Above the four corners of the Primordial Heaven, metallic light spread and transformed into a series of heavily armed mechanical fortresses, forming a tight-knit mechanical defense system. They were armed to the teeth in an instant. However, even under such strict protection, the God of Machinery still felt no sense of security in the face of the giant hammer covered with spikes falling from the sky.
The God of Battle roared once more.
The giant hammer fell.
Just as they were about to touch the God of Machinery.
The surrounding Space-Time suddenly became disordered, with continuous ripples spreading out, and finally a cup emerged from it.
The God of Law arrived just in time, carrying the Holy Grail of Origin.
The cup's rim, like a bottomless black pool, caught the immense force of the falling hammer, allowing the God of Machinery to quickly retreat.
The God of Battle's expression changed, becoming extremely gloomy. Around him, it seemed as if cold snowflakes were falling, and the biting wind was piercing. The environment changed according to his will.
"God of Law!! Your so-called collapse of the battle lines and your being held back by the Sun God of the Divine Realm, was all an act?"
Although he spoke in a questioning tone, the God of Battle was now absolutely certain.
The God of Law shook his head, his voice indifferent, "That's not the case. We haven't underestimated the Primordial Heaven, nor have we underestimated you, the God of Battle. I wasn't putting on an act. The battle with the Sun God is a true, Eternity war. Otherwise, how could we have let your guard down?"
"Heh, you really went to great lengths for the Primordial Divine Soul and the Divine Karma. But aren't you afraid that the Divine Realm will also take advantage of this? The Sun God also covets the Primordial Heaven." The God of Battle sneered.
"You don't need to sow discord here. Conflicts between our advanced civilizations should be resolved by ourselves. If the Sun God attacks, I have my own ways to deal with it. Now, you should think about where you should go from here."
As the God of Law finished speaking, his voice softened, but due to his inherent nature, it still carried a hint of deliberate intent. "Join the Empire, God of Battle. With your strength, even without entering the God-Conferment System, as Ability Energy, you can still stand firmly at the Peak Supreme God."
"Oh? If I agree to join the Northern Spirit Empire, could you grant me one request?"
"You say."
The God of Law.
Beside him, the God of Machinery frowned. He might have misjudged the God of Battle's combat strength, but he believed he understood the leader's character very well. The God of Battle shouldn't and couldn't possibly compromise.
He compromised because the Mechanical Divine Soul was a perfect match for the technological path of the Northern Spirit Empire. After voluntarily surrendering his Primordial Divine Soul, he was able to embark on the Transcendent path of the mechanical system, quickly recover his strength, and even, with the help of the Northern Spirit Empire, reach a higher level, truly stepping into the level of the Peak Supreme God and touching that Eternity barrier.
If it weren't for such great benefits, the God of Machinery would almost have become the top dog in the Primordial Heaven, so why would he have sided with the Northern Spirit Empire?
As for the betrayal mentioned by the God of Machinery, which he claimed was entirely for the sake of the future of the Primordial Heaven, just take that with a grain of salt.
The Northern Spirit Empire's goal is to completely seize the Primordial Heaven. The Primordial Heaven itself, along with its associated universes, can provide the best nourishment for the Northern Spirit Empire's mother universe. The Divine Karma possessed by the Primordial God, once absorbed, will elevate the empire's Divine System to a higher level, allowing the God of Law to truly break through the realm of Eternity and become Eternity being.
Under such circumstances, how could the Empire possibly allow the Primordial God to develop and grow as an independent system within its borders? If one day in the future chaos breaks out and they stab the Empire in the back, then things will get really messy.
This is not unprecedented.
However, no sooner had the God of Law finished speaking than the God of Battle made his demand. He pointed a finger at the God of Machinery hiding behind the God of Law and said, "Hand him over and fight me one-on-one. Win or lose, I will surrender to the Empire. What do you say?"
Upon hearing this, the God of Machinery's heart skipped a beat, and his face turned extremely ugly.
Although he believed that the Northern Spirit Empire would not hand him over, what if it did? After all, he was not a direct descendant of the empire.
If you were to actually fight the God of Battle one-on-one, what difference would that be from suicide?!
"Are you joking?" The God of Law's expression turned indifferent again, his voice as cold as the autumn and winter winds.
"The God of Machinery is now an empire member, and the empire never sends its own people to their deaths."
Hearing this, even though the God of Machinery knew it was a formulaic political statement, he couldn't help but feel a little moved. Of course, his reaction was even more intense, and he looked extremely grateful.
