Chapter 536
"I am Dias, the war commander of Abyss Fortress, and this is Mr. Crown, the commander of ten thousand of Abyss Fortress. Please inform the gods and His Majesty Sorion that we wish to report the battle situation to them personally!"
Our own people.
The hundreds of the Demon-Hunting Army immediately laid down their weapons. They had come at the perfect time, as the gods who had stormed into the Abyss Grade were completely bewildered.
Neither side nor any of them could be found, and they were unwilling to venture into this gloomy place. How deep the enemy was hiding and what the battle situation was were completely unknown.
It was a complete mess. If the six main gods hadn't joined forces to issue a strict order to eradicate evil completely, and anyone who dared to leave the Abyss Grade would have been immediately Divine Punishment, they would have retreated to observe long ago.
"Commander, Captain, please follow me. Your Excellencies have been waiting for you. As for His Majesty, please await Oracle."
The officer immediately led the way, his words tinged with resentment.
What a foolish battle! It's one thing for His Majesty to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut, but these people from Abyss Fortress are also idiots. They blindly ventured into the Abyss Grade without even thinking to send a messenger to report the news.
Yuki had a backup plan, and he hadn't forgotten his identity; he and Abyss Fortress had always been loyal to the gods.
In the dark Abyss Grade, the light of the dispelling magic shone like neon lights, and a dense army was advancing, not fast, but with a shocking force like Mount Tai pressing down.
The Abyss Grade still has its limits; any encounter between the two sides would be a bloody battle. When the Abyss Fortress sees Sea Demon that is still full of energy, its loyalty will be questioned.
There's still time.
Continuing towards the exit, the gods, having entered the Abyss Grade, were now able to defy Oracle. Apart from the Sky Pantheon, most remained in the upper levels, surrounded by a large group of heroes from various city-states.
Yuki had never seen so many gods even in the City of Gods. Gathering these gods, who usually hid in the temple, was already a difficult task.
Of course, Sorion's original plan didn't involve much coercion, and by the time the gods realized what was happening, they had already become firewood, so they wouldn't be as suspicious as they are now.
This is really strange. Why is His Majesty going to such lengths and doing all this unnecessary work?
Those who can become gods are not fools; many things are simply inexplicable, and this was Yuki's first point of contention.
Willingness and Oracle coercion are two completely different emotions. Even if the results are the same, without this seed, how can the flower of resistance bloom?
Dozens of gazes converged, mostly filled with resentment and anger, though these emotions were largely directed at Dias.
"War General Dias, has the Battle of Abyss Fortress stunted you? Why did you act on your own? Why didn't you report the battle situation?!"
"How could you even think of blindly chasing them into the Abyss Grade? Why not intercept the enemy outside?"
"What about the dragons? How's the fighting going down there?"
The gods were all talking at once, as if venting all their pent-up frustration. Yuki stood aside, watching like a nobody, and actually felt sorry for the War General.
There's a saying that goes something like this: Leaders aren't afraid of your brilliant ideas, but you have to get things done properly and not leave them to clean up the mess.
This is the current situation. Abyss Fortress acting on its own is fine, but at least eliminate the enemy! You only did half the job, and now you're making us take the blame?
It was truly difficult for Dias to engage in a verbal battle with the gods, but fortunately, he didn't waste any time on rambling; he explained the situation in just a few words.
"Morgas is dead, but traitors like Moresa and Sangare have joined forces with the Sea Demon and fled into the Abyss Grade. Their strength remains, and the Abyss Fortress and the Dragon Clan are closely following them."
"Why not fight?" a deity asked.
"The Abyss Grade is the Sea Demon's domain. I'm not confident I can conquer it, but the Abyss Grade we go, the more dangerous it becomes. Eventually, they'll have to stop." Dias's face was resolute as he surveyed the gods.
"The Abyss Fortress suffered heavy losses before, and most of our energy was spent on dispelling divine spells when marching in this area. Once the war starts, regardless of victory or defeat, the Abyss Fortress will be reduced to less than one-tenth. Therefore, I chose to pursue them relentlessly until you gentlemen come to our aid, and then crush the evil with absolute power."
The answer was already correct, and the tactics were flawless, but the gods still found it jarring.
Alright, so you're trying to conserve your strength!
The best solution would be a full-scale assault on Abyss Fortress, ideally wiping out the demons in the process. But we're all respectable people, and saying that would be too harsh on our heroes.
"Why not stay outside the Abyss Grade?" another god asked, drawing a chorus of agreement.
Doesn't this idiot know how to fabricate a report? He could just tell His Majesty that the Sea Demon has been defeated, and as long as the exit is guarded, it won't cause any trouble.
"Two reasons. First, Abyss Fortress Keep is mortal enemies with the Sea Demon and traitors; they must be exterminated. Second, the dragons need to atone for their failure in guarding the area."
