Chapter 108: The Return of the Gods

Within the city of Sailer, the Ashen Spear, which had been locked in a standoff with Ming Ye, suddenly vanished without a trace. Ming Ye showed no sign of surprise; his gaze swept over the shattered walls and ruins around him, his expression inscrutable.

Boer approached Ming Ye and asked, “Holy Envoy, why cease the pursuit? Those—”

“Are you questioning me?” Ming Ye’s eyes, clear and piercing, fixed on Boer. His tone was calm but carried an unspoken weight that pressed heavily upon the air.

“Not at all,” Boer lowered his head in deference.

“They are mere ants. Let them flee. What matters now is to prepare for the arrival of the next Holy Envoy, one deeply trusted by our Lord. No mishaps can be allowed. If we chase them out, our defenses will be left vulnerable, and I could be trapped. What if something goes wrong?” Ming Ye’s face remained serene and luminous.

“You speak wisely, Holy Envoy,” Boer murmured, still bowing his head, his eyes catching the fallen structures and the lifeless bodies of the faithful nearby.

Ming Ye fell silent, his body emanating a radiant glow as the Supreme Prelate of the Holy Divine Sect reappeared. The Prelate sighed softly but said nothing more, stepping into the well-protected central cathedral.

…

“Impressive, quite impressive,” Zhou Tian said half-heartedly as he looked at the broken spearhead.

“Will you continue to follow us, or...?” Anduin folded the Ashen Spear and seemed oblivious to Zhou Tian’s lackluster response.

“We have other matters; we won’t be tagging along,” Zhou Tian replied bluntly. No sane person would willingly join such a religious cult.

Zhang Yi and Musu nodded in agreement.

“That’s fine. You are friends of the Ashen Sect. If you ever need anything, we will never shirk our duty!” Anduin said solemnly.

“Good!” Zhou Tian responded without hesitation.

“… I told you not to take him seriously,” Anduin nearly hurled a fireball at Zhou Tian in frustration.

Zhou Tian understood Anduin’s meaning all too well but merely wanted to tease this pompous fellow.

The three of them said no more and turned to leave.

Anduin’s eyes flickered as he stared at their departing backs.

“Gentlemen,”

The trio halted and turned back toward Anduin. Runes appeared beneath Zhang Yi’s feet, connecting to the heavens and earth, energy surging. Could Anduin be planning to attack them?

“Rest assured, I know you two have extraordinary backgrounds. I do not intend to strike. I have some information I wish to share with you,” Anduin gestured to show he bore no ill intent.

“Information?” The three exchanged glances, unsure of what Anduin was truly up to.

“Speak,” Zhou Tian said.

“Do you know why I was captured?” Anduin’s face clouded with complex emotions.

“Cut to the chase.” Zhou Tian interrupted before Anduin could begin a long recollection. Why he was caught held no interest for them. Probably some outrageous tale involving the Supreme Prelate transforming into a woman to seduce him, then capturing him by trickery. They didn’t want to hear it.

Anduin was silenced, unsure how to respond. After a pause, he continued.

“The gods are returning. You must have heard the words spoken by the phantom of the Father God I summoned today.”

Anduin wasted no time, fearing Zhou Tian would cut him off again.

“I’ve always wondered why my divine blood awakened. Now I know—gods are coming back, drawing ever closer, and the divine blood begins to boil.”

“And then?” Zhou Tian asked. “We know the gods are returning; I’ve even seen it. What’s your point?”

“There is both good and ill in this,” Anduin said with a complicated tone.

Huh, little brother, quite the schemer, Zhou Tian mused. Both good and bad, huh? Interesting.

Zhou Tian scrutinized him anew, sensing the Supreme Prelate’s mind was far from simple. If this divine scion was so crafty, the other sect leaders likely harbored their own intricate plans.

“I only wish to give you a warning.”

Zhou Tian smiled. “Thanks for the warning, Your Highness. We’ll take our leave now.”

The three turned to leave again. This time Anduin did not stop them.

Once they vanished from sight, Salman approached quietly.

“Your Highness, their origins are baffling. They might be outsiders from beyond the heavens, with complicated motives.”

“I am aware.”

Anduin’s gaze deepened as he took out the spearhead of the Ashen Spear again, infusing it with energy until it radiated brilliantly. A figure materialized from thin air.

Instantly, three bishops lunged forward, runes filling the sky. They wove a complex array of divine seals, trapping the apparition.

The figure was utterly bewildered, fear etched across his face as he looked around, clueless as to what had happened—it was the very person Anduin had captured from the tribunal.

“Let me see what you are truly about,” Anduin whispered lowly. Nearby Ashen followers bowed their heads, murmuring blasphemous words into the captive’s mind. Agony contorted his features as he screamed mournfully.

…

Having distanced themselves from the Ashen Sect’s territory, the three halted.

“Zhang Yi, you really owe me one this time,” Zhou Tian said, recalling the effort it took to rescue him.

“I know, I know. I’ll repay you,” Zhang Yi shrugged lazily, unconcerned.

“What do you think of the gods’ return?” Zhou Tian shook his head, knowing Zhang Yi wouldn’t feel grateful. To him, everything was arranged in the best way possible.

“How else to see it? A bunch of ancient relics from the old divine realms think they’ve stockpiled enough strength. They’re joining forces with the stellar powers to reclaim their influence. The Void Storm was just a prelude. We’re just small players. If things go wrong, there are bigger ones to shoulder the blame. Why worry so much?”

Zhang Yi’s voice was indifferent, utterly untroubled.

“That’s quite the... insightful summary,” Musu said, eyes wide, watching the two as if they were boasting about their exploits.

“When do we leave? I suffered greatly in the tribunal, couldn’t contact Jiuzhou. My communication devices seem blocked by something. We’ll have to find people ourselves. This must be the gods’ design—their game has already begun. They’ve prepared for a long time and think they have the upper hand. We must prepare early and not delay.” Zhang Yi pondered aloud.

“I’m not leaving,” Zhou Tian’s eyes flickered. He had no desire to go back—here the sky was vast, the birds free to fly, and he could recklessly court death at will. Returning meant restrictions and troubles. Since he knew Tianling was safe, there was no rush.

“Are you sure?” Zhang Yi looked surprised, then smiled in understanding.

“True, you have invincible divine powers and nothing to fear. But I’m just a mere Dharma Manifestation stage warrior—one slip and I’m dead, especially at this juncture.”

“You’d better go back. Otherwise, I’d have to keep looking after you,” Zhou Tian nodded thoughtfully.

I need recommendations, brothers!