Seeing him like this, the God of Battle became even angrier. This bastard acted all high and mighty when he was inside the company, but as soon as he got there, he immediately changed his tune. Shameful!
"It seems you're determined to put up a stubborn resistance to the very end."
"So what if it is?!"
The God of Battle stood atop the broken Heavenly Pillar Mountain, his voice arrogant, reverting to the defiant and indomitable spirit he possessed in his early years before becoming the leader of the Heavenly Realm.
The Primordial Heaven that once hung above the Void Sea are now teetering on the brink of collapse. The Eternal Divine Mountain, once the heart of the Primordial God, is now nothing but a broken cliff, burning with the inextinguishable blood flames of ancient gods. The sky is cracked with countless wounds, each wound flowing with a cold, data-like light of order. That is the power of order of the God of Law, which is rewriting this Supreme God land inch by inch into a cold domain of rules.
At the summit of the precipice, the God of Battle stood, leaning on his hammer.
His body wasn't particularly tall, unlike a giant who stands tall and imposing, yet he gave the impression of filling the world.
His bare, bronze skin was covered with scars from battles, each scar a legend of an era of war. His wild hair danced like a raging dragon in the chaotic storm, and his eyes burned with an inextinguishable flame of war.
The Hammer of Martial Combat lay before the God of Battle. The hammer was not made of metal, but was formed from the 108,000 fragments of divine artifacts that he had personally shattered. Even the worst of these fragments were Peak True God Artifact. Each fragment roared silently, radiating an extremely Berserk fighting spirit.
Above the heavens, the light of order coalesced into an upside-down holy city.
The God of Law strode forward, enveloped in radiance.
Unlike the ancient gods, He did not possess a physical body of flesh and blood. His body was woven from countless chains of order, each chain representing an inviolable law. His face was expressionless, neither male nor female, with a torrent of silvery-white data flowing through his eyes. He wore a robe of law, embroidered with the supreme legal code of the Northern Spirit Empire, every character of which was in motion, seemingly judging something.
The God of Law Holy Grail of Origin in his left hand.
That was the Supreme God Artifact of the Northern Spirit Empire, Legend to be the source of the first law at the beginning of the Astral Realm. The Holy Grail was completely transparent, with time and cause and effect flowing through its walls. What it contained was not liquid, but the primordial power of order that had not yet taken shape, the ultimate power that could bring everything back to order.
"God of Battle."
The God of Law spoke, but his voice wasn't spoken; it was engraved directly into the laws of heaven and earth. "The Primordial Heaven has crumbled, your era as an ancient god has Termination. Submit! All you need to do is relinquish all your ancient godhood and accept the empire's complete Purification, and you can live on in another divine form. This is your last chance."
The God of Law is making a final effort. In this chaotic world, even a super-civilization desperately needs combat power like the God of Battle. It would be best not to kill him, and to use him for our own purposes.
However, after a moment of silence, the God of Law was answered with a war cry.
The God of Battle didn't utter another word. The cliff beneath his feet instantly shattered—his stomp was so Berserk that even the remnants of the Eternal Divine Mountain couldn't withstand it. The God of Battle's body transformed into a bolt of Void, Hammer of Martial Combat swung in a wide arc, smashing towards the face of the God of Law!
This strike was devoid of any fancy moves.
It's pure, extreme, violent to the point of Lawless and Heaven-Defying —smash!
"Presumptuous!!"
The God of Law raised his hand, and a ray of light of order flowed from the Holy Grail of Origin.
Boom--!
A deafening roar of laws shattering echoed between heaven and earth. The Hammer of Martial Combat struck the barrier formed by the light of order, and from the point of impact, countless cracks spread wildly in all directions. The entire Primordial Heaven trembled violently under this blow, and countless floating divine mountains turned to dust.
The God of Battle's fighting spirit was completely ignited.
"Happy!"
He laughed wildly, his disheveled hair standing on end, and the battle markings on his body burst forth with dazzling golden light. The second hammer slammed down immediately afterward, without any pause, without any defense, just relentlessly smashing, smashing, smashing!
In the blink of an eye, he unleashed three thousand six hundred blows.
Each hammer blow could shatter a starry sea, each blow contained the ancient god's combat insights accumulated over billions of years, and wherever the hammer's wind passed, even the light of order was smashed apart, turning into the most primal energy storm.
