Chapter 408: Morax, It's Time to Settle All Old Scores!
"Now that I've touched upon the sixth trial, for some reason, the deity hasn't issued the task yet," Ning Fengzhi frowned, expressing his confusion.
Judging from the demeanor of the Nine-Colored Goddess, she seemed very eager for him to inherit the divine position quickly.
However, it had been over two months since he completed the fifth trial, and she still hadn't issued the task for the sixth trial.
The usually talkative Nine-Colored Goddess hadn't chatted with him either. If it weren't for the fact that he still held the status of a divine successor, Ning Fengzhi would have suspected that she was planning to replace him.
Upon hearing this, Chen Xin and Gu Rong also frowned. Ning Fengzhi's divine trials were of utmost importance, and such a sudden change was truly baffling to them.
What Ning Fengzhi didn't know was that it wasn't just him, Oscar, Ma Hongjun, Dai Mubai, and even Du Siji were all in the same situation!
Why was this?
Of course, it was because the gods in the divine realm were currently too busy!
They were besieging the protective shield created by Zhongli...
Even if they were just going through the motions, they couldn't spare the time to issue tasks to their successors!
These gods were the ones who didn't have temples in the mortal realm, so they had to personally issue the tasks for their successors.
If they had known something like this would happen, they would have surely left some contingency plans for their successors to complete the trials smoothly.
But who could have predicted such a thing?
"Could something have happened in the divine realm?" Chen Xin frowned. Apart from this, he couldn't think of any other reason.
Well, well, well, Chen Xin actually guessed it right!
"Impossible, that's the divine realm we're talking about!"
"Old Bone, don't forget, that one has been missing for half a year now!"
Hearing this, Gu Rong was slightly stunned, and a glint of golden light flashed in Ning Fengzhi's eyes.
The Nine-Colored Goddess had previously told him that Zhongli, the Martial God or perhaps the Rock God, was someone even the God Kings were wary of.
If Zhongli had gone to the divine realm, it wasn't impossible for the gods to go and welcome him.
One day in the divine realm equals one year in the mortal world.
A mere half a year in the mortal world was just a few hours in the divine realm.
Thinking about it this way, it really seemed quite plausible.
"By the way, Oscar!"
The Nine Treasures Glazed Sect didn't just have him as a divine successor; there was also Oscar, the successor of the Food God.
"Bring Oscar here!"
In a short while, Oscar arrived at the meeting hall, looking somewhat confused, unsure why Ning Fengzhi had summoned him.
"Father-in-law, I wonder..."
"Oscar, what's your current situation?"
Oscar was stunned...
After a moment, he finally reacted.
"After I completed the fifth trial, the Food God went silent..."
Hearing this, Ning Fengzhi and the others suddenly understood.
It seemed that the problem indeed lay in the divine realm, not with them.
"It's fine, it'll be resolved in a few days..."
At this point, Ning Fengzhi paused, feeling a bit overwhelmed.
A few days in the divine realm equated to several years in the Douluo Continent!
What if they decided to celebrate for three days and three nights? Would they have to wait three years before they could continue their divine trials?
Three years, they could have waited in the past, but now, they simply couldn't afford to wait!
Suddenly, an urgent voice rang out in Ning Fengzhi's mind, leaving him stunned.
"Successor, an unexpected event has occurred in the divine realm. I don't know if I can survive this incident. Quickly prepare six regular spirit bones, preferably from the same source and over fifty thousand years old."
"These are the materials needed for the seventh trial, which is the fusion of the divine position."
"As for the sixth trial, just let it be... Wait, consider this the sixth trial!"
"Also, inform Oscar that he should do the same. The Food God is too busy right now and doesn't have time to notify him..."
After saying this, before Ning Fengzhi could respond, the Nine-Colored Goddess cut off the communication.
Ning Fengzhi: "???"
Wait, could it be that the Martial God has stormed the divine realm?
He knew Zhongli had some personal grievances with that so-called Asura, but was it really necessary to go all the way up there?
Even the Nine-Colored Goddess wasn't sure if she could survive this... This...
This was too extreme!
We're talking about gods here!
Regardless of whether Zhongli had stormed the divine realm or not, Ning Fengzhi now had to prepare the spirit bones.
Spirit bones over fifty thousand years old, and from the same source at that!
This was going to be incredibly difficult!
"Uncle Sword, Uncle Bone, we're going to be very busy from now on!"
Ning Fengzhi explained what had just happened, leaving Chen Xin, Gu Rong, and Oscar with strange expressions.
