The blood in the pool had been drained dry by his physical body, and the phantom godhead above had fully merged into his dharma body. Renaos spread his arms, letting out a long, satisfied moan from deep within his throat.
At this moment, both his body and his soul experienced a qualitative leap.
"Heh heh..."
The ritual had succeeded.
"Congratulations, Renaos."
"Congratulations, my friend."
"The flames of my jealousy are practically spurting from my eyes."
Now, what Renaos needed to do was quickly find a place to hide. He could choose a secret realm difficult to detect on his own, or seek refuge with an orthodox church.
Renaos stood up, his gaze sweeping over the surroundings as a majestic pressure descended. Now, all he had to do was wait for the end of the current era, and he could naturally ascend to godhood.
The Church of Life was gone, but that didn't matter. As long as he became a god, he could establish a brand-new Church of Life.
After the brief congratulations concluded, the Silencers departed one after another.
This organization had endured to this day firstly because of its high caliber, and secondly because of its looseness.
The orthodox churches had certainly resented its existence and moved against it in the past, but at most they had only swept through its periphery, unable to touch its core.
Renaos did not linger to indulge in his current state either. A red starlight rift appeared before him, and after stepping into it, he began rapid teleportation.
However, after several consecutive relocations, when he emerged upon a desolate island, a black starlight rift appeared on the sea ahead. An old man with a book tucked under his arm stepped out from within.
Renaos showed a look of confusion. Despite his nearly erratic shifts in location, he had still been accurately tracked and caught.
Of course, had he known that calculating his position were the notes of the God of the Principles and a true god who excelled in everything except fighting, he would have understood.
Renaos scanned Diss cautiously and asked, "Is there any grudge between us?"
Diss shook his head. "I do not know you."
"Then why are you here?"
"My grandson. He doesn't want you leaving alive with that thing."
"Do I have a grudge with your grandson?"
Diss shook his head again and answered, "My grandson probably doesn't know you either."
...
"Fuck! One step too late, lost him!"
Neo let out a sigh. Having skipped the Garden of Life, he happened to find himself right on the front line with the potion-drinking crowd.
Yet in the end, he was a step too late and couldn't keep up.
Beside him, the sapling in Dalivenro's hand had already withered slightly, and he was panting heavily.
"He moves too fast, and now the distance has opened up. There's no way to locate him. If I'd known, we should have tracked one of the Silencers with a weaker aura first. We might have still been able to trail behind them."
Neo frowned. "Then we'd be dead."
"Ah?"
"Those with 'weaker' auras are at least temple elder level. Can you beat them right now?"
Dalivenro shook his head. "No."
Neo: "What a coincidence, neither can I."
"This..."
"If Karen were here, that would be one thing. After finishing God's Shepherd, that kid already possesses strength rivaling a temple elder. Unless he ran into a freak like Ukonga, ordinary temple elders probably wouldn't be a match for him. As for the two of us, even if we caught up, unless they immediately got down on their knees and surrendered, the moment they put up the slightest resistance, we'd be dead."
"Then why have we been chasing for so long, and targeting the biggest fish at that?"
"Because the biggest fish is bound to have a bigger angler tracking it."
"You make a lot of sense, sir."
*Crack...*
A collapse appeared ahead, void backcurrents on the verge of spilling out, but soon, a golden-furred figure poked its head out.
Neo immediately smiled. "Yo, isn't this our great Lord Raniedal!"
"Woof."
Kevin returned the same smile to Neo. All along, Neo had been very polite to it, and it had a very favorable impression of Neo. Most importantly, standing behind Neo now was the silhouette of the God of Light.
Its personality was destined never to be liked by Augurev, nor did it intend to change. After all, it felt that being able to prostrate itself behind Order was the greatest happiness; if another deity like Light were added to prostrate before, that would be doubled happiness.
After greeting Neo, Kevin extended a dog paw toward Dalivenro and hooked it, gesturing him over.
Dalivenro pointed to his own face and asked, "You want me to come over?"
Neo grinned. "Go on, hurry up, it's definitely something good."
Dalivenro hesitated no longer. He quickly stepped into the spatial backcurrent, reaching out to gently grab Kevin's tail. Neo also crowded in, wrapping his arms around Kevin's neck.
"Say, is it too late for me to go change my hairstyle now?"
Dalivenro: "Mr. Neo, you can't do that."
Kevin shifted his body slightly, carrying both of them as he submerged into the spatial backcurrent. The previously collapsed space promptly healed shut.