The body of the God of Law was smashed backward, and the chains of law that formed His body broke inch by inch.
But His face remained expressionless, devoid of both sorrow and joy.
"Every law must have a foundation; once the Cornerstone is laid, all things return to order."
He spoke softly, and the power of order within the Holy Grail of Origin erupted with a deafening roar!
In an instant, heaven and earth stood still.
The 3,601st hammer blow from the God of Battle was frozen in mid-air, not blocked by any force, but because the very existence of this hammer was defined by the laws as "not allowed."
The God of Law has truly unleashed the power of the Holy Grail of Origin.
That is a law at a higher level than the Way of the Ancient Gods—not about fighting, but about defining whether fighting is allowed; not about Destruction, but about defining whether Destruction is possible. Before the Holy Grail of Origin, everything must follow the most primordial order.
"Your path to becoming an ancient god ends here. Hand over your Primordial Divine Soul."
The God of Law raised his hand, and a chain of order shot out from the Holy Grail, instantly piercing through the God of Battle's shoulder blade!
That wasn't physical damage, but rather a stripping away of his right arm's ability to move from the level of the laws. The God of Battle's right arm still existed, still full of power, but no matter how much he urged his fighting spirit, that arm couldn't move an inch—because the laws stipulated: it cannot be moved.
"Roar--!"
The God of Battle roared, gripping the Hammer of Martial Combat in his left hand and continuing to smash!
The second chain pierced through his left shoulder.
Left hand, do not move.
The third, fourth, fifth... chains of order shot out from the Holy Grail of Origin like a torrential rain, piercing through the God of Battle's legs, waist, and back. Each time a chain pierced a point, that point's existence was stripped away by the laws of nature. It wasn't sealing, it wasn't suppression, but rather, at the most fundamental level of the universe's rules, it determined that that part "should not exist."
The God of Battle's body is collapsing.
His legs were nailed to the precipice, unable to move; his hands hung limply at his sides, unable to lift; nine chains pierced his back, forcing him to bend over—the ancient god who fought against heaven and earth and never bowed his head was forced to bend his spine for the first time.
"Submission."
The God of Law walked before him, the Holy Grail of Origin hovering above the God of Battle's head, the power of order within the cup beginning to gather for the final strike—this strike would directly strip the God of Battle of his ancient god origin, completely formatting all his fighting will.
The God of Battle raised his head.
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, but the fighting spirit in his eyes burned brighter than ever before.
"Submission?"
He laughed, a desolate laugh, an arrogant laugh, a laugh that made the ruins of the entire Primordial Heaven tremble.
"In my entire life, I've never fucking known how to write those two words!"
Before the words were even finished, the God of Battle ignited.
It wasn't burning Divine Power, nor burning life, but burning the very meaning of his existence—burning everything that the title "God of Battle" represented in the Astral Realm. His body began to disintegrate, transforming into the purest Martial Arts Will, all of which surged into the Hammer of Martial Combat.
The Hammer of Martial Combat roared with a sound that shook the ages!
That was the resonance of 108,000 fragments of divine weapons, the roar of the souls of all the opponents of the God of Battle over the past 100 million years, and the roar of his own path of martial arts!
His body was even larger than before—not an expansion, but a "real manifestation" driven by battle intent. The bodies of ancient gods were originally condensed from the power of rules, and when their battle intent burned to its extreme, their existence would break through all boundaries and reveal their most primal form.
At this moment, the God of Battle's height had reached the heavens and the earth, and the feeling of filling the world was even more obvious.
His head almost touched the shattered sky, every inch of his skin was burning, every scar was glowing, and the remnant souls of the powerful warriors he had defeated, sealed within those scars, were now all awakened, roaring and howling around the God of Battle's body, as if they were helping him in battle.
The Hammer of Martial Combat lay across his hand.
The hammer's form was also changing. All 108,000 fragments of divine weapons were now activated, each piece trembling wildly and emitting the buzzing sound of its most powerful strike in its lifetime.
Swords, axes, spears, halberds, whips, and maces—countless phantoms of weapons burst forth from the hammer, only to be instantly suppressed by an even more domineering force—the will of the God of Battle himself, a fighting instinct more Berserk and unreasonable than any of the 108,000 divine weapons. He wanted these remnants to remember: they were now part of the hammer, part of the "Hammer of Martial Combat," part of the God of Battle.
Then, the God of Battle soared into the sky and swung his giant hammer.