As expected of the Martial God, his temper was truly fierce. Instead of just entering the divine realm, he stormed it, leaving all the gods in fear for their lives, with the risk of falling.
If even the gods themselves were afraid, let alone their successors.
They couldn't afford to mess with him, not at all!
After learning about the contents of the sixth trial for Oscar and Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin and Gu Rong felt their scalps tingle.
Spirit bones over fifty thousand years old, and from the same source!
And not just one set, but two!
What could they do?
What else could they do?
They would just have to venture into the great forest and try their luck, hoping to find a thriving spirit beast species!
"Uncle Gu, I'll trouble you to handle the sect's affairs for now."
"Uncle Sword and I will head to the spirit beast forest together; it'll speed up the hunting process."
"If the Spirit Hall attacks the sect during this time, we'll have to abandon what we can and wait for our return."
"Once I become a god, we'll settle all scores!"
Ning Fengzhi spoke with a grave expression.
Gu Rong nodded, knowing this was the only way.
Neither Ning Fengzhi nor Oscar had absorbed spirit bones before, which turned out to be a good thing.
If they had already absorbed spirit bones, finding ones from the same source would have been even harder.
Without having absorbed any spirit bones, they had more options to choose from.
But the difficulty was still at a hellish level!
The probability of a ten-thousand-year spirit beast dropping a spirit bone was only one in ten. To gather a full set of spirit bones over fifty thousand years old, without any duplicates, how many fifty-thousand-year spirit beasts would they have to kill?
Fortunately, the Nine-Colored Goddess had said that it was best if they were from the same source.
Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin didn't waste any time. After making the necessary arrangements, they headed straight for the Star Dou Great Forest.
Meanwhile, in the divine realm.
The gods continued to attack the protective shield, but it remained completely unmoved.
At this moment, a trace of fear appeared on the faces of the gods, fear of the unknown.
Even if they managed to shatter the shield together, could they really defeat the one who had set it up?
The strength of this shield was comparable to that of several Dragon Gods.
A single Dragon God had once caused heavy losses to the divine realm. What would several of them do?
At this moment, inside the shield.
Guizhong had completed her fusion and was standing beside Zhongli, curiously looking at the "stone" that was still absorbing immortal energy and elemental power.
After an unknown amount of time, a roar erupted from within.
"Morax, it's time to settle all old scores!"
At the same time, the earth shook, mountains trembled, and the ground split apart, as if something extremely terrifying was about to emerge.
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Chapter 409: 409: The Tiny Azhdaha Dragon King
"Azhdaha?"
Zhongli's eye twitched slightly, his eyelids fluttering wildly, his mouth slightly open as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.
Guizhong stood beside Zhongli, her red lips parting slightly, her eyes wide open, yet she seemed to be at a loss for words.
Before the two of them stood Zhongli's close friend and comrade, the Azhdaha Dragon King.
But the current appearance of the Azhdaha Dragon King was truly something that made it hard for the two of them to keep a straight face.
A glimmer of clarity flashed in Azhdaha's eyes. He remembered, he remembered everything.
"I am the Azhdaha Dragon King, born from elemental crystallization."
"I bear the power and memories of the earth!"
"With the same lifespan as the mountains and seas, I am no ally of mere ants!"
"..."
"No, I am the Azhdaha Dragon King, and protecting humanity was also part of the contract I made with Morax!"
Azhdaha's mind was in chaos at the moment. He had both a benevolent and a "malevolent" side, and now that they had merged, all his memories had returned.
"Morax, I am no mere ant!"
"The heavens move in myriad ways, the mountains and seas take form, the barren land gives birth to stars, shining as bright as the sun..."
After a while, Azhdaha finally calmed down.
"Morax, I'm back."
"Huh?"
"Guizhong???"
Azhdaha was stunned. Only now did he clearly see the figure standing beside Zhongli, and he was utterly confused.
Wasn't Guizhong dead?
How had she come back to life, and why had she become... so big?
After all, he was the Azhdaha Dragon King, and among the seven great dragon kings, his size was undoubtedly the largest.
But Guizhong, her size was actually...
Wait, was there something off about Zhongli's size too?
Zhongli wanted to say something but found himself at a loss for words.
Guizhong, on the other hand, grabbed the Azhdaha Dragon King from the ground and picked him up. The current Azhdaha was only about the size of her two hands...
Azhdaha: "???"
"Guizhong, what... what are you doing?"
Azhdaha was completely baffled, utterly confused, and the entire dragon was not feeling well.
That weak, pitiful, and helpless Guizhong, she had actually grabbed him with one hand and picked him up with two!
