step into the realm of Intermediate Divine Power. By then, Laine would naturally lend her a helping hand, further aiding her to be one of Chaos¡¯s true top-tier deities. Divinity surged in his eyes as Laine observed the process of Liana merging with the Godhood. His actions at this moment were akin to the bestowal of a Sub-God, yet not entirely so. To him, Liana was like the gods to Chaos; when this Godhood was conferred, he did not feel any waning of strength, but rather his digestion of the chaotic Origins even elerated. This time he had gained too much Source Power, so much so that even now, Origins like Nether Moon and Stars were still surging towards the Spirit Realm. ording to Laine¡¯s estimate, it would take him at least a few thousand years topletely assimte and unify these forces. But now, with the conferment of the Goddess of Nether Moon, the concepts rted to Nether Moon were being digested by him at ten times the speed. ¡°Aster.¡± ¡°I am here, Your Highness.¡± This was the second divine life he had created. Laine did not speak much this time but directly took out hundreds of orbs of light. He could sense that the star symbolizing ¡®Indeterminable Destiny¡¯ had already been ced by the Lady of the Night, and it was time for the remaining stars to make their appearance. These stars were, strictly speaking, only projections; their actual bodies were still in the Spirit Realm. Just as the light of the seven-phased Spirit Moons shone through the Nether Moon onto the earth, the starlight in the Spirit Realm would follow the connection to their projections and shine in the sky of Chaos. Until the true God of Stars was born, they would continuously siphon Source Power from Chaos¡¯s ¡°Stars,¡± growing themselves after being transformed through the Spirit Realm. If the Star Gods were bornte enough, maybe without Laine¡¯s input of power, these illusory stars would possess more strength than the physical stars. With a slight pointing gesture, another multifaceted crystal fell into Aster¡¯s body, and Laine¡¯s voice followed. ¡°I decree you to scatter the stars across the night sky, to illuminate the earth with starlight. From this day forth, you are the ¡®Weaver of Stars,¡¯ the ¡®Goddess of Starlight¡¯.¡± Divine Power surged again, but this time, Aster barely became a Weak Divine Power of Level 1. Compared to Nether Moon, the authority of scattering stars and starlight was still somewhat feeble. But this did not matter; Laine felt that his digestion of the Stars Origin sped up. Immediately after, Laine consecrated twelve Star Gods in session. Each of them possessed a star corresponding to one of the twelve months. Laine imbued these stars with the concept of months, along with the influence different months had on nt growth and climate shifts. As the twelve Weak Divine Powers were born, Laine¡¯s digestion of the Stars¡¯ Source Power further elerated, as did his merging with the power of Time. With a wave of his hand, the fourteen newly born goddesses retreated. Laine did not continue to consecrate more deities because he could feel that the more powerful the Godhood, the more demanding it was on the recipient. As his first creation, Crystodes, Liana could barely carry the still-iplete ¡°Nether Moon.¡± But Godhood such as ¡°Order,¡± ¡°History,¡± ¡°Spiritual nts,¡± ¡°Spiritual Beings,¡± and even ¡°Time,¡± ¡°Space,¡± ¡°Life¡± were not easily borne by Laine¡¯s creations. Perhaps after thousands of years sitting as a True God, Liana could slowly elevate her essence and bear stronger Godhood, but for now, Laine could only stop here. With a thought, space and time formed a circr mirror before his eyes. Through the mirror, Laine saw the currentndscape of the earth. Though it seemed a long time had passed, in reality, just over a day had gone by in the outside world since the Spirit Realm¡¯s creation. Below the sky at this time, the war between Uranus and the Titans was still ongoing. Divine Blood flowed on the ground like rivers; the Heavenly Father¡¯s power had already dropped to less than a third of its zenith. Despite his still-brave demeanor, the oue of this conflict was bing increasingly difficult to change. ¡°An era¡¯s end.¡± In a low murmur, Laine casually drew forth a scroll woven from moonlight. He mixed some paint with the Divine King¡¯s blood he had previously collected and ced it on the circr table next to his seat. ¡°Chaos¡¯s first painting, I shall call it ¡®The Death of the God-King.¡¯ As a god, Uranus will not die. But as the oldest Divine King, today marks his destined end.¡± Chapter 23 Chapter 23 ¡°Boom¡ª!¡± Another punch, and Iapetusy on the ground, utterly unable to move. Although the rising force from the earth shielded him from most of the impact, his divine power was still too weak. Relying solely on his godhood of ¡°Speech,¡± he couldn¡¯t even withstand a casual blow from Uranus. With a Divine Power Level of 7, this was hardly befitting of an ancient Titan god. If not for the gods¡¯ immortality, he would have been torn to shreds at the very start of the war. ¡°Ah¡ª, help¡­¡± ¡°Bang¡ª!¡± Without looking, the God of Speech knew that it was his equally weak sister, Mnemosyne, the deity ofnguage and Script. ¡°Language¡± and ¡°Speech¡± were just as feeble. And ¡°Script,¡± the three lines of maxims on the Oracle Stone Tablet, was the true origin of Script. They were the only two beings on the battlefield with Weak Divine Power, their sole value lying in using their undying divine bodies to take a few more punches for their brothers. As offspring nurtured by the Heavenly Father and Mother Earth, they were born with Weak Divine Power, but due to their insignificant godhoods, both saw little change over thousands of years. At least Mnemosyne had a target for her hatred, having identified the culprit who stole her godhood of ¡°Memory¡±¡ªthe mysterious ancient god Laine. But Iapetus could only ept his weak status. ¡°Rip¡ª!¡± Struggling to rise, the God of Speech watched as the leg of his former elder brother Oceanus was torn off, the fourth time he¡¯d lost a limb. The Master of the Ocean¡¯s divine authorityy in ceaseless regeneration, and the power of the Sky wasn¡¯t adept at preventing recovery, so every time a limb was torn off, the Lord of the Great Ocean was able to heal quickly. But it was meaningless, only subjecting him to more pain. Other than Cronus, who had thrown the Heavenly Father¡¯s organ into the sea, Oceanus had drawn the most hatred. Even though his Divine Power was strong, he still couldn¡¯t withstand a single blow. Clearly, the ruler of the Sky had shown him that some deities possess strong Divine Power because they barely qualify, while others achieve it only because that final step is just too difficult to surmount. The earth split open, andnd at the edges crumbled into pieces, strewing across the sea, giving rise to inds. Celestial bodies fell, lightless ones crashing onto the earth, creating veins of ore, making valleys and hills. This great war had been ongoing for seven days and nights, and except for the first day when some luminous celestial bodies inexplicably appeared in the sky, the whole world had been in continuous destruction. But finally, during a certain collision, Oceanus was shocked to discover that although he was sent flying by the Heavenly Father, he seemed not to have sustained more serious damage. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°What!!¡± Two cries of surprise rang out simultaneously. The Master of the Ocean was astounded at his own unharmed state, while Uranus was furious at the waning of his own power. On the side, Cronus, who had been constantly contending with the Heavenly Father by leveraging the power of space and time, finally revealed a smile. With most of his Origin swallowed by the Spirit Realm, even borrowing power from the past with Rhea¡¯s help, he was barely able to hold on. The other Titans suffered only external injuries, but he was running out of his Origin. Without iming the title of Divine King, the remaining space-time Source Power wouldn¡¯t even allow him to maintain an Intermediate Divine Power Level. To prevent his brothers from harboring ill thoughts, he had even refrained from showing his weakness, detected only by his sister Rhea. But the two were always close among the Titans, so the goddess pretended ignorance. Fortunately, fate was still on his side, and Cronus had ousted his father. He had persevered to this veryst moment. ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± ¡°You can¡¯t hold on any longer, can you, my brutal Father God!¡± Hidden behind time, Cronus¡¯sughter spread across thend. He made no effort to conceal his joy, this being the only good news he had received in a while. ¡°Is that so?¡± Uranus retorted with a coldugh, silent. He looked at his once youngest child, now his eldest. He deeply regretted not realizing his ambitions earlier; s, it was toote. ¡°The power of a deity is eternal. Even seven years would not exhaust me, let alone seven days?¡± Hearing this, the Titans couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious. They didn¡¯t question Uranus¡¯s words, for the power of deities was indeed eternal. Even though they were continually wounded, they could still fight for several months more. For the Sky Lord, whose Divine Power was far greater than theirs and who had always held an absolute advantage, seven years were not an exaggerated im. But could they hold on for seven more years? At that moment, the majesty of the Heavenly Father seemed to regain the upper hand in their hearts, yet the act of betrayal made them too fearful to beg for the Father¡¯s mercy. Given Uranus¡¯s character, the rebellious Titans would, under no circumstances, receive his forgiveness. But at this moment, Cronus spoke, his voice even carried a hint of amusement. ¡°Under normal circumstances, indeed, as you have said, my father god.¡± The corners of the god of time and space¡¯s mouth curled up in a mocking smile. Seven days had passed, and he had finally realized what that transformative force his father was contending against was. He couldn¡¯t help but thank fate once again. Deities are immortal, and he did not dare to cast his father, the symbol of the sky, into the Abyss. But as long as this power of transformation existed, Uranus would soon fall into eternal slumber. Unless, in his arrogance, he was even willing to change his gender in order to cling to life. But that was impossible, Cronus was well aware that his own father would rather die than ept such humiliation. ¡°You are the original ¡®Father¡¯,¡± Cronus¡¯sugh grew even more unrestrained: ¡°So you are different from the other gods.¡± ¡°When the symbol of your masculinity disappears, you cannot use your divine power to recreate it. Because it is not only your organ, but it is also the embodiment of all your masculine energy. Without it, you will no longer have masculine energy within you, is that right, my dear father god? Or should I say, ¡®my dear mother goddess¡¯? Hahahahaha¡­¡± Amid hisughter, Uranus¡¯s face contorted in displeasure for the first time. The rest of the Titans also seemed to understand something and started to look at their father with strange nces. ¡°Silence! You rebellious¡­¡± ¡°You are the rebel!¡± Cronus interrupted his father¡¯s reprimand with a coldugh. He raised the sickle, eyeing his father. He had once been so powerful, but now he was reduced to nothing but verbal attacks. Cronus felt a tinge of emotion, but then feeling the emptiness within him, he hesitated no more. ¡°You betrayed the Mother Goddess, you betrayed the will of Chaos, your tyranny deserves punishment long ago.¡± ¡°I, Cronus, the King of Time and Space, in the name of the future Divine King, decree that the God of the Sky is guilty and shall suffer the punishment of eternal slumber. Sentence, forever.¡± The next moment, distance seemed nonexistent before him. Though he was miles away from the Heavenly Father, his sickle pierced through the core of Uranus at that very moment. The Sky Lord tried to block it, but this time, his invincible divine power couldn¡¯t break through the slow of time. Right before the eyes of all gods, he was impaled by the sickle, his divine blood sttered across the earth. ¡°I have won, father,¡± Cronus murmured so only the two of them could hear. ¡°You have won? Heh, perhaps,¡± said Uranus. Sensing the increasingly turbulent transformation within him, Uranus knew unless he was really willing to let the world twist his gender, his only option would be to resist the transformation by sleeping. But at thest moment, the proud monarch of the sky still did not bow his head. He looked at his child with cold eyes, his voice was also soft, yet every creature under the sky could hear it loud and clear. ¡°Cronus, my child, I hope you remember. You may win once, but you cannot keep winning forever.¡± ¡°Everything that has a beginning has an end; indeed, the Prophecy said so, I was so, and you shall be so too.¡± Watching Cronus¡¯s expression turn to one of shock and rage, the Heavenly Fatherughed heartily for onest time. ¡°I curse you,¡± he said: ¡°You will be overthrown by your own child, just like me.¡± ¡°The pinnacle of the sky is my destiny. And Tartarus is your future. Cronus, I await you, my¡­ child¡­¡± ng¡ª¡ª The sickle fell to the ground, but no one cared. Before them, the anthropomorphic form of Uranus disappeared. He turned into an intangible current of air, ascending along his own origin, all the way up, reaching an unfathomable height. The sky began to separate from the earth, the two that had once been close would never meet again. From then on, the distance between heaven and earth was immeasurable, and not even deities could fathom its heights. The reign of the Sky Lord, the first-generation god king of Chaos, ended that day. ¡°I shall be the new king.¡± Expressionless, Cronus picked up the dropped sickle and looked towards his brothers. ¡°Who is in favor, who is against?¡± Chapter 24 Chapter 24 No one dared to look Cronus in the eye at that moment. Even Hyperion and Oceanus, who once had designs on the throne of the Divine King, were now silent. The curse Uranus had uttered before leaving was heard clearly by all the gods. If it were any other curse, they might have ignored it, but this one was different. It was not only because of the identity of the curser, but also because it reminded them of a warning given centuries ago in the Underworld by a being once considered the God of Prophecy. ¡®Rise by this means, fall by this means¡¯, Cronus had sought his father¡¯s position with schemes and force of arms, did this also suggest that he would be betrayed by his own children and lose his reign to force? No one knew, but no one dared to guarantee that it wouldn¡¯t happen. One should know, the throne of the Heavenly Father had been bestowed by the world, so mere force could not rece him. But if Cronus became the Divine King, this throne gained through strength no longer had the world¡¯s endorsement. However, time did not stop because of the gods¡¯ silence. When no deity raised an objection to Cronus¡¯s im to the throne, in the unseen, authority began to shift towards him. Since there was no world-recognized legitimate Divine King, a leader acknowledged by the gods was passable. If within five hundred years, no one challenged Cronus, then he would be Chaos¡¯s second-generation Divine King. In the meantime, although he could not fully enjoy the authority of a Divine King, that great power was already starting to be transferred to him. ¡°Children, you have won.¡± In the quiet, the scar-covered Mother Earth walked over from afar. In the previous battle, the injuries she had sustained were no less severe than those of her children. She had not appeared on the front lines, but instead had continuously mobilized the power of the earth to stop the descending sky. She had heard the curse too, but she acted as if she hadn¡¯t. At a moment like this, she didn¡¯t want to worry about a future that was unknown how far away. Hearing this, the gods all reacted. Their faces were no longer taut; they began to celebrate the victory and Cronus¡¯s ascension to the throne. Regardless of what they thought inside, faced with the strongest of the Titans who also held a high-grade artifact, Cronus, they all expressed agreement with his position as the Divine King. ¡°You¡¯re right, mother. We should hold a feast to celebrate today¡¯s victory.¡± Listening to the gods¡¯ congrattions, Cronus forced a smile and said to the Titans. ¡°But I think we should first deal with one matter, Cronus!¡± Suddenly, Mnemosyne, who was beside them, spoke up. Her body was still covered in blood, and her wounds were slowly healing under the influence of divine power. She had hurried over from a distant hole in the ground, one that she had created herself. But at that moment, Mnemosyne seemed to have forgotten her pain as she looked angrily at her former brother, now elder. ¡°That God of Prophecy, that thief! He stole my godhood of Memory.¡± ¡°You all felt it, didn¡¯t you? At the beginning of the battle, Chaos¡¯s consciousness exposed his deception! He is the God of Spirit, and he has done something that angered the world.¡± ¡°We should go and punish him!¡± she dered. ¡°Right there in the Underworld, the ce where the world consciousness informed the gods.¡± ¡°Indeed, before we celebrate our victory, we should go and discipline a sinner,¡± Iapetus also added his support. He thought that everyone would think the same, given that it was Laine¡¯s prophecy that caused them all to suffer. But to his surprise, after he spoke, no one picked up after him, and the expressions on everyone¡¯s faces were somewhat awkward. ¡°Ahem, my brother,¡± Hyperion said, ¡°The awareness of the world only appeared seven days ago. Even if we punish him now, there¡¯s no reward to be gained.¡± ¡°Yes, the consciousness of Chaos is always so inflexible. Once his offense against the world is done, the world¡¯s ¡®bounty¡¯ on him is canceled,¡± Thaesis also agreed. This elder sister among the Titans rarely spoke. ¡°But what about my godhood?¡± Mnemosyne didn¡¯t quite understand. Was there a need for discussion about punishing a weak God of Prophecy? Even without the world¡¯s reward, it would still be beneficial to assert the new Divine Court¡¯s authority by using him. ¡°I want him to be my Sub-God. Although godhood cannot be transferred, there can be a long-term ¡®loan¡¯ between a Principal God and an inferior god.¡± A twitch formed at the corner of Cronus¡¯s mouth. He had thought the same about the non-transferability of godhood back then. ¡°But he is not as simple as we thought, Mnemosyne,¡± the Lord of the Ocean seemed unwilling to beat around the bush any longer. He addressed his sister directly: ¡°Just seven days ago, while we were still in battle with the Father God, the Twin Gods of the Dark Night had already visited the Underworld.¡± ¡°Your divine power is too weak, so you couldn¡¯t sense it. On the previous Divine Birth Day, two Ancient Gods hastened the birth of new gods with their Origin. It is evident that they have gone to trouble the God of Spirituality.¡± Upon hearing this, Iapetus fell silent. He understood his elder brother¡¯s point¡ªif two Primordial Gods had taken action personally, then either Laine had already been cast into the Abyss to receive the World Will¡¯s punishment and they wouldn¡¯t find him, or the opponent had used some method to make the Twin Gods of the Dark Night return empty-handed. In that case, they would be even less likely to find a solution. Including Gaia, all the gods herebined were not enough for The Dark Overlord to handle with one hand. After all, The Dark Overlord¡¯s strength could contend with Uranus at his peak, whereas they previously faced only a Heavenly Father whose power had been greatly diminished, not even one-third to one-fifth of his full strength. ¡°Let¡¯s leave it at that,¡± Cronus said, ncing at his sister who was still somewhat unwilling to let go. He didn¡¯t want to dy any longer. If possible, he wanted to take action against that one who had devoured his Origin more than anyone else, but he had no choice but to give up now. Not to mention the opponent¡¯s consistently mysterious approach and the means that made the Primordial Gods yield. Just his prophecy alone was unsettling for him. He now understood his father. The Heavenly Father had, countless times, treated the Titans as ythings, yet he had neverid a hand on Laine. This was the deterrence brought about by the mystery of destiny. The other Titans might not care, as they never asked Laine for a prophecy, but Cronus was different. He was beginning to regret asking Laine about his own future. If he hadn¡¯t known, at least he wouldn¡¯t be in such a difficult position as he was now. ¡°Let¡¯s go, back to Mount Othrys, mother¡¯s creations are ever so tempting.¡± His mood darkened further, the future Divine King who should have been triumphant at this moment, forced himself to appear cheerful as he led the way towards Mount of the Gods. ¡°Let¡¯s go, we¡¯ll talk about the godhoodter,¡± Seeing her sister, Rhea, the only one who seemed to notice Cronus¡¯s state, also spoke out. Seeing that everyone said so, Mnemosyne could only suppress her reluctance and choose to fly with the Titans to the Mount of the Gods. She dared not act alone. Even Laine before, who was a Level 9 God of Chronology, was much more formidable than her, a Level 8 God of Script and Language. The gods dispersed, and as the divine war ended, the earth too regained its calm. With the passage of time, it gradually recovered from the damage it had suffered. Half a dayter, atop Mount Othrys, the banquet celebrating the coronation of the new king began. Chapter 25 Chapter 25 ¡°Shush¡ª¡± In the Spirit Realm, Laine added the final stroke to his painting and looked at his work with satisfaction. The Divine King was impaled through the chest, but his expression was not fierce. He spoke softly and gently, as if imparting wisdom to his own child. Opposite him, the Time God holding the knife appeared shocked and furious, while the Titans¡¯ expressions varied. Below the scene, Laine thoughtfully added face-like cracks to the earth, representing Mother Earth who was paying close attention. The next moment, although Chaos was reluctant, the Source Power of artistry and painting still connected with the Spirit Realm. Unlike the stars that were tangible, Laine couldn¡¯t possibly devour all of Chaos¡¯s star Source Power. But now, if no god symbolizing ¡°Artistry¡± appeared within the next three hundred years, Chaos would never birth such a god again. ¡°It can¡¯t be said that way, perhaps there will be a ¡®god of painting¡¯ born with superb technique but utterlycking in creativity.¡± After sensing the situation of the Origin absorption, Laine once again confirmed that he found it hard to absorb Source Power rted to material things, which was determined by his original Origin. Unless one day he could stand above the realm of Great Divine Power and thoroughlyprehend the root of all things. Apart from ¡°Artistry,¡± there was also a surge of ¡°Art¡± and ¡°Inspiration.¡± The former was stronger and couldst a thousand years before being drained. Thetter, pure ¡°Inspiration,¡± along with ¡°Memory,¡± was already within Laine¡¯s grasp. ¡°You are the world¡¯s first painting; the Origin of ¡®Artistry¡¯ should favor you; you are the first piece of art in existence, ¡®Art¡¯ regards you as its source; you record the end of an era, ¡®History¡¯ should also include you,¡± he said. Thus, the Source Power in the Spirit Realm began to converge on the scroll. Without a surprise, after a thousand years, when the Source Power rted to Chaos was entirely consumed, a Divine Artifact would be born. With one step, Laine¡¯s figure vanished from the pce. The next moment, he appeared out of thin air inside an empty cavity in the mountain. There was nothing extra here, only a small pool in the center, with a fountain spewing a substance that seemed both illusory and real. Laine casually ced ¡°The Death of the God-King¡± into the pool to nurture it on its own. The pool was an external manifestation of the Origin of the Spirit Realm; several other yet-to-be-born Divine Artifacts were inside it. Laine looked toward the pool. Situated around the fountain were the three transformed Oracle Stone Tablets. ¡°This is the ¡®Genesis Artifact,¡¯ in essence, it¡¯s a sacred artifact that is on par with ¡®Great Divine Power.¡¯¡± ¡°Even in the records ofter generations, few such powerful creations exist in the Chaos World.¡± Feeling somewhat emotional, Laine knew that Gaia had never realized the true power of these three Oracle Stone Tablets. Unlike other Divine Artifacts, the Oracle Stone Tablets were rough drafts that only revealed their inherent power little by little as they were ¡®used.¡¯ In the original History, Themis used them to write the Codex, hence she was respected by the gods, and the envious Hera never dared to offend her. The wise Metis used them to create Hydrology, hence her child was once Destined to be the Divine King. But now, they became possessions of the Spirit Realm. Even though thest Stone Tablet was not yet perfected, their power was still extraordinary. After looking at the slowly changing Oracle Stone Tablets, Laine turned his gaze to their surroundings. Three slightly inferior embryos were revolving around them¡ªall Divine Artifacts spontaneously nurtured by the Spirit Realm. ¡°¡®Time,¡¯ ¡®Space,¡¯ and ¡®Life.¡¯ It¡¯s a pity, the Source Power of space is still too little, after all, I didn¡¯t acquire the corresponding godhood before.¡± Laine shook his head. Although the three formless embryos were all powerful, the one for ¡°Space¡± was clearly not on par with the other two because the spatial Origin in the Spirit Realm came solely from Cronus. Even so, once it was born, it would at least be a High-Grade Artifact, enough to drive any deity mad with desire. The other two, the part for ¡°Time¡± had integrated the temporal Origin and Chronology of Cronus, along with symbols of the past, present, and future represented by History, calendars, and Prophecy. It was very close to a Genesis Artifact, but stillcking a bit. Laine estimated that after one or two more eras of temporal erosion, it could make up for its shorings. As for the embryo of ¡°Life,¡± it was nurtured by a great portion of the Source Power seized from the ¡°Life Vase.¡± Aplete ¡°Life Vase¡± would grow stronger with the prosperity of Chaos, and it was supposed to be a Genesis Artifact symbolizing the beginning of all things. However, having lost most of its Origin, it was destined, just like the one nurtured in the Spirit Realm, never to breakthrough to the final step. Unless in the future, they could gain powers outside of the ¡°Life¡± domain. Aside from these, what remained in the pool were ordinary Divine Artifacts scattered around the edges, simr to the new scrolls that had been added. Some were conceived from the concept of ¡°Moon,¡± others were born from the Source Power of ¡°Transformation.¡± They were still formidable within their own domains, but in terms of power, they were far inferior to the previous ones. As for the even lower-grade sub-artifacts, thosetter-day creations would not be found in the Spirit Realm at this time. Any true Divine Artifact contains the corresponding Origin Force. Even gods blessed with Great Divine Power would not overlook their existence. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t created the Spirit Realm, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to obtain so many Divine Artifacts in one go. After all, only a world can directly nurture Artifacts with Origin Force,¡± Laine remarked. ¡°However, our new Divine King would probably love to kill me¡ª¡± With a light chuckle, Laine nced once more at the embryo nurtured by space-time Source Power, then returned directly to the pce he had been in before. The floating mirror of space-time in mid-air was nowpletely empty; in the span of that brief moment, Mother Earth and the Titans had returned to Mount Othrys. Laine did not continue to pry into their actions. After all, the battle was over, and his level-11 Divine Power was not sufficient to make his spying undetectable. But without looking, he knew that the Titans were off to celebrate on Mount of the Gods, perhaps mixed with some distribution of power. Cronus, although the second-generation Divine King, was also the one with the weakest Divine Authority. Unlike Zeus, he didn¡¯t have legions of offspring and lovers to solidify his Divine Court. Nor like Heavenly Father, did he have supreme Divine Power to suppress those who defied him. Under his rule, Chaos would fall into a ¡®feudal¡¯ agesting tens of thousands of years. The Titans would be unrivaled in their respective domains, and the third generation of deities would be born during this time. Now, because of Laine¡¯s intervention, Cronus, already deprived of his Origin, was even less likely to do anything extra. Barring the unexpected, he would first content himself with being a ¡®King Zhou.¡¯ It would be at least a thousand years before he tried to do anything else. ¡°But he will send someone to find me. It¡¯s not just because of the two agreements but also because he needs mortals to reinforce his kingship.¡± ¡°If he cannot make the gods bow in worship, then making mortals, who resemble the gods, revere him as king is not a bad strategy.¡± ¡°Besides, creation itself is an action favored by Chaos.¡± Laine silently chuckled; he was actually quite looking forward to creating life. The Spirit Realm is ultimately a world of spiritual life; Chaos is the ultimate destination for all creatures. The seed that endows creatures with souls, when that soul grows old and dies, all of it will return to the Spirit Realm. This is what Laine wanted, a way to continuously draw on the power of Chaos. ¡°And then there is Faith.¡± Feeling the meager powering from the lives in the Spirit Realm, Laine¡¯s expression was somewhat strange. First, he had ¡®chopped¡¯ Cronus with a blow, and now Zeus was also suffering. For this unexpectedly good turn of events, Laine decisively expressed, the more the merrier. Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Atop Mount Othrys, everything was as Laine had envisioned. The banquet at Mount of the Godssted three months. Even Mnemosyne had set aside the displeasure in her heart to enjoy the long-missed freedom, apart from Cronus. They had cast everything to the back of their minds; this was the first time in their immortal lives that they were not subject to anyone¡¯s control. Regrettably, ¡®nectar¡¯ did not yet exist in the world at that time, so the gods could not drink themselves into oblivion. After three months, the banquet was about to end. As early as the first month had passed, Mother Earth had withdrawn into the depths of the Mount of the Gods, resting her battered origin, so at this moment only the Titan brothers were still feasting on the mountain. But as time went on, the atmosphere subtly shifted. It was undisputed that Cronus would be the Divine King. But the former Divine King treated the gods like servants, and this was something the gods could not ept. Just because Uranus could do it did not mean that Cronus could too. He did not possess the formidable power of the Heavenly Father, which led the Titans to entertain their own cautious thoughts. Especially Oceanus and Hyperion¡ªone was the original eldest son, the other hadmand over the powerful Godhood of Sun¡ªthough they might not be Divine King, they certainly wanted to be the ¡°kings¡± within their own domains. And so, amidst the delicate atmosphere, Oceanus was the first to rise. He looked at his once-younger brother, now his ¡®elder brother.¡¯ Due to his sudden action, the Titans all cast their eyes toward him. Seeing this, Cronus¡¯s face remained expressionless, but his gloomy mood acquired a few more shades of panic. It was no longer the time of battle, the power Rhea had helped him borrow from the ¡®past¡¯ was lost, and the power of the Divine King had just begun to gather. At this moment, his strength was at an all-time low. If he were toe to blows with anyone now, he would have no choice but to seek Rhea¡¯s help. But doing so would only further expose the issues he was grappling with. ¡°My brother, do you have something to say to me?¡± ¡°On such a day worthy of celebration, I shall give serious consideration to your requests.¡± Cronus tried to appear as gentle and majestic as possible, even refraining from addressing his former elder brother as ¡®younger brother.¡¯ ¡°You worry too much, Cronus, I am not here to oppose you,¡± the God of the Ocean shook his head. He could sense that something was off with Cronus¡¯s emotions, but he did not think it was fear of himself. In his view, Cronus simply did not want to face open confrontation with him. After all, as the lord of the outer seas, the Circumterrestrial River, even if Cronus were stronger than him, he would be helpless if he just hid in the ocean. However, he also had no intention of challenging Cronus¡¯s kingship. Even if thetter could do nothing against him, the other Titans would certainly not submit to him. In fact, apart from Rhea, who knew the inside story, the Titans had already recognized Cronus¡¯s power. But recognition aside, they were unwilling to kneel before the new Divine King as they did before the Heavenly Father. ¡°You have proven your strength, Cronus, and I am no match for you,¡± he said. ¡°I merely want to bid you farewell, for afterwards, I may seldome here again. I must return to the ocean; that is the ce where I belong.¡± With that, Oceanus gestured to his sister. Thaesis hesitated for a moment, but looking at her brother, she stepped forward alongside him. ¡°I¡¯ll leave Mount Othrys to you. I am going to be neighbors with our uncle. I wish for your swift recovery, Mother Goddess. And for your kingship to be evesting, Cronus.¡± After bidding farewell, Oceanus did not wait for a response but left Mount of the Gods, taking his sister with him. He was not afraid of Cronus turning ruthless. Without the power to face many, if Cronus dared to act against him, Oceanus believed his brothers would not stand idly by. Watching the God of the Ocean and the original Goddess of Water leave, Cronus¡¯s expression stiffened briefly but soon returned to normal. At least it was not the worst oue; even without the loss of his origin, he had never really expected his brothers to bow to him. Trying to calm his agitation, Cronus was about to say something to lighten the mood, but the rising figures of Themis and Hyperion made it even more difficult for him to maintain hisposure. After the Ocean Deity Sovereign had left, he realized that he could not make these brothers submit to him. So, he prepared to make concessions proactively, instead of being coerced by the collective will of the gods. But clearly, the God of Sun was not going to give him that chance. ¡°Ha ha, to my newly crowned sovereign, just like our eldest brother and sister, we are also preparing to leave,¡± Hyperion dered. ¡°The Mountain of the Gods is never as warm as the sun, so I still prefer it there a little bit more.¡± Hyperion looked at his ¡®former brother¡¯ whoseplexion seemed rather unsightly, feeling a bit of satisfaction in his heart. You plotted and schemed, deceiving Father from the very beginning, but what of it? Even if you¡¯ve assumed the position of the Divine King, no one will truly submit to you! ¡°I suppose you wouldn¡¯t, like our father once did, forcibly keep us by your side, would you?¡± Hyperion said with a smile that seemed to carry genuine respect for the Divine King before him: ¡°Such brutal acts are not befitting of a Divine King.¡± ¡°¡­Of course, you¡¯re right,¡± Cronus said coldly. Among all the brothers, Hyperion had always been the one with the greatest ambition. Perhaps it was the influence of his godhood, but being the Sun God, he naturally craved power. ¡°Then go back, back to your sun. Since you like it there so much, stay there for good.¡± ¡°Hehe, of course. As the center of the starry sky, it is only right that I remain there.¡± With a light chuckle, Hyperion didn¡¯t take the Divine King¡¯s words to heart. The earth belonged to the Mother Goddess and the Mountain God, the great ocean to the two Sea Gods, and the starry sky was his domain. He was curious, what was left for Cronus, the Divine King? ¡°Let¡¯s go, Theia. I wish for your swift recovery, Mother. And to you, my dear brother, may your reign be eternal.¡± The God of Sun left with the God of Eyesight, and Mount Othrys suddenly felt much emptier. Seeing this, the remaining Titans exchanged nces. Eventually, each of them stood up and bid their farewells to Cronus. Phoebe and Coeus went together to the heavens; as gods of celestial bodies and light, they would be neighbors to Hyperion. Themis did not explicitly say she was leaving, but she mentioned wanting to walk the earth since she¡¯d been confined to the Mountain of the Gods for too long; Mnemosyne was still resentful towards Laine and wanted to try visiting the Lady of Night to find out what had be of Laine. She did not dare to go directly to the Underworld to confirm it for herself, well aware of how weak her own power was. In the end, only Rhea, Crius, and Iapetus remained. Meteorology is fickle, so Crius stayed, using Mount Othrys as his foothold. Influenced by authority, Rhea had always been close to Cronus, so she had no intention of leaving. As for Iapetus, he simply felt too weak and preferred to stay on the Mountain of the Gods. ¡°You¡¯re wee to stay. I am not our father, here you may do as you please,¡± Cronus said. Forcing a smile, Cronus didn¡¯t care whether his dejection was noticed or not. Everything that had happened today had humiliated him, the new king, but he was powerless to change it. ¡°You just need time, Cronus,¡± Rhea consoled her brother: ¡°When you have fully seized control of the Divine King¡¯s throne, things will be different.¡± ¡°I will be with you. Even if we can¡¯tpare to Father and Mother, you can gradually establish your own reign.¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right, Rhea. At least you have always been by my side.¡± Feeling somewhat consoled, Cronus arranged amodations for Crius and Iapetus. When he was alone, he stood atop Mount Othrys, looking down upon the earth. Under the night sky, stars twinkled, and the vast earthy silent. Regardless, the old era had passed, and a new era had arrived. At least, he was now the Divine King. Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Since the Divine King¡¯s session, the exodus of the gods, three hundred years have passed in the blink of an eye. During these three hundred years, as if a shackle was unlocked, the phenomenon of the birth of deities shed across the world more than once, and Chaos¡¯s Origin expanded ordingly. Upon the seas, after the Heavenly Father slumbered eternally at the supreme height, Mother Earth, along with her second son, the primordial Sea God Pontus, conceived five offspring separately. They were the friendliness of the sea¡ªNereus. The marvel of the sea¡ªThaumas. The wrath of the sea¡ªPhorcys. The danger of the sea¡ªKeto. The power of the sea¡ªEurybia. After the birth of these five ocean deities, Pontus became much more active. He no longery alone at the bottom of the sea but often roamed the coastal waters and asionally set foot onnd to meet with Mother Earth. In terms of power, the birth of his offspring caused a fraction of Pontus¡¯s godhood to split. However, as these deities were born, the concept of the sea further expanded. Between the increase and decrease, the primordial Sea God remained a strong Divine Power Level 17. Simrly upon the seas, the Ocean Deity Sovereign Oceanus and the primeval Water Goddess Thaesis also conceived a host of children. They currently number over a hundred, with most of the divine children being River Gods collectively known as Potamoi. The goddesses represent certain streams, rivers, ponds,kes, or even the ocean and subterranean water bodies. The vast majority of them are not true deities but territorial gods like the Crystodes created by Laine, at ¡®Divine Power Level 0.¡¯ Though immortal like deities, their strength is far less than that of True Gods. Of course, among the Oceanides known as Oceanids, there do exist True Gods. Currently, the most well-known are the eldest Oceanid, the Goddess of Oaths, Styx of the Styx River, and her sister, the Goddess of Renown Clymene. From then on, the godhood of oaths was bestowed upon the world, and Chaos no longer responded to the oaths of the gods. However, correspondingly, the cost of swearing an oath to the River Styx became much less than it originally was. Different from the hustle and bustle of the seas, onnd and in The Sky, besides the Mountain God Ourea who alone engendered some unnamed mountain gods, only the eldest daughter of Coeus and Phoebe was born. Her name was Leto, the Goddess of Nurturing and Nursing. Laine paid certain attention to her, for her future offspring would be renowned inter ages. But all these matters were unrted to the Lord of the Spirit Realm. In the past three hundred years, Laine had been ceaselessly drawing and assimting the Origin Power. The Spirit Realm¡¯s expanse had already covered the entire Underworld, and it even began to spread to the surface. He had thought that such monotonous days would continue for hundreds of years more, but on this day, an unexpected visitor made Laine halt his actions. Through the projection of the Spirit Realm onto the material realm, the Nether Moon, Laine clearly saw the Titan deity, the Goddess of Justice and Law Themis, standing there. He gently stroked his palm in front of him, and space and time fluctuated. Under Laine¡¯s power, the past and the ever-changing future continuously flickered before his eyes. It didn¡¯t take long for him to know the purpose of Themis¡¯s visit. ¡°Liana, go bring her to see me.¡± Laine said softly. ¡°As youmand, Your Highness.¡± ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Since leaving Mount Othrys, Themis had roamed the earth for three hundred years. This world¡¯s Chaos was very simr to that in mythology, but there were also many differences. Not to mention the oceans, the surface area of thend alone was hundreds of timesrger than Earth¡¯s region around the Mediterranean Sea, although most ces appeared wild and perilous. Moreover, as the Origin of the world rose, the expanse of Chaos continued to grow. By the time of Zeus, no one knew just how vast the earth would be. However, although the world became bigger, many problems followed. In the process of Themis measuring thend with her legs, she discovered various ces of disorderedws more than once. The world was supposed to be orderly, but in those peculiar ces, the rules of everything turned upside down. Water flowed from low to high, spaces where one would endlessly loop upon entering, mes that induced coldness¡­ As the Goddess of Justice and Law, Themis found it difficult to tolerate their existence. She tried to correct them with the authority of thew, and the result was delightful, as she indeed managed to restore the disordered rules back to normal. But as time passed, the goddess realized she was engaging in a futile effort. These phenomena represented the inherent chaos of the world¡¯s rules, loopholes left behind from the creation of the world, and they were being born and extinguished at every moment. No matter how many she eliminated, there would always be another one waiting for her. As long as Chaotic Source Force remained within the currentws, this situation was unstoppable. ¡°I need to create a codex. I want to write the correct order on it, so the world can see what I mean, and then thews of the current world will solve these problems themselves.¡± After being inspired by her godhood, Themis went to visit Mother Earth. She had heard that Gaia possessed three magical stone tablets that had existed since the creation of Chaos. But unfortunately, Mother Earth told her that thousands of years ago, the Oracle Stone Tablets had been staked in a wager and transferred to the current God of Spirituality. Therefore, to fulfill her idea, Themis went to the Underworld, where Lainest appeared in the present world. However, after half a year of searching throughout the Underworld, Themis still found no trace of Laine. Only the Nether Moon in the sky seemed to be a creation transformed from his works. In the end, she came before the Nether Moon, hoping its master would hear her plea. ¡°Prince Laine, I havee to visit you and hope that you will meet with me,¡± Themis said somewhat helplessly standing before the Nether Moon. But the next moment, Themis instantly stepped back, watching the space ahead of her warily. A ripple of space passed, and the aura of Spirituality seeped out. A ck-robed girl with wings suddenly appeared before Themis, who had not sensed her presence at all beforehand. She had never seen her before, but without a doubt, this unknown presence emitted the aura of the Nether Moon. And most crucially, in Themis¡¯s perception, the figure was clearly a True God, but she had never felt the fluctuations from the birth of her divinity. ¡°Lady Themis,¡± the unknown deity spoke. Although the Goddess of Justice didn¡¯t recognize the figure, it was evident that she was quite familiar with Themis. ¡°I havee in response to your request to meet,dy; my master sends for you.¡± ¡°Master?¡± Themis was somewhat surprised in her heart. She hade to visit the God of Spirit, yet this goddess before her was calling Laine her master? Even the former Heavenly Father, though he enved the gods in substance, never had them refer to themselves as ves. Because, as acknowledged deities of heaven and earth, embodiments of the Laws of Chaos, to demean another was to demean oneself. ¡°Please follow me.¡± Without resolving the Goddess of Justice¡¯s confusion, Liana turned around, and a transparent portal appeared before the two of them. Furrowing her brow but not stepping back, Themis as an immortal deity knew that only Tartarus could contain them in the current Chaos. Clearly, she did not think that this unfamiliar space before her possessed mightparable to the Abyss. And although not entirely sure, Themis guessed that this unknown space, as well as the goddess who imed to be a servant, might very well be the aftermath of that day three hundred years ago, a subsequent event of the world¡¯s furious upheaval. Perhaps she would soon know all the reasons. Chapter 28 Chapter 28 ¡°How should I address you, goddess who oversees the Nether Moon?¡± As she followed the ck-robed girl through the portal, Themis did not rush to look around but rather inquired about the name of the unfamiliar deity. In the current narrow ¡®divine circle¡¯ of Chaos, the sudden appearance of an unseen god inevitably aroused her curiosity. ¡°My lord has named me Liana.¡± The girl¡¯s voice was very soft, but when it entered her ears, it imparted a sense of full authority. Themis knew that this was the influence of the Nether Moon godhood. In today¡¯s Underworld, aside from the recently emerged Goddess of Oaths, Styx, there were only the asional descendants of the Twin Gods of the Dark Night. But Styx had just been born, and the six offspring of The Dark Overlord who wielded doom, destruction, decay, sorrow, deceit, and lust were not very powerful. The Nether Moon was subtly the ruler of the Underworld. Even inter generations, the original Nether Moon and the Goddess of Crossroads became viceroys of the Underworld, possessing authority second only to Hades. From this, it can be seen that the Nether Moon held an extraordinary position in the Underworld. Therefore, under the influence of the godhood, Liana¡¯s voice naturally carried a hint of royal bearing, much like the Ocean Deity Sovereign who now presides over the sea. Upon hearing this, Themis nodded but had taken only a few steps when she suddenly stopped. Hearing the silence behind her, Liana in front turned around, her gaze inquiring why the Goddess of Justice had halted. ¡°I am terribly sorry, but may I ask what this is, Princess Liana?¡± She had been preupied with asking for Liana¡¯s name, but as Themis observed her surroundings, she was surprised to find herself in a special ce. Everything around her seemed not much different from the external Underworld, and if not for the sudden change to a world of ck and white, Themis wouldn¡¯t think she had moved at all. Looking around, she saw transparent creatures resembling umbres floating in midair. ¡®Floating¡¯ about, many tentacles hung down from beneath the umbres, seemingly extracting something from their surroundings. Themis could sense that this might be the power known as ¡®Spirituality¡¯. Although she had never seen them before, the goddess was certain that these strangely shaped things were indeed a form of life, different from the gods. They had no divinity; the mere passage of time could leave marks on them or even erase their existence. But undoubtedly, these peculiar life forms she was seeing for the first time also possessed thought, though still very rudimentary. This was what she found most iprehensible. In the current Chaos, no non-divine intelligent life existed, even in its most primitive form. ¡°This is a type of ¡®Ghost Jellyfish,¡¯ the weakest of the ¡®Wandering Jellyfish¡¯,¡± Liana exined gently. ¡°In the firstyer of the Spirit Realm, the Illusory Spirit Realm, they are the lowest level of the food chain yet reproduce quite easily. Look¡ª¡± Following the direction of Liana¡¯s finger, Themis noticed arger transparent creature nearby that was splitting in the middle. The splitting process was slow,sting about fifteen minutes. When thest bit of attachment broke apart, the transparent creaturepletely divided into two. Immediately after, countless transparent fments emerged from the split sides of each half, reconstructing the missing halves of their bodies. Both ¡®halves¡¯ reduced in size, but as time passed, they each regenerated the missing parts, bing two smallerplete beings. ¡°The lord says this is ¡®mitosis¡¯,¡± Liana introduced earnestly. ¡°It is a primitive yet efficient form of reproduction. If the concentration of Spirituality is high enough, they can double in half a day¡¯s time.¡± ¡°¡­Mitosis?¡± This brand-new term challenged Themis¡¯s worldview. As the Master of Law and Justice, she was usually reticent and maintained a strict demeanor, unaffected by external things. But today, she was genuinely surprised by what she had learned. ¡°Yes, mitosis,¡± Liana corrected. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see the Spirituality fments that came out when they were regenerating their bodies?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Goddess of Justice remained silent, seemingly uncertain about what to say. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Seeing that Themis had no more questions, Liana gestured, and another gate of light emerged before them. Themis could distinctly feel that the force referred to as ¡®Spirituality¡¯ was incredibly dense beyond the gate of light, more than ten times denser than where they currently were in the ¡®firstyer of the Spirit Realm¡¯. ¡°This is the gateway to the secondyer of the Spirit Realm, the Communicative Spirit Realm, also known as the True Spirit Realm. Normally, only a few ces in eachyer of the Spirit Realm are interconnected, but the barriers between the first threeyers are intentionally set weaker, making them easier to breach. Plus, since you are an invited guest, we¡¯ll just take the express route.¡± Following Liana through the gate of light once more, Themis was just about to acknowledge her understanding when she was once again stunned by the scene before her. In the firstyer of the Spirit Realm, despite everything being ¡®ck and white¡¯, and her initial startling encounter with the peculiar ¡®Ghost Jellyfish¡¯ and ¡®mitosis¡¯, it was still within Themis¡¯sprehension. They were nothing but special creations. Hearing that the God of Spirit had borrowed the Life Vase from Mother Earth and that the birth of new life forms other than nts was not too strange. But now, what appeared before Themis was a scene she had never before seen. Two silver crescent moons hung in the sky, where many winged creatures chased each other in flight. The ground was covered with a variety of strange nts, exuding an air of spirituality, and there were at least more than ten types of new creatures with fur or phosphorescent shells walking on thend. Not far away, around a kilometer off, there stood a smallke. Many scaled beings swam within it, and at the bottom, there was an odd creature that kept opening and closing, with a bright pearl forming inside. ¡°¡­ Are these all creations of Prince Laine?¡± Witnessing everything before her, the Goddess of Justice asked incredulously. She had already thought it a monumental feat when Mother Earth created nts, but only today, seeing these special creatures, did she suddenly realize the destion on the Chaos Terrain. ¡°Yes. The Sovereign used seven days to create the world; these are the creatures of the Spirit Realm that the Sovereign created on the fifth and sixth days.¡± Pleased with the ¡®foreign god¡¯s¡¯ astonishment at the Creator¡¯s mighty power, Liana exined with a smile. ¡°¡­¡± After a moment of silence, Themis promptly spoke, ¡°May I approach and take a closer look at them?¡± ¡°Of course, but¡ª¡ª¡± With a slight wave of her right hand, Liana summoned a third gate of light. This time, Themis couldn¡¯t feel any presence from behind the gate. ¡°It seems you n to stay here a bit longer, so we can¡¯t go upyer byyer.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll wait here for you, andter, we¡¯ll go directly to the seventhyer of the Spirit Realm, to the Sovereign¡¯s pce.¡± ¡°Then, you¡¯ll be able to present your reason foring here to the Sovereign.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Only then did she remember that she had actuallye to borrow the Oracle Stone Tablet, but after hesitating for a moment, Themis still headed towards the multitude of Spirit Realm creatures. Such unique non-divine beings with minds of their own greatly intrigued her. Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Half a dayter. Though still feeling somewhat unsatisfied, Themis returned to where Liana was. She had kept her host waiting for too long. Although strictly speaking, the current Chaos didn¡¯t yet have a well-defined ¡®etiquette,¡¯ she still felt it wasn¡¯t right to do so. ¡°How was your harvest?¡± Liana asked with a smile. ¡°It was an eye-opener.¡± In the half-day, Themis had traversed thousands of miles around her, seeing over a thousand types of bizarre ¡®Spirit Realm beings.¡¯ Some of them fed on nts, some on other lives, and some on certain concepts, all of which the goddess had never seen before. Compared to her oddly-shaped brothers, they didn¡¯t seem so strange after all. During her observations, Themis had tried to stop the confrontations between different beings, butter she came to understand. Mortals and gods are different; food is a pleasure for the gods, but a necessity for them. The goddess had witnessed the Spirit Realm beings fight each other for food more than once, and as a result, she was exposed to their unique battle methods. Their power was weak, but their fighting techniques were primitive and fierce. Unlike the gods, who merely wield Divine Authority and Divine Power, the Spirit Realm beings also knew how to probe, trap, and disguise. ¡®When I return, I must discuss this with Cronus. The Mother Goddess¡¯s agreement with Lord Laine still has seven hundred years to go. Once the Life Vase returns to the Mother Goddess¡¯s hands as agreed, we should also borrow this Divine Artifact to create life on earth.¡¯ As she followed Liana through the light gate, Themis silently made up her mind. Inparison to the current deste Chaos World, the Spirit Realm felt much more vibrant to her. ¡°Hmm?¡± Passing through the illusory portal, the next moment, the breath of Source Power that hit her face brought Themis¡¯s thoughts to an abrupt stop. Looking around, the goddess found herself on a peak so high that its bottom was nowhere to be seen. Seven crescent moons hung in the sky, and the mountain pierced through sixyers of semi-solid interfaces. Standing on the mountain, although she couldn¡¯t make out the details of those interfaces, Themis still felt like she had the world at her feet. Mount Sinai, also known as Naiarath, was the name of Mount of the Gods, which trantes to ¡®the beginning of the Moon,¡¯ ¡®the source of Spirituality.¡¯ When she reached this ce, the goddess ¡®understood¡¯ this information instantly. Moreover, she felt a power within the mountain, very simr to her own Origin of Godhood, breathing, flowing, and slowly changing its nature. ¡°If this was all opened by Lord Laine, it truly is a magnificent feat,¡± the Goddess of Justice said sincerely. Creating interfaces and giving rise to living beings was something Themis, with her Divine Authority, didn¡¯t know how to achieve. ¡°It is indeed a magnificent feat,¡± Liana said matter-of-factly: ¡°The world has not yet spread the name of the Lord, but one day they will know the supreme power of the Lord.¡± With a polite smile and although struck by the scene before her, Themis still felt it was due to a particrity of Authority. The gods had absolute power in their respective domains, much like how a future Goddess of Agriculture could prevent everything from sprouting, but without the corresponding Authority, even a being like Uranus couldn¡¯t change this oue with sheer power alone. Themis didn¡¯t know what Spirituality as a Godhood meant, but she guessed that everything before her was probably a demonstration of the absolute nature of this particr Godhood. Continuing forward with Liana, the steps under their feet were made of unknown materials, and the various man-made objects along the way kept the goddess¡¯s gaze busy. The ce opposite the light gate was not the summit, but a bit lower down. After all, although capable, Liana would not directly open a portal to Lord Laine¡¯s pce. However, Themis didn¡¯t feel slighted; on the contrary, she was quite interested in observing the surroundingndscape. Everything before her eyes was a novel scene she had never encountered before, and such more ¡®civilized¡¯ creations naturally resonated with the higher positions of the Law and Order Godhoods. Themis had made her decision, she too wanted to set her sights on building something on Mount Othrys. As time slowly passed, although Mount Sinai was a no-fly zone, the two were already not far from the summit. So soon, Themis arrived at the pce gates led by Liana. Themis¡¯s eyes brightened once again at the sight of the magnificent man-made structure she had never seen before. Compared to the sprawling and rudimentary abodes of the Chaotic Gods, this orderly and civilized creation undoubtedly won the goddess¡¯s favor. The buildings were not clustered together, each boasting its own style and beauty. Although Themis could only see a few nearby, she still took note of their styles one by one. ¡®This is the ce where gods should dwell,¡¯ the goddess thought to herself. ¡°Here we are, the Temple of Lops, where the master wees guests.¡± Liana pointed to the splendid great hall in front of them, smiled faintly, and then bid farewell: ¡°I havepleted my task as a guide, and now it¡¯s time for your meeting with the master.¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± Themis had just wanted to ask Liana to stay, but the ck-robed goddess gave her a smile and then took a step back. With that step, just as when she first appeared, she vanished without a trace in an instant. But this time, Themis noticed something. The other¡¯s movement seemed to leverage the space-time power of the Spirit Realm, allowing her to shift to a different ne of the Spirit Realm in the blink of an eye. Even without moving, when separated by ayer of the world, she naturally could not sense the other¡¯s presence. Seeing this, Themis thought of the firstyer of the Spirit Realm, the ¡°Illusory Spirit Realm,¡± identical to the Underworld. Perhaps Liana had always been standing by her side, standing in the Nether Moon, only invisible due to Themis¡¯s inability to prate the barrier between reality and the firstyer of the Spirit Realm. ¡®Could Cronus achieve this level of space-time power?¡¯ After a brief contemtion, Themis shook her head. Rather than dwelling on it, she stepped toward the great hall before her. Having arrived at the doorstep, it would not be proper to keep the host waiting any longer, especially since she, too, was keen on building her own pce and interested in learning from the pce¡¯s interior designs. Stepping over the threshold, her vision was suddenly brightened. The pce interior was somewhat brighter than the light of the crescent Moon. Looking around, she saw tables,mps, vessels, decorations, and a ck-clothed deity rising from the main seat. Though Themis did not know what ¡®civilization¡¯ meant, she felt that everything she saw was more to her liking than anything she had experienced in the past. ¡°Wee, mydy.¡± Raising a goblet, Laine said with a smile to the approaching Goddess of Justice: ¡°Before we discuss serious matters, please enjoy the dinner I have prepared for you.¡± ¡°Thank you for your hospitality, Prince Laine,¡± With a subtle lift of her eyebrows, Themis epted the floating goblet and drank the red liquid in one gulp. ¡®This is nectar.¡¯ The liquid seemed to contain ¡®memories,¡¯ as Themis knew its name upon tasting it. For her, it was merely a rather pleasant drink. But the goddess believed her brothers would absolutely adore such a creation. Setting down the goblet, Themis moved forward to take her seat. She looked forward to the forting banquet with added anticipation. Chapter 30 Chapter 30 ¨C Chapter 7 Codex Chapter 30 Chapter 7 Codex Trantor: 549690339 ¡°What an unforgettable experience.¡± Within the Temple of Lops, Themis drank herst sip of nectar, her originally pale cheeks also flushed slightly. Ordinary beverages were not enough to affect a deity, but clearly, those crafted by Laine with the authority of ¡°The Wine¡± were not among them. ¡°If you¡¯re interested in it, you can take some back with you.¡± Setting down the crystal-clear wine ss, Laine gestured and dozens of barrels of brewed wine appeared. ¡°Since ourst parting, it¡¯s been a while since Ist saw Cronus. Consider these drinks as my bted congrattory gifts for his ascension to Divine King, I suppose he will like them.¡± ¡°Then I will ept them on behalf of Cronus.¡± Apologetically smiling, Themis was unaware of the grudge between Laine and Cronus concerning the Origin of Space and Time. She thought Laine intended to remind Cronus not to forget their two previous agreements. Indeed, the Goddess of Justice was somewhat dissatisfied with her brother¡¯s prolonged failure to fulfill the agreements. In the past three hundred years, she visited Mount Othrys several times, paying her respects to Mother Earth, who had regained some vitality. Themis heard from the Mother Goddess that Cronus had used the excuse of ¡®not having full control over the Divine Authority¡¯ to refuse going to the Abyss to release his six strangely looking brothers. Mother Earth was quite angry about this, but she was not the Divine King after all, so she did not know whether Cronus was just making excuses or if his powers were indeed far lesser than those Uranus once wielded. Because of this, Mother Earth left Mount Othrys, residing permanently near the ocean in the Eastern Region, staying with her second son. The five marine deities born one after another came into being during this period. ¡°Your Highness Laine, I thank you once again for your dinner. But I havee here to seek a favor.¡± Adjusting her demeanor, the Goddess of Justice, who had removed her blindfold three hundred years ago, looked straight at Laine and got straight to the point. With a faint smile, though he had already made ns, Laine still feigned ignorance. ¡°Please speak, My Lady. I am quite curious as to what haspelled you to seek my doorstep after three hundred years of wandering.¡± Hearing this, something stirred in Themis. Although she did not conceal her tracks, it was apparent that Laine possessed unknown means to observe the earth. However, the Goddess of Justice paid no attention to these details, as she directly stated her purpose: ¡°In these three hundred years, I have traveled many ces. In the mortal realm of Chaos, I found that the disorder and madness left over from the dawn of creation had not all flowed into Tartarus but still existed within the Laws.¡± ¡°I sought a solution, and eventually the Priesthood of Law gave me an answer. I need to create Laws for the realms of existence, which would allow the Laws themselves to expel the disorder and madness.¡± ¡°But what does this have to do with me?¡± Laine asked, still smiling. ¡°Because I also need a creation capable of carrying these Laws, through which I canmunicate with the world, etching my Laws into the roots of existence.¡± Themis¡¯s expression was solemn, she could feel that the elevation of her Godhood was tied to this task. If she could perfect the current world, the Godhood of Law would rise, supporting her to be a powerful deity of Divine Power Level 18 and above. ¡°I visited the Mother Goddess, seeking the Oracle Stone Tablet, this enigmatic artifact born at the beginning of creation. But she told me that thousands of years ago, it hade into your possession as part of a wager.¡± ¡°So I¡¯vee to boldly ask if I may borrow this Divine Artifact from you.¡± Saying this, Themis looked towards Laine. ¡°Yes,¡± meeting the gaze of the goddess, Laine nodded. ¡°It¡¯s indeed in my hands. But now, it is no longer the Oracle.¡± With a slight lift of his hand, the next moment, apanied by a ripple of space, a huge bronze book materialized in his hands. Without any attempt to hide, the powerful presence of the Codex of Creation was immediately perceived by Themis. Without a doubt, this was a frightening high-grade divine artifact, and it even gave her a sense of something even higher. ¡°Different from what Mother Earth knows, Lady Themis,¡± Laine said calmly as his right hand brushed over the spine of the brass book: ¡°The essence of the Oracle Stone Tablet is beyond her imagination, and the ¡®Order¡¯ it contains is even close to a great part of the ¡®Chaos¡¯ of Tartarus. I have crafted three divine artifacts using three stone tablets, and what you see here is the second one.¡± Furrowing her brow, Themis knew that she might have to return empty-handed. The aura of the divine artifact before her wasparable to the Life Vase, and nobody would easily lend out such an artifact. But driven by the desire to perfect her godhood, she still spoke up. ¡°If you are willing,¡± she said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what I would have to give to borrow this divine artifact from you.¡± She had already prepared to make an oath, ready to serve Laine in the future. In truth, she had nothing else to offer. However, to her surprise, she received an unexpected answer from Laine. ¡°Nothing is needed,¡± he said. ¡°As long as you swear to the Spirit Realm and acknowledge my indisputable sovereignty over the Codex of Creation. Then, for the next thousand years, it is yours.¡± Looking at the astonishment on the goddess¡¯s face, Laine did not exin but simply handed over the book that seemed forged from brass. He believed that she would not refuse. A bit astounded, but just as Laine thought, Themis hesitated for a moment when offered the divine artifact and still reached out to take it. The deity and godhood mutually influence each other. Facing the temptation of an elevated priesthood, Themis could not refuse. After chatting for a while longer, soon, with the borrowed divine artifact, the Goddess of Justice left the Mount of the Gods. After sending Themis away from the Spirit Realm, Laine too retreated to a pce behind Mount Sinai. That was his sleeping chamber, the Temple of s. Sitting on a soft couch, Laine watched through the time-space mirror as Themis, with her doubts and confusion, made her way down toward earth. He knew that she was seeking a divine decree from the Divine King. To enactws in the mortal world, the Divine King¡¯s nod was also an indispensable part. ¡°After thews are established, this divine artifact will be considered initially perfected.¡± Looking at the stone book in the goddess¡¯s hands through the mirror, Laine whispered to himself. In his original ns, the Codex of Creation ought to be the recorder, perfecter, and innovator of all the world¡¯s rules andws, and indeed, it¡¯s feasible forws to be linked with spirituality. But the problem was that, long before Laine had established the Spirit Realm, the Goddess of Law had already been born. Laine could absorb the origin of the stars of the world, and he had almost taken in all of it, but that was because the true God of Stars had not yete into being, and Coeus was merely the god of ¡®lightless celestial bodies.¡¯ But thew was different. The earlier Codex of Creation was powerful solely because it depended on the ¡®Order¡¯ origin inherent in the Oracle Stone Tablet. The part of it that belonged to ¡®Law¡¯ was only a minute amount from ¡®Chronology.¡¯ However, as Themis establishesws for the mortal world, a significant portion of the origin of ¡®Law¡¯ of Chaos will rise, half of which will go to the Codex of Creation that bears it, while Themis will only obtain the other half. After this, the powerful creation, which could be considered near a genesis artifact on its own, would be fully matured. ¡°And then there is the chaos and madness that are expelled after the establishment of the codices.¡± ¡°Power does not differentiate between good and bad; what matters is that it¡¯s used in the right ce.¡± Gazing at Themis, who had reached the surface and was heading toward Mount Othrys, Laine dispersed the time-space mirror. He could silently observe Themis, the deity with a Divine Power Level of 13, but that did not mean he could watch the Divine King, who was gradually securing his position. The following matters no longer needed his concern; the Goddess of Justice, for her own ascension, would invest all her efforts intopleting everything rted to ¡®legition.¡¯ His mind sinking into the root of the Spirit Realm, Laine continued to digest different origins. For a considerable time in the future, this would be his primary task. Chapter 31 Chapter 31 ¨C Chapter 8 Mutual Concealment Chapter 31 Chapter 8 Mutual Concealment Trantor: 549690339 Atop Mount Othrys. Having obtained the Codex of Creation from Laine, Themis didn¡¯t stop for a moment and hurried to the Mount of the Gods. Legiting for the world wasn¡¯t something that could be done casually. A fitting godhood, a sufficiently powerful vessel, the interim world steward, and the Divine King¡¯s authorization, each of these was indispensable. However, Themis didn¡¯t worry that her younger brother would refuse her request, after all, the position of the Divine King was not immutable. As for Cronus, not to mention the five hundred year limit had not yet been reached, even if it had, his divine authority could definitely notpare with that of his father. Despite Uranus¡¯s retrograde and contrary actions, his deed of ¡®birthing life through union¡¯ was, in itself, the greatest achievement of the Divine King. Moreover, Cronus was a usurper, and the divine power he obtained was bound to be even lower. To be able to aplish ¡®legition¡¯ during his own reign, this new Divine King would undoubtedly be desperate for it. Three dayster, Themis finally returned to the Mount of the Gods and immediately sought out her younger brother, exining her ideas to him in detail. However, contrary to what the Goddess of Justice had anticipated, although Cronus was very supportive of her legition, he seemed to be more interested in the God of Spirit. ¡°So you¡¯re saying he not only made no demands on you but also promised to deal with the chaos and madness expelled from thews on your behalf?¡± ¡°Yes. I thought they would gather on thend, creating many perilous dead zones, since I can¡¯t deal with them. But since Prince Laine is interested in them, I agreed to hand them over to him.¡± A bit puzzled by the focus of Cronus¡¯s concern, Themis still answered. She guessed that Laine must have had some intent, but she didn¡¯t care. Those things were useless to her; keeping them would only cause her trouble. Although Themis took it lightly, Cronus did not see it the same way. He had harbored resentment towards Laine for more than just a day or two. ¡°It¡¯s not that simple, there must be something you don¡¯t know!¡± ¡°Laine will definitely gain something in the process, he is not the kind of person to act out of the goodness of his heart!¡± With a cold snort, Cronus¡¯s expression turned somewhat unsightly. Three hundred years had passed, and although the power brought by his own godhood was insignificant, the greater part of the divine authority he had consolidated still granted him the formidable power of Divine Power Level 17. But even so, whenever he thought of the origin power he had lost, Cronus deeply regretted the decisions he had made in the past. Divine Power Level is one thing, actualbat power is another. With the loss of most of his time-space godhood, even if the Divine Power Level was the same, Cronus¡¯s strength was greatly reducedpared to before. What¡¯s more, if his time-space godhood had remained intact, his current divine power would have been one level higher. In the realm of powerful divine forces, the gap between levels is not something that those below intermediate divine power canpare to. Meanwhile, observing Cronus¡¯s expression, Themis was obviously misunderstanding. She thought he was angry about Laine¡¯s past prophecy. But as the Goddess of Justice, she wouldn¡¯t act on misced anger, so she spoke up to remind him: ¡°I know, Cronus. Because of Prince Laine¡¯s prophecy, you and our brothers all harbor discontent towards him.¡± ¡°But you should remember, at least for you, you not only proactively sought the prophecy from him, but you also owe him two favors.¡± ¡°You once swore to the world to fulfill them. After two hundred years, once you fully inherit the position of the Divine King, you cannot dy any longer.¡± Cronus was somewhat at a loss for words. He cursed Chaos¡¯s rigid instincts in his heart once again. Even though that God of Spirit had done something to displease the world, and even though he had encroached on his own origin, to the world, it was always about the deed, not the person. Even its instinctive disgust for Laine, who stole Source Power, would not prevent it from honoring Cronus¡¯s promise. ¡°¡­I will, but there are still two hundred years, are there not?¡± In the end, Cronus still epted the fact that he had to work for Laine and turned to ask another question: ¡°You said he has opened up a domain called the ¡®Spirit Realm,¡¯ which contains many special beings?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Themis nodded: ¡°I n to visit the Mother Goddess after he returns the Life Vase and create some new life on the earth as well.¡± ¡°New life¡­ now that you mention it, I have seen some.¡± Cronus furrowed his brows slightly, recalling: ¡°About a hundred years ago, the God of Destruction, Ker, representing the eight gods residing in the Underworld, came to Mount of the Gods to see me.¡± ¡°At that time, some beings called ¡®Nymphs of Eternal Night¡¯ were following him. They were not deities, nor did they possess divine authority as quasi-gods. ording to him, they were servants bestowed by Mother Night, the Ancient God Nyx.¡± In fact, Cronus had beautified the process. Ker didn¡¯te to represent the eight gods to pay homage to the Divine King; he came purely to show off in front of the new Divine King. Indeed, the deities of Chaos were mostly very emotional. The Divine King was still alone, but Ker had attendants with him, which satisfied Ker¡¯s vanity to a great extent and secretly angered Cronus. But there was nothing he could do, for ording to Ker¡¯s statement, he had a close rtionship with his Mother Goddess, and the new Divine King did not dare to provoke a Primordial God at this time. Of course, what Cronus did not know was that the God of Destruction had also beautified his own process of obtaining the Nymphs of Eternal Night. In his ount, the two Ancient Primordial Gods were very concerned about their divine children, but in reality, the Twin Gods of the Dark Night had hardly ever met with them. Erebuspletely ignored his own offsprings of bodily evolution, and Lady Night, only out of nominal consideration, had given a few of the nymphs she created with spiritual embryos to them. None of them were endowed with divinity and transformed into demigods by Lady Night, not at all like the evidence of closeness between mother and child as Ker had imed. ¡°Hadn¡¯t Mother Night sought out Prince Laine before?¡± Themis spected: ¡°It might have been at that time that he and Princess Nyx created new life together.¡± ¡°Perhaps,¡± Cronus replied: ¡°But since Princess Nyx has epted the existence of the new life, there should be no problems with them.¡± ¡°When the timees, I¡¯ll go with you to see the Mother Goddess. The Chaos Terrain should also have some life that knows to revere the Divine King.¡± Frowning slightly, Themis felt some dissatisfaction. Laine had created life in his own realm, and Cronus¡¯s first reaction was actually ¡®there might be problems¡¯? At least in her memory, Laine did not seem to have actively done anything to the Titans. ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡± Cronus shook his head and nced at the face of the Goddess of Justice, but in the end, he said no more. He certainly didn¡¯t wish to broadcast his wed thinking all over the world. If possible, he would rather nobody knew about the deficit in the origin of his godhood. ¡°Let¡¯s leave it at that for now, Themis. By the time you¡¯vepleted the draft of the codex, I¡¯ll probably have already taken control of the throne of the Divine King. Then, I will support your actions in the name of the Divine King.¡± ¡°That would be for the best.¡± Nodding, the Goddess of Justice still didn¡¯t discuss Laine with Cronus in depth. To her, legiting was the most important matter at hand. The past three hundred years were far from enough for her to understand all the loopholes in the current worldlyws. Now, with the help of the Codex of Creation, she could delve deeper into the rules of the world. Chapter 32 Chapter 32 ¨C Chapter 9 Metis Chapter 32 Chapter 9 Metis Trantor: 549690339 Since Themis left the Mount of the Gods, in the blink of an eye, another five hundred years had passed. In the Chaos World, time was so valueless that this remained the case even after the appearance of the first generation of humans. It was not until the era of Bronze Humanity that the gods grew ustomed to counting time in ¡®years¡¯ rather than ¡®centuries¡¯. Three hundred years ago, on Mount Othrys, Cronus truly became the Divine King. Driven by his oath, he dered the new rules of the Sun and the Moon in the name of the Divine King, and the few remaining concepts associated with the Moonpletely flowed into the Spirit Realm. As expected, the future Goddess of the Moon, aside from having a glowing celestial body of her own, wouldn¡¯t be able to control anything else. Even the light emitted by the ¡®Moon¡¯, apart from being called ¡®moonlight¡¯, had no mystical significance whatsoever. In regard to the second oath, Cronus also announced Laine¡¯s sovereignty over the Elements and the qualification to weave the Net to control them. The power of the elements thus flowed towards the Spirit Realm, but aside from the Fire Element, the influence of the other elements was mostly superficial. Although there were no Wind Gods yet, Wind was subordinate to Meteorology. Water, earth, light, and darkness all had their respective deities; only Fire had not yet found one. Therefore, it was not surprising that there would be a future Fire God who could not control the fire element. Moreover, as Laine fully embraced the Source Power of the Fire Element, he could further touch the true Fire, bringing this unimed natural godhood into his control. In the future, even if a Fire God was born in Chaos, she would merely be a deity presiding over the burning of physical matter. Henceforth, the fire of the spirit could harm the material, but the material fire could not touch the spirit. In the realm of Spirituality, Laine defined Fire as the primal one. Beyond that, during these five hundred years, Chaos witnessed many divine births and celestial events. The most widely known among them was the birth of the original God of Sun, Helios, the eldest son of Hyperion. On the day this new god was born, the entire world saw the great Sun shine a thousand times brighter. The original Sun godhood split in two, with therger part reverting to the Titan Ancient God, and the lesser portion to his child. Hyperion still represented the Sun, but his eldest son represented the trajectory of the Sun. There was no sunrise or sunset in the original Chaos World, but now, there were evening and dawn. And with the division of godhood, Hyperion, who was already approaching Divine Power Level 18, suffered a great loss of Vital Essence, barely maintaining his strong divine power. Divine power could be sustained, godhood could be split, but the Sun could not be duplicated. Thus, Helios, barely born, became a Sun God without a Sun. Since hecked a celestial body corresponding to his godhood, Helios, though nearly a century old, still maintained the appearance of a child. Possessing a Sun godhood of level 15, he was like the early Laine, merely a True God with feeble divine power. This Titan family drama certainly provided much amusement for the divinities of Chaos. Apart from that, the second daughter of Coeus and Phoebe, the Goddess of Meteor Asteria, was born. Chaos¡¯s sky now had an erratic celestial body. But to Coeus¡¯s surprise, his daughter only represented the celestial body itself. The light she emitted didn¡¯t even contain a trace of energy, even though she was also a type of star. Aside from these minor events in the sky, the ocean saw the birth of numerous deities. Oceanus, in particr, had a keen interest in procreating offspring. With the birth of hundreds of Divine Children, numerous rivers,kes, and Fountains sprung up on the earth, and the sovereign authority of the God of the Ocean began to expand. Although, as the ¡®Circumterrestrial River¡¯, Oceanus technically presided over distant seas and ocean currents, friction began to arise between him and the Ancient Sea Gods as his offspring proliferated. Their godhood couldn¡¯t be stripped away, but that didn¡¯t mean those with simr domains wouldn¡¯t fight. Just as thend was ever-expanding, the ocean was actually growing as well. The newly grown ocean didn¡¯t have innate ownership, and though it had been divided between the two Sea Gods, that didn¡¯t mean it would always continue this way. The two Sea Sovereigns didn¡¯t sh directly, but conflicts among their children were not umon. Nheless, Oceanus, while prolific, was discontented: he had only two True God children ¡ª and Styx resided in the Underworld, scarcely heeding themands of her own father. There was little he could do about this but to continue procreating with the original Sea Goddess, Thaesis. In such an environment, Metis,ter renowned in mythology as ¡®the Goddess of Wisdom and Strategy¡¯, now the Goddess of Hydrology, was born. ¡°Congrattions, my brother, another True God has emerged, and your divine lineage grows ever stronger,¡± the God of Meteorology said to his long-unseen elder brother within a pce far out at sea. Ever since Themis had built her temple on Mount Othrys, soon after, big and small pces began to proliferate throughout Chaos. At least in the matter of indulgence, the Chaotic Gods learned quite quickly. ¡°And you will be soon too, won¡¯t you, Crius? I hear that you and Eurybia havee together,¡± he said. ¡°Judging by the days, your first child should also be born soon,¡± he added. With a lukewarm smile, Oceanus seemed not too enthusiastic. Beside him, Crius looked somewhat embarrassed. He was well aware that Oceanus was expressing his dissatisfaction. After all, it wasmon knowledge now that the Ocean Deity Sovereign had a falling out with his uncle. Even though neither hade to blows, the two had ceased allmunication for centuries. At such a time, Crius¡¯s choice of the ancient Sea God¡¯s youngest daughter naturally upset him greatly. ¡°I know that you¡¯ve had a conflict with Pontus,¡± Crius said with a hint of helplessness, ¡°but there¡¯s absolutely no need for hostilities.¡± ¡°So, on which side do you stand?¡± Disregarding the pleasantries of the God of Meteorology, Oceanus asked bluntly. ¡°¡­I will stay on Mount Othrys. I have no desire toe to blows with Eurybia¡¯s kin, but neither will I against you,¡± Crius replied. Though he said this, Crius was acutely aware that for him, who had not yet be a god of great divine power, taking sides was not a good thing. ¡°It¡¯s better that way, my brother,¡± Oceanus said, casting a warning nce at Crius, then turned around and loudly announced to the gods who came to the celebration: ¡°To celebrate the birth of my daughter, the Goddess of Hydrology, Metis, let us begin the festivities.¡± ¡°Everyone present here is a friend of the Ocean divine lineage.¡± At these words, the tense atmosphere due to the two Titans finally eased, and the gathering of gods began to enjoy the festivities, blessing the newborn as they indulged in the nectar of the banquet. This beverage, originating from the Mount of the Gods, became the favorite of all deities the moment it appeared and no feast wasplete without it. Rumor had it that it actually came from a deity in the Underworld, but no one cared about its provenance. The gods only cared about one thing, that the ¡®nectar¡¯ was pleasurable, and that was enough for them. Before the pce, while the deities celebrated, in a ce unseen by them, in the Spirit Realm, a figure arrived silently behind the Ocean Temple. When the Spirit Realm began spreading across the earth, Laine did not first choose the continents but opted instead for the more remote ocean. Now, he stood in the firstyer of the Spirit Realm, looking at the small infant on the outer bed, his expression hesitant. She was Metis, who originally presided over ¡°Strategy,¡± ¡°Wisdom,¡± ¡°Thought,¡± and ¡°Hydrology,¡± the first wife of the third-generation Divine King Zeus, and the mother of the Goddess Athena. But now, she was just a weak infant with control over ¡°Hydrology.¡± Chapter 33 Chapter 33 ¨C Chapter 10 The Move Chapter 33 Chapter 10 The Move Trantor: 549690339 Unlike the offspring of the Primordial Gods, the progeny of the second generation of divine beings needed to develop. They no longer matured in a mere half-day after birth, like their parents did. Some took months, others an indefinite period; their growth rates varied. At the same time, the new gods did not possess innate, powerful divine powers. Even the ancient Titans had at least weak divine power at birth, but these new gods, except for very few, mostly started from Divine Power Level 1 and slowly grew from there. Now, Metis before Laine¡¯s eyes was just like that. Her newborn skin was as smooth as milk, and her pair of ck, lustrous eyes didn¡¯t resemble those of a newborn at all. But without a doubt, it would take decades for her to be an adult deity. This was not only because this was how it should be for the third generation of gods, but also because her origin was not strong. When she was born, ¡°Wisdom,¡± ¡°Thought,¡± and ¡°Strategy¡± automatically scattered throughout the heavens and the earth, much like ¡°Memory¡± once had, leaving her with only hydrology. Unlike Mnemosyne, however, the third-generation gods were not born with knowledge, so she would not realize that she was meant to have these powers. ¡°Metis¡­ Athena¡­¡± ¡°Perhaps I should take her away?¡± Muttering softly, Laine was not worried about being discovered. Oceanus and Thaesis were indeed strong, but as long as he didn¡¯t show himself near them, it was hard for them to detect him. This was the absolute nature of Divine Authority, when Laine hid within ¡®History¡¯, and with the Spirit Realm as cover, even if there was only a room apart, no one could sense his presence. ¡°¡­Never mind. Although destiny has been altered, I still hope the world remains ¡®familiar¡¯ until Zeus ascends the throne.¡± ¡°Moreover, in the original trajectory, the Goddess of Wisdom didn¡¯t seem all that clever.¡± Shaking his head, Laine eventually gave up on his n. With Metis¡¯s potential, if he took her back to the Spirit Realm and nurtured her carefully, she would be capable of holding some powerful godhoods. For instance, ¡°Script,¡± its origin flowed towards the Spirit Realm every moment. Normally, the presence of the God of Script would to some extent block Laine¡¯s absorption of ¡°Script,¡± but unfortunately, the Oracle Stone Tablet possessed an even more orthodox source power of script. Under these circumstances, having another person in charge of a godhood would not only elerate the Spirit Realm¡¯s absorption rate but would also bring Laine a powerful subordinate in the future. But in the end, he abandoned this idea. A Goddess of Wisdom who couldn¡¯t even discern her own safety ¨C how was such ¡®wisdom¡¯ any different from Prometheus¡¯s ¡®forethought¡¯? Inparison, perhaps her daughter would be a more fitting spokesperson for wisdom. Having made his decision, Laine stretched out his hand, and three Multifaceted Crystals silently appeared before him. The Spirit Realm¡¯s absorption of the three great godhood origins had just begun, but that did not prevent Laine from solidifying the corresponding godhoods. Even though they were weak now, as the Spirit Realm absorbed all the scattered origins, they too would return to their rightful heights. With a gesture, the three crystals fell into the body of the infant girl before him. Simultaneously, Laine¡¯s figure vanished in an instant. The next moment, the Ocean Deity Sovereign appeared directly beside the bed. He looked around, but found nothing. The instant Laine conferred the godhoods, he returned from ¡®History¡¯ to the present. Oceanus immediately sensed something amiss but was incapable of tracking Laine¡¯s presence. ¡°What is it?¡± Soon after, Thaesis also appeared here. The goddess wasn¡¯t previously in The Temple, but sensing her husband¡¯s sudden burst of Divine Power, she quickly rushed back. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, might have been my illusion.¡± Shaking his head, Oceanus prepared to return. But as his gaze swept over his daughter, his expression suddenly froze. ¡°Is this¡­ the aura of the Godhood of Wisdom?¡± A bit uncertain, Oceanus picked up his daughter, carefully sensing the aura within her. Soon, he not only confirmed his previous sensing but also discovered additional auras of Strategy and Thought. ¡°Was Metis gifted with other godhoods by the world? Did you sense the presence of Chaos just now?¡± Thaesis also noticed the anomaly in her daughter. But since Chaos had never shown the phenomenon of transferring godhood outside of the Sub-Gods, she instinctively thought it to be a gift from the world. ¡°Perhaps, but that¡¯s not important anymore!¡± The Ocean Deity Sovereign was not entirely sure, but he was indeed very surprised. Unlike Pontus¡¯s selective breeding strategy, he was synonymous with casting a wide. Among his many children, only Styx had a godhood that allowed her to reach Intermediate Divine Power level, while the rest like Clymene and Metis, with Fame and Hydrology, found even achieving Weak Divine Power level a challenge. But now, with Wisdom, Strategy, and Thought, Metis was destined to be a powerful being like her eldest sister. At least Intermediate Divine Power level, and in the distant future, possibly even a mighty Divine Power level¡ªthat would be much stronger than many of the ancient Titan gods. ¡°My brother Iapetus once sought a wife from me, and though he made no demand, my daughters who are less than True Gods do not match his status.¡± ¡°I was initially inclined to choose between Clymene and Metis, but it seems now that I don¡¯t need to choose.¡± Oceanus was very pleased, and Thaesis nodded in agreement. Bearing many children and spreading the influence of the Ocean god¡¯s lineage across the world, forging alliances with deities through marriage¡ªthis was their n from the beginning. The mythology ofter generations also proved his sess. Unlike his other brothers, besides Rhea and Themis, the Ocean Deity Sovereign was the only ancient Titan god who still retained some influence in the era of Zeus. ¡°I will discuss this matter with Clymene. As the Goddess of Renown, marrying a noble Titan also suits her godhood well; she will be satisfied with this.¡± As Oceanus¡¯s wise and supportive wife, Thaesis voluntarily took on this task. ¡°Good, I hope she can bear my brother a powerful deity. In this way, when we face my uncle in the future, we will have one more ally.¡± Nodding to his wife, Oceanus got up and headed to the front hall. His abrupt departure had surely sparked much spection among the guests, but now, he could cheerfully share the good news with them. From this day forth, the name ¡®Metis the Wise¡¯ would resound throughout the sea, and no one could criticize him anymore with ¡®only quantity, with Styx being just an exception.¡¯ Behind him, Thaesis took another look at her daughter, and then she too left the grand hall. She had been previously monitoring the currents, preparing to extract the essence from her husband¡¯s domain tobine with her godhood, nurturing a Divine Artifact. This primitive method of artifact creation was quite ordinary, not as powerful as those made by the Cyclops who had special talents in smithing, but it was still sufficient to serve as a symbol for the Ocean Deity Sovereign. Thaesis was going to continue preparing for this. As for her daughter Metis, gods are immortal; she did not need to be looked after all the time. Chapter 34 Chapter 34 ¨C Chapter 11: Desire Gives Birth To Love, Love Gives Birth To Beauty Chapter 34 Chapter 11: Desire Gives Birth to Love, Love Gives Birth to Beauty Trantor: 549690339 In the Ocean Temple, Laine bestowed godhood, and in the next moment, he utilized the properties of the Spirit Realm to leave his original location. Beyond Mount Sinai, the space-time of the Spirit Realm became increasingly chaotic the deeper one ventured. Beyond the thirdyer, one entered the deepyers of the Spirit Realm, where a single step forward could mean traveling a thousand miles in the real world. Although currently only the first twoyers of the Spirit Realm had beenpletely structured, this did not prevent Laine from leveraging the characteristics of other dimensions. Thus, in an instant, he arrived at the sea surface thousands of miles away. This was still due to the Spirit Realm¡¯s coverage being too small in the present world. Otherwise, with the movement method Laine called ¡°Spiritual Realm Shuttle,¡± he could travel between the two sides of the earth in a matter of minutes. ¡°When living beings are born on the earth, and my Divine Power umtes to level 16 or above, I can weaken the barrier between the surface of the Spirit Realm and the real world.¡± ¡°By then, lifeforms with innate intuition could directly see into the firstyer of the Spirit Realm, and spirits that are deeply resolute or honored with rituals can stay in the shallow Spirit Realm, continuing to exist in another form.¡± Contemting in his heart, Laine looked back in the direction of the Ocean Pce. Later generations would say that much of Zeus¡¯s Wisdom came from Metis, yet now the godhood of Metis had been conferred by Laine. ¡°But it¡¯s hard to say. Rather than attributing Zeus¡¯s Wisdom to Metis, I¡¯m more inclined to believe he just borrowed her name.¡± ¡°Swallowing a deity to use her Divine Authority, as if it were that easy. Besides, if Zeus managed to deceive the Goddess of Wisdom, his sweet talk is probably not inferior to Metis¡¯s ¡®Wisdom.¡¯¡± Shaking his head, Laine continued on his way to a location near the coast, following the direction in his memory. Having diligently absorbed Origin for eight hundred years in the Spirit Realm, Laine had no intention of immediately going back upon finally emerging. At the very least, he intended to retrieve something from that ce. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡± Seven dayster, after crossing the vast sea, Laine reached a peculiar sea surface. There were no waves here, the surface of the sea was as still as death. Yet, when the sunlight shone upon it, it possessed a divine beauty. Not far away, ayer of blood foam emitting desire and Hatred floated in ce. This was the source of all anomalies in this sea area, and even Pontus himself was reluctant toe near. This was where the organs of Uranus had fallen, imbued with his Hatred for the Titans and Pontus. In the future, the Erinyes and Aphrodite would be born here. As the birthce of four deities, once the blood of the Divine King dissipated, this ce too would be a sacred sea area. ¡°Who are you? This is the domain of the nearby sea lord. Strange deity, state your name.¡± Suddenly, along with a somewhat strange tone, a half-snake, half-fish creature emerged. She eyed Laine not far away with caution but did not act rashly, as the aura of Divine Power on him informed her that this was at least a deity with Intermediate Divine Power. As one of Pontus¡¯s five offspring, she, like her brother and husband Phorcys, was a lifeform that was half demigod and half monster. Together, they had sired many sea monsters, the most famous being the Graiae sisters. They appeared as old women but shared one eye and one tooth among the three. They each ruled over ¡®venom,¡¯ ¡®brutality,¡¯ and ¡®terror,¡¯ but they were not True Gods. They were quasi-gods who held powers and possessed immortality, akin to the Oceanides without godhood. ¡°Keto, danger of the sea, I know of you.¡± Laine didn¡¯t look at her, nor did he answer her question. Compared to Eurybia, the power of the sea, and Nereus, the friendly sea deity, Keto and her brother were more like Cyclops, disliked by all deities of Chaos. There was no helping it; the gods of Chaos have always been superficial. ¡°But I do not know you, strange deity.¡± ¡°This is a forbidden sea area transformed by the Father God, a fact known to all deities.¡± Keto¡¯s expression grew increasingly unfriendly, particrly affected by her instinctspared to regr deities. ¡°That¡¯s not important,¡± Laine said, an interesting thought suddenly emerging in his heart. ¡°What¡¯s important is, do you want to change your appearance?¡± ¡°To get rid of your current form, or at least, to have another form that can be recognized by the gods.¡± Keto¡¯s increasingly ferocious face stiffened. Laine¡¯s persistent irrelevance was somewhat infuriating to Keto, who, being somewhat controlled by her beastly nature, had intended to follow her instincts and attack Laine; but his subsequent words immediately brought her back to her senses. She had imed more than once that she didn¡¯t care about her appearance, but only she knew her thoughts when the gods¡¯ banquet turned her away at the door. ¡°I want! I mean, what should I do?¡± Her voice suddenly softened, though Laine could tell that this ¡®softness¡¯ was still harsh to the ears. Without ying coy, Laine pointed towards the foam of blood in front of him. ¡°Drink it, of course, only a small part of it.¡± ¡°If you dare swallow it all, you¡¯ll only serve as a vessel, birthing four new deities. But if you take just a few sips, maybe you¡¯ll gain more than you expect.¡± Keto hesitated. Known as the ¡®peril of the sea,¡¯ she was very aware that this ce was the most ¡®dangerous¡¯ part of these waters, and the source of the danger was this blood. She didn¡¯t know whether she should believe this stranger deity¡¯s words, but she was too desperate for change. ¡°To drink or not is up to you, but this might be your only chance.¡± Extending his hand, Laine scooped a spoonful from the blood before him, then with a flicker, vanished silently from the surface of the sea. Ining here, he had done so for this particr reason; encountering Keto was an unexpected bonus. ¡°Wait¡ª¡± Hurriedly speaking out, Keto wanted Laine to borate. But Laine clearly had no time for her; his casual reminder was merely for his own amusement, like watching a spectacle for fun. ¡°Damn it!¡± With a roar, but driven by a deep-seated longing, Keto still turned her gaze to the blood foam. After a long while, her ferocious face showed a struggle, but in the end, Keto¡¯s desire for ¡®beauty¡¯ overpowered her instincts. She no longer cared about the danger of the blood before her and gulped it down. As the blood entered her stomach, her appearance indeed began to change. At a certain moment, she stopped drinking and looked at her reflection on the sea¡¯s surface. A beautiful goddess with ck hair appeared there, the wildness in her eyes adding a touch of allure. Yet at that moment, Keto felt no joy; instead, she felt ¡®envy¡¯ towards those who were truly beautiful. She knew she had now be a ¡®Goddess of Beauty¡¯¡ªbut it was a ¡®dressed-up beauty,¡¯ a ¡®false disguise of loveliness.¡¯ Simultaneously, she understood under the influence of godhood that the true deity symbolizing ¡®Love and Beauty¡¯ would be born from these blood foams in the future, and her ¡®disguise¡¯ would be meaningless in front of them, serving only as a backdrop for the flowers. ¡°Nothing is evesting without change; one day, I will be true ¡®Beauty.¡¯¡± ¡°If not, then let them all die. As long as there is no one more beautiful than me, then I will still be the epitome of beauty.¡± Her voice was no longer raspy, but the pleasant tone spoke cruel words. Keto looked at the blood foam on the sea and silently swore an oath in her heart. The future Goddess of Love and Beauty was destined to be her enemy. After a long stare, when the sun set, Keto still left that ce. Following her memory, she headed towards the pce of a deity, where a gathering seemed to be taking ce. The future was still distant, but now, she wanted to experience what it was like for the other deities to enjoy a banquet. This time, she wouldn¡¯t be rejected. Chapter 35 Chapter 35 ¨C Chapter 12: A Gathering Of Gods Chapter 35 Chapter 12: A Gathering of Gods Trantor: 549690339 Laine casually created a different kind of Goddess of Beauty and didn¡¯t take it to heart. Inter generations, Keto actually didn¡¯t have much presence, only her monstrous offspring appeared in the epics of humans to highlight the great achievements of the demigod ¡®heroes¡¯. As a monster herself,pared to the King of All Monsters, Typhon, she wasn¡¯t even a match for one of Typhon¡¯s many children. However, now, as the goddess Keto, perhaps she may leave some new traces in the history of Chaos. Seven hundred years had passed since the birth of Metis and the rebirth of Keto. The world doesn¡¯t revolve around one person. Despite Laine living a secluded life for seven hundred years, it didn¡¯t affect the increasing prosperity of the world of Chaos at all. A hundred years after returning to the Spirit Realm, a bright Moon once again hung in the sky of Chaos, which had been dim for nine hundred years. That was Selene, the daughter of Hyperion and Theia, the Moon goddess. This powerful goddess, which should have been in her original trajectory, seemed particrly weak since she had lost all concepts rted to the ¡°Moon¡±. Her limit was the realm of weak divine power, and she could be thankful that the Moon was thergest luminary in the night sky. This matter greatly annoyed Hyperion, he had suppressed his own son because the Sun could not be divided, but his daughter Selene should have been his best assistant in ruling the stars. Instead, she turned out to be a great disappointment. Because of this, Hyperion hesitated for a long time, but he ultimately went to the Underworld. After all, in his view, as long as he did not seek a prophecy from Laine and let himself be caught in the web of fate, the so-called God of Spirit was nothing to fear. The Twin Gods of the Dark Night who had once retreated were probably entangled by the same mistake of the two generations of Divine Kings, because they were restrained by prophecy. Therefore, Hyperion searched throughout the Underworld. He tried to find Laine to have him return the concept of the ¡°Moon¡±. The God of the Sun was unwilling to trouble himself for a sister he was not close to, but it was different for a daughter who held the promise of bing a powerful deity. However, facing Hyperion¡¯s actions, Laine simply couldn¡¯t be bothered, and so after several years of searching, the God of Sun could only release his power in frustration around the Nether Moon, unable to touch the light body that seemed so close at hand. Having returned without sess, Hyperion then approached Cronus. He assumed that it was only because of the Divine King¡¯s edict that Laine was able to take away Selene¡¯s power and that if Cronus revoked that order, the concept of the Moon would return to its rightful owner. But Cronus decisively refused. Not to mention that the previous matter regarding the ¡®Moon¡¯ was a vow he had made about the world. Even if it was not, he would not show a friendly face to this brother who had always been unpleasant. Moreover, Cronus knew very clearly what others did not. Referring to his own origin of time and space, he knew that the concept of the ¡°Moon¡± before it came together might indeed have been under Laine¡¯s control due to the authority of the Divine King; but afterwards, it was likely a one-way journey. So, to cover up the true nature of his own origin¡¯s deficit, Cronus was even less likely to agree to such an impudent request. Repeatedly rejected, Hyperion flew into a rage, but sensing the Divine King¡¯s increasingly powerful aura, he felt somewhat helpless. In the end, he had no choice but to return to the Sky, venting his anger on those around him. During that period, the Sun in the sky capriciously released its power, causing the temperature of the entire world to rise. Fortunately, at that time, the earth was mostly inhabited by deities, so it didn¡¯t cause any disaster. However, because of this incident, the third generation of deities in Chaos also came to realize that in the Underworld, there was an ancient god who controlled the Nether Moon and Spirit, who rarely ventured out. After a few more years, Astraeus and Eos were born sessively. The former was the child of the God of Meteorology and the powerful Sea God Eurybia, the God of the Stars. Thetter was Hyperion¡¯s second daughter, the Goddess of Dawn. Unlike the records in mythology, there was no violent drama this time. Or rather, Laine never really believed that part of the mythology had much authenticity. Rumors said that Eos, cursed by the Goddess of Love and Beauty, could only fall in love with mortals, but given herter behavior, she didn¡¯t seem like any kind of prudish goddess. So, just over a hundred yearster, these two new gods came together spontaneously. They gave birth to the four Wind Gods as well as numerous Star Gods, most of whom were quasi-gods without godhood. Among the Star Gods, there was only one exception, she was Astraea, the Star of Justice, the Goddess of Purity. Although not very powerful, as a bona fide True God, she was seen as a leader by all the Star Gods. The Wind Gods, the Anemoi, were much more powerful; they tore off parts of godhood from their own grandfather, the God of Meteorology, representing the winds of the four directions. They were Boreas, the God of the North Wind; Notus, the God of the South Wind; Eurus, the God of the East Wind; and Zephyrus, the God of the West Wind. With their birth, the air currents of Chaos became more variable. At the same time, on the earth and in the ocean, the Meliae, Three Birch Tree Goddesses, and the Three Furies, the Goddesses of Vengeance, were sessively born. They were the transformation of the Divine Blood left by Uranus, the former called the Meliae, and thetter called the Erinyes. Perhaps because the dangerous Keto of the sea had drunk the Divine Blood before the Furies were born, they regarded Keto as their eldest sister and stayed in the ocean with her. The Three Birch Tree Goddesses came to Mount Othrys to meet the Divine King and were taken under the wing of Rhea, who had be the Queen of Gods. Elsewhere, on the Mount of the Gods, Iapetus also had his own Divine Child. With the daughter of the Ocean Deity Sovereign, his own niece Clymene, he sessively fathered three deities, all of whom were well-known inter generations. The first God of Strength,ter the bearer of the heavens, As. The creator of Bronze Humanity, the forethought Fire Thief Prometheus, and the afterthought simpleton Epimetheus. Unlike his weaker brethren, from the day of his birth, As showed extraordinary Divine Power and possessed the potential to be a great force. For this, the Ocean Deity Sovereign personally congratted his nephew/grandson¡¯s birth and blessed him to never be invaded by the ocean. Of course, while his own brothers were striving hard, the prolific Oceanus was also busy. Over seven hundred years, thousands of children were born into the Chaos World, and rivers andkes started to spread across the earth. Most were territorial gods, but there were still several True Gods among them. They were Eurynome, the water-meadow deity; Perse, the boiling water goddess; Pronoia, the Goddess of Foresight; Doris, the gentle goddess; and Philyra, the healing goddess. As the number of children increased, the tension between Pontus and Oceanus intensified. Their offspring had fought a few battles at sea, but with no significant oues. But anyone with clear sight could see that if not for concern over the Divine King on Mount Othrys, perhaps these two Sea Gods would have long since gone to war. Besides, during the birth of the many deities, something happened that puzzled the gods. It was roughly a thousand years after Cronus took the throne, when many Mountain Gods and River Gods noticed a verdant light flying out from underground, heading towards the abode of Mother Earth beside the East Sea. After that, the ground of Chaos Terrain inexplicably trembled for three years. It was Mother Earth¡¯s anger, but there were no further developments. Later, Divine King Cronus came to visit Mother Earth to borrow the Life Vase, but returned empty-handed. It was not until the Goddess of Justice, the Queen of Gods Rhea, apanied him that they obtained what they sought. However, to the disappointment of the three Titan deities, as the origin of life of Chaos, the Life Vase indeed could create living beings, but none of them possessed consciousness. With no other choice, Themis had to give up the idea of creating life for the time being and continue with her preparations. So, hundreds of years passed by, and after fifteen hundred years of preparation, the preparations came to an end. It was on this day that the Goddess of Justice and Law finally stood atop Mount Othrys, beginning to enactws for the present world. Chapter 36 Chapter 36 ¨C Chapter 13 Legition Chapter 36 Chapter 13 Legition Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Are you ready?¡± At the summit of Mount of the Gods, in front of aplex of pces, Cronus asked. Although he wasn¡¯t leading the ¡®legition,¡¯ as the Divine King, he would also have a share of the world¡¯s rewards. ¡°Of course, where is your decree?¡± A thousand two hundred years had not left a mark on Themis. Instead, years of toil had made her gaze even more steady and sharp. She looked at Cronus, demanding thest necessary item for the legition. ¡°Use this, the Scepter of Divine Authority.¡± ¡°My brother, who dominates the outer seas, is enormously powerful, with progeny more numerous than all the deities of Chaos World, aside from Ourea¡¯s mountain gods and the celestial lineage of star gods.¡± Cronus spoke in an even tone, showing no particr emotion when talking about Oceanus. His former elder brother had fused the essence of the sea with the origin of godhood to smith the Scepter of the Sea King for himself, thusmanding the great oceans. Cronus, following suit, forged a Scepter of Divine Authority for himself. Yet, once the Scepter of the Sea King appeared, thousands of sea deities followed itsmand. But Cronus¡¯s divine decrees have beenrgely ignored to this date. His authority does not extend beyond Mount of the Gods, such is the current state of Cronus. Even the earth has long been upied by a host of river gods,ke gods, and mountain gods. In their eyes, the rank of the Divine King is a fact that hardly needs stating. ¡°Following behind others is not something to be proud of, Cronus. The gods will remember the first, but few know of the second.¡± Themis, taking the scepter iid with three-colored gems, reminded her brother. This was a sentence she had heard from Liana, and the Goddess of Justice found it quite sensible. For over a thousand years, she had been visiting the Spirit Realm and then duplicating what she had learned on Mount Othrys. She did this not out of stealth, for Laine had been happy with her actions. Themis¡¯s conduct not only did no harm to his interests but actually elerated his absorption of the rted Chaotic Source Force from Chaos World. ¡°Perhaps. But the strongest one is also the first, isn¡¯t it?¡± The voice of Cronus had grown more confident than it had been hundreds of years earlier, or perhaps, the increasingly significant Divine Authority had given him that confidence, and he was beginning to n to act. The Divine King had set three jewels in the scepter, hoping that one day he couldmand the sky, the earth, and the seas with it. Perhaps then, he might have the confidence to confront the curse left by the Heavenly Father, or even the unspeakable fate. However, unlike Cronus, Themis, in response to the Divine King, nodded but inwardly was not optimistic about her brother¡¯s prospects. Unless he possessed a powerparable to that of the Primordial Gods, bing the true King of All Gods, ¡®the strongest one¡¯ would remain no more than an empty boast. And just relying on godhood, Cronus waspletely unable to achieve this. The Sky had the potential for Great Divine Power, as the Heavenly Father was the embodiment of The Sky. But even Cronus, though Themis did not know of his origin¡¯s deficiency, originally only embodied slightly more than thirty percent of the current world¡¯s space-time origin. To be a true Divine King, one must possess great power. But to obtain great power, Cronus could only rely on his position as Divine King, which was essentially a vicious circle. Inter generations, Zeus would break this cycle with faith, but the second-generation Divine King had not that option at the time. ¡°I am about to begin,¡± Themis softly announced, no longer dying. Everything was in readiness, and she was somewhat eager to start. Upon hearing this, Cronus quickly stepped aside. When the legition began, the rules of the entire present world would converge here, and except for the Lawgiver herself, even the Primordial Gods dared note into direct contact with these endless Chains of Law at this time. After all, the so-called ¡®present world¡¯ was in the eyes of the gods the consciousness of Chaos. Including the Anomaly of the Law at the birth of a deity, it also only urred in the present world and did not affect other ces. The trueplete Chaos included everything in the world, but the side of Order is what the gods were in contact with. This part included most of The Sky, all thend, most of the oceans, and the core of the Underworld. Beyond the present worldy the Land of Eternal Night, the Realm of Lightless, the Bottomless Abyss, the edges of the starry heavens and the great seas, and some perilous areas of the Underworld. There, the Chaotic aspects of Chaos predominated, and the powers of the gods could even be diminished in that region, essible without impact only to those who had touched upon Great Divine Power. Seeing Cronus retreat, Themis pursed her lips. She stepped forward, standing at the highest point of Mount of the Gods. In the next moment, the Goddess of Justice gripped the Scepter of Divine Authority tightly, and the vast Divine Power began to surge within her. It was not just her Intermediate Divine Power at work, but also a portion of the Divine Authority of the Divine King temporarily bestowed upon her by the Scepter. Under the dual influence of Divine Power and Divine Authority, imperceptibly, a part of the innate consciousness of Chaos, the Law of the present world started to open its gates to the Goddess guided by the Godhood of Law. Instantly, Themis seemed to see the Chaotic Source Force umted between the Chains of Order. These remnants from the beginning of creation weremon in the regions outside the present world; but in ces dominated by Order, their mere existence made the flow of Law much more arduous. Thus, Themis raised her right hand. Inplete silence, a brass-colored book, neither jade nor stone, opened its cover. On the tome initially engraved with calendars and the order of the Spirit Realm, new inscriptions began to emerge. As part of the pact, she used Spirit Script to write, reinforcing the initial Spirit Script connected to Law. The Divine Power in her body churned increasingly. As inscriptions emerged on the Codex of Creation, strands of Law materialized from the void, racing each other to flow towards the Divine Artifact. During this process, not only did the Chains of Law themselves seem to be ¡®purified,¡¯ but also invisible forces emerged, silently infusing into the Codex, slowly enhancing its power. This invisible, high-quality force strengthened and rounded the aura of the Divine Artifact with every increment. Themis knew this was the attributeless Source Power transformed from the Chaos. Apart from acting as a medium through the Codex, this Source Power also continuously poured into her, bing part of Godhood of Law. Though Themis¡¯s Divine Power did not increase, her limit had been opened. The path to powerful divine strength had been paved by her. Thus, under the watchful eye of Cronus and the secret observation of the Lord of the Spirit Realm, the Goddess of Law held high the Codex and proimed to the Law of the world: ¡°I, bestowed by Chaos the Master of Law, the great Ancient Titan God born, the wielder of the Divine Authority of the Divine King, the writer of the Codex of Creation,¡± ¡°in the name of Order, I hereby make a covenant for the present world.¡± At the same time, the very moment Themis raised the Codex of Creation, an invisible ripple spread out. Every deity with Intermediate Divine Power or greater in the Chaos World turned their gaze towards Mount Othrys. There, the Law of the present world was being rewritten. Chapter 37 Chapter 37 ¨C Chapter 14 Convergence Chapter 37 Chapter 14 Convergence Trantor: 549690339 Unlike minor divine power and weak divine power, starting from intermediate divine power, deities could begin to make initial contact with the origin sea of the world. Godhood is the external manifestation of source power. Except for the world itself and great divine power, no intelligent being can easily touch the source itself, as this essential force of the world would only assimte their thinking gradually. In the words of Laine¡¯s previous life, it was ¡°assimtion into the Dao.¡± Therefore, Chaos created godhood, and Laine formed the multifaceted crystal condensed from the source power. Only by adding ayer in between could the gods exercise their authority freely. However, just like a needle dropped into seawater, although the water cannot stop it, it¡¯s also difficult for the needle to cause any harm to the water itself. Once divine power stepped into intermediate divine power, gods were no longer as fearful of source power as if it were a fearsome beast, but instead could sense its rhythm to a certain degree, and even utilize this to deepen their understanding of their corresponding origin. And it was this sensing ability that allowed them to faintly perceive that at this moment, on Mount Othrys, the currentws of the world were converging, and some deity was influencing the arrangement of the rules. Themis had walked the Earth for a thousand years, and more than one god had witnessed her presence. The gods were well aware of what this goddess had done. But in their eyes, a being with intermediate divine power daring to amend thew was utterly impossible. Yet, the tremors from the origin sea forced them to change their minds now. Maybe this not-so-famous Ancient Titan God was not arrogantly overestimating herself, but truly had some special method. And no matter what method Themis employed, the gods were very clear that as thews of the present world werepleted, her godhood of the Law would undoubtedly be elevated. Great divine power, there was no question about it. Whether they wished to admit it or not, the gods could only ept that another deity capable of influencing the direction of the world was about to be born. ¡°It¡¯s Themis, she saidst time that she wanted to establishws for the present world. I thought she was joking, but I never expected it to be true,¡± one god said. Upon the sea, the Primordial Sea Goddess stood beside her husband, speaking with certainty. ¡°To establishws for the present world¡­ If she is sessful, the ascended godhood of the Law would be strong enough to support her in reaching the peak of great divine power.¡± ¡°It looks like another strong figure is about to emerge from our generation of Titans.¡± Upon hearing this, Oceanus nodded. As the Ocean Deity Sovereign, he was happy to see his sister¡¯s promotione to fruition. Themis¡¯s godhood meant she would not interfere in his and Pontus¡¯s war; after all, as fellow Sea Gods, their conflict was deemed natural. ¡°Let¡¯s set out, we shall go and congratte her together.¡± After watching for a while, Oceanus withdrew his gaze. Establishingws for the present world was not a matter of one or two days, and there was enough time for him to reach Mount Othrys before it waspleted. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I returned, and I wonder how much the Mount of the Gods has changed from what it once was.¡± In the Underworld, the God of the Sky, Aether, was surrounded by his brothers and sisters. Unlike the gods of thend above, the deities of the Underworld were few and weak. Aside from the Goddess of Daylight¡¯s rtively strong godhood, only the God of Destruction and the God of Doom had a chance of stepping into intermediate divine power in the future. In the eyes of outsiders, even though they weren¡¯t strong, with the support of two Primordial Gods, their special status was recognized by all the gods. But only they themselves knew that the Primordial Gods had never truly regarded them. Even the Land of Eternal Night and the Realm of Lightness kept their distance from them. It wasn¡¯t that they were unable to enter, but like other gods, they did not know themselves whether they could return once they went inside. ¡°Ker, I have warned you before not to go around causing trouble.¡± ¡°Last time you went to Mount of the Gods, Cronus let it go in consideration of Mother, but that doesn¡¯t give you the reason to act rashly. No secret can be kept forever, and they will eventually learn the truth.¡± ¡°When that timees, no one knows whether he will use us to establish the authority of the Divine King. After all, unlike his Titan brothers, no one would stand up for us.¡± Looking at his brother, Aether felt some irritation, even though he knew that Ker had been somewhat influenced by his godhood. ¡°Is that so? If there really is such a day, let hime to me. You will likely be fine, since you¡¯re just about to go and show your loyalty to him, aren¡¯t you?¡± With a coldugh, Ker was ungrateful. As a descendant of the Primordial Gods, even if his nominal parents did not acknowledge him, he still considered himself equal to the Ancient Titan Gods. In fact, gods like him were not umon in Chaos. Deities were immortal, but that didn¡¯t mean they were particrly wise. ¡°You¡ª¡± Pontus, pointing a finger at his own brother, ultimately said nothing. Now, hepletely understood why Hemera didn¡¯t want to be with them, because, as she said, they were different. The sky and daylight, their godhood itself dictated that they did not fit in with the other six deities. ¡°I will go to Mount of the Gods to congratte the Master of Law. As for you, if you don¡¯t want to go, then stay here.¡± Shaking his head, Aether left with a flick of his sleeves. He needed to consider his sister¡¯s opinion. Perhapspared to the Underworld, the stars were where they truly belonged. ¡°Should we attend as well, Father?¡± Gazing up at the sky that Aether had on his mind, the Moon Goddess Selene looked at Hyperion. Though she had been born hundreds of years ago, she still possessed weak divine power. Like all deities, she had an appearance mortals could hardly dream of reaching. And unlike inter times, gods of this era, even those weak but beautiful like her, were not worried about their predicament. On the contrary, many deities had expressed their affection to Selene, but she declined them all. ¡°Of course, Selene. Laine shamelessly stole the concept of Moon, making you so weak. But when I tried to create a ¡®Land of Eternal Night¡¯ in the Underworld, I never seeded.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how he did it, but as the Goddess of Justice and Law, your aunt will uphold justice for you.¡± Selene fell silent, she had heard many times from her father about that deity who resided in the Underworld. His seizure of the concept of Moon stemmed from a pact with Mother Earth and the Titans; she doubted her aunt would break her godhood for her father. Still, considering her own power, she resigned herself to her fate. The current family of the Sun God was different from before. The eldest son and daughter both had feeble divine power, while the once subordinate Goddess of Dawn was stronger than her siblings. Helios¡¯s weakness was at least because he had no opportunity to revolve the sun to enhance his divine power, but his godhood was still powerful. But Selene, she did not want to remain weak forever. ¡®Maybe I can find a powerful entity to rely on. If it weren¡¯t for the dispute between my father and the Divine King, he could have been a good choice.¡¯ Silently thinking, Selene followed her father, flying towards the center of the earth. At the same time, simr scenes were taking ce in many locations. The higher the Divine Power Level of a deity, the bigger the gap between levels. A powerful deity with the potential of level 18 or 19, even inter times, would be an influential existence in Chaos. Regardless of their motives, whether their rtions were friendly or not, gods left their Divine Pces one after another, flying towards Mount Othrys. And so, on this day, in the 1500th year of the God-King Era established by Cronus himself, the gods converged. Chapter 38 Chapter 38 ¨C Chapter 15 Chaotic Source Force Chapter 38 Chapter 15 Chaotic Source Force Trantor: 549690339 Atop Mount Othrys. The Sun and Moon took turns in the sky, and the tremors of the Origin Sea grew denser. As time passed, the number of deities around the Mount of the Gods also gradually increased. Surrounding the Mount of the Gods, the positions of the gods were clearly demarcated. The Ocean Deity Sovereign¡¯s lineage, the lineage of the ancient Sea Gods, the Mountain Gods, and the God of Stars, each imed their own direction, not intermingling. As for the other deities, they were scattered among them, somewhat easing the heavy atmosphere of the divine factions. Out of the four major factions, the lineage of the God of Stars was unconcerned with worldly affairs. They resided in the sky, led by the God of Sun, without conflicts with other lineages. The only celestial god who could potentially conflict with them, Coeus, had only two children, and the stars treated him with exceptional respect. However, the remaining three factions were different. Subtly, the Mountain Gods and ancient Sea Gods stood together, in opposition to the growing divine lineage of the Ocean Deity Sovereign. The conflict between two Sea Gods had been longstanding, and on the earth, due to the increasing number of River, Lake, and Spring Gods, the tensions between Oceanus and the Mountain Gods also umted. As such, Ourea and Pontus, these two brothers, also joined forces to face their nephew¡¯s ever-strengthening lineage. That is also why, even with two great Divine Powers, Oceanus had yet to truly move against his uncle. It wasn¡¯t merely out of concern for Mother Earth¡¯s stance, but more so because of Ourea¡¯s presence. Of course, there was also Cronus on the Mount of the Gods. Everyone knew that although the Divine King had been forced to ept the current state of gods governing themselves, he would not always ept it. If the gods went to war, should they give him this opportunity, then he would surely do something. The sovereigns of several divine factions were well aware of this. In the somewhat tense atmosphere among the gods, three months passed in a blink of an eye. The perfection of the Codex gradually approached its end. Around the body of the Goddess of Law, chains of Law visibly converged, tightly connecting with the increasingly profound Codex of Creation. With the tip of her finger as her brush and the Source Power as her ink, under the gaze of the gods of Chaos, Themis freely wrote down her achievements of a thousand years. At one moment, when she inscribed thest character, time and space seemed to freeze for an instant. The surroundings of the Mount of the Gods immediately fell into a strange silence, only the sound of the chains of Law pulling remained unchanged. In this special atmosphere, Themis was not affected. The legal uses were already written, with just onest step remaining. She pressed her hand on the brass pages of the book, which had somehow grown to the height of a person, and the Divine Artifact began to flicker in response to the will of the Goddess of Law. Themis could feel that at this moment, she was infinitely close to the Origin Sea. Every word she spoke could be heard by the world. ¡°In the name of the highest order of Law, under the witness of Chaos, I hereby make a covenant with the world.¡± ¡°Whosoever has lived for a hundred days, establish a Law; from this moment it shall take effect, for all eternity.¡± The voice was soft as it left her lips, but when it truly spread, the very reality of Chaos seemed to tremble with it. Immediately, the chains of Order around Themis began to chime in an orderly fashion, and shades of grey Mist began to emerge from the Laws. The mist was fickle, eventually taking the form of serpents. They slithered around the Codex of Creation, hissing and howling at it. The gods couldn¡¯t help but feel solemn in their hearts. That was the Chaotic Source Force remaining in reality, a malignant remnant from the beginning of creation. They were the centa that birthed Tartarus and also the core of those ces beyond reality, which turned back even the gods. The Chaotic Source Force lingering here was just a fraction, one or two percent, of what it had been at the beginning, but it was enough to intimidate any deity. Chaos is naturally hostile to Order, and that¡¯s why it surrounded the Codex of Creation. But the disparity in power made them instinctively halt their advance. After all, aplete Divine Artifact of the Trinity was a true equal to the Great Divine Power, and even if not yet perfected, it was not something these remnants of Chaotic Source Force could oppose. Time ticked by second after second, the ¡®Mist Serpents¡¯ around also gradually increasing in number. When thest traces of grey mist trickled out, the chains of Law returned to calm. There were no trumpets or sudden surges of power, but everyone knew, the wmaking¡¯ had been a sess. In the past hundred days, Themis¡¯s Godhood origin and Cronus¡¯s Divine King authority had both been gradually elevated. All gods could feel that even though her Divine Power had not increased, the Goddess of Justice had opened the threshold to Great Divine Power. What remained was simply the umtion of time. ¡°Congrattions, my sister, the gods shall remember your glorious deed,¡± surrounded the Mount of the Gods, Oceanus was the first to speak out his congrattions. Despite the Mist Serpents¡¯ unpredictable roaming, which kept him from approaching the Mount, his resonant voice still carried far enough. ¡°Congrattions, Themis Your Grace.¡± ¡°It is my honor to witness your great work.¡± ¡°Congrattions. Your deeds today will surely be immortalized within Chaos forever.¡± The Ocean Deity Sovereign¡¯s voice seemed to remind the assembled deities, as the sounds of celebration started to ring out incessantly. Atop the Mount of the Gods, Themis, despite being very exhausted, still mustered the energy to exchange pleasantries with the various gods. Her efforts of a millennium had finally borne fruit; feeling the increase in her Godhood¡¯s Origin, she even managed a smile for a few gods from the Underworld who were usually not to her liking. The Godhoods of ¡°Deceit¡± and ¡°Lust¡± naturally conflicted with that of ¡°Law,¡± but since they were brought by the God of Light and the Goddess of Daylight, the Goddess of Justice reluctantly epted their somewhat begrudging congrattions. Yet in her memory, there should be more than five deities from the Underworld; she wondered what had detained the others. The voices of the gods offering their congrattions kept oning, but Themis soon realized their awkward predicament. With the legition concluded, the gods were supposed toe to the Mount of the Gods, but due to the presence of Chaotic Source Force, including Cronus, none dared toe close. Themis had no solution for this. She signaled to Cronus with her eyes, ready to invite the gods to the Divine Pce behind Mount Othrys first, where the celebration feast was already prepared. ¡°Congrattions, Lady Themis.¡± Just as she was about to speak, a familiar voice came over. The Goddess of Justice turned around with a bit of surprise, as she had thought the other would wait until the crowd dissipated beforeing over. Where her gazended, a ripple of space appeared, and a young deity in ck quietly materialized before her, seemingly unaffected by the Chaotic Source Force. A few of the great Divine Powers in the distance frowned, for even with their might, they had only noticed the neer a moment earlier. This level of spatial-temporal power, they had only seen in Cronus before. ¡°It should be ¡®shared joy,¡¯ Prince Laine,¡± she said with a slight smile, relieved. She pointed to the nearby Codex of Creation. ¡°Two hundred years overdue, it¡¯s time the item returned to its rightful owner.¡± ¡°And these Chaotic Source Forces, if you hadn¡¯te, I wouldn¡¯t have known what to do with them,¡± Themis said. Hearing this, many of the deities who had never seen Laine before were curious about his identity and his connection to the Goddess of Law¡¯s Divine Artifact. The few who recognized Laine¡¯s presence were also puzzled. Chaotic Source Force was like poison to the gods who were born in this era. Laine, paying no heed to the other deities, nodded towards Themis. With a gesture, the Codex of Creation shrunk to the size of a normal book and fell into his palm. He tapped the spine with his fingertip, and a page fell from the Divine Artifact. A streak of golden light shed across the page, and the surrounding Mist Serpents were sucked in like water into a whale, leaving no trace behind. Clearly, in the hands of the true owner of the Divine Artifact, it exhibited an even greater might within the domain of ¡°Order.¡± ¡°Will you stay for my victory celebration?¡± Themis asked. ¡°No, I¡¯m just here to take these things you couldn¡¯t handle. I¡¯ve been looking forward to the Chaotic Source Force for quite some time,¡± Laine replied, shaking his head as he declined Themis¡¯ invitation. He had no interest in attending a celebration of this era. With the items in hand, Laine was about to bid farewell, but in the next moment, an inexplicable oppressive force suddenly arrived, solidifying the space around them. This level of confinement actually had little effect on him; with just a bit more effort, Laine could easily break free. But he didn¡¯t do so. Instead, he simply turned to look towards the source of the power. As expected, in his line of sight stood the family of the God of Sun. Leading them was none other than the Principal God, Hyperion. Chapter 39 Chapter 39 ¨C Chapter 16 Evaluation Chapter 39 Chapter 16 Evaluation Trantor: 549690339 As the God of Sun disyed his divine power unabashedly, the atmosphere both inside and outside the Mount of the Gods, which had been lively, began to weigh down with gravity. The deities who were preparing toe forward also stopped in their tracks. Although the ¡°Mist Serpent¡± had been cleared away, they were equally reluctant to get involved in the obvious conflict before them. The character and ambition of the God of Sun were well known; he was not one to engage in pleasant sociability. Aside from his wife Theia, even his own children held more fear than respect for him, so naturally, the gods were not going to speak on his behalf. As for Laine, it was even less necessary to mention. Among the deities present who knew him, aside from Themis, the majority would be happy to see someoneying hands on him. This deity, who seemed to be older than the Primordial Gods, had never truly made a move. Even though fate made the gods fear him, it wasn¡¯t as intuitively powerful as strength. Now that someone was willing to be the one to test Laine¡¯s strength, even the ancient Mountain God Ourea couldn¡¯t help but entertain the idea of enjoying the show. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Under the gaze of the gods, Laine asked in an unhurried tone, facing the faintly oppressive divine powering from Hyperion. With a calm tone and an unrippled expression, Laine¡¯s attitude was unmistakable. He didn¡¯t seem to take the God of Sun seriously at all, at least that¡¯s how it appeared. ¡°¡ªYou know why I am here, Laine. I once went to the Underworld to find you, but you didn¡¯t even dare to meet me face to face.¡± With narrowed eyes, facing Laine¡¯s indifference, Hyperion responded with an even stronger pressure of divine power. Light and heat surged around Laine, rushing straight toward him. But soon, Hyperion realized that, despite his continuing surge of divine power, it all disappeared at the edge of Laine¡¯s robe. No, not disappeared. Hyperion could feel that the power of the great Sun was still there, still pressing forward. Only a distance as narrow as a finger¡¯s breadth seemed to be stretched a million times longer; no matter how close his power got, it was always ¡®just a bit¡¯ short of reaching the other party. Facing such a situation, the God of Sun nced sideways at the Divine King, using his peripheral vision. This kind of technique seemed like it involved the authority of space, but as far as Hyperion remembered, it was Cronus that was the god of space and time. But none of that mattered now. As the forces of both parties met, the Intermediate Divine Power level of Laine was clearly perceptible to him. It was somewhat threatening, but that was all, making Hyperion¡¯s resolve strengthen slightly. ¡°Laine, you must be very clear about my purpose. Thousands of years ago, you used eloquence to confuse the Divine King, obtained three conditions, and shamelessly stole the concept of the ¡®Moon¡¯. Today, I havee to correct that mistake.¡± In front of the gods, Hyperion still had to speak some ¡®reason¡¯. Although the Ancient Titan Gods who had truly experienced that time knew that he had been one of those in agreement then. The God of Sun was very much in favor of the ¡°Underworld Sun¡± broadening his authority, and not yet free at that time, he did not know that the future Moon would be his daughter. However, the Underworld Sun had not appeared for a long time, and with the birth of Selene, Hyperion¡¯s thoughts had changed as well. On the other side, Laine remained unmoved by the God of Sun¡¯s questioning. From the time the other party had gone to the Underworld, he had anticipated this day to some extent. The other party wanted the ¡®Moon¡¯ in his hands, but how could he not want a ¡®chess piece¡¯ to deter the gods? If it were any other Titan, with the gap in Divine Power Level, Laine might not have any good solutions, but Hyperion picking this time and ce to create trouble could only be seen as nting the seeds of his own misfortune. Feeling thews of the current world that had not entirely dissipated around him, Laine did not respond but instead turned to look at Cronus. ¡°Is this your idea?¡± Upon hearing this, the Divine King standing off to the side was first taken aback, then promptly and decisively denied: ¡°No, this matter is not of my concern. The Divine King¡¯s promises are never discounted.¡± Although he longed to say ¡®yes¡¯, then join forces with Hyperion to bring down Laine, and see if he could reim his origin of time and space, Cronus, after much consideration, abandoned this thought. Now that Hyperion had taken the initiative to step forward, Cronus could decide based on how events unfolded. If Laine was not as fearsome as he thought, he believed his own Queen of Gods would certainly ¡®defy¡¯ the Divine King¡¯smand, ¡®voluntarily¡¯ doing something to Cronus¡¯s regret. But if Laine dealt with the problem brought by the God of Sun, then he would not act rashly. ¡°Laine!¡± With a low shout, the God of Sun, who was ignored by Laine, once again felt a surge of anger. He had anticipated many possible reactions, such as refusing to hand over the concept of ¡°Moon¡± or finding some way to leave directly; or perhaps telling the gods about the past agreements and prophecies, attacking his inconsistency, but Hyperion had never expected to bepletely ignored by Laine. He wanted to take action directly, but the fruitless probing from before still allowed the God of Sun to barely regain some rationality. Cooling down, he turned his head to nce at Crius, the God of Meteorology. The result was a relief, this ¡®rtive¡¯ gave him an affirmative look. Once, because of the calendar, Crius also harbored some dissatisfaction towards Laine. It would be too much to provoke a conflict directly, but to lend some support in a fight, he dared to do so. ¡°Goddess of Justice, my sister Themis, this greedy deity first stole Mnemosyne¡¯s ¡®Memory¡¯, then conspired to take my daughter¡¯s ¡®Moon¡¯. I hope you can make a fair judgment and make him pay for his misdeeds,¡± Hyperion said. Now with a helper, Hyperion still thought it wasn¡¯t enough, he tried to get Themis to stand on his side as well. Clearly, the result was not as he wished. Gods and Godhood mutually influence each other, at least that¡¯s how Chaos¡¯s native deities are. Besides the former Heavenly Father, no one could make the Master of Law go against her nature. Moreover, even on a personal emotional level, between a friend who lent a Divine Artifact and the God of Sun whom she hadn¡¯t seen in a millennium, Themis wouldn¡¯t hesitate. ¡°The God of Spirit was born before us, the ownership of ¡®Memory¡¯ is Chaos¡¯s decision. As for the ¡®Moon¡¯, that is an agreement witnessed by the Mother Goddess and us.¡± Shaking her head, Themis had no intention whatsoever of showing favoritism towards her brother. She turned her head to look at Laine. If he required her help, she wouldn¡¯t mind standing on the side of ¡®justice¡¯. Themis, whose Divine Power had not yet broken through, might not be a match for the God of Sun, but she was confident in stopping Theia. ¡°An agreement? It was nothing but him threatening us with a prophecy!¡± With a scoff, Hyperion seemed to have forgotten how meek and humiliated he had been during the time when the Heavenly Father was still present. As the leader of the lineage of the God of Stars, he had long since lost his former wariness and meticulousness. ¡°Since you are unwilling to help me, my sister, you¡¯d best not interfere with me,¡± he said. ¡°Even if you have received a promotion in Godhood, you are still not a match for me as of now.¡± ¡°And you, Laine,¡± Hyperion sneered as he looked over, ready to stop tolerating any further. ¡°In the presence of the gods, I will show you that power is far more effective than words!¡± The next moment, The Sky brightened. Chapter 40 Chapter 40 ¨C Chapter 17 The Power Of The Codex Of Creation Chapter 40 Chapter 17 The Power of the Codex of Creation Trantor: 549690339 As his voice fell, Hyperion no longer hesitated. Vast divine power surged from him, echoing the celestial bodies in the starry sky. Having made his decision, he did not intend to probe any further. The sun in the sky instantly erupted with a thousandfold heat, and all intelligent creatures of Chaos could see that the sun, originally suspended overhead, began to deviate from its position, falling towards the earth, gradually elerating. As the original God of Sun, the mighty Titan deity, Hyperion did not need any ¡°Sun Chariot¡± to drive this celestial body. Or rather, relying on external objects to harness the symbol of his godhood was in itself a sign of insufficient strength. At the same time, the Ancient Titan Gods Theia and Crius also secretly exerted their authority. Although they did not take direct action, ¡°Light¡± and ¡°Sun¡± were sopatible that ¡°Meteorology¡± could also amplify the sun¡¯s power. The sun¡¯s radiance became intensely brilliant, drawn by divine power, it hurtled straight towards Laine. The force of this single blow, with thebined strength of the three Titans, elevated Hyperion¡¯s power more than just a level. Even the several beings of great divine power present could not help but show a grave expression. Although the birth of his eldest son had caused Hyperion¡¯s divine power to fall back to the threshold of great divine power, this attack that pulled the sun could make any deity here take three steps back. ¡°You still have time to give up now,¡± Hyperion finally smiled as he looked at Laine on the Mount of the Gods: ¡°Once the sun sets, you will have no chance to repent.¡± Raising an eyebrow, Laine had to admit that Theia and the God of Sun were indeed a natural pair. Together, they were almost approaching Divine Power Level 19. If it were not for Hyperion digging his own grave, Laine would not have dared to stay put. Of course, not being able to withstand it did not mean he could not avoid it. The sun faintly locked onto this space, but after all, it did not have the authority over time and space. If he circumvented through history, traveling through time, Laine could easily retreat tranquil. However,pared to avoiding it, he had a better solution. ¡°Nothing is absolute, Hyperion. Gods must pay a price for what they have done, the same was true for Uranus, and you are no exception.¡± ¡°The lessons of history are right before your eyes, yet you have never learned a thing.¡± Shaking his head slightly, Laine calmly responded. The next moment, the flow of time around him was instantly distorted; under the power of his authority, one second stretched into more than a quarter of an hour. This was just a basic application of the power of time. With ample time, he slowly raised his hand, and the Codex of Creation floated and turned pages in midair. In the blink of an eye, countless pages filled with Spirit Script were flipped through, finally stopping on the section that detailed the rules governing celestial bodies. Everything has its order, and even the Divine King, if he misuses his authority, will be punished by the world, to say nothing of a God of Sun. And with the Codex of Creation in hand, Laine could make this retribution more concrete, more severe, more efficient. The descension of the great sun was actually not a big deal; as long as Hyperion controlled it properly and did not let it truly collide with the earth, the bacsh he would need to endure was almost negligible. However, the fact that the Sun God suppressed his eldest son for hundreds of years, causing the celestial body that was supposed to rise in the east and set in the west to hang in the sky, was his greatest vition of Order. And on this Mount of the Gods, where the currentws had just been ¡®established¡¯, the remnants of the world¡¯sws would amplify the power of the Codex of Creation, subjecting those who strayed from order topounded punishment. ¡°The revolution of the sun and moon follows its statutes; ording to the ¡®Codex,¡¯ each should follow its path.¡± As he spoke, Laine¡¯s divine power flowed into the book in his hand, absorbed by this object that was close to a Genesis Artifact. The next moment, a sound of chains clinking echoed through the void, and the sun that was hurtling towards Laine slowed down abruptly, losing the momentum it initially had. Hyperion, as a God of Sun, also noticed that the more the sun deviated from its original trajectory, the stronger a force seemed to resist its movement. Although the great sun was still approaching Laine, the might of this strike had already been greatly diminished. ¡°Hmph, just a little trick,¡± Hyperion scoffed. Snorting coldly, Hyperion nced at the Mother of Light beside him. Seeing this, Theia understood and agreed, and the two of them began to mobilize their divine power together, elerating the descent of the sun once again. If Laine had been an equally strong deity, or held aplete Genesis Artifact in his hand, Hyperion would have definitely turned tail and fled. But now, even if it meant using almost half of his strength to counter the Chains of Law, he still had ample confidence. However, he had yet to realize the gravity of the situation until this moment. ¡°Vitors are guilty. Those who are guilty shall be punished.¡± Apanied by Laine¡¯s second promation, Hyperion at first didn¡¯t take it seriously, but then his expression suddenly changed. He had been prepared to once again resist the power of order, but just now, he was horrified to discover that his control over the Sun was waning. Apart from Chaos, no one could shake a god¡¯s divine authority. Hyperion thought he might be hallucinating, but then he quickly realized the problem. ¡°Is it Helios? What have you done to him?¡± Crying out in rm, Hyperion understood; it wasn¡¯t Chaos who was diminishing his divine authority, but that the Sun itself had inherent issues. Since Helios¡¯s birth, the Sun had two masters¡ªone symbolizing its existence, the other its operation. But due to the oppression of his eldest son, the Sun had never truly orbited since the day it was born. Without a doubt, this was a vition of the existing order. But under normal circumstances, being the original Sun God, a few hundred years wasn¡¯t enough time for Hyperion to pay the price for this. However, under the influence of the Codex of Creation, the feedback of order had been amplified. Hyperion¡¯s control over the Sun began shifting towards his child. Although this transfer was reversible, he was forced to stop the descent of the Sun. He could continue the attack, so long as he had enough trust in Helios. But obviously, there was no such trust between the God of Sun and his son. Although Helios had always been obedient to him, Hyperion knew all too well not to trust that, from his own experience. For the Sun God, who had personally staged ¡®fatherly love and filial piety,¡¯ a daughter might be okay since there was no conflict in divine roles. But for his son Helios, he had long been on guard. ¡°Good, very good, Themis, is this your justice?¡± Knowing he could only return today without aplishing anything, Hyperion cast an angry nce at his sister. Since the Oracle Stone Tablet was remade, it was entirely different from the original. Even the Ancient Gods on Mount of the Gods, who had seen the Tablet before, did not recognize that the Codex of Creation was that same stone tablet. ¡°This was always meant for Prince Laine; I merely returned it to its rightful owner,¡± Themis exined, frowning slightly. ¡®Would he kindly lend you the divine artifact, considering his and our fellow Titans¡¯ rtionship with us?¡¯ Hyperion snorted coldly, his rage not clouding his mind. He gave Laine one final look and turned to leave. Any more harsh words now would only be a joke, but today¡¯s matter isn¡¯t over! Watching Hyperion walk away, Laine shook his head slightly; he could probably guess what the other was thinking. But unfortunately, when to act, you may decide; when to end, that¡¯s for me to say. And so the next moment, he reached out his hand and took out a gift that had been stored for fifteen hundred years. Chapter 41 Chapter 41 ¨C Chapter 18 The Eater Of Suns Chapter 41 Chapter 18 The Eater of Suns Trantor: 549690339 One thousand five hundred years ago, Uranus lost his position as the Divine King, and Laine created the Spirit Realm on that very day. At the same time, the Twin Gods of the Dark Night were called forth by the world, but instead of shing with Laine, after he sent out the soul embryos, one of them returned with a gift. Nyx hung a star for Laine, while Erebus passed on the negative emotions from Uranus¡¯s deposition to Laine. That was the hatred of a father for his son, the murderous intention of a king towards a rebel. Laine originally nned to mix it with other materials in the future to forge it into a Divine Artifact specifically designed to target the twelve Titans, butter on, he had some new ideas. Why target twelve gods when you can target one? With a light touch of his left hand on the ¡°Codex of Creation,¡± the intangible order was rewriten. At this moment, the Sun had not yet returned to its ce, and the ¡®retribution¡¯ against Hyperion was still being maintained. Laine thus wielded his Divine Power, cleverly altering the method of ¡®retribution.¡¯ The God of Sun in mid-air suddenly felt a shadow creeping over his heart. He nced around suspiciously, but found nothing. In the next moment, standing in the twisted flow of time, Laine drew the Source Power of the Spirit Realm, slowly infusing it into the undting ck mist in his hand. A bit of the newly acquired Chaotic Source Force rapidly transformed as well, blending into that mass of negative emotions. As time passed slowly, the tangled creation of Source Power and emotions in front of him had begun to take shape. It inherited its previous form, resembling an indistinct fog. The mark that belonged to Uranus had been washed away; only the hatred directed towards the Titans was preserved. Without a doubt, havinge into direct contact with the origin, it would never have a normal mind. But Laine did not care. It was just a weapon; it did not need intelligence, only usefulness. After examining it for a while, finally, in the name of the Master of Spirituality, Laine gave the object in his hand new life. ¡°Eclipse, indescribable Evil Spirit of the Spirit Realm, nebulous devourer of light and heat, I grant you life in the name of the creator.¡± As soon as the words were spoken, the ck fog in front of him trembled and then became animated. Although the Evil Spirit stillcked a mind, it was born with the instinct of Chaos. In the next moment, the newly-born Eclipse seemed to sense the intentions of the creator and instantly merged into the surrounding space, rushing toward the celestial body far away. The murderous intent of the Divine King was originally directed at the twelve Titans, but during the reshaping, Laine focused it solely on Hyperion as the representative of the Sun. When the target was narrowed, this power became even more targeted and restraining. Moreover, this created life was different from deities; they did not need to grow, but were born at their peak. After blending with other forces, what Laine originally considered ¡®enough to create beingsparable to a True God¡¯ advanced further, directly bing an Evil Being close to Intermediate Divine Power. Against the [Sun], its power was especially formidable. What felt like a long time had passed was in fact only a few seconds in the outside world amidst the twisted flow of time. Thus, the gods atop Mount Othrys had just seen Hyperion leave in disarray, when the next moment, the sky darkened. Hyperion, who had never before seen an Evil Spirit, was momentarily dazed, and the ck fog had already encircled him. The newly born Evil Spirit unfolded its intangible form, enveloping the originally vast body of the God of Luminous. Therefore, the Sun¡¯s light was obscured, and Chaos for the first time outside of nightfall, plunged into Darkness. ¡°What is this?!¡± ¡°No¡ªstop!!¡± First stunned, then for the first time, the majestic and valiant God of Sun showed a look of fear. When the Evil Spirit born of the emotions of the former Divine King obscured the Sun, he suddenly felt the power belonging to the Sun truly diminish. This was not a transfer as before, nor was it a temporary change. Hyperion clearly felt that a portion of the [Sun]¡¯s Origin was being transformed into a force opposed to it, a force that seemed born to hate light, wanting to drag the world into Eternal Night. Even in this moment, his Divine Power, which he had managed to stabilize after the birth of his eldest son, began to waver. If the Sun¡¯s Source Power continued to ebb, he would probably no longer be able to maintain his own power. ¡°Back off!¡± Boom¡ª¡ª! Ovee with fear, Hyperion no longer cared if he might hurt himself. He summoned his divine power and threw a punch towards the sun. The dark mist cloaking the sun¡¯s surface dispersed under that strike, allowing some light to break through, but before he could breathe a sigh of relief, the ck fog had once again enveloped it. Hyperion¡¯s attack was not without effect, but the evil entity merged with the origin power itself gained an incredible immortality under the premise of sacrificing its sanity. Even with a massive power gap, it was not easily vanquished. ¡°Theia, help me!¡± Hearing her husband¡¯s somewhat panicked call, the mother of light, although not as sensitive to changes in the sun¡¯s source power like the God of Sun, unhesitatingly threw her hand in as well. The ck mist around the sun instantly swelled, which was the ¡®light¡¯ induced by the goddess. But in the blink of an eye, the ck fog returned to normal. The light mobilized by Theia failed to prate its body and was instead devoured by the evil spirit as nourishment. Clearly, the couple, who had encountered an evil entity for the first time, did not know the correct way to deal with it. Simple divine force attacks were nothing more than massaging the opponent. Meanwhile, as Hyperion made an all-out effort, the disturbance of his divine power was noticed by the observing deities. The second and third generation Titans sensed it vaguely, but it was different for the first generation. They had felt something was wrong as soon as Laine had released that wave of emotion. Now, the shaking of the God of Sun¡¯s godhood had truly changed theirplexions. ¡°Thaesis, did you feel it just now?¡± ¡°I felt it¡­ I¡¯m not very sure, but it gave me the impression of facing the Heavenly Father directly.¡± The original water goddess responded gravely to her husband¡¯s words, involuntarily clenching her fists. Thousands of years had passed, and she thought she had forgotten the past, but when that familiar aura arrived, she couldn¡¯t control her own emotions. Titan, a word that stood for the faint-hearted. In an attempt to sever ties with the past, they changed the term to Titans, symbolizing courage and strength. But in truth, they were no different from what they had been thousands of years ago in the face of the Heavenly Father. ¡°It¡¯s not him, at most it¡¯s just some power he left behind.¡± Unlike her siblings, the Goddess of Luminous, Phoebe, appeared much more posed¡¯. Phoebe always valued her dignity, longing for the respect and ttery of others, but even she did not notice her voice trembling. The two deities who governed the sea, her own husband, the deity of heavenly bodies, or even Hyperion, who was wildly attacking the sun in the sky, were all deities with formidable divine powers, but Phoebe was different. If the mother of light was held back from advancing due to her slow umtion of divine power, Phoebe¡¯s hindrance was purely a limitation of her godhood. Perhaps in her original trajectory, Phoebe once had control of oracles and through that insight managed to take that critical step. But now, it seemed she no longer had that opportunity. ¡°Some power¡­ If it¡¯s just that, I¡¯m less worried. But he¡¯s actually able to turn that power into such a special form of life.¡± ¡°With an inherent ability to counter, despite such a vast gap in power, it can render Hyperion utterly helpless. That is a terrifying creation.¡± The taciturn ruler of mountains identified the crux of the problem. ¡°Let us hope it cannot be replicated.¡± Pontus¡¯s expression was also somewhat gloomy. Unlike his indifferent brother, he had personally hidden Uranus¡¯s organs in the ocean depths. Whether there was only one force against the twelve Titans he did not know, but the question of whether there was something directed at him was the ancient Sea God¡¯s real concern. A silent oppression spread amongst the deities. This was the first time they had heard of a creation that could shake the very origin of godhood. Chapter 42 Chapter 42 ¨C Chapter 19 The Curtain Falls Chapter 42 Chapter 19 The Curtain Falls Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Prince Laine.¡± Atop the Mount of the Gods, Rhea, who had always been by the Divine King¡¯s side, suddenly spoke. The gaze of the gods was drawn to her. The Goddess of time speaking at this moment was clearly not only representing herself but also expressed the will of the Divine King. ¡°Prince Laine, your creation has rmed me, but the earth cannot be without the Sun, just as the Underworld cannot be without the Nether Moon¡¯s light. If the daylight were to lose its lightness forever, then everything in the world would wither and descend into silence.¡± The collision in the sky was still ongoing, and the power of the God of Sun became more and more erratic. If it were just Hyperion himself that was weakening, Rhea did not want to say much. Her words were clearly exaggerated, but feeling the turmoil of the Sun¡¯s Origin, the Queen of Gods was very aware that a world under Cronus¡¯s rule missing a celestial body was something he would find utterly uneptable. The God of Sun might pay a price, but the Sun itself must remain unharmed. Without agreeing or disagreeing with the Queen of God¡¯s proposal, Laine looked at the Divine King and Queen, whose expressions had changed slightly, and he did not insist any further. Let alone that he actually did not have the power to destroy the Sun. Even if he did, he could not see any benefit in doing so. ¡°Hyperion rightly deserves punishment for his arrogance, but you¡¯re right. Chaos cannot be without this celestial body.¡± ¡°Therefore, in the presence of all gods, I can make some concessions. If Hyperion is willing to apologize to me and swears to relinquish control of the Sun for five hundred years, letting his offspring manage it in his stead, then I can forgive his actions.¡± The corner of his mouth twitched. Cronus beside him did not know what to say about Laine¡¯s ¡®concession¡¯. It was not permanent, only for five hundred years. It seemed generous but the Divine King did not even need to think about it; having experienced true freedom, Helios would never want to continue under his father¡¯s control. Perhaps another father-son struggle was to be seen in the future, but that was none of the Divine King¡¯s concern. Deep down, Cronus was actually quite eager to see such a scene unfold. In the past, the Divine King was not allowed to leave Mount of the Gods, but if he could take control of the starry sky, he would have his own territory to rule over. ¡°Respected God of Sun, I trust you have heard as well.¡± Since he had received a response, the Divine King no longer hesitated. He looked up to the sky and spoke to Hyperion: ¡°As the Lord of the Spirit Realm said, you should pay a price for your actions. Celestial bodies have their ownws, and it is time for my nephew to join you in governing the starry sky, rising in the east and setting in the west, as the Sun should.¡± As his words fell, the gathered gods also looked up towards the sky. If Laine had been determined to destroy the Sun, even if they were not close to Hyperion, they could not sit idly by and let that happen. But if it was only a matter of the Sun God¡¯s family discord, that was a different story. In the sky, listening to the voiceing from the earth below, Hyperion punched out in unwillingness. But looking at the Eclipse that tore and then closed, he ultimately submitted. He did not know if this monster had a limit to its transformation of the Sun¡¯s Origin, but if this continued, he feared he would be the second deity after Chaos to fall from great divine power. Stopping the attack, Hyperion took a deep breath. He remained silent for a while, trying to squeeze a smile on his face, but ultimately, he was unsessful. ¡°Yes, you are right.¡± ¡°Prince Laine, I apologize for my previous actions. You have undisputed sovereignty over the Moon, established by the Mother Goddess and witnessed by all of us.¡± Laine nodded his head, watching the Sun God¡¯s rigid face, showing no response. Hyperion¡¯s cheek twitched, knowing what the other party wanted. So he looked at Laine and said, word by word: ¡°I swear upon the Styx River, that for the next five hundred years, my eldest son shall rece me in governing the Sun, as my due punishment.¡± The next moment, a wave of Law¡¯s fluctuation descended upon the ce, a spontaneous response from Styx¡¯s Godhood, far in the Underworld, witnessing the Sun God¡¯s oath. ¡°Good.¡± Seeing this, Laine finally looked satisfied. ¡°Come back, Eclipse.¡± He gestured towards the direction of the Sun, summoning his creation. Although the consciousness of the Evil Spirit was chaotic and disordered, it could not resist the creator¡¯s call. Leaving the Sun, as an immortal and indestructible Spiritual Body, it directly disintegrated its form, returning to Laine in a dispersed state. Darkness had ended, and sunlight once more shone upon the earth. Everything seemed unchanged, yet everything had changed. ¡°This was merely a lesson,¡± beneath the sun, Laine closed the Codex of Creation, smiling as he swept his gaze over the gods before looking up at the disheveled figures in the sky. ¡°But if there is a next time, it will be more than just a lesson.¡± His face darkened, but upon seeing the mist that lingered around Laine, Hyperion ultimately held his tongue. He turned and walked away, with Theia and the ever-silent Selene following closely behind. The young Moon Goddess seemed a bit frightened; she had anticipated her father¡¯s endeavor might fail, but she hadn¡¯t expected this oue. From the corner of her eye, she nced at her aunt, Phoebe. This Titan¡¯s Godhood wasn¡¯t particrly strong, but her husband, Coeus, as a deity of the lightless celestial bodies, had even touched upon the domain of ¡°Darkness.¡± Even among the mighty Divine Powers, his was no ordinary force. The Moon Goddess found her thoughts drifting again, yet despite pondering all of the deities of Chaos, she could not think of any who were close to her father. The family of the God of Sun departed, while around the Mount of the Gods, the expressions of the deities varied. Some were worried, some panicked, some indifferent, some admiring, and some wary. Yet they all silently categorised Laine as someone not to be trifiled with. They were acutely aware that usurping the origin of Godhood was by no means as effortless as Laine had made it appear, and it was an experience none wished to endure themselves. Under the watchful eyes of the gods, Laine, sensing the Godhood of the ¡°Eclipse¡± from the Evil Spirit, couldn¡¯t help but feel some pleasure. He hadn¡¯t been disinclined to let Chaos¡¯s first Eclipsest a bit longer, long enough for Hyperion¡¯s Divine Power to plummetpletely. However, Laine knew that continuing would risk revealing too much. The ¡°Sun¡¯s¡± origin had indeed been shaken, but it was actually the will of Chaos that had taken action. Eclipses were regarded by the world as new deities born from the emotions of the former Divine King, and the ¡°Eclipse¡± was its Godhood. Thus, the previous draining of the origin was actually more akin to the splitting of Godhood that urs when a new god is born, only Laine had manipted the process through the use of the Divine Artifact. If one were to trulypare their strengths, even with a restraining rtionship, the Evil Spirit would struggle to bridge the gap between two levels of Divine Power and pose a real threat to the God of Sun. Nevertheless, after this event, once the concept of ¡°Eclipse¡± seized by it was taken over, absorbed, and digested by the Spirit Realm, and then reintegrated with Eclipses, with the strength of Intermediate Divine Power and a double buff of restraint, it would truly be the nemesis of the Sun. ¡°Now that the farce is over, I shall not impose any longer,¡± ¡°My apologies for disturbing your celebration banquet,¡± thetter was addressed to the Goddess of Law. Themis shook her head upon hearing this. She too was not concerned with such matters. Seeing Laine ready to depart, the deities present, no matter their inner thoughts, all paid their respects. Laine nodded in acknowledgment to each of them, and shortly after, as spatial forces surged, his form started to fade into translucency. Before leaving, Laine cast a nce towards the God of Meteorology on the Mountain. Theia¡¯s loyalty to her husband was incontestable, but Crius¡¯s actions in mobilizing Divine Authority to lend support were duly noted. However, he had done enough for today, and there would be a more suitable candidate to mete out punishment in the future. Laine was gone, and with the departure of the two main protagonists of the previous conflict, the atmosphere among those remaining grew more rxed. Today¡¯s events had introduced many of the new gods in attendance to this ancient being who preferred the solitude of the Underworld. Even the first-generation Titans were now deep in thought. Oceanus began to ponder whether there was any chance for him to turn Laine into his ¡®rtive.¡¯ Meanwhile, Crius was already regretting that he shouldn¡¯t have intervened. As for Cronus, aside from stepping in to mediate halfway through, the Divine King had remainedrgely inscrutable, as if everything was unfolding within his expectations. But just as Laine had said, the farce was over, so he no longer continued in silence. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen,¡± the Divine King announced loudly, ¡°the interruption was merely an ident. Now that the issue has been resolved, please join me in my Divine Pce for the banquet I have prepared for all of you.¡± A small incident had urred during a celebration meant tomend legitive achievements, but for the Divine King, neither side of the conflict were good people, and he would be pleased with either¡¯s loss. Now, it was time for the banquet to officiallymence. Chapter 43 Chapter 43 ¨C Chapter 20: Evil Objects Chapter 43 Chapter 20: Evil Objects Trantor: 549690339 Half a dayter, Laine returned to the heart of the Spirit Realm. Mount Sinai was as tranquil as usual, with virtually no life able to approach it except for Laine and the first-generation angels he had created himself. The light from the seven moons cascaded down, lending the ce a semnce to the Land of Eternal Night. The domain of the Night Lady and The Dark Overlord were different, Eternal Night did not mean the absence of light. ¡°Evil Spirits¡ªor perhaps it is more appropriate to call them Evil Beings.¡± ¡°Even though they are purely spiritual bodies, this method of direct integration with the Source Power seems to be applicable not only to spiritual bodies.¡± With a wave, Laine dismissed Liana, who hade to greet him, and sat in the Temple of s, watching the indefinable and erratic eclipses, feeling somewhat pleasantly surprised. Such beings, possessing great power and also capable of rapid development, were indeed useful. Other deities could not do this because beings directly fused with Source Powercked wisdom; their thoughts were entirely chaotic and mad. Even the creators of these beings found it difficult to control their behavior. But Laine was different. As the master of Source Power in essence and the one who had opened up the Spirit Realm, he could control these lives in other ways. ¡°Inter times, Gaia bore Typhon to express her dissatisfaction with Zeus, to dere her power. Perhaps by that time, I too could set loose a couple of Ancient Evils upon Mount Olympus to see how this Divine King who sows his seeds across the world would cope.¡± Lightly tapping the armrest of his chair, Laine was very satisfied with his creation. The cultivation of a deity required time; even with a powerful godhood, it also needed a potential vessel and ample time to umte Divine Power. But these evil beings were born powerful, like the Hekatonkheires, they were at their pinnacle from birth. The only imperfection was that perhaps due to the fusion with the Chaotic Source Force, the eclipses had gained even more strength, but they were also subtly rejected by thews of the material world. The Chaotic Origin was, after all, the detritus expelled from the material world¡¯s order after the ws¡¯ were established; now, even though they had integrated with other elements, they were still unwee by the material world. It could be said that these kinds of evil beings could only make brief stays in the outside world or use some means to block thews¡¯ detection of them. Otherwise, the longer they stayed in the material world, the stronger the suppression from the nes would be. Only at the fringes of the Underworld, the ends of the ocean and The Sky, the domains of the three Primordial Gods, and a few other ces were exceptions. Like the Spirit Realm, those regions were outside the control of the material world, so the eclipses naturally would not be affected. ¡°The Ancient Evil Being of the Spirit Realm, the undefinable one that roams the threshold of reality and illusion, this is really getting more and more interesting.¡± ¡°I wonder if the people ofter generations will consider the depths of the Spirit Realm a feared forbiddennd where Evil Gods roam everywhere.¡± Smiling, he shook his head, Laine was, in fact, somewhat looking forward to this. With a sh through space, Laine sent the eclipses to the fifthyer of the Spirit Realm. For such a Spirit Realm life with powerparable to a True God, if it had wisdom and rationality, it would naturally be able to travel freely among the sevenyers of the Spirit Realm, but clearly, the eclipses were not among them. Compared to ordinary life, it actually prefers to stay in the deep, chaoticyers of the Spirit Realm. For these beings, the shallowyers of the first and second levels of the Spirit Realm are somewhat ¡®confining¡¯. This ¡®confinement¡¯ is not spatial, but rather a matter of spirituality. When dwelling in the shallowyers of the Spirit Realm, an evil spirit that cannot condense its power like a True God feels an instinctive sense of restraint, and its very existence is an unstoppable disaster for the non-divine beings of the Spirit Realm. Thus, unless necessary, Laine does not intend to allow it to move around freely. It¡¯s best to let it stay in the fifth or sixthyers of the Spirit Realm. For the wisdom-less Ekliptos, even wandering for ten thousand years, unable toprehend the chaotic space-time of the deep Spirit Realm, it might just be going in circles in the same spot. Having dealt with the newly created evil spirit, Laine took out the ¡°Codex of Creation¡± again. Compared to before, the brass-colored ancient book had clearly gained many more patterns, which were manifestations of the rules of the current world. The thickness of the book hadn¡¯t changed, but Laine knew that its ¡®number of pages¡¯ had increased by about a third. Through this legitive process, theponents of this Genesis Artifact werepletely perfected. From now on, it no longer needed to stay in the Source Power pool of the Spirit Realm, but could serve as one of the cores of the Spirit Realm, assisting Laine in organizing rules and integrating Source Power. With this single artifact alone, the rules and order of the Spirit Realm could be strengthened by more than thirty percent on the original level. Externally, the expansiveness of the Spirit Realm greatly elerated; internally, the suppression by the interface against other lifeforms entering the Spirit Realm without permission also intensified. It could be said that for beings below the Intermediate Divine Power level, Laine didn¡¯t need to take action himself, as the chains ofws within the Spirit Realm alone could easily suppress them. ¡°That is, the ¡®Codex of Creation¡¯ is not an artifact for attacking. Its power leans more towards assistance rather than directbat.¡± ¡°Otherwise, a Hyperion who has fallen to the 16th level of Divine Power, even with the support of the Mother of Light, I would absolutely be able to suppress him head-on, without needing to go through all this trouble.¡± Shaking his head, Laine knew the key issue was that he was busy integrating Source Power, raising the bulk of the Spirit Realm and the ceiling of Godhood, and had little time to umte Divine Power. This time forcing Hyperion to surrender also urred because the time, ce, and people were all favorable. Otherwise, with his current level 12 Divine Power, it would indeed be very difficult to win with merely an assistive artifact. The hierarchy of Divine Power among deities increases significantly the higher one goes. Below Intermediate Divine Power, the type of authority and number of deities are key to deciding victory or defeat. Two or three True Gods with weak Divine Power could defeat one with Weak Divine Power; a Godhood oriented towardsbat could enable a deity to ¡®fight above their level¡¯ like the protagonist of a xianxia novel, taking on multiple foes by themselves. But once you reach the realm of strong Divine Power, basically being two levels higher in Divine Power means one can fight two others and still have the upper hand. And those who have reached this point typically do not have a weak Godhood either. ¡°Once I¡¯ve absorbed the Source Power of Chaos¡¯s ¡®Fire,¡¯ I wonder if I¡¯ll be able to create an artifact specialized inbat. Zeus has his ¡®Thunderbolt,¡¯ Cronus has his sickle, and I too should have a weapon that belongs to me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that the power of ¡®Fire¡¯ is indeed a bit overwhelming. I hope I can fully absorb the relevant concepts before the birth of Cronus¡¯s eldest daughter.¡± Sighing, Laine still continued with the great task of assimting Source Power. When ites to being a deity, Zeus definitely has it the easiest, either abusing his authority or on the path seeking princesses/queens/goddesses. Nothing like himself, who since the inception of the Spirit Realm, has barely had a few days of leisure time. But, sigh as he might, now was clearly not the time for Laine to rx. Once the associated deities of Chaos are born one after the other, unless there¡¯s another as easily deceived as Cronus, he wouldn¡¯t be able to fleece the world as unscrupulously as he does now. To enhance the origin through the Spirit Realm¡¯s own operations is nowhere near as simple as snatching it directly. Therefore, before that timees, it was natural for Laine to ¡®grab as much as he can.¡¯ Chapter 44 Chapter 44 ¨C Chapter 21: The Theory Of Creation Chapter 44 Chapter 21: The Theory of Creation Trantor: 549690339 The scene returns to Mount Othrys. After Laine returned to the Spirit Realm, the banquet officially began. In the past, for various reasons, the deities of Chaos rarely gathered together. But taking advantage of this rare festivity, some divine ns with conflicts set aside their disputes and sat together within the same temple. Perhaps because they could often learn something new, Mount Othrys has been somewhat of a trendsetter over the past millennium. Regardless of whether they liked Cronus, the Divine King, the gods of Chaos truly enjoyed his hospitality. In the blink of an eye, three months hurried by. In this era when the earth was still barren, without the short-lived humans forparison, the gods¡¯ sense of time was always vague. At this time, a month for the gods was even shorter than a day inter ages. The banquet was about to end, but just as the Divine King was preparing to raise his ss, an unexpected topic sparked a heated discussion among the gods, and it ultimately came to his attention. The cause was simple. Just as the Divine King had once experienced, in the past millennium, Ker the God of Destruction had visited more than one deity on the earth. Dwelling in the deste Underworld, where even nts struggled to grow, this was one of his rare entertainments. Thanks to him, the gods all became interested in ¡®Nymphs,¡¯ a wise form of life that wasn¡¯t divine. But because Ker imed that they were created by Lady Nyx, they did not dare to face the majesty of the Primordial Gods, so they had to let go of the idea. It wasn¡¯t until today that, in full view of everyone, Laine created a monsterparable to a True God, that the Titan gods finally remembered that it seemed to be after Lady Nyx¡¯s visit to the Underworld that these beings called Nymphs came into existence. In addition to that, since Laine held the Godhood of Spirituality and had once received the Life Vase from Mother Earth, many deities could not help but specte. The gods discussed the matter fervently at the banquet, and finally, Iapetus, the God of Speech and one of the two Titans with weak divine powers, stood up first. As a deity, he felt no sense of honor that was due to gods. Compared to other gods, he wished for more weak but thoughtful lives to emerge on the earth. Happiness is always rtive. It¡¯s true for humans, and gods are no exception. Thus, under the watchful eyes of the gods, Cronus listened quietly to Iapetus¡¯s speech. The God of Speech hoped that the Divine King would, like Laine and Mother Night, create new life on the earth as well. ¡°I understand what you mean,¡± ¡°But regarding this matter, I¡¯m not very clear either.¡± Sitting on the high tform, Cronus, with eyes open, lied, ¡°I once borrowed the Life Vase from the Mother Goddess, but I couldn¡¯t create life with consciousness. Perhaps the wisdom of life is different from that of nts; it might involve the authority of other realms.¡± ¡°As for how Prince Laine and Lady Nyx managed to do it, that I do not know. As gods born at the beginning of creation, perhaps they know some secrets that I¡¯m unaware of.¡± Although Cronus had long heard from Themis about the existence of life in the Spirit Realm, he still pretended to be ignorant. He and Themis borrowing the Life Vase was something others might not know, but the God of Speech and Crius, the God of Meteorology, were his neighbors on Mount Othrys, and they were very aware of it. Now that Iapetus had mentioned this, it was nothing more than a desire to have him ask one of the two ancient gods for help in the name of the Divine King. Although Cronus also agreed with the idea of creating life, asking for help himself was absolutely out of the question. As Cronus¡¯s speech ended, the first generation Titans looked at one another. They made noments, but the new generation of gods began to talk. Most of the new gods had never seen Mother Earth, and what they knew about the previous era was only legend. Now hearing that the Divine King had failed at creating life, they couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointed. ¡°Even the Life Vase can¡¯t create beings?¡± ¡°Unbelievable, I thought that Mother Earth¡¯s treasure was the source of life.¡± ¡°It¡¯s said that the initial Vase contained a Seed of Everything, from which Mother Earth nted a Golden Apple Tree. I wonder if using a Golden Apple could create life with wisdom.¡± ¡°It seems the Divine King is only so-so. It¡¯s said that the former Divine King had power to rival Mother Night; if he were still here, perhaps he could also create life like Lady Nyx.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard my Father God say that when the ruler of the sky was still around, my cousin here didn¡¯t even dare to breathe too loudly,¡± ¡°Is that so? You Mountain Gods do know quite a lot.¡± ¡°Prince Ourea is one of the rare Ancient Gods left unoppressed by Heavenly Father, so of course, he has no reservations about these matters. It would naturally be different for your Titan Deity n.¡± His expression remained unchanged, but Cronus, hearing the discussions among the gods drifting further off-topic, couldn¡¯t help but feel agitated. ncing at the God of Speech from the corner of his eye, Cronus decided that since you are so interested in the creation of life, then you should be the one to face Laine. ¡°Ahem¡± Clearing his throat, Cronus drew all the gods¡¯ attention. He looked at Iapetus, a warm smile on his face, and said: ¡°Iapetus, the deity who governs Speech, when ites to endowing creations with wisdom, perhaps the respected Lord of the Spirit Realm is indeed more knowledgeable.¡± ¡°Since you brought this matter up, my brother, I will entrust you to handle it.¡± ¡°In the name of the Divine King, Imission you to visit Lord Laine and request his presence in the creation of life together. If such a feat could be aplished, I believe the gods will remember your contribution.¡± ¡°But Your Majesty¡± No sooner had the Divine King finished speaking than Iapetus¡¯s face changed. The battle three months ago was still fresh in his mind, he couldn¡¯t even defeat the creatures newly made by Laine, and he certainly didn¡¯t want to venture into the Underworld. But obviously, since someone had stepped forward, the gods were not going to give him a chance to refuse. ¡°I think Divine King His Majesty makes a good point,¡± Oceanus was the first to speak up. Perhaps because of Cronus¡¯s increasingly prominent Divine Authority, the Ocean Deity Sovereign used a respectful title this time. ¡°Isn¡¯t the duty of [Speech] to be used here, my brother? I believe you can persuade him.¡± ¡°If conscious life could spread across thend, I hope you¡¯ll remember to add some new life to the sea as well.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Nereus, son of Pontus and friendly to the sea, also chimed in: ¡°The near sea should also have life. If you can aplish this task, my father will also appreciate your achievement.¡± With the Sea Gods speaking in turn, the other gods began to discuss. In the end, under the gaze of all, Iapetus epted the task. The feast that was meant to end was postponed. The gods watched the God of Speech depart for the Underworld, waiting for the results he would bring. Although they were not very sure what creating life would cost, if it wasn¡¯t too difficult, they didn¡¯t think Laine would reject the request of so many deities. But while Laine might not refuse, whether the person who went to make the request would be remembered by the Lord of the Spirit Realm wasn¡¯t their concern. Even the Ocean Deity Sovereign, after learning that As and his rtions with his father and brothers were mediocre, stopped paying much attention to this brother. After all, the duty of [Speech] was just too weak. Chapter 45 Chapter 45 ¨C Chapter 22 River Of Vows Chapter 45 Chapter 22 River of Vows Trantor: 549690339 Having traversed The Earth, Iapetus arrived in the Underworld. Although, strictly speaking, the Underworld at this time is also a part of The Earth, it feels like a world unto itself, perhaps because it is tightly enveloped by the four Primordial Gods. No matter where one enters the Underworld, whether from beneath the sea or the center of The Earth, unless they leap through dimensions like ¡®spirit realm traversal¡¯, everyone first appears at the edge of the Underworld, a ceter guarded by the three-headed hound Cerberus. Behind the gate lies the River of Sorrow, Acheron, with the Land of Eternal Night and the Realm of Lightness on either side. For anyone wishing to enter the Underworld, crossing the river is the only way. Of course, at this time, the Underworld had neither gates, nor had the River of Sorrowe into existence. Carefully avoiding the domains of the two Primordial Gods, the God of Speech stepped onto the gray ins. Of the five great rivers of theter Underworld, only one existed now¡ªthe River Styx, which conceptually ¡®circled the Underworld seven times¡¯, but in reality stretched from the present world all the way into Tartarus. Iapetus stopped here, nodding slightly towards the direction of the River of Vows and then waited for a moment. As expected, after some time, he received no response. But the God of Speech was not angered; he simply continued flying towards the center of the Underworld. As the goddess who presided over Chaos¡¯ ¡°Prophecy¡± Law, Styx had been alone in the Underworld since her birth. Even her father, the Ocean Deity Sovereign Oceanus, rarely saw her, so she was among the few deities who had not participated in the ¡®legition¡¯ process. Despite this, the God of Speech still dared not take her lightly. Once Styx took over the World¡¯s delegated authority over ¡°Vows¡±, she became one of the rare deities under Chaos capable of increasing the strength of her Godhood on her own. Witnessing the vows of gods brought her an influx of Source Power from the world, and punishing those who broke their vows provided an additional boost. This strengthening might have its limits, and it might be slow, but at least so far, Iapetus hadn¡¯t seen where its upper limity. Feeling some envy, the God of Speech quickly swept across the gray ins, flying straight toward the Nether Moon in the sky. As a deity of Weak Divine Power, Iapetus was not fast in flight. But before he set out, Cronus and the four Wind Gods had given him a temporary blessing, enabling him to travel swiftly between Mount Othrys and the Underworld. So, on the third day after leaving Mount Othrys, he arrived before the Nether Moon. ording to the Goddess of Justice, the Nether Moon was the official gateway to the abode of the Lord of the Spirit Realm. As long as one called out to him here, he would receive the visiting deity. ¡°Respected Prince Laine, I am the God of Speech, Iapetus.¡± ¡°By the Divine King¡¯smand, I bring with me the petitions of the gods, hoping you would grant me an audience.¡± Speaking respectfully toward the Nether Moon, which seemed close at hand yet untouchable, Iapetus said. Unlike the other Titans, the God of Speech had no airs about him. He now ced himself entirely in the role of a ¡®messenger¡¯, not nning to utter a word more than necessary. To convey the will of the gods as it is, and then to return to Mount of the Gods with the reply, that was all he intended to do. The idea of using his Godhood to influence Laine¡¯s decision¡ªsuch a thing was out of the question. He hade for the benefit of all gods, not just for himself. When he bes the Divine King, then he cane ¡®to serve the gods¡¯. ¡°God of Speech?¡± After a short wait, a strange female voice came from beside the Nether Moon. Iapetus turned towards the voice and saw a goddess in a ck dress silently appear before him. The goddess in front of him had wings on her back, and her silver-white wings shimmered with seven different colors of light. A faint aura of divine power surrounded her, indicating that she was a deity close to the limit of weak divine power. In his heart, the God of Speech knew that ording to the Goddess of Justice¡¯s instructions, this must be Liana, the goddess appointed by the Lord of the Spirit Realm to oversee the Nether Moon. Themis had advised Iapetus not to underestimate the other party, even if she often imed to be Laine¡¯s servant, but the God of Speech felt that the Goddess of Justice¡¯s reminder waspletely unnecessary. After all, contempt presupposes a sense of superiority, but the reality was that without even fighting, Iapetus knew he couldn¡¯t possibly defeat his opponent¡ªthough their divine powers were not much different, the Nether Moon was not something Speech couldpare with. Thus, the next moment, he expressed his reverence without hesitation. ¡°Respected Princess Liana, Goddess of the Nether Moon that eternally illuminates the Underworld, your beauty is astonishing.¡± ¡°I havee here at the request of the deities to visit the Lord of the Spirit Realm and to seek his wisdom about the secrets of creation. Please, would you guide me on my way?¡± Liana nodded in acknowledgment of the deity¡¯s greeting, but she showed no intention of opening the gates to the Spirit Realm. The current Laine was not the same as the one who could not make any prophecies before; shortly after returning to the Spirit Realm, he had already felt the rhythm of fate. Although he never actively observed his own fate, as the symbol of indeterminate destiny and the observer of what was destined, Laine could always gain some inspiration from fate. The more closely rted a matter was to him and the lower the level of power involved, the higher the probability and rity with which insights appeared. Undoubtedly, in the trajectory of fate, the birth of creatures on The Earth was extremely important, and the ¡®soul¡¯ was involved to a significant degree; therefore, it was only natural that Laine foresaw the visit from Iapetus. ¡°Regarding your purpose, the master has already been made aware,¡± Liana calmly said, facing the eyes of the God of Speech: ¡°Merely creating a shell is not enough for a sentient being to possess wisdom. Sentient beings also need souls to carry thoughts and memories.¡± ¡°The master can grant souls to the mundane, but as for shaping bodies, that will be something you must figure out for yourselves.¡± As her words ended, Liana quietly awaited a response. As she said, Laine had no interest in participating in the preparations for creation. Although he, too, looked forward to life, he would only bestow souls and at most would personally witness the birth of Golden Humanity. After all, the first generation of life had no ability to reproduce and would eventually die. The gods only wanted to create servants and pets, not a species capable of self-perpetuation. Even in creating humanity, his intention was more to verify a hypothesis, for the humans of the Golden Age differed greatly from the ¡®people¡¯ he understood. Lifespan of thousands of years, born as adults, an unchanging appearance even in death, and minds seemingly imprinted with only devout faith and positive emotions¡ªapart from their appearance, Laine couldn¡¯t see how such beings were like people at all. Even from the perspective of ¡®human nature¡¯, the deities of Chaos were far closer to ¡®humankind¡¯ as Laine understood it than the mortals of the Golden and Silver Ages. Chapter 46 Chapter 46 ¨C Chapter 23 Everything Eventually Dies Chapter 46 Chapter 23 Everything Eventually Dies Trantor: 549690339 ¡°I understand,¡± Before Liana, Iapetus bowed slightly. ¡°I will surely convey the intention of the Lord of the Spirit Realm. However, I hope that you can provide a more detailed description, so that I can present it to the Divine King,¡± Liana nodded, calmly stating the decision Laine had previously prepared. ¡°The Lord can endow mortals with thought, but the deities need to create life themselves and decide the nature of their creations, granting them the corresponding powers,¡± ¡°Be it appearance or abilities, that is the concern of the gods themselves. The Lord will only, at the very end, and ording to pre-established requirements, bestow upon them souls, and when they die, the souls of mortals shall also return to the embrace of my Lord,¡± ¡°Death?¡± Hearing this, Iapetus was somewhat surprised. This was a term he had never heard before, as thenguage of the deity race naturally born from Chaos did not contain the existence of ¡®death¡¯. ¡°Yes, ¡®death.¡¯ It is a term in thenguage of the Spirit Realm that describes extinction, the end,¡± Liana nodded, exining. Laine had evolved the Spirit Script using the oldest origins of writing on the Oracle Stone Tablet; naturally, it had its own pronunciation. Many words that did not exist in the divinenguage of Chaos could be found in thenguage of the Spirit Realm. ¡®Death¡¯ was one of them, and now nectar¡ªa must at the banquets of the gods¡ªcame about in the same way. ¡°I am very sorry, but, respected Goddess of the Nether Moon, I don¡¯t quite understand. Why would life, after obtaining thought, still ¡®die¡¯?¡± Listening to Liana¡¯s exnation, Iapetus still looked puzzled. That the Lord of the Spirit Realm was uninterested in fashioning shells did not surprise the God of Speech. Even though he had not done it himself, he could guess that creating life was not an easy matter. But when it came to ¡®death,¡¯ Iapetus simply could notprehend. In all his years, he had never seen anything with intelligent thought die, or rather, he just did not understand why death would ur. In the minds of the gods, all conscious beings were eternal. Being cast into the Abyss was already a terrible punishment, and eternal slumber was the most difficult ending to ept. As for the end, annihtion¡ªbeings are unable to imagine and understand what is beyond theirprehension, and gods are naturally the same. Facing Iapetus¡¯s confusion, Liana said faintly, ¡°Before the Lord took control of the power of spirituality in life, not all beings with consciousness were created. nts are such beings. You not detecting their faint thoughts does not mean they don¡¯t exist; it¡¯s just that these weak thoughts are not sufficient to form a soul,¡± ¡°Just as nts can be destroyed, so can lives with thought die. In this world, only gods are immortal. Unless the gods sever a part of their own divinity, all mortals must eventually die. This is also the end that fate has decreed,¡± ¡°¡­And the soul?¡± There was a moment of silence before the God of Speech keenly identified a problem, ¡°If the shells of life can ¡®die,¡¯ does that mean their souls cannot?¡± ¡°Of course, they can, but it happens more slowly,¡± Liana had anticipated the ignorance of external deities, and so she continued to exin, ¡°In the present world, matter is more readily manifest than spirituality, so bodies decay more easily than souls. When the mortal shell dies in the Mortal World, its spirit is far from its end. Life belongs to the gods, but souls belong to my Lord. When they lose their worldly vessel, they naturally should return to the Spirit Realm, to the embrace of the Sovereign of Spirits,¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Iapetus nodded, indicating he had understood. He could ept such an oue, but the other gods might not be without objections. However, that was no longer his concern; after all, he was merely a messenger. ¡°Life and ¡®death,¡¯ truly miraculous phenomena, but also very logical. How could the creations of the godspare with their creator? ¡®Death,¡¯ indeed, is an excellent existence. It allows them, after having thoughts, to recognize the difference between gods and themselves,¡± With a sense of emotion, Iapetus finally spoke: ¡°I will convey the intentions of His Highness Laine truthfully, but the specific decision will ultimately be made by the Divine King.¡± ¡°Then be on your way,¡± Liana said indifferently. ¡°The decisions of the gods are their affair, the intent of my lord has been fully expressed.¡± ¡°If there is anyone with objections, let them try toe to the Spirit Realm. If they manage to enter, my lord will spare the time to see them.¡± ¡°Now, you may leave.¡± Having spoken thest sentence calmly, Liana¡¯s wings fluttered gently behind her. In a trice, she vanished silently from Iapetus¡¯s sight. Watching Liana disappear as she hade, the God of Speech stood still for a while longer and then turned to leave as well. He did not know whether the gods would ept that ¡®souls return to the Underworld after death,¡¯ since for all deities nowadays, ¡®death¡¯ was still a new concept. But since the oue had been received, Iapetus simply decided to leave the decision to the gods. Whatever the result, his task was over anyway. Three dayster, with the help of the wind and space, Iapetus hurried back to the Mount of the Gods. Just like six days prior, the feast of the gods was still ongoing, with all awaiting the return of the God of Speech. In front of all the gods, he recounted his experiences, especially emphasizing his own hardships and how he had cleverly used his divine power to persuade the mysterious Ancient God. ¡°I spoke at length and, in the end, His Highness Laine told me that only when the body and spirite together can life have thought. He agreed to endow mortal beings with spirits after the gods havepleted their creation, for which I am grateful for his kindness.¡± After hearing the God of Speech¡¯s narrative, the gods were moved by his words. They indeed appreciated Iapetus¡¯s hard work, and even many gods of lesser divine power regarded him with respect. ¡°But in the end, His Highness Laine told me, non-divine life is subject to ¡®death.¡¯ All mortals have an end, and the decay of matter is much swifter than that of the spirit, so the souls of the dead should also return to the Spirit Realm.¡± ¡°Death? Forgive my frankness, but is this some newfangled term?¡± Beside Queen of Gods Rhea, the three Goddesses of the White Oak birthed from the divine blood of Uranus asked. Like Iapetus before them, the assembled gods expressed their confusion. Seeing this, the God of Speech borated on the news he had received from Liana. The reaction among the gods varied. When true gods concentrated, they could sense the vague thoughts of nts. But just as humans don¡¯t usually pay attention to ants, the gods of the past had never really cared about this aspect. In the end, they all epted the existence of ¡®death.¡¯ Using life and death to differentiate mortals from gods seemed a logical approach. It would just be a bit troublesometer on; every few thousand years, they would have to create a new batch of life. With thest issue of creating life resolved, the God of Speech prepared to return to his seat, confident that his mission wasplete. However, at that moment, the eldest son of the ancient Sea God Pontus suddenly stood up. It was Nereus, the friendlypanion of the sea, a Sea God with good rtions with many deities. Even among the gods of the ocean lineage, many held him in high regard. ¡°I am grateful that His Highness Laine is willing to endow life with a spirit,¡± Speaking in his usual, heartwarming tone, Nereus looked at Iapetus and slowly said, ¡°But is the destination of the soul still up for discussion?¡± ¡°I think this is not only my own thought.¡± Chapter 47 Chapter 47 ¨C Chapter 24 Creation Of Life Chapter 47 Chapter 24 Creation of Life Trantor: 549690339 In the great hall, Nereus continued to express his opinion. Many deities actually didn¡¯t care about the ownership of souls, and they didn¡¯t understand the value of souls either. It was simply out of a mentality that they didn¡¯t need to give anything, so they chose to wait and see how things unfolded. Moreover, it must be said that Nereus¡¯s subsequent views, at first nce, seemed to have some merit. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, the soul is merely a creation of authority and is not some precious thing. To Prince Laine, it is like the sea water to me, or the rocks to Princess Ourea, inconsequential in themselves, as long as we don¡¯t create too many, there is no burden.¡± ¡°Furthermore, I have heard that Prince Laine also possesses the Godhood of Memory? From this perspective, the souls of creations should belong to each deity themselves.¡± A few heads nodded slightly, and, at least for thetter point, quite a number of gods showed agreement. The souls of all beings contain memories, and no god wanted their secrets to be known by others. Perhaps, in an inadvertent moment, they might discuss something in front of a mortal that should not be known to them. ¡°But you can bestow divinity.¡± Listening to the gods¡¯ discussion, the Goddess of Justice spoke up. ¡°Letting too many creations be immortal is a burden for gods, but it is different for just a few.¡± ¡°As long as those selected by you to be immortal, the issue of souls returning wouldn¡¯t exist.¡± Faced with Themis¡¯s suggestion, the gods fell silent. It wasn¡¯t that they all hadn¡¯t thought of this, but the few who did never pointed it out, after all, it wasn¡¯t their souls that were being offered. ¡°Let¡¯s try again.¡± In the end, a deity proposed: ¡°It¡¯s just some souls; maybe Prince Laine will change his mind?¡± This suggestion was met with agreement by some deities, and many more chose to give tacit consent. But this time, Iapetus refused to go again. He had already served as an envoy once and had obtained a not-so-bad result, so the gods didn¡¯t force him and instead sent Zephyrus, the God of West Wind. Although the Wind Gods and the Star Gods were siblings, the bond of blood in the Chaos World was honestly not held in high regard by many gods. Compared to their maternal side, they were closer to Crius, the controller of meteorology, so even though the progeny of the Star Gods had followed Hyperion back to the Sky, the four Wind Gods still chose to stay behind. Zephyrus epted the mandate and immediately set out. He transformed into an invisible current of air, rushing through the crevices of the earth toward the Underworld. But this time, after more than half a month, when the Wind God returned, he was furious, stating that no deity had paid him any heed. He had stayed in front of the Nether Moon for over a dozen days, exhausting every method to try to find an entrance to the Spirit Realm, but the result was obvious, so he had to return the same way he came. ¡°There¡¯s no need to send anyone again.¡± The Divine King finally spoke; he had known it woulde to this. Only these foolish beings would think that Laine was willing to bestow souls upon life because of the gods¡¯ requests. Since Themis had seen the lives in the Spirit Realm, he himself had begun to doubt it. Laine was pleased to witness the emergence of life, Divine King was sure of that, but he most definitely had other desires, yet Cronus just watched the futile actions of the gods. Now, seeing the Wind God return without achievement, Cronus couldn¡¯t help but feel a strange sense of pleasure. Only the wisdom of the Divine King could uncover the true nature of certain gods, not like the others, who still didn¡¯t know that some gods can devour the origin. If Laine were here, he would tell Cronus, this is a sense of superiority akin to ¡®everyone is drunk and I alone am sober, the whole world is muddled and I alone am clear.¡¯ ¡°The Master of Spirituality should rightfully possess the ownership of souls; it is a right granted by his Godhood.¡± Casting his gaze over the gods, Cronus said unhurriedly: ¡°So if no one is willing to try and use his ¡®power¡¯ to change this oue, then let it be settled as such.¡± ¡°In five hundred years, we shall together seek the Life Vase from Mother Earth, use it to create the bodies of beings, and then have Prince Laine bestow souls.¡± ¡°So be it,¡± Oceanus sighed. Although he was also interested in the soul, it wasn¡¯t enough for him to do something about it. After all, he wasn¡¯t very clear about the true significance of the soul¡¯s existence. As for what Cronus mentioned about five hundred yearster, that did not surprise him. The son of the God of Sun was destined to rece him in moving the Sun; this was already a foregone conclusion. Though everyone knew that even after five hundred years, Helios would still be no match for his father, it seemed likely that the Divine King was nning to take this opportunity to do something. Among the many children of the father of star gods, God of Meteorology Crius, was his eldest son, Astraeus. If the King of All Gods were to enlist another God of Sun under hismand, even the other Titans would have to acknowledge his qualification to intervene in the celestial space. ¡°Let it be decided thus.¡± ¡°We shall each create the life we desire and possess its entirety.¡± ¡°Those gods of thend shall create that of thend, those gods of the sea shall create that of the sea, with each minding their own business.¡± The deities nodded in agreement. Neither the King of All Gods nor the Ocean Deity Sovereign wished to take the lead, and naturally, the rest were not inclined to undertake any superfluous actions. With the matter of life decided, the feast was also drawing to an end. But at thest moment, a proposal by Cronus piqued the interest of the gods. He proposed the creation of a special species, simr to deities, yetcking divinity. ¡°Your Majesty, is it really necessary tobine the forces of all the gods to create a species?¡± ¡°Of course, it is,¡± Cronus said with a smile. ¡°I intend to create a race in the image of the gods, one that worships us.¡± ¡°Even with the Life Vase, none of us are deities skilled in creation; no one could aplish such a feat alone. But together, we can bring such life into being.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Iapetus was the first to support the idea. He had initially proposed the concept of creating life because his power was negligible among the gods. Rather than assert his authority before a host of bizarre and peculiar forms of life, he preferred the existence of creatures simr to himself but significantly weaker. ¡°Creating life like ours, would that not undermine the dignity of the gods?¡± a deity questioned. ¡°No, they will ¡®die,¡¯ but we will not. Although I have never seen what ¡®death¡¯ is,¡± Rhea, the Heavenly Empress, said, causing the gods to nod in agreement. This Goddess scarcely spoke, but since it was her husband¡¯s proposal, she lent her support. Cronus looked around at the gods with satisfaction and nodded. Regardless of Laine¡¯s thoughts on ¡®spirituality¡¯, filling the earth with life under his rule would also serve to elevate his position as the King of All Gods. Themis¡¯s actions provided him with some inspiration. Although that individual who resided in the Spirit Realm was full of schemes and plots, as long as they were not aimed at him, he could still benefit from them. Regarding his final proposal, in this regard, he in fact was on the same page as Iapetus. As the King of All Gods, his status among the deities was still inferior to that of the Ocean Deity Sovereign and his two uncles. Even if the godhood of the God of Sun had not been divided and Theia was a few years away from a significant divine power, even Hyperion would have a more prominent presence than him. In such a context, creating beings simr to the gods, and watching them worship him could also be a choice. On the other hand, his Divine Pce was also in need of other life forms. Like now, having to personally take care of presenting food and nectar, Cronus likewise hoped for some creatures aligned with the gods¡¯ aesthetics to take care of these menial tasks. ¡°Since no one objects,¡± Cronus concluded, ¡°let¡¯s draw today¡¯s gathering to a close.¡± ¡°In five hundred years, any deity interested in this matter can head to the shores of the East Sea and then together visit Mother Earth.¡± ¡°Creating life is no simple task, and I guess you all will need some time to prepare.¡± Chapter 48 Chapter 48 ¨C Chapter 25 Divine King And Mother Earth Chapter 48 Chapter 25 Divine King and Mother Earth Trantor: 549690339 After the banquet on Mount of the Gods had drawn to an end, five hundred years swiftly disappeared under the flickering Sun. Unlike the peace upon The Earth, the aftermath of Laine¡¯s confrontation with the God of Sun yed out among the stars. Returning to the stars, Hyperion fulfilled the vow he had sworn by the River Styx. He handed over the Sun to his eldest son, Helios, who, although nearly a thousand years old, still harbored merely faint Divine Power. Thus, for the first time in thousands of years, the Sun began to move along its trajectory. But contrary to many deities¡¯ expectations, the Sun¡¯s movement was not as smooth as they had thought. Perhaps it was because of his too meager Divine Power, or maybe due to theck of cooperation from another ruler of the Sun, under Hyperion¡¯s indifferent watch, Helios could not manage the Sun¡¯s movements without his father¡¯s assistance. His power was so weak that even just moving the Sun a short distance exhausted him. Because of this, he pleaded with the Divine King for help, but Cronus had no solution either. Hyperion did not break his promise; he did not interfere with Helios. He merely merged with the Sun, bing one with it. This act increased the ¡®weight¡¯ of the celestial body. If Helios had been a deity with Intermediate Divine Power or higher, he could easily have controlled the Sun. But due to the suppression by his father over many years, his strength was among the lowest of True Gods. The Divine King was disappointed. He had many ns, such as secretly supporting Helios, and continuing to hold sway after five hundred years, which he knew thetter would surely agree to. But what he had never anticipated was that the other party would fail to fulfil his godhood. Thus, Cronus¡¯s idea of winning without a fight was shattered. He had to prepare to intervene in the stars with more direct methods. But what happened next disappointed Cronus once again. Roughly two hundred years after the session of the Sun, endless Light bathed The Earth, and the Mother of Light finally stepped into the realm of powerful Divine Power. Seeing this, Cronus could onlyment that time was not on his side, and he temporarily abandoned the idea. In such a situation, when the five-hundred-year term had passed, Hyperion abruptly imprisoned his eldest son on the surface of the Sun, then took control of it once again. This time he was wiser. Although the rising and setting of the Sun was not his domain, he still actively moved the heavenly body toplete this act. With his Divine Power, while moving the Sun daily was a bit of a bother, it was not really a difficulty. However, because of this, the rift between the Sun God and his son waspletely out in the open. In such circumstances, a day came five hundred yearster when all the deities gathered on the Shores of the Eastern Sea, the unnamed secluded ce of Mother Earth. Here, they would create the first batch of life upon The Earth. ¡°Haven¡¯t you given up yet?¡± By a stream near the East Sea, Mother Earth cradled the verdant Life Vase in her hands. The Gods were waiting in the distance, with only a few Titans approaching Mother Earth right now. Many years had passed since the session of the Divine King. As the world¡¯s Source Power rose, The Earth expanded correspondingly, and Gaia reaped many benefits. Although she had not fully recovered from her previous injuries, at a nce, she no longer looked decrepit, but instead, like a wealthy matron in her fifties or sixties. Cronus and Themis had already visited once before, and Gaia thought they had given up. But unexpectedly, not only did they return, they brought with them more than half of the True Gods from Chaos. ¡°Mother Goddess, the previous attempt to create life failed because itcked a soul. But now, the Lord of the Spirit Realm has agreed to lend a hand.¡± Faced with Gaia¡¯s questioning, Cronus spoke quietly. If possible, he would have preferred not to exin. Among all the deities present, he was probably the only one who had guessed the true reason behind Mother Earth¡¯s rage a millennium ago. Perhaps the original Life Vase could have created whole life forms, like nts; although theyck specific consciousness, they are not utterly devoid of it¡ªit¡¯s just that their consciousness is vague, nebulous. But now, considering his own Origin of time, Cronus was already prepared for Gaia¡¯s anger. ¡°Laine?!¡± As expected, at the mention of this familiar name, Gaia¡¯s expression abruptly changed. The surrounding Earth trembled in response to Mother Earth¡¯s wrath, but then, as if a thought struck her, she suppressed her anger. ¡°Now that you have his assistance, whye to me?¡± Although she didn¡¯t show her anger, Mother Earth¡¯s expression still visibly cooled. ¡°As long as you have souls, you can create life using your divine power. Why do you need to borrow the Life Vase?¡± Facing Mother Earth¡¯s reproach, Cronus remainedposed. In fact, he was somewhat surprised, having thought that Mother Earth would have a more intense reaction upon hearing Laine¡¯s name. But that was none of his business. As a Primordial God, even the least fortunate among them, Mother Earth often knew some information unknown to ordinary beings. Perhaps she had learned something from Mother Night and thus had not bothered Laine. Thinking this, Cronus couldn¡¯t help but admire his own cleverness once again. Compated to dimwits like Hyperion, what did they have topare? ¡°Mother Goddess, the deities do not intend to create just a few lives, we n to fill The Earth with creatures. Without the authority tied to ¡°Life,¡± this would be very difficult to aplish.¡± ¡°Furthermore, we also n to create a special kind of species in the image of the deities.¡± Lifting his head slightly, although still angry, Gaia was nevertheless intrigued by what Cronus said. Creating a species in the image of the deities, indeed, sounded very interesting. ¡°If you are willing, we can start the creation right here in the vicinity.¡± Seeing that he had caught Mother Earth¡¯s interest, Cronus continued, ¡°In your spare time, you might alsoe to see our progress. After all, you have far more experience in the domain of creating life than we do.¡± After some thought, Mother Earth ultimately found herself persuaded by Cronus. It wasn¡¯t just because of the special species, but also because it was the collective will of many deities. After experiencing the era of Uranus, Gaia had graduallye to realize the importance of power and influence. The Earth did not excel inbat. Rather than asserting force, she preferred to express her status in other ways. ¡°Take it, after all, you are the Divine King now, aren¡¯t you?¡± Fetching the Life Vase, Mother Earth still jabbed Cronus with a remark. The Divine King was not offended but took the high-grade artifact rted to the domain of life.¡± He knew that because he hadn¡¯t freed the Cyclopes and the Hekatonkheires, Mother Earth had harbored some resentment towards him, but Cronus still had no intention of releasing them. In fact, from the very beginning, Cronus had done this deliberately. He knew his refusal would not engender much hostility from Mother Earth, but it was enough to make the only Primordial God walking the present world leave Mount Othrys as a form of protest. But Gaia¡¯s departure was exactly what Cronus desired. If his siblings were gone, but Mother Earth stayed, and hecked sufficient power, he really wouldn¡¯t know to whom Mount Othrys actually belonged. If he couldn¡¯t haveplete control over his ce of residence, then the title of Divine King would be quiteughable. As time went by, Cronus had firmly established himself on the throne, but he still did not wish for Gaia to return to dwell on Mount of the Gods. Rhea, as his Queen of Gods, had always advanced and retreated alongside him. After secretly aiding Hyperion failed previously, the God of Meteorology chose topletely side with Cronus. The present Othrys no longer needed a Primordial Deity that refused to heed the orders of the Divine King. ¡°And there¡¯s the urgency of the world¡­¡± ¡°Strengthening my authority can indeed dy it, but as Chaos¡¯s Divine King, the duty of birth is ultimately inevitable.¡± With a somewhat icy gaze, Cronus didn¡¯t know what Mother Earth might n for his future, and he didn¡¯t want to know. No matter who it was, if they threatened his position as the Divine King, then they were his enemy. Be it children, siblings, or Mother Earth, none would be an exception. Chapter 49 Chapter 49 ¨C Chapter 26 The Beginning Of Life Chapter 49 Chapter 26 The Beginning of Life Trantor: 549690339 Since Cronus took the Life Vase from Gaia¡¯s hands, decades had shed by in the blink of an eye. Near the abode of Mother Earth, the gods found a vast in. They gathered there, and with the essence flowing from the Divine Artifact, they tried to create various forms of life. Their choice of materials was quite arbitrary: mud from the riverbed, fallen leaves beside trees, soil and rocks on the ground, clouds in the sky. The deities shaped them into forms they desired, then merged them with the divine essence. If their creations conformed to the fundamental rules of life¡¯s existence, a new species was born. Thereafter, using the first as a temte, countless simr beings would emerge. However, easy as it may sound, the actual process was not so straightforward. The gods, inexperienced in creation, attempted many structures, but most ended in failure. For them, how to create the first was the greatest challenge. Atst, fumbling their way through nearly a century, a total of eight thousand four hundred new species appeared upon the Earth. Be they of the heavens, the earth, the sea, each True God created a few. Although these life formscked souls at this point, from a biological standpoint, they were already living beings. ¡°It is finallyplete.¡± Looking at a strangely shaped ¡®fish¡¯ before him, the Ocean Deity Sovereign wrapped it with Divine Power to sustain its life. For the first time in thousands of years since the Heavenly Father ascended, he showed a weary countenance. Though his Divine Power was still abundant, Oceanus felt his strength faltering. ¡°Metis, my daughter, let us stop here,¡± he said, shaking his head at the young and beautiful goddess beside him. Oceanus had no intention of continuing. ¡°Alright, Father, this truly is the limit of our abilities,¡± agreed the Goddess Metis with a hint of regret. Despite her belief that sea creatures did not require limbs, when it came down to practice, both she and her father had no idea how to go on with the ¡®fish¡¯. ¡°Not yet, Oceanus, we still have one species left to create,¡± Cronus remarked, unfazed, as he nced at his former elder brother and niece. Aside from that, the Divine King had no particr life forms in mind to create, as for the most of the years he mainly just provided advice to other divinities. Given that the Mount of the Gods had its limits, he had no ns to allow beings without godhood to enter his Divine Pce. ¡°These simple life forms already prove so difficult to create; to craft life in the image of the gods, even five hundred more years would not suffice,¡± dered Thaesis, shaking her head, no longer harboring any hope. ¡°Even if the Mother Goddess were to lend a hand, the Life Vase is after all her Divine Artifact, and she does not truly possess the godhood of ¡®Life.¡¯ Whilepatibility with ¡®nt¡¯ and ¡®The Earth¡¯ runs high, when ites to creatures simr to deities, I fear the Mother Goddess has little in the way of solutions,¡± she reasoned. Only those who have tried know the immense difficulty in creating life. ording to the original narrative, the God of Souls, Iapetus, created the Golden Humanity and the Silver Humanity, and some say it was Gaia who created the Golden Humanity. The myths merely skim over the process of their creation; no one knows how much effort these two deities invested in it. The Water Goddess Thaesis quietly vowed that once this batch of created beings perished, she would never again undertake life creation herself. Suchplex matters could be left to others. With a slight frown, Cronus also found himself at an impasse. He now realized that his previous ideas had been too simplistic. It seemed, to bring forth the quasi-god creatures he had envisioned, he would have to enlist the help of a specialist. Thinking back on the Spirit Realm anecdotes Themis had once shared, Cronus secretly made up his mind. ¡°Iapetus, my brother, I fear I must trouble you to make another trip,¡± he said, turning to the God of Speech not far away. The Divine King¡¯s smile was warm, yet his tone left no room for dispute: ¡°The creation is nearlyplete, and it is time to invite Lady Laine. Aside from the matter of bestowing souls, there are quite a few things I¡¯d like to consult her about concerning thest species we are to create.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, I think¡ªeh?¡± The God of Speech, about to be pressed into service once more, was on the verge of declining when, in the next moment, he along with the other deities present turned their gaze towards a ce not too far off. Space trembled, and under the watchful eyes of three mighty deities, Laine¡¯s figure quietly emerged. ¡°No need to trouble yourselves, I have already arrived.¡± With a gesture, Laine smoothed out the ripples he had created in space,ughing as he spoke. ¡°Prince Laine¡¯s control over destiny is truly astonishing,¡± Thaesis remarked with emotion. If it weren¡¯t for Laine¡¯s rarity in the mortal world, she would have long since wanted to exercise the traditional talent of the Ocean deity lineage to introduce a goddess to this most ancient of divinities. Regrettably, unlike other deities from Chaos, this Ancient God who resides in the Underworld seemed to have little interest in banquets and entertainment. At least, Thaesis had never seen him in any deity¡¯s pce throughout these years. Of course, if Laine knew what she was thinking, he could only say it wasn¡¯t that hecked interest in entertainment, but rather that he found no interest in the entertainment of the present. In an era when music and dance had not yet been invented, what was Laine supposed to do in other deities¡¯ pces, if not to drink a few cups of poorly made nectar? ¡°Haha, since the Lord of the Spirit Realm has already arrived, it seems our final creation is about to bepleted,¡± Even though Cronus¡¯s corner of the eye twitched when he saw the spatial fluctuation, he stillughed heartily to wee Laine¡¯s arrival. Over the years, Cronus had graduallye to ept the facts. He no longer gritted his teeth upon hearing Laine¡¯s name, as he had once done before Themis. ¡°Yes, to create humans, that is exactly why I havee.¡± Nodding, Laine looked at the strangely shaped ¡®fish¡¯ in front of the Ocean Deity Sovereign with an interested expression. ¡°So this is the life created by Lord Oceanus, isn¡¯t it? It certainly looks peculiar.¡± At these words, the expression of the Ocean Deity Sovereign became somewhat unnatural. Much like Uranus detested the Titans, for the current deities, ¡®ugliness rejection¡¯ was entirely normal. ¡°Cough, this indeed is the creation of the Lord of the Outer Seas and his daughter, though it has not yet been perfected. If Prince Laine is interested, he could also help refine it.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s do just that. Metis of Wisdom, I have long heard of your great reputation.¡± Laine nodded slightly and greeted the goddess beside the Ocean Deity Sovereign. Metis also responded with a smile. He knew what Cronus intended; the other wished to further confirm Laine¡¯s proficiency in the field of life. After all, hearing is one thing, seeing is believing. Nevertheless, Laine shared this desire. At the very least, he was very interested in getting directly involved with the first generation of humans. Extending his right hand, a vibrant light emerged in Laine¡¯s palm. Although he only mastered that part of life authority rted to ¡®Spirituality,¡¯ it was originally one with what remained in the Life Vase; in the field of life, even Gaia might not match him. Besides, for Laine, creating life was also akin to a bit of homework copying. With the light of life contained in his hand, Laine gently brushed it over the ¡®fish.¡¯ As the light entered its body, the previously visible spines disappeared, and the warped spine straightened out. The ¡®arms¡¯ used to move water transformed into fins, the surface barbs into fish scales, and the body became morepatible with fluid dynamics. In almost the blink of an eye, the ¡®fish¡¯ that previously had a Lovecraftian visage had turned into a regr animal, leaving the surrounding three deities of the Ocean lineage dumbstruck. If the ¡®fish¡¯ had not been something they had created incrementally themselves, they would not have felt so surprised. But having had a little experience, they could truly appreciate the finesse of Laine¡¯s proficiency. Seeing this, even Cronus was taken aback. He had never believed the sayings about ¡®world creation in seven days, and on the fifth and sixth days, creation of all living creatures.¡¯ The Divine King thought that if Laine took a few days to improve the ¡®fish¡¯ to look better, he would bepetent enough to lead the creation of quasi-god life. But he never expected it to take less than a minute. ¡°It¡¯s passable for such a rushed job,¡± Laine seemed to still be dissatisfied with his work, but he made no further move. He looked towards the Divine King,ughing as he said, ¡°Destiny has guided me here for the birth of humanity. Since everything is ready, we should begin the creation, shouldn¡¯t we?¡± Chapter 50 Chapter 50 ¨C Chapter 27 Golden Humanity Chapter 50 Chapter 27 Golden Humanity Trantor: 549690339 By the shores of the East Sea, when Laine also arrived here, the work of creating humans truly began. Without wasting time, on a riverside clearing, Cronus summoned the deities. They mixed their own blood with the soil and dripped it into the Prime Liquid flowing out of the Life Vase. The gods endowed these materials with Divine Power, so they would acquire an extraordinary nature and be innately close to the gods. The materials ready, under the watchful eyes of the deities, Laine fashioned the first human body from these materials. He first sketched out a shape, wrapping the skin on the outside. Then, he formed muscles, veins, and organs, skillfully achieving a bnce of life forces within the human body. Next, Laine determined the position of the bones and the direction of the blood flow, ensuring that the vital energy circted within the human form. Finally, he added bone marrow, a heart, and a brain, bestowing life with the means to animate. Six days passed and, despite Laine¡¯s control over Life and his understanding of the human body, he erred several times before seeding. Atst, he dotted the eyes, and the first human body was thus born. This was the first of humanity, and the most perfect of humans. In him, it seemed to the deities that they could see a trait of each divine being. He would be the temte for the Golden Humanity, their future leader. Once everything waspleted, Laine dusted off his sleeves and took a long whip from his waist. This was the embryonic form of a Divine Artifact forged from parts of ¡°Earth¡± and ¡°Water¡± after the power of the elements had converged into the Spirit Realm. Its power was not great, for the rted Source Power of Chaos had already been imed, but Laine still chose it, for humans were not meant to be distinctive due to innate strength. Laine intended to see, after several epochs had passed, when civilization reached its zenith, whether the long whip would undergo some interesting changes. ¡°Snap¡ª!¡± Gathering the leftover materials from creating the first human, Laine mixed them with more soil and Prime Liquid. With a flick of the whip, the ¡®mud spots¡¯ danced through the air, then settled to the ground. As they fell, they transformed; in the blink of an eye, the brown ¡®mud spots¡¯ turned into hundreds of thousands of humans. They too bore the blessing of the gods, but once diluted, it seemed somewhat faint. ¡°Astounding skill.¡± Although he sensed that Mother Earth was watching from afar, Cronus couldn¡¯t help but exim in admiration. For the gods, replicating humans using the first as a temte was not a difficult task, but for Laine to replicate hundreds of thousands with a single flick of the whip, even with the aid of a Divine Artifact, was an incredibly difficult feat. After all, it was clear to everyone that the Divine Artifact in Laine¡¯s hand was not strong, not even fully forged. ¡°Just a little trick.¡± Unmoved by Cronus¡¯s praise, Laine was also aware of Mother Earth¡¯s unfriendly gaze from afar. Laine dismissed this with a smile. Having reaped the benefits, he naturally had no intention of further provoking the elder. Although by age, he was the truly ¡®elder¡¯ one. ¡°The shells are nowplete, next, I shall endow them with souls. But souls have inclinations; what form life takes is for you to decide.¡± ¡°The other creatures shall be decided by the deity that created them,¡± said Cronus. ¡°But for ¡®Humans¡¯, since you, Prince Laine, have named them as such, let¡¯s just call them Humans.¡± ¡°I believe, as a creature unanimously created by the gods, humans should possess all things good, beautiful, and virtuous.¡± ¡°They should be devout, seeing the gods as supreme; they should be fearless, willing to give everything for the gods. They should also be diligent and wise, able to efficientlyplete the tasks the gods assign to them.¡± ¡°Of course, as a return, I allow them to feed on nts, on other lives created by the gods. They are the leaders of All Spirits, the closest beings to the gods in the mortal world.¡± The Divine King¡¯s voice resonated far and wide, and none of the deities opposed. Although some gods were not entirely in favor of this, none stood up to speak, and everything was thus settled. Following that, Laine gathered all the ideas of the deities about their creations. In the end, he stood by the riverbank, looking at the countless lifeless bodies on the ins before him, as an invisible force slowly extended from the void. With a gentle wave of his arm, the lives created by the gods during the past nearly hundred years approached him, floating in midair. Only the humans stood on the ground, surrounding him in a circle. Divine Power began to surge, and the surrounding space-time became chaotic. In a daze, the deities vaguely saw sevenyers of worlds slowly emerging behind Laine, but only the central mountain peak was clear. At the summit of the mountain, behind the pceplex, therey a well indescribable in nature. It was infinitelyrge and infinitely small, instilling a deep inner longing in anyone who saw it. The Eternal (Origin) Well, condensed from the portion of the Origin of Life seized by Laine. It is the source of all souls in the world, and any life that drinks its well water would gain an immortal divinity. ¡°Come!¡± Apanied by a long, soft call, the transparent well water responded to his summons. It flowed out from the well, passing through the sevenyers of the Spirit Realm, merging with different emotions, and then turned into mist, shrouding all the life present. By his side, the Life Vase still held in the hand of the Divine King hummed faintly; it was once a part of it but now forever unable to merge back together. When the Prime Liquids symbolizing material and Spirituality merged once more, true Life came into existence. ¡°From this day forth, you shall be the king of the Humans.¡± Pointing to the first creation, who was also the first human to open his eyes, Laine calmly made his announcement. At the same time, the three Divine Artifacts involved in creation all trembled slightly, and shortly after, their auras noticeably strengthened considerably. Elsewhere, as such a number of lives were born onto the Earth, the world¡¯s Source Power seemed to rise as well. However, since the lives at that point consisted only of males, which were long-lived but unable to reproduce, the increase in Source Power was not significant. While the gods did not benefit from this, the situation was different for Cronus, as the Divine King. In the perception of the other deities, his Divine Power directly reached level 19, nearing the pinnacle of mighty Divine Power, soaring to be the chief among the gods. This is the uniqueness of the Divine King¡¯s authority; it is, in essence, an external force, not one intrinsic to the deity itself. Hence, Themis, despite her augmentation in the origin of Godhood, would still need thousands of years to umte Divine Power to reach this stage, but Cronus had it immediately. ¡°Cohen, from today on, your name shall be Cohen.¡± Under the gaze of the gods, Cronus reined in his unconsciously leaking Divine Power and spoke to the first of the Humans. At that moment on the Earth, having just been named king of the Humans by the creator, and then given a name by another deity, Cohen swiftly knelt on the ground, expressing his gratitude for the deities¡¯ benevolence. Seeing this, the deities each revealed a smile. Beings that looked like them were now worshiping them, which was one of their intended purposes for creating humans. Standing aside, Laine observed everything with a calm gaze. Like a few other deities, he didn¡¯t find this particrly joyous, so he didn¡¯t smile, simply watching in silence. He had always said ¡®Golden Humanity is not human¡¯, but he had thought that when he actually witnessed the birth of humans, saw life forms simr to his former self appear, he might feel something different. Yet, in reality, he felt nothing at the moment. When he personally fashioned the first ¡®Person¡¯, when he, as if writing a setting, made stiptions for the emotions of the Golden Humanity, he looked at the bewildered hundreds of thousands of Humans before him and, for some reason, Laine no longer felt they were anything special. ¡°This is the Golden Humanity.¡± Shaking his head, Laine ultimately said nothing. He merely dissipated the phantom of the Spirit Realm, then quietly waited. Chapter 51 Chapter 51 ¨C : Chapter 28 Oracle Of Delphi Chapter 51: Chapter 28 Oracle of Delphi Trantor: 549690339 On the nameless great ins, countless newly created beings had just gained consciousness and, driven by instinct, were now crawling on the ground. Humans had been made, and all other forms of life were also teeming with vitality. They were touching the world for the first time and trembled under the unconscious divine pressure emanating from the gods above. But no god paid them any attention. At this moment, their gaze was all focused on the newly ascended Divine King and the humans upon the earth. ¡°¡­Thank you for your assistance, Prince Laine.¡± Embodying a powerful divine aura, Cronus struggled a bit to control his own strength. He stared at Laine for a few seconds but ultimately, a smile appeared on his face. ¡°Thanks to your blessing, humans have been created, a truly perfect form of life. I wonder if you n to take some with you, to let their presence grace the Spirit Realm?¡± ¡°There is no need. That is not their ce to dwell, and the realm of spirituality does not wee the enduring residence of mortal beings. When their day to diees, their souls will naturally return to my kingdom.¡± Laine shook his head, declining Cronus¡¯s suggestion. He nced toward where Mother Earth was, feeling her gaze that had not yet dissipated. From her aura, it seemed that Gaia had recovered somewhat, but her situation remained dire. The remnants of her Great Divine Power had barely been stabilized, but Laine knew she wouldn¡¯tst much longer. After all, whether it was Typhon, Demeter, or even the future ruler of the Underworld, none had yet been born. ¡°Very well, then,¡± said the Divine King, seemingly regretful, nodding his head. ¡°However, as the ce where the gods have created life, it deserves a name. It shall be a sacred ce for humans tomemorate the deity¡¯s deeds.¡± ¡°Prince Laine, since you¡¯ve participated in the creation of humans and you do not wish to take any with you, perhaps you would like to name this ce?¡± Raising his eyebrows, Laine didn¡¯t understand why Cronus was so keen to associate him with humans, but he didn¡¯t n to refuse. ¡°A name¡­¡± After pondering for a moment, Laine finally said, ¡°Then let it be called Delphi.¡± ¡°The Delphic Great ins, birthce of Golden Humanity.¡± Laine extended his hand, lightly tapping the void in front of him. In the next moment, an invisible force enveloped thend. Hills rose, ancient trees reached for the heavens, and on the slopes, a temple adorned with reliefs and patterns materialized out of nothing, appearing before the gods and humans. Inside the main hall of the temple, the Lord of the Spirit Realm, the Divine King, and Mother Earth were enshrined together in the center, for they each had granted souls, bodies, and the right of existence to mortal beings. The other gods who participated in creation were venerated on the sides, a testament to the fact that mortal life had been blessed by the deity. Of course, Laine did not create statues of other gods. He left only his own¡ªa shifting polyhedral symbol, indescribable innguage. He had no intention of disying his visage in the Mortal Realm, not even his name. Should mortals choose to worship him, they should worship the Spirit Realm itself instead. ¡°The Oracle of Delphi, that is its name. As for this mountain, it shall be called Parnassus.¡± Inter times, there was also a temple at Delphi. Apollo obtained the Oracle Stone Tablet there, gained the power of Prophecy, and slew the serpent Python. But now, it was unlikely to be associated with that son of Zeus any longer. ¡°The Oracle¡­ a ce for mortals to pay their respects to the gods and to listen to the divine will, truly a fine name.¡± Cronus nodded his head and divine power surged into the temple, and the Divine King¡¯s statue also appeared within the magnificent building. Unlike Laine, his statue showcased his own likeness unabashedly. The Divine King wielded a scepter in one hand, with three gemstones symbolizing dominion over the Sky, the seas, and the earth, and with his other hand in front of him, as if embracing the whole world. ¡°I shall also establish an Oracle at the foot of the Mount of the Gods. In time, those humans who belong to me will gather there to hear my will.¡± ¡°A sound n.¡± Laine appeared indifferent to Cronus¡¯s intentions. He was nning to leave. But remembering the way Cronus had looked at him earlier, Laine decided to stoke the Divine King¡¯s ambition a little more. ¡°Let him be busy expanding his authority,¡± Cronus, having his Origin taken by Laine, is considerably weakerpared to his mythical self. ¡°Cronus, the creation of mankind has ended; this is the first generation of humans. Now, it¡¯s time for me to leave.¡± The fluctuation of space emerged, and Laine looked at the humans before him, speaking slowly: ¡°They are the ¡®Golden Humanity,¡¯ the most splendid, the happiest, and the most carefree generation of humans there has ever been. But with lifees death, and once the era that belongs to them ends, the humans of the Silver Age will rece their existence.¡± ¡°Silver Humanity?¡± Hearing this, the Divine King turned around, curiously asking, ¡°Is this a prophecy? If so, I wonder, what does the interchange between these two generations of humans signify?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing much, humans are insignificant to the gods.¡± Laine shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s just that during the era of the Silver Humanity, strife will arise on thend.¡± ¡°The battles of the gods will obscure the skies, divine blood will flow through the mountains and rivers, thrones opposing each other.¡± Fading slightly in form, Laine¡¯s voice continued to reach clearly. Many gods bornter did not understand its significance, but the Titans¡¯ expressions all turned solemn. Especially Cronus, who for thousands of years gave no heed to so-called fate, but from the fact that he has yet to sire children, it was evident that Laine¡¯s prophecy and Uranus¡¯s curse weighed heavy upon his mind all this time. ¡®Strife will arise on thend¡­ So after the second generation of humans is born, will a god challenge my authority?¡¯ ¡®My child? Yes, under the world¡¯s promptings, I cannot dy forever.¡¯ Keeping his expression unchanged, Cronus silently clenched his teeth. Everyone had left, yet he was burdened with such words. The Divine King felt the increase of power in his body, but it still did not set his mind at ease. Even now, with his full might, he was nothingpared to Uranus at his peak. Even the Heavenly Father, reduced to half his power and stripped of his throne, was beyond his reach at this moment. If such power could wane under fate, then what of his own present state? ¡®The second generation of humans? Then let there be no second generation at all.¡¯ ¡®As long as the humans I created are the only ones, the prophecy can be postponed. I will make preparations until I¡¯m ready to break free from fate¡¯s shackles at ease.¡¯ Making a secret decision in his heart, Cronus slightly eased his mind. His rationality told him that fate was not so easily fooled, but it was much better to have some direction than none at all. ¡°About the allocation of humans, it is time for us to discuss it.¡± Speaking up to break the silence, Cronus did not intend to let the gods dwell on fate any longer. Upon hearing this, the gaze of the gods fell upon the Divine King. Regardless of subsequent opinions, the initial division being conducted by Cronus was more than reasonable. With one act of legition and the creation of mankind, the newly appointed Divine King finally established basic authority among the gods. He should have been pleased, only the parting words of Laine stopped him from feeling any joy. ¡°Let¡¯s begin,¡± Cronus said evenly, under the gaze of the gods: ¡°Let us take a thousand individuals as a collective, so they can cooperate to survive on thend.¡± ¡°Each of the True Gods present will receive at least their due share, and as for the rest, let them be ranked ording to their own power and contributions.¡± The gods nodded in agreement. Such is the way of Chaos, where power always precedes contribution. Thus, in a rtively harmonious atmosphere, in front of the newly born humans, the godsmenced their division. Chapter 52 - 29 Faith Chapter 52: Chapter 29 Faith Trantor: 549690339 The nascent humanity probably numbered over eight hundred thousand, a figure significantlyrger than the one depicted inter myths. However, considering the vastness of Chaos¡¯s domain in this world, with the Mediterranean region potentially being just a colossal ind here, these numbers didn¡¯t seem excessive. As the Divine King, Cronus and the gods residing on Mount of the Gods received thergest share. They took three hundred thousand humans back to Mount Othrys, including the very first king of humanity. The Lord of the Outer Seas obtained one hundred and fifty thousand people, while Pontus and Ourea each received one hundred thousand. The two Sea Gods took humanity to the inds, transformed from celestial bodies that fell and continents shattered during the great battle between the Heavenly Father and the gods. And the God of the Mountains, alongside the Divine King, brought humans back to their birthce. Of the remaining two hundred thousand, Gaia kept one hundred thousand near her dwelling, and the rest were divided up by the True Gods. Some followed the God of Celestial Light to the Underworld, while others were taken by the God of Celestial Bodies to a ce on the western frontier of the continent. This ce was where heaven and earth were closest post-first era, and Coeus left his two daughters in charge of looking after these humans. Before departing, each deity involved in humanity¡¯s creation left behind their likeness at the Oracle of Delphi. Subtly influenced by the gods¡¯ power, the Oracle also began to manifest its extraordinary nature. The one hundred thousand humans following Mother Earth settled around the Temple, building houses in the image of the Oracle, praying to the gods for food as their sustenance. As a result, edible nts naturally grew around them ¨C pluck one, and another would sprout, their vines never withering. The newly born humans were deeply grateful. Other than eating and resting, they had nothing else to do, so they devoutly worshipped heaven, the Moon, and the gods. Under the gods¡¯ guidance, temples were thus constructed. The first generation of Golden Humanity was naturally strong and resilient, possessing incredible endurance and exceptional learning abilities. Those taken away by different deities often worshipped different gods as their primary deities, and built the temples in styles that reflected their patron gods¡¯ preferences. During this process, perhaps due to the union of soul and body, along with their devout worship, a mysterious power was born. The gods may or may not have noticed, for they paid no attention to it. Perhaps because creation was executed with such deliberate intent, the Golden Humanity only had positive, beautiful emotions, and the emergence of those mysterious powers seemed feeble inparison. This fragile power might have had some effect on territorial gods, but every god involved in the creation was a True God, and they clearly wouldn¡¯t care about such an insignificant existence. Laine was not surprised by this, as the faith of humanity was not strong at the time, which was just the way of life in the Spirit Realm. Even without physical bodies, they offered even less faith to Laine. ¡°Perhaps only beings with wisdom and physical bodies, whose thoughts have not been altered, can generate an abundance of faith,¡± he mused. ¡°The Zeus ofter times could even break the limits of godhood, equalizing the mantles of human and natural divinity. Though derived from faith, its influence would inevitably be limited by faith itself, yet it remained formidable.¡± Feeling somewhat sentimental, Laine nced at the Origin of ¡®The Wine¡¯ in the Spirit Realm. It was weak and feeble. Even if the gods couldn¡¯t stop praising it, the so-called ¡®God of Wine¡¯ could only be the gatekeeper of meager divine power. In contrast, the God of Wine inter times even secured a position among the twelve principal gods of Olympus. As long as there was an unending flow of faith, Dionysus would remain a deity of great divine power day after day. Regarding this, Laine only had some spections, but given the current scarcity of faith, he was not certain. What he could be sure of was that as the Master of Spirituality and the first toe into contact with faith, even Chaos could only prevent the creation of faith, not forcibly im the faith directed at others for himself. This suggested that faith might indeed lean toward spirituality but was not simply an extension of spirituality alone. Laine also vaguely discovered that acquiring faith might not solely rely on ¡®devout worship¡¯. Alternatively, the faith gleaned from pure prayers might actually ount for a minor portion of the whole, with its variability being susceptible to the fleeting emotions of mortals. After all, even as the creator of life in the Spirit Realm, those spiritual bodies that truly revered Laine in devout faith were actually in the minority. Even the spiritual beings bornter, who had never seen Laine, tended to regard him more as a symbolic figure. They revered him as ¡®Great Ancient Spirit Will,¡¯ and considered him to be the world itself, devoid of personal thoughts and ideas. In contrast, spiritual beings often worshipped the angels traversing different nes of the Spirit Realm. ¡°Even so, the faith that the Crystodes receive is still far less than mine,¡± ¡°Indeed,pared to worship, leaving a profound mark in the history of a race, having a unique significance to them as their godhood, and even bing a part of the cultural heritage of a civilization, these acts bring about faith that is more meaningful than reverence.¡± Just like the spiritual beings of this moment, although the faith born from their existence isn¡¯t much, Laine could still feel that,pared to their unconscious worship of him, the concept of being their creator, the creator of the Spirit Realm, brought him significantly more faith than the former. This creation of beings was also an attempt by Laine to verify his hypothesis. After all, one piece of evidence alone does not establish the truth; the experiences gained from the beings of the Spirit Realm might not be applicable to all situations. But now, Laine could confirm his thoughts. As the creator of humans, Laine could feel that even without humans knowing exactly which god he was, there was still faith emanating from the ¡®collective¡¯ of humanity. He even had a faint feeling that even if the humans of this era werepletely wiped out from history, with not a single creature surviving, as long as the ¡®traces¡¯ they left in the world remained, this type of faith not born from reverence would be endless. It might diminish, but it wouldn¡¯tpletely disappear; this was the intuition that the godhood of History gave to Laine. Perhaps this magical power, stemming from intelligent life, has a special nature that even time can¡¯t erase, enduring through the ages, eternal and indestructible. ¡°Truly magical¡­ Civilization, faith, life, they are indeed the most elusive things in this world.¡± ¡°But if that¡¯s the case, the fate of Prometheus no longer seems strange.¡± ¡°The Forethinker? The Afterthinker?¡± ¡°It¡¯s really nothing more than great folly resembling wisdom and great wisdom resembling folly.¡± Recalling the birth of those two brothers and his actions akin to those of Metis, Laine saw even more clearly the secrets hidden behind the myths of a previous life. The Fire Thief and his brother, as the first toe into contact with Bronze Humanity, might have vaguely discovered the secret of faith, but in the end, the two made different choices. The three Divine Kings also realized this; perhaps Pandora¡¯s Box and the world-ending Flood were also attempts by Zeus to probe the nature of faith. He discovered this then weak force and decided to test it. The result was pleasing; he furtherpleted the missing emotional part based on Bronze Humanity, and then understood that faith was more than just kneeling in worship. And this, quite possibly, was the very key that Zeus used to fight against fate, indefinitely dying the birth of the next Divine King. Even the subsequent adventures of Dionysus, and the Twelve Labors of Heracles, were nothing but his further exploration of the power of faith. ¡°Civilization, huh¡­ It coincides with my original ns without prior consultation.¡± Looking at the still empty thirdyer of the Spirit Realm, and the vacant third Oracle Stone Tablet, Laine finally turned his gaze to humanity. Through the connection between the Master of Spirituality and souls, he gently plucked the strings in his hand. And so, Chaos¡¯s first dream was born. Chapter 53 - 30 Dream Chapter 53: Chapter 30 Dream Trantor: 549690339 Time flew by, and seven hundred years had passed since humanity was created. ¡°Phew¡ª¡± At the foot of Mount of the Gods, another nearly ten-meter-high boulder had been moved, and Cohen wiped the sweat from his brow, looking at another temple that was about to bepleted in front of him. Tall and majestic, unlike the Oracle that was born from the finger of a god at the very beginning, this was a temple built by the Golden Humanity on their own. Before this, they had already constructed many temples in turn, and every True God on the mountain had one of their own. There were no exquisite bas-reliefs, no mysterious patterns, no sense of the sacred that could reach the soul at a single nce, but Cohen still felt very satisfied. What gods built symbolized their might; what mortals constructed symbolized their devotion. The two should not be confused. ¡°King, please take a break.¡± Just as he was about to move another stone, a voice from nearby made Cohen halt his steps. ¡°In serving the gods, we should not long forfort.¡± Shaking his head, Cohen was tired, yet he did not feel the slightest dissatisfaction. Humans of the Golden Age encapsted all positive emotions; they were upright, kind, hardworking, brave, and held a heartfelt reverence for the deities. In their eyes, serving the gods was a matter of course. Besides, as the first human personally created by the Lord of the Spirit Realm, he was naturally crowned king of humankind. After the division of the gods hade to an end, it was only natural that he was chosen by the Divine King and brought to the surroundings of Mount Othrys. Now, several tribes of different sizes were scattered around Mount of the Gods. They nominally belonged to the various gods of the mountain but all heeded Cohen¡¯smands. As the chosen leader, even though the title of ¡®king¡¯ was more ceremonial at this time, without concepts of aristocrats, officials, and state, he still held himself to the highest standards. Of course, being the first human, he indeed possessed abilities far beyond those of ordinary people. ¡°We certainly should serve the gods, but you haven¡¯t rested for seven days.¡± Hearing Cohen¡¯s words, the person who came to him understood but still tried to persuade him. Although Cohen, as the first created human, possessed strength far beyond that of ordinary people, he was after all not a deity. Even in the original myths, it was only after death that the people of the Golden Age ascended to the heavens to be special Heroic Spirits, approaching the status of quasi-gods. ¡°¡­Alright.¡± After hesitating for a moment, Cohen was finally persuaded. Only with enough rest could one work more efficiently. Proper rest was indispensable. Nodding, Cohen said goodbye to the person and walked over to a shady spot, where he sat down leaning against the trunk of a tree. In the Chaos World, there was originally no sleep, and what humans called ¡®rest¡¯ was merely to stop working. As beings blessed by the gods, they could refresh their energy quite rapidly after a short pause. But this time, just as Cohen sat down, a strange sense of trance washed over him. He didn¡¯t understand what it was, so he tried hard to stay awake. Yet the power of mortal things ultimately couldn¡¯t resist authority, and in the end, Cohen leaned against the tree trunk and fell into a deep sleep. Darkness everywhere. It felt like sinking into the Abyss, with thought unable to stir, epassed only by a cold sensation. The concept of time became blurry; it seemed like a day or maybe a second. At some point, Cohen seemed to see a trace of color¡­ ¡°Phew¡ª¡± Suddenly waking up, Cohen realized he was no longer in the original ce. He was now in front of a towering building. Unlike the stones he had seen before, this building was constructed from various unknown materials, decorated with exquisite patterns and designs. Some carved with ¡®Humans¡¯, some with ¡®Objects¡¯; although Cohen couldn¡¯t understand most of the meanings behind the patterns, he recognized one¡ªit depicted a person carving. He had learned carving, but upon seeing that scene, Cohen felt that what he had learned before was a clumsy joke. ¡°May Goddess Themis forgive my presumption.¡± As soon as this thought emerged, Cohen hurriedly prayed in his heart. Before, all of humanity¡¯s superficial skills were learned from the Goddess of Justice. This included temple construction, record-keeping of significant events, and sculpting of divine statues. Beyond that, the goddess also helped humans simplify the inherent texts filled with extraordinary power and taught them much knowledge. Humans used this to write history,memorating the significant events that had urred. However, although what he had seen now was much more than what he had previously learned, Cohen, who quickly came to his senses, did not think it was a problem with the goddess. Gods could not err; the goddess only taught him those skills because mortals shouldprehend just that. After silently praying for a while, Cohen began to observe his surroundings again. Although he did not know where this ce was, it was undoubtedly a ce befitting only a god. Cohen did not dare to enter the dwelling of a god on his own, so he looked around. For some reason, everything was shrouded in white fog, as if he were enveloped in the middle, with only him and The Temple being real. ¡°Creak¡± The sudden noise made Cohen turn around sharply. He did not know when, but the great doors of The Temple had opened by themselves. Seviraz Temple, that was the name of this ce. Although Cohen did not recognize any characters, he somehow ¡®knew¡¯ this. But faced with this unexpected change, Cohen was instead relieved. He had confirmed that everything he was experiencing must be the will of the gods. ¡°Great deity, if it is you who has guided me here, then I shalle forth and meet you.¡± After bowing respectfully to the great door, Cohen carefully crossed the threshold and walked into Seviraz Temple. Past the great door was a long corridor, nked by rows of columns on each side. The frescoes inside The Temple were even more exquisite, but Cohen dared not look too much. He walked carefully and quickly forward, not to make the master of this ce wait too long. The corridor was very long, farrger than The Temple itself as seen from the outside world. Cohen did not know how long he had walked; the concept of time seemed to blur. Faintly, he seemed to hear a voiceing from afar. ¡°¡­morning¡­, ¡­nd of spirits.¡± ¡®Is that the voice of a god?¡¯ His spirit lifted, Cohen hurriedly quickened his pace. Whether it was a god or not, since it existed in this mysterious pce, it certainly had a connection with the divine. ¡°Light¡­, ¡­ body.¡± ¡°almighty.¡± ¡°Wear the¡­ crown, encircle¡­¡± ¡°Billion trillion¡­, together¡­ the name of God.¡± The closer he got to the source of the voice, the clearer the words became. Cohen gradually distinguished that it seemed to be a ¡®poem¡¯. The great Master of Law had witnessed simr things, hence the Divine King wished mortals to also learn poetry. Unfortunately, though the Golden Humanity has an excellent learning ability, itcked creativity altogether. This was not intentional on Laine¡¯s part; no matter how much mortals embellished their so-called ¡®positive emotions,¡¯ a being that only possessed these was still twisted. A twisted soul, not strong enough, of course could not bear more. Moving quickly forward, out of respect for the gods, Cohen did not run, but his pace was still fast. In one moment, the scene before him finally changed; no longer an endless corridor, Cohen found himself within a vast hall. There was no deity as expected, only a slender figure enveloped in a white hood. She was sitting sideways on the ground, and the ¡®poem¡¯ from before hade from beneath the hood. And now, the sacred song continued to echo, and as Cohen left the corridor, he felt as if he had crossed an invisible barrier. It was only after crossing the barrier that he suddenly realized that the previous song was not sung in anguage he was familiar with, and those brief verses contained such immense power. ¡°How can the sinner look upon the true Lord¡¯s majestic glory?¡± ¡°Each adorned with jade crowns and ornaments, reverently present The Temple¡¯s golden hall.¡± ¡°Holy, holy!¡± ¡°In the west of July Bastion, eternally clear in the sky;¡± ¡°Was, is now, and forever will be, eternally throughout the ages!¡± Chapter 54 - 31 Civilization Chapter 54: Chapter 31 Civilization Trantor: 549690339 He seemed not to notice the arrival, or perhaps he simply did not care. The sacred hymns continued to echo within the great hall, but this time, Cohen heard them clearly. Thenguage was not of the gods, nor was it a simplified version interpreted by humans after listening to the divine tongue. Cohen had never heard such a tone before, beautiful and mystical, yet it did not seem like a sound that could be produced with vocal cords. He felt as though he was undergoing a baptism, his soul bing transparent and sanctified. A yearning originating from the depths of his heart faintly emerged. It was unlike any longing for beauty; it was more like a thirst for ¡®wholeness.¡¯ But as a divine masterpiece, Cohen did not know what he was missing. ¡°May the gods forgive me.¡± Kneeling on the ground, Cohen prayed devoutly. Although it was his first time hearing it, Cohen effortlessly understood the meaning of the hymn sung by the being in front of him, it praised a supreme existence. He who causes the Moon to rise from the Western Hills, lights up the Underworld with the Light of Spirituality. He is the great one above time, the eternal sovereign. After a while, or perhaps a long time, the vast hall fell silent again as thest note dissipated. In the silence, Cohen heard footsteps approaching from a distance. He lifted his head, and it was the mysterious being who had been chanting hymns. He had never seen such attire. The white robes were woven from materials unknown, not at all like the stems and leaves of nts. The hood hung low, covering the individual¡¯s features, although Cohen did not believe himself to have any eye for appraisal, he still felt that it looked better than the garb worn by the gods on Mount of the Gods. It was a thought he should not have had, but thinking that the other might also be rted to the gods, Cohen convinced himself again. The gods can naturally do better than another god. ¡°Are you human?¡± From beneath the hood, a gentle yet distant voice came. It was still that strangenguage, although unheard before, Cohen could understand its meaning. In his perception, thisnguage did not seem to be ¡®heard¡¯ by his ears, but conveyed to the depths of his heart in another way. ¡°I am, your highness,¡± Cohen replied respectfully to the query of the being in front of him, despite not knowing if the other was a god, Cohen still used a respectful title for deities. ¡°Your highness, it was not my intention to intrude here, I was just nning to res¡ª¡± ¡°I know.¡± The person in white before him interrupted Cohen¡¯s exnation. ¡°You came here through a dream, human. Seven hundred years ago, the Lord brought Sleep to the creatures on earth. First it was the nts, then the animals, and then you Humans.¡± ¡°Eventually, even the gods will gradually learn to sleep. And you, as the first intelligent life to dream, are permitted to cross the sevenyers of the Spirit Realm and step into The Temple on the sacred mountain.¡± ¡°The gods will sleep?¡± First startled, then somewhat astonished. Cohen¡¯s attention was entirely captured by the first part of the statement; it was beyond his imagination that gods would also be forced into ¡®dreams¡¯¡ªthis was inconceivable. ¡°It¡¯s not what you think.¡± Shaking her head, Yvengeline nced at the mortal before her and began to exin: ¡°Just as water, food, and breathing are indispensable parts of existence for mortals, the gods can choose to ept or reject them, and Sleep is the same.¡± ¡°I understand, thank you for answering my questions.¡± Feeling calmer, Cohen replied respectfully. Gods can refuse, which aligns with the simplistic logic of the Golden Humanity. As for whether the other party had deceived him, the human at this point did not yet know what Deceit meant. ¡°I still don¡¯t know your honorable name, your highness. Blessed by the gods, I was allowed toe here to see you. When I return to my tribe, I will surely build a Temple for you¡­ and your ¡®Lord,¡¯ so that whether by day or night, there will be humans singing praises of your greatness.¡± Cohen did not lift his head, but he felt that, from beneath the white hood, a gaze had sized him up for a moment. ¡°I am Yvengeline, the Angel who sings hymns for the Lord, the embodiment of the Spirit Realm¡¯s music. As you have surmised, by the definition of the outside world, I am indeed a ¡®deity.¡¯¡± Gently shaking her head, Yvengeline spoke softly: ¡°But the Lord does not need you to build temples, nor does He need your Faith, and neither do I require them.¡± ¡°If you wish, then do one thing for me.¡± Cohen was taken aback, not having expected such a reply. But as the Divine King had a request, as part of the Golden Humanity, he naturally intended toply fully. As for not needing faith, Cohen easily epted this. In fact, limited by the ws in the souls of Golden Humanity, their scant Power of Faith did not catch the attention of the gods. Under such circumstances, some gods did not even wish for the mortals to worship them. ¡°To serve Your Highness is the very purpose of my existence,¡± Cohen replied reverently, just as he had done every time he received a divine decree in the past. ¡°Good, what I want you to do is quite simple. Step forward and note down whatever you can remember, that is all.¡± The cool voice fell, and Yvengeline pointed towards the stone b on the central pedestal. Following the direction indicated by the ¡®God of Melody,¡¯ Cohen clearly saw that at the center of the great hall, two sculptures with wings on their backs were kneeling on the ground, their hands raised high, together supporting a pedestal. Above the pedestal hovered an ancient stone b. As it bobbed up and down, Cohen vaguely made out something written on it, but when he looked closely, he found it hard to discern clearly. For some reason, Cohen felt that the faceless deity before him seemed very simr to the statues. If the beings holding up the pedestal folded their wings and donned their hoods, the one on the left would be the spitting image of her. ¡°As youmand, Your Highness.¡± Collecting his thoughts, Cohen stood up and slowly approached the pedestal. At first, he felt as if he were engaging in a futile effort, for no matter how he ¡®approached,¡¯ he still couldn¡¯t make out the content on the stone b. Time passed by the second until, at a certain moment, he finally saw two symbols on the b. They were characters he had never seen before, ever-changing, flickering in and out of existence. But for some reason, Cohen understood their meaning. ¡®Civilization¡­Era?¡¯ The next instant, endless knowledge flooded into Cohen¡¯s mind, and amidst the torrent of information, he nearly lost his sanity. Some he could understand, some he could not, and when these mingled together, he felt as if his soul was being torn apart. It was as if in a sh, or as if a long time had passed, Cohen felt himself leaping through a colorful tunnel, and then suddenly awoke beside a tree. ¡°Heh¡± Instinctively clutching his head, Cohen realized that the influx of knowledge had stopped. Disorganized thoughts swirled in his mind, yet he found many useful things within them. ¡°Civilization, what is it?¡± Muttering to himself the first sentence that had been imprinted in his mind from the b, Cohen knew of ¡®Era,¡¯ the mighty force said to be governed by the Divine King and Queen of Gods. But ¡®Civilization¡¯ was something he had never heard of before. ¡°King, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing, just feeling a bit under the weather,¡± he replied. Cohen¡¯s abnormality was noticed by passersby, and in response to their inquiries, Cohen brushed them off casually. The day¡¯s experiences were truly unforgettable, but considering the knowledge in his mind, perhaps that was the treasure gifted by the gods, meant for him to share with all of humanity. Thus, Cohen stood up and walked towards the Temple that was under construction. Previously, he had been astounded by the magnificence and beauty of the Temple, deeming it the pinnacle of human skill. But now, he felt that what he had done was still far from enough. Gifted with knowledge by the gods, he naturally would not keep it to himself. He nned to organize it and teach it to every Golden Human. Only skills originating from the gods could better serve the gods. Walking on the firmly packed earthen road, Cohen was somewhat excited. However, what he did not know was that at that very moment, the King of All Gods, who had once bestowed the decree for him to build the Temple, was watching him from the summit of Mount Othrys. Before slumber, during slumber, and upon awakening, the Divine King had been quietly observing him. He watched Cohen excitedly share his recent experiences with other humans, teach them various pieces of knowledge, and speak of the mysterious b. ¡°Humans¡­¡± ¡°So, what exactly do you want?¡± Shaking his head, Cronus turned away and returned to his chambers. Chapter 55 - 32: Pointing the Sword at the Stars Chapter 55: Chapter 32: Pointing the Sword at the Stars Trantor: 549690339 Atop Mount Othrys, Cronus returned to the pce, waving his hand to dismiss the Nymphs standing by. On the day humans were created, many nts in the vicinity of Mother Earth¡¯s dwelling were also bathed in the breath of spirituality. Their umtion was already sufficient, but their spiritual power was still weak. Now that their deficiency had been replenished, they transformed and emerged one after another. The Nymphs were born of nature; they had no divinity but possessed longevity. The gods were fond of these beautiful creatures and took some back with them, and Cronus was no exception. This resolved an issue that had long troubled the Divine King¡ªhe no longer had to handle everything personally. Therefore, he slowed down the notion of bestowing divinity upon humans. Compared to now, Cronus nned to wait until humans died and then promote those he valued in the name of reward. ¡°You must have seen it, humans have learned ¡®Sleep¡¯ and begun to ¡®Dream,¡¯ and even that human leader has learned new skills in his dreams.¡± ¡°He calls that repository of knowledge the ¡®Civilization te,¡¯ which doesn¡¯t seem like a natural creation.¡± Behind the bedroom, the Heavenly Empress Rhea walked out slowly, her golden hem dragging on the ground. ¡°I know. It¡¯s nothing more than someone else¡¯s scheme, a shame I still haven¡¯t seen through it. From his previous choices, humans themselves are not important. Or rather, it should be said that humans might indirectly achieve his some purpose.¡± ¡°Fate, what a mysterious power it is, always leading the gods on the correct path.¡± Shaking his head slightly, Cronus reached out and embraced his sister, sighing deeply. Nyx and Laine, the only two deities who presided over fate, were not at his disposal, or else he would not be so vexed. The prophecy from the past and the curse from the Father God had never been cast aside by him; instead, they drove him to pursue power more urgently. ¡°It¡¯s good that you know.¡± Nodding, Rhea leaned on her husbandfortably. She¡¯d just used an excuse toe over. Cronus¡¯ attention to Laine had long been evident, and these humans, especially the first human, were always closely watched by him. In this regard, Rhea didn¡¯t need to remind him at all. Compared to human affairs, perhaps due to the influence of the Queen of Gods, she desired to bear their own Divine Children with Cronus, just like her siblings. But many years had passed, and due to his apprehension about the prophecy, Cronus had always refused. But such refusal was meaningless; bearing deities was one of the responsibilities given to the Divine King by the world. Cronus could dy it with other methods, but only dy it. ¡°Do you think there¡¯s something special about these humans?¡± Gazing down the mountain, Cronus did not notice Rhea¡¯s emotions. He was pondering in his heart what he might have missed. Creating dreamscapes, imparting knowledge¡ªwhat could he gain from these humans, or does the fact that ¡®humans gained knowledge from the Lord of the Spirit Realm¡¯ have some special significance? ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s purely for the dreamscapes, or the divine offices associated with that knowledge?¡± Rhea conjectured. In the entire Chaos World, aside from the Primordial Gods, only the two of them knew that Laine could devour Source Power. Among the other deities, even Hyperion, who had suffered greatly, only thought it was the power of two generations of Divine Kings that allowed Laine to take away the Moon¡¯s concept and shake the divine authority of the Sun. ¡°Perhaps, at least ¡®Dreamscape¡¯ and ¡®Sleep¡¯ are indeed powerful authorities.¡± ¡°I even have this vague sense that the gods can ¡®Sleep¡¯ and ¡®Dream¡¯ now.¡± Nodding, without any other ideas, Cronus could only express his agreement. But he still felt that this wasn¡¯t Laine¡¯s true intention. After all, what did skills like smithing and weaving really amount to,pared to the real powers of a natural priesthood? Compared to the power of a natural priesthood, human cultural priesthoods such as smithing and weaving were pitifully weak. Aside from some use in crafting Divine Artifacts, they were essentially worthless. Even Cronus knew that beings like the Cyclops, even without any form of godhood, possessed the ability to forge Divine Artifacts, a power inherited from Mother Earth. ¡°To gift civilization with the ages, and to gift the ages with civilization¡­ ha, perhaps he is more suited to be the God of Language than Mnemosyne.¡± Afterughing, Cronus couldn¡¯t help but think of his sister, whose whereabouts were unknown. There were rumors that she had attempted to visit Mother Night but, sadly, had never been received. It was said that sheter visited the Abyss but ultimately dared not to take even half a step further. Thest time he heard of her was when Iapetus¡¯ youngest son, As, was born. She reportedly stumbled upon the young deity, freshly born just a few decades ago, and for reasons unknown, she was chastised by this new god. Afterward, her figure vanished, and the gods heard few rumors about her. ¡°How about it, do you n to look for her?¡± Rhea asked, seemingly reading her husband¡¯s thoughts. ¡°There¡¯s no need. Actually, it¡¯s quite good for a deity like her to live in seclusion.¡± ¡°To have the noble status of an Ancient Titan God without the matching strength, and to top it off, a proud personality. In a world where new gods are emerging more and more, that¡¯s not a good thing.¡± Shaking his head, Cronus had not much to say about his weak sister. Besides,pared to others, he was more concerned about himself. As the Divine King, he had already preliminarily possessed power. If he expanded his divine authority once more, iming half the starry sky, a third of thends, or a portion of the seas, he could truly solidify his standing in the realm of Divine Power Level 20. But as for the authority of a Divine King, he was still far from it. ¡°The starry sky,¡± Cronus whispered, ¡°be it the seas or the mountains, each has its Principal God. They have great power within their respective domains, but the starry sky is different.¡± ¡°In this world, there is no inherent deity born to rule the starry sky. The sun is the most powerful celestial body in the starry sky, but that doesn¡¯t mean it should naturally be the master of the stars.¡± If there isn¡¯t a suitable reason, the Divine King can¡¯t just directly move against his Titan kin; doing so could easily provoke the sensitive nerves of his brothers. But now, there was a suitable candidate on the Mount of the Gods. Through him, Cronus might also gain a following. ¡°Coeus has always been disinterested in power. Lightless celestial bodies are just like his godhood; he¡¯s always uninterested in bustling ces.¡± ¡°But,pared to him, Phoebe is not one to favor solitude.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s meet with Crius. The God of Stars is amon descendant of him and Hyperion; how could the God of Sun rule alone?¡± ¡°And as for his second son, Perse, I think the Goddess of the Morning Star would suit well as his wife.¡± Cronus, arm in arm with his Queen of Gods, hurried to the dwelling of the God of Meteorology. Though he knew that after the God of the Stars, Astraeus, and the Goddess of Dawn, Eos, had given birth to their offspring, Crius had already struck a deal with Hyperion¡ªfor the Wind Gods to belong to Meteorology and the Star Gods to the Sun¡ªhe did not care. He believed that if given the opportunity, his brother would not mind either. Chapter 56 - 33 Lady of the Night’s Interrogation Chapter 56: Chapter 33 Lady of the Night¡¯s Interrogation Trantor: 549690339 Since the birth of humans, creatures proliferated, and the Chaos Terrain seemed to suddenlye to life. The conflicts among the gods appeared to be alleviated; they turned their attention to the myriad of lives, especially the humans surrounding Mount of the Gods, who attracted the most notice. With the knowledge learned from the Dreamscape, the inherently intelligent Golden Humanity, as if given an unfair advantage, divided professions, built cities, and rapidly widened the gap between themselves and other humanmunities. In just a few hundred years, they transformed from savagery to civilization; even if they had only positive emotions by nature, primitive city-states might have already emerged. Among the gods were wise beings who guessed the source of it all, but they did not care. No matter what purpose the Lord of the Spirit Realm had in spreading knowledge, they too benefited from it. It is easy to go from frugality to luxury, but hard the other way around. Exquisite trinkets and luxurious garments¡ªonce ustomed to the various creations of humans, the gods could never again do without them. In such an environment, the eldest son of the Ancient Sea God and the daughter of the Ocean Deity Sovereign, Doris, united. The disputes among sea gods seemed to have a tendency to pause. But in the heavens of Chaos, another conflict was brewing. With the support of the Divine King, the God of Meteorology, Crius, who recently advanced to possess strong divine powers, ordered his son Ra to rally a group of Gods of Stars. They no longer obeyed Hyperion¡¯smands but revered the master of Mount Othrys instead. The God of Sun was enraged; he wanted to retaliate with war, given that the Gods of Stars could leave, but as territorial gods representing celestial bodies, they still hung in the night sky. However, as Coeus and Phoebe were invited to Mount of the Gods, tranquility was restored once again. The situation became a stalemate, with only their children asionally battling in the starry vault. Until this day, in front of the seldom-visited Nether Moon, a familiar hemline appeared all of a sudden. ¡°Princess Nyx, it has been many years since west met, how have you been recently?¡± The cool moonlight shone through the Underworld, just as Laine always gazed at the earth. He appeared right outside the Nether Moon the moment he sensed the presence of the Lady of Night. More than a thousand years ago, when he actively sowed the Dreamscape, Laine knew that this day woulde. After all, in the original trajectory, the God of Sleep and Thanatos were True Gods that Nyx conceived alone; setting Death aside, Sleep is the rest of the soul and also the rest of the body, simr to ¡°Life.¡± Laine¡¯s absorption of ¡°Sleep¡± was notplete. If iplete, it would be discovered. Nyx could easily perceive that the Divine Child she conceivedcked half of its Godhood, and the corresponding power had long since flowed into the Spirit Realm. Of course, Laine certainly wouldn¡¯t admit that he had been plotting from the start. ¡°Unlike Mother Earth, you rarely venture out, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Heh, you¡¯re putting on quite the act. What, ¡®The Foreseer¡¯ can also y innocent?¡± Nyx scoffed, and just like thousands of years ago, her words were no less impolite. However, for this homebody Ancient God, Laine, nevertheless, had a high tolerance. Partly because he couldn¡¯t beat her, and partly because, although The Dark Overlord was cordial and polite thest time, he still found the Lady of Night to be more ¡®real¡¯. The intuition of the Sovereign of Spirits is still worth trusting. ¡°What words are these,¡± thus, Laine said with a smile: ¡°Peering into fate also requires power, and as a Primordial God who governs Destined affairs, unless you allow it yourself, no one can see the fate rted to you.¡± ¡°Perhaps there¡¯s been some misunderstanding, why not talk about it?¡± As Nyx¡¯s gaze swept across Laine¡¯s face, her expression did not change, but her heart was slightly shaken. In the domain of ¡°Destiny,¡± there was little that could escape her perception. Whether or not Laine could see the future rted to her wasn¡¯t something she was entirely sure of, but even if he could, Nyx would definitely sense it. Prophecy is the observation and anchoring of Destiny, and the Lady of Night herself symbolizes Destiny. The rationale is clear, but this doesn¡¯t affect her stance. No matter whether or not this matter involved Laine, she temporarily assumed it did; after all, in Chaos, no one could take advantage of her for free. ¡°You¡¯ve absorbed the concept of ¡®Death,¡¯ haven¡¯t you?¡± Gazing at the coldness beneath Nyx¡¯s veil, Laine nodded nonchntly and said, ¡°That did happen, though it was merely an ident.¡± ¡°After I created the beings of the Spirit Realm, I found that unlike the gods, although they were conscious, they were not immortal. So I elerated time and orchestrated Chaos¡¯s first death.¡± ¡°Since then, the Source Power of ¡®Death¡¯ has been linked to the Spirit Realm. However, I must say, ¡®Death¡¯ is pitifully weak, incapable of sustaining even a god with weak divine power.¡± This was a lie. The absorption of the Source Power of ¡®Death¡¯ was clearly no ident, but thetter half of the statement was true. Compared to ¡®Life,¡¯ ¡®Death¡¯ was practically non-existent. In other mythologies, the god of death is often one of the baseline figures, with potential to be one of the top Ancient Gods, but this was not the case in Chaos. Here, Death was merely a third-rate bystander, ying a role akin to the ¡®ck and white impermanence,¡¯ unable to decide when mortal beings should die, and their souls had little to do with him. In this world, the physical death of a being fell under the realm of ¡®Destiny,¡¯ subordinate to ¡®Fate.¡¯ The end of a life was due to it being destined to die, the string of fate snapping, not due to the exhaustion of life or the transformation of life to death. Theter Moirai symbolized this kind of ¡®destined death.¡¯ One was the weaver of the thread of life, one determined its length, and one was the cutter of the thread. Their collective name was not the ¡®Three Gods of Death¡¯ but the ¡®Three Fates.¡¯ As for the soul, Laine could indeed ascertain that there were a fewws of ¡®Death.¡¯ ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll assume it was an ident for now.¡± At his side, Nyx did not care about what Laine had said. She just continued to inquire: ¡°What about ¡®Dreamscape¡¯ and ¡®Sleep¡¯ then?¡± ¡°What, were those also idents?¡± Faced with thedy of the night¡¯s questioning, Laine merely smiled slightly but did not rush to answer. Instead, he asked: ¡°The Spirit Realm cannot absorb Source Power that already has corresponding gods, so this should not be within your domain, madam. ¡°Since it is unrted to you, but you have sought me out nheless, it must be that you were supposed to be called by the world to give birth to offspring corresponding to these domains.¡± Faced with Laine¡¯s precise ¡®spection,¡¯ if it were not for controlling Destiny, Nyx would have suspected that he had somehow prophesied her own future. But now, she could only ¡®re¡¯ at Laine, unsure of what to say. However, with the Genesis Artifact, the ¡®Nyx ck Dress,¡¯ almost no more than thirty percent of her ¡®re¡¯s¡¯ intensity was conveyed. ¡°Heh, it seems my guess wasn¡¯t off the mark.¡± ¡°So tell me, could it be that Princess Nyx is very intrigued by the idea of ¡®progeny burgeon from the prime body¡¯ and that is why you havee to bother me?¡± ¡°From ourst conversation, I thought you and Lord Erebus were quite averse to it, not at all wishing for the prime body to bring you unexpected¡ª¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Nyx interrupted coldly. But perhaps because of her naturally ethereal tone, Laine couldn¡¯t detect much harshness. ¡°Regardless of whether I like it or not, you¡¯ve done these things. Since you have taken the corresponding powers, you must also solve the troubles thate with them for me.¡± ¡°Troubles?¡± Now Laine was genuinely surprised. He had thought thedy of the night was purely on a mission to reprimand him, but it turned out she needed a solution to some trouble. After a moment of thought, Laine decided to listen; he also wanted to know what trouble it was that she couldn¡¯t solve. Chapter 57 - 34 The Stuck God of Sleep Chapter 57: Chapter 34 The Stuck God of Sleep Trantor: 549690339 ¡°I would like to hear the details.¡± Facing Nyx, who had lost the initial air of authority and instead looked somewhat annoyed, Laine said with great interest. Those deities whose godhood he had preemptively taken away at most experienced a decline in strength, but all those gods had been born through union. He honestly didn¡¯t know what kind of additional trouble the loss of godhood would bring to Nyx, who bore children through ¡®celestial conception¡¯. Taking a deep breath, and looking at Laine through the veil naturally formed by her ck dress, Nyx began to narrate slowly: ¡°You should know the difference between our true forms and our personified avatars, as Primordial Gods born with the world.¡± Laine nodded slightly. Over the years, his understanding of the Primordial Gods had deepened. He was no longer limited to mere spections based on myths fromter generations. ¡°I know a bit. Your true forms are part of the world; if the world were seen as a person, they would be the different facets of that person.¡± ¡°But after personification, you separated yourselves from the world. Of course, from then on, you no longer possessed aplete divine status.¡± As Laine had long known, the offspring engendered by the true forms of the Primordial Gods had no essential connection to their personified divine bodies. Mother Earth bore children with Uranus and with Pontus, following the same logic¡ª for her, these three gods were at most her titr offspring, ¡®birthed by the earth,¡¯ but not birthed by her, Gaia, herself. So, Nyx and Erebus were actually purely siblings, nothing like the so-called spouses ofter legends. ¡°Exactly. Our true forms are an aspect of the world, so when the world¡¯s Laws are shaken, it¡¯s possible to ¡®celestial conceive¡¯ and give birth to new gods.¡± Talking thus, Nyx red at Laine again. ¡°So, it¡¯s your business to absorb Chaos¡¯s power, but could you not just absorb half?!¡± Laine had been a bit puzzled before, but with that remark, he instantly understood the cause and effect. Unlike the almost non-existent domain of Death, Sleep does have a material aspect. Or, rather, most domains have both aspects, Spirituality and materiality, in opposition yet united. The intertwining of these aspects births most concepts in the world. So just like with the domain of Life, where the Spirit Realm could only amodate half, the same went for Sleep. In theory, the remaining power could still engender a weakened version of the God of Sleep, except that this time he wouldn¡¯t be as powerful as recorded in the myths, nor would he have the power to put the Divine King to sleep. But perhaps because of the different mode of conception, the God of Death, Thanatos, certainly missed out on the chance of being born, while the God of Sleep, Hypnos, also faced a little ident. ¡°So you mean to say that the embryo of the God of Sleep was conceived with theplete domain of Sleep, and it should originally alsoe with three thousand subordinate quasi-gods of Dreamscape. But now, because the Source Power was taken by me in advance, his birth has been ¡®stuck¡¯?¡± Laine tried to maintain his usual expression. Although he knew that Nyx and her true self were not one and the same, the thought that she had a Divine Child stuck halfway in conception still made him want tough. ¡°You had better not let thatugh out, or I will make sure you can neverugh again!¡± A faint voice came from behind the ever-changing ck veil, enveloping Laine in an inexplicable chill. But, having existed until now, Laine was no longer the same person as before his reincarnation; his expression remained unchanged, unfazed, and after a brief contemtion, he responded with seemingly serious gravitas: ¡°Regarding this matter, Princess Nyx, I extend my deepest sympathy for what you¡¯ve endured.¡± ¡°But looking at the current situation, I have three methods that could resolve your trouble.¡± Nyx continued to gaze at Laine with the eyes of death, as if pondering where to strike her knife. Seeing this, Laine directly spoke of his method. ¡°The first method is the simplest, but it also requires the greatest expense.¡± Laine tilted his head and nced below at the Underworld, where Tartarusy. The Cyclops and Hekatonkheires were imprisoned there, still restricted by the decree left by Uranus. Unless the Divine King who reigns pardoned them, they would not be able to step out of the Abyss. ¡°Just like Mother Earth, you could exhaust your Origin to fill in this gap. The cost, however, is that I cannot guarantee what kind of offspring will be born. But there¡¯s a high chance they¡¯ll be monsters with godhood, with the Cyclops already being one of the more presentable ones.¡± ¡°Continue.¡± The Lady of the Night was clearly not satisfied with this answer. Not to mention a monster, she didn¡¯t even want a True God. Chaos brought its own provisions, expecting her to ¡®be surrogate¡¯ was troublesome enough, hoping she¡¯d exhaust her own power was utterly fanciful. ¡°The second method is somewhat painful.¡± Laine didn¡¯t expect Nyx to agree. In fact, the option he truly favored was only thest one. ¡°Do you remember the former Heavenly Father? If Uranus could send the twelve Titans back to Mother Earth¡¯s womb, then using a simr method, surely the gestating embryo could also be extracted.¡± ¡°Since True Gods are immortal, let it be an eternally immature embryo outside the body.¡± Laine¡¯s suggestion was cold, but neither he nor Nyx minded that. For her, the burden that the world had forced upon her essence was something she didn¡¯t even want to nce at. As for Laine, an existence that had not even birthed Wisdom was equally inconsequential to him. ¡°What about the third method?¡± She was somewhat moved, but remembering Gaia¡¯s anguished wails, Nyx still wished to hear the final option. Moreover, such an act that clearly defied thews of the current world would not only bring pain but would inevitably invite the current world¡¯s retribution. ¡°The final option is to leave it to me,¡± Laine said calmly. ¡°I will restore Sleep and power to it, but it will be corroded by the Spirit Realm, reborn through a new gestation, and born in an alternative way.¡± ¡°The Spirit Realm cannot erode mere matter, but divinities¡ªthey can hardly be measured by Spirituality or matter. I tend to believe that divinity itself possesses both aspects.¡± The eyes behind the veil narrowed slightly, as Nyx seemed to have realized something. ¡°This is your true desired solution, isn¡¯t it? Never at a loss, always finding a way to benefit¡ªtypical of you, Prince Laine.¡± However, Laine¡¯s solution was satisfactory to her, so she just scoffed, already deciding in her mind to ept it. Laine wasn¡¯t upset in the slightest; after all, as Nyx had said, he had never lost out because of it. ¡°So your decision is?¡± ¡°It is yours,¡± Nyx replied without hesitation. ¡°The collection of Origin Power that Chaos forced upon me, I never want to see it again.¡± Chapter 58 - 35: Land of Eternal Night Chapter 58: Chapter 35: Land of Eternal Night Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± Under the illumination of the Nether Moon, Laine spoke. Since he had made a decision, he didn¡¯t n to waste any more time. However, before leaving, Laine nced to the west. In that direction, there was a presence trying hard to conceal itself, but it was conspicuously obvious. ¡°What, isn¡¯t that your man?¡± ¡°No, unless there¡¯s a surprise, that¡¯s probably someone sent by Cronus.¡± Sensing the invisible current that thought itself well hidden under the Nether Moon, Laine found it somewhat amusing. One of the four Wind Gods, specifically which one remained to be confirmed, but from the aura, it was most likely Zephyrus, the God of West Wind, who was turned awayst time. The other party had been there for a long time, but since Laine had been staying in the Spirit Realm all along, he hadn¡¯t bothered with him. But whether it was the God of West Wind or not, Laine didn¡¯t really understand why he dared to ¡®secretly¡¯ surveil in the presence of him and a Primordial God. Even for Laine, unless he hid in history, whenever he set foot on the Underworld or the earth, he would be subtly sensed by Gaia. The Wind God¡¯s concealment was more a matter of physical transformation, which might fool other gods, but in front of Laine and the Primordial Gods, his presence would be seen in an instant. ¡°Do you want me to deal with him?¡± At his side, Nyx said carelessly. She wasn¡¯t interested in why Cronus sent someone to watch Nether Moon¡¯s movements, but the fact that the other party dared to stay after seeing her was a challenge to her authority. ¡°No need, I can probably guess what he¡¯s here for,¡± Shaking his head, Laine said indifferently, ¡°Cronus wants to make a move on the stars, but I also have a few Star Gods among my subordinates. He probably anticipates that if there¡¯s a sign of me intervening in the conflict, he would try to stop me in advance. After all, I am not a Titan deity; he doesn¡¯t have to consider his brothers.¡± ¡°But since he wants to know what I¡¯m up to, let¡¯s show him. Let¡¯s go. If this guy is still here when Ie back, it won¡¯t bete to deal with him then.¡± Ignoring Zephyrus¡¯s presence, Laine didn¡¯t mind letting him report to the Divine King. But if he dared toe againter, that would be a different story. ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± Indifferent, Nyx nodded and walked towards the edge of the Underworld. To someone like the God of West Wind, unless he jumped in front of her, Nyx wouldn¡¯t even bother to nce at him. Whether resolved or ignored, it made no difference to her. Passing through the grey ins, by the banks of the River Styx, under the guidance of Lady Night, Laine arrived at the Land of Eternal Night for the first time. At the creation of the world, Darkness enshrouded everything, and Eternal Night covered the sky, but when the true God of the Sky was born, both sank below the earth, between the Abyss and the earth¡¯s strata. Latter, due to the interweaving of the original powers of the four Primordial Gods, the Underworld was born. At the edge of the Underworld lies the domain of Eternal Night and Darkness, which is why Nether Moon has a high status in the Underworld, and Hecate, following its trajectory, even became the sub-ruler of the Underworld. For the Underworld is actually defined by the range enveloped by the light of the Nether Moon. Where there is light, there is the Underworld. Where there is Lightless, there is Darkness and Eternal Night. Unlike the surface, the Underworld also expands with the rise of the world¡¯s Source Power, but its expansion is not a growth ofnd, but the limits of the Nether Moon¡¯s illumination. Therefore, the expansion speed of the Underworld in this world is actually even more rapid than that of thend on the surface. Because now, the Nether Moon is the external manifestation of the Spirit Realm, its ¡®light¡¯ emitted in turns by the seven Moons of Spirituality, which is much more powerful than the original trajectory. One might say that if one didn¡¯t consider Laine¡¯s ¡®privatization of public property,¡¯ overall, under the restructuring of the Spirit Realm, the Origin of Chaos has actually increased, only that for now, this growth only manifests in the expanded area of the world. ¡°Is this the Land of Eternal Night?¡± Following Nyx, Laine crossed the boundary between light and night. Everything went ck for a moment, but the next instant, the surroundings brightened again. Contrary to Laine¡¯s expectation, the Land of Eternal Night, though only harboring the ¡°night¡±, was not devoid of light. Although he could not find its source, Laine could distinctly discern that the brightness of the Land of Eternal Night came from celestial bodies in the night sky, including the illusory stars he had hung there himself, their starlight also capable of shining into this ce. This was the domain of the Primordial Gods, and the alternating day and night of the present world were nothing more than the ebb and flow of the external powers from this ce. After all, night existed long before the birth of the Sun. Therefore, it was not the rising and setting of the Sun that determined day and night, but the persistence of nightfall that divided dark and light. ¡°The legends of the Gods tell that the Land of Eternal Night is the underskirt of the Goddess of the Night, and that Lady Night weaves her hemline in secrecy, adorned with stars as her embellishments.¡± ¡°Now it seems, the rumor holds some truth.¡± As he admired this mysteriously beautiful scenery that he had never seen before, Laine couldn¡¯t help but express his sincere admiration. ¡°Then you¡¯re going to be disappointed, because apart from the night, there¡¯s nothing else here.¡± The tone was as always, but this time, Nyx¡¯s heart stirred slightly. She nned to find outter who was the first to utter ¡®the underskirt of the Goddess of the Night¡¯. The Gods probably didn¡¯t realize that, in the domain of Fate, her true form was the embodiment of ¡°Destined¡±, and that the Mother Night¡¯s most proficient domain was ¡°Cmity¡±, actually. As he moved forward, wandering through the Land of Eternal Night, Laine felt a peace that came from deep within. In his eyes, this ce was nothing but a quiet and beautiful garden, with nts along the way that were rare to see outside, no different from the ground above, except for the dim skies. Beyond the nts, there were many forms of life hidden within the cloak of night. Laine could feel that they were once souls that stemmed from his own hand. Within the Land of Eternal Night, those peculiar beings seemed to have be quasi-god existences. They radiated powers such as ¡°Fear¡±, ¡°Silence¡±, ¡°Cmity¡±, and even a small amount of ¡°Chaos¡± mingled within. The former was the manifestation of Lady Night¡¯s sovereign power, while thetter was the residue from the dawn of creation. Without Nyx¡¯s guidance, any god or mortal entering the Land of Eternal Night would not see the slightest glimmer of light. They would grope in the curtain of night, only to be fertilizer for nts that seem normal but whose insides are now unknown, or to be utterly consumed by the life that roams this ce. Even as gods, they might not die, but an eternal slumber would be no different from death. Every ounce of Divine Power they derived from their Godhood would be drawn out, and they would never wake up again. Laine couldn¡¯t tell how long they had walked, but he felt the pervasive Chaos around them slowly diminishing, until it vanishedpletely, and the power of the night became more intense than ever before. Gradually, Laine began to feel an aura closer to that of the world. It was ¡°Fate and Karma¡±, ¡°Inevitable Destiny¡±, and ¡°Natural Order¡±. Lady Night¡¯s Tri-phased Incarnation, or rather, Chaos¡¯s current Tri-phased Incarnation. Of the Primordial Gods, the Night was thest to be born but bore the world¡¯s greater favor. Until a certain moment, Nyx, who was leading the way, suddenly stopped. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived,¡± she said. ¡°Arrived?¡± A little confused, Laine asked, ¡°What about the ¡¯embryo of the God of Sleep¡¯ you mentioned?¡± ¡°Heh, isn¡¯t it right there?¡± With a curl of her lips, Nyx stretched out her hand and pointed ahead. Following her direction, Laine looked over to see arge white ¡®Somnus Blossom¡¯ gently swaying in the middle of a purple field. The embryo of the God of Sleep was not some giant cocoon, nor did it bear any traces of flesh. A flower, that was all it was. Chapter 59 - 36 Assimilation Chapter 59: Chapter 36 Assimtion Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Is this the embryo of the God of Sleep?¡± It was somewhat surprising; Laine had not expected it to look like this. ¡°Of course, so please remember not to pretend to understand when you do not, Prince Laine.¡± With a light snort, Nyx exined, ¡°You didn¡¯t think the ¡®conception¡¯ of a Primordial God and that of an ordinary deity would be the same, did you?¡± ¡°¡®Conception¡¯ is just a way to make it easier to understand. In reality, it¡¯s just like our own births. The power rted to Chaos gathers, transforming into something tangible, and then we came into being.¡± As she spoke, Nyx pointed at the white blossom. It somewhat resembled the white Somnus Blossom from a previous life, but judging by its size, it was asrge as several people huddled together. ¡°When it fully blooms, a True God will be born from it. And the nourishment it absorbs as it grows is the power of my very being.¡± Nodding his head, Laine seemed to somewhat understand. No wonder the birth of offspring among the Titan deities did not lead to a decline in strength, whereas Gaia had fallen from the most robust of Ancient Gods to the veryst. This was not only due to the division of Godhood but also because deities born without mating directly absorb the power of the mother. Therefore, they are born powerful, unlike those whoeter and have a process of growth and development. The twelve Titans were caught in the transition between the two, so they were born with power, but not as mighty as their uncles. ¡°I see,¡± Laine began to understand. ¡°So the world once poured Origin Power into the Earth, using the most suitable environment to foster it. When the time was ripe, they would transform into gods, and that¡¯s how Uranus and his two brothers came to be.¡± When the five Primordial Gods were gestating, there was no matter in the world, so everything was witnessed by Laine. But exactly how Gaia gave birth to the three deities, he was not entirely clear. ¡°Of course, the respected ¡®The Foreseer¡¯ wouldn¡¯t really think that the Earth ¡®gave birth¡¯ to The Sky and the oceans, right?¡± With a lightugh, Nyx seemed to be in a slightly better mood. Shaking his head, Laine felt that he had be used to Nyx¡¯s way of speaking. Compared to that, he was more interested in this special method of divine gestation. Previously, because there were no creatures of adequate essence to bear the Godhood, he had been hesitant to continue bestowing it. But now, he might try this method of Origin gestation. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to do it, or rather, it will be very difficult.¡± As if seeing Laine¡¯s thoughts, Nyx reminded him, ¡°In fact, this act causes significant harm to both the nurturing environment and the world itself. Why else would Uranus be crowned as the Divine King for inventing a new method of divine birth, if the drawbacks didn¡¯t outweigh the benefits?¡± ¡°Given another thirty thousand, or perhaps fifty thousand years, he might have really taken that step to be the first Great Divine Power achieved post-creation, and with that, confront the power of fate.¡± Power is power, and rank is rank. Whether it¡¯s the personified Twin Gods of the Dark Night at their zenith or Uranus, their power may exceed that of a newly elevated Great Divine Power, but a gap in status means they can¡¯t do many things, and confronting fate is one of them. Although to confront and to defeat should not be confused, it is ultimately a breakthrough from zero to one. Just as there are mortals who can defeat gods inter times, but gods are immortal; they can defeat the deities a thousand times, but if they lose once, everything is over. ¡°I understand, but I¡¯m still going to try it,¡± Laine said with a smile, nodding his head. ¡°Practice is the only criterion for testing truth. As for the judgment of Chaos, I really don¡¯t trust it that much.¡± With a scoff, Nyx did not continue to dissuade him. She just mentioned it in passing; if Laine had to hit the southern wall before he turned back, then let him try. Now, she was more eager to resolve the issue of this embryonic deity. ¡°If you want to try, go ahead, but we have arrived at our destination.¡± ¡°Use your method to let this embryo continue to be nurtured into existence. Although I have separated from my original form, the feeling of constantly being drained of power is still very ufortable.¡± ¡°Alright, remember to release the barrier of the Land of Eternal Night to the outside world. The power of the Spirit Realm is indispensable for assimting it.¡± Laine nodded and stepped forward. The divine form before him felt peculiar, or perhaps, divinity itself was simply that¡ªpeculiar. It couldn¡¯t be wholly described with either spirit or matter. To be precise, it possessed the qualities of both, yet it seemed as if it had neither. If he had to describe it, Laine thought that the divine flesh leaned more towards a quantum state. If you observed it in the way you would a material object, it would exhibit the properties of all matter. If you observed it in the way you would a spirit, it would then exhibit the properties of all spirits. And the subjective will of the deity was the only ¡®observer¡¯ who could make this ¡®wave function¡¯ copse in the direction they desired. At the moment, the ¡®Somnus Blossom¡¯ before Laine existed in a material state. The first step to assimting it was to allow it to convert itself into a spirit state. Laine reached out to touch the petals of the embryo before him. But quickly, he ceased this action, as he faintly sensed the traces of the will of the world. ¡°It was born under the will of the world and naturally is protected by Chaos. You can only touch it when it voluntarily rxes its restrictions.¡± By his side, Nyx spoke up, watching Laine¡¯s act and offering a reminder. ¡°Voluntarily, huh? That¡¯s easy to manage.¡± Laine nodded slightly, his will merging with the Spirit Realm that already enveloped the Underworld. Nyx timely released the restrictions of the Land of Eternal Night, and the power of spirituality followed the path Laine hade by, reaching directly to the proximity of the embryo. In the next moment, the sleep and dream Source Power, already devoured to thest drop, appeared in Laine¡¯s hands. Sensing the affinity with its own origin, the white flower immediately began to sway, and the power that shrouded it also vanished without a trace. Seeing this, Laine didn¡¯t rush to send over the Source Power that had been transformed by the Spirit Realm. Instead, he operated his Divine Power, quietly pulling the embryo of the God of Sleep into a dream state. In the dream, the embryo¡¯s faint consciousness seemed to sense that the surrounding environment had changed, out of sync with its current state. Thus, driven by instinct, the characteristics of its divine form began to change, shifting from a material state to a spirit state. On the outside, Laine watched the ¡®Somnus Blossom¡¯ begin to change in sync, and he no longer hesitated, infusing the Source Power that appeared in his hands into it. Sensing a breath of the same origin connecting with itself, the ¡®Somnus Blossom¡¯, even while in a dream, voraciously sucked it up, making it a part of its own Godhood. However, as the Source Power blended in, the flower converted into a spirit state failed to notice that it was also being assimted by the Spirit Realm. For Laine, the Source Power he offered was akin to bestowing a divine aspect, which did not affect his control over the rted fields, and it was rather like installing an external plugin. For the embryo in question, assimtion was not a concern. After all, it was merely a transfer from an entity known as ¡®Chaos¡¯ to one known as ¡®the Spirit Realm,¡¯ and as it had no self-awareness, it felt no difference. Only the present power that had originally swirled around the embryo once again stirred tumultuously, but neither its protected charge nor Laine paid it any mind. Chapter 60 - 37 The Sun God Divine King Chapter 60: Chapter 37 The Sun God Divine King Trantor: 549690339 ¡°This is the consequence of not having wisdom,¡± Nyx sneered, feeling the world will that was gradually bing active yet couldn¡¯t be stopped due to the embryo¡¯s initiative to cooperate. She had never had much fondness for the will of Chaos, which was always causing trouble for the Primordial Gods. ¡°Perhaps, but if it really developed a consciousness, you might find yourself missing the present situation,¡± ¡°An eternal and supreme ruler, omniscient and omnipotent, would be far more terrifying than any Divine King.¡± As Laine assimted the embryo before him, he still had the leisure to chat with Lady Night. Unless something unexpected urred, he would have to spend at least several hundred years here. For it was not a simple task to assimte a True God for the first time. He had considered taking it back to the Spirit Realm to ¡®hatch,¡¯ but the ¡®flower¡¯s¡¯ roots were already deeply embedded in the Land of Eternal Night. Forcibly taking it away would only cause greater harm to Lady Night¡¯s main body. Now, this was fine; the power of the Spirit Realm flowed into the Eternal Night through the crack that Nyx had left open, ¡± The war outside is about to start, happening right above the sky, involving a dispute over the Ruler of the Stars.¡± She abruptly changed the subject. Clearly, Nyx wasn¡¯t keen on having an ¡®eternal Divine King.¡¯ Her gaze pierced through the night sky, and unsurprisingly, she saw the preparations for battle among the stars. About several hundred years ago, Crius¡¯s second and third sons were born. The second son, Pas, was the god of war, while his third son was Perseus, the god of ¡®Material Destruction.¡¯ Not long ago, under the guidance of the Divine King and the Goddess of Daylight, Phoebe, he united with Coeus and Phoebe¡¯s second daughter, the star goddess Asteria. It was for this reason that the situation above the stars had be increasingly tense. ¡°I guess, Coeus has sided with Cronus, blocking Theia together with Phoebe,¡± Laine spected casually, his tone unrushed. The silence from Lady Night beside him confirmed without a doubt that his guess was urate. Although the war had not yet begun, the movements of several Titans could not escape Nyx¡¯s notice. Unlike the earth and ocean, Chaos did not have the Starry Sky as his main domain of Godhood, but Nyx, who presided over the night, could be considered half of one. ¡°It is normal; Coeus indeed has no interest in power. He is the god of lightless celestial bodies, and perhaps tainted by the source of darkness, just like you and Erebus, he does not like to wander.¡± ¡°But Phoebe is different; she does not have aplete domain of her own. Her Lightes from the power she received at birth from her older sister, and her Bodyes from the Sun. Driven by her innate godly instinct, she yearns to shine as brightly as her sister but cannot help feeling some envy.¡± ¡°So do you think the war in the Starry Sky will soon have a victor?¡± Nyx hadn¡¯t paid attention to these matters before, or to be precise, as a Primordial God within the system of Chaos, there wasn¡¯t much for her to pay attention to. After all, all the gods of the outside worldbined were no match for her, and the deities of this world had no path of cultivation towards advancement. Other than merging with her main body and blurring her perception of time, she didn¡¯t know what else she could do. ¡°No, this war will not end quickly,¡± Laine said softly, shaking his head. ¡°The Starry Sky is different from thend; it not only has an area but also has levels, which means its victory cannot be determined in a short period.¡± ¡°Moreover, for well-known reasons, Cronus himself will not take action. At most, he will dispatch his Queen of Gods, and in the Starry Sky, Rhea and Crius may not have the advantages one would imagine.¡± ¡°Just watch,¡± Laine concluded, ¡°If nothing unexpected happens, there will be no victor in this celestial conflict before a real turning point is reached. It willst at least a thousand years, and because the Divine King¡¯s energies will be diverted, the recently pacified Ocean Deity Sovereign will once again stir up strife with his uncle.¡± ¡°And you?¡± Nyx asked, looking at the eloquent ck-d deity, ¡°Where do you stand in this conflict?¡± Facing the slightly strange gaze of the Lady of the Night, Laine looked up at the sky. ¡°Three thousand years, perhaps two thousand,¡± he said. ¡°When the time is right, I will personally hand the ¡®knife¡¯ over to Cronus.¡± ¡°Fate¡¯s intuition tells me that once the Divine King upies the starry sky, the urging from thews of the current world will be unstoppable. The six Divine Children will descend one after another, and the mes of war will reignite between the two mountains.¡± ¡°As for me¡­¡± With a slight smile, Laine looked towards the Abyss. Tartarus, the only Primordial God whose form remains intact. He silently devoured all the Chaos of the world, and even theter myths recorded scant about him. But this is a real world, or rather, a world where destiny¡¯s trajectory is increasingly skewed. Once Zeus takes the throne, the so-called myths won¡¯t be that credible anymore. ¡°As for me, how about being a ¡®One-day Divine King¡¯?¡± Laine caught a glimpse of Nyx¡¯s expression from the corner of his eye but had no intention of exining. There are some things that he is only guessing at now; after all, involving two Divine Kings and Chaos¡¯s unique mythological system, he doesn¡¯t know if his idea will seed or not. But trying it out isn¡¯t a big deal. He told Cronus to start where it all began, but conversely, the same is true. ¡°Compared to the starry sky, I¡¯m actually more worried about your sister.¡± Sighing, thinking of the Life Vase, Laine still doesn¡¯t believe that Mother Earth would have silently endured that loss. Not all gods put pros and cons first. Rather, among the whimsical deities of Chaos, those who do what they desire are in the majority. Gaia, in particr, is not only thoughtful but also capable. Atop Mount Othrys, in the Divine King¡¯s pce. While Laine was transforming the deity embryos in the Land of Eternal Night, the God of the West Wind had already returned to the Mount of the Gods. Cronus was seated next to a table and chairs, with the Wind God Zephyrus before him. Not long ago, this being whom he had dispatched to the Underworld had delivered to him crucial intelligence. Laine had left the Spirit Realm but did not go to the surface. Meanwhile, those True Gods of the Spirit Realm who often appeared in the sky had also returned to the Underworld. ¡°You are saying, the Mother Night and the Lord of the Spirit Realm met, and then they rushed to the Land of Eternal Night together?¡± Cronus asked, pondering slightly and confirming with the Wind God once again. Although he hadn¡¯t said it outright previously, the Divine King had actually intended for the other party to just watch at the gate of the Underworld, monitoring the movements of the Underworld deities. Even Laine was of secondary importance; the True Gods of Daylight and the Goddess of Daylight, each with corresponding godhood, were the ones he truly needed to guard against. After all, these two deities had contemted moving to the starry sky in earlier years, and Cronus couldn¡¯t guarantee that they wouldn¡¯t stand with Hyperion, which is why he dispatched the God of the West Wind to guard the Underworld in advance. But who would have thought that Zephyrus would exceed his expectations? Cronus was genuinely surprised. This West Wind God, who had barely stepped into weak Divine Power, was so brave as to tail the Lord of the Spirit Realm and Lady of the Night under the glow of the Nether Moon. Even he himself might not dare to do such a thing. ¡°You¡¯ve done very well,¡± Cronus said in a gentle tone. ¡°I just need to confirm once again. ¡°Zephyrus, are you certain they did not detect your presence?¡± Chapter 61 - 38 Urging Chapter 61 Chapter 38 Urging Trantor: 549690339 ¡°¡­I¡¯m not very certain, Your Majesty.¡± After a moment of hesitation, Zephyrus still dared not to make any reckless statements. ¡°Facing the great ruler of the Land of Eternal Night, I can¡¯t guarantee she didn¡¯t notice me, but it seems Mother Night did not pay any attention to my presence.¡± In fact, the God of the West Wind felt that he was probably detected by Lady Night early on, but she simply didn¡¯t care about him. After all, to the Chaotic Gods, the Twin Gods of the Dark Night are ever-present. Aside from a few exceptions, they don¡¯t even bother with their own ¡®offspring¡¯,¡± so Zephyrus thought that being ignored by Nyx waspletely normal. As for Laine, the God of the West Wind didn¡¯t feel he was detected either. Perhaps in other mythologies, simple physical transformation is easy to see through, but the deities of Chaos do not possess this ability. Transforming into animals or inanimate objects to evade other deities is amon trick used by theter Olympian gods, and it works without fail. ¡°As for the Lord of the Spirit Realm, I have wandered through the Underworld for hundreds of years. Since he did not expel me at first, it seems he didn¡¯t discover my trail.¡± Regarding his own realm of authority, the Wind God was rather confident. In terms of battle power, he didn¡¯t rank among the gods; but when it came to hiding his presence, even the principal gods of the major divine families might not detect him. ¡°Is that so¡­¡± After musing for a while, the Divine King was unsure whether to believe him or not. In contemtion, his fingers lightly tapped the tabletop, producing a rhythmic sound. ¡°Zephyrus, continue to watch the edge of the Land of Eternal Night. If someonees out, or if other deities show unusual activities, remember to inform me immediately.¡± The God of the West Wind was startled upon hearing this. Being sent to the Underworld was one thing; he felt he was well hidden. But being sent specifically to the edge of the Land of Eternal Night, who knew if it would be seen as a provocation by Lady Night. ¡°Your Majesty¡ª¡± ¡°I know the risks are great, but I¡¯m only asking you to take a look. If you encounter Lady Nyx, you can retreat immediately. Just do this task well, and I will recognize you as the Leader of the Wind Gods in the name of the Divine King,¡± promised the Divine King, watching the changing expression on Zephyrus¡¯s face. In Chaos, the elements of earth, water, wind, fire are not bnced, and the power of Wind is subtly the weakest among them. Moreover, the four great Wind Gods merely represent the winds on the earth. In an age where only those with intermediate divine power are considered strong and those with great divine power can influence oues, Cronus believed that despite the perils, Zephyrus would not refuse his offer. ¡°¡­As youmand, Your Majesty.¡± Zephyrus¡¯s face struggled for a moment, but he ultimately couldn¡¯t resist the temptation. The four Wind Gods themselves do not represent all aspects of wind, and by his own estimation, reaching the middle ranks of weak divine power was the limit for the God of West Wind. But if he became the Leader of the Wind Gods as recognized by the Divine King, and even possibly continued to expand the authority of the West Wind through Divine King¡¯s decrees, then he might well hope to reach the realm of intermediate divine power. And Zephyrus thought, since Mother Night did not pay him any mind at the beginning, it was likely that there would be no troubleter. No other deity would probably detect his trail. Taking the order, the God of the West Wind immediately transformed into a breeze and departed. Watching Zephyrus leave, the Divine King appeared lost in thought. ¡°It seems you¡¯ve made up your mind,¡± In the quiet pce, a voice suddenly rang out. Rhea emerged from the passage of time, looking at the contemtive Divine King and quietly asked. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s time to begin¡ª¡± Sighing, Cronus looked towards a corner of Mount of the Gods. The union of Perse and Asteria hade about through his own push; otherwise, even if the two came together, it would have taken at least a few hundred years. But perhaps it was because he was too eager, that Perse was quite dissatisfied. As the third son of Crius, wielding the deity of ¡°Material Destruction,¡± his godhood limit was enough to support his advancement to great divine power. Despite the slow umtion of divine power due to the type of his godhood, it didn¡¯t affect his disdain for the Goddess of Luminous. A deity who could barely reach weak divine power, what right did she have to be with him if not for the pressure of the Divine King and his father? ¡°Are you confident?¡± No longer dwelling on vexing matters, he believed that the God of Meteorology would pacify his child. Compared to Perse, Cronus cared more about Rhea¡¯s situation. ¡°With Crius and me together, and with your sickle, Hyperion is no match for us, but under the premise that the celestial god couple continues to stand on our side,¡± Rhea said. Even though the godhood of Sun was far superior inbat to that of Meteorology and Passage of Time, and the starry sky was partly their home field, with a high-grade artifact in hand, Rhea had enough confidence to defeat the God of Sun. But that was only if Hyperion was alone. If Light and Sun were to join forces, then she could only rely on her godhood to drag out time. ¡°Coeus might not care about the ownership of the starry sky, but Phoebe has always envied Theia.¡± ¡°After all, with the Mother of Light and the God of Sun present, who would care about a Goddess of Luminous?¡± Shaking his head, Cronus wasn¡¯t worried about the situation of the celestial god couple. He turned his head and asked about the other side¡¯s situation. ¡°How are things going at sea?¡± ¡°As stable as ever,¡± the Heavenly Empress said: ¡°Since the soft and gentle Nereus and Doris came together, the Ocean deities have not had conflicts with the ancient Sea God for a long time.¡± ¡°They¡¯re just putting on an act, once I make the first move, they won¡¯t be peaceful for long.¡± Sneering, Cronus knew this was the effect of his own short-term increase in the Divine King¡¯s authority over the past few hundred years. ¡°Once the starry sky gets lively, they¡¯ll temporarily let down their guard against me. As long as I don¡¯t take action myself, they won¡¯t band together.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s meet Crius. The starry sky is too vast, even with an advantage, it would be hard topletely decide the victor for at least a few hundred years.¡± Having said that, Cronus rose to his feet. Rhea was silent for a moment, then immediately followed her husband¡¯s steps. However, just before stepping out, she hesitantly spoke out. ¡°Cronus¡­ I have already felt the innate urge of the Heavenly Empress¡¯s authority.¡± Stopping in his tracks, the Divine King¡¯s expression was unchanged, but a shadow of gloom flitted across his eyes. As the world¡¯sws were still iplete, Chaos naturally hoped for more deities to be born soon, and the Divine King was undoubtedly the exemr for the gods. But at this moment, to procreate was, without a doubt, for Cronus a step towards his own destruction. ¡°I know, Rhea, I¡¯ve felt it too, but let¡¯s wait a bit longer.¡± Taking a deep breath, the Divine King consoled his sister. ¡°Let¡¯s settle the starry sky and have the ocean, at least nominally, submit to me. At that time, I¡¯ll be sufficiently assured to face my destiny.¡± He said so, but Cronus actually understood that even if hepletely conquered the ocean, his strength still would not match that of his own Heavenly Father. Perhaps the position of Divine King was barely suitable, but Uranus¡¯s might was never solely because of authority. Chapter 62 - 39: Seven Hundred Years of Divine War Chapter 62 Chapter 39: Seven Hundred Years of Divine War Trantor: 549690339 Atop Mount Othrys, another eight years had passed. When everything was ready, following the Divine King¡¯smand, the first true divine war erupted in Chaos. The war was nominally between the God of Meteorology and the God of Sun over the allegiance of the God of Stars, but the Divine King merely stood atop the Mount of the Gods, remotely unleashing his powers. Thus, aside from the family of the God of Sun, no other deities went to aid Hyperion. Even the two Sea Gods merely became silent spectators. Unlike the brief divine war thatsted only seven days before, it was easy for deities with Intermediate Divine Power and above topare strengths, but difficult to decide victory or defeat. Unless there was a crushing gap, they wouldn¡¯t end their battles in a short time. Consequently, as the Mother of Light was detained by the celestial deities couple, the war facing the Queen of Gods and the God of Meteorology became protracted. Amidst the starry sky, with simr Divine Power Levels, the power of the God of Sun was extraordinarily great. Even if Cronus handed the sickle that had once wounded the Heavenly Father to Rhea, it would still take them several years of battle to briefly repel Hyperion. After all, this High-Grade Artifact, which was bornter, caused the greatest damage to The Sky, secondary damage to the Divine King, and waspletely ineffective against The Earth. In the face of the God of Sun, it indeed could make up for Rhea¡¯s shorings in battle, but that was it. The battles between Principal Gods were protracted, and the disparity in True God numbers became apparent. Compared to the few True Gods in the God of Sun¡¯s family, the three goddesses of the ash tree beside Rhea, the other three among the four Wind Gods, As the Heaven Divider who was gradually growing up, and even the second and third sons of Crius, who had not been born long ago, all shone brilliantly in this divine war. In the first one or two hundred years of battle, due to Hyperion¡¯s strength, the situation was mostly at a stalemate, but as the new generation of deities gradually increased in Divine Power, the scales of victory began to tilt continuously toward the side of the Divine King. Despite the expanse of starry space and the frequency of battles every few years, it would be difficult topletely upy most of the star domains without thousands of years, but the oue of the war had already be foreseeable. One after another, star domains changed hands, and the God of Stars whose essence resided within these domains also switched sides. If nothing changed, it seemed like Hyperion had already lost the momentum. Meanwhile, at sea, the rtionship between the two Sea Gods rapidly deteriorated. Two hundred years after the war in the starry sky began, the brief honeymoon period ended. Although Thssa, the Sea God of gentleness, had several daughters born in session, the divine war still erupted at sea. Unlike in the starry sky, from the very beginning, the couple of the God of the Ocean held an absolute advantage. Even with the mountain godsing to help, Pontus was defeated in three out of three battles. A vast expanse of unimed seas was taken under the control of the Ocean Deity Sovereign. As long as he could assimte and incorporate them into his Godhood within a few thousand years, these seas that emerged with the expansion of the world would help him continuously advance toward the peak of Great Divine Power. However, as the sea and earth gods are the best at restoration and prolongedbat, a single battle at sea oftensted longer than in the starry sky, sometimes for decades. Moreover, although Mother Earth did not intervene, she still lent out the Life Vase, so there was no possibility of ending the war in a short time. Over hundreds of years, onnd, in the sky, and at sea, the collisions of Divine Power were incessant. Many creatures on the Chaos Terrain died from being mistakenly harmed. The scattered humans did not understand the reasons; they thought the deities were angry, so they worshipped with even greater devotion, but by now few deities had the time to look after them. When creatures died, their souls drifted following the mysterious pull into the Underworld, to the sea, returning to the embrace of the Spirit Realm. In such an environment, after seven hundred years had psed, the first deity to be transformed by the Spirit Realm finally emerged. In the depths of the Land of Eternal Night, in a small two-story wooden house, Laine brewed himself a pot of ck tea, quietly observing the final transformation of the God of Sleep embryo. Of course, calling it an ¡¯embryo¡¯ was no longer quite apt. The originally white Somnus Blossom was magnified millions of times, and its sky-obscuring petals acquired mysterious dark gold patterns. From the flower¡¯s core, a faint fragrance drifted out, inducing a drowsy feeling in anyone who smelled it. Around the great flower, insubstantial shadows appeared and disappeared. They seemed to be thepanions of the flower, sharing some strange connection. ¡°How much longer?¡± ¡°In the next two days.¡± Laine sipped his tea, not having expected this transformation to take so long. Moreover, in his original estimation, the God of Sleep embryo might have evolved into an Ancient Evil Being simr to the ¡°Sun Swallower¡± or the ¡°Indeterminate Mist,¡± but clearly, the result was not so. After being epted by the Spirit Realm, though this divine embryo also absorbed a small amount of Chaotic Source Force, perhaps due to its initial cultivation in the world in a legitimate divine manner, it soon rejected the chaotic forces. At this moment, the majority of the embryo was still orderly. This meant it was destined to descend into the world as a deity. ¡°Transformed by your Spirit Realm, its aura seems to have be somewhat strange.¡± Frowning slightly, Nyx also seemed uncertain of the situation. The deity embryo before her felt different from the Chaotic Gods, as though it possessed an aura akin to that of Tartarus. Although it wasn¡¯t conspicuous, she was certain of her perception. ¡°It is indeed a bit strange.¡± Laine nodded, sensing the special aura even more clearly. If one had to describe it, it bore a sense of ¡®innate malevolence¡¯. ¡°I initially thought it would turn into a new Ancient Evil Being, I even had a name ready for it, ¡®Eternal Night¡¯s Dream¡¯. But now it seems calling it an Evil God is more appropriate.¡± ¡°It has rtivelyplete wisdom, not like an evil being with confused thinking, but having made contact with the powers of Chaos, its emotions will be more faint than those ofmon creatures.¡± ¡°Morals, rules, and order of the mundane are nothing but tools to it. Perhaps only power can make it behave.¡± Concentrating for a moment and sensing the godhood that had already taken shape within the embryo, Laine slowly said. Coalescing godhood instead of merging directly with the Source Power meant it was now a True God. Although direct contact with the Source Power could bring greater strength, for a deity, the real measure of a True God is whether they wield power with rationality. ¡°There are indeed many secrets to godhood that remain hidden. Even as the Lord of the Spirit Realm, when ites to issues of the Source Power and the divine body, I know how they are but not why they are.¡± Shaking his head, Laine knew it was because his level of power wasn¡¯t high enough. If he possessed Great Divine Power, he would certainly be able to unravel many mysteries of the deity¡¯s essence by controlling the Spirit Realm. But for now, he could only verify his conjectures little by little through practice. ¡°The essence of a deity¡­ even with my original being, I have limited understanding, so you shouldn¡¯t dwell too much on it either.¡± Nyx was not hopeful about Laine¡¯s ideas. Not to mention others, the reason behind a deity¡¯s ¡®immortality¡¯ is something that no entity can decipher. ¡°It¡¯s starting!¡± Half a dayter, during their intermittent idle chat, the final step of the Evil God¡¯s birth atst arrived. The huge petals began to close, nurturing a mysterious power. But perhaps due to the influence of the Spirit Realm, the extraordinary phenomenon of godly birth did not present itself throughout the Chaos, only the Land of Eternal Night responded to it. The power of the Night God wafted over and transformed into a sky full of petals falling down. Under the starlight, it was a different kind of beauty. Laine could feel that the once vague consciousness inside the embryo was bing clearer. As a deity nurtured by both the Land of Eternal Night and the Spirit Realm, it would know from birth like the twelve Titans of old, rather than gradually growing from infancy. Time gradually passed until, at a certain moment, apanied by a wave of intangible power that made all living beings fall into slumber, the petals reopened, revealing a young deity with wings on his back, squatting with his arms around his knees at the central position. Both his pupil and hair colors were ck, but his wings were a pale grey. Wrapped around his body was a cloth made from Divine Power, in a style unique to the Chaos World. The God of Sleep, Hypnos, was different from the mild deity in original myths. As the Lord of the Spirit Realm, Laine could clearly sense the true emotions of the deity before him. That kind of indifference hidden beneath the surface, ¡®aside from myself, all things are illusory¡¯. Chapter 63 - 40 Nyx Trail Chapter 63 Chapter 40 Nyx Trail Trantor: 549690339 The newly born deity opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw of the world was the boundless night, as well as two ancient gods who felt even more ¡®present¡¯ than the night sky itself. One was the master of this ce, with the entire domain resonating with her; the other was still fused with the power of the Spirit Realm, with sevenyers of phantoms presenting themselves to his divine sight. In the perception of the God of Sleep, two vast auras stretched from heaven to earth, capable of grinding him to dust with a mere lift of their hands. Subconsciously feeling a bit tense, Hypnos couldn¡¯t help but clench the deep purple flute in his hand. It was his natal Divine Artifact, a fusion of parts of ¡°Sleep¡± and ¡°Dreamscape,¡± along with a slight touch of ¡°Chaos¡± and ¡°Music¡± from the Spirit Realm. The lubies yed on it could put gods into slumber and allow creatures to lose their minds in their dreams, amusing the gods with their skirmishes. ¡°¡­Hypnos, pays his respects to the Father God and Mother Goddess.¡± His wariness was but a momentary flicker, so fleeting that even if Laine had not been observing closely, he would not have noticed. In the next moment, the newly born god disyed a gaze full of humility and admiration. As a ¡®born knower,¡¯ Hypnos knew that the two divine beings before him were his ¡®parents.¡¯ Since they had created him, they naturally did not intend to harm him; moreover, in the presence of these two formidable entities, the God of Sleep didn¡¯t feel that his caution held any significance. Rather than disying his ¡®fangs,¡¯ it was better to appear gentle and harmless. ¡°¡­Father God, huh, ording to the traditions of Chaos, it seems to be the case,¡± Observing the change in Hypnos¡¯s demeanor, Laine was at first startled and then chuckled. For deities, power had a much deeper connection than blood ties. Laine and Nyx¡¯s powers jointly created this deity, so from a legal standpoint, they indeed could be regarded as his parents. But one need only reference Uranus and Gaia to understand how unreliable such non-blooded parental rtionships could be. Furthermore, this was the Chaos World, where, inter mythologies, parent-child strife was practically daily fare for gods and mortals alike. Meanwhile, Nyx¡¯s expression was hard to discern behind her ck veil. She paid no heed to Hypnos¡¯s greeting, simply turning to nce at Laine before opening her mouth calmly: ¡°Since the matter is resolved, you can take him away.¡± ¡°Regarding the matter ofpensation¡ª¡± In the end, Nyx had put faith in Laine¡¯s previous exnation. She also felt that no one could spy on her fate without her knowing. Given that it wasn¡¯t Laine¡¯s intention, she naturally should offer a reciprocal gift. Yet in the emptynd of Eternal Night, there was nothing fit to be offered as such a gift. Thus, Nyx extended her hand and tore a piece from the hem of her dress. With a gentle shake, the tattered fabric transformed into a ck silk cloth. The cloth was just an appearance; in reality, she had torn off a small portion of her ¡°Nyx¡¯s ck Robe.¡± To the Lady of the Night, after all, this artifact could not advance any further, so this small loss of power was of little consequence. ¡°It is yours now.¡± With a snort, she tossed the ck cloth to Laine and, turning, merged silently into the night of the Land of Eternal Night. Watching this, Laine couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly. ¡°Heh heh¡ª¡± ¡°Hypnos, it seems your ¡®Mother Goddess¡¯ isn¡¯t too fond of you.¡± Taking the ck cloth imbued with the power of ¡°Secrecy,¡± Laine turned to look at the newborn deity. However, as soon as he spoke, he clearly felt a slight rejection from the surrounding night. Faced with Nyx¡¯s subtle warning, Laine said no more. ¡°So, Father God, will I be living with you from now on?¡± Looking somewhat saddened by the departure of the ¡®Mother Goddess¡¯, Hypnos cast a hopeful gaze at Laine. Watching this scene, Laine felt not the slightest bit ofpassion. He was well aware that an evil god, whose creation had been tinged with a portion of Chaotic Source Force, was no paragon of virtue. For Hypnos, if it weren¡¯t for the difference in their strengths, as well as Laine¡¯s control over his godhood as the Lord of the Spirit Realm, he probably wouldn¡¯t care at all about this so-called ¡®Father God¡¯. But Laine didn¡¯t care about that, either. ¡°Come with me, and the same goes for you all.¡± Signaling Hypnos and the three thousand demigod dreamscape evil spirits born alongside him to follow, Laine turned and started down the path they hade. The God of Sleep quickly followed. Despite having just been born, he vaguely sensed that in this realm nketed by night, wandering aimlessly without someone to guide him would likely not bode well for him. Following the path from before, Laine continued on his way. Perhaps it was because the Lady of the Night had once permitted the power of the Spirit Realm to probe into the Land of Eternal Night, but now, the return path seemed to genuinely possess some mystic force. The night¡¯s curtain subtly gave way, and the local beings dared not cause trouble there. Even without the Lady of the Night¡¯s guidance, Laine managed to exit sessfully. Not until he had crossed the divide between the curtain of night and the Underworld did he look back at the path he had traveled. Through divine vision, a faint halo lingered over the path, but it became erratic as Laine left. This was a slight manifestation of Chaos in the Land of Eternal Night; spaces within could possibly intersect and change. But no matter how it altered, the path tainted by the force of the Spirit Realm would remain, though its location might shift. If someone is fortunate enough to receive guidance in the future, they would be able to traverse the path Laine had once walked, entering and exiting the Land of Eternal Night safely under the protection of the Spirit Realm¡¯s power. Of course, all this is predicated on the Lady of the Night being uninterested in him. The residual presence of the Spirit Realm may ward off the beings beneath the curtain of night, but it could not resist the Primordial God herself. ¡°Hypnos,¡± Laine turned and casually asked, ¡°Do you see that fellow over there?¡± ¡°Yes, Father God.¡± The youthful deity bowed slightly and gazed into the distance. Above the Styx River, though seemingly empty, Hypnos sensed a surge of intense emotion circling there, tantly revealing its existence to the outside world. The deities of the present, or rather the gods of Chaos, always operated in this manner. They tended to sense and conceal through divine power and form, but they were utterly unguarded against the spiritual. Even the mighty Zeus could be sent into a dreamscape by the original god of sleep in mythology without noticing. To the deities of the Spirit Realm who observe directly from the spiritualyer, the God of West Wind¡¯s concealment was as good as nonexistence. ¡°Father God, should I take care of him?¡± Wearing a gentle smile, Hypnos softly inquired. ¡°Go ahead, capture him.¡± Nodding, Laine agreed to Hypnos¡¯s request. Simr to the twelve Titans, Hypnos did not reach the limit allowed by his godhood upon birth, but he still possessed mid-level weak divine power. In directbat, he might not be a match for the Wind God. But seeing Zephyrus stillpletely oblivious, Laine knew that the battle would soon be over. Chapter 64 - 41 Punishment Chapter 64 Chapter 41 Punishment Trantor: 549690339 Before Laine stepped out of the Land of Eternal Night, the concentration of the God of West Wind¡¯s spirit was unprecedented. Ripples spread through the stillness of the Land of Eternal Night that hadsted for hundreds of years; a sign that someone emerged from within. But no one knew who it might be. Perhaps a woman in a ck dress, or just a nymph fairy. Under the tense watch of Zephyrus, a ripple shed by, and Laine and Hypnos emerged one after the other. The disturbance of the night began to subside, and after waiting a while longer, ensuring that no third person wasing, the God of West Wind finally breathed a sigh of relief. Just now, he had been considering, had he been caught by the Lady of Night, how long he would insist before giving up the existence of the Divine King. In fact, this thought had crossed his mind many times over the past few hundred years. Fortunately, reality never granted him the opportunity to make that choice. ¡°The Lord of the Spirit Realm has returned, so I can also report back to the Divine King first. But that deity by his side, why have I never seen him before?¡± While somewhat puzzled, Zephyrus quickly thought of the Goddess of the Nether Moon, whose origin was unknown, and the Weaver of Stars who had appeared in the ster sky. No matter the stranger¡¯s origin, all he needed to do was wait for Laine to return to the Spirit Realm, then report to the Divine King. The position of Leader of the Wind Gods seemed within reach, and Zephyrus was getting impatient. ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s that sound?¡± Suddenly, the God of West Wind felt his spirit be fuzzy. In the haze, he seemed to see a grey feather falling from the void. He should have been vignt, but at some point, his thoughts had slowed. A pleasant melody rose to his ears, and Zephyrus¡¯s eyes gradually closed. The intangible wind returned to its original form as the God of West Wind copsed to the ground. In a face-to-face encounter, this True God with weak divine power silently lost his resistance. By Laine¡¯s side, Hypnos put his flute away. Just then, the melodious luby had been yed slowly, and the power of sleep spread in all directions with the sound. The Sun God Apollo ofter generations also possessed a lyre, with which he could y tunes capable of bewitching deities. But in the hands of the true God of Sleep,pared to the lyre Hermes gave to Apollo, his flute was undoubtedly more potent. Apanied by the melodious tune, Hypnos gently shook his wings. On his pale grey wings, feathers of illusion silently fell and merged into the void. The music was ¡®Sleep,¡¯ the feathers were ¡®Dreams,¡¯ with no forewarning, Zephyrus in the sky only felt a wave of drowsiness before losing consciousness in rxation. If his spirit had been on edge, ever vignt, the power of the God of Sleep would have been greatly diminished. But clearly, the God of West Wind never suspected that he would be discovered, nor had he understood the power of sleep and dreams. Thus, without any resistance, he was easily subdued by Hypnos. ¡°Father God, how do you n to punish him?¡± Flying into the sky, seizing Zephyrus, who turned back to his true form in dreams, Hypnos asked respectfully. Like him, the wind god also had a pair of wings on his back, though they seemed somewhat short. In Chaos World, gods with wings were rare but still numerous, and they were also considered part of the mainstream deities. ¡°God of West Wind¡­¡± Looking at the unconscious Zephyrus before him, Laine felt hesitant. He had intended to take him to the Spirit Realm and seal the immortal deity, but then he dismissed the idea. To seal a True God required a constant consumption of power to counteract the Divine Power he obtained from his godhood. Although this was nothing for the Spirit Realm, it was also meaningless. As long as a deity could not be killed, Laine believed that any purely physical punishment was insignificant. ¡°Some gods have the God of Punishment hold up the sky for eternity, some make him push a massive rock, in eternal recurrence, without end.¡± Having made his decision, Laine reached out and gently touched Zephyrus¡¯s forehead. ¡°Since you like to pry so much¡­¡± ¡°As a punishment, you will be the most clumsy of voyeurs.¡± The authority shed, and the Wisdom of the God of the West Wind wascking a corner out of nowhere. Although he could still think, any idea that originated from him would have ws. At the same time, an indeterminate fate silently enveloped Zephyrus. In the obscurity, a subtle change had taken ce. From that moment on, whenever the God of the West Wind tried to hide, he would inevitably reveal a w due to inadequate consideration. And even if the w went unnoticed, all his actions would lead to an unknown oue under the dictates of fate. If the original oue was bad, it would not change. If the original oue was good, it would start all over again. To the side, the observing Hypnos retracted his wings, silently watching this scene. His expression remained respectful but inwardly, he felt a chill. For an Evil God with inherently diluted emotions, physical punishments did not concern him. Compared to that, these methods affecting Wisdom and fate were far more intimidating. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Leaving Zephyrus on the ground, Laine paid no further attention. He swiped through the air in front of him, a silvery gate of light emerged, and he stepped in, with Hypnos hurrying after him. The gods had always thought the Nether Moon was the entrance to the Spirit Realm, which is why the Divine King sent the Wind Gods to watch over the Underworld, but in fact, at most, the Nether Moon could be considered the front door. Throughout the entire Chaos World, any ce covered by the Spirit Realm could be used to directly enter or exit the realm. But since Laine had never opened ess to and from the Spirit Realm in the current world, no god had ever discovered this. Within a few steps, Laine had passed through threeyers of spatial barriers. Mount Sinai was ¡®not far away¡¯, but on the thirdyer of the Spirit Realm, Laine halted. Up until a few hundred years ago, everything beyond the thirdyer of the Spirit Realm was devoid of concrete things. Space-time was in such disarray that life had no foundation to exist, with only the Spirit Realm¡¯s angels passing by asionally. But at this moment, where Laine stood was different. On the surface, they seemed to be standing in the sky next to a small hillock. Seeing Laine stop, Hypnos also halted. He looked around the environment; the space here was quite narrow, totaling less than a hundred miles in range. A few humans were living in the distance, while on the hillock, a holy figure radiating light was talking to a mortal on the ground. ¡°This is the thirdyer of the Spirit Realm, where you will make your new home.¡± Slowly revealing his arrangements, Laine did not intend to take Hypnos to his Divine Pce. In fact, had it not been for Nyx¡¯s visit, Laine himself would have had to cultivate a True God to oversee dreams. But now that there was one ready-made, he set aside his original ns. Now that Hypnos hade into being, it was time for him to start working. Although he had only been in existence for one day, he was, after all, a deity, and Laine thought he wouldn¡¯t mind. Chapter 65 - 42 Dream Spirit Realm Chapter 65 Chapter 42 Dream Spirit Realm Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Pleasemand me, and I will do my utmost to fulfill your request.¡± From their brief encounter, the newly born Hypnos had realized that pretending to be a docile and obedient person was of little use, so he decisively changed his attitude. ¡°Do you see where this ce is?¡± Looking around, Hypnos observed the surrounding environment intently. The first thing he noticed was the figure radiating light; he easily identified the other¡¯s identity¡ªa territorial god birthed from the ¡®Mountain¡¯. What surprised him, though, was that he couldn¡¯t make out the god¡¯s face no matter how hard he tried. ¡°This must also be a dream,¡± Hypnos said with certainty after a moment of concentration, ¡°a ¡®real dream¡¯ that has been separated from its master.¡± This was a dream, but it was more than that. Normal dreams are built upon the spirituality of living beings, and when the host awakes, the dreams shatter along with them. But Hypnos could tell that this dream had be disconnected from its master. As the power of the Spirit Realm merged with it, it gradually became more ¡®real.¡¯ Even if its master awoke, it could continue to exist. ¡°Yes, this is a sort of ¡®real dream¡¯.¡± Nodding, Laine said with a smile: ¡°This is a human¡¯s dream; he is receiving a deity¡¯s reward, his greatest wish. Because the world he has traveled is only so vast, the size of this dream fragment has been fixed. In his eyes, deities are supreme; thus, the gods in the dream have no real faces.¡± ¡°Like this one, there are many dreams here. What I want you to do is ¡®smelt¡¯ these dreams, ¡®reshape¡¯ them, and then ¡®piece¡¯ them together.¡± With a wave of his hand, the scenery before them instantly shrank. In a sh, the dream fragments in a hundred miles radius turned into a transparent bubble. Around the two of them, countless bubbles were born and disappeared in rotation. These were the dreams of intelligent life on the Earth spanning hundreds of years. Some featured humans as their protagonists, many more were of beasts, and Hypnos even spotted a few territorial gods among them. They were stacked together, reflecting off the power of the Spirit Realm. The stronger the master of the dream, the more powerful the corresponding fragment. Hypnos could even sense signs of life in the dreams of some deities, vague though they were. That was a new life, simr to the three thousand Evil Spirits of his dreams, yet entirely different. ¡®Real dreams¡¯ are the best material for bridging Order and Chaos.¡± Turning to face the God of Sleep beside him, Laine granted him partial ess to the thirdyer of the Spirit Realm. The space-time of the Spirit Realm gets more chaotic the deeper one goes. But at the same time, the deeper one goes, the ¡®broader¡¯ the Laws appear. To powerful spiritual bodies, the shalloweryers of the Spirit Realm can feel oppressive, and they¡¯re not conducive to their further growth. Over the years, the Spirit Realm¡¯s self-generated life forms and the souls of beings who died in external divine wars have mostly umted in the first and secondyers, some even developing primitive social structures. Many of them have grown strong, gradually mastering extraordinary powers. Thus, Laine has been contemting what kind of material could stably exist in the chaotic space-time and give the shallow spiritual bodies a chance to adapt to the change from Order to Chaos. Undoubtedly, dreams were the ultimate answer he chose. ¡°Your meaning is, you want me to turn the dreams into the cornerstone of thisyer¡¯s interface. And even after their main body takes shape, to have the ability to automatically absorb dreams and integrate them into itself?¡± Feeling the interface permissions opening to him, Hypnos inquired. ¡°Yes,¡± Laine nodded, ¡°Dreams are based on reality, yet they transcend it. They inherently symbolize the process of transformation from Order to Chaos.¡± ¡°Let the dreams close to the current world be part of theyer near the second level of the Spirit Realm. The exceedingly bizarre dreams can be constructed in areas near the fourthyer of the Spirit Realm.¡± ¡°Even some powerful beings¡¯ dreams possess their own strength, and once they are built into part of the Spirit Realm, under the influence of the spiritual aura, they might even give birth to some special creatures of the Spirit Realm.¡± As he spoke, Laine¡¯s thoughts drifted. For a moment, he was reminded of some dark fairy tales he had read in a past life. Serious fairy tales could never exist; after all, in dreams, people¡¯s behavioral logic is closer to doing whatever they desire. Add to that the inherently chaotic space-time of the Spirit Realm, Laine didn¡¯t believe this ce could naturally give rise to any ¡®benevolent spirits.¡¯ ¡°I will follow Yourmand, Father God.¡± Bowing slightly, Hypnos softly expressed his obedience. Even though the realms below the fifthyer of the Spirit Realm seemed somewhat ¡®confining¡¯ to an existence of a True God like him, he harbored no intention of refusal. Hypnos was not a being like Ikelip. He knew how to contain his power and ovee his instincts. Moreover, he didn¡¯t feel, not even slightly, that Laine was asking for his opinion. ¡°Very well, go and do it then. Liana¡ª¡± Nodding his head, Laine summoned the Goddess of the Nether Moon. ¡°I am here, Your Highness.¡± As always, her ck attire transformed from ethereal to tangible, and Liana quickly responded to Laine¡¯s call. ¡°He is a new god I have created, Hypnos. For theing period, he will be responsible for constructing the thirdyer of the Spirit Realm.¡± ¡°She is Liana, my assistant. In my absence, any matters can be referred to her.¡± Three crescent moons hung in the sky, and today, it just so happened that the Nether Moon was illuminating the outer world. After introducing them to each other and observing the Goddess of the Nether Moon, who had managed the Spirit Realm diligently for the past centuries, Laine also felt a bit sentimental. Even when he was in the Spirit Realm, he was often busy with the operation of thews and assimting Source Power. In actuality, the affairs of the Spirit Realm had always been managed by Liana. The majority of the beings in the Spirit Realm had never even seen Laine. Just as they referred to him, ¡®Great Ancient Spirit Will,¡¯ in their eyes, Laine¡¯s existence was but a legend, with Liana being the true ruler of the Spirit Realm. ¡°Liana.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± The goddess in the ck dress looked up, meeting Laine¡¯s gaze. In his hands, part of the Element of Origin that the Spirit Realm had absorbed over the millennia was converging, intertwining with Spirituality to form a Multifaceted Crystal. The power of Elements is quite special; it seems not to have a true higher Godhood. Like the Earth Element, it is influenced by Godhoods such as The Earth, Mountain, Celestial Body, Magic Power, Witchcraft, etc., yet it doesn¡¯t fully belong to any of them. Interestingly enough, while in Chaos, Darkness is stronger than Light, Life far surpasses Death, and Earth, Water, Wind, Fire are not equal, the powers of the elements do not follow this pattern. They maintain a dynamic bnce, appearing to bepletely unaffected by the varying strengths of authority. And Magic Power is even more peculiar. It is the result of intelligent life refining elements through the spirit, and its power is not constant. The purer the spirit of the being refining it, the more powerful the Magic Power bes. This power originally belonged to the owner of the Nether Moon, but now, it will belong to the new master of the Nether Moon. ¡°Liana, this is Magic Power,¡± Laine said with a smile. ¡°It will be your moonlight.¡± Strictly speaking, although Liana was called the Goddess of the Nether Moon before, what she actually governed was only the concept of the Nether Moon. Because, at that time, the Nether Moon did not truly exist; it was a projection of the Spirit Realm into the Underworld, and its moonlight was actually the rotation of the seven crescent moons of the Spirit Realm shining down. But from now on, the Nether Moon will have its own unique moonlight. ¡°To serve You is the purpose of my existence.¡± As the new Multifaceted Crystal merged into her body, Liana¡¯s presence became much more substantial. Her Divine Power remained unchanged, but the upper limit was raised yet again. Without surprise, as the Underworld expands further, the threshold of potent Divine Power will open up to her. Even considering the unique nature of the Nether Moon within the Underworld, Liana may step into the realm of great Divine Power quite soon. Meanwhile, the originally serene light of the Underworld began to change. The silvery brightness turned into dark purple hues, dispersing invisible forces. Under such light, some of the corpses that had been brought to the Underworld and died for various reasons shuddered imperceptibly. Gradually, it seemed as if new souls emerged within them, burning in the form of mes. Soulfire, that was their name. When the fire extinguished, it also signified the end of the wraiths¡¯ rebirth. Chapter 66 - 43: Secret Talk Chapter 66: Chapter 43: Secret Talk Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Fire¡± is the first of the Elemental Domains, under Spirituality. Thus, the newly born consciousness of the undead can also persist within the Soulfire. Although the undead have ¡°spirit¡± in their name, most of them are not spiritual bodies, and are essentially still existences in the material realm. The only difference is that, while the bodies of normal lives are ¡®alive,¡¯ theirs are ¡®dead.¡¯ But from another perspective, perhaps in the eyes of the wraiths, it is the bodies of the living on earth that are ¡®dead,¡¯ and theirs that are ¡®alive.¡¯ As time passed, the number of wraiths gradually increased. Not only the corpses of lifeforms, but also ces dense with Negative Energy brought forth life under the Nether Moon¡¯s illumination. A few enlightened beings bathed in the moonlight, regarding the Nether Moon as the source of life. The wraiths call it the Primitive Moon, because in their blurry memories, there was a moon on earth too, but it cameter than the one in the Underworld. Moreover, most importantly, only the Primitive Moon can reverse life and death, and grant them rebirth. The nascent worship of celestial bodies began to spread, with the meager Power of Faith flowing toward the Nether Moon. Laine was aware of the changes in the outside world, but like the humans, before the third era, it was not yet the time for these mundane entities to enter the scene. Furthermore, even though the existence of the Spirit Realm had deprived the Underworld of the ownership of souls, this ce near the Source Power of the ¡°Darkness¡± of Chaos naturally became the homnd of the wraiths. Previously, because the moonlight of the Nether Mooncked strength, they couldn¡¯t truly e to life.¡¯ But now, with the involvement of Magic Power, the spirit can easily influence matter, and hence the undead were born. However, while Laine was organizing the affairs of the Spirit Realm umted over seven hundred years, in a ce unknown to him, a ndestine meeting was taking ce in a lightless domain. In the past, relying on his ¡®prescience¡¯ of mythological trajectories, everything seemed to be within Laine¡¯s expectations. He was like a yer standing outside the world, lightly touching the threads of fate, making the gods dance like puppets. But as the Spirit Realm grew stronger, the interference of ¡°Destined¡± forces by the ¡°Indeterminate Destiny¡± became more and more significant, and not even he knew how many paths of fate had already changed. He saw some of them, such as changes in the starry sky, such as the changes in the Divine King, but in Laine¡¯s eyes, these were all within his expectations. Yet obviously, some things that were beyond his anticipation had been set into motion the day the Spirit Realm was opened. Not all gods will act as he expects. Some do so out of simple emotion, others hunger for something further. The Realm of Lightness, true to its name, is a ce where everything is ¡®nothing.¡¯ If one does not possess sufficient strength, even mere existence cannot be maintained here, for pure Darkness will devour all. Yet to the two conversing at this moment, the peril of the Realm of Lightness is nothing more than a joke. ¡°Gaia, you see it, don¡¯t you?¡± At the edge of the domain, beside the green-d figure, a calm and maic male voice slowly came. If one were to only hear the voice, perhaps everyone would think it belonged to a schrly man with a belly full of poetry and literature. ¡°Yes, Erebus, he has created another god, and he has even snatched it from the hands of the world,¡± Gaia said. ¡°The Spirit Realm¡­ Through this interface, he can do many things beyond your imagination,¡± Erebus replied. Watching the sudden change in the moonlight in the sky, the woman in the green dress did not hide her emotions; or rather, she was never good at hiding them. She doesn¡¯t like Laine and never has. When the severely depleted Life Vase returned to her hands thousands of years ago, this dislike turned into fury. At first, Gaia wanted to retaliate. If she wished, the earth and the Underworld would move ordingly, and all life bearing the aura of the Spirit Realm would be targeted by this current part of existence, and this was just the beginning. She wanted to imprison Laine deep within the earth and after he surrendered the other half of the dominion over life, make him pay the price for his actions. However, Erebus persuaded her at that time. The Dark Overlord told Gaia that with the opening of the Spirit Realm, Laine could no longer be imprisoned. He was one with the Spirit Realm, or rather, he was the ¡®personification¡¯ of the Spirit Realm, but he was not like the Primordial Gods, dissociated from his own ¡®essence.¡¯ For Laine, even if his external divine body was destroyed, he could be reborn in the realm at any time. The part of the Life Vase that was lost was simrly integrated into the Spirit Realm, and had be nearly impossible to reim. Thus, Gaia¡¯s unvented rage shrouded the earth for three years. But she had not given up on revenge; instead, she harbored her fury deep within her heart. ¡°When you urged me to stop back then, Erebus, but now you have called me here again,¡± she said. ¡°If you have something in mind, just say it. You have what you want, but I only wish for him to know that the earth is not so easily deceived,¡± she said. The voice was somewhat indifferent, Gaia knew, Erebus was no kind-hearted individual. Most likely, he wanted her to do something, something that only she was capable of. But Gaia didn¡¯t care. Inter times, she might support Zeus on behalf of the Titans, or she might turn against Zeus because of the Titans¡¯ imprisonment in the Abyss. Throughout the process, she seemed to gain nothing and instead lost much of her power. But that was Mother Earth; she seldom cared about benefits and was more concerned with momentary emotions. As long as she could get her revenge, she was willing to pay some extra price. ¡°Heh, don¡¯t talk like that, my dear sister, maybe I simply wanted to help you?¡± Erebus chuckled at Gaia¡¯s words, his mood seeming rather good today. But Mother Earth¡¯s expression remained icy cold. If he genuinely cared, he could have shown it when Uranus was still around. But he watched as she faced pain. This so-called concern was nothing but a joke. On the other side, seeing Gaia had no intention of responding, Erebus was unconcerned. As she had said, he approached her because naturally, there was something he himself could not do. In the domain of Life, although Mother Earth only harnessed the power of her apanying Divine Artifact, she was beyond the reach of The Dark Overlord. ¡°You know, Gaia, thousands of years ago, right here on earth, the gods created life,¡± he began. With his right hand, he parted the Darkness in front of him, and the lives in the Underworld that were created that day emerged before the two Ancient Gods. Ironically, they had long since died, and what moved now were new lives born from the carcasses. ¡°They used your Life Vase to endow living beings with bodies, and Laine used the well water to grant them souls. Without surprise, the well that scattered the souls was crafted from the Source Power of life, a Divine Artifact molded from the same whole as the Life Vase,¡± he continued. ¡°Yes,¡± Gaia replied, ¡°I don¡¯t need you to remind me how he used what originally belonged to me, to bestow souls before my very eyes.¡± ¡°You misunderstand, I am not mocking you, in fact, I¡¯m merely emphasizing that in the domain of life, the bodies and souls of beings do intersect,¡± Erebus shook his head as he exined. But to Gaia, it sounded as if he was describing her failure in another way. ¡°So, what have you discovered?¡± Gaia was growing impatient, having never realized how unpleasant her brother¡¯s character was. ¡°Don¡¯t rush, my sister,¡± he said with a light chuckle, watching the wraiths wandering in the scene and speaking slowly: ¡°I simply found some secrets about life through the bifurcated Divine Artifact.¡± Chapter 67 - 44 Infiltration Chapter 67: Chapter 44 Infiltration Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Do you know, Gaia, that all things need nourishment to grow?¡± ¡°The world draws strength from its own cycles and the void, while the gods extract power from their corresponding symbols through godhood. One quality transforms into another, and equivalent exchange is the unchangingw of this world.¡± ¡°So what?¡± Gaia frowned as she listened to Erebus¡¯s words: ¡°Of course, I know this.¡± ¡°Even the nts that I create need to draw nutrients from the earth, and I don¡¯t need you to teach me that. What do all these things you are saying have to do with life and the soul?¡± With a faint smile, Erebus remained unhurried. Perhaps influenced by his godhood, The Dark Overlord quite enjoyed the sensation of revealing secrets bit by bit. ¡°Is that so? Then tell me, my sister, nts draw their nutrients from the earth, but where do those lives created by the gods obtain the strength to maintain their existence from?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you see?¡± Gaia felt this was another pointless question: ¡°They eat nts, or they eat each other. They drink water to maintain the bnce of elements in their bodies, what¡¯s wrong with that?¡± ¡°Of course, that¡¯s wrong,¡± Erebus said sinctly: ¡°If ¡®life¡¯ could not be divided, then I would also think that¡¯s normal. But since the body and the soul can exist independently, why can a life feed on the body of another life, yet its soul does not feed on the soul of another life? ¡°Where does the soul get its nourishment if it doesn¡¯t have a ¡®feeding¡¯ process?¡± Gaia fell silent, as she began to vaguely understand what the other was trying to say. ¡°The nutrients for a body¡¯s growth are water and nts, but for a soul to grow, its nourishment is the body itself.¡± ¡°It needs nothing else,¡± Erebus¡¯s gaze grew profound: ¡°Nurtured by the body¡¯s warmth, it directly harnesses power from the intersection between the two in the field of ¡®life¡¯, directly drawing strength from the former.¡± ¡°And as time passes, bodies develop, mature, age, and so do souls, but thetter¡¯s cycle is much longer.¡± ¡°So in the end, they will all return as one, bing a part of that world. Do you know what this means?¡± ¡°It means every soul is a seed, and the material world is the soil from which it germinates. When a life¡¯s body reaches its end, the fruit known as ¡®soul¡¯ is ripe.¡± Mother Earth spoke slowly, also somewhat shocked by the realization. Chaos draws power from the primordial chaos, transforming it into leaderless Source Power, thereby continuously perfecting the world. Meanwhile, the Spirit Realm takes the material world as chaos, drawing power from it, constantly perfecting itself. Indistinctly, Gaia seemed to see, at the end of time, the day when the Spirit Realm would stand shoulder to shoulder with the material world. From the perspective of Chaos itself, it¡¯s hard to say whether this is good or bad, because the growth of spirituality in itself strengthens the effect of the world¡¯s inner cycle. But for the material world, oriented towards matter and order, this certainly isn¡¯t good news. Just as the world grows increasingly mighty, yet Mother Earth¡¯s power grows ever weaker, Gaia knew this all too well. ¡°No, that¡¯s not right,¡± suddenly Mother Earth realized something: ¡°Given the current state of these lives and their weak natures, even if their numbers were to increase ten million times or more, even if they covered the earth, that still wouldn¡¯t mean much to Chaos.¡± ¡°Stop with your rmist talk, Erebus. What exactly do you want me to do?¡± Raising an eyebrow, seeing his sister catching on, The Dark Overlord was a tad disappointed. When he first discovered this, he was genuinely shocked, but then he realized that drawing strength in this manner was like scooping water from the sea with a basin, and that too, a sea constantly fed by rivers and streams. Unless the number of intelligent beings counts in the hundreds of millions, and unless their level of life can be raised not just by one tier, it would sound pleasant, but practically meaningless. The power derived from the world¡¯s self-sustaining operation in one day surpasses what the souls of those mundane objects could transform in a hundred years. ¡°It¡¯s simple.¡± ¡°Next time,¡± he said, ¡°when this batch of life dies, the next time you create life, I want you to incorporate this into it.¡± He stretched out his hand, and an undefined mass of dark gas wavered in Erebus¡¯s palm. At first, Gaia did not recognize it, but soon she sensed its essence. It was ¡°Darkness¡±. In terms of quantity, it was very weak, weaker even than the power of a territorial god, but it was also very pure, for it came directly from the body of the Primordial Gods. ¡°Darkness¡­ Erebus, I don¡¯t mind being your tool this once, but I hope you can think of a more reasonable method.¡± ¡°Tobine it with the Prime Liquid in the Life Vase, I can do that. But to expose life directly to Source Power, madness would be their only oue; with such an obvious change, do you think he would not notice?¡± Disappointed, Gaia did not expect that her brother woulde up with such a method. ¡°That¡¯s why I want you to dilute it as much as possible,¡± Erebus said indifferently, ¡°like a drop of Divine Power entering the ocean, there will be no problem as long as the amount is small enough.¡± ¡°Of course, given its nature, it might distort the thinking of life, but it won¡¯tpletely destroy their rationality.¡± ¡°Just find a reason, like how you previously created humans with only ¡®positive¡¯ emotions, and now you want to do the reverse, to create humans with more negative emotions. Do I need to teach you that?¡± ¡°¡­I understand, but can this help me deal with him?¡± Mother Earth hesitantly nodded, yet she was somewhat puzzled. She could see that he was using this method to infiltrate his power into the Spirit Realm, but how could this pose any threat to Laine? This bit of power would not be taken seriously by any god with Intermediate Divine Power or above, let alone Laine, who was in the Spirit Realm. In the external world, Divine Power would limit his strength. But in the Spirit Realm, the realm itself is his power. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t you understand yet, my dear sister?¡± Erebus said, a god does not die. So if you want to deal with him, you must first understand him, understand how to target his world.¡± Erebus was somewhat at a loss for words. Although he did not understand what good merely venting would do, he still patiently persevered in order to gain Gaia¡¯s assistance. After all, he knew nothing about the domain of life. ¡°When my Source Power enters the Spirit Realm, I have no expectation of it returning, but after all, it¡¯s just an insignificant bit, and the souls of mortals can only carry so much.¡± ¡°Laine harvests power through souls, so he will definitely return the souls to their origin. This must be done via the Origin of the Spirit Realm, and this is my goal.¡± ¡°I want part of me toe into contact with the root of the Spirit Realm,¡± Erebus looked straight at his sister, ¡°and then I will know how the Spirit Realm was created.¡± ¡°No one tells the truth to an unweed visitor whoes knocking at their door, Gaia, so I have never believed Laine¡¯s exnations. I don¡¯t want him to tell me anything, I want to see for myself.¡± ¡°Of course, when it gets to that point, Laine will surely notice my actions. He will intercept that Source Power, but I¡¯ll get the chance to break free from Chaos, and you, you can find out his weakness.¡± Chapter 68 - 45: The Rift Chapter 68: Chapter 45: The Rift Trantor: 549690339 Watching his sister gradually bing moved, The Dark Overlord couldn¡¯t help but sneer in his heart. ¡°Weakness?¡± First of all, it¡¯s uncertain whether a weakness truly exists in the world, and even if it does, Erebus would never reveal it. He himself also wanted to take that step, and if he seeded in creating the world, he would be too busy concealing it to allow anyone else to discover its secrets. After all, Laine is a clever person. Even if she suffers a setback, she certainly wouldn¡¯t disclose it. He had even thought that if he could also create a world, although he woulde into conflict with Laine over the yet unimed power, they might still form an alliance against the current world. Meanwhile, Gaia couldn¡¯t understand why, but upon hearing her brother¡¯s exnation, her first reaction wasn¡¯t admiration for his cunning strategy or the potential gains from sess, but rather a feeling that both Laine and Erebus seemed somewhat out of ce among the Chaotic Gods. In her memory, the gods would brawl if they were strong enough, or seek allies if they weren¡¯t, at most using some strategies to rally support orunch a surprise attack. Erebus¡¯s approach was indeed rare. ¡°I will do it.¡± Mother Earth finally said, ¡°If Cronus does not wish to create a second generation of humanity, then I shall lead the endeavor.¡± ¡°He disregards my will and refuses to release Oranides and Cucrops from the Abyss; then I will not concern myself with his thoughts.¡± ¡°I will do as you ask, but whether the oue will be as you hope, that¡¯s no longer my concern.¡± Upon hearing this, Erebus nodded; he had finally persuaded Gaia. He couldn¡¯t guarantee that this attempt would definitely seed, but it was the only method he could think of. Soon after, Gaia left with that power, while The Dark Overlord, after watching Mother Earth depart, stood at the edge of his domain, gazing out over the Land of Eternal Night that enveloped the other half of the Underworld. Compared to Gaia, he was actually more interested in joining forces with Nyx. If the power of ¡°Secrecy¡± could also be brought in, the n would be infallible. But he was also aware that if one could say his sister truly had limited means, his younger sister was simply disinterested in such schemes. She did not harbor a strong desire to be more powerful. If possible, she could even be content living in seclusion for eternity. Breaking free from the control of Chaos would be great if it were possible, but it wouldn¡¯t matter if it wasn¡¯t; as Primordial Gods, as long as they did not fully personify like Gaia, they would notpletely fall from the domain of Great Divine Power. Erebus understood this mindset because a long time ago, he had thought the same. If it weren¡¯t for the emergence of Laine, he might have also remained alone in the Realm of Lightness, watching the changes in the outside world until the end of time. ¡°I hope it will be sessful.¡± ¡°But if it fails, I can still ept it. As an Eternal, I have many more opportunities.¡± With a slight shake of his head, for Erebus, the greatest cost of a failed mission would be to raise Laine¡¯s vignce. But action always leads to consequences. In any case, The Dark Overlord was ready to face another enemy. Especially after that Source Power is triggered, whether or not he achieves the result he wants, he will regard Laine as his rival. But before that, he still had one more thing to do. ¡°Come¡ª¡± With a clear call, in the next moment, within his true body, Erebus truly mobilized the power of the ¡°Great Divine Power.¡± Under the power of the Primordial Gods, everything that took ce today was devoured by darkness, turning into the essence of ¡®secrecy¡¯, curtailing even fate to a certain extent. ¡°Huff¡ª¡± A bit winded, even within his own body, wielding power of this caliber was no small burden. It wasn¡¯t the sheer power that exerted pressure on him, but rather, the capability to a certain extent to interfere with fate, and that was the real challenge. ¡°I hope the gains will be worth my effort.¡± Standing at the edge of the Realm of Lightness, Erebus began to anticipate the results of his scheming. Since Laine returned to the Spirit Realm, another five hundred years had passed in a sh. During these five hundred years, the situation in Chaos has been ever-changing. The war in the sky was approaching its end, and although Cronus had slowed down his offensive due to Laine¡¯s return and the changes to the Nether Moon, after decades without further disturbances from the Underworld, the warfare reignited. Now, over seventy percent of the stars had submitted to the Divine King, and the God of Stars in those regions had also turned. The remaining areas, apart from those allocated to the domains of God of Meteorology Coeus, were all that Hyperion had left. Only around the vicinity of the Sun, where the God of Sun¡¯s power was unprecedentedly strong, did the Queen of Gods and God of Meteorology have to slow down their pace. Meanwhile, at sea, the Sea Gods experienced for the first time what the power of strategy could do. Battles between potent Divine Powers rarely had clear oues, but under Metis¡¯s leadership, the God of the Ocean¡¯s lineage made rapid progress elsewhere. They avoided the battlefields of the Principal Gods and squeezed the territorial domains of the near-sea deities. Pontus¡¯s offspring were exhausted by the struggle, always one step behind. If not for the diminishing warfare in the stars, Pontus would likely have had difficulty maintaining even hisst bastions in the masterless seas. Following this, ¡®Metis the Wise¡¯ became a well-known name across thends and seas. In keeping with the tradition of the God of the Ocean¡¯s lineage, many deities visited her to express their affections, but the Goddess of Wisdom rejected them all. Compared to the other gods, she preferred to spend time with the Golden Humanity that survived the divine war. She taught them ¡®Hydrology¡¯ that she had created, enabling them to understand the ocean¡¯s currents and climate. Thus, the humans of the sea left traces vastly different from those onnd. In such times, in the stars above, Coeus¡¯s second daughter, the God of Stars Asteria, gave birth to a daughter with the God of Material Destruction Perse. And with the birth of this child, the rtionship between Coeus and the Divine King, which had been rtively harmonious, suddenly developed a rift. Chapter 69 - 46 The Goddess Abandoned by the World Chapter 69: Chapter 46 The Goddess Abandoned by the World Trantor: 549690339 Atop Mount Othrys, within the pce of the Divine King. The gods were seated in a circle, the atmosphere tinged with oppression. The just-born infanty on the long table at the center, with rtives from both sides present, save for the Goddess of Meteor and her sister. From the seat of honor, Cronus cast a nce over the deities assembled before him and could not help but curse his own luck internally. His throne¡¯s power would have surged within a hundred years, at most two or three hundred, after Crius had secured his reign over the majority of the celestial space and the God of Stars had sorted out the energy tides brought about by the divine wars. But the problem had to arise precisely now, between the God of Meteorology and his greatest supporter. Coeus had no interest in the strife for the stars, true to his godhood as a deity of lightless celestial bodies. He sought no brilliance, but Phoebe, his wife, thought otherwise. Persuaded by the deity of bright bodies, he joined the war in the name of the rtionship between his second daughter and Crius¡¯s son, Perse. Though they did not exert their full strength and only confronted Theia, the goddess of light and sight, without truly shing, it was this standoff that held the key to victory or defeat in the war. But all wasing to an end. If the current problem could not be resolved, even Phoebe would set aside her scheming and sever her ties with the lineage of the Divine Kingpletely. ¡°¡­Her name is Hecate, correct?¡± Feeling the heavy atmosphere and her husband¡¯s mood, Rhea, the Heavenly Empress, spoke up to break the silence. ¡°She looks very cute, she will certainly be a beautiful goddess when she grows up.¡± As the Heavenly Empress¡¯s words fell, no one took up the conversation. Cronus¡¯s heart sank gradually; he knew that even Crius might be regretting his actions at this moment. After all, the gods are immortal, and divine authority is eternal, but these wereughable concepts in the face of Chaos. While no deity had been heard of as killed by the world, the sight of a new god tearing apart a godhood had been personally witnessed by many. Even now, Cronus himself couldn¡¯t help but feel a trace of apprehension toward the female infant before him. A deity without godhood, this was a first since Chaos created the world. Even those called ¡®territorial gods¡¯ with a Divine Power Level of ¡®0¡¯ by Laine, at least had a river, a spring, a small celestial body, or a mountain mound as their domain. These objectively existing things might not be as eternally indestructible as natural rules, but they were sufficient to provide them with divine power, to maintain the existence of their form. But this infant was different. Even as Divine King, Cronus could not sense any connection between her and anything else. A deity without a source of Divine Power meant that for every bit of power she used, she lost just as much. It would only take a bit of ¡®minor¡¯ damage for her to potentially fall into an eternal slumber much like the ¡®death¡¯ of a mortal being. True Gods did not concern themselves with territorial gods precisely because of this. Once their ¡®territory¡¯ was destroyed and the remaining Divine Power exhausted, they might continue to ¡®live¡¯ in concept, but it would be no different from death. And Hecate before them was even worse off, for apart from her immortal essence, she was no different from the humans upon the earth. ¡°Coeus, she may not have godhood, but I can attempt to give her one,¡± Cronus said, with a vaciting tone, looking at the God of Stars. ¡°While such godhood may only rely on the power of the Divine King, at least¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of godhood, Your Majesty, it is a warning from the world.¡± Perseus suddenly spoke up. The atmosphere in the room instantly solidified. Although everyone had been thinking it, no one had voiced it until Perseus disregarded all caution. As the God of Material Destruction and the father of Hecate, even though he was now weak, he had been expected to belong to a domain of great Divine Power. But by his father¡¯s and the Divine King¡¯s design, he was forced to unite with a Goddess of Meteor, who was only a level 2 in Divine Power. He did not know that in the original mythology, he would have been moved by her over a long period of time. However, perhaps due to rebellion under oppression, he had grown to loathe Asteria instead. ¡°Divine King Your Majesty, forgive my frankness,¡± he said, seemingly respectful as he looked at Cronus, but his words were aimed to wound, ¡°Perhaps the world does not wish for a ruler who governs all.¡± ¡°Just like the once Heavenly Father, absolute power only brings pain; thus, He sent this child, to tell us that all of this was a mistake¡ª¡± Boom¡ª An invisible pressure descended upon him. It was not the power of the Divine King but rather from his ¡®father-inw.¡¯ The typically reticent God of Stars showed his power for the first time in front of the second-generation Titans, leaving Perse¡¯s words stuck in his throat, unable to speak any further.Y0u can read sh0rt, t0uching, and r0mantic st0ries ab0ut c0uples, as well as children¡¯s st0ries f0r free 0n sitest0rys(.)c0m In Chaos, aside from Life and Death, the forces of the dark are always stronger than those of the light. Even Cronus suddenly realized that his silent brother had surreptitiously reached this stage. ¡°Perseus, I know you have always disdained Asteria,¡± Coeus¡¯s voice was not loud, but it was serious and powerful. ¡°Since you¡¯re so opposed to your ¡®oppressive¡¯ wife, let¡¯s end it here. However, from today on, the starry sky will no longer wee you.¡± ¡°Heh¡ª¡± The pressure disappeared, and Perseus gasped for air. He looked at his father, but the God of Meteorology remained silent. Not to mention his recent rants in front of the Divine King, even Crius himself was no match for Coeus. In terms of battle, Meteorology also only relied on some of Wind¡¯s power. Thunderbolts inter times would expand its domain, but from the day of its birth, it had its master. As one of the rare Titans to be imprisoned in Tartarus, Crius¡¯s downfall was not without reason. ¡°¡ªAll right, I misspoke just now, Prince Coeus, and Divine King, but¡ª¡± Looking around and finding no support, Perseus wasn¡¯t surprised. He took a moment topose himself and said indifferently: ¡°However, as the father of such a ¡®God of Punishment¡¯, I am deeply unsettled. From now on, the matters of the Divine Court will have nothing to do with me.¡± ¡°I intend to visit the Underworld, or perhaps, the sea.¡± The God of Destruction was fearless. After speaking, he turned and walked away, without a care for the expressions of the other deities behind him. Narrowing his eyes, with space itself seeming to stagnate around him, Cronus was somewhat enraged by the arrogance of the deity before him. But until the other left The Temple, he made no additional moves. If it were another time, he would never have allowed such insolence. But at this moment, as the orchestrator of the rtionship between the other and the Goddess of Meteor, he tolerated Perseus. Chapter 70 - 47 Exile Chapter 70: Chapter 47 Exile Trantor: 549690339 ¡°The warning of the world, huh¡­¡± The Divine King had been warned by the world, in this Chaos World that had evolved at an elerated pace because of Laine, which was a ¡®reward¡¯ even Uranus hadn¡¯t had the chance to enjoy. At this moment, even Cronus himself couldn¡¯t help but ponder whether Chaos truly did not want him meddling with the starry sky, so the world, devoid of subjective consciousness, used this unique ¡®god¡¯ to caution him. Even as he looked at the infant girl before him, if it weren¡¯t for the fact that she didn¡¯t exhibit the ¡®special¡¯ appearance of the Hekatonkheires, Cronus wouldn¡¯t dare be certain whether she was truly a god or not. ¡°Cronus, although I¡¯m sorry, I might have to retreat for a while,¡± the God of Meteorology spoke again amidst the stiff atmosphere. Upon hearing this, the Divine King¡¯s expression changed slightly, and Phoebe at his side opened her mouth but eventually chose not to speak. She craved the limelight, indeed, but she knew that the fundamental reason for the Divine King¡¯s regard for her was her husband. Now that he had made his decision, she wouldn¡¯t persist in her own views. ¡°Your Majesty,¡± she thus spoke, ¡°as my husband said, we fear we might withdraw from this conflict.¡± ¡°If you still wish to act against the sky, I advise you to make preparations early.¡± ¡°¡­Very well.¡± After a moment of silence, Cronus took a deep breath and ultimately epted this. After all, aiding Cronus in controlling the starry sky really held no apparent benefits for Coeus. Unwilling to risk inciting the wrath of the currentws of the world, it came as no surprise to the Divine King. But remembering that even his brutal father had not experienced such events, Cronus felt some irritability in his heart. Along with it came discontent with the nature of the world itself. First, it chose a tyrant. After he assumed the throne, it only added to his troubles. Cronus couldn¡¯t understand what he, as the Divine King, wascking. He had never disrupted the order of the world; on the contrary, he had continuously built upon it. ¡°¡­Before today, I hadn¡¯t expected such a thing to ur,¡± he said. ¡°But this child¡ª¡± ¡°Throw her into the Abyss, Cronus,¡± the Goddess of Luminous said coldly. ¡°She has no godhood, so even if she is confined there, nothing will happen. Just let her eternally slumber there.¡± Today marked the end of the rtionship between Asteria and Perse, and Phoebe¡¯s hope to be like her sister Theia had also ended, all because of the birth of this child. As a deity of Chaos, the stability of parent-child rtionships was never guaranteed, and rtions between generations were no different than with strangers. For her granddaughter, Phoebe felt only aversion. ¡°Forget it, Phoebe.¡± Coeus, however, shook his head and dissuaded his wife. He remembered his second daughter¡¯s request beforeing to the Mount of the Gods. Despite her dislike for Perse and the child as well, faced with the baby¡¯s innocentrge eyes, she had pleaded with her father not to cast her into the Abyss. ¡°Exile her instead, let her go to the Earth to live and perish on her own.¡± ¡°Her meager divine power is almost non-existent, and as a newborn deity, she will not remember the events surrounding her birth. Let her believe she was a mundane creature created by the gods, living among mortals. What do you think, Crius?¡± As he spoke, Coeus looked at his ¡®former inw¡¯. ¡°Of course, my brother, let¡¯s do as you suggest,¡± Crius naturally had no reason to object; he was equally devoid of sentiment towards this newborn deity called Hecate. As a deity, her birth elicited only one response from thew, which was to proim her true name. Such offspring held no interest for the God of Meteorology. ncing at his two brothers, since a conclusion had been reached, Cronus hesitated no more. He mobilized the authority of the Divine King, and a formidable power close to Divine Power Level 20 surged within him. No matter what the birth of this child signified, he had to show his brothers that his authority as Divine King had only increased, not diminished from the past. ¡°In the name of the Divine King¡ª¡± He gently raised the scepter in his hand, its three gemstones glinting brightly. Just as Cronus had anticipated, feeling the undiminished power of the Divine King, the other four Titans present all breathed sighs of relief. Regardless of whether thews of the current world were discontented, since the instigator, the Divine King, was unharmed, they naturally would not face any more serious consequences. This actually made the God of Meteorology abandon the idea of withdrawing from the Mount of the Gods. He was not a subordinate of Cronus; if there were any disagreements, he could always choose to leave. ¡°Perse and Asteria¡¯s daughter, Hecate, born on the day of the spirit count, your existence has vited the majesty of the gods, and you have brought shame upon the Deity Race. Now, by the authority of the Divine King, I banish you from the divine fold; from this moment on, you are no longer a member of the Titan Deity n.¡± ¡°Beginning today, you will only associate with mortal things. The domains of the gods will close their gates to you. Redeem yourself in your eternal life, for this is my final judgment upon you.¡± The majestic voice echoed in the hall, the sound traveling from Mount Othrys but strictly confined to the nearby sky. The next moment, wrapped in divine power, the infant girl was flung from the mountain and plummeted towards thend below. Divine power collided with the air currents, and the interaction of light and heat turned the falling light fiery red. It fell from the sky to the earth, signifying the fall of a deity to the mortal realm. ¡°Cohen, leader of the humans, my servant.¡± Cronus did not speak, yet his voice invisibly transferred to the earth below. To ensure that this unexpected offspring faced no other mishaps, Cronus cast her directly toward the human tribal settlement near the mountain and used his divine power to issue amand to the leader of the humans. In the past, he had done this more than once. And unlike the gods, humans always saw his will as the highest honor. ¡°Born of a god yet abhorred by the Deity Race, she is Hecate, the impure sinner. She will live among humans from now on, but without permission, no one shall privately converse with her.¡± Themand spread to the earth, reaching the ears of the human in hemp clothing before the temple. A thousand years had passed, and Cohen¡¯s appearance was unchanged, showing no signs of aging. He wasn¡¯t startled by the voice that appeared suddenly by his ear; instead, he watched a fiery orb fall from the heavens, striking before the temple and melting the stone b at its doors into a hollow space. As the me and heat dissipated, a tiny life form he had never seen before appeared there. She was bathed in mes yet remained unharmed. Without any superfluous emotions, Cohen prostrated on the ground as usual, offering prayers to the deity. ¡°I obey, great King of All Gods.¡± Faced with the divine edict, the Golden Humanity needed not to think. What the gods say is right. Just as fire raining from the sky heralds disaster. Chapter 71 - 48: Fire from the Sky Chapter 71: Chapter 48: Fire from the Sky Trantor: 549690339 Kneeling in front of the temple, he prayed silently for a long time before Cohen stood up. He looked at the infant girl before him and lifted up the swaddling clothes that enveloped her. She was created by the divine power of Leto, the Goddess of Nursery, the sister of Asteria. Compared to other gods, Leto and the Goddess of Meteor did show a trace of pity for Hecate, but that was all. Out of fear for thews of the current world, both goddesses also regarded her as a cmity. Just as in Laine¡¯s previous life, mortals would fear fire, storms, and the zing sun, though actually, these elements had no consciousness of their own. Simrly, the gods of Chaos also felt fear, even though the will that caused their fear had never cast even a fleeting ¡®gaze¡¯ upon Hecate. Fear stems from the unknown. And since the inception of Chaos, besides Laine, who opened the Spirit Realm, only the Primordial Gods had some deep understanding of the logic of the current world¡¯s operation. Clearly, the tenuous kinship among deities was not enough for them to confront their fears. ¡°Hecate, is that her name?¡± He sighed. As humans were a species created first and naturally born as adults, Cohen was unaware that the little infant before him could actually grow up. Seeing such a harmless creature identified as a sinner, Cohen also felt some reluctance. But Golden Humanity would not question the gods, so he merely thought there was somethingcking in his own thoughts. It seemed as if sensing something, Hecate, who had only been born for half a day, turned her ck eyes and giggled at Cohen who held her. Clearly, the young deity did not seem to realize that her fate had just taken an abrupt turn. ¡°When fire descends from the sky, cmities will arise.¡± ¡°Just uncertain where this disaster will strike this time?¡± The wars of the gods in the heavens are beyond the observation and understanding of mortals. But whenever stars are shattered, the fragments that fall to the Mortal Realm always bring disasters. Moreover, the shattering of stars often signifies that a God of Stars has lost their dwelling and is about to enter eternal slumber. Hence in the past, gods told humanity that when streaks of light crossed the sky, an unknown disaster was unfolding in some corner of the world. Hecate was born from the falling light, bathed in fire, and she herself was despised by the gods. Cohen did not know where the disaster originated from, but his nature as Golden Humanity made him worried about it. Shaking his head, the priority was to execute the Divine King¡¯smand. Cohen turned around, looking towards the Golden Humanity drawn by the anomaly and gathering around. ¡°King, has the great Divine King conveyed another divine oracle to you?¡± Someone in the crowd asked. Seeing this, people turned their gaze towards Cohen. They felt a hint of envy, after all, for the people of the Golden Age, listening to a divine oracle was the greatest honor. ¡°Yes.¡± Nodding slightly, Cohen held up the swaddling clothes in his hands. His gaze slowly swept over the crowd, looking at every human. ¡°Her name is Hecate, another creature created by the gods.¡± Facing the gathered crowd, Cohen solemnly said, ¡°But she is inherently guilty, and the gods are displeased with her.¡± At his words, there was a moment of unrest in the crowd, but it soon calmed down. The innate reverence for the gods made them instinctively dislike this life they had never seen before, but the people of the Golden Agecked negative emotions, so they couldn¡¯t harbor feelings of animosity towards her. However, the will of the gods supersedes all; regardless of personal thoughts, humans would choose obedience in the face of a Divine King¡¯s decree. ¡°The great King of All Gods, Cronus who rules over everything from atop Mount Othrys, has passed down his decree. Hemanded that she live among us, but without permission, no one is tomunicate with her.¡± ¡°From this moment forth, all are forbidden to speak of her rtion to the gods, and I will build a house for this life at the farthest ce from the temple.¡± ¡°What about food?¡± someone asked, ¡°What does she eat, and what do we need to prepare for her?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± Cohen shook his head, ¡°She requires no food or drink. Though she will feel hunger, it will not kill her.¡± ¡°Let her fend for herself, it seems the bodily suffering must be the deities¡¯ punishment for her, and we shouldply.¡± ¡°Ensure she¡¯s not harmed by other lives, but that¡¯s all we shall do. Beyond this, we do nothing.¡± To stand by as others suffer was not an easy decision for Golden Humanity. But if it was the will of the gods, it was not hard to ept. ¡°Since the gods do not allow us to reveal her past, should I still record the events of today?¡± Another asked. It was Hewa, among the Golden Humanity, the one responsible for recording History. In the beginning, humans carved every interaction with the gods onto the pirs of the temple. Later, when the pirs were filled, they began recording on huge Stone bs. Humans originated from divine creation, and present civilization stemmed from the Civilization te, so they fashioned their records after the te¡¯s likeness, erecting it before each temple, chronicling the past with images and writing. ¡°¡­Record it, but omit any parts rted to the gods.¡± After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Cohen finally decided, ¡°Hecate, born into light on the night of spirit count, emerged from fire, the person of original sin; her arrival to the Mortal Realm on the night of the spirit count would bring disaster to the world.¡± ¡°But remember, Hewa, all this is the judgement of Humans, unrted to the gods.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Hearing this, Hewa nodded. Humans are not eternal, he was aware of this. Compared to the lifespan of humans, stones endure much longer. To enshrine these Stone bs that record history in front of the temples was Hewa¡¯s way of expressing his reverence to the gods. After addressing a few more questions and seeing that there were no objections from those present, Cohen waved his hand to dismiss the surrounding humans. Turning around, he left Hecate in front of the temple, instructing a dedicated person to watch over her, and then set off toward a distant forest with only two others. It was one of the ces where Golden Humanity obtained their water, and he nned to build a dwelling for this being from the heavens in the center of that forest, near a small river. The gods did not require him to provide Hecate with food, but the nature of Golden Humanity made it difficult for him to watch another life suffer. Thus, Cohen decided to build the dwelling there. If this being possessed Wisdom and knew how to learn, then she would be able to find food in the forest and draw water from the river by herself. But if she were as ignorant as those also created by the gods yetcked the capacity for thought like humans, then that was her fate. Just as they revered the gods, Golden Humanity also revered fate. Based on the fragments they understood from the words of the gods, they knew that fate and Wisdom seemed to be closely linked. If Hecatecked Wisdom, it indicated that even fate had forsaken her, and suffering was her only oue. Chapter 72 - 49 The God Who Grew up in the Mortal Realm Chapter 72: Chapter 49 The God Who Grew up in the Mortal Realm Trantor: 549690339 On the night of spiritual counts, meteors fell from the sky, and in the blink of an eye, more than seventy years had passed. Time hurried by, but for humans, apart from the more frequent abnormal twinkling of the sun and the increasinglymon sight of falling stars, nothing much around Mount Othrys had changed. The environment had not changed because it was influenced by the power of Mount of the Gods, where it was evergreen all year round, and the scenery remained as usual. The humans had not changed, naturally, because that is just how the people of the Golden Age were. If not for that unexpected dream, perhaps they would have remained unchanged until the day they died. However, in the monotonous flow of life, there was a little anomaly. The creature who had once been brought to the human tribe was gradually growing up. She had an appearance like a deity, yet she was different from humans. Humans resembled male gods; she resembled a female goddess, though she was a goddess who never grew up. Even though the humans, following the Divine King¡¯smand, never interacted with her, with the passing of time, some of her peculiar traits inevitably began to circte among them. The sinner who stole the authority of deities, that is what humans called her and the power she held. Just like the records of Hecate¡¯s descent, this too was engraved on the stone tablets, forever remaining in front of the temple. Sasa¡­ Sasa¡ª Barefoot on the forest leaves, listening to the sound of the wind passing through the leaves. With red hair and a red dress, Hecate walked with a light step along the stream, heading towards her little cabin. ¡°Lla¡ª, finally, I can go back~¡± Humming a tune, having finished a morning¡¯s practice at the edge of the woods, Hecate was in a very good mood. Or rather, except for her childhood, Hecate¡¯s mood was always quite cheerful. She was not very tall, by future standards, she was about one meter fifty-something in height. But matched with her youthful cheeks, it did not seem out of ce. It might have been due to the scarcity of Divine Power, or perhaps for some other reason, but it took a full fifty years for this deity who was originally a minor goddess of crossroads and mistress of souls in the Underworld, to finally enter the stage of rapid growth for a deity. Then, another twenty or so years passed, and Hecate¡¯s appearance remained that of a fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl, without a sign of further aging. ¡°Uncle Cohen, it¡¯s you again~¡± Moving on, at a nearby bend in the stream, Cohen was standing next to arge barrel, too big for one person to embrace, scooping water with a woodendle. However, in response to Hecate¡¯s greeting, Cohen only twitched the corner of his eye, then gave no further reply. