Chapter 566: The Goddess

A month later, on the tenth floor of the magic tower in Fate's Domain, Li Mochen's main body sat with eyes closed in meditation.

Above him, the glass dome reflected the void of the Astral Plane, while around his body, intense light burst forth from time to time, with vast energies surging outward, only to be absorbed and devoured by a bracelet shaped like an Ouroboros on his hand.

This was the bracelet he had entrusted to Bethel Einstein for the final工序, crafted from the spine of a World Serpent and named by Li Mochen as the 'Mandala Bracelet'.

In Buddhist esoteric teachings, 'Mandala' signifies the center of spiritual energy for cultivation.

In the eyes of modern mages and physicists, the form of the Ouroboros and the World Serpent not only symbolizes the concept of 'infinity' and 'endless cycles' but also confirms the cyclical concept of the universe without beginning or end. It represents the intersection of particle physics (the infinitesimally small) and the cosmic concept (the infinitely large). It also unifies the principles of life and death, yin and yang, closely aligning with the mages' belief that 'the infinitely large contains the infinitesimally small' and 'the infinitesimally small can confirm the infinitely large'.

Thus, the Ouroboros is also a spell imbued with purifying power, and in alchemy, it is the 'Mandala'! Hence the name 'Mandala Bracelet'.

What Li Mochen was doing now was using the power of the 'Mandala Bracelet' to break through to the tenth level of the 'Dual Profound Transformation Method'.

For the tenth level of the 'Heavenly Cycle of Primordial Yin-Yang Non-Attachment Sutra' and the 'Eighty-Eight Constellation Meditation Method', Li Mochen directly leaped beyond the confines of astral imagery, choosing two concepts universally present in the Astral Plane and all worlds as the final culmination of his technique.

These two concepts were 'matter and antimatter'—not only part of the celestial cycles but also encompassing the composition of all worlds and stars. This could also confirm the Daoist principle of yin and yang dividing from the Dao, one giving birth to two, two to three, and three to all things.

This would also be an unparalleled power; once perfected, Li Mochen had full confidence to leap across the threshold between Legend and Demigod, directly entering the level of an Ancient God!

However, integrating the concept of 'matter and antimatter' into one's own soul and physical body was extremely difficult. Even though Li Mochen had observed the phenomenon of matter and antimatter as early as in the Original Vault Realm, and after coming to this world had acquired even richer knowledge reserves, he still lacked sufficient confidence to achieve this.

Thus, Li Mochen's original backup plan was black holes and white holes—although in terms of energy level, these two astral phenomena were inferior to 'matter and antimatter', they involved the mysteries of space-time and could, through the concepts of 'end' and 'beginning', allow him to control even greater power of fate—the beginning of fate and the end of fate.

It was only after obtaining this 'Mandala Bracelet' that he gained enough confidence.

This artifact could absorb vast amounts of energy, ensuring his safety during the cultivation of the technique.

Visualizing matter and antimatter within the body was extremely dangerous; a single mistake could trigger 'annihilation'—a true, physical annihilation! One gram of matter-antimatter collision could unleash an annihilation equivalent to a thirty-thousand-ton TNT nuclear explosion!

Thus, the key points in cultivating the visualization of matter and antimatter were, first, maintaining balance, and second, possessing extraordinary control.

The visualization itself was not difficult; Li Mochen already had a profound understanding of the concept of 'matter and antimatter', and the merit of the 'Divine Spirit Luck Purple Gold Tower' ensured that his comprehension of this fundamental secret would not go astray.

However, even with his powerful divine sense and the 'Divine Spirit Luck Purple Gold Tower', Li Mochen could not guarantee that during the cultivation process, he could control the matter and antimatter without losing control.

—Although these were only things he visualized, not real matter, they were still very dangerous.

The actual cultivation process confirmed his thoughts. Without the 'Mandala Bracelet', he would have been injured countless times by his own power, and his soul would have long been riddled with holes.

Now, whenever Li Mochen sensed trouble, he only needed to channel the annihilative energy into the 'Mandala Bracelet'.

But this was not a true World Serpent after all; even the real World Serpent Jörmungandr could not achieve true infinity.

Li Mochen could only cultivate for three hours at a time; after three hours, he had to release the energy from the 'Mandala Bracelet'.

