In the God Realm, the Creation God Domain-no, it should now be called the Death God Domain, because ever since the Death God King returned twenty God Realm years ago, he had been residing within this domain.
At this moment, beside a river in the Death God Domain, a handsome and elegant young man and a white-haired elder with an immortal aura were playing a game of Go.
"…Teacher, you lost again." The young man calmly placed a piece, his lips curving into a light smile.
"…" The white-haired elder stared at the crisscrossing black and white pieces on the board, his face showing a puzzled and bewildered expression. His hand unconsciously loosened its grip on the piece, and he sighed, saying, "Alas! How could this happen?"
"Teacher, shall we continue?" The young man looked at the elder's shocked and uncertain expression, couldn't help but chuckle, and asked.
"Continue, continue!" The elder, somewhat unwilling to admit defeat, spoke with conviction, "This old man must win a game against you today. You've progressed too quickly, kid. If I don't win today, it'll probably be even harder in the future!"
"Hahaha, isn't that because you taught me well, Teacher!" The young man laughed upon hearing this, then picked up the pieces with the elder, preparing for another game.
From their conversation and the location, it was not hard to guess that this young man was the master of the Death God Domain, one of the six great God Kings of the God Realm, the God of Death, Zhu Ziyang! And the elder he called Teacher was the god-level soul from another starry sky, the Necromancer Saint Magician who, after revival, possessed God King-level strength, Electrolux.
"Brother Zhu, Brother Zhu!"
A clear shout interrupted the master and disciple's game. Zhu Ziyang looked up and saw two young men approaching together—one in black robes, one in colourful robes; one with a sinister and evil aura, the other with a transcendent and distant demeanour. But without exception, nine-colored divine light shone above their heads, the mark of a God King.
With such appearances, their identities were obvious: the God of Evil, Ji Dong, and the God of Emotions, Huo Yuhao.
"Brother Zhu, Huo brother and I are here to drink with you again!" Ji Dong said with a smile, not forgetting to greet Electrolux, "Old Yi."
"Senior Brother, Old Yi." Huo Yuhao also smiled and greeted Zhu Ziyang and Electrolux.
"Hm! Alright," Zhu Ziyang nodded first, but then a puzzled expression appeared on his face. "Eh, wait, isn't today your shift? How do you have time to come drink with me?"
Zhu Ziyang's words were directed at Ji Dong. As members of the God Realm Committee, every God King had the duty to oversee the God Realm's central hub and handle affairs. By convention, the six God Kings took turns on duty, and today was Ji Dong's turn.
"Sigh, it is my turn, that's true," Ji Dong said with a smile that held both helplessness and joy. He explained, "But when I went to the hub, Senior Destruction was there, so…"
Ji Dong didn't continue, but Zhu Ziyang understood what he left unsaid and couldn't help but sigh, "I see. Then yesterday, Yuhao must have been the same, or else you wouldn't have run into Senior Destruction today."
"Hehe." Huo Yuhao scratched the back of his head embarrassedly and laughed, "Yesterday, I accompanied Dong'er to visit Mother-in-law, and Senior Destruction was willing to cover my shift, so I went along with it."
"Fine," Zhu Ziyang spread his hands and said, "Since that's the case, I won't say anything more. Anyway, Senior Destruction enjoys working overtime. Come, let's drink."
Thus, Zhu Ziyang bid farewell to Electrolux and took Ji Dong and Huo Yuhao to a scenic spot upstream of the Death God Realm River to drink and make merry.
The human world where the God of Evil Ji Dong resided was called the Five Elements Continent. On the Five Elements Continent, there was a profession called bartenders, and he was the pinnacle of this profession, known as the "God of Wine." It was said that he had captured the heart of Lie Yan, who was then an underground divine spirit, precisely with his bartending skills.
"…Ah!" Zhu Ziyang took a sip of the "One Sacrifice to Lie Yan" in his cup and couldn't help but let out a satisfied cheer, saying, "As expected of the Wine God's masterpiece. Even after drinking it so many times, every sip brings a new experience!"
"Of course!" Ji Dong's eyes were full of pride and confidence as he said, "If not for that original God King game, my divine position would truly have been the God of Wine!"
"Hahaha!" Zhu Ziyang and Huo Yuhao laughed together upon hearing this. They didn't doubt Ji Dong's words—after all, with his talent, becoming a god was inevitable. But thinking of the bet between the first-generation God of Kindness and the first-generation God of Evil, they amused.
"You guys… sigh, really, you laugh every time. Is it that funny?" Ji Dong's face showed embarrassment and annoyance, but he was helpless. He could only grab a fragrant grilled snow dragon fish and take a big bite to vent, then his eyes lit up as he praised, "Yuhao's cooking skills are getting better and better. Even snow dragon fish can be this delicious!"
