Chapter 664: Second Coming

"The Wishing Tower?"

Inside the Pantheon under renovation, Gaia, seated high on the throne, propped her chin with her hand, her expression thoughtful.

"You allied with Isis and the others for this thing, and still lost?"

"It was a complete defeat that caught me entirely off guard."

Rhea caught the teasing and sarcasm hidden in her mother's tone, but the latter answered nonchalantly: "The Sea of Evil in the Dark World hides things beyond our imagination."

"I've known that for a long time. I once entered there. It's dangerous inside; I warned you, Rhea."

A strange light flickered in Gaia's eyes: "Inside are hidden more than one divine aberration with a divine rank of twenty. Unfortunately, since three thousand years ago, I've had to devote most of my energy to the Source, unable to go deeper. That mother and son have tied up all my energy. But now, I can try to delve deeper."

"What about the Wishing Tower?"

Rhea asked with a meaningful tone: "It's very likely a Truth-level mythical armament. Though I haven't seen its true form, I can perceive its Truth resonance. That should be the main reason the Lord of Fate won."

"Truth? If it's truly Truth-level, you wouldn't have come back alive."

Gaia sneered: "I'll keep an eye on it, but not now."

Rhea frowned: "Mother, he grows stronger every day now."

"Yes, in less than twenty years, he's become a true God-King. Such a growth rate is enough to terrify anyone. He's even bound Lucifer to his chariot; the Lord of the Abyss has repaid my favor and won't work for me anymore. But so what, Rhea? Odin and Zeus aren't worried, so why should we care? I bet their interest lies more in taking a bite out of the Lord of Radiance. And now even I am happy to see it."

"You will fail. I know you and they are holding back, including Satan. But sooner or later, he will kill you one by one or drive you out of this world."

Rhea shook her head, but then she noticed that Gaia's attention was completely focused on the massive divine projection before them.

It reflected Eris's Free Divine Kingdom, revealing the interior in full view. They could see the giant wolf named 'Fenrir' stretching its enormous body within the kingdom. Every step of its four-kilometer-long body caused large tracts of land to collapse and shatter. Ice-blue and crimson rays continuously shot from Fenrir's eyes, freezing the Free Goddess's petitioners and divine army in near-absolute-zero ice or making them wail and die in blazing white flames wherever they struck.

Its saliva was highly toxic, dripping down to corrode and destroy the land of the Free Divine Kingdom. Any living thing it touched would turn into pus in a very short time.

But its claws and fangs were truly deadly; it fully lived up to its name 'Angel of Might'. Any subordinate god or angel under the Free Goddess who dared appear before it was invariably bitten to death by Fenrir.

At the same time, on this battlefield were six sharp arrows: 'Eternal Angel' Atlas, 'Wrathful Angel' Menoetius, 'Guardian Angel' Achilles, 'Battle Angel' Robert, 'Disaster Dragon Angel' Hazel.

Except for 'Earth Angel' Christine, who stayed behind, all seven Archangels under the Lord of Fate were deployed.

Behind them were millions of troops, including the 'Dragon Corps' and 'Giant Corps', destroying everything in the Free Divine Kingdom with irresistible force. They continuously attacked the core of the kingdom, advancing triumphantly.

The destruction of this vast divine kingdom was only a matter of time. The Lord of Fate's army employed very aggressive tactics. It could be guessed that Fenrir and the others were trying to obtain Eris's legacy in the kingdom, or simply destroy it; these people felt emboldened.

But Rhea guessed that what truly caught Gaia's attention was an army appearing in the east of the Free Divine Kingdom—Ares's Chosen Warriors! They were streaming into the kingdom from outside, already numbering ten war bands.

The Greek war bands were far smaller than the Lord of Radiance's angelic legions, but ten war bands were still quite powerful. Rhea also noticed that behind this army, outside the Free Divine Kingdom, hundreds of cloud warships and dozens of Olympian war bands were waiting to enter.

The Aesir army was already on its way.

"See? They're more interested in the Free Goddess's legacy."

Gaia laughed mockingly: "There's no basis for cooperation, Rhea."

"Someone needs to coordinate." Rhea said dismissively: "You could easily reach a short-term, unbreakable alliance. Eliminate this Lord of Fate as soon as possible—that's in all your interests."

Gaia still shook her head: "Lobby like Isis? And then I have to share some benefits with them? What do I get? Faith or that Wishing Tower? Will they let me have my way? On the contrary, if I help him become a God-King of divine rank twenty in the future, or at least don't interfere, then will I have a place in the opening of the Dark World? Or can I get a promise from him?"

Seeing Rhea fall silent, she curled her lips: "So, even if someone needs to step in to coordinate, it shouldn't be me. If I'm to act, I must be offered something that moves me."