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the ¡®king¡¯ of humans? Why do you have to draw water yourself every time?¡± Not getting a response, Hecate was not surprised, but she continued to ask. Cohen remained silent in response. ¡°The Divine King on Mount of the Gods doesn¡¯t do this, he has Nymphs and the Oak Tree Goddess to do things for him. A god¡¯s king canmand other deities, why can¡¯t you?¡± Although Cohen wanted very much to say, you¡¯ve never been to Mount of the Gods, so how do you know about the affairs of deities? Moreover, gods and humans are different, the Divine King is supreme, but due to Cronus¡¯s oracle, he still did not respond a word. And actually, deep down, he thought that if what Hecate said was true, then it was not unreasonable. After all, humans venerated all deities equally, this was a concept written into the soul at creation. Their greater veneration for the Divine King was not innate but because the other deities acknowledged Cronus as king. So for the concept of ¡®gods serving other gods¡¯, it was still something that humans had a hard time grasping. To the humans on the great seas, in their eyes, there was no difference between the Divine King and the Sea Gods. ¡°So slow¡ª¡± After a while, Hecate grew impatient. Although she had gradually be ustomed over the years, she still found many of the other¡¯s actions uneptable. For instance, if you can carry a bucket while walking, why still use such a small woodendle. For example, she had tried to teach them other knowledge, but not a single person epted. Another example would be the ability to build temples as big as hills, yet not willing to dig a canal to divert water from other ces to their settlement. Hecate did ask, but no one responded, and she had also secretly listened to their conversations with each other. However, humans seemed to take this for granted. In private, people would say that they would use the knowledge taught by the deities, but they wouldn¡¯t learn things of unknown origin. Or to put it another way, whatever Hecate could ¡°invent¡± was rejected by the Golden Humanity. Creation, that was the domain of gods. Whatever was created, it was not something a mortal could achieve. And gradually, people came to believe that she was shunned by the gods because she had offended divine authority. ¡°¡ªForget it, I¡¯ll help you.¡± Ignoring Cohen¡¯s silent refusal, Hecate reached out her little hand. She made a gesture as if she were lifting something, and an invisible force followed. In an instant, something filled the air, and that force formed arge handposed of an energy field. But all of this was invisible to the naked eye. The water in the creek, as if drawn by some force, flowed out of the shallow, narrow riverbed. In a few breaths, the bucket was filled. ¡°There you go, Uncle Cohen, your bucket is full~¡± ¡°I¡¯m going back now.¡± pping her hands and knowing there would be no reaction from him, Hecate just smiled and then walked past Cohen, continuing towards her own abode. Behind her, Cohen nced at the departing fiery red figure, furrowed his brow slightly, but still said nothing. It was this strange power again. Starting about thirty years ago, from some unknown time, this life that fell from the sky had suddenly gained the power to affect nature. Although her power was still weak and nowhere near the supreme authority of the deities, having many things, in itself, was a form of sphemy. ¡®Sinner¡­ Did she steal divine power?¡¯ Shaking his head, Cohen picked up the bucket and walked towards the settlement. To Cohen, this bucket which would be too heavy for ten men to lift inter generations was like nothing. His strength was almost at the pinnacle of all things, and even if there were proper methods, the transcendent domain wouldn¡¯t be able to stop him. But the current world had no path of cultivation, and, even if there were, Golden Humanity did not care about strength. Thus, thousands of years ago, Cohen already possessed such a physique, and thousands of yearster, today, he showed no change. Passing seven fruit trees, avoiding three animal nests with docile residents, the woods gradually began to thin out. In the heart of the woods that Hecate named ¡®Redleaf Woods,¡¯ her small wooden hut built on a clearing was now within sight. The hut was originally built by Cohen, but Hecateter modified it. She adorned the outside with fresh flowers and various colored stones and used magic power to keep them evergreen throughout all seasons. Creak¡ª ¡°I¡¯m back!¡± Pushing open the door, Hecate greeted the empty wooden hut as if talking to herself. But there was no response. Just as it had been for the past decades, no one but herself had ever set foot in this ce. She prepared a dinner for herself¡ªjust some wild fruits she picked on the roadside. Hecate returned to her bedroom, ready to start the part of the day she most looked forward to. Apart from the primeval Titans, no one was born with knowledge of it, and Hecate was no exception, but she had a little secret she had never shared with anyone before. After learning to write secretly, the second year, on her way back to the hut, she picked up a treasure. Chapter 73 - 50 Meditation Chapter 73: Chapter 50 Meditation Trantor: 549690339 It was a star-filled night without the Moon. The brightest star, whose name was unknown to all, shone especially bright on that day. ording to the calendar passed down among humans, Hecate knew it was the day of her birth. Unlike other times, the day of Spirituality came only once every four years, and on that day, the moon was always absent from the sky. Some gods said that day symbolized the birth of evil. Others imed it was linked to the creator of humanity. But Hecate didn¡¯t care about that, so while the Golden Humanity gathered in front of the Temple to worship the gods, she sneaked off to other ces to look at the storytelling stone tablets recording ¡®History¡¯. Ordinarily, humans would not allow her to approach the Temple. For a person forsaken by the gods toe near the ce where gods were worshiped was indeed a desecration. However, as the worship ceremony of the Golden Humanity ended and she was hastily returning, Hecate stumbled over something hard and then discovered this magical relic. This was something she had seen many times, but not one of them was a real treasure ¡°Stone tablet oh stone tablet, do you have a story to tell me today?¡± In the cramped cabin, Hecate held something very familiar-looking in her arms and talked to it in a soliloquy. ¡°Are there really humans who disrespect the gods in this world? I feel like the people in your stories are nothing like Uncle Cohen and the others.¡± However, the stone tablet remained the same, not showing any other reaction. ¡°Nothing again? Although I¡¯ve grown up, does that mean I can¡¯t listen to stories anymore¡ª¡± Slightly unhappy, but the little girl still epted reality. After all, in recent years, she hadn¡¯t seen many interesting stories on the stone tablet. [You should meditate now.] Without a sound or a shadow, the ink converged and reorganized, and a line of text slowly emerged from the stone tablet. [Today is the time for you to break through the fifth barrier and also the first step towards bing ¡®Transcendent¡¯] [To divine beings, ¡®Mundane Objects Cannot Be Injured¡¯, only forces that have been purified by rules can cause them substantial harm.] ¡°I know, what¡¯s the rush. What barrier, isn¡¯t it just about having hands to do it.¡± She pouted, but Hecate still carefully ced the stone tablet beside her bed. The first time she saw it, the old stone tablet was as tall as a person and had begun to yellow, but in her hands, it became just the right size for her to carry. Hecate didn¡¯t know its origin, but she had some vague guesses. She had seen too many of the same style over the years. ¡°So troublesome, but ording to what you said, once I step into ¡®Transcendence¡¯, I won¡¯t need rituals anymore, right?¡± Muttering to herself, she stood up and took out several bottles and jars from a corner of the room. Their design was rough, marked with the juice of nts of different colors. They were fired from y in a special way by her. She once wanted to teach this technique to humans, but they refused to ept it. In that era, humans did not have the ability to create ¡®Fire¡¯ on their own. Naturally, anything produced by fire was seen as an attempt to steal Divine Authority. Picking up the bottles one by one, Hecate poured out some liquid from within. She mixed them in the right proportions in a small bowl and stirred counterclockwise with the stem of the Moon Spirit Flower for three and a half turns. She added a measure of rainwater to symbolize the Wind, two measures of steam to symbolize Fire, as well as three measures of river water and four measures of fountain water to respectively symbolize Water and Earth. This was merely the most rudimentary method, like the incense and special life feathers she had learned were more suitable to embody Wind, representingmunication, nning, and thought. Candles and scepters were more suitable to represent Fire, symbolizing execution, initiative, and willpower. However, the conditions for such things were not avable, or rather, things like incense, besides Hecate herself, had never been heard of even by the gods on Mount of the Gods, so this was how she had always substituted them. Beyond materials, in the realm of numerology, ¡®three¡¯ and ¡®seven¡¯ possess special significance, and thus, Hecate took half of ¡®seven¡¯, using a reverse method to symbolize the antithesis of the material. These were all efficient ways of using inferior materials¡ªif the materials themselves possessed extraordinary power, she would not need to make it soplicated. After the liquid was prepared, she waited briefly until the liquid within the small bowl mingled into one, gradually turning into a peculiar color. From a shelf nearby, Hecate took a ¡®pen¡¯ made of animal hair and twigs, designed for drawing symbols and patterns. ¡°No matter how many times one looks at it, this color always seems a bit strange, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Observing the ¡®splendid darkness¡¯ within the bowl, Hecatemented. But no help for it, as thebination of earth, water, wind, and fire, harmonized by Spirituality, represented ¡®a third of chaos¡¯ in the mystical domain. Therefore, it didn¡¯t matter what color the liquid originally was; visually, it always looked like this color. Picking up the pen and dipping it into the liquid in the bowl, Hecate walked to the entrance. She drew a special symbol on the ground. As the characters were written, an invisible force was activated. It is said that this writing stemmed from the original Spirit Script. They were not as powerful as their source, but for that very reason, they could be utilized by mortals. The symbol Hecate penned down signified ¡®Istion¡¯. Subsequently, she wrote symbols that represented ¡®Connection¡¯, ¡®Purification¡¯, and ¡®Sublimation¡¯ on the other three sides in turn. Once everything wasplete, she connected the four points with a line and then stood at the center. ¡°¦¡¦·!¡± Barely opening her mouth, apanied by two special sybles, the power within the four runes linked together. There are three distinct types of rituals. One imitates ¡®History¡¯, another incites ¡®Rules¡¯, and thest pleases higher beings. Setting aside the other two, the ritual Hecate was presently preparing belonged to the second type. As the ritual progressed, the prewritten rules were triggered. Hecate faintly felt that an expansive world had revealed itself to her spiritual senses. That was the Spirit Realm, an interfaceposed of Spiritual force. Yet, at this point in time, without special means, no existence could establish contact with the Spirit Realm. Clearly, however, Hecate¡¯s imperfect ritual was one of those special methods. Sitting cross-legged on the ground, with her eyes half-closed, Hecate began to channel her spirit. She deftly followed the subtle connection, linking with the vast Spirit Realm. Countless bizarre shadows flickered by, strange sounds echoed, but all were purified and then isted. When everything settled back to calm, within Hecate¡¯s spiritual sea, there were only seven lunar phases reflecting upon her ethereal spiritual body. At the same time, on the surface of Hecate¡¯s spiritual body, lunar phases simrly emerged. However, only four were tangible, while the remaining three were merely ethereal. Chapter 74 - 51 Legendary Chapter 74: Chapter 51 Legendary Trantor: 549690339 The Seven Phases of Meditation, this was special knowledge Hecate had learned from the b. ording to the b, meditation was a way to subtly enhance the spirituality of all things through the influence of higher beings. This ¡®higher being¡¯ could be a life form, an object, or even a concept, which could be sought both ¡®externally¡¯ and ¡®internally¡¯. Of course, meditation was not aimless daydreaming; only the correct method could ensure personal safety while growing and purifying the meditator¡¯s spirituality. Like The Seven Phases of Meditation, it was a method to draw in the lunar light of the seven moons of the Spirit Realm to absorb spiritual energy and strengthen oneself. A in name, a true and solid effect. Now that Hecate had consolidated the presence of four moon phases, she had reached the pinnacle of all beings. The next step was the transcendent domain. Transcendence was not the same as godhood, but only through transcendence could onee into contact with the Law. No matter how powerful, the strength of all beings was meaningless before divine power. Only by touching the Law could one inflict real and effective harm. ¡°¡­Spirituality originates from the moon phases, the Moon is His eye¡­¡± ¡°¡­The pir that props the sky prates seven strings, flowing through the boundaries of ten nations¡­¡± ¡°¡­With tangible items bearing intangible vessels, return to the initial one¡­¡± Whispering the incantations lightly, the spiritual forces around her surged like tides, continuously pouring into Hecate¡¯s spirit. The fifth lunar phase slowly coalesced, and she didn¡¯t feel the ¡®barrier¡¯ that should theoretically exist. This was normal, for although without godhood, Hecate¡¯s essence was still that of a deity, an immortal being. Instead of relying on meditation to break through, it was more like she was filling an empty vessel with power. Infusing such power, different from divine power yet endlessly variable. In a distant ce, some life form from the Spirit Realm seemed to have detected the fluctuations here. It wanted to approach, an instinct telling it that if it could devour the spiritual body of this unknown being, it could undergo an unimaginable transformation. Yet there was also a premonition, a sense that if it dared to do so, it would be utterly erased from existence. After hesitating for a while, it lingered for a long time, but ultimately overcame its instincts and reluctantly left the ce. ¡°Some talent there.¡± In the midst of the air, beneath the pale gray robe, the young deity watching everythingmented. Not all life could ovee instinct, especially those without wisdom. Moreover, the ¡®inspiration¡¯ of the other was quite high, being able to vaguely detect the presence of danger. ¡°Meditation¡­ interesting.¡± ¡°A strong spirit gives birth to stronger dreams. It¡¯s a pity, though, that this kind of enhancement of the spirit seems to allow one to control one¡¯s thoughts, even in sleep, not as random and disorderly as other beings.¡± ¡°I really wish there were more life on thend. I wonder how long it will take for my divine power to reach its limit at this pace.¡± Shaking his head, the figure disappeared in a sh of wings, and Hecate,pletely unaware, continued her meditation. With her potential, such breakthroughs were effortless. The chasms that mortals ofter generations found insurmountable, she could step over just by lifting her leg. And so, uneventfully, her spiritual body grew even stronger, the essence of her magic power ascended, and Hecate seeded in taking this step, bing the first Legendary Witch of Chaos. The next morning, as the sun rose and shone on her red dress, Hecate gradually awoke from her meditation. Opening her eyes, she flicked her fingertips lightly, and the trinket on the table floated up. This time, she used no magic power, just the action of pure spiritual force. Spirit was not the same as the soul; it was an external force of the soul. A powerful soul only indicated a strong potential in the spiritual domain, akin to godhood and divine power. But unlike godhood, there were many ways to gradually strengthen the soul. When the spirit directly influenced matter without needing magic as a medium, that was one of the most basic characteristics of a Legendary Witch. This signified that the spiritual force had undergone a fundamental transformation, and it was also the origin of the name ¡®transcendent¡¯. To transcend the mundane was naturally to be called transcendent. ¡°Transcendence, or rather, Legendary, is this what it feels like?¡± She murmured softly, and Hecate sensed many things she ¡®couldn¡¯t see clearly¡¯ before between all things. That was the manifestation of Laws. In the past, due to her divine nature, she could always see them. But only today did she clearly perceive that she could not only ¡®see¡¯ but also ¡®touch¡¯ them. [You have seeded.] On the surface of the b, words slowly emerged, drawing Hecate¡¯s attention immediately. ¡°Of course, I didn¡¯t feel the ¡®barrier¡¯ at all.¡± She hummed with a hint of pride but then fell silent, as if suddenly reminded of something. After a moment of hesitation, she asked softly: ¡°Now that I¡¯ve broken through ¡®transcendence¡¯ and be a Legendary Witch, can I defeat a god now?¡± [If it¡¯s a territorial god, you could try.] [But a True God, even the weakest, is far beyond your reach.] Without concealment, the words on the b were always so direct. ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Brushing the nonexistent dust from her red dress, Hecate sat on the bed. Since picking up this mysterious b not long ago, and realizing it was at least harmless to her for now, she had inquired about the confusions she had always had. Who am I, where do Ie from, and why am I here? Then the b pulled her into Memory, where she personally experienced that scene from decades ago. Being a new god, Hecate was not born with this knowledge, but that didn¡¯t mean she had no memory of her birth. Just like mortals of future generations, those memories, without special methods, would only ever reside permanently deep within her mind. But in the face of the very essence of Memory itself, none of these were a problem. ¡®Throw her into the Abyss¡¯ ¡®a disgrace to the Deity Race¡¯ ¡®as the father of the God of Punishment, I am deeply sorry¡¯¡­ and the first glimpse at birth of the two goddesses, initially full of anticipation, which quickly turned to disappointment and disgust. All these had manifested before Hecate just as if she had relived them again. ¡°So what do you want to do to them?¡± ¡°Imprison them, torture them, make them regret abandoning you?¡± As the words reappeared, Hecate shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know, actually. Aside from that goddess who wanted to throw me into the Abyss and that so-called father, I don¡¯t really hate the others much.¡± ¡°If I had to say, I want to first possess the same kind of powerful strength they have, and then think about whates next.¡± As she said, considering that her existence brought them cmity and hence they wanted to stay away from her was not something difficult to ept. At most, because of their abandonment, she would henceforth have nothing to do with them. But after learning about the existence of Tartarus from that stone tablet, Hecate started to dislike that Goddess of Luminous, Phoebe, her nominal grandmother, a bit. And even more so Perse, the God of Destruction, this so-called father, she disliked him a lot. ¡°However, I have thought of something, I want to make that Divine King regret his decision,¡± she said, ¡°not that he expelled me from the Titan Deity n, but that the Titan Deity n doesn¡¯t have the eligibility to contain my existence.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s quite difficult, after all, he is a Divine King.¡± ¡°So do you have a way?¡± Hecate asked, looking at the stone tablet. ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s not easy; even now, you only have the qualifications to start the first step.¡± ¡°Only a deity can oppose a deity, or rather, at least in the current world, there isn¡¯t an intelligent existence beyond gods that can threaten them.¡± ¡°So, if you want to master the power to confront a deity, then you must find a way to be one of their ranks first.¡± ¡°Be one of them¡­ Huh, I was supposed to be one of them in the first ce.¡± Curving her lips into something like a smile, Hecate stroked her hair and continued to ask: ¡°So what should I do? It should be very difficult to be a True God with meditation alone.¡± ¡°Indeed, gods are gods because they control dominions and govern a part of the world.¡± ¡°Pure meditation is meaningless. The only way you want to gain Godhood is to create one yourself.¡± ¡°Create one?¡± ¡°Yes, create one, belong to you, something that you create bit by bit.¡± ¡°When it nkets the sky, covers the earth, prates the seas, when it bes an indispensable part of All Spirits, as its creator, you will possess the power to confront any Titan Principal God.¡± ¡°However, staying here, you won¡¯t be able to do these things. You need to travel to every corner of the world, and with your spirit, experience the flow of Elements and the changes of Laws.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Hecate smiled, ¡°So, is this also your purpose?¡± She recalled a story that the stone tablet once told her, a story about a little girl and a diary. The content of the story was not important; what mattered was that it cautioned others to never trust an intelligent being unless you could see where its thoughts were. ¡°Of course, this is exactly why I sought you. You have the potential, far beyond what you could imagine,¡± But as usual, the stone tablet responded without any concealment. ¡°However, if you refuse, I can also think of other methods.¡± ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± Without hesitation, Hecate nodded. She tied up her red hair and snapped her fingers. Everything in the wooden house, as if brought to life, bounced and hopped into her pocket. The palm-sized pocket seemed to be bottomless, fitting everything except the furniture, yet showing no sign of being filled. After packing up her belongings, Hecate brought her hands together. An invisible surge enveloped the hut and the nearby clearing, hiding its traces. Finally, she picked up the stone tablet and said with a smile: ¡°Stone tablet, oh stone tablet, you¡¯re too eye-catching like this; how about a change?¡± ¡°Turn into a book, can you do it?¡± Without responding, the stone tablet visibly changed shape. Secondster, it transformed into a book of unknown material. This time, the ¡®book¡¯ really did seem like a book, feeling like real paper rather than resembling a Bronze ornament, like its ¡®siblings¡¯. ¡°Very good,¡± Hecate said with a satisfied smile, hugging the book to her chest, ¡°Now, you¡¯re the treasure of I, Grand Sorceress Hecate!¡± ¡°From now on, you shall be called Tome of All Spells!¡± Without any hesitation, as her spirit moved, the surrounding wind elements answered Hecate¡¯s call, lifting her body into mid-air. Hecate had no sentimentality towards this ce where she had lived for so long. She only took onest look, then flew off into the distance. The stone tablet advised her to leave, without specifying where to go. She heard that at the edge of the continent was the sea; she wanted to see it with her own eyes. The world was so vast, she wanted to verify for herself whether those things in the stories were real or not. Hecate had left, and the Golden Humanity did not notice her departure. But in a ce unknown to her, high up on the Mount of the Gods, the Divine King¡¯s gaze followed her retreating figure. He reached out his hand again, but sensing an approaching presence, he ultimately lowered it. The affairs of the stars without the help of the God of the Sky, Coeus, were indeed difficult to handle. But if there were another helper, then things might be a bit easier than he anticipated. Chapter 75 - 52 Congratulations Chapter 75: Chapter 52 Congrattions Trantor: 549690339 Standing in the sky, wrapped in a refreshed set of ck clothes, Laine watched as Hecate¡¯s figure receded into the distance. Thousands of years ago, before he had opened the Spirit Realm, he had negotiated three conditions with Cronus in the Underworld. The origin of time and space transformed into the foundation of the Spirit Realm. The concept of the Moon, naturally fitting with the Spirit Realm¡¯s Yin symbol, became a part of Laine. But thest requirement, the prophesiedwork controlling the elements, Laine seemed to have forgotten about it and had not taken action for quite some time. It wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t do it. In fact, if he had done it himself, within a month or two, he could have woven the elementalwork that pervaded the present world of Chaos. However, this actually held no meaning for him. Like many of the current literary godhoods, even if The Magic Web were to be born now, it would just be a tool for sorting out the Elemental Power in the mortal world, nothing more. Without enough users, and without sufficient Source Power to fill it, The Magic Web could at most support a god with Weak Divine Power. Laine had countless such powers at his disposal; it was merely a matter ofcking appropriate vessels. Although The Magic Web was somewhat special, there was no need for him to get involved personally. He was the Lord of the Spirit Realm, not a worker there. With Hecate¡¯s current progress, by the time she umted enough and used the power of the Spirit Realm to weave The Magic Web into shape, the third era would be almost upon them. It was when humans capable of procreation appeared en masse that The Magic Web was truly meant to shine. As its position within history and civilization grew increasingly high, and as the gods began using it, it would be able to take root deeply in the mortal world, based on the Spirit Realm, bing an indispensable part of Chaos. At that time, as the ¡°Weaver¡± and the first God of The Magic Web, it would be the moment for Hecate to show her full potential. Even Laine himself was unclear about the extent of power The Magic Web might possess at its peak. He was looking forward to it. Of course, the initial version of The Magic Web would probably differ from what Laine remembered. He needed wizards, not mages. The so-called ¡°spell slots¡± would likely not appear in the earliest version of The Magic Web. Even now, there was no such thing as a ¡°spell model¡± because Laine himself did not know it. It wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t create it, but there was no need to. Rather than defining its scope from the very beginning, it was better to let it grow wildly. When the time came for a multitude of flowers to bloom, then they would step in to set the rules. Besides, ascending a mortal to godhood was simple for him; he just needed to bestow godhood. But for mortals to ascend on their own, Laine had no idea how to achieve that yet. The current version of The Seven Phases of Meditation only went so far as to touch divinity, granting long life. Laine was even unclear about what the true state of a ¡°Demigod¡± meant. This type of Demigod wasn¡¯t like the three thousand Evil Spirits born alongside Hypnos, the God of Sleep, nor was it like Perseus inter ages, who barely managed to defeat sea monsters with the aid of Divine Artifacts. It was more like Heracles before his apotheosis, who, although mortal, possessed enough strength to contend with True Gods. He could even temporarily rece the sky-supporting Titan As; such power was rare even among the gods. ¡°A person¡¯s Wisdom is, after all, limited.¡± ¡°I wonder if those great sages of Greece will emerge as expected in the distant future?¡± ¡°When the most exceptional wise men amongst humans have the opportunity to personally encounter Transcendent power, what will they bring to this world?¡± With some anticipation in his heart, but without lingering any longer, Laine turned to look in the direction of Mount Othrys. He was indifferent, but if he stayed any longer, Cronus might be unable to restrain himself. If it were anyone other than him, any other deity would have dared to interact with Hecate, seen by the Divine King as a symbol of divine retribution, and would have probably been confronted by now. ¡°Such impatience.¡± Shaking his head, Laine took a step and vanished silently from where he stood. In a sh of space, Laine arrived midway up Mount Othrys. All that met his eyes was lush greenery, albeit a bit sparse. Faintly, the sounds of creatures frolicking reached him, the Nymphs who dwelled on the Mount of the Gods. ¡°Quite a change.¡± Muttering softly, Laine¡¯s powerful Spiritual Sense allowed him to perceive that as he vanished and reappeared, the gazes from Mount of the Gods were subtly focused on him. But since he had already arrived, he was in no hurry to ascend. Instead, Laine walked leisurely towards the summit, taking in the significantly altered scenery of the Mount of the Gods. When Themis was legiting, Laine had only traversed the summit once. Therefore, strictly speaking, hisst visit had been when Uranus had just ascended to the throne. Compared to the past, there were now stone paths on the Mount of the Gods, as well as beautiful Nymphs flitting through the forests. The vegetation on the mountain had changed a lot too; they were no longer the original batch of nts, and apart from serving as food, they were no longer of use to the gods. Walking up the mountain path, Laine was not hiding his form, yet all living creatures seemed to look right through him. However, Cronus was inevitably different. He was the Divine King, possessing the godhood of time and space, so the moment Laine reached the peak, Cronus¡¯s gaze turned to where he stood. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Cronus,¡± said Laine with a nod, greeting him as one would an old friend, ¡°I¡¯ve taken Hecate with me.¡± ¡°But since you¡¯ve already expelled her from the Titan Deity n, I suppose you won¡¯t mind this little matter, right?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s the Titan Deity n, Laine.¡± It seemed like the corner of Cronus¡¯s mouth twitched, but it was fleeting. ¡°It¡¯s all the same.¡± Stepping forward to stand beside Cronus, Laine found that this spot was indeed quite good. Just like how he looked down upon the seven realms from Mount Sinai, being on the world¡¯s highest mountain, the ce closest to the sky, standing here naturally elicited a feeling that everything was within one¡¯s grasp. ¡°Some things have no significance if only you recognize them. They only truly exist when they are acknowledged by all.¡± It seemed as though he was talking about the title of the Titans, but Cronus knew that Laine was actually alluding to his position as the Divine King. A Divine King recognized by only a few gods is not truly a Divine King, only one recognized by all the gods is. ¡°Hecate is the original sin born of the world¡¯s curse, her existence led to the imbnce of the starry situation.¡± Not wanting to dwell on a verbal defeat, Cronus shifted the conversation: ¡°Taking her away is your right, of course, but you also need to contribute to the situation of the cosmos.¡± ¡°Hyperion has offended you before, and although he has paid the price, everyone knows that, given the chance, he would definitely seek revenge.¡± ¡°As long as you stand with me, I won¡¯t pursue Hecate¡¯s matter any further, and I might even hand over some star domains for your God of Stars to manage after the dispute over the cosmos is settled,¡± he bargained. Turning around, he looked Laine straight in the eye. Cronus wasn¡¯t the tallest among the Titans, but as a king, he was bing increasingly qualified. ¡°They are True Gods of the cosmos, just as the Sea God upies unimed seas, drawing power from the star domains. I only require that they do not resist my rule; everything else is up to you.¡± ¡°You have invited others, haven¡¯t you? Like Aether, the God of Heavenly Light from the Underworld?¡± Without waiting for a reply, Laine asked with a smile. ¡°Yes,¡± Cronus nodded, ¡°and Hemera, the Goddess of Daylight, who is always by his side.¡± ¡°The world is growingrger, and the number of star domains in the cosmos is increasing. As long as they submit to my rule, I don¡¯t care who they belong to.¡± ¡°I understand, so¡ª¡± After a pause, Laine spoke, ¡°Are you no longer able to dy?¡± Observing the sudden change in Cronus¡¯s expression, Laine blessed him with a smile: ¡°It seems that in at most a thousand years, your offspring will be born. Congrattions in advance, Cronus. Since you need my help, let¡¯s consider it a congrattory gift given ahead of time.¡± Chapter 76 - 53 Trading Chapter 76: Chapter 53 Trading Trantor: 549690339 ¡°¡­ Sometimes, I really don¡¯t want tomunicate with a god like you.¡± Taking a deep breath, Cronus¡¯splexion swiftly returned to normal. His efforts to rally help were not unknown to Laine; in fact, most of the gods on his side were aware of this. However, except for his Queen of Gods, everyone thought this was a measure of the Divine King, unwilling to ept defeat, promising benefits everywhere. But now, Laine saw at a nce the real reason he did so was because his Divine Child was about to be born. If he could not take control of the starry sky now, afterwards, he might not have the time to consider this matter. ¡°It¡¯s not hard to guess, Cronus, you¡¯ve always been like this.¡± ¡°From when you deceived your father with words back in the day, to the moment you bravely took up the Sickle when everything was ready. Given a choice, you always want the best, but if there¡¯s no choice, you don¡¯t mind gambling once.¡± Shaking his head, Laine felt somewhat emotional. In this regard, he felt that he might have some simrities with Cronus. ¡°Perhaps, but now I¡¯m quite relieved.¡± Smiling a bit, Cronus seemed a little more rxed. ¡°It seems my first child is a goddess? At least she won¡¯t be the one who threatens my throne.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Maybe because I¡¯ve dealt with you more often, I understand you better. If the Divine King were about to be reced again, you wouldn¡¯t be discussing the starry sky with me, would you?¡± At a loss for words, Laine had to admit Cronus was speaking the truth. He couldn¡¯t help but think that, possibly due to his influence, Cronus seemed much wiser than the myths portrayed. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not waste time, as you¡¯re probably not too interested in my Mount of the Gods.¡± Stretching out his hand and with the effect of Divine Power, a Star Map appeared in the hands of the Divine King. Hundreds of spots of varying sizes and brightness appeared, each representing a star domain. Like oceanic domains, star domains are the standard divisions of the starry sky. ¡°You have twelve Star Gods under yourmand, and they have a leader, correct?¡± Cronus¡¯s palm glided across the Star Map, slowly saying, ¡°Aside from these core parts of the starry sky, you may choose any other, I don¡¯t mind even if you take a few extra.¡± ncing over the Star Map, Laine casually asked. ¡°So, what do you want, Eclipse? Melded with the ¡®Sr Eclipse,¡¯ it is indeed much more powerful than before.¡± ¡°It works well on the Sun, but only on the Sun.¡± ¡°I know, which is why I want not just the ¡®Eater of Suns¡¯ but also the Codex of Creation, I need to borrow it.¡± The Goddess of Light has her Queen of Gods and Crius, the God of Meteorology, to fend off; unlike Hyperion, the God of Sun, Cronus had no intention of doing anything to the Mother of Light. A bnced starry sky was what he wanted. Moreover, having already anticipated a hefty price to seal a Sun God, the growth in his Divine Authority wouldn¡¯t amount to much more than what he¡¯d expend if he added the powerful Mother of Light. ¡°I need it to break open a seal. Despite Hyperion¡¯s strength no longer being formidable as the bifurcated God of Sun, the Origin of the celestial body of the Sun remains as strong as ever.¡± Nodding, Laine understood Cronus¡¯s thoughts. Like the ocean, although the original Sea God Pontus greatly weakened due to the division of his Godhood, the power of the Ocean and Water in the whole world continued to increase every day, and the Sun was no different. Being the supreme celestial body of the starry sky, the seal itid down cannot be easily broken by even a being of Divine Power Level 20, let alone Cronus being somewhat short of that mark. But imprisoning the God of Sun with the Sun itself goes against the Order. With the Codex of Creation, the Divine King could easily release Helios. Only with another Sun God in hand could there be a real possibility of Victory in the conflict over the starry sky. Otherwise, even if Hyperion was defeated, faced with the masterless Sun, the Divine King would be at a loss. ¡°Fine, I can lend you the Divine Artifact, but these star domains, let¡¯s not bother with them for now.¡± On Cronus¡¯s Star Map, there were hundreds of star domains bothrge and small, but it¡¯s the core area around the Sun and Moon that represents the essence of the starry sky and the original boundaries of the starry sky at the beginning of the world. The remote areas are domains that extended as the world expanded. There, energy tides surged, and various deste and dangerous ces were numerous. Although not very dangerous for gods, these didn¡¯t add much help to the governing Star Gods of those domains. It would take thousands of years to gradually transform those areas into outstanding territories. Laine saw right through Cronus¡¯s double-edged strategy. By letting others have these star domains, he was also making them work to govern the starry sky. After all, as the Divine King, even if those ces were not under his direct control, as long as they changed because of him, he would be able to increase his power. ¡°Once the turmoil in the starry sky is over, if you still need my help, then we can talk about the star domains.¡± Gazing at the orbital tracks of celestial bodies on the star map, Laine beckoned with his hand. The next moment, space rippled, and the brass book fell into his palm before flying towards the Divine King. ¡°The thing you wanted.¡± ¡°Well, if therees a day, I will.¡± Receiving it, feeling the Divine Artifact extremelypatible with his own Divine Authority, the Divine King promised. ¡°But what about the ¡®Eclipse¡¯?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Laine shook his head, ¡°It has no Wisdom, and once it leaves my vicinity, I fear it will not heed yourmands.¡± ¡°Let it stay in the Spirit Realm for the time being. When you need it, use the Codex to invoke the power of the Spirit Realm, and it will naturally appear.¡± ¡°However¡­¡± Finally, ncing eastward, Laine said with a smile, ¡°You must remember to set the right time.¡± ¡°If you summon it too early, it might not be able to distinguish friend from foe.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Nodding in response, Cronus quickly found the special page within the artifact. Seeing that matters were concluded, Laine waved his hand. His purpose for today was already achieved, and he had no intention of lingering. ¡°Since everything is done, I won¡¯t stay any longer.¡± ¡°I wish you sess, Cronus.¡± A portal of light emerged, and with a step through, Laine¡¯s figure vanished. Atop Mount of the Gods, watching the spot from which Laine had departed, the Divine King did not rush to leave, instead standing quietly for a moment longer. Through the matter with Hecate, Cronus had gained a deeper understanding of humans and deities. He had not realized the significance of ¡®faith¡¯, but he had discovered something else. If humans could possess free will and souls like Hecate, could they too have some potential to attract the attention of the ¡®World Master¡¯? If so, then Laine¡¯s interest in human knowledge made sense. Perhaps the other party wished to create some beings with enough ¡®potential¡¯. Sadly, the Golden Humanity had disappointed him. ¡°Creating worlds¡­¡± ¡°This must be the secret of ¡®bestowing Godhood¡¯. In addition to the corresponding power, one also needs a candidate capable of bearing it,¡± mused Cronus. ¡°God of Destruction Perse, it remains to be seen whether one day your daughter will be the one to reprimand you.¡± ¡°This is fitting, as the price for your arrogant disrespect,¡± he thought with a shake of his head. The Divine King no longer dwelt on such musings, instead channeling power into the brass book in his hand, closely sensing this one-third of a top-tier sacred artifact. Unlike the sickle, though both seemed to reside in the realm of High-Grade Artifacts when evaluated, Cronus immediately felt the difference when he actually held it. A naturally formed Divine Artifact was distinctly different from a man-made one, carrying no such user restrictions as the sickle. What¡¯s more, crucially, the brass book was just a third of aplete artifact, harboring even more hidden power. ¡°A part of Genesis Artifact, even just this fragment alone is very close to that step.¡± ¡°The Divine Authority of ¡®Order¡¯¡­ If this were my Divine Artifact, even if its greatest function isn¡¯tbat whenbined with the Divine Authority of the king, I could possess up to seventy percent of the Father God¡¯s power,¡± he reflected. Uranus was truly capable of contending with and even defeating the personified Primordial Gods, which Cronus knew well. Even without taking that final step, an ordinary Divine Power Level of 20 would only have a third of his strength. ¡®The Sky¡¯, Divine Authority, the symbol of paternal authority; each of these aspects suggested a slight step beyond the pinnacle of mighty Divine Power. And Cronus now, had not yet achieved even a third of that. Feeling a twinge of envy, yet looking at the brass book, Cronus had no intention of iming it as his own. After all, he could feel that this artifact, simr to a bonded artifact, could be subdued by its owner at will. ¡°It¡¯s just an artifact, after all. In the future, I might not necessarily have a better one.¡± ¡°Soon, when the starry heavens serve me, the mountains, too, shall bow before me,¡± Cronus thought with a cold smile, recalling his eldest brother. Ocean Deity Sovereign Oceanus had alreadypletely surpassed the ancient Sea God Pontus. Without idents, he would be the final victor of the struggle over the seas. No one knew if the expanding power of the Ocean Deity Sovereign might harbor other ambitions. Thus, once the problem with the stars was resolved, the next target for suppression by Cronus would be him. Chapter 77 - 54 Lord (Seeking First Subscription and Moon Tickets) Chapter 77: Chapter 54 Lord (Seeking First Subscription and Moon Tickets) Trantor: 549690339 Seven hundred years had swiftly passed in the Chaos World since the Divine King acquired the Divine Artifact. From the birth of humanity, in the blink of an eye, millennia had passed. Gradually, even the lives from the Golden Age wereing to the end allowed by fate. As their bodies decayed and their souls leapt from the flesh,den with insights and experiences gained from their lengthy lives, they followed the cryptic guidance back to the Spirit Realm. The soul and the body mutually influence each other, and these beings from the Golden Age, despite their primitive makeup, were especially favored by the deities. Many of them had been in contact with more than one deity and, consequently touched by Divine Power, their spiritual bodies also became peculiar. Just as the creatures from the Golden Age were more long-livedpared to those ofter generations, so too were their souls. If the lifespan of ordinary material souls varied from seven to eight times that of their bodies or even more, it could be foreseen that the spiritual bodies of these Golden Age beings all possessed lifespans measured in hundreds of thousands of years. Even for the spiritual bodies of the Golden Humanity, Laine had no doubt that if they did note to the Spirit Realm, the souls tainted by Divine Power would not dissipate. Instead, they would wander over thend and skies, transforming into a sort of ¡®Heroic Spirit¡¯. Then, in the era of Zeus, along with other remnants of the second epoch, they were erased by a wave of the new Divine King¡¯s hand. Beyond lifespan, the spiritual bodies of beings from the Golden Age often possessed extraordinary strength under the influence of Divine Power. This power was not evident in the physical world, but it was amplified in the Spirit Realm. Using this power, the vast majority quickly crossed the surfaceyer of the Spirit Realm and entered the nascent Dream Domain. There, they instinctively absorbed the scattered spiritual energy to further strengthen their soul bodies, or fought with naturally born spiritual bodies within the Dream Domain, devouring each other. Quite a few, in the process, gained memory fragments of other spiritual bodies, gradually awakening Wisdom and learning to think. So, as time passed, a unique social structureposed of spiritual lives was born within the threeyers of the Spirit Realm. Some powerful spiritual bodies chose dream fragments and infected them with their own power, then continually expanded their influence and territory. Oncerge enough, these expansive Dream Domains were noticed by the thirdyer of the Spirit Realm itself, ultimately reporting back to Laine. When Laine discovered this behavior, at first he was a bit angry. Such acts were akin to creating a ¡®realm within a realm¡¯, and even the instinctual Laws of this world had issued ¡®bounties¡¯ for this before, let alone Laine with his subjective thinking? Butter, he realized that although these unique Dream Domains were controlled by their creators, the primary authority still belonged to the Spirit Realm. They were different from Laine; their very existence stemmed from the power of Spirituality, not an external Origin. Therefore, Laine not only refrained from punishment but, in the name of the Lord of the Spirit Realm, acknowledged their ownership over their own ¡®Dream Domains¡¯. Just like the angels of the Spirit Realm before receiving Godhood, and the quasi-gods like Star Gods, River Gods, Mountain Gods, Lake Gods, these spiritual lives suddenly transformed, bing quasi-gods with domains of their own. They were not innate deities, so they were immortal, but not eternal. Theycked Godhood, yet the Dream Domains they controlled were the grounds of their Divine Authority. The broader the Dream Domain and therger its proportion in the thirdyer of the Spirit Realm, the more powerful they grew. As more and more such Dream Domains were born, the inner cycle of the Spirit Realm was slightly enhanced. For intelligent life, desire is thedder of progress, and in order to be more potent, they always found methods that even Laine found surprising to better manage their dream worlds. Hence, Laine was generous in rewarding those who excelled. He wrote new rules into the Laws of the interface: If a being contributed to the development of the Spirit Realm, then the power of the interface would tilt in its favor. Feeling the response from the Spirit Realm, these original pioneers of the ¡®Dream Domain¡¯ were encouraged. They arrogantly dered themselves ¡®Lords of the Spirit Realm¡¯, proiming that they were the chosen agents of the great and ancient Spirit Realm¡¯s will, dignified beings second only to the angels of the Spirit Realm. Regarding this, Laine simply smiled. The Spirit Realm was developing, and the outer world was changing as well. Unbeknownst to any, the God of Sun had reimed nearly half of the cosmos, yet the battlefield was gradually moving away from the Sun¡¯s domain. In such an environment, seven hundred yearster, a war that would decide the possession of the cosmos erupted deep within the stars. In the depths of the starry sky, tens of thousands of star gods were arrayed on either side. In the battlefield of true gods, the existence of quasi-gods held greater value than their actual worth. As part of the starry expanses, their assembly here symbolized that the deities of both sides could receive the blessings from a half of the starry sky each controlled. In the midst of the battlefield, within the dark and icy void, several figuresrger than celestial bodies shed together, just as they did in the bygone millennia. In this ce where thew of matter seemed weaker, they unfurled their forms and fought like the titanic gods of myth. Or, to put it another way, the titans from theter myths were merely shadows left by the titanic deities. ¡°Light¡ª!¡± With a gentle cry, that was Theia, the Mother of Light. As in every instance before, the deste starry heavens became even brighter. The starlight merged with the sunlight, transforming under divine authority into splendid ribbons. They streaked across the void, passing horizontally through the Queen of Gods¡¯ body without touching any physical entity. This was a separation on the temporal ne, and if one did not possess special dominion or divine artifact, nearly no god could harm the goddess who dwelled in bygone times. However, Theia was unconcerned, for this was a war over the sovereignty of the starry sky, not a duel with the Queen of Gods. The ribbon trailing behind shattered in an instant into skyful of threads, enveloping over a hundred star gods and the leading As. With just a gentle collision, their divine bodies burst apart, and even the God of Strength¡¯s body was left with huge wounds. ¡°ng¡ª¡± In silence, a sickle emzoned with blood-red patterns emerged behind Theia. In its presence, the ribbons of light surrounding the Goddess of Light were effortlessly severed, as if they didn¡¯t exist, leaving a long gash on her arm. With a slight frown and seemingly superficial cuts, Theia found under the influence of divine power that her wounds were slow to heal. This wasn¡¯t her first time, so the Goddess of Light was not the least bit concerned about the injury on her body, instead returning with a punch to the side of the sickle. The Goddess¡¯s delicate arm appearedcking in strength, yet Rhea, the Queen of Gods, was forced back several steps by the blow, her face revealing an abnormal flush. The godhood that presided over the flow of time was inherently ill-suited forbat, and with the ¡°Sun¡± present, ¡°Light¡± was nearly doubled in strength. Even though Rhea, as the Queen of Gods, had greater divine power than the Mother of Light, the tide of battle waspletely reversed. Without the help of the three oak goddesses and As, if she weren¡¯t relying on a divine artifact, she wouldn¡¯t even be able to stall her opponent¡¯s onught. However,pared to the still ¡®friendly¡¯ exchange between the two goddesses, on the other hand, the battlefield between Hyperion, the God of Sun, and Crius, the God of Meteorology, was an entirely different scene. The sun has always been fierce and intense, and Hyperion was especially so. Evenpared to his own wife, the Sun God held nothing back against his enemies, and he certainly did not consider ¡®his own people¡¯ worth any special consideration. Chapter 78 - 55 Breaking the Seal (Additional update for the first Sect Leader of this book) Chapter 78: Chapter 55 Breaking the Seal (Additional update for the first Sect Leader of this book) Trantor: 549690339 Boom! While the two goddesses came to blows, far across the starry sky, the battle between the God of Meteorology Crius and the God of Sun Hyperion raged on. However, unlike Theia¡¯s restraint, her husband was never one to go easy. Confronted with his own ¡®grandson¡¯ in actuality, the East Wind God Eurus was struck by the God of Sun, crossing half the battlefield and shing past the God of Light Aether, before crashing forcibly onto a minor celestial body. The disparity in divine power left Eurus with no chance to turn into an intangible wind to avoid injury, and upon his collision, the very essence of a certain God of Stars shattered instantaneously. ¡°Ah!!¡± Apanied by a scream, a God of Stars, who stood on the side of the God of Sun, suddenly burst into light, then gradually faded away, and ultimately turned into a glowing stone. By contrast, the God of the East Wind only swayed his somewhat dizzy head, then mbered out from the wreckage of the celestial body. Witnessing this, all the Gods of Stars on both sides of the battlefield could not help but feel a pang of sorrow, as if mourning for their own kind. This was not the first time such an event urred. Other True Gods at least distinguished between friend and foe, but the God of Sun never cared for the existence of the Gods of Stars. Nevertheless, despite this, the Gods of Stars dared not leave for they were bound by the limitations of being territorial gods. They were innate deities and thus immortal, but unlike True Gods, they could not continuously draw divine power from their godhood. Once their ¡®territory¡¯, upon which they depended, was destroyed, they would permanently lose their source of divine power, and the result of drained divine power was an eternal slumber. If no alternative means of acquiring divine power surfaced, this God of Stars would likely remain in this state between life and death, never to return. Such was the case with the Heavenly Father. As the lord of the sky, even after losing his Divine King status, the Sky continuously supplied him with divine power through his godhood. Yet, to avoid that dreadful transformation, Uranus had no choice but to use every ounce of freshly born divine power to resist that change, and as a consequence, he, too, with his divine power drained, was forced into a deep slumber. Over the past millennia, countless Gods of Stars had fallen into eternal sleep. Even on the earth below, Mountain Gods, River Gods, Lake Gods, and others were innumerable in falling into this state indistinguishable from death, yet no True God cared about this. In their eyes, these quasi-gods without godhood were no different from mortals and Nymphs granted with divinity. Mortals could be killed, and eternal slumber was not much different from death for gods. A god who could be ¡®killed¡¯ by merely shattering a celestial body held a status amongst gods akin to the ¡®Heavenly Soldiers and Generals¡¯ from Laine¡¯s previous life. Though theoretically immortals as well, they were only referred to as ¡®Heavenly Soldiers and Generals¡¯,cking names of their own. ¡°Why struggle, my brother? You are no match for me. Have I heard right that you and your child have also fallen out? It seems we truly are ¡®fellow sufferers¡¯¡ªhahahaha!¡± Amidst hisughter, Hyperion watched the evasive God of Meteorology, his body as if poured from gold, charged directly towards the formation formed by the Gods of Stars. Battles between True Gods could easily result in clear victors, but if one side stubbornly dyed the fight, unless the disparity was too great, the struggle couldst for years or even decades, which was quitemon. Hyperion found it more worthwhile to ¡®kill¡¯ more of his rebellious offspring than to expend energy on Crius. How dare they betray him and side with the Divine King against him¡ªit was unforgivable. With that in mind, the God of Sun let out a great shout, allowing his voice to echo throughout the starry expanse. ¡°Astras (Gods of Stars), this is the consequence of your indecision.¡± ¡°And the two of you, Crius, Rhea, you¡¯re not up to it, send Cronus himself!¡± The humiliation I was once forced to confess under coercion by Laine, the frustration of my wife being detained by Coeus, and having no choice but to face two enemies alone, the fury from being forced to retreat step by step over a thousand years¡ªall these angers had been unleashed upon my enemies by Hyperion in recent years, with the God of Stars being the primary target. He knew that even if he took back the Sky, he would not be able to do anything about the Queen of Gods and the powerful God of Meteorology. But he swore that when the time came, he would send all the stars that had betrayed him into eternal slumber, one by one. ¡®Soon, Hyperion, I truly hope you can stillugh then.¡¯ Suppressing the rage in his heart, Crius had no intention of stalling for the sake of the God of Stars. Everything wasing to an end, and he no longer cared about the fate of those territorial gods. After all, the Divine King would have to deal with headaches for a while after the war, as years of divine battles had thrown the energy tides of the stars into chaos. Without these stars, the True Gods would have no choice but to intervene and resolve the issues themselves. Boom¡ª The powerful God of Meteorology chose to dodge, and the gods of Intermediate Divine Power, the God of Daylight and the God of Light, also made way in haste. They only wanted to im a territory in the Sky and keep away from their foolish brothers and sisters in the Underworld; they weren¡¯t truly there to fight to the death for the Divine King. Therefore, with no adversary, the God of Sun began to wreak havoc among the weaker True Gods and God of Stars. The three Wind Gods turned into currents of air, but they were still torn apart and scattered under the radiance of light and heat. Prometheus, the creator of future Bronze Humanity, was even used as a ¡®weapon¡¯ to smash one star after another. However, several truly powerful gods turned a blind eye to this. In this unspoken ¡®agreement,¡¯ time slipped away second by second. ¡°Hmm?¡± It was at that moment, as Hyperion was rampantly assaulting, that he suddenly stopped. He turned his head toward the Sun; in that direction, he faintly sensed that the seal he had left behind had been touched. It was the seal he had used to imprison his eldest son, Helios. That seal was with the Sun, and even the peak of powerful Divine Power couldn¡¯t contend with those shackles. Deities may hold their Godhood, but they are not equivalent to the matters represented by their Godhood. Even after the Primordial Gods personified, they were no longer synonymous with their essence, let alone the Titans who were bornter. The power of the Sun was far greater than his, as the God of Sun, which was well-known; hence, Hyperion had never worried that his eldest son could escape the imprisonment. But just now, reality told him that nothing was impossible. Under the force of a powerful Order, the seal was shattered from the inside. The Divine King¡¯s decree, bolstered by the Codex of Creation, was nearly as potent as if spoken into existence. The seal that Hyperion left could not withstand the test of time, disintegrating amid a tremor. ¡°Cronus, it¡¯s you!¡± Incredulous, yet it made sense. Cronus remained restrained, not taking action himself, but his long-prepared Divine King¡¯s decree did not falter. Apart from Laine, who was in the Spirit Realm, only two gods in the world had a high affinity for the Codex of Creation: Themis and the Divine King. His authority was greatly enhanced by the natural affinity with ¡®Order¡¯ and ¡®Law,¡¯ making this Divine Artifact more terrifying in Cronus¡¯s hands than the Sickle that had once injured the Heavenly Father. ¡°Good, very good. So this is your purpose?¡± Fury turned toughter; the Divine Power of Hyperion burst forth, shattering the surrounding celestial bodies. Even though the oppression of the strong over the weak was more pronounced within the same domain, once Helios escaped, he could still disrupt his influence over the Sun. ¡°It¡¯s futile, unless you take action yourself. Even with that rebel son, you¡¯re no match for me.¡± ¡°Since you dare to do this, then prepare to face my might!¡± Chapter 79 - 56 Sunset Chapter 79: Chapter 56 Sunset Trantor: 549690339 The voice of the God of Sun echoed through space, that¡¯s what he said, and that¡¯s what he did. He no longer targeted the God of Stars. Hyperion turned to the God of Meteorology, intending to teach his brother asting lesson and remind him of the pain the sun could bring. ¡°Is that so.¡± ¡°What about this, then?¡± The faint voice came from afar, it was Queen of Gods Rhea. Unbeknownst to others, she had briefly escaped the Mother of Light by using her special authority, and as a consequence, the other True Gods around her were made targets. However, unlike her husband, the Goddess of Light Theia did not deliberately strike at those celestial bodies, instead, she even avoided them. Narrowing his eyes slightly, Hyperion didn¡¯t know what trick the other party was ying, but he still looked over. In the palm of the Queen of Gods, a small page shimmered with light. ¡°What is that¡ª?¡± It looked familiar, but Hyperion couldn¡¯t quite ce it. Even though he didn¡¯t remember what it was, he became cautious. ¡°Haha, nothing, dear brother, that¡¯s your old friend.¡± With his chest wound slowly healing under the influence of Divine Power, Crius finally showed a smile. The Divine King had not entrusted him with the most critical task, which was to be expected, but as the God with great Divine Power, the God of Meteorology still knew in advance what it was. Rhea gave Crius a nce, but unlike him, she didn¡¯t speak. She simply ignited the page with Divine Power and then slipped back into a crack in time, turning to face the Mother of Light. Under Hyperion¡¯s tense and puzzled gaze, a bad premonition rose in his heart. He remembered, thest time he had this feeling was¡ª ¡°Buzz¡ª¡± A noisy sound erupted in his ears, as if millions of lives were ying strange notes beside him. Hyperion¡¯s face suddenly changed, and at the corner of his vision, wisps of invisible ck mist seeped out of the void, a sense of soul-deep revulsion surged within the God of Sun. ¡°Is it that?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s you again, damn monster!¡± In his shock and anger, Hyperion quickly retreated, but it was of no use. Eclips was formless and omnipresent. In the blink of an eye, it clung tightly to the God of Sun¡¯s form, ceaselessly sapping and eroding his Divine Power. Compared to thest encounter, the Intermediate Divine Power endowed the Ancient Evil Being with even greater strength. Hyperion¡¯s power could no longer tear apart its inconstant divine body, only stirring ripples before returning to its original state. ¡°Crius, make your move.¡± Afar, the Queen of Gods spoke calmly. As per Cronus¡¯s ns, he could not directly interfere with the Titans, but he could remotely rescue the trapped Helios. The God of Sun was to be dealt with by the witless ¡°Swallower of the Sun,¡± while the Queen of Gods and the God of Meteorology were responsible for holding off the Goddess of Light Theia. Although it was just her and Crius, when both Light and Sun were present in one ce, their powers were naturally greatly enhanced. For Rhea, stopping her sister until Hyperion was defeated by his nemesis was the entirety of her mission. After all, the Divine King had not nned to seriously harm Hyperion. He could not condemn the embodiment of the sun itself to the depths of the abyss outside the mortal world. To defeat him, to rece him with another God of Sun as he had imprisoned Helios, and then to imprison him beneath the Mount of the Gods or in the Underworld using the Divine King¡¯s authority¡ªthat was the limit of what Cronus could do. At least, that¡¯s what the Divine King thought at the moment. ¡°Move aside!¡± Buzz¡ª! It seemed like a long time passed, but in reality, from the appearance of Eclips to when the Queen of Gods called for the God of Meteorology, only an instant had transpired. The previouslycent Theia suddenly found that the battle had slipped out of control. Once again, the monster that had obscured the sun reappeared in the starry sky. Beams of light formed into ribbons that split into thousands, their substance fluctuating between tangible and intangible as they shot straight towards the two Titan Principal Gods. Frenzied storms blocked the path of the ribbons, copsing upon contact, but more storms were continuously pulled from the flow of time, endlessly thwarting Theia¡¯s onught. ¡°Rhea, do you really wish to destroy the Sun? You actually dare to let that monster attack it?¡± With an angry shout, Theia found it somewhat iprehensible. Both she and Rhea were goddesses, and before this, Theia had only suppressed her, having never truly unleashed all her might; otherwise, despite the Queen of Gods holding a Divine Artifact, the God of Stars surrounding her might not necessarily be much stronger than those on the other side. On one hand, Theia believed she held a winning hand, and on the other,pared to her husband, she still retained some degree of rationality. The Gods of Stars, by their very nature, were beholden to the ruler of their respective star domains. Once they regained control of the starry skies, wouldn¡¯t these stars gods still be their subordinates? If too many were lost, wouldn¡¯t they have to stabilize the starry skies by themselves? But what she never anticipated was that the opposition would release the monster that had consumed the origin of the Sun! Destroying the Sun in the name of iming the starry skies would not only fail to increase the Divine King¡¯s divine authority but would also incur the bacsh of the world. ¡°You worry too much, sister,¡± Rhea replied, shaking her head, her hands never ceasing their motion. She borrowed power from the past, maintaining the God of Meteorology¡¯s power at its peak. Although not strong in directbat, Rhea, as the Queen of Gods, was still highlymendable for her supportive capabilities. ¡°You¡¯ve noticed, haven¡¯t you? The power of the ¡®Sun Swallower¡¯ has grown stronger, but it is being repelled by thews of this world. The longer it stays, the more intense the suppression it faces. It cannot remain here forever. Moreover, Cronus has no intention of harming you or your husband. Just let your son and husband switch ces, let hime to the Mount of the Gods ¡®as a guest,¡¯ or perhaps live in the Underworld forever, and the God of Stars will still revere you as the Mother of Light.¡± ¡°Hyperion imprisoned your eldest son, do you really bear no grudge against him?¡± ¡°Light¡ª¡ª!¡± In response to the Queen of Gods, came an even more intense fluctuation of divine power. Clearly, Theia had not been swayed by a few words. Hyperion¡¯s act of imprisoning her eldest son was indeed something Theia found displeasing, but it was only a minor conflict. After all, the Sun God was not the Heavenly Father, and his actions were not enough to turn his wife¡¯s loyalties. Nevertheless, the exnation from the Queen of Gods ultimately reassured her somewhat; as long as there was no problem with the Sun, then there was room for negotiation. In an instant, with Theia unleashing her full power, all the deities on the Divine King¡¯s side were plunged into darkness. Few remembered that Theia was not only the Mother of Light but also the God of Eyesight. Under her authority, all enemies lost the ability to see their surroundings with their eyes. Even in the distance, the Ancient Evil Being was affected by this power, but since it did not rely on vision and could still sense light and heat, it remained unimpeded in its actions. ¡°Time.¡± With a soft cry, Rhea too activated her own authority. She shared the time that had passed with every true god. Although they could only ¡®see¡¯ the world from a moment ago, it was enough for them to react. ¡°Hold her off, it will be over soon!¡± Light and storm collided once more, interwoven with the powers of other true gods. Aether, the God of Heavenly Light, who had been contributing little until now, also made his full effort, disrupting the Goddess of Light¡¯s control over Light. However, as the battle intensified, an ominous premonition suddenly arose in the hearts of the gods present. Theia turned her head to look in the direction Hyperion had evaded to, where he was now tightly enveloped in ck mists. The Sun God had seen his impending defeat, but his face bore not a hint of dimness; instead, it was filled with madness. ¡°Helios, Cronus, my dear son and brother, since you so desire the starry skies and the Sun, then I shall give them to you,¡± he dered. Gazing at the ck mists that no effort could dispel, Hyperion ceased to struggle. As the God of the Sun, the Sun should face its own ¡®death¡¯ in a manner befitting its status. ¡°You may take what you desire, but the oue, will surely not be as you wish!¡± ¡°I shall rule these starry skies or watch as they turn to scorched earth.¡± Chapter 80 - 57: Starfall Chapter 80: Chapter 57: Starfall Trantor: 549690339 The voice of the God of Sun resonated through the starry heavens as his gaze rested upon all the deities present. His divine body began to burn, and his divine power became unstable, but the vaguely transmitted sense of oppression grew stronger nheless. Not all gods could do this, but the ¡°Sun¡± undoubtedly could. Thus, apanying the madness of its master, the immense luminous body that dominated the starry sky began to expand as well. On the Mount of the Gods, the Divine King, who had just rescued Helios through spatial separation, had a sudden change in expression. Even Laine, who was spectating from the Spirit Realm, furrowed his brow. Perhaps because he often dealt with those ¡®brain-using¡¯ gods, even Laine had somewhat forgotten that not all gods of Chaos were concerned with gains and losses. Any normal deity would notmit such acts that harm others without benefitting oneself. Especially for the immortal gods, Hyperion¡¯s actions would not only affect the present, but also bring continuous negative repercussions in the long years toe. Yet he did it anyway, as if he didn¡¯t care about those consequences at all. However, fortunately, this mistake, although Laine was the instigator, was not mainly paid for by him. It was just that for a considerable time in the future, the deities who divided the star domains would all have a headache. ¡°The gods of Chaos are truly madmen. Even if it wasn¡¯t apparent before, one never knows when they might go insane,¡± he said. Recalling the Trojan War that swept through the Olympus pantheon inter times, causing the gods to wage a great war in the Mortal Realm, simply because a ¡®discordant goddess¡¯ didn¡¯t receive an invitation to a banquet, Laine felt there was nothing iprehensible about this. Now it was still manageable, but had it been a more aggressive deity, they might have dragged the Sun into a collision with the Mount of the Gods. He sighed and waved his hand, summoning Aster, who stood to the side. ¡°Prepare yourself,¡± he said, ¡°if nothing unexpected happens, the area around the Sun will be the most heavily damaged.¡± ¡°Once you arrive there, you¡¯ll have to expend a lot of energy. Choose some from the spiritual bodies of the Golden Humanity to rece the God of Stars; that should be barely manageable.¡± Silently making arrangements, the Goddess of Starlight took her leave. And in the entire Chaos World, there were not a few deities startled by the changes in the starry heavens. At sea, watching the fire meteors streaking across the sky towards the Earth, the God of the Ocean, Oceanus, also stopped his sh with the primordial Sea God, Pontus. The sudden surge in the divine power of the God of Sun made them both realize what Hyperion had done. ¡°Let¡¯s stop here, Pontus, they have already decided the victor,¡± Oceanus spoke to his uncle. Although if he continued fighting, he could gain more, the circumstances no longer allowed him to do so. From now on, the Ocean Deity Sovereign nned to steer clear of Cronus¡¯s sharp edge, until his child was born. And without unexpected events, this time wouldn¡¯t be too far off. On the other hand, the primordial Sea God, Pontus, also looked up at the sky. Although he had been at a disadvantage all this while, he still had some gains. ¡°Of course I can, but what about you, my nephew? Once Cronus ims victory, you will be his next target,¡± he said. The voice of the primordial Sea God was heavy, like the concavity of the Earth he originally symbolized. Gaia, who had once conceived three gods by herself, was just like this. Uranus symbolized the opposite of the Earth, and then the Sky came into being; Pontus symbolized the indentations of the Earth, and then the Ocean was formed; Ourea was the uplift of the Earth, which was eventually called the mountains. They were originally part of the Earth, which then split this primal matter through the evolution of the world. ¡°But you wouldn¡¯t really stand by his side, would you? After all, even his own brother was forced by him to dissolve his divine body,¡± said the tall and burly Ocean Deity Sovereign with blue hair cascading over his shoulders, his voice resonating loud and clear. The sea deities present all heard his words. They didn¡¯t understand exactly what was happening in the starry sky, but the facts were indeed as such. The Titans showed no mercy amongst themselves, let alone the Primordial Sea God who did not belong to the Titans. ¡°Perhaps, but I won¡¯t oppose him either, Oceanus. The affairs of the Titans should be resolved by you Titan gods yourselves. After all, I have never entertained the idea of that Divine King¡¯s position.¡± Turning around, the Primordial Sea God beckoned. He took his retinue of True Gods and left the ce, returning to his pce established at the bottom of the sea. Across from him, the Ocean Deity Sovereign did not obstruct but continued to observe the anomalies in the sky. The expanding sun, the countless celestial bodies crumbling, the thousands of Gods of Stars that instantaneously lost their support and fell into eternal slumber, and the rain of stars that streaked across the sky and plummeted to the earth¡ªall these wove together into a beautiful tapestry. But the deities all knew that behind this beauty, something significant must have happened in the starscape of Chaos. However, the world had grown too vast nowadays, and apart from a few deities with special authority, there were scarce few beings that could see through heaven and earth at a nce. Hence, they could only silently watch the meteors fall like rain while making various conjectures. And in the starscape above, due to Hyperion¡¯s actions, three principal gods of powerful Divine Power also unanimously ceased their motions. ¡°Hyperion, have you gone mad?¡± Although the God of Meteorology didn¡¯t quite regard the God of Stars, he still found it somewhat iprehensible. The raging sun instantly turned its surrounding celestial bodies to dust, and those farther away shattered into pieces, plummeting into the Mortal Realm. Crius could understand if this was to counter an enemy, but what Hyperion was actually destroying were his own Gods of Stars. After all, those who resided around the sun were beings who could never pledge allegiance to the Divine King no matter what. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± The Divine Power was still burning, and even Eclipses, who roamed around the God of Sun, felt somewhat ¡®overfed¡¯ and distanced himself from Hyperion. This somewhat disheveled Ancient Titan God sneered as he looked toward the distance, in the direction where Helios had fled. ¡°I lost, but not to you. If not for the birth of this rebel, as the sole ruler of the sun, even Cronus couldn¡¯t defeat me in the starscape.¡± ¡°I know what he wants, and I know my eldest son is waiting to inherit my legacy, but I won¡¯t give him that chance. A star domain that has lost thirty percent of its Gods of Stars, a supreme celestial body that is berserk and unruly, that¡¯s the gift I¡¯m leaving for him.¡± ¡°And besides, Cronus is different from me; I would only imprison him, but the Divine King only needs a sun without the power to resist, under his control.¡± Having said that, Hyperion gave onest nce at the surrounding ck mist. He did not look at his wife, for he could guess her disappointed expression. He simply mustered his strength and with a loud boom, exploded his Divine Body. As the God of the Sun, Cronus dared not confine him to the Abyss. But if he were sealed elsewhere, Hyperion would truly have no chance of turning the tables. So he took advantage of the interval when the Ancient Evil Being devoured his shattered remains, transforming into a golden light and rushing towards the sun. At the same time, the sun in a frenzy also sped straight toward its master, shattering countless celestial bodies along the way. In the distance, the Queen of Gods reached out her hand as if to block, but the Goddess of Light, Theia, held her back. Although she did not understand her husband¡¯s actions, Theia did not wish for Hyperion to be confined to Mount of the Gods. In the end, in her heart, the God of Stars was merely a useful tool. Whoosh¡ª! Thus, before the eyes of the gods, the golden light entered the sun. Yet even though he returned to the symbol of his Godhood, this act of self-destruction was much harder to recover from than normal injuries. Unless something unexpected happened, Hyperion would be unable to do anything for at least a thousand years. Following the return of the God of the Sun, the supreme celestial body not only failed to calm down but grew even more violent. Not far away, Helios, who had just escaped confinement, hurried over. He viewed the turbulent sun and tried to use his portion of the Godhood to calm it, but all was in vain. ¡°Let me do it,¡± said a voice as space warped into a tunnel, with Cronus¡¯s voice emerging from it. His goal had been achieved, but what was left was a mess. The Divine King didn¡¯t know whether he should be pleased or not. Chapter 81 - 58: Seal Chapter 81: Chapter 58: Seal Trantor: 549690339 Stepping out of the tunnel, Cronus surveyed the situation at hand. Liquid like water sprayed from the Sun, scattering across the starry sky, the ocean, and thend. The Sun of Chaos wasn¡¯t made of ¡®fire,¡¯ it was more a special existence between solid and liquid states. Just like the stars of Chaos, they were not distant suns but luminous bodies with star cores inside, many of which did not have their own God of Stars. As parts of the Sun fell to the ground, zones with distorted environments appeared. The Divine King also noticed some seeping into fissures in the earth, partly bing magma and partly flowing into deeper realms, the whereabouts of the Underworld. They formed ake ofva, situated at the gates of the Underworld like the Styx River, bing one of the barriers separating the two worlds. Watching all this, Cronus sighed deeply. Although his goal had been achieved, and those core stars of the Sun¡¯s lineage had been ¡®sent away¡¯ by Hyperion himself, he was left with the mess to clean up. ¡°Theia, my sister, I hope you understand that I never wanted to reach this point.¡± Putting aside the matter of the Sun for a moment, standing in the cosmos, the Divine King exined to the Goddess of Light. The deed had been done, and the consequences could not be undone. Although it was all an act under Hyperion¡¯s pride, the other Ancient Titan Gods might not see it that way. A Principal God destroying his Divine Body, shaking the symbol of his Godhood¡ªif Cronus were to force Theia to retreat into the cosmos, he wasn¡¯t sure what other consequences might arise. Perhaps there would be, perhaps there wouldn¡¯t be, but since he had now won, he wasn¡¯t nning on creating more issues. Besides,pared to the God of Sun who had coveted the throne of the Divine King when they were locked in Mother Earth¡¯s womb, Theia had always been unconcerned with such matters. As a Goddess, she was not as ambitious as her husband, and had she not taken a stand against him, the Divine King would actually prefer the cosmos to be governed by a Deity like her. ¡°Stop posturing, Cronus. You¡¯ve won, so what do you n to do with me? Cast me into the Abyss?¡± The voice was cold, and although Theia knew Cronus was sincere, she was unimpressed. ¡°¡­You worry too much.¡± Shaking his head, the Divine King knew the other was merely speaking out of spite. In truth, she also knew that he wouldn¡¯t harm her. ncing at the Goddesses of the Moon Selene and the Goddess of Dawn Eos who hid to the side, the Divine King made up his mind. ¡°With things as they are, the regions around the Sun have been devastated, but the starry domains along the Moon¡¯s orbit still belong to you and your children,¡± he said. ¡°However, I hope, Theia, that you won¡¯t oppose me again like Hyperion did.¡± ¡°Heh, you worry about me when you should be thinking about your unborn children. I have no interest in your throne, but they might not feel the same way,¡± she retorted. Leaving behind a cold statement, the Mother of Light departed with her daughters toward the direction of the Moon. As for her eldest son Helios, she knew that the Divine King still needed to work with him to resolve the Sun¡¯s issues. Moreover, since she had allowed her husband to imprison him, he might not wish to leave with her. ¡°¡­Helios, how do you feel?¡± Watching the Goddess of Light leave, Cronus wasn¡¯t particrly angry but simply turned to ask the other God of Sun. If it had been earlier, the Divine King might have been anxious, but knowing that his first-born would be a Goddess had eased his mind considerably. ¡°Your Majesty, my father is still within influencing the Sun, and I cannot determine whether I can control it,¡± Helios replied after a brief sensation. ¡°I understand.¡± Nodding to the young deity beside him, Cronus turned his attention back to the Sun. To quell the fury of the Sun, the key was to first deal with the Sun God within. Weaken his influence on the Sun, and let Helios rece his presence. Of course, if the new God of Sun developed different intentions in the future, he could always release Hyperion and then watch the ensuing conflict unfold. However, the Divine King now needed to seal him away first. ¡°Hyperion, even until now, you continue to defy Order. As such, as the Divine King who rules the present age, I hereby dere your crimes,¡± The authority of the Divine King resonated with the Codex of Creation, as Order,w, and royal power were inherently aligned. At that moment, Cronus felt his power wildly surge, solely in terms of strength, he had almost entirely stepped into the domain of Great Divine Power. This was the domain once reached by the Heavenly Father solely by virtue of the Divine King¡¯s position, although Uranus had The Sky, whereas Cronus did not possess such matching power. But it was already enough. ¡°For imprisoning Titan deities on your own ord, preventing them from performing their godly duties, this is your first crime.¡± ¡°As the supreme being of light, yet causing the stars to fall and the greater Sun to tremble, this is your second crime.¡± ¡°For indecent words and actions, insulting the Divine King, this is your third crime.¡± Vaguely, Cronus seemed to peer through the Sun and see the figure within, as he indifferently delivered the final judgment: ¡°In the name of the Divine King, I imprison you here, effective immediately, for an eternal sentence.¡± The next moment, endless chains of Order emerged from the void, directly plunging into the great Sun, locking down the figure inside. Simultaneously, Cronus¡¯s aura also decreased sharply, no longer as terrifying as before. Sealing a deity was not something that could be done lightly, as a True God can continuously draw power from their godhood, so to seal a god, a continual investment of power was required. From that moment onward, approximately one-third of Hyperion¡¯s power at his peak was stripped from the Divine King, dedicated to maintaining this perpetual seal. This was why the Titans were locked away in the Abyss, rather than simply sealed off somewhere else. For those deities imprisoned there, Tartarus would manage them, without the need for any additional expenditure. ¡°It is done, Helios, your father has paid the price for his actions.¡± Turning to look at Helios, the young God of Sun quickly bowed to express his loyalty to the Divine King. The burst of power from Cronus just a moment ago was truly formidable, for a second-generation Titan who had never seen the Heavenly Father, it was beyond their imagination. ¡°From today onward, the Sun will rise and set by the will of the Divine King, Your Majesty. However, I sensed it once more just now, and the results are not splendid.¡± Facing Cronus¡¯s gaze, Helios said helplessly, ¡°After the Father God¡¯s previous provocation, the Sun has be even more tumultuous. Although the Father God has now been sealed, my power alone is still insufficient to control it.¡± ¡°I need your help to fulfill the duties of the God of Sun, otherwise, although I can set the Sun in motion, I cannot ensure it stays on its proper course.¡± ¡°¡­I understand.¡± Feeling somewhat headache-ridden and dissatisfied with Helios¡¯s incapacity, Cronus nevertheless had to resolve the matter. If he couldn¡¯t calm the somewhat restless stars caused by thepse of the God of Stars, and return the Sun¡¯s movements to their proper course, the starry realm he had acquired would be unable to enhance the power of the Divine King. Regarding this issue, though, it was not without solution¡ªit just meant that he would have to share some of the newly acquired The Sky again. After all, if all else fails, just borrow the Codex of Creation for a little longer. With the aid of this Order Divine Artifact, Helios should be able to barely manage the Sun. Moreover, with Hyperion¡¯s suppression gone, the new God of Sun would be able to rapidly umte Divine Power. Once he achieves Intermediate Divine Power, he should be able to fulfill his godly duties morefortably. ¡®But¡­¡¯ ¡®The Sun, it¡¯s better if it remains weaker.¡¯ Casting a sidelong nce at the young deity, who looked valiant but somewhat restrained due to years of imprisonment, Cronus was indifferent to his disyed obedience. The thoughts of a god can change with the power theymand, and no one knows whether Helios will remain the same as he is now when his Divine Power peaks. Perhaps he will, perhaps not, but the Divine King does not need ¡®perhaps.¡¯ Chapter 82 - 59: Not Needed Chapter 82: Chapter 59: Not Needed Trantor: 549690339 Spirit Realm, July hung high in the sky. Laine leaned against the backrest of his chair inside the Temple of Lops, casting his gaze outside. Three days had passed since the fall of the stars, and just as he expected, the two guests had entered the gates of the Underworld. Along the way, they casually ughtered numerous wraiths; after all, not only were the creatures weak, but they also seemed to fall short of the gods¡¯ aesthetic standards. ¡°Liana.¡± ¡°I¡¯m here, Your Highness.¡± ck hair cascading like a waterfall, the response was as always. Hundreds of years had gone by, and with the expansion of the Underworld, the Nether Moon had also grown increasingly powerful. ¡°Cronus and Helios have entered the Underworld, go wee them on my behalf.¡± He took a sip of tea and indifferently gave the order. Bringing along the new God of Sun, their purpose foring was obvious without asking. ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Liana responded softly and then exited the great hall. After a short while, Cronus was the first to walk into the temple. Helios followed behind. The new God of Sun moved cautiously, acting like nothing more than an attendant. Apart from the Goddess of Law, they were the only two True Gods who had entered the Spirit Realm. ¡°An incarnation, it seems His Divine Majesty the Divine King has somewhat misunderstood me.¡± Laine nodded with a smile, weing Cronus¡¯s arrival. However, he could sense that the other was not here in his true form. Not every god could create an incarnation, but Cronus certainly could. ¡°The Spirit Realm grows stronger, and here, the power of the mortal realm is almostpletely blocked. I don¡¯t feel very safe.¡± Cronus found a chair to sit down and said with a smile. ¡°Moreover, like Mother Earth¡¯s Life Vase, nobody knows what they might encounter on a visit here.¡± Laine remained unconcerned with the Divine King¡¯s implied meanings. ¡°Since we¡¯re on the subject of the Life Vase, heh, have you ever wondered about something? If I am the lord of spirituality and was the first life to exist, then why wasn¡¯t the authority of [Life] from the spiritual side born into my hands, but instead came to rest in a Divine Artifact?¡± In the original trajectory, Gaia was the first Primordial God to be born, and having [Life] was only natural, but now it was not so. ¡°I didn¡¯t understand before, but now I¡¯m beginning to. Just as almost all gods don¡¯t like Him,pared to what I have brought to Him, what He has left me is just the part He couldn¡¯t take away.¡± ¡°Everything acts on instinct, the greatest good is Him, and the greatest evil is also Him, or perhaps, it is not appropriate to describe Him in terms of good and evil.¡± Laine casually pointed to the long table in front of him, gesturing for Helios to take a seat. The young God of Sun tried his best to minimize his presence, this god, who was concealed from birth and had endured a long imprisonment,cked the presence a God of Sun should have. The Divine King, Mother Earth, the world¡ªstories about these powerful beings were things he had no interest in hearing. But today, the Divine King came for the very matter concerning him, so he had no choice but to follow. ¡°Perhaps, but if it¡¯s thews of the mortal world we¡¯re talking about, I wouldn¡¯t find anything He does surprising.¡± ¡°If it were possible, among Chaos¡¯s gods, there wouldn¡¯t be a few who didn¡¯t want to free themselves from Him,¡± Cronus said. Curious himself, the Divine King nevertheless first addressed the matter at hand. As one of the most ancient deities, he was born with only weak divine power. Whatever the story behind that, aside from himself and the will of the world, no one knew what had happened. ¡°Although I don¡¯t know what past you have with Mother Earth and me, my visit today is for his sake,¡± he said, turning to the God of Sun beside him. ¡°I need a way to allow Helios to operate the Sun freely. In exchange, I will grant the ster region along the Sun¡¯s trajectory to your subordinate, the God of Stars; it is one of the most essence-rich domains in the starry sky.¡± Cronus was direct and didn¡¯t want to wait a moment longer. The Sun was supposed to move daily, but at the moment, it was wildly releasing energy into various parts of the starry sky. The Queen of Gods, Rhea, alongside the God of Meteorology, was making great efforts to contain it, but still many celestial bodies were destroyed. Every moment dyed meant an increase in difficulty for the Divine King in governing the starry sky in the future. ¡°The most essence-rich domain of the starry sky, but also the one most ravaged by destruction,¡± Laine observed. Directly pointing out the problem in the Divine King¡¯s words, Laine said indifferently, ¡°The first thing Hyperion destroyed was the celestial bodies on the sr orbit. By now, that ce is probably empty.¡± ¡°But this is exactly what you wanted, isn¡¯t it?¡± Cronus also refused to give in, ¡°Without those obstructive celestial bodies, you can refill them yourself. Owning a world, you could grant territories to gods. Don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t do it.¡± The atmosphere seemed a bit tense, but Laine actually had no intention of asking for more. The starry sky is vast, yet the truly valuable ces are indeed few. ¡°Let¡¯s leave it at that, Cronus,¡± he said with a smile, ¡°Just being a Divine King, perhaps you are quite suitable.¡± Lacking excessive personal desires, aside from some pursuit of power and authority, he seldom acted capriciously. Among the gods of Chaos, Cronus was actually considered a high-quality deity. ¡°I appreciate your praise, but I¡¯d be happier if you hadn¡¯t made that prophecy,¡± the Divine King¡¯s expression softened with the sense of goodwill from Laine. Buting from Laine, such words felt somewhat ironic. ¡°I¡¯ve said before, prophecy can only observe fate, not determine it. There¡¯s always someone who hears what they don¡¯t want to and thinks it¡¯s the prophet¡¯s mistake.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not dwell on idle chatter, let¡¯s talk about the sun. Cronus, how much do you know about divine artifacts?¡± Tapping on the table, Laine picked up the cup that appeared and took a slight sip. ¡°I only know that there are two kinds of divine artifacts. Those that are innate often resemble godhood, containing corresponding divine authority and source power. Artifacts that are acquired afterward, while likewise powerful, oftenck the absolute nature of divine authority and are simply strong in certain aspects.¡± Laine¡¯s mention of divine artifacts puzzled Cronus, but he shared what he knew nheless. The sickle forged by Mother Earth was such, a powerful high-grade artifact that possessed no authority by itself but was remarkably formidable against specific targets. The scepter of the Divine King and the Ocean Deity Sovereign were the same. Their symbolic significance outweighed their practical meaning. In contrast, artifacts that emerged naturally from the world were different. Not only did they have fewer restrictions, but in intricate applications, they often held an advantage. ¡°That¡¯s true, but it¡¯s not entirely so. In fact, you just haven¡¯t mastered the true method of smithing. Artifacts forged afterward can indeed possess divine authority, but they require very special materials.¡± ¡°Moreover, the most crucial point is that through the process of ¡®smithing,¡¯ it can emphasize the power of certain aspects of authority at the expense of losing power in other areas.¡± ¡°So what are you suggesting?¡± asked Cronus, ncing at Helios beside him with a contemtive look. ¡°Using half of him as a material, I can personally fashion a divine artifact for him,¡± Laine said. ¡°I will suppress the parts of his godhood rted to ¡®light and heat,¡¯ and enhance the power of ¡®operating the sun.¡¯ With this, he will be able to effortlessly drive celestial bodies and fulfill his godhood with only a tiny fraction of divine power,¡± Laine exined. In the end, Laine looked at the somewhat distressed God of Sun and the Divine King beside him and said with a smile: ¡°If you¡¯re afraid of the same thing happening to you, I¡¯ll allow you to observe my smithing process. All the Sr Source Force will be used by me as material.¡± ¡°What about his power?¡± Cronus asked, with some interest, ¡°Will his divine power decrease with the loss of half his godhood?¡± ¡°A little, but not substantially. As long as the new artifact remains under his control, his limit of divine power won¡¯t differ much from before. However, his destructive power afforded by his godhood will certainly decrease significantly.¡± ¡°But then again,¡± Laine asked with a smile, ¡°do you need Helios to possess such formidablebat strength?¡± The Divine King nodded, looking towards the Sun God who clenched his fists. ¡°I guess not, right, Helios?¡± Confronted with the Divine King¡¯s coercive gaze, the God of Sun inexplicably remembered his father¡¯s final words. Perion would only imprison him, but the Divine King, he only needed a powerless sun that he could control without resistance. He wanted to refuse, for his godhood was at stake, and as long as he was unwilling, not even the Divine King could deprive him of his authority. Without a third God of Sun in this world apart from him, the opponent had no other choice. But then he thought of his father, sealed away; Helios did not know whether, once the Divine King calmed down, he might swear upon the Styx River ande to an agreement with the Divine King. Although this possibility was slight, he did not wish to gamble. After all, if he could gain a strong ally in divine power, Cronus might be willing to bury the hatchet. At that point, Helios¡¯s situation would be awkward. Of course, things might not develop to that stage. Perhaps there were other, better solutions, but for the moment, Helios couldn¡¯t think of any other options. ¡°¡­Yes, Your Majesty, the Divine King, I do not need such formidablebat strength. Being able to operate the sun for you is already sufficient,¡± Bowing his head slightly and pondering unknown thoughts, the God of Sun ultimately chose toply. Chapter 83 - 60: Chariot of the God of Sun Chapter 83: Chapter 60: Chariot of the God of Sun Trantor: 549690339 The party concerned has also ¡°agreed,¡± so the matter was settled. Laine had intended to let the godking, whocked experience, enjoy the catering services of the Spirit Realm, but Cronus, thinking of the constant crumbling of celestial bodies in the sky, regretfully declined his invitation. Thus, under Laine¡¯s leadership, the three made their way along the main road toward the Corette Shrine. Regarding the God of Sun, Laine indeed had no better ideas, as in the original mythology, whether it was Helios or the disastrous Phaethon, or even Apollo, who was himself the God of Light, all relied on the Sun Chariot to steer the sun. Instead of spending time and effort toe up with a better solution for him, it was more straightforward to craft a Divine Artifact as in the mythologies. As for whether this would weaken the power of the God of Sun, Laine was indifferent. Even without the godking¡¯s suggestion, he would at most not take action against the sun on his own, but he saw no need to speak for a deity he was not familiar with. Besides, although the godking acted for the sake of his control over the sun, he also inadvertently cleared obstacles for the God of Stars under Laine¡¯smand. Since he was to be the sun¡¯s neighbor, those he couldn¡¯t fight were definitely preferable to those he could. Passing through several pavilions and heading west, the three finally arrived at the gates of a uniquely designed shrine. Unlike other temples, the Corette Shrine had no top, and merely approaching it, a soul-warming sensation of heat enveloped them. ¡°Is this the ¡®Fire¡¯ aura?¡± Somewhat surprised, Cronus felt a peculiar sensation driven by the godking¡¯s power. Sensing the authority of ¡°Fire,¡± he had two conflicting intuitions. It was as if he felt both annoyance and pleasure. But overall, the pleasure outweighed the annoyance. ¡°Yes, as one of the most destructive aspects of godhood, I had nned to use it to nurture a high-grade artifact geared towards ughter. However, unfortunately, even after thousands of years, it had yielded no results. So, I let it return to its essence, to burn here in the form of pure fire while using its power to foster another artifact.¡± Nodding, Laine was admittedly somewhat vexed. The nurturing of Divine Artifacts was very much about timing, not to mention those forged, those nurtured by the world needed a suitable moment to emerge in perfect condition. Just as the Well of Origins was rted to the creation of man, and the Codex of Creation to legition. However, Laine really couldn¡¯t figure out how the artifact of ¡°Fire¡± woulde into being and decided to use its essence for something else in the meantime. As for the artifact meant for battle, that required further deliberation, since the Silver Age was upon them and, barring any surprises, Laine¡¯s divine power was poised to surge. The Hyperion he had once needed external forces to defeat might soon be no match for even one of his hands. His hypothetical enemies were gradually bing the Primordial Gods, especially the enigmatic Dark Overlord. Although there were currently no signs of hostility between the two, being prepared or not made all the difference. And when facing great divine power, an ordinary high-grade artifact might not be ineffective, but its effectiveness was extremely limited. ¡°What a pity.¡± Though proiming it a pity, Cronus harbor no regret whatsoever in his heart. He was well aware of the might of a battle-oriented high-grade artifact. Even though he had only experienced it once due to its effectiveness against specific targets, that memory still profoundly affected Cronus. ¡°Prepare yourself.¡± Laine paid no heed to the godking¡¯s insincerity and took the lead in entering the gates of the shrine. Behind the door was a nting conical pit leading downward. The bottom of the pit was hard to see clearly, and multi-colored liquids flowed there, emitting auras of various emotions. Within the center, an invisible me of changing colors burned fiercely, and an ancient, iplete stone tablet fluctuated within the mes. ¡°Is this the ¡®Civilization Stele¡¯ that the kings of humanity once saw?¡± Observing carefully, trying to determine the authority of the tablet, Cronus found disappointingly that there seemed to be a barrier between him and the tablet, preventing him from discerning its power no matter what. However, he still took mental note, especially since, for some reason, the artifact was iplete. ¡°Yes, the ¡®Civilization Stele.¡¯ I am currently using it to carry some humanistic aspects of godhood.¡± With a gesture, the stone tablet quietly vanished. Laine turned to Helios, smiling as he said: ¡°This is the ce. Separate half of the source power of your godhood, and I will handle the rest.¡± ¡°¡­Alright.¡± With gritted teeth, the young God of Sun separated a golden entity from himself. That was Helios¡¯s Sun, not as fierce as Hyperion¡¯s but gentler and more orderly. But no matter how gentle the Sun was, its essential properties could not be changed. In the realm of battle, it was undoubtedly one of the top divine roles. ¡°Come¡ª¡± With an outstretched hand, golden Source Power fell into his palm, and at the same time, dozens of different colored metals emerged from the void. Some originated from the Underworld and others from the starry sky, treasures brought back by the True Gods of the Spirit Realm in their daily exploits. Of course, such items were not considered rare for the gods. Contemting the Source Power and materials before him, Laine thought for a moment. Shortly thereafter, he pointed, and the mes transformed instantly. ¡°Refine!¡± Hemanded softly, and the golden Source Power was the first to merge into the invisible mes. A thinyer of liquid at the bottom surged up, and when it came into contact with the mes, the invisible ze intensified slightly. The Divine King and Helios, who were watching from the side, could feel that under the mes¡¯ annealing, the nature of the golden Source Power was slowly changing. Source Power was indestructible, the foundation of the world, the origin of authority, but its manifest nature could be altered. The wild, scorching parts associated with the Sun itself were being continuously hidden within ¡®the inside,¡¯ while the parts associated with ¡®celestial motion¡¯ were annealed to the surface, expanding their significance. At the same time, the various metals around them also melted into a liquid, and under the residual heat of the light ze, they reshaped their forms. ¡°I have two ideas, first, I could make it into a Sun Astrbe.¡± ¡°It would inherit the concept of the Sun as the ¡®supreme body of material light¡¯ and govern the Sun¡¯s movement in the form of ¡®dominion.¡¯ While continuing the crafting of the Divine Artifact, Laine inquired to the two ¡®clients.¡¯ ¡°And the other option?¡± Ignoring Helios¡¯s expectant gaze, Cronus asked directly. The Divine King should dominate the starry sky through ¡®dominion,¡¯ not necessarily the Sun. ¡°The second option, I will make it into a Sun Chariot. Controlling this artifact will allow one to pull celestial bodies with ease. Moreover, if a suitable candidate is chosen, they could assist with driving the chariot, leaving the God of Sun merely to steer.¡± Calmly presenting the second option, Laine awaited the Divine King¡¯s response. ¡°Then let¡¯s go with the second one. Controlling the Sun is no easy task, and to avoid overexertion, I can have other deities assist with the God of Sun¡¯s duties.¡± Without hesitation, the Divine King chose the second option, feeling that he had made the right choice. To give up just a few star realms, ones that originally belonged to others, but to gain far beyond his imagination. ¡°Good.¡± Receiving the expected reply, Laine nodded and quickened his pace. As the days passed, Cronus had made it clear that he hoped Laine wouldplete the forging as quickly as possible. Therefore, with somepromise in power, within just three months, the Sun Chariot was already taking shape. ¡°The Sun was inherently a body of ¡®light and heat,¡¯ but today, I grant it ¡®Fire.¡¯ Looking at the nearlypleted Divine Artifact, Laine dered calmly, ¡°This is the warm, masculine, celestial fire, and likewise, it is the right to use ¡®Fire¡¯ that I bestow upon it.¡± This task should have beenpleted by the future Hephaestus, but Laine did not mind continuing the process. From now on, Sr Golden me would symbolize this artifact. Taken aback, Cronus did not understand why Laine had suddenly be so generous. But after sensing the Sun Fire that red up on the divine chariot, he didn¡¯t dwell on it. The me provided by Laine was not oriented towards destruction, but rather, it was teeming with life. This would help the growth of all things but would not increase the artifact¡¯s power. Turning his attention back to the Sun Chariot, the nascent artifact was like a never-ending light source, its frame, axle, and wheels shone like gold, spokes glittered like silver, and the bridle meant to restrain the beasts was embedded with sparkling gemstones. ¡°Excellent,¡± he nodded with satisfaction before turning to the Sunshine god behind him: ¡°This is your future carriage. You will drive it for me, bringing light to all beings.¡± Chapter 84 - 61 The Zodiac and the Way of Bai Chapter 84: Chapter 61 The Zodiac and the Way of Bai Trantor: 549690339 The Divine King was satisfied with the crafting of the Sun Chariot, but Cronus, concerned for the sun in the starry sky, hastened to leave. He needed to get this celestial body moving again as soon as possible. Every day of dy meant more destruction in the heavens, and the time needed for restoration would be more than a hundredfold. ¡°Aster, how are the preparations?¡± Watching Cronus¡¯s avatar and Helios depart from the Spirit Realm, Laine inquired softly. The star fields along the sun¡¯s path used to be continuous, without detailed division. ¡°As you requested, I¡¯ve divided the star fields the sun passes through into twelve equal parts based on the changes in its trajectory over the course of a year,¡± ¡°Corresponding with the twelve months, when the starlight aligns with thend, one can even use ¡®calendars¡¯ to influence the climate changes in the Mortal Realm.¡± d in a silver gossamer gown, Aster, the Weaver of Stars, replied. ¡°But there are not enough human Heroic Spirits to stabilize the star fields. If we can¡¯t calm the chaos in the starry sky by other means, relying solely on these Heroic Spirits, it would take more than ten thousand years to restore it to the original state.¡± Maintaining and repairing were tasks of differing difficulty. Under normal circumstances, these Heroic Spirits of the Golden Humanity, with the starry power controlled by the God of Stars, would suffice in stabilizing the star field energy, but the situation now was far from normal. ¡°I understand¡ª¡± Laine said after rubbing his forehead, feeling somewhat helpless with the situation. He had not anticipated that Hyperion, in the end, would resort to a ¡°to prevent subordinates from being used by you, I might as well kill them all¡± approach. The starry sky, unlike thend, was rife with storms and energy tides that ebbed and flowed. Without sufficient Gods of Stars, a single star field simply couldn¡¯t provide stable power to its master. Now Laine was faced with this very situation and needed to find a way to quell the turmoil. Of course, those ¡°eternally slumbering¡± Gods of Stars were not exactly dead. If he was willing to have the Spirit Realm provide Divine Power, he could revive them. But Laine was not inclined to expend great effort just to save a group of temps. After all, the illusory stars he had created also numbered in the thousands, and once the starry sky stabilized, those Gods of Stars were not needed. To save them to use for a thousand years and then bury them again¡ªthis was something Laine couldn¡¯t bring himself to do. But in the current system of the Spirit Realm, there was also no ce for the external Gods of Stars. ¡°Let¡¯s put it off for now,¡± Laine eventually said. ¡°Once Cronus has arranged the trajectories of the celestial bodies in the starry sky, the Codex of Creation will stay with you.¡± ¡°Go find Themis in the starry sky, and with the Codex of Creation in her hands, its power is enough to quell the chaotic energy flows along the Zodiac trajectory.¡± After hesitating for a moment, Laine added another sentence. ¡°Tell her, although it may take some time, after she helps with this, I will afterwards help her avoid an annoying fellow.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Though Aster did not know whom Laine was referring to, the Angels of the Spirit Realm never questioned Laine¡¯smands. So Aster nodded and flew towards the starry sky. The twelve Gods of Stars had already gone to their new domains. After all, a star field left unmanaged for even a day multiplied the difficulty of its subjugation. Though their Divine Power was far from enough to suppress a star field¡¯s energy, it was possible to manage. After a short while, only one person was left in the great hall. Laine gently tapped on the armrest, his gaze piercing through the void, throughyers of barriers, vaguely discerning that figure chained within the sun by the locks of order. Even though he was sealed, the former God of the Sun was still struggling ceaselessly. Although this would not break the seal, the Divine King¡¯s power was nheless sapped a bit because of it. This was the God of Sun, fervent and reckless. ¡°Hyperion¡­ this is the second time he¡¯s fallen into my hands,¡± Laine mused. While the second time was indeed orchestrated by the Divine King, without Laine¡¯s assistance, he wouldn¡¯t have seeded so effortlessly. Colliding with Laine twice, and each time ending up worse than before, this fellow truly suffered his share of hardship. But indeed, undying deities are quite troublesome; no matter how many times you defeat them, they always have the chance toe back, and even if sealed, they are constantly wearing down the sealer¡¯s power. ¡°Third time¡¯s the charm.¡± ¡°You have one more chance toe out, at the time of the Divine King¡¯s session. If you choose to leave or to take revenge on your firstborn, then our grievances can end there. But if you¡¯re unwilling to stop¡ª¡± Gods are immortal, and the Sun cannot be destroyed, so strictly speaking, Laine had no way of dealing with an Ancient Titan God. However, with some past experiences, he faintly thought of some more interesting, yet more difficult methods of handling the situation. He couldn¡¯t do it now, but when the third era came, he could give it a try. [The Sun] is eternal, deities never die, yet death is not solely the demise of the physical body. ¡°Your Majesty, do you really intend to hand over the zodiac domains to the Lord of the Spirit Realm?¡± On the way back to Mount of the Gods, Helios ultimately couldn¡¯t hold his silence. The zodiac was how Laine referred to the Sun¡¯s path through the stars over the course of a year during the process of forging the Divine Artifact. He called the Sun¡¯s Path the zodiac, and the Moon¡¯s Path the Bai path, and generally, although they intersect at one point, the Sun and the Moon do not collide. Only on very rare asions do their positionse dangerously close, and the Divine King considered such a rare day a thank offering to the [Devourer of the Sun]. Although itcked wisdom, the Divine King remembered its merits, so on that day, he allowed Eclipses to emerge and ¡®feast¡¯ to its content, thereby also averting an imbnce of energy between the Sun and the Moon. After all, due to Laine¡¯s doing, the difference in power between the Sun and the Moon of this world was quite substantial, and if they were to intersect, something not so wonderful might ur. With Hyperion¡¯s control over the Sun, there hadn¡¯t been any problems before, but the Divine King had no hope that would be the case with Helios. ¡°Of course, if I don¡¯t do this, do you think he¡¯d be interested in any other remote ce? If you could operate the Sun on your own, I wouldn¡¯t need toe here at all.¡± ncing indifferently at the God of Sun, Cronus spoke directly: ¡°Your thoughts need to match your power, Helios. I know you¡¯re unhappy, butpared to your sister, at least you are a True God with strong godhood.¡± ¡°If one day you be a God with formidable divine power, I will seriously consider your ideas, but for now, you just need to execute.¡± If it were any other deity, Cronus would at least try to coerce or entice them. But for the God of Sun, he didn¡¯t even entertain the thought of ¡®enticing¡¯ him. The starry sky doesn¡¯t need so many voices, anding up, he¡¯ll probably have to focus on his soon-to-be-born children. Before that happens, he didn¡¯t want to leave himself a pile of troubles. ¡°¡­Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Helios responded in a low voice. Although he was about to drive the Sun Chariot across the sky, and the Divine King had agreed to give him some Gods of Stars to govern, after the journey to the Spirit Realm, Helios felt no different than before, having moved from a small cage into arger one. But following behind Cronus, the God of Sun¡¯s eyes flickered. Visiting the Spirit Realm today reminded him of something he had heard from his parents. Before he was born, around the time when Cronus ascended to the throne of the Divine King, the Lord of the Spirit Realm, who had not yet created his own realm, made a Prophecy, and the Heavenly Father also left a curse before his ascension. Just as Cronus had overthrown the previous Divine King, he too would be overthrown by his own young child. Hyperion had said this in mockery, venting his anger, but reflecting on this incident, the new God of Sun couldn¡¯t help but feel hopeful. ¡®As you rose, so shall you fall. This statement not only implies that he gained the throne through rebellion, but could it also be referring to me?¡¯ ¡®He relies on my existence to control the Sun and govern the stars, yet so tantly disregards my interests, so why should I stand by him when a new Divine King is born?¡¯ Moved by the thought, he quickly suppressed it. After all, the Divine King could release his father at any time, and if he couldn¡¯t resolve this issue, any current deliberations were illusory. However, aside from the yet-to-be-fulfilled Prophecy, Helios thought of another way to increase his strength. ¡®I remember the God of the Ocean lineage seems quite fond of matrimonial alliances.¡¯ ¡®I wonder if Prince Oceanus would find me suitable?¡¯ He was somewhat confident, after all,pared to just one of the Oceanides, the husband of Clymene, the Goddess of Renown, at least Helios was a God of Sun. Therefore, what the God of Speech, Iapetus, could achieve, he might as well be able to do. With differing intentions on the same path, before long, Mount of the Gods loomed into view. Chapter 85 - 62: Imminent Chapter 85: Chapter 62: Imminent Trantor: 549690339 After the day the stars fell, the Chaos World had be peaceful for a long time. The disputes over the ocean gradually ceased, and with the expansion of the world, the ever-increasing sea territories hadrgely been divided. Oceanus of the Circumterrestrial River had acquired more than seventy percent of the share, and he had distributed some of it to his deserving children before integrating most of it into his own godhood. Unsurprisingly, once he fully assimted this power, the Ocean Deity Sovereign could also reach the peak of mighty divine power. Henceforth, the Primordial Sea God would no longer be his equal, and thus Pontus plunged into the deep sea trenches, the concave of the earth, as if not wanting to see the exalted ocean deities. Among the children of Pontus, most concealed themselves with their father god, except for two deities. The once peril of the sea,ter Goddess of Beauty, Keto, and her following Three Furies still roamed the seas. Or rather, Keto had long stopped considering herself a daughter of the Sea God, viewing Uranus as her father, since she and her three ¡®sisters¡¯ were deities reborn from his divine blood. The other one was Pontus¡¯s eldest son, Nereus, who had united with the Oceanides Doris. He and his wife begot fifty mermaids, among whom were the future Sea Empress Amphitrite and Thetis, the mother of Achilles¡ªone of these fifty deities. Compared to his own father, this ¡®gentle¡¯ Sea God had great rapport and was closely associated with many deities. With the cessation of conflicts over the seas, the Mountain God Ourea also returned to his domain. Unlike the Sea God, the thousands of years of warfare had brought him nothing but pain and loss. Meanwhile, in the starry sky, under the auspices of the Divine King, the gods had divided the territories once held by the God of Sun¡¯s family. Cronus gifted the ¡®distant starry sky¡¯ to the God of Stars and alsomanded the Moon and Sun to venerate Phoebe as the lord of luminous celestial bodies. Although this was but a titr homage, not involving power or authority, Phoebe was still overjoyed. Having ceased cooperation with the Divine King halfway before, she had thought Cronus would not honor the agreement. Evidently, as long as it would stabilize these two Titan deities, the Divine King did not mind such a token contribution. Besides, as the Mother of Light, Theia was, although part of the defeated faction, still treated with great courtesy by the Divine King. He reserved for her the orbit through which the Moon passes in the night sky and allowed some stars that survived the sr uprising to remain under hermand. As for what these star deities, looking towards the empty Zodiac Regions in the distance, truly thought, that was no concern of His Majesty, the Divine King. ¡°Themis, my sister who staunchly upholds justice, I wonder if you would be willing to do me a small favor?¡± Having redefined the trajectories of the stars with the Divine Artifact, the Divine King handed the Codex of Creation to the Goddess of Law. By defining the trajectories of a group of stars, the power of this Divine Artifact had risen slightly, but it still couldn¡¯t break through that barrier. Or perhaps, aplete Genesis Artifact not only requires power but must also have aplete ¡°symbol.¡± The Life Vase could originally take this step, as it inherently symbolized the origin of life. When life capable of reproducing thrived upon the earth, it could naturally cross that threshold. But once it split in two, this symbolism was torn asunder, and unless it is repaired in another manner, mere power alone can only bring it infinitely close yet will neverplete that crucial transformation. The Codex of Creation is somewhat more special. Being oneponent of aplete Divine Artifact, it can only achieve ascendance in conjunction with the other two pieces. As for what the three Genesis Artifacts couldbine into, that¡¯s a realm even Laine and the Primordial Gods remain ignorant of. ¡°If your request aligns with what befits the status of a Divine King, then I shall not refuse.¡± In the starry sky, Themis took the brass codex and nodded in agreement. Her implication was clear: if this was a scheme or a stratagem unbing of a Divine King¡¯s stature, she would not be involved. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s just a minor matter.¡± ¡°I heard that Laine asked you to stabilize the Zodiac Regions, so if possible, I¡¯d like you to also sort out the surrounding starry domains.¡± While destruction is easy, rebuilding is another matter entirely. Having Themis assist was one of the most cost-effective choices. ¡°The destruction caused by Perion was too severe, with over thirty percent of the star deities falling into eternal slumber. These territorial gods are rarely of any use, but it¡¯s quite troublesome when many of them are missing.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Frowning slightly, even though he was somewhat dissatisfied with Cronus¡¯s attitude towards the star gods, all the Titan deity n were like this now. Besides possessing an immortal essence, the powers of these quasi-gods were surprisingly weak. If they didn¡¯t also possess divine power, no one would consider them deities. ¡°I can help you, of course, but I must also remind you, Cronus, do not follow in the footsteps of our father.¡± Looking at the Spirit Realm angels waiting in the distance, Themis spoke earnestly. ¡°¡­What do you mean by that? Do I look like a tyrant to you?¡± ¡°You know what I am talking about, Cronus.¡± With the Codex of Creation in her hands, the currentws of the world were clearly visible to the Goddess of Law. Although the conquest of the stars had further increased his divine authority, in Themis¡¯s eyes, the countdown for Cronus to resist thew of birth had essentially begun. In five hundred or six hundred years, the child of the Divine King would be born. No one knew what choices he would make then. ¡°The Father God harmed the Mother Goddess bymitting such atrocious acts, Cronus, I won¡¯t meddle in matters between you and your children, but if you dare to treat Rhea like the Father God did, I will not stand idly by.¡± Resting her left hand lightly on the hilt of her sword, the Goddess of Justice¡¯s stance was very clear. It wasn¡¯t just talk for her; she would indeed act if necessary, and she had the capability to do so. After enacting thews thousands of years ago, Themis not only saw a strengthening of her godhood but also received two nascent divine artifacts. Now, both artifacts hade into the world. One was the Golden Scales, born alongside her function as the Goddess of Fairness, capable of passing judgment on all things in the world, distinguishing their weight. Whether the items ced on either side of the scales were physical objects or more abstract notions, it would urately make the judgment¡ªthe heavier would sink, the lighter would rise. The other was the Sword of Vanquishing Evil, which went hand in hand with her function as the Goddess of Justice. It could sense sin and differentiate the good from the bad. When facing actions that were ¡®unjust and evil,¡¯ the weapon¡¯s power was especially formidable, Inter generations, these two artifacts had made a significant name for themselves, and even though they were yet to be unsheathed, Cronus faintly sensed a threat. While unexpected for the Divine King, the fact that the Goddess of Justice, who had just reached Divine Power Level 17, had this kind of power was quite surprising. ¡°You worry too much, Themis, after all, this is my business, it has nothing to do with you. Do you intend to partake in the struggle for the throne of the Divine King as well?¡± Taking a deep breath, Cronus¡¯s expression darkened. If it were anyone else, he would have already demonstrated his divine authority, but he refrained from taking action against his sister. This was partly because he couldn¡¯t do without her given the situation among the stars, and partly because he had no intention of mistreating his Queen of Gods. It had been thousands of years since Rhea had firmly stood by his side, facing the deste Mount of the Gods together. He would not show mercy to his own Divine Child, but he had the same respect for his wife. ¡°Rhea will forever be my Queen of Gods. She was in the past, she is now, and she will be in the future. She is the only one worthy of standing shoulder to shoulder with the Divine King, but Themis, I also warn you, anyone who sides with my offspring is my relentless enemy.¡± ¡°The strife for the throne of the Divine King is a matter for your own family, but be sure not to use your tactics on a wife, a mother. Remember your promise, Cronus, I will be watching you.¡± Turning to leave, the Goddess of Justice did not say more; she merely made her stance known. The fight for the throne of the Divine King was, of course, justified, but Themis had no wish to see the events of her own past reyed on Rhea and her children. Chapter 86 - 63 Hestia and Demeter Chapter 86: Chapter 63 Hestia and Demeter Trantor: 549690339 Since the stars were pacified, Helios had been driving his Sun Chariot across the sky, and the world gradually calmed down. Yet in the eyes of a few keen individuals, an invisible storm was brewing. The Divine King had subdued the stars, and then he visited his uncle, Ourea, the King of Mountains. In a situation that was half negotiation and half coercion, with Mount Othrys at its center, more than one-fourth of thend came under the Divine King¡¯s control. Of course, as a price, Cronus had stepped forward to warn the Ocean Deity Sovereign. Regardless of what had happened before, if he were to incite disputes with the Ancient Sea Gods again, or allow the Oceanides to encroach upon the domain of the Mountain Gods, then the Divine King would make a ¡°just¡± decision. Oceanus remained silent in response, but his deities truly became more restrained than before, which made Ourea believe that the territory he was forced to surrender still had its value. However, at some point, a rumor began to circte among the Chaotic Gods. The Divine King, influenced by the will of the world, was about to sire a child of his own. But as in the Prophecy and the curse of the Heavenly Father, just as it had happened before, Cronus would be overthrown by his progeny. For a while, the world became eerily quiet. At the center of the earth, on that highest peak, the attention of all deities converged. Everyone wanted to know what choice Cronus would make in the face of the curse and Prophecy. Would he, like the Heavenly Father, resort to violence, fighting destiny with force, or would he seek a milder approach, trying to circumvent the problem in a more roundabout way? At Mount Othrys, in the Divine King¡¯s bedchamber. The omen of divine birth had already begun to show. Ripples spread across the Source Sea, manifesting in the form of Law chains that covered the Mount of the Gods from top to bottom. However, contrary to what the gods had imagined, standing at the gates of the pce, Cronus, feeling the increasingly intense fluctuations of the Laws around him, felt no nervousness or anger. On the contrary, he was very rxed, even finding the time to pour himself a cup of nectar and casually observe the many attentive gazes, both overt and covert. Of course, he also had to deal with his sister, who stood by his side. Centuries had passed, and with the efforts of the Goddess of Law, the disasters once wrought by the God of Sun had been mostly quelled. The blessings from the stars also took effect on the Divine King. Now, Cronus had truly reached the pinnacle of Great Divine Power. But it was only upon reaching this point that he finally understood how terrifying Great Divine Power could be. The barrier before him was like an abyss, not just impossible to cross, but he couldn¡¯t even fathom its depth. It was so profound that even infusing the enhancement from nearly one-third of thend into it wouldn¡¯t stir up the slightest ripple. ¡°As you can see, Themis, I am not worried about the first child Rhea is bearing for me,¡± Cronus said, discerning the subtle gazesing from every direction. ¡°In fact, I have previously determined through certain means that this first child about to be born is a goddess, not an existence that could potentially threaten me.¡± ¡°So you need not be so guarded. I won¡¯t do anything to a new god that poses no threat.¡± While he spoke in this manner, in his heart, Cronus merely nned to dy dealing with it. After all, back when he had wielded the sword, his siblings had stood by his side. Naturally, he would not make the same mistake a second time. ¡°If that is the case, I apologize to you, but I still wish to stay and witness the final oue,¡± Themis responded sinctly, unapologetic about her possible mistake. As the Goddess of Justice, if she had misunderstood the situation, it was only right for her to offer an apology. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, but if possible, please let me stay among the stars a while longer,¡± Cronus shook his head and replied, ¡°I estimate it will take at least several hundred years before everything returns to its original state. Until then, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to trouble you.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Having received an answer, Themis spoke no more and instead looked towards the direction of the sleeping chamber. The fluctuations of thews surrounding them grew more intense, and those subtle gazes became increasingly dense, but none of this concerned the Goddess of Justice. Right now, she only wanted to wait for Queen Rhea to give birth to her progeny and then return to the stars. It was not only because the chaotic starfields made her instinctively ufortable but also because she did not fancy the gods¡¯ struggles for power and profit. If she were to use her alternate title, ¡°Sword of Judgment,¡± known as the ¡°Sword of Vanquishing Evil,¡± to sense, most of the deities of Chaos would provoke some reaction from the Divine Artifact, one by one. Hum¡ª Time ticked away, and the chains ofw extending from the Mount of the Gods became clearer and clearer. All of these signs indicated that the deity about to be born possessed a very strong divine position. But where this godhood woulde from was unclear ¡ª perhaps a new concept would be born in the world, or maybe an ancient god would split their position. Time gradually moved into the evening. The Moon rose high, and all was silence. At a certain moment, a red light was born from the highest reaches of the sky. It stretched down to the earth, reflecting in rivers andkes. Simultaneously, thews proimed the birth of a new deity to all living beings. Hestia, the goddess of fire and guardianship! The appearance of the new deity caused a momentary stillness in thews, but they did not stop; instead, they grew even more vehement. The red light gradually faded, reced by shades of green and yellow interweave. The new phenomenon spanned an even broader scope than what had enshrouded them before ¨C the oceans, the Underworld, and all nts swiftly matured under an invisible force, bearing bountiful fruits. ¡°Does it have to do with nts? What a bother,¡± Cronus said, his expression turning grave as he perceived what was happening. The advent of Hestia was merely the prelude; her divine position was not as strong as imagined due to the ipleteness of ¡°fire.¡± ¡°Guardianship,¡± although powerful, was still somewhatckingpared to the deities that would follow. However, the strength of the divine position was secondary. The fact that the second deity was associated with ¡°nts¡± meant that it would once again divide the divine authority of Mother Earth. Due to the Titans imprisoned in the Abyss, Cronus already had a somewhat delicate rtionship with Gaia, and he did not know what choice Mother Earth would make when the new deity was born. However, the birth of a god was not influenced by his thoughts, and the aura of all things sprouting grew stronger. Even within the temple, Cronus sensed the presence of an apanying Divine Artifact. Shortly after, along with the thundering of the earth, a verdant light streaked across from the East and shot directly into the temple, announcing the true name of the new deity to the world. Demeter, the goddess of the growth of all things! Following the birth of the new deity, the tumult of the primordial sea gradually calmed. At the same time, all beings with intermediate divine power and above could sense that the divine position of ¡°nts¡± had almostpletely separated from Mother Earth. In the past, the true emblem of nts was not Gaia but the Golden Apple Tree that had sprouted from the ¡°Seed of All Things¡± in the ¡°Life Vase.¡± Now even the divine position governing the growth and decay of nts had been cleaved by the world, leaving her only with the role of the creator of the nts in the current world. nts are closely linked to the earth; they draw nutrients from it and ultimately return to it. With the loss of this power, the force of Mother Earth was bound to slide down further, unavoidably. Even more critically, even the speed of her power¡¯s recovery would be affected. The gods varied in their response, but they all knew that with the birth of the deities walking upon the earth, the rtionship between the two ruling forces had once again deteriorated. Chapter 87 - 64: The Gift Chapter 87: Chapter 64: The Gift Trantor: 549690339 Near the Delphic Great ins, the dwelling ce of Mother Earth. The brilliance gradually faded away, the miraculous signs of divine birth dissipated into the air, yet the changes urring within Gaia had not stopped. As Demeter came into the world, the power of Mother Earth, which had been slowly recovering to its former state, plummeted once more, and her forty-something appearance aged a few years again. From the outside, it seemed she had returned to how she looked thousands of years ago. Her hair color became somewhat dry, her green skirt began to fade to yellow, and, expectedly, this time, it would not return to its original state. After all, the vitality of all things is but a skirt draped over the earth, just as the secret shroud over Mother Night. Now that she had lost this part of her godhood, the chain reaction manifested first in the anthropomorphic image of the deity. At the same time, a part of Gaia¡¯s divine status shattered once again. Compared to the Twin Gods of the Dark Night, she now possessed less than half of their remaining strength. It must be known that at the dawn of creation, Gaia was actually the one with the most robust origin. She was the symbol of the world¡¯s primordial matter, the cornerstone of all existence in the present world, but now, she retained only the part that belonged to the earth. Bang! Power rippled through the surroundings, and as the emotions of Mother Earth fluctuated, the strata began to resonate. Not far away, the Golden Humanity near the Oracle of Delphi was clueless as to the cause, left with no choice but to pray to the deities. But Gaia paid no attention to them, her heart filled with a wrath that had nowhere to vent. She wanted to go to the Mount of the Gods to confront the Divine King, but she knew that this was not about Cronus. Moreover, she no longer had the power to overwhelm him. ¡°Chaos, I regarded you as my father, yet you treat me this way.¡± Among the deities of the present world, only she, from the moment of her birth, had continually been stripped of her powers. As one of the Primordial Gods, she felt as though she was a tool used by the world, endlessly nurturing new gods with her own flesh and blood. She did not know why this was happening, perhaps it was because thews of the world instinctively did not want too powerful a deity walking the earth, so as a fully personified Primordial God, she was naturally targeted. Even though she had never exercised her powers recklessly since the day she was born, the world devoid of will did not care about this; It had no ¡®character¡¯ and therefore would not differentiate between deities. Whetherpliant or ambitious, it only looked at what you have done, and what you are capable of doing. ¡°Erebus was right, sometimes, I am just too indecisive.¡± ¡°Maybe I should be more straightforward. I don¡¯t need to think so much. As a Primordial God born with the world, as long as the world continues to exist, I don¡¯t have anything to worry about.¡± It was quite a while before Gaia calmed down, and she remembered the evaluation given to her by her brother, The Dark Overlord. She could have intimidated Cronus into releasing the Titans from the Abyss when he was still weak, but instead, she chose to leave Mount Othrys alone and came to this in, which at the time had no name. ¡°¡­Moanda.¡± She softly called out to her servant, and Gaia reached out to catch a stream of golden light that flew from afar,nding in her palm¡­ A rich essence of life swirled around it, but sadly, for Gaia, it was of no use. Even the remnants of her divine status made many things in this world ineffective against her, including what she held in her hand. It could repair a divine body, enhance divine power, but faced with the remnants of a Primordial God¡¯s status, it was nothing more than an ordinary fruit. ¡°Your Highness, did you call for me?¡± From the woods not far from Gaia, a figure appeared in response to her call. It was the foremost among the nymphs serving Mother Earth, who had been granted divinity by Gaia, thus achieving immortality. ¡°Moanda, Imand you to set off for Mount of the Gods now,¡± Gaia slowly said as she looked in the direction of the mountain, ¡°to congratte the birth of the two new deities on my behalf, and take my gift there as well. But on your return, remember to have the God of Speech, Iapetus,e to see me.¡± ¡°However, make sure the Divine King knows nothing of this; you can do that, right?¡± She intended to keep the Divine King¡¯s attention elsewhere, letting him think she did not want to oppose him. Of course, that was indeed the case, Gaia was not adept at fighting, so she would not resort to force to solve problems. Fortunately, her brother had prepared everything for her long ago, and although he had his own agenda, Gaia did not care. ¡°I will, Your Highness,¡± a beautiful nymph fairy promised reverently from the side. Although it was difficult, after all, speaking with a True God within the Divine King¡¯s domain without being discovered was nearly impossible. But perhaps sensing the wrath of the Principal God, Moanda spoke no unnecessary words. ¡°Then you may go.¡± With a nod, Gaia handed over the object to the nymph fairy and left her divine power upon her. This signified that she was protected by the earth and was an envoy recognized by Mother Earth. After a slight bow, Moanda took the object and turned to depart. As a weak nymph, even with Mother Earth¡¯s help, she needed to set off without dy. Half a dayter, Gaia¡¯s initially fluctuating aura gradually stabilized as she gazed toward the Oracle of Delphi not far away, reaffirming her decision in her heart once again. The lifespan of Golden Humanity was drawing to an end, yet Cronus feared the prophecy. Thus, despite the gods¡¯ suggestions to create the next generation of life long ago, the Divine King still adamantly refused. He issued an order that no god should create new life, or else it would be deemed an act of hostility against him. Various gods abandoned the idea, and Gaia also hesitated until today. Erebus wanted to unveil the secrets of creation and then steal the power of the world? Then let him try. It would be best if he hollowed out the current world so that He no longer had the ability to sway the direction of godhood. Cronus did not wish for humans to be born? But she was determined to create Silver Humanity, to let him know as well, if you refuse to release the Titans from the Abyss, I will not make things easy for you either. Compared to her previous reservations, Gaia now only wanted to do something ording to her own heart¡¯s desire, no matter what it was. Besides, perhaps it was because she had once briefly held the Oracle, or maybe it was a spontaneous warning from her remaining divine status, but she could faintly sense that in the not-too-distant future, new gods woulde to split her power. And without a surprise, these new gods would alsoe from Mount of the Gods. ¡°Be it the Divine King or the world, it¡¯s all the same.¡± Clenching her fist, she whispered softly, as if to encourage herself. ¡°Greed, willfulness, egocentrism, Chaos, Uranus, and now Cronus ¨C they all care about themselves, no one has ever cared about me.¡± ¡°But if you do not wish to let me be at peace¡ª¡± ¡°Then not one of you, not a single one, shall find peace!¡± Chapter 88 - 65 Solidifying Time Chapter 88: Chapter 65 Solidifying Time Trantor: 549690339 Upon the great ins, Mother Earth sent out her servants, and elsewhere, the gods all reacted ordingly. The presence of the two goddesses, who were the first to emerge, caused those quietly observing the Mount of the Gods to retract their gazes. Hestia, the eldest daughter of the Divine King, although skilled in the godhoods of Fire and Protection, which are well-suited forbat, it was uncertain whether she could enter into the ranks of those with formidable divine power because of the imperfection of one of these forces. Even if possible, it would likely take an exceedingly long time. As for the other goddess, Demeter, her godhood was too inclined towards support. Even with strong divine power, herbat capability was very limited. Moreover, in the traditions of the Chaos World, a goddess could not ascend to the throne of the Divine King. Since there was no possibility of challenging Cronus¡¯s rule, naturally no god was particrly concerned about this. They chose to wait for the birth of the Divine Child. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard.¡± Entering the royal chamber, Cronus spoke softly upon seeing the two infants in Rhea¡¯s arms. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Rhea¡¯splexion was somewhat pale, but her spirits were still decent. However, upon seeing her husband¡¯s figure, she nced at her two children with a worried expression. ¡°How do you n to treat them?¡± she asked. ¡°They are goddesses and won¡¯t be the person mentioned in the prophecy and curse.¡± ¡°I know, they have no chance of recing me; but when facing our father, my siblings also stood by my side, did they not?¡± He shook his head, but seeing the changingplexion of the Queen of Gods, Cronus still reassured her, ¡°However, you need not worry.¡± ¡°Their divine powers are still very weak and not powerful enough; the time of the prophecy has not yete. I have a better solution. If possible, let¡¯s keep it this way.¡± He extended his hand, and the power of time surged around him. When the invisible fluctuation covered the two goddesses, their growth slowed. The divine power transformed into a golden liquid, sealing the two infant girls inside, much like two translucent gemstones. Cronus ced them aside and then sat down at the edge of the bed. ¡°Let¡¯s leave it at this for the time being; at least for now, their powers do not pose much of a burden to me.¡± Relieved, Rhea rxed. Yet, being in charge of a godhood rted to time herself, the Queen of Gods was well aware of how much power was constantly drained to dy the growth of two potent Divine Children. ¡°What aboutter? We won¡¯t only have these two children.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll discuss thatter.¡± Cronus interrupted. He had his thoughts, but he knew Rhea would certainly not ept them, so he chose not to speak of them. Reverting deities to their mother¡¯s womb is both harmful to the mother and a desecration of the Law of Procreation established by the Heavenly Father and Mother Earth. The precedent was still fresh before his eyes; Cronus would not stubbornly oppose it. Furthermore, the prophecy had shown a point in time, the birth of the Silver Humanity. As long as the new life had not yet appeared on the earth, the future was not so frightening. If he could think of a solution to the prophecy during this period, that would be best. If not, it was not toote to make arrangementster. After spending some time with the Queen of Gods and sensing the Goddess of Justice¡¯s disappearing presence outside The Temple, Cronus smiled and then left the royal chamber. With the birth of his eldest daughter, he needed to make certain of some things; after all, these would not be his only children. ¡°Zephyrus, the Leader of the Wind Gods, whom I personally ennobled, in the past thousand years, has anyone defied my orders?¡± Stepping through The Temple¡¯s grand doorway, his smile fading, Cronus asked in a grave tone. Days before, he had summoned the God of West Wind back. If the divine birth had not been a day earlier than he anticipated, the Divine King would not have had him wait outside The Temple. ¡°No, Your Majesty. In fact, the gods do not possess that capability.¡± Next to him, Zephyrus materialized from his ethereal form and bowed respectfully to the Divine King. ¡°Creation of life is only possible through thebined action of the elixir from the Life Vase and the water from the Well of Origins.¡± ¡°Therefore, even though the creatures of the earth have gradually be sparse, no deity has created new life.¡± Nodding, Cronus was satisfied with Zephyrus¡¯s answer. The birth of Silver Humanity, the rise of the second Mount of the Gods, thetter he did not know when it would happen, after all creating a mountain had many ways to achieve, but creating humans was controble. Previously, his children had not been born, so he was only generally prepared for the birth of the new human race, but now things were different. Silver Humanity, strife would arise upon the earth, and Cronus would start here, to test the strength of fate. In doing anything, one must proceed from weak to strong, and so it was with confronting fate. If the fate involving the session of the Divine King was something he was now powerless to stop, then Cronus would use Silver Humanity as a medium, to test just how strong the power of fate truly was. Or perhaps, this at least would allow him to understand fate better, toprehend the mechanism by which it acted upon the present world. Even if Silver Humanity still emerged, this would be valuable experience for him. ¡°Zephyrus, I have another task for you.¡± Looking toward the East of the earth, Cronus said indifferently: ¡°Go to the Delphic Great ins, watch over that ce for me, and record which deities have visited there.¡± ¡°Since creating life cannot proceed without the Life Vase, then all I need to do is keep a close watch on its existence. Note down every being that might borrow the Divine Artifact, and I shall visit each in turn.¡± His expression changed, upon hearing that he was to spy near the dwelling of another Primordial God, the God of West Wind instinctively wanted to refuse. Although Mother Earth was far less daunting than Nyx, actually, the deterrent effect was the other way around. Nyx was indeed unobtrusive, given her personification, she could not walk outside the Land of Eternal Night for long, so Zephyrus thought to himself, even if he were discovered by her, it would not be a big deal, but Gaia was different. The God of West Wind had no doubts that if Mother Earth detected his surveince, his fate would certainly not be a pleasant one. ¡°I¡¯m not negotiating with you, Zephyrus.¡± Discerning the hesitation of the God of the West Wind, Cronus said with a smile: ¡°Your position as the leader of the Wind Gods was bestowed by the power of the Divine King, not heaven-sent, and as such, it can also be revoked. However, just like thest time, I will not ask you to do anything for nothing. Fulfill my task, and I shall reward you handsomely.¡± He extended his hand, and a beam of light shed. The next moment, a scepter that seemed to be cast from gold appeared in the hands of the Divine King. It seemed newly born, still unconsciously releasing power into its surroundings. At the top of the scepter, a yellow-green gemstone was set, and one nce would allow anyone to feel that it symbolized both the withering and the flourishing of all things. ¡°The Wheat-Gold Scepter, it¡¯s the apanying Divine Artifact of my second daughter. It can cause all things to grow, as well as strip them of vitality, turning them into dust.¡± Fondling the shaft of the Divine Artifact, the Divine King envied it. An apanying Divine Artifact wielded incredible power in the hands of its owner, and could not be taken by others. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Demeter had just been born and was not yet aware of the loss of this treasure, then at a mere thought from her, this artifact would be stripped of its divine power. But for now, it seemed that for a considerable length of time, Demeter would likely have no chance to reim her artifact. ¡°Take it, although this is the apanying treasure of my second daughter, she is still an infant and naturally cannot reim the power of the artifact.¡± ¡°I can entrust it to you, to imbue the West Wind with vitality henceforth. If you are discovered by Mother Earth, you can use it to save your life as well.¡± After a moment¡¯s hesitation, facing the scepter passed by the Divine King, the God of West Wind still epted it. On one hand, just as the Divine King had said, he was not really asking for his opinion. Should he truly refuse, then any of the other three Wind Gods could easily rece him. On the other hand, the fact that the Divine King had given away the Divine Artifact of his own daughter, although unsaid, Zephyrus had guessed that the newly born Goddess of Growth might not meet a good end. With both considerationsbined, naturally, he could not refuse the Divine King¡¯s request. ¡°I will do my best, Your Majesty.¡± Having received the scepter, Zephyrus bowed deeply. ¡°Then be off, soon enough the various gods whoe to ¡®congratte¡¯ will arrive.¡± ¡°When they return, you must watch carefully. Any god whoes near Mother Earth¡¯s dwelling, you must note them all.¡± After giving his final instruction, Cronus waved his hand, permitting the God of West Wind to depart. The Divine King trusted in the capabilities of the God of West Wind. It had to be said that since thest time he had sent Zephyrus to the Underworld, he suddenly found this particrly courageous deity quite useful. At least in surveince of others, even if there was a vast difference in strength, it seemed he could bring about a satisfactory oue for himself. Chapter 89 - 66: The Golden Apple, the Seer, and the Afterthought (+1 Moon Vote) Chapter 89: Chapter 66: The Golden Apple, the Seer, and the Afterthought (+1 Moon Vote) Trantor: 549690339 The Divine King fathered a child, and regardless of their attitudes, all the gods sent envoys bearing congrattory gifts. Essences and gemstones from the sea, star cores left after celestial bodies shattered, and unique minerals nurtured in the Underworld¡ªsome delivered personally by deities, others by nymphs. All in all, they were transported to the Mount of the Gods, bing part of the Divine King¡¯s collection. However, for the gods, these trinkets only seemed useful. They contained potent energy, but the gods did not know how to utilize them. Or, to be more precise, even if they did, there was no need to use them. In the presence of divine power, such meager energies were hardly noteworthy. Atop Mount Othrys, it was uncertain whether the gods¡¯ envoys felt disappointment while watching the harmonious Divine King and Queen of Gods, as usual. The attendance of Moanda, the servant of Mother Earth, only made the banquet livelier. Previously, Mother Earth¡¯s attitude had been an enigma, but now it was clear: at least on the surface, Gaia did not yet intend to make an enemy of the Divine King. ¡°Your Majesty, I am here following themand of the Mother of All Gods to congratte the birth of the two goddesses,¡± Moanda said with neither subservience nor arrogance, standing in the middle of the great hall under the gaze of numerous deities. ¡°Wee, envoy of Mother Earth,¡± Cronus nodded with a smile, ¡°Please take a seat. Today, I permit you to join the assembly of gods.¡± Other envoys who hade to offer congrattions were seated in a side hall, but as the messenger of Mother Earth who also brought information Cronus desired, Moanda was made an exception. Despite some gods feeling dissatisfied, believing that the nymph had no right to sit amongst them, they held their tongues due to the presence of the two most powerful beings¡ªthe Divine King and Mother Earth. ¡°Thank you for your hospitality, Your Majesty. But before I take my seat, I have a gift for the respected Queen of Gods, the keeper of psed time, to convey Mother Earth¡¯s greetings,¡± Moanda said. With a modest bow and upon receiving permission, Moanda extended her hand. The gods¡¯ eyes were drawn to her, for they saw something both familiar and unfamiliar. Familiar, because many had seen it before. Unfamiliar, because they had never possessed it. The fruit, imbued with pure life force, stirred a profound longing in them, as it was a rare treasure that could help deities quickly umte divine power and heal their losses. ¡°A Golden Apple?¡± Rhea recognized it too. Some surprise flickered across the Queen of Gods¡¯ face as she stepped forward and personally received the legendary Divine Artifact. Her breach of etiquette was overlooked because of the charm of the Golden Apple. As the world¡¯s first created being, the Divine Tree growing from the Seed of All Things, the fruit of the Golden Apple Tree was, to a certain degree, a manifestation of the Law of Life. Had the Golden Apple Tree possessed wisdom, then the Life Vase might not have be a Divine Artifact belong to Gaia. For inparison to Mother Earth, the Seed of All Things was intrinsically bound to the vase from the start. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty has borne offspring, for which Mother Earth has sent me with this treasure,¡± Moanda said with a slight smile, offering the Golden Apple with both hands. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that it had little effect on beings of great divine power, Gaia wouldn¡¯t have given away such a precious item. But since it was of no use to her, it was merely an ordinary treasure. Over the years, there had been more than one asion when the Golden Apple Tree bore fruit; this apple was just one among them. ¡°Please convey my gratitude to Mother Earth.¡± Rhea was excited but more ashamed. She thought that after diluting Mother Earth¡¯s power with the birth of her daughters, Gaia would not show her a friendly face. Yet, contrary to her expectations, Mother Earth not only did not hold a grudge but also sent a Golden Apple as a gift. By consuming it, the vital essence lost during childbirth would be replenished, and even divine power could see a rise. But Rhea intended to keep it, believing that such a precious treasure should not be used so casually and that it also served as a token of reconciliation between Mother Earth and the Divine King. ¡°I shall.¡± After giving a respectful response, Moanda followed the Queen of Gods to the long table designated for deities. Rhea had intended for her to sit at her side, but Moanda declined the offer. ¡°To sit with the gods is already an honor for me. How could I dare to take a ce by your side and cause gods to sit beneath me?¡± she said. Facing Moanda¡¯s polite refusal, Rhea had no choice but to ept. After all, there were indeed many in attendance who felt the same way. So, Rhea let her go, watching the nymph take her ce at the end of the long table, next to the God of Speech, Iapetus, and his son, the dull-witted Afterthinker, Epimetheus. This weakest original Titan was somewhat surprised but nheless weed her. The seat beside him was typically reserved for his wife, the Goddess of Renown, Clymene. However, in such gatherings of the gods, Clymene often chose not to be beside him. This was because, at times like these, the Goddess of Renown became all the more aware of her husband¡¯sck of strength and status among the gods, which was undeniably unbing for the Goddess of Renown. Moanda finding her seat signified that the final powerful deity¡¯s envoy had arrived, and the banquetmenced. The Divine King, from his principal seat, gave thanks to the guests, followed by the custom of nymphs singing in the hall and gods and goddesses asionally stepping out. The gods were not surprised. Although the mores among deities were not as liberal as in Olympus, a few had started to abandon the fine traditions since the time of Heavenly Father and Mother Earth. Some deities disapproved of this behavior, but most were indifferent. After all, morality among the gods at that time was unlike inter times; if they had abstained from such actions previously, it was merely forck of desire. In the blink of an eye, three months passed. Some divine beings left the great hall while others joined. When the Divine King and Queen of Gods left as well, Moanda held back her attachment and turned to look at the deities beside her. It was time for her to attend to important matters. This was her first time participating in the deity¡¯s banquet as a guest rather than a servant. She savored this experience but sadly knew that a second opportunity was unlikely. ¡°Your Highness, Iapetus,¡± Moanda began. With a slight lift of her cheeks, Moanda noticed that the wife of the God of Speech, the Goddess of Renown, Clymene, had vanished without a trace. Although she did not know where she had gone, it was clear that she was no longer in the great hall. ¡°As an Ancient Titan God, you really are modest.¡± In a gentle tone, Moanda tried her best to appear like an ordinary Nymph who yearned for the True God. ¡°Ha ha, the servant of Mother Earth, that is not what I wish for. It¡¯s just thatpared to my brothers, I simply do not possess their Great Divine Power,¡± Shaking his head, Iapetusughed helplessly. Ever since humans were created, he often lived among the Golden Humanity with his two children. Prometheus was interested in learning the skills from the Lord of the Spirit Realm, mastering them and creating new variations. He enjoyed this process immensely; for him, imparting knowledge to mortals was a joy in itself. By contrast, Epimetheus was much more silent. He would often sit to one side, silently watching his elder brother. He kept his opinions to himself, appearing puppet-like, so unlike Prometheus¡¯s Wisdom. However, if tasked to do something, Epimetheus often managed to do it well. Hence, the God of Speech did not demean his second child as some other deities might, referring to him as the ¡®God of Dullness.¡¯ He preferred to call him the ¡®Afterthinker,¡¯ because it seemed Epimetheus did not enjoy creating or thinking, only learning and executing. ¡°And then there¡¯s As, I can hardly fathom how Clymene and I could have brought such a powerful deity into being.¡± A sigh resounded in his heart; inparison with his first two sons, the God of Speech¡¯s third child was not particrly close to him. The God of Strength, As, as his Godhood suggested, only respected strength, which Iapetuscked. In the eyes of As, he himself was a second-generation Titan to whom the Divine King had great expectations, endowed with strong Divine Power, while his father Iapetus was simply unworthy of the title of first-generation Titan. Consequently, he seldom stayed with his father and brothers. ¡°Regardless, you are a mighty True God.¡± His thoughts fleeting, when the God of Speech returned to his senses, the beautiful nymph across from him was raising her cup, smiling at him with words of praise. ¡°I am left with only the title of a True God.¡± Shaking his head, although he self-deprecated with his words, the God of Speech was still pleased. In the past, apart from the humans on Earth, few lives had so praised him. And so, he and the nymph serving Mother Earth, a guest invited by the Divine King, engaged in back-and-forth conversation. Due to his ownck of strength, Iapetus¡¯s rtionship with his niece and wife, the Goddess of Renown, Clymene, had grown increasingly distant. Influenced by her Godhood, Clymene did not fancy modesty or silence, and the God of Speech had not been without quarrels with her in the past. But now, he felt that the nymph before him truly understood his thoughts, every word striking at his heart. After an unknown stretch of time, as the two left the Temple together, Epimetheus, who was at the side, picked up a cup and poured himself some nectar. He drank alone for a while and then turned to look beside him at Prometheus. ¡°Brother.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Called by Epimetheus, Prometheus turned with a puzzled expression. His younger brother seldom spoke, so when he did, the Forethinker always listened to what he had to say. Although most of the time Epimetheus would say some strange things, pose unnecessary questions, Prometheus was still willing to listen. ¡°If you encountered a situation where turning a blind eye could avoid disaster, but would leave an existence you value worried and disconcerted; attempting to change it not only has uncertain oues but also requires a price to be paid, would you still go through with it?¡± Seeing his brother turn towards him, Epimetheus asked earnestly. ¡°¡­ Probably, with my abilities, I can always think of a way to solve the problem,¡± Although he didn¡¯t know why his brother suddenly asked such a question, Prometheus still answered. He was always proud of his intelligence, and even if he fell short in strength, he believed his superior wisdom would secure him a position in the future. ¡°Is that so,¡± Epimetheus nodded thoughtfully, ¡°but I wouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°My abilities are limited, and I know there are many things in this world that I cannot change with my strength. Since I cannot change them, I¡¯d rather be an observer.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, you still have me,¡± Prometheus assured, though puzzled as to why his brother suddenly pondered such questions. ¡°There¡¯s no problem in this world without a solution; if there is, it¡¯s just that the right method hasn¡¯t been found yet. Even the so-called destiny from legends can¡¯t necessarily be unchangeable.¡± Perhaps he heard, or perhaps he did not, but Epimetheus returned to his former, dazed appearance. In this world, the only two known destinies are the session of the Divine King and the birth of Silver Humanity. Epimetheus felt that, for both these predicaments, Prometheus¡¯s much-prided Wisdom couldn¡¯t change either. Chapter 90 - 67: Missed Opportunity Chapter 90: Chapter 67: Missed Opportunity Trantor: 549690339 In the midst of a daze, not knowing if he was truly drunk or feigning it, Iapetus was supported by Moanda as they walked through a garden and into a pce. This was one of the pces that the Divine King had deliberately built, serving as a residence for the deities who lived on the Mount of the Gods year-round. Indeed, Iapetus was aware of this ce. In other parts of Mount Othrys, as the ruler of the sacred mountain, Cronus was almost omniscient. As long as he wished, no existence below the Primordial Gods¡ªnot possessing special divine authority¡ªcould easily elude his notice. But only this vicinity was different. Out of respect for the guests, the Divine King never peered into this area. No matter what happened, no one would approach. Leaning against the corner of the bed with Moanda¡¯s assistance, Iapetus quietly awaited the nymph¡¯s next move. But in the next moment, he was startled awake by her words. ¡°Respected God of Speech,¡± Moanda said, straightening her expression with a smile, ¡°I havee on a special visit, following the order of Mother Earth.¡± Swish¡ª Almost as soon as the words left her mouth, Iapetus sat up straight, forcibly pulling himself back to sobriety. ¡°What did you say?¡± Looking at the nymph before him with some disbelief, Iapetus even thought he had heard wrong. This wasn¡¯t a matter of carelessness¡ªthe God of Speech hadn¡¯t been on guard against Moanda simply because he trusted too much in his own godhood. Earlier in the Underworld, Iapetus had encountered the Goddess of Deceit, Apate, and personally experienced her power. Under the influence of his godhood, the words of the Goddess of Deceit felt as ifced with magic power, easily convincing everyone who heard her speak. However, through the office of ¡°Speech,¡± Iapetus easily identified the ws in her words. But today, up until he arrived here, there had been no warning from his godhood. The authority of a deity is absolute; unless there is a great disparity in divine power or an ovep of godhood, there is no error. Therefore, if the nymph in front of him wasn¡¯t masquerading as one of the Primordial Gods, it meant that she hadn¡¯t deceived him in any way, not even in the slightest. ¡°Do not misunderstand, I would not dare to lie in your presence. Indeed, everything I said earlier was heartfelt,¡± she assured. ¡°I truly admire the powerful True Gods, and I am indeed just amon nymph. If it weren¡¯t for taking on amand from Mother Earth, I would have no contact with the other gods. If you wish, after we discuss the main issue, I think we can still have a chat.¡± ¡°However,¡± Moanda said softly with a slight smile, pared to our matter, aren¡¯t you going to listen to Mother Earth¡¯s intentions?¡± As he listened to Moanda¡¯s exnation, Iapetus¡¯s feelings slowly stabilized, and he began to regain hisposure. Although Mother Earth was undeniably powerful, this was Mount Othrys, the domain of the Divine King. Since taking control of the stars and subduing the mountains, Cronus¡¯s divine authority had only grown. Considering that Mother Earth was not adept atbat, and having recently been weakened by the split of her godhood, she might not necessarily be able to defeat the Divine King now. After a moment of contemtion, the God of Speech cautiously said: ¡°Whatever order the respected Mother of All Gods has, this is the territory of the Divine King.¡± ¡°Your cautious approach to meet with me here suggests that the Divine King would not approve of what you ask of me,¡± he continued. ¡°That, I am unaware of. The Highness ordered me to avoid the Divine King, and naturally, I followed hermand,¡± she responded. ¡°Since you are unwilling to know, then I will take my leave,¡± she said, and without showing concern for the oue, Moanda gave a slight bow and turned to leave. ¡°Wait,¡± Iapetus called out. Even though he really wanted to watch her leave, how could he when he had followed her here in the first ce? Anticipating ahead of time, acting oblivious, and personallying here to decline werepletely different concepts. Regardless of whether he intended toply, it was necessary to listen. ¡°Speak inly. What does Mother Earth want me to do?¡± After giving it some thought, Iapetus spoke slowly, ¡°I will consider it before making a decision.¡± Stopping in her tracks, Moanda showed no surprise at his choice. Just as the nymph had no choice before the True God, the ordinary True Gods also had no choice before Mother Earth and the Divine King. Some might choose to stand firmly on one side, but Iapetus was clearly not among them. He had always been just a temporary resident of the Mount of the Gods, and considering his weak power and his status as an Ancient Titan God, the Divine King had never asked anything of him. In the eyes of Cronus, producing As, the God of Strength, was the greatest contribution Iapetus could make. ¡°It¡¯s not about opposing the Divine King or anything like that, in fact, Mother Earth simply wants to meet with you.¡± With a smile, Moanda spoke: ¡°Actually, this could be a good thing for you, couldn¡¯t it? No one knows what the future holds for the Divine King, but as one of the Primordial Gods born alongside the world, Mother Earth will surely exist forever.¡± ¡°¡­ Perhaps, your task is done, whether I go or not, I will decide for myself.¡± Looking somewhat displeased, but in the end, despite what he said, Iapetus decided to go. Whether Mother Earth is eternal, he did not know; but ording to the prophecy and curses, there¡¯s a high probability that the Divine King is not. At least in his perception, even though Cronus¡¯s power grew day by day, it still fell short whenpared to the former Father God. If he was careful enough, there shouldn¡¯t be any problems. If need be, he could find a deste ce to hide until Cronus met his fate at the hands of destiny. After the conversation, the God of Speech did not stay with Moanda for long. He hurried back to the temple he hade from, found his two children, and instructed them to go to the territory of the God of the Ocean after the banquet. As for his wife Clymene, being one of the Oceanides, she usually spent quite a bit of time at sea. Prometheus didn¡¯t understand his father¡¯s request, but heplied with Iapetus¡¯s wishes. Epimetheus remained silent as always, and neither his father nor his brother sought to consult his opinion. Another two months passed, and the birthday celebration for the second daughter of the Divine King finally came to an end. The gods returned to their respective territories, and Moanda, carrying Cronus¡¯s return gift to Mother Earth, set off back to the Delphic Great ins. Taking this opportunity, when no one was paying attention, Iapetus also left Mount of the Gods. Blending with the multitude of departing deities, the presence of the God of Speech was unremarkable. No one took notice of his whereabouts; in fact, this Titan god, who preferred thepany of humans, had always been inconspicuous among the gods. Even the Divine King assumed that Iapetus had gone to join his two children in some human tribe. Hurrying along the way, by the time Iapetus reached the Delphic Great ins, seven days had passed. Hovering in mid-air, the God of Speech was about to fly directly to Mother Earth¡¯s abode, but suddenly, his gaze caught sight of a human tribe established not far away. These were the Golden Humanity who once lived near the Oracle of Delphi. Unlike those dwelling at sea or the far western edge of the continent, being near Mother Earth, they had avoided the impact of the divine wars, even though Gaia rarely bothered with them. Therefore, although they were equally near the end of their lives, there had been no change in their numbers. Their lives were primitive and constant, barely touched by the influence of other human tribes. The God of Speech was curious. He and his two children had lived with different humans, but this did not include those from Delphi. Due to his temporary stay on Mount of the Gods, he had always avoided this ce. ¡°After meeting with Mother Earth, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll be busy again¡­ Although I don¡¯t know what the Mother Goddess will ask me to do, it¡¯s unlikely to be an easy task.¡± ¡°Since there¡¯s no fixed time appointed, I might as well take this chance to visit the humans from these origins. After all, because of the delicate rtionship between Cronus and Mother Goddess, I¡¯ve nevere this way before.¡± Making up his mind, Iapetus paused in his tracks. After some thought, he concealed his divine power and transformed himself into arge earthy-yellow snake, thennded on the ground and slithered toward the direction of the human tribe. He did not intend to reveal his identity as a deity, after all, he was only there to take a look. The humans in these parts must revere Mother Earth, and if he disyed his true divine form, it would inevitably lead to their worship. He had no desire to overshadow and displease Mother Earth. Following little paths carved by humans in the forests and wilderness, the God of Speech quickly advanced across the Delphic Great ins. Birds and beasts along the way failed to detect his presence, and no unexpected incidents urred. Iapetus easily sneaked into the settlement of the Golden Humanity. He thus entered Delphi, but the God of Speech did not realize that surrounding the great ins in the sky was a seemingly naturally urring current of air that drifted continuously. This current of air circled the area, whirling swiftly, monitoring any life that drew near. The serpent that Iapetus had transformed into was also in its sight, but unfortunately, it did not realize there was anything amiss with the snake. Just as Iapetus could not see through the true identity of the current of air and recognize it as Zephyrus, the God of the West Wind, the God of the West Wind did not prate his illusionary transformation. Or rather, Zephyrus hadn¡¯t even imagined that a god woulde here in such a manner instead of flying in openly. His attention was mostly on the passing deities, not every animal entering or leaving the area. After all, besides himself and the Divine King, no one knew that Zephyrus had been ordered to surveil the ins, so he focused most of his attention on the sky, with only a small portion on the ground. Perhaps it was coincidence, perhaps it was fate, but either way, the two deities unknowingly passed by each other. Three dayster, after concluding his observation of the human tribe, at the secluded dwelling of Mother Earth, Iapetus met with Mother Earth Gaia. Chapter 91 - 68 Reproduction Chapter 91: Chapter 68 Reproduction Trantor: 549690339 Not far from the Oracle of Delphi, a yellow serpent twisted and transformed, returning to its original form as a handsome deity. Regardless of their behavior, the children of Chaos, in terms of appearance alone, were indeed handsome men and beautiful women, each with their own sense of beauty. Like the God of Sun Hyperion, he exuded a masculine beauty, much like his godhood. The God of the Ocean Oceanus represented a rugged beauty, his muscles strong yet not off-putting. They were all tall, but not awkwardly so. And then there was the Divine King Cronus, who gave off an aura of majestic solemnity, and the God of Strength As need not even be mentioned, for he looked like the valiant heroes of myths and legends. Or more precisely, the heroes resembled him. As for the God of Speech Iapetus, and his eldest son Prometheus, they both seemed delicate. However, the aura of the deities reminded everyone who saw them that they were by no means powerless. He walked slowly forward until he could vaguely see a hut naturally formed by nts, where the God of Speech stopped. Indistinctly, Iapetus could feel a life force behind the hut. It wasn¡¯t Mother Earth, for on the ground,mon people could hardly distinguish between Gaia and the earth itself. So, unsurprisingly, it would be the world¡¯s first nt, the legendary Golden Apple Tree, possessing part of the power of Life and symbolizing nt life itself. ¡°Iapetus,e to pay you respects, Mother Goddess.¡± Hand over chest, the God of Speech respectfully greeted her. ¡°¡­Pay respects, but I¡¯m not at all ¡®at peace,¡¯ my child.¡± Soon after, with the sound of creaking, a woman in a green dress stepped out from the hut. Catching a glimpse of Mother Earth, the God of Speech could clearly see that Gaia hadn¡¯t changed much since the creation of humans, with fine lines barely visible at the corners of her eyes. It was apparent that with Demeter¡¯s birth, the power she had regained over thousands of years had once again scattered. Yet even so, Iapetus still felt the overwhelming pressure. The status of Great Divine Power, even what little was left, represented a fundamental difference. ¡°Mother Goddess, the godhood of new gods is determined by thews of the current world, and if there was a choice, the Divine King would not wish for such a daughter.¡± This wasn¡¯t speaking in defense of the Divine King; it was simply the truth. After all, given the choice, he would prefer all of his children to be weak deities with meager divine power. ¡°I know, but I don¡¯t care about that anymore. Cronus isn¡¯t willing to release his brothers from the Abyss, so I see he doesn¡¯t really consider me at all,¡± Gaia said with a snort, looking at her weakest Divine Child. ¡°I have a task for you, Iapetus, my child. Do you see the humans outside?¡± After a thought, the God of Speech didn¡¯t know what Mother Earth wanted him to do, but he still replied: ¡°I see them, Mother Goddess. They gather near the Oracle, praying day and night to their creator, but they are also approaching the end of their lives. Perhaps in five hundred years, perhaps a thousand, their bodies will return to your embrace, while their souls will move on to the domain of the Lord of the Spirit Realm¡­¡± As he spoke, Iapetus¡¯s voice slowed down; he probably knew what Gaia was asking him to do. As expected, Mother Earth spoke up next. ¡°Yes, as you see, the life of humans ising to an end, this is the death determined by fate.¡± ¡°Once they vanish, these ins will be empty again. The Divine King does not wish to live with his mother, and my second son Pontus, who rules the nearby seas, also hides in the ocean depths under the oppression of his nephew, leaving me here alone.¡± Gaia stepped forward and looked at her child. ¡°You should understand what I mean, I need you to go to the Spirit Realm on my behalf and fetch the water from the Well of Origins. Tell Laine that as long as he agrees to my terms, our previous grievances will be wiped clean.¡± Iapetus didn¡¯t know what grudges Mother Earth held against the Lord of the Spirit Realm, but he knew that the Divine King had expressly forbidden the birth of Silver Humanity. If he chose to go, then he would never be epted by the Divine King again. ¡°Use your godhood of speech, Iapetus, I believe you can do it. As for Cronus, you need not worry about him.¡± Seemingly discerning the God of Speech¡¯s concerns, Gaia promised him, ¡°I swear by the name of the Primordial Gods, as long as you handle the matters rted to creation, henceforth the earth shall protect you.¡± ¡°As long as you are on earth, no one shall force you into doing what you do not wish to do, not even I myself.¡± ¡°Moreover, consider it carefully, the Divine King¡¯s daughter has already been born, and destiny has begun to turn. You have seen your father¡¯s strength, do you really think Cronus can defeat destiny?¡± No matter how much had been said before, it couldn¡¯tpare to thest sentence. The reason Iapetus hade to see Mother Earth was because deep down, he also felt that the Divine King might not be reliable. Burdened with prophecies and curses himself, how could he make others believe in him? ¡°¡­I will do my best, Mother Goddess, but I cannot guarantee the oue.¡± With a slight bow, under Gaia¡¯s satisfied gaze, Iapetus still gave the answer the other party wanted. ¡°Good, you will seed, after all, the birth of Silver Humanity is what he has prophesied.¡± ¡°Oh, right,¡± as if recalling something, Gaia added ast piece of advice. ¡°Creating life is quiteplicated, and I think aside from humans, the rest of the living beings could be left to your handiwork.¡± Though she hadn¡¯t gotten involved herself, the strange life forms previously fashioned by the gods had left a deep impression on Gaia. On one hand, she did not want the new life forms to be like that, for it would remind her of the Titans confined to the Abyss by the Heavenly Father for their ugliness. But on the other hand, she did not want to spend her time and effort remodeling them. In such a situation, having someone else take on the task was an ideal thought. ¡°Moreover, this repetitive creation is too troublesome, grant those lives unlike the gods the right to reproduce on their own.¡± ¡°¡­I understand.¡± He found himself bearing yet another burden, but when one is deeply in debt, they stop worrying about it, and the God of Speech resolutely agreed. He had participated in the creation of life once before, and although it had indeed been troublesome, with that experience, he had some confidence. As for ¡®reproduction,¡¯ that wasn¡¯t really difficult. What truly decided whether life forms could reproduce on their own was not simply creating females, but bestowing upon them the power rted to reproduction. However, on this matter, the God of Speech was not worried about being rejected. After all, the increasing number of spiritual lives would inevitably hasten the Lord of the Spirit Realm¡¯s umtion of divine power, and once life could expand its scale autonomously, it would quickly spread across the earth. Iapetus thought that no one would oppose someone else undertaking work for them. So after epting the task, he then asked Mother Earth for a branch of the Golden Apple Tree as a gift, and then he directly flew through the pathway Gaia had opened to the Underworld below the earth. To other deities, only an extremely few cracks on the earth could connect to the gates of the Underworld. But in Mother Earth¡¯s hands, every part of the earth could link to the Underworld. So, once more, Iapetus missed the chance to encounter the God of West Wind circling the great ins, and instead arrived directly in front of the familiar Styx River. Chapter 92 - 69 A Glimpse of the Future Chapter 92: Chapter 69 A Glimpse of the Future Trantor: 549690339 Having traversed the long fissure, Iapetus once again arrived at the gates of the Underworld. Unlike the ever-changing surface world, the Underworld often remained unchanged for millennia. But this time, at the gates of the Underworld, in addition to the familiar River Styx, Iapetus also saw ake of fire. It was a part of the Sun that had fallen, but after being tainted with the mixed aura of the present and the beyond within the Underworld, it could no longer return to the sky. After staring for a while, the God of Speech silently warned himself that in Chaos, unless you possess the boundless power of the Twin Gods of the Dark Night, one¡¯s strength does not determine one¡¯s fate. His own brother had once been so proud, but now he was locked in his own domain, watching his eldest son drive the divine chariot for his enemies. ¡°Greetings to you, Lady.¡± ustomed to the route, he nodded slightly to the Styx River and then, as before, received no response. The God of Speech flew over the increasingly vast grey ins. Just like the humans before him, certain peculiar lifeforms caught his attention. They were undead, twisted forms of life made of corpses, white bones, or some other things. They exuded a negative aura, naturally despised by any living being. ¡°These creatures are bing more numerous. Even without corpses, they can naturallye into existence due to the unique environment of the Underworld¡­ If these living beings¡ªthese undead dared to appear above ground, the gods would certainly have cleansed them.¡± Frowning slightly, Iapetus did not linger and continued flying towards the direction of the Nether Moon. After all, the Underworld was not his residence. Like the Goddess of Deceit or the God of Destruction, the deities of the Underworld were willing to tolerate them, so there was no need for him to meddle. The God of Speech looked down upon thend from the sky, while in the Underworld, a few of the wiser undead looked up at the sky. They saw a trail of light crossing the sky, and in the burning Soulfire, they too harbored disgust and hatred. They knew of these beings, these ¡®gods¡¯ that sometimes came here. These ¡®gods¡¯ from the earth were different from the native deities of the Underworld. Sometimes they were just passing by, but other times they would randomly kill any undead they saw. Although they didn¡¯t know why, it was clear that these beings did not like them, so the undead also harbored hatred for the earth¡¯s ¡®gods,¡¯ just as they hated the living on the earth. Unfortunately, in this era, mortals could not threaten the deities. Regardless of their thoughts, they could not harm the gods in the slightest. Suddenly, the Nether Moon was right in front of him. Sensing the increasingly powerful aura of this most central celestial body of the Underworld, Iapetus spoke with reverence. ¡°Honored Goddess of the Nether Moon, master of Magic Power and wraiths, I am Iapetus. I am here by themand of Mother Earth to meet with the Lord of the Spirit Realm.¡± The next moment, just as in the past, Liana¡¯s figure silently appeared before him. ¡°Come with me,¡± she said, ¡°The Lord wishes to see you.¡± Crossing the invisible portal, the shadowy illusions of seven realms shed before his eyes. In an instant, Iapetus felt as though countless lives were speaking in his ear, and an infinite number of lights and shadows flickered by. For a moment, he thought he saw a Silver Serpent dancing wildly in the sky, darkness and illusion interweaving, a towering figure enveloped in the power of space-time gripping a fiery orb of light, pressing it fiercely toward The East. But that was just a fleeting glimpse. When Iapetus awoke, he had truly stepped onto Mount Sinai, and everything was back to normal. ¡°What did you see?¡± Noticing something amiss, Liana asked. ¡°¡­Some visions, what, do they mean something?¡± Not sure why she was asking, Iapetus still carefully responded. ¡°Visions¡­ I¡¯m not sure either.¡± Shaking her head lightly, Liana exined. ¡°As the Spirit Realm grows stronger, time and fate mingle here, and it¡¯s possible for those whoe here for the first time to unknowingly catch a glimpse of the future.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t mind it, the fate of the Spirit Realm is ever uncertain. What you saw may not necessarilye to pass.¡± After resolving the other party¡¯s confusion, Liana continued to lead them forward. Walking on the stone path, Iapetus realized that he was not headed towards the central hall but was on a smaller trail leading to the back mountain. Silently following, he soon found his destination. It was the ce he had caught a fleeting glimpse of during the creation of humans, the location of the Well of Origins. And there stood the Lord of the Spirit Realm, seemingly deep in thought by the well. ¡°My respects to you, Your Highness,¡± Even before he approached, Iapetus slightly bowed, respectfully speaking. He tried to contain his power as much as possible, not to give any impression of misusing his godhood, something he had not intended to do anyway. ¡°¡­Good evening, God of Speech,¡± After a short while, as if awakening from his reverie, Laine turned around and greeted him with a smile. d in a ck robe, for some reason it gave Iapetus a feeling both foreign and familiar. He felt he had seen this material before, but he could not recall where at the moment. ¡°I have made many conjectures about the course of fate, after all, I have truly changed it, but notpletely.¡± ¡°I knew that Silver Humanity would inevitably be born. But it wasn¡¯t until you evaded Zephyrus¡¯ surveince and, transforming into a giant serpent, arrived at Mother Earth¡¯s abode that I was sure destiny in this world remained as before.¡± His body somewhat stiff, Iapetus had not expected his every move to be observed by others. The Lord of the Spirit Realm he could ept, perhaps the focus was really on Mother Earth at Delphi, but the fact that the God of West Wind was just around the great in, and he had passed in front of him unnoticed, was unsettling. Fortunately, an unexpected thought had stopped Iapetus from going directly there, instead first transforming into a serpent to rush to the human tribes, and thus, he also evaded the surveince of the God of West Wind. ¡°I did not know,¡± he said, ¡°I just wanted to see the humans near the Oracle¡ª¡± ¡°So this is destiny.¡± ¡°It always fulfills its purpose when you least expect it, in the most unexpected of ways.¡± Shaking his head slightly, when Iapetus went to Mother Earth¡¯s abode, Laine truly felt the fluctuation of destiny. It was the curse he had ced on Zephyrus. Because of this, he noticed the two deities near Delphi. But this time, the uncertain fate and the destined one stood on the same side; both wanted the Silver Age to arrive on schedule. Thus, under theplete force of destiny, everything seemed so inevitable. ¡°Tell me about your mission. Did Mother Earth send you to obtain the water of the well, to create new life?¡± Lightly tapping the jade-like well wall, and looking at the clear yet illusory liquid inside the well, Laine spoke. Not fully understanding what Laine referred to as ¡®destiny¡¯, Iapetus always had a sense of self-awareness. That was a concern for the Divine King, not something relevant to him now. ¡°Yes, Your Highness. As you can see, the life of the Golden Age is nearing its end, and the earth will again see the destion of ten thousand years past. Hence, Mother Earth decided to create life and entrusted me to seek the waters from the Well of Origins¡ª¡± He paused a moment, then continued. ¡°Moreover, because creating life over and over is too cumbersome, Mother Earth hopes to allow life forms other than humans the ability to reproduce.¡± ¡°When life can continue on its own, the two Divine Artifacts symbolizing life will also be strengthened once more.¡± Nodding his head, Laine was not at all surprised by this. He too was looking forward to this day. Complete, reproducing life forms¡ªonly with their birth could Spirituality advance leaps and bounds in the umtion of Divine Power, just like the Sun and the Ocean. ¡°As you wish, you will get what you desire, after all, the birth of new life is beneficial to me as well,¡± Laine nodded, ¡°Then go, create life, this is not an easy task.¡± ¡°But with the help of your two children, I think you will do well.¡± Chapter 93 - 70: The Last of the Golden Humanity Chapter 93: Chapter 70: The Last of the Golden Humanity Trantor: 549690339 Leaving the Spirit Realm with the special well water and the borrowed Divine Whip, Iapetus returned to the abode of Mother Earth. Although he had the life of the Golden Age as a temte, the God of Speech only needed to make repairs on its basis, yet the task was still not an easy one. Therefore, he decisively epted Laine¡¯s suggestion to detour to the Underworld and bring over his two children. He had the clever Prometheus assist him in adjusting the shells of life, and the dull-witted Epimetheus help him remember the characteristics and gifts that different lives should have. As he had predicted, both deities performed very well. Over the centuries, horses, jackals, and various kinds of life that would bemon inter ages gradually became recognizable, no longer strangely shaped like their distant rtives from the Golden Age. The personalities designated for their ancestors by the gods were also inherited by the silver generation. Loyalty, cruelty, docility, cunning¡ªdifferent natures under the influence of divine power were revealed by the water from the Well of Origins, bestowed upon different creatures. However, to keep it secret, Iapetus only created a pair of each kind of being, and then used divine power to protect them. He nned to use the Divine Artifact that once created people to transform them into tribes, only after everything was ready so as not to alert that watcher prematurely. The God of Speech was preparing, and during those years, another major event happened again in Chaos. Three hundred and ny years after the birth of Hestia and Demeter, the third daughter of the Divine King was born. Under the promation of the currentws, all deities came to know her name, Hera, the Goddess of Fertility. On the day of her birth, the part of Mother Earth rted to the original [Fertility] was once again severed. [Fertility], this was the reward Chaos had given to them when they conceived the Titans together. The paternal authority allowed Uranus to ascend to the throne, and the power over fertility made Gaia the Queen of Gods, which although it couldn¡¯t enhance the deity themselves like the former, could bring strength to their spouse and offspring. It was the most suitable divine authority for the Queen of Gods, and thus Hera¡¯s birth brought even more attention. However, just like her two sisters, aside from the day when the new god was celebrated, her figure was never seen again. Years passed, one after another. When the Queen of Gods Rhea was pregnant once again, and the silver beings created by Iapetus were bing more numerous, time finally came to a certain point. Not by ident, nor affected by wars of the gods, the humans of the Golden Age truly reached the end allowed by fate. Below Mount Othrys, in front of the Temple of Coro. ¡°Which one is this?¡± Another b was buried in the ground, and Hewa asked Cohen. The upper half of the stone b remained above ground, the lower half driven deep into the earth. When its corresponding human lived out theirst moments, another body would be buried in front of the b. Even when the humans of the Golden Age died, their bodies would not decay for a thousand years. ¡°How many? I can¡¯t remember either.¡± ¡°As the recorder of history, you should know their number better than anyone. After all, for each person who dies, it is you who engrave their past, allowing them to worship the gods just as they did in life.¡± Seated beside Hewa, the king of the Golden Humanity surveyed the surroundings. Compared to several months earlier, there were far fewer humans around the temple. After all, the Golden Humanity was a creation of the gods, their lives flung into existence with a single strike of the Divine Whip. As such, their strength, endurance, and even their lifespans were remarkably simr. When the first human lost their perennial youth and died within just a few days, a great number of humans quickly followed. Half a yearter, the tribe of humans beneath Mount of the Gods had already halved. Yet the humans were not afraid of this, not only because theycked the emotion of fear but also because they knew that death was merely the beginning of another phase of life. The prescient sage Prometheus once told them that surrounding the Sun, among those shining stars, the heroic spirits of the Golden Humanity lived on. They could continue to serve the gods, even across the vast expanse of the cosmos. However, it¡¯s said that there seems to be littlemunication between the gods of the stars and those on the Mount of the Gods. ¡°Has any deity bestowed a divine message?¡± Continuing to work with a stone knife in hand, Hewa casually asked, ¡°Death is not frightening, but the real problem is that once we die, no one will clean the temple, and no one will worship the gods.¡± ¡°No.¡± Although Hewa didn¡¯t look at him, Cohen still shook his head. It was as if he had been forgotten since that being named Hecate left, he had seldom received divine messages from the Divine King. Only asionally, a deity would pass by. ¡°Perhaps the gods do not care, they are indifferent to temples and faith.¡± Somehow, Cohen remembered a dream he once had. In the dream, the goddess refused his offer to build a temple and did not intend to let Cohen pray to her. Over the years, he gradually understood her viewpoint, after all, even the gods on the mountain were more interested in the act of ¡®worship¡¯ itself than anything else. The gods didn¡¯t gain anything from the worship of humans; they merely took some pleasure in it. So naturally, when there were other things to do, they would rx their attention to it. ¡°True, to eternal deities, humans are indeed insignificant, and even these stone bs I carve will notst forever.¡± After finishing thest stroke, Hewa examined his work for a while, and after confirming there were no errors, he set it aside and picked up a new stone b. ¡°But in a few days, it will probably be just you left. When that timees, I¡¯ll trouble you to carve my life story onto a b and bury me in the earth, so my past may be with the gods.¡± ¡°If I¡¯m fortunate enough to be chosen for the heavens, to keeppany with the God of Stars, I shall be watching over you, Cohen¡ª¡± ¡°¡­I will.¡± Answering softly, Cohen knew what he meant. As one of the first humans, he was the most unique. Compared to others, Cohen could feel that he still had a long life ahead of him. He didn¡¯t know when he would die, maybe in a thousand years, perhaps in ten thousand, but definitely not now. ¡°I will guard this ce, whether the gods care about us or not, but the reverence humans have for deities will never change.¡± ¡°Under the watchful eyes of the stars, I will protect this ce until the end of time.¡± Looking at Hewa¡¯s face, which had also begun to age without him realizing when, for some reason, a strange emotion surged through Cohen¡¯s heart. He didn¡¯t know what this emotion was, but he had never seen it in other members of the Golden Humanity. He wasn¡¯t sure if this was because he was the first human or because of that unforgettable dream, but Cohen instinctively didn¡¯t want to face this emotion. So he stood up, greeted Hewa, and then walked towards the temple. In this moment, only the gods could give him a moment¡¯s peace of mind. Chapter 94 - 71: Silver Chapter 94: Chapter 71: Silver Trantor: 549690339 In the second era, humans were always insignificant. Apart from a few exceptions, no god paid attention to the aging of humans across thends, perhaps only sparing them a thought in idle moments, before suddenly realizing that they had all died. But once dead, they were forgotten, as the attention of the Chaotic Gods was now focused on the Divine King who continuously fathered divine children. He had three daughters, each with powerful godhood and extraordinary talents, but their inherent gender meant they could not threaten the throne of the Divine King. However, Cronus would not always sire only daughters; eventually, he would have a divine son of his own. Around the time the Divine King¡¯s fourth child was about to be born, on the Delphi Great ins, within the range of Mother Earth¡¯s divine power, Silver Humanity was being born from the hands of this repeatedly wounded ancient deity. Iapetus watched this scene, with his two children and his wife, the Goddess of Renown, Clymene, present. Having decided to defy the Divine King¡¯s orders, he naturally made preparations. Unfortunately, because of this, he had a big argument with his wife. After all, the God of Speech had decided to live in seclusion under Mother Earth¡¯s protection, while the Goddess of Renown was clearly not fond of keeping a low profile. ¡°Cronus, don¡¯t me me. The arrival of the Silver Age is determined by fate, and I am merely following Its will.¡± sping the Life Vase, a deep ck mist appeared intermittently. Although she had made up her mind before, Gaia began to hesitate as the moment approached. Because of past events, she indeed harbored many grievances toward Cronus, but he was, after all, the first to stand up, willing to rebel against the Heavenly Father. She was willing to give him some trouble, but she did not really want him to pay too grievous a price. This contradictory psychology was undoubtedly evident in the mythology; on one hand, she guided Zeus to release the Titans trapped in the Abyss, and forged three Divine Artifacts for the three brothers, but after the struggle for the Divine King¡¯s throne ended, because of her dissatisfaction with Zeus¡¯s harsh treatment of the Titans, she birthed Typhon to oppose the Olympian Gods. Throughout the process, Gaia¡¯s stance could be described as wavering, never fully resolved. ¡°Now that it hase to this, my sister, you wouldn¡¯t consider backing out, would you?¡± ¡°Do you feel it, the joy from the Underworld? Barring any surprises, the Divine Authority of Cronus¡¯s next child will be rted to that ce.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter to me. Although the Underworld is also influenced by my power, that is just an insignificant part. But what about you? Your ¡®The Earth¡¯ will lose a part again, all thanks to your beloved children.¡± The voice of Erebus, The Dark Overlord, was faint, standing beside Gaia, yet invisible to the observing family of the God of Speech. As the embodiment of secrecy, so long as he didn¡¯t wish to be perceived, hardly any deity could detect his presence. Even thews of the current worldrgely ignored this ancient deity. ¡°I understand.¡± Gaia replied coldly, knowing that Erebus¡¯s words made little sense, as the Divine King could not determine the godhood of his offspring. But reason is one thing, reality another. Like he said, Mother Earth too felt the tremors from the Origin of the Underworld. Despite its position as the boundary between this world and the outer realms, the Underworld was never entirely under Gaia¡¯s control, but it was still a part of her. But soon, this part would also greet a new master. She reached out her hand, merging the faint darkness with the Life Origin Liquid in the vase, tinting the originally verdant liquid with ayer of shadow. Under the power of The Earth, the soil and stone necessary for creation surged forth,bining with the Life Origin Liquid. Although she disliked Laine, Gaia had to admit that the humans he had previously created were already quite perfect. Thus, she only made slight adjustments to align them with the slightly altered essence of life. Creation was difficult, but imitation was easy; thus just three dayster, the silver humanity had begun to take shape. Different from golden humanity, due to the infiltration of dark forces, Gaia dared not first create an excellent prototype and then copy it, because only through sufficient dilution could they appear somewhat normal. Therefore, she had to repeat her actions over and over again, even creating hundreds of humans simultaneously. In the end, when she stopped, the densely packed silver humans had already emerged upon the Earth. They had not yet been endowed with souls, so their eyes were lifeless, but the breath of life was already manifest on them. However,pared to the Golden Age, for reasons unknown, silver humans were shorter in stature, as if they were children who had not yet grown up. Moreover, even from just watching, the God of Speech, Iapetus, could feel indulgence, lust, greed, and deceit emanating from them. ¡°It seems that Mother Earth was not in a good mood, and so her sentiments have been transferred into these humans through her divine power, haven¡¯t they?¡± ¡°But will such humans truly worship the gods devoutly like their predecessors did?¡± The God of Speech couldn¡¯t help but feel doubtful, but out of respect for Mother Earth¡¯s presence, he said nothing. After all, the act of creation was a task entrusted by Mother Earth. Furthermore, thinking of the Prophecy, which stated that the appearance of silver humans would lead to wars upon the Earth, their various behaviors also seemed to make sense. ¡°Iapetus, the rest is up to you.¡± Taking a deep breath, Gaia was also a bit weary. Repeating the same task had left her feeling mentally fatigued, and coupled with the fact that the birth of the silver humans was part of a plot, she did not want to see them anymore. ¡°As you wish, Mother Goddess.¡± Bowing slightly, the God of Speech stepped forward. He picked up the Divine Whip, stirred it through the materials prepared in advance, and then gave it a gentle shake. Under the influence of the divine artifact¡¯s power, as the materials fell to the ground, millions of different types of animals appeared on the great ins, just as it happened during the birth of golden humanity. A mysterious aura emanated from them,nding on the whip, slightly increasing the artifact¡¯s power. Putting down the whip, the God of Speech then raised the chalice. It was filled with water from the Well of Origins, which he turned into mist with his divine power, enveloping all the creatures present. ¡°Hmm?¡± Afterpleting this step, Iapetus thought it was all over, but to his surprise, he found that a little water was left over in the chalice. That was because he had taken the water based on the needs of all spirits for propagation, forgetting that humans did not require propagation, so the portion meant for humans was left over. ¡°Then let it stay here.¡± Water from the Well, once removed from the specially made chalice, would lose its divine effect after seven days even if unused. So, Iapetus casually poured the remaining portion onto a rock at his feet, and then observed the changes unfolding across the Delphi Great ins. Under his gaze, humans and all spirits opened their eyes one by one, and silver life would spread across the Earth. Of course, other than him, there was also the God of the West Wind, Zephyrus, who had been circling the vicinity of Delphi, witnessing this scene. Chapter 95 - 72: Hades and the Swallowing Child Chapter 95: Chapter 72: Hades and the Swallowing Child Trantor: 549690339 Atop Mount Othrys, the Divine King¡¯s bedchamber. Once again, a divine birth anomaly urred, judging by the scale, it was likewise a True God with a strong priesthood. Unlike his own siblings, Cronus could be said to have taken ¡°eugenics¡± to an extreme level. However, it was also difficult to say whether this was the influence of fate. After all, it was not umon in the Chaos World for powerful gods to sire weak offspring. In front of the great hall,pared to the leisure at the birth of his eldest daughter, Cronus¡¯s expression was somewhat serious now. Unlike before, this time, he did not know whether the child being born was a boy or a girl. What¡¯s more, the most crucial point was that his third daughter, Hera, had obtained a portion of the birthright from Mother Earth, which was simply a natural reserve for the future Queen of Gods. Taking into ount that it was entirely normal for siblings among the Chaotic Gods toe together, Cronus couldn¡¯t help but specte whether this was a Heavenly Empress prepared for the next generation¡¯s Divine King. As he pondered, the anomaly around the Mount of the Gods became even more intense. But just as the aura was about to climax, the Divine King suddenly looked beyond Mount Othrys. There, an invisible current of air was rapidly flying towards him. ¡°Zephyrus, what is he doing here? Didn¡¯t I tell him to watch over Delphi?¡± His expression changed, and just like the previous two times, the eyes of all the gods were on the mount. At such a time, for the God of West Wind toe so indiscreetly, there must have been a slip at Gaia¡¯s end. Stepping forth, Cronus immediately reached the other¡¯s side, and then forcefullypressed Zephyrus, who had taken the form of a stream of air, back into human shape. Before he could even ask, the god of the west directly delivered the news he least wanted to hear. ¡°Your Majesty, I don¡¯t know how it happened, but Mother Earth and the God of Speech have created a new generation of life on the Delphic Great ins, and Humans are also among them.¡± Boom Buzz The Divine Power inadvertently unleashed by the Divine King, along with the sudden buzzing of the Law, resonated with each other. As his own offspring was being born, the Silver Humanity emerged into the world, and Cronus felt that his previous actions were like a clown in the face of fate. Swoosh The dark ribbons scattered across the sky, and the earth trembled. Shortly after, as a stream of light mingled with the faint breath of the four Primordial Gods crashed into the great hall, the true name of the new god echoed in every corner of the Chaos World the next moment. The God of the Underworld, Hades! At the same time, perhaps in wee of its own master, deep below the earth, beside the River of Vows, Styx, another river was slowly born, and an aged deity also emerged from it. That was the River of Sorrow, Acheron, and Charon the ferryman of the Styx River. It seems that in many mythologies there is such a river that, apart from a designated boat, no substance can float on top of it. They all have a ferryman, and if one is not willing to bribe him, mortals can only sigh in longing at the river¡¯s edge. And the painful Acheron, is the Unfloating River unique to the Chaos World. ¡°¡­Silver Humanity, Mother Earth, I understand.¡± Amid the sky, Cronus seemed to have epted the fact. He had assigned the God of West Wind to monitor Delphi, simply to prevent any deity from stealthily borrowing the Life Vase, but if it was Mother Earth herself who wanted to create life, then unless he went there personally, no one could keep an eye on her. But since previously Gaia had sent someone to bring him a Golden Apple, Cronus had thought she wouldn¡¯t do such a thing, but in the end, she disappointed him nheless. ¡°Is this fate? But I do not believe in it.¡± The voice was very calm, but Zephyrus¡¯s body began to tremble involuntarily. His instincts told him that the Divine King seemed about to make a terrible decision. ¡°You can leave now; my firstborn has alreadye into the world. Now, I must visit him.¡± No longer paying attention to the God of the West Wind, the Divine King turned and walked into the central bedchamber of Mount of the Gods. Without pausing, he reached out and grasped, and from the crack between spaces, three golden ¡®ambers¡¯ slowly floated out¡ªthe very same daughters he had earlier. Even sealed, they never stopped drawing power from their godhood, resisting Cronus¡¯s divine power. The Divine King had no doubt that if he were to release the restrictions now, they could all grow to the appearance of an eight- or nine-year-old in an instant. But all of that ended here. ¡°Cronus, what, what are you going to do?¡± Watching her husband push open the doors, with his three daughters from before floating beside him, Rheay on the bed, her face slightly pale and with some panic. Having been together for ten thousand years, she could sense the turbulent emotions beneath the Divine King¡¯s calm exterior. Moreover, this time, her child was ultimately a Divine Child. ¡°Nothing, Rhea, I won¡¯t do to you what Father God did to Mother Earth, I promise.¡± Approaching the bed, he whispered softly, Cronus sat on the bed¡¯s edge, looking at the newborn infant. It was as though he was talking to Rhea and also to himself, but it also seemed like he was conversing with something unseen. ¡°And I don¡¯t know why, my children all, to a greater or lesser extent, split Mother Earth¡¯s power, so it makes sense for her to make such a choice.¡± ¡°Yes, it makes sense, destiny is such. It makes everything so rational, as if It had done nothing at all.¡± With a sneer, Cronus snatched the infant from Rhea¡¯s hands. He looked at it, just as he once held a sickle, looking at his own father. ¡°I want to see what other tricks you cane up with.¡± Boom A silent resonance echoed in the Primordial Sea, but thews of the present world did not take any further action. Unlike the Heavenly Father, Cronus¡¯s actions, in a strict sense, were not against the rules. To stuff gods back into the womb is a violent act that defies thew of birth. But to swallow gods into one¡¯s belly is simply a special way of sealing gods. They will thus be cut off from most connections with their godhood, but they will still exist in the present world. Leveraging the connection between their bloodlines, the Divine King could even expend more than ten times his divine power to fulfill their godhood duties in their stead. And unlike the goddesses, infant gods cannot draw power from within a male god¡¯s body to continue growing; they can only rely on their own severed godhood, allowing their divine power to grow slowly, bit by bit. So Cronus did so, and he was unharmed. At the same time, outside Mount of the Gods, amidst the turmoil of the Primordial Sea, all deities with Intermediate Divine Power or higher knew what had happened. One god had swallowed another, using his power to suppress the other¡¯s growth and divine authority. They were shocked by Cronus¡¯s ruthlessness and decisiveness, and for a time, the Chaos World fell silent. Only Queen of Gods Rhea, she watched in agony as her husband swallowed each of the four children, and even after that, he could still smile at her. For the first time, she felt a sense of strangeness. ¡°Golden Apple, Mother Earth¡­¡± As another child was conceived within her, Rhea took out the gift Gaia had once given her. If fate has decreed that the Divine King must be seeded, then let ite sooner. At least in this way, the world may see fewer conflicts arising from it. Chapter 96 - 73 Zeus Chapter 96: Chapter 73 Zeus Trantor: 549690339 Thousands of years ago, within the Underworld, twelve Titans together in the womb of Mother Earth witnessed the Prophecy that would decide the session of the Divine King. But in the end, driven by a sentient life¡¯s curiosity about the future, Cronus, like his own father, inquired about his fate. Therefore, Laine told him that as life and death exchange ces, he would lose what he had gained in the same way he acquired it; the world is like a circle, and this was the ending destined for him. In the past, Rhea did not understand what this meant, but now she did. She had mastered the method of turning ¡®death¡¯ into ¡®life¡¯, but she still needed one thing to help her turn ¡®life¡¯ into ¡®death¡¯. But this was not difficult, because her eldest son, Hades, who wielded Divine Authority over the Underworld, was born from the intertwined powers of the four Primordial Gods, so naturally, his Divine Power also possessed some of their characteristics. Asprehensive as the earth and Abyss, as concealed as Eternal Night and Darkness. Although possessing only some of their characteristics, it was barely enough to cloak the faint aura of a newly born deity. Using this Divine Power to weave a cloth, to protect the brother with the strength of the elder. The premise was that the Divine King would not investigate seriously, but Rhea was willing to bet on it; she believed that fate would be on her side. So she summoned the Meliae, the three oak sisters who served her, deities born from the Divine Blood of Uranus. Rheamanded them to find an object sturdy enough, as mortal things could hardlyst long under the power of the Divine King. In the end, after decades of searching, they brought back to the Queen of Gods a rock from the moltenva. When the stars fell, some of the Sun¡¯s power also fell to the mortal realm, and the fact that this rock remained intact within theva evolving under the great Sun proved its toughness. Therefore, Rhea ced this rock under her bed, day and night polishing it with Divine Power. She was ready, waiting for the right moment, for the birth of the new Divine Child. It would y a crucial role in helping her child escape his mad father. Since the Divine King began swallowing his children, the Chaos World had be quiet and eerie. At first, many deities eagerly anticipated whether this mad act would bring about the world¡¯s punishment, but centuries passed and nothing happened. It was not until the birth of the Divine King¡¯s fifth son, Poseidon, who wielded control over Tsunamis, Storms, and Earthquakes, on Mount Othrys, and Cronus swallowed him without hesitation, that the gods began to believe that perhaps the Divine King had truly avoided his destined fate with this method. Not just them, even Cronus himself thought so. Since the destined fate had been postponed, he once again turned his attention to the earth and the ocean, which would help his power advance further. So, three hundred years after the birth of Poseidon, the Divine King set foot alone in the ocean. He stepped onto the Circumterrestrial River, confronting the Ocean Deity Sovereign and his wife, the Primordial Water Goddess Thaesis, with unsurpassed strength. Even though Oceanus¡¯s power had approached the pinnacle of great Divine Power after acquiring vast unimed ocean territories, and even though his and his wife¡¯s powers would be greater upon the sea, they were still at a disadvantage before the current Divine King. After a decade of divine war, the Divine King finally trampled the ocean beneath his feet, once more asserting his supreme authority. Oceanus was defeated, but unlike the God of Sun, being in the ocean, Cronus could not truly harm him, as the ocean was ultimately not the main stage of the Divine King. In the end, the Ocean Deity Sovereign offered his scepter to Cronus, allowing it to be a part of the Divine King¡¯s scepter, and the Divine King also recognized his dominion over the ocean. The submission of the ocean once again elevated the Divine King¡¯s power. Looking around, in the Chaos World, there were hardly any deities who dared to openly challenge Cronus¡¯s reign. Without surprises, Mother Earth and the Mountain God would be his next opponents, as the previously obtained one third of the earth no longer satisfied the Divine King¡¯s appetite. However, as Rhea became pregnant again, the Divine King still returned to Mount of the Gods first. Though on the surface it seemed fate could no longer stop him, Uranus had thought the same when he once shoved the Titan gods into the womb of Mother Earth. Therefore, Cronus was not careless. He had to make sure that every child of his could not escape his control, and he would never give them a chance to conspire with outsiders. Even if this ¡®outsider¡¯ was their mother. ¡°Boom¡± Dark clouds gathered, thunder roared, and lightning shed, as rain poured down from the heavens. Standing atop Mount of the Gods, the torrential rain beat against his body. The Divine King did not use his divine power to dispel the drops, but let the rain slide off his body. In Chaos World, rain and wind weremon, but on Mount Othrys, such a natural phenomenon had never happened before. Cronus could feel that it was caused by the debut of the new god. Undoubtedly, another of his children had a domain rted to Meteorology, and their godhood was immensely powerful. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Crius, just like Poseidon, he won¡¯t have the chance to shake your control over Meteorology.¡± Gazing at the changes in the sky, Cronus casually reassured the God of Meteorology by his side. The Divine King couldn¡¯t help but feel reflective, as among his several children, except for his eldest daughter Hestia, all of them extended and plundered already existing domains of godhood. This gave the Divine King a premonition that perhaps the natural divine domains in the world had gradually been allocated. The deities that were bornter would increasingly tend towards perfecting old concepts, rather than pioneering new ones. Even perhaps one day, the descendants of gods might not necessarily be deities themselves. ¡°Boom!¡± Silver and purple light streaked across the clouds, emitting a deafening rumble. It was part of the weather, yet it seemed to be more than that. It contained the scent of destruction, as well as teeming vitality. Although not yet born, Cronus could already tell that the new god¡¯s domain was capable of sustaining divine power of level 19 or above, and it might even be higher. This spection inevitably made him wonder if this child could be the one prophesied to overthrow him. ¡°But then again, no matter how powerful the domain, he alone could never be my match even at his peak. Moreover, he won¡¯t have the chance to grow.¡± ¡°Ha, fate, is it? Let¡¯s see how you n to help him overthrow me from within my own belly.¡± Watching the Silver Serpent sh across the sky with a cold smile, the intangible aura grew increasingly turbulent. Through the thick clouds, Cronus could feel that the Sun and Moon had cycled three times, and the phenomena finally reached its peak. In a moment, apanied by another loud crash, the true name of the new god spread across the world. The King of the Thousand Thunders, Zeus! Chapter 97 - 74 The Exchange of Life and Death Chapter 97: Chapter 74 The Exchange of Life and Death Trantor: 549690339 Outside, the true names of the new gods had already spread throughout the world, but within the great hall, a tense operation was still underway. Queen of Gods Rhea clutched her newly born child to her chest and anxiously looked towards the maid who had been waiting for a long time. ¡°Hurry, quickly, bring it to me!¡± Pale-faced but with an air of urgency, the Queen received the rock from the hands of the Goddesses of the White Oak. She had once thought of giving birth outside of the Mount of the Gods, but Cronus clearly hadn¡¯t given her that opportunity. Fortunately, given that it was within her own domain, the Divine King courteously waited outside the great hall. But as soon as the Divine Child was born, Rhea knew he would enter immediately. ¡°Your Highness.¡± The Goddesses of the White Oak brought out the stone that had been prepared in advance, and Rhea snatched it from her. She used Divine Power to alter the rock¡¯s shape, making it resemble the infant in her arms. But this alone was not enough. Rhea needed to imbue it with ¡®life¡¯ and the scent of the new deity. So she closed her eyes and cruelly cut open the chest of the infant in her hands. The newborn deity wailed loudly, causing the thunder outside to grow even more frenzied, but Rhea didn¡¯t have the luxury of feeling heartache. She hurriedly dripped the blood from the infant¡¯s chest onto the Golden Apple, then covered him with a grey cloth. ¡°Take him away,¡± she said, ¡°to the ocean, to the domain of my eldest brother, Oceanus.¡± ¡°Apart from the wavering Mother Goddess, he is the only one in the world willing to confront the Divine King now. Tell him, Cronus¡¯s pursuit of Divine Authority will not end here. If he still wishes to keep control of the ocean, if he wants to seize more power from the new king, this is his best opportunity.¡± Watching the Goddesses of the White Oak nod in agreement, Rhea finally looked at the infant in her hands. She felt reluctant, but still handed him over to her maid. She hadn¡¯t done this when Poseidon was born because his Godhood was associated with the ocean. [Storms][Tsunamis] would make the God of the Ocean reject him, [Earthquakes] would make the Mountain God and Mother Earth despise him, but Zeus was different. His Godhood was powerful and only conflicted with the role of the God of Meteorology, Crius, the helper of the Divine King. Even if just as a backup, the oceanic god-line would surely ept him. ¡°Go quickly!¡± ¡°As youmand, Your Highness.¡± Bowing slightly, the Goddesses of the White Oak took the infant and hurriedly left. As Rhea watched her leave, she did not stop what she was doing. The Divine King had entered the pce, his unmistakable footsteps approaching. ¡°Destiny is on my side, I will seed.¡± Mumbling to herself, Rhea fused the Golden Apple with the stone in front of her. The divine fruit merged into it, bing the heart of the rock baby, emitting a strong, rhythmic beating. The rock, unfazed by the burning of the Sun and cleansed by the power of the Queen of Gods day and night, had already developed divine power. With the Divine Blood of Zeus¡¯ Golden Apple fused into it, it seemed toe to life, emanating an aura that belonged to a deity. ¡°Tread tread¡ª¡± The footsteps of the Divine King were getting closer, and without further thought, Rhea wrapped the prepared swaddling clothes around the rock, covering it with cloth. She held this ¡®infant¡¯ in her arms, then closed her eyes, waiting for fate¡¯s verdict. ¡°Tread¡± The footsteps stopped in front of her bed. Cronus looked at his wife before him. She held the infant in her arms, turning her back on him as if guarding against an enemy. The Divine King felt a pang of sadness and regret. As his Queen of Gods, Rhea ultimately could not understand him. She had no idea that every time Cronus saw his own offspring, the final curse of the Heavenly Father echoed in his ears. ¡°He is waiting for me, watching from the sky. At the highest ce, he awaits my fall to the very bottom.¡± Memories flickered through his mind. The Divine King shook his head gently, as if trying to throw these thoughts from his head. If possible, he too did not wish to do this, but fate was so merciless. Should he conquer destiny, the Divine King swore, the Law of the present world would be his next target for revenge. No one can manipte the destiny of a king, not even the world itself. ¡°What was Meliae here for?¡± Standing in front of the bed, the Divine King inquired. On Mount of the Gods, he could naturally sense the presence of the Goddesses of the White Oak. He was curious about what she had done as she had hurriedly left just before. However, Rhea, lying on her side, remained silent in the face of the Divine King¡¯s question. ¡°All right, since you don¡¯t want to talk, let her be then.¡± Shaking his head, Cronus knew that Rhea was not inclined to pay him any attention at the moment. But as long as their child was still here, he didn¡¯t care what petty schemes they were ying behind his back. If she could incite one of his brothers to rebel against him, that would just give him an excuse to take action. The Queen of Gods remained silent, but Cronus was not about to wait any longer. He snatched the swaddled infant from Rhea¡¯s arms and swallowed it in one gulp. ¡°Boom!¡± A thunderous sound of thunder rolled through heaven and earth. The Divine King felt something stir in the void, as if signifying something. ¡°Huh, perhaps this child is indeed the one destined by fate, for destiny to respond in such a way.¡± He scoffed coldly, whether it was true or not, the Divine King no longer cared. He took onest look at his wife and then quietly left the room. He needed to give her some time to calm down, as he still took care of Rhea¡¯s feelings on issues other than those rted to their progeny. Stepping out of the great hall, he watched the figure of the Goddesses of the White Oak transforming into divine light and receding into the distance. Cronus did nothing, for the robust vitality in his belly seemed to prove the vigor and robustness of the new deities, though it could also possibly be the inherent vitality that came with the scepter of thunder. But that was not important. After all, she was now swallowed by him, never to rise again. Walking slowly forward, the God of Meteorology was still waiting at the side. Hisplexion was not good; birthing two True Gods associated with his godhood in session inevitably affected his divine authority. Fortunately, both new deities expanded the authority over meteorology rather than seizing the existing parts. What he truly lost was only a little bit rted to the ¡°Storm.¡± ¡°Crius, when do you think I should make a move against my uncle who rules over the mountains?¡± Standing shoulder to shoulder with his brother, the Divine King asked softly. However, the God of Meteorology did not respond, knowing that Cronus wasn¡¯t really asking him. Indeed, after a short while, the Divine King answered his own question. ¡°Let it be a thousand years, no, fifteen hundred years.¡± ¡°Although my divine authority tells me that I will not have any new Divine Children born in the short term, I still have to wait.¡± ¡°By the way, I¡¯d like to see what kind of punishment fate will give me for opposing It so brazenly.¡± Making decisions as if no one else mattered, Cronus looked up at the sky. The dark clouds had not yet dispersed, with lightning weaving through them. The Anomaly of the Law that appeared due to the birth of a deity was slowly receding, but it still needed a little more time. But Cronus could not wait any longer. If he wanted to see the sun, then the sun had to show itself to him. Gripping the scepter of Divine Authority, the Divine King raised it high towards the sky. Supreme Divine Power connected heaven and earth, tearing through the yet unquieted Law. In that moment, with Mount of the Gods as the epicenter, the entire world felt an extraordinary power erupt from the heart of the earth, the sun was frightened off its course, and All Spiritsy prostrated on the ground, worshipping the ruler of heaven and earth. The dark clouds scattered, and bathed in sunlight, the Divine King surveyed his surroundings. Unlike before, this time, no deity¡¯s gaze dared to pry into Mount of the Gods. Chapter 98 - 75 Decision Chapter 98: Chapter 75 Decision Trantor: 549690339 Spanning the earth, sweeping over vast oceans. Shortly after setting off, the Goddess of the White Oak felt the terrifying presence emanating from the Mount of the Gods behind her. With the perfection ofws, the thriving of life, and the expansion of the world¡¯s surface area, the ceiling of the Divine Authority also continued to rise. Perhaps in tens of thousands of years, the full power of the Divine King would be equivalent to the Great Divine Power in terms of divine energy. But the Oak Goddess did not look back. Having epted themand of the Queen of Gods, she would persist, for the presence of the Divine King was strong but not enough to instill fear in her. Finally, after several more days of flying over the outer sea, the Oak Goddess came close to the edge of the world. Upon the turbulent Circumterrestrial River, the Meliae, holding Zeus, saw the God of the Ocean and his wife. It seemed they had been waiting for a long time; after all, the Oak Goddess had no intention of concealing her tracks over the ocean. Oceanus stood there, his towering stature exuding an intangible oppression thatbined with the environment to appear especially majestic. The Circumterrestrial River, looping with neither beginning nor end, encircles the Chaos World¡ªan endless long river. Its interior connects to the outer sea, while on the outside lies void and chaos; it is like a ring of light, coiling around the outer edge of the Chaos World. As the true first of the Titans, Oceanus was different from his younger brothers and sisters. To a certain extent, he possessed the characteristics of the primordial deities, which were reflected in the Circumterrestrial River. However, under his gaze, the Goddess of the White Oak was not afraid. ¡°Your Highnesses, I bring him to you bymand of the Heavenly Empress. He is the infant son of the Divine King, Zeus, whomands The Thousand Thunders.¡± ¡°I am not skilled with words, so I can only ry the exact words of the Heavenly Empress,¡± ¡°The Divine King¡¯s greed for power is boundless. If you wish to preserve your dominion over the seas, if you wish to draw greater benefits from the new king, then this is your best opportunity.¡± cing the infant on the ground, the Goddess of the White Oak felt the oppressive aura of the two deities without a trace of fear. As deities born from the divine blood left by Uranus in battle, the Meliae sisters naturally were warlike and fearless, never bowing down even in the face of an overwhelmingly invincible enemy. This was also the reason why the Queen of Gods, Rhea, trusted them. Their nature ensured that they would not retreat halfway or betray them to the Divine King. ¡°¡­The new god, yes, is he the son of the Divine King that was born not long ago?¡± Although Oceanus had no idea how Rhea managed to whisk Zeus away from Cronus¡¯ sight, the fact wasid out before him. The progeny of the God-King, a potential threat to his throne, undoubtedly stirred Oceanus¡¯ heart. Cronus¡¯ previous suppression had infuriated him, but being weaker left him no choice. However, the infant before him undeniably represented another option. But at the moment of decision, he hesitated. Because the God of the Ocean did not know whether this deity before him was truly the one from the prophecy. After all, in the distant past, Oceanus himself was once suspected of being the one to overthrow Uranus. If it were so, then the Ocean Deity Sovereign was willing to wager on it. Or rather, to follow the guidance of fate, joining the side destined for victory. But if not, all his actions would merely hand Cronus further excuse to act against him. After all, while the current Divine King stillcked the power to suppress him, it did not mean he would be unable in the future. ¡°I think, perhaps we need not decide just now.¡± To the side, seemingly perceiving her husband¡¯s indecision, the Ocean Goddess Tethys reached out her hand, pointing towards the boundless outer sea. She knew that her husband, like herself, preferred to deal with problems through indirect means. Thus, they spread water systems across thend with the multitude of Oceanides and drew many deities to their side through marital alliances. The matter of Zeus before them could be approached in the same way. They did not need to go all out; just providing the initial, most crucial investment was enough. ¡°Raised amongst us does not mean we areplicit. We can give him an environment to grow up in, an excellent assistant, but unless he can prove his prowess, we needn¡¯t do more.¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Ultimately, Thaesis still left the decision to her husband, as she had always done in the past. To some extent, the original Titans, both male and female, seemed to possess ¡®excellent qualities¡¯ that far surpassed those of theter Olympian Gods, at least in the eyes of humans. ¡°You¡¯re right, Thaesis,¡± Nodding slightly, the Ocean Deity Sovereign epted this point of view. He looked toward the Goddess of the White Oak before him, his resonant voice echoing above the Circumterrestrial River. ¡°Meliae, my sister in name, servant to the Queen of Gods, I will leave the child here, but whether he can be the new king foretold by the prophecy is now his own affair.¡± ¡°Convey this to your mistress: Zeus will grow up safely over the sea. But to prevent my brother from overthinking, I won¡¯t let you stay here any longer than necessary.¡± Meliae nodded, she ced Zeus on the ground, then turned and left. Watching her departing figure, the two principal deities of the ocean exchanged nces and once again turned their attention to the infant on the ground. His wound on the chest had not fully healed, and a silver light shed there. The two deities pondered for a moment, and finally, Thaesis put forth another suggestion. ¡°Let¡¯s send him to Crete Ind, a small ind near the ind sea. Golden Humanity once lived there and, although they are now gone, the ce is well suited for young deities to grow up.¡± ¡°Do we need to send someone to take care of him?¡± With some hesitation, the Ocean Deity Sovereign inquired. ¡°Without adequate nourishment, his growth will surely be slowed. And without life to teach him wisdom, he might well be arrogant and ignorant.¡± ¡°We need not worry about that, Oceanus, for there is an excellent choice there.¡± Shaking her head, Thaesis extended her hand. Water floated up at her gesture, turning into a mirror before the two Titan sovereigns, within which the image of a small ind appeared. ¡°This is Crete. When Golden Humanity was still there, our daughter of wisdom, Metis, often visited. Her divine power affected some living beings, awakening wisdom within them; to this day, one still resides there who will rear Zeus.¡± ¡°As for whates after, let the child decide for himself. If he truly is the one destined, I believe he will meet us again by his own strength.¡± Thaesis was reasonable, so the Ocean Deity Sovereign agreed without hesitation. He waved his hand gently, and divine power enveloped the infant, sending him directly plummeting toward Crete Ind. The legacy of Golden Humanity still existed there, and due to shifts in the world situation, no Sea God had nned to bring the newly created Silver Humanity there. On this ind, only a goat named Amalthea was still active, a life influenced by the divine power of Metis. Thus, Zeus was wrapped in divine power and traveled through the sky for three days and nights. Finally, at dawn, he preciselynded on the branch in front of this wise being. ¡°Take care of him as you would yourself, mortal Amalthea. This is the responsibility given to you by the master of the sea. Help him grow, and teach him wisdom; on the day hees of age, whether alive or dead, you will share in the utmost glory with him.¡± The voice of the Sea God reverberated over the ind, and an invisible force enveloped this remote ind in the outer sea. Everything was thus settled. The wheel of fate slowly turned on its track, and just as the Titans had once returned to the earth, so too did Zeus wee his new beginning. No one knew what his future would hold, nor didter records provide a precise description of the fate of this third-generation Divine King. Everything abruptly stopped there¡ªperhaps it would be better, perhaps worse, but that was all a matter of the future. In any case, on the ind of Crete, the young Zeus grew up day by day. Chapter 99 - 76: The Horn of Plenty Chapter 99: Chapter 76: The Horn of Plenty Trantor: 549690339 Crete Ind, an inconspicuous part of the ocean, was destined to be renowned for generations in the epics ofter ages. Zeus, still an infant, was thrown here, but he didn¡¯t fall to the ground. Instead, he and his swaddling clothes were hung among the branches. This ce was neither heaven, nor earth, nor sea, so the authority of the Divine King could not warn its master or allow him to sense his own bloodline. On this isted ind, the young Zeus spent his most vulnerable time. When the infant cried, thunder would sound to cover his voice; when the infant was hungry, Goat Amalthea would feed him her milk, allowing him to draw from the strength left by the Goddess of Wisdom. This tiny ind was protected by the power of the God of the Ocean, and sea monsters could not approach here, nor could birds, and no one could discover Zeus, who grew up on the ind. And so, time passed day by day, and decades flew by in an instant. Although he had not yet fully mastered the power befitting a deity, Zeus had grown to adulthood in appearance. He had shoulder-length hair that shone like gold. His tall and valiant stature, coupled with his dark eyes, made it hard for any living being not to describe him as handsome. But on this day, Goat Amalthea, who had raised Zeus, reached the end of her life. She possessed wisdom due to the unintentionally leftover divine power of Metis, yet she was not endowed with divinity. Perhaps it was fated, as shey down on the ground on the fifth day after Zeus became an adult, facing the end of her own life. Thus, before her death, she told Zeus that it was the couple Oceanus and Thaesis, who ruled the oceans, who brought him here. She also shared the importance of wisdom with Zeus and her view of her previous ignorant life after she had gained wisdom. ¡°Power can aplish many things, Zeus, but so can wisdom, which is thest thing I can teach you. I am grateful to Goddess Metis for helping me understand the meaning of life. If possible, please peel off my skin and offer it as a gift to the goddess.¡± ¡°As for my horn, please cut it off as well and keep it by your side. With it, it¡¯s as if I am still beside you.¡± ¡°I will, Amalthea, I will always remember you,¡± Kneeling before Goat Amalthea, Zeus solemnly promised: ¡°Your horn will be my most treasured possession. Just as you provided me with milk, it will bring abundance and wealth to all life.¡± The goat died, and Zeus, honoring his promise, peeled off the goatskin and tied the horn around his waist. He infused the horn with the divine power of thunder so that the aspect of ¡®life¡¯ could be activated. From then on, this horn could endlessly produce food. Having organized his belongings, Zeus surveyed the ce where he had grown up. From the stories told by the goat, Zeus learned about the world and the gods. He knew that he was a member of the Deity Race, born with the ability tomand wind and thunder, yet for some reason, he found himself here alone. ¡°Amalthea told me that I was brought here by the God and Goddess of the Ocean, Oceanus and Thaesis. Since they ced me here, they must know my origins.¡± ¡°Although I do not know where they are, their daughter must know. Goddess Metis of the Oceanides, the one who granted Amalthea wisdom, as long as I can find her, I think all my questions will be answered.¡± Having made his decision, Zeus resolved to leave the ind. The young deity was confident and brave, resolved to uncover his origins, so he flew into the sky, heading westward from the ind. Amalthea had told him that the Golden Humanity had once lived on this ind, and over the years, Zeus had alsoe across traces they left behind. These were lifeforms simr to the gods, but without divine power. Thousands of years ago, when humans had not yet perished, the Goddess of Wisdom, Metis, taught them hydrology and imparted knowledge to them on this ind and lived among them. That is how Amalthea came into contact with the goddess¡¯s divine power. In her recollections, every time Metis came to Crete, it was from the west. And when she left, she also headed towards the west. So, without knowing where to find her, Zeus decided to go westward, asking every living being he met about Metis. The young deity set off, but in ces unknown to him, the moment he stepped off the ind, not only one being turned their gaze upon him. The actions of the Goddesses of the White Oak could be concealed from the uninquiring Divine King, but not from several other deities. Or rather, Rhea did not expect her maid to be able to conceal from them. She had anticipated the Mother Earth but had not expected another Primordial God to also cast their gaze upon this event. On Earth, Ourea, the god of the mountains, stood beside Mother Earth, gazing in the direction of the East Sea, feeling the pressure of the Divine King drawing ever nearer. Although he did not know when Cronus would make his move against him, that did not prevent him from secretly praying that fate would soon mete out its punishment. And Gaia, she did not care about the throne of the Divine King, she was just looking forward to a deity who could open the Abyss. Even in her heart, she actually did not wish to overthrow her youngest son. She just wanted him to suffer a bit more, to learn how to respect his Mother Goddess. Besides, in the Underworld, the Lord of Darkness Erebus, who was indifferent to the affairs of the world, was also paying attention to Zeus. The power that Cronus had unleashed earlier was indeed mighty, but it was not enough to warrant his concern. However, the outbreak of the divine war meant that a vast number of creatures on earth would die. He had long been anticipating the souls of the Silver Humanity to enter the Spirit Realm. Apart from the two Primordial Gods, the couple from the God of the Ocean, entrusted by Rhea with the care of Zeus, had also noticed that Zeus had left Crete Ind and were preparing to search for their daughter. The opinions of the two Titan Principal Gods were divided, but they eventually chose to turn a blind eye. They were waiting for Zeus to show his strength; if he could make Cronus fail just once with his meager power, then they would be willing to believe that Zeus was the new king destined by fate. Meanwhile, in the seventhyer of the Spirit Realm, Laine, feeling the Divine Power rising with every second since theing of the Silver Age, could not help but follow the fluctuations of fate and look toward the small ind in the Eastern Sea of Chaos. There were some differences from the mythology recorded, but Laine was not surprised by this. Subsequent records often contradicted each other, and his influence on fate could also potentially affect some minor details. ¡°There are some differences, but not many. Indeed, as long as I do not directly intervene, with my current influence on fate, it is not enough to shake the destined trajectory of the changing of the Divine King.¡± ¡°However, is his heading in that direction a coincidence?¡± Gently tapping the armrest of his chair, Laine did not sense the trace of fate. He elevated his perspective, and when he looked down at the East Sea from above, he could clearly see that on Zeus¡¯s journey to find Metis, two other Goddesses were also going to have an unexpected encounter with him. In the original trajectory, the three generations of Divine Kings each had different rtionships with them. But now, the oue may not necessarily be the same. ¡°The Goddess whom Zeus respects, the Wisdom Metis, and the evaded destiny¡­ Heh, I see.¡± ¡°It is true, in the myths ofter generations, she could indeed be seen as a Goddess symbolizing ¡®uncertain fate¡¯. If mere power is not enough to make the Divine King bow, then Heracles and she must have their reasons for treating Zeus differently.¡± With a slight smile, it was probably just a coincidence; after all, no matter how it looked, this encounter would likely not be a good one. In the original mythic trajectory, Zeus actually followed the temte of an invincible protagonist. Tremendous talent, an extraordinary background, and formidable enemies. First, Zeus won the favor of his wise wife, rescued his siblings, and then, guided by the Ancient Gods, found the smith who forged Divine Artifacts, creating powerful equipment for himself. Then, relying on his appearance, eloquence, and strength, he vastly extended his harem, fathering a host of exceptionally gifted children. His only failure was in the battle against Typhon, whichsted just one day. Soon after, Zeus regained his strength and defeated the King of All Monsters who dared to challenge him. In short, in his divine life, victory and sess always seemed to follow him, as if he rarely encountered failure or frustration. But for some reason, Laine always felt that Zeus in this world might have to change his temte. Perhaps the path of being invincible might be one of growing stronger through adversity unless he could change his character, in which case he was likely to suffer quite a bit. However, while regimes may change, nature is hard to shift, and the observing Laine did not hold much hope for that. Chapter 100 - 77 Encounter Chapter 100: Chapter 77 Encounter Trantor: 549690339 Ever since Hyperion was sealed within the Sun, Helios took his father¡¯s ce to drive the great orb, and already thousands of years have passed in the blink of an eye. The situation in the starry sky settled down, and many deities governed their own territories. Among these vast and serene celestial regions, it was not as turbulent as it was on Earth. However, unlike other deities in charge of the starry sky, there was one goddess who had always been somewhat inconspicuous and now found herself with abundant leisure time. The Moon Goddess Selene, Hyperion¡¯s eldest daughter and Helios¡¯s sister, who once ruled over many realms along the white path of the Moon¡¯s orbit, was somewhat idle. Since the Mother Goddess of Light, Theia, who had once lived with her father atop the Sun, relocated to the Moon, naturally, the God of Stars within these realms followed themands of this Titan Principal God. As for Selene, nearly ten thousand years had passed since her birth, yet she had not even stepped into the realm of weak divine power. The Moon¡¯s orbit required no effort from her, after all, as a celestial body it now paled inparison to the Sun, and even though the godhood didn¡¯t quite fit, Theia could drive it with ease. Thus, Selene found herself with spare time, often wandering between the sky and the ocean. The Earth was out of bounds for her, given the fearsome Divine King residing there. Over the years, she had hoped to find a strong deity to rely on, but upon reflection, such a powerful god probably wouldn¡¯t take much interest in a Moon Goddess whocked everything. So Selene simply let her mind wander and began to appreciate the beauty of various ces. Today was like any other; the morning light shone upon the sea, casting trails of gold. Selene looked up to find her brother driving the Sun Chariot across the sky, bringing light and hope to all things. Sometimes she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the concept of the Moon hadn¡¯t been taken by the lord of the Spirit Realm, whether she would also be crafting a Moon Chariot per the Divine King¡¯s order, dutifully fulfilling her responsibilities every night. ¡®Perhaps things are not so bad as they stand.¡¯ Her mood lifting, Selene had arranged to meet a friend today and did not want to keep her waiting. ¡°Excuse me, beautiful Goddess, may I ask, have you heard of the Oceanides, the Goddess of Wisdom, Metis?¡± ¡°Ah~¡± The sudden voice startled the Moon Goddess. She looked in the direction of the sound and saw a blonde, valiant-looking unfamiliar deity standing not far away. Perhaps she was too engrossed earlier to notice his approach. But now awakened by his voice, the Moon Goddess took a closer look at this uninvited guest. Even among the gods, this deity¡¯s appearance was exceptional. Yet his aura of divine power was quite feeble, hardly any different from her own. And more importantly, the intensity in his gaze as he looked at her made Selene feel a bit frightened. ¡°I know. Metis, daughter of the God of the Ocean, renowned as the Goddess of Wisdom throughout the seas, naturally stays with the other goddesses.¡± ¡°She resides in the west, after flying for three sunrises and sunsets, when you see an ind rich in vegetation, that will be where she is. She lives there with her sister Eurynome, keeper of the water-meadows. Go and seek her out yourself. If there¡¯s nothing else, I shall take my leave.¡± With a slight frown, Selene didn¡¯t want to linger any longer. This deity, much like herself, may be good-looking butcked corresponding strength. But unlike her, he did not seem like the type who would keep to himself. As to whether he was a new deity born recently, that was even less likely. Apart from the Divine King, there had been no signs of new deities being born over the past millennia. ¡°Well, thank you for your help, stranger Goddess. My name is Zeus, might I have the honor of knowing your name?¡± Although a bit disappointed by the distant demeanor of the goddess before him, Zeus wasn¡¯t yet the ruler who wouldter ascend to the throne. Lacking the power to do as he pleased, he didn¡¯t impose further but asked politely instead. ¡°My name is Selene, not a deity of the ocean. You needn¡¯t¡­ wait, what did you say your name was?¡± Suddenly realizing who he imed to be, the Moon Goddess was somewhat disbelieving. The prominence of a god¡¯s birth sign was determined by the strength of their godhood, and as the world expanded, many new gods were born unnoticed. However, such was not the case with Zeus. The youngest child of the Divine King, whose birth was marked by Silver Serpents stretching across the sky, Selene could not possibly forget his name. There was some panic, and the Moon Goddess instinctively wanted to flee. She did not know why the Divine Child, who was supposed to be swallowed by the Divine King, appeared here in good condition, but there were definitely secrets she didn¡¯t know about. And the years had taught her a lesson, don¡¯t get involved in these things without sufficient strength. With her divine power in motion, Selene transformed into a seagull and swiftly flew towards the direction of the stars. However, her sudden action evidently aroused Zeus¡¯s suspicions. ¡°Madam, wait, it seems you are aware of my existence?¡± While asking the question, Zeus also turned into a majestic eagle wreathed with thunder. He flew high, quickly catching up to the Moon Goddess. ¡°I don¡¯t know, and I don¡¯t want to know, please leave me be. I am the daughter of Theia, the Mother of Light, and now, I am returning to the stars.¡± Selene firmly refused, trying to intimidate the other with Theia¡¯s name. What she didn¡¯t know was that this instead solidified Zeus¡¯s determination to stop her. The great name of the Mother of Light, he had heard from Goat Amalthea. The powerful Titan Principal God, an existence treated with respect by the Divine King, if he let the goddess before him go, what happened next would be out of Zeus¡¯s control. So he sped up. Selene exerted all her strength to fly, but still could not escape Zeus¡¯s pursuit. Even the Moon¡¯s original godhood in mythology was no match for Zeus¡¯s Thunderbolt, let alone now. Although Selene¡¯s divine power was simr to Zeus¡¯s, her strength was far less. She was trapped by Zeus, in his eagle form, above the sea surface. Whenever she tried to fly high, she was driven back by the thunder that struck her. Fortunately, Zeus didn¡¯t intend to harm her; he just wanted to know what he wanted from the goddess before him. ¡°I have no intention of hurting you, madam, but I cannot let you leave either. If possible, I¡¯d like to hear about matters concerning myself, given your reaction earlier, my origins seem to be quite unusual?¡± Despite his advantage, Zeus remained cautious. He surveyed his surroundings while skillfully coaxing with his words. In response, Selene remained silent. She thought of her father, trapped in the Sun, who was so powerful yet locked up there, unable to move. And the deity before her was an existence that the Divine King absolutely could not tolerate. Anyway, she would not die, and being caught by him was better than being permanently sealed in the Moon like her father. Thus, Selene silently stood off against Zeus in the sky. Time ticked by, second by second, and Zeus exhausted all kinds of words, but the Moon Goddess still didn¡¯t respond. Eventually, he grew somewhat impatient. ¡°It seems words cannot sway you, madam. Then, I will have to bring you down and take you away with me.¡± Even though he didn¡¯t understand why she was so stubborn, Zeus was no longer willing to wait. In the vast ocean, no one would know if their confrontation was noticed by any passing deity. The scepter of Thunder was fully activated by Zeus; although his divine power was not strong since he was newly born, the surrounding thousands of miles were still obscured by dark clouds and lightning. Zeus reverted to human form, holding electric light intermixed with silver and purple in his hand. The dark clouds descended, as if the sky in this area had copsed. He watched the white gull that Selene had turned into, issuing his final ultimatum. ¡°Madam, I would still be grateful to you if you¡¯re willing to tell the truth.¡± But the result still disappointed him. Selene wrapped her wings over her head, using her meager divine power to enshroud herself. Then Zeus extended his hand, and the Silver Serpent in the sky bore down as well. The Thunderbolt fell, striking fiercely towards the lone white gull on the sea surface. With this blow, Zeus had used all his strength. However, just before his eyes, a spherical barrier radiating with rainbow light suddenly appeared out of nowhere, deflecting the plunging thunderbolts to the outside. The next moment, apanied by a ripple in space, a red figure slowly emerged. Chapter 101 - 78: Mental Witchcraft Chapter 101: Chapter 78: Mental Witchcraft Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Stop, which deity are you from, and why are you attacking my friend?¡± With the clear yet somewhat immature voice ringing out, an invisible fluctuation swept across the field. Instantly, the silver serpents in the sky seemed somewhatnguid and listless. Zeus¡¯s spirit tensed. He looked intently, and there was a red-haired girl around fifteen or sixteen years old. In her presence, Zeus did not feel intense fluctuations of divine power, but seeing how she could easily stop his attack and weaken the power of his thunder through some means, it was clear that she was no simple being. However, Zeus had no intention of giving up. Who knew what secrets his identity held, or whether it would lead to big trouble. ¡°Who are you, and why do you interfere with my affair with this goddess?¡± On guard, Zeus surreptitiously gathered strength. If he could not defeat the opponent head-on, a sneak attack might still be a good option. As long as he could achieve his goal, he did not care what methods he used. s, Zeus did not know that his tactics might be somewhat useful against other deities, but they were ineffective against the enemy before him. ¡°I am the Grand Sorceress Hecate, and I am also a friend of Selene. It is natural for me to stop you when youy hands on my friend.¡± Lifted into the air by the wind, Hecate watched Zeus¡¯s futile efforts. Before, when Selene missed their appointment, she thought that something might havee up at thest moment. But what she did not expect was that her friend was under attack by an unfamiliar deity. And the adversary still showed no sign of stopping. Under her transcendent spiritual perception, Zeus¡¯s rudimentary concealing tactics were meaningless; Hecate could see at a nce that he was gathering strength. ¡°So it¡¯s you, still not nning to cease your attack, huh? In that case, I¡¯ll discipline you first.¡± The stone tablet had once taught her that the first to act had the advantage. Since the opponent was not ying fair, she might as well subdue him first! Boom ¡ª! Just as Hecate was about to make a move, she was taught a lesson. Clearly, she had not learned the essence of striking first from the stone tablet, as the true first strike does not involve exchanging pleasantries with the opponent. Before her, Zeus had already decisively taken action upon realizing his n was discovered. With a loud explosion, lightning struck straight through Hecate¡¯s position. To his surprise, his attack merely passed through without any feeling of hitting a target. ¡°Heh, uncultured brute, do you gods only know how to be straightforward?¡± Mocking his adversary, the true form of Hecate slowly emerged to the left. That¡¯s how deities who only sense divine power are; a simple illusion spellpletely throws them off. Calmly raising a finger, Zeus instantly felt a sense of crisis before Hecate. ¡°Psychic st!¡± During her years traversing the great seas, Hecate hadn¡¯t shied away from shing with deities. She found that at her current level of magic power, it was difficult to match the divine force of a True God who wielded authority. Merely being baptized by thews was not enough to fully sublimate her magic, and she did not know how toplete thetter half of the step. So, Hecate simply gave up trying to harm deities with elements and magical power. Compared to gods, her strong mental power was truly advantageous, and she was essentially equivalent to a deity, with no difference in the quality of her spirit. On this foundation, with the help of the Tome of All Spells, she created a multitude of mental witchcraft, this ethereal and direct assault on the spirit proved unfailing against gods. ¡°Ugh¡ª¡± A muted groan. Even though he had transformed into lightning and left his original spot in an instant, Zeus still suffered a heavy blow the next moment. Feeling no forcee near him, he yet seemed to have been struck by a giant hammer on the head, leaving the young deitypletely disoriented. ¡°Chaotic Mind!¡± Her fingertip lifted slightly, casting another spell. Before recovering, Zeus felt the world around him be confused in an instant; everything was turned upside down, and he could no longer discern which way was which. Damn it, do you think such tricks will defeat me?!¡± Feeling a bit angry from the consecutive blows, the new god experienced his first defeat in divine life. However, Zeus was obviously not the kind to shrink back from this; it only served to fuel his will to fight even more. So he released all his power and returned to his true form of thunder. ¡°Boom¡ª!¡± Silver light exploded, and Zeus no longer maintained a human shape. He merged himself into the sweeping lightning, which was the authority granted by his godhood. Even though this would greatly consume his already sparse divine power, in this state, even if the opponent continued with those strange attacks to disturb him, they would inevitably be weakened by the lightning. ¡°What a nuisance,¡± she muttered with a slight frown, finding the situation somewhat tricky. Despite the existence of psychic witchcraft giving her the ability tobat weaker true gods, that was all there was to it. Fortunately, her reliance for walking the seas these past years had never been solely on her personal strength. Compared to relying on the power of an individual alone, figuring out how to better borrow from external forces, whether the natural world or high-ranking beings, that¡¯s the true source of a wizard¡¯s power. ¡°That¡¯s why I find these deities so annoying, especially such naturally powerful gods¡ªthough now that I think about it, with such a strong godhood, why is his divine power so weak?¡± She pursed her lips, slightly puzzled. Hecate lightly flipped open the book she¡¯d been holding in her left hand, turning to a page with a drawing of the stars and the sun. That was the essence of a fragment of the sun she had picked up on her travels. Using that fragment as a core, Hecate recreated the ¡®past¡¯ scene through a ritual, then sessfully sealed it into the Book of All Laws in her hand. Thus, what should have been aplicated and lengthy ritual became a witchcraft spell ready to use at will, which was just a small clever use of the divine artifact in her hand. The book pages ignited without fire, and the next moment, the sky lit up brightly. As if two suns had risen together, another illusory sun manifested above the ocean. ¡°Yesterday¡¯s Sun¡¤Setting of the Great Day¡±! Across from Hecate, Zeus, who had transformed into thunder, felt an almost irresistible force, which was the echo of Hyperion¡¯s, the God of Sun¡¯s, power. With one-third the strength of the God of Sun at his peak, borrowed from the ¡®past¡¯ by the power of the divine artifact and the ritual, this was not something the newly-born Zeus of mere decades could contend with. ¡°Out of options, huh? I hate you rash gods who resort to violence at the drop of a hat~¡± With a slight smile, Hecate pointed a finger, and the illusory great sun immediately descended. The deity in front of her continued to release thunder, but it was futile in front of the illusory sun. It seemed like a long time, but in reality, from the start of the fight until now, only a short while had passed. Just as Hecate was about topletely smash it down, Selene, who finally realized what was happening, urgently spoke out: ¡°Wait, Hecate, he¡¯s Zeus!¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Her right hand shook, and the illusory sun fell alongside Zeus into the ocean. Billions of tons of seawater were instantly evaporated, a vast number of dead sea creatures floated to the surface, and then the smell of charring arose. But at this moment, Hecate couldn¡¯t care less about these things. She looked at the deity in front of her and quickly asked: ¡°You¡¯re Zeus?¡± ¡°I am. Is there a problem?¡± Having been terrified by the narrowly missed sun, Zeus had thought this venture was bound to fail. But now, it seemed there might be a turn of events. The formidable woman who had arrivedter didn¡¯t seem to dread his name as much as the Moon Goddess did. ¡°Hmm, no problem, or rather, this couldn¡¯t be better,¡± she said with a strange smile, looking at Zeus and slowly speaking: ¡°I¡¯ve had my eye on a certain someone for a long time. Running into you here seems to prove that my astrology is quite effective after all~¡± Chapter 102 - 79: Story Chapter 102: Chapter 79: Story Trantor: 549690339 ¡°So you¡¯re saying you were sent to Crete Ind by Oceanus, the God of the Ocean, and then raised by a goat?¡± ¡°That makes you a foster child of Oceanus, in a way.¡± Once Zeus¡¯s identity was recognized, the battle ceased. Overawed by Hecate¡¯s strength, and curious about his own origin, Zeus and the two goddesses made their way to an ind. Although the Moon Goddess seemed reluctant to get involved, she followed along at Hecate¡¯s urging. The two goddesses met by chance over the ocean, and because Selene¡¯s family was at odds with the Divine King, and the Moon Goddess herself was not so assertive, she ended up bing one of the few deity friends of Hecate. Unlike Selene, Hecate was not afraid of Zeus¡¯s feud with the Divine King at all. ¡°A foster son, perhaps, but Oceanus probably didn¡¯t care much for me.¡± Sitting on arge rock, the young Zeus made no attempt to hide his feelings. He had just set out, and the second creature he met had given him a beating, which made him deeply doubt his own strength. Especially since the other party was a no-name, not matching any of the powerful deities Goat Amalthea had told him about. ¡°Heh, you¡¯re thinking too much.¡± ¡°If he didn¡¯t care about you enough, he wouldn¡¯t have risked offending the Divine King to let you grow up at sea. In fact, I suspect that the embodiment of the Circumterrestrial River might even be watching us right now.¡± Hecate responded to Zeus¡¯s self-doubt with a scoff. Although she had a different thought after learning his identity, it did not mean she liked the guy. On the contrary, she looked at the golden-haired Zeus and always felt that he was no good. ¡°What?¡± Zeus hadn¡¯t reacted yet, but Selene was suddenly flustered. Being in the same ce as the son whom the Divine King would never spare was worrying enough, and now there might be someone else watching this ce. ¡°Don¡¯t panic; I¡¯m still here.¡± With a slight upturn of her lips, Hecate waved her hand nonchntly, ¡°My ¡®Tome of All Spells¡¯ is no joke. Unless it¡¯s one of the legendary Primordial Gods, no one can observe our actions from a distance.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief~¡± Letting out a sigh of relief, Selene clutched her legs and fell silent on the side. Hecate¡¯s story with the Divine King, she had heard it from the other before. Abandoned by her parents, expelled from the Deity Race by the Divine King, and then determined to make them pay¡ªthese were things Selene could not even dare to imagine. But to speak the truth, in her heart, the Moon Goddess envied Hecate a bit. Hecate could do what she wanted and was working steadily towards that goal, but Selene couldn¡¯t. From her birth, she had always been weak and had never changed. Moreover, her past experiences taught her that a god¡¯s power is innate; no matter how hard you try, you cannot alter it in the slightest. Selene fell silent, but Zeus picked up on something from the earlier conversation. The reason the Moon Goddess did not want to interact with him had to do with the Divine King, and although he didn¡¯t know what he had done, it was obvious she wouldn¡¯t let him off the hook. ¡°So, Miss Hecate,¡± he said thoughtfully, ¡°since you¡¯ve called me here, I suppose you have something to say to me.¡± ¡°I think, maybe we can talk, like about the matter of my origin.¡± With a raise of her beautiful eyebrows, Hecate pulled Selene¡¯s hand, soothing the younger sister¡¯s emotions, while turning to look at Zeus with an inquisitive look in her eyes. She was very eager to know whether, in certain matters, he differed from his father or not. ¡°Zeus, right? Before we talk about your origin, I want to ask you,¡± she said, ¡°if you had a vast ind, but the creatures on it refused to heed yourmands, governing themselves and treating you as if you were nothing, what would you do?¡± After a moment of thought, although Zeus didn¡¯t know why Hecate was asking this, he answered cautiously: ¡°How does my strengthpare to theirs?¡± ¡°You are strong, but not the strongest,¡± ¡°Then I will first try to enhance my strength, using all kinds of methods I can think of,¡± Zeus replied. ¡°And then?¡± ¡°Then, when I am confident enough, I will pick an opponent who is neither very strong nor weak to establish my authority; it would be great if I could get some help.¡± She nodded, agreeing with Zeus on this point, her thoughts aligning perfectly with those of the Divine King. Only the Divine King was even more unfortunate, his helper had abandoned him halfway. ¡°So after you go to great lengths to defeat this opponent and be even stronger, what will you do?¡± ¡°Naturally, I would take back control of the ind,¡± Zeus said as if it were a matter of course. ¡°You said it yourself, this ind belongs to me.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Hecate said with a smile. ¡°So, if you manage to subdue the vast majority of lives who disagree with you, but at this time, several weak new beings are born, and they will definitely rece you once they grow up, what would you do then?¡± ¡°Rece me?¡± Confused, Zeus asked: ¡°Why would they definitely be able to rece me? Who determines that?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Hecate nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s just say it¡¯s determined by someone, a being you cannot defy.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I would strike first and not give them the chance to rece me. Of course, it would be even better if I could deal with the being that determines all this.¡± Zeus answered thoughtfully. ¡°It¡¯s a reasonable idea,¡± Hecate said with a smile, her tone nomittal. ¡°But whether or not you can seed, I wouldn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°After all, a thought is just a thought. When ites time to implement it, a lot of unexpected things can happen. For example, you wouldn¡¯t know how, but those weak beings might suddenly escape your control.¡± ¡°But you¡¯ve said,¡± Zeus countered, ¡°that I am very strong and they are very weak.¡± ¡°Yes, but that does not affect the final oue.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Zeus could not understand this. ¡°I¡¯d like to know too, so why don¡¯t you tell me why you, who should have been in the stomach of the Divine King, suddenly appeared on the distant ocean,¡± Sheughed cheerfully, finding the change in Zeus¡¯s expression very amusing. ¡°It seems you¡¯ve understood my point, Zeus. You are the son of the Divine King and the one he considers a threat, someone who could potentially overthrow his throne. Now tell me, facing such a person with great power, who controls the entire ¡®ind,¡¯ what do you n to do?¡± ¡°Are you going to surrender and wait for death, facing an eternal prison, or are you going to fight back, try to give yourself a chance?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what you choose, but since the Divine King once made me very unhappy, if you choose thetter, I can offer you a little help,¡± Chapter 103 - 80 Eurynome Chapter 103: Chapter 80 Eurynome Trantor: 549690339 ¡°Hecate, can he really seed?¡± At dawn the following day, watching Zeus¡¯s retreating figure as he headed southwest, Selene felt somewhat unsure. ¡°How should I know?¡± Sitting on a tree branch swinging, Hecate casually remarked, ¡°If he seeds, consider it as him teaching that Divine King a lesson for me. If he doesn¡¯t, it doesn¡¯t concern me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the one prophesied to overthrow the Divine King. If anyone¡¯s going to be unlucky, it¡¯s him. At worst, I¡¯ll just keep my distance in the future, and avoid going tond. It seems that, for the moment, the Divine King doesn¡¯t have any way to deal with the God of the Ocean¡¯s lineage.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Selene had thought Hecate was determined to confront the Divine King head-on and was ready to persuade her otherwise. But she hadn¡¯t expected that Hecate was just speaking casually, with no intention of getting overly involved. Yet, Selene couldn¡¯t help but admire Hecate¡¯s audacity in being able to make such decisions lightly; she had assumed Hecate had contemted deeply. ¡°There¡¯s nothing surprising about it; after all, he¡¯s going to look for Metis.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like that woman. She seems approachable, but in reality, she looks down on everyone. Let him go see for himself what kind of advice ¡®Wise Metis¡¯ can give him.¡± ¡°The God of the Ocean¡¯s lineage should be on his side anyway; nothing unexpected should happen.¡± Perched on the tree branch, Selene swung back and forth, then leapt down from the highest point. Hecatended on the ground, dusting off non-existent dirt. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± she called out, ¡°Let¡¯s head west and see.¡± ¡°My earlier astrological reading told me I¡¯d encounter a little surprise to the west. I thought it was Zeus at first, but now, I think it¡¯s not him.¡± ¡°The astrology I did on a whim probably doesn¡¯t predict anything about the fate of the Divine King.¡± On the other side of the great sea, after leaving Hecate, Zeus headed straight southwest. Previously, the two goddesses hadn¡¯t really given him any advice. They had only told Zeus about the prophecy, the curse, and the Divine King swallowing his children. These matters were widely known in Chaos, but few deities dared to speak of them openly; Hecate had no such reservations. In the end, Hecate told Zeus that although she was a wizard skilled in witchcraft, she didn¡¯t understand schemes and tricks. If he didn¡¯t want to live forever in the shadow of the Divine King, he would need to find someone suitable to provide him with strategies to ovee the stronger foe. And across the sea, ¡®Wise Metis¡¯ was undoubtedly recognized as the most intelligent of goddesses. ¡°Everything seems to be arranged, even if I hadn¡¯t had this encounter; I would have sought out the Goddess of Wisdom because of the dying words of Goat Amalthea.¡± ¡°Maybe, as she said, the God of the Ocean has been watching over me all along, he was just testing my abilities.¡± He imed so, but whether it was his nature or not, Zeus didn¡¯t like this kind of ¡®test.¡¯ Yet, reality forced him to ept it, as with his own abilities alone, he couldn¡¯t think of how to confront his almost omnipotent father, the Divine King atop Mount Othrys. ¡°I hope the rumors are true, that Metis is indeed more intelligent than others and that she is willing to help me,¡± After two more days of flight, as the sun set, Zeus arrived at a small ind. It seemed Selene had underestimated his flying speed, because it did not take as long as she said for Zeus to find the vibrant, flora-filled little ind. Looking around, unlike other ces, the small ind in front of him was covered with flowers of various colors, green grass, and many differentnd animals living on it. These were all things Zeus had never seen before, and even Goat Amalthea had not told him about them. After all, even a wise goat could not traverse the ocean; it knew nothing of the silver beings created by Mother Earth and the God of Speech. Seeing this, Zeus became even more expectant. A goddess who lived in such a beautiful ce must be beautiful herself, and probably had a very pleasant personality. Goddesses like Hecate were also pretty, but whenever Zeus recalled the phantom sun that had brushed past him, it dispelled all of his thoughts. ¡°Who are you, and what brings you here?¡± Just as Zeus was engrossed in his thoughts, a gentle female voice came from the sparse woods on the ind. Looking toward the sound, he saw a beautiful goddess with delicate ck hair and a slender figure. She wore a crown of flowers and a long dress woven from nts; at first nce, Zeus took a great liking to her. ¡°Esteemed goddess, I am a traveler from distant Crete Ind. There,manded by thest wish of Goat Amalthea, I havee in search of the Goddess of Wisdom, Metis.¡± Choosing not to reveal his own name just yet, Zeus decided to wait until he met Metis. But before that, he did not forget to create a good impression of himself. ¡°Goat Amalthea was kind to me, it shed its ignorance through the Goddess of Wisdom, and entrusted me with the gift of its hide to Metis Your Highness, to express its gratitude. I am touched by its benevolence and thus have traveled a great distance to be here.¡± Surprised, but even more so, admiring, Eurynome did not expect that a deity would travel so far for the request of a mere creature. ¡°You are indeed a faithful and noble deity,¡± she praised, ¡°Sadly, my sister left a few days ago and it may be a while before she returns.¡± ¡°My name is Eurynome, daughter of the God of the Ocean, Metis¡¯s sister. If you don¡¯t mind, you may wait for my sister¡¯s return on this little ind.¡± ¡°Of course, mydy, it would be an honor.¡± With a face full of surprise, Zeus inwardly thought the same. He did not know what sort of deity Metis was, but that did not prevent him from getting to know her in advance. If she was only known by reputation, he would merely treat her as a stepping stone on his way to meet the two principal Titans. But if she truly had substance, conversing directly with this ¡®wise one¡¯ would invariably make Zeus a bit cautious. Now, having the opportunity to learn some information from her sister was more than ideal. After all, this goddess named Eurynome seemed easy to talk to. ¡°In truth, even though I have not yet met Her Highness Metis, I am already content.¡± ¡°Toe to such a beautiful ind and meet a goddess as beautiful as yourself has truly filled me with great joy.¡± Zeus¡¯s handsome appearance, coupled with his charming words, easily won over Eurynome¡¯s trust. She didn¡¯t even ask for Zeus¡¯s name before leading him deeper into the ind. And so, before he had a chance to meet his fated first wife, Zeus had made the acquaintance of another. He realized for the first time that appearance and eloquent speech indeed made it very easy to persuade a goddess to stand on his side. Chapter 104 - 81 An Attempt Chapter 104: Chapter 81 An Attempt Trantor: 549690339 Sevenyers of the Spirit Realm. Familiarly passing through pavilions, she traveled along the winding corridors. Probably at the twelfth corner, there was a small tea table. The pavilion built on the corner faced a fountain, with several fish leaping and diving within. Though the fish appeared small, here, the concepts of small andrge were meaningless. As long as one had enough power, a life in the Spirit Realm could expand to berger than the sun or shrink to be less significant than a roadside pebble. Only in the material world did size matter for judgment; here, clearly, it did not. ¡°So, what are you thinking about, or should I say, is there something even you don¡¯t understand?¡± Choosing a spot to sit at random, Themis addressed the contemtive deity in ck beside her. In her memory, it was rare to see such a puzzled expression on his face; he usually seemed to have everything under control. But for some reason, this thoughtful look made him seem more approachable. A know-it-all is always hard to feel close to. ¡°Then you think too highly of me. There¡¯s certainly a lot I don¡¯t know.¡± Without noticing the subtle change in the attitude of the Goddess of Justice, Laine simply shook his head lightly. ¡°The more you know, the more you realize how insignificant you are.¡± ¡°Especially during this transition of the Divine Kings, even a small change reflects an extraordinary influence. After all,mon beings cannot cause a deviation in such high-level destinies.¡± Nodding thoughtfully, Themis seemed to understand. ¡°Indeed, the mysteries of fate are beyond my imagination.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°The void that bears all things, the matter and spirituality that constitute all things, and the destiny that dictates the course of all things, are the four pirs on which the world rests.¡± ¡°Even though I hold the scepter of ¡®Indeterminable Destiny,¡¯ I still can¡¯tpletely change the course of fate due to the difference in power with the present world. And those without the scepter, even altering a minor detail, means they have touched upon the realm of Great Divine Power.¡± Laine picked up the teapot, pouring tea for himself and the goddess beside him. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore, what do you think of your nephew?¡± Furrowing her brows slightly, Themis took a couple of sips from her teacup, unsure how to describe her feelings. ¡°¡­I won¡¯tment on his style, but I do not like these methods.¡± After hesitating for a while, the Goddess of Justice finally spoke out. Previously, in the pce on Mount Sinai, using the miraculous mirror imbued with spatial power, Themis witnessed firsthand how her nephew won over the affections of the two Oceanides with his charming words. When she suddenly saw her nephew, who was supposed to have been swallowed by his brother, the goddess felt surprised. She didn¡¯t know how Zeus had managed to escape, but she knew it must have been Rhea¡¯s doing. Themis intended to guide and teach him, but Zeus¡¯s subsequent actions made her feel that he hadn¡¯t learned any of his parents¡¯ virtues. However, such behind-the-scenes observation wasn¡¯t quite right, so before long, the Goddess of Justice left the temple. ¡°That¡¯s quite normal, Themis, though you don¡¯t like him, it¡¯s hard to find reasons to reproach his behavior, isn¡¯t it?¡± After taking a sip of tea, Laine seemed to sympathize with her feelings. Themis¡¯s dislike was normal, as Zeus¡¯s actions actually met the standards of the era but not those of the Goddess of Law. Soter, perhaps unable to bear witnessing simr incidents, Themis and Hera together established the traditions of marriage and betrothal, and Hera also became Zeus¡¯s final wife, the rightly wedded Heavenly Empress. Of course, Zeus¡¯s behavior and whether it meets the standards of the times hardly mattered; he purely enjoyed the process and incidentally used it to expand his own influence. Even Laine had trouble discerning which motive was the greater. ¡°Rules are not just about the world, but also about human culture, and the current moral standards are undefined. As the Goddess of Law, since you despise this imperfection, you can certainly try to establish norms for it yourself, and this too would further increase your power,¡± ¡°However, what I want to talk about today is not this matter,¡± Laine lifted his head to look at the goddess: ¡°Do you remember I promised to help you avoid an annoying guy?¡± ¡°I remember¡­ so you¡¯re referring to Zeus?¡± Themis was quick to react, or rather, a deity that is slow to react wouldn¡¯t be able to distinguish between good and evil, or make fair judgments. Connecting Laine¡¯s recent suggestion for her to observe Zeus¡¯s behavior, she immediately knew who he was referring to. ¡°Yes, Zeus. Theoretically, before marriage was conceived, every goddess who had an intimate rtionship with him was his wife. He should have had seven wives, but perhaps because the Spirit Realm had already imed the number ¡®seven¡¯, now he only has five left.¡± Laine slowly exined, but what he didn¡¯t say was that this was precisely what had confused him previously. One less Themis was normal, after all, he had already made various interventions in this matter, but who could the other one be? The other six goddesses, Laine had no intention of meddling with. His intuition told him that such strange changes must be rted to some significant ident. It could be Gaia, the Dark Overlord, or even the Lady of Night and the Sleeping Heavenly Father. Only they would have the capability to interfere with even the slightest thread of fate. ¡°So, I was originally one of those seven?¡± Themis didn¡¯t appear to know of Laine¡¯s confusion. She was somewhat surprised to learn she once had a romantic bond with Zeus in her original fate, but she didn¡¯t get angry and casually epted it. If she hadn¡¯t observed Zeus¡¯s actions as a bystander, she might actually have been deceived by him. But Themis believed that even in her original fate, she would have left him after seeing his true nature. As for now, the Goddess of Justice was even less likely to get together with her own nephew, and the idea of meeting with him was silently dismissed. ¡°Yes, theoretically, you would have birthed six daughters with him.¡± Nodding his head, Laine exined: ¡°Three of them are destined to be the Divine King¡¯s daughters, regardless of whether you are present. They symbolize the Indeterminable Destiny of All Spirits, but they are also just the executors of their own authority.¡± ¡°However, the other three, they each symbolize the seasons spring, summer, and autumn. Only as the Goddess of Law can you bring them into being.¡± Gently nodding, Themis understood Laine¡¯s meaning. She looked at the deity beside her, still with a calm expression, and asked: ¡°So how do you n to solve this problem? I presume it won¡¯t be as simple as just giving birth to them in advance.¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± Laine said with a smile: ¡°Regarding this matter, I have an experiment in mind.¡± ¡°I once learned from the Lady of Night that before the Heavenly Father and Mother Earth conceived deities through union, the gods were born into the world in the form of Source Power.¡± ¡°If possible, maybe I can use your blood as a catalyst, using ayer of the Spirit Realm as a centa, to bring them into being in this manner. If sessful, I could also use this to gain a deeper understanding of the secrets rted to godhood.¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± If Themis refused, Laine still had other methods. On this matter, he greatly respected the will of other deities. ¡°Let¡¯s do it, I have no objections. Being conceived by the world is an interesting concept,¡± Themis nodded her consent, then thinking about her nephew, inquired: ¡°When do you n to start?¡± ¡°Anytime is fine.¡± Seeing Themis agree, Laine was also somewhat pleased. He stood up, raised his hand, and drew a portal to the fourthyer of the Spirit Realm. ¡°Right here, the new deities will be born. Perhaps the presence of these three deities could bring something new to this ce as well.¡± Chapter 105 - 82 Metis’s Suggestion Chapter 105: Chapter 82 Metis¡¯s Suggestion Trantor: 549690339 Atop the East Sea, on a Nameless Isle, three months had passed since Zeus waited for the return of Metis. It was clear that the young Zeus had not noticed that his every move was being observed by others. He would be even less aware that the main Titan Deity and her three daughters, who were supposed to be taken into his harem, had already distanced themselves from him. Through hints and implications, Zeus easily learned about the Goddess of Wisdom from Eurynome. The result excited him, as Metis was indeed a rare sage, just as he had hoped. In terms of skill, she could easily grasp what others found difficult to understand, always innovating; in problem-solving, she was also able to urately judge right from wrong, resolving asional conflicts among the sea deities. However, Zeus found himself at a loss when it came to such a goddess. He did not know how to get her on his side, so ultimately, he chose the simplest and most straightforward method. He no longer concealed his origins butid out everything he knew about himself. In the face of wisdom, he chose ¡®sincerity¡¯ and ¡®vulnerability¡¯. He told Eurynome about how formidable his opponents were, what kind of torment his brothers were undergoing, and how much he resented his father¡¯s brutality. Eurynome felt a deep resonance with this. As one of the few True Gods among the Oceanides, she had seen the contest between the Divine King and the God of the Ocean couple hundreds of years before. Naturally, she had no fondness for an invader who hade knocking on her door. Perhaps out of sympathy or due to other thoughts, after Metis returned, the goddess of the seagrass meadows met with her sister alongside Zeus. After Zeus took out the pelt of Goat Amalthea, Eurynome told Metis of Zeus¡¯s bravery, fearlessness, justice, and noble character, and the Goddess of Wisdom was indeed moved. But she did not jump to conclusions rashly and spent three months observing the character of Zeus. In this regard, the future Divine King was impable. He held himself to the standards of the Golden Humanity and, in the end, Metis decided to offer strategies and support to her cousin in his struggle against their father. Supporting the new king to ascend to the throne was also a great challenge for the Goddess of Wisdom. ¡°I have heard that, in the distant past, Mother Earth once had three magical tablets, one of which bore the phrase ¡®know thyself¡¯.¡± Sitting under the shade of a tree by theke, Metis¡¯s intellectual face was adorned with a confident smile. Having made a decision, aprehensive action n was needed. In this aspect, Zeus undoubtedly had little to offer. Thus, Metis looked at the young deity beside her and slowly asked: ¡°So, Zeus, facing your father, what chances do you think you have?¡± ¡°None,¡± Zeus shook his head and spoke truthfully, ¡°It will take thousands of years for my divine power to reach its peak, and even if it reached the limit allowed by my godhood, I¡¯m still no match for the Divine King.¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Metis nodded, ¡°The power of the Divine King is too strong. To defeat him, you need to weaken his power as well as strengthen your own.¡± ¡°To weaken the Divine King, I currently have no clues. But to enhance yourself, there¡¯s much you can do.¡± Looking at the goddess who spoke with such conviction, Zeus¡¯s heart stirred, but with serious matters at hand, he suppressed these thoughts and continued to inquire: ¡°To enhance myself, do you have some method to quickly increase divine power?¡± ¡°I do not, but you have an opportunity,¡± she stated. Pointing at Zeus, Metis said, ¡°The legendary Golden Apple can significantly elerate the umtion of divine power for deities. If it were someone else, they might not obtain it, but you are different.¡± ¡°As long as you can demonstrate enough capability and swear to Mother Earth that you will release the Titans from the Abyss, she will certainly not withhold her treasure.¡± ¡°¡­Mother Earth?¡± Nodding, Zeus understood her meaning. Gaia¡¯s rivalry with her youngest children was widely known; she might not support him against the Divine King, but she would surely be willing to give something for the Titans in the Abyss. Yet, he was still puzzled about what counted as ¡®demonstrating enough capability¡¯. That¡¯s what he thought, and that¡¯s what he asked, and Metis did not disappoint him. ¡°Defeating your father once, no matter in what domain, is the best way to prove your capability,¡± she said. ¡°But I don¡¯t have the strength to do that.¡± Feeling somewhat disappointed, if he had such ability, why would he be here pondering painstakingly? ¡°Of course, you can¡¯t do it by yourself, but you should use your advantages, Zeus,¡± Metis said slowly: ¡°Your mother, the Queen of Gods Rhea, will surely stand by your side.¡± ¡°The Divine King is powerful, but he may not be able to withstand the betrayal of those close to him. With the help of the Queen of Gods, you might be able to do it.¡± Standing up, Metis walked a few steps along thekeshore. She turned to Zeus and suddenly asked an unrted question. ¡°You mentioned earlier that you met a deity named Hecate on your way here?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Zeus nodded and said, ¡°Is there a problem with her?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ve had dealings with her.¡± ¡°A deity who walks on the ocean, who calls herself ¡®Wizard¡¯, skilled in astrology, potions, and illusions. Having her help would make things much easier.¡± ¡°However, she doesn¡¯t like me very much. Probably because of some past experiences, seeing me teach skills to humans seemed to remind her of some unpleasant memories.¡± ¡°But that doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Metis looked towards the distant ocean, then asked the deity beside her again: ¡°Zeus, do you know what our greatest advantage as the ocean god n is?¡± ¡°¡­Numerical superiority?¡± After hesitating, Zeus still spoke his mind. ¡°Correct, it is numerical superiority, and even the legends say that when the Titan Deity n overthrew the Heavenly Father, they also relied on this aspect.¡± Nodding, Metis¡¯s words grew more confident. ¡°This is also the greatest weakness of the Divine King. He nearly has no trustworthy helpers by his side. He is very strong, but it¡¯s just the strength of one person.¡± ¡°So you need to y to your strengths and avoid your weaknesses, Zeus. Distract your father and rescue your siblings who have been swallowed by the Divine King. Compared to others, they are your natural allies.¡± ¡°And all of this relies on your Mother Goddess, as well as every potential ally you¡¯ve encountered along the way.¡± ¡°I believe that you will seed.¡± Metis¡¯s words enlightened Zeus, making him feel as though he¡¯d found the direction for his efforts. Butpared to these, looking at the goddess before him, Zeus felt that she herself was far more valuable than any of the advice. ¡°Yes, Metis,¡± so, meeting the gaze of the dark-haired goddess, Zeus said resolutely, ¡°We will definitely seed.¡± He swore that such a goddess full of wisdom should always be there to contrive strategies for him. Chapter 106 - 83 Ancient Star Core Chapter 106: Chapter 83 Ancient Star Core Trantor: 549690339 Just as Zeus and his ¡°Think Tank¡± were immersed in ns for the future, to their northwest, near the continent, Hecate and Selene had just finished their own little adventure. A brief confrontation ended, with Hecate easily dispatching her opponent¡ªa monster with six heads and eight feet. With her red shoes stepping on the monster¡¯s head, Hecate raised a transparent crystal, examining it carefully. Beneath her feet, despite the monster¡¯s size,parable to a mountain, it seemed incapable of bearing her weight. Despite its desperate struggles, it couldn¡¯t move. ¡°Did you make yourself heavier?¡± Although Selene had seen her friend¡¯s magical witchcraft more than once over the years, she still couldn¡¯t fathom it. As a deity, her life essence was exceedingly high. But without special training, her spirituality wasn¡¯t very strong. The essence of immortality, divine authority, and divine power, those were the fundamentals that set gods above the mortal in. Without these, the children of Chaos might not be smarter or more capable than mortals. Naturally, the Moon goddess couldn¡¯t discern the mysteries behind the witchcraft and could only try to understand the principles from its appearance. ¡°No, in fact, I made it heavier.¡± Shaking her head, Hecate stamped her foot. The monster didn¡¯t react, suggesting that her own weight hadn¡¯t changed. ¡°I enhanced the Earth¡¯s attraction to it, and then this big guy ¡®weighted¡¯ himself. Can¡¯t help it¡ªcreatures like this sea monster don¡¯t know how to sever their connection to the Earth and freely soar in the sky.¡± ¡°Speaking of which, who knows what kind of people could create such bizarre forms of life; their sense of aesthetics is definitely questionable.¡± Without a doubt, the creature before them wasn¡¯t a creation of the Silver Age. It seemed to be a descendant of the ancient Sea God¡¯s son, Phorcys, the wrath of the sea. This Sea God, also known as the father of sea monsters, had sired thousands of sea creatures with Keto, who was yet to be reborn and acquire the divine authority of ¡®beauty¡¯ in the oceans. These sea monsters were not gods, but each possessed extraordinary power. The one before them was probably several generations removed from the Sea Empress¡¯s father. The divine essence within it was incredibly faint, leaving itpletely vulnerable to Hecate¡¯s witchcraft. But the mortal bloodlines evident in it proved that its grotesque form wasn¡¯t solely due to its sea monster lineage. Many things from the Golden Age were inherently strange. ¡°O te, do you know what this is?¡± Holding up the crystal in her hand, under the unimpressed gaze of the Moon goddess, Hecate turned to the floating book next to her. Like a treasure trove, whatever she encountered, the book she carried always had the answer. [This is a star core from the stars of the ancient First Age] [In that era, there were no Star Gods, and celestial bodies other than the sun and moon rarely emitted light] [What you holdes from a powerful Lightless star] ¡°So its precursor was a star in the sky? It doesn¡¯t look anything like your sister¡¯s children at all,¡± Hecate said to Selene, pointing at her mouth, and thetter spread her hands and returned a smile. The stars of the First Age were different from those that followed; they did not emit light. Some were born alongside the Lightless deity, while others were remnants of the Earth scattered at the dawn of creation. Selene had heard from her mother that in those times, the Heavenly Father often took delight in his offspring. He threw the then-weak sun into the sea, which consequently led to the birth of the boiling water goddess. He also frequently shattered the symbols of divine authority belonging to Coeus, the god of the Lightless celestial bodies, causing many celestial bodies to break and fall to the mortal realm during that age. The object before them was probably the core of an ancient star that had fallen into the ocean and was inadvertently discovered by that sea monster. Although the sea monster did not understand how to use its power, instinct told it that the energy-rich crystal was beneficial. ¡°Perhaps it could be made into a crystal ball. Using it for divination would probably be quite effective.¡± Nodding in satisfaction, Hecate had no intention of simply drawing energy from the star core. Such a pure crystal could bear the utmost extent of the power invested by the Spirit Realm, through which one could glimpse the future. So she ced the crystal stone into her small bag, now was not the time to deal with it. This ancient star core contained extraordinary power, only with special means could she shape it without losing its essence. ¡°Congrattions, Hecate, you¡¯ve acquired another treasure,¡± beside her, Selene offered her blessings in a timely manner. She looked at Hecate¡¯s bag with a tinge of envy, that kind of bag that could hold many things; she wanted one for herself. s, ording to Hecate, it was something that only wizards could utilize. Currently, she had no way to allow others to use it as well. ¡°Thank you. Speaking of which, Selene, how have you considered my previous suggestion?¡± Her face bore a contented smile, but Hecate had not forgotten her friend. In fact, a long time ago, she had proposed to teach Selene the secrets of witchcraft, but for some reason, despite seeming very tempted, thetter had never agreed. This time, however, thinking about the close call with Zeus not long ago, Hecate felt that Selene might have a different answer. ¡°¡­I¡¯ve thought about it for a long time, Hecate. Actually, the reason I rejected you before was not without cause.¡± Under Hecate¡¯s expectant gaze, after hesitating for a while, Selene finally spoke. ¡°Before you were born, my father had conflicts with the deities that govern the Spirit Realm because of me. If you grant me ess to the Spirit Realm, it might put you in danger as well.¡± ¡°So this has been your concern all along, you were afraid that we might be punished by some existence because of it?¡± Dismissing it with a carefree twist of her mouth, Hecate pulled a floating book into her embrace. ¡°Oh b of stone, if I teach the secrets of witchcraft to my friend, allowing her to meditate with the aid of the Spirit Realm, will she be in danger?¡± She didn¡¯t ask herself because she knew very well that she was not going to be in danger. After all, the book in her hand resembled a legendary Divine Artifact, and the materials she tried to use to weave the Magic Net were the extremely pure strings of Spirituality. She wasn¡¯t the famously foolish deity Epimetheus; how could she worry about her own safety? But just because she was special, didn¡¯t mean her friends could bask in the same light. So, to avoid mishaps, she still asked the question. [No, but she can only meditate in your vicinity.] [Hasten the preparation for the Magic Net. Compared to direct exposure to the Spirit Realm, drawing on pure Elements and Spiritual Power through the Magic Net is more suitable for beginners.] Nowadays, the Spirit Realm was closer than ever to being fully open, yet it needed a bit more preparation. At this time, it wouldn¡¯t be a joke if some beings managed to sneak in because of a carelessly made opening. Moreover, direct confrontation with the Spirit Realm¡¯s secrets is not a prerequisite for meditation; the power of Spirituality is scattered among all things. For deities, they can refine their spirit through ¡®self-contemtion,¡¯ without the need for the rudimentary methods of meditation. After all, what¡¯s suitable is ultimately the best. Selene was just a little different. The fellow sitting on Mount Sinai allowed exceptions for others apart from Hecate because she was the Moon Goddess. Although he wouldn¡¯t return the concept of the Moon to her due to core interests, he didn¡¯t mind opening a door of convenience in other areas. ¡°I told you, it¡¯s fine.¡± Ignorant of the intricacies behind the scenes, having received the answer she wanted, Hecate turned to her dear friend. ¡°¡­Then, I¡¯ll give it a try.¡± Although the sight of the Father God chased by dark mist, wounded and fleeing far away, still echoed in her mind, since she got the confirmation, the desire in Selene¡¯s heart finally overcame her fear. Thus, facing Hecate¡¯s gaze, the Moon Goddess nodded firmly. Chapter 107 - 84: The End of Gods and Wizards Chapter 107: Chapter 84: The End of Gods and Wizards Trantor: 549690339 The little surprise foretold by Astrology was within reach, and Selene finally made a decision, which put Hecate in a rather good mood. She casually dealt with the strange-looking sea monster, extracted its essence of flesh and blood, and then took the Moon Goddess to a nearby ind. There, she prepared a dinner for the two of them, apanied by drinks made from various nt fruits. Although Hecate had learned how to brew Nectar, she admitted that many fruit wines tasted quite good, but she still didn¡¯t like drinking such things. As for the kind of drink that dulls the mind and casts aside worries, perhaps deities who rely on instinct and authority like it, but Hecate avoided them. Compared to that, the thing called ¡®tea¡¯ seemed a bit more interesting. After thoroughly enjoying the sumptuous dinner, casually transforming a branch into a set of table and chairs, Hecate happily assumed the role of mentor. In the past, she was always the one being taught, only in recent years did she begin discussing with the precious tablet. But now, it was her turn to teach others. ¡°So, Selene, before we officially start learning witchcraft, let me ask you, what is witchcraft in your understanding?¡± Hecate tapped the table, recalling the content the tablet had first taught her, and mimicked its style. Simply instilling knowledge might not always have a good effect, allowing the listener to think during learning leads to better results. ¡°Hmm¡­ it¡¯s using Spiritual Power tobine with the particles that exist between all things to form what you call ¡®Magic Power,¡¯ or directly using spirituality itself to harm others, I guess,¡± Selene said somewhat hesitantly after pondering for a while. Divine vision could directly observe the flow of elements, but the Moon Goddess knew that witchcraft couldn¡¯t be so simple. She could directly manipte the elemental particles scattered in space with Divine Power. But Hecate was able to release a much stronger force using the method named ¡®witchcraft.¡¯ Those trajectories etched by spirituality seemed to contain deeper secrets. ¡°That is just the surface, Selene. Using spirituality to influence elements is the simplest and crudest method. If the spirituality is strong enough, without having learned any witchcraft, without mastering the refining of Magic Power, one can still manipte elements for their use,¡± ¡°Just like wielding Divine Power directly or utilizing authority, gods amplify their power millions of times through the Law of the world, hence whether one has authority or not is the key distinction between a True God and a territorial god. The same is true for witchcraft.¡± With an unusual seriousness on her young face, Hecate concluded: ¡°The essence of witchcraft is to borrow power, to borrow from the mysterious Origin, from the great beings, from the past and the future, and of course, the simplest is to borrow from the world itself.¡± ¡°By understanding and mimicking the rules of the world¡¯s operation, then learning from them, you make the world¡¯s rules consider you as part of itself, and naturally, it will provide feedback to you. It can allow you to leverage a small force to elicit a thousandfold response, and unlike those with their own consciousness, as long as you fit the rules, the world itself will never reject you.¡± With sudden rity, Selene, although listening about witchcraft, started makingparisons with her own Divine Power. Her Godhood of The Moon, although weak, was also part of the world¡¯s Law. She had known, under the influence of Godhood, the effects of Divine Power would be stronger, also carrying different attributes. She did not know why this was, and most gods didn¡¯t either, but they didn¡¯t care. Just as mortals do not understand why exercise makes them stronger, they do not grasp the logic within such behavior, but that does not prevent them from utilizing it. ¡°I understand!¡± ¡°Be it witchcraft or Godhood, it¡¯s really about how close theye to the Origin. The closer to the rules themselves, the more a small amount of energy can shake the world!¡± Feeling excited, for the first time Selene felt as if the secrets of the world were unfolding before her eyes. ¡°Yes, and this is even the direction for the ascension of deities,¡± Hecate nodded lightly, remembering what the tablet had told her. Even gods were just using their authority to harness the rules, not bing the rules themselves. Only the legendary Great Divine Power could merge directly with the force behind the authority, the Origin of everything, which is why they were powerful, because they were a part of the Origin themselves. However, a normal psyche and will cannot maintain such ¡®integration¡¯ without losing the integrity of their own personality. Thus, even Primordial Gods, when they manifest in a personified form, are no longer able to fully disy their power. As for the spection of the tablet, ¡®creating something out of nothing¡¯ is an even higher realm, that of transforming from the rule itself into the definer of rules, something that only the Chaos World itself can aplish. Just as the primitive chaos was empty before the blurred instinct of the world defined concepts such as The Earth, Darkness, Abyss, leading to the continuation of the world. The ultimate goal of all powers, gods included, is to be an existence equivalent to the world, the source of all things, the initial one, rearranging everything by its own will. And the practice of a Wizard is firstly to mimic the deities, to wield the rules as they do, and ultimately to converge on the same path. ording to the tablet, this is called ¡®all paths lead to the same destination.¡¯ But how exactly to enable a Wizard to wield the rules just like the gods is something even the tablet does not know. It could only guide Hecate to be a deity through weaving the Magic Net but could not enable her to do so through methods outside of that. For this, it hoped that future Humans could fill in this step with their Wisdom. Although the red-haired witch did not believe Humans had such ability, since it was stated by the tablet, she tentatively expressed her acknowledgement. ¡°Having discussed witchcraft, it¡¯s time to move on to the most fundamental power of a wizard, meditation and magic power,¡± said Hecate. Her thoughts were fleeting, and Hecate came back to her senses, continuing to exin to her friend: ¡°Do you know the source of magic power?¡± ¡°Abination of spirit and element?¡± This time the answer came quickly, after all, she had seen Hecate extract magic power more than once. Although it was her first encounter with witchcraft, the delicate Moon Goddess¡¯s interest grew increasingly strong. These topics rted to the very nature of deities and the world might not directly grant her power, but they seemed to have opened a door for her. In the past, the power of a god was fixed at birth, and only a few beings, like the Sea God, could increase their divine power by expanding their domain. This was why Selene had little interest in many things. Her only wish was to find a powerful individual and live happily under his protection. But now, she suddenly felt that, if possible, she would like to hang and beat an insolent individual like the Golden Mane they encounteredst time, just like Hecate did. ¡°You¡¯re right, but in actuality, the key to magic power is the special sublimation that takes ce after thebination of spirit and element. Just like witchcraft, magic power is also an imitation of divine power. Perhaps at the very peak of its continual sublimation is an alternative form of divine power.¡± Unaware of her friend¡¯s thoughts, but sensing her enthusiasm, Hecate felt more motivated. ¡°As a deity, you should know that divine power is an omnipotent force. However, without the corresponding divine authority, gods would have to expend millions of times more energy to achieve what those with authority can do at will.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Nodding, Selene knew this to be true about divine power. Just like inter myths, many gods could age mortals or restore youth, animate inanimate objects, or turn people into creatures, all of which showed that divine power in itself is omnipotent. However, such omnipotence was predicated on disregarding any loss. Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, could, at the expense of her divine power, turn a sculpture into a living person. Yet without authority over life, she could do this for just a few more statues at most, which was her limit. Causing a city to experience abundance or drought was something many deities could aplish. But to stop all nts in the world from growing, that was an authority only Demeter could wield. Not even Zeus could stop her. If he wanted the earth to rejuvenate, he had to negotiate andpromise with his sister who presided over harvest and growth and could not forcibly end her will. ¡°I understand now. Those particles you call ¡®elements¡¯, scattered among all things, each has its own characteristics.¡± ¡°But the magic power you refine bybining them with the spirit and sublimating them can express various properties. You want it to burn, it manifests the aspect of ¡®Fire¡¯. You want to create a flow of water, and it demonstrates the aspect of ¡®Water¡¯, this is a kind of ¡®omnipotence¡¯ in the Elemental Domain.¡± Once again amazed by the wonders of witchcraft, the Moon Goddess¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Exactly. Imitating divine power with magic power, and imitating godhood with witchcraft, the earliest forms of witchcraft were in fact an imitation of natural divinity. Sadly, it can only go this far for now.¡± ¡°What is imitated can neverpare with the original. Divine poweres from divine authority, but magic power stems from within oneself.¡± ¡°How can the strength of an individualpare with thews of the world?¡± Shaking her head, Hecate said, ¡°Well, let¡¯s not talk about that anymore. Next is meditation, which is currently the most useful part. After all, without relying on the Tome of All Spells, my strongest method is still the mind arts.¡± ¡°As a deity with authority, you actually don¡¯t need to meditate on celestial bodies in the Spirit Realm like I do. On the contrary, mortals could actually meditate on you, creating something like a ¡®Selene Meditation Method¡¯, haha~¡± Sheughed, but then Hecate said with confusion, ¡°But your Moon seems a bit odd; it has an unusually weak presence in the mystical domain. If it were like the Sun, you could just meditate on the symbol of your own godhood.¡± After a pause, Selene knew the reasons; they were promises made by both her father and the Divine King. One had done so generously on behalf of others, while the other hadn¡¯t expected the Moon to be his daughter, leading to the current situation. Due to certain sentiments, few deities mentioned this matter, so it was normal that Hecate, who rarely socialized with other deities, was unaware of it. But after so many years, Selene felt somewhat relieved. If she had been a Moon Goddess with intermediate divine power, she might now be like her brother, driving a silver chariot for the Divine King or, like her father, sealed within the Moon and unable to emerge. Then she would not have had the chance to travel the world, let alone make a good friend like Hecate. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. As the Moon Goddess, even though the Moon in the Spirit Realm is not under your control, it will certainly be very close to you.¡± Looking at her silent friend, Hecate thought she might be silently grieving, so she quickly changed the subject. She took out a special blend of incense from a small bag and lit it with fire, and a unique fragrance wafted through the air. ¡°A mix of acacia tree gum and sandalwood in equal proportion helps rx the mind during meditation. This is also useful knowledge for beginners.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take you for a glimpse of the Spirit Realm¡¯s July first, which is one of thergest sources of Spirituality in the world. As for the rest, I¡¯ll tell youter.¡± Chapter 108 - 85 Request Chapter 108: Chapter 85 Request Trantor: 549690339 Within the special domain supported by the Tome of All Spells, Selene quickly fell into meditation amid the fragrance of incense. Without the anticipated heart-stopping excitement, without the sudden appearance of ck-d figures locking her away, Selene¡¯s first journey to the Spirit Realm in her divine life was surprisingly ordinary. Guided by her close friend, the Moon Goddess¡¯s spiritual body observed the crescent moon in the firstyer of the Spirit Realm. Like Hecate, Selene, being divine in essence, possessed potential far beyond that of ordinary beings. It was almost immediately after truly mastering meditation that she inscribed the lunar phase onto her spiritual body. What was different from Hecate was that as the Moon Goddess, Selene vaguely felt a sense ofpletion. Her intuition told her that if she could inscribe all seven lunar phases onto her spiritual body, she would follow some mysterious connection and resonate with the seven crescent moons in the Spirit Realm. As for what this resonance would cause, she had no idea. ¡°Look, Hecate, I did it!¡± After spinning around in the clearing, streams of water turned into ribbons, dancing in the air and winding around the arms and waist of the Moon Goddess. This was the first time that Selene had influenced nature by means other than divine power. Although the force was still weak, she could see the direction for improvement. ¡°Mmm-hmm¡± A soft hum indicated understanding. Hecate remembered that she was even happier than Selene the first time she cast a spell. After all, Selene had divine power to use before, but she did not. No, more urately, she almost didn¡¯t have any, but there was still a bit. ¡°This is just a small application, I will show you¡ª¡± She was ready to stir up a small tsunami to impress her younger sister. Suddenly, however, Hecate turned her gaze southeast, a smile forming at the corner of her mouth. ¡°That was fast, have they found me already?¡± ¡°Stele, how did you know that Golden Mane could deal with Metis?¡± Somewhat surprised, Hecate, although not fond of the well-known Goddess of Wisdom, still acknowledged her intelligence. She did not expect that in just a few months, Zeus would have dealt with her and then came knocking at her door. [Perhaps it¡¯s because Zeus has a knack for dealing with goddesses, that must be his talent.] [But you should be careful not to be deceived by his sweet talk.] Snorting, Hecate didn¡¯t think she could be deceived. But indeed, her younger sister needed to be more vignt. After all, she was well aware of her previous dream in godhood. Who knows whether Selene would start thinking differently once Zeus gradually obtained power equal to that of the godhood. Although it seems now that Selene has found a new goal in witchcraft, Hecate cannot guarantee that she has truly given up her previous ideas. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Is someoneing?¡± By her side, the Moon Goddess noticed the change in her friend¡¯s expression and couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s that Golden Mane who bullied youst time. It looks like he has found someone sessful, Metis has given him some advice, and now he¡¯se to me.¡± Nodding slightly, in the direction of Hecate¡¯s gaze, a dark spot was already appearing on the horizon. Seeing this, Selene stopped practicing the basic witchcraft she had just learned and hurriedly joined Hecate. She had to admit, herst encounter with Zeus had left her with a rather bad impression. As they waited quietly, it wasn¡¯t long before Zeus, who was approaching from afar, arrived before them, riding the thunder. ¡°We meet again, both of you. Beautiful goddess of the Moon, I apologize once more for my earlier recklessness.¡± Zeus greeted them politely, seemingly not noticing how Selene subtly positioned herself behind Hecate. After all, such positioning was meaningless; even if the goddess of the Moon seemed gentle, she was still a notch above the red-haired witch. ¡°Ah, we meet again, Golden Mane, but what brings you here?¡± With a slight tilt of her delicate chin, Hecate asked knowingly. ¡°I¡¯ve already informed you of the matters concerning you. As it stands, you appear to have found yourself an assistant, so what more do you want?¡± It seems wisdom isn¡¯t always useful. There are some things that just can¡¯t be solved with the mind alone, such as witchcraft, magical potions, or prophecies. Without a doubt, that is why he hade. His mouth twitching, Zeus was not very fond of being called ¡®Golden Mane.¡¯ But considering he needed something from her and was also unable to defeat her, he decided to bear it for the moment. ¡°Lady Hecate, since you already know of my origins, you must also understand the responsibility I bear.¡± ¡°My siblings are still imprisoned by my tyrannical father. Although I escaped, ever since the day I learned the truth, there hasn¡¯t been a moment when I haven¡¯t longed to rescue them.¡± ¡°I need your help,¡± Zeus said to the red-haired witch before him, his expression genuine, ¡°If I can save my siblings and overthrow my cruel Father God, I am willing to swear an oath upon the Styx River to grant you the power you deserve.¡± However, Hecate was clearly not swayed by Zeus¡¯s words. She cared not for power, for she would not allow it to constrain her. The moment she was cast aside by the current Divine King marked her destiny to go against the mainstream Deity Race. After all, Zeus was not yet the Divine King, and his current promises were nothing more than empty words. ¡®Empty words,¡¯ an interesting choice of words, and at this moment, Hecate found it quite fitting of Zeus¡¯s attitude. ¡°Promising the future as a pledge, yet you still might not be the one from the Prophecy, Zeus.¡± She waved her hand dismissively, but the idea of troubling the Divine King was genuinely intriguing to her. ¡°However, if you can promise me one thing, I might indeed help you once, provided that you don¡¯t n on having me join you in your assault on the Divine King.¡± Though Hecate thought that Metis would nevere up with such a ludicrous idea, she made her stance clear beforehand. She only intended to beat the drums from the sidelines and make the detestable Divine King suffer a loss, not to confront him directly. Her power was still too weak, and even with the myriad utilities of the Book of All Laws, she couldn¡¯tst a few moves in front of that sovereign. ¡°Of course, I am not so presumptuous. The strength of my father is well known among the gods.¡± Shaking his head, Zeus asked, ¡°Then may I know, what is your request?¡± ¡°I want the Moon in the Sky. From now on, it will be mine, no longer your concern.¡± ¡°I want you to swear on the Styx River and the Spirit Realm, that for whatever reason, you shall not retract your promise to me.¡± With some rity, Zeus nced at the Moon goddess hiding at Hecate¡¯s side. Undoubtedly, a minor celestial body like that was of no concern to Hecate; she was merely securing this right for her friend. And so, under the watchful eyes of the two goddesses, Zeus solemnly promised: ¡°No problem, Lady Hecate. If I can defeat my father and be the new lord of both the Earth and the Sky, then from that point on, the Moon in the night sky, as well as its surrounding dominion, will belong to you.¡± Chapter 109 - 86 Preparation Chapter 109: Chapter 86 Preparation Trantor: 549690339 Spirit Realm, the fourthyer. Chaos and order ovepped, the boundaries between life and death blurred, with only three cocoons of light emitting a faint glow, stabilizing the environment around them. These were the embryos formed from Themis¡¯s blood mingling with the power of the Spirit Realm, symbolizing the Deities of Spring, Summer, and Autumn. In this special environment, they were absorbing the power of the realm, growing slowly but steadily. In front of them, Laine¡¯s eyes were partially closed as he felt the various mysteries of the birth of a deity. ¡°¡­Indeed, it¡¯s still not working. The immortal essence that belongs to a deity seems to appear out of nowhere; I simply cannotprehend the principle of their birth.¡± Time passed before Laine opened his eyes. Another failed attempt, but it waspletely expected. If he had really seen something, that¡¯s what would have been cause for concern. Perhaps only when he fully steps into the realm of Great Divine Power will he be able to try to unravel its mysteries. However, Laine¡¯s nurturing of the three gods was not to decipher these secrets, but for another purpose. Of course, fulfilling his past promise and preventing Zeus from causing trouble for his own aunt was indeed one of the objectives. But even if Themis had chosen to refuse, he would have found another way to use the fourthyer of the Spirit Realm as a womb to nurture new gods at this epochal juncture. Only,pared to other divine offices, the Gods of Spring, Summer, and Autumn were simply more to his liking. ¡°The gods of Chaos are indeed interesting. Without guard, alcohol can make them topple, and potions can make the Divine King spew out his own children.¡± ¡°No wonder mortals always try to fool deities inter times. After all, people will fear, have faith in, and ept the gap between what¡¯spletely unreachable. But when ites to beings simr to themselves, it¡¯s easy for them to have other thoughts.¡± ¡°Distance creates enchantment. When gods and humans stand together, the gods are no longer gods.¡± He murmured softly, but Laine had to admit, perhaps only such ¡®people¡¯ could create all kinds of incredible miracles. Beings like Golden Humanity, indeed beautiful, were like precious paintings¡ªgreat for admiration but of little practical significance. It¡¯s just that the only human left on the earth now, perhaps under the influence of the Spirit Realm¡¯s atmosphere, Laine discovered that this fellow named Cohen, his soul showed signs of self-repair. Although the process was slow and even ifpleted, he wouldn¡¯t shift from ¡°good¡± to ¡°evil,¡± this merely introduced the possibility of change, but it was still a change worth observing. Most importantly, as his soul became whole, he finally gained the ability to create something new. In his body, strands of energy from the blood and flesh touched by Divine Power began to flow unconsciously. ¡°The soul is the foundation of the spirit, and meditation is about tapping into the soul¡¯s potential while using the influence of higher entities to subtly enhance the soul. His energy, however, seems to be rooted in the flesh and evolving into something else.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s still very primitive and rough. Compared to meditation that can strengthen the soul, how to enhance the essence of the body is another problem. I¡¯ll go and take a look after some time; the change shouldn¡¯t be significant in the short term.¡± Shaking his head slightly, Laine turned to look at the outside world. The world was bing ever more vast, both on.earth and in the Underworld. Except for the realms of the Primordial Gods, there was little that could block his gaze. He stood there, spanning the interval of time and space, watching a series of changes over the ocean. Under Hecate¡¯s deliberate instructions, Zeus went to various seas to pick precious herbs. Many of them grew in difficult locations, nts created by Mother Earth in the first epoch. In this process, the young deity faced many hardships but also honed his skills. Aside from the shorings in divine power, he was gradually bing a qualified Thunder God. Moreover, during his adventures, his rtionship with the two Oceanides became increasingly close. With their introduction, many deities of the Ocean agreement became aware of Zeus¡¯s existence. In the end, when all the ingredients were gathered, on a night with stars but no moon, Hecate ced the Tome of All Spells and the brewed potion in the center, allowing Zeus to personally conduct the blessing ritual. The content of the blessing was for him to invoke the curseid down by his grandfather. If the Heavenly Father proimed that the children of Cronus would also overthrow his reign, then this curse could naturally be utilized by Zeus to strengthen the potion¡¯s effects. Even this process could confer upon Zeus a sense of ¡®legitimacy.¡¯ If Uranus had not already lost his throne when he made the curse, then just the curse of the former Divine King could shake the reign of Cronus. But now, it was merely a weak primer, its sole use being to allow Zeus to do things that require a special status. When all was said and done, Zeus clutched the potion and bid farewell to all the deities. He found traces of Rhea¡¯s maid, the Goddesses of the White Oak, through the River Gods that were scattered across the earth by the lineage of the God of the Ocean. Everything was ready, but he still needed an opportunity, a chance to approach his father and feed him this magical potion. As for how to escape from Mount of the Gods after rescuing his siblings, he believed that when the time came, someone would take the initiative to stand up. The Sun Chariot gradually moved to the west, and the sky turned a dusky yellow. Above a dense forest, an eagle pped its wings in the sky, overlooking thend beneath. Until a certain moment, as it neared a small mountain, it seemed to have seen something and plummeted straight down. Landing in front of a cave, the eagle rolled over and transformed into a tall, golden-haired human form. This was the ce they had agreed on earlier, a natural cave far from Mount of the Gods. Zeus nodded at the Goddess of the White Oak waiting at the entrance and stepped forward. After a hundred years, he looked at the unfamiliar figure before him and bowed slightly. ¡°Mother Goddess, thank you for everything you have done for me.¡± ¡°Good, good.¡± Perhaps it was the years of separation that left Rhea at a loss for words. She just looked at the deity before her, feeling somewhat emotional. ¡°Mother Goddess, time is of the essence, I have important matters to discuss with you.¡± Grasping Rhea¡¯s hands, Zeus spoke first, despite knowing she had much to say. The Queen of Gods could not be away from Mount of the Gods for too long, the longer she was away, the more likely it was to attract the attention of the Divine King. If Cronus suddenly turned his gaze their way, Zeus would certainly not fare well. So Zeus took out a crystal-clear vial made from crystal stones, within it a purple liquid slowly flowed, shimmering with specks of light. This was just its pre-use color; once mixed with any liquid, it would blend in, making it difficult to detect. ¡°Ever since I learned of my origins, Mother Goddess, I have not for a moment forgotten that there were five siblings swallowed by my father before me. With the help of several deities, I have created this potion, which will save them if only the Divine King can be made to drink it.¡± Raising his head, Zeus looked straight into Rhea¡¯s eyes. ¡°You will help me, won¡¯t you, just as you once rescued me from Mount of the Gods?¡± ¡°¡­ Of course, I will.¡± She nodded with aplex tone, in fact, the Queen of Gods had been waiting for this day toe. She could not bear to see her children imprisoned eternally before they had the chance to grow up; she would surely find a way to rescue them. But when she thought of Cronus, she was somewhat reluctant to face him. ¡°Merely changing form may not deceive your father, but he has never seen you. I¡¯ve elevated some of the Golden Humanity, bestowing them with godhood, so they could serve your father eternally.¡± ¡°The proud Divine King doesn¡¯t regard them, so you can pretend to be one of them. Mask your godhood with mine, then disguise yourself as a servant pouring his nectar, and make him drink this magical potion¡ªif it truly works as you im.¡± ¡°I will help you, Zeus,¡± she said, her expression tinged with sadness, ¡°but there is only this one chance.¡± Nodding excitedly, Zeus failed to notice his mother¡¯s expression. He didn¡¯t realize that even though Rhea wanted to rescue her children, she had no ns of leaving Mount of the Gods herself. The deities of Chaos often made such strange choices, on the one hand releasing their greatest enemy, and on the other, remaining by the side of the Divine King. Perhaps it was the Queen of Gods¡¯ inability to let go of her affection for her children while also finding it difficult to harden her heart against the Divine King. This included Metister on¡ªthey were all the same. From this perspective, perhaps Hera¡¯s heartlessness towards offspring was not altogether unweed by Zeus. Chapter 110 - 87 Two Mountains Chapter 110: Chapter 87 Two Mountains Trantor: 549690339 Six monthster, atop Mount Othrys. As tranquil as ever, only the woonds around the Mount of the Gods were no longer filled with Nymphs frolicking about. In the pce behind, Zeus, disguised as a human servant, picked up a tray. He moved leisurely around the edge of the table, arranged beverages and fruits on the tter, and then strode towards the front hall. His steps were steady, not at all like he was about to face a crucial turning point in a god¡¯s life. Just like any other ordinary day, he passed through two corridors, paused slightly at the side door of the front hall, then stepped into the pce. There were no dancing Nymphs in the great hall, no unnecessary presences. In fact, Cronus never needed these. Aside from one mistake long ago, he had little interest in material desires. In his heart, having All Spirits live under the order he established was far more satisfying than any material pleasures. Regrettably, the world had never given him that chance. So there he sat alone on his high throne, sullenly drinking one cup of nectar after another, a habit he had increasingly developed over the years. ¡°Is this my father?¡± Seeing Cronus from the corner of his eye for the first time, Zeus observed the visage of his own father. They bore a strong resemnce, both tall and majestic, but unlike Zeus, Cronus had an aura of solemnity and subtle gloominess, umted over the years. Zeus knew it was because his father was gued by Prophecy and curse. Even today, deep down, he still couldn¡¯t believe that fate had truly been postponed. But he hadn¡¯t noticed any problem, so he could only use external things to soothe his mood. ¡°Bring it here.¡± Frowning slightly, Cronus looked towards Zeus in front of him. The slightly inebriated Cronus didn¡¯t recognize the true identity of the person before him, or rather, he couldn¡¯t recognize his own child. After all, his only memory of Zeus was the stone wrapped in cloth. ¡°As youmand, Your Majesty.¡± Bowing slightly, Zeus poured the prepared nectar into a cup and presented the tray with a steady hand. His heart was tense, but his hands didn¡¯t tremble in the slightest. No matter what sort of person Cronus was, at this moment, he was just an enemy to Zeus. And so, under the watchful eyes of Zeus, Cronus drank the specially prepared nectar just as he had drunk every cup before. In the sky of Chaos, Helios, in his Sun Chariot, made his regr rounds through The Sky. At midday, beneath him should have been the peak of the Mount of the Gods, the center of the continent. But out of respect for the Divine King¡¯s authority, he always intentionally avoided that ce. However, today was different from other days. As he slightly pulled on the steeds made of golden mes to turn the chariot, intending to avoid a certain distance, a vast surge of Divine Power suddenly rose from beneath him. It was abrupt yet familiar, making Helios realize immediately that it was the Divine King¡¯s power. And he distinctly sensed that the indiscriminate outpouring of power was rushing towards him. Boom¡ª ng¡ª The roar of Divine Power and the sound of the Sun Chariot being hit echoed almost simultaneously; it was a close call, the chariot nearly tipped, threatening to let the Sun fall upon the earth. ¡°What¡¯s happened?¡± Struggling to steady the Sun Chariot, Helios broke out in a cold sweat. With Mother Earth present, even if the chariot overturned, the Sun would certainly not crash into thend, but it would undoubtedly create a big problem for him. Fortunately, the impact wasn¡¯t meant for him. Once the chariot was stabilized, the God of Sun quickly looked out, peering down below. Amidst the cloudless surroundings of the Mount of the Gods, he saw six streaks of light flying out from the pce one after another. Before he could discern what they were, the very next moment, the figure of the Divine King also stepped out from the Divine Pce. His expression was unreadable, and not far behind him stood the Queen of Gods, Rhea, watching the scene unfold. A tense atmosphere congealed between them, but ultimately, Cronus remained silent. Time and space swirled around him, and amidst the charged atmosphere, the Divine King extended his right hand. It seemed infinitelyrge yet infinitely small, and distance lost its meaning before him as he reached out towards the six figures desperately fleeing before him. ¡°Did you really think you could escape, even with someone¡¯s help? I can¡ª¡± ¡°Gaia, how dare you!¡± The vast hand that materialized from the void reached across, only to be firmly blocked by a sudden rise of a tawny light curtain. Mother Earth had note in person, so this barrier could not stop him for long, but it didn¡¯t need to be permanent. It was Zeus that Gaia was after. The earth trembled, and the hard soil and rocks seemed to turn into waves, carrying the six beams of light swiftly backward. In the distance, the God of the Mountains, Ourea, waited there. ¡°Cronus, no one wants to see a Divine King ruling over everything; you are too impatient.¡± The deep voice came through; Ourea had not waited for the Divine King¡¯s initiative to strike him but had intervened in the conflict beforehand. ¡°So,¡± Cronus¡¯s expression grew colder as he spoke lightly, ¡°do you think my son, will he be a king who does not covet power, ruling by doing nothing?¡± In the face of the Divine King¡¯s question, Ourea gave an unexpected response. ¡°I do not think so. The desire to control everything, perhaps that¡¯s amon failing of a Divine King. Uranus was so, you are so, and it¡¯s very likely that the next generation of Divine Kings will follow the same path. But all of that is a matter of the future and is no longer my concern.¡± ¡°I have made my decision. Perhaps, as the source of all mountains, I never should have gotten overly involved in the myriad affairs of the world. Let me now be part of the mountains and stones, avoiding the conflicts of this world.¡± ¡°But before that, as a ¡®thank you¡¯ for the years of oppression you¡¯ve ced upon me, I will leave a gift for your children.¡± The voice of the King of Mountains was heavy and powerful, but it grew fainter and fainter. His divine body emitted light and began to swell, transforming into another Mount of the Gods in the eastern region. As for himself, he dispersed into the myriad stones, no longer showing any traces. When the new mountain appeared, Cronus instantly found that his connection to the easternnds waspletely blocked. Following Ourea¡¯s self-sacrificial act that hurt the enemy at the expense of himself, even his divine authority was slightly affected. But what was done could not be undone; the Divine King merely fell silent for a moment before turning to face Mother Earth. As the Divine King, he ruled the starry heavens, but the stars still have their masters. Even if he would rule the earth in the future, it wouldn¡¯t affect Gaia¡¯s own authority as Mother Earth; he only needed to rule without infringing on their godhood. Therefore, Cronus could understand Gaia¡¯s creation of mankind because his offspring had split her divine power. But now, he was unsure why she was determined to stand by his six children. In the end, it was they who had usurped Mother Earth¡¯s divine authority; even if she wouldn¡¯t help him, why would she aid them? ¡°Cronus, I won¡¯t always stand in your way, nor do I care who is the Divine King.¡± The green dress was no more, and a figure in a yellow garment slowly appeared in front of the Divine King. Just as she had said, Gaia was actually not taking sides in this struggle for divine kingship. ¡°But on one condition, I want your children to finish the task that was supposed to be yours. Now, I cannot defeat you, but on the earth, no one can defeat me.¡± In front of the Divine King, the power belonging to a Primordial God unfolded, but it was no longer as strong as it once was. Or rather, the earth itself remained powerful, but what weakened was its personified avatar. Even so, Cronus could not breach this barrier quickly. While Gaia may have exaggerated, defeating even a weakened Mother Earth on her own terrain was something that only the other two Primordial Gods could aplish. And in the Divine King¡¯s perception, from the distant east, two powerful presences were drawing near. They were the God of the Ocean and his consort. Zeus¡¯s scheme had seeded, and they no longer intended to merely observe. With their support, Cronus knew that it would be difficult to keep his children here today, by any means. Taking a deep breath, he suppressed the anger in his heart. He did not try to reconcile with Mother Earth or entertain the thought of promising to release those Hekatonkheires. Up to this day, releasing the Hekatonkheires had be almost a way for Gaia to vent her emotions. Unless Cronus was willing topletely bow his head to her, admit his mistakes, and hope that the Mother Goddess might forgive his past, she would not stop. But just as Gaia wanted to vent, the Divine King¡¯s anger rose even higher, yet was difficult to release. In the entire realm of the Chaotic Gods, there were but a few deities who truly saw the Titans from the Abyss as their kind; Cronus was not an exception. In the general understanding, Gaia¡¯s actions today were akin to abandoning a child for the sake of a pet. And even then, the position of the Hekatonkheires wasn¡¯t equivalent to that of a pet. ¡°Ten years.¡± So, in front of Gaia¡¯s gaze, he slowly said: ¡°In ten years, if you still stand in my way, I will not cease my actions.¡± ¡°If fate is destined for me to fail, then at the end, I will ensure that everyone pays the price!¡± Emphasizing every word, Cronus spoke with great sincerity, as if he was prepared for a ruinous struggle with Gaia. But only he knew why he waited for these ten years. If there were no other options, he would have fought with all his might at this moment, without hesitation. ¡°Fine.¡± Across from Cronus, faced with the threat of the Divine King, Gaia agreed decisively. Ten years was enough time for Zeus to journey to the Abyss. What would happen after that was the other¡¯s own business, no longer hers. Just as Cronus had previously thought, it was his six children who were the deities that directly seized Mother Earth¡¯s authority. In the Chaotic realm, rtions between grandparents and grandchildren were nearly indistinguishable from those of strangers. Gaia had no particr issue with Zeus himself, but she bore no affection for his siblings. Let Zeus help her release the Hekatonkheires; as for the rest, she¡¯d leave it to the father and son to resolve themselves. Chapter 111 - 88: Inquiry, Spectators, and the Protagonist Chapter 111: Chapter 88: Inquiry, Spectators, and the Protagonist Under the watchful eyes of many, despite each harboring their own thoughts, the Divine King and Mother Earth eventually came to an agreement. Thus, a conflict was averted, and the two mightiest beings of the present did note to blows. Some were relieved at this oue, while others were disappointed. For instance, Zeus felt a deep regret about it. But the course of events does not shift ording to an individual¡¯s will. The Divine King returned to the Divine Pce, while Zeus and his siblings made a brief stop on the new Mount of the Gods shaped by Ourea, before returning to the ocean with the arriving couple, the God of the Ocean and his spouse. Even within the belly of Cronus, just as Athena inter times, Hades and Poseidon still grew to adulthood, but it was different for Zeus¡¯s three sisters. Perhaps due to the earlier infiltration of the power of time, their development was somewhat slower. Eventually, they chose some inds in the ocean as ces to grow. Once they were free from the influence of time, they would quickly mature. But until then, the three goddesses had the chance to experience a childhood, something their two brothers never had the opportunity to do. On the other side,pared to Zeus¡¯s party, the atmosphere on the Mount of the Gods was quite tense, yet in the end, no conflict erupted between the Divine King and the Queen of Gods. Withoutmunication, Rhea returned to her pce alone. And this time, Cronus said nothing. But unnoticed by all, the Cronus who had just spat harsh words at Gaia, although he returned to the Mount of the Gods, stealthily released an avatar and secretly made his way toward the Underworld. Even if the origin of his godhood was depleted, he was still the deity in charge of the power of space and time, and on his journey, no deity noticed his trace. Not until the Divine King deliberately revealed himself just beyond the Nether Moon was his movement known to anyone. In the Underworld, looking at the purple Moon before him, Cronus too felt pensive. ¡°Nether Moon, truly growing ever more powerful.¡± ¡°The Sun and Moonbined do not match the presence of the Nether Moon in the Underworld.¡± Unsurprisingly, the power of the Goddess of the Nether Moon had also risen considerably, it¡¯s just that she seldom moved in the outside world, so few deities knew of her. ¡°I hope this journey yields the results I seek.¡± ¡°Prophecies, there must be a way to solve them. If fate were absolute, the Spirit Realm should not exist.¡± The Divine King might deceive others, but he never deceives himself. Clearly holding the absolute advantage, clearly with a vast disparity in strength, first the Silver Humanity emerged, then Zeus escaped him unknowingly, followed by the rescue of the other five children, Cronus although still confident, began to look for a way out. Last time, he made a promise in the Underworld, ultimately overthrowing his own father. Although the cost was not small, Cronus felt it was still worth it. And this time, he hoped he could achieve a result just as valuable. ¡°Long time no see, Cronus.¡± The familiar ce, the familiar person, just minus the God of Sun. The Divine King leaned back in his chair, looking at the deity who seemed never to change. By contrast, Cronus felt that he himself had changed so much over the millennia. ¡°Yes, long time no see.¡± ¡°You should know what I havee for, right?¡± Though he came to seek help, the Divine King¡¯s demeanor was as usual. He was there to make a deal, and if it was truly uneptable, he would face the end calmly. But what he would do before the end, even he did not know. ¡°Hehe, of course, I have just been observing your conflict with Gaia.¡± With augh, Laine was not one to care about such superficial matters, so he pped his hands and two cups of hot tea appeared on the table. Although he had anticipated that there would be no result today, everything must have a beginning. He believed that under the pressure of Zeus, the other party woulde to terms with reality. And maybe because when he first came to this world, the presence of Zeus had given Laine quite a bit of pressure, deep down, he also wanted to leave a strong impression on the fellow. Regardless of what form that impression took. ¡°You have already felt the threat, the increasingly imminent threat from your youngest son.¡± ¡°Of course, perhaps after your act of swallowing your children, he is now like you, the eldest among your offspring.¡± Smiling as he spoke the truth, Laine seemed to remember something. With a light flick of his right hand, a strange scene slowly emerged in the void before him. It was a ce in the Underworld, where the gray soil was instantly recognizable to the Divine King. But in this ce, a shadow of ck chaos surged, intricate, chaotic, contrarian, all feelings disagreeable to life could be sensed there. Undoubtedly, it was the influence from a realm outside of the present world. ¡°Tartarus¡­¡± Muttering the name of that ce, the Divine King recognized at a nce that it was the entrance to the Abyss, the gate of Tartarus. Of course, to describe it as a ¡®gate¡¯ might not be quite urate. It was merely a junction, a point set upon the Underworld where the Abyss and the present world intersected. Thus, order and chaos interwove there. No one knew, once they stepped in, which part of the Abyss they would arrive in. Strictly speaking, even without seals, beings who entered the Abyss had a hard timeing out because inside, they would find it even harder to locate the correct path. This was also one reason why Mother Earth needed the Divine King to break the seal. Without the divine authority of the same origin, other deities might not even perceive where the Titans were held captive, even though their location was likely just at the edge of the Abyss. Without clear guidance, even though the goal may lie right in front of one, a single step taken could instead lead thousands of miles astray. This aspect, which is also an external manifestation of the Chaotic Source Force, shares some resemnce with the Spirit Realm. ¡°Tell me, what do you want?¡± Gazing into the void, Cronus couldn¡¯t help but once again recall his previous exchange with Gaia. Both generations of Divine Kings had fallen out with Mother Earth due to these creatures. If possible, he truly wished to kill them forever. Unfortunately, killing an entity with an immortal essence is something not even the Great Divine Power could achieve, much less Cronus. ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t want to see you now, Cronus. Because I know that as long as there¡¯s even the slightest chance, you won¡¯t agree to my request.¡± Taking a leisurely sip of tea, Laine, although aware of the oue, still offered a response. However, this answer was likely something no deity could ept, possibly even thinking he was joking. ¡°But since you¡¯re here, I might as well tell you in advance. I want everything you have, Cronus, everything you have ever owned, have now, and might have in the future, everything.¡± Bang¡ª! The power released unconsciously shook the long table, but under the suppression of the Spirit Realm¡¯s power, that was all. The expression of the Divine King darkened at first but quickly returned to normal. He didn¡¯t know why Laine would make such a demand, but apart from the possibility that the other party was merely joking to amuse him, there must be other reasons involved. Perhaps what was offered in exchange was enough topensate for his loss, but it was ultimately a gamble. ¡°Are you joking with me?¡± With his mind slightly settled and thoughts spinning rapidly, this did not stop Cronus from expressing his dissatisfaction. After all, he was still the Divine King. Such a reply from the other party was undoubtedly uneptable to him. ¡°Heh, you see, I told you, you wouldn¡¯t ept it.¡± Shaking his head with a smile, Laine showed no intention of offering further exnation. This time, he truly didn¡¯t intend to trap the other side;pared to what Cronus would give, he would gain even more, but some things still needed the right moment to be disclosed. For instance, when the other party realized that no matter what, they couldn¡¯tpete with Zeus. ¡°The second time I set foot on the Mount of the Gods, Cronus, I made thisment about you:¡± ¡°¡®When given a choice, you always want the best, but if left with no choice, you don¡¯t mind taking a gamble¡¯. However, it¡¯s not yet the time when you have nowhere left to turn.¡± ¡°Just take this as a joke. Regarding Prophecy, I have nothing much to say. Even I myself do not currently possess the power to fully confront the order of the present world. The session of the throne of the Divine King is an inevitable destiny.¡± Picking up the teacup, although the Divine King was unfamiliar with the custom of seeing off a guest with tea, he understood Laine¡¯s intent. This time he was genuinely irritated. He had thought his visit would cost him greatly, after which he would find a way around the Prophecy, but he hadn¡¯t expected such an oue. The other party didn¡¯t even intend to exin their meaning, but was so certain of his failure. Despite the fact the Divine King himself knew, if he hadn¡¯t foreseen failure, he wouldn¡¯t havee here at this moment. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, then indeed there¡¯s nothing left to say, Laine. Just like you said, I haven¡¯t reached myst step yet.¡± Standing up, Cronus no longer repressed his emotions but let out a coldugh. ¡°However, speaking of you, Laine, what do you n on doing during this interlude of an epochal transition?¡± ¡°More of your conspiracies and schemes? It¡¯s different now thanst time. All divinities, even the Primordial Gods, will surely take notice of your existence.¡± ¡°Your tricks of deception may not work anymore.¡± Just as he said, this time, those deities who had lived through the end of the first era would certainly not forget that beneath the earth therey a unique existence. The confrontation between the two pantheons of gods was destined to not conclude in a short period, and the scenario of being dyed and unable to take action would not happen a second time. This time, Laine had nothing to hide; after all, the subject of his probing was existence itself. ¡°Maybe so, you make a good point.¡± Without the intention to stand up and see him off or to exin, Laine simply stretched out a finger, and an illusory gate of light emerged before him. ¡°If therees a day when you realize that your failure is inevitable and you decide to ept my offer, then you may call my name again. ¡°Even for my own sake, I will surely respond to you.¡± ¡°As for me¡ª¡± After a silent moment, Laine spoke calmly: ¡°Nobody likes to hide in the shadows all the time, Cronus, although most of the time I don¡¯t care about being the center of attention, asionally, I do feel like taking the initiative to do something.¡± ¡°Thest time the Divine King was reced, I was merely a spectator, because at that time, that was all I was capable of.¡± ¡°But this time¡­¡± Looking towards the Divine King, as if seeing a day in the future, Laine tapped the tabletop, his tone even and natural. ¡°But this time, I¡¯m the main character.¡± Chapter 112 - 89: Three Brothers Chapter 112: Chapter 89: Three Brothers With confusion and anger, Cronus left. Without attempting to detain him, seated in the Temple of Lops, Laine did not pay attention to the departing avatar of the Divine King. He was just staring at the entrance to the Abyss he had previously conjured, somewhat lost in thought. Gaining everything from the other party is easily said. But in reality, without the preparatory steps taken over these ten thousand years, even if Cronus had willingly cooperated, it would have been impossible for him to achieve this. Moreover, the most crucial element was how to make the other party willing to cooperate. When there was no other choice, the Divine King was indeed willing to gamble, provided he could see a hope for the future. But if every direction was a dead-end, what he would do was something even Laine wasn¡¯t very clear about. ¡°However, he will agree,¡± ¡°If it were not for sessfully opening the Spirit Realm back then, this would have been the fallback n I prepared for myself. Nowadays I have no need for it, with all that I have now, there¡¯s also no need to start over from scratch.¡± ¡°Besides, conjectures are just conjectures, just like when I wasn¡¯t certain that I could create the Spirit Realm, in the end, whether it can be sessful or not, it¡¯s all up to you.¡± Upon reviewing the situation once more, it became fairly clear, yet there were still a few uncertainties. What kind of feedback the present world will give to Laine¡¯s actions, and whether the Primordial Gods will intervene. To be on the safe side, he still made the worst-case scenario ns. ¡°Liana.¡± After a long while,ing back to his senses, Laine leaned back in his chair and called out softly. ¡°I am here, Your Highness.¡± The ever-loyal response. Wings tucked behind her, the figure of the Goddess of the Nether Moon quietly appeared. Looking at his most loyal subordinate, Laine felt a bit of a headache. Liana was good in every way, but she interacted with too few creatures, having an air of viewing all beings in the outside world as mere ants. ¡°There¡¯s no need to keep an eye on Hypnos anymore. The main body of the thirdyer of the Spirit Realm has nearly perfected itself and can independently absorb dreams to expand. That is enough. As for the rest, let it be for now.¡± ¡°And you, Liana, actually, when you¡¯re not busy, you could visit other ces to see, take in the sights of the outside world. It¡¯s not so good to always stay in the Spirit Realm.¡± Some confusion arose, the former Liana could understand. But as for thetter, she didn¡¯t see what there was to look at. What need was there to interact with some insignificant life forms of the outside world? ¡°¡­Forget it, there¡¯s no rush for now.¡± Shaking his head slightly, to change the mindset of his loyal subordinate was not an overnight task. ¡°Wait for the next aeon. When new humans are born upon the earth, then you can go and see them.¡± ¡°Perhaps you might learn something.¡± In front of the entrance to the Abyss. Within the distorted environment, three deities of differing appearances stood here. Perhaps due to recently eating the Golden Apples, the divine power within them was extremely unstable. Years had passed since they escaped from Mount of the Gods. Having rescued his five siblings and greatly tarnishing the Divine King¡¯s face, Zeus had undoubtedly proven his strength. Thus, with the God of the Ocean as his witness, he and Metis, who had been supporting him from behind all along, got married, thereby dering the Ocean God lineage as his support. After entrusting his three sisters, who were affected by the power of time, to the original goddess of water, Zeus lingered over the ocean for a few more years. That is, until not long ago when he could no longer dy. Prompted by Mother Earth, he and his two brothers came to the Abyss. Of course, in exchange, Zeus received from Mother Earth a dry branch of the Golden Apple Tree,den with fruit. The six children of the Divine King shared the fruits, and in the end, perhaps due to some sentiment, Zeus did not keep the remaining branches but gave them to his elder sister Hera. As a symbol of life and nts, the Golden Apple Tree possessed remarkable regenerative abilities. Even a single branch was sufficient to cultivate a smaller tree. Although itcked the formidable power of the original, it was still a rare treasure in this world. So the still-young Hera happily epted Zeus¡¯s gift and responded with an enthusiastic embrace. ¡°Is this the Abyss, then? It looks very dangerous.¡± Immersed in his thoughts, but the booming voice of Poseidon interrupted him. Zeus nced at his second brother and said nothing more. Unlike Hades, this elder brother was as silent as the empty Underworld. Since being rescued by Zeus, he rarely voiced his own opinions, but Poseidon was always full of ideas. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that their current biggest supporters, the God of the Ocean and his family, disliked him, Zeus thought that the other might not have limited himself to only providing some suggestions. But there were no ifs in reality, and since the other did nothing over the top except asionally being overly talkative, Zeus tolerated him for the time being. ¡°Yes, Poseidon. My authority tells me that on the other side of this Chaos is an existence many times more powerful than the entire Underworld. If we venture too deeply into it, it¡¯s likely we¡¯ll never return.¡± d in a grey robe, Hades was actually shorter than his two younger brothers. As the god of the Underworld, he could distinctly discern that among the four Primordial Gods shrouding the Underworld, the Abyss was indeed the most terrifying. Perhaps at the dawn of creation, the Earth and the Abyss were on equal footing, or even thetter might have been slightly stronger. But now, the Earth was merely a part of Order, and its status had been divided by the Sky and the Ocean, while the Abyss seemed to be the main body of Chaos. If he were to rank the Great Divine Power, then the Earth would be just taking one or two steps across the threshold, the Twin Gods of the Dark Night a bit further, but the Abyss was close to the pinnacle of the Great Divine Power. ¡°Fortunately, It has no wisdom,¡± Hades identally used a term of reverence for the world, ¡°otherwise no deity would dare approach this ce.¡± ¡°Of course, Hades, It couldn¡¯t possibly possess wisdom. Just look at our esteemed grandmother. I guess, if the Abyss had been like her, its fate would hardly be any better than hers.¡± The future Sea Emperor wholeheartedly agreed. Although it was a bargain, and he had reaped benefits from it, he was still reluctant to search for a few Giants in such a ce. However, unlike the others, Poseidon¡¯s reluctance stemmed more from the idea that ¡®everyone looks down on them, so I should too¡¯. As for his personal opinion, he didn¡¯t find the Giants particrly unsightly. His perception of beauty was always wide-ranging; even Zeus had to concede to him in the quest to ¡®discover beauty¡¯. ¡°Regardless, we have to go in. Zeus, sense where those creatures are?¡± Unwilling to linger, the uniquews of this ce made Poseidon ufortable, so he turned to his brother and urged him. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Nodding, Zeus also had no wish to remain here any longer. He then channeled that unique authority within him and began to delicately sense the surroundings. Speaking of which, Zeus¡¯s ability to rescue the Giants trapped in the Abyss was thanks to ¡®guidance¡¯ from Heavenly Father Uranus. Although his deity still hung in the sky without any sign of awakening, the curse he had left was still in ce. As the first Divine King recognized by the world, his curse that Cronus would be overthrown by his children could, in a sense, be seen as a recognition of Cronus¡¯s offspring. The ¡®heir to the throne¡¯ recognized by the first Divine King¡ªif it wasn¡¯t for the fact that Uranus was no longer the Divine King when he issued the curse¡ªZeus might have directly obtained a powerful Divine Authority. But now, this power was reduced to a mere precursor; it could guide Zeus to the beings within the Abyss and allow him to not be affected by his father¡¯s authority, but until Cronus was defeated, it would be of no further use. ¡°Found them, follow me.¡± After a considerable period, Zeus vaguely discerned a direction. He signaled to his elder brothers and then led the way in the disordered void ahead. ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± Exchanging a nce with Hades, the future Sea Emperor also stepped forward. No matter how unwilling he was in his heart, since they had taken the Golden Apple from Mother Earth, they had no choice but to proceed. The things of Gaia could not be taken without consequence, and at least the three of them did not possess the ability to do so. Chapter 113 - 90 Symbols Chapter 113: Chapter 90 Symbols With one step, the world dramatically transformed. Just a moment ago, they were in the Underworld, shrouded by thews of the living world, but the next moment Zeus and his brothers hade to a dark and sullen world. The Divine Power within them released automatically, resisting the erosion of the surrounding environment. Even the three deities noticed that their connection with the divine authority was diminishing bit by bit. Although the Abyss was still far from contending with the living world, it could already interfere to some extent with the connection between godhood and the correspondingws. Although the process was slow, should they linger in the Abyss for too long, the symbols associated with their deity might be violently uncontroble. ¡°No wonder the Abyss is so useful, yet few deities are imprisoned here.¡± ¡°Unless there is another True God with intersecting divinity to stabilize it, an uprising ofws is no joking matter.¡± After experiencing the environment here, Zeus felt relieved. On the periphery of the Abyss, the istion from Divine Authority was very slow. By his estimate, it would not cause any serious consequences for hundreds of years. And the concern of getting lost before was easy to resolve, for that trace of Divine Authority on him could not only point out the location of the seal but could also guide them back to the living world. ¡°This way.¡± Guided by that trace of Divine Authority, the three deities walked in this distorted world. One second forward, the next they might have to go back. If not for the response from the Authority, Zeus would have even thought they were moving in circles. Moreover, the dark environment around them remained unchanged, and even after a long time, he couldn¡¯t directly observe any signs of their movement. ¡°What is this?¡± Suddenly, spotting a bizarre symbol floating over from the distant void, Poseidon couldn¡¯t help but inquire. This was the first thing they saw in the Abyss. Although they couldn¡¯t recognize it, there was no doubt it was a form of text, akin to a primordial script endowed with power. Poseidon could vaguely sense a force within it. But the problem is this: Texts, being born from a world dominated by Order, is normal, but how could there be text in a chaotic and unordered Abyss? Even if there were, for whom would it be written? ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that now, Poseidon, perhaps it is a reflection from the living world. After all, the Abyss is also a part of Chaos World, and even if it exists outside the living world, it inevitably intersects with it. It¡¯s not strange for something simr to appear.¡± With a slight frown, Zeus did not know what this was, nor was he interested. Finding the destination quickly andpleting the task given by Mother Earth were the pressing matters. Moreover, although this journey was troublesome, it might not be without other gains. From Metis, Zeus had learned that the giants mothered by Gaia were of two kinds. One kind was named Hekatonkheires; they possessed immense strength but were a bitcking in intelligence. They had inherited the aspect of the earth and strength, and aside from As, the true God of Strength, few deities couldpete with them in this arena. If he could rally them to his cause, they would undoubtedly be powerful allies. And the other kind was named Cyclops. They were one-eyed giants and,pared to their monstrous brothers, resembled the deities more and possessed a simr wisdom. From Gaia, they inherited abilities rted to divine artifacts. Divine Artifacts, another means to quickly enhance one¡¯s power. Although the truly powerful artifacts required stricter materials, Zeus was already prepared. His godhood itself offered the best material for smithing divine artifacts. Even if it would diminish the power of his godhood, as long as he held the artifact, hisbat force would rise. He would not, like the God of Sun from the legends, craft an artifact meant to serve others. If it were to be, it would be one that only he could use, a weapon to help him destroy all his foes. Passing by the minor disturbance, the three deities walked in silence. They did not know how long they had been walking¡ªit could have been a minute, an hour, or perhaps even a day, a month. At a certain moment, the disordered scenery in front of them became orderly. Zeus¡¯s eyes brightened at this. It was the power of the primordial Divine King; his unfathomable Divine Authority had anchored thews around this prison, making its attributes closer to those of the living world. ¡°Who goes there?¡± A heavy and grand voice came through, somewhat dry from ack of interaction with life for a long time. Seeing this, Zeus quickly replied loudly: ¡°I am Zeus, son of Cronus, master of all thunders in the world. I have been invited by Mother Earth Gaia to release you from the Abyss.¡± As the voice carried through, soon apanied by the sound of approaching tremors, Zeus and his brothers saw those legendary giants. Although he was well-prepared, Zeus couldn¡¯t help but frown. The Cyclops were tolerable, but thetter three were a challenge to his aesthetic. Fifty heads, a hundred hands, but that wasn¡¯t the main point. You must realize that even the most beautifuldy, when magnified tenfold, would hardly seem the same. Goddesses in mythology may not have such troubles, but these Hekatonkheires did not have divine power to maintain their cleanliness and order. A twitch in the corner of his eye, yet Zeus still managed a smile. He magnified his own divine body and then met the giants eye to eye. ¡°Come with me, I can take you out of here, and you will be free from now on.¡± After exchanging nces, unlike the Hekatonkheirescking in wisdom, the Cyclopes were more aware of the preciousness of freedom. Even though the deity before them imed to be sent by Mother Earth, they still spoke up in turn: ¡°My name is Thunder.¡± ¡°My name is Dian.¡± ¡°My name is Pili.¡± ¡°We appreciate your kind act, and even though we are at the behest of the Mother Goddess, should we be able to leave this ce, we will surely provide you with the corresponding reward.¡± ¡°Hahaha, good.¡± Zeus hadn¡¯t expected amitment before he even asked, but the gruesome creatures before him suddenly seemed friendly in his eyes. Heughed heartily, weing his new friends. ¡°That¡¯s excellent, my friends. If possible, I indeed need a little favor from you.¡± ¡°I need a Divine Artifact,¡± he turned his head towards his two brothers, ¡°I think they need one too.¡± ¡°Of course, but we will also need materials of sufficient quality.¡± The Cyclopes responded in unison. ¡°Certainly, let¡¯s use my Godhood. Please hide the aspect of ¡®Life¡¯ and amplify the aspect of ¡®Destruction¡¯, I want it to be my most reliable arm.¡± Zeus, having already prepared his response, then turned to his elder brothers: ¡°What about you, my brothers, what kind of Divine Artifact do you need?¡± Not expecting an extra gain from this venture, Hades and Poseidon couldn¡¯t help but feel pleasantly surprised. But the prospect of creating Divine Artifacts from their own Godhood made them hesitate. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll use my ¡®Tsunami¡¯ Godhood as the material,¡± hesitating for a moment, Poseidon made his decision first: ¡°Erase the gentle part, and amplify the domain rted to the sea, so that one day, it will be a treasure that rules over the oceans.¡± Zeus cast a deep nce at Poseidon before turning his gaze to his elder brother. As expected, Hades¡¯s choice was quite ordinary, as if it were made on a whim. ¡°My requirements for the Divine Artifact are not high¡ªtake the part of my Godhood that¡¯s influenced by the two Ancient Gods of the night and craft an artifact that can conceal one¡¯s whereabouts.¡± ¡°No problem, we will not disappoint you.¡± The three deities¡¯ requests seemed to represent their different aspirations. However, the Cyclopes didn¡¯t care about this; they readily agreed to forge Divine Artifacts for the three brothers as long as they could escape the Abyss. ¡°Good, let¡¯s hurry and leave this ce.¡± Although Zeus was somewhat concerned about Poseidon¡¯s choice, he kept it to himself. The sea was the mostplex realm of power, and if someone could cause trouble for his foster father, it might not be a bad thing. Thus, following the faint connection between the Divine King¡¯s power and the mortal realm, Zeus and the others began their return journey. They had been very cautious on the way in, but the return journey was much faster. However, when the party reached the entrance to the Abyss, Zeus suddenly stopped. Looking up briefly, he saw the Abyss, unchanged, and for some reason, he felt a premonition that there was something here rted to him. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Zeus, have you taken a liking to this ce?¡± On the side, an impatient Poseidon called out loudly. The portal was within reach, and he did not wish to linger any longer. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, let¡¯s go.¡± Shaking his head, perhaps it was just an illusion, Zeus paid no further attention and stepped through the portal dividing the two realms. Chapter 114 - 91: The Unborn Magic Net (Monthly Ticket +1) Chapter 114: Chapter 91: The Unborn Magic Net (Monthly Ticket +1) The three deities and the Titans stepped out of the Abyss, and almost instantly, they were swept up by a golden light, returning to the surface of the Earth. That was Gaia¡¯s power. Perhaps after years of separation, she could hardly wait to see her children. Standing in the Spirit Realm, witnessing this scene unfold, Laine felt somewhat disappointed. From their beings, he could not discern anything about the Tartarus within them. But this was expected. Although the Titans had dwelled in the Abyss for tens of thousands of years, they probably never attempted to explore it. ¡°They are quite fast; it seems they really didn¡¯t delve deep into the Abyss. Besides a touch of chaotic aura, they brought nothing else out.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll have to rely on myself.¡± With a slight shake of his head, as a realm of the Primordial Gods, the Abyss, like the Land of Eternal Night and the Realm of Lightless, was insted from the invasion of the Spirit Realm¡¯s power. So even though he had observed theings and goings of the Tri-Aspect, Tri-Form, he still knew nothing about whaty inside Tartarus. However, with the memories ofter generations as a reference, he could roughly guess the process, which was nothing more than recruiting three enforcers and happily obtaining three weapons. Especially when observing the three stirrings that disturbed the heavens and earth shortly after leaving the Abyss, there was no doubt. The legendary Divine Artifacts from future tales, also known as the ¡°Lightning¡± Thunderbolt Arrow, the Trident of the Sea Emperor that could calm the waves and shake the earth, and the almost inconspicuous Helm of the Underworld King, were sessively born in the hands of the Cyclops. ¡°Lightning¡± is an extremely rare,bat-centric High-Grade Artifact, and the Trident and Helm were a league apart. The former was manageable, its power growing with the expanse of ocean it ruled. However, thetter could hardlypare to the robe on Laine¡¯s body. At least it was made of the same material as the Lady of the Night¡¯s ck dress, containing a smidgen of Authority of Secrets; meanwhile, the Helm seemed more like a shoddy imitation. ¡°As I thought, ordinary high-level artifacts have a minimal effect on Great Divine Power.¡± ¡°I wonder if the Thunderbolt Arrow will be even stronger after ascending to Divine King.¡± After briefly sensing his surroundings, he expected to feel a threat, but Laine suddenly realized he had no reaction to the aura of the newly born divine artifact. While this was due to being within the Spirit Realm, at this point in his journey, even if he were to go out, there¡¯d be no difference. He could momentarily mobilize the Spirit Realm¡¯s own formidable strength, just as the Primordial Gods could briefly invoke their own power. ¡°It seems I still underestimated the power of the Primordial Gods¡­ No wonder I had such a strange premonition before.¡± Sensing the Divine Power flowing within him, Laine was somewhat contemtive. Previously, he definitely underestimated the Twin Gods of the Dark Night¡¯s power because his current strength was vastly different from that of the two Ancient Gods he had envisioned. This strength was not derived from the Divine Power itself; in fact, in terms of Divine Power alone, he still had a long way to go. But when facing enemies other than the Primordial Gods, whether slightly higher or lower no longer mattered. Before, when he possessed Intermediate Divine Power, aside from the assistance of artifacts, his strength was not much different from other Genuine Gods of the same level. It wasn¡¯t because the Spirit Realmcked presence but because he was one level apart from Great Divine Power. One level apart, unless a price was paid, that sort of power couldn¡¯t be borrowed. But now, even though he was still far from the pinnacle of grand divine strength, the barrier between them no longer existed. ¡°In that case, my previous ns were too conservative.¡± His fingertips lightly tapping on the tabletop, silently adjusting his ns, Laine¡¯s gaze returned to the entrance of the Abyss. ¡°Tartarus, a ce scarcely mentioned inter eras, what exactly does it contain?¡± ¡°No matter, it won¡¯t take long for me to figure this out.¡± Standing up, with a single step, Laine had already vanished from Mount Sinai. Ever since Zeus released the Titans, the atmosphere on Chaos¡¯ Earth instantly became tense. Thest factor in the intervention of the Mother Earth in the session of the Divine King was smoothed over, what remained was a family matter of the Divine King. Gods took their sides, but even more were observing from the sidelines. In the starry skies, several deities who participated in the division of star regions refused Cronus¡¯ overtures. They did not have an indivisible connection with the Divine King, and naturally, they would not partake in the war. In the vast ocean, perhaps for some reason, although the ancient Sea God did not partake himself, his several children joined Zeus¡¯ ranks. Among the twelve Titans, the positioning of the ocean deity couple was self-evident, and the God of Meteorology, faced with the conflict of Godhood between Zeus and Poseidon, could only continue to stand by the Divine King. Other Titan deities remained neutral, and most curious of all was the Queen of Gods, Rhea¡ªwho had betrayed her husband¡ªyet she still stayed on the Mount of the Gods, not siding with her children. No one knew what she was thinking, but it seemed as if both sides of gods had forgotten her existence, with no one seeking to disturb the goddess. In such an atmosphere, perhaps feeling his power had grown, Zeus led his siblings to the peak shaped by the ancient Mountain God, a mountain he named ¡®Olympus¡¯. At the summit, he faced his father across the void, his aura growing ever more somber. However, the war was a father-son conflict amongst the Divine Kings and of the earth, but it was not of the sea, nor did it belong to Hecate, who had also participated behind the scenes in this changing of the Divine King. She moved about the seas as if the war had not affected her in the slightest. More than a decade ago, Selene was summoned back to the Moon by her mother goddess, leaving Hecate to continue her journey on the seas alone. In the past, she had measured the earth, explored the Underworld, and had even been invited to the stars by the Moon goddess. The sea was the first ce she came to and would be thest. Now, she had a profound understanding of the elemental distribution of this world. Her spiritual body shone with the luster of seven lunar phases. Inside her body, a small experimental magic had also taken shape. It was a silver. Nineyers at the front, three at the back, twelveyers in total, each distinctly partitioned. The ninthyer demarcated the boundary between the mortal and the transcendent, through which elements and magic power were transmitted. Although in essence a, from the outside it looked like a bunch of silver mes. It took root in the present world and connected to the Spirit Realm, bing a bridge between the two. ¡°Soon, when the magic is fully formed, all elements of the world will be bound by it, and mundane objects will more easily connect with the power of elements.¡± ¡°Godhood, will I soon have this thing too?¡± A smile appeared on her face but soon disappeared as Hecate took out the Tome of All Spells and prodded it. ¡°So tell me, stone tablet, how can I change back to my original form!¡± Reflecting on the sea surface, unbeknownst to when, the fifteen-year-old girl with red hair and a red dress had transformed greatly. A head of soft blue hair draped over a pale blue dress, and the girl had be a young woman of eighteen or neen years of age. From her appearance alone, the blue-dressed young woman seemed gentle and tranquil, yet as profound as the sea itself. Anyone who nced at her would be captivated by her temperament. However, it seemed that Hecate was not quite satisfied with the change in her appearance. [I¡¯ve already told you, soon, when you have fully constructed the magic, you will be able to adjust freely between the two states.] [You should be happy. The changes you¡¯re experiencing now are a manifestation of a unique talent and the outward sign of your potential.] [Thest one to possess this ability was the ruler of the Land of Eternal Night, an Ancient God of Great Divine Power.] With a pout that didn¡¯t quite fit her image, Hecate looked at her changed appearance with a hint of displeasure, although she knew from the tablet that it was a special talent known as Tri-Aspect, Tri-Form. If she were still at the foot of Mount of the Gods, she might have longed to grow into the likeness of other goddesses, but over the years, she hade to feel that her unaging form was a unique expression of herself. Just like a god without godhood, to this day, she was the only one. ¡°What about you, do you also have the ability of Tri-Aspect, Tri-Form?¡± As if thinking of something, Hecate asked. [It depends on how you understand it.] [I do have it, but my ¡®Tri-Aspect¡¯ may be quite different from you all.] Without any concealment, in fact, whether looking at it from the perspective of the three divine artifacts or from her own perspective, this ¡®Tri-Aspect¡¯ indeed existed. But just like Hecate, who had only revealed two aspects so far, this unique tri-aspect was also still iplete. As for how toplete it, that would be a matter for muchter. [Hurry up. When the Divine Kings change, thews of the present world may transform abruptly.] [Prepare everything before that happens.] ¡°Got it, I¡¯ll be ready,¡± Hecate replied. Not only had her appearance changed, but her voice had also be much softer, so much so that the same words gave the listeners a different feeling. Hecate nced at her reflection on the water surface and decided not to meet with others for a while. The Grand Sorceress Hecate, after all, couldn¡¯t be as frail-looking as Selene. Days passed by, and as the final upheaval approached, all the deities were making their preparations. On the two Mounts of the Gods, spirits from different factions began to converge. Until one day, the ten-year agreement came due. Thus, between Olympus and Mount Othrys, the war of the deities began, and mes of war ignited across thend. Chapter 115 - 92 Discussion Chapter 115: Chapter 92 Discussion The Eastern Region of the continent, near Delphi. Unlike other ces, for thousands of years, there had been peace and tranquility here, without any disturbance from outsiders. As the most fertilend in the Eastern Region, under the unconscious influence of Mother Earth and the Golden Apple Tree, no harm could approach this ce, nor could anything bad happen here. The humans of the Golden Age had once spent a blissful life here. From birth to death, they had no worries; apart from worshipping the deities, nothing in life could trouble them. But with the passing of the Golden Humanity, their sessors did not enjoy the same treatment. Silver Humanity, born of Mother Earth¡¯s resentment towards the Divine King and of the Lord of Darkness¡¯s covetousness towards the Spirit Realm. They were born with a host of negative emotions, and even the gods could not earn their respect and devotion. Thus, these inherently evil humans were only briefly noticed when they were first created, then swiftly despised by all deities. In the hearts of the gods, their existence was even less significant than that of life forms without Wisdom¡ªvarious beasts taken by many deities spread across the continent, slowly multiplying and thriving, while Silver Humanity was left behind. No god was interested in these humans who emitted negative auras; Mother Earth had swept them out the door the day they were created. Even Prometheus, who felt pity, abandoned them after spending some time with them. It wasughable that the gods who had imparted knowledge to them, even the precursors, were infamous among humans. Perhaps this was another facet of human nature: greed, ingratitude, and the unwillingness to rebuke the powerful, using those who showed kindness instead. In any case, Silver Humanity was driven out of Delphi. More than once, they looked from afar at their birthce, reminiscing about the beauty there, and then fought each other for the slightest benefit. Lies, deceit, intrigue, killing¡ªin this process, Silver Humanity gradually developed a unique hierarchical system. The higher-ups had absolute dominion over their subordinates, yet insurrections were all toomon. However, as the war between gods erupted, even for the sake of survival, humans were forced to set aside their struggles. They cooperated, reducing the time individuals spent outside and praying for no cmity to befall from The Sky. Of course, the strife did not subside; it merely took on another form. ¡°These¡­ damned Deities!¡± Thousands of miles away from Delphi, at the foot of a Mountain, Asmode watched in terror as streaks of light crossed The Sky. Over the years, the gods had shed on the earth. At first, they showed restraint, but in recent years, even the vicinity of Mother Earth¡¯s abode gradually became a battleground. They dared not step into the great ins but had no scruples about fighting fiercely in the surrounding areas. Nearly half of Silver Humanity had died as a consequence, and even so, when Asmode saw the deities, he only dared to utter those disrespectful words in his heart. This was not exceptional among Silver Humanity but because Asmode himself had witnessed how his superior had been crushed to dust. Of course, his rise to powerrgely depended on this as well. Fearful of might yet untouched by gratitude, Silver Humanity exemplified this to the fullest. Henceforth, at least the martial might of the deities taught Asmode to hold his tongue. ¡°I wonder if those who went out to search for food can return safely this time.¡± ¡°If they can¡¯t, I¡¯ll have to figure out how to scrounge some from someone else.¡± In silent thought, as one of the ¡®leaders¡¯ among this batch of Silver Humanity, although his position could be overturned at any moment, Asmode could temporarily avoid the hardship of searching for food and working. Unlike Golden Humanity, for Silver Humanity,bor was one of thest things they wanted to do; if possible, they only wished to reap the rewards without effort. Of course, if that was not possible, obtaining things through deceit and plundering was also an option. ¡°It¡¯s been eight years already, Asmode. I don¡¯t know when it will end. Can¡¯t these gods ever quiet down?¡± Without a hint of respect, another Silver Human not far from Asmode was also somewhat irritated. ¡°I wish they would, but unfortunately, they don¡¯t listen to me.¡± With a snideugh, Asmode mocked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you try? Mephisto, perhaps you could ¡®convince¡¯ a few deities to work for you.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s forget it. Although I¡¯m quite confident in my persuasive skills, it requires them to give me a chance to speak.¡± Shrugging, the man known as Mephisto spoke indifferently. While it was a refusal, from his words, if given a chance to converse, he truly wanted to attempt to convince a god or two. I wonder if this stems from confidence or arrogance. Or perhaps, sess is confidence, failure is arrogance. ¡°Speaking of which, even though I don¡¯t know what these gods are called, or where theye from, they seem to be divided into two factions.¡± ¡°At first, the gods near the West had the advantage. But now, it seems those from the East have the upper hand.¡± ¡°Maybe once one sidepletely wins, we will no longer need to worry about cmities from the heavens.¡± Gazing in the direction where the radiance had vanished, Mephisto spected. Sometimes, he could even overhear the conversations between the deities. From their words, he learned that both sides were battling for the position of ¡®Divine King.¡¯ One faction was the original Divine King, while the other was known as Olympus. ¡°Perhaps, but it could also be a worse oue.¡± Unlike Mephisto, Asmode viewed this with a pessimistic attitude. ¡°Maybe once one side wins, they will turn their attention to us and simply kill us outright, considering we don¡¯t meet their standards at all.¡± ¡°Damn it, I also wish to at least appear as a devout believer, but for some reason, I just can¡¯t manage to do so.¡± Annoyed, Asmode felt that something in his spirit was always affecting him. Evil doesn¡¯t equate to stupidity; he knew to remain humble before the powerful. Unfortunately, under the influence of this unknown force, he found it difficult to control his emotions. ¡°I gave up on trying long ago. Heh, created by the gods, yet cast aside. I guess, we must have some other purpose, different from Golden Humanity.¡± Shaking his head, Mephisto understood the other¡¯s sentiment; he too knew the feeling of being influenced by such emotions, but he believed it probably stemmed from the influence of the deities. Once, Prometheus had told them the story of Golden Humanity. The deities had hoped it would make Silver Humanity reconsider, but Mephisto discerned another meaning. Human nature can be shaped. If Golden Humanity had been molded, then there was no reason they hadn¡¯t been as well. Furthermore, if the gods possessed the power to shape personalities, but they, Silver Humanity, were still as they are, then there must be some reason for it. Being valuable means not being easily killed; this was the conclusion Mephisto had deduced while backstabbing superiors on his way up. So for the moment, he was not concerned about Humans being ughtered by the deities. At the very least, he could discover the purpose for which he had been created, and then see if there was any chance for rebellion. ng¡ª A clear chime instantly interrupted their conversation. Withoutmunicating, almost instinctively, the two ¡®leaders¡¯ among Silver Humanity dropped to the ground. The next moment, the earth began to shake. A wave of force came from a distance, sweeping through half of the camp and then mming into a nearby mountain, causing a rain of stones and dust to fall. Fortunately, the mountain didn¡¯t copse. ¡°Cough cough¡ª¡± Amidst the dust, Asmode coughed twice, then quickly stifled it. He rolled on the spot, pressing his hand to his waist. The next moment, where he had just been standing, a stone knife was embedded in the ground. ¡°Quick reflexes.¡± Mephisto casually praised as if nothing had happened. He walked forward, picked up the stone knife, and looked towards the disordered camp. ¡°Cough cough, of course, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t have survived until today.¡± Coughing lightly again, Asmode got up from the ground, also acting as if nothing had happened. ¡°Maybe the earth is not suitable for us; maybe Silver Humanity simply cannot coexist with the life forms above the ground.¡± ¡°No need to coexist.¡± Shaking his head, Mephisto spread his arms, as if embracing the world. ¡°How wonderful, such a beautiful world¡ªwhy would one want to share it with others?¡± ¡°Let us all die, or let them all obey us¡ªthat would be enough, wouldn¡¯t it.¡± Chapter 116 - 93: Troops Approach Chapter 116: Chapter 93: Troops Approach Another three months of confrontation. One on one, no one was his match. But when they joined forces, he started to feel overwhelmed. Besides, the real pressure on him was never just about sheer strength. When Cronus returned to Mount Othrys and looked at the empty great hall, his body was still strong, but his spirit was utterly fatigued. Brothers, wife, offspring¡ªthey all stood against him. From the day he seized the throne, there hadn¡¯t been anyone truly by his side. He once believed Rhea would be, but reality had woken him. However, the Divine King did nothing to his Queen of Gods; he simply let her stay alone in the sleeping chambers behind Mount of the Gods, no longer meeting with her. Somewhat bewildered, for the sake of the Divine King¡¯s throne, he lost so much, but in the end, it seemed the power of the throne was still slipping away from him. ¡°Will I win?¡± Muttering quietly to himself, Cronus couldn¡¯t get an answer. But actually, he had answered that question for himself thousands of years ago. If he truly believed he could seed, he wouldn¡¯t have so urgently conquered the cosmos, nor would he have swallowed his own progeny. The more he did, the more it proved the panic in his heart. In the end, all he did was telling him, you are just wasting your efforts. Whether it was the Divine King¡¯s power or his own Godhood, how could one possibly fight against Him with the power granted in this world? The previous struggles had been nothing but self-deception. ¡°Your Majesty, did you call me?¡± A powerful call awoke Cronus from his reverie. He turned his head; it was the second-generation Titan deity he valued most, As, the God of Strength. His father had retired under the protection of Mother Earth, his older brother had defected to the Olympian Gods, but he, As, still remained by his side. ¡°As,¡± rallying his spirit, the Divine King behaved as usual: ¡°You have indeed worked hard, those hundred-handed monsters have been troublesome for you, haven¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Easily handled, Your Majesty, they are no match for me.¡± The God of Strength bowed slightly. Although the actual fight was tough, he was never one to shy away from hardship. ¡°After all, they are numerous and strong; you¡¯ve done well to hold them off.¡± A word of praise, and the confident demeanor of the deity before him couldn¡¯t help but remind Cronus of himself long ago. The less one has experienced, the more fearless one remains, it seems. ¡°As,¡± after a moment of consideration, the Divine King hesitantly asked, ¡°Have you ever thought about the oue of this war?¡± ¡°Of course, Your Majesty will be victorious. The Titan Deity n is the true ruler of this world, not those rebels¡¯ so-called ¡®Olympus.¡¯ Without any hesitation, the reply from the God of Strength was as full of confidence as ever. ¡°Is that so¡­ Well then, As, but remember.¡± ¡°Sometimes, a temporary retreat may also be an option.¡± The God of Strength was somewhat puzzled; he didn¡¯t know why the Divine King would say such words, but in the end, he still expressed his obedience. ¡°I will, Your Majesty, you are always so prescient.¡± With a slight chuckle, Cronus didn¡¯t know what all As had been thinking. In fact, he had always considered his own wisdom to be quite average. But that didn¡¯t matter anymore. Among the few deities on his side, Rhea had released her children. Even though she remained here, she would still be respected by the Olympian Gods after the war, and he didn¡¯t need to worry about her fate. Although the God of Meteorology and his family stood by him, they couldn¡¯t really be counted as loyal. If it wasn¡¯t for their inability to coexist with Zeus, they would have probably left long ago and watched his defeat indifferently. As for the Sun God Helios, who still ostensibly obeyed him while continually scheming, Cronus was aware of his secret visits to Olympus and his ndestine dealings with the daughter of the God of the Ocean, the boiling-water goddess Perse. But before the war had even started, the Divine King had already prepared a ¡®gift¡¯ for him. If he remained the Divine King after the war, Cronus would use it as a pretext to strip him of his right to drive the Sun Chariot. If his throne was fated to change hands, then without the power to maintain it, the seal on the Sun wouldn¡¯tst long. Let the young Sun God secretly gloat for a while; in the end, he will realize just how insignificant he is in this world. With a sneer, Cronus¡¯s thoughts circled back. Apart from these deities with their various agendas, As was the only one on Mount Othrys deserving of any consideration. He was the ideal Titan in his mind, loyal, honorable, powerful, and confident. Sadly, as the Divine King, he was likely to disappoint him. ¡°It¡¯s not necessary to be so pessimistic.¡± ¡°After all, I haven¡¯t yet taken the time to hear what his reasons are for persuading me.¡± Cronus thought of his father with a calm expression. Even until the veryst moment, he never bowed to fate. Even when hung in the sky, he still looked like a king. ¡°¡®If there is no choice left, you wouldn¡¯t mind taking a gamble¡¯¡­ Hmm, so what is the stake you¡¯ve prepared for me?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s to make me your subject, then don¡¯t bother bringing it out. I am the Divine King who reigns over everything. If all I obtain by casting everything aside is a life of servitude akin to a servant, I would rather slumber in the Abyss, keepingpany with my father who resides in the highest heaven. Maybe then, I could greet him in my sleep, ha ha ha ha¡­¡± Suddenlyughing, although the previous confrontation had just ended, Cronus suddenly felt the urge to engage again. Rising to his full height, since he desired it, he acted on it. Cronus released his qi, spanning half the earth, colliding remotely towards Mount Olympus with the destructive thunder and lightning. ¡°Once more!¡± Watching the opposing deity forced into battle, Cronus rose to his full height and flew into the heavens. The earth could hardly sustain the sh of so many powerful True Gods; it was near the stars that they found their actual battlefield. Time passed, year after year, until in the tenth year, the decline of the Divine King could no longer be contained. As his eldest daughter Hestia began to escape the influence of the time god¡¯s power, with the strength of the Golden Apple, she quickly became an indispensable member of the battlefield. Mother Earth¡¯s divine fruit, umted over tens of thousands of years, was depleted in an instant, crafting four deities who rapidly reached their peak. With Hestia¡¯s Guardianship, Cronus could no longer suppress his children and brothers. And so, on this day, the Olympian Gods surrounded Mount of the Gods. On this day, they would achieve their final victory. Chapter 117 - 94 Are you satisfied? (Two in one 6k, added for the League Master 6062111) Chapter 117: Chapter 94 Are you satisfied? (Two in one 6k, added for the League Master 6062111) In front of Mount Othrys, the gods all gathered together. But this time was different from the past; they were neither invited nor came voluntarily to offer congrattions. They were here to overthrow the master of this ce. The intertwining powers of numerous deities formed an invisible oppression, casting a silence over the entire Mount of the Gods. At this moment, there were no non-divine beings here. ¡°Just twenty years, it¡¯s just a fleeting moment. Thaesis, I don¡¯t know why, but I¡¯m feeling a bit of regret.¡± Standing to the side and a little behind, Oceanus, the God of the Ocean, looked at Zeus standing in front. He didn¡¯t know what to feel. A hundred years ago, thetter was just a weak newborn infant, and with a mere wave of his hand, he could have changed his destiny. Twenty years ago, he had nothing and could only risk sneaking into the Mount of the Gods to save his few brothers. But now, his power had grown so strong that it made Oceanus slightly wary. If this continued, even if they overthrew Cronus, Zeus could be a threat to himself. Perhaps even a greater threat than his own father. ¡°But this is the end, Oceanus. The power of a deity is like that. External objects like the Golden Apple can help us reach our peak faster, but they cannot increase it by even a slightest bit.¡± The primordial water goddess could also feel the power emanating from the deity in front, but she had a different opinion. ¡°Perhaps he could obtain the Divine Authority, but his may not beparable to his father¡¯s. With each session by force, the power of the Divine King diminishes, and at this level, he poses no threat to us.¡± Nodding, Oceanus thought of the other as somewhat his ¡®son-inw¡¯ and thus felt more at ease. Uranus lost his kinghood and could pin down his own children to beat them. Cronus, with the kinghood in hand, is being attacked by all the gods. By the time of Zeus, one would think he would be a bit more subdued. Unless he could possess power beyond Godhood and Divine Authority, which is impossible. So far, Oceanus had only seen simr signs in the Lord of the Spirit Realm, and the power he showed wasn¡¯t that strong. Intermediate Divine Power, or perhaps now it¡¯s powerful Divine Power. If it weren¡¯t for those enviable and powerful Divine Artifacts, his power would be just so-so. ¡°What do you think, what is Cronus thinking right now?¡± Having put his worries aside, Oceanus¡¯s mood rxed. Without asking, you would know that his brother is probably sitting on his throne, tormented by regret and fear. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have allowed the gods to corner him without showing his face until now. ¡°Be vignt. After all, he is the Divine King. And then there¡¯s the Underworld. Have you sent someone to watch over it?¡± From worry tocency, the primordial water goddess felt somewhat helpless as she looked at her husband. In front of her, Oceanus was always this way. ¡°Of course, our aloof daughter, Styx of the Styx River, has also somewhat taken Zeus¡¯s side. Let her take care of that ce.¡± ¡°But I think, even if something happens, she¡¯d probably just be a spectator. Inparison, the two Primordial Gods who returned without sessst time might pay more attention.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that you remember.¡± Thaesis also felt somewhat helpless about his eldest daughter. Since her birth, she had lived in the Underworld, and her only time away was not long ago when Zeus was establishing the Olympian pantheon. She chose an appropriate opportunity, as the first deity to join voluntarily, she asked Zeus to be the guardian of oaths. Faced with this request, the young deity agreed decisively. As a king, possessing such a status makes it easier for others to believe in his words. Moreover, with this power, the promises he made henceforth held some binding force. Zeus had no reason to refuse a win-win situation like this. As for having to be careful with his own words and actions from now on, Zeus wasn¡¯t too concerned about it. For trivial matters, he naturally meant to keep his word. And if it were some major event with significant consequences, he would simply pay a price. While they were talking, from the corner of their eyes, the couple noticed amotion among the deities surrounding Mount Othrys. Shortly after, a deity stepped out from the crowd. ¡°All right, it¡¯s about to begin. Thaesis, let¡¯s witness the downfall of the second-generation Divine King together.¡± Thinking about the peril of thest Divine King¡¯s session and the ease of the present moment, Oceanus couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Well, it¡¯s like bidding farewell to Cronus.¡± Nodding, as Thaesis¡¯ gaze fell upon Zeus, who had stepped out from among the deities, the primordial water goddess could see that Poseidon next to him seemed a bit unwilling, but he still made no move. Whether in terms of achievements or connections, Poseidon was far fromparing to his younger brother, so at this moment, it was natural for Zeus to be the one to step forward. ¡°Time flies by so swiftly.¡± Standing in front of the gods, Zeus thought silently. Even he had not anticipated that in just a short span of twenty years, when he returned to Mount Othrys, it would be as a conqueror. ¡°Indeed, strangers can¡¯t be trusted, and neither can brothers. Even wives and children are few and trustworthy.¡± Although Queen of Gods Rhea had aided Zeus, he took this as a precaution. It was, instead, his adoptive parents, Oceanus and his wife, whose family rtionship inspired Zeus to learn. Chapter 118 - 94 Are you satisfied? (Two in one 6k, added for the League Master 6062111)_2 Chapter 118: Chapter 94 Are you satisfied? (Two in one 6k, added for the League Master 6062111)_2 However, due to the distinctions in godhood, Zeus couldn¡¯t possibly sire tens of thousands of ocean deities with just one spouse like they did. Therefore, he secretly resolved that for the sake of stability in his future divine court, he could only apologize to Metis. Shaking his head slightly, those were matters to be considered after seizing the throne; Zeus refrained from dwelling on them any further. Now, just one step away from victory, he certainly didn¡¯t want to make a mistake at thest moment. ¡°It¡¯s about time.¡± He gave a slight nod to a few crucial deities within his camp, and Zeus then strode forth. He stood before the assembly of gods, in the high sky in front of Mount of the Gods, under the gaze of all deities of heaven and earth at this moment. He could feel the eyes of all the gods watching him, watching the being foretold by fate. This sensation of altering the world with every word and deed intoxicated Zeus profoundly. Although not all those who gazed upon him were convinced of his right to rule, that no longer mattered. Today, he would end the reign of the monarch of the previous era right here. ¡®The next era will be mine, and I will do better,¡¯ he thought to himself as Zeus smiled. Composing his expression, he looked at the tightly shut doors of the Divine Pce and delivered the judgment he had long prepared: ¡°Cronus, my father, I address you this way for thest time.¡± With growing intensity, Zeus¡¯s words carried great force. He was already anticipating the look on his Father God¡¯s face. ¡°You have been faithless to your Mother Goddess, unrighteous to your own brothers, and heartless to your offspring. Cronus, ultimately, all things have responded to this, and they have sent me here to end your brutal reign.¡± ¡°Stand forth, like a king and not a coward. I shall render unto you a just verdict as the sovereign of the Olympian godly order.¡± Zeus¡¯s voice echoed between the sky and the earth. He noticed a tiny figure at the foot of the mount seeming to look up in this direction. Since earthly matters were insufficient to capture his interest, he withdrew his gaze and focused on the Divine Pce before him. As time ticked by, no one responded to him. Gradually, a low murmuring began among the gods, and Zeus grew impatient. Just as he could barely hold back from taking action, the great doors finally opened. Creak¡ª A godly pce should not have produced such a sound, but indeed, it happened. The tall bronze doors swung slowly open, and a figure was faintly visible, retracting the hands that had pushed the gates. His spirits lifted, Zeus felt the impatience in his heart dissipatepletely. As long as the oue was as he envisioned, he didn¡¯t mind the wait. He looked ahead expectantly, as did the rest of the gods, all curious about what expression would be on the face of the once haughty and domineering second-generation Divine King. Despair, regret, or madness? In any case, it was unlikely to be abject submission; that was not the Cronus they knew. In the past, he had imposed so much pressure on them; now, they could derive as much pleasure from his predicament. Thus, under the scrunity of the gods, the figure took steps forward, emerging from the pce. Step, step¡ª Initially obscured by shadows, but soon, the figure was exposed to the eye of all gods. The familiar silhouette appeared under the sunlight, but unexpectedly, though it was unclear why he was alone, Cronus did not show any hint of panic. He just stood there, at the summit of Mount of the Gods, below the assembly of gods. Looking down from the sky at his father, for a moment, Zeus felt as though he was the one standing beneath. Narrowing his eyes slightly, he wasn¡¯t sure why, but his instincts told him that something was off with the deity before him. ¡°You¡¯ve finallye forth, Cronus. Are you ready to face my judgment?¡± Zeus felt unease but couldn¡¯t pinpoint what was wrong, so he resorted to masking it with voice and power. Clenching the divine artifact in his hand, the sacred item filled with Thunder and ¡®destruction¡¯ powers, the surging energy, however, failed to soothe the inexplicable unrest. He looked towards the Divine King, hoping to see fear, anxiety, panic, or rage in his adversary, as this would give Zeus the sensation of impending victory. But there was none. Atop Mount of the Gods, the slender figure didn¡¯t even afford Zeus the courtesy of a fleeting nce. He stood there, as if the master of all, surveying the gods far and wide. Or perhaps, he was indeed the master of this world. Some gods met his gaze, others averted theirs, and some even wore a mocking smile, but Cronus appeared utterly unfazed. He seemed rxed, not like someone on the battlefield but more like strolling in his own backyard, observing nts intended for others¡¯ pleasure. And he, the gardener tending to them. ¡°Quite the gathering.¡± After a short while, just when Zeus was about to lose his patience, Cronus spoke. His deep, maic voice carried out. Not loud, but surprisingly, it reached the ears of every deity present. The other deities showed no reaction; this was merely the Divine King¡¯s swan song, after all, and they were keen to hear what he had to say. Only the Ocean Deity Sovereign¡¯s expression grew increasingly solemn. As a True God at the peak of powerful deities, he was the only presence, aside from Zeus, to sense that something was amiss. Pity, however, that he too could not identify the source of wrongness. Divine Authority, the power of space and time, it all pointed to the Cronus he knew. If so, where did the problem lie? He began to guard against the surrounding area, thinking perhaps the threat came from some other entity. Chapter 119 - 94 Are you satisfied? (Two in one 6k, added for the League Master 6062111)_3 Chapter 119: Chapter 94 Are you satisfied? (Two in one 6k, added for the League Master 6062111)_3 In the starry sky, the core of the Zodiac Regions. Unbeknownst to when, the Heroic Spirits that used to roam here had vanished without a trace, and the stars had dimmed ordingly. Within the Sun, Hyperion¡¯s Divine Body had been reshaped a millennium ago, yet he remained trapped and impotent. Although his body was bound, his spirit soared ever higher. The very aspect of the [Sun] that erupts in a burst tended to nurture Destruction the quieter it became. Until today, when a sudden voice broke the Silence here. ¡°Quite the gathering.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Initially stunned, on hearing the familiar voice by his ear, perhaps due to being sealed too long, the first God of Sun did not immediately react. After all, at the core of the Sun, who else could be present but him? But the next moment, Hyperion instantly recognized the voice¡¯s owner, the brother he was ¡®obsessing over.¡¯ His eyes widened, and Divine Power shook the Chains of Law around him as he tried to escape this eternal prison. Unfortunately, Hyperion¡¯s resistance was futile under the binding Chains of Law. After his fruitless attempts, he could only yell furiously at the owner of the voice. ¡°Cronus, is it you, is it you?!¡± ¡°Are you here to mock me, is that it? Just wait! Once I get out, I will make you pay the price!