Ron Edmond did not possess the divine authority of energy release, but he had fixed two spells in the 'Mandala Bracelet': 'Mana Annihilation Cannon' and 'Plasma Cannon', as well as the forbidden spell 'Void Judgment', which contained both 'thunder' and 'death' powers. The former was not complete and required the caster to have a certain foundation.

Li Mochen happened to have that; his magic tower encompassed all, covering many disciplines, with thunder among them. And the former Wenjian Taoran was quite skilled in thunder magic, second only to his mastery of sword techniques, life and death, and yin and yang.

Thus, every three hours, Li Mochen would go to the Astral Plane, release ten level-30 'Mana Annihilation Cannons' or five level-30 forbidden spells 'Void Judgment' to empty the energy within the 'Mandala Bracelet', and then resume cultivation.

At this point, his cultivation of the tenth level of the 'Dual Profound Transformation Method' had just begun. Although only three days had passed, Li Mochen had successfully visualized antimatter within his soul, corresponding to the positive matter in his dantian, successfully advancing his magic profession to level 19.

However, the subsequent refinement process was the most difficult. Li Mochen estimated that it would take several months or even years to achieve perfection.

This was the most fundamental law constituting the universe, encompassing all, with myriad mysteries. Thus, entry was easy, but completion was hard.

Li Mochen's reliance was still on his 'Divine Spirit Luck Purple Gold Tower' and the increasingly vast flow of merit. Although his own comprehension was quite good, if he relied solely on his own power and the foundations of his past life, it might take fifty to seventy years to complete this step.

This step is indeed as deep as an abyss, difficult to fully fathom its mysteries—no, it's more appropriate to describe it as a black hole. Sure enough, 'a snake trying to swallow an elephant'—sooner or later, I will be ruined by my own greed.

About two and a half hours later, Li Mochen woke up before the 'Mandala Bracelet' was filled. Then he sighed softly, feeling that he had pushed himself into a bottomless pit, a black hole-level pit.

But after taking this step, Li Mochen had indeed gained power beyond his imagination.

At this moment, the quality and quantity of Li Mochen's own mana had already surpassed the Legendary level, directly approaching that of a Demigod. His strength had also been elevated by several ranks; with the amplification of his Titan and Dragon bloodlines, he could now contend head-on with a Demigod. He had also completed a forbidden spell ahead of time: 'Matter Annihilation', the spell that made 'World Destroyer' Robespierre famous.

—This was originally one of the most difficult forbidden spells to complete, but the destructive power contained in Li Mochen's technique allowed him to easily master this powerful forbidden spell known for its destructive force, and he also completed the elementary divine authority of 'Destruction'.

This also relied on the accumulation of his past life; Wenjian Taoran had some achievements in the destruction of matter. Li Mochen actually preferred 'Annihilation', which would complement the forbidden spell 'Matter Annihilation' even better, but his achievements in this area were not yet sufficient to condense divine authority.

Most importantly, Li Mochen's 'Fate Domain' had been elevated to the ultimate level, to the point where he could gather divine authority, and he had even gone a step further, beginning to advance toward intermediate-level divine authority.

As Li Mochen had expected, one's own power could determine the strength of fate's force.

The power brought by the tenth level of the 'Dual Profound Transformation Method' gave him the strength to determine his own fate and that of others, promoting the growth of the 'Fate Domain'. Matter and antimatter also encompassed everything from the creation of the universe to its end, and even beyond; their existence and trajectories included the fate of all people and things.

Of course, the reason Li Mochen had made such rapid progress in the path of fate was also due to the fate stones he had collected over the past year, which allowed him to glimpse the mysteries of the divine authority held by the six Fates.

Legend has it that among the Greek Moirai, the youngest, Clotho, spun the thread of life and governed the future; the second sister, Lachesis, maintained the thread of life; and the eldest, Atropos, governed death and cut the thread of life. Even the sky father Zeus could not defy their arrangements.

Thus, fate has its beginning, process, and end—

They could not master fate alone; they could only share it in this form, divided among three.

