Chapter 528
"The ancient dragons and the demons of the past were all like this. Nothing is permanent. A great tree will eventually decay, but new shoots will inevitably sprout from the Kuchiki. This is the inevitability of Destiny."
His words seemed to have risen to a philosophical level, leaving the gods looking at each other in bewilderment, both believing and doubting.
This does make some sense. They are not blind; the rules, when they reach their limit, are visible to the naked eye. This seems to explain the strange state of the five main gods from another perspective.
Ancient dragons and demons were both once overlords, possessing seemingly unshakeable positions, but they have both become fleeting memories.
"This cycle cannot be defied, but ten thousand years ago, we prepared to rebel against this Destiny." The God of the Sky stood up, like a supreme king. "Do you know why the demons, despite being losers, did not become extinct like the ancient dragons, but instead rose to godhood?"
The gods looked up and suddenly realized that things were not as simple as they had imagined. The gods of the sky had no need to eliminate dissidents, and they all held their breath.
This is a policy that has been criticized for thousands of years. Countless people have searched for the answer, but no one can understand it.
"You've found the loophole in this cycle?" A deity adjusted his glasses, his eyes filled with the fervor of a seeker of knowledge.
"To be precise, this was found by the Demon King. Otherwise, what right do you think we have to take his place?"
A rhetorical question silenced the gods again; becoming gods was so boring that everyone knew the classics by heart.
The six main gods weren't always gods; they usurped their positions of dominance through a series of rebellions and epic battles, though there are many inconsistencies in this narrative.
For example, why didn't the demons completely suppress them when they first showed their strength? Why did the dragons Back-and-Forth Dodge their minds? Why did they leave the demons behind when they could have wiped them out?
For example, even though the Divine Race made no mistakes, the demons still prospered, which is somewhat reminiscent of being chosen by fate.
Could it be... that this was intentional? To prevent the old order from being completely eradicated, so that when the cycle begins again, a familiar opponent is always easier to deal with than an unknown enemy.
The gods looked at each other, overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information, which explained many issues. Just as each god realized that the Great Hunt could delay the conflict, it could not resolve it.
But this is only the sky god's side of the story; is it really believable?
That's the truth, but not the whole truth.
Mebius listened intently, and seeing the heroes around him eager to fight, he roughly understood why the Sky God had invited them to attend.
Circumstances create heroes, and a major transformation can bring countless benefits.
The God of the Sky offered no explanation; He swept His majestic gaze across the hall.
"I don't expect your understanding, much less your approval. The grand plan has begun and cannot be stopped. You may question whether I'm telling a story or lying, but reality demands that we unite."
"If the fox clan consumes the spoils of war, and those traitors already pose a significant threat, even if I am lying, can you expect their forgiveness?"
This is the most crucial point. What I just said can only explain why we should do it, but it cannot change reality. It only takes 'luck' into account and amplifies the threat.
"Shaping a new order will inevitably encounter difficulties, and even maintaining the status quo requires unity." The goddess, gentle as water, lowered her head, representing the thoughts of a pantheon.
They are neither qualified nor in a position to hold anyone accountable. They cannot repeat the mistake of the Demon King from ten thousand years ago; they must nip the threat in the bud.
"We only have one chance to launch a sneak attack. The fox clan won't be able to find it, and they won't come out until they've finished digesting their spoils. Our top priority is to eliminate the other threats."
"Those traitors? But we can't find their lair either."
The conversation shifted to dealing with the trouble, and looking back, we realized just how difficult the demons were to deal with.
"Because they are hidden in the Abyss Grade," the Sky God said with certainty. This was not unexpected, as the previous discussion about the Eye of the Abyss had been overshadowed by the attack on the Fox Clan.
Abyss Grade?
This was not unexpected; the gods of the Oceanic Pantheon had been whispering about it for a while.
Such a huge incident happened in Abyss Fortress, yet they turned a blind eye. Now they've finally remembered the hidden dangers of the Abyss Grade. Isn't it a little too late?
The Abyss Grade involves the Dragon Clan, and investigating the situation alone would take a lot of time. As for holding those responsible for negligence accountable, we wouldn't even dare to think about it now.
"Your Majesty, the Dragon Clan's attitude is ambiguous. Those traitors were able to bring the Sea Demon out of the Abyss Grade; they cannot escape responsibility," a deity immediately advised.
"You mean to pursue accountability and further expand the scope of the crackdown?"
"At least we need to figure out how deeply the dragons are involved. From what I understand, these dragons do harbor resentment, but they're all very cunning. They might have the guts to let traitors run rampant, but they wouldn't actually side with them."
"Time, we need time now. Who knows when the Fox Demon will finish digesting it? Who dares to go to the Eye of the Abyss to investigate?"
The argument immediately ceased. Now even a fool would know that the dragons were definitely collaborating with traitors like Morgas; otherwise, the Sea Demon couldn't have silently besieged Abyss Fortress. The key question was how deeply they were involved.
