Chapter 42: Beirut's Strength
Upon receiving the affirmative answer, Adkins couldn't help but quicken his breath. Various scenarios immediately flooded his mind: "If I obtain a Sovereign artifact in the Necropolis of the Gods, or even the legendary Sovereign spark, and become a supreme Sovereign... then I, Adkins..."
Adkins's imagination made his blood boil with excitement.
Beirut suddenly frowned and said, "No, we can't open it tomorrow."
"Why not again?" Adkins grew anxious.
Beirut explained, "Adkins, I just remembered. Azure Fire is currently rebuilding his homeland. His earth-type divine clone is fully immersed in reconstructing the continent, while his fire-type divine clone is protecting him on the side. He can't get away right now. Judging by his construction speed, I estimate it'll take a few more days. How about this—let's wait ten days and go in together."
Adkins felt a pang of urgency and thought to himself, "What I want is precisely to keep Azure Fire out. If Azure Fire goes in, how can I compete with him?"
Adkins was very clear on Azure Fire's strength.
"Lord Beirut," Adkins said earnestly. He now addressed Beirut as "Lord," which showed how much he valued the treasures of the Necropolis of the Gods. "I wonder, why must we let Azure Fire enter the Necropolis of the Gods? How about just the two of us? What do you think?"
Adkins revealed his true intention.
Just him and Beirut—then it would be Adkins alone entering the Necropolis of the Gods. That way, who could contend with him?
"Oh?" Beirut looked at Adkins with sudden understanding, a hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth. "So that's what you're thinking, Adkins."
Adkins stared at Beirut.
"Adkins, you're being far too optimistic," Beirut sneered. "If I let you go in alone, you might obtain the treasures, but what do I get? Nothing, and I'd risk offending Azure Fire. Between Azure Fire and you, Adkins, do you think I, Beirut, am so blind as to make the wrong choice?"
Adkins forced a fawning smile and quickly said, "Lord Beirut, that's not quite right. Yes, Azure Fire is stronger than me. He could at least get a Sovereign artifact if he goes in, but think about it, Lord Beirut—given Azure Fire's temper, if he obtains a Sovereign artifact, would he still submit to you? I doubt you have the confidence to deal with an Azure Fire wielding a Sovereign artifact, do you?"
Beirut just smiled.
Adkins continued persuading, "But I'm different. Lord Beirut, just name your terms!"
"Oh?" Beirut's eyes lit up.
"The Necropolis of the Gods does indeed contain Sovereign artifacts," Beirut said. Adkins's eyes immediately brightened. Beirut continued, "Adkins, I want you to swear an oath to the Supreme Sovereign of Fate. The first Sovereign artifact you obtain must be given to me."
Adkins hesitated slightly. "How many Sovereign artifacts are inside?" "More than one," Beirut replied.
"Fine. Whether I get one or two, the first Sovereign artifact will definitely be given to you, Lord Beirut," Adkins gritted his teeth and said.
"Don't rush. Words mean nothing now. Swear the oath to the Supreme Sovereign of Fate later," Beirut said with a faint smile.
An oath to the Supreme Sovereign of Fate was absolutely unbreakable. The Supreme Sovereign of Fate was essentially the "Fate Rule," a governing law of the boundless universe. If you violated this oath, the Fate Rule would naturally make you suffer the consequences.
"That's the first matter. There's a second," Beirut added.
"This Beirut is really greedy," Adkins cursed inwardly. But he had no other choice and could only force a smile. "Lord Beirut, please speak."
Beirut said with a faint smile, "The second matter is that after you come out of the Necropolis of the Gods, you will serve me for one million years."
Adkins's eyes widened.
Serve? He, Adkins, had never served anyone, not even in the Gobada Plane Prison.
"What, not agreeing? That's fine. Then the matter of the Necropolis of the Gods is off the table." Beirut turned as if to leave. Adkins gritted his teeth. "I agree. After I come out of the Necropolis of the Gods, I, Adkins, will serve you, Lord Beirut, for one million years."
Beirut nodded with a smile.
"Lord Beirut, you should now agree to let me enter the Necropolis of the Gods alone," Adkins said, a hint of anger in his heart.
"Don't rush. There's a third condition," Beirut said, still all smiles.
Even the most patient person would get angry hearing this, let alone Adkins, who was naturally hot-tempered. He couldn't help but snap, "Lord Beirut, just how many conditions do you have?"
"This is the last one," Beirut said with a faint smile. "If you don't agree, your entry into the Necropolis of the Gods is off."
Adkins suppressed his rage and said in a low voice, "Speak!"
"This third condition is very simple. I don't want any trouble later. So, please go and kill Azure Fire." Beirut still wore that smiling expression. "Ah, I don't want Azure Fire to come after me for revenge. So, I'll trouble you with this."
Adkins's eyes widened.
Kill Azure Fire?
"If I, Adkins, had the power to kill Azure Fire, why would I be here talking so much with you!" Adkins was furious.
"Oh, then there's no way around it." Beirut's face turned cold. "Then, Adkins, please take your leave."
Adkins instantly understood. His face turned pale with anger as he pointed at Beirut and roared, "Beirut, you, you're toying with me!!!" The three conditions Beirut had set were impossible to fulfill. The first two were already excessive, and the third was simply unattainable.
"Haha..."
Beirut laughed, looking at Adkins. "Adkins, you only realize now? Haha, I was indeed toying with you. I originally planned to wait a thousand years and then directly bring Azure Fire into the Necropolis of the Gods. I didn't expect you to come so soon. Oh well, this way I get to see you in a rage even earlier, haha..."