The War General answered fluently, but his acting was actually quite clumsy. However, given the premise of the 'Battle of Abyss Fortress', the gods would not doubt his stance.
The gods had witnessed firsthand how that magnificent fortress had been destroyed, and they would never believe that Abyss Fortress would collude with the demons.
"That makes sense. His Majesty should investigate the dragons' crimes; I don't care." A god with metallic skin nodded; it was none other than Malio, the 'God of Forging.' He carefully examined the war commander.
"But can you explain why you didn't report it? Honestly, what exactly happened down there!?"
The words had taken on Kamui; the gods were not so easily fooled. They acknowledged the deep-seated hatred within Abyss Fortress and understood the dragons' act of atonement, but why conceal the truth and leave only a few clueless rabble guarding the outside?
There were too many inexplicable things in this battle. The gods dared not question Sorion, but they could target Dias.
This...
The burly man looked troubled, which aroused the curiosity of the gods. Some of the gods with relevant authority even probed him and found that the war commander's thoughts were confused and scattered.
Gods, demons, dragons, and humans are all playing mahjong down there; it's no wonder it's chaotic.
"Say it!"
"There's no need to make things difficult for Dias. This matter is too important for him to discuss." Yuki forward, a foreshadowing he had left behind.
If you force me to do this, I won't use common sense either; things that defy logic are bound to pique people's curiosity.
All the gods looked on, some even explaining to their companions who this was.
Yuki was very busy, but he didn't have much of a presence in this instance, at least not as much as Kalpas and Mebius. At best, he could only be considered a hero of the city-state of Abyss Fortress.
"It was I who killed 'Shadow God' Morgas."
With Yuki one sentence, Yuki's presence skyrocketed, and the curious gazes instantly turned serious.
This is not only because He is one of the two giants of Morgas, but also because He is very strong, stronger than most of the gods here, and the one who kills Him will only be stronger.
The strong are respected everywhere, Malio immediately bowed. "Great hero, is there anything we cannot even speak of?"
"The real reason for the demon race's rebellion."
Yuki's answer left the gods looking at each other in bewilderment.
What reason could there be? The emperors spared the demons to pave the way when order came to an end. Even a rabbit will bite when cornered; it would be strange if the demons didn't rebel.
The Divine Race made some mistakes, but the power disparity between the two sides was too great, and with the dragons' decisive entry, the outcome of this battle was already decided.
"Oh? I'd like to hear how those traitors will try to justify themselves."
"Are you trying to whitewash yourself? Evil is evil, and no amount of sophistry will change that."
"Tell us so we can have a laugh. I hold the power of pleasure, so I'll just have to liven things up for everyone."
The gods laughed, not taking it to heart at all. This was war, and there was no need for any reason after it had come to this point.
Yuki's expression was so serious that the laughter lasted for a few seconds before abruptly stopping. It was as if someone had told a joke that made everyone laugh, but then the person telling the joke had a solemn expression and couldn't laugh anymore, no matter how funny it was.
"This reason is utterly blasphemous, do you really want to hear it?" Yuki retorted, staring directly at the Clown -dressed god of pleasure, his blood-red gloves swirling with an evil aura. "Morgas was tortured by me and forced to give a reason, but it is both absurd and blasphemous. We want to investigate thoroughly before reporting back."
What secret could be so immense that Abyss Fortress would risk total annihilation to venture deep into the Abyss Grade and conceal it?
The gods swallowed hard. They could naturally recognize the aura of Soul Corruption. These outsiders had a completely different power system and had the opportunity to learn the inside story.
They were very curious, yet they knew that curiosity could kill. Words like 'blasphemy' were very specific; who else could it be but the god of the sky?
Normally, people would just laugh it off, but this battle was full of suspicious points.
To ask or not to ask?
The God of Forging and several other high-ranking deities exchanged glances. Their lives and fortunes were at stake, and in the end, they decided...
"Oracle: Warmaster Dias of Abyss Fortress Keep, Commander Crown of Ten Thousand, proceed to see him immediately!"
Before they could even speak, the messenger arrived. Yes, it was such a coincidence that the God of the Sky himself had violated the divine Oracle that "no one may leave the Abyss Grade," causing the other gods to be filled with doubt and uncertainty.
Sharp.
Dias's eye twitched. On the way, he was worried that he wouldn't be able to leave the Abyss Grade. Yuki told him not to worry, saying that the God of the Sky would invite them out. After a few words of persuasion, it really came true.
Yuki remained calm, as everything was under control.
The sky god isn't stupid; he's definitely keeping a close eye on these deities. This is just another trick to turn the tables on them.
The time wasn't right. How could the Sky God allow Yuki 'talk nonsense' and shake the morale of the army? Yet, he couldn't silence a meritorious official in front of everyone. Besides, Yuki was quite shrewd; wouldn't he proactively keep the secret for him?
