The God-Kings' Recruitment Drive
On the throne, a rare, brief pause and astonishment appeared on the Asura God's usually cold and hard face, which was as hard as a stone carving.
His blood-red eyes pierced through the temple's walls, "gazing" at the divine light that soared into the sky in succession—a light of opposite natures, Goddess of Kindness and God of Evil, yet both signifying the changing of the gods' power—before quickly fading into oblivion.
Upon investigation, it was discovered that the auras of the two colleagues dissipated and disappeared from the core area of the Divine Realm almost simultaneously.
Even with his shrewdness and cunning as the Asura God, he couldn't help but feel a sense of surprise at the sudden and synchronized "exit of the God King."
"Heh..." After a moment of silence, a low, ambiguous laugh escaped from the Asura God's throat, carrying a hint of realization and a barely perceptible sarcasm. "I suppose one would say he truly lives up to his title as a deity who wields the power of ' Goddess of Kindness ' and ' God of Evil '?"
His mind raced, and he quickly grasped the key to it.
The core of the divine duties of the Godess of Kindness and the Evil God is that one is good intentions and order, while the other is the ability to see through evil desires and greed.
Therefore, for these two god-kings, the turbulent thoughts, schemes, fears, greed, shirking of responsibility, and even hidden murderous intent within the hearts of the gods in the Divine Realm, including their colleagues, were probably as clearly visible as a campfire in the dark night, thanks to their unique divine perception.
They could even vaguely sense the yearning and desire within the heart of the Asura God, who was also a God-King...
As the threat of the Dragon Clan draws ever closer, and the undercurrents within the Divine Realm grow ever more turbulent due to the radicalism of the God of Destruction, the wavering of the Goddess of Life Goddess, and the scheming of the God of Asura God... for the gods of Goddess of Kindness and Evil God who deeply understand the unbearable and fickle nature of "humanity," the Divine Realm is no longer safe. Instead, it may become a perilous ship about to be caught in the eye of a storm, its interior riddled with cracks.
So they made a quick decision and left!
Since one senses the impending storm, since one sees clearly that colleagues are scheming and unable to work together, and since one has no absolute certainty or the will to sacrifice to turn the tide, then the most "wise" course of action is to take advantage of the remaining opportunity to leave this potentially sinking ship as soon as possible and go to a safer and freer place.
The Godess of Kindness can continue to spread her ideals of "goodness" in other worlds and test humanity, while the Evil God can find pleasure in "evil" elsewhere. Why gamble everything by staying in the murky waters of the Douluo God Realm?
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Furthermore, the fragmented memories belonging to Tang San also corroborate this point.
In that vague "future" or "alternate trajectory," even though the tragic fall of the God of Destruction and the Life Goddess occurred, the first Godess of Kindness and the Evil God were able to escape early and leave the Douluo God Realm, a place of right and wrong, safely.
Their successors even handed over seats on the God Realm Committee to Tang San's descendants, completely "Tang family-ization" the power structure of the Divine Realm...
But that's a story for another time. At least these two "god kings" were first-rate in their ability to protect themselves.
"These two guys... although they seem to mind their own business most of the time, when it really matters, their ability to foresee opportunities and decisively extricate themselves is absolutely remarkable," the Asura God commented inwardly, his blood-red eyes narrowing slightly.
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The Asura God slowly leaned back onto his throne, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the armrest.
The departure of Goddess of Kindness and God of Evil has certainly left the God Realm Committee weakened and disrupted its internal balance, but it may not necessarily be a bad thing.
With two less "observers" who might see through his hidden intentions but whose stances were ambiguous, perhaps that matter could indeed be planned...
He turned his attention back to Tang San, who stood respectfully with his head bowed in the hall...
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In the capital city of the Sun Moon Empire in the Douluo Continent, where they are currently resting and recuperating.
The sun was shining brightly, and a gentle breeze was blowing.
Outside the arena, Tian Yue stood with her arms crossed, her expression cold and stern; Baili Shouyue leaned against a tree, seemingly relaxed, but his eyes were sharp as an eagle's; Hu Liena stood quietly to the side, lost in thought.
In the center of the arena stood Dongfang Yao, who was always bursting with energy and confidence.
He had just finished a flashy (and what he considered incredibly cool) sword routine, sheathed his sword, and was about to summarize his "perfect performance" of the day with his signature, melodramatic line, while also envisioning how he would use his unparalleled talent to forge his own godhood and create a legend.
He scoffed at the "Evil God's test" that had inexplicably come knocking on his door, and resolved to forge his own righteous (and cool enough) path to godhood!