Only a god's body could endure teleportation of this magnitude. However, after traveling some distance, a rift suddenly opened. Kevin flicked his tail lightly, shaking Dalivenro off.
Because it hadn't gauged the force properly, Dalivenro plummeted into the ocean and sank straight to the bottom.
The rift then vanished.
Before long, Kevin brought Neo to a new sea area. In the distance, the outline of an island was visible.
Kevin erected his divine kingdom, enfolding Neo within it.
Neo glanced back behind him, estimated the distance, and asked, "I don't believe he'll drown, but with this kind of distance, I'm afraid he won't be able to swim over."
Kevin shook his body, and a golden page flew out of the satchel on his back.
Neo picked up the golden page, finding it covered with dense, complex coordinate calculations.
"Fuck, makes my head spin just looking at it."
"Woof?"
"Though I can't do the math, I at least understand the prompt—they're fishing."
...
Initially, Renaos had had no intention of fighting Diss. Although he had just gained a tremendous increase in power, he had ultimately stolen the fruits of the Church of Order.
No matter how strong an individual was, before the end of the current era, it was difficult to face an orthodox church.
Thus, one starlight rift after another continuously appeared before him, representing different secret teleportation coordinates.
Yet before Diss, corresponding starlight rifts also continuously appeared—and unlike Renaos's secretive ones, they were completely out in the open.
Old Hoffen laughed. "Feel free to keep testing. If I can't calculate your teleportation coordinates, count it as my loss."
Renaos understood. He knew full well that if he didn't deal with the man before him, he would be relentlessly dogged, effectively supplying the Church of Order with a continuous, precise tracking fix.
"I heard that not long ago, the Church of Order suffered a major setback somewhere, even having its temple damaged, only to cover it up publicly by explaining it as internal conflict within Order. At first I didn't believe it, but now, I do. Just what is your stance? Wavering between apostasy and loyalty?"
Diss had no desire to waste words, stating calmly, "Since you've stopped trying to run, let's fight quickly."
"Are you interested in joining us? The era of gods is about to begin. Even if the Church of Order tries to stand in the way, at most they can block those from outside who want to enter; they cannot stop what sprouts from within. We can construct a new world order."
Diss raised his wooden sword, expressing his refusal to communicate while once again urging him on.
After inheriting the legacy of the main goddess of Life, the fellow before him possessed strength no weaker than the old fogies beneath the tombstones in the Temple of Order. Naturally, Diss was not afraid of him, but the issue was that if the other party was bent on fleeing rather than fighting, it would be difficult to pin him down.
Being able to overpower someone and being able to kill them were two entirely different concepts.
Only by forcing the opponent to strike first, and then severely wounding and weakening him, could he be completely contained without unexpected mishaps.
Essentially, this was because the rules of the era remained unchanged; the ceiling of power was set, leaving little room to maneuver.
Renaos nodded. He tilted his neck back and raised both hands.
In an instant, the originally barren island brimmed with vitality. Countless plants sprouted, appearing endowed with an uncanny liveliness.
Renaos's eyes gleamed with a golden luster:
"Forbidden Curse—Life Bestowal!"
The island began to tremble as rocky tentacles reached out one after another. The dead, silent island had now transformed into a colossal sea beast.
The next moment, like a giant crab, the island reared up from the sea surface. Splitting down the middle like an enormous, gaping maw, it lunged to tear into Diss.
Diss lightly flicked the wooden sword in his hand. Colossal waves surged from the sea, and chains condensed from seawater wrapped around the island, only to be shattered in an instant.
Yet as Diss swept the wooden sword continuously, more and more towering pillars of water were kicked up. Slowed down layer after layer, the island's momentum was ultimately suppressed.
Right then, Old Hoffen warned, "Diss, watch out below."
The sea below suddenly flushed red.
A gigantic eyeball surfaced. Looking closely, one could see the back of the eyeball was entirely made up of deep-sea fish and shrimp. Originally swimming in the ocean depths, they had been forcibly "condensed" into a demonic beast by Renaos using a forbidden curse of Life.
A scorching red light flared forth, enveloping Diss above.
Renaos crossed his hands, blood dripping from all ten fingertips, linking him to the island beneath his feet.
The island, only just endowed with life, let out a pained screech. Its outer vegetation and rock began shedding away like a molting crab, exposing a massive, pinkish, psychic entity.