"Don't underestimate me, okay," Huo Yuhao said with a smile, "In terms of cooking, I might not compare to my teacher, but when it comes to grilling fish, even Teacher has to admit defeat!"
"I admit that!" Ji Dong nodded and said, "Brother Nian's cooking is truly the best in the God Realm. In comparison, that Food God Oscar seems a bit awkward."
"Hehe." Zhu Ziyang and Huo Yuhao showed knowing smiles.
"Sigh, it's a pity Brother Nian left the God Realm to roam the starry skies. Who knows when we'll get to eat his dishes again!" Ji Dong said with some melancholy.
Zhu Ziyang didn't respond, focusing instead on savouring the wine and eating the fish, his expression one of great contentment.
After drinking and eating their fill, the three lay satisfied on the ground, chatting idly back and forth.
"By the way, Brother Zhu, when are you planning to leave?" Ji Dong suddenly asked.
"After Senior Life gives birth," Zhu Ziyang replied.
Zhu Ziyang's plan to leave the God Realm was no secret, at least not among the God Realm Committee. In fact, five years ago, Zhu Ziyang had prepared to leave for Electrolux's starry sky, but an unexpected event delayed him until now.
Yes, the unexpected event was that one of the six great God Kings, the Goddess of Life, was pregnant, naturally carrying the child of the God of Destruction.
Why did this delay Zhu Ziyang's departure? This had to do with the reappearance of the laws of life and death. As everyone knew, the laws of life and death shared the same root and origin. Zhu Ziyang, inheriting the Death God position, brought the death laws back to the God Realm, intertwining once more with the life laws, allowing the Goddess of Life, the symbol of life laws, to regain the possibility of conceiving life.
Sure enough, about fifteen God Realm years after Zhu Ziyang ascended to the God Realm, the Goddess of Life conceived new life.
But because the laws of creation and destruction were still missing, the God of Destruction, as the father of the new life, was filled with worry. He feared that because of him, his and the Goddess of Life's child might not survive smoothly. So when Zhu Ziyang wanted to leave, he personally requested that Zhu Ziyang stay, to guard against any possible future mishaps.
After all, the laws of life and death from two great God Kings were far stronger than from one.
Considering the care the Goddess of Life had shown him after ascending to the God Realm, Zhu Ziyang unhesitatingly chose to stay, and Electrolux supported this.
"I see. Then we won't have much time left to drink together," Ji Dong said regretfully. "Lie Yan told me that Senior Life's aura has been very unstable recently. The due date is probably in the next few days."
"Mm-hmm, Mother-in-law said the same. Huo Yuhao nodded in agreement.
"Since even Yuhao's mother-in-law said so, then it must be in these few days," Zhu Ziyang said.
Huo Yuhao's mother-in-law, Xiao Wu, was one of the few goddesses in the God Realm with childbirth experience, so her words were highly credible.
"After Brother Zhu leaves, won't the God Realm Committee become five God Kings again?" Ji Dong said.
"I don't think so," Zhu Ziyang thought for a moment and said, "After all, Senior Destruction still has the Asura God position, and before I leave, I will hand the Death God position to Senior Life. That way, if the two seniors are willing, the God Realm can instantly gain two new God Kings."
"I'm just afraid Senior Destruction won't be willing," Huo Yuhao said with a bitter face. The Asura God position was closely related to him; if a new Asura God were born, it would greatly benefit him, too.
One could see that Zhu Ziyang, thanks to the laws of life and death, had become the third god beyond the God King level after Life and Destruction in just fifteen short God Realm years.
"Don't worry, as a veteran of the God Realm, Senior Destruction wants the God Realm to grow stronger more than any of us," Zhu Ziyang comforted Huo Yuhao.
"That's true, but who wouldn't want to roam the starry skies early like Senior Brother you!" Huo Yuhao said enviously.
"What, Yuhao wants to leave the God Realm too?" Ji Dong, hearing Huo Yuhao's words, immediately showed a troubled expression and said, "Sigh, I finally found two good friends to drink with, and now one after another wants to leave."
"Haha, don't worry, Yuhao and I are still here," Zhu Ziyang laughed.
It wasn't surprising that Ji Dong felt this way. Before Zhu Ziyang and Huo Yuhao ascended to the God Realm, Ji Dong could only accompany Lie Yan to watch Tang San and Destruction spar all day. He had no great desire for power, didn't get along with Tang San, and had little in common with Destruction, so he was indeed quite lonely.
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Here are the chapters for today (づ￣3￣)づ╭～