Among the Norse Norns, the first was Urd, the second Verdandi, and the third Skuld. They wove the web of fate in the Norse pantheon, representing the past, present, and future of fate, also sharing fate among three. Their divine authority was more akin to the Buddhist 'Three Buddhas of Time': the Buddha of the Past, the Buddha of the Present, and the Buddha of the Future. Of course, the latter were more powerful; besides fate, they truly mastered time and causality.

The reason Li Mochen's 'Fate Divine Authority' progressed with difficulty in the early stages was that he sought to single-handedly grasp the beginning, process, and end of fate, and to inscribe 'fate' as his fundamental law into the core of his magic tower.

This was also why he chose matter and antimatter, rather than black and white holes, as the final stage of his technique. The former ran through the entire process, allowing him to have strong control over all stages of fate.

Li Mochen anticipated that after crossing the elementary divine authority level, subsequent progress would also be extremely difficult. The path of fate was more perilous than even matter and antimatter. And the fate stones left by the three Fates, aside from further repairing the 'Divine Spirit Luck Purple Gold Tower', could hardly help him anymore.

The problem was that the level of 'Fate' divine authority directly determined the level of his future 'Law Divine Throne'. The 'Ancient God Status' could grant a deity immortality and a lower limit of power; while the 'Law Divine Throne' and 'Faith Divine Throne' were undoubtedly shortcuts for a deity to enhance their strength.

The 'Song God' Jerson in this world, who became a powerful god within just thirty years of ascending to godhood and even coveted the 'Chief God' status, relied on faith and law.

Now, Li Mochen estimated that he would have to spend a vast amount of time in the future deducing and peering into the roots of 'fate' and the essence of the Dao. He could only place more hope in enhancing his own power to strengthen his control over fate.

—Thus, this was another bitter fruit from digging a black hole-level pit for himself due to his own greed.

Of course, the power of fate was undeniably formidable! Even the three Fates, who only wielded crude fate power, could make a god-king like Zeus wary.

So he had better find another mythical artifact that could enhance fate power to strengthen his own fate divine authority.

The 'Divine Spirit Luck Purple Gold Tower' was undoubtedly a top-tier divine artifact, but currently, it could not enhance his divine authority. It might have such an ability when it fully recovers, but for now, it functioned more like a 'wishing machine'.

After finishing the cultivation of the 'Dual Profound Transformation Method', Li Mochen did not go to the Astral Plane this time to release the energy of the 'Mandala Bracelet'. He directly left the 'Fate's Domain' magic tower and arrived at his office on the top floor of the Wiltonstein Group building.

According to the schedule set by Eliza, the time from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. was for him to listen to reports from various departments and handle official business.

Since his secondary body was forging a divine weapon using the horn of the 'Golden Winged Blade Dragon' as the main material, all affairs of the Wiltonstein Group and the Rising Sun Group had to be handled by his main body.

This situation would not last much longer; the divine weapon named 'Blade Dragon Slash' had entered its final stage. Li Mochen had not put much thought into this blade; to him, it was merely transitional, striving only to maintain the four ultimate domains of the 'Golden Winged Blade Dragon': 'Inevitable Severance', 'Shatter', 'Pierce', and 'Sharpness'. Since the quality of the horn was extremely high, this was easy to achieve.

Given the progress of his secondary body, it would likely be completed within two to three days at most. Then Li Mochen's main body could devote all its time to the final stage of the 'Dual Profound Transformation Method'.

After stepping out of the 'Teleportation Gate', Li Mochen deliberately glanced out the office window toward the northern sky, and his brows lifted slightly, a hint of joy appearing in his eyes.

He was looking toward the Wiltonstein Estate; Consueli's magic tower hovering there had unexpectedly completed its sixteenth floor peak.

—This was an incredible speed; less than a month and a half had passed since Philip I's death. In this short time, Consueli had raised his 'Silent Crown' magic tower from fourteen to sixteen floors.

This was not like building from the first to the second floor; after the fourth floor, the difficulty of adding floors to a magic tower increased geometrically.

Li Mochen's 'Fate's Domain' magic tower had only been raised from the eighth to the tenth floor over these past few months.

I heard that the New World Magic Association has already certified Old Mr. Wiltonstein as America's eighth 'Magus', with the title 'Silent Sovereign'!

Clark Banfield, who was already waiting in the office, noticed Li Mochen's gaze and a look of admiration appeared in his eyes: "I guess Old Mr. Wiltonstein has become a Demigod?"

