God of the Star Palace, Bennu

Time turned, and three days ago, the God of the Star Palace descended to the Mortal World.

This was not Apophis's original plan.

The series of heavy blows he suffered made him extremely wary.

The Mortal World, which should have been peaceful and quiet, was suddenly transformed. The Doomsday Clock tolled, Radiance Emission emanated. Although we do not know what happened, one thing is certain.

The lower realm has intruded upon the realm of the gods.

This is the highest priority set by the master—once the Radiance Emission emanates from the Mortal World, the harvest can begin, and Apophis will faithfully carry out the order even when the master is not present.

Awaken the legions, unseal the warships, restart the ancient War Factory, and summon the pioneers back.

The God of the Star Palace, fully armed, deployed an extermination operation.

They performed this task many times over a period of time that was both long and short.

Bridge of the Starry Firmament was erected, and the vanguard elites descended to the Mortal World, beginning their slaughter, establishing strongholds, deploying reinforcements, and annihilating all resistance forces of Mortal World beings. Then, they launched a global sweep to exterminate them, destroying their Civilization and plundering their wisdom, crushing their courage and enjoying their cries of agony. In a protracted war, whether long or short, they slaughtered their remaining forces, bringing the world the greatest suffering.

Then, the Extinction Nexus buried throughout the planet are activated, drawing upon the power of the stellar core to unleash tsunamis, earthquakes, and natural disasters, utterly annihilating the trembling survivors awaiting their doom.

All of this is nothing more than the hunting and harvesting that pleases the master.

That was his original belief.

But the dazzling light of death shot out from the Mortal World, destroying all the advance troops that were fully prepared, and even shattering a corner of the Star Palace. Its residual force continued all day long, so much so that the Star Palace was filled with solar wind-like breaths, which had to be cleaned repeatedly before it dissipated.

The gloom that this heavy blow cast upon the Star Palace went far beyond the annihilation of several legions and the devastation of the Star Ring.

Because this matter is truly terrifying to think about.

The reason why the Star Palace activated the Extermination Mechanism was because the Doomsday Clock detected Radiance Emission from the Mortal World, so the hands were turned to point towards the realm of destruction.

According to the subsequent reconnaissance, the Radiance Emission occurred because the Mortal World Short-lived Species somehow obtained Radiant weapons and used them to bombard Lahma, who had previously descended to the Mortal World, severely injuring him.

This is clearly a despicable trap.

Because the beams of light spears that came from behind were just too powerful!

If the Radiance Emission that triggered the Doomsday Clock had only caused the Doomsday Hand to rotate two degrees and enter the Destruction Zone, then the Doomsday Clock would have almost exploded when the light spear shot towards it!

The difference in power between the two is not just a hundred or a thousand times; it's like the difference between a trickle of water and a surging ocean. Whether in terms of power intensity or the way it's used, they are not even in the same dimension. The former may simply be a simple burst of light, while the latter, while increasing its power by hundreds of times, also restrains and controls it, bombarding it in the form of a jet. Such methods are simply terrifying and unimaginable.

Therefore, the God of the Star Palace, still shaken afterward, unanimously believed that this was an evil and despicable trap.

The treacherous Mortal World race conjured a small firework with a low-powered Radiance Emission to lure them out, then unleashed a full-force beam of light—utterly shameless. If everyone hadn't dodged quickly, the entire Star Palace would have been blown to smithereens. It was truly a blessing from their master, a divine intervention protecting them.

The God of the Star Palace, filled with shock and rage, immediately hid in the rifts of the world to avoid the second ray of light. They waited anxiously for several days before finally breathing a sigh of relief, but the shadow cast by this incident was far from over.

Firstly, for reasons unknown, the Mortal World races have made a perplexing technological leap, mastering the technology of radiant weapons that threaten the Star Palace, posing a deadly threat.

Secondly, they were extremely knowledgeable about the Star Palace's Doomsday Clock mechanism and other details, and even set a vicious trap, using Lahma as bait, in an attempt to destroy the Star Palace in one fell swoop with the Radiant Weapon.

Although their despicable plan failed, the threat remains.

Moreover, with the Starry Firmament Bridge destroyed, the Star Palace no longer has a way to launch a large-scale invasion of the Mortal World in the short term.

Apophis could only endure the humiliation, temporarily suppressing his desire for revenge, and send a warning to the pioneers, summoning them back—most of the Star Palace members were heading towards the Land of the End, trying to seek the final answer from that most magnificent and mysterious place in the universe, and Apophis and his companions were just one of the rotating members.

Apophis decided to be cautious and discreet until the powerful pioneers returned.

It's not that they're incompetent, but rather that the situation in the Mortal World is too bizarre.

He had no idea what was happening in the lower realm, or who was behind it.

