Chapter 350: The Chaotic Divine War
Under the witness of the Seven Gods, the War God naturally would not become an oath-breaker by stepping out of his divine realm. However, this did not mean he could remain safely within it.
Tonight's situation was the War God's own choice - his own greed led him to attempt to seize the uniqueness of the Death God's path. He had nearly succeeded, but ultimately could not match the Death God who had offered sincere faith to the Stars.
It was difficult to imagine the full power of a true god's faith. But one thing was certain - tonight, the War God would fall.
Nearby, Azik stared blankly. He had heard of the Stars before, when Backlund had once fervently sought its followers. He had assumed the Stars was just a new identity or alt account of some existing true god. But unexpectedly, the power of the Stars was able to shake the War God's divine realm.
"Who exactly are the Stars?" Azik couldn't help but ask the everNight Goddess beside him.
"It's unclear," she replied.
"Even you gods haven't uncovered their background?"
"Tonight is a good opportunity to find out."
Azik said no more, turning his gaze to the War God who was now blocked by Gregory. The War God would likely meet with disaster tonight.
As the Eternal Blazing Sun and the War God's realm were continually bombarded, the God of Knowledge and Wisdom remained guarding outside the everNight Goddess's realm. At this critical juncture, ensuring the everNight Goddess did not leave her realm was paramount. If she broke her oath, the War God would very likely fall tonight.
The current destruction of his divine realm, while severe, was not yet enough to cause his downfall. Unable to handle the situation alone, the War God finally allowed the Earth Mother to enter his realm to help defend it.
A deep brown wooden staff was planted in the War God's realm. Countless symbols of wheat, flowers and springs began to flash continuously. At the same time, massive green plants burst forth from the ground, completely enveloping the War God's realm and isolating it from the outside world.
At this point, only two of the Seven Gods remained relatively idle - the Lord of Storms and the God of Steam and Machinery. The Lord of Storms had closed off his realm after his recent battle with the high-dimensional overseer in Bansy Harbor, and rarely concerned himself with outside affairs.
Only the God of Steam and Machinery still had the capacity to act. According to their previous agreement, it was his turn to probe the depths of the Stars.
Though reluctant, the God of Steam and Machinery chose to make his move. A series of projection-like scrolls converged into a torrent of the ages, crashing towards the Hall of Stars across a expanse of starry sky!
Some scrolls depicted the primitive lives of ancient ancestors before they mastered technology. Others recorded how generations of ordinary people began to grasp extraordinary powers through constant experimentation. There were scenes of warships and cannons from the rise of technology, as well as countless books of civilizational history containing knowledge and wisdom...
These contents gave the seemingly flimsy scrolls a different kind of weight - the weight of civilization.
At the same time, a pillar of light invisible to most beyonders also descended from the heavens, violently striking towards the glittering Hall of Stars!
This beam of light had no physical form, as if composed of a flood of complex information!
The Hidden Sage!
He was coordinating with the God of Steam and Machinery's attack!
Bernadette had successfully advanced to Sequence 2, destined to be his enemy. Originally wary of the Stars' existence, the Hidden Sage had not specifically sought trouble with Bernadette. Now with the Seven Gods joining forces, it was his best opportunity to strike.
The combined attack of the God of Steam and Machinery and the Hidden Sage drew the attention of many beings.
When the torrent of civilization's history surged across that expanse of starry sky, it was completely dissolved without even raising a ripple. Compared to the vast ages of the entire starry sky, human history was fleeting - not even a drop in the ocean. It was like a tiny water droplet falling into the sea, causing less disturbance than even the occasional waves.
The Hidden Sage's flood of information was similarly intercepted by that expanse of starry sky. Instead, it caused countless stars to light up, making the sky even more dazzling and resplendent.
That starry expanse seemed to be a dividing line between two different worlds - the Hall of Stars on one side, and them on the other.
Though alarmed, the God of Steam and Machinery and the Hidden Sage continued employing their authorities, constantly probing the power of the Stars.
At this moment, a black ocean surged forth, stretching across the starry expanse. The massive shadowy figure of the Hanged Man flickered in and out of view, bringing decay, shadows, darkness and filth to block the Hidden Sage.
"True Creator!" the Hidden Sage cried out in anger.