¡± However, unlike the figure on Mount of the Gods, the Sun God¡¯s fury was confined within this celestial body, unheard by a second soul. Yet, even unnoticed by himself, with each struggle and tremor, the supposedly unbreakable Chains of Law silently began to show fissures. On the Delphic Great ins, Mother Earth was in a quandary. A yellow skirt wrapped around her, a trace of anxiety on her cheek. Gaia had never anticipated that a mere few Golden Apples and stalling Zeus for another decade would lead to this extent of events. Her son, who once rebelled against the Heavenly Father, was on the verge of being overthrown, and her imprisoned child had been released. Gaia¡¯s anger had gradually subsided; she wanted to reconsider, yet her other children stood by Zeus¡¯s side, leaving her hesitant and struggling to make up her mind. But at that moment, when Cronus¡¯s voice reached her ears, Mother Earth rose abruptly. She gazed toward the distant west, the Mount of the Gods where she had long resided, her face showing disbelief. Just now, the Divine King¡¯s voice had crossed half the continent, resonating in her ears with equal rity and precision. Yet what she found iprehensible was the total absence of any power fluctuations. Condensing millions of miles as if within arm¡¯s reach, without the slightest hint of fanfare, this mastery over the power of space and time was not something that immense Divine Power could achieve. As natural as moving one¡¯s own limbs, as if part of the very fabric of existence, it reminded Gaia of the feeling when she was one with the Earth. It was not her wielding the authority; she had be the Law itself. That feeling, as if she was the universe itself, was unforgettable to this day. ¡°But it¡¯s impossible, how could this be, is this Cronus?¡± ¡°His Godhood is simply not enough¡ªwait, no, it¡¯s not him! It¡¯s you, Laine, Erebus, who is it, who did this, where have you taken him?!¡± Initially shocked, Gaia quickly realized something was amiss. The being speaking seemed to be her child, but was definitely not him from within. Reaching greatness through the authority over time and space is not something Cronus could achieve. Even his former delusions were merely about aplishing this with the Divine King¡¯s authority. Recalling the Silver Humanity, the ns of The Dark Overlord, and Laine¡¯s Prophecy, Gaia finally understood that she had¡ªunintentionally¡ªmade a grave error. The other two had their own ns, but only she believed what she saw was everything. Without further hesitation, the Earth responded to its mistress¡¯s call. An endless curtain of earthy yellow light rolled back from all directions, enveloping the Mother Earth suspended in mid-air, and surged madly towards Mount of the Gods. She could ept her child¡¯s defeat, but she could never ept his silent, unnoticed erasure. Meanwhile, in the Realm of Lightlessness, at some unknown moment, The Dark Overlord stood too on the edge of his domain. One step forward would take him to the Underworld, one step back into the home he had inhabited for tens of thousands of years. The glow of the Nether Moon shone before him, marking the boundary between Light and Darkness. Erebus lurked within the Darkness, as on every day before. Nobody knew what he was thinking. He merely wore a faint smile, watching the strife upon the Earth. He too had heard the recent voice, but it was no big deal. Gaia still had two suspects in mind, yet he knew he hadn¡¯t acted, so it was obviously clear who had. As for Nyx, Erebus was certain she might be sitting in the Land of Eternal Night watching the spectacle unfold, but this matter was definitely unrted to her. It wasn¡¯t that he underestimated her, but the seemingly incredible yet usible course of events was likely not within the capability of a second entity. However, The Dark Overlord wasn¡¯t disheartened. Sometimes things seem iprehensible simply because there¡¯s a disparity in information at hand. Just as ordinary deities truly do not understand the Primordial Gods, so did Erebus not understand the other side. To understand is the prerequisite to conquest. On this point, he had not deceived Gaia. ¡°Hehe, how interesting, a genius idea. I wonder, what will you make use of this opportunity to do?¡± Chapter 120 - 94 Are you satisfied? (Two in one 6k, added for the League Master 6062111)_4 Chapter 120: Chapter 94 Are you satisfied? (Two in one 6k, added for the League Master 6062111)_4 ¡°Whatever it is, that is your concern. I only want to know the secrets I desire to understand,¡± Without sound, the entire Realm of Lightless was ready to cater to its master¡¯s wishes at any moment. Erebus wouldn¡¯t truly sit idly by, but all these, would onlymence after his own objectives had been achieved. Sensing the power hidden within the souls of Silver Humanity, The Dark Overlord had a premonition¡ªhe would attain his desire. Understanding the secrets of the world¡¯s creation might just happen today. ¡°Quite the turnout.¡± With the Divine King¡¯s simple statement, an invisible force reverberated unboundedly, shaking the world¡¯s fabric. Yet at this moment, in front of Mount Othrys, no deity realized this. In the vast world today, they could no longer sense changes everywhere as they did in the past. In their eyes, the Divine King had only used a trivial trick to transmit his voice to the deities present by unknown means. And even though the Divine King had aged, such a minor matter was still within his capabilities. Under their various thoughtful gazes, Zeus continued his performance. ¡°Of course, Cronus, as you can see, we are all gathered here!¡± In the presence of the gods, Zeus¡¯s voice rang out louder. He looked at his father, and powerful forces surged within him. Dark clouds enshrouded the sky, where silver and purple intertwined. Empowered by the Divine Artifact, the Arrows of Thunder, they released a divine might enough to make any other than the Primordial Gods avoid them. Feeling this power, his heart settled, and Zeus continued to speak loudly: ¡°We are gathered here precisely because of your mistakes.¡± ¡°As the Divine King, as the leader of the gods, your actions have made it intolerable for the children of the world, the personifications of the Law; this is why you¡ª¡± ¡°Enough.¡± The voice was soft, just two simple words, yet theypletely overrode Zeus¡¯s lofty speech. He tried to speak again, but for some reason, when he opened his mouth, no sound emerged. His heart sank, and Zeus immediately realized that his premonition hade true. His expression grew stern, and although he did not know how the other had done it, at this moment Cronus was definitely different from when they had shed before. It wasn¡¯t just these methods; there were other details too. If it weren¡¯t for his father still wielding the authority of time and space, the power of the Divine King also enveloping him, Zeus might have thought this was a different god altogether. But authority does not err, so he could only attribute the change to some psychological shift in his father during this period. ¡°Stop with those high-sounding words. Let¡¯s get back to the main point, my subjects who should be prostrated before me. I know you all are very displeased with me, in all kinds of ways,¡± Seeing that Zeus was ¡®quiet¡¯, Cronus nodded in satisfaction. Looking around, he saw his group of ¡®subjects¡¯ showing dissatisfaction on their faces. Since Zeus had ¡®fallen silent¡¯, they had no choice but to listen quietly. Today, after all, they were not the main characters. So in the silence, facing the ¡®rebels¡¯ scattered throughout the sky, the Divine King continued. ¡°At this point, who¡¯s right and who¡¯s wrong is no longer important. Since you want to unseat me from the throne with your own hands, thene at me.¡± ¡°The Divine King should exit in a manner befitting a king, that¡¯s true. However, what I want to tell you is if I choose to leave, it¡¯s not because of your coercion, but because I wish it.¡± With a smile on his lips, at this moment, he felt everything in the universe within his grasp. He sensed Gaia approaching from afar, felt the stirrings on the Sun, but none of these concerned him. Now, for the first time, he felt a direct, unparalleled power. He was already a little impatient to test it himself. However, due to earlier agreements, before taking action, he still had onest remark to make. With a genial smile as a father, he offered life advice to the golden-haired deity before him. ¡°And you, Zeus, I know you¡¯re getting a little eager. But as your father, I¡¯ll offer you one more piece of advice.¡± ¡°What I give you, is yours. What I don¡¯t give, you cannot take.¡± Without any warning, when his words ended, the gods suddenly realized that the light around had already dimmed without their noticing. ¡°What is that?¡± No one knew who spoke first, but as the gods looked up, they finally saw it. It was a giant hand, spanning between heaven and earth. At this moment, Chaos¡¯s sky, was obscured. ¡°Well, are you satisfied now?¡± Apart from themotion of the outside world, on the fourthyer of the Spirit Realm, everything remained the same. Laine, dressed in ck, stood not far from a silent figure. In the void around them, three cocoons nurturing deities hung there, belonging to the gods of Spring, Summer, and Autumn. Indistinctly, the sound of heartbeats emanated from them, as life spread throughout the realm. They could have been born long ago. But for some reason, the power of the Spirit Realm restricted them, maintaining them in this state of being unborn. ¡°Somewhat satisfied. At least, your admonishment to my rebellious son was quite to my liking. It¡¯s just a pity that I can¡¯t witness thetter half,¡± The figure shook his head slightly and looked toward Laine. He once again acknowledged the magical power of words. ¡°Let¡¯s start. I am already a bit impatient.¡± From where it began, so shall it end, and vice versa. Where it should have ended, that is where it must begin anew. Chapter 121 - 95 The Real Death Chapter 121: Chapter 95 The Real Death Standing in the fourthyer of the Spirit Realm, Cronus recalled the previous conversation and was once again astonished by the ancient god¡¯s boundless imagination. Prophecy could not achieve this, that much was certain. Cronus, as he existed now, was not the same as he had been thousands of years ago; he had developed his own understanding of the present world, of fate, and of all things. He clearly knew what prophecies could and could not do. But from another perspective, he realized that Laine had never relied on so-called ¡®Prophecy¡¯ to see his destiny; instead, he had used some other method. However, this only added anotheryer of mystery to him. The unknown is always more terrifying than the known. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t seen it here, I wouldn¡¯t have known that while we were fighting tooth and nail, you still had time to busy yourself with ¡ª what, art?¡± ¡°Heh, perhaps to you, my father¡¯s actions seemed like a performance, especially designed to amuse you.¡± Looking at the ¡®ignited¡¯ scroll on the ground, Cronus said self-mockingly. Previously, it was in such mes that he was burned of the part that floated on the ¡®surface¡¯, then watched as Laine adorned himself with that part. Now, what remained before him was just a special incarnation. ¡°Very lifelike, if it weren¡¯t me in the painting, perhaps I would even consider collecting it.¡± He made an appropriatement, though the scroll was ¡®burning¡¯ on the ground, the contents were still clearly visible. Heavenly Father Uranus was pierced through the chest, yet his expression was gentle and affectionate. He seemed to be whispering softly, like a loving father imparting wisdom to his children. Opposite him, he himself held a sickle, his face a mix of shock and anger, and the Titans had various expressions. At the bottom of the painting, the fissures in the earth were like a human face, symbolizing Mother Earth who had always been in opposition to the Sky. This scroll recorded the fall of the first Divine King and now, it was the ¡®fire¡¯ ignited by it that cremated the second Divine King. Regardless of what he himself was, ¡®Divine King Cronus¡¯ had already ¡®died¡¯. ¡°This power must be ¡®Death¡¯. With the ¡®death¡¯ of a Divine King, can it now support someone with Intermediate Divine Power?¡± After all, he had only ¡®died¡¯ halfway, so the concept of Death¡¯s ascension had not yet reached its end. Feeling that power, Cronus seemed to envision the end of all spirits. Of course, this did not include the gods, it could not affect the undying root of a True God. But at that moment, he recalled the only mistake in his life. Creatures he called demigods could probably be erased from existence effortlessly. ¡°Indeed. The world of Chaos is terrifyingly distorted in some ways, like life and death.¡± Nodding in agreement, Laine reached out and drew forth a ck power. It was the ¡®Death¡¯ previously absorbed by the Spirit Realm, which he cast into the mes on the ground. The fire flickered and then burned more fiercely. ¡°Let¡¯s begin,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯ve got what I wanted, you have the hope of rebirth, and then we¡¯ll embark on the greatest adventure of this era together.¡± ¡°An incarnation also counts as an adventure?¡± He replied indifferently, and Cronus stepped forward at a leisurely pace. ¡°An incarnation containing a part of my essence counts indeed. If I were trapped within, I too would have quite the headache.¡± He answered offhandedly, as the power of the Spirit Realm was gathered, intensifying around the ck fire in front of him. In Laine¡¯s presence, the former ¡®King of Time and Space¡¯ entered the mes of Death. The transformation that had begun halfway was now continuing. Even with unmatched power in the Spirit Realm, Laine could not coerce an undying True God if the other did not will it; such was the rule established at the birth of Chaos. But when the other party voluntarily cooperated, under the aegis of Great Divine Power, tiny, marvellous things began to peel off from Cronus. It was his past, his being, his Godhood, and also the world of Chaos, the gifts from Heavenly Father and Mother Earth to his identity as ¡®Cronus.¡¯ With each peel, the presence of the former Divine King diminished, and the burning ck fire grew more intense. Death is weak because in Chaos, gods do not die. But as a true immortal slowly stepped into ¡®Death,¡¯ the strength it embodied also continued to rise. From his feet to his knees, then spreading to his waist, neck, and over his head. The ck fire of the ¡®Death of the Divine King¡¯ grew fiercer, enveloping Cronuspletely. Until a moment arrived when, as if the fuel was extinguished, all the ck fire gradually died out. What remained in its ce was only a ck multifaceted crystal. In the preceding process, the Origin of Time and Space had merged into the world, making the seven nes more stable. At the core of the Spirit Realm, a mirror that had long taken shape suddenly surged in power by several notches. Beside it, the Origin of Time trembled once or twice but did not coalesce into one. Just as Laine had underestimated the Primordial Gods before, he also underestimated theplete Genesis Artifact. The sacred artifact belonging to Time still needed an opportunity to be born. Of course, from another point of view, when he mentioned that the artifact symbolizing ¡®Time¡¯ needed a couple of eras to develop at the end of thest era, it was quite apt. ¡°Tap¡ª¡± On the other side, the power drained, the somewhat blurred scroll fell to the ground after the ck fire went out. Its material had been changed, having undergone fate and recursion, its ¡®symbolism¡¯ in certain aspects was enhanced. But after the previous burning, it no longer possessed the might of a Divine Artifact. Chapter 122 - 95 The Real Death_2 Chapter 122: Chapter 95 The Real Death_2 But when Laine created it, it was specifically for today. Having witnessed the end of thest Divine King by his hand, he naturally could also bring about his own end. If it weren¡¯t for this special symbol of destiny, relying solely on the frail ¡®Death¡¯ to achieve all this would have indeed been difficult. ¡°Compared to before, you now seem more like the true ¡®Hidden¡¯.¡± ¡°Because your very existence has already been forgotten by all things.¡± At this moment, in the fourthyer of the Spirit Realm, it seemed as though the previous Divine King had been burned to death. However, in Laine¡¯s view, Cronus was still there. Only now, what constituted him was merely the immortal source as a deity. That was an essence Laine still couldn¡¯t understand to this day, originating from Chaos itself, stronger than even Great Divine Power. In terms of his previous life, such a supreme essence both existed and did not exist. It was neither pure nor impure, neither born nor annihted, neither increasing nor decreasing. ¡°Congrattions, you havepleted the first step of being reborn anew.¡± Stepping forward, he picked up the scroll covered in scorch marks and unfolded it. In the dim light, the figure of Cronus within the painting became somewhat indistinct and unreal. He then threw in what did not involve power, the existence that belonged to the identity of Cronus, back into the figure in the painting to replenish it, and then casually tossed the scroll to the side. But in the fourthyer of the Spirit Realm, where time and space were still chaotic and disordered, only the area around Laine and the cocoon of light formed with the three gods was governed by Order. Thus, in the chaotic time and space of the Spirit Realm, this powerless painting was just a flicker before its whereabouts became unknown. ¡°When shall we depart?¡± No voice came through, but Laine ¡®heard¡¯ Cronus¡¯s words. Now, only beings close to Great Divine Power could notice the former Divine King who had lost everything. Laine could sense the other¡¯s urgency, like a customer who has paid in full and even though they know it¡¯s unlikely for the other party to breach the contract, they still feel somewhat uneasy. This had nothing to do with identity or state of mind, after all, what he had given was everything. ¡°Don¡¯t rush, I still have some things to prepare.¡± With a sweep of his hand, in an instant, the power of the Spirit Realm enveloped most ces of Chaos¡¯s current world. With a subtle connection to the spiritual bodies, Laine directly locked onto his target. So many years had passed, and aside from a few dangerous ces, such as around the Primordial Gods or the edges of the oceans, the ends of the starry sky, the surfaceyer of the Spirit Realm had already covered almost everywhere. Therefore, under the influence of the Lord of the Spirit Realm, an invisible power spread out. All the souls of the deceased Silver Humanity were gathered into a sphere of light that fell into Laine¡¯s palm, with only the few Humans who survived the battle of the gods escaping this fate. But this might not necessarily be a good thing. After all, being taken away by Laine might not mean a bad end, but those Humans left behind on earth will surely be ounted for by the new king. ¡°Some souls can be used to give you a preview, to test the viability of my idea.¡± ¡°If it ends up sessful, I might as well leave these sinful souls to you. It seems you can make them bow and scrape to you, right?¡± With a slight smile, he had no intention of using the power of the Spirit Realm to dissolve and absorb the souls of the golden and silver generations of Humans. As he said before, merely harvesting souls as seeds was too crude. A continuous cycle was the right way. But given that the first two generations of Humans could not reproduce, the matter of cycling would fall upon their sessors. ¡°Of course, I will ensure that somemon souls stay in line.¡± With a hint of ill intent, although these Humans had no direct grievances with him, who asked them to be the symbols of enmity between Mother Earth and himself? Besides, the sinfulness of their souls was as visible as daylight in the special environment of the Spirit Realm. Cronus assured that no matter how ¡®naturally rebellious¡¯ these fellows were, he had plenty of methods to teach them what obedience meant. ¡°Then let¡¯s set off.¡± ¡°I have to say, I¡¯m somewhat looking forward to it. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that as the sovereign of Spirituality, the ¡®consciousness¡¯ within me is unified, I wouldn¡¯t dare go with you.¡± Taking a sprinkle of Well of Origin water in hand, Laine stepped out and, together with the intangible Cronus, vanished from the fourthyer of the Spirit Realm. And so thisyer of the Spirit Realm quieted down once again, only the three god-bearing cocoons and Death, whose power had reached the strength of Great Divine Power, continued to sway slowly in the void. At the same time Laine was collecting the souls of Silver Humanity, in the Realm of Lightless, the Lord of Darkness, Erebus, who stood at the boundary, had a slight change in expression. Raising his right foot, he was almost ready to step out. The entire Realm of Lightless trembled with his movement, and the Underworld would part before the Primordial Gods if he so wished, and he would personally test the depths of that ¡®Divine King.¡¯ But in the next instant, Erebus halted his step. He realized that the part of his power left within the souls of Silver Humanity had not been disturbed. They were still in the souls, undetected by anyone, nor had theye into contact with the origin of the Spirit Realm. ¡°Huh¡ªthere¡¯s no need to rush.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve waited through tens of thousands of years; what¡¯s a little while longer? Let him perform more futile efforts for now, what significance is there in unting power before the weak?¡± His eyes flickered for a moment before returning to normal; he continued to watch the unfolding events. Erebus could tell that the confrontation with the gods was a facade. In reality, the figure was testing the tolerance of the present world¡¯s rules in some form. Chapter 123 - 95 The Real Death_3 Chapter 123: Chapter 95 The Real Death_3 But this didn¡¯t hinder The Dark Overlord from uttering a sneer in the shadows, for he knew that soon the other woulde to realize that the rigid world of the present doesn¡¯t entertain anything like tolerance. Or rather, its level of tolerance was absolutely zero. His own sister still failed to understand this principle, even though Gaia herself was one of the keystones that formed the foundation of the present world; and yet, as she walked the earth with her half-majestic identity, she was continually greeted by relentless division and weakening. Even without seeing the trajectory of fate, Erebus could guess that before Gaia waspletely shattered and her divine powers dissipated, or before she returned to her original form, this weakening wouldn¡¯t cease. ¡°If my dear sister experiences this, then what about you?¡± ¡°Of course, you¡¯re not under Its control, so It can¡¯t directly influence you, but It can reject you, just as It has rejected me.¡± With a light chuckle, The Dark Overlord knew that the wonders of divine authority did not end there; otherwise, he would not have previously extolled them so highly. But the effects were more directed towards the Spirit Realm rather than any individual entity. But as Erebus didn¡¯t have a world of his own yet, he didn¡¯t much envy this effect. Continuing to stand on the edge of the realm, feeling that separated piece of darkness, Erebus patiently waited. Until he sensed them appearing in a ce that was both familiar and strange to him, not far from where he was. ¡°Tartarus¡­ I too am quite curious about what exactly resides within my oblivious brother.¡± ¡°Let me see what you¡¯re up to.¡± His brow slightly furrowed, the part of the soul led into the Abyss was undoubtedly beyond The Dark Overlord¡¯s expectations. Within it, although he could still feel his power, it was more passive. He could still know what they had experienced, but it was likely to be after the event urs, and there might be a slight dy. But how the souls of Silver Humanity were handled was never in his control to begin with. So Erebus had no additional reaction, he simply stood with his hands behind his back, silently waiting. Meanwhile, upon the earth. The power of the Divine King was the manifestation of the blessing of the present world; others might not notice the issue, but the world itself was not easily deceived. On Cronus, each and every second, such power was continually slipping away. Even if he did nothing, it wouldst at most seven days. Therefore, to ensure the divine power that was fast depleting in its intertwining with the current order of the world might persist a little longer, Cronus had a thought and lifted a distant seal. Suddenly, the power maintaining the seal returned, and the atmosphere around him instantly stabilized. Pleased and nodding in approval, Cronus nced in front of him. His right hand exerted a gentle force, and the gods, who were still struggling, were immediately pressed inch by inch to the ground. The thunder and the deluge, transformed from divine power, shed against the colossal hand, yet could not shake it in the slightest. ¡°Gaia, truly an old friend.¡± Looking up, towards the east of the vastnd, a yellow light illuminated the sky, a sign that Mother Earth was on her way. Compared to Zeus, who was far from his peak, this Primordial God, who hadn¡¯t yet declined to her extreme, was a worthy opponent to be confronted. ¡°Now, this is getting interesting. The current Zeus is just so-so. To make the present world feel the ¡®threat¡¯ from the gods, he alone is not enough.¡± With a snort, ¡®Cronus¡¯ blurred for a moment. The next instant, as the power of space and time surged, a phantasmal figure connecting heaven and earth soared into being. With his head touching the sky and his feet on the ground, Mount of the Gods was but weeds by his legs, and the rivers and mountains were merely ants before him. Adjusting to the new perspective, the colossal phantasmal presence moved, confronting Gaia from afar. ¡°Who are you?¡± Watching this scene, Gaia gritted her teeth, confirming her suspicion. Cronus had been reced, and through the earth¡¯s sensing, nowhere else could she find the presence of her youngest son. Laine or Erebus, only these two had the potential tomit such an act. At that moment, Gaia once again regretted why she had believed her brother¡¯s lies. Whatever meant for the Spirit Realm and Silver Humanity might just be as the Prophecy had spoken, a poison aimed specifically at the Divine King. In front of her, however, ¡®Cronus¡¯ didn¡¯t care about her thoughts. He merely bent slightly, and the clouds in the sea of clouds parted in session. Looking towards his ¡®Mother Goddess,¡¯ who was nominally himself, ¡®Cronus¡¯ said indifferently. ¡°Who am I? Do you not see clearly yet, Gaia? I am the Divine King, the supreme ruler of the sky, the earth, and the oceans.¡± ¡°Of course, if you prefer to call me by my very first name, that¡¯s also fine.¡± The colossal phantasmal figure looked up, beholding the starry direction above. It seemed that with the unsealing, something expected had changed there. But it was meaningless. In the past, the master of the sun was an adversary, but now, the sun itself was nothing but a toy. So, he looked towards Mother Earth, towards the gods, and towards all beings that should pledge loyalty to the Divine King. Since he was now the Divine King, he should say what a Divine King ought to say. ¡°Sing praises to my name, my foolish subjects.¡± Supreme power coalesced, apanying his voice, spreading throughout the world. ¡°I am Cronus, I am the King of Time and Space!¡± The power that had reached its zenith swirled around the massive phantasm, like silvery white ribbons of light. The next moment, ¡®Cronus¡¯ clenched his fists and hammered down fiercely towards the earth. Without any flourish, this was the collision between status and power. A vast and endless halo of earthy yellow light staunchly blocked his path, facing this world-shaking strike, Gaia merged with the earth, and the authority of the Primordial Gods was undeniable. The world seemed to fall silent for an instant, as two powers beyond mighty Divine Powers shed, the void began to crumble, and the shockwaves drove the gods back. Gaia was slightly inferior, and therefore at the point of her position, the earth sunk in, forming a massive basin. Countless Mountain Gods and River Gods turned to dust in an instant, but it was not over yet. Under the horrified gazes of the gods, the phantasm that had just caused all of this took a step back due to the rebounding force, and collided thunderously with the towering Mount of the Gods. The next moment, Mount Othrys, the tallest mountain in the world, closest to the sky, began to tremble violently and then slowly copsed towards the northwest. Chapter 124 - 96 Tartarus Chapter 124: Chapter 96 Tartarus Time had reverted to not long before. The collision on the earth had just begun, Mother Earth had not yet arrived, and the Mount of the Gods remained unscathed, while the sky and the earth had not yet started to quake. But in the Underworld, Laine¡¯s avatar, carrying the items prepared in advance, stepped out of the Spirit Realm along with the essence left by Cronus. In fact, half a day earlier, when the mes of ¡°The Death of the Divine King¡± had burned away what belonged to ¡®divine authority¡¯ from Cronus, the transition between epochs had already begun. As for theter burning of the remaining parts of the former Divine King, it had little to do with the epoch transition; it was merely a personal affair of Cronus, the god of time and space. To use the past tobat the present, to use a Divine King tobat another, that was where the value of ¡°The Death of the Divine King¡±y, not just as a mere scroll of a Divine Artifact. If Laine simply wanted a few artifact-level paintings, he could have easily created several, but only this masterpiece, born at the turn of an era and imbued with special content, possessed the same special ¡®symbolism¡¯. With its help, the power of the Divine King was stripped away and transferred to Laine¡¯s true self. However, even though he had deceived the Law as much as possible, this power was still difficult to retain in his external body for long. Of course, Laine did not need it tost too long, the time he had was already enough to finish what he wanted to do. Probing the rules of the modern world, increasing the restrictions on the powers of the gods of the next era, and granting the Spirit Realm ¡®legitimate¡¯, world-facing rights¡ªthese tasks, difficult to achieve as Lord of the Spirit Realm, could easily be aplished under the auspices of the Divine King. Byparison, things like endorsing the Magic Net¡¯s establishment in the modern world were minor details. After all, even without the authority of the Divine King, it was highly probable that the modern world¡¯s rules would not reject the Magic Net. Organizing energy, rifying chaos, these were the very activities favored by the modern world. If it weren¡¯t for the source of the Magic Net originating from the Spirit Realm, and that over the past thousands of years, it had gradually blended with the power of the Spirit Realm, it¡¯s likely that Hecate could have received the samemendation from the Law as Themis once did. Of course, she probably wouldn¡¯t have that chance now. Besides, aside from the serious matters, Laine also wanted to take this opportunity to experience the pleasure of suppressing the gods with force. Otherwise, he could havepleted all this secretly, rather than confront the gods with his power alone, as he was doing now. In truth, every intellectually active person has, deep down, entertained the notion of solving all problems with force. In the midst of a whirlwind of thoughts, Laine did not linger any longer. The true self had its tasks, and the avatar had its own mission. In an instant, he and Cronus appeared in a familiar ce. The boundary between the Underworld and the Abyss, the portal between the modern world and the realm beyond. The chaotic rules were evident here, with up and down inverted, left and right switched, everything seemed iprehensible. This was the most terrifying interface among the realms beyond the world, a collection left over from the creation of the world, the source of all chaos, the Bottomless Abyss, Tartarus. Laine had only recently witnessed Zeus and his two brothers entering and exiting this ce, and Cronus also had some understanding of it. After all, as an eternal prison, even if it had not been used until now, the Divine King inevitably wanted to learn about it. Especially the curse from the Heavenly Father before his death, which had hinted that this was supposed to be his destined end. ¡°Your future new home, it doesn¡¯t look too bad, does it?¡± He cracked a joke casually, Laine actually didn¡¯t mind the chaos of this ce that much. Unlike the deities of the modern world, the Spirit Realm was inherently a ce where chaos and order coexisted. Even though Laine himself preferred thetter, he epted the former as well. Thus, the Spirit Realm became increasingly chaotic from the outside going in, but the core, Mount Sinai, was the anchor that supported everything. ¡°If it were before, I definitely couldn¡¯t have epted it, after all, my divine body and Godhood were ipatible with this ce.¡± ¡°But now, with only my innate essence of immortality left, I actually don¡¯t feel any aversion to this ce.¡± Comparing his past and present feelings, Cronus had to admit that the modern world had an unceasing influence on the gods. Even though they themselves were unaware, Godhood was subtly changing their thoughts. However, once stripped of everything bestowed by the modern world, this influence was also isted. If Chaos can be considered a whole, then the modern world was only its most significant part, not the entire entity. Therefore, standing here, the former Divine King felt no excessive sense of rejection. Since the dawn of the world, the will of Chaos had been expressed in only three ces. The first was the warning that resonated through the world when the Spirit Realm was created, the second was the birth of the immortal essence of the gods, and thest was spected to have urred at the very beginning of creation, before the Primordial Gods were born. Beyond that, divine phenomena like the creation of the Divine King¡¯s authority, and even the deity¡¯s Godhood and divine bodies, were products below the order of the modern world. Outside the modern world, like Laine¡¯s Spirit Realm¡ªthough the symbol of authority, the Multifaceted Crystal, is also called Godhood¡ªin strict terms, it¡¯s not a structure, so sometimes, its own creator refers to it as Deity. ¡°Let¡¯s go, don¡¯t waste time. The epoch transition is just a moment.¡± Laughing, Laine took the lead into the boundary between the Abyss and the Underworld. ¡°If you¡¯re concerned about theck of time, couldn¡¯t you have fought a bit longer above?¡± Chapter 125 - 96 Tartarus_2 Chapter 125: Chapter 96 Tartarus_2 He said as much, but Cronus followed closely behind. Although he too wished for his rebellious son to take a few more beatings, he was acutely aware that the divine battle ying out on Earth, and the skirmishes among the gods, were but a facade. Whaty hidden behind it was the question of what kind of retribution would befall when half of a great deity¡¯s might was unleashed upon the world. Mother Earth herself was a part of the creation of the present world, and considering that she seldom directly disyed her power, the impact on her was more like being slowly sliced by a blunt knife. However, whether or not the actions of other beings would provoke a more direct response was the focal point of this test. Currently, with the lingering Divine Authority serving as a shield, all consequences from the ¡®test¡¯ could be covered by it. The faster it faded, the more intense the reaction from the present world. And when that powerpletely vanished, Laine¡¯s true body would have to leave. After all, there was no being in Chaos that could stand against the present world just yet. A distortion in space-time ensued, and in the next moment, Laine and Cronus arrived in this strange world one after the other. Stepping through this ¡®gateway¡¯, their connection to the Underworld was severed. Even if they retraced their steps, they could no longer return to where they hade from. Currently, Laine could still rely on the link between his avatar and the Spirit Realm to find the right path, much as Zeus relied on the faint power of the Divine King to travel back and forth from the Titans¡¯ prison. But once deeper inside, whether that connection could be maintained was uncertain. However, while the connection might be broken, the synchronicity of thought would not. Not even Tartarus could block the Sovereign of Spirits¡¯ execution of his authority. ¡°Let¡¯s go deeper in, the outer forces here are too weak. If we choose this ce for the transformation, it might take thousands of years toplete,¡± Laine said after surveying the surroundings. ¡°The power here is indeed somewhat thin, but within Tartarus, how do you distinguish ¡®inside¡¯ from ¡®outside¡¯?¡± Cronus asked, somewhat baffled, given that he had been here before. There was a gap between the Cronus of the past and Laine¡¯s true body, but not so much that he should be outdone by an avatar. If he couldn¡¯t perceive it, neither should the other. ¡°Do you remember the Chaotic Source Force I took when Themis was legiting?¡± Laine extended his hand, and a serpentine mist appeared in his palm. Cronus recognized it at a nce¡ªit was the externalized form of the Chaotic Source Force. ¡°I do have some understanding of Chaos. One of the preparations I made for this trip was taking some of it to form the basis of this avatar. Hence, I might not notice subtle changes in the Abyss, but I can still discern the broad strokes of strong and weak areas,¡± Laine exined. After determining the direction, Laine led the way. ¡°Follow me, if we get separated, I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ll be able to find you again. By that point, you¡¯ll have to rely on luck,¡± he cautioned. Without a word, the former Divine King dutifully followed Laine. Now, left only with his immortal essence, if he strayed from Laine¡¯s vicinity, he couldn¡¯t even affect his environment. Strictly speaking, his current state was just a step away from eternal slumber. It was only because of a previous agreement that the power of spirituality kept him conscious. In the Abyss, they moved forward slowly. Their path twisted and turned, sometimes circr, without any logical sense to their actions. But as time ticked by, even with just a fraction of his essence remaining, Cronus could feel the surrounding aura bing increasingly dense. However, as they ventured deeper, at a certain moment, Laine suddenly stopped. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Though the aura indicated deep pration into the bowels of Tartarus, Cronus was certain they were still far from the center. ¡°Nothing much, I¡¯ve just noticed something strange.¡± Laine furrowed his brow and gestured lightly through the chaos surrounding them. The next moment, the space fluctuated, and a mysterious, ever-changing rune appeared in his hand. At first nce, the rune resembled the one Laine had left in Delphi, with its shifting, uncertain feel of being both tangible and intangible. But upon closer inspection, one could sense a vast difference between the two. The rune Laine left behind not only had a much higher nature, approaching the origin of ¡®writing¡¯, but it also bridged the gap between order and chaos. Just by observing it, one could gain a wealth of conceptual knowledge. Even from the perspective of witchcraft, such a symbol, representing the Lord of the Spirit Realm, could be used for meditation. But the rune in his hand was different. Perhaps because it originated in the Abyss, Laine felt its sole purpose was to be meaningless. Of course, if one considered ¡®naming¡¯ as meaning, then it did have one. However, since there were no other life forms or objects in Tartarus, this sole value of ¡®naming¡¯ was also rendered worthless. ¡°Writing? There¡¯s something like that in the Abyss too?¡± Cronus couldn¡¯t help but express his surprise. The present world had innate divine writing, Laine had created the original Spirit Script, Metis had created Hydrology, and there were also ordinary scripts taught to Humans thatcked transcendent power, but those all presupposed a user. First there was the Deity Race, then came the innate divine writing. The Lord of the Spirit Realm and spiritual life formed, and the original Spirit Script followed. It was only after the myriad Oceanides appeared that Hydrology emerged. And without Humans, ordinary scripts would not have been created. Chapter 126 - 96 Tartarus_3 Chapter 126: Chapter 96 Tartarus_3 But the Abyss was void of anything, devoid of any signs of life having ever existed. The only ones that had ever been there were the three Titans who served as prisoners. Cronus truly couldn¡¯t fathom what meaning there could be in the birth of script here. It couldn¡¯t possibly be for the Abyss itself to read, yet Tartarus was the only Primordial God without personification,cking the ability to ¡®see¡¯. ¡°Who knows¡­ The Abyss is one of the few ces that even I know nothing about.¡± ¡°Whatever happens here, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised. That¡¯s also why I describe this journey as an ¡®adventure¡¯, for I¡¯ve even prepared for the possibility that the Abyss might suddenlye to life.¡± After studying the script in his hand for a while, Laine summoned a few more forparison. But in the end, he still couldn¡¯t discern anything. ¡°Let¡¯s continue onward, hoping to find the answers inside. This journey into the Abyss has truly been quite fruitful.¡± Setting them aside, Laine decided not to dwell on it any longer. At the core of the Abyss, he thought he would likely find the oue. Even if the core held no answers, once Cronuspleted his transformation, he might tell him the answer, if by that time his mind had not been confused by the powers of Chaos. ¡°Okay.¡± Nodding, Cronus also found this matter very interesting. After all, Laine¡¯s foundation was in the Spirit Realm; how the Abyss was, was only due to a desire for exploration and prevention that he paid it attention. But for the former Divine King, it was necessary to understand every bit of the unknown here, so as not to unintentionally cause even greater troubles in the future. Discarding the script in his hands, the two set off once more. As they continued deeper, the surrounding void became darker, sometimes even taking on the color of Chaos. Streaks of Chaotic Source Force roamed around, and Laine tried to make contact with them but eventually gave up. These freely dissipating remnants of Source Power within the bowels of the Abyss were difficult to utilize; they were the leftovers from the creation of the world, the detritus from the copse of the Chaotic Void. If he took them out and tried to process them with the entire body of the Spirit Realm, it indeed could be done, but the point was trivial. On one hand, they were difficult to collect, and on another, it was too time-consuming. Laine could roughly judge that even if he spent ten thousand years, the power gained would likely be inconsequential. Even Chaos itself, beingrger than the Spirit Realm, chose to expel them into the body of Tartarus, letting them slowly erode over the long years. Rather than Laine spending his energy on them, it would be more valuable to think about how to improve the inner cirction of the Spirit Realm. As they delved deeper, the Chaos tint and the currentsced with strands of Source Power became even denser. Under such circumstances, Laine also had to release his powers to resist the surrounding environment. In one moment, as they once again dodged a tidal wave formed by converging currents, Laine stopped in his tracks. Standing here, he could already see the core of the Abyss. Laine¡¯s expression was a mixture of surprise and understanding, as all his previous doubts were answered, yet now he was unsure whether to feel disappointed or excited. ¡°What is it now?¡± Having been impatient yet interrupted once more, Cronus showed a hint of impatience, but he stillposed himself. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Hesitating for a moment, Laine organized his thoughts. He was considering how to deal with the situation, but eventually, he began to speak slowly. ¡°Although this is the Abyss, with the help of the Chaotic Source Force that makes up this incarnation, I am still able to sense within a certain range, which I¡¯ve mentioned before.¡± ¡°Yes, so we¡¯re close now, you¡¯ve already seen the core of Tartarus?¡± With a rxed expression, Cronus inquired. ¡°Yes, but I now have a piece of good news and a piece of bad news to tell you. Which do you want to hear first?¡± His tone carried a hint of regret, but Laine did not intend to deceive the other party. After all, without Cronus, he himself would not be able to reap the benefits unless he gave up everything and epted the Abyss¡¯s transformation first, bing one of Its beings. But that was impossible. Straightforwardly, even if Cronus obtained it, he could still get a share of it. After all, this was not part of their previous agreement, and the other party also needed his help. ¡°Bad news¡­?¡± At his side, Cronus¡¯s expression became stiff; he had obviously misunderstood something. He had already gambled everything away, just as Laine once described him, the former Divine King had wagered it all, waiting for the moment to turn the tables. Now, any piece of bad news was something he did not wish to hear. ¡°¡­Then let¡¯s hear the bad news first.¡± The former Divine King took a deep breath and spoke. In any case, there was no room for regret for him now. No matter the oue, he would have to ept it. ¡°The bad news is that our previous n may no longer be viable.¡± ¡°I had thought that there were no living beings in the Abyss and that as long as you could make it here, by epting the Abyss¡¯s assimtion with a status devoid of all worldly endowments, intrinsic to that of a deity, then you could be its first god. You would be to the Abyss what the Primordial Gods were to the world.¡± ¡°But now, an Outsider has taken your ce there. Having lost the notion of being ¡®the first,¡¯ even if we continue the n, your gains would be much diminished.¡± Observing more closely, Laine looked even more regretful. It was a pity that he was only an avatar entering now, but no one knew what was inside the Abyss, and not being able to prepare beforehand was to be expected. As for having his true bodyeter for exploration, that would be pointless. Opportunity was fleeting, and it seemed that he would have to reluctantly be a shareholder, sharing in the dividends. ¡°What about the good news?¡± After a prolonged silence, Cronus thought Laine felt sorry for him. He reluctantly epted this oue, as it seemed his luck had never been particrly good. Now, it was just another blow. Although he had lost the concept of being ¡®the first,¡¯ he could still be an Abyssal Demon Lord; it was just that the result was rather far from what he had envisioned. However, in front of him, Laine provided an answer that was beyond his expectations. ¡°The good news I have for you is¡ª¡± Shaking his head slightly, Laine looked at the former Divine King beside him. It had to be said that perhaps fortune had turned, and this time, the other party might just pick up a bargain. Of course, along with the bargain, there also came a powerful enemy. ¡°I¡¯ve opened up the Spirit Realm, you know that, right?¡± ¡°Yes, so what?¡± ¡°So, have you ever considered opening one yourself, perhaps a smaller, weaker one, but a world that can grow and be strong without the influence of the current world?¡± Chapter 127 - 97 The Forgotten Goddess Chapter 127: Chapter 97 The Forgotten Goddess In the heart of the Abyss, Laine spoke in an even tone, yet his words stirred tempestuous waves in Cronus¡¯s heart. To create a world, in the previous era, no god knew what this meant, but now, there was not a single god who did not desire it. Even though most deities were unaware of the deeper secrets behind it, Laine, like a Primordial God, lived in seclusion beyond the world, unaffected by two changes of Divine Kings, and even the Twin Gods of the Dark Night found him untouchable, a fact known to all. For the former Divine King and the Primordial Gods, though, they saw something deeper. To effortlessly seal a True God, to step outside the framework of current-dayws, they might not have grasped the most fundamental secrets, but what was now revealed was enough to excite them. Theplete will of Chaos World rarely interfered with the gods, or rather, aside from the one time Laine created a world, no other god had ever felt its presence. However, the part of it that existed in this world was different; it constantly reminded the gods that, though they seemed immortal, a sword still hung above their heads. This was unbearable for them, and so the feeling of rebellion naturally emerged, along with an intensifying desire to create their own worlds. Cronus felt this especially strongly. Even without the authority of ¡®Indeterminable Destiny,¡¯ once he created a world, the impact of fate on him would greatly diminish, and he was very clear about this fact. Just like the Abyss, its connection to the current world was limited to a mutually connected passageway, and thus, throughout the ages, it had never undergone any changes due to fate. But because he understood this very clearly, Cronus found it somewhat unbelievable. Was Laine truly giving him an opportunity to stand on equal footing? If it were him, he would never allow a second god to possess such power. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand, Cronus, our worlds are probably somewhat different,¡± ¡°Although I¡¯m not very clear on the specifics, I can be sure that even if you seed, your beginning would still be somewhat behind my Spirit Realm.¡± Shaking his head gently, Laine saw through Cronus¡¯s thoughts. But just as he had considered, if it would cause significant trouble for himself, he would rather not do it. In fact, it was not just the start, but the upper limit of the new world that constituted the real difference between them. Years had passed, and Laine gradually discovered that the essence of the Spirit Realm¡¯s temporal nature was not the temporal source power of Cronus, but rather the faint temporal divinity he once possessed. At the time, he hadn¡¯t paid much heed to it, but now, Laine realized its strength. It was something left behind along with his spiritual body after enduring the baptism of the Chaotic Void, even Chaos had not been able to take it away. This was the foundation of the Spirit Realm, and that temporal source power was secondary. ¡°I¡¯m not particrly concerned about that. Go on, tell me what you¡¯ve found.¡± Of course he cared, but Cronus didn¡¯t expect to immediately create a world stronger than the Spirit Realm. Right now, he was more interested in what he was about to gain. And what he would have to give in return. ¡°Do you still remember Mnemosyne?¡± Gazing into the distance, Laine felt somewhat sentimental. He hadn¡¯t expected such a twist. He had wondered which influence was behind theck of the second wife for Zeus among those missing. He considered the Twin Gods of the Dark Night, Mother Earth, and even the Heavenly Father who still hung in the sky, but he had never anticipated that it would be the unpersoanlzied Abyss. After all,pared to the others, the power of the Abyss was stronger, and its istion from destiny naturally more effective. ¡°Mnemosyne? Thousands of years ago, before the siege on the stars, I even mentioned her to Rhea,¡± His expression changed slightly, and Cronus also remembered his sister. ¡°Not long after I had overthrown my father, due to the matters of the Memory godhood, she harbored resentment towards you. Rumors said that she sought out Lady Night first but was turned away, and then she lingered at the gate of the Abyss for a long time, ultimately daring not to step inside.¡± ¡°Later,¡± it was said that she was taught a lesson by As, the God of Strength, who had not long been born, and then she vanished without a trace.¡± Reflecting on the past, Cronus still remembered that at that time, Rhea had stood by his side without hesitation. Perhaps a goddess who loves her children is a good wife and a good mother, but she is not a good Queen of Gods. However, the former Divine King didn¡¯t resent her. In any case, let the rtionship between them be reduced to dust along with the ¡°death¡± of Cronus. Thereafter, she was revered on the new Mount Olympus, while he became the new king in the Bottomless Abyss. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that Mnemosyne eventually made up her mind after that and entered into Tartarus¡­¡± ¡°But didn¡¯t you say before that it¡¯s difficult to be transformed by the power of the Abyss when one has both Godhood and a Divine Body? That¡¯s why you asked me to cleanse myself of all past events?¡± Detecting an issue, Cronus couldn¡¯t help but speak up and question. ¡°It is difficult, which is why it took her nearly ten thousand years and she still hasn¡¯tpleted the process. This is all based on the premise that Mnemosyne only had Weak Divine Power. Otherwise, even several epochs might not be enough to wash away the imprints of the current world on her.¡± Faced with Cronus¡¯s interrogation, Laine exined patiently. ¡°I don¡¯t know how she entered, nor how she reached the core of the Abyss, but there is no doubt that she is being transformed.¡± ¡°Your sister willingly gave up her identity as a Titan Goddess of the present world, choosing instead to be part of the Abyss. Her Godhood of ¡®Language¡¯ and ¡®Innate Script¡¯ was stripped away over tens of thousands of years, and now she has almostpletely be part of the Abyss. When she awakens, she will be the first Primordial Deity born of the Abyss. She willpletely shed her former weakness, of course, and will also bear some responsibilities.¡± Some responsibilities, Laine could guess what kind of obligations a goddess might have. ¡°I see¡­ then you might be in trouble.¡± Having epted Laine¡¯s exnation, Cronus couldn¡¯t help but turn and jest: ¡°She has always been ¡®unforgettable¡¯ to you.¡± ¡°Let here. If she were a male deity, that would indeed be troublesome, for she would take the path I had originally envisaged for you. Regrettably, she is a goddess.¡± ¡°Although I don¡¯t know why, even the chaotic Abyss does not recognize a female deity to assume the highest authority.¡± Not that he cared much, for Laine of the present no longer regarded any being without Great Divine Power. In the future, there¡¯s a saying in The East, ¡®Below the sage, all are ants,¡¯ and Chaos World was much the same. Those who haven¡¯t reached this step are mere pawns. As for what this has to do with male and female deities, it goes back to the method Laine initially used to persuade Cronus. For the former Divine King, if he couldn¡¯t continue to possess Divine Authority and power, he might as well sleep eternally like the Heavenly Father. Therefore, to borrow the Divine Authority of Cronus, and for the remnant temporal Origin, as well as for the sake of the impending perfection, Laine also went to great lengths to consider for him. The so-called Divine Authority is not like Godhood, but an additional authority granted by thews of the current world. Thus, it rises and falls with the changes in the might of the Divine King and grows stronger with events like ¡®legition¡¯ and ¡®creation of life¡¯ under his rule, for it is indeed an embodiment of the world¡¯s favor. Chapter 128 - 98: All Three Chapter 128: Chapter 98: All Three Thus, having understood the nature of the Divine King¡¯s power, Laine boldly made a prediction. In the present world that only possessed instinct devoid of wisdom, it would select those recognized by the gods or those who had rendered meritorious deeds to be the Divine King. But what about the Abyss thatcked personification? Among the gods, the first-born Primordial Gods were the mightiest. So, in the Abyss devoid of any trace of life, the divinity that first came into being would certainly not be inferior. Shedding everything from the past, stepping into the Abyss in his purest form, embracing chaos and disorder, he would be the first deity of this ce. Cronus would thus gain new power and, as the ¡®Bringer of Life and Change to the Abyss,¡¯ would be the ¡®king¡¯ of Tartarus, just like the Heavenly Father Uranus¡ªnot granted by man, but bestowed by ¡®heaven¡¯ itself. It was under such words that Laine¡¯s n ultimately swayed Cronus. Compared to the heavily constrained present world, bing the first god and an eternal monarch of the Abyss was not at all a worse choice. Therefore, under the joint witness of the Spirit Realm and the power of the Divine King, the two parties reached this agreement, and thus today¡¯s events unfolded. Even today, Cronus still remembered those words Laine had said to him, which seemed to foretell destiny itself. ¡°¡­Three times you will gestate, three times you will be reborn. At the juncture where two eras transition, spanning three ages, you will once againe into this world¡­ The Abyss is the final destiny of your fate, just as the earth is the final destiny for you and your brothers. But once you cleanse the past, everything can begin anew.¡± ¡°This time, you will reign over the world in the name of the master of the Bottomless Abyss, and with Tartarus¡¯ refuge, fate can no longer easily sway you.¡± ¡°Seek vengeance against the present world, against your children, and of course, you can choose to seek vengeance against me as well.¡± At the time, Laine¡¯s seemingly indifferent words were filled with profound temptation. The former Divine King had to believe again thatnguage indeed possessed magic power; hence, in the end, he let go of the past and chose to be here. However, at this moment, something unexpected arose in the original n, but the result seemed to be even better. ¡°So, what exactly is your good news, and what does it have to do with the creation of a new world?¡± No one could keep their cool during such a critical moment. Laine¡¯s earlier predictions had already satisfied him immensely, but now there seemed to be an even better oue, and Cronus could hardly contain himself. With a slight smile, at this juncture, Laine had no desire to keep teasing. ¡°The specifics are quiteplicated, but to put it simply, do you remember what happened when Themis was establishing thews?¡± ¡°I do,¡± Cronus nodded thoughtfully: ¡°She redefined order for the present world and then expelled the residual chaos from between thews¡ªso you¡¯re saying?¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Laine confirmed at his side: ¡°Just as the purest chaos is mixed in the present world, pure order also lingers in the Abyss.¡± ¡°Because of the gestation of the first deity, thews within Tartarus are extremely active. The part that represents order has been instinctively expelled and mixed with some of the primitive powers lingering from the creation, which is the good news I was talking about.¡± ¡°First let the Abyss assimte you, then take over this force rejected by It as ¡®one of Its own.¡¯ By that time, you will not only be able to create a realm with it but can also establish a connection with the Abyss, a symbiotic, mutual devouring connection.¡± ¡°What a pity,¡± hemented in the end: ¡°Such opportunities are fleeting, and I can¡¯t abandon everything to embrace the Abyss in my purest form as you will. Otherwise, I would be quite tempted by this opportunity myself.¡± ¡°Hu¡ª¡± ¡°Then I am rather lucky¡­ Hahahaha¡ª¡± Unable to hold back, he finallyughed. Perhaps the ups and downs of this period had exerted a great psychological burden on the former Divine King. An uncontroble joy surged in Cronus¡¯s heart; he had not expected to have such an opportunity. Creating a realm, bing the World Master was indeed a way to aspire to reach Great Divine Power. For a moment, he felt that all the sacrifices he had made before were worth it. ¡°Hmm, your luck is indeed not bad, so do you have any experience with creating worlds?¡± ¡°Moreover, after being assimted by the Abyss, it¡¯s likely difficult for you toplete the task of taking that ¡®order¡¯ and then betraying It, all on your own.¡± Laine nced at Cronus, who hade to his senses, and didn¡¯t tease him further. Although he indeed intended to have a share in the new world, he did not n to devote much effort to this matter in the future. He would be more invested in the Spirit Realm, and this new world situated in the Abyss would partly rely on Cronus¡¯s own management. On the other hand, Laine was also prepared to let other beingse to ¡®work.¡¯ ¡°I can give you this power, allowing you the strength to resist It after being transformed by the Abyss. I¡¯ll use the origin of this avatar of mine.¡± ¡°However, in the future world, I will also have my share. Not much, I only want thirty percent.¡± Just thirty percent, which was the result of careful deliberation. If he asked for too much, then either Cronus would devote all his energy to dealing with Laine, or he might choose to let things take their own course. After all, if he did not hold the main control, striving would be meaningless. If too little, Laine felt it would also cause trouble, as it would lessen many of the former Divine King¡¯s cares. He might even think of how to cut ties with Laine, even if it would deal a severe blow to the newborn world. Thirty percent was just right, neither too much nor too little, and suited Laine¡¯s intentions perfectly. ¡°¡­Thirty percent, agreed. But aren¡¯t you afraid that one day I will surpass you?¡± Calm down and after some thought, Cronus agreed as expected but still probed with his words. ¡°Heh, if with the result of your ¡®work¡¯ I hold thirty percent, and you can still surpass me, then it would be deserved.¡± Shaking his head slightly, Laine had no intention of borating further with Cronus. It was better to leave him with some hope, and it wasn¡¯t really deceit. After all, in the eyes of the Divine King, the Spirit Realm only represented the path leading directly to Great Divine Power, as well as freedom beyond the control of the present world. These things, after Cronus had created a new world, would also be within his grasp. At the side, although he didn¡¯t know what ¡®working¡¯ meant, the former Divine King still understood the implication. He simply nodded and then urged: ¡°Then let¡¯s hurry. I remember you said that taking action at the time of an era¡¯s transition oftenes with considerable aid.¡± ¡°And my ¡®sister,¡¯ who was lost here, I haven¡¯t seen her for a long time either.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡± Nodding, Laine did not dy and led the way forward. Chapter 129 - 99 The True Name Chapter 129: Chapter 99 The True Name Walking through the abyss where there was no form or fixed matter, Laine and Cronus drew ever closer to the core. Visible to the naked eye, the strange characters in the surrounding space increased, along with a tone imbued with corruption and desecration that also began to resonate, echoing the distorted noise in this limitless void. But this time, Laine had recognized their origin. After Mnemosyne had lost her ¡°Memory,¡± ¡°Innate Script¡± and ¡°Language¡± were her only remaining Divine Duties. However, the power of the former paled inparison to the three maxims on the Oracle Stone Tablet, and thetter, without the cooperation of ¡°Speech,¡± seemed much weaker. From this perspective, perhaps the twelve Titans were originally paired in twos, their Godhoodsplementing each other. In the original myths, if the God of Meteorology, Crius, had not been confined to the Abyss after his defeat, maybe he would have united with the Goddess of Justice and begotten the three goddesses symbolizing the seasons of ¡°Spring,¡± ¡°Summer,¡± and ¡°Autumn.¡± Of course, whether it was the original him or the now him, the Abyss was probably his only destination. From this point of view, his fate was indeed deeply intertwined with Cronus. Maybe the rtionship between the two as sovereign and servant could even continue, who knows. But all this had nothing to do with Mnemosyne anymore. As the God of Script willingly renounced her identity as a Titan deity, she changed after being assimted by the Abyss. As the first deity of Tartarus, the two portions of Godhood that peeled away from her were gradually corrupted over tens of thousands of years, taking on the hues of the Abyss. Henceforth, the script andnguage here took on a special meaning. Yet, as Laine had previously surmised, script of the Abyss could at most serve as a ¡®name¡¯ and held no other significance. This would grant the beings bornter in the Abyss, as well as the lives that emerged in new worlds powered by the Abyss¡¯s energy, unique names endowed with power. Yet at the same time, once their one-of-a-kind names were controlled by other lives, it would make them more susceptible to their influence and control. Based on past memories, Laine had given them a fitting term¡ªTrue Name. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived, a truly wondrous sight.¡± Halting his steps and observing everything before him, Laine couldn¡¯t help but marvel sincerely. The greatest artist is always nature herself. Here, perhaps due to the brief convergence of the source of Order, everything looked more familiar than the rest of the Abyss, much moreprehensible. ¡®Stars¡¯ twinkled in the sky above, while the chaos-colored liquid churned at his feet, gathering into a sea. At the center of the ocean, a naked female being floated there. The reason for describing her as ¡®female¡¯ was because the current Mnemosyne bore no resemnce to her past self. Bizarre, eerie, inscrutable, and inparison, even the Hekatonkheires seemed more divine. Her very appearance was a taboo for mortals. Of course, she was no longer called Mnemosyne. The instant theyid eyes on the being before them, a new name emerged in the hearts of Laine and Cronus. Mother of Demons, Moya Just as the first Primordial God, Gaia, had been chosen by the world to solely conceive the initial sky, sea, and mountains, Moya was destined to give birth to new gods, a duty assigned by Tartarus. As for whether these Abyss-born deities possessed the immortal essence, akin to those of the outer world, Laine couldn¡¯t tell. Maybe they did, maybe they didn¡¯t, but it didn¡¯t matter¡ªtime would provide the answer. ¡°Wonderous? Ha, I can¡¯t feel it at all.¡± ¡°Had I not witnessed it with my own eyes, I would never believe that my once beautiful sister would be like this. Even though she has not yet awakened, I can already foresee her hatred towards you.¡± With a twitch of the mouth, the sight of Moya alone was enough to inflict spiritual harm on a deity, and Cronus truly didn¡¯t understand how Laine could utter the words ¡®a truly wondrous sight.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m not talking about her, of course, though to speak of her might not be entirely inappropriate. Both extreme beauty and extreme ugliness are marvels carved by the world¡¯s divine craftsmanship.¡± While that¡¯s what he said, Laine¡¯s aesthetic sense was still intact, so his gaze quickly shifted above Moya. At this moment, the gestation of the Mother of Demons was nearing its end. Over an epoch of lengthy time, Mnemosyne¡¯s past had nearly been scrubbed clean. It might have been more than just ten thousand years. Even amidst the Abyss¡¯s distorted chronology, Laine could vaguely sense the passage of time here. At least several million years had passed for the mightiest of the Primordial Gods to fully assimte a lesser god of the mortal world. This was the fundamental disparity between them. The mortal world was ¡®the face of the world biased towards Order,¡¯ while the Abyss, it was ¡®another subject part of the world biased towards Chaos.¡¯ Of course, ordinary deities were even weaker; they were merely ¡®deputies of some authority on one side of the world.¡¯ ¡°Is there anything we can do?¡± In front of them, thest bits of chaotic flow still seeped into the body of the Mother of Demons, awaiting the right moment for her rebirth. But witnessing all this, Cronus felt a surge of murderous intent. Even though she was once his sister, she would be a Demon God beneath the will of the Abyss in the future. From the perspective of the newborn Moya, Laine might be the object of her hatred. However, from the Mother of Demons¡¯ perspective, he who sought to steal the power of the Abyss might be the real enemy. Byparison, the Spirit Realm was far beyond the borders, while Cronus was within arm¡¯s reach. ¡°There¡¯s no way around it, the entire power of the Abyss is concentrated around her, even ¡®Order¡¯ has been forced out. Let alone an incarnation, even if my true form were here, I¡¯d have no way to deal with her for the time being.¡± Shaking his head, Tartarus was different from the other Primordial Gods, and Laine had no intention of provoking Him either. ¡°Let go of those thoughts, after all, this is the interior of the opponent. It¡¯s only because the instinctive consciousness of the Abyss is not active that we¡¯ve been able toe this far.¡± As he spoke, Laine looked above the Mother of Demons. There, corresponding to the chaotic currents around Moya, floated an indescribable, indefinable orb of void-light above her, which was the ¡°Order¡± that had separated from the Abyss. Interestingly enough, the force of Chaos would inadvertently take on a serpentine form, and so would Order. Laine could clearly see the coiling, serpentine presence within the orb. ¡°That is your target. Its part of the Abyss¡¯s power will transform into the void that carries the new realm, along with the primal matter and spirituality, while your destiny, forever imprisoned within the Abyss, will be this fourth pir,pleting the creation of the world.¡± ¡°However, given that you first embraced the Abyss and then seized its power to evolve the world, life within Tartarus may well be hostile to you and the beings within your world in the future.¡± ¡°Let them be hostile, that is exactly what I want. If I can¡¯t gain the ¡®sovereignty¡¯ of the Abyss, even my reborn sister won¡¯t be able to touch the fringe of the Great Divine Power.¡± Nodding, Cronus seemed to have regained his past fighting spirit. ¡°The power of my new realm originates from the Abyss, which means that I and It can devour each other. Though I¡¯m far from matching It, unlike Its primitive and obscure thinking, I possess wisdom. I believe that even if I am not equal to It at the beginning, I will be the ultimate victor,¡± he dered. ¡°Give it to me,¡± turning to Laine, the former Divine King could hardly wait: ¡°Your promise, the power to break free from the Abyss after I am assimted by it.¡± Nodding slightly, Laine extended his right hand. Immediately, a fluctuating power, most of its imprint erased, wafted towards Cronus, and as the power drifted out, the avatar also became much more ethereal. Having received this power and sensing that only seventy percent of it was unimed, Cronus pondered for a moment. He divided it equally into ten parts, then merged it into himself. The next instant, his form, which had been difficult to observe, solidified. ¡°Your Spirit Realm has sevenyers; do you have any advice about my world?¡± he asked before the beginning. ¡°I can only talk about my intentions at the time.¡± ¡°Numbers start at one, are established at three, materialize at five, thrive at seven, and reach their peak at nine. I don¡¯t like extremes, so I only opened up seven levels of realms, but as for you, it naturally depends on your own ideas,¡± exined Laine. He lightly offered his advice but had no intention of making a decision for him. For mortals, it is because numbers have special meanings that they are used. But for them, it is because they imbue numbers with special meanings that they possess power. Therefore, no matter how manyyers Cronus chooses to build, it won¡¯t affect the strength of the new world¡¯s power, only the structure of the world. Eachyered realm has its own, and in self-recycling, there¡¯s always an advantage. Even the legends from theter East speak of a trinity of realms: The Sky, Earth, and Man. ¡°Then let it be nineyers.¡± ¡°The one who always wins thinks of moderation. But I, I like the extremes,¡± Cronus decided resolutely. Making his decision, Cronus no longer hesitated. His half-real, half-illusory figure leapt towards the distant orb of light. He had already thought it through: nineyers of realm, the full force of power, he would leave out the third, fifth, and seventhyers. He would construct them with the thirty percent of Laine¡¯s power and encase his own realms with his, and then they would each develop independently, having nothing to do with each other. In his own territory, he would not lose to anyone else. As for making a move on Laine, Cronus had not even considered it. Until he was sure he couldpletely defeat this enigmatic Ancient God, the former Divine King would only be wary of him, not hostile. In this world, there were many worthy adversaries to face, with the Abyss being the most immediate one. Rather than establishing an inscrutable enemy, the present foes required more attention. Chapter 130 - 100 Weaving Method Chapter 130: Chapter 100 Weaving Method In the Abyss, a new realm was being established, but unlike Laine, Cronus neither needed to create life nor to forge newws. He was simply using pure power that had gathered when new deities were being nurtured with the help of the Abyss to carve out nine newyers of space. Even so, because the force of Order and the power bestowed by Laine were not energies he had controlled for long, Cronus¡¯s world-building was slowerpared to the initial Spirit Realm. While he was shaping this new domain, progress in the outside world did not stop. At this moment, in the outer world. The world in the Abyss and the present world were different, just as the early Spirit Realm had been, where chaos caused a disruption in the flow of time. With Laine, who had once been exposed to the Chaotic Source Force, meddling, this disturbance was directed to elongate rather than to shorten. Therefore, although a considerable amount of time seemed to have passed in Tartarus, only a brief while had gone by in the outside world. At the center of the continent, dust arose for miles where the Mount of the Gods had fallen. In the midst of this haze, a force split into three; one drifted towards Mount Olympus, another was intercepted by the ¡®Divine King¡¯ and bestowed across space to fortify the axial position of the Spirit Realm, augmenting the symbolic power of Mount Sinai, and thest wandered aimlessly, as if waiting for a being capable of sustaining it. With the original Mount of the Gods gone, The Sky began to sway. The sole Mount Olympus located in the Eastern Region was not enough to maintain stability, so although the skies in the east were held aloft by the new Mount of the Gods, those in the west began to descend slowly. Of course, Mount Othrys was no Mount Zhou from the eastern mythologies ofter generations; its importance was not as high. Thus, even without a new support, the heavens and the earth would not copse into each other, bringing about the destruction of all things. It would merely descend for nine days and nights, then rest upon the body of Mother Earth, just as in the dawn of creation. At this moment, at the heart of the continent, the two Ancient Gods causing all this upheaval were wholly unconcerned with the changes in the sky. Their colossal forms colliding with the earthy glow shook the boundlessnd. Ravines formed, mountains crumbled, rivers were severed, the earth reshaped, and watercourses rerouted. Far off above the East Sea, the blue-d Hecate, holding the Book of All Laws, listened to the thunderous noisesing from the distant horizon. Though not on site, she could guess what was happening there. The Divine King, that she had once duped with her concocted potion, was exhibiting a level of power beyond her imagination. ¡°Tablet, tablet, is that really the Divine King? I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s so formidable. I think Golden Mane might not be much of a match.¡± ¡°If the Divine King deals with them, will hee looking for me?¡± Before, Hecate hadn¡¯t taken the matters of the Divine King to heart mainly because she felt his strength, though considerable, was within an eptable range. After all, even though he had defeated the God of the Ocean and his spouse, he hadn¡¯t done so with absolute superiority. But considering the current situation, she believed that the God of the Ocean couple, on whom she had pinned high hopes, would be crushed by his single hand. This made Hecate start to worry, so she hastily consulted her ultimate backer to see if they could withstand it. If they couldn¡¯t, she would need to grab her things and flee in haste. Work could wait, but if she were caught and thrown into the Abyss, it would be a dire predicament. [Do not worry, his current state won¡¯tst long.] [Focus more on the Magic Net for now.] This time, Hecate distinctly noticed that the tablet was slow to respond. However, she didn¡¯t think much of it, assuming that it was also silently assessing the Divine King¡¯s suddenly revealed formidable prowess. What a devious creature, possessing such strength, he could have captured Golden Mane long ago, yet he stayed hidden! ¡°Well then, don¡¯t lie to me. Otherwise, if hees knocking, I¡¯ll say you tricked me into it~¡± She joked casually then asked, ¡°Should I take care of that guy on the side? He¡¯s been stealthily following me for a while now, acting as though I haven¡¯t noticed him.¡± Her gaze flicked sideways. On a small ind thousands of miles away, there was a being with the upper body of a human and a lower body of a horse, secretly watching. Although he didn¡¯t seem very serious,pared to the strange and bizarre sea monsters, Hecate was barely willing to recognize him as a normal life form. However, her senses told her he was peculiar. He possessed Divinity, something innate to him, not granted by others. He also had a near-godly physique, but like Hecate, she sensed no Godhood in him. Furthermore, hecked even the immortality fundamental to gods, proving that he was mortal. Such beings, uncertain if they were gods or not, were even more scorned by other deities than territorial gods. ¡°[It¡¯s up to you, but the other party didn¡¯t offend you, did they?¡±] ¡°[Perhaps he was simply attracted by the knowledge you¡¯ve disyed. Once the Magic Net ispleted, maybe he can be one of your followers, even the first user of the Magic Net.] ¡°Fine, let¡¯s just leave him be.¡± With a slight nod, Hecate epted this reasoning. She hadn¡¯t nned on killing the other party over such a small matter. However, she was still somewhat curious about the state of that half-human, half-horse life form. ¡°He is not a god, right? He doesn¡¯t seem like a sea monster either, but he is naturally divine. How can this be?¡± ¡°[As the world tends toward perfection, It no longer desperately needs a multitude of immortal deities.] ¡°[This centaur indeed descends from gods, but he, himself, is just a demigod.] Nodding thoughtfully, Hecate continued to inquire: ¡°Centaur, a descriptive name. A god begetting a demigod with another god? Seems more pitiful than my own beginnings. So, who are his parents? Did they also fear ¡®worldly punishment¡¯ and thus cast him out?¡± Perhaps because of a potentially simr experience, Hecate began to take a liking to this half-man, half-horse life form. If he were sensible, it wouldn¡¯t be bad to take him in as a subordinate. Although Selene was also considered her ¡®apprentice,¡¯ she was, after all, a friend, and Hecate couldn¡¯t simply order her around. But this centaur was different. This time, though, even as she asked her question, no writing appeared on the Tome of All Spells. ¡°Hmph, if you won¡¯t tell, don¡¯t. I¡¯ll just ask him myself when the timees.¡± Realizing the te¡¯s intentional concealment, Hecate huffed lightly, but on her current blue-haired, blue-dressed self, it hardly seemed intimidating. The disturbance in the distant horizon grew more intense. Hecate could vaguely make out that the sun in the sky had also grownrger somehow. But this did not affect her. The time was almost upon her, and opening the Divine Artifact in her hands, a look of solemnity crept over the gentle visage of blue-robed Hecate for the first time. When her expression became serious, coupled with her altered appearance, she truly exuded a sense of profound depth and transcendence from the world. ¡°Today is the day I be a deity.¡± In a quiet whisper, the next moment, silvery mes drifted from Hecate¡¯s body, and the curled Magic Net slowly unfolded, stretching across hundreds of miles in an instant. As the embryonic Magic Net opened up, guided by the Tome of All Spells, countless invisible strands materialized from the void and surged crazily toward the great. They were ignited by the silver fire and then merged with it as one. Hecate could vaguely sense a vast and limitless consciousness descending around her, connecting with the Magic Net¡¯s embryonic form. It was the Spirit Realm, which she had encountered more than once. In the past, she felt like a person walking the earth, aware of its vastness but never truly knowing its expanse. But now, as the will of the Spirit Realm descended willingly, Hecate finally felt the awe of facing this grandeur. Being but a mayfly in the vast cosmos, a mere grain in the vast sea, was probably no different than this. ¡°Born from patterns, seed through likening¡ª¡± Regainingposure, raising the Divine Artifact high, Hecate seemed spiritually cleansed but quickly returned to the present moment. At this time, she could feel that every ce covered by the Spirit Realm was vividly clear at the bottom of her heart. So, she smiled and once again announced her arrival to the world. ¡°Witnessed by the great Ancient Spirit World, I am the master of the Magic Net, the source of all spells!¡± In the starry sky, a special star shone brightly, illuminating the surrounding areas. Wherever the Spirit Realm reached within the world, endless threads wove into a. Silver fire filled the heavens, and almost in an instant, it spread from a tiny cluster along the invisible tracksid by the Spirit Realm¡¯s power, igniting the sky, the ocean, and thend. At the same time, as the Spirit Realm¡¯s power poured in, new divine aspects andws descended upon Hecate. The present world responded in kind, and, as if witnessing a divine phenomenon, an invisible wave swept across the world; all deities knew that a new True God had been born above the East Sea. But only a few knew that this was not just a divine birth, for this deity had already been born once before. Master of the Magic Net, Hecate! The next moment, the new god¡¯s great name shook the Source Sea, and the bridge between the Spirit Realm and the present world appeared. Under the subtle protection of the Divine Authority, in this crucial moment of an epochal turnover, the original Magic Net was finallypleted. Chapter 131 - 101: Insight into the Mysteries of Authority (Monthly Ticket +3) Chapter 131: Chapter 101: Insight into the Mysteries of Authority (Monthly Ticket +3) The Magic Web, awork that constrains elements and regtes order. Thetter is not yet evident, as the concepts reliant on the Magic Web are few at present, but the former¡¯s influence is immediate and apparent. When the Magic Web formed, the once chaotically unordered elements instantly found their carriers, for the Magic Web itself embodies some of the elemental divine authority. From then on, except in a few areas not covered by the Magic Web, any mortal thing required the Magic Web¡¯s permission to manipte elemental power. Of course, the current Magic Web is impartially open to all life. It doesn¡¯t care whether you are good or evil, as long as you follow its rules, it will serve you. ¡°Is this the world as seen through the eyes of a True God?¡± ¡°How wonderful, under the influence of divine authority, even if my understanding of the Law¡¯s origin is superficial, it still obeys my will, just like mortals who do notprehend the mysteries of the birth of life, yet that doesn¡¯t affect their existence in the world.¡± Above the East Sea, the silver fire had somehow vanished into the void, leaving no trace. Upon Hecate¡¯s slender body, a faint stream of divine power began to flow. With each passing moment, it grew exponentially stronger than the moment before. As this ascent continued, perhaps after several breaths, the surge of power gradually broke through to the realm of Intermediate Divine Power, and then the rate of increase began to slow. This was the result of thousands of years of cumtion by the newly born Goddess of the Magic Web, but now it was also spent. The Magic Web is, after all, merely a tool that binds elements and connects spirituality with matter, and its own strength is not formidable. Only with a sufficient number of users, or even by broadening its own concepts, might it be possible to support Hecate taking another step further. After all, this is not a power that was meant to appear in fate, and the world will not pour extra Source Power into it for its sake. [This is an embodiment of the world¡¯s favoritism towards the gods.] [You have some understanding of the Magic Web itself, and you participated personally in the weaving of the prototype of the Magic Web, along with observing the movement of elements in all parts of the world. Hence, regarding your own divine authority, although you im to ¡®barely understand,¡¯ your grasp is actually quite good.] [Even the gods cannotpare with you; they use their authority instinctively, without understanding the underlying mechanisms, unknown to them why and how their powers work.] [Their godhood is simply a result of being well-born.] Beside Hecate, with the birth of the Magic Web, the Tome of All Spells, which also experienced a unique change, slowly began to show its text once again. This time was different. Last time the ¡®te¡¯ was stuck simply because Hecate criticized the ¡®Divine King,¡¯ leaving it a bit at a loss for words. But this time, it was truly overwhelmed. It was simultaneously contending with the strongest deity in the present world, spectating the creation in the Abyss, and, at the same time as the birth of the Magic Web, ¡®approving¡¯ with Divine Authority, granting the Spirit Realm the qualifications to be open to the current world. Multi-tasking to this extent and still having free time to answer queries was somewhat difficult. ¡°I see. But having personally experienced it once, I¡¯ve realized that pure mortals cannot be deities on their own.¡± ¡°The divine offices inherent in the world are not their domain. And like the creation of The Magic Web, creating something new is quite difficult to achieve with one¡¯s strength. The birth of the Magic Web still had the support of the Spirit Realm, but what about humans?¡± ¡°They don¡¯t have a source of power, do they?¡± After muttering aint, Hecate spected that the key to mortals bing deities might also lie in creation, since she had ascended to godhood through ¡®creation¡¯ of the Magic Web. But this sort of creation is not simply about inventing something and dering ¡®I made xxx, witness world,¡¯ and it¡¯s done; that¡¯s meaningless. Creating a material object does not mean you will receive godhood; whether the material world is willing to grant you that divine office is the crux. Because strictly speaking, it¡¯s not that the world creates corresponding Laws because you created that thing, but rather the opposite. The world first produces the corresponding Source Power, extends into Laws, and then you can create that thing. Just like Laine at the dawn of creation tried to make ¡®Fire,¡¯ but to no avail. Because at that time, there was no Origin of Fire in the world, so the existence of ¡®Fire¡¯ did not exist in the world at that time. If the world is a program, then Origin is like its base code. Without the support of the code, no matter how logical your actions, sess will not be achieved if it¡¯s unsupported. Creating new concepts is something aplete world can do; the Spirit Realm theoretically could too, but constrained by the current strength of its master, it could only proceed in a roundabout manner like the Magic Web. ¡®Nectar¡¯ is no different. Although Laine received the authority of ¡®Nectar¡¯ early in the birth of the Spirit Realm, the first bottle of wine he made in his world was merely a catalyst. If the Origin corresponding to ¡®Nectar¡¯ had not yet existed, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to even create the substance named ¡®wine.¡¯ Fortunately, in the subsequent traditional myths, wine did exist in the world before the God of Wine was born. Although Laine didn¡¯t know when the Origin rted to ¡®Nectar¡¯ was born in the world, at least it existed by the time he established the Spirit Realm. This also reaffirmed that mere creation of a material object does not grant godhood; despite Laine not knowing who in the original myth created ¡®Nectar,¡¯ the subsequent God of Wine wasn¡¯t him. As for how the material world decides on the bestowal of divine offices, it is much like the splitting of divine authority when a new god is born, entirely determined by ¡®fate.¡¯ Fate decides if you should have it, you do, even taking it from someone else to give to you. If fate decides not, then it simply doesn¡¯t exist, no matter if you are the world¡¯s first inventor, it will still have nothing to do with you. Though Laine was born, this situation had in fact not changed; it was only that he himself was not subject to this limitation. Apart from the Origin taken by the Spirit Realm, the power in the present world still followed the logic of ¡°destining to whom it belongs; if it¡¯s not in fate, creating more is meaningless.¡± Thus, it¡¯s reasonable for the deities to despise the present world. After all, it was only when the world¡¯s manifestation of ¡°Order¡± took shape that everything was arranged so rigidly and methodically. In contrast, in the Abyss, when Mnemosyne, who was not meant to appear there ording to theter ages¡¯ trajectory, entered Tartarus, the Abyss embraced the neer without hesitation. For the Abyss, there is nothing ¡°predestined.¡± With few exceptions affecting itself, it appearsissez-faire in all other aspects. ¡°Forget it, it¡¯s none of my concern~¡± Shaking her head, Hecate wasn¡¯t particrly bothered by it; she didn¡¯t have any urgent desire to elevate mortals to godhood. After all, the tablet said to trust the wisdom of future generations; so let her see what kind of wisdom they could possess. ¡°But what¡¯s going on here?¡± Her expression shifted as if Hecate had noticed something. Focusing intently, within her divine perception, the massive barrier between the Spirit Realm¡¯s space-time and the present world seemed to have disappeared. Without a surprise, now even without the aid of a ritual, as long as one had a mental level equivalent to her engraving the third phase of the moon, one could explore the firstyer of the Spirit Realm with their Spiritual Body. This was unimaginable before. The barrier, mixed with space-time and uncertain fate, was something even the two Primordial Gods couldn¡¯t do anything about when they first came into being. [Normal changes, no need to pay heed] [Since you¡¯ve created The Magic Web, it naturally needs users] [Although the object of meditation doesn¡¯t necessarily have to be the moon of the Spirit Realm, the environment there is indeed the most suited for the growth of the spirit] Using any excuse, the opening of the Spirit Realm had been long prepared; it was just that now was the time for implementation. Previously, the present world was separated from the Spirit Realm by space-time, essible by only a few beings. If that seal were broken at that time, not to mention the possible issue of being located by other deities, just the conflict between the worlds would be quite a trouble. When the Spirit Realm, an interface originally independent from the present world, came into direct contact with it, conflict between the two worlds was almost foreseeable. Undoubtedly, although today¡¯s Spirit Realm was far superior to what it once was, yet it had not reached the point of overpowering the present world; now, however, things were different. On one hand, The Magic Web served as a lubricant between the two worlds, with Element, the special existence that could be influenced by the spirit and change matter, sessfully easing the conflict. On the other hand, the Divine Authority granted the Spirit Realm a ¡°legal entry pass.¡± As a result, the Divine Authority¡¯s presence plummeted, but the Spirit Realm itself was epted by the present world. Just like the Abyss, although Tartarus, as a major part independent of the present world, was rejected by it, contact itself would not cause conflict. Its portal in the Underworld served as the point of contact between the two. The Spirit Realm¡¯s points were just more¡ªIt spanned every corner of the world. ¡°I see¡­ that¡¯s interesting. In that case, the deities should also be able to enter the Spirit Realm now.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid they¡¯ll wreak havoc?¡± Unaware of the various secrets behind it, Hecate simply raised an eyebrow, asking pointedly. Past experiences told her that the tablet was somewhat wary of the deities before. It might not be the ones frequently walking the world, but they were not fearless either. [Not afraid] [When this age ends, within the Spirit Realm, no matter how many outside deities there are, it will make no difference] [In a while, you can go and observe, perhaps you will have some revtions] Still without any intent to disguise its meaning, the ck inscriptions did not deny their connection to the Spirit Realm, but hinted that at the end of this era, a significant event would take ce there. ¡°Alright, I will.¡± Hecate puffed her cheeks, her gaze inadvertently sweeping over the reflection on the sea¡¯s surface. As if reminded of something, she twirled, and when she stopped, she was back in her once-familiar red dress. Yet, if one looked closely, they could still see that, after ascending to godhood, she was slightly different from before. Chapter 132 - 102: The Great Sun Chapter 132: Chapter 102: The Great Sun ¡°I should get used to this appearance a bit more¡ªby the way, te, you¡¯ve said before that the gods do not understand the mysteries of their own authority, what about you?¡± There was a hint of curiosity, after all, Hecate was not capable of doing it at the moment, and she also felt that it was extraordinarily difficult to aplish. However, this time, the Book of All Laws did not reveal any follow-up content. Because in fact, Hecate was quite right, even he himself was actually unable to fullyprehend the principles behind the authority he wielded. When standing high above, although one can overlook the entirety of mountains and rivers, one can never see what¡¯s at one¡¯s feet. And if one is born high above, then it¡¯s impossible to experience the process of climbing up from below, which is true for all gods, himself included. He had consideredpleting this part, but it was not a simple task. ¡°Forget it, just watch the drama unfold.¡± Aside, although she did not receive a response, the answer had already be quite evident. Thus, Hecate smiled, then shifted her focus away from these matters. As for the centaur peeking from the side, she would deal with him after today¡¯s affairs were over, as she currently had no time to spare for him. She looked towards the distant continent where the battle continued unabated, not at all affected by the transient scene of silver fire that had just flickered by. The birth of the Magic Net was crucial for Hecate, and it held exceptional significance for both the Spirit Realm and the current world, but for the gods at this moment, other than proving there was one more deity in the world, it had no further meaning. Even the slowly descending western sky was not a concern to the gods at this time, let alone the minor disturbances above the East Sea. The Divine King was contesting with Mother Earth, who was clearly at a disadvantage. Apart from the coupled God of the Ocean and Zeus being barely able to interfere, the other True Gods could only protect themselves from the shockwaves of the collision and were unable to influence the battle¡¯s tide. But in the starry heavens, the Sun, which had lost control due to Helios hiding in the East Sea, was undergoing subtle changes unnoticed. Crack¡ª In the midst of the grand Sun, besides the substance flowing like liquid, there was nothing else. Or to be precise, even if there was, it would have been burned to ashes long ago. Here, nothing but the Sun itself could exist, aside from its master and those chains that had been in ce for thousands of years. His limbs shackled, Hyperion twisted his body unconsciously, weary from the effort. Having heard Cronus¡¯s voice before, the Sun God imprisoned for thousands of years, had at one point struggled in fury. But ultimately, restrained by the sealing chains, he was unable to break free. As his rage gradually dissipated, Hyperiony back at the core of the Sun, no longer wasting his strength in vain. Over the years, he hade to understand that the seal was not something he could shake with his power; his previous defiance was merely an impulsive reaction to his emotions. Of course, he had not given up, the God of Sun was just waiting for an opportunity. He knew that unless Cronus truly became the eternal Divine King, the seal he left would inevitably weaken during the transition of Divine Kings. The second generation Divine King was not their father; only divine authority wholly derived from the heavens could remain effective after its master had lost power. A kingship formed by opportunity would naturally lose its strength as its legitimacy faded. All he had to do was wait for that opportunity. Once the seal began to wane, Hyperion might have a chance to escape. He did not know how long it would be, but all he could do was wait. Crack¡ª ¡°Hmm?¡± The previously tranquil core of the Sun emitted another sound. At first, the God of Sun paid it no heed, thinking it was just some random noise produced as the Sun traveled its orbit; strange, but not worth concern. However, upon hearing the sound a second time, the unrecognizable tune finally caught his attention. He had been in this ce for thousands of years, and knew every nuance of the Sun¡¯s core. Hence, an unexpected shift naturally could not escape his notice. Listening intently, the God of Sun needed to determine the origin of the sound. After a short while, with less time psed since thest, he heard the noise once again¡ªas he had hoped. Crack¡ª The third strange sound came. This time, Hyperion finally realized where the sound wasing from. Looking in the direction of the noise, he saw it was the sealing chains bound to his hands. Unbeknownst to him, fine lines had already spread across the chains on his wrists. The sounds he had just heard were those tiny cracks expanding. ¡°This is¡­¡± At first, the God of Sun did not grasp what was happening. But soon, the sealing chains, which had long ceased receiving a steady influx of power, began to gradually erode under the sheer force of the Sun itself. From tiny fissures to inch-long meltdowns, the seals¡¯ disintegration progressed at an rmingly visible speed, akin to an avnche. ¡°This is¡ª!¡± Jolted to sudden awareness, Hyperion, realizing what was unfolding, stared fixedly at the disintegrating chains. He had no knowledge of what had transpired outside, clueless as to why, right after hearing Cronus¡¯s voice, his own seals began to crumble. But he did not care for such matters. Thousands of years of imprisonment had not extinguished the fiery passion within the God of Sun; rather, it had only grown more intense. Perhaps it was because he had spent too long at the Sun¡¯s core that the influence of his Godhood of ¡°Sun¡± seemed to strengthen. Now, Hyperion was more under the sway of the Sun¡¯s will itself. Without any reservations or limits, to dominate the starry heavens, this was the Sun¡¯s innate impulse. With the weakening of his chains, the familiar sensation of power slowly returned. As divine energy, silent for millennia, reconvened, the God of Sun¡¯s gaze prated the supreme celestial body and settled on the distantnds. He immediately discerned the boundless colossal silhouette but felt not an ounce of dread at the sight. Hyperion recognized that being; although its aura felt somewhat strange and its appearance somewhat different, the most crucial temporal and spatial Divine Authority undeniably confirmed to him that this was an old friend¡ªthe second Divine King, Cronus, who had sealed him here. He was in battle, and his adversary was their shared Mother Goddess. He seemed invincible, but the God of Sun harbored no fear. Although he could not perceive the slightest w in the other¡¯s power¡ªCronus appeared invulnerable, absolutely dominating Mother Earth¡ªhow could the disintegrating seal, dissipating without cause, be a falsehood? If this was truly the extent of the adversary¡¯s power, why would he need to reim such an ¡®insignificant¡¯ amount of strength? The only answer was that the other was merely putting on an act. Perhaps he had found a way to temporarily elevate his power, but this could notst. The crumbling seal was the undeniable proof. Chapter 133 - 103 Descent to the Mortal World Chapter 133: Chapter 103 Descent to the Mortal World ¡°Heh, so that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°It seems you¡¯ve encountered trouble, my dear brother, so much so that even this little power you must take back? If I weren¡¯t right here, it¡¯s quite possible you would have deceived me too.¡± ¡°But rest assured, to thank you for your past favor, I¡¯ll soon contribute to your ¡®might¡¯.¡± The seals around him became increasingly iplete; or rather, its insides had long been hollowed out. Hyperion stretched his body slightly, and with a series of resounding echoes, the final chains of the seal were also dispersed. In nearly an instant, as the ancient God of Sun¡¯s power was unbound, the great Sun changed hands in a moment, returning to the embrace of its former master. Originally, Hyperion¡¯s retroactive actions had repulsed the Sun, but Helios¡¯s crafting of the Sun Chariot with Godhood was even more uneptable to this supreme celestial body. A Divine Artifact to drive the Sun was liked by the Divine King, by the other deities, and by thews of the current world, but the only one who did not like it was the Sun itself. The Sun, how could it submit to being under someone! ¡°Hahahaha¡­ That¡¯s right! Cronus and even my foolish son, they do not understand you, but I do.¡± With a soft whisper and a wild smile, feeling the Sun¡¯s umted ¡®dissatisfaction¡¯ over thousands of years, Hyperion heartily invited his ¡®old friend¡¯. ¡°Come now, cast aside thews of this current world. Let¡¯s together stage a grand spectacle to announce the return of the Ruler of the Stars!¡± At this moment, the starry sky was uninhabited, especially near the Sun. It was as if they had long anticipated what was to ur, the stars of the Zodiac Regions had already concealed themselves. The stars they represented were still hanging there, but that¡¯s because they were the projection of the Spirit Realm¡¯s stars into the outer space. Just like the Nether Moon, which seemed to hang above the Underworld but was in fact untouchable to any deity. Besides, among the deities of the starry sky, the Goddess of Light took refuge in the Light regions, the deities of the Lightless celestial bodies never made a disy, the God of the Sky and Goddess of Daylight remained uninvolved with the world, and thus in the heavens, unnoticed, silently, the great Sun changed masters once again. Only Helios, who had long since ¡®defected¡¯ in secret and was hiding in the Sea Pce with his wife, the Goddess of Boiling Water, noticed the change in the Sun¡¯s sovereignty. But at this time, he was already too concerned to care about these matters. That supremely majestic vision on the horizon almost scared him out of his wits, and the youthful God of Sun truly couldn¡¯t believe that the Divine King, who had appeared increasingly dejected in recent years, could suddenly erupt with such power. If I had known you were this outrageously strong, I would definitely have been your most loyal and unrivaled subordinate! However, no one cared what he thought, or rather, now many gods shared his sentiment. They were confident in their siege of Mount Othrys, even privately discussing the division of spoils after the battle and how to limit the new Divine King¡¯s influence, but none of them expected that all their actions were a joke in the eyes of the supreme being on Mount Othrys. In a single encounter, without any significant divine power fluctuation, the Divine King still single-handedly subdued the deities. This unparalleled power made the Titans present recall the past, how Heavenly Father Uranus, too, had been this way, even in thest moments of the current world, he still suffocated the deities to breathlessness. Ten thousand years have passed; they had be stronger. The Titans believed that even if they faced Heavenly Father again, they would still have the power to fight, but reality told them, nothing had changed. The Divine King is still the supreme of the world. ¡°Think of something! Zeus, you have been chosen by fate as the Divine King, quickly think of a solution!¡± ¡°The Mother Goddess is no match for him, now only you can change the oue!¡± His body trembling slightly, the Ocean Deity Sovereign had lost his past grandeur, and his voice was somewhat out of character, nothing like his usual imposing and steady self. At this moment, Oceanus remembered his own past, how just under his father¡¯s gaze, he knelt before the Heavenly Father, proving he would dare not challenge him. Now stronger than before, he felt no different in the face of the new Divine King. Even if he hadn¡¯t known that his submission would not be epted, he would have surrendered long ago. But whether to give up was meaningless, the impact he had on ¡®Cronus¡¯ was almost nil. Now, Zeus was hisst lifeline. Despite the fact that the other¡¯s power was not enough to change the course of the battle, he represented the Prophecy of fate and the curse of the Heavenly Father. ¡°I will do my best.¡± With a forced smile, Zeus clutched at the wounds on his body, trying to heal. Perhaps because of Mother Earth¡¯s arrival, the Divine King no longer focused on these ¡®weaker¡¯ deities, giving them a respite around the Mount of the Gods. Feeling his ¡®father-inw¡¯s¡¯ somewhat uncontroble emotions, Zeus reminisced about the Titans¡¯ original title. If the Titans of yesteryear were so submissive in front of the Heavenly Father, it was no wonder that he disdainfully bestowed upon them the title ¡®Titan¡¯. But thinking was one thing, and the current opposing party was after all an ally to him. However, when Zeus tried to offer some words offort, he searched his mind and couldn¡¯t find a single thing to say. After all, faced with such a situation, he really couldn¡¯t think of any variables left to consider. In the past, except for that one setback in the hands of the red-haired witch, Zeus had it all smooth sailing, everything going his way. He married the most intelligent goddess and even entangled with her sister. Being forced into the Abyss, the strength of the Hekatonkheires during the ten-year war made him feel it was all worth it, until now. He couldn¡¯t understand, if Cronus had possessed such power before, why did he confront them for so long instead of toppling Olympus with an invincible stance on the first day of the war, making it clear that the Divine King¡¯s authority was unquestionable? He didn¡¯t even need to wait until then. Early on, when he rescued his five siblings, the Divine King could have shown Gaia with absolute power that whatever the giants were, they were not my brothers; they were merely a bunch of monsters. What you think they are doesn¡¯t matter, what matters is what I say they are, and that¡¯s what they are. I don¡¯t want the giants to leave the Abyss, then they will stay obediently there. I want these rebels in my belly, then no one can let them out. ¡°Perhaps this was just a way for him to satisfy his own amusement.¡± ¡°He never cared about me, my struggles and efforts, they were just a joke in his eyes.¡± Somewhat powerless, but Zeus still gripped the Arrow of Thunder tightly. He would never speak of surrender until the veryst moment. ¡°Wait, what¡¯s that?¡± Suddenly, a voice filled with puzzlement and surprise sounded. Looking towards the source of the voice, at his ¡®father-inw¡¯s¡¯ side, the original Goddess of Water was gazing up at the sky. Chapter 134 - 104: The Sense of Ceremony Chapter 134: Chapter 104: The Sense of Ceremony Zeus turned around and saw her, his ¡°mother-inw,¡± the primeval water goddess, Thaesis. She was looking in the direction of the starry sky, where the great Sun that had been suspended at its zenith suddenly began to erge. From a deity¡¯s perspective, she could very clearly discern that the Sun¡¯s true body was falling toward the center of the continent. Such an act that went against the rules of the current world could never be spontaneous; behind it, there must be a God of Sun manipting it. ¡°How could this be, wasn¡¯t Helios still at sea? And if he had the courage to face the Divine King directly, he wouldn¡¯t be making excuses to stay in the ocean¡­¡± ¡°Wait¡ªthis isn¡¯t Helios, this is Hyperion, where has the seal gone?¡± At first it was somewhat iprehensible, but the next moment, Oceanus too grasped what was happening in an instant. The Sun would not leave its orbit for no reason, and Hyperion would not break free from his seal without cause. If there had to be a reason, it was that the seal had been unlocked willingly or unwillingly. In what situation would Cronus remove the seal he had once set? ¡°Hahahaha, I knew it, he couldn¡¯t have suddenly be so powerful. He must have used some means; it has to be this way, but now, his power has begun to wane!¡± ¡°Zeus, take action; he is just holding on!¡± Amidst the ups and downs of emotions, Oceanus finally regained his confidence. His divine power began to boil, and in the distant horizon, the world-surrounding river seemed to sense its master¡¯s impassioned mood. At the end of the ocean, a blue light began to fluctuate, inching upward. It was the ¡®water level¡¯ of the river rising, consequently rolling up to the sky. For a moment, even the surface of the sea beyond seemed to rise by three parts. ¡°Cronus, just as you had faced the Father God before, no matter how you struggle, failure is your ultimate fate!¡± As the voice of the God of the Ocean spread in all directions, apanied by the increasingly evident path of the great Sun, the deities who had understood the celestial affairs even if only slightly, all came to realize. The Divine King¡¯s seal had vanished, sweeping away the passive despair in the air, and as they looked toward ¡®Cronus,¡¯ their will to fight was reignited. For the innate gods, they exercise authority by instinct rather than technique, and thus their power can often fluctuate wildly with their state of mind. But at this moment, as the Sun drew ever closer, they seemed to have regained their confidence. The Sun of today was not the one that had just been born in ancient times; over tens of thousands of years, as the world itself kept improving, its power had risen ordingly. If it weren¡¯t for the division of the great Sun, perhaps Hyperion would have long reached the level 20 of Divine Power. At this moment, as its true body fell, it was an unimaginable disaster. ¡°The Sun, eh? It¡¯s always him; must say, we indeed share quite the fate,¡± he muttered softly, yet in the voice of a titan, it was like thunder. Contrary to what the gods had expected, ¡®Cronus,¡¯ amidst the connection between heaven and earth within his towering figure, did not show any emotional fluctuation; he simply pressed down on the earth with his left hand and then raised his eyes to the sky. The reactions of the surrounding gods did not concern him. Whether they were a bit stronger or weaker, apart from Zeus wielding Lightning and the couple of the God of the Ocean who posed a slight threat, they were all a joke to him. Byparison, the rapidly approaching Sun was slightly more interesting. But only slightly so. If it weren¡¯t for Mother Earth, if he didn¡¯t have to consider the Divine Authority that had beenrgely exhausted, the current Sun wouldn¡¯t even qualify to be looked upon by him. Compared to the concept of the Moon he wielded, it would take at least another epoch before the true body of the Sun could rise along with the overall increase in Chaos¡¯s strength and further touch the realm of Great Divine Power. Before then, it might have a capacityparable to Gaia¡¯s current state, but itcked the quality to shake what was truly great. In such a situation, the ¡®Divine King¡¯ might find it difficult to destroy the Sun itself, but there was more than one way to deal with it. However, since he hade to make an impact, he would naturally choose the most direct method. ¡°Hyperion, heh, I once said if you sought revenge on your son first, I would spare you.¡± ¡°But now, it seems you didn¡¯t seize the chance I gave you. Well, perhaps fate has influenced this too, after all, the fall of the Titans is also a part of destiny.¡± With a light chuckle, an invisible force surged. Apanied by the spread of time-space power once again, the deities suffered as if struck by lightning. The power of ¡®Cronus¡¯ didn¡¯t feel weak at all; on the contrary, there were signs of rising again at this moment. Seeing this, the Ocean Deity Sovereign couldn¡¯t even afford to care about the ¡®Divine King¡¯s¡¯ mention of ¡®the fall of the Titans¡¯; he merely ascended to The Sky, aiming tounch a pincer attack on the advancing Sun. ¡°Stop your pretense, Cronus, I¡¯ve seen through your tricks, even your own seal¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be hasty, Oceanus, your turn ising soon.¡± A nce was all it took to silence the words that the God of the Ocean was about to utter. Maybe it was because there were too many changes today, Oceanus did look a bit different from usual. The ¡®Divine King¡¯ even thought he seemed like a jest used to heighten the atmosphere. Of course, it was also possible that once these seemingly lofty beings lost their support, they were indeed no different from ordinary people. ¡°But since you still haven¡¯t given up¡ª¡± With no more waiting, the ¡®Divine King¡¯s¡¯ right hand reached out, shading the heavens and earth with its illusory form. As the Sun approached, under the gaze of the gods, ¡®Cronus¡¯ didn¡¯t wait for the Sun to collide; he grabbed at the massive body of light ahead of it. In the face of his power at this moment, the starry space was mere inches, size and scale had lost their meaning. So the next moment, amidst innumerable horrified gazes, the ¡®Divine King¡¯ stretched out his hand and grasped the Sun in his palm. ¡°Impossible?!¡± A roar came from within the Sun, and the entire celestial body shook violently, the illusionary giant hand also bing slightly unstable. But in the end, without touching the Great Power, it ultimately failed to shake the ¡®Divine King¡¯. Just like holding a glowing sphere, the ¡®Divine King¡¯ drew his hand back, holding it in front of him. ¡°Fate or ident, either is possible, but that¡¯s not important anymore.¡± ¡°Whether it¡¯s by chance or destined, I¡¯ll not refuse it. Especially since I am the Divine King, what he once did, I naturally cannot be absent from.¡± He remembered the past Uranus, when he himself was still very weak, Uranus¡¯s might represented the ultimate in his imagination. ¡°Hyperion, did you know, life always needs a sense of ritual, and being the Divine King is no different.¡± ¡°Let me personally, put the final period on your chapter.¡± Chapter 135 - 105 Bathing in the East Sea Chapter 135: Chapter 105 Bathing in the East Sea Hyperion did not know what a period was, for at that time, text did not require punctuation to break sentences. But even so, the ancient God of Sun still understood the meaning behind Cronus¡¯s words. ¡°Impossible, how could you still possess such power?!¡± ¡°You clearly no longer have the ability to seal my power, so how could you have the strength to oppose the sun itself?!!¡± One moment he was full of pride, the next he had fallen into the abyss. Hyperion had not expected that his anticipated glorious return would go bankrupt before it even started. To seize the sun single-handedly was an eventst known to ur ten thousand years ago, but it defied all logic. The seal was intended only for him personally, yet now Cronus was opposing the entire sun. If he still had such strength to spare, why would he release Hyperion¡¯s seal? Struggling fiercely, the God of Sun tried to prove the other was merely bluffing, but although the great orb expanded and contracted with its master¡¯s resistance, it seemed absurdlyical within the colossal hand formed from the void. It wasn¡¯t without effect; powers of this level, even the current Divine King could not ignore. But having an effect and being able to escape were clearly not the same thing. ¡°Stop wasting your efforts, I warned you, Hyperion, but you obviously did not take heed.¡± With a lightugh, the power of space and time circled around him, Cronus looked towards the sun and also the figure within it. Unsurprisingly, this should be thest time hemunicated with the other party. ¡°But no matter. Firstly to give hope and then to shatter it by hand is indeed the best way to teach you reverence.¡± ¡°Especially you, my child¡ª¡± As though he had thought of something, the Divine King slightly lowered his head. That face as vast as the heavens looked down, parting the thunderclouds inyers, and casting upon Zeus¡¯s face of despair. The thunderbolts, enhanced by his divine artifact, resembled mere adornments for the Divine King, with silver serpents dancing and writhing, causing mere ripples on the titan¡¯s body, yet to no avail. ¡°Zeus, my rebellious child, as your father, today I will teach you another lesson.¡± Cronus sneered as he nced over at Oceanus, the God of the Ocean. He paid no more attention to the still shouting God of Sun, but raised the hand holding the great orb high, then smashed it down towards the East. ¡°Endurance, at times, is necessary.¡± ¡°Otherwise, your uncles¡¯ today will be your tomorrow.¡± To hold the sun and the moon, topress a thousand mountains, ying with the universe. Before this god reaching from earth to sky, half of the continent was within arm¡¯s reach. An era had passed, and after the age of Uranus, the sun was once again in contact with his old friend. And so on this day, the great orb bathed in the East Sea. In the North of the continent, within a secluded valley. Far from the battlefield of the deities, far from the strife of the world, the God of Speech, Iapetus, resided here in solitude. Originally, after the creation of mankind, his whole family hade here together. However,ter on, his eldest son and second son, Prometheus and Epimetheus, chose Olympus together. The Forethinker imed that they had offended the Divine King by creating humans, and due to his brother As¡¯s situation, it was inevitable they would face hostility from Olympus. Therefore, he took Epimetheus with him to serve the new king foretold by fate. As for his wife, the Goddess of Renown Clymene, she could never endure the loneliness here, rarely returning throughout the year. She thought her husband was unaware, but Iapetus knew very well that she had met the newly appointed God of Sun, Helios, at the abode of the hot springs goddess. However, the God of Speech chose to let things take their own course. In fact, in terms of strength, they were quite evenly matched. Since he couldn¡¯t stop her, he might as well stay in this valley alone, enjoying tranquility. It was only today that he had witnessed in a short span the fall of Mount of the Gods, the westward descent of the Sky, as well as the giant god who seemed to split heaven and earth, plucking the Sun and pressing it towards the East Sea. Everything was so shocking, yet there was something familiar about it all. After all, he had witnessed simr scenes more than once. Some were in thest epoch, the most recent being that illusory vision. Even though it was but a fleeting moment, Iapetus¡¯s memory of it remained fresh. ¡°Is this the future I had seen before? I never expected it to unfold so quickly,¡± he murmured. ¡°Compared to that scene, however, this still seems tock something.¡± Muttering to himself, the God of Speech still vividly remembered that scene, even after many years. Silver Serpents frenzied in the Sky, where darkness intertwined with illusions, and a towering figure enveloped in the power of time and space grasped a zing orb of light, fiercely pressing it towards the East. It was a scene Iapetus caught a glimpse of the first time he entered the Spirit Realm. Now, except for the dark and illusory images, everything else hade to pass. The Silver Serpent came from the ¡®firstborn¡¯ of the Divine King, the orb of light was supreme in the starry sky, and that towering figure, was the Divine King who reigned supreme over all. At least, it looked like the Divine King. ¡°This world is still too dangerous. A misstep, and one bes a pawn in the struggle between the great beings.¡± ¡°My previous decision was wise indeed. It¡¯s better to let them resolve such matters of power and influence on their own.¡± Shaking his head, Iapetus couldn¡¯t help but think of his wife. She had gone to the East Sea again, but now that ce was probably not so ¡®safe,¡¯ and he wondered how she, ever so keen on fame, felt now. After all, the young God of Sun probably wasn¡¯t feeling veryfortable, given that a collision of symbols of godhood would inevitably affect the deities themselves. Be it Helios or Hyperion, or even Oceanus, the God of the Ocean, they were likely experiencing a pain that prated the soul. He had lived through thest epoch, and when Uranus cast the Sun into the great ocean, the God of Speech was right there. The Heavenly Father had only tested the waters back then, but the reactions of the two Titans were etched in his memory. ¡°And the Primordial Gods¡­ truly formidable.¡± ¡°Who knows how things will turn out. Will the gods be tolerated if they continue to unleash their powers with such abandon in this world?¡± Feeling somewhat apprehensive, and piecing together his own experiences with some rumors, Iapetus had also guessed what the darkness and the illusion were. Three beings, each having touched the Great Divine Power and shing in this world, would have consequences beyond the God of Speech¡¯s imagination. He didn¡¯t know which of them was the director behind all this or who would be the final victor, but regardless of the oue, the next epoch was likely to be much different from the present. ¡°But that has nothing to do with me.¡± He was once just a messenger, and now, even more a mere observer. Iapetus knew of no other ability, not even deeming himself as wise as his children, he knew but one thing ¨C never to meddle in affairs beyond his capacity. And so, the God of Speech watched as an audience, witnessing the end of the second epoch. Chapter 136 - 106 Influence Chapter 136: Chapter 106 Influence ¡°No!¡± The joys and sorrows of people do notmunicate with one another. As the God of Speech lightly indulged in the pleasure of imagining Helios¡¯s fate, a desperate shout apanied by terror emerged over the East Sea, where the young Sun God observed the events unfolding before his eyes in horror. Not long ago, having just sensed the changing ownership of the sun, Helios had once considered an idea simr to that of Ocean Deity Sovereign. Perhaps something had gone wrong with the Divine King, and his previous behaviors were all just for show. But he wasn¡¯t actually pleased by this. A simple change of the Divine King was eptable, but the breaking of the seal meant that his father would also be released. Hyperion and Cronus had a longstanding grudge, but it wasn¡¯t certain that the new Divine King would still seek to target this Titan deity. That¡¯s why he secretly rebelled, yet did not join the assault on Mount of the Gods or disy loyalty before the new master. Although the seal within the sun would weaken with the turning of the era, it didn¡¯t mean that Hyperion would definitely be able to escape. However, if he openly rebelled, then the Divine King would certainly actively break the seal. But now, he no longer needed to worry about that. For high above, the sun was plummeting towards the East Sea at a speed far beyond Helios¡¯s imagination. Great sounds are silent, great forms are shapeless. When an enormous hand formed from the void seized the sun, one couldn¡¯t perceive its existence standing nearby. In the young Sun God¡¯s eyes, a formidable power that he couldn¡¯tprehend was enveloping the massive celestial body, allowing it to move at an unimaginable speed. He could feel his father¡¯s struggle and the sun¡¯s resistance, but all resistance seemed meaningless against the force that wrapped around them. The next moment, right before his eyes, the heavenly body made contact with the ocean, and boundless light and heat erupted at the center of the East Sea. Hiss¡ª There was no sound of collision, because the sun and the sea water did not actually collide. The sea water couldn¡¯t even touch the sun¡¯s true form, vaporizing instantly in the unquantifiable high temperatures. Transforming into steam, they expanded, some drawn high into the sky, some sinking to the ocean floor. The friction between the air currents and the sea water stirred up waves and storms a thousand times more violent. But under the energy released by the sun, these waves that had just risen were quickly eradicated into nothingness. In that moment, the center of the East Sea was like a void. Sea water poured in continuously, only to vaporize. Clouds gathered like rings, rapidly spreading from the sun¡¯s point of descent. Rainfell like a deluge, but at the very center, no moisture coulde close. An unprecedented storm began to brew, vast and mysterious currents formed at the sea bottom, phenomena unseen even in the remote First Era. After all, it was no longer the past;pared to ten thousand years ago, both the sun and the ocean were far more powerful than before. And at that moment, at the bottom of the great ocean, the ancient Sea God Pontus looked on with relief. ¡°Cronus? Perhaps, it doesn¡¯t matter who it is. Since you insisted on getting involved, it¡¯s a fate you¡¯ve brought upon yourselves,¡± he said. The voice was deep and distant. If it had been thousands of years earlier, the central part of the East Sea would have been the border between his and Oceanus¡¯s domains. But now, it was entirely within the other¡¯s territory. Being a Sea God himself, he could guess how excruciating the pain was for the other at that moment, a pain that followed the connection of domain and godhood, piercing directly into the soul. ¡°With great poweres great responsibility. My dear nephew, your authority stems from the sea, and since you so desire to rule it, you should also be willing to bear the corresponding price,¡± Pontus said with a coldugh, ncing at the giant hand suppressing the sun. He shrank back toward the coast again. From the East Sea to the central continent, in territories not of the sea, he might not make it in a day, yet someone¡¯s arm had carried such a celestial body across the distance in the blink of an eye. Even with the influence of divine authority over space and time, this power was undoubted. He couldn¡¯t discern the strengths among Primordial Gods, nor did he know whether ¡®Cronus¡¯ at this moment or the Heavenly Father at his peak was more terrifying, but he was clear that this was a force he absolutely could not resist. To suppress the sun, the owner of this power still needed one hand. But to suppress him, probably just two fingers would suffice. Watching this scene, Pontus made his decision in the dark. No matter who won the ultimate victory afterward, he would no longer interfere. His realm of the sea, he would leave to his children to manage, and as for himself, like his brother, he would merge with his true form, existing eternally in the concave of thend. Beyond the sea, undoubtedly closest to this upheaval, was the vast and endless starry sky. The sun had left from there, and the energy tide stirred by that giant hand was growing more intense. On the moon, the Mother Goddess of Light looked on with aplex expression. Besides ¡®Cronus¡¯ and Helios, she was the third deity to notice the change of hands over the sun. But in just a moment, she witnessed her husband¡¯s another failure. Although Hyperion was the supreme being of light, it seemed he never seeded. ¡°Mother Goddess, just now, was the sun taken away?¡± asked Selene from the moon, shrinking aside. The sky had previously been aze with silver fire, and knowing the insider information, she was secretly happy for her friend¡¯s sess. But the very next moment, nearly brushing past them, that vastlyrger celestial body was plucked like fruit and casually thrust into the East Sea. She remembered the stories Hecate had told her, in which there were beingsuded as ¡®holding the sun and the moon.¡¯ She had thought it was a mere anecdote, but now, the Moon Goddess utterly believed it: indeed, a term fitting to describe the mightiest. This made her want to run away, for who could tell if the owner of that giant hand might suddenly find it amusing to grasp both the sun and the moon together. The sun was one thing, suppressed but still stable. Even if pressed into the East Sea, constantlybating the ocean¡¯s essence, it only drained of vital essence but wasn¡¯t in danger of true disintegration. But if the moon were treated simrly¡­ Selene thought of those God of Stars whose very essence shattered, condemned to eternal slumber. She may be a True God, but her divinity is tied to the Moon. Nobody knows if the divine power would still sustain her should the moon be destroyed. Fortunately,pared to a God of Stars, Selene had some other tricks up her sleeve. She was now extremely grateful that she had learned some witchcraft from Hecate; after all, magic power was a form of energy, and while not as potent as divine power, it was still enough to sustain her existence for a short while. She¡¯d already resolved that if that giant hand reached for the moon, she would flee at once to seek Hecate¡¯s assistance. Now a goddess, Hecate probably wouldn¡¯t mind taking her in as a Sub-God, sharing a sliver of divine power. Chapter 137 - 107 Arrogance Chapter 137: Chapter 107 Arrogance ¡°¡­Yes.¡± At the side, the Mother of Light was unaware of her daughter¡¯s thoughts. Although she heard Selene¡¯s somewhat trembling voice, Theia did not even nce at her. She simply gazed at the earth and sea, witnessing the convergence of the storm and the weakness revealed amidst the Sun¡¯s fury. Previously, she knew the Moon was her daughter¡¯s domain, yet she still upied it, managing the remaining God of Stars, and it¡¯s hard to say whether Theia had ever thought about the day Hyperion would break free. But now, she no longer cared about these things. Even if Hyperion had a chance to break free in the future, perhaps being a solitary Sun would be better than trying to rule the starry sky. To him, Theia had fulfilled her duty. ¡°Yes, Selene, he was taken away, right before your eyes.¡± Taking a deep breath, Theia seemed to let go of something and turned to look at her daughter. ¡°I am leaving as well, like my brother, the god of lightless celestial bodies, Coeus, I will find a ce of my own to live in seclusion, or maybe visit the earth and Underworld that I rarely set foot upon.¡± ¡°The Moon was always meant to be yours; I¡¯ve upied it for too long. From now on, I return her to you. Your brother has his own ce, and your sister probably doesn¡¯t need you to worry about her.¡± Helios is somewhat of a God of Sun, and as for Eos, the Goddess of Dawn, as the mother of the star gods, she will not be homeless. ¡°What?¡± Startled, Selene didn¡¯t quite enjoy the feeling of her ce being upied by someone else, but she hadn¡¯t intended to drive Theia away. After all, as the powerful Mother of Light, Theia¡¯s presence was a deterrent in itself, even though she didn¡¯t really need that deterrent now. ¡°But Mother¡ª¡± ¡°Listen to me.¡± Waving her hand to stop the Moon Goddess from speaking, Theia rarely looked her daughter directly in the eyes. In the past, because she was not like her eldest son, who held a part of the Sun¡¯s godhood, nor like her second daughter, Eos, who was ¡®extensively social¡¯, she somewhat neglected Selene. But looking back now, perhaps she was the one who would fare the best in the future. ¡°I heard you were once friendly with a ¡®wizard¡¯ named Hecate? She is the one who just became a deity, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Selene nodded, unsure why her mother suddenly asked about her. ¡°No matter, that¡¯s good¡­ Acquiring godhood out of nowhere, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s what I think it is, but even if it¡¯s not, someone of equal standing must be behind her.¡± ¡°Only they are the true masters of the world.¡± After pondering for a moment, Theia finally admonished her daughter. ¡°I want you to remember, Selene¡ª¡± ¡°Unless one day you have a truly great one supporting you, never involve yourself with beings like the Divine King. In the face of absolute power, all schemes are a joke.¡± Perhaps it was the rity of an observer, but Theia faintly sensed that there was something wrong with that ¡®Divine King.¡¯ Having personally experienced two changes of kingship, the Mother of Light began to understand. The seemingly morous throne was, in fact, not something desirable. However, no matter who was the force behind some other entity, it was now irrelevant to her. Vying for power would not help her reach that level, and without such Great Divine Power, the authority she held was merely an illusion. Since it was an illusion, there was nothing to cling to. Light was different from the Sun; she herself was not particrly keen on power. Being an Ancient God who wielded light, she might be more respected than she had been when controlling part of the starry sky. The gods watching the shifting situation each reacted differently, and more than one True God chose to avoid it. And on earth, since the day the great Sun rose, countless beings had been reduced to ash and smoke in just a short time, and even within the core of the Sun¡¯s fall, souls were burned to extinction. After all, souls too can die; although theyst longer than the physical body and can avoid some material damage, there is no difference in the face of the Sun itself. Thews of the present world trembled faintly; almost instantly, the aura of the Divine Authority of Cronus plummeted. At the same time, a sense of oppression enveloped the hearts of all deities in the present world. However, perhaps because the transition of eras had not ended, no substantial change had urred yet. But the world¡¯s changes awaited the new king¡¯s ascension, and within Tartarus, in the twisted space-time, a nine-month-long creation was nearing its end. ¡°It¡¯s over, is this what it feels like to control the world?¡± At the core of the Abyss, within the nascent ne, Cronus¡¯s voice came from the ninthyer of the world. As the nineyers of the realms gradually took shape, under a certain influence, the Abyss underwent miraculous changes as well. Some matter began to emerge here, but unlike worlds artificially created, because there were no deities fully belonging to the Abyss yet, this change was extremely slow. Perhaps a long time would pass before these materials coulde together, forming a structure akin to ¡®earth.¡¯ Maybe by that day, this ce would be the first minor realm under the Abyss system, linking with the Nine Realms created by Cronus. ¡°The status of Great Divine Power, even just newly opened, I have already felt a trace of that higher-level power. Laine, no wonder you were always so arrogant.¡± Though Cronus had also gained sufficient power, his control of that Source Power was neither smooth nor free from the consideration of the one-third that did not belong to him. Thus, despite taking much longer than Laine, the new world still could notpare to the nascent Spirit Realm. Chapter 138 - 107 Arrogance_2 Chapter 138: Chapter 107 Arrogance_2 Fortunately, although it still appeared deste and broken, and there was no life present, the image of the Nine Realms had begun to emerge, faintly visible. The moment it was born, it greedily absorbed the power of the Abyss, seizing the final moments before the birth of the Mother of Demons to strengthen itself. After all, losing this opportunity, it would never be so easy to draw upon the power of Tartarus again. ¡°Arrogant? So, in your eyes, that¡¯s how I¡¯ve always appeared to you?¡± Outside the Nine Realms, Laine¡¯s incarnation could feel that three-tenths of his Origin power had turned into the foundation of the third, fifth, and seventhyers of the new world. As for Cronus, he divided his seventy percent of power into six parts, using two parts for the construction of the ninthyer, with the other fiveyers not differing much from each other. After all, the newly born Nine Realms were unlike the Spirit Realm, which had a central axis running through it. Therefore, to maintain stability, Cronus decided to make the ninthyer a bit ¡®heavier.¡¯ ¡°Arrogant people are often unaware of it themselves, Laine. You might not realize it, but I always feel that sense of condescendence in your heart when you look at other deities. Even Mother Earth did not seem to impress you.¡± Outside the realms, first a white serpent shadow emerged from the Nine Realms, looking very much like an erged version of the previous Order Source Power. The next moment, the serpent¡¯s shadow condensed into a human form, and once again, Cronus appeared in the world as a deity. But the present him was entirely different from the past, virtually unrecognizable. Had Laine not witnessed everything that happened, he would have found it difficult to associate the thin figure with ck hair and blood-red eyes before him with the former Divine King. No matter how one looked at it, there was no trace of simrity between their temperaments or powers. ¡°Is that so, perhaps. But if I can¡¯t feel it, then it¡¯s also hard to talk about correcting it.¡± After sizing up Cronus¡¯s new form, Laine spoke indifferently: ¡°It¡¯s almost time, the new realm has taken shape, and what remains is, like my Spirit Realm, something that must be slowly built over time.¡± ¡°What about the Divine Artifact?¡± Cronus asked, ¡°I remember you have more than one Divine Artifact, right?¡± The former Divine King had a fresh memory of Laine¡¯s artifacts, especially the Codex of Creation, which aligned perfectly with him when he was Divine King. Now as the World Master, he was reminded of how important an artifact centered around [Order][Law] could be. If possible, he also nned to create one, even if it were weaker than Laine¡¯s. ¡°As for a Divine Artifact, I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s not much we can do now. The [Order] from within the Abyss, like my [Spirituality], has be the foundation of the world and will not take the form of a Divine Artifact. Unlike me, you did not have additional Origin invested when opening the realm, so unless you¡¯re just nning to make something of little use, there is no need at all.¡± ¡°By contrast, the new world does still need some life.¡± Laine shook his head slightly, clearly noticing a slight movement in Cronus¡¯s mouth. After all, the so-called additional Origin included Cronus¡¯s former power of time and space, one of which was still gestating, while the other had transformed into a special mirror. Turning his gaze toward the newly born world, at this moment, it was no longer directly observable. Only a conceptual entrance in space-time was temporarily opened above the body of the Mother of Demons, Moya, swallowing the power converging from the Abyss. Bits of Origin power were being absorbed by the Nine Realms, although at different rates. The ninthyer, into which Cronus poured more power, was clearly absorbing much faster than the other eightyers, and Laine¡¯s threeyers were faster than the remaining five. This was the difference in practical application, after all, in absorbing and digesting Source Power, Laine had an eon of experience. Theoretically, creation had now ended, but the formation of the new world still required a crucial final step. Just as the great earth needed life, this ce also ought to have its own. Life was not essential for the world, but it was an indispensable part of the world¡¯s refinement. Moreover, since the souls of Silver Humanity had been brought here, there was obviously no need to take them back. They were originally to be used in the Abyss. Laine could observe their reaction whenbining with the power of the Abyss, which would aid Cronus in his transformation, and even after the transformation wasplete, the life that these souls turned into could serve as a contribution to his bing the ¡®Dark Overlord¡¯ of Tartarus. But now, let them be inhabitants of the new world. Perhaps some of them will be lucky enough to be promoted by Cronus to the status of quasi-gods. As for Laine¡¯s three-tiered world, he had other ns. ¡°Cronus, these souls, consider them my congrattory gift to you for your sess,¡± With a slight smile, feeling the vague longing emanating from the world before him, Laine mixed the souls of the Silver Humanity with water from the Well of Eternity and cast them into the new realm. In the newly born world, these souls were instantly epted, broken down, transformed, remolded, and then granted bodies by the world to be life in another form. Maybe it was because of their connection to the Abyss, but they bore no resemnce to their former selves. They looked ferocious and evil, varying in power and strength. ¡°Hmm¡ª?!¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± All of a sudden, Laine seemed to discover something and Cronus did likewise. During the process of soul transformation, a strange force was revealed. It caused only a slight disturbance before being almost effortlessly swallowed and digested by the newborn realm. Because of this, the newborn nine realms acquired a sliver of authority belonging to Darkness. It seemed to be a good thing, but both sensed that in that moment, a message traveled along an invisible connection. It was the link between the Origin and its master, which could be dyed by the Abyss but could not be blocked. After all, its master, though not on par with the Abyss, was not suppressed in terms of status. ¡°What is this situation? Darkness, is it that Primordial God?¡± There was no anger. Or rather, Cronus didn¡¯t really care if the method of opening his world was leaked or not. The Abyss couldn¡¯t contain a second world; even if the secret got out, there would be no space for others to use it. But the event was interesting. After all, it seemed that Laine hadn¡¯t noticed it beforehand either. ¡°¡­Yes, it¡¯s Erebus and Gaia.¡± Laine paused for a moment before slowly speaking. ¡°Heh, I had been wondering why The Dark Overlord was so quiet. Now I see. You¡¯re right, Cronus, I was a bit arrogant.¡± Almost the instant he saw the Darkness Source Power, Laine understood the cause and effect. Gaia had created life, and Darkness itself symbolized secrecy, so even though Laine had brought these souls with him all the way, he had never actively checked them and hadn¡¯t noticed any issues. Initially, the target must have been the Spirit Realm, but it ended up falling into Cronus¡¯s new realm instead. ¡°It was aimed at me¡­ I actually knew that he might not believe what I said, but I never thought he would secretly undermine me in this manner.¡± ¡°Smuggling in with souls is indeed a good method.¡± Gradually calming down, Laine wasn¡¯t really angry, as what the other party obtained didn¡¯t significantly harm him. On the contrary, Erebus had indeed taught him a lesson. ¡°The Dark Overlord, I can¡¯t really do anything about him now. This rarely seen Primordial God truly doesn¡¯t have any ws.¡± Meeting Cronus¡¯s gaze, Laine shook his head: ¡°But Gaia is different.¡± ¡°She once gave me a branch from the Golden Apple Tree as a gift, but now I see, that gift was only superficial, these within the souls, these are the real ¡®gifts.¡¯¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then this previous gift, I must return it just as it was given.¡± Chapter 139 - 108: The Circular Courtyard Chapter 139: Chapter 108: The Circr Courtyard Laine¡¯s ¡°reciprocal gift¡± obviously didn¡¯t mean to send the item back, but Cronus was still very curious about what a branch from the Golden Apple Tree could do. However, although he asked, Laine clearly had no intention of exining. Some things should not be given away lightly, such as the Source Power of space and time, and likewise, branches from the Golden Apple Tree. To the former, the so-called ¡°giving¡± would ultimately return to one¡¯s own hands; as for thetter, some phenomena, which seemedmonce to her, could actually ur in many ces. But that is how deities are, always subconsciously overlooking this point. However, that was a matter for the future. Now, Laine had toplete thest step. ¡°A new life has been born, and now it is my turn,¡± he said. Beforeing to the Abyss, Laine had intended to retract this incarnation, but after seeing that power of Order, he changed his mind. The three realms that belonged to him still needed his control for the time being. Bowing gently, in the next moment, Laine¡¯s ephemeral form as an incarnation shattered. He became the essence of Chaotic Source Force, a capricious ck Mist Serpent, and with a wriggle of his body, he plunged directly into the fifth realm that was his. From the outside, the snake looked very fine and ethereal. But as it neared the world, it doubled in size and became more tangible with each approach. Finally, when it entered the fifth realm, it was no longer an ethereal Mist Serpent but had, under the power of the realm, formed a new body just as Cronus had. The serpentine body coiled slightly, with head and tail facing each other, already encircling the world before it. Hiss¡ª The hissing sound echoed, but in the next moment, the world understood its meaning; this was its master naming it. Henceforth, the fifth realm had its own unique name, Central Court. ¡°Central Court is a good name, a Divine Court situated in the central world? It seems I too should give my world a fittingly illustrative name,¡± Cronus mused. Feeling the power tapping lightly on the realm¡¯s barrier, Laine opened the gateway, and thus a figure appeared, the new Lord of the Nine Realms stood before him. ¡°Have you thought of one?¡± The giant serpent raised its head, its eyesrge as stars, and looked at Cronus. ¡°I have.¡± ¡°This is a ce beneath the earth, even below the Underworld, thus it should include ¡®Hell¡¯; it was once a prison for criminals, a ce not embraced by the present world, thus it could be called a dungeon. Since that is so, let¡¯s call it ¡®Hell¡¯.¡± ¡°Hell has nine levels. Since I cannot be the King of the Abyss, being the Lord of the Nine Hells isn¡¯t too bad either.¡± For millennia, Cronus had never felt as happy and rxed as he did at this moment. But perhaps now, he could no longer be called Cronus. After all, everything associated with the old gods had been washed away, and he was now a newly born deity. Thus, he raised his head, with the authority of the Lord of the Nine Hells he ¡®looked¡¯ out upon the new life within the nine realms, proiming the deration of the world: ¡°Come forth and behold your master, you sinful beings. I am the Lord of the Nine Hells, Asmodeus.¡± Time-space passageways linked the Nine Realms, and his voice reverberated through the realms. No matter what emotions they harbored, as they felt the power from the world itself, the newly born beings stepped into the passageway, heading to the fifth realm where the World Lord was currently. But when they arrived at ¡®Central Court,¡¯ the first thing they saw was not the Hellish Lord who had called them, but rather the giant serpent encircling the world. With head and tail touching, circling the world, the serpent¡¯s eyes were like two great suns, overlooking the lives that had just arrived in Central Court. Centuriester, the devils recorded that day as follows: ¡°¡­In the very beginning, the child of Chaos tore the Abyss apart¡­ He fashioned Order out of the void, creating a home for the devils¡­ Henceforth, Tartarus became their eternal foe, an unending war yed out between them, for they were of the same essence and could unite as one.¡± ¡°In the dark Nine Hells, devils are the world¡¯s favored children, the Order in Chaos, the civilization amidst corruption. All this stemmed from the grace of the Monarch of Hell, no devil dared to challenge the sovereign¡¯s majesty, all but He himself.¡± ¡°He is the Serpent of the Garden, the Earthly Python that devours all spirits, the Monarch of Hell who co-rules the Nine Hells with Asmodeus.¡± Outside, Underworld. Shortly after the souls of Silver Humanity had been transformed, the Underworld, which had remained stable for tens of thousands of years, suddenly quivered. ¡°Finally¡­¡± Sensing the information that came through, although those origins had been devoured by the new world, The Dark Overlord did not care in the slightest. Compared to that loss, he was far more concerned with the harvest he had long awaited. He examined the content within the information bit by bit. Though it was somewhat vague due to Tartarus¡¯s interference, it was still enough to let him see the most crucial part. What constitutes a world, and what kind of existence can create it. ¡°So that¡¯s how it is, the prerequisite for opening a world is to strip away all of one¡¯s past self, and then use a power that is beyond the control of the current world as the foundation, huh?¡± ¡°Yes, the initial foundation of the present world was Gaia. It was after her that the sky, the oceans, and even further differentiation into the stars and the Underworld came into being. The reason Laine was able to transcend was probably because he was born early enough and was weak enough, so he easily washed away the present world¡¯s influence on him, then used the power that belonged to him before Gaia¡¯s birth to open the Spirit Realm!¡± His expression was somewhat surprised. Although there were still some things he didn¡¯t understand, such as the methods Laine and Cronus used to cleanse themselves of the traces of the present world, and why, when both were creating worlds, Laine¡¯s Spirit Realm triggered Chaos¡¯s ¡®wanted¡¯ notice, while Cronus¡ªAsmodeus¡¯s Hell did not, that no longer mattered. Perhaps the first must suffer some hardships, but subsequent beings will have it easier; in any case, the process was alreadyplete. The key issue now was how toplete the first step. Strictly speaking, the Realm of Lightlessness and the Land of Eternal Night, although heavily influenced by the present world, are not entirely under its control, but at the same time, they are far from being an assembly of Chaos like the Abyss, entirely independent of the present world. They are influenced by both, just that the side of order has a deeper effect, so calling the Realm of Lightlessness ¡®the Outworld¡¯ isn¡¯t really a problem. Therefore, under such circumstances, the Twin Gods of the Dark Night maintain neither the essence of thepletely chaotic Abyss nor the fully personified character of Gaia, which is entirely orderly. The previous time Laine entered the Land of Eternal Night, he discovered life influenced by chaotic forces within it for the very same reason. Thus, for Erebus, a power outside the present world is actually quite easy to obtain since he possesses it himself. In the Realm of Lightlessness, remnants from the dawn of creation are scattered throughout, and he had never cared for them before. Although these powers were weak, as long as they could open a world, Erebus couldpletely swallow his old body with the new world. His own essence would not resist himself. Once done, this would not only not affect his power, but it would also free him from the shackles of the present world. By then, the reborn Realm of Lightlessness, like the Abyss, would be one of the main entities of the other side of Chaos, but he would maintain his own consciousness. Moreover, Erebus had even contemted a further direction. He nned to bring every ce outside the present world under his control, with the Abyss among his targets. If he could be sessful, then he would be another sovereign of Chaos, a being equal in stature to the will of the present world. After all, the will of the present world is the only existence he could see that was half a step higher than the Great Divine Power. ¡°So how do Iplete the first step?¡± ¡°Stripping away everything of myself¡­ with my magnitude, it will be countless times more difficult than them.¡± Frowning slightly, although the idea was good, taking the first step to start everything, to cleanse the past, turned out to be The Dark Overlord¡¯s most difficult task. Without even thinking, one could tell that the difficulty of shedding all of the Great Divine Power is notparable to shedding the power of the former Divine King, and even Laine himself might not have the ability to do it. Even if he had the ability, Erebus had not been pushed to the edge of the cliff like Cronus; why would he pay such a heavy price and pin his hopes on an enemy that had just been established? And for other methods, Erebus really couldn¡¯t think of any at the moment. ¡°Forget it, I¡¯ll think about these matterster. For now, it¡¯s time I took action.¡± ¡°The gods of the present world are not a concern, but if I can cause him more trouble, that¡¯s good, too.¡± Raising his gaze toward thend, Erebus was well aware that by now, Laine had probably sensed his covert move and would know of his small actions. So from this moment on, they were enemies. Since they were enemies, then whatever the other side wanted to do, he had to oppose; whatever the other side opposed, he had to support. Of course, distinguishing whether the other side¡¯s attitude was genuine rather than being deceived by appearances was the time to test both parties¡¯ wisdom. ¡°Come, let me witness the power of the Lord of the Spirit Realm.¡± With a thought, the Realm of Lightlessness expanded. Almost instantly, it crossed the boundary delineated by the light of the Nether Moon, traversing the division between the present world and the Outworld. In this moment, The Dark Overlord clearly felt the present world¡¯sws¡¯ subtle resistance against him, but he was unconcerned. Just this once, the price was nothing to worry about. Chapter 140 - 109 Apology Chapter 140: Chapter 109 Apology Unlike Gaia, Erebus was very clear on how to target his opponent as much as possible while avoiding destruction to the world. What use was there in fighting him, when piercing through thatyer of ¡®skin¡¯ he was clothed in could truly threaten him? At that time, one side would be Earth¡¯s incarnation, targeted but at least one of their own, and the other side would be the uncontroble, destructive Outsider. It was ringly obvious where the present world¡¯s instinct would stand. Thus, Darkness surged from the fissures of the Earth. At first, it was a mere trickle, but in the span of a breath, it became immeasurable. Twisting and flowing, it reached out towards the towering figure standing upon the Earth, as if to envelop the great deity within. As long as he could make contact, Erebus could use his authority to unveil the ¡®secrets¡¯ hidden beneath and expose them before the present world and the gods. However, Laine couldn¡¯t possibly be unprepared for this, for as the sovereign of Spirituality, his thoughts were synchronized with his incarnation. Thus, the very next moment, an ephemeral barrier likewise emerged, staunchly blocking the path of the Darkness. There was no sound, no vision, and even beings below Great Divine Power had yet to notice as the two domains collided in silence. The present world shook, waves stirred in the Source Sea, and slight tremors urred in both colliding domains, yet nothing was aware of this. Everything happened without sound nor notice, yet it gestated surging waves of terror. ¡°What a nuisance.¡± In a low murmur within his heart, at this moment, Laine finally felt the pressure, the oppressiveness of a true Primordial God. There was no probing; the first strike was made with full force. The Dark Overlord¡¯s goal was not to dispose of him, Laine could sense that. The adversary was targeting the nearly nonexistent Divine King¡¯s power that now surrounded him. So, if he didn¡¯t wish to be unmasked, his options were to counter with equal force or to choose an end. The former he was doing, but sensing the nearly instant, tiny cracks that surrounded him, Laine knew he was still somewhat behind Erebus. ¡°Let¡¯s end it here; it¡¯s almost done anyway.¡± Looking towards Zeus in the distance, his ¡®beloved son¡¯, and then at his nearly exhausted Divine King¡¯s power, Laine finally decided to retreat. At present, he seemed at ease, one hand suppressing the Earth, the other capturing the Great Sun, even briefly contending against an aggressively approaching Primordial God, but only he knew the tremendous pressure he faced. The first two were manageable. With his current powerful divine status, althoughcking in strength, his essence was far superior to Gaia by an indeterminate degree. A fraction of Divine Power was more than enough to surpass her by tenfold, hence his advantage over Mother Earth was as expected, but Erebus was different. This Primordial God was in prime condition, his essence intact, even fully rallying his body¡¯s power in totalmitment. Laine¡¯s ability to contend with him actually relied on the Spirit Realm itself for bnce. But he was not yet the Great Divine Power, and such actions, manipting forces of aplete world from beyond its borders, ced severe oppression on his Divine Body. As personified incarnations, Gaia and Erebus would endure likewise, but their stronger divine force naturally meant they were less affected. This oppression¡¯s harm wasn¡¯t a problem in the short term, but the longer itsted, the more serious it became, and his Divine Body would copse ever more rapidly. Eventually, it could even lead to an uncontroble avnche. Though for Laine, the copse of his Divine Body wasn¡¯t fatal, recovery would be difficult in the immediate future, and this would inevitably affect the final arrangements of this era. The main objective of his mission was nearly aplished, with only the conclusion left. Instead of wasting more time here, it was better to stop. ¡°Let¡¯s end this era now,¡± he decided. Having made up his mind, Laine no longer hesitated. With a lightmand, an invisible force over the East Sea took hold of the Great Sun. ¡°Come¡ª¡± In the next moment, under his power, the ancient God of Sun was effortlessly taken by the force of space-time and disappeared into the void with a fluctuation. He had already warned Hyperion: if he dared to trouble him again, Laine would not spare him. Although in Hyperion¡¯s eyes, he was only attacking ¡®Cronus¡¯, the oue would be no different. Luck is also a part of strength, and in the Chaos World, fate and karma are real. Perhaps in a way, the fate of the Titan god¡¯s downfall was meant to be here. For such an inconsequential ¡®fate¡¯, Laine was happy to go with the flow. With the God of Sun captured, there was no longer a need to maintain pressure on the Sun. His power could be withdrawn, and so the generation of cracks on his Divine Body slowed. In the East, the unshackled Sun finally trembled as it rose back into the sky, bursting through the clouds to return to the firmament. Yet, the influence it brought continued to ferment. In a mere half hour, the waters of the East Sea had dropped by one-third. The thick clouds centered around the Sun¡¯s previous descent covered half the ocean. Endless waters surged from the other three directions towards the East. Laine could already foresee that for a considerably long period toe, the climate of the present world would be terribly harsh. Tsunamis tens of thousands of meters high, incessant earthquakes and volcanoes, overflowing floods, decades of unending rainstorms. Some of these effects might even permanently harden into the world, forming insurmountable destion for future mortals. And at the center of the East Sea, the immense vortex still existed. ¡°Permanently altering thews of a ce, shaking the current climate, and even the collision of celestial bodies, the copse of the Mount of the Gods¡­ doing all these should be about enough,¡± Withdrawing his gaze, Laine could feel the increasingly severe rejection of the present world. It was not just against himself, but also against Gaia and the other gods who had caused all this. After all, up to this point, Gaia was still supporting it with all her might. Beneath the sh of powers between the two ancient gods, the earth¡¯s crust was trembling, and the tectonic tes were shifting. New mountains rose while old ones buckled. Unlike the other deities, Gaia had probably sensed the collision between the Spirit Realm and the Realm of Lightlessness, so her actions were even more intense, but she would still not know who was behind all of this. Laine had no desire to clear up her confusion. The moment he noticed the issue with the souls of Silver Humanity, he was prepared. Who said this affair had to be orchestrated by him? Couldn¡¯t it be that Erebus was probing the world¡¯s possibilities and secretly using Cronus as a scout? After all, the real ¡®Cronus¡¯ no longer existed, and even the newly born Lord of the Nine Hells could now only be regarded as a new god with the memories of the former Divine King. In truth, the ruined tapestry had more im to the name of Cronus than Asmodeus did. Shaking his head slightly, in the next moment, Laine withdrew his power and the omnipresent illusion slowly dissipated. In the gaze of the gods, the figure of ¡®Cronus¡¯ slowly emerged. But it was almost visibly apparent that the ¡®Divine King¡¯s¡¯ body was rapidly losing power, and even his body seemed somewhat ethereal. However, this time, although the gods had various thoughts, no one dared to approach any longer. Just moments ago, the God of the Ocean, Oceanus, had passed out amidst painful screams, a sound that still lingered in their ears. In the previous era, Uranus would have considered it a pleasant apaniment, but to the current gods, it sounded like a death knell. Deities do not die, but they can be tormented, so no matter the condition of ¡®Cronus¡¯ now, they would not be the first to act. After all, no god would be deceived by the same existence three times in one day. And perhaps because the Divine Body was carrying the power of the Spirit Realm, although the Divine Power surrounding ¡®Cronus¡¯ was now almost imperceptible, and his divine body was gradually deteriorating, an intangible oppression was growing even more intense. In the eyes of the gods, the current ¡®Divine King¡¯ felt to them eerily simr to the will of the present world. Combined with his now ethereal form, an unfounded conjecture appeared in the minds of a few deities. Could it be that, in seeking to be the Great Divine Power, an ident urred and now he is about to ¡®merge with the world¡¯? If interpreted this way, then the previous inconsistencies seemed to have an exnation. The power of the Divine King was indeed waning, but hisbat strength became more fearsome, although it is likely he did not seed. Otherwise, the first post-creation Great Divine Power in the Chaos World would not be so quiet. This also seemed to fit with fate. If pure power couldn¡¯t defeat him, then let him defeat himself. ¡°Your Majesty¡ª¡± In the eerily tense scene, Zeus¡¯s eyes were shifting, and the other deities each had their own thoughts. But as ¡®Cronus¡¯ was about to speak, suddenly, a blue-haired, graceful goddess fell to her knees beside Zeus. The ¡®Divine King¡¯ recognized her. It was Eurybia, daughter of the ancient Sea God Pontus and wife of the God of Meteorology, Crius, symbolizing one aspect of the power of the sea. As the wife of the God of Meteorology, Eurybia should have stood by the Divine King, but clearly, facing the overwhelming situation before and the fates of legend, this goddess chose easily. She betrayed the Divine King, stood on the side of Olympus, and then regretted her decision fervently upon witnessing ¡®Cronus¡¯s ¡®hidden¡¯ true power. ¡°Your Majesty, I plead for your forgiveness for my earlier foolish actions. It was Zeus¡¯s wife, the cunning Metis, who deceived me!¡± ¡°I am willing to ept your punishment, but I beseech you to forgive my previous sin, for the sake of my husband¡¯s honor,¡± Eurybia¡¯s voice was somewhat sharp, her appearance a bit disheveled, but inside, many deities actually wanted to take her ce. If possible, they, too, would want to kneel before the Divine King and beg for mercy, but unlike Eurybia, who had some rtion to ¡®Cronus,¡¯ they couldn¡¯t even find a reason to justify themselves. But there were also some gods whose expressions remained unchanged on the surface, yet their thoughts were inscrutable. If things were indeed as they suspected, then perhaps this time, Eurybia had acted prematurely again. Once the Divine King is reced, due to her actions today, even in the future Divine Court, the lineage of the ancient Sea God would inevitably face exclusion. But that did not concern them, and no one would speak out, not even Eurybia¡¯s brother and Pontus¡¯s eldest son, Thssa, the personification of sea¡¯s gentleness, Nereus. Conjecture, after all, is just conjecture. Before thews of the present world shifted with the change of the Divine King, he dared not act precipitately. After all, the dreadful state of the God of the Ocean was not too long ago. Chapter 141 - 110 The End Chapter 141: Chapter 110 The End The earthy yellow light continued to fluctuate below, as the divine king¡¯s figure became increasingly ethereal. At this moment, looking at the goddess before him seeking forgiveness, ¡®Cronus¡¯ had a somewhat strange expression. It could be called an act of betrayal from some year, and one did not know what the other party would think after today. ¡°Metis, huh? Perhaps. Wisdom, indeed, has extraordinary power.¡± Whether Metis had done this deed or not, he was all too clear. Shaking his head slightly, standing before the gods, ¡®Cronus¡¯ wore a smile. However,bined with the surrounding environment and the events that had just urred, it felt somewhat out of ce. A sideways nce at the goddess destined to regret once more, the ¡®Divine King¡¯ paid her no attention, instead turning to Zeus standing behind her. He would not waste hisst moments on her. Standing among the gods, facing the gaze of his ¡®father,¡¯ the golden-haired deity did not dodge but met the gaze head-on. By contrast, many other deities were already panicking. ¡°Not bad,¡± Nodding slightly, ¡®Cronus¡¯ seemed to give his approval. ¡°At least you haven¡¯t been scared witless.¡± After a moment of silence, Zeus¡¯s gaze swept over his two brothers. Disappointingly, they were faring not too badly, perhaps because ¡®Cronus¡¯ hadn¡¯t looked at them yet. ¡°Everything has a cause, Father God. You possess such great power, yet you fought with us for ten years, that surely wasn¡¯t just for augh.¡± As though he had forgotten how he arrogantly said ¡®I call you this for thest time¡¯ just half a day ago, Zeus still dared not address Cronus by his name. But his emotions also settled down. There were only two oues now: if his father¡¯s power remained, then begging for mercy would be futile; better to retain dignity and ept his fate. And if things were as he suspected, then he wouldn¡¯t provoke the other party at the final moment. Zeus was always a pragmatist. Aside fromter growingcent and somewhat unable to restrain his ¡®small hobbies,¡¯ whether it was the ugly Titans, the ferocious-looking offspring, or anything else useful, he could tolerate it, and today was no different. Shaking his head slightly, to the surprise of the deities present, ¡®Cronus¡¯ did not enumerate the ¡®crimes of rebellion¡¯ as he had with Zeus before, but instead posed a question to him. ¡°Zeus, my child, the so-called ¡®destined¡¯ one to overthrow me, tell me, what have you learned from today¡¯s experience?¡± Once more silent for a moment, the Divine King¡¯s talk of a ¡®destined new king¡¯ was a great irony, but Zeus replied calmly. ¡°I have learned the importance of power, father.¡± ¡°As long as one has enough power, nothing else matters. Wisdom or influence, they are merely means to acquire power.¡± This wasn¡¯t just sycophancy to show his weakness to the Divine King, but also Zeus¡¯s honest thought at that moment. He had the support of half of the world¡¯s deities and help from the Goddess of Wisdom, yet he still suffered a crushing defeat. But he was somewhat puzzled. The power of the gods came naturally, and the strength of the Divine King¡¯s authority could be roughly estimated. Even if, as he suspected, the other party was making an attempt to ascend to a higher ne, what was he relying on? Perhaps there was some special secret contained within. And the reason likely lied in what Cronus had been doing all these years. It could be rted tow-making, or to the stars, or perhaps, to creating life. If he got past this hurdle, he would certainly delve into these secrets. ¡°Is this your answer, then? It¡¯s rather extreme, but not incorrect.¡± Not knowing what the other was thinking, the Divine King nodded, neither confirming nor denying. ¡°¡ªWhat about you then, Hades? What do you think?¡± Once again addressing his original eldest son, ¡®Cronus¡¯ asked indifferently. Now, some of the keener-minded deities among those present were beginning to perceive something. ¡°¡­I think it¡¯s better to strengthen oneself rather than covet what others have.¡± Faced with the ¡®Father God¡¯s¡¯ inquiry, Hades, who hadn¡¯t shown much in the previous battle, paused for a moment before responding. If Cronus¡¯s strength did note from an external Divine Authority, then it must be that his own time-space power had undergone a change, which was also evident in the previous battle. Such a degree of Divine Authority was not something that a powerful Divine Power associated with time-space godhood could achieve. Perhaps some methods indeed could alter godhood, and if given the chance, he too would learn to bring change to the deste Underworld. His sister, Demeter, was his best choice. Unfortunately, influenced by her godhood, she innately loathed the barren Underworld. ¡°That fits your personality, Hades. You are practical and willing to ept reality,¡± Once again passing judgment, ¡®Cronus¡¯ finally turned to his second son. Among the gods present, he was one of the few who not only had not suffered but had gained benefits. Earthquakes, tsunamis, storms¡ªthe phenomena that were increasingly intensifying around the world and perfectly aligned with the godhood of Poseidon showed no sign of stopping. ¡°Go ahead, speak. Though I haven¡¯t expected much from you, you still deserve an opportunity,¡± His face flushed, even overshadowing his prior tension and panic. Poseidon hadn¡¯t expected his ¡®Father God¡¯ to think so little of him. But amidst the somewhat strange gazes of the other deities, he nheless responded loudly: ¡°Divine authority is supreme, that¡¯s what I¡¯ve learned,¡± Unlike his two brothers, Poseidon believed that though many reasons could be found for Cronus¡¯s might and many exnations for the power of the former Divine King, these were but post hoc justifications for the oue. But he felt that perhaps there were not so many secrets; the Divine King was meant to be this strong. If he were Divine King, he could do the same. However, in response to his answer, the Divine King simply said, ¡°Ambitious, but ipetent.¡± ¡°No different from what I thought.¡± Suddenly, Poseidon felt the other deities¡¯ gazes upon him grow even stranger. It was a peculiar psychology. Even if the Divine King was their enemy, when he demonstrated such immense power, the gods paid close attention to any of his evaluations. Moreover, this was the Divine King making a judgment about his own male offspring. After asking around, it was unclear if anyone had received the answers they sought. In any case, thest of the Divine King¡¯s power had begun to gather in Cronus¡¯s translucent body. The sky of the present world continued to descend, creating an even more oppressive atmosphere among the gods. They did not know what the Divine King intended to do but that did not stop them from feeling nervous. Then, right before them, Cronus extended a hand and gently pointed; a familiar yet unfamiliar force began to coalesce in front of him. Its breath reached out and wrapped around the three deities before him. Some had more, some had less, but all three deities received a portion. ¡°What¡­ what are you doing?¡± Across from Cronus, with a somewhat hoarse voice, an incredulous thought rose in Zeus¡¯s mind. Or rather, he had some guesses, but when it actually happened, he still found it unbelievable. ¡°Didn¡¯t you guess it?¡± With a slight smile, a pressure surged forward. The three gods knelt on the ground, but at this moment, they had no thoughts of resistance. Cronus tossed an intangible thing before them, Divine Authority having no physical form; it only became visibly distinct under the constraint of Cronus¡¯s power. As it left its original master, it instantly dispersed into the intangible, but under the constraint of the former master, it formed a mysterious connection with the three deities before him. Some had more, some had less, but everyone received a part. ¡°The world as we see it is different indeed. What you care about, I actually do not regard as important.¡± ¡°Only I have ever defeated myself. A Divine King will never lose to another.¡± ¡°But Zeus, I hope you remember¡ª¡± The smile unchanged, bereft of the Divine Authority that was already minuscule, the power of kingship bestowed by the present world was now without support. But thisst bit of power wouldn¡¯t havested much longer anyway. Yet, in this moment, to Zeus, his father¡¯s smile seemed to carry a profound meaning. What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again.¡± ¡°Divine authority is not eternal, wisdom and strength are not distinctly separate.¡± ¡°When heaven and earth part, Thought will rece ignorance, just as it is now mine, the era that belongs to you will alsoe to an end.¡± ¡°And at that time, I will stand above the high heavens, waiting for the conclusion that belongs to you.¡± Authority departed from its master, thest symbol of the Second Epoch was transferred. Something seemed to have changed in the world, but because the new Divine King had not yet ascended, that change was temporarily halted. Before the eyes of all gods, Cronus¡¯s divine form had already be nearly invisible, his voice fading. Going from clear to indistinct, apanied by a barely discernible chuckle, with a turn, the unparalleled Divine King had seemingly merged with the environment around him. ¡°¡­Father God?¡± After a short while, with no further changes urring, Zeus tentatively inquired, but no existence responded to him. The space before him was empty, and even with his perception heightened to the utmost, he could not detect the slightest trace of the other, as if no deity had ever existed there. Zeus did not find this strange. The King of Time and Space would rightfully have such an ability. ¡°¡­So, just like this, have we won?¡± Feeling somewhat rxed, yet somewhat unable to ept it, everything that had transpired seemed like a joke, like a dream. Endless dark clouds slowly spread from the East, the rumblings of the earth yet to cease. For a time, Zeus felt a sense of bewilderment. He did not understand the meaning of his father¡¯sst words. A curse, cursing that he would also be overthrown by his own child? But that didn¡¯t seem quite right; it appeared that he was truly just evaluating his own millennia of experience, providing some warning to those who would follow. ¡°Zeus, I¡± Aside, the former water goddess supported her unconscious husband. The Divine King had vanished, and she, who had been consciously lowering her presence, was about to say something, but the next moment, a streak of yellow light shed by. That was Gaia. With the departure of her master, the stalemated force against Mother Earth also swiftly dissipated. Almost instantly, she arrived at the scene. Casting a look at the ce where Cronus had disappeared, her somewhat aged face bore down on the gods, her voice demanding sharply: ¡°Where is he? Where has he gone?¡± However, no one among the present deities could give her an answer. Chapter 142 - 111 The Fourth Layer Chapter 142: Chapter 111 The Fourth Layer ¡°¡­I do not know, respected Mother Earth, I think no one dares to spy on the Father God¡¯s whereabouts.¡± ¡°Perhaps he left on his own, perhaps¡­ he has returned to the embrace of the world.¡± Although it was somewhat hard to ept at the moment, and wondering how the situation had changed so drastically in such a short time, Zeus¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t help but re with excitement, feeling the faint connection to the title of Divine King. Unlike the previous epoch, even though the title of Divine King had now almost faded to nothing due tovish squandering, it was indeed handed down by the previous Divine King himself, not directly usurped. Byparison, Cronus had taken five hundred years to be the true Divine King, but Zeus would immediately be the new king as soon as he acquired it. As for how to restore its power, that was a matter for another time. His father had set a good example for him, making it clear what kind of deeds would please the world. It was just unfortunate that others, not just himself, but Hades and Poseidon as well, had also formed a connection with the Divine Authority. Zeus gave a relieved nce at the God of the Ocean, who, supported by the primordial water goddess, had already fallen unconscious. The two brothers were an easy matter, as their contributions paled inparison to his own; perhaps some bargaining would make them abandon their vain hopes. But if his dear ¡®father-inw¡¯ were unharmed now, no one knew if he would follow so-called ¡®fate¡¯ and support his rise to the throne. After all, among the original six male Titans, the God of the Ocean and the God of the Sun had both revealed covetous nces at the title of Divine King to varying degrees. And with his numerous followers, it went without saying whom Mother Earth would choose between her son and herself. ¡°Left yes,¡± Gaia, to the side, paid no attention to thetter part of Zeus¡¯s statement, dismissing the idea of ¡®impacting greatness, returning to the world¡¯ as mere fiction. Turning her gaze to the distance, Gaia saw that the colliding Spirit Realm and the Realm of Lightness had suddenly calmed and begun to fade away silently. After all, once one party left, there was no longer any need for the other to continue. ¡°Indeed, it was those two¡­¡± ¡°Both you and I are the same. Even in the end, we cannot see clearly what truly happened.¡± With a cold snort and a cryptic remark, Gaia did not care for the will of the other deities present, and turned to leave. Her initial intention had been to entangle the ¡®Divine King,¡¯ waiting until his disguise was exhausted, to then see his true face. But clearly, Gaia had overestimated her strength; she couldn¡¯t entangle him at all. Therefore, she needed to visit the Underworld to seek answers from her brother. Even though he most likely would not tell her the truth, Gaia still needed to seek an exnation from him. At least, she had to figure out where Cronus had gone. ¡°Sigh¡± ¡°It¡¯s over, Zeus.¡± A sh of golden light, and Mother Earth¡¯s figure also disappeared without a trace. ncing furtively, Hades, who had been standing still from the beginning, looked at Eurybia. It had to be said, this goddess had made the most ridiculous choice twice in a row. The sea gods of the Pontus lineage were never a match for those of the Ocean God lineage, and now, there was even less need to mention it. ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s over.¡± Zeus straightened his expression, forcing a smile onto his handsome, golden-haired face. Despite the hidden worries, he did not show them. ¡°My fellows, let¡¯s return to Olympus for now, to celebrate our victory, if it can be called a victory.¡± ¡°I think everyone needs to rx a bit, and then we can together address the disasters of this world.¡± There were still two enemies left unresolved: the Titan god As, entangled with the Hekatonkheires on the western part of the continent, and Crius, the God of Meteorology. Even the Sky was still falling, showing no sign of stopping, but these were not the present focus. The ownership of the Divine King title was the key issue at hand. Thus, with their own thoughts, the deities all headed together towards the high mountains in the East. The Spirit Realm, fourthyer. Turning from void to reality, standing in the fourthyer of the Spirit Realm, the divine body of Laine began to slowly heal its fine cracks. Though it was only for a brief moment, having borne the power of the interface with such ¡®shallow¡¯ divine power, Laine sustained no small injury. Of course, given his timely withdrawal, such damage was not difficult to recover from. There was no significant change from before: three cocoons of light hung suspended in mid-air, facing the crystals formed by the Death Origin Force, with no other traces present. Standing here, Laine sensed the order of the present world. The old king hadpletely lost his ce, and the new king, under his influence, pointed towards three gods, his position yet unsettled. This meant that the present time belonged neither to the Second Era nor to the Third Era. ¡°Erebus¡­ truly decisive.¡± Shaking his head lightly, although the primary objectives were achieved, the actions of The Dark Overlord still had an effect on Laine. One of the most crucial points was that the ¡®punishment¡¯ from the will of the world would be somewhat weaker than anticipated. Unlike other deities, Laine¡¯s control over his authority was very precise. If he wanted, there was actually no need to cause such a disturbance, resulting in abnormal meteorology and the rerouting of mountains and rivers. But he still did it, colliding with the gods in the most primitive way, all to fulfill the narrative, ¡®The Divine King and the gods shing, leading to the destruction of the present world.¡¯ The price the Divine King paid was that the authority that could havested seven days was exhausted in a short period of time. What the gods would face, they would learn once the new king ascended. This was also the choice Laine made when he realized that after stepping into powerful divine force, he could possess ¡®half of the great¡¯ power. On one hand, he was testing how the rules of the present world reacted to such extraordinary powers. But as it turned out, Its tolerance was zero. From now on, every time Laine¡¯s true body entered the present world, it would be a confrontation between thews of the Spirit Realm and the present world, and this confrontation would grow stronger with each urrence. It instinctively rejected powerful beings; the more powerful the entity, the more evident the rejection. Towards Its own, It would choose a gentler weakening, but for outsiders, It would outright deny their entry. In this situation, Laine thought of a simple solution: since I am restricted, then you all should be restricted as well. As long as everyone is brought to the same level, it¡¯s as if none of us were restricted. Thus, there was the copse of Mount of the Gods, bathing the East Sea in sunlight. Even if The Dark Overlord had actedter, Laine had other measures ready to deploy. ¡°It¡¯s fine, even if the constraints are fewer now, everything wille back once The King of All Monsters is born.¡± ¡°Unlike me, it will not talk rules with you.¡± Looking towards the periphery of the Underworld, Laine saw the shimmer of Gaia¡¯s figure in the fleeting Realm of Lightness, which had retracted to its original ce. It was not surprising that she did not seek him out first. After all,pared to Laine, her own brother was definitely more trustworthy to her. But without even thinking about it, Laine didn¡¯t believe Gaia would have gained anything, even though her actual contact with Erebus wasn¡¯t much. She was likely easily persuaded by him, for in both power and wisdom, they were not on the same level at all. ¡°And Nyx.¡± ¡°How strange, are we on good terms?¡± Confused, Laine had not ounted for the Lady of the Night in this turn of the era¡¯s collision. She shouldn¡¯t suddenly stand on the opposing side, but neither did she have any reason to aid him. Yet, in the midst of the sh with the domain of the Lord of Darkness, Laine sensitively noticed a familiar ck skirt hem. Although she ultimately did not take action, her presence there at that time in itself implied some underlying stance. ¡°Forget it, it¡¯s normal to be puzzled.¡± ¡°The thought processes of Chaos deities are not something that just anyone can understand. I¡¯ll leave that forter.¡± Like Gaia, like the goddess of discord, and several other deities. They always manage to act in ways that, if not forter generations¡¯ memories, ordinary people would have troubleprehending. Now with one more, Nyx, it doesn¡¯t seem so strange anymore. ¡°Sigh¡ªit¡¯s about time.¡± Laine withdrew his gaze, no longer paying attention to the various external matters. The world at this moment must be very lively. Not only because of the aftereffects of the battle that had just ended but also because of thepetition for the position of the new Divine King, though that was no longer his concern. ¡°Soon, you will have a new name.¡± Looking towards the still chaotic fourthyer of the realm, Laine spoke softly. The firstyer of the Spirit Realm, Phantasmal Spirit Realm; the secondyer of the Spirit Realm, True Spirit Realm, also known as the Communicating Spirit Realm; the thirdyer of the Spirit Realm, Dream Spirit Realm. From today onwards, the fourthyer of the Spirit Realm will also have a name that belongs solely to it. Chapter 143 - 112: Samsara Chapter 143: Chapter 112: Samsara ¡°Thump¡± ¡°Thump¡± ¡°Thump¡± In the silent and chaotic fourthyer of the Spirit Realm, there was no other noise, just the sound of three heartbeats emanating constantly from within the cocoon of light, never ceasing. They maintained an unborn yet alive state, with their connection to the fourthyer interface growing increasingly tight. Standing there, Laine gazed at the floating ck crystal, feeling the power that could end all things. Death, but not pure, was caused by the nature of the Chaos World itself. After all, even to this day, no deity had truly died. The death and rebirth of Cronus had never erased his immortal essence, and Laine couldn¡¯t do that either. Hence, the power of Death that grew as a result halted at the pinnacle of great divine power and, unsurprisingly, it had no further potential for growth. So even though there were some underlying concerns, Laine had no other choice. ¡°I wonder if it can fulfill my expectation¡­ Well, when I pioneered the Spirit Realm, I wasn¡¯t entirely sure either.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just give it a try, whether it seeds is up to luck.¡± Taking a deep breath, Laine finally made up his mind. Whether it would seed or not, it was necessary to try. The matter with the souls of Silver Humanity was once again a wake-up call for him. Souls, though originating from him, didn¡¯t mean they couldn¡¯t be tampered with by others on their return. Thus, he needed something to help him solve these problems more effectively. He extended his right hand and gestured lightly. The next moment, the ancient and mysterious well atop Mount Sinai in the central axis of the Spirit Realm disappeared quietly. Without sound, the half of the Divine Artifact, the Well of Origin, which could endow all things with souls, the counterpart of the Life Vase, appeared before Laine, also in the center of the fourthyer of the Spirit Realm. From inside the well, threads and strands of power scattered about, drifting into the surrounding environment. Feeling the breath of Spiritual Life, the three cocoons of light trembled slightly around Laine. The Well of Origin had be even more powerful, or rather, if it hadn¡¯t been split in two, apanying the world¡¯s creatures as they began to multiply, the Life Vase would have be another Genesis Artifact of Chaos. In this situation, even though only half remained, its waters were still sufficient to have an extraordinary effect on the deities. ¡°Don¡¯t be impatient; you will be born into this world soon.¡± Smiling lightly and transmitting a calming thought, the three cocoons of light promptly returned to calmness. Laine looked at the well that was like stone but not stone, like jade but not jade, hesitated for a moment, but still pointed at it in the end. So the next moment, the floating ck crystal shattered in response, turning into a cloud of ck mist. Released from the form of ¡®divinity,¡¯ the essence of Death became more active. The ck mist jumped and whirled but eventually drifted down under Laine¡¯s control, merging with the waters of the Divine Artifact below. Under Laine¡¯s watchful eye, Life and Death converged in that moment. Initially, they mixed together, but once they lost control of the power of the Spirit Realm, they separated instantly. There was no sign of blending between the two; they were clearly distinct, even antagonistic, eroding each other. Instinctively, both knew that if they could vanish the other, they would be stronger. But Laine knew this was just an illusion. ¡°Just as I thought.¡± The changes before him did not surprise Laine. In other worlds, he didn¡¯t know if life and death could naturally coexist, but in Chaos, they definitely could not. As for their desire to eliminate each other, that too was to be expected, as the instincts of Source Power were more primitive than the will of the world. They found it difficult to judge the long-term good or bad of a situation. Indeed, if Death werepletely erased, the proportion of Life in the world would increase, but when one looks at therger timescale, it¡¯s not a good thing. After all, with no ¡®Death,¡¯ the world¡¯s capacity for ¡®Life¡¯ would soon reach its limit. At that point, Life would be stagnant water, with no more variation or creation. Fortunately, Laine was prepared for this. With a thought, two streams of breath from different origins slowly came into being in the void, and under his guidance, they moved towards the mouth of the well. The two breaths¡ªone from the ¡®past,¡¯ born from Cronus¡¯s ¡®Death,¡¯ symbolizing the previous Divine King¡¯s transformation from ¡®Life¡¯ to ¡®Death¡¯; the other from the ¡®future,¡¯ arising because of the three goddesses, symbolizing the change from ¡®Death¡¯ to ¡®Life¡¯ for the Chronology goddesses who otherwise could not have been born due to a change in fate. This was a decision made at the outset. Laine rarely did things without meaning. The reason he still nurtured new deities in the fourthyer of the Spirit Realm, even though he knew he couldn¡¯t grasp the secrets of immortality now, and had expended considerable energy for this, was for the very scene before him. After all, the birth of a deity itself had a special significance. A god whose fate had been intercepted was even more so. Moreover, aside from that, Spring, Summer, and Autumn originally had the iplete meaning of ¡®cycle,¡¯ which is why Laine thought the Chronology goddesses were the best choice. If Themis were unwilling, he could have chosen other gods, but none of them would fit better than them. Then the next moment, as the two mysterious breaths ovepped and rotated, descending together into the Well of Origin, a miraculous change began to take ce. Life and Death began to meld together, and a new, moreplete ¡®symbol¡¯ was born. It was a cycle, an exchange, a process from birth to destruction, as well as the rebirth that follows destruction. Chapter 144 - 112: Samsara_2 Chapter 144: Chapter 112: Samsara_2 This moment witnessed theplete disintegration of the symbol ¡°Origin of All Things,¡± which should have been the emblem of the intact [Life Vase], as its counterpart became part of a new symbol¡ªit was ¡°Eternal Recurrence,¡± and Laine named it ¡°Samsara.¡± In the indistinct realm, when the first thread of new power was born, the external Source Sea also began to boil. Invisible ripples emanated from the Spirit Realm, and Chaos¡¯s instincts seemed to realize that something crucial was about to be born. He reveled in it, and made preparations to wee it. However, it did notst long, for at a certain moment, the transformation suddenly ceased out of thin air. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t right!¡± Before the Well of Origin, Laine¡¯s expression changed slightly. In front of him, the [Life] and [Death] that had been continually transforming into [Samsara] encountered a problem again. And this time, it was a problem he feared would be very difficult to resolve. ¡°Is the gap still too wide, indeed, it¡¯s no use¡­¡± Murmuring to himself, Laine realized the problem, which had been his prior concern. It was a gap in both volume and quality, one he was currently unable to bridge. Now, theplete [Life] was sufficient to match the Great Divine Power, and even just half of it was far stronger than [Death]. He could clearly discern that Life and Death were merging, but thetter was evidently gging. If it continued, when the power of [Death] exhausted itself, the transformation would dere failure. Of course, to say it failed was also somewhat inurate. [Samsara] would still be born, but the nascent Well of Origin would likely have to halt before the threshold of the Genesis Artifact, because its foundation was unbnced. An unbnced [Samsara], naturally, was iplete. ¡°¡­Forget it, it¡¯s best to cut losses in time. Although theplete ¡®Samsara¡¯ wasn¡¯t built, creating a lesser one isn¡¯t a bad idea.¡± Shaking his head slightly, Laine had no solution at the moment. [Death]¡¯scking power was predetermined by Chaos¡¯s innate nature. Thus, he stepped forward, ready to use the World Lord¡¯s power to halt this transformation. Since theplete ¡®Samsara¡¯ couldn¡¯t be born, there was no need to drain all the [Death] away, only to What is this?¡± Touching the Well of Origin with his right hand, Laine was just about to act when, to his surprise, the nascent iplete [Samsara] suddenly expressed a yearning toward him. Within Laine¡¯s being, it seemed there was something even he hadn¡¯t noticed attracting it. Without stopping, Laine chose to quietly observe the changes. Thus, in the next moment, a wondrous, supremely pure breath slowly condensed from his body. It hovered in midair for a while but eventually, following an invisible connection, it wafted toward the near-exhausted ck mist in the Well of Origin. And when it neared the mouth of the well, the almost depleted [Death] seemed to swell instantaneously. In just a few seconds, the ck mist became just as robust as [Life], and its very nature elevated a degree as well. Although it hadn¡¯t reached the level of ¡®directly killing a deity,¡¯ with the aid of this wondrous power, it had crossed the halfway mark. Intuition told Laine that if, at this moment, a deity actively sought [Death], what would happen, even he dared not be certain. ¡°But how could this be, is it because I died once beforeing to this world?¡± ¡°¡­No, this breath clearly doesn¡¯t belong to my ¡®Death¡¯!¡± As an astonishing development unfolded before him, Laine thought of many things in an instant. Recalling the past and watching the ongoing events, he finallyprehended many things that were previously beyond his understanding. His expression turned ice-cold, but then returned to normal. He understood a lot now, but regardless, the oue was good, and at the moment, establishing Samsara was the key. So Laine hesitated no longer and summoned the power of the sevenyers of the Spirit Realm. Under the World Master¡¯s great power, the nascent [Samsara] was embedded into the root of the fourthyer, and almost instantaneously, the ancient well expanded by millions of times, altering the entire fourthyer of the Spirit Realm drastically alongside. Chaos and the void were pacified, spiritual matter spread underfoot. Around the ancient well, pces rose from the ground. Beams of light flew out from Mount Sinai, bearing several fully gestated Divine Artifacts. Somended in different pces, some entered the incubating cocoon of light, while others fell into the ancient well, awaiting further transformation. Soon, as the changes neared their end, a marvelous alteration centered around the fourthyer of the Spirit Realm, spreading throughout all sevenyers. Space-time became even more stable, order grew stronger, and of course, most importantly, the cycle within it was enhanced. The fourthyer of the Spirit Realm, already central among the seven, resonated with [Samsara], symbolizing opposition and cycles. Laine could clearly feel that at this moment, the internal cycle and structural stability of the entire Spirit Realm surged by multiple times, and as the ancient well before him transformed the final powers of [Life] and [Death], the benefits of this internal cycle became ever more evident. Even faintly, as the shaking of the external Source Sea had once ceased, it began again, growing ever more intense. Even though [Samsara] was not yet fully formed, outside the Spirit Realm, Chaos itself also produced a blurry response. Not the contemporary part, but the trulyplete will of Chaos. Thest time, It had been ¡®angry¡¯ because of the birth of the Spirit Realm, but this time, It felt ¡®joy.¡¯ Chapter 145 - 112: Samsara_3 Chapter 145: Chapter 112: Samsara_3 Of course, the world has no emotions. What we call anger and joy are merely interpretations from a human¡¯s perspective. So when it ¡°angered¡± it only caused the gods to intervene, and now that it is ¡°pleased¡±, no favor has descended. However, within the Spirit Realm, sensing the world¡¯s response, Laine¡¯s reaction was somewhat indifferent. ¡°Pleasure, huh¡­ Haha, howughable,¡± he said. Reflecting on the past, about his own history, how he transformed from an Outsider¡¯s soul into a god of Chaos, why he was so weak, Laine had offered exnations, but he had long discovered inconsistencies and contradictions at several points. For instance, in the original trajectory, Gaia was the first life, thus the Life Vase co-emerged. But now, he was the first life; so why didn¡¯t even half of the spirit-rted life fall to him, instead still arriving by Mother Earth¡¯s side? Or why did ¡°memory¡± and ¡°wisdom¡± automatically return to the embrace of the Sovereign of Spirits at the moment of birth, but not others, like ¡°lies¡±, ¡°hatred¡±, or even ¡°desire¡±? Far from not returning, the assimtion of these was somewhat obstructed, to the extent that the corresponding deities were still born, seemingly unaffected. Moreover, on the day the twelve Titans were born, Laine had once felt that the Chaos World was quite simr to the one in his memory, except muchrger, though the order of the gods¡¯ births had not changed. But everything happens for a reason; in a world, no change urs without cause. The world grewrger¡ªwas it merely the distortion ofter myths, or had Chaos gained the rule information of anotherplete world from an identally arrived life? In the past, Laine could only interpret these doubts as his insufficient understanding of the essence of spirituality and the root of the world, but with that ¡®death¡¯ which did not originate from him, everything was answered. The problem was never with him, but with the world itself. Early in the beginning, when Laine had firste to this world and had not yet had the chance to awaken again as a deity, it had already instinctively tried to kill and devour this Outsider. The world has no good or evil; it merely perceived that this soul was valuable yet beyond its control. So, instantly, the world¡¯s formidable power fell upon Laine, intending to eliminate this trouble once and for all. Yet to its disappointment, when it was halfway through, it found that Laine had not died; another god had died first. One of the original five deities, the master of love and desire, the source of all emotions in the world, thus perished in the womb. Laine had once thought he was born and then died in an instant, but in reality, he had never truly ¡®lived¡¯. From then on, Chaos¡¯s instinct knew that killing the Master of Spirituality meant killing the world¡¯s spirit itself. But the cost was that a god who had not had the chance to be born in the world died silently. He thus became the first and only truly dead deity since the birth of Chaos. Of course, because he had not yet been born, this ¡®death¡¯ was notplete. Therefore, the world gave up on killing Laine. It tolerated his existence, but the Master of Spirituality who should have been born great was still left with only the weakest Divine Power. And the authority that the dead deity had wielded also underwent a transformation, ultimately not returning to the hands of the Sovereign of Spirits. Thus, the power of emotions fragmented and scattered to every corner of the world, until today. ¡°Indeed, it is just so¡ªyou lose it the way you got it,¡± he remarked. ¡°And what should have been mine, in the end, has alle back,¡± he added. Cronus¡¯s original time and space, Gaia¡¯s half of the Life Vase, even the various powers associated with spirituality drawn from Chaos, were all so. They were meant to belong to him; if the world would not give them, then he would take them back by his own hands. As for those that could not return, the ¡®death¡¯ they brought allowed Samsara to beplete, and in another way, they also realized their master. Understanding the cause and effect, Laine finally found answers to the doubts that had weighed on his heart for so long. He looked at the center of the fourthyer of the Spirit Realm, where the clear and profound dichromatic liquids intertwined, the ancient well rotating slowly. The past was past; at least now, everything was well. So Laine wielded his authority and inscribed the new Divine Artifact with its name. ¡°The old appetions no longer suit you, the Well of Origin symbolizes life, but now, you are the cycle of life and death.¡± ¡°Thus, Well of Reincarnation, shall be your new name.¡± When the World Lord had spoken, it became thew; as Laine¡¯s words fell, two original Spirit Scripts were engraved on the well¡¯s wall. Briefly, with a final resonant tremble, as all ¡®life¡¯ and ¡®death¡¯pleted their transformation, the symbol of ¡®reincarnation¡¯ was wholly perfected. In mid-air, three cocoons of light began to vibrate, and when reincarnation was born, the Spirit Realm also released its restrictions on their birth. After a crisp sound, three deities were sessively born into this world. Unlike the original mythology, they no longer merely symbolized the four seasons. Spring and the God of Rebirth, Eunomia, was responsible for arranging the reincarnation of All Spirits, deciding the starting point of their new lives. Summer and the God of Blessings, Dike, was responsible for arranging the talents of All Spirits¡¯ future lives based on their earthly achievements, deciding the gifts of their new lives. Autumn and the God of Endings, Erinys, was responsible for cleansing all the worldly affairs from the spirits, allowing their power to return to the Spirit Realm, and fundamentally transforming them for reincarnation. The birth of the three new gods didn¡¯t cause any extraordinary celestial phenomenon, not just because they were born in the Spirit Realm, but also because from the next era onwards, there would no longer be such promations for the birth of a deity. The world¡¯s need for gods had been satisfied, which had been foreshadowed by the Divine King¡¯s son bing a demigod. Thus, in such a tranquil manner, the three goddesses opened their eyes and beheld their creator. ¡°Father God.¡± Unlike Hypnos, who was not tainted by the forces of Chaos, the three goddesses were sincere and of one mind. They respectfully saluted the Sovereign of Spirits, thanking him for granting them new life. ¡°Very well.¡± Pleased, Laine turned and looked towards the refreshed interface. ¡°From today onwards, the Well of Reincarnation will be under your management, thisyer of the realm will also be your new abode.¡± ¡°This is the fourthyer of the Spirit Realm, the All-Spirit Realm, or Reincarnation Realm, where you will be responsible for the death and rebirth of All Spirits.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± With unified salutations, though the three goddesses before Laine were still feeble, they were destined to outgrow their original mythological forms and be influential existences in the world. Not only because of their new divine roles, but also because the joy of life and fear of death are innate to all beings. Willingly or not, any life that must face death will instinctively respect those who decide all aspects of life. And in the next era, this was certain to bring them abundant rewards. ¡°It¡¯s about time, the turn of the era concludes here.¡± Atst, everything was finished, and Laine felt somewhat tired; he nned to take a good rest. Meanwhile, in the outside world, at this very moment, the debate over the new king concluded. He saw everything clearly from another perspective, even quietly stoking the mes. Thus, with the arrival of the new era, a unique power was gathered by him and bestowed upon the newly born ¡®Well of Reincarnation¡¯. Right in front of Laine, the first ¡®great¡¯ postnatal elevation since the world¡¯s creation came to be. Chapter 146 - 1 Questioning (Moon Tickets +4) Chapter 146: Chapter 1 Questioning (Moon Tickets +4) The Underworld, the Realm of Lightless. At this moment, the birth of Samsara had just begun, and the fluctuations of the Origin Ocean were still imperceptible. Or, to put it another way, at this point in time, many simr changes were easily understood as normal phenomena apanying the transition of epochs. Unlike Laine, who was busy creating Samsara, Erebus had nothing to do. He had no clue about cleansing the past and nothing else to focus on, so he simply stood on the edge of his domain as usual and gazed out into the outside world. After all, it wouldn¡¯t be long before his sister woulde knocking on his door to ¡®demand ountability¡¯. ¡°You¡¯re waiting for me?¡± As expected. In just a short while, traversing the earth, Gaia had already arrived at the ¡®entrance¡¯ to the Realm of Lightless. Perhaps in a bad mood, she didn¡¯t bother to greet Erebus but barged right in. Of course, this was also the reason why Erebus did not refuse her entry. Otherwise, with Gaia¡¯s power, she would not have been able to ¡®intrude¡¯. ¡°It seems I overestimated you, Erebus. I thought you could have ¡®retired unscathed¡¯!¡± Her voice carried a tinge of anger as Gaia stepped into the dark domain. She could faintly sense something different about this ce; now, thews of the current world seemed to have some repulsion towards its master. This had never been the case before since her brother rarely left this realm, but now it had manifested. Clearly, the previous collision with the Spirit Realm not only caused Laine to choose to leave early, but Erebus had paid a price as a result too. But when Gaia thought about her own situation, she felt that the price paid was really insignificant. ¡°That is only natural, my sister. After all, it was a spur-of-the-moment decision, so there were inevitably some oversights.¡± He smiled, undisturbed by Gaia¡¯s attitude, as the Lord of Darkness weed his sister. ¡°Enough with the nonsense, Erebus. Whether it was a spur-of-the-moment decision or a premeditation, you should know why I am here.¡± Gaia¡¯s brow furrowed slightly but she did not expect him to admit anything. She came only intending to learn about the whereabouts of Cronus since the fake ¡®Divine King¡¯ had disappeared, and she needed to know where he truly was. And she believed that whether or not her brother was responsible, he would certainly know something. ¡°Indeed, my sister, if I¡¯m not mistaken, you¡¯vee for my youngest nephew.¡± Erebus nodded, not denying that he was aware of what Gaia was questioning him about. However, in his words, it seemed that Gaia and Pontus¡¯ five Sea Gods and six Titans were excluded from being referred to as ¡®nephews¡¯ by default. ¡°Although you won¡¯t believe it, I still want to say that I have nothing to do with his matter.¡± ¡°Since you know I won¡¯t believe it, then don¡¯t say it.¡± Gaia was indifferent to Erebus¡¯s defense, and she was also aware of why her brother did not recognize her other children. Among the deities of the current world, only the former Uranus was held in high regard by her brother, and thus the five Sea Gods born to Pontus were naturally ignored by him. As for the Titans, it goes without saying. Apart from Gaia herself, not many gods treated them as their own kind. ¡°Whether it¡¯s rted or not, all I want to know now is, where exactly is Cronus right now?¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have fought each other for no reason. Even if it wasn¡¯t you, you couldn¡¯t possibly be ignorant about it!¡± It was somewhat frustrating to have others¡¯ actions attributed to oneself, but considering his sister¡¯s level of wisdom, Erebus didn¡¯t find it difficult to persuade her. As for Cronus, the Lord of Darkness did indeed have some spection. A new world had been carved out in the Abyss, and from the feedback of his own power, it seemed that the true World Lord might be someone else. So, after a brief contemtion, Erebus locked onto the only suspect. ¡°In the Abyss. But he¡¯s probably doing quite well, so well that I¡¯ve thought about trading ces with him.¡± ¡°What, you¡¯re thinking about going in there to find him? That¡¯s not a good idea.¡± Erebus responded calmly to his sister and looked in the direction of Tartarus. Along with the secrets of the world¡¯s creation, information about the Abyss had alsoe to light. Initially, it was filled with indistinguishable Chaos, devoid of any sign of life, but perhaps in a few years, Tartarus would gradually produce matter, instinctively dividing itself inyers like the new world that had stolen its power. However, the Abyss was fundamentally chaotic, and despite the emergence of differentyers, the harshness of their environment could be imagined. Perhaps apart from a few, most were not suitable for the existence of life. ¡°The Abyss¡­ again, the Abyss!¡± Gaia was frustrated thinking about how she had just released the Titans and now Cronus had entered it. No wonder she couldn¡¯t sense his presence; the Abyss was beyond the current world. This made her angry yet somewhat helpless, as Tartarus was one of the few ces she dared not enter carelessly. The Abyss wouldn¡¯t care about her being a ¡®sister¡¯. ¡°Alright, I understand. I hope you haven¡¯t lied to me.¡± ¡°I will continue to pay attention to this matter. It would be best if it really has nothing to do with you, as you¡¯ve said!¡± Gaia responded coldly, digesting the oue. Now that she had her answer, she didn¡¯t n on staying any longer. Although she did not know if Erebus was telling the truth, she could not enter Tartarus at the moment. The conflict with the former ¡®Divine King¡¯ had mainly involved the gods as support, with her being the real driving force. The impacts of the destruction were naturally second only to the former Divine King. The cost belonging to ¡®Cronus¡¯ had been paid through the reduced Divine Authority, but hers had not been settled yet. Gaia was already feeling the pressure from the current world, a sense of repulsion far stronger than that felt by Erebus. But perhaps due to the fact that the earth was one of the core foundations of the current world, this repulsion had not actually affected her. However, past experiences had taught Gaia that while the current world might not be able to solve her, an Ancient God walking within it, it always found other ways to affect her. So now, she needed to briefly return to her original form for a while, as it was her only way of resisting the world. Anyway, the dispute of the Divine King had ended, and what was left was merely a matter between the brothers of Zeus. What urred between them did not concern Gaia. ¡°Then I won¡¯t see you off, but speaking of which, have you noticed that Laine has been unusually quiet during this era¡¯s transition?¡± Seemingly detecting Gaia¡¯s intention to leave, Erebus suddenly said: ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem like the type to sit still. If he hasn¡¯t done anything, that means his attention has been drawn to something else.¡± Her expression flickered. Although she had told herself not to believe any usations Laine and Erebus made about each other before her arrival, Gaia was still influenced. Her own brother seemed right, no matter how one looked at it, Laine did not appear to be the domestic type. ¡°You must understand, Gaia, as Primordial Gods, we may differ, but it¡¯s difficult to possess powers you¡¯re unaware of, but he¡¯s different.¡± ¡°He predates us and is more mysterious. He opened realms and could even arbitrarily grant Deity status. So, something like silently recing the Divine King, who do you suspect more?¡± Persuading Gaia proved just as unchallenging as The Dark Overlord had anticipated, but his goal was naturally not only to clear himself of suspicion but to find himself a useful enforcer. He resolved to find a way to cleanse his past and meanwhile, slow down Laine¡¯s rising strength, which were the only two things he wanted to do at the moment. For the former, he could only rely on himself; for thetter, he needed to recruit allies. Gaia was the first, but surely not thest. ¡°¡­I will consider it.¡± She responded coldly, yet her heart was already swayed. Perhaps it was that she had never trusted that Ancient God who had a history of grievances with her more than her own brother. ¡°However, don¡¯t assume I will take your side, I won¡¯t involve myself in your affairs¡ªhm?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± In unison, the two Primordial Gods detected something unusual at the same moment. Just as they had been discussing Laine¡¯s quietness in this era, a strange fluctuation emanating from the Spirit Realm immediately captured their attention. The essence of life and death were present within, yet they had been elevated to something higher. Gaia even noticed her Life Vase trembling faintly. It seemed to know that its other half would never return. ¡°It seems reality doesn¡¯t quite match your words, my brother. He¡¯s upied with other matters, though not of a pleasing nature, but as for you, I¡¯m unaware of what exactly you¡¯ve been up to.¡± Holding the Life Vase, Gaia took a deep breath. Although she had not expected to retrieve the other half of her Divine Artifact, theplete loss of hope still irked her. ¡°Indeed, I shouldn¡¯t believe a word said by people like you!¡± With a pun intended, Gaia huffed coldly again and then swept away in a flutter of her sleeves. Now that she had discovered Cronus¡¯s whereabouts, it didn¡¯t matter who had done the rest. She needed a good ¡®sleep,¡¯ and once she awoke, it wouldn¡¯t be toote to deal with these matters. ¡°¡­How unfortunate.¡± Shaking his head slightly, watching Gaia turn into a golden light and vanish, Erebus felt somewhat vexed. Standing at the edge of his domain, the Lord of Darkness watched his sister depart, as her form merged into the earth and her essence gradually became one with her original form. Perhaps for the next few centuries, Gaia would not reappear in the world but would maintain her original state. In the face of the sudden change, he, too, felt a bit helpless. After all, the Lord of Darkness had not foreseen that events would coincide so neatly. ¡°However, having said that, I¡¯ve always held you in high esteem, yet it seems it is still not enough.¡± ¡°This feeling, ¡®Eternal Recurrence,¡¯ I suppose Cronus has been reborn under the influence of this force? Unfortunate, being a Great Divine Power, its effect on me is very limited.¡± ¡°Life, death¡­ Perhaps, I too should let go of my arrogance and, like you, engage more with those fragile deities.¡± Murmuring to himself, Erebus could sense that aplete ¡®Great Symbol¡¯ was slowly taking shape. It was the first of its kind since Chaos had created the world. If the Heavenly Father hadn¡¯t fallen into slumber, then even in the second era, The Sky could have had the chance to reach this step. If numerous deities had not divided the seas, all the Ocean and Waterbined in one god could have done the same. The Life Vase, if it hadn¡¯t been divided, could have possibly achieved this step as well, but reality does not entertain ¡®if¡¯s. Aplete ¡®Great Symbol,¡¯ when applied to a god, implies a potential for ascension into greatness¡ªthe remaining half-step being to maintain one¡¯s personality instead of stepping forward without will, like the current Primordial Gods. If used on a Divine Artifact, it marks the birth of a Genesis Artifact. Hearing of the Spirit Realm suddenly opening to the outside, Erebus was somewhat puzzled; his brief collision with the Spirit Realm had given him some understanding of its substance. Its scale was vast due to a multitude of various Origins, but to consider it truly great, besides the unification of all Spirituality itself, there was only the transformed Oracle Stone Tablet. With the birth of this Genesis Artifact symbolizing ¡®Eternal Recurrence,¡¯ the cycle forces of the Spirit Realm were bound to strengthen immeasurably. Any who dared enter without abiding by its Law would be mercilessly suppressed. He did not know how strong the Spirit Realm¡¯s suppression would be against him, but he had no intention of testing it. ¡°How terrifying, you advance too quickly.¡± Frowning deeply, in the end, the Dark Overlord remembered an ally who might be somewhat useful. ¡°Zeus, the future new Divine King.¡± ¡°If you can do as well as your father, then I shall begrudgingly ¡®make friends¡¯ with you.¡± Looking towards Mount Olympus, even though Erebus wasn¡¯t sure of the value in the other party, he nned to make contact. Of course, this was provided that the other could prove to be a Divine King who was as decisive as he imed. Chapter 147 - 2 Controversy Chapter 147: Chapter 2 Controversy When the strife upon the earth had ended, Gaia went to the Underworld, and the gods returned to whence they came. Gliding through the sky, untilnding upon Mount Olympus, the atmosphere among the gods was somewhat peculiar. Through many twists and turns, first came the siege on the Divine King, brimming with confidence, followed by a swift counter-suppression. Then, just as defeat seemed certain, the Sun plunged into the mortal world. And before they could celebrate, the Great Sun was pressed into the ocean. To this day, the God of the Ocean remains unconscious, and the whereabouts of the ancient God of Sun are unknown. In the end, the invincible Divine King for some reason departed, leaving behind a throne that forged a connection with three deities. The position of Divine King is not one to be shared, so there must be a hierarchy established among them. Thus, the atmosphere was very delicate, so much so that the gods had not even had time to notice the newly opened surfaceyer of the Spirit Realm. ¡°My fellow deities,¡± finally, in front of Mount Olympus, Zeus, considering something, looked around and said, ¡°The most difficult time has passed, and we have achieved our ultimate victory.¡± ¡°But before we celebrate, I believe we all need a little rest. I need to have a good talk with Metis about today¡¯s events; I imagine this is amon sentiment among us all.¡± Upon hearing these words, the gods nodded in agreement. After the recent turmoil, they now felt a genuine sense of fatigue. Besides, they had somewhat guessed that Zeus and his brothers would likely discuss the matter of the Divine King¡¯s throne in private. ¡°Go on, Zeus. I also need to take care of your foster father.¡± Supporting the still-unconscious God of the Ocean, the original Water Goddess emphasized the words ¡°foster father.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the victory celebration when everyone has recovered. I reckon you brothers have some things you might want to say to each other.¡± With an unchanged expression, Zeus nodded, then bid farewell to each deity in attendance. They all had their pces on Mount Olympus, so there was no need for further arrangements. In the end, only the participating brothers, Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades, and their sister Hestia, remained. Without much exchange, the four of them looked at each other and then returned directly to the Divine Pce at the mountain¡¯s peak. At the entrance, a deity was waiting there. That was none other than Zeus¡¯s wife, Metis. As for his other two sisters, Demeter and Hera, they were far from ready to fight, so they had stayed above the ocean. This deity, not adept in battle but of special status, had not joined the assault on the Mount of the Gods, but she still witnessed the anomalies between heaven and earth. ¡°Zeus, how did it go? Have you be the Divine King?¡± Taking quick steps, the ck-haired, beautiful goddess was the first to greet him. She did not concern herself with anything else but immediately asked the most crucial question. Metis was also shocked by Cronus¡¯s power, and even had some scepticism about it. However, when thest vestige of Divine Power left the body of the second-generation Divine King, the Laws of the present world had already started to change. It was perhaps because the new king had not yet taken the throne, so this change had not yet fully taken effect. Thus, whether they had fought or not, the gods were very clear that the former Divine King was no longer present. ¡°¡­Not yet,¡± After a pause, Zeus knew that Metis must have noticed the awkward atmosphere among the brothers. She still asked the question at this moment, clearly not just seeking a simple answer. She was hinting that Zeus was the expected choice of most, that the majority of deities still supported him, and she was reminding him to quickly draw conclusions on these matters, rather than waiting for the gods to gather before deciding. A king elected by others does not hold as much authority as one who decides for himself. ¡°Metis, the Father God has abdicated, but the new king has not been decided.¡± Despite knowing this was not very likely, Zeus said: ¡°However, if no one objects to me¡ª¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Before he could finish, as expected, Poseidon interjected. ¡°Now, the throne of the Divine King is linked to all three of us, Zeus, I think there¡¯s still room for discussion,¡± ¡°Hades, what do you think?¡± Without immediately responding, Zeus turned to his other brother. In the past, Hades had rarely ever disagreed with him on most matters, and Zeus hoped this time would be the same. But the oue disappointed him. Although Hades was not as vehement as Poseidon, he still tactfully expressed his own opinion. ¡°Speaking solely of the throne, let¡¯s set that aside for the moment. But Zeus, the past of our Father God and his brothers does indeed worry me a great deal.¡± The future Lord of the Underworld actually never saw himself as the Divine King; after all, the status of the Underworld in the present world was awkward, or rather, its very existence was awkward. While the essences of the four Primordial Gods encircled that ce and it boasted an environment almost like a realm unto itself, be it the Nether Moon or the River of Vows, their masters were powerful deities, no less significant than him. However indifferent he felt, Hades was not averse to seeking some advantage for himself. They had all seen how Cronus had treated the God of Sun and the two Sea Gods. Who knew what Zeus might do in the future for the sake of his own authority? The God of the Underworld was indeed a man of few words, but he was well aware that this was when his brothers were at their weakest. If Zeus was unwilling to give his two elder brothers anything now, what the future held was clear without asking. At the very least, the other party needed to give him an attitude that would put him at ease. ¡°But you all know very well, whether it¡¯s the role yed in the overthrow of our Heavenly Father or the Prophecy once left by him, I am the new Divine King, and that¡¯s indisputable,¡± Setting aside any wishful thinking, Zeus finally got serious. And aside from substituting ¡®curse¡¯ with ¡®Prophecy,¡¯ what he was saying was true indeed. ¡°Ahem¡ª¡± At that, Zeus¡¯s eldest sister, the goddess of fire and protector, Hestia, let out a slight cough. The battle that had just concluded had left her thoroughly exhausted, for although she couldn¡¯t threaten the Divine King herself, she had continually used her authority to bolster protection for the gods. But now, faced with the dispute between her two younger brothers, she still mustered her spirit. This was hardly the time for their brotherly conflict to arise. ¡°Poseidon, Zeus makes sense; based on his merits, he is indeed more suited to be the Divine King.¡± ¡°I think there¡¯s no need for you to argue over this. Even if he were to relinquish the throne, the Sea Gods would not ept you as the Divine King,¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Poseidon scoffed coldly, yet he still held some respect for his elder sister. And she was right¡ªthe deities of the stars were mostly neutral, and those who truly stood by Zeus were essentially the deities under the two sovereigns of the seas. Therefore, whether they would ept another deity who could be seen as a Sea God bing the Divine King was rather obvious. But he was not about to give up. Turning to Zeus, perhaps enticed by the position of Divine King, Poseidon unexpectedly caught a loophole in Zeus¡¯s words with surprising precision. ¡°Yes, the Prophecy. Let¡¯s not discuss whether it is a Prophecy or a curse for now, but could the words of the previous Divine King serve as the basis for your session?¡± ¡°Uranus was overthrown by the consensus of the deities. If his words can also be used as a basis, are you suggesting the deities of the past were all mistaken?¡± His eyes narrowing slightly, Zeus had not anticipated that his normally less shrewd brother would speak so cuttingly. From the perspective of the world, a curse left by a God-given Divine King could lend legitimacy to Zeus, but from the perspective of the deities, he indeed could not use it as grounds for ascending to the throne. ¡°And what have you done, Poseidon? Have you forgotten, or was it not I who rescued you from the belly of our Father God?¡± ¡°If you have any dignity left as a member of the Deity Race, you wouldn¡¯t speak to me like this!¡± The voice was ice cold. Although Poseidon¡¯s power had risen with the changing climate of the world, he was still no match for Zeus. The Cyclopes were indeed excellent craftsmen. Perhaps the Arrow of Thunder may not have been as effective against Great Divine Power, but if the opponent was Poseidon, Zeus could do with one hand. He would only need to hold the Divine Artifact with that hand. Chapter 148 - 3 Discovery Chapter 148: Chapter 3 Discovery ¡°If that¡¯s the case, Zeus, none of us is the true hero in the path of overthrowing the Father God.¡± However, across from Zeus, Poseidon clearly wasn¡¯t going to back down so easily. He avoided discussing the so-called ¡®merits,¡¯ because Poseidon knew he couldn¡¯t surpass his opponent. ¡°It is the honored Mother Earth who is key, isn¡¯t it? Without her, your so-called salvation could never have seeded. Without her, what do we have today to persist until the Father God departed?¡± ¡°If aplishments are to decide the Divine King¡¯s position, then it should be up to Mother Earth to make a fair judgment, not for you to receive it on your own!¡± Sinking at heart, Zeus knew full well the other party was twisting words, but he still couldn¡¯t refute. He had been confident before because between himself and Poseidon, the gods certainly seemed to favor him a little more. But if Gaia were to judge, and if she truly stood with Poseidon, the gods might not necessarily object. The gods of today had just witnessed the strength of Mother Earth; even among the Sea Gods, probably only Oceanus would dare to dispute the speech of the other side. If he were still sane, he would never let Poseidon ascend to the throne, but unfortunately, the stretch of ck clouds spanning hundreds of thousands of miles over the East Sea showed them what had just happened there. With the former Divine King¡¯s suppression gone, the Sun, atst, returned weakly to where it belonged. But the consequences brought by the sun-bathed East Sea were far from over. ¡°So, Poseidon, do you really intend to let the respected Mother Earth decide the position of the Divine King?¡± In the silence, Metis, who had been quietly observing, spoke up. Just now, for some reason, she felt a strange fluctuation in her authority, but she hadn¡¯t noticed any problem. Zeus, being a judge in his own cause, was deluded, but she saw clearly. Although Poseidon was unexpectedly clever today, this, in turn, proved that he didn¡¯t actually want Mother Earth to decide everything. Back when Cronus had just ascended to the throne, to avoid sharing the samend with Gaia, he chose to anger her away by refusing to release the Titans. If Poseidon really let Mother Earth make the decision, wouldn¡¯t he be acknowledging Mother Earth¡¯s supremacy over the Divine King, no matter the oue? Although, from what it seems, the new Divine King would indeed find it hard to establish higher prestige among the gods than Mother Earth, in the world of the gods, the name itself also carried significant meaning. Just as Cronus did not truly be Divine King until the gods acknowledged him five hundred yearster, if even the Divine King himself admitted to being below Mother Earth, then his power would necessarily be hard to secure. ¡°She¡¯s right, Poseidon, my brother, you wouldn¡¯t make such a foolish choice, would you?¡± As these words were spoken, Zeus suddenly came to his senses. Everything Poseidon said before was probably more about bargaining with him, so he once again looked seriously at his two brothers. Especially at the one he had previously considered a bit arrogant and inept, whose performance today had greatly altered his opinion. ¡°Poseidon, and Hades, speak frankly. What is it you want to do? We all know very well that there are some things that cannot be done.¡± ¡°Indeed, we are ultimately family,¡± Hestia too spoke up, but she also saw through the thoughts of the other two brothers, so she didn¡¯t favor one over the other: ¡°However, Zeus, you ought to grant your brothers what is due to them, not be like our father who in the end had not a single god willing to help him.¡± A smile surfaced on Poseidon¡¯s face; he hadn¡¯t really expected to be able to contend with his opponent anyway. He needed supporters, his own forces, so standing in the center of the great hall, the future Sea Emperor slowly began to speak: ¡°I just feel that you might need help, Zeus.¡± ¡°You can be the Divine King, and I as a member of the Olympus pantheon can stand with you in the future against the Titans who once ruled the world. But you need to give me what is due.¡± ¡°Give me the sea, swear on the Styx River that you will never covet it, and we will always stand together.¡± With his eyes slightly narrowed, Zeus wasn¡¯t really willing in his heart. But thinking about the vague connection between his opponent and the Divine King¡¯s position, he still didn¡¯t refuse. Moreover, if he really refused, Hestia might not support him anymore. ¡°¡­Very well.¡± His gaze turned icy, Zeus looked at his brother and spoke emphatically: ¡°Since you¡¯re so confident, then let you take charge of the sea for Olympus. However, since Oceanus is the father of Metis, I will not help you oppose him.¡± ¡°That is enough, I will find a way on my own.¡± Unbeknownst to when it began, the Goddess of Wisdom felt that strange fluctuation of authority had disappeared again. And before her, when Poseidon heard the words of Zeus, he agreed without hesitation. ¡°And what about you, Hades, besides the Underworld, do you need anything else?¡± Unlike Poseidon, Hades¡¯s control over the Underworld was unquestionable, and although nine tenths of the Underworld belonged to the present world, the borders with the Abyss, as well as some special ces, were not the same. Therefore, in fact, both past and present Divine Kings had never coveted the Underworld. It was like the remote territories of future feudal dynasties, valued only for exiling officials and the symbolic extent of thend, with virtually no actual benefits. Thus, Zeus naturally assumed that the other party had other demands. ¡°Me? I actually don¡¯t want much. If you wish, consider that you owe me a condition, one that doesn¡¯t affect your authority or power.¡± Shaking his head, Hades did not propose any additional conditions. The world was only sorge, and Zeus would not cede the sky to him. As for that requirement, what he really thought was that perhaps one day in the future, he might have Zeus, in the name of Divine King, persuade Demeter to be his Queen of the Underworld. He did not care about the desires between men and women, as long as his sister agreed to bring vitality to the Underworld, he could even overlook what she did afterwards. ¡°Good!¡± Somewhat surprised, but happy, Zeus realized that his eldest brother was not as ambitious as Poseidon. ¡°Since that¡¯s settled, let the Styx River witness your agreement today.¡± The division of the fruits of victory among family members finally came to an easing of the atmosphere. At this point, the eldest sister Hestia suddenly mentioned something. ¡°Speaking of which, have you noticed that something seems to have appeared around us recently?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Visibly intrigued, Zeus also sensed around, and the next moment, as if he had discovered something, he extended his hand forward and drew a gentle stroke in the air. Before him, a world in shades of ck and white slowly emerged. There was no difference between this ce and the outside world, except that everything seemed to have lost its color, and there were no signs of life. The deities were somewhat surprised; this was a ce they had never encountered before. ¡°What is this ce?¡± Zeus asked, somewhat astonished, realizing for the first time that there were ces in the world he did not understand. ¡°¡­Perhaps, we could take a look.¡± Poseidon turned and nced at Metis; without this woman, Zeus would not have been so difficult to deal with. ¡°Are youing with us?¡± ¡°Though gods do not die, and we are all powerful True Gods, such unknown territories might not be suitable for you.¡± Wisdom indeed was a powerful godhood, but the speed at which it umted Divine Power was unimaginably slow in the current era. ¡°You¡¯re right, I¡¯ll just stay here.¡± Ignoring Poseidon¡¯s implicit mockery, the Goddess of Wisdom was not afraid of danger, just that now was somewhat different. Without any surprise, she was already bearing the first offspring for the soon-to-be third-generation Divine King. Chapter 149: 4 Open Interfaces ¡°Mentor, what is this ce?¡± In the monochrome world, two figures of varying sizes walked on the ¡®sea¡¯ surface. Unlike the surrounding environment, they were the only beings with ¡®color¡¯ nearby. ¡°I feel there is a kind of power here that is very beneficial to the spirit. It exists in the present world too, but it is extremely rare.¡± Facing the mentor he had acknowledged not long before, Chiron tried to bow down to align himself with his mentor¡¯s height. But it was pointless. As a half-human, half-horse being, the red-haired witch was only as tall as the horse part of him. ¡°This is the Spirit Realm, the firstyer of the Spirit Realm, the Phantasmal Spirit Realm.¡± ¡°It is a counterpart of the surface world¡ªyou should be able to tell. Other than the difference in color, there is not much difference from the outside world. Even if you destroy the environment here, it will gradually restore itself over time.¡± Casually shattering a giant rock on a distant ind, under the gaze of the centaur beside her, without any apparent force, the rock pieces soon began to rebuild themselves. ¡°You need not concern yourself with this ce, after all, you also have divinity. The first twoyers of the Spirit Realm are of limited significance to you.¡± ¡°Next time you enter, there¡¯s no need toe in person. I myself mostly entered in the form of a spiritual body.¡± Answering offhandedly, she strolled across the monochrome ¡®sea surface,¡¯ with Hecate seeming to search for something. Just like she said, in the past, she more often entered the Spirit Realm in spirit, not bodily.
The Phantasmal Spirit Realm was somewhat quiet today, the spiritual bodies that were often seen were nowhere to be found. Hecate didn¡¯t find this strange¡ªafter all, such turmoil had just erupted over the East Sea, and even though lower spiritual bodies mostly act on instinct, they knew to seek advantage and avoid harm. Of course, there was another possibility: because the portal to the Spirit Realm had opened, letting some of the Sun¡¯s power seep in, burning them all away. ¡°Found it.¡± After searching for half an hour, Hecate seemed to have discovered something. She casually grabbed the mane on Chiron¡¯s back, and in a blink, they appeared at the very edge of their vision. There, in midair, a ring of light floated from nowhere, with slight ripples of space around it. At its center, a much richer aura of Spirituality emanated from within. ¡°Mentor, what is this?¡± Asking again, the centaur felt he indeed was a bit ignorant before. ¡°This is a passageway connecting the first and secondyers of the Spirit Realm. They are everywhere in the firstyer. Cross it, and you can enter the secondyer of the Spirit Realm.¡± The corners of her mouth lifted, as if she thought of something amusing. Hecate, looking at her unwitting apprentice who had been caught spying and then thoroughly beaten, smiled with ill intent: ¡°Little Chiron, with your divinity, you should be able to directly sense the secondyer of the Spirit Realm. In fact, you don¡¯t need to go the normal route, and you can enter it. Do you want to give it a try?¡± ¡°No need.¡± The response was very decisive. Although they had only known each other for half a day, the young centaur hade to understand some of his mentor¡¯s character. Dying was probably not on the cards. But if he really dared to try, the oue probably wouldn¡¯t be very pleasant. ¡°Is that so? What a shame.¡± Seeing his refusal, Hecate felt slightly regretful, but she still exined earnestly; ¡°Actually, if you were a pure Spirit Realm life form, this kind of direct breakthrough wouldn¡¯t pose any problem. For them, it is a form of ¡®advancement,¡¯ a natural act when their own power reaches a certain point, and at most when entering the nextyer of the Spirit Realm, the location where they appear might be a bit random, unlike this fixed portal.¡± ¡°However, for Outsiders, if they don¡¯t follow the rules, they will likely be refused entry and then punished differently ording to their strength.¡± Hecate¡¯s exnation couldn¡¯t help but prompt an ¡®as expected¡¯ expression on the centaur¡¯s face; he knew there would be problems not following the rules. He prepared to inquire about this so-called ¡®punishment,¡¯ but the next moment, Chiron found that his mentor¡¯s face showed a look of surprise.
¡°Haha, I knew it. There are always fools¡ªI mean, individuals not as cautious as you who just barge in directly!¡± ¡°Come, follow me to have a look. It seems to be in the west!¡± Without waiting for a response, she grabbed the centaur¡¯s back hair and Hecate took another step forward. This time, however, Chiron clearly perceived that unlike the short-distance spatial shift before, he had directly broken through two barriers. In his perception, one of those barriers was the secondyer of the Spirit Realm, which they had just been warned not to enter by force.
After breaking through the two barriers, a fleeting and bizarre scene shed by; it seemed as if they had only walked a few steps there before they were back in the firstyer of the Spirit Realm the next moment. Spiritual Realm Shuttle, with the help of the chaotic spacetime characteristics of the higher Spirit Realm, the two of them arrived in the Eastern Region of the continent in a short time. In this ce, several beings emanating waves of Divine Power were shing with unknown life forms, but the power they disyed was far less formidable than in the real world. ¡°Dammit, what the hell is this ce?¡± Under the oppressive force of the dimensional barrier, only a fraction of his Divine Power remained. Zeus brandished the Arrow of Thunder in his hand, and a silver light exploded out of nowhere, shooting towards the entity in front of him. Yet, the being that looked no different from a Deity only let out a coldugh and effortlessly deflected the Thunderbolt, which was supposed to be unblockable, with a golden shield. It wasn¡¯t that the power of the Divine Artifact wascking, but rather the suppression here was too terrifying. Zeus could feel that his previous arbitrary actions had incensed the world itself, as though the entire world was pressing down on him, and he even caught a glimpse of the phantom of a Bronze Book. That phantom seemed like the core of Order, vastly intensifying the suppression of the interface¡¯s power, rendering him utterly powerless before this unknown life form. ¡°Zeus, who gave you permission to act recklessly? How are we to return now?¡± With a simrly grim expression, Poseidon loudly questioned Zeus. Although he too had sensed severalyers of the world and wanted to directly see inside, he had not yet made a move. It was Zeus who tried to step into the thirdyer of the world and had taken action, only to end up in the territory of this unknown life form. Although this life form looked like a Deity and possessed power simr to Divine Power and Wisdom, Poseidon was certain, he was not a Deity.
If his power weren¡¯t so immense, he would have thought it was one of the so-called ¡®Humans¡¯ who once worshipped the Deities, as spoken about among the gods. ¡°Enough, stop arguing.¡± By the side, Hestia, the goddess of fire and the hearth, intervened to stop the argument between the two brothers. She was aware that both were somewhat dissatisfied with the previous distribution of power. They were in the middle of a battle now, and arguing directly was out of the question. It seemed that power was truly alluring, for it made Poseidon appear like a Deity capable of contemtion. ¡°Respected¡­ Sir, we did not mean to offend you.¡± mes of red ignited, and within their domain all forces with hostile intentions were diminished. Hestia looked at the being in front of them, attempting to negotiate a resolution. ¡°We merely discovered the ability to enter here by ident, and entered your territory inadvertently. If this has caused you any displeasure, we are willing to¡ª¡± ¡°I know you had no intention.¡± Ethereal tones sounded, interrupting Hestia¡¯s words. Unlike thenguage used among gods, thenguage of this foreign life form was unknown, but amazingly, it was ¡®understood¡¯ directly by the several Deities listening. ¡°But I do!¡± The voice was detached as Aaron¡¯s form shone with light, transforming into thousands of radiant arrows that collided with the four Deities opposite him. ¡°Deities are not such good things after all.¡±
He did not know what he was a Spirit Realm being, part of the Golden Humanity, or a new life form that, in the process of mutual devouring, inherited the memories of both. Nevertheless, from the moment the new consciousness emerged, Aaron felt disgusted thinking about how ¡®he¡¯ once worshipped the Deities. Now, with the great Ancient Spirit World above, he was determined to properly discipline these unfamiliar Deities Chapter 150: 5 Escape Boom The transparent arrows made of water flow and lightning collided, and those that prated were blocked by the power of ¡®protection¡¯. Laine¡¯s attack was blocked. As a ¡®Lord of the Spirit Realm¡¯ who had created his Dream Domain in the Phantasmal Spirit Realm, he was akin to a territorial god skilled inbat outside his own ¡®Dream Domain.¡¯ If the four deities before him weren¡¯t suppressed by the realm¡¯s forces, he wouldn¡¯t even qualify to oppose them. But that didn¡¯t matter, as a cold smile appeared on Aaron¡¯s lips¡ªthis was the Spirit Realm. As the Lord of the Spirit Realm, unless another of equal or greater rank nullified his authority, his power here was inexhaustible. By contrast, although the deities¡¯ divine power was immense, how long it could be sustained under the pressure of the realm¡¯s forces was uncertain. ng Suddenly, a shadow emerged from behind Aaron. A figure wearing armor wielded a long dagger, stabbing towards the enemy and piercing through Aaron¡¯s body. Crash The next moment, Aaron¡¯s form exploded and then re-formed at a distance. ¡°What a troublesome Divine Artifact.¡±
Upon exploding and re-forming, the Lord of the Spirit Realm¡¯s figure had be much more ethereal. With his power suppressed, the properties of the cloak of invisibility stood out. After all, it was not famous for its strength. While it had no other uses, it was nearly unparalleled in concealing one¡¯s form. ¡°We have no intention of being your enemy, but if you persist, we¡¯re not to be trifled with,¡± Hades¡¯ voice was as calm as ever. He could sense that the other did not possess the immortal essence of a deity. Under these circumstances, the opponent might not wish to engage them to the end. ¡°Ha, perhaps, but s, this is the Spirit Realm, not your world.¡± With a disdainful smile, Aaron showed no sign of backing down. Indeed, he was not immortal like the gods, but to kill him, one would have to destroy the Dream Domain he had created in the Phantasmal Spirit Realm as well. Merely killing him on the outside was pointless¡ªit would at most damage his Vital Essence, forcing him to retreat to his territory to await rebirth. ¡°Spirit Realm?¡± Even though Zeus was annoyed by the opponent¡¯s reaction, his sharp mindtched onto the key point in his words. He had been pondering what this ce was, and now he finally had an answer. The Spirit Realm, spected to have originated in the First Era, was a realm like the Land of Eternal Night and the Realm of Lightness, overseen by an Ancient God. Like the previous two, almost no gods were known to enter or leave, and its ruler seemed to deliberately avoid contact with the outside world. That god made rare appearances; thest was at the beginning of the Second Era, when he participated in the creation of the original life forms and released a monster on Mount Othrys capable of devouring the sun. To this day, the beast still appeared every few decades or centuries, causing the great sun to lose its light. Unfortunately, Zeus was too young to have witnessed it. ¡°We need to prepare to leave. The ruler of this ce has dealt with the Father God before, and we have no clue what he would do if he discovered us,¡± With thoughts as quick as lightning, Zeus spoke out. ¡°What, Father God?¡± Compared to Zeus, Poseidon had only truly emerged into the world ten years ago; he was genuinely ignorant of this. ¡°Yes, we can talk about these things once we¡¯re back, but now¡ª¡± Blocking another attack with lightning, Zeus began to contemte how to leave. Suddenly, a strange presence emanated from the depths of the Spirit Realm.
The presence was twofold; one part somewhat resembled Mother Earth¡¯s Golden Apple, but the other part was very foreign. ¡°Hmm?¡± Their expressions changed, and the actions of those present momentarily faltered. Faintly, it seemed as if the forces of the realm were converging towards the core of the Spirit Realm, as if something significant was urring. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±
Almost instantly, the deities felt the oppressive force of the realm lessen and hurriedly seized the opportunity to leave. Zeus led the way out of the Spirit Realm, with the other three deities following closely behind. In the face of sudden change, Aaron had no time to stop them, or rather, he was not a match for the four deities who had regained some of their power. ¡°Damn it!¡± Some annoyance welled up within him; he hadn¡¯t expected these gods to be anything like the proud beings he remembered. They fled without a moment¡¯s hesitation. Even if they didn¡¯t flee, it was unlikely he could actually harm the immortal gods anyway. ¡°Who?¡± His annoyance still fresh, Aaron turned to look behind him, where two figures had apparently been observing for a while. ¡°Hmm¡­ you are, that Hecate?¡± Although his memory was somewhat hazy, Aaron still recognized the figure before him. The infant who had once been cast down from Mount of the Gods, the sinner born of celestial fire. One day, the figure suddenly disappeared without a trace, and Golden Humanity had searched for a time. When they found nothing, they engraved the story on stone tablets. But now, it seemed that the figure had also be a deity. Although both were gods, Aaron did not dislike her. Tales of mortals ascending to godhood were long told in the Spirit Realm. It was said that even the angels who wandered between the seven realms were not innately sacred; they were granted divinity by the very essence of the Spirit Realm itself, which allowed them to wield Divine Authority. ¡°It is I, are you a human?¡± Surprised, she hadn¡¯t expected that he would recognize her. She thought hard for a moment; in Hecate¡¯s memory, Aaron did bear some resemnce to a person from the human tribes at the foot of Mount Othrys, but weren¡¯t Golden Humanity only known for their adoration of the deities?
¡°No, I am not a human. I am the lord of the Spirit Realm, chosen by the will of the great Ancient Spirit World. The frail and ignorant existence of humans has nothing to do with me.¡± He tly denied Hecate¡¯s designation, feeling that emotional past, being ¡®set up¡¯, was a disgrace. ¡°A demigod? Has the current age indeed given birth to demigods? I had only encountered a demigod, an Evil Spirit who presided over dreams, in the presence of Lord Hypnos before. I didn¡¯t expect such beings to exist in the outside world as well.¡± Next to Hecate, therge centaur was difficult not to notice. Aaron simply observed for a moment before recognizing the other¡¯s true nature. ¡°¡­Yes, he is my apprentice. But I don¡¯t find Golden Humanity to be weak.¡± With a slight frown of her perfectly shaped brows, just one sentence was enough to make Hecate take an instant dislike to this fellow. Therefore, she decided not to say more and turned instead to look in the direction of Mount Olympus. The firstyer of the Spirit Realm was a reflection of the outside world¡ªif something existed outside, it naturally existed here as well. However, with Laine opening the channel formunication between the Spirit Realm and the real world, one could feel the presence of spiritual bodies from the first twoyers of the Spirit Realm, even outside of it. So, like before, standing in front of you without being detectable had be quite difficult, at least for beings without control over the core powers of the Spirit Realm. ¡°Let¡¯s go, little Chiron, I will take you to meet that Golden Mane.¡± Hecate rarely concealed her emotions; she disliked that individual turned from Golden Humanity, so she simply ignored him. Giving a casual wave to Chiron, Hecate stepped into the real world in one stride, appearing just outside the true Mount Olympus. ¡°Alright, mentor.¡± With an apologetic smile to Aaron, Chiron followed immediately after Hecate. Aaron simply gave a nonchnt expression in return, and thus the Spirit Realmyer near Olympus was once again deserted.
This ce, like the East Sea, didn¡¯t harbor any ordinary Spirit Realm lifeforms. Because Mount Olympus itself possessed power, so too did its projection in the Phantasmal Spirit Realm. By instinct, weaker spirits were disinclined to approach this ce. ¡°Hecate, huh¡­¡± Watching the direction of their departure, Aaron pondered deeply. ¡°Having be a deity but with no sign of being suppressed by the realm, she must also be an emissary chosen in the mortal world by the will of the great Ancient Spirit World, just like Lord Hypnos.¡± ¡°But to think, the channel between the Spirit Realm and the real world has been opened¡­ To prevent those deities from wreaking havoc here, it seems I need to seek some allies.¡± Perhaps as a mix of ¡®official business and personal vendetta,¡¯ Aaron simply assumed that the deities would damage the Spirit Realm. Outside, he was still no match for them. But within the Spirit Realm, particrly in the thirdyer, the situation might just be turned on its head. Chapter 151: 6 Astrology (Moon tickets +5) Whoosh Outside Mount Olympus, the void shook for a moment, and the next instant, four deities flew out from it in session. Previously, due to the skirmish with that unknown entity, the group was no longer at the location where they had entered before. Because the Phantasmal Spirit Realm corresponded one-to-one with the mortal world, they appeared not far from the outside of Mount Olympus. ¡°Huff¡± ¡°We finally made it out. Zeus, if you hadn¡¯t forcibly broken through the realm barrier, even with it suppressing us, it wouldn¡¯t have been this intense.¡± Taking a deep breath, Poseidon was the first to repeat Zeus¡¯s mistake, which caused the golden-haired deity some annoyance. ¡°Is that so? You might not be aware of what that ce was, it was the domain of the Primordial Gods, and even by doing nothing, there was no telling if we would encounter danger.¡± ¡°Poseidon, I can forgive your ignorance, but today¡¯s experience should have made you realize the reality of our situation, right?¡± He retorted casually, feeling an even stronger sense of urgency. About the several reclusive Ancient Gods, Zeus knew not much, butpared to the Twin Gods of the Dark Night, there were at least some records of this Lord of the Spirit Realm. Rumors had it that his power was not strong in itself, merely possessing many powerful Divine Artifacts. However, rumors are always unreliable, and without a doubt, based on today¡¯s encounter, at least he was a deity simr to Mother Earth, yet he seemed not to be friendly towards the deities of the present world.
The suddenly opened realm barrier, the life form full of hostility toward the deities, and the innate suppression of the barrier itself. Although if he hadn¡¯t tried to forcibly enter the thirdyer of the Spirit Realm, the suppression from the barrier wouldn¡¯t have been so intense, but it was still not a good sign. Perhaps, after an eon had passed, that Primordial God born at the dawn of creation was no longer satisfied with living in seclusion, like the Twin Gods of the Dark Night who wanted nothing to do with worldly affairs. Instead, he wanted to intervene in the world, just like Mother Earth? It seems that at tomorrow¡¯s celebration of the division of the spoils of victory, he too needed to make a statement, attempting to reach out to this deity in the name of the Divine King. If it was a visit known by all the gods, it should not result in too dire an oue, right? ¡°Tomorrow we shall gather all the gods, and in their presence, announce the establishment of the new Divine Court. The terms I¡¯ve agreed to with you before, will also bemunicated to them in a more ¡®reasonable¡¯ form.¡± He said gravely, looking around at those present, especially his original second brother. Although still somewhat reluctant, Poseidon, along with Hades, nodded in agreement. ¡°Since that¡¯s settled, let us¡ª hmm?¡± His expression changed slightly, Zeus turned to look at the ce from where the four had just left the Spirit Realm. At first, he was a bit on guard, but then rxed. He thought perhaps the life form from the Spirit Realm was pursuing them again, but instead, it was a familiar figure in red. So, had she just been watching from the side? ¡°Golden Mane, have you been beaten up again?¡± The voice arrived before the person did. With a ripple of magic, a red-dressed goddess emerged in front of the four deities, followed by a being with the upper body of a man and the lower body of a horse. ¡°¡­An unexpectedbat, nothing more. We could say it was a draw, but why are you here?¡± Feeling somewhat embarrassed internally, Zeus did not show it. He put on a brave face and introduced the somewhat perplexed trio to the goddess in front of them. ¡°Hecate, whom I¡¯ve mentioned before, the Grand Sorceress who prepared potions for me. Of course, she is now the Goddess of the Magic Net.¡± ¡°She is proficient in potions and witchcraft and, besides, possesses an astrology akin to Prophecy.¡± ¡°Astrology?¡± The words Zeus spoke earlier were not taken to heart by several deities. They were powerful gods themselves, but astrology was different. In the original myths, deities like Phoebe, Themis, Gaia, and Apollo had all held sway over the Oracle Stone Tablet at one time or another, so Prophecy was considered a rtivelymon ability among the gods. But now things were different.
The first- and second-generation Titans were one thing, but some third-generation Titans, or gods like Zeus who had emerged in more recent years, had never witnessed a true Prophecy. They only knew, directly or indirectly, that some of the Primordial Gods held powers rted to fate, and that the session of power among the early Divine Kings was indeed influenced by destiny. Therefore, they harbored a certain dread and yearning towards Prophecy. ¡°What an esteemed guest indeed, Olympus wees your arrival, Princess Hecate.¡±
Zeus¡¯s elder sister Hestia replied with a gentle smile. She hadn¡¯t thought too much about it. Long ago, despite never having met her, she had already taken a liking to the goddess who had helped them escape from the belly of their father. ¡°Tomorrow is the day of the new king¡¯s ascension and the celebration with all the gods. Given that Zeus once received your aid, you should have a ce at this feast as well.¡± ¡°A celebration, hm¡­ Little Chiron, what do you think?¡± Initially here just for amusement, Hecate was indifferent about staying or leaving after witnessing the event. She had previously gone to the Spirit Realm to teach a new apprentice, and also because of what the stone tablet said ¡ª there might be something toprehend. She already knew what it was, but the cycle of life and death¡¯s power was too profound. Hecate had merely noted it down. As for the former reason, now that this hospitable goddess had extended an invitation, whether to waste time here naturally also depended on whether the little apprentice wished to stay. ¡°¡­Since the noble highnesses invite me, I have no reason to refuse.¡± Faced with Hecate¡¯s question and the gazes of four powerful deities upon him, the centaur promptly agreed. Honestly, his opinions were a facade; if this newly acknowledged mentor didn¡¯t wish to mingle, he would have declined decisively. ¡°Then let¡¯s go, Golden Mane. Do you have a ce to stay here?¡± Seeing her apprentice got her hint, Hecate nodded in satisfaction and then turned to ask Zeus. ¡°Yes, we do, and, you can actually call me Zeus.¡± Zeus nodded and was about to give her directions when he suddenly stopped.
¡°Come with me, it¡¯s over there. I¡¯ll show you the way.¡± A thought struck him, recalling ¡®astrology¡¯, and Zeus changed his mind. He led the way for Hecate and Chiron to an unupied Divine Pce on Mount Olympus. ¡°This is the ce. Not too shabby, right?¡± After parting ways with the other three deities, two gods and a horsended outside a pce built on a ttened area halfway up Mount Olympus; Zeus spoke with a hint of pride. The Cyclops were the finest craftsmen but not strong warriors. After forging Divine Artifacts for Zeus, they were put in charge of constructing the buildings all over Olympus. In terms of skill, they indeed reached the pinnacle, far beyond ordinary people. Compared to the Divine Pces that Zeus had seen over the ocean, these were undoubtedly much more exquisite. ¡°Mediocre; the builders are good, but the stylecks innovation. I guess the designer probably didn¡¯t have much talent for art,¡± Hecatemented offhandedly, and although she had already guessed these pces were probably designed by Zeus, she didn¡¯t care if he felt embarrassed. All these pces of the gods look the same, thinking a change in relief and addition of a column makes it a new style; truly uninspired. ¡°Is there anything else? If not, be quick and leave.¡± With a wave of her hand, Hecate showed no interest in making further conversation with Zeus. Although he knew that the goddess before him was not targeting him specifically, as she was the same with most deities, Zeus still felt somewhat ufortable. But there was nothing he could do, after all, he was the one in need of favor, so he chose to overlook it. Moreover, there was no conflict of interest between them, and Zeus, at least for now, didn¡¯t care about such trifles in speech.
Remembering the purpose of his visit, his gaze darkened for a moment. Although he was prepared, he did not know what result he would obtain from Hecate. It might be good, or it might not, but either way, he needed to know the oue. ncing at Chiron, the centaur beside him, Chiron immediately understood his intention. However, he did not make a decision on his own and instead gave Hecate a cue. ¡°Go ahead, I¡¯ll listen to what he has to say.¡± ¡°Yes, Teacher.¡± Seeing that his newly acquainted teacher showed no objections, Chiron quickly left the vicinity. ¡°Speak, what is it?¡± Casually turning the earth into a chair, Hecate sat upon it and asked Zeus. ¡°I guess it¡¯s either about witchcraft or astrology, right? Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯te to me.¡± After a moment of silence, as if he was organizing his words, Zeus finally, hesitantly, asked. ¡°¡­I heard you say before, astrology can foresee the future?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Raising her eyebrows, Hecate straightened her body and looked at the deity before her: ¡°So you want to know what, exactly? Like the ancient legends, whether or not you are the eternal Divine King?¡± Recalling the stories told by the Oracle Stone Tablet, the previous two Divine Kings had fallen due to prophecies of the Ancient Gods. Could it be that it was now her turn, and the third prophecy was to unfold today?
This piqued Hecate¡¯s interest greatly, divining the future of a Divine King, even with his consent, was a decidedly challenging task. But thinking about the significance of the act itself, she felt as though she was personally crafting history. Perhaps, millions of years from now, the gods would still remember that Hecate foretold the fall of a Divine King on Mount Olympus. ¡°No, you misunderstand.¡± Shaking his head and seeing the slightly disappointed look in the eyes of the red-haired goddess before him, Zeus declined: ¡°Prophecy is a shackle; the fates of two generations of Divine Kings have already proven this. How could I willingly ce it upon my own neck?¡± ¡°Then what do you want to know?¡± Feeling somewhat disinterested, Hecate asked nonchntly. After hesitating for a while, under Hecate¡¯s increasingly impatient gaze, Zeus finally spoke. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the Divine Kingter. For now, I just want to know¡­¡± ¡°Recently, my wife Metis became pregnant. I want to know, what kind of achievements will the child in her womb have in the future?¡± As night was about to fall, the illumination became somewhat dim. In front of Hecate, Zeus¡¯s features were a bit unclear; she could only hear his voice as if it wasing from afar. ¡°I mean no offense, but as a father, it¡¯s difficult not to be concerned.¡± Boom As night approached, a dim glow spread over the Mount of the Gods, enhancing the sanctity and tranquility of Mount Olympus in contrast with the celestial phenomena of the outside world. Yet suddenly, a thunderous boom resonated above Mount Olympus, capturing the attention of numerous deities, who then promptly disregarded it. This was not something that surprised them; most assumed it was Zeus and his brothers arguing for the throne. In fact, they too were eager to know what the oue would be tomorrow. After a long while, when the cloak of the Lady of Night fully shrouded the sky, Zeus walked out of the Divine Pce with his usual demeanor. As if nothing had happened, he casually summoned a Nymph. After she bowed respectfully, the future Divine King gave her a nonchnt order: ¡°The celebration feast will soon begin. I have heard that Themis, who presides over thews, is just and strict. I hope that tomorrow, she wille to witness me ascending as the new king.¡± ¡°Go and invite her. Tell her that if she is willing toe, I would like her to serve as the adjudicator in the new Divine Court, to judge the right and wrong, and reward and punishment of all things in the world when I am unable to decide. I believe all gods will trust her judgment.¡± ¡°Yes, Your¡­ Majesty.¡± With a slight bow, the Nymph immediately went to fulfill themand. This had been decided long ago, and had there not been a dy, Zeus would not have arranged it now. With all matters settled, he gazed towards the western sky, lost in thought. ¡°The Father God took his sister as the Queen of Gods, and as his sessor, I should learn from his example.¡± ¡°The God of the Ocean¡¯s lineage is still too powerful, and the Ancient Sea God no longer concerns himself with affairs. As a qualified Divine King, I should not give them the chance to grow stronger.¡± ¡°And then¡­ yes, and destiny too. Maybe this is destiny¡¯s choice; the Queen of Gods should be taken by a deity with more potential.¡± Finally, after a period of silence as if convincing himself with these seemingly reasonable thoughts, Zeus stood for a while before turning around and heading towards his pce. Tomorrow would be the day he became Divine King. On such a crucial day, he could not afford to bete. Chapter 152: 7: Two Roads (Moon Tickets +6) The night gradually enveloped thend. Atop Mount of the Gods, the deities were about to witness the birth of a new king, while beneath the silence of the night, the shifting tides of the Origin Sea at the turn of the era concealed many secrets unknown to man. Thousands of miles away, on a high mountain beside the Delphic Great ins, two figures quietly watched the humans who had survived nearby. Those were the Silver Humanity. They had endured many hardships, yet had miraculously survived. Struggling against the cmitous climate, they were probably unaware that before long, they would be erased by the new king. The Earth had no need for them, and the gods loathed them. Perhaps it was as Mephisto, the once leader of the Silver Humanity, had said, ¡°Let us all die, or let them all listen to us.¡± Now the one who spoke these words was working towards thetter, but the remaining Silver Humanity was about to live out the former. Unlike the Golden Humanity, they hadn¡¯t managed to leave any relics to proim their existence. ¡°A bunch of humans, is that why you brought me here? I really don¡¯t see anything worth watching.¡± The figure concealed beneath the ck dress was somewhat hazy, her tall form unseen by anyone, riddled with mystery like the night itself. Standing by Laine¡¯s side, Nyx¡¯s attitude was as usual. ¡°There is nothing worth watching right now,¡± Rubbing his temples, Laine felt somewhat exhausted. During the day, he had fought two Primordial Gods in session and then opened up Samsara. Not long before, he had also secretly observed a special change, so although Laine¡¯s divine body had recovered as usual, even better than before because of the birth of Samsara, he still felt somewhat listless. Nevertheless, he had long invited Nyx out for a walk after a long time, preparing to thank her for her biased actions before, and incidentally to understand why she had done so.
¡°But it will be different in the future. You feel it too, don¡¯t you? Because of the recent battle, shackles for all deities will soon descend upon this world.¡± ¡°Soon, the Earth will reject divine power, and other ces will also be restricted to varying degrees. Even gods cannot resist the world itself and can only choose toply.¡± ¡°And with the loss of divine intervention, at least direct intervention, in the future Third Age, mortals will be the masters of the Earth.¡± Under his ck robe, Laine couldn¡¯t help but marvel at how useful Nyx¡¯s previous gift had been. As for the currentws of the world, hiding in history wasn¡¯t very effective. After all, from the world¡¯s perspective, the past and present weren¡¯t much different. But Secrecy was different. This ck robe, woven from the fabric gifted by the Lady of the Night, concealed his presence very well; as long as he did not use divine power, he would not be discovered. Luckily, the gods would soon be unable to use their divine power on Earth as well, so in this sense, everyone was not much different. ¡°Speaking of which, I¡¯m actually a bit curious,¡± With a smile, Laine turned to look at Nyx, whose face was indistinct and changing. ¡°What was your reason for deciding to stand with me before?¡± When the Spirit Realm and the Realm of Lightless collided, Nyx was there by the sidelines, which Laine keenly noticed. If she were there to help the Lord of Darkness, she could have intervened directly, and probably ¡®the Divine King¡¯ would have had to hastily depart without much conversation with the ¡®good children.¡¯ Since she didn¡¯t act, there was only one exnation. She intended to block Erebus¡¯s assault for him, but seeing that he could handle it, she didn¡¯t interfere. Yet Laine truly couldn¡¯t understand; did she have any reason to help him? ¡°Ha, do I need a reason for my actions?¡± With a disdainfulugh, Nyx then denied: ¡°Only you and Erebus would count out everything so clearly. Besides, I was just there for fun. A sh of Great Divine Power is after all only the second such instance since the creation.¡± Nodding, although Laine didn¡¯t quite believe it, he decided not to pursue the matter further. After all, he had been prepared for the whims of a Chaos deity. And just as Nyx said, during the struggle at the end of the First Age, the Titans thought they were the main force, but it was Gaia, the Mother Earth who fought against The Sky, who was the main power. But back then, the Lady of the Night didn¡¯t have the time to go to the Earth to watch the battle; perhaps she really did just want to watch the drama unfold.
However, thinking it over, Gaia had been the real agent of action in two ages and yet had never gained any benefits from it, which was indeed rather unusual. Sometimes, Laine didn¡¯t feel much like targeting her. But there was no helping it; however pitiable Gaia was, she was all too easily influenced or acted on whims, and he had to respond ordingly. His choice toe here had to do with checking if Mother Earth had already fallen into a brief slumber. He still needed to pick a suitable candidate rted to the branch of the Golden Apple tree. ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll just assume you were here for fun. Even so, to thank you for not standing against me before, I still want to share an interesting discovery with you,¡±
Shaking his head gently, Laine spoke about something he had contemted for a long time. ¡°Nyx, did you know? Long ago, I¡¯ve been thinking about where we fall shortpared toplete Great Divine Power.¡± ¡°You have to think about that? Don¡¯t you know everything?¡± With a light snort, the Lady of the Night said, ¡°Apart from maintaining the stability of personality, where else could the difference be?¡± ¡°The Darkness is indeed sufficient, your Spirituality, and even the newly born Samsara are now enough to support the authority of the Great Divine Power. But if you forcibly ascend, you¡¯ll end up like Tartarus, losing the will of personality, how is that any different from death?¡± Laine nodded, just as Nyx had said, the Great Divine Power is the Law itself, and the reason they are notplete is that their will cannot permanently merge with the Origin without being assimted. ¡°Yes, we need to allow personality to blend with the Law without being affected, but we can¡¯t do that now. However, I have thought of a possibility, perhaps this canpensate for our deficiency in this respect.¡± Looking towards where Silver Humanity was located, Laine stretched out his hand. Two humanoid phantoms slowly emerged, one wrapped in divinity, and the other without anything. Nyx could tell that he was using this to represent Deities and mortals. ¡°Humans¡­ is this why you invented ¡®witchcraft¡¯?¡± She asked offhandedly, as the source of the Magic Net was crystal clear to the Divine Powers, thus the origin of the so-called witchcraft was naturally known without asking. ¡°One could say that, but so far, it¡¯s still far from achieving my purpose.¡± Gently nodding, Laine continued, ¡°Authority is a part of us, but perhaps our perspective is too high, so even when we wield it, we don¡¯t truly understand every bit of it, and that is where our deficiency lies.¡± ¡°From the perspective of a god, we will never truly understand it all. But if we can experience it from another perspective, perhaps we can fill that deficiency.¡±
He slowly clenched his five fingers, and the two phantoms disappeared. ¡°Because of the unknown, the Law affects personality. But if you understood everything, would that problem still exist?¡± After a brief silence, Nyx thought to deny this statement, yet found some sense in it. She realized that she perhaps did not understand the Darkness as well as she thought she did. It¡¯s like a person not understanding the structure of their own brain, the flow of their blood. They know how to use it, better than anyone else, but not the internal principles. ¡°So what are you going to do, not be a deity, use that Samsara of yours?¡± In the end, Nyx was still not optimistic about it. ¡°Not exactly, after all, this is just a conjecture, and in the current world, there is still no way to be divine without relying on any external forces, so naturally, I would not engage in a futile effort.¡± ¡°Moreover, the world is rather dangerous now, no matter how I think about it, I wouldn¡¯t make such a decision.¡± Shaking his head, Laine wasn¡¯t ready to do such a thing. He gazed into the distance, pointed at Silver Humanity, and said slowly: ¡°But that doesn¡¯t stop me from making some preparations.¡± ¡°I have prepared two paths for them, I will select some among them who are excellent but not excellent enough, and grant them the opportunity to be divine. Of course, that¡¯s not what I want; I just want them to be a benchmark, to tell those truly potential beings that mortals can be divine.¡± ¡°Desire is the origin of all things, the driving force of civilization¡¯s progress. Even I do not think my wisdom is omnipotent.¡± Laine spoke calmly, concluding, ¡°I will create opportunities for them, then wait for them to inspire me.¡± ¡°They be sacred, and I advance further; that¡¯s reasonable, isn¡¯t it?¡±
¡°¡­ it sounds like it.¡± Indifferent, yet Nyx nodded anyway. ¡°Since you see hope in this, give it a try.¡± Contrary to what Laine expected, Nyx found the process itself might be a little more interesting than whatever advancement it might lead to. She was also curious to see what the ¡®two paths¡¯ Laine mentioned were; certainly, they wouldn¡¯t be the current method of directly granting godhood. After all, bearing godhood requires ¡®qualifications¡¯. For deities with immortal essence, their ¡®qualification¡¯, even if it cannot bear a powerful godhood, at least allows for bing an ordinary True God. That¡¯s the lowest threshold for an innate god, but it¡¯s different for other beings. The ¡®excellent, but not excellent enough¡¯ humans Laine spoke of might not have that ability. ¡°But the birth of the new humanity¡­is probably soon.¡± ¡°Your influence on fate is growing, perhaps the next generation of humans wille faster, and go faster too.¡± Behind the veil of constant change, Nyx smiled a little, unknowingly. As the Tri-phased Incarnation holding sway over Destiny, she had a somewhat vague understanding of the future. Humanity would be created and destroyed once more, an event that should have urred a millenniumter, but is now being elerated. She would just wait and see what interesting developments could happen among the future humans.
Chapter 153: 8: Drawing Lots (Moon Votes +7) The following day. Atop Mount Olympus, the tense atmosphere of the past ten years gave way to a cheerful ambiance that lingered in all directions. Although the celestial phenomena were still terrifying, under the divine power of the gods, the surroundings of the Mount of the Gods had returned to their former state. Except for the weakened Sun that had temporarily lost its controller and no longer moved, everything seemed the same as usual. Standing at the entrance of the great hall, Zeus looked at the goddess who had finally arrived and breathed a sigh of relief. Though he was very confident that she would not refuse, nothing was certain until the dust had settled. After all, there had been little contact between them, and despite not having shown it outright, Zeus always felt that Themis had some opinion of him. If she had note, and he could not persuade another ancient Titan god to stand with Olympus, many things could have be very troublesome afterward. ¡°Wee to your arrival, the just adjudicator, the respected Princess Themis, my dear aunt. Your presence adds a touch of luster to Mount Olympus.¡± With a jubnt smile on his face, Zeus stepped forward. He opened his arms as if he intended to give the Goddess of Justice a warm embrace. However, Themis slightly shifted to the side, avoiding the closeness of her nephew. ¡°All right, there¡¯s no need for such courtesy, I did note because of you, Zeus. I am simply fulfilling the duties bestowed upon me by my godhood, to deliver just judgment to all spirits.¡± Her expression was cold. From theirst encounter in the Spirit Realm, Zeus hadn¡¯t left her with a good impression. Throughout the years, she had seen that he was also quite close to two goddesses.
One was Eurynome, whom she had met before, Metis¡¯s sister, and the other was a goddess in ck rarely seen, seeming to reside upon the stars. However,pared to the former, thetter, owing to her father¡¯s neutral stance in the Titanomachy, did maintain some distance from Zeus. ¡°Metis, isn¡¯t she your wife? As the future king of the gods, you must not do anything to make her sad.¡± Themis had simply been warning Zeus not to be too promiscuous, but as soon as her words fell, she saw the color of Zeus¡¯s face suddenly stiffen. ¡°¡­She has been feeling unwelltely, mydy. Perhaps she was frightened by the power of the Father God before, as her divine power is not that strong, so she did note to the feast today.¡± ¡°Pleasee this way, mydy. You and my foster mother are the only two ancient Titan gods here today.¡± His tone somewhat stiff, Zeus managed a smile and turned to walk toward the pce. Frowning slightly, Themis hadn¡¯t expected such a severe reaction from Zeus; she had only intended to caution him against absurdity. But after all, it was someone else¡¯s business, and whatever he wished to do had nothing much to do with her. So Themis said no more and simply shook her head slightly, proceeding towards the pce as well. With the Goddess of Justice entering the great hall, the deities atop Mount Olympus had mostly arrived. Earlier, under the escort of a goddess, the God of the Ocean, still semi-conscious, returned to his Divine Pce atop the encircling river, where the environment was more conducive to Oceanus¡¯s healing. The furious tides of the East Sea brought him waves of pain with each moment, and only when he awakened could he mobilize his divine authority to quell them. Therefore, only the Primeval Water Goddess remained to witness the session of the new Divine King. The Sun God Helios, however, had been roused by the rapidly empowered Boiling Water Goddess, Perse, within just one day and was brought directly to Mount Olympus. He now sat in a corner, looking dejected. He had initially not wanted toe. The Heavenly Father Hyperion was missing, and the heart of the Sun was left empty. Helios preferred to sleep within the Sun for a while, but as a ¡®former loyalist¡¯ in secret allegiance, he had to make an appearance. Beside the Primeval Water Goddess, Eurynome, Pronoia, Tethys, and several other Oceanides with godly duties took their seats in session, opposite the children of the Primordial Sea God on the other side of the Divine Pce. But on that side, Pontus¡¯s eldest son, Nereus, was chatting idly with Poseidon, showing no intention of paying attention to the opposite side. They conversed with great enjoyment, and it was unclear who approached whom first. Compared to yesterday¡¯s slightly anxious expression, today¡¯s Nereus seemed to have returned to his former self. He appeared genial and polite, his conversation eliciting heartyughter from Poseidon, who was no more than ten years removed from the world. ¡°This is really interesting, isn¡¯t it, little Chiron? This kind of scene is not something you can see just anywhere.¡±
Sitting in a corner of the great hall, Hecate casually took a fruit from the table and popped it into her mouth as she spoke. She wasn¡¯t referring to the boring feast, but to the diverse array of deities here. Chaos World was always vast and empty, and Golden Humanity didn¡¯t have suchplex thoughts. These sights were often seen only when slightly opposing gods gathered together. Next to her, the centaur didn¡¯t speak. In fact, he felt he shouldn¡¯t be there. Everyoneing and going around him was a deity, and he was the only one who looked peculiar, being a demigod. Hisrge stature made him particrly conspicuous.
The passing gods cast strange nces at him, some as if evaluating a rare object, others simply in disgust, which made him feel somewhat uneasy. ¡°Don¡¯t mind them. They¡¯re just stronger than you and look more normal. It¡¯s no big deal.¡± ¡°If anyone dares not to ept this andes to me with their nonsense, I¡¯ll pin them to the ground and beat them. Anyway, with Golden Mane not intervening, there aren¡¯t many who can stand against me.¡± Hecate waved her hand nonchntly. In her eyes, there really weren¡¯t many experts in Olympus now. Apart from the family of Zeus, there was only Thaesis, the original Goddess of Water, who was a bit more formidable. The rest were just ordinary deities making up the numbers, so much so that the Goddess of Magic with her intermediate divine power had actually be top-tier here. And among those who paid attention to the centaurs, clearly none of the above-mentioned deities were present. Chiron fell silent again. The hearing of the gods was not poor, and many could hear Hecate¡¯s voice. However, after assessing the opponent¡¯s strength, and although they did not understand what The Magic Web meant and whether it could fight, they still refrained from causing further trouble. However, this was also why many gods ofter generations had not appeared, and why some deities had not arrived. If it were thousands of yearster, perhaps the irascible War God would have been unable to control his temper. Time ticked away second by second until, at a certain moment, Zeus walked toward the center of the great hall. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, the feast is about to begin, but before that, I have a few long-awaited announcements to make.¡± His voice spread, and with the utterance of the host, the somewhat noisy hall gradually quieted down. Standing in the center, Zeus looked around with a smile, eyeing each deity present. ¡°Firstly, after a decade of tough battles, Olympus has achieved the final victory. And the session of the Divine King will put a perfect end to this.¡±
¡°The former Divine King passed on his authority to us, to his three offspring¡ªthis is unquestionable. And after discussions with my brothers yesterday, in the end, for the sake of our bond, we have entrusted the decision to fate.¡± This was the narrative he had decided on after much deliberation. There was no need forparisons, no need for a power struggle, as these would only make him appear on the same level as his two brothers. Only the choice of fate could reflect his victory amidst a joke. As for whether others would believe it or not, even if no one believed it now, surely someone would in the future. In this respect, it seems that many rulers¡ªboth mythological and fromter generations¡ªcame to the same conclusion. ¡°Three lots, symbolizing the Sky, the Ocean, and the Underworld, we used to decide the division of status. Under the witness of fate, in the end, I received the best lot and thus, with their blessings, became the founder of the new Divine Court.¡± No sooner had he finished speaking than, as expected, the hall erupted into an uproar, with the gods murmuring among themselves. Determining kingship by drawing lots sounded like an absurd tale. Some believed it, some did not, but regardless, behind theughable decision on kingship, it hinted that Zeus and his brothers did not be adversaries because of it, and they could still be regarded as one. Three powerful deities, along with their gentle yet battle-ready sister, indeed barely qualified to prop up the new Divine Court. ¡°Silence!¡± With a softmand to stop the discussions, Zeus¡¯s expression turned serious. He looked around, making eye contact with each deity in turn. ¡°This is the final oue.¡± ¡°So if no one has objections to this, then today, I, the King of the Thousand Thunders, son of Cronus, noble descendant of the Heavenly Father and Mother Earth, will be the third-generation Divine King here, ruling over all spirits and things in the world.¡± No deity spoke up to object, and the only one who might have caused an upset, the God of the Ocean, was not present. In the silence, Zeus raised his right hand, which held a familiar scepter. Triggered by this Divine Artifact from the former Divine King, an invisible force became apparent.
It was rted to all three deities, but when the other two entities relinquished their attraction to it, it floated straight towards Zeus. Without light flickering or the world celebrating, the new Divine King was born silently. The era hadpleted its final change, and the rules of the present world shifted slightly. At the same time, an invisible disturbance also swept across the world. A new shackle was born, but nobody was aware of it yet. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± The gods were somewhat confused, as they felt nothing else, just as if the disturbance had never existed. Zeus was different, though; through the newly acquired Divine Authority of the Divine King, he understood everything. This was not anything else but the present world¡¯s dyed retribution for the destruction caused by the deities before. From now on, when the gods neared the earth, their divine power would tend toward null. When they approached the deep sea, they would retain only a tenth of their strength. When they were close to the Sun and Moon or the Underworld, their power would also be greatly diminished. In the present world, only atop Mount Olympus would their divine powers be as before. Because this ce was the only one in the war of era transition where, because of a deity¡¯s ¡®birth¡¯ rather than ¡®damage,¡¯ it remained undisturbed. Chapter 154: 9 Reward for Merit Atop Mount Olympus, the banquet paused abruptly due to sudden changes. The deities discussed the alterations in thews, but soon, these changes were publicly announced by the new Divine King. Although the idea of power being limited seemed hard to ept, the gods only briefly debated it before no one had any particrly strong reactions. This was because the weakening of divine power affected all gods equally, even those who had not partaken in the divine war. Just as Mother Earth had been continually weakened before for simply being great in the living world, now all deities were equally suppressed. With everyone limited, it was as if no one was limited. Besides each other, the gods had no real opponents on earth. Thus, aside from causing less destruction, this restriction seemed to have little effect. Before long, the atmosphere grew lively again, with delightful nectar and exquisite dishes being served at the table, and the banquet was about to officiallymence. However, this was not just a celebration banquet, but also one for the allocation of victories and for dealing with the ¡®relics of the former court,¡¯ so before this, the attention of the gods once again converged upon Zeus. Facing the gazes of the gods, in the name of the Divine King, he first turned his attention to his own family members. Despite the victory, there were still two enemies to deal with. With the greatest enemy, the Divine King, gone, the only powerful ally who could listen to hismand was his sister. ¡°My sister, Hestia, whomands fire and protection, although the war has ended, there are some remnants that have yet to be dealt with.¡± ¡°I hope you can travel to the west of the continent afterward and assist the Hekatonkheires in defeating the resisting Titan god, As.¡±
¡°I admire his loyalty and courage,¡± Zeus said slowly, ¡°so if he is willing to serve me, I will forgive his crimes and allow him to be a member of Olympus.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± She nodded, as this had been discussed the day before, so Hestia asked as prepared, ¡°What if he refuses to surrender?¡± ¡°The sky in the west is still falling; that ce needs a support.¡± ¡°If he is unwilling to serve me, let him stand there in his Titan form, bearing the symbol that split from Mount Othrys, and be the pir that supports the sky.¡± Looking westward, Zeus finally said: ¡°East and west, I will wait for him to bow to me on Mount Olympus.¡± Taking the order, Hestia moved aside. The Olympus pantheon was just established, so as the eldest sister, she had no choice but to go in person. ¡°Hades, my brother, before you head to the Underworld, please do one thing for me.¡± ¡°The son of the Heavenly Father and Mother Earth, Crius, the Ancient God of Meteorology, this sinful Titan once tormented the stars and now has opposed Olympus for ten years.¡± ¡°To punish his crimes, please take him down with Poseidon and imprison him at the bottom of Tartarus, so he can nevere out again.¡± As Zeus¡¯s voice fell, the gods were initially shocked, as apart from former Titans, no True God had ever been locked into the Abyss. But after a brief contemtion, they fell silent. Imprisoning Crius in the Abyss might theoretically cause chaos in the current world¡¯s meteorology. However, both Zeus and Poseidon had ovepping and conflicting godly duties with him. If duties are simr, they can be reced. Conflict means there must be a primary and secondary, difficult to coexist. Besides, the newly born Divine Court indeed needed to establish its reputation by using an Ancient God, and Crius was more than suitable. ¡°Of course, I will take care of this trouble.¡± Hades nodded in agreement, and Poseidon, too, was quite happy to deal with the conflicting Titan god. However, before that, the future Sea Emperor continued to focus on Zeus, seemingly reminding him not to forget their agreement. So ncing at his once second brother, although somewhat reluctant, Zeus still sent him aid. This had also been agreed upon beforehand. After all, on the high seas, Poseidon had yet to establish a foothold.
¡°Eurybia, daughter of Pontus and the embodiment of the sea¡¯s might, your previous act of rebellion in the face of the enemy is despicable,¡± ¡°However, my brother has pleaded on your behalf, and your own brothers have always fought for me.¡± As Zeus gazed at the three children of Pontus, he made his decision: ¡°If you are willing to go and assist Poseidon, then I, in my capacity as Divine King, will pardon your actions and grant you the same rights as other deities.¡±
¡°I ept your judgment,¡± Below, Eurybia breathed a sigh of relief, as did her elder brother Nereus. This was the best oue they could have hoped for. Now, they knew why Pontus chose a life of seclusion. Without his strong backing on the high seas, they could no longer contest the God of the Ocean. Thus, changing allegiances was the best option. Aside, the former water goddess Thaesis wanted to say something, but considering her husband who had been severely injured and would not recover for a century, she ultimately remained seated. She nned to wait and see what Zeus would do next, as well as await her husband¡¯s recovery. This allowed Zeus, who was watching secretly, to breathe a sigh of relief; he certainly did not want to fall out with his nominal foster parents just as he was taking the throne. ¡°Zephyrus, God of West Wind.¡± With the most troublesome part resolved, Zeus becameposed. He looked toward the far end of the great hall, where the four Wind Gods stood. They were originally loyal to the Divine King, but their loyalty was not steadfast, and so, following Eurybia¡¯s lead, they had defected to Olympus. Unlike the female sea goddess, however, the Wind Gods had not rebelled, and the leader among them even earned extra ¡®merit,¡¯ a fact that pleased Zeus and led to their weing. ¡°You wisely chose victory before the battle began, so I forgive your past. And you, Zephyrus, even reimed my sister¡¯s birthright divine artifact, the Wheat-Gold Scepter, from the former Divine King with your wisdom,¡± Somewhat satisfied, Zeus felt that his new divine court needed gods who were not particrly powerful but had nock of capabilities. ¡°I mercifully retain your position as the Leader of the Wind Gods and additionally grant you the opportunity to contribute more to the world¡¯s climate after the God of Meteorology was cast into the Abyss.¡±
¡°Of course, beyond this, you must also serve as my messenger to gather news from the mortal world,¡± Since the power of the gods was restricted, they could no longer easily see through all the mysteries of the mortal realm. Therefore, Zeus also needed a deity to do this for him, even now when he had little concern for it. ¡°Thank you for your mercy, Your Majesty; I will do my utmost,¡± Bowing slightly, the God of West Wind felt a renewed sense of his own shrewd and resolute nature. Upon realizing that the former Divine King was in a disadvantageous position, he expressed his loyalty to Zeus in secret. Regarding the Wheat-Gold Scepter, when Demeter was rescued from Cronus¡¯s belly, the power of thispanion divine artifact changed day by day, ultimately falling silent like a dead object. To exchange a useless thing for a chance at advancement, Zephyrus felt the trade was quite worthwhile. Apart from feeling terror when the former Divine King went on a killing spree, the God of West Wind felt his path had always been smooth-sailing. Monitoring powerful deities and making choices at critical moments, each time was fraught with danger yet without mishap, as if fate itself were on his side. ¡®Thank you, fate, for your favor.¡¯ With silent gratitude in his heart, Zephyrus was already looking forward to contributing to the current world¡¯s climate after his grandfather Crius was cast into Tartarus. Chapter 155: 10 Sacred Stone Chapter 155: Chapter 10 Sacred Stone ¡°Very well,¡± In the center of the great hall, Zeus nodded. He did not know the thoughts of the God of West Wind, but he felt that his current expression was truly one of heartfelt gratitude. However, there were still many matters to attend to, so Zeus suppressed the desire to engage in further conversation and signaled for him to step down, then turned to his foster mother. He was well aware of what he had done, so he had to find another way to appease his powerful foster parents. And after fulfilling his promise to Poseidon, this seemed all the more straightforward. After all, the ocean was not something that could be lost twice. It would be up to them to decide who would ultimately gain it. ¡°Noble Ancient Titan God, emblem of the primeval waters, Mother of the Sea, you stood by my side in the most perilous times. Though my Mother Goddess did note, I still thank you on her behalf for your assistance,¡± he said. Though in his heart the status of the deities of the ocean was not yet as great as that of a once-dead goat, Zeus still expressed his utmost gratitude. ¡°Therefore, to repay your kindness, I, as Divine King, promise that in the future, I will never, like my father before me, take up arms against the sea,¡± he dered. ¡°What?¡± Thaesis was somewhat surprised, and the gods were all astir. They were unaware that Zeus had already sworn an oath to the Styx River to persuade Poseidon.
In their eyes, the so-called ¡®Sea Emperor¡¯ and ¡®Hades¡¯ were just semantics, like Cronus had once tacitly allowed his brothers to rule their own domains. But now, Zeus, in his capacity as Divine King, was making a promise that truly amazed them. ¡°Yes, as Divine King, my word is my bond,¡± Zeus affirmed. Nodding, he seized the opportunity to look towards the Goddess of Justice standing beside him. ¡°My aunt, the revered Lawgiver, overseer of fairness and justice, I also invite you in the name of the Divine King,¡± he continued. ¡°I hope you will delineate order for the new Divine Court and make impartial judgments when conflicts arise among the gods.¡± Zeus would naturally resolve any contradictions that the Divine King could settle. But when truly vexing issues arose, the presence of the Goddess of Law was equally necessary. Besides, Zeus had two other reasons in mind. Setting a new order for the Divine Court, although not quite the same as ¡®legition,¡¯ was beneficial to his authority, an emtion of his Heavenly Father¡¯s past actions. And even if Themis did not truly heed hismands, her presence alone was sufficient to enhance the majesty of the Divine Court. Though she had never truly acted, Zeus could sense that this Goddess, who had seen an immense increase in her origin after ¡®legition,¡¯ possessed a power far from trivial, nearly at the pinnacle of divine might. ¡°I can agree to this, but on the condition that you do not interfere with my reasonable determination ofws,¡± Themis said. Nodding in agreement, Themis remembered the scene she saw during herst visit to the Spirit Realm and her casual conversation with Laine. Establishing standards for human morality indeed required the assistance of the Divine Court, and of course, she also wanted to take this opportunity to offer advice to her nephew. However, this would also need the help of the Queen of Gods. This was why Themis had previously taken notice of Metis, as most deities saw this Goddess of Wisdom unquestionably as the future third-generation Queen of Gods. ¡°No problem, I trust your justice,¡± Zeus said. Unaware that the first thing the Goddess wanted to enact was the ¡®order of marriage,¡¯ Zeus¡¯s smile broadened even more. The affirmation of the Goddess of Law further bolstered the credibility of the new Divine Court, and Zeus¡¯s gaze swept over the deities, finally resting in a corner of The Temple. ¡°Ah, and you, my friend, master of the Magic Net, Hecate,¡± he said. Looking towards the red-haired goddess sitting in the distance, Zeus thought of yesterday¡¯s astrological oue. Two children, a god and a goddess; one bornter, one born sooner. Just as Mother Earth¡¯s birth preceded the Heavenly Father, so the girl who was born first would surpass her mother; the boy who cameter would surpass his father. They would be revered by all creatures and demonstrate their might between the earth and the sky.
Upon hearing such a result, what choice Zeus would make was beyond doubt. Although the Prophecy did not reveal that a god surpassing him would rece him as the Divine King, this was exactly what Zeus wanted. His reason for having Hecate divine the future of his progeny rather than his own was to avoid any oues rted to the ¡®Divine King¡¯. ¡°I once promised you the Moon, my friend, and now I fulfill it in the name of the Divine King.¡± ¡°As an additional reward, I also promise you rights independent of The Sky, earth, and ocean, for I know you have always disliked being bound, and this is the rpense you deserve.¡±
¡°Alright, I understand.¡± Waving her hand dismissively, Hecate showed some restraint on this formal asion. The so-called promise of Zeus held no significance for her. Even though Divine Power was restricted on earth, she had little divine power before weaving the Magic Net. So, with or without this supposed promise, she didn¡¯t feel any god could limit her actions. However, after yesterday¡¯s astrology, Hecate was now somewhat curious about how Zeus would treat his children in the future. After their birth, would he consume them like Cronus? Indifferent to Hecate¡¯s aloofness, Zeus immediately went on to make arrangements for many deities, some he had favored, and some who had proven their merit. Due to the previous changes in heaven and earth, most of the water bodies and mountains on earth were no longer the same as before, and several indkes had formed, which were also within his purview to assign. Finally, Zeus looked around and took out a stone. The gaze of all the gods was drawn to it. This was a special stone; it exuded an aura simr to that of the new Divine King. Apart from this, the force of Life was covertly lurking within, flowing like blood. ¡°A sacred, noble rock, and also the most critical contributor to our cause.¡± ¡°It once endured the smelting of the great Sun, the strikes of thunder, and received Mother Earth¡¯s blessing. In the end, it took my ce and was swallowed by the former Divine King.¡± ¡°Its contributions are beyond doubt, and I am grateful for its kindness, thankful for everything it has done for me.¡± This part of history was actually little known; many deities were unclear about how Zeus had managed to escape when Cronus was still in power. But now, with the narration from Zeus himself, they could not help but admire the reclusive former Queen of Gods. Toe up with such a method to deceive the Divine King and have the courage to implement it, she was indeed extraordinary.
¡°I will ce it at Delphi, the sacred ce of Mother Earth in the Mortal Realm. It contains the power of the Golden Apple and rightly deserves to be preserved there.¡± Standing before the deities, Zeus slowly spoke. His reason for bringing up this matter at this particr time was not truly tomemorate some stone, for Delphi didn¡¯t even have any upants at the moment; for whom would he ce it there? He was merely using the recounting of the past as a way to hint that Mother Earth not only had blocked the former Divine King for him but had also assisted him on his path to escape. Of course, at this moment, Zeus was unaware that Gaia had fallen into a brief slumber. He simply wished to eliminate as much as possible the influence of this active Ancient God on current affairs. Beyond that, before his journey to the Oracle, he intended to remove the statues of the second-generation Divine King and the old gods from that temple, recing them with his and the new gods of Olympus. He did not know what significance this held, but it did not prevent him from trying. ¡°However, Your Majesty, as I understand it, the Oracle of Delphi simultaneously honours three deities.¡± At that moment, a deity who had just been rewarded suddenly spoke up. ¡°The whereabouts of the former Divine King are unknown, and Mother Earth would probably be willing to ept the offering of your sacred artifact, but the creator of the Spirit Realm might not feel the same.¡± ¡°cing your Sacred Stone at Delphi, is it something that should be reconsidered?¡± ¡°I know,¡± nodded Zeus, already having nned for this: ¡°That¡¯s why I intend to go there myself.¡± ¡°Some of you might have already felt the world that suddenly connected with the Mortal Realm. Perhaps some have explored it, perhaps not, but I have been there.¡± ¡°On this trip to the Oracle of Delphi, I also n to meet this Ancient God and understand matters rted to his domain.¡±
Chapter 156: 11 Materials (Moon tickets +8) Chapter 156: Chapter 11 Materials (Moon tickets +8) Everything was well arranged, and the gods felt satisfied, so the banquet officially began. The feaststed only three days, not because the gods¡¯ sense of time suddenly returned, but because many matters urgently needed resolution. After three days, several deities were to set out to address the issues with As and the God of Meteorology. After all, the sky was still descending, and the post-war world also required sorting and pacifying. But unlike the past, as the gods began to celebrate, Zeus, despite having be the master of the new Divine Court, did not linger at the feast. Instead, he returned alone to the mountaintop, staring nkly at the empty sleeping quarters. ¡°¡­My decision was not wrong, this is the best oue.¡± Murmuring softly, Zeus waved his hand, sealing off the uninhabited Divine Pce. Unless necessary, he would note here again. ¡°This is the end.¡± Turning around, the new Divine King stepped forward a few paces at the peak of Mount Olympus, overlooking the surroundingnds. Although smaller than the former Mount Othrys that once propped up the sky of The East, this Mount of the Gods was only slightly less imposing. Gazing into the distance, the nearby white clouds were clearly stratified, and beyond the heavy, dark clouds and the continuous rain, the Divine King could see valleys and basins scattered everywhere, silently bearing witness to the recent devastation.
No wonder the world imposed restrictions on the gods¡ªafter all, the farther from Olympus, the more severe the disasters caused by the gods were. At this moment, however, Zeus was not worried about these things. He was only thinking about the question he had pondered while facing Cronus. Legition, Ster Realm, Creation of Life¡ªover the past ten thousand years, the previous Divine King hadpleted these great feats. Among these three, it was likely that one was the reason for his Father God¡¯s strength. Originally, Zeus wasn¡¯t in a hurry to attempt these tasks, but now he could no longer wait. The suddenly opened Spirit Realm, the Mother Earth who left after dropping a crypticment and has yet to inquire about him, and the Titans who have been indifferent towards him; all this made him feel very insecure. He urgently needed greater strength. If the position of Divine King could not grant it to him just yet, he would strive in other directions. ¡°The Ster Realm¡­ Helios,¡± Remembering the God of Sun who had been brought to Olympus buty half-dead, Zeus found himself in a dilemma. He didn¡¯t quite trust this fellow who had defected in secret, but he had no one else to call upon. Having the Sun Chariot might mean that the Sun¡¯s movements didn¡¯t necessarily require the God of Sun, but the task would still require a deity with a simr role. Goddesses like Phoebe, the Goddess of Luminous, and Theia, the Mother of Light could do it. But Zeus didn¡¯t even need to think about it; these two goddesses would nevere to drive the chariot for him. His elder sister Hestia could also manage the task barely. As she mentioned, the Divine Artifact seemed to have been endowed with a portion of the power of fire by its maker. But by the same token, the Divine King could not possibly ask his sister to drive the chariot for him. ¡°Hmm?¡± With a slight change of expression, the new Divine King smiled. Turning to look back, he had partly left the banquet in anticipation of someone¡¯s arrival. ¡°You have finallye.¡± There, a deity whose appearance was not robust, but whose gaze was exceptionally bright, was slowly approaching him. ¡°The son of Iapetus, the Forethinker, the wise one. I did not mention you at the previous victory celebration; please do not me me, for there is an important task waiting for you toplete.¡± ¡°Once you finish it, I will surely grant you the position and honor you deserve.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, Your Majesty; I don¡¯t care about those things,¡± With a slight bow, Prometheus wore a smile.
¡°What would you ask of me today?¡± Although not powerful himself, he did not show the reverential deference to the Divine King that other lesser deities did. It was hard to say whether this was self-confidence or something else, as those who pride themselves on wisdom were always so. ¡°Hahahaha That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve heard that the reason life is so abundant on the earth today, is because the gods have created life twice.¡±
With a heartyugh, Zeus didn¡¯t care about the minor matter and spoke of the history of the past. ¡°The first time, the gods gathered together, and life of the Golden Generation was thus born. The second time, only your father, the Titan Iapetus, and Mother Earth took part. Is that correct?¡± ¡°You are correct,¡± said Prometheus with a slight nod, expressing his regret. ¡°Ten thousand years ago, the previous Divine Kingmanded the gods to create the Golden Humanity, making Delphi the origin of material life. Later, Mother Earth ordered my brothers and me to assist our father in creating the Silver Humanity.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, among all creatures, humans, my favorite, have already passed away¡ªtheir souls either ascended to the heavens or returned to the Spirit Realm. And another generation has varied due to Mother Earth¡¯s mood at the time.¡± Even today, including Prometheus, who witnessed the birth of humanity firsthand, the gods still believe the distinctiveness of Silver Humanity originated from Gaia¡¯s fury during their creation. However, in reality, although the process was wed, the result was serendipitously correct. After all, it was her anger that ultimately led Gaia to decide to mix darkness with life, giving birth to the inherently evil second generation of humans. ¡°That truly is regrettable¡­ Humans, it is said that it was Cronus, the previous Divine King, who first proposed the idea of creating a quasi-god race bybining the powers of all deities.¡± Reflective, Zeus continued to inquire, ¡°So Prometheus, in your opinion, what is the difference between humans and other forms of life?¡± ¡°Wisdom, Your Majesty, they are rare beings that possess thought processes simr to those of the Deity Race.¡± Without any hesitation, Prometheus answered from the heart: ¡°I must say, creating humans may be one of the real contributions that the previous Divine King made to the world. Without him, I might not have thought to create such a unique form of life. It¡¯s just that he set too many limitations for humanity, so much so that mortals can learn, but not create.¡± ¡°I even believe that if they were not subjected to innate influences, they would be even more like the Deity Race, and might even develop more remarkable achievements that would capture our attention.¡± ¡°Simr?¡±
Nodding, Zeus seemed to be pondering something; he had learned enough. Looking at the god before him, the Divine King finally voiced his request. ¡°You must have guessed my purpose by now, Prometheus, son of the Titan Iapetus, the Forethinker. A new era has arrived, and the earth simrly needs quasi-god beings to embellish it. I want to know if you have inherited your father¡¯s ability and also possess the power to create life.¡± Stirred, and despite having formed a guess about the Divine King¡¯s purpose from their previous conversation, Prometheus was still pleasantly surprised. He had been fond of Golden Humanity before and often lived among them; he also feltpassion for Silver Humanity and had taught them knowledge. If he could personally oversee the creation of the third generation of humans, that would be ideal. He would create truly perfect humans ording to his own vision. ¡°Of course, Your Majesty. I have assisted my Father God in creation and have observed the Mother Earth creating humans. I possess such ability, and I also have a brother who participated in those events and can help me.¡± ¡°However¡ª¡± He hesitated for a moment, and although the Forethinker was eager to create humans, he didn¡¯t want his creations to be short-lived, vanishing like the past two generations, so he tentatively said: ¡°But all mortals must one day die, Your Majesty. Perhaps, in addition to men, I should create women too. This way, they could procreate on their own, without Deities having to create them over and over again.¡± ¡°At Delphi, my Father God once dripped the symbolic force of human procreation onto this stone, and I¡¯ve brought it back with me.¡± ¡°If you wish¡ª¡± ¡°Not so fast, what stone are you referring to?¡± Interrupting Prometheus, Zeus was genuinely surprised.
A stone symbolizing human reproduction, indeed, there were many things from the past that he was not aware of. ¡°Right here.¡± With divine power surging, unlike the one designated by Zeus as a Sacred Stone, the stone that Prometheus produced was as tall as he was. This stone had once rested at the feet of the God of Speech, and then, due to an idental encounter with well water, it acquired extraordinary powers. Now, it was ced once again on the Mount of the Gods. ¡°Life¡­ it somewhat reminds me of the Golden Apple, yet it¡¯s entirely different.¡± Looking at the stone that Prometheus ced before him, Zeus sensed that special force. With it, humans could reproduce, but he did not want to do that just yet. Zeus supported the creation of humans not for the sake of humans themselves; he merely wanted to repeat what his Father God had done before. Since it was just an experiment, naturally, there was no need for extra measures. ¡°Let¡¯s wait for now, actually, I too thought about this initially. But Prometheus, the proliferation of humans is not urgent; we have ample time to consider the pros and cons.¡± Casually storing the stone away and remembering the existing Silver Humanity on earth, those inherently sinful remnants from the previous generation, Zeus said with a smile: ¡°My dear friend, creating humans is not a simple matter. I¡¯ll give you a hundred years to prepare. As for the materials¡­¡± ¡°I have thought of some suitable items, and I will soon have the materials delivered to you.¡±
Chapter 157: 12 Disappearance Chapter 157: Chapter 12 Disappearance The preparation for creating humans was destined to take a long time, so Zeus set the matter aside for a while. He had nned to destroy the remnants of the previous humans. Now, putting them to good use seemed like a fine turn of events. However,pared to the past, the lifespan of the new humans would be greatly reduced¡ªafter all, they wouldn¡¯t receive the baptism of ¡®Life¡¯ itself like the previous two generations of humans did, but were made with ¡®second-hand¡¯ materials. ¡°This is also good. If what Prometheus said is true, and the humans ¡®whose thoughts have not been altered¡¯ aren¡¯t anything special, then they can soon die, and I can then try again, imitating the Golden and Silver Humanity.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only a few hundred years; I can wait that long,¡± he said. After some thought, Zeus returned to the banquet at the Divine Pce. He still had high hopes for the creation of mankind¡ªafter all, before Cronus, the cosmos had an owner, the previous God of Sun hadn¡¯t even touched the pinnacle of formidable divine power. The same was true for presiding over legition, which wasrgely the work of Themis, with the previous Divine King ying a limited role, but creating humans was different. This was first proposed by Cronus, and it was two deities who truly carried it out. The master of the Spirit Realm, the embodiment of Mother Earth. Perhaps there was really something special about humans for these three Supreme Beings to have taken such an interest, one after the other.
Three dayster, within the pce on Mount Olympus. Zeus said farewell to the gods one by one, watched as his two brothers and sister left, and Mount of the Gods started to feel somewhat empty. ¡°Iris, my messenger, go and destroy the remaining Silver Humanity on the earth. Let them return to what they were before they were created, and then bring them to me,¡± hemanded. The one Zeus ordered this of was the Goddess of the Rainbow, Iris, the daughter of Pontus and the sea spectacles, Thaumas. In the disputes of the past decade, she often conveyed messages between the gods, possessing a speed that ordinary deities could hardly match. Tasking her with dealing with humans was more than appropriate. As for whether she could aplish it, there was no question. Even gods stripped of divine power possess strength unimaginable to mortals¡ªafter all, a godly form is inherently transcendent, far beyond what any mortal thing can match. ¡°At yourmand, Your Majesty.¡± Answering in a soft voice, the infamous reputation of the Silver Humanity had already spread amongst the gods, so the Goddess of the Rainbow, Iris, was not surprised that they were to face destruction. Thus, after a single response, she transformed into a rainbow light and flew into the distance. ¡°It¡¯s time for me to depart as well.¡± Without taking any gods with him, Zeus left Olympus alone. No matter the result he obtained in Delphi, he preferred to be the sole knower of it, without the presence of others. Soaring through the sky riding on thunder, looking down upon the living beings on the earth, Zeus distinctly felt that the further he was from Mount Olympus, the slower the divine power within his body became. Eventually, when it slowed down enough to be maintained no longer, but as soon as he attempted to get closer to the earth, that sluggishness would intensify again. ¡°Is this the shackle prepared for deities by the mortal world¡­ I can still influence the world¡¯s climate with authority, but they will be purely natural thunder and rain, not lightning capable of harming a deity.¡± Making a slight judgement, Zeus found that the world¡¯s limitation on divine power was not as absolute as he had thought; he could still forcibly exert a very small part of his divine power, shaking mountains as in the past, but then he would face retaliation from thew in an instant. ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± he said, shaking his head slightly. Zeus didn¡¯t think he needed to vite the Law, forcibly exerting power on the earth. Flying mid-air, after a long while, the space in front of the Divine King opened up. On the earth below, many buildings from thest era rose up here and there, creations of the Golden Age humanity. Despite thousands of years, they still stood firm. ¡°Here we are.¡± Among the many structures, Zeus immediately recognized the most distinctive one. The Oracle of Delphi, a divine creation at the foot of Mount Parnassus, was the world¡¯s first temple, built at the behest of the Ancient Gods. Time had not left a single mark on it; the stone surface was as smooth as new. Even though he felt no actual power, the ancient temple still gave Zeus a vaguely oppressive sensation.
It was the presence enshrined within the temple that created this feeling. Let¡¯s not mention the previous Divine King for now; the other two deities had both left a trace of their power here, bing eternal ¡®statues¡¯. Although it was only a trace, when the Spirit Realm opened to the Mortal World, and Mother Earth merged with her true self, these two powers underwent a transformation as well. ¡°Has no onee¡­to acknowledge my presence?¡± Slightly disheartened, even havinge here, yet still not greeted by anyone, Zeus couldn¡¯t believe that Mother Earth was unaware of his arrival.
Just as any deity nearing Olympus would be sensed by him, his own conspicuous arrival at Delphi could not possibly go unnoticed by Mother Earth. If she was aware but gave no response, that could only mean she was showing an unweing attitude. However, since he hade, it was impossible to just turn back. Zeusnded directly on the ground. As he neared the earth, the shackles of Law tightened further, and he felt somewhat uneasy with this sensation of suppressed Divine Power. Once this business was finished, the Divine King decided to seldom walk the Mortal World. ¡°Let¡¯s go inside and have a look.¡± Approaching the grand temple gateway, stepping on the bluestone bs in front of the Oracle, Zeus passed by twelve tall stone pirs. The stone pirs were covered in different human figures,ndscapes, and skills, some as original as they were, others appearing spontaneously over the subsequent millennia. They depicted how the gods created the beings of the Golden Age, recorded the birth of the first humans, the human king¡¯s dreams of the gods, and that half-heard poem. In the end, everything halted at the copse of Mount Othrys, seemingly symbolizing the demise of the Golden Humanity. ¡°Poems¡­¡± For some reason, looking at the images etched upon the pirs, Zeus was reminded of the inexplicable intuition he had when leaving the Abyss. Once again, he felt as if he had lost something. Somewhat irritated, he attributed this to the unease brought about by his limited Divine Power. Zeus entered the temple with his head held high and strode toward its heart. Along the way were many intersecting passages leading to various side halls, each with statues of different deities. But he was not distracted and kept moving inward. Finally, in the center of the Oracle, Zeus saw three stone tforms floating in midair.
One was slightly lower, in the middle, symbolizing the Divine King¡¯s dominion over the world and the right to grant existence to all things; the two higher ones, on either side, symbolized the Ancient Gods¡¯ transcendent nature, granting flesh and soul to all things. However, at this moment before Zeus, only the tforms on the sides held ¡®statues¡¯: one represented by a vessel of unique shape, the other a constantly changing symbol. But in the center, the Divine King¡¯s tform was empty, with nothing on it. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Suddenly, Zeus sharply turned around. Perhaps due to his suppressed Divine Power, his senses had also dulled considerably, and it was not until the neer entered the temple that he finally became aware of her presence. However, the neer had not sought to conceal herself; she was a sultry woman. But Zeus could tell at a nce that she was a Nymph born from the woods. ¡°I am Moanda, Your Majesty.¡± Bowing slightly from afar, the Nymph respectfully said: ¡°Before Mother Earth fell into slumber, shemanded me and my sisters to guard this ce and informed me that the world would wee a new ruler. It is indeed my fault for not greeting you in advance.¡± Chapter 158: 13 Ancient Serpent Chapter 158: Chapter 13 Ancient Serpent ¡°Asleep?¡± Zeus seized the key point from the other¡¯s words without concern for anything else. ¡°Are you saying that the respected Mother Earth has now returned to her essence and no longer bothers with the troubles of the present world?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Moanda bowed gently and replied respectfully, ¡°But this is only a temporary slumber.¡± ¡°Perhaps a few hundred years, maybe a thousand years, Your Highness will awaken from her slumber. She didn¡¯t specify an exact timeline, but during this period, she hasmanded me and a few sisters to guard the matters around Delphi.¡± ¡°I see¡­ It seems that I won¡¯t have the chance to meet Mother Earth on this trip.¡± His expression softened, and understanding the circumstances, Zeus was clear why his arrival was unheeded. Although he was somewhat disappointed that his grandmother had not chosen to withdraw from the world like the Mountain God and Sea God, a few hundred years was still good. A few hundred years was enough time for him to aplish many things. ¡°You are Moanda, aren¡¯t you, I¡¯ve heard of you; you once delivered a Golden Apple to the Mother Goddess.¡± Regaining hisposure, the Divine King nodded to the nymph and then continued to inquire:
¡°Since you¡¯re in charge of the Oracle, what about the statue of the previous Divine King?¡± ¡°It disappeared a few days ago.¡± After hesitating for a moment under the Divine King¡¯s piercing gaze, the nymph still revealed the truth. ¡°Disappeared?¡± Somewhat uncertain, a few days ago was undoubtedly the day the war of the gods took ce. However, the exact truth wasn¡¯t that important. Perhaps it was erased by Cronus himself or destroyed along with his demise. Regardless of the reason, Zeus was quite satisfied with this oue. After the previous events, if it had been up to him to remove the statue of the former Divine King, he would have been somewhat reluctant to do so. ¡°I understand. If that¡¯s the case, you may leave now; you¡¯re no longer needed here.¡± ¡°If Mother Earth awakens in the future, remember to convey my regards to her.¡± With a wave of his hand, Zeus no longer paid attention to a minor nymph. After she left the Temple, he stepped forward and took out the stone he had sealed as the ¡®Sacred Stone¡¯. ¡°I mean no offense bying here, but as the new Divine King, the Sovereign of the Earth and the Sky, I rightfully should have a ce here.¡± cing the ¡®Sacred Stone¡¯ on the pedestal that belonged to the second-generation Divine King, Zeus held his breath and gazed intently, trying to sense the surroundings, especially the other world that ovepped with the present one. At first, nothing changed. However, after the ¡®Sacred Stone¡¯ pulsed with the rhythm of life seven times, the boundary created by the Primordial Gods finally responded. ¡°¡­As expected.¡± Silently, in Zeus¡¯s perception, an invisible portal opened up. Although no being came to greet him, the Divine King had anticipated this oue. After all, the demeanor of the Ancient God had not seemed friendly before. Behind the invisible portal, the essence known as ¡®spirituality¡¯ seeped out a thousandfold, rifying the Divine King¡¯s mind. Yet for some reason, besides that, he also felt a familiar yet strange burning sensation. ¡°This sensation¡­ is it Helios?¡± He shook his head slightly, not sure, as the sensation was somewhat different from the Sun God. Puzzled, he stepped through the portal and silently disappeared within the Oracle of Delphi.
When the Divine King left, silence once again fell over the Oracle of Delphi. What no one noticed, though, was that as Zeus crossed the portal, wisps of ck and white mist drifted out from behind it and settled to the ground. They gradually gathered together to form a long snake, holding a twig in its mouth, which slithered on the ground uponnding. It seemed slow, but as if it had no physical form, nothing could hinder it. When the snake passed through the Temple wall and left, the first thing it saw was the recently departed Moanda.
¡°Divine King¡­ is this what a True God is?¡± Standing on a patch of greenery and having been ignored after answering the question, the nymph Moanda stared nkly in the direction of the Temple. This was not her first time experiencing the difference between the divine and the non-divine, in fact, this was her second timemunicating with a True God other than Mother Earth herself. Once upon a time, she had stood by Gaia¡¯s side, witness to her union with the primordial Sea God Pontus, which yielded a profusion of offspring. Yet, until their separation, neither Pontus nor any of his five children had ever spared her a single nce. In the past, when she attended the banquets of the gods as an emissary of Mother Earth, Moanda had felt the sensation of being noticed by deities for the first time, albeit briefly and only because of the master she represented. Just a moment ago, when the Divine King mentioned, ¡°You once delivered a Golden Apple to the Mother Goddess,¡± she thought she might be receiving somemendation. However, the oue was that Zeus, preupied with important matters, never intended to say another word to the beautiful Elf. After all, she was merely a Nymph, not a true Deity. ¡°It¡¯s time to go back; I suppose the Divine King did not wish to see me when he came out.¡± Gently shaking her head, whether the oue was good or bad, since the new Divine King hade here alone, presumably not wishing others to know his whereabouts, Moanda also decided not to linger. ¡°True Gods, truly enviable, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She responded offhandedly and walked towards the old abode of Mother Earth. Yet, as she took her first step, she suddenly froze. This wasn¡¯t another Nymph speaking to her; there shouldn¡¯t be anyone else here. The Divine King had just passed by, and the one who appeared was a strange voice she had never heard before.
¡°Ssss¡± As the hissing sound arose, Moanda dared not move hastily. She could feel something crawling past her immobilized feet. It was a snake, and though Nymphs had seen simr creatures before, none possessed the wisdom that this one did. In front of her, the snake turned its head, a branch in its mouth, facing the Elf behind it. ¡°It seems you think so too. If we can reach a consensus, that would be perfect.¡± Smart, desirous, and allowed by Mother Earth to enter her garden. Such a being couldn¡¯t be more suitable. ¡°Who are you?¡± Her voice trembled slightly, but Moanda still tried to think calmly. She did not know which deity was behind this being that dared to conceal itself in the Divine King¡¯s presence, in the sacred sanctuary of Mother Earth in the Mortal Realm, harboring ill intentions. ¡°Ssss¡± ¡°Who I am is not important. What is important is who you are.¡± The snake did not answer the Elf¡¯s question, instead, its body gradually coiled. Its neck lifted high, its head level with hers, and its tiny eyes gazed directly at the being before it. ¡°An elf, a servant overlooked by the gods, a Nymph who desires the nobility of a True God¡ªis that right?¡± ¡°What does that have to do with you!¡±
A bit out of character, Moanda clenched her fists tightly. It wasn¡¯t because the other had seen through her thoughts¡ªeven mortals yearn for eternity, and there¡¯s nothing remarkable about it. Even if the gods heard it, they would simplyugh it off as a mortal¡¯s folly. In fact, she was just vaguely aware of something. And sure enough, although the snake¡¯s face showed no expression, Moanda felt as though it had just smiled. ¡°Of course it has to do with me, Erica¡¯s offspring, after all, I can make it happen for you.¡± ¡°Answer my question seriously, do you want to be a god? Do you want immortality? Do you wish to be revered as a king by all your peers?¡± Her heart pounded, Moanda remained silent. Today¡¯s events had exceeded herprehension, she did not know who would dare to voice such seductive words so boldly in the sanctuary of Mother Earth. ¡°So¡­what are you suggesting?¡± ¡°What I mean is that you can choose to forsake your old master, to go against her will and eat the ¡®Forbidden Fruit¡¯, but from then on, you will gain freedom and a new life.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it worth it? This is exactly what you¡¯ve always wanted.¡± Her lips felt dry as she thought about the Divine King who had just disappeared into the temple. The Elf incarnate of the oak seemingly realized who she was facing, but this only intensified the struggle within her heart. The other had the power to do this. So now, it was her turn to make a decision. Chapter 159 - 14 Memory Chapter 159: Chapter 14 Memory Unaware of what was happening behind him, the ck and white mist silently swept past him. Zeus took a step forward, crossing through the invisible portal and entering the Spirit Realm once again. Through the vagueness, he felt as if he had passed through three barriers, two of which were the ones he had unintentionally broken thest time. Finally, as the chaotic y of light and shadow returned to normal, he found himself standing on ground that seemed paved with greenstone. Looking around, he found himself in an unobstructed clearing. In the distance, a vast cluster of buildings of diverse forms stretched endlessly. At their center, an ancient well, magnified countless times, was ced there. Zeus did not feel any sense of danger, but there was an almost unbearable pressure weighing on his heart. It was like facing his father in the past, unrted to the strength of power but to an insurmountable divide between him and the other, making him reluctant to entertain thoughts of resistance. ¡°That is the Well of Reincarnation, what I was busily constructing when you barged into the Spirit Realm a few days ago.¡± ¡°At the end of the second epoch, I surely did not spare any effort on it.¡± A calm and casual voice came through, instantly breaking the strong ¡®presence¡¯ of the ancient well in the distance. Zeus turned around and there, a deity who appeared very young sat on a chunk of greenstone. His features were not quite clear, or rather, they were difficult to remember. By his side stood a goddess with lustrous ck hair, enveloped in a halo of light purple light. That was the Goddess of the Nether Moon, whom the Divine King recognized at a nce. Although she rarely walked in the mortal world, there were still some records of her. ¡°Pardon my intrusion, Lord of the Spirit Realm. I apologize for my previous uninvited entry into your domain.¡± Though he offered an apology, Zeus did not ce himself in a subordinate position. There might be a gap in power, but the status of the Divine King was granted by the world. At the very least, he would maintain an attitude of equal exchange. ¡°It is of no consequence, just a trivial matter after all, and you have already learned your lesson.¡± ¡°Speaking of which, that young one who inherited a part of the memory of Golden Humanity surely has a bias against deities, seeing as we viewed them as mere dust when creating them.¡± The tone was indifferent, and unlike the previous generation. If viewed from the Divine King¡¯s perspective, Laine didn¡¯t really have much to say to him. The powers that could be shared in the world were mostly imed, and he no longer spent most of the time, like in the previous epoch, asleep at the core of the world, helping the Spirit Realm assimte Source Power. The current Divine King was of no value to him, and if the deity before him wasn¡¯t Zeus, Laine would not even consider meeting him. Perhaps this attitude had been typical of the Twin Gods of the Dark Night in their original trajectory. Laine, however, could infer fromter records that Zeus could turn things around with faith. As for the specifics of the power, it was hard to say. Excluding the ttery and deification by sessors, there had been two conflicts between Zeus and Nyx, but they had never reallye to blows, so no one knew who had the upper hand. ¡°Golden Humanity ¨C no wonder he is so opposed to deities. I thought it was your will.¡± Maybe it was Laine¡¯s seemingly congenial attitude that made Zeus rx a bit more. ¡°Now that the Spirit Realm epasses the entire world, all the gods can sense its presence. I wonder if there are many lives like that recent one within the Spirit Realm?¡± ¡°Quite a few, considering how many years have passed. Some of them are hostile towards deities, but most don¡¯t care much either way.¡± Seemingly not catching the implied meaning in Zeus¡¯s words, Laine spoke indifferently: ¡°Of course, I do not particrly care what they think, just as I do not care what they might do.¡± ¡°As long as they follow the rules I¡¯ve set, the Spirit Realm will not deny any visitor. You cane and go as you please, and if you wish to kill those whoe here with malice, that is fine too. Whatever you encounter here is your own affair.¡± ¡°That could not be better.¡± The Divine King nodded. Having understood the Lord of the Spirit Realm¡¯s stance towards the current deities, his visit was effectivelyplete. However, for Zeus, who had been born just a century ago, there were still many questions he wished to understand. ¡°Speaking of which, not long ago, due to my father¡¯s doing, the Sun suffered a great blow, and the whereabouts of the ancient God of Sun are unknown. I¡¯ve heard that this Titan God once had a conflict with the Spirit Realm?¡± Lifting his gaze slightly, Laine saw the other¡¯s intentions. What he really cared about wasn¡¯t the Sun but the actual whereabouts of the former Divine King who had mysteriously vanished. But Laine did not intend to reveal the upheaval in the Abyss. Since the other had openly asked about the Sun, he would respond with the Sun. ¡°There was such an incident.¡± Standing up, Laine revealed a smile that left Zeus somewhat puzzled. ¡°Since you¡¯re so interested,e with me,¡± he said. ¡°After all, you are at least a Divine King. Since you¡¯re here, I¡¯ll give you a gift.¡± Walking on a cobblestoned path, the three of them moved forward slowly. In the mythologies ofter generations in The East, Samsara is an important ce and hub for All Spirits, but in the world of Chaos, it wasn¡¯t the case. The world instinctively knew this was a good thing, but like the Magic Net, for something that didn¡¯t originally exist in fate, it actually didn¡¯t provide any extra favor. Even because it was a Divine Artifact without a corresponding Deity, no one knew of the existence of ¡®Samsara¡¯ in the world. Laine didn¡¯t care whether people knew or not. He twisted the light and time of the All-Spirit Realm, stretching a day into a week. Now, the ce had begun to function on a basic level. So, as they approached the Well of Reincarnation, what Zeus saw were countless souls with lifeless eyes, moving slowly like puppets, leaping into the huge stone well at the edge of their sight. Watching these stiff movements of the souls, an indescribable feeling rose in the heart of the Divine King. Intuition told him that he would never be like this, but it didn¡¯t prevent the strange atmosphere from affecting him. ¡°What¡¯s going on here? They seem a bit¡­ lively?¡± he asked, trying to make his voice sound normal. ¡°Because they have already passed several checkpoints, in fact, this is already the core of reincarnation,¡± Laine said without responding; instead, it was Liana who spoke: ¡°In the outer perimeter, apart from those with strong wills, lingering in the surface of the Spirit Realm, the souls that are drawn to reincarnation by the All-Spirit Realm are first cleansed of their memories by one of the three caretakers of the All-Spirit Realm, the Goddess of Autumn and End, Erinys.¡± ¡°Although the Well of Reincarnation can also do this, in that way the memories would be ground down into the most primal energy by the power of reincarnation and integrated into the Spirit Realm itself. Clearly, the memories of the living beings themselves are more valuable than some energy.¡± ¡°Erase memories?¡± Zeus felt a sudden realization. In the past, people only knew that after death souls would return to the Spirit Realm, but apart from those in heaven who served as Heroic Spirits, few deities knew the fates of other souls. Most believed that souls would continue to exist in the Spirit Realm until they werepletely exhausted and returned to nothingness. But today, Zeus felt he had discovered a great secret. It turned out that after death, living beings had their memories stripped away and were thrown into this Divine Artifact known as the Well of Reincarnation. In the straightforward cultural values of Chaos, memory is a noble and mystical thing; this is also reflected in the mythologies ofter generations and even sparked much exploration among the wise. To them, stripping away memories was an unimaginable punishment. ¡°So, did theymit some kind of mistake?¡± he asked, despite only being curious about mere beings. Zeus didn¡¯t care about the fates of ordinary spirits; he just wanted to know if the Lord of the Spirit Realm took pleasure in tormenting living beings. ¡°No, they are just about to embrace a new life,¡± Liana said with a calm voice, which was why she was unwilling tomunicate with foreign gods. There were few secrets in the outside world about the Spirit Realm, but they found it hard to understand everything about the Spirit Realm. ¡°We judge their deeds in life, of course, because of different races, statuses, and circumstances, it¡¯s hard to judge them as ¡®good¡¯ or ¡®evil¡¯.¡± ¡°Put simply, apart from a few exceptions, those who had achieved extraordinary things among their peers in life, or whose souls had grown stronger, would receive a higher evaluation, and vice versa.¡± ¡°Then, based on the standards, the other two caretakers of the All-Spirit Realm will grant them different endowments, deciding the location of their rebirth in the next life.¡± ¡°Finally, they step into the Well of Reincarnation, just like you see,¡± Liana pointed at the souls, saying, ¡°They will separate from their previous lives, born from death into a new life.¡± ¡°To ensure a gap between two consecutive lives, naturally, memories cannot remain. Otherwise, hatred will continue generation after generation, and all living beings will be unable to find release.¡± Chapter 160 - 15 The fall of the Sun Chapter 160: Chapter 15 The fall of the Sun ¡°So that¡¯s how it is.¡± With a nod, the Divine King felt this journey was truly worthwhile. Samsara determines the birth and death of all beings. The Creator no longer needs to manually bestow souls, as they now derive from Samsara itself. Before today, he had not known that such a ce existed in the world, let alone the fact that it housed three Unknown True Gods. ¡°Hmm? What is this¡­¡± Suddenly feeling the temperature around him rise slightly, Zeus snapped back to reality. Prior to stepping into the fourthyer of the Spirit Realm, he had sensed a scorching breath. It was a force simr to that of the God of Sun Helios, yet distinctly different. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡± Stopping in his tracks, Laine looked down at the Well of Reincarnation, giving a slight indication. Indeed, ¡®below¡¯. The predecessor to the Well of Reincarnation was roughly the size of a normal well ofter ages, but after being embedded into the fourthyer of the Spirit Realm, it could no longer be simply described as a ¡®well¡¯. It¡¯s less like a ¡®well¡¯ and more like an imposing wall when standing nearby; one could barely discern its curving arc. Even if one flew up into the air, the interior of the well¡¯s opening appeared more like ake, even a sea. Souls continuously drifted into it, yet they upied only the periphery of this ¡®well¡¯. Clearly, even if the life on the continents increased a thousandfold, it would still not be enough to congest the cycle of Samsara. However, for the Divine King at this moment, the vastness of this Divine Artifact¡¯s body did not attract his attention in the slightest. At the end of his gaze, a golden light was bound by invisible chains, with misty serpents roaming above and below, encircling it on either side. If it were a deity who had once witnessed the establishment of Law, they might recognize that this was indeed Chaos that had separated from the current worldly Order. The golden light itself did not fear the dark mist; both were actually of the same existence, but the consciousness that led the golden light was different. Yes, Zeus could sense that the golden light possessed its own will; it was dodging and avoiding, but s, all efforts were futile. Under the chains transformed from the Spirit Realm¡¯s Order, it had nowhere to flee, especially since its ¡®consciousness¡¯ now was more akin to instinctive reactions. ¡°Is this¡­ a deity?!¡± Uncertain, the Divine King closely observed the golden orb of light. The power of the Sun, the lineage identical to Helios¡¯s, the essence of strong Divine Power, coupled with the ¡®question¡¯ he had just raised; when all these were put together, there was no need to guess the identity of the golden orb anymore. He was the Ancient Titan God Hyperion, the son of Heavenly Father and Mother Earth, the God of Sun whose whereabouts had been unknown, and of course, he was nothing now. His Divine Body had been extinguished, leaving only parts of his Divinity rted to his Godhood, manifesting in the form of Divine Authority of the Origin. However,pared to the Ancient Titan God himself, this symbol of the Sun¡¯s Divine Authority was very stable despite its master having lost subjective consciousness and fallen into aa-like state¡ªthe authority remained constant and undying. The power of a Deity is irrevocable, severable by none but themselves or the world. Hence, although the Mist Serpent continually roamed around the golden light, it could do nothing to it essentially. ¡°Ancient God of Sun¡­ It seems that after the previous cataclysm, he ultimately fell into your hands.¡± Trying to appear nonchnt, Zeus had a myriad of thoughts. The great Sun suppressed by the previous Divine King, with its deity appearing in the Spirit Realm and suffering such a pitiful fate, held profound implications. Add to that the time when the Divine King conquered the stars, with the master of the Spirit Realm seemingly intervening. For a moment, Zeus did not know what kind of secretsy behind all of this. ¡°Are you warning me with the fate of this Ancient Titan God?¡± ¡°A warning? Wasn¡¯t it you who just inquired about his whereabouts?¡± Laine didn¡¯t look back and retorted. Zeus was somewhat at a loss for words, after all, it was indeed he who had mentioned this matter first. But he had not expected that the Titan God who had disappeared before would appear here in this manner. Watching the collision between the golden light and the Mist Serpent once again, the changes before his eyes did not satisfy Laine. Around the Well of Reincarnation, the Godhood of the Sun was indeed affected, but only slightly. As a result, even the power of Chaos could not find the slightest gap to merge with the other. ¡°I¡¯ve said that I would give you a gift, Zeus, and I will not go back on my word. It¡¯s just that right now, it needs to be dealt with, especially since you¡¯vee a bit too early.¡± Speaking indifferently, Laine meticulously observed the golden light before him. The outermostyer was the remaining divinity and consciousness of the God of Sun, within was the foundation of authority, the Origin of the Sun, and the rules of the current world firmly locked it up, manifesting in the form of ¡®Godhood¡¯. Laine did not intend to break thisyer of rules, and it would be difficult for him to do so. Tartarus took an entire era of the outside world to digest the Ancient Titan God Mnemosyne, and Hyperion was many times strongerpared to that goddess. Therefore, from the very beginning, he had no intention to take anything away, even if he could summon the ¡®Sun Eater¡¯ to assist. On the contrary, he was thinking about putting something more into it. ¡°It seems the power dissipating around is of limited effect¡­ Then let¡¯s be more direct.¡± As if no one else was present, he reached out and pointed, and from the clear and profound waters of the Well within the Divine Artifact, a strange essence was extracted. It floated in mid-air, scattered, and finally merged with the Mist Serpent circling the golden light. So, the next moment, the Mist Serpent that seemed to have undergone some change lunged forward and fell straight into the golden light. But this time, it was not met with violent resistance. Some change urred, and in the Divine King¡¯s eyes, the golden light suddenly dimmed for a moment, and then the most central part ¡®split¡¯ open. A bit of the golden ¡®liquid¡¯ flowed out, which was a small portion of the Sun¡¯s Origin. It still refused any contact other than its master under the protection of the powers of the current world, but this time, it had lost the framework known as ¡®Godhood¡¯. Or rather, it had notpletely lost it, but it had ¡®transformed¡¯. Taking a deep breath, Zeus looked at the sovereign in ck before him and said with certainty: ¡°What have you done? Have you destroyed the structure of ¡®Godhood¡¯ bestowed by the world upon the Deity?¡± ¡°Yes, as you see,¡± replied Laine, nodding in affirmation. ¡°But this is a defiance of the world¡¯s Law, no Deity can stand against the world because we are its offspring.¡± Zeus was right. From the very first era, the divinely enlightened beings used ¡®Your Highness¡¯ as a form of address for each other. Whose Highness, naturally that of the world. But just as God made man and man did not wish to be at the mercy of God, so Laine might be the first Deity to defy the world, but he certainly would not be thest. Thus, with a smile on his face, Laine retorted: ¡°Defying the world¡­ Perhaps it is so.¡± ¡°So, is that difficult?¡± Chapter 161: 16 The Origin of Sequences Chapter 161: Chapter 16 The Origin of Sequences Whether it be godhood or the world as spoken of by Zeus, they both naturally refer to the embodiment of the Order aspect of Chaos. Therefore, Laine didn¡¯t mean to say it intentionally, but rather, before Zeus, sessive Divine Kings and the Primordial Gods indeed had, to varying degrees, vited the will of the world. However, facing him, Zeus was once again at a loss for words. He didn¡¯t know how difficult this was, nor had he any experience in trying. But as for the incident itself, due to never havinge into contact with the core of Tartarus and the mysteries of the world, in his mind, godhood was something that couldn¡¯t be affected. Deities never die, Divine Authority is eternal, this is a truth within Chaos, as immutable as the equation one plus one equals two. Other than the world itself, he had never seen godhood stripped away by external forces. Of course, the authority of the ancient God of Sun still belonged to him, what was really destroyed was only the structure of the godhood, not its very existence. But to the deities, that was even more terrifying. After all, any deity capable of sensing the existence of the Source Sea, those with more than Intermediate Divine Power, knew what Source Power was. When it took the form of godhood or a Divine Artifact, it was the most precious treasure any deity could possess. But when it came into direct contact with the deity itself, it was also the most dreadful poison in the world. It could erode a god¡¯s will, leading to the loss of self, and assimtion with the Law of the world. ¡®Fusion with the Dao through the self¡¯ sounds good, but to ¡®fuse¡¯ prematurely is another matter. If bing closer to the rules and more powerfules at the price of losing Wisdom and erasing one¡¯s personality, then no deity could ept it. At this moment, even though the three deities present were only spectators, they could already see, following the outflow of Source Power, the mass of golden light gradually starting to twist and warp. The dim will of the ancient God of Sun seemed to instinctively sense something. He began to thrash about, trying to dodge the impending crisis, but it was futile. Not to mention he was being restrained by the power of the Spirit Realm itself with nowhere to escape, even without the restrictions, it would be a meaningless act.
After all, authority and the deity are one and the same; even if the structure of the [Sun] godhood was slightly damaged, it still remained bound to Hyperion. Other than this world, nobody could strip a deity of the control over its own Divine Authority, which was supposed to be the innate and noble assurance of a deity¡¯s birth, but at this moment, it had be a shackle instead. No matter how the ancient God of Sun tried to evade, the leaking [Sun] Origin clung to his will like a shadow. ¡°Is this what you call a gift, allowing me to witness a deity¡¯s ¡®death¡¯?¡± Once again feeling deep malice, although the ancient deity in front of him said he had no specific intentions against him, the reality was otherwise. Not making a move earlier orter, but waiting until his arrival to deal with the ancient God of Sun, if not to show him, then who was it for? ¡°Of course not, a gift naturally needs to have value, otherwise how could I offer it?¡± Shaking his head slightly, Laine said slowly: ¡°Continue watching. Life always finds its own way out, especially since I left him an escape route.¡± Narrowing his eyes slightly and seeing that Laine had no intention of borating, Zeus continued to watch the changes in the golden light before him. In front of the three deities, the transformations of the golden orb grew more violent. When consciousness came into contact with Source Power, the concept and Laws belonging to the [Sun] also began to pour directly into Hyperion¡¯s already unconscious mind. Without order, without logic, if this information were an ocean, then the God of Sun¡¯s consciousness was a drowning man. He could only passively drink in the seawater, regardless of whether he could digest it or even continue swallowing. And not all of this information was valuable; much of it was useless. Like a person¡¯s memories, knowledge only upies a small part of it, while the numerous mundane experiences, though redundant and useless, actually make up the vast majority. Under these circumstances, the gleam of the gold became more frantic, desperately trying to escape, but it was all in vain. However, just as the will of the deity was about to be thoroughly integrated, it abruptly stopped. Then, before the three of them, the sphere of light trembled violently and immediately exploded with a resounding st. ¡°Just as I thought.¡± As the sphere burst apart, countless streams of gold,rge and small, scattered in every direction. Disregarding the smaller ones, Laine directly seized thergest fragment and the three slightly less significant ones. The smaller three were aspects of the God of Sun himself and parts of his authority that had leaked out, while thergest was the more intact Divine Artifact of the ¡°Sun¡± itself. This part seemed rtively safe, but that was only on the surface. After all, a trace of Chaotic Source Force that had been merged earlier was inside it. ¡°Is this the ¡®way out¡¯ you spoke of?¡±
Besides the four major parts, the remaining fragments were lost to the forces of vibrating time and space during the explosion, while others flew directly towards the three deities. Liana paid them no heed, but Zeus reached out to intercept some. Looking closely at the light in his hand, the Divine King, who had observed the entire process, roughly understood the principle behind it. Laine had disguised Chaos using the breath of ¡®Samsara¡¯ as the opposing Order, using it to touch and disrupt the structure of ¡®Godhood,¡¯ causing a slight overflow of the Origin, which then contacted the consciousness of Hyperion, based on his immortal essence. Ultimately, the slumbering instinctual consciousness of the ancient God of Sun, to prevent assimtion by the Source Power, caused itself to copse. His consciousness thus fragmented into countless pieces, shattered under the weight of divinity, while the released Source Power also became finely divided and started to settle down.
¡°Yes, this was his only ¡®way out,¡¯ and of course, it is also a gift I am giving you.¡± Nodding, Laine turned his hand, and thergest light spot he had caught disappeared, leaving only three smaller ones. ¡°I can¡¯t give you the main body of the Godhood, but these three you can have.¡± ¡°Unlike the rest, which were merely tools Hyperion¡¯s instincts used to alleviate stress, these three to some extent embody some of the Divine Authority of the ¡®Sun,¡¯ which I suppose should be quite valuable to you.¡± Indeed they were valuable, but also very dangerous. With a slight frown, Zeus knew these were good items, but he couldn¡¯t figure out how to use them. As for Hyperion, the Divine King actually didn¡¯t care much for this Titan he had never seen. Compared to him, Helios, who typically drove the Sun Chariot, seemed much more manageable. ¡°But I can¡¯t use them. Any lifeform that tries to merge with them will inevitably face not only the integration once borne by the God of Sun but also the resistance of its original master¡¯s will.¡± ¡°That¡¯s your problem. Use your ¡®wisdom,¡¯ and you¡¯ll find a way.¡± He emphasized ¡®wisdom¡¯ a little more firmly. While Godhood and power were not necessarily equivalent, it at least represented a minimum threshold. ¡°Just remember, don¡¯t let too many fragments that originally belonged to the God of Sune together. Otherwise, what might happen, I can¡¯t guarantee.¡± Chapter 162: Chapter 17 Aggregation and Separation Chapter 162: Chapter 17 Aggregation and Separation Zeus understood what Laine meant. Instinctively, as Hyperion¡¯s unconscious will faced assimtion, it voluntarily fragmented into variously sized divine remnants, this was a life-born ¡°survival¡± notion. But simrly, when the essence that overflowed from the godhood split along with it, and gradually settled down, ¡°survival¡± was no longer the priority, and it would try to seek ¡°wholeness.¡± If he were conscious, he would naturally know that once he became ¡°whole¡± again, he would face the danger of being eroded by the Source Power, but under the drive of instinct, Hyperion would not care about these. Therefore, under such circumstances, the divine fragments of the ancient God of Sun would spontaneously attract each other. When a sufficient number of divine fragments gathered, a part of Hyperion¡¯s consciousness would briefly awaken. As for what would happen then, only heaven knew, after all, a partial consciousness is not aplete consciousness, and it was possible for any emotion to take the lead at that time, and it was highly likely that reason would not prevail. However, judging by his past character, it certainly wasn¡¯t going to be any state of peace and stability. Of course, even if he woke up, even if it was just a partial consciousness, it was doomed not tost. After enough gathered, the leaked ¡°Sun¡± origin would gradually be active again from its quiescence, just not as quickly as when it was plete.¡± At that point, if he did not want his consciousness erased, the ancient God of Sun would still have to actively disintegrate himself. Unless he could find a way to maintain his rationality and resist the assimtion by the Source Power. ¡°¡­Truly an eternal torture. I heard you were the first to define ¡®death.¡¯ Now, faced with the immortal gods who once offended you, you also give them eternal torment and suffering.¡± After a brief silence, Zeus tucked away the item in his hand. Regardless, this was indeed valuable. Those earlier, scattered divine fragments were not powerful, with the strongest barely reaching the realm of a True God, but these few were different. The main body of the godhood that Laine took away roughly had the ¡°quantity¡± of Intermediate Divine Power and the ¡°quality¡± of Powerful Divine Power; these three more significant parts had just stepped into the realm of True Gods, and their essence was equally high. From the fall of one whale, life emerges. Although Zeus had not heard this saying, he now had a simr epiphany. A Titan Principal God with great divine power had eventually fragmented into whaty before him. Even those earlier divine fragments that fell to the ground were likely toe into contact with life, to be absorbed and harnessed by them. Compared to these few main bodies, those fragmented pieces might potentially resist assimtion by living beings relying on their will, barely able to harness them. Henceforth, traces of Hyperion would be scattered throughout the world, and the Mortal World would tell countless legends about him, but he himself, I¡¯m afraid, would never be able to return.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om After all, destruction is far simpler than repair. To return the ¡°transformed¡± godhood to its original form, probably only the world itself would be capable. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve seen what there is to see, and said what there is to say, and you should be reasonably satisfied with my gift, so I won¡¯t keep you any longer,¡± Laine said, waving his hand to signal that the Divine King should depart. He had left two simple paths to divinity for mortals, and this was the first one. The reason for conducting this step in front of Zeus was to prevent any beings among future humans walking this path from being directly erased by uninformed deities out of fear, needlessly wasting his time. Now that the Divine King understood how this came to be, he would not cause any trouble because of it in the future. ¡°By the way, maybe if I have some time in the future, I¡¯ll take a walk on the great earth, and you, Your Divine Majesty, shouldn¡¯t have any objections, right?¡± As if he had just remembered something, Laine said with a smile. Just as he said, even if the existence of Bronze Humanity was brief, he was prepared to take a look. ¡°Of course, any deity has the right to walk freely in the world,¡± Zeus answered, understanding that the Ancient God before him wasn¡¯t truly seeking his permission, and he agreed smoothly. It was hard to tell if he got the answer he wanted, but he had seen enough today. He nned to take a break before dealing with the remaining matters. Passing through the invisible portal, the Divine King left the fourthyer of the Spirit Realm. However, as he watched his departing figure, the Goddess of the Nether Moon, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke. ¡°Your Highness, why don¡¯t you capture all the false gods from the outside world and make them end up like this Sun?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Somewhat surprised, Laine couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Why would you think that?¡± Liana had long looked down on the gods of the outside world, but what she hadn¡¯t expected was that she was now entertaining even more radical thoughts. ¡°Wipe them all out,¡± she mused, a sentiment bordering on that of a fanatical follower. ¡°The false gods of the outside world are always so arrogant and ignorant, not only does a sinful existence like Hyperion dare to provoke you, but other pseudo-deities are also full of vile deeds.¡± Lifting her head to respond to Laine¡¯s inquiry, Liana¡¯s expression was earnest. ¡°I think that there might be fewer problems without such false gods.¡± ¡°Hehe~ That would be quite challenging.¡± With a wry smile, Laine didn¡¯t know what to say. In some respects, his most loyal subordinate always had some bizarre ideas. ¡°We can¡¯t do that yet, Liana. Not to mention the presence of the Primordial Gods in the outside world, even without them, a state like that of Hyperion isn¡¯t easily realized.¡± ¡°The existence of the Eclipse and the creation of the Sun Chariot have given me a clearer understanding of the essence of the sun, but other divine offices are far behind.¡± Shaking his head, Laine opened his right hand. The substantive part of godhood that had been absent before was still there but had taken on a different form at some unknown point. It was attached to a stone sword, forming a state akin to a divine artifact, yet not entirely simr, one that could be separated at any time. Unlike the divine artifacts, and perhaps due to the emotions just before the self-copse of the ancient God of Sun or perhaps because of an intrinsic warping by a strand of Chaotic Source Force, anyone who used it would, upon putting it down, be cursed with the ¡®Scorching of the Great Day.¡¯ There might be other side effects, and while Laine could probably get results with a prophecy, he chose to leave a bit of mystery as his spiritual intuition didn¡¯t issue any warning. ¡°Put it away for now; we don¡¯t need it yet.¡± ¡°Only when a life is born in the mortal realm that umtes enough divine fragments will they be qualified to carry this authority.¡± Laine was somewhat reflective. At first, he was just pondering how to resolve the issue of immortal deities once and for all; although he didn¡¯t find the answer, in a moment of inspiration, he created this special product. Yet it seemed a curious coincidence. The immortal nature of the gods, the divine authority that¡¯s hard to strip away, the will assimted by Chaos aftering into contact with the Source Power ¨C when thesebined, it appeared to birth a special product. A power system akin to one Laine had heard about before his arrival in the Chaos World. ¡°A Sequence system, huh¡­ What separates must unite, and what unites must separate; such a familiar saying indeed.¡± ¡°I had almost forgotten, in a blink, tens of thousands of years have passed¡­¡± With a quiet sigh, Liana, standing beside, took the stone sword, listening quietly. Laine often spoke of things she hardly understood, but perhaps that was a sign of her Lord¡¯s foresight. After a moment, his thoughts shifted. Through the barrier between the Spirit Realm and the outside world, Laine turned his gaze toward the Delphic Great ins. It wasn¡¯t the lone Zeus who left nor the long-slumbering Mother Earth, but rather the Golden Apple Orchard, tended by the maids entrusted by Gaia. There, the orchard was a riot of blooming flowers with every nt having been nourished by the Life Vase at one point. Some were the progenitors of certain nts in the world, and most were embodiments of Nymphs. However, most of them were not allowed to stay in Mother Earth¡¯s orchard and were driven out upon their birth. Before her slumber, Gaia connected this ce to the earth, making entry to the orchard as difficult as shaking the earth itself for anyone without her permission. Yet today, a maid granted ess by the Mother Earth herself brought an outsider into this forbidden forest. In that ce, a snake flicked its tongue, looking towards the Nymph who had transformed into an oak tree. Chapter 163: 18 Twin Birth (+9 Moon Votes) Chapter 163: Chapter 18 Twin Birth (+9 Moon Votes) ¡°Hiss¡ª¡± The snake hissed softly. Although it was well-acquainted with the world, it was actually seeing the Golden Apple Tree for the first time. It was born in the first era. In the age where Life had yet to be split in two, within that Divine Artifact symbolizing the ¡®Origin of All Things,¡¯ nature naturally nurtured the seed of the first nt in the world. It was the Seed of All Things. If it had continued to be nurtured in the ce of its birth, perhaps the moment the Life Vase evolved into the Genesis Artifact, it could have transformed into a deity, bing a true innate Deity of Life and nts. The artifact would have been its true form, just as the earth is the true form of Gaia. It would have be half-great, after countless beings walked upon the earth. But as soon as Gaia realized this, she decisively stopped the process. The Life Vase was her Divine Artifact, and artifacts do not need thoughts. So, she nted the Seed of All Things and watered it with Life Origin Liquid. From it, the Golden Apple Tree was born, sharing with it the authority over nts. ¡°Have you made your decision?¡± The golden leaves swayed gracefully, and a sound like a silver bell echoed in the wind, akin to nature¡¯s purest symphony. The snake looked up at Chaos¡¯s ¡®Ancestor of All Trees¡¯ and couldn¡¯t help feeling the simrity among the deities. Even a god like Gaia would not tolerate her treasures being influenced by other minds. Thus, the deity that should have been born was strangled in the cradle.
Of course, from another perspective, this was also the ¡®destiny¡¯ of the current world taking effect. After all, even greatness that already existed was being constantly diminished. How could it possibly stand by and watch new greatness arise? ¡°¡­I have already brought you here.¡± Dodging the question, Moanda spoke softly to the side. The snake knew the tangle of emotions the other was feeling at the moment. After all, until now, the other still worried that the snake only wanted to use her authority to enter the Golden Apple Orchard and wasn¡¯t sincerely trying to help her be a god. So, she did not tell the truth. Entering the orchard and touching the tree were different matters, after all, the orchard existed for the Golden Apples, not the other way around. Therefore, on the Golden Apple Tree, there were additional protections. Only those who touched greatness could see the power flowing on the tree. Anyone other than those allowed by Mother Earth to touch it would not only be blocked by this power but would also awaken the Ancient Gods that had fallen into slumber. No one could take the Golden Apple Tree from Mother Earth¡¯s true form. Fortunately, the snake had note to steal. ¡°Yes, I havee. The Golden Apple Tree is indeed a rare treasure in the world.¡± The snake¡¯s head swayed, causing the branch in its mouth to shake and the golden leaves to rustle. ¡°So we can begin the next step now.¡± ¡°The next step, you must tell me what I can gain from this.¡± Gathering her courage, the elf looked directly at the snake on the ground. She could work for the other, provided the reward was equal to the effort. Having been by Mother Earth¡¯s side for so long, she had witnessed the Ancient God¡¯s strength and learned many lessons from it. ¡°Of course.¡± The snake¡¯s head nodded slightly. Although it always held a branch in its mouth, it seemed to never affect its speech. ¡°Do you know, actually as a Nymph, you and the Golden Apple Tree are quite simr. In some ways, you are even superior to it.¡± ¡°Simr, are we both nts?¡± With a self-deprecatingugh, Moanda thought that if she were even half as important as the fruit of the Golden Apple Tree, the gods would treat her like an honored guest. ¡°Isn¡¯t that enough? Both of you are nts. You awoke to Wisdom, but it did not.¡± ¡°So what use is that? There are many beings in the world with Wisdom. Once, every human had Wisdom, but now they too have turned to dust.¡±
The words slipped from the Nymph¡¯s mouth, followed by immediate regret. She felt she should have been more tactful, but clearly, the snake didn¡¯t care about such things. She saw the snake ce the branch it held in its mouth on the ground, gently tap it with its tail tip and then ¡®smiled¡¯ at her. ¡°That¡¯s the purpose of my existence.¡± ¡°You both have ws; neither of you is perfect. Youck power; itcks Wisdom. You both are iplete.¡±
¡°So what itcks, you provide for it; what youck, let it make you whole.¡± ¡°Shared existence, twin empowerment.¡± The branch of the Golden Apple Tree originally stemmed from the mother tree. Now, in Moanda¡¯s hands, it was reattached to its original ce. The snake¡¯s body disintegrated, right in front of the Nymph elf, turning once more into a fog of ck and white, slowly winding itself around the branch. Gradually, as the original break healed under the powerful life force, it began to nurture a new fruit. However, this time, the fruit was a bit special. Compared to the ¡°Golden Apple,¡± it should rather be called the ¡°Fruit of Samsara.¡± Anyone who consumed it would experience a mini-cycle of rebirth and then be reincarnated as a part of the Golden Apple Tree¡¯s will. This was actually an impromptu idea. Initially, when it was still uncertain whether aplete cycle of rebirth could be established, this branch was used to ¡®enlighten¡¯ the fruit tree. Butpared to a newly born tree spirit naturally close to Mother Earth, clearly a nymph who had betrayed Gaia was more suitable. Thus, Moanda watched the blossoms grow on the branch and made her judgement based on experience. ¡°One hundred years, or at most three hundred years, and it will mature,¡± she estimated. ¡°The Principal God probably won¡¯t wake up before then¡­¡± she murmured nervously. She was a spirit, transformed from an oak apanied by heather, having been watered by undivided Life Origin Liquid, and thus took form. But beyond that, she wasn¡¯t particrly specialpared to her kindred. However, in the future, as long as she consumed this divine fruit, she would be a nymph of the ¡®Golden Apple Tree¡¯, merging her vague consciousness with it, bing the origin of all nts in the world and symbolizing one half of life. And as the only deity transformed from a nt, Moanda would naturally be the monarch of all her kind in the world. Unlike her predecessor, the Goddesses of the White Oak born of Father God¡¯s Divine Blood, the Golden Apple was the nt itself.
Mountains, rivers,kes, seas, flowers, and trees¡ªa restriction on the birth of the spirits of all things had been lifted in the Spirit Realm since the Silver Age. Chaos¡¯ nymphs could now, as in myths, be born from all things. But among all the spirits, those of nts were by far the most numerous; those of mountains and waters were but a fraction because the former were more prone to amass Spirituality and awaken consciousness. Once she took form as the Golden Apple Tree, all nymphs naturally born from nts would be her subjects. ¡°Moanda, what are you doing here? Isn¡¯t it your day to be at the Oracle?¡± a voice rang out suddenly. ¡°Ah¡ª¡± Startled from her thoughts with an exmation, Moanda was shocked by the unexpected voice. But a momentter, she quickly recovered. Covering her chest, pretending to be frightened, Moanda turned around and ¡®red¡¯ at her friend who had approached quietly. ¡°Veda, how could you approach without making a sound?¡± she eximed. ¡°It¡¯s because you were too engrossed in your thoughts, nothing to do with me,¡± Veda retorted. As a nymph born from flowers, Veda had grown in the shade of Moanda¡¯s tree before she became conscious, so the two were very good friends. ¡°Has the Golden Apple sprouted new branches again? I didn¡¯t expect a new fruit to start growing so soon after thest one,¡± Veda remarked casually, feeling it might rte to Mother Earth¡¯s slumber. Maybe because of their mistress¡¯s slumber, the Golden Apple too became more vigorous. ¡°Right, if it weren¡¯t a Divine Artifact of the Principal God, I¡¯d really like to pick one and try it,¡± Moanda said, keeping her expression unchanged while agreeing with her friend. She knew no one would believe that a nymph would dare go against the Principal God¡¯s orders and im the Artifact for herself. In fact, up until now, she still had a tiny bit of hesitation. Although it was just a tiny bit, she felt that if the divine fruit were ripe, she would definitely put it in her mouth.
¡°Indeed, I¡¯ve tasted many fruits, but I still don¡¯t know what a Golden Apple tastes like,¡± Veda admitted, also yearning a little, but without overthinking it. ¡°You haven¡¯t said yet, why did youe here today? Didn¡¯t you go and check on the Oracle?¡± Veda pressed, curious. Though the so-called ¡®overseeing¡¯ was just a formality, no one thought that ces like the Golden Apple Orchard or the Oracle of Delphi could be damaged, and if they were, it was not something they could contend with. But still, it was necessary to go there. Not all nymphs were harmonious, and there were quite a few who disliked Moanda¡¯s presence. ¡°It¡¯s the duty the Principal God left before his slumber. The new Divine King of Olympus has arrived at the Oracle, and I was naturally kicked out,¡± Moanda said, spreading her hands rxedly. What was done was done, there was no longer any room for regret. All that remained was to wait. ¡°You know it, we don¡¯t really matter to a True God. I suppose that Divine King intends to ce his own symbols in the temple. We can go check it out together in a while,¡± she proposed. ¡°The Divine King?¡± Veda asked, clearly surprised. ¡°What does he look like?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go out first; I came here to tell you about this,¡± Moanda urged. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, the new Divine King looks like¡­¡± With ease, Moanda captured her friend¡¯s curiosity, and together they walked out of Mother Earth¡¯s orchard. Behind them, the Golden Apple Tree swayed gracefully. In the crown of the tree, a new divine fruit was growing. But this time, perhaps it would not be a god who would eat it.
Chapter 164: 19 Hades and the Sea Empress (Moon tickets +10) Chapter 164: Chapter 19 Hades and the Sea Empress (Moon tickets +10) Ever since the Divine King returned to Olympus, the once urgent passage of time at the turn of the era began to slow. Zeus selectively announced the results of this journey, and the end of the Titan war was quickly dered. With Hestia¡¯s help, the three Hekatonkheires finally captured the Titan god As. This fearless deity was not willing to surrender, but remembering Cronus¡¯s final words before his departure, he ultimately epted the task of holding up the sky. Thus, after a fall of six days, with a thunderous noise, the western sky finally ceased its descent. As revealed his divine true form, and when he merged with the symbol of sky-bearing, as long as he continued to fulfill his mission, the world no longer restrained his divine power. Hence, under the Titan¡¯s strength, the sky slowly rose again, but it could never return to its original height. This did note as a surprise, for Olympus was born from the Forefather of Mountains; it was inherently in symphony with the split symbol of Mount Othrys, something As could not achieve. Therefore, from that day onwards, the sky in the East was higher than that in the West, and the God of Strength thus earned the praise as the Sky-holder. On the other hand, after being besieged for three months, the God of Meteorology, Crius, was finally captured. The now-idle Hekatonkheires cornered him on both sides and followed Hades to the Underworld. Nominally, these two giants would serve as guardians of the Abyss, but in reality, all deities knew that Tartarus needed no guard, for it was a formidable barrier in itself. The two Hekatonkheires were merely part of the arrangement agreed upon by the brothers who were divine kings, assigned as aids for Hades in his dominion over the Underworld. Hades was pleased with this arrangement; he had long known of the Hekatonkheires¡¯ valor in battle. With their help, Hades easily subdued several deities who had long dwelt in the Underworld.
For these deities who proimed themselves descendants of the Primordial Gods, Hades was mostly satisfied. Apart from that one goddess of lust who always sought to seduce him, the godhood of ¡°Sorrow,¡± ¡°Deceit,¡± ¡°Destruction,¡± and ¡°Doom¡± were very useful. Coupled with some Nymphs brought from the surface, the framework of the Underworld was finally established. Hades appointed Minta, a Naiad, as the leader of the sprites and manipted the waters of the magmake at the entrance of the Underworld, the remnants of a fallen great sun, to form a river of fire. This separated the various regions of the Underworld. Lastly, he summoned the incarnation of the River of Sorrow, Acheron, the elderly-looking ferryman of the Styx River. ¡°On my way here, I saw the Underworldnds filled with wandering skeletons and corpses, as well as some spiritual bodies that move between the surface of the Spirit Realm and the mortal world. I meant to erase them with my authority, but to my surprise, I found that some possessed wisdom and were worshiping the Nether Moon above the Underworld, regarding it as the origin of all things,¡± he said. Since Hades¡¯ divine pce was still under construction, with the Cyclops brothers working tirelessly day and night, he could only stand on the vast gray ins and seek counsel from the old man before him. ¡°You and I were born one after the other, Charon. The River of Sorrow emerged as the Underworld weed its master. In a way, you are also my brother,¡± he said. ¡°So I wish to ask you, why were they born, and do they have any connection to the Goddess of the Nether Moon?¡± ¡°Your Majesty, there are countless nts in the mortal world, and even some in the Underworld, but does the Mother Earth who created these nts care for each one of them?¡± Standing opposite Hades, Charon replied respectfully. He was not, in fact, a deity of good temper. Charon had once refused all wraiths that sought to cross the River of Sorrow, or pretended to agree and then tossed them into the water midway. However, facing someone stronger, the aged ferryman knew what to do. ¡°I see,¡± Hades replied, nodding his head, understanding the other¡¯s implication. Perhaps these spirits that roamed the Underworld were indeed born of the light of the Nether Moon, but the mistress of the Nether Moon never cast her gaze down upon them. In the eyes of that powerful goddess, maybe everything in the Underworld went unnoticed by her. ¡°In that case, from now on, as the lord of the Underworld, I forbid the unwise spirits from entering the Fields of Truth,¡± Hades decreed. The Fields of Truth, the name Hades gave to the core of the Underworld where he would dwell in the future. Unlike the gods above, his naturally dark godhood did not disdain those beings shrouded in negative energy, but they had to possess wisdom, to be capable ofmunication. So, when the Lord of the Underworld made his decision, under the influence of divine authority, the heart of the Underworld barred all unwise spirits. From then on, they could only wander the periphery of the Underworld and not approach Hades¡¯ divine pce. ¡°Summon those wise beings for me, and then tell them: Although I am a god from above, henceforth I will dwell in the Underworld, which is also my domain by right,¡± Hades instructed. ¡°I will not ughter them wantonly, but they must follow my order and heed mymands,¡± he dered. Lastly, after a moment¡¯s hesitation, the Lord of the Underworld added another directive to Charon. ¡°I allow them to continue worshiping the Nether Moon, but they must also erect temples to honor me, as a proper respect to the lord of the Underworld.¡±
¡°I will uphold yourmand, Your Majesty,¡± said Charon. Bowing slightly, Charon took his leave, carrying the new Lord of the Underworld¡¯s will. ¡°Huh¡ª¡ª¡± Letting out a long sigh and watching Charon¡¯s retreating figure, Hades took another look at the Nether Moon in the sky, feeling somewhat troubled.
He once harbored the notion of marrying his own sister because, as the goddess of all that grows, Demeter could bring vitality to the Underworld. But now, it seemed, perhaps spirits were more suited for the Underworld, and thematically, the Nether Moon seemed more in harmony with the Underworld than the ¡®vitality¡¯ above. However, Hades could not fathom why the powerful Goddess of the Nether Moon would leave the Spirit Realm to dwell in the Underworld and ¡®feed on dirt¡¯. Just as he had refrained from inviting Demeter directly because he knew that few gods from above favored this ce. They are not like Hades¡ªno matter how grand the Underworld might be, their divine power would not increase in the slightest. ¡°Forget it, there¡¯s another goddess who gives me a headache, and I wonder when she¡¯ll be willing toe out and meet me,¡± Hades mused. He shook his head. In Hades¡¯ perception, the presence of the River Styx, the River of Vows, was without a doubt. As Zeus became the ¡®Oathkeeper¡¯ and ascended to the throne, the power of oaths was naturally further strengthened by the world. Hades had to face a reality that even if the Primordial Gods surrounding the Underworld ignored him, he still had two powerful goddesses at his own doorstep. Moreover, by the looks of it, neither of them had any intention to pay attention to him, the newly appointed Hades. ¡°It¡¯s still better than Poseidon¡­ At most, I¡¯m ignored, while he has to directly face the pressure of the God of the Ocean¡¯s lineage.¡± Heughed a little, perhaps taking pleasure in his misery, Hades felt somewhat happier. Upon the sea. After capturing the God of Meteorology, Poseidon handed him over to his eldest brother, then, apanied by several children of the Primordial Sea Gods, came to the ocean. Since the disturbances in the East Sea remained unsettled to this day, he chose the waters of the south as his abode. But here, the first thing Poseidon did was neither to build a pce nor to recruit followers, but to ¡®pursue¡¯ a sea nymph he had only met once.
It was hard to say exactly why, after all, this sea nymph was the eldest son of Pontus, the daughter of Thssa. Perhaps Poseidon did this to solidify the rtionship between them and not simply out of lust. In any case, this ¡®pursuit¡¯sted for more than a few months. Everyone knew that if he wanted, Poseidon could capture Amphitrite in a moment, and even the sea nymph herself was aware of this. Yet, she still chose to flee, not because she rejected the marriage; in fact, quite the opposite, she was very satisfied with it. The reason she did this was simply to satisfy her vain heart. The Sea King, appointed by the Divine King¡¯s brother, chased after her, but she paid no heed, which was something worth boasting about. Thus, she traveled to many ces in the great seas over several months, seeking ¡®help¡¯ from every creature she met to escape the relentless pursuit of the Sea Emperor. Of course, as expected, none of those she asked for help had the ability to do so. Hence, Amphitrite continued on her proud journey. What she didn¡¯t know was that Poseidon, who wielded control over ¡®Tsunamis,¡¯ ¡®Storms,¡¯ ¡®Earthquakes,¡¯ was not a patient deity. If it weren¡¯t for a slight consideration for her father, the Sea Emperor in name only would have already lost his temper. ¡°Where did she go this time?¡± He casually inquired a ¡®fortunate spectator¡¯ nearby. Poseidon didn¡¯t really want to engage in such a meaningless act. The desire aroused by her appearance had subsided over the months, and now he was purely going through the motions. However, Amphitrite¡¯s actions were somewhat effective. In less than a year, she seeded in spreading the name of Poseidon across the sea. So, when he went to the sea god Nereus, seething with anger, and received an exnation, he continued the chase game with the sea nymph. The premise was, she¡¯d better not go too far. ¡°¡­Your Majesty, it seems that thedy has gone toward the western end.¡± ¡°The west? I understand.¡± He nodded and was about to set off again when he suddenly stopped.
He turned to look at the nymph, his expression frightening. ¡°Did you say she went to the western end?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Without daring to lift her head, the nymph born among the waves answered. With a livid face, Poseidon didn¡¯t possess the ability like his brother¡¯s to hide his joy and anger. He immediately realized the foolish woman¡¯s thought; she probably heard of the warlike renown of the Titan As and thus hid there. She likely thought he would nobly go there, ¡®turn away¡¯ the Sky-holder, and then she would begrudgingly ept his pursuit. But the fool probably never considered that if the three Hekatonkheires and the deity they had just captured decided not to act out this y but felt insulted and erupted in battle, what consequences would be wrought? Most crucially, as long as As was supporting the sky, he would be the only being able to wield divine power upon the earth. ¡°¡­Just let her stay there, the damn fool.¡± He said, one word at a time, and was about to leave, but Poseidon noticed the nymph¡¯s trembling body out of the corner of his eye. He casually dealt with this unlucky creature, then turned and left. He gave Amphitrite onest chance. In three months¡¯ time, he would randomly pick something to fetch her. If she agreed, then he would tolerate this once, and they would talkter. If she remained dissatisfied, then Poseidon felt he couldn¡¯t hold back anymore. In fact, he wanted to give in to his godhood¡¯s influence and indulge without restraint there and then. ¡°Come here.¡± Surveying his surroundings, the Sea Emperor caught a fish of unknown species; in any case, it looked decent. Some timeter, Poseidon finally calmed down.
¡°Go find Nereus first, see the daughter he¡¯s raised! Such a fool, she might as well stay in my pce as an ornament from now on!¡± He snorted coldly as Poseidon took to the sky and headed for the Southern Sea. Mistakes had to be paid for, and rightly so, he could take the opportunity to demand a stretch of the sea from her. Chapter 165: 20: The King of Humans Chapter 165: Chapter 20: The King of Humans ¡°Are you saying that Poseidon has imed the seas near the southern continent for himself?¡± Atop Mount Olympus, Zeus listened to Iris, the Goddess of Rainbow¡¯s report, and found it somewhat amusing. It was meant to be a force to counter the Oceanides, yet Poseidon was thinking about how to convert his allies into his own domains. That was, unless they had no other choice. Had there been a chance, the first to stab him in the back would have been these children of the original Sea God. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. However,ter on, I heard that the Sea Emperor sent a dolphin to find Lady Amphitrite, and eventually, the two returned together,¡± Iris responded. ¡°They held a wedding banquet, announcing their presence to the vast seas.¡± ¡°Heh, the two of them¡­ came together,¡± Zeus mused. He chose not to say the word in the middle, feeling that his earlier worries were truly unnecessary. Three months ago, when Amphitrite arrived at the western part of the world, ¡®hiding¡¯ at the foot of As, there were already plenty of deities who began to mock the situation. Zeus felt some annoyance on Mount Olympus about this. Having enjoyed peace for only a few months, he did not want his temperamental brother to do something irrational, and thus quickly sent Iris to convey the message.
But now, it appeared that even though the future Sea Emperor and Sea Empress were not very clever, Poseidon still understood some truths, which greatly relieved the Divine King. ¡°There¡¯s nothing more for you to do here.¡± With a wave of his hand, Zeus indicated that Iris could leave. The Divine King, having received the reply, felt somewhat relieved and soon shifted his focus to other matters, such as Eurynome, the Oceanides. The matter of Metis was too difficult to conceal forever, and as her sister, Eurynome was well-suited to temporarily rece her as the bridge formunication with the Oceanides. Moreover, her own godhood was insignificant, and it would be difficult for her to bear overly powerful offspring. A less powerful progeny was not only not a threat but also a boon to his expansion of the Divine Court. In this manner, as time passed day by day, the wounds from the turnover of the era were slowly healed. Until this day, in a ce unnoticed by many deities, an existence that even Laine had nearly forgotten identally tapped into a power that was not his to wield. ¡°Bang¡ª¡± After hurling the several meters tall creature onto the ground, Cohen wiped away nonexistent sweat from his brow. On his body were several charred marks, the damage inflicted by this beast. It was unique, possessing the means to manipte light and certain elements, capable of healing itself and harming others. It was a momentarypse of attention that allowed Cohen to be struck, leaving scars on his body. Fortunately, the Cohen of today was no longer the Cohen of the past. Over the years, he had gradually mastered some special abilities. He couldn¡¯t remember how long ago it was, perhaps decades or even centuries, but after personallyying to rest thest of the Golden Humanity, aside from himself, Cohen discovered a warm current within his body. At first it simply ¡®existed¡¯, thenter it could travel throughout his body, augmenting his physique and strength. Until this stage, Cohen had not paid much attention to it. After all,pared to the physique of the primeval Human King, which was naturally close to transcendent, this augmentation was minimal. However, as time passed, this energy gradually extended beyond the body, imbuing hand-held tools with power, which made many of Cohen¡¯s actions much easier and more convenient. Years went by, and the energy eventually could leave the body, possessing considerable destructive force. But once it reached this stage, it seemed to hit a teau and did not evolve for a long time. But Cohen didn¡¯t care, nor did he have any reason to seek power. The Golden Human King simply continued as always, sweeping The Temple and carving steles, alone in the Temple of Coro at the foot of Mount Othrys, keeping the incorruptible corpses of the Golden Humanity buried underground forpany.
Until that day, when many deities flew around the Mount of the Gods, he saw a god calling himself ¡®Zeus¡¯ challenge the Divine King. Then he witnessed the thunder, the surging waves, the continuous illusions of heaven and earth, and the resounding copse of the Mount of the Gods. Fortunately, the Mount of the Gods fell northwest, while the old dwelling of Golden Humanity was established in the east, after all, they were originally brought from Delphi in the Eastern Region. The greatest catastrophe was avoided, but the debris and dust from earthquakes andndslides buried everything nearby. The ground split open, and everything sank into the fissures, including Cohen himself, who crawled out from the ruins several days after the godly battle. At that moment, looking around, nothing familiar remained. ¡°It¡¯s time to eat.¡±
After lighting a fire, Cohen cut some meat from the carcass of a beast. Creating fire was another skill he had learned in dreams, though he had seldom used it before. After all, back then, with the blessings of the gods, the human settlement was surrounded by evergreen fruit trees, but now all that was gone. Sometimes, looking at the old soil long buried beneath the ground, Cohen would have one or two disrespectful thoughts. He didn¡¯t understand why the gods did this, why they fought each other, and created catastrophes. But in the end, perhaps out of habit, he convinced himself once more. The deities could not be wrong; it must be that he still didn¡¯t understand thempletely. ¡°I need to get to work¡­ I wonder how much longer I¡¯ll have to dig.¡± After finishing thest bite of roast, Cohen extinguished the fire. Lately, the Golden Human King had been busy excavating the ruins. Although it was bound to be a lengthy project, his life was equally long. Especially after the end of that godly battle, he felt that under immense stimtion, he had finally broken through that barrier. The energy within him seemed to have undergone some mysterious changes, and though he didn¡¯t know what use it had yet, it was undoubtedly effective in digging. ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s this?¡± As Cohen prepared to leave, circling around the carcass of the beast, his peripheral vision suddenly caught something. It was a dark golden gel-like substance that shouldn¡¯t have existed, but was now slowly oozing from the chest of the beast. Cohen had never seen this thing before, but for some reason, his transformed body and energy faintly told him that it was both very good and very dangerous. After hesitating for a moment, Cohen finally stepped forward, intent on discovering what it actually was.
As for danger, the Golden Humanity didn¡¯t fear death. Reaching out, Cohen touched the mysterious gel. However, the next moment, before he could react, the unknown substance directly merged into Cohen¡¯s body through the skin. A sense of intense heat and mixed information acted simultaneously on the Golden Human King¡¯s body and psyche, and a golden me zed up on him. ¡°Ah¡ª¡± ¡°Bang¡ª¡± Clutching his head with both hands, Cohen copsed to the ground after uttering just one cry. His furrowed brows indicated he was still conscious, just devoid of control over his body. In the realm of the mind, he began to collide and contest with the influx of information from an unknown source. Chapter 166: 21 Son of Light Chapter 166: Chapter 21 Son of Light At the center of the continent, by the ruins surrounding Mount Othrys, a remarkable transformation was unfolding within Cohen. Upon his body, mes of light inched across his flesh, searing it without causing the slightest damage. Instead, as the light passed, Cohen gained an affinity for positive energy and resistance to high temperatures. Even if his transcendent physique had not already been strong, he would have acquired an exceptional constitution. Likewise, it was the same with his lifespan; were it not for the Golden Human King¡¯s lifespan already measured in ten thousand years, any ordinary being would have seen their life extended by hundreds of years at least. However, unlike the pure enhancement of his physical body, within the realm of the spirit, Cohen faced real trouble. He felt as if he was transforming into the Sun, traversing The Sky, everything in the starry vault recoiling before him. Yet, from the Sun¡¯s perspective, everything he ¡®saw¡¯ was firmly imprinted in his mind. Every minute, every second of transformation observed by the Sun was forcibly ¡®remembered¡¯ by Cohen; he felt as if he was starting to forget who he was. Human memory is inconsequentially meagerpared to nature; there was no foundation forparison. However, at a certain moment when he was about topletely lose himself, within the depths of Cohen¡¯s thoughts, the image of a stele he had once seen in a dream slowly emerged. It served like an anchor, staunchly securing his past memories and personality. The deluge of information from ¡®bing the Sun¡¯ could not shake it in the slightest; even as just an image, it could still reveal great power. Eventually, as the onught gradually subsided, Cohen awoke from this dream-like scenario to find Lady Night¡¯s hem had enveloped The Sky. ¡°¡­ah¡­I¡­¡± Briefly bewildered, in the next moment, Cohen felt as if he ¡®understood¡¯ something. Among the information that had been infused, beyond the useless parts, there were many useful things. Lying on the ground, he stretched out his hand, almost instinctively, and the stars converged to form a sphere of light that rose and illuminated everything around him.
Control Light, in Cohen¡¯s perception, the natural light seemed like a part of him, easy to direct and control at will. Even the light possessed different abilities; some starlight had special effects, while other light couldbine with ever-present particles in the air, bing more violent or aiding in healing wounds. ¡°¡­It seems to be a rather impressive thing, no wonder that beast became so much stronger all of a sudden.¡± Taking a moment to recuperate, Cohen could feel he had gained many more abilities, but these were not the most pressing matters; right now, he needed rest. Having just withstood such a mental onught, though he had persevered, he was extremely exhausted. Moreover, even though he had weathered the crucial moment, the forces affecting his spirit had quieted down considerably, they had not disappeared but were still present. ¡°Thank the Divine King¡¯s protection, thank Her Highness Yvonne¡¯s benevolence and power.¡± Murmuring in his heart, Cohen knew that if it were not for the shadow of the stele deep in his memory, he might have lost himself already, degenerating into an existence like that beast. Regrettably, he had no idea which deity ¡®The Divine King¡¯ that Yvonne spoke of referred to, so he simply followed through with a prayer. Standing up, Cohen took another look at the carcass of the beast. While he had been hunting it, Cohen had been puzzled by the sudden appearance of this strange, indiscriminate beast that attacked everything and could Control Light. Now, it all became clear. It was probably due to that unknown gtinous substance, yet the beast hadn¡¯t survived. It lost itself in madness, but at the same time, it had be stronger through the mysterious substance¡¯s transformation. ¡°That side seems more suitable.¡± The night was deep, and Cohen walked toward the distance, discerning his directions by the stars. The following day. Leaning against a broken circr pir, Cohen woke up from his slumber. The sun was high in the sky, but in reality, it was morning, because in recent years the sun had not moved at all. In Chaos, the dominions of the Ancient Gods of Eternal Night and Lightless actually pulsed like the tides. When their power rose from beneath the ground, the sun would be obscured, and night woulde. The initial division of day and night was like this, since in the beginning of creation, there was no sun. So, there hadn¡¯t been dawn or dusk for some time, just as when Hyperion was still around, the day would arrive, and the sun would directly shine upon the earth with its most intense light. Fortunately, the sun was somewhat weak now, so it didn¡¯t add any more burdens to the already disaster-prone climate. However, unlike before, now as Cohen gazed at the sun in the sky, he felt an innate sense of kinship along with repulsion. The former came from his newly acquired power, while thetter because the mental impact grew stronger under the sun.
¡°It seems that this thing is best integrated at night, or even to find a way to block the light. If I had touched it in the evening, perhaps even my own will might have been able to hold on.¡± While he still had a slight headache, after a night¡¯s rest, Cohen had recovered quite a bit. With the haphazard knowledge that hade to him inexplicably, he roughly figured out the abilities that the gtinous substance had granted him: immunity to high temperatures, Control Light, a peculiar panoramic vision, and influence over certain emotions. Even for the Cohen of today, these were significant aids. He even faintly sensed that he could momentarily transform into a ¡®miniature sun,¡¯ but intuition prevented him from trying.
He had a premonition that if he dared to do so now, he might once again experience the feeling of nearly losing his self. ¡°Let¡¯s try the other abilities instead; perhaps they can help me excavate the ruins.¡± Following the information in his mind, Cohen raised his hand toward the distance. As the light fluctuated, a beam of light sliced through the air, piercing a small mountain that was over a dozen meters tall. ¡°The power is indeed substantial!¡± Nodding, Cohen knew he could cause the same effect by exerting the energy that stemmed from his own body. However, this newly acquired special ability seemed to not consume his physical strength, which pleased him greatly. ¡°The progress of the excavation can be elerated now¡­ I wonder just how deep beneath the earth the Temple of Coro is buried?¡± ¡°Fortunately, with the protection of the Divine King, it must still be intact.¡± He smiled and walked toward the distance. It was hard to say exactly why, but although he kept telling himself that excavating the Temple was for the god, deep inside he couldn¡¯t deceive himself; in fact, Cohen felt he was doing it more for those beings buried in the ground, and for the stone tablets that documented their lives. But no matter the reason, finding the ce was always the right move. So after eating a little, the Golden Human King continued with his work. Chapter 167: 22 The Answer Chapter 167: Chapter 22 The Answer With the aid of ¡°Light,¡± Cohen¡¯s work sped up considerably. Not only did the speed of his digging double, but he also had a sense of direction underground. This was a great help to his work, allowing him to avoid constantly recalibrating his position, and instead, he continuously dug a diagonal corridor thousands of kilometers long. In theory, such unsupported holes are prone to copse, but after all, this is a mythic world, and the site of the Mount of the Gods is extraordinary. So, as Cohen dug downward, he encountered no idents along the way. During the excavation, in order to obtain food, Cohen also hunted beasts multiple times. Gradually, he found that creatures like the giant beast he encountered before were not umon. These beasts that suddenly gained strength were not the only ones; even nts were among them. Some were strong, others weak, and their abilities varied. A few had reason and knew how to seek advantages and avoid dangers, but many more seemed to have their sanity destroyed, bing extremely crazy. After Cohen hunted them down one by one, he found simr special substances in the bodies of the animals. Undoubtedly, this miraculous stuff was the source of all the changes. However, Cohen did not continue to merge them, even though they seemed much weaker than what he had obtained before. He kept them in golden boxes, as Cohen discovered that the substances had a strong propensity for fusion, yet seemed to have no reaction to gold. ¡°Truly the root of cmity.¡± Shaking his head slightly, although he had yet to emerge from underground at that time, Cohen had roughly figured out what had happened. One day after the war of the gods, many streaks of light fell from the sky,nding on the earth. Since then, these things had started to appear.
This was told to him by a Flower Elf he encountered, whose homnd was destroyed in the previous disaster, but she had used her own power to protect her essence. However, ording to her, the Spring Elves weren¡¯t so lucky; as fellow Nymphs, their essences were immovable. Cohen had rescued this Flower Elf from the clutches of a mad giant eagle. To kill this strange beast, he was even slightly injured. ¡°Heaven-sent fire raining down¡­ I hope the world can recover peace soon.¡± He sighed and stood at the bottom of the tunnel, lifted his pickaxe¡ªwrapped in his own energy¡ªand struck downward again. He had been doing this every day, and today was no exception. But unexpectedly, his strike hit empty space this time, nearly causing him to lose his bnce. In front of him, through the cracks he had chiseled, a vast hollow space appeared. ¡°Is this it?¡± Feeling somewhat surprised, and facing the dark, lightless underground space, Cohen¡¯s eyes turned gold. Under that special power, it seemed as though he had changed perspectives, minutely observing his surroundings from a bird¡¯s-eye view. Soon, through the cracks, Cohen saw a scene at the bottom of the hollow space below. It was a cavity that had naturally formed from the subsidence of the earth, possibly under the protection of Divine Power. There were copsed houses and shattered trees, but these were not his concern. It was only in the central position that Cohen discovered his target. That was the Temple of Coro. It was a bit far, and even his extraordinary abilities couldn¡¯t make it out clearly. Nevertheless, Cohen felt that the shape of the temple was somewhat strange. It seemed to not be in perfect condition. ¡°Impossible¡­¡± Muttering to himself, his right hand tightened unconsciously, and the pickaxe he was holding began to deform, emitting a creaking noise. ¡°It must be an issue with the lighting.¡± He reassured himself quietly; it was impossible to see clearly here. So Cohen used his hands to break away the remaining rubble and then leaped down. After a full ten seconds or so, Cohennded on the ground. This underground hollow was hundreds of meters high, causing him to create a not-so-small crater uponnding. The environment around him was both familiar and strange, with its past appearancepletely changed. Afternding, Cohen proceeded along the cracked path. The scattered surroundings seemed to disclose to any visitor what had happened here, giving him an ominous premonition. The further he went, the slower he became. After nearly half a day, Cohen finally crossed thest barrier and reached the vicinity of the once grand and towering Temple of Coro.
