Brave Young Man, Go Create a Miracle!
"Stop wasting time with this rambling, Verethragna. You don't really expect to defeat me with these avatars, do you?"
Iori interrupted the God of War, reached into his ear, and with a surge of magical energy, a stone slab materialized—his original storage True Magic was being used in this form after his transformation.
"Or do you want me to return this horse to you?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the boy's short figure rose into the air, standing a hundred meters above Iori, his eyes slightly narrowed.
The Campione!'s words hit him right where it hurt:
Among his many incarnations, the one with the greatest direct destructive power is the White Horse. Although the other incarnations each have their own unique uses, none of them can pose a fatal threat to Iori's "Indestructible Diamond Body" in battle.
The image of the Great Sage Equal to Heaven is too well-known, and it is easy to deduce Iori's abilities without much research. Therefore, Verethragna understands how difficult it is to kill "Son Goku" - after all, he is a hero who is described as immortal!
Although he had the incarnations of [Strong Wind] and [Phoenix] with him, no one could stop him from leaving if he wanted to; even the Somersault Cloud could only match him at most.
But as Steel Hero, as a war god who has spent his life pursuing powerful enemies and defeats, how could he possibly run away at a time like this?
Of course, only by giving one's all can one die with honor; he would not die in vain.
"It's the same for you, isn't it?"
The boy smiled slightly, "You think you can force me to my death with that stick? I know it's divine iron that can subdue dragons and tigers, fight gods and demons, but it only possesses immense power..."
Or was it that sword from before? But what can it do against the invisible wind?
Iori an eyebrow, tacitly acknowledging this without refuting it.
The Great Sage Equal to Heaven is portrayed as having an "immortal body," which aligns with his initial motivation for going to sea to learn martial arts. However, while the Monkey King's martial arts and supernatural powers are top-notch, he ultimately lacks the strength to defeat enemies of similar strength with just an iron cudgel.
While Susanoo's Ame—no -Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi was sharp, its foundation was slightly lacking, and it failed to kill in one blow.
"Then let's try out your horse!"
Iori acted decisively, pointing a finger at the sky. A divine White Horse, riding on crimson flames, appeared from the light. The moment it appeared, the temperature of the entire atmosphere rose, and Iori, who was standing close by, felt a scorching heat wave rushing towards her.
From afar, the dazzling flames looked like a sun carried by White Horse!
The next moment, the White Horse carrying the Shemesh let out a neigh that shook the four directions, trampled through the void and galloped away, with raging flames surging towards Verethragna!
The youthful War God's pupils contracted, and he held the Golden Sword horizontally in front of him. The next moment, he was engulfed by the light of the Shemesh!
--boom!!!
The bursting flames crushed the sea, and tens of thousands of tons of seawater evaporated in seconds. The expanding steam spread out like a huge ripple on the surface, stretching all the way to the End of Heaven!
"Hahaha! It's indeed unbearably the Heat!"
As the steam dissipated, the young god still stood in the void, his entire body shrouded in twisted tongues of fire, like a soul tormented in Hell.
But a fierce smile appeared on his face, "Since you can't kill me, I'll take back this [White Horse]!"
And this time, if you want to use that stone slab again—"
Call!
The flames on the youthful War God's body suddenly disappeared, leaving him stunned.
Then they saw Iori holding a stone slab in her outstretched hand, and a wisp of golden-red flame slowly rose up...
"?"
"... Sorry, I just... tried it casually."
An awkward yet polite smile appeared on Iori's face.
He was really just testing it out to see if the [Prometheus Stone Tablet] would still work if Verethragna was on guard... and sure enough, after fighting for a while, the conditions were met!
"My [White Horse]... Hehe, it's alright, it's just a temporary loss. I have other incarnations... Huh?"
Verethragna was stunned again, and after sensing it carefully for a moment, he looked at Iori in disbelief.
Iori fell silent, picked up the Black Sword Ame-no-Murakumo with her left hand, and slowly exhaled. "I'm a little embarrassed, but... it seems that this greedy sword just now stole [Camel]."
"..."
Verethragna stared blankly at Iori, making Iori feel her face burning for the first time ever.
If it were Iori who had been stolen from so many times, she would probably be wondering if the other person was South Korea. Unfortunately, Verethragna didn't get the joke.
Even so, his feelings were quite complex. He murmured, a mixture of anger and amusement in his voice, "Truly worthy of being called the Great Sage Equal to Heaven... a 'bandit leader' certified by all the gods and Buddhas!"
"Right!"
Iori immediately replied, "I remember, I, Iori Aizen, didn't use any cheat codes, because this is the divine power of the Great Sage Equal to Heaven!"