Is it due to negligence in guarding, or is it a matter of risking one's life and fortune? If it's the latter, going to the Eye of the Abyss is like a lamb entering a tiger's den.
"The War General of Abyss Fortress is willing to investigate." A god dressed in a riot of colors, wearing a tricorn hat, and with an extremely strange appearance stepped forward. This was the 'God of Freedom' of the Oceanic Pantheon, who had come to reinforce the city with Isaac.
"Dias? He's the strongest in the human city-states, isn't he?"
"Truly a hero who guards the Abyss Grade, worthy of admiration."
The gods were overjoyed. A hero who risked his life deserved such praise. Yes, it would be better if he took the risk. At least in war, we should figure out who the enemy is.
It's that Abyss Fortress again.
The God of the Sky sighed inwardly; though He ruled the universe arbitrarily, He could not ignore logic.
No matter how urgent the matter, some things still need to be investigated. If the dragon clan is wrongly accused, wouldn't that create a powerful enemy out of thin air?
Is that outsider plotting against me? Why do they always manage to cause me trouble? Who was involved in the Fight to the End the Fox Demon?
Sorion Yuki had guessed correctly; sacrificing his right hand was part of a scheme. But now he regretted it. He should have opened the rift a second time and investigated the truth of that battle.
The biggest problem now is that I don't know who the enemy is. He's hiding very well and manipulating the whole situation in some way.
"His Majesty?"
Sorion snapped out of his daze. This was no longer important. If there really was a hidden enemy, he should speed things up and complete the grand plan as soon as possible.
At least until he finds out the whole truth.
"There's no need to investigate further. The dragons have already rebelled. War General Dias is commendable for his loyalty and shouldn't be sent to his death in vain."
The gods exchanged bewildered glances. With the current clues, how could they determine the dragons' attitude? What if they turned a blind eye?
Before any questions could be asked, the God of the Sky snapped his fingers, and ripples appeared in the air, reflecting an image like a mirror.
Sky's Eye.
Sorion has the authority to 'judge,' and monitoring the world naturally falls within that authority.
It was a small city-state built in a basin, with a beam of azure light shooting straight into the sky, which attracted the attention of the Sky's Eye.
Redstone City?
The buildings, each as clear and translucent as a jewel, were easily recognizable, but what was even more striking were the gates that were opening all around, from which ferocious Sea Demon surged forth like a tide, fighting desperately against the defenders.
"Morgas? Those damned traitors! I'm going to their rescue!"
The most troublesome enemy has struck again. This elusive Shadow Gate has caused the Demon-Hunting Army to suffer several defeats, and on the spot, a god has been dispatched in a menacing manner.
The scale of the attack was incomparable to that of the Abyss Fortress, but such a sneak attack was impossible to defend against. The other gods watched quietly as several enormous creatures joined the battle.
"Dragon race!?"
"Don't worry, Abyss Fortress said that there are corrupted Abyss Grade dragons among the Sea Demon, which are difficult to identify from their appearance."
The gods aren't fools either. The remnants of Abyss Fortress left behind a lot of useful information. With this in mind, it's not easy for anyone to be fooled.
But at that moment, all the discussion ceased, replaced by anger and confusion.
A much larger, two-headed dragon appeared, spewing out red and green dragon breath that flattened the city wall.
A two-headed dragon with crimson scales.
"'Lord of Lava' Kalaris!"
This is not unfamiliar, because this is one of the three dragon generals under the Dragon King. He is not an Abyss Grade dragon, but a true high-ranking member of the dragon race, representing the will of the Dragon King.
This is a huge problem. Isn't this blatantly joining the Demon Clan and rebelling against the Heavenly Gang?
"It seems that ten thousand years of punishment is not enough, making them mistakenly believe they have the ability to resist." The God of the Sky laughed in anger, glancing at the equally furious gods.
It was just one failure. Did you really think you could overthrow the Heavenly Gang? But every god was very serious. The Fox Demon, the traitor, and the dragon clan, all combined, could really go toe-to-toe with the Divine Race.
"Is there any need to investigate? By the time you find out how many more city-states have been destroyed and how many gods have fallen, the strength of the two sides will continue to narrow." The God of the Sky looked at the members of the Oceanic Pantheon, who actually felt there were still problems, such as why the Dragon Clan did not personally participate in the last siege of Abyss Fortress.
But the god of the sky was no longer going to give them a chance to ask questions, thus setting the tone for this council of gods:
"We may not win this war. Every second could lead us to defeat. Let's not take any chances and fight with all our might. Only by eradicating the Sea Demon and dragons can we secure victory in this war."
"For the eternal glory of the Divine Race, mobilize the entire Demon-Hunting Army and join me in conquering the Abyss Grade! This time, we must eradicate evil completely!"
A personal command? Finally, no more behind-the-scenes micromanagement?