"Everyone, do you see that? This is the demeanor of the future god! What divine test? It's nothing but..." He held his head high, his eyes bright, and as he spoke, he continued to strike various cool poses.
However, before he could finish speaking...
A sudden change has occurred!
A chilling, eerie, and chaotic God of Evil power surged into his body without warning!
The power came so suddenly and so fiercely that it was completely beyond Dongfang Yao's control.
"Ugh--!" He only had time to let out a short, startled groan of pain.
Immediately afterwards, an overwhelming aura of God of Evil spread wildly from him, like ink dripping into clear water!
The sky seemed to be shrouded in shadow by an invisible hand, and even the sunlight dimmed.
A thick, jet-black beam of divine power shot into the sky from his body, piercing the clouds and shaking the barrier of the Divine Realm once again!
Behind Dongfang Yao, a strange and sinister black halo, composed of constantly twisting shadow runes and ominous patterns, was uncontrollably and slowly condensing and taking shape, radiating a chilling "God of Evil" divine power!
Dongfang Yao stood frozen in place, maintaining the posture from when he had sheathed his sword and spoken, but his expression was completely frozen.
His original youthful and slightly immature aura was twisted into a gloomy villainous boss-like presence under the intense, overwhelming God of Evil power, creating an extremely bizarre contrast with his sunny (self-proclaimed) handsome face.
"..."
Who am I? Where am I? What happened?
Dongfang Yao's mind was in turmoil.
How did he, a perfectly fine and talented young man who aspired to become a radiant and majestic god, end up looking like this?!
This God of Evil aura, this dark, ominous halo... Shameful! Utterly shameful!
This doesn't suit my genius temperament at all!
At the same time, he couldn't help but wonder, even if he, Dongfang Yao, couldn't be considered a moral exemplar, he was definitely not associated with "God of Evil"!
Why is it Evil God?! Why the forced initiation?!
Not even a chance to refuse?! His dignity as the number one genius of the Jixia Academy, his lofty ideal of becoming a god on his own, shattered into nothingness at this moment!
Meanwhile, the people on the sidelines who witnessed all of this reacted in various ways.
Tian Yue maintained her icy, unapproachable expression, as if the awe-inspiring scene of godhood before her was nothing more than a gentle breeze.
However, upon closer inspection, one can see that her fingers, which were wrapped around her arms, tightened slightly, her knuckles turned somewhat white, and her lips twitched almost imperceptibly.
Her heart was also in turmoil, filled with disbelief and madness. "Why?! This idiot who only knows how to show off and talk nonsense all day long, who seems to be missing a screw in his head, actually became a god before me?! And in such a... such an God of Evil way?! Heaven is so unfair!"
Her intense competitive spirit and the frustration of being "outdone" almost made it difficult for her to maintain her composure, which was usually very strong-willed.
In contrast, Baili Shouyue's reaction was much calmer and more composed.
He paused for a moment, then a look of understanding flashed in his eyes, and his face revealed his usual gentle and tolerant smile.
He stepped forward, seemingly oblivious to the unsettling aura of God of Evil and Dongfang Yao's stiff expression, and sincerely congratulated him. "So Yao, you're the examiner of the Evil God! Amazing! You completed the inheritance so quickly and became a god! Congratulations!"
He was genuinely happy for his companion's improved strength, and at the same time... he couldn't help but secretly breathe a sigh of relief.
That's great! This talkative and energetic little guy has finally become a god. According to the rules of the Divine Realm, he should be leaving Douluo Star soon, right?
Finally, his ears could have some peace and quiet for a while! Heaven knows how much torture it was for him, with his keen hearing, to endure Dongfang Yao's rambling, fantastical, and repetitive "glorious deeds," genius confessions, and future visions, which he could only repeat eight hundred times a day.
Even Baili Shouyue, who was always very gentle and caring towards his companions, couldn't take it anymore.
Listening to Shouyue's "congratulations," feeling Tian Yue's almost tangible "resentment," and looking at the inescapable "God of Evil" label and the dark divine halo on his body, Dongfang Yao felt like crying but had no tears.
Is Dongfang Yao truly destined to be bound to the word "God of Evil" for life?
The black divine light still flowed around him, announcing the birth of a newly ascended "Evil God," even though this new god himself was filled with resistance and bewilderment...
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However, Dongfang Yao was unaware that the reason he was favored by that unpredictable Evil God was not only due to his exceptional talent and amazing potential, but also because of a more important "software" quality that he himself was unaware of—his stubbornness in not being tempted by external things and his adherence to his original intentions.