There was nothing obstructing his view now; the full size of the temple could be directly seen. However, as he passed over the fallen giant rocks, Cohen just stood there, stunned in his ce, gazing at the scene in the distance. ¡°¡­why¡­ why would it be like this?¡± ¡°Where is the power of the gods?!¡± He cried out, even though a war among the gods had erupted before and shook the surrounding area underground, Cohen never doubted the safety of this ce.
The temple had been blessed by the power of the Divine King since the day it was built. The great Cronus himself had proimed that as long as he was in this world, nothing could harm it. The Temple of Coro would stand with the world forever, eternally enduring. But now, it had copsed. Although the main structure was still there, anyone could see its dpidation. The broken columns seemed to silently convey a message as if the promises of the past were just like nothingness. ¡°No, what about the Stele Forest?¡± Realizing something at that instant, if even the temple had copsed, how could the ce where the Golden Humanity was buried down below possibly remain intact. Cohen immediately ran to the open ground in front of the temple, as if he had forgotten that he could directly see that ce. Eventually, when he arrived at the entrance of the monumental structure, what presented before him were only ruins strewn everywhere, toppled steles, and a few cracked but empty tombs. Nothing was left, everything was just like a dream. ¡°They¡¯re all gone¡­ Why¡­ But where are their bodies? Where did they go?!¡± An invisible shockwave exploded around Cohen as he clenched his fists. How could the bodies of the Golden Humanity, which do not decay for a thousand years after death, just disappear without a trace? He frantically uncovered every ce where there should have been buried corpses, turning over grave after grave, yet what faced him was disappointment after disappointment. It was as if they had never existed, and everything in the past was an illusion. The Human King did not know that when Mother Earth exerted all her might through the scepter, all objects with energy existing within the ground around Mount of the Gods had been stripped of their power. And what could be a finer nourishment than the Divine Blood and Prime Liquid contained within the bodies of the Golden Humanity? Without strength, a body is but an empty shell. With just a slight vibration, the remains of the Golden Humanity crumbled into dust, returning to their original form. After all, humans were created from soil and stone. ¡°¡­ And the temple, yes, the deities will answer me.¡±
Turning over thest grave, which was that of his once friend Hewa, Cohen stood in a daze for a long time, finally remembering the ruined building in the distance. He ran to the Temple, roughly pushing open the decayed doors and bursting into the inner sanctuary where the Divine King was worshipped. Cohen gazed at the central position. There should have been a towering colossus holding a scepter, a hundred meters tall, instilling awe in all who saw it. But now, it was empty. plunk¡ª After a long silence, like someone devoid of strength, Cohen copsed to the ground, momentarily stunned. He didn¡¯t know what to do, feeling that everything about himself was insignificant. Though in the past, when the Golden Humanity was still present, he often told others that the deities did not care for the humans¡¯ worship. Even if the deities chose to ignore them, that was a given, and they should still revere the deities above all else. But in truth, Cohen had harbored doubts, quickly suppressing those thoughts. He was more ¡®whole¡¯, so he was the only one who would ¡®question¡¯. The reason he said that was just because everyone else thought the same. Had it been any other Golden Humans, they wouldn¡¯t need to convince themselves that it was ¡®just ack of understanding of the deities,¡¯ for they never had doubts. But now, Cohen felt he was mistaken. ¡°So the deity¡­ is no longer there.¡± ¡°Or is it that the deity has abandoned us.¡± ¡°Or perhaps¡­¡± ¡°They never existed in the first ce!¡± His voice was soft. Looking at the empty altar, Cohen couldn¡¯t help but doubt many things from before.
Do the Golden Humans truly ascend to heaven to be Heroic Spirits after death, as Prometheus had told them? Cohen had never witnessed this himself. Are deities truly omnipotent? If so, where is the Divine King now? The gods had promised that as long as they were worshipped, they would enjoy eternal happiness and peace, but why didn¡¯t he, so devout, feel any happiness at all? Cohen did not know. After all, in the past, he was merely a mortal. Everything he knew was bestowed upon him by the deities. Naturally, he wouldn¡¯t know what he shouldn¡¯t know. He had always believed in the greatness of the deities, but now, the once grand image in his heart had quietly copsed without him knowing when. Or perhaps, the cracks had always been there. As the Golden Human King who had seen the Civilization Stele, the innate constraints had never applied to him. What had restrained him in the past was only himself. ¡°¡­ Maybe I should take a look and see what the world is like.¡± ¡°Whether it¡¯s as the deities said, or something else altogether.¡± After a long silence, Cohen slowly stood up. He cast onest nce at the altar before walking out of the Temple. As he passed through the clearing, Cohen looked at the scattered broken steles but didn¡¯t try to tidy them up, letting them remain strewn about. Stele exist to carry words. Words exist to depict History. History gives meaning to the beings that are buried within it. But if the traces of existence themselves have vanished, if everything they believed in was a lie, what value does such a record hold? The tes are no longer needed. His very existence is the past of the Golden Humanity. Light emerged, gently lifting Cohen¡¯s body as he floated up. He went to the spot where he had previously jumped down and stood firm. After onest look back at the cave, Deste, ruined, silent ¡ª this was thest remnant of a destroyed civilization.
¡°I will return¡­ I definitely will.¡± ¡°¡­ Once I find the answers!¡± Turning away, Cohen covered the cave before departing without a second nce. With his departure, the relics of ancient times once again returned to darkness and silence. Chapter 168: 23 Mei Hui Chapter 168: Chapter 23 Mei Hui No god knew that on this day, thest remnants of Golden Humanity left the heart of the continent and headed east. Of course, even if they knew, probably no deity would care, since it was, after all, just a remnant of an old era. Moreover, given the vastness of the continent, theplexity of its geography, the chaotic phenomena caused by the many godly battles, and the beasts tainted with divine blood, a mortal would probably never see what the sea looked like if they traveled on foot¡ªeven if it took them a thousand years. Byparison, it was an angel from the Spirit Realm who had nced at the outer world, for someone had called their name, imbued with a strong force known as ¡®faith¡¯ by the Master. Faith had always existed among the humans, wraiths, and the living beings of the Spirit Realm¡ªit was only a question of how much. In the past, the faith that Yvain had received from the beings of the Spirit Realm when she went out asionally was so minor that it was hard to notice without foreknowledge, but this call was different. Pure and powerful, if there were more people like this, even the weaker True Gods could gain a level of divine power. However, even so, Yvain only took a nce. On one hand, the object of the faith didn¡¯t seem to be her, and on the other hand, she didn¡¯t care. Compiling hymns to praise the creator in her own pce was far more meaningful than that bit of power. At least in this regard, Yvain very much agreed with Liana¡¯s viewpoint. There was nothing worth paying attention to in the outer world, a bunch of beings who did not worship the Master, all born sinful. Meanwhile, outside the Spirit Realm, the scattered divine fragments of Hyperion did attract quite a bit of attention. After all, ever since the fragments spread across the world, countless beings have merged with them. There were animals, nts, and even elves like the Nymphs. Some received smaller fragments, yielding less power and only a weak impact on the spirit. Some receivedrger fragments, stronger even than Cohen¡¯s, but often ended up losing themselves and bing monsters.
But these only caused a little concern, as the gods really hadn¡¯t reacted much, since it had been a long time since any deity had set foot in the mortal realm. Moreover, once the Divine King had noticed this situation, he quickly spoke about it, iming it was a consequence of the fall of the sun. Thus, the gods let it be, after all, it was just a power that could hardly match the deities. Time flowed gently, but on this day, in the twentieth year of Zeus¡¯s reign, something difficult to say whether good or bad transpired. The Divine King and the Oceanid Eurynome had, at some point, given birth to three daughters, much to everyone¡¯s surprise. This should have been cause for celebration, but the gods suddenly realized that the Divine King had not yet chosen a Queen of Gods, and Metis had been absent for many years. The gods couldn¡¯t help but secretly specte, what exactly had happened between the two Oceanid sisters¡ªwhy had the elder sister inexplicably disappeared, while the younger sister bore daughters to the Divine King? But in the end, this was the Divine King¡¯s private affair, so despite the many rumors, no one spoke out. On Mount Olympus, the bedchamber of the Divine King. ¡°Your Highness.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Zeus nodded to the two Nymphs at the door and Themis walked directly into the great hall. Perhaps it was due to the presence of new gods, but as soon as she stepped through the door, an air of joy and pleasantry hit her face. This force tried to influence the Goddess of Justice¡¯s heart, but to no avail, forw and fairness were precisely the anathema to such trickery. In the Third Era, the birth of deities rarely caused widespread phenomena, but still, there were some influences brought about by the bestowed godhoods. Undoubtedly, the new True Gods here presided over domains rted to ¡°Joy,¡± ¡°Grace,¡± and ¡°Inspiration,¡± among others, but before meeting them, Themis still couldn¡¯t determine whether it was one or several deities holding these domains separately. If it were the former, then it was likely another being with extraordinary divine power. ¡°You¡¯vee, mydy, it has been a while since Ist saw you. How goes the work on the newws for the Divine Court?¡± Perceiving the Goddess of Justice¡¯s unmistakable presence, the Divine King smiled and stepped out from the inner chamber. There, the recently summoned Goddess of Nursery, Leto, was washing the newborns. Although he didn¡¯t know why his aunt hade at this time, Zeus still greeted her with a smile.
¡°It¡¯s almost done, but there are a few details to be addressed, and the current Divine Court is still far from perfect.¡± Dressed in a golden robe with a sword hanging at her waist, Themis spoke calmly. ¡°But let¡¯s talk about you, Zeus.¡± ¡°Is Eurynome the new Queen of Gods you¡¯ve chosen?¡±
¡°Hmm, that¡¯s not quite it,¡± shaking his head, the Divine King replied. ¡°You probably know well enough that her power is not sufficient to be the Queen.¡± ¡°At the very least, one must possess intermediate divine power or higher to avoid being ridiculed by the gods.¡± She nodded lightly, knowing this to be true. After all, the previous two Queen of Gods had been goddesses with formidable divine power; it should be no exception for the third generation. However, feeling the intense heat from the treasured sword at her waist, Themis remained silent for a moment before suddenly saying to Zeus: ¡°It is logical that the Queen of Gods should be a powerful deity.¡± ¡°But Zeus, there have been deities with strong godhood who have offered their hearts to you in the past, yet you have given them up. Metis once trusted you so much, and this is how you treated her. After all these years, do you ever feel regret?¡± Startled, the voice of the Goddess of Law was quiet, yet it resonated like thunder. The Divine King almost lost control of his strength as he looked at the goddess before him, guessing what she had discovered. He thought he had never exposed such things, not even the Goddess of Magic who divined for him knew what choice he had made. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean, mydy. In fact, Metis was just¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°Twenty years ago, my sword told me you hadmitted an act against Justice. I thought it rted to something else, but ever since then, the Goddess of Wisdom has vanished without a trace.¡± Interrupting her nephew¡¯s excuses, Themis was somewhat disappointed. But she should have known long ago, this is the way of the Divine King. Even though she didn¡¯t know what it was, Zeus probably saw a threat in Metis. However, from this point of view, he is far inferior to Cronus of the past. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you did to her, but let¡¯s stop there. Don¡¯t let a cmity befall her sister again. Choose a Queen of Gods for your divine court as soon as possible, instead of continuing such wanton behavior.¡±
After giving Zeus onest look, the goddess turned away, unwilling to see his face any longer. ¡°This is not a threat, but rather a mandate of the currentws that the Divine King should have, and only have one Queen of Gods. I do not set order based on likes and dislikes; I only inscribe the order itself into the Codex, to be known to everyone.¡± Perhaps she should, like in the first era, blind herself to avoid witnessing each deity¡¯s hidden sins under the divine authority of Justice, yet unable to eradicate their roots. ¡°I won¡¯t disturb you further, I hope you consider my advice seriously.¡± Themis moved away. Looking at the retreating figure of the Goddess of Justice, the Divine King¡¯s countenance flickered with uncertainty. He truly regretted, not his treatment of Metis, but inviting such a discerning Judge to the divine court. The Sword of Judgment, born of the authority of Justice, had almost slipped his mind. It is difficult for any entity beneath greatness to alter such sensitivity, meaning that many of his deeds could be linked to him, even if she was unaware of the process. But now that she had arrived, invited by him as the ¡®Guardian of Vows¡¯, Zeus had no room for regret if he did not wish to break his own promises. ¡°Queen of Gods¡­ Well, it¡¯s about time.¡± ¡°Demeter, her vitalityplements the Destruction of my Thunderbolt Arrow, though she seems uninterested¡­ There is also Hera, who received a portion of the divine authority of ¡®fertility¡¯ from Mother Earth; with her, perhaps I could manually influence the strength of my offspring.¡± His gaze flickering, Zeus was not yet resolute, and the events of the day indeed took him by surprise, leaving him somewhat flustered. Even before hemitted the act, he knew it couldn¡¯t be concealed forever since deities are immortal. He could feel the embryo of a baby girl, already conceived within him, drawing nourishment and growing robustly. From a certain perspective, she might well be considered his eldest daughter.
But he was prepared if this daughter showed even a hint of hostility toward him at birth, he would surely not spare her. ¡°Your Majesty, it has been aplished,¡± Then, from behind the pce, the voice of the Goddess of Nursery came. In the intervening time, three newly born infants had been ced in swaddling clothes. ¡°¡­That is indeed wonderful.¡± Trying to muster a smile, Zeus temporarily set aside his concerns and turned to enter the rear, ready to see his three daughters and the goddess who had been summoned. The Three Graces, Aea, Euphrosyne, and Thalia, who respectively preside over grace and magnificence, joy and festivities, encouragement, and banquet enjoyment. They were destined not to excel inbat, but they could adorn the Divine King¡¯s court. ¡°Leto, thank you for your hard work, and thank you for your willingness toe and assist. It¡¯s just a pity that your noble parents, dwelling on the edge of the starry sky, choose not to meddle in worldly affairs; otherwise, I would have given them the highest respect and glory.¡± Looking at Leto in ck attire, her appearance among the deities was actually unremarkable, even less sopared to her sister, the star goddess Asteria. Yet, as the daughter of two mighty Titans, Zeus could not ignore her presence regardless. Thus upon entering the inner chamber, the Divine King warmly took her hands, even forgetting the three children by his side. After the divine war, the whereabouts of the Mother of Light remained unknown, a constant concern in Zeus¡¯s heart. But if he could win over the deity of the Lightless celestial bodies, it would be a considerable aid. Chapter 169: 24 Advice from the Afterthinker Chapter 169: Chapter 24 Advice from the Afterthinker The words of the Goddess of Justice were indeed effective, and after hosting a banquet for his three daughters, the Divine King left Olympus. He intended to meet the two goddesses who were nominally his sisters but in reality were not as old as he was. In the past, whether it was Mother Earth or Rhea, they had not left a good impression on Zeus, who now reigned as the Divine King. He needed a Queen of Gods, but not one like those two. She should prioritize the interests of the Divine King over anything else. So he decided to spend some time observing them to find out what kind of deities they truly were. Thus, the Divine King moved between the Mount of the Gods and the sea, and long-forgotten humans walked upon the earth. A high tower was erected in the Moon, and the chaotic meteorology began to settle down. Until this day, when the Divine King, satisfied, returned to Olympus and the son of Iapetus, whom he hadn¡¯t seen for a long time, suddenly came to see him. ¡°Your Majesty, I havepleted the task as entrusted,¡± Prometheus said, looking somewhat weary but with a spirited gleam in his eyes. Over the years, he had sought out his brother, and together they had created many forms of life. Even without Iapetus¡¯s assistance, the two of them had been very sessful. Now, feeling that all was ready, the Forethinker thought it time to create humans. ¡°Very well, Prometheus, you¡¯ve been a bit quicker than I expected,¡± Zeus said, nodding with satisfaction. In fact, the Divine King had been growing somewhat impatient ofte. He desired greater power, preferably before Gaia awoke and Oceanus recovered, but he had not the slightest clue how to achieve it. Whenever he faced difficulties, Zeus would think of his father. If he possessed that kind of power, there probably would have been nothing to worry about.
Therefore, when Prometheus told him he was ready, Zeus was very pleased. ¡°Go, son of Iapetus, use the materials I have given you to create a new humanity.¡± ¡°Whatever the oue, please inform me immediately after yourpletion. I will be waiting on Mount Olympus to reward you.¡± Perhaps because fate had been twisted, Athena, who was supposed to participate in the creation of humans, had not yet been born. She would likely miss this event. However, the creation of humans did not require the participation of the Goddess of Wisdom, just as Gaia had created the Silver Humanity. Even in the myths ofter ages that speak of the five ages of humans, only one age of humans was imbued with breath by the Goddess of Wisdom, but this did not prevent the humans of other ages from being capable of thought. ¡°As you wish, Your Majesty, I will do my best,¡± Prometheus replied. After receiving his orders, he quickly departed, not just on themand of the Divine King, but also because he himself desired to do so. He soon left Mount Olympus and immediately sought out his brother. He had told him to wait here because the Forethinker had sensed the Divine King¡¯s unnaturally fervent interest in humans. He predicted Zeus¡¯s response, and although unclear about the reasons, he knew he would not stay long in Olympus. ¡°Epimetheus, my brother, we can finally begin,¡± Prometheus said as they stood on a in near a river and forest. ¡°Just as we have tried before, I will bestow life upon the body, you will grant the body potential, and as for the soul, we can only hope for their own luck. In this way, each human will have their own strengths, and it will also be easier for me to remember them,¡± he instructed. Although they were brothers, they had always acted more like a follower and a leader. The wise Forethinker made decisions while the foolish Afterthinker followed and executed them. It had always been so. ¡°But brother, why do you want to remember them?¡± the Afterthinker asked nkly as if being awakened by his elder. ¡°All beings must die at some point, and humans, despite their wisdom, are no exception. Even if you remember each one of them, they won¡¯t be able to apany you for very long,¡± he said. ¡°¡­ I created them, so I must take responsibility for them, even if they will die just the same,¡± There was a silence before Prometheus exined this way. ¡°But we have also created many forms of life before, birds, fish. Some were created with Father, others in recent years that we¡¯ve tried creating, yet you never cared about them this much.¡± As if oblivious to his elder brother¡¯s mood, Epimetheus continued to ask. An even longer silence followed. These words seemed to use him of favoritism, but Prometheus didn¡¯t me his brother. He was always so foolish, and it was reasonable for him to ask such ill-timed questions. Yet, as reasonable as it was, he was truly at a loss for what to say. In his heart of hearts, Prometheus knew why he favored humans so much.
Among the deities, the Forethinker was never renowned for his strength; his only reliance was his wisdom. Among all creatures, humans were also never known for their strength; their sole distinction was having a thought process simr to that of the gods. Every life form has its biases, and the Forethinker was no exception. The reason he cared so much for humanity was really just because he saw another version of himself. If someone else had made humans, they would be just simr at best. But if he himself was creating them, it was as if they weren¡¯t just ordinary beings he created but children without blood ties of his own. ¡°Just do as I say, Epimetheus. I am Prometheus, the Forethinker, the sage unanimously recognized by the gods. The things I¡¯m determined to do, naturally, will be free of mistakes.¡±
¡°Now, get ready. Together, we shall fulfill the Divine King¡¯smand.¡± Speaking curtly, Prometheus did not wish to voice his thoughts, even if the other was his own brother. He turned away, not paying any more attention to his brother, but began to mold the bodies of the humans. Behind him, the Afterthinker watched his elder brother with a hint of regret. He couldn¡¯t see the future, nor did he know what humans ultimately represented, but past experience told him that no matter how much emotion Prometheus invested, it wouldn¡¯t yield a good result. After all, the newly enthroned Divine King wouldn¡¯t want to create humans without reason. What the Divine King dedicated himself to was naturally only power. Perhaps humans bore some special value that was unknown to them at present. But no matter what that value was, once humans were created, there were only two possibilities. If they were useful, then the Divine King would consider them a forbidden delicacy, to be shared at most with other powerful deities. If they were useless, then in order to continue his ¡®experiment,¡¯ the Divine King would only start over anew. Thus, pouring emotions into something that was doomed not to be one¡¯s own naturally wouldn¡¯t lead to a good oue. It was inevitable. ¡°What are you standing there for,e here now,¡± Seeing his brother spacing out, Prometheus scolded. ¡°Right, I¡¯ming.¡± Shaking his head, Epimetheus moved forward as instructed. Divine power lit up in his hands, and in the end, he decided to do as he always did, to follow Prometheus¡¯s requests.
He had tried to persuade As in the past because he felt no god could forever be the Divine King, but As had scoffed at the notion. Now, he was attempting to persuade his own brother, but again to no avail. Luckily, the deities were immortal, so Epimetheus epted this calmly. Perhaps after they had gone through enough, they would no longer do this. Only by suffering losses does one learn the lesson. It goes for both gods and humans. Chapter 170: 25 Bronze Chapter 170: Chapter 25 Bronze On a nameless in, using the remnants of the old era, a new humanity was slowly crafted. Although he was a witness, Prometheus didn¡¯t notice at all what the material the Divine King had sent was made of. After all, he had only ever handled the parts for making birds and beasts, and the portion used to create Silver Humanity had never been touched by others, as Mother Earth did not allow it. With his brother¡¯s help, Prometheus¡¯s movements became swift. In just a few moments, he shaped a human. Epimetheus followed behind, endowing them with different potentials. Some had extraordinary strength, others had keen observation, and some had swift reactions. Per the Forethinker¡¯s request, each one was unique, possessing their own strengths that were memorable. In the end, when humanity spread across the earth, several months had passed. Prometheus lifted a small bottle, which was sent by the Divine King, the origin of life liquid ¡°extracted¡± from who knows where. ¡°Truly a perfect creation, may the respected Lord of the Spirit Realm grant you equally perfect souls.¡± In silent prayer, the Forethinker turned the liquid into rain, sprinkling it upon the beings before him. In the silent transition, when the bodies of humans gained vitality, Samsara sensed the birth of new life and voluntarily provided the initial souls. However, unlike other life currently, since humans were made by a deity and not bred naturally, their souls were naturally not arranged by the spring and renewal of Ononia. As Samsara turned, a new seed of the soul descended, and just like Golden and Silver Humanity, this third generation possessed consciousness, without past lives, they were their own original beginning. ¡°The first generation is Golden Humanity, the second is Silver Humanity, you are the third.¡±
¡°Bronze, Bronze Humanity is your name.¡± Watching his creation open their eyes before him, Prometheus felt a heartfelt joy. It was not the emotion of a creator towards their creation, but more like a father¡¯s affection for his child. ¡°I am your creator, son of the Titan god Iapetus, the Forethinker Prometheus.¡± Looking at the confused eyes of Bronze Humanity, he said loudly, ¡°I have already given younguage and awareness of the world. I, by themand of the lord of Olympus, King Zeus, have created you¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªWhat is this?¡± ¡°What is this?¡± Before he could finish his sentence, almost in unison, Prometheus and his brother at his side eximed in surprise. Just now, at the moment when humanity opened their eyes and saw them, both deities suddenly felt a force entwined around their bodies. In the past, they had also felt it from Golden Humanity. But at that time, they were newly born, and their divine power was far from reaching the limit of godhood, so they didn¡¯t pay attention to this weak force, as the enhancement it provided was not as strong as their natural growth in divine power as True Gods. But now it was different, their divine power had long reached its limit. Yet for perhaps the first time, what was meant to be stagnant power due to the boundary of godhood seemed to pulse, advancing an imperceptible fraction. No change in godhood itself, no shift in the strength of authority, but still an increase in divine power, an urrence that was previously impossible. Feeling this change, Prometheus realized something astonishing. Thinking of Zeus¡¯s peculiar enthusiasm for humans, it was as if he understood. ¡°So this is why the Divine King had me create humans, I can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t notice this power before.¡± First surprise, then delight. Prometheus was joyful not only about the increase in power but also about the future of his creation. He had listened to Epimetheus¡¯s words before. All things muste to an end, humans are destined to perish, but now the existence of humans had value, so naturally, the deities would not let them die off. Perhaps soon, King Zeus would have him create females, perpetuating the Bronze Humanity forever. And his own creations would thereby be immortal alongside the Deity Race. ¡°¡­Brother, they seem to worship you a lot.¡± His reverie was interrupted. Prometheus frowned and turned to his brother beside him.
Indeed, the newly created humans were prostrating on the ground, worshipping the deity that created them. For them, everything was their first encounter with the world: the sun above, the earth beneath their feet, and the deity before them all inspired an innate reverence within them. There¡¯s nothing odd about that; it¡¯s said that the same thing happened when Golden Humanity was born. ¡°That¡¯s only natural, Epimetheus, since I am their creator, of course they will worship me. It¡¯s a perfectly normal affair. Now, you stay here and protect them, I have to report back to King Zeus.¡± With a wave of his hand, his younger brother seemed like he wanted to say something, but the Forethinker paid no mind.
First, he promised the newly born Bronze Humanity that he would return soon; then he soared into the sky, flying towards Mount Olympus. The transmission of faith knows no bounds; it may diminish or be reduced, but once faith is spawned, believers can receive it from anywhere. So when Bronze Humanity was born, this formless faith was transmitted outward. On Olympus, above the vast seas, in the Underworld, within the Spirit Realm¡ªmore than one existence took notice. They all had one thing inmon¡ªthey had reached the upper limit of divine power allowed by their godhood, and had more or less association with humans. Some, like King Zeus, granted humans the right to exist; others, like Mother Earth, provided humans with and to live on; still others were like the Sun, whose light was indispensable to humans; or, as monsense¡¯, were directly imparted to humans by Prometheus upon their creation. In any case, when they sensed an unnatural change in divine power, almost all deities were shocked. The reverence of creatures could elevate divine power; this was actually perceived by some gods long ago. However, during the Golden Age, the twisted souls of humanity produced only negligible faith, not even matching the pace at which the divine power of deities naturally increased over time, so this was overlooked by the gods. They thought it might, at best, speed up the rate at which their divine power reached its limit, but not break through it. Cronus, the only one who might have realized this, paid no attention either, since King Zeus¡¯s authority far exceeded his weakened temporal divine authority. But now things were different. An era had passed, the vast majority of deities had reached their peak, and the faith of the new humans was a hundredfold greater than before. They noticed this almost instantly. Their divine power, long unchanged, had miraculously increased a bit. ¡°Hahaha¡­ I see now!¡± Atop Mount Olympus, in the empty grand hall, King Zeusughed heartily. Unlike other deities still searching for the source of the change, he had directly pinpointed the Bronze Humanity he¡¯d been observing for a long time. In this moment, as he felt that wondrous power flowing towards him, he believed he¡¯d finally deciphered the secret of Father God¡¯s strength.
¡°I see now¡­ I¡¯ve finally understood. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t realize this sooner; otherwise, I would have never let Prometheus teach these humans about the existence of other deities.¡± After some time, King Zeus collected himself. He pondered for a moment, then called out loudly. ¡°Iris!¡± ¡°Your Majesty, what are yourmands?¡± The Goddess of Rainbow, straddling the light, listened respectfully. ¡°Extend an invitation to my two brothers¡­ Tell them that this creation born from mymand¡­ This is our shared fruit, but it is also exclusively the fruit of Olympus.¡± ¡°Go, and deliver the message as it is.¡± Seeing the Goddess of Rainbow¡¯s puzzled look, King Zeus had no intention of exining; instead, he waved her off to carry out the task. It was normal for her not to realize it. The Forethinker had only granted his creation the most basic knowledge, including the powerful divine forces of Olympus, and the most fundamentalnguage and script. All other content, Prometheus had nned to teach humans himself in the days toe, but now he had saved King Zeus a great deal of trouble. There are two sources of faith: knowledge with worship, or integral parts of life, bing part of civilization, culture, and history. Zeus¡¯s two brothers belonged to the former, the Sun God, Moon God along with King Zeus, and Mother Earth to thetter¡ªall of whom received faith. But the Goddess of Rainbow did not. Just like Zeus¡¯s foster parents far out at sea, since none of the criteria were met, there was naturally no response whatsoever.
Chapter 171 - 26 Fear or Gift Chapter 171: Chapter 26 Fear or Gift For ordinary deities, the world hadn¡¯t changed at all. Yet, the moment Bronze Humanity was born, it silently shook the hearts of many gods. Whether it was the new gods who had tasted the Golden Apple or old gods like Helios who had been restricted to intermediate divine power for thousands of years, they all noticed the change. Thus, atop Mount Olympus, in less than a century, seated upon a bronze chariot, Hades returned here once more. Of course, perhaps ¡®short¡¯ wasn¡¯t the right word to describe it, since from his birth to now hadn¡¯t been all that long. Gazing upon the Divine Pce that had been rebuilt, the God of the Underworld couldn¡¯t help butpare it to his own abode. He easily concluded that the surface was indeed preferable to the underworld. It wasn¡¯t a matter of the architecture itself, but that Hades could use as many gemstones, as precious materials as possible to construct his temples, yet it would not change the deste solitude of the ce. He himself didn¡¯t care, but since all the other gods cared, he reluctantly had to start caring as well. ¡°Hades, you¡¯vee too?¡± ¡°Our dear brother is truly exceptional; he always manages to create something out of the ordinary. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t hide this time. Otherwise, no one would know to what realms he would¡¯ve stealthily traveled.¡± Even from afar, the booming voice of Poseidon carried over. Following the sound, Hades looked towards the south, where the Sea Emperor was flying alone toward Mount Olympus. This was a good thing, after all, just before, the Lord of the Underworld had worried Poseidon would bring along his Sea God kinsmen. Fortunately, at least when it came to monopolizing, his brother had never disappointed. ¡°Stop wasting time, Poseidon, our sisters are there too. Don¡¯t keep them waiting too long.¡± Concise and to the point, Hades had no intention of saying more. He led the way into the grand hall where matters were discussed, and seeing this, the Sea Emperor promptly followed suit. Behind them, Helios, who had just finished parking his Sun Chariot, also rushed in. In fact, if it wasn¡¯t for the importance of the Sun¡¯s presence to the mortals, making it impossible to leave him out, the Divine King would have preferred not to invite this Titan deity to join the feast of division. Mount Olympus housed many temples, for the most part, the abodes of the True Gods. However, near the peak, the Divine King had ordered the construction of a pce where the gods could resolve disputes and discuss matters. He named this temple Rikte, meaning ¡®ce of justice and honesty.¡¯ Today, following Zeus¡¯s summons, gods of intermediate divine power or greater gathered; many of them possessed even more formidable divine power. They all knew the purpose of their congregation, for the newly born humanity. Prometheus was the exception. As the creator of Bronze Humanity, he was permitted to join this meeting and even took a seat close to the front. Before this, no one understood faith, nor knew where this power originated, or why feeble humans suddenly came to possess such ability. Prometheus himself didn¡¯t know, but at least he¡¯d had close contact with the Golden Humanity, which was the reason for his seat here. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen,¡± Sitting at the highest ce, Zeus spoke with increasing authority. As thest participant entered the great hall, he slowly began. ¡°The faith of humans can enhance divine power, a fact proven in the Golden Age. Sadly, due to various reasons, the gods of that time didn¡¯t pay much attention to this matter.¡± The faith of the Golden Humanity was sparse; Zeus heard about this from Prometheus. But the Divine King felt that aside from their thought patterns having been altered, there might be other reasons. For instance, his Father God might have secretly done something, absorbing enough power to benefit himself. Unfortunately, the Divine King had no knowledge of this. ¡°Thankfully, the son of Iapetus, the Forethinker, has created Bronze Humanity. Based on his suggestion, the souls of the new humans are naturally formed, prompting us to pay attention to this secret.¡± Looking around at those present, Zeus continued, ¡°You are all gods of Olympus; our interests are naturally unified. I am willing to share this discovery with you, but when facing other invaders, we should also stand united.¡± The Divine King was well aware that among all the powerful divine beings of the world, probably only his sister Hestia was truly willing to fight unconditionally on his side. Apart from her, without the tie of interest, at most they wouldn¡¯t oppose the Divine Court. In such circumstances, Zeus resolutely chose to share the benefits, as long as he, as the Divine King, could obtain thergest portion. And swiftly too, firmly too, he wanted to acquire enough faith before his foster father, before the Primordial Gods noticed. The Divine King was now immensely grateful that Mother Earth was already asleep; otherwise, although he wasn¡¯t very familiar with the Power of Faith, as the embodiment of the earth, Gaia would surely have naturally received her share. ¡°What about the other Titan Principal Gods?¡± On the left side of the great hall, Demeter, who hadpletely freed herself from the influence of the power of time, looked at Zeus and asked: ¡°For example, your foster parents, are they excluded?¡± Zeus didn¡¯t speak because he knew someone would speak for him. As expected, Poseidon directly responded. ¡°Demeter, as our sister, I can somewhat understand that you¡¯ve spent a lot of time at sea and may have developed some respect and fondness for those two, but I hope you remember that your brother also has a ce in the great ocean.¡± Hearing this, Demeter fell silent. She did hold a great deal of respect for the Primordial Sea Goddess, but not enough to have a falling out with her own brother over it. After a pause, and seeing that no one else present had any objections, Zeus slowly said: ¡°It seems we have reached a consensus, so it¡¯s decided. We will share the faith, not to be snatched away by other deities.¡± ¡°Now, regarding how to make humans offer their faith, do you have any thoughts? The Bronze Humanity is not like the Golden Generation. Even though the faith they bring has grown stronger, they may not necessarily have the same devotion.¡± ¡°We need some method to make them take the gods seriously.¡± ¡°Fear.¡± Without hesitation, Helios was the first to stand up. He was only a step away from great divine power, and faith gave him hope. ¡°Let humans, like the Golden Humanity, build temples for the gods and provide sacrifices and offerings.¡± ¡°If they refuse, then let drought, storms, earthquakes, floodse upon them. When they feel fear, they will naturally pray earnestly for the mercy of the gods.¡± ¡°I object.¡± Prometheus immediately retorted. He was pleased to see humans providing faith to the gods. After all, the more important they became, the less likely the gods would want to see them extinct. However, he could not ept Helios¡¯s suggestion. ¡°Sheer violence cannot win genuine devotion, just as the former Divine King used violence to subjugate you. As the result shows, he did not gain your true loyalty.¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Helios felt waves of anger surging within him as Prometheus¡¯s words struck at the heart of the matter. But he was about to speak, heplied under the sharp gaze of Zeus. ¡°Continue.¡± Turning his head, Zeus addressed Prometheus. With a slight bow, the Forethinker continued to express his views. ¡°Experience tells us that suffering can only make one submit, while beneficence can inspire respect. Just as children treat their parents, it is not out of fear, but because of affection.¡± ¡°Thus, the gods should protect humanity and bestow blessings, so that humans will faithfully believe in the gods, and our faith will flow continuously.¡± Nodding, Zeus too had his first encounter with the power of faith. In fact, he felt that both sides had a point. Power indeed finds it hard to win sincere respect, but thinking of himself, Zeus felt that even if someone was always good to him, he might not necessarily reciprocate in kind. Not to mention anything else, the infant still developing within him at that time was proof. ¡°Hestia, my sister, what do you think about this matter?¡± Somewhat unexpectedly, Zeus suddenly asked for her opinion, but the goddess of the hearth and protector rose to express her views. ¡°I think anything forced upon others is unreasonable. If it were me, I would tell humans that those who believe in me could gain protection, receive blessings. The more devout they are, the more I will give in return; those who don¡¯t believe in me, I won¡¯t punish, but will leave to their own devices. However, if they dare to desecrate the divine, to speak ill, then I too will bring disasters upon them.¡± ¡°Since the gods have given humans free will, we should abide by it. Otherwise, the faith brought by the Golden Humanity would not have been so weak in the past, and this might be the warning that the world gives to the divine beings. Chapter 172 - 27 The Myth Begins Henceforth Chapter 172: Chapter 27 The Myth Begins Henceforth ¡°You truly are kind and wise.¡± Once Hestia had finished speaking, Prometheus couldn¡¯t help but praise her. The gods nodded in agreement, recognizing it as a great idea, but Hades, who had been silent, expressed a different opinion. ¡°My sister, your idea ismendable, but how do we measure the proper degree here?¡± ¡°Unless mortals stand directly before us, we simply cannot judge to what extent a particr human is devout or faithless. Nowadays, the power of the deities on Earth has been limited.¡± ¡°Moreover, if a devout human is willing to sacrifice everything for the gods and asks for divinity to achieve eternal life, is that equivalent?¡± ¡°For mortals, he has given up everything. But to the gods, no matter how devout a person is, he could never equate to divinity.¡± The great hall fell silent once again; it had to be admitted, the words of the King of the Underworld made sense. The divinity that grants eternal life to a being is trivial to a god. But the divinity that grants eternity to a hundred people would injure even the Principal God¡¯s mighty divine power. ¡°Lady Themis.¡± In the silence, the Divine King spoke. ¡°You are the arbiter of justice, the overseer of righteousness, so I hope to invoke the power of the Golden Scales to make a judgment on this matter.¡± ¡°I have no objections,¡± said the Goddess of Justice, nodding. ¡°But even the Golden Scales cannot measure the magnitude of faith, this wondrous power seems beyond the influence of a Divine Artifact.¡± ¡°Thus, if you wish to ce ¡®human devotion¡¯ on one side of the Scales, you would need something more representative of devotion.¡± The Divine King furrowed his brow, hesitating. If faith itself was immeasurable, and the gods could not personally sense it in the Mortal Realm one by one, how could theye to know the purity of a mortal¡¯s faith? ¡°Then let¡¯s measure it by the sacrifices they offer to the gods,¡± Prometheus suddenly proposed. ¡°If a person is willing to offer more to the gods than what he keeps for himself, then such a person must be devout.¡± ¡°For such devout mortals, it is only natural for the gods to respond, to encourage more humans to learn from him.¡± ¡°Not bad.¡± Zeus¡¯s expression rxed, finding the idea reasonable. This was the gods¡¯ first venture into the realm of faith. Lacking experience, they could only attempt to navigate it as best as they could. ¡°Let it be so. Those who believe in the gods shall be rewarded ording to their level of devotion. The non-believers, meanwhile, shall be left to their own devices.¡± ¡°As the Divine King, I make my promise here first: for those who believe in me, there is little I cannot grant. What mortals can gain from me solely depends on the degree of their devotion.¡± Zeus made his promise first, cautiously avoiding specificmitments. As the guardian of oaths, his words naturally held sway. This deliberately vague phrasing was also to his benefit, allowing him to adjust his approach ording to the situation. ¡°Then I shall permit the devout to kindle mes. The Authority of Guardianship shall henceforth apany the fire, keeping the cmities of the world at bay.¡± Hestia followed with her promise, and though her Authority of Fire concerned only the material act of burning, the Guardianship could endow it with additional meaning. After her sister had spoken, Demeter also added, ¡°Then I shall grant them evergreen fruit trees, which will never wither, forever safeguarding them from hunger.¡± Even if they could not exercise divine power in the Mortal Realm, such applications of authority on a grand scale could still be aplished at Mount Olympus. Demeter believed that,pared to other things, mortals ced a greater significance on sustenance. Seeing the three deities set an example, the other gods also made promises one by one to attract human worship. After all, just as the Forethinker had said, oppression only led to superficial obedience. If there was no genuine devotion from within, humans¡¯ daily prayers would hardly generate the Power of Faith. ¡°Very well, let it be decided so.¡± With a smile, as everything concluded, the Divine King looked around at the gods, and his gaze finally rested on Prometheus. ¡°Son of Iapetus, go. Return to the beings you have created, to proim the greatness of the gods to them. I believe you will do well in this endeavor.¡± ¡°I honor Your will.¡± Prometheus was also satisfied; he had foreseen the bright future of humanity. As the gods bestowed their blessings one after another, humans were destined to be the leaders of all spirits. So, he left the Mount of the Gods and flew towards the mortal realm. The gods dispersed, yet Zeus still lingered in the great hall. Despite all he had done that day, the Divine King was simply going with the flow. His concern for the faith of the Bronze Humanity was not as great as he had shown. Since it had caught the attention of the other deities, he might as well have called them together. After all, among those present, only he, wielding the authority of the Divine King, had sensed the Forethinker¡¯s strength growing almost every moment. Although this was also rted to his own weakness in divine power, such a rate of increase was still too fast. ¡°Prometheus¡­ what you said is correct, true faith is like a child¡¯s love for a mother, not born out of fear but of adoration. But tell me, what kind of gift would lead children to forsake their parents and turn to worship other beings?¡± Muttering to himself, one who could betray their parents could easily betray others; such a person cannot truly hold faith. Perhaps immense benefits couldpel them to believe, but Zeus was not willing to pay that price. Therefore, he did not bring up the creation of women until the meeting had concluded. Because if even women were to be created, allowing the Bronze Humanity to continue on, who would be the greatest beneficiary of faith¡ªhim or Prometheus? ¡°In one or two hundred years, at most three hundred years, humans who cannot procreate are quite limited. Even if Prometheus has left behind some materials for creating more, he can at most make another round. After some years, I¡¯ll find a reason to get him to finish it.¡± ¡°The next generation, I will let humans, with the help of gods, create themselves. That way, a creator who can die will no longer be a creator.¡± Having made his decision in secret, and thinking of the next generation of humans, the Divine King suddenly had a brilliant idea. He reached out and touched the space around him, and an invisiblework emerged. Elements were bound by thework, moving along specific trajectories. By plucking the corresponding ¡®strings,¡¯ different elemental changes would unfold in the material world. That was The Magic Web. In the past, out of curiosity for witchcraft, Zeus had already researched it, and indeed, The Magic Web had never refused anyone¡¯s use. But ultimately, the Divine King came to a regretful conclusion: These elements were of little use to gods. Even if divine power werebined with it, it would only be a weakened force¡ªa diluted energy possessing only some characteristics of divine power. However, in the current world, Zeus suddenly realized that being weaker than divine power might not necessarily be a bad thing. ¡°¡­ There¡¯s no rush.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need now. There are too few humans; it¡¯s not yet time for the gods to carve out their domains among humans. Wait for the next generation. When they spread across the earth, that¡¯s when they will really be needed.¡± ¡°Simple gifts are not enough. Those who believe in me should also be able to pick up swords and fight for my glory in the mortal realm.¡± Gripping the armrest of his throne tightly, Zeus knew that so-called ¡®shared¡¯ faith could neverst. Just as one who obeys several rulers is surely disloyal, unless humans were like the Golden Humanity of old, those who believe in several gods will likely not be very devout. When that timees, and the number of humans is sufficient, this division will inevitably ur. And as the Divine King, as long as Zeus did not strike first, the moral high ground would always be on his side. If his followers could kill the followers of others, he could me it on the spontaneous actions of mortals. If any deity sought to intervene, the Divine King could then stand on moral ground to stop them. A sword in one hand, grace in the other, with the sword wielded by mortals and the grace bestowed by deities¡ªthat was Zeus¡¯s ideal mortal realm. ¡°Soon.¡± ¡°In a few hundred years, Mother Earth should still not have awakened.¡± Speaking softly, the Divine King was making ns in secret. Of course, the other gods present at the meeting also had various ideas of their own. The Forethinker returned to the mortal realm, teaching the newly born humans all kinds of knowledge. Hades returned to the Underworld, watching the wraiths worship the Nether Moon in silence. Poseidon pondered deeply, trying to obtain some humans for himself in the future. Near the ce where the Bronze Humanity was born, a silhouette slowly approached. Perhaps for the current world, the session of the Divine King signifies a change in the era. But for Chaos, maybe now is just the beginning of the third era. All myths began from this moment, whether real or fabricated, left for posterity to discuss. And the even more distant past has been buried in the river of history by the disasters of the changing era, leaving behind only fragments of words, difficult to specte and discern. Chapter 173: 28 A Journey Together and the Splendor Chapter 173: Chapter 28 A Journey Together and the Splendor ¡°` Undoubtedly, however one may judge Prometheus from other perspectives, his partiality towards humans was truly genuine. Perhaps there were other thoughts mixed in, such as a secret delight in the rise of his divine power, but that wasn¡¯t the main reason. He liked his own creation, so he was willing to do things for them and always considered things from their perspective¡ªthat was the reason for everything he had done in the past, was doing now, and would do in the future. Thus, Prometheus returned to the ce where he created humans, a in in the eastern region of the continent, not too far from the sea. He flew high into the sky to observe from a god¡¯s perspective where there were cattle and sheep, and where the grains were, then guided humans to retrieve them. He taught humans how to write so that they could record andmunicate. He imparted knowledge to humans, all of which the kings of the Golden Humanity had learned from dreams in the previous era. He even relied on his divine body to drive away fierce beasts for humans. However, over time, the Forethinker gradually realized that his meticulous care made some humans bezy. They enjoyed the creator¡¯s gifts but were unwilling to work. So, after some thought, Prometheus decided not to do everything himself. He would use wisdom to help humans and then let them handle each matter on their own. From then on, Prometheus lived with his brother among human settlements, telling them how to solve various problems. Of course, he did not forget the most critical thing. The Forethinker guided the construction of temples to worship the gods, and recounted the greatness of each deity one by one. He built the Divine King¡¯s Temple most splendidly, then let the people offer sacrifices to the gods. The gods responded to humans, just as they had promised. When humans offered more and better things to the gods than they possessed, even though the gods did not actually care about these offerings, they still bestowed blessings upon them.
Ever since, the ces where humans lived enjoyed favorable weather and nts bore fruit all year round. When people lit torches, ordinary wild beasts would stay away, and disasters like earthquakes and storms no longer urred where humans dwelled. Everything was fine, the gods harvested faith as expected, humans reaped benefits, and even by themand of the Divine King, Prometheus created more humans from the remaining materials. But this time, he made them like children of the gods in their youth. The Forethinker hoped that by doing so, he could make the Divine King realize that it was time to grant humans women. And so, years swiftly passed. ¡­ Another bountiful harvest year, and also the day to sacrifice to the gods. Under the guidance of Prometheus, humans flocked to temples built for different deities. There, they offered up most of their harvest to prove their devotion. Therefore, within human settlements, the usually bustling scenes were absent, making it seem somewhat deserted. Walking on human streets and looking around, Laine casually picked a fruit from a tree on the side of the road and handed it to Liana beside him. The loyal Angel received the fruit but held it in her arms without any intent to eat it. ¡°Liana, don¡¯t always be so stern. Don¡¯t you think this ce is interesting?¡± She shook her head slightly, looking at the trees around herden with ripe fruit. Even though the arrival of the three goddesses of the All-Spirit Realm had made spring, summer, and autumn more distinct within Chaos, under Demeter¡¯s dominion, the fruit trees here were still evergreen. Even standing on Mount Olympus, the divine influence on the world remained immense. ¡°In a few years, without the influence of divine power, humans have built suchrge-scale settlements. If I hadn¡¯t seen more remarkable things, I¡¯d be amazed by this as well.¡± He admired the primitive and simple architecture around him. The Bronze Humanity was still constructing houses from wood and stone. Everything seemed rough but orderly, exuding a thriving and flourishing vibe. ¡°But what¡¯s the use of all this? Just one earthquake, or a falling meteorite, would reduce everything they have to dust.¡± Standing beside Laine, Liana asked with confusion. If it weren¡¯t for Laine¡¯s decision toe here, the Goddess of the Nether Moon would have never bothered visiting a human tribe. She didn¡¯t find anything remarkable about it.
Just as humans would not marvel, ¡°If I didn¡¯t have wisdom, I would fare worse than those witless beasts,¡± because wisdom is an innate gift of humans, just as divine power is a god¡¯s innate gift. Therefore, Laine wasn¡¯t surprised by Liana¡¯s thoughts. What truly made humans valuable to gods, aside from faith, was their creativity. Or perhaps, it was precisely because of their creativity that they were capable of having faith. This was something Laine still couldn¡¯t be sure of, and as for thetter, humans had not yet had the chance to demonstrate it. ¡°It may seem useless, but they can generate faith, and you do not know why they can. At least on that ount, they still have something to offer.¡±
He responded to Liana¡¯s question with simple words, and Laine noticed that, not far from a wooden hut, there was a young man sitting there, lost in thought. He vaguely looked toward the direction of The Temple but did not join the rest of the humans in worshipping the deities. ¡°` ¡°You¡¯ll understand in time, Liana, this is civilization. Everything is changing, only change itself is constant. And civilization itself is the source of ¡®change¡¯.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go and take a look.¡± Liana, seemingly puzzled but following nheless, kept pace as Laine advanced. They quickly arrived before the young man. Noticing the neers, the young man slightly lifted his head, his previously dull eyes instantly bing alert. ¡°Deity.¡± The calm tone, the certain judgment. Among mortals, it is already tricky for gods to discern who has Divine Power, yet Liana¡¯s presence was indisputable proof. There were no women among humans, thus the visitors must be of the divine. ¡°Yes, and you are too.¡± Nodding his head with a smile, Laine took a seat beside the young man and gestured for Liana to sit as well. ¡°I brought her along to get a little exposure to the world because, in her current state, it will be difficult for her to advance much further in the future.¡±
¡°To do anything, one must learn to n ahead, not wait until trouble arrives before thinking about a solution.¡± Epimetheus still didn¡¯t rx, his eyes narrowing slightly. His visit to the human tribe on this special day didn¡¯t strike him as a coincidence. ¡°There¡¯s probably not much of the world to be seen here, except for me and my brother and a bunch of ignorant mortals.¡± ¡°Heh.¡± With a light chuckle, Laine could sense that Liana¡¯s gaze towards the other had turned somewhat unfriendly. However, he understood the man¡¯s caution and knew the reason for it. He spoke to reassure him: ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand, I¡¯m not here for your brother. Besides, even if his actions go unnoticed, it¡¯s unlikely that he¡¯ll keep seeding.¡± A surge of emotion filled his heart, but then Epimetheus fell silent again. The other did indeed know what his brother intended to do. He shouldn¡¯t remain indifferent, but as Laine said, even if this attempt were avoided, Prometheus couldn¡¯t seed forever. In the endless time of the deities, if anything is possible, it¡¯s destined to happen, and that¡¯s what he always believed. Epimetheus had not supported Prometheus¡¯s actions from the start, but thetter clearly didn¡¯t care about his foolish younger brother¡¯s advice. Over the years, watching humans offer the finest parts of cattle and sheep to the gods, and the best grains as tribute, at first, he felt it was only right. But as time went by, living and eating with humans, Prometheus started feeling imbnced. The blessings granted by deities were just a minor exercise of authority, barely affecting their power, but the tributes from humans were tangible, and more for the gods meant a significantly worse life for them. If the gods truly needed these offerings, then as a trade for blessings, Prometheus might have epted it, but he knew perfectly well that they didn¡¯t. The gods rejoiced at the humans¡¯ devotion and secretly delighted in the existence of the Power of Faith, only to discard the tributes soon after. Seeing the fruits of his creations¡¯bors squandered this way, the Forethinker couldn¡¯t help but entertain some uneptable thoughts.
¡°Then why have youe?¡± Somewhat irritated, Epimetheus knew that Prometheus wouldn¡¯t meet a good end. He had advised him against it, but while it bore no results, and he felt it couldn¡¯t be changed, he let things take their course, although it didn¡¯t make him feel any better. Even towards humans, his creations to which he was once rather fond, he now felt a growing resentment. ¡°If I must give a reason, perhaps it¡¯s to bear witness.¡± After a moment of contemtion, Laine spoke slowly. ¡°To witness sin, to witness sacrifice, and of course, to wait for someone.¡± ¡°There aren¡¯t many in this world who meet my criteria, who possess ¡®potential¡¯, but I think he is one.¡± Laine could feel what Evangeline felt¡ªthat pure and strong faith that had captured his attention the moment it appeared. When the Lord of the Spirit Realm cast his gaze there, the traces of History became clear, but that wasn¡¯t enough. The eldest of the human kings still held on to illusions, after all, he had never truly witnessed the gods¡¯ indifference towards humans. Laine wasn¡¯t in a rush to approach him, but kept a watchful eye instead. He believed that the most outstanding heroes bloom the brightest flowers under the strongest emotions. As for Laine, he didn¡¯t need to do anything. The gods of Mount Olympus were already like that. Chapter 174: 29 Deceit Chapter 174: Chapter 29 Deceit ¡°Do we really have to do this?¡± As Laine and his twopanions harbored their own thoughts, in The Temple dedicated to the offering of fire and protection of the goddess Hestia, Momon was somewhat nervous. Although the creator stood by his side, and even though he was reluctant to part with the sacrifice that was to be offered, he still felt uneasy. After all, in the past, Prometheus had told them more than once about the era when deities roamed the earth, how they could shake mountains and reverse the flow of rivers and seas. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Momon, Her Highness Hestia is one of the kindest goddesses among the gods. Even if she notices anything wrong, she wille to warn me first rather than directly punishing you,¡± Standing at the entrance of The Temple, the tall Prometheusforted those around him. He had never tried it before, and his own power was not sufficient, so the Forethinker didn¡¯t know whether a deity with great divine power could detect something amiss just through the faint divinity on the statue, across the vast earth. Therefore, only today did he dare to make the attempt, and the target was Hestia. This goddess was brave and fearless in battle, but approachable in everyday life. The Forethinker believed that if it were her, then even if something were discovered, it could still be remedied. Although it was somewhat like taking advantage of a kind person, for the sake of his own creations, Prometheus still had to do this. He resolved in secret that if he seeded this time, he would increase the praises for Hestia among humans, allowing her to receive a measure of faith second only to the Divine King. ¡°Ossen, you¡¯ll go first.¡±
Seeing that it was about time, Prometheus hesitated no longer and spoke to a slender human. The Forethinker had a recollection of each of his creations, but some were more prominent than others. When Ossen was created, Epimetheus had endowed him with sensitivity, and perhaps his own blessing was effective, for he was also exceptionally intelligent. Therefore, Prometheus often kept him close to teach. In fact, all those who hade with him on this mission were humans the Forethinker valued highly; they all possessed a natural gift for Wisdom far beyond ordinary people. If this endeavor seeded, the Forethinker decided that they would be responsible for the main priesthood of each of The Temples. Prometheus had even already thought of a name for them¡ªthose who preside over the worship of deities would be called ¡®Priest¡¯. ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Nodding in response, Ossen too was a bit nervous, yet there was a certain thrill. To deceive a deity would have been unimaginable in the past, but somehow, he did not feel it was real. After all, other than the asional blessings, Ossen¡¯s only testimony to the greatness of deities was from the stories of the creator. Yet on Prometheus, he had never seen that kind of omnipotent greatness. ¡°Hoo¡ª¡± Taking a deep breath, under the watchful eyes of everyone, Ossen stepped forward. He took out the offering that had been prepared beforehand. It was a cow. Cows could provide milk, their bones could be used to make soup, and their meat and tallow each had their uses. Whether now or in the future, these were some of humans¡¯ most valuable assets. In the past, humans would offer the best parts of the cow to the gods during sacrifices and keep the offal and bones for themselves, but this time, with the backing of the creator, Ossen would not do so any longer. Taking up a bronze knife, Ossen expertly cut the cow into small pieces, then began sorting them. One pile consisted entirely of beef, covered with cowhide; the other was all bones, wrapped in the cow¡¯s tallow. From the outside, the second pile looked muchrger than the first. After putting down the knife, Ossen ced the two piles on The Temple¡¯s altar used for sacrifice. The most critical moment had arrived; his heart pounded, yet for some reason, there was a sense of excitement. Kneeling on the ground, Ossen chanted loudly. ¡°O immortal one of Olympus, Hestia! Sacred Hestia! I shall sing praises to you loudly! O daughter of the majestic Cronus!
Holy goddess! Bountiful daughter of Rhea! Keeper of the Sacred Fire!¡± That is you¡ªnoble Hestia¡ªeldest daughter of Cronus and Rhea!
The oldest of the Olympian gods! You are forever chaste! You are the glorious and sacred me! You are the guardian of serenity! Oh! Glorious goddess! Listen to my song! Myself and other hymns shall remember you!¡± Rustic poetry, clear in meaning, as the hymn came to an end, Ossen seemed to feel an invisible gazeing from the statue. It was the gaze of the goddess through the divine and faith imbued in the statue. He had felt it more than once before. Bearing his nervousness, Ossen worshiped the deity as usual, pleading for blessings. He told the god about the hardships of hisbors but still willingly offered all for the divine. In the end, he walked to the altar and brazenly took the smaller portion of the beef, leaving behind therger ones. Time ticked away until Prometheus signaled the next person to step forward and make an offering, and nothing happened. ¡°It seems the result is a sess!¡±
¡°My guess was correct. The gods are discerning, but they cannot possiblye down to the mortal world to check personally, so there are naturally some oversights.¡± When everything was over, the Forethinker was all smiles. He looked at the humans gathered around him and spoke with some delight: ¡°Then let¡¯s follow today¡¯s process in the future. You each will be responsible for a temple, Momon, Ossen, the temple of the Divine King is the most important, so the two of you will take care of it together.¡± ¡°From now on, the sacrifices will be made by you, not every person whoes to worship. This way, the matter will not spread, and our goal will be achieved.¡± ¡°However, you must remember, while you can keep the offerings made to the gods, you must not diminish the faith in them. Therefore, afterwards, you will return these offerings to everyone in other names, but do not let them know.¡± ¡°Of course, Your Highness, how dare we truly profane the divine.¡± Excited, Ossen nced at his partner behind him, but he felt somewhat reflective in his heart. It turns out that even the gods on Mount Olympus are not so magnificent, unable to discern things right before their eyes. But then again, the creator once said that humans are the lords of all, the creatures closest to the divine in the world. Perhaps the difference between gods and humans is simply a matter of power and life. He had already witnessed power, but he could not grasp life. Prometheus had once talked to the humans about death, but the robust Ossen felt no fear at all. ¡°Let¡¯s leave it at that then; you all think it over for yourselves, I need to go back now.¡± Not knowing what the humans in front of him were thinking, Prometheus¡¯s mood was still quite good. Before he came here, Epimetheus had advised him against deceiving the gods, but the Forethinker had snorted disdainfully at such a notion.
If he were as foolish as his brother, he might indeed slip up, but how could he act so recklessly? First try it out in the temple of Hestia, then promote it step by step¡ªthat is the wisdom of the Forethinker. Moreover, all this was at his instigation, and ordinary humans were unaware of it. Even if it were exposed, it would have nothing to do with the Bronze Humanity. Thinking this, Prometheus couldn¡¯t help but feel a little emotional. Often, he wished his simple brother could learn a thing or two, but s, that would probably never happen. After all, that¡¯s how deities are, born a certain way, they stay that way, and unless there is a massive upheaval, they are unlikely to change. Chapter 175: 30 The Goddess of Beauty in Marriage and Division Chapter 175: Chapter 30 The Goddess of Beauty in Marriage and Division Sitting in the stone chair, Laine and hispanions simply watched in the round mirror how Prometheus and his human students deceived the deities. It must be said, purely in terms of execution, the Forethinker was remarkable indeed. He knew how to avoid risks, how to probe, and how to keep secrets, which were rare abilities among the gods. Laine could almost foresee that, had he been a mortal rather than a deity, he would have lived a smooth life for the most part, and at the moment of weing death, mocked the foolishness of the deities for not seeing through his little trick. But he was a god, and this made his actions look anything but clever. He was bound to be punished one day in the future, sooner orter. ¡°Your brother will be back soon.¡± Having stored away the High-Grade Artifact imbued with the authority of [Space], Laine nced at Epimetheus beside him and took his leave. ¡°But rest assured, we will keep our lips sealed about everything we saw today.¡± It must be said, in the absence of divine power, the usefulness of these artifacts was greatly amplified. ¡°Then I will not see you out¡­¡± Watching the two about to depart, Epimetheus hesitated for a moment, but still asked,
¡°However, stranger, in your opinion, how will the Divine King punish my brother in the future?¡± The two unfamiliar deities had never been seen by him before. Perhaps they came from the Underworld, or from the stars, or even the depths of the Spirit Realm, but their coincidental appearance here undoubtedly proved that they were nomoners. ¡°Well, I guess¡­ he will not punish Prometheus.¡± With a slight smile, Laine looked at Liana beside him. ¡°What do you think, why is that?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Taken aback by the question, Liana pondered for a moment. It was not her forte, but she still ventured a guess: ¡°Because Prometheus is still of use?¡± ¡°Incorrect.¡± Laine shook his head: ¡°Once he created humans and passed on the knowledge from the past era, he could no longer be considered valuable.¡± ¡°Even his much-prided ¡®Wisdom,¡¯ the Divine King could achieve this through other means too, though it would require a bit more divine power.¡± ¡°¡­Then is it because of his identity?¡± Liana guessed again. ¡°Also incorrect.¡± Laine refuted again: ¡°Titan Iapetus¡¯s status and power were never high, so why would Zeus fear him.¡± ¡°Besides his own father, Prometheus¡¯s wife is only an Oceanides who is weaker than he, and the only powerful brother is still holding up the sky in the west.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Liana fell silent. She was always an effective executor, capable of doing everything Laine asked of her, but that didn¡¯t mean she was adept at pondering such matters. Shaking his head, Laine still turned back to Epimetheus, who had initially raised the question. ¡°What about you, lesser god of hindsight?¡± ¡°Perhaps because my brother¡¯s offense is not severe enough, and humanity¡¯s transgressions are insufficient as well.¡±
As the conversation with Liana unfolded, the famously foolish deity seemed to have understood something. ¡°The Divine King desires a permanent solution to my brother, to this creator of the Bronze Humanity, rather than a mere punishment. He has the merit of creating people, and although he deceived the gods, he has yet to affect human faith, so the King cannot punish him too harshly, otherwise it would affect his own prestige.¡± With a sigh, the lesser god of hindsight understood the causes and consequences. He felt the rising divine power within him. As the deity who helped Prometheus create humans, they both amassed more faith than even Zeus did. So it was not just his brother, but he himself had to bring disasters upon humanity.
¡°Thank you for your wisdom, stranger deity. Might I be fortunate enough to learn your name?¡± Rising to offer a slight bow, Epimetheus asked. But across from him, Laine declined. ¡°There¡¯s no need. To be honest, I don¡¯t really like you.¡± Standing up, Laine could already faintly see Prometheus rushing over. ¡°If your brother prides himself on his wisdom, always doing things that he shouldn¡¯t, then you are just the opposite. You clearly could have changed something, yet you do not wish to change at all.¡± ¡°I have no reason to reproach you, as this is merely a difference in how individuals approach the world. But a deity like you, who may well care only for himself, is certainly not what I need, the kind of life capable of aplishing extraordinary feats.¡± Gently shaking his head, Laine signaled to Liana, then turned to leave. Behind him, Epimetheus seemed to want to say something but in the end held back. Just as the stranger deity said, in the past, he seemed to have advised Prometheus, advised As, but it was only superficial. ¡®Matters unaddressed, awaiting destiny¡¯smand,¡¯ would be the perfect description of him. Perhaps feeling that his own abilities were limited and unable to bring about change, he opted to simply drift along, saving himself only. ¡°s¡ª¡± Epimetheus sighed and leaned back in his chair, lost in thought once again. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤
¡°It¡¯s truly iprehensible yet logically sound.¡± Walking on the well-trodden dirt road, Laine was somewhat reflective. Regarding why Prometheus would do such a thing, he was initially baffled. Had the Forethinker never considered that a deity might whimsically descend to the mortal world to witness the mortals¡¯ worship firsthand? Chapter 176: 30 Marriage and the Divided Goddess of Beauty_2 Chapter 176: Chapter 30 Marriage and the Divided Goddess of Beauty_2 But upon careful reflection, Laine found that the rtionship between the gods and humans of Chaos seemed just like that. The Fire Thief who deceived the Divine King, the king who feasted on his own child, the mortal who brazenly imed his skill surpassed that of the deities¡­ Such individuals, be they gods or humans, were not exceptions; they were amon sight. It appeared that these beings, once they possessed a bit of wisdom, relished in challenging authority as a means of proving themselves, only to be used as negative examples to highlight the greatness of their superiors. ¡°And there are my old friends; it seems they are getting a bit restless.¡± Pondering slightly, Laine sensed that, aside from the gods of Olympus, with the birth of the Bronze Humanity, some among them also had their own reactions. For instance, through the perception granted by the Spiritual Authority, Laine could tell that his unique incarnation had been disturbed. Clearly, a remnant from the old era had taken an interest in the new humans, or more precisely, their souls, and was now testing Laine¡¯s attitude. Furthermore, within the Spirit Realm, a ¡®good child¡¯ who had listened obediently for many years was now quietly undertaking his own schemes. He probably didn¡¯t realize that just because the angels of the Spirit Realm addressed Laine as ¡®Your Highness,¡¯ it didn¡¯t mean he was truly separate from the realm itself. It could be said that due to a less ancient birth, he indeed caused quite a few misunderstandings. ¡°This is why you¡¯re still so good, Liana.¡± Nodding, Laine suddenly praised.
¡°Ah?¡± Confused as to why she wasplimented out of the blue, Liana felt puzzled yet pleased. ¡°I will continue to worship you as I always have, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Hehe, good.¡± With a light chuckle, Laine responded. Under the effect of [Secrecy], the two of them brushed past Prometheus, who hurried back. This wise foreseer had already seen his brother waiting in the distance. He approached the other with a smile,pletely unaware that right next to him, two Ancient Gods had just passed by and then blended into the crowd dispersing from the sacrifice. He just tilted his head, feeling that he might have missed something, but soon dismissed it as an illusion. ¡­ Since the first act of deceiving the deities, the role of ¡®Priest¡¯ was born among the Bronze Humanity. In the past, sacrifices to the gods were performed individually by the Bronze Humans, but now, the Priests appointed by the creator had taken on this responsibility. They just needed to offer up enough sacrifices. The Bronze Humans were satisfied with this arrangement because the Priests saved them time and often bestowed food or other things on their behalf; the deities were also satisfied since the unified rituals performed by the Priests certainly saved them time and energy. The Priests themselves were satisfied too, for from then on they didn¡¯t have tobor, merely keeping the shared secret. Although among them some were still concerned, fearing that one day the gods would uncover the truth, ultimately no one objected. Thus, starting that year, under the maniption of the Priests, the Bronze Humanity began to subtly reduce the offerings to the deities, but, on the surface, the sacrifices seemed more plentiful than ever. Since ordinary humans were unaware of this secret, their faith in the deities didn¡¯t change drastically. As a result, human life became ever more prosperous, and the gods¡¯ blessings were unceasing. The Priests couldn¡¯t help marveling at the creator¡¯s wisdom¡ªa simple trick that constantly bore fruit due to the deities¡¯ disdain for mortal matters. Time passed until one day, perhaps nudged by the Goddess of Justice¡¯s counsel or a spontaneous warning from the throne of the Divine King, Zeus suddenly announced atop Mount Olympus that he would wed his sister, Hera, the Goddess of Fertility. The ceremony would be witnessed by the Master of Law, and he, in the name of the Divine King, would share his Divine Authority with the new Heavenly Empress, including his Thunder, without exception. ¡­ The rtionship between the Divine King and his sister was not without its signs; in fact, recently, had it not been for the idental discovery of a cult of faith, this love affair of the Divine King would have been of paramount concern to all the deities. In recent years, as Zeus¡¯s throne became increasingly stable, he began to act more freely, no longer as cautious as before, moving between more than one goddess. Therefore, while his sudden marriage to Hera was surprising, it wasn¡¯t entirely inconceivable.
Compared to that, the promise made by the Divine King was an even greater surprise to the deities, Hera included. Initially, she was actually unwilling to ept this rtionship, until, after being cunningly possessed by the Divine King, Hera epted the situation, albeit reluctantly. But the promise Zeus made immediately afterward thoroughly moved her, for to a Divine King, nothing symbolized his affection more than relinquishing his power. ¡°Under my witness, you two shall share each other¡¯s Divine Authority. No matter how the future may change, this oath shall remain eternal.¡± Within the grand hall of Mount Olympus, standing above, the Goddess of Law held the Golden Scales in her hand and spoke with a solemn face.
Unlike before, at Zeus¡¯s request, the Divine Power of the King was now bestowed upon the Divine Artifact, coupled with the vast Divine Power of Themis, enabling this artifact, which weighed all things, to unleash unprecedented might. At this moment, as the words left the goddess¡¯s mouth, an invisible force stretched out from both sides of the scales, connecting to the two deities before her. Chapter 177: 30 Marriage and the Divided Goddess of Beauty_3 Chapter 177: Chapter 30 Marriage and the Divided Goddess of Beauty_3 One was the King of All Gods, and the other was naturally his sister. Hera, stepping in golden shoes, wearing a golden crown adorned with Lily edges, her long hair draping down from the crown on both sides, resting on her bare arms. Inter times, the epithet ¡®White-Armed Hera¡¯ would be widely known, just as the Heavenly Empress¡¯s fierce and jealous reputation. But now, she was still a young goddess basking in the joys of marriage. ¡°Yes, under your witness, I am willing to do so,¡± She nodded, and her golden crown swayed. As Hera¡¯s voice fell, an unseen force along an invisible connection ced her ¡°fertility¡± divine power on one side of the scales. ¡°Of course, fair arbiter, under your witness, I will share my divine authority with my future Queen of Gods,¡± He likewise promised, and when the Divine King lifted his restrictions, his ¡°sovereignty¡± and ¡°thunder¡± powers, along the connection, were ced on the other side of the scales. In an instant, the Golden Bnce wobbled, visibly dipping on Zeus¡¯ side. The Divine King possessed evidently more than Hera, so momentster, it fairly returned the excess to its master until bnce was regained. ¡°If that is so, then I bless your marriage to be eternally abiding,¡± The voice was not loud, but the Goddess of Law¡¯s words seemed to possess a power that resonated with the divine power present on both the Divine King and the Queen of Gods and turned into a neww. This was more a ¡®mandate¡¯ than a blessing. When the goddess in charge of fertility took her ce, the ¡®marital¡¯ order was also perfected. It had no power on its own, but the act of the Divine King and Queen of Gods sharing power endowed it with strength.
From then on, marriage would bind the couple with ties, rather than in name alone as in the past. They would influence each other, but the weaker party would be subject to the stronger. With Themis¡¯s promation, the powers on both sides of the scales ovepped, then split in two, flying back to their respective masters. This act was akin to a Sub-God borrowing godhood, yet not exactly, for there was no hierarchy between these two deities. It was a grand achievement aplished with the special power of the Divine King and Queen of Gods, henceforth Zeus could ess ¡°fertility,¡± and Hera couldmand ¡°thunder.¡± The assembled deities were surprised by the deep affection of the Divine King, unable to help but remark that although Zeus was known for his amorous nature, his love for Hera must be sincere. Only the Goddess of Law perceived the subtle hint. Her own nephew was not such a person; if he was willing to share his own portion of divine authority, it must be because he was gaining more. Fertility¡­ Thinking of this, Themis also found some sce. If it could be affected by human intervention, perhaps that would not be a bad thing. At least this way, the bloodshed between the Divine King and his offspring might be averted. With a clear chime, the Queen of Gods firmly took her position. Hera¡¯s somewhat youthful face proudly nced over the deities, especially lingering on a few goddesses. She was aware that Zeus had rtions with other goddesses, such as the dark-clothed Leto, but now she didn¡¯t care. Zeus had shared his divine authority with her, and to a Divine King, that was more important than anything else. ¡°Hm? What¡¯s that¡­¡± Just as he was preparing for a grand banquet tomemorate the day, Zeus suddenly looked towards The East. ¡°A new deity?¡± His Divine Authority faintly reacted, seemingly rted to another former Divine King. With a bit of spection, Zeus identified the only target. Uranus¡ªwhere the blood that birthed the Three Furies was about to give rise to a new deity, something he had long known. ¡°Zephyrus, the embodiment of the West Wind.¡± So standing on the high dais, Zeus smilingly said: ¡°In the great sea to the east, because of my marriage to Hera, a new deity is about to emerge. Please invite her to Mount Olympus, where she rightfully belongs.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Bowing respectfully, though somewhat discontent with running errands on such a day, Zephyrus did not show it. He transformed into an invisible current of air and headed east, while behind him, Zeus announced the start of the feast. ¡°Sister, what¡¯s the matter with you?¡±
At the Divine King¡¯s wedding feast, the gods began to revel. Yet in a secluded spot of the temple, a goddess surrounded by three other goddesses suddenly wore a ferocious expression. Her hand was embedded tightly into the flesh, her anger boiling as she looked at the new Heavenly Empress, adored and elevated by all. Of course, there was also fear and anxiety. ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing.¡±
With a forced smile, for Hera bing the Heavenly Empress, Keto indeed had been mentally prepared, and she was not angry because of this. After all, even though she had once tempted the Divine King during his travels across the sea, this once mother of sea monsters knew very well that with her divine power and authority, it was impossible for her to be the Queen of Gods. She had already suppressed the jealousy in her heart, but just now, apart from the Divine King, she was the only one present who knew who the new deity was. The embodiment of love and beauty, born from the divine blood of Uranus, Aphrodite had descended to the world to take her seat as the Queen of Gods because of her governance over ¡®fertility.¡¯ At the moment of the other¡¯s birth, Keto could feel her own stolen ¡®beauty¡¯ divine authority quivering slightly. She didn¡¯t know that if it weren¡¯t for Laine, if it weren¡¯t for the symbol of ¡®uncertain fate¡¯ who had spoken in person, with the stability of the world¡¯s fate as it was thousands of years ago, she would not have been able to gain that twisted divine authority even if she had drunk divine blood. She only knew her nemesis wasing. Just as she had always feared, all deities would be deceived by her ¡®falsely adorned beauty,¡¯ but the true Goddess of Beauty wouldn¡¯t. With just a light wave of her hand, Aphrodite could make others see through the disguise and witness Keto¡¯s true self. If she let other deities or even the Divine King see her original form, Keto could already foresee her own end. Zeus was not like his brother, he was at most interested in normal life, not in half-human, half-monster beings. ¡°I¡¯m not feeling well, would you like to leave with me?¡± Looking at the Three Furies beside her, Keto asked. The three goddesses hesitated a bit, thousands of years ofpanionship had made them understand each other, and they immediately realized the ¡®leaving¡¯ mentioned was not just for a short while. However, they did not want to leave Olympus, and ultimately, only Megaera, the goddess of jealousy, agreed. Because Keto¡¯s twisted divine authority was already mixed with the force of jealousy, the attraction between divine authorities naturally drew them closer. No one noticed their departure, and Keto left Olympus just like that with Megaera. But standing between heaven and earth, she suddenly felt a sense of having nowhere to go.
She did not want to live in seclusion; she enjoyed adoration and fine food, but apart from Olympus, where else could satisfy her? ¡°If the Divine King of Olympus can¡¯t amodate you, then how about you join us?¡± ¡°Who?¡± With a fierce shout, Keto swiftly turned around. The neer did not hide his tracks; behind her, a young man with a handsome appearance stood there. ¡°Who are you, to dare speak such words around the Mountain of the Gods?¡± Divine power circted within her body, and Keto was ready for a confrontation, but the stranger seemed to have no intention of fighting. His smile was friendly, easing Keto¡¯s guard slightly. Looking at the distant Olympus that touched the sky, the young man slowly said to Keto: ¡°Don¡¯t rush, madam, my name is Mephisto, and our meeting today is but a coincidence.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t here for you specifically, but for another purpose. However, I think that due to an encounter not sought by fate, perhaps I could solve the worries you have at the moment. But let¡¯s discuss the specific details on the way; this ce is still too close to Olympus.¡± ¡°To be honest, I haven¡¯t seen that deity who favors humans in a long time. Under his care, I wonder how manageable the Bronze Humanity really is.¡± After a smile, the young man who called himself Mephisto gestured with his hands, then with his back to Keto, flew towards the farther East. Watching his retreating figure, Keto hesitated for a moment, but ultimately, she did not make a move and instead followed him. Unless she hid herself in the Underworld or in the depths of the stars forever, she would have to deal with the Goddess of Beauty eventually, but Keto did not want to go to those ces.
The barrenness of the Underworld, the emptiness of the stars, all were well-known among the gods, and if she had no choice, perhaps she would have resigned to her fate. But now that she had unexpectedly encountered this fellow, Keto was at least willing to listen to what he had to say. Chapter 178: 31: Plundering Souls Chapter 178: Chapter 31: Plundering Souls Unlike the present world, where Chaos reigns supreme in the realms beyond, time is always blurred. Perhaps it flows quickly, perhaps slowly, with no certainty. Even with the birth of ¡®order within Chaos,¡¯ it could only slow this fluctuation and ¡®anchor¡¯ it, rather thanpletely erase it. Thus, thousands of years have passed since the great serpent that encircled the courtyard began its slumber, and its ¡®spirit¡¯ walked the world in human form. There are no living creatures in the courtyard because its master forbids it; no being worthy of entry exists here, making this the only realm within the Nine Hells devoid of demons. In the sky of this realm, inds float above. Most are vacant, preserved in their primordial state. Only the one in the center has a modestly styled cottage that seems out of ce with a title as grand as ¡®the center of a realm.¡¯ Here, Laine¡¯s avatar leans back in his chair, his eyes piercing through the veil of the realm, observing the ever more vibrant Demon Gods in the outer world. The Mother of Demons has yet to emerge because the existence of the Nine Hells has diverted some of the nourishment meant for her. But the Chaos of the Abyss paid no mind to this, having already set Its creations on their destined paths. Therefore, what could be guessed as the ¡®belly¡¯ began to swell, with a portion of power flowing into it. Of course, Laine really couldn¡¯t recognize Moya¡¯s bodily structure; he only spected that it was the Mother of Demons¡¯ belly based on the bulge. That is, if Moya indeed used her belly to gestate her offspring. ¡°How many Demon Gods of the first descent will there be, like the Titans, twelve?¡±
The voice came from beside him. Unnoticed, Asmodeus had joined him at the stone table of the cottage. The barrier of the realm couldn¡¯t shield him either; as he gazed upon his future nemesis, the Lord of the Nine Hells calmly inquired. Instinct told him that the moment Moya awoke would signal the birth of the first Abyssal Demon Lords. ¡°No, there will likely be only six.¡± ¡°The present world is unified, so having twelve is justifiable. But Tartarus is merely the heart of the world beyond; six is more fitting for Its stature. In fact, I am still doubtful that, aside from Moya, a former Titan, the Demon Gods she births will retain the essence of immortality.¡± ¡°Of course, all of this is spection; having more might not be a bad thing. After all, there is only so much power; It can create six mighty original Demon Gods, but hardly twelve. Forcing the issue could weaken Itself.¡± He took a sip from his cup. Laine wasn¡¯t surprised by Asmodeus¡¯s arrival; he had been aware. Just as he couldn¡¯t enter the other six realms without the others¡¯ consent, they couldn¡¯t freelye and go from his realm either. The greatest link between them was that the foundation of the Nine Hells was still united. Just as the present world would copse if it did, the realms beyond would follow. There could be degrees of strength, but one could not exist without the other. Of course, Laine didn¡¯t think it woulde to that. Even though he would be constrained by Tartarus¡¯s will inbating the Abyss, the newly reborn Asmodeus was more cautious and wise than before. Perhaps for some, the position of Divine King was indeed a shackle. ¡°Six¡­ let¡¯s hope Criuspletes his transformation before they are born.¡± ¡°When the timees, I will honor our agreement and grant him the firstyer of Hell. With the advantage of terrain, facing six Demon Gods restrained by the realm¡¯s power, he should be able to do it¡ª¡± As he spoke, even Asmodeus sounded dubious. After all, the transformed Titan deities are no longer what they once were; Crius¡¯s godhood of ¡®Meteorology¡¯ bestowed by the present world is nearly useless here and even hampers his transformation into a demon. Thus, after some negotiation, the God of Meteorology, with no other recourse in the Abyss, renounced his divine status. Indeed, given a choice, Crius would prefer an unfeeling will of the present world to a thinking Lord of the Nine Hells. So even with nowhere to turn, he made Asmodeus promise enough to reassure him. Thereafter, a consensus was reached between the three. Using the Well of Reincarnation, Laine washed away Crius¡¯s worldly aspects, allowing him to shed his godhood and, like Mnemosyne, Moya¡¯s previous incarnation, use millions of years in distorted time toplete his transformation. The Lord of the Nine Hells, in turn, granted him rebirth and, in the name of master of the realm, swore an oath to the Styx River. Provided Crius swore eternal allegiance to him, Asmodeus would never disregard his interests and would grant him dominion over the firstyer of Hell. As for the stripped godhood of ¡®Meteorology,¡¯ seventy percent of the Source Power, once transformed, was infused into the firstyer of Hell, elevating this realm to a status second only to the ninthyer. The remaining thirty percent was taken as a transaction fee, which was the cause of the Lord of the Nine Hells¡¯ suspicion. In such a case, the reborn Crius would only have the strength of a level 15 deity. Even if bolstered by the power of the hellish realm, whether he could withstand six alone remained to be seen.¡±
¡°There won¡¯t be any problems. It won¡¯t be long before my thirdyer of Hell also wees a lord.¡± ¡°Together, the two of them are enough to withstand the opposing side. Besides, those gods born of Tartarus¡­ I can hardly imagine they would always remain united.¡± Chapter 179: 31: Plundering Souls_2 Chapter 179: Chapter 31: Plundering Souls_2 Responding casually, Laine couldn¡¯t help but think of that restless fellow. Beyond the main courtyard, Laine had no intention of keeping the other two levels of Hell in his hands. Enfeoffing them would save time and effort. Perhaps some beings are simply not suited to overlyfortable surroundings; Laine believed that here, that individual might truly be able to y to their strengths. ¡°Speaking of which,pared to those Demon Gods, I¡¯m actually more interested in the Styx River,¡± ¡°I noticed long ago in the previous epoch that the essence of Styx prated Tartarus. And I really didn¡¯t expect that its power of vows could be effective here, even more so than elsewhere.¡± Asmodeus, on the other hand, had a different opinion. He didn¡¯t care why the River of Vows was so special, as long as it was useful. ¡°The ¡®vow¡¯ taking effect amidst Chaos is indeed quite interesting, but it¡¯s also a good thing. After all, without it, Crius might not have believed in my promise.¡± With some indifference, as the goddess never had much presence, Asmodeus then asked: ¡°I heard she gave birth to three children on her own, releasing the explosive aspect of her nature and having them serve in ce of herself for my rebellious son?¡±
¡°That is indeed the case, and some say that they were born of her and a Titan Deity. But from what I¡¯ve seen, those deities don¡¯t carry any traces of other divine natures in their bodies.¡± The violent Bia, the brutish Kratos, and their two sisters. There were True Gods and Demigods, but indeed, they bore only the bloodline of Styx. ¡°I¡¯d wee the opportunity to have them serve me in the future.¡± ¡°The Vow Goddess, her power aligns well with the Nine Hells.¡± With some regret, Asmodeus fell silent for a while before he stretched out his hand and drew a circle in the air. On one side of the circle was the main courtyard; on the other were countless demons gathering around an altar, bowing in worship. Unfortunately, these evil lives, even for the ruler of the Nine Hells, seemed tock genuine devotion. ¡°Faith¡­ Golden Humanity seemed to have had this power too, a pity I didn¡¯t pay attention to it in the past. After all,pared to the power of the Divine King, my temporal divine authority was quite insignificant.¡± Sighing, Asmodeus felt some regret. If he had discovered this secret earlier, he might have been able to achieve greatness on his own. But the oue now seemed not too bad, after all. Without the twisted Dark Source Power, the reborn souls of Silver Humanity gained freedom. Now, their ¡®evil¡¯ arose more from the environment here and memories of the past rather than forced modification. This led to ample faith, which seemed even greater than that of individual Humans due to their strength, so the Lord of the Nine Hells actually discovered this earlier than Zeus did. But he also faced two problems: firstly, demons trulycked devotion, so the faith derived from them could cut off the partbeled as ¡®devout worship,¡¯ effectively halving the total. That he could ept since, as the creator of the demons and master of Hell, they would inevitably provide him with faith as long as they lived there. But the second problem was more difficult. Since Samsara had no ess to the Nine Hells and Tartarus did not wee the intervention of the Spirit Realm, his souls were thus limited. The faith from a mere several hundred thousand intelligent lives was considerable for those below Intermediate Divine Power, but for Asmodeus, the effect was quite limited. ¡°Part of the Nine Hells is yours, why are you unwilling to invest souls here?¡± As if asking rhetorically, the Lord of the Nine Hells spoke. ¡°On one hand, the Spirit Realm is my foundation; on the other, the souls of the present world will eventually return to the Spirit Realm. If the gods of Olympus dare to divert inrge numbers, I can directly cut off their source, but the demons of the Nine Hells won¡¯t.¡± Shaking his head slightly, Laine once again rejected Asmodeus¡¯s request for souls. The demons, naturally transcendent as they were born in an extramundane environment, had a lifespan nearly impossible to end naturally. However, the tradeoff was that their reproductive ability was almost nonexistent.
¡°Unless they die in the outside world, even death from infighting means their souls would only be used as material to breed new demons by you, until they arepletely worn out. Why would I agree to a one-way transaction?¡± ¡°You are right.¡± As if he had anticipated Laine¡¯s refusal, the Lord of the Nine Hells slowly spoke. ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll find a way myself, as long as you do not personally intervene.¡±
¡°No problem,¡± Laine nodded and turned to his old friend, ¡°But, aren¡¯t you already doing it?¡± Under the authority of Spirituality, there was no barrier between this special incarnation and the original body. The figure who had passed through the Underworld and ultimately headed to the surface had always been within his perception. ¡°I remember his name was¡­ Mephisto, wasn¡¯t it? One of the former leaders of Silver Humanity.¡± ¡°Yes, a very capable fellow. To select the finest among these Silver Humans, I gave them all the same starting point, and only the most excellent could stand before me. He was one of them.¡± Chapter 180: 31: Plundering Souls_3 Chapter 180: Chapter 31: Plundering Souls_3 ¡°` ¡°The remaining few, to varying degrees, rely on force, but he never once used force. That¡¯s why I sent him out and promised him that within a thousand years in the outside world, the more satisfactory the answers he could bring me, the higher the reward I would give him.¡± He poured himself a cup of tea and then drank it all at once. The Lord of the Nine Hells felt that perhaps this beverage was no worse than nectar. ¡°He told me that humans understand humans best. Although he is from the Silver generation and not of the same kind as Bronze Humanity, I reluctantly believed his exnation.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see then, what kind of answers he can give me, and whether he can win half of the realm from my hands as he imed.¡± ¡­ ¡°You are not of the Deity Race.¡± The initial shock of their meeting had subsided, and irritation gradually surged in Keto¡¯s heart. Though the farther one was from Mount Olympus, the weaker the Divine Power one could wield, once calmed, Keto still discerned the true nature of the being before her. However, the result was surprising to her. The other party did indeed possess divinity, but it seemed not toe from authority. To her, this power felt somewhat like that of a territorial god.
But she was certain she had never seen this kind of territorial god¡ªnot a River God or Lake God, not a God of Stars or Mountain God, but an unfamiliar presence, considerably stronger than those, yet seemingly being subtly rejected by the present world. This sensation was a bit like the time Keto had crossed the sea¡¯s edge, beyond the long river encircling the world, to a ce outside the jurisdiction of the present world. It was an incongruity, while not being hard-pressed, many of the powers of the present world seemed to not function well there. ¡°Of course,dy, I am not of the Deity Race. I was not in the past, am not now, nor do I n to be in the future.¡± He turned back with a polite smile, but seeing Mephisto¡¯s smile, Keto felt he was mocking her. Not a god, yet with a few words he deceived her¡ªdid that make him self-satisfied? ¡°So, are you mocking me, mocking the great child of the King of All Gods, Uranus of The Sky!¡± The little remaining Divine Power surged, bearing down on Mephisto in front of her. But in the next moment, this special ¡®territorial god¡¯ blocked the probing attack. ck mist swirled around him, dispersing slightly but notpletely copsing. He didn¡¯t block it effortlessly, proving his strength was not strong, but he didn¡¯t struggle too much either, indicating he did indeed possess a power close to that of a True God¡ªeven if only at Divine Power Level 1. ¡°Although I myself have not been born for long, butdy, the King of the Nine Hells recounted the past of the present world to me before I left.¡± Turning around, Mephisto paused; he nned to persuade the goddess before him before continuing on his journey. In the past, he used to discuss with old friends that given the chance, he might persuade a deity himself. Now, it was time to prove it. ¡°As far as I know, even in thest epoch, the King of All Gods had already changed. And Uranus, The Sky, never had you as his child.¡± ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, whether it¡¯s you or thedy beside you¡ªyou should¡ªcough cough¡­¡± Seeing the other¡¯s expression as though she wanted to take action, Mephisto raised his hand, gesturing that they could change the subject. ¡°Hmm, in any case, on the day when the Divine King marries the Queen of Gods, you not only did not go to Olympus, but instead left alone. I¡¯m afraid it has something to do with a certain deity who is about to arrive, am I wrong?¡± ¡°¡­Why can¡¯t it be that I have a dispute with other deities of Mount of the Gods, or that I have something to do?¡± ¡°` Keto was certain that aside from herself and the Divine King, no one else could have sensed the birth of Aphrodite from halfway across the continent, so how did this fellow before her know what she was thinking upon their first meeting?
¡°The likelihood of the former is slim,¡± Mephisto shook his head slightly,posed, ¡°After all, the deity invited by the Divine King would certainly have been notified earlier. If you had enmity with some deity before, you simply wouldn¡¯t havee.¡± ¡°If the enmity had just arisen¡ªexcuse my frankness, madam, but you likely don¡¯t have the ability to make an enemy on the Divine King¡¯s wedding day, disrupt his banquet and leave unscathed afterward.¡± ¡°So the only possibility is that there¡¯s someone who shouldn¡¯t have been here but was invited on a whim, and she is probably someone you quite dislike, and fear.¡± ¡°As for thetter,¡± Mephisto blinked, smiling, ¡°if you really had something to worry about, you wouldn¡¯t have followed me here just because of my little test earlier.¡±
¡°¡­¡± Before she knew it, her anger had subsided. Although it seemed like she was easily led by the other¡¯s casual remark before, Keto now felt a stir of curiosity and expectation. Since he could see things so clearly, daring to call her here must mean that he indeed had a way to help her. ¡°So who¡¯s behind you, that ¡®Lord of the Nine Hells¡¯?¡± ¡°Among the principal gods with great divine power in current times, I don¡¯t recall such an entity.¡± The circle of gods around Chaos was not vast; a hitherto unheard-of deity suddenly emerging was theoretically imusible. Moreover, Keto didn¡¯t believe that mighty divine power alone could transform a non-deity into a deity. As for the Primordial Gods, even though the title ¡®Nine Hells¡¯ reminded her of Tartarus, all gods knew that the Abyss did not possess wisdom. ¡°Heh, as for the greatness of the Lord of the Nine Hells, I shall borateter. But now, there¡¯s something we can do together, if you are willing,¡± Mephisto said smilingly, making an inviting gesture. ¡°Bronze Humanity, you¡¯ve heard of it, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the mundane matter the Divine King has been greatly concerned with recently.¡± Nodding, Keto wondered why he would bring up such a topic. ¡°Thene along with me, let me show you why the Divine King is so attentive to them, and what secrets humans harbor.¡± Although dissatisfied with the way he only ever told half the story, Keto was no longer the same as she was thousands of years ago.
Now, her wild side was greatly suppressed, and she had be more like a deity. Moreover, she had to admit that what this mysterious being called Mephisto had to say was indeed tempting. Who wouldn¡¯t want to know the secrets of the Divine King? ¡°You had better not be deceiving me.¡± ¡°I will be watching you!¡± Uttering a cold threat, Keto knew without looking that he didn¡¯t take it to heart. And so, the three of them rose into the air once again, speeding toward the East. Chapter 181: 32 Temptation Chapter 181: Chapter 32 Temptation ¡°Another beautiful year.¡± The Sun was setting in the west, people were gradually returning to their homes, Ossen and Momon also stepped out of The Temple dedicated to King Zeus. Having heard that the Divine King was about to wed the Heavenly Empress, Bronze Humanity had prepared even richer Sacrifices. Likewise, out of respect for Zeus, the deities had generously granted more blessings. But just like every time in the past, the two Priests easily deceived the divinity left by the King of the Gods and then kept the Sacrifices for themselves. As they shut the heavy doors of The Temple, the afterglow of the setting Sun cast a resplendent and solemn glow on the earth. But they didn¡¯t spare it a nce, turning instead to walk toward their own houses, casually discussing their ¡®work¡¯ for the next day. ¡°Same old n, we each take a little bit and give back the rest with some made-up excuse,¡± one said. ¡°Speaking of which, watching the others express their gratitude can be quite amusing. It¡¯s just that recently, everyone seems to have gotten used to us ¡®acting for the gods¡¯ in distributing supplies, and their reactions have be much less enthusiastic.¡± Walking along the road, Ossen remarked nonchntly. He didn¡¯t have much desire to take more of the offerings, not because he was particrly noble, but simply because it was unnecessary. In this age, Humans had no women, and thus no families. Though private property existed, there was no concept of inheritance. Even Commerce was still at the primitive stage of bartering, given there was an absolutely incorruptible creator above them. The need for private possessions was minimal. Should hardships arise, solutions would naturally appear; there was no need to hoard or save anything.
Therefore, aside from keeping some quality food to satisfy their own desires, the two Priests didn¡¯t have much else to covet. ¡°Alright, then it¡¯s the same n.¡± ¡°By the way, I feel like the deities of Mount Olympus have been paying less and less attention to ustely.¡± Momon replied offhandedly. He had a reason for saying this; as a Priest, Momon could always feel the watchful presence of the deity¡¯s mind during the sacrifices. Buttely, he noticed that asionally the deity would overlook or just nce and end the observation. ¡°That¡¯s normal, after all, even gods can get impatient. Besides, isn¡¯t the Divine King busy with his wedding festivities? He¡¯s probably not too interested in us right now.¡± ¡°If I were a god, I wouldn¡¯t want to watch ¡®ants¡¯ making offerings to me all day, either. It¡¯s fine once in a while, but it gets boring with frequency.¡± Although he referred to themselves as ¡®ants,¡¯ Ossen seemed quite cheerful, his tonecking much reverence. If ordinary Bronze Humanity still believed in gods, these Priests, in recent years, had be increasingly irreverent towards the deities. In fact, they had even begun to feel a vague sense of superiority, after all,pared to the other Humans who knew nothing, they were so much closer to the truth. ¡°Too bad, as Humans, we don¡¯t possess the great powers like the gods do, that must be the only real difference between gods and Humans,¡± Ossen shook his head, feeling somewhat envious. To soar through The Sky, tomand nature¡ªhe also wanted to experience that, but s, such things were exclusive to gods. ¡°What about death?¡± Momon had a different opinion: ¡°The creator once said, besides power, there is another difference between mortals and gods: mortals age and die, although I still don¡¯t understand what aging is.¡± Momon had, of course, seen death, but it was the death of beasts. Clearly, the Humans of this era rarely empathized with their food. ¡°Who knows? The creator mentioned that the Golden Humanity devotedly worshipped the gods, so they ascended to heaven after death; Silver Humanity arrogantly scorned the gods, so their existence was erased. But I think, no matter how devout Golden Humanity could have been, they probably weren¡¯t as ¡®devout¡¯ as me.¡± With a dismissive snort, Ossen said: ¡°My ¡®devotion¡¯ goes as far as I want it to go.¡± ¡°By that logic, not only could I ascend to heaven, but the Sun and Moon might have to spare a ce for me, too.¡±
¡°Hahaha¡­ that¡¯s hrious~¡± ¡°Who¡¯s there!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s there!¡± Their expressions changed dramatically; despite their braggadocio, Ossen and Momon were well aware of the terrifying nature of gods.
Without discussing anything else, their creator Prometheus imed to have only average strength among the deities, yet still possessed power beyond the reach of Bronze Humanity. And that was without even using Divine Power. If the actions of the two were known to the deities, what would happen to Humanity and the creator was beyond their knowledge, but their own fate would certainly be grim. Yet after anxiously watching for a while, they saw no sign of anyone. ¡°What was that just now¡­?¡± The two exchanged nces. One person might hear wrong, but two people? Unlikely. But since they weren¡¯t punished yet, it¡¯s possible that what passed by wasn¡¯t a deity. ording to the creator, right beside the Humans, across from the material world, existed a world inhabited by entities with ¡®Spirituality¡¯. Most of these beingscked Wisdom, but a few couldmunicate. And most importantly, those with Wisdom seemed not to be very friendly towards deities. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± With a sharpmand, Momon led, and both headed to their respective homes, no longer daring to speak carelessly. Whatever had been near them had frightened them to the core. Now, all they wanted was to return to their rooms and warm themselves by the Fire. Chapter 182: 32 Temptation_2 Chapter 182: Chapter 32 Temptation_2 The me that held a sense of guardianship in the obscure, could offer them a little sense of safety. The two hurried away, yet what they didn¡¯t know was that at the very spot where they had been standing, two goddesses, their figures hidden, were watching their every move. They hade to witness the so-called ¡°Wisdom¡± of humans, but now that they had seen it, they found it ratherughable. ¡°Selene, aren¡¯t you going to punish them? Those two just tried to steal your Moon~¡± In her familiar red dress, Hecate teased with a sly smile. She reached out and poked the cheek of the moon goddess. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid? I¡¯m about to dieughing~¡± ¡°Now isn¡¯t it your Moon¡ª¡± Pouting, Selene knocked away Hecate¡¯s hand, slightly offended. Next to her, Hecate knew why the other was unhappy. Under the guidance of the stone tablets, she had established a high tower on the Moon as a residence for the two of them, different from the pces of other gods, where they could study witchcraft. Selene actually liked it quite a bit, but the problem was that there were others there now. Although the moon goddess didn¡¯t discriminate against centaurs, she didn¡¯t really like them either. Or perhaps, in her little world, she didn¡¯t like any presence that wasn¡¯t very familiar.
¡°Ah, if it wasn¡¯t for teaching that foolish fellow, I wouldn¡¯t have brought him along. Just wait a bit more. After I¡¯ve taught him everything he needs to know, I¡¯ll let him take over the teaching of witchcraft.¡± ¡°ording to the stone tablets, when witchcraft is integrated into humanity, I too can thereby gain ¡®Faith,¡¯ but I feel it¡¯s just so-so.¡± ¡°If all humans were like those two, then I¡¯d rather not have such faith.¡± Waving her hand, Hecate¡¯s thoughts returned to those two humans from before. ¡°Hmm¡ª, Bronze Humanity is indeed more interesting than Golden Humanity; they even dared to trick Golden Mane. That was unexpected.¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t know what kind of punishment they¡¯ll receive in the end?¡± Though saying ¡®interesting,¡¯ the moon goddess could tell that, in her friend¡¯s heart, these Bronze humans counted for very little; she was just watching the spectacle for fun. Indeed, Selene didn¡¯t think the humans¡¯ cunning wouldst very long. The gods had not noticed them yet, simply because the faith provided by mortals had not yet diminished, nothing else. But this wouldn¡¯t go on forever. Mortals,pared to gods, were much too weak. Just one small ident and their secrets could be exposed before all the gods. It was a mystery why Prometheus, known for his Wisdom, would do this; in the moon goddess¡¯s opinion, such actions were quite foolish. And, while she wasn¡¯t particrly versed in faith either, Selene had a hunch that humans might not remain devout if such ¡®blessings¡¯ continued for too long. Just like herself¡ªinitially, every witchcraft she learned made her happy for a long time, but now it had be routine. Once humans ¡®got used¡¯ to the gods¡¯ blessings, they might feel the same. ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s not bother with them.¡± Hecate tugged at the sleeve of the moon goddess, feeling that this so-called ¡®human Wisdom¡¯ really wasn¡¯t worth watching. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Selene. Divination tells me that this time on thend, I might meet an acquaintance.¡± ¡°But honestly, apart from Golden Mane, whom I know a tad better, do I have any other acquaintances?¡± Perplexed and deliberating for a moment, she then chose to give up thinking, Hecate cheerfully added: ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s head west. I lived there when I was young and wonder how it¡¯s now.¡± ¡°But, now that the Mount of the Gods has copsed¡ªlet¡¯s hope something remains~¡±
¡°The ce where you lived as a child? That¡¯s worth a visit.¡± Nodding, Selene felt a bit of anticipation. She decisively left the thoughts of those two mortals and Prometheus behind and set off westward with Hecate. However, just as Ossen and Momon hadn¡¯t noticed them, they likewise failed to see three sneaky figures that had just passed by. Of course, those figures hadn¡¯t noticed them either.
¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ ¡°Aging¡­ Death¡­¡± Reclining on a wooden bed, Momon was lost in thought. After he had parted with Ossen, he had been trembling with fear for a while, terrified that the gods that had just passed by had not bothered with them but went to settle the score with the creator instead. But as time passed, he gradually calmed down. Since disaster hadn¡¯t struck from above, there probably wasn¡¯t a problem. Now, alone on the wooden bed, rxed, Momon began to daydream. Unlike Ossen, who, like the creator, was confident in his exceptional Wisdom and therefore feared nothing, hence loved the most by Prometheus, Momon always pondered more deeply. Deceiving a deity was possible only because the deity wasn¡¯t present. When the day of Death came, when one¡¯s soul faced the deity governing death, would they still be deceived? He figured probably not. Although Momon didn¡¯t yet know which god he would face after dying, it was surely a great Deity. After all, as True Gods go, the creator had also mentioned that granting mortals eternal life was not a trivial matter unless the god held control over Life or Death itself. Only then could he make mortals immortal by other means. ¡°Forget it, there¡¯s probably a very long time still.¡± Chapter 183 - 32 Temptation_3 Chapter 183: Chapter 32 Temptation_3 ¡°I wonder what it feels like to ¡®age,¡¯ and when that dayes, whether Ossen will still confidently say ¡®Death is nothing special.¡¯¡± Musing to himself, Momon felt drowsiness surging over him, and he prepared to take a nap. ¡°Probably not, after all, you¡¯ve never seen a fellow human die, let alone experienced what it¡¯s like to age. Once you truly witness it, you¡¯ll know fear.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s there!¡± The sleepiness vanished in an instant. Momon hadn¡¯t expected to encounter an unknown being twice in just half a day. Moreover, it seemed that this second visitor wasn¡¯t merely passing by but hade specifically for him. He grasped the short copper sword he always kept by his side. Although it was probably useless against the neer, it offered Momon a bit of psychologicalfort at least. His gaze was sharp as he scanned the area, but amidst the flickering firelight, there was nothing out of the ordinary. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. As a ¡®Priest¡¯ favored by Prometheus, I won¡¯t harm you.¡± ¡°After all, if we alerted him to our presence, that wouldplicate matters.¡± Apanied by a slightugh, a figure slowly emerged. The stranger looked no different from a young human, a gentle smile ying on his lips. If it had been during the day, Momon would probably have been happy to make friends with someone like this. But now, it seemed highly likely that the other party wasn¡¯t even human. ¡°Who are you? This ce is under the watch of the creator, and it¡¯s not toote for you to leave now.¡± Rolling over to sit up from the wooden bed, sword in hand, Momon was vignt. He had already resolved that if the stranger could be frightened off by the name of the creator, he would immediately seek shelter with Prometheus. But in reality, he also knew his n might note to pass. As expected, under his watchful eyes, the stranger had no intention of retreating. Instead, they simply curled their lips and spoke with a smile: ¡°Prometheus, he¡¯s already in a precarious situation himself. Why would you think he could protect you?¡± ¡°Surely you don¡¯t believe that desecrating a Deity is so easily forgiven.¡± With a touch of mockery, Mephisto had thought he would need a lot of time to find his opportunity, but to his utter disbelief, the prescient deity he had once dealt with had done such a thing in just half a day. To deceive the gods for some petty offerings, any deity passing near human settlements would have seen through his little scheme. Mephisto was even wondering whether this prescient sage simply had a reputation that exceeded his abilities, or had be so deluded that he forgot who he was. Did he think himself greater than those transcendent beings above all gods? But perhaps this was for the best. He no longer needed to consider how to kill humans en masse¡ªafter all, he only had one shot. The Lord of the Nine Hells had told him that the ruler of the Spirit Realm might turn a blind eye to his pilfering of mortal souls, but that did not mean other entities in the Spirit Realm would do the same. He had been puzzling over how to ¡®feast to his fill¡¯ at once, but now he needed only to watch as humans destroyed themselves, sowing enough ¡®seeds¡¯ before that happened. In a century or two, everything could be put to rest. ¡°¡­You are not from the Deity Race?¡± After a brief silence, the strange presence on the other side exposed Momon¡¯s greatest fear. Strictly speaking, many priests, like him, reveled in their immediate happiness yet dreaded the day of their exposure. He was unsure what the creator would do, but as a priest who had deceived a deity, Momon felt he certainly wouldn¡¯t face a good end. Thankfully, the second unknown being he encountered today didn¡¯t seem to be a deity either. ¡°Certainly, I am not a deity. In fact, in the past, I too was human, but from the destroyed Silver Humanity.¡± ¡°What?¡± Momon was shocked. He had heard of Silver Humanity, a generation that had been irreverent towards the gods, a sinful generation of humans. They had all died at the turn of two eras, and their souls had vanished without a trace. Yet the stranger before him not only imed to be from the Silver Humanity but also possessed a power that was clearly beyond the grasp of anymon being. This was hard for him to ept¡ªhad the creator lied to him? ¡°Heh, in the eyes of most, Silver Humanity is indeed a thing of the past, yet the great Lord of the Nine Hells has granted us rebirth,¡± As if discerning Momon¡¯s thoughts, Mephisto casually exined. ¡°As for your creator Prometheus¡­ he is a deity difficult to assess. He once made contact with us, but ultimately gave up.¡± Shaking his head, now that he was no longer influenced by Source Power in his thoughts, Mephisto didn¡¯t know how to evaluate this deity. If it hadn¡¯t been for him, the Silver Humanity of old would probably not have even been able to learn the most basic knowledge, but now, both parties were clearly standing on opposite sides. ¡°So what are you here for? Do you want me to act against the creator?¡± Trying to calm himself down, Momon knew that there must be something of use to the other party. And looking up and down, he felt that only his rtionship with the creator was worth the other¡¯s consideration. ¡°No, I have no interest in gods.¡± However, to Momon¡¯s surprise, the other partyughed and denied his thought. ¡°In fact, Momon, I am more interested in you.¡± Reaching out a hand, Mephisto took a small vial from his bosom in front of Momon. The vial was crystal clear, not at all a creation within the capabilities of current human craftsmanship. Within it, a dark red liquid swirl and rolled slowly. ¡°This is my blood. After drinking it, you can jump higher, have more strength, sharper senses, and you will possess some extraordinary powers. Of course, most importantly, you will live much longer.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t need it.¡± With a stiff tone, Momon was uninterested in drinking anything given by a stranger. ¡°Perhaps, you indeed don¡¯t need it now.¡± cing the small vial on the table, Mephisto smiled and said: ¡°But you will in the future.¡± ¡°Use your eyes to see, use your body to feel. When you see your peers aging, when your eyes no longer see clearly, when you start to fear, drink it, and you will gain more time.¡± ¡°Moreover, I hope you understand,¡± Standing in the shadows, Mephisto seemed very sincere. ¡°We were once human, and humans can understand each other, but humans and gods are different.¡± ¡°They require human faith, not humans themselves. No matter how much you contribute to them, if you do not believe in them, there won¡¯t be much of a difference in oue.¡± ¡°So remember, Momon, never pray to a deity for immortality. Otherwise, you will surely regret it.¡± With a mysterious smile, Mephisto¡¯s figure gradually receded, turning into a wisp of ck mist that dispersed and then vanished. Momon remained vignt for a while until the Moon was high in the sky before he gradually rxed. He looked at the small vial on the table and hesitated for a moment. Momon had intended to tell the creator about today¡¯s events and to ask him to deal with the contents of the vial, but ultimately, for some reason, he hid it beneath his bed. He had no ns to use it and did not trust this stranger from Silver Humanity. If he could deceive the gods, then how could others not deceive him? And thinking of the other¡¯sst words, Momon couldn¡¯t help but find them somewhatughable. ¡°Pray to a god for immortality¡­ huh, doesn¡¯t he know that there is no such option in the blessings bestowed by deities?¡± ¡°Even if I wanted to do that, no deity has ever made such a promise.¡± Shaking his head and thinking no more of it, although he did not n to tell the creator, Momon decided to secretly observe the other priests the next day, especially Ossen. He wasn¡¯t sure that this mysterious person had only approached him. Chapter 184 - 33 Hades, Nether Moon, and the Lucky One Chapter 184: Chapter 33 Hades, Nether Moon, and the Lucky One Before Momon and bing invisible, Mephisto silently observed for a while until he was sure that the other party did not intend to seek Prometheus¡¯s assistance, only then did he smile satisfactorily. He had chosen Momon over Ossen because the former fit the criteria better. There was no need to keep watch anymore, as Momon did not n to speak now, it was very likely he would not do soter. Signaling to the two deities who had been observing by his side, Mephisto took the lead and walked away from the human tribe. The ce brimming with temples of various gods was ultimately not a safe ce. After all, as an extraterrestrial visitor, his aura was disparate from the current world. Ordinary deities might not understand what this feeling meant, but the powerful ones could recognize it. ¡°Are you human? Didn¡¯t all of the Silver Humanity die during the epochal transition?¡± It wasn¡¯t long before they left the Bronze Humanity tribe when Keto, full of doubts, couldn¡¯t help but ask aloud. Regarding the handling of the ¡°remnants of the old era¡± by the stealthy Goddess of Rainbow, Iris, Zeus had not publicized it widely. Therefore, the official word was just as Keto had said, it was all due to disasters at the time of epochal transition. ¡°Indeed, I was once a member of Silver Humanity.¡± Nodding his head, Mephisto dissipated the dark fog that had enveloped them. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I still am. Silver Humanity had already diverged from the past before the great Lord of the Nine Hells elevated me to a quasi-godly entity.¡± ¡°Now, we call ourselves demons. And I am a lord among the demons.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been granted the third rank of nobility by the Lord of the Nine Hells, which he uses to ssify the status and titles of Hell¡¯s lords.¡± Perhaps because he had once been in close contact with Darkness Source Power, or maybe because Hell had absorbed that portion of power and triggered environmental changes, the initial generation of demons had a natural affinity for darkness. Moving about in the mortal world, Hell¡¯s blessing had already been greatly reduced, but Mephisto¡¯s affinity for darkness had not. These forces, known as ¡®elements¡¯, did not reject his summons; rather, they obediently shifted ording to his will. This creation called the Magic Net was indeed peculiar. Though it restrained elements, it did not refuse any being from using it, as if it were merely a tool for organizing power. However, regardless, this was a good thing. Being able to manipte elemental power meant that he had numerous more means at his disposal in the Mortal Realm. Moreover, if the human he encountered earlier drank his blood, he should be able to obtain some simr powers. ¡°A title?¡± Once again, Keto heard a foreign term but was roughly able to grasp the meaning of the words. It was probably like the Divine Power Level among deities, a ssification of the power of these special ¡®territorial gods¡¯. ¡°So what exactly are you here for, just to chat with a mortal?¡± Shaking his head slightly, Mephisto did not expect the other party to understand his intentions. ¡°The exnation is ratherplicated. Instead of focusing on me, perhaps you should consider your own situation, madam. Since you have left Olympus, it means that, in the eyes of the Divine King, your status is probably less than that of your enemies. Therefore, you need to find a sufficiently powerful entity for protection to continue doing whatever you wish.¡± He spoke calmly; Mephisto wasn¡¯t nning on looking for another human right away. The vast majority of Bronze Humanity was still devout,pletely unaware of the little schemes their creator and priests were up to. In such circumstances, even if he could persuade a few by words, it was not worth the effort. Using the simplest methods to achieve the most, that was his life philosophy. And even if it had only been half a day, Mephisto had already grasped the current state of the human tribes. Like a volcano on the verge of eruption, it was only a matter of time before it blew. He didn¡¯t need to do anything extra; he just had to select a few suitable candidates among the priests and then quietly wait for Prometheus to hasten his own downfall. It would be then, when humans lost their creator, that they could be thoroughly corrupted from top to bottom. ¡°So what do you need me to do, and what will you give me in return. Up to now, I still don¡¯t even know who you mean by the ¡®Lord of the Nine Hells¡¯.¡± In ignorance of the ns the person before her had quietly made, Keto furrowed her brows and asked. ¡°Moreover, is ¡®faith¡¯ the secret you mentioned about the Divine King? Because I don¡¯t feel that power at all.¡± ¡°Of course, you wouldn¡¯t feel it. You are not a natural deity, a part of the world itself, which can receive some faith from the ces rted to you where humans live, whether they are aware of you or not. Nor are you the founder of some human skill, culture, or legend that can draw power from it.¡± ¡°If any god could obtain faith, then it couldn¡¯t exactly be called a secret, could it? Why do you think the Divine King forbids humanity from nearing the sea?¡± Mephisto said indifferently; he had felt faith before. After bing a lord consecrated by the Lord of the Nine Hells, he could gain bolstering from his ¡®domain¡¯ and possess quasi-godly power, though most of it was cut off upon entering the Mortal Realm. The other demons residing in his domain inadvertently provided him with that bit of faith. Although the proportion was small, it existed nevertheless. ¡°Faith and such matters have nothing to do with you for now. That will be the key contention of truly powerful deities in the future¡­ I can almost foresee it. Sooner orter, the Divine King of Mount Olympus will grant humans the ability to proliferate, and there maye a day when the gods will take sides against each other because of this.¡± Chapter 185: 33 Hades, Nether Moon, and the Lucky One_2 Chapter 185: Chapter 33 Hades, Nether Moon, and the Lucky One_2 Looking at Keto, in the previous exchange, Mephisto had learned of the Divine Authority she wielded¡ªa counterfeit, false ¡®beauty.¡¯ At present, this power might not be useful. But once humanity can reproduce, it would indeed be a very useful tool. The first wave of souls, with the Forethinker¡¯s foolish actions, Mephisto was quite confident now. Currently, for the perfect fulfillment of his covenant with the Lord of the Nine Hells, he had to think ahead about how to continuously obtain souls. He couldn¡¯t be this tant in the future, otherwise, whether it be the deities on Mount Olympus or the existences in the Spirit Realm, they likely wouldn¡¯t let him off. ¡°As for what I need you to do¡­ actually, right now, I rather need the assistance of Lady Megaera.¡± Looking at the goddess of envy beside him, Mephisto slowly promised: ¡°Stir the hearts of humans with envy, mydy. Provoke their jealousy towards immortality, towards power, but do not make it too obvious.¡± ¡°By the Styx River as my witness, if you are willing to obey mymands for the next thousand years, then when it all ends, your desires will be fulfilled.¡± ¡°Especially you.¡± Mephisto looked at Keto, he already knew what she truly cared about.
¡°Under normal circumstances, the true form of a deity cannot change, but under the reshaping of the world¡¯s force, nothing is impossible.¡± ¡°When the timees, although what you¡¯ll possess is only ¡®false beauty,¡¯ it does not matter in the slightest, you can ¡®be¡¯ the true beauty¡ª¡± ¡­ Today, the Bronze Human Tribe was truly bustling with life, as more than one deity had passed through here in a short span of time, but none of this could capture Laine¡¯s true attention. He simply nced over and then continued to sit at the table, waiting for dinner with Liana. Gods naturally can abstain from eating, but it doesn¡¯t mean they are unable to eat. On the contrary, most of the gods of Chaos wouldn¡¯t forgo this activity, Laine was no exception. Now, they were at the edge of the human tribe, in a Bronze human¡¯s house, watching a not-sorge figure busy in front of the fire. Although the figure was small, the movements were proficient, evidently, this wasn¡¯t the first time undertaking such tasks. ¡°Ande, are you sure you don¡¯t need our help?¡± Looking at the ¡®youth¡¯s¡¯ busy form of about eleven to twelve years of age, Laine asked with a smile. ¡°No need, big brother, I can manage!¡± The boy shook his head in refusal, not pausing in his actions. His name was Ande, also a member of the Bronze Humanity, but he was from the second batch of humans created by Prometheus using the remaining materials. Although only less than ten years separated them, because the Forethinker wanted to hint to the Divine King to create females, this generation of Bronze Humanity were all children. The ones like Ande, who appeared to be about ten years old, were considered the older ones. However, unlike the children ofter generations, as the creations of the gods, even if they were far fromparing to the Golden Humanity, they all possessed physiques far surpassing mortals ofter times. Like Ande, despite his young age, his strength was no less than that of a grown man inter eras, so having his own dwelling equated to living independently, just like the other members of the Bronze Humanity. Previously, on a whim, Laine decided to bring Liana to experience the life of a primitive society and incidentally give away a gift that had been prepared long ago. Thus, he used witchcraft to blur the memory of those around them towards him and Liana, making them seem like just another ¡®perfectly normal Bronze human male and female¡¯¡ªeven though there were no women among humans at that time. Then, he randomly picked a lucky spectator, deciding to stay in their home for a few days. Regrettably, the initially chosen lucky spectator did not grasp the life-changing opportunity. He was unaware of how miraculous the gift Laine had intended to give was for mere mortals, instead treating this pair of ¡®down-and-out¡¯ kindred with disdain. Liana was quite angry about this, but Laine didn¡¯t intend to quibble with the other party and just brushed it off with a smile.
Over the years, his mindset had long since changed from that of the past. Just as he could watch the Bronze Humanity meeting its destined destruction, he could naturally ignore the unconscious offense of mortals, because from beginning to end, Laine had never taken them to heart. The Bronze Humanity, to some extent, gave him a sense of familiarity, but it was just a little. However, after Laine was rejected, next to that person who was hard to say whether lucky or unlucky, Ande showedpassion towards these two ¡®big brother and sister whose house had copsed,¡¯ and invited them home. And that led to the current scene, with Ande busily preparing dinner, while the two ¡®adults¡¯ sat at the table, not even contemting lending a hand.
¡°Hmm?¡± Suddenly, Laine and Liana looked towards the ground. Both sensed that at this moment, the master of the Underworld had arrived outside the Nether Moon, unleashing Divine Power, asserting his presence. Though the strength of deities was limited in the Underworld to some extent due to the Dark Overlord¡¯s intervention during the transition of eras, this was far from the case onnd and sea. At this moment, above the symbol of his Godhood, the power shown by Hades was very formidable. Especially as one of the two most coreponents of the Underworld, he naturally enjoyed the favor of this subterranean world¡¯sws which vaguely formed a realm of its own. ¡°It¡¯s Hades; he must be here for those wraiths.¡± Chapter 186: 33 Hades, Nether Moon, and the Lucky One_3 Chapter 186: Chapter 33 Hades, Nether Moon, and the Lucky One_3 Watching Ande¡¯s bustling figure, Laine smiled and opened his mouth. ¡°It seems he is not as honest as he used to be, just more adept at judging the timing and situation than his foolish brother,¡± he said. ¡°If you need, I can take care of him right now.¡± The tone was serious; although most deities of Olympus were unaware that the Nether Moon used to be considered the ¡®main entrance¡¯ to the Spirit Realm, Hades¡¯ presence at their doorstep was still seen by Liana as a provocation. Clearly, Liana had not paid attention to what the other had done to the wraiths before, because to her, that bit of Power of Faith was truly insignificant. For Laine himself, the role of Faith was actually quite limited; after all, he was only slightlycking in Divine Power, but foreseeably, it wouldn¡¯t take long before this shoring would be made up for as the intelligent life on the world grew more prosperous. Thus, whatever Faith flowed to him, besides half going to the Civilization te, the rest he directly shared with Liana. Compared to that, those mere ten thousand wraiths indeed had little presence. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that; the wraiths are also your believers, after all. If Hades has some good suggestions, it¡¯s not uneptable,¡± he said. After pondering for a while, and considering that Liana generallycked experience in making decisions on her own, Laine decided to treat this as an experience for her to handle. ¡°Ande, Liana has to go out for a bit; slow down, and let¡¯s wait for her together,¡± he called out to the little fellow on the side and, after receiving an affirmative response, Laine finally cautioned Liana:
¡°This matter, decide for yourself. Whether you agree or refuse, it¡¯s all up to you.¡± ¡°No matter what choice you make, I will support your decision¡ªjust remember toe back quickly; Ande¡¯s dinner cannot be missed.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Nodding in response, clearly, to the two of them, Hades¡¯ matter was not as important as the first meal in the human tribe. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ On the earth, the Divine King¡¯s marriage was still in progress. While Zeus¡¯s invitations reached all the deities of Olympus, he somehow forgot to include Hades. This was not intentional. In fact, since the Underworld was self-contained, rarely interacting with the outside world, and other deities of the earth did not like its environment, coupled with that previous invitations to the deities of the Underworld were often rejected, it gradually becamemon for them to forget about Hades. However, Hades did not care about that at all. Overlooking the earth from above the Fields of Truth, the Underworld was, as always, deste and tranquil. Palevender moonlight shone on the graynd, countless white bones wandered aimlessly, instinctively absorbing the masterless Magic Power scattered in the moonlight. Among the wraiths, asionally some would awaken intelligence. But they would quickly be found by the few deities patrolling the Underworld and then taken to the Fields of Truth. The wraiths with intelligence constructed buildings and temples there, worshipping the Nether Moon, and then reluctantly showing respect to the lord of the Underworld. Hades saw all of this, but there was not much he could do. In fact, Hades discovered the existence of Faith even earlier than his brother who ruled Olympus, but the discovery was of no use because the wraiths were not humans. Wraiths do not reproduce, and those with intelligence are few and far between, amounting to only tens of thousands to date. Furthermore, the vast majority of their Faith flowed towards the Nether Moon. ¡°Faith¡ª¡± With a sigh, Hades felt somewhat helpless. Unlike humans, the lives of wraiths hardly have any external demands. They don¡¯t need to eat, rest, and there are no enemies here, leaving them to revere only life and death. The Nether Moon gave them life, so they worshipped it zealously. Theoretically, Hades could threaten them by offering death, but he hesitated.
The gods were still exploring Faith, and Hades was not sure if pure coercion would garner it, so after thinking it over, he decided to adopt a different approach. He nned to establish a hierarchy among the wraiths, set up an Order, and teach them to obey. He would grant the wraiths a path of ascension, emting the Divine Court of the mortal world to establish a kingdom for the deceased, over which he would reign as king. When his ownws prated every corner of this Undead Kingdom, and when they all acted ording to hismands, then whether they prayed to him or not would be irrelevant. But all of this was predicated on having a sufficient number of wraiths, and the only one who could achieve this was undoubtedly the Goddess of the Nether Moon, who spread the moonlight.
So, Hades watched the wraiths¡¯ every action, all to draw the attention of the ruler of the Nether Moon. Unfortunately, that aloof goddess seemed to care little for this power, and to date, hadn¡¯t given it any notice. ¡°Minta, do you think the Goddess of the Nether Moon has felt the Faith?¡± he asked. ¡°Although not numerous, these wraiths are not few either,¡± Hades mused, questioning himself while turning to the Nymph behind him. This Naiad, who followed him for a long time, seemed to have developed other intentions, but he wasn¡¯t particrly interested in these matters. Conveniently, this one-sided infatuation might deepen her efficiency in her duties, so Hades left it to continue unchallenged. ¡°Sorry, your Majesty, I do not know,¡± she said. Looking respectfully at Hades, who had his back turned to her, Minta knew he was not really asking her. Despite all the efforts, congregating all the wraiths that worshipped the Nether Moon together, gathering them above the Fields of Truth near the Divine Pce of Hades, even having them build crude temples, the avatar of the Nether Moon seemed oblivious, not sparing it a single nce. At this, Minta couldn¡¯t help but feel angry at the goddess¡¯s insensitivity. Even if she was also a Principal God with great Divine Power, she shouldn¡¯t ignore her lord like this. Chapter 187: 34: Vibration Chapter 187: Chapter 34: Vibration ¡°` ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯ve heard that besides the Goddess of the Nether Moon, there¡¯s also a Goddess of the Magic Net who possesses a simr power. Perhaps, wouldn¡¯t it be possible for you to switch your ally?¡± As a Naiad brought down from the earth by Hades, Minta had heard of Hecate. The light of the Nether Moon contains unimed magical power, which can give rise to wraiths in the Underworld and further awaken wisdom in a few of them. Hence, changing to the Goddess of the Magic Net might also be feasible. ¡°I¡¯ve actually considered it, but¡­¡± Hades didn¡¯t voice his thoughts, but he felt that the Goddess of the Magic Net might not be any easier to deal with than the owner of the Nether Moon. Moreover, the Nether Moon itself hangs over the Underworld, and he couldn¡¯t avoid her one way or another¡ªit was just a matter of sooner orter. ¡°¡­Forget it, let¡¯s try again. I¡¯ll pay her a visit myself.¡± Hades sighed, feeling somewhat helpless. In any matter, the side that takes the initiative is already at a loss before they¡¯ve even started. He had hoped to attract the attention of the Goddess of the Nether Moon by gathering the wraiths, but it seemed to be ineffective. The faith of mortals, although the Divine King proimed that it would be shared with all deities, Hades knew his brother well. Zeus would surely find a way to im thergest portion. And over thend which Zeus already ruled, Hades had little recourse.
But it was different underground. As long as he sorted things out with the Goddess of the Nether Moon, in the absence of the Primordial Gods, the vast Underworld would be within hismand. He could establish an empire belonging to the wraiths, and he would be the supreme ruler. ¡°The ruler of the Underworld¡­ naturally, I can¡¯t have only a few deities following my orders.¡± ¡°Zeus has humans, I should have my own ¡®humans¡¯.¡± Muttering to himself, once, faced with his father¡¯s admonitions before leaving, Hades had replied ¡®rather than coveting what others have, it¡¯s better to strengthen oneself.¡¯ That was his mindset, and his approach. He wasn¡¯t truly indifferent to fame and fortune, he just saw himself more clearlypared to his foolish brother. Let the gods of the earth vie for favor among humans in the future. Once he rued enough power beneath the earth, then he could consider the matters of the future. Whether to let the wraiths march from the gates of the Underworld onto the earth, dering his existence to mortals and further harvesting their awe, or to go a step further, ally within his will. And all this was predicated on sorting things out with the incarnation of the Nether Moon, persuading her to join his side, or at least enhancing the power of moonlight, to facilitate the widespread emergence of wraiths with wisdom. Hades leaped into the air and headed for the Nether Moon hanging in the sky. He nned to first negotiate increasing the moonlight¡¯s intensity and see what conditions the goddess would propose. If they were reasonable, he¡¯d agree to them. As for the end, he intended to try to invite her to ¡®co-rule¡¯ the Underworld with him. Hades thought that even if she didn¡¯t agree to thetter, she would merely express her refusal verbally and perhaps scoff a few times at most, and it was unlikely to lead to any more drastic reactions. At least, that¡¯s what he thought at the moment. ¡­ Hades had already been waiting before the Nether Moon for a while. Different from the moon of the earth, the body that orbits through the core of the White Path Star Region is a colossal celestial body, only slightly smaller than the Sun. Even as the Chaos World expands, the sun and moon have risen in height, swelling, and bing more magnificent. As for the Nether Moon in front of him, it was a virtual light body several hundreds of meters in diameter. What¡¯s more, although the terrain of the Underworld in the Mythic World is t, theoretically, the view of the Nether Moon from its center should differ from its edge, but in reality, they appear the same size visually. This was a manifestation of spatial maniption, and Hades was gradually bing aware of it. After all, when his attempts to release power bore no fruit, he wanted to directly contact the Nether Moon¡¯s body, but no matter how close he got, it was as if there was a barrier. This annoyed him and also confused him. After all, he hadn¡¯t heard that the Nether Moon possessed the power of space and time. However, rumors suggested that the Goddess of the Nether Moon was simr to the Primordial Deities, possibly nurtured by the Spirit Realm itself, endowed with a portion of spatial-temporal power, which also seemed understandable.
¡°Hmm? Is that you, Princess Liana?¡± Suddenly, the void in front of him trembled, and Hades¡¯s spirit perked up. Having been in the Underworld for nearly a century, he was finally about to meet the deity who stands in contrast to the Underworld from a distance. Just as he had surmised, the next moment a slender figure slowly emerged. ¡°Are you Hades?¡±
In a cool tone, wearing a deep purple gown, Liana took a step out, and the fluctuating spacetime around her began to calm. In the face of these external gods, aside from the Goddess of Law with whom she had dealt when she was newly born, Liana always seemed aloof. ¡°Yes, I am.¡± Hades nodded, having anticipated Liana¡¯s coolness. From her prior demeanor, she didn¡¯t seem like an easy-going deity. Fortunately, he was prepared. As long as he could achieve his goal, the King of the Underworld didn¡¯t mind her attitude. ¡°Princess Liana, I apologize for intruding,¡± Hades began with a smile, ¡°As your neighbor¡ª¡± ¡°Get to the point.¡± She cut him off tly, showing no interest in his preamble. ¡°¡­Then I¡¯ll be direct.¡± The King of the Underworld paused for a moment, then continued: ¡°It¡¯s like this, I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve noticed, but the wraiths on the greatnd of the Underworld¡ªI believe you know they worship the Nether Moon?¡± ¡°I do.¡± Liana nodded, unconcerned as she might be, she was still aware of their existence.
Chapter 188: 34: Vibration_2 Chapter 188: Chapter 34: Vibration_2 Not only that, she also knew that those wraiths had given her a very strange name, ¡°Primitive Moon¡±. Although, from the perspective of the ¡®Moon¡¯, the Nether Moon indeed was the original one, this nickname still sounded somewhat odd. ¡°That¡¯s good, my visit here is indeed rted to them.¡± Feeling somewhat relieved, Hades stretched out his hand to capture a thread of the pale purple moonlight. This power, a mixture of Spirituality and Element, wasn¡¯t asplicated as he had imagined, but in order to spread this power throughout the range of the Underworld, the function of the corresponding Godhood was indispensable. ¡°Since you know them, you must have felt the faith that emanates from them, right?¡± His expression grew more solemn as Hades looked at thend in the distance, towards the temple structure built on the east side of the Underworld¡¯s Divine Pce. ¡°Perhaps due to their numbers, the wraiths¡¯ faith is insubstantial now, but Princess Liana, if you are willing to increase the concentration of the unimed Magic Power in the light of the Nether Moon, perhaps in a few hundred years, the number of wraiths in the Underworld will reach millions¡ª¡± ¡°No, the wraiths that awaken purely because they are influenced by Magic Power and naturally born in the environment of the Underworld cannot awaken Wisdom.¡± Shaking her head slightly and interrupting Hades once more, Liana couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit more contempt for him inside.
As expected, gods from the outside world still conformed to her stereotypical image of them. Even after studying wraiths for so long, they still hadn¡¯t understood the principle of their birth of Wisdom. ¡°The existences that have now acquired Wisdom are mostly the transformed beings of earthly creatures that were brought into the Underworld by deities after death, the stronger they were in life, the better the wraiths they be after death. As for those born from energy umtion, they are inherently defective; unless supplemented with external force, they will forever be lower beings.¡± ¡°Without even understanding this, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re here for.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s how it is!¡± Not angry, Hades simply had some sort of epiphany. He had only ascended a mere century ago, and many things were still unclear to him. It is said that wraiths have been born in the Underworld for thousands of years, and with such a long time but so few possessing Wisdom, there naturally had to be a reason. He didn¡¯t know why before, but now he finally understood. ¡°Then I suppose I was not fully prepared.¡± ¡°But no matter, I will ask my brother to surrender the bodies of some mortal beings after their death to the jurisdiction of the Underworld. In exchange, I can abstain from interfering directly in the faith of humans on the surface, he will grant me this face.¡± Immediately thinking of a solution, Hades turned his gaze back to Liana. ¡°Well, alright then.¡± Indifferently nodding her head, Liana didn¡¯t really care about the faith of the wraiths. But after some thought, she eventually spoke: ¡°I can agree to your request, allowing the Nether Moon to release more of its Magic Power aura, but you¡¯ll also need to spread some existing faith among the wraiths for me.¡± ¡°Of course, no problem. May I ask which deities? I will definitely make arrangementster.¡± Agreeing immediately, this was still within Hades¡¯ expectations. Yet he hadn¡¯t known until now that those intelligent wraiths were the transformations of actual living beings after death. But it made sense since they could retain some memories from life; they did have to have a ¡®life¡¯ before, something he had previously overlooked. ¡°Ononia, Dike, and Erinys. They preside over spring, summer, and autumn and can bring rebirth to All Spirits.¡± Since living beings are cleansed of memories after death, these three goddesses of rebirth have been unknown to the outside world. As the first intelligent life born in the Spirit Realm, Liana felt it was necessary to consider their situation. And although those wraiths didn¡¯t worship the Lord of the Spirit Realm, Liana felt that was only because they were unaware of the Lord¡¯s grandeur. Once they knew that the Nether Moon was just an outward manifestation of the Spirit Realm, they should have a different belief from other beings of the outside world.
¡°Good.¡± Hades nodded in agreement, being the god of the deste Underworld, he had a preference for those godly duties associated with Life. If the followers of these three goddesses in the Underworld gradually increased, perhaps they would also contribute to the growth of the Underworld of their own ord. His purpose for this visit was thus satisfactorily aplished. Hades was about to take his leave when suddenly he remembered something.
He nced again at the Goddess of the Nether Moon, feeling the familial closeness of their Godhood as before. The Underworld had been illuminated by the light of the Nether Moon for millennia, and all vitality stemmed from it. If she were truly willing to coborate with him to develop the Underworld, that would be much more suitable than Demeter. So Hades hesitated briefly, and in the end, under Liana¡¯s watchful eye, he slowly began to speak. ¡°Princess Liana, no offense intended, but as two beings situated above and below within the Underworld, I believe we have much more we could coborate on.¡± ¡°So what?¡± Considering it was just a matter of adjusting the concentration of Magic Power and having someone do her a favor, Liana decided to hear what the other party had to say. ¡°Well, what I mean to say is¡­¡± Looking at Liana, Hades spoke sincerely, ¡°Just as the Heavenly Father and Mother Earth became the first Divine King and Queen of the Gods, perhaps¡ªwhat are you doing?!¡± With a tone of surprise and uncertainty, Hades recoiled. Wisps of gray light rose from the ground, entwining around their master. In front of Hades, the Nether Moon¡¯s light almost instantly intensified. An immeasurable Light was released, and the entire gloomy Underworld was lit as if it were daytime. Chapter 189: 34: Vibration_3 Chapter 189: Chapter 34: Vibration_3 ¡°What am I doing?¡± The expression chilled as the power of the Spirit Realm was summoned, and the mighty force that reached the pinnacle of divine power burst forth. ¡°Arrogant fool.¡± As the being who managed the Spirit Realm in Laine¡¯s absence, Liana, besides her own godhood, could almost be considered the greatest territorial god in the world. Even if her own power was not strong enough, with the empowerment of the Spirit Realm, there was no existence below the great ones that could defeat her in the Underworld. At this moment, the Moonlight, turned deep purple, shone down upon the Underworld, only to be firmly blocked by a pale grey force. The collision, seemingly gentle, caused a violent tremor to spread from the center to both above and below. ¡°Wait, Princess Liana, I was just inquiring. If you¡¯re not interested, there¡¯s no need to resort to arms.¡± The expression abruptly changed; just upon contact, Hades realized something was amiss. He could recognize the aura of the Nether Moon, which shouldn¡¯t have been so powerful. Moreover, the reaction of the other party was also beyond his expectation. There were many goddesses who refused the advances of male gods, but none had ever responded with direct force. ¡°An inquiry or premeditated ns, neither are important now.¡± ¡°Let me teach you a lesson, and you will naturally learn what you shouldn¡¯t do.¡±
With a light snort, Liana calmed down slightly. Pushing aside her initial shock and anger, she realized the other party was just probing, but that didn¡¯t mean she would simplyugh it off. Laine had asionally mentioned that to make the other party cooperate obediently and avoid any funny business, showing one¡¯s strength was the best method. If that was the case, then it was time for a fight. After all, she never took much liking to the false deities of the outside world. Laine had said before that it didn¡¯t matter what she did, which allowed Liana to act without reservations. Having made her decision, in the next moment, a silver mirror appeared in Liana¡¯s hands. As the pale purple light bathed the earth, with the assistance of the Divine Artifact, the Goddess of the Nether Moon¡¯s hand bypassed Hades¡¯s power, reaching directly for his back. In the eyes of Hades, at the center of the Fields of Truth, another tremendous roar echoed in all directions. The newly built Divine Pce of Hades crumbled to dust in Liana¡¯s hands, leaving only a vast pit in its ce. ¡°Good, very good. It seems Princess Liana wishes to gauge my level. In that case, allow me to witness your power.¡± No longer harboring any hope for luck and angered by the destruction of his pce, Hades felt the wrath. With half the authority of the Underworld bolstering him, as the embodiment of the Underworld went all out, a sensation entirely different from when he was above ground emerged in the heart of Hades. Eyes narrowed, the grey aura shone grandly. Thus, in the next moment, at the center point of the Underworld, a third rumbling spread to all corners, drawing the attention of all deities. ¡­ Atop Mount Olympus. The wedding festivities of Zeus had not yet ended; to celebrate this significant day, which likely wouldn¡¯te a second time, the Divine King nned tomemorate it over three years. Of course, he also had an ulterior motive for testing. With Metis¡¯s ¡®disappearance,¡¯ he wedded his sister, and though the gods of Olympus kept silent, it didn¡¯t mean the gods of the ocean felt the same. Since Oceanus had been seriously injured and returned to the outer seas, Zeus had not seen him for nearly a century. Because of faith, the other party would sooner ortere searching, and the Divine King didn¡¯t believe he could conceal things forever. Yet, he was not nning to concede for this, so before that, it was best if he could understand the current state of his foster father. Regardless of everything, he would never allow this Ancient Titan God, whose divine power had already reached the pinnacle, to regain faith. Zeus didn¡¯t know how to attain greatness, nor if faith could cross that threshold, but when facing the unknown, the best strategy was not to give the other party a chance. With that thought, the Divine King raised his cup¡ª ¡°¡ªCling.¡± ¡°Hmm, what happened?¡± A sudden tremor caused all the goblets at the banquet to fall over. Zeus furrowed his brow, and the other gods also showed their puzzlement. How could Olympus, supporting half of the sky, suddenly shake for no reason?
¡°Is it from underground, are deities shing there?¡± Cling¡ª Another thunderous roar, even more intense than thest one, allowed Zeus to locate the source of the disturbance. It came from beneath the earth, definitely caused by the deeds of a deity; he could clearly see, the tremor was quickly suppressed by the forces of the material world the further it was from Olympus. Undoubtedly, only a tremor caused by divine power would be like this. When it reached above ground, Olympus, unrestrained, experienced the most significant impact.
¡°Where¡¯s Hades?¡± Immediately, Zeus asked Iris, the Goddess of Rainbows who was not far away; he suddenly remembered that he hadn¡¯t seen his brother, though Zeus did not admit to himself that he had forgotten this matter altogether. ¡°Your Majesty, ever since Lord Hades went to the Underworld, the gods of the mortal world hardly¡­ seldom invite him to their banquets; we thought this time you also¡ª¡± She didn¡¯t finish, but Zeus already understood her implication. Obviously, like him, because Hades had departed from the gods¡¯ circle and went to the ¡®barrennd,¡¯ he was directly forgotten by the others. If that was the case, then this disturbance was probably rted to him. After all, having witnessed Gaia take action, Zeus was well aware that if it were two Primordial Gods shing there, Olympus would be affected more than just a couple of shakes. ¡°The Underworld, huh¡­¡± Pondering for a moment, Zeus stood up from his throne and scanned those around him. ¡°My fellows.¡± As the Divine King rose, the scene quieted down. The gods were astonished by the shake of the Mount of the Gods, the perceptive ones had already determined the cause, but everyone intended to listen to Zeus¡¯s thoughts. ¡°There¡¯s no need for rm. The recent disturbance likely came from the Underworld. It must be my brother making some significant move.¡± With a smile, recounting the entirety of the underworld, the only two that could possibly challenge Hades were the River of Vows, Styx, seen only twice, and the Goddess of the Nether Moon, glimpsed once in wonder. Zeus vaguely remembered that the goddess he saw in the Spirit Realm was the embodiment of the Nether Moon. Now, he just hoped that the one shing with Hades was not the River of Vows.
Chapter 190: 35: Oblivion Chapter 190: Chapter 35: Oblivion No matter what, Zeus had once promised to be the guardian of oaths. If possible, he would rather not see Hades bear a grudge against the Styx River, as it would put him in a difficult position. After all, deep down, the Divine King did not wish to have a falling-out with the lord of oaths for the sake of Hades. As for the Nether Moon, that was an easier matter to deal with. Zeus could simply stand by the wall under the pretext of ¡®giving face to the Primordial Gods¡¯, watching Hades and his neighbor be enemies withoutpromising his own authority. Conveniently, Poseidon had his own foster father as an adversary in the vast ocean. If the Underworld could also have an existence to counterbnce Hades, then nothing could be better. ¡°Boom¡ª¡± Lost in thought, Mount Olympus was shaken for the third time. Zeus knew that he should do something now. Under the watchful eyes of the gods, the Divine King continued to speak: ¡°In the past, I had made a promise: everything in the Underworld belongs to Hades, just as everything above the sea belongs to the Sea God. Even as the Divine King, I shall not interfere in their respective domains, so Hades has the right to do whatever he pleases in the underworld.¡± ¡°However, his actions have ultimately disturbed the peace of the gods. Thus, I believe someone should look into the matter to understand the cause and effect.¡± Zeus looked around, but the gods fell silent upon hearing his words. They had no interest in meddling in this affair. Merely from the disturbance, it was apparent that it was a confrontation between two powerful divine forces. Hades himself possessed a divine power level of 18 or 19, which would only be stronger when he wielded half the Underworld¡¯s authority. And the deity shing with him must also be formidable.
This effectively ruled out nearly all the deities present. Therefore, with the Divine King unable to go in person, they all turned their gazes towards the Sea Emperor and the Guardian Goddess Hestia, who hade for the feast. Under the gaze of all the gods, Poseidon remained unfazed, as he would not run errands for Zeus. Only Hestia stood up. Since the various offspring of Zeus had not yet been born, Hestia, the me and guardian goddess, was his only avable force that he couldmand. As always, Hestia spoke softly. ¡°Let me go. I will ascertain the situation.¡± ¡°I appreciate your efforts.¡± Nodding, Zeus also knew this was the best oue. Then, under the gaze of all the gods, Hestia transformed into a beam of red light and dashed towards the underworld. Near Mount Olympus, there was a rift that led directly to the Underworld. By passing through it, one could reach the gates of the Underworld directly. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Rustle rustle¡ª At the edge of the Underworld, where the powers of the two Ancient Gods met, the waters of the River of Sorrow, Acheron, surged and roiled. The ferryman of the Styx River, Charon, sat in the wooden boat that was born with him, gazing at the distant dazzling purple moon and the gray light rising from the earth before sinking down, feeling somewhat pensive. This was the second time he had witnessed such world-shaking power. Thest time was during the transition of ages when he saw darkness spreading from the Realm of Lightlessness. However, perhaps because the power level was so highst time, Charon could not understand where the opponents were or how they collided. But this time was different. The power of the Nether Moon was released unabashedly in the Underworld for the first time, causing the entire range of the Underworld to momentarily expand. On the destend, raging magic power swept through all quarters, the waters of the river of fire tumbled out of its course, and the Styx River and the River of Sorrow might have been indistinguishable had deities not been in charge. But vaguely, with the collision of the powers of the two Underworld principal gods, Charon thought he sensed an unusual presence at the end of his sight. This feeling was somewhat familiar to the ferryman of the Styx, but he couldn¡¯t remember where he had felt it before. ¡°This is the Underworld, indeed. Although deste enough, it nevercks powerful deities.¡± Dipping the oar into the water, the turbulent Acheron barely stabilized a fraction. Suppressing the restless Styx River, Charon couldn¡¯t help but feel reflective. The deities of thend had at least the vast sky and ocean, which could separate gods of different camps with distance, but the Underworld was different.
Whether willing or not, Styx was right at the entrance of the Underworld; any whoe and go must pass her. And the ¡®sky¡¯ of the underground was nowhere near as high as that of thend above; the Nether Moon and the gray soil were almost directly opposite each other. ¡°Fortunately, my neighbor has alwayscked presence; otherwise, it truly would be problematic.¡± ncing at the endlessly winding Styx River nearby, which conceptually ¡®encircles the Underworld seven times¡¯ but in reality spans the breadth of the Underworld on one side and plunges into Tartarus on the other, Charon felt quite relieved. Thankfully, the eldest daughter of the God of the Ocean usually did not concern herself with world affairs. Otherwise, she too would be qualified to contend for the dominance of the Underworld. If the authority of the Underworld were divided into ten parts, Hades would hold two, the Underworld soil and Nether Moon each would have three, leaving Styx River with the remaining two parts.
If Styx, as the oldest and mightiest of the rivers, demanded to rule all the rivers of the Underworld, Charon really didn¡¯t know whether to side with her or Hades. Although that Hades seemed a bit stronger Swoosh¡ª Lost in thought, a sudden disturbance from within the gates of the Underworld caught Charon¡¯s attention; it was the sign of someone entering the Underworld. Under his watchful eye, a red light shed and then stopped by the bank of the River of Sorrow. The light gradually faded, and the mild-mannered Guardian Goddess appeared. She floated by the river, looked at the core of the Underworld where gray and purple shed in the distance, and then noticed the old man on the river. Chapter 191: 35: Oblivion_2 Chapter 191: Chapter 35: Oblivion_2 ¡°` The situation was now clear; the one shing with Hades was the rumored Goddess of the Nether Moon, an ancient deity who had long resided in the Spirit Realm. However, before proceeding, the goddess decided to first understand the situation here. ¡°Excuse me, are you the River God of this ce?¡± Her tone was calm; looking at the aged visage of the ferryman before her, Hestia didn¡¯t show any arrogance due to the difference in strength. On the contrary, she was quite polite. It was her first time at the Acheron River, as well as her first encounter with this Styx River ferryman. Although the ferryman¡¯s strength was not formidable, the Styx River seemed to be linked with the power of the Underworld, giving birth to a special force. This force was not strong in itself, but it shared a part of the essence of the Underworld. It could cause all things to sink, making any being that came into contact with it dwindle in their obsessiveness through suffering. Neither deities nor mortals could avoid it; only on the ferryman¡¯s wooden boat could one sidestep this force. Of course, this power definitely could not affect her personally. After all, the Underworld was not the Spirit Realm, and even though the River of Sorrow shared part of the essence of the Underworld, it also wasn¡¯t capable of touching the great symbols. ¡°As you can see, Your Highness Hestia, I am Charon, the ferryman of the River of Sorrow, currently serving Lord Hades by guarding the portals between theher and the upper worlds,¡± Charon rose from the wooden boat and bowed deeply. ¡°May I know yourmands?¡±
¡°The strife in the Underworld has affected the surface; Ie by the Divine King¡¯s order to investigate the cause,¡± ¡°What do you know about this conflict?¡± Originally nning to head directly to the center of the Underworld, Hestia felt, just as she crossed the gates of the Underworld, that the aura of the battling sides suddenly calmed down. At the same time, a somewhat peculiar sensation drifted through the Underworld. ¡°I only know that Lord Hades has long desired to meet with the Goddess of the Nether Moon and the Goddess of Oaths, but to no avail,¡± ¡°As for the events that happened today, I am unaware, Your Highness,¡± Shaking his head, Charon¡¯s aged face didn¡¯t show the malice he often reserved for mortals, only respect and submission. Because of his godhood¡¯s influence, he actually reveled in bringing pain to others. But when facing the elder sister of the Divine King, he still knew what he ought to do. ¡°I see¡­ then I shall go and see for myself, thank you,¡± Hestia nodded slightly, surmising that perhaps her brother wished to fully integrate the power of the Underworld, resulting in a dispute with a neighbor. Without further ado, Hestia prepared to depart. But the next moment, that previously faint and peculiar aura suddenly intensified. The entire Underworld seemed to rejoice, and in an instant, even she was affected by that unknown power. The goddess stood still. In that moment, she seemed to forget how she hade to be there, her purpose for venturing to the Underworld, and she almost forgot how to control her own power. Her divine power fluctuated abnormally for a moment, fortunately, it was brief and Hestia quickly shook off the influence, but it still alerted her instantly. ¡°That is¡ª¡ª¡± With a serious expression, she felt wary of this special power. While its intensity was limited, like the Acheron River before her, it seemed to share the nature of another being. Consequently, it possessed a high level of rank, making even the goddess not exempt from its effects. ¡°¡­ Your Highness, it appears a new Styx River is being born,¡± Perhaps because he was also a member of the Styx, Charon wasn¡¯t more severely affected than the potent goddess. He recognized why this strange aura was familiar to him; a simr phenomenon had urred when he was born. Yet there was a difference. As one of the Styx Rivers, the ferryman could clearly feel that this new Styx River, like the Styx itself, was seemingly not solely under the influence of the Underworld.
At the other end of it, a vast and majestic world was connecting to the Underworld like Tartarus, through the power of the new Styx River. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ ¡°What is this?¡± Compared to the two deities at the edge of the Underworld, above the Fields of Truth, Liana and Hades were equally surprised.
Hades¡¯s figure was somewhat disheveled, but he was not gravely injured. Earlier, even though he had the upper hand, Liana soon realized after a brief exchange that she seemed unable to handle him currently. This was not because the power of the Spirit Realm was insufficient, or even that it was lesser than half of the Underworld¡¯s sovereignty, but because she herself had encountered a ¡®bottleneck.¡¯ There was plenty of power she could still draw upon, but Liana was no longer able to bear it. Empowered by the force of the interface, Liana, with her divine power just below the eighteenth level, stood at the peak of mighty divine power, with greatness just one step away. Yet as the Goddess of the Nether Moon, she was not the master of this world; she could not touch the sphere of greatness before her divine power had reached its zenith, a force she was temporarily unable to bear. In this situation, Liana and Hades were like two students who were already excellent but had also received extra credit. Although one had five hundred points and the other only fifty, faced with a test out of a hundred points, both ¡®good students¡¯ could achieve full marks. However, fortunately, she had a Divine Artifact. If in the realm of divine power, Hades, bolstered by half thews of the Underworld, stood equal to Liana, in the realm of Divine Artifacts, the Netherworld King¡¯s Helmet of Invisibility paled inparison. Chapter 192: 35: Oblivion_3 Chapter 192: Chapter 35: Oblivion_3 However, as the exchange of blows continued, something unexpected urred. When the power of the Spirit Realm served as a medium through Liana and collided with the authority of the Underworld, a strange change began to emerge. In the fourthyer of the Spirit Realm, the Divine Artifact used for erasing the memories of living beings suddenly copsed of its own ord, forming a special fountain. Originally, it merely held [Memory], but now, it had gained an additional power. ¡°A new Styx River!¡± With a grave expression, Hades, the rightful ruler of the Underworld, instantly understood what had happened. The birth of a Styx River required a cause: the Styx was born when the authority of the world¡¯s oaths was delegated; Acheron came into being because the Underworld had a master, the river of fire was drawn by his own hand, and the scene before him was clearly a resonance between some power of the Spirit Realm and the Underworld, for the fourth Styx River was about to emerge. This would normally be a positive event, just as the birth of the natural gods signified the reinforcement of the current Laws in the previous two epochs; an increase in the number of Styx Rivers would also strengthen the power of the Underworld, but at the moment, Hades was not the least bit happy. Because Hades felt that, unlike the river of fire and the River of Sorrow, this new Styx River seemed, simr to the first Styx, not to be under the jurisdiction of the Underworld¡¯s Laws. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± As the signs of the birth of the Styx River manifested, the confrontation between the two Principal Gods also came to a halt. Liana looked at the changes with some confusion, while Hades contemted how to end this inexplicable battle. Taking this opportunity, the Naiad, who had been watching with a heart full of terror, finally overcame her fear and approached Hades¡¯ side.
¡°Your Majesty, your Divine Pce just now¡ª¡± ¡°I can see it, and this is not the ce for you to be.¡± A twitch appeared at the corner of his eye, and his tone was somewhat stiff. A pce was of little concern to Hades, but as his dwelling ce, it represented his dignity. And yet, it was clear to anyone with eyes that he now had no way of handling the Goddess of the Nether Moon; he couldn¡¯t even manage a retaliatory strike of equal measure¡ªher abode was probably inside the Spirit Realm. And now that Minta had mentioned it again, it truly irritated Hades. This Nymph might not have any duplicitous intentions towards him, but she was certainly not the sharpest tool in the shed. ¡°Sigh¡ª¡± ¡°Let¡¯s end it here, Princess Liana; I have witnessed your power, and you should understand that even in the Underworld, I have some strength.¡± Speaking slowly, Hades looked towards the beautiful goddess in front of him. In terms of appearance, she was not inferior to the renowned Hera, though their styles were different. ¡°I won¡¯t bring up the past again, and as for my Divine Pce that you destroyed, consider it an apology to you. Let¡¯s not continue this meaningless battle.¡± With an unchanged expression, Liana had to admit that this foreign impostor god indeed had some strength. Perhaps she could suppress him with the power of the Divine Artifact, but in the Underworld, it would be difficult to truly subdue Hades. Among the original eighteen angels of the Spirit Realm, their attitudes towards beings of the outside world could roughly be divided into three categories. The ignoring faction believed their existence or non-existence had nothing to do with them; the destructive faction believed those who did not believe in the creator deserved to be eradicated; and there were those who believed in redemption, who felt that the beings of the outside world were merely lost and needed to recognize the greatness of the Lord for education. Liana actually fell between thest two categories; she believed that mortals could be educated, but these false gods were difficult to change. However, she was not as extreme as the second category, so it wasn¡¯t to the point where she felt the need to strike upon sight. ¡°You call this ce ¡®Fields of Truth¡¯?¡± With a cold voice, looking at this ce that proimed itself ¡®Truth,¡¯ an idea faintly formed in Liana¡¯s mind. If the Lord¡¯s name could be glorified, it seemed that an almost immortal god was not that important after all. ¡°Yes, this is the name I have chosen for the core of the Underworld, is there anything amiss?¡± His expression became guarded, for after the previous incident, Hades had vaguely realized that this goddess born of the Spirit Realm might have many beliefs that weren¡¯t quite the same as those of the contemporary gods. Without replying, Liana smiled as she looked at the vast grey in. Hades was somewhat surprised; it was the first time he had seen the Goddess of the Nether Moon smile, but the next moment, he realized something was wrong. In front of him, Liana¡¯s fingertips lightly touched the air, and an illusory river flowed out from the void.
Perhaps due to a destiny¡¯s alignment, as soon as it appeared, it was immediately epted by the Underworld. Emitting an essence that made all things forget their past, one end began near the Well of Reincarnation, stretching infinitely towards the greynd. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Divine power surged, and Hades was ready to intervene, but once again, he found to his frustration that the dominion of the Underworld did not repel her. Protected by the power of the silver mirror space, the illusory river cut right through the heart of the Underworld, from the site of the old Divine Pce in the Fields of Truth, splitting this central area of the Underworld in two. Even the river extended further, disrupting some tributaries of the River of Fire and probing towards the gates of the Underworld. Finally, it halted just behind the River of Sorrow.
Only then did Hades notice a familiar figure had appeared there. ¡°From now on, this will be Erinys¡¯ ¡®River of Oblivion,¡¯ and it should ease her burden somewhat.¡± ¡°The souls of all beings shall flow from here into the Spirit Realm, cleansing themselves of their past along the way, before being reborn into samsara. And wherever the river flows, all beings will bear witness to this, thereby recognizing the greatness of the Spirit Realm.¡± Pleased with her own arrangement, a river originating from the fourthyer of the Spirit Realm and situated at the very center of the sevenyers naturally should pass through the axis of the Underworld. Turning to face Hades, Liana¡¯s mood seemed much improved. She remembered visiting Laine and Cronus a few times. Since everything of the Lord was right, naturally the Goddess of the Nether Moon should learn from it. ¡®This is probably what the Lord wanted me to learn by dealing with this alone.¡¯ Feeling somewhat joyful, her tone became much milder. Looking at Hades in front of her, Liana spoke with an even voice: ¡°The angels of the Spirit Realm are loyal only to the creator of all things, this is the first time, and also thest, I will tell you this.¡± ¡°Furthermore, guard the banks of the River of Oblivion well. Do not let the souls be stolen by other lives, for the fewer souls the Spirit Realm receives, the less power the light within the Nether Moon will have.¡± ¡°Are you still willing to uphold our previous covenant?¡± Ignoring his sister far off at the gates of the Underworld, Hades was surprised by Liana¡¯s words. He had thought that due to the conflict between them, their previous agreement no longer mattered. ¡°I dislike you, only out of personal distaste. But it does not concern the covenant you just made.¡±
Liana had been most influenced by two beings since her birth, one was Laine, and the other was Themis, and most of her understanding of the outside world came from the two. Thetter needs no exnation, while the former, aside from ying a few word games when she was still weak, always kept his word. So as Liana said, as long as Hades did not first break his promise, she did not mind using the power of dominion to add some of the Nether Moon¡¯s light to the Underworld. Chapter 193 - 36 Puppets, Sailboats, and Chessboards Chapter 193: Chapter 36 Puppets, Sailboats, and Chessboards ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I will make sure the souls in this¡ªthis River of Oblivion are well taken care of.¡± Although the Underworld is vast, and the newly-born Styx River has visibly begun to stretch out its tributaries, Hades found overseeing it a trivial matter. After all, the gods have already confirmed it. The belief born from solitary souls,pared to their living days, hardly exists; hence, it seems that no one woulde to snatch such things inrge quantities. Even if left unattended, it¡¯s unlikely anything would happen. ¡°It had better be so.¡± Tilting her head, Liana noticed a red light approaching in the distance. It seemed to be a deity from above, but it would take a considerable amount of time to reach here. The Underworld may not be as vast as the surface, but it had now expanded significantly. ¡°Starting today, the unimed magic power released by the Nether Moon will triple, as promised. As for how to build your ¡®Undead Kingdom,¡¯ that will be your own affair.¡± With the silver mirror in hand, Liana did not linger any longer. Under Hades¡¯ gaze, her figure gradually became ethereal and finally disappeared without a trace. At the same time, the expanding Nether Moon slowly returned to normal, yet the magic power contained within its moonlight had indeed tripled. Though the concentration had only tripled, the impact on the emergence of wraith intelligence was more than tenfold. Now, the biggest issue had be how to acquire as many skeletal remains from above, especially those of humans. ¡°Bronze Humanity¡­ s, they have much life left.¡± Muttering to himself, his intended goal eventually materialized, but looking at the Styx River beneath his feet and the empty Fields of Truth, Hades¡¯s heart was filled with aplex mix of emotions. No, it wasn¡¯t entirely empty. It seemed the Goddess of the Nether Moon had shown some mercy to those wraiths who worshiped her, so despite the havoc wreaked by the previous two deities¡¯ skirmish, they were still rtively unharmed. The only truly unfortunate victims in the Fields of Truth were his own pce. ¡°You, go find someone to rebuild my Divine Pce. Construct it on the eastern side, a bit farther from the River of Oblivion.¡± With a casualmand to his maid, Hades immediately transformed into a grey light and darted towards the edge of the Underworld where Hestia approached. Apart from those with authority in the Underworld, it was no easy task for other deities to travel from the Underworld¡¯s border to its center, and he couldn¡¯t just wait idly at the heart of the Underworld for Hestia to arrive. Soaring through the air, Hades felt a bit of a headacheing on. He now needed to figure out a way to deal with his sister, preferably without letting her find out what he was up to. Today¡¯s struggle would certainly have drawn the attention of the Olympian Gods, and Hades didn¡¯t want them to be aware of the wraiths¡¯ existence prematurely. The Underworld had been of little interest before because itcked benefits, but if it suddenly possessed value, it would inevitably attract the gods¡¯ scrutiny. ¡°Let¡¯s go with that¡ªlet themugh for a while.¡± After flying for a while, Hades finally thought of a good strategy. The best way to cover something up wasn¡¯t to hide it clumsily, but rather to distract people with another matter, far more captivating. A story like ¡®The God of the Underworld fell in love with the Goddess of the Nether Moon, was spurned, and suffered a severe blow with his pce wiped away¡¯ would serve well. As for whether this would make him theughingstock of the Olympian Gods, Hades no longer cared much. A moment¡¯s honor or disgrace was trivial; whencking power, he could relinquish even the Divine King¡¯s throne, let alone a small matter of reputation. Once hepleted his n, those deities would naturally learn to keep silent. He adjusted his expression, trying to look as pitiful as possible. In the distance, Hestia¡¯s silhouette was now faintly visible. ¡­ The next day. Seismic disturbances ceased near Mount Olympus, affecting some oceans at most. Under the suppression of present powers, the Bronze Humanity¡¯s domain remained as peaceful as ever. Last night, in a remote corner of the tribe, Ande had waited veryte for the ¡®big sister¡¯ who had left halfway through to finally return, leaving the young boy quite famished. But this wasn¡¯t what Laine had asked for. He wasn¡¯t there to enforcews and mistreat children. There was no intent to ¡®test¡¯ Ande, and even the ¡®children¡¯ of the Bronze Humanity couldn¡¯t truly be considered weak. In fact, after realizing that Liana had somehow gotten into a fight with Hades for unknown reasons, Laine had signaled that it was okay to start eating, but Ande had insisted on waiting. Little Ande was warm-hearted and kind. He didn¡¯t want the ¡®big sister¡¯ to eat leftovers alone, so he was determined to wait for Liana¡¯s return. Laine could only sigh at this decision¡ªdifferent folks, different strokes. Freed from the constraints of thought, the personalities among the Bronze Humanity had also be varied. There were arrogant ones like Priest Ossen, some who sneered and mocked Laine¡¯s request for shelter, and naturally, there were those like Ande, who was full of kindness towards everything. Laine, however, did not know whether Ande could maintain such kindness when he grew up, as the Bronze Humanity faced their destined end. Maybe he could, but more likely he could not, yet Laine didn¡¯t care. He wasn¡¯t there to select the virtuous, and whether Ande became good or evil in the future was immaterial. Their fate was only intertwined for the time that Laine remained in the human tribe. Chapter 194 - 36 Puppets, Sailboats, and Chessboards_2 Chapter 194: Chapter 36 Puppets, Sailboats, and Chessboards_2 As for the future, that would be his own business. ¡°So, Liana, how did you end up fighting with Hades?¡± Sitting at a small table in front of the house, Laine was holding a small knife, carving a wooden figure. On the table beside himy many different kinds of wood carvings. They were exquisitely lifelike and looked no different from real people. ¡°Although Hades doesn¡¯t seem to be as content with his lot as he appears, he also doesn¡¯t seem like someone who would provoke you intentionally.¡± He didn¡¯t ask much yesterday, but now that he had some free time, Laine was a bit curious. Since he had let Liana handle the matter on her own, he naturally wouldn¡¯t be peeking and watching all the time. As a result, he waspletely clueless about how Hades had managed to offend his Angel. However, thinking about Liana¡¯s usual attitude towards the deities of the current world, it didn¡¯t seem surprising that they would end up fighting. ¡°¡­He said some very annoying things, so I wanted to teach him a lesson,¡± Liana said after a moment¡¯s silence. Laine was somewhat surprised at her reply; the reason was not important, but it was the first time he saw Liana hesitate when facing her own problems. However, he only pondered briefly and did not continue to probe. As the lord of the Spirit Realm, he respected every Spirit Realm life¡¯s right to independence, as long as it did not concern his own interests. ¡°If that¡¯s what you wanted to do, then go ahead.¡± ¡°But remember next time, before you act, think whether you can achieve your goal, and what you will have to sacrifice for it. If it were me, I¡¯d either not take action at all, or be prepared to deal with the trouble if I did.¡± As his hands continued carving, Laine, as he had said, seldom resorted to violence; every time he did act, it was with a purpose. In contrast, if not for the identally created River of Oblivion, Liana could be said to have fought for no reason and gained almost nothing from it. ¡°All right, go take care of your business. You¡¯ve drawn a river for Erinys; it¡¯s only right to have a word with her about it.¡± Laine waved his hand dismissively, and Liana, pressing her lips together, obeyed and left. Though she didn¡¯t say much, the Goddess of the Nether Moon could still see that Laine was less than pleased with how the event had unfolded, but Liana felt it was simply because she wasn¡¯t strong enough. ¡°Able to achieve the goal¡± and ¡°prepared to solve problems¡±; clearly, had she already reached greatness, she could have easily solved all the problems she faced yesterday. ¡°Still not enough experience.¡± ¡°But of course, confined to the Spirit Realm since birth, how could she look at the world with a more rational perspective? Even the gods of Chaos are no exception.¡± With a slight sigh, Laine decided to put aside Liana¡¯s affairs for the moment. He looked up just as Ande¡¯s small figure was approaching from the end of the path outside the courtyard. On his back, arge basket was filled with firewood, which appeared to be quite heavy. Over the years, even though the blessings of deities have allowed the Bronze Humanity to livefortably, that was onlyparative. In any case, the Humans of the present were still in a primitive and barbaric era, and when it came to the level of civilization, they were even inferior to the once Golden Race. During thousands of years of development, the Golden Humanity had already mastered all the skills passed down in the Civilization te, onlycking further innovation. In contrast, a mere decade or so was far from sufficient for the new Bronze Humanity to learn the legacies of their predecessors. Therefore, in such an era, even with the Fire that drove away cmities, they still needed to cut wood. Even with the evergreen fruit trees, they also needed to herd cattle and sheep. Ande was no exception. Early today, he had gone to a forest more than a dozen miles away to prepare fuel for theing days. ¡°Big brother, I¡¯m back,¡± Ande announced as he entered the courtyard and put down the bamboo basket loaded with firewood, wiping off the sweat on his face. If this scene were witnessed by people fromter times, they would definitely use Laine of exploiting a child, but to the big and small in this courtyard, it seemed perfectly normal. Laine felt it was justified, for what he was about to give Ande was far more valuable than what thetter had given. Ande also felt it was justified, for he realized that Laine knew a lot. Ande wasn¡¯t stupid; he had his guesses about Laine¡¯s identity. Perhaps this big brother was a skilled ¡®craftsman¡¯. ¡°You¡¯re back, that¡¯s good,e here, Ande,¡± Laine said, finishing the final stroke and examining the wooden doll in his hand. Perfect in appearance, the inside was also filled with organs, blood vessels, and meridians indistinguishable from those of a real body. He hadn¡¯t used any extraordinary power; this was the pinnacle of mortals¡¯ craftsmanship, enhanced by his Godhood. Of course, without a transcendent physique, it would have been absolutely impossible to master the technique of projecting force through the exterior without damaging the wood. ¡°Come on, pick one,¡± Laine beckoned to Ande. On the stone table at the moment, there were varied dolls, including a small wooden sailboat that didn¡¯t yet exist in this era, and a chessboardplete with diverse chess pieces. These were the results of Laine¡¯s carvings today. Of course, they were not Divine Artifacts with extraordinary effects; they were simply ordinary wood carvings. Chapter 195: 36 Puppets, Sailboats, and Chessboards_3 Chapter 195: Chapter 36 Puppets, Sailboats, and Chessboards_3 ¡°I¡­ choose one?¡± With a mixture of surprise and hesitation, Ande, still a child at first nce, had taken a liking to these various ¡®toys.¡¯ But he knew such exquisite items must be rare, and he didn¡¯t know if he should ept this gift. ¡°Yes, of course, but they are not toys.¡± Tapping the table with his fingers, Laine said with a smile. ¡°In fact, I am going to teach you a ¡®skill¡¯ as a way to repay you for the disturbance these past few days, as well as the ¡®rent¡¯ for the time I will be staying with you.¡± ¡°Skill¡ªyou are a ¡®Priest¡¯!¡± Blurted out, though not knowing what ¡®rent¡¯ was, Ande understood what skills were. Admiration gleamed in his eyes, and he inadvertently began to speak respectfully. Though Bronze Humanity remained primitive, with the development of the tribes, a hierarchy had begun to emerge. Undoubtedly, the Priests were the highest-ranking individuals under the creator. They couldmunicate with deities, follow alongside Prometheus, receive teachings from the creator, and convey his will. Besides the Priests, the next tier was the ¡®craftsmen.¡¯ All the skills humans possessed came from the old times, from Prometheus¡¯s teachings, and clearly, the Forethinker could not teach the tens of thousands of humans following him at the same time. Moreover, different skills required a varied number of people. Unlike herding or farming, bronze smithing, temple relief carving, and some tool-making methods were knowledge only a few needed to master; there was no need to disseminate it to all of humanity. In such situations, Prometheus came up with a solution.
He selected the most intelligent among humans, who were also the predecessors of the Priests. The Forethinker sequentially taught different skills to them, then had them pass these on to other suitable humans. From then on, Priests, those with special skills, and ordinary Bronze Humanity formed the most primitive three sses. However, due to the presence of the creator, although the former had a higher status, there were yet no oppressive rtions among people. In Ande¡¯s eyes, he had originally thought that Laine was the second type, but now he realized that Laine, iming to teach him skills, might very well be the first type. After all, only a Priest has the qualification to impart knowledge. ¡°Well, a Priest, huh¡­ Strictly speaking, you could say that.¡± Nodding lightly, no one had ruled that he couldn¡¯t be his own Priest. So, although the Bronze Humanity¡¯s tribe didn¡¯t have a Temple belonging to him yet, Laine epted the role. As for the fact that no one recognized him before, it wasn¡¯t that much of a concern. Even if he couldn¡¯t use Divine Power, a little mental suggestion was enough to make others overlook this issue. ¡°So, do you want to learn?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Although many thoughts shed through Ande¡¯s mind at this moment¡ªperhaps the ¡®big brother¡¯ in front of him was, just like the gods test humans with the amount of Sacrifice, previously testing whether he was a helpful child. Maybe the uncle living next door would regret it; he actually rejected the stay of a divine Priest¡­ But no matter how many thoughts he had, Ande agreed eagerly and without dy. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, Ande, which one will you choose?¡± With a light click on the table, Laine asked again. But this time, Ande didn¡¯t look at the wood carvings on the table with the attitude of viewing toys. At this moment, they represented the inheritance of skills behind them, and they were likely just learned from the creator by the Priest before him. After all, these items in front of him were different from every skill that Ande had known before. ¡°Then, great¡­ Priest, what knowledge do these wood carvings each represent?¡± Although he liked the look of each one, since Laine said he could only choose one, Ande naturally had no reason to be greedy. He simply had no prior experience with these and didn¡¯t know what these things were. Facing Ande¡¯s question, Laine didn¡¯t n to keep any secrets. He first pushed the chessboard in front of him, along with the set of chess pieces on it. ¡°The first one is Chess.¡± The wooden chessboard was filled with stone chess pieces, each with a different style. There were ¡®King,¡¯ ¡®Queen,¡¯ as well as ¡®Minister,¡¯ ¡®Knight,¡¯ ¡®ve.¡¯ Current Bronze Humanity undoubtedly couldn¡¯t grasp these concepts, but they didn¡¯t need to.
After all, the rules of the chess game were just that, someone who doesn¡¯t know what ¡®chariot,¡¯ ¡®horse,¡¯ ¡®cannon¡¯ in Chinese Chess are will not be prevented from learning the game¡¯s rules. ¡°It¡¯s something for entertainment; it can bring joy and satisfaction to people. During its use, people will follow special rules tomand the chess pieces on either side, letting them ¡®battle¡¯ each other on the board.¡± ¡°Whoever captures the opponent¡¯s ¡®king¡¯ first wins the game. People can enjoy the happiness of victory, and if they wish, they can also prepare a small prize beforehand.¡± Speaking with a smile, Laine exined what ¡®Chess¡¯ was, trying to make it understandable to Ande.
¡°If you choose this, then I will teach you how to make the chess equipment, how to define different game rules, and the key to winning against your opponent.¡± Hesitating for a moment, as interesting as it sounded, Ande felt that ¡®Chess¡¯ didn¡¯t seem as useful as skills like smithing tools or brewing Nectar. After all, humans at the time didn¡¯t have much demand for entertainment. ¡°Hmm¡­ What about this one?¡± Feeling that the first option wasn¡¯t quite to his liking, Ande nced at Laine¡¯s expression, thinking he was being covert, and then pointed to some other items on the table. ¡°This one is a boat, a tool for traveling on water.¡± Still smiling, Laine reached out and picked up a wooden basin filled with water, then put the wooden boat on it. Chapter 196: 37 Script Chapter 196: Chapter 37 Script ¡°This is a ship, it can carry hundreds or thousands of humans sailing on the sea, as well as allow people to explore inds and catch fish.¡± ¡°If you choose this, then I will teach you how to make ships of different sizes, the skills needed to navigate the seas, and the ability to identify directions by the stars andpass.¡± Having ced several chess pieces on the wooden ship, Laine blew gently at the sails, and the little ship began to circle the rim of the wooden basin. Watching this scene, Ande felt some temptation. The tribe was located next to a river, so he knew it was difficult for humans to stay in water for long periods. But with this thing called ¡®ship,¡¯ all these problems could be solved. Yet after hesitating for a moment, Ande still shook his head. ¡°¡­Priest, I remember the creator once said that the great Divine King forbade humans from approaching the ocean.¡± Exploring inds, catching fish, all sounded very useful, but the premise was set upon the ability to step into the ocean; small rivers didn¡¯t require these. To prevent the secrets rted to faith from leaking prematurely, Zeus not only refrained from building a temple for his foster parents, promoting their names, but he also set the ocean as a forbidden zone for humans. Mortals could not defy themands of the Divine King, so this thing named ¡®ship¡¯ naturally had no ce to be used.
¡°Then let¡¯s look at the third option, but this is thest one.¡± After being rejected twice in a row, Laine showed no sign of irritation. The table was now considerably emptier, with only various sizes of figurines remaining. Some were tall, some were boldly stout, and they included both men and women. However, for some reason, Ande always felt that they looked a bit like the statues in the temple. ¡°The third one is drama. And these in front of you, I call them puppets.¡± ¡°Aplete drama needs ¡®actors,¡¯ but puppetry is different. It doesn¡¯t need assistance from others; it is a form of theater that only you can perform.¡± As he spoke, Laine¡¯s fingers quivered slightly. Without any extraordinary power, the puppets in front of him suddenly came to life. Ande was startled at first, but upon closer observation, he quickly discovered the secret within. Threads, thin and transparent, extended from Laine¡¯s fingertips, binding the joints of the puppets. A slight wiggle of the fingers would make the puppets dance along. ¡°Re-enact the past, fabricate lies, you can substitute the lives that exist or don¡¯t exist in reality with puppets, and perform scenes that have urred in the past or only exist in your imagination.¡± ¡°If you choose this, then I will teach you how to select materials, to carve, how to make threads, and how to arrange a y.¡± ¡°You can choose to use them to praise the gods or to enact the world in your heart. However you decide, it¡¯s entirely up to your own thoughts.¡± ¡°Praise the gods, enact the world?¡± His eyes brightening, Ande couldn¡¯t help but repeat Laine¡¯s words. Chess and sailing were interesting, but they both had their disadvantages. Inparison, drama not only had ¡®value¡¯ but was also fun. Watching the puppets dancing on the table, a sincere longing sprouted in Ande¡¯s young heart. Although he hadn¡¯t tried it yet, he was already fond of the feeling. Just a flick of the fingers and everything could unfold just as he imagined, which sounded extraordinary. ¡°I choose the third.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± With a smile, Laine¡¯s expression was somewhat profound. ¡°Once you¡¯ve made your choice, you can¡¯t change it. I will teach you the knowledge rted to your choice, in order to repay your hospitality for these days and in the future. But after you¡¯ve learned, the rest of the journey is up to you to walk.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± He nodded affirmatively; among the three choices, thest one was undoubtedly the most in line with Ande¡¯s wishes. To learn skills, especially such interesting ones, he felt truly blessed by the gods at that moment, to have encountered such good fortune. ¡°Alright, then. Since that¡¯s the case, we¡¯ll start our lessons tomorrow. But before that, go and chop some more wood.¡±
Smiling, Laine pointed to the wooden frame that Ande had just set down. ¡°As a beginner, while learning knowledge is important, practice is also indispensable.¡± ¡°Ah? Alright, then.¡± Despite a bitter expression, Ande picked up the bamboo basket and put it on his back again. If chopping more wood meant learning a skill, who knows how many people would be eager to do it. With the basket on his back, he walked out of the small courtyard, while behind him, Laine caressed the puppet in his hand as he watched Ande¡¯s retreating figure. If only the audience were considered, Ande¡¯s choice wasn¡¯t particrly good. Humans are currently forbidden to sail, but in the future, the sea will undoubtedly be an indispensable part of human life, and even at the end of the Bronze Age, there would have been a ce for it. The current humans weren¡¯t yet talking about spiritual entertainment, but in the future, chess would definitely be a more widely spread form of entertainment than drama. But Laine thought that perhaps for Ande, his choice had no errors. After all, there were still gods in this world, and Laine wouldn¡¯t treat him the way he did Hecate. Thinking like this, some choices that look good might actually be a mistake. ¡°And there¡¯s him¡ª¡± Gently tapping on the table, Laine¡¯s gaze pierced through the walls, casting a nce at the neighboring stone house. The owner of the house was named Kolon, a ¡®Second Order¡¯ of the Bronze Humanity, a ¡®craftsman¡¯ responsible for making stoves and also a student of the priest of Hestia¡¯s temple, the goddess of fire and protection. Of course, the key point was, he was the Bronze Human who had refused Laine¡¯s request to stay.
Chapter 197: 37 Script_2 Chapter 197: Chapter 37 Script_2 The reason he had ¡°coincidentally¡± chosen him before was that, in Laine¡¯s perception, he was the one with the highest ¡°aptitude¡± among the nearby humans. Yet even so, Kolon¡¯s ability was actually quite limited, at least not sufficient to directly bear the power of a divine nature. But now, from Laine¡¯s detached perspective, he unexpectedly discovered that a connection of destiny had formed between Kolon and Ande at some point. Although this connection was still weak, if nothing unexpected happened, as Laine gave Ande more ¡°rpense,¡± the bond would be clearer. ¡°Destiny is indeed elusive,¡± he said, shaking his head slightly. Although Laine could have solved this issue early on, he did nothing. By the day he left, Ande would no longer be the weak child he was today. By then, he could resolve the trouble on his own. So from that day onward, Laine, having acquired the new identity of ¡°Priest,¡± did not conceal his existence but openly started teaching Ande the knowledge of drama. In this remote inner-vige living area, the sudden appearance of a priest who did not stay in The Temple but instead lived in the homes of others was an abnormal situation. Yet, under the influence of the subtle maniption of the mind, the nearby humans naturally epted this fact. They were just somewhat envious that a moment of kindness had brought Ande an unexpected gain. But that was as far as it went. At that time, the meager spiritual and material life had not given Bronze Humanity a clear understanding of ¡°ss,¡± their envy towards Ande was mostly because he could engage with new things unfamiliar to ordinary people. Compared to their monotonous lives, the novelty and adoration brought by these special skills were the sources of Humans¡¯ desire for the ¡°craftsman¡± ss.
In this manner, more than twenty years passed in the blink of an eye. ¡­ ¡°Good morning, it looks like this year¡¯s harvest is quite good,¡± ¡°Yes, thanks to the creator¡¯s blessing,¡± ¡­ Clothed in a hemp robe and walking on the cobblestone path, Ande, now a young man, greeted the familiar passersby. Over the decades, the settlement of Bronze Humanity had been reconstructed multiple times, even splitting into several smaller outposts that upied the more outer regions of the in, and Ande had moved his home along with them. Compared to the past, his new home¡¯s neighborhood was busier by no small measure. Although it was still not at the heart of the tribe, it was no longer on the periphery. After all, as a performer of ¡°puppet shows,¡± Ande now held a modicum of Fame in the vicinity, to the point that even many nearby temple priests came all the way just to enjoy his performance. Especially the opera ¡°Titan War (Part I),¡± in which Ande used puppets to represent the gods, narrating the story of how the King of All Gods was born in a cave with help from destiny, secretly grew up, befriended various deities, and eventually, with the aid of the Ancient Gods, rescued his siblings ¨C his performance was lifelike and convincing. It must be said that despite significant deviations from the truth, it seemed quite believable at first nce. Moreover, Humans of that time hadn¡¯t experienced such epoch-crossing art; they were astonished, and Ande was consequently pursued as a celebrity, carrying the sense of being the first ¡°star¡± of those early days. Indeed, more than one priest who had seen Ande¡¯s performance said they would report Ande¡¯s existence to the High Priest of the Great Temple so he could present this y to the gods at the annual grand ceremony. However, for some reason, after they returned to their dwelling, they would inexplicably forget about this matter. But that was of no consequence. After all, offering ¡°dramatic performances to the gods¡± wasn¡¯t something the priests were as enthusiastic about as they imagined; it was merely a way for them to showcase their ¡°devotion.¡± If they remembered, well and good; if not, it did not matter. Moreover, many priests felt the performing arts should be exclusively for their enjoyment. Having what others didn¡¯t have set them apart from ordinary people. Some even thought there should be deliberately established rules about what only priests could possess, that which others should not use casually, to reflect the nobility of those near the gods. Still, since the creator was indeed still around, in the end, no one brought this matter to light. Ande knew about this, but to him, it didn¡¯t much matter who the audience for his performances was. ¡°Uncle Kolon, good morning. I didn¡¯t expect you toe back here today,¡± As he turned a corner and nodded a greeting to a few more Bronze individuals, Ande unexpectedly saw his old neighbor. He paused briefly before cheerfully calling out a greeting.
It was quite a coincidence that, being ¡°craftsmen¡± themselves, even after moving to a new ce, they didn¡¯t live too far apart from each other ¡ª they were just no longer neighbors. ¡°Hmph!¡± However, faced with Ande¡¯s enthusiasm, all he received in return was a cold snort. Kolon gave Ande a chilly nce, his lips moved as if he had something to say, but eventually, he didn¡¯t speak and turned his head to leave.
¡°Sigh,¡± With a sigh, seeing this, Ande said no more; after all, it wasn¡¯t just a day or two that Kolon had an issue with him. Initially, there were just some disputes, but as Ande¡¯s fame grew, Kolon¡¯s resentment intensified. Like how among priests, those responsible for the annual sacrifices in the Great Temple normally had higher status than others, and those serving the Divine King even more so, it was the same among craftsmen. Seeing that because of a momentary choice he had missed out on a windfall, Kolon dared notsh out at the unfamiliar Priest, but that didn¡¯t prevent him from targeting Ande. Chapter 198: 37 Script_3 Chapter 198: Chapter 37 Script_3 However, this kind of targeting seemed fruitless, and thus, in recent years, as Ande¡¯s fame grew higher, even the Kolon family seldom returned home. Fortunately, the construction of hearths in this era was inherently difficult, whether they were household bronze ormunal stone ones, and they couldn¡¯t bepleted within small rooms. Therefore, even if he lived at the ce where he worked every day, it hardly affected Kolon¡¯s life. ¡°Mr. Laine, I have returned.¡± Having walked some distance, his home was now in sight. Still, Ande first knocked on the neighboring courtyard gate and then greeted with a respectful tone. ¡°Come in, the door isn¡¯t locked.¡± Creak¡ª Upon hearing that, Ande pushed open the wooden gate and stepped into the courtyard. Since moving to a new ce to live, Ande and Laine naturally became neighbors. Although as Ande learned more and more, his time spent performing alone outside was bing longer, he always remembered to visit his teacher first each time he returned, even though the other party had never formally acknowledged him as a student. ¡°Mr. Laine, this is a specialty of Giant Wood Town, I¡¯ve brought some back especially for you.¡±
Entering the courtyard, Ande spoke with a smile, looking at Laine who was sitting and reading in a reclining chair. The term ¡®town¡¯ was merely a description of a new settlement, nothing like the viges and towns ofter eras. Giant Wood Town was a newly established small settlement named for its proximity to an ancient forest. As for the so-called speciality Ande brought, it was the heartwood of those ancient trees, which was perfect for making wooden carvings. ¡°You are considerate.¡± Nodding, indicating Ande to set down the items, Laine shifted his gaze from the book in his hands. ¡°Since you are here, as usual, tell me about your journey. Over the years, your reputation has indeed grown.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Mr. Laine¡¯s teachings, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t have reached where I am today.¡± Ande¡¯s tone was sincere, without any hint of self-satisfaction; he was very clear about the source of his sess today. Ande then recounted to Laine his recent experiences on the road, including the reasons behind the establishment of Giant Wood Town, the dirt roads connecting several residences, and the ¡®cars¡¯ pulled by livestock that could be used for transportation. In the past, only the Sun God and Moon God were said to have their divine chariots, one supposedly born in a previous age, the other several decades ago, but now the human tribes also had their own vehicles. On this trip, Ande had the chance to experience them. However, perhaps because the craftsmanship was not yet perfected, he found it rather bumpy, whereas the people traveling with him greatly enjoyed this novel contraption. ¡°Speaking of which, Mr. Laine, I don¡¯t know why, but there have been several acts of disrespect towards the deities recently.¡± As if recalling something, Ande couldn¡¯t help speaking out: ¡°Some actually believe that it¡¯s not necessary to expend so many resources on worshipping deities, insisting that humans can live well enough on their own.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t they know that it is the existence of the gods that keeps natural disasters at bay and prevents the increasingly numerous monsters from approaching human settlements?¡± At this point, Ande also found it hard to understand the thinking of those people. On this long journey, he had learned much that was difficult toe across while staying in the center of the Aurora ins, like just how dangerous the world could be beyond human activity. Giant eagles with control over light, water monsters that could cause rivers to overflow, and colossal beasts standing dozens of meters tall¡ªsome had been tainted with divine blood scattered during the god wars, while others contained special cursed substances in their bodies. They were nothing like the docile and harmless livestock humans were ustomed to. Although Ande now actually didn¡¯t fear them, having ways to scare off those creatures, he also knew the great danger they posed to ordinary people. Without intervention, an average human would be no match for them.
Today¡¯s towns expanding from human settlements were all established under the guidance of the Creator, and after The Temple of the gods had been constructed, the new towns were able to settle down safely. The monsters naturally feared the divine aura left in the gods¡¯ statues and thus kept away from human settlements. It was knowing this that made Ande deeply understand that humans actually couldn¡¯t do without the gods. ¡°People always adapt, Ande, and modern humans are protected too well. They don¡¯t understand how dangerous the world is, nor how hard-earned their current lives are,¡± Shaking his head slightly, unlike Ande, Laine was not surprised that someone would have such thoughts.
¡°By the way, how¡¯s your new ying along?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t got much of a clue yet¡­ I want to recreate the life of the Golden Humanity through puppetry, to let people understand the lives of the previous generations of humans, but there are too few records of that era.¡± ¡°Even the creator seldom talks about those times. It is said that back then, the humans¡¯ thoughts were restricted?¡± Saying this somewhat anxiously, Ande also felt rather helpless. He, of course, could whip up something on a whim, but Ande did not want to indulge in such self-deception. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you can finish ¡®Titan War (Part II)¡¯ first. As for the Golden Age¡ªmaybe in a while, you might actually bump into a Golden Human.¡± Smiling reassuringly, and as if he remembered something, Laine handed a nk notebook to Ande. ¡°Here, this is for you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this? Why are there no words in this book?¡± Curiously taking it in his hand, Ande was a bit curious. He had seen books before. As early as in the Golden Age, humans had already learned simple papermaking techniques, but it was never widely used. Humans¡¯ demand for paper stemmed from the need for extensive writing, meant formunication and knowledge dissemination. However, the currently settled humans who were without offspring temporarily had no such need. Moreover,pared to paper, stone carvings and sheepskin had a clearly longer lifespan. ¡°This is for you, an endless nk notebook. You can write your ys in it. Compared to scrolls, it¡¯s more portable and easier to write on.¡±
Waving his hand, Laine leaned back in his recliner. ¡°Alright, that will be all. You¡¯ve been out for a long time; hurry back and rest. I won¡¯t take up more of your time.¡± ¡°Speaking with Mr. Laine, how could that be a waste of time.¡± Smiling in response, Ande also got ready to leave. As he approached the gate, just as he turned to close it, a sudden sense of reverie overtook him when he looked at Laine, lying in the shade of the trees. The ages of the Bronze Humanity when they were created were not all the same, even those created in the same batch. On this trip, invited to perform far away, he saw a human who had started to show signs of aging. Gray hairs appeared amongst the dark ones, wrinkles lined the face, and the strength was no longer what it used to be. Looking at the other, for the first time Ande felt a reverence for time and life. He did not know if he would end up like this, although Mr. Laine had said that he would have a long life ahead of him, but still, his emotions fluctuated somewhat. But Mr. Laine was different. Over twenty years had passed, and he seemed to be unchanged since their first meeting, not even by the slightest degree. ¡°It is said that priests can gain the deities¡¯ special favor; maybe that¡¯s the reward Mr. Laine has received.¡± ¡°But then again, which deity¡¯s priest is Mr. Laine?¡± No sooner had this thought shed through his mind than it was subconsciously dismissed. Ande closed the door behind him and walked towards his own dwelling ce. The physical exhaustion was secondary; this journey had truly made Ande feel a bit of mental weariness. Now, he nned to get a good sleep.
¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Ande returned to his small courtyard and even in his dreams, he was haunted by the history of the Golden Humanity. The ¡®encounter with a Golden Human¡¯ Laine mentioned¡ªhe took it as a joke because everyone knew the Golden Age had long since perished. But what he did not know was that, just moments apart, not far from Giant Wood Town, a man wrapped in animal skins was staring nkly at the primitive wooden walls in the distance, lost in thought. Chapter 199: 38 Ranks Chapter 199: Chapter 38 Ranks ¡°` Alone, Cohen walked across the wildnds for decades. Decked in stars and moon, day and night, he crossed mountains, traversed wastnds, went through forests, waded through rivers, and once even crossed a desert, forded a swamp, and faced down thunderstorms. Unlike before, thendscape of Chaos had be increasingly varied and dangerous. He had seen a nine-headed serpent as tall as a mountain and killed a giant worm lurking beneath the sands. Throughout his journey, even though the power derived from a special substance had stopped increasing after a while, the energy emanating from within him had grown considerably stronger. Gradually, after defeating a two-headed monster bird capable of spitting thunder, Cohen started to explore, in addition to his travels, what exactly this energy born from his flesh and blood was, how to enhance it, and how to use it better. But Cohen had no teacher, and no one could be his teacher in this area; he was the first and so far the only one. Thus, he had to study alone, and his only reference was the golden colloids integrated into his body. Although most of the information it transmitted was useless, there was still some valuable content. With this knowledge, Cohen gradually understood the essence of some powers, especially the most crucial breakthrough that had urred within him. On the day Mount of the Gods copsed, Cohen had broken through his bottleneck in a crisis, advancing his internal energy further. And the most intuitive manifestation of that breakthrough was that his physique could to a certain extent touch upon the Law. At first, Cohen didn¡¯t know what the Law was, but the knowledge infused by the mysterious substance remedied hisck of understanding. And the two unexpected beings he encountered a few years ago further resolved his doubts. Of course, this also shattered the sanctity of the gods in his heart once again.
¡°The realm of the Transcendent, ¡®Legendary¡¯ huh¡­ It¡¯s quite an ironic title.¡± Compared to the sociallyden term ¡®Legendary¡¯, Cohen preferred the simplicity of using numbers to describe his power. He called the initial state of his energy ¡®First Order¡¯, the state where the energy could briefly boost his physique ¡®Second Order¡¯, and the domains where he could extend it to external objects, or wound people through the air, ¡®Third Order¡¯ and ¡®Fourth Order¡¯ respectively. As for advancing further, the domain called ¡®Transcendent¡¯ and ¡®Legendary¡¯ was naturally referred to by Cohen as ¡®Fifth Order¡¯. Now, he felt that he must have made another breakthrough, which that person called ¡®High-order Legendary¡¯, also thest step before ¡®self-born divinity¡¯. To Cohen, however, he simply termed it as ¡®Sixth Order¡¯. Yet at this point, he once again felt he had encountered an insurmountable obstacle. Cohen didn¡¯t pay much attention to this, considering that, from what he had experienced in the past few years, there were few beings on earth who could be his match. Heading east all the way until today, the new generation of Humans he had been searching for was right in front of his eyes. But Cohen was somewhat unsure what to do for the moment, whether to speak to them directly or to observe silently for a while first? ¡°Hey, the one up ahead¡ª¡± In the midst of his contemtion, a call came from behind. Cohen was startled at first, but quickly realized they were calling out to him. Perhaps due to the long gap between eras, although thenguage used by the other party also originated from the Golden Age, there had been quite a significant divergence. However, with careful listening, he could still make out what they were saying. ¡°¡ªWhere are you from, what are you doing standing here?¡± ¡°Looking like that, have you run into trouble in the wild?¡± Turning around, Cohen saw, not far off, a young man looking at him as if examining a rare animal. The stranger in front of him was wrapped in animal skins but had no dust on him. He looked somewhat disheveled yet gave off an indescribable sense of oppression. Although there are contradictions among today¡¯s Bronze Humanity, there hasn¡¯t been any malicious incident of attacking each other. Therefore, even though Cohen didn¡¯t look easy to provoke, the young man wasn¡¯t afraid of him at all. ¡°What are you standing there for, stupid? You must not be from Giant Wood Town, I haven¡¯t seen you.¡± Walking forward, the young man unaffectedly patted Cohen¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Uh¡­ yes.¡±
¡°I came here¡­ for¡­ some business.¡± ¡°` Trying to mimic the other¡¯s ent, Cohen nodded in response. Feeling the touch on his shoulder, he felt awkward, yet somewhat nostalgic. Over the years, Cohen had grown ustomed to retaliating against any being that touched him, for there had rarely been a secure ce along his journey. But in this moment, suppressing his instinctual reaction, he was reminded of past friends.
Hewa, the historian of the Golden Humanity, had once bantered with Cohen in the same way. Now, the only trace of him that remained was likely in Cohen¡¯s memory. ¡°Then you must bete, Mr. Ande has already returned to the center of the ins.¡± ¡°It¡¯s said that ce will soon be renamed. To differentiate it from the ¡®town¡¯ where we are, the High Priest Momon suggested calling it a ¡®city,¡¯ named after the ins¡ªAurora City, and even the creator approved of his suggestion.¡± The young man harbored no suspicion towards Cohen. In his view, Cohen likely came from another small town to watch the Ande y. Only to see that Cohen must have encountered some unexpected situations on the road. This was quite normal, after all. The presence of The Temple had driven away monsters with extraordinary powers, but those beasts that relied solely on their physical strength were not included. ¡°Come on, since you¡¯re here, I¡¯ll take you into the town for a look.¡± ¡°Although you won¡¯t be able to see the y, there¡¯s other entertainment today. A fellow who spread disrespectful Speech about the gods in public is about to be judged by the Priests of The Temple.¡± With an expression of eager anticipation for the spectacle, the young man waved Cohen over. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there like an idiot, go change your clothes first. A disrespectful person toward the gods, I really want to hear what kind of things he cane up with.¡± Disrespectful towards the gods? The Temple? Priests? And the ¡®creator¡¯ mentioned by the young man. He seized several keywords in an instant, but Cohen refrained from asking blindly. Although he felt a little bad deceiving the enthusiastic young man, he still didn¡¯t want to expose his identity.
Considering the vanished bodies and copsed Temples, Cohen didn¡¯t know what attitude the gods held towards the Golden Humanity of old, but before rifying the situation, he nned to act cautiously. Ever since excavating the Temple ruins, Cohen felt that his changes were far greater than those in the past few millennia. ¡°Then¡­ thank you¡­ very much.¡± Cohen¡¯s voice was somewhat indistinct, but the young man didn¡¯t seem to mind. ¡°My name is Evans, what¡¯s yours?¡± ¡°Cohen, my name is Cohen.¡± This time, the Golden Human King enunciated his words with rity. ¡°Alright, Brother Cohen, follow me this way.¡± Following behind the young man, Cohen stepped into a human settlement once again after many years. Looking around, he felt both unfamiliar and familiar with everything. The skills passed down from the Golden Age could still be seen in traces. However, the attire and Speech of the passersby had changed greatly from the past. Yet, relying on the ability granted by that mysterious substance, Cohen vaguely sensed that the biggest difference in current humans from the past was not their appearance, but their spirit. There were the kind, the hospitable, the upright, but there were also some not like that. Behind their smiles, what was hidden were negative emotions.
And many more humans possessed both qualities. Chapter 200: 39 Hephaestus Chapter 200: Chapter 39 Hephaestus Mount Olympus, within the Queen of Gods¡¯ bedchamber. ¡°Snap¡ª¡± Above Mount Olympus, inside a resplendent great hall, a delicately crafted crystal vessel shattered on the ground. The golden crown wobbled, Hera¡¯s chest heaved with intense agitation, and the air around her distorted under the force she unconsciously released. As the Heavenly Empress who shared divine authority with the Divine King, Hera had thought herself to be the most venerable goddess in the world. Especially after learning the mysteries of faith, she believed she could reign eternally with Zeus, instead of fading away like the two generations of divine kings before them. But now, she found her previous thoughts to beughable. The Divine King had never broken his promise; he truly shared everything with Hera, but he would never seal his words permanently, just like now. The godhood of Fertility informed the Heavenly Empress that another deity was being conceived in the world. And because of her rtionship with the new god¡¯s parents, Hera felt this very distinctly. Because the source of the new divine bloodline was her husband and her sister. Hera thought she had shown magnanimity by tolerating Eurynome and the three Graces, even ignoring Leto, that frail goddess, but clearly, the Divine King thought she could be even more generous.
So he turned to Demeter, which was precisely what Hera could not tolerate. Leto, Eurynome¡ªthey posed no threat with their insignificant godhood, but Demeter, now known to humans as the Goddess of Agriculture, was different. Even knowing that the contract that shared divine authority with Zeus was unbreakable, the Heavenly Empress still felt a surge of panic. ¡°Zeus, you had promised¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªWhat is this?!¡± Suddenly, while the Heavenly Empress was venting her anger, thews of her Fertility godhood vibrated violently. With a twinge of pain in her belly, almost immediately, Hera realized the crux of the issue. Overseeing Fertility was not without its cost. As one of the most special authorities, it influenced the birth of new gods, endowing them with stronger or weaker powers. But it also came with an unavoidable responsibility. Just as Mother Earth had alone borne the three Ancient Gods, now it was her turn. This was supposed to take a very long time, maybe hundreds or even thousands of years, but due to her current rage and resentment, this fate arrived prematurely. With a fluctuating expression, Hera could feel a life being conceived within her womb under the influence of the Fertilityw and her authority as Heavenly Empress. And despite immediately noticing this due to her recent emotional upheaval, the embryo was still slightly affected. She did not know whether this influence was good or bad, but Hera felt she needed to prepare for it. When Gaia gave birth to her firstborn son to the Heavenly Father, he was the God of the Ocean; Rhea¡¯s first daughter by Cronus was Hestia. Although this child was to be born of Hera alone, if his existence disgraced the Heavenly Empress, she could not let him grow up on Olympus. It must be said that in this regard, Zeus was very astute in choosing, or rather, creating a Queen of Gods who valued herself more than her offspring. From their first meeting, the Divine King acutely perceived Hera¡¯s nature: she might be kind, she might be naive, but when she possessed power and faced the risk of losing it, she would change ordingly. She reserved her affection for herself, perhaps for Zeus too, but it seemed that neither the deity of Fire nor the War God had ever enjoyed a mother¡¯s love. ¡°¡­Aea.¡± The Heavenly Empress¡¯ voice reached outside the pce, and soon the youngest of the three Graces walked into the hall. As a daughter of the Divine King born before Hera became the Heavenly Empress, to demonstrate her generosity, Hera kept the three Graces close to her side and even showed extra courtesy to the Oceanid, Eurynome. Thus, despite clearly being love rivals, Hera now felt Eurynome and her could be considered somewhat trustworthy. Albeit slightly so. ¡°Your Majesty, you called for me?¡±
With a slight bow, Aea noticed the broken vessel on the ground. Clearly, the Heavenly Empress had not been in a good mood before. ¡°¡­Aea, as the hostess of Mount Olympus, the globally recognized Heavenly Empress, I have just been bestowed a responsibility by the world.¡± ¡°I will bear forth a deity on my own, as Mother Earth did before, as a response to the world¡¯s favor towards me.¡± Bowing her head, Aea remained silent.
¡°I will give birth to him as soon as possible. If all goes well, he will be my firstborn son, a member of Olympus. But if something goes wrong¡ª¡± ¡°then he is not my child, and you must find him a suitable ¡®family.¡¯ I need you to secretly choose a location in advance andter report to me, do you understand my meaning?¡± Aea certainly understood Hera¡¯s intent. Clearly, the Heavenly Empress in charge of Fertility sensed something amiss and did not wish her first child to possess any deficiencies, in any sense. In such a case, the seas promised by the Divine King himself would be a suitable ce. The Heavenly Empress probably didn¡¯t trust her brother to handle this matter well, so she decided to leave it to Aea¡¯s mother, the Oceanid Eurynome, to deal with the problem. However, more importantly, Hera probably wanted to keep all this hidden from the Divine King. ¡°As youmand, Your Majesty.¡± Chapter 201: 39 Hephaestus_2 Chapter 201: Chapter 39 Hephaestus_2 Although she didn¡¯t want to get involved in this matter, as the youngest and smartest of the three Graces, Aea knew she had no choice but to agree. However, thinking about the Olympian gods¡¯ subtle fear of the God of the Ocean, Aea felt that perhaps her aunt¡¯s family, who lived far away, were more suitable to take on this ¡®heavy responsibility¡¯. After all, getting close to Poseidon meant she could no longer be favored by King Zeus, so doing something for the Heavenly Empress, she thought, they would not refuse. ¡°Very well, then you may go,¡± Nodding with satisfaction, Hera did not realize that in such a short time, Aea had already thought of a solution. She simply signaled for the other to leave. When she was once again alone in the pce, looking at the empty halls, anger once again surged uncontrobly in the heart of the Heavenly Empress. Her own sister, Demeter, Hera had thought was uninvolved with the world¡¯s strife, but, to her dismay, she had betrayed her. As for Zeus, Hera knew that his inability to restrain himself was the root of all problems, yet she couldn¡¯t do anything about him. ¡°Hush¡ªstay calm.¡± ¡°And this child, was he influencing me just now?¡±
Striving to calm her emotions, Hera unexpectedly discovered that perhaps due to the negative emotions she had infused into the embryo, this newly born deity seemed to have a closer connection with her. This gave Hera a vague glimpse of the future, revealing that he seemed to possess divine authority rted to the earth and fire. ¡°He should not be weak.¡± She breathed a sigh of relief unconsciously. If she could give birth to a normal, powerful deity, that would certainly be best. Yet feeling this connection, the Heavenly Empress couldn¡¯t help but recall the source of her negative emotions. A husband, a sister, and the child soon to be born. ¡°Zeus, this had better be thest time,¡± Her expression was cold. In just a decade or so, the once bright and kindly goddess seemed to have epted reality. At this moment, Hera silently made a decision. ¡°If there is a next time¡­¡± She might indeed be unable to do anything about King Zeus, but that was only regarding him. If she couldn¡¯t stop her own husband, then she would take concrete actions to show all goddesses that what belonged to Hera could not be taken by anyone. ¡­ After changing into a set of clothes at Evans¡¯s house and tidying up his appearance, Cohen finally no longer looked like a wild man. Even though his demeanor still didn¡¯t fit in with the folks of Giant Wood Town, passersby no longer looked at him with strange eyes. Relying on his extraordinary control over his body and sharp hearing, Cohen also quickly learned the ent of the Bronze Humanity. Now, walking on the street and listening to the exchanges among humans, Cohen gradually gained some understanding of history over the past thousand years. The King of All Gods was no longer the one from the past. With the fall of Mount of the Gods, the ruler of the world now was the master of the Olympian lineage, King Zeus. Humans had already perished twice over, and ording to their sayings, the second generation, the Silver Humanity, also had long lifespans. However, because they did not respect the deities, they lost the gods¡¯ protection and were exterminated during the gap of the Titan wars. Cohen made noment. He had never seen the Silver Humanity, nor did he know whether they truly respected the gods or not. But what he knew was, if reverence for the gods could offer protection, he would not be here now. Moreover, what felt foreign to him was that although the current humans all imed to be devotees of the gods, their understanding of the deities was not simr to that of the Golden Age. In the Bronze Humanity¡¯s descriptions, gods were not omnipotent, wless beings, but merely entities with mighty powers. Even based on their varying strength, people have categorized the gods into different levels of importance.
Beyond that, in front of the temples dedicated to the deities, there exist priests who expound on the greatness of different gods and the benefits one can reap from worship. Yes, although they call it a ¡®blessing,¡¯ Cohen felt it was simply a trade. Humans offer sacrifices, deities bestow blessings; Bronze Humanity thought this was normal, but Cohen found it strange no matter how he looked at it. ¡°Maybe, this is what ¡®gods¡¯ truly are?¡±
¡°Perhaps our previous understanding of gods really differs from the truth.¡± In silent contemtion, Cohen felt as if he had found the answer. Yet, as he looked upon the tall temples and the kneeling humans, he once again recalled the dream that had altered his destiny. It¡¯s funny to say, but thousands of years had passed and he still didn¡¯t know which deity the self-proimed ¡®angel¡¯ in his dream referred to as the ¡®Lord.¡¯ It was as if the being had carelessly thrown some food to the ant beneath its feet out of whimsy and then forgot about his existence. To talk of building temples was out of the question; the being hadn¡¯t even left a name. This at times caused Cohen to feel frustrated. But now, it ironically served as a pir for his past convictions. Everything he saw in the ruins made the King of Men doubt the gods, but topletely deny the faith he had held for thousands of years, the belief that Golden Humanity had clung to, was somewhat uneptable to him. Fortunately, Cohen found that there seemed to be differences among these deities. Now, he wanted to know why, even though they are all gods, the past Titans, the current Olympian Gods, and that unnamed deity differed so greatly. Intuition told him that the reason behind this might just be the answer he had been searching for. ¡°Brother Cohen, why are you zoning out again?¡± Lost in thought, Evans¡¯s voice instantly brought Cohen¡¯s attention back. ¡°¡­Sorry, the ce I used to live in is quite different from here.¡± Snapping back to reality, Cohen gave Evans an apologetic smile, his face still a bit unnatural. After all, even if it was for self-preservation, hiding his origin from others still contradicted the conduct that the King of Men had followed in the past.
¡°It¡¯s normal for things to be different. Giant Wood Town is near the forest andcks stone. Apart from The Temple, there are hardly any stone structures. It¡¯s normal for you to find it new.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not in a hurry to get back, you could stay in town for a while, but for now, we¡¯ve arrived.¡± With an understanding nod, Evans gestured for Cohen to look ahead at a ce dense with crowds. ¡°Do you remember what I told you before?¡± ¡°¡­You mean, those ¡®unbelievers¡¯?¡± With just a bit of thought, Cohen recalled what Evans had previously told him. It seems that in Giant Wood Town, there are some who are unwilling to offer sacrifices to deities anymore, which undoubtedly angered the priests in charge of The Temple. Today, in front of everyone, the priests are set to announce the verdict on their punishment. ¡°That¡¯s right, them.¡± Nodding, Evans showed an intrigued expression, ¡°In front of King Zeus¡¯s temple, the goddess of justice andw¡¯s sacrifice will publicly adjudicate the fate of those irreverent ones today.¡± ¡°Of course, the creator once said that the revered goddess always listens fully to both sides in the Divine Court before making a just judgment, so the priests are following suit, ready to give those unbelievers a chance to speak, and then find and criticize their faults in public.¡± ¡°Speaking of which, I¡¯ve been quite curious for a long time about what they could possibly say.¡± Chapter 202: 40: No Trust Chapter 202: Chapter 40: No Trust In the spacious open space at the center of Giant Wood Town, it was already bustling with people. Directly opposite The Temple of the King of All Gods, Zeus, a temporary wooden stage had been erected. It was originally prepared for a theater performance that had just concluded, but now it had been expanded, and several additional rows of seats were added. Ande¡¯s performance only required one person, but the judgment of the non-believers had gathered all the town¡¯s beings of certain status. The priests from the Temple of Law undoubtedly took the prime position, as they would be the ones to deliver the verdict of this trial. However, judges should not step down into the arena, so the ones who actually scolded the non-believer were the others seated on the stage. By now, half of the chairs in front of the tables on the stage were already filled. They chatted andughed with one another, the atmosphere rxed, not taking the uing proceedings to heart as the oue of the trial was self-evident. Humans were created by the gods, and the creator still exists in the Mortal Realm; the blessings of the gods are real. They simply could not imagine what Speech the non-believer could muster to absolve himself. Instead of a trial, it was more like an entertainment event. Due to that master ywright, Giant Wood Town, which was recently built, had seen a massive influx of outsiders. Therefore, in the name of the gods, holding an event under the pretext of judging the non-believers was why The Temple¡¯s priests were so enthusiastic. They had even thought out the punishment for the poor soul in advance¡ªlet him serve The Temple for the rest of his life. After all, there was no death penalty for humans at this time, nor had the gods explicitly stated what to do with non-believers. Most importantly, the man hadn¡¯t yetmitted any truly sphemous act. His current actions resembled those of a madman who had suddenly lost his mind, although everyone who had interacted with him felt he was a decent individual. ¡°So what exactly did that non-believer do, did he refuse to offer Sacrifices to the deity?¡±
Standing among the crowd beneath the stage, Cohen, relying on his superior physique and sense of bnce, stood atop an irregr boulder. From there, the entirety of the stage was in clear view. ¡°That¡¯s not the case. Although there have been some who disrespect the gods by not offering Sacrifices, this non-believer is different,¡± Gripping Cohen¡¯s sleeve tightly, Evans was also standing at the top of the boulder now. The surface of the stone was very smooth, and without Cohen, he felt that he might fall off at any time. However, alongside the nerves, Evans felt a bit of excitement, which was why he chose to remain up there. ¡°It¡¯s said that the non-believer doesn¡¯t oppose offering Sacrifices to the Deity; he only opposes¡ªhaving Faith in the Deity. That¡¯s what he seems to say, and it¡¯s also why we call him the ¡®non-believer¡¯.¡± ¡°But then again, isn¡¯t offering sacrifices to the gods a way of believing in them? Personally, I don¡¯t quite understand his thoughts. There are so many people gathered here today, in fact, many are here to see him ridiculed. Everyone is eager to hear how he can ¡®offer Sacrifices¡¯ and yet be a ¡®non-believer¡¯.¡± Nodding, Cohen used his Transcendent hearing to glean the sequence of events from the conversations of the people around him while talking to Evans. The reason the non-believer was seized wasn¡¯t due to any direct act of sphemy or refusal to offer Sacrifices; rather, he generally behaved no differently from everyone else. He went to The Temple to offer Sacrifices at regr intervals and never showed dissatisfaction with the priests. In fact, the one thing he did was to openly question the nobility of the gods in Giant Wood Town. He believed that offering Sacrifices and having Faith were different things. Offering Sacrifices was an acknowledgment of the gods¡¯ power, whereas having Faith was an acknowledgment of the gods¡¯ spirit. However, the non-believer felt that on a spiritual level, gods and humans were equals, and there could be no faith between equals. Therefore, while he offered Sacrifices to the Deity, he also voiced that he did not approve of the Deity¡¯s guidelines; he worshiped out of recognition of power, but did not believe due to spiritual equality. This behavior made it difficult to directly judge him guilty since his disbelief was tied only to Thoughts that couldn¡¯t be evaluated, and his actual conduct was above reproach. Thus, the priests decided to conduct a trial, allowing all the onlookers to determine the non-believer¡¯s fate collectively. At least until now, that¡¯s what they said, and that¡¯s what they believed. ¡°No need to overthink it, it¡¯s just the deluded babble of an ignorant man. The Creatorbored to perfection in giving us our bodies but that was the extent of it. Fools like him always seem to crop up.¡± Waving his hand, Evans looked around, standing at such a great height for the first time. Suddenly, as if he had discovered something, ¡°Here hees, look, that¡¯s the unbeliever. I thought he would be under guard, but it seems he hase on his own.¡± ¡°Let me see.¡± Following the voice, Cohen was preparing to recognize the person. In that direction, a young man in ck, with a very friendly smile, was walking toward the high tform. He even had time to greet others along the way. However, it was this young man who caused Cohen¡¯s spirit to instantly tense up.
Meanwhile, as if sensing Cohen¡¯s gaze, the man he was watching also cast his eyes over. Across the short distance, the two men faced each other from afar. ¡°¡­The unbeliever you spoke of, is it that man in ck?¡± Cohen¡¯s tone unchanged, but strength had already begun circting within him. The young man in ck looked handsome and had a gentle smile, nothing like the ¡®foolish¡¯ unbeliever of the rumors. In him, however, Cohen felt a subtle sense of threat. Beyond that, there was an emotion that was negative to the extreme.
¡°Yes, that¡¯s him. What, have you seen him before?¡± Sensing the change in Cohen¡¯s attitude, Evans could not help but ask. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t know him. By the way, do you know his name?¡± Ever since he had spotted the other party, Cohen¡¯s eyes had not shifted away. This was a dangerous individual, yet if possible, he did not wish to engage with him here. After all, an existence that could make him feel even a hint of threat, even if not a match for him, could easily destroy the small town with the traces of their battle. Clearly, Evans beside him had no idea that both he and the distant unbeliever were such characters. He and everyone else in the town were teetering on the brink of life and death. ¡°His name? It¡¯s a bit of a mouthful. Let me think¡ª¡± After a moment¡¯s thought, Evans said with certainty: ¡°Mephisto, or Mephistopheles? Anyway, they sound pretty simr, who knows.¡± ¡°Now that the man himself has arrived, the trial should be about to begin. I hope this guy doesn¡¯t just stand there speechless before the priests. At the very least, he should say something, don¡¯t you think that¡¯s the idea?¡± Cohen did not respond. Just arriving in the humans¡¯ tribe and crashing into such a special individual, he did not know whether it was coincidence or something else. But it must be said, listening to Evans, Cohen couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit of anticipation for the trial toe, despite his wariness. Although he was clueless as to why such a dangerous individual woulde to face ¡®trial,¡¯ the reality was such, and Cohen wasn¡¯t about to dig deeper. But what kind of statement would such a negatively charged individual make about faith and the deities? On this, Cohen, who was on a journey in search of answers, was very eager to find out.
Chapter 203 - 41: Trial Chapter 203: Chapter 41: Trial Withdrawing his confronting gaze, Mephisto continued on his way. His face still bore a smile, as if nothing had happened. However, clearly, to both parties from the earlier eye contact, the existence of the other was unexpected and could not be ignored. ¡°Strange¡­ a demigod, perhaps, but not quite. Ordinary demigods don¡¯t make me feel threatened¡ªwithout Divine Power, he might be even stronger than me.¡± ¡°And what is he here for¡­ Before I came to the Mortal Realm, I only heard about the existence of wizards, a power controlled by the Goddess of the Magic Net before she ascended to godhood. I didn¡¯t expect there to be a different method that allows mortals to wield power.¡± Contemting internally, Mephisto wasn¡¯t overly worried, only somewhat surprised and curious. Previously, when humans lived together, this great demon from the Nine Hells naturally didn¡¯t dare to do anything under the watchful eye of Prometheus. But to his surprise, upon arriving in this newly established town of just a couple of years, he encountered an extraordinary character. The individual possessed divine power, which was why Mephisto initially thought he was a demigod. But after sensing just a bit, he dismissed that guess. The divine power stemmed from the light rain from decades ago, now present within many creatures of thend. Presumably, the human also got his from the same source¡ªbut what truly made Mephisto wary was the man¡¯s vigorous vitality and formidable physique. He had no doubt that all the tactics avable to him in the present world would likely have little effect on the other man, who could easily tear apart those behemoths with Divine Blood flowing through them, using just his bare hands. Fortunately, it seemed that the man had no intention of fighting him in Giant Wood Town. So, today¡¯s n would proceed as usual. The priests have been living toofortably, holding onto the hope that their acts of deceiving the deities would go unnoticed or, even if discovered, not be pursued by the gods. And so, he decided to take matters into his own hands and add a shovelful of dirt to their graves. He hoped that under the threat of reality, they would make some right choices. ¡°Mephisto, let me advise you onest time. If you retract your earlier ¡®Speech¡¯ now and pray devoutly in The Temple, you can still be forgiven.¡± While pondering, Mephisto¡¯s presence became noticed by an increasing number of people. Some came for the spectacle, some held faces of disdain, but all made way for him, opening up a path to the tform. As one of the main characters of the day, no one wished to obstruct his arrival. Perhaps out of goodwill or to ensure the appearance of rules in the trial, when Mephisto reached the tform, a priest dedicated to the Goddess of Hearthfire sternly issued a final warning to him. ¡°I appreciate your kindness, Your Excellency, but I maintain my innocence. Moreover, I believe that everyone will soone to agree with my thoughts.¡± His voice wasn¡¯t loud but was gentle and determined, and Mephisto¡¯s response stirredmotion within the crowd once again. People buzzed with conversation, yet it didn¡¯t affect the individual before the tform. He simply stepped forward, looking at the priest blocking his way. ¡°May I go up now? In fact, I am quite looking forward to speaking shortly.¡± ¡°¡­Since you insist on your view, thene up. I hope you won¡¯t regret it.¡± The priest frowned but still stepped aside under the gaze of thousands of spectators, allowing ess to the steps leading up to the tform. ¡°Thank you.¡± With a polite smile, Mephisto then stepped onto the tform. He stood at the center, in front of him the priests of different temples and those universally recognized as wise; behind and to his sides, not far off, was a dense crowd of people. The adjudicators of this trial imed that for a fair result, everyone present, whether on or off the tform, whether a resident of Giant Wood Town or not, had the right to speak if they wished, regardless of the side they supported. But everyone knew, no one would stand with this unbeliever; it was merely a way to give the audience a sense of participation. And so, as Mephisto stood firmly in the center of the tform, as the ¡®buffoon¡¯ of a spectacle arrived, the host on the tform immediately stood up. A mocking smile on his lips, he looked at the once-familiar figure. He was there to preside over this grand event because he was the first to report Mephisto for spreading heretical Thought. And the reason he did so was partly personal grudge, although such spite was entirely one-sided in his mind. ¡°It appears you are sticking to your own opinion, Mephisto, I must say, your existence truly makes me feel ashamed before the deities. To think that among humans there could be such a faithless person like you, and you don¡¯t even seem to feel any sense of shame.¡± ¡°People feel shame for their mistakes, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯m wrong, and as for you, I don¡¯t know. Moreover¡ªyou are supposed to be just the host of this trial, right?¡± His tone calm, Mephisto looked in no way like someone about to receive a verdict, but rather like a sage proiming his ideology. On the contrary, the one standing before him naturally became the sinner who prevented the spread of truth. ¡°You¡ª¡± Unexpectedly faced with a rebuttal, the host was about to say something when he noticed the Temple of Law Priest in the center, casting his gaze upon him. As judges, although they did not approve of Mephisto¡¯sck of faith either, they at least had to appear fair and impartial. Taking a deep breath, the host had to suppress his emotions, no longer addressing Mephisto, but turning to the crowd of onlookers instead. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, I believe you all know the reason why we are gathered here today.¡± ¡°He, Mephisto, a resident of Giant Wood Town, and like us, a human created by the gods. He openly admits his disbelief, and thinks that humans should not have faith in the deities, an undoubtedly intolerable wickedness.¡± ¡°However, as Bronze Humanity worshiping the gods, we will give him the right to argue his case fairly in front of The Temple, rather than judge him blindly. Now, please be quiet!¡± After saying these final words and the scene fell silent, the host stepped back and looked at a middle-aged man sitting on the left. That was Devos, the Priest in Giant Wood Town responsible for the worship of the Divine King, said to be a friend of the High Priest Ossen. Receiving the host¡¯s gaze, he nodded in acknowledgment and then stood up, looking towards Mephisto who stood in the center of the tform. As the person of highest status here, it was proper for him to speak first. ¡°Mephisto, as a Priest of the Divine King, I cannot understand yourck of faith, for the gods are so magnificent; as a human created by the gods, I equally cannot understand yourck of faith, for they are so benevolent. Now, in front of so many humans, could you elucidate your views to us, tell everyone the reason behind your disbelief?¡± Perhaps to make the trial more interesting, Devos did not attack with words right from the start. The onlooking crowd seemed to approve of his words, although they hade to understand the thoughts of this unbeliever through various means, it certainly wasn¡¯t as authentic as hearing it from his own lips. ¡°Of course, in fact, I have been waiting for quite a while today.¡± Under the scrutiny of the crowd, Mephisto spoke with a smile, yet none of the humans present could understand the underlying meaning of his words. ¡°The main reason I stand here today, opposing faith yet not ritual, is because in my view, the spiritual and the material do not mix, just like ritual and faith are not the same.¡± ¡°The gods possess powers far beyond mortals, they can bring benefits to humans, so humans should rightfully express their respect through rituals, which is beyond reproach, but faith is different.¡± ¡°Faith means to recognize all the thoughts of an existence, or to rely on an existence for hope, and in this regard, the gods obviously do not have the qualifications to be believed in.¡± Surveying his surroundings, Mephisto finally reiterated: ¡°The Divine King is above all gods, the gods obey him, honor him, but they do not have faith in him, for the rtionship between the Divine King and the gods is mutual dependency. Without the regr deities, the Divine King¡¯s throne loses its value; the status of a Priest is above that of themon man, people respect you, follow your instructions, but they do not have faith in you, because the rtionship between Priests andmon men is also one of mutual dependency, without ordinary humans, there would be no need for Priests.¡± ¡°My denial of faith is not a denial of the gods¡¯ power and existence, but rather a denial of their higher status.¡± ¡°I acknowledge sacrifice, but not faith, because in my view, gods and humans are not one-sided in their needs for each other, there is mutual necessity. Given this, then faith naturally does not have a soil to exist upon.¡± Chapter 204 - 42 God and Man Chapter 204: Chapter 42 God and Man ¡°Absurd.¡± No sooner had Mephisto finished speaking than a priest stood up. ¡°Since you admit that gods bestow material blessings upon humans, you shouldn¡¯t deny faith. It¡¯s outrageous to rely on deities for your current life and yet not want to believe in them. Where is such a good thing?¡± The onlooking crowd nodded in agreement, reasoning that where there is gain, there should be giving, which seemed fair. Yet faced with the opposition¡¯s usation, Mephisto appeared calm and unruffled. ¡°Your Excellency, I believe you may have misunderstood my words.¡± ¡°Besides humans, animals can reproduce; they are born because of their parents and exist during their youth due to their parents, hence they respect them, but this is not faith; deities also have descendants, born of their parents, whom they respect, but this, too, is unrted to faith.¡± ¡°I acknowledge sacrifices but not faith because these two are separate and should not be confused. Gratitude towards helpers, awe of power, and recognition of their spirit and actions are entirely different things, don¡¯t you think?¡± When Mephisto had finished speaking, the high tform fell silent for a brief moment. The spectators, who had expected the unbeliever to utter someughable remarks only to be easily refuted by them, began to feel, after listening seriously to his exnation, that somehow it made some sense. Indeed, deities are of great help to humans; without gods, humans might, like ordinary beasts, be running about to avoid monsters with extraordinary powers and have no fixed abode. But gratitude and faith should not be treated as the same, for if one person saves another, the saved does not be the savior¡¯s disciple. ¡°Mephisto, you are just twisting the Deity¡¯s intentions,¡± said a voice after a while. On the tform stood a tall young man, breaking the calm. He was a priest of the Sea God Poseidon, and it was a pity that because of the Divine King¡¯s edict, humans could no longer approach the sea, and thus The Temple of the Sea God had alwayscked presence. ¡°You think humans can repay the gods¡¯ blessings with sacrifices without having to believe in them. But what use are mortal sacrifices to the gods? They only care about the sincerity of the one who offers the sacrifices.¡± ¡°Gods measure the level of devotion by the number of sacrifices offered by mortals, and it¡¯s the devotion that gods cherish. If everyone doesn¡¯t believe in gods, then what¡¯s the point of offering sacrifices to them?¡± ¡°So, you do admit what I said earlier, that there is a mutual value between humans and gods, only that the ¡®value¡¯ provided by humans is not in the material gifts but in the devoted faith?¡± ¡°However, if that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m afraid this method of judgment isn¡¯t quite reasonable.¡± With a smile, Mephisto pointed to himself. ¡°My existence is clear proof. From the very beginning, I believed in no gods, yet I still presented enough sacrifices, so my dwelling isn¡¯t harmed by wind or rain, and my hearth fire burns constantly. Thus, I suggest the gods adopt a new method of judgment; otherwise, unbelievers like me can also enjoy the blessings of the gods, which somewhat undermines their justice.¡± The Priest of the Sea God was left speechless; he wanted to say something, but in the end, he said nothing. It was a trap; whether gods needed faith or sacrifices, it proved that gods had demands of humans. If they asked for something, then in certain aspects, gods and humans were ced on the same level. While he could¡¯ve said, ¡®then we should believe in gods more to exchange for blessings¡¯, the Priest of the Sea God knew that saying so would be an outright defeat. If gods truly had needs of humans, then the blessings bestowed by the gods should be seen as a ¡®trade¡¯ rather than a ¡®blessing¡¯. If everyone sought to ¡®exchange faith for rewards¡¯, then such so-called faith could hardly be described as devout. Faith that arises from profit will naturally end when the benefit ceases. Now, the Priest of the Sea God felt that today¡¯s trial should not have existed. Faith should never be a subject of discussion. ¡°What about the Creator, Mephisto, do you believe in the Creator?¡± Suddenly, someone from below spoke out. Perhaps realizing that once faith became a modity for trade¡¯, it would lose its sanctity, that person decisively chose to avoid the topic, instead bringing up Prometheus¡¯s existence. The Creator made the Bronze Humanity, taught humans knowledge, and opened up the wilderness for them, all without seeking anything in return. If Mephisto dared to nder the Creator, no one would tolerate his actions. However, clearly, this was all within Mephisto¡¯s expectations. ¡°The Creator¡ªof course, I don¡¯t believe in Him either,¡± Mephisto nodded affirmatively. Before the audience could express their anger, he turned the question back on the inquirer. ¡°I believe if you have faith in a god, you should let His thought guide your own. If you truly recognize the Creator¡¯s thoughts, then you shouldn¡¯t believe in Him at all.¡± ¡°He built no temples, raised no shrines, nor did he demand sacrifices. It must be said, the creator indeed deserves human worship, but he just doesn¡¯t want us to believe in him. Can I then conclude that those who require human faith are not worthy of it, while those who do not ask for faith are the gods that humans should truly worship?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then we should not offer our worship to any deity, and that itself is the standard set by the creator through his own actions, isn¡¯t it?¡± The questioner was at a loss for words, and the faces of the bystanders softened, many of them falling into deep thought. Hearing this nonbeliever¡¯s praises of the creator did please them to some extent, but what the other party said seemed to make actual sense. If one had to rank the gods, then in the hearts of Bronze Humanity, Prometheus was undoubtedly the highest, not even the Divine King could match him. But just like Mephisto said, the creator built temples for the gods but not for himself; could this be proof that a truly great deity indeed does not need the faith of mortals? At this moment, the atmosphere in the area had be quite solemn. The earlier lightheartedness had disappeared, and the humans below the dais pondered upon Mephisto¡¯s speech, while atop the dais, an odd atmosphere spread among the priests. To speak of disbelief in the gods, these priests were the true nonbelievers, but they were well aware that they might not believe, but if all of Bronze Humanity ceased to believe, that would be an immense problem. The creator warned them that the gods might not notice the piety of an individual when not present in person, but they could sense the overall swing in human faith. Therefore, Prometheus had repeatedly admonished them, to never let the matter of sacrifices be known to themon people. Now, if Mephisto¡¯s speech was to be epted by the people, the gods would definitely discover the arising issues among humans. What would happen then was only known to the heavens. After all, theory is theory, and reality is reality. Just because you speak logically, doesn¡¯t mean that deities will truly tolerate humans continuing as usual after abandoning faith. As priests closest to the gods, they did not think of the deities as kind and benevolent like ordinary humans did. But he couldn¡¯t outright say these words, so Devos decisively stood up, he couldn¡¯t tolerate the other party continuing like this. ¡°What about the Divine King? Mephisto, even the creator was following the orders of the Divine King when he created humans, do you also refuse to show faith to one of your own creators?¡± Devos didn¡¯t think this question would stump the other party, he only hoped that Mephisto would recall the might of the gods. They could create you, and they could destroy you. But clearly, his thoughts had once againe to naught. Across from him, Mephisto shook his head slightly. He no longer looked towards the priests on the dais but instead swept his gaze around, making eye contact with every human in the crowd. ¡°The Divine King¡­ You¡¯re right, indeed he was the one who instructed the creator to create humans. But if this is the reason to offer faith, it hardly seemspelling.¡± ¡°As I mentioned earlier, it is well known that deities can reproduce, but a god does not worship another god, so the offspring of gods might respect their parents, but it certainly has nothing to do with faith.¡± ¡°That was also my initial point¡ªwe can offer sacrifices to deities to show our tremendous respect for them, but faith is entirely unnecessary. The powers of the gods inspire my awe, but they are far from subjugating my spirit.¡± ¡°Moreover¡ª¡± ¡°Enough!¡± This time, before he finished, Devos¡¯s ice-cold tone cut Mephisto off. His expression was incredibly grave, to the extent that everyone could see. He had realized that the person in front of him was likely too difficult to persuade with words. But if possible, he really didn¡¯t want to take other measures. Force can¡¯t change thought, and faith, after all, is about thought. ¡°Mephisto, your mind is indeed sharp, and your speech is quite provocative, but that is no reason for your arrogance.¡± ¡°Admit your faults now, as long as you retract your previous words, we can forgive your prior behavior.¡± Staring intently at the young man, Devos tried to make him understand his determination. And he was certain the other had seen his intention. To his disappointment, the other simply responded with a faint smile. ¡°I stand by my opinion, honorable Priest.¡± Watching Devos, Mephisto spread his hands and calmly said. ¡°Seize him.¡± With a cold demeanor, as Devos uttered these words, everyone around was taken aback for a moment. But the next moment, under the intense gaze of his eyes, the two assistants following him approached Mephisto. As a priest serving the Divine King, Devos knew that from this day forward, no matter what became of Mephisto, he had already lost. Now, he could only choose to lose by a lesser margin. Chapter 205 - 43 Fire Chapter 205: Chapter 43 Fire There was no resistance, Mephisto simply let two mortals, insignificant as ants, restrain him. Watching the scene unfold on the tform, the spectators below erupted into astonishment. Previously, although they found some rationale in Mephisto¡¯s speech, decades of experience had ingrained a blind trust in the gods and priests in their minds. They were expecting someone to refute the infidel with morepelling arguments, but unexpectedly, the priests on the tform resorted to physical force. This genuinely surprised the people. In the past, within the human tribes, there was no precedent for using force against one¡¯s own kind. ¡°So, it appears that since you can¡¯t persuade me, you intend to resolve this matter in another way?¡± Expressionless, Mephisto looked at Devos in front of him, a hint of a smile curling at the corner of his mouth. ¡°Your Excellence, as the priests of the Goddess of Law, shouldn¡¯t you uphold the fairness of this trial? Or is this a trial where victory is not allowed?¡± On the tform, the faces of the two priests turned sour. They could feel the skepticism from the crowd below, but due to the past prestige of their priesthood, no one yet dared to step forward and interfere. They too wished to maintain the so-called ¡®fairness¡¯ and preserve their image in the hearts of others, but recalling the speech of the infidel a moment ago, the two priests were caught in a dilemma. Mephisto¡¯s speech was too dangerous. If he were to win, it would plunge the whole Bronze Humanity into danger. They didn¡¯t know what would happen to the ordinary people, but if the deities were to descend personally, then the priests would be the first to face judgment. With no other choice, they turned their gaze to Devos, who had made the earlier decision. ¡°Stop with the rhetoric, Mephisto. Of course, the trial is fair, but instead of lengthy discussions, we n to resolve this with a more reasonable method,¡± Devos said with a heavy voice, noting the judge¡¯s difficult position. Since Mephisto had already been restrained and offered no resistance, Devos¡¯s idea of prematurely terminating the trial on the grounds of ¡®disrupting order¡¯ fell through. Clenching his fists, Devos realized there was no other path to take. He did not know whether what he was about to do was right, but either way, he had no choice. This dangerous man could not be allowed to continue existing. ¡°Let the gods judge you,¡± Devos said coldly. ¡°The gods have not specified how to punish those without faith, and we dare not presume.¡± ¡°Since that is the case, let the creation bestowed by the gods judge what is right and wrong. If you are right, naturally no harm wille to you; if you are mistaken, then the fire gifted by the gods shall deliver the punishment you deserve. This is the most impartial judgment possible.¡± Standing on the tform, Devos swept his gaze over the crowd of onlookers. Many of them were dissatisfied with the abrupt end of the debate and were resistant to the priests using force, but as Devos linked the trial to the will of the gods, they dared not speak any further. Even those who thought Mephisto made sense did not dare to publicly question the gods. After all, while doubting the gods in one¡¯s heart may not show on the surface, openly questioning the deities was a different matter altogether. Most people, after all, remained silent. ¡°A creation bestowed by the gods?¡± The smile on Mephisto¡¯s face became harder to suppress as he asked slowly, ¡°May I know to what you are referring?¡± ¡°Fire, of course.¡± ¡°The gods bestowed fire upon us to drive away wild beasts, light up the darkness, avert disasters, and bring warmth. It is the most suitable creation to express the will of the deities.¡± ¡°If the gods deem you innocent, then you shall remain unscathed; otherwise, the fire graced by the gods will administer the punishment you deserve. This is the fairest trial there can be.¡± Whether the gods were paying attention to this ce or not, Devos believed no one was more aware of it than he was. The gods would not care about such a trivial matter, hence he had already anticipated the fate of the infidel. He would scream in agony as he died in mes, paying the price for his speech. Devos didn¡¯t know how the creator would react upon learning that he had caused the death of a fellow human, but he imagined it couldn¡¯t be worse than the situation at hand. Thus, at hismand, a pyre was erected, and the Sacred Fire from the Temple of me was brought forth. They tied Mephisto to the pyre, and from start to finish, he offered not the slightest resistance, merely watching the proceedings with calm indifference. ¡°You have onest chance to recant, Mephisto. Admit your error. There is no need to stir the gods over a mortal¡¯s affairs.¡± Raising the torch high, Devos¡¯s hand trembled slightly. Though his words were merciless, the reality of taking a fellow human¡¯s life made him hesitate. His final warning was in fact a genuine hope that the other would concede, but unfortunately, the oue disappointed him. ¡°I stand by my views,¡± Mephisto said slowly. ¡°I just wonder if you will be able to maintain yours in a moment.¡± With a twitch at the corner of his eye, seeing there was no turning back, Devos no longer hesitated. He threw the torch onto the pyre, but his feet involuntarily retreated a few steps. In front of him, as the torch hit the ground, the mes roared fiercely. ¡­ ¡°Why stop me?¡± In the sky above Giant Wood Town, behind a cloud, the sword-belted goddess red down at the humans below with indignation. She reached out her right hand as if intending to do something, but another hand was already grasping her wrist, halting the unreleased divine power back in its tracks. ¡°It¡¯s best not to use divine power in the mortal realm, you know that, don¡¯t you?¡± With a slight smile, Laine said, but he clearly was not answering the question at hand. However, it was obvious that the Goddess of Justice would not be fooled by his words. ¡°You know what I mean, I¡¯m asking you why you are stopping me from maintaining the fairness of this trial.¡± Mortals do not understand gods, nor does Mephisto quiteprehend them. They think they know all there is to know, but they arepletely unaware of the extent of power a deity possesses within their own realm of authority. If the judge of today¡¯s trial had been a priest from any other temple, everything would have proceeded as they wished, with no deity paying attention to such a trivial matter. But Themis was different. As the embodiment of justice andw, she noticed everything the moment Mephisto stepped onto the high tform. All of it, including the cause and effect behind today¡¯s trial, the great power hidden beneath Mephisto¡¯s mortal guise, and even those priests of the Temple of Law who held no faith in her. As for the priests¡¯ck of faith, the goddess did not intend to punish them because she had never actively asked humans to worship her, and the temples she currently has were built out of the respect for the Ancient Titan God¡¯s power by Zeus and Prometheus. But this trial was different. Since it was a judgment witnessed in her name, even without her permission, Themis would not allow an unfair verdict to happen. ¡°He won¡¯t be harmed, will he? You should be able to see that, unless Hestia herself took action, even if the mes of her temple were a thousand times fiercer, they couldn¡¯t harm this fellow.¡± With a slight headache, but still, Laine tried to exin. Obviously, the goddess was not so easily persuaded. ¡°That is merely the result, Laine, the fairness of the process is also part of justice.¡± ¡°But the premise of you maintaining justice is that someone feels it¡¯s unfair. Yet, as it stands, Mephisto obviously delights in it.¡± At that moment, high upon the wooden stake, the mes were already scorching Mephisto¡¯s body. A burnt scent carried by the wind drifted into the crowd, prompting many to show expressions of pity and sorrow. Among the Bronze Humanity who had not suffered adversity, while there were all kinds of people, the majority of them were still kind-hearted. Only when the barns are full do people know to follow the etiquette, and only when the food and clothing are sufficient do they know honor and disgrace¡ªall of this is true now as it will be in the future. Yet, by contrast, Mephisto, who was actually enduring the pain, still maintained his smile. ¡°¡­Perhaps you¡¯re right, if both parties feel that the oue is just, then indeed it cannot be deemed unfair.¡± After a long contemtion, Themis finally epted this reasoning. If an incident has no victims, then for her to insist on maintaining her own so-called justice would mean the forced imposition of justice is probably not justice at all. ¡°So, can you let go of me now?¡± Looking at her right hand, Themis spoke slowly. ¡°¡ªOf course, my apologies for the offense.¡± Laine released his left hand from the goddess¡¯ wrist, apologizing with a smile. In this age, bound by the pressingws of the current world, he too could not casually wield his power. Thus, to stop the hastening goddess, he had to resort to a more direct approach. ¡°So these two are rted to you?¡± Having reached a consensus on the matter of the trial, the Goddess of Law finally turned her attention to other matters. Under her divine senses, the tworgest anomalies present were clearly visible. If Mephisto was noticed because he actively invaded the goddess¡¯s domain, Cohen was discovered entirely because of his failure to conceal. His vast vitality made even Themis frown slightly; this power would indeed be formidable against many of the weaker True Gods on earth. This was not merely a matter of strength but also because, stripped of their divine power, few deities knew how to fight. ¡°One has some connection to me¡­ In fact, I don¡¯t even know how he came to have faith in me when he does not realize that I am the one who created his existence.¡± ncing at Cohen, Laine decided to have a chat with him when the opportunity arose, of course, not as the creator of the Golden Humanity. ¡°As for the other, he is somewhat rted to an old friend of yours, care to guess who?¡± ¡°¡ªI guess, Cronus.¡± Speaking calmly, she directly named the crux of the matter. Under Laine¡¯s surprised gaze, Themis turned her head, looking at this deity she had known for thousands of years. ¡°A century ago, during the great upheaval, the Mother Goddess might suspect The Dark Overlord, but I never would.¡± ¡°No one else could have done it, only you are capable.¡± Chapter 206 - 44 Holy Spirits Chapter 206: Chapter 44 Holy Spirits ¡°¡­You guessed right.¡± With a helpless smile, Laine really hadn¡¯t expected that Themis not only guessed the answer immediately but also provided such a reason. But then again, it made sense. Among the gods of Chaos, it was Cronus and Themis he interacted with the most, and it was from them that Laine often heard some truer assessments of himself, unlike with Liana, who always considered whatever he did as correct. For instance, the ¡®arrogance¡¯ that Cronus had pointed out, Laine felt that he had been somewhat alerted at that time. ¡°It seems that Cronus is doing well after abdicating, at least not like our Father God.¡± Nodding, Themis looked at the humans on the earth, especially those two who imed to be priests of the Temple of Law, whose faith in her was so weak as to be almost non-existent, and suddenly asked: ¡°Ordinary people don¡¯t know the reason why deities offer them protection, so they waver because of that person¡¯s speech, which I can understand. But looking at it now, these priests seem to know.¡± ¡°I have never demanded their worship of me, so I don¡¯t care whether they believe in me or not. At most, because of their actions, I might from today onwards destroy all temples erected in my name by humans and forbid those so-called priests from acting in my name anymore. But my nephew is different.¡± ¡°They clearly know the importance of faith to a god, and they were even just arguing about this with that unbeliever. If they are clear about the stakes, then why don¡¯t they believe in the gods?¡± On this matter, Themis really couldn¡¯t understand, or rather, not many of the current gods of Chaos understood it either. They were still groping their way through the concept of faith; otherwise, there wouldn¡¯t be such cases of blessings being almost explicitly priced for humans. This is primal faith, and without experiencing one or two failures, the gods wouldn¡¯t understand how to maximize mortals¡¯ belief in them. But to the gods, these one or two failures would cost time, while to the mortals, it would cost lives. In the future, it might just be the lives of a few individuals, but right now, it means everyone. ¡°Because that is human nature, Themis. Fear and awee from the unknown; desire stems from never having possessed. Yearning is the farthest from the truth, but conversely, it is the closest to faith.¡± ¡°That is why the priests would rather be rendered speechless by Mephisto¡¯s words than admit ¡®gods created mortals just to receive their faith.¡¯ Because they only need to look at themselves to know that if everyone learned the truth, what woulde would not be more devout worship of the gods, but like them, no matter how pious their words, they can¡¯t hide the shallowness of their faith.¡± ¡°After all, faith is not something one can have simply by saying ¡®I will believe, I should believe.¡¯ People can deceive others, but they can¡¯t deceive themselves.¡± With a slight shake of his head, this was the importance of humanity in godhood. However, a keen intuition about fate made Laine feel a premonition that perhaps the Divine King would soon be aware of all this. Of course, that was not the reason for his appearance here today. In fact, Laine had been feeling a bit restlesstely. This could be feedback from the origin of spirituality, or perhaps a premonition given by the power of fate; in any case, something unexpected had probably happened. Initially, he thought it was some special change among humans, the core of the next era, but now it seemed that the problem did not lie there. If not there, then it could only be in ¡­ ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Seemingly sensing the change in Laine¡¯s mood, Themis turned her head to ask. ¡°Nothing much.¡± Without a conclusion, Laine didn¡¯t n to say too much, so he simply responded with a smile: ¡°I¡¯m nning a trip to the sea soon, and I might also visit your elder brother on the way.¡± ¡°My elder brother¡­ you mean Oceanus?¡± ¡°Yes, him.¡± Nodding, Laine softly confirmed. He did indeed n to visit the God of the Ocean, even if just en route, since it was more or less on the way to the other¡¯s doorstep. The main body of the current world of Chaos was enveloped by the Circumterrestrial River around the ocean, which in turn enveloped the earth. At the far end of the East, the Ocean Deity Sovereign, who had been seriously injured a century ago, remained in his Divine Pce, uncertain of his current state. However, Laine¡¯s destination was even more distant. He had made up his mind, and very soon, he would personally embark on the journey. But what made him hesitate was whether or not to find someone to apany him. After all, whatever was causing such a strong yet vague premonition surely wouldn¡¯t be something simple. ¡­ At this time, as the two deities conversed in the high Sky above, on the earth below, the towering mes hadpletely engulfed Mephisto. His face was bing indistinct, but everyone knew that, at the center of the fire, he must still be smiling, looking at everyone just as he had been at the beginning. The atmosphere at the scene was somewhat oppressive; Devos could feel the questioning in the gazes cast upon him. Ordinary Humans dared not question the gods, but that didn¡¯t mean they wouldn¡¯t question him. But at this point, he could not turn back anymore. ¡°The result of the judgment is clear,¡± said Devos, trying to sound righteous and stern, ¡°clearly, God has proven through the actual oue who is right and who is wrong. The words of Mephisto are nothing butughable lies.¡± Devos tried toe across strongly, but the watching crowd paid no attention to his performance. They merely stood in silence, gazing at the burning pyre. Even those who did not acknowledge Mephisto¡¯s views were merely watching silently now. If the condemned had screamed in agony or begged loudly for mercy amidst the mes, perhaps they could have felt some sense of victorious joy. But at this moment, all they felt was confusion. Were the actions of the priests really just? ¡°Cohen, do you think what he said makes sense?¡± Standing on arge stone, Evans had lost the eager expression of a spectator he had had at the beginning. He did not know who was right or who was wrong, but he felt that his goddess Hestia would not have meted out the punishment of burning at the stake to an unbeliever like this. If the goddess would not do this, then the fault must lie with the person carrying out these acts. ¡°Right and wrong are rtive, that¡¯s one of the few truths I¡¯ve learned over the years,¡± Cohen said slowly: ¡°If, to you, whether or not the mes before your eyes are God¡¯s will, your faith in God remains unchanged, then he makes no sense, after all, you have proved with your actions that your faith in God is irrelevant to what kind of goddess she is.¡± ¡°What if I think this isn¡¯t what the goddess intends, but rather the personal thoughts of these priests?¡± Looking at everything on the stage, Evans ultimately felt that the goddess would not do this. She must be as the creator said¡ªkind and gentle, extending tolerance to all the weak. If this really was the will of the goddess¡­ he felt he could not ept this reality. ¡°Then it just proves that, to you, at least one thing the unbeliever said was right¡­¡± ¡°At least you truly believe in her because you recognize the goddess¡¯s thoughts and actions, not just for the blessings she bestows on you.¡± Cohen responded calmly, but his feelings were a bitplicated. Unlike Evans, he knew how terrifying Mephisto was. Since the fire imbued with a hint of divine essence was useless against him, it would be no different for this dangerous individual. But the words of the condemned had indeed given Cohen much to ponder. At least he felt one point was very true: faith is a spiritual conversion, not merely gratitude. In the past, the Golden Humanity worshiped gods like that. They believed gods were perfect, omnipotent, and could be attributed with all the goodness in the world. Because the gods were so perfect, they devoutly worshiped the deities and tried their best to draw closer to the gods¡¯ image. It was for this reason that when Cohen discovered the real gods were so different from what he imagined, a sense of having been deceived naturally arose. The disappearance of the Golden Humanity¡¯s corpses was merely what triggered this suppressed emotion. ¡°What¡¯s that?!¡± ¡°¡ªCohen, look quickly!¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Aroused from his memories by the shouting of Evans next to him, Cohen followed the sound. On the tform, Devos continued to make futile speeches, trying to salvage his image; and the mes kept burning, thick smoke rising and spreading into the high air. But right in the center of the mes, behind Devos, a burst of golden light suddenly emerged. It grew from small torge, from faint to bright, enveloping an ethereal figure that slowly ascended towards the sky. ¡°That is¡ª¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just an illusion,¡± Cohen almost instantly saw through the true nature of the golden light, but amongst the mortals present, he was probably the only one who could see the truth. At this moment, the crowd had erupted into excited murmurs, for they knew that the creator had told them of humanity¡¯s three ages, where the Golden Humanity ascended to the heavens for their noble virtues, and the Silver Humanity was buried underground for their disrespect towards the gods. And now, right before their eyes, the legendary myth seemed to unfold. ¡°Impossible!¡± rmed by the crowd¡¯s tumult, Devos couldn¡¯t help but turn around. Seeing everything before him, he could hardly believe that the ascension of a Heroic Spirit from the legends was happening right in front of him, and that he was ying the role of the viin who killed this noble being. And what was most frightening was, since Mephisto had ascended, did it mean that the gods were about to descend upon the Mortal Realm? ¡°¡­Prepare the carriage; I must go see High Priest Ossen.¡± By now, the crowd had started to press closer to the tform. The ascension of a Holy Spirit was unfolding before their very eyes, and everyone felt that this was the will of the deities. The priests on the tform had already stepped aside, and after a brief moment of panic, Devos quickly made up his mind. He decided to head to the expanding Aurora City, to meet with his former good friend, now the High Priest Ossen. As one of the two students most trusted by the creator, only he could provide Devos with some sce now. As for meeting with the creator directly, that was impossible. Devos now, was not quite brave enough to face him. Chapter 207 - 45: Divine Punishment is Imminent Chapter 207: Chapter 45: Divine Punishment is Imminent A most ludicrous ¡°trial¡± had begun in jest and ended in jest, yet its repercussions were far from over. Mephisto ascended in mes, and almost on the same day, within the entire range of the Bronze Humanity, all temples devoted to the Goddess of Law copsed thunderously. As humans who witnessed the trial returned to their original dwellings, everything about that day spread far and wide. A debate on whether humans should believe in the divine had seemingly received the gods¡¯ approval in the end, which was almost unbelievable. But as more and more people came forward to share their experiences and what they saw that day, it seemed that people couldn¡¯t help but believe. After all, the ascension might be false, but the copsed temples were real. However, just as this was beginning to brew and was still confined to the vicinity of Giant Wood Town, a carriage, which was still rare in that era, swiftly entered the residential area freshly named ¡®Aurora City¡¯. Traveling day and night, through haste and toil, Devos arrived in just three days on a journey that normally took seven, utterly exhausted. Yet, he dared not rest for a moment and quickly made his way to his friend¡¯s dwelling. Just now, on the road, he had heard about the Temple of Law copsing. He didn¡¯t know how far things had developed by now, nor how the creator had reacted to it. Now, all Devos wanted was to discuss with Ossen how to handle the situation before the news reached this ce. Or more precisely, if the deities were truly going to mete out punishment to the mortals who deceived them, then they had to think of a way to extricate them first. ¡°Make way!¡± Roughly pushing aside the pedestrians blocking the path, Devos opened the door to Ossen¡¯s residence. To his surprise, another person was also there. That was Momon, the High Priest who was in charge of officiating over the Divine King alongside Ossen. It was normal for the other party to be present, but at this moment, Devos didn¡¯t know whether he should let the other party in on the issue. ¡°Devos? Weren¡¯t you in Giant Wood Town?¡± Seeing his old friend push open the door, a hint of confusion appeared on Ossen¡¯s no longer youthful face. ¡°¡­We have a big problem.¡± Taking a deep breath and ncing at Momon, who was also looking over, Devos hesitated, but still spoke directly. They were all priests, and on this point, their interests should be aligned. ¡°You must already know about the copsing of the Temple of Law, right?¡± ¡°Do you know the reason behind it?!¡± His expression changing, Ossen hurriedly followed up. He had been worried about this matter for several days, and gathering with Momon had also been for this very reason. However, looking at his old friend who seemed to know something, a bad premonition surged in his heart. ¡°You mean to say¡ª¡± ¡°We¡¯re in big trouble.¡± Repeating it once more, Devos rallied his spirit and began to discuss the cause and effect of the incident. ¡­ ¡°So you mean to say that the copse of the Temple of Law could very well be due to your use of the Goddess¡¯s name and the influence on the trial¡¯s process. And that ¡®unbeliever¡¯ you judged was instead raised to a Holy Spirit in the end?¡± Standing up, Momon felt somewhat incredulous. As one of the individuals closest to the creator, he knew all too well. The gods wanted humans to worship them and would bestow various blessings for doing so. But now, someone was telling him that an unbeliever had been rewarded by the deities? ¡°¡­It sounds incredible, but on reflection, it seems understandable. Have you ever thought that maybe the Goddess of Law and the Divine King are not deities from the same faction?¡± ¡°The creator once said that at the turn of the eon, when the two Divine Kings waged war, the gods took sides, but the Goddess of Law did not seem to be on the side of the Divine King.¡± Simrly taken aback but then calming down, Ossen pondered and slowly made a guess. Because of the temple¡¯s copse, Prometheus let the humans figure out the reason themselves while he set out for Olympus. In truth, he didn¡¯t think this anomaly rted to Bronze Humanity; the Forethinker suspected that perhaps the Goddess of Justice had identally discovered their trickery and thus expressed her indignation. He intended to visit thisdy because, as far as he could tell, it seemed that the goddess had not yet told the Divine King about all this, so there was still a chance for redemption. ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious, Devos, the creator will handle this matter, he has already gone to Olympus, and we are still fine now, aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°You should go back and rest, it will be alright.¡± In the end, Ossen spoke thus. Although hesitating, Devos truly did not know what he could do. Seeing Ossen filled with confidence, he reluctantly suppressed the unease in his heart, ready to rest properly. However, what he didn¡¯t know was that, as he watched Devos¡¯s departing figure, Ossen¡¯s expression instantly darkened. He would not be so naive, no matter how one looked at it, what the other party had said seemed like an omen of some uing turmoil originating from the deities. Even if it was temporarily suppressed, it was merely dying the inevitable. Thinking of this, Ossen couldn¡¯t help but curse Devos¡¯s foolishness in his heart¡ªhow could one take faith and make it a subject of discussion? Sacred things should only be on the altar, not in people¡¯s hands. ¡°¡­Momon, what do you think about this matter?¡± After a long silence, Ossen broke the stillness with his words. Having known each other for so many years, he knew that the other was not someone like Devos. ¡°What else can I think? Just like you said, the creator will solve the problem.¡± Momon spoke calmly, his thoughts indecipherable. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Yes, whatever happens, the creator will resolve everything¡­¡± Ossen¡¯s tone carried a hint of emotion, almost like a sigh. Unconsciously, his right hand brushed the corner of his eye, where wrinkles had now gathered. More than twenty years ago, he had been so confident, thinking that death was trivial and that he could face aging with equanimity. But when his own body no longer had strength, his thinking began to slow, and his skin lost its luster, he had changed his mind. He wanted to regain his youth and maintain it forever. He had pleaded with the creator for this, but to his disappointment, Prometheus had refused him this time. After all, Ossen was indeed his favored student, but what about the other priests? If everyone came to him seeking immortality, he could not fulfill such a request. Yet by only granting exceptions to a few, he felt he would be doing a disservice to the rest. Therefore, the Forethinker tried to satisfy every reasonable request from people, excluding, of course, eternal life. ¡°Let us wait then, the creator will surely resolve everything. I am a bit tired, Momon.¡± ¡°Then I won¡¯t disturb you any longer.¡± Nodding in understanding, Momon, his expression unchanging, left through the grand door. He looked at the sky, regretfully he could not see the setting sun or the rising moon. For on this day, the Aurora ins were covered with dense clouds, looking as though a heavy rain was imminent. ¡°¡­What would you do?¡± Having known him for many years, Momon understood Ossen better than anyone else. He truly believed in the creator, but he trusted himself more, especially since Prometheus had said more than once that he was not powerful among the gods. Even if the matter with the Goddess of Law was concealed, could the deception of humans toward gods really continue indefinitely? Even if they found ways to curb the spread of the speeches of the faithless, if there was a first time, there would be a second time. ¡°I used to think that our generation might not live to see the day of divine retribution¡­that¡¯s not right, others may not live to see it, but I do not wish to die.¡± ¡°s, creator, I am willing to offer you everything, everything I possess can be yours, with the exception of the life you bestowed upon me. But you are an immortal deity, and I suppose you cannot understand our sentiments.¡± He sighed, unseen by anyone, how shocked he had been when he heard the name ¡®Mephisto¡¯ from Devos¡¯s lips¡ªa memory forgotten for decades now vividly resurfaced in his mind. And unlike before, just like Ossen, he was no longer young. Chapter 208 - 46 Extinguished ‘Fire Chapter 208: Chapter 46 Extinguished ¡®Fire In the western part of Aurora City, there was a residential area that wasn¡¯t quite at the core. ¡°Mr. Laine, have you heard? Just three days ago, the entire Temple of the Goddess of Law copsed.¡± Rushing into Laine¡¯s courtyard, Ande¡¯s expression was somewhat urgent. He had stayed at home for the past two days without going out, and he hadn¡¯t expected to hear such news the moment he stepped outside. Over the years, studying drama under Laine had also allowed Ande to understand much of the history unknown to themon people, as well as the true power of deities. The copse of a deity¡¯s temple, did it signify their dissatisfaction with humans? He came in search of the always knowledgeable and seemingly omniscient Laine for answers, but upon entering the courtyard, he found it devoid of anyone. Ayer of dust had settled on the tabletop, appearing to have been there for two days. Aside from the dust, there was nothing else but an exquisitely modeled wooden puppet. ¡°Mr. Laine?¡± Still no response. The doors of the house were open, yet it waspletely empty, and even the items Laine often used had vanished. Everything seemed to indicate that he had left this ce, and it didn¡¯t appear to be a temporary departure. Instantly, a tremendous sense of loss welled up in Ande¡¯s heart. He had anticipated today¡¯s events, but now that they had actually happened, he felt somewhat at a loss. Laine had mentioned more than once in conversations that he would one day leave this ce. Only, in the past, Ande had thought that day was far off, but unexpectedly, it had turned out to be today. ¡°¡­Probably because of the temple¡¯s copse, Mr. Laine is, after all, a priest.¡± Sighing, Ande looked at the puppet on the table. This was perhaps the gift Mr. Laine left for him. He had previously mentioned that he would leave Ande a ¡°gift beyond your imagination¡± before he departed. Ande fell silent for a moment, then gently took hold of the puppet and turned to leave. Whatever it was, it came from the elder who had taught him for decades, and he would definitely cherish it. However, in the next moment, Ande¡¯s body froze in ce. As the puppet came into contact with his palm, an invisible ¡®lock¡¯ seemed to be undone. In the past, it had locked away anything ¡®abnormal¡¯ about Laine, with everyone subconsciously ignoring these under the influence of that power, but from this moment forward, it no longer affected Ande. Apanying this was a message about the puppet. ¡°This is¡ª¡± With widened eyes, Ande looked at the ¡®toy¡¯ in his hand. Just now, using the information he received from the message, he understood the secret contained within the puppet, which truly was beyond his imagination. He didn¡¯t know whether this message was true or false, but if it were true¡­ ¡°Whew¡ªAnde, don¡¯t rush.¡± ¡°Your mental strength is not yet strong enough. ording to the message, even though you could use external objects, you must first reach the ¡®Legendary¡¯ realm.¡± Taking a deep breath, Ande spoke to himself. In these years, in order to multitask with puppet control, Ande had learned the method of meditation. But as a mortal, he couldn¡¯t break through barriers in a short time like a deity could, and the meditation he learned was really just that, devoid of other esoteric knowledge. If the realm before Legendary was divided into four stages, he was now at the pinnacle of Third Order, still far from the transcendent realm. Ande hadn¡¯t been very concerned about power, but now it was different. ¡°Mr. Laine¡ªno, Lord Laine was a deity?¡± Murmuring to himself, Ande realized that his never-before-acknowledged teacher was likely not just any deity, but probably one stronger than the creator. After all, Prometheus once said the boundary between mortals and deities was unbreakable. But now, it seemed that it was only because the creator wasn¡¯t powerful enough. Clutching the puppet, Ande calmed his excited emotions. Despite witnessing many of humanity¡¯s less ¡®good¡¯ affairs over the years, he still retained kindness in his heart. Therefore, although he had received a tremendous boon, he remained concerned about the copse of the temple. After all, it might signify the deities¡¯ discontent with humans, and while he had something in his hand for the future, that was all it was¡ªfor the future. ¡°I should first seek out a priest I know, they should have some information.¡± Making up his mind, Ande left Laine¡¯s courtyard. Stepping over the threshold and ncing at the sky, he couldn¡¯t help but note that today¡¯s meteorology was indeed strange. Dark clouds seemed to press down in the sky, with Silver Serpents dancing among them, especially prominent above the core of Aurora City, where the clouds were particrly thick. An invisible oppression weighed on his mind, and Ande shook his head to dispel the feeling. After all, that was the safest ce for human tribes, and though he had never been there personally, Ande was well aware of what stood there. It was the dwelling of the creator and the Temple of the Divine King. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ The color of the sky had darkened, the clouds gathering even more, and the streets were devoid of people. In weather that looked like a heavy rain was imminent, everyone was reluctant to venture outside. Scattered lights flickered in the now quiet human tribes, bringing a glimmer of light to the pitch-ck night. After Momon left, Ossen donned ayer of ck clothing and then silently stepped out of his room. Chapter 209: 46 Extinguished ‘Fire’ _2 Chapter 209: Chapter 46 Extinguished ¡®Fire¡¯ _2 Standing on the street, Ossen looked back. This was the wooden hut he had lived in for decades, built together with the creator. At the time, it served as an example for other humans, with Prometheus teaching them how to construct shelters, and Ossen had always taken pride in residing there. But after this, he probably wouldn¡¯t have the chance to live there again. ¡°But there¡¯s nothing that can be done about it¡­¡± With a sigh, Ossen felt somewhat sentimental. ¡°You are neither the strongest deity, nor can you anticipate every oue; I am truly grateful that you created me, but that¡¯s not a reason for me to apany you in death.¡± ¡°No¡ªthe only one who will die is me, you all will never!¡± The voice started off faint, as if trying to persuade oneself, but then it turned to grinding teeth. At some point, Ossen found himself growing more and more envious of the deities. So envious it bordered on resentment. Eternal life, immortality, power, physical beauty¡ªthey looked so much like humans, and Ossen couldn¡¯t really see any difference between them. If there must be a distinction, it¡¯s merely that the deities were better off from the moment they were born. After all, they were gods from the day they emerged.
¡°Hu¡ª¡± ¡°This is why faith cannot be questioned.¡± ¡°Some fools just can¡¯t understand this concept.¡± Suppressing his churning emotions, Ossen chuckled self-deprecatingly. Look, he was the proof. Despite being the human who received the most and greatest blessings from the deities, he was the one who believed in them the least. In the past, he enjoyed the feeling of fooling the deities. Now, he was about to betray his own creator. Sometimes Ossen felt very despicable indeed, but there was no helping it; that¡¯s just the way the world is. As long as you have value, you can live well. Whether you are noble or despicable isn¡¯t that important. Just like right now, he was the High Priest at the pinnacle of the Bronze Humanity, wasn¡¯t he? But now the time hade for change. Once, his ¡°intelligence¡± made him distinct from other humans, a value to the creator. Today, it was time to show his value to the other gods. Of course, all this was predicated on the condition that they could offer him what he desired. ¡°The time is almost right.¡± Clenching his fist, Ossen reaffirmed his resolve and headed towards the heart of the tribe. The clouds overhead thickened, making the air seem oppressive. Perhaps it was the calm before a heavy rain, as there was no sign of wind along the way. With the help of the light from fires inside the houses on both sides of the road, Ossen¡¯s eyes, which were not as bright as before, could barely make out the path. He had walked this road many times before, but this time it felt exceptionally slow. The closer he got to the front, the brighter the surroundings became, because this was the core of Aurora. Here, the Sacred Fire for worshiping the deities used animal fat as fuel, burning continuously throughout the year. Even at night or during rainy nights, there were people constantly watching over it, ensuring that there was no risk of it being extinguished. ¡°High Priest.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Lord Ossen.¡± ¡°Okay.¡±
¡°High Priest.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Gradually, Ossen came across some acquaintances on the road, and he greeted each one with a nod. As the most central hall of the gods, naturally, there would be people watching over it even at night. Those responsible for guarding The Temple were somewhat puzzled by Ossen¡¯ste-night visit, but they didn¡¯t think too much about it.
After all, he was the High Priest, and with the recent copse of the Goddess of Law¡¯s temple, Ossen¡¯sing here to pray to the deities didn¡¯t seem out of the ordinary. Moving forward, thus, Ossen slowly arrived in front of The Temple where he had worked for many years. Looking up, even at night, the grand and majestic temple remained solemn and dignified, and it glowed with a faint luster, which was the result of Divine Power prating from within the statue inside. Here, the Power of Faith, divinity, and elements merged to create something that seemed to cause a wondrous reaction, giving rise to a kind of power simr to Divine Power, but much weaker, though not suppressed by thews of this world. If Ossen had been from hundreds of yearster, he would perhaps have recognized that every inch of The Temple had been ¡°sanctified.¡± It had acquired a slight extraordinary attribute that could restrain some things imbued with negative energy. At the same time, the ability of Spiritual Bodies to ¡°phase through walls¡± disregarding the physical also didn¡¯t work here; like material life, they would be kept out. Even the corresponding surface Spirit Realm seemed different from other ces. ¡°High Priest.¡± Upon seeing Ossen¡¯s figure, the two young men guarding the gate greeted him in unison. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t mind me, I will enter through the side door.¡± Ossen waved his hand, stopping the young men from opening the main gate, and after thinking for a moment, he turned and instructed: ¡°Later on, I will use the method taught by the creator tomunicate with the deity, trying to solve the copse of the Goddess¡¯ temple. No one should disturb me, remember, I mean no one!¡± ¡°Yes, High Priest.¡± The young men answered respectfully. ¡°Good.¡±
Nodding, Ossen no longer hesitated. He walked to the side, entering The Temple through the small door used by the cleaning staff on regr days. Pushing open the side door and carefully closing it behind him, the spacious interior of the great hall amplified the sound of his footsteps and the opening and closing of the door. Ossen didn¡¯t light anymps, choosing instead to walk inside, guided by the faint light from the skylights. Soon, when he reached the innermost part of the great hall, Ossen looked up at the tall statue of the deity in front of him, lost in thought. In the past, he had made numerous sacrifices to the Divine King here and had carried out simr acts in other temples, but every prayer was for things that were insignificant to him personally. Chapter 210: 46 Extinguished ‘Fire’ _3 Chapter 210: Chapter 46 Extinguished ¡®Fire¡¯ _3 He longed for immortality, for power, yet the promises the divine made to mortals held no such use. They granted fire, calmed the winds and rains, ensured bountiful harvests, but none, none would grant life to mortals. ¡°Only you are the exception, reverend Master of The Thousand Thunders, King of All Gods.¡± ¡°Only you understand our prayers, there is little in this world you cannot grant. You have not set limits to the rewards, but you have given us hope to achieve all.¡± With hope and praise, just as in every time past, Ossen began to chant aloud the poems that depicted the Divine King. Now, he should demonstrate his worth to the Divine King. ¡°Zeus, o mighty deity of great honor, immortal Zeus! I pray to you, offering proof of rpense! Supreme monarch, through your head reveal the sacred: The Mother Goddess of the earth, the roaring mountain shores, the ocean and the stars arrayed across the sky. Great Zeus, son of Cronus, he who holds the lightning, sovereign of all ages!
You are the origin of all, the beginning and the end of everything! O shaker of the world, the beginning of growth and purification! Wielder of lightning, thunder, and The Thousand Thunders, King of All Gods! Great Father God Zeus, please hear me: Your most faithful servant implores you, please grant me eternal life, a noble status, and a might worthy to serve before you!¡± As the poem trailed off, Ossen felt, as before, the gaze of the deity descend upon him. Lately, due to the frequent sacrifices, the gods often neglected the offerings of mortals. But this call in the dead of night caught the attention of the Divine King. After all, this was the first midnight sacrifice, and he intended to listen, to hear what this mortal dared ask for¡ªimmortality, status, and power¡ªand by what right. Feeling the Divine King¡¯s gaze, Ossen prostrated himself on the ground. His heart pounded fiercely, but he appeared devout and fervent. He began to recount, to tell of his reverence for the gods, the position of the creator among humans, and how Prometheus had conspired to deceive the deities. At first, he did not wish to collude with such a scheme, but the creator¡¯s vast renown among humans and the ring disparity in their power made it inevitable. It wasn¡¯t until today, when the despicable son of Iapetus finally offended the Goddess of Law with his arrogant actions, that he atst had the chance to ry the whole story to the Divine King. In the end, kneeling on the ground, Ossen spoke aloud: ¡°Supreme King of All Gods, as you have promised: There is little in this world you cannot grant me. The secret I bring shows my devotedness to you, please grant me immortality as promised.¡± Ossen was full of confidence, for it had always been so. The deities were far on Olympus, unable to discern one person¡¯s devotion. Since they measured faith through sacrifices, then the secret he offered was the most solemn sacrifice in this world. The faint light streaming through the sky-window shone on the figure of Ossen prostrated on the ground and also revealed Zeus standing behind him. Someone prayed to him, and he listened; they yearned for his presence, and he appeared. The Divine King manifested his power in the mortal world, the Law roared towards him, but none of this could overshadow the fury in Zeus¡¯s heart at this moment. He was expressionless, slowly surveying his surroundings. The resplendent temple appeared solemn and dignified, but at this moment, it seemed somewhat ironic, as everything was but a fa?ade for deceit.
Finally, Zeus looked down at Ossen kneeling before him. Regardless, as the King of All Gods, he indeed should be clear in reward and punishment. He knew that this man was not loyal, but he still had some utility. The King of All Gods silently resolved that as long as this mortal held a shred of faith in him, he would bestow eternal life upon him and use his existence to proim the Divine King¡¯s mercy and fame among future humans. But after sensing for a while, the oue was surprisingly contrary to expectation. Up to this point, the High Priest kneeling on the ground hadn¡¯t perceived anything that had transpired. He waited, full of anticipation, for the deity¡¯s blessing, but the Divine King, no matter how hard he looked, couldn¡¯t see a trace of faith in him. All he could see was this contemptible mortal¡¯s belief in himself.
¡°¡­¡± ¡°Devotion¡­¡± ¡°Ha, I understand now. It seems I was wrong, we were all wrong¡ªthis is what faith truly is.¡± With a sneer, as thunder cracked, Ossen, oblivious to it all, was reduced to cinders. An invisible force acted upon his body, which would now perpetually maintain its current state, prostrated at the center of The Temple. The gaze pierced through walls, watching the human cities prospering under the blessings of the deities, and the Divine King¡¯s rage surged even more. He wanted to destroy these pitiful lives, even though the vast majority knew nothing of it. Lightning gathered in the sky as if it would strike down any moment, but then he restrained himself. Not only because Zeus had regained a trace of sensibility but also because he had a better idea. Humans could be obliterated at any time, but the chance to deal with Prometheus might onlye once. If there were a next generation of humans, he did not want to see this Forethinker who enjoyed being among them. His very existence was the greatest obstacle andpetitor for the gods to gain faith. So Zeus would give him an opportunity to further his defiance of the Divine Court, if he truly loved the humans he created as much as he proimed. Therefore, the Divine King no longer resisted the suppression of the Laws of the present, his avatar sent through the void perished instantly, even affecting his true form. But at the same time, with a thunderp, the decree of the Divine King took effect. At that moment, the voice resonated, centered in The Temple, centered on the Mount of the Gods, in the ears of all people and gods. Whether asleep, awake, on the ground, or in The Sky, they all heard Zeus¡¯s indifferent voice in the thunder, all the causes and consequences, along with the Divine King¡¯s brief judgment: ¡°From this day forward¡ª¡± ¡°Withdraw the ¡®fire¡¯ granted to humanity.¡±
Chapter 211: 47 The End of the Sea and Dusk Chapter 211: Chapter 47 The End of the Sea and Dusk Under the authority of the Divine King, when the decree was issued, transformation ensued. The ¡®Fire¡¯ Zeus referred to was naturally not just about the me; in fact, the me was only an insignificant part of it. It¡¯s a term rich in symbolic meaning. For the me was a gift to humans from Hestia, one of the deities most friendly towards humans; yet the first act of deception against the gods took ce in her temple, and the goddess was not only in charge of [Fire] but also held the divine authority over [Guardianship]. Therefore, the Divine King¡¯s decree was in fact severing the rtionship between gods and humans, as well as cutting off all divine protection towards them and, conversely, cursing them. From that moment on, deities would no longer answer the prayers of humans, and all the gifts previously bestowed upon them by the gods were withdrawn one by one. Even beyond that, humans not only lost the fire given by the gods, but they would also be incapable of kindling fire on their own; humans lost the bountiful harvests given by the gods, and the crops they nted would no longer germinate; humans lost the favorable weather given by the gods, and natural disasters would henceforth be a constantpanion. This was the Divine King¡¯s punishment for this act of deceit, but he cleverly left some leeway. By using ¡®Fire¡¯ to represent all this, as long as humans regained fire, the divine protection would not be restored, but the divine punishment would also no longer continue. At that moment, some deities understood, while others did not; however, standing on Mount Olympus, Prometheus undoubtedly understood. He not only understood but also discerned even more. ¡°Give it up, brother, this is meaningless.¡±
¡°Zeus is not kind, even if you save humans this time, he will find other reasons to punish mortals. This generation of mortals is no longer what he wants.¡± Standing outside the temple of the Goddess of Law on Mount Olympus, Epimetheus once again urged his brother. Before, the two had not been able to meet Themis here. ording to the Nymphs stationed here, the goddess had left in haste after returning. Thews of gods should not be applied to humans, nor should the statutes of gods necessarily suit humans, and at that point, humans actually had now. The goddess destroyed the temple because her name was misused by humans since she had never allowed such an act, but in reality, besides this, humans hadn¡¯t really vited any rules¡ªbecause she had never set any rules for them. Therefore, the goddess decided to set a standard, defining under what circumstances a mortal could im the justice of judgment in her name. The Goddess of Law was first the creator of thew, then the enforcer of it, and she could not enforce what she had not decided. So she left Olympus, nning to seek the help of an old friend and trying to establish the initial standard for humans¡¯ ¡®courts¡¯. As for what specifically constituted guilt and innocence, that was up to humans themselves. Her responsibility was only to ensure that the trials she witnessed conformed to regtions. If someone dared to vite her set criteria in a court after she had established the standard, she would also administer punishment ording to the regtions she had outlined. Therefore, the brothers nned to wait here until the goddess returned. But the wait ended before it even began. Zeus knew everything, he had brought down punishment upon humans, and now, he was waiting for Prometheus to trap himself. ¡°Perhaps, but I no longer ask for more. As long as the divine punishment is taken back and they can age peacefully, that¡¯s enough,¡± said Prometheus, his mood somewhatplex as he looked towards the East. His most trusted student had betrayed him, yet he couldn¡¯t muster any me towards him. After all, Ossen was his creation, his pupil; if the student turned out this way, wasn¡¯t it caused by him as well? Now, the student had met his deserved fate. ¡°It all originated from me, Epimetheus. Deceit against the gods was for humans, but now when I think about it, I was merely showing off my own ¡®Wisdom.¡¯¡± ¡°And perhaps I am not smart at all, just like¡ª¡± Just like Metis, the Goddess of Wisdom. Prometheus left these words unspoken. With the goddess having disappeared for a hundred years and Zeus having married the new Heavenly Empress, the deities had vaguely guessed something. They didn¡¯t know the exact fate of the goddess renowned for her intelligence, but it likely wasn¡¯t wonderful. ¡°But what can you do, brother?¡±
Though knowing it was futile, the Afterthinker still spoke. ¡°Zeus has taken away the ¡®Fire¡¯ from humans, the only one who could defy his will is the supreme ruler of [Fire].¡± ¡°Goddess Hestia will not help you against her own brother, the Goddess of the Magic Net who controls the element of Fire is unpredictable in her movements, and the Lord of the Spirit Realm will not answer your call. You have no ce to attain the right to use Fire.¡± With a somewhat sad expression, and even appearing less foolish than before, Epimetheus hoped his brother would listen to his advice.
But Prometheus was not paying attention to his brother¡¯s change at the moment. Or rather, even if he had noticed, he would not have changed his decision. Zeus had uncovered everything, he had punished humans, but had ignored the instigator of it all. Prometheus knew, as the creator of humans, that it was time for him. He could have evaded it, but he didn¡¯t want to. Chapter 212: 47 The End of the Sea and Dusk_2 Chapter 212: Chapter 47 The End of the Sea and Dusk_2 ¡°There is one ce where not even the Divine Artifacts are under the control of the Divine King¡¯s authority. Divine Authority is absolute, not even Zeus can oppose this.¡± Looking towards the ce near the summit of Mount Olympus, where the God of Sun¡¯s Temple was located, Helios set off from there every day, driving the Sun Chariot to make the great Sun rise in the East and set in the West, and then he would return there at night. As long as fire was drawn from the Divine Artifact, the edict of the Divine King would be invalid. ¡°He won¡¯t give it to you. He is just a step away from great Divine Power, and faith is his hope. As a legacy of the Titans, Helios¡¯s position in the Divine Court is already unstable¡ª¡± ¡°I know,¡± he interrupted indifferently. At that moment, Prometheus really seemed like a wise man among the gods. ¡°So, I will give him an opportunity.¡± ¡°I will steal the fire, and then he can capture me and plead for me in front of Zeus. Of course, it won¡¯t be useful, but he will gain the gratitude of humans, and credit in the Divine Court.¡± As for what would be of himself, the Forethinker didn¡¯t say more. An eternal imprisonment was all it was, the location of which he could already foresee. But at the end, as if he remembered something, he started advising his brother.
¡°Leave this ce, do not get involved in the affairs between the Divine King and humans because of me. You too carry the credit of creating mankind, and if possible, the Divine King won¡¯t let you off. Remember, do not ept any ¡®kindness¡¯ from Zeus.¡± ¡°¡­I understand, brother,¡± After a long silence, Epimetheus nodded in agreement. He watched as his brother casually broke off a fennel branch and then headed up the mountain under the cover of night. And he, he just watched all of this, doing nothing. ¡°Not getting involved in all of this¡­ You truly are thinking of humans until the end.¡± ¡°What about you, and me, even our brother who holds up the sky, our reclusive father?¡± Gently shaking his head, Epimetheus knew that his brother had finally regained his sanity amidst the praise of humans and gods alike, seeing the cause and effect of this whole affair clearly. The Divine King would not allow the two gods who participated in creating mankind to continue existing in the Mortal Realm; thus, the Forethinker needed tomit a great sin, and the Afterthinker at the very least had to bring disaster upon humans to tarnish his standing in the hearts of mortals. But Epimetheus himself would be safe, something Prometheus was very clear about. After all,pared to him, the foolish Afterthinker was not considered a threat by the Divine King. Zeus would only use this to demonstrate his own leniency, rather than allow both brothers to face the same fate. Hence his final admonition before departing was actually just a desire to prevent his brother from causing misfortune to humanity. However, this time, Epimetheus didn¡¯t want to listen to him, just like he had never heeded the Afterthinker¡¯s advice. Prometheus might be willing to consider humans, but Epimetheus only wanted to think for himself. For the sake of humans who would die sooner orter, to be a thorn in the eyes of the Divine King, or even to stand against the gods, he did not want to do that. He was a god and naturally should consider issues from the perspective of a deity. Moreover, feeling the faith swirling around himself, Epimetheus didn¡¯t care about the thoughts of humans at the moment. All these years living in the Mortal Realm hadn¡¯t been for naught. Faith, after all, does not just stem from worship. With just a slight adjustment, fear and admiration actually lead to the same end. ¡­ ¡°So it is said, those who betray their own ss often have a hard time ending well. But if one extends the timeline, it¡¯s difficult to say what¡¯s right or wrong,¡± ¡°After all, without stealing fire, without his favoritism towards humans, perhaps the Prometheus ofter generations would just be an ordinary god and not have such a great reputation.¡± ¡°From this perspective, he also managed to write himself into the history of mankindpletely, even if the epochs change, and his share of faith no longer dominates, it will endure forever.¡± Over the East Sea, a massive whirlpool slowly spun, billions of tons of water spiraling down into what seemed like a bottomless ocean pit, that dark ce like a final resting ce for all things. Laine, dressed in ck robes, stood above the whirlpool, yet seemed to see the figure of the Fire Thief.
Prometheus and the Sun God were conversing, their discussion unnoticed by others, but clearly illuminated by the nearby Divine Artifact. After all, in this life, Hephaestus had not been born yet, and even if he were born, he would no longer have the chance to forge the Sun Chariot. Therefore, the ¡®great task¡¯ of apprehending Prometheus naturally fell to Helios. It was hard to say whether this was good or bad, after all, Zeus might be happy to see Hera¡¯s only child benefit, but might not necessarily wish the same for the Sun God. But Helios at the moment was very excited, and he decisively epted the Forethinker¡¯s request. However, he only agreed to give Prometheus half a day¡¯s time. When the Sun rose the next day, he would ¡®discover¡¯ that someone had tampered with his Divine Artifact, and then he would take the initiative to apprehend him.
¡°Speaking of which, in thends of the East in this life, there doesn¡¯t seem to be a ce called ¡®Caucasus Mountains,¡¯ I wonder where he will be imprisoned this time?¡± Withdrawing his gaze, the answer would soon be known, and Laine was not in a hurry to learn the oue. He looked at the vast whirlpool he had caused with interest, then proceeded towards even more easterly directions. He had a premonition that the reason this unidentifiable thing appeared in the east of the world might have something to do with him. Chapter 213: 47 The End of the Sea and Dusk_3 Chapter 213: Chapter 47 The End of the Sea and Dusk_3 Perhaps it was because the core of the current age, the Sun and the East Sea, came into contact, which caused a brief disturbance at the level of the world, thereby attracting some things that should not have appeared. After all, aplete ocean and water are forces on par with The Sky, if their authority had not been divided, perhaps the ancient Sea God would have already reached the great realms. The Sun, albeit slightly inferior, might also have reached greatness at the end of the third era if not for the divided power. From this perspective, perhaps all of this is a part of the ¡°destined¡± cycle of the present age. Such potentially great divine authorities, He had divided them up long ago one by one. The most recent one was Meteorology, and the next, most likely, will be Light. Speeding across the ocean, Laine could see that the sea surface gradually became silent and restless. The closer it got to the edge of the world, the more lifeless it seemed and the weaker the presence of the rules of the current age became. Until, at one moment, the sea stopped out of nowhere. At the edge of the ocean, the water cascaded down like a waterfall into the endless void below, and across from the waterfall was the ever-flowing Circumterrestrial River that encircled the world. Above that, one could vaguely see a pce, the residence of the God of the Ocean. But in the next instant, a booming voice came from that grand Divine Pce. ¡°Who goes there!¡± As Laine stepped onto the river, the effect of his robe¡¯s [secrecy] also dissolved.
This ce already belonged to the border between the current world and the beyond, even close to the edge of the world, where the suppression ofws was almost nonexistent. Therefore, feeling that the symbol of his divine authority was touched by someone, the God of the Ocean immediately noticed this uninvited guest. ¡°Eh, you have recovered?¡± Watching the tall figure step out from the Divine Pce, Laine was somewhat surprised. Even though he had recoveredpletely, he ignored the fate of his daughter, which made Laine somewhat sentimental. Moreover, subsequent myths indeed did not record any deed where the God of the Ocean became an enemy of Zeus due to Metis¡¯ disappearance. Chaos¡¯ goddess was one thing; among the male deities, there really weren¡¯t many who were ¡°good fathers¡± in the true sense. ¡°Laine? What brings you here?¡± Not recognizing that the one before him was the chief culprit who had seriously injured him, Oceanus frowned slightly. His injury was indeed severe, but he was much more powerful than the God of Sun, and the main symbol of his divine authority was the Circumterrestrial River, not the ocean. As for why he stayed here even after his injury had healed, that was another matter altogether. Thinking this, Oceanus couldn¡¯t help but be vignt. He didn¡¯t know what Laine was there for, but he wouldn¡¯t allow him to proceed further. ¡°I¡¯vee here to find something¡­ As the master of this ce, have you noticed anything amiss recently?¡± ¡°Not at all!¡± Without hesitation, the God of the Ocean replied immediately. ¡°Hmm?¡± Laine, who had only asked casually and did not expect an answer, was genuinely taken aback by Oceanus¡¯ reaction. Though the other party had not shown any obvious ws, Laine¡¯s intuition told him that the other party was not telling the truth. ¡°Are you sure?¡±
Narrowing his eyes, Laine persuaded with a smile: ¡°Some things are not within your ability to handle, it might be better to tell me. My instinct tells me that what I¡¯m looking for might not be something good.¡± ¡°This has nothing to do with you, Laine. You think you can handle what I cannot?¡± ¡°Besides, I¡¯ve already said, there is nothing abnormal here! This is my territory, and I ask you to leave.¡±
Once again, Oceanus refused without any fear. As a Titan deity who had witnessed Laine take action, the God of the Ocean believed he had some understanding of him. Moreover, this was not thend; above the Circumterrestrial River, even if Mother Earth herself were toe, she would have no way to deal with him. Standing here, he feared nothing. ¡°¡­¡± After pondering for a moment, Laine looked at the Titan who had once oppressed him with divine power in the distant First Epoch, and ultimately decided to give him another chance. After all, it was he who had made the prophecy, and the God of the Ocean¡¯s overreaction was somewhat understandable. So Laine nodded and calmly said, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I will not disturb you.¡± Turning around, Laine looked beyond the Circumterrestrial River. Havinge this far, that vague sense of something was bing clearer and clearer; without a doubt, the ¡®thing¡¯ he was looking to find was here. Taking a step forward, Laine intended to cross the river and see for himself what was on the other side. However, as soon as he took his first step, the God of the Ocean, who was originally in front of the Divine Pce, changed expression and shed in front of him to block his way. ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± With the corners of his mouth slightly raised, Laine asked with a smile. ¡°I have said, this is my territory, you are not wee here, please leave,¡± the God of the Ocean said coldly, with no intention of moving aside.
¡°But I am merely going to look beyond the Circumterrestrial River, which I suspect does not belong to you.¡± Still smiling, Laine added politely. ¡°As long as it¡¯s a ce the Circumterrestrial River flows through, it all belongs to me! Leave now, I warn you for thest time!¡± The God of the Ocean was growing impatient, perhaps more from the nervousness of his secret being discovered. His power began to gather, and upon his symbol of divine authority, Oceanus felt immensely powerful, just as he had in the past. He released his oppressive might, trying to drive away the deity in front of him. However, this time, he felt as though his power was sinking into the sea, disappearing without trace as it neared Laine. ¡°This aura¡­¡± ¡°Decay, ruin, death¡­ It feels to me like ¡®twilight¡¯.¡± Whispering softly to himself, Laine keenly sensed something. The aura leaking out as Oceanus¡¯s power vibrated was effortlessly captured by him, and it clearly mixed with some forces that the other should not possess. This confirmed Laine¡¯s suspicions: the God of the Ocean had indeede into contact with that unknown ¡®thing,¡¯ and it was more than just an idental encounter. So he dropped his smile and looked at the towering deity before him. On the tip of Laine¡¯s right hand, a dark light slowly emerged. After a century, the power of the Spirit Realm was once again wielded by him, and half of this great power descended at the interface of this world and the beyond. Under this force, Laine almost instantly locked onto the general location of the anomaly beyond the river, but he still first looked at the God of the Ocean in front of him. Stepping forward, in the Mythic World, what belongs to whom, who among the deities of Chaos truly cared about such things? Now would be no exception. ¡°You say all this belongs to you, I don¡¯t see it that way.¡±
¡°Now, I dere: This ce is mine.¡± Chapter 214: 48: A Sword and Fragments Chapter 214: Chapter 48: A Sword and Fragments Though he was the same person, the God of the Ocean felt apletely opposite sensation in just an instant. As the words of the robed deity in front of him fell, Oceanus suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of oppression emanating from deep within. The surface of the great river that enveloped the present world invisibly dropped by a third, as if it could not bear the unbearable weight. This was the fourth time the God of the Ocean had felt this way. Once had been when facing the Heavenly Father in the distant first era, a hundred years ago when confronting Cronus, and not long before, that shadow which seemed like a Primordial God. But during those three times, he was not alone in facing this pressure. But now, no one could stand in front of him. ¡°What are you going to do, are you going to be my enemy here?¡± Suppressing the palpitations in his heart, Oceanus did not know what kind of change had urred in the god before him. The power of a god was innate; surely he wouldn¡¯t have inexplicably broken through the innate limits like Cronus did. Divine Power was mobilized, and the waters gathered in his hands to form a spear as the God of the Ocean spoke threateningly. Yet in front of him, Laine showed no intention of stopping. On his right hand, the ck ring grew deeper. Since the time the Well of Reincarnation was built, this sublimated Death had always existed as a part of it, and Laine had never tried its power alone. Now, it had been temporarily extracted, leaving only a small part to maintain the stability of reincarnation. Using it to kill a deity was certainly impossible, but Laine was somewhat eager to see what effects it could actually produce. ¡°Against you, you¡¯re thinking too much.¡±
Speaking calmly, before the Ocean Deity Sovereign could breathe a sigh of relief, the authority of Death transformed into a long sword held in Laine¡¯s hand. He indeed had no intention of being an enemy to the other, after all¡ª ¡°After all, to be my enemy, you¡¯re not worthy.¡± ng¡ª The ck Sword was raised on high, slicing through the void, and in the next moment everything in its trajectory suddenly fell silent. Air, moisture, light, even space itself¡ªunder the power of the Great One, they were all ¡®killed¡¯ by Death, losing all traces of their existence in the world. Facing this sword, the God of the Ocean could no longer care about Laine¡¯s previous words; he felt only a surge of fear in his heart, instinctively knowing he must not let this sword fall upon him. ¡°Laine, this is my domain!¡± Fear turned to anger, and anger fueled strength. When the primal instincts of the Titan deity were aroused, with a furious shout from Oceanus, the river waters churned in response. The god-tainted river water surged towards the ck Sword. The Ocean God could tell that this sword was not a Divine Artifact, but merely a temporary manifestation of some authority, no different than the spear gathered in his hands. Without the blessing of a Divine Artifact, how dare the other oppose him on the Circumterrestrial River?! ¡°Your domain?¡± ¡°Now, it is mine.¡± With a slight exertion of force, in front of Laine, the waters of the Circumterrestrial River rushed along with the Titan deity¡¯s spear, but he simply held onto the sword hilt and slowly pressed down. In the next moment, both the spear and the river waters blocking his way ¡®died¡¯ inch by inch as the ck Sword approached. Across from Laine, Oceanus watched in horror to find that his connection with this part of the ¡®river¡¯ appeared to be temporarily erased. ¡°Ah¡ª¡± A roar of fury and pain erupted, causing the river waters to rage violently. But this instinctual counterattack was obviously futile; before the edge of the ck Sword, the giant wave was split, the surging tide was suppressed, until atst, it struck directly onto the ¡®riverbed¡¯ that seemed to be made of void. Boom¡ª The river trembled, and the symbol of the Ocean God¡¯s divine authority was directly hit, causing him as much pain as the Sun once did. But Laine¡¯s sword-bearing hand finally met resistance, seeming as if the powers before his eyes were not sufficient to cause further damage. After all, the channel of the Circumterrestrial River was no ordinary thing; it actually existed as a barrier at the edge of the present world. It was not a physical entity but an existence on a conceptual level, making it difficult to touch, let alone destroy.
¡°No, the power of Death, even if not yetplete, is far more than that.¡± Narrowing his eyes, perhaps the Ocean God was simply unlucky. Laine¡¯s understanding of Death was not originally profound, but the sense of decay he felt from the other had given him some inspiration. Gripping the ¡®hilt¡¯ with both hands, Laine tried to replicate that feeling using the divine authority of spirituality, enhancing the sword¡¯s edge. The somber and deste sensation seemed to fit well with the authority of Death, so much so that Laine could clearly feel the ck Sword in his hand rise sharply in power, like magic being shaped into witchcraft.
With a satisfied smile, he then pressed down hard. ¡°Open¡ª¡± With a soft cry, finally, under the incredulous eyes of the Ocean God and apanied by a sound that shook the source sea, the sword¡¯s edge continued to sink. The river was split open, and the power of decay and finale spread along the cut toward both sides of the channel. Laine felt that due to the erosion of Death, the Circumterrestrial River was no longer plete¡¯. Even this force was extending into the past and future along the current timeline, intending topletely and eternally sever this long river. But regrettably, whether it was Life or Death, their parts in the Spirit Realm were only after fusion and sublimation that they became great, turning their unification into a Genesis Artifact. And the one using it now could hardly be said to haveplete Great Divine Power. Chapter 215: 48: A Sword and Fragments_2 Chapter 215: Chapter 48: A Sword and Fragments_2 Although the separated powers were strong, they clearlycked this kind of absolute temporality, and after all, this was only a temporary power drawn from the ¡°Well of Reincarnation,¡± not a naturally formed Divine Artifact forged by the power of Death. Therefore, Laine could feel that this erosion of the past and future was soon losing its strength and was forced to end. But a rough estimate revealed that this single strike had caused destruction that would impact at least three hundred years into the past and future. ¡°Laine! Why are you here, what have you done!¡± A shout of rm echoed when Laine¡¯s sword struck, and the source sea boiled turbulently, while far in the present world, a streak of blue light was also approaching this ce. It was Thaesis, the Goddess of Primordial Water. When the God of the Ocean resided in the Divine Pce at the world¡¯s edge, it was she who took charge of the Ocean God¡¯s lineage. She had been discussing matters with her offspring, as in recent decades, the Divine King had turned a portion of the Eastern Region into a forbidden area, barring the river andke gods from the Ocean God¡¯s lineage from approaching. But sensing her husband¡¯s sudden mobilization of Divine Power, the goddess rushed over immediately. Hastily arriving, Thaesis had thought that the God of the Ocean had encountered an ident ¡®there¡¯ or had againe into conflict with the previously arrived Lord of Darkness, but to her surprise, she found only Laine, treading above the river with a dissolving ck sword in his hands. In front of him, a crack exuding an aura of dead silence cut across the river; Oceanus¡¯s presence was no longer detectable there. The ¡®severing¡¯ of the river was not in a physical sense, as the water still flowed through that area. But this stretch of river, nearly a hundred miles long, imparted a foreboding feeling, for it was too quiet. The waters upstream and downstream still surged tumultuously, even more so from their master¡¯s agony, but as soon as the waters passed through this segment, they became soundlessly calm. The tumultuous waves were stilled, the surging tides dispelled, as if the river water once crossed an invisible ¡®line¡¯ and died, only toe back to life after flowing past another ¡®line¡¯ at the other end. Even Thaesis, the Primordial Water Goddess, could feel that though her dominion over water remained intact, she had lost all sense of this severed segment of the river.
It was as if there was a barrier between them, and with her current power, she was far from being able to break through this hindrance. To restore everything to its original state would take a century¡¯s worth of time to erode it. ¡°Death,¡± indeed, is one of the forces in this world most adept at destruction. Laine, as the instigator of it all, was somewhat astounded by the scene before him. He had not expected that, in terms of sheer destructive force, this Divine Authority possessed such terrifying power. It was only because ¡°Death¡± was still so far removed from the realm of greatness; otherwise, he even doubted whether the Death Dominion at the pinnacle of greatness could permanently kill a deity¡¯s control over their symbolic objects, or transform them into something else. For instance, a ¡°Sun¡± killed by ¡°Death¡± might not be destroyed, but could very likely be an entity that brings decline instead of vitality. In such a case, whether the original God of Sun would lose their Divine Authority or be forced to change was unknown. No wonder Chaos¡¯s ¡°Death¡± was inherently so weak; this force that ends all things was essentially a challenge to the world¡¯s order. ¡°But now, this ce has indeed be ¡®my domain¡¯.¡± Sensing the riverbed beneath his feet temporarily transformed by the force of Death, Laine turned around. He did not pay heed to the approaching Primordial Water Goddess but instead looked towards Oceanus. A ck line was also spreading across the body of the God of the Ocean, reflecting the injury caused by the symbol of Divine Authority on the Divine Body. His Divine Power was continuously pouring into the ck line, only to be instantly dissipated. Just like the riverbed under Laine¡¯s feet, the wound would be difficult to heal for one hundred and fifty years and would continue to cause pain to its master. Of course, with the help of his wife, this period might be shortened. ¡°So are you willing to tell me now, what exactly is here, and what have you encountered?¡± Laine asked calmly. ¡°¡­Huff¡ªWhat is this power, what have you done to me?¡± However, unexpectedly, even as Oceanus was gasping for breath, he still answered evasively. It seemed that even after being struck by the sword, he was still wary. ¡°¡­It seems I have been too lenient.¡± ¡°Perhaps only in front of a god like Uranus will you understand what you ought to do.¡± Laine¡¯s expression grew cold, and the sword in his right hand began to take form again. This was already considered beyond the present world, so theoretically, regardless of his actions, there shouldn¡¯t be any repercussions. Unless he intended topletely dismantle the Circumterrestrial River, the rigid Laws would turn a blind eye.
And he was certain that even a hundred strikes over a mere few hundred miles of river wouldn¡¯t hurt the river itself in any significant way. After all, as a barrier at the edge of the present world, in terms of stability alone, the Circumterrestrial River surpassed the very earth and didn¡¯t need to worry about being identally damaged. Thus, raising the sword once more, Laine was about to strike again, but a shout stopped his actions. ¡°Wait, I know what¡¯s there, and I also know that the master of the Realm of Lightlessness has already gone that way.¡±
Chapter 216: 48: A Sword and Fragments_3 Chapter 216: Chapter 48: A Sword and Fragments_3 ¡°As a Primordial God, he was only slightly behind Oceanus in discovering that ce. He just can¡¯t enter it for now, but if you dy too long, that might change.¡± In a rush to arrive, the original water goddess didn¡¯t bother to think about why Laine was so powerful. Reality wasid out before her; although the oppression she felt from him was a bit less than that from the Lord of Darkness, the damage he inflicted on the God of the Ocean was the opposite. The Primordial God, on his way here, also casually drove out the ¡®ants¡¯ beside him, but after taking a hit from him, Oceanus quickly recovered. By contrast, this stretch of dead riverbed was a real threat. To erase the authority of a deity, even if only temporarily, was terrifying enough. After all, any ¡®temporary¡¯ paired with sufficient power and endless time could be ¡®permanent¡¯.¡± ¡°Erebus?¡± Pausing in his actions, a thought urred to Laine. Hearing the name of the Lord of Darkness, he was both unexpectedly unsurprised. If the Circumterrestrial River is the edge betweennd and ocean, then the domains of the two Primordial Gods are on the edge of the Underworld, and Tartarus is directly beneath the world¡¯s concept. Being closer naturally leads to earlier discovery; there¡¯s nothing surprising about that. However, he had originally nned to invite Nyx to explore this ce after some probing, but now it seemed he had to go on his own. ¡°So what is actually there?¡± Speaking solemnly, Laine¡¯s ck Sword in hand did not dissipate. The God of the Ocean seemed to want to interject, but ultimately kept silent.
He had been warned by the Lord of Darkness, which is why he had been so secretive. But he now realized, although the Primordial God who had flung him back into the ocean was terrifying, after experiencing a sword strike from Laine, he understood thetter might not be much less so. And with one right in front of him and the other far away, the choice of what to do didn¡¯t require much thought, especially having already taken a sword strike. ¡°Regarding that, we are not entirely clear ourselves, because, by the time I got there, the ce was already sealed by the chains of the Laws of Chaos.¡± Shaking his head slightly, Thaesis slowly said: ¡°I only know that there seems to be a vast expanse of broken fragments, some big, some small. They seem to have been knocked into this ce somehow due to the turmoil in the East Sea a hundred years ago, but¡­¡± ¡°But what?¡± Seeing this, Laine pressed the question. ¡°But their auras are very strange, just like their broken state, radiating from inside out a sense of decay, and some also give me an inexplicable feeling of threat. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s actually there, because we didn¡¯t wait for the chains of Chaos¡¯s Laws to decay enough to enter, before we were driven out by His Highness Erebus who arrivedter.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all I know.¡± Looking at Laine, Thaesis sincerely said, ¡°So, can you retract this force now?¡± The original water goddess referred to the force of death on the long river channel; hearing this, Laine raised his eyebrows but remained unmoved. He and the God of the Ocean were never friendly, and now thetter was willing to answer his questions only under the coercion of his martial strength; he was even less inclined to overlook this. ¡°Consider this sword mark a lesson, Oceanus. Even Gaia has never imed that no deities are allowed to pass over thend, and the Divine King does not reject my wandering the world, let alone you. Let it remain here, so that when I return, it will at least be from ¡®my domain¡¯.¡± The ck Sword dissipated, and now that he knew the source of the disturbance, Laine hesitated no longer. Casting onest nce at the two Titan gods, he turned into a streak of silver light and left with a flick of his sleeve. In his wake, looking at his departing figure, the two deities remained silently speechless. It was first Cronus breaking through the boundary for some unknown reason, and now the once not-so-powerful Laine suddenly showing terrible strength; in ¡®just¡¯ a hundred years, the familiar Chaos World seemed somewhat strange. At that moment, the God of the Ocean spontaneously felt a yearning to reach even further. If it were any other deity, the desire would merely remain so, but he was different; he had this opportunity. As long as he couldpletely rule the sea and foster a closer alliance with Thaesis in terms of divine authority, then as the master of all water in the world, he just might be able to touch that step. After all, the earth and water of Chaos, naturally superior to wind and fire, once divided, created three deities of extraordinary strength within their divine power, and even dozens of True Gods and countless territorial gods. If he could unite them, that force might not be weaker than Gaia, who had been repeatedly weakened. ¡°I remember you mentioned, Zeus has demarcated a forbidden zone in the Eastern Region?¡±
After a moment of silence, bearing the pain, the God of the Ocean inquired. ¡°Yes, no deity is allowed near there, including our offspring.¡± Nodding, the goddess replied. ¡°No matter what¡¯s there, once my wounds heal, I¡¯ll go there myself to see. I need to know what he¡¯s up to before I move against Poseidon, to be sure he won¡¯t interfere.¡±
¡°It¡¯s a good idea, I¡¯ll go with you then.¡± Grazing the ck scar across her husband¡¯s chest, the power within it caused Thaesis¡¯ hands to sting slightly. The gods were still quite unfamiliar with death, especially such a mighty death. Their thoughts still dwelled on the simple mortality of worldly beings, which made this power, seemingly capable of ending all things, truly rming. ¡°Zeus, our foster son, indeed won¡¯t intervene in the sea as the Divine King, that¡¯s the promise he made to me as the guardian of oaths. However, he definitely won¡¯t want to see the sea under one rule.¡± ¡°To prevent the deities of Olympus from ¡®actively¡¯ helping Poseidon, we should indeed see what he¡¯s up to. If discovered, we¡¯ll just say we¡¯re searching for Metis.¡± Speaking of their missing daughter, neither of the Titan deities seemed to harbor much worry or anger. In the original myths, the couple had never had a conflict with the Divine King over Metis, and now they weren¡¯t nning to delve deeper. The daughter, who was blinded by Zeus¡¯s sweet words, was no longer seen as one of their own. Now, she merely served as an excuse, a means for her parents to fulfill their own purposes. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Leaving the Circumterrestrial River behind, Laine set foot in this ce close to the outside of the world for the first time. To say it is outside the world is not quite urate; this ce resembles the starless sky. Walking through it, aside from the increasingly distant and fading Circumterrestrial River behind him, Laine could hardly see anything else. Strictly speaking, this ce still belonged to the realm of Chaos World because it was ¡®existent.¡¯ The true outside of the world, whether you call it ¡®Chaos¡¯ or ¡®Void,¡¯ is ¡®nonexistent.¡¯ ¡®Ex nihilo,¡¯ the act of something emerging from nothing is the real driving force behind the birth of a world, a miracle that defies the underlying logic of the worlds Laine had known in his previous and current lives. And that true ¡®nonexistence¡¯ is something Laine now, or even the Spirit Realm, cannot directly touch. Only aplete world like Chaos could anchor itself in ¡®nothingness¡¯ and even draw strength from it.
The object of Laine¡¯s quest seemed to be this ¡®nonexistence¡¯ that came from outside the world, like his soul that came to Chaos, a creation that did not originally belong here. ¡°Nothing is born out of thin air; was the collision between the Sun and the East Sea really the source of this upheaval?¡± He pondered, perhaps not. Laine felt that maybe the other things he had done were the underlying causes of it all. Chapter 217: 49 Remnants of the Nine Realms Chapter 217: Chapter 49 Remnants of the Nine Realms ¡°` Continuously voyaging forward, in the blink of an eye Laine had no idea how far he had traveled, yet in the void outside this world, it felt as though he was treading in ce. Without a point of reference, he couldn¡¯t ascertain how far he had moved. Only the ever-diminishing river ring behind him bore witness to Laine¡¯s progression. Gradually, Laine¡¯s divine body began to blur, and he had to summon more power from the Spirit Realm to maintain ¡°stability.¡± However, even the connection with the Spirit Realm was bing somewhat unclear here. This wasn¡¯t due to the environment being particrly hostile or any force obstructing, in fact, it was simply because Chaos¡¯s ¡°presence¡± was growing weaker here. A divine body, or the variousws for that matter, are in fact all products based on the world itself. As the world¡¯s ¡°presence¡± weakens, everything established under the world¡¯sws naturally bes unstable. However, Laine unexpectedly found that the power of the Spirit Realm seemed to smooth out this instability with rtive ease. More specifically, it came from that strand of Temporal Divinity that Laine had invested at the inception of the Spirit Realm. ¡°Time and space¡­ I still don¡¯t know how I arrived here in the first ce,¡± Even now, regarding his own ¡°crossing¡± experience, Laine was stillrgely in the dark. Tens of thousands of years ago, when he awoke, he was already the first deity of Chaos.
Even the fact that the world had once tried topletely kill him was something Laine learned only after pioneering Samsara. Anything earlier, he could only specte. Regardless, the oue was always good. Moving forward, Laine continually approached the location he had previously sensed. At one moment, Chaos¡¯s ¡°presence¡± in the surrounding void stopped decreasing and instead began to rise slowly. Laine¡¯s spirits lifted, but he became cautious. ording to what the original water goddess had said, the world¡¯sws had locked these unexpectedly arrived fragments, and the current developments undoubtedly proved this point. Chaos¡¯s power extended over, and Its ¡°presence¡± here naturally strengthened. However, this also meant that the Lord of Darkness was likely nearby. ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± After a while, the chains ofw were faintly visible. At the edge of his vision, Laine could clearly see twinkling dots of various sizes buoyed in the void. Chains of w¡± bound them, as the world¡¯s power continuously flowed out, eroding the barriers on the surface of these dots. Nearby, a familiar figure stood, quietly observing everything in front. The Dark Overlord Erebus; Laine had prepared himself for the possibility that Erebus would use his divine authority to turn himself into a ¡°secret,¡± hidden on the side. However, to his surprise, the other party was just openly waiting here. Noticing the neer, Erebus turned his head. He looked toward Laine approaching from afar, showing no intention of making a move. ¡°Laine, long time no see. Thest face-to-face conversation we had was in the millennia past.¡± Wearing a smile, the Dark Overlord appeared polite and courteous, not at all like someone who had fought Laine without any reservation a hundred years before. ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s been a while, but I thought you would ¡®wee¡¯ my arrival with more ¡®enthusiasm,¡¯¡± Stopping not far from Erebus, Laine remainedposed, yet his vignce never lessened. Meanwhile, he slowly surveyed his surroundings. The ¡®dots¡¯ were within reach, but Laine had already discerned that in actuality, they ranged from a thousand miles in size to immeasurablyrge realm fragments. Only under the dual actions of the void and the chains of the Laws of Chaos, size had lost its meaning. Only a few among them could be vaguely distinguished as rger¡¯ than the others, likely because those fragments seemed to be part of the main body and thus appeared somewhat special. ¡°When we fought before, it was because Chaos was only so big. You had already taken so many steps ahead of me; as a sessor, I naturally had to slow down your progress. But the situation with these is different.¡± ¡°I have to choose one to enter, and cannot be locked in confrontation with you indefinitely. Once I leave, you will still be able to enter. Needless conflict, naturally, has no point in proceeding,¡± Erebus said directly, looking at the specks of fragments before him.
If there was meaning in taking action, he would not hesitate. But if it was meaningless, he obviously wouldn¡¯t bother. On the side, Laine nodded in agreement with the words of the Lord of Darkness. He respected Erebus¡¯s perspective. To be strict, just like the results of their battle at the turn of the era, Laine¡¯s strength was still somewhat inferior to his opponent. This was not the difficult-to-repair level of impairment like Gaia¡¯s, but rather an imperfection in divine power. If theplete Great Divine Power¡¯s lower limit was considered level 21, the personified avatars of other Great ones consisted of divine power infinitely close to that realm, plus the base level of their original being.
In this aspect, the level of the Spirit Realm was no less than the other¡¯s, yet the gap in divine power still existed. In Laine¡¯s original n, there were no such suddenly appearing realm fragments, so like the past millennia, he continued to enhance his divine power steadily and unhurriedly. But just as the other had said, if there were only one realm fragment, then they might have had to fight over it. Yet since there were more than one, there was no need for conflict. Moreover, most crucially, these fragments were likely not justid out for them to take as they pleased. Nobody knew what was inside; one side¡¯s destroyed world was obscured whether due to external or internal causes, or whether it still existed here. On the other hand, Chaos was also continuously wearing down their resistance. Chapter 218: 49 Remnants of the Nine Realms_2 Chapter 218: Chapter 49 Remnants of the Nine Realms_2 When theypletely lost the power to resist, the world would directly take away those remnants and ¡°digest¡± them. As for what would happen after the ¡°digestion¡± wasplete, that was unknown to anyone. It was possible that they would be transformed back into Origin, strengthening the power of the world. It was also possible that these remnants would be reassembled intorge and small ¡°nes¡± attached to the main body of the world; all of this was indeterminable. Even Chaos might, because of these unexpected yields, give birth to deities that did not exist in their original fateful trajectories. Laine and Erebus actually had only a short moment to explore these remnants; that was when the ¡°world¡±-level power on the remnants was nearing erasure by Chaos, yet had not beenpletely erased. This was also why The Dark Overlord had previously waited here: these remnants, since they could drift from the ¡°void¡± outside of the world, naturally retained the true power of the world. Faced with a piece of cake that was destined to be uneaten, the two of them should naturally focus on how to eat it faster. ¡°You¡¯re right, so, do you have a target?¡± Agreeing, Laine spoke as he looked at the cluster of remnants in front of him. ¡°Firste, first served, I¡¯ll let you choose first.¡± Although he had only arrived for a short while, Laine had already roughly browsed through the surrounding ne fragments. Among these remnants were nine particrly colossal ones, onto which the thickest chains of Law were locked, while the rest were far inferior. Undoubtedly, these nine were their true targets. Despite the separation of the forces of the world, it was still possible to vaguely distinguish the differences between these fragments. However, the more Laine looked at these fragments, the more shocked he felt.
He had guessed why these fragments hade to Chaos. Previously, Laine thought it was the result of The Great Sun Bathes the Eastern Seas, but now it seemed that, at most, it served as an elerator, and determined that the location of these fragments¡¯ approach was towards The East of the world. What truly attracted them here was probably Laine himself and the Nine Hells that he had opened not long ago. On the level of the world, information, energy, and matter were essentially equivalent, and the same information could create special connections. Laine had named the fifthyer of Hell ¡®Midcourt¡¯ merely as a tribute to the past, never expecting to actually draw the real Midcourt here. What he didn¡¯t expect more was that what he had drawn was not ¡°alive,¡± but ¡°dead.¡± This was actually quite logical, after all, if it were aplete world, it might note simply because of a name. However, looking at the remains of these dead worlds, Laine doubted whether there were any living beings left inside these fragments. ¡°Let¡¯s go with this one, it looks very suitable.¡± ¡°That being said, this time, we both don¡¯t know the oue¡ª¡ª¡± Erebus, who obviously did not know what Laine was thinking, had simply pointed to a target he had set his eyes on from the start. It was one of the ninergest fragments. Although it looked ordinary at first nce, it was undoubtedly dominated by the forces of Darkness. Laine was not surprised by Erebus¡¯s choice; the reason he generously let the other choose first was because anyone would prefer to choose options close or opposed to themselves when it was unclear what exactly was contained within. And among the nine fragments present, there just so happened to be two that were individually dominated by Darkness and Light. ¡°Then I¡¯ll choose this one. When ites to luck, I still have a great deal of confidence.¡± With a casual gesture, Laine selected a fragment twinkling with golden light. He was actually a bit hesitant. Another fragment exuding chill and one shrouded in mist were also important, but in the end, Laine still chose this one. After all, this was just the initial choice; as long as one was fast enough, no rule stated that only one fragment could be explored, and the same applied to Erebus. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s settled then.¡± ncing at Laine¡¯s choice, Erebus did not find anything amiss. In Chaos, Laine had been born earlier than he had, therefore he possessed methods unknown to him, which was understandable. But when facing these things from outside of the world, they were on the same level. Even the power of ¡°Fate¡± was perhaps useless before these ne fragments that did not belong to Chaos. Therefore, although Laine was initially known to the world for Prophecy, Erebus did not think he could see anything.
The so-called ¡°luck¡± was probably not going to be effective here. Thus, having made their choices, the two of them stopped conversing, as there was nothing for them to talk about. At the edge of this world, they silently observed the spectacr collision of world forces. Although both belonged to a world, the Spirit Realm was undoubtedly far inferior to Chaos and the ancestors of these remnants; they wereplete nes that could exist on their own in the void, and Laine still had a long way to go. In the midst of the mutual confrontation of the forces of two worlds, many things that were usually hard to observe revealed themselves. Laine was unclear about Erebus¡¯s gains, but he had indeed learned some useful techniques from them.
Time passed, indeterminably so, and even some of the smaller remnants werepletely erased of resistance by Chaos, then dragged into the void by chains of Law until they disappeared. Until a certain moment, the power on those ninergest fragments finally reached a nadir, and it was possible to break through them. Chapter 219: 49 Remnants of the Nine Realms_3 Chapter 219: Chapter 49 Remnants of the Nine Realms_3 ¡°` ¡°Now!¡± Out of the corner of his eye, Laine noticed that Erebus¡¯s figure had disappeared without a trace, and he stepped closer to the fragment he had chosen. The divine authority of Death once again transformed into the ck Sword, which he grasped tightly with both hands, summoning the power of the Spirit Realm to strike fiercely on the surface of the fragment. In silence, a barely noticeable crack appeared and then healed. But when it reverted to its original state, Laine¡¯s figure had also vanished without a trace. Thus, in the void beyond this world, the past silence was restored once more. ¡­ Lights and shadows shed before him, and illusions ebbed and flowed. The moment he stepped into the fragment, time seemed to stretch into infinity, and scenes from days gone by unfolded one after another before Laine. That seemed to be the ¡®memory¡¯ of the world, containing its desires before destruction. In the visions, Laine seemed to see ice and fire clearly delineating and then converging at the junction, within a void spanning the chasm on both sides. From the original spring in the northernnd of ice and mist, twelve rivers extended, flowing southward into the territory of the Kingdom of mes. The river water cycled eternally between the domains of ice and fire, solidifying into ciers and evaporating into mist. Ultimately, in this perpetual cycle, the first life, the Titans, were born¡­
¡°Step¡ª¡± The illusion dissipated, and when Laine came back to his senses, he found himself inside the world of the fragment. Unlike what he saw from the outside, there was no golden light here¡ªonly andscape of deathly stillness. The sky was dim, the ground cracked, and a sense of decay and ruin permeated the surroundings, without any sign of life. On the ground, with the vision of a deity, one could asionally spot distant ruins of buildings or dried-up riverbeds, all seeming to prove that in the past, a race with intelligence had once existed here. And looking at all this, Laine¡¯s spections were finally confirmed. ¡°Asgard, the highest of the Nine Realms, the domain ruled by the Aesir Tribe, is indeed this ce.¡± ¡°Who would have thought, I just picked a name at random, and it would actually summon its rightful owner?¡± Laine felt somewhat emotional. Without a doubt, the predecessor of this broken world was indeed another world recorded inter myths. Unlike Chaos, although this present world was somewhat isted from the exterior, also forming interfaces like the Underworld that almost imed to be a realm in itself, Chaos as a whole was still integral, which was not the case here. In the days when this world was whole, a World Tree stood tall among the realms, with the nine great nations each suspended in different positions of the tree, together constituting this fantastic and magnificent mythic world. The ¡®Midcourt¡¯ that Laine previously named for the fifthyer of Hell was located right in the center of the Nine Realms, also known as Midgard, the world where mortals dwelled. As for ¡®Asgard¡¯, where he was currently, it was the highest of the Nine Realms, the domain of the Aesir Tribe, ruled by the famed Divine King Odin inter times. ¡°If I remember correctly, in the records of the Scandinavian mythology, one of the three roots extending from the World Tree reaches here, taking root next to the Well of Urd.¡± ¡°I wonder what, if anything, is left of them now.¡± Standing mid-air, Laine looked into the distance. The potential remnants of Divine King Odin, the possibly destroyed Well of Urd, the legendary ¡®Rune Symbols,¡¯ and the roots of the World Tree, these were the reasons Laine chose this world. Although it was highly probable that not all of them remained, finding just one would make him feel that his journey was worthwhile. Chapter 220: 50 Conspiracy Chapter 220: Chapter 50 Conspiracy Rune Symbols, in Norse mythology, were the mysterious characters that Divine King Odin obtained by sacrificing himself to himself while hanged upon a tree. Self-sacrifice might sound illogical,, yet as a deity, Laine hade to a deeper understanding of it. The one offering the sacrifice was ¡®Odin¡¯, yet the recipient was also ¡®Divine King¡¯. The present self was sacrificing to the future self, with Odin as a deity making a sacrificial offering to the world; and what he ultimately gained were the Rune characters, which contained the secrets of the World Tree¡¯s origins. Although as text describing another world¡¯s Law, Rune Symbols might not be as effective in Chaos World, Laine was more interested in their principle of existence. If he could obtain and decipher them, then Laine could reconstruct the original Spirit Script, creating his own ¡®Rune Symbols¡¯, and use them to describe the rules of the Spirit Realm with greater rity and detail. Any achievements based on these symbols would be like adding bricks and mortar to the Spirit Realm itself. Besides the symbols, the importance of the World Tree Yggdrasil hardly needs mentioning. Serving as the singr force sustaining the nine realms of a mythic world, its withering heralded the arrival of the Twilight of the Gods, proving it to be a nt far more formidable than the Golden Apple Tree. Although what stood here was not its main trunk but only one of its three major roots, and although Laine was unsure whether the World Tree still held any life, this did not diminish its significance. Whether used to forge Divine Artifacts or as a temte to cultivate a new Divine Tree, its value was unquestionable. As for the Fountain of Urd, records of it inter generations were few and far between, but what could be certain was that it was a spring imbued with the powers of purification and vitality. It had healed Odin¡¯s wounds and had been used year-round to water the World Tree. The three Norns, symbols of destiny in Asgard, were always near it. However, Laine was rather indifferent about it.
After all, he now had the Well of Reincarnation; even if he acquired this spring, it would just be something extra for nourishing nts and brewing drinks¡ªit was hard to say if it would be of any significant use. And as for ¡®Odin¡¯s Legacy¡¯, Laine was not quite certain of its existence. After all, the Twilight of the Gods as recorded inter myths was not like the current situation, which epassed all living creatures including the Deity Race, not just the world itself. Even after that so-called twilight, the Light God Balder and the God of Blindness, who had killed him, returned from the Land of the Dead and together with the surviving deities rebuilt Asgard. But now, no matter how one looked at it, this world seemed deader than dead. ¡°Still, one must be cautious¡­ who knows how this world was destroyed.¡± ¡°Besides, in the Mythic World, ¡®phenomena¡¯ often also possess power and can even birth unique life forms. The ¡®death¡¯ of a world¡­ what might it bring about¡­¡± Here, Laine¡¯s connection with the Spirit Realm had grown exceedingly faint, and even this broken realm was instinctively suppressing outsiders, but he still spotted his goal at first nce. In the center of that realm, a vastwork of withered roots, visible yet hidden, even from an unknowable distance. ¡°Hope there will be some gains¡­¡± With a move, Laine flew towards the immense silhouette that reached from earth to sky. In a world starkly different from Chaos, where deities could be in and even age, as it seemed for theter myths involving Heracles. The principle behind all this was certainly worth exploring. ¡­ Chaos World, atop Mount Olympus. Although Laine had left the present world due to an unexpected premonition, the world itself did not cease to move. When humanity plunged into Chaos due to the sudden loss of divine gifts, the nearby beasts, which had been wary of a particr aura, noticed its disappearance and started encroaching in the direction of human settlements. Panic and Fear spread among the people, and unrest was about to erupt. Meanwhile, in the Divine Pce of the God of Sun, Prometheus held a fennel branch in his hand and stretched it towards the ornate Sun Chariot. He knew that his seemingly ¡®covert¡¯ actions were actually anticipated by more than one deity, such as Helios, who had already made an agreement with him, and like the ruler of Mount Olympus, the Divine King. They had not truly ¡®seen¡¯ his actions, but they knew what the Forethinker was doing. However, even though Prometheus was aware of this, that they were all waiting for him tomit his crime so they could achieve their goals by stepping on his ¡®corpse¡¯, he still resolutely ignited the Fire.
When the fennel branch caught fire, a type of ¡®right¡¯ was transferred. From that moment on, this branch gained immortality, for it bore the right granted by the Lord of the Spirit Realm to wield Fire. The branch was merely a vessel, for as long as the concept of [Fire] existed in the Spirit Realm, it would be undying and indefeasible by any deity unless Prometheus himself wished otherwise. Laine had granted this ¡®right¡¯ to the Sun Chariot, whose master had voluntarily relinquished it, so now, it was transferred to a new god. Of course, this would also be the new god¡¯s source of suffering.
Zeus would certainly demand that he reims this right, and Prometheus would naturally refuse. ¡°This is the ¡®Fire¡¯ of mankind¡­¡± Chapter 221: 50 Conspiracy_2 Chapter 221: Chapter 50 Conspiracy_2 ¡°From today onwards, the ¡®fire¡¯ of humans will no longer be a gift from the gods, including myself,¡± After a moment of silence, Prometheus turned and flew toward the Mortal Realm. Now, he had be a ¡®Fire Thief¡¯ who defied the edict of the Divine King. Atop Mount Olympus, sensing the transfer of this special ¡®privilege¡¯ from his Divine Artifact, Helios smiled with satisfaction. He was ready to proim his ¡®benevolent acts¡¯ among the future humans and then to be as powerful a God of Sun as his father. Another bystander, however, King Zeus was somewhat irritated. When he sensed that hot and warm breath drawing away from the Sun God¡¯s Divine Pce, although it was all within his expectations, the fact that Prometheus so tantly disregarded his existence and directly contravened the Divine King¡¯s orders stilltled Zeus somewhat. However, this would be thest time, the Divine King had already secretly resolved to give this Titan deity an unforgettable lesson and use his existence to warn the gods, particrly the Sun God. Zeus was unaware of the conversation between the Sun God and Prometheus, as his Divine Authority did not extend that far. Yet without thinking, he could guess that, although Helios might have carelessly allowed the divine fire to be stolen by Prometheus, such coincidence was a bit too convenient. And the King of the Gods, does not believe in coincidences. Meanwhile, as the King of Gods and the Sun God reacted differently to the Forethinker¡¯s actions, in a secluded part of the third tier of the Spirit Realm, a young deity in a grey robe was also witnessing this event in a hidden Dream Domain. However, what caught his attention was not Prometheus but the ¡®fire¡¯ burning in his hands.
To Hypnos, just a paranoid and weak deity, it wasn¡¯t a significant concern; what truly interested him was the ¡®privilege¡¯ to wield fire. The God of Sleep was already born when the Sun Chariot was crafted, so he was well aware of where this me originated. That being, theoretically the Father God and the true ruler of the Seven Spirit Realms. ¡°Indeed, he is not here now, at least not for the time being,¡± Observing every detail of Prometheus stealing fire intently, Hypnos finally confirmed his suspicion. The ¡®privilege¡¯ of using fire lost control temporarily or rather, its master, for some reason, had no time to attend to these matters; thus, he let his secondary holder send it out and then let it be carried to the Mortal Realm. This matched perfectly with what Hypnos had seen in the dreams of marine life, where his powerful Father God, for reasons unknown, had left the Spirit Realm for the East beyond the East Sea, at the edge of the world. Now, undoubtedly, was an excellent opportunity. ¡°Since that is the case, it¡¯s time for me to meet him¡­ I wonder what he truly wants to say to me,¡± His expression shifting slightly, such an opportunity was rare. Thus, Hypnos lightly fluttered his wings behind him and vanished amidst falling grey shadows. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ On the shores of the East Sea, in a nameless mountain valley. The void fluctuated, and the figure of Hypnos emerged. ¡°Huh¡ª¡± He exhaled deeply, noting the difficulty of sneaking out of the Spirit Realm as a young deity. He really had to thank thepletion of the Dream Domain, which had made the Goddess of the Nether Moon less vignt of him; otherwise, Hypnos felt that even without Laine, it would be nearly impossible to leave the Spirit Realm without a trace. In the valley, apart from Hypnos, a figure in a ck robe had been waiting there for some time. ¡°Good evening, Prince Hypnos, it seems you¡¯ve finally made up your mind,¡± A smile curled at the corners of his mouth as Mephisto, who had ¡®ascended through fire¡¯ just a few days ago, stood unscathed before him.
Everything that had happened among the humans these past days was within the expectation of the Lord of the Demons. Even the informant¡¯s envy and resentment toward the gods had to be thanked for the hidden influence of the Goddess Megaera. ¡°Do not pray to the gods for eternal life,¡± was the parting admonition Mephisto had given to another human High Priest. Given the fate of his colleague, he believed the priest would make the ¡®right¡¯ decision. Now, the final piece of his n was about to fall into ce. A powerful yet ignorant deity of the Spirit Realm had dared to betray his creator, something that initially baffled Mephisto. But he soon understood that the ¡®noble prince¡¯ must have developed some misapprehensions.
After all, as a demon, if it were not for his reincarnation just as the realm was being established, he would hardly have an opinion about the Lord of the Nine Hells. ¡°Stop ying mysterious, and tell me, what is this ¡®opportunity¡¯ you mentioned?¡± Frowning slightly, Hypnos didn¡¯t like the demon before him. Perhaps due to a natural repulsion between simr natures, he had no fondness for this quasi-god adept at deceit, but the information ¡®inadvertently¡¯ leaked through mortal dreamspelled the God of Sleep. Thus, in the end, he came. ¡°I beg your pardon for not being able to divulge specific matters,¡± His smile unchanged, Mephisto easily dodged the grey feathers falling through the void. On and where divine power could not be exercised, he wasn¡¯t particrly afraid of the now mature God of Sleep. ¡°However, I can assure you that I will do something significant in the Mortal Realm, something big enough to enrage many beings in the Spirit Realm and trigger them to pursue me,¡± Chapter 222: 50 Conspiracy_3 Chapter 222: Chapter 50 Conspiracy_3 ¡°When that timees, perhaps the Spirit Realm will be exceptionally empty, and whatever Your Highness wishes to do, it will be the perfect opportunity,¡± He found it amusing to fantasize about the deity before him, who, as a god of the Spirit Realm, dared to rebel against the Lord of the Spirit Realm¡ªit was as unbelievable as demons rebelling against the Lord of the Nine Hells. However, for Mephisto, it didn¡¯t matter whether the other party was sessful or not; as long as they took action, there was a great chance those gods of the Spirit Realm would be attracted back. As for the fate of this ¡®esteemed Highness,¡¯ that had nothing to do with the demon lord. ¡°It sounds good, but what guarantee do you have that what you¡¯re saying is true?¡± The young deity d in gray was clueless about the devil¡¯s thoughts, but Mephisto¡¯s words indeed piqued his interest. Just as in the myths, where he once caused the peak-level Zeus to dream, Chaos¡¯s association with ¡®Sleep¡¯ and ¡®Death¡¯ was inverted; the former was overwhelmingly powerful, while thetter was weak and fragile. Thus, Hypnos was extremely confident in his domain of ¡®Sleep,¡¯ believing that as long as he was given a chance tounch a surprise attack, he could ensnare any being¡ªprovided he only had a single opponent. And those devout Spirit Realm angels were the biggest stumbling block in his path. ¡°How about an oath on the Styx River?¡±
Just as he had done with Keto and Megaera before, Mephisto nned to deceive again, but this time, his trickery was seen through by the other party. ¡°As I understand it, only True Gods are qualified to swear on the Styx River and receive a response,¡± The smile held no warmth, as the young deity slowly said: ¡°That¡¯s why Styx is also called the River of Hatred; it is two different rivers for True Gods and those who are not. Although you possess power akin to a deity, I¡¯m afraid you are not a True God with an immortal essence and authority.¡± A bit surprised, since gods rarely dealt with non-divine beings at this time, and beings like Keto were unaware of the secrets of the River of Vows¡ªunlike the deity before him, who knew it all too well. Even though, as far as Mephisto was aware, the great Lord of the Nine Hells was already trying to create an oath medium that any being could use, at present it did not exist. But this wasn¡¯t a problem, just as if the one who had just tried to deceive wasn¡¯t himself, Mephisto spoke: ¡°But we don¡¯t need guarantees between us, do we? No one can provide a guarantee anyway. You wouldn¡¯t dare to have me swear by the Spirit Realm, nor can I swear by the Nine Hells that stand behind me, so let¡¯s just forego guarantees altogether.¡± ¡°When that day arrives, you¡¯ll see the gods of the Spirit Realm heading to the mortal world, and you¡¯ll naturally know that my words were true,¡± After some contemtion, the God of Sleep finally nodded. Just as the other had said, being the one to actter, he could adapt as necessary. If the situation wasn¡¯t right, he could simply wait for the next opportunity. If it weren¡¯t for the emergence of faith, making him fear that his Father God would gain stronger power, Hypnos would be content to wait longer. ¡°Then it¡¯s settled, respected Highness. I¡¯ll take my leave now,¡± With his goal achieved, Mephisto took his leave with those words. As his form burst into a cloud of ck mist and then dissipated into nothingness, the valley was soon left with only Hypnos, alone. Standing here, the God of Sleep felt the world on the opposite side, the vast and boundless Spirit Realm, and couldn¡¯t help but reaffirm his own thoughts once again. ¡°The Spirit Realm, truly magnificent¡ª¡± With a long sigh, as the builder of the thirdyer of the Spirit Realm, the young deity knew all too well the might of the Spirit Realm. He didn¡¯t dare to go against the ancient and great Spirit Realm itself, but having witnessed the power of both Nyx and Gaia, the God of Sleep felt that the rtionship between his Father God and the Spirit Realm was probably not as inseparable as that of the Primordial Gods and their essences. Because Laine gave him the impression of a very high stature under the blessing of the Spirit Realm, yetcking equally strong Divine Power, which led the God of Sleep to specte that perhaps for Laine, his rtionship to the Spirit Realm was more akin to that of a Divine King to the present world.
Only the Spirit Realm was more generous, allowing its agent to wield more power, and not as limited as the Divine Kings of the present world, who gain very little. ¡°I heard that you were once involved in the session of the first Divine King¡­ I remember in the legends, the Heavenly Father was also a ¡®heaven-granted¡¯ Divine King, right?¡± With a smile that was gentle yet indifferent, Hypnos recalled this secret he had gleaned from dreams. ¡°¡®Kingship is never eternal, how you obtain it, is how you will lose it¡¯¡­ Well said, but have you ever considered that you too might have such a day?¡±
The naturally indifferent Evil Gods were ungrateful; they only feared power. And as long as they saw an opportunity, they would show no mercy. In a single step, the young deity returned to his domain in the Dream Spirit Realm. Hypnos believed that everything today would only be perceived by the two participants, and perhaps only by the Law of the present world and the Spirit Realm itself. ¡°It won¡¯t be long before I be the new master of the Spirit Realm, just like the second Divine King, Cronus.¡± With some anticipation, the God of Sleep once again immersed himself in his authority, watching the various happenings in the world, while creating some terrible dreams for entertainment. In the past, this was one of his few amusements that he found interesting. ¡­ Outside the world, the ruins of Asgard. One thing the God of Sleep had guessed correctly: Laine¡¯s energy was indeed not focused on the Spirit Realm at the moment. He was busy exploring this world that had already been destroyed, and all other matters would have to wait until his return. After some time flying, the roots of the World Tree grew clearer and clearer. The debris of buildings on the ground became denser, yet throughout his journey, Laine found no sign of life. Not even a single corpse was to be seen. As the core of Asgard, this ce was also known as the Idavoll ins. Laine casually collected some unique minerals and rtively intact buildings during his flight, but these were not significant finds. The core of this ce had only two key locations: Valgrind, the pce where the gods gathered, and the Golden Pce, as well as Laine¡¯s prior target, the Well of Urd and the roots of Yggdrasil.
So, after a while, seeing the tall pce in front of him that seemed well-preserved, Laine knew he had found the ce. Although he had originally intended to go to the roots of Yggdrasil first, since he had found the other target first, changing the order didn¡¯t really matter. Chapter 223: 51 The Skull of Mimir Chapter 223: Chapter 51 The Skull of Mimir Who knows how much time has passed or what kind of catastrophe has urred, but as of today, Asgard lies in ruins and wreckage. However, standing before Laine, this towering Divine Pce still stood unyielding. Overall, the main body of the Golden Pce somewhat resembled a steeper pyramid, with various structures extending from its body. Suspended galleries, protruding watchtowers like ¡®spikes¡¯, and numerous skylights and floating bridges¡ªthis famous pce within the nine realms of Scandinavian mythology was far from the primitive abode of the Chaotic Gods, but instead showcased exquisite constructions throughout. Even Laine could discern the rune traces etched on the walls of the Golden Pce, in crevices, and even prating into the bricks and stones. It was conceivable that this was not merely an ordinary building; in the past, this Divine King¡¯s pce may have held extraordinary power, a creation of both Divine Power and magic, capable of fending off all invaders. Now, however, it had lost most of its divine majesty and was merely an edifice of exceptional material. ¡°Creak¡ª¡± With just a thought, the towering doors of the Golden Pce slowly opened, revealing the dim corridor within, and Laine peered inside. Along the sides of the corridor paved with rune bs, there were trays suspended in midair. From the remaining traces, these were supposed to be alight with ever-burning Immortal me, yet now they were nowhere to be seen. Because this world has already ¡®died¡¯, those inherently unimpressive transcendental constructs naturally also lost their power.
After a careful observation and confirming that there was no danger, Laine stepped through the grand entrance of the Golden Pce. He could see, on the left and right sides of the corridor, paintings on the walls. Much like the Oracle of Delphi provided Laine the Civilization te and the Seviraz Temple, they depicted the past of the Golden Pce, the most well-known deeds of the gods, and the origins of Asgard. Of course, there were also parts that were embellished, like the grand tale of the tall walls encircling Asgard; the narrative of their construction was one such example. In the myths ofter generations, it was a marvel built by a Titan and his horse Svadilfari. After a war, the gods resolved to rebuild the protective walls of their realm, and an outsider Titan offered to undertake this arduous task. However, in exchange, the Titan demanded the Goddess of Beauty, Freyja, to be his wife, along with ownership of the Sun and the Moon. The gods agreed to his terms, but the condition was that the high wall had to bepleted within a season, otherwise the Titan would receive no reward. The gods never intended to pay, as they didn¡¯t believe anyone could build the rune-covered high wall encircling Asgard in just one season. To their surprise, not only was the Titan skilled in construction, but his horse Svadilfari far surpassed his prowess. In their desperation, having sworn not to harm the Titan during the construction of the wall, the gods had to send the deceptive Loki to prevent thepletion of the wall within the deadline. And Loki did not disappoint them; he transformed into a mare, lured Svadilfari¡¯s attention away, and sessfully stopped thepletion of the high wall. And the consequence is quite amusing. When the infamous god of trickery returned, he was followed by another colt. This colt would be renowned inter ages, for it was Odin¡¯s steed, the eight-legged horse Sleipnir. However, the murals portrayed a different story. The wicked Titan sought to deceive the gods, and his horse even intimidated the god of trickery. In the end, the Titan¡¯s schemes were exposed, and he presumptuously demanded his undeserved reward, so the gods granted him another form of payment, Thor¡¯s hammer Mjolnir¡ªhe was in by the wrathful Thor, ending his sinful life. ¡°Indeed, history¡­ is like a young girl dressed by many, written only by the victors.¡± Following the murals, some content was known to Laine while some was not, but what they had inmon was the portrayal of the grandeur of the Aesir Tribe, without a hint of anything unfavorable. But this was normal; the real History, after all, is enough for oneself to know. What is shown to others is naturally only the good side. ¡°Yes, Outsider, as you say, the true history is known only to those who have lived through it, like myself.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Since stepping into this pce, a barrier had been continuously surrounding Laine. With an unchanged expression, he listened to the sudden voice, attempting to locate its source. However, the now-ruined Asgard did not wee him, an Outsider deity, and even though its essence had ¡®died¡¯, it still possessed considerable might, and the Golden Pce also retained some remnants of divine majesty. Hence, under dual suppression, Laine found nothing. ¡°Strange deity, do not be rmed, I am already a deceased being. The reason I can still converse with you is merely good fortune.¡± Noticing Laine¡¯s search, that voice came again. The voice was old and hoarse, yet thenguage was immediately understood. This speaker likely held power rted tonguage, wisdom, and knowledge. This time, Laine made some discovery. The source of the voice seemed to be the Golden Pce itself; the speaking entity apparently held some control over the original privileges of the Temple.
Chapter 224: 51 Mimir’s Skull_2 Chapter 224: Chapter 51 Mimir¡¯s Skull_2 However, ¡°dead beings¡±¡­ Hearing this voice¡¯s ount, Laine had a guess. ¡°Are you right here, in the center of The Temple?¡± He asked calmly in the other¡¯snguage, for Laine, who likewise held relevant authority, instantly learned the pronunciation of thisnguage. Yet the fact that the first ¡®local¡¯ he was about to meet might just be an ¡®ornament¡¯ was somewhat amusing to him. It seemed the Aesir Tribe had be extinct, but the abandoned remnants they left behind still existed¡ªan irony indeed. ¡°Of course, strange deity, I am deep within the Golden Pce, which is also the name of this pce. You just need toe in, and you will see me,¡± the ancient voice continued. Not knowing that much of his identity had been revealed before even meeting, the old voice went on. ¡°Come quickly, I will spare no detail about the past of this ce.¡± ¡­ The core of the Golden Pce. The spacious hall, the towering throne¡ªhere, where the gods of the Aesir Tribe had once gathered daily, was the heart of the Divine Pce.
But now, within the Golden Pce, the gods were gone, the throne untended, and only on a tform floating to its left was there a presence that may or may not be considered ¡®alive.¡¯ It was a head, a huge, wrinkled head. He was Mimir, guardian of the Spring of Wisdom, and thus his name was the same as the Fountain. Now, however, only a lonely head remained, still capable of thought and speech, but unable to do anything more. ¡°Outsider¡­¡± A deep voice echoed in the hall, and the aged head was now twisted in a grotesque kind of joy, looking somewhatical. He had thought he would perish with this broken world, yet unexpectedly, he met an Outsider, even though he wasn¡¯t quite sure how ¡®outside¡¯ this Outsider actually was. ¡°How many years has it been, perhaps tens of thousands? I can¡¯t quite remember. Ever since Odin hurriedly left, no one hase here,¡± he said. Sensing the unfamiliar deity rapidly approaching from the outskirts of the Golden Pce, Mimir was excited. He had never seen such an aura before, and it didn¡¯t quite fit in with Asgard, but that didn¡¯t matter. Whatever realm this god was from, he hade here with a purpose. ¡°Probably for Odin¡¯s treasure hoard¡­ Just in time, as I hold the means to open it.¡± To Odin, his lord, wielder of ¡®Gungnir,¡¯ Divine Lance, king of the Aesir Tribe, Mimir had no such thing as loyalty. He had been a guardian of the Spring of Wisdom, a member of the Ancient Giants. He had personally witnessed the process of Odin¡¯s self-sacrifice, as well as the revtion he received after drinking from the Spring of Wisdom¡¯s waters. However, afterward, between two of the nine realms on the World Tree, Asgard ruled by the Aesir Tribe, and Vanaheim ruled by the Vanir, war broke out, and it was only after this war that Asgard intended to rebuild the walls that ringed the realm, to safeguard its security. In the end, as both deity races grew weary of the prolonged conflict, they decided to make amends and exchanged hostages as a symbol of peace. The Vanir sent the god of sunlight and fertility, Freyr, and his sister, the Goddess of Beauty, Freyja¡ªone of the Vanir¡¯s finest. Yet, the cunning Odin yed a trick by sending the foolish but handsome Heimdall, and the wise but aged and ugly Mimir as hostages. When the gods of Vanaheim interacted with them, Mimir acted as Heimdall¡¯s attendant, answering with his experience and knowledge smoothly. This sessfully convinced them that Odin¡¯s hostages were of significant importance in Asgard, on par with the two deities they had sent, and thus the war between the two deity races came to an end. However, as time went by, Odin¡¯s trick eventually came to light, and the Vanir discovered Heimdall¡¯s foolishness, enraging them for having been deceived. But Odin had achieved his goal, and having enjoyed a long peace, the Vanir gods were not willing to restart hostilities. So Mimir became the scapegoat. His head was chopped off, sent back to the Golden Pce in Asgard as proof of Vanaheim¡¯s wrath. Odin did little more than chastise and naturally had no intention of retaliating. He merely preserved Mimir¡¯s head with herbs and rituals, allowing the ancient giant who once guarded the Spring of Wisdom to still think and speak. Since then, Mimir¡¯s head had served beside the throne in the Golden Pce as a counselor to the Divine King, discussing matters tooplex to decide.
¡°Hehehe¡­ so, in all things, where is the absolute nature of good and evil?¡± ¡°Like now, you are dead, and I, I am very much alive.¡± Mimir had certainly not volunteered to be a hostage in Vanaheim, especially one destined to be exposed, as he never had a choice, but now it was different. He let out a chillingugh again as his gaze shifted toward the passage not far off that led to the meeting hall.