However, while the idea of developing stealthily was good, an even more unexpected variable occurred—as he prayed in confusion and sought a response, the great will of his long-lost master was transmitted across the long distance.

His owner warned him of the impending danger.

He was also shown the enemy he needed to guard against and defeat.

His name is... Kang De.

The master wouldn't send him a message without reason. The master must have realized the key to the predicament facing the Star Palace with his all-knowing and powerful divine power. That short-lived creature named Kang De must be the key to the drastic changes in the Mortal World and even to the control of the Radiant Weapon.

Apophis was greatly encouraged by his master's oracle. Although the pioneers had not yet returned, it did not prevent him from making preparations—sending people to infiltrate the Mortal World and find out Kang De's background.

His name was Kang De.

Just by listening to the owner's pronunciation, you can tell he's from Cathayan.

Therefore, we must go to the Eastern country to search for it.

He summoned his companions in the Star Palace, conveyed to them the divine decree delivered by their master, and decided to select the vanguard to descend to the Mortal World by drawing lots.

With the Starry Firmament Bridge shattered, although the Star Palace Gods still have ways to descend to the Mortal World, the difficulty of their return has greatly increased. Before the Starry Firmament Bridge is repaired, it is essentially a one-way trip. Moreover, the Mortal World now possesses Radiant Weapons, greatly increasing the danger... This is a formidable task.

Apophis drew two companions.

Phaethon descended upon the land of the East to seek out the Cathayan named Kang De.

Bennu had another mission, after which he would also travel east to assist Phaethon in searching for Kang De.

The Destroyer, raised in the deep sea and drawing upon the essence of the Yilan-Tai'er Civilization, have been killed. This means that the poor prisoners have a chance to escape. Considering the already significant threat to the Mortal World, we cannot allow Yilan-Tai'er to break free and increase the strength of the rebels.

Therefore, there's no need to keep the promise to forgive them.

They've been left to languish for far too long... Besides, the Destroyer is dead, Yilan-Tai'er can no longer fulfill his contract to feed the deep-sea behemoth, so they don't need to live anymore.

And so, the meteor streaked across the wilderness and descended upon the Mortal World.

Without the Starry Firmament Bridge for positioning, the Star Ring's transmission and communication modules were also severely damaged, meaning that communication between the Star Palace and the Mortal World became inefficient and sluggish. Unable to descend from the altar, and without any believers to greet him, Bennu fell into the sea and it took him two or three days to find his way.

Following Apophis's directions, he found an ancient ruin and used the teleportation array inside to arrive at the Shelter of Yilan-Tai'er.

As for why such a pathetic hiding place of a lowly, scum Civilization would have a back door left by the Star Palace, Bennu didn't know, because they weren't the ones who destroyed Yilan-Tai'er; at that time, they were on a pilgrimage to the Land of the End —and judging from Apophis's disdainful tone, it must have been some kind of pitiful plea and agreement, a race willing to offer the greatest sacrifice and price to the Star Palace in order to prolong their meager flame. The Star Palace had encountered many such meaningless farces.

Now, he was going to enter this prison and unleash a massacre, annihilating these wretched mortals.

The moment Bennu stepped into the Shelter, he could sense that something was quietly happening... the seal that protected and imprisoned Yilan-Tai'er was constantly shaking, signifying that a Civilization that should have been dead long ago was about to stretch out its arms and legs and make its last pitiful struggle.

Just die completely.

With this thought in mind, Bennu set foot in the Land of Shelter. He found himself inside a tall and magnificent building, stepping on the glittering and precious floor tiles. He walked out of the enclosed house and saw many people dressed in gorgeous robes and wearing golden masks along the way. The God of the Star Palace casually slaughtered them, leaving their blood flowing all over the ground.

The God of the Star Palace, with wings of a heron on his back and a cloak of dazzling light, wore crystal-clear armor beneath which lay a sanctified body wrapped in bandages. With his will, stone pillars rose out of thin air, piercing through the fleeing creatures. He crushed and slaughtered at will, regardless of whether his targets wore magnificent or simple robes, regardless of whether their expressions were desperate or angry. Why should a being high above care about the emotions of ants?

He stopped killing only in a magnificent and resplendent sanctuary.

It wasn't that anyone intervened; in fact, these remnants of the Yilan-Tai'er were surprisingly weak, and Jane was utterly depraved. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't even bother to lay a hand on them.

-- Several ants dressed in fine robes showed surprise and fear, followed by a kind of fanatical bewilderment and shock, and knelt down on the ground in the most devout posture, shouting to him.

The Star Palace Spirit, clad in armor and transformed into a god, could easily understand languages and converse with the spirits of all races. Bennu immediately understood the other's words.

These ants called him a god, identified themselves as sinners, and begged for forgiveness.

He was somewhat surprised and curious, so he stopped and asked for details.