"I have to admit, your view is correct for now."

Rhea sighed inwardly, thinking that her mother and the others probably thought the same way. So even though they all felt the imminent threat of the Lord of Fate, they could never coordinate their steps.

Were they really going to watch that descendant of Hyperion step by step ascend to the throne of God over Gods?

"Of course I'm right. Isn't the situation good now? That little one will keep them busy. In the past, could I have taken back the share of the Source that Eris got from me?"

Gaia sneered again: "I know what you're thinking, Rhea, but now is not the time. If you really want to seize the Wishing Tower from him, then wait patiently—wait until all the gods have no choice but to destroy him."

※※※※

At the same time, in the Magic Tower of Fate's Domain, Li Mochen was also speaking with Delphinia Aedric.

"You ask why I grant divine grace to help those demigods?"

Li Mochen couldn't help but laugh, not expecting the Lady of Void Night to ask such a question. "But Del, does this relate to what we're discussing today?"

"Yes, Your Majesty! It concerns my future path and my perception of you. There's an Eastern saying: 'A beautiful bird chooses a good tree to perch on; a talented person chooses a wise boss to serve.' If I become your angel, my future will be bound to yours. I must be cautious."

Delphinia met Li Mochen's gaze with a solemn, probing look: "Preventing more people from entering the divine realm—that should be the consensus among the gods. But I find your attitude is quite the opposite. I want to know, Your Majesty, what exactly is your reasoning?"

Over the past few years, she had been stunned by the Lord of Fate's rise. Before she knew it, he had reached the pinnacle of man and god, and among the many God-Kings, he was already a relatively powerful one.

But she wouldn't simply entrust herself and her people's future to him just because of that.

Li Mochen was amused by Delphinia's bizarre translation of the Eastern saying, but then he turned serious under her gaze: "I can only say that my vision has never been limited to this world. You should know, Del, that if I want to become a God over Gods in the vast universe, not just confined to this Bright World, I must expand my influence to all heavens and realms, ideally forming a constellation. And these human gods who grow up will become my claws and arms in the future."

"So that's it—"

Delphinia was enlightened and also felt a sense of admiration. She thought her lord's bearing was indeed different from other gods. Even Odin, rumored to be the most ambitious, could not compare.

"Your Majesty, you make it impossible for me to refuse! I am willing to become your angel, but Archangel—I may not be able to meet your expectations in a short time." This was another thing that baffled Delphinia: the one on the throne wanted her to become the eighth Archangel of the Church of Fate.

Delphinia was flattered by Li Mochen's high regard for her, but she would never be arrogant enough to think she could胜任 the position of Archangel.

Currently, the Archangels under Li Mochen—such as Disaster Dragon Angel Hazel, Battle Angel Robert, Earth Angel Christine, Guardian Angel Achilles—were all major god-level powerhouses who had proven themselves on the battlefield.

"That doesn't matter. I have enough time to wait for you to grow. The merits you've earned following me are enough to grant you this position."

Li Mochen waved his hand with a smile: "You should know about the Wish Granting spell I bestowed, right? Use it well; it can help you grow quickly. I will also provide you with sufficient resources. Within ten years, when your ancient god divine rank reaches thirteen, I will grant you my Scepter of Freedom and officially enfeoff you."

Originally, Delphinia was not in his plans, but since a long-term full-scale war was likely coming, he would have enough time to wait for her growth.

Her talent was quite good; in these few years, she had already reached the ancient god rank of eight, an achievement no less than that of new-era gods like Anthony.

Delphinia also had a stable source of faith, with over 70% of the twenty million heterodox believing in her. She also held the medium 'Freedom' divine office, which allowed her to use his scepter.

The key was that she possessed up to three hundred million units of merit—a new function after the 'Divine Sky Fortune Purple Gold Tower' was upgraded, allowing Li Mochen to see others' 'merit'.

Among all those around Li Mochen, Angela had the most merit aura, over seven hundred million strands; Delphinia was second, with three hundred million.

This was enough for Delphinia to push the Freedom Divine Authority to near-pseudo-Truth level within ten years, and with her void talent, she would be more than qualified as an Archangel.

"Your Majesty! Then I will do my best."

Delphinia was half-convinced by Li Mochen's words. She knew about the Wish Granting spell—that was why she had asked today. But could this divine spell really be so exaggerated as to allow her to become an ancient god of divine rank thirteen in such a short time?

Delphinia had no confidence, but of course she wouldn't refuse. This was merely Li Mochen's request, with no punishment attached. What if she actually managed it?

The position of Archangel might not bring her much personal benefit, but it could greatly improve the living conditions of her fellow clansmen.