In his perception, the strange deity was nearly here. He needed to think carefully about how to persuade the other party to take him away. Once away, he might have a chance at a new beginning. Chapter 225 - 51 Mimir’s Skull_3 Chapter 225: Chapter 51 Mimir¡¯s Skull_3 ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­Step¡± ¡°Step step¡ª¡ª¡± Soon, the sound of footsteps grew from quiet to loud,ing from the passageway, and Laine¡¯s figure quickly appeared here. Entering the grand hall, Mimir immediately looked towards this unfamiliar deity, but Laine did not look back at him. What directly attracted Laine¡¯s gaze was not the immense head, but rather a me that provided light to the entire hall. It flickered in midair, using the void as its fuel, and burned eternally unchanged. Laine could feel that this me was extraordinary. ¡°This is an undying me born in Muspelheim, the Country of mes, one of the two most primal realms among the nine major worlds; the mes of thatnd often possess some exceptional powers.¡± ¡°Even if the very essence of Asgard has ¡®died,¡¯ it remains unaffected and continues to burn. In contrast, those outside have long since been extinguished.¡± A deep, aged voice spoke up, exining the origins of the me before him to Laine. As expected, the robed deity shifted his gaze in the direction of the speaker. ¡°A head, but with life sealed within. I must say, your manner of existence is quite interesting.¡± Calm in demeanor, Laine sensed traces in Mimir¡¯s skull that were somewhat simr to witchcraft. Compared to the still-primitive Chaos, the nine great worlds that had gone through prosperity to destruction evidently had a splendid civilization, and magic was one of its most dazzling gems. Even the war between Asgard and Vanaheim stemmed from this¡ªthe Vanir goddess Gullveig came to visit Odin. Her words showed no respect for the Divine King, and ording toter legends, it is said she came to boast of her magic power, or to argue which of the two deity races deserved more worship from humans. In the end, when Odin felt offended, he was the first to hurl his spear at her, and the gods all took their turn attacking her, but to no avail. They killed the goddess three times, but she resurrected herself three times using the power of magic. Ultimately, Gullveig strode back to Vanaheim, sparking the war between the two great realms. ¡°Heh, those are just some old events. If possible, I wouldn¡¯t want to continue in this state either.¡± Trying to show a friendly smile, what appeared on Mimir¡¯s face instead seemed fierce and frightening. ¡°Strange deity, I don¡¯t know where youe from, or why you havee to Asgard¡¯s Golden Pce? Perhaps I can offer you some assistance.¡± Without expressing any opinion on the giant¡¯s words, but considering that the other party was indeed more familiar with this ce, Laine asked: ¡°I am here to find what the owner left behind, as well as the source of the Rune Symbols engraved on the pce.¡± ¡°And¡­ what happened here, and where did the original owners go?¡± His heart stirring, Mimir quickly picked up on the key information from Laine¡¯s words. He seemed to have never heard of the existence of the Divine King Odin, nor knew the name of the Rune Symbols. Any deity from the nine worlds couldn¡¯t possibly be so ignorant, perhaps¡­ ¡°Of course, what you seek is all in the treasury left by the Divine King; I know where it is and can show you the way there.¡± The smile on Mimir¡¯s skull became even brighter¡ªhe felt he finally had hope of leaving. ¡°However, the vault has been sealed; without the correct method of opening it, its contents will scatter into the void, never to be found again. I can try to help you think of a way to open it, as I understand the owner of this ce, but it will take some time.¡± ¡°As for why this ce has be like this, I¡¯m sorry, I am not very clear either.¡± ¡°Not clear?¡± Raising an eyebrow, Laine said: ¡°As a part of this ce, you¡¯re not aware of what has happened to your own location?¡± ¡°Yes, I can exin the specific situation to you one by one.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s talk on the way. You guide me, and before we find that vault, you can recount your past as much as you like.¡± With a wave of his long sleeve, Laine gathered the undying bright me into his sleeve, then had the tray holding Mimir¡¯s skulle to his side. As a Titan, Mimir¡¯s head was still several timesrger than a normal person¡¯s after being processed with rituals and herbs; it looked strangely eerie. ¡°As you wish, I will recount the past to you.¡± Having agreed, Mimir pointed in a direction and then began to tell Laine of his experiences. Walking on the road to the vault and listening to the head¡¯s narrative, Laine gradually came to understand the history of this ce. Most of the history of Asgard was simr toter myths, with only some parts deliberately obscured or misinterpreted by Mimir, who also ckened the existence of some gods. Still, Laine,paring it to the ounts in Scandinavian mythology, easily distinguished the truth from the falsehoods. However, he kept a poker face and didn¡¯t point out any issues; instead, he continued to y the role of an Outer Deity who knew nothing of thisnd. The original life of the world, the Titan Ymir was born at the intersection of ice and fire; the birth of the World Tree; the appearance of the nine realms; and even the elves, dwarves, titans¡­ it was all no different from mythology, until the Twilight of the Gods came. Unlike the records ofter generations, this time, faced with the inevitable disaster, the gods did not ept their fate passively but tried all kinds of resistance. Ultimately, before the twilight was upon them, the Divine King Odin seemed to have truly found a solution, or perhaps discovered something unexpected. In any case, he secretly gathered the gods, but this time the assembly didn¡¯t ur within the Golden Pce, so Mimir didn¡¯t know what they discussed. After the assembly, Odin briefly returned to the pce, then left the Golden Pce alone; the other gods also departed one after another. What followed was the disintegration of the roots, the copse of the World Tree, the disintegration of the nine realms, and everything fell into oblivion. ording to Mimir, all this happened around seventy to eighty thousand years ago. ¡°Seventy to eighty thousand years¡­ ago?!¡± Hemitted the number firmly to memory, and a ridiculous hunch began to take shape in Laine¡¯s mind, but he immediately pushed it aside. Not just because Mimir¡¯s narration hade to an end, but because he had arrived at his destination. ¡°Is this the treasure vault of the Golden Pce, the Divine King¡¯s treasury?¡± Looking at everything before him, Laine was somewhat skeptical. ¡°Of course, actually there are many vaults in the Golden Pce, but this is the most crucial one, also the only one that still exists. The rest, even if the vaults themselves are still intact, the treasures inside them have probably, like themon extinguished Immortal me in the Golden Pce, lost all their power.¡± ¡°However, to open it, the correct method is still required, otherwise, once the vault copses on itself, then nothing will be gained.¡± Chapter 226 - 52: The Broken Divine Lance and the Magic Box Chapter 226: Chapter 52: The Broken Divine Lance and the Magic Box Laine nced at the skull of Mimir beside him, knowing what it meant. It was merely showing its worth, so that Laine wouldn¡¯t leave it behind, but Laine had no intention of abandoning it in the first ce. On one hand, Mimir was the only living being Laine had encountered; on the other hand, the knowledge contained within this brain was of extraordinary value. The runic technology and magic of another world, so highly valued by the Aesir Tribe, proved it was also a power that could threaten the Deity. As for so-called unlocking the treasure vault, Laine didn¡¯t actually need its help. The self-destruction of the vault, plummeting into the void, was naturally a difficult problem to solve in Asgard, but Laine had no ns to ¡®open the treasure chest¡¯ within the Aesir Divine Realm. As long as he could bring this ¡®vault¡¯ back to the Spirit Realm, let it self-destruct as it pleases. It would be a huge joke if a vault without its master could prate the sevenyer spatial barrier of the Spirit Realm, allowing the treasures to fall out. However, looking at the ¡®vault¡¯ in front of him, Laine still had some ¡®admiration¡¯ for the Divine King¡¯s ¡®security measures¡¯. ¡°So, which Deity is this statue sculpted to represent?¡± Under Mimir¡¯s guidance, Laine could finally make out that Odin¡¯s so-called secret ¡®vault¡¯ was actually in the belly of a goddess statue. Laine wondered what was on the mind of the Divine King of Asgard to stash his treasures in such a ce. But the effect was indeed sessful; without Mimir as an ¡®insider¡¯, Laine really wouldn¡¯t have thought there was a hiding ce for treasures here. ¡°She is Gullveig, a goddess of the Vanir, and I have mentioned her to you before. As for her powerful magic that could easily reverse life and death, Odin was deeply impressed.¡± ¡°He left images and sculptures of this goddess in many ces because he hoped to change the oue of the Twilight of the Gods, just like Gullveig reversed her own fate. But now, it seems he not only failed, but also made the catastrophe even more terrifying.¡± Mimir was candid with his words, holding nothing back. ¡°That sounds interesting.¡± Nodding, Laine made a mental note of the magic-savvy goddess. He wondered if he would be able to find any traces of her in the future, and whether she was truly already dead. ¡°But now it¡¯s time for us to leave.¡± With a sweep of his sleeve, Laine collected the statue; a fair amount of time had passed, and the gains here were already sufficient. Some odds and ends might be of interest to ordinary deities, but they were not enough to keep Laine lingering. Ripping through the space, he stepped out of the Golden Pce, Laine surveyed the direction. He hadn¡¯t done this when he came in because the residual power of this ancient hall interfered with his senses, preventing him from urately locating the coordinates within the realm under the realm¡¯s pressure; but leaving was much simpler. ¡°Are you heading to the Urd¡¯s Well?¡± Seeing Laine¡¯s actions, Mimir could not help but ask. ¡°Yes, in this shattered world, only there I am sure still holds something of existence, or do you have any suggestions?¡± ¡°Not really, but if you can travel to other realms, I suggest you visit Jotunheim. That is the homnd of the Frost Titans, and there still lies the Spring of Wisdom and another section of Yggdrasil¡¯s roots.¡± ¡°If the chance arises, I will.¡± Laine said casually, then shed away towards the distance. As the Titan who once watched over the Spring of Wisdom, Mimir certainly knew that ce better. In fact, it was one of the three options Laine had initially nned. Thest option was Niflheim, the Land of Mist, one of the first two of the Nine Realms, in opposition to the Land of Fire. There, the third section of the World Tree¡¯s roots grew, and Nidhogg the Poison Dragon also gnawed at the roots of Yggdrasil day and night, ultimately leading to theing of the Twilight of the Gods. Thus, the beings that resided in Niflheim were known by another name inter times. However, their name was often misunderstood in many contexts and even inter records, where it was used to describe space rather than life. Their name is¡ª¡¯Nibelungen¡¯. ¡­ ¡°Each world has its own miracles, truly a splendid civilization.¡± As he drew closer to the roots of Yggdrasil, Laine began to sense the power of this Divine Tree that supported the Nine Realms. Even though it had withered and fallen into ruin, and its once vibrant life force had subsided into silence, its grandeur as a Divine Tree remained undiminished. When it was still ¡®alive¡¯, Yggdrasil certainly reached a great domain in terms of power. Yet it was like Mount Zhou from the eastern myths ofter times, possessing the strength but not a unifying consciousness. Thus, thetter was toppled by the Witch God, the former consumed by the dragon¡¯s gnawing. Their value in myths seems to illustrate the enormity of catastrophe¡ªone brought floods and patched the sky, the other brought the doom of the gods. ¡°Every world¡­ hah, this esteemed stranger,e to mention it, I do not yet know your name?¡± Hovering beside Laine, Mimir said with a smile. ¡°You can call me Laine. As for where Ie from, you¡¯ll find outter.¡± Continuing the conversation without stopping, the roots of the World Tree stretching from the void now filled all in front of him. Chapter 227 - 52: The Broken Divine Lance and the Magic Box_2 Chapter 227: Chapter 52: The Broken Divine Lance and the Magic Box_2 Rather than a tree root, it might be more urate to describe it as a ¡®wooden wall¡¯, except looking upwards, that part which should have connected to the main body had already broken off. Laine felt some regret about this. The tree heart that supported the World Tree of the Nine Realms was an incredibly precious treasure. He had no idea whether the main body of Yggdrasil had fallen to a certainyer of the Realm or had directly copsed into the true void with the Nine Realms, reverting from ¡®being¡¯ back to ¡®nothingness¡¯. ¡°Where is Urd¡¯s Fountain, where is it?¡± His gaze swept the ground, but unfortunately, Laine couldn¡¯t see anything that might suggest the presence of a ¡®Fountain¡¯, much less the sacred springwater that contains ¡®vitality¡¯ and ¡®purification¡¯. Fortunately, he was apanied by a ¡®local¡¯. Before bing a head, Mimir must havee here. ¡°It¡¯s a bit further north. In fact, although Yggdrasil¡¯s three main roots were each ¡®nourished¡¯ by three different springs, it doesn¡¯t directly draw from the springwater. To some extent, they coexist,¡± exined Mimir. Looking at Laine, Mimir did have some expertise in these matters: ¡°Only the oldest spring in the Land of Mist is an exception; it was born at the beginning of creation, which makes it special.¡± ¡°The other two springs, as the tree withers, their power also wanes. I¡¯m not sure if Urd¡¯s spring still holds its sanctity, I can only lead you to where it once was.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Laine said and nodded, then flew northward following the guidance of Mimir¡¯s skull. The main roots of Yggdrasil were unimaginably massive, and even the ¡®small¡¯ tendrils that branched off were dense and numerous. The smallest were only as thick as the trunks of ordinary trees, while thergest were the size of several houses. Traveling through the densework of roots, Laine soon found the destination. Just as Mimir had said, the ce was no longer sacred. Urd¡¯s Fountain, once a holy gathering site for the gods. In Scandinavian mythology, it was guarded by the three goddesses of fate: Urd, Verdandi, and Skuld, symbolizing the past, present, and future respectively. They also wielded some measure of Divine Authority over thews, and from this perspective, it must be said that despite different civilizations, the two worlds bore striking simrities in some aspects. It seemed thatw and fate were always interdependent. But now, those were stories of the past. The once crystal-clear water of the fountain had dried up, and the ruined surface of the earth was left with nothing but bare rocks and withered shrubs. The Flosa Garden beside the fountain, formerly a path shaded with vibrant greenery and delicate, beautiful flowers, had been twisted beyond recognition by time and destion. Urd¡¯s Fountain was no longer the dazzling site it once was, and the three goddesses who epted the prayers of the living had vanished without a trace. ¡°It seems you were right; there¡¯s no fountain here anymore,¡± Laine sighed. However, thanks to the existence of ¡®Samsara¡¯, he found something between reality and illusion within the dried-up fountain. With an outstretched hand, an invisible ¡®seed¡¯ fell into his palm, thest trace of the sacred spring. Perhaps in another ten or twenty thousand years, it too would lose all foundation for existence, leaving this holy site to be a part of history. Yet now, there was still a possibility of salvation. Find another coexisting element for it, nurture it with the power of the Spirit Realm, and perhaps it could birth the springwater anew. ¡°Next, the roots.¡± Turning around, he looked up at the tall and withered root systems. ck Sword appeared in Laine¡¯s right hand. The air of death gave Mimir a start, reminding him of Hel, the goddess who had been banished by Odin to the Land of the Dead. The half-dead, half-living goddess was not only fearsome to behold but was also far from kind. Now that Laine was disying such power, it inevitably caused the Titan unease. After all, it didn¡¯t quite match the cooperative demeanor Laine had shown before. ¡°You¡¯re going to cut it open?¡± ¡°Of course, if there¡¯s even a slight bit of vitality, it can only be in the core. I must cut it open to find it. If not, it¡¯s also fine to just segment and take it away as it is.¡± World Tree was no ordinary thing; it couldn¡¯t be destroyed at will. Nidhogg the Poison Dragon took an entire epoch to gnaw through its roots, and even the one before him, already withered, was not easily cut. However, the power of death was quite useful in such a ce. With both hands on ck Sword, Laine sliced harshly, and a streak of light followed, splitting the massive ¡®wooden wall¡¯ down the middle to reveal its inner fibers. Unfortunately,pared to the vast root system, this damage ounted for nothing. There was still no trace of vitality in the wood. Narrowing his eyes, Laine gripped ck Sword again and shed at the giant wood time and again. The tree root slowly revealed its interior, but in the end, even when he pared it down to its core, Laine couldn¡¯t find the part he was seeking. He had thought there would be something at the very core, like sap containing the Origin, or something else. But in the end, when Laine dissected this mountainous root into pieces, they proved no different. ¡°Why is it like this¡­ Can it be that Yggdrasil¡¯s roots are even less significant than Urd¡¯s Fountain and that nameless Fire?¡± The giant tree Laine felled crashed to the ground, apanied by a tremendous noise that kicked up clouds of dust, but all he felt was confusion. One of the three mighty roots of World Tree, so renowned for vitality it once rooted itself in a sacred spring, why was there not even a hint of the Divine Tree¡¯s original vitality left even after being entirely cut down? Chapter 228 - 52: The Broken Divine Lance and the Magic Box_3 Chapter 228: Chapter 52: The Broken Divine Lance and the Magic Box_3 Could it really be because the World Tree¡¯s connections to the fundamental Laws of the nine great kingdoms were too tight, so that as the world fell apart, it too lost all its power¡­ ¡°Lord Laine, look over there.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Suddenly, Mimir¡¯s voice rang out. Following the sound, Laine looked to where he was pointing. On a severed root, there unexpectedly was a section of what seemed to be an ¡®artificial stick¡¯¡ªnot naturally formed. It looked in and ordinary, like any othermon object. But looking at it, Laine immediately grew serious. An unmistakable man-made object being found within what remained of the original World Tree¡¯s roots, and even when ced before one¡¯s eyes, not the slightest bit of peculiarity was perceivable¡ªthis alone was enough to prove its extraordinariness. ¡°What is that?¡± Having some suspicions in mind, Laine still first asked the ¡®local¡¯ who was more knowledgeable. ¡°That is Gungnir, also known as Gungnir, the Divine King Odin¡¯s weapon, a Divine Lance forged from the branches of the World Tree. When it was whole, it possessed the powers of ¡®unerring strike¡¯ and ¡®pration¡¯; as long as it was thrown, it would surely pierce the body of the enemy. Moreover, anyone who swore an oath upon it was bound to have it fulfilled.¡± With a somewhat nostalgic and incredulous expression, Mimir slowly narrated the history of this Divine Artifact. Laine nodded, as if listening intently, but in reality, he knew even more than what was being told. It was precisely because of the existence of this Divine Lance in Scandinavian mythology that the northern European humanster developed the tradition of throwing a spear at the opposing side before two armies shed. Moreover, because it was said that when Odin threw his spear, it resembled a shooting star crossing the sky, people began the tradition of making wishes upon shooting stars. This legend even spread to every corner of the world, and even in the culturally distinct East, a great many people awaited the appearance of shooting stars. However, at this moment, before Laine and Mimir, the very Divine Artifact upon which Divine King Odin relied for his undefeated conquests was already broken. It had lost its spearhead, leaving only the shaft. It seemed to still hold some vitality because, unsurprisingly, it had drained the vitality of the Yggdrasil¡¯s segment of root. Perhaps its owner had once hurled the broken Divine Lance from a great distance, burying it deep within the roots, hoping to use the Divine Tree to repair and nurture his weapon, and to retrieve it someday. But now, it seemed, he never made it back. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go, to the next kingdom.¡± After a moment of silence, Laine picked up the broken Divine Artifact for a closer inspection, then, putting away what was before him, he spoke to Mimir at his side. Looking at the brokennce, it had been purified after absorbing the World Tree¡¯s vitality, but Laine still keenly sensed the remnants of power that had once been upon it. Or more precisely, the remnants of emotion. Laine felt that his conjecture must have been confirmed. ¡°Hatred for all things, it seems, more terrifying by far than the Ancient Evil Being, the Sun Eater, that I had crafted with my own hands.¡± The Ancient Evil Being, Sun Eater, that Laine had created, though devoid of reason, bore hatred for only one thing: the celestial body that emitted light and heat. But the hatred on this brokennce was different because it hated everything. Perhaps, it was left by a being simr to an eclipse but much more powerful, much more evil. And the likelihood is that the disappeared spearhead of the Divine Lance Gungnir had something to do with this. ¡°The destruction of a world¡­ Haha.¡± Heaven knows what was borne under this symbol. It was hard to tell if it was trepidation or anticipation, but Laine summoned the Skull of Mimir, ready to leave directly. ¡­ Meanwhile, as Laine had finished a general exploration of Asgard, in the Chaos World, within the Abyss, the great serpent that encircled the courtyard also opened its eyes. Laine¡¯s main consciousness was no longer present, but he had always kept a fraction of his mind in this special incarnation, so recent affairs from both the Spirit Realm and the mortal world had been ryed to Him. Concerning some matters not too urgent, this incarnation of Laine did not care much. Strictly speaking, he and Laine¡¯s main consciousness were one and the same, it¡¯s just that this incarnation leaned more towards the ¡®evil¡¯ aspect of his personality, and thus preferred to see events unfold in more interesting ways. He wasn¡¯t supposed to wake up now, yet at this moment, the impatient actions of a Divine King in the mortal world had roused him from his slumber. The power he had once bestowed told him that the first woman of the Chaos World was about to be born. ¡°You really are in a hurry¡­ Not even taking the time to judge the ¡®sinners¡¯, you¡¯re alreadyying the groundwork for the next era. Perhaps you¡¯ve sensed something?¡± The serpent¡¯s body lifted slightly, causing the entire ne to tremble. The smaller fragments outside the realm had already been pulled into Chaos; they were small enough in size to be the quickest to transform, and perhaps within a few centuries, their ultimate fate, whatever it may be, should be decided. And it was only natural for Zeus, as a Divine King, to be aware of this. ¡°A node.¡± The deep and resonant voice echoed in the courtyard, Laine thought, and Liana in the Spirit Realm immediately received the message. She was to go to Olympus to bring a gift to the newly born female. After all, in any case, she was born from the water of the Well of Reincarnation¡¯s precursor, the Well of Origin. ¡°Go, put its reflection into it as my gift to humans, if indeed they can receive it.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Even without seeing any figure, Liana had long grown ustomed. She collected what Laine had instructed and then left the Spirit Realm. From within the Nine Hells, Laine surveyed the world, witnessing all that transpired upon the earth. Having lived through it once, he gained a deeper understanding of this history. Pandora¡¯s Box, a symbol of disaster in legend, contained things both good and bad. Was the world in peace and harmony before the birth of this box, devoid of conflict and cmity? Of course not, the box was merely a symbol. It signified that the gods had finally begun to grasp some mysteries of faith, so each of them ced an item inside the box, whether a curse or a blessing, to symbolize the grandeur of god, and that ¡®good and evil, right and wrong, alle from god¡¯. As for the ¡®hope¡¯ that was trapped inside the box, it was doomed never to fly out, for how could a fake ever be real? ¡°In a world controlled by fate, isn¡¯t real hope about stepping outside of fate?¡± The serpent returned to its original position, no longer concerned with these ¡®trivialities¡¯. If the integration of the Nine Realms once again twisted the fateful trajectory meant for Chaos, then let it add fuel to the fire. Chapter 229: 53: The Eye of the Sea Chapter 229: Chapter 53: The Eye of the Sea ¡°You haven¡¯t left yet?¡± Hurrying back to Aurora with the lit fennel branch, what appeared before Prometheus were the panicked crowds in the darkness and the crumbling order that no one managed. The Divine King¡¯s verdict fell on the ears of deities, recounting the reasons he condemned humans, but it wasn¡¯t the same for mortals. Perhaps out of disdain to prove anything to mortals, or more likely because the Divine King never intended to let them go, what humans understood was still that simple sentence. From today onwards, the fire granted to humans will be taken away. They heard those words, and then, just as they said, the mes in the human settlements were extinguished all at once, plunging into darkness and cold. ¡°Creator, I have been waiting for you toe back, because I believe you will sort this all out.¡± In front of Prometheus¡¯s residence, facing the Creator¡¯s implicit questioning, Momon slightly bowed, trying to speak with a hint of joy. By his side were hundreds of people who hade to the Creator¡¯s residence in a panic seeking guidance. As the former High Priest, they subconsciously saw Momon as their leader. ¡°Believe in me¡­ perhaps.¡±
¡°Momon, whatever you want to do, my time is running out, and you must have witnessed what befell Ossen.¡± With the Sacred Fire in his hand, Prometheus felt his mind had never been clearer than it was now. He immediately noticed the abnormality in his disciple standing before him; his body was tainted with an unusual bloodline, just like those beasts stained with Divine Blood. Only, the aura contained in this bloodline was nothing like that of a deity; instead, it reminded him of those from Silver Humanity. If it were any other time, Prometheus might have tried to probe for the reason, but now, he didn¡¯t have the time. The God of Sun must be on his way, and when the sun rose the next day, it would be the moment he was taken back to Olympus. The Humans would ultimately have to persevere on their own. ¡°This is the new fire, it will not be taken back by any deity. I will leave it here, and once I am gone, no one, neither human nor god, will be able to move it; it will forever shelter this city.¡± Inserting the burning fennel branch into the altar originally used for worship, Prometheus looked at everyone present. ¡°If in the future you wish to establish a new settlement, or protect those we have already established, take some from this Sacred Fire. It can help you dispel the Darkness and cmity too. But remember, only the initial me is truly eternal; once the fire that¡¯s been taken away is extinguished, the town it was in will lose its protection.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Bowing respectfully, in that moment Momon also felt a bit mncholic. It¡¯s hard not to respect an entity with beliefs, whether they are a good person or a bad one, whether one mocks or praises them. It¡¯s not about power, but respect for ¡®pursuing the impossible¡¯. ¡°I hope so¡­ If, I mean if, after I leave, the Divine King still refuses to spare humans, you could try leading some westward. If you can find Delphi, perhaps for the sake of the Temple, the Divine King might spare you too.¡± With aplex expression, Prometheus offered a final word of caution, though he didn¡¯t think it held much meaning. After all, in this era, how could mortals possibly traverse the wilderness by their own power and reach the distant ancestral humannds? Consider it a hope, for in disaster, having hope is somewhat better than none at all. ¡°No need to follow, I¡¯ll walk alone.¡± Waving his hand, Prometheus stopped those who wanted to say something, then left the center of Aurora. It was still a while before dawn; he wanted onest look at the humans he had created, for the next time might be many yearster. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Dawn was breaking, but the sun did not rise as expected. Outside of Aurora City, two figures were approaching. ¡°Cohen, you heard that voice just now, didn¡¯t you?¡±
Evans sounded somewhat afraid because of the voice that had suddenly spoken, as well as the extinguished torch in his hand. But he wasn¡¯t too afraid, for although that voice imed to take back the fire given to humans, that wasn¡¯t really the case. His torch had gone out, but the one in Cohen¡¯s hand had not. They had traveled thetter half of the night aided by that light. This made Evans wonder if everything before had been an illusion, perhaps his torch had been extinguished by the wind, not because of that sudden voice.
¡°I heard it, ¡®take back the fire given to humans¡¯; that must be the Divine King¡¯s voice, right?¡± Unlike Evans, who knew nothing, Cohen recognized the voice. A hundred years ago, he had gazed at that deity from the base of Mount Othrys, watching him challenge the previous Divine King with righteous words, so he remembered his tone. And ording to what other humans said, that deity was named Zeus, now the world¡¯s third Divine King. ¡°The voice of a deity¡­ then why is your fire untouched?¡± Not quite believing, Evans now thought that perhaps what had just happened was actually some prank by this stern-looking fellow. Chapter 230: 53: The Eye of the Sea_2 Chapter 230: Chapter 53: The Eye of the Sea_2 ¡°` ¡°Because gods are different from one another. The deity who bestowed fire upon me probably won¡¯t care about such a trivial matter, let alone take the fire back.¡± After silently praying in his heart, Cohen extended his hand and moved the torch closer to Evans. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Your torch should be able to light now.¡± As a mortal legend only a step away from his own divinity, Cohen acutely felt the change in the Law before and after. The ¡®right¡¯ rted to fire for the Bronze Humanity had first been taken away and then quickly returned. However, the one that returned felt almost identical to his own in Cohen¡¯s perception. Reaching out towards the me, soon enough, Evans¡¯s torch was lit once again. Looking at the burning torch, he felt this was more like a joke Cohen was ying on him. He was about to say something, but then a scene on a mound behind Cohen suddenly stirred Evans with excitement.
¡°Look, Cohen, is that the creator¡ªwait, who is that person?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Among the gods, Prometheus was one of the few who left Cohen with fond memories, and he had once revered and devoutly worshiped the Titan deity who mingled among the Golden Humanity. Even though he could no longer hold onto that feeling, Cohen still had a favorable impression of him. Following the gaze, in the faint light of dawn spreading across the sky, Cohen saw Prometheus and a tall male wearing golden attire by his side. They were two deities, this was the intuition given to Cohen by the special substance integrated into his body. Had it been before, he would have respectfully saluted the gods, but now, he just watched from afar, even with a bit of wariness. Because at the same time, the others were looking at them. And the moment the unfamiliar god saw them, a clear expression of disgust shed across his eyes. Whoosh¡ª In the next moment, a streak of golden light shot through the air, heading towards them with a speed beyond mortal capture. Prometheus seemed to want to stop it, but being not adept at fighting, he couldn¡¯t react in time. However, watching all of this, Cohen just took a step forward. The strength circting in his blood collected in his right hand, and then he grabbed toward the golden light. Boom¡ª His right foot sank into the ground, causing a nearly hundred-meter radius around him to dip slightly, apanied by a loud noise and a cloud of dust rising into the air. Within the dust, unflinchingly, Cohen grasped the bronze spear enveloped in golden light. The powerful attack that could destroy a city wall was casually caught, and Evans, by his side, was almost too scared to speak. Looking at the being clearly not of the mortal world, Cohen, for the first time, spoke to a deity on equal footing: ¡°Who are you, and why have you attacked me?¡± ¡°Does one need a reason to kill an ant?¡± Looking somewhat displeased, Helios had not expected that a demigod that came out of nowhere would pretend to be a human, and he had not recognized it earlier. As for Cohen being a human, what a joke; he was unaware that humans could now stand against deities on the earth. ¡°Hmph, be gone, this is not a ce for you.¡± With a cold snort, admitting to a mistake was one thing, but Helios was not about to apologize. He no longer paid attention to Cohen and Evans, instead focusing on Prometheus, who was about to be ¡®captured¡¯ by him.
The God of Sun who would casually attack a mortal carrying the scent of his Father God does not imply he would kill a powerful demigod without reason. After all, who knows which deity¡¯s offspring the other party might be, and whether they might bring trouble upon him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Prometheus, feeling scared now? It¡¯s toote for regrets.¡± Noticing that the Forethinker was still looking at the demigod beside him, the God of Sun felt somewhat displeased. ¡°Or do you recognize him?¡±
¡°¡­If he is human, then I surely recognize him.¡± Looking away, Prometheus then urged: ¡°Let us go; I am ready to face the trial.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± Seizing Prometheus, Helios blinked back to his Sun Chariot, which was also the reason why the sun had yet to rise that day. The Sun Chariot, without the golden chariot¡¯s pull, was nothing but a frame. Drawn by four horses flowing with Divine Blood, the Sun Chariot carried the two deities rapidly towards Mount Olympus. Meanwhile, on the earth below, only two overlooked humans watched everything unfold. They did not know that the scene just now was Prometheus¡¯sst morning in the Bronze Age. Evans, who had been frightened by the golden light before, was slowly regaining hisposure. With his cheerful and enthusiastic nature, he was quite epting of this reality. As the shock wore off, he looked at Cohen, part incredulous and also a touch excited. ¡°Cohen, you, you just¡­¡± ¡°I am human, not a deity.¡± With a slight shake of his head, until Prometheus and the god who suddenly attacked him left, Cohen ultimately did nothing. The Forethinker recognized him but seemed not willing to speak to him; therefore, Cohen did not insist. After all, until now, he still didn¡¯t clearly understand what the two gods were here for.
But as he watched the golden chariot, he also roughly knew who the attacking deity was. The God of Sun, Helios, a Titan deity who once served the former Divine King. The Golden Humanity had once revered each deity equally, so they couldn¡¯t understand why the Divine King was above other deities; however, Cohen now understood. Humans were equal because of their virtues, so even as the king of the Golden Humanity, Cohen did not feel himself any more noble than other humans. But it seems the deities rarely possess such virtues, hence the gods¡¯ hierarchy. ¡°` Chapter 231: 53: The Eye of the Sea_3 Chapter 231: Chapter 53: The Eye of the Sea_3 Gods do not necessarily need to possess human virtues, Cohen could understand. Yet, as much as he understood, it became even harder for him to reim the reverence he once had for the gods, especially toward a god who viewed him as an ant in conversation and imed that they needed no reason to destroy mortals. After all, perhaps other gods felt the same way. ¡°Let¡¯s go. If you want to learn, I can teach you, although there are some things I hardly understand myself,¡± ¡°For now, let us enter the city and see what has exactly happened recently.¡± As for the Forethinker who left earlier, as the creator of Bronze Humanity, he was supposed to frequently stay in the human tribes; Cohen felt that he would eventually meet him again. When that time came, he could also consult this wise deity among gods on some questions that had troubled him for a long time. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ On Mount Olympus, the gods were all gathered together. A night had passed, and they were all aware of what had happened. Under Prometheus¡¯s guidance, humans deceived the deities, and after the divine king administered punishment, this creator of humans boldly defied the divine king¡¯smand and returned fire to the mortal realm. Fortunately, the God of Sun Helios ¡®timely¡¯ discovered all this. He went to the mortal world at dawn, bringing back the thief who had stolen the fire.
Now, bearing chains, Prometheus stood in the center of the grand hall, awaiting his dyed judgment. ¡°Why did you do this, haven¡¯t the gods been good enough to humans?¡± Before Zeus could speak, the Goddess Hestia among the gods broke the silence. Among the deities, she had always been benevolent towards humans and held great admiration for Prometheus, but she never thought that this wise deity, known far and wide, would do such a thing. This she could not understand, and it made her very disappointed. ¡°¡­I am sorry,dy, my arrogance brought all this upon us, and I am willing to bear the consequences for what I have done,¡± Somewhat speechless, Prometheus did not make eye contact with Hestia. If he indeed felt a deep apology toward any deity, the Goddess of Hearthfire was undoubtedly at the top of his list. He had taken advantage of the kind heart of this goddess and done something foolish. Although heter vigorously promoted Hestia¡¯s name among humans, cing her in a position only second to the Divine King, this still made the Forethinker feel guilty. Thus, facing the goddess¡¯s interrogation, he preferred to avoid the topic. The Goddess of Hearthfire wanted to say more, but she did not. In the end, she simply sighed and sat back down in her seat. Whatever his reasons, it had be a fact. He would pay the price, which surely pleased her brother as well. ¡°Son of Iapetus, wise Forethinker, although you havemitted such a crime, you can be forgiven,¡± As Hestia resumed her seat, the Heavenly Empress, wearing the golden crown next to the Divine King, immediately spoke up. All the gods knew she was speaking for the Divine King. ¡°You attempted to deceive the deities, and yet you have also contributed to the creation of humans. The Divine King may overlook your responsibility, but not the theft of fire,¡± ¡°If you are willing to confess your crime and bring back the ¡®fire¡¯ to Olympus, then you can still sit with us.¡± Some deities present had already understood Hera¡¯s meaning; this was essentially saying that as long as Prometheus was willing to personally shatter the image he held in the hearts of humans, then everything he did could be tolerated. They all looked toward the chained deity, awaiting his reply. This time, the Forethinker raised his head and looked straight at the Divine King upon his throne. ¡°I am willing to bear the consequences for all I have done, Your Majesty.¡± The same words, but a different meaning, yet the gods all understood his resolve. A hush fell over the assembly, now the Divine King had to respond.
Zeus then stood up. He looked at the God of Punishment before him, who dared to meet his gaze, and suddenly a surge of anger ignited within him. ¡°I regret to say, I thought you would make the wise choice, but if you persist, then for the sake of the Divine Court¡¯s dignity, I will have no choice but to punish you.¡± Even though he no longer wanted to see him, Zeus still gave one final warning. Then, just as he had anticipated, Prometheus remained silent. ¡°Since it is so, Helios, although you pleaded with me previously, evidently Prometheus has failed your ¡®good intentions.¡¯ Since you brought him here, you shall carry out the punishment,¡± spoke Zeus, looking at the God of Sun who could barely suppress his grin:
¡°I will have the children of the Lady of Vows assist you to thrust this sinner into the whirlpool of the East Sea. If his brother holds up the sky in the west, then let him calm the tides in the east.¡± ¡°Let no one visit him; leave him to spend his eternal life alone in the dark and silent depths of the sea.¡± Helios¡¯s expression changed; if possible, the vast whirlpool was the ce he least wanted to go. Whenever he neared it, he felt as though he was dead. However, seeing the Divine King¡¯s piercing gaze fixed on him, Helios ultimately dared not refuse. Prometheus was led away, but today¡¯s matters were not yet concluded. The Divine King looked to one side, where the afterthought Epimetheus stood. This notorious fool among the gods had just witnessed his brother¡¯s trial without showing any hint of anger, which amused Zeus slightly. Yet such a deity indeed gave him peace of mind. ¡°Epimetheus, you are different from your brother. As an assistant in the creation of humans, you have also made contributions to the Divine Court,¡± ¡°Therefore, to thank you for your services, I will bestow upon you a gift.¡± ¡°Then, Your Majesty, what will you give me?¡± With a clear and cheerful gaze, Epimetheus raised his head to inquire. ¡°I will grant you a wife, something both your brother and your younger brother have; you should have one too, as it is your right,¡± Standing in front of his throne, Zeus smiled as he looked toward the final obstacle before the arrival of the new era.
¡°And today, as all the gods are gathered here, every deity who has benefited from humans should thank you and contribute their part in this matter,¡± Chapter 232: 54 Pandora and the Eye of Odin Chapter 232: Chapter 54 Pandora and the Eye of Odin A sculpture, a sculpture of a woman. She was exquisitely beautiful, like a real, living thing, and when she was ced in the center of the great hall, all the gods couldn¡¯t help but be captivated by her. ¡°This is¡­¡± With a keen sense of the statue¡¯s uniqueness, Hera felt a disturbance in her authority. Zeus hadn¡¯t spoken to her about this so-called gift; she hadn¡¯t known of the sculpture¡¯s existence beforehand, if it indeed was a sculpture. As the goddess of Fertility, the Heavenly Empress sensed a simr power within her. If nothing went wrong, it was propagation, the source of new life. And a lifeless object should not possess such power. ¡°She is the gift I have prepared. I had the Cyclops sculpt her meticulously, and our new friend, the embodiment of love and beauty, bestowed upon her peerless looks. And I,¡± Zeus said, ¡°endowed her with a good heart¡ªa desire to explore and learn about everything. I think that¡¯s not a bad thing, right?¡± With a smile on his face, Zeus looked towards the gathered deities. ¡°Prometheus created man, so today we shall create woman. And you, Epimetheus, you shall be the origin of it all.¡± ¡°You will awaken her yourself, and then marry her in the presence of me and Hera.¡±
¡°Thank you for your gift, Your Majesty.¡± Giving a creation to a deity as a wife hardly counted as a reward, yet considering that Epimetheus and his brother always liked to be with humans, it didn¡¯t seem like an insult either. In any case, the bted fool seemed quite content with it; he bowed slightly to express his thanks to the Divine King. ¡°If you¡¯re pleased, then who shall go first?¡± Nodding, Zeus first turned to his own sister, who was also his wife. Exchanging a nce with Zeus, and despite her dissatisfaction with his earlier secrecy, Hera remained silent. After all, the Divine King always acted this way, at least the sculpture wasn¡¯t prepared for himself. However, sensing the blessings of Aphrodite on it, Hera couldn¡¯t help but feel wary of that goddess. That Zeus had already privately discussed the matter with Aphrodite before today was what truly concerned Hera. She was very confident in her own beauty, but the other was the embodiment of love and beauty. Not to mention her own looks, with Aphrodite¡¯s Divine Girdle alone, the wearer could be the center of attention for all males, and Hera did not wish for Zeus to suddenly have another child. ¡°I bless her marriage to be faithful and happy, never to face betrayal,¡± Hera said. With a double entendre, the Heavenly Empress first blessed the maiden statue. With the first one done, the rest of the deities also bestowed their unique gifts. Demeter gave her vitality and youth, and where she passed, flowers bloomed; Hestia gave her shelter and warmth, henceforth, there would be few things in the world capable of harming her; the Sea Emperor, who wasn¡¯t physically present, granted her different boons with his authority, enabling her to tread on water as if it were tnd, and to calm the waves. Finally, when each deity had given their blessings, the Divine King also prepared another gift for her¡ªWisdom. For he found that excessive wisdom might not be a good thing after all; it could breed arrogance and pride. But just as he reached out his hand, Zeus¡¯s expression suddenly changed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Noticing the change in the person beside her, Hera couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing, I just have a bit of a headache,¡± Zeus said. Forcing a smile as though nothing had happened, Zeus withdrew his hand. The incident passed without further attention from the deities present, except Hera looked a bit skeptical.
Just now, she had sensed a very strange aura on Zeus, simr to when her sister was pregnant. After Demeter had given birth to her daughter, she hid her in an unnamed valley, letting her grow up there rather thane to Olympus. Hera knew that she was being cautious, but she had known about it all along. If the goddess of fertility didn¡¯t even know about the birth of the closest people to her, it would be quite ridiculous. Knowing that it was just a weak goddess, she had pretended to be unaware. ¡°What about Lord Hades? Should we wait for him?¡±
The deities had finished blessing, but as if noticing something, one deity spoke up to remind them. As with past asions, Hades hadn¡¯te to Olympus and was still alone in the Underworld. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that,¡± Zeus said. Zeus shook his head slightly, having pushed past the earlier difort. ¡°Although Hades couldn¡¯te in person, he has long been grateful to the benefactor of mankind. He and the gods of the Underworld have crafted a treasure; let it be the wedding gift for you both,¡± Zeus exined. With that, a beautifully ornate jar appeared in Zeus¡¯s hand, topped with a bronze lid and iid with magnificent gemstones. Yes, a jar, not a box¡ªthat was its true form. Its image had simply changed over time through transmission and trantion. Lifting it with his right hand, Zeus handed it over to Epimetheus. ¡°This is the gift from Lord Hades. The gods of the Underworld all contributed to it. It can absorb all disasters and misfortune thate near you both. But Hades has specifically instructed not to open this lid,¡± Zeus said. ¡°Otherwise, he might have to collect additionalpensation.¡± Smiling faintly, Zeus gestured with his hand. ¡°Now, you give life to your future wife yourself. She is born for you and will be your other half.¡± Chapter 233: 54 Pandora and the Eye of Odin_2 Chapter 233: Chapter 54 Pandora and the Eye of Odin_2 ¡°¡­As youmand, Your Majesty.¡± Clear eyes nced at the y jar in his hands, and Epimetheus answered respectfully. Everything for today shoulde to an end, he approached the statue standing on the ground. shing open his palm, Epimetheus let his blood stain the stone figure, visibly, the girl gradually gained vitality from an inanimate object. Her skin turned rosy and full of color, the sound of a heartbeat began to ring, and finally, when her eyes sparkled to life, she was thoroughly imbued with life. The newly born girl blinked her bright eyes, she looked at the deity standing before her, and spoke her first words: ¡°Who are you, who am I, and who are they?¡± ¡°You are Pandora, ¡®the woman endowed with all gifts.¡¯ I am Epimetheus, your creator, and your future husband; and they are the gods, masters of this world.¡± The blessing of the Goddess of Beauty took full effect, looking at the girl before him, Epimetheus couldn¡¯t help but be moved for a moment. Facing her questions, he patiently exined. ¡°Then why did you create me?¡±
Pandora continued to ask. ¡°Because my brother and I created men, and now there should also be women. You are the first woman, and you will be my wife.¡± Caressing the y jar in his hands, Epimetheus handed it to Pandora. ¡°The gods have given you all their blessings, only Hades¡¯ part has turned into this y jar. Now, I give it to you as well, as a testament to all this.¡± Having said that, Epimetheus turned around. Having such a beautiful wife, he seemed somewhat eager. ¡°Do you have any further instructions, Your Majesty?¡± ¡°No, enjoy your wedding.¡± If one overlooks the previously failed endowment of Wisdom, everything today pleases Zeus greatly. He waved his hand, indicating that Epimetheus could leave. He wasn¡¯t truly ¡®grateful¡¯ for the fool¡¯s ¡®achievements,¡¯ naturally, he had no intention of saying more. ¡°Then we shall¡ª¡± ¡°Wait¡ª¡± Just as he was about to leave, the next moment, a cold female voice came from outside Mount Olympus. The gods turned their attention, for along with the voice came the unmistakable presence of a powerful force. The gods exchanged looks, and eventually, they turned towards the Divine King on the throne, but by this time, Zeus had already stood up, looking solemnly towards the entrance of the hall. ¡°Wee, esteemed Goddess of the Nether Moon, what brings you here today?¡± The power of the Divine King was also released without concealment, Olympus was after all his domain. Zeus easily diffused the neer¡¯s aura, yet he didn¡¯t confront her, instead retracting it as soon as it connected. ¡°To honor the Lord¡¯s will, I¡¯vee to present her with a gift.¡± The voice arrived before the person. When Liana, wearing a purple dress, entered the hall, the gods present solemnly awaited. Not just because of her power, but also because following the conflict with Hades earlier, Olympus hade to re-evaluate this goddess; she represented an existenceparable to Mother Earth herself.
Once, Moanda, a servant of Mother Earth and merely a Nymph fairy, had been received by the former Divine King and Heavenly Empress, let alone the present Goddess of the Nether Moon. Regardless of their thoughts, the gods had to wee her arrival. ¡°Oh, to think such a trifle matter has troubled the Lord of the Spirit Realm.¡± His right hand subconsciously gripped the armrest, Zeus felt tension inwardly, but his face bore a gratified smile. ¡°It is Pandora¡¯s honor to receive the Spirit Realm¡¯s favor, she will surely cherish it forever.¡±
¡­ Though Pandora was the main character of the event, in reality, no one truly took her into consideration. She was a tool, a delicate doll, but certainly not an equal among the gods, her future husband thought the same. After a moment¡¯s infatuation, Epimetheus quickly dismissed the influence. The Goddess of Beauty¡¯s blessing was not the woman herself; with mindful vignce, the effect could still be warded off. By contrast, watching Liana stride into the hall, she was the real center of attention in the room. This being, whom he had met briefly, he had once spected about her identity, yet he did not expect to meet again in such circumstances. He remembered their conversation fromst time but realized to his dismay that he had no memory whatsoever of the other person there with Liana. He remembered the dialogue, but he couldn¡¯t recall any other features about the other person. ¡°Your name is¡­ Epimetheus, right? What is she doing here?¡± Pandora asked quietly, noticing that Liana seemed to be looking at her. But she wasn¡¯t afraid, for the just-born Pandora did not know fear, and the blessings of the gods made her feel there was nothing in the world to be afraid of. ¡°¡­She is also a deity who hase to give you a gift, just wait and see.¡± Epimetheus responded casually to the woman beside him, wondering about Liana¡¯s intent. The Divine King wanted to tarnish their image among humans, even using him to provide a reason to cleanse the Mortal Realm; the Afterthinker could understand that. But the purpose of this uninvited goddess was beyond his knowledge. Just as Prometheus liked to confidently judge the future, what Epimetheus loathed the most was this sense of being utterly oblivious to what had transpired in the past.
¡°You are Pandora.¡± A question in form, yet certain in tone, after rifying her purpose with Zeus, Liana didn¡¯t talk to any other deity but directly addressed her visit¡¯s target. Chapter 234: 54 Pandora and the Eye of Odin_3 Chapter 234: Chapter 54 Pandora and the Eye of Odin_3 This somewhat arrogant behavior caused many deities to frown, but since the other party hadn¡¯t really done anything, they had no choice but to remain silent. ¡°I am.¡± Lifting her head high, Pandora looked at the ck-haired goddess in front of her and spoke with certainty. ¡°Very well.¡± Nodding slightly, Liana didn¡¯t know what was special about this person before her, which made Laine send a gift from afar. However, all she had to do was follow through. Extending her hand, a flickering illusory star appeared in Liana¡¯s palm. She observed Pandora, and her gaze finally settled on the y jar she was holding. ¡°Princess Liana, this is the gift my brother sent. He once cautioned that it would be best not to open it.¡± At the corner of his eye, Zeus issued a reminder. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Gently shaking her head, Liana could tell that the y jar didn¡¯t contain anything good, but that was of no concern to her. With a mere flick of her finger, the illusory star passed through the wall of the jar and entered it.
The seal left by Hades seemed non-existent to her, easily prated by the time-space power she wielded. ¡°What is this?¡± With widened eyes, Pandora¡¯s curiosity was piqued. Yet she remembered what the Divine King had said; the jar should not be opened. But now, the gift delivered by the goddess before her had entered the y jar. ¡°It has no name. If I must describe it¡­¡± Choosing her words carefully, Liana slowly said: ¡°In its presence, there will no longer be ¡®absolute,¡¯ nor will ¡®impossible¡¯ exist in this world.¡± Pandora was somewhat surprised and wished to take the y jar, but Epimetheus, who stood beside her, was quicker to act. He grasped the jar mid-air instinctively, but as if suddenly realizing something, Epimetheus seemed to act on behalf of his future wife. Promptly, he handed the gift back to Pandora. ¡°Is it effective on everything? Can whoever holds it achieve different oues from the predetermined trajectory?¡± It sounded like a casual question as Epimetheus spoke. ¡°Certainly not.¡± Shaking her head slightly, Liana noticed the eyes of the surrounding gods re up instantly. However, this was a gift given by the Master, and how could it be privately possessed by anyone else? ¡°Only humans can use it,¡± Liana said indifferently: ¡°As long as it resides within the jar, the human who possesses it will exclusively enjoy this privilege, but it is limited to humans only.¡± ¡°It is a blessing from the Master to his creation, no deity can possess it for themselves.¡± ¡°But what if a god gets hold of it and then has a human use it?¡± Seemingly just out of curiosity, Zeus posed the question. ¡°¡®Those who try to fool fate will be fooled by fate themselves,¡¯ these are the Master¡¯s very words.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t believe it, you might as well try.¡± Not every god knows how to hide their emotions. Liana could see that some deities seemed to still harbor thoughts on the matter.
She had no intention of stopping them because Laine had said that without the support of Spirit Realm¡¯s power, anyone else trying to manipte destiny would only result in their own demise. ¡°Take good care of it. Its ultimate destiny depends solely on you yourself.¡± ¡°` Finally, she turned to Pandora and said a sentence, which was also what Laine had instructed.
¡°Truly impolite.¡± She came in haste and left in haste; it wasn¡¯t until Liana had left the hall that a deity suddenly spoke. ¡°I don¡¯t really like the way she looks at us.¡± Demeter also spoke, that sort of gaze she was very familiar with, resembling the one she used when she walked among mortals, regarding worldly things. ¡°Enough, let it end here, this is Pandora¡¯s gift.¡± He spoke to stop the gods¡¯ chatter and secretly warned the deity who had harbored thoughts about that jar. Although he himself had been tempted, for now, the other party still had a task toplete. ¡°Return to where you came from, Epimetheus, along with your wife, and set humans back on the right path.¡± ¡°I will, Your Majesty.¡± Bowing in a salute, Epimetheus grabbed the somewhat bewildered Pandora and also started walking towards the exit of the hall. He could feel, as they left, the many burning gazes fixed on the object in Pandora¡¯s hands behind them. But until the two of them aplished the Divine King¡¯s n, all issues would be stopped by Zeus; and after the n had been aplished¡­ Every ¡°gift¡± would be released, whether those given by Hades or those sent by the Goddess of the Nether Moon. Epimetheus assured that all the deities paying attention to all this woulde to such a conclusion. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ ¡°Forethinker and Afterthinker seem to enjoy ying smart within the framework of rules.¡±
Scattered rocks, sheer cliffs, and deste woods, what met the eye was the scenery of Jotunheim within the nine realms. But this was not due to some unknown disaster; it was natural for this ce. As the home of the Mountain Titans and Frost Giants, Jotunheim¡¯s environment was quite harsh, but for the giants who were powerful enough to wage war with the Deity Race, this was nothing out of the ordinary. They dwelled here like humans lived on the ins. ¡°Forethought and afterthought, are you talking about other deities?¡± Floating beside him, Mimir also watched his former home but paid more attention to the two terms Laine had mentioned. ¡°Yes, one is considered by the gods to be exceedingly wise, a Forethinker. The other is seen as na?ve and foolish, an Afterthinker.¡± Nodding, Laine didn¡¯t mind discussing things about the Chaos World with Mimir. After all, the other couldn¡¯t escape, and Laine had no intention of letting him leave. ¡°Sounds somewhat like me and Heimdall. We were both taken as hostages; however, only my head was cut off and sent back to Asgard. This shows that mere cleverness and wisdom might not be such a good thing.¡± ¡°Maybe, but I think that neither they nor you, have sufficient wisdom.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always thought that being smart shouldn¡¯t be equated with wisdom. But every so-called God of Wisdom I¡¯ve met seemed to only possess the former, which makes me a bit skeptical.¡± Turning his attention away from Chaos, Laine looked at Mimir beside him. ¡°Lead the way, that Spring of Wisdom that once bore your name, is it also beneath the roots of the World Tree?¡±
¡°Yes, not only that, there¡¯s something there that I¡¯m not sure still exists.¡± Although Laine seemed to not acknowledge his ¡®wisdom,¡¯ Mimir wasn¡¯t really offended. He just let out a chillingugh, his weathered face reflecting reminiscence. ¡°Nine nights I hung on a wind-battered tree, wounded by a spear; I was offered as a sacrifice to Odin, sacrificing myself to myself, on a tree of which no one knows. Without bread to feed me, without water to quench my thirst. I look downward, picked up Runes, shouting as I picked them up, falling from the tree.¡± ¡°He sacrificed his own eye, Lord Laine, and that fallen eye lies at the bottom of the Spring of Wisdom, untouched to this day.¡± Chapter 235: 55 The Twisted Pupil Chapter 235: Chapter 55 The Twisted Pupil The nine great realms hang upon the World Tree, yet they are not without connection to one another. Just as the famed Bifrost connects Asgard with the Mortal Realm, Midgard, the Ifing River marks the boundary between the Aesir Divine Realm and thend of the Titans, Jotunheim. Besides that, Jotunheim and Midgard also share a connection, which is a terrifying iron forest that separates the realm of the Titans from the Mortal Realm, with only a few Mountain Titans frequently traveling between the two. However, just as Laine failed to see the Rainbow Bridge in Asgard, perhaps it has copsed due to the Destruction of the world. The Eternal Ifing River, too, is now just a dried-up riverbed. On one side, it still connects to Jotunheim, while on the other lies the Endless Void. It was by this once-existing link that Laine directly stepped into this ce. Standing at the edge of this broken world, he could even observe the collision between the remnants of the world and the power of Chaos, and clearly, the resistance of this realm had be very weak. ¡°What is this?¡± While hurrying toward the conspicuously massive roots of the World Tree in the gap in Jotunheim, Laine stumbled upon something interesting. Unlike Asgard¡¯s man-made artifacts, the Titans of Jotunheim still maintained a primitive way of life. Therefore, Laine couldn¡¯t find anything useful from their scattered remains of civilization, except for what he held in his hands. A stone-like crystalline object, somewhat resembling an oversized heart, containing a highly concentrated aura of the Earth Element, as well as a hint of Divine Power. It was buried in the ground, in a ce akin to a grave, yet the energy it emitted was very prominent, making it easy for Laine to detect its presence.
¡°This is the heart of a Stone Titan, a creation that lies between Element and matter; they can be used as Sacrifice, a tool for casting a certain spell, or for some other purpose.¡± ¡°Having once been among the Titans, I did not delve deeply into this, as it is effectively the corpse of our kin. The Aesir gods of Asgard often treated them as decorations and honors, to signify their own martial prowess. The Vanir Deity Race of Vanaheim was an exception.¡± Although he himself was killed by the Vanir gods, Mimir still held them in high esteem. His severed head retained its life force after being returned to Asgard thanks to a mysterious spell. ¡°They possessed secret rites and sorcery so astounding that even Odin was amazed, and against which the Divine Power of Thor was helpless. Mjolnir¡¯s might was indeed without rival, but its master knew nothing of these subtle techniques.¡± ¡°In Vanaheim, these hearts were crafted into powerful puppets that gained great renown during the war with Asgard. However, how it was done is not something I am fully aware of. Just as Odin never managed to learn the spell for ¡®immortality,¡¯ many secrets of Vanaheim are not shared with outsiders.¡± Nodding his head, Laine acknowledged his understanding. The art of puppet-making sounded intriguing, but it wasn¡¯t what he sought. His greatest skilly in the creation of Life, not intricate constructions. If Laine were to try his hand at making a puppet, it probably wouldn¡¯tpare to the knowledge others had umted over tens of thousands of years. He had no future memories to draw upon for these special spells and Alchemy techniques. ¡°I see¡­ So, these are the hearts of the Frost Titans and Fire Titans?¡± Flying on, hearts rich with Element and divine nature like these were not umon here. Laine quickly found two more types. However, the remains of the Fire Giants were particrly scarce, perhaps because in the myths, they primarily resided in the fierynd of Muspelheim, venerating Surtr as their leader. ¡°Yes, it seems you are quite interested in them. Perhaps I can take youter to see the ce where the Titans bury their own. What you¡¯ve found here are mostly heart cores scattered outside for various reasons. They are not only few but alsock the remnants of powerful Titans after death.¡± Without the slightest shame of bringing an outsider to the graveyard of his kin, Mimir suggested on the side. ¡°That would be wonderful. After dealing with the issue of the World Tree root, let¡¯s go take a look at the ce you mentioned.¡± Gathering the heart cores, Laine had an additional goal on his journey. Without purposely taking detours, he collected all such special crystals he could sense. Regrettably, in the domain of elements, while Frost Giants can symbolize water, and Mountain Giants and Fire Giants can represent Earth and Fire respectively, the Scandinavian mythoscks Giants that symbolize The Sky, which is not a significant but nheless a regrettable omission. Skimming swiftly through the sky, after an indiscernible amount of time, under Mimir¡¯s guidance, Laine located the object of his quest directly below the main root of Yggdrasil. Just as with Urd¡¯s Well in Asgard, under the flourishing roots of the World Tree, the renowned Spring of Wisdom had not been spared, even having ¡®died¡¯ a bit more thoroughly. The barren and parched ground was covered with dead vegetation, and a light breeze kicked up dust, darkening the sky even further. A few frail dead trees trembled in the wind, barely enduring. The once sacred well had turned into a dark pit, muddied and silted, devoid of any sparkling waters.
A segment of Yggdrasil¡¯s root dangled above the well, with spotty bloodstains still visible. Perhaps in the distant past, Odin had made his Sacrifice here. Chapter 236: 55 The Twisted Pupil_2 Chapter 236: Chapter 55 The Twisted Pupil_2 Upon arriving here and perceiving his surroundings carefully, Laine couldn¡¯t even find the seeds left by the Fountain, only an unsettling aura drifting through the air around him. ¡°Mr. Laine, the Spring of Wisdom is a spiritual entity. Perhaps in the previous disaster, it instinctively attached itself to something nearby and concealed its presence,¡± reminded the immense head of Mimir that was beside him. ¡°Maybe it has burrowed into this root system, or it could have merged into the depths of the earth. It might require some searching to find it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, in fact, I¡¯ve already found it.¡± Looking down at the deste and ruinednd beneath his feet, Laine¡¯s face was impassive. Below the pit, there was a strange aura distinctly different from its surroundings. It was somewhat simr to the traces left in the Golden Pce, yet vastly different. If not unexpected, that was the Eye of Odin that Mimir spoke of previously. Hence, Laine extended his hand and beckoned gently towards the pit. The next moment, the mud churned and a white pupil slowly floated up, flying towards the palm of Laine¡¯s hand. However, just as it was about tond in his grasp, an abrupt change urred. The originally scattered and dull ck pupil suddenly condensed into madness. A myriad of bizarre voices echoed in the space around, and shadows rolled up from behind Laine¡¯s shadow, entwining towards him. ¡°Be careful!¡±
Mimir hurriedly cautioned, having not anticipated such an event. He was but a severed head, stripped of all extraordinary powers, with no possibility of leaving this ce on his own. And this Eye of Odin, which had somehow developed its own consciousness, was clearly not something easy tomunicate with. ¡°No harm done; its essence is profound, but its power is too scattered.¡± Faced with the sudden emergency, Laine was undisturbed. For him, it wasn¡¯t difficult to determine whether a being had consciousness. The Eye of Odin in front of him, which had undergone bizarre changes and was extremely chaotic and evil, was undoubtedly conscious. Tentacles formed from shadows pierced through Laine¡¯s body from behind, yet no sound of piercing flesh was heard. Behind and slightly to the side of the eyeball, another Laine had silently appeared at some point. He didn¡¯t even nce at the Eye of Odin that continued to radiate filthy spiritual fluctuations, but instead viciously grabbed at the air. ¡°Hiss¡ª¡± In the next instant, the distant eyeball burst apart, which turned out to be a mere illusion. The true Eye of Odin was held directly in Laine¡¯s hand, and as it felt itself restrained, it struggled and thrashed madly, a ray shooting out from its pupil. But when it struck Laine¡¯s palm, it had no effect whatsoever. Around it, veins had already stretched out, seemingly wanting to plunge into the deity¡¯s body in front of it and consume his flesh and blood. But this was equally futile, repelled easily by the faint light on the surface of his palm. Yet looking at all this, Laine¡¯s expression became grave. He could feel the terrifying power hidden within this little thing. It had simply not yet fully integrated everything into one. It was somewhat like when Laine had first carved out the Spirit Realm; in a short amount of time, he had gained a tremendous amount of power, but had not yet fully assimted these things. Otherwise, Laine admitted that it might not have been so easy to subdue the other party. ¡°What are you?¡± Flipping the eyeball in his hand so its pupil faced him, Laine asked slowly. After all, it should be conscious; and with consciousness, there should bemunication. However, the result disappointed him. Within his spiritual perception, the thought processes of the Eye of Odin were still chaotic and violent. It had its own primitive logic, but this logic clearly did not includemunicating with what it saw as food. Around Laine, the shadows thus transformed into various forms of life, rushing towards him fearlessly, only to be reduced to ashes the moment they neared him. Even though it was only an eye, the power it demonstrated at this moment was extraordinary. Had it not been in this copsing world of origins, but within the Chaos World, Laine had no doubt it could have contaminated millions of miles ofnd in an instant, and the rays from its pupil could have struck down stars. Of course, that would be before thews of the present world had been established. However, whether such twisted forms of life would care about thews was another question. ¡°Do you know what¡¯s going on?¡± After observing for a while with no clues, Laine turned to Mimir.
At this moment, the eerie eyeball was still shooting out various kinds of rays from its pupil, with those inclined towards the spiritual being the most powerful. The chaotic and mad spiritual will reminded Laine of Hyperion, the God of Sun whom he had turned into steps for ascension. ¡°¡­ Thest essence of the Spring of Wisdom seems to have merged with the Eye of Odin sacrificed by Odin, endowing it with endless knowledge and a vague consciousness. But this certainly wouldn¡¯t cause it to be like this, since the knowledge gained from the Spring is orderly,¡± Mimir observed, also unclear about what had happened with the eyeball in Laine¡¯s hand.
¡°Perhaps this is rted to the destruction of the world, Mr. Laine. This is the only link I can make out,¡± he said, which, after many words, essentially amounted to nothing substantial. Mimir knew these details, as could Laine. It seems that the Spring of Wisdom will likely not have a chance to be reborn in the Spirit Realm, as it has now fully fused with the changed Eye of Odin and is further mixed with other powers. Chapter 237: 55 The Twisted Pupil_3 Chapter 237: Chapter 55 The Twisted Pupil_3 The Fountain brought knowledge; the eye that was originally to serve as a Sacrifice for its master brought sacrifice, burden, and shadow; thest power of the roots of Yggdrasil, the World Tree, brought Life, and that foreign power twisted them all together in the end. Knowledge thus turned mad, sacrifice became ughter, burden transformed into corruption, and shadow merged with Life¡ªone was animated, the other infused with curse and contamination. Moreover, as a creation of the Nine Realms, it did not possess the immortal nature of the innate deities like Chaos, but the power that blended in was extremely dreadful. It seemed rted to the Death of the world, and thus, it gained a simr status. Indestructibility is the most basic characteristic of this level. The immortal nature of the gods was also because of the gifts from aplete world, which left Laine at a loss as to what to do with it. ¡°It needs to be divided.¡± Muttering softly, Laine realized that he would probably have difficulty directly using this power. He needed some other method to handle it. Moreover, the most critical point was that he did not intend to let the power in this eye continue to merge. Such a dangerous thing was better kept apart. Should it fully integrate everything, it might truly be a special existence a notch above mighty Divine Power. At that time, the energy needed to subdue and utilize it would be untold. Having made a decision, ck and white color immediately suffused Laine¡¯s hand. The essence of Samsara was never thebination of [Life] and [Death] but the transformation and cycle between the two. Under his control now, the ck and white colors joined end to end, slowly leaving a mark on the Eye of Odin. It would henceforth continuously extract its host¡¯s power, turning it into the force that sealed it. This seal was rough, but it was enough to block the awakened eye temporarily. As for a more refined seal, Laine did not know how to create it.
¡°Next, it¡¯s time to cut down the tree.¡± Sighing, there was no doubt that in front of Laine, the second section of the roots of the World Tree also hardly spoke of any vitality; All that it had left had been absorbed by the Eye of Odin. Therefore, Laine had no choice but to fell this severed root just like before and then collected it entirely; after all, even if it had lost its vitality, this was still a rare treasure in the world. ¡°It seems Yggdrasil is truly dead. Compared to these two locations, the roots in Niflheim are impossible to contain any vitality.¡± Seeing this, Mimir also felt somewhat sentimental. Compared to the two realms that Laine explored, the main root in the Mist Country had always been gnawed by Nidhogg the Poison Dragon; even without the copse of the Nine Realms, it was doomed for Destruction. Now there was no need to say more. ¡°Perhaps, but regardless, I must go and see for myself.¡± ¡°And if it really has died, it might not necessarily be a bad thing.¡± Quickly, Laine gathered the root segment. ¡°There¡¯s not much time left. The Nine Realms being corrupted by Chaos should be roughly at the same pace. It¡¯s a pity; I was hoping to witness the pinnacle of magic skill in Vanaheim, but it seems there won¡¯t be a chance for that now.¡± Laine¡¯s tone did not carry much regret, after all, the Nine Realms and the smaller fragments were being eroded and assimted by Chaos, not directly destroyed. If he could not see them now, there would eventually be a chance to see themter. ¡°Where did you say the burial ground was? Are there any other valuable ces in Jotunheim?¡± ¡°Of course, please follow me. In fact, apart from the burial site of the mighty Titans, the dwelling ce of Bergelmir, the progenitor of the frost giants, should also have some things worth noticing.¡± Going with the flow, Mimir immediately led the way for Laine. For tens of thousands of years, he had remained alone in the deste Golden Pce, ignorant of the changes in the outside world. But now it seemed the nine great realms might already be devoid of living creatures. Now, the only thing he wanted to do was leave thisnd of the dead and head for the world where this Outsider resided. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ ¡°Tear¡ª¡ª¡± In the dark void where no medium carried sound, this tearing noise was still distinctly audible. On the dark blue fragment, a scratch appeared and Laine stepped out.
¡°Is this the world where Your Excellency Laine resides, at the very beginning of creation?¡± Having just explored two regions, Mimir floated beside Laine, looking at the quiet expanse of void, feeling somewhat surprised. Previously, Laine had directly entered Jotunheim from Asgard since there had been connected regions between them before the separation. However, to enter thend of mist, it was necessary to transfer through the void. Therefore, it was only now that Mimir realized where the fragment of their realm had actually arrived; he had thought that beyond the fragmenty a vibrant, whole world, but instead, it was such a scene.
¡°No, this is beyond the world. The true Chaos is not inferior to the nine great realms. In fact, it¡¯s muchrger.¡± Laine casually responded, ncing around. The specks of fragments had vanished, leaving only the core of the nine great realms persisting. However, the chains formed from the rules of Chaos were bing denser. The remnants would probably not hold out much longer. He focused his attention on Svartalfheim, the ce Erebus had entered before and the homnd of the Dark Elves and Dwarves, who excelled in smithing and possessed a unique system of magical spells. But Laine found that, even across a barrier, he could sense an empty space there. Clearly, unlike Laine, who had a purpose, The Dark Overlord had taken the simplest and most brutal approach¡ªhe appeared to have ¡®uprooted¡¯ ces that seemed valuable. This, however, had slowed him down considerablypared to Laine. If nothing went wrong, he had just left this ce, and his second target¡­ ¡°Is it a repetition?¡± Looking at Niflheim, the misty realm clearly recently entered by someone else, Laine felt no urgency about being a step behind. If the first two realms were truly for the sake of treasures, then thest one was not the case. Inter myths, it was precisely because Nidhogg gnawed through the roots of the World Tree that the Twilight of the Gods urred. Now, with the ¡®twilight¡¯ of the Nine Realms even more terrifying, what kind of changes would this ce undergo? ¡°The World Tree¡­¡± Sensing the presence of the Eye of Odin in his sleeve, Laine parted the barrier of the realm and stepped into thend of mist. No matter what it was, he had to see it for himself. Besides, this time, someone had gone before him. Thus the next moment, when Laine set foot on the soil of Niflheim, he was greeted by a sky filled with ck and red.
Chapter 238: 56 Flesh-Mother Tree Chapter 238: Chapter 56 Flesh-Mother Tree ¡°` Sigh¡ª A sweet breeze drifted over the skies of Niflheim, enshrouding the world in a pale red mist. When Laine stepped across the boundary, what he saw made him think for a moment that he hade to the wrong ce. The originalnd of mist was cold and bleak. As one of the realms that existed before the World Tree was born, it was the pr opposite of Muspelheim, the realm of ice and fire, enshrouded in thick fog all year round. Snow and ice coated thend of Niflheim; there was no light, no warmth, only the Hvergelmir Spring¡ªthe world¡¯s first fountain¡ªwinding its way through. This ce was supposed to be a forbidden zone for life, inhabited only by the race known as the ¡®Nibelungen.¡¯ But now, the original inhabitants were nowhere to be seen, and in front of Laine, everything appeared so ¡®vibrant with life¡¯. Brightly colored nts bloomed across the earth, swaying gracefully in the wind. Animals and birds flitted through the woods, asionally drinking from the rivers along the paths. If not for the intertwined ck and red hues on the horizon, Laine might have thought he hade to the Chaos World of the Second Epoch, where All Spirits lived upon the earth unaffected by various natural disasters and monsters. ¡°It looks really harmonious; too bad it¡¯s all just an illusion¡­¡± Though the sight before him was so lifelike, Laine was not deceived. From the perspective of Spirituality, this seemingly normal scene did not have a single normal aspect. Every being before him, including the animals and nts, was indeed alive, but only in their bodies. Their consciousness, however, was eerily simr and unified. Or more urately put, they did not have their independent thoughts and had instead be part of a broader collective consciousness.
Their principal consciousness¡­ Laine raised his head. In the center of Niflheim, a massive tree that connected heavens and earth unfurled its crimson leaves, swaying in the gentle breeze. ¡°Boom¡ª¡± ¡°Laine, what are you still looking at?¡± The sky resounded with a voice¡ªthat of Erebus¡ªwhich was clearly aware of the tear in the barrier and had noticed Laine¡¯s presence. And the source of the sound was the giant tree above, where another slender branch had pierced the space, burrowing directly into the distant obsidian sky. To call it a ¡®tree¡¯ didn¡¯t do it justice, it was more like a living being in the shape of a tree. At the center of thend, surrounded by innumerable lives, Laine saw the origin of everything. It was not merely a root segment, but aplete, true colossal tree. Its roots prated the earth, and its trunk supported the heavens. Six enormous branches danced in the wind, appearing both magnificent and perfect. Each of its branches, every leaf vein, seemed to follow the golden ratio in a natural beauty that attracted all life unconsciously. Yet on its trunk, a ring wound disrupted the integrity of its structure. This was why it was considered a ¡®living being.¡¯ Material like flesh at the site of the wound constantly surged out, attempting to fill the gap, but to limited effect. Furthermore, liquid resembling blood continued to flow from the wound, falling into the roots, pooling in a poisonous spring, then dispersing through twelve rivers across the entirend of mist. At that moment, Laine felt the Eye of Odin in his sleeve yearning and dreading; it had drawn from the World Tree¡¯s essence and also from that otherworldly high-ranking power. Although they might have had amon origin, they were now two separate entities. ¡°I knew it¡­ the death of a world isn¡¯t going to spawn anything good!¡± Laine¡¯s expression grew stern as, apanied by Erebus¡¯s call, therge and vibrant tree seemed to also notice another Outsider. Although It had no eyes, at that moment, It still ¡®looked¡¯ in Laine¡¯s direction. As the ¡®tree¡¯ ¡®watched,¡¯ birds, beasts, fish, and indeed every living thing around Laine, including the river water, the mist in the air, the whole world, turned to ¡®look¡¯ at him. Such a sight could drive mortals insane and even render ordinary Deities speechless with Fear, but Laine remained unmoved. In the Spirit Realm, he could do something simr. ¡°This scene is so out of sync with ssic mythology. Compared to this, my Spirit Realm looks like a purend.¡± With a coldugh, Laine¡¯s robe red, and a faint ck light in a circr motion instantly swept across a hundred miles, reducing everything it touched to dust. However, at the same time, the owner of the ¡®gaze¡¯ from the unknown sent a special force that acted directly on Laine¡¯s body, ignoring space itself. His divinely infused flesh pulsed once, but then instantly settled back to calm. This was the power of [Life] on the material ne, though manifested in an abnormal way. Clearly, no matter what changes had urred, the ¡®tree¡¯s¡¯ predecessor was indeed the body of the World Tree Yggdrasil. Thus, It wielded an incredibly fearsome authority in the realm of [Life]. However, It was facing another Deity who equally mastered both [Life] and [Death].
Where their authorities intersected but their powers were not vastly different, Its invisible influence on Laine naturally had no effect. Correspondingly, Life and Death would also struggle to harm the giant tree in return. Hum¡ª Seemingly realizing that its attack had been nullified, another intangible thought swept through the world. Laine felt as if he were hearing someone speak, at first one or two voices, then thousands, and finally billions. This was not an illusion; it was indeed the calling of all the deceased lives in Niflheim. ¡°`
Chapter 239: 56 Flesh-Mother Tree_2 Chapter 239: Chapter 56 Flesh-Mother Tree_2 ¡°` That was an alternative form of ¡°Death.¡± Laine suddenly realized that this being, nestled among the remnants of the Nine Realms, astonishingly resonated with him in terms of authority, only their paths were utterly different. The birth and death of this ¡®tree¡¯ signified the fall of the spirit and the eternal life of flesh and blood. With one step, Laine vanished from his original spot, but the vacuum¡¯s power couldn¡¯t affect the spread of that thought. It collided directly with Laine¡¯s Spiritual Body, and those deceased beings told their stories in the call ¡ª they spoke of their insignificant past, their ¡®great¡¯ present, and revealed the principles at the core of life before ¡®inviting¡¯ Laine to be a part of them. Then, as a matter of course, this spiritual assault was easily smoothed over, purified, and deciphered by the Sovereign of Spirits, who then learned the message it contained. ¡°What a hassle.¡± His expression unchanged, Laine parried a couple of feeble moves with the massive tree and finally turned his gaze towards the direction of The Dark Overlord. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be faring too well, Erebus.¡± The ¡®tree¡¯s¡¯ attacks on him had been mere tests, while the other Outsider, who had entered before him, was Its real target. Just as Laine had seen upon entering the realm of mist, boundless Darkness had imed a third of Niflheim, devouring everything that approached like a colossal ck hole. Yet, Laine noticed that this vast domain of Darkness was steadily retreating.
Four robust branches pierced through half the ne, thrusting directly into the ck shroud from the center of the world, constantly stirring within. A red mist imbued with the breath of life poured ceaselessly into the domain of Darkness, allowing itself to be consumed. However, Laine noticed that, as time passed, a trace of vitality began to emerge within the Darkness. If the stalemate continued, the victor would be self-evident. ¡°Either join me in dealing with It or I¡¯ll simply leave this ce. While this creature is terrifying, you don¡¯t really think It can do anything to me, do you?¡± From afar, Erebus¡¯s voice came once more, stillposed despite being at a disadvantage. Indeed, apart from the initial surprise by the Crimson Giant Tree when he was unfamiliar with the situation, he had not sustained any direct harm. Yet in the Darkness, Erebus watched as his left hand, which seemed to have birthed its own will, and his expression was still somewhat grim. This change appeared to be irreversible, at least for a being without the rted authority. Of course, he could simply sever this hand and rece it with a new one, but that would have to wait until his return to the Chaos World, and besides, such actions themselves were repulsive to him. For the first time, Erebus felt a direct disgust towards a being, unrted to interests; he merely wanted to destroy It purely. ¡°Then leave, It indeed cannot do much to you, but I don¡¯t think that we can do much to It either,¡± ¡°You must have already perceived Its nature; do you truly believe you can resolve It?¡± Hovering in the air, Laine looked upon the twisted yet ¡®beautiful¡¯ Giant Tree with growing trepidation. Based on past experiences and the fragmented information deciphered from the spiritual contamination, Laine hade to know the origin of the Giant Tree before him. The Nine Realms were dead; that was the ring result before him. What exactly led to the Twilight of the Gods, which was supposed to only y Deities, evolving to such an extent, was still unknown. But just as the potent Deities die and often give birth to other gods or creatures on their corpses, so too, when a world dies, It would also foster some horrifying beings. A small amount that escaped ended up on naturally wondrous objects like the Eye of Odin. Unsurprisingly, simr beings existed in other realms that Laine had not visited. However, the main remnant of the dead world adhered to the disintegrated trunk of the World Tree, ultimatelynding here. Yggdrasil, in the original myth, its copse was merely the prelude to the Twilight of the Gods, but here, it met its destruction alongside the nine great realms. Therefore, its remains had a special symbolism and became the vessel for the afterthoughts of the Death of the Nine Realms; the Crimson Giant Tree before him was the product of theirbination. The innate desire of the world for continuity gave the World Tree new life, albeit in another form. At this moment, the Giant Tree seemed like a kind of alternative Primordial God; as for why It didn¡¯t resemble normal deities, there was nothing odd about that ¡ª not because some extraterrestrial entity influenced them, but a world in itself is like that, embodying both Order and Chaos. When the world is whole and healthy, the aspect of Order usually prevails ¡ª such is the case with the Chaos World; but when a world is on the brink of Destruction, Chaos bes dominant, leading everything into disorder, and the Giant Tree before him is such an example. It was born from the ¡®Death¡¯ of the Nine Realms and Yggdrasil, and from their twin desire for ¡®Life,¡¯ only Its methods of pursuing ¡®Life¡¯ were clearly not epted by normal life forms. It attempted to assimte all things into itself, thereby eternally extending Its own existence. It inherited the ¡®all-epassing¡¯ nature of the world so It wouldn¡¯t annihte any life but merge with them instead, just like Its current consciousness ¡ª which wasposed of the instincts of the Nine Realms, the vague thoughts of the World Tree, and the collective life of Niflheim. That is precisely why Laine referred to It as ¡®It.¡¯
Chapter 240: 56 Flesh-Mother Tree_3 Chapter 240: Chapter 56 Flesh-Mother Tree_3 However, at this moment, Laine looked at the crystal branch that was piercing through space towards himself and couldn¡¯t help but assign it an alias in his mind. [Ancient Hatred?Flesh-Mother Tree], undoubtedly, was a very fitting name. In this interface that had been assimted by the other party over tens of thousands of years, he no longer had any hope of finding anything valuable. It would be enough to continue testing the abilities of the Mother Tree and then wait for the Chaos World to transform and seal it, since such a life form was absolutely intolerable in the present world. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Just as Laine stepped into the Land of Mist, at the edge of Niflheim, within a colossal cier towering over ten thousand meters, a massive shadow stirred its body once more. The roots of the World Tree within the Land of Mist originally took hold above the Hvergelmir Spring, whose waters not only teemed with toxins but were also piercingly icy. These waters flowed in the equally frigid Land of Mist and then formed ciers of varying sizes. Among them, thergest one concealed a massive shadow within. Ever since the first Outsider from beyond the realms appeared, he had awakened from his deep slumber, and with the arrival of the second, his thoughts solidified even more. From the day of the world¡¯s demise, having witnessed the birth of the giant tree and the death of the deities, this shadow had sealed itself within the cier, waiting for a turn of fate. Tens of thousands of years had passed, and he had almost given up hope, yet, unexpectedly, the turning point finally came.
It was just that his own life had also reached its end. Despite being a godlike being in the Nine Realms, gods in this realm were not eternal. He was Nidhogg, the ck Dragon symbolizing despair, yet now, the only one truly feeling despair was he himself. ¡°Gods from beyond The Sky, they havee toote¡­¡± Not because of old age, although gods in this realm do age, yet tens of thousands of years are not enough to lead Nidhogg to the end of his life. It was because a massive wound on his body was incessantly draining the little life he had left. Moreover, as a creature of brutal nature, the ck Dragon had never intended to ce his life in the hands of other beings. ¡°However, I will not end here.¡± His ferocious mouth opened, almost as if he smiled, yet it only appeared terrifying. Nidhogg looked ahead, where therey thousands of eggs of varying sizes. Although his current plight wasrgely due to the giant tree, Nidhogg had nowe to appreciate it somewhat. At least, from the unconscious psychic waves it emitted, besides the allure that made him want to embrace it, there was also an abundance of knowledge rted to Life. Over these tens of thousands of years, Nidhogg had learned another method to extend his own existence. For the Flesh-Mother Tree, any existence it assimted was part of its own life, without the proper authority, Nidhogg wouldn¡¯t be able to do this, but he could simplify the process andplete it in his own way. Thus, he used his own blood and bones to create the dragon eggs before him; these newborn dragon eggs had no attributes or inclinations and would transform with the new environments they encountered. This ensured that no matter what the unknown new world was like, these created beings would be the apex of the food chain. As their creator, when this new lineage thrived in another world, they could be anchors for Nidhogg, awakening his lost consciousness. As for how long this would take, that was an unknown. ¡°You will be born strong and live long, but the cost is the difficulty of procreation. Yet, this is a necessary sacrifice, after all, survival is the top priority. Compared to weaker species, the strong can more easily continue their legacy.¡± At the heart of the cier, Nidhogg spread his wings. The great ck Dragon began to shatter; his flesh and bones fell to the ground, merging into each dragon egg. Those closest to him received the most power and their presence was also the strongest. ¡°Youe from me, and you will surely fulfill me.¡± Ultimately, only the illusory shadow of Nidhogg remained in midair. Witnessing all this, he summoned hisst bit of strength, and released a wisp of breath beyond the cier, catching the attention of those two outsiders. ¡°One day, when I return to thend, I will no longer carry the burden of the inherent mission of destruction, but will be the master of the new world with my own will,¡± he said. The next moment, when the phantom dissipated and the cier shattered, the breath released here instantly attracted the only three lives in this world. Three wills, one after another, swept over this ce littered with dragon eggs, noticing its uniqueness, and then, as if by agreement, reached out their ¡®hands¡¯ toward it. However, just then, a crack opened up in the sky, and the hum of the Chains of Law echoed between the realms.
ng¡ª¡ª ¡°Is this¡­ Chaos¡¯s erosion of the Nine Realmsplete?¡± he mused. First, a branch of the Mother Tree, extended here in an agreement with Erebus, blocked the way; Laine had just collected several enormous dragon eggs, but the sudden turn of events made him stop his actions. The barrier between Niflheim and the void broke, and the Chains of Law of Chaos reced everything that was old. But this also meant that the brief struggle had ended.
At that moment, endless Chains of Law poured in from the outside world, binding everything in between, and reced the original rules. The ¡®[Hidden]¡¯ on Laine¡¯s ck clothes came into effect, and his entire existence vanished from this world; and simultaneously, on another side, the darkness that once upied one-third of the world had vanished without a trace, leaving only pits in the ground that looked like they had been dug three feet deep. Only the Flesh-Mother Tree, whose thoughts were in chaos, still made its presence felt, and then was targeted by innumerable Chains of Law, boundyer uponyer. It still struggled and fought, but the oue was already foreseeable. After a brief gaze, Laine vanished on the spot and immediately appeared in the void outside the realm. He could see that the fragments of the Nine Realms had already ceased their resistance and were being dragged by the Chains of Order toward a distant world. The dark mist converged beside him, turning into a familiar figure, but for some reason, Erebus¡¯s left hand was still enveloped in a mist. ¡°Did you find something, a head?¡± he asked. The barriers of the Nine Realms had been opened, and now the interior waspletely exposed. The Lord of Darkness easily noticed that the realms Laine had previously visited appeared to be very intact. Given therge disembodied head floating nearby, it wasn¡¯t difficult to guess that Laine had probably been fortunate enough to encountermunicative natives, and then learned much more concrete information from them. ¡°Yes, a head of no particr use, but at least it knew something,¡± he replied casually. Watching the realm moving in the void, Laine responded to the Lord of Darkness offhandedly. A brief adventure seemed to yield much, but the unknowns were greater still, though the remaining issues would have to be resolved within the Chaos World. With so many bizarre new elements added, who knows what the future heroic epics from the myths will look like.
Fighting the resurfacing ancient evils under the guidance of the gods, thwarting the plots of the Outer Deities to destroy cities, or eradicating the Secret Cults hidden beneath the kingdoms¡ªthese were the unknowables. But those were the concerns of mortals. What really troubled Laine was that massive Flesh-Mother Tree. ¡°There¡¯s nothing much to see here anymore, I just hope that the world, which has never done much good, could be of some use this time,¡± he said. That being said, looking at the still struggling and resisting Flesh-Mother Tree, Laine didn¡¯t hold much hope for this. Chapter 241: 57 [Suffering] Chapter 241: Chapter 57 [Suffering] ¡°Those eggs of life, you took more than one, didn¡¯t you?¡± The authority of [Darkness] may be unparalleled in hiding and concealing its form, but it¡¯s not as good at stealing things as [Space] is, which is why Erebus was a step too slow in the Foggy Kingdom. This was originally inconsequential, simply a matter of Laine taking more and he taking fewer, but because Chaos¡¯s invasion of the Nine Realms was suddenlyplete, both hastened to end their theft. In such circumstances, Laine naturally couldn¡¯t take many, but Erebus only managed to collect one from the very edge. ¡°You¡¯re also interested in this kind of ¡®thing¡¯? I thought such weak life forms wouldn¡¯t catch your eye.¡± Moving his gaze away from the crystalline branches of the Flesh-Mother Tree, Laine¡¯s thoughts scanned through his spoils. Two seemed quite vigorous, a dozen or so average. Of course, even the most average was a genuine Transcendent being, being the earliest of the dragon kind. Perhaps their descendants¡¯ bloodlines would gradually fall dormant and stabilize after several generations, but this batch, which might be called Ancestor Dragons, truly possessed a powerful essence. Just reaching adulthood would easily allow them to be Legendary beings, and as the years passed, they could continuously unearth the potential within their bloodlines, grow stronger, and after the long years, possess nearly divine strength. As for the two that were clearly more powerful, they could probably touch upon the domain of gods. How strong they eventually be, though, would depend on where they grew up. Their development would be influenced by their environment, leading to changes in their attributes and gifts, and those thatnded in Laine¡¯s hands were undoubtedly the luckier ones.
The dragon eggs left in Niflheim would probably be scattered randomly across the world. After all, that kingdom had already been assimted by the Flesh-Mother Tree, and the dragon eggs¡¯ location was one of the few ces unaffected. ¡°Life from other worlds has some value for research, and besides, it is alive. If it could breed a race, that would be nice. Haven¡¯t you always been interested in these mundane creatures?¡± Frowning, Erebus felt a bit of a headache as he looked at the single, isted dragon egg he had obtained. He nned to trade for another from Laine¡¯s hands, but upon careful consideration, he seemed to have nothing to trade. Either the value was too great, and he felt it was not worth exchanging for an egg, or he knew without asking that Laine wouldn¡¯t be interested. ¡°Then you can study it on your own, I won¡¯t disturb you. I¡¯m sure you will find something worthwhile.¡± With a faint smile, Laine reached out to grab Mimir, who suddenly became mute upon bumping into Erebus, and turned to head back the way he hade. Just as the other had thought, there was nothing Laine wanted. Indeed, things like [Darkness] Source Power clearly didn¡¯t fall into tradable items. There¡¯s still time, he thought. He wanted to see where the Nine Realms would integrate into Chaos World. After the initial movement, they would be enveloped by the world¡¯s power and begin a long digestion process, unnoticed. Behind him, watching Laine¡¯s departing figure, the Lord of Darkness said nothing, vanishing without a trace. He had intended to trade for another egg from Laine, but it wasn¡¯t essential. The gods of Chaos had nevercked divinities able to breed their offspring independently, although it would consume more power. The reason he suddenly took an interest in these otherwise contemptible weak beings was because, previously in the Darkness kingdom of Svartalfheim, Erebus found numerous traces of intelligent life. Though they had mostly perished, many of their tomes still existed. Even a cursory nce surprised Erebus¡ªhe discovered that not only were there gods in this world, but also humans. The existence of gods in other worlds isn¡¯t unusual, but the presence of humans stood out. Moreover, from some of the records discovered, unlike the weakness of humans, the native inhabitants of the Darkness kingdom, those known as ¡®Dark Elves¡¯ and ¡®Dwarves¡¯, seemed more potent, older, originating from the body of the very first being of this world, Ymir, born from an intertwinement of ice and fire. Yet in the end, only humans dwelled in the center of the Nine Realms, in Midgard. In different worlds, only humans and gods are so simr, sparking a realization in him. Laine had also always shown concern for these intelligent beings. And then there¡¯s that power known as ¡®Faith¡¯. Erebus had noticed it long ago, but it only held some significance to a battered Gaia to some extent,pensating for her losses; it mattered for that current Divine King too, allowing him to rise above other gods. However, it didn¡¯t help the Primordial Gods bepletely great, so the Lord of Darkness had always overlooked it. But now, from the tomes of the Dark Elves, he noted that the warfare between the world¡¯s two great deity races seemed to have some obscure connection with Faith. One of the sources of their conflict was the argument over who was more deserving of mortals¡¯ reverence.
For all these reasons, Erebus made a dark resolve¡ªhe decided to create a race of his own, useful or not, given he had nothing else to do. Besides, regarding how to remove the marks of the current world from himself and return to the origin, he seemed to have some clues now. Chapter 242: 57 [Suffering]_2 Chapter 242: Chapter 57 [Suffering]_2 ¡°Speaking of which, this was the inspiration you gave me.¡± Caressing the only dragon egg he had managed to snatch, Erebus severed his own left hand. This hand, infected by the power of the Flesh-Mother Tree, was perfectly suited to mold a Dragon Mother. Of course, he had to first erase the consciousness that would be born within it, lest he end up benefiting someone else. ¡°And then there¡¯s that one I never used to take seriously¡­ the Nine Hells, was it?¡± Although the other was technically his junior, he had be a senior in the path of world-creation, so Erebus naturally paid attention to his actions. It seemed that the other had created beings called Demons, and so the Lord of Darkness would naturally not fall behind. ¡­ Whoosh¡ª¡ª The waters of the Circumterrestrial River flowed ceaselessly, the severed section of the river not affecting the overall current. Laine returned to the edge of Chaos World in no time at all. The familiarws and sense of ease washed over him. Compared to the oppressive atmosphere in the Nine Realms, this ce felt a bit morefortable.
In the Land of Mist, the power of great beings was insignificant in the face of theplete power of a world; the skirmish between the three entities didn¡¯t even shatter the ground of Niflheim. If Laine had confronted the Flesh-Mother Tree here, it¡¯s likely that one look would have assimted beings beneath the East Sea Spirit into part of the other and then ground them into dust without mercy by Laine. Of course, thews of the present world would probably follow suit, enforcing sanctions on these two ¡°violent transgressors.¡± ¡°It could also be seen as protecting its own ¡®spoils of war,¡¯ after all, if they were to be damaged, Chaos would have to expend energy to repair the broken interfaces,¡± he mused. Standing above the long river, Laine looked into the distance at the Nine Realms dragged by chains of order, noticing that their trajectories were gradually separating. The Land of Mist had the most chains and was the most dense, as there was still a ¡®big bomb¡¯ inside of it. Several fragments had been peeled off from it, likely parts that the Mother Tree had not assimted. Looking at the direction, it was being pulled towards the bottom of all worlds. Although it was unclear if it could still be seen in the present world, Niflheim would likely keeppany with Tartarus. From then on, the symbol of the world¡¯s Chaos aspect could potentially be twofold, but this was under the premise that the Flesh-Mother Tree waspletely transformed by Chaos, and the duration of this process was something Laine was not quite sure of. Aside from the Land of Mist, Vanaheim was drifting towards the southeastern seas, near an ind by the maind. Once it was fully digested by the world, it would likely open its own entrance there. The value of such a realm of magic was undeniable; even if many spells and rituals lost their effectiveness due to changes in the world, often in the field of esoteric studies, inspiration is more important than experience. The achievements of the Vanir spanning tens of thousands of years could bring unimaginable enlightenment. The kingdom of the Titans, Jotunheim, was sent flying toward the extreme north of the world, where the deste icy ins were as uninhabited as the homnd of the frost giants; the Land of the Dead, Helheim, drifted towards the Underworld. In the future, it might be a second home for the wraiths, distinct from a new breed of undead under the Nether Moon. One was born out of Magic Power, and the other purely out of the force of Death, with thetter, obviously, hating Life even more. Svartalfheim, the Dark realm, ¡®expanded¡¯ some distance between the earth and the Underworld. When the Underworld was fragmented away, the territories controlled by the two earth deities were bound to sh. But now, they were separated. Countless voids and cavities emerged, turning thend into a ¡®free¡¯ space to contest, like the seas, an unimed nd.¡¯ As for Muspelheim, one of the original realms born alongside the Land of Mist, it too drifted towards the world¡¯s bottom. Unlike its ¡®old friend,¡¯ the realm of Fire plunged directly into Tartarus. Through his unique avatar, Laine could even anticipate that this realm would likely be dismembered. Given that the Abyss was also beginning to generate biomass and define interfaces under the influence of the Nine Hells, Muspelheim was destined to be the nutrients for this process. The newly born Abyss would be affected by this too, spawning some unique beings, as well asyers filled with mes andva. Naturally, the Nine Hells could also take a share of this bounty; perhaps from now on, fire would be another tool for demons, just like Darkness. Finally, Midgard, the Mortal Realm of the Nine Realms, and Alfheim, home of the Light Elves, continued to orbit around Chaos World, seemingly unsure of where they belonged. However, being without a destination didn¡¯t mean they weren¡¯t transformed; they were, like other interfaces, the same in terms of matter and energy, but the underlying rules that made them were slowly changing.
In this process, the original rules of the Nine Realms were also partly integrated into Chaos World; in theing days, many Source Powers would experience rises to various extents. ¡°For some, this might not be such good news,¡± he reflected. Casting a nce at the starry sky, Laine thought of a goddess who had been in hiding for a hundred years. For Laine, an increase in Origin was just that¡ªan increase; Chaos was not going to share his power anyway. But for others, it could be different.
For example, the Realm of Alfheim, filled with Light, would greatly enhance the domain of [Light]. Unless something unexpected happened, Theia, the Mother of Light, could well reach greatness in this era. But Laine believed that before that day came, another God of Light would be born in the world. Chapter 243: 57 [Suffering]_3 Chapter 243: Chapter 57 [Suffering]_3 Thews of the present world have always been like this, and he was no longer surprised by them. ¡°And then there¡¯s Asgard.¡± Laine turned his head to look towards the eastern region of the continent, where Mount Olympus loomed high. Perhaps drawn by some allure, Asgard¡¯s final resting ce turned out to be there. ¡°Speaking of which, I have no idea what became of Odin.¡± Laine fell into a brief contemtion. Although all signs suggested that this deity from another realm should be dead, having even fought against the Flesh-Mother Tree and pierced its trunk with his spear, the cost was also heavy; this unbeatable Divine Artifact was destroyed, and only the spear shaft fell into Laine¡¯s hands. However, Laine felt that as a Divine King who had existed for so long, he shouldn¡¯t have faded away so quietly. ¡°Do you think Odin is dead?¡± After releasing Mimir¡¯s skull, and before it could rejoice in this new world brimming with Life, Laine asked. ¡°If you want an answer from me, I think he is dead.¡± However, contrary to Laine¡¯s expectations, Mimir gave such a response.
¡°Perhaps he left something imbued with his will, but he himself will not survive, at least that¡¯s what I believe.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Laine was somewhat puzzled. He was originally trying to find out where Odin might be hiding, but Mimir believed the other was already dead, which was unexpected. ¡°Because I understand him, he was a warrior before he was a Divine King.¡± Mimir answered without hesitation. ¡°He did not shy away from deceit and schemes, nor was he entirely noble, but the reason he ascended to the throne, convincing deities to believe in him and mortals to worship him, was because when real disaster struck, he never fled.¡± ¡°At least the Odin I know is such.¡± After a moment of silence, Laine somehow felt there was reason in these words. The Scandinavians seemed to have this character, and even in the original Twilight of the Gods, Odin had never feared death. They viewed dying in battle as an honor; they might long for Life, but they did not reject Death. ¡°A warrior¡­ Heh, indeed, whenparing the four Divine Kings of both realms, it¡¯s the one with the lowest limit who lived the longest and achieved the most.¡± ¡°It seems the lower the limit for this profession of a Divine King, the longer and more stable the reign.¡± With augh that was either praise or mockery, Laine stopped dwelling on it, as he nned to return to the Spirit Realm to ¡®open the box.¡¯ However, before doing so, he noticed four figures flying toward the massive vortex above the East Sea. The one leading them was none other than the God of Sun, Helios. ¡°Let¡¯s go, take a look.¡± The bound Prometheus¡ªby the calction of time, it was indeed about right. Regardless of what Mimir thought, using the omnipresent Spirit Realm, Laine directly traveled toward the eye of the sea. He wanted to witness this iconic event. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ ¡°Huff¡ª¡±
¡°Damn it.¡± With legs somewhat shaky, standing atop the giant vortex and looking down at the spiraling abyss that swallowed everything, Helios felt no pleasure in aplishing his goal. On the contrary, hisplexion was somewhat pale, and waves of phantom pain were transmitting through him, reaching deep into his soul. In a certain sense, perhaps this was not at all illusory. Because the one responsible for all of this had used time and space as mediums to exhibit power, and he himself had governed History.
This resulted in certain temporal connections being triggered when one of the participants arrived on the scene, blurring the ¡®distance¡¯ between past injuries and the present. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go down quickly; I don¡¯t want to stay here at all.¡± The enormous whirlpool with a diameter spanning thousands of miles, in the eyes of mortals, was almost asrge as a small continent. No one knew exactly how deep such a vortex was, even deities felt a bit of ¡®fear of the colossal¡¯ at this moment. Although Helios had no desire to enter, he certainly didn¡¯t want to give Zeus the chance to punish him in in sight. He gestured to Kratos and Bia, who were escorting Prometheus. The two offspring nurtured solely by the River of Vows, Styx, immediately understood and began descending towards the center of the vortex that devoured all. It might have been an instant or a day; Light simply didn¡¯t exist here. Even as Helios exerted himself to release the power of the Sun God, it only illuminated a small area around them. After seemingly dropping a boulder for the duration of nine days and eight nights, they finally reached what appeared to be the bottom. They suspected this because they didn¡¯t want to take even one more step forward. ¡°Let¡¯s do it here, don¡¯t you think?¡± Turning to Prometheus, the God of Sun asked softly. The surrounding darkness and silence made him subconsciously lower his voice, as if speaking louder might attract some terrible devastation. ¡°Then let¡¯s, I don¡¯t think you want to go further down anyway. Besides, I suppose the Divine King wouldn¡¯t care whether I¡¯m at the very bottom of the sea eye or not.¡± Surveying what would be his home for the foreseeable future, Prometheus spread his arms.
¡°Come on.¡± To be honest, Prometheus was somewhat afraid before making his decision, but now he hade to terms with it. Some physical sufferings, even those less than the betrayal of his student, no longer saddened him. ¡°This is the Divine King¡¯smand; we merely execute it.¡± Kratos and Bia exchanged nces, and as they apologized to Prometheus, they took out the heavy chains forged by the Cyclops. Chapter 244: 57 [Suffering]_4 Chapter 244: Chapter 57 [Suffering]_4 They bound the Forethinker¡¯s hands and suspended him here, where there was clearly no fulcrum to hang from, yet the chains somehow held Prometheus aloft in midair. Then Bia took out a long nail and drove it forcefully into his chest. Blood flowed down his body, eventually falling into the vortex below. When they had finished this step, the two stepped back and stood beside the God of Sun. At that moment, an immense pressure poured onto Prometheus¡¯s slender body, causing his bones to creak and groan. At sea, the restrictions of the present world were slightly more lenient than those onnd, so the God of Sun had been using Divine Power to resist the pressure at this oceanic maelstrom, but the long nail driven into the chest of Prometheus locked away the Titan¡¯s Divine Power, forcing him to face the pressure with his own flesh. The so-called ¡®calming of the tides¡¯ was naturally not to hope that Prometheus, whocked even Intermediate Divine Power, could dispel the vortex, but rather, because he was locked here, the pull of the great whirlpool on the outside world was somewhat reduced. And perhaps some lives that had fallen into the vortex could find a way out, should they live to see the Forethinker. Indeed, the chains and iron nails forged by the Cyclops bound Prometheus¡¯s Divine Power yet gave him a chance to release others, though not himself. He could send others away from this bottomless maelstrom, but he was to remain here forever. Men suffer not fromck¡ªthough Chaos had no such saying, the principle was the same. Zeus intended to torment Prometheus¡¯s soul in this manner¡ªeither endure the clearly unequal treatment between himself and others or watch coldly as other lives died. If he truly chose thetter, the Divine King believed it would not be long before humans no longer upied Prometheus¡¯s heart. Lines, after all, tend to slip step by step, and by then, he naturally expected to see the obstinate Titan god bow his head to him. ¡°Although I know your answer, Prometheus,¡± said Helios, suppressing the difort in his heart, ¡°but as the Divine King requests, I still must say to you: you have experienced this pain, not for a day, not for a year, but forever. Yet if you are willing to take back the Fire from humans, you can leave now.¡± Zeus, although he had punished the Fire Thief, had slowlye to understand the nature of Faith and knew his actions could reduce Prometheus¡¯s presence among humans but could notpletely destroy his status among them.
So, as long as Prometheus was willing to submit to him, Zeus wouldn¡¯t mind letting him go. ¡°Hah¡ª¡± ¡°No need.¡± After catching his breath, Prometheus once again refused Zeus¡¯s ¡®kindness¡¯. He looked towards Helios in front of him and managed a difficult smile. ¡°It¡¯s you, Helios¡ªdo you remember what I once said?¡± ¡°Sheer power does not bring loyalty, and the Divine King has acknowledged this¡­ so what do you think, how long will Zeus tolerate you?¡± The God of Sun¡¯s pale face darkened, as Kratos and Bia by his side did their best to reduce their presence. After a while, Helios raised his head and said slowly to Prometheus: ¡°So, do you have any advice for me, wise Forethinker? Though I won¡¯t heed your seduction, I¡¯m still curious to see what you have to say.¡± ¡°Advice, not as of now.¡± Prometheus spoke from midair where he hung, smiling as if he were anything but a prisoner. ¡°You needn¡¯t worry now, but if one day another deity qualified to drive the Sun Chariotes into being, then you should be careful.¡± ¡°However, if you¡¯re willing toe asionally and talk to me about humans, about the changes in the world, when that day doese, I might be able to offer you some advice.¡± ¡°Hmph, do you think I would defy the Divine King¡¯s orders?¡± Casting a nce at Kratos and Bia, Helios snorted coldly. ¡°Who can predict the future? Remain here forever, suffer the agony of eternal Life, which is surely a torture worse than eternal rest,¡± he retorted, and without another word, Helios flew upward, eager to leave the ce. Kratos and Bia followed him closely, maintaining their silence. Soon, the maelstrom quieted down. With Helios¡¯s departure, darkness returned to the surroundings. For a moment, if one ignored the pain in the body, Prometheus actually thought the environment wasn¡¯t so bad. In small doses, it might even be considered a good thing. But stretched over an era of millennia, it would likely be as Helios said, a punishment worse than eternal rest. ¡°So tell me, do you regret it now, Prometheus?¡±
It¡¯s hard to tell how much time had passed when suddenly, within the silent dark maelstrom, a voice echoed. ¡°¡­I wouldn¡¯t say I regret it.¡± After a brief silence, Prometheus spoke lightly. ¡°Who are you, a deity of the God of the Ocean¡¯s lineage, or is it that eldering to visit this nephew of his?¡±
The secrets of Faith, still sealed by the Divine King, perhaps attracted the attention of some Titans, leading them to find their way to him. Prometheus weed this, regardless of whether the other was willing to reveal their identity, he would tell the truth. After all, if the deity beyond Olympus could also recognize the significance of humans, it was only then that humans could benefit in the gaps between powers. Chapter 245 Chapter 57 [Suffering]_5 245 Chapter 57 [Suffering]_5 He had previously arranged for the God of Sun toe here regrly for this very purpose, for Helios who frequently traversed the seas could undoubtedly draw the attention of the master of this sea region. Yet he hadn''t expected someone toe looking for him so soon. "No regrets... are you talking about not regretting stealing fire, or do you mean not regretting deceiving the gods?" The visitor showed no intention of answering the question, and instead continued to ask. "...Neither. Even if I hadn''t deceived the gods, Bronze Humanity wouldn''t have had the chance to continue, and the Divine King would not have spared me." With a tranquil expression, allowing pain to spread and umte over his body, Prometheus felt his thoughts were incredibly clear. "Rather thanmit even more dreadful mistakes in the future because of my pride, the current oue is already very good." "Heh, you sound somewhat like a sage now." A light chuckle sounded, and a gentle light illuminated from around him, allowing Prometheus to see the deity in front of him. A dark-haired young man, looking very familiar, but no matter how much he tried to recall, Prometheus couldn''t remember where he had seen him. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om His memory felt as if it were separated by ayer, elusive as fetching the moon reflected in a well, or observing flowers shrouded in mist. But it didn''t matter if he couldn''t remember, looking at the deity before him, Prometheus earnestly requested: "Could you save a part of the Bronze Humanity?" "Hm?" Laine was surprised once again, as he looked toward Prometheus, feeling that the deity in front of him was apletely different person from the one that had deceived the gods. "It seems you already know that Bronze Humanity cannot escape their fate?" "Yes, before Mother Earth awakes, the Divine King will definitely create the next batch of humans, perhaps he''s already starting now." Shaking his head with difficulty, Prometheus once again requested: "If possible, could you save a part of Bronze Humanity? Although the Divine King''s power is immense, in today''s Mortal Realm, he is not omnipotent." "If you can escape his notice, and allow a few of the humans to survive, then when the new mortals are born, you will gain a substantial harvest." "''A substantial harvest''? Hehe, what you actually mean to say is that once I get a taste of the power of faith, I won''t let go of that force. That''s what you''re thinking, isn''t it?" Looking at the Fire Thief whose expression finally showed some change, Laine smiled and shook his head. The other tried to tempt him with benefits, but he was not angered. Laine had no intention of taking offense with a prisoner, and strictly speaking, the other party had merely presented a gold mine; whether it attracted someone or what actions one took depended entirely on the individual''s choice. What Prometheus didn''t realize was that the one he sought to attract already had so much gold at home that there was nowhere to put it. With a grab into the void, he produced a paintbrush. Laine suddenly felt inspired; he nned to finish the second painting in the Creation of Divinity today, The Suffering Prometheus. "How about I paint you a painting?" "In return, I can promise you that on a certain day in the not-too-distant future, when disaster befalls the earth, and mortal lives are nearing their end... I will walk the earth, walk among mortals, and if one prays to me, I will grant them survival." Although the other party had no real power to refuse, Laine still asked politely. If it were just a whim, and if Prometheus was unwilling, then he would leave right there and then. "...I am very grateful to you, Your Highness. You are free to do as you wish; I never had the ability to refuse your desire to paint." Perhaps he had spoken too much, causing more blood to seep from his chest. Yet Prometheus did not mind his body; instead, he looked apologetically at Laine. "I do indeed favor humans, but I never intended to put you in danger. Openly defying the will of the Divine King is too dangerous. If the Divine King notices¡ª" "Then let him notice." Interrupting Prometheus''s words, with the void as his canvas and the ages as his cloth, Laine began to paint. The theme this time was Suffering, but in the painting, Prometheus only upied an insignificant part; more of it was taken up by mortals and gods. The goodness and wickedness of mortals, and the malevolence and benevolence of gods, all unfolded in the scroll, disying the myriad facets of life. It depicted not the punished creator, but the Mortal Realm during the Bronze Age. "Since the promise has been made, so it must y out; it is a destined affair." The brush was dipped in bright red, the blood of the Fire Thief. With the brush in hand, Laine painted at ease. "No matter who it is, when I grant them ''immortality,'' then in this world, no one can take their life away." Chapter 246 Chapter 58: The Treasury 246 Chapter 58: The Treasury Leaving the great vortex of the East Sea, Laine now had an additional painting in his hand. The painting was a work in progress, but the remaining parts no longer required his brushstrokes. Time and the changes of the ages would add their own hues to it. This time in meeting Prometheus, be it the painting or promises, Laine didn''t have any particr purpose; he was simply drawn by the memories of his past and feltpelled to act on his desires. As a deity, he could do as he pleased, and many myths ofter generations were spurred by nothing more than the whims of a god or man, which then led to a series of changes. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Just as Laine had promised, on the day of Bronze Humanity''s demise, if there was anyone who worshipped him, that person would survive; if all humans worshipped him, then the Divine King''s disaster would be a joke. Although, given human nature, such an event was impossible, Laine had indeed decided on this n. He refrained from using his powers in the mortal world, not because he couldn''t, but because there was no need. As he had said before, each intervention in the mortal world would escte into a confrontation with thews of the mortal world and the Spirit Realm, growing more intense with each encounter. Yet, the first few shes were negligible to Laine. He had predicted that there would be few asions through the Third Epoch requiring his intervention. "It''s time to go back." Laine nced over, and in the Spirit Realm, all the angels were performing their duties diligently, and the God of Sleep also seemed to be hard at work, contributing to the already-perfect world of dreaming spirits. His journey through the Nine Realms had yielded much; it was about time he processed these acquisitions. However, there wasn''t anything pressing in the foreseeable future, so Laine began his ascent, step by step, through the passage he had left, starting from the first level of the Spirit Realm. ... Overnight, a fire that was extinguished and then reignited, a creator who suddenly vanished, the divine gifts that lost their marvels, and the beasts that began attacking humans ¨C these sudden cmities had caused a massive uproar within the Bronze Human Tribe. Especially within the Great Temple dedicated to the Divine King. The charred figure lying prostrate on the ground was unrecognizable, but through the ounts of the night watchman, his identity was rified. Ossen, the High Priest, one of the creator''s favorite disciples, now his tragic statebined with all these changes, led people to the easy conjecture that perhaps he had angered the gods enough to bring down such divine punishment from Olympus. For a moment, the established order of humanity even showed signs of copse, although due to the short time that had passed, inertia still drove people to carry on with their work and lives. This was thanks, in part, to the arrival of the Sacred Fire, which prevented this primeval human city from falling apart instantly under the threat of the transcendent beasts and the gods'' imminent punishments. "High Priest, can we... keep hiding this?" In the former residence of the creator, the priests of Aurora City had gathered, and facing the recent turmoil, they too were somewhat panicked. Others might not know, but the priests could probably guess the whole story. The reason for the deities'' wrath wasn''t just because of Ossen; it was the collective sin they all hadmitted. But for some reason, the gods had not made their usations explicit. They had taken the creator but turned a blind eye to the priests. "Of course we can, there''s no need for you to panic!" Unlike the rest of the flustered priests, Momon was exceedingly confident. In fact, many who knew him thought that he looked even healthier and more vigorous than before. "The creator brought us fire, and because of this, the gods also gave up on further punishing humans. Naturally, this matter ended there." "I''m not sure if what you''re saying is true, nor if the gods have forgiven us, but if they have... do we still need to worship the gods?" Upon hearing this, the room fell silent; it was a troublesome matter. After all, the blessings of the deities had been withdrawn. Even if the punishment was lifted because of the creator, that didn''t mean their worship would still receive responses. And without responses, humans, who were ustomed to the fruits of worship, would certainly not be pleased to hear that they could offer sacrifices to the gods but receive no benefits in return. But to straightforwardly cease worship, the priests found it difficult to decide. After all, they couldn''t predict whether this would reignite divine wrath, and if sacrifices were no longer needed, the purpose of the priests would be redundant. Even for their own sakes, they weren''t keen on just ending the sacrifices. "About this matter, I have considered it; there''s no rush." Momon''s movements were neither rushed norx as if he had everything under control. "We can''t just tell people to offer sacrifices unconditionally, as it would easily provoke dissatisfaction. So, we must change our approach." "We need to tell people not only have the gods retracted their gifts, but their punishments are still looming." At this moment, although everyone knew Momon was spouting nonsense, his demeanor suggested he was stating the truth. "Storms, beasts, frost ¨C these are all parts of the punishment. Only devout sacrifices to the gods can avert disaster." "But we all know that this is actually not¡ª" "Who says it''s useless?" Momon''s cold voice interrupted, his gaze sweeping over everyone present. "If someone gets hurt, or dies, it''s because they weren''t devout enough. It has nothing to do with us, or the gods. And what''s most important, the Sacred Fire brought by the creator is still here." Chapter 247 Chapter 58: The Treasury_2 247 Chapter 58: The Treasury_2 "The new Sacred Fire is different from the original; it''s not a me primarily for Guardianship, so it only intimidates those creatures with great powers who are sensitive to their surroundings, but that''s enough." "We are not just priests whomunicate with the deity; more than that, we are Guards,manded by the creator before he left, to protect the Sacred Fire. Aside from us, no one knows that the Sacred Fire will never extinguish, nor can it be moved. Because of our existence, humans can live in peace. Isn''t that enough?" The assembly fell silent as the priests pondered in quiet reflection and then nodded in agreement. Watching this, Momon smiled contentedly. What he had actually avoided mentioning was the most critical point: if a real god were toe forth, their lies would at any time be exposed, just as their small tricks during sacrificial rituals had been before. However, not long ago, after drinking that bottle of blood stored for many years, Momon had seen that mysterious figure again. From him, Momon learned many things, such as the creator would not return, the gods would not let humans go either, and the conditions that the mysterious person promised him. If it had been decades earlier, he would have tly refused; if it were before Ossen''s death and Prometheus''s departure, he would have hesitated. But now, with no way out, Momon readily agreed. Whether what the mysterious person said was true or not, there was one thing Momon firmly believed: the Divine King would not let humans off easily. If he had killed all the priests before to vent his rage, it might have ended there. But since all these aplices were alive and well, how could the Divine King possibly quell his fury? The only possibility was that he was waiting for a once-and-for-all opportunity. Seeing himself as an ''important figure'' among humans, Momon understood this mindset very well. Without jeopardizing their core interests, making everything appear ''justified'' was what they liked to do best. So now, since the gods were unreliable, Momon simply gave up on them. Following the mysterious person''s instructions, he would ensure the tribes of humans continued to live in tranquility until the day the gods decided to cause their destruction. After all, if humans died too prematurely inrge numbers, it would also affect that mysterious person''s ''profits.'' Less profit for him meant naturally less ''dividends'' for these aplices. "Since there are no objections, then I shall proceed." Though his thoughts were tumultuous, Momon did not show it, and he began organizing the specific work. 21:41 "Shortly, I will choose a few people to take the Sacred Fire to several small towns beyond Aurora. This must be done swiftly; I don''t wish for you to arrive only to find ruins." "Furthermore, we need to build a wall, a real wall made of stone. After all, while the Sacred Fire can deter those terrible exotic beasts, it does not affect the less sensitivemon wild animals." "We also need to forge weapons and establish a dedicated team to deal with those threats, whether theye from outside or elsewhere." "..." Having arranged everything down to thest detail, it took about half a day''s time. Momon then stood up. He appeared more decisive and aggressive than in the past. "Gentlemen," n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om ncing around, especially at a few priests whose aura was somewhat simr to his own, then Momon asserted decisively: "Like it or not, everything is already settled. The gods have abandoned us, and the creator won''t return. Now only humans are left." "So from this moment on¡ª" "The fate of Bronze Humanity is in our hands." With a gleam in his eyes, Momon felt better than he ever had. ... From that day on, a tremendous change urred within Bronze Humanity. The Sacred Fire was brought to various towns, and the exotic beasts that had drawn close to human settlements due to the dissipation of divine aura now receded. Bearers of the Sacred Fire proimed the changes in Aurora, and then those priests, with craftsmen who were closely associated and had passed on skills at their forefront, established a new ruling system. From then on, in the human society without the creator, ss distinctions were no longer only spiritual but also material. There were those who voiced their dissatisfaction, but soon enough, one of them died at the jaws of a wild animal during an outing. Without weapons forged by skilled craftsmen, humans could not overpower wild beasts with bare hands, and quickly, peace was restored. But peace was only superficial, for as humans lost divine blessings, it might not seem apparent now with past umtions, but soon, due to decreased grain production and the casualty of livestock during grazing, the overall harvest for humans would significantly decline, and an era where no one worried about living materials would be a thing of the past. By then, even food would be one of the many challenging issues to resolve. Interestingly enough, as the narrative of ''Divine retribution against humans'' spread rapidly, certain beings who started paying attention to humans because of their Deceit towards the deity suddenly realized that while some people''s Faith had weakened, many others had be more devout. This epiphany made them acknowledge their previous understanding of Faith had been too shallow. Gods and humans differ; gods typically face threats from other gods, but to humans, the world itself is dangerous. In this context, they began to harbor different thoughts. Chapter 248 Chapter 58: The Treasury_3 248 Chapter 58: The Treasury_3 Perhaps humans don''t need to have it too good; just living like this current state is pretty decent. The gifts the gods bestow upon mortals should be random rather than fixed. It is for humans to hope and pray for their favor, not to exchange it for a clearly marked price. However, the gods only sporadically regard humans, for they had long understood the Divine King''s thoughts. From Pandora, whom they had created together, they saw Zeus''s will. Nevertheless, even for the dignity of the gods, the Divine King would not allow the Bronze Humanity, who sphemed against the deities, to proliferate and be masters of the earth. Therefore, they failed to notice that at the edge of Aurora, a ''demigod'' as they understood him, began to teach the primitive skills of physical training to the surrounding people, using that ce as the center. Or rather, they were learning together. Some of these people were themselves only half-understanding about attaining this power, and he was also troubled about how to let others learn this ability. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om After all, he was born at the pinnacle of the Mortal World, his physique a mere step away from transcendence, to the point that when he first harnessed this power, he didn''t even find it useful. So everything was tentative, and in a short while, apart from him, no second human who could birth power within their body appeared, though their physiques had significantly improved. In the meantime, apart from researching this power, he also sought to understand the history of the past few centuries and the deeds of the gods through various channels. In his home, he carved a stone b and often pondered in silence before it, never having gone to worship in any deity''s temple. This caught the attention of a few, but at times of change, many people, bereft of divine gifts, were alreadyining and even hating the gods, just not daring to voice it, so in the end, no one paid it more attention. In such circumstances, Laine, who had finally returned to Mount Sinai, stood at the core of the seven-tiered Spirit Realm, taking out Odin''s treasury that he had put away. "It doesn''t have the function to self-destruct, but only to shake space-time and let the items within fall out, is that right?" Although he had said this once before, and the observations he personally made confirmed it, Laine still wanted to confirm it again. He had reaped much from this journey and needed to arrange each item, but first, he had to take stock of them all, and Odin''s treasury was one of the ''blind boxes'' about which he still knew nothing. Thus, he set aside the dragon egg and first took out the wooden sphere engraved with runes. It wasn''trge, but for a creation of a Divine King, the apparent size evidently had no reference value. "Yes, in fact, I also participated in the crafting of this treasury." Following Laine into the Spirit Realm, Mimir grew increasingly cautious. He was grateful he hadn''te to a ce akin to the Land of the Dead, but the Spirit Realm seemed not much better. "For some truly precious items, the self-destruction runes aren''t actually capable of destroying them. It''s better to use the force of space-time, sending them to predetermined locations before the treasury is opened." "Of course, now that the Nine Realms have copsed, those predetermined coordinates are invalid. If we destroy it now, the items inside will just drift randomly in the void." The true void refers to the nothingness beyond worlds, but Laine knew that Mimir wasn''t talking about this; the void he referred to was just a concept on the spatial ne. "So, are you going to open it now? Just give me a moment to study, and I can find..." "No need to make it thatplicated." He shook his head slightly. Regardless of whether Mimir truly didn''t know how to open the treasury or just wanted to showcase his value, Laine wasn''t nning to spend that time. This was the Spirit Realm, and even if Odin himself were here, he wouldn''t be able to puncture the space-time barrier of the Spirit Realm. His treasury, even if its power increased by a hundredfold, wouldn''t yield a second oue. ``` Laine reached out his hand and gently grasped the wooden sphere. In the next moment, the space-time around the sphere started to bend, and an invisible force acted upon it. The grain of the wood lit up with symbols, one after another, which then extinguished just as quickly. Rune Symbols are the runes that exin the rules of the Nine Realms, not the rules of Chaos. Although there are some simrities between the rules of the two worlds, there are more differences. Therefore, what could have been called one of Asgard''s top alchemy creations, the Divine King''s treasury, almost instantly had its defenses broken, and the inscriptions of warning within were triggered. Hum¡ª A humming sound, visible to the naked eye, signaled the instant disintegration of the sphere''s wooden structure, and a familiar aura spread forth, that of the World Tree''s power. This divine tree, in its living days, not only possessed an extremely potent Life force but also supported the space-time of the Nine Realms, hence it had a very high space-time affinity. This force was now being drawn out, booming outwards. Then nothing happened, even as the entire wooden structure of the treasury crumbled away, not inflicting any damage to the surrounding space. "This..." Somewhat speechless, Mimir was shocked. In Norse mythology, unlike in Chaos, there was no deity truly in charge of space-time, only some entities that were more or less rted to it. For instance, Odin was considered a guardian of space-time, and The Three Fates were sometimes thought to possess the power of time. Therefore, seeing Laine manipte space so effortlessly still greatly shook him. In his brief encounter with the Flesh-Mother Tree, Mimir thought he had understood the formidable power of this foreign deity. However, now he saw that his power was not limited to Life and Death. "Alright, tell me about these things. Having been Odin''s ''chief of staff'' for so many years, you must have some understanding, right?" As the treasury shattered, the space inside also expanded, returning to its normal size. Facing the itemsid out before him, Laine did not reach out immediately but first turned to inquire of Mimir beside him. After all, it was better to let the ''local'' exin things from another world. "Of course." The giant head pushed down its shock and turned to look at several items floating in the void. Soon, he seemed to discover something. "Lord Laine, do you see that book?" Following the sound, Laine noticed the seemingly ordinary book. "Of course, what does it contain?" He already had a guess, after all, the value of a book is to carry knowledge. And what kind of knowledge would Odin cherish, if not Wisdom? Laine still waited for Mimir to confirm his thoughts. "That is The Origin Text, the very first book made from the leaves and sap of the World Tree Yggdrasil. In our world, there are many legends about it, but in truth, only I truly know what it is." Reflecting upon the past, as the guardian of the Spring of Wisdom, Mimir sometimes wondered what exactly he had received from the Fountain. It did not clear the fog to glimpse true ''Wisdom,'' or perhaps it revealed nothing at all. "Lord Laine, it is the greatest achievement of Odin''s sacrifice at the Spring of Wisdom, also the source of over seventy percent of all Magic and Alchemy in the Nine Realms, the original Rune Scriptures." "Odin extracted it from his own memories, using the unique and eternal leaves of the World Tree as its vessel. The final creation that emerged is The Origin Text before you." Chapter 249 Chapter 59 Time Dragon 249 Chapter 59 Time Dragon Mystery carries ''weight,'' even if it is just a fragment of memory, and the closer to the source, the more apparent this phenomenon bes. As previously mentioned, at the level of the world, matter, energy, and information are equivalent to each other, and some things of very high essence also possess simr characteristics. The Rune Scriptures are exactly like this. When Odin hadpleted the sacrifice of himself unto himself, and ''picked up'' these runes from the Spring of Wisdom¡ªrunes which could decipher all things of the world¡ªHe thought He could be the master of the world. However, He gradually realized that He simply could not bear the ''mystery''s'' weight. If the problem faced by Chaos, the Primordial Gods, was that They could not withstand the continuous assault of the full mighty power and had to walk the world in incarnations to maintain Their personas, then Odin faced a simr issue. His own soul and memory simply could not carry all the secrets of the Rune Symbols. Unlike the Primordial Gods, however, the Rune Symbols would not damage Odin''s soul; they would just dissipate on their own because the vessel was not perfect enough. The Divine King of Asgard could almost foresee that the great power of these runes would gradually fade from His memory until it weakened to a level He could fully endure. Odin naturally couldn''t ept this situation. How could the fruits of His near-death efforts simply fade away? Therefore, to preserve His achievements, He thought of a method. The World Tree Yggdrasil¡ªits power is unquestionable. If it possessed wisdom, then it would be the most powerful deity in the world. So Odin plucked its most vigorous leaves, both young and old, and fashioned them with the bark into special paper, then branded the runes from his memory onto it. This branding was not mere copying; it was a transference of the ''mystery'' they possessed. The result was a sess; the power of the Rune Scriptures no longer faded, it was permanently left in The Origin Text. Odin relearned the secrets of the runes that He couldprehend by observing The Origin Text and then spread its existence. However, in the realm of the arcane, the more it spread, the further from the origin it became, and the more its power weakened, so the power of Rune Symbols often varied greatly. In the hands of certain beings, they could predict the future and forge Divine Artifacts, but among mortals, they even gradually became meremon symbols, retaining only a faint symbolic concept. The runes are still those runes, but the ''mystery'' contained within is entirely different. "So, the runes on The Origin Text could also be considered as the source of the nine realms'' scripts?" Feeling somewhat amused, Laine recalled a certainnguage and innate script deity of the past, who, of course, he should now refer to with her new name, the Mother of Demons Moya. It seems that, in the grand scheme of things, he really is fated with the matter of writing. Perhaps the scripts of the Spirit Realm are destined to evolve step by step in his hands, ultimately bing the entity that interprets the mysteries of all rules in the world. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Without haste in perusing The Origin Text, Laine looked towards Mimir. "Continue, then. What''s next?" With the first treasure being so precious, Laine became even more interested in Odin''s vault. Although the power of the Rune Scriptures greatly diminished due to the changing of the world, what Laine valued was not the power. He needed information, the analysis of the world''s rules within, and the original runes in The Origin Text would undoubtedly help him aplish this step well. "That one, that ring, it is Odin''s Draupnir." Without any suspense, following Mimir''s indication, Laine noticed a lush and dazzling ring. He had heard about it inter myths¡ªit was the Divine Artifact given to Odin by the dwarf brothers Sindri and Brokkr in the incident involving Sif''s golden hair. These dwarf brothers, like Chaos''s Hephaestus and the Cyclops, possessed transcendent smithing skills. Besides Draupnir, the hammer of Thor, Mjolnir, was also one of their masterpieces. "An ornament is also stored in Odin''s vault?" He casually asked. As for the fact in the myths that this ring was destroyed, Laine was not too surprised; that might have been a replica. "In the eyes of mortals, Draupnir is just a treasured possession capable of replicating itself, described thus to reflect Odin''s brilliance and greatness. In reality, it is a byproduct of the exploration into the highest realms of Alchemy." In response to Laine''s skepticism, Mimir immediately exined: "One of the ultimate achievements of Alchemy is to master the core of material transformation. In the eyes of such beings, a handful of dirt and a chunk of magic metal are indistinguishable. Of course, Draupnir can''t do this; it can only perform the transmutation of ordinary items, such as changing stone to gold, or self-replication." "Changing stone to gold... I can easily do that with Divine Power as well." Summoning Draupnir, Laine had little knowledge of Alchemy, mostly just some principles fromter times which are somewhat true but not quite. And as for altering the properties of materials, or immortality, or creating souls, he himself could do it, so he naturally had never taken an interest in the birth of Alchemy. "It''s different. Changes under the effect of Divine Power are changes under external force. The Divine Power consumed to transform a bowl of running water into a gold nugget differs from transforming it into magical spring water, but Alchemy is different." Chapter 250 Chapter 59 Time Dragon_2 250 Chapter 59 Time Dragon_2 "Theoretically, once you understand the most fundamental principle, then all changes in the universe are no different to you, because at a certain level, everything is ''equivalent''." With a brief exnation, Mimir added: "However, this is only what I understand; in fact, I am not adept at alchemy." "I can see that." Nodding slightly, Laine slipped the Draupnir onto his own finger. "Equivalent exchange... Perhaps the ultimate goal of alchemy is like the world itself, equating matter, energy, and information, reducing three to two, and two to one, until grasping the very origin." "But probably no one, god or man, has truly aplished this step because it implies that his wisdom has reached an understanding of the ''Origin,'' something even I am incapable of." "Next." The so-called pinnacle of alchemy might or might not exist, yet Laine could see the ultimate of deity and was walking that path. Therefore, the ring was of little use to him; it was merely a catalyst, at least for now, as Laine had no intention of delving into the ''technology'' of this mythic world from scratch. Beyond these two treasures, there were six more items in the treasury. Two small bottles containing unknown liquids, a crystal box filled with leaves¡ªLaine didn''t need to ask, he could recognize them: the tender leaves of the World Tree, probably leftovers from the crafting of The Origin Text. There was also a box filled with gray mist, a treasured sword whose edge was concealed by a scabbard made of amethyst and emerald crystals, and a damaged stele. "That sword is called Laevateinn, symbolizing victory and destruction; it was once a tribute from the Vanir to Asgard, the sheathed sword of Freyr, the God of Sun and Fertility. I heard that itter fell into the hands of the Titans, but I didn''t expect to see it here." Looking at the sword, Mimir seemed a bit surprised. "Who knows, perhaps Odin saw something as well." Reaching out, Laine immediately grasped the hilt of the divine sword. Upon touching the hilt, a fiery sensation passed through it, not the warmth of the sun, but the scorching heat of mes. This reminded Laine of a rumor: the Sun God Freyr, in his quest to woo a giantess, had lost this treasured sword, which ultimately ended up in the hands of Surtr, Lord of the Kingdom of mes. 13:04 This Titan leader reforged the Divine Artifact and ultimately used it to kill Freyr, who was without a proper weapon during the Twilight of the Gods, and even brought destruction upon the Mortal Realm of Midgard. This was also considered a twist of fate in the Scandinavian mythology: the Sword of Destruction in the hands of the God of Fertility ultimately brought about destruction for himself and the world. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om However, clearly, in these Nine Realities, where fate had taken a different course, the first half of the sword''s history was as before, falling into Sutr''s hands, but not the second half. No one knows what happened in between, but eventually, it ended up in Odin''s hands. "Generally, even after being reforged, it only just touches the lower limits of a High-Grade Artifact." "As a weapon, it''s already quite remarkable, even surpassing Themis''s Sword of Judgment, but it is of no use to me." Gently evaluating, Laine''s fingers brushed across the de''s edge, sending a slight sting through his fingertips. With a casual toss, the divine sword flew through the air, merging with a stone sword embedded in a bluestone. That was the foundational object tied to the core Godhood of the Sun God. While the original stone sword was indeed transcendent, the object it was tied to was nothing more than ordinary stone, but now, it had switched its vessel. From then on, not only was its power stronger, but it also possessed a part of [Victory]''s authority. Of course, correspondingly, the difficulty to wield it had increased further. It wasn''t just the curse of the Great Sr Incineration, but only those whom it recognized could hold it; for anyone else, it was just an indestructible rock. "Let''s continue. What are in those two bottles?" Ripples coursed through space as the stone sword and its pedestal were moved to the heart of Mount Sinai, near the Fountain pool nurturing various Divine Artifacts. As an artifact from the outside world, it needed time to transform before it could be a part of the Spirit Realm, which wasmon for most foreign objects. "... The two bottles contain a type of poison and its antidote, Lord Laine. It''s crafted from waters refined from Hvergelmir Spring, the blood of the primordial giant Ymir, and several dreadful things. Its toxicity is unrivaled in the Nine Realms, and nearly nothing can counteract this poison." "But the Chaos''s deity and yours are different; hoping to kill a Deity with a dose of poison is probably wishful thinking." Looking at the two bottles, Laine felt an implicit threat. Of course, this was an illusion since the unknown liquid could only threaten his Divine Body, and that part of his being was the most negligible aspect of his strength. That being said, Laine still collected the two small bottles. The effects of toxins tend to be persistent and concealed. Perhaps at the right time, they could y a role. "And thest two items, what is that stele?" The fragmentary body of the stele and its obscure writing made it difficult to discern its origins. Yet as part of Odin''s treasury, it was unlikely to be just an ordinary stele. But this time, Mimir couldn''t give him a satisfactory answer. Chapter 251: 59 Time Dragon_3 Chapter 251: Chapter 59 Time Dragon_3 ¡°I also don¡¯t know its origin; it might be a collection of Odin himself. At least in my long life, I have never heard of anything simr.¡± ¡°As for that grey mist, it should be the grudge left by the primordial giant after his death. It was supposed to turn into a curse, but in the end, Odin trapped it here.¡± The primordial giant Ymir, in Scandinavian mythology, is a character simr to a creator deity. However, the only significance of this ¡®creator deity¡¯ is to give birth to a host of Titans and the Deity Race and then be killed. Even Dwarves and Elves are transformations derived from his body after his death. Laine¡¯s fingers lightly tapped the stele, but he found nothing, so he had to put it aside for now. As for the grey mist, there was also no use for it yet, so he simply gathered it up as well. In the end, Laine looked at the head of Mimir, this giant from another world he had brought back to the Spirit Realm. The other party also looked at him somewhat nervously, knowing that his role to y had nowe to an end. ¡°I took you away from Asgard, and you solved my doubts, now, we¡¯re even. Do you have anything else you want to say?¡± Laine asked calmly, looking at the head that was half the height of a human. He didn¡¯t need such a head to act as his staff, but he also had no ns to let it go. After all, Mimir had witnessed all his gains along the way, so it was better to stay in the Spirit Realm.
And although he was now very obedient to him, nine times out of ten, he was not an honest fellow. ¡°If possible, I¡¯d like to stay within the Spirit Realm and do some things as a form of repayment,¡± the head proposed. As a head without the power to resist, Mimir knew nothing of Chaos. He only knew that the ce he was staying in was the Spirit Realm¡ªthe kingdom of the deity standing before him, just as Odin was to Asgard. Although Laine had been quite polite along the way, Mimir gauged by himself that the other party probably wouldn¡¯t let him go freely. Moreover, he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be better off outside as just a head. ¡°However, I hope to acquire a body that can walk, rather than always staying like this.¡± ¡°To stay is of course possible, and as for what to do¡­ since you were once a giant of wisdom, go and take care of knowledge. I¡¯ll build a library on the third floor of the Spirit Realm, and you¡¯ll be the gatekeeper. In your spare time, you can alsopile your past memories into books and store them there. As for a body¡­¡± After a moment of thought, Laine finally gave a very interesting reply. ¡°Your body will be up to you to obtain. I¡¯ll open that library to outsiders. Whoever puts knowledge into it will be able to take out knowledge of equal value. You may not harm any being thates to the door, and of course, they cannot harm you either. That¡¯s the rule I¡¯ve set.¡± ¡°However, you may exchange with them. As long as you do not intentionally deceive them, and they willingly lend you their body, then you can be the master of that body. It¡¯s quite fair, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, I am willing to ept this oue.¡± Though somewhat disappointed, this was already quite good. Compared to forever being just a head in the Golden Pce, Mimir now at least had a chance to move. He only hoped that more people woulde to this ¡®library¡¯ in the future rather than not seeing a single soul for years. ¡°Very well, since you¡¯ve agreed, the deal is now made. I¡¯lle to visit you when I have time,¡± agreed Laine. Nodding, Laine extended a hand and pointed. In the Seviraz Temple on Mount Sinai, within the Divine Artifact storing the memories of all creatures of the fourthyer of the All-Spirit Realm, countless forms of knowledge were extracted and then transformed into volumes of books. Acting under the influence of an invisible force, they systematically arranged themselves into a spontaneously formed, circr library, distributed in a spiral fashion with no visible end above or below. During this process, the Skull of Mimir was also brought into the main hall of the circr library, wherefrom it became the steward of this ce. With a simple wave of the hand, the library vanished within folding space, and then reappeared in a certain spot on the thirdyer of the Spirit Realm. A destiny-driven attraction was ced upon it, so that from then on, any lifeform seeking certain knowledge might unintentionally find their way here, leaving behind their own and acquiring what they sought. With this, the misceneous tasks wereplete, and Laine¡¯s gaze finally fell upon the dragon eggs he had brought back.
As a deity who had personally created more than one life, Laine easily discerned the unique characteristics of these dragon eggs. They were still unformed, constantly susceptible to change by the shifting conditions of the exterior environment. If Laine hadn¡¯t isted them from the interaction with the Spirit Realm¡¯s essence, this transformation might have already begun. Undoubtedly, the better the environment, the stronger the power absorbed during the incubation process, and correspondingly, the newborn dragons would be stronger¡ªin fact, even their progeny would inherit this enhanced strength. As the core of the Spirit Realm, Mount Sinai was indeed already an excellent nurturing environment, but the power of the Spirit Realm itself was quite chaotic. If left to gestate on their own, Laine was unsure what breed of dragon would ultimately emerge.
In such circumstances, the question of how to shape these dragon eggs with more specificity became a matter worth considering. If we were to discuss strength and purity, indeed the powers of [Spirituality], [Samsara], and [Order] were the most suitable within the Spirit Realm, but [Order] was not exclusive to Laine within Chaos, and for some reason, [Samsara] was not fit to be the primal power of the new Dragon Race. Thus, looking at the two most vibrant dragon eggs before him, Laine undoubtedly needed to find another appropriate authority. And after much consideration, one iplete creation seemed to be the perfect choice. ¡°[Time], I have held it for quite a while, and the Divine Artifact it is to give birth to has yet to appear.¡± ¡°At least another epoch is required for it to be born as a Genesis Artifact, which couldn¡¯t be more suitable.¡± To grant an authority its corresponding race would undoubtedly aid its evolution and refinement. Besides, [Time] was, after all, one of the few origins in the Spirit Realm closest to the great nes, apart from [Spirituality], [Order], and [Samsara]. Both in terms of strength and potential for development, it deserves to be one of the choices. ¡°Since that is the case, lucky fellow, you shall be the world¡¯s first Time Dragon.¡± With a touch, one of the two dragon eggs instantaneously shifted positions, appearing next to a dark gold light cluster within the depths of the mountain¡ªan embryonic Divine Artifact that had been nurtured for an epoch. The power of time began to impregnate the dragon egg, adding dark golden stripes to it, while the breath of life was also brought forth. Simultaneously, the power of the Spirit Realm began to cleanse the dragon egg¡¯s origin, transforming it thoroughly into a member of the Spirit Realm while it was still unborn. The moment before the emergence of life is the best chance to change its source. The Divine Artifact and the dragon willplement each other. In the future, the Time Dragons will navigate through the intervals of time, harvesting fragments of time to return to the embryonic Divine Artifact or directly influencing significant events, creating [historical nodes], thereby expediting the birth of the Divine Artifact. Conversely, the stronger the embryonic Divine Artifact is, the moreplete the [Time] authority of the Spirit Realm, the more powerful the Time Dragon race will also be. There may be many dragon breeds in the future, but Laine believes that the Time Dragons bound to the Genesis Artifact will undoubtedly be among the most powerful.
As for those with slightly weaker auras, they may be shaped at will, contributing to the diversity of the world¡¯s Dragon Race. After all, bearing power also requires potential, and apart from those two most excellent ones, even if Laine could find suitable authorities, they would only be like Odin¡ªwho was unable to bear theplete Rune Scriptures¡ªtheir power would still only be a fraction of the whole. Chapter 252: 60 Surveillance Chapter 252: Chapter 60 Surveince ¡°` Time cannot be altered at will, and the more powerful the world is, the more this is the case, especially when it involves powerful beings. Thus, before reaching a certain height, the difficulty and cost of ¡®killing the past¡¯ to then ¡®kill the now¡¯ far outweighs directly taking down one¡¯s enemy head-on. Therefore, although future Time Dragons can travel through past and future, they cannot arbitrarily change what has already urred. They can observe the future but cannot determine which future is the true one, or if none of the futures they see are the real ones, it is merely a negligible possibility that cannot even qualify as a Prophecy; they can glimpse into the past, but it feels more like watching a film, and if the entities involved surpass their own power by too much, it could even cause the ¡®film¡¯ to blur. ¡°However, this is only limited to the main body of Chaos, after all, there are too many deities here, and the Laws are too strict. If it were somewhere else, it should be much easier.¡± Laine¡¯s gaze pierced throughyers of obstruction to see beyond the present world, into the void within it. As a deity who had deeply participated in the fusion of the Nine Realities with the world, even without actively engaging in Prophecy, fate still provided him with feedback. He vaguely noticed that the small fragments of the Nine Realms that were initially absorbed by Chaos had already begun evolving; as time passed, they might be scattered miniature nes, attached to the main body of the world. Compared to the present world, those miniature nes have weaker regtions and are less likely to give birth to powerful life forms, for those ces devoid of higher powers, Time Dragons undoubtedly can do as they please. Without any surprises, those ces will be their main activity grounds in the future. After all, as dragons, they are already strong enough. But in the Chaos World, it is the gods who are the masters of the world. ¡°And then there¡¯s you.¡±
Laine turned to look at another dragon egg; it did not need to worry about such things. Spirituality in itself is the most suitable power for it. What really matters, instead, is how much it can withstand. His palm lightly caressed the surface of the dragon egg, and in an instant, the originally pitch-ck shell turned white, its entire body shifting from a solid entity to a more ethereal state. The purest Spirituality flowed continuously from Laine¡¯s fingertips into the dragon egg, providing power for the dragon within that has yet to be born. It began to shed its material state, transitioning towards a form between ethereal and physical. Once the transformation isplete, it will possess not only the mighty bodymon to all dragons but will also be able to travel between mind and consciousness,mand Elements, and foresee the future. Of course, this is limited to itself, being the first, it¡¯s always a bit more special, while its kin may not necessarily have these abilities. ¡°Eh?¡± Suddenly, Laine unexpectedly discovered that perhaps because the Spirituality significantly enhanced the consciousness of the dragon egg, even before being born, it had already gained a hazy ability to think. It started conveying a vague message, roughly seeking a name. Originally, as creations of Nidhogg, each dragon would possess a piece of ¡®information¡¯ from him, which would serve as their unique name for the future, a moniker that¡¯s also one of their anchors. But now, the dragon egg, transformed by the Spirit Realm, was stripped of this influence, and thus it instinctively sought a name. ¡°You want a name¡­ let¡¯s not rush the official one, since you haven¡¯t been born yet, for now you¡¯ll be called ¡®Bai¡¯.¡± Looking at the eggshell that had turned white, Laine said offhand. The dragon egg, whether satisfied or not, simply wobbled twice. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take it that you¡¯re happy with it.¡± With a slight smile, as the two dragon eggs began to be nurtured one after the other, certain rules within the Spirit Realm changed along with them. Laine did not n to make these two mighty true dragons into roles simr to the ¡®Dragon Mother¡¯, but since there was only one of each, they naturally required a different method to produce kin. Laine thought it quite simple: the birth was to be bootstrapped. Henceforth, the kin of these two dragon eggs would not be born through reproduction, but instead through the convergence of time and Spirituality. They might appear anywhere; more likely, they would directly manifest within dead eggs of other dragons, taking their ce entirely. However, these ¡®weaker¡¯ kin,pared to the kings of their respective tribes, will inevitably fall short. For example, the future kin of Bai will only have powers rted to the mind, with Elements and destiny being beyond their reach.
For this reason, Laine named them uniquely: [Mind Dragons]. ¡°It seems it won¡¯t be a brief period of time¡­ well, let¡¯s just wait.¡± There is still some time before the dragon eggs are born, but this is not long for a deity, and if the passage of time here is elerated, then it is expected that Bai can hatch before the extinction of Bronze Humanity. Thus, Laine gently lifted his hand, warping the flow of time on Mount of the Gods.
Since that¡¯s the case, he ns to wait for a decade or two. After the Dragon nurtured by Spirituality is born, he¡¯ll then consider its much weaker siblings. During this gap, he took out the fragmented weapon of Odin, the shaft of the Divine Lance Gungnir. A dozen years, within the distorted spacetime, should be sufficient for him to handle this treasure from the Otherworld. Laine had no intention to repair or preserve the Divine Artifact, since without its prative spearhead, Gungnir¡¯s innate power wasn¡¯t of much significance to him. For it, Laine had a different use in mind. Chapter 253: 60 Surveillance_2 Chapter 253: Chapter 60 Surveince_2 ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Mount Olympus, Divine King¡¯s sleeping chamber. It had been quite some time since the punishment of humans, and Zeus, seated on a chair in his pce, gently massaged his temples. His headaches had be more noticeable in recent days. The Divine King knew what this was about. His daughter was about toe of age, eager toe into this world, yet as a deity, she needed a process, a ¡®birth.¡¯ But Zeus, after all, was not a goddess; he couldn¡¯t possibly ¡®give birth¡¯ to her, and so her power began to conflict with her father¡¯s. Regarding this matter, Zeus indeed was not without a solution. As an immortal member of the deity race, and not human, he could simply open up his body to allow her to be born. However, in reality, the Divine King wasn¡¯t very eager for her to emerge. Just as the prophecy had said, ¡®One who will surpass the mother, one who will surpass the father,¡¯ this unborn child not only divided most of Metis¡¯s Wisdom, making Zeus feel his own thoughts were not as clear as before, but this newborn also possessed other divine authorities. Undoubtedly, all this foretold that she would be an extremely powerful true god. But this made Zeus rather apprehensive; after all, if such a daughter were obedient, well and good, but should she harbor resentment towards him for swallowing Metis, she might well be another enemy. And on the other hand, the Divine King thought of the ¡®Wisdom¡¯ that had not been bestowed upon humans not long ago.
Could it be that this daughter, even before being born, had already seen something? Perhaps she refused her father¡¯smand over the authority because she didn¡¯t want ¡®Wisdom¡¯ to be a cause of human destruction? ¡°¡­Perhaps I¡¯m overthinking it,¡± he said, ¡°no god could understand the affairs of the outside world before being born.¡± Shaking his head slightly, Zeus seemed to want to scatter his worries. With his brothers and sisters as a contrast, Zeus was quite clear on what an unborn god could do. Perhaps her refusal of hismand over the authority was just a coincidence, or maybe it was an instinctual reaction of the divine authority of Wisdom. ¡°¡ªZephyrus.¡± Pushing aside his thoughts, with the current situation indicating that the child wouldn¡¯t be born immediately, Zeus prepared to deal with the affairs that had umted in recent days. With Zeus¡¯s call, a breeze passed by, and the God of the West Wind, who had been ¡®relied upon heavily¡¯ by the ¡®two reigns¡¯ Divine King, appeared before him. ¡°Your Majesty, what are your orders?¡± Zephyrus asked in a respectful tone. ¡°How has it gone with the matter I had you attend to?¡± Though everything had been arranged, Zeus felt he was far from the point of resting easy. He wasn¡¯t like he would beter; there were many beings in the world he still had to be wary of. Therefore, soon after the gods had departed, he had the West Wind God investigate the changes in the human tribes and the attitude of the Afterthinker, Epimetheus, like whether he held any grudges against the Divine King. And most importantly, he had this keen spying deity track the Goddess of the Magic Net, Hecate. In the current mortal realm, she was the greatest uncertainty. After all, Zeus vividly remembered how, when they had once shed, this goddess was not yet a deity. To defeat a fully powered true god without borrowing divine powers, even though he had been very weak at that time, was still quite remarkable. ¡°Your Majesty, I may stillck in strength, but in this regard, nobody canpare with me,¡± Zephyrus spoke with unwavering respect, yet his words betrayed immense confidence. As one who had secretly spied on the Lord of the Spirit Realm, the Lady of the Night, and Mother Earth, not even the Divine King couldpare to him in this aspect. Moreover, with the current gods¡¯ divine powers limited on Earth, their perceptual abilities had further declined; under such circumstances, Zephyrus didn¡¯t believe anyone could detect his presence. ¡°Your Majesty, humans are as arrogant as ever. Even though the gods have already spared them, they still deceive their own kind in the name of divinity,pelling obedience to theirmands¡ªsuchughable mortals.¡± ¡°However, I¡¯ve noticed that under the deception of those who call themselves ¡®priests,¡¯ the faith of mortals doesn¡¯t seem to have diminished much despite the loss of divine gifts. Sure, some have be faithless, but many have be even more devout.¡± At this, Zephyrus appeared somewhat perplexed. While he could see the oue, he didn¡¯t understand the reason why some humans¡¯ faith in the gods grew stronger despite the absence of blessings?
¡°And what of Epimetheus?¡± Without exining his thoughts, Zeus expected this. Mortals were, after all, different from gods; in dealing with them, one couldn¡¯t just bestow favors unthinkingly. As he listened to the Wind God¡¯s report, Zeus¡¯s mind once again cast back to that person who had prayed to him for immortality, yetcked even a sliver of faith. That mortal¡¯s name was something like O-something, but that was no longer important. His soul would be eternally imprisoned in that charred husk, enduring endless pain and the torment of lightning; in a sense, this was somewhat a form of immortality. ¡°Your Majesty, that God of Hindsight is as foolish as the rumors say. I even overheard him mentioning that just before Prometheus left, he advised him to stay away from the Divine Court and humans, yet he did not heed his brother¡¯s words. He and that god-made creature live quite well together, even having a daughter,¡± Zephyrus said with a touch of disdain in his voice, thinking that if only Epimetheus were half as clever as himself, he wouldn¡¯t have ended up a pawnpletely unaware.
Chapter 254: 60 Surveillance_3 Chapter 254: Chapter 60 Surveince_3 ¡°Where is that y jar sent by the King of the Underworld?¡± Zeus didn¡¯t pay much attention to Epimetheus, he only had the God of West Wind look after him as a precaution. What truly concerned Zeus was the King of the Underworld¡¯s ¡®gift¡¯. Hades volunteered to bear the name of the destroyer of the Bronze Humanity, as long as someone defied his warning and opened the jar he gave, the gods under hismand would use gue and cmity to resolve Zeus¡¯s troubles. As for the price, he demanded that from now on, the corpses of all who did not devoutly believe in the gods would belong to him, and the Divine King agreed to this request. However, for some reason, his ambitious but ipetent elder brother also got involved, Poseidon dered that he too wanted to take part in the destruction of humanity. Zeus felt that he probably thought such an act would make humans fear his power. But had he not considered that gods were not just him alone? Hades resided in the Underworld, possessed authority which was also not favored by humans, giving up a positive image could be understood, but Poseidon? Yet thinking about it, it seemed hard to say his choice was wrong, after all, his own elder brother probably wasn¡¯t very capable of ying the role of a majestic and just benevolent deity. ¡°The gift bestowed by His Majesty the King of the Underworld is well-preserved by Epimetheus and Pandora, they did nothing unnecessary, merely asionally taking it out to look at it,¡± Zephyrus reported, standing before Zeus. ¡°¡­I understand, I¡¯ll handle this matter.¡± After pondering for a moment, since simple curiosity and the desire to explore could be suppressed by reason, then Zeus decided to add the sin of envy as well.
He believed that he and the three daughters of Eurynome could very well aplish this. Besides, that jar¡­ the Divine King was actually quite interested in the gift from the Goddess of the Nether Moon as well. ¡°What about Hecate, what has she gone off to do?¡± In the end, the Divine King turned his attention to that unstable factor. He still couldn¡¯t discern Hecate¡¯s attitude towards him, nor had he understood how she managed to weave the Magic Net. But she possessed a powerful Divine Artifact, with a force unlike that of any deity, that much was clear to Zeus. ¡°That Goddess of the Magic Net, she and the Moon Goddess Selene went to the ruins of Mount Othrys. They seemed to be doing something there, and after they left, I went there to have a look,¡± Zephyrus said after hesitating. ¡°Since I couldn¡¯t use Divine Power, I was unable to break through the barrier left by that goddess. It seemed to be connecting the mountain and thend to the Magic Net, so I couldn¡¯t tell what they did.¡± ¡°After that, they headed off to the celestial spaces.¡± ¡°No matter, it¡¯s normal for you not to be able to deal with what she left behind. In the present world, there are few deities who can trouble her.¡± Zeus was reasonably satisfied, as long as Hecate didn¡¯t wander around on thend at this juncture. It would be trouble if she suddenly took an interest in the Bronze Humanity. ¡°You¡¯ve done well. I will grant you the right to spread faith among the humans on your own when the next generation is born, this is an early reward for you.¡± ¡°In the meantime, you are still responsible for monitoring the human tribes in the vicinity.¡± ¡°As youmand, Your Majesty.¡± Zephyrus wore a happy expression, knowing what Zeus¡¯s promise meant. Now, the faith of humans towards the Olympian pantheon was in a situation akin to a ¡®big pot meal,¡¯ where any powerful deity who knew the secret of faith built temples of varying standards and sizes among the human tribes, based on their divine power. But in the next era Zeus had envisioned, this would not be the case. The gods were far from harmonious, and if Zeus forced them to coexist peacefully, the contradictions would only target him, the Divine King. It was better to let them fight amongst themselves. Moreover, some gods, though powerful,cked in wisdom, like Poseidon. Zeus felt that if left to his own devices, he wouldn¡¯t be able to gather any followers. So, he let the gods ¡®reap what they sowed.¡¯
Furthermore, with the faith and deceit of the Bronze Humanity, the gods gradually realized that the devotion generated by humans who primarily worship one deity while merely respecting others was far greater than that of those who worshipped many gods simultaneously, which further intensified their desire to split apart. Ironically, this discovery was also the ¡®path to death¡¯ for Prometheus, because the gods noticed the phenomenon due to some humans only worshipping the creator, with their faith in other gods being superficial. However, all of this was originally unrted to the God of West Wind. In the Divine King¡¯s ns, only those deities of significant importance in the Divine Court had the privilege to spread their faith alone in the next age of humanity, and Zephyrus¡¯s status was rather awkward. Although he became the Leader of the Wind Gods with the enhancement of the Divine King¡¯s power, taking over many responsibilities originally belonging to the God of Meteorology, and barely stepped into Intermediate Divine Power, theoretically a member of the ¡®higher gods,¡¯ this power could be revoked by the Divine King at any time.
Now, having received Zeus¡¯s promise, he finally was able to breathe a sigh of relief. After receiving his orders, the God of West Wind left the pce, transforming into a current of air and disappearing without a trace. Behind him, Zeus also nodded silently. The authority of the Wind Gods was indeed handy for gathering information, as even if divine power was restrained on thend, it could not prevent a deity from transforming into the essence of their godhood. It seemed that neither Hecate nor Epimetheus must have noticed his surveince. In this respect, the Goddess of Rainbow Iris, who often conveyed his orders as well, was not just a notch below. So, in recent years, the Divine King had sent her to serve the Heavenly Empress rather than always staying by his side. ¡°Hopefully, nothing unexpected urs¡­ I also don¡¯t know where that intuition of mine came from.¡± Just before, around the time Prometheus was confined to the East Sea, Zeus felt somewhat restless, which is why he elerated his ns. He was so eager to create Pandora and send her to Epimetheus that he seemed a bit hasty. However, soon after, as the master of Olympus, the Divine King once again had a mysterious hunch. He felt as if something was approaching Mount Olympus, and there was a tight connection between it and him. As a result, Zeus spent a lot of time meticulously exploring, but in the end, he found nothing. ¡°Perhaps I should try a different approach, maybe intuition can lead me to the target better than divine power.¡± With a slight change in his expression, Zeus decided that once the matter of the Bronze Humanity was concluded, he would let his instincts guide him to see what had triggered his reaction. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ As the Nine Realms integrated and Prometheus was imprisoned, the Chaos World once again became calm.
Or rather, having continuous events like in recent years was unprecedented in the past two eras. Years sped by, and everything appeared so tranquil, with only a few able to sense the undercurrent beneath this calm. Until this day, when several divine visitors from Mount Olympus came to the valley where Epimetheus and Pandora resided. Chapter 255: 61 Awakening Chapter 255: Chapter 61 Awakening The Sun Chariot had already reached the west, and the afterglow of the sunset painted the earth with ayer of golden varnish. The Afterthinker¡¯s residence wasn¡¯t far from the human tribes, yet it was separated by a wide river. This river had been born at the turn of an era, as a result of the residual effects of two Ancient Gods shing; hence, it had no River God. Instead, a double-headed beast tainted with the blood of the Sea God upied it. Under the intimidation of the beast, there were no traces of human activity in this ce, even though it was only separated by one river. But today, three distinct-looking but splendidly dressed goddesses arrived here. They were d in gemstone-studded gowns, crowns of flowers on their heads, and holding bouquets, radiating an aura of beauty and joy. When they stood together, even the deserted riverbank seemed like the site of a winding streamside feast, eliciting a sense of heartfelt pleasure. ¡°Aea, why did Father God make us visit a mortal?¡± With a slightly arrogant expression, Thaliained to her youngest sister. ¡°She is not a mortal, Thalia, she is Pandora, blessed by all the gods.¡± With a serene smile, Aea quietly exined. ¡°What¡¯s the difference? She was created by gods, and so were humans. Does being blessed by the gods make her divine?¡±
Feeling unconvinced, Thalia, the oldest and most mature-looking among them, actually knew that Pandora was not just any mortal, but regardless, she could not be considered a god¡¯s equal. Yet such a person had received a blessing from all the gods, something she had never enjoyed. ¡°Let it go, Thalia. Regardless, she has married a deity. Perhaps Father God wants us to express his benevolence, especially since both the foolish god¡¯s brothers have been punished by the Divine Court sequentially.¡± Euphrosyne stopped Thalia¡¯sints. The three Graces, daughters of the Oceanide Eurynome, were respectively in charge of elegance and splendor, mirth and festivity, encouragement and enjoyment. From a certain perspective, they seemed to represent the beauty of different female age stages. The youngest, Aea, was graceful and quiet, often preferring solitude to admire the beauty of mountains and rivers; Euphrosyne, the second, enjoyed a more lively atmosphere, frequently bringing smiles to those around her; Thalia, the eldest, was no longer satisfied with ordinary pleasures. She presided over indulgence and feasting, bringing more thrilling enjoyment to everyone. Perhaps for this reason, the eldest one appeared somewhat fond ofparison, while the youngest was much more polite. ¡°Hmph.¡± With a huff, Thalia epted Euphrosyne¡¯s reasoning. Despite her disdain for Epimetheus, he was at least a descendant of the Titans, and both his brothers were renowned among the gods for their wisdom and strength, and he himself possessed considerable Divine Power. Though this ¡®considerable¡¯ was only so whenpared to the three of them, in the current age, true gods with lesser Divine Power were indeed rare. Ending their brief spat, the three goddesses walked towards the distant garden. This garden, built by Epimetheus for Pandora, surrounded their dwelling. ¡°Oh, you are¡ª¡± Approaching unconcealed, the Graces startled thedy at home, Pandora, who was wearing a spacious robe. She looked up from the flowerbed and gazed into the distance. As embodiments of beauty, the three goddesses embodied different forms of ¡®beauty¡¯ despite their dissimr appearances, and in this respect, Pandora, blessed by the true Goddess of Beauty, was not inferior. Butpared to theirvish attire, her dress was much iner. As Athena had not yet been born, the ¡®bright-eyed maiden¡¯, victorious in battles and skilled in crafts, naturally had no chance to cloak Pandora in a feathered dress. Thus, as the first mortal woman in the world, a sense of envy rose in Pandora¡¯s heart, which she quickly suppressed. She was a life blessed by the gods; a mere dress was not worth concerning herself with. ¡°I am Aea, and these are my two sisters. We havee to visit the brother of the Forethinker.¡± Aea said with a polite smile. ¡°Then pleasee in,dies. I have heard of your names. Unfortunately, Epimetheus left not long ago, saying he would be gone for quite some time.¡±
Stepping forward, Pandora opened the gate to the garden and spoke. ¡°Is that so¡­ That is indeed unfortunate.¡± With a slight smile, Aea pulled her somewhat reluctant sister into the garden. Bright, vibrant flowers bloomed unseasonably along the sides of the path paved with fine stones, courtesy of Demeter¡¯s blessing, making Pandora¡¯s surroundings perpetually flourish with flowers, eternal like spring.
Entering the garden, Aea casually started a conversation while observing the environment andyout. ¡°On a daily basis, is it just you and Prince Epimetheus living here? It must feel a bit lonely.¡± ¡°Not just us, there¡¯s also my daughter Pitha, who was recently born. Furthermore, Deucalion often visits us.¡± Pandora spoke of Deucalion with a hint of regret. ¡°He did not inherit his parents¡¯ powers, and his divinity is almost nonexistent. As apletely ordinary demigod, he also lives with us in the Mortal Realm.¡± Chapter 256: 61 Awakening_2 Chapter 256: Chapter 61 Awakening_2 The Forethinker Prometheus had a wife and child, though indeed, they weren¡¯t as well-known as he was. He and the Oceanide, the Goddess of Foresight Pronoia, gave birth to Deucalion, yet this son of the Forethinker couldn¡¯t obtain any godhood; his power was not even much stronger than that of an ordinary mortal. Demigod, a term used sometimes to describe a state and other times to describe a race. And in this age, since the first mortal born with innate divinity had not yete into being, demigod naturally refers to thetter. Any first-generation descendant of a deity can be called a demigod, and Deucalion was such an existence. Long before Prometheus attempted to deceive the gods, the Goddess of Foresight, like Epimetheus, had advised against it. However, unlike the Afterthinker, when persuasion proved fruitless, Pronoia directly sought refuge in the reclusive abode of Iapetus, seeking the protection of this Titan deity. She did not return to the ocean because, after learning the secret of faith, Pronoia was no longer allowed to approach the sea. Deucalion, on the other hand, chose to stay behind, because he always believed in his father¡¯s wisdom. ¡°That is a real pity, but I believe he will, like his father, achieve his own with something other than strength,¡± Having offered words offort, Aea resumed her conversation with Pandora, and her two sisters also joined them. The garden was already half traversed when suddenly, Thalia seemed to remember something and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Pandora, I heard Lord Hades gave you a jar?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right, do you want to take a look?¡±
A smile yed on her lips, for regarding this treasure bestowed by Hades, Pandora was understandably proud. Ever since he went to the Underworld, Hades had interacted less with the gods above, but he still remembered to send her a gift, which was also a pleasing matter. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ve been curious about it for a long time.¡± Nodding, Thalia continued, ¡°Is it true that another Principal God of the Underworld added an extra, very precious item into it at the time?¡± ¡°A treasure, perhaps, but I also don¡¯t know what that might be.¡± In her memory, what Liana had ced inside the jar was a shimmering illusion that was not quite clear, thus Pandora could only shake her head. ¡°Haven¡¯t you tried opening it to take a look?¡± Interest piqued, Thalia couldn¡¯t help but suggest. ¡°Lord Hades cautioned that the jar must not be opened.¡± Declining the idea, although Pandora was also curious about what exactly was hidden inside that allowed such an ordinary y jar to absorb disaster and misfortune, she remembered the Divine King¡¯s injunction and had thus never made an unwarranted move. ¡°I understand, but Hades did not exin why it cannot be opened, did he?¡± Not caring too much, in Thalia¡¯s memory, nothing in the Chaos World prior existed that would bring disaster upon opening it. As for mortals, she truly had not thought about them. ¡°Maybe there¡¯s an even more precious treasure inside. Moreover, since the Divine King didn¡¯t prevent another Principal God of the Underworld from adding a gift, it must not contain any danger, I presume.¡± Pandora was somewhat tempted, but she shook her head in refusal again, which made Thalia a bit displeased. After gazing at the beautiful woman in front of her, she said indifferently, ¡°That¡¯s right, after all, you¡¯re not of the Deity Race, and you inevitably have various concerns, but they are truly unnecessary. I wonder what purpose the Father God had in mind in having the gods create you.¡± ¡°Perhaps, but as a goddess yourself, you don¡¯t seem to have made the gods regard you any differently. Why don¡¯t you go ask Lord Hades yourself what¡¯s really inside, to satisfy my curiosity as well?¡± Although she faced a deity, Pandora felt no fear. With the blessing given to her by Hestia, this deity with meager divine power simply couldn¡¯t trouble her.
¡°You¡ª¡± Thalia¡¯splexion didn¡¯t look very good, and for a moment, the atmosphere became awkward. Aea and Euphrosyne pulled her away, and the argument didn¡¯t continue. However, under such an atmosphere, the three Graces didn¡¯t stay much longer. They simply made a quick tour of the garden and then returned to Olympus. Fortunately, although Epimetheus was not present, the Divine King had sent them to visit Pandora, thus the three goddesses themselves also felt they had fulfilled Zeus¡¯s request.
Standing at the garden¡¯s entrance, Pandora watched the three figures leave, feeling a mix of anger and sadness. Thalia¡¯s rudeness was certainly unpleasant, but there was a reason for her behavior, after all, women of wisdom in Chaos World were either deities or Nymphs. And the Nymphs¡¯ purpose was to serve as the servants of the gods. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, did something happen today?¡± Startled by the voice that suddenly rose behind her, Pandora quickly realized that the neer was Epimetheus. ¡°Weren¡¯t you supposed to be out for quite a while?¡± ¡°The gods from Mount Olympus came to visit you earlier; if they had known you¡¯d be back now, they surely would have stayed a while longer.¡± ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate.¡± He smiled lightly, Epimetheus nced at the departing streaks of light in the sky and continued to ask, ¡°What did you talk about with them?¡± ¡°The eldest of the three Graces, Thalia, was curious about Hades¡¯ gift. Lord Hades has explicitly said not to open it.¡± Feeling somewhat aggrieved, Pandora hoped to findfort from Epimetheus, but the result left her disappointed. Chapter 257: 61 Awakening_3 Chapter 257: Chapter 61 Awakening_3 ¡°I actually think there¡¯s nothing wrong with opening it and taking a look,¡± Epimetheus casually remarked with a radiant smile. ¡°Hmph,¡± With a snort, Pandora turned away from her foolish husband and headed towards the room. She didn¡¯t want to speak any further with Epimetheus. Behind her, the God of Hindsight didn¡¯t get angry. He just smiled and followed Pandora into the room. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ The Three Graces had left, but things didn¡¯t stop there. From that day on, for some reason, even though her two sisters showed little interest, Thalia, uncharacteristically, often visited the residence of the God of Hindsight, to see her newly made ¡®good friend.¡¯ For some reason, she hardly ever encountered Epimetheus. Each time, he would be away for various reasons, but this suited Thalia just fine; after all, she wasn¡¯t there for the God of Hindsight. She borrowed a Golden Crown from the Heavenly Empress, the Scepter of Wealth from the Goddess of Agriculture, had a gand made by the Mother Goddess, and even borrowed Aphrodite¡¯s belt, the Divine Artifact that could make all the opposite sex fall head over heels. Besides the Goddess of Law who was recently not in Olympus, she had visited almost every deity of some stature. Even she herself was somewhat surprised by the oue. Whenever she made her requests, these powerful deities all agreed to lend her what she sought. Thalia didn¡¯t give it much thought, though; she simply assumed it was out of respect for the Divine King. Good things, naturally, should be shared. So, with each treasure she obtained, she would bring them to show her ¡®good friend¡¯ Pandora.
This behavior undoubtedly infuriated Pandora. Sheined to her husband about it, but as the rumors among the gods suggested, the dull Epimetheus didn¡¯t realize Thalia¡¯s ¡®nefarious intentions.¡¯ Instead, he found it strange. Shouldn¡¯t it be a joyous asion when a good friendes to show you treasures? Feeling helpless, Pandora gave up on the idea of getting help from her husband. As a non-goddess, with Olympus closed to her, and without the power to meet other deities, she grew even more angry. Time continued to flow, and within the tribes of Humans, as well as among the deities, many changes urred. Within Aurora City, tall walls had been erected, and people often dared to venture into the wilderness only in groups of three to five, dressed in crude protective gear made from animal hides. But, there were some who were different. One day, the priests at the top echelons of Aurora discovered unsettling elements within the city they governed. These individuals possessed physiques far superior to the carefully selected guards, able to kill fierce beasts with ws and fangs on their own. They gathered around a man named Cohen, listening to his tales of the Golden Age, the virtues of the Golden Humanity, and they followed his teachings to hone their bodies andbat skills. This surprising development left the priests greatly astonished. However, after consulting with the High Priest Momon, who dwelled beside the new Sacred Fire, thetter¡¯s response was ambiguous, seemingly with no intention of taking action. Some priests didn¡¯t understand why, but many more knew they had already be ¡®insiders¡¯ with Momon. The mysterious figure shrouded in ck mist had warned them not to provoke that guy, so they all supported the High Priest¡¯s decision. And thus, a strange phenomenon arose: an apparently uncontrolled small group emerged within Aurora City, yet curiously, it was overlooked by the city¡¯s administrators. In this context, both parties did not interfere with each other¡¯s affairs, each busying themselves with their own tasks. However, unlike the priests, Cohen, despite being immersed in various affairs, did not feel happy. All along the way, his steadfast beliefs from the past had been shattered over and over again. Once, the words of the gods were the truth, but now, he felt everything was quite the opposite. What the gods had said seemed rarely true. He noticed that special group entrenched in the upper ranks of Bronze Humanity. Every so often, some Humans would be imbued with that unique bloodline aura. Cohen initially wanted to stop it, but then he gave up. The abilities stemming from the special substance within his body could influence emotions to some extent, making people filled with hope or destion. It also allowed him to perceive others¡¯ feelings more clearly. To his disappointment, those humans tainted with the special aura were far from virtuous. There was no coercion, only temptation. Cohen had even witnessed someone drinking the ck blood out of their own free will. ¡°Evans, do you think the path humanity is taking now is the right one?¡± Feeling a bit lost, Cohen asked this to the first Bronze Human he met on a leisurely afternoon¡ªalso a good friend he had made over the past years.
He hadn¡¯t expected an answer, but surprisingly, Evans responded seriously, ¡°I don¡¯t know, Cohen, but if you think it¡¯s not right, why not do something about it?¡± ¡°Do something?¡± ¡°Yes. I always feel like you¡¯recking a goal. Despite teaching us how to fight wild beasts here, I bet you wouldn¡¯t havee up with that idea if I hadn¡¯t seen the power you disyed that day.¡±
Chapter 258: 61 Awakening_4 Chapter 258: Chapter 61 Awakening_4 In the past, Evans¡¯s personality was somewhat unrestrained, but now, his face was stern as he gripped the bronze sword and viciously cleaved downward. With a nging collision, the bronze sword sank deeply into the boulder, a feat not achievable by ordinary Bronze Humanity but one result of the years Evans had spent refining himself. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m not too fond of those priests nowadays. The creator is gone, and everything seems to have undergone a massive change. Yet for me, even if I could split this stone with one sword strike, it wouldn¡¯t change anything, but you¡¯re different.¡± Turning to gaze into Cohen¡¯s eyes, Evans said solemnly, ¡°Your power is enough to shatter hills, sever rivers, and if you wish, you can put an end to the priests¡¯ actions that you find dissatisfying. If you¡¯re unhappy with the current state of Aurora, you could rece those priests and steer the human tribes in the direction you believe is right. If that is the case, why don¡¯t you do it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± After a long silence, under Evans¡¯s expectant gaze, Cohen exhaled deeply. ¡°Because I don¡¯t know what is right, Evans.¡± ¡°But you once told me about the Golden Age¡­¡± ¡°The Golden Humanity had unwavering faith, they believed that the gods were omniscient, omnipotent, and that they were wless. This is how they understood the divine and how they expected themselves to be, which resulted in the Golden Age I told you about.¡±
Cohen looked at his friend and asked earnestly, ¡°What about you? Can you find an object for your thoughts now, telling yourself, ¡®Striving in this direction is definitely right¡¯?¡± ¡°¡­I cannot.¡± The image of the Goddess of Hearthfire shed through his mind, but Evans truly couldn¡¯t convince himself as the goddess no longer responded to humans. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m somewhat aimless. I don¡¯t know what is right. Just like now, even if I reced the priests by force, how could I ensure I would make humanity better rather than worse? At least now, everyone can live normally, even if things are somewhat worse than before.¡± ¡°Striving in the wrong direction only leads to the wrong oue. The harder you try, the more incorrect it bes. That¡¯s another reason I feel lost.¡± Shaking his head slightly, Cohen no longer dwelled on such gloomy matters but shifted the conversation. ¡°Alright, enough about that. I¡¯ve recently discovered that letting the energy inside the body oscite in a specific rhythm can unleash greater power. However, if the rhythm is off, it can harm oneself.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already tried it, do you want to give it a go?¡± ¡°¡­Of course, I too dream of one day battling the wild beasts outside the wilderness!¡± Cohen¡¯s change of subject was abrupt, but Evans roughly understood his thoughts. Perhaps having grown ustomed to faith, even though now freed from its shackles, it was hard to regain confidence in their own decisions for a while. In this regard, Evans wasn¡¯t much better off than Bronze Humanity; they followed the guidance of the priests because of their close rtionship with the gods and the creator. Even though one had abandoned them and the other had left, humans still instinctively chose to obey. If decades were like this, think of millennia. So the sounds of practice resumed, as if the earlier conversation had been forgotten by both of them. However, at night, when Cohen was lying alone in his bed, he couldn¡¯t help but think again about these issues. Lately, he had beencking direction. ¡°Perhaps humans do need a ¡®god,¡¯ but certainly not those entities with thoughts like those of ordinary people.¡± Musing silently, Cohen questioned himself. Faith in the Mythic World held power, but even discounting that power, it could still fill people with hope and offer sce. Yet the prerequisite was that the object of this faith, and those guiding people towards it, harbored no ill will.
¡°He should be great, perfect, like the world itself. He brings down thunder and dew not to express delight or wrath towards mortals, but simply because He wishes to, with no other reason.¡± Muttering to himself, Cohen couldn¡¯t help butpare the Olympian Gods. ¡°Such a god, perhaps, is the true ¡®god¡¯.¡± Maybe the god worshiped by the Golden Humanity never existed, as this world may not harbor a being that aligns with human morality yet wields iprehensible power.
Cohen sank into contemtion, and at a certain moment, he felt a thread of faith towards the world itself, which then quickly broke. However, once faith had arisen, it did not dissipate, and since Chaos would not ept faith, the power began to divide. Some of it reached the earth, but Mother Earth was still slumbering, unaware of this slight urrence. Some drifted into the Spirit Realm, but as Cohen was already a semi-devotee of the Spirit Realm, this raised no attention. Yet some ventured into ces they shouldn¡¯t have. At the far reaches of The Sky, beyond the touch of mortals, when this faith connected, a vague concept suddenly stirred. This powerful and pure faith, brief as it was, seemed to break an equilibrium, making a colossal entity¡¯s finger twitch unconsciously. No one noticed this scene, only As felt momentarilypelled to kneel down under the heavy pressure and then vanished quickly, leaving As to wonder if it was merely an illusion. ¡°This¡­ is¡­.¡± ¡°¡­I¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Imperceptible voices echoed at the edge of the heavens, then fell silent once more. Cohen¡¯s contemtion was brief, and soon, everything returned to normal. As if nothing had happened, only the world itself bore witness to it all. As the integration of the Nine Realms elevated the Origin of the world once more, the destiny that had seemed set in stone was rewritten yet again.
Chapter 259: 62 Different Choices Chapter 259: Chapter 62 Different Choices Another spring had passed. The sky was tinged with the hues of dawn, and a moist, warm breeze blew across the earth. Mornings after rain were always intoxicating, but Pandora, who had just awoken, was not in the least bit uplifted in spirit. Yesterday, she had seen off yet another goddess who hade to unt her treasures. This time, the visitor had brought a string of pearls, said to be jewels nurtured by the surviving shellfish of a previous epoch in the depths of the sea. Thalia had meticulously recounted the origins of these shellfish: they were born in the Golden Age, absorbing the essence of ocean water and starlight from above, and it took hundreds of years for a single pearl to form. Though not a single mocking word was spoken, the insinuation could not have been clearer. Pandora couldn¡¯t understand why there were such tedious deities in the world. But then again, it wasn¡¯t certain, for the deities¡¯ daily lives were indeed dull. Maybe Thalia was just looking for some amusement. What Pandora couldn¡¯t ept, however, was that she might very well be that amusement. ¡°So, what exactly is in here?¡± Seated at the table, Pandora tapped on an urn adorned with mysterious patterns. Now, she lived alone in this ce. Epimetheus had disappeared to who knows where, her daughter Pitha had been taken by her cousin to frolic, and might not return for a few days. Only Pandora was left to stay here alone.
The onlypanionship she had, aside from the nts and flowers, was this urn of unknown use. ¡°Hmph, all your things are borrowed, but Hades¡¯ gift is mine alone!¡± With a cold snort, as if tofort herself. But though she said this, Pandora had no clue how the urn functioned. It was said to absorb disaster and pain, yet Pandora could not perceive these conceptual presences. She had tried asking Epimetheus, but he too professed ignorance. Thus in her eyes, it was just an ordinary urn, nothing special. As for the additional gift sent by Liana, the ruling deity of the Underworld, Pandora was even more puzzled. ¡®Nothing is impossible.¡¯ She desired to be a deity and wanted the tedious Thalia to fear her. Since all of this was impossible, could this urn somehow make it happen? ¡°Maybe¡­ it really could?¡± Pandora pursed her lips, unconsciously stroking her long hair that fell over her shoulders. If there had been no precedent in this world, she might not have entertained such thoughts. But there was indeed one. The Goddess of the Magic Net, Hecate, was said to be a godly being birthed during the age of the second Divine King, like Pandora herself; others imed she was actually a descendant of a Titan. However, the god renowned to be her father, the God of Material Destruction, had not appeared in the world for a long time. No one knew his whereabouts, and thus it was difficult to verify. At least for now, Pandora preferred to believe that it was a life form simr to her own. ¡°Sigh ¡ª I mustn¡¯t open it.¡± She half extended her hand and then quickly retreated, forcing herself not to look at the urn. This utterly ordinary urn seemed to possess a magic power;tely, it always stirred her mind. This was particrly true when she was alone at home. Feeling somewhat agitated, Pandora ced the urn on the table and then went out alone to clear her mind. ¡­ That night. The post-rain air carried the fragrance of petals, and as Pandoray in bed, her eyes looked somewhat lifeless. Her thoughts roamed freely, imagining various futures. Perhaps it was innate; her strong desire to discover everything made it unbearable to have such an unknown object right beside her, right before her eyes.
¡°This was clearly a gift meant for me.¡± Biting her lip, the outside sky had grown dark. It was another night of stars without the Moon. On such nights, a certain inexplicable palpitation arose in Pandora¡¯s heart. All was silent; it was as if she were the only person here. Everything had drifted away from her, leaving only the woman lying in bed and the urn that seemed to be gazing back at her. The intertwining patterns on it looked like an eye.
For a moment, Pandora even thought the eye blinked, but then she realized it was just an illusion. It was just an ordinary urn, no different from others. If there was anything special about it, it was perhaps that it contained some extraordinary things. ¡°But I can¡¯t see them!¡± Her breathing quickened, unusually distinct in the silence. In the past, she had wanted to open the urn more than once, but each time she had ultimately stopped herself. She remembered Hades¡¯ instructions, but just as Thalia had said, the master of the Underworld hadn¡¯t actually mentioned any consequences of opening it. And even if there were, under the gods¡¯ blessings, it could not possibly harm Pandora. ¡°The gods¡¯ divine power is limited upon the earth. They were even deceived by mortals for decades, and it was only after mortals treacherously betrayed their creators that the gods realized it,¡± Epimetheus had told her this. ¡°If¡­¡± Murmuring softly, Pandora sat up from bed. It was said that the Goddess of the Magic Net was also born on a starlit but moonless night like this one. Bearing celestial fire, she walked the earth for thousands of years and ultimately ascended to divinity. Perhaps fate was also hinting that this was the perfect opportunity? ¡°Just this once.¡± Indeed, just once. Under the hazy starlight, Pandora silently vowed. Chapter 260: 62 Different Choices_2 Chapter 260: Chapter 62 Different Choices_2 ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ ¡°There is only one chance,¡± Without the shine of the moon, the earth was steeped in utter darkness, and the stars tonight were not as bright as usual, only faint glimmers appearing now and then. But this was not a matter of just a day or two; in recent years, the stars that were originally the brightest in the Zodiacal Star Domain had dimmed significantlypared to the past. ording to the Sun God Helios, the Heroic Spirits and God of Stars, who used to travel across the night sky, seemed to be busy with other affairs now. Even when he drove his Sun Chariot across the sky, he seldom saw their figures. Therefore, the mortals usually stayed behind closed doors at night nowadays, and the deities didn¡¯t venture out much either. However, today was an exception for two gods. Hidden behind ayer of clouds floating midair, Epimetheus was watching over the airspace above the garden. Although nothing was visible to the eye, he was certain that there was an invisible current of air there. It was highly likely the God of West Wind. Epimetheus had heard of him. He had gained favor with Zeus by offering a Divine Artifact and, unlike the Sun God who had also switched allegiances, received apletely different treatment. ¡°It seems that the god who frequently visited here before was him¡­ Indeed, there is no one more suitable than the Wind Gods,¡± The ¡®young man¡¯s¡¯ face bore an innocent smile as he stood alongside the invisible current, peering through the open window at his ¡®wife¡¯ in the room in the distance, struggling and getting lucky, unlike thetter who was oblivious to his presence. Right from the start, Epimetheus had been aware that they might be watched, so despite not being a talker, he had deliberately spoken the warning that Prometheus gave before he left.
Then, sure enough, someone gave themselves away a little because of that and over the following decades, he gradually pinpointed their position. It must be said, the absoluteness of Divine Authority was indeed difficult to break, and even now, Epimetheus couldn¡¯t detect any difference between that current of air and the natural elements. But oftentimes, ¡®no anomaly¡¯ did not equate to being reasonable. Over the years, he had made up excuses to leave the garden not just because he was reluctant to face the Graces, but more so to map out the patterns of climate changes nearby. And ording to those patterns, there shouldn¡¯t be a current of air there now. ¡°There is only one chance, this is the best opportunity,¡± With a sharp look in his eyes, at this moment, Epimetheus was no longer the naive younger brother before the Forethinker or the foolish Afterthinker in the eyes of the deities. He reached out his hand, and an invisible force enveloped the area ahead. He indeed was the Afterthinker among the deities, but perhaps hisck of presence was so pronounced that few realized that, just as the God of Wisdom could bestow wisdom upon others, the Afterthinker could also make others slow to realize. Epimetheus unleashed his power, and his authority that worked on consciousness shrouded the ce where the current of air was for a moment. Almost immediately, the bacsh of the Law struck him, hisplexion turning deathly pale, but his smile was bright. His judgment was not wrong; the feedback from the authority told him that there was indeed a life form that had been affected by him. ¡°Hoo¡ª¡± ¡°You were right, ¡®You clearly could change something, but you just don¡¯t want to.¡¯ That describes me quite well,¡± Wiping away the blood that had spilled from the corner of his mouth with a wave of his hand, Epimetheus recalled an unexpected encounter in a human tribe some time ago. One was the Goddess of the Nether Moon; not too long ago, he had seen this powerful deity once more on Mount Olympus. But for the other, he had no recollection, his presence leaving no memory in the Afterthinker¡¯s heart. Such a terrifying ability was probably just as the Goddess of the Nether Moon had said before, the gift from the Lord of the Spirit Realm. Yet another powerful Ancient God, but he was no different from the other deities. Endowed with innate powers, they then demanded from the weak with the attitude of the strong, disying their arrogance. Is it wrong to be indifferent towards a future that is destined not to change? Epimetheus didn¡¯t think so; he simply made the right choice. Meaningless defiance was unnecessary. If there was no opportunity, he would have continued to drift with the current all along. But now, seeing the possibility of change right before his eyes, he would not hesitate to act. Just like how his brother deceived the deities, he had chosen the most foolish and meaningless way. Betting his life on insignificant things, only to fail miserably as expected¡ªthis was the fate he deserved. In the same regard, as an adversary to the deities, his brother remained loyal to a former Divine King of whom now nothing was known, only to eternally suffer the punishment of holding up the sky, which was also a fitting rpense for his stupidity. But he was different. Today, he too would deceive the Divine King, but that was only for himself, not any other existence. Apart from him and that foolish woman, nobody would know what happened.
Hum¡ª A humming sound rang out, and Epimetheus knew that the jar had probably been opened. As if given somemand, at this moment, the authority of the gods of the Underworld was stirred. Even far beneath the ground, they were still aware that the ¡®anchor¡¯ they had given had left its rightful ce. So, in the newly built Divine Pce within the Fields of Truth, Hades signaled to his attendants, and the gathered deities quickly took theirmands.
Chapter 261: 62 Different Choices_3 Chapter 261: Chapter 62 Different Choices_3 The authority of the True Gods began to manifest itself, centered around that ¡®anchor¡¯ on the ground, revealing themselves shamelessly in the form of ck mists, swarming flies, and various impurities before Pandora and the two silent observers, then suddenly spreading out. They passed through mountains and rivers, crossed fields and walls, and in an instant scattered to every corner of the world. This was an act allowed by the Divine King, and from then on, perhaps the gods of the Underworld would no longer receive genuine worship from humans, but their existence itself would be an insignificant yet inescapable part of human civilization. From now on, strife, hatred, cmity, lust, and deceit would run rampant in the Mortal Realm, not a distortion of thought, but a subtle and pervasive influence. Andpared to these intangible disasters, gues and catastrophes would immediately unfold. ¡°Consider it a punishment, you betrayed your creator, Prometheus might forgive you, but that does not mean I will.¡± Watching all this happen, Epimetheus no longer hesitated, this was the moment he had been waiting for. Hended on the ground, quietly passing through the garden, and opened the wooden door of the room. In front of him, Pandora, with her back to him, watched in disbelief what was unfolding before her. ck smoke continued to pour out of the jar, announcing its existence to the world. Pandora never imagined this was the so-called ¡®gift¡¯. All the disasters were released by her, as she valiantly tried to put the lid back on the jar, but it was all in vain. Finally, Pandora, exhausted, sat down on the ground. She watched the various disasters fly out of the jar one by one until, in the end, she saw a glimmer of light. That was the reflection of a star, which, as everything else left, seemed to sense the change in the environment and prepared to leave the jar to merge into the fate of all humans.
But at that moment, a hand picked up the lid, and the jar that Pandora could not close with all her strength was thus closed. ¡°You¡ª!¡± Pandora turned around abruptly, speechless at the sight of her husband, who had appeared behind her without her noticing. She first wanted to justify her action but then realized something was amiss. Why was Epimetheus here, how long had he been here, why had he watched everything happen, and, why did he close thest gift back into the jar? ¡°Shh¡ªdon¡¯t be surprised.¡± Putting his forefinger to his lips, the Afterthinker signaled his wife to keep her voice down. ¡°I am also a god, though not a particrly mighty one, but it¡¯s not strange for me to have such power.¡± ¡°But, but why didn¡¯t you close it sooner¡­ I just wanted to see what was inside, I didn¡¯t intend to release those things¡­..¡± When she saw the ck mist, Pandora already knew what it was. Indeed, the jar could absorb disasters and cmities because it was itself an object designed to confine them. And now, she had personally released them. ¡°I know, these are just some disasters. They didn¡¯t exist because of what you did, though future generations will probably record it that way, but in reality, you just gave some people a real excuse to bring them down to the Mortal Realm, making their actions seem a bit more reasonable.¡± Epimetheus casually remarked as he nced at the brand new jar. ¡°And what about thatst one?¡± Pandora, slowly regaining herposure, looked at her husband, who appeared indifferent, and angrily questioned, ¡°Why did you leave it inside?¡± ¡°Who said that, it clearly left as well.¡± ¡°Moreover¡ª¡± Epimetheus reached out to take the jar, but in the end, he refrained. ¡°¡ªPandora, you don¡¯t really consider yourself a member of mankind, do you?¡± At that moment, he recalled the words of the Goddess of the Nether Moon, this was a gift from the lord of the Spirit Realm to mankind. If a deity tried to take it, they would certainly pay a price. Luckily, Epimetheus had no intention of ¡®taking¡¯ it. Since it was a gift from the Goddess of the Nether Moon to Pandora, he decided to let her keep it.
¡°Come, pick it up, we must leave now.¡± Smiling, Epimetheusmanded, ¡°Pandora, you have yet to answer¡ª¡± ¡°I want you to pick it up.¡± As Pandora finally felt the increasingly icy gaze of her husband, she realized that he was not only a well-known fool among the gods but also a true deity. She hesitated, protected as she was by the blessing of the goddess, but in the end, she embraced the jar.
¡°Very good, Pandora, we are family. Do not regard outsiders as more important than us, like my brothers do.¡± ¡°Be it humans or the Divine King, neither are trustworthy. Their fates serve as a clear warning.¡± With a satisfied nod, the Afterthinker nced outside once more. The observer had departed, and they could now ¡®escape the crime¡¯. After all, Zeus wouldn¡¯t pursue the matter, as long as the unknown deity reported everything to him, informing him that all the gifts within the jar had been released. Then Zeus would act as if they didn¡¯t exist, rather than chasing them all over the world. ¡°Now, the key to breaking destiny is in my hands.¡± ¡°Heh, I thought there would be some kind of turmoil, but I didn¡¯t expect everything to go so smoothly¡­ It seems even destiny is on my side, wishing for me to change it.¡± With Pandora in tow, Epimetheus pushed open the door. Their daughter Pitha had not yet returned, but the Afterthinker did not care much for her. If not for needing someone to carry the jar, he wouldn¡¯t even want to take Pandora with him. Just leave like this, for once he figured out the true purpose of the items hidden within the jar, everything would get better. Today was perfect. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ The Sky remained dim, a quiet night like this seemed to hide all secrets, deep and peaceful. Elsewhere, at the doorway where Epimetheus was preparing to leave, the God of West Wind, who had also witnessed the ¡®entire process,¡¯ had long since transformed into an intangible current of air, flying high in the sky.
Without waiting any longer, upon seeing everything within the jar released, he immediately departed. As dawn approached, Zephyrus finally returned to Olympus. Heading straight for the pce of Zeus, he had thought that Zeus would still be resting, but to his surprise, Zeus had been waiting for a long time. ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯vee to report back to you.¡± With a respectful bow, Zephyrus began speaking to the Divine King seated high above: ¡°As you foresaw, Pandora indeed opened Hades¡¯s gift on her own, unleashing cmities upon the Mortal Realm. Truly, your foresight is unparalleled.¡± ¡°I am aware. What else?¡± Zeus had known about the cmities the moment the jar was opened. After all, as the Divine King, he would not fail to notice such events. But what he truly cared about was clearly not the work of his brother. ¡°The gift from the Goddess of the Nether Moon¡­ It has also been released.¡± Zephyrus hesitated, then said with certainty, although he felt a bit confused. Nheless, the God of West Wind faintly recalled seeing a sh of light. It must have been released; there was no mistake, in this regard, Zephyrus trusted his judgment. The fact that he was slightly distracted was rather normal. Perhaps it was just the fatigue from focusing too long, as even a god can feel tired.
Chapter 262: 63 Vows and Beginnings Chapter 262: Chapter 63 Vows and Beginnings ¡°` ¡°¡­Is that so? Well then, you have done well.¡± Although somewhat regretful, Zeus had anticipated this oue. Or rather, in his view, the mysterious gift from the Spirit Realm was like Hades¡¯ ¡®gift,¡¯ not truly intended for that divine creation, but meant to be released through Pandora¡¯s hands. After all, it is said that among the Primordial Deities, the Lord of the Spirit Realm and Mother Night held abilities rted to fate; perhaps they foresaw something. As long as it did not interfere with his acquisition of faith, Zeus now had no desire to pay attention to these trivial matters. After all, Mother Earth would not sleep forever, and unlike other Primordial Gods, she too needed outside forces topensate for her deficiencies. On top of that, the Titan, Gaia, who he had imprisoned, was his potential enemy. ¡°Since that is the case, Zephyrus, go to the southern seas and inform the Sea Emperor.¡± ¡°He seems so eager to inflict punishment upon humans, I now permit it. He may do so in any way he sees fit, and I only want the result. Of course, remind him not to be too hasty, to slightly slow down the timing. Since it is a punishment, humans should be given some time to react.¡± ¡°It would be best if they could record all of this¡­ When the humans of the next era are born, let them unearth the demise of their predecessors themselves. Let them know that without the protection of the Divine King, the sea and the Underworld will bring them catastrophe.¡± Raising his right hand, a scepter embedded with three gemstones appeared in Zeus¡¯ hand. Today, this Divine Artifact forged by the previous Divine King, though still of questionable power, has acquired some special abilities after being passed down through two reigns.
With a gesture of the scepter, an invisible force coalesced into a token, the symbol of the Divine King¡¯s permission for Poseidon to exercise authority on thend. Even if he didn¡¯t allow it, Zeus was actually powerless to stop a deity with mighty Divine Power from exercising their authority. However, many things work this way, adding an extra procedure can better disy the legitimacy of the Divine Court. And for these minor matters, the deities are willing to give the Divine King face. ¡°As youmand, Your Majesty, your orders shall be executed.¡± After receiving the token and bowing, the God of the West Wind left the great hall and hurried away from Mount Olympus. He had been very busytely, but thinking about all this being for theing of the next human era, and that he would soon have his own human followers, filled Zephyrus with motivation. As a deity presiding over a part of meteorology, he believed he would notck followers in the future. Perhaps one day, he, a True God with only weak Divine Power, could step by step gaze upon the throne of a mighty Principal God? Watching the retreating figure of Zephyrus, Zeus sat quietly in the pce for a while. His gaze, passing through the doorway, now saw the changingws clearly on thend. Outside Mount Olympus, the great Magic Net that connected the Spirit Realm with the present world covered the heavens and the earth, the elemental forces slowly flowed along the strings of the Magic Net; from beneath the earth, streams of ck mist rose, merging with everything in the mortal ne. The breath of the Mortal Realm was no longer as pleasant, but it paradoxically gained some vitality. Looking at this scene, Zeus vaguely grasped some insight, but ultimately gained nothing. This is the nature of Primordial Gods; their inherent station allows them to see things that mortals can only dream of, yet theirck of understanding of their own power prevents them from turning any insight into tangible progress. Because their foundation is hollow, strength gained by instinct and experience may work, but to some extent, it bes a shackle preventing them from progressing further. ¡°It seems that henceforth, gues will apany great floods¡­ The divine authority over mundane things is still too great. It¡¯s manageable now, but in the next human century, we can¡¯t allow them such unrestrained actions.¡± Musing in silence on ¡®unrestrained actions,¡¯ Zeus indeed thought this way. Although all this sprung from his open or hidden suggestions, just because the Divine King could act this way did not mean others could as well. Moreover, Zeus didn¡¯t believe that in the future, the gods wouldpetelyply with a normal way ofpeting for faith. They might do anything, and as the Divine King, his job was to forestall such behavior. Conflicts between gods must not carelessly impact humans, at least not so that a conflict between two deities directly targets the other¡¯s followers. Otherwise, it would not only harm the image of the gods, but ughter would alsoe too easily, and it would take centuries for humanity to recover, which is the wealth of the gods. Especially as the King of All Gods, the god who grants humans the right to live, Zeus, like the earth, the sun, is an indispensable part of humans, and he too could gain a little bit of faith from all humans. While not much, and far less than the faith given by direct worship, it is still something. ¡°It seems I need to establish a rule afterward, that the gods should not arbitrarily exercise their Divine Authority, for fragile humans cannot withstand such.¡± ¡°I wonder when Themis will return.¡±
Although the Bronze Humanity had not yet perished, Zeus had already considered much. As the Divine King, as the greatest beneficiary of the rules, he should spare no effort to maintain them. So he needed to establish aw preventing the gods from destroying humans unreasonably, unless they had directly offended a deity. And to do this, he still needed the assistance of his aunt. Chapter 263: 63 Vows and Beginnings_2 Chapter 263: Chapter 63 Vows and Beginnings_2 ¡°` Just in time, the Goddess of Law seems to be busy with something recently, and by the time she returns, humans will probably be extinct. In the context of corpses scattered across the earth, presenting such a suggestion would undoubtedly gain support. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ On this day, aside from the Divine King on Mount Olympus, many others noticed the change. When Pandora opened the jar, the gods of the Underworld were permitted, and they began to use their inherent divine authority to affect the mortal world. Even without involving transcendent powers, these natural shifts were sufficient to bring about catastrophe for humanity, but on this tranquil evening, all mortals were still unaware of what had happened. Disease had begun to spread, and the outline of cmities started to ferment, yet it would be a long time before their eruption. In the deep night, everything appeared silent and still, with only a very few beings in the human-upied regions able to detect these subtle changes on the level of the Law. Standing at the core of Aurora, Mephisto looked apprehensively at the burning Sacred Fire. Having once been human, he thought he could approach this me, even draw some from it like other humans, but that was not the case. As he tried to draw near, a sense of crisis from deep within his soul made Mephisto involuntarily stop in his tracks. He was certain that if he moved forward, the Sacred Fire was likely to burn from reality towards his own spirit, turning him into ashes inside and out. After the fruitless attempt, the devil had no choice but to find a ce far from the Sacred Fire, to use its aura to mask his presence, and then somewhat indulgently admired this rare ¡®grand view.¡¯
Everything was as he had anticipated. Prometheus doomed himself, humanity was about to face retribution, and hundreds of mortal elites had consumed his blood, preparing the events he had long arranged. They sketched runes, carved stone scriptures, and built altars with materials brought by the devil. Mortals would not understand what they were doing, but only Mephisto knew¡ªthis was a special ritual that would serve its purpose at the right time. With this ritual, after this operation was over, he would likely face the wrath of gods from the Spirit Realm as well as those from Mount Olympus, for, ording to the Lord of the Nine Hells, this ritual could very well touch some rather sensitive divine nerves. ¡°Heh, it doesn¡¯t matter; someone will take care of them for me,¡± Mephisto chuckled, thinking of the news he had secretly let slip and that ¡®naive¡¯ God of Sleep. The former would be enough to give Olympus something to deal with, making them too preupied to intervene. Thetter was waiting for him to lure away the gods of the Spirit Realm so he could achieve his ¡®patricide,¡¯ but Mephisto was equally looking forward to some activity from him on that day, so the gods of the Spirit Realm wouldn¡¯t keep chasing after him. If that god named Hypnos truly seeded, it would be a win-win deal. But for the devil who knew the truth, he only hoped to finish his tasks early on that day and find time to see how that fellow would die. ¡°And you¡­ what will you do then?¡± Mephisto murmured, looking toward the east of the city, feeling the presence that was hard to ignore. Cohen, the human, was the only unnned factor in his scheme. He appeared without any warning, as if a human had just emerged out of nowhere, and it was unknown how he possessed that power. However, thankfully, through years of probing, the devil had gradually discovered that Cohen seemed to be grappling with some puzzling issue, which reduced his desire to interfere with the outside world. Although he didn¡¯t know what Cohen was thinking, such a state, the longer itsted, the better. ¡°Let it be, it¡¯s best to keep it up indefinitely. The unknown is truly bothersome¡­ and that guy I met by ident, I don¡¯t know what that strange puppet is, but fortunately, its power is weak, and it can¡¯t affect much. I¡¯ll just avoid it,¡± he resolved. Being ny miles into a hundred-mile journey, the Chaos World did not have this proverb, but Mephisto still seriously recalled all the past events one by one until he was sure there were no issues before he could rx. Afterpleting this operation, he could return to the Nine Hells for a visit and im part of the rewards due to him. At least in terms of being a boss, the Lord of the Nine Hells was quite trustworthy. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ In the Spirit Realm, on Mount Sinai. In the mortal world¡¯s opposite side, in the Spirit Realm that almost covered most ces of the entire world, Laine sat in the main seat of the Temple of Lops. The seasons outside had not changed many times, but in this distorted space-time, a long time had already passed. At some point, the remaining shaft of Gungnir in Laine¡¯s hands had been split again, bing three sections, two short and one long. The shorter two sections contained opposing powers, but they shared the remainder of the Divine Artifact¡¯s ¡®Gungnir¡¯ name and fate. They had lost their vitality because the little remaining power had concentrated into the middle section, which also exclusively possessed the power of the [Oath] remaining in the Divine Artifact. Chaos¡¯s [Oath] originally belonged to the world, but during the second era, it was bestowed upon the Styx River, and thus Styx came into existence. As long as gods swore oaths to the river in the world, they would slightly enhance Styx¡¯s power, and if a god broke the oath, after enacting the punishment, the goddess¡¯s power would significantly increase.
Chapter 264: 63 Vows and Beginnings_3 Chapter 264: Chapter 63 Vows and Beginnings_3 Byparison, although Laine could also make people swear oaths to the Spirit Realm, this didn¡¯t actually involve the true authority of the Oath but was merely an alternative application of the world¡¯s power. However, at present, this divine artifact from beyond the realm clearly wasn¡¯t subject to this limitation. The power within this short wooden rod was exceptionally pure, and after being transformed by the Spirit Realm, only the part that belonged to the Oath remained; the rest had been rejected and fallen to the two sections before and after this piece. But this power, besides being pure, was also extremely weak, because any oath required a force to oversee its execution, and now, it obviouslycked that power. Originally, Gungnir could respond to the wishes of each person who swore to it, because the existence of the World Tree, Yggdrasil, provided the necessary support. The Divine Tree, which upheld the Nine Realms, possessed unimaginable might; it was like Chaos¡¯s Tartarus, which, althoughcking a clear consciousness¡ªallowing sessive Divine Kings to use it as a prison¡ªno one could question its strength. As a divine artifact forged from the branches of the World Tree, Gungnir maintained a connection with its mother, and this connection was the fundamental guarantee that the oath would be fulfilled. But now, there was no World Tree in this world, and the little life force it had left was insufficient to recreate a World Tree capable of sustaining the world. Relying only on its insignificant power, Gungnir could probably only bind ordinary things, and might not even be effective against more powerful entities. ¡°Not bad,¡± ¡°Many things just need to be suitable.¡± With a satisfied smile, Laine picked up the three broken sections of the spear shaft. He lightly tossed the other two sections, with their differing colors, out of the pce, and they fell onto Mount Sinai. Passing through the triple time-space barriers, these two sections of the spear ultimately descended into a giant stone well located at the center of a realm.
Without sshing or floating on the water¡¯s surface, they silently sank to the bottom, not even a ripple stirred. ¡°That¡¯s about right.¡± Keeping the slightly greenish section of the rod in hand, Laine turned his gaze to the huge dragon egg that was now showing some cracks, and to the reflection of that star from the mortal world. She was going to be born today, on this very day when the world¡¯s spiritual power was at its peak, and coincidentally, it was also the day that Pandora¡¯s magic jar was opened. Perhaps humans in the future would attach some dreadful monikers to this day, after all, it marked the beginning of the end for a generation. But this all had little to do with Laine, so he waited for Bai¡¯s birth while watching the drama unfold. The Wind Gods¡¯ bewilderment, the Afterthinker¡¯s resolve, and his im that he had grasped the key to breaking fate, yet without even touching the jar itself. It was the same trick he had yed on Zephyrus, the God of the West Wind. The God of Hindsight couldn¡¯t be certain that the creator of the ¡®gift¡¯ had sensed it, and indeed it was an unknown. Although Mother Earth could not sense what unfolded around the Golden Apple, and Deity might not be able to monitor every action of the life they blessed, Epimetheus maintained the proper caution for a gift from an unfamiliar ancient. So, just as he had deliberately spoken Prometheus¡¯s warnings to him to expose the Wind God¡¯s weakness, what he said in front of the y jar was also a kind of test. If the person behind this was watching him, perhaps they would act against him for his offensive words. This might seem like asking for trouble, but it was better to be approached by someone now than to be unknowingly watched and targeted at a crucial moment. Regrettably, Laine was not the Wind God, and he didn¡¯t care who ultimately received this gift or what Epimetheus said. Since the other party had followed the rules he had set, leaving the gift in ¡®human¡¯ hands, they might as well keep it. In fact, if the God of Hindsight could indeed aplish something with this gift that surprised Laine himself, he would only be pleased. However, the likelihood of that was probably not very high. ¡°Zeus and his brothers made different choices, and you three brothers have done the same, an astonishing resemnce.¡± ¡°The one who chose humanity was betrayed by humans, but the future remains unknown; the one who chose the king has never been forgotten by his king, it¡¯s just not the right time yet.¡± Recalling his asional interactions with the former Divine King, Laine reflected again; the other¡¯s moral standards were indeed quite high among the male deities who ¡®possessed power¡¯ and ¡®held authority¡¯. They ultimately did nothing to their betraying wife, and even in the Abyss, they did not forget their loyal followers. ¡°However,pared to your brothers, the one who chose himself truly has to rely on himself alone.¡± There is no distinction of better or worse; if Epimetheus has sufficient capability, then choosing oneself might not be a wrong choice. Laine refrained from any judgment until the final oue was revealed. Crack¡ª
¡°Hmm?¡± The sudden sound of cracking drew Laine¡¯s attention instantly; he looked towards the massive dragon egg in front of him, from which the sound originated. A crack appeared at the very top of the eggshell, and then the noise stopped. However, Laine was not in the least bit anxious; he knew that the little one inside was probably gathering strength. Boom¡ª
Crack¡ª A thumping sound apanied by another cracking noise¡ªthe fissure grew wider. But this time, the young dragon didn¡¯t stop; it kept battering the eggshell continuously. Crack¡ª Crack-crack¡ª Crack-crack¡ª ¡­ Little by little, fine lines began to spread over the surface of the dragon egg. Until at one moment, under Laine¡¯s expectant gaze, with a final crisp sound, the top of the eggshell finally broke open a small hole. The hole was small, not even as big as a baby¡¯s palm, but its very appearance signified that there was no longer a barrier between the dragon egg and the outside world. Then in the next instant, an ethereal shadow emerged from it¡ªit seemed muchrger than the hole, yet it appeared as if the size made no difference at all. This was a white dragon. Slim in form, with resplendent wings and delicate, smooth, lustrous scales. She didn¡¯t resemble a newborn dragon but rather a miniature version of a young dragon. As a dragon brought to life by Spirituality, she was naturally touched by this power. Her appearance was influenced by her self-awareness, which in turn was influenced by the forces of the Spirit Realm. Thus, although her image was innate, it carried all the impressions of ¡®beauty¡¯ in a dragon that the Lord of the Spirit Realm had in his past memories, which made her look nothing like the ugliness often associated with the just-born. In the center of The Temple, the young dragon opened her silver eyes and took in her surroundings. The tall The Temple, the shattered eggshell, and the ck-clothed figure she felt close to, that was all there was to her birthce.
She opened her mouth and inhaled; the broken eggshell transitioned from substance to void, consumed in a form of energy. The young dragon then fluttered her wings lightly,nding on Laine¡¯s arm. ¡°It seems you¡¯re in good shape,¡± Laine said with a slight smile, extending his hand to tenderly stroke the young dragon¡¯s head. The scales were not rough to the touch but rather had a soft and warm feel. He knew that, as the origin of the Spirit Dragon Race, Bai could indeed glimpse fate and control the elements, but the psychic realm was where she truly excelled. Her body could thus shift between the tangible and intangible at will¡ªsoft and pliable under his touch but an indestructible Guard in the face of an enemy. ¡°Are you my creator?¡± she asked. Without speaking, a gentle voice entwined with unfamiliarity toward the world entered Laine¡¯s mind. Faced with the young dragon¡¯s question, Laine simply shook his head. ¡°Creator is a bit of a stretch. I only provided the most suitable environment for your birth, but now you have no connection with your original creator.¡± ¡°So from now on, the Spirit Realm will be your home.¡± Bai shook her little head, as if to indicate she understood. But then, the newly born creature¡¯s attention was caught by something else. Those were the other dozen or so dragon eggs lying on the ground, still separated from the external environment by Laine¡¯s power, which is why they hadn¡¯t undergone any unique changes. ¡°They are your kin, but they will not be like you,¡± Laine said, observing the confusion in Bai¡¯s eyes. ¡°How about this, what kind of dragon they will be can be decided by you, what do you think?¡± Laine proposed with a smile.
Not quite understanding Laine¡¯s meaning, Bai nheless nodded her head. The instincts from her bloodline naturally made her see those weaker than herself as subordinates. Making decisions for one¡¯s subordinates was the most natural thing to do. Chapter 265: 64 Disaster Chapter 265: Chapter 64 Disaster ¡°That may be so,¡± Bai just born, obviously couldn¡¯t grasp the nuances just yet. What Laine wanted her to decide on was actually the force that brought these dragons into being, but she clearly misunderstood. She thought she was to decide their appearance, which is what ¡®what kind of dragon¡¯ meant to her. So she began to look around, observing the decorations in the great hall. The towering columns were engraved with ancient patterns, creations from the previous era exuding a breath of ages. If she were a Time Dragon, she might have appreciated such things, but as the supreme being of the Spirit Realm, Bai merely nced over them before moving on. Then there were the tables and chairs, stone carvings, incense, decorative pieces, or the cups and brightmps. These items were aesthetically pleasing, but undoubtedly required a life form with enough ¡®experience¡¯ to appreciate the skill and art they contained. As a newly born dragon, Bai¡¯s taste was evidently still basic and crude, so she glossed over these ¡®unimpressive¡¯ things once again. Ultimately, perhaps due to an inherent nature within her bloodline, Bai¡¯s gaze lingered significantly when it swept over a relief on the wall. There, a variety of gleaming gemstones sparkled brilliantly, with pure Elemental Power radiating from them. A perfect match in power and aesthetics captivated Bai instantly. ¡°I want this,¡± Bai said, her expression seemingly formal as she pointed with her right wing at the diverse array of gemstones. ¡°¡­¡± After a moment of silence, and facing the young dragon¡¯s silver eyes, Laine realized his mistake; it appeared that she hadn¡¯t understood his intentions at all. However, ncing at the decorative gemstones, he nodded anyway.
These gemstones were after all creations condensed from Elemental Power, so if Bai chose them, then let her choice represent the elements they symbolized. With a bit of Spirituality added, that would be sufficient. With a wave of his hand, the gemstones fell from the wall. There were many, but they roughly categorized into five types: Amethyst, Sapphire, crystal, yellow jade, and Jade, each surrounded by a different elemental aura, some pure, and some mixed. They fell into the midst of the dragon eggs, each finding a ce to merge. The next moment, the force that had isted the dragon eggs from the outside world dissipated, and they began to adapt to the environment, undergoing various changes. In the void around them, a mix of Elemental Power and a touch of Spirituality began to flow into the eggs. The gemstones previously chosen served as guides, sorting the elements into their respective categories. However, unlike the two previous dragon eggs, these more ordinary dragon types did not possess the natural ability to be born, nor did their essence support such an act, as these dragons were closer to material life forms, and not intimately connected with time and mind like the other two Transcendent dragon types. Thus, the force of Life was also infused, influencing the direction of changes. They would reproduce and thrive in the normal way, so each type of dragon was not limited to a single individual. Influenced by external forces, they divided into sexes, the numbers varying. Of course, just as Bai was to some extent influenced by the Spirit Realm, these members of the Dragon Race would also undergo certain changes. Their temperaments might shift, and it would be difficult to define them by mundane standards of good or evil. ¡°Oh, and there¡¯s this,¡± Laine remembered something suddenly and, with a gesture, drew over the texts and memories of the Spirit Realm, blending them with the essence of Spirituality into the dragon eggs. A name is an important part of what constitutes an existence of a living being. Originally, all dragons had an innate name that came from deep within their bloodlines, from the ck Dragon Nidhogg, who had created them. Through this, the ck Dragon could deepen his connection with his offspring, and in return, his descendants could ess the knowledge left in the bloodline by their ancestors, allowing the Dragon Race to better survive and thrive in the new world. But those transformed by the Spirit Realm had clearly lost this ability, and Laine had no intention of allowing them to inherit what the ck Dragon had intentionally left in their bloodlines. Since theycked an inherent name, he simply decided to give them each an extra one. ¡°All right, since you¡¯ve chosen their forms, you¡¯ll be responsible for watching over their birth,¡± Laine concluded as he retracted his right hand. Unlike Bai, who could be nurtured more quickly with the power of time, the Time Dragon must genuinely experience sufficient time, so there was no need to wait. Seeing Bai looking somewhat expectant, Laine gave one final reminder: ¡°But remember to choose an official name for yourself as well, that¡¯s a very important matter,¡± he said. ¡°Okay,¡± Bai responded nonchntly, shaking her head as the young dragon flew into the midst of the group of eggs. She hovered above the tallest one, as if they were all clustering around her. The Sun of the outer world rose, while the moon of the Spirit Realm remained unchanging. However, a mysterious atmosphere gradually spread. It seemed that ever since the day of the era¡¯s shift, the world had never been quite peaceful. ¡­ On the ground, the morning sun was just rising.
¡°Lord Ande, pleasee in,¡± a middle-aged man with tired features weed Ande into his home in Giant Wood Town. Years had passed since the creator had departed, and the powerful among Humans had gradually begun to break free from the old rules and Order. Chapter 266: 64 Disaster_2 Chapter 266: Chapter 64 Disaster_2 Some among them were no longer satisfied with the past and sought to differentiate ranks in various ways, just like the courtyard before their eyes. Unlike the small yard Ande once lived in, this spacious courtyard was filled with decorations, nts, and some unnameable things; it seemed somewhat contrived. Ande felt that even the simple cups and pots in Laine¡¯s small yard had more charm. There was no helping it. Owing to the low artistic level of the Bronze Age, these items could scarcely exhibit any aesthetic appeal, but as a means of distinguishing from the dwellings of ordinary people, the effect was indeed striking. If it weren¡¯t for the impending cataclysm, perhaps in a few decades, humans might have developed primitive small manors. But now, there seemed no chance for that. ¡°Let¡¯s hear it then,¡± Ande said in a solemn voice, ¡°Why rush to summon me here? What¡¯s the matter?¡± The wilderness these days was far from peaceful, with only a few days¡¯ journey separating the two locations, but the road was fraught with fierce wild animals. However, Ande, who had hastened here, appeared moreposed than the host himself, seemingly unbothered by fatigue. Although the decades hadn¡¯t changed Ande¡¯s appearance, his temperament had be vastly different. ¡°It has been a trying journey, Lord Ande,¡± the middle-aged man began with some caution. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you possess certain¡­ extraordinary abilities?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re referring to those little tricks that assist dramatic performances, then indeed,¡± Ande replied, nodding. He didn¡¯t hide it; in fact, there wasn¡¯t much to hide.
He indeed had learned a special skill called ¡®meditation,¡¯ but that was as far as it went; simply increasing his spiritual power didn¡¯t show any distinct traits, and as for that special carving, he stillcked the qualifications to use it. As for the so-called ¡®little tricks,¡¯ they involved using one¡¯s spiritual power to manipte the strings of the ever-present Magic Net, granting abilities such as controlling fire and water, and healing minor wounds. Even without much Magic Power, this didn¡¯t hinder the control of Elements with one¡¯s spirit. Were he to live another hundred years, perhaps Ande could have derived something from these abilities and created rudimentary spells himself, but for now, they weren¡¯t as damaging as the brute force impact of his spiritual power on others. This was why these abilities had drawn little attention before; after all, Ande¡¯s methods, resembling performances, hardly seemed like a path to Transcendence. Furthermore, there was no concept of a Transcendent path among humans of the time. ¡°I¡¯ll be blunt, Lord Ande; we need your help,¡± the middle-aged man said with a serious expression as he sighed. ¡°For reasons unknown, recently in Giant Wood Town, many people have suddenly be weak, lost their appetites, and started coughing and wheezing. At first, everyone paid it no mind, attributing it to fatigue¡ªyou know, life has been getting tougher for everyone in recent years.¡± Ande merely nodded, offering no reaction. While he remained kind at heart, Ande hade to take the words of the priests with a grain of skepticism. Perhaps the lives of themon folk were harder without the gifts of the Divine, but this certainly didn¡¯t apply to the man before him. ¡°If that were all, it wouldn¡¯t be much of an issue. They were just weak and nothing more severe had happened yet,¡± the middle-aged man continued in front of Ande. ¡°But we soon discovered that these symptoms can spread.¡± ¡°At first it was just a few people, then dozens, then hundreds. We can¡¯t see a pattern to the spread; it seems anyone living in this town could be struck by it.¡± ¡°So, you don¡¯t know how to solve it, and even you have caught this unknown thing; that¡¯s why you thought of me?¡± Ande asked, his brow furrowed. ¡°But why would you think I can solve this problem?¡± ¡°What? I¡¯ve caught this thing, too?!¡± However, as soon as Ande finished speaking, the middle-aged man was taken aback. Aside from feeling tired, he had no other sensations. ¡°If this thing you speak of is the same as what I ¡®see,¡¯ then you probably have caught it; it just hasn¡¯t taken effect yet. Like the toxins of some wild animals, maybe it lies dormant for a longer period,¡± Ande said, detecting the man¡¯s abnormality with his spiritual sense. The man¡¯s breath and body exuded a substance that seemed unhealthy. ¡°Sigh¡­ Lord Ande, I didn¡¯t hold out much hope, but now that you can ¡®see¡¯ the presence of these things, that¡¯s already a promising start,¡± the middle-aged man said, taking a deep breath and managing a strained smile. ¡°Then let¡¯s go, take me to the others,¡± Andemanded, his voice serious. Although he didn¡¯t know what this substance was, if he surrounded himself in the wind element from the Magic Net with his spiritual power, he could keep it at bay. So, he wasn¡¯t too worried about this unknown substance.
However, others obviously could not do the same, so he needed to understand more deeply the patterns of spread and the origin of this substance. Although those humans contaminated with the substance weren¡¯t in mortal danger now, that did not mean they wouldn¡¯t beter. In the past, Ande had seen a human invaded by a chronic toxin, who after wailing in agony for a week, died in pain. The experience had shocked him profoundly at the time.
Chapter 267: 64 Disaster_3 Chapter 267: Chapter 64 Disaster_3 ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ ¡°Air, this substance can be transmitted through the air,¡± ¡°Not only that, but it can also cling to food and water sources.¡± After visiting three ces in session, Ande gradually discovered themonality of this special existence. They seemed to exist in different varieties, but no matter which type, they were invisible to the naked eye; even his spirit could only ¡®see¡¯ their presence, without being able to understand their characteristics more deeply. Ande didn¡¯t know if this was because his spiritual level was not high enough, having not reached the ¡®transcendent¡¯ realm described in the information of the wood carvings, or if these things were simply beyond understanding, but now, he couldn¡¯t eradicate them from the root. ¡°All I can say is that it seems to be afraid of fire, perhaps because of the power of the Sacred Fire. If you cook food and water with fire, these things will be destroyed. But beyond that, I have no way to deal with them,¡± Shaking his head slightly, Ande finally suggested: ¡°Try to keep those infected with the disease separate from others, if the distance is far enough, the spread should no longer be effective.¡± ¡°What about us who are already infected?¡± His expression changed again, but the middle-aged man who had followed Ande for half a day still tried to maintainposure.
¡°You priests im to be entrusted by the creator to guard and control the power of the Sacred Fire, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Since this unknown substance fears mes, perhaps the Sacred Fire can solve this problem.¡± After some thought, Ande finally gave a somewhat viable answer. However, upon hearing this, the middle-aged man¡¯s face didn¡¯t look good at all. Others might not know, but he was well aware that any human could invoke the Sacred Fire, but nobody could truly control its power. The so-called ¡®guarding and using¡¯ by the priests was just another form of deceit. ¡°¡­Thank you for your advice, Lord Ande, but I would ask that you keep today¡¯s events to yourself,¡± After a brief silence, the middle-aged man thanked him in the end. He had invited Ande without much hope, and the result was already satisfying to him. Only why Ande could see this substance did pique his interest. Before, he hadn¡¯t taken Ande¡¯s unique abilities seriously, but now, he realized he might have underestimated them. ¡°No matter, I just hope the trouble can be resolved quickly,¡± He sighed. Since no one had died from it so far, Ande, who had never seen a gue before, didn¡¯t think it was such a big disaster. After greeting everyone, he turned and left. After all, he was not knowledgeable in herbs; they had invited him to try their luck, and his shallow transcendent power was not enough to make a difference. As a child, Ande had learned much of mortal knowledge, learned a lot of old history, but had only learned ¡®meditation¡¯ from Laine, the only thing rted to transcendence. Although it was the foundation of everything, there clearly wasn¡¯t enough time now for him to develop it. Clutching the puppet left by Laine, an intuition suddenly surged in Ande¡¯s heart. ¡°Maybe, I should learn something else.¡± Ever since the creator left, the world had be increasingly unstable. In the short term, he wouldn¡¯t be able to reach the ¡®transcendent,¡¯ ¡®legendary¡¯ realm mentioned in the wood carving, so perhaps he should also learn some swordsmanship as a protective skill. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Disaster spread in the Mortal Realm, and as it interwove with the integration into human society, strands of the Power of Faith were born, ultimately falling upon their source. Compared to the offerings of true believers or the Civilization te as the source of human knowledge and civilization, the Faith arising from disaster was undoubtedly insignificant. Its only advantage was that as long as there were more intelligent beings on earth, it would steadily increase without the vtility of mortal devotion. However, the disasters in the Mortal Realm actually had two sources¡ªone was the gods of the Underworld, symbolizing the objectively existing cmities, as they had always existed, just taking this opportunity toe to the Mortal Realm.
The other was the initiator of everything, the woman who had personally opened the Magic Jar. She represented the man-made cmities, the disasters triggered by Humans themselves. At this moment, Pandora, who was walking with Epimetheus on thends of the west, noticed this strange force that disregarded distance and traveled across half the continent to her surroundings. ¡°What is this?¡± It was as if she heard the whisper of creatures, the pain in illness, the Fear faced in adversity. Surrounded by these false illusions, Pandora unconsciously shrank, hugging the Magic Jar tightly in her arms.
Alongside her, The God of Hindsight nced at her, revealing an expression of understanding. He knew this scene would inevitably happen, but he didn¡¯t expect it so soon. ¡°That is Faith, deities can be stronger because of it, but I advise you not to touch it casually, or I cannot assure you of the consequences.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Looking around at the encircling influences, Pandora wondered, was it through these terrible things that gods grew stronger? Recalling the grand hall where she was born and the majestic Divine King, she couldn¡¯t help feeling a strong sense of contrast, just like the different senses she had received from her husband one after another. ¡°Because your essence ultimately is not that of a deity, and that is unchangeable,¡± ¡°Pandora, as the first woman in the world, your body before birth was just an ordinary stone, made exceptional only because it carried the divine objects brought by my Father God. While this endowed you with a faint divine nature from birth, it does not enable you to absorb Faith.¡± Chapter 268: 64 Disaster_4 Chapter 268: Chapter 64 Disaster_4 As an assistant in the creation of humans, Epimetheus¡¯ understanding of faith had be profoundly deep. Indeed, this power could swiftly help deities amass Divine Power, and even break the ceiling of Godhood if the flow of faith was constant. However, the prerequisite was that you had to possess Godhood. At the very least, you had to be a quasi-god like a territorial god, possessing a ¡®territory¡¯ simr to Godhood. Without such a medium, directly absorbing the Power of Faith would be akin to courting death. It would be like touching the Origin of Godhood itself; going mad would already be the best oue. Of course, ordinary beings are also unable to perceive faith, only those who are naturally divine or who have gathered it on their own. Thetter does not exist in this world yet, and the former are all descendants of quasi-gods or gods. An existence like Pandora is actually extremely rare. ¡°But what about this y jar? Isn¡¯t it said that the things inside can ¡®change the impossible¡¯?¡± Surrounded by a ¡®tumult¡¯ of faith that was considerable to her, Pandora felt somewhat suffocated. Yet looking at the delicate jar in her hands, covered in patterns, she couldn¡¯t help but rise with some hope. ¡°I don¡¯t know, or rather, I am more inclined to think that it is an object rted to fate. It can lead you to find a way out unintentionally, not an all-powerful wishing machine,¡± Epimetheus said, making a judgment and looking at his ¡®wife¡¯. ¡°But I¡¯m also unsure. Why don¡¯t you try and wish for a way to make use of these faiths?¡± With regard to the Magic Jar, The God of Hindsight also did not know what it would take to use it. Since Pandora wanted to try, he thought he might as well let her. ¡°¡­Alright.¡±
Biting her lip, if she could not feel faith, Pandora would not be affected. If like a true deity, she could wield Godhood to use them, she would rejoice at the presence of faith. But her current situation made it very hard for her to ept. Thus, Pandora silently closed her eyes and prayed in her heart, hoping the y jar would help fulfill her wish. However, as time passed, under the expectant gaze of the Afterthinker, nothing happened. ¡°It seems that wishing didn¡¯t do anything, even though you are human, the rightful user of it,¡± said Epimetheus a little disappointingly, admitting Pandora¡¯s human status. But upon reflection, The God of Hindsight was not surprised by such an oue. After all, it was a relic of fate, and it¡¯s quite normal for it to be hard to use. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Your faith is something I cannot take away. If it¡¯s really unmanageable, just leave it as it is. As long as you don¡¯t actively engage with it, there really won¡¯t be any negative consequences.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± she nodded. The woman who brought cmity to humans did not have any solutions and could only try to ignore those false illusions as she continued endlessly following behind Epimetheus. As the two of them slowly vanished into the distance, her earlier wish seemed like a joke. Yet unbeknownst to her, at the very moment Pandora made her wish, the trajectory of destiny was indeed nudged, but that trajectory remained unknown to all. Even in the profound depths, a disaster of equal magnitude was once again imposed upon Pandora. This is destiny, the Prophecy that the Divine King did not wish to foresee for himself, because when you observe It, It also observes you; the giver of the gift does not wish to use It himself, for the amount you ask of It is inevitably the amount you must pay. But just as two generations of Divine Kings foundered before destiny, to It, everything is indeed without ¡®impossibles.¡¯ Chapter 269: 65 The Saint is Coming Chapter 269: Chapter 65 The Saint is Coming Spring gradually faded away, and the sun hung high in the sky; in a blink, another three months had passed. However, this year¡¯s human tribes were markedly different from those of previous years. Disease spread, and the climate had be increasingly unpredictable. Although it was the height of summer, nights were often abnormally cold. People could only huddle by the hearth, drawing some warmth from the mes. Under such circumstances, more people fell ill in their beds. At the same time, some rumors also began to spread among the crowds. On certain cold nights, some imed to have seen the faces of departed friends on the deserted streets. They had died at the mouths of wild beasts or from the torment of sickness, but now, they wandered the towns at night as if alive. But unlike when they were alive, these supposed dead appeared ethereal, their expressions nk, and before familiar people could approach, they would often vanish in an instant. At first, people thought these were hallucinations, butter, many saw the same sights. People started to recall what the creator had once said: he created the bodies of mortals, but their souls came from a ce called the ¡®Spirit Realm.¡¯ Once they died, their souls would return there. Now, these ghostly figures undoubtedly fit the description of ¡®souls.¡¯ Even the world after death was undergoing such strange changes, bringing yet more gloom to the afflicted human tribes. But all suffering was that of mortals; the gods did not empathize. Even in lofty Olympus, the Heavenly Empress had recently held a banquet in honor of Aphrodite, the most beautiful of goddesses. Of course, as for being ¡®the most beautiful,¡¯ the Heavenly Empress herself had never admitted this.
The Divine King, along with Eurynome¡¯s daughters, the Graces, were valued by the Goddess of Beauty because of theirplementary godhood. Aphrodite requested the Divine King, deciding to make them her Sub-Gods. Aea and Euphrosyne agreed readily. Deities with such modest godhood did not resist bing Sub-Gods to more powerful ones. Moreover, Aphrodite¡¯s way of doing things was to their liking. Only the youngest sister, Thalia, expressed refusal. She hoped to stay at the side of the Heavenly Empress, managing some daily trifles for Hera. Though somewhat surprised, considering the offspring that was soon to be born, the Heavenly Empress agreed to Thalia¡¯s request. Thus, the gods celebrated. They sent gifts, hoping to garner a smile from the goddess. Even Poseidon, Lord of the Sea, who had alsoe, did not hesitate tovish attentions on the Goddess of Beauty, ignoring the disapproving looks of Amphitrite, the Sea Empress, and boastfully revealed his intentions. He hadmanded his eldest son with the Sea Empress, the demigod Triton, to wield his Trident. On Poseidon¡¯smand, Triton would raise waves to bring death to humans. The struggle of mortal things, their final prayers or hatred towards the gods before dying¡ªthis was the gift he brought to the Goddess of Beauty. Aphrodite was not very interested, but many other deities were quite intrigued. Thus, she did not stint in repaying the Sea Emperor with a charming smile. Witnessing this smile, Poseidon was moved, even the Divine King was momentarily distracted, and many male gods felt envy. They nearly overlooked the difference in power and status between them, and only Hera seethed secretly. Although the banquet was for Aphrodite, it was only because of Hera¡¯s duties. As a goddess, she had no fondness for Aphrodite¡¯s behavior. ¡®She should be restrained.¡¯ With an unchanged expression, Hera nced at the Divine King, who pretended as if nothing were amiss. ¡®Marriage is the best solution¡­ I am considering this for the sake of all gods. If she continues like this, it will only lead to discord among the deities of Olympus.¡¯ That was the thought, but looking around, it seemed there was no god present worthy of marrying a powerful goddess born from the blood of Uranus. So Hera had no choice but to suppress her emotions temporarily, showing a decorous smile. The gifts having been presented, the banquet continued. However, soon after, one of the deities stood up. The gods around nced at him, then knowingly turned their attention away. That was the God of the Sun, who drove the golden chariot; dawn was approaching the mortal world. Other gods cared little for the passage of time, but he could not stay, as he had his own duties to fulfill. ¡°Helios.¡± Just then, the Divine King at the high table suddenly called out to him. ¡°Your Majesty, may I inquire as to yourmand?¡± Pausing, Helios bowed slightly and asked softly.
¡°A small matter, my friend.¡± ¡°The time is about right. Poseidon¡¯s ¡®feast¡¯ is about to unfold, and we should also consider the aftermath.¡± With a smile, Zeus, under the gaze of the gods, produced a golden decree. ¡°When your chariot passes Aurora, hand this to them. It will tell mortals why they have lost the blessings of the gods and why disaster hase upon them. It is not due to themselves, but because of the presumption of Prometheus and the madness of the Afterthinker.¡±
¡°I understand.¡± Taking the decree, Helios turned and left. ming the sin on the two deities seemed like an attempt to absolve them, but the gods did not care much. Whether those priests were guilty or not, they were about to die anyway, so there was no need to keep sin upon the deceased. In contrast, the two creator gods were still alive. Chapter 270: 65 The Saint is Coming_2 Chapter 270: Chapter 65 The Saint is Coming_2 Humans of the next epoch will understand history thus¡ªbecause of two gods who created humanity, humans were born, and then they moved desperately towards extinction. This is the true history. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ The Mortal Realm. The air was thick with panic and sorrow among the crowd as, starting two months prior, mortals contaminated with disease began to die off one after another. This cmity, different from natural disasters and wild beasts, sparked greater fear among humans, for the unseen was far more unnerving than the seen. Fear stemmed from the unknown, and to calm people¡¯s hearts, the priests had to conduct three grand rituals to the gods in session to provide a ¡®reasonable¡¯ exnation for the disaster. They didn¡¯t expect any response; ever since the creator departed,munication between humans and gods seemed to have been severed. They intended only to appease the popce in the name of the gods, and then to pray for a swift end to this terrible gue. Today was the third ritual. In the center of Aurora City, the High Priest Momon stood outside the grand Temple, silently observing. The ceremony had already begun, but he did not go to preside over it himself, instead choosing a junior who had never drunk of the demons¡¯ blood and still held some reverence for the Deity. His reasons were sound; after all, he was old, and the day woulde when he would need to be reced by a younger generation, so people easily epted his exnation. The Sun was high in the sky, and the ritual was drawing to a close, with the Guards maintaining order beginning to rx. They all thought that, like the previous two times, the Chief Celebrant of the ritual would soon emerge from the Temple and speak words to soothe the hearts of the people.
However, the oue defied everyone¡¯s expectations. ¡®Whoosh¡ª¡¯ Refined animal fat was poured onto the stone altar, and vibrant mes zed before the Temple. Just at that moment, a beam of golden Light descended from the sky, directly entering the Temple. The top of the Temple was breached, but at that moment no one cared. In an instant, the ce fell silent, and then quickly erupted into chaos. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°Has a god arrived?¡± ¡°That golden light is from above the Sun, the priests did not lie to us, the gods truly have responded!¡± ¡°Is the disaster about to end?¡± ¡°¡­¡± In the past, many had doubted the priests¡¯ ability tomunicate with the gods after the creator left, but now all their skepticism dissipated. The Deity had responded, perhaps the end of the catastrophe was near. ¡°High Priest, this¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t rush.¡± Different from the onlookers, those who gathered around Momon became somewhat panicked at the sight. They thought this was another punishment for their actions, but Momon was not among them. He halted the calls of those beside him, and he had, in fact, expected this scene. Mortals were beneath godly notice; the oue of the previous two sacrifices made that clear¡ªthey simply did not want to bother with humans. A mysterious individual had told him that before the gods destroyed them, they would twist history, and the most ¡®true¡¯ history was that which humans recorded themselves. That¡¯s probably what he meant by the scene unfolding before them now, perhaps this so-called divine pronouncement was not one of redemption, but of Destruction. ¡°Let¡¯s first listen to the revtion. Let¡¯s see whatmand the Deity will issue at a time like this.¡± Looking at theposed High Priest, the people around him were influenced and fell silent. To themon folk, this scene meant the High Priest had known all along that the gods would respond; only the ordinary priests were unaware. This deepened their trust, as it was only natural for the High Priest to be more powerful. Thus, the crowd soon returned to a state of solemn silence, quietly awaiting the oue.
Time ticked by, and as the Sun began to tilt, the great doors of the Temple finally opened once more. The Chief Celebrant, who had been tasked with leading the ritual, staggered out, leaning on the door. For some reason, his steps were unsteady. ¡°What did the revtion say?¡± Seeing the Chief Celebrant emerge from behind the doors, Momon was the first to speak.
¡°High Priest, I¡­¡± The Chief Celebrant took a deep breath. His demeanor was not the joy people expected. His hands trembled slightly, and in his palm, he clutched a token cast in gold with intricate patterns carved into it. Though tranquil at heart, his expression grew grim. Momon stepped forward to take the token from the hands of the speechless Chief Celebrant. The other did not resist, and the moment the token left his grasp, he copsed to the ground as if losing his support. Momon made no reaction to this scene, for as soon as the token was in his hand, the content of the revtion was transmitted into his heart. Silently digesting the information, Momon soon understood why the other had note out of the Temple sooner and why he behaved in such a fashion now. For those unaware of the truth, this scenario was indeed hard to ept. But for those who knew, Momon only saw the gods¡¯ ruthlessness. However, that was normal; he wasn¡¯t exactly a good person himself. At some point, the previously clear Sky began to be obscured by clouds, blocking the Sun. Holding the golden token, Momon slowly turned around, all eyes in the crowd focused on him. The joy from receiving the revtion had vanished. Now, looking at the Chief Celebrant fallen on the ground, they knew the result was probably not favorable. Perhaps the gods did not wish to save them, and this golden token was their rejection. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, the gods have sent down a revtion, which I shall read on their behalf.¡± Facing the crowd¡¯s gazes, Momon looked somber, yet resolute. Chapter 271: 65 The Saint is Coming_3 Chapter 271: Chapter 65 The Saint is Coming_3 At this moment, he was like a devout believer, readily epting the divine punishments bestowed upon him. He ced the golden token on his chest and loudly recited the content of the oracle. ¡°In the past, when the Creator Prometheusmitted a grave sin in the Divine Court, he did not deny his guilt. The Divine King judged him, and as punishment, withdrew his blessings from humanity.¡± ¡°Now, the Divine King has given the first woman, Pandora, to another participant in the creation of humans, the afterthought Epimetheus, and also bestowed upon him a gift from Hades. Hades cautioned him: This gift contains the sufferings and cmities of the Mortal Realm, and you must not open it. Yet, in the end, they were released.¡± ¡°So¡­¡± someone asked anxiously, ¡°High Priest, are all the epidemics we¡¯ve recently encountered originating from Pandora, from that ¡®woman¡¯?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± His expression growing graver, Momon nodded slightly. ¡°Then is the deity sending down oracles to help us out of these cmities?¡± someone else asked. ¡°No. The Divine King¡¯s words are absolute. When Hades¡¯ gift was opened in the Mortal Realm, it was as if he permitted their existence; this cannot be undone.¡± ¡°As for the oracle¡¯s final content¡­¡± Holding up the golden token, Momon began to speak:
¡°The Divine King rules the Sky and the Earth; the Sea Emperor rules the seas and storms; Hades presides over the underground mines and the Underworld.¡± ¡°Because of humanity, Hades has been able to spread his majesty upon the earth, which has deeply displeased the Sea Emperor. Thus, he will, today, rectify this error.¡± ¡°Rectify the error, you mean¡­¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Looking at the humans before him, Momon spoke calmly: ¡°We are that error.¡± ¡­ Above the expansive and limitless ocean, as calm as ever, was the sea area near the Sea Emperor¡¯s pce, with a faint divine force encircling the surroundings. Ever since Poseidon imed this ce from the line of the ancient Sea God, there have been no cmities here, as he is the master of [Storm] and [Tsunami]. Even thetter, having been forged into a Divine Artifact by the Cyclops, did not affect its master¡¯s use. However, on this day, beneath this tranquil sea surface, a significant number of shadows had unknowingly gathered. Above the sea, the waves too were lifting up a figure. With a human torso and a fish tail, looking very young and bearing some resemnce to Poseidon, that was the Sea Emperor¡¯s firstborn and Amphitrite¡¯s son, the demigod Triton. At this moment, he was holding a blue Trident in his hand. An invisible force was flowing through the weapon, and the ocean¡¯s depth and anger seemed to manifest on this Divine Artifact. ¡°Such a powerful force, this Divine Artifact¡­ is this what it feels like to be a True God?¡± ¡°I was so weak in the past. Before a true deity, I was nothing but an existence that could be easily killed.¡± Intoxicated, this was the first time Triton had felt the power to shake the seas. In the Third Era, as more and more mortal things were born, deities began to frequently produce offspring that were not eternal, and he was one of them. As the Sea Emperor¡¯s firstborn, Triton had noble blood but not matching strength. Even though most deities treated him with courtesy for his father¡¯s sake, he still felt they were mocking him, scoffing at his weakness,ughing at him for being mortal and kible. This made him crave power all the more, and at the same time, hate mortals even more. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that I can only possess this Divine Artifact for a while¡­¡±
With some regret, immersed in the sensation of ¡®boundless¡¯ power, Triton couldn¡¯t help but lightly swing the Trident in his hand. The next moment, wherever his gaze reached, hundred-meter-high waves rose from nothing, with everything happening so effortlessly. With the Divine Artifact in hand, Triton even felt his senses infinitely extended, as if this vast expanse of sea had be part of his body, which could surge just by a thought. This is how True Gods wield their authority; they don¡¯t need to know how to do it, they just ¡®think¡¯, and the things of their authority respond to them. This is also a rare power for deities at sea; otherwise, with the Trident forged from Poseidon¡¯s [Tsunami] godhood, it could shake a thousand miles of coast. This is the value of Divine Artifacts; in the hands of the powerful, they can be even mightier, but in the hands of the weak, they still possess fundamental power. Although the Trident of the Sea Emperorcks quite a bitpared to a High-Grade Artifact due to Poseidon¡¯s realm being too sparse, it suffices to grant Triton the divine authority of a true deity.
¡°Hahaha,e¡ª¡± With a heartyugh, Terry raised the Trident high above. Instantly, the ocean¡¯s currents heeded his call, with wave upon wave churning up. And amongst the waves, the dark shadows that had been lurking below the sea¡¯s surface began to surface one after another. Some were the offspring of Pontus, the primordial Sea God, father of the Sea Monsters; others were creatures that had been imbued with the blood of marine deities in numerous divine wars, gaining greater strength from the Divine Blood, and instinctively obeying the progeny of powerful deities. Low intelligence, fierce courage, ferocious appearance¡ªthese demonic monsters in the eyes of mortals had been summoned by the Sea Emperor and now submitted to the power of his weapon. Stroking the Trident, Terry reveled in thismanding sensation, his only regret being the low intelligence of the sea monsters. However, that was sufficient. Grasping the Divine Artifact, Terry pointed it forward and said with a buoyant spirit, ¡°Follow the waves, kill every living thing you see¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªNo, wait.¡± Suddenly remembering his father¡¯s advice, Terry frowned but still retracted his words. There were two he couldn¡¯t kill, for the Divine King had other ns for them. Terry had no objection to this; after all, they were Demigods, not like those lowly mortals. ¡°Then let me say it again¡ªapart from the two Demigods named Pitha and Deucalion, kill every living thing you see.¡± With a grin, Terry mimicked his father¡¯s tone, oozing with killing intent, and said, ¡°Leave not one alive.¡±
As his words ended, under the power of the Divine Artifact, towering waves surged toward thend; among the roaring, the sea monsters too advanced forward. On the earth, without the enhancement of Divine Power, mere seawater might not be able to drown all mortals, but with these monsters, it was a different story. Terry believed he would aplish this task very well. Even at this moment, he was already considering how to dawdle a bit longer. ¡°The destruction of humanity, I can¡¯t do it too quickly.¡± Sitting on a ¡®throne¡¯ formed of seawater, behind the multitude of sea monsters, Terry pondered in silence. ¡°If I kill them all too fast, I won¡¯t own the Divine Artifact once the task is over.¡± ¡°Such an opportunity doesn¡¯te by often, I should enjoy it a little longer.¡± ¡­ Meanwhile, in the Spirit Realm, Laine was exining the various aspects of the world to Bai. He was talking about the thirdyer of the Spirit Realm, telling the young dragon that as a dragon governing the realm of the heart, it was very suitable for her to be active there in the future. Part of the Spirit Realm, yet intertwined with the hearts and dreams of all beings in the world, Bai could witness the variegated aspects of the world and understand the love and hatred between living beings there. If she was interested, she could also travel within the dreams of living beings ande into contact with reality to experience the sensations of mortal life. ¡°Why have you stopped?¡±
Suddenly, the young dragon, who had been listening with great interest, lifted her head and looked at Laine not far away. There, Laine had stopped speaking at some point and had stood up from his seat. ¡°Hmm¡­ I have some matters to attend to.¡± With a smile, Laine then cautioned, ¡°You stay here by yourself for a while. Just remember, if anyonees here other than me, do not pay them any attention; they won¡¯t notice you.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± The clear, childlike voice echoed in Laine¡¯s mind, and the young dragon theny down on a dragon egg, boredly closing her eyes. Seeing this, Laine chuckled and then casually picked up the ck cloak that was draped over the chair. A promise made must be kept. Humanity was about to be destroyed, and now, he needed to visit the Mortal Realm. It was just unknown what direction the end of Bronze Humanity would take this time. Chapter 272: 66 Historians Chapter 272: Chapter 66 Historians Without locking in on a location, without previewing it beforehand, once he was prepared, Laine simply took a step, leaving everything to the unknown. So, when he emerged from the Spirit Realm into the dwelling ce of humans, whatid before him was a door. This seemed to be the interior of some human structure, with the bronze door dividing it into inside and outside sections. It was clear that there should have been guards here, but now the ce waspletely empty. ¡°History¡­ Since everything here originally stemmed from me, is that why I¡¯vee here?¡± Though his action was random, in the Mythic World, there was no true randomness. Being able toe here meant that this ce had some faint connection to Laine. After surveying his surroundings, he reached out to push the door open. The portal, heavy enough to require thebined strength of several men to open, swung apart with ease, revealing the steps behind it. It appeared to be a very tall building, which wasn¡¯tmon among modern humans. Strolling in, under the light of themps on either side of the staircase, Laine headed towards the top of the building. ¡­ ¡°Click¡ª¡±
¡°Grind¡ª¡± The sound of a bronze de scraping against stone echoed in the high space, where an old man with a face full of wrinkles continued his work. He was very old, one of the oldest among the first humans created by Prometheus, and his life was nearing its end. Judging by the arrangement on this floor, there should have been many people here in the past, tasked with guarding and preserving these items, and he was the overseer. But now, only he remained. However, sitting in his chair, the old man seemed oblivious to the changes around him, quietly carving away at the object in his hands. In his palms, the smooth stone tablet gradually filled with patterns and text. Looking closely, these patterns formed a tall pir of fire. A man with an indistinct face was bound to the pir, surrounded by onlookers. In mid-air, a goddess with a scale in her left hand and a sword in her right watched over everything. ¡­ ¡°Tap¡ª¡± ¡°Tap tap¡ª¡± Outside, footsteps gradually approached from afar. The old man didn¡¯t react. On the table beside him, numerous parchment scrolls were arrayed, inscribed with tiny script. These were once considered one of Bronze Humanity¡¯s greatest treasures, but now, they were nothing more than useless decorations. ¡°Tap¡ª¡± Finally, the footsteps halted behind the old man. The shadow cast on the table in front of him reminded the elderly guardian of the neer¡¯s presence, yet he showed no response to this unexpected visitor. ¡°If you have business, please wait a moment, cough cough.¡± The man¡¯s hands kept moving as he said slowly: ¡°Whether you allow me to record these things or not, please wait until I¡¯m finished, then you can take it away as a small ornament. If you could grant me this humble request, I will be grateful for your kindness in thest moments of my life.¡± The old man was dying, Laine could see that; he had contracted the gue. With the current medical knowledge of Bronze Humanity, his death was certain, even without the gue, given his age, he wouldn¡¯t have lived much longer anyway. It was like an ancient saying buried in the depths of memory, ¡°The people are not afraid of death; how can death be used to frighten them?¡± The old man was like that now. If it weren¡¯t for the few things he still wanted to do, Laine even thought the man might not care about his arrival. But observing the stone engraving steadily nearingpletion, intrigued, Laine still asked with interest:
¡°You all? What do you think I am?¡± After climbing over a hundred steps and reaching the top floor of the building, Laine also understood the purpose of this ce. In the spacious room were hundreds of wooden racks, on which creations containing written records were stored. This was where humans collected knowledge. They recorded the technologies of humans from the previous era, passed down by the creator, and stored them here. As for the old man in front of him, he seemed to be the one in charge of organizing them.
¡°You must be a god, as the young people said, the gods are going to destroy humanity. They wanted me to leave with them. But where could I go? I won¡¯t live much longer anyway, so I simply stayed here.¡± ¡°If Bronze Humanity can continue, they will eventually return one day, and perhaps they will see something I have left behind. If Bronze Humanity is to be extinguished, then it doesn¡¯t matter where I stay.¡± Having finished the illustration, the old man started to carve letters into the stone tablet. Watching this scene, Laine felt a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. ¡°Young people? Although the ages of Bronze Humanity do differ at creation, the actual time you all have existed is quite simr. Some were born middle-aged, while others were children.¡± Moving beside the old man, Laine looked at the stone tablet. ¡°The length of life is not the standard for measuring youth or old age, Your Grace. It is the mindset, knowledge, and view of the world that make me say they are young.¡± After coughing twice, seemingly interested in having a conversation with a god at the end of his life, the old man¡¯s enthusiasm for the conversation seemed very strong. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Nodding, Laine felt the old man made sense. Like himself, despite living for tens of thousands of years, he seemed younger than the old man before him. Chapter 273: 66 Historians_2 Chapter 273: Chapter 66 Historians_2 Because his mindset was such, he harbored a desire to explore all things, had his own goals and yearnings, and would asionally act on a whim. These qualities far more than the mere length of existence determined whether one was young. ¡°Wait, you wrote that wrong,¡± Laine pointed out a mistake after listening to the old man¡¯s rationale. ¡°Wrote it wrong?¡± His right hand paused, and the old man amiably epted the critique: ¡°Then may I know what the issue is?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t that the Goddess of Law approved of Mephisto¡¯s Speech and then elevated him to a Holy Spirit. The punishment of humanity by the gods did not begin from there. From the very day Prometheus created humans, their destruction was already destined,¡± Laine exined. The old man¡¯s te seemed to link the copse of the Temple of Law, Mephisto¡¯s ascent in mes, and the subsequent events together. But Laine knew that the connections between these events were not so strong. ¡°The Bronze Humanity was destined for destruction, as it was the will of the Olympian Gods,¡± ¡°¡­Why?¡± ¡°Because it was the Forethinker who created man,¡± Laine smiled in response, ¡°and not the Divine King.¡±
In the high tower filled with parchment scrolls and stone carvings, silence ensued for a moment. After a brief pause, the old man considered Laine¡¯s words, which had indeed crossed his mind before, as the oracles had suggested. It seemed that the Olympian Gods deliberately made humans believe that their cmities were linked to the two deities who created them. Perhaps the younger generation couldn¡¯t see it, but he could read the hidden meanings behind it. However, the two godly figures had left too deep an imprint on humanity; even when faced with divine oracles, people subconsciously med Pandora, who yed an unknown role. This seeming respect for the creator instead became their path to doom. ¡°It seems that the Bronze Humanity really has no chance of enduring¡­ Only a new breed of humans, one that does not hold an inherent reverence for the two creators, would survive,¡± The old man sighed, looked at the half-finished te before him, and then pushed it aside. He had wanted to leave something for posterity, even if that posterity belonged to a new era of humans. He had hoped that, just as the Bronze Humanity had learned the skills of the Golden Humanity, future generations would also gain something from the remnants of the Bronze Age. But if these records were wed, then there was no point in continuing to document them. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you are not a deity from Olympus.¡± Finally looking up, the old man turned to his side. ck hair draped over his shoulders, with an exquisite, lush ring on his finger. Dark robes embroidered with dark gold thread that seemed not fixed but constantly shifting, leaping. This deity appeared young, but the elder knew better than to judge a god¡¯s age by their appearance. ¡°May I know the purpose of your visit today?¡± His voice calm, the old man felt some regret but was neither disheartened nor servile. Being spoken to as an equal by a god probably meant that the deity needed something from him. With this in mind, he felt no need to be lesser. As someone who documented this knowledge, he had read the Speech of the one consumed by fire as recounted by others. Some points he agreed with, others he thought incorrect, but there was one in particr that the old man deemed quite sensible. If one desires nothing, then there is equality of the spirits. Gods can threaten the living with death, but not someone who is about to die. ¡°Amand? There is none,¡± Shaking his head and under the old man¡¯s somewhat surprised gaze, Laine inquired: ¡°Speaking of which, I still don¡¯t know what you¡¯re called.¡± ¡°My name is Humar.¡±
¡°It¡¯s said that during the Golden Age, those tasked with recording history were called Hewa, so I gave myself a simr name. Rumor has it that in that age, he did the same, inscribing the past of gods and men on stone tablets. Unfortunately, I never had the chance to witness it.¡± The old man seemed somewhat wistful. ¡°Hewa¡­ I remember him.¡± With a look of recognition, Laine recalled the name.
¡°Among the Golden Humanity, he was the outstanding one, perhaps because he spent more time with their king. He could have be an immortal Heroic Spirit, butter he gave that up voluntarily and asked to enter the Well of Reincarnation to be a new life.¡± ¡°Reincarnation?¡± The old man was not surprised that the deity before him had met the chronicler, for the Golden Humanity was rumored to be closely connected with the gods. Rather, he was more interested in this unique concept of ¡®reincarnation.¡¯ ¡°Yes, the souls of this world return to the Spirit Realm, and what determines their next life is Samsara.¡± ¡°Although he was responsible for recording history, he preferred to explore the unknown. I granted his request and gave him an additional reward, in return for his diligent work in the starry sky for a thousand years. I blurred his perception of time, allowing him to stay by the Well of Reincarnation for a while, waiting for the next human era to arrive, when he would start anew in the form of a human.¡± ¡°So, many eons ago, had you foreseen our birth and demise?¡± Unaware that the time of Samsara¡¯s birth was actually very short, Humar believed that the others had anticipated the arrival of the next human era even before the birth of Bronze Humanity. With a self-deprecating smile, the old man suddenly asked: ¡°Forgive my boldness, Your Highness, but if fate truly cannot be changed, does that apply to gods as well?¡± ¡°In the past, that was the case, deities were but puppets to the world itself; now, it¡¯s different, but there are still some things unchangeable.¡± Laine smiled, the impact on the destiny of Chaos increased by the day,rger and more numerous. Even his understanding of future myths might no longer hold true. For instance, Athena and the Fire God, they had yet toe to this world. ¡°Enough idle chatter¡­ I promised Prometheus that I¡¯de here on the day humanity was destroyed, so here I am. Meeting you was just a coincidence.¡±
¡°Then, follow me,¡± Laine said cheerfully, ¡°while I¡¯m still in the Mortal Realm. You can tell me about your past, your perceptions, and the gods as you see them; in return, I promise to grant you rebirth and keep you safe in this catastrophe.¡± ¡°Will humanity then continue?¡± the old man asked. ¡°Probably not.¡± Shaking his head slightly, Laine had agreed to help some people survive the cmity, but that was as far as it went. Even if all survived, without women, they would be unable to continue civilization, let alone that Laine didn¡¯t think he¡¯d meet many mortals worthy of saving. ¡°Then there¡¯s no need for that, I don¡¯t require a new life.¡± The old man stood up and struggled to lift a stone stele from the side. ¡°If you permit, let me record today¡¯s events as a historian of Bronze Humanity.¡± ¡°I will inscribe your deeds on a tablet, just as Hewa did during the ancient Golden Age of Humanity. This is my gift to you, and I hope it will represent Bronze Humanity and endure eternally alongside you.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Taken aback, Laine seriously regarded the ordinary old man for the first time upon hearing his request. In his eyes, Laine saw no fear of death. ¡°¡­If that is what you want, then I permit it.¡±
¡°But, there¡¯s no need to give it to me, leave it for humans instead.¡± The tide of the ages surged forward; perhaps those resplendent souls were never limited to just the epic sagas. In past lives, as well as the present, Laine had never been one to throw himself into ¡®ideals¡¯ recklessly, but he had always respected the decisions of these idealists. So he nced around, and his gaze ultimately pierced through the walls to behold the entirety of Aurora City. The city was thrown into chaos, people venting their fear, with only a few ces as exceptions. Like that grand and imposing temple, and the charred figure kneeling on the ground. ¡°Divine King¡¯s temple, is that where your former High Priest is kneeling?¡± ¡°Yes, that is the sanctuary of the Divine King.¡± ¡°It used to belong to humans, but now, a miracle has manifested there¡ª¡± The old man seemed to understand something, but he was about to die, and humans were on the brink of extinction. Now, all he wished to do was leave as much of his own mark on the future, as much of the Bronze Age, as possible. And Laine¡¯s response did not disappoint him. ¡°Then let it be ced there, in front of the Great Temple where Bronze Humanity worshipped the Divine King, disy the final verses of this age.¡± ¡°All began with Prometheus, born from deceit, and thus the end of this era should be buried with them.¡± With a smile, Laine spoke slowly:
¡°Let your record apany that ugly soul.¡± ¡°Nobility and basenessplement each other.¡± Chapter 274: 67: The Bet Chapter 274: Chapter 67: The Bet Everything that happened in the skyscraper was known only to the two people involved. At the end of his life, the old man picked up the stone b and followed Laine down from the towering building. There was no hurry, and Laine even slowed his pace because of the old man¡¯s decaying body. But the passage of time never stopped for this reason. In Aurora City, people who had heard the oracle were running around in panic. Some knelt to pray, some sought what they thought were safe ces to hide. The whole city seemed noisy and chaotic. Inparison, on Mount Olympus, the gods looked forward to the scene below with anticipation. Even from a great distance, they could notice the blurring of the edges between sea andnd at the eastern edge of the continent. Triton, the son of Poseidon, was about to bring a gift to the gods, which is also one of the acts performed before the real ¡®feast¡¯ began. This banquet held in honor of the Goddess of Beauty was not just to celebrate her new Sub-Gods; it also had a deeper meaning. For after today, the Olympian Gods would discuss the affairs of the next human century and divide their interests. Poseidon was the first to suggest this; he no longer wanted to go on as before, and other gods responded in kind. Faced with such a request, Zeus also agreed. Even as the Divine King, Zeus was far from doing whatever he wanted. Nowadays, his kingship relied more on his siblings, and thebined strength of six powerful deities made his position stable. Therefore, under these circumstances, he must also listen and cater to some of their demands. Of course, these were matters forter. Now, with the Divine Artifact crafted from Godhood as the medium and with the cooperation of the Principal God¡¯s power, everything around the Trident was presented before all the gods. With the lower body of a fish and the upper body of a human, Triton looked vibrant. He pointed into the distance, watching the Sea Monsters in the waves tear the beasts to shreds. asionally, he took action himself, enveloping birds that were too slow to take flight with seawater and watching them suffocate to death. ¡°Look, this is the fate of mere mortals, the consequence of deceiving a Deity.¡±
¡°They act recklessly when they think gods are not watching, but once we discover everything, all they can do is quietly await Death!¡± After gulping down arge cup of Nectar and watching this scene, Poseidon smiled. He had wanted to act for a long time, but Zeus, concerned about the Divine Court¡¯s reputation and the image of the gods, stopped him. But now it wasn¡¯t toote. The noble Sea Emperor allowed those mortals to live a few more years, only to let his son bring down Destruction with the Divine Artifact today. Mortals should really be grateful for his mercy. ¡°Is this amusing to you?¡± On the side, watching the surging sea water engulf thend, beasts struggling in the water, and birds fleeing in panic, Hestia furrowed her brow. ¡°Perhaps your son could kill these creatures in a more direct way.¡± She was not a person overflowing with sympathy, hence the Goddess of Hearthfire could understand Zeus¡¯s decision. The destruction of humanity was inevitable, but in her view, ¡®obliterating humans¡¯ and ¡®enjoying it¡¯ were two different things. ¡°The process is more interesting than the result, my sister. Just like that guy imprisoned in his Temple by Zeus, is he not to suffer eternal pain?¡± Poseidon was indifferent to this, and most gods did not care much. If this were done to a god, many among them would feel distressed, which is why Zeus was very cautious about punishing Prometheus. However, if the targets were mere mortals, then there was nothing to say. ¡°¡­I¡¯m not interested in this. Since you all want to watch, I¡¯ll not dampen your spirits.¡± Standing up, the Goddess signaled to the Divine King. ¡°Very well, my sister, I have always respected your decisions.¡± With a look of regret, Zeus raised his cup. ¡°However, about the matters we will discusster, do you have any thoughts?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need anything specific, Zeus. I do not need a particr city, a tribe of humans to worship me as a Principal God, forcing them to chant my name daily. As long as every human kindles hearthfire at home, that is already respect for me.¡± Gently shaking her head, the Goddess regarded these matters with indifference. She was not like her brothers, always ambitious to go further. In fact, it was still an open question whether faith truly helped a deity reach greatness. Even Zeus was not entirely sure of this. But in his opinion, since faith could break the ironw that divine power is limited by Godhood, it might fill the chasm leading to a greater realm. ¡°But, if any new humans voluntarily worship me and agree with my path, you all cannot obstruct this, that is the only thing I want to say.¡±
While Hestia did not care much about the quantity of faith, she was still very interested in intelligent humans. If someone truly acknowledged her Thoughts and voluntarily became her follower, then the Goddess would dly ept them. ¡°Of course, my sister, this is your right.¡± In response to Hestia¡¯s request, the Divine King immediately gave his assent, and the rest of the gods were unlikely to object, so the matter was settled.
After Hestia left, the scene quieted down a bit before quickly bing lively again. Only Aphrodite was a little unhappy; she felt that for the sake of some mortals, Hestia was being disrespectful. Chapter 275: 67: The Bet_2 Chapter 275: Chapter 67: The Bet_2 ¡°` However, she did not show her feelings, only taking note of the matter secretly. As time slowly passed, the scene disyed by the Divine Artifact and the Divine King¡¯s power in the center of the great hall kept changing. Although Triton deliberately slowed his pace, he still gradually drew closer to Aurora. Watching this unfold, Poseidon seemed to be unable to restrain himself from saying something. He looked around, then suddenly produced a shining orb from his person. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, merely watching my child perform might be somewhat dull. I have an additional idea that could make this process a bit more interesting. Would any of you care to join in?¡± ¡°Oh, howe I wasn¡¯t aware that even you coulde up with new ideas?¡± Upon hearing this, the Heavenly Empress casually remarked from the principal seat. Demeter smiled at thement. Just like Zeus, Poseidon had once shown her attention, but his dullness had failed to spark her interest. Zeus might not be a good husband, but he indeed knew how to sweet-talk. ¡°Hmph, nothing but prejudice.¡±
With a snort, Poseidon did not take Hera¡¯s teasing to heart. He ced the orb on the table and then voiced his idea. ¡°The extinction of humans is inevitable, but the process is unknown, so why don¡¯t we ce a wager on it?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s bet on how they will react to their demise. Will they beg on their knees, wait for death in despair, attempt to deceive the gods with ridiculous words once more, or attack the gods ignorantly? We¡¯ll make random guesses about how many will react in a certain way, and that will be the content of the bet.¡± When his words settled, many deities present showed interest. Compared to a one-sided ughter, this seemed more exciting and anticipatory. ¡°What about the stake, surely not this worthless thing?¡± A deity pointed at the crystal-clear orb in front of Poseidon. The orb was a concentration of ocean essence, which only a True God with dominion over the seas could extract from seawater. The former scepter of the God of the Ocean was forged with this as a material. However, for other gods besides the Sea God, it indeed wasn¡¯t of much use. ¡°Hahaha, this is all I have. If you want something different, that would depend on whether my dear brother is willing to part with it¡ª¡ª¡± With augh, Poseidon looked at Zeus. ¡°However, the Divine King might already consider humans his possession, so he might not be willing to put them on the table. Am I right, my dear brother?¡± Unmoved in expression, Zeus felt inward anger at Poseidon¡¯s mockery, but he knew why he said it. After all, throughout the Bronze Age, he had garnered the most faith from humans in the name of the Divine King, while, due to being forbidden from setting foot in the sea, worship of the Sea Emperor by humans was mostly superficial. Thinking this, Zeus couldn¡¯t help but find it amusing. It wouldn¡¯t take long for his foolish brother to understand that theck of faith had nothing to do with being the Divine King; it was simply because he wasn¡¯t up to the task. Therefore, the Divine King sketched a map in midair with Divine Power, which prominently disyed the vastnd between Olympus and the East Sea. However, there were very few ces suitable forrge-scale human settlement in these areas, all due to the aftermath of a divine war a century ago, which still left its scars to this day. ¡°Since you¡¯re interested, Poseidon, let¡¯s all ce a bet.¡± ¡°The stakes will be the contents of this map, with the winner choosing first. However, whatever choices we make today only signify the beginning, not permanent regtions. The winning deity will have an advantage in the beginning, but what follows will rely on our own capabilities.¡± Looking at Poseidon, Zeus shared the n he had already formted. ¡°Let the affairs of mortals be resolved by mortals themselves. No deity shall wantonly kill the followers of another deity; vitors will be considered enemies of the Divine Court. What do you all think?¡± In that moment, as the Guardian of Oaths, the power inherent in such a role spread out. Although it was far from the assurance of an actual Styx River oath, it still held a certain binding effect on the gods.
In Zeus¡¯s original n, he had intended to abandon the current ¡®equitable distribution¡¯ of faith, even though he got thergest share under this ¡®equitable¡¯ scheme. He had discussed this only with Hera and a few subordinates before today. Now that Poseidon had taken the initiative, Zeus was happy to go with the flow. If, in the next human era, the gods were to take arms against mortals en masse, the bacsh of such oaths,bined with the tremors of the present Law, would together be enough to deal a hefty blow to any deity. The assembly of gods felt the power of this oath, and they were momentarily silent. However, Poseidon didn¡¯t concern himself with that.
¡°So, you too, my brother?¡± ¡°If, in the future, your followers in the mortal realm are killed by mine, or ifnds belonging to your followers are upied by mine, will you keep the oath made today?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± A flicker of cold light in his eyes, Zeus nodded in promise: ¡°Unless mortals offend me, I shall not act against the followers of other deities. That is my vow.¡± ¡°But if it is an oath that even the Divine King must obey, then no one shall break it.¡± ¡°Good, then it¡¯s settled!¡± Raising his cup, Poseidon drank it all down in one go. He had always felt that he was no worse than Zeus. It was merely because the Mother Goddess chose to rescue Zeus first, leading to his initial misstep, and thus, his subsequent failure. ¡°` Chapter 276: 67: The Bet_3 Chapter 276: Chapter 67: The Bet_3 ¡°I bet not a single human dares to draw their sword against the gods, do you?¡± By voicing his opinion first, the Sea Emperor didn¡¯t think they would choose to ¡®resist¡¯ with ¡®force¡¯ in the face of the deity¡¯s maniption of natural forces. That way, at least he wouldn¡¯t lose. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Meanwhile, within Aurora City. The water churned continuously, pouring out inch by inch from the river not far from the city walls, as if the downstream was blocked, the river water spilling out towards both banks without a ce to go. At the end of thend, a blue ¡®line¡¯ gradually revealed its traces, followed by a slight, deafening roar of beasts. ¡°Your Excellency.¡± Next to the Sacred Fire, High Priest Momon had, at some point, taken off his ceremonial robe adorned with lightning patterns. He stood beside a vague and undefined mist, his expression respectful and submissive. ¡°As per your prior instructions, everything has been arranged. However, about the previous oracle¡­ ¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±
The fleeting voice came from the mist, and its owner seemed to be in a very good mood. ¡°Over these years, I have also mostly figured out the rules of the mortal realm. Since gods fundamentally cannot truly wield their power on thend, then there isn¡¯t much to be afraid of them. The Sea God might send down a storm or flood, which might be terrifying for a city, but for me, it hardly counts for anything. Even you now wouldn¡¯t simply die from a flood.¡± With a slight sensing, the patterns spread throughout the human city became clearly visible, and for this, Mephisto was very satisfied. To test its effects, the demon had made attempts before. Over the past few months, the souls of the dead had been bound by the abilities affiliated with the patterns, resulting in their dy in returning to their rightful ces. However, it was about time. If the gods didn¡¯t take action soon, Mephisto would start to be impatient. After all, these lingering souls might at any moment attract the attention of the deities of the Spirit Realm. Although there were many creatures on thend now, they might not pay attention to such a small amount, but humans were, after all, beings of Wisdom. Three months was almost at the limit. Any longer, and there was a risk of exposure. On such a major matter, Mephisto would not trust ¡®probability.¡¯ ¡°You did well, Momon.¡± With offhand praise, although in the devil¡¯s perception, the human in front of him did not seem as reverent as he appeared to be, he did not care much about it. After all, saying one thing and doing another was the basic skill once possessed by Silver Humanity. ¡°Once I ept the rewards from the Lord of the Nine Hells, as the first human who sided with me, you will also receive what you desire.¡± ¡°As for now¡­ let¡¯s enjoy this rare spectacle together.¡± ¡°Thank you very much, Your Excellency. The destruction of Bronze Humanity is indeed a rare sight to behold.¡± Bowing slightly, as if he didn¡¯t care that the ¡®spectacle¡¯ to be ¡®enjoyed¡¯ was the death of his kind, Momon respectfully replied. Contrary to his expectations, the demon negated his assumption. ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I¡¯m referring to.¡± ¡°What I call ¡®a rare sight to behold¡¯ is the death of this Sea God¡¯s Divine Child who rides the waves.¡± Speaking leisurely, Mephisto seemed to have chuckled. ¡°The death of a Divine Child is quite interesting, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡±
Turning his head towards the direction where the sounds of the waves and beastly roars came from, although Momon¡¯s gaze could not prate the barrier, for some reason, he indeed felt a bit of anticipation at that moment. In his heart, Momon really wanted to know, when the offspring of deities died, how different were they from mortals? Chapter 277: 68 Miracle Chapter 277: Chapter 68 Miracle ¡°It seems that the Bronze Humanity hasn¡¯t made adequate preparations for the catastrophe,¡± ¡°At least that¡¯s how it appears on the surface,¡± Walking on the streets, the usually bustling areas seemed somewhat deste. Even if people asionally hurried past, they would just nce at the two individuals who seemed out of ce and then rush toward what they believed to be a safe location, with no intention of stopping. Clearly, at such a critical time, no one wanted to waste time on two strangers. ¡°Cough cough, lies told frequently enough can inevitably be epted as truths. Before, everyone believed that priests could trulymunicate with the gods, so naturally, they didn¡¯t prepare in advance.¡± With a cough, the old man was not surprised by this. He wasn¡¯t a priest, but within humanity, he had some status, which meant that after much contact, those tricks to fool the general popce were useless to him. ¡°However, being prepared or not doesn¡¯t make much of a difference; if ignorance allows them to spend theirst dozen or so years in peace rather than panic, cough cough, that might not be such a bad thing.¡± ncing at the symbols full of familiar power hidden beneath the road, Laine didn¡¯t respond. Their brief conversation ended, and the two men continued walking along the main road toward the gates of the Eastern Region, where the sound of water could be faintly heard.
Dark clouds gathered in the sky, obscuring all light¡ªa sign of an impending downpour. However, as they walked past a temple, a shout suddenly came from within. ¡°Hey, you two over there¡ªyes, you.¡± ¡°Come over here!¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± A bit surprised, but after hearing the call, Laine hesitated for a moment before leading Humar over. In this journey through the Mortal Realm, he left all choices to the humans. Their fates werepletely up to their own decisions. ¡°Hey, are you two also looking for a ce to take refuge?¡± The one who spoke was a young man, apanied by a few others who didn¡¯t seem familiar with each other. They were all standing behind the temple threshold, watching the situation outside. ¡°Sort of. What about it, you want me to take you along?¡± Laine asked with a smile, looking at the young man who had spoken. ¡°What are you thinking? Isn¡¯t this ce the safest right now?¡± Another person, slightly older and wearing a brown robe, loudly stated beside the young man. Nevertheless, Laine could hear the unintentional fear building within, betrayed by the voice. ¡°He¡¯s right; the Sea God has sent divine punishment, and it¡¯s ultimately aimed at humans. He wouldn¡¯t strike the temple of other deities, would he?¡± The young man also nodded, ncing at the old man beside Laine. Such an aged human was rare in Aurora. ¡°Come inside quickly; if it weren¡¯t for the old man you¡¯re with, I wouldn¡¯t bother with you.¡± Finally understanding the other party¡¯s intention, Laine smiled wryly but also felt somewhat touched. Although their idea was wrong, their hearts were in the right ce. Facing their gaze, Laine directly countered: ¡°But haven¡¯t the gods already abandoned humans? Can a temple not recognized by its god still be considered the domain of that god?¡± ¡°¡­What nonsense are you talking about!¡±
The few individuals in front of him changed their expressions, clearly upset by Laine¡¯s words that pierced their underlying hopes. Obviously, they too knew that today¡¯s temples were not the same as before. In the past, the statues in those temples seemed ¡®alive¡¯, asionally giving people the feeling of being watched by a formidable presence. But ever since the creator left, those statues had be ¡®dead¡¯. Although priests always proimed that deities were still watching over them, simply in a more secretive manner, now that divine punishment hade, they had note up with a solution, undermining their previous ims. Would such temples truly be cared about by other deities? ¡°Staying here probably won¡¯t save your life, but I do know that a deity, upon the creator¡¯s request, is willing to provide sanctuary for humans when divine punishment descends.¡±
Inside the temple, Laine spoke again, turning to the few now pale-faced listeners. ¡°Really? Isn¡¯t the Divine King the sovereign over all gods?¡± Surprised, yet the young man who had first called out still expressed his skepticism. ¡°Of course it¡¯s true. You know as well that neither the stars above nor the ground beneath are governed by the Divine King. Think again about the creator¡¯s epithet¡ªthe Forethinker; it¡¯s only natural for him to foresee theing cmity of humans and make preparations, isn¡¯t it?¡± Laine asserted, meeting the young man¡¯s gaze. ¡°You¡¯re right. Well¡­ thank you,¡± The young man was a bit embarrassed, as his tone had been loud earlier, but remembering the imminent disaster, he quickly asked: ¡°Could you tell me the name of this deity?¡± ¡°As for the name, I haven¡¯t heard anyone mention it.¡± Smiling faintly, Laine continued: ¡°But I have heard of his deeds. They say that he is deeply connected with humans and that, tens of thousands of years ago, he personally created the Golden Humanity.¡± ¡°Not long ago, the creator, foreseeing the disaster of humans, sought his aid, and he responded to the expectations of Iapetus¡¯s son: as long as people beseech the Spirit Realm, silently revering his presence when the catastrophees, all cmities will be averted, and nothing can harm the bodies of the devout.¡±
Chapter 278: 68 Miracle_2 Chapter 278: Chapter 68 Miracle_2 ¡°` ¡°That¡¯s really wonderful!¡± His face beamed with joy, as the disaster finally seemed to have a chance of passing by. The young man was about to express his gratitude when, in the next moment, he awkwardly raised his head again. He had suddenly remembered that Mount Olympus was to the west of Aurora, the sea to the east, and both the earth and the stars were visibly clear, but he truly did not know where the Spirit Realm was. ¡°Um, the Spirit Realm¡­ is it the legendary resting ce of souls? Where is it¡ªI mean, in which direction should I worship this benevolent deity?¡± With a wave of his hand, Laine wasn¡¯t surprised by this. In this era, only a few people born with a higher sense of Spirituality could identally see the surface of the Spirit Realm, so he exined patiently: ¡°Anywhere, in fact, the Spirit Realm is omnipresent.¡± ¡°However, He is the origin of all Spirituality in the world, so, as humans, as intelligent life forms, the closest ce to the Spirit Realm is in your heart.¡± ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Soon after, Laine and the ever-silent Humar declined the retention of the others and turned to leave the temple.
He imed that the reason he was still walking the streets was to share such good news with everyone. As a result, the young man could only say goodbye regretfully to the two men and stated he would also spread the word. After the two had left, several people who were hiding in the temple exchanged nces. They were actually passersby pulled in by the young man; now, a middle-aged man, slightly older, looked toward the doorway, where the silhouettes of Laine and hispanion were no longer visible. ¡°Nuo, do you really believe what that man just said?¡± ¡°Hm? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I believe him? What reason does he have to deceive me?¡± In response to the question, the young man named Nuo was somewhat puzzled. ¡°You are from the second generation of Bronze Humanity, so you may not recognize¡­ In fact, I¡¯ve seen that old man before.¡± There was no respect in his voice as the middle-aged man slowly said: ¡°He is one of the oldest among the first generation of humans, but he doesn¡¯t possess any particrly outstanding talents¡­ The creator gave us excellent bodies but failed to grant us equally excellent wisdom, which is why he ended up being assigned to guard the ¡®Archive¡¯¡ªit¡¯s said that deities record knowledge in ¡®books,¡¯ but we don¡¯t have that much knowledge to document yet.¡± ¡°That¡¯s perfect, the more knowledge he knows, the more it proves that what hispanion said is likely true,¡± Nuo interjected after hearing the middle-aged man¡¯s words, still not quite understanding the other¡¯s point. ¡°What I mean is, if the creator really did leave something behind before departing, why didn¡¯t he entrust it to his most trusted Priest, instead of leaving it with an incapable old fellow¡ªand indeed, it might be the one you just spoke with, though there¡¯s no difference; they both have little presence in Aurora. I have at least seen Humar, but never that one in ck.¡± ¡°¡­Maybe not necessarily. Perhaps the creator realized at thest moment that those he originally trusted weren¡¯t trustworthy after all?¡± somebody interjected upon hearing this. There was some sense in what he said, after all. By this point, even without evidence, Bronze Humanity had started to harbor some doubts about the Priests. Reality wasn¡¯t as wonderful as they imed, so there had to be Lies. ¡°Perhaps, so you too intend to leave and preach the so-called ¡®redemption of the nameless god¡¯?¡± Without argument, the middle-aged man simply looked at the one who had spoken, replying indifferently. As expected, the other did not respond. After all, he was still on the fence, not yet prepared to act on this belief. As for what the other person had said, it might be good to believe a little. When disaster struck, if the temple couldn¡¯t protect him, then he would kneel and pray for the protection of that god. After all, it didn¡¯t require giving up anything. As for leaving now, that was out of the question. ¡°Fine, then you all stay here, I will do as I promised!¡±
After looking over the remaining people, Nuo was disappointed to find that no one wanted to leave with him. Frustrated, but mindful of the urgency, the young man turned and left. Behind him, the others had various expressions but ultimately, none followed him out of the temple, which had long since lost its divinity. Not far from the temple, the two who had left before him now watched Nuo¡¯s hurrying figure. ¡°Cough cough, I thought you would reveal your true form, tell them of your majesty and sanctity, or expose the real intentions of the rest, then tell them that because of their skepticism, the grace of the gods would no longer be scattered upon them.¡± Standing behind Laine, the old man spoke slowly.
He had seen clearly: among the few, only the first young man truly believed Laine, and as it turned out, his guess was not wrong. In days past, this might have represented gullibility, but today, it could save his life. As for the rest, they clearly wouldn¡¯t trust a stranger¡¯s words enough to entrust their lives to a god without even a name, so their staying in the temple was no surprise to the elder. ¡°Heh, then I must reiterate, Humar. The reason I came here is not to save humanity or to demonstrate my majesty before some Mortals. If I wished, I had many opportunities to do so in the past.¡± ¡°I came here merely because of a memory from the past, a legend of the ¡®Sufferer.¡¯ Of course, there¡¯s also a bit of selfishness.¡± Chapter 279: 68 Miracle_3 Chapter 279: Chapter 68 Miracle_3 At that, Laine couldn¡¯t help but smile a little. ¡°By doing so, I can also incidentally give my good child an opportunity to do something he has always wanted to do. Since he so desires to sit in another¡¯s ce, then let him try.¡± Arbitrary punishment without teaching is considered cruel, and although Laine had a myriad of capricious reasons, he also had one to proceed by the book: because he wanted to. Having said this offhandedly, Laine nced at the old man. ¡°However, it seems you are not as detached as you im to be; you still want to save more people. As long as I demonstrate my power, no matter what happens to those young individuals, more will invariably believe in my words.¡± ¡°I just hope they can have a chance,¡± the old man replied. Shaking his head, the old man surveyed the city he had lived in for a long time. ¡°If possible, I still hope as many people as can will learn of Your existence, rather than dying in ignorance.¡± ¡°They will, but s, it bears no significance.¡± Watching Nuo leave in the distance, Laine smiled.
¡°I honored Prometheus¡¯s request, so everyone will understand¡­ but in the end, I fear not as many will believe as you wish.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. Everyone should pay the price for their choices.¡± In the old man¡¯s gaze, Laine moved his fingers slightly, and in a silent moment, time around Nuo subtly distorted. Therefore, the young man, having just learned of the existence of a mysterious deity, found himself confused amid his bustling; time today seemed to drag on, as though he had run through many ces but not much time had passed. But he didn¡¯t think much of it, attributing it to a slow perception of time due to his nerves. After a short rest, he continued to run to notify others. However, if one were to elevate their view, they might be surprised to find that at the same moment, this young man appeared in different parts of the city, spreading the creator¡¯smands to other deities to different people, yet sadly, this scene had no audience. Only an old man, not far from death, was drawing the second picture on a te. In that painting, not in the temple but on a high mountain and its base, it was foretold that even if gods and mortals coexist on earth, they are not equal. At the mountain¡¯s peak, in the light, the deity promised mortals: those who worship Him sincerely will not be harmed by disaster; those who sincerely believe in Him will find the portal to His kingdom open in their hearts. Six listeners, unaware of the truth, each showed different attitudes: some believed and rejoiced, others were skeptical and silent, and still others turned their heads away in contempt. The old man didn¡¯t leavements beside each one; instead, he simply expressed his thoughts, based on his own experiences. Miracles are rare, so treat every opportunity in life as a miracle. ¡­ The waves drew ever closer, and at a certain moment, the walls of Aurora came into view at the end of Triton¡¯s sight. ¡°Walls? They might stop beasts, but they cannot stop me,¡± he said with a confident smile at his Trident, knowing that the deities were watching. As a Demigod, such opportunities were rare, so he raised the Divine Artifact and gazed towards the city, striving to align himself with his Father God. ¡°Mortals, I am the sovereign of the great sea, son of Poseidon, Triton. Today, by the divine decree of my Father God, I shall bring you the destined Destruction. Fleeing is futile; the will of the gods shall be carried out.¡± The son of the Sea God noticed, with his arrival, that on the walls of the city, it seemed like there were some figures watching him. Were they mortals, giving up on hiding and prepared to beg for mercy? Yet regardless of what it was, it could not dampen the excitement in Triton¡¯s heart. ¡°Kneel and beg for mercy, lowly mortals, it might slightly alleviate the sins of your past. For those who repent, the merciful Triton will be particrly gracious¡ª¡± ¡°I allow you to witness the destruction of your kind, and when the final momentes, greet the unchangeable Death.¡±
Chapter 280: 69: Gods Justice and the Sword Chapter 280: Chapter 69: God¡¯s Justice and the Sword The seawater tumbled over thend, mingling with the rivers. Broken trees, soil, rocks, and the dead bodies of animals floated on the surface, and huge dark shapes lurked below. The hearnd of Bronze Humanity, the Aurora ins, had turned into a vast ocean, and the sea continued surging violently in all directions. Those humans who fled outside the city, trying to hide in the forests and mountains, did not escape fate; they were either drowned or became food for the giant beasts in the water. Across the entire in, only its heart, the city of humans, barely survived. But this was not due to luck; under the control of the Divine Artifact, the water intentionally bypassed this primitive city. Clearly, as the director behind all this, Triton was well aware that merely drowning the city with a flood was not much of a spectacle, so he slowed down the process and arrived in person before the human city. And just as he had imagined, from afar atop Mount Olympus, Poseidon watched his son¡¯s grand pronouncements and could not help but p the armrest of his chair,ughing heartily with satisfaction. He had long wanted to destroy these ignorant humans. The faith of humans in the Sea God was far less than that in other deities, certainly due in part to Zeus¡¯s decree that humans should not touch the sea, but this did not stop Poseidon from directing his rage at them. However, at that time, humans were united, so rewards and punishments were usually given by Zeus in consultation with the other deities, in the name of the Divine Court. No individual deity could act alone. So, even after Prometheus¡¯s incident, Poseidon still did nothing. He thought Zeus certainly would not stand idly by the deceit of mankind, yet he waited over a decade without any movement. Until now, when he could finally vent a little.
¡°Hmph, Zeus is still too weak. Our grandfather and father ruled the world with force, but he keeps practicing these crooked ways every day.¡± Muttering to himself in contempt, Poseidon grew increasingly resentful that he had not ascended to the throne of the Divine King. However, the scene before him at least lightened his mood, so the Sea Emperor continued to watch his eldest son¡¯s performance. Poseidon was pleased; on the other hand, seated at the highest ce, Zeus was also very satisfied. Poseidon¡¯s series of actions sessfully took the brunt of the other deities¡¯ disgruntlement for him, such as his elder sister Hestia. Now, although the goddess had still gone away in a huff, the source of her displeasure was the child and followers of Poseidon. He had achieved his goal and avoided trouble¡ªit couldn¡¯t be better. With that thought, Zeus also started to enjoy the ¡®beautiful scenery.¡¯ In fact, deep in his heart, the Divine King bore ill will towards Bronze Humanity, especially that faithless mortal who had pleaded with him for immortality and still disgusted him in retrospect. Using the projection between the Divine Artifact and its master, Zeus casually cast his gaze towards the human city. What he saw were the panicked crowds, the chaotic order, the approaching downpour, and¡ª ¡°Hmm?¡± Suddenly, Zeus sat up straight. He thought he had seen a somewhat familiar figure, which made him pause for a moment. Although he had only met the person once before, that encounter had left a deep impression on the newly crowned king. So Zeus quickly concentrated, trying to find that person again, but was disappointed. The image had shed by, and by the time the Divine King hade to his senses, he was unable to find the figure he had just glimpsed. In this era, most deities could not see through the earth on their own. The reason the gods were able to enjoy this ¡®grand y¡¯ from Mount Olympus was because the Trident of the Sea Emperor was a Divine Artifact naturally bestowed with Poseidon¡¯s Godhood, and it was in the hands of his child. But for this same reason, the ¡®view¡¯ of the deities was tied to the movement of the Divine Artifact; they could not control it themselves. ¡°Poseidon, do you have a way to control your Divine Artifact?¡± With his right hand subconsciously gripping the armrest, Zeus casually asked. ¡°Of course I can¡ªif it weren¡¯t for these damnedws.¡± After taking a sip of nectar, Poseidon sarcastically replied: ¡°But unfortunately, under the suppression of the present world, if I use my Divine Power tomunicate with my Divine Artifact far above the earth, you all know what would happen. Why, what a ludicrous question are you asking?¡± Surprised by Zeus¡¯s question, Poseidon wondered what thetter was up to. Whether or not he could do it, others may not know, but would he not himself know? His Thunderbolt Arrow and the Trident of the Sea Emperor were simr products. In this respect, there should be no difference between them. Not just Poseidon¡ªupon hearing this, other deities also looked at Zeus, pondering what the Divine King was nning. Faced with their gaze, Zeus had no choice but to waive his hand, indicating that it was nothing of concern. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I just thought this angle wasn¡¯t very good.¡±
¡°His Majesty the Divine King is really ¡®growing in majesty day by day,¡¯ even such trivial matters must be mentioned.¡± Snorting coldly, Poseidon paid no further attention. ¡®Maybe it¡¯s just nerves, or perhaps it¡¯s the influence of my unborn daughter affecting my judgment.¡¯ Seeing the casual response, Zeus reassured himself a bit. He steadied his spirit and then continued to watch the images before him.
But before long, a voice of surprise came from his side. ¡°What happened?¡± Turning his head, Zeus looked towards the goddess d in a green gown, whose figure was both voluptuous and elegant. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 281: 69: Gods Justice and the Sword_2 Chapter 281: Chapter 69: God¡¯s Justice and the Sword_2 ¡°` That was Eurynome, as one of the original protagonists of today¡¯s banquet, the Mother Goddess of the Graces, Zeus had granted her the honor to sit in the seat second only to Hera. However, at the moment, this Oceanid was looking at the water screen with an astonished expression. ¡°Sorry¡­ I¡¯m truly surprised. I never expected to see a person from the Golden Age on the walls of Bronze Humanity¡¯s city!¡± ¡°Then again, it might just be a simrity in appearance¡­¡± Herplexion was one of disbelief, but Eurynome soon found an exnation. As Metis¡¯s sister, Eurynome had witnessed the birth of the first generation of humans at Delphi alongside her. She might not remember others, but the very first human was an exception. ¡°I must be mistaken, perhaps Prometheus intentionally made them resemble that way, I remember their family was quite close to Golden Humanity back in the day. That person looks a bit like the first Golden Human created by the gods¡ªthough he should be dead by now.¡± ¡°Golden Human¡­ity?¡± Murmuring the name, Zeus felt something was amiss but couldn¡¯t figure out what exactly. He was about to remind Poseidon to tell his son not to cause too much trouble, to just flood the Mortal Realm with a deluge and avoid this special human, but in the end, Zeus held back his words. After all, as Poseidon had just mentioned, such an act woulde at a great cost, and all this couldn¡¯t be justified only because the Divine King felt uneasy.
Fortunately, it was his son, not himself, who was responsible for the deed. Thus, Zeus rxed and continued to watch the images before him. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Outside Aurora City, everything continued. ¡°I permit you to witness the destruction of your kind, and when the final momentes, embrace the inevitable death.¡± Raising the Divine Artifact, Triton made a judgment like the Principal Gods and did not forget to add a ¡®special effect¡¯ for himself. Under themand of the Trident, water was levitated and formed a massive human image behind him. From a distance, it seemed as if the Deity of the Sea Titans had revealed his true form in the Mortal Realm, ominously overlooking the city on the in. Triton was quite pleased with this; the sight was indeed imposing. However, as the seconds and minutes passed, he did not see the Humans on the distant walls kneeling to beg for mercy. Were they petrified with terror? Frowning, Triton stamped his foot, and was swiftly carried toward Aurora City on the backs of eight Sea Serpents. As he drew nearer, the giant formed of sea water followed, and soon, Triton¡¯s gaze was no longer obstructed by the city walls, and he could see the scene within the city. It was much more normal this time; he saw some people running around in confusion, others kneeling to beg, and still others hiding in some temples¡ªbut Triton didn¡¯t sense any divine power within those temples, so he didn¡¯t spare them a second nce. However,pared to the rest, the mortals still on the city walls remained conspicuously unchanged. Narrowing his eyes, Triton observed more carefully to prevent any unexpected urrences. Indeed, they were a group of mortals, seemingly stronger than the others but only by so much. As for the leader of the group, he appeared to be infused with a familiar divine aura of the Sun, but that proved nothing. Life tainted by such power wasmon on the Earth; it seemed to be a cursed power. Poseidon once mentioned in his leisure that even the Divine King had a few such extremely powerful materials at hand, yet no one could use them. There had been a Deity who tried to forcefully harness it, but the attempt led to quite the farce in the Divine Court. Only because that individual was a Deity did he manage to hastily abort this amalgamation. If it had been a mortal, or even a Demigod, Poseidon believed he would have gone mad by now. ¡°Who are you people, and why do you not kneel before a god!¡± As thoughts shed by, Triton, sitting on a throne formed from sea water, leaned forward slightly. Behind him, the ¡®giant¡¯ also bent its form, and for a moment, it was as if The Sky itself was bearing down, an intangible pressure advancing forward. Some on the city walls finally seemed to feel fear, retreating a few steps and bowing their heads, as if they dared not meet the gaze of a god any longer. Triton was pleased with this reaction, but soon his attention returned to the leader of the humans. He seemed to bepletely unaffected. Their eyes met briefly, but facing that sharp gaze, Triton instinctively avoided it, but then he red back angrily.
Now, he was a god, how could he be intimidated by a mortal. ¡°Are you here to destroy mankind?¡± Before he could speak, across a great distance, Triton heard the human ask. ¡°Of course, wasn¡¯t I clear enough?¡±
¡°` ¡°The ruler of the sea shall bring about the destruction of humanity; this is the end you deserve.¡± Without hesitation, Triton thought this human must have been influenced by that substance, causing him to lose his sense of fear. But immediately after, he heard what the human said. ¡°Humans may have deceived the gods, and it is only right that you dispense punishment¡­ But just because of a God of Hindsight and his wife, whom humans have never cared about since their creation, Hades brings disaster, and the God of the Ocean brings floods¡ªis this what you call divine justice?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Ha, yes, this is divine justice.¡± Initially taken aback, Triton hadn¡¯t expected this human to discuss ¡®justice¡¯ with him¡ªis this a matter that should concern both gods and the mortal realm? With a coldugh, Triton was bing impatient. He suddenly realized that under the watch of the other gods, there was no need for him to talk at length with a mortal. So hemunicated with the Divine Artifact, and ten million tons of sea water surged in response. ¡°Divine justice means that when we bid you pray, you ought to pray; when we bid you kneel, you ought to kneel. We gods created you, so you should obey our words, and certainly, we can destroy you, and we need no reason.¡± ¡°Just like now.¡± With a downward sweep of his hand, the sea giant forming behind Triton pressed down as well. This wasn¡¯t any powerful creation, just a simple flow of water, but what might be an overblown joke to deities was an unbearable burden for the walls of mortals. Triton was curious whether, once the walls upon which this mortal stood copsed and he struggled for survival in the sea, he would still be able to question him so calmly.
¡°Just like now, mortals, you are but ants. Your destruction¡ªwhat is it to you!¡± As he spoke thest phrase, Triton couldn¡¯t help but feel surprised by the sudden burst of eloquence. If not for faith, mortals really were beings so inconsequential that gods would not bother to nce at them as they were crushed, he felt his summary was spot on. Then the next moment, with a loud bang, the giant of sea water exploded. A bronze spear wrapped in golden light shed by, and Triton dodged instinctively, but he still couldn¡¯t avoid it. ¡°Ah¡ª¡± First startled, then came the intense pain in his shoulder. Amidst his cry of pain, almost as an instinctual reaction, Triton held his trident in front of him. ¡°ng¡ª¡± ¡°Crack¡ª¡± The sound of metal colliding and breaking rang out as Triton, clutching his shoulder, watched in horror as a bronze sword broke in two and fell. When a mortal object collided with a Divine Artifact, it naturally broke into two pieces, but the numbness in Triton¡¯s right hand told him that had he not been vignt, that sword may well have pierced his chest. In that moment, as fear of a narrow escape from death welled up within him, he gripped his trident as though it were the assurance of his life. The Divine Artifact seemed to sense the danger its master faced and enveloped him in a blue halo. Through the halo, Triton realized what had just happened. The spear and short sword previously in the human¡¯s hands were now gone, and currently, he was taking another sword from someone beside him. ¡°¡ªWho are you, which deity¡¯s descendant are you, do you realize what you¡¯re doing?¡± Speaking deliberately, Triton thought he was being very restrained, but the response that followed finally made him lose his reason.
Because the human simply raised his sword, with a fierce golden me surging around him. Son of the Sea Emperor, Triton, who had been so proud before, was now engaging in conversation after feeling pain, why? ¡°Golden Humanity never fears death.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see if gods fear death.¡± Thus, in the next moment, under the incredulous gaze of the humans in the city, and in the presence of sky, earth, sea, and not just one interested deity, Cohen swung his sword again. The swordy was unremarkable, but the essence contained within shone even brighter than before. Chapter 282: 70: The Road and Ra Siding Chapter 282: Chapter 70: The Road and Ra Siding There were noplex variations, no dazzling light and shadow, just a very straightforward sword thrust. Yet everyone who saw it could feel that something about its wielder seemed to have changed from before. The transformation was not drastic, more like a beginning, but oftentimes, the difference between having and not having was like night and day. Swoosh¡ª A huge crater was stamped into the city wall as Cohen leaped up, aided by Sr Force. At this moment, he felt his spirit and will more unified than ever before, even the incessant mental disturbances from the divine fragment seemed like a gentle breeze on his face. Scenes beneath the copsing Mount of the Gods flickered in his heart; now, Cohen had only one thought in his mind. To defeat this Sea God was also to shatter his own past mistakes. Rip¡ª In nearly an instant, Cohen¡¯s figure crossed a thousand meters to face Triton. With a sound like ripping silk, the blue light shield was split in two, only slightly slowing down the Human King¡¯s advance. If this were out at sea, where the Law¡¯s suppression wasn¡¯t as strong, Cohen would never be able to cut through a barrier infused with Divine Power with amon bronze sword, but reality offered no hypotheticals. At this moment, it was merely a shield of water, bolstered by authority and saturated with Elemental Power. With that strike, there was no longer any obstacle between Triton and Cohen. The enemy was right before his eyes, and the Human King¡¯s spirit tensed even more. He had realized that the so-called Son of the Sea Emperor did not seem particrly powerful himself, but the beautifully crafted Trident in his hands was by no means ordinary.
Holding his breath and focusing, he lightly stepped on the turbulent sea water and Cohen¡¯s initially slowing speed surged once more. He raised his bronze sword, ready to¡ª Bang¡ª Ssh¡­ A sudden explosion of water rang out just in front of Cohen as Triton burst apart into a cloud of water. After a moment of stunned silence, Cohen quickly realized that the previously haughty Son of the Sea Emperor, had actually run away? ¡°Huff¡ªDamned human, did you really think the noble Son of the Sea Emperor would engage in meleebat with you? ¡°That is something only the lowly would do, go, kill him for me.¡± Behind the vast ocean, the water converged once again into Triton¡¯s figure. Now, however, the Son of the Sea Emperor clearly seemed somewhat rattled. Just as the Wind Gods could be wind, Triton, with the torso of a man and the tail of a fish, could also transform into fish or water. Most importantly, this instinctual transformation was extremely natural, almost imperceptible to other beings, and required no time to prepare. This was the key to his sessful evasion of Cohen¡¯s attack. Having never been inbat before, the recently kindled rage in Triton¡¯s heart was instantly extinguished. Having narrowly escaped fatal blows from Cohen twice in a row, hepletely abandoned the notion of engaging directly. Fortunately for him, he wasn¡¯t alone. ¡°Monsters once bathed in Divine Blood, it is time to serve the Sea Emperor. Go, kill him for me!¡± With the Divine Artifact raised high and hismand issued, the Sea Beasts within the waves obeyed. Unlike deities, the power of these Sea Beasts, which possessed Divine Blood, came from their bodies or other forces, making them equally formidable in any environment. ¡°Roar¡ª¡± ¡°Hiss¡ª¡± ¡°¡­¡± Neighing and bellowing rose and fell in session as the Sea Beasts frantically charged toward the insignificant human. It wasn¡¯t just the summon of the Divine Artifact that motivated them, but their instincts, telling them they could reap extraordinary benefits by consuming that human. However, faced with all this, Cohen remained undaunted. ¡°This feeling¡­¡±
Grasping the hilt of his sword tightly, with the blood flowing through his veins covering the de, he felt in better shape than ever before. Something was umting, as if being refined from deep within his spirit and body, and even the world around him became more vivid. Yet, Cohen felt as if something was missing, preventing them from fullying to life. But whether the change wasplete or not, in such a state, he felt fearless. ¡°ng¡ª¡±
The sword edge cut through the air; the tiny human against the hundred-meter-tall Sea Beasts was like an ant, yet as the sword pierced the body of the Sea Beast, it was followed by a thunderous roar. The sword did almost no physical damage to the Sea Beast¡¯s body, but for some reason, its strong presence instantly weakened. ¡°Hmpf, send more,¡± said Triton dismissively from the back, having witnessed the scene, then waved his hand. Sea Beasts, he had as many as he wanted. Even the bodies of True Gods could feel exhaustion without Divine Power and authority; even if they could not be vanquished, they could be worn out to death. ¡­ In the city, the deserted streets. Rain poured down like a torrent, pattering against the road with a crisp sound. The skirmish in the sky outside the city became more intense. One after another, Sea Beasts charged at Cohen, only to be either grievously wounded or killed, their blood dying the nearby waters red. Of course, this was in part because the Sea Beasts were not particrly strong themselves. The primeval offsprings of the original Sea God and Father of Monsters, for example, were not amongst them. Those truly powerful Sea Beasts, whose names have been passed down through generations, often possess independent thought and are not so easily summoned or dismissed by a Divine Artifact. Like the Gorgon sisters with their potent petrifying powers, they, simr to the Cyclops, may not be deities but possessed innate divine forces that even gods could not ignore. Chapter 283: 70: The Road and Ra Siding_2 Chapter 283: Chapter 70: The Road and Ra Siding_2 Because of this power ¡ª or perhaps the allure of ¡®beauty¡¯ ¡ª Medusa, the youngest of the three sisters, was even summoned to the court by the Sea Emperor and naturally would not bemanded by the children of Poseidon. ¡°Do you wish to ask something?¡± The rain was pouring down, yet not a drop prated the area around the two of them. Watching the sh outside the city, Laine also noticed Humar behind him, hesitating to speak. ¡°Yes, Your Excellency, I wish to know, is he a human?¡± Humar looked up, gazing at the figure enshrouded in a golden ze across The Sky. In the impending doom of the Bronze Humanity, someone took up a sword against a deity ¡ª another event worthy of being recorded. However, whether the individual in question was human or a demigod was undoubtedly crucial for the content he was about to record. ¡°Yes, he is, but not of the Bronze Humanity.¡± ¡°He is of the Golden Humanity, the very first human I created. As the king during the Golden Age, just as your records say, he once held devout faith in the deities, and as for now, you have seen it for yourself.¡± With a hint of emotion, had not Laine sensed that pure, powerful Power of Faith a hundred years ago, he probably wouldn¡¯t remember Cohen now, as he had never exhibited anything notably special. Although Laine had made him king of the humans and had given him the opportunity to dream, at that time, Cohen¡¯s identity was merely that of ¡®Golden Humanity¡¯. He was the first of the Golden Humanity, so Laine had named him king; he was the leader of the Golden Humanity, so Laine had allowed him to witness the Civilization te. But now, as Laine¡¯s attention returned to him, he had to admit that Cohen, in some respects, had vastly exceeded his expectations.
Ten thousand years ago, Laine personally created the initial Meditation Method in ordance with the authority of Spirituality, and he distinguished seven levels for non-deity beings, corresponding to the seven realms of meditation. However, the reality was that the seventhyer of the Meditation Method, the realm of ¡®intrinsic divinity¡¯ within the spiritual domain, was spective ¡ª whether it could be sessfully attained waspletely unknown. After all, until now, not even a singlemon being had managed to achieve this on their own, not even Hecate who had fully mastered the Seven Phases Meditation Method, as she was a naturally-born deity who did not need to confront that threshold. Therefore, Laine was not quite sure whether the path to divinity through ¡®recognizing the world, discerning its rules, summarizing one¡¯s own order of all things,¡¯ and the gradual sublimation of spirit until the birth of divinity could actually seed. Yet now, the Golden Human King seemed to not be following this path; he was using his actions, his superficial understanding of the essence of power, to demonstrate to Laine apletely different method right before his eyes. The Oracle Stone Tablet of Delphi, a manifestation of the primal Order, capable of even glimpsing one¡¯s destined path of life ¡ª the first of these tablets was inscribed with the axiom ¡®know thyself.¡¯ After being transformed by the Spirit Realm, Laine had added a phrase ¡ª ¡®Know the world, and then know thyself.¡¯ The meditation method he created was about understanding the world, while Cohen¡¯s current state was about havingprehended himself. The fact proved that, while one might be harder than the other, neither was superior or inferior. ¡°So he is the king of the Golden Humanity¡­?¡± At his side, Humar did not think so much. Having received an answer, he merely sighed and then bowed his head slightly, starting to etch onto the te. This was the third picture he carved, once again divided into three parts. In the first section, a pair ofrge hands shaped the first humans; it was the scene of deities creating humanity. In the second section, humans are bowing in worship to the deities, while in the third section, someone draws a sword towards The Sky, pointing directly at the Sea God wielding a Trident. The expressions of the characters were the core of this part of the stone carving. The cluelessness of birth, the devoutness while worshipping, and the resolve coupled with subtle perplexity when drawing the sword made the characters seem alive. Interestingly, the Sea God¡¯s likeness was not Triton but resembled the statue of Poseidon in The Temple. ¡°Perplexity, was it that apparent?¡± Coming back to his senses, Laine, looking at the stone carvings emerging from the old man¡¯s hands, unexpectedly asked. ¡°Such a capable individual, yet he remained quiet and peaceful in Aurora for so long, only to act today ¡ª I can feel his conflicting emotions.¡± ¡°I hope he finds the answer he seeks; that¡¯s all I can do for him now.¡± Nodding his head, Laine expressed his agreement. From another perspective, he could see that it was precisely this point that had kept Cohen from truly taking this historic step. Unlike Laine¡¯s ¡®outer to inner¡¯ conception for the spiritual domain, the Golden Human King had unconsciously followed another path, ¡®inner to outer.¡¯ With his resplendent will at the core, steadfast on his path, he achieved an integration and sublimation of spirit and flesh, ultimately taking a leap forward into divinity ¡ª this was the state Cohen was in now. This was undoubtedly viable; if these conditions could truly be fulfilled, perhaps Cohen could be the first person to achieve demigod status through his own efforts today. It¡¯s worth noting that a demigod is simr to a territorial god, a broad concept with wildly varying limits. The extent of power of such self-promoted entities was not something Laine was entirely certain of. However, in reality, Cohen had still not found his own ¡®path.¡¯ Now, with resentment towards the deities¡¯ indifference, his will was indeed brilliantly luminous, but he did not know what to do after vanquishing the deity before him.
There was a beginning, but no continuation; thus, Cohen¡¯s divinity remained embryonic, seemingly within reach yet elusive. Chapter 284: 70: The Road and Ra Siding_3 Chapter 284: Chapter 70: The Road and Ra Siding_3 ¡°It¡¯s difficult, and very personal; not at all like the structured meditation I had envisioned. After all, people¡¯s natural wills differ¡­ But this is actually just right. Divinity, perhaps, should be so unique.¡± Now, everything was ultimately preparation for what Laine would do in the future, so he silentlymitted to memory the entire process of Cohen¡¯s transformation. Sess or failure, it would all be a valuable lesson. As time passed, Cohen¡¯s condition eventually teaued after reaching a certain limit. However, the battle did not pause for even a moment. He seemed to be fighting sea beasts, but in reality, he was getting closer and closer to Triton. Clearly, Cohen was well aware of who was the source of all this. If he could deal with this Sea God, the abnormal floods would recede, the sea beasts would no longer linger onnd, and everything woulde to an end. As for what to do afterward, that would be a matter forter. ¡°Will he seed?¡± ¡°No.¡± Shaking his head, Laine knew that Cohen wouldn¡¯t be able to kill Triton, not because ofck of strength, but because someone would surely interfere. Regardless, Poseidon, if only for the sake of his own honor, would never allow Triton to be killed by a mortal in in sight. ¡°Just wait and see.¡±
¡°Whether he seeds or not, he will still make it through today safely.¡± In terms of rationale, the king of men who once harbored strong faith in him perfectly fit the target Laine wished to save today. After all, to the Master of Spirituality, worship in the heart unquestionably met the standard more than bodily worship did, so Cohen was sure not to die today. And in terms of value, that went without saying. Before he fully embarked on the path of his own divinity, Laine would not allow anyone to kill him. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ ¡°Snap¡ª¡± The winess was crushed, and the rxed atmosphere of Olympus had turned so quiet you could hear a pin drop, making the sound of the shattering ss all the clearer. With a face ashen, Poseidon watched the scene unfolding before him, where some unknown fellow had taken Triton¡¯s ce and be the main character of the drama. With each sea beast that was in, Poseidon felt as if the de was pping his own face. ¡°Who is he? Has any of you left offspring in the mortal realm?¡± Grinding his teeth, it seemed like Poseidon was looking for a scapegoat. But as his gaze swept around, not a single one rose to answer. The expressions of the gods varied; some avoided his gaze, not daring to meet the Sea Emperor¡¯s wrathful eyes; others smirked, seemingly mocking that his son couldn¡¯t even handle a mortal city; and some watched the spectacle on the screen, engrossed in this rare drama. ¡°What, nobody dares to own up? We¡¯re the only ones privy to human affairs. Whoever did this, confess now while you still can!¡± ¡°Ahem, Poseidon, calm yourself.¡± Zeus interjected, pacifying Poseidon¡¯s increasingly irate questioning, and turned his attention to Eurynome. At this moment, the deity of the grassy water pastures was stunned. The scene on the screen was utterly iprehensible to her. Although she was a True God, in terms of her Godhood, she probably didn¡¯t possess thebat strength found in Triton¡¯s Divine Artifact. A human leader, who once built temples for the gods at the foot of Mount Othrys, suddenly possessing such power, was an immense shock to the goddess. ¡°Eurynome, I recall you told me this human resembles a Golden Humanity member? ¡± ¡°¡­Yes, but as far as I remember, that Golden Humanity member also did not possess such power,¡± Eurynome replied, tearing her gaze away from the screen with difficulty, confirming what she recalled. Although she had seen him only a few times, the Golden humanoid still fit her preconceived notions of mortals. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then the situation is clear.¡±
With a glint in his eye, Zeus turned to Poseidon with a smile: ¡°This is not a demigod, at least not one from any of us present. Whatever way he has managed to survive till now, however he obtained this power, I believe the Son of the Sea Emperor shall not be thwarted by him, correct?¡± ¡°Hmph, Zeus, you¡¯ve always been in charge of the affairs of humans, resulting not only in the matter with Prometheus, but now even¡ª¡ª¡± His face twitching, Poseidon was about tosh out a few more pointed words at Zeus, but he halted mid-sentence when the corner of his eye caught something on the screen, and the Sea Emperor¡¯s face abruptly changed.