Was he still dreaming, not yet awake?
"Morax, why do you think Azhdaha has become like this?"
Guizhong tilted her head, looking at Zhongli with a puzzled expression.
Even with her great wisdom, she couldn't figure out why Azhdaha had... become so tiny!
Hearing this, Zhongli stroked his chin, deep in thought.
He examined the Azhdaha Dragon King a couple of times, which only made Azhdaha even more confused.
Without something to compare to, it was hard for him to notice the changes in himself.
"Azhdaha is the second-generation Geo Dragon King, bearing the power and memories of the earth. He has a deep connection with the continent of Teyvat..."
"If I'm not mistaken, his true body should still be in Teyvat, while his consciousness has come to the Douluo Continent."
Zhongli wasn't entirely sure about Azhdaha's situation and could only make an educated guess based on the current circumstances.
As for whether he was right or not, he couldn't be certain.
Hearing this, Azhdaha blinked, still somewhat dazed. He carefully sensed his own power...
In the end, Azhdaha fell silent.
The power that could shake the mountains and seas had been reduced to just a tiny fraction...
Compared to the power he once possessed, he was now far too weak.
It wasn't that Zhongli and Guizhong had grown larger, but that he had become smaller!
"My friend, welcome!"
Azhdaha: "..."
He didn't know what to say!
He should have been happy to regain his senses and see Zhongli and Guizhong, but he just couldn't feel any joy.
Azhdaha fell silent, and it wasn't something he could figure out in a short while.
In the Divine Realm, the gods had been attacking the amber-colored barrier for half a day, but there was no reaction at all. They were on the verge of despair!
Fortunately, at this moment, the creature inside the barrier stopped absorbing the spiritual energy and various elemental forces.
Most importantly, the power of the Divine Realm's core, which was the earth's energy, was also no longer being absorbed.
This, at least, gave the gods some relief.
But who knew if it would happen again?
It had stopped once before, and they thought it was over.
But what happened next?
An even greater commotion followed!
"Keep attacking! If we don't break this barrier, the Divine Realm could face annihilation at any moment!"
Even if it stopped now, for the Divine Realm, it would still be akin to a catastrophe.
At least seventy percent of the spiritual energy was gone!
The loss of various elemental energies was secondary, but the "lifespan" of the earth had also been reduced by more than half.
In other words, the Divine Realm, which could have lasted for ten thousand years, now had at most a little over three thousand years left.
This was a devastating blow to the Divine Realm!
"If we can survive this calamity, Destruction, I agree with your proposal!"
Evil said with a grave expression.
Destruction's proposal was simple: expand the Divine Realm's territory and "energy."
To achieve this, they would have to devour other planes.
Initially, this proposal had been met with almost universal disapproval, as it was considered too inhumane.
But now, was there any other way?
If they didn't agree to this proposal, how long could the Divine Realm last?
What about the newly born gods?
Would the older gods remain stagnant for the rest of their lives?
There was no choice but to accept Destruction's proposal and expand the Divine Realm.
Before, they had disagreed because it didn't affect their own interests, but now that it did, they no longer cared about whether it was inhumane.
Hearing this, Destruction, who should have been pleased, found it hard to feel any joy.
Everything he had done was for the sake of making the Divine Realm better and stronger, yet he was misunderstood and constantly restricted.
Even his wife, the Goddess of Life, didn't understand him!
This was also true in the original timeline.
Life, despite being Destruction's wife, constantly opposed him and even helped his enemy, Tang San...
Such a saintly figure was quite shocking in the entire Douluo Continent.
"Hmph, let's get through this calamity first."
Destruction snorted coldly, then continued to focus on attacking.
Even without his proposal, after this, the Divine Realm would have to take such actions.
Evil's words were likely just an attempt to find a scapegoat.
Destruction was straightforward, but he wasn't a fool.
"Destruction, this is a matter of great importance to the Divine Realm. You mustn't act on impulse; discuss it properly with everyone."
Hearing Life's words, Destruction's hand, which was in the midst of attacking, trembled slightly. He looked at Life with a hint of disbelief.
For some reason, he felt that his wife was acting a bit strange.
Just as Destruction was about to say something, the barrier around them disappeared.
Had their attacks finally worked?
No!
The barrier had vanished on its own!
"The person inside is coming out!"
Now wasn't the time to debate right and wrong with Life. Destruction spoke with a grave expression.
The gods instinctively took a few steps back, shielding the five God Kings in front of them.
This was all they could do for the God Kings.