The Evil God, although his divine nature symbolizes "evil desires," "chaos," and "corruption," doesn't sound like what a proper deity should be like.
But the veteran gods of the Divine Realm knew some of the inside story: this evil god and that Godess of Kindness were secretly so close that they were practically inseparable.
Their religious roles may seem extremely contradictory, but in reality they are two sides of the same coin, working together to maintain a certain balance.
Therefore, the requirements of the Evil God for his successor are strikingly similar to those of the Godess of Kindness, and can even be said to be products of the same thought process.
Although my divinity is in the ' God of Evil ' camp, and although I encourage you to experience chaos and temptation, successor, you yourself must never truly succumb to God of Evil. You must have your own bottom line and be able to uphold your true self amidst the tides of evil.
In a sense, the Godess of Kindness and the Evil God are indeed a pair who have long been "partners" in the God Realm Committee, jointly upholding the concept of "balance".
Their selection criteria and way of doing things are full of a kind of thought process that is difficult for ordinary people to understand.
If it weren't for the current undercurrents and escalating conflicts within the Douluo God Realm, coupled with the looming shadow of the Dragon Clan's resurgence, which made these two God Kings, with their exceptionally keen sense of danger, realize that this place was not safe to linger and that they had to make a hasty escape... the divine trials they left for their successors would likely have been even more agonizing.
For example, in Tang San's memories, the second-generation Godess of Kindness and Evil God, under the arrangement of these two deities, engaged in a tragic love affair.
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The two god-kings, one of Goddess of Kindness and God of Evil, almost succeeded each other in their divine positions and then quietly disappeared, which naturally had a significant impact on the Divine Realm.
In an instant, undercurrents surged in the Divine Realm, and people's hearts were in turmoil.
Even the two god-kings who wield the divine titles of "Goddess of Kindness" and "order" have chosen to withdraw at this moment. Does this mean that the Divine Realm is truly doomed?
Panic was spreading in the shadows.
The gods belonging to the God of Evil camp, especially the Seven Deadly Sins Gods and their subordinates, are relatively "stable".
It wasn't that they weren't panicked, but rather that a malevolent god hung above them— the God of Destruction. Under the God of Destruction's violent and icy pressure, no God of Evil deity dared to openly defy him, no matter how many thoughts they had in their minds.
However, the gods of the lawful and just faction had a slightly unexpected turn of events.
The Life Goddess lacked authority due to her overly gentle and compassionate nature and her lack of decisiveness. In times of peace, her benevolence might have earned her respect, but in this chaotic moment of crisis and panic, her advice and reassurance seemed pale and powerless, unable to subdue the gods who harbored their own agendas.
The situation of the Asura God is more complicated. He was originally the supreme being in charge of judgment and punishment in the Divine Realm, and his incorruptibility and powerful martial arts established his formidable reputation, enough to make most gods feel awe. However, in the previous conflict with the God of Destruction, he was once at a disadvantage in the battle, and in the end, the Life Goddess had to intervene to save Tang San.
More importantly, his Asura Divine Sword, which symbolized supreme authority and power for slaughter, was also lost. These signs, in the eyes of the gods, undoubtedly greatly weakened the Asura God's deterrent power.
Beset by internal and external troubles, the order of the Divine Realm is on the verge of collapse.
In the end, it was only through the combined efforts of the Asura God, the Life Goddess, Sea God, who quickly expressed his opinion after receiving the news, that the situation was barely suppressed.
Of course, there is an even more pressing matter to attend to right now—welcoming the arrival of the two newborn god-kings.
Chapter 338 The God King's Attraction
The ceremony to welcome the new God-King was solemnly held in the central temple of the Divine Realm.
This place, usually the site of the highest council and celebrations of the Divine Realm, is now adorned with unprecedented splendor and solemnity. Auspicious clouds pave the way, and divine light weaves the tapestry.
The ceremony was the most grand in the Divine Realm in nearly ten thousand years. Almost all the gods in the Divine Realm who were able to leave, regardless of faction or rank, attended this grand event.
This is not only out of respect for the newly crowned God-Kings, but also because of a consensus among all the gods—these two new God-Kings have inherited the supreme authority over Goddess of Kindness and God of Evil, and will become an indispensable top-tier fighting force to resist the possible invasion of the Dragon Clan in the future.
Their attitudes, stances, and even strength are directly related to the survival of the Divine Realm, and no deity can afford to ignore them.