Through the humble and reverent accounts and confessions of these ants, he sketched out the current state of Yilan-Tai'er.

Although I don't know how it happened, the facts are clear.

Back then, the entire Yilan-Tai'er race offered the most brutal blood sacrifice and price to the Star Palace, preserving a glimmer of hope for their race. But the descendants of those who bore that hope, the losers, forgot their history, their responsibilities, and their mission over the endless passage of time. The once proud race became foolish and mediocre, even distorting the truth, worshipping the Destroyer as a god, and acknowledging that their imprisonment was due to their own sins...

In other words, they no longer harbored any hatred towards the Star Palace that destroyed their Civilization and forced them to live in seclusion here; they felt only the most submissive fear, pleading, and obedience.

After understanding the cause and effect, and after sensing with his powerful spiritual strength the sincere and unwavering souls of these so-called "priests," Bennu was first astonished, and then felt a deep sense of absurdity.

They were shown filial piety.

That's so filial!

"So, I am your god?"

His maniacal laughter shook the magnificent hall. Amidst the pools of blood littered with corpses, priests and knights knelt obediently, like the most submissive cattle and sheep, surrendering to beatings and killings, merely begging for mercy.

"Yilan-Tai'er is so funny."

After laughing for a while, Bennu revealed a mocking expression. "I've decided not to kill you."

That's so funny.

He swept his immense mental power across the tower, hearing the submissive prayers of the lower ants. He grabbed a priest at random and interrogated him; the priest offered no resistance, confessing everything without lying. Yilan-Tai'er had truly become what he was now... So, why kill them?

A brilliant plan emerged in my mind.

The seal is being broken.

Yilan-Tai'er is about to return to the Mortal World.

But they had already castrated themselves into cattle and sheep—in the endless years of darkness, they wove lies, demeaning themselves as sinners, attributing their current predicament to the grave sins they had committed. Now, the "gods" who punished them in legends appeared before them, and they instinctively chose to obey...

This is absolutely brilliant!

Instead of killing them here, why not let them ride the war machines left behind by Yilan-Tai'er, rush back to the Mortal World, and kill everything they see as atonement?

Although we don't know who the enemy who attacked the Star Palace with the Radiant Weapon is, the entire Mortal World is ultimately guilty. Let the remnants of Yilan-Tai'er fight to the death with the ants of the Mortal World, and perhaps we can even draw out the rebels who are wielding the Radiant Weapon. It's a win-win situation, so why not?

It's settled then!

"--I am the god of the heavens, I am your god, descendants of Yilan-Tai'er who have committed grave sins, I grant you the opportunity to atone for your transgressions..."

The blazing light illuminated the entire Land of Shelter, dispelling the dark red hues of the dome. A colossal phantom with heron wings stood atop the Eternal Tower, visible to all the sinners of City of Atonement. They gazed at the massive phantom with bewilderment and awe, as majestic and radiant as a god.

The dispersal of extraordinary skills, the loss of military technology, the scarcity of Magic Power materials, and the design mechanisms left behind by the designers—all these factors have caused the extraordinary application fields of the Yilan-Tai'er remnants to decline rapidly. The intensity of the battles during the several coups has decreased with each one, and the enormous phantom manifested by the God of the Star Palace is a divine means that they can no longer understand and can only revere.

The priests' frenzied and excited shouts immediately rang out.

Our gods have descended!

"The merciful gods have heard our prayers and repentance day and night, and they believe this dark imprisonment can end, provided we perform our final atonement..."

"Our gods will lift the seal on the Land of Atonement..."

"Our gods will bestow upon us powerful weapons..."

"Our gods demand that we offer our loyalty with the blood of our enemies..."

"And as a gift, the merciful gods will forgive our sins!"

A brief moment of astonishment was quickly followed by citywide celebration.

After the priests gained power, they brainwashed the people day and night, educating them generation after generation. This had led the remnants of the era to consider themselves sinners. Now that a merciful god had appeared, allowing them to wash away their sins with loyalty, how could these people, numb with suffering and finding solace in faith, not weep with joy?

"All sinners, I summon you to the Eternal Tower, await the breaking of the seal, and receive the weapons bestowed upon us by the gods, to use them to vanquish our enemies!"

The crowd surged forward, jostling and pushing.

In the City of Atonement, there were no old or weak, only women and children. Even women and children rushed desperately toward the sacred tower to bathe in the glory of the gods—and at this moment, this was the entire meaning of life; nothing else mattered, for the day of forgiveness had arrived!

"Get off! Get off!"

Aifu's chariot squad stopped less than a kilometer from the Eternal Tower. The Oathbreakers looked at the holy phantom on the tower with fear and shock.

Even his body was trembling.

"... Star Palace."

She uttered those nightmarish words.