¡°¡ªYou dare!¡± No longer caring about the bacsh of the Law, Poseidon channeled the power of a true deity through the connection with the Divine Artifact, across the void. However, he still had some sanity left to not unleash his full Divine Power, invoking only a fraction of it instead. In the next instant, the feedback from the Law arrived. Almost visibly, Poseidon¡¯s Divine Power Level took a nosedive, barely maintaining the threshold of significant Divine Power. This was not a permanent injury, but it would likely take a hundred years or two to recover. Disregarding the loss of Divine Power, having paid the price, Poseidon knew he could only act once, so along with the power that was expedited, he also sent his furious rebuke. ¡°Triton, your mission is to destroy the humans, not waste time with this relic from an old era! ¡± ¡°Now, flood this city, and leave the other obstacles forter!¡± The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 285: 71: The Weapon Thrown at the Gods Dozens of breaths ago. Outside the city of Aurora, the battle raged on in the sky. Standing at a distance from Cohen, Triton had been tense for a while but finally rxed. From the looks of the far-off scene, this special human had indeed been entangled. "Prometheus, it must be him! This old fool probably knew without his protection, the fate of humans wouldn''t be good, so he deliberately left such a contingency n!" Feeling inwardly irritated, Triton locked onto the forethinker god being punished in the depths of the East Sea. As for the human wielding this power, how could that be possible? As the noble son of the Sea God, if he couldn''t do it, how could a mortal possibly manage? "Just you wait, you old relic of bygone ages, you unrestrained member of the Titan Deity n, once I have dealt with your creation, I''ll have a ''good talk'' with you!" With a malicious grin, Triton decided that after today''s events, he would definitely have a good talk with Prometheus, who was bound at the bottom of the sea, to tell him how he had destroyed the humans, how they had begged him for mercy, and then how he had mercilessly refused them. He imagined that the forethinker god would be delighted to hear the news of his creation''s fate and to share the joy Triton felt at their killing. His mouth curled into a sneer, yet in the next moment, the Trident in Triton''s hand suddenly trembled. Alerted by the instinct of the Divine Artifact, he saw for the third time that rapidly approaching figure, now almost upon him. Hum¡ª¡ª The first time was upon first sight, the second was mistaking him for a demigod, but the third, Triton simply could not have imagined that, in just a matter of minutes, Cohen had taken another half a step beyond his original limit. But this time, he finally reacted. Facing the golden light, Triton sneered coldly and once again, ced the Trident in front of him, with his body starting to transform into a stream of water. As long as I run fast enough, what can you do to me? ng¡ª¡ª Metal struck metal, and the second bronze sword, like its predecessor, met its end; the tremendous force sent a numbness through Triton''s palms, but his innate talent was even quicker. Transforming into water, Triton was about to repeat his trick, but just as he was about to flee, he suddenly felt ''tugged'' back. He could leave, but the Divine Artifact he held in his hand had been grasped by another hand. The other''s purpose was not him; without an overwhelmingly superior force, it was difficult for anyone to kill a son of the Sea God in the ocean, yet he was not without vulnerabilities¡ªthe Divine Artifact was one of them. "As I thought, you didn''t rely on your own strength to stir up the deluge, it alles from this Trident." Grasping the tip of the Divine Artifact, streaks of blood trickled from Cohen''s fingertips. Holding a Divine Artifact not one''s own was no simple matter, but he seemed to be oblivious to this fact. "Now, terminate this disaster." With a fierce tug, the Trident of the Sea Emperor was pulled from the swirl of water. In that moment, Cohen felt as though he perceived an immense body of water beyond his understanding. Before, he had never seen the ''sea,'' but now, he knew it. This was... the so-called authority of a god. "Wait, do you understand what you''re doing?" A look of panic crossed his face. Triton had not expected Cohen''s target to be not him. Indeed, this Divine Artifact was not his, and although the Trident could merge with the sea and freely escape in its surroundings, it was ultimately a beat too slow. And it was this slight dy that became Triton''s vulnerability. "Stop!" Ignoring Triton''s shout, Cohen spoke firmly. Following the sensation of near omnipotence in the ''sea,'' he issued his firstmand to the surging seawater onnd, and it indeed responded to the will of the King of Men. The seawater stopped flowing, and the waves ceased their movement. Holding up the Divine Artifact, Cohen, under Triton''s horrified gaze, prepared to send the waters back to where they belonged. However, this action finally provoked Poseidon, who was already in a state of fury, to take action. If he allowed a human to recede the flood again, even if heter personally destroyed the humans, Poseidon''s name would be a joke among gods and men. From then on, when speaking of the Sea God, people would likely remember the Sea Emperor who had been deprived of his Divine Artifact by humans. In the next moment, following an inexplicable connection, the Trident that had just been in Cohen''s hand trembled fiercely and then glowed divinely. A powerful force instantly shook Cohen''s hand off it, and the Trident hovered in the air. Cohen''s expression changed, and he stepped forward to grasp the Divine Artifact again, but sensing the actions of this audacious usurper, a vague silhouette instantly appeared beside the Trident. "That''s enough, Golden Humanity, roll back to where you came from, just like the rest of your kind¡ª" "You are¡ª" "You are not worthy to utter my name, mortal. Leave the living to their world and stay out of it, old dead of a past age!" The Trident was raised and then brutally swiped across. Wieldingpletely different might in the hands of divine power, the Divine Artifact finally revealed its true power. Boom¡ª¡ª With a muffled sound, the Trident struck Cohen squarely in the chest. Cohen, who had been ying left and right, spat out a mouthful of blood under the impact, his body streaking across the sky and crashing straight into the city wall, and the Sea Emperor''s voice echoed throughout thend at the same moment. "Triton, your task is to destroy the humans, not waste time with this relic of a bygone era!" Chapter 286: 71: The Weapon Thrown at the Gods_2 "I... Father¡ª" "Now, drown this city, and as for other obstacles, we can talk about themter!" Upon hearing Poseidon''s stern voice, Triton first panicked, but thenughed. What good does it do for you to be strong? Your backer has been locked in the depths of the sea, while mine still watches over the Mortal Realm from Mount Olympus! "As youmand, Father God." Grasping the Trident of the Sea Emperor, which he had regained, Triton did not look back at the wall that Cohen had knocked a hole through. As a powerful Principal God who did not care about thews of this world and took action personally, it would be almost impossible for him to escape unscathed, even if the god did not use full strength. "Looks like your leader is no good, mortals." "The game''s over, now, it''s my turn!" With a swing of the Divine Artifact, the long-awaited waters finally surged forth, and even beyond the ins where humans dwelled, many other areas were inundated. Overflowing the ins, filling the valleys, climbing the mountains, sea beasts and the original creatures of thend fought everywhere. It was not until this moment that the ''Great Flood'' may have truly begun. "Hm? Why are there two more... Did Prometheus leave behind more than one contingency n?" When the flood broke through the city walls and the water level kept rising, Triton, putting aside trivial matters, easily achieved this feat, which was not difficult for him. But within Aurora City, Triton suddenly discovered that just like the off Cohen before, there were two strange humans standing on the water surface, utterly different from their wailing kindred. "Hah, whether they are or not, it doesn''t matter." With a disdainful smile, feeling the remaining Divine Power in the artifact in his hand, Triton mimed a throw. It was enough power for one more blow, enough to deal with them. And to prevent any idents, this time, he wouldn''t evene close. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ The flood poured out, silencing All Spirits. The waves that blotted out the sky rose and then crashed down in a thunderous fall, swallowing the entire Aurora City. In an instant, countless low wooden homes and numerous Bronze Humanity seeking refuge were swept into the endless vortex of the sea, their screams and cries of fear swirling and extinguishing before vanishing amid the roaring billion tons of seawater. Compared to nature, mortals are still too weak. Broken, floating timber, woven hemp, and straw frames, along with some who, by chance, had not died in the water, struggled desperately in the furious turbulent tides, but were quickly dragged down by the underwater currents, never to breathe again. Everywhere the flood passed, everything was destroyed like dry twigs in a gale. But not everything was without exception. Mortal objects had no power to resist in front of the waters and were destroyed in an instant, yet some special buildings remained intact, stubbornly standing amid the violent waters. These were the various temples within Aurora City. The tempestuous flood arrived, but the main structures of the temples remained intact, not because some power protected them, but because of their very nature. Decades of continuous ''sanctification'' were not without effect; even though the divinity within the statues had been extracted, the contaminated materials had long be extraordinary. While they were not impervious to water and fire, they were enough to withstand the flood for some time. However, just because the temples were unharmed didn''t mean the people inside were safe. In a temple dedicated to Hestia, water kept seeping in through the gaps, and Cavi, drenched through and through, trembled as he clung to a thick column. The water level was rising, with him half-submerged, the originally high ceiling of the temple not far above him, and moreover, the water was rising rapidly. Perhaps it wouldn''t be long before he would be entombed here. "Fake... it''s all fake... Staying in the temple is useless, and that absurd guy''s method didn''t work, either. I clearly prayed to the Spirit Realm, so why is the water stilling in!" "They are all liars, all the gods, they should all die!!" Cavi heard the angry and fearful voices of hispanions in his ears. Faced with death, it seemed the reverence for the deities had disappeared. He didn''t need to turn his head to guess that hispanions'' faces must be ferocious and horrible. But he couldn''t care about hispanions now, as he could hardly protect himself. "Save me....." Just then, a somewhat familiar voice rang out in his ears, and Cavi looked in its direction. Through the skylight, originally ced high in the temple but now close by, he could see a familiar hand reaching out in the water not far from the temple, seemingly trying to grasp something, and then it was submerged and fell silent. The water was too fast, so that the person barely cried for help before sinking below the surface. Yet, even with the swift waters, Cavi still recognized the owner of those hands. "Cartu..." Stunned for a moment, he reached out his hand as though trying to grasp something, then let it fall, powerless. He thought he would feel sad, cry, but in reality, he couldn''t cry, nor did he feel any simr emotions. Because Cavi knew that his friend had merely gone ahead of him, and soon, it would be his turn. "Is this punishment... Yes, creator, goddess, I have sinned." In thest moments of life, while hispanions cursed around him, Cavi was not hysterical, nor did he copse in despair. He quickly reflected on his life over decades and then suddenly felt that today''s events seemed to have been foreshadowed. Unlike the other priests, as a Priest of the Goddess of Hearthfire, Cavi really was among the few humans who knew they were deceiving the gods, yet still maintained faith in them. Whenever he felt the gaze from the divine statue during rites, he always experienced a profound peace from within. If it had been up to him, he would not have wished to deceive the goddess for the sake of sacrifice, but this was the choice of humanity, and he had no choice but to ept it. Chapter 287: 71: The Weapon Thrown at the Gods_3 Since the gods had abandoned Humanity, he had not felt that familiar gaze in a very long time, nor had he been at peace. "This is the punishment I deserve." "At least, it is mine." Releasing his grip, Cavi let the current carry him away under the iprehensible stares of the people around him. As the torrent pulled him under the water, he closed his eyes silently and prayed in his heart. "May the gods forgive me." Cavi sank into the water, and gradually, he lost consciousness. However, at that moment, his state seemed forever fixed. ''Death'' was erased from him, and ''life'' could no longer pass away. Maintaining this state of neither life nor death, he sank to the bottom, arriving directly at the center of The Temple. There, it was where he had worshipped the gods countless times. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ "Finally, I have visited every ce..." Wiping the sweat from his brow, Nuo felt that time had passed a bit slowly today, but now, he had let go of these doubts. Along the way, he had met person after person, a few of whom believed in him, but many more did not, and he took every question they had to heart. He had also wavered, for Deceit was not absent among Bronze Humanity, but even if there was only a sliver of hope, if it could allow more people to survive, he was still willing to try. Now, the task he had set out to do was finished, and in The Sky above, a giant wave hundreds of meters high was crashing towards this ce. Now, it was time to use his own life to test whether everything he had done had any meaning. "Born because of the gods, dying because of the gods, I truly hope that future Humanity, does note from the hands of the gods." "Perhaps it''s quite good for Humans to live their own lives?" With a bitter smile, standing on the empty street, facing the direction of the flood. With no ce to hide and no intention to run, Nuo knelt on the ground and murmured softly. "Oh gods, if you truly exist, please listen to me:" "I pray to You devoutly, I devoutly praise Your holy deeds." "If every human who prays to You could survive this day, I am willing to spend the rest of my life spreading Your revered name in the Mortal Realm." "May Your will be done on earth, just as it is done in Your kingdom." The prayer rang out in the deserted streets, yet the waves did not stop for it. The mortal''s frame was negligible before it, and when the giant wave struck, all traces vanished, leaving only the rubble of broken buildings floating on the surface to prove that anything had ever existed here. This was already the central area of Aurora, and when it too was swallowed by the flood, not an inch ofnd could be seen in the great in. There was nond, only the waves and rapids, and before one''s eyesy only a world of ocean amidst the shing of lightning, the rolling of thunder, and the pouring rain, with nothing else in sight. Only at the edge of one''s vision, there were still a few elevations. Those were mountain tops, but predictably, as the sea level continued to rise, they too would not escape. "It seems my mission is over." Standing beside Laine, looking upon this vast world of water, Humar set down his chisel. In front of him, the fourth painting wasplete, depicting the apocalyptic scene of a world submerged by water. However, amidst the flood, there were specks of light, standing out significantly against the peril of the apocalypse. "Not yet." Laine shook his head faintly, as if he were walking on the waves as easily as on t ground, his expression as calm as ever. Below the sea, a ritual track that had been etched long ago now began to glow, slowly starting to revolve. In theory, such arge and intricate ritual could easily be disrupted, but shielded by the endless waters, everything went unnoticed. Of course, nothing could escape Laine''s sight. "If the destruction of Bronze Humanity has indeed ended,pared to what''s left to do today, everything has only just begun." "Use your stone carvings to record them, that is my promise to you." Crack¡ª A p of thunder resounded, and a lightning bolt illuminated the dim world. The elder noticed, on the distant sea, the Sea God''s son who seemed to control everything was watching them. He stepped forward half a step and then stepped back, subsequently raising his steel trident. "Your Excellency¡ª" Laine raised his hand slightly, stopping the elder mid-sentence. He knew what he wanted to say, but he just nced over and advised in a faint voice: "You havepleted your task, Triton, as the godsmanded you, so everything shall return to the gods. Nowy it down and return to Olympus, to your Father God''s side; that is the best choice for you right now." Beneath the water, the ritual track had begun to revolve, a ''gateway'' was being opened. The souls of all life on the in were imprisoned within the Mortal Realm, still lingering in the Mortal World. Though Laine was not in the Spirit Realm, he could ''see'' that therge-scale death without the souls entering Samsara had finally caught the attention of the three goddesses, who had begun to investigate the source of this phenomenon. So now, he preferred to wait for the situation to unfold. As for Triton, to Laine, he was no different from the Bronze Humans who had just died. As long as Triton retreated now, Laine wouldn''t do anything. Clearly, that''s what he thought, but Triton did not agree. "I will report back to my Father God, mortal, but that will be after dealing with thest two," Triton retorted. In the face of Laine''s ''advice'', Triton only scoffed. At first, he didn''t necessarily want to exterminate every person, especially since the two in front of him might also be rted to Prometheus. He could have offered the forethinking god a favor and left a few to survive, but now, things were different. He knew the limitations the Mortal World imposed on the gods, so Poseidon must have paid a price for attacking from afar. To lessen his Father God''s wrathter, Triton had no choice but to make the rest of the task as wless as possible. "Yourpanion has already been killed by my Father God, and now, it''s your turn!" Triton leaned back and then threw with force, and the Trident flew out. The remnants of Divine Power faintly locked onto the target; Triton believed mortals couldn''t escape this kind of lock-on. "me your bad luck, if anything." "Prometheus is gone; with such power, wouldn''t it be good to simply live well? Why insist on opposing me?" Triton snorted coldly as he watched the trident cutting through the air, feeling equally displeased. No matter what, today''s events were far from perfect. He needed to think about how to appease his Father God''s wrath. Chapter 288: 72: The Rising Copper Pillar The raging ocean waves surged as the Trident hurtled through the sky. Between heaven and earth, countless beings saw this scene, yet no one reacted. They were all watching the spectacle, but in the eyes of different beings, the fools of this drama varied. Some saw humans, some saw Divine Children, and some saw directly the Olympian Gods. Like now, in a corner underwater, where the ck fog was gathering and dispersing unpredictably. Located at the heart of the ceremonial track, Mephisto let out an oddugh. "So, are all these ''noble by birth'' beings like this, or is it just the ones I have seen?" "Lucky for him, if he were also a member of Silver Humanity, he probably wouldn''t live past a month." The voice echoed in the pitch-ck depths of the sea, but no one responded to him, because there were no living creatures here, only some transparent souls floating beside him. Those were the souls of the deceased, but they had long lost their consciousness. And except for a few beings, even if they were to be reborn in Hell in the future, they would not have the chance to retain the memories of their past lives. ording to the Lord of the Nine Hells, if all life could retain their memories when reincarnating, it would only sap Hell''s vitality, after all, what they were like before, they would likely be the same after reincarnation. Therefore, apart from the first batch of Silver Humanity, only those who proved their capabilities while alive are privileged to retain their memories, and the rest of the souls, they will forget everything about the past, bing the bottom dwellers of Hell, and then rise through fight and intrigue. Those who seed are naturally talented. Those who die are simply remade. Conveniently, the River of Oblivion flowing through the Underworld can help the demons take care of this little matter. In such circumstances, a Hell with limited soul sources can continue to develop and grow endlessly. "I really wish all the deities were like this, how much less trouble that would save me~" "Unfortunately, the Divine King does have some skills, at least much stronger than that Sea Emperor." Chucking softly, Mephisto didn''t linger on this point and continued to focus on the enormous array that enveloped the city. He could feel that the will of the Lord of the Nine Hells was on the other side. Soon, the passage would be opened. Just as the Son of the Sea Emperor, Triton, said, it''s all about the connections in this world. Although Mephisto had prepared a ''gift'' for Olympus, he was certain, this ''gift'' wouldn''t be enough to stop all gods of Mount of the Gods. But the devil was not afraid, after all, his boss was reliable. ... Above the surface of the water. The Trident came hurtling through the air, striking directly at Laine. Poseidon''s Divine Power swirled around it, calming the very waves that had just submerged the entire city. As the ruler of the ocean,manding the tides was only natural. Under this strike, Laine slowly extended his right hand. Extremely fast and extremely slow, the spear that cut through the space and the slowly rising arm formed an odd yet harmonious picture. Finally, the Divine Artifact and the slender fingers met in the same ce, and the fingers'' owner grasped its edge. Whoosh¡ª It seemed like a long time, yet it was only a moment. The azure glow that had just brightened on the Trident due to Divine Power was extinguished in an instant. The sharp tip was clenched by five fingers, unable to advance an inch further; only the excess energy vibrating from the Divine Artifact pressed upon the surrounding sea, demonstrating the hidden power beneath this seemingly ordinary action. The sea within a thousand miles dipped slightly. In midair, Triton''s smile froze on his face, not understanding what was happening. He hadn''t made the same mistake twice in the same matter; he hadn''t even approached the other. The Trident still carried his Father God''s Divine Power, and even Prometheus himself would be wounded facing this attack, so what was happening now? Was the other a True God? But even if it was a deity, they would still need to use Divine Power to catch another god''s weapon. And using Divine Power in the current world necessarily requires paying a price. But no matter how he looked, the figure in ck before him didn''t seem to have paid any price. With his mouth slightly open, Triton seemed to want to say something, but in the next moment, he felt an immense force surging from the void. The world seemed to reject him, and the tform of seawater at his feet immediately shattered. Almost instantly, he was mmed hard from the air to the sea''s surface, crawling prostrate upon it. Triton felt as if he were shouldering a mountain, unable to move even a finger. "Wait, are you one of the reclusive Ancient Titan Gods? This is all a misunderstanding. I am the Son of the Sea Emperor; the Divine King is my uncle, in fact, today I am acting on the will of the gods¡ª" Thud¡ª Footsteps interrupted Triton''s veiled threat. From the corner of his eye, he saw the hem of a robe as the unknown person walked up to him. No, not just him; there was another person. Triton could even hear the sound of a bronze knife scraping against stone, and he knew what that meant. This was a record, documenting his current state. A surge of humiliation and anger arose within him. As a demigod, this was the very scene Triton least wanted to experience¡ªbefore a True God, he would always be so insignificant. And what was even more unbearable was the fact that his current state was being recorded. "I don''t me you, Triton." Chapter 289: 72: The Rising Copper Pillar_2 The voice came from above, and Triton breathed a sigh of relief; the other party was, after all, considering his Father God. But the words that followed made his face turn a fierce red. "You do not know my name, nor have you seen my power, so it''s understandable that you raised a weapon against me," "Now that you have seen my power and realized the gap between us, all you need to do is repent for your disrespect, and I will forgive your previous actions." Without ncing at the merman on the water''s surface, Laine examined the Divine Artifact in his hand. Just as he said, one does not get angry over an ant''s challenge because the ant simply cannotprehend human greatness. If they possessed Wisdom, they would naturally know to bow before Humans, and so it is with the Son of the Sea God. So now, as long as Triton repented for his actions after realizing the reality, Laine would, as he said, not dwell on his previous behavior. But clearly, for some people, after just experiencing the power of a god, to ''repent'' in front of another True God is far more difficult to ept than suffering pain. He would rather endure torture than admit his weakness and ignorance before another deity. As for Death ¡ª Triton didn''t actually think he would die. The mortal before might indeed have killed him, since their understanding was different, and those ignorant know no fear, naturally capable of anything. But this strange True God in front of him, he would not just kill him like that. So at this moment, in front of Laine, Triton''s blood rushed to his brain, and he almost blurted out words that he would regret for a lifetime. "Release me! I am the Son of the Sea Emperor, the deities are watching here, I am here by themand of my Father God!" "The son of Poseidon will never ''repent''; only my Father God has the right to discipline me. No matter who you are, you should not disgrace me in front of the deities. If you dare, just kill me¡ª" "Then it shall be as you wish." The intense voice came to a sudden halt, and Triton lifted his head, looking at this unfamiliar deity. "You said... what?" "I said, it shall be as you wish." Repeating it once more, Laine''s gaze finally left the Divine Artifact. He looked down at this hybrid being of fish and deity. There was resentment in his eyes for not being a Deity, hatred towards Laine, anger at the injustice of fate, shame for being oppressed by someone else, and confusion about the phrase ''as you wish''... the only thing missing was fear. Because Triton believed, perhaps this unknown god would punish him in anger, but he would not kill him. But since the words had been spoken, Laine decided to fulfill his wish. "Since you are so determined, you must also have the courage to face everything." "I respect your courage and give you the end you requested, as you asked." With a slight smile, Laine gently swung the butt end of the Trident. Closing his eyes, Triton clenched his teeth, ready to be tortured. But to his surprise, when the butt end of the Divine Artifact tapped his chest, it did not bring any pain. He felt himself moving backward. Space seemed to be shifting, the whistling of the wind arose in his ears. As if he had traversed a vast distance, at a certain moment, Triton opened his eyes. He found himself flying through the sky at an unimaginable speed. Looking around, thend stretched out behind him, and he was moving deeper into the sea. This was a strange sea, nothing like the ce of his birth. To the southwest, a massive shadow stood there, supporting both heaven and earth while simultaneously enduring the pressure they exerted on him. "Is this... the northwest of thend?" Looking at all this, Triton was at first bewildered, then a bit gleeful. Although he had not stopped, that strange deity ultimately feared his father''s name and dared not harm him. To be struck from the southeast of the continent into the northwest was indeed a show of immense Divine Power, but it was only a matter of saving face, now¡ª "At the junction of the west and north, there shall be a column." "What?" At the edge of his vision, the vast sea surface began to churn. Where the ciers of the Northern Sea met the undercurrents of the Western Sea, a hint of Bronze gradually surfaced. First a speck, then like growth, a gigantic bronze pir extended from the sea. The Sky trembled for a moment because in the blink of an eye, this immense bronze pir had propped up The Sky, bing another sky-bearing column beside the Sky-bearing Titan. Almost visible to the naked eye, cracks began to spread upon the newly-emerged bronze pir. As shrugged his shoulders, as the pir erected, he seemed to feel a bit relieved. Watching Triton speeding over from the distant sea, this Titan who would never submit to Olympus couldn''t help but show an ironic smile. "Little fellow, what have you done to call upon such punishment?" "Also?" An ominous premonition came over him, and as the bronze pir rushed closer, Triton seemed to understand something. "Yes... Without you, how could a single bronze column possibly bear the weight of ''Heaven''? " "Punished me, punished my foolish brother, and now it''s the turn of his own nephew, hahaha..." As, having recognized the bloodline of the person before him, the rebellious progeny of his king,ughed loudly, then looked towards The East, towards Olympus that stood in the distance from him. Chapter 290: 72: The Rising Copper Pillar_3 "Zeus, it seems even your throne is not so secure, look, this is the fate of those who rebel!" Yet there was no response, and Mount Olympus was dead silent, as if no gods existed there at all. ng¡ª "Ah!" The silent collision echoed against the bronze pirs, and with it, Triton''s cry. Silver-white chains materialized out of nowhere, wrapping around seven times, binding the half-fish, half-human demigod to the bronze pir. In that moment, as the son of the Sea God, he became a medium. He transferred the pressure of the sky onto the sea, and thus, three parts of the northwest sea sank. Countless undercurrents formed a ring, turning this area of the ocean into a forbidden zone for ordinary beings. As this medium, Triton felt his body might be crushed into powder. He thought he was going to die, but as the offspring of the Sea God, he could find vitality from the ocean. As long as he was not instantly annihted, he could continuously recover, and after all, the piece of sky that had fallen onto the bronze pir was only a small fringe. So even though Triton''s body was covered in cracks like shattered porcin, it neverpletely broke apart. Opening his mouth, but unable to breathe, Triton felt he had lost all perception of the outside world. But what followed, the deity''s bted judgement, still imprinted deeply in his heart. "You wish for death, so I shall grant you death, but that is merely your desire, not the punishment for your offense against me." In the city ruins, Laine withdrew his right hand. "I shall hang you above the West Heaven for seven thousand years, to serve as the support between heaven and earth. When the punishment I have prescribed ends, you will naturally face the end you sought." Suspending the son of the Sea God above the sea was a fitting end indeed. "And you." Raising his gaze, spanning mountains and seas, Laine saw the silent Divine Pce on Mount Olympus. The pce doors could not block his sight, and the subtle expressions of the gods were all different. "Take care of your belongings." A blue light streaked across thend, crossed the boundary between water andnd, burst open the doors of the Divine Pce, andnded before Poseidon, trembling slightly. As Poseidon had once requested, this Divine Artifact, forged by Godhood, had long since be an object bound to the ocean. Its power grew stronger as the area under its control expanded and would be utterly powerless if it lost its domain. Thus, like throwing out trash, the Sea Emperor''s artifact was plunged before Poseidon''s seat, marked only by the imprint of a handgrip, testifying to the events it had undergone. Within the great hall, the gods remained silent. The moment they fully realized Laine''s presence, Zeus had guessed the oue, yet he did not issue any warning. This was not to target his foolish brother, but to probe. In less than a century after opening the Spirit Realm, Laine had mysteriously appeared in human cities, undoubtedly proving the other party was not truly at peace with the world. And with Mother Earth about to awaken, she constantly threatened Zeus''s further path. In such circumstances, the Divine King was eager to know, do thews of the present world have any effect on the Primordial Gods? Now, with the authority of the Divine King, he had his answer. Yet, seeing the shattered entrance and the artifactnded before Poseidon, Zeus could not be pleased. He had always known, to these Great Divine Powers, Divine Court''s dignity was a joke, but when the moment truly urred, and the other party didn''t consider his existence at all, Zeus still clenched the armrests of his throne. He did not know what the other deities were thinking, but right then, he urgently wanted¡ª "Hmm?" His expression shifted, then immediately returned to normal. The Divine King, acting as if nothing had happened, looked at his brother who had finally quieted down. "Humans have already been destroyed; as for the rest... let''s leave it at that. Your own problems, deal with them yourself." When the Divine King spoke, the gods all sighed in relief. The strange atmosphere was broken, but all the deities intentionally ignored the trident that was embedded in the Divine Pce. However, faced with Zeus''s words, Poseidon remained unmoved. After staring for a moment at the Divine Artifact that was lost and found again, the blue hair concealed the Sea Emperor''s expression. Nobody knew what he was thinking; they could only see Poseidon finally extending his hand, cing it on the clear imprint on the artifact. The next moment, wisps of ck mist twined around Poseidon''s palm, the force of Death slicing open the Principal God''s flesh. Yet he seemed not to feel it, only staring for a moment before suddenly starting tough softly. "Hahaha..." "Poseidon, perhaps you need to rest for a while?" Watching the abnormal Poseidon, Zeus spoke indifferently. "Rest? No, no need. Not only do I not need it, you don''t either." "Do you think you have calcted everything perfectly, that all is within your control? Zeus, you are actually just a joke." Theughter eventually ceased, and Poseidon looked at his younger brother. He might not be known for his Wisdom, but he wasn''t stupid¡ªZeus and his lover were the only two present who had seen Laine, yet they had just now unanimously chosen silence, standing by as Triton marched towards his Destruction. So now, it was his turn to disregard. "What do you mean?" Zeus''s brow furrowed, and a bad premonition rose in his heart. The consecutive surprises today had already been headache-inducing enough; all he wanted now was to end it all smoothly. "Nothing much, just a reminder..." "Zeus, and your weak lover, have you forgotten that you also have a father?" At those words, Eurynome''s expression changed dramatically, and Zeus finally remembered something. The God of the Ocean, Oceanus, had intended to probe into Zeus''s hidden human tribe more than a decade ago but had never been fruitful. However, not long before, the sturdiest fortress had been breached from within. Under the covert guidance of a certain existence, the name of the God of the Ocean began to spread among Humans, and under the flood, the people realized that the Sea Emperor had brought disaster upon them, naturally turning to another Sea God for protection. There was no protection to be had, but the Faith was real enough, and so Oceanus finally became aware of the secret hidden by his adopted son. And now, in Poseidon''s sensation, he and the Primordial Goddess of Water were crossing the ocean, hurtling towards Olympus. ... At the same time, within the Spirit Realm. "That should be enough." Enveloped in grey wings, the young deity stood up. The mysterious person had spoken truly, this was indeed a rare opportunity. Those who should have left had left, and now, the Spirit Realm seemed much emptier. Especially so since the most threatening Goddess of the Nether Moon wasn''t there; that was the best news. As for the top tier of the Spirit Realm, at this moment, it waspletely deserted. Chapter 291: 73 Infiltration The dreamlike world, a realm where reality and illusion intertwine, where all impossibilities can be realized. Now, the ce where Hypnos stood was an exact replica of once-great Mount Othrys. These dreams originated from beings who once lived on that divine mountain; although these beings have long perished, dying together with the mountain in disaster, these ancient dreams themselves endured. Driven by some inner motivation, the God of Sleep marked it, but seldom visited the ce. However, today, within the pce of the former second-generation Divine King, Hypnos gently pped his hands. "p, p, p¡ª" The sound was not loud, yet in the world of dreams, magnitude had no meaning. The next moment, the shimmering of light and shadow unfolded as pathways connecting different dream domains opened one after another. As the third level of the Spirit Realm, built upon the dreams of all beings, time in the Dream Spirit Realm was inherently chaotic. What was but ten thousand years in the outside world had already seen the passage of times that number here. And in this vast span of time, Hypnos wasn''t idle; he supported many capable entities and helped them be lords of the Dream Domain. A rough count would estimate about a third of the third level of the Spirit Realm. Without an opportunity, these lords were merely his subordinates, existing to maintain the order of the three levels of the Spirit Realm. But when the time was right, they too could be soldiers under Hypnos''mand. "They''ve all arrived." Soon, more and more beings of the Dream Domain started appearing in this pce. Once, the second-generation Divine King held feasts here for the gods; now, this ce stood filled with Spirit Realm beings of various forms. ncing around, the God of Sleep nodded in satisfaction. In the realm of the mind, one''s self-perception determined their outward appearance, so these lords were all different. Some of them came into being through the devouring of numerous spiritual bodies, and despite inheriting fragmented memories, they still identified with their former existence, maintaining the appearance from before their death; others were simply born from the dreams of powerful entities, eventually bing independent, and bore some resemnce to certain deities of the outer world. Some were filled with bizarreness and entricity, even life forms that weren''t supposed to exist in this era. Like walking dolls, puppets d in gowns¡ªnobody knew how they came to be, perhaps it was the jumbled time and fate of the Spirit Realm, allowing a glimpse of the future to seep through. Of course, no matter their appearance, these Spirit Realm lords possessed extraordinary powers. They were perhaps only transcendent beings, and only a very few possessed divinity, but in the Spirit Realm, under the Dream Domain''s enhancement, most of them were quasi-gods, which was also why Hypnos had summoned them. The God of Sleep did not expect these subordinates to be of much use, but at the very least, they could help him eliminate some troubles. With a light touch of his hand, formless streams of information floated toward the approaching lords, detailing the tasks he intended for them to carry out. In fact, Hypnos hadn''t told a single soul about what he was actually nning to do, even up until that moment. Some things, he knew, were best kept to himself. "Follow my orders, go." Once the information transfer wasplete, the youthful deity softlymanded. He watched these Spirit Realm lords leave in various manners, and soon, the pce returned to how it had been not long before. From this moment on, time began its countdown. Sess or failure, those were the only two options. Seated on the throne, Hypnos felt emotions that had been absent for a long while begin to stir. He was beginning to understand the psychology of the former upant of this throne; perhaps Cronus had simr thoughts when he plotted against the Heavenly Father. "It doesn''t matter anymore." "In the future, all of this will be mine." Following the connections within the dreamscape, the God of Sleep cast a nce toward the mortal world. There, a fellow he had encountered several times was stealing souls. That mysterious ritual cut off the Spirit Realm''s natural attraction to souls, and even a portal was being slowly opened. Hypnos made a mental note of the location; he intended to pay close attention to whaty beyond that portalter on. Although Mephisto''s actions had distracted attention away from himself, that did not mean they could be tolerated. Once he became the new king of the Spirit Realm, the first thing he would do was to dismember this bold thief who dared to filch his riches, and then track down the mastermind behind the curtain. "It''s about time; no need to wait any longer. I didn''t expect my dear Father God to have ventured outside, which ironically gives me a greater chance of sess." With a smile curling up, despite his confidence in his own authority, Hypnos was well aware that it was only in a surprise attack that his divine authority could be exercised to its fullest extent. In the myths of future generations, the original God of Sleep managed to put the near-peak King Zeus to sleep with the help of the assisting Queen Hera at his side. Sopared to a confrontation with Laine over the battle for control of the Spirit Realm, Hypnos preferred to quietly resolve everything from the shadows. Thus, standing up, the God of Sleep''s grey wings fluttered slightly, and his figure disappeared from the third level of the Spirit Realm. Except for a select few, even the gods of the Spirit Realm needed to ascend the nes step by step, and it was the same for him. Fortunately, it wasn''t far; it just required some time. ... "Prince Hypnos, a moonlit greeting to you." Stepping out from the most formal ''gateway'' of the fourthyer of the Spirit Realm, just as he was about to depart, a voice reached his ear. Looking toward the voice, Hypnos unexpectedly found a familiar yet foreign Spirit Realm angel who also happened to be present. Chapter 292: 73 Infiltration_2 Familiar, because there are just so many True Gods in the Spirit Realm, and he more or less knew them all. Strange, naturally, because the person in front of him seldom went outside, always staying in his own little world. So, in reality, they had hardly interacted with each other. "Peace be with you, Your Highness Evangeline, are you here to¡ª¡ª" "I''ve been invited toe and take care of Samsara for a while. Although there is no life in this world that can shake the Well of Reincarnation, there should always be a servant of the owner to guard it." With a tranquil expression, perhaps due to the influence of Godhood, even the most ordinary voice of Evangeline sounded like a captivating song. At this moment, the God of Sleep felt as if he was listening to the echo of nature, the chirping of hundreds of birds, his very soul seemed to be purified. In a fleeting moment, Hypnos even thought that he should not betray his Father God. After all, Laine was not the Heavenly Father Uranus, he had nevermitted any tyrannical acts. However, the nature of a Deity is not so easily influenced, so this wavering onlysted for an instant. Yet, this still gave the God of Sleep a moment of solemn reflection. The authority of a Deity is so peculiar, he was confident in his own domain over Sleep, and other Deities were no different. Evangeline''s Divine Power and his were as different as heaven and earth, yet he still felt a slight influence. But, speaking of Laine, what exactly is his authority? Spirituality belongs to the Spirit Realm, but what belongs to him? "You are right, Your Highness Evangeline. As you said, the Well of Reincarnation needs a guardian, so I shall not disturb you further." With a gentle smile, Hypnos appeared exceedingly polite. Setting aside his thoughts, regardless, it was indeed a good thing, one less problem to worry about. One must know, normally, Evangeline''s Divine Pce is situated atop Mount Sinai, and should the sneak attack fail, it''s very likely she woulde to assist quickly. "You may, may the Lord be with you." Nodding slightly, Evangeline didn''t ask further about the God of Sleep''s purpose. In her eyes, he, just like them, was a member of the Spirit Realm''s Angels. But when Hypnos heard this phrase, his face stiffened for a moment, then with a polite smile, he headed towards the passage to the fifthyer of the Spirit Realm. It was always like this. Even though they were all gods nurtured by the grand Ancient Spirit World, they called Laine the ''Master'', as if he was so distinctly different. To mark the distinction, they always referred to themselves as ''Angels'', not as gods. Even the gods from the outside world were called false gods by them, something Hypnos really couldn''t understand. Being a god nurtured by the Spirit Realm, the incarnation of Sleep should not be worshipping others. Even in Hypnos'' mind, the true parents should be the Spirit Realm itself and the essence of night, not that usurper of Divine Authority. "Soon." Passing through the portal to the fifthyer of the Spirit Realm, a more chaotic space and time unveiled. Hypnos nced deep into the murky space-time, where, vaguely, a presence simr yet vastly different from his own emanated. The Sun Eater, simrly stained by the Chaotic Source Force, but to what extent he was more severely afflicted, Hypnos could not tell. In the eyes of the God of Sleep, there was some pity, such a powerful life, if it could follow hismands, the chances of sess in his journey would be higher. "No matter." "In the future, all this will be mine!" Repeating it once more, Hypnos, following an indistinct sense, hurried towards the passage to the sixthyer of the Spirit Realm. Therey the most enigmatic part of the Spirit Realm. Even though he had not seen it yet, the God of Sleep felt that even the so-called Tartarus would probably be no different. ... Meanwhile, in the Mortal Realm. At the former site of Aurora City, the sea was still surging, even more unpredictable without its controller. As expected, it would wreak havoc in the Mortal Realm for five days, reaching its peak before waning. The great flood of nine days and nights wouldpletely wash the Eastern Region of thend. Humans were annihted, but the strange beasts of the Eastern Lands also perished inrge numbers. Apart from a few strong ones, those skilled in hiding, and the naturally cunning, the rest were obliterated by this deluge. It would be countless years before other strange beasts from different parts of the continent would migrate there. As a witness to all this, Laine was still reflecting on the sensation he had just experienced. "Alchemy, indeed fascinating." On his finger, the emerald ring twinkled with light. Not too long ago, Laine had used this ring, said to ''transmute stone to gold,'' to change the properties of matter and raise a bronze column near the icy seas. If the Draupnir can replicate itself, turn stone into gold, then naturally it can also turn seawater into bronze. The towering bronze column rose from the sea through its transformation, after all, changing matter was not Laine''s area of expertise. Of course, it once again proved its limits. Even if Laine infused as much power as possible into the ring, it still couldn''t produce copper containing extraordinary power. That is Alchemy, what is doable is doable, what is not is simply not. Without unraveling the principles within, pouring in power alone is pointless. It''s good that this is a Mythic World where physicalws differ. Otherwise, the mere bronze, unable to sustain the heavens, would not be able to exist in the sea in columnar form and would simply disintegrate on its own. "Alright, I have fulfilled what I promised Prometheus. The rest is up to humans themselves." Chapter 293: 73 Infiltration_3 Laine looked at the old man beside him. On his stone carvings, the proud attitude of the son of the Sea God and the bronze column hanging in the West Heaven were clearly visible. Even gradually, the stone b itself seemed to have undergone some miraculous changes. "The flood is still nine days away, and your life has only ten days left. In thesest days, is there anything you would like to do?" The elder was already due to die a natural death, and even without the great flood, he actually wouldn''t have lived much longer. "If possible, I''d like to fully document this flood." With a calm demeanor, Humar looked down sentimentally. As far as the eye could see, there were endless seas, but he knew that hidden underneath the water was his once home. "A reasonable request," Laine nodded and blessed him, "May you see all there is in the Mortal Realm, and may your records live forever." He said this, and the Law responded to Laine''s blessing. During thest ten days of the old man''s life, space would not hinder his sight, everything in the Mortal Realm would be within his view; and after the old man''s death, his stone carvings, which documented everything, would also be engulfed in frozen time. They would forever stay in that moment, only touchable by time itself. The sea parted, revealing a path leading under the water. And at the end of the path was thergest temple in Aurora City, once built by Zeus. This special ce, different from other temples, was where the Divine King condemned the sins of humanity, and forced the faithless madmen to kneel indefinitely, so the temple still retained traces of the Divine King''s authority, and therefore, was not worn away by these ordinary waters. "Apanying you for half a day has been my honor." Before departing, Humar bowed slightly. "It''s your own choice." Waving his hand, Laine finally said: "Go on, this ce will soon be a battlefield again. What to leave for future humans, is for you to decide." After Humar left, only Laine remained. He looked down and noticed the ck fog that was trying its hardest to conceal its presence. Mephisto knew he couldn''t hide from the Lord of the Spirit Realm''s perception, but it didn''t stop him from pretending it was so. Laine also knew that Mephisto knew he couldn''t hide, yet he just smiled and acted as if the Demon had ceased to exist. In terms of enhancing Divine Power, souls were very important to him; for increasing the ''volume'' of the Spirit Realm, the cirction of souls was also important. But to elevate Spirituality as a ''symbol'' in the world, spreading souls as widely as possible and having their existence recognized by powerful beings was the most effective approach. Thus, regarding the theft of souls, Laine''s attitude was ''too clear water harbors no fish''. If your skills were crafty enough to find loopholes from the Deities of the Spirit Realm, or if it was just a god intercepting one or two souls, he would generally turn a blind eye. This was also a way to give the Deities of the Spirit Realm something to do, so they wouldn''t just stay in their own ces all day long without ever stepping out. "However, speaking of which, he has been quite quiet this time." "Is it because he was too active before?" Before leaving, Laine was somewhat surprised. His mind had, in fact, been covertly monitoring the Underworld to prevent Erebus from jumping out and causing him trouble again, but nothing had happened. Perhaps the other party was busy with other matters, or perhaps unable toe out at all. Anyway, it was good that he didn''te, as Laine wasn''t particrly eager to see him. Shaking his head, Laine stepped out and vanished into the airspace above this sea area. From now on, the affairs of the Mortal Realm would at most concern his avatar, and have little to do with himself. And underwater, Mephisto sensed Laine''s departure and couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief. "Phew, he''s finally gone," he said. The ritual could have progressed to the second phase much earlier, but he was not the brainless sort like Triton. He worked hard to conceal his tracks; whether the concealment was effective or not, if others pretended not to see you, they would ignore you. But to brazenly do one''s own thing under the watchful eyes of others was simply to court difort. After adjusting his clothes, Mephisto sent a message into the distance. Quickly, a figure appeared before him. The demons had not trusted the local deities with the earlier affairs, they always managed to turn good situations bad. However, now the time was almost right, and it was time for the other party to contribute. Looking at the swaying figure of Keto, Mephisto said with a smile: "Get ready, we can start the final step. Next, please let me introduce the ruler of realms beyond, the king of the Nine Hells, the creator of demons¡ªHis Excellency Asmodeus. A deity born like you is the most wee in the Nine Hells; His Excellency will surely be pleased to learn of your joining." "Hmph, I hope so, just in time to witness his power," Keto responded indifferently with a snort. Though Mephisto had often imed that there were beings even stronger than the Divine King in the Nine Hells, Keto was still skeptical. "You will see, I assure you," Mephisto said with a smile. He did not mind Keto''s attitude and knew that beings do not understand things beyond theirprehension. Until today, all mortals and gods in the present world held fixed impressions of the Abyss, believing it to be empty, filled only with deathly silence and void. But all this was about to end. Stepping forward to the core of the ritual, where a small groovey on the ground, Mephisto cut his wrist. Although underwater, the dark red blood still fell straight downwards, dripping onto the intricate designs etched there. Tracing the fine patterns, the demon''s blood seemed to contain a special energy, quickly lighting up the areas it touched. It started with a few specks and then extended rapidly. From underneath Mephisto''s feet and out towards the entirety of Aurora City''s ruins. The deep ocean watercked any light, making the dark luster even more dazzling. At that moment, a certain connection was activated. Like a massive coordinate, the ritual drew the attention of a vast presence from afar. Thews of the current world recognized this power, a force belonging to another aspect of the world¡ªit instinctively rejected it, but notpletely. "Guard this ce well," Mephistomanded. Retracting his hand, the small wound healed instantly. In the void surrounding Aurora City, one after another, powerful presences were approaching. Mephisto was not afraid, just slightly surprised. The gods of the Spirit Realm came so quickly, which he could understand, but what about that other one? "No matter," Mephisto said. With a smile, he nced at the thick cluster of souls around him. With so many ''achievements'' and more than one ''benevolent'' god actively contributing to his cause, he wondered how many ranks he should ascend. Ahead of this, the demon looked forward with some anticipation. Chapter 294: 74: The Descent Abyss. As the ritual in the mortal realm began to operate, the nine ovepped worlds within the Abyss felt its resonance. Unlike the Spirit Realm which corresponds directly with the surface and material worlds, if Hell and the mortal realm were to open a passage between them, a coordinate, an anchor point, was needed to connect the two. The ritualyout by Mephisto was undoubtedly such a marker. It originated from the hand of Asmodeus, who as a former god of time and space, still had a profound understanding of it. At this moment, as the sensing with the coordinate became clearer, an illusory portal slowly emerged on the secondyer of Hell. Rollingva churned across thend, influenced by the me Kingdom, some volcanoes and magma slowly came into existence within the Nine Hells. At this moment, Asmodeus and the former God of Meteorology, Crius, stood together, watching the illusory light gate gradually solidify. The mortal realm and Hell were isted from each other, which meant they were not very clear about what was happening on the other side. However, since Mephisto had opened the gateway as scheduled, everything likely went smoothly without any unforeseen events. "If you wish, you can also go to the mortal realm, to Olympus. I know you''ve always harbored resentment regarding being cast into the Abyss," said the Lord of the Nine Hells with his hands sped behind his back, smiling. Though it was his first return to the world he once ruled after the transition of eras, he bore no other emotions. It was merely a matter of time, today was just the beginning. "And what about you, Your Majesty, do you intend to go to the mortal realm as your former self or as you are now?" A flicker of intent passed through his eyes, but Crius still spoke up. "Formerly... heh, it''s not the time yet. Although I have taken a small step, I''m still a far cry from my revered Mother Goddess. After all, the Nine Hells haven''t been around for that long." "Since I cannot overturn Olympus under the suppression of thews of the mortal realm, there''s no need to arouse more vignce among others. Let''s wait for the future. Compared to Zeus, I''d rather go and see my loyal subordinates." With some nostalgia, the Lord of the Nine Hells looked to his side. Someone had always been by his side, but she ultimately chose to go against him. "I was a terrible Divine King, no one wished to stand by my side, not even my sister who had been with me for thousands of years. Fortunately, his existence made me feel somewhat capable." "I left too hastily before, after all, I hadn''t expected such an opportunity in the Abyss. This time I must tell him that I''ve never forgotten about him, and he will always be my most trusted guard." "Then I won''t go either." Shaking his head lightly, Crius said: "I''ll go with you to Mount Olympus when you''re ready to step there in the name of Cronus. What''s the point of just unsettling Zeus for the time being?" "Although I can''tpare to that young man, please let me lead your vanguard when the timees. Don''t go easy then!" "Hahaha...Very well!" Laughing heartily, the Lord of the Nine Hells looked up slightly. His gaze pierced through the boundary wall and caught the eye of the great serpent. "Then wait just a moment, Crius." "Let me first see what aplishments that young man, who made bold ims before me, has truly made." As his words ended, Asmodeus took a step forward. The illusory light gate trembled but ultimately stabilized. The light shifted, as though a minute had passed, or perhaps a long while, but when everything settled, the Lord of the Nine Hells found himself above the dark seabed. There were no spectacr phenomena, not even an audience - just a single presence weed another extraordinary being in silence in this area of the sea. "Greetings, Your Majesty, you have finallye," said Mephisto, bowing before the Lord of the Nine Hells who had been long awaited. "My apologies for the wait, Mephisto. It seems your journey wasn''t exactly smooth sailing," remarked the Lord of the Nine Hells as he surveyed his surroundings. Countless spiritual bodies, including those of humans as well as other creatures from the great ins, amassed in the millions, more than the entire Silver Humanity of the past. However, he didn''t immediately discuss them, given the somewhat unusual environment of their current meeting. "It wasn''t as difficult as imagined, Your Majesty. Humans and gods alike, they all like to be too clever for their own good," said Mephisto, with a slight smile. "Apart from a few exceptions, the souls of the entire Bronze Humanity are here, along with quite a few of the beasts, whose souls are even superior to that of ordinary humans." Mephisto proudly presented his achievement with a modest smile. "All of them... how did you aplish this?" Asmodeus was somewhat taken aback and struggled to conceive how this Silver Human had gathered all the souls of humanity. Especially in the present conditions, such a sea swallowing up thend was within only the power of the Sea God. "That''s a long story, which I owe to the creator of mankind who provided me with this opportunity." "But Your Majesty, regarding the details of my journey in the Mortal Realm, I will exin them to you in due course. However, I have recruited a specialdy for the Nine Hells, and themotion of contacting you may have attracted some attention..." "I understand." Nodding, Asmodeus wasn''t oblivious to themotion in the sky. He gestured behind him and the gateway they had just used turned into a vortex, to which the countless surrounding souls immediately began to surge in. Chapter 295: 74: The Descent_2 "You''ve done well, although you''ve onlypleted half of the tasks in the mortal world, our bet can be settled in part now," "Now, this ce is mine to handle," With one step, the Lord of Hell vanished without a trace. Behind him, Mephisto bowed in the direction of his departure and then cheerfully stepped through the illusory whirl with the souls. The rest was no longer of any concern to the demons; their part was done, and presumably, the daughter of the original Sea God faced no issues. Soon, the waters quieted again, only the sound of souls passing through continuing endlessly. ... A spectrum of light streaked across the sky, The gentle mes surrounding the light dispelled the chill of the downpour. The gaze of the Goddess of Hearthfire swept over the ocean''s surface, but there were only waves upon waves. Earlier, at the feast on Olympus, Hestia had left early due to her dissatisfaction with Poseidon''s attitude. However, after leaving the Divine Pce, she didn''t return to her own hall but instead came to the surface of Earth. She intended to visit the descendants of the deities, Prometheus''s son Deucalion and his brother''s daughter Pitha. Though unspoken, they were allowed to survive after the Deluge because the gods all knew the Divine King would no longer permit any god to enjoy the credit for creating humans. Moreover, there was no longer a need for gods to create humans. Creation was always arduous, but imitation was quite different. After three human ages, with the assistance of the gods, creating humans wasn''t as difficult as imagined; what was truly crucial was crafting their materials. Fortunately, the gods were well-prepared for this task. "What is this, some kind of dark power?" Suspended in mid-air, Hestia''s brows furrowed. The sullen light surged up through the water, mirroring the heavy clouds in the sky. Before, halfway through her journey, Hestia had abruptly changed direction. No longer within Olympus, she couldn''t constantly observe what was happening in the cities of humans, but the trident flying towards the Mount of the Gods and the changes in the northwest of thend were still distinctly visible. The disaster that was to annihte humanity underwent an unforeseen change, one that the gods had not anticipated. Thus, the goddess came here immediately, wishing to uncover what had urred. Yet everything seemed empty; she found nothing. It wasn''t until she hovered above the ruins of the human cities that she keenly sensed something amiss. A set ofws different from the mortal world emanated from beneath the water, an inexplicable sense of oppression looming over the Goddess of Hearthfire. It was somewhat reminiscent of the sensation she had when traveling to the Spirit Realm, a feeling of not belonging to the surrounding world; but byparison, the goddess felt somewhat relieved. The normal rule in the mortal world that forbade deities from using their powers seemed to be somewhat diluted by this novelw. This foreignw wasn''t amiable towards Hestia, but in some way, it released a fraction of her power. Thus the goddess no longer hesitated and pressed her hand downward. Boom¡ª A muffled sound erupted, and the ocean surface crackled open, but after extending less than a hundred meters, Hestia''s divine power was blocked by another figure. Focusing her gaze, with only a bit of hesitation, the goddess recognized the neer. She had appeared more than once at the feasts on Olympus, but it seemed she had not been seen much over the past few decades. "Keto, why are you here?" "Do I need to report my whereabouts to you?" Within the currents, Keto, the mother of sea monsters in myth, retorted unfazed. "...No need, but the Divine King has designated this ce a forbidden zone, forbidding ordinary deities froming here. You might not be aware of this... but what''s happening below?" Ignoring Keto''s somewhat provocative tone, Hestia looked downward. But she could see nothing of use. Darkness naturally held the quality of ''secrecy,'' and although the powers wielded by demons fell short whenpared to The Dark Overlord, this ce wasn''t Olympus where divine power could be freely used; hence, the goddess saw only some vague, quivering, transparent shadows that vanished as quickly as they had appeared. "The gods have annihted humanity, but I''m quite interested in their creations, so I came here to ask their departed souls a few questions. This shouldn''t vite thews of the Divine Court, right?" Following Mephisto''s previous instructions, Keto stalled. And true enough, after hearing her exnation, Hestia didn''t know what to say. If it was merely about seizing a few human souls, indeed it wouldn''t be a big deal, and the Divine Court wouldn''t trouble itself with the offspring of the original Sea God. But in light of recent events at this location, the goddess thought something didn''t quite add up. "Do you know what happened here earlier, and where is Triton?" Not pursuing the matter beneath the waters, Hestia asked about her nephew. "How would I know? Perhaps he left on his own," Keto offhandedly replied, herck of sincerity apparent. "...I hope that''s the case," Frowning, even the usually good-natured Hestia was somewhat irritated. She gave Keto a nce and finally decided to go down herself for a probe; under no circumstance would she trust the other''s word. A few human souls, how could they cause a disturbance on the level of thews? However, the next moment, the Goddess of Hearthfire''s expression drastically changed. She looked toward the eastern sky, and as she watched, several unfamiliar figures emerged from the void. Chapter 296: 74: The Descent_3 On them, there was the breath of the stars, the rotation of the seasons, but without exception, they were all true deities. "You are..." "Is it you who are stealing souls?" The essence of autumn surrounded her, and Erinys interrupted in a cold voice. Faced with the questioning, Hestia also realized something. "Stealing souls, are you the gods of the Spirit Realm?" "Keto, what exactly have you done?" Turning to look at Keto, divine power began to swirl around the goddess. Her guess was indeed correct, the other party was definitely not just stealing a few souls. The gods had not neglected the study of the souls of mortal beings, but no one would care about one or two such incidents. "Then it seems it was you who did it." Another figure stepped out of the void, her purple dress swaying, Liana''s expression was cold and indifferent. Different from Erinys, behind the Goddess of the Nether Moon, the phantom of the purple moon ebbed and flowed, its moonlight revealing all that was hidden beneath. The scene beneath the sea was finally exposed, if only a corner. Spiritual bodies were faintly visible, covering the entire seabed. Seeing this, Liana''s expression grew even colder. "There''s no need for words, take her back to the Well of Reincarnation. Since she dared to steal from the Lord, let her pay with her eternal life." The illusory moonlight emerged behind her, a powerful aura sweeping across all directions. Behind Liana, the three goddesses who governed reincarnation exchanged nces and then took a step forward. Eunomia of spring and new beginnings released the breath of life, which in the hands of Dike of summer and blessings, became vibrant and strong. Finally, this force fell into the hands of Erinys of autumn and endings, and its nature was changed in an instant. The divine power of the three goddesses was not strong, but when they cycled together, they produced an effect far greater than the sum of their parts. The power that burst forth in that instantmanded Hestia''s attention and, needless to say, that of Keto, standing before them. "Has this damned one finished yet!" ncing downward, Keto''splexion turned ugly, but the three goddesses of reincarnation clearly would not hesitate on ount of this. Exchanging a look, under the control of the three goddesses, the power of the cycle formed a special barrier in an instant, enveloping Keto. The twelve Gods of Stars released starlight, faintly linking with each other to seal off the outer space. In a confrontation, Liana had not yet acted, but everything seemed to be settling already. Under the ''heavenly'' of the Spirit Realm deities, Keto had no chance to evade. By her side, Hestia seemed ready to say something, but in the next moment, her expression suddenly changed. Protective divine power enveloped her, and on the other side, Liana''s expression shifted slightly as the moon shadow behind her pressed directly towards the barrier where Keto was located. The phantom of the Nether Moon was overwhelmingly powerful; the very void trembled ahead of it, causing Hestia''s gaze to grow more solemn. If Hestia''s iplete Godhood of Fire meant that she was barely achieving a Divine Power Level of 16, standing at the threshold of great divine power, then the Goddess of the Nether Moon in front of her was at least two levels stronger than her, if not more. True to being the only celestial avatar of the Underworld, even if the Underworld was far less expansive than the earth, the starry sky had sun, moon, and stars, but the grey ins only had one Nether Moon. However, in the next moment, this moon shadow was halted abruptly by a figure that suddenly appeared before it. The formidable force silently dissipated as if the moon shadow had never appeared. The figure was not tall and even somewhat thin. A deity with ck hair and blood-red eyes, not known when, stood in front of Keto, looking calmly at the surrounding gods. "Let''s stop here." "...Is it you?" Looking at the somewhat unfamiliar figure before her, Liana first showed surprise, and then seemed to remember something. "Yes, it feels like a lifetime ago. Take these million human souls as a gift for my descent to the Mortal Realm, how about that?" With a smile, Asmodeus had left a deep impression on the Spirit Realm deity closest to Laine. "...Hmph, seize him!" With a cold snort, Liana was one of the few in the Spirit Realm who had some understanding of the creation of Hell. Although she recognized the other party, it was not a reason for her to back down. No matter who it was, anyone who dared to steal from the Spirit Realm''s treasure had only one end. The Spirit Realm was right behind them, so its angels feared nothing. ... Meanwhile, in the Spirit Realm. There was no dy this time; on the contrary, Laine moved quickly. With each step he crossedyers of the realm, and it did not take long before he returned to the surface of Mount Sinai. In the Temple of Lops, it was as empty as when he had left. His nce sweeping through the temple, Laine exchanged looks with the young dragon lying on the dragon egg next to him. Bai was full of excitement, showing teeth and ws, trying to convey something to Laine. However, she remembered Laine''s instructions from before, so she did not make any noise. With a slight smile, Laine didn''t say anything. He simply walked around the desk and sat back in his own seat, lost in thought for a moment. Seeing this, some finally let go of their worries. Quietly, grey wings descended between the tangible and intangible, and melodious music started to y. A drowsy feeling surged, but in the young dragon''s eyes, a different scene seemed to be reflected. Illusion and reality were alternating, and Bai was witnessing such a strange sight for the first time. Chapter 297: 75: The Falling Star ``` Hiding in his own dream, Hypnos had already been waiting for a long time. Even now, he was somewhat surprised at how smoothly his journey was going. No one asked him anything, nor did anyone stop him, because this ce was not like Olympus, where nymphs acted as servants, moving about the pces. Crossing the sixthyer of the Spirit Realm, the God of Sleep arrived at the summit of Mount Sinai outright and openly. As he entered the Temple of Lops, the Divine Pce was empty, the drinks on the table still warm to the touch. Not far from the main seat, there were eggs of some unknown creatures stored there, but Hypnos only nced at them before paying them no more attention. Afterward, there would be plenty of time to look, but now, the task at hand was the most important. "That was careless, but then again, who would always be on their guard in their own pce?" Walking past the long table, Hypnos noticed that, at some point, a multi-colored fire had appeared to the left of the main seat. It shifted between different colors, leaping, rooted in the emptiness, using space itself as fuel, illuminating everything around it. The God of Sleep had never seen such a fire before; it was not a product of authority but resembled the Golden Apple, naturally formed and special. Such a thing was extremely rare in the Chaos World, but in this pce, it was merely an ordinary lighting tool. "Only old-timers who have lived a long time always have some special things in their possession." Murmuring to himself, Hypnos tried to appear moreposed. While speaking, he sensed every corner of the temple. After a while, having walked around the table, the God of Sleep ultimately found nothing amiss. "An illusion perhaps..." With a frown, the youthful deity always felt since entering this pce, there was an inexplicable sensation of being watched, but no matter how hard he looked, there were no other lifeforms present. After hesitating briefly, he finally dismissed that strange feeling, concealing his body within his own dream. Time was running short, and there was no room for unnecessary actions. Besides, he dared not stir up a majormotion in this pce, lest he undermine the effectiveness of his sneak attack. What followed was a time of waiting. "Ying¡ª?" As Hypnos''s figure disappeared, a young white dragon poked its head out from behind a dragon egg, surprised at where Hypnos had vanished. Just now, Bai had been silently watching the God of Sleep, observing his survey of the temple''s interior. She was curious about his purpose, but to her amazement, he simply vanished in the blink of an eye. Looking around, she still found nothing. A sense of loss welled up in her heart, but in the next moment, the young dragon instinctively awakened her innate ability. She opened the ''eye'' belonging to the spirit, and then clearly saw Hypnos''s whereabouts. It was an undetectable speck of light; the God of Sleep had shrunk his dream into a tiny speck of dust, and if it were not for witnessing his disappearance, even if one could see the existence of dreams, it would still be hard to detect Hypnos''s hiding spot. Inside it, Hypnos had already taken out the purple flute. This apanying Divine Artifact also seemed to have benefited greatly in the process of perfecting the thirdyer of the Spirit Realm, its aura bing more profound. "Is this... a dream?" With a clear voice resonating in her heart, Bai watched that minuscule world of dreams. There was no distinction of size, unruly and unrestricted by any rules, everything depended on the mind of life. "In the future, will the realm of dreams be mine?" When Laine walked into the temple, a voice rang in his heart. Looking at the excited young dragon, Laine responded to her in the same way. "The thirdyer of the Spirit Realm, that is the world of dreams. From now on, it will be your home." ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Gray feathers fell from the void, intoxicating All Spirits. The melodious flute yed through existence and non-existence, yet it did not rouse anyone''s vignce. Concealed within his own dream, in front of Hypnos, Laine was almost unknowingly enveloped by the power of sleep. The process went unbelievably smoothly, as if from beginning to end, he had no inkling whatsoever. "I truly didn''t expect it to go so smoothly... but perhaps that''s normal." "Maybe I''m overthinking it, everything should indeed go this smoothly." Setting down the flute, in the dream, Hypnos''s lips gradually formed a smile. Although in the case of a sneak attack, the God of Sleep believed there was no one in the world who could be unaffected by his authority, but now that he had truly seeded, he still felt somewhat excited. He was not overconfident, in fact, Hypnos had some awareness of his own power, but that very awareness instead bolstered his confidence. The current God of Sleep, not only had he fused with a bit of Chaotic Source Force at his birth, he had also profoundly experienced the essence of his authority in the process of forging the Dream Spirit Realm, all of which made him stronger than the deity from future mythology. Since the original Hypnos could conspire against nearly peak Zeus with the support of the Heavenly Empress, now he could only do better. It could even be said that if Hypnos were faced with any other deity, his judgment of himself would be very correct. Crushing a round bead in his hand, following an invisible connection, those Spirit Realm beings that had already scattered received their instructions. Not knowing how long it would take other Spirit Realm deities to return to the Spirit Realm, Hypnos simply chose to strike first, causing these Spirit Realm beings to create chaos everywhere. ``` Chapter 298: 75: The Falling Star_2 "Let them focus all their attention on those ces. That way, he''ll have enough time to take over the authority of the Spirit Realm. Afterpleting thisst task, the God of Sleep turned around and looked at Laine, who was sound asleep on the throne." "For some reason, he always felt that the scene before him was somewhat unreal. Perhaps the victory came too suddenly, making him subconsciously a bit overconfident." "It won''t be, from now on." Taking a deep breath, Hypnos slowly stepped forward. "That''s how Deities are, aren''t they?" He reached out his hand towards the position of Laine''s chest. Before this, he didn''t know what the symbol of the Spirit Realm''s authority looked like; he only guessed that it was probably a pen since the Divine Artifact that suppressed the core of the Spirit Realm was a book. And indeed, just as Hypnos had thought, the next moment, he really grabbed hold of an ethereal feather pen." Its color was a grey hue throughout, with dark silver patterns on it, mysterious symbols engraved upon it, and most importantly, it was the symbol of the Spirit Realm''s authority." "Now, I am the king." He whispered to himself, his right hand tightening instinctively. At this moment, Hypnos felt as if he had ''seen'' an incredibly majestic being, even his own consciousness became somewhat blurred. He didn''t know how much time had passed when he regained consciousness, the God of Sleep felt as though he had established some kind of connection with the Spirit Realm. A powerful sense of force filled his heart, and in that instant, he felt omnipotent." "So this is the Lord of the Spirit Realm..." At the thought, all the worlds trembled, having gained this long-desired power, Hypnos could no longer suppress hisughter." Such a feeling was too wonderful! "Hahahaha..." Heughed out loud, and it took a good while before Hypnos could barely regain hisposure. Feeling this authority, he looked beyond the Spirit Realm. With such power, how could he stop here? Next, let the entire world fall into an eternal dream. That''s what he thought, and that''s what he did. Thus, Hypnos summoned his subordinates, deciding to use the newly acquired authority to enshrine them as gods. It was also somewhat strange why the previous Lord of the Spirit Realm did not enshrine any Deities, making it so easy for him to defeat him." Shaking his head, Hypnos felt he didn''t need to concern himself with these trivial matters. He stood alone at the summit of the Spirit Realm, quietly awaiting the worship of billions of spirits." ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ As the God of Sleep crushed the orb, simultaneously, in the first fouryers of the Spirit Realm, a moderate chaos began to erupt. When Hypnos issued his finalmand, those lives of the Spirit Realm who had just recently visited him in the Dream Domain also received the news. Although no one defied the God of Sleep''smand, they still made different choices." Some obeyed the order, some delegated avatars and subordinates to execute it, while others shirked their duties in various ways. Under the Spirit Realm''s rued authority, not everyone was unafraid. Regardless, the Spirit Realm today was no longer as peaceful as in days past." One after another, the natural passages connecting the different nes were temporarily destroyed, and many lives of the Spirit Realm fell in the skirmish. No one knew the reason for all this, but the Deities of the current Spirit Realm sensed these events as they unfolded." Or more precisely, the three goddesses born with Samsara sensed the disturbance in the fourthyer of the Spirit Realm and immediately informed apanion who hade." "This is your arrangement." The phrasing was questioning, but the tone was certain. Although Liana did not know how the other party managed to contact the native lives of the Spirit Realm, she did not believe it to be a coincidence." In response, Asmodeus faced her with a polite smile." "Perhaps so, so why don''t we stop here? In fact, there is no need for us to continue this pointless struggle. I also promise you that after today, I will no longer personally interfere with the matters of souls." For a Lord of the Nine Hells to personallye andpete for souls was not a matter of pride, which meant that there had been secret dealings, else the Lord of the Nine Hells wouldn''t have possibly done so." But that''s all for now. From here on out, it''s the business of the lords he enshrined and the gods of the Spirit Realm. After all, with this initial ''investment,'' Hell''s internal cirction was already on the right track." "..." Listening to the Lord of Hell''s words, Liana fell silent for a moment. The first threeyers of the Spirit Realm didn''t matter much; no matter how much chaos those spirits caused, they couldn''t harm the Spirit Realm itself, so their struggles truly didn''t need to be cared about. However, the All-Spirit Realm was different." The area around the Well of Reincarnation swallowed the souls of the whole world, which was far more important than the small Aurora ins. After weighing the pros and cons, what mattered more was clear." But this would be thest time, Liana decided secretly. From now on, she would advise Laine to sever the connection between the fourthyer of the Spirit Realm and other nes." The sacred ground of Samsara did not need to wee even the native lives of the Spirit Realm. From now on, only the water of the River of Oblivion or Angels who held a portion of the Spirit Realm''s authority would be able to enter this ne." In just a few words, the previously tense situation subtly shifted, and the atmosphere above the human city ruins changed yet again. But this time, the pressure was on Hestia standing aside." Not only because she could not watch human souls being taken away by others, but also because she saw that the unnamed stranger turned around, focusing their gaze upon her." Chapter 299: 75: The Falling Star_3 Even that gaze made her feel a sense of inexplicable familiarity. ... Spirit Realm. "Tens of thousands of years" had passed since Hypnos had seized control of the Spirit Realm, and he had begun his n to enter the dream world. He first lured some weaker deities into dreams, then let their primary consciousnesses immerse in false dreams, their physical bodies at his disposal. He eroded Olympus with a war among mortals called "Troy," then sessively devoured the Underworld, epassed the stars, and even the Primordial Gods were no match for him. He ruled over heaven and earth, governed the sun, moon, and stars, but he did not ept the position of Divine King in the current world, simultaneously bing the master of both the material and spiritual realms. Because the God of Sleep felt that the Spirit Realm should be above the Mortal Realm, not equal to It. In the end, when Hypnos stood at the pinnacle of Chaos, his gaze turned to the world itself. "All beings dream; then I shall make the Spirit Realm the ''dream'' of the world." He intended to lull thews of the world to sleep, to sink into dreams of his own weaving, and then rece them. For a moment, even the God of Sleep was astonished by his own idea. Already possessing everything, he executed this idea without hesitation and then merged his consciousness with the world. At that moment, a sense of detachment and reality flooded over him, and Hypnos, who controlled everything, felt an unprecedented sense of perfection. That feeling... "How does it feel?" In his reverie, Hypnos heard a familiar voice ask him. "Good, I feel an unprecedented sense of reality." He replied subconsciously, yet in the next instant, the God of Sleep''s consciousness suddenly awoke. He was now the World Master, who could speak in his ear? "Who are you?" He asked, but no one responded to him. Hypnos began to remember, following this familiar feeling. Finally, at the very beginning of everything, he recalled the origin of this sense of familiarity. It was Laine''s voice... Memories from the past gradually surged in his heart, and Hypnos remembered, but with that, greater confusion welled up. Gods were immortal, he had taken the reign of the Spirit Realm, and Laine too should still be alive, but what had be of him? Why did it seem like his existence waspletely overlooked? And there were others... At that moment, the God of Sleep seemed to "understand" something, and as he "awoke," the world also shattered with him. Everything between heaven and earth turned to ash, his established dominion, the deities he had consecrated, all vanished. When Hypnos came to his senses, he realized he was standing in the center of the Temple of Lops, and Laine was sitting in a chair, quietly watching him. "Was I not good enough to you?" Sitting in the chair, Laine asked softly. "I granted you life, bringing you into this world; I granted you power, making you stronger than what was destined by fate; I also gave you authority, making you the ruler of the thirdyer of the Spirit Realm." "Now, tell me, what drove you to do all this, was it simply due to innate influence?" ... After a long silence, a myriad of doubts shed through Hypnos''s mind, such as why, when he was clearly the deity who controlled dreams, he was so easily influenced by the other, falling into his own dream, but now, even if he got an exnation, it no longer mattered. If, despite availing himself of every advantage of time and ce, he still could not win, then his defeat was inevitable. Yet, upon hearing Laine''s words, Hypnos felt mes ignite in his chest. It''s always like this, we''re both children of the Spirit Realm, what does what the world gives to me have to do with you! "Ha... Dreams are the activeness of spirituality during repose, the bridge formunication between spirituality and life. I too am a holy being born of the Spirit Realm, a supreme existence born immortal. Before the existence serving Samsara was born, only you and I had innate divine authority within the entire Spirit Realm. On what grounds do you im to be higher than me!" His voice became increasingly intense, and at this moment, he was not just speaking to Laine but seemed to be speaking to the Spirit Realm itself. Divine power surged as Hypnos''s voice traveled down from Mount of the Gods, and looking at Laine on his high seat, he said word by word: "The son of fire shall not bow to the son of earth; I haven''t lost to you, it''s just that the Spirit Realm has not chosen me." Evil Gods naturallyck intense emotions, but they aren''t entirely devoid of positive feelings; it''s just that Hypnos reserved these emotions for the Spirit Realm itself. In his eyes, Laine''s significance to the Spirit Realm was like Gaia''s to the Mortal Realm, they symbolize ''earth,'' the most primal sanctity of the world, yet they should not be rulers, but rather assistants. But he was different; he was meant to be the king of the Spirit Realm and then lead it to encroach upon the world, just as he did in dreams. With that thought, everything followed today. Especially as an immortal being, his confidence only grew. Throughout the ages, he had heard the saying ''Laine is the incarnation of the Spirit Realm,'' but the God of Sleep never took it to heart. Because until before Samsara began, among all the deities of the Spirit Realm, only he and Laine held power from the moment of their creation, not even Liana possessed this kind of innate authority. Hypnos didn''t know what fate was, nor could he know that in the original history, there was no Liana, but there was him, which is why Chaos only bestowed upon him the privileges the world grants to primordial gods. He only knew that he and Laine were equals. "I understand... but unfortunately, the Spirit Realm and I were born together." Rising from his seat, Laine couldn''t identify whether his heart was more joyful or angry. In front of him, the God of Sleep scoffed at his words. Rushing straight towards Laine, Hypnos''s figure charged at him, but witnessing this, Laine turned his gaze to the doorway of the great hall. Even at this moment, Hypnos had not let emotions muddle his head. He appeared to want to fight desperately, but in reality, he didn''t resist pointlessly; instead, he sought to escape, plotting for the future. But obviously, he wouldn''t get that chance. Watching the fleeing figure of the God of Sleep in a blink, Laine gently lifted his hand, and a segment of a verdant wooden shaft appeared in his hand. Its ''Gungnir'' ability to never miss had been transferred onto other sections, but it still retained a wee bit of primer. Now, that small bit of primer was ignited. When it was hurled forth, it hit its target as destined. This result was meant to be. "The Spirit Realm and I were born together, It exists, I exist, we''re both parts of ''Laine''s'' existence. You have refused to serve me. Though you haven''t betrayed the father who made you, you''ve defied the ''Spirit'' He disys His divine authority through in the world." The voice echoed across the sevenyers of the realm, and watching the departing Hypnos, Laine calmly delivered his final judgment. "So be it, I shall expel you from the Spirit Realm. You once resided in the highest heavens, now, I condemn you to the depths of all worlds." As the words fell, the wooden shaft left his hand, turning into a dazzling light that struck the back of the God of Sleep. The next moment, led by the destiny of ''Gungnir,'' it carried the deity in front of it along its predestined trajectory. "For thirteen million years, this is my punishment for you." Standing in The Temple, Laine watched the God of Sleep wrapped in the glow, free-falling from the high heavens, as calm as ever. Meanwhile, outside, as Hypnos plummeted from the mountain, the sky above also began to change. In the sky of Chaos, besides the physical stars, there were also intangible, illusory ones, together forming the vast starry sky. However, on this day, one of the stars suddenly shone brightly. It was once a symbol of a deity, illuminating the way in the dreams of all beings, but that was no longer the case. Under the gaze of all beings in the Mortal Realm, the star fell from the sky, plunging into the Mortal Realm with incalcble velocity. Chapter 300: 76 Double Sun Above the starry expanse, the morning star fell westward. Mortals describe the heavens as lofty, recounting that a fall from the sky would take nine days and nights to reach the ground; to fall from the ground to the Underworld would take the same, and from the Underworld to the Abyss, another nine days and nights¡ªeven for a deity, this immense distance is by no means trivial. But when pierced by the spear shaft, Hypnos began to sink a millionfold faster, even the renowned speed of the Wind Gods and the Goddess of Rainbow probably couldn''t match his descent at this moment. Yet he didn''t mind that. The God of Sleep looked up at the sky, Sinai''s peaks growing farther and blurrier. At that moment, a sense of weakness suddenly surged from the depths of Hypnos''s soul, followed by specks of light emerging from his divine body. Those were ''dreams.'' Sleep and dreams are one, yet separate, one born from the womb nurtured by Eternal Night, the other from the blessings granted by the Spirit Realm. However, the world''s gifts also end with the world, and as Hypnos descended, the dominion of his [dreams] dissipated bit by bit. They returned to the embrace of the Spirit Realm, bing a part of It. But what truly concerned the God of Sleep was not this. He gazed at the figure that had struck him down, that familiar ''Father God.'' As his godhood was stripped away, his connection with the Spirit Realm also grew more intense. In that instant, the world he saw seemed to have changed. The figure in the ck robe grew blurry in his sight, yet at the same time, ''clearer.'' Somewhere between rity and obscurity, Hypnos could scarcely tell the difference between himself and the Spirit Realm sky. As he continued to fall, passing through sevenyers of temporal barriers, as if in a trance, the God of Sleep seemed to glimpse the other side of the Spirit Realm. Mount of the Gods running through the Spirit Realm was Its spine, the Well of Reincarnation was Its heart core. Moon was Its eye, mountain ranges and rivers were Its flesh and sinews. It was there, at the very beginning. It transformed all of Itself into the world, and the world should likewise be one with It. "This... what is this?!" Startled, Hypnos''s eyes widened. He wished to see more clearly, but the fantastic vision had already disappeared. He had left the Spirit Realm, the Divine Authority of [dreams] had departed from him, and the fleeting glimpse of the scene, forck of that deep connection, could no longer be seen by anyone. Or rather, that was a perspective that belonged only to ''the world,'' one that not even eternal deities were qualified to witness. "Wait¡ªstop!" A fierce shout, powerful Divine Power exploded around him, the God of Sleep desperate to see more clearly. He struggled mightily to halt his fall, causing more blood to flow from the piercing wound in his chest; however, it was all in vain. The short spear shaft that passed through his chest also locked all his resistance, and carried by it, Hypnos couldn''t even slow his downward trajectory. Shortly after, finally realizing his powerlessness, the God of Sleep gave up on resisting. Hey back weakly in the void, descending with the wooden shaft, surrounded by flickers of light floating around him, each containing a life. Previously, with eachyer he passed, a portion of his dominion of dreams was stripped away; simultaneously, the lives obeying hismand in thatyer were expelled with him, falling alongside. Now, they clustered around the God of Sleep as if to guard their king. "Heh, a king, huh... the lowest of all realms. It seems you areing with me to that ce, whether you like it or not." With a self-mockingugh, Hypnos rxed his body, then fell endlessly. He saw the auroras of the starry sky, the floods on the ground, saw the wraiths in the Fields of Truth, and then, passing the interface between the present world and the Abyss, he fell into Tartarus. The concept of time was erased, with past and future invert, left and right shifted, only Gungnir''s ''absolute'' destiny remained unchanged. With this remaining force, he was pulled towards that ultimate destination. ... In the Eastern Region, Olympus. "Boom¡ª" Huge waves surged, casting up a thousandyers of froth. At some point, the seawater initially stirred up by the Sea God''s offspring, which had stopped at Olympus''s outskirts, continued to spread westward. Towering waves, like the wrath of a god, collided with the barriers rising from Mount Olympus. Olympus, this haven of gods unconstrained by thews of the mortal world, now trembled slightly before the concealed power in the waves. And as the pir supporting the Eastern sky shuddered, it seemed even the firmament trembled with it. "Zeus,e out and face me!" A roaring challenge rang out, and then upon the crests of waves, a chariot burst forth from the sea. Enormous power roiled around it, and although the owner of the voice did not emerge, his might diminished not at all. In response to the Titan deity''s call, atop Mount Olympus, the damaged doors of The Temple slowly opened. Zeus appeared first, lightning swirling in his hand, followed by all the deities who had partaken in the deliberations. The Divine King''s expression was grave. He knew who the caller was, and he had a good guess as to why they hade, but he had no wish to stir up trouble now; after all, the Divine Court was more vacant than ever before. The higher the Divine Power Level, the clearer the disparity between levels. Facing the Ocean Deity Sovereign, who had reached the peak at level 20 of powerful Divine Power, only Zeus himself could contend with him. Well known it was, that Thaesis, the original Goddess of Water, was also a tremendous God of Water, myriad River Gods andke spirits obeyed her; now Olympus had no one able to withstand her presence. Chapter 301: 76 Double Sun_2 Hades was far in the Underworld, Hestia had just left, Demeter was not skilled in battle, and Poseidon had tantly stated that he would stay neutral. The Goddess of Law had not returned for many years, and the God of Sun along with other deities were basically unable to decide the oue. All of this was telling Zeus just how thorny the enemy before him was. Of course, the situation had not reached its worst, after all, it was easy for gods to rank each other, but hard to determine a victor. If his foster parents insisted on taking action, then Zeus would have no choice but to temporarily avoid the sharp edge. Once Hades and the Goddess of Hearthfire realized themotion here and gathered the power of all the gods, the scales of victory would ultimately tip towards him. However, if things truly escted to that point, the Divine Court, established for no more than a hundred years, would also be apleteughingstock. By that time, for gods like Aphrodite who were semi-independent of the Divine Court, it was hard to say what choices they would make. And as for someone as honest as the God of Sun, whether different thoughts arose in him was as unpredictable. At this moment, the Divine King once again realized how weak he was at this very moment. Without his brothers and sisters, he simply could not suppress those old masters, the progeny of the Heavenly Father. "It''s been a long time, my most respected master of the ocean, what wind has brought you here?" With countless thoughts in his heart, although knowing it was impossible, Zeus still hoped to receive a benevolent reply. However, the next moment, the voice that emitted from the chariot dashed all his wishful thinking. "You know very well, Zeus, that you''ve assassinated my daughter in ways that cannot see the light of day, the pearl of the ocean; today is the day I''vee to seek justice." Another voice came from the chariot, and Thaesis, the original goddess of water, stepped out unfettered, releasing her divine power oppressively. She was the purest water, the mother of millions of rivers, and even facing all gods alone, her presence was in no way subdued. On the contrary, faced with Thaesis''s questioning, the Divine King''s expression remained unchanged, but around him, other deities'' spirits somewhat faltered. The tale of Zeus and Metis had already circted among the gods in many a whispered version, and now with the principal party confronting him, it seemed a natural development. At least in this matter, there were not a few who sympathized with the goddess in question. But there were some exceptions. Behind the Divine King, Queen Hera cast a harsh nce at Zeus but ultimately still stepped forward to stand by his side. After all, she was the biggest beneficiary; if Metis were still around, how could the role of Heavenly Queen have fallen to her? "If this is truly the purpose of your visit, Your Highness Thaesis, although I am also saddened by the disappearance of Metis, this does not give you reason to brazenly intimidate the Divine Court." The tricolor scepter floated by his side, and the Thunderbolt Arrow was held in Zeus''s palm. Now that the intentions of his visitors were clear, Zeus''s face grew cold. The current situation was indeed dire, but the couple of the ocean did not know what had just transpired, nor could they be aware that Poseidon had turned a blind eye or that Hestia was not on the Mountain of the Gods. Instead, to prevent any signs of weakness from being perceived, Zeus not only did not back down, but his stance became even firmer. "I can understand your sentiments, but it stops there. Should you attempt to start a dispute on this pretext, then I am prepared to see it through to the end!" Boom¡ª It seemed as though Zeus''s words had angered them, and the surging waters once again struck the mountain of Olympus, leaving a massive impact noise. The breath of many deities interwove in the sky, and thunder gradually covered half the sky, facing the waves from afar, as if a divine battle would erupt at any moment. However, just then, the sky suddenly shed, and this abrupt celestial event interrupted the escting momentum of both sides. The tense atmosphere came to an abrupt pause as gods inevitably raised their heads to look at the sky. Although it was still daytime, a star in the sky released an exceptionally dazzling brilliance. The morning star twinkled and fell to the mortal realm; for a moment, the scene quieted down. Only when the star vanished from sight did the end of the line of sight pass. "... The dignity of the Divine Court cannot be vited, but I understand your feelings. Your Highness Thaesis, if you''re willing, I''m prepared to nt the branch of the Golden Apple Tree given by Mother Earth atop the ocean, that we may share this treasure from henceforth, thereby settling this needless dispute." In the silence, Hera slowly spoke. She knew that Olympus was outwardly strong but inwardly weak, and this battle was one the Divine King truly wished to avoid. And as the one who had reced Metis, it was right for her to step forward. On the other side, Thaesis, whose demeanor had slightly receded, finally softened her tone as well. "The truth of the matter is well known to all deities, but after all, you are my foster child. Zeus, if you agree to an additional condition from me, we can put this matter aside." Internally relieved, Thaesis maintained a still frosty facade. In fact, despite Zeus''s bluster, she was equally not an exception. Oceanus was still injured and had stayed in the chariot not to pose any pretense but because once he stepped out, Zeus might perceive the real situation. Thus, if it could be resolved verbally, that was far better than war. Zeus''s fierce response had almost left her not knowing what to do. "Ah¡ªnothing could be better, if you have any requests, I will certainly do my utmost to satisfy them." Relieved as well, Hera, with the Golden Crown shimmering above her head, smiled and nodded. "Then I will speak inly." Looking at Zeus, Thaesis knew he was the one to make the decision. Chapter 302: 76 Double Sun_3 ``` "This deluge, it was orchestrated by the Divine Court, wasn''t it." "It was the Sea Emperor''s personal action." In her words, nothing was revealed, and Zeus obviously did not admit it was his intention, but Thaesis did not care. "Whether it was your intention or not, it makes no difference. Once the floodwaters recede..." Looking at Zeus, the goddess said indifferently: "We want the faith of the next generation of humans." Boom¡ª¡ª The gods were visibly startled, their presences shing thunderously. The originally calm situation intensified, but Thaesis revealed a smile instead. "The secrets you hide may not be as concealed as you imagine, and there are more Titans than just the two of us." ncing at the sky, the goddess said with a smile: "Share the faith with us, or let the ocean be solely our domain, choose one. As long as you can achieve one, all past matters will be left in the past. We will not dwell on this ''ident.''" ... Underworld, Hades'' Temple. The fall of Hypnos was not limited to the Mortal Realm; even from the heart of the Fields of Truth, Hades still witnessed this peculiar sight. But Hades did not care much, or rather, he did not care much about many things in the Mortal Realm anymore. The Mortal Realm belonged to the gods; the Underworld was his own. Although there were two goddess neighbors who were not easy to deal with, they never interfered with affairs here, which made no difference to Hades as if they did not exist. So, withdrawing his gaze from the falling star, Hades asked the Naiad by his side: "Minta, are those wraiths willing to heed mymands yet?" "Some have finally agreed, but others are unwilling. In my opinion, Your Majesty, you should deal with those fellows directly." After responding to her monarch, Minta immediately said with murderous intent. Some lowly creatures actually dared to haggle in the presence of the Principal God of the Underworld, they were truly courting death. ''Forget it, Minta... Those who are unwilling, let them leave. Even those who stay may not be very loyal to me,'' Hades mused, shaking his head. Hades knew that truly loyal subordinates needed to be cultivated personally. "Let them take over the handling of the human corpses afterward; that''s what Zeus promised me. With them, the embryo of the Undead Kingdom can be established, and everything can get on the right track. However," Hades reflected, "I still need a Queen of the Underworld." With some distress, Hades decided to visit the surfaceter to see, for the Underworld indeed required a proper mistress of Godhood to rejuvenate the realm. However, amidst his thoughts, he did not notice the shifting emotions in his servant''s eyes. Or perhaps he did notice but wouldn''t care, for Hades felt little for affairs of love, and would naturally not pay attention to trivial matters. "Go, the waters in the Mortal Realm will recede in nine days and nights, and you will be busy then." With a gentle wave of his hand, Hades turned and walked back to his pce. There was much to consider about the Undead Kingdom, the most basic being the form of governance. Humans needed to eat, to enjoy; wraiths did not. How to build a reasonable promotion system and establish rules epted by the wraiths was an urgent matter. Only by integrating the order he established with the new kingdom and by getting the wraiths to spontaneously recognize this operational system could he gain faith in an alternative way. Over the years, Hades had developed some ideas, but there was still a long and heavy road ahead to perfect them. ... The morning star fell, trailing a long mark between heaven and earth. The Abyss could not hinder it; rather, Tartarus did not stop any life wishing to enter. Traveling amidst Chaos, Hypnos unexpectedly found that the scenery within the Abyss was not as empty as he had imagined. Matter had already begun to emerge, and even basic concepts of space were taking shape. A multilevel structure, simr to that of the Spirit Realm, was slowly evolving at the core of this world beyond worlds, a sight quite contrary to the God of Sleep''s previous understanding. Until, at one moment, at the core of the Abyss, he glimpsed the indescribable true face of the Mother of Demons. She was about to awaken; maybe in the next second or perhaps centuriester, but to a deity, it all seemed incredibly brief. Yet, for the star that passed by, none of this mattered. For,pared to the very fact that living native creatures existed within the Abyss, Hypnos was first struck by the sheer ugliness. Fortunately, the fall of the God of Sleep did not cease due to the staff''s influence. Just in a sh, he again traversed ayer of the space-time barrier. But this time, he seemed to have arrived at a ce simr to the material world. Boom¡ª¡ª Radiance streaked across the sky and mmed fiercely into the earth, creating a massive crater. Lying on his back at the center of the crater, Hypnos was motionless, akin to death. The upheavals of the day in just a short half were too intense, so intense that even the God of Sleep felt a desire to sleep endlessly. He closed his eyes and rested for a while; after some time had passed and he regained some strength, he reopened his eyes. "So this is ''The Bottom of the Worlds'', not as frightful as I had imagined." Sitting up, beneath Hypnos, the staff that had once locked away his Divine Power did not continue to cling to him. It had fulfilled its role, standing upright in the crater, radiating green light. The Divine Blood left by Hypnos when he was impaled was being absorbed slowly; the staff seemed to be revived with a different vitality, greedily drawing power from its surroundings in this unfamiliar ce. However, the God of Sleep only nced at it once, without paying it more attention. ``` Chapter 303: 76 Double Sun_4 Now, understanding the situation here is key. "Two suns? I didn''t expect there to be suns in this ce... It''s just that I don''t know where this is, a world within the Abyss, it''s hard to believe." Looking up at the sky, several inds floated high above, wandering about, while thend was primitive and deste, with two suns hanging in the sky, one to the left and one to the right. Hypnos gently pped his wings and flew up into the midair. Now, he felt unprecedentedly weak. Having lost the authority of [Dream] and even portions of Divine Power showing signs of dissipation. After all, in the years past, he had reached the upper limits allowed by his Godhood, and now that he no longer possessed a part of that limit, the original power had effectively lost its container. At this moment, his Divine Power''s Origin leaked out every second. It formed an illusory grey ribbon of light that slowly floated around his body. "Since I can''t keep it, I''ll give it to you." He sighed, resigned to the fact that he could not retain this power, Hypnos decided not to waste it. With a wave of his hand, the escaping Divine Power''s Origin surged towards the beings from the Spirit Realm that came with him to this strange world, and his aura also dropped significantly. Affected by the God of Sleep''s Divine Power, those beings were transformed. As Spirit Realm beings, they originally had no physical bodies, but now, under the influence of Divine Power, they began to take shape. Perhaps due to the influence of the source of power, their appearances bore some resemnce to Hypnos. "Having lost your own Dream Domain and being rejected by the Spirit Realm, you can no longer call yourselves lords of the Spirit Realm as before." "Ah, let it be... It''s time to understand this world." The final scene during the fall from heaven still echoed in Hypnos''s mind. Subconsciously, he seemed to understand something, yet he was reluctant to believe it. To temporarily avoid thinking about it, the God of Sleep set a goal for himself. Someday, he would return to the Spirit Realm on his own strength and then explore all the reasons clear. Wings pping, to understand a world, one must start from its edges, and so Hypnos sped across the sky beneath the illumination of the two suns. After more than half a day, he finally reached the edge of the world. But looking at this so-called ''edge,'' Hypnos felt he had learned something new again. "What is this, a wall?" The towering ck wall stretched upwards with no end in sight, and from a distance, due to the unique rules of this realm, the ''ck wall'' was utterly invisible. It was only when one approached closely that one could realize how peculiar the edge of the world truly was. Of course, ordinary beings couldn''t get close to this ce at all. As he neared it, Hypnos felt an increasingly strong pressure weighing down on him, a fear rising instinctively in his heart. But this pressure, which would make anymon creature recoil, ultimately could not stop him, so the God of Sleep finally arrived in front of the ''ck wall.'' "There are patterns, but they seem natural." "So hard, even if my Divine Power is not apt for destruction, its solidity isparable to a Divine Artifact. What exactly is this thing?" Reaching out, he felt it a few times, the God of Sleep puzzled. He mustered his strength, punching it, but his fist merely slid off to the sides. This ck wall seemed not only indestructible but could also deflect the forces struck upon it, rendering the method of ''piercing a barrier at a single point'' ineffective against it. "Is this a natural creation? How is that possible?" Unable to understand, Hypnos circled the ''city wall.'' Not knowing how far he walked, he seemed toe upon a joint. There, he suddenly realized that the ''ck wall'' was actually pieced together, and this ce was exactly where two pieces ovepped. At this moment, for some reason, an absurd thought surged into Hypnos''s mind. Looking at everything, he couldn''t help but feel that this ''ck wall'' didn''t look like a wall at all, but rather... "It''s scales..." Turning around in a daze, Hypnos stared nkly at the sky. At the lowest of all worlds, the most terrifying prison. He had just felt that this ce wasn''t so terrible, but now, he finally realized where he was. In the sky, there were never any suns. There was only the colossal head of the cosmic serpent, watching the ''misguided'' intruder into Purgatory with its eyes that resembled the sun and moon. Chapter 304: 77 Choice "Hell, indeed, is its best destination," Laine settled back into his seat and gestured. Bai fluttered its small wings and flew onto his shoulder. He wasn''t referring to Hypnos, although the naturally Evil God indeed suited that ce; in reality, Laine was talking about the severed pole of Gungnir. Originally formed from the branches of Yggdrasil in the Nine Realms, and having absorbed the remaining vitality of a main root, it finally regained a bit of its former self in the hands of Laine who wielded a part of the authority of "Life". Of course, a bit is just a bit, and with only its predecessor''s remnants, it could not revert to its previous level or possess powerparable to that of the great. Nevertheless, as an offspring of the World Tree, a progeny of Yggdrasil, it was destined to be an extraordinary Divine Tree. However, regrettably, there was no ce for it within the Spirit Realm. As the support for the Nine Realms, the power of the World Tree was inherently biased towards material and support, and the power it had been endowed with post-creation leaned towards oaths and bonds. However, the Spirit Realm was a world of Spirituality, with the even more powerful Codex of Creation at its core, and even possessed its own ''Pir of Heaven''. After all, Mount Sinai became increasingly mystical after digesting a third of the symbol that upheld The Sky from the copse of Mount Othrys. Anchoring purity and separation, differentiating Chaos and Order, it performed its role impably. Fortuitously, to prevent a treasure from being obscured by dust, Laine directly relocated it, allowing it to take root and burgeon in the heart of Hell. Should it grow three main roots like the previous Divine Tree, it would ideally connect the three blockedyers of Hell. Moreover, besides that, as a creation rted to the Oath from the Otherworld, perhaps the Divine Tree, once it matured, could fill the gaps left by Styx in this domain. After all, the Styx River only witnessed the oaths of True Gods, as determined by the Law itself¡ªit was an authority delegated by this world. And before that delegation, swearing an oath to the world has always been a privilege exclusive to deities. In the future, all creation is destined to spread throughout the world, so if the Divine Tree could mend this deficiency, it would allow the vows of all beings to be its nourishment, much like how the deities'' oaths could transform into the power of Styx. Yet there remained one issue: the oath''s power on thisnce piece was, in fact, biased. "Mortal beings make wishes to the Divine Lance, and their wishes are invariably fulfilled, but whatever is gained will be lost elsewhere¡ªno one is exempt..." "Therefore, the oaths witnessed by it in the future will notprise unteralmitment. One thing reces another, and both parties involved in the pact must acknowledge it for the Oath to be established; this will be the unique Order of Hell." Laine shifted his gaze back to the Mortal Realm. There was still much to be done in Hell, but an avatar of his was to handle that. Compared to Hell, he was far more concerned with what was happening there. The real era had not yete, and the existence of Cohen had already surprised him. Now, Laine was growing somewhat impatient. "Let it be chaotic... Only in chaos and struggle can Life find a way forward. Humans are the first, but they will not be the only ones." Deep beneath the earth, Gaia''s tumultuous breath from the change of epoch was gradually stabilizing; she was about to awaken. In the Golden Apple Orchard, that special fruit was also slowly maturing. Bronze Humanity was ultimately but a facet of this era; their extinction had an impact on the structure of the world far less significant than the integration of the remnants of the Nine Realms. Whether they existed or not, Time marched on. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ The courtyard. In just one day, the area around the huge pit created by the fallen God of Sleep had drastically changed. Sometime unbeknownst, a Fountain had sprung from the bottom of the chasm. Though situated in Hell, the sshes it created were crystal clear and immactely pure. Flowers of various colors bloomed one after another beside it, seemingly with this spot as their core, a vitality and beauty starkly different from Purgatory began to spread. And by the side of the Fountain, a small sapling swayed gently in the wind. With its eight branches and lustrous leaves, it shimmered like gold. Between its perfectly proportioned branches flowed dreamlike hues. Yet this magnificent spectacle, so incongruous with Hell, had no audience, not only due to the courtyard''s innate emptiness but also because the God of Sleep who had brought it to Hell had altogether forgotten its existence. Standing on a floating ind in the boundary sky, Hypnos nced nervously at this world that seemed normal. Knowing the true nature of this ce, every second spent here diforted the God of Sleep; he had no desire to stay on someone else''s body. Thus, wielding his newly granted authority, Hypnos drew a line in the void before him. A portal opened in response. Stepping through, reality shifted before his eyes until he set foot on solid ground once more, sighing with relief as he took in the starkly different surroundings. There was no longer a luminary in The Sky, yet day and night were still distinguishable. Though he didn''t know where the light originated, it was much preferable to what had been before. "Hell, the Abyss... truly terrifying, yet this is where I shall reside," Surveying his surroundings, this still unnamed thirdyer of Hell looked more barren and harshpared to the courtyard, even harboring some life forms. However, in strict terms, this was precisely the appearance that the Nine Hells should have. Chapter 305: 77 Choice_2 But thinking of the previous brief exchange with the giant serpent, the God of Sleep was somewhat at a loss. With eyes open for daylight, eyes closed for night, when the Ancient Serpent that encircled the world turned its gaze upon him, Hypnos dared not move an inch. Just as when he was newly born and promptly showed reverence to Laine, this time, the God of Sleep simrly submitted to this terrifying creature with all his heart. Unexpectedly, the world-encircling giant serpent did not do anything to him, but was even willing tomunicate. From the other''s words, Hypnos learned some basic information about this ce, such as the structure of the nineyered world, the existence of demons, and the Lord of the Nine Hells who created it all. In the end, the giant serpent gave him three choices: As an Outsider, the God of Sleep could not simply linger in someone else''s domain. To work for them, work for the Lord of the Nine Hells, or be expelled from Hell to wander in the Abyss, Hypnos could only pick one out of these choices. When faced with the choice, after little thought, Hypnos chose the first one. Having lost the power of "Dream," the divine power of the God of Sleep could notpare to the past, and he also re-evaluated the gap between himself and the truly powerful beings. In this situation, rather than hoping that the Lord of the Nine Hells would be a more approachable entity, it seemed better to temporarily follow the orders of this fearsome giant serpent. Moreover, it seemed the other did not have any extra constraints in mind for him, and until departure, the God of Sleep had only received one task. To manage the third circle of Hell, alongside the lords of the first two levels to fend off the forting Abyssal Demon Lord. If he performed well, the Ancient Serpent would truly make him the Archduke controlling the third circle of Hell, granting him the rights to appoint lesser lords. "Third circle again, what a coincidence." Shaking his head slightly, Hypnos released the lives from the Spirit Realm that were in the midst of forming bodies. Since he was here, he might as well settle down. For now, it was impossible to return to the Mortal Realm, and besides, having done such a thing, the God of Sleep knew without thinking that even if he managed to leave the Abyss, his exposure would bring about relentless pursuit by the angels of the Spirit Realm. Byparison, it would be better to rest and recuperate in Hell for a while, and in the meantime, experience what it was like to be a lord akin to a territorial god and see how much it could enhance him. In deep thought, Hypnos stood on a deste hill, quietly observing his future domain. "Eh¡ªRespected God of Sleep, it''s been quite some time." "However, what brings you here?" Suddenly, a voice came from afar, and Hypnos swiftly turned around. Perhaps still unustomed to the environment of Hell, he hadn''t noticed the approach of the neer before. At a nce, he immediately recognized the neer. "It''s you!" With eyes slightly narrowed, the God of Sleep locked onto this deceptive-looking young man with a smile. Not long ago, they had conspired together. Even until the moment the other stole souls, Hypnos was fantasizing about how to deal with him afterwards, but he never thought they would end up in the same ce. With today''s experiences, Hypnos vaguely understood why the other aimed for souls; Hell needed souls, and Mephisto had probably gone to the surface for this purpose. There didn''t seem to be any conflict between them, just mutual exploitation, yet vaguely, the God of Sleep always sensed that the other knew from the start that he was doomed to fail, but he did not expect him to alsoe to Hell. Even putting that suspicion aside, in Hypnos''s heart, there were still some thoughts he found inconvenient to express. He and Mephisto had taken action one after the other, both treating each other as ''tools'', yet the other had sessfullypleted his task, whereas he fell to his current state. No matter how he thought about it, the God of Sleep was not willing to see him at this time. "Yes, esteemed Highness. The Lord of the Nine Hells once said that the third circle of Hell would wee a new manager, and now it appears to be you?" With a smile still on his face, seemingly oblivious to Hypnos''s subtle hostility, Mephisto took a couple of steps forward. The respected prince of the Spirit Realm actually falling into Hell was indeed beyond a demon''s expectation. "...Something you need?" Laconic, the God of Sleep spoke coldly. "Haha, I primarily came to visit my future neighbor. If all goes as expected, the second circle of Hell will be my domain in the future. Of course, it might just be a part of it to start with, but I don''t think the rest will prove too much trouble for me." Raising an eyebrow, Mephisto paused for a moment, then made a suggestion: "If you''re willing, I might take you on a tour of Hell. Along the way, we can let the demons of the third level know who their future master is." Without answering immediately, Hypnos took a careful look at the demon before him. In terms of aura, even in Hell and under the bolstering of the energies from the barriers, Mephisto could hardly be considered a powerful being, but now the God of Sleep had learned a lesson: mere pretence and strength might not be enough to achieve his aims. So, although he didn''t know his purpose, Hypnos eventually nodded. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Mortal Realm. Above the Western Sea, the sky was cloudless. As if all the moisture had been gathered in the East, the sea was unusually dry. The closer one got to the West, the sky seemed nearly to touch the ocean surface. Under this inexplicable pressure, few creatures wished to linger nearby. Byparison, even the icy northern seas seemed more vibrant than this ce. Chapter 306: 77 Choice_3 However, on this day, the far end of the West Heaven weed a special visitor. Shrouded in a ck robe, Asmodeus walked on the surface of the sea. Just as gods in the mortal realm are suppressed, and as Laine would cause a collision between the Spirit Realm and the Law if he used his power, so it was with him. Moment by moment, in the East of the continent, the power of the Nine Hells eroded the order of the Mortal Realm with that ceremonial track as its core. The current Hell obviously had no qualification to contend with thews of the mortal world; it could persist till now only thanks to its uniqueness. Since the Abyss had no conscious living beings, Tartarus once again took the hit for the Hell within himself. Most of the pressure ultimately fell upon Him, and the Nine Hells bore only a small part of it. But this was only a temporary solution, so Asmodeus, although appearing to walk slowly, did not dy at all. It''s just that the world was still too vast, so by the time he finally reached the end of West Heaven, the pressure of the Law on him had nearly reached its peak. Fortunately, right in front of him, the titan deity revealing his true form was already clearly visible. The immense deity stood towering, bearing The Sky on his shoulders, apanied by the stars¡ªthe effort of all this was obviously not easy for him. Moment by moment, the divine power that As drew from his godhood would slip away in the next instant, bing the force that sustained the heavens. He was forced to endure this sensation of weakness constantly, without a moment''s rest. Yet, when they met again, Asmodeus saw no sign of decay or despair on his face. He simply carried The Sky quietly, as if he were waiting for something. "...It''s been a long time, As." Speaking softly, the Lord of the Nine Hells didn''t know what to say or where to begin. The giant deity in front of him had long since noticed his arrival. After all, he hadn''t concealed his tracks, but the other had only quietly watched as he approached. Only now, standing before him, hearing this greeting thatcked both beginning and end, the Sky-holder suddenlyughed. "It''s been a long time indeed, Your Majesty. Your new appearance is much more imposing than the old one." A bit at a loss, Asmodeus soonughed as well. Despite the different aura, different godhood, and even a different ''existence,'' the other still recognized him. Was it that his style was too unique? Asmodeus did not know, but for a moment, he found himself thinking of Hestia and Rhea. The former did not recognize him, which was not surprising since most of their time together was spent with her inside his belly, and the few times otherwise were on the battlefield. As for Rhea, one could only wonder what her reaction would be if she saw him. But these were only spections. Now, the Lord of the Nine Hells did not wish to see her yet. "You have suffered, As. Once, fate mercilessly foretold my defeat and mocked my futile struggles with the betrayal of those closest to me. But all that is in the past." Looking at As, Asmodeus reached out: "I havee to take you away, to leave this cage. Follow me to Hell, where you will, like me, be reborn." "I would very much like to leave with you, Your Majesty, but I am afraid I cannot leave right now." "Why not?" "Because The Sky needs support, Your Majesty." Shaking his head, the giant deity looked towards his northeast at the bronze pir. "When Mount of the Gods fell, the symbol of heaven''s support split into three. Olympus received one part, and I merged with another. As long as I support The Sky, the currentws of the mortal world limiting the divine power of the gods do not apply to me. However, correspondingly, as long as the symbol of support remains with me, I am bound by the Law and can never leave this ce." "Unless a recement can be found to bear this symbol in my stead, only a power that can tear through the rules of this world will allow me to leave. I thought that bronze pir might be capable, but now it seems it is far from having such ability." His expression changing subtly, Asmodeus had not expected such a turn of events. Yes, he now understood. Although As was punished to bear the heavens here, as soon as thews of the mortal world realized his existence truly helped stabilize the world, regardless of whether As hade voluntarily, he was directly stripped of his freedom. Like He decreed the destiny of recement for the Divine King, like He whimsically tore apart the divine authority of the deities, the Law cared only about pros and cons, not about the fairness in the eyes of living beings, or rather, just as the gods take from their mortals as they please, in the eyes of the world, deities and mortals may well be no different. Therefore, unless something can rece As, the Law now forbids the Sky-holder from leaving. And that newly erected bronze pir, although it stopped breaking apart after the son of the Sea God was trapped atop, only took on one-tenth of the weight from As. Such a pir was clearly far from capable of bearing the symbol of heaven''s support. "There''s no need to worry, Your Majesty. Just as you ultimately broke the destiny decreed by the Divine King, I believe you can also solve this problem. It only takes a little more time." With shoulders bearing the weight of the azure, As noticed Asmodeus'' anger. The mortal world had created so many troubles for him, and even after leaving the throne, it had not ceased. However, the Sky-holder only smiled, as if he didn''t mind too much, or perhaps he simply believed that the difficulty was only temporary. "I will wait for you here, Your Majesty, for the day you return to the Earth. By then, you will certainly have the power to change everything, and I will once again serve as your sword, overthrowing the Divine Court of Olympus. I will tell those ignorant rebels that the Titans are the true masters of the world, and you, the only king." Over the Western Sea, no life witnessed all this, only the wind and the waves, flowing endlessly. Chapter 307: 78 Heroes ``` "Do you have any other solutions for propping up the sky?" In Hell, next to a sapling that had grown to half the height of a person in just a short time, the avatar of Asmodeus inquired. He was there because of Hypnos'' affairs. Long ago, Laine had already said that he would send a lord to the third level of Hell to stand with Crius against the Abyss, as it was expected that, sooner orter, neither he nor the Lord of the Nine Hells would be able to intervene personally in the war between the two realms. As the founder of the Nine Hells, it was natural for Asmodeus to use the power of the nes to counter the pressure of the Abyss itself. Compared to Tartarus, the newly formed Nine Hells were still too weak. And it was doubtful whether the World Serpent could spare any effort, as it also had to deal with Moya, the Mother of Demon Gods. After all, an incarnation couldn''t possibly mobilize the power of the Spirit Realm within the body of another Primordial God to confront Him, so with only three levels of Hell reinforcing his might, he wasn''t capable of sweeping all before him. Fortunately, the new deity was not weak, and with the advantage of terrain, he still had the strength to fight. "I know what you''re trying to say, but this isn''t a matter of erecting a few more pirs in the Western Sea." "The sky has both an actual weight and a conceptual ''weight.'' Bronze pirs can share the actual weight, but the conceptual one can only be solved by symbols divided into three parts, something that pure quantity cannot rece." Standing next to the Lord of the Nine Hells, Laine appeared somewhat ethereal. To take, one must first give; it was the power of the world itself that nourished the divine tree, allowing it to grow. Now, its main root had sunk into the heart of the courtyard, greedily drawing power. Of course, this was just an extravagant gesture initially carried out to revitalize the sapling. Moving forward, whether it was the ''Tree of Oath'' named ''Nordaishir'' by Laine, or ''Leonnor Spring,'' both would have their own ways to grow. "What about crafting a Divine Artifact?" With a shift in his thoughts, Asmodeus thought of another solution. Often, Divine Artifacts could rece deities in exercising authority, and since the Sun Chariot had been made before, it wasn''t impossible to create another in a simr fashion. "That''s possible, but a Divine Artifact meant to prop up the sky must also possess the authority rted to bearing loads, like [Mountain] or [Strength]." Shaking his head, Laine said lightly: "If As is willing to give up all his strength to forge it into an artifact, recing himself to hold up the sky, then I don''t mind helping you with that." Even though he said that, both Laine and Asmodeus knew that As, the Sky-holder, would not consent to such an almost abjectly humiliating end. Or rather, if he truly knew how to be flexible, he would not have refused to surrender to Olympus. Those with steadfast will often have their own form of stubbornness, as was the case with As. "...If a single Divine Artifact requires a congruence of authority, perhaps it might not be necessary if there are enough of them." After a moment of silence, Asmodeus seemed to ponder something. Divine Artifacts couldn''t be crafted at will, but from his tone, it seemed he had a way to obtain materials to forge more than one. "Of course, propping up the sky doesn''t mean fighting against the sky itself, but merely lifting it. A quantitative change can indeed lead to a qualitative one." Nodding, Laine spoke with a smile: "However, I do have another better idea, which might just take some time." "Hmm? What are you nning?" Upon hearing this, Asmodeus seemed rather lukewarm. "It''s not about nning anything, just because of a Prophecy." Laine was indifferent to the Lord of the Nine Hells'' rather cool attitude. "Prophecy?" "Yes, Prophecy." Although it had been a long time since the so-called prophecy had been spoken, this time, it was truly a prophecy. Except the seer wasn''t Laine himself, but another being with a special connection to the former second generation Divine King. He tried to divine his own future and indeed received an omen from destiny. However, he himself did not understand the meaning of the message. Seeking an answer from his teacher, Laine overhead the discussion. Actually, Laine thought that because of his disruption of fate, some things would no longer happen, but now it seemed that the power of destiny was still resilient. But that didn''t matter, for he would continue to change it. "Vaguely, I see that in the distant future, a human willplete twelve incredible feats for mere mortals, his steps covering the earth, the sea, the Underworld, and through them, ascending to divinity. However, unfortunately, even though I''ve seen this scene, I still don''t quite understand how he can aplish it." "So you want to intervene in this?" Looking at Laine, the Lord of the Nine Hells asked calmly: "Then why don''t you go and do it yourself." "I will." Shaking his head, Laine said lightly: "But one example is not proof; I need different samples from various perspectives to see clearly what exactly this so-called ''great achievement'' has brought him." "You can participate or not, as it doesn''t affect your n to forge Divine Artifacts, right?" "...Let''s talk about it when the timees. As for humans, Mephisto will keep an eye on them for me. I must say, in his case at least, I''ve seen the wisdom of humanity." It was unwise to pin hopes on an illusory future, so Asmodeus merely kept this in mind without much expectation. ``` Chapter 308: 78 Hero_2 Especially Prophecy, having experienced firsthand the terror of fate, the Lord of the Nine Hells held it in a certain awe and kept his distance. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ On the earth, in the blink of an eye, the sun and the moon had taken their turns several times, and the tides of the eastern part of the continent were rising higher and higher. Low mountains were submerged, rivers either widened or redirected; torrential rains seemed endless, as if there was no end. But amid these tumultuous waves, there was a small exception, a simple wooden raft. The tides ceased around it, strange beasts stayed far from its presence, and so it drifted aimlessly upon the flood, carrying the two aboard without a destination. There was no drinking water on the raft, for the downpour from the sky avoided it, and that from the sea was undrinkable; there was also no food, for the birds of the sky had drowned in exhaustion in the water, and no fish or shrimp survived in these tides that defied thews of nature. Fortunately, the two on the raft were not mortals, they were children of gods. Though the divinity within them was near absent, making their strength barely greater than that of mortals, this ultimately spared them from death by hunger and thirst. So, adrift, several more days passed. It seemed the waters might be receding, and one day, after an idental collision, the raft came to rest upon an unnamed mountain peak. Enduring their exhaustion, Deucalion and Pitha climbed onto the only piece ofnd they had encountered in their drift, but when they reached the summit, they witnessed an incredible scene. The waters abruptly halted at this mountain peak as if some invisible force had severed them. On one side of the mountain was an expansive in, untouched by a drop of sea, while on the other, relentless waves continued to pound the mountain''s body, causing a tremendous roar. Upon closer inspection, one could see that on the ins, there were some structures that were clearly not of natural origin. "...This is the Panasus mountain range, have we really drifted for so long?" Finally recognizing his location, Deucalion was shocked despite his disheveled state. He had heard of this ce, even seen images of it, all told to him by his father Prometheus. For him, it had been merely myths and legends, until today, when he stood here in person, beholding this ancientnd. Perhaps it was precisely such a ce that could bring the monstrous flood to a halt because this was where the Temple of Delphiy, the resting ce of Mother Earth. The Golden and Silver Ages began here; it witnessed the history of the second era, this was truly a sacred ground of exception. "Anyway, we survived." Regaining his senses from the shock and unwinding his tense mind, Deucalion smiled bitterly. His father was captured, he could only live with his uncle''s family, but then, recently, Epimetheus and Pandora left without a word. When he and Pitha returned to the residence with the garden, it was just the two of them left. They were bewildered for a while, but just as Deucalion wasing to terms with everything, the Great Flood came. Now, forgotten exhaustion surged back, and he sat on the ground without any image, while Pitha had already leaned against a boulder atop the mountain. Looking at the tides cut off by the mountain range, Deucalion felt at a loss. With all spirits wiped out in the disaster, even if the floodwaters subsided, how would he and Pitha go on living? However, just as he pondered, a faint, hesitant voice came from beside him. "Fulfilled..." "What did you say is fulfilled?" Deucalion turned to look, only to find Pitha beside him, murmuring to herself. Having encountered such a disaster soon after leaving her parents, she felt an immenseck of security. "The cmity. Father once said that one day, the Divine Court would bring down the cmity, to destroy Bronze Humanity and their traces. I always thought it was a scary story he told me, but now ¡ª" Viewing everything before her, Pitha''s face turned somewhat pale. "What?" Deucalion knew his uncle Epimetheus well. He was famed among the gods for his foolishness, but now, it seemed he had foreseen this cmity? It could be an ident... and it would be best if it was. Deucalionforted himself, not because he couldn''t ept a non-foolish Epimetheus, but because he thought of more. If his uncle had known about the destruction of humanity beforehand, did that mean that the gods had plotted this disaster long ago and that both Bronze Humanity and the creatures of the earth, even he and Pitha, were insignificant sacrifices and pawns? If this were true, it meant they were still in danger, never far from the threat of death. "Did he say anything else?" Collecting himself, Deucalion asked again. At his words, Pitha paused, then seemed to suddenly remember something. "He also mentioned... Princess Themis is a god of justice, the embodiment of righteousness. If one day we face an insurmountable cmity, we might seek her aid, for among the gods she is the most trustworthy." "...The most trustworthy?" His heart sank again. Under her parents'' protection, Pitha had never encountered hardship and wasn''t sensitive to such things, but Deucalion read between the lines. Why seek help from the most trustworthy god? Because the others are not trustworthy. Perhaps his guess was right; the real danger for him and Pitha had not yet arrived, and only the witness of the Master of Law could prevent the worst oue. Chapter 309: 78 Hero_3 "Then let''s do as you say, Pitha, trust in your father, his parting words to you must be of use." Deucalion said with a forced smile. "Okay." Pitha, who had long since lost her own opinion, nodded immediately and, together with Deucalion, knelt down and began to pray silently. "Themis, goddess revered by all spirits, whose light shines upon all, your thoughts remain ever pure, your judgments never false." "Please hear me out," "Life has left the earth, only we remain in the mortal realm. I have lost my way forward, please guide me." Her voice was not loud, but being near the Oracle, a ce marked by the gods, her plea carried. After what felt like an eternity, just when Pitha thought the goddess was not inclined to heed her, a voice whispered in her heart. "I understand... Wait here, offspring of Iapetus, the guidance you seek will soone." Relieved, Pitha couldn''t help but smile, while next to her, Deucalion''s eyes flickered with the look of a survivor of a catastrophe. The wisdom inherited from his father proved especially effective in adversity. During their prayers, Deucalion had an inkling of what was toe. They had survived the disaster as if by a joke, while mightier beasts than them were consumed by sea monsters to thest, yet he and Pitha were not harmed. This was not an act of kindness from the gods, but because they were still of use. But being of use now did not imply being of use forever. The existence of the Goddess of Justice may allow them to evade disaster when they be ''useless.'' After all, they were not deities, and just as beings as insignificant as them could be wiped out with a mere gesture from the gods for convenience, they could also be spared because of another god''s whim. As for their own opinions, none would care, just as no one had cared for the lives lost under the floods. Humans, at least, had garnered attention, while the rest of life, the gods didn''t even bother to nce at them. ... Squeak¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡ª¡ªBang Atop Mount Olympus, the doors of the Divine Pce slowly closed. The gods took their seats one by one, the atmosphere growing even stranger. The God of the Ocean and his consort had left. Though Zeus had politely invited them to the feast out of courtesy, neither Oceanus nor Thaesis seemed keen on staying for difort. After today, the cordial rtionship they once enjoyed was no more, but the oceanic couple did not care. Zeus''s ruthlessness towards Metis had made clear to them the true nature of the new Divine King. For him, interests clearly outweighed so-called emotions. If that was the case, they saw no need to maintain even the facade of a rtionship. Elsewhere, facing his formidable foster parents, replete with implicit threats, the Divine King eventuallypromised. He did not relinquish his im to the oceans, even though he wasn''t particrly keen on protecting Poseidon''s interests. Regardless of his true feelings, Zeus was forced to allow the Oceanus lineage to meddle in matters of faith, even though this posed an immense threat to him. The offspring of the Oceanus lineage filled the earth as river gods andke gods. Despite the world having undergone several wars, leading most new-born rivers tock corresponding territorial gods, their progeny remained numerous. Zeus could almost foresee his foster father spreading his influence through the new humans. But he went ahead with it because if he chose to abandon Poseidon first, leaving aside how many deities on Mount Olympus would stand with him, Hades in the Underworld wouldpletely sever ties with him. And this time, even Hestia would likely not stand by Zeus. So even though he had disagreements with Poseidon, Zeus still rejected the original Goddess of the Ocean''s other demand, swallowing the bitter pill alone. "It''s so unstable. Here I thought the Divine King''s word wasw," Aphrodite said from her own seat, resting her chin in her hand, as beautiful and seductive as ever, though her thoughts were quite the opposite of the smile she wore. The Goddess of Beauty had thought the Divine King was so powerful, but now it seemed, not so much after all. "That''s normal, apart from the first Divine King, there has been no ruler who truly governed the world. Zeus might have discovered faith, but frankly, I''m not very optimistic about him," The God of Sun muttered agreement, momentarily distracted by the unintentional charm of the Goddess of Beauty. He quickly gathered his wits and looked up at the Divine King at the head of the hall. Luckily, either he wasn''t heard or Zeus didn''t deign to look his way. "Enough, the matter is settled. In any case, the old humans are gone." Detecting a wavering of hearts, Zeus spoke gravely from his throne: "Now, with all settling, it''s time to begin a new era." "Zephyrus." "Sire, yourmand, please." The Wind God stood from his ce, ever obedient to the word. "As the waters recede from the mortal realm, seek out the children of Prometheus and Epimetheus. Through their hands, let new humanse forth. But remember¡ª" Gazing at the God of West Wind, the Divine King said quietly: "The new humans need no guidance. Let them discover the world for the first time on their own. The post-deluge earth won''t be so dangerous for a while, and they won''t suffer heavy casualties; but it will be tough enough for them to learn the hardships of survival." "Then, Sire, what of Deucalion and Pitha?" Zephyrus asked again, respectful in his tone. "They... Humans don''t need them. Humans only need the gods." Hesitating briefly, Zeus ultimately gave a nomittal answer. Yet, seeing the West Wind God''s knowing nod, he believed the other understood what to do. With a nod in response, Zephyrus disappeared like the wind, and the great hall fell silent once again. This time, however, Zeus could see their spirits being much more attentive. To them, their own immediate interests seemed to weigh more than any humiliation faced by the Divine King before the Gods of the Ocean. Yet before that, there was still one more matter to attend to. "Poseidon, my noble brother," With a smile finally gracing his face, Zeus felt some of the gloom lift from his heart: "Do you remember the wager you once proposed?" Chapter 310: 79: Besides My Lord As these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the great hall instantly changed, and many deities cast their eyes toward Poseidon''s direction. The gods still remembered how confidently the Sea Emperor had established the bet, with the deities cing their wagers one after another. But now, it seemed he was the one who had lost most thoroughly. Of course, most of the other deities hadn''t won either, given that such an oue was truly unexpected. However, when no one guessed correctly, it was naturally assumed that the one whose guess was closer to the truth was the winner. Yet, in front of the other gods, Poseidon showed no sign of feeling defeated. "Heh, yes, I lost. So, what are you going to do? Seize the inds in the sea from me, or some other ce?" With a scoff, amidst the expressions of realization, surprise, or expectancy from other deities, Poseidon picked up his cup of nectar and took a drink, easing some of the frustration in his heart. The reason Nereus had suggested that he bet with Zeus beforeing here was exactly that. Winning would have been great, but losing didn''t matter; if he couldn''t get the ce closest to Olympus, then the nearby seas were the most suitable for him. And since there were no other Sea Gods in the Divine Court, Poseidon actually suffered no loss without anypetitors. On the main seat, Zeus wasn''t too disappointed with this oue. For him, it was sufficient to legitimately dismiss Poseidon''s desire for thend. As long as he could cut off the possibility of the other setting foot onnd from the start, thetter probably wouldn''t seedter on. After all, he still needed Poseidon to trouble his foster parents, so upon seeing this, the Divine King merely raised his hand to silence the discussion among the gods. "Enough, Poseidon. Since you have admitted defeat, stay in your sea." Responding with a cold snort to this, Zeus merely had to move his thoughts, and a map of Olympus and the sea, including the southeastern part, appeared before him. The map didn''t show a simple arc for the coastline but rather, it jutted out in parts. The eastern region of the continent was also fragmented by rivers and straits. Even in the nearby seas, there were manyrge inds. If Laine were to evaluate it, it would somewhat resemble the Greek penins, but there were also significant differences. At the very least, there was no more vastnd to the east of it, which is also why the Caucasus Mountains were nowhere to be seen in the original myths. Seeing that the attention of the gods was drawn, Zeus spoke indifferently: "Now that all is settled, I, in my capacity as the Divine King, hereby¡ª" "Boom¡ª" A muffled sound interrupted Zeus''s speech. The doors of the great hall were violently pushed open, and as the gods turned to the noise, apanied by a sh of fire, the figure of Hestia appeared inside the hall. However, unlike when she had left, the Goddess of Hearthfire''s expression was very solemn, and her breath somewhat unsteady. "My respected sister, who dares toy a hand on you!" Zeus was the first to stand from his seat, clearly noticing that Hestia had just been in a skirmish, and she likely hadn''t had the upper hand. In the entire Chaos World, there were few beings that could defeat a deity skilled in battle. Aside from those in Olympus, the most numerous were once the world''s rulers, the Ancient Titan Gods. Could it be that right after the God of the Ocean and his wife had left, a certain Titan deity had decided to oppose Olympus? "It''s not what you''re thinking, Zeus. I encountered apletely unknown entity. He made a fleeting appearance over the ruins of a human city, then stole the souls of all humans." Shaking her head gently, realizing what Zeus was thinking, Hestia spoke seriously: "His power is unfathomable, and intuition tells me he is stronger than anyone present here. That strange deity proimed himself Lord of Hell, and he seems to hold no fondness for Olympus. You might need to prepare yourself soon." "Hell?" Repeating the unfamiliar name, Zeus took a deep breath, feeling the world bing more unstable. In his father''s era, everything had been normal; the world was simply a struggle between the Titans. But now, one after another, ancient and unknown beings were emerging. "Did he only take the souls?" In the hall, a deity spoke out. "Whether he did or not, we can''t allow the souls of humans to be stolen by someone else¡ªit would leave mortals without any sense of security," said Hera from beside Zeus. "Yes, though he only took the souls, it doesn''t seem like he''s satisfied," Hestia nodded in agreement. "If you don''t want your future worshippers to live in constant fear of other deities, I think you should do something about it," Hestia got to the heart of the matter. Perhaps the deities didn''t care much about where mortal souls ended up, but mortals definitely cared. As the saying goes, ''People don''t worry about scarcity but about unequal distribution, not about poverty but aboutck of peace.'' Once humans learn that their souls will fall into the hands of an unknown entity after death, it''s easy to imagine what they would think. In the end, faith can''t be forced. No matter how much you verbally profess belief in the gods, it can''t change the subconscious fear and awe of the unknown. "...I understand, Hestia. I will handle this matter. But since new humans have yet to emerge, let''s talk about thister," Zeus said after a brief silence, seemingly having a n in mind. The gods, seeing this, also felt reassured and focused their attention on the present matters. Chapter 311: 79: Besides My Lord_2 Only the Divine King himself knew he couldn''t really talk about having any certainty of sess. Zeus still trusted his sister''s judgment, and since Hestia had said that the opponent was stronger than every deity present, it was likely that he was no exception. Zeus didn''t know if Hestia had taken into ount his most prized weapon, but deep down, he had quietly made a decision. Previously, before the gods had created Pandora, he had felt a vague premonition. Over time, this premonition grew stronger, but he gave up searching for its source. Because along with this intuition, came a warning from the Divine Authority in the dark recesses of his mind. In the past, Zeus had been engrossed in the joy of discovering the mysteries of faith. He thought time was on his side, but now it seemed that it might not be the case. The world was too unknown, and the Olympian Gods were born toote. The so-called ''Hell'' was not the first ce beyond his knowledge, but it certainly wouldn''t be thest. So now, the Divine King had to take some risks. If the known paths to sess were not viable, then the best strategy was to introduce new variables, rather than watch one surprise after another unfold. ''But I will seed... just like I once defeated my father.'' Looking at the gods before him, Zeus couldn''t help but recall that afternoon. It was the first and only time he had defeated his father; he had presented Cronus with the wineced with magic potion. Despite the vast difference in their strength, like heaven and earth, he had seeded because destiny was on his side. And now, it was the same. After all, whether there was a Destined next Divine King or not, it definitely wouldn''t be today. ... No one could foresee all the changes in the world, a world that had already changed a lot, so when the Divine King had this thought, no one else sensed the subtle shifts of fate. Originally, everything had been done too early, including the birth of humans, the discovery of faith, and so the deities that should have been born hadn''t yet appeared, and the Divine Court that should have been powerful seemed to have no presence. But now, Zeus had finally realized that he had to change as well. But that was a concern for the future. At this moment, the Mortal Realm was peaceful. The sea gradually receded, taking with it the earth and rocks. The vegetation had long been washed away, and even many of the original hills had disappeared. If it weren''t for the fact that this flood was essentially summoned by Divine Authority, it was likely that thesends soaked with seawater would no longer be suitable for nt growth. However, once the gods recognized this situation, Demeter, at Zeus''s signal, elerated the growth of nts upon thend. So as soon as the floods subsided, tender shoots had already started to spring up from the earth. At the same time, on the original Aurora ins, a certain power dissipated. Shortly after, among the copsed piles of stones, Cohen opened his eyes. "This is¡­ hiss¡ª" He tried to move his fingers, and a sharp pain shot through his entire body, causing him to gasp. Triton''s estimate was not wrong. Facing Poseidon''s wrathful strike, Cohen, though not dead, was severely injured; he had escaped death but was still gravely hurt. Even though his own efforts had made him much stronger than many naturally born demigods with divine nature, what really set the chasm between gods and non-gods was Divine Power and authority¡ªand that was exactly what Cohencked. "...Is everyone gone, has it ended?" After a pause, Cohen struggled to his feet. He looked around, and the area was deste. The Aurora was no longer a in. Perhaps because it was thest to be hit by the flood, it had be a rare hignd in the Eastern Continent after the waters receded. The shattered buildings still bore traces of seawater, but there were no signs of people. "Did they all die, leaving me alone again¡­" For a long time, Cohen sat on a copsed column. Looking at this scene, he couldn''t help but think of his past. Once, he had personally bid farewell to Golden Humanity, and now, he had witnessed the Destruction of Bronze Humanity. The difference was that this time humans died because of the gods, and what hadn''t changed was his continued helplessness. "Deities¡­" Step¡ª "Hmm?" Startled, suddenly, Cohen thought he heard a sound of footsteps. He looked in that direction with some surprise. He was eager to find signs of his own kind, and sure enough, at the end of his vision, there was another human like him, a survivor walking towards him. Unlike his own ragged appearance, the approaching figure, though looking decrepit, did not seem to have gone through any disaster. With difficulty, Cohen stood up and called out from a distance. "Over here¡ª" It seemed that the old man heard Cohen''s call and noticed him. Seeing Cohen''s condition, the old man gestured for him to stay put and waited for him to approach. "Greetings, Your Highness. My name is Humar. I was once entrusted with guarding knowledge, but now, it seems there is no knowledge left to guard." Approaching, Cohen could finally see the man clearly. Clutching a huge stone tablet, his body already steeped in death, the old man''s spirit seemed good, and he smiled as he introduced himself. Chapter 312: 79: Besides My Lord_3 "Hello, my name is Cohen, and seeing other people alive after the disaster is really great... How did you escape this catastrophe? Are there other survivors?" After a brief exchange, Cohen seemed eager to question the elder. "Indeed, others have survived, they all gathered in the ce where the Sacred Fire is, aftering to their senses." In a calm exnation, the elder pointed in the direction of the altar and then continued: "As for the way to escape the disaster, it is all recorded on this tablet." "A tablet?" Upon hearing the elder''s words, Cohen finally noticed the seemingly extraordinary tablet in the other''s hand. There appeared to be something carved or written on it, but due to the angle, he was still not too clear about it. "Yes, I was fortunate to have recorded the details of the event on it." Humar nodded and then suddenly raised the tablet in his hand. "Prince Cohen, may I trouble you with something?" "Of course, but I''m not any ''prince''." He agreed without hesitation, happy to help others within his capacity, but as he said, even though he had been a king, his kingship was more akin to responsibility and duty, not a lofty status. However, Humar just smiled at Cohen''s denial. "That''s even better, then please take it to where it should go, to the temple where King Zeus was once worshiped." "I should have awaited Death there, but in the end, I couldn''t resisting out. Perhaps the outside is more suitable for me than being buried there." The old man knew that dying there might preserve his body for a thousand years, and his soul could live on in that ce, but merely living had no meaning. Rather, he preferred to face Death with dignity like his predecessors, even asking to start a new life. Across from the old man, Cohen fell silent for a while. After interacting for a bit, he could tell that Humar''s end was near, but he couldn''t bear to say it outright. Yet, the other man seemed to have long known about it and was not at all afraid. "You remind me of a friend, his name is Hewa." Hesitant for a moment, Cohen eventually spoke. "Really?" Humar''s eyes brightened as he said with a smile: "If that''s true, then that''s my honor." ... After taking the tablet, Cohen bid farewell to the old man. He had wanted to apany the elder a bit further, but Humar refused him. The elder said he still had a day''s Life, and he wouldn''t die so soon. Although Cohen did not understand the source of the elder''s confidence, he still respected his choice. Walking on the sparse gravel, Cohen headed uphill. Although theyout of the city was no longer discernible, two ces remained unaffected: one was the Temple of the King, and the other was the undying Sacred Fire. Thus, the center of the original city appeared even more pronounced. After the flood, the east was high and the west low; in the southeast of thend, this ce could already be called a hill. However, such minor geographical changes were not a concern. As Cohen felt an increasingly intense warmth from his soul, he was relieved to discover many footprints. It looked just as the elder had said: many from the Bronze Humanity had survived, which made Cohen quicken his pace. He wanted to go there and see if his newly acquainted friend, Evans, was there. "...introduce..." "...his..." "Hm?" Faint voices came from a distance, seemingly from the direction of the altar. Due to his injuries, Cohen''s senses were not as sharp as before. He could only vaguely hear that there seemed to be someone talking loudly ahead, but he couldn''t make out the words clearly. There were many people there, gathering together. He guessed what the survivors might be saying after the recent disaster. Perhaps they voiced discontent with the gods, or uncertainty about the path ahead. But Cohen was beginning to understand that perhaps the hearts of the gods were not so wide, and nobody knew whether they would respond. Limited by his injuries and despite trying to hasten his pace, Cohen still took a while to get close. When he approached the altar of the Sacred Fire, he finally heard what was being spoken. To his surprise, the speaker was not boosting the Humans'' Faith or denouncing the cruelty of the gods but was ''preaching.'' He was spreading the Faith of another deity. "Ladies and gentlemen, after what has happened, I hope you have no doubts about what I''m saying." Standing on a makeshift tform under the scrutinizing eyes of the crowd, Nuo felt extremely calm in his heart. "The gods of Mount Olympus are not trustworthy, they look upon mortals as if they were ants and, out of whimsy, bring down apocalyptic disasters. Only He is different." Just before the disaster hit, Nuo had sworn to his own heart: if the god he prayed to really protected the Humans who prayed to him, he would spend the rest of his Life spreading His glory. Now that the flood had receded, it was time to fulfill his promise. "He does not care whether his name is spread, so He left no title behind; He does not care if humans are grateful for His grace, so He did not seek any rpense. But friends, shouldn''t humans have a grateful heart, be able to discern truth from falsehood, know right from wrong? Just because God doesn''t care, does it mean we shouldn''t?" "Of course not!" With a solemn expression, Nuo, a naturally good-hearted person, was not just fulfilling a promise but truly felt he was helping others. To worship such a great deity, who even ruled over the afterlife, seemed beneficial for everyone no matter how one looked at it. So when Cohen arrived, he happened to hear him say loudly: "Today, here, I will establish a ''church'' that worships Him, to spread His holy name in the Mortal Realm. That way, when my dayes, I can face Him with equanimity because I know that is the kingdom of my Lord, and I will be there, recounting my deeds in life to Him." Chapter 313: 80 No Other Deities Atop the hastily constructed wooden tform, Nuo''s sermon resonated with the many listeners. Or rather, those who had survived the great flood inherently possessed a purity of spirit unlike others. The doubtful, the deceitful, or those who harbored malice towards others naturally would not believe in the unexpected kindness of others. They did not believe Nuo''s words and, as a result, perished in the flood. In contrast, the audience here clearly did not fall into that category. Especially after narrowly escaping death, they were particrly moved by Nuo''s words as they gazed upon the deste city. Despite the resonance Nuo''s words found with many, there were still those in the crowd who expressed different opinions. "What you say makes sense, but Nuo, perhaps not all deities on Mount Olympus are so unworthy; at least in the previous disasters, it was a goddess who protected me." Stepping out from the crowd, Cavi was still dressed in the ceremonial robe of Hestia. He respectfully saluted the Sacred Fire before turning towards Nuo. "There''s nothing to hide now... Indeed, as you all have guessed, in the past, priests deceived others, deceived deities, and deceived themselves. But when faced with death, I ultimately abandoned those thoughts, confessed my sins to the incarnation of all fires, and awaited the punishment she would bestow upon me. Yet, contrary to expectations, just like every one of you, I survived the disaster." As Cavi spoke, dozens of people stepped out from the crowd, sharing experiences simr to his. "Perhaps the gods are not all merciful, but not every deity turns a blind eye to mortal cmities; Princess Hestia is one such deity." With sincere expression, Cavi truly felt this way from the bottom of his heart. "However, Nuo, your actions reminded me. The goddess forgave my sins, but I should not forget them; from today on, I too should spread the name of the Sacred Fire in the Mortal Realm, to repay her grace." A disaster destroyed a civilization, yet it created two saints who felt the calling. Yet unlike Nuo, Cavi''s object of faith was different. "Your integrity ismendable, Cavi, not everyone can face their own mistakes and have the courage to change. However, have you ever considered this, is the Sacred Fire brought back by the Forefather of Humans really a manifestation of Princess Hestia''s power?" Descending from the tform, Nuo approached the undying Sacred Fire. "If not... When you prayed to the Sacred Fire, who was it that responded to you?" Though Humans do not know the true nature of these divine objects, many with greater innate sensitivity could sense that the Sacred Fire Prometheus brought back was not quite the same as the original divine me. Moreover, it is well-known that Goddess Hestia is the Divine King''s elder sister; would she go against her brother''s decree for the sake of mortals? The answer was likely no, especially since Nuo knew that the deity who provided protection during the disaster had also made a pact with Prometheus. "Perhaps... If it is not, then I am grateful to the one who saved my life, but my faith remains unchanged." With a calm demeanor, having faced life and death, Cavi hade to understand his own heart. Faith is not so easily altered, and more importantly, as a former priest who served Hestia, he had felt the goddess''s presence in her statue countless times before the connection between gods and men was severed; and now, he sensed it again amid the ruins of the city. The goddess had been here, not long ago. For a believer, such ambiguous evidence was enough. "Well then, Cavi, I respect your faith." Sighing, Nuo felt a tinge of regret but still blessed his fellow survivor. Across from him, Cavi nodded back, then lit a me with a fennel branch. "I will leave this ce and follow in the footsteps of Princess Hestia, whatever your intentions may be, I wish you a smooth journey" After Cavi left, followed by several dozen followers, Nuo did not hinder him, only watching with others as the group departed. After all, differences in faith at this point were not sufficient to escte to violence; moreover, in Nuo''s impression, Goddess Hestia indeed was a kind deity. She did not hand down punishments like the Divine King, nor did she bring floods like the Sea God, nor did she take Prometheus like the God of Sun. Therefore, Nuo epted Cavi''s choice. "Lord Cohen, are you another who survived by the protection of the Divine?" After seeing off Cavi, Nuo turned to look at the edge of the square. In fact, he had noticed Cohen''s arrival while he was speaking, but only now did he have the chance to greet him. There is a limit to mortal sight, and he had not seen the battle between Cohen and Triton as the flood approached, but that did not prevent him from recognizing Cohen. After all, as a swordsmanship instructor, Cohen had some reputation in Aurora City. Seeing him arrive, Nuo thought he might have just woken up in the city. "I don''t know." Meeting Nuo''s gaze, with the dream from a millennium ago that had benefited him to this day shing through his mind, Cohen gently shook his head. He nced again at the surrounding crowd but still could not find any familiar faces. Chapter 314: 80 No Other Deities_2 "Whether it is so or not, Sir Cohen, it seems that in this world, the only surviving humans may be us." Turning around to gesture, the city walls had long since copsed, and on these once ins, now a teau, there was almost nothing to be seen. "Perhaps new humans will appear, but no one knows when exactly, and this world, even though cleansed by a flood, remains very dangerous. If possible, I hope we can journey together." "You don''t n to stay here and rebuild this city?" Looking at the undying Sacred Fire with some surprise, Cohen then nced at it. "This ce was given to Bronze Humanity by the Olympian Gods, but now, when they have destroyed Bronze Humanity with their own hands, I shall no longer regard them as deities." Shaking his head, Nuo''s smile was very gentle. "Bronze Humanity is the name they gave us, not one we gave ourselves. Humans are humans, and need no other title. I will spread the holy name of the Lord to every intelligent life form until we find a new home that belongs to us." "...Alright." Looking at the other person, Cohen did not quite know what to do; he was about to nod in agreement, but in the next moment, a voice suddenly rang out. "Well done, mortal, you and your kind are different." "Who?" The soft and ethereal voice sounded, echoing around this sacred sanctuary. The humans, just having been through a disaster, immediately became alert, but they found nothing. The next moment, the void rippled, and a figure that Cohen would never forget slowly emerged. She was surrounded by bands of light, apanied by twinkles of stars, but this time, she was not wearing the hood that concealed her face. Her holy and perfect visage bore an indifferent regard for all the world, her pristine wings spread out behind her, as she stepped upon the Earth, yet seemed not to belong to the Mortal Realm. "What is your name?" Ignoring the others, the neer looked directly towards Nuo. The lives of the Mortal Realm were generally unworthy of her attention, but today was an exception. Now, she wanted to see if the other''s soul was indeed that devout. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Evangeline had note to the Mortal Realm without reason; in fact, if possible, she would happily remain in her own domain for ten thousand years, but something different had arisen recently, due to frequent incidents, the Angel had stille forth. First, there was someone in the outer realms brazenly stealing souls, prompting her to temporarily guard the cycle of Samsara, and just as it happened, during her watch, for some unknown reason, the lives from the thirdyer of the Spirit Realm had made their way to the All-Spirit Realm, causing quite the chaos. Although in terms of strength, no Spirit Realm lifeform could contend with an Angel of the Spirit Realm wielding partial control over the dimensions, the sheer number of the opposition still led to many souls being affected. Of course, no one could have foreseen Hypnos'' actions earlier, so Liana, having returned to the Spirit Realm, bore no resentment towards her. However, to prevent a simr incident from reurring, they decided to seal off the paths from the first threeyers of the Spirit Realm to the deeper realms. At this juncture, Liana needed to be personally involved and could not leave, so other matters were once again handed over to Evangeline. The Goddess of the Nether Moon had instructed her to check whether the mechanisms beneath the human cities still existed and if so, to understand how they operated. However, Asmodeus would obviously not leave such a loophole; by the time Evangeline arrived, every inch of the mechanism had already turned to dust, and not even the historical images could be summoned. Because the Lord of the Nine Hells cleverly transferred some of the malice of the current world''sws onto the ritual itself at thest moment. Something destroyed by the current world might not even be seen by Laine, let alone Evangeline. Thus the Angel, having returned without sess, felt somewhat frustrated. She wandered aimlessly upon the Earth, intending to see the me that once belonged to the Sun Chariot and now fell into human hands. However, when she arrived here, she unexpectedly overheard Nuo''s preaching. A group of mortals from the outer worlds had somehow developed devout faith in the Lord, and this instantly captured Evangeline''s interest, a phenomenon quite rare in the past. She knew that the Lord might not care about these things, after all, He had simply scattered some knowledge ten thousand years ago and human faith had been flowing ever since. But for the Angels, the outer world''s ignorance of the Lord''s grandeur was far more intolerable than theck of the Power of Faith itself. Suddenly, Evangeline had a special idea. Having failed to find the trace of the soul thief, she always needed to do something, and she believed that even if Liana knew about it, she would definitely support her. "What is your name?" Thus, revealing herself, Evangeline spoke to this special mortal. "My name is Nuo." His expression was solemn as Nuo responded quietly. Facing this sudden turn of events, Nuo''s heart tensed for a moment, then rxed, and even began to feel a sense of anticipation. This strange being appeared to bear no malice, and moreover, hade because of his denouncing the Olympian Gods and praising the Spirit Realm. So, it was quite evident whose side she was on. And before Nuo, Evangeline continued to ask: "Among all creatures, you are one of the few who can recognize the greatness of the Lord, that is what makes you specialpared to them." "But I want to know, for what you speak of, for spreading the name of the Lord throughout the world, what are you willing to give up for it?" Chapter 315: 80 No Other Deities_3 The voice was like a melody,pelling those who heard it to let down their guard involuntarily, and gaze upon Nuo in front of them as Evangeline waited quietly for the other''s reply. In front of her, Nuo''s response satisfied her greatly. "I will devote everything for the rest of my life, Your Highness. If my life was meant to head towards destruction under the will of the Olympian Gods, then every day I continue to live is to spread the glory of the Lord." "Very well," The once distant voice now carried a hint of approval, and Evangeline finally nodded her head. This mortal indeed had some redeeming qualities. So, she reached out her hand, beckoning, and in the next moment, an ancient astrbe appeared in her hand. The phantom images within the astrbe corresponded one by one with the stars in the sky, yet only a part of them existed¡ªthose were the ethereal stars of the Spirit Realm. With a gentle toss, it floated in front of Nuo, emitting a faint light. "Follow its guidance, and where the stars beckon, build a city; your civilization shall develop there and be preserved." The wings fluttered gently as Evangeline nced to the west. Over there, those who imed to rule the world, the false deities, resided. "However, remember, since you can see the truth of this world and offer devout worship to the Lord, do not use ''god'' to refer to those beings anymore." Taking the astrbe, joy surged in Nuo''s heart. He had not expected his problem to be resolved so easily, but he felt puzzled by Evangeline''sst words. He was about to say something when another voice spoke up beside him. "Princess Evangeline, do you remember me?" Having waited a long time at the side, Cohen finally asked. Looking at the astrbe presented before him reminded him of the time when he saw the Civilization te. But to this day, he still didn''t understand why he was allowed to see the te, at least Nuo had received grace after expressing his devotion. Evangeline, however, just gave him a nce, showing no more emotion. "The first human created by the Lord, of course, I remember you," Her demeanor serene, the angel''s wings beat gently behind her. "But what about you, do you believe in the Lord who created you?" The moment she spoke, Cohen''s heart trembled violently; at her side, Nuo also widened his eyes. ''The first human created''¡ªthis brief statement held so much information they struggled to digest it at once. Seeing their reaction and choosing not to say more, Evangeline turned her attention back to Nuo. She had noticed his confusion, and for a mortal willing to spread the Lord''s glory, she was willing to spend a little more time. "Voice your doubts, as a faithful servant of the Lord in the Mortal World, I will answer your perplexities." "...Respectful Your Highness, I just want to inquire, why can we no longer refer to the beings on Mount Olympus as ''gods''? Are You not also a deity?" Suppressing his awe, Nuo nced at Cohen out of the corner of his eye, then voiced his doubt. Upon hearing his words, Evangeline smiled for the first time that day. In the past, she had encountered this mistake more than once, but because she didn''t concern herself with the outer world, she had never corrected it. However, since the faith of the Lord was now to be spread throughout the world, this error could no longer continue to exist. After all, how could the false gods of the outside world be crowned with the same honor as the Lord? "Because it is a mistake. Although the lives of the outer world see me as a deity, I have never acknowledged it, nor have the angels of the Spirit Realm. " "We serve by the side of the Lord, carrying a devotion even greater than yours, because, from the beginning to the end, the all-knowing and all-seeing god in this world, has only ever been one." Floating gently into the air, Evangeline looked down at the people below. "Nuo, since you wish to spread the name of the Lord, then remember my words: no matter past or future, whether in the sky or on Earth, the truth of this world remains forever unaltered, and the truth naturally cannot be dual." "So..." For the first time, Evangeline''s voice turned sharp, each person hearing it could feel her sentiment, and she made no attempt to conceal it. She just looked towards Olympus, the same way she regarded all of the outside world. "So, besides my Lord, there are no gods." Chapter 316: 81: Regret She didn''t stay long in the Mortal Realm; Evelyn left quite soon. As for Nuo''s existence and her own sudden inspiration, she nned to discuss it with someone first. Therefore, she didn''t give any further instructions but just left behind an Astrbe that pointed the way. The fateful starlight would guide Humans to the most suitable ce, and during this time, she would figure out how to establish a church. Since she wanted to spread the name of the Lord, there had to be written words, scriptures, andws. She needed to tell these Humans what could be done and what could not, but as for these matters, Evelyn was obviously not very adept. Arriving suddenly and leaving just as unexpectedly, Nuo held the Astrbe in his hands, looking towards the spot where the Angel had disappeared. At its center, a faint starlight lingered, pointing straight in the southeast direction. "Besides the Lord, all are false gods, huh..." Evelyn''s words had brought a tremendous shock to the primitive, broad Faith still in its embryonic stage. In the past, although the Divine King was higher than the other gods, there wasn''t such a strong subordinate rtionship among them, as the deities nominally governed themselves. But now, the sudden emergence of ''monotheism'' was different. Only the Angels obeyed the Lord, and those who did not were false gods. This concept in faith was like the change from feudalism to centralization in the secr world, seeming both shocking and inevitable. Nevertheless, Nuo quickly epted this notion. Since he had already decided to spend the rest of his life spreading the holy name of the Lord, it was only natural to ce the Lord in the sole and highest position. "Lord Cohen, your origins are indeed a surprise to me," he said. Taking a deep breath, Nuo looked over at Cohen. The first created Human... No matter how one thought about it, Cohen''s identity was thought-provoking. "I''m sorry, but please believe that it wasn''t my intention to conceal anything; I just didn''t know what the attitude of the Olympian Gods would be towards me, a survivor. Now it seems, my concerns have been confirmed," Cohen said, shaking his head. From Evelyn''s words and his astonishment, Cohen probably understood why her attitude towards him was the way it was. If the Golden Human King who had once appeared in his dreams was just a devout believer, then Cohen now undoubtedly had his own convictions. He would think, question, and choose. Although this did not mean he would stop believing in deities, it certainly did not align with the Angels'' view of faith. But Cohen was still grateful to her. No matter the purpose, the Civilization te had benefited Humans from three eras and saved him from the erosion of the divine shard. Moreover, he had never been asked to give anything in return throughout. "Let''s not talk about this anymore, Nuo. I promise you, from now on, we will travel together. On the way, I can slowly tell you my story, and not only that, I have much to teach you," Cohen said. "The knowledge passed on to the Bronze Humanity by the Olympian Gods originates from the Golden Age, but in reality, their transmission wasn''tplete." Cohen spoke solemnly. No one in the world knew the knowledge passed down on the Civilization te better than he, and there were even some contents not used by the Golden Humanity that still lingered in Cohen''s mind. He intended to teach all this to Nuo, to help them build their own city. He also nned to teach them some things he had researched, not only his methods of physical training but also Cohen''s research on divine shards. Over the years, those shards sealed into golden artifacts had gradually given him some clues. Cohen found that the shards seemed to be graded ording to their strength. The lower the level, the weaker the impact on the spirit; not every shard brought the same kind of near-irresistible shock as the one that had merged with him. Below the shard that had merged with Cohen, there were five different levels of grade, and the weakest of them, though not very powerful, were estimated by Cohen to be safely epted by any determined Human. With their help, the people led by Nuo could better survive the disasters on the road. Otherwise, Cohen alone could not possibly protect them all. "Is that so? That would be most fortunate. Lord Cohen, the truth is, I''ve long been interested in these old-era stories," Nuo said, somewhat excitedly, while also taking a fennel stalk and drawing a me from the Sacred Fire. His expression turned wistful when talking about stories from the old times. "The disaster... I heard that there was a man named Ande who was good at performing ys, using puppets to depict past events. Unfortunately, I couldn''t find him, and I don''t know if he survived the flood," Nuo sighed, no longer dwelling on these thoughts, then turned around to face the crowd. The arrival of the Angel had greatly lifted people''s spirits, especially since she had given them a direction to move forward. After the disaster, hope was the thing most capable of inspiring confidence. Standing before them, Nuo raised the Sacred Fire high. "Since the Lord''s messenger has pointed us in a direction, we should not stay here any longer. Now, let us seek what is left from the flood and hope to reach it before the turn of three seasons." "There, we shall have a kingdom of our own, under the protection of the Lord." ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Chapter 317: 81: Regret Part 2 Spirit Realm. Returning from the Mortal Realm and passing through threeyers of barriers, Laine entered the All-Spirit Realm and arrived next to the Well of Reincarnation, following Ivana''s lead. Although she had only been out for a short while, she had already noticed that thisyer was different from the past. The time-space passages that had been scattered throughout the realm were now all closed, and from this point forward, the fourthyer of the Spirit Realm would no longer wee visitors from other nes. Only above the River of Oblivion that extended into the Underworld were souls still being delivered here. However, it was a one-way passage; if anyone tried to use it to sneak into the All-Spirit Realm, even if they could withstand the power of oblivion, it would be very difficult for them to return to the outer world. For descending the river would mean naturally eroding under its influence, while swimming against its flow was akin to challenging the very essence of the Styx itself. "Your Highness?" Just as she was preparing to recount the day''s events to Liana in detail, Ivana''s gaze swept around. Not only did she fail to find Liana, but to her surprise, she saw Laine''s figure beside the Well of Reincarnation. At that moment, Laine stood upon the tall well wall, overlooking the well''s vast surface, which resembled an ind sea. The powers of life and death eternally chased one another within, swirling and spiraling; every moment, souls plunged into it, and others departed through paths unseen. Like a little girl who got caught attempting mischief, Ivana tensed up, and even her pure white wings folded up behind her. Hesitant for a moment, she slowly approached Laine''s side and asked softly, "Your Highness, my failure to guard the Well of Reincarnation properly was a dereliction of my duty." "If that''s all, you have done quite well already." Replying casually, Laine turned around. Before him, Ivana stood serenely; one could scarcely imagine her having just spoken such words before mortals. However, Laine didn''t care how she praised him. In fact, the original hymns Bronze Humanity wrote to the Olympian Gods were notcking in exaggeration either, so he naturally had no need to reject her words intentionally. Butpared to these, what really caught Laine''s attention was something Nuo intended to do. "You''re going to establish a church?" His expression enigmatic, Laine suddenly inquired. "Ah... Your Highness, I just, I''m doing it for You¡ª" She exined in a bit of a flurry, but seeing Laine''s smile, Ivana calmed down again. She didn''t know how Laine felt about this matter; toward the faith of the outer world, he seemed to have always maintained a stance of deliberate ignorance. However, at least now, it didn''t seem to be opposition. "You wish to establish a church, but have you thought about how you''re going to manage it? Will you rely merely on raw power?" Neither approving nor rebuking, Laine asked as if it was an offhandment. "No, Your Highness, I n to let that human handle it himself, while I will assist him when he encounters difficulties." Unexpectedly, Ivana seemed to have given the matter much thought, and she indeed had her own ideas to share. "Moreover, to avoid the mistakes those false gods have made, I havee up with a way to safeguard the faith. I will utilize the existence of the Magic Net to grant mortals powers they can use in the Mortal Realm, and the strength of that power will depend on their faith." "Those without faith will forever remain at the bottom of human society, and only those who are devout in their faith will be able to stand high. By doing this, the mistakes of those false gods will not happen again." Looking slightly up towards Laine, Ivana seemed to seek a response, and Laine gave a nod. Initially, concerning the church, he hadn''t thought out what use it might have, but as Ivana described her n, certain ideas suddenly formed in his mind. Perhaps for many matters, leaving them for humans to do is indeed much better than having gods intervene. "Then go ahead, follow your own ideas." Smiling, Laine turned his gaze back to the surface of the Well of Reincarnation. Through the intermingling two-colored waters, he seemed to be looking at something else entirely. "Whether you seed or fail, now that you have started, persist. I think for you, this will indeed be a unique experience." Whether useful or not, having a church might indeed be a good thing. Laine himself was indifferent to those extra bits of faith, but that didn''t mean the angels didn''t need it. Moreover, Laine vaguely guessed that perhaps the significance of such constructsy not only in their impact on the world but on the beings within it as well. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ After the deluge, Bronze Humanity seemed to have been forgotten. On Mount Olympus, aside from Hestia who felt the faint stirrings of the Power of Faith, the other gods had long since ceased to pay attention to their existence, focusing their attention elsewhere. Following a bout of fierce debate, with faces bearing satisfaction or unwillingness, the assembly came to an abrupt end. The gods had already forgotten that this was supposed to be a feast prepared for the Goddess of Beauty, as they left one after another, returning to their own pces on Mount of the Gods. Recent changes had been too abrupt and too intense; it was likely that for a considerable time toe, the gods would lead a more tranquil existence. In the deserted grand hall, only Zeus and Hera remained. The pce seemed especially deste, even the Nymphs who attended them had long since departed, and as Zeus leaned against the throne, ying with the scepter in his hand, he looked towards the still-broken doors. "What''s the matter, have you lost heart?" With a tone that sounded mocking, Hera suddenly spoke from her golden throne. "Lose heart... if this continues, I might truly lose faith." Chapter 318: 81: Regret Part 3 Fingers tapped the gemstone on his scepter, which symbolized the authority over heaven, earth, and sea. In the era of Cronus, this scepter briefly possessed extraordinary power because of its master, but now, it had returned to its original state. This seemed to be an allegory for his kingship, which possessed nothing but a nominal status. Only in front of those weaker deities could he showcase the majesty of a Divine King. Even though he was Zeus, if he faced nothing but frustrations again and again, the lofty aspirations he once had would only be worn away. Yet precisely because he was Zeus, he would not allow this scene to unfold in reality. He feared his children; he dreaded the ''fate to surpass the father,'' so he never gave them the chance to be born. Now, since he could foresee the consequences of continuing on the current path, he would not allow everything to remain unchanged, even if it meant facing unknown dangers. Hera, on the side, let out augh that seemed almost mocking, but her eyes calmed down. "Ha, so this is the Divine King. Should I praise you for your perseverance?" With a sneer, Hera stood up from the golden throne. She did not know how much affection was left between herself and Zeus, but as the Heavenly Empress, she shared half the glory of the Divine King. Although she did not know where Zeus''s confidence came from, since she felt his unyielding will just as in the past, Hera no longer worried about it. Behind her, Zeus did not reply. He silently watched his sister cross the threshold, and then with a resounding noise, the doors closed, blocking out the light from outside. "Come then, let me see what awaits me as the king decreed by fate." After a while, the Sun Chariot dipped below the horizon, night enveloped the earth, and in an imperceptible moment, Zeus''s figure vanished from sight. When he appeared once more, he was holding his Thunderbolt Arrow in his right hand, standing within the belly of Mount Olympus. Mount Olympus, a peak transformed from the body of the mountain deity Ourea, originally had no cavities. But it was not until Zeus followed that indistinct intuition and arrived here that he was surprised to discover a ce like this had appeared without notice. "No, this is an ovep of spaces." Upon closer inspection, Zeus discerned the intricacies. It wasn''t that additional space had emerged, but rather that another space ovepped with this one. Before stepping in, all he could see was a cavity in the mountain. But upon truly stepping in, no one knew whaty inside. "Huh¡ª" Exhaling, without any further hesitation, Zeus took a step forward. The next moment, alongside the distortion of time and space, his figure also disappeared. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ "Whoosh¡ª" Consciousness was somewhat blurry, as if awakening from a hangover, with darkness flooding his senses. But as he gradually awoke, Zeus felt that his current state seemed somewhat unusual. It seemed like he was moving, but it was not his own will controlling his body. His body appeared to have its own consciousness and was acting spontaneously. He had no vision, As his spirit began to coalesce and his consciousness returned, Zeus finally ''opened'' his eyes and saw everything around him. What he saw was a primordial and foreign world. "What is this...?" Ancient trees towered around him, the forest teeming with flowers of all colors. An exotic fragrance pervaded the air, and birds flew across the sky. It was a primordial jungle, unlike anything Zeus had seen before, reminiscent of the environment near Mount Othrys in the early period of thest era of Chaos. They were secondary products derived from primitive nts that, though devoid of divinity, were treasures rarely seen by mortal eyes. However, all of this was merely background detail, for the ''Zeus'' at this moment had no ce for them in his sight. At the end of his gaze, an enormous shadow that seemed to connect heaven and earth dominated everything, exuding a powerful vitality, as if it were the source of all things. ''Yggdrasil,'' that was its true name. For some reason, the moment he saw it, that name spontaneously emerged from Zeus''s mind. This was not some ''seeing and knowing'' power, but more like the concept already existed in his mind, and now, he ''remembered'' it. Shocked and somewhat anxious, Zeus did not understand what was happening or why he was unable to control his body. However, at that moment, he realized he had suddenly spoken. "The legendary Spring of Wisdom... I hope my wishes will be fulfilled." Without knowing when, the Divine King''s Thunder had disappeared, and in his hand, he now held a weapon he had never seen before. He gazed at the great divine tree and walked towards it, step by step. And at that moment, as he sensed everything in the outside world, Zeus finally understood what had happened. This was not the real world, but a ce that straddled the line between reality and illusion. Herey thest remnant of a great being''s touch. Chapter 319: 82: The Grand Ceremony of Royal Power Strangews, an unfamiliar environment, and even a stranger self¡ªall of these things were telling Zeus that he had fallen into a unique state. He was pulled into a train of thought, reliving the most profound experiences of the owner''s memory. Now, having lost physical form, he existed as pure consciousness attached to the body of the owner of these thoughts, and anything that was foreign to him could not be brought along. As his consciousness observed the surroundings, Zeus watched as ''himself'' moved perpetually forward. Unsurprisingly, the danger he had vaguely sensed before was probably here; his spirit was functioning at an unprecedented speed. He tried to break free from his current state but undoubtedly failed, for the force maintaining this residual thought seemed to stem not from its original owner alone but from a higher source as well. Normally, a powerful deity like Zeus wouldn''t easily fall into someone else''s residual thought. Even if they had touched upon a great existence, since they were ''dead'' in a certain sense, it wouldn''t be possible for mere remnants of thoughts to force him into them without resistance. However, things were different here. Although Zeus was still unclear about the name and origins of this ce, the Divine Authority that originated from the present world still allowed him to keenly sense the disconnect between this ce and Chaos, and it wasn''t the kind of difference that existed between the present world, the Abyss, and the Spirit Realm. It was a muchrger separation. The transformation of the Nine Realms was still ongoing. Even though Chaos had shattered the barrier of the world''s force, Its ''digestion'' was not proceeding rapidly. So within this fragmented realm, a small amount of force from another world lingered. Now, through the residual thought and Zeus as a medium, the force of Chaos collided with the remnant force of the Nine Realms. World-level power recreated the past, giving this segment of memory a strength so real it felt tangible. Still, hidden within this fragment of the past lurked an unprecedented unknown threat to Zeus. Regardless of the oue, Asgard was destined to be the first realm among the Nine Realms to be entirely consumed by this change, but Zeus was different. As ''himself'' continued forward, the intangible warnings Zeus received grew more intense. Intuition told him that dangery ahead, and now he could no longer escape it. Concerning this, Zeus had already begun to form some spections. The deities of Chaos were deathless, but whether that held true in the face of the world itself was something no one knew for sure. "Whoosh¡ª" The sound of flowing water, once distant, grew closer and closer. Judging by the sound, it appeared to be a springke. As ''Zeus'' approached, the trees around began to thin out as well. This was the Misty Forest, surrounding the Spring of Wisdom. The magically imbued trees obscured the vision of those who approached. At one moment, when thest tree obstructing the path was passed, Zeus'' consciousness finally followed the sight of the body and saw the entire scene. A smallkey before him, with its clear currents churning continually. In its center, a spring gushed forth pure water. The light above bathed the area, causing a pale golden mist to rise and float into the sky. And above the spring, there dangled a root from high above. The rising mist was drawn to it, continuously nourishing the divine tree that prated the Nine Realms, giving it vitality and strength. Watching all this unfold, an idea materialized out of nowhere, and Zeus knew instantly why ''he'' hade here. His name was Odin, and like Zeus, they were both newly established leaders of the Divine Court, kings of the deities. They both faced the same dilemmacking a profound foundation and an invincible power, their kingship was constantly under threat. And so, ''Odin'' hade here, to thend governed by the great enemies of the Deity Race, the Titans. He sought the help of the Spring of Wisdom, looking for revtions that the world would grant to a Divine King. Although the spring was in front of him, he still had one more hurdle to ovee. Under the reflection of Yggdrasil''s roots, a vague and immense figure lurked. Focusing his gaze, Zeus clearly saw Mimir, who sat gravely beside the Spring of Wisdom. At the same time, Mimir also noticed ''Odin''s arrival. "Outsider, do you too covet the wisdom bestowed by the heavens?" Mimir''s booming voice echoed, clearly recognizing the identity of ''Odin'' at the moment, yet the Titan''s tone seemed indifferent. Mimir, the young Titan of Wisdom who guarded the Spring of Wisdom, showed no respect even in the face of a king of the Nine Realms. For this was Jotunheim, the realm of the Titans. Even a Divine King using force to achieve his goals would not be able to leave unscathed here. "Yes, respected guardian. I have heard of the great renown of the Spring of Wisdom and havee precisely for that reason," "I wish to partake in a cup of its waters, to gain enlightenment from wisdom. If you fulfill my wish, I, in the name of a Divine King, promise to give you a fitting rpense." In ''Odin''s mind, Zeus heard ''himself'' speaking thus. However, the Titan opposite was not conceding to the king''s request. He just looked at ''Odin,'' smiling casually. "Outsider, no matter your identity, your lofty status, or what powers you possess, here, you must follow my rules. Because, without the guardian''s consent, the water will not be effective for you." Chapter 320: 82: The Grand Ceremony of Royal Power_2 Mimir''s words were not entirely urate; it was the well itself and the World Tree that truly determined whether the fountain would have effect. It was only through a trade of equal value, a fair exchange, that one could be enlightened by wisdom. As a guardian, Mimir could decide whether to agree to this trade, which was the source of his confidence. "Before this, many have desired a cup of the Spring of Wisdom, but upon hearing the price of just one cup, they were all frightened away. As the king of Asgard, I wonder if you will be the same?" "I''ve known this," said ''Odin'' calmly from across Mimir, "I am willing to offer all the gold of Asgard as the price for the water." Gold, a symbol of wealth, was not just about the metal itself. Clearly, to obtain the power to consolidate his royal authority, ''Odin'' was willing to relinquish all his wealth. However, Mimir simply smiled and shook his head at him. "What use is wealth? It''s merely the most mundane of items. Only divine artifacts like Gungnir are true treasures, but I suppose that''s beyond what you''re willing to offer." "Then I can give you my right hand, the hand that wields the Divine Lance. It is part of my strength, and I believe it is a fair match for the water from the Spring of Wisdom." ''Odin'' made his proposal once more with a furrowed brow, but Mimir smiled and refused again: "No, that''s still not enough. Your hand represents your strength, but you cannot gain anything from me with mere strength. Your formidable power may work on others, but it is useless in front of me." "... So, Mimir, what do you want?" After a brief silence, even Zeus, who existed as an ideology, could see the Titan''s obstinance, and the once-owner of the body felt it even more acutely. Nevertheless, considering his own objective, he still inquired. "I want your right eye," Mimir dered, pointing at ''Odin''s'' head. At this moment, the Titan smiled merrily, because even the Divine King of Asgard had to follow his rules. "Your keen right eye is the true treasure equivalent to the Spring of Wisdom. If you wish to ''see'' the revtion of wisdom, then you must trade the eye with which you observe the Mortal World. Only with it can you gain the wisdom from the water." ''Odin'' fell silent, and so did the consciousness of the real Zeus in his mind. He knew this exchange was irreversible because the entities he was bartering with were the Spring of Wisdom and Yggdrasil. To forfeit an eye forever, to ascend to the throne as the one-eyed king, just as Zeus thought ''Odin'' was about to give up, he heard ''himself'' speak again. "So be it, Mimir. I ept your terms, if this is the demand you make as a guardian. I will give my eye, and you, will give something of equal value." "Of course, you shall have the water," Mimir responded without minding the other''s tone, thinking ''Odin'' meant the water, and he nodded in agreement. The next moment, a power acted upon ''Odin'' and the water before him. Now, with nothing to hinder him, yet Zeus suddenly realized that the power seemed to connect not just to ''Odin.'' Even he was bound within it. However, this power seemed somewhat at a loss, for at that moment, Zeus had no ''eyes.'' "Heh, it seems this trick works everywhere," Zeus chuckled to himself. It wasn''t the first time he had used a loophole in wording to evade a price. Like when Cronusmanded that the sky, the earth, and the ocean could not shelter his offspring, so the young Zeus was hung upon a tree branch. Now, because he had no ''eyes,'' he was unable to pay this price. "Step aside." As Zeus pondered, the external world continued. Sensing the contract''spletion, ''Odin''s'' voice grew stern, while Mimir merely shrugged and moved away from the fountain. There was no need for him to watch, as the process of gaining wisdom differed for each individual, and no one knew how long ''Odin'' would stay there. All he had to do was wait in the direction of exit, ready to witness the grandeur of the one-eyed Divine King. The Titan left, his towering figure quickly vanishing into the mystic fog of the Misty Forest. Alone, beneath the roots of the World Tree and facing the empty well, ''Odin'' was silent for a long time until, suddenly, he raised his weapon and mercilessly stabbed himself. ''Tss¡ª'' The skin was breached, blood gushed forth, yet ''Odin'' appeared unfazed. He stepped forward, scooped up a handful of water, and swallowed it in one gulp. "I will be reborn here." His voice calm, the next moment, ''Odin'' floated into midair. Up and down inverted, his past and future selves ovepped. ''Odin'' hung upside down, suspending himself from a root of the World Tree, gazing intently at the surface of the water in the cold wind. Meanwhile, as the blood and water dripped, ''Odin''s'' eye fell out and straight into the water, leaving behind the hollow socket as evidence of what had transpired. When the ''sacrifice'' was made, the ritual began. ''Odin''s'' lips curled slightly as time warped at that moment. The sun and the moon cycled at an unbelievable pace, and the will of the world focused its ''gaze'' upon this scene. Hanging from the tree, offering an eye to the world, sacrificing himself to himself, in this moment, wisdom seemed to truly approach the Divine King of this ce. Chapter 321: 82: The Grand Ceremony of Royal Power_3 But in Odin''s mind, the spirit of Zeus vibrated wildly. ... "Stop, Imand you to stop!" The furious roar echoed in his mind, barely concealing a touch of panic in Zeus''s tone. Throughout the journey, he had watched everything unfold passively, even when the exchanged power had its effects on him, he remained unmoved. Because Zeus could feel that, at this moment as a cluster of consciousness that existed and yet did not, he could not lose his eyes. So, he just quietly observed, then anticipated what kind of ''Wisdom'' this ''Divine King'' from a Foreign Realm had once obtained. And as he thought, when Odin wounded himself, losing his right eye permanently, Zeus felt the pain, but did not lose any of his limbs. Even now, as ''Wisdom'' from the world drew near, Zeus was filled with surprise. For in that instant, he seemed to also feel the arrival of Chaos''s will. Just as Laine had once guessed, the true recipient of this self-sacrifice was actually the world itself. The sacrificer was ''Odin,'' while the one epting the sacrifice was the ''Divine King.'' The present self sacrificed to the future self, as a deity, Odin performed the sacrifice on behalf of the world, and what he ultimately received were the Rune Symbols that contained the world''s profound mysteries. However, the Rune Scriptures were the response of the Nine Realms to Odin, and in the intermingled powers of these two realms, what Chaos offered to Zeus was not the same. The world was drawing near, the blessing about to arrive, and even as a Divine King for nearly a century, Zeus was experiencing the revtion from the world itself for the first time. He waited eagerly, until he suddenly realized that something was amiss. Because he himself seemed to be dissipating. Perhaps the very nature of enlightenment through Wisdom was an exchange, only the exchange involved both oneself and the world itself. But at this moment, within Odin''s body, there were two consciousnesses. Odin offered his right eye as agreed, but Zeus had given nothing in return. The loophole in the text could deceive another god, could deceive the Contract, but it could not deceive oneself, nor the exchange itself. To gain something, one must give something; Zeus had given nothing, so he should not receive anything. Had this been his own ritual, it would have ended immediately, and though he would not have attained what he desired, he would not have lost anything either. But the current situation was different. Because within the same body, there was another existence that had paid the price. So the world''s will, mingled together, came equally towards themingled Divine King, the remnants of the Nine Realms would reenact the past, and Chaos would grant Zeus an alternative revtion. The only difference was that, at the moment of their encounter, Chaos would also im the due ''Sacrifice.'' As for what the ''Sacrifice'' was... If Zeus still had a physical form, he would randomly lose a portion of his limbs, thus equating himself with ''Odin.'' But now he had no limbs, all that he was merged into one, so the only price he could pay was one. "¡ªIt''s all I have, everything that''s ''existence'' and beyond, it''s a conspiracy!" Consciousness churned, and Zeus finally realized the severity of the problem. If he could not find a proper ''Sacrifice'' immediately, his very existence would be the ''Sacrifice,'' and the fate of a ''Sacrifice'' given to the world was unknown. Had Zeus still possessed his own body at this moment, he could have sacrificed a part of his body like Odin, but now he was merely a form of consciousness. He couldn''t divide his consciousness because hecked such ability. So now, the world''s will that was ''approaching'' was no longer a blessing but resembled a guillotine ready to im a life. "Calm down, I am the Divine King." Forcing himself to remain calm, Zeus exhausted all his Wisdom seeking a solution, but to no avail. Now he finally understood the danger thaty in the shadows; it stemmed from this very remnant¡ªit''s master had long perished, and it had lost the concept of existence. When this illusory ''dream'' ended, so would the moment of its dissipation. But Zeus''s arrival had changed everything. If he truly offered himself to the world, then his ''existence'' would be left vacant. This remnant should have died long ago could gain an anchor and through that medium be a new ''Zeus.'' But knowing this had no meaning, it was a death trap set by another remnant of a Divine King, which had lived longer, possessed richer experience, and also had ''Wisdom.'' In the face of all this, Zeus had no recourse, not even with the Wisdom of Metis¡ª "¡ªMetis?" His mood suddenly halted, and in an instant, Zeus thought of many things. With the World Will drawing ever closer, he had no time for further thoughts. The sense of a fatal crisis loomed over him like a vast shadow, almost suffocating the Divine King. In that moment, Zeus finally made the most "correct" decision. After he had swallowed her, Metis became a part of him. She was his Wisdom, naturally blending with Zeus''s current consciousness. Without the corresponding authority, Zeus couldn''t split himself apart, but he could release his prisoner. Thus, in that moment, Metis, who had been swallowed for a century andnguished in eternal slumber, was finally set free by him. And in the first moment of awakening, Metis was offered up as a "Sacrifice" to the world in the guise of Zeus''s "Wisdom." Silently, this goddess who had lost most of her power with the birth of her daughter disappeared, and no one knew where she went as an offering to the world. In the depths of Zeus''s consciousness, all she left behind was a piece of leather, which floated down to rest upon the soon-to-be-born goddess. In the next moment, the goatskin from Amalthea, the goat that had raised him¡ªthe very excuse Zeus had used to approach Metis¡ªtransformed into a shield. It would be a naturally formed Divine Artifact, apanying the goddess of Victory and Wisdom upon her birth. "Heh... So you''ve been carrying this goatskin all along... Hahaha... It really is quite ridiculous." It was unclear whom he wasughing at, but the world did not pause for this. As Chaos''s will was "within an arm''s reach," Zeus suppressed his emotions and threw himself fiercely towards the boon of the world; at this moment, having offered the "Sacrifice," he no longer feared this power. Odin sacrificed himself in search of "Wisdom," while he sacrificed "Wisdom" to achieve his own ends. Hanging upside-down from the tree, separated by vast distances in time and space, the two Divine Kings took drastically different actions, yet they both obtained what they wanted. The Odin of the past gained the Rune Scriptures, explicating the world, and now, Zeus too had garnered the true essence of sovereignty. In an instant, yet feeling like eternity, he seemed to cross time and destiny, seeing both the past and the future. Before Zeus''s eyes, the scene of the first generation Divine King''s ascension was clearly visible, and he also saw another "himself," along the original path of fate, an immensely powerful version with all gods in subjection, as if speaking to him in the present. Somehow, Zeus suddenly understood. Reliance on mere Faith could never achieve Great Divine Power. True greatness requiredplete symbols, while Faith itself did not possess this capability. "So I need to construct one... Metis, thank you once again for your sacrifice for my sovereignty." Consciousness coalescing into form, Zeus sensed the information in his mind and could not help butugh aloud. He had finally found what he was searching for, the very thing he had been pursuing all this time. Even though it couldn''t immediately grant him unparalleled power, the very existence of this path eradicated his confusion. "Perhaps it should have a name." This path had no name, but now, Zeus was going to give it one. "Manifesting in the form of a ritual, yet not bound by rune or material... capable of involving everything in the world, but solely to achieve the Divine King himself." "In that case, let''s call it the Sovereignty Grand Ritual." Speaking softly, Zeus slowly raised his head. Opposite him, another "himself" was slowly fading away. Chapter 322: 83 Pillars and Kingdoms It wasn''t until now that Zeus saw ''himself'' for the first time in his true form. Hollow eye sockets, white flowing beard, he wore a helmet adorned with an eagle and was d in golden armor, his appearance nearing middle age yet still exuding a formidable valor. ''Odin'' grasped a long spear, his hand donned with the Draupnir gold ring. Even if it was merely an image recreated, Zeus could easily deduce that the divinence was a divine artifact not a whit inferior to the Arrows of Thunder. But all of this was an illusion, a mere echo of a past scene recreated in the confluence of powers from two realms. If Zeus had not arrived today, ''Odin'' would have continued to repeat the same actions in his memory, in an eternal recurrence, until his power was finally exhausted. But when the Divine King of Chaos received the response of the world through the ritual, Asgard''sst resistance was also crushed. If ''Odin'' had been a real deity, he might have been assimted by the world and be a member of the new world, but it was only a fragment of a remnant, a mere thought. So, having lost the basis for its existence, it inevitably headed towards destruction. It did not know if the real ''him'' hadpletely died, but as a thought, it was destined to be destroyed along with thest vestiges of the Nine Realms'' power remaining in Asgard. "To consume one''s own wife, to regard her as one''s own wisdom... it''s truly an unexpected oue. After all, how could the schemes of an ''outsider'' like me win against ''one of our own'' who is favored by fate?" With a touch of irony, ''Odin'', though somewhat regretful, was not too regretful, because such an oue had been anticipated. Therefore, he had no intention of interacting with Zeus; he merely greedily gazed at this illusory world onest time, as if in reminiscence of the past. He too, like Zeus, thought he had grasped everything after receiving revtion. But as he picked up the Rune Scriptures, he also foresaw the arrival of the Twilight of the Gods. This seemingly equal exchange was, in fact, unequal. Odin''s eyes could trade for the Spring of Wisdom''s fountain, but not for the runes that would decode the source of the world. Simrly, losing the power of Metis might be more valuable than an eye, but by no meansparable to the path that leads directly to the pinnacle of greatness. So having seen destruction, what did Zeus see? Or perhaps he has seen it, but I just don''t know yet. From rity to blur, ''Odin''s'' image eventually dissipated, and the phantasm borne of his memory began to crumble as well. The true Asgard now emerged into Zeus''s perception, but now it was a part of the present world. It was like the Underworld, a realm unto itself, with its own portals, and this portal''s front was located in Olympus. "The Divine King of the Otherworld... how many secrets of this world remain unknown to me. Beyond Chaos there are even other realms, and their ultimate fate is destruction?" Indifferently witnessing the ''death'' of ''Odin'', Zeus gradually calmed down from his initial joy. The experience of today had brought him unimaginable gain, yet it was a miracle that could not be replicated; even if he attempted it again, it was doomed not to seed a second time. It was an unavoidable situation, as from the beginning the entire ritual was not under Zeus''s control, nor recognized by the fundamentalws of the Chaos World. Without the power of the Nine Realms, the world simply would not respond to a bizarre ''sacrifice''. The schemer was the remnant of Odin, the power sustaining its operation was the world force intertwined between the two realms, whereas Zeus was merely a bystander caught up in the currents, even almost sacrificing himself in the process. The immortal deities of Chaos could not even manage to take their own lives, so how could they possibly offer themselves as a sacrifice to the world? This was the manifestation ofws from an otherworldly realm. However, unexpectedly, from now on, due to the sess of Zeus and because the world itself participated in the ritual, sacrifices to the world may truly stir some power of the realms, although it will likely only affect ces like the Abyss. As for Chaos itself, unless someone can sacrifice something beyond the world to It, It will continue to exist as if not at all, unresponsive to any call of gods or men. "World... such a terrifying power. But did fate really destine me to be this powerful?" He sighed thoughtfully, but also with some doubts. Without today''s ident, Zeus wouldn''t have known how he could possibly break through to grow as strong as the ''future self'' in the ritual. And at the end of the ritual, that version of himself seemed to have said something to him, but unfortunately, the Divine King could not ''hear'' clearly at the moment. It would require him to advance further to achieve that, to have equal power that could transcend time and fate, to hear the ''warning'' of that false self. Yes, Zeus had realized that this version of himself was not truly real; it was just a false future momentarily manifested by destined power. Without surprise, it would never have the chance toe true. "Indeed, fate is not unchangeable, just like you." Sensing the life within his own head, Zeus thought silently. "In the face of sufficient power and wisdom, nothing is predestined." This extraordinary daughter of his proved just that, her birth had been dyed, and her brother had lost even the chance toe into the world. Yet, Zeus harbored a hint of wariness towards her existence. Chapter 323: 83 Pillars and Kingdoms_2 Although she had not yet been born, the moment Metis disappeared, her aura became even more powerful, and even the shield beside her ceased to be ordinary. Perhaps it was because of the decisive action he had taken with Metis, or maybe it was due to some change spawned from being offered to the world, but Zeus felt that the shield, once made from nothing more thanmon sheepskin, now possessed special powers. Against other types of harm, it might have been just a divine artifact of considerable might, but facing him, it could even block the attacks of the Arrows of Thunder. "...You would be better off not remembering any events from before you were born; it''s for the best for both of us." "You will be my capable right hand, should you truly understand the reverence of power." After a moment of silence, Zeus ultimately refrained from taking any action. Although the child had not yet entered the world, she was already growing, and at an elerated pace at that. Having fully separated from her mother, she was already half-born, with her divine power slowly on the rise. Without any surprises, when she would be born, she would descend into the world in the form of a maiden rather than an infant. Withdrawing his thoughts, Zeus refocused his energy back on himself. Given the new gains from the ritual, he found his own power deserving of more attention than a child yet to be born. Reflecting upon his gains, Zeus also gained a rough understanding of the direction his next tasks would take. The essence of a ritual can vary, some imitating, others harnessing power, or something else entirely, and the Sovereignty Grand Ritual belonging to Zeusbined these aspects. It started as an ''imitation'' of the original Heavenly Father, the Divine King, expanding to new heights on this foundation, and in theory, could include all rituals, as it shaped ''sovereignty,'' a symbol unique to the Divine King. And since it was about authority, naturally, there was no limit to speak of. Theoretically, as vast as the world is, so too could the ritual''s scope be extended; every entity in this world could give birth to a deity, and all deities could be ruled, hence the scope of ''sovereignty'' could be boundless, and the power infinitely strong. However, theory is just that, and in practice, Zeus was well aware of the difficulties involved. Not to mention possessing the supreme might to suppress the Primordial Gods, even to construct the most basic parts and uphold the thinnest ''symbol'' of sovereignty, Zeus would first need two ''cores'' and twelve ''pirs.'' "Heavenly Father and Mother Earth, ever so distant from each other, thus the two extremes that the ritual initially requires, the Divine King and Queen of Gods, should, in some sense, be equal and inherently connected. On this note, it seems I''ve already aplished that." Reflecting on the past, Zeus suddenly realized that his scheme for acquiring the Fertility dominion in order to influence his progeny had, inadvertently, resolved a problem for him. He and Hera exchanged their divine authorities, which indeed made them equals in a sense. Sharing a blood connection, they also fulfilled the inherent link required. Even the Fertility dominion, initially originating from Mother Earth, made Hera a perfectly suitable counterpart for the Grand Ritual. "Beyond that, it is about harnessing power. Sovereignty lies in ruling; my own authority on the world''s stage is insignificant, butbined with that of the Pantheon gods, it is far from trifling. However, a mere umtion is only piling up quantity; only a structure fitting the ritual can achieve qualitative Sublimation, so I must emte the former Heavenly Father, using a perfect number of ''pirs'' as the ritual''s framework." Uranus fathered twelve Titans and established an era''s Divine Court; hence the number ''twelve'' has since symbolizedpleteness in Chaos. Laine''s subsequent division of Chronology and regtion of Moon and hours reinforced this concept, and thus Zeus too needed twelve different divine authorities to serve as the ''pirs'' of his Divine Court to support his own symbol. However, after some contemtion, Zeus found the selection of ''pirs'' to be far from straightforward. They needed to have a profound connection with him and possess substantial Divine Power. And after reconsideration, the Divine King, regrettably, realized that the current Divine Courtcked so many suitable deities. Two sisters, two brothers, and then there was no fifth. The external Goddess of Beauty and his bond were not as close as imagined, and his Aunt Themis was simrly distant. If they were to be part of the ritual, they would need to form a deeper connection with him personally rather than with the Divine Court. "And then there''s strength. Even if I construct the most basic Grand Ritual, it would only outline the symbol''s framework with the deities'' authorities. I still need an equal strength to fill it, or it will be but an empty form with scant Divine Power... And the best filler, that would be Faith. Alone, faith cannot touch greatness, but if it is just to provide ''quantity,'' then it is indeed the perfect candidate." In silent contemtion, not just to fill his own ritual, but even the twelve strong Divine Powers required by the ritual could be potentially addressed through the power of Faith. In this moment, Zeus once again recognized the importance of this mortal derived power, and his own need for it was virtually limitless. "Iplete as it may be, once my daughter is born, I''ll find a way to make Aphrodite ''one of us,'' and then at least I will be able to establish half a ritual. With that, I would also be ready to face the current Mother Earth." Chapter 324: 83 Pillars and Kingdoms_3 He exhaled, and although the pressure from the Primordial Gods remained strong, Mother Earth, the one with whom he had a direct conflict, happened to be the weakest among them. His heart rxed slightly as he watched the illusory scenery around him slowly dissipate, and Zeus locked onto the interface attached to Mount Olympus. He was very curious about what was in this strange world¡ªperhaps the treasure trove of that Otherworldly Divine King was among them. Since he still had time, he might as well probe into it. Moreover, an interface... Zeus had many ideas about it. ... No one knew what disaster had urred at Olympus; the collision between worlds was silent yet vast and unpredictable. Even Laine, far away in the Spirit Realm, only nced strangely toward The East of the continent at the beginning. Just now, he suddenly discovered that the authority he had left behind had inexplicably shifted locations. Although with the gestation of the new deities, he had willingly transferred the authority of Wisdom to a new deity, he had deliberately retained a part of it. The Wisdom that remained in Zeus''s mind could often produce special effects in many situations. But at this moment, for some reason, those remaining authorities suddenly lost their master and attached themselves to another deity nearby. Not just the authority granted by Laine, even the Hydrology inherent in Metis herself was not an exception. Sensing all this, Laine tried to trace through the connection between the authorities to find out what happened, but there, he only felt two familiar forces that severed everything. Their existence caused a rift in the dimensions of time and fate, blocking all possible probes and shrouding the events behindyers of mist. "What''s wrong, has something happened at Olympus?" Handing back the Codex of Creation to Laine, Themis sharply noticed Laine''s distracted divine mind, and the direction he was looking was precisely where Olympus was. Thinking about the recent acts of her nephew, the goddess couldn''t help but suspect he had done something again. "Nothing much, just a minor incident. Zeus... may have obtained something special." His eyes narrowed minimally, Laine epted the codex. Although the world concealed everything, there were only so many possible oues. Appearing at Olympus and rted to the residual world power of the Nine Realms, there could be no other possibility. Zeus probably got hold of something left behind by the Nine Realms; considering that Asgard was what fell there, the source of the ident was likely Odin. This seasoned Divine King was not like the previous two of Chaos; he had weathered many storms, presided over several wars of the gods¡ªagainst the Titans, against the Vanir, and against the Land of the Dead¡ªand had always remained steadily seated on his throne. Mimir''s so-called understanding of him might only be a part of it. Perhaps due to the rush of time, Laine hastily explored Asgard might still have some backup ns left by Odin, which all turned to naught as the world disintegrated. Now Zeus had obtained it, thereby causing today''s impact. However,pared to Zeus, what Laine was actually more concerned about was Chaos. What role did the world''s will y in all this, that was what truly put him on alert. The loss of godhood in such an inexplicable manner was not something Zeus could do, but rather something triggered by the world itself under certain special circumstances. What on earth happened to Metis that she ended up in such a plight, even the Hydrology blessed to her by the world had changed masters? Perhapster, he would take the opportunity to visit Olympus. After all, there were only two beings in this world who could truly threaten him now: the Flesh-Mother Tree, which seemingly inherited the world''s resentment from the demise of the Nine Realms, and the world of Chaos itself. Whether by ident or something else, he had to find out the reason. "So it''s Zeus again, he destroyed humanity in the name of Poseidon, merely because Pandora opened the box he purposely bestowed. If it wasn''t for the prayer from the son of Prometheus to me, I might not have even noticed it until now." Unaware of what Laine was thinking, the Goddess of Justice''s expression was somewhat stern. Before leaving Olympus, Themis had inquired about Zeus''s attitude towards humanity''s deceit of the gods, and he had given her a satisfying response. Everything stemmed from Prometheus; once he was punished, humanity''s guilt would be absolved. He did follow through, and thus, the Bronze Humanity lived a few more years. But he also just found a new pretext for his own destruction, so after barely more than a decade, humanity ultimately perished because of it. "So what will you do, question Zeus''s justice as the Divine King?" Laine mentioned it casually, then shook his head. If it were him, Laine wouldn''t care about what''s reasonable or not. If he thinks you''re wrong, then dealing with you is the end of it. But on one hand, Themis doesn''t yet possess that kind of power, and on the other hand, her character wouldn''t allow her to do such a thing. Zeus was indeed ''entrapment enforcing,'' but the one who actually took the bait was Poseidon, who approached of his own volition. Even Hades, he had previously warned not to open that box, and afterwards, he didn''t deliberately target humans, but rather indiscriminately inflicted gues and disasters upon the earth. In this situation, Themis probably doesn''t have a suitable reason to do anything. "No, although Zeus turned a blind eye to all this, silence is his right. So I am merely answering Deucalion and Pitha''s prayers, and I will witness the birth of a new generation of humans. As for Poseidon..." With a calm expression, the Goddess of Justice touched her golden sword at her waist. What she intended to do was crystal clear. "Very well," Nodding, Laine ceased to concern himself with such trifles and brought up another matter. "But apart from that, I do have something else. Since you haveid the foundation for thews of future humans, you can''t possibly solve all mortal problems by yourself." "Even if every trial is conducted ording to your request and inpliance with the rules, considering the vast future poption of humans, you will probably not even have time to rest." Since the matter with Mephistost time, Themis had gradually realized that if she wanted to prevent simr incidents and ensure that human trials were conducted fairly, she needed to establish a standard for them. But just like Laine said, it''s impossible for her to supervise every mortal trial by herself, especially in the foreseeable future when humans with the ability to reproduce would be spread across the Earth. Even as a deity, Themis wouldn''t be able to spend all her time on these matters. "So, do you have any suggestions?" Raising an eyebrow, Themis inquired. She knew that since Laine had brought up this matter, he must have some special idea. "Sort of. It''s also thanks to an angel under mymand who gave me this idea. Perhaps you could establish a clergy to guard the fairness of trial on your behalf." "Those mortals who resonate with your ideals, respect your actions, and are willing to offer their faith to you can be ordained with your holy emblem. They will judge the various affairs in the Mortal Realm in your name, and only truly significant events would warrant your direct gaze. And if they betray their faith, you will have a fitting reason to punish their betrayal." With a slight smile, Laine unveiled the n he had long considered. Across from him, the Goddess of Law nodded, but then shook her head. "But I have nothing to give them, and even if they are my followers, I shouldn''t let them serve me withoutpensation." "No, you do." Meeting Themis''s gaze, Laine slowly said: "For those who devoutly follow your path, I can take charge and present their souls to you. You can promise them that, after their death, they can enjoy various blessings in your realm and obtain a life far longer than they had before." "But I don''t have such a ce... It seems you are already prepared, aren''t you?" With an inscrutable expression, Themis had already realized that Laine definitely had other ns for this matter. However, she wasn''t opposed to it, because ever since she first enactedws thousands of years ago, while Laine did indeed gain something, she too benefited from each exchange. "It''s not about being prepared, but you just need to expend some divine power to build it. That''s all." With a subtle smile, Laine confirmed this. "As for me, I have no other requests, except for one thing: the location of its establishment is naturally for me to decide." Chapter 325: 84 Paradise Mountain and the New Era ``` Great Divine Power is subject to disparities, whether it is the greatness achieved in the form of a ''world'' or the innate greatness like that of the Primordial Gods. Ultimately, the measure of power ultimately lies in its symbolic strength or weakness within the world. Although, aside from the Mother Tree from beyond the realm, the entities walking the world of Chaos World are still iplete, this does not affect the clear power disparity among them due to their hierarchical status. Especially as Laine gradually fills in the final gap of Divine Power, with the continuous fall of Mother Earth''s power and the opening of Samsara, Laine''s ''sample'' is bing more and more sufficient. If in the past, he only knew that he ''improved the Spirit Realm'', and then his ''power rose'', but he did not know exactly how much it increased or how far it was from the limit, now he is gradually gaining rity. When the Spirit Realm was just opened, the ''Spirituality'' it symbolized had just reached the lower limit of Great Divine Power; by his own set standards, it had broken through the limit of level 20 of strong Divine Power and reached level 21. Later, through the changes of the entire second age, the digestion of Source Power, and the construction of the first threeyers of the Spirit Realm, the ''symbol'' of Spirituality also rose with the tide. When Samsara was opened, not only was the ''symbol'' of ''cycle'' established, but Spirituality itself also reached the peak of level 24 with the appearance of the fourthyer of the Spirit Realm. At this point, in terms of thepleteness of the symbol, Laine was no worse off than The Dark Overlord. In fact,pared to thetter, as the creatures of the world increase and the status of Samsara bes more important, the symbol of Spirituality will continue to expand. As for the other Primordial Gods, Gaia was at about level 30 at the time of her birth, symbolizing all matter in the world and being the only one in existence, but now, she probably has only the baseline of Great Divine Power left. Nyx, when not considering the Tri-phased Incarnation, is about the same as Erebus, both at around levels 24 to 25, while Abyss Tartaros is at about level 28 to 29. What keeps him from reaching the peak of Great Divine Power is simply because there is more to the world beyond the Abyss. Meanwhile, as eras change, the increase of Deities, and the strengthening of the world,plete Godhood such as [Ocean and Water], [The Sky], etc., also rise with the tide, and even the slightly lesser [Sun], [Light] also have the potential to advance further. If it were not for the former being fragmented and thetter being slightly diluted by [Meteorology], and also conflicting with the increasingly powerful twisted [Patriarchy], they too would be able to construct their own Great symbols. In such a situation, while Laine pursues the path from the bottom up to be aplete Great Divine Power, he naturally does not forget to continue to improve the Spirit Realm, increasing the ''Spirituality'' symbol''s share in the whole world. "This matter is not urgent, after all, thend is still uninhabited for now. Take care of the new human matters first, and then talk about it. The people sent by Zeus are about to arrive, and it would be somewhat troublesome if you werete." Wearing a smile, Laine noticed that near Delphi, the God of West Wind already began to make an indistinct appearance, and so he stretched out his hand and drew a portal in front of him. "I will send you on your way, lest you miss the time." "Okay." Nodding her head, Themis did not ask any further questions. It must be said that the authority over space and time is indeed handy, as she stepped through the portal and disappeared on Mount Sinai. Others prayed to her, and she responded; it was all too natural. With the departure of Themis, the Temple of Lops once again quieted down. Behind her, Laine pondered for a moment, then looked ''down''. He saw Eclipses roaming in the fifthyer of the Spirit Realm, as well as the true forms of those Spirit Realm Stars. Emitting light of varying brightness, they released different types of power. But this did not change the chaotic state of the fifthyer of the Spirit Realm, where it would be difficult for any non-divine life to exist for long. "Aster." Speaking softly, Laine called upon the Goddess of Starlight, whom he had not summoned for a long time. "I am here, Your Highness." The starlight cascaded like a waterfall through the pce, and with the call, the Angel arranging the stars appeared before Laine. Silver wings adorned with light, her expression as devout as ever. "The skies should have stabilized by now, haven''t they?" Laine asked upon seeing the neer. "Yes, the turbulence of the skies has already returned to normal after these years, and the Zodiac Regions havepletely be our domain. Even without the aid of a God of Stars or Heroic Spirits, no more energy tides will arise there." She answered reverently, and as Aster said, the skies were no longer as they used to be. In the ancient times, when the God of Sun had just been dethroned, hisst act of fury shook the star realms. Even the Spirit Realm Angels who were appointed to manage them needed the help of the Golden Humanity''s Heroic Spirits to rece the permanently resting Gods of Stars to stabilize the skies. But it was different now. Just as the Sea God can gradually assimte unimed oceans into their own, and even through war seize other Sea Gods'' realms, the God of Stars possesses a simr ability. Once the Zodiac Regions that are managed by their angels arepletely controlled, those Heroic Spirits that used to travel between the stars also lose their purpose. "Is that so... well done." He praised offhandedly, and the oue was not unexpected for Laine. Since they were no longer needed, there was also no need to keep them there any longer. ``` Chapter 326: 84 Paradise Mountain and the New Era_2 "Since that is the case, there is no need for the spirits of Golden Humanity to stay in the starry sky, doing meaningless things day after day. You can select some who are skilled in battle and grant them power, making them guardians of the star domain, forbidding life that is not sufficiently qualified from approaching there. As for the rest, let them take on another task." "Golden Humanity obediently follows the gods, and they consider it an honor to serve the gods. Therefore, it''s most appropriate for them to take on this task. From now on, they will possess bodies, transforming into the ''Celestial n'', responsible for guiding the souls of the devout to the kingdoms of their respective deities after death." Even though at this moment there is no so-called ''kingdom'', it does not hinder Laine from making preparations in advance. Gods cannot personally do these things, so Golden Humanity is the best proxy. "Understood, Your Highness." The Goddess of Starlight respectfully responded but then she remembered something. "Transforming into the ''Celestial n''... Providing souls with a vessel is not difficult, but what should I use to create their bodies?" "Hmm... they only have positive emotions, so let''s use positive energy to shape their bodies. An element between ethereal and physical form, which is also just right for their travel between the Spirit Realm and the living world." Having made a decision, Laine then reached out and grasped. In the Spirit Realm, some scattered faith was gathered, all oriented towards the Golden Age or the veneration of the Zodiac''s Heroic Spirits. Compared to the faith vested in gods, which is somewhat longing, these are much purer, merelyter generations'' recognition of the Golden Age people''s noble character. Faith aimed at others is nearly impossible to steal, and Golden Humanity does not possess the ability to utilize them, so they have remained here. "Now that they have their own task, they should also have their own domain. Although the faith oriented towards them cannot be transformed into Divine Power by themselves, I allow them to borrow the power of the Spirit Realm, mixed with positive energy, to construct a world that belongs solely to them." "As for its name..." After a moment''s contemtion, even though he did not yet know the thoughts of Golden Humanity, by observing his own seven-tiered Spirit Realm and Mount of the Gods, Laine could immediately guess what these worshippers of deities would model their kingdom after. Therefore, without much thought, he bestowed upon it the true name of this realm: "The realm belonging to the Celestial n, the gathering point of positive energy in the world, a world of goodness and beauty. It shall carry life''s yearning for nobility, the reverence of virtue, so be it¡ª" "Let''s call it Seven Hills Paradise." ... In the Mortal Realm, on the Panasus Mountain Range. The flood had receded, but Deucalion and Pitha still remained here. Because their prayers had been answered by the goddess, they naturally should wait. A feeling of hunger surged up, and although the faint touch of divinity kept them from dying due tock of food, the ufortable sensation did not diminish at all. From the height of the flood to the time it receded, there was still no trace of the goddess, but they did not give up hope. Among the Olympian Gods, promises made by the Divine King and the Goddess of Law would be fulfilled, though the former would always leave loopholes in his words, bound by the powers of the ''Oathkeeper'', while thetter would never go back on her word once she has responded. So atop Mount Panasus, the two waited quietly, never stirring for a moment. However, on this day after the flood had subsided, a breeze suddenly blew in from afar. The airflow grew closer, swirling around Delphi, and then turned from invisible to visible. The next moment, along with the howling West Wind, the figure of Zephyrus appeared in front of Deucalion and Pitha. Yet, seeing the two kneeling on the ground, he couldn''t help but be surprised. "Are you praying to the deities?" As the offspring of gods, to pray to other deities like mortals was indeed surprising to him. However, sensing the barely detectable divine power within the two individuals before him, the God of West Wind showed understanding. Such a weak divinity, barely different from none. If not for their prolonged lives, they might indeed be no different from mortals. In front of him, Deucalion and Pitha were initially startled by the sudden appearance of the deity but then Pitha''s face lit up with hope. Atst, a deity had arrived, although she was confused, as the one who came was not the Goddess of Law. She was about to ask, but Deucalion spoke before she could: "Yes, Your Highness, we are praying here, seeking help from the gods of Mount Olympus." Beneath his sleeve, he pulled on Pitha. The girl did not understand her cousin''s intentions, but she remained silent. Although she did notprehend why the prayer to Lady Themis had summoned another deity. "Good, it seems that you are different from your parents who dared to defy the Divine King." Zephyrus nodded, since they had started with prayers, things would be much easier. Looking at the two before him, the God of West Wind spoke kindly: "You are fortunate, children of Prometheus and Epimetheus. The most high and supreme Divine King has heard your plea and intends to bestow additional grace upon you." "With the fall of Bronze Humanity, the sins they oncemitted have also been mercifully forgiven by the Divine King, and he allows humans to arise once again on the earth. And you, are to be their source." Chapter 327: 84 Paradise Mountain and the New Era_3 "Praise be to the most high king." Bowing his head, Deucalion did not look into the other''s eyes. He knew all too well why his father had been imprisoned in the East Sea, and he was fully aware of the Divine King''sck of mercy. As for "hearing their prayers," it was ludicrous; he knew better than anyone that he had never prayed to the Divine King, not for a single moment. Yet the other had stille. In that moment, the wisdom inherited from his father allowed Deucalion to see the whole truth of the matter, or perhaps the Divine King had never intended to hide it from the gods. He wanted to destroy all the old memories, erase the canvas that had been stained with the colors of others, and then create a new one, a nk te upon which he could exert his will. "It seems you have no objections, which is excellent." As he saw the two of them behaving submissively, Zephyrus''s smile became more genuine. He waved his hand, and something given to him by the Divine King fell upon the ancient mountain range, infusing the soil and stones with a special vitality. At the same time, the Sacred Stone ced in the Delphi Temple by Zeus glowed faintly, as if recreating the scene of the past creation of man. In this world, only three beings could create humans in such a manner: one who bestowed souls upon humanity, one who bestowed bodies, and one who bestowed the right of existence. The first two remained unchanged with the passage of time, but thetter was tied only to the position of the Divine King. Now that Zeus was the Divine King, and since he did not intend to make further modifications to the human body and soul, he could use this simple method to bring forth humans here. This act of creation was not divine but more akin to the exercise of authority, a reenactment of certain objectivews. "Since it is so, I shall now convey the will of the Divine King¡ª" With a smile, the God of the West Wind slowly began to speak. Before him, Deucalion and Pitha awaited, seemingly submissive, themand from the Divine King. But just as he was about to speak, another calm voice suddenly resounded. "I havee in answer to your prayers, now, hear my oracle." Find out more on m-vl-em-pyr Startled, Zephyrus instinctively searched for the source of the voice, then quickly understood. His gaze turned icy as he looked at the two in front of him, realizing that these children of the Gods of Punishment had deceived him. But in this moment, Deucalion seemed indifferent to this revtion. He simply took Pitha''s hand and bowed respectfully. "The fairest in Olympus, the upholder of divine order, the great Themis, who establishes covenants for the world, we, the descendants of Iapetus, listen to your reprimand here." "Leave Panasus, return to the Mortal Realm," the goddess''s voice replied, "Cover your faces with a veil, unbelt your waists, cast the bones of your mother behind you, and your wish shall be fulfilled." "Mother? She¡ª" Pitha was confused, thinking that the goddess was telling her that her mortal mother had passed away in the great flood. Instinctively, she wanted to refuse, for she did not wish to offend the spirit of Pandora after death. However, Deucalion stopped her again, simply bowing before and thanking the goddess for her guidance. "Thank you for your mercy." Rising to his feet, Deucalion looked at the God of West Wind not far away. Zephyrus, who had stood before them, now retreated a distance from the two, too wary to receive their homage to the Goddess of Law. But as they stood up and faced the two before them, the West Wind God coldly said: "So you deceived me earlier, just as the Bronze Humanity did, again deceiving the messenger of the Divine King?" Zephyrus swore that if they admitted to this, he would punish Deucalion with something far worse than what his father had suffered. For a moment, he seemed to forget that he hadn''t intended to let them survive the creation of humans either. However, Deucalion only shook his head, responding calmly to the West Wind''s usation. "I merely spoke the truth, Lord Zephyrus, is not the great Master of Law a deity of Mount Olympus?" The Wind God did not respond, but transformed into a gust of air and vanished before them. Watching this, Deucalion finally breathed a sigh of relief and picked up a pebble from the ground, looking at Pitha beside him. "Mother Earth is the origin of all, and the mother of gods as well, the soil and stones are her bones, and now, we do not act as Deucalion and Pitha, we are but a part of the world, descendants of Mother Earth in the Mortal Realm." Humans no longer need a creator; thus, they must veil their faces and shed their identities. They shall create beings as beings, not in the name of any particr individual. Somewhat puzzled yetpliant, Pitha nodded her agreement. Thereupon, they loosened their clothes, covered their faces, and walked onward, picking up stones from the ground and tossing them behind as they went. As the stones left their hands, transformation began. When theynded, inanimate objects became living beings. This new generation of life was not made by gods; they were ''self''-made. Unseen, a peculiar force reverberated from this beginning point. The temple in the distance grew older and more mystical, the Bronze Age thus became part of [History], and in the Golden Apple Orchard of Mother Earth, a special fruit also matured a segment under the surprised gaze of the Nymphs. In the depths of the Spirit Realm, the [Well of Reincarnation] also imperceptibly expanded a fraction. On the Aurora ins, Humar calmly faced the end of life, and as his soul left his body, blessed by Laine before his departure, his gaze seemed to cross mountains and seas, witnessing this moment on the slopes of Mount Panasus. Yet perhaps because he was at the ''end'' of ''life'' and at the beginning of ''death'', the vision in his eyes appeared blurred. He did not see birth, but destruction. "As heaven and earth part... you too, will be like us." "But humanity will only be better." The era would end, but humans would not, much like those who had survived but could no longer call themselves Bronze. Thus, watching it all, thest of the Bronze Humanity closed his eyes; he had no worries, serenely weing the end that was his destiny. Chapter 328: 85: The Tiny Man in the Box No one knows, just as Iapetus once unexpectedly glimpsed a corner of the future, another ever so ordinary mortal caught sight of destiny at the end of his life. He made a Prophecy in this corner of the world, forgotten by all, and then he dispersed with the wind, merging into the dust. Perhaps centuriester, descendants wille here, but they will only wonder why only a skeleton remains in a city washed away by the flood, without remembering who he was or what he had done. Only the stone bs ced in The Temple might bear traces of his existence, truly enduring through the ages. Elsewhere, within the city''s ruins, two teams that had escaped disaster departed separately. Due to differing Faiths, they went in different directions: one westward, towards Olympus; the other southward, following the trail of the stars. The former was fortunate, for not far from their departure, they encountered Hestia, who had hurried over, guided by the Power of Faith. Upon learning of their deeds and moved by their devotion, Hestia ultimately allowed them to walk the world in her namesake as envoys. And the me they had drawn from the original Sacred Fireter became the source of the Sacred Fire in the cities of the Fourth Order of Humans. As Humans gradually proliferated upon the Earth, whenever a new settlement was to be established, the first thing people did was to draw forth these mes that could ward off ferocious beasts. Thus, those envoys recognized by the gods became the Guards of the Sacred Fire in every city. Although they did not participate in rule, dedicating themselves to reiming the wilderness and dispelling Darkness, they held significant status wherever they went. Just as the goddess once said, she nned to do nothing because she did not need any specific city or nation to regard her as their protector. Yet, it seemed she had done everything, for in every corner of the Human world, her traces existed. As for the other group, led by Nuo, they continued to move forward, and the Angels did not n any further contact with them before they reached their destination. However, by coincidence or fate''s guidance, these migrating people encountered a band of Elves who had lost their homes to the flood. These beings born from the marshes did not have specific physical forms, at least most of them did not. But as Nymphs born ofkes and marshes, they still needed to live near a water source. After their encounter, a delighted Nuo preached the greatness of the Lord and invited them to the city-building site guided by the stars. The Elves, with nowhere else to go, ultimately agreed, willing to be followers of this supreme deity in exchange for a safe haven under the glow of the Sacred Fire. Thest of the people scattered, and as the wind and sand swept through, no human footprints remained on the teau. The undying Sacred Fire burned alone, bearing witness to less than a century''s worth of Bronze remnants. As time passed, everything would be buried in the past, with only History silently recording it all. ... Before long, months rushed by. On the fringes of the Aurora teau, greenery once again covered thend, its youthfulness still apparent. Since the floodwaters receded, under the dominion of Demeter, various nts immediately grew at rates tens of times faster, and in just a few months, the Eastern Region of the continent had returned to its former appearance. Regrettably, while vegetation could grow quickly, Life could not. Aside from the asional birds flying across the sky, there were no signs of animals on this flood-ravagednd. The Earth fell silent, with only the sound of the wind and the rustling of the leaves breaking the quietude. It would undoubtedly take a long time for the Eastern Continent to fully recover to its pre-disaster state. However, on this day, at the edge of the teau, beneath an unidentifiable tree, a peculiar sound suddenly emerged. Crack¡ªCrack¡ª Boom¡ª Get more chapters on m v l e mpyr Crack¡ª ... Friction and noise arose from underground, as if something were digging, an unusual urrence in the post-flood world. The ground''s surface vibrated slightly, kicking up a bit of dust. At a certain moment, when the vibrations reached their peak, apanied by a muffled boom, the soil waspletely broken through. The outside Light streamed into the hole, vaguely outlining a figure. Perhaps due to having stayed in the darkness for too long, he was motionless for a time. After a while, as if gradually bing ustomed to the external light, the figure finally extended a hand out of the hole and then forcefully pushed himself up. Boom¡ª "Cough, cough¡ª" "Is it... over now?" "Thankfully, it''s not the worst oue." His robe somewhat disheveled, Ande simply summoned a breeze to blow away the dust from his body. Although he still hadn''t learned even the simplest witchcraft, these basic applications of spirit and Element, indeed, were not too challenging for him. Moreover, it''s worth mentioning that now, Ande had finally made further progress in meditation, reaching the domain of the Fourth Order. At this point, only thest barrier stood between him and Legendary status. Perhaps in ten years, perhaps in a few decades, but before the life of mortals ran out, he ultimately had the chance to explore that realm. After all, although he couldn''tpare with natural deities, his talent among mortals was exceptionally outstanding. "By then, I''ll be able to use what Mr. Laine left for me... I''m truly looking forward to it." Chapter 329: 85 The Tiny Person in the Box_2 Ande silently stroked the puppet in his arms, feeling somewhat grateful. If not for this parting gift, he would have likely been unable to avoid the disaster that blotted out the sky and sun. Perhaps for a true Fourth Order Wizard, a flood that didn''t involve extraordinary powers wouldn''t be much of an issue. They could easily traverse The Sky, as long as they avoided the children of the Sea God and the powerful Sea Monsters, they wouldn''t face any real danger. But Ande was different. After all, he was just a half-baked practitioner who had trained in "Inner Strength" but knew nobat "moves." He could still pretend to be strong to deter the beasts, but against towering waves, Ande was out of options. In the end, it was only by using his mental power to stimte the puppet left by Laine and briefly awaken its divine charm that he was able to survive the catastrophe. However, he could no longer use the puppet for now. Ande did not truly have the right to wield it. Fortunately, the disaster had also ended, and no other danger seemed likely to descend in the short term. After scanning his surroundings, Ande turned towards the hole he had climbed out of and shouted: "The disaster has passed, everyonee up. We have almost used up our food reserves, and we need to gather more as soon as possible." Indeed, Ande hadn''t hidden away alone. When the disaster struck, he, being inherently kind, had sheltered every panicked and helpless member of the Bronze Humanity, regardless of whether they knew each other or not, or whether their rtionships had been good or bad. When the flood came, Ande had used the power of the puppet to protect everyone. Even when hiding underground, he had taken charge of distributing food to all. Now, as the disaster was nearing an end, he had taken the lead in arranging for everyone to take turns digging upwards, and he had volunteered to be the first to emerge onto the surface. He knew it was dangerous, but Ande still stepped up. "...the oue has been good, since we haven''t found ourselves being watched by Sea Monsters upon first discovery, he deity behind the disaster likely hasn''t noticed our survival. Or perhaps it did notice but didn''t care about us." After the tapping from the hole below received a response, Ande turned back and continued to observe his surroundings. He didn''t know how far he had been moved by the flood or where he had been buried again¡ªthe puppet''s power had kept them safe, but it didn''t include a map and directions. Behind him, the sounds of climbing and scraping started, but Ande did not look back. He had assigned the second person to climb up as the strongest one in their group, not only responsible for getting himself out but also for widening the hole. After all, not everyone was in good shape. Even among the still primitive Bronze Humanity, there were quite a few people who were fatter than others. "Huff¡ª" "Sir Ande, it seems we are safe now." The tall and sturdy middle-aged man squinted as he climbed out of the hole, used his hand to cover his eyes from the Sun, and looked around. The Sun shone in the sky, making everything on Earth thrive. If not for their own experiences and the silence devoid of any signs of life, the middle-aged man might have thought that nothing had happened. But that was impossible. Even though they couldn''t see the Sun and had lost all sense of time, the consumption of food still allowed them to roughly gauge how much time had passed. In just a few short months, the Earth had beenpletely revitalized, yet life had been wiped from the world without leaving a trace. ''Is this the work of deities... both Destruction and creation are so terrifying.'' The thought silently shed through his mind; the middle-aged man shook his head and smiled as he spoke again: "Sir Ande, do you think the deities wille after us?" "The divine decree was to destroy the Bronze Humanity, but we are still alive¡ª" "Don''t worry, Uncle Kolon, we''ll be fine." With a gentle smile, Ande continued to survey the surroundings. By the position of the Sun, he could roughly confirm that he was still near the Aurora ins. This was knowledge of astrology. Mr. Laine had mentioned it in passing, but he remembered it clearly. "The gods won''t care about us few who slipped through the. Besides, we don''t intend to walk as Bronze Humanity anymore... As hard as it may be to ept, let''s leave the past era behind us. Let''s build a new settlement together and live well in this world." Your journey continues with m-vl-em|p-yr "Besides, I still have the gift left by Mr. Laine. Trust me, we''ll be fine." Ande once again stroked the puppet he had ced against his chest. This was indeed the most legendary chapter of his life. Being in the presence of the gods, learning various magical knowledge from their mouths, and receiving such a gift¡ªmission and hope arose in him. He intended to lead the people he had saved to survive and develop a truly immortal civilization. Especially once he made the breakthrough to "Legendary," truly possessing the ability to use the puppet, he believed all problems could be solved. Even without women, unable to procreate, he believed he could still find a way. "That''s wonderful, Sir Ande, you are truly kindhearted." Lost in his thoughts, Ande heard Kolon''s voice. He smiled, nning to turn around and help the remaining people climb out from the hole. "No problem, after all, the people behind should¡ª" Hisss¡ª The smile froze on his face as Ande''s left hand in his embrace felt as if it had touched something sharp. Pain shot through his chest, and he found it hard to breathe. Chapter 330: 85 The Tiny Person in the Box_3 ¡ª ¡ª As he drew the dagger out, Kolon''s face remained expressionless in the face of the spurting blood. He wiped the de on his body and then looked down at Ande on the ground. With eyes wide open, the sudden pain rendered him speechless, yet as he gazed at the one he had protected, there was still some iprehension in his gaze. "...Why..." "Isn''t it obvious, ''Lord'' Ande? The disaster has passed, and you are no longer of use." Crouching down, Kolon fumbled in Ande''s embrace and quickly found that puppet. He tugged at it, unable to pull it free at first, but Kolon only sneered coldly. Swinging his dagger, he made another slice, severing Ande''s left hand at the wrist. "We never got along, did we? You know... The great Deity walked the earth in mortal form, clearly favoring me first, but you beat me to it. He taught you drama, allowing you to stand out among Humans; he then gave you this gift to protect your life during disasters. Perhaps it has other uses, but that doesn''t matter anymore, now¡ª" "¡ªit''s mine." Standing up, and looking at Ande, still breathing faintly, Kolon showed a hint of disgust. He knew how despicable he was, and it was precisely because of this that he loathed Ande''s goodness even more. "You were a good man, ''Lord'' Ande, I address you so onest time. You saved me without holding a grudge, yet I treated you this way, you must not understand, right?" Raising the puppet and looking at the splotches of blood on it, the corners of Kolon''s mouth twisted into a smirk. He looked at the puppet, as if speaking to Ande and even as if to Laine, who had been turned away from his door yet still regarded him indifferently. He had not understood this expression before, but he understood it now. It was the lofty condescension of the gods, in whose eyes all beings were equal, but merely ''equal.'' Because apart from him, all else were the same. "In this world, in the end, only those who stop at nothing can win... Look, I''ve won now." "Survival of the fittest, that is the true nature of Life!" Watching as Ande''s breathingpletely faded away, Kolon nced at the puppet in his hand. No matter how he examined it, he could not discern anything special about it. Find out what happens next on m_vl.em,pyr In the end, he had to set this matter aside for the time being. Before leaving, he gave Ande''s corpse onest look. "If reincarnation truly exists in legend, then remember my words well, naive young man. That way, if you do have a next life, you will surely thank me for my warning." ... Turning to leave, he took off his bloodied clothes and retrieved a gold box from the pit. In response to hispanions'' inquiries, he merely exined that there was still danger outside, and he needed to deal with it together with Ande, requiring some more time; but it was nothing to worry about. Though food was scarce, half a day''s wait was manageable, and with Kolon being a craftsman by trade, his years holding a hammer made him tall and robust. Therefore, whether or not they harbored doubts, people chose to believe him. Back on the surface, Kolon opened the box and ced the puppet inside. For the moment, he couldn''t figure out how to use the thing, and considering the curiosity about his strange powers that people had underground, as well as the panic over divine punishment, Ande had ultimately exined that this divine gift, once used, couldn''t be used again for a short period; thus, Kolon treated this as the norm. However, nobody knew if the puppet had any other problems, so he stored it in the gold box. Gold was rumored to have the ability to block certain influences to some extent, and although he didn''t understand, he mimicked the practice. cing the gold box near his chest, Kolon took a long deep breath. Up to this moment, his nerves had been tightly wound. He had probed Ande with indirect questions, trying to confirm that although the man knew some strange little tricks, he trulycked powerful abilities. But until he saw Ande''s life fully extinguished, everything was uncertain. Maybe Ande was deceiving him, and he could actually call down lightning, easily turning the tables; maybe Ande had some hidden aces, just like this never-before-heard-of puppet; or perhaps the puppet still possessed other special powers, and even the Deity that gave the gift might descend in person... Fortunately, none of that happened. Not until this moment, when he had ced the puppet into the box, did his perilously risky scheme finallye to a close. "To think that you actually told the truth... It serves you right to die like this." "The deceit of the priests, people''s initial gratitude towards you underground followed by their mixedints, and even my past hatred for you... if all this couldn''t make you see the truth of this world, then it''s better to leave the chance to me." ncing at the nearby hole, Kolon sneered contemptuously. He didn''t believe that no one had noticed something was amiss with his hurrieding and going, but those ''smart people'' had all opted for silence. Perhaps when they learned of Ande''s death, a few not-so-''perceptive'' folks mighte out to question him, but it didn''t matter by then. Without the creator, without the priests, without the strictures of the old Bronze Humanity''s societal structure, everything had returned to the primordial state on this refreshednd. And he, armed and robust, was the rightful ruler. With the oues of those few not-''perceptive'' individuals, he would show everyone who was in charge here. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 331: 85 The Tiny Person in the Box_4 Dragging Ande''s corpse, Kolon walked toward the distance. Anyway, guesses were just guesses, and he hadn''t nned to openly present the fact that he had killed Ande. As long as there was no evidence, many people would convince themselves. "Hmph!" Bowing his head, Kolon found that Ande''s eyes seemed to still be watching him, so in the next moment, he destroyed them without hesitation. Being alive was one thing, but what could you do after death? Casually tossing the corpse into the distance, Kolon retraced his steps, it was time to deal with "internal issues." On the empty in, only Ande''s bodyy toppled on the ground, its hollow eye sockets staring at the sky. The sun and the moon, thus revolved. ... Click¡ª Click¡ª Click¡ª In the dead of night, moonlight shone upon the earth, all was peaceful and serene. The goddess of the moon, Selene, drove her milky way across the sky, and if one had good eyesight, they could see another person beside her. The two of them together made the moonlight even more mysterious. Those beings with innate supernatural senses could detect that the light, different from normal, contained a special power that made them feel particrlyfortable. But this had nothing to do with the humans that had survived. After dealing with two disagreeable fellows, the remaining humans quickly reached a consensus. Ande had died fighting the beast, and the injured beast had fled. As for where the beast in this deserted world came from, who knew. As night fell and people saw daylight once again, they all went to sleep. Kolon alone slept on a piece of green stone, the golden box resting on his chest. Although he didn''t yet know how to use it, Kolon did not want to let this treasure out of his sight for a moment. Whether awake or asleep, he wanted it by his side. However, at the quietest moment of midnight, a peculiar noise faintly emanated from inside the box. Click¡ª Click¡ª Click¡ª Click¡ª After a while, at a certain moment, as if it had adapted to something, the golden box slowly opened a crack, and a wooden puppet peered its head out. After observing the environment outside, it seemed to realize the safety of the moment, then climbed out of the boxpletely. It looked at the moon in the sky, then at the sleeping crowd. No one noticed it, for aside from the moonlight, there was nothing nearby. Click¡ª Click¡ª Click¡ª Torquing its body awkwardly, the puppet made its way to Kolon''s head. For the tiny creature, this ''gigantic'' head was muchrger than its own body, so much so that it had to ''climb'' to get on top. Fortunately, the night was deep, and today''s experiences had indeed left Kolon exhausted, so until the end, he didn''t wake up. Click¡ª Standing on Kolon''s cheek, the puppet tilted its head. It stared at the slumbering middle-aged man, slowly extending its hands. It seemed to want to shove its arms into the other''s eye sockets, but after a long silence, it did nothing. Not because it still harbored any kindness, but at this moment, it had a better idea. Every lifeform needed power to survive, and it was no exception. Now, having survived in this special form, it finally understood why one needed to step into the Transcendent realm to use the puppet. But it was toote for everything. Since it hadn''t started on the right track, it had to make do with other methods to try to make up for it. And all this depended on a certain special energy. The night concealed everything, and apanied by the sound of joint friction, the puppet climbed back into its ''new home''. Only this time, when it returned, it had an additional thin notebook in its hand. The infinite pages once recorded every y of the puppet''s life; naturally, this new one would not be an exception. Click¡ª Click¡ª Read exclusive chapters at m v l e m p y r ... The sun rose, and everything seemed as if nothing had happened. A new day had arrived, and no one knew what future awaited these survivors. Chapter 332: 86: Prelude, the Sun, the Moon, and War Dawn broke, and all things began to stir. Waking from his slumber, Kolon touched the golden box, takingfort in its cold heaviness. He looked around, and as before, aside from the resting crowd, there were no signs of other life. Perhaps because it was the first time he had taken the life of one of his own kind, his dreamsst night were none too pleasant. A dead man had emerged, questioning whether he felt any remorse, but he simply sent the man off with another cut of his de. What''s done is done, what was there to regret? The indifferent attitudes of the others had already proven who was right and who was wrong. Now, rather than dwelling on the past, it was more urgent to secure more food. "It''s a good thing we still have nts. If there was truly nothing, we might have escaped the flood only to starve to death here." Shaking his head, despite the fact that it was a divine flood that had left them in this predicament, they still had to rely on the nts fostered by the gods to survive; such was the insurmountable gap between mortals and deities. Rolling off the stone b, Kolon woke the others who were still in their dreams. Now that they were safe, it was time to consider their next destination. For a settlement, safety was of utmost priority, followed closely by proximity to water. The former could be temporarily ignored, as all life around them had been wiped clean, but thetter was an immediate concern. Floods are dreadful, yet humans cannot live without water. Deciding where to migrate was the issue the survivors needed to solve. "First off, we can forget about the coastal areas. While I''ve never seen the sea myself, this disaster was sent by the Sea God." Sitting on a rock, Kolon spoke indifferently. "I doubt anyone wants to deal with them again, huh? What do you think?" "Agreed, we can''t go towards the seaside, and the western side is best avoided too. That''s the heart of the Eastern Region, where they say Mount Olympus is. I don''t want to gamble on the mercy of the gods." Someone nodded, but also promptly ruled out another option. In such a scenario, they were left with only two directions to choose from: south or north. "To the south... It is said that the southern waterways areplex, most of them connecting to the ocean, but to the north, even the creator has not spoken much about it." After a moment of silence, someone else spoke: "If the gods pay little attention to it, then it''s probably the best ce for us to settle, though the climate there is colder, the furs we have stored should suffice." As these words were uttered, they immediately elicited cries of agreement from the people, and Kolon also expressed his approval. However, just as they were settling on a decision, he nced over the crowd and suddenly furrowed his brow, asking: "Where''s Ruby? Why isn''t he here?" He was an old acquaintance, the first to stand up and ''believe'' in him yesterday. But strangely enough, Kolon did not see him among the group. "He was a bit hungry and went to look for fruit trees nearby¡ªthough we still have some stored food, nothing beats the taste of fresh fruit." Upon hearing this exnation, Kolon nodded. He wasn''t particrly concerned and soon started rounding up everyone to pack their things. By midday, they had unearthed their stashed supplies, and a few who had learned the necessary skills came together to assemble a simple cart with the meager materials at hand. Others set off to gather food, since edible nts were not found everywhere. They attended to their preparations well in advance. With these tasksplete, Kolon checked the position of the sun and decided they would set off formally after everyone returned in the afternoon. The zing sun overhead was not the best time for traveling. "Ah¡ª" Suddenly, a shrill scream pierced through the distance, abruptly alerting the just-settled survivors. The crowd fell silent for a brief moment, but the mournful howling continued, and the atmosphere grew increasingly tense. At this point, Kolon surprisingly breathed a sigh of relief. If someone had encountered some formidable creature, it would not be possible to still be screaming now. The only likelihood was an ident. Given the circumstances, it was time for him to step forward. "Don''t panic! I''ll go have a look. You all stay here, don''t move." Read the continuation at m-vl-em,pyr He spoke loudly, stepping forward resolutely under the gaze of everyone. After walking a few hundred paces, beneath a tree''s shade, he saw the screaming figure clutching his wrist; it was Ruby, who had left earlier. Scattered around him were some fruits, and a sharp part of arge stone beneath the tree was smeared with blood, silently narrating what had just happened. The events were clear¡ªit was the mishap of Ruby slipping while picking fruit from the tree, crashing his wrist against the stone, and breaking it as a result. "Ah¡ªsave me!" Seeing a familiar face, Ruby desperately cried out for help, his pain making him feel as if he was dying. Seeing this, Kolon hurried over to support him. "Don''t panic, you''re just injured in the hand... looks beyond saving, but luckily it''s the left, not so problematic." He tried tofort him, but Ruby''s cries of pain didn''t stop. As Kolon looked at Ruby''s wrist still bleeding, a shadow of gloom draped over his mind. They were few in number, and those he was on good terms with were even fewer. He hoped there would be no more idents along the journey toe, or else the long road of migration promised to be full of hardships. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ In the wake of the disaster, Kolon''s group was but a minor chapter on the vast earth. Outside of themselves, no one paid heed to these remnants of a bygone era. Heading north, the weather gradually grew colder, but fortunately, there were still plenty of animal furs left, helping them fend off the increasingly bitter chill. Chapter 333: 86: Prelude, the Sun, the Moon, and War_2 However, the climate was but a minor concern; along the way, what truly began to unsettle Kolon''s party was the ''idents'' that urred every so often. In the beginning, no one paid much attention, dismissing it as an individual''s bad luck, but as the incidents became more frequent, panic started to spread among the crowd. There had been attempts to escape the group, but the oue was far from good. The horribly mutted corpse of a runaway was found dayster, and what unspeakable horrors they suffered before death remained a mystery. Everyone thought this was a punishment by the deities, perhaps they still couldn''t escape the disaster, only Kolon''s eyes widened at the scene. The manner of the corpse''s death was all too familiar to him. There were rumors among the Bronze Humanity about souls; it was said that the stronger and more obsessed a soul became in life, the more likely it could resist the call from the deep Spirit Realm after death, lingering between this world and the surface of the Spirit Realm, surviving in an alternate form. Some said that during days when the gue spread, those transparent figures wandering through the city at night were the souls of the deceased, clinging to the Mortal Realm, reluctant to leave. In that moment, Kolon connected all the dots. Thinking about the strange little tricks, and then what he himself had done, he couldn''t help feeling a chill. Yet in the end he said nothing, and continued leading the people onward. If these people knew that the source of the ''idents'' might be rted to him, Kolon probably wouldn''t be able to sleep again. Luckily, it hadn''te to that yet, and somehow, he felt that these ''idents'' weren''t meant to kill them. It just didn''t want to let them leave, letting them live in fear. This thought caused a flicker of spection to pass through Kolon''s eyes. Join us at m,v le mpyr This behavior felt strangely familiar to him. ... As the three groups of Bronze Humanity sessively departed, on the other side, beyond the vast Panasus mountain range, opposite the Delphic Great ins, new humans finally appeared upon the earth. They looked around in bewilderment, but this time, no one came to guide them. Even Deucalion and Pitha were not allowed to stay behind, or rather, had it not been for Themis''s intervention, they wouldn''t have been able to preserve their lives. The new humans would have to understand this world on their own. They might suffer some deaths and injuries, but it would also make them truly aware of the dangers of this world, andter appreciate the preciousness of safety. They were destined to migrate away from Delphi, for it marked the boundary of the flood. On the other side of the mountains, even the mountains themselves, the beasts and mighty creatures were unaffected. Driven by them, humans would scatter in all directions, gradually spreading to every corner of the earth. The territories previously defined by the gods would be relevant at this time. Then, they would show divine signs at the ''appropriate'' time, prompting humans to seek their protection spontaneously and build temples to worship them. However, there are always exceptions;pared to thend, the sea struggled to gain poptions through this primitive diffusion, forcing the Divine King to allow some Sea Gods to take a few humans to the inds. It was both a blessing and a constraint, for the areas of the inds were limited after all, while only the maind could sustain millions of mortals. And so, as seasons changed, the Mortal Realm underwent various transformations, which did not affect the eternity of the Deities. It seemed the gods had returned to their old ways, using banquets and Nectar to release their boundless energy. Until one day, Zeus discovered with joy that following the bloodline''s call, he was about to have offspring¡ªtwo offspring were about toe into this world. It was Leto, the Goddess of Nurserying from the stars, whom the Divine King had tried to sense. The response from his authority was a warm and intense Light. There was no doubt, a mighty deity was about to be born. If it had been before, the Divine King would have been deeply cautious, but now, he had grown somewhat indifferent. Even Metis, who was fated to bear him a son and a daughter, could be silenced so quietly, which showed that nothing was unchangeable in the face of true power. If his grandfather had not unified Patriarchy and Kingship with The Sky but had the power to contend with the Primordial Gods through a single authority, and if his father had possessed such great power from the start of his reign, perhaps they too could have held off the advent of fate. Of course, the reason they did not possess such power might well be an effect of fate itself, but that was of no concern to Zeus. The king of a Foreign Realm, a power from beyond the world, was something outside the Chaos World, and now that he had the chance, he shouldn''t hesitate any longer. However, the joy belonged to him and not to them. When Zeus entered Hera''s chamber, an icy chill almost hit him in the face. "Hera, you too are about to bear our child. Even before his birth, I can already feel his keen spirit. Olympus will soon have another powerful pir. Does that not warrant a smile from you?" Entering Hera''s chamber, Zeus ignored the greeting from Aea who was heading out of the pce. Indeed, not just Leto, but using the sensation from the half of Fertility authority, he learned of this good news¡ªHera was also carrying his progeny. Chapter 334: 86: Prelude, the Sun, the Moon, and War_3 However, judging from the timeline, my Heavenly Empress seems to be a bitter than expected. Therefore, seeing Hera''s sullen face, Zeus felt no surprise at all. "Smile? Are you referring to cheering up that old woman? Celebrating that her children will be born before mine and be the great Divine King''s eldest son?" With a cold snort, Hera didn''t show Zeus any warmth in her expression, and the Divine King had nothing to say in return. In fact, Zeus was somewhat helpless himself. He too had wished to have an eldest son with Hera first, as he had never entertained the thought of anyone else taking Hera''s ce. But for some reason, although things had been fine at the start of their marriage, over the past few decades, Hera had been intentionally or unintentionally avoiding him until only recently things had returned to normal. Perhaps it was his rtionship with Demeter that had soured her mood. He shook his head internally, but Zeus did not regret his actions. His forceful possession of another sister of his was not solely for lust, but also other reasons. The Divine King saw Hades'' interest in Demeter, but he didn''t want this powerful sister to leave Olympus and be Queen of the Underworld, so he took a more direct approach to decisively end Hades'' hopes. That way, when the other party came to him using a past promise as justification, he had an excuse to rebuff them. "What do you n to do, Hera? No matter what, Leto''s children are innocent after all, and they can''t shake your position." He rubbed his temples and asked slowly. A sensation from the Law told him that Leto''s children were extraordinary; they carried vitality and strength and were destined to be two powerful Divine Children¡ªat least one, certainly. As twins, it was difficult for Zeus to predict their powers before they were born, but even one would suffice. Having just received a divine ceremony, he would soon have powerful children. While the Divine King was contemtive of fate''s favor, he was also wary of Hera acting irrationally. Fortunately, though Hera''s attitude was far from polite, her actions nevertheless brought the Divine King some relief. "That''s my business. Zeus, since you can''t control yourself, I''ll use my own methods to ensure that no one will surpass me." Her expression was cold. Since sharing power with Zeus, Hera had never used her authority of the Heavenly Empress, but this time was an exception. In front of Zeus, the Law of Fertility was greatly strengthened by the authority of the Heavenly Empress. In this moment, a temporary rule was added to the world. Before the birth of Hera''s children, as long as Leto remained within thends ruled by the Divine Court, the Law of Fertility would resist her, preventing the birth of her Divine Son and Divine Daughter. Even though such an overt defiance of instinctual Law couldn''tst long, the Heavenly Empress didn''t need it to endure much. "Now, you may leave." Visit our site at m-vl-em-pyr She nced at Zeus indifferently and dismissed him with a wave of her hand. He wasn''t there to see her, he simply wanted to know how she would react to this situation. And she believed that this merciless king couldn''t care less whether Leto suffered. After all, everything was her doing, and it had nothing to do with the Divine King. "Very well then, Hera, I won''t stay any longer." Just as the Heavenly Empress predicted, Zeus didn''t intend to quibble over such verbal trivialities with Hera. The Divine King also wasn''t much concerned with what she had just done. Thus, having received an answer, he turned and left her chambers. The pce fell quiet, and after a long while, Aea, who had just left, came back through a side door and bowed slightly to Hera. They had been discussing something before, and Zeus''s arrival had interrupted them. "Continue, Aea, after you took him to the sea, into whose hands did you entrust him?" Gently grasping the armrest, Hera inquired. "My cousin, daughter of Nereus and Doris, Thetis adopted him." Bending slightly, Aea spoke. The serene face of the young girl was devoid of any superfluous expressions, this matter entrusted to her by the Heavenly Empress decades ago, she had always executed very well. "A child of the Primitive Sea God... Good, definitely much stronger than my brother." Her expression inscrutable, it was hard to discern what Hera thought of the child that had finally been born not long ago. His ugly appearance, his disabled body, she didn''t want him to stay on Mount Olympus, but she wished for him to have a rather decent childhood. At the very least, he wouldn''t have to spend his lengthy life immersed in darkness and deathly stillness like she had. "Have Nereus bring some humans to the ind where he is, the godhood of the [volcano] is still too weak. If he can seize the opportunity, perhaps there''s still a chance for him to return to Mount Olympus in another way." "For those with value... like those Cyclopes, our Divine King does not care about their appearances." "Yes, Your Majesty." As if she hadn''t heard thetter part of Hera''s words, Aea epted the orders and left, leaving Hera alone in the great hall. She gently stroked her abdomen, where another life was robustly growing. Feeling his vitality and sharpness, Hera finally revealed a smile. "You at least mustn''t be inferior to Leto''s children, show your abilities... When the timees, I will also give you the very best." As for what would happen if he couldn''t surpass them, Hera didn''t ponder much. Being the firstborn son conceived by two potent divine powers, already possessing such immense authority even before birth, the result naturally wouldn''t disappoint her. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ In the Olympian divine lineage, three new deities were about to be born, but in the third era, their gestation was so tranquil and unnoticed, with only the Goddess of Nursery weaving between the sky and the sea over time, letting more and more mortals know of the Heavenly Empress''s ruthlessness. Just like the one locked within Zeus''s mind, under the power of the Queen of Gods'' authority, unless someone openly dered that this ce was not under the Divine Court''s rule, Leto''s child could not be born. She had asked the Sea God, asked Hades, but they all refused her, so the goddess could only wander helplessly between heaven and earth, unable to find any deity willing to intervene in the family dispute of the Divine King. Even her parents, the Lightless celestial deity Coeus, turned Leto away from his doorstep. In the past, this reclusive Ancient God had already warned her to stay away from the Divine Court, especially from the Divine King, but Leto was immersed in Zeus''s sweet nothings. Thus, when she turned to them, the Ancient Titan God turned a blind eye to her, only the deity Asteria secretly feltpassion for her sister''s plight. In the original myth, Leto''s sister would eventuallymit an act in defiance of the Heavenly Empress''smands, transforming a falling star into an ind for her childbirth, but this time, fate took apletely different direction. One night, the moon in the sky and the moon in the Spirit Realm both sensed a closeness, and to the southeast of the earth, an existence closely rted to them was being nurtured. And so, on this day, the silver chariot took a turn, changing direction in the night sky, sparking endless spection among mortals, and the first oracle from thend of starfall also descended in front of the temple, humble yet clearly built with intent. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 335: Chapter 87: Only One Day Across the lofty mountains, beyond the rivers, over the sea, under the night sky, Leto wandered helplessly between heaven and earth. Yet there was nowhere for her to rest, forpared to her, the Queen of Gods undoubtedly invoked greater fear. Or rather, it wasn''t that Hera wasn''t important, but when she made such a decision wielding the divine authority of the Heavenly Empress, hermand also represented the Divine Court itself. Under these circumstances, naturally, no one was willing to oppose the order of the Divine Court for Leto, who had even been abandoned by her own parents. "Hera¡ª!" Clenching her jaw, Leto tightened her fists. Just a few years ago, she was still immersed in the joy of bearing Zeus''s offspring, but now, all that joy had turned into rage, tormenting her soul every moment. Her fury wasn''t directed at Zeus¡ªin fact, the Divine King had anticipated that Hera wouldn''t let the matter slide so easily, so he had made preparations early on. He had told Leto about the difficulties he faced as the Divine King, the perilous situations he had to confront. Outside, the Titans refused to submit, and there were beings like Mother Earth and the deities of the Spirit Realm threatening his kingship; internally, his brothers covetously eyed the throne, and Hera was a woman with a strong sense of jealousy. In order not to fall into disarray amidst external threats, he had no choice but to make repeatedpromises to Hera, to the extent that even the Divine King could not prevent certain behaviors of the Heavenly Empress. Clearly, this action was what Zeus had previously hinted at as ''certain behaviors''. Nine truths and one lie, coupled with a handsome appearance and past affections, Leto, as the Goddess of Nursery, was easily moved by Zeus''s appeal to her protective instinct and sympathy, even forgetting the vast disparity between their status and power. Even now, as Hera''s power chased her, leaving her unable to find refuge in heaven or earth, she still did not believe this to be Zeus''s fault. She merely etched Hera''s name in her heart in secret and vowed to avenge herself one day. Even if she herselfcked the ability, her children would surely be capable. They would be the Divine King''s strong supporters, and then they would make that malicious Queen of Gods rue her actions. "Ah¡ª" Flying through mid-air, as Leto was once again turned away over the sea, she prepared to head to a secluded valley. It was said that there, the previous Heavenly Empress, the Mother Goddess Rhea of the Olympian Gods, lived in seclusion, information Zeus had inadvertently revealed to her. However, just as she caught sight of the coastline, an intense abdominal pain shot through her body. Almost instantly, Leto knew what was happening; this wasn''t the first time. The daughter who should have been born shed with thews that prevented her birth, driven by instinct. The unborn goddess naturally could not resist the authority of the Heavenly Empress, but that didn''t stop the collision from causing harm to her mother. Under severe pain, Leto lost control of her power in an instant. She streaked across the sky, plummeting straight down, but fortunately, the coasty ahead. Crash¡ª! With a resounding impact, Leto smashed onto the sandy beach beside this bay. Blue light flickered on and off around her, the inherent power of her daughter, and under this pulsing light, Leto once again experienced intense agony. After a time, the collision finally ended. Letoy on her back on the beach for quite a while before slowly sitting up. Soaked in sweat, she endured the soreness throughout her body and surveyed her surroundings. A bay that shaped like a crescent moon, calm and gentle waves, in the future, this would be an excellent natural harbor. Ocean currents originating from the deep sea passed by here, bringing numerous fish that migrated seasonally to spawn, and not far from the coasty a sizeable tract of woond. However, Leto was unaware of this, and her evaluation was simply ''nice scenery.'' Moving her gaze away from here, she sensed a special aura in the distance away from the coast instead. That feeling, she had experienced more than once; pure and warm, it went straight to the soul. It had appeared on Helios''s Sun Chariot,ter stolen by Prometheus. "...There are humans here?" Some doubt crossed her mind, but Leto was surprised rather than preupied with further thought. Logically, the new generation of humans that had just been born should not be in this ce, but it didn''t concern her much. Humans are the treasure of the gods, perhaps brought here by some deity. Poseidon, Lord of the Sea, was very likely; he was not one to follow rules, and perhaps this was the human city he built in defiance of his promises. Conveniently, she was nning to find a ce to recover, and since there were humans here, they were obliged to serve her, which would also be an honor for these mortals. Not just anyone is qualified to host a deity, but now, Leto graciously conferred this privilege upon them. Thus, following the guide of the aura, under the night sky, she made her way toward the faintly glowing lights. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ The night was deep, and even though there were no clouds, the Moon was still nowhere to be seen. This led the humans on earth to believe they had mistaken the date, that it was actually a rare day of stars without Moon.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Fortunately, unlike animals, humans utilize tools, so in this hastily erected temporary dwelling, there was still plenty of light. Some lights were at the openings of erected wooden fences, where guards kept the night watch; others were high atop a cliff, where the first building erected served as a temple for the gods. Faith and security, these were the two things most on the minds of the people who had just embarked on a long journey of migration. Chapter 336: Chapter 87: Only One Day_2 As their leader, bathed in the glow of a ball of light, Nuo and Cohen sat by a rough stone table, casually discussing future developments. "We''re still short of hands, but we can''t neglect the future¡ªeverything needs to have a n beforehand, built on a sufficient scale," "Constructing The Temple, opening up fields, building houses¡ªeven tens of thousands would find it hard toplete these tasks within three seasonal changes, let alone us, who don''t even number in the thousands," Shaking his head slightly, Nuo seemed to beining about the difficult situation, but Cohen could tell at a nce that the other''s mood was actually quite good. Of course, not just Nuo, Cohen''s mood at this moment was equally good. Trudging over mountains and through rivers to ze trails, although thend was now devoid of wild beasts, the dangers of nature were still significant. Yet not long ago, they finally found this ce guided by starlight. A quiet bay, fertilend, exposed ores on the surface, and a sizable freshwaterke¡ªapart fromcking dangerous terrain, this ce had almost all the excellent conditions for establishing a city. So, they immediately took root here, building an altar for the Sacred Fire and The Temple for the worship of the Deity. It was a huge project in itself, because even The Temple of the Bronze Humanity hadrgely relied on Prometheus''s help toplete those magnificent constructions in primitive times. But now, Humans led by Nuo, though without the help of the Deity, had Cohen, whose power in the mortal realm was no less than that of the Deity. Hence, The Temple was quickly erected on the highest cliff, but when it came to the statues of the gods, the two encountered a difficulty. Neither Nuo nor Cohen knew how to carve the lord''s image, so out of helplessness, they enshrined the Astrbe instead. Using a sacred artifact in ce of the god''s image was a barely eptable solution. "It will develop, Nuo, after all, we already have a new generation. Perhaps the popce is small now, but the next generation will have poptions multiplied manifold. One day, millions of Humans will live here, establishing a magnificent civilization," "It won''t be like the Golden Humanity, clinging to the old ways for a millennium without change, nor like Bronze Humanity, fleeting in a moment, but will endure forever," Feeling a little emotional, yet reflective. At this moment, Cohen vaguely felt that the strange sensation he had experienced during his confrontation with Triton once again welled up in his heart. But this time, it wasn''t as intense as before. There were no swift changes, only slow and steady. "You''re right, Cohen. The holy city cannot be built in a day, and I need not be so hasty," Beside him, Nuo smiled, looking toward the west where the freshwaterkey. Since they were guided here by starlight, Nuo named it ''Falling Star Lake'', and those water Nymphs they encountered along the way settled there. As for now, numerous temporary wooden houses had been built around the area, for on their journey, many Humans had be spouses to those Nymphs, witnessed by Nuo. Before long, new members would join this freshly built city, their presence heralding that when this generation passes, others will continue the civilization. "Buzz¡ª" After chatting for a bit more, although it was already deep into the night, Nuo''s spirits were still high. Suddenly, a buzzing sound emanated from the onlypleted building in the distance. Nuo and Cohen promptly stood up, and within their gaze, specks of starlight overflowed from the high cliffs, illuminating the surrounding seas. "That is¡ªthe gods have finally answered us!" First, they were startled, then joy flooded their hearts. Ever since arriving here, Nuo had prayed daily in The Temple, hoping for further guidance from the lord. But during these days, he had achieved nothing and had not even felt the sensation of being watched. Unexpectedly today, a divine sign appeared before them. "Let''s go, let''s head over together,"N?v(el)B\\jnn With a call, Nuo immediately strode towards The Temple. The Angel, whom they had met only once, had said that she would provide further guidance once they reached their destination. She would bestow them with extraordinary powers, allowing those who believed in god to bask in the glory of divinity to some extent. Perhaps today was the day, yetpared to power, Nuo had many more questions to ask, like how he shouldpile the teachings for the lord, ensuring that the faith and their lineage would flow on forever. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Before long, the Human settlement was within sight. Deity was still Deity, even if Leto had just sustained considerable loss of her Vital Essence, her body remained beyond mortalparison. A distance that would take amon person half a day to cross was not far for her, and soon, she spotted Human figures. Yet standing here, Leto began to feel surprised and suspicious, for she sensed a faint Sun aura on the Humans who seemed to be on guard. "Is this...divine fragments of the ancient God of Sun scattered?" For a moment, Leto thought these might be the descendants of the God of Sun, left unknown when, but in the very next moment, the goddess discerned the difference between this power and that of Helios. Thetter''s presence was far from as pure; he only represented the orderly aspect of the Sun''s movement, and when the Sun Chariot was forged, the inherently aggressive aspect was further diminished. Chapter 337: Chapter 87: Only One Day_3 But the one before them now, despite being so weak as to be negligible, was far closer to the Sun itself than Helios. "Who!" A harsh shout came, Leto''s undisguised approach had finally been discovered. Two human guards lifted their torches high, and under the glow of the fire, Leto''s figure was seen by them. An unknown female, perhaps some kind of elf, or maybe even a deity or demigod. For a moment, the two guards became anxious; they did not know why this stranger hade nor what she intended to do here. However, across from them, the goddess paid no heed to the mortals'' reactions. She simply stepped forward, revealing her own divine essence, and then she spoke loudly: "Stand down, I am Leto, daughter of Coeus and Phoebe, descendant of Heavenly Father and Mother Earth, a naturally great and born deity. Mortals, Imand you to prepare food and a chamber for me immediately, as is your proper tribute to the gods." As her words ended, Leto quietly awaited the mortals'' prostration and worship, which was unquestionable, even if they were followers of other deities, they would still bow to the true form of another god. But after a brief moment, the goddess became angry when she realized that not only did these humans show no intention of prostrating themselves before her, but they were also making the opposite move. One ran back, seemingly to notify someone, while the other kept a wary eye on her. Seeing this, a nameless rage surged in her heart. Leto could not believe that after being persecuted by the Heavenly Empress, rejected by the gods, even the lowly mortals now dared to act this way towards her?N?v(el)B\\jnn "Mortal, I give you onest chance. Although your attitude has already made me forgo rewarding you, if you choose to repent now, I can still forgive your offense." With a coldugh, Leto warned once more. Humans are treasures to gods, but those before her were not her own treasures. Thus, in order to avoid provoking another unknown deity at such a juncture, she had yet to directly punish these shallow believers. To prevent these humans from having never heard of her before, the pressure belonging to a deity was unabashedly exerted by the goddess. If it were not upon the surface of the Earth, such pressure could itself crush the mortals before her. The air trembled slightly, the divine oppression even slightly affecting matter, but the result once again infuriated Leto, as the human not only failed to bow to her but instead raised his weapon. Who did he think he was, a servant daring to draw a sword against his master! "Hmph!" With a cold snort, Leto no longer hesitated; such humans, even if killed, would not be a concern to any god. After all, regardless of the situation, they were all of the Deity Race. Just like inter eras, during the age of great seafaring, when humans came to the new world, they ughtered the natives by day, yet by night, they were good husbands and good neighbors. The benevolence of most people ultimately extended only to their own kind, not to the ''uncivilized'' others they saw. So, removing her golden bracelet, Leto casually threw it forward. Under the transcendently powerful force inherent to a divine body, the gold streaked through the air almost in the blink of an eye, striking directly at the guard''s body. "ng¡ª" However, with the sound of a collision, the guard remained unscathed. A silver light covered the surface of his body, and instead, the bracelet itself was repelled and flew away. "Who!" First startled, then abruptly turning around. That was where the power came from, saving the human just now; Leto was about to question theer, but she froze in ce the next moment. There, two figures, one red, one white, were slowly walking their way. "So, the presence you sensedes from her?" Having casually saved the human''s life, Hecate did not spare him a nce; the Goddess of the Magic Net cared not for the life or death of a stranger. She did so half because of the familiar essence deep within the dwelling, and half because of that woman. Encountering each other here was somewhat unexpected for her. Although many years had passed, Hecate still remembered certain events quite clearly. "...Yes, do you know her? If the rtionship is not good... then let''s go." Noticing that the atmosphere was a bit odd, Selene, standing aside, said quietly. Despite her tall figure that made her seem like an elder to the red-clothed witch, the Moon goddess''s voice was as feeble as ever. "Leave? That''s not necessary, but I do indeed know her, even if¡ª" Holding onto Selene standing by her side, Hecate suddenly had an enigmatic smile on her lips. She looked at the ck-robed goddess opposite her, and on her side, Leto''s gaze held disbelief and avoidance. "She''s probably my ''rtive,'' Selene, to be more precise, she''s my ''aunt,'' hmm, although¡ª" The words paused momentarily, then Hecate continued with a smile: "¡ªalthough, she only was for one day." Chapter 338: Chapter 88: Three Conditions and Maturity "A day?" As Hecate''s voice fell, a noticeable silence descended upon the scene for an instant. Leto looked at the goddess in the red dress before her, her hesitation turning into a mix of surprise and doubt, while Selene nced at the ck-robed goddess across from her and finally understood her identity. The sister of the Goddess of Stars, Asteria, the Titan Goddess Leto. Over the years, as Selene guided her silver moon chariot across the sky, she had seen this goddess meeting with the Divine King under the cover of night more than once, and the other party''s recent plight was no secret either. After all, the Zodiac and Bai Nuo territories are the core of the starry sky, and when Leto went to the dwelling of Coeus, the Principal God of the Titans, she could not avoid the gaze of the Goddess of the Moon. So watching this scene, Selene closed her mouth, deciding to remain a quiet bystander. Although the reason they came here was Selene''s subtle premonition, now, she thought it was better to let Hecate deal with the situation herself. "...Are you, the child of Asteria?" "During the turnover of the epochs, you were actually the ''Goddess of the Magic Net''?" Leto could hardly believe it but had no choice but to ept it, as the familiar bloodline aura and unique power in front of her proimed the other''s identity. There had never been a deity who could ''be born'' twice, and Leto had not dared to confirm that the deity who had once again proimed her birth to the world was the daughter of her banished sister. But now, such was the reality. "Why do you obstruct me? You too belong to the Deity Race. This mortal dares to disregard mymand. Should I not punish his insolence?" Having recognized the visitor, Leto''s aura softened slightly, but her attitude toward the just-escaped mortal remained unchanged. "Deity Race... Are you referring to me?"N?v(el)B\\jnn Raising an eyebrow, Hecate''s lips still bore a smile. "It seems that was the case. I once was a Titan Deity... but just like our kinship, it probably onlysted a day?" Hecate had observed every event that had ever taken ce on Mount Othrys through the reenactment on the bs. That fateful negotiation that decided her fate, Leto didn''t have the standing to be present, but the goddess''s stance was unmistakable. When she was exiled to the earth, and even when she vanished quietly among the tribes of Humans, the humans at that time pleaded for forgiveness in their worship of the deities, but the oue was obvious: not a single Deity spared a nce, including the Goddess of Stars and Leto. It was as if she was forgotten, or rather, no one wished to remember such an ''unfortunate'' symbol. Of course, Hecate didn''t harbor much resentment against them. After all, the thin familial affections among Chaos''s deities were not an exception; at most, she chose not to see them as kin. Inparison, it was her nominal father and maternal grandmother who truly left asting impression on the Goddess of the Magic Net. Cast into the Abyss for a permanent solution, and even that didn''t quite satisfy them. Thinking this, Hecate couldn''t help but smile again. It was a pity she had not been able to find the whereabouts of Perse, the God of Material Destruction. Given his extraordinary Divine Power and close kinship with Crius, the God of Meteorology, he should not have disappeared without a trace. The Goddess of the Magic Net pondered, and across from her, Leto was bing aware of the indifference under Hecate''s smile. But indeed, the decision back then hade from the former Divine King and her own divine parents; if the other party was indeed a True God, it would be understandable for her to be discontent with it. "...It was merely an ident, Hecate. There has never been immortality at birth, and no Deity of lower rank than a territorial god has appeared since you. Perhaps your innate Godhood was obscured, or for some reason, it failed to manifest, resulting in a misjudgment." "You have already be a True God. Cronus, who exiled you from the Titan Deity n, is nowhere to be found. The new King of All Gods has already acknowledged your status. You should stand alongside the pantheon." "And end up like you, with nowhere to go in Hera''s presence, unable to demonstrate your might before mortals?" "You should thank me, otherwise you''ll soon realize that even in front of mortals, you can''t show any might at all." Without mincing words, Hecate mocked, pulling the nearby Selene closer to herself. It was because of her that they hade here; why was she hiding behind now? "Since it''s you, that makes things simpler. You''ve been fleeing everywhere because of Hera, even carrying the child of Golden Mane¡ª" With a light snort, Hecate continued: "I can solve the difficulties you''re facing, but you must agree to three conditions of mine." "¡ªWhat conditions?" Leto''s spirits lifted, the anger stirred by Hecate''s words instantly quelled. Right now, what Leto wanted most was to resolve the Divine Authority of the Heavenly Empress Hera and bring forth her children with the Divine King without issue. For that, there was nothing she was not willing to give. "That thing you sensed, is it on her?" Without answering immediately, Hecate turned instead to ask Selene. "I don''t know... perhaps, it''s not an ''object''?" Confused, Selene nced again at the distant ck-robed goddess. She indeed had felt something deeply connected to her, but standing here, the Goddess of the Moon started to doubt. Because she felt the object of that connection seemed to be Leto herself. Chapter 339 : 88: Three Conditions and Maturity_2 "Well then, whatever it is." Nodding her head, Hecate said to Leto: "You have something rted to the moon, although I do not yet know what it is, I need it; I also want to know everything about Persephone, all that you know you must tell me; finally, this is the first and also thest thing I will do for you, after this, we are even." "Even? What do you mean by even?" Leto could understand the first two conditions. The godhood of deities could sometimes produce some unexpected senses, perhaps she indeed possessed some moon-rted item that she was not aware of, and since the other party wanted it, she may as well give it to her. As for the whereabouts of Persephone, that was Hecate''s ''Father God'', and although it appeared that neither side recognized this connection much, Leto had no intention of concealing the other''s whereabouts for her. Moreover, she herself was not very clear on Persephone''s exact whereabouts. But thest condition, had Hecate ever owed her anything? "...You do not need to know, you just have to be clear that after this, we are even." After a moment of silence, Hecate said with a smile. "Alright, I agree." Nodding her head, Leto did not dwell on these other matters. "By the Styx River as my witness, as long as you can rid me of Hera''s power, I will agree to your three demands." Nodding in agreement, as Leto''s words fell, the power of the Styx shed and was gone. Across from her, watching the goddess make her decision without hesitation, beneath Hecate''s smile was a slight coldness. Indeed, just as she had thought, the swaddling that had once wrapped the infant girl as she fell from Mount of the Gods, although it was transformed by the Goddess of Nursery''s divine power, it was never truly an act of familial love, but rather an instinctive reaction after delivering her sister''s child. But this was just as well, for in the future in this world, whether it be the stars or thend, the ocean or the abyss, there were no longer any ''family'' worth her concern. She came to this world alone and she would walk it alone. "Hmm?" Suddenly feeling her hand being held, Hecate looked at Selene beside her, but in herpanion''s worried eyes, she simply shook her head with a smile. "I am fine, Selene, just remembering some past memories." "Let''s go, breaking Hera''s power is not difficult, power from the Divine Court can naturally be solved by the Divine Court itself." Waving her hand, Hecate looked towards the human settlement not far away. "However, this does not mean you are safe. Unless you can make Zeus stand up for you, the past few years may have been just the beginning." ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Delphic Great ins. The impending birth of Leto''s children affected the fates of more than one deity, in fact, those who perceived them were not limited to the Moon Goddess and the Spirit Realm. The secluded Mother of Light was one of them, but Theia had already seen the simple logic of reality''sws. It would not allow divine authority too powerful to umte on any unchecked existence, so faced with the destined division of godhood, the goddess was quite open to it. Another one touched was the Golden Apple Tree, which had instincts but no thoughts. Just as the true sun had nothing to do with Leto''s son at first, the divine authority of the goddess''s other child never included the moon originally. She was the Master of the Wilderness, protector of forests, a symbol of the hunt, the goddess who wielded the golden bow, and one of the symbols of pure maidenhood, so at this moment, the true progenitor of [nts] was also touched by unknown forces. Perhaps stimted, following it, under Moanda''s gaze, the fruit that had been nearlyplete matured at a speed visible to the naked eye. The two sessive changes had brought the fruit, which the Nymphs had estimated to need three hundred years to mature originally, close to perfection. It could be today, or maybe tomorrow, that this divine fruit would mature, bing the supreme creation of this world, allowing a postnatal life to share the immortal divine authority. "Too fast..." Some excitement, mixed with hesitation. The enticing voice of the Ancient Serpent seemed still to echo in her ears, and now, Moanda could no longer evade. She needed to confront an uing reality, that if she truly took this step, Mother Earth would inevitably see her as a deadly foe. Moanda understood Gaia; she wasn''t the kind to weigh pros and cons. When she awakened, when she realized her own maids had betrayed her, when she discovered the Golden Apples had been taken from her, and even the Life Vase hadpletely fallen into the hands of others, what the enraged Mother Earth might do was unpredictable to anyone. If thews of the present world couldn''t protect her, hiding in the Mortal Realm wouldn''t help. Moanda believed that, even if it meant falling into slumber for another thousand years, Gaia would never let her go because of these costs, unless she could make her old master realize that she couldn''t do anything to this traitorous elf. So for Moanda at this moment, she had to find a backer for herself. "That day just happened to be when the new Divine King arrived... Whether it''s him or not, I can go and see at that time. Thest two Divine Kings weren''t afraid of Mother Earth; he should be the same, right?" "If that''s the case, then since he dared to have me do such a thing, he must be prepared to confront Mother Earth. If not, then I''ll just have to pay a visit to the other Primordial Gods." Having made her decision quietly, Moanda knew that, no matter what, there was no turning back for her now. This special fruit was hanging there; whether she ate it or not, the oue would be the same. Besides, if she was honest with herself, Moanda was clear that even if given another chance, she would still make the same choice without hesitation. A once in a lifetime opportunity, even if it meant bing a pawn against Gaia, she had to take her ce at the table first, to earn the right to see what the board looked like. "Soon..." "What''sing soon?" On the other side of the Golden Apple Orchard, Veda looked at her friend nearby with curiosity. For the past few decades, her friend always seemed to be muttering to herself. "I mean the fruit of the Golden Apple Tree."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Moanda replied directly, her lips pressed together. She knew that to others, that fruit looked no different from a normal Golden Apple. As expected, upon hearing the exnation, Veda simply nodded in agreement. Indeed, this divine fruit, which had started to develop from the turnover of the epoch, indeed grew faster than usual. "That is strange indeed. Usually, it takes hundreds of years for one to mature, but this one is growing so quickly." Raising her head, listening to the rustling sound of the wind brushing through the golden leaves, the Nymph remained as carefree as ever. "Yes, Veda, perhaps it''s just meant to be." Smiling, Moanda turned around. At the end of her gaze, shadows covered everything below the tall, continuous mountain range, and there stood the Temple of Delphi. The Panasus Mountains, where the Deity had descended not long ago. If it were the past, any deity approaching Delphi, regardless of their purpose, would definitelye to pay respects to Mother Earth, to show their reverence for the Mother Goddess. But with the slumber of Mother Earth, this ce was as if forgotten, no longer able to attract any deity''s attention. This was normal, for even Mother Earth''s maids were valuable only because of the god. Just like those humans who had died in the great flood not long ago, although Moanda had never seen them, she could guess the reason for their deaths. It was simply because they were no longer of value, so the deities wanted to rece them with a new batch, that''s all. "Veda." "Hmm?" Turning slightly, Veda looked at her friend beside her with confusion. "Soon, when they look at me again, it will not be because of someone else." With a calm facial expression, at that moment, the Nymph recalled the day that was the most memorable in her memory. The Queen of Gods greeted, the Divine King gave thanks, even though it wasn''t for her, but after that day ended, a trace of wild ambition was born in Moanda''s heart. One day, she too would stir the winds of the entire world with a messenger, a Golden Apple, just like Mother Earth. ''Soon.'' Leaving the Golden Apple Orchard, Moanda headed towards the Oracle. ''There should be a ce for me in the heavens.'' Chapter 340 : 89 Gifts and Birth The special fruit would still need a day or two to ripen, and outside the not yet constructed city, the figure of the ck-robed goddess had already disappeared without a trace. Since Leto had agreed to the request, Hecate had, as promised, fulfilled hermitment, which was not difficult for her. The Goddess of the Magic Net simply extended her slender fingers and made a slight gesture in the void, and some kind of shackle was silently unlocked. Once, upon ascending to the throne, Zeus had promised that he would grant Hecate the right to be independent of the Divine Court, that The Sky, the ocean, and the earth could not bind her. Though Hecate was not particrly concerned with this gift, she had nheless epted it at the time. Now, the Divine King''s promise had finally found a use, albeit on his lover and the Heavenly Empress herself. The Queen of Gods'' power stemmed from the Divine King, and Zeus''s word was the same; the two just slightly collided, and the limitations set by Hera disappeared without form or trace. Feeling a long-lost sense of relief, Leto couldn''t wait to leave the ce. If there were further dys, no one knew what Hera might do next, so no matter how the Heavenly Empress nned to cope, Leto was determined to give birth to the Divine King''s firstborn today¡ªan oue now unchangeable. "Hey, what''s your name?" After Leto had departed, the faithful Guard who had been dutifully stationed was finally remembered by the two goddesses left behind. Turning around, Hecate casually inquired.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "My name is Lorraine, Your Highnesses." His enunciation was clear, and although Hecate had just helped him, the Guard named Lorraine still firmly adhered to his duties. "Our leader will be here shortly, please wait a moment." "Very well." In response to Lorraine''s reply, Hecate merely nodded, for she sensed a familiar presence swiftly approaching their location. Indeed, in just a short while, apanied by the sound of the air being torn, Cohen''s figure appeared there. "Lorraine, that deity is... you?" His expression was somewhat surprised, as the person who had gone back to report had not described it this way. He had told Cohen that a woman iming to be a Titan Deity had arrived here, and her demeanor was not friendly¡ªgiven the human survivors'' experience of a world-ending flood, one could imagine their perception of the old gods. No one thought Leto harbored good intentions, which was why the two Guards were so vignt earlier. However, the scene before him clearly differed, Cohern could assure himself, Hecate definitely was not one of the Titans. "Hmm, it''s me, it''s been a long time indeed, but speaking of which, Uncle Cohen, do you have a ce to stay here?" Waving her hand, Hecate was not at all reserved. "I''m going to wait here for my ''reward,'' and of course, I can help you build this ce as a thank-you for my temporary stay¡ªYou wouldn''t refuse me, would you?~" "...Of course not." After a moment of silence, looking at the red-skirted girl who had never changed, Cohen nodded his head. It was not the first time the two had met since Hecate left the foot of Mount Othrys, but Cohen still did not know what to say. Perhaps it was because he used to care for her by the god''s decree, yet was forbidden tomunicate with her, Cohen had gradually be ustomed to listening to her talk while he remained silent. However, recalling the divine oracle Nuo had received earlier, he turned to look at Selene beside him, and this sudden attention made the Moon goddess involuntarily step back, as if she had forgotten her years of witchcraft training. "What are you going to do?" "The human leader, also the unanimously elected High Priest, has received a divine oracle that today, two Moon goddesses woulde here, and the Lord''s Angel has brought a gift for each of them." While the whereabouts of the other Moon goddess were still unknown, the one before him was undoubtedly one of them. "Come with me; it''s modest, but this is all we have for now." ... Passing through the gate between wooden fences, the human settlement was revealed before the two goddesses. As Cohen had said, it indeed appeared quite rudimentary. The ground was merelypacted, with no defined roads or dwellings. Instead of resembling a city, the ce seemed more like a temporary encampment. Since the poption was small, the living area was also not extensive, and it didn''t take long for Hecate to encounter Nuo. Overseeing the team, organizing tasks, after several years of experience, Nuo had transformed from a young man of only faith and goodwill into apetent leader. He was dressed in a white Ceremonial Robe, approaching the two goddesses from afar. "Are you their leader?" Curiously observing her surroundings, what caught Hecate''s eye the most was The Temple atop the sea cliff. "I thought Uncle Cohen was still in charge here, like with the Golden Humanity; you don''t look much like a fighter. Andpared to the past Humans, you seem quite different. At least their reaction to seeing a deity was not like yours." "''Leader'' is merely a title. Maybe it''s because I''m more acquainted with them. As for the difference in attitude¡ªthe people of old did not truly understand what they called ''god.'' They believed gods to be lofty and grand, beyond their reach, but the great flood made the survivors see the true nature of most who imed to be deities." Smiling, Nuo spoke gently, as if he had forgotten he was conversing with a deity. Chapter 341: Chapter 89 Gifts and Birth_2 ""We''ve found that when humans possess power simr to that of the gods, they too will feel fear, will also be afraid¡ªCohen told me this. Since gods and humans are differentiated only by power, as long as we have power, naturally there''s nothing to be afraid of." "Of course, they also gifted life to humans, but after the great flood, we had returned life back to them." "What about The Temple, then? What deity is worshipped there? Does he not need your worship?" Seizing what seemed like a loophole, Hecate pointed at the temple shrouded in light and spoke. "That is the temple of the Lord, and indeed He does not need the worship of mortals, or rather, if it were not for the miracles of the angels, perhaps the Lord would not care about our faith. But if we really speak of it, perhaps the Lord also has expectations of humans." Smiling, Nuo expressed his deepest feelings. "The Lord''s need for humanity is not for someone specific, nor is it for us to do something. He simply needs us to ''exist''. He does not care about life or death, nor good or bad. As long as humanity has existed in the past, exists now, and continues to exist into the future, that is enough. The very existence of humans is what the Lord hopes for." "God loves all people. This is the only exnation I have for it. However, His love stands at the end of time, a greatness mortals cannot understand." Not knowing what to say, even with Hecate''s usually lively nature, she fell silent for a moment. Not needing faith, not needing sacrifice, just letting life flourish and eternally exist in the world¡ªthis is not so much a demand of the gods as it is a need of the world itself. Even the Magic Net, at the very least, needs people to use it so Hecate can draw strength from it. If there truly is such an existence in this world, then it must prove that He Himself is one of the cornerstones of the world''s existence. The power that He has would be unimaginable beyond any god''s expectations. To draw strength from the ''existence'' of a living being, this is a realm far beyond the understanding of even the strongest divine power. Thus, the journey continued in silence. The sea breeze blew gently, bringing a slight moistness to the air. Soon, when they arrived in front of a wooden house, Nuo broke the silence. "The city has just been founded, and this is the only kind of ce to stay. If Your Highnesses need anything, you can tell me." "It doesn''t matter. I''ve lived in ces not much different from this for many years." Returning from her thoughts, Hecate touched the book hanging at her waist. She took a few steps forward and pushed open the wooden house. The door creaked¡ª "We will stay here. But Mr. Priest, that gift you mentioned before, what is it?" As her words ended, Selene also looked toward Nuo, intrigued, since the so-called gift seemed to be for the ''Moon Goddess''. And this gift seemed toe from a prophecy, which is what Nuo had mentioned before, the ''Lord'' they worshipped. Although Selene did not know how she had caught His attention, curiosity inevitably arose within her. After all, staying with Hecate, she was unlikely to encounter any insurmountable trouble in the mortal world. "This is it, please take good care of it." Not surprised by Hecate''s question, Nuo took a small box out from his bosom. The box opened to reveal two sparkling, translucent crystals. He picked up one of them and handed it to Selene, who hesitated for a moment before epting it. "What is this?" The moment her palm touched it, Selene felt a familiar yet strange sensation. This aura was calm and gentle, resonating deeply with her.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om "A moon." Across from her, Nuo spoke slowly, as naturally as if he were talking about an apple. "The best gift for the Moon Goddess is, of course, a ''real'' moon." "...A moon?" "¡ªSpirit Realm''s Seventh Moon!" Initially a bit puzzled, but with Nuo''s exnation, Selene immediately recognized the source of this special aura. The foundation of the Seven Phases Meditation Method is the contemtion of Spirit Realm''s Seventh Moon, something she knew all too well. This was indeed the key to the Second Crescent Moon of the seven moons, or rather, it was a special Godhood that had been ''materialized'' into substance, which the True God could contain. In the past, the Moon Goddess had never seen what a Spirit Realm divine nature looked like, but she still managed to deduce its purpose. If she were to contain it, she would be the True God who presides over the Second Layer of Spirit Realm''s Crescent Moon. For a deity like her, born with Godhood, this was indeed an enhancement, but for territorial gods, this was an inimaginably precious treasure. Yet, when Selene actually held this tangible Godhood, she felt some fear. More than the sudden gift, she believed in a saying from the Divination Field after being with Hecate for so long. "Every gift you receive unearned, fate has already marked its price in the shadows." "May I decline it?" Looking at the shining crystal, Selene suddenly said. "Of course, it''s just a gift. Since it is a gift, there''s no reasoning in forcing someone to ept it. So, Your Highness, are you sure you want to give it up?" Nodding, Nuo immediately asked. The angel who had delivered the prophecy had already provided an answer. The other party could refuse, and what happened afterward would no longer concern mortals. "I..." "Of course we''ll take it." Grabbing the hand that Selene held the crystal with, Hecate quickly agreed. The two goddesses looked at each other, and Selene also nodded in agreement. Seeing this, Nuo bowed slightly, as if to show them respect. Chapter 342: Chapter 89 Gifts and Birth_3 "Now that the gift has been delivered, I will not impose any longer. From this day forward, this city shall always open its gates to you both." ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Dawn was breaking on the horizon, and the moonless night had finally passed. Helios, driving his Sun Chariot, brought light to thend, and on Mount Olympus, the Divine King likewise felt the call of distant bloodlines. The Fertility Divine Authority told him that his two children had been born there. Hera''s dominion was broken, and Zeus wasn''t actually surprised, for when Hecate used the power he once promised to lift Hera''s dominion, the Divine King had already sensed it and, in fact, was pleased to see it happen. Dying the birth of his offspring was to appease the goddess best suited to sit upon the throne of the Heavenly Empress, not genuinely for the sake of who bore his firstborn. Gods do not die, nor do they need heirs; the firstborn is more of a symbolic title, and to the Divine King, it hardly mattered who the mother was. Thus, when Hecate removed this shackle, Zeus merely looked forward to the true power of his offspring. Now, following the bloodline connection, the Divine King fully discerned the innate Divine Authority of those two children. They were True Gods, not Demigods, of this there was no doubt, and that highly-anticipated firstborn possessed the Godhood of Light, naturally endowed with the potential to wield formidable Divine Power. Light, that was Ancient Titan God Theia''s Divine Authority, and its presence in his firstborn not only brought a powerful deity to the Divine Court but also signified the diminishing of that Ancient Titan God''s power. Zeus felt immense joy witnessing this, his only regret being that this moment was not immediately known to all. If this were the Second Era, the miraculous signs of a god''s birth would have already spread across the world, celebrating the arrival of this new deity, but in the Third Age, separated by vast distances, the Divine King didn''t even know the name of his firstborn son.N?v(el)B\\jnn "And my daughter... her power may be lesser, but it is enough." With focused perception, the sensation from the Divine Authority informed Zeus that, though his daughter was slightly inferior, her power leaned towards the wildness and Chaos of nature, which was by no means weak. Just like the God of Sun Helios, with sufficient faith, she too could break the innate limits of her Godhood and step into the realm of powerful Divine Power. "Perhaps I should prepare some followers for her in advance; after all, I don''t have much time... That''s settled then." Contemting quietly and making his decision, Zeus prepared to pay a visit to Hera. He could guess that the Heavenly Empress needed hisfort to avoid irrational actions that might affect the growth of his children. However, at the moment when the deities'' births concluded, the previously joyful Divine King abruptly rose, his expression turning somewhat unpleasant as he looked into the distance. He couldn''t actually see what was happening there; the only reason he could sense the birth of his children was thanks to the Fertility Divine Authority and the bloodline connection. But as the guardian of oaths, Zeus suddenly discovered that the connection between him and his newborn daughter was partially severed by an oath. Although it wasn''t an oath he had sworn and the bloodline connection still existed, the link between his daughter and Leto seemed to have been transformed by this oath, attaching instead to another being. Originally, Zeus wasn''t in a hurry to meet those two children. Leaving them in Leto''s care, he believed they would surely be loyal and aspiring deities to him, bing powerful aids in his rule over the world. But if Leto was no longer responsible for raising them, the oues became uncertain. Zeus certainly did not trust in bloodline alone, and few among the gods did. "Hecate, was it you?" With a fluctuating expression, Zeus felt it was time for a serious conversation with the goddess who had once assisted him, but whose attitude remained elusive. Chapter 343: Chapter 90 Artemis and the Turning Point of Fate Zeus had wanted tomunicate with Hecate, and this idea wasn''t born just today. In fact, he had nned to have a talk with the Goddess of the Magic Net who controlled witchcraft, after gradually understanding thews of faith''s emergence. Today''s events were merely a prelude at best. Of course, the reason he intended to "have a talk" rather than directly issuing Divine King''s decree for Hecate to follow hismands lies in Zeus'' subtle dread of her. As the Divine King, he was never one to repay kindness and return favors, and Metis'' fate was the best proof of this. If not because Hecate was so special, how else would Zeus be so generous to her, even personally promising her the privilege to remain independent of the Divine Court? All of this was, after all, an act of courting and soothing the Goddess of the Magic Net.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Early on, before the feast to honor the victors after the epochal turn, the Divine King had initially prepared the control over a swath of starry sky as a reward for Hecate¡ªZeus had hoped for the Underworld, but the Goddess of the Magic Net didn''t have any entitlement rted to the Underworld, and there was already the Goddess of the Nether Moon and the River of Vows in existence. Thus, the Divine King settled for the vastness of the celestial space as a second choice. On one hand, this could express his intention to co-rule the heavens with the other deities, and on the other, the starry sky wasn''t truly under Zeus'' control. Even the presence of the Moon Goddess was much more significant than that of the nascent Divine Court. Allowing Hecate to go there, she could use the Moon as a stepping stone, to create checks and bnces with the Ancient Gods in the starry space, preventing any Star God from deciding to follow the example of the ancient God of Sun and attempting to be the master of the entire celestial realm during the formative moments of the Divine Court. The Lightless celestial deity Coeus was who Zeus was most wary of. Though this Titan Principal God had been reclusive for a while, after all, he briefly united with Cronus in thest epoch andunched a war to unify the starry sky. This ancient Titan conducted his affairs with discretion, but he was indeed a deity no less formidable than Oceanus, the God of the Ocean. For the then Divine King, the very existence of Coeus was a great threat. On Earth, the luminous celestial bodies spread Light, but only the deities who had truly set foot there knew that it was the Lightless celestial bodies that made up the majority of the starry sky. The power of the luminous bodies was fragmented. The Star Gods and the Sun and Moon were all part of it, but the sole master of the Lightless celestial bodies was Coeus alone. Zeus had made many ns for this, and that seemingly unremarkable feast for the victors was actually the art of bnce the Divine King had contemted for a long time, advised by Metis. However, once he had truly taken on the mantle of Divine King and perceived the Chains of the Law that spread across the world, he had adjusted his earlier choices at the first opportunity. Hecate was conferred extra glory and rights by him, and turning around, the Divine King secretly reached out to the ck-robed goddess Leto. Without the Goddess of the Magic Net, he had to stabilize the celestial space in an alternative way. Even though this goddess'' beauty was not particrly outstanding among the deities, Zeus still used all his eloquence to ensure Leto stood by his side. Of course, Zeus was now very thankful for his earlier decision. He himself had not expected that this goddess, whom he had not truly valued, would bring him such an impable firstborn. "Witchcraft... truly a troublesome power. Fortunately, once I take that step, many things will be much simpler," Zeus sighed softly, feeling somewhat headache-stricken. Nowadays, the Mortal Realm hardly supported deities in unleashing Divine Power for prolonged battles, and often a single move would be enough to exact a heavy toll, with Poseidon''s recent encounter serving as a case in point. But for Hecate, this was actually the greatest benefit. The Divine King had no doubt that even if her Divine Power was far inferior to his, and [Magic Net] was not as suited for directbat as [Thunder], if he truly confronted Hecate in the Mortal Realm, the one who would end up losing was none other than himself. Because as long as Zeus couldn''t defeat her in a few moves, the scales of Victory would clearly tilt toward the Goddess of the Magic Net. Of course, there was more than one deity in the Divine Court, and should they rise up to attack together, Hecate would certainly be no match. And once Zeus hadpleted at least half of the rituals and gained further power, this awkward situation would likewise be alleviated. But distant water cannot quench immediate thirst, and for now, the Divine King believed there was no need to take things to that extremity. "I''ll make a visit first, at least I need to understand what exactly she intends to do. In any event, neither Leto nor my eldest son can afford to suffer any mishaps." Having made his decision, the Divine King immediately stepped out of the pce. He nned to visit the southeast of the Earth, but before leaving, Zeus still waved his hand, summoning his frequently used messenger Zephyrus. "Your Majesty, what are yourmands?" Zephyrus, the God of West Wind, asked respectfully upon being summoned. "Keep a close watch on Olympus, and don''t let Hera do anything unnecessary. If she sends anyone out, stop them first; if she herself intends to leave, tell her that at this point, she cannot change anything, and everything can wait until my return," Zeus spoke gravely, his words not entirely clear in many respects. However, the God of West Wind simply bowed slightly, indicating understanding. "I will do so, Your Majesty, but if the Heavenly Empress insists on leaving¡ª" "... Just ry my message. That will suffice." Massaging his temples, the Divine King didn''t want to think about these headache-inducing matters anymore. Seeing that Zephyrus understood his intent, in the next moment, he transformed into Thunder, flying out of Mount Olympus. Chapter 344: Chapter 90 Artemis and the Turning Point of Fate_2 ``` ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ In the southeast of the continent, by the shore of Starfall Lake. The trees that had grown rapidly under Demeter''s divine power looked as if they had aged a hundred years in the blink of an eye, bing tall and stately; they formed a vast forest of ancient trees. Birds, drawn by an invisible allure, flocked around the forest, reluctant to leave. Among them, several pure white swans circled and danced above the ground. Here, a miracle was unfolding, iprehensible to mortals but not umon in the eyes of the gods. Although the siblings should have been born at the same time, the sister was delivering her brother. The naiads of theke could not help but pop their heads out of the water to witness this unusual scene, and even some elves, also with slightly swollen bellies, looked on with a mix of fear and longing. Invisible light poured from the void, bringing about a spectacle reminiscent of day turning into night. After nine flickers, tranquillity returned, leaving only a girl who seemed to be six or seven years old, dressed in a skirt made of leaves, holding a newborn baby in her arms. As the world gradually perfected itself, the gods born in the third era could no longer easily make thews of the realm sing for them. Yet, the honors bestowed upon true gods by the world remained unchanged; they possessed divinely given authority and intrinsic True Names. Artemis, Master of the Wilderness, goddess of hunting, of caves, mountains, forests, wild beasts, and midwifery, even bore on her forehead a silver crescent, constantly radiating an aura unlike the moon in the night sky¡ªprofound and mysterious. Apollo, the incarnation of light. He didn''t have the extensive array of godhoods that his sister did, but merely being the embodiment of light was one of the highest forms of divine authority in the world. The "Light" authority that had split from the Ancient Titan God Theia took on an alternative embodiment within him.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Even as a newborn, the infant Apollo unwittingly emitted a soft glow that healed the wounds Leto had suffered during childbirth. Even the surrounding naiads felt more vigorous, their previous weariness dissipating in an instant. As the eras passed, and even as Alfheim from the Nine Realms integrated, the power of Chaos'' "Light" naturally grew, even if it were divided among many. The fraction that Apollo received was still enough to propel him into the domain of powerful divine beings. In that moment, looking at her son of exceptional birth, Leto felt all her prior suffering had been rewarded. Her gaze swept over the surrounding lifeforms, which, frightened by the goddess''s look, quickly dispersed from the vicinity. After driving away the outsiders, Leto looked back at her daughter in the distance. "Artemis,e here and see your brother," she called out to her daughter, her heart brimming with joy. Artemis was one thing, but the aura of power enveloping Apollo reminded the goddess of the strength and eminence of the mother of light. Even without relying on the power of faith, he was destined to stand at the pinnacle among the deity race. Inparison, the fact that her daughter appeared to be a few years old as soon as she was born didn''t surprise Leto at all. Just like another goddess yet to be born, who was forcibly constrained within the Mother Goddess by thews, the girl did not cease growth; she drew strength and wisdom from nature and instinctively helped her brother into the Mortal Realm upon her birth. Taking a few steps forward, Artemis handed the baby, bound to her by blood, to Leto. Her bright eyes looked up at her mother, who returned the gaze with a gentle smile. A warm feeling emanated from the infant in her arms, and Leto was about to praise her daughter''spetence when her expression suddenly turned to astonishment, a hint of fear almost imperceptible. "Mother Goddess¡ª" "Silence!" The moment the girl looked up, Leto caught sight of the crescent on Artemis''s forehead. The faint silver marking was starkly apparent, and the constraints originating from the Styx River revealed its true nature. It was the power of the Moon. Though not abundant, its presence was visibly clear, reminding the ck-robed goddess of an idental encounter she once had at the edge of the stars. There, she hade across a particr broken fragment that harbored a simr power. Previously, Leto had not associated it with the Moon because it was unlike Chaos'' true Moon. Yet, the truth contradicted her initial thoughts. It was not only associated with the Moon but had also, due to her fortuitous intrusion, transferred to Artemis in some manner. Leto didn''t realize that her first impression had not been wrong. That wasn''t the Moon of Chaos, but a remnant of the lunar deity from a world long destroyed. Attracted to the present by fate, it hade to a goddess originally predestined to be linked with the Moon, who now had no chance of doing so¡ªin bing part of her power. It was meant to be a sacred artifact born alongside Artemis, but its fragmented and diffuse power was far from sufficient to transform into another form in just a few years and thereby be reborn. It had no choice but to slumber within its master, bing one with her. Meanwhile, some of Artemis''s inherent godhoods gradually transferred to the artifact, nourishing its form and further deepening the connection between them. For Artemis, this wasn''t necessarily a bad thing; a sacred artifact born with a deity does not detract from the deity''s power, and is entirely different from those forgedter. When the artifact takes shape, all that belongs to her will return. But for Leto, this was true trouble indeed. ``` Chapter 345 : 90 Artemis and the Turning Point of Fate_3 The oath made by the Styx River cannot be vited; the moment it is established, it entwines itself around the swearer. Before this, neither Hecate, who made the request, nor Leto thought that the thing rted to ''Moon'' was an item. Their judgment was actually correct, it indeed was an item, yet this item had not yet been born. It was one with its owner, which meant that Leto had to face a reality, her oath might be even more difficult to fulfill. This was not even an issue that could be resolved by sending the child away, for Artemis is a deity, and to the world, she belonged to no one. No god could fulfill an oath with the ''ownership'' of another deity, after all, in the divine hierarchy established by Chaos, even parents and children are by no means subordinates to one another. "Mother Goddess, what''s wrong?" Looking at Leto, the young goddess was somewhat afraid, and somewhat confused; she just looked at the changing expressions of the Mother Goddess, stepping forward seekingfort. Yet, seeing this, Leto took a step back. At that moment, her heart was filled with fear and indecision¡ªshe was about to be the first deity in Chaos to break the oath of the Styx River, and before this, no one knew what this would truly entail. All gods knew the terror of the Styx River, and therefore, they were unwilling to test these unknown risks under the premise of having eternity. Perhaps the oath-breaker would be shaken from their godhood, stripped of divine power, or suffer some kind of punishment from the Styx River. Leto knew nothing of this. Her godhood was already weak; perhaps she would bepletely stripped of everything, or maybe even fall into eternal slumber. "No, it won''t happen!" Taking another step back, the goddess clutched the infant in her arms tightly. Amidst the extreme highs and lows, she had already somewhat lost her ability to judge. "It won''t... I still have Apollo to raise, he will bring me glory and status! Yes, he will make Hera pay for her actions, he will be Zeus''s right-hand, be the pir of the Divine Court. As long as today passes, everything will be alright..." Feeling the oppressive force of the oath weighing on her soul, Leto grew increasingly desperate. At one moment, looking at her daughter, bewildered, she suddenly bit her lip and extended her right hand. The power belonging to a deity was released without any restraint, and amidst the vibrations of divine power, Artemis passed out without any resistance. The girl, who had been in the Mortal Realm for no more than half a day,y on the ground with a face still marked by iprehension and doubt, unaware of what had happened or why her Mother Goddess had suddenly struck her. And before her, faintly, Leto locked onto the embryo of that Divine Artifact. The strength of the Divine Artifact was still tightly connected to the Origin of Artemis, they were holistically one sacred entity. Feeling all this, Leto''s face shed with hesitation and regret, but in the end, she simply whispered: "...Don''t me me; this is perhaps fate. Your godhood was weaker than your brother''s, maybe it''s not so bad to be a little more ordinary."N?v(el)B\\jnn Clenching her hand in the air, Leto grasped forcefully, and the embryo of the Divine Artifact that was still in development was forcibly taken out. Apanying this, there was a violent turmoil from Artemis''s body, even in unconsciousness, she seemed to feel the pain, but faced with a True God who had reached their peak, the newly born her obviously had no power to resist. The next moment, the evil fruits of utilizing divine power followed suit, the bacsh of thews of the present world fell upon Leto, but the ck-robed goddess couldn''t care less at this point. She hurled the silver light she had extracted, allowing it to fly towards Hecate''s location following the connection in the void. Subsequently, the force of the oath from the void instantly vanished, and the alert pressure on the soul also disappeared as if it had never existed. Leto gasped for air, her face showing a trace of relief from surviving a catastrophe. She had, after all, avoided the worst oue, yet at this moment, the goddess felt somewhat lost. After a short while, she leaned against a tree trunk, staring nkly at the starry sky above her head, unsure of what she was contemting, or perhaps she wasn''t thinking at all. "Wah¡ª" In the silent woods, the infant''s crying grew louder. As a deity, even though he had just descended to the world, Apollo wasn''t supposed to cry like a mortal, yet as a naturally born deity, his acute perception allowed the young him to faintly sense the powers of the Styx River and the present-worldws that had descended here one after another. Therefore, the newly descended Divine Child could only use crying to express his fear, and the increasingly loud cries finally brought Leto''s attention back. "Apollo, my child." Reaching out to hold the infant in her arms, the warmth gave her some constion. Coming back to her senses from the emotional rollercoaster, Leto finally realized what she had done. She had made an oath that was impossible to fulfill and then terminated it at the cost of her daughter''s Origin. Looking at Artemis whoy on the ground, a sense of absurdity surged in the goddess''s heart. She regretted it; perhaps she shouldn''t have contested with Hera for the position of the eldest child. She had yet to gain anything and had already lost a daughter¡ªwhen Artemis woke up, Leto could already imagine how she would view her Mother Goddess who had cruelly harmed her as soon as she descended to the world. She, like her sister, faced disaster upon her daughter''s birth, and yet, this unwarranted catastrophe was not caused by their daughters themselves. Chapter 346 : 90 Artemis and the Turning Point of Fate_4 It seemed as if fate was mocking them. The Goddess of Luminous, Phoebe, sought power and status, so she had her husband cooperate with the second-generation Divine King, and thus, as a medium between the two, the Goddess Asteria gave birth to Hecate, who was without godhood. Leto was so captivated by Zeus''s portrayal of the future that she unwittingly made a vow she could not fulfill, ultimately harming her own daughter and announcing the end. "So, is this the Father God''s warning to stay away from the Divine King?" Leto whispered to herself but knew that she had already given so much¡ªhow could she let go of everything and return to the cold starry sky to keep her sisterpany? "Apollo, you are my hope... Everything I''ve lost, you will find it for me, won''t you?" "Leto, what have you done?" The goddess spoke to the infant crying in her arms, while on the other side, utilizing the power to traverse the Spirit Realm, Hecate and Selene silently appeared there. In her hands, a silver light shifted, faintly echoing with the girl on the ground. "... I have fulfilled my vow. Now, it''s yours." Not knowing what else to say, Leto cast onest look at Artemis on the ground. If she could do it all over again, she would never have made such a vow, but it was already toote. Holding Apollo in her arms and harboring hatred for many existences, Leto transformed into a stream of light and flew toward the sea. And behind her, watching the departing Leto and the goddess left behind, Hecate also instantly understood the cause and effect. If it had been a stranger, if she had had nothing to do with the matter from beginning to end, the Goddess of the Magic Net would have hesitated to act against that departing deity, but now, the red-dressed girl hadn''t anticipated that a treasure hunt prompted by the guidance of godhood, so ordinary, would turn out like this. "... Selene, do you need this Divine Artifact embryo?" Hecate asked with a forced smile, while beside her, Selene simply shook her head, indicating refusal. The Moon Goddess understood the hidden meaning in her friend''s words. Even without it, she did not desire the treasure. If she had known that it was another deity''spanion Divine Artifact still fused and dependent on a Divine Body, she would never have coveted it. "Let it return to its own master''s hands then... but I''m afraid that since its nurturing was forcefully interrupted, it probably can''t continue."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om epting the silver light, Selene sighed softly as the embryo returned to its master''s side. However, as the Moon Goddess had said, it merely circled around the head of its owner like a silver crown, never returning to its original position. "No, there''s still a chance. Aside from the gift I gave you, isn''t there another one?" This was the first time Hecate had caused such a thing due to her own reasons, and although it wasn''t her intention or her fault, seeing her actual cousin, a girl with a simr experience to her own past, the Goddess of the Magic Net made a decision. She knew that Zeus on Mount Olympus would not be unaware of his daughter''s birth, and he would certainly take action, but Hecate felt that,pared to the Divine Court, Cohen''s city might be a more suitable ce for Artemis to grow up. What she had, this unfortunate girl should also have. And the stone tablet she had once encountered by ident would be reced by her and Selene. "Perhaps in the future, the city could have a nickname¡ªcall it Silver Moon City, how about that?" Picking Artemis up from the ground, Hecate suddenly suggested. "Ah?" Struggling to keep pace with her friend''s leap in Thought, Selene, still reflecting on the girl''s twisted fate, didn''t understand how the other had suddenlye up with naming a city of humans. "Let''s call it that then, regardless of its official name. A nickname¡ªCohen will agree to it." The transparent portal emerged in front of them, and Hecate stepped through first. Seeing that her friend didn''t want to say more, Selene promptly followed to leave. The secluded grove became quiet once again. No one knew that it was here, in this ce, that siblings who should have been close took vastly different paths¡ªone following their original destiny, the other towards a divergence. Perhaps it was also destined. Without today''s change, there would have been another, for Artemis and the Divine Court were bound to drift apart. For tens of thousands of years ago, on a day when the illusory Moon rose into the still vacant sky, bing the only luminance of Chaos''s night, the fate rted to the ''Moon'' had already deviated from its original script, towards the unknown and miraculous. As for whether this was good or bad, no one knew. The marks etched in history would pass judgment on all this. ... In an exterior realm, the courtyard, Central Floating Ind. On the ground, in the center of a massive pit, a spring formed a smallke, and beside it, a magical tree bearing eight branches rose about a hundred meters tall. Hovering above the ind, in front of a simple wooden house, the projected consciousness of the World Serpent sat by a stone table, quietly viewing the scenes within a silver mirror. He was originally concerned with the whereabouts of the gift he had given, but even he had not anticipated that things would develop along such a trajectory. The siblings, who were once close, had gone their separate ways from the start. "So you mean to say, even this was within your expectations? Haha, that is truly far-sighted." Asmodeus hade here in response to the sudden changes in the Styx River, which had surged with such clear force for the first time, coinciding with the imminent awakening of the Mother of Demons. As the Lord of the Nine Hells, he could not ignore it. However, upon just arriving at the courtyard, the Lord of the Nine Hells had witnessed quite the spectacle. He still remembered the day and the Moon he had promised to the other party, and although an eon had passed without the shadow of the Stygian sun, the influence of the Moon phases had persisted to this day. "You are overthinking it. The nature of uncertain fate is change, and even as a so-called emblem of it, I would not know the direction of change. If I could really grasp it, then the supposed ''uncertain'' would be reduced to ridicule." In a soft voice, Laine waved his hand, and the round mirror before him dispersed. No matter how fate may change, the oue is always determined by the strength within. Let Artemis write her own story. However, ''Silver Moon City'' is indeed a good name. "Let''s talk about you instead, Asmodeus. The first of the Demon Gods has descended, instinctively guarding by Moya''s side, drawing from the wisdom and Thought she brought from the present world, and the remaining five will not be too far behind." "When each of them is born, the Mother of Demons will awaken, so now, are you prepared to face them?" "You''re wrong; it should be ''we'' prepared to face them." Correcting himself, Asmodeus did not linger over past matters of the present world. How the Moon fares was irrelevant to him; Zeus would eventually swallow the bitter fruit of his own troubles. Byparison, the first-ever, and inevitably the most threatening, Abyss invasion was the real challenge before him. "There''s only so much I can do. In the face of the Abyss itself, only the purest sh of forces is the sole method of response. As for the rest, it''s up to them." Gazing through the barriers of worlds, the Lord of the Nine Hells could see that on the upper levels of Hell, certain preparations had long been underway. "The matter of the Demon Gods will be dealt with by others, but dealing with my former sister is up to you." "Of course." Nodding, Laine felt that the greatest threat Moya posed to him was likely not her strength, but that indescribable countenance. Though she had not yet awakened, Laine could already anticipate how much malice her visage would harbor towards his true self in the Spirit Realm. To his true self, Moya didn''t really count for much, but it wasn''t necessarily the same for this incarnation. Defeating her in the Abyss would undoubtedly be a difficult feat. Chapter 347: Chapter 91 Contract and Divine Arts The precursor of the Mother of Demons, Moya, Mnemosyne and Laine have harbored a grudge for quite a long time, although this so-called grudge has always been unterally perceived by the other party, and Laine has never paid it any attention. It was not until this Goddess of Titans suffered a loss at the hands of the newly born As that her existence truly caught Laine''s attention as she chose to dive headfirst into Tartarus. Now that she has lost her former appearance and turned into a form even more twisted than the Hekatonkheires, one can only imagine the resentment that smoldered within Moya when she awoke. She had gained the power she had longed for, yet she had also turned into a monster unrecognized by the deities. Had it not been for Tartarus, which had birthed her, guiding her choices, and had she not set her sights on Hell to draw from the power of the Abyss after her descent, Laine would have been well-prepared to encounter her in the Spirit Realm by now. Of course, if she truly dared toe, it would most likely be a one-way ticket. "If you have a n in mind, that''s good. Moya, favored by Tartarus, is not someone they can handle." Pleased with the satisfactory reply, Asmodeus nodded. He was ready to leave, but when his peripheral vision caught a glimpse of the ''little'' tree growing beneath the floating ind, he could not help but recall the ideas about the ''mortal strategy'' that Mephisto had expounded to him a few days prior. He needed something that could constrain mortals while earning their trust, something that could be used extensively and on arge scale. Upon learning of his ideas, the Lord of the Nine Hells had originally nned to try diluting the power of the Styx River, butter he discovered that the true power of the Styx oath did not lie in the river itself, but had a different origin. The waters of the Styx represented more the punishment for breaking an oath; they possessed some special divinity that could wash away the power of the deities. Therefore, its water could perhaps be formted into a special ink used to inscribe the contents of a contract, but the material to carry the oath itself would need a different source. "A ''Sworn Oath'' tree, from which power can be harnessed at a cost, I really don''t know where you get such things from." After observing for a while, Asmodeus stretched out his hand and called over a leaf from the Tree of Life. The golden glow radiated from the veins of the leaf, with some kind of power flowing within. The Lord of the Nine Hells studied it carefully, and after a while, extracted the power contained within the leaf, turning it into a stack of darkly colored ''paper'' in his palm. "This tree must, like the Styx River, gain power by witnessing vows and punishing oathbreakers." He stated affirmatively and then looked towards Laine''s avatar. "Hand these leaves over to me, let Mephisto take them to the Mortal Realm. Only there can it spread far and wide. Perhaps one day, this divine tree might possess power that rivals that of Styx." "Regarding this, I have no objections. Take it if you want. The fallen leaves of the Tree of Life are indeed the best material for contracts, but I''m afraid you have some additional work to do." Laine nodded in agreement, but he looked at the newly grown sapling, which did not have many leaves on it at all.N?v(el)B\\jnn Leaves infused with power did note from nothing; they required sufficient strength to support their growth. If relying only on the current ones, they were likely not enough for use. "As you can see, although its nature is extraordinary, it hasn''t grown long enough. If you want it to grow enough leaves, you''ll need to provide it with more nutrients." "Nutrients?" "Yes. But that''s not hard to obtain. Just find any life rich in energy and submerge their corpses into the Fountain. The energy from their bodies will be purified by the water, turning their life force into nutrients, and the remaining matter will sink to the bottom of theke, bing soil, and be part of the world." The Leonnor Spring was originally a fountain from another realm, reinvigorated after drying up, it became part of the central courtyard, continuing itspanionship with its former neighbors. Its power symbolizes vitality and purification, the opposite of the Darkness and evil of the Nine Hells, and its waters are the best nourishment for the Tree of Life''s growth. When it first arrived in the central courtyard, like the initial Tree of Life, Laine extravagantly allowed it to draw from the origin of the realm to achieve its first growth. But to continue to develop, it would need to find another way. The bodies of foreign life forms are excellent materials, as the alien energy within them is purified by the fountain water, their life force turned into nutrients, and the remaining matter settles at the bottom of theke, bing mud, a part of the world. "Life, that''s hard to find in the Abyss. Besides the Demon Gods, there seems to be no other life here." In contemtion, Asmodeus looked at the Abyss where the materialization of the outer world was bing more evident, as if he understood something. Laine did not keep him in suspense but exined directly: "There will be some. After suffering ''damage,'' Tartarus''s instincts begin to mimic, to mimic Hell and the present world. Life is an important part of it, and even the materials have been ''prepared'' by ''someone'' for it in advance." The Lord of the Nine Hells knew what Laine was referring to. The ''materials'' were the me Kingdom that had merged into the Abyss before. If it weren''t for the incubation of the Demon Gods not yetplete, perhaps some primordial life born in mes would already be appearing here one after another. "Let Mephisto figure it out then, offering the bodies of demons in exchange for contracts from this ce... This indeed fits the very rules of this tree itself." Chapter 348: Chapter 91 Contract and Divine Arts_2 ``` At this moment, it wasn''t just a matter of the contract; Asmodeus even received more inspiration. The Leonnor Spring could rely on the power of "purification" to elerate the transformation of life from foreign realms, but the world itself could also do it, albeit requiring more time. Life born in one world inherently contains an extremely faint force, and if they die in another world, there''s no doubt that it''s a subtle form of weakening. One or two are insignificant, but thousands are quite substantial. When Moya awakens, the Nine Hells'' direct theft of Abyssal powers will cease; then this method may be another way to strengthen oneself using the Abyss. "Perhaps the war between the two realms should continue indefinitely. As long as the victor is always me, that would be fine," Asmodeus mused to himself but didn''t say it out loud; he turned and left. Seeing this, Laine smiled and dispersed his form, returning his consciousness to the body of the Ouroboros. The vast atrium fell quiet again, with only the water of the Leonnor Spring still flowing. ... In the Eastern Region by the sea, Thunder shed across the sky, heralding rolls of resonant thunder¡ªthe sign of the Divine King''s travels. Without taking anyone with him and following the sensation from earlier, Zeus made his way swiftly. As the sun set and then rose, when the border betweennd and coast gradually came into view, the Divine King finally saw a vastke. Unsurprisingly, divine birth had taken ce here. Not much time had passed; the air was still filled with the lingering essence of when two deities were born, attracting many birds to gather. They lingered, greedily inhaling this power that could change their fate, wishing to sublimate the essence of their lives to obtain longer life spans and greater strength. Yet, fortune and cmity often apany each other. Before the birds could realize what was happening, with the sh of a silver serpent, they turned to ashes. This was not an intentional act by Zeus; the thunder that spontaneously surrounded the Divine King did not avoid these mortal creatures. A mere idental touch turned them to dust. Descending to the ground, Zeus paid no attention to the lives bold enough to obstruct the Divine King''s path. He was only interested in the one presence worth his attention. By the spaciouskeside, on a towering tree, a figure in a blue gown, unfamiliar yet familiar, sat on a branch, gently swinging her legs. Gazing at her profile, that tranquil and detached demeanor even made Zeus lost in thought for a moment. However, the next moment, when this unknown young girl turned around due to the Divine King''s arrival, Zeus suddenly realized her identity.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om "Hecate, is it you?" Surprised, in the impression of the Divine King, this impressive goddess did not look like this. Compared to her previous liveliness and unruliness, this blue-gowned goddess who seemed slightly older, although just reached adulthood, had a calm like the ocean, vastly different from her youthful days in a red gown. However, though one''s appearance and demeanor can deceive, godhood cannot. In Zeus''s perception, the girl in the blue gown was the embodiment of the Magic Net. Thework spanning the world pulsed with her breath, and the silver fire invisible tomoners, like silver star spots, adorned her gown, bringing glory to its mistress. Moreover,pared to her other self, it seemed like this Hecate and the Magic Net were even more deeply entwined. On her, Zeus even saw a hint of true Ancient God traits. They not only possessed godhood but were also a manifest symbol of it. Just as The Sky is Uranus himself and the Earth is Gaia, the connection between the Magic Net and the blue-gowned girl was extraordinarily close. By contrast, the red-gowned Hecate seemed more like a user, not the true embodiment of the Magic Net. "It''s me. I''ve been waiting for you for a long time." In the face of the Divine King''s bewilderment, the girl in the blue gown responded with a gentle smile. On the other side, Zeus calmed his somewhat restless heart. It wasn''t just the appearance that was different; it seemed her personality was also quite distinct. At this moment, the Divine King couldn''t help but think of a special rumor that circted among the gods. "Tri-phased Incarnation, I didn''t expect you to possess such a talent!" He said gravely; Zeus had indeed not anticipated that Hecate had such a gift. The formation of a Tri-phased Incarnation required natural birth; it was extremely difficult to have it otherwise. It needed ability, a certain potential, and a unique opportunity. Without this chance, even the Primordial Gods could not obtain this miraculous trait; with the opportunity butcking the ability, it would still be missed. Like the Three Graces, or originally, The Three Fates of destiny. If they could be born in the form of one god instead of three, then they would be natural Tri-phased Deities, possessing much more powerful strength. But due to theirck of potential, this situation ultimately did not ur. With a slight smile, the girl in the blue gown didn''t respond to Zeus''sment. Her third incarnation was still far from formed, and even she herself was unclear about what could bring it about. "...Hecate, you must know why I am here. Where are my newly born children?" Returning from his surprise, Zeus also remembered the purpose of his visit. His aura became sharp, and facing his questioning, the girl in the blue gown did not exin but simply waved her hand. ``` Chapter 349: Chapter 91 Contract and Divine Arts_3 ``` "See for yourself, Zeus, this is what happened here once, everything has its origin." With the will of the Goddess of the Magic Net, an elemental mist spread around, projecting light and shadows, and the scenes of what had happened before began to unfold in front of the Divine King. From Hecate following the scent of the Moon, to her pact with Leto, and then to the silhouette of the robed goddess leaving. Finally, the vision ended inside The Temple. Before the unconscious Artemis, a mortal took out a multifaceted crystal from a box, casting it into the silvery bands of light surrounding her. Centered on the crystal, the scattered forces reconvened, forming a delicate crown that rested atop the girl''s head. The New Moon Crown, upon seeing its creation, even if only a vision, Zeus also learned its name. Like the Sun, the original moon of Chaos wouldn''t change with time; it appeared in its phases to the eyes of earthly life because the illusory Moon hung in the sky since antiquity had such power. But now, with the merging of the Spirit Realm''s lunar phases and the residual power of a foreign Moon deity, this Divine Artifact became a symbol of the crescent moon''s changes. Moreover, it couldmand all beasts, dominate all spirits, and even the wearer would possess special privileges on the surface of the Spirit Realm. As the mist dissipated, thekeside returned to its original state. The area fell silent for a moment, perhaps digesting all that had been seen, Zeus narrowed his eyes and asked lightly: "So what are you trying to say, that you n to leave my daughter in this city of sinners, letting her consort with mortals, separated from the Divine Court?" His voice wasn''t loud, but the dissatisfaction it contained was evident. Zeus had recognized the origins of these people, a group of Bronze Humanity that had escaped from death. They had gained the protection of deities from the Spirit Realm, so the Divine King had no intention of troubling them further. The Sea Emperor was the main cause of their destruction; let them contest with Poseidon''s minions. However, leaving Artemis here was another matter entirely. To these humans, Poseidon surely was the prime cause of their ruin, but Zeus didn''t think his own image would be any more favorable. Growing up in such an environment, it was almost predictable how Artemis would view him as her father, the Divine King. Moreover, the original huntress goddess might only possess Intermediate Divine Power, but with the New Moon Crown, her potential had risen once more. Given enough time, she could almost certainly be a Principal God of Olympus with the help of faith, furthering his grand path. "You can try to take her away." In response to Zeus''s words, the girl in the blue dress replied with a smile: "But I will stop you, as will the deities of the Spirit Realm who guided these humans here. If you truly wish to do so, I suggest you bring more people next time." "She is my daughter, Hecate, she is inherently a member of the Divine Court." Frowning, Zeus responded gravely. At this moment, he appeared to be a decent father, yet there was no third person present, and both knew very well what kind of deity the Divine King really was. "Ha, don''t make it sound like I''m bullying you because of my position, Zeus." With a light chuckle, the girl in the blue dress''s smile slowly faded, at this moment, she was like an ocean about to unleash gigantic waves, quiet yet unfathomable. "You knew where Leto was, knew that your daughter was trapped inside her, yet chose to do nothing. That she would meet me and end up making this unintended vow, who is the real reason behind it?" As the girl finished speaking, the aura of the Divine King faltered slightly, just as Hecate had said, Zeus himself was the biggest source behind the events unfolding to this point. In the realm of the gods, where power often trumped reason, when the powers of both sides were not overwhelmingly different, reason found its ce to thrive. Thus, facing the girl''s challenge, the Divine King still offered an exnation. "Perhaps, Hecate, in this matter, I truly was too influenced by Hera. But that was not my intention, and I hope you can understand." Enjoy new stories from m-v l''e-NovelBin Offhandedly shifting the source of the problem to his Queen of Gods, Zeus seemed to realize that he would not be able to take Artemis away easily today. However, that could be discussedter, as no one knew how this child would view him when she grew up, and besides, he had another purpose for this visit. "By the way, Hecate, I recall you once said, as the Goddess of the Magic Net, you promised that anyone could use the Magic Net, whether good or evil, whatever form of life. I''m not mistaken, am I?" "Yes."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Seeing the mood soften, the girl in the blue dress returned to her gentle demeanor. She leaned back against the tree trunk, stroking the long hair falling around her neck, and acknowledged his statement. "If you wish to use the Magic Net, I have no objections. Just as the Sun doesn''t refuse anyone from bathing in its radiance, the Magic Net will not refuse anyone from using its power, so long as the user does not try to harm the Magic Net itself, the Magic Net will always be open to them." "What if I want to use it to transmit Divine Power." Zeus asked, with an implied meaning. "...If it''s pure Divine Power, the Magic Net will not ept it. The current Law will also sense the Divine Power used as a medium through it." Raising her head, the girl in the blue dress realized what Zeus wanted to do. The mix of Divine Power and elements, that diluted special power ¨C the Divine King could sense it, so it made no sense for her not to. However, due to her possession of Magic Power, she hadn''t given much thought to this weaker version of Divine Power. But now, it seemed Zeus had other ideas. Without Magic Power, even if someday he learned what meditation was, Zeus was destined never to reach the proficiency of those adept in it. Thus, his attempt to find a power that could contend with witchcraft didn''t surprise the girl in the blue dress. "So, a power that isn''t detected by Law can be used, right?" Nodding her head, in front of Hecate, Zeus slowly extended his hand, a pale golden energy flowing within his palm. It had some characteristics of Divine Power, but not as formidable as pure Divine Power. It was more akin to the gentler aspects of Divine Power and had eschewed the more destructive effects. "Such power should not be rejected by the Magic Net. After all, it also has elemental presence in itself." ``` Chapter 350: Chapter 92 Forbidden Fruit Elements are a special kind of substance, both ethereal and corporeal, and they also possess excellentpatibility. This characteristic allows them to blend with nearly everything in the world and transform into new, controble energies. That was how magic power originated; it is an imitation of the Almighty Divine Power, a product of spirit and element merging and sublimating. However, the magic power strived for elevation¡ªit grew stronger with the mental will of the spellcasters; but the force in Zeus''s hands was not like this. It was a degradation of Divine Power, a dilution and blunting. What determined its potency was the extent of dilution, and the proportion of Divine Power in it could never exceed one-twelfth. It seemed to be a limitation; once the proportion of Divine Power was too high, the element could no longer maintain bnce with it, ensuring that this special energy inevitably remained a step behind Divine Power. Yet at the same time, this dilution allowed it to escape from the hands of deities and be harnessed by other life forms. Zeus had conducted simr experiments before; he had allowed Nymphs and wild beasts to merge with this energy he termed ''Sacred Power,'' and indeed, they could use it. Those with strong spirits and acute perceptions could hold more and purer Sacred Power; those with weak spirits and dull perceptions could only control weak and diffuse Sacred Power. Moreover, the Divine King discovered that these beings, bathed in his power day and night, unless vehemently opposed to him, would subtly deepen their faith in him, while the rest could at least maintain it unchanged. This undoubtedly strengthened Zeus''s previous notion; since magic power could be witchcraft, there was no reason this ''Sacred Power'' from his own hand couldn''t transform into Divine Arts bestowed upon mortals by deities. As long as they selected those faithful mortals to be endowed with this power, they could be true priests who spread the faith for the gods, rather than the arrogant fools taught by Prometheus. These devout Divine Practitioners would be a privileged ss among humans, solely to disseminate the glory of deities. "I''ve said it before, the Magic Net doesn''t refuse others'' use, but while pure elements can perfectly fit on the strings of the Magic Net, it doesn''t mean other forces can," After looking at the pale golden energy in Zeus''s hand for a while, the girl in the blue dress said indifferently: "There might be some loss; the farther it''s transmitted, the more obvious the loss bes. Part of it is due to the subtle friction with the Magic Net''s strings, and another part will be absorbed by the Magic Net as nutrients for its operation." The Magic Net had been expanding incessantly since its creation. Beyond the reaches of the stars, to the ends of the seas, and even into somew-chaotic wastnds, so it naturally longed for external power. Of course, the Goddess of the Magic Net could forcibly prevent this absorption of energy in transit, but she saw no reason to do so. "Never mind, a mere trace of Divine Power, as long as it can flow in the Magic Net, that''s sufficient." Nodding her head, to the Divine King, this slight loss was inconsequential. Having settled the matter, Zeus''s expression grew rxed; the Divine Arts issue was resolved, and another piece was added to his puzzle in the Mortal Realm. All that remained was to wait, as endless faith woulde to him. "Hecate, regarding my daughter, I have another matter to discuss." Having concluded the business, Zeus was ready to leave, but recalling his daughter, designated to be his right hand, had gone away, the Divine King still wanted to attempt something. So he turned to the girl in the blue dress, making a reasonable request. "My daughter may grow up here, but that doesn''t mean the bond between her and me is thus severed; today''s events urred, not by my own volition." "So in the future, when my daughteres of age, I will return here. On that day, no one can stand in my way again." He spoke of ing of age,'' but Zeus was prepared to wait until after his own half ritual wasplete to return. Although by then Artemis would surely have developed her own likes, dislikes, and view of the world, no longer allowing her parents to dictate her path as a child might, the Divine King believed that he could persuade her to return to Olympus.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "...Thene, as long as that day arrives, just don''t be disappointed." After a moment of silence, the girl in the blue dress took out a Crystal Ball from her sleeve. She looked at it while Zeus watched, puzzled, then nodded in agreement. "Very well, Hecate, I will respect her own wishes when the timees." He nodded in response; a royal ritual cannot be achieved through coercion. But whether through enticement or affection, Zeus believed that he could always fulfill his goals. Readtest stories on m_v-l''e-NovelBin Finally, he nced toward The East, the direction from which Leto and Apollo had departed in the previous images. Beforeing, Zeus had intended to bring them back to the Mount of the Gods with Artemis to prevent simr events, but now, he had changed his mind. Apollo, he would return to Olympus in a state of glory, but before that, he needed an ''adventure'' to deepen his reverence for his Divine King. "May our friendship endure, Hecate. And well, I must say, I still prefer seeing you as you are now." Chapter 351: Chapter 92 Forbidden Fruit_2 Before leaving, he inadvertently uttered a remark, and then Zeus saw the indifferent gaze of the girl in the blue dress. He involuntarily set aside his ulterior motives and transformed into lightning to fly back into the sky. The girl was not as easy to handle as his powerless sister Demeter, so the Divine King did not ponder it any further. He now needed to hurry back to Olympus to take care of the issues that followed. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ With departures and returns, the day and night had alternated more than once. This brief period had nothing special about it, the world still seemed peaceful and harmonious, aside from theings and goings of the Divine King. However, in another part of the earth, a betrayal that hadsted a century was finally drawing to an end. The Sun God had descended underground, and the Moon still hadn''t risen. Nobody knew where the Moon Goddess, who drove the silver chariot, had gone recently, but for Moanda, this was actually a blessing. No one knew exactly what the Sun God and the Moon Goddess did as they drove their chariots across the sky, nor if they happened to cast their eyes upon the earth. While the likelihood that they would dare peek into Mother Earth''s orchard was slim, for the Nymphs, "slim" was still better off as "none." Especially today, for ording to her previous estimate, today was the day the special fruit would ripen. "Hope all goes well," she murmured. With a silent prayer in her heart, Moanda carefully avoided drawing anyone''s attention. On this quiet night, she ventured alone into the Golden Apple Orchard. The sound of the wind carried a tinkling, bell-like noise from afar. It was clear and scattered, chaotic yet touching, like an ancient symphony yed by nature or a story of mystical pasts from the dawn of creation. Amidst such harmonies, the Nymph passed variety of flora and fruits rarely seen across the Nine Realms and stood once again beneath the towering Divine Tree, looking up at the "Ancestor of All Trees" from Chaos. It had grown taller and more thriving. Compared to a hundred years ago, it was as if it had received some sort of supplement in a brief period, making its presence even more unfathomable than before. Still merely a mortal creature, Moanda was unaware of the secrets behind the changes, only witnessing the external transformation of the Divine Tree. Mysterious patterns naturally formed on its perfectly proportioned branches, and even the mist settled on each of its leaves, all indicating that the power of the Golden Apple Tree had been enhanced. Although Moanda could notice these changes, she was unaware of the reasons behind them. The Nymph did not know that a realm that had once prated the Nine Realms through the Divine Tree had merged with Chaos, causing the natural forces of the world to gain various degrees of growth.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om She simply attributed all this to the changes of the era and silently prayed that no unexpected changes would ur. Fortunately, everything thus far had gone smoothly today, and until now, nothing beyond her expectations had urred. "Golden Apple... a treasure only the most noble among the gods are worthy of enjoying. Even the king who rules over them must bow before it," she whispered, caressing the trunk with her right hand, her gaze fixed on the only fruit on the tree close to ripeness, or rather, it had now ripened. The fruit stem was nearly detached from the branch, as if a breeze could cause it to fall. Of course, Moanda knew that was impossible; without amand from Mother Earth, it would hang there perpetually, until Gaia needed it, or someone else plucked it. "Shared possession, twin birth... If you do not wish to grow in ignorance and be a mere ything in Gaia''s hands, then please bless me," she said. Her voice was calm, and although she knew the Golden Apple Tree couldn''t understand her words, Moanda still spoke to it. "What youck, I will provide; what Ick, you shall fulfill. Eventually, there will be a ce for us in this world. Nymphs will not be mere servants at the gods'' beck and call. We will establish our own realm, like the cities of Humans, the Mount of the Gods." Without waiting for a response, Moanda lightly pushed off the ground, effortlessly climbing the tree trunk. She felt a surge of invisible force sweep over her body, but ultimately she did not react. This was Mother Earth''s legacy; if anyone else were performing this act today, they would instantly trigger the forces Gaia had left on the tree, but now, faced with an insider''s betrayal, it proved ineffective. With nimble movements, Moanda touched nothing superfluous and soon reached the golden fruit. It was so beautiful, so radiant, truly a divine fruit not of the Mortal Realm. Taking a deep breath, the Nymph reached out her hand. As she touched the exterior of the Golden Apple for the second time in her life, feeling its pure life essence, Moanda''s heart settled. Without hesitation, she simply plucked it and brought it to her mouth. There were no surprises, no sudden intrusions by Outsiders, or anyone else to stop her, and then engage in a struggle vying for righteousness and possession. Moanda thus sessfully consumed the Forbidden Fruit. In a secluded corner of the orchard, near a heath-covered oak, the tree withered and then revived; on the branches of the Golden Apple Tree, the life of the Nymph surged and waned. With the fruit ingested, Moanda closed her eyes as if falling asleep, and then tumbled from the canopy. Chapter 352: Chapter 92 Forbidden Fruit_3 If there had been others here, they would have easily determined that the daring nymph had died in an instant; her body had lost its life, leaving only the undecaying shell innate to elves. However, at this moment, Moanda''s consciousness was otherwise. From life to death, and from death back to life, she felt as if she had relived the process of ''birth'' once again, and at a certain moment, the nymph felt she had touched a vast and great consciousness. The gap between them was so immense, like a grain of sand to a mountain, a drop of water to a river, yet they were also so simr and close, making Moanda feel such peace and beauty. Gradually, their consciousness began to intersect and fuse. Moanda felt herself growing stronger every moment, yet something intangible was being separated out. Stranger fragments of memories began to flood in, some pitch ck, others warm andfortable as if soaked in liquid, and even one interrupted in the process of gestation, nted on a high mountain by a goddess in a green dress. In just a brief moment, Moanda experienced tens of thousands of years since the birth of the Golden Apple Tree, yet this vast memory brought her no sense of shock. Because it was so monotonous and dull, monotonous growth, monotonous fruiting, receiving no more attention than necessary, it lived a long life as still as dead water, stirring not a single ripple. Until this moment, when two real consciousnesses were born from its hazy instincts, everything changed. One was the Outsider, who brought with it change and hope; the other shared Wisdom, yet it was still naive and ignorant¡ªthe original entity. "This is, the authority of a god?" Consciousness returned from the vague to the clear. Gradually, Moanda began to feel her own ''body'' again, and the new consciousness that was tightly ''adhered'' to her. But she couldn''t concern herself with it, for with it came a sense of power she had never imagined before. She did not know how strong this surge of Divine Power was, for the nymph had never before felt the power of the gods. But at this moment, Moanda felt she could move heaven and earth. "So this is, the authority of a god!" Following her instincts, with a single thought, the vegetation in the Golden Apple Orchard revealed its most perfect self under Moanda''smand in wee of their master''s rebirth. There was no sense of dy, as smooth as the movement of a natural Deity, because she had not stolen the power of the Golden Apple Tree, nor had she ascended to godhood in the guise of the nymph. She had merely made herself a part of it, entering a symbiosis with the existence called ''Moanda'' through rebirth, making the Golden Apple Tree uniquely one with her. To be even more precise, the Moanda born of the oak was dead. To any Deity in this world now, only one conclusion could be drawn¡ªshe was a personality consciousness somehow born from the Golden Apple Tree''s breaking of Mother Earth''s limitations, thus the Divine Tree had be a special ''elf''. Just like the vast difference amongst territorial gods, though also a ''nymph'', the Golden Apple Tree was akin to a god. At this moment, Moanda fully realized that she was no longer her past self; the entire world revealed to her scenes she had not seen before. The trajectory of the Law became distinctly visible. When she opened her ''eyes'' afresh and reevaluated the Golden Apple Orchard, the power left behind by Gaia appeared no longer mysterious. It was a shackle and a warning, able to prevent any Outsider from attempting to steal the treasures here, or to awaken Mother Earth prematurely in the face of irresistible forces, but all these arrangements were not so effective when facing the very fruit tree they were supposed to protect. Of course, even so, it was not easy for Moanda to leave this ce. "Sigh¡ªNow that I have seeded, I should leave quickly..." Muttering softly, Moanda sensed her acquired authority. Gaia''s power still covered this ce, so if she wanted to avoid rming Mother Earth for now, she had to find another way. Soon, the inherent authority of the Golden Apple Tree was more clearly perceived by Moanda. It was born from the Seed of All Things, the first nt in the world, naturally possessing the authority of [nts], the iplete [nature]. But that alone was not enough to free Moanda from this entrapment. Because the most important thing was how to contain her new ''main body''. There weren''t many things in this world that could allow the Golden Apple Tree to move without harming its Vital Essence. Fortunately, the Seed of All Things did note to this world alone. "Life Vase, now that the Golden Apple Tree has gained consciousness, it is time for you to return to your true master. Gaia, to im you, obliterated the potential transformation of the Divine Tree, but now, I am your rightful owner." With a slight tremor of her consciousness, Moanda silently sensed the location of the Divine Artifact. It shouldn''t be far, ced in the Oracle of Delphi instead of Mother Earth to receive offerings, just so long as she¡ª "Hm?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Startled, Moanda sensed that the Life Vase had not disappeared. However, at this moment, the reborn nymph suddenly discovered that the artifact did not seem to be in the Oracle. Within the Temple of Delphi, Moanda only felt the power left there by the gods, but not a hint of the Divine Artifact''s essence. And the current location of the Life Vase... Looking at the empty space before her, and guided by a subtle connection, Moanda suddenly realized that the artifact symbolizing ''Life'' seemed to be right before her eyes. "Have you sensed it already? Well, it is true that you now have more rights than Gaia to wield it. Hehe, and to think, I merely came to ''borrow'' Gaia''s artifact, and I ended up witnessing this. This is truly beyond my expectations." With a faintugh, the initial disguise dispersed, and Moanda finally ''saw'' the figure in front of her and the emerald vase in his hands. Or to be more precise, the figure had never concealed himself; he merely stood there, allowing all things in the world to overlook his presence. Perhaps cautious of Gaia''s remaining power, the figure simply stood there quietly. He did not approach further, instead, looked with interest at the grandeur of the Golden Apple Tree before him, given the day''s events, it was an eye-opening experience for him. "Now, tell me, what were your ns after leaving here?" Chapter 353: Chapter 93 Elf and Anchor The Life Vase was within reach, but Moanda now had no thoughts about it. If it had been not long ago, as an oak nymph, she would have beenpletely unaware of the terror of the person before her, but now, she could sense the terrible power contained within this figure. Probably not wanting to disturb Gaia, the neer was standing just outside the barrier Gaia set for the Golden Apple Tree, as seen by Moanda''s ''eyes.'' But she could also ''see'' that some insidious force had already enveloped the orchard, cutting off any connection between the inside and the outside. Next to the consciousness of Moanda, that hazy Thought that had just acquired Wisdom curled into a small ball, as if scared by this terrifying presence. However, facing such a situation, the Elf was only startled for a moment, then immediately asked calmly, "Are you the one who guided me to take this step?" "I thought it was the Divine King of Mount Olympus before, but now it seems to be someone else." Indeed, for this moment, Moanda had anticipated it. That mysterious Ancient Serpent couldn''t have appeared out of nowhere; it must have had its own agenda. Either it was an enemy of Mother Earth, seeking to target Gaia through her existence, or it had other schemes and would surely appear before her when everything was over. Now it seemed to be thetter, of course, one couldn''t rule out the former possibility... Moanda spected thus, yet under her ''gaze,'' the figure before her simply shook its head. "You are overthinking, Elf. Perhaps your existence is not as important as you think, and today''s events have even less to do with me. This feeling of the cycle of life and death... is undoubtedly Laine''s doing, he must have been responding to Gaia''s creation of life to match the trick I yed. And you, are just a lucky one who happened to be there." With the Life Vase of emerald green in hand, Erebus didn''t take credit for this. Creating such easily debunked lies was totally pointless; after all, this Elf who could betray Mother Earth didn''t seem like the type to be grateful. However, looking at the rejuvenated Golden Apple Tree before him, the Lord of Darkness settled one of his doubts. The fundamental reason Gaia was so protective of the orchard but tantly ced the Life Vase in the Oracle was that when she fell into slumber, the Divine Artifact that was borne with her also became dormant, rendering it meaningless for others to take it. But now it was different. When the Life Vase changed owners, it also awoke from its dormancy. While this subtle change went unnoticed by most, Erebus, who had been waiting for Gaia''s awakening, did not miss it. Yet rushing to Delphi, the Lord of Darkness did not get to see his sister. He had thought it was a sign of Gaia''s awakening, but to his surprise, Mother Earth did not awaken, while the Golden Apple Tree did ''wake'' up. At this moment, Erebus experienced a deeper epiphany about the world. Perhaps today''s discovery was 70% due to his attention over this period, but there might also be a 30% influence of fate. The world itself hoped for the birth of more sentient life, and even without knowing why, the Lord of Darkness, who had yet to open his realm, undoubtedly corroborated from the sidelines that life holds special significance for the world. This made him give it three times more consideration. About clearing the remnants of the past before opening a new realm, the Lord of Darkness gradually had a vague idea, but that was not attainable at the moment; it required the right opportunity. But judging by the current state of the world, this opportunity would likely note in a short time, so before that, Erebus decided to prepare the things he needed to doter in advance. Creating life was one of them. By doing so, when the time he needed came, he would be able to catch up with the progress of others in one step¡ªat least, he couldn''t be slower than that youngster hidden in the Abyss. "Now, answer my question. If I hadn''te, where were you nning to go before?" Asking again, the tone of Erebus became slightly more severe. Even though his voice wasn''t loud, Moanda could still detect the undeniable determination in it. Find exclusive stories on m_v l|e-NovelBinn/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om "I was nning to go to Mount Olympus to meet the Divine King. He had been here, and it was on that day that I received this rare opportunity." Without concealing anything, Moanda chose to tell the truth. "Before, I always thought he orchestrated all this, and then he locked up the God of Meteorology in the Abyss, just like with the Titans. So I nned to see if he has the power to stand against Mother Earth. If he does, then I am willing to stay on Mount of the Gods, serving the Divine King as do the other gods." "Heh, you probably overestimate him. Although Gaia has weakened beyond recognition, and her authority does not excel inbat, it is still not something he can deal with." With a scoff, although at the beginning of the new era, Erebus too had entertained the idea of ''making friends'' with Zeus, but that was predicated on him at least showing the power and abilities that Cronus had. However, at least from the new king''s performance in thest century, the Lord of Darkness saw no such potential in him. Of course, maybe it was too soon; Cronus took a long time to change his fortunes, so for now, Erebus chose to wait and see. "Come with me. Since you are now the owner of the Life Vase, indeed there is a ce I could use you." Chapter 354: Chapter 93 Elf and Anchor_2 She spoke faintly, as Erebus calmly announced his decision. "Just right, you are an ''Elf'', and so were they¡ªalthough they have died. Even if there are gaps between worlds, there should still be some simrities." "But why should I leave this ce with you, and what do you have to guarantee that I won''t be chased by Mother Earth?" Even understanding the gulf between them, facing the demand of the Lord of Darkness, Moanda still asked this question. Staying here meant facing the awakened Gaia, yet the one before her did not seem like a force for good. If leaving one danger was only to enter another, then what was the point of it all? "Guarantee... Heh, the Styx River''s bind on me is negligible, and there''s nothing else I can offer to make you believe. But in this world, everything can be fake, only interests are true." Unruffled by Moanda''s skepticism, the Lord of Darkness simply ced some special information into the Life Vase in front of her. This wasn''t manufactured information, but more like a ''memory'' that seemed to be engraved in the fabric of reality. After finishing, Erebus spread his hands open, gesturing for her to take it. After a moment of hesitation, Moanda still epted the artifact that symbolized material life. ''Life'' and ''nts'' fitted so well together, or more like ''nts'' were, in fact, at the convergence of ''Nature'' and ''Life''. When the artifact merged with the trunk of the Golden Apple Tree, nourished by its Prime Liquid, Moanda felt her already formidable power be even more extraordinary. Like ''Sun'' and ''Light'', these interrted powers could easily produce an effect where one plus one was greater than two. But with increased power, Moanda became even more aware of the unfathomable strength beneath the thin frame of the man before her. Dispelling some wishful thoughts, the Elf began to read the information that had been sent. After a while, Moanda came to a realization; she knew what he wanted her to do.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "You''re right, everything can be fake, only interests are real." Understanding her own value, the Elf finally let down her guard somewhat. As long as she was of use to him, she at least wouldn''t face the worst oue. By contrast, what Gaia would do upon sensing her betrayal was unpredictable to Moanda. Because in her eyes, Mother Earth was capable of anything, even if it would be harmful to both of them without any benefit. "Good, then follow me. I will conceal the traces of your departure and lead them in another direction." Nodding, Erebus lightly touched her. Supreme power enveloped the space, making everything that happened today a part of the ''secret''. But a too perfect concealment would immediately make Gaia suspect him, so he left a tiny clue. It wouldn''t clear his suspicion; once Mother Earth came to her senses afterward, she could figure out who was behind it all, because he couldn''t hide what he was going to do next from others. In fact, Erebus intended to have Gaia y herst card, for based on his knowledge, his sister wasn''t likely to think much upon awakening, but to act first and thinkter. In time, he would also get to see whether the sessor of Olympus, after two generations of Divine Kings, was truly as weak as rumored, or if there was some other ace up his sleeve. While pondering, under the gaze of Erebus, a figure slowly materialized from the center of the Golden Apple Tree''s trunk. She had a green dress and a gentle face, and at a nce, she bore a slight resemnce to Gaia when she was still youthful and full of Origin. Just as the Nymphs born from nts have a physical form but still walk the world in a form akin to a deity, Moanda reshaped her body and once again stepped on the ground. Turning to look at the tall Golden Apple Tree, the Elf raised the green vase, and as a force of suction emerged, the tree disappeared from the spot, leaving only a huge pit on the ground. The barrier left by Gaia separated the inside from the outside; any attempt to move the tree would trigger Mother Earth''s power, but the Life Vase was different. This Divine Artifact could perfectly conceal its aura, rendering Gaia''s power ineffective, as it originated from the same source. Picking up the body she once inhabited on the ground, along with her former oak form, Moanda hesitated, then also took the bodies of Veda and a few friends she was close to. As for the rest, they were no longer her concern. If they were smart enough to perceive what happened in the orchard, they should flee as far as possible and at least not stay on the earth. Otherwise, when Mother Earth awoke, the Elf did not think Gaia in her fury would distinguish whether these Nymphs were innocent or not. "I''m ready." Stepping out of the barrier, indeed, Mother Earth''s power did not react to the artifact that originally belonged to her. Across from Moanda, Erebus also nodded and opened a pathway directly to the Underworld. But before leaving, as if remembering something, a ck glow emerged on the Lord of Darkness. He nced into the void, and then, with a slight flicker, the ck glow disappeared, apparently heading toward some very deep recess of space-time. After finishing hisst task, Erebus immediately departed, and the Golden Apple Orchard once again became quiet, leaving only the huge pit at the center hidden by an illusion. Chapter 355: Chapter 93 Elf and Anchor_3 ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Darkness enveloped all, time itself seemed to blur. When Moanda glimpsed light once more, the surroundings had changed dramatically. A pale purple moon hung in the sky, an invisible force following the moonlight, shining on the grey earth. A river ofva divided different regions, its intense heat reminding Moanda of the sun above the heavens. Indeed, the elf did not know that it was originally a part of the sun. Beyond the river of fire and the Nether Moon, Moanda saw beings that were neither living nor dead wandering aimlessly not far from the ground. They emitted a negative aura, provoking an instinctive aversion in the elf. She detested the sensation of being at odds with life, thus she extended her hand, and with divine power flowing, mercilessly snuffed out the soulfire burning within their skulls. It was Moanda''s first time using divine power against foes, and although they were only mortals, her spirits were nheless lifted considerably. "Enough, don''t waste more time on these things. Unless you can pick the Nether Moon, cutting off its moonlight, or permanently transform the environment of the Underworld, causing the pervasive energy here to dissipatepletely, you''re only exerting effort in vain," said a voice. From the shadows stepped Erebus, casting a casual nce at the lives that had turned to dust. Although he too found these mindless, fearless creatures bothersome, under the Nether Moon''s radiance, their birth was endless. Compared to the wraiths transformed from the corpses of earthly beings, these naturally born wraiths were nearly infinite. The density of the Underworld''s essence in an area and the strength of the Nether Moon''s light often decided their numbers. If their number increased too much, they would ''starve to death''; if too few, they would multiply again. Over a sufficiently long period, their total number always maintained a dynamic equilibrium. "These creatures are not important. Now, begin your task," instructed Erebus with a light wave of his hand. Instantly, from across the boundary dividing the Underworld and the Realm of Lightlessness, the area that seemed to consume everything, several beings flew out. Some were tall and handsome but carried dark powers in their bodies; some were robust with skin as pale as corpses, their hair and beards pitch-ck. Of course, there was the most special one, a giant egg wrapped in flesh glowing with a sinister red hue. Upon that flesh, Moanda felt a chilling sensation. She even had the feeling that the flesh was ''watching'' her. Although this was only a faint premonition, it made the elf subconsciously step back. "You mightck experience, but that''s alright, these are ready-made temtes. Using your inherent authority, as an unusual deity, this shouldn''t be difficult for you," said the Lord of Darkness, his gaze lingering on the giant egg for a moment before moving away. "However, the future habitat for them is not the Underworld, as with your current strength, it''s probably impossible for you to alter the essence of life allowing them to adapt to this environment. Fortunately, their original homnd has alsoe through, situated between the earth and the Underworld.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Therefore, you only need to make some slight adjustments, which I think you should be able to aplish," he said calmly. "I understand. But this egg... what do you want me to do with it?" asked Moanda. Find your next adventure on m_v l|e-NovelBin Nodding, Erebus affirmed that creating life ording to the temte was not difficult for Moanda. It would be a repetitive task once she became familiar with the power of the Life Vase. Yet, this dangerous-looking egg, which was ''alive'' on its own and required no additional actions from her, along with the endlessly squirming flesh, made Moanda wish to stay far away. "...You don''t need to bother with the egg; use the power of [Life] within the Divine Artifact to suppress the other ''life'' within that flesh. That''s what you must do," Erebus said, a twitch in his eye, after a brief silence. Only upon returning to Chaos did the Lord of Darkness finally realize he had still underestimated that fearsome giant tree. In reality, at that interface, it appeared as though the pressure suppressing him and Laine''s powers was significant, but the pressure on the tree was far greater than on them both. A remnant of a destroyed worldbined with the core of the Divine Tree that once sustained the Nine Realms, its essence and power were far beyond Erebus''s initial estimates. Even now, back in his own domain, he had not been able topletely erase the persistent force on his left hand, which clung like a malignant tumor. He could either take more time to erode this force with a certain ''immortality'' property or resolve it in another way. Luckily, this was Chaos, and with the life-oriented Divine Artifact, utilizing the absolute nature of Divine Authority, Erebus could still solve this problem. "I will do it. So, is this where I will live from now on?" Moanda asked. With another nod, even if it was just using the Divine Artifact to suppress the flesh, it shouldn''t be too hard, so Moanda didn''t hesitate any further. She looked around, and although the Life Vase could hold her essence, now that the Golden Apple Tree was no longer a seed, it could no longer stay inside indefinitely. She needed a ce to rent this Divine Tree. Chapter 356: Chapter 93 Elf and Anchor_4 And the Underworld is probably the least suitable ce for nting vegetation, apart from the Abyss. "Let''s pick that spot, Svartalfheim, the dark nation of the Otherworld. Once these lives are created by you in the future, let them thrive there first. You can also make this vast underground world your territory." With a casual gesture, a pathway opened. In theory, the Underworld, a realm unto itself, could only be entered and exited through a single portal, where the Styx River flowed, yet this clearly wasn''t a limitation for Erebus. "Especially those wraiths, do not let them upy the underground for that so-called Hades. It''s best to keep this naturally dark ce ''ownerless.''" Listening to the words of the Lord of Darkness, Moanda looked towards the opposite end of the passage. She didn''t like the environment over there either, but she had no choice. The earth was Gaia''s very body, and no matter what, she couldn''t possibly nt the Golden Apple Tree on the surface. Moreover, this underground space might not necessarily be a bad spot for her. Although Moanda and the consciousness of the Golden Apple shared the body, and she shared wisdom with the other, the other sharing its body and strength with her, there was, in fact, still a gap between them. Just as that consciousness still needed to learn and grow, for Moanda, the divine authority shared by both ultimately still favored the other. But seeing this underground world, previously undiscovered, Moanda began to conceive a method to change this situation. Gaia once created all sorts of nts in the world, but that certainly didn''t include this lifeless underground realm, so if she could also create new nts here, it would not only help her familiarize with her power but also bring into the world nts that were uniquely her creations. "I understand. Those wraiths... I don''t like them either." The matter of creating new nts would have to wait until she had a better grasp of the underground world''s environment. Tidying up the corpses of the lives from the surface, Moanda carefully lifted the giant egg and then entered the pathway opened by the Lord of Darkness. For better or worse, that ce would be her new home for a considerable time toe. The figure of the Elf disappeared into the portal and then vanished altogether while watching her leave, Erebus closed the temporary portal. He was in very good spirits now. Creating life was secondary; the resolution of something that had troubled him for a long time truly made him feel that his prior efforts were meaningful. Elements were not solely his to possess; taking more or less of them didn''t make much difference. "But speaking of it, the Magic Net is indeed an interesting thing." Shaking his head gently, Erebus turned and returned to the Realm of Lightness. He wasn''t Gaia and couldn''t walk the world day in and day out like her, not to mention that, if it weren''t for having things to do, he truly didn''t wish to venture out often. After today, his next outing would probably be when his dear sister awoke. A seat among the audience on Mount Olympus certainly couldn''tck his presence. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ The Spirit Realm, fifthyer. "Hum¡ª¡ª" In the chaotic and disordered interface, nothing had a fixed form; only ck mist roamed incessantly among the illusory stars. However, in contrast to the past, a small interfaceposed of positive energy and faith had taken root here. Half of it ''embedded'' within the fifthyer of the Spirit Realm, anchoring the surrounding chaotic space-time significantly, while its other half extended into the outside world, maintaining some temporal-spatial connection with the stars. If one observed carefully, they would see beings emitting light moving in and out, seemingly constructing this homnd in their own manner. Seven Hills Paradise, although currently only twoyers of its outline had just been built by the reincarnated Celestial n, limited by the scarcity of the Power of Faith, it indeed existed and even provided some blessings akin to those of a territorial god. Of course, these blessings were now dispersed because the future Paradise Mountain didn''t yet have a ruler in name. But the humming sound echoing in the interface had nothing to do with it; the true source was four lights of different colors floating in the void. The four orbs floated in the fifthyer of the Spirit Realm, infinitely small on the outside and infinitelyrge on the inside. They seemed to share a mysterious connection with each other, making them both opposing and unifying. As time ticked away, the interiors of the orbs slowly began to evolve, but as soon as the change started, the yellow orb was the first to flicker. "Hum¡ª¡ª" "Bang¡ª¡ª!" Unable to hold on for long despite the interface''s attempt to maintain stability, the yellow orb burst into pieces, causing the other three to be unstable as well. Watching this, Laine had no choice but to wave his hand to erase the remaining three orbs as well. This was not the first time this had happened, yet the result was invariably simr. "Indeed, it''s still not possible. The underlyingyer of this world is uneven, like life and death, without my effort, they could never achieve bnce." Yet another failure. This time, Laine could no longer draw any lessons from it. Some things can''t be achieved, not because of insufficient effort, but because the objective conditions simply do not allow it. In this case, he had no solution to the problem either. "...Let''s try with that instead. Compared to the others, having the ''Well of Reincarnation'', it might be more stable." Enjoy more content from m-v l''e|-NovelBin Opening his palm, the fresh ck gleam entering the Spirit Realm settled into his hand, Laine continued to gaze at the chaotic space-time in front of him.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om To seek order amidst chaos, an anchor is needed, and the strength of the anchor varies with the level of chaos. The thirdyer of the Spirit Realm was the least chaotic, so dreams and minds sufficed. The fourthyer was even more so, but using the Well of Reincarnation to anchor it was overkill. Facing the tumultuous chaos of the fifthyer, Laine had to find another path. To suppress the chaos of the interface, use an interface. Creating a realm with Themis was one option; doing it himself was another. Chapter 357: Chapter 94 Trials The world exists in a multi-tiered structure, and this is often considered a universal norm. In the vast majority of mythologies, the world is divided into two distinct realms: one that symbolizes the bright aspect and another that symbolizes the dark aspect.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Experience more tales on m v|l e''-NovelBin Even with the continuation of myth, this subdivision of the world can further evolve. Just like the thirty-three heavens of the East and the heaven and hell of the West seem to reflect an issue: as human society bes moreplex with development, so too presumably should the world. A multiyered structure facilitates its internal growth and the stability of the world itself. Therefore, what Laine did previously was actually simr. He attempted to create an "Inner Layer" at the center of the fifthyer of the Spirit Realm,posed not of faith but purely of elements, while realms constructed from emotions, faith, and some elemental power, like the "Seven Hills Paradise," became part of the "Outer Layer," nestled on the periphery of the fifthyer of the Spirit Realm. With an inner and an outeryer, the chaotic spacetime was anchored in a three-dimensional ring shape, thereby enabling thisyer of the realm to support life activities¡ªeven life as transcendent as that of the Celestial n. However good the concept, it failed from the start. The "Inner Layers" Laine envisioned should have been six in number, with the elements [Earth][Water][Wind][Fire] spread out in four directions, categorizing the vast majority of elemental powers. Those hard to categorize were divided into "Positive Energy" and "Negative Energy"¡ªtwo pure energy realms based on their tendencies, ced in the upward and downward directions, respectively. The six nes form a three-dimensional diamond surrounding the core of the fifthyer of the Spirit Realm, sustaining the spacetime of the realm and corresponding distantly to the future Outer Layers. In the future, kingdoms of the deity-borne and the illusory stars would be interspersed among them, forming theplete fifthyer of the Spirit Realm. While the idea was sound, when it came to actualization, Laine discovered it was utterly unworkable, not only because the Spirit Realm did not possess control over elements other than fire, but also because the underlying logic of the world dictated it so. Just as life and death are not bnced, neither are earth, water, wind, and fire equal. A cycle with clear disparities could not be constructed unless Laine could find a way to make the four elements transform into one another, maintaining bnce as life and death do. This was not entirely impossible; theoretically, if he could move the four elemental nes to the fourthyer of the Spirit Realm, then with theplete cyclical power of the "Well of Reincarnation," stability could be maintained. But since Laine intended to establish the elemental nes to perfect the fifthyer of the Spirit Realm, how could he possibly make that choice. "Compared to that, the transition between positive and negative is easier to bnce. Even just relying on the natural dispersion of the cyclical power from the ''Well of Reincarnation,''bined with the order of the realms bolstered by the ''Codex of Creation,'' should suffice toplete this step." After pondering for a moment, Laine finally gave up the idea of aplishing it all at once. It seemed that in order to sort out the order of thest twoyers of the Spirit Realm, it had to be done bit by bit. With a gesture, the dark glimmer in Laine''s palm spread out, falling below him, where the very manifestation of the world''s Negative Energy was taking ce. At the same time, the inherent Negative Energy within the Spirit Realm also gathered, evolving into a small realm constructed purely of energy. The corresponding Positive Energy, on the other hand, settled above Laine. However,pared to what was below, it seemed quite sparse. This was not just because the Spirit Realm itself did not deeply involve Positive Energy, but also because in Chaos World, although life was powerful and death weak, on the whole, the negative actually outweighed the positive. Even the number of Primordial Gods clearly disyed this: there existed two Primordial Gods of night and darkness in the world, while day and light had only one of powerful Divine Power¡ªa Goddess of Daylight who was even conceived by the substance of the former, making the disparity quite obvious. Although the developmental progress of the world had somewhatpensated for this inherent disparity, it still existed. So when the gathering of positive and negative energies wasplete, after only a short moment of stability, the glowing orb emitting positive energy started to tremble slightly, seemingly unable to bear the burden, incapable of opposing the Negative Energy realm below it. But this was after all within the Spirit Realm. Seeing the nascent Positive Energy realm on the brink of copse, Laine, as before, drew on part of the power of Samsara and the power of the realm. And just as he had anticipated, after flickering violently a few times and under the subtle influence of the nascent Seven Hills Paradise in the distance, the newly born energy realm finally stabilized. However, it seemed that Laine needed to spend more years here until the forces of both sides were brought closer by the cycles, after which he could entirely leave them to function on their own. "Phew¡ªwhat a hassle." Heaving a sigh, but feeling that his Spirituality symbol had be a bit moreplete, Laine still found it all very worthwhile. The Spirit Realm is the embodiment of his power; the scope of the Spirit Realm''s coverage and its overall strength are manifestations of the spread of Spirituality in the world. In his estimation, even without other gains, the mere perfection of the remainingyers of realm each would suffice to bring an increase in symbolic stature equivalent to one level. The same applied to other realms. If the Lord of the Nine Hells could find a leader with enough ''potential'' for eachyer of the Nine Hells, perfect the natural emergence mechanism of Demons, and even allow the main forces of differentyers of Hell to cooperate, then his power would also rise, thereby escaping his current state at the bottom of greatness. But the foundations and magnitude of Hell are vastly inferior to the Spirit Realm, so such an increase wouldn''t be as high as Laine''s. Chapter 358: Chapter 94 Trials_2 After finishing up the task at hand, he finally rxed a bit. Maintaining the stability of the negative energy interface required his presence, but it was not too energy-consuming, so Laine finally had time to pay attention to what had just happened. Of course, he kept an eye on everything that happened in Mother Earth''s orchard; it''s just that the nymph called Moanda didn''t much concern him. As Mother Earth''s maid and the guardian of the Golden Apple Orchard, her only use was to serve as a tool, a means to avoid Gaia''s arrangements left in the Golden Apple Orchard. Beyond that, her worth was as a teaching material. After all, if she could stab Gaia in the back, she could betray others. Though Laine was not particrly afraid of betrayal from his subordinates, he was more interested in the original consciousness of the Golden Apple Tree than in keeping such a person around. Moanda herself didn''t notice, even assuming that her transmigration was supposed to be this way, but in actuality, since she "saw" the entire process of the Golden Apple Tree''s existence from the beginning, why then didn''t the consciousness share its memory with her, leaving her so naive and confused? Everything had a reason, for this memory exchange was unterally blocked. If the memory exchange had urred normally, the nascent consciousness would have been tainted by Moanda''splex memories and be an existence simr yet different from her, which was not what Laine wanted to see. So, he blocked it unterally, allowing only her spirit to awaken, and then let her rest peacefully within the body of the Golden Apple Tree, sharing everything Moanda saw and perceived, yet untouched by her thoughts. Under these circumstances, what she could learn from Moanda, this teaching material, was her own affair. Strictly speaking, the other was the original consciousness of the Golden Apple Tree, just like a born deity. Laine helped awaken her wisdom and continue the growth interrupted by Gaia, which was certainly feasible, but to go further and directly do something to her was beyond his power. "However, speaking of which, I thought that elf would seek out Zeus, or evene to me in the end... Bumping into Erebus was indeed a bit unexpected," he mused. Shaking his head, Laine was slightly surprised but quickly became indifferent. The inherent will of the current era favored the existence of more intelligent life, so exerting some subtle influence was possible. After all, the original trajectory of destiny was fixed, making the presence of the era seem rigid and stiff, but when facing the underground world, a ce originally outside of fate, it still showed a bit of tendency. Of course, it was still just a bit. Primordial Gods still had the possibility of choosing to personify, while the world itself had absolutely no chance to choose. Unless the world was destroyed and then birthed a taboo life like the Flesh-Mother Tree. "Besides, there''s also this ''ransom''... Better to just let her remain there."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om ncing at the newly formed negative energy interface, Laine decided to let things take their own course, which was in line with his ns. After all, what Moanda was doing was exactly what he desired. Continue your saga on m|v-l''e -NovelBin To create a life form that could proliferate in the underground world, Moanda was indeed suitable. For the underground world that had just appeared, not even the surface of the Spirit Realm had had time to cover it; indeed, making life possible there required someone to work hard at it. ... The current era, Olympus. The affairs of the underground were still beyond the Divine King''s notice, after all, he hadn''t even thoroughly dominated the surface yet. As lightning streaked across the sky, he hurried back to Mount of the Gods. It was only upon returning to this ce where the shackles of the current era were absent that the Divine Power surging within him restored some of Zeus''s confidence. The matter about Artemis could only be set aside for now. He would wait until he hadpleted some of the rituals before addressing it. Currently, what he needed to consider was another matter. Apollo, his eldest son; he needed him to grow up as quickly as possible and be the first real aid he could freelymand by his side. However, to do this perfectly, the Divine King still needed a ''good assistant.'' "Hera, I wonder if she''s still on Mount of the Gods right now, I suppose I need to find her... Hmm?" Just as hended in front of the pce and prepared to summon the God of West Wind for information, Zeus unexpectedly found the resigned Wind Gods and Hera waiting there together. In fact, he was prepared for Hera to ignore hismand and angrily leave to trouble Leto, but it seemed his Heavenly Empress was still considerate of the bigger picture. Of course, it was also possible that she realized the irreversibility of the situation. After all, Apollo was already born, and whatever she did was meaningless. "Hera, my dear, what brings you here today?" he asked. With a hundred thoughts swirling in his mind but appearing as if he knew nothing, Zeus simply waved his hand. Seeing this unmistakable gesture, Zephyrus quickly transformed into wind and departed, leaving the Divine King couple alone. "Why pretend to be clueless, Zeus? I wield the Divine Authority of Fertility far more adeptly than you, and just because they are not my offspring doesn''t mean I am unaware of their arrival," Hera scoffed coldly, yet she waited for Zephyrus to leave before speaking. Looking at the Divine King before her, her previously calm mood soured once again. Chapter 359: Chapter 94 Trials_3 If shamelessness were to be graded, Hera thought, Zeus would be the mightiest of the Primordial Gods, evenparable to the world itself. "...Now that you know, I won''t hide it from you. Hera, it is as you know, Leto bore me children, but it''s irreversible. The Divine King''s firstborn is no nobler than the other gods; he cannot inherit anything of mine, and you have no reason to be infuriated about this." As if he hadn''t heard Hera''s sarcasm, Zeus smiled, took Hera''s hand despite her objections. "Leto can''tpare to you; you are the most noble woman in this world. I was willing to share my authority with you before, and soon I will dere you again, to be above the Pantheon gods, equal in status to me, a distinction that is yours alone." "What did you say?" Slightly surprised, she stopped struggling. Hera had expected Zeus to utter more sweet nothings, but she didn''t anticipate such a promise from him. "Yes, it''s a n I''ve had for a long time." "As I''ve said, the ranks among the Pantheon gods were originally undistinguished, even for the son of the Divine King; everyone followed the ancient rules, dividing ranks by their own power, but this is wrong. It should not be deities holding power for status, but gods granted status by the Divine King should have power equal to their status. That''s the true expression of power." He looked earnest, at least in that moment, Zeus''s words seemed sincere. "I will establish twelve Principal Gods, higher than all others, to rule the Mortal Realm with me. And you, you will be the one equal to me." "...So you say, are you using this method to cate me? It seems you really are fond of Leto." She spoke with irony again, but now, Hera''s anger had subsided. Zeus was willing to share authority with her, and now was willing to make their status equal. Although she knew that nominal equality didn''t mean true equivalence, it still made her feel his intentions. More importantly, Leto was no ordinary being, not even a territorial god¡ªfor these, the Heavenly Empress could genuinely seek revenge. But as a True God, Leto was immortal, and whatever Hera did wouldn''t really matter in the grand scheme. Still, to prevent any future transgressions, Hera was not ready to let things slide easily. She was about to recount Zeus''s ''glorious feats,'' but in the next moment, his words made her think she had heard wrong. "No, I don''t want you to just let things be. On the contrary, you can send someone to attack Leto and that child in a few years." His expression calm, he spoke indifferently as he looked at Hera''s astonished face: "But the attack will only be temporary... After that, I want you to send that attacker to Delphi. It harmed my offspring, so it must be killed by him in front of the temple of the gods. But one way or another, you will have vented your anger, will you not?" Somewhat speechless, Hera didn''t expect Zeus to make such a decision. Although she had previously disliked Leto, she felt a momentary pity for her. A wrong choice leading to a wrong fate, that''s the sad fate of the Goddess of Nursery. But that was only for a moment; the Heavenly Empress quickly came to her senses. Whatever happened to others was their affair and had nothing to do with her. Besides, those who wreck other people''s marriages deserved such an oue. "This is your saying, Zeus, so don''t you regret itter." Pulling her hand away, Hera snorted and walked away. But from the sound of her footsteps, it was clear she was much happier than when she had arrived. "Of course, how could shepare to you, Hera? You are the Heavenly Empress, my only one." Behind her, watching the Heavenly Empress''s retreating figure, Zeus stood silently for a while. Once Hera had vanished, he returned to his Divine Pce. Sitting on his own couch, Zeus reached out, taking the Scepter of the Divine King. This Divine Artifact, set with three gemstones, still seemed so feeble, as if testifying to the weak authority of the third-generation Divine King. Compared to his own Kingship, the Divine King indeed cared less about Leto. Or rather, his rtionship with Leto wasn''t even born out of affection, so he didn''t have feelings of love for her. But his proposal today had other reasons. He didn''t tell Hera the whole truth because she still carried another unborn Divine Child. If he had told her, Hera would have insisted that the opportunity be given to her child, but Zeus didn''t want to wait. Once Apollo grew up, and in front of the Oracle of Delphi where the pantheon''s power resided, he would proim his existence and receive the power given by Zeus. When Zeus brought him back to Mount of the Gods in front of all the gods in the grandest manner and married him to the most beautiful goddess, even if Apollo had resentment towards his father, it would vanish like smoke in thin air. With this opportunity, Zeus could also announce his n to establish twelve Principal Gods and then turn that subsequent coronation ceremony into part of the ritual, securing half of his Kingship.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om "I really appreciate your sacrifices... But in this world, it''s still the unscrupulous that live the best," he murmured softly. At that moment, the colossal shadow that once cast infinite dread in Zeus''s mind seemed to quiver. That ''Father God,'' who once drove him to despair, didn''t seem so distant now. "Father God... I wonder where you are now. Dead? I don''t believe it." "But no matter where you''ve gone, as long as I rule this world, I will find you. Then I''ll tell you that not only have I learned what you taught me well, but I''ll also return it to you." "And Gaia... Mother of All Gods, every change in the Divine King involved you. Since you''re so restless, use yourself as my first stepping stone." Kingship is about obedience, whether it''s the twelve Principal Gods or other subordinate deities; as long as they revere him, it will further strengthen the power of the Divine King. Now, Zeus no longer feared the awakening of his grandmother. Perhaps her awakening was even a good thing. ... As time flowed like water, and the Mortal Realm remained uneventful, time hurriedly passed since the birth of Apollo and Artemis. Chapter 360: Chapter 95 The Island of Lemnos Since the flood wiped out civilization, and the mortal realm was in turmoil, countless springs and autumns have passed over thend. To the deities, this wasn''t an excessively long period, but for humans, it had already be an era too significant to ignore. It was long enough for a newborn to grow into adulthood, long enough for their migrating paths to traverse mountains and seas, and long enough for mortals to establish new institutions during the process. However, this time, there was no Prometheus to guide them, and the gods likewise did not interfere in this process. Except for the followers of the Goddess of Hearthfire bringing the knowledge of the old era under the divine will, the new generation of humans was entirely in a state of natural growth. They learned of the existence of deities in this world and saw those terrifying behemoths from the West retreat before the Sacred Fire; they marveled at the greatness of nature, worshiped the sun, the moon, and rivers, and, although the deities never directly revealed themselves, among the mortals, there was still a considerable amount of faith and adoration for them. However, this era was not just characterized by warmth. Hidden behind it was more primeval strife and ughter. As they migrated eastward, the humans, originally assembled in one ce, gradually drifted apart, and when they reunited, they often faced not friendly exchanges but cruel fights to the death. Only when granaries are full can one learn manners, and only when food and clothing are sufficient can one understand honor and disgrace. But without the care of a prescient deity, and without a suitable ce to settle down and develop, the new generation of humans often lived in the uncertainty of not knowing if they would see the next day. They would fight each other for food and engage inbat with other human groups that discovered the same habitable ins. In this process, a special ss emerged among humans. This was knowledge once passed down by Cohen among humans, a method to strengthen the body, refine the blood and increase strength. It was brought to humans by the followers of Hestia, along with the knowledge of the old era, and during the entire migration, it sparked an unparalleled burst of inspiration in different human tribes. In Cohen''s hands, it was merely a summary of the Golden Human King''s path to bing stronger. Although he was the founder of the system, he didn''t delve deeply into it. He was not even very clear on how he made progress below the Transcendent (fifth order) realm. Or rather, more precisely, as the first Golden Humanity, his natural gift made him overlook various challenges, advancing like a juggernaut without paying attention, and by the time Cohen turned back to understand, he had already stood too high to personally experience the feel of ordinary humans progressing step by step. Apart from Cohen, in the hands of Bronze Humanity, it was merely an optional ability. Previously on the Aurora ins, there was no fighting among humans, and this method to empower oneself could only be used on wild beasts. At that time, humans had no need to venture outwards; instead ofbat, they were keener on learning how to avoid danger. Thus, in a short span of a decade or so, no real developments were made on this transcendent path; it remained rough and basic and would have been more of a joke if not for Cohen. But now things were different. Among the fourth generation of humans, facing the threats of migration and wars with their own kind, in an environment where only the fittest survived, the basic instinct for life to survive was ignited, sparking different mes of wisdom. Many died in this process, the majority aplished little, but some individuals with extraordinary talents achieved differing results; they found their own direction on the very first transcendent path of humanity. These individuals, with their powers, gained followers and became the leaders of different human groups. And after finding suitable ces to live, with the support of their people, theypleted their transformation in status¡ªfrom chieftans to kings. However, in this era, whether as kings or high-ranking officials, responsibilities far outweighed rights. Although they possessed a status far above the ordinary people, they also necessarily had abilities far beyond others. Even their descendants often had to earn their position through martial prowess and merits, rather than being born extraordinary. So, as the years went by, traces of human presence gradually spread out into the distance. Step by step, they covered the entire Eastern Region with human existence. At the same time, huge cities were erected in the southeastern part of thend with the help of the Goddess of the Magic Net, a migrating group heading north finally halted its steps, and even deep within the earth, new species began to emerge. But at that moment, there was still no contact or exchange between them. Perhaps the beginning of it all would have to wait for the emergence of another catalyst. This catalyst could be called Typhon, could be the founding of Athens, or the birth of Mycenae. But whichever it was, it wouldn''t be far off.