Did I hear a monkey cursing? It must be my imagination.
"Haha! This is World War I for me. It's been so long since I've faced such a tough battle. It's truly exhilarating!"
As Verethragna burst into hearty laughter, the phantom images of numerous animals appeared one by one behind him.
Wild boars, bulls, phoenixes, rams, goats... and invisible winds that Kyokkō, and warriors wielding Golden Sword.
These seven forms, along with the White Horse and camel stolen by Iori, and the God of War himself, constitute Verethragna's "Ten Avatars"!
Yes, the handsome young man in front of us is one of the incarnations himself.
The ten figures of the god "Verethragna" form a whole; each can be described as Verethragna, but together they constitute the complete Unwilling God.
What appeared before Iori was one of its incarnations—the [Boy].
However, the "Young Man" form is somewhat special among the ten incarnations. Verethragna prefers to appear in this form and command the other incarnations, so it's not unreasonable to consider this as the true form. In that case, let me show you another of my incarnations.
Awaken, warrior slumbering within me! The perfect opponent for you lies right here!
Buzz!
A dazzling and sacred golden light gathered in the boy's hand. The longsword forged from gold gradually changed shape under the nourishment of divine power. The blade became thicker and wider, and the edge outlined a perfect arc. In the end, it turned into a heavy cleaver!
The boy held the exaggeratedly shaped weapon in one hand, which looked extremely out of place compared to his short stature, even somewhat comical, but Iori couldn't bring herself to laugh.
Danger! Extreme danger!
The Great Golden Sword didn't have much magical power condensed on it, but it had an aura that seemed capable of severing all life, making even Iori feel uneasy.
"I guess I still have to face this," Iori narrowed her eyes.
He was deeply impressed by the "Golden Sword." In another timeline unknown to Verethragna, Iori had already memorized this cheat-like ability.
"Well, I'll have to get through this trial sooner or later anyway."
"Demon King, this is not my most powerful incarnation, but it best embodies my essence as a war god—always combining wisdom and courage to defeat one powerful enemy after another!"
No matter how powerful a deity may be, it is as naked before this Golden Sword—
With my power of words, I will make justice manifest in the world!
These incantations are powerful and eloquent; they are the sword of wisdom that summons victory!
Chapter 383 Brave young man, go and create the Miracle!
Clang—!
Iori struck first, preventing the God of War from launching his attack with ease. The iron rod infused with divine power clashed with the golden Sword of Word Spirit, sparks flying and illuminating their faces.
Clang, clang, clang!
The rousing shouts blended together. Iori was agile, dodging and weaving like Flowing Water. Every swing of his stick was powerful and heavy. Isshiki move was disciplined and precise. His perfect control of force allowed him to move freely within a limited space, enabling the iron stick to unleash its full power.
The youthful War God lived up to his title of "undefeated". His martial arts skills were also superb. He did not lose in terms of agility when using a heavy sword against a long staff. When he was occasionally suppressed, he used the incarnation of the [Phoenix] to seize the initiative and was evenly matched with Iori for a time.
"Retreat!"
After dozens of exchanges, the boy suddenly delivered a powerful slash, which Iori blocked with his staff.
Clang!
"You've revealed all your cards, haven't you? If your skills stop here, then we can declare this the end."
I recognize you and your "steel"!
The youthful War God gazed at Iori with high spirits, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"The Iron Ruyi Jingu Bang (the Adamantine Staff Sea-Calming Divine Needle Iron)... These are the iron rulers used by ancient sage kings to measure the depth of rivers, lakes and seas. They are similar to 'rules' and 'squares,' symbolizing laws and constraints. Since ancient times, whether in the East or the West, the development of water conservancy has always required the premise of 'managing and conquering the land.'"
In Eastern tradition, rivers, lakes, and seas have always been considered the domain of dragons and snakes. The legend of the Sage King Yu controlling the floods is also accompanied by his suppression of various monsters, dragons, and snakes. Therefore, this iron ruler is Steel God symbolizing 'conquest'!
Upon hearing this, Iori glanced at the iron bar in her hand, her expression quite subtle. Although she had long known that nonsense was a characteristic of this world, hearing it with her own ears still made her unable to hold back.
But one thing is one thing: while Verethragna's Word of Power sounds mystical, it is indeed useful in the current worldview.
As the saying goes, words are power, and the youthful War God's [warrior] incarnation takes this to the extreme. As long as one has a sufficient understanding of the inheritance and essence of the "god", one can weave knowledge into words of power and forge a targeted Golden Sword.
This sword can deconstruct mythology. Whether it is the power of Campione! or the divine status of Unwilling God, once it strikes, it will seal them away, pulling the high and mighty deities down to the mortal realm, naturally greatly reducing their power.