Adkins's expression changed. "You never intended to let me enter the Necropolis of the Gods?"
"Exactly."
Beirut sneered. "I never planned to let you in. I only intended to let Azure Fire enter."
Adkins's body trembled slightly.
This inherently arrogant and unyielding Adkins had always dreamed of standing at the pinnacle one day, surpassing the Five Kings like Azure Fire. But he knew that with his talent, his only hope was to obtain a Sovereign artifact or the coveted "Sovereign spark."
But now...
That hope was shattered.
Above the Dark Forest, Adkins and Beirut stood facing each other in midair. Their conversation was isolated by a "Divine Domain," so Bernice, Ogavin, and the other two nearby couldn't hear a thing. They could only see that Adkins's expression was clearly furious.
"Boom~~~"
With Adkins at the center, black and white light enveloped him, spreading in all directions. Where the black light touched, space twisted, and the towering trees were devoured. Where the white light shone, everything melted away like snow in the sun, vanishing completely.
Adkins had two divine clones: Light and Dark!
Shrouded in Light and Dark, Adkins was utterly enraged.
Adkins pointed at Beirut and roared furiously, "Beirut! You coward who relies on a Sovereign! I humbled myself today, giving you face time and again, and yet you humiliate me like this! Fine, fine. You, Beirut, are just a bully who fears the strong and oppresses the weak. You're afraid to offend Azure Fire, so you come to humiliate me instead. What trash!!!"
This time, his voice was not restrained by the Divine Domain and spread all around. Bernice and the other four heard it clearly.
Bernice was shocked. "Lord Adkins, no!"
"Not good," Hambritt, Getenby, and Ogavin exclaimed, their faces turning pale.
Hundreds of miles away from Adkins and Beirut, Linley turned back in surprise.
"Such powerful Dark and Light energy," Linley thought in alarm. The energy Adkins had unleashed naturally caught his attention. "Such immense power—could Adkins be confronting Lord Beirut?"
Linley was full of doubt.
Then, he quietly turned back.
Beirut's face turned cold, as if covered in frost. "Bully who fears the strong and oppresses the weak? Trash?"
"Having cultivated for just over a million years, even if you had a Sovereign artifact, could you use it well?" A semi-transparent, ice-like long blade suddenly appeared in Adkins's hand. He looked disdainfully at Beirut before him. "If you don't have a Sovereign artifact, prepare to die. If you do, even better—that Sovereign artifact should change masters."
Adkins had never taken Beirut seriously.
In his eyes, Beirut, who had cultivated for just over a million years, was merely a junior. How many types of elemental laws could he have fused?
"Change masters?"
Beirut flipped his hand, and a black staff appeared in it. This staff exuded a terrifying aura. Adkins's eyelids twitched as he stared at the black staff in Beirut's hand. Beirut sneered, "The Sovereign artifact is right here. If you have the skill, come and take it."
This was a complete Sovereign artifact, unlike Linley's.
Even held in Beirut's hand, the aura it emitted made Bernice, Ogavin, and the other two in the distance turn pale.
Adkins squinted, thinking, "This Beirut actually has a Sovereign artifact. Fine. At worst, I'll lose a divine clone today. I'll kill him and seize the Sovereign artifact." Having made up his mind, Adkins acted decisively.
Bernice was anxious, but this battle was already unstoppable.
Ogavin, Bernice, and the other two watched the two upper-tier gods facing off in the distance. Suddenly, Dark and Light energy exploded, causing spatial tremors so intense that Bernice and the others had to deploy their Divine Domains to block the impact.
Adkins's body split in two: his Light divine clone and his Dark divine clone!
The Light divine clone held the long blade, while the Dark divine clone vanished into the darkness. Adkins's Light divine clone instantly charged at Beirut, his face twisted in fury as he roared, "Die!!!" With the roar, he swung a blade as blinding as the sun.
At the same time—
The Dark divine clone, hidden in the shadows, appeared. A black dagger silently stabbed toward Beirut.
"Haha~~" Beirut laughed heartily and swung the black staff in his hand.
The black staff moved like a phantom, smashing directly into the blade of the sun-bright longsword. "Bang!" The upper-tier divine artifact long blade shattered instantly. The black staff didn't slow down and continued to smash into the head of Adkins's Light divine clone.
"Bang!" The head exploded, and a Light-type divine spark floated in midair.
Adkins's Dark divine clone sneered coldly, "Not moving an inch? You're asking for death!" At the same moment the Light divine clone was destroyed, Adkins's black dagger stabbed into Beirut's head.
"Clang!"
The black dagger struck Beirut's head with a metallic sound.
"How is that possible?" Adkins stared in shock. His full-force strike with an upper-tier divine artifact couldn't even break Beirut's skin? Beirut's head was as hard as an upper-tier divine artifact? That was impossible.
But it happened.
Beirut turned his head to look at the stunned Adkins. "What, disappointed?"
"Run!" Adkins's face changed drastically. He finally realized that Beirut was terrifying. Even the Five Kings of the Gobada Plane Prison wouldn't dare to take a full-force strike from an upper-tier god on the head.
"Whoosh~~"
The black staff's shadow, dozens of times faster than when it had destroyed the Light divine clone, instantly swept across Adkins's head. Adkins's head silently turned to dust, leaving only a Dark-type divine spark floating toward Beirut.
Thus, both divine sparks fell into Beirut's hands.
The two headless corpses fell from midair. Beirut glanced down and muttered, "Too weak, too weak. Much weaker than the Violet Blood Demon or the twelve-winged upper-tier angels back then." With just two casual swings of his staff, Adkins was dead.