Vishnu's pale golden divine light trembled slightly, his calm tone revealing neither joy nor anger, gently suppressing the angry rebuke:
"Don't rush to label Odin a traitor. The Asgard God King, having lived for countless ages, has never made choices on a whim."
"Odin's time is coming to an end, and the flame of his life is about to burn out. He has seen through us old guys who are lurking in the cracks of Dimensions. Even if we return to Earth, we cannot stop Russell's rise."
For him, surrendering to them was a bargaining chip to preserve Asgard and all living beings in the Nine Realms.
Zeus frowned, and suppressed lightning crackled at the tip of his scepter, tiny sparks of electricity flashing and disappearing within the halo of light.
"Even if Odin is old and no longer a threat, what about his son Thor? This kid inherited the original divine power of the World Tree and has long since broken free from the shackles of the Asgard God King, stepping into the level of Cosmic God."
Even Odin at his peak might not have been able to stop Thor, and his acquisition of the World Tree's power was inextricably linked to Russell.
Upon hearing this, the divine aura surrounding the entire Dimension Council space dimmed slightly.
Many Gods subconsciously recalled the image of Thor sweeping across the void with the divine power of the World Tree runes, and an undisguised sense of dread arose in their hearts.
The Amethyst God writhed and twisted its body, its sticky voice filled with unease:
"Russell himself is already an insurmountable mountain for us, with an emotion-devouring evil spirit by his side and powerful Mutants under his Subordinates, and now with the addition of the Rune God Thor... do we still have a chance of winning?"
"A direct confrontation offers no chance of victory," Vishnu replied slowly, his flowing divine light spreading out an illusory scene in the air, depicting believers dispersing from the streets of New York and a continuous stream of people beneath the Plasma Spark Tower.
"Russell set the rules: we are not allowed to forcibly bring down calamities to coerce mortals, nor are we allowed to exchange killing for awe. We cannot win a direct war; it will only breed fear and anger, feeding that evil spirit in vain."
"The battle for Faith is never just a clash of strength."
Amaterasu's gentle divine radiance swayed slightly, and a clear, cool voice slowly rang out:
"Russell could protect ordinary people and heal their ailments, so can we."
Since he has demolished our Temples and forbids us from erecting altars in the cities, then we will abandon our Temples and become divine will unseen by mortals, wandering the world. We will bring rain to drought-stricken places, soothe the sick in places plagued by Pestilence, and guide the lost on their way.
"Ordinary people's Faith is rooted in their needs. If Russell can provide protection, we will offer a different kind of grace. Slowly eroding, day by day, the hearts of believers may well be won back."
"But this is too slow!" the Africa Thunder God roared, dark red divine patterns surging wildly across his body.
"How long will it take to slowly gain the gratitude of mortals? We've waited for hundreds of years, finally witnessing the fall of the Ancient One and tearing open Dimension rift to return to Earth. We don't have time to waste!"
"If you want speed, you must find a weakness." The ancient mountain Deities, who had been silent all along, spoke slowly, its dim divine light faint yet clear.
"Russell is too powerful. The evil spirits, Thor, and a host of other powerful Mutants around him are all firmly bound to his side. A direct confrontation would only lead to their demise. But there is another force, hovering on the edge of this game, harboring resentment and yearning within."
Zeus's gaze sharpened. "You mean Kamar-Taj?"
"That's right." The mountain god nodded. "The Strange Sorcerer Supreme, Strange, has only recently taken over Kamar-Taj. With the passing of the Ancient One, the most solid barrier has been lost, and they couldn't stop us from breaking through Dimensions and returning to Earth."
This sense of defeat was like a thorn in Strange's heart. He craved power, the power to protect the Earth and control everything, but orthodox White Magic had its limits, and he simply couldn't catch up with Russell's pace in a short time.
Vishnu's divine light flickered slightly, as if he had grasped the key to breakthrough. "The gap in people's hearts is the best opening."
Kamar-Taj has long suppressed the Darkhold created by Chthon, regarding Black Magic as a scourge. But the more it is suppressed, the more deadly the temptation of darkness becomes when a person is trapped in powerless despair.
"Like the Ancient One, who explicitly forbade any Mage to come into contact with the Darkhold, she herself was secretly learning the Black Magic recorded within it."
"Besides, we don't need to provoke Strange." The golden crown of the Egypt Sun God gleamed, and a calculating glint flashed in his eyes.
"If someone were to hand him the Darkhold and allow him to touch forbidden power, once Strange succumbs to Black Magic, Kamar-Taj would inevitably split, and the Mage would fall into disarray."
By then, Earth's magical defenses will have developed huge cracks, and Russell will have to devote his energy to cleaning up the mess at Kamar-Taj, leaving him no time to keep an eye on us.
"Moreover, the dark power will continue to erode the user's mind. Once Strange loses control, he will become a sharp weapon we can use to our advantage."
The atmosphere among the gods instantly became lively, and the pervasive despair was replaced by an undercurrent of conspiracy.
"This plan is feasible." Zeus stroked his scepter, the lightning slowly receding. "We only need to secretly fan the flames, guiding the Darkhold towards Strange, while keeping our tracks completely hidden."
Even if something goes wrong in the end, all the blame will fall on dark magic and Strange himself; no one will trace it back to us.
"However, who can be certain of the whereabouts of the Darkhold?" a river god asked hesitantly. "Legend has it that there is more than one copy of this book, and it has changed hands many times. The Ancient One once sealed one away herself, but no one knows where it is now."
"We don't need to go looking for him," Vishnu said calmly. "Darkness itself seeks out those who crave it. There is someone who understands the power of the Darkhold better than we do, and is more suited than we to seduce Strange."
"Dark Strange."
The moment those three words were uttered, many of the Gods in the council were startled.
They roamed freely in Dimension space, witnessing the historical changes of countless Planets, and naturally knew of the existence of other universes.
If other universes exist, there will be variations, even among Gods.
The Dark Strange who was wandering around New York not only looked exactly like Strange, but also had a very strong aura of the Darkhold.
Unsurprisingly, this might be Strange from another universe who, for some reason, came into contact with the Darkhold and had his Mind Stone corrupted by the dark energy.
He and the Strange from the Main Universe are the same person. He knows Strange inside and out, and he understands Strange's obsessions, pride, and the pain brought by his powerlessness best.
"Since the Dark Strange has come to our universe, it just so happens to be staying on Earth right now."
Vishnu's gaze was enigmatic. Recalling Chthon's instructions, he spoke again, "He has long been eyeing this 'self' in this universe. We just need to put a little more pressure on Kamar-Taj... He can't stand the weakness of his other self and will actively seek out Strange, leading him into darkness."