After Delphinia's figure disappeared from the hall, Li Mochen once again turned his gaze to the manifested 'Divine Sky Fortune Purple Gold Tower' beside him, carefully sensing the subtle changes in the merit aura caused by this conversation.

After just a moment, Li Mochen thought, indeed, the merit power gathered on the Wishing Tower was not purely 'merit'. A large part of it was feedback from changes in 'cause' and the levering of 'effect'. The remainder came from feedback from the World Source and the Sea of Human Subconscious.

The part derived from 'cause' and 'effect' was more flexible. In fact, since becoming a God-King, even his casual words or gestures could influence the future to some extent and disturb causality. The merit from the latter two was more rigid, because neither the World Source nor the Sea of Human Subconscious had self-awareness; they couldn't even accurately discern what was beneficial to them.

Comparatively, the World Source was more clumsy, while the Sea of Human Subconscious had stronger reaction capabilities, but often, humanity's collective will was in conflict. Like openness versus conservatism, science versus ignorance, democracy versus autocracy, and choices of faith—people could never reach consensus on these matters, so they couldn't simply be regarded as one. Only in rare times of world-level disasters could human hearts truly unite.

After about twenty seconds, the merit aura on the 'Divine Sky Fortune Purple Gold Tower' stabilized—though 'stable' was relative. Dozens of wars related to him were happening in the world, and countless people in the Church of Fate and the Sunlight Demon Alliance were working for him, all directly or indirectly affecting the future.

After finishing his observation, Li Mochen took a step and arrived at Anthony's magic tower, 'Mechanical Throne'.

Although the Mechanical Lord had recently become a faith major god by relying on his expanded congregation of ninety million, his divine kingdom was still weak, with fewer than five hundred thousand petitioners—less than one percent of Li Mochen's.

So Anthony always attached his divine kingdom to the edge of the Fate Divine Kingdom. For safety, his and his three subordinate gods' magic towers were always hidden inside the Fate Divine Kingdom.

Just as Anthony could freely enter below the thirty-fourth floor of the Magic Tower of Fate's Domain, Li Mochen could freely move outside the twenty-eighth floor of 'Mechanical Throne'. He went directly to Anthony's alchemy workshop and, after receiving permission, pushed the door open.

Then Li Mochen's gaze and mind focused on the 'Crimson Dragon Armor' suspended inside the furnace.

"How's the progress, Anthony?"

"Give me seven more hours."

Anthony wore a helmet covered with various high-tech observation instruments, his expression focused as he observed the furnace's interior.

"I underestimated the structural damage to your armor. Your recent battles clearly exceeded its load capacity. So I have to spend at least an extra day repairing it. It's hard to believe—were your battles with Zeus and Odin that intense?"

"More intense than you can imagine, especially with Zeus. His burst power is far inferior to Odin's, but his endurance is especially great. You can hardly imagine that my main body took at least two months to fully recover. But part of the Crimson Dragon Armor's structural damage is also related to my recent trip to the Dark World. The evil energy there was dense enough to rapidly corrode various materials."

Li Mochen was well aware of the Crimson Dragon Armor's condition, so although he urgently needed it now, he patiently sat down nearby.

"It's fine as long as you can repair it today. Hmm? You managed to achieve this level? Anthony, as expected of you."

As Li Mochen scanned the 'Crimson Dragon Armor' inside the furnace, satisfaction appeared in his eyes.

Judging by the current state of this mythical armament, its strength had increased by 230% from the original! Far exceeding the targets he had set for Anthony.

"Seventeen drops of Source Blood related to metal, plus a bit of Metal Source Matter. If I couldn't achieve this level, what kind of Mechanical Lord and Forging God would I be?"

Anthony smiled proudly: "Actually, if you could give me more time, I could increase its strength by another twenty percent, making it even more durable."

Li Mochen thought that even with seventeen drops of origin blood related to metal, such a degree of enhancement was not something just anyone could achieve. The metal source matter he provided was only that tiny bit he had obtained from the Statue of Liberty.

Only Anthony, with his supreme mastery of alloys, could organically combine these seventeen types of origin blood with different characteristics and maximize their performance.

Even the two forging gods of the Asa and Olympian pantheons might not have such ability.

In this regard, Li Mochen was already in awe.

"More time? How long would it take?"

"Twenty to thirty days. If I could have two months, I could make it even more perfect, but the timeliness and cost-effectiveness wouldn't be great."

"Then forget it."

Li Mochen rejected the proposal without a moment's hesitation: "In any case, finish it as soon as possible within today."

If it were normal times, he wouldn't mind waiting another twenty-odd days for that twenty percent increase in strength. But now, Li Mochen simply couldn't wait; he urgently needed this item.