This is why the Oathbreakers and the priests are mortal enemies: the former still uphold the truth of history, while the priests' actions are not merely forgetting the past, but a betrayal of their ancestors and the victims.

But she never dreamed that the legendary God of the Star Palace would come to the Land of Shelter.

She froze for a moment, then screamed, "Get out! Get out!"

"What's going on?!" shouted the driver in the car in front. "We're about to crash into the tower!"

"Screw you!" Aifu roared. "Get out of the car! Hide! It'll kill us!"

She knew that the Shelter prohibited supernatural beings and sealed military technology. Long periods of peace had led to the loss of traditional skills, and the fighting strength of the Yilan-Tai'er members was extremely weak. Even with the Council's equipment, they would be no match for the God of the Star Palace: "We can't fight them head-on! We can't attract their attention!"

The situation has become even more unpredictable, Aifu is in a state of turmoil. The seal is about to be broken, but the sinister intentions of the God of the Star Palace are becoming increasingly clear—he wants to use Yilan-Tai'er to start a war against the Mortal World races!

We must never let this happen!

Regardless of the irreconcilable enmity between Yilan-Tai'er and the Star Palace, the survivors of the Shelter are the last hope of Civilization; how could they possibly incur a blood feud with innocent Mortal World races?

What can we do? Rushing into the tower now would be suicide. What should we do? What should we do?

Feeling helpless, she looked around blankly, but caught a glimpse of a golden light out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head and saw a figure leaping off the war crab in the distance, frantically tearing off his magnificent robe.

--Tuosidiwa!

Inside the tower, several priests hurriedly carried out the gods' instructions. One of them whispered, "I wonder where the High Priest has gone..."

Before he could finish speaking, he noticed the teacher beside him stop and look at him with a cold gaze.

The young priest, struck by a sudden inspiration, immediately cried out, "High Priest!"

The man nodded in satisfaction and snorted, "Serves him right for running around like that..."

The entire Land of Shelter began to tremble slightly as extracts of the relic material were continuously injected, and the seal was slowly loosening. The sinners, believing it to be the work of the gods, cheered loudly.

In the deep sea, two submarines are conducting operations.

The Jiaolong reached a depth of 2,000 meters and was quietly heading towards the ruins area. The Phase Gate opened, and Kang De brought A Xing into the spherical cabin, shivering.

"Damn, it's so cold."

He grabbed a piece of clothing, put it on A Xing, then pulled it on himself. Looking out the porthole at the dark sea, his Phoenix Eyes gleamed fiercely. "Let me see, they're... Holy crap!"

Horus was startled. "What's wrong?"

"Star... Star Palace!" Kang De shouted, "There are Star Palace bastards in here!"

"Ah?"

"Bullshit!"

Kang De roared, "Shoot that submarine torpedoes right now!"

"Where did this research submersible get its torpedoes?!"

Two thousand meters below the surface, the sea was cold and deathly still, the water pressure terrifying. Even Kang De's Phase Teleportation had little room to maneuver. The Fire Thief was helpless and shouted, "Then ram them to stop them!"

"... Fine!"

Horus pushed the control stick, Jiaolong submersible reached its top speed of twenty-five knots, propelling it forward at full speed. Kang De shouted, "Turn on the lights!"

The eight LED light arrays suddenly lit up.

"Unidentified large object detected approaching!"

Inside the submarine, the officer with the eagle eye shouted a warning, "High alert! Captain!"

The captain abruptly stood up. "Weapons officer, prepare! Hawkeye officer, activate the mirror vision device!"

"Clear!"

The submarine's forward armor plate unfolded, revealing a flower-like imaging device. The Eagle Eye officer donned his protective helmet, connected his Eagle Eye to the magical instrument, and looked at the colossal creature approaching from the deep sea.

The next moment...

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!"

He screamed.

Because in the boundless darkness, a dazzling light shone forth, and an incredibly awe-inspiring giant's head emerged from the endless deep sea, its eyes shining with intense light, like Titan from the abyss revealing a glimpse of its myriad forms!

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PS1: This picture is a frontal view of China's deep-sea submersible "Fendouzhe" after it has landed at a depth of nearly 11,000 meters in the Mariana Trench. Fendouzhe and Jiaolong are similar in appearance, so they are almost identical. This picture is released for your reference. This is the effect that the submarine Council committee saw. If you can't see it, please refresh this chapter.

PS2: By the way, compared to the Jiaolong's maximum operating depth of 7,000 meters, the Fendouzhe is far superior, and the latter's level of independent innovation is also far greater than the former. From Jiaolong to Fendouzhe, it is a microcosm of China's breakthrough in Western technological blockade and independent development. Salute to the scientific and technological workers.

PS3: But this front view really makes him look like one of the crazy Pandora, hahaha...