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om ... The East Sea, The Ind of Lemnos. Above the great sea, the waves churned tumultuously, yet as they approached this small ind, they quieted down. This was not a normal phenomenon, but those who witnessed it were not surprised, for the ind, originally known for its unpredictable currents and climate, had be harmonious in weather since a decade ago. On its surface, the Eastern Region wasprised of a vast in, the west rugged with rocky terrain, and at the center stood a towering mountain belching billowing smoke. Such inds were not umon at sea, but in recent years, traces of human activity had emerged here. Chapter 361: Chapter 95 The Island of Lemnos_2 They sowed their seeds there, built their cities there, and even had the objects of their worship and belief, which lent this originally ordinary little ind an air of civilization. "Ding¡ª" "Ding¡ª" "ng¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª" Stay connected with m-v l|e''-NovelBin Sparks flew as the hammer and iron collided, creating a thunderous noise. In an open space, a short and ugly smith showcased his skill, while hundreds of humans gathered around him. Unlike the deities or even the Nymphs who served them, there was no mockery or contempt for the smith''s appearance among these humans. Instead, they showed respect and excitement, learning the smithing techniques disyed before them. This was the sea, different from thend, where the people who lived here had never experienced migration or the threat of other creatures. Sea Beasts did not fancy thend, and the rulers of the sea didn''t wish those lowly creatures to harm the just thriving humans. Thus, the vast inds were often enjoyed solely by humans, who built cities and engaged in fishing or farming upon them. Of course, when avoiding the threat of other life forms, these humans also faced the more capricious natural climate. Be it storms or tsunamis, any could wipe out their homes in an instant, and what''s more terrifying was the volcano that stood upon the ind. Etna, a volcano that had once suppressed Typhon in some myths¡ªalthough it might not have that honor in the true Mythic World¡ªstill was undeniably terrifying to mortals. Just ten years ago, the people of the Ind of Lemnos had witnessed the eruptingva and the nearly destructive deluge. It was on that day this short, ugly man first showed his Divine Power. He made theva flow backward, cleared the smoke, and then told the mortals his name: Hephaestus, who wielded volcanoes and magma. To thank this deity for his help, they named their city Hephaestia and built The Temple for him, praying he would forever appease the volcano that brought hot springs and minerals to the ind, so it would never erupt again. Since then, Hephaestus, who had been raised by Nereus'' daughter, Thetis, often visited the city that bore his name. Here, he felt the respect and adoration of the people, a contrast to the attitude of the Sea God and the Nymphs. The veneration of mortals offered some sce to his somewhat twisted heart under the gaze of mockery and disdain. "Ding¡ª" "ng¡ª" "Let''s stop here for today. Go home and ponder, I have a guest to attend to," he said. With a final strike, Hephaestus looked at the short sword in the fire with some disappointment. He was indifferent to the high temperature and casually tossed the red-hot short sword aside. It was a failed piece, and naturally, there was no point in processing it further. Smithing was not his inherent Godhood, but it was certainly his hobby, and he was quite good at it. Perhaps due to the anomaly of Hera during Hephaestus''s conception, or perhaps due to some other reason, this indeed gave him an ugly appearance but also bestowed him with some abilities different from those of other deities. Like the Cyclops, Hephaestus had a natural gift for Smithing. Yet,pared to his skill, he found his creativity was quite limited. That was why he taught humans. Hephaestus found that many of the ideas proposed by humans might be difficult for them to achieve, but for him, they were precious inspiration. "As youmand, Your Highness, may you be evesting," came the voice of a man, seemingly of higher status, who stepped forward and bowed, leading the others to bow respectfully before dispersing.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Soon, only Hephaestus remained. He dusted off his hands and finally turned to the shade of a nearby tree. It appeared empty, but Hephaestus spoke as if to someone, his tone indifferent: "Come out. I don''t know who you are or what you''re here for, but you cane out now. I''ve lived on the Ind of Lemnos for over a decade, and your little trick can''t fool me." There was no response as his words fell. Just when Hephaestus grew impatient, the shadows beneath the tree shimmered, and a stranger''s figure emerged. The arrival seemed embarrassed, apparently not expecting to be caught spying. He had concealed his form with the maniption of light ande to the ind rumored to be inhabited by a deity, only to witness the Smithing process of Hephaestus. The young deity was so captivated that he had failed to realize he had already been spotted, which made him somewhat embarrassed. Meanwhile, the appearance of the stranger caused Hephaestus''s expression to darken. He was a handsome, tall young man with golden hair, confident and full of fighting spirit, theplete opposite of Hephaestus. One born to shine in light, the other discarded at birth. Even though he didn''t recognize the stranger, it didn''t prevent the revulsion he felt at that moment. That''s why he preferred thepany of humans. After all, Hephaestus was a god; he could ignore the humans'' beauty and vigor, as they would eventually age. But now, the one before him was also a deity, which made him subconsciously feel repulsed. Chapter 362: Chapter 95 The Island of Lemnos_3 "...I am truly sorry, Your Excellency, but I did not intend to spy. It''s just that your skill is so exquisite that I forgot to reveal my form." Apologizing sincerely, Apollo spoke from the heart. He noticed the other''s changingplexion, but the young deity still thought it was due to his own rudeness, making him feel even more embarrassed. "In fact, I came here specifically to inquire about a matter." "Your behavior hardly matches your looks, stranger deity. No more excuses, we have nothing to discuss," Hephaestus dismissed the apology without a second thought in a cold voice. Faced with this, Apollo furrowed his brows slightly but, considering his purpose for the visit, he steeled himself. "I apologize once again for my actions, but Prince Hephaestus, I also hope you can understand my feelings and listen to the injustice I have suffered." "Before I was born, my Mother Goddess and I were persecuted by the Heavenly Empress, who prevented me from descending to the Mortal Realm so her child could be born before me. Her schemes failed, and I eventually arrived in the Mortal Realm, but this only made her even angrier. A serpent of immense strength was sent by Hera; it guarded thend and forced my mother, stripped of her divine power, to wander the seas raising me. Now, I must find that serpent to prove to the world that the dignity of the Heavenly Empress is invible¡ªbut so is Apollo''s!" With a grave expression, Apollo was prepared to be rejected again, but if so, he would have no choice but to seek others who might know of the ce. Unexpectedly, after listening to Apollo''s story, Hephaestus''s demeanor underwent a subtle change. He nced at the unfamiliar god and asked for confirmation: "You mean you were persecuted by the Heavenly Empress, and now you wish to seek retribution?" "Yes, that is precisely what I intend to do." Nodding, Apollo didn''t know why the other''s attitude changed, whether it was his words that had moved him or something else. He chose to approach Hephaestus precisely because, despite being the foster son of the Sea God''s daughter, there were rumors that he didn''t get along well with the sea gods. He didn''t want his grievances against the Heavenly Empress to be known to the other deities of Olympus prematurely, so Apollo had few to consult. As for his Mother Goddess Leto, she indeed knew where Delphi was, but she insisted her son find that most ancient temple on his own. "This is a test from your father," she told Apollo. Although the young deity didn''t want any tests, he agreed nheless. "Seeking trouble with the Heavenly Empress... interesting, but Apollo, you might not be quite qualified for that," After sizing Apollo up, Hephaestus quickly surmised that this was a younger deity than himself. His godhood''s strength was still undetermined, but with such feeble divine power, how could he possibly stand against Hera? Even if the Heavenly Empress was not as powerful as the Divine King, after sharing some of Zeus''s authority, she remained a formidable goddess. "So Ie seeking a piece of information, Prince Hephaestus. I want to know where Delphi is located, for there lies both the whereabouts of that serpent and a means for me to gain strength." Leto had informed Apollo that the serpent that once prevented them from approaching thend now lived on the ins of Delphi, and there, his father had left treasures for him. Apollo harbored doubts about the father he had never met, but he still believed the words of his mother.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "It sounds intriguing, and since you aim to vex the Heavenly Empress... I might offer you my help. But in return, you''ll have to agree to a condition," Indifferent, Hephaestus didn''t really care whether Apollo seeded or not; causing some trouble for that woman was enough. Ever since his arrival, the Heavenly Empress seemed to have forgotten him, andpared to the scorn of other creatures, this was even harder for him to ept. And facing his request, although Apollo didn''t know about the god before him and the Heavenly Empress''s past grievances, he epted earnestly and with visible joy. "Of course. Should you resolve my quandary today, I too will fulfill my promise when the timees that you need it. This is Apollo''s pledge to you, and I will surely honor it." Stay connected with m-v l|e''-NovelBin Chapter 363: Chapter 96: Io Disappearing at the End of the World Having received the promise of Apollo, Hephaestus no longer yed coy. He gave a detailed ount of the terrain in different parts of the earth, the location of Olympus, and the Oracle of Delphi beneath the Panasus Mountain range. These were all things his foster mother had told him, and in fact, Hephaestus had never been there himself, but this was enough for Apollo. Now that he knew where his destinationy, the young deity solemnly thanked him and once again assured him: "Prince Hephaestus, I will remember your assistance today, no matter what. On the day you need me in the future, I will fulfill my promise and do my part." "Let''s hope so, Apollo, but you may leave now. The earth is vast, and finding Delphi based only on my description is no simple task." Nodding, Hephaestus''s demeanor was still rather unenthusiastic. Though they had amon goal for the time being, he still didn''t care to linger any longer with this handsome, radiant deity. To such an obliquely dismissive gesture, Apollo paid no mind, thanking Hephaestus and choosing to leave immediately. "Perhaps he will seed?" "Who knows." Watching the direction in which Apollo had departed, Hephaestus shook his head. He wasn''t optimistic about the other''s chances, yet he didn''t believe Apollo woulde to any harm, for after all, he was an immortal True God. Picking up his hammer, Hephaestus began another bout of forging. His skills were not yet finely honed. Inparison to the Cyclops, while he possessed the same natural talent, he still needed ample time to practice. At least for now, he could not treat Godhood as a material to craft a true Divine Artifact. Of course, what Hephaestus wanted was never a Divine Artifact. He merely hoped that one day, he might create imposing substitutes to cover for his unsightly and diminutive appearance. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Elsewhere, having left The Ind of Lemnos, Apollo began his journey to find the Delphi Temple. Much like the heroes of future human generations, he encountered many different people along the way and did many deeds. There were injured humans, hospitable River Gods, malevolent Demonic Monsters, and Nymphs being chased by wild beasts. He used his warm Light to heal human wounds, solved a problem for a River God by killing a hydra that had been lurking upstream, slew demons coveting his bloodline, and helped the Nymphs drive away strange beasts. To repay Apollo''s help, an Elf that had sprung from a Birch Tree gifted him a silver bow.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Said to be the creation of Titans, it possessed extraordinary power, bing a treasure Apollo treasured greatly. With its aid, the journey for the young deity became much smoother. With the bow''s support, more strange beasts perished under his arrows, and many mortals were saved thanks to him. As he progressed, the name "Apollo with the Silver Bow" began to spread among the territorial gods and mortals who had survived the flood. Gradually, they became aware of a deity bringing Light, healing wounds, and willing to help others, searching for the Oracle of Delphi, intending to y a wicked serpent there. Though no one knew the origin of this god, nor had he ever spoken of his lineage, both humans and gods alike blessed him, hoping he would achieve his goal. All this was observed by Helios, who steered the Sun Chariot across The Sky, and he reported everything to the Divine King who was closely watching it all. He didn''t like Apollo¡ªbecause unlike others, the God of Sun immediately recognized the other''s Divine Authority, the power of Light. Just as his father, Titan God Hyperion, had his dominion diminished, Apollo had split the Light of his mother, Theia. But dislike as he might, with the Mother of Light having withdrawn from the world and himself about to ascend to great Divine Power, Helios suppressed such subjective feelings, dutifully reporting Apollo''s deeds to Zeus each day without doing anything unnecessary. After all, there was no direct conflict between the two at the moment, and Apollo remained the son of the Divine King. Helios couldn''t conceive any reason they would be adversaries. "So along the way, he has helped numerous human migrants who haven''t yet settled down, restored health to the injured and ill, and thus they regard him as a protector of their travels and a deity of healing?" Zeus asked Helios, who had just finished his day''s duties, while standing before the pce of the Divine King in the evening. "Yes, Your Majesty." Nodding, perhaps emboldened by his impending ascension, Helios appeared quite confident. He looked at Zeus and offered a suggestion: "Do I need to prevent his interactions with humans?" "His current location... is not far from Olympus. If he is allowed to continue, it might lead to a repeat of Prometheus''s old tale." Speaking of the foresighted Prometheus, Helios initially mentioned him casually, but his tone suddenly paused. In that moment, the God of Sun suddenly remembered the warning the other had given him below the great maelstrom of the East Sea.''You need not worry now, but if another deity capable of driving the Sun Chariot is born in the future, you must be careful.''... Could that being be Apollo? But Helios wasn''t the only one who had heard that warning; it had also been heard by Kratos and Bia, who were escorting Prometheus. Helios didn''t know if they had told the Divine King about this. If they had, then why would Zeus have him report about Apollo? Chapter 364: Chapter 96 Io Who Disappeared at the End of the World_2 Without much thought, Helios slightly lowered his head, avoiding Zeus''s gaze. He couldn''t fathom the reason behind it, but that didn''t prevent him from sensing a bit of unease. "You don''t need to concern yourself with Apollo any further. His connection with humans isn''t that deep, certainly nowhere near Prometheus''s level, and since I have allowed Hestia''s followers to interact with mortals, there''s no need to stop Apollo." Zeus waved his hand, signaling that the God of Sun was dismissed. As for the fame that Apollo had left behind in the mortal realm, it was actually a good thing for the Divine King. After all, he wasn''t Poseidon or any other deity, he was the son of the Divine King, and once the other''s identity became public, all the fame that Apollo had gained would partly fall to Zeus. After all, it was all a ''trial'' given by the Divine King himself. "Come to think of it, this could also be a decent strategy?" His eyes brightened as he watched Helios''s retreating figure, Zeus suddenly realized that Apollo''s behavior could be further extended. The other was at least a god, so even if he was his son, the achievements would not all be credited to the Divine King, for it''s not unusual among the gods for offspring to surpass their parents. But if he could have some demigod progeny, or merely descendants with divine blood, that would be different. Moreover, for those humans who had already established steady dwellings, Zeus was considering how to spread his faith. His previous idea was to stage a divine revtion¡ªa storm would suddenly arise, torrents of rain would fall, and mortals would be at a loss, then someone who had received a ''revtion'' would step out, suggesting that everyone should pray to the great King of The Thousand Thunders. Your next read awaits at m v|l-e''-NovelBin Afterward, he would go through various tribtions, and finally, Zeus would descend a miracle, granting them the power of divine arts. It was an inspiration he got from Hestia''s followers; feeling somewhat envious of the humans'' piety, the Divine King wanted to replicate it. Everything woulde from the mortals'' own pleas, not from his initiative¡ªa quite good idea indeed. But now, the Divine King suddenly realized he had another method.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Not only was it useful, but it also appealed to his own wishes. If ''work'' and ''hobby'' could bebined into one, that wouldn''t be a bad thing. "Perhaps making the kings among humans into descendants with my divine blood would be a more permanent solution?" He cast a nce at another splendid pce, the Divine Pce of Hera. Zeus could already anticipate her reaction, but it hardly mattered. He would give it a try, and if it proved effective, only then would he really start his ns after Apollo returned. As for how the first ''experiment'' would turn out... that was not the Divine King''s concern. If the subject were a god, he might need to consider the perceptions of the other deities. But for a mortal, whatever he did, the gods would, at most, find him somewhat ridiculous without any further thoughts. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ A single whim from Zeus could be a disaster for mortals, but for the gods, it was just another topic of casual conversation. Perhaps because Zeus hadn''t shown his true formidable power for a long time, the other deities gradually became less hesitant to discuss matters rting to him¡ªlike the once Metis. The godsmented that Hera''s progeny had already been born, and although not yet grown, his sharp godhood undoubtedly indicated his distinction; yet, Metis did not leave behind any offspring of her own, and even the God of the Ocean and his spouse didn''t seem to care much about her. ¡ªAnd such as the Divine King''s history of infidelity and Queen Hera''s anger, which seemed to have be an old tale. Previously, it had been confined to discussions among the gods, but unexpectedly, this time, Zeus had turned his attention to mortals. Near a newly established human city-state, the Divine King once again did what he does best. Inachus, the king of Pitius¡ªthe monarch who led his people to clear the wilderness and establish their home¡ªhad a beautiful and captivating daughter. Her name was Io. Although she did not possess a transcendent physique but only that of a mortal, her beauty was such that it could move the hearts of deities, a graceful and alluring figure. Yet, as with every such woman recorded inter myths, her beauty did not bring her happiness but instead brought cmity. Zeus came to the mortal realm; he wielded his authority to gather the clouds, shielding away the gaze that Helios might have cast from his Sun Chariot. Then, in the meadow called Lerna, the Divine King sessfully impregnated her with his first demigod offspring. His experiment was a sess. As Zeus''s bloodline was conceived in the body of the royal human, he felt a faint connection beginning to form. But this link was still unstable because Io was only a princess, and this was just amon city-state among the new generation of humans. He still had more to do. He needed his progeny to be the future ruler of this human city-state, to make this descendant with divine blood a clear sign of divinely sanctioned kingship. Starting with him, the future of humanity would see more rulers bearing his lineage, and the Divine King''s presence would prate every corner of human society. One day mortals might even equate ''Zeus'' with ''king,'' thus achieving his grand endeavor. But although everything seemed well-conceived, this was after all just a trial. Faced with the raging Hera, Zeus still chose to take a step back for the moment. Chapter 365: Chapter 96: Io Disappearing at the End of the World_3 News of Apollo''s deed would soon reach Hera, and before that happened, Zeus did not wish to provoke his Queen of Gods too much. The Divine King took a step back, and facing Hera, there was only the helpless mortal princess. From this moment on, the curtain rose on Io''s half-life of suffering. The princess of Pitius was transformed by Zeus into a cow with his increasingly proficient Sacred Power, in order to escape Hera''s gaze. But Io did not know, in fact, Zeus did not expect this to fool the other party, he was simply using this method to soothe the Heavenly Empress''s fury. If he had acted as if he did not care in the slightest, indicating to Hera that she could deal with the mortal he had chosen at will, then the Heavenly Empress would have nowhere to vent her anger. But his "attempt" to conceal Io''s presence, easily uncovered by Hera, gave the Heavenly Empress a sense of "victory," allowing her to indulge in the identity of a winner, diminishing the impact of another betrayal of marriage by Zeus. Thus, around the existence of Io, a ridiculous "struggle" unfolded between the Divine King and the Heavenly Empress. Zeus turned her into a snow-white cow, and Hera pretended to be oblivious. She praised Io''s outstanding appearance among the herd, then imed her for herself, and ordered her to be strictly guarded. The former princess was henceforth to feed on sweet grass and drink polluted water and even failed to recognize her father Inachus when he came looking for his daughter, only to immerse herself in pain day in and day out. The Divine King was "reluctant" to admit defeat, so he sent his confidant once more to kill the guards and secretly set Io free, allowing her to regain her freedom. But this was still just part of the "struggle," as Zeus had even forgotten to turn the human princess back into her human form. So, shortly thereafter, Hera captured a tsetse fly, baptized it with Divine Blood, andmanded it to relentlessly pursue Io. Thus, the princess who still had not returned to human form continued to flee desperately and helplessly across the world, forever unable to escape this unmerited cmity. Hera was finally satisfied, feeling that her Wisdom had triumphed over the Divine King, and that the mortal had received her due punishment. Zeus also got what he wanted; he sessfully appeased his Heavenly Empress and avoided more turmoil at this critical time. As for Io, even though she really was beautiful and had once provided him with a pleasant evening, this did notpel the ruthless Divine King to spare her a single nce. There are many mortals; Io was not special. Once Apollo returned to the Mount of the Gods, Zeus would naturally find another beautiful woman, to spread his bloodline among the kings of Humans. Everything was supposed to continue this way; mortals could not affect the eternal divinities, and even if the present world put shackles on the gods, the humans of the Third Era were still just ythings in the hands of the divinities. Yet fate is so wonderful, even the beings that stand above the mortal world cannot truly glimpse the trajectory of its operation. So, one day, under the starry night sky, as the ancient Mother Night awoke from within a flower petal and looked outside with boredom, She saw, above the vast ocean, at the edge of the world, a snow-white little cow dodging the tsetse fly that was closing in behind it. She leaped forward as before, each time trying to put a greater distance, but this time was somewhat unusual. Because with that leap, her figure simply vanished into thin air above the sea, without leaving the slightest trace. ... Whoosh¡ª A rift tore open in the void, behind it the eternal night sky and the resplendent Stars. Nyx stepped out, and the profound East Sea inexplicably quieted down. Under the shifting veil of her ck dress, the Goddess''s expression showed a hint of surprise. "So... where did she go?" Curiously observing her surroundings, Nyx reached out her hand, and the nearby space-time began to warp. The Laws of the present world reacted faintly to the Primordial God''s violent actions, but she paid it no mind. Mother Night''s power surged forth, meticulously investigating every inch of this void. She was looking for a space-time tunnel, or something else akin to an interface, like the remnants of the fallen Nine Realms, but the results were disappointing. There was nothing here, everything was so ordinary, as if everything she had seen before was but an illusion.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om However, that was impossible, under Nyx''s gaze, even the beings that control the Divine Authority of space-time, at the very least, would allow Mother Night to realize that all of this was man-made and not given by heaven. "Heavenly given...?" The investigation yielded nothing, but Nyx''s interest only grew stronger. Behind everything that seemed normaly something utterly unexpected. No one could disappear silently in front of her, even in the Spirit Realm, she had just been "unable to enter," not "unable to find." But now, the facts were in front of her, and Nyx had no idea how the cow, obviously transformed by someone, had disappeared. "She''s human, so she must have a soul, right... Interesting." With a curve of her lips, Nyx stretched out her hand and directly "knocked" on the door of the Spirit Realm above the sea. The next moment, the portal opened from the void, but this time, the other side of the door was the fifthyer of the Spirit Realm. Standing amidst the chaos of space-time, with the illusory Stars as a backdrop, Laine put down what was in his hands and looked confusedly at the rare visitor who was stepping forward. Chapter 366: Chapter 97 On the Banks of the Nile River ``` Within the fifthyer of the Spirit Realm, phantasmal stars twinkled faintly. "Busy with such trivial matters again... Spending hundreds of years here, how much strength can you actually enhance?" Taking steps into the Spirit Realm, the chaotic tendrils of space and time could not influence the graceful figure beneath the ck dress. Nyx looked at the interface prototype fluctuating up and down before Laine, easily deducing his intent. However, Mother Night did not quite grasp such behavior. She could understand Erebus''s actions ¨C he was attempting to free himself from the shackles of the current world''sws to be a more liberated supreme being, but Laine had already achieved this point. Discover hidden content at m,v l''e-NovelBinn/?/vel/b//in dot c//om To him, there were no longer any threats in this world, even the world''sws themselves could not govern Laine, who resided within the Spirit Realm. If Nyx also possessed a Spirit Realm as fascinating as this, she would probably have shut herself in to y breeding games, instead of spending time and energy on further enhancing her strength¡ªafter all, she had no enemies, so what use was such great power. "Little by little adds up, Nyx. Everything is umted step by step. Moreover,pared to what I wish to do, my current strength is actually far from enough." Shaking his head gently, Laine also understood the conceptual gap between them. After all, he was not a naturally immortal being, so in many ways, he was different from the gods of this world. "There is so much unknown in the world, like how everything originally emerged from ''nothing'', and what lies beyond the world. In the past, you could believe Chaos was the only one in the world, but the existence of the Nine Realms has already negated this point." "Remember the Flesh Mother Tree?" As if recalling something, Laine spoke of the remnant from the world''s destruction: "With your power, you must have noticed Its presence when It entered the world." "The destruction of a world... I think, it''s enough for me to take as a warning." "Perhaps, as long as it pleases you." Nomittal, Nyx obviously did not find much interest in this. "If the world will eventually decay, then whatever you do now, the end result will be the same." "Compared to Chaos himself, the present world is but one aspect of Him. Even if you could develop the Spirit Realm to its peak, or even be another face opposite to the present world, what significance would it have?" "Heh, we''ll see when the timees." Shaking his head again, Laine had no desire for a needless argument. "So, Nyx, what made you think of looking for me today?" He thought she hade on a whim, perhaps out of boredom to pay a social visit, or to ask for some souls to take back and ''model''¡ªbefore they partedst time, Laine had shared quite a bit of his experience in creating life, as well as souls with Nyx. The Land of Eternal Night was probably livelier now, and there might be other changes in the future. However, what Nyx said next took Laine by surprise. A snow-white cow, transformed from a human, crossed mountains and seas, fell into the vortex where Prometheus resided, and then was sent back out by the merciful god of foresight. She finally reached the end of the sea and then disappeared before Nyx''s eyes. Mother Night, with her supreme power, prated time and space to find some scenes of the unfortunate human traveling toward the edge by the East Sea. But everything before the disappearance was normal, and nothing seemed amiss until she vanished before Nyx''s eyes. "What was her name?" His expression growing serious, Laine realized, perhaps as he had just mentioned, he truly did not understand the world as well as he thought. "I roughly investigated the traces of her arrival... It seems her name is Io, and she has some connection with the new Divine King on Mount Olympus." Calm in demeanor, although Nyx could not find any trace of where Io had gone after disappearing, the traces she left before disappearing were quite evident. "If I can''t find the answers here, I might just have to go to Olympus and have a look, hoping the new Divine King doesn''t answer me with ''I don''t know.''" His lips twitched slightly, but Laine quite agreed with this. "I have a guess about this... but you can still go and confirm with Zeus. In fact, just a short while ago, something indeed seemed to have happened at his ce." What Laine was referring to was the mysterious transfer of the scepter of wisdom. Once he finished the task at hand, he nned to personally go and see what had happened, but if Nyx was willing to do it for him, that was also fine. However, Mother Night was clearly not interested in this. Compared to a Divine King, it was Io, who disappeared before her eyes, that concerned her more. Since Laine already had a notion, it naturally wasn''t necessary to go to Olympus anymore. "Let''s hear your guess," tilting her head, underneath the shifting veil, Nyx seemed somewhat excited. "Well, if things go as expected..." Hesitating for a moment, in the end, looking toward the edge of the great sea indicated by Nyx, Laine slowly said: "The human princess who vanished without a trace is very likely on the banks of the Nile River... Perhaps the Nine Realms were just an ident, it is there, that might be ''food'' already captured by Chaos long ago." Because of Laine''s presence, destiny''s path had already been interfered with, the smaller the matter, the more likely it was to deviate from the original story. Before, he actually hadn''t anticipated that the mortal princess Io from mythology would stille into existence as scheduled, becausepared to Zeus''ster lovers, she neither bore any famous heroes nor was she the mother of a True God. As a mere mortal princess, her existence in itself shouldn''t be so crucial in the threads of fate. ``` Chapter 367: Chapter 97 On the Banks of the Nile River_2 Theoretically, Io should have vanished with the disturbances of fate long ago, maybe another human princess favored by Zeus would have emerged, or perhaps simr events would unfold, but the existence named ''Io'' should not appear again in the Chaos World of this era. But the reality is that she still emerged, and even her fated path remains unchanged. If that''s the case, what was supposed to be her original fate? "To give birth to Epaphus, that offspring of Zeus and her... He shall rule over Egypt, bing the sovereign of the Nile River banks." With an indescribable expression, Laine vaguely captured some mysteries behind this. He had assumed that this content would not reappear in the Chaos World since this world seemed to have no connection with Egypt, but now it seemed his understanding might be wed. Myths do not arise without a cause; perhaps in the original destiny, Io''s existence actually symbolized Chaos''s encroachment and assimtion of another world ¡ª not a world attracted like the Nine Realms, but a collision that was destined to happen. But herees the problem: The evolution of the Chaos World had elerated significantly due to Laine''s presence, and with civilization''s birth changing with the eras, but as for another... If it exists, then all would be as per usual. But if it doesn''t... then when the other world still develops along its original trajectory, and Io brings the so-called ''Destined'' king of Egypt there, her fate likely won''t be pleasant. Because ording to Laine''s guess, some conceptual collision between the two worlds had already urred, and in the original mythological path, Io was supposed to be born thousands of yearster. Perhaps by that time, the barriers between the two realms had already begun to ovep, and even Chaos had secured an absolute advantage. What the human princess would do is not ''conquering'', but rather akin to sounding the victory horn. But now it''s different. The contention between worlds may not have finished its course, and everything remains unknown. Yet the existence of ''Destiny'' is so rigid that it still sent Io to the other side, forgetting that it was not a ''upied territory'' but an ''enemy state''. "So, are you able to pinpoint her whereabouts?" Next to him, Nyx, unaware of Laine''s line of thought, recalled the past and realized that the ''Nile River'' did not exist in her memories. The Chaos World left no ce unknown to her; if she had no recollection, then the only possibility was that the so-called ''Nile River'' did not exist in this world. This resolved her confusion, as indeed powers of the world realm could evade her scrutiny. As for why Laine knew these secrets beyond the world, she found it natural. This ancient god, born with the world, has always been so unique; no one knows what truly happened before all creation or what he had truly done. "I''m afraid I cannot yet." Shaking his head and noticing Nyx''s somewhat displeased face, Laine slowly said: "The distance between us is too far, and we are likely separated by a barrier of worlds... but don''t worry, there''ll be a chanceter on." "When the monstrous beast repeats the attack on Olympus, and the gods scatter and flee... if everything is as I have conjectured, this is a part of Chaos''s ''Destined Fate'', a trajectory for ''devouring worlds'' that It has long established. Then, if we follow them when the timees, we might find the ce Io went to." "But Nyx, even if you are not equivalent to your original self, can''t you really see the trajectories of fate?" He was puzzled, as from the moment they had met, he had seldom felt that omniscience of fate from Nyx. In theory, with the Triad governing destiny, Nyx''s understanding of fate should surpass his own. After all, mythology is but a semnce of the truth told inter eras, how could it match directly viewing the ''script''? "That''s for you to answer ¡ª at least in the first era, before I made contact with you, fate was not a mystery to me." It seemed like aint, but to Laine, the veileddy of the night appeared quite cheerful. "Only those who have possessed destiny begin to detest it; you wouldn''t understand this feeling... Heh, let''s not talk of such boring matters. How long will it take in the future you''ve foreseen?" "...Not much longer, at most, it won''t exceed a thousand years." By Nyx''s side, listening to her meaningful sighs, Laine reaffirmed his choices even though he did not know what she had witnessed in her original destiny. Not to prophesy oneself, not to willingly confine oneself to the restraints of fate, then whatever happens, everything is possible. "Then let''s wait, a thousand years isn''t long." Stretchingnguidly, Nyx nced over the deste fifthyer of the Spirit Realm. There was nothing of interest here; she decided to return to her own ce. But before leaving, as if remembering something, she turned back curiously and asked: "Since you are now interested in that world, what do you n to do? You won''t simply be watching the y like me, will you?" "Of course not, and besides, Nyx, it''s not your first day knowing me, what I n to do is quite obvious, isn''t it." Calmly, though he had just learned this unexpected news, Laine had clearly made up his mind. Discover hidden content at m,v l''e-NovelBin "One world, one far weaker than Chaos, aplete, independently existing world."N?v(el)B\\jnn Chapter 368: Chapter 97 On the Banks of the Nile River_3 "This gift from the Endless Void... If it can be consumed by them, why can''t I?" ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ With a light leap, her mind fell into a haze. When Io regained her senses, she suddenly discovered that a whole new world had appeared before her. Thend was covered in green, and in the distancey vast rolling sands she had never seen before. A wide river rippled with waves, watering thend on both banks, bringing vitality to the great desert. The Sky seemed to have be ''narrower,'' and if she had been a demigod with divinity, she might even have noticed that thews that constructed everything were no longer the same; but this had nothing to do with Io. She couldn''t see that much, and the changes in the world didn''t have such a significant impact on her as a mortal. She simply realized all at once that the gadfly which had been relentlessly pursuing her was now gone, and even her own body was inch by inch returning to its original form. The hooves turned back into hands and feet, her dress covered her body, the power of the deities from the Foreign Realm dissipated, and Io had reverted to her former self. "Ah, Creator of Bronze Humanity, Forethinker Prometheus, whether or not it was you who helped me, I am thankful for your blessing!" Under the blue sky and white clouds, gone were the mooing sounds; the girl''s clear voice had returned to her. She didn''t know why she hade here, nor why she had transformed back, but she credited it all to Prometheus, the kind deity who was bound beneath the eye of the sea, enduring suffering. By chance, she had fallen into the sea''s eye, where she met the deity of old. She told the Forethinker about the brief history humans of her time understood, and in return, Prometheus told her about the real world. Finally, the Forethinker blessed Io, wishing her liberation, and sent her out from the sea''s eye. Now, the princess was infinitely grateful to the ancient Titan deity; she had finally escaped the painful Abyss. But her joy was fleeting, and as the excitement of finally regaining her freedom faded, and she looked upon this unfamiliar ce, Io couldn''t help but feel an onset of sadness. She had lost her father, her homnd and was alone in this ce. All that apanied her were the Moon, Stars, and the bloodline of the brute within her womb. Discover hidden content at m,v l''e-NovelBin Loneliness and helplessness surged into Io''s heart; she was all alone as far as the eye could see. "O gods, whoever you may be, please answer me. How can I return to my homnd, to see my father again." Falling to the ground, Io prayed to all the deities she could think of, yet she received no answer. Thus the girl sat destely on the riverbank, gazing hopelessly at the ceaseless flow of the river. The vast river brought both Life and Death; just as water is the source of Life, it can also bring cataclysmic disaster. For a moment, Io even entertained the thought that perhaps it wouldn''t be so bad to end her Life right there. "Perhaps my birth was a mistake... This world contains only pain. Maybe Death is the ultimate destination for everything." Standing by the riverbank, Io softly closed her eyes, but as push came to shove, she felt fear, "No, you cannot die." Suddenly, she heard someone speak. "Why not? If I can''t decide my fate, can''t I decide my own Life¡ª" She eximed loudly but then realized something. There was no one else here but her; who then had just spoken to her? Io turned around sharply, and at the edge of her vision, she saw the source of the voice. At the boundary between the yellow sand and the greenery, a girl seemed to embody all the beauty of the world, approaching her: The harsh sun did not wish to harm her and thus arranged for clouds to just block it in The Sky; the branches of trees did not want to hinder her, parting to create a path with the help of the wind. The pure deity walked barefoot on the damp earth, and where she passed, Flowers bloomed and fragrance wafted through the air spontaneously. "...Who are you... Are you a deity? Have youe to save me?" She stood rooted to the spot but soon a look of joy appeared on her face. Io looked at the girl, who was about the same age as herself, and asked expectantly, "I swear, no matter which deity you are, if you can help me return to my homnd, I am willing to spend my life spreading the tale of your greatness."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om However, the figure in front of her just shook her head. "I am Isis, the divine who governs life. I have saved many, but this time, I am not here to save you." The ethereal voice sounded again and, in a trance, the girl in the green dress crossed the vast distance. She looked at the princess out of this world, at first puzzled, but then, as if understanding dawned on her the next moment, Looking at Io, Isis felt as though she were looking at herself, and also at her own future. The other was not supposed to arrive in her world at this time, so when she did, the destiny that was meant to be was disrupted. She initially carried the mission to rece Isis, but now, all this had instead presented itself directly before the Goddess of Life. This mission was both bestowed by Chaos and inescapable for Hemenu, because the former''s power far exceeded thetter''s by more than a step, making it an ending forcefully dictated under that power. Even now, Isis still found herself powerless against it. She could kill Io now, but it would all be meaningless. Thousands of yearster, when the power of a foreign realm crushes Hemenu''s resistance, what awaited her was still the fated demise. "I should thank you, even though you were arranged to rece me... I should also hate you, because you have made me see more clearly my own helplessness." "What are you talking about?" Io was somewhat confused; she did not understand what this strange goddess meant. Rece, whom? As a mortal, how could she possibly rece an immortal deity? "Nothing much, just that seeing you has rified many things for me." With a serene smile, the whole world seemed to brighten in cheer. Isis slightly lifted her head, looking at the sky, looking at the earth, "I was originally to marry my brother, but our future was a tragedy... I would bear the future king of Egypt, he is called Horus, is an eagle and also the storm... And you, you should havee at that time, recing me, with your child recing mine, but now..." "...You havee too early, and the fate of your world has taken a different direction." Gently shaking her head, and although she had grasped the situation, Isis became even more aware that the sh between the two worlds was not something she could partake in, and that her own world paled inparison to that other one. The discovery of today might allow her to avoid her own tragedy, but that was all, and all this was predicated on her not trying to oppose what was ''destined''. "Can''t defy fate, can we? Well then, since it is so, I don''t wish to tread the same path. And as you carry the fate that was originally yours, let me now help you fulfill it." Tilting her head, Isis took a gemstone from the hem of her garment and ced it on Io''s chest. The gemstone emitted a lush green light, and under its glow, every trace of Io that belonged to another world seemed to be concealed. "Carry my kindness, carry my malice, carry my strength, and also carry my fate." "Perhaps your offspring will still be the masters of Egypt, but probably not this generation," Smiling, she caressed Io''s cheek, yet it was as if Isis was speaking to herself: "Remember to pray to the gods of your world, from your generation onward, let your descendants not forget." "To change the fate of a world, or rather one more powerful than ours... If He can hear your prayers, perhaps everything might yet proceed towards a different ending." Chapter 369: Chapter 98 Hebrew On the banks of the Nile River, a dialogue that would change the fates of two worlds thus ended. The heaven and earth deities of Hemenu, the life-symbolizing Isis, divided her authority and shared her fate with Io, also imposing one final constraint within her own power: no one was to speak of her, and the names of the deities from the Foreign Realm were to be perpetuated forever. Then she vanished into thin air, leaving only the princess from the Otherworld all alone in this ce. Continue reading at m|v-l''e -NovelBin For a mortal to share the fate and authority of a deity was unimaginable, but as Io arrived bearing the fate of another world in ce of Isis, things did not seem all that difficult. Power from the world naturally could yield before the world itself, especially whenpared to Chaos, the rules of this world were greatly different indeed. Unlike the deities from the previous two worlds, within this sand-enshrouded world, the gods were not immortal, they even aged with the passage of time, and divine power could only resist it to a certain extent, but not halt it entirely. Even their innate divine authority could be subsumed into one another throughbat. The new gods oveing the old ones, turning the old gods into one of their avatars, and then inheriting the predecessors'' followers, titles, and authority, was somonce in Hemenu World. This reflected the small scale and chaotic rules of this world, but it also made many things seem natural. Just like now, since Io possessed Isis''s divine power and fate, she would naturally be seen as part of Isis. Perhaps the world itself could sense this difference, but to the vast majority of native deities, they could hardly distinguish any differences. All they knew was that, after the pursuit by Osiris, the god of nts and abundance, the Goddess of Life finally agreed to marry her brother. Although Isis seemed to have changed her appearance, character, and even often spoke odd words, none of this was taken to heart by the gods. ording to the current decision made by Ra, the Sovereign of the Gods of Hemenu, when Osiris and Isis were to marry, they would be the monarchs of the Mortal Realm, the de facto rulers of Upper and Lower Egypt. Therefore, the gods gathered in Heliopolis, the birthce of mortal faith, to congratte the union of this brother and sister. It seemed as if the domain of the Nile, which traversed worlds, was about to wee new masters, and an era was poised to turn a new page. However, just as everything was proceeding as usual, within the Pantheon, the God of Sun, Ra, suddenly awoke from a profound dream. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Drip... drip... Drip... drip... Drip... drip... ... "Hah..." "No¡ª¡ª!" There was no sundial, for Ra was the Sun. Amidst the ticking of flowing water, the god awoke from his slumber. On the highest throne, golden divine power inadvertently seeped out, gradually erasing the grand and magnificent temple inch by inch until everything returned to nothingness. In this ancient hall, only Ra''s golden-cast body and the gemstone-studded divine seat beneath him remained.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om At the same time, the Sun began to tremble without warning, affecting both heaven and earth. Before Ra''s unrestrained power, mortals knelt on the ground and prayed, while other deities looked anxiously in the direction of the Pantheon. The Chaos Serpent had just been in once more, yet it had not been able to resurrect again. What exactly caused such a supreme deity to lose hisposure? "Phew¡ª¡ªso it was just a dream..." Opening his eyes, Ra took a deep breath on the throne. His heaving chest gradually calmed, and his intensely fluctuating emotions also settled down. As the supreme sovereign of a deity race, the ultimate ruler of Hemenu World, there was nothing in this world that should have disparaged him so. The world of Hemenu was nothing like the Nine Realms and Chaos; there were no Primordial Gods born with the world here, nor were there Titans or wraiths to rival the Aesir Tribe. Even the world''s own facets only shed by during creation, leaving no further imprint in the world. In this realm, Ra-Atum, who had defeated the former God of Sun, Atum, making him an incarnation of himself, was the sole supreme being¡ªeven the eternal world-ending Chaos Serpent, Apep, could only be repeatedly in by him. But at this moment, when he reopened his crimson-golden eyes, what filled them, aside from majesty, were puzzlement and a concealed unease lurking within his subconscious. "...Such a strange dream, is this some revtion from Hemenu to me?" Remaining still on the throne for a little while, after a short time, Ra waved his hand. In silence, a transformation urred, the external Sun returned to normal, and the power that had inadvertently spilled out was retracted by him. At the same time, like the rewinding of time, the shattered temple restored itself inch by inch. Or more urately put, it was a kind of ''rebirth.'' After dealing with these trifles, sitting on the lofty divine seat, Ra couldn''t help but recall his previous dream. However, what puzzled him was that the dream, which had made him wary and fearful, was now a nk; he simply could not remember what he had dreamt at all. The only remnants in his mind were warnings, seemingly telling him that something terrifying was approaching, and its harbinger had already arrived. "...A joke, what in this world could possibly oppose me?" Chapter 370: Chapter 98 Hebrew_2 "Even the world itself must submit to my power!" Rising from his throne, supreme power surged around him. Ra''s golden eyes emitted a glow, bringing everything in the world into his view. Mortals kneeling on the ground, gods celebrating a marriage, nts and animals, and even the serpent, slowly reborn amidst the tumbling chaos on the flip side of the world. Everything was under his control; there were no exceptions. Having defeated the previous sun, he naturally wouldn''t give sessors a chance, and now, in this world, there was no existence that could stand against him; he was the sole master of all worlds. "Hmm?" His gaze swept across thend, and Ra was quite pleased with the human realm that belonged to him. Even though his power had reached such heights, this world seemed a bit too small for him, but that was a regrettable limitation. However, at that moment during his inspection, Ra''s gaze suddenly paused. In Heliopolis, he saw the celebrating gods; he saw their jubtion at the forting wedding feast. This was a matter Ra himself had arranged, so it didn''t surprise him. What made Ra pause were ''Isis''. The daughter of sky and earth gods, one of the few powerful deities in this world. Even though her appearance seemed to have changed, that wasn''t what caught Ra''s attention. What truly drew him was another life force within her. She was with child, and although Isis''s divine power had fooled the other deities present, it couldn''t escape Ra''s scrutiny. He keenly sensed that the unborn infant possessed something quite unusual.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om That was a distinctly different bloodline presence. "Self-conceived... As the Goddess of Life, that might make sense?" Narrowing his eyes, Ra didn''t think the matter was that simple, but for the moment, he couldn''t pinpoint the cause of the issue. As for why he hadn''t noticed ''Isis''s'' irregrity, that was understandable. Isis had long existed, so she was able to share her fate and power with the princess of a foreign realm. However, Horus, the son that the Goddess of Life should have borne, did not yet exist. Therefore, although the child within Io had sessfully usurped a part of Horus''s fate, it had inherited none of his power. Without power, the bloodline presence that didn''t fit with the world naturally exposed itself before Ra. "Dreams... omens... and this newborn?" His deep voice echoed in the empty hall; Ra''s face remained expressionless. He was arrogant, but not foolish, just as he had never really needed the aid of other gods in his battle against the Chaos Serpent Apep. That serpent was another manifestation of the weakness of the Hemenu world¡ªits order was unstable, chaos had not been suppressed, and unlike the quiet Abyss Tartaros of Chaos, the chaotic forces in this world materialized as the serpent Apep, also known as Apophis. Itcked intelligence, with its sole instinct being the destruction of the world, and it was immortal and indestructible. No matter how many times it was destroyed, it would always be reborn after a period. Therefore, to maintain the stability of his dominion over the world, Ra had to delve underground every so often, into the chaotic aspect of the world, to kill and disperse this undying serpent so it couldn''t threaten the Mortal Realm. And in all the previous encounters, the reason he allowed those so-called mighty deities to apany him was also calcted. Having the gods witness his strength, as well as the might of Apep, would help them understand the indispensability of Ra and the insignificance of the gods; at the same time, he could gauge the strength of the other gods in battle, not giving them a chance to surpass him. The gods of Hemenu aged, even though Ra had already touched upon a higher boundary. He grasped the essence of the sun''s [rebirth] [renewal] and could avoid aging in other ways, but that wasn''t a reason for him to be careless. So, whether the newborn had issues or not, he had to ensure it would be a non-issue. So now, it was time for him to make a choice. "Kill him, or consume him? No... that''s pointless." "He''s still too weak, I can''t even see the potential for him to grow strong¡ªtwo mighty Pir Gods giving birth to an entity without authority, that is indeedughable... But perhaps, that''s what makes him special?" Still expressionless, Ra did not wish to resort to such a simplistic manner of eradicating this menace, because although Hemenu''s gods could devour each other, there was also a trait: devouring a weaker being would only diminish one''s own power. It was better to maintain one or two of the most powerful godhoods rather than assimte all into one. Therefore, in the current world, there were virtually no deities left worth Ra''s consumption because, in this world, apart from the Primordial Water symbolizing the Origin of All Things, the sun was the supreme and only. Moreover, Ra highly doubted that if this unborn child truly symbolized a threat, consuming him might not avert the disaster. He needed another solution, one more appropriate. Your next journey awaits at m v|l-e''-NovelBin "Perhaps I can consider the issue from another perspective, he can die... but this threat, it still needs a ''sessor''." "I need a visible ''threat,'' not one that''s hidden. And his uniqueness... ites from his bloodline." Chapter 371: Chapter 98 Hebrew_3 After much deliberation, feeling the bloodline essence that shed with the world, Ra finally made his decision. Seated upon his throne, he looked toward the ce where the marriage was to be held, and then he spoke out loud: "Shu,e to me." In the next moment, Ra''s voice reached the ears of every deity in the world. All the deities heard the supreme God of Sun calling for Shu, and she immediately utilized her authority over wind and air, transforming into an invisible fluid as she rushed toward the Pantheon. "Respected God of Sun, may I know yourmand?" Stepping into the Pantheon and encountering the God of Sun who had just released his presence, Shu was filled with various conjectures. Perhaps the Chaos Serpent had undergone some new change, or perhaps he intended to bestow blessings upon the newlyweds, both possibilities. Yet, the words that followed from Ra made her widen her eyes. "Shu, go and convey my decree, let it be known to all gods and humans:" "The firstborn of Isis is guilty, and she is guilty by association. After giving birth, she shall age like a mortal, and her offspring will do the same. But death is not the end of their sin; it shall stretch through their bloodline, never to cease for eternity." High upon his throne, Ra calmly announced the death of a powerful deity and the birth of the Sinners. "That sinner... his bloodline must not end, yet it should not prosper. His descendants shall suffer hardship, bing servants to both the high and low of Egypt... From this moment until the end of time, this is my final judgement as Ra-Atum." This was not a request, nor was there any room for negotiation, this was the authority of a supreme being in his world. In the past, it was not unheard of for deities to defy Ra''s will to some extent, but they all knew this was only because the God of Sun did not truly care about those trifles. He might possess the fierce aspect of the Sun, yet he also had the gentleness of the great day, and often did not only employ his power to achieve his ends. Now, feeling the unreleased supreme authority of the other, Shu understood Ra''s resolve and will regarding this matter. ''Who would have thought, a wedding about to be held would turn out like this... But why is this so?'' she wondered. With a sigh in her heart, yet at this moment, within the Pantheon, Shu still bowed her head slightly, performing a respectful salute to Ra. "Supreme God of Sun, your will shall be carried out. Be it past or future, as long as the Sun rises as promised, this is the unbreakable divine word for gods and mortals alike." ... Explore more at m,v l''e-NovelBin An early arrival, an inexorable fate, a malevolent Sun... all these things consigned the descendant of the Divine King from Chaos to the status of Sinners overnight. He should have been glorious and sacred, he could have been the sovereign of all Egypt, symbolizing the Victory of the Olympus divine lineage, symbolizing their defeating the Egyptian gods with the support of the world. But now, all such prospects had turned to dust, never again toe to fruition. In thisnd wrapped in yellow sand, he was doomed to live here as a mortal. Devoid of the glory and status that a Demigod should have had, he would spend his life in mockery and pain instead. Even though his fate had been altered, his bloodline was still destined to continue in Egypt forever. Since the supreme Ra needed this extraordinary bloodline before him, they had neither the possibility to leave nor a chance to be extinguished. Of course, in this world where life existed only on the banks of the great river, there was nowhere for them to go anyway.N?v(el)B\\jnn As the descendants of the Divine King''s son were forsaken by the gods worshiped by the Egyptians, as they fell into servitude and very, they could only ce their hope in those unfamiliar names¡ªthe diminishing and aging ''Isis,'' who longed for a response from the unknown deities, even when she still lived and spoke their names, but never heard back. As time flowed like water, generation after generation perished and another rose in session. Gradually, these people struggling for survival on the banks of the Nile River had forgotten their past, forgotten their History. They did not know why they had been condemned, but the worship of these unknown deities became a part of their culture. In ancient legends, their ancestors had traversed distances unimaginable to both gods and humans,ing from and of milk and honey to the basin of the Nile River. They multiplied and suffered here, while their former home was beautifully peaceful and serene. Thus, they called themselves ''Passers,'' ''Transcenders,'' in memory of their origins and in anticipation of a day in the future when they could return to their ancestral home along the road their ancestors had taken, to a bountifulnd where they could live freely. They adopted this as their name, recing the term ''Sinners.'' Gradually, even the local Egyptians began to refer to these god-forsaken people by this name. However, they did not recognize the so-called ''Passers'' as such, nor did they ept their supposed ancestors and culture, so they simply took its transliteration as the name for the Sinners. And the transliteration of ''Passers,'' is called ''Hebrew.'' Chapter 372: Chapter 99: Burnt Offerings and Clay Tablets Separated by vast distances, separated by the void between worlds, no one knew everything that had happened in the Hemenu World. On Mount Olympus, the King of All Gods had long forgotten that human female. Although still young among the deities,pared to humans, Io was just an insignificant detail in his lengthy life. Now, with the seasons changing, time passing, he focused all his attention on Earth, on Apollo who was about to reach Delphi. For Gaia was soon to awaken, and the throbbing from the Earth was growing increasingly intense. Only when both Apollo and Aphrodite had returned to their ces before then, could Zeus''s Sovereign Ritual be half-established. By that time, he would initially possess power surpassing that of all gods, confident enough to confront Mother Earth on Olympus. In such circumstances, the existence of Io had, naturally, long been forgotten by him. However, the world was not limited to Olympus, just as humans were not restricted to the new generations. While the Divine King''s attention was all on the present, in the north of the Eastern Continent, shortly before and after Apollo''s approach to the ins of Delphi, a true ''holocaust'' took ce¡ªa type that hadn''t been seen since the birth of humankind. A blood sacrifice was made to the gods, and the gods epted it. Perhaps it was fate, or perhaps it was an unintentional glimpse into destiny, but just as Laine had once predicted, Ande was eventually taught by the world what reality was, and was forced to face its true nature. (see 3-36) But fortunately, due to a moment of indecision in the past, he had lost the best possible oue, but there was still a slightly less favorable one left. ... Around the makeshift altar built of earth and stones, dozens of people gathered here. They lit bonfires, tied captured wolves to the altar, and then stepped back a bit. Experience exclusive tales on m v|l e''-NovelBin Under their watchful eyes, a burly middle-aged man held a dagger of a familiar style. He walked step by step up to the altar, locking eyes with the sacrifice''s fierce gaze revealing its underlying panic. "Pfff¡ª" "Awooo¡ª" The next moment, the sharp dagger mercilessly stabbed into the back of the wolf. Hot blood poured out, causing the bound wild animal to let out a painful howl. It struggled desperately with its limbs, but without the ability to resist, bound as it was. The scene was silent, with birds seemingly reluctant to approach the area. Only the rustling of the wind through the leaves and the breathing of the crowd apanied the howl of the wolf. "Sss¡ª" With the second knife, expressionless and swift, Kolon cleanly sliced off the wolf''s left paw. The wolf''s paw fell to the ground with a patter. Kolon bent down to pick up the bloody limb and then threw it into the fire in front of him. Amidst the crackling sounds, he and the spectators watched as it gradually turned to char. "Awooo..." The fire burned as the blood continued to seep from the sacrifice''s wounds. As the blood ran dry, the howls grew weaker, and the fearsome predator on the makeshift stone and earth altar slowly lost its breath. But under everyone''s gaze, Kolon didn''t rush to the next step; he just continued to lock eyes with the despair in the eyes of the dying wolf. The wild beast''s eyes reflected Kolon''s silhouette. Through the animal''s gaze, he seemed to experience its agonizing pain. No, it wasn''t just seeming. An invisible connection linked them together, and in that moment, Kolon felt the sacrifice''s despair and weakness, the sensation of life ebbing away, as if it was happening to himself. However, he just twitched the corners of his mouth and had no other reaction. Over a long enough timespan, one can be ustomed to anything, pain included. So Kolon simply watched quietly until the sacrifice''sst drop of blood drained, its body stiffening on the rack. "Pff¡ª" For the final step, Kolon reached out his hand. He gouged out the eyes of the wolf''s carcass and arranged them on a small silver te. The sting of pain from the eyes didn''t disturb him; he simply set the te aside and then gave a hard push to the wooden rack binding the wolf''s body. The rack fell into the bonfire, consumed by the mes together with the wolf''s carcass. Thick smoke began to billow, and in a ce invisible to themon eye, streams of blood energy soared into the sky, entering some mysterious realm. At the same time, a force that seemed to have been enveloping the crowd dissipated, and a sense of genuine relief flooded the hearts of everyone present.N?v(el)B\\jnn "The sacrifice isplete... We won''t encounter any ''idents'' until the corruption of these eyes," someone said as they ced the silver tray on the altar and Kolon turned to face the crowd around him. Many years had passed, and the number of these Bronze Age immigrants had noticeably dwindled. The dead needed no mention, but even among the living, few were unscathed. On their bodies, besides the wounds from battles with wild beasts, they bore many extremely simr ones. Apart from these, however, there were no obvious signs of aging. It seemed as if some power in the depths was prolonging their lives but, at the same time, bringing them disaster. "Lord Kolon, although the basic ''blood sacrifice'' has ended, there''s still..." Someone in the crowd began to speak in a low voice. He didn''t finish his sentence, but Kolon immediately understood his meaning. The basic sacrifice was to protect themselves, but a further holocaust could endow the people with more. Indeed, although Kolon hated something that should have died long ago, now, they couldn''t do without it. Chapter 373: Chapter 99: Burnt Offerings and Clay Tablets_2 Life, power, two of the things mortals crave the most, could be easily obtained by offering a sacrifice. Besides, in the wilderness that had be dangerous again decadester, they alone were far from enough to survive on thisnd. "I understand..." After a moment of contemtion, Kolon decisively said, "Then let''s continue the preparations, our target is the beast herd we discovered before." "Alright!" Upon hearing this, everyone responded in unison and then dispersed to attend to their respective responsibilities. This kind of hunt was not their first, and the people were already well-versed in it. Soon, only Kolon was left beside the temporary altar. "Huh¡ª" "It''s a bit urgent..." Turning to look at the altar behind him, although there had never been any substantialmunication, in recent days, Kolon vaguely felt that ''it'' seemed to have an increasing demand for sacrifices. N?v(el)B\\jnn It wasn''t that its ''appetite'' was growingrger, but rather like how one could ''break through'' when training one''s physique, it seemed that ''it'' was also undergoing a kind of ''breakthrough''tely. As for what would happen after this ''breakthrough,'' that was beyond Kolon''s knowledge. "But no matter what it is, it doesn''t matter anymore...this isn''t something I can change now." Everyone went their separate ways, setting traps and bait, leaving him alone for the most fundamental reason: everyone knew that this seemingly ordinary act of sacrifice was actually a form of being spiritually drawn and quartered, and he deserved enough time to rest. However, to this, Kolon didn''t have such a strong reaction. It was just a bit of suffering experienced by the sacrifices, perhaps in the beginning, he would have wailed and lost color, but in recent years, he had grown ustomed to it. The human spirit is such that, whenever you think you have reached your limit, you are actually far from your true limit. The Kolon of the past would never have believed he could be indifferent to the pain of heart-piercing and eye-gouging. "Heh, that really is good fortune... A spontaneous act of kindness, and it can actually protect you until now?" With a self-mockingugh, sitting beside the burning fire, Kolon stared nkly at the charred sacrifice. To be honest, he did have regrets, not that he regretted not being a good person, but that he didn''t recognize the true identity of the visitor that night and make the right decision. He didn''t think his choice was wrong, nor did he think that Ande''s approach was correct. In this world, there were many people as kind as Ande, but most of them were already dead, even the immortal deities, the former creators, had already paid the price. Teaching Humans deceit was Wisdom''s arrogance, but stealing Fire for Humanity was also love for his creation. Yet humans would inevitably face death, and he himself was imprisoned for eternity. Kindness did not bring them any benefit; it often brought them more disasters, and Ande was an exception only because of his luck. If that night, the Deity that identally descended upon the Mortal Realm had changed his mind, choosing a different ce to arrive in the city of Bronze Humanity, Ande would have been nothing but an ordinary mortal, possibly even less than Kolon, who was then a ''craftsman.'' At that time, perhaps his kindness would have be an omen of his death. "So you see, this is what Deity is, this is what power is." In the faint light of the fire, Kolon''s face was hidden in shadows, but in today''s Mortal Realm, no one has heard of a deity born post-creation. The only possible exception was the very subject of his sacrifice. This is the helplessness of mortals...you might have many ideas, but your strength is not enough to realize them. Like now, the singr example of a mortal bing divine was right beside him, yet he was powerless to do anything. Kolon could only watch as the other moved forward incrementally, watching him be more and more like a true ''deity.'' "...It''s time to do my part." After a long while, standing up from the ground, Kolon''s figure disappeared into the dense forest. At the original spot, only the crackling sound of the burning fire persisted for a long time. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Sasa¡ª In the fissure between the Spirit Realm and the present world, within a Temporary Space formed by the Power of Faith, the soft sounds of rubbing were heard incessantly. While the outer world was performing the ritual, the master of this newly established Temporary Space was of course not idle. He was the ''deity'' here, naturally the subject of the sacrifices, although this ''deity''s'' domain currently only spanned an area of about ten meters in radius. Nheless, this did not hinder his eptance of the power brought by the sacrifices. So when the sacrifices were killed in a specific manner, tendrils of red fog floated in along an invisible connection. They permeated the surroundings, tinging the space red, and in the center, the fog condensed to its extreme, faintly forming the shape of a ''person.'' The figure seemed to ''breathe,'' and with each inhale and exhale, the red fog was drawn in and out, a mysterious transformation urring as a result. The fog thinned slightly, while the figure''s existence underwent some sort of change during this process, bing a bit more ''real'' in the silence. After a long time, the red fog dissipated, and the dark hue returned to the space, but at the very center, one could see the outline of a figure emitting a silvery light. With the red fog gone, the original form of the figure was finally revealed, but upon close observation, one could still see faint dark red spots on his body. Chapter 374: Chapter 99: Burnt Offerings and Clay Tablets_3 Unlike the red fog before, these blemishes seemed like ulcers on the bone, which did not budge under the scouring silver light, and even seemed inclined to integrate with it. "Huh¡ªso this is what Mr. Laine meant in his warning left inside the puppet... Never use it unless you reach the [Legendary] realm, not because it cannot be used, but because for all mortal things, ''Faith'' is ''poisonous.''" The hoarse voice emanated, or rather, it was not a sound produced by the body, but some kind of mental fluctuation. Ande opened his eyes, looked at the narrow space, a flicker of brutality shed by, but he quickly suppressed it. He had already kept himself as far from faith as possible, just like those fears and awe originating from the Bronze Humanity, he had not absorbed them from the beginning but stored them instead. Even now, they were merely used by Ande to build this tiny illusory space, anchored upon the vast expanse of the Spirit Realm, serving as his temporary domain. But some things are irreversible. When he was killed without having stepped into the Transcendent domain, some choices became inevitably unchangeable. After waking from the pain of being killed and the brief revenge, Ande realized a problem¡ªhe could not go on like this forever. The puppet had preserved his soul, but it would not provide him with further nourishment. Directly absorbing Faith was a path to Death, even with the puppet''s assistance, Ande was to advance to [Legendary] before he could touch this power. Moreover, he could not grow in an alternative way like other life forms of the Spirit Realm because the puppet had saved him as well as trapped him; Ande could not go anywhere before he fully ''contained'' what was inside, not even this temporarily constructed space could he leave too far from the puppet. Faced with such a situation akin to despair, after a period of low spirits, Ande could only start saving himself. Fortunately, existing in this special form of Spiritual Body, with the help of some unique perspectives of the puppet, he gradually discovered a special phenomenon.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om To living beings, the soul and the body are a dual rtionship, mutually dependent, mutually convertible, and also mutually influencing. They are both parts of [Life], though bifurcated, still maintain some mystical connection between them. The former can draw strength from thetter, while thetter will be subtly influenced by the former. This is why the body needs sustenance, yet the soul does not, for the soul, though ethereal, can turn the material flesh into nourishment that sustains thought and vitality. Ande did not know, in fact, as early as the previous era, the Lord of Darkness was the first to discover this wondrous connection and even once believed it a way for the Spirit Realm to sow souls and harvest the power of the mortal world. Later, he even gradually infused the power of Darkness into the souls of the silver generation through this connection of [Life] to [Life]. Now, this discovery merely provided Ande with another ray of hope, a method to still advance to [Legendary] even in his current state as a Spiritual Body and thus contain the puppet. Enjoy exclusive chapters from m-v l''e|-NovelBin However, this ''shortcut'' of sorts brought with it some lingering trouble. "Indeed, if there exists such a mysterious connection between the body and the soul, then the soul surely can''t bepletely without influence on the body... Even though I deliberately chose the least intelligent beasts, their emotions before death still affected me." Feeling the surge of brutality in his heart from time to time, Ande gave a wry smile, yet did not know what to say. His insinuation had the Bronze Immigrants sacrifice using their own death rituals and even had the sacrificers share the emotions of the Sacrifice before death. While there was an element of revenge in this, in reality, he was mostly trying to lessen the impact of the Sacrifice''s blood on him through this method. But however minimal, any influence is still an influence. Without the immortal essence of a Deity and merely at the Fourth Order, for Ande to maintain his sanity while engaging with such a force was already an exceedingly rare feat. "It won''t be long now, and in a bit more time, I will be [Legendary]... Then, ording to the information left in the puppet, as long as there is enough Faith, I could use it to construct a ''kingdom'', bing a container to carry authority with me, and thus ascend into the deeperyers of the Spirit Realm, bing an eternal deity." Taking a deep breath, Ande shook his head slightly. He did not know what the future held; for now, he could only choose to close his eyes and meditate. This was his only method tobat the influence of emotional turmoil from the blood, and while it was only a relief, it was indeed effective. "I wonder, though... is Mr. Laine also there?" No one could answer him. The small space remained devoid of others. For now, Ande could only hope that he could take that step before hepletely lost himself to these emotions. In fact, he was already feeling much colder and more ruthless than before. Yet, even he had not noticed that if he were his original self, perhaps he would have stopped the first time he discovered the Sacrifice impacted his mentality, considering that being attached to the puppet might not be another form of eternity. But now, having done it once, he craved the next, holding onto the slim hope that such influence could be avoided. As for whether it can be avoided or not... only time will tell. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Chapter 375: Chapter 99: Burnt Offerings and Clay Tablets_4 "Another piece of the puzzle." On the fifth level of the Spirit Realm, Chaos reigned like a sea. While Ande observed the remnants of the Bronze people in his own little space, in a ce far above him, Laine also watched him. However, different from what Ande believed, this ''teacher'' who had instructed him for a time, had never acknowledged him as a student. Just as Laine himself had said, when he handed the puppet to Ande, their fate had alreadye to an end. It didn''t matter whether Ande could make it to the end, what mattered was that he had validated many of Laine''s conjectures through practice. He was merely an experimental subject; of course, being chosen for this experiment was an opportunity countless mortals could only dream of. And now, although the subject had not grasped the opportunity well, he hadpleted the experiment from another angle quite satisfactorily. He confirmed Laine''s ideas from two perspectives, even if this illusionary space of faith was only a prototype. Through it, Laine was already able to prove that his approach was not mistaken. Constructing a nation with faith, recing mortals'' bearing of divinity with this, allowing them to obtain this false ''qualifications.'' This was not true ascension to godhood, for once they lost faith, the mortal who became divine through this means would lose everything. It was so easily acquired, yet so dependent on external factors. Nevertheless, its existence could incite mortals'' desire for divinity and practically use their hands to perfect the structure of the fifthyer of the Spirit Realm. It might still be a bit early, but it didn''t matter. The matter with Io gave Laine a hunch that perhaps in the future, there would be a period when he would not have much energy to spare for the Mortal Realm. Therefore, advancing some affairs earlier was not necessarily a bad idea. So... "Come¡ª" With Laine''s crisp summon, from somewhere in The Temple, the missing piece of the Civilization te arrived in response. Read new chapters at m_v-l''e|-NovelBin Itnded in front of Laine, unstable and fluctuating, but Laine simply stretched out his hand and made a hollow grasp in front of it.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om The next moment, numerous rays of light leapt out. Among them were ships and chess pieces Ande had seen, and looms and livestock¡ªunseen by him but closely rted to civilization¡ªthese phantom images. They had been quietly nurtured along with the development of Humans since the previous epoch, when the Golden Human King had acquired knowledge from the te within the Seviraz Temple. And now, they were qualified seeds. These ''seeds'' thus gathered in front of Laine, forming another y tablet, akin to a replica, in front of the somewhat ethereal Civilization te. However, to the true Deity, its existence seemed rather ''hollow.'' Its power was superficial while its core was not as robust. "Unlike the Codex, every part of you must grow on its own, then eventually return to you... As for this part, since it can change a mortal''s destiny, let''s call it the Destiny y Tablet." Holding the y tablet, Laine then gently tossed it. The next moment, the tablet crossed the space andnded at a certain point in the fifthyer of the Spirit Realm. Pces sprang from the void; the y tabletnded squarely in the center, and then a thousand strands of luminance spread out in sequence. Piercing through the barriers of the fiveyered space-time, and following the threads of destiny, they plummeted into the vast Mortal Realm. Divinity is the brightest crystal; the Divine Kingdom is the star in the sky. At this moment, from the perspective of the Mortal Realm, yet another starfall showered from the extreme heavens. But this time, it brought not disaster, but an alternative form of vitality. "Another starfall... Thest one was during the Golden Age, as if foretelling their end; what about this time?" Admiring the beautiful scene he''d created, Laine smiled silently. In that instant, he seemed to faintly glimpse something. But that was all in the future. As for now, these ''Stars'' that fell from the sky¡­ Unlike before, this time, as many stars as fell were destined to rise again. In the era belonging to myths, it wasn''t just the say of Olympus alone. Chapter 376: Chapter 100: Blood in the Stone The divine nature is like the stars, and when stars fall like rain, on this day, who knows how many mortals look up to the sky, watching as a multitude of stars plummet to the mortal realm in the summer night sky. The star shower, like a breathtaking scroll of painting, spreads across the deste wilderness where Pandora, gazing at the starry sky, suddenly discovers that the jar in her arms seems to have vibrated. However, it was just a momentary thing, so fleeting that she thought it might be an illusion. The magic jar quickly returned to normal. "What''s wrong?" "Nothing, probably just didn''t rest well." Shaking her head lightly, Pandora, after repeatedly trying to sense any abnormalities, could detect nothing unusual about the magic jar. She could only chalk it up to a hallucination, perhaps due to her high expectations of the jar, which is why even now she could experience such illusions. "...Fine." ncing at Pandora, but Epimetheus truly did not notice any other changes, so he didn''t ask any further questions. If there was indeed something amiss, he didn''t think Pandora would be able to hide it from him indefinitely. From the very moment she was created, she wasn''t endowed with such superior abilities; if there were any idents, he was bound to find out sooner orter. ...n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om The tremor of the magic jar was real, of course, but it indeed had nothing to do with Pandora. It was the fate of the creatures on earth, yet it had no connection to her. She had once prayed to the magic jar for god-like immortality and god-like strength. The divine nature could grant thetter, but clearly not the former. Hence, they bypassed Pandora and also bypassed the original gods of the earth. Some of themnded on certain beings, whether onnd or sea, whether they were Nymphs, wild beasts, or certain territorial gods; many more fell into corners, waiting for the arrival of their rightful owners in the future. No matter where theynded, these keys to power under some influence chose ''fitting'' owners. They might not be strong, they might not be wise, but at the very least, they were beings capable of keeping secrets and holding some aspirations for further advancement. Silently, the course of fate slightly shifted once more. It''s just that now, the gods on Mount of the Gods had no knowledge of it. Because today, the Divine King had summoned all the gods, they therefore gathered together. ording to Zeus''s words, he would announce a major event today. Although they didn''t know what it was, the Olympian Gods still came when called. ... Thud, thud¡ª After crossing the river that the gods passed when they created the first humans, walking through the dense jungle, and after a long search, the deity with a silver bow finally arrived at this vast in. In the sky above, stars were falling, which also made Apollo look up. He gripped his silver bow involuntarily, but then relinquished his hold, knowing that his arrows couldn''t reach the stars in The Sky from the earth. "Let''s say the stars are singing my praises." Lowering his gaze, Apollo no longer focused on celestial matters but looked towards the vast ins before him. In his view, the remnants of old-era buildings were still scattered across thend. At the edge of his vision, Apollo seemed to see a tall and sacred temple. With just a nce, he was certain that it was the ce he was seeking. The Temple of Delphi, the world''s ancient and most venerated oracle, the site that hosted the most numerous and powerful deities. Here, almost all the gods who had ever been active in the world had their statues, and its main hall was the only ce that specifically worshipped a Primordial Deity. ording to Leto''s instructions before departing, Apollo knew that what he sought was there. But before that, he had another task to aplish: to prove his valor with the blood of the python. Even setting aside their differences in authority, the same Divine Power in the hands of different deities could produce different oues. Like Queen Hera, whom Leto regarded as an enemy, though her domain was not in warfare, she remained the most extraordinary among all goddesses. "It''s like a performance, fulfilling the task given to me by the one behind the scenes, then collecting my reward from him... So be it, let''s perform, at least this is what the Mother Goddess wants to see." In silent contemtion, Apollo turned around. The Temple was not yet where he was to go; the serpent with Divine Blood wasn''t there. It was in the Panasus mountain range. Even across a great distance, Apollo sensed its presence. As he grew and began to wield the power befitting a deity, the python that he once deemed insurmountable no longer seemed so fearsome. The serpent also seemed to realize this and had retreated deep into the continent and hidden its tracks long before Apollo came knocking at its door. But now that he had found his target, the oue of the battle could be anticipated. Even without using Divine Power, Apollo was confident in his victory. "Thwack¡ª" Drawing his silver bow, Apollo released an arrow towards where he sensed his prey, then stamped his right foot onto the ground,unching himself powerfully towards the mountain range. Apanied by a loud hiss and a crash, a battle erupted at the edge of the peaceful in. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ ng¡ª A loud noise echoed as the massive doors slowly closed, and within the hall, the gods took their seats. Servants threaded through the sleek tables, offering wine and delicacies to the gods. Today, they heeded the Divine King''s summons, once again setting aside their affairs to convene. Yet true to the nature of divinity, regardless of whether the meeting was serious or not, it didn''t disturb their enjoyment of life. However, hearing the sound of the doors closing, still many a deity cast nces in that direction. Although the previously damaged spots had been fixed and looked no different from before, many couldn''t help but look there when they passed the doorway earlier. Chapter 377: Chapter 100: Blood in the Stone_2 Zeus, who had witnessed everything, did not say anything. The gods have revered the Primordial Gods not just for a day or two, much like the reason no deity is willing to venture to the Underworld, aside from its barrenness, is because it is wrapped in the essences of numerous Primordial Gods. Gods, too, revere a mightier force, which is only natural. Of course, this is also why he tirelessly pursued power. "Divine King, may I know why you have summoned us gods today? Is there something you wish to announce? I hope it''s not that there''s a problem with the Faith Laws that were just established." As the God of Sun, Helios took his seat; he nced around the hall, noticing some different arrangements. Read thetest on m_v-l''e|-NovelBin His divine power was on the verge of breakthrough; for him, the most desired change was to have no change at all. Moreover, as a Titan deity born in a previous era, even to this day, Helios was not quite ustomed to the Olympian Gods'' sense of time. Compared to mortals, Zeus might already be living ''months as if days,'' butpared to the Titans of the second epoch, the new gods still seemed to have somewhat more going on. Of course, Helios could understand Zeus. After all, Cronus had not had so many relics from the previous epoch at the beginning of his reign... But understanding was one thing, looking at the transformed Temple, Helios still continued to ask: "And these twelve chairs... Divine King, whom have you prepared them for?" At this moment, as usual, the Divine King and Queen of Gods were seated at the highest ce, far above where the other gods were seated. That was not unusual, but aside from that, there were twelve distinctive chairs arranged on both sides of the great hall, hovering in mid-air, forming a circle around the entire pce. For a while, the other gods also turned their gazes toward Zeus. This new arrangement made them somewhat ufortable, as those twelve chairs seemed to be towering above them. The Divine King sitting a bit higher than them was understandable on ount of the currentws. The previous two generations of Divine Kings had also proven their might by deeds. But if other gods were to be ced above them, that would be somewhat uneptable. "Of course not, Helios. How could I, who made the promises myself, change them overnight? Your concerns arepletely unnecessary." Raising his nectar cup, Zeus immediately saw through the slight concerns harbored by the God of Sun. The Divine King was not particrly concerned about his breakthrough, but felt somewhat regretful; without the goddess Perse, he really would have liked to choose a daughter to marry Helios, thus making him his ''pir.'' But now, it seemed there would not be such an opportunity. As for the future... well, that would be discussedter. Zeus had not yet decided how to deal with this deity from an older era. "Regarding these twelve seats... we will talk about thatter. Today, I have invited all of you here for another announcement." With a smile on his lips, the next moment, Zeus mobilized his divine authority. "Now, please, witness with me. Soon, there will be another impable True God arriving at Olympus, bing a sacred member among us." The Divine Authority was revealed, and visions appeared. Although this time there was no Divine Artifact as medium, the Oracle of Delphi was different. The Bronze Humanity had prayed to many gods when they faced extinction, but when the gods withdrew the divine essence attached to The Temple, the prayers of mortals could no longer be precisely known to them. However, in this oldest temple, the powers of almost all gods were manifested. When this connection was called upon by the Divine King''s authority, the scene from the great in was also reproduced in mid-air. Observing this familiar scene, many gods twitched at the corners of their eyes, not expecting that Zeus would dare to spy openly on Mother Earth''s reclusive domain. But no one raised objections, as it was none of their concern. The gods simply watched the illusionary image, seeking the deity that Zeus spoke of, and soon, they were attracted to the deity with a silver bow on his back. The golden-haired deity was full of youthful vigour, and while they could not discern the strength of his power, the amiability in his smile already won many deities over. At that moment, in the image, Apollo was drawing his bow, aiming at a monstrous serpent on the Panasus mountain range. "Divine King, is he the god you spoke of?" From a position close to the top of the temple, Aphrodite suddenly asked. "Of course, my friend, an exemry new god, is he not?" Nodding his head, Zeus had not expected Apollo to so easily attract the attention of the Goddess of Beauty.N?v(el)B\\jnn Moreover, it seemed that Aphrodite had a rather good impression of Apollo, which made the Divine King think that his ns might not be difficult to aplish. "Hmph!" Just as the thought arose, it was interrupted by a cold snort from the side. Zeus''s gaze met Hera''s indifferent look for a moment, then he chose to keep silent. As Hera''s gaze swept past Zeus and settled on Aphrodite. Towards the former, although Hera still felt dissatisfaction with the opportunity given to Zeus to ''show off in front of others,'' she had reluctantlye to ept this oue over the past period. Towards thetter, it was simply a dislike born from character and authority. One was loyal, the other promiscuous. One had perfected the order of marriage, giving it real power; the other inherently symbolized primal lust, capable of stirring desires in the opposite sex with just a smile or a frown. Chapter 378: Chapter 100: Blood in the Stone_3 Hera had been unable to endure Aphrodite not just for a day or two, but as a True God with powerful Divine Power, in the Divine Court, the Goddess of Beauty was not very afraid of Hera. Thus, faced with the Heavenly Empress''s obvious dissatisfaction, she merely nced at her lightly and then acted as if she saw nothing. Zeus turned a deaf ear to this, and the other Deities did not intend to get involved in the conflict between these two, so the great hall was somewhat quiet, with the gods all focusing their attention on the image floating in midair. "This is... the bow and arrow you had the Cyclops forge before?" After watching for a while, as if recognizing something, Hestia asked hesitantly. The silver bow in Apollo''s hand was familiar to her; it was indeed a weapon crafted by Cucrops. Although it was not a Divine Artifact, on earth, its power was equally formidable. "Yes, there was also a golden bow, but it might not be able to fall into its owner''s hands for the time being," Speaking of this, Zeus paused for a moment, then naturally breezed past the topic. "Let''s watch the young man''s performance instead¡ªwhat a beautiful shot!" Apanied by the Divine King''s praise was an arrow piercing straight into the eye socket of the python. It traversed through the beast''s brain, putting aplete end to its life. Zeus was the first to apud, and the other gods soon followed suit. For a moment, the atmosphere in the hall heated up again. "It seems we should bring him up to Olympus; if you need, I can personally make the trip." Gradually realizing something, Hestia nced at her brother. Zeus was not a god who took such good care of outsiders. The fact that he was so concerned about this new god who was about to join Olympus probably had another reason. And then looking at Hera, whose mood had clearly deteriorated quite a bit that day, Hestia understood that this was probably a child of Zeus. "Of course, my sister, but before that, the victor should also receive his reward," Nodding, Zeus did not conceal his fondness for Apollo. He stretched out his hand, and the tri-colored scepter appeared in his palm, the Divine King pointed forward, and so, within the unknown, some change took ce. "I''ve already sent Zephyrus to fetch him, it won''t take long, once he receives the prize he deserves, he wille here and join us at the same table," Retracting the scepter, Zeus took Hera''s hand beside him and smiled at her puzzled gaze. Beside Hera stood another deity with a somewhat youthful countenance. That was a child of Zeus and Hera, Ares, who had control over aspects of [war]. At this moment, as he watched Apollo in the flickering light, his expression was eager. If not for his young age, he would have probably already tried to do something. "Be quiet, Ares, in a few years, you won''t be inferior to him either," Thinking Zeus was telling her to take care of her son, Hera huffed lightly, then turned to instruct the War God beside her. As for this, the Divine King merely smiled. What he truly wanted to manage was actually Hera herself. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ "Bang¡ª¡ª" Dragging the still-twitching body of the python, Apollo stepped towards the Delphi Temple. He removed a scale from the chest of the python and used it as a recement for an exceptional beast''s sacrifice, then strode into the ancient building. Time had not affected it, but only added a touch of historical depth to the temple. On its columns, Apollo saw many mysterious symbols that seemed to be a form of writing, as well as markers infused with power. Moving forward, on those tallest twelve pirs, besides the runes, the young deity also saw what his father had once seen, along with content that had not been there when he had arrived. Experience more content on m v|l e''-NovelBin It depicted how the gods had created the beings of the Golden Age, recorded the birth of the first humans, the human king''s visions of gods in his dreams, and that ancient poem of which only half was heard. With the copse of Mount Othrys, the extinction of the Golden Humanity, the demise of the Silver Humanity; one ascended to ''heaven'', the other descended to ''earth''; and then, the third generation of humans created by Prometheus was destroyed in a flood under the Divine King''s insinuation. Without any concealment, the pirs disyed the past history. Apollo silently read them over and then continued towards the center of the temple. The content described here was different from what he had heard along the way, but certainly, the records of this sanctuary were more credible than the rumors among mortals. Ignoring the passages leading to the various side halls, Apollo finally arrived at the heart of the temple. "Spirit Lord, Mother Earth, and Divine King?"N?v(el)B\\jnn Looking at the spot for the chief sacrifice, Apollo recited the three existences Leto had told him about, yet the sight before him brought some confusion. At this moment, one position on the three floating stone tforms at the high altar was conspicuously empty ¡ª the ce symbolizing Mother Earth had nothing, making it look particrly jarring. "How strange..." Although surprised, Apollo was not well-acquainted with this ancient Primordial God. Perhaps things were meant to be this way, so he just ced the sacrifice on the altar, showed his respect to the three divine beings, and then moved forward. Leto had told Apollo that his father had left him a treasure here, which could grant him the world''s most supreme power in a single leap. Although the young deity did not like the Father God whom he had never met, nor did he want to ept this gift, seeing Leto''s hopeful eyes, he had still agreed at the time. He would rather achieve all this by himself, but since he had agreed, Apollo did not intend to hesitate any longer. Within a few steps, the young deity stood before the lowest stone tform, looking at the Sacred Stone symbolizing the Divine King. "A Sacred Stone that ''died'' in ce of the king? This force of life... is truly powerful." Murmuring softly, at some point, the surface of the Sacred Stone before Apollo had turned as crimson as blood. Even wisps of gold and red mist were entwining above it, exuding a terrifying yet enticing aroma. The Divine King''s lifeblood, the Golden Apple bestowed by Mother Earth, through two epochs tilting the years of the Divine King''s session, when they merged together, the Sacred Stone, once baptized by the fire of the Sun, had be one of the world''s top divine artifacts. The attraction between [Light] and [Sun], the connection of bloodlines, and the instinctual longing for the life force of the Golden Apple ¡ª at this moment, Apollo could not deny that this was indeed a rare opportunity. So under the distant gaze of the Olympian Gods, he extended his hand, grasped the Sacred Stone, and allowed the blood-like ripples surging on the stone to flow into his body. Brilliance shone, illuminating the hall, and an unprecedented sense of power emerged from every limb and joint of Apollo. It was night, yet a soft light spread across the sky, brightening the dim earth. The deity who presided over [Light] thus took the ce of his brother and obtained one of the few divine artifacts of Zeus. He proved with facts that even for the deity race, the timing of birth was equally significant. Chapter 379: Chapter 101: Belonging and Birth "Crack¡ª" The wine cup was crushed, but Hera acted as if she heard nothing. She tried to stand up, but Zeus''s power, flowing through their sped hands, kept her seated. Clearly, the Divine King had anticipated her reaction. The Golden Apple, a treasure that could allow deities to traverse the long span of years and reach their power''s limit at the fastest speed¡ªHera had thought that her siblings had used up the umtion of Mother Earth from two epochs, and no such treasure existed in this world anymore. But she had forgotten; there was one exception. That Sacred Stone which reced the newly born Zeus had, under various influences, not only preserved the power of the Golden Apple but even amplified it. Now, Hera watched Apollo growing ever stronger in the image, a chill spreading from her chest. Zeus had deceived her again¡ªno, the Divine King did not deceive; he simply omitted certain details. With the power of the Sacred Stone, Leto''s son, Apollo, would like Zeus and his brothers before him, seize his inherent godhood in the shortest time, while Ares would be different. Even with the aid of faith, it would take him nearly a millennium to achieve the same feat. What''s more...in just over a decade, Hera had realized that her child did not inherit his parents'' wisdom at all. He was like his godhood, symbolizing the side of war that leaned towards brutality, ughter, and injustice. Hecked mercy¡ªnot that Hera cared about that, but Ares didn''t even have the brains to pretend to be merciful. If she weren''t sure she had done nothing to wrong Zeus, Hera would have thought he was actually a descendant of Poseidon. "Hera, I am also making the best use of resources; only when used on Apollo can it have the best effect," Without opening his mouth, some voice conveyed this through their sped hand. Zeus had known Hera would react this way, but he obviously had no intention of changing his decision. At first, the Divine King hadn''t nned to use his few treasures because he, who had once consumed the Golden Apple, knew very well that, although powerful, the effect of a singr divine fruit was not nearly enough to advance the potential of a True God with mighty divine power. Even with just sixteen levels of divine power, it would take at least two to three fruits to manage barely, but with the birth of Apollo, the authority he demonstrated made Zeus change his mind. Your next read awaits at m v|l-e''-NovelBin The Sacred Stone, unlike the mere Golden Apple, contained the bloodline of Zeus; its legend had spread amongst humans, which, in some way, greatly enhanced its effect. More importantly, the Sacred Stone, unscathed by the remnants of the Sun''s burning, was inherently attuned to the realms of the [Sun] and [Light], unmatched by any other. Therefore, this particr treasure could only exert its best effect on Apollo, which is why the Divine King didn''t leave it for Ares. Even though he had the Heavenly Empress as a mother, if he couldn''t reach the domain of mighty divine power in the shortest time with this gift, then he didn''t deserve the opportunity. The Divine King had always been a pragmatist, especially when it concerned his future. "You also saw it, Hera, this power doesn''t fit Ares as well." Shaking his head slightly, Zeus exined once more: "It''s the choice of destiny, not mine..." "The choice of destiny?" "So Zeus, if destiny indicates that one day you will lose your throne, suggesting that the next Divine King will do better than you, would you ept all that willingly, my esteemed Divine King?" The cold interruption, if not for being held back by Zeus''s power, Hera truly wanted to start amotion, to destroy the feast Zeus had so carefully prepared, and then see who the Divine King would choose between her and that Apollo. Yes, Ares may not surpass the deity that holds [Light], but Hera also believes that, even considering ''value,'' as the Heavenly Empress, her ''worth'' far exceeds that of Leto and Apollobined. "...So what do you want to do? Regardless, the power in the Sacred Stone has been absorbed by him, and Apollo must return to Olympus, that is my bottom line." "If you want something, just name it. As long as it''s not too much, I will agree to it today." Drawing a deep breath, Zeus''s tone remained gentle. He didn''t care about the victory in words... moreover, Hera was actually speaking the truth. Precisely because he would never ept the destiny of losing the throne, that''s why he did all this today. The ''Prophecy'' of the changing epochs that ''Cronus'' once spoke of still rings in his ear, he never forgot it. "When heaven and earth part, thought triumphs over obscurity"... to this day, Zeus has yet to decipher its meaning. But as the Divine King, he has a premonition that it''s not just an empty threat, but an actual destiny. However, what Zeus didn''t know to this day is that it was indeed ''destiny,'' only this time, it wasn''t the destiny of this world bestowed upon the Divine King. It was someone telling him that when that day arrived, his purpose would have been fulfilled, and the era of the third generation Divine King''s rule would alsoe to an end. "First, release your power."N?v(el)B\\jnn The emotions between people are not shared, just as Zeus couldn''t understand Hera''s pain, and Hera couldn''t possibly know what Zeus was thinking. She didn''t make a request; she simply looked at their sped hands. Chapter 380: Chapter 101: Belonging and Birth_2 Zeus hesitated slightly. He watched Hera, seemingly assessing whether she might act irrationally, but in the end, he let go. The Divine King understood his sister even better than Hera understood herself. Like other goddesses faced with sudden change, she might act impulsively, but would choose to salvage the situation rather than result in mutual destruction after calming down. As for what terms she might propose... as long as they weren''t too excessive, he found them eptable. Thus, in the eyes of the other gods, there was no quarrel between the Divine King and the Queen of Gods. They simply watched Apollo''s every move in the projection. After exchanging a nce, Zeus released his grip and Hera slowly stood up. "As everyone can see," Hera said calmly, "Olympus is about to wee an outstanding deity." "I know many of you are wondering about his origins¡ªa powerful deity must have an exceptional birthright; he couldn''t havee into this world out of nowhere. And what I have to say is, he carries the noble bloodline of the Divine King, the very proof of his extraordinary nature. But in addition to that, today, I have another announcement to make. It is, like the third matter, one of the reasons for convening today''s banquet." With a slight pause, the Heavenly Empress gestured for Ares toe forward. The War God, unaware of this extra event unfolding, took a few steps ahead in confusion.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Hera took his hand, and the authority of the Heavenly Empress surged within her. Amidst the somewhat astonished and amused gaze of Zeus, she solemnly began: "In the name of the Heavenly Empress, as the definer of marriage, I and the Divine King shall witness a sacred marriage. Zeus''s eldest son shall wed the most beautiful among you. Her beautiful features naturally should be protected by strength." "What?" "This..." "..." As her words fell, the great hall buzzed with noise. The eyes of the gods swept between Ares and Aphrodite, caught by surprise. "Isn''t this decision a bit sudden?" "Ares... hasn''t he juste of age?" "...Heh, the Heavenly Empress probably doesn''t want the Divine King to ''make a mistake'' again. Seeing the son of a rival, she naturally wouldn''t want another one." "True, the Goddess of Beauty''s girdle... it should be so, though whether Aphrodite will agree is still unknown..." "..." Once the statement was made, all the gods engaged in discussion, but next to Hera, Zeus felt relieved. Hera''s decision was somewhat unexpected to him, but not troublesome. He had intended to marry Aphrodite to Apollo, but that was only from a rational standpoint¡ªa powerful divine power should match with another. Unlike the Goddess of Beauty who was born with near-peak divine power and represented an era, Ares''s strength had yet to grow. Now, however, there seemed nothing wrong with this oue. A direct marriage order for Apollo could seem hasty and could further agitate Hera. Now, the definer of marital order wished to restrain the unrestrained Goddess of Beauty; the Heavenly Empress aimed to eliminate potential rivals; the mother wanted to find a dazzling wife for her child; even ming the stimulus that Apollo had brought to Hera could be usible... As long as his own purpose was achieved, Zeus didn''t care who was to marry Aphrodite. Therefore, he conspicuously expressed his astonishment and surprise before rising amidst the various looks of the gods and added with some ''helplessness'': "Yes, that is also a decision we made earlier. As grandchildren born of the Heavenly Father''s lineage, Aphrodite, you surely wish to fully integrate into Olympus, do you not?" In the great hall, Ares was ecstatic, the unexpected windfall leaving him thrilled; he had long harbored secret admiration for the Goddess of Beauty. The other party, Aphrodite, after a brief bout of anger, calmed down. Without considering other factors, Ares did indeed fit the shared mortal and divine standard of rugged beauty. As the embodiment of love and beauty, excluding her instinctive aversion to marriage, Aphrodite even felt this wasn''t a bad oue. But she didn''t want to agree so readily, feeling powerless to refuse when the Divine King and Queen of Gods were united, yet she still made some attempts. "His power is not yet strong enough," Aphrodite asserted. "Marriage, perhaps, isn''t quite suitable. With his current strength, he''s also inadequate to protect me." "Then let''s wait until Ares possesses power that matches yours, and thenplete this marriage. I believe that day won''t be far, right, Zeus?" Taking a step back, but with her words, Hera decisively sealed the deal. She looked towards Zeus, who then continued with a ''helpless'' nod. "Yes... if that''s the case, as a wedding gift for you, Ares and Aphrodite, I will allow you to carve out a piece ofnd on my earth as a territory for your mortal worshippers. You will receive their faith day and night, to grow swiftly and be a robust pir for Olympus." "I will, Father!" Surprised by another windfall, Ares stepped forward, kneeling on one knee to express his gratitude to the Divine King and Queen of Gods. Though Hera''s son, he was born toote to have shared in the division of faith among the gods, but now Zeus''s promise suddenly granted him the qualification to enter. Chapter 381: Chapter 101: Belonging and Birth_3 At this moment, Ares secretly nned that, since it was a realm that worshipped him and the Goddess of Beauty, it naturally had to embody characteristics of both, to magnify his reputation. As for what characteristics those were... they naturally belonged to his ughter and battle, as well as the female beauty represented by Aphrodite. "Very well, since the matter is settled, let''s wait for my valiant offspring. Afterwards, I''ll announce the final matter." Seated back in his ce, Zeus picked up his goblet and sipped lightly from it. Any of his sons would do... Ares''s proposal might even cause less trouble. However, it had to be said that today''s proceedings were going smoothly. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Your next chapter is on m v|l-e''-NovelBin Meanwhile, outside the Temple of Delphi. At this time, Apollo was clearly unaware that the Goddess of Beauty, originally designated for himself by Zeus, had been snatched away by his brother. Of course, even if he knew, it''s likely he wouldn''t care given his temperament. And in a certain sense, this matter could not quite be considered good or bad for him.N?v(el)B\\jnn Now, standing in front of the great doors of the Temple, Apollo was acquainting himself with his newfound power, experiencing the sudden change in his divine strength. Perhaps due to the Sacred Stone''s uniqueness, he even felt an emerging connection with the Sun, though it was still night, and he could not fully grasp that link just yet. However, this was merely an initial exploration and without lingering too long, Apollo opened his eyes and looked towards the half-empty sky. There, an unmistakable presence was circling and dancing. The visitor had been there for a while, evidently waiting for him. "Honorable Prince Apollo, I am Zephyrus, the God of the West Wind. By the Divine King''smand, I havee to invite you to feast at Olympus." The voice carried on the breeze and arose by Apollo''s ear. Seeing that the young deity had finally noticed him, the God of the West Wind revealed himself. "Then, Prince Zephyrus, please lead the way." Showing no sign of surprise, Apollo simply nodded. The python was only an afterthought; it was the Queen of Gods from Mount Olympus who had brought all this to him. Yet,pared to dealing with a beast, obviously, he couldn''t rely solely on his bow and arrows to solve this ''trouble''. If he didn''t intend to contend with the Divine Court itself, then he must go within it, which was also Leto''s wish. So now, he was prepared to ascend to the Mount of the Gods to im the status and glory that belonged to him. ... ng¡ª The doors swung open, and when Apollo entered The Temple, the gods who had been talking while waiting turned their gazes towards him. With the spatial barrier gone and the new deity stepping into the hall, the power that was difficult to control due to its recent growth spilled forth. Near him, nymphs turned pale, incapacitated by the mighty aura. "Apollo, my child, the gods have been awaiting you for a long time." With a smile on his face, seeing another pir supporting the ritual before him, Zeus could swear his smile was truly genuine. Out of the love for his home and his outstanding eldest son, he felt an even greater preference for him. "Take your seat. I havemanded the Titans to erect a pce for you; from now on, that shall be your residence here in Olympus." "Apollo, son of Leto, pays his respects to Your Majesty." He bowed slightly, yet his back remained straight. The young god immediately noticed the Divine King and Queen of Gods seated at the highest ce, their swaying Golden Crowns and thrones disying their status. However, Apollo remained silent because, being new to the ce, he was not yet familiar with the affairs of Mount Olympus and was not ready to make any rash decisions. Besides, mere words held no meaning; it wasn''t with words that the Heavenly Empress had hunted him, but with a brute release of a monstrous beast. "Alright, my child, no need for such formality. In time, you will take pride in being a member of Olympus." "Next, we have the final matter for today." Noticing Apollo''s self-introduction, Zeus simply ignored it. This minor issue could be left for Hera to handle. Perhaps even fate was aware of the impending changes; at this moment, Zeus felt his spirit clearer than ever before. The Divine King''s authority trembled slightly upon him, as if instinctively sensing that something was about to alter it. After Apollo had taken his reserved seat, under the gaze of all the gods, Zeus finally spoke of the day''s most important matter. "Honored deities, ever since the world begun, we have witnessed the reign of three Divine Kings. I often ponder what it was exactly that caused the first two to lose their thrones." Zeus''s gaze swept across the crowd, and the airborne thrones lit up slightly. The gods were somewhat surprised; they didn''t understand why Zeus would bring up this topic. Weren''t the reasons for the downfall of the first two Divine Kings due to fate and power? However, seated on the throne without expecting an answer from others, Zeus immediately expressed his own perspective. "Some say it was a result predestined by fate; others feel theycked truly invincible power, but in my view, it was because they were unwilling to share their authority with the other gods." "Oh, those ancient and proud deities, they who received the grace of the world, believed themselves to be the rulers of all, thinking they could govern all with their sole strength. They couldn''t even tolerate their own progeny, thus tormented them, imprisoned them, but I am different, I would never do such a thing." Chapter 382: Chapter 101: Belonging and Birth_4 "So what are you going to do?" A god could not help but ask, with other deities expressing some expectation. Faced with his question, Zeus simply smiled and revealed the n he had prepared for so long. "I have heard that the number between heaven and earth is mostplete at twelve, hence the Heavenly Father and Mother Earth bore twelve Titans, and the initial Divine King was thus born. However, Uranus failed toprehend the will of the world, oppressing his own children, disrupting the order of all things, and for this, he ultimately met with the evil fruit fate had to offer. My Father God, powerful Cronus, equally failed to grasp this, which is why, under fate''s guidance once more, I achieved the ultimate victory." "To take this as a lesson, I shall not emte their actions, on the contrary, I will appoint twelve Principal Gods to share in my authority and glory, ruling together over All Spirits with me. I believe that with such outstanding gods from amongst the twelve standing with me at all times, the rule of the Divine Court will be unshakable forever." "In the future, the position of Principal God may require a moreplex selection process, but now, I believe that the true gods of immense divine power in our Divine Court are worthy of such a position. This is all that I propose; does anyone oppose this decision?" As his words ended, silence fell over the assembly. No one knew why Zeus suddenly wanted to share his power, nor if he truly learned from the reign of the two former kings, but theycked the reasons and the capacity to object. Apart from the Goddess of Law, honored by the Divine King as the Judge, and including Apollo who would eventually assimte the full power of the Sacred Stone, there were only six of immense divine power in the Divine Court. Unquestionably, they would not oppose their own honors; and how could the other deities dare to refuse the will of the Divine King at such a time? No opposition meant eptance. Beholding this scene, Zeus felt a surge of emotion. Including Hades and Poseidon who, although not yet present were already agreed upon, symbols representing the various deities suddenly appeared on the seats suspended midair. The Divine King''s orders were carried out, and in the presence of all gods, the Law also ''witnessed'' themand. And so, in the profound unknown, where gods could neither see nor understand, future and past ovepped, and some concept began to converge. Inside the grand hall, all appeared normal, except Hera who faintly sensed something amiss, but ultimately, as the Heavenly Empress, this change urring in the unknowable realm, was only perceptible to the real orchestrator of all these events. It was iplete because the twelve Principal Gods were not yet fulfilled. But it was sufficient to exist, as core deities, Zeus and Hera were not missing, and the Divine King''s authority was authentic and unfeigned. Like the Abyss that birthed six Demon Gods, or Cronus who fathered six divine children, and just as the male and female Titans were arrayed opposite each other, this shadowy reflection into the source sea set the gears in motion, and a covert vibration began to sweep across the world. The corners of his mouth could hardly contain a smile; Zeus felt his divine power being siphoned. It would be briefly used in the construction of the ritual, then return to him in a purer form. It wouldn''t take long, and the gathered deities wouldn''t even notice this supreme level of change; as long as the next moment, he could¡ª "Ugh... Ah!" Suddenly, Zeus clutched his head, a pain like no other surging through it. Nearby, Hestia stood up abruptly, her worried gaze on her brother; Hera also appeared somewhat at a loss. The other deities showed various expressions; everything had been normal just a moment ago, but the Divine King now disyed such distress, and confusion and spection spread among them. But Zeus had not lost consciousness, and at this moment, as the source of all, he realized what the problem was. "...Split... Hera, use ''Thunder'' to split my head!"N?v(el)B\\jnn He growled firmly, teeth clenched. He finally remembered that as the ritual operated, his divine power had been briefly withdrawn. This shouldn''t have been a major issue, but in his body, there was another dweller. Previously, he had used his divine power to suppress the other''s birth, the god that should not have been born, and in theory, if hepleted the ritual, he could suppress the other forever¡ªyet at this juncture, perhaps sensing that the enveloping power had finally dissipated, the power of another god began to awaken within Zeus. This time, none of Zeus''s own power was left to stop it. "But, Zeus, you..." Showing hesitation, Hera was not expecting such a request from Zeus. But before she could speak further, the Divine King abruptly interrupted her. "Do as I say, now, immediately, right now! Hera, do you really think you could hurt me?!" He shouted fiercely. If it were possible, Zeus would have already taken action himself, but without any divine power, he was helpless, and his mighty Divine Artifact could not be easily used by a third party. "...Very well." Taking a deep breath, still unsure of what was happening but catching onto the change in atmosphere around her, Hera made a decisive move. She gestured, and Zeus''s ''Thunder'' appeared in response. Sharing in part of the Divine King''s authority, Hera too could wield this powerful weapon. Grasping the artifact, she aimed at Zeus''s head and shed down fiercely. The next moment, alongside a painful roar, the top of the Divine King''s skull cracked open. A brilliant light shone forth, casting fragrant and dazzling colors all over Olympus. But not just on the Mount of the Gods, the majestic vision spread out, ying across all of Chaos''s present world. The dyed music of thews celebrated the birth of another deity, showering across heaven and earth. It should have belonged to that goddess conceived in the second era, but suppressed by the Divine King, it became a brilliant spectacle in the sky of the third era. On this summery night, following the stars that fell, it brought a measure of light to the vastnd. Chapter 383: Chapter 102 Athena ... The skull cracked open, and rosy light filled the sky. With the crisp sound, a hazy halo spread outward. Explore new worlds at mvl Auroras rippled at the end of the Northern Sea, thousands of splendid bands of light danced on the horizon, and the sounds of nature echoed between the forests and streams, orchestrating different melodies. For a moment, all things were singing, celebrating in their own way the divine birth of another deity of Chaos, the final deity of the Second Epoch. It was a vision of divine birth, a wonder that should not have appeared in this epoch. With the transition of two generations, the current world no longer eagerly awaited the emergence of deities, but there were always exceptions. She should have been born in the years when the old king was dead and the new king was not yet established, stuck between two epochs, but due to a prophecy, due to the actions of Zeus, she was only born today after much dy. However, Law itself does not care about these things; it simply bestowed a bted gift to the new god and allowed the Humans of the Third Epoch to witness this rare spectacle. The primordial ocean stirred slightly, bing increasingly tumultuous. This was due to both the birth of a deity and the removal of obstructions, allowing the Divine King''s rites to finally continue. At this moment, the new deity and the symbol of the fragmented "Kingship" arrived in this world almost simultaneously, as if reminding the master of the ceremony, Metis had exhausted herself for his Kingship, and even she herself had fallen into an unpredictable predicament. However, none of this seemed useful to Zeus. He was not one to dwell on the past. Perhaps in the still of the night, the Divine King might recall Metis and his past, butpared to the supreme power he now held, everything else seemed insignificant. So, enduring the pain, the cracks on Zeus''s skull meticulously mended. Without the slightest hesitation, he stretched out his arms, and amid the astonished gazes of the other gods, heughed heartily as he reimed his power. Then, apanied by the call of his true name echoing between heaven and earth, he raised his head to look towards the East of the greatnd. Themotion of today was too great, and it ultimately provoked certain changes prematurely. Under the gaze of Zeus at this moment, the vastnd trembled slightly, an ancient will slowly awakening. But none of that mattered now. The relics of the old era should slumber quietly beneath the earth; currently, he was the true "Divine King." ... The Underworld, the Realm of Lightlessness. The outer world bustled with such fervor, casting the stillness here into stark relief. In this domain that seemed to swallow all things, Erebus raised his head. Although all turmoil was isted outside his domain, to the Lord of Darkness, the upheaval from the primordial ocean was exceedingly clear. The disturbance might not be intense¡ªfar from a "tidal surge"¡ªyet it remained extraordinary, for any change must be measured by where it urs. The only things that could truly cause a "tidal surge" in the primordial ocean were events like the opening of the Spirit Realm, the transition of epochs, or the fusion of the Nine Realms, which affected the entire world. A disturbance like today''s was already the limit under normal circumstances. If one had to draw aparison, it even approached the day when the Titans, the deities, were born. However, the Titans numbered twelve, while today only one deity descended. No, there was another; but he never had the chance to truly arrive in this world. "...Athena, Pas. The first and possibly thest child of the third generation of Divine Kings, because he is thoroughly ''dead,'' and destiny halted before it even began. No matter how many descendants Zeus might have, none woulde ''after'' him?" "Hah, how interesting. ''Dead'' destiny intertwines with ''living'' destiny... It seems that perhaps I have underestimated him?" Narrowing his eyes, Erebus fully grasped what this peculiar situation represented as he listened to the true name being called between heaven and earth. Gods are immortal, so their destinies are indestructible. After all, as long as they live, even in eternal slumber, there is always a day for their return. With such a scenario yet experiencing circumstances like now, only one possibility remained. The brother who was supposed to be born after Athena, one of his parents, had disappeared from this world, even more thoroughly than eternal sleep. For eternal sleep still bore the possibility of awakening, but since destiny was ''dead,'' it signified that at the least on the level of the world, she had ceased to exist. "I remember, that woman seemed to be called... Metis?" Dredging up the name from the depths of memory, if not for the rtion to the third-generation Divine King, if not for the interest the Lord of Darkness took in Zeus during the turnover of the epoch, he probably would not remember this Oceanide. But given the current circumstances, since Zeus was still alive and well, then the problem could only lie with Metis. At this moment, though Erebus recalled the goddess''s existence, he was still unsure about her exact state. If she had truly perished, then the foundational rules of the world about ''gods'' immortality'' should have been broken as well. Yet the Laws had not responded; innate deities remained undying, and only Metis''s very existence seemed to be acknowledged by the world as having vanished.N?v(el)B\\jnn The corner of his mouth curved up. At this moment, not only was Erebus curious, but he was also somewhat pleased. Previously, he felt it somewhat challenging to act alone, but now, it seemed an excellent ''enforcer'' had arrived, hadn''t he? After all, a ''Divine King'' surely aims to rule the world. Of course, all this assumes that Zeus is truly powerful enough. Chapter 384: Chapter 102 Athena_2 Enjoy new adventures from mvl ``` "Heh heh, so no matter the reason, no matter how you managed to do it... just let my sister assess your abilities. And now, her strength is just right for the task." The weakest of the Primordial Gods, Gaia''s strongest suit was defense rather than offense, which is why she could hold her own for a while against those far more powerful than herself but also had trouble winning outright against those she should have been able to defeat. Thus, if the third-generation Divine King really had some tricks up his sleeve, using Gaia as a proof of his abilities was the best choice. With a light chuckle, Erebus''s gaze briefly swept over the world. He paused slightly over the Land of Eternal Night and Nether Moon before taking a step out. Perhaps he had been a bit too active ofte, and vaguely, the Lord of Darkness actually felt some ominous premonitions stemming from the present world. But regardless, at least before this epoch ended, this would not yet provoke too direct a response from thews of the current world. As one of the Ancient Gods, Erie was a boundary between this world and the outer realms and had yet to do anything that truly threatened the order of the present world. As for the future... Shaking his head slightly, Erebus did not dwell on these thoughts for the road stilly ahead, one step at a time. And so, silently, the Lord of Darkness once again left his domain. This time, his destination was Olympus. ... To the southeast of the continent, Silver Moon City. In recent years, the Moon had asionally been absent from the night sky, presenting a stark contrast to the God of Sun''s diligent presence. However, the Goddess of the Moon was quite indifferent to this, aspared to the Sun, the bright Moon nowadays was not as significant. Today was one such day when the summer night was absent of Moon, only stars shining down on the dim and darknd. Yet, this was not the case for Silver Moon City beneath the stars, where a miniature ''Moon'' hovered and glided in the sky above. To deities, it was but a fleeting moment, but for humans, these were the years that could turn their world upside down. Next to the crescent-shaped bay, a gigantic city had risen from the ground. Lofty spires, exquisite buildings, and majestic temples, all part of an orderly and structuredposition, formed this brand new city. There were no torches needed, for at night, a magic-constructed illusion of light illuminated the city, dispersing the shadows; no city walls were required, but thousands of floating engraved stones hung midair, together forming a defense structure called the ''Maze Lock'' by the Goddess of the Magic Net. Although since its inception, this so-called ''Maze Lock'' had never really been put to use, its defensive capability was beyond doubt. Thus, under the protection of the ''Maze Lock,'' the residents of Silver Moon City never needed to worry about any external threats, instead focusing more on acquiring knowledge and expanding their poption. Indeed, such cross-era city nning, while exuding an orderly and civilized beauty that showcased the skill of the Goddess of the Magic Net, also highlighted a notable deficiency¡ªthe sparse poption of Silver Moon City. No matter what, the one or two thousand immigrants would have been unable to fill the city in such short order, and even to this day, more than ny percent of it remainedrgely vacant. This City of Miracles had been ambitiously allotted ample space by the effusive Hecate from the very beginning. With sufficient resources, it could even support millions of people living within its vastplexes without feeling crowded. In contrast, the enormity of the city often lent it an air of destion. However, today was different; sounds of mor rose from all corners of the city. Spectacr phenomena in the sky drew people out of their homes, gathering in twos and threes, marveling at this majestic sight they had never before beheld. "Divine birth, such a familiar scene, and her name... Goddess of Wisdom, embodiment of Victory and Art, Pas Athena. She must be strong, just like the astrological predictions, a deity ''surpassing her mother.''" Sitting beside the pinnacle of a spire, Hecate swung her legs, looking distantly at the aurora that covered the heavens. In her hands, she held a shiny crystal ball, absentmindedly tapping it, while in her mind, she couldn''t help but recall past memories. Before bing a deity, she had walked the Earth for thousands of years, but that time felt short to her, as if it had passed in a sh. Yet, after achieving godhood, even though just a few hundred years had gone by, Hecate felt the time was long, so long that her memories had begun to blur. Even though Hecate did not like Metis much before she met Zeus, witnessing her disappearance and her daughter''s emergence still moved her with an indescribable sense of contemtion. The Goddess of Wisdom, it seemed, was not as wise as she thought herself to be. Hecate wondered if her daughter would be the same.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om "That''s why, Artemis, you must remember to keep your distance from Golden Mane; although he is your father, he is no good," Hecate warned, serious-faced as she turned to Artemis once more. Just like Apollo had grown up, the Goddess presiding over Wilderness and the New Moon had alsoe of age. Standing beside Hecate, dressed in a light green cinched-waist short dress, tall and slender, donning a moon crown, she radiated with vitality and confidence. Her smile was beautiful, as glorious as the spectacle in the sky, lifting the spirits of Artemis as well. ``` Chapter 385: Chapter 102 Athena_3 "Regarding this matter... I will go see for myself. In this world, even your own parents can harm you, only I will not," Arching an eyebrow slightly, Artemis stretchednguidly and then continued to lean against the pinnacle of the high tower, admiring the beautiful view. This was not the first time Hecate had brought up Zeus to her, but this was always her response. When she saw for herself, she would know what kind of person this nominal father really was. Just like no one believed the Goddess of Nursery would not love her own children, before seeing it with their own eyes, all judgments and impressions by others were conventional, nothing but biased opinions mixed with personal thoughts. "It''s always like this, little Al, since you''re so keen to see, then go ahead. However, I think it''s more likely that he wille to you first," When she said ''little Al'', in fact, Artemis''s stature was quite tall among the goddesses, all the more obviouspared to Hecate. But the Goddess of the Magic Net was used to it, so she just smiled casually and said no more. She wasn''t actually worried that Artemis would make a wrong judgment in the future, because just like when she had faced Zeus, she had secretly used the Crystal Ball in her hands to divine the oue, and at least in terms of disappointment, the third-generation Divine King never fell short. He had a way to enrage a goddess; in the past, when facing his wife and lovers, he could resolve their anger in other ways. But when this goddess was his daughter, those sweet words of his had no ce to take effect. "... Olympus, the pir of The East, the Home of the Gods, the domain of the Divine King''s rule ¡ª just like Mount Othrys, not exactly a pleasant ce." Shaking her head, the girl in red looked towards the Starfall Lake where Selene was with the centaur brought by the instructor, teaching magically gifted human children the arts of witchcraft. Learning the skill to train their physique, honing willpower, and then integrating divine fragments to eventually join the church''s guard corps and clear the nearby wild beasts in the wilderness; or learning meditation and witchcraft, mastering the craft of wielding elements to provide convenience and aid to production and work, this was the experience magical children of Silver Moon City presently underwent. Of course, whatever path they chose, it was destined that only a few could seed. The Transcendent path demands innate talent; it''s not like farming or herding, which one can master with hard work alone, so in reality, there weren''t as many children truly studying it as one might think. But regardless of the number, Hecate couldn''t be bothered to teach others. The talents of mortals were limited, not at all like the Deity Race that could understand with a word or seed with some practice. Only in recent years, as those children grew up and their numerous questions sparked inspiration in her, did the Goddess of the Magic Net for the first time acknowledge the value of humans in witchcraft. "Tablet, tablet, so, is this what you once referred to as ''the Wisdom of Humans''?" Pulling out the Tome of All Spells from her waist, Hecate asked casually. It was somewhat useful, but not much; that was her assessment of it. Like many other witchcrafts created by humans, it seemed interesting, but in reality, it was not only primitive but also insignificant. [Not entirely.] [The Wisdom of Humans is not merely manifested here, and besides, there are still too few who study witchcraft.] [They''ve had too little time to engage with it, so it''s natural that this is as far as they''ve gotten.] The ink wrote line after line, disappearing just as quickly. Hecate pondered for a moment and asked again: "So, perfecting witchcraft, what benefit does it have for you?" [It''s not about perfecting witchcraft, it''s about perfecting the Transcendent system of a civilized Wisdom, and witchcraft is just a part of it. This is not only what Ick, but you too.] [One person can''t perfect a system alone; it requires both depth and breadth. Those things you see as useless are the true foundation of it...] [Moreover, this is also strengthening your power, isn''t it? And only when the seeds of magic are sown across thend, throughout the past and future, can this tome be the true ''Tome of All Spells.''] As they talked, the phenomena on the horizon started to dissipate. Hecate didn''t ask any further about the response from the tablet. She was indifferent to the slight increase in power, for she couldn''t see any chance for these powers to elevate her to the level of the Primordial Gods. However, since spreading magic would perfect the Tome of All Spells... she supposed she would let her students work a little harder. Andpared to these mundane ''tasks'', what truly drew Hecate''s attention was the rhythm emanating from the earth at the moment. Utilizing the Magic Net that covered most of the material world, she vaguely sensed something. The great battle between the former Divine King and Mother Earth was still fresh in the memory of the Goddess of the Magic Net. It was not just dangerous, but thrilling. "Tablet, oh tablet, if they were to fight, who do you think would win?" Resting her cheek on her hand, Hecate asked with anticipation. [There will be no winner or loser, but the fight itself will be the only thing without a victor.]]n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om [For some, regardless of the oue of the battle, even before it starts, she has already lost.] The handwriting slowly emerged and then quickly vanished. No one else could discern it, but he saw clearly, the Sea of Origin''s tremors were not just because of Athena''s birth but also because of another reason. As for what that reason was, he would know soon enough. ... Spirit Realm, the fifthyer. Chapter 386: Chapter 102 Athena_4 One up, one down, one positive, one negative, like two mas attracting and repelling each other, floating up and sinking down. These two nes were far from stabilized, their powers still varied greatly, butpared to the beginning, the force needed to keep them stable was not as strong anymore. Standing in the chaotic void, with his left hand smoothing out the conflicts between nes, Laine gazed at the outside world, at the extraordinary phenomena between Heaven and Earth, and at the location of Olympus. There, a breath of air that transcended all other deities was gradually gathering. Yet for some reason, this aura felt different to Laine, not resembling the Primordial Gods, but involving something else. Perhaps it was the order of the present world, perhaps the reversal of fate, or maybe something else. In any case, this was not a simple ascension, nor did Laine believe Zeus could inexplicably advance further just by relying on his godhood. So... "Hmm... Liana." He called softly, and in the next moment, in the chaotic fifthyer of the Spirit Realm, the Goddess of the Nether Moon appeared in her purple gown. She folded her wings behind her and bowed slightly to Laine. "I am here, Your Highness." "Keep an eye on this ce for me, I need to step out for a bit¡ªespecially keep Icarus away." After giving the order, and seeing Liana''s understanding nod, he temporarily handed over the work of maintaining the bnce. The Goddess of the Nether Moon''s power was far from sufficient for such a task for a long duration, but Laine simply wanted her to hold on for a little while. He casually opened a portal in the void and stepped out. To find out the problem, he just needed to go there. He had been ready to check since he noticed the transfer of the scepter of Wisdom, but he had been busy finishing up other matters. But now, it seemed better for him to go ahead and look. Zeus''s growth in strength seemed unexpected, yet it was also within reason, since in the original mythical trajectory, he indeed became stronger and stronger until he eventually topped the world. Just like the mythology ofter generations... Laine only knew Zeus once needed to craft Divine Artifacts, unite his brothers to defeat Cronus, and gradually developed into someone seemingly invincible, fearless even in the face of the Goddess of the Night. No one knew whether the changes of today were truly idents or if they were destined under the influence of fate. Or perhaps it was a bit of both. After all, the destinies of the other deities were changed by Laine, which likely led to some of their powers being taken away early. Regardless, since he could not possibly run to the Mortal Realm to contend for the position of the Divine King, it was very likely that Zeus would still embark on a simr path. Moreover, the Mortal Realm did not favor Primordial Gods, nor did it wee those who wreaked havoc upon Order, but the Divine King... Laine was not quite sure, but it didn''t matter. Since he didn''t know how Zeus in the original trajectory truly used Faith to break through great boundaries, Laine had always nned on the basis that ''Zeus could ascend to greatness.'' Now, he was more curious about what allowed the Divine King to ascend and whether he could learn anything from it. ... Meanwhile, at the highest reaches of the Sky. As Zeus''s Sovereignty Grand Ritual slowly started to function, imitating the rituals used to establish the first sovereignty and began absorbing the Faith directed at Olympus and the Divine King. However, even Zeus himself did not realize that his actions also brought another effect. Following a certain connection, a faint yet pure power soared, breaking through many barriers, converging towards the original Divine King. This power was not abundant in ''quantity,'' as the ritual itself was not perfect, resulting in a not-so-clear affinity with the first Divine King, but it was continuous. As long as Zeus''s ritual went on for another day, the convergence would not stop. Once again, as this power blended into the Sky, an immense and vague consciousness was slightly pulled back from eternal tranquility. It returned to its body once more, causing the heavens to shudder slightly at this moment. However, the birth of a new deity concealed all this, and the waves from the Source Sea and the tremors of thend made the changes in the Sky seem insignificant, so nobody noticed any of it. Only As, the bearer of the heavens, hesitated for a moment, then dismissed the thought. In silence, a certain ancient supreme being revived a little. Perhaps because that power was too weak, resulting in an equally minute consciousness, his now-limited thinking capacity focussed on a single obsession that continued to influence this ancient deity.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Thus, under the drift of vague consciousness, the Sky began ''to speak.'' "Retrieve... retrieve my body parts..." "Whoever it is... retrieve them... you will gain everything..." The blurred murmurs came from the Sky, but this world-shaking content was heard by no being. At this moment in the Mortal Realm, nobody remembered his existence anymore. So the empty voice echoed in the skies, day by day, ceaselessly. ... A ritual, a birth, the entire world trembled because of it. The advent of a new deity was just the beginning; it ignited many long-standing contradictions. However, at this moment in Olympus, no one was aware of all these changes. Inside the great hall, amidst the enveloping extraordinary phenomena, from the top of Zeus''s head, a bright-eyed young girl leaped out. Her attire was like armour, yet also like a flowing dress. In her left hand, she held the Shield of Aegis, that Divine Artifact transformed from the hide infected with the Divine Power of the previous Goddess of Wisdom, a witness to her and the Divine King''s ''love''; in her right hand, she grasped a spear that symbolized ceasing wars and undefeated victories. Chapter 387: Chapter 102 Athena_5 As she descended gracefully in front of the gods, the call of the Law also reached its climax, as the Sky and Earth called out her name, allowing the gods and mortals of the world to witness her arrival together. Pas Athena, Goddess of Wisdom, the unbeatable sovereign! An indescribable atmosphere spread throughout the pce. Under the effect of restored power, Zeus''s cleft skull had long since healed. At this moment, some deities looked at him with skeptical eyes while others disyed a mocking expression. Now everything was clear. Two generations of the Goddess of Wisdom, born from the Divine King''s skull¡ªas long as one wasn''t too foolish, all the gods could guess the cause and effect. Just moments ago he had proimed his difference from the first two Divine Kings, and now he had be aughingstock. Instantly, the hearts of those deities who had been somewhat moved by the position of the Principal God were now filled with doubts. This third-generation Divine King, although it seemed like he had been busy since his ascension, the oues hadn''t been very impressive. The affair with the Goddess and even the involvement with a mortal¡ªthese were things that most deities didn''t care much about. At most, they would gossip about it after meals, but this act, akin to that of Cronus swallowing his children, was a different story altogether. Because the one standing beside the third-generation Divine King, his staunchest supporter, was herself a victim of all these past deeds. "Zeus, is this what you did to Metis? Can you really do such a thing... Have you already forgotten our past?" With a stern reprimand, although hearts might waiver, in the end, no one dared to confront the Divine King directly, except for Hestia. Looking at Athena in the center of the great hall, she began to doubt for the first time whether her initial support for Zeus had been a mistake. She waited for Zeus''s exnation. Although she didn''t think he coulde up with any reasonable justification, due to the rare familial affection among the Chaotic Gods, she still harbored hope. But in front of her, Zeus ignored her, merely rubbing the top of his head before slowly raising it. "The past? Of course, I haven''t forgotten... Hestia, how can I forget the feeling of having my fate controlled by others?" He revealed a mocking smile, feeling the different gazes within the hall. Faced with his older sister''s interrogation, Zeus showed no sign of shame or guilt. He simply looked towards the center of the hall, gazing at his dazzling daughter, witnessing the bright and heroic gleam in her eyes, and the Divine King burst intoughter. "Athena, my child, you have finallye into this world. Now, tell me in front of all the gods, whom do you fight for, will you aim your spear at me?" "My spear and shield fight only for myself." With a vivid and powerful voice, Athena spoke her first words sinceing into the world. She looked up at the Divine King, who gave her life but also took everything from the one who had given her the other half of life. And prior to today, she hadn''t evene into this world. Even for Wisdom, it was difficult to make a more direct choice as a newly born goddess. So, she simply showed rejection to the Divine King, without taking any further steps towards animosity. She needed some time... Her wisdom told her that any hasty decision would inevitably lead to the wrong oue. "Hahaha... Very good, that is enough. Athena, my child, stand aside in my honor for giving you life and witness everything with your own eyes today." Theughter eventually subsided. The next moment, Zeus rose from his throne. It seemed like Hestia wanted to say something and the Goddess of Beauty, who had just been coerced into marriage, also took a step forward, but the Divine King paid them no heed.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Sensing the presence of Kingship, Zeus no longer wished to make futile defenses. Indeed, his previous words were all excuses. When it came down to it, wasn''t transferring of Divine Kingship all about fate and power? But now he had grasped the trajectory of destiny. Although there were many things he still couldn''t see clearly, he understood the crux of the matter. The ritual of Kingship might not allow him to transcend beyond the world, but what he sought was not transcendence. "So this is Chaos, you can be bad, but not weak. You can make everyone despise you, as long as you are unbeatable to the whole world!" No one heard these words, as they were meant solely for the Divine King himself. The earth trembled slightly, and Zeus knew that the continuous turmoil had finally awakened Gaia midway. He was unaware of the changes in the Golden Apple Orchard, but even without considering that, the first person Mother Earth would seek upon awakening would probably be him. Unbeatable to the whole world? He certainly had not achieved that yet, but unbeatable by the earth, that he was willing to try. Let this Ancient God, who always made her presence felt every time the Divine Kings changed, understand... If you are an antiquated relic of an old era, then remain immersed in your past and do note back! Chapter 388: Chapter 103: The Mountain Collapses Deep into the night, all was quiet. Unlike the bustling Mount Olympus, once Apollo had left, the vast Delphic Great ins returned to peace and tranquility. Compared to the outside world, even the chirping of insects didn''t arise in this secluded ce of Mother Earth, let alone the sounds of birds and beasts¡ªdue to their animal instincts, none dared approach this lush and bountifulnd, as if it were some dreadful forbidden territory. However, the silence was only temporary. When the anomaly of a divine birth enveloped the heavens and earth, Delphi could not remain an exception. Even the abode of the Primordial Gods couldn''t shield against the sounds stemming from the Prime Liquid and the Law. So, when the true name of the new god resonated throughout the world, it pierced through the earth, unimpeded, resounding in the heart of some vast consciousness. This sudden sound made the long-slumbering consciousness ripple slightly. If one were prepared in advance, the phenomenon of godly birth would not awaken a slumbering deity. But clearly, due to the changes in thews of heaven and earth at the turn of the era, all gods believed such a scene would not be witnessed again, so naturally, they did not prepare for it. "..." "..." "...So noisy..." "..." "Annoying sound... Pas Athena... Who is that?" "..." Your next chapter is on mvl "This... seems to be a godly birth... Why would there be divine birth in this era... What has happened outside, and how long have I slept?!" Consciousness gradually awoke, and as the anomaly concluded, the long-sleeping Mother Earth finally recovered some memories from the chaos of thoughts. She could feel that her state was far from fully restored. Not to mention the loss of origin caused by numerous splits, the residual rejection by thews from the battles at the turn of the era still lingered. Although Gaia''s sense of time synchronized with the earth upon her return, with a hundred years being but a brief moment, based on the oue of her slumber, it clearly hadn''t been long. Three to five hundred years... at most seven to eight hundred years, Mother Earth wasn''t very clear about the exact time, but at most that was how long it had been. Could it be that in such a short time, thews and order of the present world had changed again? This was somewhat unexpected for Gaia, for in her memory, for the entire first millennium of the second age, Cronus had only just secured his position as the Divine King. Legition and the creation of humans, those were things that happenedter. "...Well, now that I''m awake, let''s go see what has happened." "Speaking of which, I forgot to ask, after the Titans War, how does Zeus n to treat his elders." The strata gently trembled, the heavy voice echoing over the in, and the next moment, under the convergence of vast consciousness, a tawny halo slowly flowed, surging towards the ground. At the foot of Mount Panasus, in a courtyard that blended seamlessly with nature, strands of invisible air streams gathered above, gradually taking the shape of a woman. Brown robes dragged along the ground, and the figure''s features became clearer. Perhaps because of the hundreds of years of slumber, although Gaia''s deficit had not been replenished, her outwardplexion had vastly improved. This was still due to the Nine Realms'' remnants not copsing; otherwise, her state could have been even better. If those tiny fragments were integrated into the present world or merged with the earth, Gaia might really take this opportunity to greatly enhance her origin and recapture some of Mother Earth''s past glory. However, reality had no ifs, and the slight wrinkles on her face that has rejuvenated quite a bit, proved that all these were merely superficial efforts. Slumber was for healing wounds, reducing the rejection ofws, and restoring depleted divine power, but it wasn''t very useful for authority and symbols. "So... where has the Moon gone?" The figure became fully solid, and Mother Earth looked up at the sky. The night sky was filled with stars, but the Moon that should have been there was nowhere to be found. "How ridiculous, could it be that the third-generation Divine Court is so ipetent that they can''t even ensure the movements of the sun and moon? I remember... that moon deity was only a weak divine power being." With a snort, Gaia pushed open the gate of the courtyard. The Moon was a minor matter, not of great importance to her; she decided to first summon her maid to ask what had happened recently. Her gaze swept over the nearby area, Mother Earth searched for the life auras in the vicinity. However, to her confusion, the Nymphs that should have been guarding nearby were nowhere to be found, and even across the whole great in, there were only a few barely familiar auras. Something was not quite right, very different from before her slumber. "Moanda? Come see me,"N?v(el)B\\jnn Calling softly, Gaia''s voice traveled from outside the courtyard, echoing above the vast in. However, as she had sensed, the Nymph designated to guard the Delphi Temple was missing, with no clue as to where she had gone. "...Has there been outsiders here, or some other cmity?" "Best not be neglecting their duty... Hmph, anyway, let''s find her first." Frowning slightly, Gaia then ceased to ponder further. Most of the Nymphs who stood by her side were originally nts that Mother Earth had nted beside her in the ancient times,ter intertwined with the Golden Apple. As long as she found their origins, even if their elfin bodies had perished, Gaia could create new ones for them with the Prime Liquid from the Life Vase. Now, Mother Earth urgently wanted to know what had happened on earth during her slumber that made everything seem so unfamiliar to her. Chapter 389: Chapter 103: The Mountain Collapses_2 With a single step, as Gaia''s figure reemerged, she found herself at the entrance to her orchard. As the embodiment of the earth, such distances were clearly insignificant to her. She surveyed the orchard that appeared to have gone untended for a long while, Mother Earth furrowed her brow once more, then she pushed open the wooden fence and slowly stepped inside. However, after only a few steps, Gaia quickly realized something was amiss. "Is this... moved by someone?" "No, they left on their own." As Gaia walked through the orchard, she couldn''t find what she was looking for. The spots that should have been nted with vegetation were now empty, leaving behind only pits of various sizes. Without a doubt, they had been dug up by someone, but this was certainly not the work of an outsider. Even if there really were external enemies, they would have been brought into the orchard by a nymph, otherwise, no matter how powerful the intruders might be, they would have been stopped by the force left by Mother Earth, and then awakened the ancient Primordial Deity. This wasn''t even coercion, but a voluntary act... After all, their essences were protected within the orchard, and as long as no one was willing to lead the way, outsiders would never be able to enter. After a moment of silence, an ominous premonition rose in Gaia''s heart. Previously, she had thought that the nymphs of the outside world had provoked a deity and were thus casually killed, which admittedly made her somewhat displeased, but not truly enraged¡ªafter all, the nymphs were not that important, and they had not diedpletely. If only she found that deity and made him express his sincere apologies, Gaia felt she wouldn''t really care much about it. However, the scene before her now proved that things were not so simple. To deceive or seduce Gaia''s maidens, to stealthily infiltrate the Golden Apple Orchard... If the intruders imed ignorance of this inevitably bringing Mother Earth''s thunderous wrath upon them, that would be an impossibility. He knew too much, even aware of the barrier Gaia had left behind, and yet he dared to do so, which meant there must be some immense temptation worth the risk. And in this orchard, the only thing of sufficient value... A sh of yellow light, and in the next instant, Gaia stood in the very center of the orchard. Stay updated with mvl Golden branches swayed with the wind, the tall Golden Apple Tree posed elegantly, seemingly no different from usual on the surface. But this ridiculous and stiff illusion couldn''t even deceive the attentive nymphs, so how could it ever fool Mother Earth, who had been with the Golden Apple Tree for tens of thousands of years? With a grip of her right hand, as power surged, the illusion shattered, revealing the true scene before Gaia. A huge pit, with a few golden leaves scattered around. Like other areas of the orchard, the once-tall sacred tree was long gone without a trace, leaving behind nothing but a mockery of a hole in the ground. "..."N?v(el)B\\jnn Staring at everything before her, the atmosphere above the entire Delphic Great ins, centered on the orchard, became oppressively still, as if everything had frozen in time. After a while, with an expressionless face, Gaia reached out and grasped faintly, and in the next moment, amid a surge of light, a slender nymph fairy tumbled and fell at her feet. "...Cough cough, who dares... Your Highness!" "Your Highness, thank goodness, you have finally awakened!" The initial vignce turned to joy, as the loyal maid got up from the ground, bowing slightly in front of Mother Earth. The recent rapid changes had left her at a loss, but fortunately, she had waited for Mother Earth to awaken. Yet in front the maid, Gaia did not even nce at her, continuing to look at the pit. Awakening to such circumstances made it difficult for Mother Earth to articte her feelings. All she wanted to know now was what exactly had happened during this time. "Speak... tell me what you know." "Exin all of this... who has been here, when it turned into this... and what have you done?" "...Your Highness, I do not know." Shaking her head, the nymph did not know what to say. Previously, the Oracle was managed by Moanda, so much so that when she disappeared, it was a long while before anyone noticed the missing Life Vase. It was only after the situation in the Golden Apple Orchard was discovered, did they consult with everyone on the great ins about the matter, and then they shockingly realized that quite a few nymphs had silently vanished. Along with them, the Divine Artifacts within the Grand Temple had also disappeared. "Not long after you fell into slumber, the Divine King His Majesty had gone to the Temple for sacrificial worship... After that, the situation in the orchard was discovered, the Golden Apple Tree seemed to have a problem, and many people went missing." "Everyone was afraid, and many fled, but some stayed behind. We went to the Temple to investigate, and your Life Vase was gone¡ª¡ª" "¡ªWhat did you say?!" Boom¡ª¡ª The ground trembled slightly, causing all creation to shake along with it. The nymph did not keep her footing and fell back to the ground, while before her, Gaia''s shock and anger could no longer be contained. She had not noticed this before or rather, she thought it was because she had just awakened, so much so that she hadn''t felt the lively essence from the symbiotic Divine Artifact. But now, as the nymph''s words ended, Gaia nearly instantaneously searched for the Life Vase''s aura. However, the result disappointed her once more; in Mother Earth''s perception, not only was the Divine Artifact nowhere to be found, but even the mysterious connection between it and the symbiotic Divine Artifact seemed to have been severed. She was like she had never owned the Life Vase at all, unable to detect the slightest trace of it. Chapter 390: Chapter 103: The Mountain Collapses_3 ``` "......" After a long silence, Gaia casually grabbed a nymph before her, and in an instant, she arrived at the temple of Delphi. Looking around, in the presence of Mother Earth, the Oracle, which had been dedicated to worshipping the gods, inexplicably had a huge serpent''s corpse, and in the air around, a special power was dispersing. Some of it belonged to Zeus, some to a strange breath that was connected to Zeus, and some Gaia was very familiar with, the essence of the Golden Apple. They had all been here not long ago, perhaps within a day. "...So, this is how it is." At this moment, everything became clear. Gaia didn''t even notice the ''traces'' Erebus had deliberately left for her, but she had fully understood the ''cause and effect.'' The new Divine King, to consolidate his Divine Court, chose to sire Divine Children with his own bloodline, and to ensure their swift growth, Zeus cast his gaze upon the Golden Apple Tree. He had experienced the power of such a divine object, and the more he understood, the more he would desire it, naturally. Thus, Zeus used certain methods unknown to Mother Earth, broke through the barriers she had set, and even took away the Life Vase along with it. Her rationality teetered on the brink of copse, but Gaia still had some things she couldn''t figure out, why Zeus would dare to offend her so, to even unashamedly allow his offspring to ascend at her ''doorstep'' after seeding. To be cautious, she still suppressed the anger in her chest and asked the nymph in front of her: "What has Zeus done over the past few hundred years?" "What has be of the defeated Titans?" The Nymph, once again thrown to the ground by Mother Earth, coughed twice, but still began to recall seriously. Without Gaia''s presence, Delphi was isted and rarely received information from the Deity Race. However, she still knew a thing or two about the most widely known events.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om "Cough... Your Highness, the affairs among the gods seldom reach here. I only know that the Divine King seems to have created a new generation of humans, and... before, he also cast Lord Crius into the Abyss¡ª" "Zeus!" BOOM¡ª Without restraint any longer, even if there were still some unresolved issue, it was no longer important. The materials for creating humans could not possibly appear out of nowhere, and the act of imprisoning the Titans clearly showed Zeus''s attitude toward her. At that moment, Gaia felt an unprecedented sense of humiliation. That junior dared to treat her, the Mother of All Gods, in such a way, not only behaving so openly but even creating humans at her doorstep, allowing his offspring to ascend here! "Huff¡ª" Taking a deep breath, Gaia turned to leave. But as if she thought of something, she suddenly turned back, gazing at the nymph on the ground. "...The Golden Apple has disappeared, the Life Vase is gone... what about you?" "What?" Not understanding Gaia''s meaning, the nymph slightly lifted her head, only to meet Gaia''s sharp gaze directly. "What I mean is... they''re all gone, why are you still alive?!" Divine light surged, sweeping across the Delphic Great ins in an instant. In a blink, all spirits were extinguished, and heaven and earth fell silent. This immense power even extended outwards, wantonly destroying everything, and in the blink of an eye, the vastnd fell silent. "Hehehe... hahahaha, you all deserve to die, especially you, Zeus¡ª!" With each word carefully articted, the earth trembled under Gaia''s raging anger. This unbridled behavior immediately drew a warning from the current Order, but this was obviously not of concern to Mother Earth at the moment. Uranus... Laine... Erebus... they all, without exception, hadn''t taken her seriously. But no matter what, they were at least Ancient Gods of the same level as Gaia. But you, what give you the right, Zeus?! And so, the next moment, a grand halo ascended, bringing the third magnificent spectacle to the night of the Mortal Realm. If one were to look down from the highest heavens, they could see a river of light converging and rolling westward. And the destination of this river is the abode of the gods, Mount Olympus. ... The long night is almost over, Lady Night''s hem begins to leave the sky, and at the junction of sea and sky, the first threads of dawn shine through, bringing a bit of light to this world. At this moment, atop Mount Olympus, the atmosphere is strange and tense. It''s not just because of the birth of Athena, Hestia''s questioning, or even the Divine King''s wanton reactions, but also due to the increasingly evident trembling of the earth. Gaia had slept, which many deities knew. And from the current situation, this was undoubtedly a sign of her awakening, and it was even noticeable that Mother Earth was not in a good mood. Continue reading stories on mvl None dared provoke this recluse Primordial Goddess, eventely, no one had visited Delphi, so her bad mood must be due to something else. Like the God of Meteorology in the Abyss, or perhaps Apollo who had just ughtered the python, staining the ins with the blood of the monster, and ultimately, everything traced back to the Divine King. If it had been earlier, the gods might have worried for the Divine Court, as they still longed for the existence of Faith, and the rtively weak Divine King seemed more manageable than the Primordial Deities in need of faith to heal their wounds. But today''s sessive changes have left them overwhelmed, hearts scattered, and if Zeus could not smoothly ovee the challenge of Mother Earth, perhaps the Divine Court, born only a few hundred years earlier, would crumble today. ``` Chapter 391: Chapter 103: The Mountain Collapses_4 In the past, the session of Divine Kings was guided by destiny, and each exchange had the power to affect the world''s structure, with even thews of this age adjusting ordingly... But now, quite a few deities present felt they were about to witness history. The Divine King, who had only upied the throne for a few hundred years, might be the butt of a joke that Chaos would tell for eternity in the future. "Gaia, it seems my great grandmother has awakened..." Seated in the main seat of the hall, Zeus had also sensed this, but unlike what the other gods had thought, the Divine King had long been looking forward to this moment. "Since she''s awake, let''s go see her. But I hope she doesn''t look too old this time, hahahaha..." Heughed fearlessly, and under the gazes of other gods, which likened him to a madman, Zeus flew out of the pce. Next to the Divine King''s throne, Hera, adorned with a golden crown, had forgotten her anger and her questions for Athena, only clenching her fists before quickly following. Hestia sighed, unsure of what to say, but she too flew out of the pce, heading towards where the presence of Mother Earth was emanating from. They were all aware of Crius''s imprisonment, and regardless of what Zeus had done, the Goddess of Hearthfire felt she had a role in it as well. One after another, the goddesses departed, and the atmosphere in the hall grew even denser. Apollo, who had just joined the Divine Court, stood up. He didn''t know if today''s events were rted to him, but the young deity didn''t n on hiding. So, he gave a friendly smile to the goddess, who he wasn''t sure if he should call sister or half-sister, and then he turned into light and disappeared. The remaining gods exchanged looks and followed suit, determined to witness the event, whether they were involved or not. Soon, only Athena was left alone in the now-empty hall. She pondered the direction in which the gods had departed, pursed her lips, and then turned towards a different direction. New to this world, everything felt unfamiliar to her. However, the goddess at least had no intention of opposing the Divine King or battling Mother Earth, nor did she think she had the power to do so at the moment. And like the other deities, Athena did not wish to spectate this fight, for she deemed it meaningless. Even though it hadn''t yet arrived, the terrifying presence of Mother Earth was palpably clear. The struggle between the Divine King and Mother Earth was not for the other gods to decide. Since she couldn''t determine the oue, Athena preferred to do something else rather than watch the battle. For instance... go to a ce she felt a connection to, a ce that might have once been inhabited by the Mother Goddess she had never met. She didn''t know if it was normally visited, but now, she assumed no one would stop her. ... Stepping out of the pce with Thunder in hand, Zeus watched the earthen light approach in the distance. Hera soon appeared behind him, and the other gods gradually arrived, keeping their distance from the Divine King rather than approaching. Zeus didn''t look back, but he was aware of everything behind him. The Divine King did not pay attention to the gods'' evasiveness; instead, he slightly turned to look at his Heavenly Empress. "Do you feel it, Hera? This was how he once felt." "What?" Confused, Hera didn''t understand what Zeus was talking about. He seemed different today, not as arrogant as he usually was. "I mean our Father God, Hera." Zeus shook his head with a smile, not the least bit tense, even finding the time to reminisce about the past as the divine presence grew closer. "I guess, back on Mount Othrys, he waited for us in much the same way." "Now... I finally understand his feelings. Abandoned by all, standing alone, wielding immense power, yet only a few stood by his side. Even the Mother Goddess, although she stood beside him, did not fight for him." "But Hera, you are different, you know what you want. Just on this point alone, he doesn''t measure up to me, hahaha..." With a heartyugh, without waiting for Hera''s response, Zeus stepped forward. Enjoy new chapters from mvl Looking at the surging yellow light screen, though Divine King Zeus had nned to fight with Gaia today regardless, he felt he should say something before that. And Crius alone should not warrant Mother Earth initiating a fight upon her arrival. However, the next moment, Zeus unexpectedly discovered that the iing light, upon noticing him, not only did not stop but elerated even more. "Heh, a show of force, huh... Very well then,e forth¡ª!" Without a hint of fear, Zeus advanced instead of retreating, his [Thunder] held high. Facing the formless embodiment of Mother Earth and apanied by a surge of power, his resounding voice echoed through heaven and earth: "Gaia, that''s enough, this is not your affair to meddle in. The earth may be your domain, but there isn''t a ce in the world that isn''t the territory of the Divine King!" [Thunder] descended, countless silver serpents fell from the sky, colliding with the rising yellow tide. To the astonishment of the gods, like history reying itself, the sky and the earth collided, and the thunderous sound of that moment even reached the Underworld, causing Hades in the Divine Pce to startle and change color. "Zeus! It really is you!" The yellow light dissipated, not from ack of power, but because Gaia actively withdrew it. Her figure reemerged between heaven and earth, her sharp eyes fixed on the Divine King before her. Such abnormal strength, such arrogant demeanor... The other party was not at all surprised by her arrival but was instead well-prepared. It seems this was the reasoning and confidence behind all of Zeus''s actions, the conjecture in her heart solidified into certainty, and in this moment, Gaia''sst doubt was dispelled. It was him, this shameless junior. He had stolen her treasure and then had the audacity to look down on her, saying it was ''not her affair''! "Zeus, you despicable thief! Hand over the Golden Apple and return my Divine Artifact, or else no matter the cost, I will never let you off easy!" The innate power of a primordial deityes from instinct and can fluctuate wildly with emotions. Undoubtedly, under the sky at this moment, Gaia''s fury wasparable to the end of the first epoch. The shaking of the earth grew more violent, and even the sea connected to thend began to surge with great waves. Yet, across from Mother Earth, Zeus was somewhat baffled. "...Golden Apple, Divine Artifact, what are you talking about?" Originally, his heart was surging with the will to battle, but facing the sudden usation from Mother Earth, Zeus didn''t just hesitate; he had no idea what the other party was talking about. What Golden Apple Tree? The only thing he could rte to this was Hera''s nting of a Golden Apple Tree branch, which, with Demeter''s help, had taken root and sprouted, and had now been sent out to sea as part of an oath. As for the true Divine Tree, wasn''t that still by the side of Mother Earth? Without time to think it through, but guided by past experience, Zeus almost instantaneously sensed that something was wrong. He was prepared to ask more questions when Mother Earth in front of him lost all interest in conversation. In Gaia''s eyes, Zeus''s response at this moment waspletely another form of mockery. Since the Divine King had made such an unabashed act at Delphi before, who was he performing for now? "Very well, Zeus, very well, you humiliate me, the mother of all gods." Word by word, the once flowing divine power seemed to ignite, reflecting off Gaia''s ashenplexion. Under the gaze of all gods in heaven and earth, Mother Earth finally abandoned thest of her hopes. "Since this is the case, Zeus... no matter what power you''ve relied on, today, no one will have an easy time!" Without further words, supreme divine power enveloped her. Facing Zeus, who still seemed to want to say something, Gaia lunged forward.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Her target was no longer Zeus himself, because facing the greatly empowered Divine King, she might not easily be victorious. Perhaps it was a reversal of fortune, but at that moment, Gaia seemed to regain some tactical wisdom; she understood immediately how to weaken her opponent. The earth was her home turf, but Olympus was not. This was the ancestral Mountain transformed from the Divine Body, also the pir that supported the sky in the East; here, her advantage was cut off, while the Divine King''s would increase. With that in mind... Then she would do as ''Cronus'' once did and bring this Mount of the Gods crashing down. Chapter 392: Chapter 104: Memories in the Depths of Wisdom Before Mount Olympus, Mother Earth advanced in anger. With Zeus by her side, her first strike might not have been able to shatter the Mount of the Gods, but as long as she tried enough times, she would eventually seed. After all, strictly speaking, there was still a gap in their powers, even if it wasn''t as evident with Gaia leading the offensive. However, at this moment, standing opposite Mother Earth, Zeus, perplexed as he was, felt an urge tough. Although he was inexplicably med for a great deal, it did indeed enrage the Divine King. Gaia''s recent promation had put him on high alert, for after all, Mother Earth was one of the first Primordial Gods, and no one knew what other means she might have. Should she resolve to injure both sides, Zeus feared it really wouldn''t end well for him. Previously, Zeus had anticipated that it would nevere to this... When Gaia realized she could not defeat him, and the Divine King provided her a way out, everything would end smoothly. He would have sessfully established his authority, and Mother Earth would have lost face, but it wasn''t anything too serious, considering it wasn''t her first time. Afterwards, both would ''make up as before,'' which was the limit of what he could achieve now¡ªafter all, while Gaia might indeed be unable to defeat others on the earth, conversely, it was also difficult for anyone to defeat her. However, all of that came to an end in the face of Mother Earth''s sudden ''battle wisdom.'' When Gaia approached Mount Olympus, Zeus entirely saw the possibility of subduing her on the spot. On the whole, Gaia was still stronger than him at this moment, and as for the battle itself, Mother Earth''s response was actually just right. As the embodiment of the earth, she should be favored on every part of the continent¡ªexcept for Mount Olympus, since it was the Mountain God''s divine body realized, a territory beyond her authority. Thus, the existence of this divine mountain affected the bnce between them, diminishing her advantage, while Zeus''s Divine Authority remained intact. If he could destroy it, it would undoubtedly change the fragile bnce between them at this moment. Yet, immersed in her ''epiphany,'' Mother Earth had clearly forgotten one issue: Why had she slept for hundreds of years, why was the disy of Divine Power forbidden in the present world, and in the end, why was the earth the most strictly bound by the prohibition of Divine Power, followed by the sea, then The Sky, and why was it not so evident in the Underworld? That was naturally because, in the eyes of the present world, all the changes at the turn of the eras ced the shift of the Sun at the very end; the East Sea upied the runner-up spot, after all, it brought the ceaseless flow of sea vents. The copse of the sky pir and the sinking of the earth were what the Laws truly couldn''t tolerate. So at this moment, Zeus could clearly feel that the pressure of the Laws that lingered around because of the recent sh with Mother Earth had dissipated almost instantly. It even urged the Divine King to maintain Order. On Gaia, however, the pressure increased geometrically in an attempt to stop the mad Primordial God. Sensing all of this, a subtle smile appeared on Zeus''s lips. He channeled his transformative power into the Arrows of Thunder, sending the powerful Divine Artifact flying out to collide with the advancing Mother Earth. But, by coincidence or not, the Divine King couldn''t stop all of Gaia''s power. Instead, a minuscule portion leaked by ident, heading towards the rear, specifically at Mount Olympus.N?v(el)B\\jnn ¡ª¡ªBoom! What was minimal for the great beings was still enough to shake thend, and even such a rare divine mountain could not escape unscathed. Apanied by a massive rumble, Mount Olympus shook twice, and the sky to The East swayed along with it, making it seem as if it would copse the next moment. However, fortunately, as a mountain range transformed from the Mountain God Ourea''s divine body, Mount Olympus was extremely sturdy. And Gaia''s wrathful strike was mostly blocked by the Thunder, failing to genuinely pour onto the divine mountain. Thus, under the horrified gazes of the gods, the majestic mountain shook several times but ultimately did not copse. It still stood tall in the East. However, what followed was the rolling of falling rocks into the earth, pces and towers turning into rubble, and the few lives still in the mountains that hadn''t had the chance to leave became dust in the face of the overwhelming force. Enjoy exclusive chapters from mvl Yet, at the same time, because this scene was very simr to the epochal transition, the Laws of the present world increased the magnitude of the chains binding Mother Earth even more. "Gaia... although you once helped me, I still haven''t figured out what your vaciting stance at the time was all about," "You always had the ability to turn a situation that I envied into what it is now, then helplessly resent fate''s injustice," Zeus murmured softly. Without sufficient Faith, without aplete set of twelve pirs, he couldn''t have done anything to the Mother Goddess. But as he casually summoned back the Divine Artifact and looked at Gaia before him, the Divine King suddenly was in no mood to exin anything about the Golden Apple. He would fight first, seize this rare opportunity to trample this old grandmother underfoot. When his authority was founded on the defeat of a Primordial God, and as the victor, he would then ask her what gave her the courage to dare to nder the King of All Gods! ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Outside the Mount of the Gods, the great battle raged on. At this juncture, even the servants who once served the deities fled in all directions, with those remaining perishing under the recent strike, leaving the skies above Olympus deserted. Chapter 393: Chapter 104 Memories in the Depths of Wisdom_2 Amidst the rubble and copsed buildings, only a slender figure weaved through. The ground was littered with broken wood and stone, but this was thanks to the fact that these pces were the dwellings of deities, after all. If it weren''t for the residual divine power protecting them, they would have likely ended up like those lives caught in an unjust disaster, not even leaving a body behind. Thus, following a faint intuition, the goddess quickly moved through the ruins of the copsed buildings. The roaring outside the mountain grew fiercer as if the warring parties had finally realized something and were frantically unleashing their power. Now and then, some shockwaves would strike Mount of the Gods, but Athena foresaw them and avoided each one. Until at a certain moment, stepping over an overturned column, the goddess, who appeared no more than sixteen or seventeen years old, finally found her destination. It was a long-deserted chamber, seemingly sealed by some mysterious force for many years. Indeed, it was precisely because the force entirely sealed it off that its defenses outperformed other buildings, allowing this secluded pce to survive under Gaia''s power and be one of the rare exceptions on Mount Olympus. (See 3-11) However, the power of the seal had its limits, and now, that iprehensible force had dissipated in the collision. There was nothing left that could stop a deity. Observing this scene, Athena fell silent for a moment, then stepped forward to push open the grand doors. The sound of the doors opening should have been loud, but it seemed imperceptible under the thunderous noise from outside the mountain. She shed into the pce, then shut the doors behind her. Instead of the borate decorations and exquisite carvings of other temples, there were only several paintings hanging on the walls, seemingly the masterpieces of the room''s previous owner. Walking slowly forward, Athena''s bright eyes surveyed everything in the pce. The paintings on the walls were different from each other, seemingly recording the moments most deeply etched in the previous owner''s memory: the creation of the Golden Generation of life, spreading hydrology across the sea, the previous Divine King leveling the ocean in battle, and meeting the blond youth for the first time on an unnamed ind. Perhaps it was an innate closeness to art, perhaps bolstered by the scepter of Wisdom, Athena soon resonated with the emotions contained within the paintings. Despite never having met her, Metis''s image gradually filled her mind. Enjoy new tales from §Þ?? A goddess who loved knowledge, delighted in sharing wisdom, once valued kinship, andter ced an even greater importance on love. "..." Shaking her head, Athena turned away. She had not lived through that era after all, and a few paintings were hardly enough to piece together theplete picture, so she merely collected the scrolls and went towards the true sleeping chamber. Tap, tap¡ª After a short walk down the hallway, the young girl soon arrived at a ce resembling a study. The room was of moderate size with a bed against the wall, designed for the room''s owner to rest amidst her busy schedule. Not far from the bed, a wooden table was covered with parchment scrolls, and even on the tabley an open piece of parchment with a quill ced at its side, its ink filled with a divine aura and not yet exhausted. One could imagine that the room''s owner was likely in the midst of writing something here when, for some reason, she briefly left one day. Little did she know she would never return, and neither would anyone else enter this room again. Thus, her belongings remained forever on that table. "Is this... witchcraft?" And also, "Elements and... Divine Power?" Stepping closer, Athena, endowed with hydrology, easily recognized the material, even though the person who wrote them used many personalized terms and directional remarks, but this did not perplex the sessor of the same godhood. At just a nce, Athena realized they were the previous owner''s attempts to decipher a power known as ''witchcraft,'' and she had already made some progress. Her research was rough, but it had formed a rough framework and system. However,pared to the initial samples of research, she did not want to use ''Magic Power'' as the foundation for this new system. Flipping through the past manuscripts, Athena gradually realized why she had researched this power. Initially, it was out of curiosity; the author of these manuscripts, having witnessed the wonders of witchcraft, hoped to understand its underlying principles. Later, due to some premonitions, she invested more energy into it. Perhaps it was a warning from the scepter of Wisdom, or maybe she identally glimpsed a corner of the future, but either way, she foresaw some change in the Laws. Perhaps one day, the deities would be restrained on earth because of their reckless actions, so upon realizing this, she secretly began her research into this unique power, trying to ''divinize'' it. In the process, she shared her spections with the Divine King, who had not yet ascended the throne; however, he did not truly believe her ''rmist talk.'' He merely documented the matter and naturally changed the topic with the master of the ce. In such circumstances, the author of the notes had no choice but to continue the unfinished research alone until one day, she did not return, leaving these manuscripts behind, unnoticed by others henceforth. "..."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om "...Divine Arts, is this the name you chose? It''s a fitting appetion." A soft voice echoed in the side chamber, and within Athena''s hands, Divine Power and Elements merged. The next moment, a glowing sphere appeared in her palm, emitting a warm light, bringing some illumination to this quiet chamber. Chapter 394: Chapter 104 Memories in the Depths of Wisdom_3 "So... what exactly happened?" "Just as the gods thought, you were swallowed by Zeus, and then I came to be... But now, are you still there?" Whispering softly, Athena didn''t expect an answer, for her godhood told her it was impossible. There was no other Hydrology deity in the world anymore; she was the sole master of that authority. "About that... I''m afraid no one can conclude. In fact, I''m also curious about Metis''s whereabouts." "Who!"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om In an instant, her normally gentle eyes sharpened, and Athena abruptly turned around. Although her beauty, as "bright-eyed maiden," "protector of the city, among goddesses she shines," is often recorded in mythology, no one could disregard that her strength was just as renowned as her beauty. Without a sound, the spear of Victory fell into her hands, and Athena scanned the area warily, but nothing met her gaze. "...There''s no need for such precautions, in fact, I have been here even before you came. If we''re really talking about it, you are theter arrival." The gentle voice came again, and the next moment, the void trembled, and a figure cloaked in ck emerged. He looked at Athena and also at the manuscript in front of her, issuing a sigh that came from the heart. "I''m just someone like you, seeking the truth... In fact, I''d seen her when Metis was still an infant. I just never expected that she woulde to such an unknown end." "Just like Prometheus, huh... Is it that every self-proimed wise one is bound to make a fatal mistake?" Laine couldn''t tell whether it was the influence of destiny, their own nature that decided all this, or perhaps, it was a result promoted by both since their personality was, to begin with, a part of their fate. Regardless, he was determined to understand the causes and effects today, to determine the source of the Divine King''s power, as well as Metis''s fate. Zeus wouldn''t tell the truth, and even if he did, it wouldn''t be credible, and there was no other way to find out. So, the only one who could possibly have the answers was Athena, who herself had only a partial understanding. ... In the secluded pce, the atmosphere gradually eased from its previous tension. In fact, just as Laine said, he had arrived at this pce even before Athena did. The outside world was in the throes of battle, and he didn''t know whether any other spectated this drama of Divine King versus Mother Earth¡ªafter all, the other two Primordial Gods of his generation were extremely adept at concealing their whereabouts. But Laine could almost guess that even if they came, they would probably focus on the suddenly strengthened Zeus, while what kind of person Metis was might be something they would hardly recall. However, Laine didn''t indulge in such futility. He bypassed Gaia and the other deities, directly seeking the source of the problem. The sudden increase in power, some phenomenon resembling a ritual, and the feeling of an interconnection with the current Laws... all of these indicated that something unexpected had happened to him; yet to find out the cause from Zeus himself was decidedly unrealistic. Stay updated through §Þ?? After all, even if he told you and it sounded usible, no one could guarantee that the Divine King hadn''t deliberately withheld any key information. So rather than wasting effort there, it was better to search for the answers himself. For instance, the most crucial clue, all of this must be inextricably linked to the slip of Metis''s godhood. Therefore, after only a short search, Laine arrived here, at the ce once inhabited by the Oceanides; he saw what they had left behind, and then, unsurprisingly, waited until Athena arrived soon after. But unlike herplex emotions, Laine onlymented Metis''s fate briefly¡ªafter all, everyone should be responsible for their own choices. She voluntarily chose Zeus, so it seemed not so strange that she ended up in her current situation. "Whoever you are... it seems you''vee for His Majesty the Divine King." In the side hall, having seen Laine''s emerging figure, Athena''s eyes flickered momentarily before she sheathed her weapon. She didn''t maintain unnecessary vignce because Laine also didn''t conceal his aura from her. After sensing a power even more daunting than that of Zeus and Gaia, the Goddess of Wisdom understood the deity''s intention almost in a breath. He came for the currently battling Divine King, for Zeus''s abnormal strength¡ªAthena actually didn''t know what kind of power the Divine King ''should'' possess, but the reactions of the gods in the hall earlier all proved one point: in the past, the Divine King was far from Gaia''s match, yet the battle outside was theplete opposite. Perhaps it was this change that attracted the attention of the deity before her. As for Metis or herself... this pce had clearly been vacant for hundreds of years, and although he imed to have met the Oceanide Goddess in her infancy, they probably didn''t have a close rtionship. As for Athena herself, she didn''t know what about her freshly born self could possibly interest others. "Sort of, the Divine King... In fact, I''m not at all surprised about Zeus bing stronger. In the destiny set out for him, he was meant to grow stronger, but when his method of gaining strength and Metis''s disappearance are put together, then it cannot be ignored." Chapter 395: Chapter 104 Memories in the Depths of Wisdom_4 He nodded slightly, as if praising the girl''s intelligence. Laine continued speaking of his purpose, even though the other party may not truly understand it at the moment. "Before this, I had tried other methods to probe the underlying reasons, such as interfering with the years, peering into history... Unfortunately, none of these attempts were sessful." "The world-level changes have obscured the truth behind everything. In front of that kind of power, even Great Divine Power seems insignificant. Luckily, besides Zeus himself, there was another witness at the time." Laine looked toward Athena, and the Goddess of Wisdom understood his implication. But her impression of memories from before her birth was nothing but a blur. "Then I must disappoint you... In truth, I don''t remember what happened then." "It''s okay, you may not remember now... but you can remember." Laine extended his hand, and the void trembled slightly. The next moment, a scroll from an ancient era once again appeared in this world. On its edge, a line of mysterious text flowed and changed, but Athena understood its meaning the instant she saw it. [Recognize the world, then recognize yourself.] "A Divine Artifact?" Quick to judge, Athena realized this was a Divine Artifact on the same level as her Spear of Victory and Shield of Aegis, yet the disparity in power between them was clearly not insignificant. "Yes, it is part of another Divine Artifact, the immutable past, the carrier of memory, the origin of all things. Perhaps even you cannot remember what happened before you were born, but with its help, you can see the scenes you have once experienced." cing the parted Genesis Artifact on the desk and gently pushing it forward, Laine smiled faintly, then turned away. "I''m lending it to you, as for how to use it... I think you''ll figure it out, won''t you?" As he had arrived, so did he leave without any trace. It was as if his presence had never graced this abandoned pce, with only the scroll remaining on the desk. After a moment of silence, looking at the artifact that could certainly be called ''of unknown origin,'' Athena still picked up the scroll but did not immediately open it. She needed to find a more suitable ce... and this one was clearly not appropriate. ... The light and shadow shifted, and the next moment, Laine arrived outside Mount Olympus. The trembling of the earth had not stopped, and the sky shook from time to time. The struggle between Zeus and Gaia was still ongoing, or rather, if not for the increasingly strongw suppressing them, they might fight for another hundred years without a clear victor emerging. Strictly speaking, having justpleted half a ritual and sorelycking in faith, Zeus was actually no match for Mother Earth; at best, he could only remain undefeated atop Mount Olympus. However, Gaia''s own actions had tipped the scales of victory in his favor.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om The memories from Athena would take a while to be known, so Laine simply stood by, first trying to analyze theposition of Zeus''s power in his own way. Under his gaze, which spanned reality and the source sea, a corner of the Divine King''s current state was revealed, a power simr yet different from that once wielded by Uranus. Two fulcrums, twelve supports... At this moment,paring with the myths ofter generations, Laine also roughly understood something. Perhaps the original Zeus had also used a simr method to cross into the Great Realm, only he took a longer time, a more protracted one, and didn''t have someone as suitable as the current one. Perhaps in the original trajectory, Zeus had defeated Cronus in the Titan war, but his and the other Titans'' struggles did not easilye to an end. He did not capture the other Titans at once, nor did he fear the hidden beings. Somehow, even after ascending to the throne, the gods of the old era still frequently rebelled, causing trouble for the new Divine Court. Your adventure continues at §Þ?? In this process, the children of Zeus gradually came into the world, and he slowly uncovered the mysteries of faith, tentatively establishing the Twelve Principal Gods to strengthen his power. However,pared to the present one, the mythological version was evidentlycking. The most obvious distinction was that the current Zeus and Hera were not counted among the Principal Gods; they stood alone above them, holding higher ''status,'' with Zeus as ''king'' far surpassing Hera. Such a ritual was bound to be more stable and more powerful. Whether this deeper emtion of divine right kingship would have any negative effects, Laine did not know. At the very least, one immediate observation was that the Divine King''s connection with thews was now closer... This was to a certain extent a good thing but would not be so perpetually. "So it alles down to Metis. Zeus himself could not possibly have suddenly invented such a ritual, even if that was within his grasp in the future... Metis, Asgard, I wonder what our ''Divine King Majesty'' has done, and what he paid for it?" Even though he had not received an answer yet, with the information thisplete, Laine could infer some clues. Particrly the subtle changes in thew''s origin, which added the concept of ''epting sacrifices'' to the ''interface.'' However, no matter concerning the world is minor. A definitive judgment would have to wait until the memory is recreated. That wouldn''t take too long, and Laine could afford to wait. As for what to do while waiting... He stretched out his hand, anticipating some ''unexpected'' changes, and looked at the gods who were shocked by the Divine King''s might. The next moment, power surged, directed at these ignorant ''onlookers,'' Laine made his move boldly. Chapter 396: Chapter 105 Unanimous Choice Halfway up Mount Olympus, the Earth shed with Thunder. In the void, the previously invisible Laws had begun to show signs of emergence, attempting to stop the sh between the two deities. However, the collision between the Divine King and Mother Earth not only failed to cease due to the constraints of the Law, but signs indicated it was bing increasingly intense. For Zeus, such an opportunity would note a second time, and even if Gaia were to cease at this moment, he might not stop. For Mother Earth, the differential treatment by the chains of Order seemed to only further dissolve her scant rationality, making her feel as if all of creation was opposing her. The extreme emotions intensified the innate power of the primordial gods like the collision of heaven and Earth. This grand spectacle spread further and further, witnessed by the beings on the continent. They did not know what was happening, only able to guess from the voices previously heard at the edge of the sky that this was a struggle between the Divine King of Olympus and Mother Earth Gaia. At that moment, those who did not understand the gods were shocked by their might and recorded various ounts and spections of this battle. Some were right, some were wrong; for instance, Zeus was seen not just as a symbol of lightning but also as an embodiment of some aspect of the Sky. But whether right or wrong, it all became part of the legend, henceforth circted in the world. Of course, these were all mortal affairs. Compared to that, the gods who knew everything truly found it unbelievable. No one was more aware than they of the insurmountable hierarchy among the deities. They were born powerful but were also confined by their innate godhood, unable to advance further once reaching their peak. Even after discovering that Faith could to some degree break these boundaries, as long as it persisted, a deity could possess stronger powers. Yet, such power should not be theirs; at least, the mighty power Zeus now exhibited did not seem like that brought by mere Faith. Given the scale of humanity at the time, even if all Faith were concentrated on one individual, it might not be enough to reach the peak beneath greatness. Yet the disy Zeus showed to the gods was an overwhelming transcendence. He was able to match Gaia in battle¡ªand even as time passed, he seemed to be increasingly gaining the upper hand. Whether or not the gods saw the role of the current Order in this, it did not detract from the shock that Zeus brought to them at this moment. The third generation Divine King... now had power beyond that of a True God just like his two predecessors. At this moment, the position of ''Divine King'' suddenly held a mystical ce in their hearts. If it were said that Uranus was a proof of innate strength and his three divine authorities were rightfully strong, and if Cronus''s breakthrough were merely an isted case without further evidence to prove its rtion to kingship, then Zeus now undoubtedly told the world that perhaps the position of Divine King was indeed special. Perhaps in this era where everything great was shunned by the current world, only the Divine King could be an exception to some degree. It was the only proven path capable of directly reaching Great Divine Power. "...Your Majesty, the battle is perilous, shall we move back further?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om As various spections rose among the gods'' hearts, Zephyrus, the God of West Wind, asked respectfully beside Hera. Just now, many deities had kept their distance from the Divine King. They didn''t wish to face the furious Gaia alongside Zeus, but Zephyrus did not. He still expressed his loyalty to the Divine King, closely following on the heels of the Heavenly Empress. However, it was not because of his immense loyalty, but rather because the Wind God had no choice. Unlike other deities, the God of West Wind was not inherently of Intermediate Divine Power. The gods were naturally powerful, and since the birth of humans was still brief, they had not been able to rely on the Power of Faith to break through their ranks. Therefore, to the gods, neither the Divine Court nor the humans mattered as much as one would think at the moment. Your next chapter is on §Þ?? Never having experienced a stronger sensation, they were not too eager or reluctant about it. In their view, the worst oue of this battle would be the defeat of the Divine King, the crumbling of the Divine Court, and Mother Earth monopolizing the Faith of humans. But the deficit of Primordial Gods will one day be replenished, and humans will ultimately belong to the gods¡ªjust dyed a bit. However, what the other deities could disregard was not true for Zephyrus. Without the pardon of two generations of Divine Kings, he would not be the Leader of the Wind Gods. He would lose not only the right to spread the Power of Faith promised by the Divine King, but also the domain of Intermediate Divine Power, reverting back to a once weaker state (see 2-38, 3-9). At that time, no matter who the next Divine King would be, they were unlikely to keep him in his position but would be reced by the other three Wind Gods. Faced with such a situation, Zephyrus instead firmly stood by Zeus''s side. And now, looking at it, the God of West Wind had once again made the right choice, sessfully aligning himself with the victor. However, amidst the regretful and envious gazes of many deities, Zephyrus felt privately ted, yet he couldn''t help but also feel strangely again. Sometimes he wondered, although minor or major idents always urred when he wasmanded to act, his own luck seemed to be quite good. Not only did he sessfullyplete his tasks every time, but during the change of Divine Kings and the invasion of Mother Earth, he had made the right choices both times. "There''s no need. As the Heavenly Empress, how could I possibly hide behind others?" Chapter 397: Chapter 105 Unanimous Choice_2 The God of the West Wind silently reflected, and before him, faced with Zephyrus''s suggestion, Hera resolutely refused. In some respects, the Heavenly Empress and Zeus truly shared simrities; neither could be regarded as a standard definition of a good person, yet neithercked the courage to confront danger. Before the Divine King revealed his strength, she had dared to stand here, and now that Zeus clearly had the upper hand, she had no thoughts of retreat. However, looking at the God of the West Wind beside her, Hera''s gaze softened. "The Divine King will remember your loyalty, Zephyrus, andpared to the other deities, you have proven yourself with your actions," she said. "Perhaps you are not as naturally powerful as some deities, but in the era of faith, that is not an issue. The Divine King once told me that the status of the gods should rise and fall by hismand, not by natural strength or weakness... Perhaps you are worthy of a higher position." "...This is merely my duty, Your Majesty," he said. Taking a deep breath, the God of the West Wind bowed once more, his heart filled with tremendous excitement. A correct choice in the Second Era elevated him to possess Intermediate Divine Power, truly entering the upper echelons of the gods, and now another choiceid the path of Great Divine Power before him. Even considering the Heavenly Empress''s intent, perhaps he might also have a chance to sit in one of those twelve principal godly thrones? Lost in his reverie, Zephyrus stood by Hera''s side like a guard. The battle in the sky grew more intense, but Mother Earth''s decline became increasingly evident. The God of the West Wind silently awaited the end of it all. However, at a certain moment, a nameless terror surged within Zephyrus''s heart. He abruptly looked up, searching for the source of danger, yet despite looking around, he saw nothing. Everything was the same as before, as though it was merely an illusion. But the growing sense of fear in his heart told him that something was definitely happening. "This is..." Opening his mouth, he wanted to say something, but Zephyrus quickly found he could not speak a word. His voice had vanished, as if devoured by some force, followed by light, vision, and even the perception of everything. Bit by bit, piece by piece, everything was obscured, as if all was enveloped in darkness. It felt like an instant passed, or maybe countless years; in this ce, time itself seemed nonexistent, without any measure to gauge it. Until a moment came when a sound akin to the creation of heaven and earth boomed, and the darkness before him was torn asunder by some tremendous force. "Huff¡ªha¡ª" he gasped. Light reappeared before Zephyrus''s eyes, but he could scarcely muster any strength. The Wind God merely gasped for breath, trembling unconsciously like a mortal who had skirted the edges of death. "You''ve grown stronger," a detached voice came from beside the Wind God, prompting him to turn and look. There, a figure with indistinct features looked toward the void in the distance. Both the Divine King and Mother Earth, drawn by this sudden disturbance, turned their gaze in that direction, but the mysterious person merely nodded at Zeus, not far off, then vanished into the void. For a moment, the exterior of Mount Olympus fell silent, yet this was but a brief respite. Before long, with another challenge from Gaia, the battle reignited.N?v(el)B\\jnn "...So it is, Zeus, no wonder I couldn''t sense the presence of the Golden Apple on Mount Olympus. You''ve coborated with him!" Although uncertain why Erebus did what he did, his recent action undoubtedly proved this point. So, watching Zeus still feigning ignorance, Gaia, disregarding the restrained power,unched another offensive. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ In an instant, deep within the starry skies. Boom¡ª Unlike the restricted battle on the Great Earth, in the vastness of space, several star domains were ripped apart in a blink, numerous celestial bodies turned to dust. However, the force that had just collided retracted immediately after contact, moving on to further reaches. Perhaps it happened a few times, or perhaps thousands of times. At some moment, on the very edge of the starry sky, close to a realm beyond the world, those two inscrutable forces finally differed ever so slightly in might. Rip¡ª With thest sound fading, Laine''s figure emerged. The colors ck and white dissipated from his hands, and opposite him, Erebus also stood, only the torn edges of his clothing testified to the result of their recent sh. Clearly, in the brief encounter, for the first time, the power between the two Ancient Gods had shifted. "After making up for the deficiencies of Divine Power, so this is the strength of ''Spirituality'' at this moment... No, if not for that authority which split from the ''Cycle'' of power, meant to end all things, you wouldn''t be much stronger than me," Erebus reflected. The Divine Power flowed, and the torn edges of the garment were mended. Erebus seemed to show no displeasure about having lost a move just now. "But this is just the beginning," he said calmly. With a calm demeanor, Laine simply stated the facts. "The first era we met, your power was such, and now, it remains the same. For millions of years, it has almost never changed," he observed. "Perhaps, as the world''s Source Power rose, the ''quantity'' of your power increased, but your ''symbolic'' ratio in the world has not changed in the slightest. However, within the domain of thetter half of Great Divine Power, this is far more important than the mere umtion of ''quantity.'' As Laine said, if in the first half of Great Divine Power it might be possible for ''the world to elevate, and the deities to rise with the tide,'' in thetter half, such ease would no longer be found. Chapter 398: Chapter 105 Unanimous Choice_3 The higher the position, the more significant the role of concepts bes. Perhaps,pared to the beginning of creation, the power of "Darkness" has indeed increased quite a bit, but its proportion in the overall world has actually declined. Therefore, Erebus''s power did not fall, but neither did it rise. However, this is actually the normal phenomenon; in a world where Order is strictly maintained, the higher theyer, the more difficult it is to continue moving forward. "Maybe so, but that will be a concern forter..." Unmoved, the Lord of Darkness was not angered by Laine''s words. He simply dissipated his form and continued to embody the most primal Darkness. "At least for now, Laine, you cannot surpass me." The voice echoed in the starry sky, and with it spread a hidden and all-consuming power. This was the true "Darkness," an endless depth, the world before the birth of Light. It stood before Laine, forming an immense canopy, cutting off his path to and from the earth. However, listening to the Lord of Darkness and looking at Erebus, who seemed to truly stand on Zeus''s side for some reason, attempting to ''wholeheartedly'' stop him, Laine instead gave a small smile. If Gaia might have forgotten that he could traverse every corner of the world with the help of the Spirit Realm, how could the Lord of Darkness forget? The ease with which he followed Laine into the stars once again proved his guess. So watching the other party, Laine said slowly: "It seems... at that moment just now when you isted the gods, you did have a difficult time." "..."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om As Laine finished speaking, the Darkness across from him suddenly fell silent, but Laine nodded with a smile. What happened in the brief moment before seemed like Erebus had taken Zeus''s side, stopping Laine''s power from attacking the gods, but the reality was far from it. It was a coincidence, and also a trial. In that short instant, two Ancient Gods intended to move against those spectating deities. Laine had many purposes, such as seeing whether the force supporting this rite as Principal God, if cut off from the Divine King''s connection, could still exist. Or whether the main bodies of destiny in the current era, after being influenced by him for two full epochs, were still unbreakable. The Lord of Darkness probably had fewer objectives; he likely just wanted to test the former, wishing to see if there were any significant ws in the power of this new Divine King. Thus, he enveloped the gods in darkness with his power, and in the next moment, he received the answer he sought. But he received it, and Laine did not. Thus, acting half a beat slower, Laine did not hold back but instead shifted his attack to Erebus, all the way to the depths of the starry sky. "You ascribe your disadvantage to the dominion of ''Death''; do you want me to try it out as well? No need, you''ve already given me the answer." Calmly, everything was clear... In that instant of obscuring the gods, Erebus was hurt, and while not as strong as he thought, the fact that Great Divine Power was injured proved something. Yet facing Laine''s consequent attack, the Lord of Darkness subconsciously chose to hide it. He pretended to be unharmed, trying to make the other misjudge, but the oue was clear. If Laine''s power was about the same as at the turn of the epochs, he might actually not have noticed any rise or fall in Erebus''s power, but now it was different. Soon, the reaction of the canopy in front of him further confirmed his guess. As Laine''s words finished, the darkness in front began to waver noticeably, and without a sound, as if it had never existed, the other silently disappeared before him. Clearly, upon realizing his efforts were in vain, Erebus did not persist but chose to leave directly. The starry sky returned to tranquility once again, with only the silent, shattered celestial bodies recounting what had transpired here. With a wave of his hand, as if time was reversing, everything returned to its original state. Standing in the void, Laine pondered for a moment. Although brief, that moment was enough to discern some oues. When the gods were enveloped by the power of Darkness, they indeed briefly lost their connection to the rite, but this didn''t seem to bring about an immediate weakening of the Divine King. To be exact, it was more like a True God cast into the Abyss. Although their connections to the present world were severed, thews rted to Godhood did not immediately fail, but rather there was a long process in between. Byparison, the more direct betrayal of a deity could cause a greater impact. Like when Zeus and his brothers entered the Abyss, the rules they represented did not fall into immediate disarray, but when they actively wielded their Godhood, they could cause more severe natural disasters and turmoil. However, direct betrayal by a deity... With that thought, the injury Erebus had just suffered now seemed much more ring. After all, if the main body of destiny still has such strong inertia, if She is still firmly grasping the core trajectory unwaveringly, then can so-called betrayal truly ur? Perhaps it can ur, only to be corrected by some ''coincidence'', mending whatever might becking. "Two epochs have passed, and destiny is still so stubborn..." After a moment of silence, although this was actually expected, it did not mean it could be readily epted. Changes to minor details only really affect those minor details, but the alternation of three generations of Divine Kings has never changed. Chapter 399: Chapter 105 Unanimous Choice_4 "This will not go on forever... Since you are so stubborn when facing others, I wonder if you can still remain ''unwavering'' when facing yourself?" The voice gradually became colder, twenty thousand years of attempts had been long enough; if this gentle approach was futile, then a change of tactics was unavoidable. Perhaps, as he had always believed, the world itself was his true obstruction. Thus, Laine looked toward the earth, toward the only deity on Mount Olympus. First, wait for a result, then make a decision. In any case, the river of fate for this world must be thoroughly severed in the Third Era, and all that follows must be utterly unknown. If mere scheming cannot solve it... "...then let''s use absolute power to tear apart thews of the current world." Recalling the recent events in Hemenu World, Laine felt, perhaps it was not an impossible feat. "And the Divine King..." The position of Divine King was actually quite special; it was closely rted to fate, and its session often signified the change of an era. Thus, at this moment, that long-standing intention resurfaced in Laine''s mind. "Perhaps the Divine King... only needs three generations!"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om ... Above the Underworld, the subterranean realm. In the dim underground space, a faint bioluminescence had arisen from nowhere. A kind of moss emitting light spread everywhere, bringing brightness to this vast world. And in the center of this enormous cavity, a tree that should not exist here swayed with life. It had golden leaves, perfectly proportioned branches, and... some new, dark-colored shoots. In front of the giant tree, a group of exquisitely featured beings gathered. They knelt on the ground, worshiping and bowing before the great tree. "It looks like you''ve adapted to life underground." Suddenly, a deep voice rang out beside the tree, and the figure of the Lord of Darkness slowly appeared. He waved his hand, and the nearby creatures were moved away. In front of the Golden Apple Tree, Moanda also walked out from the trunk. "As you requested, I havepleted the majority." Bowing slightly, Moanda did not know why the other hade, but still she softly spoke. Though she couldn''t directly infer anything, her intuition told her the mood of the being before her was not good. "Completed the majority... Yes, apart from that egg, you''ve done almost everything." Nodding, Erebus narrowed his eyes slightly, seemingly lost in thought. Moanda stood quietly beside him, waiting. After a while, the tremblinging from the ground seemed to gradually subside, and Erebus appeared to have finally made up his mind. "Originally, I alone should have endured this ''blow''; the reason for enduring it is unimportant." "But now it seems..." Turning around, the Lord of Darkness looked at the Nymph reincarnated as a deity and said indifferently: "Moanda, isn''t it? I have a task for you." "Pleasemand me." Bowing slightly, the Elf obediently responded. "In a moment, I will take you to the surface to meet the Divine King¡ªthe one you wanted to see before. "I will make a ''covenant'' with him, and you will be the guarantee of our agreement. You will be a part of his Divine Court, even a part of his power, and then from that moment on, enjoy the light and beauty on the surface. That''s quite nice, isn''t it?" "Then what... what do I need to do?" Raising her head cautiously, not feeling happy, Moanda felt somewhat terrified. She did not know what she was being sent to do, but she believed it was definitely not something simple, and what she had to do was certainly more than just enjoying life. "You don''t need to do anything, at least not for now. And you needn''t worry about your safety, because the Golden Apple Tree will remain here." Sighing, Erebus felt a touch of remorse for the first time. He looked up at the ''sky'' of the underground space, as if looking at something else. "It''s just like Gaia." "...What?" Not quite catching it, Moanda couldn''t help but ask. "I mean... there are always things that manage to be disliked by everyone, even by those whom it seeks to protect." With a smile, no further exnation was given, Erebus simply gestured with his hand. "Come, let''s go. You, who might be considered lucky or not, prepare to wee the new life that belongs to you." Chapter 400: Chapter 106 The Whole World is an Enemy In the depths of the starry sky, with two Ancient Gods departing one after another, this deste ce once again returned to its usual silence. Just like the world''s edge where the Circumterrestrial River flowed, the outer regions of the stars, far from thend, were usually uninhabited. Yet, just as the edge of the sea belonged to the God of the Ocean, so did the edge of the stars. Therefore, when a part of their domain was violently torn and reformed, it ultimately drew the attention of the lord of this ce. After a long while, at a corner of the Sea of Stars, a subtle ripple spread out. Two figures emerged in session: one was a tall, muscr middle-aged man who walked in front, surveying the star domain that had returned to its original state. Following him closely was a woman dressed in borate clothes, her body adorned with all kinds of rare treasures, yet a hint of mncholy could be seen between her brows. Under the gaze of the two Titan deities, everything here was very clear. The surface of the starry sky had been repaired, but some deep-seated power was still spreading on another level. The deities who arrivedte slowly approached the battlefield, feeling the terrifying remnants of power that lingered. A certain force seemed to have permanently changed thews here, and from then on, this would be a ''silent'' star domain. Any beings below the level of True Gods could neither make nor listen to any sound here. At the same time, some form of life seemed to be gestating. In those restored celestial bodies, intermittent thoughts were gradually born. They possessed wisdom due to the power of spirituality, yet were influenced by the power of darkness. Perhaps this would give birth to a unique kind of star domain Nymph, or to some strange creature wandering the sea of stars. However, it was clear that the two Ancient Gods who created all this did not take them into ount. Just like the divine-blooded beasts born after numerous godly wars, they had never been noticed by the source of their own bloodlines. "Great Divine Power...pared to the Lord of Darkness, my mastery of ''darkness'' is but the tip of an iceberg, merely an extension. Lightless celestial bodies are just one form of ''darkness'', far from its essence," he murmured. Sighing in admiration at the might of the Primordial Gods, the Titan deity turned to look at his wife. Over the years, she never stopped urging him to leave the starry sky, yet his response was always another rejection. "You see now, Phoebe, this is the true power of the Ancient Gods, and it is why I am reluctant to go out... I know you have always disliked staying in the silent starry sky, but only here can we avoid the disturbances and dangers of the world," he said, his voice deep and sonorous like the heavy rumble of stars in motion. As the Principal God of the lightless celestial bodies, Coeus, being one of the few deities to reach Divine Power Level 20, had not revealed himself in the world since the middle of the Second Era. Or it could be said that apart from once briefly taking a stand on the side of the second generation Divine King due to his daughter, the starry goddess Asteria''s marriage, and meddling in the starry disputes, this powerful Titan deity had hardly ever been active in the world. Even that brief involvement hade to an abrupt end with the birth of Hecate. Just like his godhood, Coeus remained silent in the darkness. He watched the various changes in the world without ever taking action. However, that''s what he thought. As the Goddess of Luminous, Phoebe clearly did not agree. "Coeus, I acknowledge the power of the Great One... but isn''t that exactly why I want you to do something?" she said. "Greatness is not only inherent. The Father God was not born great; he begot us and then ascended to the throne. He gained his power through his actions, not by idly waiting for power to descend from the heavens. And Cronus, Laine... they all unknowingly took that step, even the current King Zeus is the same. If they can do it, why can''t you?" Her tone, which had started out fairly calm, became increasingly insistent as she spoke.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om She was the Principal God of the luminous bodies, not some ''Mother of Silence'' or ''Cold-Cosmos Goddess''; she did not at all like her current life. Inter myths, Phoebe even briefly held the title of ''Ancient Moon Goddess'', andpared to her reticent husband, she was obviously not a quiet presence. Perhaps in her original fate, she had at some point been in deep conflict with the Moon goddess Selene. The Goddess of Light attempted to bring the moon under her jurisdiction, thereby increasing her authority, but in the end, it only resulted in Zeus gaining another lover. Of course, in this life, the mooncked that kind of power, so Phoebe no longer directed her sights toward it. Byparison, the true supremacy of the myriad luminous bodies was more enticing to her. Nevertheless, no matter what, that was something Phoebe couldn''t achieve on her own. Compared to Coeus, her power was far less. "You know what I want. Wouldn''t it be nice for us to rule the Sea of Stars together? Hyperion, the true sovereign of the Sun, is no more... I''ve said before, perhaps you should do something. Take control of the Sea of Stars, or like the Olympian Gods, delve into the mysteries of faith. Wouldn''t that be wonderful?" she said. "Three Divine Kings, one Ancient God born in the same era as the Primordial Gods, doesn''t prove anything. That is their unique nature, the favor of destiny." Chapter 401: Chapter 106 The Whole World is an Enemy_2 Shaking his head just as he had done in the past, Coeus once again refused his wife''s request. Phoebe, standing by his side, finally seemed to be losing her patience. "So this is what you want, to stay here forever, praying that no ancient deity notices you and to live an eternal life as if you were dead?" Her voice was sharp. Phoebe could not understand why her husband, with such favorable conditions and a power second only to the Great Divine Power, had no other ambitions and only wished to stay in the cold and silent cosmos. Even Oceanus knew to try and unify the sea, yet an aeon had passed, and Coeus had done nothing. "No matter what you say, Phoebe, I will stay here. The world as it is now offers us no chance..." "If you don''t want to stay, then leave on your own, I''ve never stopped you. That''s that, I''m going back." Calmly, Coeus looked at the expanse of stars onest time. He didn''t say much else, only turning and walking away. "You!" Phoebe''s arm trembled from intense emotion as she pointed at her departing husband. It was always the same, Coeus had never been swayed by her words, but when it came to leaving on her own, Phoebe felt somewhat hesitant. The power of the Light was too dispersed, and with the Moon currently weakened, the Sun itself ounted for more than half of the concept of Light. This made Phoebe far from as powerful as the other Primordial Titans. Although she wasn''t as weak as the God of Speech or the God of Script, she definitely did not have the power to conquer the Sun. "You will regret this!"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om In the end, the goddess, as always, merely left a harsh remark. She chose a celestial body at random to sit on, nning to return after some time to ensure the other understood her anger. After all, the lightless celestial bodies in the stars were the eyes and ears of Coeus. Even if he wasn''t present, she wasn''t worried about encountering any unexpected situations. She had already spent far too many years in that quiet and boring ce; it was good to be away for a while. ... Unaware of the argument that took ce after his departure, Laine, having casually repaired the edge of the cosmos, did not linger any longer. Compared to the other Primordial Gods, the order of the modern world seemed to take extra care of him, an ''outsider'', and this time was only the second time Laine had intervened in the world since the change of the aeon. Even though he had avoided Earth, the invisible pressure of the Law still felt significantly stronger than before. Of course, a hundredfold of one is still just a hundred, insignificant for numbers in the tens of millions. But just because there is no impact now does not mean it will stay that way in the future. The third time, the fourth time... in the foreseeable future, every time he revealed his power in the world, this oppression from the world itself would intensify. Until one day, merely stepping out of the Spirit Realm, the order of the world would make it difficult for Laine to move. It was an exemption difficult to obtain, as much because of the changes in the Law following the aeonal shift as it was due to the lifting size of the Spirit Realm and Laine beginning to bear the burden of a great status. And the only way to end it would be to have a force equal to, or even stronger than that of the world itself. But setting aside the difficulty of achieving that, even if it were reached, Laine would then have to face another issue. The world restrained the Great Divine Power, even doing so subtly before the Third Epoch, and the fundamental reason for this is easy to understand. The world itself is only slightly higher than Greatness, and it naturally suppresses those ancient gods who walk the Earth yet have thoughts of their own. Any being would be wary of anything that could potentially threaten itself, and the best way is to make sure that threat no longer exists. In contrast, the reason why the external realms do not have simr behaviors is due to Chaos being the dominant factor. This is why the stronger worlds often have order ying a dominant role ¨C it might be rigid, but it indeed helps maintain stability. It is the same with the kingdoms of mortals. The more rigid thews, the more unreasonable they seem, but conversely, they allow a certain order to extend and be implemented better. So, theing question bes clear. If the Spirit Realm grows to a certain limit, truly reaching a state of equivalence with the world, whether Chaos, being just ''half a tier'' higher than the Spirit Realm of that time, might have some very direct reactions, is a difficult thing to predict. Therefore, Laine had always tried to use roundabout methods to change the fate of the world. Before, he had even contemted actively controlling his power at the peak of the Great Divine Power in the future, avoiding any further increase, and then umting extra force through methods like investing in Hell, in order to one day reunite and make the ultimate leap. But looking at it now, this idea seems too optimistic; perhaps for a well-running ''program'', the only real resolution to its core is through violence. It can be violence from the outside, from within, or both. In any case, those peripheral methods are pointless endeavors. "So if there''s nothing else, I''m going back, do you have anything else to say?" Between different trains of thought colliding, Laine stepped into the Underworld. But feeling the presence that still followed him, he couldn''t help but speak up and ask. Chapter 402: Chapter 106 The Whole World is an Enemy_3 This world is vast yet small, at least for Nyx, Laine''s sh with Erebus was so evident and palpable. Therefore,pared to Gaia''s battle that was clearly going tost much longer, she decisively chose to run to the other side to enjoy themotion. However, themotion had already ended, and Nyx was still following her without any attempt to conceal her presence, it was clear, then, that the other party had something to say. "You can just ask, if I can answer, I won''t hide it." With a casual smile, Laine looked to the side. "Since you''ve said that... what do you n to do at the end of this epoch?" The veil of secrecy was lifted, a familiar figure standing under the moonlight. Nyx blinked her eyes from behind her veil and asked her question directly. "Why ask this... do I have to do something?" Shaking her head slightly, Laine didn''t directly answer the question. "With each passing day, my power grows stronger. When life spreads to every corner of the world, the symbol of spirituality will rise on its own. I just need to quietly wait, and everything wille to me automatically. Perhaps I will just witness the arrival of the fourth eon and the birth of the next Divine King." "That''s impossible, you won''t make such a decision." Pausing for a moment, Nyx slowly said: "Because... there isn''t a fourth eon in this world, at least not while I can still see into the future, He has not yet arrived." Staring at Laine in front of her, Nyx narrowed her eyes. "You don''t want to tell me, or are you scared? I remember during thest epoch, you didn''t have the power you do now, but you still told me in front of me that you wanted to be the ''One-Day Godking''." "I saw your performance afterward; it was interesting, but in this epoch... what will you do?" "Or to put it more precisely, when, ording to you, does this so-called end of the epoch ur?" The atmosphere quieted for a moment, Laine looking somewhat surprised yet not too surprised in Nyx''s gaze. There''s no fourth eon... That likely means not that the world has no set destiny when that timees, but instead, that the world is going to bepletely stable in the third eon, with no possibility of further change. "...I must admit, I wasn''t entirely certain about this before. However, your statement now forces me to make up my mind." Smiling once again, Laine moved back to Nyx''s earlier question. "Regarding what I want to do, there''s nothing I can''t say, as some things cannot be changed simply by knowing them. Only this time, the answer might not be what you''re hoping for." "What answer, and why would it have anything to do with me?" Curiously, Nyx didn''t believe it had any connection to her. "Do you remember why, at the end of the first eon, you came over, why you stood at the entrance to the Spirit Realm?" Countering with a question, Laine spoke with a smile. "Of course, because you took advantage of the situation to forge the Spirit Realm, so that the mand'' issued to the gods by the world..." With some realization, as if understanding something, Nyx''s gaze became strange. "So, are you nning to do something simr this time? Hmm¡ªwell you''d better prepare in advance, because if there''s a chance to hit you back at that time, I might not hold back." "Let''s just say, out of regard for our past interactions, I will show some mercy." With augh, Laine turned and disappeared into the darkness of the void. "But you don''t have to be too afraid, because by that time, everyone will be on your ''team''." Turning to leave, Laine didn''t intend to provide any further exnation, and Nyx didn''t ask again. Just likest time, the Lady of the Night did not inquire about what the ''One-Day Godking'' truly was. She seemed to always relish the feeling of deciphering and anticipation, so after only a brief contemtion, she cheerfully continued to ''watch the battle'' on the ground. She couldn''t figure out why Laine was so confident, but if she couldn''t figure it out, so be it; time would give her the answer. On the graynd bathed in the light of the Nether Moon, only Nyx''s faintughter remained. "The third eon isn''t like the first; this time, there''s no change in Divine Kingship or birth of gods to buy time. " "Universal enemy? So to not be ''killed,'' are you telling me that at least on that day, you intend to be ''invincible across the world''?" No one could answer her question, everything had been [concealed], with only the waters of the Styx River flowing slowly, endlessly. ... In the present day, outside Mount Olympus. The power that shook all things continued unabated, but three days and nights had passed, and now, the situation outside the Mount of the Gods had dramatically changed.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Universal enemy¡ªthis was Mother Earth''s true thought under the watch of the heavens and all the gods. Three days earlier, that brief and unexpected disturbance had rmed the Divine King, but Gaia showed no signs of stopping. The force of the earth continued to surge relentlessly, even though Zeus was being as cautious as possible, cracks still formed on the mountain''s body. Fortunately, it was the corporeal form of an ancient Mountain God, capable of self-repair over long periods, preventing irreversible damage. However, this also indirectly proved Gaia''s judgment was not wrong; without the suppression of the current Laws, Zeus would be utterly unable to stop her from destroying Mount Olympus. Chapter 403: Chapter 106 The Whole World is an Enemy_4 However, reality has no "ifs," and the order of Law does not shift with the will of an individual. Therefore, at this moment, even though power continued to flow from the earth into her body and her mere gestures still held the power that made all the gods tremble, standing between heaven and earth, this oldest of the innate gods still felt a profound weariness in her heart, and a destion as if abandoned by all things in the world. Across from her, the Divine King continued to recklessly pour out his power, and Gaia was like a ruler proving his might, a handy tool. Around Mount of the Gods, the originally reverent gazes of the gods gradually shifted, and for the first time, they realized that perhaps this venerable Mother Earth was not as formidable as they had thought. The third-generation Queen of Gods wore a Golden Crown, her current solemn and majestic appearance inevitably reminded Gaia of her past self: so young, so confident, and even possessing the same power¡ªthe sovereignty that parted the world. Only her First Era had passed, and now, Gaia was nothing but an uninvited nuisance. Even beyond that, Mother Earth also noticed the fleeting presences that had passed by. Laine and Erebus, the two she had always suspected, yet this time, it was as if they had not even noticed her. From dealing with the other gods, to their internal strife, then venturing into the starry sky, from start to finish, no one had spoken a single word to her, as if she were no longer worthy of attention. In particr, Erebus had merely greeted the Divine King and paid no heed to his sister standing by. And her own sister¡­ Nyx probably had visited as well, but Gaia sadly realized that if thetter did not wish it, if "Mother Night" who presided over "Secrets" did not tread upon the earth, then she would not even be able to sense her presence. Clearly, Nyx had no intention of appearing. All mixed together, Gaia''s despair and anger were difficult to express in words. "Ah¡ª!" Thump¡ª Transforming sorrow and fury into power, Gaia mustered her Divine Power once more. A vast radiance surged up wildly, once again colliding with the "Thunder," yet this time, under Mother Earth''s incredulous gaze, Zeus''s hand did not even waver. "How, how can this¡ª" "¡ªMother Earth, you have gone too far," the Divine King said, momentarily stunned, but he immediately realized something. Trying hard to contain the joy in his heart, before the gods, facing the Ancient God who had once made him extremely wary, he spoke righteously. "I know, because of the matter with the Titans, you may hold dissatisfaction towards me, but Gaia, this is not a reason for you to vent your anger recklessly!" "Fabricating lies, defaming the Divine King with so-called ''Golden Apple Tree''; endangering the current peace, trying to destroy the Mount of the Gods. Gaia, you must feel it by now, the world has brought down punishment, and this is the reprimand for your arbitrary actions!" In his words, Zeus equated ''defaming the Divine King'' with ''destroying Mount of the Gods,'' even cing the matter concerning himself at the forefront as if the repression of thews were truly because of him. However, even to the observing gods, nothing the Divine King said seemed wrong. Imprisoning the God of Meteorology, Crius, was merely a normal struggle for power, and as for the "Golden Apple Tree," that was even more absurd. Gaia''s arrival in a rage was somewhatughable, so even though she was now being covertly mocked by Zeus, it failed to stir the slightest empathy. When calmness returned, stripping away the halo of the Primordial Deity, the Gaia before the gods seemed nothing more than an old woman who was upset by something, and then, after her disturbance failed, she was miserably suppressed. "Ah¡ªZeus, there was a time when you wouldn''t even dare raise your head in front of me, you¡ª" "Boom¡ª" The Arrows of Thunder were hurled down, instantly drowning out Gaia''s voice. And this time, it seemed to pass a certain threshold; Mother Earth, who had previously had the upper hand, was pushed back upon collision, even reddish marks appeared on her hands. It was not that Zeus had be stronger, but Gaia had be weaker. The three days and nights of battle appeared to have exhausted the current Order''s patience with this Primordial Deity. The immense suppression that descended, had it fallen upon Zeus, would have been enough to make the newly emerged Divine King immediately fall back, even reverting to a state worse than before his ascension. While Gaia was not so reduced, she too was weakened unimaginably. Now, she once again took the ce of Zeus, who had just touched greatness, and the Lord of Hell, bing the edge of the Great Divine Power. "It''s over, Gaia, abandon your futile actions. In the presence of the gods and in the name of the Divine King, I have never once stolen the Golden Apple Tree," His expression indifferent, Zeus slowly began: "If you are now willing to recognize your error and relinquish your meaningless usations against me, then I, too, will respond with mercy, forgiving your presumptuous actions of today without further ado." As his voice faded, the Divine King looked calmly at Mother Earth, as if the victory was already in his grasp, and indeed, it was. The scene quieted down, and the gods waited for Gaia''s response. Victory was no longer within Mother Earth''s reach, not even the chance for mutual destruction. Her only choices now were perhaps a dignified or a disgraceful departure. As for truly suppressing her, that was rather unlikely, but Zeus had never intended to do that either. The authority of the Divine King was established, and anything more would be overdoing it. "..." Without a reply, and paying no heed to Zeus''s exnation, Gaia, struck down with a blow, merely looked at her hands now reddened with welts. All the life in the world seemed to be mocking her, and as she looked around, she could not find a single person to stand by her side. "..." "..." "Hahaha... Zeus, son of Uranus, offspring of Cronus..." After a moment, Gaia lifted her head, looking at the Divine King who stood proudly among the clouds. Her voice was a bit hoarse, but at this moment, the entire continent seemed to echo with her voice. "I curse you." "I curse you... My era may have passed, but one day, yours will alsoe to an end." "I will be waiting for you, Zeus... I will be waiting until the end of all things." Boom¡ª Long before Gaia had spoken her second sentence, the Arrows of Thunder struck down again, but this time, the Divine King could do nothing to stop it. Gaia''s figure had disappeared; no one could stop her on the earth, even as she neared the brink of copse. And her final curse spread through heaven and earth with the trembling sounds of the earth''s crust. The expression of the Divine King remained unchanged, as if he did not care about the helpless rage of the loser making her exit, but only Hera, who knew him well, noticed that Zeus might not be as calm inside as he appeared.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Because she had once heard Zeus speak of the ''prophecy'' given before the dissolution of the second-generation Divine King. "Zeus, a curse without the support of power is meaningless, nothing more than empty words... Now, it is time to do what a Divine King must," Stepping forward, Hera spoke softly. "...Yes, a joke, nothing but thest attempt at dignity by an old-timer of the bygone era unwilling to leave the stage," Nodding, Zeus took a deep breath, turned around, and looked at the gods bowing their heads under his gaze. Not by the election of the gods, but by supreme power, he was now truly the Divine King. Chapter 404: Chapter 107: Saint Knight and Refusal A power that surpassed the gods still diffused between heaven and earth, bringing a certain intangible oppression, and outside of Mount Olympus, under the Divine King''s gaze, the gods remained silent. But that was all. Although they had chosen to be mere observers in the previous struggle due to a misjudgment of the situation, the gods were not overly panicked now in the face of the victorious Divine King who had returned. After all, their choices had not varied, nor had they taken any further action. Thus, unless the Divine King intended to rule the world alone, it was unlikely that he would actually do anything to them. Moreover, Mother Earth had been defeated, not killed, and there was that brief sh of darkness three days ago... But these were mere spections. Perhaps the increase in power might even change Zeus''s personality, so at this moment, the gods were quietly waiting for the Divine King''s next move. Of course, there were some exceptions among the gods, such as Ker, the God of Destruction. As Hades''s subordinate, his presence here was merely to substitute for Hades and witness the banquet where Zeus would confer the title of principal gods, so even if he made the same choice as the other gods, he still stood aside quite naturally. There was also the Goddess of Justice, who had just returned to Mount of the Gods not long ago. She likewise did not stand with any other deity and instead stayed alone in midair, calmly watching everything. The goddess seemed to be pondering something, asionally ncing back in the direction of Mount Olympus. She caressed the hilt of the sword at her waist, her eyes reflecting hesitation and relief. Since receiving this sword symbolizing "Justice," she seemed to have never truly used it¡ªthe Divine Artifact meant to purge evil had always remained untouched. Since when had it been like this? The goddess didn''t quite remember. Perhaps, since the First Age, it had always been this way. This is the world of the gods, the world of the immortals. Having stayed here for so long, even she herself seemed to have forgotten what ''justice'' was. On the contrary, in the human tribes recently, Themis had seen something. Perhaps, much of the time, unless there is a ''perfect'' monarch, ''justice'' and w'' do not necessarily align. They intersect at times but also conflict. "Princess Themis, it has been a long time indeed," Without immediately attending to the other gods, the Divine King looked towards his nominally senior rtive with a smile, but his question was direct. "Do you have any different opinions regarding what I have just done?" "As you can see, what happened today is not what I wished to see, but it is not for me to decide. If possible, I hope that you can offer a conclusion in your capacity as the arbitrator, letting more lives know the beginnings and the right and wrong of the matter." The Divine King''s intentions were clear. As the first battle he''d fought since disying his power, it was naturally meant to be perfect and justified. However, Gaia''s curse as she left had made him seem like some kind of viin, so Zeus hoped that Themis would endorse his actions. And it wasn''t about creating a false narrative. Indeed, Zeus believed that although he''d certainly done plenty of things that were hard to speak of, at least in the matter concerning Gaia, he hadn''t actually been in the wrong. Even now, after harboring some spection, he reiterated that he was the innocent party. After all, whether he had ever seen the Golden Apple Tree was something Zeus himself was more than clear about. "Regarding the battle today, if you are seeking my opinion, Zeus, I have noments about Mother Earth''s matter." "She failed to provide evidence to prove you did anything, and her actions indeed posed a threat to the world''s order. So, the current world''s response to this is only natural." Without letting her personal view of Zeus affect her judgment, Themis indifferently gave her response. This was, in fact, a sentiment shared among the gods¡ªthey didn''t quite understand Gaia''s hysteria. Before Mother Earth awoke, many among them had foreseen today''s scene, as her conflict with the Divine King was almost unavoidable. However, in the eyes of the gods, this was at most a dispute about the God of Meteorology, Crius. Perhaps in the end, unable to reach an agreement, Gaia indeed would have resorted to force, but more likely, Zeus would have stepped back once more, yielding in the presence of the Primordial Gods; there should have been no other path of development. Yet, when the event actually happened, the Divine King''s power indeed surprised the gods, but Gaia''s actions also left them baffled. Madness, paranoia, iprehension, and even an unwillingness to listen to exnations¡ªthe other side had directly concluded that Zeus had stolen her Divine Tree and apanying Divine Artifact¡ªof course, they indeed had doubted whether Zeus had truly stolen the Golden Apple Tree, but while the tree was somewhat understandable, what about the Life Vase? As Mother Earth''s apanying Divine Artifact, it would slumber along with its owner and reject anyone other than its master from using it. Stealing such an artifact would bring about nothing but scorn from the gods, with little to gain.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om "To hear your fair judgment on this matter is truly more than I could ask for. In fact, I still find myself puzzled by it to this day. Perhaps Mother Earth has indeed slept for too long." Zeus nodded in satisfaction, his lips curving into a smile as he received the response he desired. Chapter 405: Chapter 107: Saint Knight and Refusal_2 Another matter resolved... He gave Themis a smile. He once found his aunt quite troublesome, but now he saw she was rather agreeable. Thus, the Divine King turned around; with that issue settled, the next step was to continue the unfinished ceremony. He prepared to say something, yet behind him, the voice of Themis came again. "Zeus, the affair of Mother Earth is indeed as you say, but what transpired today is not limited to just that. Regarding Metis and Athena, shouldn''t you say something?" With a calm demeanor, the Goddess of Justice slowly spoke from behind the Divine King. "...Your Highness Themis, that is a personal matter of mine now, isn''t it?" With a slight frown, facing the goddess''s questioning, Zeus had no choice but to confront his aunt again. However, he had long been prepared for this matter. "ording to the statutes of the Divine Court, it seems nothing is mentioned about such provisions, beyond fulfilling godly duties and the basic requirements; what the gods do is a personal matter. As for my daughter with Metis, Athena... I will indeed give her thepensation she deserves. There''s no need to say more on this matter, is there?" Without addressing the right or wrong of the situation with Metis, Zeus merely referred to thews of the Divine Court. Yes, when he first requested Themis to refine thews, he had insisted on this point¡ªthat the Divine Court should only deal with the regtions regarding the deities'' responsibilities, rights, and duties, and not attempt to control every action and word of the gods. On the one hand, Zeus himself could never ept aw which even considered him a ''criminal'', and on the other hand, all deities have an instinctive aversion to such constraints. Chapter Read: They would rather decree the oue of an affair after its urrence, than set standards of judgment in advance. Therefore, respecting the ''views of the gods'', the Divine King naturally obeyed this when discussing the statutes with the goddess. By his reasoning, aw is meaningful only when recognized by all. If a regtion nobody liked was forcefully enacted, it would amount only to violence and tyranny. As the ''Goddess of Justice'', she should not do this, and indeed, at the time, Themis was persuaded. Only now did she start to grasp the problem with this. "Thews of the Divine Court... Yes, I createdws as you requested before, and they were indeed as such." It wasn''t surprising to her, Themis nodded. Turning to look at the surrounding gods, a realization dawned on her. When she walked in the Mortal Realm, simr feelings were already arising within her. And now, these feelings were solidified. "Perhaps, my choice was indeed wrong. Thousands of years have passed... And I''ve never truly understood my godly duty."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "Hmm? What are you talking about, what is wrong?" With an uneasy premonition, Zeus squinted his eyes. He was not afraid of confrontation in terms of power; the goddess before him was no match anymore, but his instincts told him that what Themis intended to do had nothing to do with power. "The mistake I speak of... Is naturally choosing to stay in the Divine Court." Taking a deep breath, at that moment, Themis finally understood what had been bothering her all this time. In the past, except for the time she spent legiting for the present world, she felt she had never truly fulfilled her responsibilities. The Goddess had made efforts, but the results were always unsatisfactory. She was like a spectator invoking ''justice'', and when it came to what had actually been achieved, it amounted to nothing. Themis had always been puzzled by this, but now, she was somewhat clear. In the Chaos World, the purpose of thew itself was to maintain an order established by a higher being, and this higher existence was sometimes the order of the present world, and at other times, the Divine King. Hence, when Themis faced the invitation of Zeus, she didn''t refuse, because, in her view, the Divine Court indeed seemed a ce suitable for fulfilling her duties, and so she epted the position of ''judge''. However, unfortunately, she had forgotten one thing. If she were merely the Goddess of Law, the Divine King or the world made no difference to her. However, besidesw, she was also in charge of fairness and justice. Thus, this was the source of her longstanding difort: the world''sws were indeed fair¡ªthey merely aimed at equally reducing all threatening elements. That''s why Themis felt a resonance with her godly duty and a joy from deep within when legiting. In contrast, the Divine King was different; they never talked about justice, even the previous Divine King hadmitted acts like swallowing his children. Therein lies the fundamental conflict: if the very object thatw serves does not align with ''fairness'' and ''justice'', then the results it brings could never be good, and this is also a problem that''s difficult to resolve. Unless a beingpletely aligned with Themis''s ideology is found, it''s nearly impossible for her to execute all her divine duties. But that is almost impossible, because everyone understands fairness and justice differently. So, at this moment, Themis finally made her decision. If they can''t be aplished together, thenplete them separately. But no matter how it''s done, the Divine Court is not where she should stay. Remaining here, all the Goddess can do is witness more ''injustice'' and ''unfairness'' without bringing any significance to her. Perhaps the Mortal Realm is far more suited for her than here. Chapter 406: Chapter 107: Saint Knight and Refusal_3 Just as Laine said, she indeed should summon some who align with her ideals and are willing to follow her will. Over the past period, she had been observing these newly born humans. Among them were the bad and the good, those who disgusted the goddess and those who brought her joy. She would select those who met the criteria, and then split her power into two parts: one part, guided by the "Golden Bnce," would aid them in judging right from wrong in the mortal world. The other part, embodied by the "Sword of Judgment," would pureheartedly decree life or death based on the simplicity of good and evil. This divine artifact that embodied the authority of "justice" was already capable of detecting the sinsmitted by living beings. With a mere application based on the authority''s power, Themis could bestow this strength upon her followers, granting them the ability to "Detect Evil" as well as more formidable power over the sinful. Even more so, the goddess nned to visit those ''Celestial n'' neighbors once her realm in the Spirit World was established. As a convergence of positive energy, they would surely be willing to contribute. When the time came, those chosen humans would be called "Saint Knights." "Wait, you mean, you''re leaving the Divine Court?" Zeus''s expression subtly shifted when the goddess''s words fell, uncertain of what she was contemting. He had considered using more persuasion, as he had in the past, but what he hadn''t anticipated was Themis making such a decision. He wanted to say more, but this time, the goddess wasn''t interested in listening. "You wanted aw that fits your requirements, Zeus, and I have provided it. With your current power, it seems I cannot stop you from doing whatever you may." "Such is the Deity Race... Perhaps the world of the gods truly doesn''t suit me. Here, power is more useful than rules." With a detached voice, Themis took onest look at Olympus. On this somewhat dpidated Mount of the Gods, her temple had been destroyed and would no longer need to be rebuilt in the future. Turning away, the goddess took out a ck cloth, covering her eyes once again after an era had passed. Then, for the first time in her life, she drew the Golden Sword from her waist. (See 1-17/2-7) The Golden Sword hummed faintly, as though responding to its master''s power. It instinctively sensed that it finally had a purpose for its existence. "From now on, it shall rece my eyes and ''see'' the world for me. If the gods agree with your reasoning, then they won''t need my help. But if we meet in the Mortal Realm..." Chapter Continue: "It will show no mercy to you!" Fading into light, the goddess''s form gradually vanished. On Mount Olympus, the Divine King stretched out his hand, but ultimately did nothing. He remembered the fleeting darkness from not long ago and another force... "...Ha, Primordial Deity... It won''t be long, Gaia was the first, but she won''t be thest¡ª." Whispering quietly, he set another goal for himself in his heart. However, before he finished speaking, Zeus''s expression subtly changed. "...Divine King,e to me." The voice entered his ears silently, without any trace of its source. Yet sensing a breath suddenly rising from afar, Zeus recognized the visitor. "The incident is over, my fellows, return to the mountain first." With a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth, the Divine King addressed the gods without any outward sign. He headed toward the ravaged Olympus, while on the other side, a form quietly retreated into the distance. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Below ground, the Underworld. The events on the surface had concluded, but beneath the earth, today''s urrences still continued. A change that would once again affect the world was about to happen, but, just like every time in the past, there had been a slight mishap. Standing before the gates of Tartarus, Gaia incredulously discovered that the Abyss, a ce of pure instinct, had actually denied her. Chapter 407 - 108: Master of Hundreds of Millions of Monsters Note: In mythology, creatures like the three-headed dog, nine-headed hydra, and chimera can all be called demons. So, just like "Sword of Punishment" and "Immortal me" mentioned earlier, this is actually amonly used vocabry in Western fantasy novels. The following is the main text: ... In the ever-dark Underworld dominated by murky colors, the sound of the river of fire rolled incessantly. Waves of moltenva would asionally sweep up white bones on the shore, emitting a sizzling noise. Amidst the ever-expanding Underworld, the pale purple glow of the Moon remained unchanged. Under its illumination, a dim yellow brilliance streaked across the gray in. Along the way, the dull light flickered erratically; although it moved swiftly, it gave off a sense of teetering on the brink of copse. However, no matter how much it wobbled, it ultimately continued to fly in the sky, heading straight for a destination. Through the flickering divine light, the brown hem of a garment was clearly visible. Without a doubt, this was Gaia, who had left Mount Olympus not long ago. Unlike the gods who had always walked the Earth, Gaia had experienced apact series of events. ¡¯A few days ago,¡¯ she had just gone through the ordeal of an epochal transition, and upon awakening, she was faced with such a blow. One could imagine the impact this had on Gaia, which is why she did not return to her former seclusion spot, but instead came to the Underworld. Delphi had been left with nothing, and the few remaining relics were merely mocking Mother Earth¡¯s impotence. However, she also did not resort to her essence after repeated failures, because the reason Gaia chose to leave rather than fight to the death with the Divine King was that in her heart, she still had a glimmer of hope. Even if all living things turned against her, against the very foundation of the current world, Chaos was not just of this world. Even if all the life that had grown upon her robust form was now her enemy, on the other side of the world, in a realm dominated by Chaos, there were other sacred beings. If intelligent life regarded her as nothing, then Gaia would seek out the unintelligent; if beings of Order shunned her, then she would choose to embrace Chaos. In the past, among the four Primordial Deities born from Chaos, only the Abyss did not have direct offspring born from its own strength, which might have been seen as something the side of Order was happy to witness. But now, Mother Earth was prepared to change that herself. Let the child of Chaos descend upon the world... As an avatar of the other side of the world, it would be like the ¡¯king¡¯ of the Abyss, just as Zeus was of this world. And just as Chaos was hostile to Order, the offspring of Tartarus would inevitably be hostile to the Divine King, and all Gaia needed to do was to bring it into this world. As for how to aplish this, it wasn¡¯t difficult. There were two Gods of Sun, but Helios could never surpass his father, Hyperion. There have been two generations of the Queen of Gods at the helm of Fertility, but in this respect, Hera still could not match her. "Cough cough..." "Cough cough cough..." "Huff¡ª" Hope was rising in her heart, but the weariness of her body persisted, making Gaia¡¯s form stagger. Violent coughs continued to emanate from within the glow of divinity, and even her spirit was bing somewhat blurry, a deep fatigue sweeping over Gaia. She was well aware that these symptoms were a sign that her status was on the verge of shattering. The shackles of the world were as heavy as the sky itself, oppressing Gaia so much that she could barely breathe. Her weakening strength was causing her remaining status to totter as if it could disintegrate at any moment. Of course, although it seemed this way, Gaia could still be certain that such a thing would not actually happen. On one hand, she still had a little bit of strength left, not quite a dead end, and on the other hand, she was, after all, a Primordial God, and her essence supported the material realm. Even if her connection to her essence had be much less tight than that of the other Primordial Gods due to the degree of personification, it still existed. This connection, which was even closer than with the original Titans and the symbol of Godhood, meant that it was impossible for her to truly fallpletely. However, it was for this very reason that she felt such a strong sense of ¡¯sleepiness.¡¯ For her, the so-called ¡¯fall from grace¡¯ had another more apt expression, which was ¡¯half an eternal slumber.¡¯ As Mother Earth, Gaia could not genuinely be weakened to the domain of strong divine power. However, this was not a guarantee of her omnipotence, it just meant that she would stop the fall of her status in that instant and then transfer all the pressure onto her personified self until it was forced to copse into nothingness. Once that day arrived, Gaia¡¯s will would be sent back to rest within her essence to maintain her own strength. But this time, she would no longer be able to choose when to wake up. It might be ten thousand years, mayhaps several tens of thousands, or it could be an eternal sleep, all depending on her recovery and the changes in Law during that time. And over such a long period of time... nobody knows what could happen. "Huff... I still have a chance." "Zeus... As Mother Earth, my strength was never just about myself!" With gritted teeth and mustering her spirit, Gaia continued to race through the vast Underworld. Explore more adventures at NovelBin.C?m N?v(el)B\\jnn The ashen scenery shed by around her, asionally with some sparks of light, but she no longer had the energy to pay attention to her surroundings. At this point, Gaia was simply following an invisible intuition, heading toward her brother who had been born after her but had never had a thought of his own. Chapter 408 - 108: Master of Hundreds of Millions of Monsters_2 As she got closer and closer, thews that instinctively repelled the current gods also grew more intense, until at a certain moment, Gaia¡¯s semi-conscious spirit trembled slightly, and she regained some rity. Raising her head, the yellow light fell to the ground and Gaia looked around, observing the familiar yet foreign ce. She had been here more than once, but she had never entered. It wasn¡¯t just because of the dangers inside; as one of the main entities of the existing world, Mother Earth was just as averse to the chaotic breath of the Abyss. But now, she had no other options. Standing on the darknd tainted by the Power of the Abyss, Gaia gazed at the invisible portal formed by the ovep of Tartarus and the Underworld. This junction, connecting the inner and outer worlds, unleashed distorted and bizarre forces, constantly washing the surrounding space like the tides. Even in the Underworld, it stood out as distinctly out of ce. The Underworld was, after all, part of Order, but the Abyss was not. "Heh, I really never expected... in the end, it seems you haven¡¯t given up on me..." Sighing deeply, Gaia shook her head as if to rouse her spirit. Feeling the vastness of the Abyss, Mother Earth opened her arms and began to release her Divine Authority and Origin. In an instant, strands of bright yellow silk emerged from Gaia¡¯s being, floating forward and interweaving with the chaotic-colored streams flowing from the other side of the world. It was as if one was embracing the other, just as it was at the creation of the world when the Abyss was born beneath the earth, the two tightly connected. Simultaneously, following the entangled forces of both, Gaia resolutely conveyed her will. Even without reason, the Abyss was ultimately closer to ¡¯Life.¡¯ Thus, It could spawn offspring, so long as there was a mother powerful enough to bear Its force, along with an infusion from Its Source Power. "...Come,e... Tartarus, merge with me... I will ept your power, give birth to a new divine being, and it shall be your bridge to the current world..." Driven by intense negative emotions, with tremendous Hatred as the cause, Gaia tried to stir Tartarus¡¯s desires, using her capacity to foster all Life. Her power was no longer sufficient to exact revenge on the gods, but the Abyss certainly could. Even now, Gaia still harbored rejection and disgust towards the force of Chaos, and she was well aware that the progeny born of such a union could never be as radiant and perfect as the gods. But she no longer cared about that. At this moment, Gaia¡¯s Hatred had overwhelmed everything else. All she wanted was to make those who had failed her pay. So now, all she needed was¡ª "¡ªHmm?" Her expression changed as if she had encountered something iprehensible. On the ck earth, Gaia stared intently at everything in front of her. In front of her, the ovepped area of Tartarus and the Underworld still existed, with indescribable forces swirling around, and Gaia¡¯s Origin still intertwined with the breath of the Abyss. But in this moment, Mother Earth distinctly felt her extended force met with nothingness, an absence of any response, no matter what kind of presence she offered. Read thetest on NovelBin.C?m No, it was not just ack of response. Faintly, there was also a feeling of rejection. It was as if the Abyss considered Gaia a threat and therefore refused her approach outright. "Why? This feeling... it¡¯s impossible, it can¡¯t be!" "You¡¯re supposed to be just instinctual, how can you reject me?!" With each word punctuated, Gaia lost herposure again, feeling the absurdity of the separation emanating from the depths of the Abyss. It seemed as though the world had changed its appearance after just one sleep, and even the eternal Abyss was no longer the same. Propagating Life is an innate yearning of the world, and Tartarus should be no exception. In the past, it didn¡¯t matter if the Abyss didn¡¯t actively propagate Life, but now that she was offering It the opportunity, why would It reject her? Unless, It had already achieved Its goal through another method. With the first one, Gaia¡¯s existence had be meaningless. "It can¡¯t be, it can¡¯t be... Maybe it¡¯s just not possible from the outside... I should go in and see for myself!" The hope that had kindled seemed to burst. Looking at the twisted space before her, Gaia bit her lip. The Abyss was a ce she dared not delve too deeply into, a ce that could even weaken the connection between the Primordial Gods and their very essence, but given the situation, she could only go in and see. So she took a step forward, and the world around her changed, her figure blurring. A kind of spatial-temporal transfer was urring when, just as the transfer was about toplete, the unexpected once again happened. Bang¡ª With a muffled sound, her body, which had be ethereal, solidified as if it had struck something, and Gaia reappeared in the original spot, even stumbling back several steps. "Cough, cough, cough..." Harsh coughing rang out again, but Gaia could only stare incredulously at the void in front of her. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "You refuse my entrance? Why, why is this happening?" Question after question arose, but the Abyss did not respond. Faced with her own closed domain, the hope that had just risen in Gaia¡¯s heart shattered once again. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Faint purple Moonlight shone on the Underworld, bringing a slight vibrancy to the destend. Nobody knew that at the gateway to the Abyss, an event that seemed ordinary, yet defied the intended course of destiny, had taken ce. Chapter 409: Chapter 108: Master of Hundreds of Millions of Monsters_3 Tartarus rejected Gaia, even directly turning her away from his door, something that even Laine had not anticipated. In his view, the birth of Typhon was inevitable, involving the fate of a collision between two worlds, so just like the session of the Divine King, the King of All Monsters was certain to be born, which was an oue that could not be changed by the current course of time. However, whether it could be understood or whatever deeper reasonsy behind it, the reality was just as it was. Once Tartarus''s core had birthed its own life, it no longer desired new life. When another ne had been established within himself, he instinctively began to reject any powerful being attempting to enter his body. And Gaia, no matter how weak she became, could not change her nature as a Primordial God. "Ah¡ª!" A piercing scream shook the entire Underworld, echoing across the endless grey dust. Countless lower wraiths vanished in an instant, while within the Fields of Truth, the recently calmed Divine Pce of Hades began to shake again, causing Hades himself to change color again and again. He hadn''t had any good days recently; earthquakes shook thend, and even the underground was affected like a fish caught in a pond drained dry. He could only try his best to stabilize the core of the Underworld, and then hope the war above would end quickly. But unexpectedly, although the war had ended, Gaia hade to the Underworld. This made Hades somewhat apprehensive, for who could fathom Mother Earth''s thoughts? What if she had suffered at the hands of Zeus and sought to take revenge on Hades? These were uncertain matters, but regardless, Hades could only wait for the oue. Gaia''s power, no matter how weakened, was still beyond his reach. Meanwhile, Mother Earth''s shrill voice had also drawn the attention of other deities. Erebus and Laine, who had already returned to the surface, nced briefly in this direction before turning their gaze away. The former thought it just another impotent rage from Gaia; thetter considered it a prelude to the birth of Typhon. So a full half-day passed, and when quiet finally returned to the Underworld, when Gaia had calmed down, she remained standing alone at the entrance to the Abyss, without any being having acknowledged her actions.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Lying supine on the ground, Mother Earth''sst hope was extinguished. The gods of this world had abandoned her, the Primordial Deities ignored her, even the Abyss, which by nature should have been impossible to resist, had resisted her entrance. At this moment, Gaia did not know what the purpose of her existence was. The extreme loneliness and despair, and the consequent desire for destruction. She wanted to destroy everything in the world, to make all things feel her pain, but she sadly realized that it was precisely in this matter that she could draw the world''s attention. As long as she truly dared to do so, the Laws of the world would naturally respond to her with the same intensity. She was not a great entity fused into one with the original; this meant her existence itself was not that important. Even she was graduallying to the realization that perhaps the best Mother Earth for the world was her, on the verge of copse, sleeping within the original being. e...'' "Why, why don''t you all just die? Why do you have to exist in this world, why is everything against me..." She started out grinding her teeth, but her voice gradually grew lower. Gaia hoped something would tell her the answer, but there was nothing to respond to her. ''...'' At this moment, she had nowhere to go. Her children born from herself, The Sky, the oceans, and the mountains had all vanished from this world, and all these seemed to hint at something. e...'' Exhausted and lying on the ground, drowsiness surged up wave after wave; as the forcibly sustained spirit rxed, what greeted Gaia was the world''s deeper oppression. Again in the Underworld, she released her power, scant though it was. For Mother Earth, already in apromised state, it was adding insult to injury. Her thoughts grew chaotic, and at that moment, Gaia even felt she was hallucinating, with something gesturing to her, calling her toe forward. e...'' e...'' "..e!" "Who!" Startled awake, Gaia ''opened'' her eyes, only to find she was no longer in the Underworld. A beam of light and shadow hovered in the sky, the dark red earth seeming soaked in blood, and at the center of heaven and earth, chains extended from the void, binding a crimson colossus that was hard to describe¡ªthe ''arm'' she had just glimpsed was actually one of its branches. Life... perfection... unity... various vague concepts were understood by Gaia, gazing at the giant tree as if she were gazing at some absolute truth. "This, where is this... How did I¡ªno!" "This is still the Underworld... I haven''t moved at all." Her spirit gave a jolt, and Mother Earth''s scattered consciousness cleared a bit. She looked carefully around, and this time, Gaia quickly perceived something amiss. The dark red earth and the majestic, holy giant tree were both illusions, or more precisely, they were reflections of a distant space. The only real and true thing was that segment of the branch. It was a semi-transparent red branch, with crystal-clear leaves like the most perfect work of art, or rather, its very existence was synonymous with ''perfect life.'' It defined the ultimate form of life; gazing at it, the content previously understood from the Life Vase seemed trivial. And in front of Gaia, this section of branch kept swaying gently, a force, though minute, of unimaginable essence emanating from it, and it was this force that had earlier affected Mother Earth''s perception. Chapter 410: Chapter 108: Master of Hundreds of Millions of Monsters_4 Despite being from a ''quantitative'' perspective less powerful than even the weakest True God, by virtue of its supreme essence, it momentarily confounded the judgment of the Primordial Deities. Even with Gaia in a poor state, this was enough to leave one astonished. Yet, amidst her vignce while observing the peculiar scene before her, she unexpectedly felt a tinge of pleasure. "What are you?" "Why have youe to find me... and for what purpose?" She spoke softly. In any case, this mysterious presence hiding behind the scenes was the only ''person'' giving Gaia a response at this moment. Driven by a subtle sense of affinity, she developed a slight fondness for it. ''...'' ''...'' ''...Look...'' ''...'' Seemingly unable to articte clearly, as the branches swayed slightly, no further information came through; only a y of light and shadow that slowly materialized in front of Mother Earth. It was a somewhat unfamiliar world. Within a realm brimming with ''vibrancy,'' a tree symbolizing life and eternity stood unassumingly, with All Spirits dwelling blissfully, living in harmony. But such tranquility did notst forever. One day, stability was eventually breached by some external force that probed this world. It suppressed the tree''s power and began to consume and plunder the entire realm. And soon after, a minion of Its arrived in this world, taking in its beauty and the unique nature of the tree. The dark figure was so powerful and confident that It brazenly struck at the tree, forcing the tree into retaliation. During the sh, due to an initial oversight, a branch was thrust into the dark figure''s hand and then transformed into a residing power within it. The flicker of light and shadow, sequence after sequence, shed by rapidly. Another figure arrived, joining forces with the previous shadow to oppose the enemy, yet the tree was not overwhelmed. Despite this, the oue at a world level was always bound to the world itself; the tree did not lose to the Outsider but was ultimately sealed away as the world''s energy copsed. From then on, images of It vanished, leaving only the broken branch in the rapidly changing scenes. As light and shadow transitioned, this unexpected, unsealed force seemed to have experienced much. With time''s passage and several failed attempts at expulsion, the power in the branch eventually found residence within a mass of flesh and blood. Atst, the once-wounded dark figure one day extracted them together and handed them to a silhouette familiar to Gaia. It was her former Maid, one of the leaders of the Nymphs at Mother Earth''s side. Only now the figure was no longer as weak as before, instead radiating a powerful aura, with a tall Golden Apple Tree swaying gracefully behind her. "..." "..." "..." The vision ended, and everything became clear. An endless chill invaded her bones, but this time, Gaia did not rant or rave. Having calmed down, she had regained much rity. Gaia knew that such behavior served no purpose other than to vent emotions futilely and only provided others amusement. However, with the closing of the light and shadow, this ancient Mother Goddess unraveled many mysteries and dispelled numerous doubts. Fragments from beyond, Chaos exerted its power to suppress; Erebus and Laine, who arrived one after the other, and... the silhouette of her former Maid, Moanda. Perhaps Zeus wasn''t indeed the mastermind¡ªhe was just an aplice to the Lord of Darkness, and even Laine had a part in it. It was his power that allowed Moanda to somehow upy the Golden Apple Tree as a body. However, ording to the light and shadow, that annoying Master of Spirituality wasn''t the ultimate victor either; he was outyed by Erebus and Zeus together. So, in the end, the ''film'' showed the apple tree and Divine Artifact falling into the hands of her brother hidden in the darkness, with Zeus gaining the Golden Apple and the friendship of another Primordial God, while Laine, who was also involved, gained nothing.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om That also exined why a few days ago, Laine suddenly ''attacked'' the Deities, with Erebus stepping in to ''protect.'' Previously blinded by rage, Gaia hadn''t thought it through, but now, she felt she could finally see the truth. Just like her, Laine was also dissatisfied with the actions of the Divine King and the Dark Overlord. Only he wasn''t as impulsive as she had been; instead, he chose an appropriate moment for revenge, even temporarily opting to withdraw when initially opposed. Perhaps, for a Primordial God, this was the most rational course of action. Eternal beings should not fret over temporary victories or defeats¡ªyet Gaia also knew, if she had remained calm, she wouldn''t have ended up like this. It''s easy to change a kingdom but hard to change one''s nature; knowing something doesn''t mean you can change it. But now that she had figured everything out, Mother Earth shifted her focus. "The underworld, huh... that should belong to me!" She murmured, her faint voice carrying waves of hatred. Now, Gaia wanted nothing more than to go there immediately, to seize that traitorous Elf and subject her to eternal torment. Yet, just as she took half a step, as if realizing something, she couldn''t help but stop. Erebus... Even a slight calm had Gaia recalling the true gap between them. She knew that unlike Zeus, even without the suppression of the Law, facing this Lord of Darkness, she stood no chance. No matter how much she was willing to sacrifice, no matter how fiercely she struggled, in the face of absolute power, she could never surpass her brother. Chapter 411: Chapter 108: Master of Hundreds of Millions of Monsters_5 Therefore, she needed an assistant. "So what about you, what''s your purpose, what do you want to do?" Turning around, she looked at the swaying branches in the void, Gaia suppressed the emotions in her heart. An entity sealed by Chaos, one that could even draw against two Great Divine Powers under the world''s suppression, a Divine Tree that dominated a realm, was by no means anything harmless. Even her cunning brother had already suffered from it, and The Dark Overlord, who had never touched this level of power, did not realize that he had actually started to expel the disease-like strength bit by bit, but it had not actually been destroyed, instead, ity hidden in the dark. This nearly "immortal" nature... for a moment, Gaia couldn''t think of anything that could match it, the only thing that might be considered its equal, was only one. That was the undying root of gods. Although Gaia felt that the "immortality" of the branches in front of her was not as strong, there was already a faint simrity between them. If it was a power of that level... The Lord of Darkness and Zeus were probably no different. ''...''n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om ''...You...'' ''...'' ''...Life...'' ''...'' The branches swayed again, a vague intention came from them, but quite easily, Gaia understood its meaning. It needed her, needed her power, and the reason it had chosen to appear before Mother Earth was precisely because of Gaia''s hatred for all things in heaven and earth, as well as the authority she had shown when facing Tartarus. Fertility Divine Authority... This was the only thing It wanted Gaia to do. Not to provide power, just to serve as a mother, as a Primordial Deity rooted in the Chaos World, for Gaia to give birth to the Mother Tree and her offspring, then to endow this life with an identity to walk in the world. The only two missions for this newborn life were to leave behind more ''traces'' of the Mother Tree in Chaos and to follow Mother Earth''smands, to help her aplish certain things¡ªsuch as the revenge on the Divine King and the current world that she longed for. "...So, are you asking me to betray thews of the present world, and invite your Outsider''s invasion?" After a brief silence, looking at the branches before her, Gaia seemed to be talking to It, as if she was talking to herself. "Certainly, I can do that, but what you''re offering me is not enough." Gently clenching her fist, Gaia sensed the other''s power again. It was strong and had an erosive nature, but nevertheless, it could not corrupt a Primordial Deity as long as the present world''s Law remained intact. Although the order of the current world was increasingly distasteful to Gaia, she would still not allow Mother Earth''s consciousness to be tainted by other things. So, remembering her powerlessness when facing Zeus and the pressure of the Law still weighing upon her up to this day, she finally made up her mind. "Mother¡­ Tree... that''s what I''ll call you." "I can agree to your request, but what it has, I should have too." "The power you give it... leave a share for me as well." ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ In silence, in a corner of the Underworld, an agreement was reached between the remnants of a Foreign Realm and Chaos''s Mother Earth, hence, a new life''s seed began to gestate deep within the earth. It carried Typhon''s fate, but it was not just limited to that, in this increasingly unpredictable world, it would certainly leave more traces in the world and alter the direction fate is supposed to take. [Lord of a myriad of demons], inter times some would call it this; others believed it was a symbol of the fallen, the origin of many "evil beings" from ancient times, the beginning of numerous disasters in the material realm. However, as the offspring of the Flesh-Mother Tree, there was one thingter mystics agreed upon. The end of the ancient third epoch was closely rted to it, and in that lost chapter of history, it was undoubtedly an indispensable existence. Chapter 412: Chapter 109 Minta and Advice At the heart of the Underworld, the Fields of Truth. Unlike the edge where Gaia was currently located, even the always deste Underworld inevitably looked a bit different at its core.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om The towering Divine Pce of Hades was built here, surrounded by many strangely styled buildings that were establishedyer byyer. Their existence was like a decoration, making the bleak interface appear more vibrant. But that was all days ago. Now, this realm that had suffered an unprovoked disaster looked far from intact. "Whooosh¡ª" "¡ªBang!" Following a loud noise, Hades''s mouth twitched slightly. He watched the wall, which had copsed simply from his touch, and his pale face unavoidably darkened a bit. This was not an isted case; simr situations were scattered all around. Faced with this sudden disaster, Hades didn''t know what would be appropriate to say. This was not the first time. Before, because of the Goddess of the Nether Moon, the Divine Pce that had just been constructed had already fallen to ruin once. Now, not long after, it was destroyed once again. Apart from his own main hall, which was still intact, the vast Fields of Truth above were inplete disarray. Even though Hades didn''t particrly care about these superficial structures, he couldn''t help feeling somewhat annoyed. But that was all he could do. After all, Zeus and Gaia were responsible for all this, and judging by the previous battle, neither was someone he could afford to provoke at the moment. With no other options, Hades could only ept his bad luck. He nced around once more and then gestured. As an invisible wave spread, a certain message was also sent out by him. Soon, an armored ''warrior'' rushed over from afar, kneeling on one knee, showing loyalty to his sovereign. Though called a warrior, the negative energy swirling around and the faintly burning Soulfire revealed the identity of the other as a wraith. This was one of Hades''s achievements in recent years, a being resurrected from the corpses of Bronze Humanity. And what''s more crucial is that the one before him was somewhat special. He had a more vigorous life energy before death, which allowed him to survive a bit longer in the flood. Seeing the Underworld was still in a state of reconstruction, Hades naturally did not hold back. He acted ahead of time when the other was on the brink of death and manually turned him into a wraith. The other had not disappointed Hades, bing a rare and strong existence among wraiths in just a century. Most importantly, he was utterly loyal to Hades. Thus, Hades naturally took him as a close retainer and even hoped that he could learn more and be an able assistant to himself. "Evans, what''s the situation with the casualties?" "And in the recent upheaval... never mind, there''s no need to worry about that." Shaking his head without saying anything more, Hades''s question was to the point. Although it hadn''t been long, even if there weren''t many such intelligent higher wraiths, nor could they be described as devout believers, Hades was still gradually experiencing the sweet benefits of the Power of Faith. Moreover, as a True God who controlled half the power of the Underworld, he keenly noticed that, with the increase of lives, the Underworld''s own power seemed to be on the rise. It was just that wraiths were still somewhat different from living beings, and the Underworld had no True Gods of analogous authority to manage these changes. So, for now, these shifts weren''t dramatic. Regardless, any steady forward progress was good. As a deity who had reached the pinnacle of Godhood shortly aftering into the present world, Hades still found this slow increase in power intoxicating. Following this, the continuity of the higher wraiths became a concern close to his heart. But such things cannot be rushed; Hades could only wait for time to yield results¡ªassuming, of course, that no more troubles came his way every few days. "Your Majesty, except for the recently built structures that have mostly copsed, there are no obvious signs of casualties. However..." After a moment''s silence, the warrior known as Evans continued: "The power contained in that voice earlier could directly affect the stability of the Soulfire. For those higher wraiths who have awakened their intelligence, enduring it was possible. But for those whose consciousness is still not clear, it was somewhat difficult to resist." "..." Reading the implication in Evans''s words, Hades felt heartache once again for the disaster thrust upon him. Previously gathered from the earth, there were only less than a hundred thousand Bronze Humanity corpses that had developed stable thought and even recalled some memories of their lives. The rest had not achieved this step yet. And now, their Soulfire had disintegrated under the vehement shout of Mother Earth, forcing Hades''s ns to be dyed once more. In this moment, Hades, who had never quite disliked Gaia, couldn''t help feeling a bit annoyed with his grandmother. Zeus provoked you, so you could have just gone after him. Why bring disaster to my Underworld? "...I understand, you can go arrange the reconstruction." "The dead from the earth continue to flow in endlessly; it''s just a waste of a few hundred years." Trying to appear nonchnt, Hades waved his hand. The wraith warrior bowed and retreated on his own. Soon, the once-quiet Fields of Truth became noisy, with many wraith lives busying themselves, clearing the broken buildings, thenying the foundations for new ones. After watching for a while and seeing no other changes, Hades soon returned to his still-intact Divine Pce. Sitting on his throne, he couldn''t help feeling a sense of urgency. Chapter 413: Chapter 109 Minta and Advice_2 Previously, Hades''s actions had always seemed unhurried, for when referencing the past two eras, the one to two thousand years before a Divine King took the throne were often calm and tranquil. ording to his n, this period had been ample for the Underworld''s power to significantly rise and for him to reach the pinnacle of formidable divine power. But ns can''t keep up with changes. The power Zeus suddenly disyed had made Hades greatly wary, with a touch of envy as well. Up until today, the Lord of the Underworld had not feared his younger brother, for with the support of half the realm, very little could truly threaten him. However, as the confrontation between Zeus and Mother Earth unfolded, the matchless power altered Hades''s thinking abruptly. He needed to do something, and just so, as the guardian of oaths, Zeus still owed him a favor. "...Minta, have you found the person I asked you to look for?" With a flicker in his gaze, Hades turned to his maid beside him and inquired. "Your Majesty, not yet..."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Minta replied respectfully with a shake of her head. "Not yet?" Frowning slightly, Hades didn''t say anything. He pondered for a moment before making his decision. "Then put this aside for now, I will find another way." "What?" With a gasp, the Naiad slowly lifted her head. Facing the gaze of her sovereign, Minta clenched her teeth but continued to speak: "Your Majesty, why bother yourself with this? The deities on earth will not favor the Underworld, I..." "¡ªEnough!" Whoosh¡ª With a cold rebuke, an intangible current swept through the temple. Almost instantly, Hades understood why she had not yetpleted the task he assigned her. It was not that she couldn''t¡ªit was that she didn''t want to. He knew this Nymph had always harbored certain delusions¡ªlike coveting the position of Queen of the Underworld. But Hades had not expected her to dare neglect the task he had given her for that reason. Previously, the Lord of the Underworld hadn''t taken her aspirations seriously, for Nymphs with simr delusions weremonce on Mount Olympus. But perhaps due to the destion of the Underworld and his own attentiveness, Minta had not only entertained the idea but also tried putting it into action. Originally, Hades had thought that time would make her see the reality, but the reality turned out to be the exact opposite. She hadn''t given up, but even dared to be insubordinate to his orders! "Recognize your ce, Minta. You cannot achieve what I desire, nor can you bear this power. Within the next century, using your identity as a Nymph, find that daughter my sister has hidden away... This is yourst chance." Hades spoke indifferently, sweeping his grand sleeves and roughly ejecting the maid from the temple. If he weren''t left with no other choice, he would have dly erased this presumptuous being from existence. "Go and find her. If you fail... you need not return. As you said, the life on earth, should stay on earth." "¡ªYour Majesty!" ng¡ª The doors of the Divine Pce closed tightly, segregating the inside from the outside, also cutting off Minta''s voice. Sitting on his throne, Hades rubbed his brow. All of the Underworld, either the native deities with dispositions as vile as their godhoods or the taciturn wraiths, was worthless. The only capable Naiad always had this or that idea. In this moment, he grew increasingly desperate for the idea of having a Queen of the Underworld. He did not care about power or enjoyment; all could be shared. He wanted only the growth of the Underworld. But for some reason, even this modest desire was constantly met with obstruction by others. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Shush¡ª Above the earth, lightning roamed the sky, streaking across the vastnd¡ªit was the avatar of the Divine King. Following a scent intentionally left behind, Zeus''s form flickered in the sky. The war had just ended and Mount Olympus''s surroundings were left devoid of any notable features. It was only after some time that he could see elevations and depressions on the ground, as well as water bodies and forests. However, the voice that had been calling to him earlier should still be farther away¡ªof course, Zeus was in no rush to get there. His avatar flew at a normal pace, while the Divine King pondered the whole affair in his mind. The recent events still held many mysteries and, unlike Gaia, Zeus was very aware of some of the questions. For instance, since he truly hadn''t stolen the Golden Apple, then the real thief must be someone else. Considering the two fleeting presences not long ago, the enigmatic collision of darkness and obscurity, the identity of the true thief was almost clear. The Dark Overlord or the Lord of the Spirit Realm, they both were suspects or perhaps both were involved. What puzzled Zeus was that both Primordial Deities seemed to harbor some malice towards him¡ªunlike Gaia, he was not clueless about Erebus''s purpose. He had tried to spy on the nature of Zeus''s ceremony, and also to sever the blessings of the deities who supported Zeus as the pir of kingship. Although the ceremony turned out perfectly fine in the end, with the other party''s actions aplete failure, the attitude these actions conveyed still made the Divine King wary and vignt. Of course, wary as he might be, Zeus wasn''t too afraid of them. Having crossed that threshold, even if there was a difference in strength between them, it was unlikely that one could obliterate the other instantly. Just like the end of the First Era where many Titans struggled against the weakened Heavenly Father, even if initially they were defeated almost without the ability to fight back, if they were determined to hold on, the battle would certainly not be concluded in a short time. Chapter 414: Chapter 109 Minta and Advice_3 Unfortunately, the current era simply does not have room for a drawn-out conflict, and in such a situation, the Divine King naturally had nothing to fear. Of course, there was another reason he had no fear¡ªafter all, only an avatar of his had been sent here, and no matter the oue, it would not have any serious consequences. Lightning flickered, and as mountains and rivers were left behind, a towering mountain range gradually emerged in front of Zeus'' eyes. And to the Divine King''s surprise, he was very familiar with this ce; in fact, he had visited here more than once in the past. The Delphic Great ins, the Panasus Mountain Range. Only, unlike past days, the mountain range and its surrounding ten thousand miles now seemed utterly lifeless. "Ah, is this your way of telling me directly that you took the Golden Apple Tree... Fine, let''s see what you intend to do," Zeus thought to himself,nding atop the mountain range. However, looking all around, there was not a soul in sight. The Primordial God who had released the aura enticing him here was nowhere to be found, as if it were nothing but a jest. "Why lure me here only to y these little tricks?" With a calm expression, Zeus simply uttered in the face of this situation. "I just wanted to see what was so special about your divine authority as the Divine King... But now it seems, it''s more like an authority that is both ''omnipotent'' and ''impotent.'' "Moreover, I thought you would be afraid to meet me." As the voice rang out, Zeus'' heart startled. He spun around swiftly, and under a lifeless tree, Erebus was standing there. The other should never have left, having merely concealed their presence. If Gaia was here, she would probably have been able to sense the other''s presence through the earth, but the Divine King could not do that. As the Lord of Darkness said, Kingship was intimately rted to the heaven-bestowed Divine Authority. He could influence almost any rule, yet fell far short of deities who truly excelled in this domain. It felt like a weakened version of the usual rule of the present world. If the present world''s rules were that ''everything is strong,'' then Zeus was that ''everything is weak.'' In realbat, an absolute advantage is far more useful than ''having no weaknesses.'' "Perhaps it is so for now, but it won''t always be. As for whether I dare toe... as an Ancient God who wields darkness, being the Divine King ruling the present world, there is nothing I am afraid to face." Although it was their first encounter, power was the best ''business card.'' Looking at the Primordial Deity in front of him, the Divine King did not argue the strength of his authority, but said aloud:n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om "However, Your Highness Erebus, shouldn''t you provide me with an exnation for what happened before?" "Exnation, what exnation do you want?" Zeus'' intent was clear, he was referring to the actions the Lord of Darkness had previously taken against the gods. And in front of him, Erebus also ceased to smile. "It is the respect you should have towards those whom you seek to cooperate with." With a slight smile and feeling a subtle pressure starting to emanate all around, the Divine King became even more convinced of his own judgment. "You wouldn''t summon me without reason... perhaps you need me to do something¡ªor at least require the Divine King of the present world to do something." "In such circumstances, is it not appropriate for me to seek an exnation?" The atmosphere froze for a moment, and a massive aura grew more solemn as Zeus calmly locked eyes with the Lord of Darkness. Although he still did not wish to be enemies with this Primordial God, he was keenly aware that he could not afford to fallpletely at a disadvantage before the conversation had even begun. Blind concessions would not lead to favorable oues, especially when he already had a certain capability to engage on equal footing. Being called over by a single summons had already made his stance clear. Now, it was the other''s turn to show some basic goodwill. "..." "... Moanda." After a brief silence, with thoughts unknown, just as the dispersed pressure around was about to unravel the Divine King''s avatar, Erebus finally withdrew it. He nced at Zeus and then called for his subordinate. With a sh of green light, Moanda appeared beside the Lord of Darkness. "This is...?" Without further boasting, Zeus timely expressed his curiosity. Upon the unfamiliar deity before him, the Divine King sensed an inexplicable closeness. It seemed he shared some sort of connection with this goddess he had never met, creating a favorable impression so strong it almost made him lower his guard. Of course, that was just a feeling. In truth, Zeus never let down his vignce. "Since you want an exnation... let her be my exnation to you. The ceremony you are conducting also needs an entity like her to join, does it not?" With a smile curling his lips, Erebus continued: "As for who she is... Ha, did Gaia note for her? Having Moanda join your Divine Court and be one of your so-called ''Principal Gods'' fits perfectly." "The Golden Apple Tree?!" Incredulous, yet Zeus finally understood the source of the strange sensation. He did have a connection with this god named Moanda. Indeed, she was a natural candidate for Principal God, because, from an esoteric perspective, Moanda could even be considered the ''half-mother'' of the Divine King. The Divine King once used the Golden Apple to represent ''death,'' stained the Sacred Stone with his blood, and had it exist for many years under the name ''Zeus.'' Thus, in some sense, the Sacred Stone was part of the Divine King. Even though the power it contained had been taken by Apollo, the concept it held was in no way diminished. Chapter 415: Chapter 109 Minta and Advice_4 ``` In such circumstances, as the consciousness of the Golden Apple Tree, the rtionship between Moanda and Zeus was naturally clear without asking. However, the surprise was momentary, and soon, the Divine King regained hisposure. He looked at the Lord of Darkness before him; this was not just a matter of ''exnation''. Although Zeus didn''t know how the Golden Apple Tree suddenly became a deity, allowing the other party to be one of the twelve critical ''pirs'' was not amon urrence. "How can I ensure that she won''t betray me if I make her a Principal God of the Divine Court?" Expressing his doubts naturally, Zeus directly addressed the essence of the matter. Compared to his own kin, Moanda was clearly an ''outsider'' not to be trusted. "You can''t guarantee it, and I don''t intend to. In fact, it''s precisely because of this that her existence is meaningful." With a lightugh, Erebus expressed his intentions without any attempt to conceal them. The existence of Moanda was not merely for ''exnation'' but also served as a bridge ofmunication; as long as her rtionship with Zeus remained good, naturally, nothing would happen. However, if their rtionship were to change, the elf could be recalled at any time. Of course, this wasn''t a fatal threat to the Divine King. The departure of the other would only result in a temporary power decrease, and as long as a new deity filled the position, power could be regained. "...So, what do you need me to do?" After a moment of reflection, seeming to ept the result, Zeus thought that it was eptable to use others to fill gaps until there were enough ''insiders.'' However, he was still somewhat puzzled about what Erebus really wanted him to do. Presenting such a gift upon their first meeting... In fact, the exnation that Zeus previously wanted was at most just an insincere apology. "Don''t worry; you''ll know what I want you to doter. If you decide to refuse at that time, it will still be possible, and then I will give you properpensation¡ªfor example, a Golden Apple wouldn''t be bad. Moanda''s joining your Divine Court doesn''t mean she will relinquish ownership of the fruits she bears." With a smile and seeing the negotiation settled, Erebus suddenly had a strange look while observing the Divine King. "So now, is our simple agreement reached?" "...I have no reason to refuse." Nodding, Zeus naturally wouldn''t refuse a freely offered advantage, and he was even pleased to see it happen. At least, a Primordial God who had previously shown ambiguous attitudes had suddenly be a somewhat friend; perhapster, when he was at odds with other Primordial Deities, he could be an ally for a price. "Very well, since our agreement is reached... Let me, as your senior, offer you a piece of advice."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om "Advice?" Curious but interested, the Divine King was still eager to hear it. As a deity born at the dawn of creation, perhaps Erebus intended to share some ancient secrets, thereby showing off his status, but that was of no consequence. The Divine King was happy to wee this. "Please, I am all ears for your admonition." "Good, young Divine King, since you are willing to ept, nothing could be better." Lifting his hand slightly, seemingly discerning the thoughts of the Divine King, Erebus smiled contentedly: "Actually, it''s nothing special... Just remember, Zeus¡ªin the Chaos World, certain things are actually unique instances." "For example, not every Primordial God... is as ipetent as Gaia." ``` Chapter 416: Chapter 110 Pollution and Arrangement ``` Atop Mount Olympus, with thebined efforts of the gods, a makeshift council chamber was reluctantly erected. Although the environment here appeared much more dpidated than it had days prior, when the Divine King resumed his prominent seat and raised up those twelve chairs once more, the mentality of the gods clearly underwent a tremendous change. The previous position of Principal God had seemed more the result of the Divine King''s rise to power, an honorary title of sorts. Those True Gods with formidable divine powers did not need such a position to make Zeus hearken to their opinions; whereas thosecking in strength, even if seated in such a position, would not truly be taken seriously by the other deities, resembling nothing more than jesters under the authority of the Divine King. But now it was different ¡ª with the Divine King''s absolute power, everything naturally changed. No matter who it was, they all had vastly different thoughts at this moment. "Your Majesty, it is thanks to Your unsurpassed power that the Mount of the Gods remained preserved under Mother Earth''s great rage." As the gods took their seats, without waiting for Zeus to speak, a deity began to praise his strength.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om The other gods also chimed in, as if they had not distanced themselves from the Divine King before. To this, the Divine King seated at the head merely smiled and then raised his hand to signal for silence. Compared to the ttering, it was better to get the formalities out of the way first. Although his avatar was still on its way, this level of multitasking was not particrly difficult for him. Having dealt with Gaia, the future should be peaceful for some time. However, recalling Mother Earth''s final madness, Zeus still felt a bit of a headache. He wasn''t really afraid of that curse since, after all, if a curse could kill a person, the world would have been at peace long ago. What truly troubled him was that Gaia''s words coincidentally bore some resemnce to a prophecy once made by Cronus. A mere curse held no meaning, but if it was a glimpse of the future unintentionally foreseen by a great one, that was an entirely different matter. It was not entirely impossible, for if he could see his future self in that sacrificial ceremony, then Gaia could naturally do the same. These ancient Primordial Deities always had some secrets he was unaware of. To dispel the unease in his heart, increasing his strength was naturally the most direct and effective method. "My fellows, let us put the matters of before to rest. Although Mother Earth indeedmitted a grave error, we should still ord her the respect she deserves." With a smile, as if the person who had listed Gaia''s transgressions not long ago wasn''t him, Zeus looked toward his son, Apollo, who had just ascended the Mount of the Gods and been granted the position of Principal God by him. Being raised loosely had made the boy less close to him, so previously, he had not stood with Hera ¡ª of course, that might simply be due to a pure disgust for the Heavenly Empress. Regardless, Zeus believed that time would change all this. After all, for those goddesses, the Divine King might indeed not be much, but for those children who could maintain his rule, he had never done anything wicked. "Apollo, my child, I am proud of your martial prowess in ying the serpent at Delphi, but indeed, it was also one of the catalysts that disturbed Mother Earth''s slumber." "I want you to go to the Oracle, watch over it for ten years without using divine powers, do you ept my decision?" "I will." Nodding his head, Apollo did not refuse. There, he had obtained the power of the Sacred Stone, so for him, to expend such an insignificant effort was merited. As for the Divine King just having offended Mother Earth, whether his journey would be dangerous, Apollo was not afraid. The gods do not die; therein lies their greatest reassurance. Moreover, if the great Mother Goddess truly sought to take her anger with Zeus out on him, he would certainly take note of the matter and then retaliate on some future day, regardless of the vast difference in their powers. Gaia must not be insulted, and neither should Apollo! "Very well." With a satisfied smile, Zeus expressed appreciation for his eldest son''s decisiveness and bravery ¡ª not every deity would dare leave Mount Olympus at this juncture, much less head to Delphi. But with Apollo as the first, provided he remained unharmed, the gods'' fear of Mother Earth would diminish, and everything would return to its original state. After arranging matters for Apollo, the Divine King immediately looked in another direction. Athena, his truly first-born... as the gods watched the battle between the two Primordial Deities, the Goddess of Wisdom had alreadypleted her exploration and silently merged with the gods. Now, she, too, had returned here. Regarding her, Zeus had no concerns. As long as she did not remember the events before her birth, then all was well. The nded'' Divine King would naturallypensate her doubly, thus offsetting the ''prending'' conscience that he had once lost and now scarcely possessed. "Athena, my daughter, seeing you is like seeing Metis from those years past." "She was so dazzling, and her wisdom brought me so much help... pity that we had to part ways in the end." Seeming somewhat regretful, Zeus''s tone paused slightly. He took note of the reactions of those around him, such as Hera''s displeasure, theplexity in Hestia''s gaze, and the hidden hatred in Demeter ¡ª ever since the second sister had given birth to a daughter under his coercion, she had been this way. ``` Chapter 417: Chapter 110 Pollution and Arrangement_2 Even their daughter, Zeus had yet to meet her face to face to this day, but he did not particrly care. As the goddess of all things growing... the Divine King did not see her as a threat, and Demeter''s consistent temperament also did not seem like one inclined to any vehement resistance. "Just as I said to Themis a moment ago, Athena, I will doublypensate you. Although I have harmed your mother goddess, my love for you surpasses that for any of my other children. I grant you the seat of the Principal God, and I also allow you to live on Earth or in heaven ording to your own will, unconstrained by anyone or any god, and even today, you may make an additional request of me." Gazing at Athena, Zeus smiled warmly, yet he secretly watched for every nuance in her gaze or expression. "Speak now, my child, anything but my throne is yours to choose from." Crack¡ª The armrest of the Queen of Gods'' throne split open with a crack, but Hera said nothing, she did not intend to squabble with Zeus''s daughter, especially since her mother could no longer threaten her status. Amidst the envious, resentful, or admiring gazes of the gods, Athena merely smiled and then drew a scroll of parchment from her sleeve. The Divine King found it somewhat familiar, but had no recollection of it. Parchment scrolls... that probably symbolized knowledge, much like Metis''s own hobby. And Athena''s following words unquestionably confirmed this. "I desire nothing, Divine Artifacts, status, power, none of these things do I need. They are chased by the mortals, but few possess them forever." "I only hope that in the future, I can freely disseminate any knowledge I wish to spread, to safeguard the rights of any Speech or Thought to exist. Other than that, I have no further requests." "If this is what you want, my daughter, then in the name of the Divine King, I grant your request." Granting her request was a trivial matter for the Divine King. Since both generations of Goddesses of Wisdom enjoyed this pursuit, then let them do as they pleased. Having epted Athena''s request, Zeus gestured for her to take her rightful ce, and the Goddess of Wisdom gracefully leaped up to the first seat on the right. Another matter was resolved, and as another pir of his kingly foundation was established, the Divine King felt quite satisfied. As for whether Athena would have any additional thoughts about him, from the perspective of the Chaotic Gods, this possibility was indeed quite slim. Although Zeus had been extremely harsh with Metis, he hadn''t done anything to Athena, merely postponing her emergence. But this kind of dy was not the same as the previous Divine King''s act of swallowing his children; a goddess who had never been truly born would not harbor any negative feelings, much less experience pain or loneliness. ''Ever since that sacrifice, my luck seems to have turned for the better...'' Considering this and even sensing the situation of his avatar, the Divine King couldn''t help but feel more delighted. The eighth pir was about to be restored, and there was also his son Ares, who was not yet fully grown. The ritual that seemed so difficult to assemble now appeared much less challenging. Therefore, with a joyful mood, Zeus looked towards his loyal subordinate, the God of the West Wind, Zephyrus. Even without knowing his true strength, the other had still been willing to stand by his side; such a loyal subordinate was naturally someone to be heavily promoted. And such conduct even reminded the Divine King momentarily of that giant god still propping up the heavens to the West. Coincidentally, the God of the West Wind also had an association with ''West,'' perhaps this was a preordained sign by fate. Compared to other deities, allowing such a god to ascend to the peak with the help of faith and then sit in the Principal God''s seat would truly allow the Divine King to rest assured, while at the same time disying his unquestionable authority, and the loyalty of the other was beyond doubt. In time, all gods would see that, if he so wished, even a True God with weak Divine Power could be the Supreme Ruler of the gods. With even more warmth in his eyes, Zeus happily spoke:n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om "Zephyrus, my subject, and my friend. Over the years, you have done many things for me, and I have kept each one in my heart, never forgetting." Without mentioning the past, but the gods knew that this was the Divine King''s way of praising the other''s loyalty. "Your Majesty, this is my duty, as a member of the Divine Court, I am obliged to serve You." Stepping forth, the God of the West Wind bowed respectfully, and hearing the other''s humble words, the Divine King smiled and waved his hand. "In any case, Zephyrus, your merit is indisputable, and I admire your ability. Therefore, if you''re not inclined to refuse, I will marry my daughter with Eurynome, Euphrosyne, to you as your wife. I believe this will be a blissful marriage." "It would be my honor, Your Majesty." Without hesitation, Zephyrus immediately epted, and the Divine King was unsurprised. He didn''t think the God of the West Wind would refuse his goodwill, and what another daughter thought was even less of his concern. As one of the three Graces, Euphrosyne held no ce in Zeus''s heart. "Very well, then let this matter be settled." "Your wedding will be heldter, and now, I have another task for you." After a brief pause, as the matters with his avatar were nearing an end, Zeus came to understand that the goddess who emerged from the Golden Apple Tree presided over the domain of Life. This was one of the most supreme authorities in the world, and even though Life was actually fragmented, as the primary guardian of a significant part of it, Moanda must be extraordinary. Chapter 418: Chapter 110 Pollution and Arrangement_3 ``` However, the Divine King did not intend to personally bring Moanda to the Mount of the Gods. This task was better suited for the God of West Wind. "Zephyrus, I want you to hold my scepter and go to the mountain of Panasus to wee a messenger of the Ancient Gods on my behalf," he said. As Zeus took out the Divine King''s scepter, he noticed the gods'' attention to the name ''Ancient Gods'', but he pretended not to know and continued: "Her name is Moanda. She is the True God who presides over life, the progenitor of all nts in the world. And starting from today, she will also be a new member of Olympus¡ª¡ª" His voice suddenly stopped. Seeing this, Zephyrus lifted his head, puzzled. Under his and the gods'' watchful eyes, the Divine King showed no other movement, simply sitting on the throne as if suddenly lost in thought. After a short while, Zeus seemed toe back to his senses, and with a forced smile, handed the scepter to the Wind God. "Take it, and go fulfill your task," he said. "...As youmand, Your Majesty." The God of West Wind didn''t understand the Divine King''s meaning, but being the king''s most loyal servant, he didn''t ask questions and simply epted the scepter. identally, Zephyrus''s peripheral vision seemed to catch something¡ªthat was the Divine King''s wrist hidden under his sleeve. There, a dark red light glimmered faintly, a bloody mark writhing as if something was about to emerge from it. But it was only a moment of confusion, and then everything disappeared as if it had been an illusion. With an involuntary shiver, the God of West Wind, acting as if he had seen nothing, respectfully bowed again and then transformed into wind to leave the king''s pce. ... On Mount Olympus, the meeting was still in progress. Zeus''s distraction was only a minor incident, and no one cared about such a trifle. Half a dayter, when Zephyrus arrived with the Goddess of Life on Mount Olympus, the Divine King announced the start of the banquet. This bted celebration was initially for Apollo and for establishing the Twelve Principal Gods, but now, it also served as a celebration for the birth of the Goddess of Wisdom and the arrival of the Goddess of Life. Perhaps due to exhaustion from the previous battle, the Divine King left his seat and retired early into the banquet. The gods were understanding of this behavior as, after all, his opponent had been a Primordial Deity, and he had achieved the ultimate victory. Zeus''s departure caused no ripples, and to relieve the earlier tension, the gods focused on their nectar. In such circumstances, skirting the ruins scattered on the ground, in a secluded corner, the Divine King parted the spatial barrier to arrive at the belly of Mount Olympus. "Huh¡ªdamn, what is this stuff?!" "Come¡ª¡ª" Passing through the spatial barrier into an annexed space of the present world, with the Divine King''s summoning, a certain power was bestowed upon Zeus. His Divine Power, strangely weak in this mighty realm, suddenly surged, making his might appear bnced once more. It was only at this moment that the Divine King finally breathed a sigh of relief, pulling up his sleeve to look at the writhing flesh on his arm. Just before, he had been puzzled that the rarely seen Primordial Deity had been so easy to talk to, sending a gift before even making a request, but in the blink of an eye, the other had brazenly attacked. ``` However, despite Zeus''s shock and anger at Erebus''s actions, he didn''t find it too hard to ept, and he didn''t even put up much of a fight¡ªafter all, it was just an embodiment, and he certainly couldn''t be a match for the opponent, so being annihted didn''t constitute much of a loss. But now, the Divine King deeply regretted that he hadn''t decisively destroyed that embodiment. Somehow, using some method, the Lord of Darkness had allowed this strange power to act directly upon his true form through some kind of connection. Zeus wanted to expel it immediately, but the result was not as he wished; not only did he fail to do so, but this power was still continuously eroding and assimting everything around it, as if it wanted to give birth to a new "pan-consciousness" from within Zeus''s body. Perceiving this, the Divine King immediately chose toe here to suppress it with the help of Asgard''s boundary force. In hindsight, his choice was indeed correct. Having replenished his divine power deficit, the Divine King finally managed to resist this strange power. Had he been unable to deal with it even here, Zeus might even have had to abandon this divine body and nurture a new one. But such a cost... In thest era, there had been a deity who did something simr, which was the ancient God of Sun, Hyperion. This Titan deity had taken a full thousand years to recover after burning his divine body, and Zeus did not want to follow in his footsteps. After all, although losing a divine body, a deity could still freely move about the world, but whether in terms of enjoyment or actual power, there would inevitably be considerable impacts. "What a terrifying power, but... hmph, I did indeed receive your ''warning.'' However, I also received the secret you ''told'' me." "So it turns out that in this world, there exist unknown beings powerful enough to rival the Primordial Gods... It makes sense, since the Asgard I am in now was previously unknown to anyone."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om With a coldugh, although Zeus was unclear about the owner of this power, he could easily sense its essence, which was certainly not a power simr to Darkness. Rather than considering it a ''warning'' from Erebus, it was more like he was dumping this troublesome thing onto the Divine King. In fact, Zeus''s guess was very urate. After cutting off the contaminated flesh, the Lord of Darkness carried out many studies on this power from the Foreign Realm. In the process, he inevitably became tainted with more of this highly assimtive energy. But unlike the portion that transformed from the branches and tendrils of Mother Goddess, this second infection, although still troublesome, could be eradicated. Therefore, Erebus didn''t separate his power again but gradually wore it down¡ªand today, he simply packaged it up and sent it to this younger deity who dared demand an exnation from him. Compared to his sudden increase in status, the Lord of Darkness immediately saw Zeus''s still somewhat weak divine body and power, so he unceremoniously presented this ''weapon.'' His purpose, of course, was not just to vent his anger. Acting over a verbal triumph was something Gaia did. In fact, Erebus wanted Zeus to realize that his divine body might be corrupted and destroyed by this strange power, and the only solutiony with the distant Goddess of Life. Thus, the originally agreed terms would remain unchanged, and there might even be further progress¡ªjust as Erebus had Moanda disperse the foreign power from the flesh using the Life Vase, Zeus would ultimately realize that only a deity that rules over Life could assist him in this matter. In time, with Moanda''s help, Erebus would also be able to delve deeper into the secrets of the Divine King''s ascension. He didn''t even care if Zeus saw through this point because thetter had no other choice. He isn''t Laine, the Lord of Darkness doesn''t have an Athena to probe the secrets behind the scenes, but absence doesn''t mean he won''t find his way to the answers. Today''s actions were just another probing attempt by him. "But the arrogant Primordial Deity, you have miscalcted after all. You have your hidden secrets, and I have mine... Although it may take a longer time, it is hardly anything." The deep voice echoed through space, and looking at this interface attached to the present world, Zeus secretly decided not to leave Olympus until he fully possessed a divine body and powerparable to his status. Fortunately, the biggest trouble, Mother Earth Gaia, had already been resolved by him and everything had returned to the right track. What remained was a long period of umtion. "When humans spread across thend, I can probably resolve this trouble as well. Let the gods fight among themselves for faith for now, and when the timees, I will emerge to tidy up the situation." Once again creating an embodiment to handle the affairs on the Mount of the Gods, Zeus stayed here. This time, he might have to undergo the longest ''seclusion'' since his birth. The power of the boundary kept surging, reflecting the symbol of Kingship. At the site of the old Golden Pce of Asgard, Zeus entered a not-so-short period of slumber. And so, with the Divine King and Mother Earth silent, the Chaos World returned to a peace that had been long absent. Time flew by, and several seasons passed. Chapter 419: Chapter 111 A Few Hundred Years in the Mortal Realm Since the war beyond Mount Olympus ceased, the world finally returned to its former tranquility. As The Sun and The Moon alternated in the sky, the Mortal Realm underwent the rise and fall of dynasties. Aside from the asional visits from deities, the earth quieted down significantly. Perhaps on another level, countless changes were still brewing, but at least for mortal beings, once that night filled with strange phenomena passed, nothing simr ever happened again. In time, just as it had always done, humanity''s footprint continued to spread across thend with the passage of time. Meanwhile, churches worshiping the gods began to fill the spaces between. It began with Hestia and Themis,posed of those with firm beliefs, willing to swear oaths to pioneer the wilderness for humanity, and to protect the Sacred Fire, as well as brave warriors willing to heed the teachings of the Goddess of Justice, to eradicate evil and injustice from the Mortal Realm. Guided by the two goddesses, they were determined to spread the divine will to more people, so theypiled scriptures, delineated authority, and roamed between city-states, preaching the deities'' doctrines. Their actions were undoubtedly sessful. In an era where information exchange was inconvenient and humans lived scattered across thend, such organized andrge-scale dissemination of faith was like a dimensionality reduction assault, quickly bing mainstream in many ces. Even within the faith domains previously delineated by the gods, many city-states'' rulers, after witnessing the miracles of the deities, promoted certain faiths in the name of the King, but still could not resist the power of this organized church. Clearly,pared to the grand but vague descriptions of the divine, the actions of the Divine Practitioners were much more appealing. They turned the deeds of the gods into stories and transformed divine Thought into beautified doctrines, and as it happened, both in thought and action, the two goddesses aligned closely with humanity''s understanding of good. Therefore, even though no city revered both goddesses as official objects of worship due to the previous division among the gods, it did not affect their widespread influence among humans, which was broader than any other deity of Olympus. At first, the gods did not take much notice of this, and few paid attention to such mortal exchanges. They still followed past experiences, merely revealing their existence to mortals through disys of miracles. Gradually, however, as the names of the two goddesses became more widely known among humans, the gods who finally took notice, realized that their arbitrary methods were rather outdated, despite saving time and effort. The primitive worship of nature and power could notpete with convincing Thought and the tangible presence of Divine Practitioners. Within just a few decades, various churches were established. The deities selected their spokespersons in the Mortal Realm ording to their own preferences, or simply chose the kings of their faithful city-states, thenmanded them to learn from the churches of the two goddesses and to spread their own names. Thereafter, the newly established power structure among humanity underwent another transformation. Just like with Bronze Humanity, Divine Practitioners who served the gods became an indispensable part of it. Although unlike in the previous human age, where priests held absolute power, their status remained exceptionally distinctive. But before this, a seemingly small event had urred, greatly elerating the process of change. After all, in this still wild era, power was the most valued aspect by humans. Fortunately, because of this event, the faithful who worshiped the deities also possessed the potential to wield power. About ten years after the war of the gods ended, at a banquet celebrating Apollo''s return, the Goddess of Wisdom announced a special discovery to the other deities. She imed to have invented another kind of special energy, based on Divine Power, through observing the Magic Net and analyzing Elements.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om It was not powerful and seemed weakpared to Divine Power because it was a derivation and weakening of Divine Power. However, this did not diminish its value, for it was an energy that the gods could use on Earth, and not only the gods. By transmitting this power to mortals and ''fixing'' structures akin to witchcraft onto the Magic Net, any human, regardless of whether their ''talent'' was mediocre or Transcendent, could wield this extraordinary power through the existence of the gods and the Magic Net. Compared to the paths that required self-cultivation and sufficient talent, this system, which only depended on whether the gods favored someone, had no talent restrictions and a natural upper limit, was undoubtedly more satisfactory to the gods¡ªthey still remembered the mortal who had wielded a sword against the Son of the Sea Emperor. If there were more people like that, the gods might indeed struggle to be as at ease in the Mortal Realm as they currently were. Yet they could not forbid this power because humans spread across thend could no longer be easily protected due to their dispersal, unlike the previous generation. If they could not themselves possess the power tobat the wild beasts of the wilderness, then mere deterrence by the Sacred Fire would not suffice to increase their numbers. Therefore, the power named ''Divine Arts'' by the goddess became particrly important. And so, without hesitation, the gods sought Athena''s instruction about the secrets of this Sacred Power, and theyvishly praised the goddess''s Wisdom. Then, using their inherent divine authority as a medium, they developed various special Divine Arts. Chapter 420: Chapter 111 A Few Hundred Years in the Mortal Realm_2 As for the realm beyond the natural authority... this is the blind spot of the primordial gods. Therefore, aside from simplifying some Common Divine Arts through the omniscient nature of Divine Power with the assistance of Athena, the ''Sacred Power models'' mastered by different deities often exhibited vast differences, with various distinct functions. When this power spread into the Mortal Realm, such differences also indirectly confirmed the absoluteness of the different deities within their own domains of authority, leading to a bias in theption of many scriptures. Of course, there were mortals who thus began to question the greatness of the deities, but this did not cause any significant impact. After all, all gods were like this, and there had never been any being, god or otherwise, who proimed themselves omniscient and omnipotent; thus, these speeches were nothing but fleeting and hardly remembered by anyone as having existed. In any case, Sacred Power and Divine Arts were integrated into the world, and simply after a few generations, they seemed to be a matter of natural course, understood and epted by humans. Even the deities themselves gradually got used to this convenient form of energy. However, there was an additional side story in the midst. Atop Mount Olympus, the Divine King who had also learned of the birth of Divine Arts seemed especially surprised, even once iming that he had discovered this special system but had not yet had the chance to inform the other gods. However, concerning his deration, the gods only verbally agreed, while few truly believed him in their hearts. After all, Zeus had never shown any particr talent in creation and invention in the past. They would rather believe it was rted to the former Goddess of Wisdom, Metis, than think the Divine King could have developed such a thing. After all, they were well aware that power and wisdom are not equivalent. In any event, this small side story did not affect the spread of Divine Arts or the establishment of the church, and human society kept exploring bnce and order as it integrated new elements. From crude scriptures to increasingly clear doctrines and asional yet restrained conflicts. A growing discrepancy between kings and priests, the covert attention to mortal faith in ces the gods hardly noticed, and various secret changes both below and above ground. As time passed by, one generation aged and another grew up. On the vastnds, some city-states perished, while others began to expand their dominions, transforming into true kingdoms; and on the fringes of human activity, there were still humans who had not yet settled and continued to migrate. For a time, the vast Eastern Lands became increasingly distinct from the previous ages, bustling and prosperous. Compared to the ssical city-states of mythology, it more resembled a magical and wondrous fantasy world. But overall, everything was developing in a positive direction. The overall number of humans continued to increase, and even the farthest migrating human branches had yet to reach the expansive sea. Under such circumstances, the conflicts among believers were mostly met with a shrug from the gods. They were too busy ''staking their ims'' to be held back by trivialities. A tide of faith surged toward Olympus, with deities reveling in joy; even the Divine King, whose essence was in slumber, was pleased to see the rising power help him more quickly wear down that foreign force. Thus a new chapter in history was turned, with interaction and connection between humans and gods closer than ever before, and the situation in the Mortal Realm gradually bingplex. All gods were immersed in the joy of this ''harvest,'' feeling that their past efforts had not been in vain. It wasn''t until one day, when an unforeseen chill wind blew from the north across thend, causing all things to wither and fade, that the gods suddenly awoke. Human development was thus hindered, and an impending disaster seemed imminent. The gods hurried to find out what had happened, but to no avail. The culprit behind all this had left Olympus after a big quarrel with the Divine King, heading toward the Mortal Realm. And Zeus, the only one privy to the details, also chose to remain silent after a spell of irritation. If she wanted to make trouble, let her. He could not break the vow he had made, but if all the other deities showed dissatisfaction, that would have nothing to do with him. When the day came, someone would surely put pressure on Hades, who resided in the Underworld. After all, the consequences he caused affected the interests of all deities. ... Mortal Realm.N?v(el)B\\jnn If one were to draw a central axis for Chaos Terrain, the once Mount Othrys would undoubtedly be on that midline. It supported heaven and earth, separating north, south, east, and west; even Mount Olympus of today could notpare to it. And if another axis were drawn for the Eastern Lands, then Olympus would be located slightly towards the northeast direction; as for the human settlements, they would be even further east. The closer to the Mount of the Gods, the more concentrated the humans, because this was the direction of the fourth generation of human migration. After the great flood, they moved from west to east across the Eastern Lands, seeking suitable ces to settle. The closer to Mount Olympus, the shorter the migration distance and the longer the time for settling and multiplying; they held a distinct advantage in both poption and culture. Of course, this also often meant that there was more divine attention, and it wasmon for a city to have temples dedicated to seven or eight deities. Chapter 421: Chapter 111 A Few Hundred Years in the Mortal Realm_3 Byparison, those emerging city-states farther away seemed to receive no attention at all. No one knew exactly how many small cities less than 100 years old were scattered across the Eastern Lands, and quite a few didn''t even have a temple dedicated to the Deity, nor had any Divine Practitioner ever visited them. This was quite normal, after all, the church was developing rapidly, but Humans were evolving even faster. Those remote locations were thus naturally neglected. Eryxis was one such kingdom, established for only two generations. Its founder had passed away, not from old age, but from the pain brought about by constant fighting. As the son of City Founder Elyxinos, Clytius naturally seeded him as king, bing the ruler of a ce called a kingdom but in reality, it consisted of just one city and a few towns as his territory. In the first twenty years of his session, everything went smoothly, and the nation''s poption, initially only in the hundreds of thousands, grew stronger under Clytius''s rule. However, over the past year, the king had been constantly furrowed with worry. The climate change was too abrupt, including not just the drop in temperature, but even the crops stopped growing.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Thend became barren, the sources of food dwindled, and wild beasts began attacking Humans, heedless of danger. The kingdom of Eryxis, which had never encountered such a predicament, had no strategy to cope, and the little food reserves wouldn''tst for several years. A famine loomed on the horizon, but as the king, Clytius was helpless. Until this day, while the king, still pondering over solutions, received news that his daughters had brought him an unimaginably distinguished guest. ... "Ms. Moira, this is our home now, and it is the only pce in this city." Walking on thepacted dirt road, four girls of average appearance, but dressed in an umonly fine manner, were clustering around an elderly woman. They supported the olddy, introducing various aspects of the city to her, as well as their home¡ªthe Eryxis Pce at the end of the road. Of course, calling it a pce, it was just arger building with a wider area than the usual structures. The kingdom of Eryxis, having experienced only two generations of rulers, had no culture of indulgence. Both the king and the citizens were alike in this regard. They valued practical utilitarianism, and this simple style was distinctively reflected in many corners of the city. "Is that so, hehe, well, thank you very much." Looking towards the pce at the end of her vision, the old woman known as Moira chuckled and expressed her thanks. Yet in the depths of her eyes, a flicker of disdain passed by. But after all, it was a mortal''s pce, and she grudgingly epted it. The king of Humans was already the highest in status, so Moira tried to appear satisfied and grateful, unaware that her thoughts were seen clearly by the young women by her side. "Providing aid to our kin from afar is something our grandfather often taught us." The eldest among the four girls, supporting the old woman, casually asked: "The weather is getting colder... may I ask why you were Traveling alone in the wilderness?" "..." A silent pause, Moira''s expression shifted subtly. After a moment, just when the others thought she wouldn''t speak, the old woman softly began: "I am searching for my daughter. She was so naive and lively... but she was taken away, just as I was in the past." The atmosphere chilled slightly, and even though the young women tried to say things to lighten the mood, it did not change much. Until they entered the pce, the atmosphere remained subdued. "I am tired." Stepping into the pce, Moira casually stated her sentiments. She had no intention of acting as a guest should, or perhaps, this was as courteous as she got in her dealings with mortals. Consequently, the daughters of King Clytius exchanged nces, and their eldest sister stepped forward once again. "Please follow me, I will take you to my room to stay." "Then lead the way." Nodding, Moira epted the offer as if it were her due. Behind her, the other three girls did not follow but hurriedly left after watching their oldest sister and the elderly woman depart. They did not know who this old woman they had encountered outside the city was, appearing to be ''begging'' yet unable to conceal her arrogance; traveling alone across the vast wilderness was something even their father could not aplish. Inviting her into the pce, they tried to convey their goodwill as much as possible. As for the rest, it would be up to the king to decide. Chapter 422: Chapter 112 Early Winter ``` "An old woman crossing the wilderness?" Within the royal pce of Eryxis, the dignified andposed king confirmed again with his daughters and received a positive response. The old woman imed to be Moira, who, due to an ident, ended up in this remote country. She hoped that the king of thisnd would allow her to stay here for a while, and she was willing to do any work within her capability as repayment for her residency. Naturally, Clytius wouldn''t believe such words. Many years had passed since the great flood, and the beasts that migrated from other parts of thend had once again taken over the wilderness. Those who could walk alone between different cities in this era were often beings that had broken the limits of mortals, possessing incredible abilities. Like Clytius''s father, the city founder of Eryxis, he was such a being during his lifetime. It was under his leadership that this group of humans did not perish on the way. However, it was for this reason that the king was quite aware of what kind of power they possessed and what characteristics they had. But ording to his daughters'' description, the old woman didn''t seem to be such a powerful figure, at least not the kind thates from human self-cultivation. Having eliminated this option, there weren''t many possibilities left. Legends of witchcraft had not yet spread among the new generation of humans, so Clytius''s first thought was of a messenger of the gods¡ªperhaps even a deity themselves. Such an existence arriving in his country... Considering the people who were struggling with disasters nowadays, he instructed his daughters solemnly: "You did well... Since she wishes to stay and doesn''t want us to discern her identity, let''s do our utmost to please her." "No matter who she is, as long as we do no wrong, we will not bring about disaster. Go prepare the banquet and bring out our best." "Yes, Father." Upon hearing this, the three daughters nodded in agreement. Under Clytius''s arrangement, they went to prepare the banquet, which had been ready for some time. It was originally meant to celebrate the birth of Demophon, Clytius''s second son, but now it could also be used to wee the mysterious woman from afar. As for Clytius himself, he had more important things to do. To prevent anyone from identally offending Moira, he had to instruct each person who woulde into contact with her in advance, aiming for no faults rather than merits. ... The Eryxis royal pce, once home to the former king. "Thank you for your hospitality, you are truly a kind person." While mouthing words of gratitude, she gestured as if dismissing a servant, signaling it was time for them to leave. Even now, Moira had barely paid attention to what the mortal king''s daughter was called. After the other party had left, Moira examined her residence. It was modest, but also the best ce among mortals, so she sat down on a chair, quite satisfied with the hospitality she received. "It''s barely livable... a decent enough country." Although her disguise was full of holes in the eyes of others, Moira herself thought she had done very well. No one discovered anything different about her, and everything they did was out of genuine sincerity, for in her eyes, the wilderness was very safe, and she had tried to be as ''meek'' as possible. In such circumstances, being treated with such courtesy by the daughter of this human king was truly unexpected. "Hmm... Probably just the treatment given to a guest." "Anyway, I have nowhere else to go, so I might as well stay here for a while. I wonder what kind of work they''ll arrange for me, what is the life of mortals like?" Moira, or rather, The Fertility Goddess Demeter, had finally recovered from her sadness a little and started to take some interest in her current situation. Since the war of the gods, the goddess who governed the growth of all living things had stayed on Mount Olympus. It wasn''t because she liked it there, but on Mount Olympus, Demeter could feel somewhat safe. Not for herself, but for her daughter Persephone. This daughter, forcefully conceived with Zeus, did not evoke disgust in Demeter but quite the opposite; she valued the child greatly. However, what worried the goddess was that her daughter''s divine power was so weak and her appearance so beautiful. Thus, Demeter raised her in a valley named Enna, entrusted to the nymphs'' care to grow up. To prevent the gods from discovering her whereabouts, even the goddess herself seldom visited her. After the war of the gods, it was even more so. The goddess did not want Zeus to find out where her child was, so she restrained her emotions and never went to see her. Until today, her longing for her daughter silently took her down from Mount Olympus to that secluded valley, but what she found there disappointed her. The valley was already devoid of life, neither Persephone nor the nymphs who had been brought there were anywhere to be found. The ce seemed as if no one had lived there for a hundred years, exuding destion and bleakness everywhere. This made the goddess panic on the spot, and the scene before her reminded her of her own past.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om In her anxiety, Demeter stopped a carriage traveling by night. She sought an omen from the Goddess of the Magic Net, who was rumored to be able to predict the future using the stars, and for some reason, Hecate responded to her as well. ``` Chapter 423: Chapter 112 Early Winter_2 "ording to the stars, it happened on a dusky evening after a rain, at the time when day and night alternate," "The Moon had not yet risen, but the Sun had not set either - that is the answer I can give you." The words of the Goddess of the Magic Net were heavily suggestive, so, armed with this precise omen, Demeter hurried off. She stopped the God of Sun just as the Sun was about to rise, and asked him about everything he had seen. Under her questioning, Helios initially tried to hide the truth, but eventually, he had no choice but to reveal the oue. "I don''t know why such a thing has happened... Princess Demeter, I only saw that on that day, in the secluded valley you spoke of, the earth split open, and the ruler of the Underworld took her away in his chariot." Finally having learned of her daughter''s whereabouts, the goddess couldn''t help but be enraged. She immediately returned to Olympus, demanding Zeus punish the reckless Hades and bring Persephone back to the Mortal Realm. However, to her shock and anger, the Divine King denied her request, because he had once promised Hades a condition, and now, it was time for him to fulfill that promise. Thus, in the Divine Pce atop Mount Olympus, an infuriated Demeter removed her golden staff and ced it before the throne of the Principal God. Using the Divine Artifact as a medium, with her own authority shemanded all things to cease growing and to wither and decay. "Bring my daughter back to Mortal Realm, Zeus, otherwise, you will lose everything you have gained now, one by one!" Having left behind harsh words, Demeter departed from Mount of the Gods. From that moment, the earth lost its bountiful harvests, and she would not budge on this, unless Persephone returned to Olympus. She believed that once the gods experienced the benefits of faith, they would definitely not want to lose it again, and what she was asking for was not their interests, but simply for her daughter to be returned. This was a reasonable demand, and in the end, the gods would surelypromise. "...For now, it''s best to stay here." The long-held and macroscopic power did not bring physical weariness to Demeter, but it left her spirit with little rest. Spending some time in this nation of humans would be good too. With that thought, the goddess continued to maintain the guise of an elderly face, leaning back on the bed, closing her eyes to rest her spirit. ... "Another spring has arrived..." The cold wind swept across thend, bringing a scene different from that of spring, summer, or autumn. Tens of miles away from Silver Moon City, alongside a man-made stream, Nuo sat in a wooden wheelchair crafted by artisans, looking at this scene with some emotion. The dried trees on both sides of the stream bore witness to the beginning of the year; sadly, due to the influence of the intangible and formless Law, not one of them sprouted new shoots. Such an oundish climate surprised and confused everyone, butpared to Eryxis Kingdom miles away, Silver Moon City didn''t worry about it. On one hand, this was because Nuo had already prepared enough food. Following the Prophecy given to the Goddess of Fertility, the Goddess of the Magic Net ryed a message to the inhabitants of this city. On the other hand, it was because this ''winter''¡ªunprecedented by Chaos¡ªcouldn''t truly affect them. When the first ''winter'' arrived, the Angel by the Samsara Well was stirred by the cycle of the seasons. Thus, Eunomia, who presided over spring and rebirth, bestowed additional blessings on this realm, allowing their farnd and cities to wee spring as expected. It was only because they were too far away; otherwise, these trees wouldn''t have be like this. Yet through them, Nuo could see even more. "A famine, is it? Thest time was a great flood, so what is it this time... or perhaps this is not another attempt to exterminate humanity, but merely a reflection of a struggle?" He muttered a guess and then shook his head; regardless, Silver Moon City would not suffer hardships because of it.N?v(el)B\\jnn Nuo turned to look behind his wheelchair at Cohen, the ''old fellow'' he had known for a long time, who was gazing into the western sky, lost in thought. "Whatever it is, Cohen, I probably won''t be around to see the oue, but you should be able to." Even though his face still maintained its past appearance, a sense of life''s impending end¡ªa rotten decay¡ªhad long since permeated Nuo''s body. In contrast, Cohen, whom he jokingly called an ''old fellow,'' had not changed one bit, not showing any sign of aging. The lifespan of the Golden Human King was unimaginably long, and as the divinity within him grew in strength, his life approached eternity. Aging was no longer a possibility for him; even after ten thousand years, his appearance would remain the same. But Nuo was different; he did not belong to an immortal race, nor was he a person with exceptional talent on the path of transcendence. He wasn''t even like theter-borns with naiad blood, endowed with lifespan many times that of ordinary people¡ªhe was just an ordinary Bronze Humanity individual. Or rather, when Nuo invested all his energies into Silver Moon City, it was impossible for him to achieve any extraordinary feats in other areas. His survival to this day was already the result of various factors. However, if he did not seek change, if he did not pursue a deeper transformation of soul or body, then this was already Nuo''s limit. Perhaps this year, or the next, he would step into the end of his life, concluding a brilliant existence. Chapter 424: Chapter 112 Early Winter_3 "...If you wish, you can actually live much longer, perhaps even forever, and witness these changes yourself," Drawn back by Nuo''s voice, Cohen grasped the handles of the wheelchair. It wasn''t the first time he had faced the death of a friend; indeed, long before Golden Humanity reached the end of its lifespan, he didn''t even know that was what sorrow felt like. But no matter how many times he went through it, if possible, Cohen didn''t want to experience it another time. However, he was equally aware that Nuo would not agree. As expected, upon hearing Cohen''s words, Nuo simply waved his hand. "There''s no need, Cohen, I have lived long enough." "It is the all-seeing Lord who is eternal, the angels and Holy Spirits in His kingdom. I shall live on there, not in the Mortal Realm forever." "What about Silver Moon City, don''t you want to continue leading its development?" Interrupting Nuo, Cohen pointed towards the distant ins. "Haven''t you already nned to establish towns elsewhere, to build an earthly Theocratic Nation... That still requires your presence." "It won''t, Cohen, although I believe I have done quite well these years, perhaps the people of the future will do even better?" Waving his hand, Nuo seemed much more epting than Cohen. If he wished, he could indeed receive a blessing from the angels, thereby attaining eternal life, because Nuo''s achievements over the years had long convinced the angels of the Spirit Realm of this mortal''s devotion. However, that was not what he wanted, and he felt Silver Moon City did not need it either. "Eternal life necessitates an eternal Lord, and humans with only a few hundred years of life need only a Patriarch who has lived a few hundred years. Change is what brings development; this is the experience I''ve learned over the years." "It''s about you, Cohen, even though you have stayed in Silver Moon City for so long, have you truly found your answer?" Smiling faintly at the old friend he had known for many years, perhaps as an outsider, Nuo could tell that Cohen hadn''t let go of many things about ''God and man'' to this day. The blissful lives of the people in Silver Moon City allowed him to temporarily set aside those thoughts, burying them deep within his heart, but setting aside is not the same as forgetting. "...You are right, I haven''t found it." Having his inner thoughts exposed, memories of the past surged in his heart. After a moment of silence, looking at Nuo in the wheelchair, Cohen couldn''t help but ask: "Aren''t you angry?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om "Why would I be angry?" Nuo asked back with a smile. "Obviously because I am not as devout as you." "No, to have doubts is not a sin. In fact, blind faith is the farthest distance from true Faith." Shaking his head, Nuo did not borate further. He just looked at Cohen and suggested finally: "Since you still have doubts, Cohen, why don''t you give it a try yourself?" "Try what?" "Naturally, to try bing like the beings on Mount Olympus." Leaning back in his chair, Nuo said with a smile: "Only by bing one yourself can your doubts be truly answered, andpared to others, you also have that opportunity." "You are special... Cohen, and perhaps all of this is the Lord''s arrangement." "..." "...Perhaps." After a lengthy silence, Cohen pushed Nuo''s wheelchair, heading towards the distance. "I don''t have any idea about what you said. And perhaps the higher I stand, the stronger I be, the farther I will be from Faith like yours." "It doesn''t matter." Shaking his head, Nuo looked at every part of the surroundings from his wheelchair. He was very familiar with everything here, but that didn''t prevent him from getting to know it a bit better before leaving this world. "To approach the truth is toe closer to the Lord. Do what you wish to do, Cohen, I still support you." "..." Once again silent, looking at the friend in front of him, Cohen looked up at the world enveloped in early winter. "...Nuo, at least in you, I feel that it is Faith that is made great because of you." "Thank you, but I am just practicing my own beliefs." The voices of the two faded away, bing scarcely audible in the cold wind. The seasons gradually shifted back to their positions, Chronology moved towardspletion, and thus, a long winter arrived. Chapter 425: Chapter 113: The Twins of Desire The winter in the Mortal Realm affects not only thend but, with the increasingly cold climate, many ces in the world are influenced by the seasonal changes. Or rather, it''s not the winter brought by Demeter, for what she truly presides over was never the change of seasons. It''s just that the present world requires aplete cycle of seasons, which then descends upon this world as a node, and The Fertility Goddess''s wrath is merely an initiator. Like now, when the concept of [winter] was born in this world, the first to sense it were not the creatures on thend, but the gods or Divine Artifacts that were connected to it. Within the fourthyer of the Spirit Realm, the Well of Reincarnation churned tumultuously, seemingly resonating with something distant. As the symbol of all things in [cycle] in the world, the perfection of the seasons spontaneously triggered the power of this Genesis Artifact. It attempted to pull the concept of [winter] into the Spirit Realm ording to some predestined intuition, yet despite the Divine Artifact''s immense power, it was still unable to achieve this. For the current world blocked the additional powers of this Spirit Realm Divine Artifact, it retained only the innate connection between [spring], [summer], [autumn], and [winter]. This connection was still quite strong, but obviously, it was not as profound as that of Demeter, who personally ushered in winter, and even less so than that of her daughter, Persephone. So no matter how the waters of the well fluctuated, as the concept of Chaos'' [winter] became moreplete with the long cold season, the cycle originally formed by [spring][summer][autumn] was instead being torn apart. This impact on the Well of Reincarnation might not be severe but was undeniably present, because its foundation was the intery of [life] and [death], but at the time of its creation, the cycle of the seasons was also part of its power. The negative effects brought by change caused a surge of waves, and the turbulent surface of the well continued to swell. Therefore, when Erinys, the Goddess of Autumn, first noticed this change, she went to the fifthyer of the Spirit Realm to report the situation to Laine. However, at that time, the only response she received was to wait. The right time had not yete, and although Erinys did not know when the right time would be, Laine''s decisions were never wrong, so she returned to the side of the Well of Reincarnation to continue her usual duties. Until today, Erinys, who was awakened from her busyness by her indistinct connection with the Artifact, suddenly discovered that at the bottom of this endlessly spinning well, there seemed to be some unexpected changes taking ce. Something was being born, or rather, some kind of consciousness was awakening. "This is..." "This is the rebirth of a ''dead'' one." Before she knew it, Laine was already standing on the well''s edge like a high wall. Inside the well''s mouth, the water surged even more violently, but the sshing waves stopped upon reaching a certain height as if hitting some barrier and fell back into the well. Meanwhile, the queue of souls waiting for reincarnation had stopped, clearly indicating that for the moment, the Well of Reincarnation had lost its original function due to these inexplicable changes. "Your Highness." With a respectful greeting, Erinys bowed slightly. In front of her, Laine simply waved and then signaled that there was no need for formalities. "Watch, Erinys, today is the right time." "Some things, if you cannot ask for them, then let those who are capable of asking take them." Speaking softly, Laine, well-versed in mythic trajectories, naturally had knowledge of the matter of the seasons.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om The report from the Goddess of Autumn served mostly to confirm the specific timing, but knowing did not mean that Laine could grasp the dominion of [winter], even at this moment, when it had yet to be bestowed upon any particr creature in the current world. After all, whether it was given to Demeter or belonged to Persephone, it was because they were deities of this world that they could bring about ''winter'' and not for any other reason. Strictly speaking, it was the arrival of winter that caused the withering of all things, and not the other way around. The actions of The Fertility Goddess just happened to align with the Law of a perfect cycle of seasons in the world, which then led to the descent of [winter]. Even if another deity of the Spirit Realm used a different method to cause the decay of all things, it would not rece the existence of Demeter. Now, in the third epoch, certain loopholes in the Laws that existed in the second epoch have long since vanished, which is an unavoidable fact. However, while that''s said, it''s obvious that Laine couldn''t just stand by and watch the cycle of the seasons tear apart. The Well of Reincarnation being one of the core elements of the Spirit Realm, he could not allow such a thing to ur. Fortunately, on the day when Samsara was opened, some causes had already been sown, and now, the time for their fruition hade. "Eros, a Primordial Deity meant to be great from birth, you died before your birth due to Chaos and my involvement, but it''s also because you''ve never experienced ''life'' that you have the chance to begin anew." "Your ''death'' is tangled with me, and I used it to shape Samsara; thus, your ''life'' will also start from here. From now on, you shall be an independent being." Laine spoke softly, the fourthyer of the Spirit Realm trembled slightly, and a vast power extended from the void, plunging into the bottom of the Well of Reincarnation andpleting the final transformation. Since the opening of reincarnation was facilitated by the ''death'' of Eros, it symbolized life and death simultaneously and naturally also brought the ''cycle'' opportunity to the Primordial Deity itself. Most importantly, Eros had a somewhat ambiguous existence in the original trajectory of Chaos. Chapter 426: Chapter 113: The Twins of Desire_2 The Goddess of Beauty, Aphrodite, was originally married not to the War God in mythology, but to the Smith God Hephaestus. However, the nature granted by her godhood made her unwilling to be bound by marriage, and her husband''s ugliness and disability intensified her aversion. So quite naturally, she secretly sought her own "love," and the handsome and robust Ares naturally became one of her most frequent ndestine lovers. In this process, their illegitimate child, the Little God of Love who likewise left behind many legends, seemed to have some connection with that Primordial Deity from the creation of the world. He too was known as "Eros" in mythology and had authority rted to desire, making it hard to believe there was no rtion between them¡ªof course, apart from being called Eros, he had another name well-known, bestowed upon him by the Romans¡ª"Cupid." Laine did not know if, without his presence, this Little God of Love who shared the same name and surname as the Primordial Deity had anything remarkable about him or had any profound secrets, but no matter whether they were originally connected or not, now all he had to do was to make them connected. Moreover, in the field of the mystical studies, a name itself carries a very distinct individual trace, and having the same name naturally can carry a simr fate. So looking at the surging mouth of the well, Laine pressed down his hand. "Click¡ª" In silence, something illusory was cut off and then pieced together, and at the bottom of the "Well of Reincarnation," the breath of life became more and more distinct. The divine being that had died before being born was there, and today, he was going to be reborn. ... That night, atop Mount Olympus. The happenings in the Spirit Realm had not made their way here, quite the opposite, in fact, the so-called ''opportunity'' that Laine was waiting for had appeared precisely because of the changes here. Everything needed a catalyst to align with the existing destiny of the current world, and then there was room for various maniptions. And the prelude to all this had to be attributed to the first tryst of two deities on Mount of the Gods. Hundreds of years had passed, and on Mount Olympus, the abodes of the gods had long resumed their old views. Under the illumination of stars and the moon, they twinkled in various hues, adorned by the different dominions of the temple owners, decorating the pirs upholding the heavens. Near the middle of the mountain, a vast sea of flowers spread across the t ground. Roses, pomegranate, and gillyflower bloomed in session, surrounding a small and exquisite temple. On its pristine columns were carved waves and foam, the detailed frieze seemingly hinting at the birthce of its owner. Without a doubt, this was the temple of Aphrodite, the embodiment of love and beauty. More than one deity had praised that the most beautiful flower naturally should be guarded by a host of blossoms; hence, outside her temple was this dazzling sea. However, at this moment, bursts of intense panting and colliding sounds came from inside the temple, disrupting the serene and lovely atmosphere of the ce. Under the dim and ambiguous light, clothes were tossed about in disarray. In the center of therge bed, two figures were entangled, wildly venting the primordial impulses of deities. Although this pce had seen the stay of more than one deity in the past years, this time, Aphrodite finally thought of Ares, whom she had not yet wed. Although he had not yet reached the pinnacle of godhood, the War God was still a War God. He possessed extraordinary strength, inherently granted by his godhood; considering this, Aphrodite did not mind giving him a taste of sweetness in advance. However, today''s experience was destined to disappoint the Goddess of Beauty, for the tumbling on the bed had notsted long when the War God suddenly stiffened. The handsome and burly deity seemed to sense something through his spiritual sense, yet he couldn''t pinpoint the problem. This instinctively put him "on alert," yet looking around, there was nothing that warranted such caution. "Mm¡ª?" "Ares, what''s wrong?" Noticing something off with the person on top of her, the Goddess of Beauty didn''t take it seriously; she simply stretchedzily. For a moment, the seduction of femininity was fully disyed by her, but to Aphrodite''s surprise, Ares still showed no reaction. But that shouldn''t be the case; no matter how you looked at it, the fit and muscr Ares should not have reacted this way. For a moment, she even began to doubt her charm. "Aphro, it''s nothing, I just had a bit of a bad premonition..." Seemingly noticing the unusual look in Aphrodite''s eyes, Ares hurriedly exined. In front of him, whether she believed him or not, Aphrodite simply shifted her gaze and silently moved her belt. Even though it wasn''t worn on her body, as the inherent owner of the Divine Artifact, Aphrodite still borrowed a bit of its power. In an instant, her charm was magnified once again on top of its original realm. Languishing on the bed, the Goddess of Beauty closed her eyes; she had used her divine artifact more than once and thus knew of its effects.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om When exerted fully, even the current Divine King would be captivated by her, let alone the War God who currently possessed intermediate divine power. She was ready to be pounced on, but to her surprise again, after waiting left and right, even when she couldn''t wait any longer and opened her eyes, Aphrodite only saw the War God''s embarrassed expression. Clearly, perhaps it was a forewarning on the level of fate that was too strong, causing Ares to remain in a state of "stress." While this was the War God''s sharpest intuition, it now rendered him unable to muster interest in the Aphrodite before him. Chapter 427: Chapter 113: The Twins of Desire_3 If it were any other time, this might not pose a problem; perhaps Aphrodite would even take a liking to him for resisting her charm with sheer willpower, for not every deity can do so. But now, things were different. "Ares¡ª?" "Aphrodite, I..." "Bang!" In the dark of night, following a muffled sound, Ares tumbled out of the Goddess of Beauty''s pce. He rose from the cold floor and was about to say something when a pile of clothes thrown from behind the door hit his face. The doors then shut firmly, as if its mistress no longer wished toy eyes on this loathsome fellow. And though the War God was typically quick to anger, he found he could not muster any rage at this sight. This was his and Aphrodite''s first private encounter, and he had not anticipated such a turn of events. For a moment, Ares began to doubt himself, wondering if there was something wrong with his own body that had led to this situation. Of course, the War God could note up with an answer, but with things as they were, he had no choice but to gloomily dress himself and walk towards his own pce. At this time, Ares was unaware that inside the tightly sealed pce, the Goddess of Beauty was grinding her teeth in frustration. Tall and handsome he may be, she thought, but in actuality, he is all show and no substance, always so quick to make excuses. In that moment, Aphrodite, who had been quite content with their marriage, began to consider other prospects. It was a different beginning but the same conclusion. Even though the suitor of her original fate had be her husband, it seemed that the fate of the Goddess of Beauty remained unaltered. ... In the Spirit Realm, before the Well of Reincarnation, Laine was clearly unaware of everything happening on Mount Olympus. He had only sensed the fate fluctuations from the birth of the Little God of Love, seized this opportune moment, rather than actively observing the events on Mount Olympus. He could never have anticipated that his actions would be detected by the War God''s battle instincts. Detecting shifts in fate or having a clear premonition without the appropriate authority, these are feats normally within the reach of Great Divine Power. Had Laine known of Ares''s experiences that day, he might have been amused, while acknowledging the strength of the other''s godhood. Although Ares may not alwayse out as the victor in myths, it is mainly because his opponents are stronger. As far as godhood is concerned, Ares is actually considered one of the most powerful deities, even if his aspect of [War] is inclined towards personal brutality and injustice. But those were idle thoughts. Now, observing the water in the well which seemed to be boiling, Laine nodded to himself. After returning from the Nine Realms, he had brought back some dragon eggs. Most of them had hatched by now, except for the very first Time Dragon which had yet to emerge. The reason Laine had chosen [Time] over [Order] and [Samsara] initially was precisely because the former two did not quite fit. [Order] was not unique to the Spirit Realm, and [Samsara] was dismissed because of the very being that was at this moment gradually reincarnating. Otherwise, birthing a [Time Dragon] seemed to be a perfectly reasonable option. (see 3-59) "But something is still missing... it has fate, it has spirituality, yet it also needs substance to serve as its vessel." "Fortunately, my previous preparations have finallye into use." Nodding slightly, Laine extended his hand, and a clot of blood that had been forgotten for an era flew out of a pce where treasures were stored, crossed spatial barriers, andnded in his palm. (see 2-11) It was the blood of Uranus; Keto, once the dangerous creature of the sea,ter transformed into a goddess embracing false beauty using it. But that transformation had been an unintended consequence of Laine''s action; his true intent had been to im the blood whichter gave birth to the Three Furies and Aphrodite.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om At that time, Laine was unaware that the death of Eros began with him, but that did not prevent him from noting the shared name between the Little God of Love and the Primordial Deity, based on future memories. Hence, as a precaution, Laine took a scoop of the blood and kept it until today, and now finally, it had found its use. This blood, originating from the same source as Aphrodite, easily reced the Goddess of Beauty''s ce in fate. With it as a material, it was enough to serve as another kind of ''matrix'' for Eros''s rebirth. "Go on, this is most fitting for you." With a flick of his finger, the vial carrying the blood shattered upon impact, falling into the churning well below, initiating an even more intense transformation. Standing at the edge of the well, Laine watched the scene unfold quietly. "Enter this world... and then ask Him for rpense." "Since [Desire] has copsed, let something else serve as the proof of your birth." Chapter 428: Chapter 114 Arrows and Gifts The small vial shattered, and the blood foam of the former Heavenly Father fell into the well water, instantly stirring up a thousand ripples. Deep beneath the Well of Reincarnation, intertwined destinies and gradually converging consciousness seemed to have found an object to cling to. They immediately surged towards the direction of the Divine Blood, merging with it and undergoing a metamorphosis. Thus, beneath the bi-colored water surface, a massive cocoon of light slowly took shape. It greedily absorbed the surrounding energy, transforming it into nourishment for growth, as the breath of life within grew increasingly more intense. Meanwhile, during the formation of the light cocoon, two streams of light emerged from nowhere, circling indecisively to its left and right. Their auras interlinked and transformed into each other, tending towards a singr entity¡ªthat was none other than the two segments of the Divine Lance Gungnir. In the past, Laine had split thence, which had absorbed the vitality of the World Tree roots, into three parts. The middle section inherited the aspect of ''oath,'' while the two sides bore the power of ''certainty.'' He cast them into the Well of Reincarnation, hoping they would be fully utilized to be an extraordinary Divine Artifact. Now, they were evidently influenced by the birth of the new deity, drawn to it and bing its apanying entities. As time ticked by, the light cocoon swelled even more, and faintly, the sound of a heartbeat began to emanate from within. At the same time, feeling the increasing suction force, Laine spared no effort in infusing various powers into it. It was not only pure energy but also an array of memories and faith rted to specific emotions. With their infusion, the aura emitted from the light cocoon grew more unique, even causing the nearby souls, cleansed of memories and awaiting reincarnation, to be affected and stir slightly. However, these souls were swiftly subdued by the guards surrounding them. These beings summoned by the Three Goddesses of Reincarnation, although somewhat affected, maintained their autonomy under the protection of Divine Power and upheld their duties. "Let them back off, this influence will only get more intense. In a while, even your Divine Power won''t protect them," Seeing this, Laine instructed Erinys, who immediately executed the order. As for this special influence, Laine could have forcibly stopped it, but considering it involved the birth of a new deity, it was better to let nature take its course. Soon, the area around the Well of Reincarnation cleared. Standing on the well''s edge, Laine continued to await the birth of the deity. The bi-colored well water at the core began to spin faster and faster, even forming a vortex at one point, relentlessly swallowing everything around it. As energy umted, rather than growing, the core cocoon shrank. At one moment, when the swallowing of external matter reached its peak, the well water''s vortex suddenly stilled for an instant, then burst forth tumultuously, stirring up towering waves. Apanied by a crisp crackling sound, the light cocoon shattered. An endless flood of light poured out, illuminating every corner of the fourthyer of the Spirit Realm. Desire Twins¡ªVolos/Eros The new deity was born, and its true name resounded, but just as Laine had anticipated, it did not cause any world-altering phenomena. Even the newborn deity didn''t appear powerful, but rather exceptionally weak. In the world''s conception, the former Primordial Deity was already dead, and Its innately held authority had long since scattered. Even reborn, It was destined not to reim them. Aside from retaining a few traits of the Primordial Gods, which made some of her powers nearly exempt from anything less than Great Divine Power, the new deity was merely a True God, not even reaching Intermediate Divine Power. However, at this moment, observing the figure that leaped out from the cocoon, Laine''s lips twitched slightly. "What is this situation, how did the mythological Little God of Love split into two?" Although he did not voice it out loud, looking at the boy and girl before him, both about eleven or twelve years of age and each wielding a ''miniature'' bow, Laine was a bit baffled by the logic behind it. Perhaps there was some issue between the destiny he manually grafted and the original mythology, or perhaps the nature of reincarnation was such, or maybe there was something in the blood foam used to shape their bodies¡ªthe blood he took contained not only Aphrodite''s image but also a part of the Three Furies, after all, they had not yet been born when Laine arrived. Indeed, the blood of Uranus could give birth to deities, but it was not without aim but took ce when the spilled blood matched certain opportunities or concepts. The Three Furies matched his hatred towards his offspring and Mother Earth, and Aphrodite, naturally, had to do with his desire. Even Laine had once wondered whether the intense desire of the Heavenly Father was influenced by the scattered authority of the Primordial Deity throughout heaven and earth, and the fact that the mythical Little God of Love was nurtured by the Goddess of Beauty was yet another manifestation of this influence. It was due to the influence of the Primordial Deity that the Heavenly Father''s Divine Blood could give birth to the Goddess of Beauty. Conversely, the offspring of the Goddess of Beauty likewise seemed to be the vessel for the Primordial Deity. The current world shuns greatness, and the mythological Eros was even less visible than other Primordial Gods.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om If it wasn''t for Laine''s arrival leading to Its premature demise, then It indeed might have chosen to descend in such a way, avoiding the world''s constraints. Chapter 429: Chapter 114 Arrows and Gifts_2 ``` So under these circumstances, it seems reasonable that an ident might ur with the birth of new gods¡ª but the problem Laine must now face is, since there are two gods, whom should retrieve the concept of "winter"? Looking at the two new gods with their baffled eyes open, Laine couldn''t help but focus on the miniature bow behind them. The bow itself was ordinary, and although it was a rare treasure for ordinary people, it didn''t have much effect on truly powerful deities. What really attracted him were the arrows that came with each bow. One was a golden arrow, and the other was a lead arrow, with each new god holding one. From a higher perspective, conceptual forces swirled around them. This was thest manifestation of the power of the Primordial Deities, thus endowing them with a mysterious force. Laine could feel that these two arrows could not be used lightly¡ªthey needed certain conditions to be met¡ªbut once shot, the consequences would be unimaginable. "Well... if that''s the case, then let the person involved ''choose'' for themselves." Making a silent decision, since he couldn''t make the choice himself, he decided to let others choose instead. Now, Laine nned to first introduce these two new gods to the world. Whether as a part of the past of the Primordial Deities or in their newly-gained present, they undoubtedly had never understood this world. Before seeking their own rewards, it would be better to first understand the current state of the world. Moreover, as the Lord of the Spirit Realm, Laine had a premonition that these two new gods were probably not the type to stay in line. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ The Mortal Realm, Eryxis royal pce. The night had deepened, and beneath the glorious starry night, the pce shimmered with scattered lights. The weather was growing increasingly cold, with a thinyer of frost forming on the streets, rendering the entire city exceptionally quiet. Inside the residence of the former king, the old woman that Demeter had transformed into was sitting at the table, flipping through an extremely rare scroll from the kingdom. These crystallizations of wisdom were undoubtedly of extraordinary value to the human kingdom, and the king had evidently not refused Moira''s request for them. Reading by the light of themp, in fact, most of the content recorded in the scrolls was iprehensible to the goddess. So, those rted to weaving and casting were often hastily overlooked by her. Only parts involving the cultivation of agriculture prompted a proud smile from her, and then she would mark them with her pen. Of course, Demeter didn''t actually understand agriculture¡ªbeing the goddess of all things growing, she could deduce the process from the results. Though she did not know why one way was correct and another wrong, with just a gentle tap of her scepter, thews would tell her how to make the nts grow better. She recorded these things, which were also the gifts Demeter nned to give to this human kingdom as a reward for ''sheltering'' her. After all, strictly speaking, the Eryxis king had made a very good impression on the goddess; therefore, she was willing to give this reward, and incidentally, spread her faith. The goddess had stayed in this human nation for quite a while, for unlike Laine, and beyond the three goddesses in charge of "spring," "summer," and "autumn," even though the concept of "winter" converged because of Demeter, she herself was oddly unaware of this. Thus, the goddess disguised as a mortal waited for the reaction of the gods while maintaining her wed disguise, pretending to be an old woman who, due to an ident, had ended up in a foreignnd and then came to the royal pce to make a living. It was quite evident that, unlike Demeter''s nonchnce, Clytius, who faintly sensed the identity of the visitor, did not dare to treat her as an ordinary person. This promising king did not disturb Demeter''s enthusiasm, disying kindness and affability and fulfilling what a sovereign ought to do. Heplied with the goddess''s desires and arranged a servant''s role for her¡ªof course, he did not dare to trulymand this mysterious guest, so unbeknownst to the goddess, the entire Eryxis pce was thus bustling. Consequently, Demeter suddenly found her life to be more fulfilling than ever before, even if, disregarding the simplicity of the material aspects, this ce without the presence of Zeus made her feel more at ease. For big and small matters, as long as she expressed her opinion, it would quickly elicit agreement from everyone and be executed swiftly. A mere frown would bring kind souls to fuss over her, fearing that this ''foreigner'' did not feel the warmth of the Eryxis kingdom.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om For a time, the goddess disguised as Moira felt extraordinarily content, and if not for her concern for her daughter, she would not want to leave at all. During her life here, the goddess even developed a strange yet reasonable thought. No wonder the foresighted Prometheus enjoyed living with humans so much that hemitted such a grand sin; it was entirely understandable. For if the life of a mortal maid brought more joy than that of a deity''s servant, then as the creator of Bronze Humanity, the pleasures Prometheus might experience could possibly surpass even those of the Divine King. And so the days passed by one after the other, and Demeter naturally indulged in the life of a ''mortal maid.'' Until one evening at dinner, when she saw the child in Queen Metanira''s arms, she was once again reminded of her own daughter, who had been taken to the Underworld. ``` Chapter 430: Chapter 114 Arrows and Gifts_3 "King of Eryxis, perhaps I can take care of your son." "I once had a child myself, so I am quite experienced in this." After dinner, Demeter expressed her thoughts directly as she had done every time in the past. And, as expected, Clytius suppressed his inner surprise and swiftly agreed to her proposal. The King thought his investment was finally paying off. Even though it was not exactly what he had desired, the response from a seeming deity was not something he could control. Thus, Clytius handed over the swaddled infant Demophon to the goddess; at that moment, he even decided that his second son would be the future King of Eryxis. "Then, thank you, Moira." "It''s nothing. I quite like him, too." As she took the prince and looked at the baby''s smiling face, Demeter felt the void in her heart being filled. Once, to protect her daughter from the poison of the other Deities, she and Persephone had often been apart. But now, looking at Demophon in her arms, she experienced a different kind of joy. And for a moment, the goddess entertained a thought. This was a boy¡ªhe would not suffer the same Cmity as she and her daughter did. He would not be noticed by the gods, and his original parents were merely mortals after all. Perhaps Demophon could stay by her side for a long time, just like her own child. And the prerequisite for this to happen was granting him eternal Life. ...n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om "Almost there..." "Two brothers, one to reign as a mortal king, to be a Divine Practitioner of my worship. The other to be my foster son, and live eternally with me. Such a gift should suffice to repay their hospitality." Her thoughts returning, Demeter put down the scroll she was holding and nced at the sky outside. It was nearly midnight, and she couldn''t help but stand and walk outside. To grant a mortal eternal life was not difficult. By parting with a fragment of her own Divine Power, the goddess could easily achieve it. But to additionally grant Demophon immortality was not so straightforward. The previous God Wars made Demeter realize that Simply having life wasn''t enough, like those Nymphs who served the deities, many of whom had perished unexpectedly in various disasters. Therefore, if she did not want to witness her foster son die in front of her one day, the goddess had to find a way to give this mortal prince a body as difficult to harm as that of the gods. It was not a simple task, but fortunately, Demeter was not only the goddess of fertility. She was also the sister of the goddess of fire and Guardianship. The goddess knew that Hestia would not refuse her request to borrow her power, and with the help of the Goddess of Hearthfire, Demeter could bestow upon the child a divine body immune to harm. So, just like every night recently, she left the room and took the swaddled prince back to her bedside. She ced Demophon on the hearth, pressed her right hand on his heart, and then softly chanted the hymn of the Goddess of Hearthfire. "Immortal of Olympus, Hestia oh! Sacred Hestia! I will praised your name aloud! Mighty daughter of Cronus! Holy deity! Fruitful daughter of Rhea oh! Guardian of the Sacred Fire! You are the glory and the pure me! Guardian of peace! Oh! Glorious goddess! Please, listen to my song! Grant me your power! Please, care for this child in my presence as you have cared for me!" As the low chant ended, the mes in the hearth in front of Demeter suddenly red. The nature of the Fire was altered, and no ritual of mortals was needed, for a deity''s ''prayer'' itself was a sufficiently high ritual. Within the zing Sacrificial Fire, a mysterious power was being infused into Demophon''s body. Every bit of flesh that was scorched by the me was endowed with the concept of [Guardianship], and henceforth, it would be difficult for the forces of this world to harm him. This was a blessing from the goddess of protection. The act was bound to be long and dangerous, however, for the protective power of the fire did not mean that it was without peril in itself. The stronger the granted ''Guardianship,'' the greater the harm it would cause to the recipient. It could even reduce the recipient to ashes before bestowing upon him the power, but the goddess had foreseen this. Each day, she would anoint the infant with holy food imbued with her power. By night, she would personally guide the growth of that power against the mes. In this way, under the intersection of the powers of two mighty Divine realm, the dangers were avoided and only the benefits remained. With a smile, Demeter watched the child in the fire, more and more satisfied. From this day forward, he was her child. And as a scion of the Lady of Plenty, he naturally deserved such glory. "Do not hurry... soon, very soon, you shall enjoy immortality and eternal life... This is the light and glory you will receive as my foster son, as Demeter''s child." "Your father and brothers will eventually age, but you, you shall live as I do!" The deep voice echoed in the room, as if aplex incantation. At this moment, the goddess was fully focused on guiding the power of the sacred food. Only the perfect is worthy of her status... therefore, this child must also be made perfect. Chapter 431: Chapter 115: Gods Mercy Time slipped by, turning into months in the blink of an eye. The weather grew colder, and the situation in Eryxis''s kingdom became increasingly difficult, but none of this affected Demeter in the pce, whose life remained as usual. Although the stores of food were running low, King Cleius, even while reducing his own expenses, did not cut back on Moira''s meals, so the goddess noticed no particr changes. In such times, she didn''t need to worry about any troubling matters. Demeter simply followed her own rhythm, applying the sacred food to the Little Prince during the day and burning him with ritual fire at night. The mes consumed Demophon''s original flesh and bones, and the vitality brought by the sacred food allowed new ones to grow continuously. The goddess''s ritual was going very smoothly; apart from causing her some fatigue, there was nothing undesirable. This day was the same. The prince slept soundly, bathed in mes, and felt no pain at all. Next to him, Demeter concentrated on baptizing his body. The night was deep, and silence reigned in the pce, with only the crackling sound of the sacrificial fire burning continuously inside the room¡ªeverything was as usual. Until a momentter, a knocking sound came from near the door. "Dong dong¡ª" "Dong dong dong¡ª" "Moira, are you there?" The soft sound of knocking rose, distinctly heard in the quiet room. That was queen Metanira''s voice. Her tone was a bit tense, somewhat urgent, but she still did not speak loudly. She hoped to receive some response, yet after a good while, the room remained silent without any other soundsing through. Having focused her mind on the Little Prince, Demeter paid no attention to the visitor and continued her work. Most of the flesh and bones had already been reced, and there was not much left. Today''s target of the ritual fire was Demophon''s still tender cheeks. The goddess''s fingers gently traced his face, and mysterious transformations ensued. From then on, the forces of this world could no longer harm him, and even the influence of divine power would be greatly reduced, no longer able to kill him easily. ... Outside the hut, Metanira hesitated, filled with concern. The light shone from the wooden hut, indicating that its inhabitant was probably not asleep yet. But in response to her call, there was no feedback from inside. The queen didn''t know the identity of the person inside, or rather, even her husband, King Cleius''s understanding of Moira''s identity was merely a guess. However, as the most powerful warrior of Eryxis, the fact that he detected nothing unusual about her presence meant she must be far from ordinary, so he repeatedly warned everyone inside the pce not to disturb her lightly. Metanira''s husband''s caution made her aware of Demeter''s distinction, so in theory, she should not have disturbed this mysterious presence in the middle of the night, but today was an exception. Not long before, having awakened from sleep, the queen suddenly missed her child. She went to Demophon''s usual room to visit her son, whom she hadn''t seen for a long time, but obviously, it was empty. Just like every night in the past few months, the goddess had already taken him away, leaving behind only the small wooden bed. Metanira was somewhat panicked, not knowing where Demophon was at the moment. But she quickly remembered that her son was left in the care of that mysterious guest by her husband. So when the hurried queen saw the bright light of the fire inside the hut, her heart was somewhat relieved. Perhaps he was just taken to her room by Moira, after all, it was impossible for outsiders to intrude into the pce, and they had no enemies outside... But even so, Metanira still knocked on the door. Just a quick check, and she could apologize sincerely afterward... Thinking this, the queen stood at the door and knocked on the wooden door again. "Dong dong¡ª" "Dong dong dong¡ª"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "Moira, are you there?" "..." "...Moira? Is Demophon with you?" But there was no response; it was as if the room was empty. "...Moira, if you''re there, if it''s not convenient for you to let me in, please just respond." Metanira asked again, but still, there was no answer from the room. Beneath the night sky, aside from the rustling wind, there was only the faint sound of the fire burning. After asking several times and receiving no response, the queen hesitated for a long while. Her longing for her son finally overcame her, and with the "squeak" of the wooden hinges, she pushed the door open. She cautiously entered, surveying the scene, and almost immediately, Demeter, standing in front of the stove, was discovered by her. "Ah¡ªMoira, so you''re here." Relieved, it was fine as long as she hadn''t gone to bed. Metanira took a few steps forward, smiling as she asked: "Moira, why didn''t you respond just now? I thought¡ª" "..." "..." "..." "...Ah!!!" In the starlight-shrouded city of Eryxis, a sharp scream tore through the quiet pce, and almost at the next moment, lights were lit one after another. The guards were startled awake, and those who were still on patrol immediately set out. They didn''t know what had happened, but the queen seemed to be in danger. In the depths of the pce, on hearing his wife''s piercing and desperate voice, King Cleius also suddenly stood up from his desk. This mighty warrior instinctively drew his bronze sword, but in the next moment, he froze in ce. Chapter 432: Chapter 115: Gods Mercy_2 The king, already on the brink of legend, easily determined that the source of the voice was inside the pce, and not far off. That ce was where the presence suspected to be a deity resided. In an instant, a myriad of emotions shed through his heart. He wanted to draw his sword and charge ahead without regard for anything else, but various old rumors surfaced one by one. Clytius didn''t understand why things had turned out this way, nor why the queen had provoked that mysterious being, but if it truly was a deity, then the consequences of angering her could very well be the destruction of the entire city-state. The king began to hesitate, feeling as if he had a ten-thousand-pound weight on his back. As the son of the first city founder, and one who had followed his father to establish a new city, Clytius didn''t care much about his own life and death, but if his death was not only useless but would also cause greater disasters, the courage to draw his sword suddenly retreated from his heart. Moreover, he had two sons and four daughters, which left the king in great turmoil... However, before he could truly make a decision, the next moment, a terrible might burst forth again from the ce the voice hade from. The immense pressure covered the entire pce, causing the guards patrolling various areas to stop in their tracks... Feeling that overpowering presence, which he absolutely could not contend with, the king clenched his teeth and walked towards that direction. Now, he was the only person in the pce who could still move freely. Bearing the terrifying oppression, Clytius moved forward; he had to find out what happened, no matter the oue, whether good or bad. ... "Crackle¡ª" "..." "Crackle¡ª" "..." In the room, the goddess''s hand was on the infant''s face. The tiny sounds of the fuel bursting in the fire seemed to continually echo in her ears, like a rhythmless melody. But it was always like this, and Demeter had long grown used to it. Even when she thought she heard some other noise, she didn''t pay much attention. The mortal realm was just the mortal realm, no matter what happened here, it was of no concern to the goddess. Now, to her,pleting the baptism of Demophon was key. The pleasantness of her past life made her feel that no one woulde to disturb her... It seemed it wouldn''t take long, just a few more days, and this mortal''s offspring would attain immortality, henceforth existing alongside the divine... "..." "Crackle¡ª" "..." "..." "... Ah!!!" Suddenly, a sharp cry pierced her ears, and the goddess, who had been fully engrossed, woke up with a start. The intense emotion contained in that voice startled Demeter momentarily, and her hand involuntarily flinched, causing the protective force around the little prince to retract as well. Then, the next moment, a loud wail echoed throughout the room. "Wah¡ª!" Even if it was just for an instant, the pain from the sacrificial fire had awoken the infant from his sleep. He began to cry loudly, expressing his discontent, and at the same time, the queen realized that her child was still alive.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Her eyes wide with shock, the queen rushed forward as if she had forgotten the threat of the mes. She picked up Demophon from the fire. Feeling the normal texture of the infant''s skin in her arms, and his loud crying, Metanira finally breathed a sigh of relief, and only then did she turn to look at Demeter beside her. The queen realized that perhaps the other wasn''t attempting to harm Demophon, but instead was doing something else, something she didn''t understand. Perhaps this wasn''t a bad thing... Thinking this, she aimed to justify her impulsive action. But as Metanira looked up, she was met with a pair of ice-cold, indifferent eyes. In that moment, the queen felt as if she wasn''t being looked at as a person, but rather as a de of grass, a pebble. She wanted to say something, but the other spoke first. "Mortal, do you know what you''ve done?" Coming back to her senses from the rming change, Demeter spoke calmly within the room. But facing her, the queen frantically tried to exin: "... Moira, I didn''t mean to, I just..." "You''ve disrupted my ritual, mortal... His face will now bear a never-fading mark¡ªjust like a criminal." She spoke calmly, but a boundless rage rose from within her, not for the little prince, but from another source. At that moment, Demeter suddenly realized that she might not like this child that much. She was puzzled as to why she felt this way, but as she spoke, watching Metanira''s reaction, the goddess understood something. Hearing Demeter''s words, the queen''s face showed no disdain, although somewhat regretful, she wouldn''t let it change her affection for Demophon, but it was different for the goddess. She liked the child, but only if it was a wless, perfect offspring nurtured by her. It was a transference of her longing for her daughter and a reflection of her jealousy towards Leto, the Goddess of Nursery, and her son. Without powerful strength, and even driven to desperation by Hera, Apollo still turned out so excellent. Byparison, Demeter could only make her daughter hide and seek refuge, and in the end, she couldn''t escape death. He was just a mortal... Even if a prince, what was so special about him to a deity? He merely appeared before the Fertility Goddess at the right time and thus received her affection. But he was never irreceable, especially at this moment, when the masterpiece that should have been perfect showed a w. Chapter 433: Chapter 115: Gods Mercy_3 The goddess had never experienced the games ofter generations; she would not know how frustrating and dissatisfied a person who was about to perfectlyplete a level would feel in the face of a low-level mistake. She only knew how much energy she had invested before and how intense her desire for destruction was now. "Sorry, Moira, I didn''t know you were doing this for him¡ª" "Enough!" In front of Demeter, Metanira still wanted to exin, but the goddess no longer wished to listen. The queen''s voice only caused her annoyance, the more she cared for the child, the more it made the goddess realize that the other was a mother, whereas she was not. So the game of pretense ended here... Since it was no longer perfect, it had no reason to exist. The next moment, sacred power that had reached a demigod''s realm burst forth, instantly enveloping the entire Eryxis. Themps that had just been lit were suddenly snuffed out, and as she watched a queen overwhelmed and brought to the ground, Demeter''s appearance began to change. Age receded, youth returned. Luxurious ornaments adorned her, and the attire of the gods reced that of mortals; at this moment, the true form of the goddess was so dazzling and so noble and untouchable. However, in the eyes of Clytius, who had finally arrived outside the door, the goddess revealing her true form was terrifying. The pressure from the essence of life caused him to feel fear, but the king still stepped forward, trying to calm her rage. "Your Highness, I¡ª" "I am Demeter." The king was interrupted, and facing the two in front of her, the goddess''s voice was like eternal frost. "I am a principal god of Mount Olympus, the deity that presides over the growth of all things." "Foolish mortals... You have made a grave mistake." "I could have granted your beloved son immortality, but now, he cannot escape the fate of death!" Silently, the vitality within the infant, originally meant to counteract the sacrificial fire, suddenly boiled over. It had been the treasure mortals dreamt of, capable of rejuvenating the old and healing the dying. But now, its power acted like a deadly poison, snatching away Demophon''s life in an instant. The baby''s cries stopped abruptly, and the queen, who had been pinned to the ground, suddenly widened her eyes. She brought her cheek close to her young son''s face, but now, he was devoid of life. "No¡ª!" A piercing cry once again rang out in the pce, yet this time, the goddess did not even nce at her. The boon bestowed upon Demophon hade at a whim, and so it was natural that it end with a whim. Therefore, she looked toward the king outside the door, quietly waiting for his reaction. In the gaze of Demeter, Clytius''s hands clenched tightly. His wife''s reaction made him realize something. He even pressed his hand on the long sword at his side for a moment, but in the end, the king still put his hand down. He knelt on one knee, by the queen''s side. Then, with a slightly trembling voice, he expressed his utmost loyalty to the deity before him. "...Thank you for your boon, goddess. If this is your decision, then it must be his best fate."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om "Very well." Nodding her head, as the fury was vented, Demeter''s emotions also began to calm. Looking at the king before her, she could sense his pain and resentment, but the goddess did not care. Not every mortal was as powerful as the one who swung a sword at the divine child on the day of the Great Flood... Besides, even that human was facing only a demigod, and against a being like Triton, even one who was not adept at fighting, the goddess could easily erase. So at this moment, a hint of pity arose in Demeter''s heart¡ªhaving just caused the oue, she now felt reluctant; this seemed contradictory, but it was actually not. The human heart is alwaysplex, and the deities of Chaos, in this regard, are no different from humans. Standing in the room, Demeter thought of many things: the moment she first came to the city and was warmly received by the king''s daughters, the first time she saw Demophon and remembered her daughter with a heavy heart, being amused by an old servant''s joke in the pce, and the pleasant days she had spent in Eryxis. Looking at the queen lying on the ground, who had already lost hope and voice, a sense of condescending benevolence rose from Demeter''s heart. No matter what, she was but a mortal. Her ignorance was the reason she had disturbed Demeter, and now, she had paid the price for it. So, looking at the King before her, Demeter slowly began to speak: "Your queen has disturbed me, mortal king, but in my benevolence, I forgive her transgressions. And now that the misdeed is over, your merits should not be erased." "Starting from tomorrow, send your other son to me. Though your second son''s fate is not to be with the gods, to your eldest, I shall still bestow the glory closest to that of a deity." "..." His blood seemed to turn icy cold, and Clytius opened his mouth but could not find the words to speak. He did not know what Demeter truly intended this time, or if she actually meant to give a reward. He only thought he was about to lose another child. But in the end, the King simply bowed his head slightly. "Your Highness, thank you... thank you for your boon." Waving her hand, Demeter turned away. The royal christening had been tiring, and everything that followed had worn out the goddess even more. She walked toward the inside of the house and said faintly to the two behind her: "Let''s call it a day... I''m tired, you may leave." "...Yes, Your Highness." With a soft reply, the king took the hand of his dazed wife and silently left the room. He was going to bury his child... who hade into this world for only a spring and fall. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ The Underworld. Fields of Truth. Unlike the surface world,pared to the past visits, the core of the Underworld had be somewhat livelier. In recent years, the mortal realm''s winters have grown more severe, resulting in the deaths of many mortals. Moreover, due to the rapid and rampant propagation of humans, the vast majority of them actually held little faith in the gods. Thus, in ordance with the covenant made with the gods above, the bones of a great number of mortals arrived in the Underworld. The losses originally caused by Gaia were quickly replenished, and even exceeded. At this moment, within the Divine Pce of the Underworld, Hades sat quietly on his throne, enjoying the rare delicacies of the bleak Underworld, and by his side sat Persephone. Demeter''s worries were justified; her daughter had inherited her beauty and had even surpassed her. However, contrary to many deities'' expectations, this goddess, who had been in the Underworld for more than a hundred years, showed no signs of coercion. In fact, she seemed to be in quite a good mood. And the reason for her good mood was naturally the cold winters that afflicted the world above. "Hmm?" All of a sudden, the ruler on the throne uttered a light exmation. He put down the cup in his hand and looked upward. Yet he could not see through theyers of earth; he merely sensed something faintly, a faithless neer in death... But to Hades''s surprise, the presence was not quite like that of a deity, and probably not much like a mortal either. By his side, Persephone was not at all surprised by this. She casually tasted a piece of fruit, then asked: "What is it, has another powerful mortal passed away?" "Then you go. As for dealing with the body... I have no interest in it." Chapter 434 Chapter 116 The Awakening Mother of Demons In the Divine Pce of Hades, Persephone and Hades were seated opposite each other. She knew the reason Hades looked up, but indeed, she was not very interested in it. For just like other deities from the surface, this Goddess of the Seeds did not take much liking to wraiths exuding an aura of death. As for why Hades was so attentive to this, it was quite understandable. The stronger the life was when alive, the more powerful it would be after death, and the piety generated from such a life was often exceptionally astonishing. The determination of the purity of faithy in piety, but what determined the quantity was the strength of the life itself. For innately immortal deities, whether the faith was pure didn''t have much of an impact; therefore, what truly captured the gods'' attention was merely the amount. Perhaps for other divinities of Olympus, they wouldn''t care too much about those few powerful individuals. After all, humans were still in a state of barbaric growth, and if it weren''t for the winter brought by Demeter, it''s likely that the number of mortals would still be increasing. So instead of focusing on those powerful beings, it would be better to increase the numbers. Faith is hard to coerce, mortal lives are very limited, and casting a wide is the only hard truth. But Hades was different. The lifespan of a wraith depends on the soul; the more potent, the longer itsts. Without divine bloodlines, the legendary individuals among the fourth generation of human history could scarcely live twice or thrice the lifespan of ordinary people. Still, those of a simr rank among the wraiths could easily survive for thousands of years. This made individual strength quite cost-effective. Moreover, Hades had had enough of those wraiths who liked to worship the Nether Moon. These skeletons and souls seemed to have a natural affinity for the being that granted them rebirth. So, given any possibility, Hades would rather nurture those unique and powerful beings separately, using his divine power to create a simr environment and grant them new life. This method indeed avoided a lot of trouble. The only downside was that this task itself was not easy. Without the corresponding authority, even though the Goddess of the Nether Moon hadn''t prevented the birth of unimed magic power from the source, Hades still needed to use a tremendous amount of energy to achieve the same thing. However, if it was just a small number, Hades felt he could ept that. After all, he only needed to pay attention to those subordinates worthy of his notice. As for the rest, wraiths are different from the living after all; these beings who had died once not onlycked so many desires, but Hades also didn''t rely on worship to draw faith. Over the years, he had confirmed his conjecture. As Hades, the reverence for his authority and the rules established under this authority from those lives born in the Underworld was a form of faith in him. So, whenever he had a chance, Hades would personally visit the Mortal Realm. But this time, faced with Perse''s question, Hades merely shook his head. "It is indeed a powerful aura, but it''s not a mortal, so I must see for myself." "And besides... it seems to have some connection to you." Recalling that fleeting aura, Hades felt somewhat uncertain. It was a sensation tainted with divine aura, and even that breath felt familiar. That was Demeter... Thinking this, as if he finally made a decision, he looked towards the goddess beside him. So many years had passed, and he could now be sure that even if she wasn''t the perfect choice, she was the one he needed. If so, there was no need to hesitate anymore. "Perse... Although the arrival of winter is indeed a good thing, the gods will not tolerate it forever." "One day, they will no longer bear the reduction of humanity, and at your mother''s request, they will unite to pressure me to let you return to the Mortal Realm." "But I do not want to go back." She said indifferently, searching on the table and eating another fruit. "I can exin to my mother, she will understand me." "Perhaps... But whether she understands you or not, Zeus will definitely not understand me."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Hades shook his head, having little hope for this. Hades saw all that King Zeus had done for Demeter. Clearly, even if he wasn''t as jumpy as Poseidon and had ventured to the deste depths, Zeus was still far from at ease with him. It could be just the Divine King''s subconscious check and bnce, or he might have seen something. In any case, Zeus'' actions had already vaguely expressed his stance. So this time, Hades decided to act first and seize her to the Underworld, then demand that King Zeus fulfill his promise. Otherwise, he was sure that something bizarre would happen in between, and it seemed to be ''unrted'' to the master of Mount Olympus. Enjoy exclusive adventures from empire Thinking of this, Hades felt a bit amused. Zeus indeed was the ''Guardian of Oaths'' ¡ª he would honor the exact words of an oath. Moreover, in matters outside the oath, he would do even more in the opposite direction. But perhaps it was someone like him who could sit on the throne for longer ¡ª if he were human instead of the Divine King. "King Zeus, truly disgusting." Picking up the handkerchief to dab her moistened fingertips, Persephone raised her head. Her gaze pierced through the walls of the Divine Pce, overlooking the vast expanse of the Underworld from a higher perspective. Chapter 435 Chapter 116 The Awakening Mother of Demons_2 As a deity of the earth above, she was not very fond of the gloomy Underworld. However, unlike before, there was no longer a mother forcibly demanding that she must stay in the narrow valley. She could freely reside in this vastnd, even if it was still a bit monotonous now. Although reason told Persephone that it was Demeter''s decision to protect her, she could understand her mother''s actions. However, to make a girl filled with curiosity about everything live in istion and remain in a secluded valley for a century was torture in itself. Besides, in her view, perhaps her own mother had better ways to protect her instead of hiding in a corner deceiving herself. Therefore, Persephone resented Zeus, who had led to all this, but she was not particrly close to the mother she had only met a few times. She felt like she was just a ''seed,'' still buried between crevices and rubble, just like her godhood. That was why she had not told Demeter of her whereabouts before, and she had watched as the other caused disasters in the Mortal Realm. Because she wanted to disgust Zeus, and also hoped to push this goddess who clearly held extraordinary authority. She was also a daughter of Cronus, and all six of her siblings were powerful True Gods, yet Demeter acted so timidly. Did she not know that the weaker one was, the more they needed to reveal their thorns, to at least make others hesitate when picking the fruit? Fortunately, with her disappearance, her mother finally remembered her authority and learned to protect her through threats rather than escape¡­ At this moment, Persephone felt that her actions were, after all, very right. Some people''s nature is such that you need to corner them before they show their threatening side. Without a doubt, her mother was one of these people. If she had acted this way immediately after being forcefully taken by Zeus, the other gods would have long known to give her a bit more respect, even if just on the surface. But thinking of this, the goddess then turned her gaze towards Hades. Demeter might have let the other gods see her in a new light since she had always held that authority, only never mustering the courage before. Persephone, however, did not have that luxury.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Her own divine power was truly weak, and no matter how much she bluffed, the oue would be no different. So all she could count on was this man who had brought her here. "So think of a way, Hades. Aren''t you the king of the Underworld?" "Zeus is just your younger brother. As his elder, are you only capable of grovelling and fawning before him?" Looking at her future husband, Persephone sarcastically said, without mincing her words. And in front of her, listening to the goddess''s words, Hades was not angry. Or rather, he never got angry over these insignificant things. "If it was only to win a temporary victory, Perse, I wouldn''t have given uppeting with Zeus for the throne of the Divine King in the first ce. Besides, now, the power he has shown is starting to be unclear to me." Enjoy more content from empire Shaking his head, his expression somewhat indescribable, Hades once again sipped the nectar in his cup. The resurrected wraiths retain some memories of their mortal lives, so the crafts of the Mortal Realm have also spread to the Underworld. Even the materials became avable after Persephone''s arrival. Within the Fields of Truth, the goddess created a garden and used her power to grow various crops from the earth above. Whether it was the fruit they ate now or the nectar, she had nted the materials herself. "However, Perse, I do not envy him, for I know there is no power gained without cause in this world." "The throne of the Divine King appears tempting. My grandfather, my father, and even the current Zeus, they gained supreme power for it. But who knows what the cost is?" "Heh." Persephone scoffed at Hades''s words, disregarding thempletely. "By the time he pays the price, you might already be trained so tame and docile. Big truths anyone can utter, Hades, but the fact remains, Uranus did as he pleased for an epoch, and in front of Cronus, you wouldn''t even dare to speak up." "State your intentions... or do you want to tell me that you went to all the trouble of bringing me to the Underworld, just so I could amuse myself here for a hundred years, and then meekly be sent back to Olympus?" Unfooled, perhaps in terms of certain sharpness, Persephone indeed inherited some of her father''s traits. Just as she said, if Hades dared to bring her down, he should have a way to make her stay. "...You''re right, Perse, I can indeed make you stay here¡ªhowever, not permanently." After a moment of silence and having made up his mind, there was no need for further hesitation. The years they spent together allowed Hades to understand his future queen more clearly. Although she never knew how to speak politely to him, when she actually set out to do things, she was quite measured. Perhaps, as she herself said, the unkind words were just a cover for inner insecurity¡­ So, facing Persephone''s gaze, Hades''s expression finally became serious. Silently, that authority belonging to him, half of the Underworld''s, was summoned, converging towards his palm. The grey and ck energies intertwined. As a nexus where the powers of the four Primordial Gods collided, the forces of the Underworld were inevitably tinged with aspects of each of them: weighty, mysterious, and with a twist of order, or rather, the rules within the shadows. Twelve crystal clear fruits gradually emerged in Hades''s palm, and with their appearance, even the color on Hades''s face turned somewhat pale. Chapter 436 Chapter 116 The Awakening Mother of Demons_3 "As you can see, Perse, in the past hundred years, I have been getting to know you. But now, I feel you might truly be able to be my Queen of the Underworld," "So just as Zeus and Hera do, I am willing to share my authority with you¡ªprovided that you are willing to bear the cost," "Cost?" Staring at the fruit in Hades'' palm, Persephone raised an eyebrow. It had been a casual inquiry, she didn''t pay much attention after all, because to her, no cost could be worse than returning to Olympus powerless. Compared to that, even the unnamed fruit in front of her seemed more enticing. She had never seen such a nt before; it seemed it wasn''t naturally urring but rather a manifestation of some kind of authority... But no matter, as the goddess of seeds, just by consuming one, these new nts would spread throughout the Underworld from this day on. "Yes, a cost. The Divine King is the convergence of thews of the present world, so Hera can share Zeus''s authority because, including myself, we are all part of the present world. The Underworld is different," With a slight nod, Hades continued his exnation: "Your origin is not naturally one with the Underworld, which makes it impossible for me to directly make you the Queen of the Underworld. So Perse, if you wish to share my authority, you must first actively make yourself a part of the Underworld."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om "By that time, your power will be like mine, closely linked to the strengths and weaknesses of the Underworld. Of course, you are not like me. The symbol of my godhood is naturally a part of the Underworld''sposition, just as I myself reside here. Hence, I can freely wander to every corner of this world. But if you make the same choice, you will henceforth be bound by the world''sws," "And at that time, no one trying to stop you will be able to prevent your return to the embrace of the Underworld at the destined times¡ªnot even yourself." "I understand," Reflective, Persephone briefly pondered before grasping the meaning of Hades'' words. "And then your purpose is achieved too. When my authority bes a part of the Underworld, wherever I am, the world itself will change ordingly, right?" To that, Hades said nothing, but his demeanor said it all. "Well then, how many can I eat?" Looking once again at the fruit in the hand of the King of the Underworld, Persephone repeated her question. "At most half, that is the limit you can bear¡ªbut I hope you understand that before you eat it, you are still free to decide whether you stay above ground or below. After all, I won''t restrain your actions. But¡ª" "No buts," Interrupting Hades'' speech, Persephone took six seeds from his hand and swallowed them all at once. "Seeds also need a ce to germinate, and I think this ce is quite nice," There was no sensation at first after the fruit entered her belly. However, soon the goddess felt herself touching something majestic. She was being enveloped, swallowed, merged, and during this process, she also felt a mighty power flowing into her body, graduallying under hermand. This influence was mutual, only because of their different magnitudes, the Underworld changed a little, and Persephone changed more. However, this was just right, the Underworld after all is not the surface world; a small change is beneficial, but too much would not necessarily be so. The transformation continued, the interaction ofws never ceased. As time passed, at a certain moment, the entire Underworld trembled lightly. Something had been fundamentally altered, yet it seemed as though nothing had happened. Only Hades, as the King of the Underworld, could clearly feel that under the Fields of Truth, a weak new life had been borne. It was like an ungerminated seed, tiny but hardy and pure. And the moment it emerged, the cycle of the Underworld instantly elevated by more than a notch, and even after a surge, it was still slowly strengthening. At the same time, thews of the present world seemed also to rejoice at this, and their power also tipped some of it down. Gaia noticed this change, but now she had no leisure to attend to it. The other Primordial Deities also noticed this scene, but upon sensing the familiar atmosphere of the present world, they each turned their gaze away again. Thews responding so directly was essentially confirmation that it was a destined step. Perhaps its process could be changed, but the oue was always beyond alteration. It was like the birth of the Moon and the session of the Divine King, a node of the world''s self-improvement, a destined event. Meanwhile, on Mount Olympus, the Divine King seemed to sense something as well. However, his active incarnation was unable to identify the source of the problem, and after searching to no avail, he temporarily set aside the strange sensation and called for the Wind Gods. The matter with Demeter had been dragging on too long. As the Divine King, it would not be proper for him to get involved. So he must rely on his loyal servants to make contact. He believed that for such matters, he didn''t need to state explicitly; by maintaining an attitude of indifference, they would understand his intentions. ... "This is the authority of the Underworld..." In the Divine Pce of the Underworld, Persephone, having eaten six seeds, opened her eyes. Somehow, her golden hair had turned ashen, her pupils pure ck. A faint mist swirled about her, greeting the rebirth of the goddess. Chapter 437 Chapter 116 The Awakening Mother of Demons_4 "Now, am I the Queen of the Underworld?" Stretchingnguidly, Persephone felt an unprecedented sense of ease as she embraced her new state. The cold sensation emanating from deep within her soul was not only bearable but somehowforting. Then, turning around, the goddess stared at Hades for a good while. Suddenly, she asked, "So Hades, now that I am your Queen, do you wish for me to bear you a prince?" "Gods do not need heirs," was the terse refusal. Silently, Hades clenched his fist, and the remaining six fruits returned to his body. Having resolved a long-standing concern, Hades also did not forget another matter he had been nning to attend to. "I''m going to check on that dead soul which has an odd aura. Do you want toe with me?" "You''re really no fun," she said, a hint of disappointment in her voice. Yet, over the centuries, Persephone had realized that the Underworld''s ruler might have had many reasons for seeking a queen, but they did not include the same motives as Zeus. Therefore, the goddess merely waved her hand indifferently to Hades''s reaction, then turned and looked yfully toward the back of the temple. There, she sensed a familiar presence. It was also she who had found her own hidden valley that brought the bronze-chariot-riding Hades to her.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Initially, Persephone had been somewhat grateful to her, but that feeling gradually faded. Whenever she was alone with Hades, the nymph seemed to insist on asserting her presence, even going so far as to say annoying things when the goddess was by herself. Like iming she was the best candidate to be Hades''s wife or recounting all she had done for the Dark Lord, warning Persephone not to harbor delusions. Or mocking her heritage and past, along with other nonsense, seemingly forgetting that, no matter her ws, she was an inherently immortal deity, while the nymph was but dust never heeded by gods. Previously, Persephone was not quite sure how to deal with her, knowing well her divine status, although she never minced her words. However, now the situation was different. So the goddess extended her hand and with a light grasp, the naiad named Minta was caught in her grip. "Wait, Persephone, what are you doing?" Minta, seemingly taken aback by being snatched up so suddenly, had a voice tinged with panic, which quickly turned to confidence. She did not believe Persephone would dare harm her. After all, she had worked for Hades for so many years. Immediately, she began to exin, "Your Majesty Hades, I wasn''t trying to eavesdrop on your conversation. I was justing to bring you..." Her voice cut off abruptly. A mere fluctuation of the power in Persephone''s hand silenced the nymph''s annoying voice forever. Persephone''s fingers then closed in a gesture of finality, intending to utterly erase the clueless nuisance. It was then that a pale hand grasped her wrist. "What''s the matter, can''t bear to let her go?¡ª If so, why didn''t you stop me from killing her just now?" Without turning around, the Queen of the Underworld was certain that Hades had just been fully capable of stopping himself. Yet, at the next moment, the response from the King of the Underworld made her burst intoughter. "You''ll have to learn to be economical, Perse, from now on, the Underworld has a part that belongs to you, too." Releasing his hold, with a casual flick of his hand, Minta''s figure began to blur. Soon, what remained in her ce was a sole mint nt. Of course, this world had not known ''mint'' until then; it was newly created by Hades. He believed the nt''s unique aroma might serve as a reminder to those who would use itter on. "Furthermore, Perse, since you killed her, from today onwards, the tasks that were once hers are now yours to bear." If it weren''t for a genuineck of alternatives, how could Hades have tolerated this self-willed maid? Fortunately, it now seemed that his Queen of the Underworld was a very capable individual. As his words fell, the King of the Underworld turned into light and sped toward the ground; he had already been dyed for quite a time. Watching Hades''s retreating back, Persephone gazed for a while before turning around, smiling as she picked up the mint nt and gave a gentle toss. The next moment, countless seeds of mint drifted off in all directions. Reminded of something by the scene, the goddess also conjured the very same nameless fruit that she had previously tasted. "As for you, you shall be called pomegranate." She spoke softly, and thus on that day, two new nts came into the world, the Underworld gained a Queen wielding authority, and Hades finally reached the limits of what a True God could achieve. The next step would be the nearly insurmountable chasm of the heavens. As for the deceased Naiad... aside from the two deities present, much like the mint that would spread across the world, no one remembered her name. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Outside the world. Tartarus. Centuries passed in the outside world, but here, tens of thousands of years hurried by. Under chaotic time, everything was so erratic; however, since the start of the Third Epoch, several abnormalities had altered this ce, allowing the originally orderless Abyss to undergo curious transformations. Layer uponyer of space stretched outward, dissecting the merged realm into distinct nes, and even when observing its spatial structure, it bore some resemnce to the Nine Hells. However, it was far more inhospitable here, and the division of itsyerscked any discernible order. Yet, there was one aspect in which even the Nine Hells could notpare: the sheer number of hierarchical levels. Beneath Tartarus'' vastness, thousands upon thousands of dimensions, bothrge and small, were birthed. In its unique set of rules, no one knew exactly how many nes existed within because the innate chaos of the Abyss might never have paid any heed to such details. And under such circumstances, even if ayer born from chaos was nowhere near as powerful as the Nine Hells, this simple multiplication in quantity could not, like theyers of Hell, bring any significant reinforcement to the world''s inner cycle. But in the face of such an immense umtion of quantities, it still disyed another kind of beauty. Regardless, whenpared to theplete Abyss, the Nine Hells were much weaker, after all, as the main portion outside the world, Tartarus still possessed power that even the current Laine was no match for. For Hell to close this gap was likely to take an entire era. Of course, these newly formedyers did not harbor life, as at present, in the entire Abyss, there were only seven beings that truly qualified as living. And just at the very ''bottom'' of these millionyers, already at the nadir of all worlds, within a void of chaotic hues, six towering figures of various appearances floated there. Before them, an indescribable colossal entity bobbed up and down, showing signs of waking up atst. She had intended to sleep a bit longer, but the upheavals in the Underworld had startled all the Primordial Gods, naturally including the Abyss. As the beginning of life in the Abyss, she, too, was affected. Thus, a consciousness that had slumbered for an era slowly stirred, bringing with it the throbbing power of Tartarus. Chapter 438 - 117 Demon Gods An indescribable core of the Abyss; when the transformation of the Underworld wasplete, its influence was also transmitted here in another manner. Something throbbed, followed by a slight shake of the titanic figure at the core of Tartarus. Perhaps because she had slept for too long, her own power had undergone too drastic a transformation in this process, such that even though she was stimted, her consciousness awakened slowly. As for the six distinct figures¡­ they guarded around their mother, but their consciousness was actually notplete. Or rather, before Moya awoke, they were meant to remain as they were, for the Mother of Demons was truly the first life that should appear in the Abyss. Time slowly passed, and the consciousness within that immense body became ever more active. At some moment, she finally regained a bit of her capacity to think, allowing the ¡¯eyes¡¯ on her body to also gradually open. The surroundings were suddenly reflected in her gaze. ... ¡¯It¡¯s noisy...¡¯ Her consciousness was adrift in nothingness, surrounded by darkness without borders. Something was constantly changing her, yet she didn¡¯t have a clearer sense of reality in her sleep. She didn¡¯t know how much time had passed, as there was no concept of time in sleep. It was only that strange fluctuation that had just urred that finally startled this confused soul awake. But her consciousness had only awakened a little, not enough to freely control her own body and power, and even less to bear the memory of the past and logical thinking. For the moment she had forgotten why she was there, even where ¡¯here¡¯ was, and had even forgotten who she was... Millions of years blurred everything, and when it all ended, Moya, having just awakened from her slumber, was a bit out of sorts; her somewhat muddled consciousness did not recall everything immediately. She was simply observing her surroundings instinctively, the twisted and bizarre ce¡ªeven without recalling the various events of the past, Moya still felt that the scenery before her eyes was probably somewhat different from where she used to live. ¡¯Stars¡¯ twinkled ¡¯above¡¯, remnants of the creation of the world, impurities that were difficult for the world to digest, and now they formyers uponyers of projections of the Abyssal dimensions; a chaotic sea churned ¡¯below¡¯, the true bottom of all worlds, and also the most primordial existence of Abyss Tartarus. Looking at it, a feeling of kinship mixed with rejection arose from the depths of Moya¡¯s heart. The familiarity came from the origin of her body, and the rejection from the memories in her subconscious. The ancient Titans inherently did not like these, but no matter what, after thinking briefly to no avail, she let it go, because Moya¡¯s attention was quickly drawn to something even more tangible around her. Those were the six immeasurable colossal entities¡ªso her subconscious told her. But Moya¡¯s currently vague thoughts were a bit confused because she couldn¡¯t feel where they were ¡¯big¡¯ at all. Greatness and smallness are defined by reference, but at the moment in the core of Tartarus, there was only Moya and these six entities. Compared to her, these Demon Gods could not be considered rge¡¯ in any way. ¡¯And... they don¡¯t seem to have the same consciousness as I do.¡¯ It seemed she discovered something, Moya was a bit surprised, and then the answer suddenly emerged in her mind. It seemed that when it involved certain things, she didn¡¯t need to think to ¡¯know¡¯ the answer. Sensing the iprehensibly understood information, Moya ¡¯realized¡¯ the situation in an instant. Before she awoke, there would be no second fully conscious being in the Abyss. She was a special being, not only as the first life of the Abyss, but also because of certain innate traits she possessed. She was immortal, but they were not. Therefore, even if the Demon Gods¡¯ gestation wasplete, it remained halted due to Moya¡¯s slumber. ¡¯I am special, that¡¯s nice.¡¯ Having found the answer, Moya¡¯s consciousness again let go of the doubts, a touch of joy rising in her heart, and then she began to observe these six fellows more meticulously. After all, they were the only beings around. So Moya opened her eyes, using her body and consciousness to examine their appearance and power in turn. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Each of them was different, and the one closest to Moya looked like a huge insect. Its bloated body was covered withrge and small branches, and in the position of the head, a huge human face was drawn, which added to its sense of horror. As before, when Moya saw it, the information about this life form came to mind. It was the first Demon God born in Tartarus, symbolizing the growth and change of life¡¯s flesh within the Abyss; of course, this was her, the firstborn of the Mother of Demons. ¡¯So I am the Mother of Demons? Then what is a demon?¡¯ Her hazy mind pondered for a moment, then gave up thinking once more. Moya continued to observe the other five entities. The second closest to her was a ¡¯giant insect¡¯, or more precisely, something like an erged moth, only it was clearly different from those frail creatures. The transparent wings were adorned with countless eyes, not thepound eyes of insects, but the eyes of normal animals. Dense specks covered them; even without considering the power within, this sight alone could cause someone with trypophobia to be so frightened as to lose theirposure. Chapter 439 - 117 Demon Gods_2 ``` However, observing this scene, Moya had no reaction because the aura emanating from the Mother of Demons wasn¡¯t as potent as that of the other five. Under that inexplicable ¡¯knowledge¡¯ ability, Moya knew it should symbolize the chaotic spirit of life in the Abyss, but for some reason, the power of the demon god before her seemed somewhat ¡¯vague¡¯ to the Mother of Demons¡¯ perception. ¡¯It doesn¡¯t matter, it has nothing to do with me.¡¯ With a slight fluctuation of consciousness, Moya¡¯s attention shifted once more. The third one she looked at appeared to be ¡¯normal,¡¯ at least Moya felt her subconscious was somewhat quieter and no longer so vehemently resistant. It was a titan with three heads and eight arms. To the sensory abilities of the Mother of Demons, each of its heads possessed different powers¡ªone slowly corroded everything, another efficiently brought ruin to all spirits, and the final, central head could enhance itself by absorbing the power from its ughters. Every head had its distinct attributes, but theirmonality was that they all symbolized the Abyss¡¯s destruction of order. Nothing special, Moya continued looking backward, the fourth and fifth ones catching her gaze simultaneously. One had dark red skin and robust limbs, with enormous flesh wings and long horns, its body engulfed in unceasing mes; the other was covered in frost and fog, its form concealed beneath, difficult to discern. That inexplicable ¡¯intuition¡¯ told Moya that, just like the birth of the third demon god was influenced by some ¡¯foreign object¡¯ that appeared in the Abyss, these two demon gods were simrly affected. One had received power from some me Kingdom, the other had merged with the essence expelled from a foggy realm. These two powers endowed them with abilities beyond mere Abyssal traits, granting them such unique capabilities. ¡¯Hmm, interesting.