Okay, first step complete. It's planted the seeds of doubt, but it's also helped you get ahead a bit.
Yuki, always eager to help others, knew after personally testing the waters that the best solution for the Sky God was to let the two sides fight a bloody battle, which would minimize losses and allow for the most composure.
But I'm determined to cut off your escape route.
Yuki smiled and nodded, then followed Dias towards the Abyss Grade's exit, glancing at Mebius in the crowd to signal her that she could proceed.
The God of Forging instinctively wanted to follow, but was immediately stopped by the messenger.
"His Majesty has decreed that only Dias and Crown be summoned; the rest shall continue to carry out the Oracle: pursue them to the very bottom of the Abyss Grade, and eliminate them completely."
This...
The gods were willing to defy the decree, but tens of thousands of the Demon-Hunting Army were overseeing the battle outside the rift. Defying the decree would incur Divine Punishment, so they could only watch helplessly as the war commander and Yuki escaped the Abyss Grade.
There's a problem, absolutely a problem.
Nobody's a fool; this move seemed like an attempt to cover up the truth, as if Yuki had said nothing, yet he had said everything.
The gods were filled with doubt and dared not venture into the Abyss Grade. Furthermore, the Abyss Grade's unique effect of amplifying negative emotions made them even more suspicious.
"Lord Malio, perhaps I know what he was just saying."
A female voice entered his mind. Malio looked up and saw Mebius in the crowd. This one was different from Yuki. He was Divine Race- like hero with a clear stance and a long history of trials, and he was very familiar with the gods.
Aside from a brief encounter, she had no connection with Yuki. But outsiders understand outsiders best, and under the invisible erosion of the Abyss Grade, her rapidly growing suspicion overwhelmed her reason.
"Ahem, it's time for a strategic meeting. We need to complete His Majesty's instructions as soon as possible. All of you, please come forward. The rest of you, step back a hundred meters."
Malio was somewhat intelligent; he selected Mebius and a few other trusted deities, and then set up a protective barrier.
The newcomers were all deities with influence in the five major pantheons, and they all looked at Mebius, who looked conflicted and hesitated to speak.
"Tell me, what did you find? We're absolutely trustworthy."
"I wouldn't call it a discovery, but what Crown has given me some ideas. Gentlemen, do you remember the hunt for Moss Santos?"
Of course I remember. Moss Santos was also a god of demonic origin, but he didn't join the traitor's side. Just to be on the safe side, I killed him.
It's no big deal that he killed a fourth-level deity.
"I participated in this battle, took His head, and read His memories," Mebius said slowly, and the murderous aura around him intensified.
This is blasphemy! No wonder the woman hesitated to speak, but the gods only became more focused.
If someone dares to confess to such a grave crime, it must be something of great importance.
"Moss Santos went into hiding for some kind of experiment."
"Morgas?"
"No, the instigator has been erased from memory, without a trace."
The gods were skeptical. Morgas, that traitor, didn't have the authority to erase memories. So who could have done it?
"Stop telling stories, just state the evidence and findings," Malio interrupted abruptly. He wasn't there to listen to stories, risking the Emperor's suspicion.
We need to get the real substance.
Mebius hesitated, but as the gaze grew increasingly stern, he gritted his teeth and pulled out a crystal.
"Based on my memory, I found this ember and secretly collected it, intending to take it back for experiments."
The gods didn't care what Mebius wanted to do; they were all drawn to the pale flame at the center of the crystal. Even though time stood still and the crystal blocked their view, they all had the same feeling.
A fearful yet familiar feeling.
The sea transformed into a basin, and looking up, all one could see were densely packed silver military formations.
They formed three rectangular formations, each with tens of thousands of men, their long spears like a forest, their banners blotting out the sky, creating a heavy sense of oppression.
In the middle of these three rectangles lies the colossal gate, and beneath it stands a golden chariot, upon which stands none other than His Majesty Sorion, the God of the Sky.
Oracle are Oracle, and weapons are weapons. With such a magnificent military force overseeing the battle, even the gods dared not disobey the order, except perhaps to slack off. The six main gods spoke in unison, and the God of the Sky acted on their behalf. Whoever He said Divine Punishment, He truly would Divine Punishment.
A good plan, pushing power to its Limit, so that even if I discover something, I'm powerless to resist.
Yuki looked up. This open scheme was truly ingenious. The gods might have doubts, but the Demon-Hunting Army were absolutely loyal, and even hoped that the gods would fall so that their positions would be vacated.
The pursuit of immortality is the core interest; whoever controls the distribution power controls the majority of the population.
Yuki realized that the Sky God was standing on his chariot, looking at him with a majestic gaze. Beside him was a beautiful white-haired goddess, none other than the 'Left Hand of Sora' Niyin, whom he had met once before.