A Battlefield That Ignites the Blood

Fukaloss exchanged a Soul Gold Bead for every member of the squad, setting aside the remaining points to be used only if needed in the future.

Barn silently tucked his Soul Gold Bead into his spatial ring; he did not harbor any arrogant desires to demand more rewards simply because he had already reached the God-level.

In his eyes, every member of Ice Blade 123 Squad was far from mediocre—given their innate talents, had they not been trapped in this Gobada plane, they would likely have broken through to higher levels long ago and soared across a much broader world.

Even Declan, the relatively weaker member of the squad, could be considered a top-tier talent among the Spine-backed Iron-armored Dragon clan and even the entire dragon race of the Yulan Continent.

To Barn, this camaraderie forged in battle was a hundred times more precious and irreplaceable than a few Soul Gold Beads.

The squad collaborating with them on this mission was Ice Blade 99 Squad. This team was led by a male and a female Lowgod, supported by six Sanctuary magical beasts who, according to their introduction, were all members of the same family.

Their bloodline was known as the "Moonflower Deer," a light-element Sanctuary magical beast known for its speed and proficiency in healing abilities.

This family had once produced a formidable Midgod, and thanks to that strength, the entire family had been granted the right to reside within the Ice Prison Royal City.

However, fate is unpredictable; the family's strongest member died unexpectedly in battle, and having lost their protection, they were stripped of their residency in the Royal City. Left with no other choice, they formed a squad, relying on completing missions to exchange for cultivation resources while hoping to break through their bottlenecks in life-or-death combat, dreaming that one day they might lead their entire family back into the Ice Prison Royal City.

Wesker, who had deer antlers growing from his head, seemed quite familiar with Julia and, by extension, knew Fukaloss as well. As the two squads followed the mission messenger toward their objective, they began to chat along the way.

"We just finished a green-level mission, but the effort-to-reward ratio was truly poor," Wesker said, his tone tinged with helplessness yet hidden with a glimmer of expectation. "If we can successfully complete this purple mission, even if we only receive half the points, it will be enough to exchange for a defensive Midgod-level Divine Artifact for my sister."

Hearing this, Julia asked softly, "Your father's strength back then was no weaker than my father's. He should have left you with some Divine Artifacts for protection, shouldn't he?"

Wesker's expression darkened instantly, his tone growing heavy. "He did leave me a set of Midgod-level Divine Artifacts, but the stronger artifacts he wore himself were seized by enemies from the Evil Royal City and were not preserved."

Barn listened quietly to their conversation, secretly speculating: it seemed that in this Ice Prison Royal City, those who could independently break through to become Midgods were already figures of considerable status, and Midgod-level Divine Artifacts were rare and precious items indeed.

Gideon, standing to the side, could not help but interject, his tone filled with curiosity and respect. "Lord Wesker, I have only recently broken through to the God-level. If I may be so bold, how many Midgods are there in the Ice Prison Royal City?"

Fukaloss smiled and took over the conversation. "Why not just ask me? There are five hundred and thirty-two Midgods in the Ice Prison Royal City, and only thirteen Highgods."

A flash of surprise crossed Barn's eyes, and he spoke instinctively, "Only that many?"

"Is there a problem?" Wesker looked at him with slight confusion.

"Ah, no, nothing," Barn quickly composed his expression and followed up, "I was just surprised that there are only thirteen Highgods."

In his view, an environment like the Gobada plane, which functioned like an "insect-rearing jar," should have been able to produce thousands of Highgods, given that it could nurture top-tier powerhouses at the Asura or Seven-star Fiend level, such as Qinghuo or the Evil King.

Wesker shook his head and explained solemnly, "In the Gobada plane, a Highgod represents the peak of combat power. The only thing that can threaten a Highgod is another Highgod. Especially those five Kings of the Royal Cities—their strength is unfathomable. Even if all the Highgods of a single Royal City were to join forces, it would be absolutely impossible for them to defeat any one of them!"

"To be that formidable!" Barn feigned the appearance of being enlightened, while his mind raced with calculations.

The total number of Lowgods in the three legions of the Ice Prison Royal City was about five thousand, making the ratio to Midgods roughly ten to one, which was a normal proportion. The birth of thirteen Highgods from over five hundred Midgods was a slightly low ratio, but not outrageous. Yet, the fact that one of these thirteen Highgods was a King at the Seven-star Fiend level—that ratio was truly too bizarre.

Seeing this, Fukaloss quickly smoothed things over. "Barn and Gideon have been gods for less than a hundred years, so it's normal for them not to understand the situation in the Royal City. Once you return and spend some time wandering around the city, you'll naturally understand."

Barn and Gideon nodded in agreement, and the group continued on their way.