That happened a month ago.

Li Mochen's reaction to this matter was quite indifferent.

Consueli's entry into the Demigod rank occurred before his attack on the Secret Party Alliance. This old man had long accumulated the foundation of a top-tier Demigod; the reason he hadn't advanced was solely due to his fear of Philip I's parasitic seed.

Once Consueli entered the Demigod rank, that parasitic seed would also reach full maturity.

Now, with Philip I's passing, the shackles that had bound Consueli were completely broken. If Philip I hadn't poured all his power into the divine fire, Consueli might even have benefited, gaining part of Philip I's power through the parasitic seed.

Let's talk about your situation.

Li Mochen turned his gaze to his intelligence director: "It's only two days until the date Anthony chose. Any new intelligence, Clark?"

Plenty!

Clark Banfield's expression was grave. He snapped his fingers, using his magical equipment to project a magical image in front of Li Mochen.

First, the National Progressive Association! Three days ago, I reported to you that after a month of silence and restraint, they have started moving again, and in a big way. According to our surveillance over the past few days, they have gathered at least twenty thousand outlaws near Georgia, plus fifteen armored divisions and twelve mechanized infantry divisions, totaling 570,000 men, forming three heavy army groups.

The projected magical image was a map of the southeastern United States, showing the enemy and our dispositions.

The farthest, the Norton Group, is only seven hundred kilometers from Atlanta, all in very convenient transportation positions. With the help of magic, they can be at the gates of Atlanta in just one hour.

Li Mochen's eyes narrowed: "The government is letting this go? Are the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI just watching idly?"

The National Progressive Association's strength is far more than that; just those three Supreme Families can field fifty elite divisions.

Clark Banfield spread his hands: "They used large-scale illusions to conceal it very well, and the surrounding populace is completely unaware. The National Progressive Association has also obtained permission from the upper echelons of the government."

In other words, the White House has tacitly approved this war, right?

Li Mochen's eyes narrowed sharply, a look of solemnity appearing in them.

He felt no particular resentment toward the upper echelons of the government. The National Progressive Party already held considerable power within the current administration, and even the President himself was often powerless when facing supreme families like the Matteolas and the Adamses.

The Statue of Liberty in America would likely welcome a war between these supreme families.

"The White House has issued a warning to us regarding this matter. The official letter is now in Eliza's hands. His Excellency the President hopes our war takes place outside Atlanta or in the Dark World. The tragedy in Atlanta a month and a half ago cannot be allowed to happen again."

Banfield's expression was equally grave: "This also means we will forfeit most of our geographical advantages in Atlanta."

Li Mochen felt puzzled: "Twenty thousand outlaws, twenty-seven divisions—if that's all they have, they can't take down the current Wiltonshire family."

At present, the combined forces of Wiltonshire and the Rising Sun Group barely amounted to twenty divisions. Even if Atlanta was indefensible, they still had Wiltonshire Castle and the Holy Stone Fortress—he referred to the parts of these fortresses located in the Light World.

"That's obvious, Boss. With the Sky Scepter in your hands, your retaliation would make them tremble with fear."

Clark Banfield's eyes flickered: "I believe their goal is more about attrition—wearing down our effective strength to force us into signing a treaty. Recently, Ms. Drew and Rising Sun Media have been increasing pressure on them. With a large number of association members withdrawing, the National Progressive Party's strength has significantly weakened, and they can no longer maintain their position in the Senate and House. The House of Representatives is likely to pass a bill appointing a special prosecutor to investigate the 'Beast Blood Potion' incident."

Pausing briefly, Banfield continued: "I suspect they will deploy a large number of legends and demigods in this battle, taking advantage of the time when Anthony undergoes his tribulation and your sniper is away in Manhattan."

"Anthony—"

Li Mochen mused: "What's the situation with Anthony's enemies now? Haven't they given up?"

"Anthony has indeed prepared a formidable array, leveraging the full financial power of Light Magic Industries. Even excluding you, Boss, he has gathered two archmages, one lesser deity, and seventeen demigods, three of whom possess near-divine combat power. Beyond that, there's a powerful ally like you. But Thomas Milan won't give up."