It threw itself recklessly toward the area shrouded by the giant eye—not to attack Diss, but to detonate directly, unleashing a horrifying psychic storm vortex.
Old Hoffen: "He's clever. He knew to suppress me first. He still wants to flee..."
Hit by the impact of the psychic storm, the Notes of the Principles instinctively slammed shut to protect itself. Hoffen's consciousness was sealed inside, unable to offer further help.
Beneath Renaos's feet, a red starlight rift appeared once more. Indeed, he still intended to relocate.
Yet all around, the sound of worshipping prayers suddenly echoed.
A dark cloud appeared in the sky, and then "rain" began to fall—the raindrops being massive black pillars that crashed into the sea.
Immediately after, black flagstones surfaced across the water, while a black dome arched overhead.
This was not a divine kingdom domain, but the Order forbidden curse, [Arena of Life and Death].
Its appearance produced an isolation effect akin to a divine kingdom, rendering Renaos's teleportation unusable.
Diss, wreathed in flames, walked out of the giant eye's red glow. The flames clung merely to the outside of his robes and skin, having failed to truly harm his body.
Furthermore, as the arena pressed down, the massive eyeball was forcibly shut out until it burst.
Instantly, dead fish and shrimp floated across the sea as far as the eye could see.
Renaos sighed and asked, "Are you truly determined to fight me at all costs? Aren't you worried that if you get injured, you will face retribution from the Church of Order?"
"I do not work for the church."
"Then who do you work for? That grandson of yours?"
"Yes."
"Who is your grandson?"
"The God of Order."
The corner of Renaos's mouth twitched.
"This is hardly the time for dark humor."
...
Kevin kept wiping at the space ahead with a dog paw, wanting to rub through Diss's [Arena of Life and Death] to see clearly what was happening inside. With continuous effort, it finally wiped open a view of light and shadow, though somewhat blurry.
Sitting beside it, Neo wore an expectant expression. "Who knew those moves just now were only probing exchanges? Fuck, watching existences of this level fight is so captivating. I regret not having thicker skin and tagging along to the Garden of Life. The clash of true main gods in there would only have been even more spectacular, right?"
Kevin hesitated for a moment, then shook its dog head after all.
"Woof."
"You're saying it wasn't good to watch at all? How could that be!"
Kevin wasn't lying to Neo; it really hadn't been good to watch. Simply put: three emaciated figures starved nearly beyond recognition had brawled in the mud, and then one of them dragged the other two into self-immolation together.
Just then, however, Kevin seemed to suddenly sense something. It raised its dog head immediately, its form morphing into a man.
Raniedal's divine sense unfurled across the air, searching for that mysterious entity.
Yet after a round of probing, he found nothing. Most likely, the other party had also sensed him and thus retreated, unwilling to risk exposure.
"What's wrong?" Neo asked. "Is something else probing this place?"
Raniedal nodded. "Yes."
"Who?"
"I don't know."
"Wait, even you couldn't catch them?"
Raniedal replied, "The God of Order did not seem to exile all deities outside the era. A very few existences clung to this realm through various special means—for instance... the God of the Crypt. As this era approaches its collapse and end, they, too, have likely been stirred awake, beginning to cast their eyes upon this world once more."
"Then are they enemies or allies?"
Hearing this question, Raniedal chuckled. "Both generations of the God of Order wanted to build a godless world, and Order's Four Retainers and Twelve Knights all bore sealing missions. As for me, I also swore an oath to this generation's God of Order that when the time comes, I will voluntarily renounce my divine throne. So how could they possibly be allies? Did they expend endless effort to evade the previous God of Order's expulsion and endure endless, tormenting loneliness staying here, only to voluntarily give up their divine thrones once the new era begins?"
"Then why haven't they made a move yet? I mean, coordinating from within and without?"
"They are waiting—waiting for the Church of Order to deplete its strength. This is also why Tyrannus wished to preserve the Order of Knights. The Church of Order must not only confront the returning gods from outside, but also deter those hidden, awakened deities."
"The situation sounds awful. Once the new era begins, won't the world descend into chaos all at once?"
"The godhead of Order will complete its succession. The second-generation God of Order is already prepared." Saying this, Raniedal looked down at Neo. "And if Light is added to the mix..."
"Ahem, cough..."
Neo cleared his throat and adjusted his collar.
"Unfortunately, you are too slow. I'm afraid you won't be of much help."
"Only youngsters like Karen like to rush things. Middle-aged men understand the value of endurance."
...