The territory of the Ice Prison Royal City was narrow and stretched from east to west; departing from the Royal City toward the southern war front was much closer than heading directly to the far east of Gobada. The two squads traveled at high speed, and in just three days, they reached the destination of their mission.

The resource point before them was far larger than the two Barn had visited previously; it spanned a full ten miles, comparable to the size of a baron's fief in the Yulan Continent. Inside this resource point, over thirty ferocious "Ghost-faced Spiders" were kept in open-range conditions. The guards here were no longer a single Midgod, but a team led by three Midgods, supported by ten Lowgods, maintaining tight security.

Fukaloss and Wesker stepped forward together to negotiate with the guards. After confirming their identities, the Midgod who served as the leader spoke.

"We belong to the Ice Thorn Legion. This resource point is too close to the southern war front; we must relocate all the Ghost-faced Spiders as quickly as possible."

As he spoke, everyone looked toward the south. At the edge of the horizon, one could faintly see brilliant yet violent halos of energy—a sight that could never be produced by ordinary combat; only a large-scale melee between numerous God-level powerhouses could weave such terrifying colors.

"The shift in the spatial weak point, which occurs only once every hundred thousand years, triggers a massive war of the gods every time," the guard leader said slowly. "The migration of the resource point will take at most half a year. During this period, the fighting on the front lines will be exceptionally brutal."

Barn frowned slightly and offered his own perspective: "Since that is the case, why don't we secretly transport all the supplies from the resource point and retreat to the vicinity of the Royal City? Now that the spatial weak point is shifting and the location of the resource point is about to change, holding the front line at this moment seems meaningless."

The leader smiled faintly at these words, his gaze falling on Barn. "You must have broken through to the God-level recently, right? In truth, in this war that happens every hundred thousand years, the struggle for resources is only secondary—we are already God-level, and we have little need for ordinary resources. The real reason we rush to the front lines is that we have been suppressed for too long."

Barn looked up and saw that the leader's originally calm eyes had suddenly erupted with a scorching, fanatical light, as if a fire that had been suppressed for tens of thousands of years was finally about to find an outlet.

"The sealing array of the Ice Prison Royal City only opens once every few billion years, and the location of its opening is completely random," the leader's voice was raspy, hiding an indescribable despair and madness. "The endless waiting tortures our souls day after day. Even though we are God-level and possess immortal lives, our patience is ultimately limited!"

He stared at Barn, his tone firm. "Do you think I am stationed here because I couldn't compete with the old bones in the Royal City and was pushed out? No, I am here voluntarily. I do not wish to stay in the Royal City, circling that array day after day, counting the days that hold no hope. This resource point is close enough to the front line that enemies often come to provoke us, and the war that happens every hundred thousand years is one of the rare moments in the Gobada plane that can make our blood boil."

"Only when I am slaughtering do I truly feel that I am alive!"

The words of this Midgod were less of a response to Barn and more of a confession of the inner thoughts he had suppressed for tens of thousands of years. As he spoke with such passion, the dozen or so God-level powerhouses beside him also ignited with the same fanaticism—it was a thirst for slaughter, and even more, a rebellion against their desperate fate.

Seeing this, Fukaloss quickly interrupted the fanatical atmosphere in a soft voice. "Um... everyone, perhaps we should complete this mission first before discussing anything else, shall we?"

The Midgod came back to his senses and waved his hand dismissively. "There are thirty-seven Ghost-faced Spiders in total; you can take them away directly."

Wesker was concerned. "The number is truly too large. If an accident occurs on the road, it might be easy to lose them."

"Rest assured, there will be no accidents," another guard explained. "When these Ghost-faced Spiders were born, their consciousnesses were specifically destroyed by us. Now, they can only survive and reproduce by instinct. Although they have the strength of the Sanctuary peak, they are actually no different from livestock; they cannot even fly. You only need to release your Divine Domains to intimidate them slightly, and you will be able to drive them back successfully."

To have one's consciousness forcibly destroyed at birth—such an overbearing and ruthless method made even Barn feel a secret chill, confirming that the cruelty of the Gobada plane was well-deserved.

Sure enough, when Barn and the others released the pressure of God-level powerhouses, the thirty-plus Ghost-faced Spiders, each the size of a tiger, instantly huddled on the ground like frightened sheep, trembling and lacking the courage to even move.

Seeing this, the two squads immediately dispatched five Lowgods to maintain their Divine Domains, surrounding all the Ghost-faced Spiders and slowly driving them toward the Ice Prison Royal City.

Watching the two transport teams gradually move into the distance, the thirteen remaining God-level powerhouses exchanged glances, a flash of urgency and fanaticism in their eyes. Then, they simultaneously unleashed their speed, transforming into streaks of light as they raced toward the brilliant battlefield in the south—a place that could make their deadened lives feel alive with passion once more!