Banfield shook his head: "The God of Alchemy, Machinery, and Craftsmanship sees clearly that once Anthony condenses the divine office of alchemy, machinery, and craftsmanship, it will be his moment of death. As a faith deity, he will lose the foundation of his existence. So Thomas Milan's divine envoys are tirelessly lobbying, contacting all the gods in America. We don't know whom they've convinced, but even the Machinery Church alone can field over ten demigods. This god is known for his social skills and wide connections. He also has several grand alchemists—"

Banfield paused: "Most grand alchemists lean toward Anthony, but they won't provide direct help. However, Thomas Milan, as an established deity, wields far greater influence among alchemists than Anthony. Many are directly influenced by him, especially those with slightly insufficient talent who rely on his divine power. These people's energy cannot be underestimated; they can sway numerous powerful individuals. Moreover, conflicts involving the struggle for a 'divine office' are not bound by the 'Treaty of Separation between Gods and Men.' Thomas Milan can descend directly and initiate a divine war."

"Is that all?"

Li Mochen remained puzzled. He did not hold the God of Alchemy, Machinery, and Craftsmanship in high regard; a medium-rank faith deity was not much stronger than Ron Edmond.

Machinery and craftsmanship were powerful divine offices that could be elevated to major god status in modern times, yet Thomas Milan remained only a medium-rank god, which showed his talent.

So he still couldn't understand what gave the National Progressive Party the confidence to launch a decisive battle against him. Just because he would be in Manhattan during Anthony's ascension? Couldn't he return in time?

Dealing with those demigods and deities, with 'Dragon's Might' in hand, wouldn't take him long. Below medium-rank gods, one shot would suffice, likely requiring little merit power.

Having built a ten-story magic tower, condensed antimatter, and possessing complete mythic equipment like 'Dragon's Might,' 'Demon Vine Heart,' and 'Mandala Bracelet,' he was no longer what he used to be.

Of course, the enemy was largely unaware of most of this intelligence. But even a month and a half ago, his demonstrated sniping prowess could decide the outcome of the divine war in Manhattan.

As long as Anthony could provide him with a sufficiently safe sniping position, he could take on dozens of demigods.

What gave them the audacity to launch such a large-scale war? Were they lining up for him to snipe? Or had they found a way to counter his Sky Scepter and Dragon's Might?

Still, he had a premonition that this would be his final challenge to establish himself at the top of America and make the Wiltonshire family a supreme family.

"I still don't understand. Maybe they have a way to counter the Sky Scepter and Dragon's Might?"

Banfield's expression shifted: "By the way, the Toreador clan you recently subdued has brought some news. The followers of Lady Time are gathering in large numbers toward Manhattan. Some Toreador members are peripheral members of Lady Time's church. They judge that this goddess seems to be planning a descent to America soon; they've even prepared the corresponding ritual materials. This is strange and noteworthy—Lady Time's church is very poor."

"Lady Time, Mithras?"

A sharp glint flashed in Li Mochen's eyes.

Lady Time Mithras was a deity who rose in America, ascending to the divine realm three hundred years ago, reportedly inheriting the legacy of the Greek and Phoenician time god 'Chronos.'

Chronos (Χρόνος), not the second-generation Titan King Cronus (Κρόνος). The spellings are similar, and the pronunciations are close, but they are not the same entity.

He was a primordial god in ancient Greek mythology, the supreme god of the Orphic tradition, one of the three major Greek religious schools.

In Orphic doctrine, this being's essence was ineffable, rooted in time, creating chaos and order. His power was unique, above all, existing before the beginning, creating chaos, order, and everything. He appeared in the form of wind and rain—with three heads: a human head, a bull's head, and a lion's head, symbolizing past, present, and future. He and his consort 'Ananke' coiled around the primordial world egg, then split it, forming the ordered universe of earth, sea, and sky.

According to modern mages' research, Chronos was likely one of the primordial gods of this world. During a time when the gods' divine ranks were still at major god level, he was defeated and fell at the hands of Uranus and Gaia.

Most of his essence was then devoured by Uranus and Gaia, giving rise to the second-generation Titan King Cronus and Rhea, who inherited part of Chronos's time power.