¡¯ ¡¯And thest one.¡¯ Moya¡¯s gaze moved to the final demon god. Compared to the previous five, the entity hiding at the end did not possess its body and form. It was a mass of ever-changing shadows, at times leaping, at other times silent. It seemed different from the first five, but as curiosity arose in her heart, Moya ¡¯understood¡¯ once more the nature of its powers. It was of chaos and shadow, a manifestation of the imbnce in Chaos¡¯s power¡ªin this world where darkness far outweighed light, it symbolized the Abyss¡¯s shadow. ¡¯These are six peculiar fellows, as nauseating as the Hekatonkheires.¡¯ An inexplicable train of thought surfaced in Moya¡¯s mind, but although she did not suddenly ¡¯know¡¯ something this time, the Mother of Demons had no intention of pondering. Although she did not remember what the Hekatonkheires were, it must be a simr entity she had once encountered. Bute to think of it... "So, what do I look like?" This time it wasn¡¯t a thought but an actual voice. Even if Moya herself was unclear where her voice-producing organs were located, she had indeed spoken. The imagery of the six demon gods finally piqued the curiosity of the Mother of Demons. She wanted to see what she looked like, but upon trying, she discovered that she couldn¡¯t do so. Consciousness can¡¯t observe itself, or at least the instinct-driven Moya couldn¡¯t manage to. Realizing this, she felt somewhat dejected. ¡¯Then let¡¯s wait for them to awaken... When they awake, I¡¯ll have them tell me what I look like.¡¯ Not remaining dejected for long, Moya perked up again, as she had noticed that as she awakened, those six demons surrounding her were also finally about to acquire their full consciousness. Just as she had observed them, she decided to let them articte her appearance. And so, as she waited, time slowly drifted by. The distorted chronology of the Abyss had no standard measure, and Moya didn¡¯t know how long she had waited. Until at some moment, she suddenly realized that the weakest, and most peculiar, demon god showed signs of awakening. Its wings¡¯ myriad eyes trembled as if about to open at any moment. Thus, Moyaboriously shifted herself before it. "What do I look like?" At that instant, Moya spoke again, sensing that the other¡¯s consciousness had be whole. And in the next moment following her inquiry, the demon god¡¯s eyes also opened instantaneously. A million beams of light shot forth, releasing its power outward, not out of intent but as a sign of the demon god¡¯s yet unlearned control. They didn¡¯t need control, those without moral concepts would not mind if they inadvertently harmed others. Just like Moya before, the newly born demon god instinctively scanned its surroundings, its many eyes being the perfect tool. And the first thing it beheld was its creator who had nourished it, the Mother of all Demons of the Abyss. Whoosh¡ª n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om A million eyes closed in an instant, followed by the flow of blood-colored liquid from the eyelids. Across from the demon god, Moya didn¡¯t even realize what had just urred. ``` ¡¯What¡¯s wrong?¡¯ she asked. Receiving no response, Moya only saw the other¡¯s wings vibrating, retreating backward. She was about to question this oddly behaving fellow, but in the next moment, the Mother of Demons was drawn to the blood flowing in the void. It was like a mirror, reflecting her appearance. Staring at the reflection in the liquid, Moya was stunned for a moment. The ¡¯beauty¡¯ seen by the conscious mind shed with the utmost ¡¯ugliness¡¯prehended by the subconscious, striking her consciousness with intensity. In an instant, this extremely strong sensory shock suddenly awakened Moya¡¯s memory, and she finally remembered who she was. However, at that moment, she wished she had never remembered. ¡¯I...¡¯ ¡¯I am Mnemosyne... I am the Goddess of Titans... I am the God of Script and innatenguage... I am, the Mother of Demons¡ª¡¯ ¡¯...¡¯ ¡¯¡ªAh!¡¯ A piercing scream echoed through the Abyss, violent power shaking the world; the once Titan deity finally remembered everything, but the current oue was more than she could bear. She hade to Tartarus seeking power, and indeed she had gotten what she wanted. However, the cost was the permanent loss of everything about herself apart from that power. The Abyss trembled, the newly born Demon Gods had not yet fully awakened when they were sent flying by Moya¡¯s power. After venting her rage, the Mother of Demons looked up at the very ¡¯top,¡¯ where the interface between the Abyss and the present worldy, the gateway to the Underworld. Behind that was the source of everything. ¡¯Laine¡ª!¡¯ Moya¡¯s sinct sybles contained anger that could not be washed away by all the waters of the four seas; if it weren¡¯t for that being who had stolen her godhood, how could she have ended up like this today? There were others too, those beings that refused to help her, they all deserved to die¡ªshe wanted to go out, to let all life in the present world taste despair and pain, but before she could start, that ¡¯enlightening¡¯ power from before sent another will her way, stopping her actions. ¡¯...¡¯ ¡¯Hell... another thief?¡¯. ¡¯...¡¯ ¡¯Fine... then I will deal with you first, before I take care of the rest!¡¯ In that moment, Moya profoundly understood the Abyss, she knew the anger of having one¡¯s power taken away¡ªeven though Tartarus actually didn¡¯t feel anger. So she turned around, her gaze following some guidance, and saw the world hidden behind the temporal barrier. It was very simr to the former material realm, orderly and harmonious. Even now, Moya preferred such ces. But she was different now... so the Mother of Demons shrieked again, summoning those Demon Gods she had just shaken out. Having sensed the will of the Abyss, in this moment, she only wanted to bring total destruction to this world. ... The Nine Hells, Central Courtyard. Two ¡¯suns¡¯ shone from above, illuminating the figure on the floating ind. The consciousness of the World Serpent was there, alongside the master of the Nine Hells, observing everything outside. Six Demon Gods, the Mother of Demons, neither they nor the Abyss seemed intent on concealing their tracks at this moment. ¡¯She seems to be calling your name... Laine, listen, that¡¯s quite a deep grudge.¡¯ Next to the familiar table and chairs, Asmodeus drank a cup of tea. However, unlike his casual tone, his facial expression was extremely serious. Chapter 440 - 118 A Small ’Sacrifice ``` Seated on the floating ind in the courtyard, Laine and Asmodeus faced each other. For them, everything outside of Hell was clearly visible, including Moya¡¯s piercing screams. However, the reverse was not true; the Mother of Demons could not see what was happening inside the Nine Hells. This was not due to a power disparity between the two sides; in reality, the Abyss held the true advantage in terms of power. The fundamental reason was that Tartaruscked its own subjective consciousness. It didn¡¯t know to block prying eyes, so in Hell, beings with divine power could see everything outside without hindrance. And since Tartarus couldn¡¯t do two things at the same time, even as it was nurturing the Mother of Demons and the six Demon Gods, it remained oblivious to the ¡¯thief¡¯ who had entered its body unannounced. As a result, for a considerable length of time in the past, the demons of Hell could pass through the Abyss to the mortal world, while the Nine Hells ceaselessly siphoned the power that was meant for nurturing the Demon Gods. Nevertheless, Asmodeus was well aware that this situation likely wouldn¡¯tst much longer. The Abyss had finally birthed its own life, and when Moya awoke, Hell¡¯s extraction of its Origin was forcibly halted. And with thest Demon God opening its eyes, Tartarus finally reacted to the ¡¯foreign body¡¯ within it. The chaotic sea boiled in response, and countlessyers of the realm shook. It sent guidance to Moya and the Demon Gods, lending its power to the Mother of Demons, and even integrated its towering malice over Hell in an attempt to first envelop this ¡¯foreign body¡¯ and then to have its own bred life shatter it. But a being without wisdom is such that it doesn¡¯t know how to conceal its intentions or prioritize its actions. So when the changes in the Abyss were detected, in the concept of space and time, the position of the Nine Hells began to ¡¯surface¡¯. The entrance to the firstyer of Hell was originally near the ce where Moya was nurtured, drawing power continuously from Tartarus. But now, it moved pastyer afteryer of the Abyss, only slowing down as it reached the outermostyer. Even from another perspective, parts of the Nine Hells had already extended beyond the Abyss, with only a very small area remaining intertwined with it. But that was as far as it could go, for the connection between Hell and the Abyss could not be severed; they were one entity. Thus, Asmodeus wasn¡¯t trying to escape anything; he merely needed a window that connected to the mortal world rather than being locked inside by Tartarus. This was destined to be a protracted war, and even if victory came this time, the absolute disparity in power between the two sides would be difficult to change. Thus, the connection to the outside could not be cut off; only then would the Nine Hells have a chance to win the ultimate victory. "So Laine, how did the Spirit Realm manage it¡ªfrom the past until now, why have you never been treated by the mortal world in the same way?" There was no apparent change in his appearance; Asmodeus still seemed very normal, but only he knew the terrible pressure he was facing at the moment. As heavy as mountains, as vast as the ocean, faced with the Abyss that finally had its hands free, Hell could only navigate through the crevices at this moment, utterly incapable of resistance. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Therefore, right from the beginning, Asmodeus was destined not to intervene in this battle. The pressure from the Abyss exhausted him, and had the other side been conscious, the war could have been dered over before it even began. This was not surprising and still within the expectations of the Lord of the Nine Hells. But if this was the case for him, the Spirit Realm from before should have been simrly affected. Hence, the fact that Laine had not encountered the same fate might indicate that he possessed some special means of dealing with it. If possible, Asmodeus would prefer not to use the method they had previously agreed upon to deal with his first confrontation with the Abyss. "Don¡¯t overthink it, you can¡¯t do it because although you were once the god of time and space, when ites to the true heights of the temporal domain, you have actually never touched it." "Even when the Spirit Realm was just born, as long as I didn¡¯t want to, the Primordial Gods couldn¡¯t lock onto me, nor could the mortal world detect me¡ªNyx once thought she could because she could use the authority of Destiny to fix the fate of the Spirit Realm, but she didn¡¯t know that even if the mortal world gave her all the Source Power of time and space, she still couldn¡¯t touch the Spirit Realm¡¯s temporal essence." "As for the reason..." Laine gently tapped his fingers on the tabletop, not even fully clear himself about the subtle Temporal Divinity that came with his soul, but undoubtedly, its essence coexisted with the world. It was this power that allowed him to resist the ¡¯nothingness¡¯ outside the world to a certain extent and to prevent any being from touching it while the Spirit Realm was closed. "As for the reason, it¡¯s probably innate. Being one of the most ancient deities, I¡¯ve always had to have that little something special." He exined casually, but Laine had already mentioned simr content once before. He also understood that Asmodeus wasn¡¯t trying to probe for any secrets, but just wanted to express doubts about the viability of their original n. So Laine didn¡¯t mind repeating it, giving him a bit of encouragement along the way. ``` Chapter 441 - 118 A Small ’Sacrifice’_2 ``` "Let¡¯s get back to the matter at hand, you don¡¯t have to worry so much¡ªyou were able to carve out a domain in the Abyss because Itcks Wisdom. Now, its children are the same." Just as they had thought before, aside from Moya, these first-generation Demon Gods did indeed possess great power. However, they also inherited the chaotic traits of the Abyss. Therefore, their reasoning is very weak, at least by human standards. At most, they have a little more ability to think than the Devourers roaming the Spirit Realm, who can distinguish friend from foe and assess the weak and the strong. "Well... let¡¯s hope everything goes as usual." Nodding his head, the Lord of the Nine Hells didn¡¯t dwell on it any longer. He just watched the approaching Demon Gods outside the world and finally confirmed: "We will win, right?" "Of course, but in the end, it all depends on how you define ¡¯victory¡¯." Standing up, Laine responded with a smile. Then, in the next moment, the reflection of his consciousness began to fade slowly. His incarnated thoughts returned to coil around the essence in the courtyard, and those two suns flickered as well. "At least, judging by how she can¡¯t get me out of her head, she truly loathes me to the bone. So, I might as well take a bit of a loss, make a little sacrifice... don¡¯t you think?" Laine¡¯s voice grew fainter as his consciousness returned, and the courtyard also quivered slightly. A colossal being started to move its stiff body, and watching all this, Asmodeus¡¯s cheeks twitched a little. Sacrifice... yes, but no matter how you look at it, it seems the ¡¯sacrifice¡¯ is noting from the other side. But let it be... Shaking his head, the figure of the Lord of the Nine Hells disappeared as well. As long as they could win, no matter how, after all, this was already the perfect solution. The Abyss was not something they could defeat; Moya, even more so with his immortal nature, they were not enemies they could truly resolve. Thus, from the beginning of this war, his goal had never been a choice. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ The firstyer of Hell, ¡¯[Tumultuous Void Tunnel]¡¯. On the dimnd, the sound of air tearing and trembling was incessant. A deep blue storm swept across the sky, then collided with a burst of firelight, illuminating a stretch of the sky. This particr scene didn¡¯t happen just once, but many times over. It wasn¡¯t the result of some force, but rather a characteristic of thisyer of the realm itself, caused by modifications to its underlying rules. Ever since the Titan Deity became its master, the God of Meteorology infused the power of his Deity days into this realm. In making it stronger, he also inevitably altered its foundationalws. From that day forth, storms ravaged the mountains and nes, their morous noise never ceasing. The environment of the entire realm slowly shifted in a certain direction, and in recent millennia, it even underwent further changes. The Abyss absorbed fire and frost mist, and thus spawned Demon Gods with corresponding powers, along with realms filled withva and cold streams. Of course, Hell also gained its portion. To better resist the uing war, Asmodeus generously infused his share of the profits into the first realmyer. Hence, Crius¡¯s power surged, and firelight and frost flickered within the Tumultuous Void Tunnel. So, although this world had no sun, it was never short of light. mes spontaneously born from the void lit up the entire world, extinguished by storms or dancing with it. From a higher vantage point, countless points of light could be seen spinning and rising, giving warmth and light to this dim realm. Of course, with the birth of me and cold stream, the storms became more fierce. The collision of cold and heat made the currents more unpredictable, rendering this world a ce where only life beneath the ground could persist. Layers of tunnels and cavities were thus excavated, emitting sharp cries under the fierce winds on the surface; one of the reasons behind the name ¡¯Tumultuous Void Tunnel¡¯. But that was during normal times; currently, the firstyer of Hell was devoid of life. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Not long ago, the Devils here had orderly evacuated to the upper worlds under themand of their Lord. Clearly, the sh between Tartarus and the Nine Hells was not something in which they could partake; this time, they didn¡¯t even qualify as spectators. Thus, the boundless realm stood empty, save for at the highest point, where Crius held a great sword, y and gazed solemnly at his world. This ce was about to be a battlefield, and he was the only ¡¯warrior¡¯. "It¡¯s always a fight against overwhelming odds, I wonder when he¡¯ll change this situation." He didn¡¯t voice it aloud, but Crius couldn¡¯t help feeling speechless. Whether above ground or below, he never seemed to experience the feeling of having strength in numbers. Fortunately, his power had grown stronger than in the past. Although at the beginning of his rebirth, this Titan Deity had once lost the strength of his Divine Power, only maintaining the old view through the support of the realm. But after Hell¡¯s tens of thousands of years absorbing the power of the Abyss, he had arduously returned to his original domain. Even now, as a being with the traits of a territorial god standing in the Tumultuous Void Tunnel, Crius felt far superior to his past. The entire realm was one with him, and here, he felt he could face more than one peer. ``` Chapter 442 - 118 A Small ’Sacrifice’_3 The only unfortunate part was that Crius suddenly realized that not only was each of his future enemies no weaker than he was now, but there were also six of them. As for his teammates... Crius nced at Mephisto next to him. No matter how he looked at him, the other party didn¡¯t seem like someone who could fight well. "Why are you the only one here? Where¡¯s the god you brought into Hell, and the other guy, the one... Hypnos? Where did he go?" Frowning, Crius was somewhat dissatisfied. Although they hadn¡¯t interacted much, he had to admit that the divine power of the God of Sleep was indeed very powerful, even stronger than his. ording to Hypnos, this was after he had lost the domain of "Sleep," otherwise, he would have been almost at the pinnacle of the True Gods¡¯ realm. This revtion somewhat shocked Crius, for Hypnos had been virtually unknown in the Mortal Realm. But after thinking about it, he found it not so surprising. After all, such was the world of Chaos, where death was ridiculously weak, but sleep had taken its ce because, in this world, the most dreadful fate for a god was not death but eternal slumber. Therefore, it was only natural that the authority of the God of Sleep was strong¡ªof course, perhaps it was this very strength that led to his overconfident rebellion. Regardless of the reason, it didn¡¯t concern Crius. He was just dissatisfied now because it seemed the other party had no intention of cooperating. "He doesn¡¯t think hiding in his own little world will be of any use, does he?" Crius snorted coldly, gripping his sword hilt, "Or does he think that the Lord of the Nine Hells won¡¯t settle ounts for his desertion?" Beforeing here, Asmodeus had clearly told him that the lord of the thirdyer of Hell would help him restrain at least two Demon Gods. But now, he had no idea where the man was. "Don¡¯t worry, Crius, he must have already arrived. As long as he wants to stay in Hell, he cannot defy the unanimousmand of the two rulers." From beside him, Mephisto in mid-air was not in a hurry. "As for where... The greatest use of his authority is not directbat. However, I believe he will put in the effort." Unlike Crius, who was tense, Mephisto was actually enjoying the unique scenery of the noisy empty tunnel. Behind this distinctive environmenty the visible power of the lord of thisyer, something he did not yet possess. Even though he had suddenly be a great lord of Hell, and even temporarily granted jurisdiction over the secondyer of Hell due to the war, one problem stilly before him. Unlike his partner Crius, who might be considered ¡¯bringing capital into the partnership,¡¯ Mephisto was purely a high-level ¡¯employee¡¯; everything he possessed was because he could still create value for the Lord of the Nine Hells. But no value is permanent, and the longeststing value is to transform oneself into that value itself, like Crius and his meteorological Origin. "Indeed, disaster is thedder to ascend... The destruction of humanity brought me to where I am today, and the invasion of the Abyss is for a better tomorrow for us." With a pensive look, Mephisto smiled and said: "So, looking on the bright side, perhaps after today, the noisy empty tunnel will grow stronger fed by the nourishment of Demon Gods¡¯ flesh and blood?" "Only if you are still alive tomorrow, human," Crius responded coldly. "And I hope you remember, remnant of the Silver Age: I am immortal, but you are not." Leaving behind a coldugh, wrapped in a hurricane, Crius leapt into the air. Behind him, Mephisto watched his retreating figure with an unchanged smile. He knew that as an innate Deity, Crius never really looked up to him. Or rather, almost all gods disliked seeing mortals gradually be their equals, which was quite normal. But asmon as it might be, there are plenty of normal things in this world. Like now, the key to determining the oue of the war was never in the hands of Crius. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om "Silver Humanity... you are right," Mephisto said. Retrieving a silver mirror from the void, looking at the Divine Artifact granted temporarily to him, Mephisto continued to wait. Until at one moment, a thunderous roar came from the edge of space, shaking the whole world. "Boom¡ª¡ª" Gazing up slightly, Mephisto knew that the gates of Hell had been opened. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Chapter 443 - 119: Whittling Away "Thud..." "Thud¡ª" "Thud¡ª¡ª¡ª" In the chaotic temporal space, there hadn¡¯t been any so-called ¡¯portals¡¯, but when the forces of two worlds collided, it seemed as if it became visible along with them. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Both originated from the same source and were mutually opposing and repelling, yet behind that repulsion was a mutual attraction. So, when Hell¡¯s ¡¯gate¡¯ was in front of her, Moya didn¡¯t hesitate to charge at it. "Thud¡ª!" The dull impact sound brought with it a spray of blood, but the slight pain instead aroused a certain ¡¯ferocity¡¯ in Moya. It was hard to say if she was influenced by the chaotic power of the Abyss, but she didn¡¯t seem to be an overly intelligent deity to begin with. From the moment she realized her current situation, the Mother of Demons developed an insatiable desire for destruction. She wanted to destroy something, whether it was someone else or herself. "ng¡ª!!" "Crack¡ª" She couldn¡¯t remember how many times she had collided, until at a certain moment, Moya felt as if she had broken through something, passing through some barrier, and arrived somewhere else. The power of the Nine Hells began to suppress her, but the world that was fully resisting the Abyss didn¡¯t have much power to spare. It was more of a reminder to Moya that she had entered. So, shaking her body a bit, the Mother of Demons regained some sanity. She began to observe her surroundings with the tiny pupils hidden beneath her indescribable form and sensed the breath of the entire Hell. Looking down from The Sky, within a darkened world, countless points of ¡¯light¡¯ flickered into and out of existence, adding a spectacr color to this realm. The shrieking sounds, either sharp or heavy, incessantly echoed, as if an ipetent orchestra was ying, making Moya somewhat bothered. But that wasn¡¯t the most critical issue... The Mother of Demons¡¯ gaze moved to a deeperyer of temporal space. As the only being currently qualified to bear a portion of Abyss¡¯s power, Moya temporarily received a bit of extra care from It. Although the conditions for using this care were stringent and limited because she couldn¡¯t be the ¡¯king¡¯ of the Abyss, and it only worked when facing the enemies of Tartarus, it still allowed her to detect the distribution of powers within Hell. Besides the world itself that was fighting against Tartarus, only the middle position had the strength to rival hers at this moment... As for other ces, only a few were somewhat stronger beings. But it didn¡¯t matter, because the Abyss had more numbers. Thus, even with no great battle wisdom, Moya quickly determined the best course of action¡ªshe would entangle the threatening being, and then the other Demon Gods would destroy this world. Of course, all this was predicated on the assumption that this world could withstand the struggle between her and that foreign existence. Without further hesitation, the Mother of Demons stretched out her body, emitting a long and piercing cry. "Ahhh¡ª¡ª..." The sound reverberated through the noisy space, also reaching beyond this realm, as Moya was calling the Demon Gods born along with her. These beingscking in reason could notmunicate normally, but fortunately, Moya didn¡¯t need to waste words with them. Her voice carried but one consciousness, to destroy everything before her! "Boom¡ª!" The next moment, without waiting for their response, Moya once again collided with her full body, charging into the depths of the world. The firstyer of the world was pierced without resistance, but in the crevices of the nine realms, a ck shadow suddenly shed by. Without time to react, Moya was once again cast into the ground of the noisy space tunnel. The force continued, sending her through the earth¡¯syers until she fell out of the Nine Hells and struck against the body of an eight-armed, three-headed Titan. Flesh tore and then healed, and with a mere shake of her body, Moya stood up again. At the end of her gaze, she saw the one who had attacked her. Rising from nothingness, crawling through space-time, a massive snake head protruded from the interdimensional ne. Its blood-red eyes were fixed on the demons, not hiding the murderous intent within. However, at this sight, Moya let out a sharpugh, showing no anger from the attack. "Good, very good¡ª" "Since you don¡¯t want to fight me inside, thene outside... Although regardless of where, the oue awaiting you will be no different!" Fighting here actually aided the disy of her powers more. As for the potential damage to someyers of the Abyss, neither Moya nor Tartarus really cared too much. Inparison, the significances of a few Demon Gods were somewhat greater; they at least indeed represented some aspect of the Abyss¡¯s authority. If something happened to them, that would be a significant issue. So without any fancy moves and stillcking any knowledge of other tactics, she charged at her opponent in the same primitive way as before. It might look somewhat foolish, but it was the most effective method. She didn¡¯t need to do anything else; from now on, Moya just had to ensure that her opponent was too overwhelmed to care about anything else. ... At the junction connecting the Abyss and Hell, at the entrance to the firstyer of Hell. Unlike the turbulence outside, this ce still seemed somewhat calm. After all, even the Demon Gods passing through here didn¡¯t stay long, instead following an indistinct call toward the depths of the world. So now, only one guy was left here, who intended toy low but unexpectedly stumbled upon a ticking bomb. Chapter 444 - 119: Whittling Away_2 "Hiss...truly, beyond myprehension..." The slight tremble of his body, the grey wings on his back all drooped. Hypnos, hidden at the entrance of the realm, seemed to have been struck by some powerful impact and for a moment was unable to react. Therefore, he almost passively watched the first four demon gods birthed by the Mother of Demons enter the bustling void tunnel before him, without managing to make any response. "Really bad luck..." His mouth twitched slightly, unsure how toprehend the situation. Actually, if he had run into an opponent he couldn¡¯t defeat, he might have understood that much, but the experience he had just endured was truly hard to evaluate. After all, strictly speaking, he had actually done nothing just now but ¡¯looked¡¯ out of curiosity at the gigantic life form that had burst into the Nine Hells. And now, he deeply regretted it. The sh of a giant creature, the intense mental shock, it wasn¡¯t just some indescribable phenomenon on the surface, but more a conceptual definition. Having appeared in the dreams of the gods many times, Hypnos had seen the figure of the Goddess of Beauty on Mount Olympus, and indeed, Aphrodite was as her godhood dictated. No matter who you were, no matter your gender, whether you liked her or not, you would be captivated by her beauty under the influence of her inherent authority. You could dislike her character, question her abilities, but you must admit, she was someone whose presence was pleasing to the eye¡ªa stark contrast to Moya. At that moment, Hypnos was quite certain that the Mother of Demons was most likely granted an opposite power by the Abyss, and it was probably enhanced. Because on her, there was also the natural repulsion of Order against Chaos. In any case, under various influences, her figure seemed to have some mystical effect; although it didn¡¯t cause any direct damage, it was a bit more terrifying than if it had. With just a moment¡¯s gaze, the God of Sleep felt he would not forget her for ten thousand years toe. He had no doubt that if this disgusting creature didn¡¯t think of some way to conceal itself in the future, no one would want tomunicate with her. Hmm... at this time, Hypnos didn¡¯t know that he wasn¡¯t the first victim. The demon god of a thousand eyes and thoughts had seen her the moment it was born and promptly destroyed its own eyes. But even when a new pair grew back, it was still meaningless. The impact on the spirit, naturally, was not affected by the physical body, so its instinctual reaction was just futile. "Huh¡ª here ites." After a moment, the God of Sleep finally shifted his attention back to serious matters. He had already let four through, if there were issues with thest two as well, that would be a bit inexcusable. Regardless, at this point, he was a ¡¯contracted worker¡¯ relying on the hospitality of others, so Hypnos forced himself to be spirited. Under his gaze, after a short while, the void trembled again, and a dark blue mist seeped from it. Just like at the moment of its birth, the mist concealed the neer¡¯s form, hiding the true appearance of the demon god and making it difficult for others to pinpoint its exact location. And the seemingly beautiful mist actually contained an extremely horrifying toxicity, enough to turn any who approached into withered bones. This was a power not found in the Chaos World, it originated from the source of frost power, a primeval Fountain from a certain realm. The original Fountain, known alongside the Well of Urd and Mimir¡¯s Well, didn¡¯t have many effects; its terrifying toxicity was its most notable feature. And now, it seemed that this trait was partly inherited by the demon god that carried its power, bing the best barrier surrounding it. "But it doesn¡¯t matter... I never nned on getting close to you." "Something with not much wisdom is not hard to deal with at all." He reached out and a dark purple flute fell into his hand. This Divine Artifact that was born with him had not abandoned him as he fell into Hell. Hypnos brought it to his lips, and a melodious tune immediately filled the world, despite the howling hurricane. The violent winds did not interfere with its effects, for the music of the God of Sleep was not meant for ¡¯ears¡¯ to ¡¯listen¡¯ to. His power traveled unhindered along with the melody into the mist, and at the same time, grey feathers fell from his wings, drifting across the void towards the other side. Visible to the naked eye, the moving blue mist slowly came to a halt, though the fog around it grew even denser. It seemed to possess some sort of instinct, which allowed it to protect itself during sleep, but even so, Hypnos had no intention of doing any harm to it. His power was not dominant in directbat. Despite having knocked down the opponent with one move just now, if a real fight ensued, even with the upper hand, the oue was uncertain. Compared to the native lifeforms transformed by Hell, Hypnos was not keen on the power of Abyssal Demon Lords. Rather than pondering whether he could solve the problem once and for all, it was more meaningful to control one more of them. "Hmm... Crius, right? Since you¡¯re undead anyway, two more hits it is then." "That¡¯s how it was on the ground, and it seems you¡¯ve always yed the role of a punching bag, even among the stars." Watching the void surge again, a shadow slinked out, and Hypnos silently thought to himself. He had seen that scene in a few dreams of the Gods of Stars, the Meteorological Titan beaten mercilessly by the ancient God of Sun¡ª that was a nightmare for many Gods of Stars. After all, they still remembered how many of their kind perished during that time; their survival to this day was purely luck. Therefore, it was conceivable that in this respect, Crius was very experienced. "Shadow... there¡¯s no difference." Once again blowing his flute with practiced ease, Hypnos immobilized thest Demon God and rxed, even taking the time to observe this unique individual. It was not just the outward difference that struck the God of Sleep; he had even sensed that this one had more reasoning than the previous few¡ªof course, that was meaningless. Whether slightly smarter or dumber, neither affected being influenced by his power. And once they fell into deep sleep, waking up would not be easy. "Lucky one." After observing for a while, Hypnos no longer dwelled on it. Even after falling into Hell, the God of Sleep still bore the appearance of a youth, which inevitably gave a sense of a dark fairytale amidst such a setting. Turning around, he looked deeper into the realm, where battles were also about to erupt within the noisy spatial tunnels. The invading Demon Gods were brazenly attempting to copse this world, and its masters clearly could not tolerate such behavior. Although their power was insufficient to destroy the fabric of space-time that carried the world itself, their goal was not for such. Once they exterminated the life on this ne and upied its center, then spread their own influence across The Sky and the ground, this ce would gradually bear the mark of the Abyss. When this mark waspleted, Tartarus would then be able to use it as an anchor to send its force urately here, rather than ying a game of hide and seek with the Nine Hells across theyers of space-time. Slowly eroding, then deciding the oue when the big picture was almost set¡ªthis was the process of the struggle between Hell and the Abyss. Just as Chaos had worn down the resistance of Hemenu World over a long period, collisions between worlds were not to be solved overnight. "Mutual devouring..." "Truly primordial and aesthetically pleasing." Sitting amidst the void, his feathers continuously falling and regrowing, Hypnosmented lightly. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Although he was there in person, the innate Evil God could hardly be said to have any empathy. So now, he was just fulfilling his most basic task, then waiting here, watching as this wind-filled world slowly burned. Chapter 445 - 120: The Curse ``` To say that Hypnos "watched the world burn" is not a poetic description but an actual depiction of the firstyer of Hell. Although the noisy wind tunnels that crisscross through rocks and stones had nothing that could serve as fuel, the Transcendent World does not adhere to thews of physics. At this moment, with the invasion of the Demon Gods, the whole world erupted in turbulence. It was an attraction and opposition between Origins, a resonance from the same power that emanated from Muspelheim, the Country of mes. Therefore, the relevantws of the realm were excited, causing a red hue to suffuse the relentless hurricane. "Crackle¡ª" The great sword scraped against the phosphorus armor with a grating sound, but it was quite clear that the attack failed to pierce through this innate defense. The fruitless strike was followed by no time for further action as Crius couldn¡¯t help but change his expression and immediately dissipated into formless mist, dispersing into the void around him. The next moment, a dark red shadow pierced through, turning the mist into nothingness as it passed. Its unstoppable momentum carried it to thend behind. Almost visibly to the naked eye, the ground and rocks at the impact site crumbled into the finest dust, then vanished without a trace with the wind. The mist coalesced, and feeling his Divine Body slightly weakened, Crius had no time to marvel at the power of the Demon Gods, as he again retreated. In the next instant, a bloated, segmented worm leaped from the ground, the human face on its top contorting into a greedy grin as it lunged toward the entity in the sky. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Perhaps the body was too massive, perhaps itcked profoundbat Wisdom, or maybe it was because of a disparity in authority, but under Crius¡¯s evasion, they should have passed each other by¡ªif his opponent had nothing more to say. But reality holds no ifs. In the distance, although a crack was inly visible on its translucent wings, the colossal ¡¯moth¡¯ still spread its wings wide, and with it, a myriad of eyes also opened. In an instant, a flood of chaotic emotions surged into Crius¡¯s heart, disregarding the barrier of time and space. Fear, panic, anger, envy, Deceit... Theybined in various proportions, contained in every ¡¯eye¡¯ of the Demon God¡¯s countless gazes. When they opened simultaneously, they coalesced into millions of new emotions that together infiltrated Crius¡¯s heart, causing the once Titan deity to stumble in his movements, his will falling into a state of Chaos. Thus, in an instant, the leaping worm closed in on its target, its facial expressions on the body bing even more sinister. At the moment of contact, the human face seemed to take a severe breath, and it could be seen that Crius¡¯s Divine Body instantly shriveled. "Hiss¡ªBack off!" A sense of emptiness rose from the depths, awakening Crius, who was still being bombarded with emotions. Instinctively shing with his sword, he easily tore a huge wound through the worm¡¯s body. But this was of little significance, as the opponent¡¯s body visibly recovered. Meanwhile, not only did a second ray of light infused with different powerse hurtling through the air, but a demon wreathed in mes also rushed toward him, wielding a Chain Sword. "Damn¡ª" Cursing, Crius could only meet the advance with his sword. Although he was not a match, he wouldn¡¯t bepletely defeated in a moment. After all, for an immortal Primordial deity, unless one burned oneself like the ancient God of Sun, or was tainted by a higher level of power, ordinary injuries were not fatal to a god and did not require much time to heal gradually. As long as the power hadn¡¯t run dry, even if attacked thousands of times, he could still fully recover. Swish¡ª Avoiding the sharp edge of the sword, dodging the iing rays of light, and barely boosting his spirits by self-inflicted harm, Crius raised his great sword, aiming for the head of the Demon God. This cecked the thick phosphorus armor, maybe it could actually inflict some damage... The best defense is offense, a lesson he learned from participating in numerous godly battles. As the sword fell, Crius allowed himself a small measure of bitter joy, finally able to wound the demon wrapped in the fires of Destruction. However, no sooner had the thought formed when the ensuing scene made his eyes widen and his form retreat explosively. Perhaps sensing that it was about to be struck, the Demon God didn¡¯t show fear but rather its eyes gleamed with intensified brutality and murderous intent. Engulfed in battle, its body was already ruled by instinct, so it bore down on the sword edge and charged forward. The body began to disintegrate, flesh and bloodbusting, with the demon making no attempt to evade the enemy¡¯s attack but rolling into a ball, throwing itself onto the adversary, and then exploding beside Crius with a mighty st in his horror-stricken gaze. Boom¡ª The self-detonation of a Demon God raised a ¡¯Sun¡¯ in the dark and tumultuous tunnel, endless light and heat illuminating the vastnd, and the tremendous roar and shaking shook the whole world. As the st urred, the tunnels and cavities mined under thend for millennia vanished into nothing, and beneath the explosion site, billions of tons of earth turned intokes of magma, then vaporized the next moment... Even at the edges of the realm, Hypnos couldn¡¯t help but be rmed by this power and increased the output of his energy to barely prevent the two Demon Gods from awakening from their slumber. In the center of the explosion, Crius, despite his best efforts to escape, was left with nothing but skeletal remnants and a few pieces of internal organs on his Divine Body. ``` Chapter 446 - 120 Curse_2 They continued to proliferate, then were ignited by the mes that overflowed in the space, subjecting the once great Titan Deity to tortures akin to a thousand cuts and slices. He wanted to scream out his agony, but Crius found himself now unable to even make a sound. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Facing the four Demon Gods alone, Crius had long known he was no match for them, so all he aimed to do was to buy enough time. That¡¯s why he chose to experience their powers one by one from the outset. The first opponent he chose was the Demon God symbolizing the life and change of the Abyss. However, just like its power, although the owner of the boisterous hollow easily tore through the flesh of the worms, his injuries were meaningless. This was quite normal; aside from a few authorities, any existence when confronted with something tied to "Life" often found themselves at a loss. Thus, after only a brief encounter and having taken a few blows, Crius decisively shifted his target. Since the first was unsuitable for an offensive target, the second one he chose was the Thousand-Eye Demon God. Its aura was clearly weaker than the others, and this time the attack did have some effect¡ªthe body was ¡¯fragile,¡¯ its healing speed not so swift. With just one stroke, Crius left a scratch on its wing. But soon, Crius again switched his target. He realized in horror that the moment the eyes on its body were damaged, the Demon God would burst forth with emotional turmoil many times stronger, rendering him stiff and unable to move¡ªthis was thanks to some w in its power, otherwise, it would have been more than just temporary stiffness. The Chaotic Gods were alwayscking resistance to such powers. Had the Thousand-Eye Demon God possessed sufficient ¡¯emotions¡¯ butcked ¡¯consciousness,¡¯ Crius¡¯ fate would have been even worse. In this battle, he was already striving to conserve his strength through his authority and reason, and this kind of ¡¯hard control¡¯ attack was undoubtedly thest thing he wanted to encounter. So, after weighing his options, Crius firmly set his sights on the third Demon God, that three-headed, eight-armed giant. During the previous shes, he had been observing his surroundings and had thought he finally found an easy target, because Crius discovered that the three heads of the Demon God seemed to have different thoughts, all equally chaotic. They often interfered with one another, acting in self-contradictory manners, at best projecting beams of light from the eyes on their foreheads that contained different powers to attack the enemy. However, the moment it was truly about to be injured, the three consciousnesses united rapidly and instinctively, beginning to fight the enemy recklessly, without regard for consequences. So after taking a few more losses, Crius once again changed his target and looked at the demon enveloped in mes. Regarding the three-headed giant, perhaps the threat would be smaller if left unattended. Thest one, and the one Crius had least wanted to face before the battle, was the Demon God whose appearance was closest to the demons ofter ages. Not only did it have heavy phosphorus armor, but it also wielded a massive Chain Sword. That was a true Divine Artifact, far from beingparable to the lesser weapon in Crius¡¯ hands. And indeed, his apprehension was proven right, for he dared not even face the demon¡¯s sword edge, yet he couldn¡¯t breach the demon¡¯s phosphorus armor at all. However,pared to the other three, Crius still felt the one before him was somewhat more suitable for a main attack. At least he could exchange a few blows with it, and the Demon God clearlycked experience in wielding weapons¡ªthat was until the world-shaking explosion urred, leaving him in his current state. Looking at the far-off Demon God whose aura had fallen sharply but who remained ferocious and insane, Crius had no doubt that if he dared approach, the demon could gift him a ¡¯self-destruct¡¯ at any moment. Had this been a one-on-one fight, he would not have hesitated to confront such a move that killed 800 enemies at the cost of 3000 selves, but now he had four enemies. "Damn you, Mephisto, where the hell have you gone?!" He roared and then flew away in retreat¡ªalthough one of the enemies had entered a period of weakness post-¡¯ultimate ability,¡¯ it didn¡¯t mean the others were affected. It seemed that a head-on battle was utterly meaningless¡­ So within the firstyer of Hell, and with more severity than when he faced Hyperion, Crius could only dodge everywhere, as new wounds umted upon his body. He didn¡¯t know what the turning point would be, but clearly, if he didn¡¯t want the Demon Gods to freely contaminate his domain, leaving behind the deep-seated powers of the Abyss difficult to eradicate even after the battle, he had to hold on a little longer. And for a being of a deity¡¯s caliber, this ¡¯little longer¡¯ was not going to be a short span of time. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Mortal Realm, the pce of King Eryxis. Snow filled the skies. At this moment in the Mortal Realm, no one knew what demons and devils were, not even the existence of Tartarus existed except in certain legends. The people were engrossed in the joy of the harvest, admiring the snowyndscape they had never seen before. This had just appeared this year, also signifying that the concept of ¡¯winter¡¯ had further solidified. Perhaps it was because of Demeter¡¯s prior anger or perhaps the time had trulye, either way, the weather was changing again. And during this time, Demophon had been buried by the royal couple on a small Mountain away from the city. The King did not dare bury him near the goddess, so this was his only choice. Chapter 447 - 120: The Curse_3 After this, Demophon¡¯s eldest brother, Tripdolimos, was once again sent to the abode of the goddess by Clytius. However, this time, when they arrived, no one dared to lift their heads and look directly at Demeter; they all gazed at the ground, disying their humility to the deity walking among them in the Mortal Realm. That day, the king thought he would once again receive news of his eldest son¡¯s death, and Tripdolimos shared this belief. Yet, when faced with the choice given by his father, he still chose toe. Unexpectedly, Demeter did not go back on her word. She kept her promise and granted the young child the glory closest to that of a god. At this ce where the former king had once resided, the goddess imparted to Tripdolimos the secrets of agriculture, which were both the umtion and summary of the past generations of humans, as well as the processes deduced from results by Demeter herself. This knowledge included not only the growth of grains and the methods of cultivation, but even spanned the changing of celestial patterns and geology, breeding and selection of grain varieties, and thews of climate among other crystallizations of wisdom. This knowledge wasplex and profound, and much of it was understood in its effects but not in its causes. Yet the vague exnations by the goddess were inevitably misinterpreted by mortals. They believed it was simply because they could notprehend the wisdom of the gods, and as they gradually unraveled the mysteries behind it, their praise for the greatness of the gods grew even more fervent. Furthermore, Demeter also bestowed upon Tripdolimos the privilege to wield Sacred Power, and after he mastered all knowledge, she appointed him as her Chief Shepherd in the Mortal Realm. Humans herd cattle and sheep to obtain meat and milk, while deities herd humans to garner faith and pleasure. Therefore, the existence closest to the gods among humans is naturally the chief of those shepherds who "herd" on behalf of the gods. From that day forth, Eleusis, situated on the edge of the humannds, became the first kingdom in the Mortal Realm to worship Demeter exclusively. People built temples to honor the goddess in various ces, regarding her as the Principal God of harvest and agriculture¡ªbecause it was also from that day on that, with the help of the divine arts of the priesthood led by Tripdolimos, Eleusis regained its abundant harvest, allowing the nation to be rejuvenated. The goddess thus gained immense reputation among mortals, and because of Tripdolimos¡¯s unique status, there were no internal conflicts within the kingdom. He was both the future king and the earthly proxy of the goddess, so just like Silver Moon City, the political and religious elements united into one. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Without any conflicts of interest and with the deity in close proximity, it naturally returned to the fast track of development. Everyone was immersed in joy, and even the king put aside his resentment while he reminisced about his youngest child. After all, things were good now, and rather than holding a grudge against an invincible enemy for a lifetime, it was better to temporarily let go. It was a reluctant decision, the wisdom of the weak seeking survival. In any case, the events of that night seemed to have passed just like that. No one in the pce spoke of it, and themon folk outside were even less likely to know what had happened. No one spoke of the prince who died young, as if he had never existed. The people simply sang praises of the goddess¡¯s greatness and enjoyed the long-awaited harvest. Only Metanira was not like this. That night, Demeter¡¯s aloof pronouncement still echoed in the queen¡¯s dreams, and the manner of her young son¡¯s death was vivid in her mind. In Metanira¡¯s heart, there was no letting go, only a mortal¡¯s curse upon a deity. Unfortunately, in this world, a curse without power is nothing at all. Chapter 448 - 121 Poseidon, Who Was Accidentally Targeted (Ecstatic) In the pce of Eryxis, where the queen resided. In the cold winter, snowkes drifted down,nding on the rooftop and the ground. The chilly wind outside and the burning fire inside created a convection, stirring up breezes. Through the window, Metanira could see the guards outside. They were the elite warriors of the kingdom, Second Order fighters who not only possessed extraordinary strength, immune to heat and cold but could also temporarily enhance themselves with the energy within their bodies. They could march a hundred miles wearing heavy armor or triumph overmon beasts with their bare hands. In this era, they were almost considered reserves for the high echelons of Eryxis, and after centuries of development, this ¡¯high echelon¡¯ might even be reced by ¡¯aristocrats.¡¯ Thus, having them as guards was originally a symbol of status, but the queen knew that they were not there to protect her. On the contrary, they were there to protect the flourishing kingdom from being destroyed by her. And all this was because of Metanira¡¯s resentment towards the Goddess of Agriculture. Everyone ¡¯forgot¡¯ the existence of the Little Prince, or rather, manymoners were never aware of the full story, but the queen was not willing to ¡¯forget¡¯; everyone was grateful for the presence of the Goddess, for she made natural disasters less fearsome, but the queen was equally unwilling to be thankful. Even when Metanira saw the citizens of Eryxis showing gratitude towards Demeter, she still tried to tell them the truth behind it¡ªall she didn¡¯t expect understanding from the people, but at least they should remember that Demophon died because of it, and his name should not be forgotten in silence. And from that day on, the queen was taken back to the pce. Clearly, although Demeter herself had already cast aside the memory of that dead child and did not wish to recall that failed creation, others dared not let the ¡¯stain¡¯ of the Goddess be spread. King Cleius also gradually had some suspicions about the whole incident. The Goddess certainly acted capriciously, treating mortals like ants, but if her ¡¯ants¡¯ did not interfere with her affairs, then Demeter actually wouldn¡¯t do much. This was the disdain of a deity for mortals, just as humans scorn livestock. Upon realizing this, King Cleius¡¯s suppressed pain was not erased, but he inevitably let go of some worries. At least he understood that as long as heplied with the will of the Goddess in all things, the same disaster would not befall his eldest son again. Under these circumstances, he naturally would not allow any idents to happen, nor would he allow Metanira¡¯s speech to affect the Deity¡¯s image in the eyes of the people and thereby shake the faith in the Goddess. So even though he understood the queen¡¯s sorrow, he still coldly confined her to her own pce. He thought time would heal all wounds and that his attention to his eldest son and family would gradually make Metanira let go of her unrealistic notions. After all, the dead cannot be brought back, and the living must go on. However, clearly, Cleius did not know that for some people, the status of the living could never ovee that of the dead. So on this day, as night fell, the queen sent away all the maids who came to ¡¯care for¡¯ her, or rather, to simply prevent her frommitting an act of sphemy. She covered the windows with a curtain and then took out a box of finely crafted incense. It was the result of two months of hard work by Metanira, made with special recipes. Four parts frankincense, myrrh, and two parts styrax. One part cedar and ginger, paired with half a part orris, cardamom, cinnamon, juniper, iris flower, and bayurel, plus seven dried grapes, a few drops of nectar, honey, and lotus fragrance. Just for these ingredients alone, if she had not been the queen, she would have had no chance of gathering them all. With the ingredients in hand, she processed them ording to different chronological rituals. She ground the herbs, let them sit sealed for two weeks, then mixed them with essential oils, nectar, grapes, and once more let them sit. After a month of waiting, she finally turned the finished product into incense sticks, stored in a small box. It is said that such incense couldmunicate with the Deity¡ªat least that¡¯s what the gods said. So now, Metanira took it out and carefully lit it. The me flickered for a moment, and then a faint mist wafted around the room, dissipating into nothingness after extending a certain distance. It seemed to carry the queen¡¯s will to some unknowable ce, bearing her certain intent. Minutes and seconds passed; the night grew increasingly deep. Until midnight, as the incense was about to burn out, the void in front of Metanira¡¯s expectant gaze finally trembled slightly. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Soon, under the flickering candlelight, two figures that could be considered ¡¯small¡¯ appeared and solidified gradually. They looked like children of about ten years old, but the queen¡¯s eyes held only caution and longing as she looked at them. "It seems you have made your preparations," said the boy, taking the lead, followed closely by the girl. "You must choose one of us." Looking at the mortal before them, Volos and Eros spoke dispassionately, "Now¡­ make your choice." "This is your only chance in life to take revenge on a god." ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ In the queen¡¯s bedchamber, the conversation continued. This was not their first meeting; in fact, soon after Metanira had been confined to the pce, she had already encountered these two child-like gods. Chapter 449 - 121 Poseidon, Who Was Accidentally Targeted (Ecstatic)_2 In a simple demonstration, two children no more than ten years old released a golden arrow that made a resolute guard fall passionately in love with a rock, treating it as his solepanion. This terrifying spectacle not only sent chills down the queen¡¯s spine but also convinced her of the visitors¡¯ identities. In the simple belief system of the people of Chaos, influencing a person¡¯s thoughts is far more terrifying than killing a person¡¯s body. With hardly any doubt, Metanira concluded that the neers were deities more powerful than Demeter. And through a brief conversation with them, the queen understood their intentions. They were willing to assist her in her revenge, to inflict retribution on the Goddess of Agriculture¡ªor rather, helping her achieve her vengeance would serve their purposes, which is why they hade. A golden arrow could inspire irresistible love; a lead arrow could generate intolerable hatred. Theyid the two arrows before the queen, allowing her to choose one and then decide on a target¡ªof course, the target had to be rted to her quest for vengeance. "I want to know... can you bring Demophon back to life?" Amid the smoke rising from the incense, the queen asked with hope in her voice. Although she had long contemted revenge against Demeter, she would rather resurrect her child if possible. That was far more meaningful than revenge. However, the two deities, looking like young teenagers, shook their heads together before replying one after the other: "Although I would like to say, even if we could, we would not agree." "Because we are not here to fulfill your wishes." "But in fact." "We indeed cannot do that." As if they were of one mind, their alternating words carried no sense of division. Watching the queen¡¯s gaze turn from hope to despair, Volos and Eros continued: "Because his spirit has also perished." "At least it has not returned to the Spirit Realm." "Divine Power can aplish this." "And nobody would call her to ount for an individual case." "Now, make your choice¡ªthis is your only chance."x2 Thest phrase, their ovepping voices echoing in the room, carried a hint of reverberation. As hope died in the queen¡¯s heart, the mes of hatred burned even more fiercely. During her days of de facto captivity, Metanira also reflected on everything that transpired that night. Her child was killed, and perhaps her interruption was a factor, but the essence of the matter was the deity¡¯s haughty attitude. Demeter had never truly poured her emotions into Demophon¡ªnot much, if any. She had merely seen Demophon as her perfect creation and then, as a matter of course, sought to destroy this wed creation. Therefore, the greatest punishment for such a being was to have her give birth to a truly shameful progeny that would bring her eternal disgrace. "I choose the golden arrow, Prince Volos." Clenching her fist, the queen said each word deliberately: "I want you to direct it at the ugliest existence among the gods, then let him conceive a possessive emotion for Demeter." "I want them to give birth to an equally ugly child..." "There are no ugly True Gods, Metanira. Even the most ordinary-looking True God is hard to describe as ugly." Unaware of the existence of Hephaestus, Volos carrying the golden arrow denied the queen¡¯s statement. "Then I demand the god with the most bizarre tastes, the one with a cruel and unbearable disposition!" Grinding her teeth, Metanira even nced at Eros beside her. Or more precisely, at the lead arrow he carried. "If you could shoot her with an arrow and make her genuinely detest that god..." "That is also impossible, you do not possess that ability." Eros dismissed it offhandedly, his expression somewhat disinterested. "Our arrows draw strength from revenge and cannot simply be shot without cause. If you were a deity, the hatred from the killing of your child would indeed suffice to wield both arrows, and their effects would be extraordinary." "But unfortunately, you are just a mortal. So no matter how great your hatred is, you can only make one effective, and its impact will not be permanent." "..." Remaining silent, the queen finally calmed down a bit after being rebuffed repeatedly. She looked at the twins before her, and an inexplicable sense of grief and indignation surged within her. Again, just like how Demeter had once looked down on her as if she were nothing, these two deities who hade to ¡¯assist¡¯ her were essentially the same. They merely saw her as a tool... But perhaps she had long stopped caring about her own life, so watching them, Metanira couldn¡¯t help but remark sarcastically: "So why did you bother appearing before me? Do the gods need assistance from mortals?" "Heh¡ª" With a disdainfulugh, Eros paid no attention to the queen¡¯s words. Trivial mortals, pointless emotions... Of course, they might mean something to her, but Eros had no interest in understanding. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om She drew a golden arrow from her twin brother¡¯s back and tossed it before the queen. The hatred in the other¡¯s heart didn¡¯t escape her perception, so she was sure that the queen would not give up no matter what. "We will satisfy you¡ªdrench the arrow with your blood, harboring a heart of vengeance. Once you have done this, we will carry out thetter part." "What happens next is up to you¡ª" Hisss¡ª The golden arrow pierced the queen¡¯s chest, but she seemed not to feel the pain. Blood gushing from her chest soaked the arrow, seemingly awakening the power contained within it. Chapter 450 - 121 Poseidon, Who Was Accidentally Targeted (Ecstatic)_3 A strong hatred shed in Metanira¡¯s eyes, not just toward Demeter, but against all the gods present. However, facing her, the twin deities of Desire were merely shocked for a moment, then regarded the whole affair with indifference. Her readiness to use her own life to demonstrate her resolve, possibly also because her husband and son had knelt before their enemies, led her to relinquish hope in life. Yet the joy and sorrow of gods and mortals do not intersect; the twins found her actionsughable. What could she prove? Nothing at all. Her actions, aside from moving herself and saddening her loved ones for a moment, aplished nothing. Bang¡ª! "Remember what you promised me..." Fallen to the ground, the queen¡¯s voice was intermittent, eventually fading into nothingness. When the room returned to silence, Volos stepped forward to pick up the Golden Arrow, then flicked off the excess blood. The twins saw it clearly: when Metanira¡¯s life departed, her soul left her body and entered the Underworld. She would follow the Styx River into the All-Spirit Realm, where her memories would be washed away, and then she would be reborn. This was precisely why the twins found the situation amusing; after all, even such fervent hatred had no significance in the face of the world¡¯s Law. By the time she arrived at the River of Oblivion before the Well of Reincarnation, those heartfelt memories would have long since been blown away by the wind. "Hmm... so about the candidate, what about Poseidon?" Looking at Eros, who could have been either his sister or his brother, Volos offhandedly suggested. He had heard of this god before, and it was said that his tastes were a bit different from regr gods; the Spirit Realm had already received many souls of his demigod offspring. And the forms of those demigods were, in a word, very unique. That undoubtedly fit Metanira¡¯s specifications well, so Volos thought of him first. "I have no objections, considering she chose your arrow." "But then again... do you really n on fulfilling her wish?" Eros responded somewhat indifferently, yet with a hint of curiosity. Beforeing here, that fellow who seemed to be their Father God¡ªor perhaps not¡ªhad told them of the events here and that they could use this as a pretext to get something from Demeter¡ªbut he seemed to imply ¡¯threaten¡¯, not to actually take action. Therefore, even though the queen performed much, exhibiting her intense emotions, in fact, from the beginning, the twins had not intended to honor the agreement. They just needed an arrow that could deter Demeter; as for mortal hatred, it mattered little whether it was avenged or not. After all, their need for ¡¯revenge¡¯ was merely a consequence of the Law¡¯s influence at the time of their conception. As the twins shaped directly from the Heavenly Father¡¯s blood followed a different trajectory than their original destiny, they were influenced not just by love and beauty but also had a tight connection to the power of the Three Furies. But in the end, they were not Furies themselves, so they had no strong attachment to avenging others¡¯ grievances. As for breaking their word¡ªregrettably, the newly born twins also had no concept of being as good as their word. "Hmm¡ªalthough you say that, Eros, can¡¯t we still shoot him?" n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Pocketing the now cleaner Golden Arrow, feeling the power ¡¯awaken¡¯ with the stimulus of the hatred, Volos casually questioned. "It was just a ¡¯suggestion¡¯, ¡¯suggesting¡¯ that we could threaten her, but letting her witness the power first won¡¯t hurt, right? Besides, the Goddess of Agriculture doesn¡¯t know I only have one Golden Arrow." Across from him, after a moment of silence, Eros pondered briefly, then nodded decisively. "You¡¯re right, it should be possible... yes, that seems to be the idea!" It sounded interesting, so why refuse? Though they were the twin deities of Desire, the recently born divinities had not yet witnessed what truly fervent love looked like, and seeing it now wouldn¡¯t be a bad thing. As for what would happen between Poseidon and Demeter, Eros did not care in the slightest. Perhaps it was the residual influence of their Primordial Gods nature, although their power was nearly gone, a certain mentality remained. Just as gods view mortals, in the eyes of Eros, there was no difference between Demeter and Poseidon. Even if they possessed great power, at best it was like the difference between how humans view cattle, sheep, and lions, tigers. They were not of the same kind, and the opinions of different kinds could naturally be disregarded. "Then let¡¯s be on our way!" With a change in demeanor, even beginning to urge onward, with a flicker in the void, the silhouettes of the twins vanished from the room. The pce of the queen returned to quietude, with only a faint scent of blood slowly spreading. And from beginning to end, they had not given the body of the queen on the ground another nce. ... In the Southern Sea, the pce of the Sea Emperor. Embracing a merperson beside him, the descendent whose generation he did not know, Poseidon took a sip of nectar in his cup, watching the lively dance and song before him. He was in a good mood, as the losses from the previous deluge had finally been recouped, the humans on the inds were developing well, and aside from still being unable to beat the God of the Ocean, there didn¡¯t seem to be anything dissatisfying him. Although he couldn¡¯t match Zeus, the Divine King, Poseidon felt his life was much better than Hades¡¯s, and gradually, the Sea Emperor began indulging in pleasure-seeking. There were still many goals, but they could be dyed for another day; being happy for a day or two wouldn¡¯t hurt, so life continued in this way for a long time. Even when a premonition, whether a warning or not, shed through his mind, he remained blissfully unaware. Chapter 451 - 122 Wandering Mind In the present world, the southern seas. It didn¡¯t take much time for Volos and Eros to cross the great distances; they traveled through the deep Spirit Realm, and within a few shes, they shifted from the Spirit Realm to a position above the Sea Emperor¡¯s pce. The fragrant sea, the nearly nonexistent guards, the faintly visible luxurious Divine Pce¡ªthat was all there was to it. Clearly, the Sea Emperor didn¡¯t believe anyone could silently approach him through the sea¡ªof course, he wasn¡¯t actually wrong about that. Just like now, even the ¡¯ck and white ocean¡¯ reflected by the firstyer of the Spirit Realm looked different near Poseidon¡¯s domain, even containing some colors within it. Like Olympus, the ces where deities dwell year-round naturally bear the influence of their powers. This influence over the years seeped into another temporal dimension, instinctively keeping away the life of the Spirit Realm and making it very difficult for others to directly infiltrate the side of the Sea Emperor. If it were the Little God of Love from the original myths, faced with such a situation, he might have been helpless. He couldn¡¯t hit a deity residing in his own pce; after all, his Golden Arrow may have had unique power, but he himself was not an unparalleled archer. However, facing the same problem, Volos and Eros were not worried. While Uranus¡¯ Divine Blood gave their bow and arrow the restraint of ¡¯revenge,¡¯ it also endowed it with the ability to ¡¯lock on¡¯ to a target. Coupled with the ¡¯Gungnir,¡¯ inherited from the Divine Lance, everything became much simpler. Thump¡ª Drawing the bow and positioning the arrow, with the sound of the bowstring vibrating, the Golden Arrow in Volos¡¯ hand shot forth. Even though the pair had not yet seen anyone, it still followed a certain connection, flying directly towards the pce beneath the sea surface, chasing after the master of the ce. ... Inside the Divine Pce, wine flowed andughter filled the air. At this moment, inside Poseidon¡¯s pce, the true Sea Empress Amphitrite had long left for ces unknown. Most of those who remained were the attendants Poseidon had found from various ces. Some had been sought out, while others outright carried the blood of Poseidon. This wasn¡¯t unusual among the Chaotic Gods. The reason Amphitrite wasn¡¯t here had nothing to do with these matters. After all, although she did not like Poseidon¡¯s behavior, shecked Hera¡¯s power and status. If the Sea Emperor wanted to indulge in pleasure, then she could only choose to endure it. It wasn¡¯t until she realized that more and more peculiar life forms that made her ufortable were appearing in the Divine Pce that Amphitrite finally awoke to the truth and then moved to another ce to live. She thought she understood why Poseidon had lost interest in her. It wasn¡¯t because of the chase she had deliberately created before their marriage, but because his tastes were inherently different¡ªof course, strictly speaking, there was also a bit of that factor involved. Poseidon certainly felt annoyed by Amphitrite¡¯s once unperceptive behavior, but there was also a bit of ¡¯too many exotic beauties to attend to, neglecting this woman.¡¯ It is worth mentioning here that Poseidon could certainly discern beauty and would consider Athena and Aphrodite to possess top-tier attractiveness. It¡¯s just that the scope of his recognition was a bit wider. Those exotics he selected, if judged ording to their own racial standards, were also quite ¡¯beautiful.¡¯ This was somewhat simr to the legends of the Dragon Race inter times, where a stunningly beautiful princess was to be seized, as was a ¡¯beauty¡¯ from the dog-headed folk. Thus, in his own pce, Poseidon was enjoying the dance and song before him until a streak of golden light shed before his eyes. Swish¡ª Suddenly startled, Poseidon¡¯s immense Divine Power was unleashed, instantly causing nearly all the creatures in the pce to die or be injured. Yet, he was unfazed by this and swiftly reached out, trying to catch the gleam of gold. An ambush... without a doubt. However, the power it carried was not strong. Although Poseidon did not know who dared to interrupt his pleasure, he swore to himself that he would make them understand the consequences of disrupting him in his domain. "Poof¡ª" In the blink of an eye, as the thought shed through his mind, the golden light had already arrived. Unexpectedly, he was unable to block the beam of light. The Golden Arrow pierced through¡ªor, rather, ignored the Divine Power on his hand, directly contacting his palm and disappearing in an instant. There was no time for any reaction. Once everything was over, Poseidon looked at his own palm. There was no wound; the golden light seemed like an illusion. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om "What is this...?" "...?!" Surprise and confusion arose in his heart. Just as Poseidon was about to do something, he suddenly stopped. For some reason, a fiery emotion surged from his heart, an affection toward his older sister Demeter. "..." After a long silence, and perhaps a brief struggle, Poseidon ultimately gave in to the sensation in his heart. He looked around his pce, and the lives farther away that were not affected by his power... Demeter was his true love; what did these others matter? So without hesitation, the Sea Emperor pressed his hand down, and within a hundred miles, a stillness settled instantly. After doing this, Poseidon calmed down a little bit. His reason told him that his current state was abnormal, and it must have something to do with the streak of golden light. But the gods of Chaos mostly act on emotion over reason. Thus, this brief moment of rity was fleeting, and almost without further thought, he decided to consider the matterter. Chapter 452 - 122 Wandering Mind_2 Now, finding his sister was the most important thing. Transformed into a beam of light, Poseidon flew towards the north. He had also heard of the harsh winter stirred up by Demeter, and now, it seemed she was in a human tribe. ... Behind a cloud over the ocean, "Alright, work¡¯s done¡ªnext, we just wait at that goddess¡¯s ce." pping his hands, Volos said contentedly. His golden arrow would keep going forward until it hit its target. Although there were beings in this world that could stop it, at least Poseidon probably didn¡¯t have that ability. And now, the feeling that came to him was indeed so; without any surprises, his arrow had hit the target. "Good¡ª" "Speaking of which, that goddess seems to be in a temple built for her in that human kingdom." Nodding lightly, Eros said with a bit of longing, "I wonder when we can find some believers to y with, and then have them build a temple for us too." "Better not." Rejecting the idea offhand, Volos gave an irrefutable reason. "I think humans are quite foolish; it¡¯s better to stay away from them. We are gods who control desire, not gods controlled by desire¡ªbut, from what I see, humans seem quite easily controlled by their own emotions, especially those among them who hold the highest status." "...Okay, you¡¯re right, let¡¯s not have any believers then." After a moment of thought, Eros felt persuaded and agreed that she indeed should stay away from them. Their idle chat ended, and she prepared to leave with Volos. However, at this moment, a loud noise came from the ocean surface below. A blue light split the sea, turning all nearby life to dust in an instant. Immediately after, Poseidon¡¯s figure leaped out from the ocean and flew towards the north. "Hmm... it worked¡ªbut, are arrows fueled by mortal hatred really that powerful?" Volos was somewhat surprised and puzzled as he felt the surge of emotions in the Sea Emperor¡¯s heart, that possessiveness for his sister Demeter, but it seemed a bit too intense. "That¡¯s probably because he has always had such thoughts... Ew¡ªstay away from me too!." Looking at Volos beside her, Eros made a face of disgust. Her eleven or twelve-year-old appearancebined with her current expression made for a somewhat adorably contradictory sight. "Cut it out, Eros... As split gods of desire, thest thing that could happen is us developing feelings for each other." Volos smirked, knowing the other was joking, so he didn¡¯t take it seriously but just called out, "Let¡¯s go, follow him!" With a call, Volos took the lead, and after augh, Eros also followed suit. The great drama was unfolding right before them, and they didn¡¯t want to miss such a scene. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ The Spirit Realm, the fifthyer. In the chaotic space-time, as always quiet, only now there was an addition that looked like a mere point of light on the outside but seemed infinitely vast on the inside¡ªa phantasmal kingdom. Sitting cross-legged in the void, above Laine¡¯s head and below his feet were the increasingly stable interfaces of positive and negative energy. A certain connection between them was bing more and more intimate, which gradually brought bnce to the two energy nes, which had initially been unbnced. However, at this moment, Laine¡¯s mind was not on them, but on the movements of the outside world. Of course, Laine wasn¡¯t paying attention to that small human kingdom either. Although he did take note of everything that happened there because of the twins of Desire, he didn¡¯t have any surplus thoughts about the whole event. Whether it was Metanira or Demeter, their actions were not worth much attention. After all, the first half of the event¡¯s development was extremely simr toter myths, and the unfolding of thetter half seemed quite normal. Compared to the future deeds of a king named Tantalus, a son of Zeus, the affair between the goddess and the queen was truly trivial, and he had no intention of intervening. He would not even have remembered such a minor matter if it hadn¡¯t involved the changing of the seasons. As for what Laine was doing now... that was naturally waiting to observe an important memory. Hundreds of years ago, after that divine battle had ended, Laine had handed over his Divine Artifact to Athena, allowing her to peer into past memories. During this period, the Goddess of Wisdom had used it more than once, trying to understand the whereabouts of her Mother Goddess, who had once resided in Zeus¡¯ head alongside herself. However, it might have been that that period indeed had some higher-order influence, or perhaps it was the subtle interference of fate, or both. Every time Athena tried to explore that brief but significant past from her dim pre-birth memories, she would always encounter some invisible disturbance, and then her focus would shift to other matters. Most of what she found was emptiness, but there were a few instances with content¡ªmostly when Zeus made use of Metis¡¯ wisdom and authority. Every time this happened, the Divine King had no choice but to rx the seal on the goddess. It might not have been enough to free Metis from his imprisonment, but it did allow a tiny bit of the outside world to seep through, unheard by Athena in her unconscious state. These things would not havee back to her normally, but now, with the influence of the Divine Artifact, Athena "remembered" them one by one. Of course, although these were also gains, which let the goddess understand a side of her Father God not known to others, Athena ultimately remembered what she was truly searching for. Some higher power was always interfering with her, which seemed difficult, but these were her own memories, real and existing. So when she found that "clever methods" couldn¡¯t do the job, Athena resolutely chose the "foolish way." If she couldn¡¯t pinpoint that period, then she would just extract all the memories before her birth one by one. This simplest and most brute-force method, also the most time-consuming and strenuous one, was not affected by that underlying influence. Thus, over the past several centuries, Athena spent most of her time dwelling on her past. Although much of it was cumbersome and futile, luckily, recently this exploration of memory finally reached its end. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om When all the useless parts were isted, what remained could no longer conceal its existence. So on a small ind in the East Sea, Athena in a long gown took out a scroll. For thest time, she activated the Divine Artifact, pressing it against her smooth forehead, and with this act, both [History] and [Memory] acted upon the goddess. The secret was about to be unveiled, a tinge of emotion-induced flush flitting across Athena¡¯s face. It was also at this moment that Laine¡¯s gaze shifted away from the twins and towards the goddess on the ind. He too was exceedingly expectant about the results of this inquiry. "Come on, let me see... what exactly you did." The voice echoed in the void, Laine¡¯s gaze flickering slightly. The next moment, as if something had changed, his body remained seated in ce, but his ¡¯divine essence¡¯ seemed to have left his body. Thest exploration was different from the previous ones, as Laine chose not to merely watch, using the power of the Divine Artifact to browse through memory fragments. He knew well that this memory might involve a sh at the world level, so it was influenced by extremely high powers. If he waited for the Divine Artifact to present the records on its own... the crucial parts would probably all be blurred. And as for asking Athena afterwards, putting aside other issues, even if she was willing to tell Laine the whole story without omission, some ¡¯mysteries¡¯ can only be grasped and understood by seeing with one¡¯s own eyes. Like the Rune Symbols, what was recorded in the Primordial Codex waspletely different from what waster spread. Over the years, Laine had not been short on consulting the codex from Odin¡¯s treasury, and he learned many useful things each time. The closer the ¡¯information¡¯ is to its source, the more ¡¯true¡¯ and plete¡¯ it is... thus Laine had to see for himself. If there¡¯s anything in the Chaos World that might have even a slight resistance to the powers at the world level, it could only be Laine himself. So when he conceived this thought, the Divine Body he left behind became an empty shell. Laine¡¯s spirit departed his body silently and joined Athena above the East Sea, entering the deep recesses of her memory. Intuition told Laine... this journey into memory would perhaps be quite interesting. And what he was about to see would probably be not just the experiences of Zeus¡¯ ascension rituals. ... Chapter 453 - 123: The False World ``` A sweep of darkness. It felt as if plunged into the cold emptiness of the void, thoughts frozen, surrounded by an icy touch. Only in the depths of the spirit, some extraordinary power radiated warmth, driving away that coldness. Bizarre visions shed by in an instant, returning to nothingness, but the sensation of "cold" grew ever stronger. Laine was well aware that this was likely the residual influence of the world. The power from the Nine Realms had been erased both in the past and the future, so the only force truly affecting this memory was that belonging to Chaos. It instinctively prevented the probing of other lives, but wouldn¡¯t actively react in other obvious ways, so while its presence made Laine feel conceptually "cold," it went no further than that. Thus, the journey continued, and with it, the concept of time blurred. It felt like a day, or perhaps a second, when at a certain moment, Laine seemed to catch a glimpse of a strand of color... Whoosh¡ª¡ª The flow of space-time, the leap of ages, as if breaking through a membrane, entering a world of illusion... When Laine regained consciousness once more, he found, to his astonishment, that he was not as he had imagined, upon Mount Olympus or inside Asgard in the Chaos World. These two ces were where Zeus was most likely to have obtained that peculiar ritual, and even Laine was prepared to see Odin here... But at this moment, his surroundings were unfamiliar, and he stood upon a slightly damaged city wall. A great battle seemed to have just ended, with an air of solemnity lingering all around. Not far off, many mortals moved about. Some bore wounds and moaned in pain, while others donned armor and kept vignt, patrolling the area. Nearer, hundreds appeared ves. They carried heavy stones, seemingly engaged in the reconstruction of the damaged wall. And that was just nearby; further afield, both within and without the city walls, crowds of people gathered, each under different banners. And Laine¡¯s current location was right at a breach in the wall. "¡ªWho are you!" "Raise your hands!" A sharp cry shattered the silence. Instantly, Laine¡¯s presence drew the gaze of everyone nearby. Clearly, no matter how he had appeared here, the sudden emergence of a stranger amid post-war tension sparked an immediate nerve. Two dozen soldiers raised their weapons, their eyes tense and filled with intent to kill, as if ready for conflict at the slightest provocation. From a distance, sensing th disturbance, even more soldiers were approaching. As for the one who had just shouted, he looked to be the captain of this troop of soldiers. He was calling out to Laine, but as the initial surprise faded, although Laine heard the soldiers¡¯ warnings, he obviously had no intention ofplying. Instead, he scrutinized his environment with greater depth, gazed up at the sky and down at the earth, and finally sensed his own power. The Law of this world was strikingly simr to the present world, some force trying to bind him, and... an impression of reality that seemed true yet somehow "hollow." However, Laine was certain that this "hollow" reality would not have been detected by any other Primordial Deity. For, although this world seemed somewhat artificial, the essence of the force constituting this "artifice" was sufficiently high. Numbers were sparse, sure, but at higher levels, quantity was uselesspared to quality. The Flesh-Mother Tree with just a few higher "traits" rendered Erebus utterly powerless against it, and although Laine was not clear about the details of this event, his understanding of truly creation-level powers was evidently more profound. As for this almost non-existent force, one needed not think too hard to know it was likely that remnant world force on the memory. To this ne of existence, information, matter, and energy made no difference. Even if only a memory in one¡¯s mind, its power was as real as any. "Hmm... At least I can be certain that Zeus¡¯s transformation and ritual are indeed rted to the world itself. The force wrapping around the memory does note because Zeus is the Destined Divine King but because the content in this memory involves the world itself," "As for the current situation... this is not some parallel universe, the Chaos World does not entertain such notions. Nor is it some traversal through past and future... such ludicrous events would not ur to me. If the future were truly ¡¯reachable,¡¯ then this world would already be ¡¯dead,¡¯ indicating that It has lost all its unknowns and potentials, and with it, its reason to exist," "This feeling is a bit like a ¡¯possibility¡¯ of fate, momentarily ¡¯realized¡¯ under the creation-level power, though it still can¡¯t disguise its ¡¯falsehood¡¯... And this world, let¡¯s just call it a world for now, seemed to attempt to restrict my power the moment I entered, though it was pointless." n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om "Lastly, from the current structure of the world, this ce is Chaos¡ªbut without any trace of the Spirit Realm¡¯s existence." In almost an instant, Laine made the above judgments. This should not be any sort of time travel or dimensional crossing; he well remembered his purpose for this journey¡ªhe was here to search for the memory of Zeus¡¯s secret. So, no matter what changes urred, this ce should still be that memory. ``` Chapter 454 - 123: The False World_2 However, from the current situation, it seems that this ephemeral memory has experienced a small ident. Under the influence of the power of the world¡ªperhaps also affected by some subjective will¡ªit has changed. It is no longer a mere existence for people to observe, but has transformed into a ¡¯cage¡¯ for outsiders. Yes, a cage. If one excludes his own subtle yet real higher nature, Laine could almost be certain that even he would be trapped in this memory, struggling to escape for a considerable length of time. And this, is likely the very purpose of this fantasy world¡¯s existence. "Is it Zeus, doesn¡¯t quite seem like it, but can¡¯tpletely rule out the possibility... " "However, no matter what, this is indeed quite a ¡¯surprise.¡¯ Shaking his head slightly, it must be said, this was the second time Laine had found himself surprised by Zeus and his ritual. But this isn¡¯t too strange after all, since Zeus himself may not be considered very strong, but as long as he remains the recognized Divine King of the present world, it¡¯s normal for some things to happen. Of course, in the end, the reason why Laine is indifferent is because whoever is responsible, their ns have obviously fallen through. If this is a cage, then since he is in fact not restrained, he already holds the absolute initiative in this unexpected game. Moreover... Laine is curious to know, since that meager world force constitutes this false interface, if he were to destroy this world, where would that force go? It certainly wouldn¡¯t return to the world itself... after all, as mentioned before, since it exists as ¡¯information¡¯ within this memory, it should naturally change along with the ownership of the memory. If Chaos had consciousness, it wouldn¡¯t be so simple. But as with every past urrence, It has no logic or thought. "Attack, take down this foreigner!" A fierce shout suddenly erupted, pulling Laine¡¯s thoughts back to reality. Perhaps having confirmed that they do not recognize this outsider, the soldiers of the city have already begun to advance with swords drawn. Their captain charged at Laine first, determination and intent to kill in his eyes, while the rest sought to encircle from either side. As soldiers, their tactics were indeed proper. However, these were clearly methods meant only to deal with fellow mortals. Even those whose Divine Blood had diluted over time could crush this small squad of mere dozens with absolute power. Of course, these soldiers were more intent on buying time since this was, after all, their city. However, as their target, Laine had no intention of ying along with them, so¡ª "¡ªHalt." As his words fell, an invisible wave spread out, and in the next moment, the surrounding soldiers became rigid on the spot. As if time had been stilled, they could not move even a fraction of their bodies. In their midst, there was only one exception, and that was the leading captain. However, it wasn¡¯t that he had the power to resist Laine, but that he was the only one spared. "Tell me, soldier, where is this ce?" His voice was calm as Laine asked indifferently. Demonstrating an irresistible power and then inquiring for the information he desired should yield a swift response. But before Laine, the soldier was not afraid. "Evil outsider, do you think you can make me submit? No matter which deity you are, you have no right to intervene in this battle!" "Even feigning ignorance is futile, your actions are under the gaze of the gods... you will surely be punished, an inescapable oue¡ªfor such is the will of the great Zeus!" "..." "...Is that so?" After a moment of silence, Laine nodded in recognition of the soldier¡¯s conviction, then reached out and gently touched his brow. The next moment, the soul of the soldier was extracted. Mortals aren¡¯t like deities; they can¡¯t truly protect their secrets before Laine. His choice to ask was merely a habit. But when he dropped this habit, a memory¡ªneither clearly true nor false¡ªsoon emerged in his mind. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om "...I see." Having learned the truth, Laine scrutinized the unfamiliar surroundings once more and finally understood the source of his initial familiarity. The walls beneath his feet contained sacred power, capable of repelling and weakening the destruction wrought by demigods and deities¡ªa creation beyond the work of mortals. And outside the city, uncountable tents and armies gathered. There, divine power manifested itself within the camps, with simr auras also rising within the city, the owners of these auras possessing extraordinary strength, able to defeat deities that hade to the Mortal Realm to some extent. As for the city, it was famously known inter ages. It represented the end of Chaos¡¯s mythology, the end of the era of gods and demigods, one side of the ten-year war, the legendary city of Troy. Only now, the war might have just begun. Because, as the soldier had just said, Zeus had just resolved on Mount Olympus to forbid the gods from meddling in the conflicts of the Mortal Realm. From this, one could infer that the true climax of the war has yet toe. Chapter 455 - 123: The False World_3 "What a pity, this isn¡¯t real." With a sigh, Laine felt a tinge of regret. If this were the real world, he would have indeed liked to stay a bit longer, to witness firsthand this epic that was supposed to unfold in the future. Even Heracles, who had passed through the twelvebors, existed at this time. But reality held no ifs, a fabrication would remain so, unrealizable no matter what. Laine had not forgotten that he had merely entered into a segment of memory, and even though it had been influenced by the Creation Force, a memory or a piece of fate was not enough to evolve into a true world. Everything happening here was probably without any referential value in the present world. Moreover, this fabricated world evolved from the memory seemed to represent ¡¯the original fate¡¯, to be more precise, a world without the existence of Laine. "Since that¡¯s the case... go tell your gods, go pray to the ¡¯great Zeus¡¯." "Tell him, someone has defied hismand... and will soon, witness his Divine Power on Mount Olympus." With a gentle wave of his hand, the soldiers who were previously immobilized copsed to the ground one after another. Without giving them another nce, Laine turned around and spoke with a calm voice. "I will, and the King of All Gods will see everything you¡¯ve done, and then as he promised, he will send down your punishment!" Raising their heads proudly, some people shouted back. Like many in this era, not everyone understood the reverence due to an unknown deity; everyone from kings tomoners acted this way. And Laine had no intention of fussing over it further; after all, when this illusory world vanished, everything would also crumble into oblivion. Now, before setting out to destroy this world, there were two issues that truly piqued his curiosity. One was whether this fake world had replicated the existence of Primordial Deities¡ªalthough the probability was low, he still wanted to take a closer look. The other question was how Athena, who had entered with him, was faring now. Unlike him, this false world seemed to have replicated ¡¯the fate without Laine¡¯, which ced him directly at the most critical ce in that fate, above the walls of Troy; but Athena was different. In this world¡¯s Mount Olympus, there already existed a ¡¯Athena¡¯. "No hurry, first to the Underworld, to see if the Realm of Eternal Night and Lightless exists. Regardless of the oue, then I¡¯ll take action to destroy it." "Then to Olympus, to see what Zeus is really up to¡ªif indeed this has anything to do with him." Having made his decision, Laine cast onest look at this mortal city. At this moment, his previous regret had gradually faded away. With his presence, all was destined not to y out this way; in the real world, this history would be even more grandiose. "It won¡¯t be long." Far off, there seemed to be someone approaching quickly, but Laine had no intention of waiting. What was the point of witnessing falsehoods? Better to wait for reality, to then see the real performance of the heroes of these times. ... Early morning, Mount Olympus. Time and space shifted, reality and illusion interchanged, as if passing through prolonged periods. Like Laine, Athena too felt no cold sensation from the world¡¯s forces and, at a certain moment when everything came to an end, she finally regained consciousness, slowly opening her eyes. Then the next moment, to her astonishment, she found herself inside the pce of the Divine Court, surrounded by deities she recognized and some she did not. They differed somewhat from the gods in her memory, but overall, she could still identify them. At this moment, they were standing to both sides, gathered around Zeus. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Initially, Athena even thought she had been caught prying into memories, but then she felt something was off. Around her, no one gazed her way; they were all looking up at Zeus, the highest among them, even the ¡¯herself¡¯ from this world was doing the same. This King of All Gods was somewhat different from the one in Athena¡¯s memory; he was stronger, more casual, and indisputably authoritative. At this moment, Zeus was unabashedly exuding his presence, as if lecturing to the deities, and every Deity present had no choice but to listen intently. "Listen, all gods and goddesses¡ªI announce my decree here." "From this day forth, should I discover any deity daring to defy mymand, going to the battlefields of the Mortal Realm to aid the armies of those city-states, then upon their return to Olympus, my thunder will bring them to utter humiliation." "Or perhaps, I will pick them up and hurl them into the depths of Tartarus, as far as the Underworld is from the Sky and the Earth." "Thus, maybe then you will understand, no one dares defy mymand." Surveying the deities, the Divine King dered loudly: "Come now, gods of Olympus, I know you¡¯re displeased with this, among those warring humans, there are those you favor... but such is my will. If you wish to challenge my authority, feel free to give it a try." "Let me lower a golden rope from the sky, you all stand at the other end of the rope. Even if you exhaust all your strength, you cannot shake the supreme King." "And with just a slight effort, I can lift you all up, including the Earth and the endless ocean!" Chapter 456 - 124 All Atop Mount Olympus, standing amidst the gods, Athena quietly listened to the edicts of Zeus. The sudden change of environment, the different aura of the deities around her¡ªeverything was somewhat beyond the Goddess of Wisdom¡¯s expectations. She had merely been probing her own memories, yet she didn¡¯t expect such events to ur¡ªespecially as the words of Zeus came to an end, Athena noticed that the gaze of the gods seemingly swept over her. Or more urately, not just her but also Hera and Aphrodite, only more so directed at her. Realizing this shift, Athena seemed to understand something. Everything was clearly rted to what Zeus had previously stated; his references to the "battlegrounds of the mortal realm, the armies of city-states" must be deeply connected to her and the other two deities, to the extent that all the gods were awaiting their reaction. As for why more gazes were turned toward her¡­ The Goddess of Wisdom faintly felt that it might be because at this moment, she had be the second only to the Divine King on Mount Olympus. It wasn¡¯t that the gods had be weaker, but rather, she now seemed stronger. At leastpared to before, this familiar yet strange body of hers housed a power far greater, almost at the pinnacle of the gods¡­ Thinking swiftly in her heart, Athena suppressed the inexplicable thoughts and reeled in her dispersed focus. Regardless, no matter how powerful she was now, the Divine King before her was only stronger. In response to the edict of Zeus, passivity was not advisable, nor was direct confrontation appropriate. Therefore, based on the information she could grasp at present, the goddess made a simple judgment of the situation. She decided to grant herself more leeway and, for now, deal with the matters at hand. Hence, after a brief silence, the goddess slightly lifted her head, and under the attentive or neglectful gazes of the gods, Athena broke the silence atop Mount Olympus. "Son of Cronus, sovereign of gods, master of the sky and earth¡ªyour power is undeniable, how could any god entertain the thought of challenging you?" "Nevertheless, I still grieve for the loss and suffering of those beings of wisdom¡­ They are destined to face a tragic fate, their blood to flow in rivers beneath high walls and across the wilderness¡ªand all this could have been avoided." There was a tinge of sorrow in her tone, and as Athena¡¯spassionate words were spoken, the atmosphere in the hall seemed to ease slightly. At the intersection of the gods¡¯ gazes, Zeus too revealed a smile. Above the Mount of the Gods, the clouds that had gathered due to the will of the Lord of the Thousand Thunders slowly dissipated, symbolizing the change in their master¡¯s mood. Gazing at the most radiant among the gods, the Divine King spoke with a smile: "Do not be disheartened, Tritogeneia (another name for Athena), my most cherished daughter." "The affairs of the mortal realm will achieve their deserved oue¡­ My words are not meant as a harsh reprimand. I always bear goodwill towards you." No one dared to contradict him, and it was only natural, for everyone knew the power of the Divine King, and thus Zeus rxed his stern expression. Ever since Poseidon had stirred up aughable rebellion, the Divine King often employed this method to remind these eternal deities. Now that his will had been carried out once again, the impromptu assembly coulde to an end. Now, it was time for him to descend to the mortal realm to steer the human war towards the oue he desired. Indeed, Zeus had forbidden the gods, but not himself. He had his own personal reasons for issuing such a decree. However, just as the Divine King was about to summon his chariot, a streak of light crossing the distant horizon suddenly caught his attention. "Hmm¡ªHermes, what brings you here?" Surprised, the Divine King paused his steps. His gaze turned beyond the Mount of the Gods, and swiftly, that figure rapidly entered the perception of the deities. Standing aside, Athena silently observed this scene¡ªanother god she had not seen before. Hermes¡­ The goddess silently noted the name. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om After a while, as the streak of light descended to the ground, a youthful deity with the appearance of a young man appeared before the gods. A hint of irreverent amusement yed at the corners of his mouth, making him seem like a cunning and clever individual. His gaze flicked over the gods and settled on the Divine King, and then he made a slight gesture to his chest. "Respectful King of All Gods, my formidable father, just as youmanded: I have honored your decree and conveyed the gods¡¯ non-interventionist oracle to the mortal realm." There was a slight pause in his tone as he discreetly observed the expressions of the gods before continuing: "But as I was preparing to return, Your Majesty, an unexpected situation arose in the city of Troy in the mortal realm." "A strange deity attacked the city guards and ignored your orders. Even in the end, ording to the humans present, he dered that he woulde to Olympus, to this dwelling ce of the gods, to witness your unmatched power." In the original myths, the Wind Gods were not Zeus¡¯s confidantes. In contrast, as a son of the Divine King, ruling over travel, thievery, and eloquence, Hermes was the messenger of the gods. And prior to this, he was the one who had delivered Zeus¡¯s oracle to the humans. Now, he also brought back this unexpected news. Moreover, he didn¡¯t express any ¡¯personal opinions¡¯ as before; this time, Hermes stated the situation truthfully, without mixing in any other thoughts. Chapter 457 - 124 All Openly defying the Divine King was not without precedent, but those who had done so were either special deities like the Heavenly Empress or the Sea Emperor, or they had already suffered terrible punishments. Hermes did not intend to get involved in this, and when his voice fell, Olympus once again fell silent. In silence, the clouds once again gathered. The Divine King was still smiling, but his smile now had a trace of coldness. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om "An unfamiliar deity... Hermes, this is quite rare." "Your Majesty, perhaps he was newly born, unaware of your power, simr to what the Goddess of Beauty once was¡ªthis is entirely understandable," he replied politely, while blinking in the direction of Aphrodite. The embodiment of love and beauty had intimate rtionships with many of the gods of Mount Olympus, and Hermes was no exception. "You are right, my child, I should always be extra tolerant of the offenses of the ignorant," the Divine King nodded slightly, acknowledging this rationale. However, to confirm this, he looked again at his messenger. In front of Hermes, Laine¡¯s apparition had been conjured. This was an entity he had never seen before, perhaps indeed a newly born deity. "Does anyone recognize him?" asked the Divine King, to which the gods all shook their heads. Seeing this, Zeus narrowed his eyes and said with a smile: "Since no one knows him, then perhaps it is as Hermes has said¡ªso let¡¯s wait here for him. If he hase to witness my power, then I will grant him this opportunity. As the King of All Gods, it is only proper to show such magnanimity." The longer one lives, the more often strange beingse to challenge him, and it was not umon for mortals and deities alike. Thus, after a brief surge of anger, Zeus instead rxed his mood, seeing this as an amusement and an opportunity to demonstrate his power once again. Engrossed in his thoughts, Zeus did not notice the brief look of astonishment that shed in Athena¡¯s eyes upon seeing the image of that unfamiliar god. The goddess recognized his presence¡ªhe was the one who had once entrusted her with a Divine Artifact. What truly surprised her, though, was not just this fact. For just now, the apparition that Hermes had projected seemed to nod at her. ... In the Underworld, within the Narcissus ins. Walking on the greynd, Laine casually observed his surroundings. Previously, he had examined the vicinity in turn. Unlike the real Underworld, this version in the Tapestry of Fate had neither theings and goings of wraiths nor any trace of the Primordial Deities. ces like the Abyss and the Land of Eternal Night certainly existed, but they were merely that¡ªexistent. Yet, within them, Laine felt no semnce of consciousness. Just as he had thought before, this world had no trace of a second Great Divine Power. Whether this was because the scant Creation Force was insufficient for this task, or simply because it was never done, was unknown. But this only made Laine surer¡ªfalse is false, even if it was Zeus of this counterfeit world, his power was likely mostly a matter of "setting." After all, even though to the Creation Force, all things are equivalent, the information carried within a fragment of memory is insufficient to transform into such vast energy. "And these souls, they are nothing but copies," he muttered. His gaze swept across the surroundings. The Underworld in this original version of fate was much livelier than in reality. Perhaps because of the great wars in the Mortal Realm, the souls of the deceased had flocked to the Underworld. Crowds of figures paid their silver coins (Obolus) and were ferried across, then walked some distance until they arrived at a grand pce to face the judgment of the three Underworld judges. Unlike the Spirit Realm in reality, which judged a soul based on abilities and deeds during life, these three, who in life were renowned humans and then elevated upon death, rendered the fate of mortal souls on the simple scales of ¡¯good¡¯ and ¡¯evil.¡¯ Those lives interwoven with ¡¯good¡¯ and ¡¯evil¡¯ would stay here, in what was known as the Narcissus ins, a ce covered in fields of golden wheat. They fed on it, and as they wandered, their memories of life were gradually erased, along with any trace of their existence. The souls ¡¯evil¡¯ far outweighing ¡¯good¡¯ would be sent near Tartarus to endure punishment. The gods had built a massive prison there to confine these sinners. And those with ¡¯good¡¯ far outweighing ¡¯evil¡¯ could continue on, enjoying an eternal and blissful life in the Elysian Fields constructed by the gods until thest of their soul energy was consumed and they dissipated into the world. As for the judgment of "good" and "evil" in a person¡¯s life, it¡¯s quite an obvious matter. Those who are devout and faithful are undoubtedly the most "good," while the opposite is considered the most "evil." In other standards of judgment, there is also a strong tint of subjectivity. However, this is normal, for the judges and paradises established by the gods are naturally prepared for the devout. Deciding "good" and "evil" based on faith doesn¡¯t seem so strange after all. "Hmm¡ªso for the people who originally existed in this world, after she enters, will she merge into one with her former self?" Eyes flickering, Laine had already bypassed the judges and arrived within the Fields of Truth. However, at this moment, it was the scene of Hermes on Mount Olympus morphing his image that appeared. Following this intangible connection, Laine directly "saw" everything happening there. In a myriad of "falseness," suddenly having one truth was undoubtedly very conspicuous. What really intrigued Laine was whether this meant that Athena had also "seen the future"? Although it was just the future as it was originally... He watched as the goddess cleverly found an excuse to temporarily leave thepany of the other gods and headed straight to her pce. And as one could almost envision, the first thing Athena would observe was the "history" under this particr trajectory of destiny. What had happened in the past, what role she yed in it, why this world looked so simr to the original yet differed in myriad ways¡ªonce she looked, such confusion would almost certainly emerge in Athena¡¯s heart, and then she would try to explore the reasons behind it. "The thing is, it is already the third epoch now, simply regard the original trajectory as something to be viewed." Withdrawing his attention, Laine refocused his thoughts on the Underworld. Before him, a figure had appeared without him noticing. The master of the Underworld had detected him, or rather, had been aware of him the moment he unguardedly set foot upon thisnd. Yet it wasn¡¯t until Laine reached this point that Hades felt he had no choice but to confront him. Even though he did not detect the aura of this unknown deity, Hades had been feeling an rm in his heart. So, if possible, he truly did not wish to face Laine. "Strange deity, why have youe?" Speaking cautiously, Hades could not simply ignore the presence at his doorstep, regardless of everything. "I havee for destruction." With sincere tone, Laine replied. "Destruction... Has some mortal provoked you, and you wish to bestow upon him eternal punishment?" With eyebrows rxing, Hades inquired. If that were the case, then it was not a matter of great concern. He had been wondering why this deity hade directly to the Fields of Truth. The Olympian gods had simr wants in the past but never informed him about them; they would simply take away or do something, never regarding him with any importance. "If that were the case, then I agree." "No, you misunderstand." Shaking his head slightly, Laine looked at Hades. "I am referring to everything." "Every soul? That¡¯s probably not such a good idea," With a tone carrying a trace of astonishment, this time, Hades couldn¡¯t help but sound dismissive. It was not that no god ever came here to im the souls of some mortals, but to ask for all was a bit too extreme. "Of course not every soul." With a smile, Laine slowly corrected: "By everything... I mean this entire world." Chapter 458 - 125: The Path to Dismembering the Origin Under the dim sky, the glow from the flowing river of moltenva brightened half of the sky. On the vastnd below, the souls of mortals were faint and sporadic. This was a scene rarely seen in the reality of the Underworld. As the ruler of the Underworld, Hades had been particrly busytely because the great war among mortals had brought the underlying conflicts among the Olympian Gods to the surface, and the death toll of humans kept rising, resulting in a massive influx of souls into the Underworld. However, watching the gods wage war upon the earth while remaining as an onlooker, Hades found some pleasure amidst the busyness, but now, his good mood hade to an end. Looking at the stranger before him, Hades¡¯s expression grew increasingly somber. Often, Hades did not care about how outsiders viewed him, so even though there were no temples dedicated to him on the surface, and mortals still widely believed that he trembled at the powers of other deities, he didn¡¯t react too strongly. Whether it was those prejudices or formalities, if they did not bring him any tangible benefits, Hades did not care much. In this regard, he was more pragmatic than his father. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Cronus might still care about appearances, but to Hades, they were worthless. Therefore, Hades had no intention of provoking this strange deity, unless he had imed to want to destroy the Underworld. After all, as the God of the Underworld, he was a part of the Underworld itself, and its destruction would mean his own¡ªindeed, Hades did not take Laine¡¯s words to mean the whole world but thought he was referring to the Underworld only. Though, just as a god cannotmit suicide, even Hades himself did not know how the Underworld could be destroyed. "Strange deity, I think it would be better for you to take back your words," The voice turned cold, seeming to realize the visitor¡¯s ill intent. Silently, the authority over half of the Underworld began to converge upon Hades. With the power of the realm enhancing him, an intangible pressure enveloped the entire Fields of Truth; however, even so, the power Hades disyed at this moment was actually less than his real self in reality¡ªdue to Laine¡¯s vague influences, even though he had been stripped of his authority over souls, the power of the Underworld in reality had not diminished but increasedpared to its original path. Although in myths, mortal souls do exist within the Underworld, they do not truly benefit the ce. It was the Titan Iapetus who was originally the god of souls, and the title ¡¯Lord of Shades¡¯ was more often associated with Hecate. "I don¡¯t know what you intend to do, sir, but destroying the Underworld¡ªI must be blunt, I doubt anyone is capable of doing such a thing," Without notice, several streaks of light rose from the Divine Pce of the Underworld. The God of Destruction, the God of Doom, and a number of other deities stood behind Hades, all eyeing Laine warily. "The Underworld is a part of the world, and not even the King of All Gods can destroy it," "State your purpose... or stay here forever. The Fields of Truth may not be Olympus, but it will not tolerate your audacity!" Power wastent but not disyed, with only a pressure sweeping over like a nket. Yet, when it reached the deity before him, it seemed to press upon empty space, making Hades even more vignt. Hades began to recall if there were any past grudges with this unknown deity¡ªstill not taking direct action, since he did not really believe what Laine had said before. Destroying the Underworld was nothing short of fantasical. On the other side, Laine had to admit that if not for this being a fantastical world, Hades would indeed be correct. The Underworld could weaken, could break, but could never be destroyed, unless the perpetrator already possessed the power to oppose the entire world or unless the world itself was preupied elsewhere, as the world itself would not allow such a thing to happen, much like anyone wishing to destroy one of the sevenyers of the Spirit Realm would actually need to have greater power than the entire Spirit Realm itself. But the current situation was undoubtedly of thetter kind. The faint forces of creation lingering in memory were not substantial; they barely sustained this world¡¯s existence and could not bring about any further influence. In such circumstances, what Laine needed to consider was merely how to truly destroy the Underworld at its source. "Just as I¡¯ve been pondering, on some future day when the collision between Chaos and the Hemenu World reaches its zenith, how am I to truly obliterate the source of that world?" Observing the illusory Underworld as if nobody else was present, the reason Laine had not gone directly to Olympus was not merely to see if the Primordial Gods existed¡ªas such would be a matter of mere steps for him. In truth, the real reason was that he too was unclear on how to destroy a world. Would mere destruction suffice? Probably not, and absorbing the world holistically from a macro perspective was beyond his current capabilities. Under such conditions, the self-contained realm of the Underworld naturally became the most suitable target. He would use this ce for the first experiment, then validate it using the entire illusory world, and the Hemenu World would be when he applied the experimental oue. Crackle¡ª With a light sound, the ck Sword, formed by [Death], was drawn inch by inch from the void. In the absence of any divine artifact specialized inbat, this had be Laine¡¯s preferred method. Chapter 459 - 125: The Path to Dismembering the Origin_2 "You¡¯re right, no one has ever managed to destroy the Underworld before, and even in the real world, I can¡¯t do it yet, let alone talk about having any experience in it." The voice was calm, as if Laine was talking to himself rather than to these false gods. Hand on the hilt of his sword, he stood in the void with his sword as a prop, his gaze passing over Hades, beyond the entire Fields of Truth, looking towards the source of this illusory Underworld. "So although I know it probably won¡¯t work, I still want to try. To see how much impact disintegrating the Underworld can have on this world." The next moment, his sword tip pressed down, and the final de touched the Underworld soil. In front of Laine, as soon as he drew the ck Sword, Hades had already made his move. Although his power was contained and did not leak, as the god of the Underworld, Hades felt a terrifying threat from that sword. Even though he still didn¡¯t believe Laine could destroy the Underworld, he couldn¡¯t tolerate the other party desecrating the symbol of his godhood. But it was meaningless. Although it seemed right in front of him, it was as distant as the sky. Until Laine pressed down the ck Sword as if no one were around, Hades couldn¡¯t make any meaningful resistance. So under the shocked and furious gaze of the gods of the Underworld, that seemingly ordinary ck Sword touched the soil of the Underworld. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Ssh... At the entrance of the Underworld, on the Acheron River, River of Sorrow, Charon sat in his wooden boat, once again heading towards the shore. Lately, because of wars in the Mortal Realm, his job had be much busier. After all, as the ferryman of the Styx River, only Charon could carry the souls of mortals across this endlessly rolling river. Of course, corresponding to the busyness, his ¡¯earnings¡¯ had also increased quite a bit. After all, ording to the regtions, each person crossing the river must give Charon a silver coin as the fare for the passage¡ªthis is also the origin of a custom in the Mortal Realm. Even though they dread death so much that they are unwilling to mention the names of the gods of the Underworld, mortals still ce a silver coin in the mouth of the dead when they bury them. Otherwise, the souls of their loved ones could only wander at the entrance to the Underworld or sink to the bottom of the Styx River, unrestful for eternity. Of course, no matter what, Charon is a god, and what he actually needs is not the silver coin itself. What he truly gains is the remembrance ced upon the silver coin by the deceased¡¯s family and their awe of him, the ferryman. "Hey, I really hope the wars in the Mortal Realmst a bit longer, days like these don¡¯te along often." An old smile appeared on his wrinkled face as Charon picked up a goblet of nectar from the boat and took a satisfying sip. He looked towards the shore, where a dense crowd of souls was jostling there. "It¡¯s just that there¡¯s one downside¡ªthe times of turmoil seem to have brought a lot of mortals whose bodies are left uncollected after death." n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Heined casually, but it was a happy trouble, so Charon quickly put it out of his mind. He summoned his power to make his wooden boat significantly faster, hurriedly making his way towards the shore. As he got closer, the eager and awe-filled eyes of the souls became clearer, brightening Charon¡¯s mood even more. He knew what these souls were thinking; staying here meant only enduring the cold wind and hunger, while crossing the Styx River, even if their actions in life weren¡¯t enough to allow them into the Elysian Fields, they could at least stay on the Narcissus ins. In this situation, naturally, they were all desperate to leave here first. But the right to choose who gets on the boat first is in my hands... With a sly smile, Charon stood up from the boat, ready to pick out a few pleasing ones. "Hmm? What are they looking at?" Suddenly, Charon seemed to notice something different from usual. The souls on the shore were indeed looking in his direction, filled with awe¡ªbut also with fear. And some were shouting loudly about something, or kneeling on the ground, trembling with dread. "What new trick is this..." Unaware of any anomalies, Charon was somewhat puzzled. This was the Underworld after all; there might be things that made mortals fear, but certainly not the embodiment of the Styx River. So he leisurely shook his clothes, then turned around to check. "I wonder¡ª" Whoosh¡ª Darkness swept before his eyes before he could see anything, and before he could react, a sh of ck light instantly erased Charon¡¯s divine body from this world. Behind him, the ck light continued to spread at an inconceivable speed across the Styx River, diffusing far beyond. The souls of mortals were instantly extinguished, the sparse vegetation turned to dust. There was no sound, only ¡¯disappearance¡¯; on the banks of the Acheron River, not a single whisper could be heard. All fell silent, and only the Styx River continued to flow. After a while, the water rippled slightly. Through the surface of the river, one could see a phantom shadow coalescing below the water. As the ferryman of the Styx River, Charon obviously hadn¡¯t died just now. But as he regained his senses from the recent shock, he was still somewhat bewildered. "What just... happened?" Feeling lost, Charon didn¡¯t know what had happened, but the inexplicable force just now seemed toe from the direction of the Fields of Truth. So he looked through the river¡¯s surface towards the center of the Underworld. Everything was as usual, as if the recent horror were but a dream. Except for the Underworld being emptier, there was only that ck spot high in the sky... Chapter 460 - 125: The Path to Dismembering the Origin_3 ``` "Hmm?" ``` It seemed he had noticed something. Charon abruptly turned his gaze toward the distant sky. It wasn¡¯t just a ck dot but a figure at the highest point. In a flicker, the figure appeared somewhat disappointed, shook his head, then, gripping a longsword, shed downwards. Boom¡ª¡ª An inexplicable sense of rm surged in his heart, a feeling of fear conveyed by the Styx River itself to Charon. Instinctively wanting to flee, he found there was nowhere to hide. The next moment, as if it were a continuation of the previous changes, when the ck Sword pressed down, the entire realm shook with it. The water of the Styx River churned out of its banks, the molten magma of the fire river flowed through fissures in the ground, and then everything, everything came to a halt with a sword sh that split the entire Underworld from east to west, as if everything had utterly died. The River of Sorrow was no exception, this river which caused all who approached to sink to the bottom and wail in despair, now also seemed to have lost its vitality; even as the riverbanks cracked, its waters remained still. Charon¡¯s consciousness swirled and danced in the river. He felt no pain because he knew that he was about to be yet another deity to sleep eternally. No, in this instant, the Styx River ferryman, hovering between life and death, seemed to sense something. He wouldn¡¯t rest eternally, because of that sense of falsehood and emptiness pervading everything... The next moment, Charon¡¯s consciousness waspletely extinguished. In this false world, he was the first deity of Chaos to die, but he would not be thest, for high above, Laine once again raised the edge of his sword. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ ng¡ª¡ª Flicking the sword¡¯s de, although it was a temporarily condensed ck Sword of authority, it now seemed to have taken on a physical form. Listening to the crisp and pleasant metallic tremor, Laine gazed down upon the Underworld. This was the seventh sword strike. It had eradicated the creatures of the Underworld, split the axis of itsnd, and calmed the three Styx Rivers. Looking out now, the entirety of the Underworld appeared as if stricken by an apocalyptic disaster. But this was only the perspective of mere mortals. If one looked beyond appearances and gazed directly at the Origin of all things, Laine would be startled to find that what he had done was actually of very limited use. The world is physical, it is spiritual, and it is conceptual¡ªin what he had just done, at best, he had damaged its physical structure, and even when reflected at the origin, the impact on the Underworld was not as dramatic as imagined. It would be wounded, but it was just wounded... "Stop, what on earth are you trying to do?!" A roar interrupted Laine¡¯s thoughts. Not far away, Hades with his severed arm watched the strange deity with iprehension. The power of this being was unimaginable. Hades had attempted to stop him once, but the sword light had almost instantly erased his arm, then continued to tear through the ground. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om "You cannot destroy the Underworld, just as you cannot kill me... Your actions will enrage the entire world, just like Typhon, The King of All Monsters who once sought to destroy the world, you¡ª¡ª" "No, we are not the same." Interrupting, Laine lifted his head to look at Hades in front of him. The previously elusive train of thought suddenly connected. He needed a method, a way to directly harm the Origin of the world, something that mere destruction of physical structure could not achieve. And now, looking at the armless Hades, Laine suddenly understood. Deities are the delegates of Laws, the origin of a deity is the most direct path to the Origin. As for the essence of immortality... This illusory world has none, and neither do the gods of Egypt, above and below Hemenu. Chapter 461 - 126: Death in the Netherworld under the Blazing Sun "We are not the same." Standing in the sky of the Underworld, not a single drop of blood flowed from Hades¡¯ severed arm. It was as if that limb had never existed, some terrible power prevented the regeneration of Hades¡¯ divine body, dying his recovery to his original form. But in that moment, Hades disregarded his own physical ipleteness and the pain feedback from his godhood, and looked directly into the eyes of the Outsider, despite the mountainous and oceanic pressure. Devoid of any emotion... In the Outsider¡¯s gaze, Hades saw not a hint of regard for life. It was as if he wasn¡¯t seeing another deity, but an object, a lifeless thing. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Even inferior to how a deity might view a mortal... Hades didn¡¯t know that, even if his own ¡¯divinity¡¯ hadn¡¯t reached the point of cold indifference to all beings, Laine couldn¡¯t possibly harbor any emotion for an entity in a false world. He simply took it as a sign of the Outsider¡¯s resolute intent. So, in that moment, Hades cast aside all his past understanding. He didn¡¯t know why the Outsider really dared to act against the Underworld, nor did he understand what he meant by ¡¯different¡¯, but perhaps, as Laine said, this powerful deity that suddenly appeared truly possessed some unknown method. His perception was frantically warning him, an alerting from the Underworld itself... Although bymon sense, no amount of power should be able to damage the core of the Underworld, Hades trusted the intuition of inherent deities more. If it were the past, like at the dawn of the age whenpeting for the position of Divine King, Hades might have chosen to withdraw, to retreat from the earth into the depths of the darkness. But now, the Underworld was right behind him, and he had nowhere left to retreat. At that instant, Hades actually felt a twinge of regret. Unlike his current self, the original trajectory of the Underworld had neither wraiths, and Zeus¡¯s journey was much smoother... These thoughts inevitably led Hades to reminisce about that day. Maybe he shouldn¡¯t have given up back then... Even if he had failed, it would have been better than now, having waited half an era without seeing any possibility for progress. But reality has no ¡¯ifs,¡¯ what¡¯s missed is missed. What seemed like a long time was but a moment, and Hades, with no retreat, involuntarily took a step forward facing Laine. "Come¡ª!" The ground trembled slightly as if signifying the end of days, and the Underworld seemed to sense the will of Hades, unleashing an unprecedented power. The heavens were filled with surging gray light like a rising tide, inch by inch ascending into the sky. This was the pinnacle of Hades¡¯ power, an innate bacsh of the Underworld when wounded, a power of preordained divinity that continued to rise amid passionate emotion. It was enough to cause any True God in the world to retreat, but unfortunately, these struggles were futile before the enemy they faced. With a downward press of his left hand in the void, what had risen in that instant was instantly suppressed, the Underworld trembling as a result. The right hand threw the ck Sword, the gathered power of [Death] dissipating into mist, moving through the air before recongealing into solid form, transforming into a long chain. Under Laine¡¯s will, it traversed the void, binding Hades¡¯ body tightly. In the original myth, Thanatos, the God of Death, possessed such a chain, forged by the godsmith Hephaestus as a Divine Artifact. This feeble Death god used it to hook the souls of mortals¡ª he is still busy in the Mortal Realm at present and has not returned to the Underworld, nor had a chance to witness in a phantom world what true [Death] looks like. But like many offspring of Chaos, Thanatos¡¯ wed wisdom could hardlypare to mortals. He once fell for a King¡¯s trick and was shackled by his own artifact, bing the first deity to be imprisoned by humans. Of course, the fate of that king was clear. After all, mortals might defeat a deity temporarily, but if they lose once, the price is eternity. Now, however, the same authority, the same style of chains, and the creation of [Death] had Hades firmly locked in midair. tter tter¡ª His frantic struggle set off the sound of shing chains, but Hades¡¯ resistance was obviously ineffective. At this moment, there was no third person in the sky. Those Underworld deities who had ascended with Hades were long gone, not knowing where they had fled. And now, as spring still reigned in the mortal world, even Persephone was with her mother,pletely unaware of the happenings here. Therefore, suspended in istion in the sky, Laine¡¯s expression could not help but turn somber. Once again extending his hand into the void, this time, Laine drew a stone sword. As he grasped the hilt, it seemed to trigger a certain rule, and mes of gold erupted abruptly around him, failing to harm him in the slightest, but rather adding a golden cloak rustling in the Underworld sky. This was the Great Sr Incineration, a curse capable of scorching evenmon True Gods, a remnant of the ancient Sun God, split from consciousness and left behind in the world. It would burn any being that tried to wield it, making it unbearable for the weak and unnecessary for the strong. But at this moment, what Laine required was not its strength but the nature of its authority. If a system could not be destroyed from the outside, it should be dismantled from within. The best way to aplish this was to insert into the intricate system something that was ipatible and indestructible. Chapter 462 - 126: Death in the Netherworld under the Blazing Sun_2 Zing¡ª¡ª The stone sword pierced through the air, prating Hades¡¯ chest, but it seemed as if the two were not on the same spatiotemporal ne. There was no sound of a de cutting flesh; behind the lord of the Underworld, there was no sign of a sword point emerging. At this moment, only Laine knew that the sword had actually used Hades¡¯ godhood as a medium, following some connection deep into the Origin Sea, stabbing into the core symbolizing the Underworld. In the illusory world devoid of physicalws¡¯ protection, the Sun prated the Underworld so easily. For a moment, the entire world seemed to pause, and then came the endless light and heat radiating from the sky of the Underworld. The dull sky was reced by light, a great sun¡¯s phantom high in the sky, scorching the dark graynd. Wisps of mist rose, then vanished into nothingness in mid-air. Watching all this, Laine finally nodded, clearly seeing that his attack had truly taken effect. Hades was not a Primordial God, and thend of the Underworld was but a manifestation of the material world. If previously, the power of Death had only damaged the surface of the Underworld, now the stone sword had reached straight to the root. In just a few moments, tiny cracks had started appearing at the core of the Underworld, and on Hades¡¯ body, wisps of vapor were being evaporated away. Attacking the exterior, only a little would reflect on the Origin. But harming the Origin would certainly be reflected in the symbolic outer world. Just like now, Hades suddenly found a wave of warmth rising from his mind, then spreading ceaselessly throughout his body. Whoosh¡ª¡ª "What have you done?!" The sound of shing chains rang out again; Hades was struggling desperately. In this moment, his power began to disperse, to retreat, like a tough wire inserted into the gears of a precise machine, slowing down its operation, even causing its ¡¯parts¡¯ to conflict with each other. The entire cycle of the Underworld was affected, showing a trend towards copse. As the ruler of the Underworld, Hades could clearly sense this. But bound in mid-air, he was powerless to act. Of course, as the ¡¯foreign object¡¯ embedded in the Underworld, the stone sword carrying the Sun was under even more terrible pressure, but this was meaningless. Because throughout the process, whether it was the Sun, or the various authorities that constituted the Underworld, they themselves were unharmed; it was only as a whole they were forced to ¡¯separate.¡¯ To the Sun, whether it split or not, it remained the Sun, but for the authorities that made up the Underworld, together, they formed the self-sustaining Underworld; apart, they were but individual forces with different powers. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Even an authority like the Underworld, which had a clear regional nature, was far from the likes of Destiny and Lies. As the structure of the Underworld was slowly dismantled day by day, its status diminished. "Good... this is what I wanted." Ignoring the false deity¡¯s questioning, Laine maintained his hand in a grasping motion. He was wrestling with the illusory Underworld, preventing the stone sword carrying the Sun from being reflexively expelled from the Origin by the cycle of the realm. Although destruction is easier than creation, the structure and cycle of the world have ¡¯inertia¡¯; even if this is just an illusory world, it couldn¡¯tpletely disintegrate in a brief moment. "Seven days." Making a silent judgment, Laine stood calmly in the sky of the Underworld. Like dragging the Nether beneath the earth, letting the Sun shine directly upon thend of the dead. In seven days, this ce wouldpletely disintegrate, and as the original ruler of the Underworld, Hades would turn to dust under the sunlight. ... Reality, the Divine Pce of the Underworld. The grand,vish hall held Hades resting his elbow on the armrest, leaning on his throne for a moment. The newly appointed Queen of the Underworld stood not far away, in front of her was a cradle, inside whichy a baby with facial scars. Persephone gently rocked the cradle, singing an unknown tune. Waves of invisible power flowed with her voice, entering the withered body of the child. He was being transformed, from earthly to chthonic, from alive to dead, of course, and from ¡¯dead¡¯ to ¡¯alive.¡¯ He was favored by the powers of the Underworld, nurtured personally by the Queen of the Underworld, so in some sense, this baby could also be considered the child of Hades and Persephone. Of course, since he was not born from her directly, he would naturally not be a True God. But a creature born through such a process, aside from immortality and authority, would probably not differ too much in mere strength. Time passed by the second, and at some point, the Queen of the Underworld also sat back in her ce. The transformation of that baby was not an overnight matter, after all, he had once been blessed by the [Guardianship] power of Hestia. Moreover, Persephone¡¯s control over the authorities of the Underworld was not yet so effortless; such delicate operations were taxing for her as well. Resting with closed eyes, Persephone was in good spirits. Life in the Underworld was indeed very nice; if it could be a bit brighter, that would be all the better... "..." "Stop it!" "Heh..." Suddenly, an angry shout shattered the calm of the Divine Pce, and the vast ashen grounds trembled for a moment. However, perhaps realizing something, as the voice¡¯s owner reined in their power, everything returned to normal. Inside the Divine Pce of Hades, Hades abruptly awoke from his sleep. He gasped for air, his sharp gaze sweeping around, but all that met his eyes were the temple¡¯s pirs and the slender figure of the Queen of the Underworld. "What¡¯s wrong with you, did you have a nightmare ¡ª didn¡¯t expect you to be frightened by a nightmare?" Initially startled, she then spoke teasingly. But in Persephone¡¯s eyes, one could see a flicker of clear concern and vignce. Gods seldom dream, especially not unpleasant dreams. After all, there has been no talk of a Deity governing dreams in the world of today, so excluding the interference of external forces, the nightmare itself could very likely be an ominous portent from fate. "...Huh, it¡¯s nothing, probably just a warning." His heartbeat slowly rxed, and Hades gradually returned to his usual demeanor. He waved his hand, signaling that there was no need for concern, but clearly, the Queen of the Underworld¡¯s curiosity had been piqued. "What did you dream about?" "Were you thrown into the Abyss, or was someone trying to strip you of your throne as the King of the Underworld?" She made two guesses, which she thought were the most likely scenarios. As for anything else, it likely wouldn¡¯t be enough to elicit such a violent reaction from Hades. "...No." Shaking his head, the King of the Underworld denied it. "Then what was it?" Growing more curious, Persephone couldn¡¯t help but press further. Before her, after hesitating for a moment, Hades still revealed the truth. "It was actually a ludicrous vision... I dreamed that the Underworld was destroyed by someone." Seeing the Queen¡¯s skeptical look, Hades gestured for her to hold herments. He stood up from the throne, his gaze sweeping across the ins outside. The number of high-ranking wraiths was growing, and the Underworld was expanding, everything progressing towards a better future. "This is the best choice..." Muttering quietly to himself, Hades smiled, then spoke to Persephone: "The memories of the dream are vague, I am not clear on the cause and effect, I hardly remember the specifics, but in general, it seemed like an unfavorable ending." "There were no wraiths, no strength, and I sat alone on the throne until one day, a being emanating light came down to the Underworld. He stood before me, proiming he was going to destroy the entire world." "And then what?" "Then he did it." Sitting back down in his chair, the King of the Underworld gripped the armrest. He looked upward slightly, as though gazing at the Nether Moon, or perhaps at the Mortal Realm above the ground. "He drew the Sun down to the Underworld, or perhaps dragged the Underworld up to the Mortal Realm." "Light and heat enveloped the world, and under the zing Sun, I was scorched for seven days... without a drop of dew, without a breeze, in a ce unknown to all, I and the Underworld turned to ashes." "This was the end of the dream... It¡¯s interesting, isn¡¯t it?" "...What¡¯s interesting about that?" A bit confused, Persephone asked. "Well, what I mean is, what then after he destroyed the Underworld?" Heughed softly and then shook his head. "Never mind, it has nothing to do with me, it¡¯s just a preposterous dream after all." "The Laws of this world are so mighty, a dream is ultimately just a dream... Compared to it, this Underworld of mine, is the truly real world." Chapter 463 - 127: Eternal Ownership and the "Book of Ages ``` Fantasy World, Olympus. The sun rose in the east and set in the west, illuminating the mountains across the earth as if unaware of another fierce sun rising underground. Zeus and the other gods still lingered at the peak, enjoying the Muses¡¯ singing and dancing while waiting for that "ignorant neer god." Deities care little about such brief moments in time, but not all were interested. Athena, for example, found an excuse to leave early and returned to her pce atop the Mount of the Gods. Athena still had many doubts about this seemingly real yet fantastical world. She wasn¡¯t disinterested in learning more about those unfamiliar deities, but reality did not allow her to linger there. Because the Goddess of Wisdom, merged with another "self," did not inherit the memories of the original body, every word she said might reveal her abnormality¡ªor perhaps go unnoticed. However, given the uncertainty of how long this sudden change wouldst, she naturally opted for the most cautious approach. Walking on the steps paved with white jade, Athena quietly admired the new sights of Olympus. Perhaps because time had moved on, or maybe because Hephaestus¡¯s skills truly surpassed those of the Cyclops. Either way, the divine pces rising along the seemingly endless ridges of the Mount of the Gods appeared even more majestic. They even boasted styles that were more distinctive, not typical of gods but as if the deities had been influenced by mortals. For those who lived there all along, they felt nothing unusual, but Athena perceived it very clearly. Gods and humans influence each other, even if they themselves are unaware... Pondering silently, the goddess continued forward. Her destination was her Archive¡ªtheyout of her own pce was unknown to her, but Athena believed she would have such a ce. And as expected, guided by the sense of divine power, she found her pce easily. Led by a somewhat puzzled maid, she quickly found the "personal" study amidst aplexwork of corridors. ... Step step step... Step step step... Creak¡ª "Is this the ce?" A sky-blue dress hid the ¡¯maiden¡¯ goddess¡¯s figure, with a light purple sash casually tied around her slender waist. Athena pushed open the door and began to survey the room¡¯s interior. A circr, vast Archive,rge rings surrounding smaller ones with shelves crammed with books on every level. It was Athena¡¯s first time seeing so many artifacts filled with knowledge, and a smile unwittingly graced her lips. Whether this world was real or illusory, one thing¡¯s value remained unchanged ¨C knowledge. And this ce was likely where the most knowledge in the world could be found. Even the collection of the Divine King could hardlypare to it¡ªif Zeus were really interested in it. "Yes, Your Highness, this is your study." Bowing respectfully, the Nymph standing beside replied softly. She was somewhat puzzled, after all, this was the goddess¡¯s own pce¡¯s Archive. But divine matters hardly allow for doubt, regardless of why she was asked to lead the way, she raised no objections. Among the Olympian gods, Athena was indeed one of the more pleasant ones, but in any case, the other was a deity. "Very well." Nodding her head, Athena returned to the present. She nced slightly at the maid, who looked at the ground, then her finger moved slightly. With a ¡¯thump,¡¯ the Nymph copsed to the floor. In the next moment, an invisible force lifted her and ced her on a small bed inside the Archive that the goddess had prepared. She would likely sleep for quite a long duration, until Athena fully grasped the situation. With her own ignorance about the situation, the goddess did not wish to create any more idents. "Now, let¡¯s see how the ¡¯History¡¯ of this world differs from what I know." Exhaling a breath, Athena stepped forward. Her skirt trailed over the floor that could mirror one¡¯s image, and she started to scrutinize the categorically sorted books. Some of them dealt with skills, some were biographies glorifying deities, and others were histories of kingdoms. However, after looking around, Athena couldn¡¯t find any documents that chronicled the entire world¡¯s history. She was initially surprised, then had a moment of realization. She nearly forgot one thing ¨C books are written by beings with wisdom. Humans need to record history to pass it onto future generations, but deities are immortal beings. They don¡¯t need to record their past in books since their own memories serve as the Book of Ages. Thus, deities don¡¯t record the entire history, and mortalsck the divine power and lifespan to write histories spanning across the ages. "So... do I need to summarize it myself?" Frowning briefly but then rxing, Athena looked at the books recounting gods and humans. Their authors were either followers of the gods or schrs from human kingdoms, and the content inevitably contained some subjective judgment. But if she read enough,prehended enough, Athena could piece together the trueplete picture of history like assembling a puzzle, andprehend the events that had urred in this world¡¯s past. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om It promised to be no small task, but a monumental andplex endeavor. After all, to identify the single truth among various contradictory statements required not only wisdom but also ample time and experience. ``` Chapter 464 - 127: Eternal Ownership and the "Book of Ages"_2 Fortunately, Athena was not without aid; she had other means to elerate the process. Thus the goddess in the form of a young girl took a scroll of ancient appearance from her waist¡ªthe Divine Artifact that was supposed to take her through her memories, yet now had brought her to another world. This was the only thing the goddess had brought with her. Aside from this, whether it was the clothes on her body or the Spear of Victory and Shield of Aegis, those were what another ¡¯herself¡¯ naturally possessed. Through centuries of continuous use, Athena had graduallye to understand the might of this scroll. It could do more than read memories; in fact, the function rting to memories was but a trivial essory. Its true abilityy in the maniption of ¡¯existence,¡¯ the utilization of ¡¯constants,¡¯ and it was also the gateway to ¡¯history.¡¯ Memory is a summary and trace of the past, a life¡¯s cognition of bygone days. Thus the exploration of memory was included in the functions of this Divine Artifact. Now, with its power, Athena could easily collect all the literature in the Archive and from there, reconstruct the most authentic scene of history. This was going to be much simpler. A Divine Artifact rted to ¡¯history¡¯ could naturally and easily discern the true from the false¡­ Standing inside the pce, the goddess slowly untied the strap of the scroll. As the strap fell to the ground, the Divine Artifact began to emit a faint light. But Athena did not rush to use it, she only stared at this naturally formed creation for a good while and then, at a certain moment, spoke softly: "It¡¯s been a long time since ourst meeting, I didn¡¯t expect to see you again here... It¡¯s a bit rude of me, butst time I didn¡¯t get the chance to ask, how should I address you?" The world¡¯s transition originated from the reading of memories, and all of it was manipted by this Divine Artifact. If this could still be considered idental, then the apparition seen earlier certainly confirmed that everything was inevitable and rted to that mysterious existence. Compared to understanding the history of this world, Athena actually wanted to know more about how to leave this ce. And the most crucial of all was naturally tomunicate with the person who had caused all this. Moreover, the other party had indeed given a sign... With this thought, Athena¡¯s expression grew even more resolute. "..." "Hum¡ª" As her words fell, there was no reaction at first. But after a short while, the scroll, symbolically held in the goddess¡¯s hands, began to tremble softly. Athena let go of the scroll, and then before her, it slowly opened. On its originally nk title page, a streak of ink manifested. "This is unexpected, I had not thought your memory would turn out like this before today." "However, I will put an end to all this. As for my name..." There was a pause, as if the existence behind it was pondering how to refer to itself. After a moment, the ink continued, and a line of small print appeared above it. "Compared to many creatures in this world, I was indeed born different. So if you need a name to call me by..." "Then call me ¡¯Yahweh¡¯." The writing appeared and then vanished, as if nothing had ever happened. But when the author of the ink acknowledged this ¡¯name,¡¯ it was not just the goddess who remembered it, but the world itself had it etched into its ¡¯heart.¡¯ The name of the Lord of the Spirit Realm itself possessed some unfathomable quality, yet the effect of this appetion was diminished. This was true for both the gods and the world. Note: Yahweh is the romanization of the Hebrew pronunciation. ... Inside the Archive, everything was as usual. The candlelight flickered slightly, casting its glow upon Athena¡¯s fair cheeks. The uncertain light seemed to reflect her thoughts, which were equally elusive. "Yahweh..." Athena silently mouthed the title, momentarily at a loss for words. Using a name that sounded like an adjective was not a unique practice, quite the contrary, it was very much in line with the features of the current era. Just like one of Athena¡¯s other names, Tritogeneia, which meant "the third child born, following Apollo and Artemis." Of course, in this altered world, the birth order had changed, so only in this illusory world had Athena ever heard someone addressing her in this way. In addition, another name often used by Zeus to disguise himself before mortal princesses or queens¡ªKlonides, was a direct expression of "son of Cronus." So it must be said that it was quite remarkable how the Divine King was able to use such a pseudonym without ever being found out, whether it was because Zeus himself had cast some influence, or the queens and princesses of the Chaos World weren¡¯t that perceptive. Experience more content on empire n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Either way, it was a reasonable method of naming that was widely propagated among the gods. However, that being said, not every word that served as an "adjective" could be used carelessly. The names of gods were bestowed by the world, and they often possessed special powers and a strong connection with other deities; if a self-assigned epithet were to create a connection as deep, it had to be equally ¡¯true.¡¯ In such cases, even the Goddess of Beauty couldn¡¯t call herself "the most beautiful in the world," because this concept was tied to her godhood and the name "Aphrodite." Without her divine role, whether she was truly "the most beautiful" would be debatable. Besides being ¡¯true,¡¯ these epithets also contained a hint of the distinguished status of their bearers. Whether Zeus or Athena liked it or not, a major source of their identity, apart from the authority bestowed by the world, came from their royal lineage. From this perspective, if this mysterious being imed such a title, it meant he truly was "self-existent" and "evesting." The world granted the gods authority and power, yet he was inherently endowed with these; the world could revoke a deity¡¯s power, but his eternity remained intact. Athena didn¡¯t know if the Primordial Gods were like this, but even if they were, certainly not every one of them would possess such ability, as the example of Gaia had shown. And from thetter perspective, such a transcendent entity naturally didn¡¯t need anyone else to affirm his nobility, for he himself was the origin of everything. "My apologies, sir," With a faint smile, Athena offered a slight bow without a sound. Her heart was somewhat shaken, but she was more cautious than anything. No one extends goodwill to a stranger for no reason; if they did, there must be some purpose. "Don¡¯t worry about it," "Whates naturally doesn¡¯t prove anything; let¡¯s talk about you instead," The ink marks emerged and disappeared, noticeably faster than before. Athena felt a stir in her heart¡ªperhaps the person behind the script was not idle, engrossed in some task, and now finally had a moment to spare. "This is a false world, yet it contains a ¡¯true¡¯ destiny rtive to itself. Now, all of that has been swept into a pile of old papers, never to be realized again," "So, about leaving this ce... Is there anything in particr you would like me to do?" Still smiling lightly, the bright-eyed goddess inquired casually. "Leaving here isn¡¯t hard; what¡¯s important is what lies here... I¡¯ve been contemting this matter too, and your current actions have given me an idea," "This world is ¡¯false,¡¯ but its original trajectory was ¡¯true,¡¯ indicating that its existence is a piece of ¡¯history¡¯ that should have been realized, acknowledged by Chaos itself, just like the path it has taken up until now is the ¡¯destined fate¡¯ acknowledged by Chaos," The writing paused again, then continued to appear. This time, however, the strokes of the ink seemed to carry a certain inexplicable significance. "I will destroy this world, Athena, and soon," "The Mount of the Gods will crumble, the world will return to nothingness... And what you need to do is use this Divine Artifact as a medium, using this segment of ¡¯non-existent¡¯ history, to bring about the birth of the Annals of Time," Chapter 465 - 128: Black Rain At Mount Olympus, within Athena¡¯s circr archive. The previous brief exchange had already concluded, and the pce once again fell into silence, with only the asional sound of wax droplets falling. Ancient books floated in midair, enveloped by haloes barely visible to the naked eye above the shelves, as information exchanged, as if something was being drawn out and pieced together. Once the will of its true master had departed, the Divine Artifact returned to Athena¡¯s control. At this moment, under her maniption, the content recorded in the archives was extracted, and under the power of authority, filtered and assembled. No matter what she intended to doter, it did not affect Athena¡¯s eagerness to first understand the past of this world. Moreover, after the previous conversation, the goddess¡¯s appreciation for these documents increased by more than one level. After understanding what she was about to do, Athena finally became aware of her current environment. This was a false world, but it carried aplete and world-recognized destiny, that became real because her memory of the Divine King¡¯s secret involved some terrifying power. Thus, everything here could be trusted, yet not fully trusted. Of course, in this matter, Athena believed she still had the capacity to judge, and this was also one of the benefits she could gain from this illusory journey. The information she acquired here was a rehearsal for the future, allowing Athena to make more correct choices in the future or avoid many troubles that could be evaded. "Like Hermes, Hebe, the Golden Apple, and... Hephaestus." Your adventure continues at empire "How annoying." With a bit of examining, as the Divine Artifact organized, the past of this world gradually unveiled itself to Athena. Naturally, her primary focus was on matters rted to deities. After all, in the third era, even though suppression had descended upon the present world, until now, it was ultimately the gods who decided the course of this world. Therefore, Athena would certainly pay extra attention to this, especially those gods not heard of in reality. First was that young deity she had previously encountered, then the daughter of Hera not yet born in reality, the Goddess of Youth, Hebe... and Hera¡¯s only son, the Smithing God Hephaestus. Initially, Athena¡¯s mood was quite good, but what surprised her was that as she read on, she actually found records of herself. Although the documents were vague, merely writing ¡¯After the Smithing God was betrayed by his wife, he sought love from the Goddess of Wisdom who came to have weapons forged, but failed, and his essence fell upon the earth, birthing Erichthonius¡¯, just thinking about it, Athena knew the process could not be simple. Publicly ¡¯spilling his essence upon the earth¡¯... associated with another record in the documents, about the Smithing God trapping his adulterous wife and her lover under a golden and then summoning the other gods to watch... "He must have been born in reality by now... Better keep my distance from him in the future," n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Quietly making up her mind, Athena felt it would be better to stay far away from this god with the peculiar hobbies. Should he insist on approaching, her Divine Artifact was no joke either. However, this increased the historical content¡¯s value in her eyes once more. Like the Smithing God¡¯s behavior, while not greatly harmful, carried extreme indignity. Athena felt that if such a scene were also yed out in reality, she could be disgusted by it for at least a thousand years. ...... The gold and crimson robe of dawn gradually faded, as the relentless sun hung high in the sky. While Athena was quietly perusing her archive, at the summit of Mount Olympus, the feast of the gods had just begun. Perhaps feeling that he had just threatened the gods and would soon disy his force again, the Divine King now appeared much more amiable. The Muses, skilled in song, dance, and the arts, twirled gracefully in the hall, as the cupbearers of the gods poured out the Fountain of Youth into their golden goblets. At Hermes¡¯ invitation, Apollo even retrieved his lyre, ying an apanying melody. For a moment, the atmosphere atop the mountain was very harmonious. Smiling, Zeus offered a drink to his Queen of Gods, only to be inevitably refused. The Divine King was not surprised by this¡ªafter all, his previousmand had indeed angered her. The cause of the current human wars was merely the extension of the discord between Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite, an esction of the old grievances among the gods. Thus, Zeus simply drank the nectar himself, then quietly observed the joyous gods. The atmosphere was so harmonious, filled with joy and beauty, that the gods had long forgotten that wars were still raging in the mortal realm, and mortals were shedding blood in rivers for their will. But this was to be expected; for the eternal deities, the oues in the Mortal Realm were both significant and insignificant. Power, face-saving... to the gods, they were merely tools to make their own lives more pleasurable. The Divine King would not dwell on this, yet for some reason, he always felt a vague sense of unreality. Everything in his memory was correct, and what he saw before him was no different from ordinary days. However, feeling his power that could upheave the earth and shake the world, Zeus couldn¡¯t shake a sense of emptiness in his heart. When did this feeling start? Chapter 466 - 128: Black Rain_2 "It seems, it¡¯s today..." "What¡¯s today?" "Father God, please drink up this cup!" A voice suddenly arose from beside him, Zeus turned around, and saw it was Hermes, who had delivered the message earlier. The son he favored the most did not like to address him as ¡¯Your Majesty¡¯, but the Divine King felt quite good about it. If Zeus favored Apollo for being the most outstanding among his children, then his affection for Hermes was simply because he found the long-missed joy of being a father in him. Although the Divine King himself was well aware that, as the cunning thief and the protector of merchants, no one knew which of Hermes¡¯s words were sincere, he didn¡¯t mind. Because Zeus was also very clear about why his other children were unwilling to be close to him. So, raising his cup once again, Zeus smiled and drained it in one gulp. "Nothing, my child, I was just thinking of the message you brought not long ago." "Since this era began, fewer and fewer True Gods have been born into the world, and only among my offspring, as the Divine King, are there exceptions. The birth of a new Deity is also a rare event." "It is indeed rare, but all this is your doing, Father God." "Under your rule, the gods have been restrained, the immortals no longer ravage the earth as they did in the first two eras, and the cities of mortals have grown ever more prosperous." cing his right hand over his heart, Hermes said with a smile. "Perhaps this is the world¡¯s praise for your achievements, a recognition of your aplishments perhaps." "Hahahaha... you always have such a way with words." Zeusughed heartily amidst his son¡¯s ttery, the slight sense of unreality he had felt before now cast aside by the Divine King. Yes, just as Hermes had said, the world was no longer like the first two eras. The gods were submissive before the Divine Court, and he was the ruler of the sky and the earth, the king of all kings in the mortal realm. "So tell me, why have youe? It can¡¯t be just topliment me with a few words." Theughter stopped for a moment, and Zeus asked. He had already decided in his heart that as long as it was not too excessive a request, he would agree to Hermes¡¯s wish... However, contrary to expectation, the young deity did not seek any favor. "Actually, it¡¯s still about your concerns... Father God, I had only conveyed half of the divine will to the mortal realm when an ident brought me back to the Mount of the Gods. Now, I must continue to fulfill my mission." "Humans¡¯ perception of time differs from ours," Hermes said with a bow and a smile: "If I dy a few more days, who knows what kind of ident might happen." "...Yes, you¡¯re right." After a moment¡¯s thought, Zeus had to admit that Hermes was correct. He waved his hand, signaling that the other could leave on his own ord. "Then you should go, but it¡¯s a pity. If you¡¯re gone too long, you might miss the scene of the new god bowing in fealty to me." "That won¡¯t happen, Father God. Your power is so immense, as noble as your character. I imagine that even far away in the mortal realm, I could witness your supreme majesty." "May your reign be evesting, King of the gods." Leaving behind his final words, Hermes¡¯s winged shoes fluttered slightly, and he turned into a streak of light, departing far from the Mount of the Gods. The gods only nced at this before returning to their own concerns, for as the messenger of the Divine King, he was alwaysing and going in a hurry. Thus Hermes departed on his way, but as he grew farther from the Mount of the Gods, a hint of relief suddenly shed in the young deity¡¯s eyes. "Who knows what will happen here in a few days... Better to hide out in the mortal realm for a while." "After all, I¡¯m not much of a warrior, and anyway, one more or one less of me won¡¯t make a difference." As the thought flitted through his mind, Hermes identified a direction and dashed towards it at breakneck speed. No one knew just how terrified Hermes had been when he summoned the "new god¡¯s" shadow and realized he could not control it. It was like a mortal witnessing the stuffed toy at the foot of their beding to life and "smiling" at them. In that instant, the young deity was drenched in cold sweat. ncing back at Olympus, for some reason, the mighty Mount of the Gods seemed to have be a bit hazy. Shaking his head, Hermes stopped dwelling on it and once again hastened his pace. "I¡¯ll stay away for one month... no, a full year. By then, whatever it is should have ended," he thought to himself as he gritted his teeth. Soon, all that was left was a fleeting streak of his light across the sky. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om ... As the final minor incident concluded, atop Mount Olympus, the gods remained oblivious to everything. The Sun rose and set, and swiftly, seven days passed by. Nothing had changed, and no one cared about these brief days. Until today, while the gods were merrily feasting, a violent tremor suddenly emanated from deep beneath the earth. Mountains quivered, oceans churned, and goblets from the feast spilled onto the ground. The gods looked puzzledly toward the world beyond the mountain, then their gazes converged on the Divine King seated at the head. The violent noise seemed toe from the Underworld, and Hades indeed had note to Mount Olympus. This stirred their curiosity, as no one knew what the typically obedient and weak Hades was up to. Yet when they looked up, the gods saw even Zeus with a look of astonishment on his face. "Your Majesty, what has happened?" Asked one deity, and Zeus, after observing for a moment, spoke with some uncertainty. "That is the Law of the Underworld... invading the surface?" "What?" Someone eximed in rm, only to be met with skepticism from others. "Your Majesty, that seems improbable. Even if Hades is the lord of the Underworld, he can¡¯t possibly do that." Indeed, just as Zeus could not let thews of the living realm invade the Abyss, theoretically Hades could not do something akin to self-destruction. However, the Divine King, after observing again for a moment, nodded affirmatively. "I¡¯m not entirely sure myself, but it is so." "The origins of the Underworld seem to be rebelling, flowing in every direction. If this continues¡ª" Zeus had been exining, but in the next instant, he stopped speaking, because he no longer needed to say more. In silence, the sky darkened. ck rain drifted down, from east to west, from south to north, over oceans and continents, and even between the stars. Endless waters flowed from "high" ces, signifying the collision ofws. The rain carried the power of the Underworld, altering the environment of the living world... or rather, when the essence of death infused the realm of the living, such changes were inevitable. The gods did not know that this signified the copse of the Underworld. As its structure crumbled, thews that formed it did not vanish. They simply attempted to merge into the nearby mortal realm, and the ck rain was an external manifestation of this. But what truly silenced Zeus was not this, but the news that came with the ck rain from the primal sea. Hades had died, along with his final warning. "It seems like..." Find adventures at empire After ¡¯listening¡¯ for a while, Zeus, who had stood up from his throne unintentionally, finally ¡¯heard¡¯ that voice. Despair, silence, release, and the final admonition from his own brother: "It¡¯s the Outsider... destruction..." "He... has already arrived!" Chapter 467 - 129: Having and Not Having "What has happened... Hermes, go to the Underworld and see for yourself. Tell me what¡¯s going on there," Outside the Mount of the Gods, moments before it had been bright, but now it was enveloped in dullness. The color tone of the entire world darkened for a time, and standing before the throne, Zeus¡¯s Divine Power dispelled the chill in the air but failed to dispel the unease at the bottom of his heart. Hades was dead, and even now, the Divine King found it hard to believe, even preferring the idea of some kind of misjudgment. After all, since the beginning of creation, he had never heard of a deity dying. So Zeus called upon his messenger; he wanted him to personally go to the Underworld and see for himself. After all, when it came to speed, Hermes might not be the fastest of the gods, but he was still the Principal God worshiped by travelers. His unique authority allowed him to traverse easily between the two realms, swiftly moving between the earth and the Underworld. That¡¯s also why the Divine King had chosen him as his messenger. However, after a long while, there was no response to Zeus¡¯s call within the temple. So the Divine King looked around and finally set his gaze on Helios. "...Your Majesty, Hermes has not returned since he left seven days ago," Helios responded upon seeing Zeus¡¯s gaze turn to him. "...Yes, that¡¯s right, he went at mymand," After a moment of silence, Zeus remembered this matter. He had thought that Hermes had already returned, but clearly he had not. Although several days had passed, Hermes was still in the Mortal Realm. Perhaps afterpleting the task he was given, he went off to other ces to wander, which was amon urrence for him. It wouldn¡¯t have been a serious issue, but now, obviously, Zeus could no longer afford to wait for him. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "Sigh¡ª" Exhaling, the uncertainty in the Divine King¡¯s heart dispersed. He admitted that he had been a little afraid just now, even though he did not yet know what his enemy was. While gods not dying was an iron rule since the dawn of creation, the movements from the Sea of Origin had never been false. If two ¡¯absolutes¡¯ were in conflict, clearly one had been vited, and that was exactly what he was worried about. So Zeus¡¯s first instinct was to have someone probe the situation, which had always been his habit. But after calming down, he abandoned that idea. If Hades¡¯s ¡¯death¡¯ turned out to be false, then there was nothing to fear. But if it was true... "Then, my fellow deities, let¡¯s all go and see for ourselves now," the Divine King said indifferently. The next moment, with a violent roaring sound, a golden light flew from a pce on Mount Olympus directly into Zeus¡¯s hand¡ªit was his Thunder. He had not used it for many years because, since Typhon, there had been few in the world worthy of his full effort. Holding the Divine Artifact that had apanied him through many battles, Zeus¡¯s mood surprisingly calmed down. If Hades was truly dead, then whatever caused all this, as long as it had consciousness, it could not possibly coexist with the gods... Since confrontation was inevitable, what purpose was there in dying? The three generations of Divine Kings from Chaos might have had their differences, but at least in one aspect they were simr ¨C at least from the beginning to the end, when there was no way to avoid it, they all dared to swing their swords at powerful enemies. So Zeus stepped out of the pce and stood at the summit of the Mount of the Gods, he looked down upon the earth. First were theyers of gray clouds, lining up in session from bottom to top, as if separating the celestial realm from the Mortal Realm. Looking through these rain-drenched clouds, the rumbling of the earth continued. With a flick of his right hand, the Silver Serpent shimmering on the Thunder plunged from the sky like a chain, sinking deeply into the earth¡¯s poles. "Come then, let me see what you truly are," Directly entering the Underworld that was naturally impossible. Courage was not recklessness, so holding the other end of the chain, Zeus pulled hard. At first, there was no change, and the earth¡¯s rumbling was masked by the original tremors. However, quickly, Olympus sank slightly and the vastyers of ground were lifted by the Divine King, heading towards the sky. If he did not want to go underground, then he would just lift up the ¡¯lid,¡¯ that was Zeus¡¯s thinking. Thus, as thend rose under his immense strength, all living beings wailed in despair. But no one could stop him, even the gods behind Zeus were momentarily shocked by such a terrifying power and forgot the lives dwelling in the Mortal Realm. Until the next moment, a dazzling Light suddenly emerged from underground, causing the earth to split left and right ... "The seventh day." In just a few days, within the dark and deep Underworld, thendscape hadpletely changed. The shadow of the great sun hung high in the sky, even bing more solid. Emitting increasingly strong light and heat, it seemed to purify the gray earth to reveal a dark hue. The Underworld appeared to have lost some of its original properties, it was gradually bing more like an ordinary ¡¯earth.¡¯ This seemed to be a good thing¡ªif one ignored its other change. Now, standing in the sky and looking down, the vast Underworld had shrunk to less than a hundred miles in size, and at the very edges, it was continuously crumbling and eroding. The once expansive space was now empty, with only the Endless Void sustaining the world¡¯s existence there. The Void had no size, and in fact, rtive to the material within the world, it could not even be said to exist. If the world beyond was ¡¯non-existence,¡¯ and within was ¡¯existence,¡¯ then the Void that carried the world was ¡¯non-existence¡¯ within existence, ¡¯existence¡¯ within non-existence. Chapter 468 - 129: Presence and Absence_2 Here, there is no material, which is also what the world looked like at its inception. And now, standing in the void, about to destroy a world by his own hands, Laine had gained a deeper understanding of the creation of the universe. He did not know why the world was born, or how the first concept had emerged from absolute "nothingness," just as humans inter generations did not understand how the heavens and the universe had appeared at the beginning. They could only make every effort to guess the initial state of all things, but in the end, they could not exin how this beginning came to be. It was like the physicalws of the world, which are objectively existing things. If there had to be a reason, then it was "everything was naturally so." Therefore, if one really had to name this "original driving force," then Laine thought "the Way" might be more suitable to describe It. And the first "one" that "the Way" gave birth to was the void that carries the world. It was "something" with respect to absolute "nothingness," but it was nonexistent to all things within the world. It was on its foundation that "one" gave birth to "two," and together, matter and Spirituality were born, in both opposition and unity, and from their intersection, all things began. Now, the copse of the world was also following such a process. As the scope of the Underworld became smaller and more matter disintegrated, Laine could feel that its part of Spirituality was also dissipating. When everything ended, this ce would return to the environment it was in at the beginning of creation, empty except for the void. "In that case, I came to this world at thetest time, probably even before the ¡¯two¡¯ were born." Making a silent judgment, although Laine did not know what use it was, it did not prevent him from keeping it in mind. He had always been attentive to the years when he had been without consciousness at first. Crack¡ª "Hm?" With a change in expression, Laine slightly lifted his head. Following the sound, it turned out that just a short distance below him, a tiny crack had appeared on the ck chains that locked an invisible mass. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om The Divine Body of Hades had long since crumbled,pletely incinerated and destroyed under the ze of the Sun. But the chains of Death could lock not just tangible existence, so Hades still had no chance of escaping. As for the chains that were now breaking apart... It was not because they could not hold him anymore. On the contrary, this signified his end. The ck chains of Death would only bind the living. When Hades irrevocably entered his end, the chains that had lost their purpose naturally also lost their value to exist. When the chainspletely disintegrated, it would be the moment Hades died. However, at that moment, Laine unexpectedly discovered that the consciousness of Hades appeared to still be very lucid. Although he could no longer make out a form, he could be sure that the other was "looking" at him, even "speaking" something to him. The task at hand waspleted, and the arrangements with Athena were all made. So when this ce ended, Laine nned to cleanly finish this world. Therefore, after realizing this, he didn¡¯t mind listening to what the other was thinking. Compared to the Underworld,pletely destroying this world would take even less time. As he had said before, the reason he waited these seven days was basically to verify the process of world disintegration, otherwise, without the world¡¯s restrictions on his power taking effect, Laine could very easily end it all. After all, the gap between these gods in the Fantasy World and their real selves was as vast as the difference between a strand of power thatposed this world and theplete Chaos, their strengthrgely only existing in "settings." The "tricks" Laine prepared were to deal with Hemenu, and were simply unnecessary for this world alone. "..." "...Outsider?" At the convergence of the ck chains, a certain concept subtly stirred. It could not emit sound, but when Laine wanted to "listen," he could still hear it. So he nodded his head, acknowledging this title. "Yes." Perhaps as a form of self-rescue, in these seven days, Hades¡¯s will had an unprecedented close bond with the gradually disintegrating Underworld, and it was for this reason that he saw many things that he should not have seen. The "Outsider" he spoke of was one of them. Although Hades still could not realize his own false essence, he had still discerned that Laine did not belong to this world. "..." "...You... are going to destroy the entire world?" "Yes." Laine nodded again, his expression unchanged. "..." "..." A longer silence followed, and with it came the sounds of chains snapping one after another. The Underworld below had shrunk to less than a square mile, which was practically non-existent for an entire realm. Just when Laine thought Hades was about to meet his end, he heard a third inquiry. "Why... do you wish to destroy us?" Turning his head, Laine looked at the concept that was about topletely dissipate. He had considered whether to say something, but ultimately decided against it. This was merely a Fantasy World... So in the end, he simply stated indifferently, "If there must be a reason..." "I suppose, that¡¯s the reason." ... "He... has arrived!" Boom¡ª Thest bits of residue vanishedpletely, and the tremors of the Illusory Primordial Sea coupled with the final warning of Hades echoed between the worlds, but Laine paid no heed to these. The dissolution of the Underworld confirmed his theory, although there were some unsatisfactory aspects; for example, in his perception, the destruction of the Underworld didn¡¯t cause much impact on this world. For the ecosystems of the mortal realm, it might have been near-total annihtion, but the world itself only momentarily weakened. Laine could even see that, without further interference, the Origin forces that invaded the human world could be expelled through the world¡¯s cycles over long eras, and then they would reassemble and form a new Underworld in this void. Even though it was bound to be a lengthy era, it was something that would inevitably happen. The power of the Underworld is, after all, part of this world. It would be damaged due to the copse of certain structures, but as long as these ¡¯materials¡¯ persist, everything can be repaired. "But this is already enough... After all, for that world, Chaos is the enemy that even now, it is still fighting against." "When external pressures are immense, even the smallest of internal injuries can be amplified a millionfold." With a flick of his sleeve, he gathered all that remained here. Afterpleting the final cleanup, Laine slightly raised his head. Standing in the void, above the ¡¯top¡¯ of the concept, he could see the ground rising slowly. Someone was pulling it up, and that was the power of Thunder; Laine identified it with ease. Perhaps it was a disy of power, or maybe using the earth as a ¡¯shield,¡¯ or more likely not wanting to venture into the unknown peril; in any case, under Zeus¡¯s force, the ground truly was rising slowly. But now, he had no intention of wasting any more time. So without waiting, Laine extended his finger and drew lightly in the air. Great sounds signify silence, great images are formless; it was a noise that should¡¯ve shaken heaven and earth, yet at this moment, it seemed so inconsequential. The next instant, the earth above the void of the Underworld split in two, revealing The Sky and the Sun, as well as the Divine King standing on Mount Olympus. "...Is it you?" When Laine saw Zeus, thetter also saw him. And instantly, the Divine King recognized him as the owner of the phantom from a few days ago. "You are that Outsider... What have you done to the Underworld!" A questioning roar boomed like Thunder, yet Laine didn¡¯t respond. He looked towards Zeus, and he also gazed upon the primordial seas connected by the Divine Authority. They appeared so mighty, yet so hollow. "It¡¯s over." His figure vanished on the spot like a bubble, and in the next moment, an indescribable colossal shadow loomed over the world. It reached out, grasping both the earth and The Sky. A gentle squeeze, as though breaking an eggshell... As for Zeus¡¯s questioning, he didn¡¯t need to exin. After all, what did the Destruction of this world have to do with them? Chapter 469 - 130: The Collapse In the boundless void, a gigantic hand reached down from beyond the heavens, turning everything into dust... That¡¯s how it should have been, but in reality, it clearly wouldn¡¯t be so direct. Because at the moment the fantasy world was on the brink ofplete destruction, the force that had been maintaining the world¡¯s existence had no choice but to be withdrawn. It transformed into an imprable barrier, designed tobat the great enemy of this fractured world. Of course, a force can¡¯t be used in two ces at once, so when the membrane made of creation energy collided with the gigantic hand, while it stopped itself from being instantly annihted, the unsupported illusionary world inevitably moved toward its end. The powers of the gods were dissipating, thew that constituted all things was disintegrating¡­ The only difference was, one was a bit faster, the other a bit slower. After all, the copse of self, however minuscule, still required a process. "Ugh..." Above the western seas, on a fragmented islet, Hermes awakened amidst excruciating pain. He opened his eyes and recalled the recent events¡ªthe instant that inexplicable hand from beyond seized hold, the true Great Divine Power and the remnants of creation collided. In that moment, a terribly frightening surge swept across the world. All beings with Intermediate Divine Power and below vanished in the blink of an eye, and mortals turned to dust. Although Hermes was not among them, he too suffered unimaginable damage. He briefly lost consciousness and only after a while did he finally awake. Struggling to stand up from the ruins, Hermes couldn¡¯t help but gasp in pain. "Hiss¡ªI thought I had run far enough... Now it seems, not nearly far enough." Every part of his body ached as if he had endured some cruel torture. Hermes, having never experienced such pain, grimaced¡ªit was truly unbearable for a god. But that wasn¡¯t the most critical issue... As he regained his senses a bit, he truly realized the current situation. Hermes could distinctly feel that as the unseen titanic hand from beyond continued to retract its strength, a sense of emptiness and withdrawal from the Origin rose in his heart. Others may not know what this was, perhaps thinking it was the world extracting the deities¡¯ powers to fight the external threat. But at this moment, Hermes perceived a deeper secret. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om "Is this world fake... Heh, this is truly beyond my expectations." Finding amusement amidst suffering, Hermes chuckled. It must be said that, among the native gods of this false world, he was one of the only three deities who had perceived this distinction between truth and illusion. The first was Hades, who sensed it due to his deep connection with the Origin of the Underworld before death; the second was Zeus, who could feel everything simply because of his position as Divine King; and Hermes was the third. The reason he could perceive it was entirely idental. He was originally the child of the Sky-bearing Titan As, and the son of the storm goddess Maia and Zeus. In the intended trajectory, he possessed exceptional wisdom even as an infant, with many attributes known innately to Titan deities, eventually ascending to the position of one of Olympus¡¯s twelve Principal Gods. But, unfortunately, reality differed from this fantasy world, and a turning point urred in As¡¯s fate. The birth of Hermes was consequently influenced, and amid the impending destruction of the world, this consequence allowed him to have a subtle intuition of reality. More coincidentally, the roles of ¡¯Commerce¡¯ within Hermes¡¯s godhood wereter additions; what truly belonged to him by nature had some rtion to ¡¯theft¡¯ and ¡¯travel¡¯. "Cough cough, ruler of The Thousand Thunders, my revered Father God, even now, you remain so mighty." Continue your adventure at empire After a light cough, Hermes looked in the direction where thend oncey. There, continents were divided, enormous spatial rifts devoured all like gaping maws. The only undamaged ce was where Mount of the Gods, Olympus, was situated. That sky-bearing pir, the Home of the Gods, an immense column of thunder that pierced through heaven and earth, shaking the heavens, was the embodiment of the Divine King¡¯s unmatched power. But looking at this scene, Hermes felt a bit likeughing. Everything in the world suffers inparison. Next to the colossal hand that enveloped the world, the thunder column, grandiose as it was, seemed less impactful. Instead, it was like an ant in the palm of the gigantic hand, provoking an existence it could never hope to oppose. "Hah¡ª" "Never mind that, it¡¯s better to leave now... What happens to my ¡¯dear Father God¡¯ is his business, but if I wait any longer, I might not be able to leave at all." "The greatest adventure of this world, a legendary journey, crossing between fantasy and reality¡ªHmm, I just don¡¯t know what will be waiting for me on the other side. Are there any pretty girls?" Despite his lighthearted words, gradually, the tension and fear in Hermes¡¯s heart were temporarily suppressed. He took onest look at this world, akin to the apocalypse, this world he had lived in for so long, which was in fact not real. Then, in the next moment, Hermes did not hesitate to muster his strength, igniting everything he possessed. Rather than waiting for the world to siphon them away to confront the destructor, he decided it would be better to make use of them... So in the next instant, from solid to ethereal, from stillness to extreme speed, Hermes¡¯s form swiftly turned into a dim streak of light, slicing through the sky in a sh. Chapter 470 - 130: The Collapse_2 In just a few shes, unnoticed by any being, Hermes reached the end of the heavens, the ce where the world collided with a giant hand. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Terrifying fluctuations emanated from there, threatening to tear apart his consciousness, and at this crucial moment, Hermes forced himself to be spirited, expending hisst bit of strength to use his authority. Thus, a crack opened before him, and through it came familiar yet strange energies. Hermes¡¯s n had seeded, but at the same time, an immense sense of fear arose in the heart of the young deity. Intuition told him that perhaps by passing through the crack, he really could reach where he wanted to go, but this very act was, in fact, not permitted by the world. The real-world Hermes had not yet been born, but would be born eventually. So, if he went there, preempting the existence of the other... he would definitely have to pay a price. No one knew what that price would be; it could be the stripping of godhood, it could be a curse, or it could even be the loss of the immortal essence of a deity. After all, he was not an immortal to begin with, and things from a false world would not be effective in reality. So, if the present world was not willing to re-grant Hermes with the essence of immortality, then it was very possible that he would no longer be eternal. "Ha, as if I have a choice... Whether another ¡¯me¡¯ can be born in the real world in the future, what does it have to do with me." With a sneer, pausing only briefly, the stream of light surged forward once more. Not until he hadpletely entered the crack did Hermes finally breathe a sigh of relief. Regardless of what he had to pay, at least he had escaped... However, he also felt that his consciousness was blurring. The one who had burned everything was almost eternally asleep, and the godhood from the false world obviously couldn¡¯t provide him with real divine power. As for thews of the present world, they didn¡¯t seem to be reacting too directly to him yet. It looks like I¡¯m going to sleep for a very long time, until the world passes its sentence... Letting his consciousness drift, amidst his reflections, Hermes took onest nce at that fantasy world. Like a bubble about to burst, it was dazzling and shining, yet could only struggle helplessly before that inexplicable giant hand. "Hmm? What¡¯s that?" Suddenly, something caught Hermes¡¯s attention. It was on the finger of the giant hand, where a ring, verdant and radiant, was worn. Tiny runes, like specks of dust, were etched onto it, as if interpreting some ultimate truths of the world, and watching this scene, although he didn¡¯t know what it was, Hermes deeply etched it into his heart. For something to be worn by such a terrifying being, it must also be one of the top treasures in the world. Moreover, in his current peculiar state, Hermes vaguely felt that it represented a kind of mystical knowledge highlypatible with him. "When I wake up¡ªif I can indeed wake up¡ªI must study it." Quietly deciding, leaving a bit of hopeful expectation for the future, as Hermes¡¯sst bit of strength dissipated, like plunging into boundless darkness, his memorypletely went silent. All returned to calm, and this escapee from the fantasy world thus entered a long slumber, waiting for the day of future awakening. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Boom¡ª¡ª Crack¡ª¡ª! Outside Mount Olympus, streaks of silver serpents fell from the mountain¡¯s peak, causing a great rumbling sound. The Divine King¡¯s unmatched strength was unmistakable, a realm still beyond the reach of the other gods, yet it was almost visible to the naked eye that the power contained within the thunder was no longer as strong as it had been at the outset. With the Divine Artifact scroll in hand, Athena in her white dress strolled midway up the Mount of the Gods. In a scene like the end of the world, the Goddess seemed no different from usual. Her eyes were still bright, only now there was no audience. When the giant hand pressed down from the sky, Athena knew that the time hade. She gradually felt her connection with reality being restored, and at the same time, the power not her own within this body was also being withdrawn. However, she did not feel regretful; after all, false things might serve as reference, but should never be relied upon. Boom¡ª¡ª Another bolt of lightning exploded midair, opening up dark spatial rifts. This was a sign of the instability of space and time. The fundamental rules of the world were losing their support; everything was bing fragile and brittle... and watching this scene, after weighing the situation, Athena finally ced her hand on the Divine Artifact. The reason Laine hadn¡¯t personally taken this step was not only because he was still wearing down thest resistance of this world, but the most important point was that he couldn¡¯t do it. To this fantasy world, he was but an Outsider; to this memory, he was an observer; and even to the Destined course of Chaos, he was a disrupter. So he might be able to destroy this world, but he could never use it, only Athena was different. The Goddess of Wisdom was an extremely important being in the destined light; it was still fundamentally manifested from her memories here. Everything in the fantasy world was naturally drawn to her, and most crucially, she bore a ¡¯dead¡¯ fate upon her. Yes, if Erebus could see it, Laine could see it as well. Pas Athena, the child of Metis who ¡¯surpassed her father¡¯, the ¡¯arrogant king of gods and men¡¯, once had the chance to end Zeus¡¯s reign and be the fourth Sovereign of the Gods, but now, he no longer had the chance to be born. Chapter 471 - 130: The Collapse_3 But no matter his fate, under such circumstances, Athena, who carried some of her brother¡¯s symbolism, undoubtedly also became special. She possessed certain ¡¯qualifications,¡¯ and thus it was only natural for her to personallyplete it all. As she unfolded the scroll, and pressed her palm onto the title page, divine power surged, and it seemed to Athena that she could hear the ¡¯whooshing¡¯ sound of flowing water. A dim light released from the Divine Artifact established some sort of connection. With the Goddess of Wisdom as a medium, the world¡¯s concepts began to flow into it, bing its text and enhancing its power. However, for some reason, Athena felt that, although the Divine Artifact appeared to be absorbing [History], those bygone times didn¡¯t really seem to merge into it. They seemed to be going elsewhere... and what really made it gradually plete,¡¯ were actually more subtle things. Hidden between the annals of History, they were the bedrock that constructed this world. Under such assimtion, the artifact itself also began to expand. Time ticked by, second by second, and as the world deteriorated, the artifact slowly grew asrge as a pce, and its swallowing speed became even faster. The deafening roar of thunder grew denser, but to the ears of the Goddess of Wisdom, there was an increasing loudness without strength. "Hmm?" After a while, at a certain moment, Athena¡¯s expression changed slightly. It was as if she noticed something, and with a gesture of her hand, the apanying Shield of Aegis immediately fell into her palm. The next instant, apanied by a roar of fury, a massive bolt of lightning crashed down. "Athena, what are you doing!" Boom¡ª¡ª Lightning shed with the shield. Although Zeus¡¯s power had greatly weakened, he still possessed a strength unmatched by the gods. However, when this force powerful enough to crush any True God struck the small shield, it only caused Athena¡¯s shield-bearing arm to tremble slightly, then it had no further effect. Beneath the Genesis Artifact, the one shield in the world that could exempt itself from Zeus¡¯s [Thunder]. Like the natural opposition of all things, the massive lightning seemed to have struck into an abyss, raising not even the slightest ripple on its surface. "Huh¡ª¡ª" Taking a deep breath, Athena knew that Zeus had discovered her actions. This was always bound to happen. Now that the damaged world had few living beings left. Following a sh of divine light, the goddess¡¯s skirt transformed into golden armor. As soon as the Divine Artifact began to draw power, Athena could have left. The king of the fantasy world could not destroy such an artifact¡¯s true form, and she had no need to guard it. So, the reason she chose to stay was simply because she did not wish to leave yet. Holding the spear symbolizing [Victory], the girl who was usually gentle and intelligent now seemed to have changed. Her eyes were sharp and eager to fight, like a war-seasoned Valkyrie. Athena, shielding against the raging thunder, flew to the front of Mount of the Gods. "Athena, do you know what you are doing?" Even though his presence was greatly weakened, Zeus¡¯s gaze remained sharp. He was already aware of the inevitable failure, but that did not mean he would wait passively for death. At the very least, he wanted to hold out until the world waspletely destroyed, then do thest thing he could... But what he never expected was to see Athena standing before him. "Of course, as you can see." Without hesitation, without dodging, with her spear pointed directly at Zeus, Athena spoke softly as she looked into the Divine King¡¯s eyes: "As you can see... I am opposing you." ... In the fantasy world, battles erupted on Mount of the Gods. Though the Divine King had lost much of his power and still held an absolute advantage, he could no longer win easily. Even with the passage of time, the scales of victory continued to tilt¡ªof course, Athena could not possibly win. But at this time, her taking action against Zeus wasn¡¯t about winning. The great war before Mount Olympus continued, while those gods who had not yet died were still scattered across the earth. They had not perished under the mighty hand and the first collision with the world, nor, like the Divine King and Hermes, had they perceived some essence of the world. They believed this was the end of everything, the destruction of all things, so faced with the unavoidable death, the gods naturally disyed all aspects of life. There were those who despaired and raged, releasing their power, those who knelt to pray, hoping the annihtor might spare them, and naturally, those who cursed loudly and shouted angrily at the sky. Of course, there were also those who faced it calmly, awaiting the oue. Just like now, when the world was on the brink of destruction, the ropes on Caucasus Mountains also lost their divine power. Falling from this execution ce that had punished him for thousands of years, what Prometheus saw before him was a world about to be destroyed, and not far off over the sea surface, Poseidon, Lord of the Sea, raving and pointing at the sky. In the original history, there was no East Sea bathed in sunlight, nor was there an endlessly swirling Eye of the Sea. This forethinking sage, after deceiving the gods, was chained to the continent, on that Caucasus Mountains where his abdomen was cut open, and his liver was ceaselessly pecked by an eagle. By day it was devoured, by night it regrew, the cycle alternating endlessly. One must say, as immortals, the gods knew very well how to punish one of their own. For a while, it seemed like he was tired of cursing, or perhaps he finally realized that his actions were meaningless, Poseidon finally stopped. He looked up at the sky, and the giant hand that grasped the world was like the world itself, regarding all beings as nothing significant, not even acknowledging him for a moment. A tremendous sense of fear rose from within, the previous cursing at the sky was in fact just a venting of inner panic. At this moment, Poseidon somewhat regretted. Maybe if he had said something nice earlier, the owner of the giant hand might have spared him? "...Prometheus, what are you looking at!" Fear, anger, unrest, regret...when all these emotions surged one by one in the face of death, and peaked upon seeing the calm demeanor of the distant forethinker. Why was Prometheus soposed when he himself was in such a sorry state? Was he not afraid to die? "Your Majesty Poseidon... I too am afraid of death." Easily discerning the other¡¯s thoughts, Prometheus shook his head. In the distant sky, at the very center of the earth, the battle between two deities was clearly visible, and just as visible was the growing shadow of a scroll. It seemed like it existed yet did not, impervious to all attacks or destruction. Everything just passed through it as if it were merely an illusion. There was nothing mortal left on the earth; they had already turned to dust in the previous sh between the giant hand and the world. "Everything muste to an end, sooner orter, even the world. It¡¯s not today, then it will be some other day. It¡¯s just facing such an irresistible end... I chose to ept it." "Madman!" "ept? I don¡¯t ept!" A cry of rage once again stirred the fear within him. Under the sway of his emotions, Poseidon summoned all his remaining strength and caused the waters of the four seas to surge into the sky. Give him some response, at least...even a swift death would be better than the torment of waiting for death. However, under Poseidon¡¯s watch, the giant hand capturing the world remained motionless, simply continuing its slow rhythm, tightening its grip. Everything remained as before. ... Time continued to pass, various loves and hatreds yed out across the world for thest time, but the shadow of the scroll kept expanding. It grewrger andrger, overshadowing thend and the tumbling heavens, and eventually became one with the world itself, constrained by the world¡¯s remaining strength. Then at a certain moment, apanied by a crisp sound, under both internal and external assault, the world¡¯s final struggle ended. All civilization and the past were frozen at that moment, everything in the world copsed into illusion, bing part of the Divine Artifact. And the giant hand enveloping the world closed in turn, sping the middle of the scroll. Everything came to a halt. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "Very good." Nodding with satisfaction, Laine was pleased with the result. This Divine Artifact still needed time to assimte the gains from this event, but the oue was always predetermined. However, as Laine gripped the Annals of Time, his gaze did not linger on it initially. Because aside from the Artifact, where the fantasy world had once existed, there remained a drop of ¡¯liquid¡¯. That was the fundamental essence that had once constituted the world...the remnants of the Genesis Divine Power. Chapter 472 - 131: Truth and Harvest In the vast emptiness, a ¡¯drop¡¯ of ¡¯water¡¯ hovered there. It was so ordinary-looking, without any special power flowing from it. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Yet it was from such a minute point that the world, seemingly as real as any, had derived¡ªand to the life within it, that may not be false at all. After all, true and false are rtive concepts, and the destiny it constituted was the original trajectory of the Chaos World. Under certain conditions, reality and falsehood could perhaps be interchangeable. Taking a step forward, Laine reached out his right hand and cautiously caught the ¡¯drop.¡¯ He had prepared for any contingencies, but even as he held it in his hand, nothing more happened. Everything was without a ripple, just like a true drop of water, as the remnants of the Creation Force flowed quietly in Laine¡¯s palm. Its power was not overwhelmingly strong, but it was so absolute and enigmatic. Sensing its presence, Laine couldn¡¯t help but hesitate. The power of creation had no nature, or to be more precise, it would change its nature ording to the will of its user. It was ¡¯omnipotent,¡¯ unable to amplify itself, yet it could aplish almost anything in this world. Even Laine had a premonition that, if he wished, this power could perhaps give birth to an immortal essence he could never replicate before... or destroy one that already existed. To y a deity¡ªa deed he had only done within the Fantasy World¡ªcould be achieved again with this supreme power. But after only a brief contemtion, Laine dismissed the thought. To kill a god seemed impressive, but to do so with borrowed strength, in reality, was meaningless. Perhaps the domain of [Death] would surge greatly as a result, but it is now a part of [Samsara]. If [Death] were to skyrocket unterally, even if [Samsara] wouldn¡¯t copse because of it, it would take an eternity for it to rebnce the two through its own cyclical force. In the meantime, the [Well of Reincarnation] mighte to a halt for a long time. Overall, the gains obtained would still outnumber the losses, but this hard-won Creational Force would then be a one-time use. Besides, permanently killing a god in reality, and how the world might react to it, is yet an unknown. "After all, it¡¯s merely an unexpected gain; as for the [Well of Reincarnation], let¡¯s stick to the original n," Laine decided. With a light tap of his finger, the ¡¯drop¡¯ immediately vanished and appeared within the Spirit Realm. It woulde in handy soon enough, and as for what purpose¡ªhaving one naturally meant it should be two, or three, or even more. "And then there¡¯s this," he said. Having dealt with the remnants of the creation, Laine finally returned his attention to his own Divine Artifact. The Oracle Stone Tablet, divided into three by the transformation of the Spirit Realm, had experienced changes in the other two pieces, while the first one had remained as it was at birth. But now, after this event, it not only caught up with the progress of the other two but also seemed a bit "overstuffed." At this moment, it retracted all its extraordinary properties, appearing asmon as any everyday scroll. Now named the Annals of Time, this Divine Artifact, having integrated the concept of the Fantasy World, finally began to possess its own unique symbolism. However, unlike its previous manifestations, the true essence of this artifact wasn¡¯t [History]. Rather, [History] was merely a form of expression of its power, not the foundation of its existence. After all, [History] alone is not enough for greatness, and even among powerful Divine Powers, it ranks at the bottom. It might grow stronger with the passage of eras, but this enhancement is extremely limited. Even the Divine Artifact involving [Time] is still incubating at the heart of the Spirit Realm, a long way from beingplete. A concept can¡¯t give rise to two great artifacts, and so the time domain cannot have two [Genesis Artifacts]. Enjoy new tales from empire Unless Laine could bring that part from beyond this world, making them represent different aspects of time in Chaos World, the artifact shaped from the first te stands no chance to progress any further on the strength of [History] alone. Therefore, the Annals of Time is neither fundamentally about ¡¯annals¡¯ nor ¡¯history¡¯; what it truly signifies is that which is unchanging, evesting, eternal. It¡¯s a conceptual domain, lofty in intent but consequently quite abstract, and like the initial Spirituality, while theoretically epassing everything, it requires gradual filling. Simrly, there is the Civilization te, whose power is somewhat akin to the ¡¯future,¡¯ from which techniques like ¡¯divination¡¯ have emerged¡ªone reflection of its potential. But the time domain¡¯s makeup merely adorns the Civilization te, which symbolizes change, creation, and inspiration in itself. Opposite yet interdependent, the link between ¡¯change¡¯ and ¡¯eternity¡¯ is woven together by the [Codex of Creation]¡¯s outlined [Order]. Three Divine Artifacts, originating from the same source, was the arrangement made at their inception. And afterpleting this metamorphosis, the final link among them has finally embarked on the right track. Chapter 473 - 131: Truth and Harvest_2 "So it¡¯s said, humans are always contradictory." "When something doesn¡¯t belong to you, you detest it intensely, and then the next step... is wanting to make it something you can control." Many things were like this, and Laine was no exception, hating something often only because it wasn¡¯t under his control. Like now, ¡¯unchanging¡¯ and ¡¯changing¡¯, the criteria that determined the order of all things... It was almost self-evident what these three Divine Artifacts together aimed to counter. After repeatedly confirming that nothing untoward remained in the Divine Artifact following its absorption of the Fantasy World, Laine then sent it back to the Spirit Realm. Once Hemenu¡¯s affair was concluded, another ¡¯feast¡¯ awaited it, so it was best to assimte the gains of this trip quickly. After all, unlike the other two Divine Artifacts, it was perfected step by step, enduring the entire second epoch. Rapid growth necessarily required more time to adapt, to avoid leaving behind any problematic aftermath. Especially as part of the three Divine Artifacts, if it had any issues, it would likely affect the other two as well. "Finally, wee to the source of all this." Suspended in the void, Laine atst turned his attention back to the matter at hand. He had originally ventured here on a spiritual journey to inspect memories concerning Zeus, but he hadn¡¯t anticipated the journey would take such an unexpected turn. Although the oue was equally favorable, he couldn¡¯t simply forget his original purpose. Athena was no longer here since, after all, whether it was Laine or her, they hadn¡¯t truly entered this ce in their physical forms. As the Master of Spirituality, Laine could maintain this ¡¯spiritual journey¡¯ state, his consciousness separate from his Divine Body, but Athena couldn¡¯t do the same. Thus, when the moment of the world¡¯s destruction came, she had already returned to her body on a remote ind overseas. And those memories, once shielded by the power of the world, were naturally acquired by both of them. With no high powers to cloak and distort them, everything became clear. In nearly an instant, Laine had reviewed that segment of the past. Stay connected with empire n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Asgard, Odin, the World Tree, Sacrifice, ritual... until Metis was offered as a Sacrifice to Chaos, in exchange for Zeus¡¯sdder to kingship. Upon seeing this content, many of Laine¡¯s doubts were immediately resolved. The most pressing was the recent changes in thews of the Abyss and Hell. One day hundreds of years ago, a new rule was written into the foundation of the world, rting to ¡¯Sacrifice¡¯. Although the World Master could actively choose to ept or decline, to respond or ignore, this change had indeed urred. (See 3-83) Previously, Laine had spected whether this was because the two were of the same origin, that both worlds had naturally evolved the ability to ept sacrifices, allowing beings from one world to offer existences from the other as Sacrifices... but upon closer thought, it didn¡¯t quite add up. Now, however, it seemed that all this originated from the Sacrifice ritual personally involving Chaos, influencing the shifts in the underlying rules of many worlds. When the world itself performed the Sacrifice for the first time, that act became an ordainedw. It¡¯s likely that independent realms like the Land of Eternal Night also developed simr capabilities, only Laine had been unaware of it earlier. As for why the Underworldcked it... it could only be said that its status as a standalone realm still had some shorings, otherwise even with just half the authority, Hades wouldn¡¯t have missed touching upon that grand realm. After all, the Divine King is never the present world¡¯s master, yet the King of the Underworld is indeed the embodiment of the Underworld itself. So the absence of simr changes in theherworld seemed understandable. With the first mystery unraveled, Laine¡¯s second question was about the ¡¯fated death¡¯ on Athena¡¯s person. It seemed normal, Zeus had swallowed Metis, so Pas¡¯s birth was thus rendered impossible, and his fated ¡¯death¡¯ was only natural... but upon closer inspection, it was full of loopholes. Gods are immortal, hence any possibility would only be postponed, neverpletely cut off. So what if swallowed by Zeus, or even imprisoned in Tartarus? As long as Metis still lived, there was a chance of release, and thus a chance for Pas to be born. Yet his fate was already ¡¯dead¡¯, recognized by the world as an unalterable oue. This implied that even Chaos denied his existence, to the point that attempting to ¡¯rebirth¡¯ him through any means would only bring about the world¡¯s own Destruction. Laine had not understood why a being once favored by the world would instead invite its malice... but now it was clear to him. Metis became the Sacrifice, and the moment the world epted it, Pas was deprived of any chance of birth. The world wouldn¡¯t deny its own actions. If Athena¡¯s destined brother was still born, it would be tantamount to negating the present world itself. Unless Chaos itself broke its own rules and ¡¯released¡¯ Metis ¡ª but this was undoubtedly impossible, and without surprise, Pas had no more opportunities to be born. "This indeed poses a problem... I had previously wanted to bring him back to ¡¯life¡¯ in another way, to then challenge the predetermined fate of the present world." Furrowing his brow, Laine found it a bit troublesome. Now this ¡¯arrogant divine king¡¯ prophesied to emerge had been definitively negated by the world, and if he wished to be born, he had to do so within the Laws of Chaos World, otherwise he couldn¡¯t inherit this segment of dead fate, creating a catch-22 situation. Chapter 474 - 131: Truth and Harvest_3 If Laine had the power to directly contend with the world, then what use would he have for this... Shaking his head, Laine decided to set the matter aside for now. "We can talk about thister; there¡¯s still a long time until the end of the era. Nobody knows for sure how many changes might happen in the meantime, just like with the remnants of the Nine Realms¡ªan entirely unexpected event." n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Having cast aside this conundrum, once two major issues had been resolved, Laine also found rity in various other rted matters. The transfer of godhood, Zeus¡¯s surge of power¡ªeverything was given a reasonable exnation. And about the sacrificial ritual, Laine gained an even deeper understanding. "Sacrificing the present self to the future self, the divine self offering a sacrifice on behalf of the world..." This was his initial judgment of Odin¡¯s ritual, which waster confirmed by the Titan of Wisdom, Mimir. But that was Odin¡¯s sacrifice, whereas Zeus¡¯s had a couple of problems¡ªfirstly, Chaos World was not initially epting of this ritual. Despite the intertwining of the powers from the Nine Realms and Chaos, and differentws being effective simultaneously, causing It to reluctantly ept Zeus¡¯s offering, the influence of Its power meant that the ritual only granted half the intended reward. Odin¡¯s Rune Scriptures were given by the world, and he could never have deciphered them on his own. Even after obtaining supreme wisdom, he couldn¡¯t bear the secrets of the runes himself and was forced to inscribe them upon The Origin Text. However, Zeus¡¯s ritual was different. The ritual was something he could have deciphered on his own as part of his destiny; the world merely refined it further, endowing the Divine King with powers that were more unique and closer to the essence of the world itself. So, from a perspective of gains, Zeus essentially had an advance on the future and obtained some additional enhancements. And the second problem... "Although interpreting Metis as ¡¯the wisdom of Zeus¡¯ seems usible, and in the collision of the two worlds, it may not strictly follow Chaos¡¯s rule of ¡¯a god cannot belong to another¡¯... but after all, Chaos is the home field, Its power far surpassing that of the shattered realms. Since only half the reward was issued, did that rule really not take effect at all?" While doubting, Laine had no evidence, as from the current condition of Zeus, it appeared he hadn¡¯t had to give up anything extra. Therefore, Laine tentatively put the matter aside and focused on the ritual. This was a ceremony centered on the position of the Divine King, one that he could not directly replicate. Moreover, as a creation perfected by the world, it actually contained many deeper mysteries, which Laine found difficult to discern for the moment. He needed some time to unravel these mysteries and see what he could glean from them, as well as to determine how this altered ritual differed from the original one. Indeed, after devouring the Fantasy World, the original ritual also came into Laine¡¯s possession. The differences between them were of utmost interest to him. "Just as well, the Negative Energy interface has some time before it stabilizes, might as well keep myself busy." "This journey, it seems, hase to an end." Everything had been dealt with, and the matters were nearly concluded. With a thought, Laine¡¯s form began to blur. He was still in a state of ¡¯divine wandering,¡¯ his true body remaining in the fifthyer of the Spirit Realm, and now he was about to return. But before leaving, he took onest nce at the ce where the Fantasy World had vanished. In the end, at the node where the Fantasy World was absorbed by the Annals of Time, the consciousness that knew itself to be a false Divine King also understood the irreversibility of all things. Yet, he persisted to the very end, to the moment the world fell apart, because he had things he needed to do. In that instant, he was infinitely weak, for he had nearly lost all existence; yet infinitely powerful, for he had nearly touched the very essence of the cosmic creation. Zeus did not have the same essence, so he could not use this power directly, but by indirect influence, he still witnessed the presence of Laine and, in the end, issued a warning. It was a message for his other self, along the mysterious connection between the two Zeuses. Under the final influence of the cosmic power, his warning did indeed get sent, but not entirely, as the indirect nature meant the content directly targeting Laine himself was ¡¯blocked.¡¯ Explore more adventures at empire "¡¯Beware, the Lord of the Spirit Realm, It is an Outsider,¡¯ huh...?" "Hmm, ¡¯taken out of context,¡¯ excerpted from ¡¯don¡¯t take things out of context.¡¯" With a chuckle, Laine¡¯s formpletely disappeared. As for how the Zeus of the outer world would interpret this warning... that was something he would never know. Chapter 475 - 132: Startled Awake Night. The destruction of the fantasy world did not affect the mortal realm, for the winter brought about by Demeter continued unabated. The cold wind came from the north, and disputes and killings became more frequent. In order to fight for the limited food, the conflicts between man and beast, man and man, intensified, and only during such deep nights could a semnce of peace from days past be restored. However, this was just the mortal realm; Olympus saw no such change. The deities were not bound by day and night, nor did they suffer fromck of clothing or food due to the winter. Therefore, at this moment on Mount of the Gods, the power that shrouded each divine pce lit up the night sky, much like the scattered stars upon the earth. As always, the immortal deities reveled in all they had... but this night, the pantheon was doomed to restlessness. ... Boom¡ª In the depths of the night, the normally tranquil sky was suddenly shattered by a p of thunder, startling all the creatures within and beyond Mount Olympus. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om The thick clouds gathered, seemingly signaling a heavy rain toe. However, the climate on Mount Olympus was never naturally urring; everything here was a reflection of the will of the deities. So for a time, figures flew out from all corners of Mount Olympus. Some were still not fully dressed, some had been pondering trinkets brought back from the mortal realm, and a very few had been awakened from sleep¡ªalthough they were the minority. A deity could sleep, but it was not a necessity, and only a very few chose to do so. This night, on Mount Olympus, not a single powerful deity had spent their time in slumber. This made their reactions swift, but as a consequence, they missed much, for when the fantasy world shattered, much like Hades¡¯s dreams, a certain intangible fluctuation spread out. The imaginary needed an imaginary vessel to bear it, and sleep was the finest recipient, but this clearly was not meant for deities who were always awake... Of course, this wasn¡¯t such a great loss. After all, they neither had a special status and power like Zeus, nor did they have the kind of opportunity some deities possessed; even if they could see something in their dreams, it likely would be but a fleeting image. They may not have known what had happened, only that all things were destroyed, everything ended, and then nothing more. Swish¡ª "What¡¯s happened, Hera, were you with Zeus earlier?" A sh of red light streaked by, and Hestia¡¯s figure appeared in midair. She nced at the dark clouds above and then at the pce atop Mount Olympus. These days, the Goddess of Hearthfire had been in a rather foul mood. Hades had stolen Demeter¡¯s daughter, but it waspensation given by Zeus in the presence of the goddess, when thetter relinquished her ce as Divine King. Hestia had once been happy about this, asking for just one condition to avoid strife among her brothers. But to her surprise, a millenniater, that condition was invoked here. For a moment, the goddess could find no reason to stop him;pared to Zeus¡¯s actions, what Hades did seemed insignificant. Furthermore, the disasters stirred up by an enraged Demeter had left the mortal realm without a harvest, and in her pity, she felt even more troubled. If the problem couldn¡¯t be solved fundamentally, then all this would never end. Thus, amidst the contradictions, Hestia couldn¡¯t help feeling annoyed. Everything was linked to Zeus, and now he wasn¡¯t just failing to make an effort for resolution, he was even summoning thunder in the middle of the night. "That I do not know. I haven¡¯t been spending much time with Zeus recently. He doesn¡¯t seem to want me around." Arriving in haste as well, facing her elder sister¡¯s inquiry, Hera said expressionlessly: "You know what kind of person he is. When he¡¯s enjoying life, why would he want someone like me, who¡¯s an eyesore, to be around him?" At a loss for words, Hestia found herself even more troubled. Apart from not knowing why Zeus had always seemed uninterested in the Goddess of Beauty, his pursuing of pleasures had never ceased. It was just that those who hadn¡¯t borne him offspring were less known. The deity in charge of marriage had the most failed marriage of all... Hestia shook her head slightly, giving Hera a sympathetic look. However, the Heavenly Empress showed little reaction. As time passed, she had grown ustomed to it since, after all, most deities were like this. As long as no more bastard children popped up and he didn¡¯t run off to mingle with mortals in the mortal realm, then Hera could only let it be. As the two conversed, more deities appeared in midair, all alerted by Zeus¡¯s disy of power. Yet, regarding the thunder summoned unexpectedly by the Divine King, the deities had no clue. But soon, as the God of West Wind arrived, the pantheon ceased their discussions. "It seems Zeus has sent you to call us over, hasn¡¯t he?" Looking at the neer, Hestia asked first. "Yes, His Majesty has summoned you." Bowing slightly, Zephyrus replied respectfully. Even as times had changed, in facing the Goddess of Hearthfire, he remained as reverent as ever. ... At that same moment, at the summit of Mount Olympus, upon the throne at the center of the grand hall, Zeus sat with furrowed brows. Having just awoken and inadvertently releasing his power, he had ordered Zephyrus to summon the deities, preparing to exin what had just urred. But strictly speaking, he himself was not very clear on the particrs of the event. Chapter 476 - 132: Startled Awake_2 ``` "...A premonition or something else?" "What does that vague term signify?" Although on the surface, Zeus, like the other gods, always seemed ¡¯awake¡¯, in reality, his true form was still slumbering in Asgard, and what had been walking around recently was merely his avatar. And the reason the Divine King hadtely been intentionally avoiding Hera wasn¡¯t for pleasure; after all, an avatarcked such capabilities. It was precisely to prevent others from discovering the whereabouts of his true form that he avoided prolonged contact with anyone. In this state, his slumbering true form suddenly fell into a dream, as though the scenes that yed out in his sleep were real. The heavens-rending giant hand, Athena, for some unknown reason, shing with him, and ultimately, the whole world turning into a scroll held in someone¡¯s hand¡ªeverything appeared so real in the dream that upon waking, Zeus couldn¡¯t immediately distinguish reality from the vision and instinctively summoned his own power. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Mount Olympus was fine, but by this moment, Asgard was probably inplete disarray. "A prophetic dream or something else?" "And why would Athena attack me... What could be the reason?" With furrowed brows, Zeus was puzzled. He questioned himself, if this was a sign from the throne of the Divine King about the future, why would Athena be his enemy? If it had anything to do with Metis, then that seemed highly unlikely. No matter what, the two sessive Goddesses of Wisdom hadn¡¯t even seen each other, the only link between them being their bloodline¡ªbut he was also, after all, the source of the other half of that lineage. In the absence of apelling reason based on their blood ties, it seemed he hadn¡¯t done anything worthy of her hatred... With this thought, the Divine King couldn¡¯t help but specte. Perhaps the Athena in his dream was influenced by something external. For as the dream came to an end, a piece of the past, a memory, also rose to the surface and entered Zeus¡¯s mind. Read new chapters at empire It was on the day of the ascension ceremony, he had vaguely seen another self. Powerful, invincible, surrounded by gods, the center of the world. This self was the embodiment of perfection Zeus had always imagined. He seemed to be saying something, and Zeus wasn¡¯t able to hear him at the time. But after hundreds of years, it had be crystal clear. "Beware... the Outsider is the Lord!" The voice was urgent, carrying a mix of panic and despair. For a moment, all the emotion in that tone seemed to have transferred to Zeus¡¯s heart. Would even a self so powerful feel fear? Suddenly, the confidence that had surged from his increased power was slightly subdued once again. And the issue with Athena became something he could ept. It was difficult to understand why Athena would be his enemy, but the destruction of the world was even more iprehensible. Thus, the reason leading to the former could likely be thetent influence of thetter. "However... what does ¡¯the Lord of **¡¯ refer to, and what does ¡¯Outsider¡¯ mean?" "The Lord of Darkness? The Lord of Hell? The Lord of the Spirit Realm? It seems that apart from Hell, the other two are Ancient Gods born at the dawn of creation, and that Hell, it seems, is also rted to the Abyss." The existence of Hell was but a fleeting thought, and Zeus didn¡¯t have much impression of it. It seemed that they had some demand for the souls of mortals, but didn¡¯t appear to be the kind of existence that aimed for the destruction of the world. His thoughts reached an impasse, as there seemed to be no such existence within what he knew. As for the possibility of the dream itself being false... Shaking his head slightly, although it was just a dream, Zeus felt it was out of the ordinary. Why would a deity suddenly have such a vivid and somber dream? Perhaps, this was a warning from thews of the current world. But with this thought, Zeus felt somewhat relieved. Since the world itself had detected all this and even issued a warning, it proved that it wasn¡¯t beyond remedy. Just as when he faced Odin¡¯s legacy before, fate was always on his side. Therefore, not long after, when the gods entered the Divine Pce, Zeus¡¯s expression was as calm as usual. He didn¡¯t wait for them to speak up. Sitting on the throne, the Divine King took the lead and said: "Esteemed deities, causing suchmotion in the middle of the night was certainly unexpected, but it didn¡¯t happen without reason." "For just now, I received a prophecy." ... ``` Mortal Realm, the city of Eryxis. The events transpiring on Mount of the Gods had not affected the mortal city; in fact,pared to the past, it had be considerably more prosperous. In a time when most people were suffering from hunger and cold, there was a nation that not only had sustained no damage but also enjoyed repeated bountiful harvests, which, no doubt, was a significant allure to the surrounding nations. Before long, the reputation of Eryxis began to spread, and the remote human world country gradually became known, followed by the existence of the Goddess of Agriculture. The mortals were unaware that their disasters were brought forth by Demeter herself; even if the minority that guessed it dared not to publicly defame the reputation of a deity. Thus, temples dedicated to the agriculture god were built in greater numbers, and arge influx of mortals came to pray to the goddess for a fruitful harvest. However, that day, with a flicker of the void, the silhouettes of two not-so-old individuals appeared on a small hill outside the city. They overlooked the human city, observing the night market that still bustled with bright lights, even at night. Here, the primordial forms of trade had begun to sprout, and humans from other city-states came in droves, hoping to exchange food and, perhaps, to catch a glimpse of the True God that had descended to the mortal world. Of course, Demeter had no time to meet with them. Since she had revealed her true self, only Tripdolimos was able to behold the goddess in her true form. If nothing unexpected happened, this state of affairs would continue until Demeter left... However, clearly, in the eyes of the Desire twins, an incident was about to ur soon. "Do you think this city will still exist in a little while?" Sitting on a huge rock, Eros swung his legs casually while chatting. After confirming that Poseidon hadn¡¯t arrived at the wrong ce, they had traveled here through the Spirit Realm before him. While waiting for the Sea Emperor, they couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit bored. "It should survive, I guess. They might fight, but they probably won¡¯t use their Divine Power." "After all, Demeter should be well aware that if both were to use their Divine Power, she would still be no match for Poseidon. Given that, she probably won¡¯t put up a futile resistance¡ªafter all, it¡¯s not the first time." Volos ventured an indifferent guess, but he wasn¡¯t just speaking nonsensically. Beforeing here, he had already familiarized himself with the past of the Goddess of Agriculture. When she had given birth to Persephone for Zeus, she hadn¡¯t put up much of a struggle, and it was likely to be no different this time. "Tch, speaking of which, don¡¯t we seem a bit like the evil viins right now¡ª" Nodding in agreement, Eros acknowledged the other¡¯s statement. However, reflecting on what they had done along the way, Eros couldn¡¯t help but reveal a smile. "At most, we¡¯re like half a viin. There¡¯s nothing wrong with being a viin." "But then again, it¡¯s not like we brought about the winter, nor were we ¡¯fishing¡¯ in the royal pce of humans... huh, strange expression." Volos pursed his lips, still musing over this odd terminology. Fortunately, thenguage of the Spirit Realm expresses both sound and meaning, so even though he didn¡¯t know the origin of the word, he was still able to understand its meaning. "Anyway, that¡¯s the situation. The human queen may be foolish, but the Goddess of Agriculture isn¡¯t much smarter." pping his hands together, movement was already discernible on the horizon as a blue light approached. Volos ceased his idle chat and said indifferently: "Alright, we¡¯ll be the viins, then. Poseidon really does fly at a snail¡¯s pace." "Just wait a little longer, the arrows of mortals... shouldn¡¯tst too long." Chapter 477 - 133: Twilight High above, a divine light raced across the sky, heading straight for Eryxis from afar. At that moment, Poseidon, pierced by the Golden Arrow, had nothing else in his heart but an intense love for Demeter. Unable to bear any dy, the Sea Emperor made no attempt to hide his whereabouts, and openly flew towards the Great Temple at the northern edge of the city. It was the first, and so far thergest, temple that the citizens of Eryxis had built for the Goddess of Agriculture. Or rather, so far it was only its core that had beenpleted; the rest was still under construction. The main reason such an important building was located outside the city rather than within was that the city center was already upied by the pce. The abode of the gods naturally wouldn¡¯t yield to that of humans, but razing the pce would take far too long. So, to the north of the city, people had chosen the best location and nned to use it as the center for the expansion of Eryxis. In the future capital, the original city would be the Southern District, with the Temple being the true center. King Cleius had no objections to this and even expressed his approval. Thus, unbeknownst to them, a convention that would be passed down through future generations was established. Althoughter cities rarely ced temples at their center, the Southern District did indeed be the residence of the upper ss. Over time, it became an established cultural norm. Of course, the future was still far off. At present, without fear of famine, mortals were busily engaged in construction, building an earthly symbol for the Goddess of Agriculture. Tens of thousands of people gathered here, working day and night on the ground and on the domes of the building, ensuring that the grandly designed temple changed a little every day. Until today, when a tall deity with blue hair approached from the south, crashing directly through the temple walls from the sky. He headed for where Demeter¡¯s presence was, and for a moment, the aura of the deities collided, with Poseidon¡¯sughter ringing out in all directions. Although both gods were wary and did not use their full divine power, the sacred force of demigod level already began to lean outwards. Almost in an instant, even without any direct conflict between the two gods, that invisible pressure almost suffocated the nearby craftsmen. A few working at higher elevations even fell directly, sttering blood in a series of dull thuds. "Hahaha... My sister, it¡¯s been too long." "You¡¯re still so beautiful¡ªor rather, you¡¯ve be even more beautiful!" Completely unconcerned about those bothersome mortals, Poseidon strode into the inner sanctuary. The Golden Arrow from Volos indeed ignited an intense love in his heart, but it did not entirely change who he was. The Sea Emperor would express ¡¯love¡¯ in his own way, not taking the Goddess of Agriculture¡¯s words as sacrosanct. And quite obviously, Poseidon¡¯s expression of emotion couldn¡¯t be clearer¡ªif I want it, I will take it by force. "Poseidon? What are you doing here?" At first startled, then regaining herposure, Demeter frowned at her brother¡¯s impudence. She had been resting but was now well aware of themotion outside. Because of Poseidon¡¯s arrival, her temple, not yet fully built, had already been stained with blood¡ªthe goddess didn¡¯t really care about the lives of thosemon craftsmen, but their behavior left her feeling dishonored. "Are you here to plead Zeus¡¯s case?" "If so, you¡¯re going to be disappointed... My demand has been the same from the beginning, which is for Hades to return Persephone." Her tone was harsh. Previously, her pleasant time in the Mortal Realm had alleviated some of the Goddess of Agriculture¡¯s distress, but Poseidon¡¯s arrival reminded her of all these things. It wasn¡¯t just her daughter¡¯s ordeal¡ªshe herself was simrly disregarded by her powerfullybative brothers. Just as with Zeus and Hades, Poseidon was no different... Engrossed in her own feelings, Demeter waved her hand, signaling that Poseidon could leave. She had been quite rxed recently and thus failed to notice the increasingly infatuated gaze of Poseidon. The Goddess of Agriculture clearly had not expected that, at this time when she caused a natural disaster, someone would dare to do anything to her. Discover stories with empire n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om But soon enough, the goddess realized her mistake. Poseidon not only did not leave but instead approached her with a smile. "You think too much, my sister. Why would Ie to persuade you... What do Zeus¡¯s affairs have to do with me, when humans at sea only need good catches to live on?" "What truly brought me here... was you¡ª" Jolted with rm, Demeter abruptly looked up, only to see Poseidon¡¯s face dangerously close. Seeing the heat in his eyes, she knew immediately what he intended to do. In her panic, the Goddess of Agriculture transformed in an instant and turned into a streak of light that shed out of the temple. "Is it another chase game then? But where can you flee? You¡¯d better run faster, hahaha..." With augh, Poseidon soared in pursuit. As a result, another huge hole was smashed in the dome of the Great Temple, and the people of Eryxis City could only see two streaks of light¡ªone brown and one blue¡ªtear through the sky and depart, leaving behind a scene of disarray. Once the deities had left, the pressure on the ground lifted. Shortly after, two figures hurried from the direction of the city¡ªKing Cleius and his eldest son, Triptolemos. Chapter 478 - 133: Twilight_2 They were all alerted by the surge of energy that had erupted here in just a moment, but when they arrived, the two of them saw only the corpses that had fallen from on high, the dying who were still moaning in pain, the craftsmen who had survived the cmity, and the damaged temple at the top. "What happened here?" Standing on a ground littered with debris, Clytius¡¯s expression was somber. At his inquiry, someone soon stood out from the crowd and rted to him what had just taken ce. "Father..." Having likewise heard the full story, Tripdolimos turned to look at Clytius. He faintly noticed a trace of sorrow flicker across the face of the King of Eryxis, but he knew it was not for the dead and injured craftsmen. "¡­ it¡¯s alright, you stay here. Whatever has happened, you are the Chief Shepherd chosen by the Goddess, her spokesperson in the Mortal Realm." "You should prioritize the affairs of the Goddess; everything else is trivial." n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om With a calm voice, Clytius understood his eldest son¡¯s intentions, but he merely gestured for the people nearby to follow the prince¡¯s orders. He then turned and walked toward the old city. "As for her matters... do not concern yourself, let me handle everything." "I will arrange everything swiftly and discreetly, just like Demophon." "..." Silently, watching his father¡¯s retreating figure, Tripdolimos was momentarily at a loss for words. He understood the other party was going to attend to the aftermath concerning Queen Metanira, as earlier that morning, the queen was found dead in her own pce. Although it looked like suicide, there were no signs of any outsider¡¯s entry, and the murder weapon had disappeared without a trace. In his grief, the King had immediately called his son, asking him to use the miraculous ¡¯Divine Arts¡¯ to help find the murderer. But then themotion at the Temple directly led Clytius to ¡¯understand¡¯ the cause and effect. Thus, the two had promptlye here and saw the ground littered with the injured and the dead. "...I understand, Father, I will take care of it all." Taking a deep breath and watching Clytius¡¯s departing figure, Tripdolimos spoke softly, regardless of whether his father could hear. The next moment, he turned around, his gaze gentle as he looked at those present. He could see the confusion, doubt, iprehension, and suspicion in their eyes¡ªemotions that should not be seen in the eyes of the craftsmen who were building the Temple for the Goddess. So the prince stepped forward, signaling everyone to look toward the direction he was facing. "The incident that just urred was an ident, created by an Outsider, and the Goddess lured him away to another ce for our safety." As he spoke words he himself didn¡¯t believe, Tripdolimos crossed his hands over his chest. A glow emanated from his hands, and a gentle power healed the pain of the injured. As a Deity inclined toward the aspect of Life, the Divine Arts passed down by Demeter had many that could easily achieve this, but raising the dead... "The souls of the devout will surely enjoy peace under the protection of the Goddess..." In a solemn voice, Tripdolimos looked towards the dead. "Now... let us together appease their souls." ... (Writing directly is still prone to mistakes; I deleted a section yesterday, so it¡¯s better to write around the subject, as he¡¯s just a supporting character anyway.) ... As minutes and seconds passed by, under Tripdolimos¡¯s constion, the mortals on the ground proceeded in an orderly manner with everything. They collected the bodies of the deceased, believing that all this was not only unrted to the Goddess but also grateful for her grace. Most importantly, they threw themselves back into the repair of the Temple. After a long time, the void flickered, and the figures of the twins emerged. ncing at the activity on the ground, they exchanged looks. They had been following the image of Poseidon together, witnessing firsthand the "he chases, she flees, she has nowhere to escape" between the two Deities. Demeter tried every possible way to escape from Poseidon, even transforming into a mare and mingling with the mortal herds. Strictly speaking, given the general abilities of Chaos¡¯s deities, such seemingly unreliable transformation had a certain probability of eluding Poseidon, but unfortunately, whether it was due to a buff of Desire, the Sea Emperor¡¯s insight also seemed to have increased, and the Goddess of Agriculture was ultimately discovered. Without hesitation, Poseidon then transformed into a stallion, utterly disregarding the difference in species. He even transformed back into a human halfway through the act. That was the reason the twins left early and exchanged nces... Eros hesitated for a moment. She wasn¡¯t sure, after all, the Golden Arrow wasn¡¯t hers; the Lead Arrow was, so to prevent a misperception, she still asked for confirmation: "Just now... did Poseidon shake off the influence of the Golden Arrow midway?" "¡­ Yes, that¡¯s what happened." Nodding and with an equally strange expression, Volos confirmed: "It was when he turned back into human form... my Golden Arrow lost its effect. After all, it¡¯s just an arrow shot out of human hatred, reaching this far was already the limit." "..." "But in my perception, Poseidon¡¯s ¡¯emotions¡¯ didn¡¯t seem to change?" Eros asked again, and Volos gave the same answer. "Yes." Nodding, Volos added: "Perhaps he had already intended to do it... Maybe without us, this day would havee too?" Chapter 479 - 133: Twilight_3 The twins exchanged a nce; they had been eager to follow along to see how the victim would react after the Golden Arrow Magic wore off, but to their surprise, Poseidon¡¯s reaction was no reaction at all. "Forget it, this one... might be a bit abnormal," Shaking his head, Eros said somewhat helplessly: "Next time, we¡¯ll change our target, let¡¯s just forget about this one." "Let¡¯s wait a bit longer, until Demeteres back¡ªshe should return. Once we get what we want from her, whatever they do is none of our concern." ... n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Olympus, the council hall. The affairs urring between the human city-states had not reached this ce, and no one knew that Poseidon had gone to follow in the footsteps of Zeus, even surpassing him. Here, the deities had just finished listening to the Divine King¡¯s narrative, and their first response was undoubtedly doubt. "Prophecy?" With furrowed brows, Hestia had not expected that before the recent troubles had been resolved, Zeus had created a new one. And the content of what he said... the end of everything? Naturally, the goddess expressed skepticism. "Zeus, it is indeed possible for a deity to inadvertently glimpse the future, but there¡¯s often a special reason for it." "What about you? You wake up in your own pce and have visions of the world¡¯s end?" Hestia¡¯s question was not unfounded; as primordial gods, the deities are influenced by the mundane world, but they also indeed reap much from it. For instance, memories and thoughts that cannot be permanently altered, or their immortal essence, are what set them apart from the deities of other worlds. In such circumstances, it is indeed possible for certain deities to catch a rare glimpse of the future, just like God of Speech Iapetus from the Spirit Realm during the Second Era, who had seen into the future. However, they can usually see only a tiny part, leading to various interpretations, right or wrong. In this case, it seems that Zeus could indeed see the future by ident, but on one hand, it is a very low-probability event, and on the other hand, there is the content of the prophecy itself. The copse of the world, the return of all things to ruins¡ªsuch speech is somewhat like saying the world is round in the Middle Ages; aside from making those who hear it think you¡¯re insane, it wouldn¡¯t result in much else. "Hmm, Hestia, I know this is hard to believe, but the world... may not be indestructible," Sitting at the head, Zeus understood the Goddess of Hearthfire¡¯s doubts. Even he himself¡ªif it hadn¡¯t been for what urred during the sacrificial ritual for the world¡ªhe probably wouldn¡¯t have believed in the truth of this matter. But if his Sovereignty Grand Ritual was real, then the message about the future naturally was as well. What¡¯s more, there was the most direct evidence right in Olympus. The remnants of a dead world... within it, he had foreseen fate, glimpsed Chaos¡¯s destruction, which was nothing out of the ordinary. Especially among some of the damaged relics of Asgard, Zeus also found some records. Most of those things had little meaning, but some were different. For example, on a broken stele, Zeus had seen records regarding Divine King Odin and ¡¯Twilight.¡¯ Bringing down the deities, restarting the world, the Twilight of the Gods, the most terrifying cmity of them all. "Perhaps it¡¯s the same for us, even before we realize it, the bell of twilight has already begun to ring... and that ¡¯Outsider¡¯ is the ¡¯Bell Ringer.¡¯" Chapter 480 - 134: The Sun with No Way Out ``` A thought flickered through his mind, but Zeus did not reveal all of it. He hadn¡¯t intended to lead the gods to Asgard just yet, so naturally, he wasn¡¯t in a hurry to disclose its secrets. After all, on one hand, his injuries had not fully healed, and on the other, his reconstruction of that realm was still iplete. In the wreckage of that world, although most things were of no use, there still were some items of value. For instance, the fragmented rune artifacts, the cultural creations far ahead of the current era, and not far from the Golden Pce, Zeus had discovered a special ce. While most couldn¡¯t be put to direct use, in the future, these things would help him unite the Olympian pantheon into a cohesive whole. They could have internal disagreements or even hostility towards him as the Divine King, but as long as the gods remained a part of the Divine Court, Zeus was not particrly concerned. It had to be said, this bore some resemnce to thews of the present world. Although many deities loathed the Law, as long as they did not establish their own "independent dominion," their actual sentiments hardly mattered. In any case, this matter needed to be put aside for the time being. Zeus did not expect the gods to believe or disbelieve what he had just said; his words were merely an exnation for the fluctuation in his aura earlier. If he could truly find the identity of that "Outsider" in the future, today¡¯s events would naturally be recalled by the gods, thereby corroborating the Divine King¡¯s prophecy. If he couldn¡¯t find it for the time being, then it was meaningless whether the gods believed it or not right now. And today, Zeus had other matters to attend to as he summoned the deities. Certain farces were due toe to an end. "Well, no matter what may happen in the future, those are events destined to ur in the distant future, whether true or false, let time witness everything." "Since everyone is present today, let¡¯s address another matter. In recent years, due to a minor discord, the climate in the Mortal Realm has be increasingly unstable." Speaking in a grave tone, Zeus seamlessly shifted the conversation to this issue that had been causing discussions on the Mount of the Gods. The Divine King¡¯s prophecy was not taken to heart by many gods. Even if it were true, the Divine King and the Primordial Gods would support the falling sky, and it had nothing to do with them. Whether now or in the future, whether for deities or humans, most viewed this type of "foreseeable but very distant disaster" with the same indifference. Yet climate change was another matter entirely. When the long winter came, bringing a sudden drop in temperature, in the initial years, humans on earth could still scrape by with their past reserves and hunting. But as ofte, the prelude to widespread famine had begun. The process and reasons behind this whole situation had already spread among the gods, but since it involved Hades and Demeter, they were not in a position toment. Now that the Divine King had spoken, it seemed to be time for a resolution. "The dispute between Hades and Demeter should be resolved, Helios. I¡¯ve heard that you witnessed everything from beginning to end and that you informed the Goddess of Agriculture of Hades¡¯s whereabouts. Given that, you should mediate their conflict." Zeus¡¯s gaze swept past each deity and finally rested on the God of Sun. With narrowed eyes, he spoke lightly. He had almost forgotten that this deity, who traveled across the sky every day, always seemed to notice something¡ªand critically, never took the initiative to report. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om "This... Your Majesty, I still have to drive the Chariot of the Sun, I fear I might not have the spare time¡ª" "No matter." Zeus interrupted Helios¡¯s objection with a wave of his hand and continued. "Apollo will take over the task for you while you are absent. Just as your mother, the Titan Theia did, he, too, who wields Light, can temporarilymand the Chariot of the Sun." "Regardless, since you disclosed Hades¡¯s whereabouts to Demeter, you should have been prepared to intervene." "..." Under Zeus¡¯s gaze, Helios fell silent. His eyes darted around the room. The God of Sun hadn¡¯t noticed before, but he suddenly realized that there was no one left who would speak in his favor. The descendants of the Primordial Sea God nominally followed the Sea Emperor¡¯smands, the Goddess of Beauty was now family with the Divine King; the Wind Gods followed Zeus¡¯s orders alone, and the recent Goddess of Life was said to be rted to the Primordial Deities and had not even attended this meeting. There used to be the Goddess of Law who might speak a word of justice, but she had left Olympus hundreds of years ago. In recent years, Helios had been basking in the joy brought by the Power of Faith. With the Sun¡¯s inherently increasing strength over time and the aid of Faith, he finally managed to cross the threshold of powerful Divine Power. But now, he suddenly realized that while he had ascended, his position had be even more precarious. Because he was the only "Outsider" in the Divine Court, the one who hovered at the edge of their circle. "...As you wish, Your Majesty." "I will try to do something, if it indeed is helpful." Ultimately, Helios still agreed. "Very well." On his throne, Zeus nodded, somewhat surprised internally. He had not expected Helios to so readily ept his request, but it was undoubtedly a good thing. "The disaster in the Mortal Realm should end, see to this matter with haste. However, Helios, remember, this is just a mediation." ``` Chapter 481 - 134: The Sun with No Way Out_2 The God of Sun indicated he could set out, as Zeus atst slowly said: "Persephone has nevere to Olympus, thus Hades is not guilty. Demeter¡¯s anxious love for her daughter is also understandable. This is a conflict without right or wrong, what the Divine Court needs is merely to end this natural disaster." ... Helios, having flown out from Olympus, had an expressionless face all along the way. Sitting on the Mount of the Gods, cmity descends from the sky above. Mediating the dispute between two Principal Gods, moreover a dispute where ¡¯neither side is at fault,¡¯ everyone knows this is no easy task. One misstep, and those who intervene might earn the resentment of both Hades and the Goddess of Agriculture, even the attitude of the Divine King himself is so ambiguously neutral. But in the end, the God of Sun still epted the task. In truth, he could have refused, after all, Helios hadn¡¯tmitted any wrongdoing. The Divine King could make a request, but couldn¡¯t use it as a pretext to punish him; otherwise, if his actions affected the journey of the sun, the resulting evils would also partly fall upon the sovereignty of Zeus. Although not fully understanding the nature of the grand ceremony, over the years, Helios had gradually realized, this third-generation Divine King seemed to still uphold order. Yet, the thought of insistence on refusal only rose in the God of Sun¡¯s heart for an instant before vanishing without a trace. Because right after, he heard Zeus say that while he entered underground, Apollo could rece him in steering the sun. Gods borrowing Divine Artifacts from one another is not too umon, and when the Divine King uttered these words, he didn¡¯t think it would give Helios much concern, even the original myth¡¯s portrayal of him was the same. However, at that moment, the God of Sun suddenly remembered a conversation from long ago, with Prometheus. "You need not worry now, but if in the future another god born with the qualifications to drive the Chariot of the Sun appears, then you¡¯d have to be careful." Times have changed; for Helios of the present, he no longer requires a Divine Artifact to operate the sun. The golden chariot served more to make his task easier and voluntary, rather than indispensable. But for others, this special chariot meant for driving the great sun could enable those originally unable to do so. And Apollo was one such existence. "So... this is the oue you foresaw long ago?" "Blind to one¡¯s own disaster, yet regarding others with keen insight... How ludicrous." Speeding through the sky, Helios felt as if he had returned to that oceanic abyss. Cold, oppressive, heavy, and solitary. Except for the temperature, it was just like the time when he was locked within the sun by his own father, which he did not wish to recall one bit. "Go to him, he said he could offer me a piece of advice... No, that¡¯s impossible!" The thought had only just arisen when it was immediately extinguished by Helios himself. He would not seek Prometheus, not because he was loath to admit the superiority of the other¡¯s wisdom, but for another reason. For one, those present at the time were not only him, but also two others who were assigned to escort thetter. The God of Sun wasn¡¯t sure whether the children of the Styx River had conveyed this segment of conversation to Zeus; although they were unlikely to be loquacious, should there be a chance and they had, then all of today¡¯s events could also be a trial by the Divine King. Should he go to the oceanic abyss on his own, defying the Divine Court¡¯s judgment on the transgressor, it was very likely Zeus could find a just reason to punish him. As for the second reason... In silent muteness, Helios conceded that he had made a mistake any Chaos deity could make. He and the sister of his wife, the wife of the God of Speech Iapetus, the Mother Goddess of Prometheus, Epimetheus, and As, the Goddess of Renown Clymene, had ended up in the same bed. Even recently, he had created another demigod half-brother for that Forethinker. Under these circumstances, the God of the Sun felt that it was better not to have too much interaction with the other party. Although this matter was still a secret for the time being, as soon as a second person knew about it, there was a possibility of it being leaked. Considering how much he cared even for his own creations, who knew how Prometheus would view this matter. If the other party was willing to endure even harsher punishment to set him up, he would just be asking for trouble. "Damn it, how did I not think of this before..." Cursing under his breath, but remembering Clymene¡¯s seductive figure, the God of the Sun wasn¡¯t too sure whether he would be able to reject her if given another chance. Nevertheless, it was time for him to find a new patron. He had not hesitated when betraying Cronus back then, and he certainly did not feel any loyalty to Zeus now. Yet as the thought arose, the God of the Sun suddenly realized that he had nowhere to go. The Spirit Realm was off-limits, after all, the Chariot of the Sun had been forged by the Lord of the Spirit Realm, and every time he rode across the sky, Helios was reminded that although he was the God of the Sun, he could not govern the twelve Zodiac Regions. If he had the blessing of the Zodiac Regions, he would have entered the realm of great Divine Power centuries ago, but now, it was controlled by some Gods of Stars far less powerful than him. So if he really sought refuge in the Spirit Realm, he would probably just be a gatekeeper, which was even worse than living modestly in Olympus. As for relying on his official wife, the Goddess of Boiling Water, Persephone, to seek alliance with the God of the Ocean¡¯s lineage? Just thinking about it, Helios once again dismissed the idea. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om The current Oceanus and Thaesis were no match for Zeus, and it was unlikely they would offend Olympus for his sake. Besides, the Sun and the sea were naturally at odds, having taken many ¡¯baths¡¯ in the sea over thest two eras. Regarding the other Primordial Gods... Thinking of the Goddess of Life still on Mount of the Gods, Helios had no expectations of the Lord of Darkness. And as for Nyx, thedy of Eternal Night, in three eras, he had never heard any news about her. "So, after all that deliberation, is Gaia really my only option now?" His lips twitched involuntarily; if there were any other possibility, the God of the Sun would not want to deal with this ¡¯old grandmother.¡¯ But unfortunately, that was the harsh reality. Only Gaia, the repeatedly frustrated Mother Goddess, might be willing to help him, and strictly speaking, their rtionship was not bad. The Sun brought warmth to the Earth, and although their domains did not fully align, they were not in conflict either. "...Forget it, I should go see her, just to visit an elder." "If Mother Earth is still unreliable¡ªI seem to have no other choice." Feeling sad once more for the many misfortunes of the ¡¯Sun,¡¯ Helios couldn¡¯t help but quicken his pace. That¡¯s why he had taken on this task. Gaia had not returned to Delphi, nor was there any trace of her on the earth. Thest ce she had been sighted was suspected to be the portal to the Abyss of the Underworld. To scour the surface of the Abyss and check out the nearby areas. After all, that was his only option now... And so, in an unnoticed corner, Helios¡¯s figure dashed underground. Silently, the world¡¯s destiny twisted yet another degree. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Mortal Realm, Eryxis. "It¡¯s done." Observing the brown light that flew back to the city from a distance, Volos, who had been waiting for three days, finally nodded with satisfaction. The other party had finally returned, and from the looks of it, Poseidon seemed quite formidable... It made sense; after all, the Sea Emperor¡¯s benchmark was the entirety of all species; he had to be strong. "Let¡¯s go,plete thest two things, then head home." Waving to Eros, Volos¡¯s small wings behind him fluttered slightly, and he immediately transformed into a streak of light flying towards The Temple. Chapter 482 - 135: The Second Arrow and the Vastly Different Abyss "ng¡ª" Within the Great Temple to the north of Eryxis, the grand doors were violently thrust open. A st of cold air suddenly surged inside, creating a current that contrasted the warm interior. Demeter stumbled into the Temple, her eyes somewhat lifeless. The gaping hole that had been torn open in the roof had been hastily repaired, and the bloodstains surrounding the Temple were already wiped clean. At this moment, only a few mortal maids remained, constantly awaiting the return of the master of the Temple. "Your Highness, do you have any orders?" Bowing slightly, the movement at the doors immediately revitalized the few. Since the goddess had returned, the leading maid couldn¡¯t help but bow her head and step forward to greet her. Yet, before her, Demeter seemed as if she didn¡¯t see the girl at all, just staggering forward. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Seeing this, the maid did not speak up again. The vast hall was left with only the sound of footsteps as her peripheral vision caught the goddess passing by her. However, the next moment, the somewhat tattered hem of the goddess¡¯s garment suddenly stopped in front of her. "Your Highness¡ª" "Why don¡¯t you look up at me?" Her voice was hoarse, not at all like the one she normally used to speak. Demeter looked at the girl before her, this youngdy who seemed so reverent toward her. The other was her worshipper, or rather, many in this city were. Facing the Goddess of Agriculture, the goddess could clearly feel her devotion. But none of these affected her now delicate soul. "Your Highness, you are a deity¡ª" "No, you are mocking me." The Goddess of Agriculture interrupted softly, continuing to question with that raspy voice. She would rather look at the ground than at herself... Yes, even this mortal dared to mock her! "Your Highness, I did not¡ª" In a rushed exnation, the young girl hastily looked up, but what met her gaze was the haggard face of the Goddess of Agriculture and her slightly damaged clothing. A sh of surprise crossed the maid¡¯s face, then quickly returned to normal. But that fleeting emotion was caught by Demeter, who fixated on her. As she watched that flicker of sentiment, the goddess felt offended once more. Even though such a judgment had no logical standing... but this world was not always logical. So word by word, Demeter coldly stated: "You, too, dare mock me!" An unnamed rage suddenly rose from her heart, and as she willed it, power was unleashed. Life was drawn from the girl¡¯s body, her expression set in stone as she opened her mouth as if to argue, and then she slowly turned into a stone statue. In a single breath, it was all over, as if this generation of humans had been born from the earth, she too reverted to the original state of life. Anger still spreading, the goddess¡¯s wrath had not subsided, and soon the other mortal maids followed suit. Before long, only Demeter was left in the entire Great Temple, with several stone statues in various poses standing on the ground. Expressionless, Demeter continued her slow walk forward. Only when her palm touched her own seat did she copse into the chair as if she had lost all her strength. "Huff¡ª" She let out a long breath, as if unloading all the strength from her body. At this moment, looking around, the Goddess of Agriculture who had just ¡¯shown great power¡¯ appeared somewhat lost again. The sudden re of rage had been vented, and Demeter¡¯s mind was no longer in such chaos. Once she calmed down a bit, she was very aware that those maids could not have intended to scorn her, because facing a deity, their devotion orck thereof was tantly apparent. They were even more devout than the king... But the goddess still killed them. So now, just like a wronged girl who smashed everything in her own room and then looked around at the mess feeling regretful, Demeter felt a simr emotion rising in the bottom of her heart. But what can be done about it, it¡¯s all this world¡¯s fault. It granted her the status of a deity but not the matching strength, so Poseidon didn¡¯t get hurt at all for the worshippers she slew in anger, on the contrary, he must be feeling smug now. Because not only did he get his way, but he also seeded in getting Demeter to carry his child for him. At this moment, that life energy was gestating within the Goddess of Agriculture¡¯s body, constantly reminding her of what had just urred. "Bang¡ª!" Her expression twisted again, as the goddess gasped for breath fiercely. Her chest heaved tumultuously, until after a while, she finally regained herposure. "Poseidon... Zeus... Hades..." "You all deserve to die...!" Muttering these names under her breath, the low curse echoed in the Temple. She could not do anything right now, only vent the frustrations in her heart in her own domain. But the next moment, the face of the Goddess of Agriculture transformed dramatically. "Who?" She suddenly looked up, her gaze turned toward the direction of the doors. There, two barely perceptible auras were approaching. Perhaps having their cover blown, those two presences immediately became more noticeable. Soon, apanied by a sneer, Eros and Volos walked one after the other into the Temple. "Tsk, a powerless rageful old woman, as good as another one just like her." As in Poseidon¡¯s Divine Pce, being in her own Temple, every de of grass and tree had long been permeated by the power of the Goddess of Agriculture. Chapter 483 - 135: The Second Arrow and the Vastly Different Abyss_2 This change to the environment could even prate the surfaceyer of the Spirit Realm, introducing ¡¯color¡¯ into that gray-white world. Therefore, with their current abilities, it was also temporarily impossible topletely conceal their movements. However, the twins didn¡¯t n to conceal anything. As they entered the inner sanctum and saw the alert Demeter, Eros spoke up first, smiling: "Demeter, how did that arrow feel? Although it was Poseidon who got hit, your experience should have been more intense, right?" "¡ªYou?" Boom¡ª With an intense shout, Demeter suddenly stood up. Previously on Poseidon, she had indeed felt an odd power. It seemed that it was the influence of this power that made him so passionate towards her. The Poseidon from the early part of the day and the one that came after were drastically different, a difference even the Goddess of Agriculture could perceive. However, it was fortunate that this power didn¡¯tst too long; otherwise, she might have been taken back to the sea by now and wouldn¡¯t have the chance to return here. She had suspected that Poseidon couldn¡¯t have been so brazen on his own; all of this had been someone else¡¯s doing behind the scenes. And now, the instigator had the audacity to appear before her, unting this fact. "Hmm, even if it was us, what then... what do you n to do about it?" Her demeanor appeared nonchnt, like an evil witch in a tower ying with the hearts of men, watching the angered Goddess of Agriculture, Eros spoke carelessly. "A Golden Arrow, which ignites an intense love in the one pierced towards whoever the arrow marks¡ªjust as you¡¯ve witnessed." "But we have more than one arrow, and this time we just wanted to let you experience its power. Now that you¡¯ve seen... or perhaps, would you like to try and see if you can detain us?" "You!" Demeter was shocked beyond belief by Eros¡¯s arrogance. These two gods, emerging from nowhere, were so presumptuous. Clearly, she didn¡¯t know them at all, but they had made their move in secret and were now brazenly threatening her. In their conversation, she was utterly disregarded. This silent contempt made the Goddess of Agriculture feel insulted once again, yet she found herself without a way to respond. In the Mortal Realm, she could not urately measure the twins¡¯ Divine Power, but since they could shoot ¡¯arrows¡¯ that affected the minds of the Principal Gods, even though she had not seen them herself, she assumed they couldn¡¯t be too weak. Demeter wasn¡¯t confident she could effortlessly suppress them in the mortal ne, and Poseidon¡¯s reaction had already proved the arrow¡¯s potency. "...What do you intend to do?" Forcing down her irritation, unlike her ¡¯grandmother,¡¯ Demeter had never been ¡¯rich,¡¯ naturally resulting in less strong a desire to rebel. When facing deities of equal power, it seemed there was nothing she couldn¡¯t endure. The only time she ever erupted was aimed towards the reticent Hades. "Hmm, since you can recognize the situation, that¡¯s for the best," Nodding with satisfaction, Eros didn¡¯t continue the conversation. She circled on the spot and then took a slight step back, giving way to Volos, the true owner of the Golden Arrow. Volos, in turn, made his demand without any courtesy to the Goddess of Agriculture standing before him. "I want your Scepter, the Scepter of Wealth that was born with you." "You want my Divine Artifact?" Her expression changed; that artifact was still inserted in her throne atop Olympus, constantly emitting a force that influenced the world¡¯s climate. Demeter hadn¡¯t anticipated their goal to be the Divine Artifact, but she soon countered with a coldugh: "Don¡¯t you know, as an artifact that was born alongside me, the moment it leaves my side, its power will gradually slumber, eventually returning to the mundane?" "I know, which is why I only need it for a while. Once the harsh winter is over, it will still be yours," Volos replied evenly. "So... it was for the sake of those earthly mortals that you¡¯vee?" Realization dawned upon her, and Demeter seemed to understand something. Despite not knowing her, they had plotted against her, which must have been due to some conflict between them. Now, it appeared that the source of it all was the widespread cold of winter. "Although the oue is slightly off the mark... you can understand it that way if you wish," Nodding his head, Volos continued: "So, what is your response?" "...I refuse." Demeter did not agree to their request, contrary to the twins¡¯ expectations. "Have Hades return Persephone to me, otherwise, you can give up on your desires. I might as well stay with Hestia forever; you cannot threaten me!" Her voice was intense as she firmly denied their request. But the next moment, Demeter¡¯s tone softened. Observing the twins before her, many thoughts shed through the Goddess of Agriculture¡¯s mind. However, ultimately, a sudden idea eclipsed everything else. This catastrophe would eventually end, Zeus would not permit her to continue this way, and of course,pared to her, Hades would be under even greater pressure. So... "We could negotiate on this matter, provided that you swear not to use this power to harm me again, and in the future, you must also shoot an arrow for me." At that moment, Demeter saw clearly. She could not take revenge on anyone¡­ but in this world, there were still those capable of confronting her brothers. ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Underworld, the gates of Tartarus. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Within the chaotic time-space ovepping with the Underworld, unknown rules had somehow emerged, contributing to stability. However, their presence made this ce even more dangerous because as these rules continuously shattered and reformed, they released a terrifying force that could horrify any mortal being. Chapter 484 - 135: The Second Arrow and the Vastly Different Abyss_3 Of course, for Helios, these things could not harm him. He had never been here in the past, so naturally, he felt no change in this ce. He was only here to search for Mother Earth, and indeed, he found no trace of Gaia here. Previously, the God of Sun had already visited the Fields of Truth, and there, he had sessfully met Hades and the long-missing Persephone. However, contrary to his expectations, the bride who had been forcefully taken did not seem excited or joyful upon seeing him, quite the opposite, in fact. Throughout the conversation, Helios always felt that the other party was a bit... disdainful? Nevertheless, the God of Sun had stillpleted half of his mission for this trip. He conveyed the opinions of the pantheon gods and the Divine King¡¯s tactful advice. Zeus had no intention of convicting Hades because of this, but the incident indeed affected the interests of all deities. And, unexpectedly again, Hades was quite agreeable to this matter. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Although Zeus had agreed to his conditions first and now came bearing the guise of ¡¯mediating conflict¡¯ afterward, Hades still readily stated that Persephone was here to be the Queen of the Underworld, not a prisoner, so if she wished to leave, he naturally would not hinder her. But the next moment, Hades revealed another truth. Because the marriage of Zeus and Hera was the ¡¯exemr for the gods¡¯ and his ¡¯model to learn from,¡¯ he had also shared divine authority with his own Queen of the Underworld. However, the price for the Goddess of Agriculture epting the scepter was that her origin would henceforth be connected to the Underworld. So, no matter what, she must spend half her time in the Underworld from now on; that is a rule that even the Primordial Deities cannot vite. Whether Demeter epts it or not, this cannot be changed anymore. ¡¯Marriage¡¯s exemr¡¯¡­ While listening to Hades¡¯s narrative, although Helios did not know whether the truth about the authority was true, he did indeed sense the clear sarcasm therein, as the marriage of King Zeus and Hera was also quite plicated¡¯ in the legends. It is said at first, Hera was unwilling to ept Zeus¡¯s advances, always avoiding his pursuit, until one day when the Divine King transformed into an injured little bird in a downpour, stirring up the goddess¡¯s boundlesspassion. Hera held the bird in her arms, soothing its injured wings, but the next moment Zeus reverted back to his original form. The inescapable goddess ultimately fell into the hands of the Divine King and thus had to agree to his proposal. "Sigh¡ªbut I must say, being able to share a portion of their power, Hera and Persephone are indeed very fortunate," he said. "Byparison, Amphitrite, the Sea Empress, falls far short of them," he added. Shaking his head slightly, since he had alreadypleted half his task, Helios was not in a rush to bring the news to the Goddess of Agriculture. Compared to ending the disaster that was affecting the earth, he was more eager to first avert the cmity that was about to befall his own head. Thus, looking at the entrance to the Abyss and hesitating for a moment, the God of Sun still stepped into it. No matter whether Mother Earth had entered or not, he had to search first. Moreover, this action would also give Apollo some trouble. After all, a brief entry and exit from the Abyss might not cause too severe a disruption to the Sun, but a little irritability was certain, and most importantly, all of it was very ¡¯natural.¡¯ A disconnection of authority leading to uncontroble consequences and active interference arepletely different. As long as there were no ¡¯man-made factors,¡¯ upon returning, Helios could easily im that it was the Sun¡¯s intrinsic rejection of Apollo. Although this might not dispel some of King Zeus¡¯s thoughts, it should, at the very least, buy some time. "I hope all goes well¡­" he muttered to himself. With one step forward, Helios¡¯s figure immediately disappeared into the twisted spacetime. No one saw this scene, as another deity entered Tartarus¡­ with one exception. That was Gaia, who, because Helios had mentioned her, suddenly had a premonition. ... Spacetime shifted, and light warped. In just a fleeting moment, everything before him had drastically changed. Stepping into the Abyss, Helios thought he would see an endless chaos of spacetime and face immediate rejection from the realm, but to his surprise, there was none of that. Layer uponyer of boundaries ovepped and then separated, with matter arranged within them. The suppressing force was quite weak, as if it had temporarily been diverted elsewhere¡­ Looking at the interior of Tartarus before him, the God of Sun was genuinely taken aback. "So this is the Abyss? It seems rumors really cannot be trusted," he said. Legends of the Abyss were not so benign, he thought as he shook his head. Helios did not linger in ce. Whether Gaia was there or not, she would not be at the entrance. He still needed to venture deeper inside in order to find any possible traces of Mother Earth. Chapter 485 - 136: Another ’Laine’? Carefully avoiding theyer closest to the entrance, Helios made his way deeper into Tartarus. He felt somewhat relieved that he had arrived early; the materialyers seemed to be notpletely perfected and did not yet upy a significant amount in terms of space and time. If he had arrived anyter, it¡¯s likely that upon passing through the entrance to the Abyss and the Underworld, he would have directly fallen into the first stratum, rather than appearing within the true depths of the Abyss as he did now. At that time, for Helios, who had never been to this ce before, his only choice would have been to return the way he came. After all, faced with the countless, ovepping different strata, even the God of Sun felt somewhat dazzled. It was a good thing that there were no native deities in the Abyss; otherwise, even if each stratum gave birth to just one territorial god, Helios thought the sight would have been sufficiently terrifying. "So this is the true face of Tartarus... If there were even more life, I might even mistake it for the Underworld, only with a harsher environment." "However, speaking of my trip to the Underworld this time, I always feel that the Law of the Nether has be more active. Is it just my imagination?" With some confusion, he then shook his head and, after briefly recording the surrounding environment, Helios did not linger any longer. Time in the Abyss passed much quicker than in the outside world, even on the outskirts the difference with the material world was clear. However, it was foreseeable that the effort he would spend here would be substantial. After all, this was a vast space equivalent to the material world, unfathomably deep. Finding traces left by Gaia here would not be an easy task. ... shing through the chaotic spacetime and following traces left byyer afteryer, from the shallow to the deep, Helios continued to delve into the inner parts of the Abyss. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Various wondrous scenes shed by, and each stratum seemed to followws that were vastly different from the others. And the deeper he went, the more he noticed that the changes in the spacetime of the entire Tartarus seemed to have never stopped. The worlds born within It were still expanding, their status in spacetime bing ever more significant. Perhaps one day, these strata would be the primaryponents of the Abyss, and the originally unstable spacetime would be a thing of the past. Like in the material world, it is said that at the beginning of creation, the whole world was an immense void. Then Mother Earth was born within it, perhaps the Abyss also underwent such a process. Boom¡ª¡ª! Whoosh¡ª¡ª "Cough cough¡ª¡ª" "What in the world is this stuff, even stronger than Hestia¡¯s divine fire?" A sh of golden light apanied by a bout of coughing, Helios quickly moved away from a dark red stratum. Within Tartarus, to avoid getting lost, theyers from shallow to deep served as the best guide. However, at this moment, the aura on the God of Sun was somewhat uncertain, as if he had suffered some injuries. Some signs of scorching were visible on his body, evidently inflicted by some kind of fire. This was not because he had encountered a disaster that even his immense divine power could not withstand, but rather in this ce, Helios instinctively did not want to use too much of his strength. The Titan god Crius was once imprisoned here, after all, and who knew where he might be now. Hence, caught off guard, Helios had suffered a minor injury. But even so, it was quite terrifying. In the past, Helios believed there were only two kinds of fire that were the most powerful. One was the fire of the Spirit Realm that forged the chariot of the Sun God, and the other was the protective fire wielded by the Goddess of Hearthfire. But now, he had seen a new form of pure fire that contained the power of destruction. It existed within the three hundred and third stratum of the Abyss, which was one of the rare worlds that already seemed fairlyplete. In it spreadva, and a type of mineral that emitted a pungent odor, which the Sun God had never seen before. Yet, being more plete,¡¯ the stratum also seemed more ¡¯explosive.¡¯ Helios had intended to get a closer look, but that directly triggered an innate reaction from theyer, causing the dark fire to burst forth and catching him off guard. "Cough cough... What a nuisance." Coughing again, he slowly stabilized his breath, and the injuries on his body healed at a visibly rapid rate. After all, these were just some superficial wounds, nothing significant for Helios. However, surveying his surroundings, the Sun God abruptly realized that he seemed to have deviated from his intended path. Previously, he had been descending by following the arrangement of the Abyss¡¯s strata, but now he seemed to have gone quite far off course... Shaking his head, Helios was about to return the same way, but in the next moment, he abruptly stopped. Just now, he thought he heard a noise. "That sound... there¡¯s life over there?" His expression shifted slightly; in Helios¡¯s inherent understanding, the Abyss was inherently lifeless. So if there were unusual noises here, it could only be from outsiders. It was either the Titan god Crius, whom he sought to avoid, or Gaia, who he was searching for. One was to be steered clear of, the other was his goal. "...Let¡¯s go check it out." After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Helios made a decision. He immediately suppressed his aura and flew toward the source of the sound. If it was Mother Earth, that would be more than ideal. But if it was that former colleague... Although he was unsure how the other, who once deemed him a traitor, might see him, the Sun God thought it would be best not to meet at all. Chapter 486 - 136: Another ’Laine’?_2 ... Hum¡ª Deep within the chaotic flow of time and space, the God of Sun faintly sensed the ce from where the sound originated. Unlike the calm peripheries of Tartarus, war had been raging here for many years. Although the Nine Hells had "floated" to the surface in the dimension of time and space to avoid beingpletely enveloped by the Abyss, this had not affected the Serpent of the Garden or the Mother of Demons. After all, from the beginning, their sh had taken ce outside of Hell, and Moya was never permitted to enter the "Roaring Void Tunnel" in person. At this moment, these two beings, embodying the power of their worlds, continued their relentless struggle in the void. Transcendent forces shed together, an unusual confrontation between two worlds¡¯ powers, but in contrast to the initial stages, the Mother of Demons was no longer using just her body. Like every innate deity, Moya initially felt somewhat unfamiliar with her power, but soon, following her instincts, she gradually mastered the temporary authority bestowed upon her by the Abyss. She had never controlled "space," but under the jurisdiction of Tartarus, she could now disrupt the time-space fabric of the Abyss and detect the many "traps" her opponent had set; her transition from a Titan deity into the Mother of Demons was a manifestation of this authority. So now, in the void not far from the Nine Hells, the figure of the Serpent of the Garden was nowhere to be seen, onlyyers uponyers of time-space bubbles waxing and waning. But with a closer look, one could see dark halos constantly spreading in the unpredictable time-space fabric. At a further distance, Moya¡¯s massive body spanned the area, the force that invaded time and space seemingly emanating from her. The two forces, invisible to ordinary people, jockeyed for position, the ripples from their offense and defense shaking the strings of space, constantly emitting various humming noises. This situation had persisted for a long time, and even with the entire Abyss as backup, perhaps due to certain inherent Laws, Moya was not the "King of the Abyss," and so the force she summoned naturally had its limits. There was no progress, and certainly no defeat of the opponent... but looking at this scene, Moya was not in a hurry at all. She admitted that she was far from matching the Ancient Serpent in wielding power, but once the madness of her initial awakening had been vented, the Mother of Demons had alreadyprehended the current situation. She might not be able to defeat the Serpent of the Garden, and the Abyss might not be able to crush the Nine Hells with its own oppression, but the lives within Purgatory certainly could not withstand the invasion of the six Abyssal Demon Lords; this was an absolute gap in their respective essences. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Closely approaching the apex of Great Divine Power, even with Hell being severed, Muspelheim, the Country of mes,pensated for her loss. Although Moya could only mobilize a very small part of it, she could still sense the true power of Tartarus. Unparalleled, for even if all the deities on Earthbined their strength, they would not match Him. Therefore, time was on her side; she just had to wait quietly, and ultimately her desires would be fulfilled... "Boom¡ª" A tentacle-like appendage extended out of theyered body, striking at a deepyer of the Abyss in the distance. The irritation in her heart finally eased slightly, Moya forced herself to remain calm again. Yes, although she had clearly seen the situation and analyzed the most advantageous scenario with her intellect, the heart of the Mother of Demons still surged with a relentless desire for destruction. This was not only due to dissatisfaction with her awakening state, but also the influence of the chaotic aspect of the Abyss. The reason Moya was still able to resist, rather than bing as mindless as those Demon Gods, was thanks much to her innate immortal nature. But this was merely a temporary solution, for now, the Mother of Demons was the Abyss¡¯s first creature, indistinguishable from the power of Chaos. She could certainly suppress her own emotions, but that was like using a mound of earth to stop a flood. Although in the Chaos World there was no Yu the Great to teach the deities the principle that "blocking is inferior to channeling," Moya could still feel that she was increasingly unable to restrain the cruelty in her heart. This was especially true since the Serpent of the Garden had stopped colliding with her head-on. "I wish there were something to hit... what a boring world." The thought shed through her mind, but looking around, there was no other life present. Thus, just like every other time, Moya involuntarily sank into her imagination of the past and future. Despite now possessing such immense power, she increasingly yearned for the days of yore. Back then, she had a clear singing voice, a slender figure, and enchanting beauty. She had once fantasized about her mate¡ªa deity as powerful and considerate as the Heavenly Father. They would have given birth to smart and talented goddesses, not monsters more twisted than the Hekatonkheires. But now, everything was gone... Waking from her nosgia, Moya gritted her teeth. The desire to destroy everything rose again in her heart, and this time, the Mother of Demons simply went along with this desire, fantasizing about the near future. After the six great Demon Lords breached the world¡¯s resistance, and after the entity before her lost the support of the boundary¡¯s power, she would tear Him to pieces herself and then destroy the world. Chapter 487 - 136: Another ’Laine’?_3 By that time, Tartarus would no longer prevent her from going to the present world, and might even, as a reward, allow her to retain the power bestowed upon her. By then, she herself would be able to st open the gates of the Spirit Realm with this supreme Divine Power, drag that damned Laine out from within, and hang him in the midst of heaven and earth for all to witness his pitiful state. However, defeating a God of Sun with the power of a Divine Artifact was, for the current Moya, nothing noteworthypared to the power Hyperion once held. Hmm, when that dayes, I¡¯d better find a way to reshape my divine body and return to my former beauty... Then leave behind this ugliest of bodies for every being I once despised to ¡¯enjoy.¡¯ Cronus, Oceanus, not one of you shall escape! Immersed in pleasant fantasies, Moya felt the destructive desires in her heart were somewhat alleviated, this was not the first time she had done this. In the absence of a direct outlet for her feelings, imagining how to dismember Laine had almost be her daily routine, while concocting her own perfect future image was another. In this chaotic, Lightless Abyss, it was the only amusement she had. Although victory was inevitable, it seemed that she still had a while to wait... In her perception, four out of the six Demon Gods had already reached the secondyer of the Nine Hells, a swift progress, but still far from enough. "...Crack" "Hmm?" Suddenly alert, her mind whirling, Moya observed her surroundings intently with the twelve eyes hidden beneath her body. Fantasy was one thing, but she could not afford any mishaps at this crucial juncture, especially with the Ancient Serpent... the Mother of Demons was well aware that if she identally let it escape, it would be nothing short of catastrophic for the Demon Gods invading Hell. Just as the other dared not let her enter the Nine Hells, Moya also could not give the other the opportunity to leave. However, after vigntly observing for a while, she couldn¡¯t find anything amiss. The enemy¡¯s power was still great, and with the Power of the Abyss to strengthen it, there was no chance of an escape right before her eyes... but then, where did that sound just nowe from? Her gaze shifted slightly, Moya looked toward a ce near the void in front of her. Nothing was there, as though it were simply meant to distract her¡ª Her twelve eyes suddenly widened, fixedly staring at a point in the void, as if Moya had discovered something. In the cracks of space-time, there seemed to be something, and with the power granted by Tartarus, the veil that should have been impossible for her to see through showed a trace of imperfection. Indistinctly, it seemed she saw two figures there. One was a woman¡¯s slim and graceful form, with a captivating appearance. If Moya herself was ¡¯ugliness incarnate,¡¯ then the other was ¡¯beauty manifest.¡¯ Just one nce stirred a fury within the Mother of Demons, spawning the desire to destroy the other. Yet the thought had barely risen before it extinguished without a trace. For in the next moment, beside that figure, she saw another presence she had long yearned for. The familiar face, the familiar demeanor, the familiar power... and he was holding the waist of that figure, as if observing the battle from the sidelines. "...Laine?" Her eyes wide, incredulous, astonishment surged forth. Moya could not have imagined she would see him here, of all ces? n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om And... how dare he appear before her now?! Chapter 488 - 137 The Embodiment of Evil "It¡¯s finally starting... If we drag this out any longer, his Divine Body will probably bepletely eroded." "By the time it takes him a few thousand years to recover, that would be the least of our problems, but at this critical juncture, without him, I can¡¯t hold back these things on my own." In the secondyer of Hell, Mephisto held a silver mirror aloft in a secluded airspace. Of course, he was still in the Nine Hells and had never truly joined the battle; after all, as a mortal who was promoted, he was far fromparable to those innate deities. To truly familiarize himself with being a quasi-god-like entity, Mephisto still had much toplete, like the simplest thing¡ªhe still did not have any sort of authoritative item. The secondyer of Hell had indeed brought him power, but that was all. Compared to the God of Meteorology, who came with his own provisions, this ce was still in its primal state as a realm, not on the same level as the otheryers at all. His gaze turned towards the distant battlefield, where, in the even farther center of the realm, intense vibrations and booming noises intermittently erupted. Crius was still resisting, but the aura emanating from his body had already weakened by more than a fraction. Clearly, with the inherent resilience of an innate deity, Crius continuously repaired wounds that seemed fatal, but such recovery was not without cost. Once he exceeded a certain limit, he would, like Hyperion, the former God of Sun, suffer damage to his Divine Body, lose the support for his consciousness and power, and be forced to retreat into the symbol of his Godhood. Only by waiting for eons could he eventually walk among the worlds again in full glory. Of course, unlike an eternal slumber, deities in such a state, though significantly weakened, are not unable to influence the outside world. However, if they fall into such a situation in the face of a formidable enemy, clearly, they wouldn¡¯t be able to hold back those Demon Gods anymore. "...Yes, it has begun, your method had better work." Silently, a voice came from around Mephisto. However, there was nothing around the devil at this moment; the so-called ¡¯sound¡¯ rather seemed like the noise produced by the spontaneous friction of air under natural conditions. Obviously, nature couldn¡¯t produce such a human-like voice; therefore, it must have been created by a sentient being. Moreover, in that barely perceptible voice, Mephisto detected an odd emotion. Indeed, the devil understood this quite well. Hecked the ability to see through the realm, and before, he had no idea of how ugly that Mother of Demons was. Now he knew, and deeplymented on behalf of his ¡¯boss¡¯ for that matter. But it couldn¡¯t be helped, if he could take the ce, he would step up himself... Well, Mephisto had to admit that deep down, he actually didn¡¯t want to step up at all. "Ahem, Your Majesty, this was personally verified by you... and it¡¯s currently the best strategy." "Regardless, when ites to raw power, we¡¯re stillcking." With a subdued cough, facing his superior¡¯s interrogation, the ¡¯outstanding employee¡¯ expressed his helplessness, yet he defended his standpoint earnestly. If possible, who wouldn¡¯t want to simply bulldoze their way through? However, after repeated confirmations, it was clear that the Nine Hells indeed fell far short in raw powerpared to the Abyss, and seeking outside help was an impossibility. Yes, initially, Mephisto hadn¡¯t nned to use Hell¡¯s power alone to confront Tartarus. His first suggestion was to go to the living world personally, in the name of the envoy of the Lord of the Nine Hells, to persuade the gods, like the Titans who hid from the world ording to the rumors, or the Ancient Sea Gods who were forced to seek shelter with Poseidon due to the Principal God¡¯s slumber. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om There were still quite a few of such deities, and from the words of Asmodeus, he also learned some things, like the fact that their big boss still had some sort ofwork in the living world. The God of Light and the Goddess of Daylight whom he mentioned were Ancient Gods hidden from the world that Mephisto had never heard of in the living world. So if they could find some help, today¡¯s situation might have been much better, but ultimately, his idea was denied by the Lord of the Nine Hells. Because only the master of the realm could see, at the moment of the first full-scale collision between the Abyss and Hell, any force not of this world trying to intervene would inevitably be struck by both forces simultaneously. Fundamentally, the two were still one entity. Divine Artifacts were not a big deal because they did not possess consciousness, but if gods from the outside joined, their fate would be imaginable. Therefore, with insufficient raw power and the difficulty of external forces intervening, Mephisto had to apply his Wisdom to some more unconventional methods. For this, he proposed several ideas to the Lord of the Nine Hells, some aggressive and some conciliatory. However, to his surprise, the one he saw as having the lowest chance of sess was ultimately chosen. "The key to sess or failure is still whether it¡¯s as you said, able to make the Mother of Demons lose most of her sanity..." Halfway through his words, Mephisto immediately halted. As for what rtions the Lord of the Nine Hells had with the monster from the outside, or how he knew how to provoke her rage upon her birth, Mephisto was unsure and didn¡¯t intend to be sure. His responsibility was to give advice; after all, matters affecting the rise and fall of a realm were still to be decided by the true master of the Nine Hells. Chapter 489 - 137 The Embodiment of Evil_2 "..." The voice fell silent for a moment, but Mephisto could still feel a certain gaze focusing on him. Shortly after, the air vibrated slightly, and that voice, as if emanating from the world itself, once again rang beside him. "You¡¯re right, the one who truly makes the decisions is still me, and this is already the most likely method to seed," "You¡¯ve done well, and if all goes smoothly, after this battle, you will truly be the lord of the secondyer of Hell. As for the matters in the Mortal Realm, if you can handle them well, I have another reward for you." The voice had calmed down, and the odd feeling in the words earlier seemed like an illusion. That¡¯s right... A slight loss for a World Lord was not something to be overly concerned about. If another method were used, either the risk would be greater, or it would ultimately cause severe damage to the Origin of the Nine Hells. If this move isn¡¯t effective, then we¡¯ll cross that bridge when wee to it. This time, when the voice ended, a certain willpletely moved away from this space. Clearly, facing the terrible pressure of Tartarus, the Lord of the Nine Hells was certainly too preupied to be distracted. He simply could not muster more strength, nor was he willing to temporarily descend an incarnation here to speak. Feeling the overseeing presence depart, Mephisto breathed a sigh of relief and then gracefully bowed to the void. "It¡¯s time to begin." He whispered, but this time it was for himself to hear. Since there were no additionalplications, everything naturally should proceed as previously arranged. A faint light glowed in his palm, and streams of Divine Power began slowly infusing into the silver mirror in his hand. In front of Mephisto, the Divine Artifact began to gradually awaken. (Note 1) Although he didn¡¯t know its name, the demon could judge that it was a High-Grade Artifact rted to the [Space] domain. However,pared to the one that symbolized [Time], its power was much less, and it seemed unlikely to ascend to a Genesis Artifact, hence it hade into existence earlier. In the past, the Goddess of Law had used it to observe a young Zeus, and the Goddess of the Nether Moon had used it to defeat Hades. Now in Mephisto¡¯s hands, the artifact began to shimmer, acting as a ¡¯beacon,¡¯ broadcasting its location to outside the Nine Hells. There was only one chance... His eyes narrowed, Mephisto looked towards the distant battlefield. Crius was still being besieged by the four Demon Gods, and the one engaged in closebat with him happened to be the three-headed, eight-armed Demon God already destined to be a sure kill by the sovereign. At Mephisto¡¯s level, he didn¡¯t understand the essential differences among these Demon Gods, nor why only that one was included in the must-kill list. But as he had said earlier, on such matters involving the survival of an entire realm, it was better to leave the decisions to the true sovereigns. "Hmm, but this way, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll hardly escape a ¡¯death¡¯ in the end¡ªwhy did you have to choose it?" "But no matter, in Hell, a few thousand years don¡¯t count for much... Maybe tens of thousands? Who knows, as you said, I am no immortal innate god." With a sincere sigh, Mephisto could actually understand the other¡¯s approach. Faced with a ¡¯forced control,¡¯ an indestructible bug, or a self-detonating madman, the three-headed Demon God, though strong, was ¡¯strong on paper,¡¯ not ¡¯strong in mechanism.¡¯ Plus, its massive body could help Crius use it as a barrier to avoid other demons¡¯ attacks. But anyway, it had indeed made the worst choice unwittingly. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om As for not informing Crius of the entire n in advance... Mephisto imed he didn¡¯t know either. But since the Lord of the Nine Hells had no objection, there must be reasons that he was not aware of. And regarding this oue, the demon expressed no objection. Hum¡ª The silver mirror hummed, and under the continuous infusion of Mephisto¡¯s power, it served as a ¡¯beacon,¡¯ seemingly finally connecting with something. Seeing this, Mephisto¡¯s expression became solemn, and he raised the artifact high. The authority of the secondyer of the world was drawn by him and vested in the silver mirror before him. Gazing at the distant battlefield, the demon solemnly said: "...Respectfully¡ªI call upon the Serpent of the Garden, Earthly Python, the root of all evil in the worlds... I ask for your power, please descend here." Then, the next moment, as if answering his call, the mirror shed slightly. Following that, a terrifying power began to slowly emanate from within. ... Outside the Nine Hells, at the border between the Abyss and Purgatory. The whimsical bubbles of space-time emitted splendid colors, like the most beautiful scenery in the world. However, beyond their beautiful facadey the destructive power hidden beneath. The immense forces of two powerful beings collided here incessantly... but at this moment, the births and deaths of space-time seemed to pause for an instant, followed by Moya¡¯s shout echoing through the void. "...Laine?!" "It¡¯s you, how can you possibly be here?" The sharp voice caused the surrounding void to tremble, and Moya couldn¡¯t believe what she saw in the distance. She even thought it might be some illusion, or that something was affecting her mind. It couldn¡¯t be real; perhaps the being opposite was trying to disturb her with this method, as no Outsider should be able to approach so near in the interval of the collision of the two realms... No, it still was possible. Chapter 490 - 137 The Embodiment of Evil_3 Moya suddenly remembered that Laine, at the end of the first era, had once caused two Primordial Deities who were looking for trouble with him to return without sess. She naturally didn¡¯t believe it was purely Laine¡¯s own power that had achieved this, as no one could go from Weak Divine Power to greatness in a single day, so this was perhaps due to some kind of clever trick. Just as he had once punished a God of Sun for viting the rules with a Divine Artifact, perhaps he had also found some way to elude the perception of the Primordial Gods. As for why she was now able to detect him... A surge of concealed excitement began to rise in Moya¡¯s heart. Tartarus was the most powerful among the living Primordial Gods, and the Abyss was even more so the domain of His being, where His power increased not just by one level. Only the Nine Hells, being of the same origin, could somewhat contend with Him, otherwise any Primordial God from the outside world, even one with power far surpassing that of Asmodeus, would never be able to confront Tartarus in the Abyss. Then, under such circumstances, it seemed only natural that she would see through Laine¡¯s movements by borrowing His power... Her enormous body stretched out, and terrifying power began to coil around her grotesque limbs. As the initial shock and excitement waned, jealousy and rage began to rise in Moya¡¯s heart as she looked at the man and woman before her. One was the very catalyst for her current plight, and the other possessed such beauty... For a moment, the Mother of Demons could barely suppress her destructive desire that was about to explode outright. But just as she was on the verge of unleashing it, the sanity protected by her immortal nature sobered Moya up a bit. Once again, she isted the influence of the Abyss and made a more sensible judgment. She needed to confirm one more thing, as mere spection might not be correct... In an instant, Moya¡¯s consciousness began to ascend. Facing a once-in-a-millennium opportunity, the former Titan Deity embraced Tartarus on her own initiative for the first time, connecting to that vast and mighty presence. The chaotic and disordered thoughts instantly struck the depths of her spirit, causing her rationality as a being of Order to suffer immensely, but with the power of the Abyss, Moya looked at the two before her once more. This time, the scenery before her indeed changed; they had used some method to conceal their true identities... However, no sooner had the thought crossed her mind than Moya realized in pain that things were not quite as she had thought. It wasn¡¯t someone else in disguise, but there was something wrong with that woman. That beautiful appearance was actually a false facade; underneath some Divine Artifact, there lurked another, uglier body. As for the one beside her... Yes, that was Laine! The familiar power, the visage she still remembered to this day, all confirmed the identity of the neer. Her judgment had been correct, and in that instant, realizing the situation before her, Moya couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud. "Hehehehehe... Hahahahaha...!" A Deity capable of weaving ¡¯beauty,¡¯ sessfully deceiving even the cunning Prophecy-reader with her own authority... And this enemy she¡¯d longed to face, could there be anything better? "There couldn¡¯t be!" As reason¡¯s thread neared its breaking point, in thest moment of disconnecting from the Abyssal will, Moya¡¯s power surged, firmly locking onto the distant Ancient Serpent. The enemy must be caught, this formidable adversary must not escape; as long as she was around, It had nowhere to go! Having made her final arrangements, Moya finallypletely gave in to her instincts. A boundless sense of joy rose in her heart, her massive tentacles spread out like covering the sky and went crawling towards the secret space and time, and she could even see the look of panic that crossed Laine¡¯s face the moment he realized he had been discovered. "Hahahaha... Yes, that¡¯s the expression..." "Come on, since you¡¯re on my turf, let me give you a proper reception!" A tremendous roar spread in all directions, rippling through the Abyss, even attracting an unexpected spectator, but Moya cared for none of that. At this moment, looking at the two she ¡¯held¡¯ in her ¡¯hand,¡¯ the Mother of Demons was immensely pleased. ... The Mother of Demons faced her from across a time-space of life and destruction, watching silently. Watching her distant ¡¯self¡¯ being captured, She was not only unhurried but even had the leisure toment. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "Surprisingly effective. Moya¡¯s rationality held up longer than expected, but that¡¯s as far as it goes." "She trusts the power of the Abyss too much. However, it¡¯s understandable, since this is her first encounter with such majestic force; it¡¯s normal for her to make such a judgment." "But..." Their essences were the same, their life paths the same, their powers the same, even their appearances were the same; this, at least ording to the simplistic concept of the Chaotic Gods, made one a god. Thus, watching this scene, Laine couldn¡¯t help but let out a long sigh. "My sacrifice is too great." The right to his own likeness was infringed; such a sacrifice was huge, and he wasn¡¯t just being argumentative. After all, just as with modern film stars and their stunt doubles, who the double is doesn¡¯t matter muchpared to the star¡¯s face; that¡¯s what¡¯s key. Now, someone else was getting beaten up while wearing his face; wasn¡¯t that a considerable sacrifice on his part? Pondering this, the Serpent of the Central Court seemed to find it hard to watch, tilting his head ever so slightly away. "Stop wasting time, hurry up. Do you know how disgusting that thing is?" Suddenly, an urgent voice sounded close to his ear. The owner of the voice seemed to have just realized the decision made was far more ¡¯terrifying¡¯ than previously imagined. However, hearing his words, the coiled serpent merely shook its head, apparently refusing. "Don¡¯t rush. There¡¯s only one chance, better to be cautious than hasty." "Besides, I¡¯ve already made such a huge sacrifice; you can hold on a little longer. After all, it¡¯s unavoidable. In this world, the only thing that can deceive Him in the body of Tartarus is His own power." "..." "I didn¡¯t understand before why you called this special avatar the embodiment of ¡¯evil.¡¯ Now I¡¯m starting to see a bit of why." After a moment of silence, the voice spoke again, but there was nothing to be done about it. Setting aside some meaningless details, the Serpent of the Central Court was correct. Despite Moya being distracted, the moment the power locking this space-time detected any abnormalities, she would turn her guns back on target immediately. After all, with her instincts influencing her reasoning, the Abyss¡¯s influence on her intensified. Compared to anything about Laine, the war with the Nine Hells was far more urgent. "So, how much longer do you need?" The voice came again, and this time, the serpent gave a definite reply. "Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t be long... and this time, I intend to bring it all to a close." A glint of light shed in the eyes of the serpent¡¯s head, and then it said pointedly: "An experience like being attacked, and having to step in personally, once is enough." "In the future, the struggle between the Abyss and the Nine Hells would be better decided in another way." Chapter 491 - 138 303-7 The battle between Hell and the Abyss, in the short term, actually has no true meaning of victory. After all, for both sides of the war, what they really aim to do is topletely engulf the other and thereby be the ¡¯sole¡¯ entity again, not an easily achievable goal. Under such circumstances, once the collision of power begins, it likely won¡¯t stop, not even with the death of those Demon Gods who invaded the Nine Hells. Unless one realm is utterly destroyed, the war will never end. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Therefore, what the Serpent of the Central Court refers to as ¡¯aplishing its mission in one fell swoop¡¯ does not mean ending the war itself but rather ensuring it progresses in a way that better serves the interests of the Nine Hells. After all, for the weaker side, the most important thing is to control the intensity and scale of the conflict. Just like now, when the entire force of Tartarus presses down upon the nineyers, and Moya, who temporarily bears Its power, personally enters the fray, the pressure on Hell is unparalleled. Even if Hell manages to repel the opponent this time, if they don¡¯t find another outlet for the conflict between the two realms, the pressure from the Abyss will only continue unabated, not diminished by the death or injury of the Demon Gods. If one defends for too long, they are bound to fail. The Abyss can afford many losses, but if the Nine Hells lose just once, it would severely damage their Vital Essence. A second loss could bring them perilously close to destruction. So from the start, this battle was never aboutpletely annihting the neers but about how to use the chaotic thinking of Tartarus to shift the battlefield down a notch. To bring it to a domain where the Abyss might lose countless times, but Hell could also afford many losses... and there, umte the wins little by little, apply reason, umte experience, innovate, and eventually turn around the situation between the two sides. "Let¡¯s hope so. Resisting the pressure of Tartarus is not easy, and like today¡¯s event, I do not wish for a second urrence," a deep voice resonated once more but vanished without waiting for a response. However, the Serpent of the Central Court wasn¡¯t surprised by this, for at this moment, Asmodeus was under far more pressure than It. But It, too, had not been idle, even as It had been speaking, wisps of power continually seeped out, quietly disappearing into the void surrounding It through some connection. The amount was not great; each time, only a little was released, reflecting on the faraway, ever-forming and dissipating temporal bubbles, indicating their position had subtly shifted, appearing to draw closer to the body of the Serpent. However, given such a vast scale, even ¡¯just a little¡¯ was significant enough to be noticeable in reality. If Moya hadn¡¯t been distracted by other matters, she would have been able to detect the changes here, even if she hadn¡¯t been concentrating fully before. But there are no what-ifs in reality. For the current Mother of Demons, not only does she have more important tasks at hand, but she also firmly believes in the power descending from the Abyss. With the supreme power of Tartarus at her side, Moya is confident that she has thoroughly anchored the space-time around the great Serpent. It might force its way out, but it could not circumvent the blockade without her knowledge. At least, judging by the Ancient Serpent¡¯s previous space-time abilities, It couldn¡¯t. "So naive after all... But then again, considering her ¡¯mental age¡¯, she is indeed very young," mused the Serpent of the Central Court. Despite being one of the primordial Titan Deities, her actual understanding might not even surpass that of the newer gods from the Third Era; sleeping for too long has its drawbacks. Shaking Its head slightly, the Serpent of the Central Court refocused on the task at hand. Around It, the overflow of power continued, drifting ¡¯downward¡¯ bit by bit into the deeperyers of space-time in a very natural manner. Nevertheless, any maniption of these powers would trigger a corresponding reaction from the Power of the Abyss that had locked down around the Ancient serpent, but It didn¡¯t need to do anything. Because within the Nine Hells, there was a ¡¯beacon¡¯. As though drawn by some instinct, these scattered powers moved steadily and naturally towards it. All was going smoothly, albeit the time required might be a bit long, with no unexpected events arising. After a while, though, the Serpent of the Central Court suddenly turned to look towards a direction in the Abyss. Although some distance away, it seemed as if someone was approaching? No, not approaching, he was merely observing this ce through some means. It was not his own ability but rather some property of the Abyss. The assimtion of foreign power by Tartarus remains as ¡¯extensive¡¯ as ever; although It has incorporated the Kingdom of mes as part of Itself, even using it to nurture a Demon God, there are still powers that haven¡¯t been fully assimted. Now, they have resonated and transmitted some images over there. "An outsider deity, huh... Entering the Abyss at this time, I wonder what their purpose is." After observing for a while, the Ancient Serpent lost interest in these matters. As mentioned before, as the Demon Gods were born one after another, the many ws of the Abyss were rectified. Thus, as the embodiment of the thirdyer of Hell, the Serpent of the Central Court couldn¡¯t freely observe every corner of Tartarus anymore. Even though It sensed the presence of a neer, It couldn¡¯t precisely identify who they were. Chapter 492 - 138 303-7_2 ``` But no matter who he was, he couldn¡¯t possibly affect the oue of the struggle between the two realms. So at this juncture, the Ancient Serpent didn¡¯t pay any attention to his emotions. If he escaped in time, then he could consider himself lucky. If he remained there once the conflict between the realms was over... Hell might not do much to him, after all, even a temporary victory by the Nine Hells would not justify entering a region still shrouded in the power of the Abyss for the sake of one unknown deity. But the Demon Gods would be a different matter. By that time, whether he could leave or not, only Heaven would know. ... Far from the center of the Abyss, in the chaos-colored void,yers lie scattered like stars across a chessboard. Some arerge, some small, and each radiate differently colored lights. It¡¯s as if they correspond with the sky above, forming a ¡¯starry sky¡¯ below all worlds. "The Abyss is truly a wondrous ce." "Before today, I had no idea there existed such a world beyond the present one." Standing in a dark red world, Helios felt some emotion. After a long journey, the God of Sun had found his previous understanding of this ce to be somewhat mistaken. Inside Tartarus, those oveppingyers were not merely arranged ording to the spatial concept of ¡¯up¡¯ and ¡¯down¡¯; even on the same ne, there seemed to be more than oneyer. At this moment, he was in anotheryer, entwined with mes. This was the seventhyer he¡¯de across following the direction of the noise, and also, the one that seemed weakest in power. Yes, even if theyers on the same ¡¯ne¡¯ appeared to have simr characteristics, like being covered inva and fire, their strength varied greatly. Apart from that firstyer at the ¡¯center¡¯ which was the most powerful, the outer ones had much less, without any discernible pattern. Some were stronger, some weaker, seemingly randomly derived. So to describe his position more urately, the God of Sun simply tagged them with numbers. Since he was in the 303rdyer down from the ¡¯top¡¯, and this was the seventhyer he had encountered, he named it the 303-7th Abyssal ne. At the moment, Helios was inside it. He had decided not to go any further, as the closer he got, the more voices he faintly heard from that direction, letting the God of Sun sense that something was not quite right. Where was this ce? It was inside the body of Primordial God Tartarus, the core beyond the world. Any ¡¯voices¡¯ that could transmit from here must be the result of deity-level power. And the noisesing from that direction didn¡¯t seem to be made by one individual. Helios even had a premonition that it might be a battle. A battle in the Abyss... this was not an amusing prospect. So the Sun chose to temporarily stop here, also taking advantage of the existence of the 303-7thyer to conceal his traces. He nned to stay for a while, ideally waiting for themotion in the distance to cease for a moment, then approach covertly to see what exactly had happened there. As for retreating directly, it was something Helios hadn¡¯t considered. Even nowadays, the undying Chaotic Gods were often very ¡¯rash¡¯. It was precisely because this was the Abyss that the God of Sun might not have chosen to wait here. However, that was what he initially thought, but when Helios truly entered the 303-7thyer of the Abyss, his previous n was instantly overturned. Because the God of Sun suddenly realized that the smoke formed by the burning mes here had created a massive illusion that seemed to reflect an urrence from somewhere else. It was not from an objective perspective, but rather a subjective view of a lifeform. Helios could even see the non-human-like arms of the perspective¡¯s owner and a huge Chain Sword that looked like a Divine Artifact. ``` It seemed to be in a ce that was extremely simr to the material realm, except there were no Sun and Moon, and it was exceedingly deste. Following the viewpoint of this unknown life form, Helios also saw more than one distinctly different life form, and even across the vast distances of space, he could feel the powerful forces transmitted through the vision. Each one was no less powerful than he was, some even more so, and yet the Sun God had never seen them before... But this was not the reason for his astonishment. After all, it was just a vision, and no one knew where it was urring or whether it was real. But when he saw a familiar figure, Helios waspletely certain that the ce shown in the vision was still the Abyss. Because that figure, who summoned storms, was all too familiar to him. Although it seemed to have undergone some changes, it was not enough to prevent the Sun God from recognizing it. The God of Meteorology, Crius, a prisoner confined to the Abyss by King Zeus, was at this moment in battle¡ªor perhaps a siege¡ªwith the owner of this perspective. His divine body was severely damaged, and even the recovery had slowed down. When he had previously been imprisoned in the Sun, Helios had seen him being beaten severely by his own Father God, but even during those most dangerous moments, the God of Meteorology had never looked so disheveled. "So, due to some spatial-temporal miracle that I do not yet understand, a distant scene has been reflected here?" n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "It seems understandable, after all, the master of this perspective is emanating a me of destruction, perhaps the entire 303rdyer of the Abyss is somehow connected to it." Making a judgment effortlessly, Helios quickly epted this oue. However, what followed was a sigh of relief for his caution. "Incredible, the Abyss has actually given birth to native deities... if they truly are deities." "Perhaps the gods of the Abyss are just like that, after all, the world beyond is always different from the material world, it¡¯s understandable if they turned out this way. But looking at it this way¡ªmaybe the Father God wasn¡¯t joking, and the Hekatonkheires really aren¡¯t the offspring of the Heavenly Father?" A strange thought arose and was then suppressed by Helios. It was just spection, after all, even the Primordial Sea God could give birth to an oddity like the ¡¯Father of Monsters¡¯; under the watch of the former Heavenly Father, Mother Earth should not have borne offspring with the irrational Abyss. Nevertheless, today¡¯s discovery could literally shake all the gods of the material world; life existed even in the Abyss they considered a prison, and they were even besieging the deities imprisoned here. Whether it was solely directed at the God of Meteorology or equally against all the gods of the material world, Helios had yet to ascertain. But his choice to stop here was no doubt the right one. Perhaps soon, another entity capable of influencing the situation would emerge in the material world... The good news is, that¡¯s a headache for King Zeus. The bad news is, they don¡¯t have brains, and they seem to fight with a reckless abandon. "This world is still too mysterious, like the mysterious person who once briefly fought with the Goddess of Hearthfire during the great flood and imed toe from Hell... Unfortunately, I neither have a way to contact these unknown strong beings, nor dare I seek their allegiance." Shaking his head, Helios was now sure that the location from where the previous disturbance emanated was probably this battlefield. With that in mind, there was no need for him to continue forward. Gaia was probably not here, and besides, this ce was too dangerous. Death was not an oue, but being trapped here was not an interesting prospect. With this thought, the inclination to retreat began to rise in Helios¡¯s heart... "Hm?" His spirit suddenly invigorated, the Sun God noticed that the situation reflected in the vision seemed to have changed. Although he couldn¡¯t hear any sounds or feel a clearer presence, Crius clearly exhibited a look of surprise amidst the siege. Chapter 493 - 139: Sacrifice and the [Asura Field] Hell¡¯s secondyer, hidden high above. The silver mirror hung suspended in the air, no longer easily essible to Mephisto. Its ¡¯weight¡¯ had be increasingly terrifying, and it continued to grow heavier every second. Dark serpents circled around it, ceaselessly moving through space, silently drawing in threads of gray matter, slowly and steadily increasing its volume. Despite his calm demeanor, Mephisto¡¯s body trembled unconsciously. This was not out of fear but merely a natural instinctive reaction of life. Mephisto, having leaped several ranks from an ordinary great devil to the lord of an entire level of Hell in a short time, grew stronger, but his body had yet to transform. Just as a native deity needed a long time to recover once their divine body waspletely eradicated, it was not an easy task to form a body that matched his current powers. Like the former God of Meteorology, the reason he could stay active in the world soon after his transformation was due to his crafty use of his ¡¯legacy¡¯. After infusing his origin into the firstyer of Hell, Crius directly sculpted his current body based on his old divine physique, which is why he still bore no demonic traits to this date, looking no different from before. A deity¡¯s body is closely tied to their power. Theoretically, as a god of Hell, he should bear Hell¡¯s characteristics¡ªeven if not a pair of curved horns, his eye color at least should be leaning towards that of the Lord of the Nine Hells. But because he took such shortcuts, none of this happened. However, this likely won¡¯t be the case in the future, as Crius, thest vestige of the Titan gods, is probably going to turn to ash today. And the body that he will spend a long time reconstructing will inevitably bear the unique ¡¯traits¡¯ of the Nine Hells. "How beautiful, yet terrifying... But to achieve sufficient results in one strike, the more powerful it is, the better," he whispered to himself. At this moment, the ce where Mephisto stood was very particr¡ªit was close to the border between the second and thirdyers of Hell. This was not an actual location because, theoretically, eachyer of Hell is situated ¡¯below¡¯ the previous one. However, the special spatial rules of the Mythic World make the conceptual ¡¯below¡¯ often not equivalent to the physical one. Therefore, by the will of the World Lord, although Mephisto¡¯s location was high rtive to the distant battlefield, in reality, his orientation was from below, leading up toward the [Roaring Tunnel]. The reason for choosing such a position was obvious¡ªthough Mephisto couldn¡¯t determine how terrifying this long-nned strike would be, by using the wipeout of at least one Demon God as a benchmark, he could roughly estimate. So causing harm to the enemies was one aspect, and preventing the explosion from erupting within the Nine Hells was another. What¡¯s more, the Overlord of the Middle Court had specifically instructed him to aim the final point outside the world... So along this direction, by focusing the main force on the four Demon Gods and then ascending ¡¯up¡¯ to attack the other two Demon Gods still sleeping in the firstyer, ending by dispersing the aftermath outward, this spot was indeed the most suitable location. In silence, time continued to pass, with only the distant rumbling asionally sounding. Around the silver mirror, the circling ck serpents took on an increasingly refined andplete form. At one moment, it seemed as though a threshold had been reached; even as gray mists continued to pour in, there was no further change. No force could umte without limit, and at that moment, Mephisto knew, it was time to act. "Come then." As if a mortal were moving a mountain, with the surface of the mirror slightly adjusted due to the influence of the devil¡¯s power, droplets of ¡¯sweat¡¯ streamed down Mephisto¡¯s cheeks. Yet Mephisto was oblivious to this, and as thest half-hour passed, he prepared to put an end to it all. "To wield the power of life and death is a wonderful feeling... Heh, although you are also born divine, there is one thing that¡¯s no different between you and me," he said, a smile curling at the corner of his mouth as he bowed slightly toward the silver mirror. "For instance, both I and you will face death." ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Rip¡ª A massive Chain Sword grazed Crius¡¯s skin, leaving behind a deep trail of blood. But he didn¡¯t dare engage inbat and quickly retreated from the Divine Artifact¡¯s master. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om The blood was controlled so it didn¡¯t fall but instead maintained its form with the power of the divine. The battles in Hell enriched the former Titan god with much knowledge, such as how to maintainbat effectiveness through a long fight with no rest. He even found amusement in the struggle, thinking that if he could do it all over again, he would fare much better. Whoosh¡ª Seeing the Chain Sword¡¯s master in pursuit, Crius continued dodging. The former God of Meteorology, having been blown up three times, was well-experienced with this. He could assure that although this Demon God, engulfed in Annihtion Demon me, had fallen more dramatically than he did, it would do the same again if given the chance. To kill an enemy at the cost of grave damage to oneself. A concept that in thenguage ofter video games would be called ¡¯wide-range AOE¡¯ turned into a single-target effect, Crius marveled at his opponent¡¯s stupidity while also taking great care to avoid it. Chapter 494 - 139: Sacrifice and the [Asura Field]_2 However, the enemy he faced was ultimately not just one; avoiding the one in front, there was another waiting for him. Apanied by yet another sh of light, amidst the spiritual interference, a beam of light released by the left head of the three-headed Demon God struck directly at Crius¡¯s left waist. The power of corrosion spread instantly, melting arge hole where it touched. If it weren¡¯t for his decisive action in cutting away the divine flesh and blood that was hit, the corrosion might have continued to spread across his divine body. This was yet another experience gained from being struck repeatedly; instead of countering the corrosion with divine power, it was better to cut losses to preserve more important things... "Huff¡ª" Furrowing his brow and taking a deep breath, the injury at his waist showed no signs of healing, Crius knew he was nearing his limit. Too much time had passed, even with limited Wisdom, the Abyssal Demon Lords had gradually figured out his patterns, increasing the frequency of his injuries. ncing again at the surrounding environment, that Silver Humanity who had been quiet since the battle began was still nowhere to be found. Crius gritted his teeth slightly, indeed, these humans were unreliable¡ª "Hmm?" His expression changed; suddenly, Crius, a lord of Hell himself, seemed to have discovered something, a mix of surprise and dissatisfaction shed across his face. The boy full of lies finally made a move. It was his aura. And when it came, it was with an uproar that even he found daunting. So he had gone to prepare his ultimate move... Feeling the rm and dread rising in his heart, Crius grudgingly acknowledged this action. It was understandable;pared to using the other party¡¯s feeble strength to fight the Demon Gods, preparing some other force was more appropriate. What puzzled him was, why had no one told him this beforehand? "Forget it... In any case, it¡¯s finally your turn!" Suspicions and questions were temporarily suppressed, to be investigated after the battle was over. Crius, watching the also agitated Demon Gods, couldn¡¯t help but reveal a thrilled smile. Discover exclusive tales on empire These twisted lives, I can finally¡ª Buzz¡ª! The thought had not even finished crossing his mind when in an instant, starting from the edge of the secondyer of Hell, a tremendously terrifying aura spread out. Within and beyond the realm, nearly all living beings felt that strong presence. Meanwhile, at the core of the [Central Court], what had once been arge pit created when the God of Sleep fell had now be ake, with a small ind in the center where a tall Divine Tree swayed gracefully. As the aura from the secondyer of Hell rose, thisnd seemingly unaffected by war also changed. A radiant light bloomed from the branches of the Divine Tree Nidhogg, which, upon closer inspection, bore a resemnce to the force that had once carried the God of Sleep across heaven and earth. In an instant, two forces from different realms resonated together, intertwining yet remaining distinctly separate. When it all ended, like the tip and tail of an arrow, it pointed directly along a straight line at the Demon Gods still embroiled in fierce battle. What seemed like an age actually urred in the blink of an eye. When the intense killing intent locked on its target, Crius hadn¡¯t even finished his thought. He should have been pleased, as this force was certainly not something the current Demon Gods could withstand... if he hadn¡¯t been within the range being targeted as well. "?" With wide eyes and a fleeting look of astonishment, Crius seemed about to say something, but as the preparationpleted, the enormous ¡¯Divine Arrow¡¯ had already been shot forth. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om In its path, space-time seemed frozen, the future upended... the Divine Arrow piercing through the world targeted the central head of the three-headed Demon God, which, as if foreseeing its own demise, roared and broke free from the lock of space-time in an instant. "Roar¡ª!!" That wasn¡¯t its own power but the protection inherited from Tartarus within the Demon Gods, a force not even Moya possessed. Even without personhood, the instinct of the Abyss could still sense the difference between the Mother of Demons and her offspring. After all, as a former Titan Deity, she was immortal, but they were not. So this force came into being... As first-generation Demon Gods conceived by Tartarus himself, sparing no cost from his Origin, each was extraordinary. This was not only in terms of power but also because they contained a part of the Abyssal Origin and symbolized certain aspects of it, being part of His rules. Even if this ¡¯symbolism¡¯ was different from the power of the Greater Ones and only meaningful within the Abyss, this further emphasized their importance to Tartarus himself. Therefore, the Abyssal instinct did not wish for them to die, just as the present world did not wish for the Deities to die. It generously bestowed power that would bring them back into the Abyss when their lives were threatened by a higher force¡ªif it had just been the power of the Serpent of the Central Court, the bestowed protection would have taken effect. But reality held no ifs, and under this long-premeditated ¡¯Arrow,¡¯ all things were reduced to nothingness. It felt like days or scarcely a second; the concept of time had already blurred. In the moment perceived by outsiders, it was eternity in the eyes of Crius. At the edge of his vision, he saw only a Divine Tree shaking, some terrifying thing approaching, and then all existence was erased, bit by bit, until it was his turn atst. Chapter 495 - 139: Sacrifice and the [Asura Field]_3 However, in the final second before his consciousness fully cleared, the former God of Meteorology still took note of the fate of his adversary. The result, however, made him curse out loud. "So, I¡¯m the only one who didn¡¯t even leave a corpse behind?" As the thought crossed his mind, he then sunk into a cold slumber, all that was happening on the battlefield now irrelevant to him. But it could be imagined that Crius¡¯s sleep would likely onlyst for a brief moment. Soon, he would awaken anew in the "Boisterous Hollow Tunnels." Unharmed in essence and perhaps, before long, he might even celebrate the victory of the Nine Hells. ... In the firstyer of Hell, near the gateway sted open by the Mother of Demons. Stay connected via empire At some unknown time, the once tranquil teenage deity who sat here ying his flute had vanished without a trace, leaving only a handful of grey feathers drifting down in the empty mid-air, with only two slumbering Demon Gods remaining. Yet by their looks, Squenos had evidently left only just a moment ago; otherwise, deprived of his sustaining power, they would have likely awakened by now. Above in the high sky, relentless storms continued to blow, and small movements began to stir upon the bodies of the two Demon Gods. Thest few grey feathers became blurred, as if about to vanish into nothingness with just a gust of wind. However, in the next moment, everything came to a halt. ¡ª¡ªChuff n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om From the deeperyers of Hell, a certain power swept ¡¯upward,¡¯ unstoppable in its onught. At its forefront, it seemed to carry a ferocious head, struggling and roaring¡ªthat was thest refuge of the Abyss¡¯s power. But as it advanced, that familiar head reverted back to its original form at a rate visible to the naked eye, returning to its initial state. Nheless, this did not hinder the force from moving onward. Even after it shattered the Abyss¡¯s protection left on the four Demon Gods and lost most of its energy, it appeared unstoppable. Hum¡ª¡ª As if sensing mortal danger, two invisible forces simultaneously rose upon the Demon Gods. They seemed to try and stop this exceedingly overwhelming attack, but the iing wave only paused briefly before effortlessly breaking through the power repelled by Hell itself. In the following moment, the ¡¯Divine Arrow¡¯ shot across the sky, its ¡¯current¡¯ brushing past the two Demon Gods. Although they weren¡¯t directly in the path of this ¡¯Divine Arrow,¡¯ the result was only marginally better. The ck shadows seemed to awaken for an instant, then were torn asunder in a fraction of a second, plummeting to the outside world along the ¡¯arrow¡¯s trajectory.¡¯ On the other hand, the Demon God shrouded in blue mist held up somewhat better¡ªit managed to struggle before one-third of its body was cleaved away, plummeting alongside it into the void beyond Hell. In the blink of an eye, with thest two Demon Gods one dead and one wounded, the ¡¯arrow¡¯ still showed no sign of stopping. It continued forward, flying out beyond Hell under the watchful eyes of many. Yet, it seemed to have reached the end of its strength, and its final resting ce was not too far off¡ªmerely flying to where the Serpent of the Central Court and Moya¡¯s powers met, amidst those time-space bubbles constantly being tainted and reborn. Carrying the ¡¯arrowhead¡¯ with the Demon God¡¯s Origin, it fell freely, embedding itself in that void. Like an axe splitting chaos, where itnded marked the beginning of creation. "All is going well." In the void, indifferent to the sudden shock and rage of Moya, the Ancient Serpent nodded slightly. Then, in the next moment, the ¡¯sacrifice¡¯ rule embedded in the interface due to Zeus¡¯s prior influence emerged. The Titans with their three heads and eight arms wielded three distinct powers: one that slowly corrupted everything, one that efficiently annihted all spirits, and thest in the middle that could siphon the power of its foes from ughter to strengthen oneself. (See 3-117) The Divine Tree that grew from Gungnir¡¯s main trunk inherited its most core capabilities: one supnting another, gains matched with sacrifices. Lastly, there was the unique connection between the Abyss and Hell... They fell together into that time-space bubble, the space that for many years had been born and destroyed in the shes between the Ancient Serpent and Moya¡¯s powers, or the collision of Hell and the Abyss. "You should have another title." A transformation was underway, the will of the Abyss seemed to be boiling over with rage. But the Ancient Serpent was rxed, because at this point, everything was unstoppable. So, looking at the birth within the time-space bubble¡ªseemingly slow but actually swiftly taking shape, even vaguely belonging both to the Abyss and Hell¡ªa deep voice came from the serpent¡¯s head. "A fight to the death, ¡¯the survivor¡¯ as the king... From this day on, you shall be called Asura Field." Chapter 496 - 140: A Whale Falls, Thousands of Lives Flourish Asura, this is a typical fabricated term, which in Laine¡¯s fleeting memory before he arrived in this world, existed in the mythology of another Eastern civilization. Sometimes they were seen as deities, but sometimes not; however, they mostlycked innate duties and powers and were innately warlike, with a strong desire for life. cing such a term here couldn¡¯t be more fitting. Thus, when the Ancient Serpent spoke, it was as if the world bestowed a ¡¯true name¡¯ upon the newborn realm, and the emerging domain was branded with a name at its origin. "It looks like, everything¡¯s going smoothly." In the slowed space-time influenced by some power, Asmodeus¡¯s tired voice rose again. In the distance, Moya had already regainedposure. She no longer toyed with the ¡¯Laine¡¯ and ¡¯beauty¡¯ that fell into her hand like a cat with a mouse, but surged forth with her power towards the nascent little world. Stay connected via empire She could already feel the violent tremors of Tartarus¡¯s will, the impact of the fall of a Demon God. She intended to salvage whatever little she could, but watching Moya¡¯s actions, the Ancient Serpent showed no intention of stopping her. Because the brief period of confrontation had confirmed something, the Mother of Demons, although suddenly wielding such great power, had equally significant limitations. And that would soon be apparent. "Yes, everything¡¯s going smoothly, except for the ¡¯brave¡¯ Crius whose Divine Body was destroyed, there were no additional losses," "Hmm... it looks like me." Asmodeus continued, and this time the Ancient Serpent did not respond. Because just like he said, his Divine Body probably wouldn¡¯t ¡¯escape death¡¯ either. Actually, to speak frankly, even as Laine¡¯s evil side, the Serpent of the Central Court didn¡¯t simply have him impersonate himself to attract attention for some perverse pleasure; the fundamental reason was his irreceability. Both he and the Serpent of the Central Court had ownership of Hell, which made manipting fate a bit easier on that level. His true body was now truly Hell itself, and the external Divine Body wasn¡¯t that important, so he matched better in various aspects. Of course, the most important point was, since he wasn¡¯t able to exert much power anyway, he might as well serve a purpose here. After all, when all one¡¯s power was used to counter the pressure from the Abyss, that Divine Body naturally became just a shell. Though some Divine Power still lingered, the Lord of the Nine Hells had no energy left to separate his consciousness for battle. Therefore, Asmodeus simply offered it up, though he probably couldn¡¯t return, but that wasn¡¯t much of an issue. "The new realm has indeed been born, and as expected, it¡¯s as if the whole world is a vast ceremony. In each battle that takes ce within it, the losers will be sacrificed to the victors ¡ª this is the effect of the sacrifice rules written into the Abyss and Hell, and is the manifestation of the authority represented by that Abyssal Demon Lord." Without receiving a response, but the voice continued nheless. Because the new realm¡¯s rules seemed reasonable, there were some problems within them. "It will suppress a part of the divine-level power, this is also a protection for its own structural stability. Therefore, non-divine lives may be the main contenders in the future. But are there any non-divine existences in the current Abyss?" "There are." Asserted confidently, the Ancient Serpent nced towards the ce from where it had justunched an attack, which was also the exit of Hell. There, some lingering light flowed continually, leftovers from the deaths of those Demon Gods. Some were intercepted, and would be part of the Nine Hells¡¯ power as war trophies, but many escaped. This was also the final function of Tartarus¡¯s power. If the lives of the Demon Gods couldn¡¯t be saved, then protecting their own ¡¯wealth¡¯ was the most crucial matter. "At least, there are now." Speaking again, the Ancient Serpent withdrew its gaze. The first contest between Purgatory and the Abyss had thuse to an end. ... "¡ªDeceiver!" A sharp voice burst forth from within, and at the moment the power in Hell exploded, Moya instantly realized she had been deceived. Although up to now, she still couldn¡¯t see what was wrong with the being she had captured, the truth was now clear¡ªit must be a fake. They had tricked her in some way, yed her for a fool, and she had been so self-satisfied just a moment ago? Her eyes filled with red, blood roiled over her body, Moya looked toward that forming world, her rage driving her to rush violently towards it. She wanted to destroy this creation, which was almost a proof of her humiliation. Even at some cost, she wanted to strangle this fragile trinket in its cradle. However, contrary to Moya¡¯s expectations, no one came to stop her. She charged to the edges of the emptying space-time bubble and collided with the newborn world. Boom¡ª n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om The roar erupted, the intense trembling causing Moya to feel momentarily dizzy. She was surprised, as her power at that time shouldn¡¯t have been harmed by such a small realm¡¯s fledgling form; that was supposed to be impossible. But it didn¡¯t matter. After such a blow, it must have already¡ª "How can this be?" Stunned and confused, in front of Moya, the little world¡¯s form hadn¡¯t suffered much damage. It had merely been knocked out of position and then stopped changing. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 497 - 140: A Whale Falls, Thousands of Lives Flourish_2 Everything in front of her seemed to still be mocking the Mother of Demons for her powerlessness, as rage surged through her heart wave after wave. This time, Moya seemed to forget that there were still enemies around her, she fixated on the embryonic form of the world interface, striking it with her limbs. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Thud¡ª The dull sound echoed, but still no damage was done. However, unlike before, Moya understood the reason for all this. Her once unrivaled power was erased the moment it collided with the interface; or more precisely, the Power of the Abyss temporarily bestowed upon her to destroy Hell vanished into thin air. And this was not due to anything else but the ownership of this nascent world. This was not a domain that was independent and autonomous like Hell or the Abyss, but rather, an existence akin to the nineyers of Purgatory or the multiyered structures within the Abyss. It was not born of itself, but constructed jointly by two opposing yet originating worlds. It did not belong entirely to either one, so the rules of both worlds were reflected here. The consequence of this was that it could also be seen as a part of the Abyss. When the Divine King in the mortal world was destroying the world itself, he faced only a weakening of his power, but Moya was not the ¡¯King¡¯ of the Abyss; her seemingly mighty power only existed when facing Hell, even those newly born Demon Gods were actually not affected by her power. This was evident from the beginning; during the time when Moya first regained consciousness and attacked the other Demon Gods in a fit of terror and rage subconsciously, but as expected, they were actually not injured. This power did not belong to her, and was even less stable than the Divine Authority. She was merely a user, not an owner. Swoosh¡ª For a moment, standing there dazed, Moya did not know what to do, but the world did not stop for her. The sound of movement came from the entrance to Hell, and in an instant, streams of light burst forth from it. Those were the unintercepted essences of the Demon Gods, spilling out under the protection of the Power of the Abyss, falling down like raindrops. The giant serpent that had been guarding the door opened its mouth wide, and a terrifying suction came from within. "¡ªStop!" Boom¡ª Defeat was now inevitable; Moya already felt the ¡¯disappointment¡¯ of the Abyss towards her. One could imagine that when the first collision between the two worlds ended, the temporarily bestowed power upon her would never return. Perhaps by that time, Tartarus would choose the true ¡¯King¡¯ of the Abyss in a way unique to Him¡ªor perhaps a ¡¯Prince¡¯ with less ruling power, but all of that would be irrelevant to Moya. So she tried to reim something for herself in thisst moment, even though it might not be very useful. Thus another battle erupted right there, but everyone knew it wouldn¡¯tst long¡ªit was just the final aftershock of this conflict. ... Lava 303¨C7, near a volcanic crater. The God of Sun, Helios, stood there, gazing at where the images used to be illuminated by the fire. With the death of the Shadow me Demon, that mysterious connection was also severed. But that arrow that shot through the sky, even viewed through the images, was still etched in Helios¡¯s heart. Of course, the ¡¯arrow¡¯ had always been a metaphor; in reality, it had nothing to do with actual arrows or simrity. Nevertheless, the power encapsted within it was undeniably real. "...There actually exist forces within the Abyss that oppose Him, Crius has joined them; is this really still the Chaos World that I know?" For a long time, the God of Sun whispered silently, then turned and left without hesitation. This ce was too terrifying. If it were only a few Demon Gods, he might not be able to defeat them but could still run, after all, they didn¡¯t seem very smart. He had been wary of Crius only because he couldn¡¯t outrun him and might have been trapped in the Abyss. But facing that life or object which had released such terrifying power, he probably wouldn¡¯t even have the chance to run. Leaving Layer 303¨C7 of the Abyss, Helios flew swiftly in the direction from which he hade. Previously, one couldn¡¯t discern directions in the Abyss, and now, he still couldn¡¯t distinguish up from down, left from right, but theyers of interfaces in the void themselves were the bestndmarks. However, shortly after the God of Sun had started to move, he suddenly looked back. There, countless streaks of light were falling like raindrops. "That is..." The specks of light were fast because they seemed to be affected by the power of the Abyss. Helios dared not touch them, so he just watched as the colorful points of light whizzed past him and then disappeared into the distant void. There were a few exceptions, seemingly attracted by something, they fell directly into theyer that Helios had just left. And just as they entered, they underwent various changes. The power on the surface of the light points faded, revealing what was inside¡ªremnants of Demon Gods. There were broken phosphorus armors burning with mes, eyeballs torn from wings, and chunks of flesh that were still wriggling incessantly. Then, right before Helios¡¯s eyes, as they touched the ground in a mere instant, they burst forth with unprecedented life force, transforming into a variety of different beings. There were eyeballs floating in mid-air, emitting a strong mental aura with nerves and tendrils drifting around, there were ferocious demons that burned with mes, looking extremely simr to the now-destroyed me Demon and there were shadows writhing on the ground, their gathering and scattering influencing the surrounding environment. A whale falls, life teems, although such a phrase did not exist in the Chaos World, a simr notion nevertheless arose in Helios¡¯s heart. The current gods were immortal, so he had never seen the sight of a deity level existence dying. But now it seemed their downfall was just a beginning, and from the corpses of those ancient beings, a brand new race would be born. They would be masters of the Abyss in the future, this dead and empty world brimming with new life. "Hiss¡ª" "Hmm?" His expression subtly changing, Helios turned sharply. In the distance, in the ce he had marked asyer 303¨C6, a massive worm was hissing at him through the barrier of the interface. And the moment he saw it, a name resembling the True Names of real deities echoed from the depths of the God of Sun¡¯s heart. Earth-shaking Worm, a new god born after the Demon God¡¯s limbs absorbed a portion of the Abyss¡¯s power. Inparison to the already fallen progenitor, it no longer controlled ¡¯life and transformation¡¯, and its power had only just reached the True God threshold. However, an intuition told Helios that although the power of this second-generation Abyss deity may have greatly reduced at the start, they seemed to no longer be as irrational as the first generation. At least from the eyes of this newly born being before him, the God of Sun felt as if he saw apprehension and threat. This was something the Demon Gods in the previous images did not possess; to them, there seemed to be only destruction and ughter. "Heh, this is just too outrageous... Am I witnessing an ¡¯Era Transition¡¯ that belongs to a world beyond?" Although the power of the life before him posed no threat to him, thinking about the vast number of Abyss¡¯syers that he had passed through, a chill surged from the heart of the God of Sun. He hoped they would stay in the Abyss forever, never toe out... With that thought, Helios lingered no longer. He immediately transformed into a beam of golden light and fled back the way he came. This ce was simply not suitable for his existence. Chapter 498 - 141: The Last Snow and Sound Mortal Realm, heavy snow envelops the sky. In February, the ground remained covered with frost. The rotation of the twelve Zodiac star domains had just reached the center of the twelfth Zodiac ne, and if it were in the distant future, it might have another more pleasant name¡ªPisces. Of course, whether it would still receive the same name in this lifetime was difficult to guess. At least for now, it was merely an ordinary star domain. The cold wind howled as always, and it was said that "extremes meet," a truth universally acknowledged. But often, only true sages can see through the mist to glimpse the so-called "extreme." At this moment, there was undoubtedly no such existence in the Mortal Realm, for they could not prate the veil of the natural changes reflecting the struggle between the gods. Thus, bloodshed and strife intensified, many grudges were formed, and numerous cities were destroyed. The losers lost their lives or died quietly in the cold and hunger. The winners weren¡¯t happy either, because as long as the catastrophe continued, they had to keep on ¡¯winning.¡¯ Thus, resentment began to umte, and curses on the disaster started to spread... When facing a crisis, people always need an outlet for their emotions, and conveniently, they had a target to vent their frustrations. It was certainly not the Goddess of Agriculture; after all, in the eyes of humans, Demeter was the only deity willing to help them firsthand. In human history, there was already a pivotal existence who brought disaster to the Mortal Realm and ended an epoch of mankind. She was Pandora, an ominous woman. The meaning of her name was originally "the woman gifted with all talents," but now, it is more often understood as "the root of all disasters." ... In the north of the continent, on a path outside a nameless valley. A few crows circled in the sky, emitting harsh cries. The leafless trees shivered in the wind as if about to copse at any moment. With a soft hat on his head and a bloodstained wooden staff in hand, a young man walked ahead under the drifting snow, followed closely by a stunningly beautiful woman. The cold wind entering the valley created a unique echo, apanying the slow steps of the two. They seemed to have traveled far, yet no hint of fatigue showed on their faces. "Are you still thinking about those people we encountered before?" The staff thudded into the ground. For Epimetheus, he didn¡¯t need it to ensure the path under the snow was smooth, but he used it as if he did. Along the way, he had grown ustomed to posing as a mortal, which saved him a lot of trouble. "I just don¡¯t understand... why they looked at me with such eyes." Following behind, Pandora¡¯s somewhat pale face was as beautiful as ever. It was a pity that in the Northern Lands swept by the chill wind, no one could appreciate her charming demeanor. "I haven¡¯t done anything; this natural disaster is unrted to me, but why..." Her voice grew quieter and nearly imperceptible as Pandora seemed to recall that day. When she saw her subordinates killed effortlessly by Epimetheus, the young guard captain did not show a hint of fear. He still charged at the being before him and was then pinned to the ground by the man¡¯s staff. But until thest moment of his life, he looked at Pandora with eyes full of hate. They called her "witch," implying a woman with extraordinary power like demonic monsters who would bring disaster to humans. But Pandora was very clear that, aside from the blessings of the gods on her body which she could not activate on her own, she was just an ordinary human, even unable to defeat that exceptionally skilled young man. N?v(el)B\\jnn If someone like her could bring about this world-engulfing blizzard, it would indeed sound like a joke. "Why deceive yourself... you know very well why." "Although you were deliberately bestowed with abundant curiosity, it doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re really that stupid¡ªyou are different from the gods." With a faint smile, Epimetheus didn¡¯t seem to be referring to anyone in particr. "After all, if a god is foolish now, it is quite likely they have been and will always be. Few among them can learn from experience, no matter how much time passes, they seem to remain unchanged." "But you are human; you were not born with godhood, and consequently, are not swayed by it. You are also unlike other mortals who only have a few decades of life. Therefore, you don¡¯t need to adopt such a posture¡ªthe changes in you along this journey, I¡¯ve seen them all." There was no response, but following behind the man, Pandora¡¯s expression calmed. Indeed, as he had just said. Perhaps at the very beginning, when she first opened the Magic Jar, she did feel sorrow and despair about the hatred and misunderstanding of mankind, but not anymore. A simple reason: lengthy time can smooth over everything. What is brief to the gods is already enough for her. Compared to the misunderstandings of humanity, what she truly dwells on is the fearless bravery of that captain who did not fear death. He possessed a courage that most gods and humans do not have... And then, he died so easily before her eyes. "Actually,pared to that, I am rather curious¡ªwhy did you reveal your name for what reason?" Unaware of what the woman behind him was thinking, Epimetheus casually asked: Chapter 499 - 141: The Last Snow and Sound_2 "You should know, when the deeds of your appearance spread, when those human corpses are discovered, your reputation as bringer of disaster will be solidified," "And then... those beliefs that swirl around you, yet cannot be absorbed by you, will only grow more and more, leaving you restless day and night," "Not intentionally," Pandora said without answering, merely correcting: "I just forgot for a moment about my reputation among humans." "Well, a momentarypse, then." Epimetheus nodded, neither confirming nor denying. The two continued forward. They walked for a good while in the narrow stretch at the mouth of the valley until the space in front of them started to widen considerably. Here was no snowstorm, and the white frost falling from the sky seemed to encounter an invisible barrier, still teeming with life just a step away. Epimetheus stopped here, took a look around, then gestured lightly with his hand. "You stay here for now." "...Alright." Nodding, Epimetheus continued walking inside. Behind him, Pandora, holding the magic jar that had apanied her for many years, watched his figure recede into the distance. ... Crossing over a small stream, just a few steps wide, passing by a small patch of farnd-like area, a delicate wooden cabin soon appeared at the end of the line of sight. In front of the cabin, there was a stone table, several chairs, and a small flower garden enclosed by a wooden fence. Everything bore a pastoral charm, even the middle-aged man who was the only one sitting there. Compared to the figure in his memory, this one seemed much older, but his demeanor was more rxed. "Father, it seems you¡¯ve been living well under Mother Earth¡¯s protection," Striding forward, Epimetheus addressed the identity of the man before him. Iapetus, one of the least prominent among the Titan deities. His moststing impression on the world is probably the fathering of the brothers Prometheus and others. Of course, all his children now could be considered enemies of the Olympian Pantheon. "There¡¯s no good or bad, just finding a ce to live quietly, I want very little, so it¡¯s easy to be satisfied," Reclining and resting with his eyes closed on a rudimentary chair, Iapetus did not seem very enthusiastic about his long-lost son. "That¡¯s good, since Mother left too, I¡¯ve always thought you might feel lonely," Laughing, Epimetheus casually chose a chair and sat down. "Around this valley, I¡¯ve seen some rather special human tribes. They worship deities with the flesh and blood of wild beasts¡ªgods I¡¯ve never heard of¡ªand they proim ¡¯all things have spirits.¡¯ "It seems they believe they are worshipping a tree, a rock, or some powerful wild beast or the like. I didn¡¯t really care about this until I found out those things actually possess consciousness and can absorb faith." "Do you know what¡¯s going on?" He asked casually, doubting he would get any answer. Even though this was happening not too far from here, he was sure his old father wouldn¡¯t take any interest. Or more precisely, like him, to cautiously steer clear of such unexined phenomena, particrly when one can¡¯t exert much power in the Mortal Realm. "I don¡¯t know," as expected, Iapetus responded: "If you¡¯re interested in them, you could stay around a little longer." And so, the topic ended there, as Epimetheus clearly had no wish to seek additional troubles for himself. But with the conversation begun, the long estranged father and son started to talk about things both consequential and irrelevant. They talked about the old days, about As who was still upholding The Sky, and about Prometheus who had been sent to the East Sea. Mostly it was Epimetheus who spoke, while Iapetus asionally reacted. It wasn¡¯t until the sun began to set that the Afterthinker unintentionally asked a question. "I recall... you once made a prophecy, seeing the vision of the Sun falling into the East Sea?" "That wasn¡¯t my prophecy," Iapetus said softly, shaking his head: "Destiny sought me out on its own." "Whatever it is, Father, I¡¯m just curious..." "In your understanding, how exactly does fate take effect, or rather, can someone who holds fate truly control it at will?" Looking up slightly, Iapetus turned his gaze to his son. Just like the past, the Afterthinker still didn¡¯t possess any of his brother¡¯s confidence and intelligence. Even now, he still felt the same. "Probably not, that¡¯s my answer," Hyperion said calmly after a while, without giving a reason. "...I understand." With a smile still on his face, Epimetheus continued his conversation with his father until the sun hadpletely set, then he spoke up to say goodbye. The Moon had not yet risen when he started walking back to the mouth of the valley where Pandora was still waiting for him. Crossing the boundary between the warmth and the cold wind, the Afterthinker looked in the direction of the sunset. Now, it was not Helios who sat on the golden chariot, but Apollo, who needed to exert all his strength to drive the divine chariot. One would think thatpared to that peeping tom who inherited Hyperion¡¯s title of ¡¯High Perceiver,¡¯ this temporary upant, Apollo, probably didn¡¯t have the leisure to peer around indiscreetly. "Let¡¯s go." With a call, Epimetheus walked back the way he came. "Let¡¯s go to the Mortal Realm and then establish a church." "Is that for you? Aren¡¯t we still considered criminals by Olympus?" "Of course it¡¯s not to establish it openly; use your brain a bit." Shaking his head, Epimetheus said, n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om "Moreover, it¡¯s not a church for me, it¡¯s for you... of course, and your jar." ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Whoosh¡ª Underworld, the entrance to the Abyss. Space rippled, followed immediately by a sh of golden light. In the next moment, Helios appeared there, somewhat disheveled. However, there were no injuries on his body, clearly, although he had just encountered a minor trouble, it was not enough to actually harm him. "Phew¡ªIt seems my guess was right." "Dozens, even hundreds¡ªI wonder, if this continues, will there be more gods in the Abyss than there are outside? Is this really reasonable?" he murmured with a long sigh, approaching the exit where Helios encountered a life form that had just been born from the corpse of a Demon God. Unlike the Earth-shaking Worm he had met before, he did not witness the birth process of this entity, therefore he could not learn its title, simr to a divine true name. Helios only saw a colossal silhouette that appeared silently behind the barrier of what he had marked as the thirdyer of the Abyss. A spherical body floated in the air with a gigantic, single eye at the very front and center of its head and body, beneath which was arge mouth full of dagger-like teeth. Yet, the most eye-catching feature was the ten tentacles writhing on the sphere, each ending with a small eye, all of which were fixedly staring at him. Then he experienced the feeling of being ¡¯killed with a nce¡¯ as a beam of dissociating light emitted from the pupil of that eye, striking him directly¡ªaplete Outsider to the Abyss. "In the future... there won¡¯t be a future; I¡¯m definitely noting back to this damned ce." Back in the real world, Helios finally felt somewhat safer. He couldn¡¯t help but rx, but soon after started to worry again. "So where would Mother Earth be, surely not asleep again?" If that were really the case, then the God of Sun had no recourse. The slumber of a Primordial God is difficult to disturb by external forces, at least he didn¡¯t have the power to do so. "What is it that you want from me?" "Of course¡ª" He turned around abruptly, but Helios saw nothing. He didn¡¯t think it was an illusion; someone had definitely spoken to him just now. "Honorable Mother Earth, may I ask...?" "It is I." The voice came again, and in the next moment, a ruddy light appeared before Helios. It then expanded and morphed into a vortex. "No matter what you seek me for,e here first. And what you encountered in the Abyss, I would like to know as well," said the undeniable voice. Listening to it, Helios should have been happy. He hadn¡¯t found Gaia, but Gaia had taken the initiative to seek him out. Yet, for some reason, he now felt an inexplicable tension. Looking at the slowly rotating vortex... it seemed like another Abyss to him. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 500 - 142: "Corona Hesitation was but a momentary flicker before being dismissed from Helios¡¯s mind. Although the intuition of the primordial deities was indeed sharp, it was not surprising to the God of Sun that he would have such a feeling. He was now, after all, somewhat of a member of the Olympian pantheon, and Gaia¡¯s conflict with Zeus was well known. Strictly speaking, they were still enemies, and perhaps that was the source of the warning... Pushing aside the unease in his heart, Helios stepped into the reddish-brown circle of light. With a sh, he vanished from the spot. ... Following a sensation of spatial transition, darkness fell before his eyes, then light returned, and Helios found himself in a massive underground cavern. The ground was somewhat wet and slippery, ufortable to stand upon. Although his exact location remained unknown, the subtle shifts in the environmentalws allowed Helios to ascertain that he was no longer in the Underworld. He must have returned to the surface¡ªor somece near it. However, to his surprise, he could not recall Gaia ever wielding divine authority over the realm of space. Aside from the previous Divine King, Cronus, no known deity had ever wielded such power; therefore, even the divine arts created by the godscked simr capabilities. ¡¯Regardless, she is a primordial deity, and even if she has lost face before Zeus, she must still possess some hidden methods.¡¯ As the thought flickered through his mind, Helios¡¯s gaze shifted toward the center of the cavern. There, Mother Earth stood, with her back to him. The brown dress was dotted with a few red spots, and the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes were clearly visible. Yet, contrary to the Gaia he had seen outside Mount Olympus, the one before him seemed in a markedly better condition. At least the skin that was exposed seemed to have more luster, and even her hair was no longer so dry and yellow. If this was not an intentionally feigned appearance by Mother Earth, then her power must have greatly recovered. "Greetings to you, respected Mother of All Gods." With a mind slightly abuzz, the unexpected scene before him made Helios somewhat worried. His previous thoughts were based on Gaia¡¯s deep hatred for Zeus, but his own power was vastly insufficient... However, thoughts aside, the God of Sun did not stop his movements. He took a few steps forward and then gave a bow, hand to chest. "You seem to be in better health, which is indeed cause for celebration." "Greetings... This does not seem like something an Olympian deity would do for me." As she turned slightly, looking at the God of Sun before her, Gaia¡¯s voice was devoid of warmth. "Yet I have never considered myself an Olympian deity. I long for the era of the Titans more than the present. Everyone knows the new Divine Court isposed of Zeus¡¯s family. And I, am decidedly not one of them." n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Without pretense, Helios bluntly expressed his thoughts, believing that Mother Earth could see this for herself. And indeed, it was so. Gaia had called the God of Sun here not only out of interest in his experience in the Abyss but also because he was seeking her out, and it seemed not at Zeus¡¯s behest. Coming to her, an enemy of Olympus, on his own, even with Gaia¡¯s wisdom she could guess that he might not be so obedient. "What did you encounter in the Abyss?" Without immediately bringing up the Divine King, Gaia instead mentioned the existence of Tartarus. Even though she no longer needed It, she still harbored resentment over Tartarus¡¯s earlier refusal. Something had undoubtedly urred within her irrational brother, and the disheveled state of Helios upon his departure was the best evidence of that. "The story is a long one... As unbelievable as it may sound, I actually encountered native life forms of the Abyss." With a shimmering gaze, Helios spoke truthfully: "They were numerous and hostile towards outsiders. I did not wish to conflict with them, so I retreated immediately." "Life?" She echoed the word, as if Gaia was beginning to understand Tartarus¡¯s reaction. If It had acquired life through some unknown means to her, it truly no longer needed her... And the refusal to admit her was not surprising. Perhaps It saw Gaia as a threat, and that¡¯s why she was barred from entry. However, since there was a person familiar with the details present before her, Mother Earthmanded without courtesy: "Be more specific; what exactly did you see in there, and did you encounter Crius?" "As you wish, I will tell the truth." With a slight nod, Helius immediately began recounting his observations. The numerousyers, the peculiar life forms existing within those nes, and the various phenomena that differed significantly from the outer world. Everything he described did not seem like the Abyss but rather another material ne; of course, in the end, Helios regretfully stated that he had not encountered the God of Meteorology. After all, the Abyss was too vast, and it was very difficult to find any particr deity without guidance. Moreover, his visit was not for the purpose of seeking Crius. Gaia did not doubt his word; it was just a casual inquiry. Now her conflict with Zeus was not so much about Crius nor the Golden Apple Tree, whose mastermind might be someone else. Compared to them, Zeus himself was the existence she could least tolerate. Chapter 501 - 142: "Corona"_2 He established the authority of the Divine King with his own dignity, so as long as he remained the Sovereign of the Gods, Gaia would never rest easy. Therefore, at the end of Helios¡¯s narrative, Gaia looked at this child of Hyperion. Compared to his father, Helioscked that sense of ferocity and intensity, like a stone whose edges had been worn smooth, something anyone could hold in their hands. But now he had taken the initiative to seek her out, perhaps this proved he had his own agenda? However, before that, Gaia needed to understand what grievance he had with Zeus that made him want to rebel against the other, even after witnessing the power of the Divine King. He could not possibly have noticed the changes in himself recently, after all, even Gaia herself was surprised by it. So in the eyes of Helios, he was inferior to Zeus. With doubts in her heart, Gaia then asked, and in front of her, the God of Sun gave an answer that left no room for questioning. "Because the one driving the Sun Chariot now is not me... Mother Earth, this is the first time it has happened, and I hope it is also thest." "I see, you are about to be reced by Zeus¡¯s son, which is why you havee seeking my help?" Previously not realizing it, until reminded by him, Gaia suddenly became aware that although Helios was in front of her, the movement of the Sun was still proceeding as usual. For a deity, the encroachment of authority is the most unbearable, it was not surprising that he would make such a choice... but in front of Helios, Gaia just sneered coldly. "Light often apanies the Sun, so, in this sense, it is indeed possible you could be reced by Zeus¡¯s son, but you may have found the wrong person. I am not a match for Zeus, naturally, I cannot help you, and even if you want my assistance, what do you have that could move me?" "I..." He faltered for a moment, but then Helios immediately said: "I can work for you, after all, you must have some matters that are inconvenient for you to handle yourself. Given your current rtionship with Olympus, it would be quite difficult to find other help." "Just like the Goddess of the Nether Moon who resides in the Underworld and the Goddess of Life who joined Olympus, they are the respective intermediaries of the other two Primordial Deities in this world, and I can be yours¡ª" "I do not need a subordinate who has betrayed his father and two rulers, and although there is no possibility of reconciliation with Olympus, I do not need such an ¡¯envoy¡¯ with ulterior motives." Gaia interrupted coldly, rejecting him once again without mercy. She meant every word, and in front of her, Helios tried several times to say something in his defense, but in the end, he didn¡¯t voice it. He knew himself that his three acts of betrayal each had their reasons. Hyperion had locked him in the Sun, fearing the child would contest with him for the dominion of the Daylight; Cronus, althoughter didn¡¯t do much to him, had initially forced Helios to agree to the creation of the Sun Chariot to prevent another Ruler of the Stars from being born. As for Zeus, he now directly threatened Helios¡¯s authority, but the God of Sun knew that even if he exined, Gaia was unlikely to listen to him. Because, as Mother Earth had said, the most crucial issue was, he was of no use to Gaia. Helios had thought that perhaps out of spite for Zeus, this capricious Mother Earth would agree to help him, but now it was clear things were different from what he had expected... With a heavy heart, but forcing a smile, the God of Sun bid Gaia farewell. "If that¡¯s the case, then respected Mother Earth, please allow me to take my leave." Turning back toward the way he hade, Helios¡¯s mind was already considering other options. No matter what, he couldn¡¯t just sit and wait... Yet as one foot had already crossed over the russet ring of light, at that moment, Mother Earth¡¯s voice once again came from behind him. "Wait." "Hmm?" Turning around in confusion, Helios did not know what else Gaia wanted to say. And facing the puzzled gaze of the God of Sun, Gaia spoke indifferently: "I will not help you... Helios, but perhaps you can help yourself." ``` "I now have my own matters to attend to and have no time to bother with the affairs on the surface. Zeus will pay for his arrogance, but not today. However, if you possess the power that Zeus fears, then his son will not be a threat to your position." "But I do not have such power." He spoke slowly, yet as he listened to Gaia¡¯s words, a sense of anticipation began to rise in Helios¡¯s heart. Mother Earth would not make such a statement without reason, and since she had mentioned it... "You can have it." Without disappointing Helios, Gaia merely smiled. The next moment, she lifted the veil of a concealing power. N?v(el)B\\jnn In an instant, everything before the God of Sun transformed. He was no longer in a cave, but in a chamber of flesh and blood; the wet and slippery ground beneath his feet was not made of stone, but an egg teeming with life. Through the translucent membranes, Helios could see an entity with a hundred heads swimming within, everything seeming so bizarre... But after his journey to the Abyss, his eptance of such matters had already advanced more than just one level. Among all these changes, only Gaia herself remained unchanged. She was still wearing her brown dress, only the red spots had turned into crystal-clear branches that prated deep within. They glowed faintly, pulsing like blood vessels, as if they constantly transported something into Mother Earth¡¯s body. With each pration, Gaia¡¯s presence became imperceptibly more profound. "You don¡¯t have it now, but you can, if you are willing to ept it." In front of the God of Sun, Gaia snapped off a piece of branch that resembled red crystal and tossed it towards Helios. Even after leaving her body, the branch seemed to retain its vitality. Fine tendrils were dropping from it, swaying in the air, as if searching for something. "This is poison to mortals, but to a deity, it is merely a supplement." She wasn¡¯t lying, Gaia indeed thought so. That power from the Outer God indeed possessed strong corruptive and erosive qualities, and it even influenced the spirit of its possessor. But under the protection of the current world¡¯sws, it had not affected Gaia¡¯s sanity in the slightest. After all, she was the foundation of the current world, the original Primordial Deity. As long as nothing went wrong with the world itself, she would remain unaffected ¡ª or so she assumed for Helios as well. "Imnt it into your body, use yourself as a medium, and let its power strengthen the Sun." "Hyperion is the original Sun, but you are not, for the Sun and he were born together, whereas you were born from the Sun. But if you can endow the Sun with a new concept, maybe then you could attain the same authority as him... By that time, no one will be able to rece you." "..." After a moment of silence, Helios¡¯s expression underwent some changes. "What will I have to give up? If I allow this thing to take root in my Divine Body, I fear I¡¯ll never be able to rid myself of it." "Indeed, but your promise had no guarantees to begin with." For the first time, Gaia felt quite good aboutmanding someone else rather than beingmanded, so she borated a bit more. "I only ask you to do one thing... On the day when my offspring ascend Olympus, you must join him, making Zeus pay the price." "And on that day, perhaps when he has lost his throne, you too can try to be the Divine King, just like your father once aspired to do." In Gaia¡¯s mind, she was now the partner of the Flesh-Mother Tree, and the other¡¯s wisdom was clearly not high, even restrained, so everything of Them in this world was naturally to be managed by her. Having had enough of the reign of three generations of Divine Kings, if she could birth a Divine King under her control, that wouldn¡¯t be too bad. ``` Chapter 502 - 143 Ice Crown and Broken Stele In the heart of thend of Chaos World, within a cavern filled with a blood-red hue, a discreet exchange swiftly came to an end. Everything remained concealed beneath the earth, with not even a trace on the path of fate, for although Gaia herself did not possess the power to obscure them, it didn¡¯t mean the Mother Tree was incapable of doing so. Or more precisely, the Flesh-Mother Tree didn¡¯t rely on any force or authority to hide this change; it simply existed there, and everything was veiled. The giant tree, now endowed with the traits of Creation, was like a massive ¡¯source of gravity,¡¯ drawing all information and fate concerning itself to its vicinity, ensuring no idents urred until the moment Helios left. Everything proceeded as usual, with Helios continuing the task given by the Divine King to mediate the conflict between Hades and the Goddess of Agriculture, and Gaia remaining there, using her unique status as a Primordial God to pry open the blockade on the misty realm of Niflheim, ceaselessly drawing power. ordingly, the Mother Tree, from which power was being extracted, was suitably generous. Whether it was Gaia¡¯s continually developing embryo or the newly joined Sun, It did not refuse any who sought from It. Thus, from that day forth, the surface of the Sun was graced with a faint red halo, adding ayer of splendor to the corona that made it look far more magnificent. Although this was quite an evident change, it wentrgely unnoticed. After all, the changes in the Chaos World had never ceased since the integration of the Nine Realms centuries ago, so even Zeus in Asgard did not react to it. Everything felt so natural, only in the beginning did Apollo, who drove the Sun Chariot, notice that something was amiss, as he found the Sun more difficult to control. Apollo had already started to struggle not long after Helios left, which was around the time he entered the Abyss. Each day, dragging the colossal celestial body from the East to the West exhausted all his strength, and over time, it grew more unruly. However, Apollo did not perceive anything wrong in this, for all seemed to stem from the Sun¡¯s own defiance, not from the interference of any deities using their divine power. Until he returned the Sun Chariot to Helios, he could not detect any of the events unfolding behind the scenes¡ªof course, even if he had checked, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to discern anything anyway. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om After all, only the God of Sun truly understood the Sun; as long as Helios stated ¡¯this is a spontaneous change in the Sun,¡¯ no one could prove otherwise. In any case, everything was progressing smoothly. By the end of February, within the mortal realm¡¯s city of Eryxis, Helios conveyed Hades¡¯s intentions to Demeter, the current situation of Persephone, and the dissatisfaction of the Olympian Gods with it. They all hoped to end this sooner and get the mortal realm back on track. So, after confirming that her daughter had truly epted the power of the Underworld, the enraged Goddess of Agriculture eventually came to terms with the situation. She had to face the reality that in the future, Persephone would spend half the year on the surface and the other half in the Underworld, being both the Queen of the Underworld and a deity of Olympus. With all matters settled amicably, the farce-like catastrophe drew to a close. By mid-March, as the path of the Sun was poised to shift from the twelfth to the first sign of the Zodiac, atst, a spring breeze swept from the West, bringing long-missed vitality to thend. The winter destined to be remembered by mortals finally approached its end. ... In the southern part of the continent, atop an unnamed mountain peak. A golden scepter was held by a not-sorge palm, with delicate patterns swirling over every corner of its body. They glowed, twinkled, and resonated with a certain rule of the world. If one looked closely, they would discern that these intricate patterns were more than they seemed; they were a collection of scrolls, depicting the growth and ripening of every type of vegetation, and at the very top, a conspicuous sheaf of wheat was entwined. This was not an innate feature of the Divine Artifact but rather a manifestation of culture and Godhood born from sentient life. Unlike innate or objectively existing matter, these cultural divine roles, reliant on the birth of intelligent life, did not directly bestow divine power to their wielder, but they did effectively broaden the scope of their authority. At this moment, however, the brightly shining Divine Artifact was not unleashing any power but rather retracting its influence on the world. Under the control of its current wielder, the forces once released were recalled one by one, erasing the invisible shackles. All life resumed its growth¡ªthen the cold weather stopped their budding. So, the next instant, within the All-Spirit Realm, the god of spring and renewal, prepared in advance, scattered her power to the world, allowing the spring wind to begin caressing the earth, and theplete cycle of the four seasons embarked on its first revolution. The ¡¯calendar,¡¯ established long before ancient times, was further perfected, tightly linked to the trajectory of the Sun and the arrangement of the stars, granting even greater order to the world. The Chaos World took another step forward, but ¡¯the script¡¯ lost yet another page. Meanwhile, standing on the mountain peak, Eros looked at his twin brother. Chapter 503 - 143 Ice Crown and Broken Stele_2 The moment he set down the scepter, a blue Ice Crown settled upon Volos¡¯s head. The ice and snow on the ground, still not dissolved, seemed to resonate with him, congratting their master on his birth. "It seems you do not intend to directly integrate it into your body." After waiting a little while longer, until the Ice Crown had fully stabilized, Eros couldn¡¯t help but speak. Due to their special identities, the formation of the Ice Crown encountered no difficulties, which was precisely why the task was left to the two of them. And indeed, the result turned out just as expected. "There is no need. Integrating it would only contaminate my pure origin. The separate seasons themselves are not a formidable Godhood, if not for their cycle itself, I would hardly take any interest in it." Volos slowly opened his eyes and released his right hand. The Scepter of Wealth slipped from the palm, dropping straight to the ground, sinking into the soil, and then vanished without a trace. It likely returned to its master, but Volos did not feel any loss. The only use that the Divine Artifact had for him had alreadye to an end, and he did not n to keep it in hand any longer. "Let¡¯s go, it¡¯s time to return." Touching the top of his head, which was a bit ufortable, Volos still wasn¡¯t ustomed to suddenly having such a cold object. He intended toter leave it in the fourthyer of the Spirit Realm and let it participate in the cycle of the seasons by itself. As for the two of them... The recently born twins were still filled with curiosity about this world. They had already agreed to explore this world in their own way afterwards. "Well, let¡¯s go back then." Nodding in agreement, Eros did not object. Before leaving, she nced towards the northeast, where the city of Eryxisy. A thousand yearster, or perhaps two thousand, she nned to go there and see what kind of legends the King, Prince, Queen, and Goddess had left for the humans toe. ... Spirit Realm, fifthyer. The vast interface was as deste as ever, and at the most central ce, the opposing interfaces of positive and negative energy were still producing conflict and division. Since ending the expedition to the Fantasy World some time ago, Laine had returned directly here, continuing to stabilize the cycles of these two inner realms. Although he was still indispensable here, as time passed, he needed to spend less and less effort on it. Therefore, in his free time, much like before, Laine naturally devoted his spare moments to other pursuits. Localization improvement of the Rune Scriptures was one aspect; he had even tried toplete a part of it, only to be unsatisfied and start over again. However, this time, due to the exploration of Zeus¡¯s memories, he gained two additional topics. The first goes without saying, ever since obtaining the manifestation of the Creation Force, exploring its form of existence and understanding how to use it more skillfully became one of Laine¡¯s most pressing concerns¡ªyet this was even more difficult than improving the runes. Facing this nearly omnipotent force, he was like confronting the immortal nature of a deity; although he could use it, he had not gained greater understanding of it. Therefore, after his attempts bore no fruit, Laine decisively set it aside for the time being. Perhaps, just as he needed to attain great Divine Power to carry the mighty symbol, only by reaching the realm of Tartarus or even the dawn of Gaia¡¯s birth could he truly understand the mysteries of the creation realm. Byparison, another topic seemed not so lofty. The ritual of Zeus, although profound, was something that Laine could deconstruct andprehend. This method of constructing symbols through special means was like a primer, opening up Laine¡¯s thought processes considerably. If symbols could be constructed in such a way, then perhaps the more fundamental authority could be, too. However, the foundation that authority itself could be was a cornerstone for constructing symbols, Laine couldn¡¯t think of what could serve as the foundation of authority just yet. Faith was out of the question; it was too easily changed¡ª n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om "There are exceptions, however, those faiths that are not born of worship and sacrifice, those that have continuously arisen from the past of civilization, are constant," he mumbled. "But such power... it still doesn¡¯t seem quite suitable to be utilized by mortals. To touch upon faith before reaching the domain of a God might not be a good thing," he added. After some thought, Laine finally shook his head. If there ever came a day when he would venture to try himself, he wouldpletely and thoroughly strip himself of his humanity, leaving no connection between it and his essence, for any connection, however slight, would make it easier for others to detect the link between this special incarnation and himself, and would likely create vulnerabilities in his ¡¯path to godhood.¡¯ If he relied on his own traits as a deity to exempt some of the difficulties on the road to godhood, it meant that his understanding of that stage would remain nk. His desire to retrace the long steps to godhood was to fill all the ¡¯nks,¡¯ to fully understand from the origin the foundation of his existence; naturally, he wouldn¡¯t think of cutting corners before even starting. "It¡¯s still quite difficult... but that¡¯s to be expected," he sighed. "I hope to reach a conclusion before this epoch ends¡ªno, a conclusion must be reached before this epoch can end," he resolved. With a calm expression, Laine lightly tapped his fingers, and a peculiar formation with twelve vertices appeared once again in front of him in the void. The ritual of Zeus was based on the position of the Divine King, mere imitation wouldn¡¯t be effective, so Laine had been trying to modify its form to make it seem more useful. Initially, he chose to modify the moreplete part, the one perfected by the world Law; however, Laine soon discovered that this version was too deeply integrated with the current world. Although it seemed stronger, many aspects were actually not conducive to his changes. Therefore, he quickly switched his target and took out the original version of the ritual used by the primeval Zeus. In this rougher version of the ritual, both the Divine King and Queen of Gods were among the Principal Gods, but Laine noticed the differences because, in this version of the ritual, the actual Principal God was ¡¯Zeus of Thunder¡¯ rather than ¡¯King Zeus.¡¯ This effectively avoided the problem of an imbnce in power among the twelve pirs of the primeval ritual¡ªof course, the problem still existed, but it was exempted to some extent. And the presence of the Queen of Gods was no longer special in this ritual. Hence, in the end, Laine simply gleaned a seemingly useless and strange ritual from it. "A sealing technique..." he pondered. "A core, twelve nodes, which can operate positively, allowing the nodes to supply power to the core, or negatively, extracting the core¡¯s power by the twelve nodes, turning it into a barrier sealing itself... But what do I need it for?" he wondered. The corners of his mouth twitched slightly as Laine himself couldn¡¯t figure out where to apply this ritual¡ªfortunately, like this ritual whose purpose was still unknown, he had many others. For instance, there was the poison from Odin¡¯s vault, and also the shattered stele, which to this day, he had not managed to analyze for use. Chapter 504 - 144 Mark "Speaking of that stele... I almost forgot about it." Looking at the ceremonial patterns of no apparent use, Laine suddenly recalled the broken stele that he had tossed into the depths of his collection long ago. In Odin¡¯s Treasury, he had sessively acquired the Draupnir, the divine sword Laevatein, the Rune Scriptures of The Origin Text, a poison and its antidote based on the poison springs of Niflheim, and the grudge of the primordial giant Ymir. Some of these items had been used, while others had not to this day, but anyway, Laine knew what they were for more or less. The only exception was that broken stele obtained at the same time, which, from the moment he acquired it, he never understood what it was for. Even under his scrutiny, it seemed nothing more than an utterly ordinary object. Laine had even tried to destroy it once but quickly stopped after only wearing away a corner. He realized that this stele was not, as he thought, some ¡¯unfathomable divine object¡¯ with the property of indestructibility, despite its ordinariness. On the contrary, all its properties proved it to be nothing more than a stone¡ªalbeit possibly an old one. However, since it wasn¡¯t an object from Chaos World, Laine couldn¡¯t urately judge the years it had endured. If this object hadn¡¯t appeared in Odin¡¯s Treasury, collected along with other treasures by that Otherworldly Divine King, probably no deity would have given it a second nce. But there are no what-ifs, so even though he couldn¡¯t tell its purpose at that time, Laine still kept it well preserved. Actually, Laine took the Otherworld Divine King very seriously in his heart. His journey through the Nine Realms made it clear that this world didn¡¯t seem to be as described in the Scandinavian mythology. Quite the contrary, there were significant differences. If Chaos World had embarked on apletely different destiny because of his presence, then the changes in the Nine Realms were undoubtedly closely rted to Odin, who had foreseen the end of all things. So much so that when Laine saw Odin¡¯s figure again in Athena¡¯s memories, he felt it was only natural. This one-eyed Divine King, who rode the eight-legged horse Sleipnir, must have some secrets unknown to others, and perhaps this stele was rted to them¡ªor maybe not, but in any case, it must be something valuable. But now, remembering it again, Laine realized he should probably retrieve it. Because unlike before, he now had a new tool. "Hmm... I remember it being over there." With some memory effort, Laine found that stele in a secluded pce on Mount Sinai, where it had been ced and never again removed. Since he wasn¡¯t sure what was special about it, Laine couldn¡¯t be certain whether the Laws of Chaos would affect it. Thus, in that secluded pce, he artificially created an environment with rules simr to those of the Nine Realms. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om So, with a wave of temporal fluctuation, the broken stele appeared before Laine. However, as with every time before, he couldn¡¯t see anything wrong with it. Not attempting anything futile, Laine lifted his hand, and a droplet materialized by the Creation Force fell directly into his palm. The Temporal Divinity that constituted the foundation of the Spirit Realm trembled slightly as if resonating with this primal force. It was its presence that allowed the ¡¯droplet¡¯ to be used and not be utterly untouchable like it would be in two separate dimensions. However, Laine didn¡¯t n to use it for anything right now; he was simply maintaining the contact and once again looked towards that utterly ordinary stele. The worn surface of the stele seemed to have once had some text, but it had long since be blurred and difficult to discern. Previous inspections often ended here; it didn¡¯t show any peculiarities. But this time, from a higher perspective, Laine felt he might actually have seen something. "Is this... a marker?" It was a mark as iplete as the stele itself¡ªor a coordinate, sign, or something else. There was no doubt it was something with directionality, and the location it pointed to was not presented as a coordinate in time and space. Laine found it hard to describe this way of presentation; anyway, it was indeed a guide. And it seemed to exist in the same location as the stone, but thetter seemed to be just a carrier for the former. Indeed, it was just an utterly ordinary stele, bing significant only because of this marker, for some reason falling upon it. "So what is this marker for, who left it, or is it naturally formed? And Odin, why did he have such an object? " With eyes slightly narrowed, Laine felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity looking at this strange marker. It seemed he had had some connection with this thing, yet he had absolutely no recollection of it. "Interesting, if it¡¯s a trace that only world-level power can detect, then how did Odin perceive it? Or perhaps he didn¡¯t see this marker at all, just like me before, knowing it¡¯s important but not why." Spections shed through his mind, then were swiftly dismissed. Perhaps when the Nine Realms still existed, this marker had not been as dormant as it is now; these guesses had no evidence after all. And since Odin was already dead, no one could know what he thought. So Laine stopped pondering, merely enduring the pressure that the contact with the ¡¯droplet¡¯ ced on him while he contemted what he should do. Chapter 505 - 144 Mark_2 The fragmented marks left in the treasury of the Nine Realms hardly seemed to point towards any location within the Chaos World¡ªthough certainty was impossible. Perhaps it pointed to a ce within one of the nine great domains, now a part of Chaos. Regardless, it was a matter worth exploring, but recently, Laine had no time to roam about. He first had to wait here until the interface with the Negative Energy world fully stabilized and then, during Typhon¡¯s advent, find the location of the Hemenu World. Before that, he did not intend to make any significant moves. Moreover, this mark was iplete, and no one could guarantee it would lead to the correct ce. So, observing the fragmented mark, Laine eventually only infused a trace of Spirituality into it, then let it drift into the void under the protection of the space-time force, following the guide of the mark. He had no expectation that this force would have any effect; it was merely a tentative exploration. After this step, Laine disconnected from the ¡¯drop¡¯ and casually sent the stele back to the pce. This event was just a minor interlude, not requiring much attention until specific results emerged. "However, speaking of which, I do wonder what Gaia is up to right now." "Legends say that in her wrath, Mother Earth mated with Tartarus and gave birth to Typhon, the king of all monsters with a hundred heads and serpents, in a cave in the Chiriqui Area. But from the current situation, it seems like the Abyss hasn¡¯t suddenly released any power to the outside world..." Somewhat puzzled, the anticipated changes had not urred even after the initial battles of Hell had ended, which was somewhat unexpected for Laine. He had thought that as soon as Gaia left Olympus in anger, her breeding with the Abyss would happen swiftly. It would upy Tartarus¡¯s attention to some extent, and the force he and the God of Sleep had sent to Hell early on would take effect. Yes, before Mephisto made his suggestion, Laine certainly had thought of some contingency ns. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om This was his prepared backup n, and Laine had intended to rely on it to take out a Demon God at a critical moment. However, with other options avable, this attack naturallybined with the fully charged attack of the Serpent of the Central Court, nearly ending all the first-generation demons. "Hmm... Perhaps there is a misunderstanding in my interpretation of the myth. Maybe the content of the myth is merely symbolic, and the ount of Gaia and Tartarus¡¯s breeding has another interpretation?" "And there¡¯s no rule saying Gaia has to immediately conceive offspring after leaving Olympus... In the timeline of myths, dying for a few hundred years seems to be quite normal." Unable to fully understand, Laine eventually set the matter aside. The main body of current destiny remained unbreakable. Regardless, such an important part might deviate, but it would not deviate too drastically. Therefore, Typhon would not disappear without exnation; it was just a matter of sooner orter. As for the possibility that Gaia¡¯s mate might have been reced by another Great Divine Power... it was not entirely possible, but at least no signs were evident for now. Moreover, the birth order of the Chaotic Gods had been disrupted, so it would be irrational for Laine to be certain that Typhon must be born within a set timeframe. Nevertheless, he still paid extra attention to the Realm of Lightness and the sealed Niflheim. Laine was also well aware that if Erebus, who held the [Secrets], truly wanted to do something, he might not detect it immediately, and if the Mother Tree truly had the ability to break through the seal that Chaos had ced on it, then the likelihood of him observing their traces was simrly slim. Great Divine Power was not like the gods of Olympus, who could notice the actions of others with just a nce. Even Gaia could shield herself from others¡¯ scrutiny¡ªonly she could not conceal her existence as effectively as the others. Coming out of his contemtion, having finally settled a few matters at hand, Laine rxed slightly. Looking at the dark hues of the fifth floor of the Spirit Realm, Laine softly called out. "Liana." She, a loyal angel, had sought him out for a matter not rted to the Spirit Realm, but concerning the Silver Moon City in the Mortal Realm. Since the end of the flood and the fulfillment of the covenant with Prometheus, Laine had paid little attention to the affairs of Silver Moon City. The city was entirely managed by a few interested angels, and even when essing consciousness through the Tome of All Spells, he was more concerned with the development of witchcraft and the birth of various new knowledge. This time, however, was different because ording to Liana, the mortal who had a fateful encounter with Laine during the great flood was finally approaching the end of his lifespan. He was one of the rare believers deemed ¡¯faithful¡¯ by the angels, and they had intended to grant him higher honors¡ªbut he refused eternal life in the Mortal World, instead choosing to return to the embrace of the Spirit Realm. A problem then presented itself to the angels: such a devout human, who also made contributions to the spread of the Lord¡¯s miracles, surely deserved a reward. But it seemed that in the entire Spirit Realm, there had never been a mechanism for handling such devout believers in the past. The Goddess of Law established a Divine Kingdom in the fifth level of the Spirit Realm to amodate the souls of her faithful followers after death, but Laine had never created a simr ce. The Golden Humanity entered Seven Hills Paradise, the Silver Humanity went into Nine Layers of Hell, so where would the survivor of the Bronze Age end up? The angels did not make the decision lightly, and ultimately, it was brought before Laine. His judgment on this human would serve as a standard by which the fates of those faithful believers toe would be measured. "Nuo, that seems to be his name." Looking outward at the grandiose and magnificent city that hardly seemed a creation of its time, Laine noticed the residents gathered in front of the Great Temple. In their own way, they were bidding farewell to the ¡¯prophet¡¯ who had led them for hundreds of years and witnessing his return to the Lord¡¯s kingdom. ... Mortal Realm, southeast of the continent. Although the heavy snow had not yet abated, the temperature had started to rise. However, for the inhabitants dwelling in this semi-magical city, they barely felt the changes in the external climate. Having not experienced hunger or cold during the winter season, they naturally didn¡¯t hold great expectations for spring. Moreover, in this special city, spring never truly departed. But today was different. ording to the announcement already made, the great prophet, who had lived for hundreds of years despite not carrying the bloodline of water elves, had finally reached the end of his years. The city was about to undergo a monumental change because no one knew what direction Silver Moon City would take after his death. Nuo, praised as a ¡¯saint¡¯ by the Lord¡¯s messengers, was the only mortal who could directlymunicate with the winged angels and the recognized ruler by all residents of Silver Moon City. But after his death, there was nobody who could find another with the same achievements or abilities to seed him, which gave rise to much spection among the people. Of course, all that was a matter for the past and the future. At least for now, most people were immersed in their sorrow. They gathered spontaneously in front of the Temple, waiting for his return to the heavenly kingdom of the Lord. Chapter 506 - 145 The Prophet’s Admonition In the center of Silver Moon City, a bustling crowd gathered en masse. On both sides of the street, ever-burning magicmps illuminated the night, revealing an endless stream of people to the eye. Nearly half of the city¡¯s residents had left their homes today to bid farewell to thest of the ¡¯City Founders¡¯ from that year. After all, apart from Nuo, those who had escaped the great flood with him had long since passed away. Among them, some had achieved minor feats on extraordinary paths, but there were no truly gifted individuals. Thus, under the weight of centuries, they too had naturally beenid to rest in the earth, living on only in people¡¯s memories. Following a tradition said to descend from the Golden Age, the residents of Silver Moon City erected a stele for each deceased, engraving upon it some tales from their lives. They were uniformly buried near Starfall Lake, where they built a temple dedicated to the three Angels of Death. This was how peoplememorated the presence of their ancestors; after all, every person in Silver Moon City today descended from them. And today, it was the turn of their veryst member. N?v(el)B\\jnn An era was about to end, and from now on, the city would turn a new page. Connios, just an ordinary member of the city, nced at the crowded throngs and couldn¡¯t help but smirk. Tens of thousands, perhaps even over a hundred thousand people¡ªforgive him for not understanding arithmetic, for in this age, even the wizards scarcely did. Experience, tradition, and shes of inspiration were the mainstay now, with calction merely a supplementary tool. Besides, even if he understood, Connios doubted he could gauge the exact number of people present with his eyes alone. This was thergest human city in the world, and although the people of Silver Moon City had not seen other cities, they all believed this to be true. "Deo, I told you before, the city will be crowded today¡ªeven the main avenue. Even if we elbow our way through, it¡¯s impossible to see the Great Prophet," Conniosined as he passed under the tall Silvergate. Currently, there were three gateways piercing through the central avenue of Silver Moon City, each named by humans from three different eras, though, ording to the original n, there could be a total of sevenyers. The remaining four would memorialize significant events in the future, such as the fourth gateway now under construction¡ªthe Enoch Gate. In essence, it meant ¡¯the gateway named after the Great Prophet Nuo.¡¯ "At a time like this, those surrounding the Great Prophet are all significant figures, Deo, do you know what a significant figure is? It¡¯s those who can dictate thews of Silver Moon City, or summon the wind and call the rain with their own power. Clearly, we are not like them." "I know, but at least we can see the Great Prophet¡¯s remains being escorted out of The Temple and sent to that graveyard. If we¡¯re even luckier, maybe we¡¯ll see the legendary Angels." Ignoring Connios¡¯sints, the girl known as Deo continued to forge ahead through the crowd. However, her slender frame could hardly push through, and so the young man had no choice but to follow and help. To him, it didn¡¯t really matter what kind of person someone was in life; after death, they were just a corpse. Spending a whole night just to see a dead body seemed incredibly boring. With that time, he¡¯d rather practice his swordsmanship more, hoping to be recognized by The Temple¡¯s priests as ¡¯meeting the standard of will.¡¯ At that moment, he couldbine with the ¡¯Curse Attribute¡¯ and be a reserve Temple Guard. The Temple¡¯s priests often said that only faith in God could fortify the will and remain unharmed against the mental onught of the ¡¯Curse Attribute.¡¯ However, Connios knew it wasn¡¯t entirely true. Perhaps faith was indeed beneficial, but honing swordsmanship and the physique could also temper the spirit. Compared with the elusive piety, he favored things tangible and visible. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean he was faithless. There were hardly any non-believers among the residents of Silver Moon City, regardless of who they were. "Deo, who do you think will assume the role of the next Patriarch after the Great Prophet¡¯s death?" "This matter has dragged on for a long time now, and there should be a conclusion," Connios said, protecting the girl who seemed somewhat attractive to him, pushing forward as he spoke casually. Compared to him, Deo was a model believer. She not only recited the scriptures fluently but also always paid attention to the significant figures who normally had nothing to do with them. Over time, she had made him familiar with plenty. This was unusual in Silver Moon City¡ªin fact, even in human societies ofter generations, the number of citizens who could call out more than ten names and positions of their country¡¯s leaders was not in the majority, even more so in this ssical age. "I know what you¡¯re thinking, Connios," Deo said, ncing at the man in front of her while stroking her brown hair. She saw right through his thoughts, but she didn¡¯t think his ns woulde to fruition. "Lord Damian has always advocated for expansion, for Silver Moon City to im vaster territories. If he bes the next Patriarch, he will certainly increase the quota for Temple Guard recruits. But taking shortcuts is meaningless. If you make it through the selection that way, even if you seed, you will only be at the bottom." Chapter 507 - 145 The Prophet’s Admonition_2 "And to be honest, not many people support His Excellency¡¯s proposal, and you know why," Indeed, Connios knew why because this was Silver Moon City, a city protected by the Magic Net personally arranged by the Deity. Here, it was spring all year round, with a natural bay serving as a fine harbor, and there was nock of food and resources¡ªit was the best ce to live. Inparison, the residents of Silver Moon City had at least heard something about the outside world. It was said to be wild and dangerous, with vastly different climates¡ªthe former had not been seen by many, but thetter was still evident. Just byparing the lingering snow outside with the warmth of the city, everyone knew what to choose. In such circumstances, the proposal of His Excellency Damian wasn¡¯t widely epted. After all, the residents of Silver Moon City couldn¡¯t figure out why they would leave this divine gift of a city to face snowstorms and hardships. "Don¡¯t say that, Deo. I¡¯m actually pretty confident about passing the test, it¡¯s just that no one dislikes a bit more security. And honestly, don¡¯t you think we have a bit too many people?" Connios exined with a smile as he looked at the crowded throng around him. To the humans of this era, it was difficult to imagine a city with a poption of over a million people. After all, historically, the cities with arge poption during ssical times were without exception the capitals of great empires or the core of vast territories. They relied on continuous water ornd transport to support their operations, devouring resources from all directions day and night; without these, their existence would have been difficult to sustain, but Silver Moon City didn¡¯t need all that. They had the existence of witchcraft; they didn¡¯t need other ces to sustain them. With such a reckless disy of Transcendent power, no problem was a problem, even with only one city, self-sufficiency was still possible. "But our poption will continue to grow, Deo, although I¡¯m not one of those ¡¯big shots¡¯ and don¡¯t know exactly how many people there are in this city, it¡¯s definitely a number beyond my imagination." "We will eventually fill this ce and then have no choice but to venture out¡ªsince there is bound to be such a day, why not n for it sooner?" "Then since you are destined to eat two meals a day, why don¡¯t you cram all your day¡¯s food into one meal?" Deo snorted lightly, jabbing a bit. In front of her, Connios just smiled nonchntly. They had had simr debates several times, but after all, both of them only had a glimpse of the whole picture¡ªalthough Chaos had no such idiom, there was still a simr proverb¡ªneither of them knew how many people were in the city or what the wilderness was truly like, so Connios had no intention of arguing with Deo over such trivial matters. The brief exchange ended and the two continued to weave through the dense crowd. Time slowly passed, and when the Moon was directly above in The Sky, they finally reached a ce where they could barely see the doors of The Temple. The cliff on which The Temple was built was also crowded at this moment, but about a hundred meters from The Temple, there seemed to be an invisible line that separated the vast throng of people. Connios didn¡¯t know whether it was some trick used by the ¡¯big shots¡¯ inside The Temple or if people had stopped on their own ord, but he tended to lean toward thetter. None of the residents of Silver Moon City would dare act recklessly there, and those beings who could summon the winds and call the rain were unlikely to disy their power at The Temple¡¯s gates. "This is as far as I can go, can¡¯t do anything more beyond this point." Connios spread his hands helplessly, not being a powerful warrior; he didn¡¯t think he could make it any further. Seeing this, Deo nodded her head, clearly aware of his limitations. "Then let¡¯s stay here, Connios. The church¡¯s scripture says that all Life will return to the Lord¡¯s kingdom after death and be judged based on their abilities in life. Although I don¡¯t know what judgment the great Patriarch will receive, I suppose no one could surpass him." Swinging his fist, Deo gazed at the gates of The Temple that stood shut. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om The term ¡¯Patriarch¡¯ originally referred to an elder, a respectable person, and in some ces even meant ¡¯father.¡¯ Thus, the church of Silver Moon City used this title to describe the highest spokesperson of Deity in the Mortal Realm, and it was one of the titles bestowed upon Nuo. However, for most people, they still preferred to call Nuo the ¡¯Great Prophet,¡¯ because ording to the church¡¯s scripture, it was he who recognized the Deity walking among Humans and then, inspired by the divine, journeyed east to build a city in this starlit ce. Even in some rumors, Nuo had foreseen the great flood in his dreams¡ªan ount that, since it had been denied by Nuo himself, was not recorded in the scripture, but Deo felt that one day this part would eventually be added to the newly revised texts. "In any case, may you find peace in the Lord¡¯s kingdom," Deo whispered within his heart, his eyes slightly closed. By his side, many others closed their eyes too, praying for the blessing of this soon-to-depart holy one. ... "Cough cough¡ª" "Sit down, everyone, I don¡¯t care about these formalities, and there¡¯s no need for you to be so ceremonious in front of a dying man," In the vastness of The Temple, just like many years before, Nuo sat in his wheelchair. Although it was inside The Temple, this ce was not where the Deity was worshipped. Theplex that enveloped the entire cliff had long since ceased to look like it did hundreds of years ago; other than the most central part of The Temple, other buildings of various purposes had risen around it. Therefore, in this great hall usually used for meetings, the high-ranking officials of the church were gathered here. They looked at the man seated in the wheelchair with sad faces. Even though Nuo¡¯s visage was the same as ever, everyone seated could sense the decay emanating from him. Although most of them were users of Divine Arts, their bodies had acquired certain Transcendent qualities due to the constant bath in high concentrations of Sacred Power. No one would fail to recognize the sense that a life was nearing its end. "There¡¯s no need to look at me like that, cough cough, every human inevitably dies, it¡¯s only a matter of sooner orter. I¡¯m not here to see you sorrow for me. Let me take the time to arrange thest matters," Nuo said with a cough, smiling as he looked around. A single generation¡¯s time was not enough for an organization to decay, especially in an era when the Transcendent revealed their sanctity. Thus, he could proudly dere that everyone present was a devout believer, each endowed with exceptional abilities. Even if they had differing opinions, they were all striving only to make Silver Moon City¡¯s future better and spread the Lord¡¯s Faith. However, a true sage always looks further ahead. Although Nuo never considered himself a sage or a prophet, by learning from the past downfall of Bronze Humanity, he learned many lessons. Therefore, meeting the gazes of everyone present, he spoke his first st words.¡¯ "I have much I want to say... but most importantly, from the beginning, the church shall not have an immortal Patriarch." Stroking the armrest of his wheelchair, Nuo¡¯s voice was steady and unhurried. "Life belongs to the Mortal Realm, the soul to my Lord. Those unwilling to return to the embrace of the Lord should naturally not be His spokesperson on earth." Chapter 508 - 146 Archbishop His face calm, Nuo¡¯s voice echoed within The Temple. Surrounding him, none of the senior members of the church showed any sign of questioning or opposition. This was not solely due to Nuo¡¯s reputation and status, but also because those present did not see any issue with it. Long before now, Nuo had illustrated simr views to them on more than one asion, and now he had truly acted ordingly. Furthermore, even without considering these factors, the objective conditions for a simple and easy path to immortality did not exist at the moment. Nuo was capable of achieving this because his devotion and meritorious service had received angelic approval; they were willing to grant him eternal life, but this did not mean that others would enjoy the same honor. As for the methods of witchcraft¡ªit could indeed extend life to a certain extent, but eternity was still a distant proposition for it. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om The reasons were notplicated. Initially, witchcraft waspiled by Laine from a lofty perspective;ter, Hecate researched it bit by bit. These two beings, who were most likely to develop a method for immortality through witchcraft, had no ns to study the ¡¯Path of Immortality,¡¯ because they had no need for it. Comparatively, humans¡¯ own level of witchcraft was clearly insufficient to conquer this difficult challenge. Perhaps it could be achieved in the future, but that was destined to be a distant future. For most people, if an event is something they will probably never witness, then they naturally will not strongly oppose it. Of course, aside from all these objective factors, there was a key point: as believers, the senior figures of the church did not see death as something to be feared. The cycle of Samsara of All Spirits was one of the authorities of the gods, and some had even seen Eunomia, who hade to the Mortal Realm, together with Nuo. Under such circumstances, without the unknown, there naturally would be no fear. "Very well," seated in his wheelchair, Nuo nodded with a smile, not surprised by their reaction, "It seems you all agree with my view on this matter." "You are a prophet with divine revtion, Teacher; whatever your view is, we will all agree," said a woman who appeared to be in her thirties. Of course, she was actually over a hundred years old, but the bloodline from the water elves in the residents of Silver Moon City greatly slowed down the aging process. Even though this speed varied from person to person, with only a very few enjoying a life span of three to five hundred years or more, on average, they lived twice as long as their counterparts. "No one is always right, Aelma, I am just learning lessons from the past," Nuo said with some helplessness as he shook his head at his student¡¯s respect. In his heart, it was this very reverence from those around him that was one of the real reasons that prompted him to choose death. It had been too long since anyone in Silver Moon City had been willing to question him. It was as if everything he did was correct. But Nuo himself didn¡¯t think so. Apart from the omniscient, no one was always right, and he believed that such excessive reverence could potentially evolve into something else. Prometheus was a clear example. While Nuo himself highly respected the creator of Bronze Humanity, there were some actions of the other that he did not approve of. "Now, let¡¯s move on to the arrangements after my death." Nuo shook his head slightly¡ªperhaps because he was nearing the end of his life, his thoughts were somewhat scattered, but when he came back to his senses, he calmly proceeded toy out all that had been decided beforehand: "Silver Moon City will need a new Patriarch. He will take my ce,municate with the Lord¡¯s messengers, and guide the future direction of Silver Moon City. That is the most important reason for having convened you here today." "You want this position, as it brings you closer to the divine. And each of you has your differing views. Some of you want to maintain the status quo, while others believe that the actions of wizards should be restricted; some want to reim the wilderness onnd, and others have turned their ambitions to the seas." "And it is not just a solitary view; many around each of you agree, some acting for their own sake, others for the future of Silver Moon City. So you all await my decision, as whomever I choose will imply my endorsement of their ideas. And I have never passed judgment on your opinions before today." "Yes, Teacher," a middle-aged man who looked more warrior than Priest said, "We have argued many times in your presence and all voiced our viewpoints. But we have convinced none, as our wisdom is not sufficient to make a universally epted decision. Only you can do that, so we await your verdict." "No, Damian, I can¡¯t. The fact that you believe I am right doesn¡¯t mean my choices are indeed correct. The reason I have not made a decision is that I cannot make a definitive judgment either." "Like you, if I tell you to give up your ns, would you truly be convinced?" "...I will follow yourmand, for you must have seen a future that I have not yet seen," the man known as Damian spoke respectfully while standing in front of Nuo. Nuo shook his head slightly, knowing this would be the oue. The longstanding debates among those present were known, and he was aware of why they were unresolved. It was not only because each of them stood firm on their views but also because none had a clear edge in prestige or capability over the others. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 509 - 146 Archbishop_2 Silver Moon City had been peaceful for far too long. They had no external enemies, no difficulties, no natural disasters; under these circumstances, naturally, no one was able to achieve feats that would convince the vast majority. Therefore, by relying solely on themselves, they were, in any case, unable to reach a consensus. But just as Nuo himself said, he didn¡¯t know who was right, either. He never saw himself as a ¡¯prophet¡¯, nor did he think he could see farther than everyone else. Thus, looking at the few individuals standing quietly before him, Nuo finally made a decision. If conjecture could not produce a result, then let reality verify the truth. Fortunately for Silver Moon City, which had been at peace for so many years, they had ample ability to support this. "Your debates have led to no conclusion, and I do not intend to make a decision arbitrarily. However, I still support your differing opinions," "Having disagreements is good, and the Lord favors change and differences even more. Therefore, my final decision is to abstain from appointing a Patriarch for the time being." As his words fell, Nuo clearly saw the surprised expressions on several people¡¯s faces, but no one outright objected, because they all sensed Nuo still had more to say. "Actions speak louder than words, and each of you has your own supporters. Given that, let each of you verify your ideas," "Those who wish to explore beyond, I allow you to lead those willing to follow you to conquer the seas and wilderness. Those who choose to stay in Silver Moon City, you shall remain here, forming a council; only decisions supported by the majority may be implemented." "Once I am gone, there won¡¯t be such a ¡¯Mountain¡¯ blocking you from testing your own Thoughts anymore. After everything bears results, the one with the greatest achievements will be the next Patriarch." "You are not a Mountain obstructing us." Bowing slightly, without being pleased that his own proposal had been partially implemented, Damian immediately corrected. And to this, Nuo only smiled, knowing that the other had alwayscked a sense of humor. "Let it be so then. May ability decide the oues¡ªI trust that none of you will hinder each other, and those who remain in Silver Moon City won¡¯t forbid those who leave from returning, right?" "Of course, we are always one," Someone said, and Nuo nodded, believing their words. "Very well, everything shall proceed ordingly. And since some among you seek to establish towns in the wilderness alone, it is perhaps not apt to continue calling you ¡¯Priests¡¯." "Those advocating for the church¡¯s mission on one side shall be named ¡¯Archbishop¡¯, and ording to the specific nature of the responsibilities, a prefix may be added before it," No one objected, so another matter was settled. However, after making thest decision, a trace of irrepressible weariness appeared on Nuo¡¯s face. For someone so close to Death, he truly had done too much. Holding power in Silver Moon City for so many years, Nuo certainly had many affairs that needed addressing, but those had long been taken care of previously, Now,pletely rxed, Nuo leaned back in his chair, gently closing his eyes. No one disturbed him; they just waited quietly, and after a long while, Nuo, seemingly having regained some energy, opened his eyes again. "Everyone, leave," Raising his hand slightly, Nuo spoke calmly: "Let me be alone here, to pass through the final journey." Surroundings fell silent for a moment, then footsteps receded from near to far. Apanied by the sound of the great door closing, the inside was separated from the outside. Nuo reclined in his wheelchair, contemting his final decision just made. He had not directly designated his sessor as the next Patriarch for another reason; he did not wish for the position of Patriarch to always be appointed by the predecessor. In the face of a major crisis, a strong leader is the best choice for handling everything. But in times of peace and stability, having more people involved in decision-making may dy the execution of many matters, it also helps to prevent the worst oues. Nuo could not guarantee that every future leader of Silver Moon City would be wise and valiant, so it was better to have more voices in the mix¡ªhe could already envision that even if the new Patriarch ultimately emerged victorious, those Bishops who hadpeted against him would not be without a say. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om There likely would not be another leader who could make unteral decisions like Nuo; every decision would need the support of others. "Hmm... the oue most people can ept may not be the best, but it certainly won¡¯t be the worst." "What happens after that is beyond my understanding," he murmured to himself, his voice echoing endlessly in the spacious hall. But then Nuo seemed to notice something and tilted his head slightly. In a corner of the hall, a familiar old friend had been standing for a long time. He was holding a stone tablet in his hand and etching something onto it with his fingers. Without using any tools, the strokes of his fingertips left marks on the stone. Watching this scene, Nuo couldn¡¯t help but smile slightly. He had heard the other talk about this before; in the very ancient past, he had bid farewell to another friend in the same way. "You only called for the Priests and didn¡¯t invite the Wizards from the White Tower toe, it seems you still have some reservations about them." When Nuo heard the other ask in such a manner, he replied casually: "Technically, I should state: I already saw them yesterday, and today I am only dealing with internal church affairs, which do not concern them¡ªbut to tell the truth, I don¡¯t have anyints against them, but I see that they probably won¡¯t always be with us." "The witchcraft of Silver Moon City will not vanish, nor will the church be enemies with the Wizards, but I think they won¡¯t stay here forever, especially the most capable among them." "They have their own pursuits; although I don¡¯t quite understand them, I do understand somewhat." Leaning back in his chair, feeling hisst bits of vitality gradually ebbing away, Nuo did not see any angels descending suddenly. However, he wasn¡¯t surprised by this, because during theirst encounter, he had expressly requested a ¡¯death as ordinary as any other.¡¯ "Let it be so, I have done enough, and the rest is for those whoe after me," "Perhaps a thousand years from now, someone stepping into this Temple will speak of me, speaking of the first Prophet who died here." "To be honest, heh, although I don¡¯t consider myself very wise, truth be told, I do quite like the title ¡¯Prophet.¡¯ When I first heard people using it, I was a little pleased inside..." His voice grew weaker, and his eyes lost their sparkle. In the corner of the Temple, the person etching the stone tablet quietly watched this scene and then gave a heartfelt affirmation. "Your experiences will be an epic, Nuo. A thousand yearster, people will still sing of your history, ten thousand yearster, you will be revered as a myth." "Heh, a myth... like you, huh..." "...That does sound rather nice..." His voice faded into indistinctness until it ceased altogether. The next moment, a massive bell tolled throughout Silver Moon City. Though they had not witnessed it themselves, everyone knew: the Prophet was dead, he had returned to the embrace of the Divine. And with him, his era had alsoe to an end. Chapter 510 - 147: Illusion A nket of darkness. The feeling of death was so peculiar, as if something unstoppable was being drawn out of the body bit by bit. Perception of the surroundings gradually faded away, reced by an endless cold. It was like walking naked through heavy snow, with nothing to shield you from the bone-chilling cold. For a moment, Nuo felt he had lost the ability to move. He could only silently ¡¯watch,¡¯ watching his own body slumped on the throne inside The Temple, watching people who had just left returning to mourn in front of his corpse. He should have reacted, even if they could no longer notice him. But like a person just awakened from deep sleep, though everything before his eyes was ¡¯seen,¡¯ Nuo¡¯s thoughts seemed still immersed in haze, incapable of any contemtion. So he just quietly observed as they conducted a sinct and solemn ceremony, saw them carry away his corpse, and then in front of The Temple announced hisst will to the inhabitants of Silver Moon City. The crowd outside The Temple was a sea of people, where even the smallest voice would be noisy when amplified by such a multitude. Yet the voice that read out the will passed unobstructed to everyone¡¯s ear, clearly conveying his message. Then the crowd parted to both sides under an invisible force, and Nuo¡¯s remains were carried straight out of the city along the central avenue. He would be buried alongside his formerpanions, dering his social death. Though momentarily disoriented, Nuo¡¯s soul still drifted away with them. He listened to the discussions of those around him, passed through streets and alleys, and continued outward until he saw with his own eyes his body being buried in the prepared graveyard. Then, as if thest shackle to reality was broken, he felt a mysterious pulling force emanating from below. And the source of that suction was the unknowable River of Oblivion. ... "What a surprise..." "Hey, who would have thought it would turn out like this,peting for power without the Patriarch, relying on my own skills? That¡¯s pretty good." "This means, no matter what, expansion is imperative... I¡¯ve wanted to go out and see for so long!" Connios couldn¡¯t really describe his feelings as he watched the procession pass along the central avenue. But when he searched his heart, he felt a touch happier. After all, he acknowledged Nuo as a great leader¡ªnot for what he had done, but for what he hadn¡¯t done. He had no family, no descendants, because he did not want the so-called ¡¯bloodline of the prophet¡¯ to continue. He gave up the immortal life that was within easy reach, which, on top of not understanding it, made Connios respect him. Humans are such beings, adoring those who are simr to themselves yet can do what they cannot, even the wise are no exception. But since emotions cannot be fully shared between people, the young man simply felt some regret watching this unfold. Compared to all of that, he was more concerned about the changes that the death of the great prophet would bring. Like the youth¡¯s longing for the unknown and battle finally bing attainable, and possible changes in Silver Moon City. The life and death of those important figures weren¡¯t really rted to him, or so he thought. "Connios, I know you¡¯re distracted¡ªbut at least try to look a bit more serious." An annoyed voice came from ahead, snapping Connios back to attention. Looking at the girl who was standing on tiptoe, peering into the distance, he inexplicably said, "Deo, I¡¯m envisioning the future. Maybe one day, I¡¯ll have a city mourn my departure too?" "...Really?" ncing sideways, the girl pursed her lips, n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om "Then I shall look forward to that day, esteemed Lord Connios~" Indeed, just like she had always hoped, he might join the exploration team of the new Archbishop, Damian. But Deo had no ns to go; she wanted to stay because her dream was to study Divine Arts and be a Priest, not to engage in battles and killings, which she saw as boys¡¯ hobbies. It seemed like they were about to part ways, but the lifespan of Silver Moon City¡¯s inhabitants was a bit longer, so even a pioneering journey that mightst a decade or more would not be a farewell. Therefore, Deo simply waved her hand, somewhat celebrating her childhoodpanion¡¯s wish being fulfilled. "That day will surelye!" "But when that day arrives, I¡¯ll reluctantly permit you to keep calling me by my name!" As if inspired, Connios couldn¡¯t help but puff out his chest a bit. Although strictly speaking, even he didn¡¯t quite believe he could achieve it, but what if? Anything was possible, as the church¡¯s scriptures also said, God spoke that nothing was immutable in the world, the only constant was change itself. So if that was the case, there probably wasn¡¯t anything that couldn¡¯t happen. So who was to say he couldn¡¯t make a big difference someday? The conversation faded, and both were lost in their own thoughts. Along the central avenue, the procession moved towards the city¡¯s outskirts, and the crowd surged ordingly. Until the long night passed, peace still did not return to Silver Moon City. This was the beginning, but it would not be the end. This human city, once tucked away in a corner of the continent, would also return to its rightful position. Chapter 511 - 147: Illusion_2 ... The hustle and bustle belong to the living, and have nothing to do with the dead, at least for Nuo at present. Although many matters rted to him were still ongoing, they were no longer of any consequence to him. Perhaps with theing of the Third Era, some souls with strong obsessions from their lives could linger in the Mortal Realm after death, transforming into a different kind of life. But fundamentally, this was not a continuation of their lifespan. Without the bnce of a physical body, the characteristics of the spirit were manifested a thousandfold. Those souls that stayed due to extreme emotions were naturally influenced by said emotions, and before long, they could be considered a different entity with the same memories. Clearly, Nuo was not among them as he harbored no intense reluctance, resentment, or regret, so like a soul as ordinary as any other, he was drawn by some invisible guiding force to the Underworld and then fell into the waters of the River of Oblivion. The icy waters rushed over his soul, and the current that should have gradually sapped his memories was suddenly blocked. Traces of Sacred Power surged from Nuo¡¯s soul and easily isted that force. But under the chill stimtion, the originally transparent soul-body quivered slightly. Memories were awakened, just like a cool handful of water wiping one¡¯s face in the morning, instantly causing his previously sluggish thoughts to spring back into action. "Is this... the Underworld?" With a perplexed expression, Nuo shook his head. In the past, he had heard of the Underworld more than once, and even when Bronze Humanity was still around, there were rumors that the gues and diseases in the Mortal Realm, though released by Pandora, had their origin in the gods of the Underworld. Therefore, Hades was viewed by mortals as a deity leaning towards the malevolent side. Even in human city-states that revered the Olympian Gods, the existence of Hades was deliberately ignored. No one would carve his statue, as it was considered an ominous symbol. But this had nothing to do with Nuo, who just looked up at the Nether Moon in the Sky over the surging currents of the Styx River. He had not seen the archangel before, but he had certainly heard her name more than once. The River of Oblivion rushed forward, and scenes that existed only in legend shed before Nuo¡¯s eyes. The River of Vows, a fluid made of moltenva, corpses with life that could move. Until at a certain moment, as if passing through an invisible barrier, everything in the Underworld was left behind. The surroundings changed abruptly, and what appeared before Nuo was a new world. Four moons of different colors hung in the Sky, two of which gave him a familiar feeling; other tributaries of the Styx converged here, and wherever he looked, there were soul-bodies. At the edge of the horizon, seemingly in the center of the world, two-colored lights pierced through heaven and earth. They rotated slowly, influencing each other as if elucidating the ultimate principles of the universe. All of this was new to Nuo, but his mood was exceedingly calm. He had asked the Angel for an utterly ordinary death, so he was prepared¡ª to be judged at the end of the River of Oblivion for his deeds in life and then cast into the Well of Reincarnation to begin a new life, or perhaps kept here due to his exceptionally good deeds, doing his best in a new position. But reality did not proceed as he thought it would. As the River of Oblivion flowed, Nuo suddenly found at a certain moment, the souls that had been traveling with him had vanished, and his location had changed. The river that originated from the All-Spirit Realm seemed to have been diverted by some force, bringing him to a ce dark and immeasurable. "Is this..." Chaos intertwined here, and space-time twisted against each other. The moment he arrived here, as the first mortal to reach the fifth level of the Spirit Realm, Nuo felt as if millions of lives were speaking in his ears, and endless shadows of light flickered past. In a blur, he seemed to see the earth divide into four, countless things emerging from the ground; he saw shadows streak across the sky, the Sun splitting into two, then merging back into one. Everything trembled, two indescribable entities confronted each other in the void, past and future were inverted, reality and illusion blurred... But all these visions were just a trance, and when Nuo woke from the illusions, he had truly set foot in the fifthyer of the Spirit Realm. He did not know what he had just seen, but he soon had no more time to think about it. For right in front of him, he saw the figure he had only met once before. An eternal radiance shone upon It, and the world flowed with Its breath. Unbeknownst to Nuo, Laine¡¯s power was being unleashed without restraint into space-time to maintain the stability of negative energy, resonating with the entire Spirit Realm¡¯s power. At this moment, Nuo felt as if he was witnessing the beginning of all things, the ultimate truth, as though time itself wanted to halt before the will of the deity. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om He bowed his head because even the remnants of the same-source sacred power in his soul were straining to protect his existence, and he felt that just one more nce would cause him topletely vanish into nothingness due to his inability toprehend this supreme Law. Nuo was not afraid of death, but that did not mean he wanted to die in such a ridiculous manner before the throne of a deity. "Great Lord of All Spirits, Source of Time and Space, Your faithful follower presents himself to You!" "Your incarnation in the Mortal Realm guided humanity away from Destined Destruction, and now I have finally fulfilled the mission You entrusted to me, sustaining the spark of civilization in the Mortal Realm." "Now, I have once againe before You." Laine bowed his head, looking at the person prostrated in the void. Just like hundreds of years ago, he could still see that kindness in the other person. But contrary to what the other person believed, he actually did not care about all that he had done in the Mortal Realm, whether it was leading humans away from disaster or establishing Silver Moon City; he had not paid much attention to it. What he truly cared about was that Nuo, after having seen it all, after witnessing the near-worshipful reverence some people of Silver Moon City held for him, still retained his unchanged faith. Laine himself had never been a devout person, neither in the past nor now; he had never had a firm faith in anything, existent or nonexistent. He had once thought that devout faith came from backwardness, from ack of knowledge, from ignorance and fear, but reality had proved otherwise. Even Cohen would begin to question the gods as the years passed... Why hadn¡¯t Nuo? That¡¯s what he thought, so he asked. The reason he had summoned Nuo here was just for this question. "Why do you have faith in me?" the deity asked. Nuo was slightly taken aback; he had never thought about this question. But in this moment, feeling the breath that seemed like all truths, he believed he should have an answer. "Because I think all life in this world needs beliefs to survive, whatever those beliefs may be." "It can be the will to live, it can be greed, it can be the good will to help others, or it can be the evil to destroy everything." "Nothing in this world can epass all of these at the same time, except for the world itself." With a slight smile, Laine didn¡¯t know if he was satisfied with the answer. He simply raised his hand lightly, granting the response its deserved reward. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!