Chapter 109: The King of All Gods

Zhang Yi was speechless; how could someone be so hurtful with their words?

"Since you can't contact our people, how do you intend to find them?" Zhou Tian ignored Zhang Yi’s complex expressions and gestures. It was the truth to begin with; no one should be silenced for speaking it. He then asked, "It's simple—just head toward the central part of the Forsaken Divine Land. This place is the Mountain of Ten Thousand Gods, the last stronghold of the divine remnants, located at the easternmost part of the Forsaken Divine Land. Hardly anyone from Jiuzhou ever ventures here."

Zhang Yi spoke matter-of-factly, "As long as you go toward the center of the Forsaken Divine Land, you’ll naturally encounter people from Jiuzhou."

"The Mountain of Ten Thousand Gods? You mean that towering mountain behind us?" Zhou Tian pointed to the majestic divine mountain looming behind.

"Exactly. That’s the Mountain of Ten Thousand Gods, where the ancient gods of the divine realm once gathered. It was the pillar holding up the heavens of the divine world. Legend says there's a Hall of Ten Thousand Gods atop it—the place where the King of the Gods would summon the pantheon."

Zhang Yi nodded, sighed, and continued, "Unfortunately, after the ancient war, the Mountain of Ten Thousand Gods shattered, and the Hall of Ten Thousand Gods disappeared without a trace."

"The King of the Gods? What kind of title is that? Sounds a bit... awkward," Zhou Tian joked.

"The King of the Gods is exactly that," Zhang Yi shot him a look before explaining, "The King of the Gods is the divine who bears the ancient mandate of the divine realm. The mandates of the ancient worlds were nothing like the mandates of the current provinces; they were immensely powerful. The Buddha Lord of the Buddhist Realm, the Dao Master of the Dao Realm, the Celestial Lord of the Fuyue Realm—all extraordinarily strong, rulers of their respective worlds who command entire realms. The King of the Gods is no different."

Zhang Yi speculated, "The reason the remaining gods in the divine realm are returning likely has to do with the birth of the mandate in the Forsaken Divine Land. They’re inseparable matters."

"How do you know so much?" Zhou Tian scrutinized him.

"Most of it my master told me; some I discovered myself."

"I see." Zhou Tian nodded, a sudden thought striking him. "Do you know why they seem unable to use divine perception?"

Zhang Yi looked puzzled but answered, "The power of the gods in the divine realm comes from faith, which seems to appear out of thin air. It’s as if mere reverence from people’s hearts produces this energy. It’s very illogical. Jiuzhou once researched this and found that faith energy ultimately comes from the human soul—a pure energy within the soul. So, these believers are actually people with incomplete souls. Naturally, they cannot cultivate divine souls or use divine perception."

Zhou Tian nodded in sudden understanding. It all made sense now, coming from a professional.

"Alright, I have no more questions. You can leave," Zhou Tian waved his hand.

Zhang Yi’s eyes flashed—he felt like a discarded tool—but it was indeed time to go.

"Fine, no more idle chatter. Protect yourself and act within your limits. I suspect that because of the gods’ return, the days ahead here won’t be peaceful. The people of Jiuzhou might be restrained as well. Be cautious in everything," Zhang Yi advised.

"Got it. Why are you so fussing like a woman? Go tell Tianling that her husband is fine," Zhou Tian retorted.

Zhang Yi nodded without further words. He saluted Mu Su, then turned and left without hesitation.

With a single step, he reappeared dozens of yards away and soon vanished from Zhou Tian’s sight.

"Zhou Tian, what did you just say?" Mu Su’s eyes burned with intensity. He had overheard every word of their conversation, which had opened a new world for him.

Mu Su had been rescued alongside Zhang Yi. Since what they discussed wasn’t much of a secret, Zhang Yi hadn’t bothered to hide anything from him.

"Don’t mind it, we were just bragging. Don’t take it seriously," Zhou Tian said calmly.

"..."

Mu Su was left speechless—he had no retort.

"Where are you going next?" Zhou Tian asked.

"Next?" Mu Su’s face showed confusion. As a traitor to the Holy Divine Sect now wanted by the authorities, where else could he go?

"I want to go home and see," he said quietly after a moment. He didn’t know what fate awaited his parents once news of his collusion with the cultists of the Dark Gods reached home.

Mu Su glanced at Zhou Tian, wondering if he could blame him for all this. Deep down, Mu Su knew he couldn’t entirely blame Zhou Tian. Zhou Tian had never forced him into anything; all choices were his own. He was restless by nature, and Zhou Tian was just a catalyst.

"Go home, then? That’s fine. But wait for me first," Zhou Tian replied.

Mu Su nodded, not in a hurry.

Zhou Tian turned to look at the endless mountain range, the trees thick and towering, occasional earth-shaking roars booming forth.

In a flash, Zhou Tian vanished from sight. Moments later, a furious roar echoed through the mountains, the ground trembling violently as thick, ochre-colored stone pillars rose from the earth—each nearly a hundred feet high and covered with sharp spines.

A colossal figure appeared, standing atop the pillars. It resembled a bull with a serpent’s tail, wings sprouting from its ribs, its scales a brilliant red and yellow. Its eyes glowed blood-red, and a scorched mark blackened its hindquarters, emitting thunderous bellows that nearly snapped nearby trees.

After a moment, it seemed to find something and soared off in a direction. Mu Su’s face twisted in confusion—that was the direction where the Ashen Faction cultists resided.

After some time, Zhou Tian reemerged from the forest.

Mu Su eyed him warily. "Why are there holes all over your clothes?"

"Nothing, just took a fall. Let’s go," Zhou Tian replied dismissively, inwardly grumbling. No one lets you treat your hemorrhoids; serves you right for the pain. He recalled the countless ochre spines piercing his body—it was truly agonizing. Not easy at all.

Meanwhile, Anduin watched the massive beast soaring through the air with a mix of shock and anger. "Which idiot provoked Gaosh!"

The battlefield descended into chaos—flames soared, the earth trembled, runes filled the sky, and divine spells flickered endlessly.

Mu Su quietly shuffled his feet, putting some distance between himself and Zhou Tian.

Mu Su’s home was still some distance away—a small town near Sailor City. Many such towns fell under the Holy Divine Sect’s influence.

Along the way, Zhou Tian learned more about Mu Su’s past: his father was the town’s bishop, highly respected and a devout follower of the Holy Divine Lord. Mu Su had a female childhood friend, also a faithful believer in the Holy Divine Sect.

[End of excerpt.]

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Tomorrow is Sanjiang—excited yet nervous about the inevitable critiques. It takes great courage to read through comments. Thank you all who support me; I remember every familiar ID in my heart.