The gains from this trip to the Dark World were far more than just the fate source matter extorted from Nyx and Eris's belongings. In the depths of the Sea of Sin, Li Mochen had some major harvests waiting for him to seize.

Considering future uncertainties, ensuring that thing didn't fall into others' hands naturally required as much speed as possible.

Besides, in the Primordial Dome, the Divine Thunder Sect had made an unexpected discovery. Li Mochen's main body had to go to the Primordial Dome with maximum combat power soon, preferably within ten days.

And the 'Scarlet Dragon Armor' in the furnace was indispensable for both of these matters.

※※※※

Anthony kept his word, and Li Mochen indeed received the 'Scarlet Dragon Armor' seven hours later. In less than ten seconds, Li Mochen had already appeared outside the vast Sea of Sin in the Dark World.

After Li Mochen elevated the 'Time Sequence' divine authority to the pseudo-truth level, the concept of distance no longer existed for him—at least within these two overlapping worlds. The pseudo-truth-level Fate divine authority allowed him to evade everyone's perception and precognition.

This time, Li Mochen did not join forces with anyone; he only brought 'Dragon Pulse'. Without any pause outside the Sea of Sin, he stepped directly inside.

Although he lacked the cooperation of Nyx and Lucifer and had Dragon Pulse as a burden, Li Mochen's speed in penetrating the depths of the Sea of Sin was even faster, and his divine power consumption was negligible.

This was all because his strength had greatly increased—divine rank 19, with as many as seven pseudo-truth divine authorities, giving his abilities a qualitative change.

For instance, with the two divine authorities of 'Fate' and 'Time Sequence', Li Mochen could now use his four strands of Merit Purple Qi to elevate either one to the truth level.

Or elevate two of the divine authorities like 'War', 'Battle', 'Vitality', 'Yin-Yang' to the truth level.

At this point, if he were to fight Odin or Zeus head-on, and if their power hadn't changed from last time, Li Mochen was confident he could defeat them.

Li Mochen also possessed the ultimate 'Eternity'; his attainment in this aspect was no less than that of his Eternal Angel.

This was all derived from 'Fate' and 'Time Sequence'. When he achieved eternal indestructibility, this divine authority naturally underwent a qualitative change.

Additionally, Eris's 'Scepter of Freedom' could also be useful. This item was very handy, allowing him to freely create freedom and strife around him, reducing resistance.

However, when Li Mochen approached the first divine abomination, his mana began to deplete, dropping bit by bit from the ninety-nine percent mark.

"Roar!"

Dragon Pulse sensed the threat and let out a roar.

Translated from dragon tongue, it meant to warn Li Mochen to be careful and advise him not to go deeper, as it was already very dangerous.

But Li Mochen turned a deaf ear; he didn't even slow down and continued deeper. This time, familiar with the route, he perfectly avoided three divine abominations along the way.

Then the thread-like black aura缠绕 on Li Mochen's arm began to writhe. Two heart-stopping presences kept approaching him.

Dragon Pulse felt its scalp tingle, its scales tightly wrapped around its body, and it roared again.

A dragon might that was exceptionally powerful for an ancient dragon naturally emanated from its body. But compared to the two divine abominations of divine rank 20, it was like a little ant shouting at a giant.

At this moment, if not for the dense evil sin all around with nowhere to flee, and Li Mochen behind him for courage and support, Dragon Pulse would have almost turned and fled.

It didn't fear death, but it worried that in the depths of the Sea of Sin, it wouldn't find the rest it desired.

"Daddy, are you still going on? I don't think we can beat them!"

Since Li Mochen had raised it from a young age, Dragon Pulse didn't address him as Your Majesty, Boss, or Lord like others, but directly called him Father or Daddy.

"You're right."

Li Mochen frankly admitted this. If it were outside the Sea of Sin, he naturally wouldn't care about these two divine abominations; they were no stronger than the Statue of Liberty. But inside the Sea of Sin, even Li Mochen and Lucifer combined were no match for them.

"But they are not our enemies."

Li Mochen continued diving deeper, and Dragon Pulse's worries eased somewhat. The actions of the two divine abominations proved Li Mochen's words; instead of attacking, they guarded on either side of them like protectors.

Along the way, they encountered several divine abominations, all of which they passed safely thanks to the protection of those two. About half an hour later, Dragon Pulse's breathing suddenly became rapid.

Its blood began to boil, sensing something crucial to it nearby.

"Oh my god, my heart is about to stop. What is that thing? Daddy, you brought me here to find it, right?"

"Almost there!"

Shortly after Li Mochen said this, he saw what he wanted. It was a cluster of mixed source matter that, even in this Dark World, emitted an irrepressible spiritual light.