As he spoke, the giant Hanged Man's shadow hurled an enormous black mountain towards the Hidden Sage from afar!
The Hidden Sage could only abandon his attack on the Stars and deal with the True Creator's interference.
At this time, tentacles extending from the darkness, carrying an aura of calamity and destruction, also joined the battlefield.
These tentacles were as large as mountains, each with an eye at the tip. The eyes opened and closed, turning everything their gaze swept over to grayish-white stone. Areas touched by the tentacles began to twist and grow limbs and heads, transforming into witches of varying sizes but uniformly attractive appearance.
This was the Original Witch, who had been secretly observing for a long time. With one move, she trapped the War God who was trying to flee!
The golden flames that had been brewing in Gregory's crown completely enveloped the briefly trapped War God!
The situation suddenly reversed again.
Originally tonight was meant to be the War God cooperating with the everNight Goddess to set up a deadly trap for Gregory. But now the War God had instead become the prey of Gregory and the Original Witch!
"Original Witch!" the War God Badheil roared in exasperation. The decaying armor he wore was dissolved by the phoenix flames. His flesh was bathed in the terrifying fire, both scorching hot and filled with the aura of death. Even his soul and consciousness were being roasted!
Several dark tentacles viciously lashed at his arms and face, now unprotected by the decaying armor.
His flesh began to peel and split open, transforming into beautiful and alluring witches. The witches then pounced on other untouched parts of his body.
There was a real possibility of the War God Badheil being changed from the mightiest giant into a bevy of charming witches.
Badheil raged in fury but was helpless. In the end, he could only watch as Gregory's golden flame-wreathed wings sliced across his neck, severing his head.
Faced with this sudden turn of events, Azik, who was observing the battle from relatively close by, hurriedly averted his gaze, his heart pounding.
The scale of tonight's divine war was truly terrifying - it had almost become a complete mess!
First was the conflict between Gregory, the everNight Goddess, and the War God. Then the Stars appeared, drawing attacks from the God of Steam and Machinery and the Hidden Sage. The True Creator inexplicably joined the battlefield as well, seemingly on the Stars' side. Finally, the Original Witch also entered the fray.
Eight true god-level existences were now involved!
It was fortunate this was taking place in the everNight Goddess's nighttime world. If it had been on the ground, the entire Southern Continent would have already shattered and sunk into the depths of the sea.
And this was just the visible battlefield. In the distant starry sky, fierce battles also seemed to be erupting. Even the faint auras and fluctuations that reached here were enough to make one shudder.
A divine war of this scale made Azik feel as if he had returned to the most intense battlefields of the Four Kings' War.
Gods bleeding, corpses everywhere, filled with blood and flesh, chaos and death.
Azik no longer dared to look up at the starry sky, lest he see something he shouldn't and bring about his own destruction. He only slightly turned his head to look at the everNight Goddess, who still held the golden ornament in her hand. "You have failed tonight."
The expression in the everNight Goddess's eyes seemed to become much more animated at that moment.
She merely glanced in the direction of the War God's realm, then released her grip, allowing the ancient golden ornament to return to Azik's forehead.
"My promise remains valid. From now on, you will be free," said the everNight Goddess.
After saying this, she gazed at the murderous Gregory and Original Witch in the distance. Without lingering further, she dispersed this nighttime world and left the area.
Azik naturally did not dare to stay long either, choosing to return to the royal palace of the East Balam Empire to await Gregory's return.
As the night receded, the radiance of the Stars grew even more dazzling.
The God of Steam and Machinery and the Hidden Sage did not dare to continue the battle, hurriedly leaving the battlefield.
The True Creator also chose not to pursue, the giant Hanged Man's shadow merging into the black ocean and departing.
The eyes behind the shadow curtain swept a glance at the Hall of Stars across the starry expanse before following the black ocean away.
"Whether or not you are Salinger, the alliance we signed back then is still valid," came the Original Witch's voice from an unknown space.
Gregory merely nodded calmly. "The old alliance is too ancient, but I will assist you once."
The Original Witch said nothing more. The dark tentacles with eyes melted into the darkness and vanished.
The hundreds of alluring witches of various sizes disappeared along with them.
Surveying the now much quieter battlefield, Gregory looked up, gazing silently at the Hall of Stars perched above the expanse of starry sky.
Tonight, only the light of the Stars continued to shine.