To take a god as an opponent is like having the Strongest Shield and the Strongest Sword!
What Verethragna is currently weaving is a word of power specifically targeting the "Great Sage Equal to Heaven"!
"The Monkey King is a saint who was born from a divine stone produced by heaven. He has an extremely close connection with the Earth Mother Goddess, and therefore he can command all the local land and mountain gods. He can answer any call."
Iori narrowed his eyes, poured divine power into the Golden Staff, and after a slight gathering of strength, suddenly leaped up, wielding the iron cudgel with incredible speed, and suddenly appeared above the boy, striking down on his head!
The young man remained fearless, a phantom image of a bull appearing around him. He held a sword in one hand and supported himself with the other. A clang rang out, and ripples spread through the air. Verethragna was sent flying far away.
"But he also entered the Dragon Palace Treasure Heist, obtaining armor and weapons from the dragons and snakes, making him a typical Hero God. Later, he stole the golden elixir, ate the Peaches of Immortality of Indestructible Diamond Body in the furnace, which is the birth of [Steel]!"
Despite being completely suppressed, Verethragna still had the strength to weave incantations. The incarnation of the Phoenix had a similar effect of "striking first after being caught off guard," allowing her to anticipate the enemy's moves even when at a disadvantage, and escape from Iori's pursuit bit by bit.
"Going westward to quell demons, surrendering to Buddhism, and attaining enlightenment, this echoes the story of Master Tripitaka's journey to the west to obtain Buddhist scriptures. It connects the monkey king and demon god in folklore with the master's barbarian disciples and followers. One theory is that "Hu" is used as "Honge".
Its various origins are extremely deep, and it was not until the Yuan Dynasty that they came together to form a more unified image, intertwined with the cause and effect of Erlang Shen. This story is also hinted at in "Journey to the West"!
"Great Sage Equal to Heaven, I will sever your divine status!"
The youthful War God made no attempt to conceal his battle intentions. He suddenly distanced himself from Iori, and the words he uttered carried an incredible magic, causing the Golden Sword in his hand to gradually release a dazzling light.
"The so-called 'Fiery Eyes Golden Gaze' seem to see through everything, but in reality, they are harmed by smoke and fire. It means that one should not be too clear about everything, and only by being in a state of confusion and chaos can one survive. This is also the only weakness of the immortal body!"
Iori was inevitably struck by the golden light, and a strange feeling immediately swept over her entire body.
"Your steel is indestructible, but it has its Achilles' Heel!"
The youthful War God moved with lightning speed, wielding Golden Sword forged with the power of words, and swung it down heavily towards Iori!
"By this power of words, I shall slay!"
Clang!
Iori naturally used her long staff to block the opponent's Golden Sword, producing a crisp sound—
A crack has appeared on the Adamantine Staff!
Iori's pupils contracted sharply, but even so, there was still no opening. The youthful War God's slashes fell fiercely, dense like raindrops, and Iori focused his attention and caught each sharp blade.
But soon, the Golden Staff shattered amidst countless interwoven cracks, and the Golden Sword pierced through the myriad points of light. The sturdy chainmail was as utterly useless as butter, offering no defense whatsoever.
Puff--!
The youthful War God plunged his slender Golden Sword into Iori's lower right rib!
It was at this moment that Iori's ominous premonition finally came true. The divine essence within the Nether fell into a strange state of "isolation." Although he could still feel the ever-changing power, he was unable to freely mobilize it.
Verethragna thrust his Golden Sword deep into Iori's body, then transformed into the wind and appeared a hundred meters away. A blue flame rose from his body, and a wild, unruly boar appeared in the void.
"Awooo!!!"
The wild boar let out a deafening roar, and when it started running, the whole sky trembled!
Now that Iori no longer possesses the Indestructible Body of Bronze Head and Iron Arms, that unstoppable incarnation will surely crush him to pieces!
"Great Sage Equal to Heaven, you have ultimately lost to my invincible Sword of Word Spirit!"
—Iori suddenly looked up, her eyes flashing with a sharp light like a blade.
"Invincible... you said that, didn't you?"
All that could be heard was a booming echo, the wild boar trampling the air with a muffled thunderous sound, and it lowered its head, transforming its sharp tusks into an indestructible ramming horn!
In contrast to its surging momentum, the magnificent cloak on Iori's body gradually faded away in a burst of golden light, returning to its original appearance, its aura weakened to the extreme.
"It's over!"
"Yes... it's over."
Just Flash Step the wild boar was about to pass, Iori's magical power suddenly erupted, not only restoring him to his full strength but even surpassing the boar!