The war horns sounded, crushing all doubts. No matter how many doubts there were, surely they wouldn't warrant the God of the Sky taking such a risk himself.
Mebius's eyes twitched, and he didn't dare send the message to Yuki. He could only stand up with the ambitious heroes beside him.
"I obey!"
The Demon-Hunting Army made their stance clear, and the Sky Pantheon, naturally unwilling to lag behind, was eager to Tiberius, as this was their king.
"I obey!"
The five pantheons looked at each other, ready for a decisive battle. But as His Majesty Sorion said, regardless of any problems, as long as the enemy is eliminated, the remaining Fox Demon won't be able to cause any trouble.
Forget about the cycle of Destiny, forget about all the doubts. Letting the demons continue to develop will only lead to our mutual destruction. Taking a gamble at least gives us a chance to survive.
"I obey."
Wow, that's impressive. They even had a backup plan.
Yuki stood atop the wall, gazing at the azure ocean, and finally received the complete contents of the Council of Gods.
This sky god is amazing! Just how many contingency plans did he prepare? He didn't even make a move himself, and he beat me to it.
"So the dragons really rebelled?" Mebius actually believed it, or rather, he sided with the Divine Race; there was no reason not to believe it.
"I'm sure they didn't rebel, otherwise Morgas wouldn't have needed to go to such lengths to make the dragons take the blame for the battle at Abyss Fortress."
"Then how do you explain the 'King of Lava'?"
"A race is never monolithic. You must know that the dragons have been imprisoned for ten thousand years, and their desire for freedom is indescribable. Coupled with the invasion of the Abyss Grade and the great victory of the fox clan, there are always some hot-headed fools whose will wavers." Yuki was good at putting himself in others' shoes. If he had been imprisoned at the bottom of the sea for ten thousand years, he might not have been able to resist the chance to escape.
"What the dragons think is unimportant. The God of the Sky only needs an excuse. Even if the dragons grovel on the ground and confess their sins, He will find a way to force them to submit. After all, the Sea Demon alone can crush them quickly and achieve their goal."
"Just to make gods and demons perish together? To ignite that Chaos Furnace Flame?" Mebius was also investigating, but couldn't find a single clue.
"Otherwise, what's the point? If you keep expanding the scope of your attacks and increasing the number of enemies in a war, isn't that just plain crazy?"
Mebius paused for a moment, thinking that this bastard could be really sharp-tongued sometimes, and retorted, "What if you're wrong? The origin of all your logic is that so-called Chaos Furnace Flame."
"It can't be wrong."
"On what grounds? Every point of doubt can have multiple interpretations; different interests lead to different opinions."
Yuki paused for a moment, then said firmly, "Because I can't think of any other way to achieve the effect of 'No One Survives'."
"Hmph, that's your biggest mistake. No dungeon is guaranteed to kill you, and the Reincarnation Game wouldn't assign such a mission."
"No, He will, because I am the Taiyi." Yuki's words silenced Mebius. Under this premise, any scientific discussion was meaningless. Fortunately, Yuki was not a stubborn or unreasonable person.
"I'll go see what the Abyss Grade is like first. Anyway, with you as my inside man, I'll know when the Demon-Hunting Army will arrive."
"If you're wrong, this is suicide!" Mebius emphasized.
"So I can't be wrong, because I never joke with my own life."
Yuki cut off the communication, leaned against the wall, and gazed at the golden sunlight rippling on the sea.
In fact, there is nothing wrong with what Mebius said. Reasoning from effect to cause is a major taboo in logical thinking because it assumes the result and every detail is subjectively oriented.
What if the Chaos Furnace Flame didn't exist at all? What if the Fox Demon's sneak attack wasn't to silence him? What if the Sky God simply couldn't open a second rift to save them?
Even the choice to attack the dragons was clearly explained with the participation of dragon generals; at most, it was too arbitrary, as they hadn't personally witnessed it at the Eye of the Abyss.
But this is not necessary. Just as the God of the Sky said, by the time you have investigated thoroughly, the demons will also be ready. The sooner you strike, the greater your advantage will be.
"Are you really going?"
Dias, dressed in military uniform, walked up to him, holding his helmet with unease.
"Yes, I trust my judgment because I have ample experience of being persecuted. This taste is definitely not wrong." Yuki firmly. He couldn't explain this reason to anyone, and it even went beyond the cause-and-effect relationship.
At every crucial juncture, the Reincarnation Game would try every means to kill him; the first time was under the Crimson Moon, and the second time was in Calamity of Blood.
Isn't his upcoming experiment with 'breaking free from the Reincarnation Game's a crucial turning point?
The only difference is that he was very weak the first two times, and could only gamble with his life and survive by a bit of luck. But this time he has approached the Limit of Epic Tier III and can play against the Reincarnation Game as a chess player.
Zhan Shuai glanced at him, not understanding what 'taste' meant, but having shared life and death, he trusted this man's judgment and put on his helmet.
"Fine, I'll bet my life on this gamble."