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"Dragon God?!"
Those two words made every prominent deity present rise to their feet, their faces stamped with incredulity. The name carried a weight of memory they could not ignore.
"Sea God, do you know what you're saying?"
The Asura God's eyes flickered with a cold killing intent as he stared hard at the Sea God. It had been by his own hand that the Dragon God had been ended; if the Dragon God were still alive, the responsibility would fall heaviest on him. If the Sea God couldn't give a proper explanation today, the Asura God's sword would not be out of the question.
It wasn't only the Asura God—the other four God Kings also wore grim expressions. The five of them had once united to defeat the Dragon God, and the horror of that battle was not something a mere first-tier deity like the Sea God could understand.
The Sea God felt their frigid gazes and flinched, then hastily clarified. "Ahem—what I mean is that this mortal appears to be a reincarnation of the Dragon God, not that he survived at the hands of you God Kings."
At that, the five God Kings' expressions eased somewhat. As long as the Dragon God himself was not alive, the matter was manageable. Besides, the Dragon God had been a Supreme God King; it was not inconceivable that he had left behind contingencies hidden even from them.
Before the Sea God could relax, the Asura God demanded, "Sea God, what proof do you have that this mortal is the Dragon God reborn?"
Every eye in the room turned to him. Years ago, the five God Kings had scoured both the Divine Realm and the mortal world, and no trace of the Dragon God had been found. How had the Sea God discovered something now?
Feeling as if he were sitting on needles, the Sea God gritted his teeth and explained, "You all recall that beast Di Tian, don't you?"
"Of course. A hard-headed member of the Dragon Clan. But he's nothing more than an insect who isn't even a god—what's so noteworthy about him?" the God of Destruction scoffed, having no interest in a creature that fell short of godhood.
The Sea God replied, "I don't speak of his strength, but his temperament. Di Tian is stubborn; he would rather die in battle than bow to anyone but the Dragon God. He would never submit, not even to us."
Something seemed to click for the Asura God. "Are you saying… that this beast has submitted to that mortal?"
"Exactly." The Sea God nodded, his expression grave. "If I hadn't discovered this, I never would have connected that mortal to the Dragon God. Furthermore, his strength is not what we first assumed."
The God of Destruction narrowed his eyes, a brutal purple light shimmering within them. "Are you saying that mortal possesses strength comparable to ours?"
As one of the Divine Realm's mightiest, he could not accept that any mortal could match a god, let alone a God King. He had assumed Lan Minghua had used some unknown trick to withstand the Asura God's strike.
Facing the God of Destruction's interrogating stare, the Sea God gave a wry smile. "When I first met him, he wasn't especially strong. But afterward, his power advanced by leaps and bounds, until I felt a pressure from him comparable to that of a God King."
"Just now, upon seeing him a second time, the danger I felt was as deadly as when we faced the Dragon God."
The hall fell utterly silent. The God Kings were formidable, yet the Sea God was an ancient first-tier deity whose power was not trivial. For any one of the five to slay him would require great effort—otherwise, he would not have been able to flout Divine Realm rules so often and walk away unharmed. That he claimed to feel a pressure from a mortal rivaling that of the Dragon God was no idle boast.
Each God King had a precise sense of his own power, and all knew they had not yet returned to the Dragon God's level. They understood more than anyone how difficult that realm was to achieve. Now, it no longer mattered whether Lan Minghua was the Dragon God reborn—anyone who attained that level was marked for death.
First, the cosmic will would not permit it.
Second, they would not allow anyone to surpass them.
The atmosphere tightened into a killing calm. All five God Kings now regarded Lan Minghua with open hostility. Even those who previously had no stake—the Gods of Destruction, Life, Evil, and Kindness—all took the Asura God's side.
After a long pause, the Asura God broke the silence. "So, what is the plan? Shall we descend and eliminate him directly?"
"Hmph—Asura, are you a fool?" the God of Destruction sneered. "The divine rules bind us. To go to the lower realm would be suicide." He mocked the Asura God's rash suggestion without hesitation.
The Divine Realm's rules constrained all gods, even the five God Kings. They could not openly intervene in mortal affairs; at best, they could only act covertly. Moreover, if they descended, their powers would be suppressed by the mortal world, preventing them from exerting their full strength. If the Sea God was right that Lan Minghua's power rivaled the Dragon God's, going down now would be serving themselves up for slaughter.
The Asura God had no rebuttal. He had forgotten. With an angry wave of his sleeve, he sat back down.
While the others debated, the Sea God's eyes darted about as he offered a proposal. "We may have no advantage in the lower realm," he suggested, "but what if we force him to come to the Divine Realm?"
The God of Destruction grinned and propped his feet on the table. "Oh? And how do you propose we drag him up here, Sea God?"
The others were curious what this sly old fox had in mind.
This time, the Sea God spoke without hesitation, a cunning tone in his voice. "From what I know, that mortal has several disciples on the continent. He is a man of attachments. If we arrange for his disciples to be eliminated, do you think he won't come for us?"
"Then we can prepare our trap here. Even if he truly has the Dragon God's strength, he won't be able to cause much of a stir in the hands of all five God Kings."
This flattering aside pleased them greatly—who doesn't like a bit of praise? After some thought, the Asura God found the plan feasible. He could use his own assets in the lower realm to help. As for his own successor, he had searched for a long time and found only the Sea God's choice, Tang San, to be suitable. The Sea God had already agreed he could also choose Tang San, and he would not be shy about making him a dual heir.
"Sea God, let us give the Asura God's succession to Tang San as well. A dual god inheritance would be a first in history. You will oversee this."
"Excellent." The Sea God readily consented; a stronger successor only served his own ends.
The Asura God nodded, then turned his gaze to the Angel God and the Rakshasa God. "This concerns the entire Divine Realm. Put aside your personal grudges and solve this problem first. Afterward, you may fight to your hearts' content—no one will intervene."
Though reluctant, the Rakshasa God had no choice but to comply. She was merely a first-tier deity; incurring the ire of all five God Kings would be courting death.
The Sea God shot her a triumphant smile and departed to arrange Tang San's power-up. The Angel God and the Rakshasa God likewise left to give their own successors an advantage.
On the mortal continent, within a secret chamber in Spirit Hall—
Bibi Dong's face was ashen, her fury palpable.
"Damn it! If I just had five more years, I would finish the god trials and be invincible. Then I could be with Xiao Gang forever!"
"That wretched Lan Minghua not only ruined my plans but also killed Xiao Gang. I will kill him!"
As her enraged shout echoed, the Rakshasa God's voice thundered in her mind.
"Bibi Dong, complete your succession quickly! Once you become a god, reviving one person will be a trivial matter!"
(End of Chapter)