Notably, Chronos's consort Ananke, who wielded the power of fate, necessity, and inevitability, controlling all destiny, fate, and natural law, was an ultra-powerful entity in early Greek mythology. Her will was absolute, and even Chaos could not defy it.

After Chronos's fall, Ananke still existed and devoured her brother Erebus, becoming the powerful Night Goddess Nyx, and even the foster mother of the third-generation King Zeus.

She was the essence and embodiment of night, with three aspects and three different super-divine identities: she could be the Goddess of Inevitable Fate—Ananke, the Goddess of Natural Law—Adrasteia, and the Goddess of Causal Fate—Heimarmene. In the Roman era, she was called 'Necessitas,' requiring no worship, yet occupying a very high position in all myths about the gods.

Li Mochen both coveted and guarded against the power of this Night Goddess.

Although Ananke had been dormant in this world for a long time, he anticipated that he would inevitably cross paths with this goddess of uncertain life or death in the future—she might even become his most dangerous enemy.

Li Mochen was not awed by the descriptions of Ananke in Greek mythology. In ancient times, the total human population was less than ten million. Those law and faith deities were also limited in power; myths about creating chaos and order, dividing heaven and earth and the universe, were merely the propaganda of believers, not to be taken seriously.

But an entity that could contend with the third-generation King Zeus and stand almost independent of the Titan and Olympian pantheons likely possessed a power level that, even in Zeus's era, reached the rank of god-king, or even super-god-king!

What was even more daunting were her numerous offspring: Momus (God of Mockery), Ponos (God of Toil), Moros (God of Doom), Thanatos (God of Death), Hypnos (God of Sleep), Oneiroi (God of Dreams), the Hesperides (Goddesses of Evening), Charon (Ferryman of the Underworld), the three Moirai (Greek Fates), Nemesis (Goddess of Revenge), Apate (Goddess of Deceit), Cacia (Goddess of Vice), Philotes (Goddess of Friendship), Geras (God of Old Age), and Eris (Goddess of Discord).

Especially the latter, Eris, the Goddess of Discord, who was also America's Statue of Liberty—a goddess of unknown power who supported the entire American political system and had likely become a god-king.

Thus Li Mochen had to be on guard, constantly seeking information about the 'Night Goddess Nyx.' And Lady Time Mithras, in Li Mochen's view, was likely a piece set by the Night Goddess.

Lady Time Mithras herself was not difficult to deal with.

The power she inherited from 'Chronos' was undoubtedly formidable. However, she faced the same predicament Li Mochen now faced: due to her excessively high power level, her advancement was difficult. In these three hundred years, Mithras remained only a weak law deity.

Moreover, due to the nature of time, it was hard to gather much faith. So she usually kept to herself, delving into the mysteries of time within her divine realm.

It was estimated that this goddess's combat power could match a medium-rank god. But for Li Mochen, who possessed the three innate abilities of 'Time Slow,' 'Light Speed Movement,' and 'Time Acceleration,' and was close to deriving divine authority, she was not an insurmountable force.

Although time was not Li Mochen's foundation, it could be considered his secondary origin. He was confident that he would not be completely suppressed by Lady Time in this regard.

What made Li Mochen wary was whether his condensation of the 'Divine Authority of Fate' had drawn the attention of the Night Goddess, or even an attempt to eliminate him.

"Keep monitoring! If possible, I want to know every move of Lady Time's church, and the exact time of her descent."

After ending his conversation with Clark Banfield, Li Mochen pondered for a moment, then dialed Hazel's mobile phone.

"Come back, Hazel. Preferably this afternoon. I need your help now. I'll have Eliza book you a flight to Atlanta. There's a war in two days, and I must use your power."

"Help?" Hazel was clearly taken aback: "What about Sister Angela?"

Her voice still held surprise. This was the first time Li Mochen had explicitly expressed his intention for her to participate in battle.

"I'll have someone replace you for Angela—"

But before Li Mochen could finish, Angela's voice came through the receiver: "No need, A-Mo. I've gained a lot here. You really don't need to worry about my safety."

Li Mochen frowned, about to say something more, when Angela's next words made him swallow his words: "My 'Heart-Mind Divine Illumination' has reached the fifth level, and I have the external elixir you provided. So, if it's a demigod weaker than Hazel, they're meaningless to me, aren't they?"