Inside the [Arena of Life and Death], the center of Renaos's brow cracked open, and a vine sprouted from within, blooming into a coronet of flowers that settled upon his head.
A Life-attribute divine artifact: [Undying Crown].
The Temple of Life had fallen along with the Garden of Life beneath the iron hooves of the Order of Knights, and Order's containment space had gained quite a few new collectibles as a result. Yet in such a massive upheaval, some things were bound to slip through the cracks.
Having donned the crown, Renaos gained the blessing of boundless vitality. He extended his right hand, and a vine appeared within his palm, shifting gradually until it became a sharp sword.
Yet right at that moment, he suddenly frowned. Through this vine, he sensed the aura of another branch originating from the Tree of Life nearby.
Leaving no time for further thought, Renaos flew toward Diss, sword in hand. As he slashed downward, flora sprouted instantly around Diss's position, creating a confinement within confinement.
*Buzz!*
The Scythe of War manifested, instantly snuffing out all life in the surroundings.
Diss's eyes narrowed. He lunged forward as the space between them warped and intersected. Then both touched down simultaneously, the spatial ripples around them smoothing out.
The clerical robe over Diss's chest was sliced open, seeping crimson tinged with gold.
Renaos, however, developed a fissure running all the way down from the center of his forehead; his body blossomed like a flower, splitting completely apart.
Yet the crown upon his head radiated light, and his split body knitted back together. But due to the lingering necrotic properties of the Scythe of War, he appeared slightly distorted, with an especially pronounced dissonance in his facial expression.
A profound despair fell over Renaos's heart. The other man had sustained only a minor scratch, whereas without the blessing of the Undying Crown, he himself would have already died just now.
Diss silently raised the scythe and pressed forward once more.
Out of options, Renaos could only raise his sword again and meet him.
This time, both advanced on foot, yet all around and above the arena, spatial distortions flickered incessantly. Long before their bodies collided, a dense flurry of clashes had already occurred; the physical collision visible to the naked eye was merely the final culmination of that exchange.
*Boom!*
The two forms crossed once more. A cut appeared along Diss's jawline. He raised the back of his hand, wiped it, and casually flicked the blood away.
Renaos's head had parted from his body. The headless corpse hit the ground with a thud, but the head flying backward still wore the crown; in midair, it grew an entirely new body and landed steadily on its feet.
A distinct crack had now appeared across the crown. Clearly, the divine artifact's protective power had nearly reached its limit.
Renaos felt utter despair, mixed with bitter indignity. Today should have been the happiest day of his life in over four hundred years, yet it was destined to be his end.
The miserly main deities had finally relinquished their legacy, yet before it could even warm in his hands, it was about to vanish like smoke.
A fleeting sweet dream turned out to be the most agonizing torture.
Renaos took a deep breath. "Could you pass my regards to your grandson? I am willing to agree to any condition, so long as I am allowed to keep the legacy and survive."
To Renaos's mind, the "grandson" this man spoke of had to be his "master." Using the term "grandson" was merely a vent of resentment for having to obey orders he disliked.
"You can ask him yourself."
"How?"
"Pray to the God of Order."
Renaos clenched his mismatched fists and roared, "You may refuse to answer me, but you shouldn't repeatedly insult me like this!"
Diss offered no explanation, merely raising the scythe once more.
Renaos's heart plunged completely into the abyss. The man before him was like an immovable mountain; not only could he never scale it, he was destined to be crushed and buried beneath it.
A similar sensation had just been experienced not long ago in the Garden of Life by the two main goddesses of Life.
Suffocating beneath an inescapable despair, Renaos looked down at the vine sword in his hand and began calling out from the depths of his heart.
...
Out at sea, a point of light was drifting with the waves. If this hadn't been a remote, deserted stretch of ocean, he would have easily been rescued—after all, the glare reflected off that bald head in the sunlight was dazzlingly conspicuous.
Dalivenro was floating on the surface of the sea, trusting that his faction leader must have had a purpose for dropping him off midway.
Suddenly, Dalivenro noticed the vine supporting him began to glow. More flowers blossomed across it, while an unfamiliar voice called out from within:
"Believer of Life, can you hear my voice?"
Dalivenro took a deep breath, forcibly stifling the excitement within his heart, and feigned a bewildered voice:
"Who... who... who are you?"
"I shall bestow upon you the legacy of Life. You must swear an oath to avenge me."
"I swear to the great God of Life!"
Chapter 918