Chapter 57: The Great Decisive Battle
Within the courtyard, over fifty commander-level experts had gathered. Linley and his three companions sat in a corner of the courtyard, while some attendants carried trays laden with fine wine, food, and fruit.
“This gathering is utterly boring!” Bebe said, chomping noisily on a round, purple-skinned fruit, juice dripping down. “What did they call us here for? This opportunity is mainly for those commanders managing the military camps to discuss the great decisive battle. People like us just sit here like fools.”
Linley smiled and glanced at a group of commanders clustered together in the center of the courtyard.
That group consisted of commanders overseeing the various military camps. They were clearly discussing the detailed arrangements for the great decisive battle. Linley and the other lone commanders didn’t need to participate.
“We’re not leading troops, so what’s there to discuss?” Reisgem glanced at that group of commanders, then looked at the other commander-level experts who, like them, were idly chatting in various corners. “Aren’t they just as bored as we are, sitting around over there? Coming here is really just about getting familiar with the other commanders—it’s a social gathering. Nothing else.”
The discussion of the great decisive battle’s details was evidently a simple matter, and in a short while, that group of commanders had finished their talk.
“Everyone,” one of the three-eyed commanders stood up, scanning the crowd with a smile. “The great decisive battle isn’t far off now! Whether you choose to participate in the battle or just observe is, of course, your own decision! If you wish to join the battle, the method is the same as always: blend in among the soldiers! I trust I don’t need to elaborate further!”
The planar war had been waged many times, and much of it had become routine.
Blending in among the endless soldiers—after all, it was hard to distinguish soldiers from commanders by appearance alone. This prevented the enemy from targeting a specific commander, increasing the chances of survival. Of course, drawing too much attention was still very dangerous.
“Does the Radiant Divine Realm camp have any particularly powerful experts? If so, please speak up, so everyone can be prepared,” the three-eyed commander announced loudly.
“I know that the Radiant Divine Realm camp has Magnus!” one commander-level expert called out.
“Magnus, indeed, requires caution,” the three-eyed commander nodded solemnly.
Reisgem, sitting in a corner, laughed heartily. “I know of another one: the wind-type Paragon, Baier. He’s also here, and he’s on the Radiant Divine Realm camp’s side.”
“Baier?” That name also drew everyone’s attention.
Although several others were mentioned later, it was clear that the only ones truly putting everyone on alert were Magnus and Baier. After all, Paragon-level experts stood at the very pinnacle. If a Paragon wanted to kill a commander, it would be a massacre. And surrounding them? Against a Paragon’s astonishing speed, that was laughable.
“Linley, why hasn’t Azure Dragon shown up yet?” Reisgem quietly asked Linley. “He’s on our side; he should have appeared.”
Linley shook his head in confusion. “I’m not sure. He’s probably just doing his own thing.”
This gathering was also a kind of social event for commander-level experts to get to know each other. After all, outside the planar battlefield, gathering so many commander-level experts at once wasn’t realistic. This gathering essentially represented the highest social circle among gods.
Although Linley didn’t want to chat with these people, he still exchanged a few casual words with many, just to be acquainted. Those people now knew there was someone named Linley.
“I’ve arranged accommodations for everyone here,” the three-eyed commander said with a smile at the end of the gathering. “You can choose any unoccupied residence nearby. This place is also close to the Cosmic River passages, so when the great decisive battle begins, all commanders can join the fight sooner.”
No one stood on ceremony; they each chose a place to stay and settled in, waiting quietly for the great decisive battle to arrive. However, among the Paragon-level experts who appeared at the Radiant Divine Realm camp’s gathering, there was only Magnus. As for Baier, he didn’t show up at the gathering.
“Mr. Magnus,” at the gathering, one commander after another enthusiastically expressed goodwill toward Magnus, unconsciously bordering on servility.
Although they were commander-level experts and quite proud, when facing a Paragon, they naturally felt like ordinary commoners meeting an emperor. No matter how proud a commoner might be, meeting an emperor would naturally inspire humility. And this humility—they didn’t consider it shameful; they thought it was only right.
Just as one should kneel before a Sovereign. It was a subconscious sense of what was proper.
The treatment Magnus received in his own camp was the complete opposite of Linley’s.
But Magnus couldn’t be bothered with these people. He too sat in a corner, with Uman, Chegwin, and Ramson beside him.
“Everyone, are there any powerful experts on the Darkness Divine Realm camp’s side that we need to watch out for? If you know of any, please speak up, so we can all be prepared,” a young man with white eyebrows and white hair also spoke up.
Immediately, various commanders listed names of experts, including Reisgem and Bebe.
“We encountered a powerful expert who should be a Paragon,” Uman announced loudly. “He’s a fire-type Paragon, belonging to the enemy camp. But we don’t know his name—only that he has red eyebrows!”
This caused the commander-level experts to fall silent. Whether it was Reisgem or Bebe, their deterrent power was far inferior to that of a Paragon.
“I’ll mention one!” Hermes announced loudly. “I suspect he’s also a Paragon!”
As soon as he spoke, all the commanders looked at Hermes. Everyone knew Hermes, and given his strength, his words shouldn’t be false.
“This person is from the Azure Dragon clan of the Four Divine Beasts family. His strength was very weak at first, but later, he became stronger than me. It only took a few hundred years. Such rapid progress. And he even said he’s been cultivating for less than three thousand years. I find it hard to believe. But one thing is certain: his strength surpassed mine!” Hermes said indignantly. “I suspect he’s already reached the Paragon level!”
A burst of laughter erupted.
Everyone knew Hermes was straightforward and not very sharp, but hearing his words still made them laugh exaggeratedly.
“Hermes, less than three thousand years, and you say he’s a Paragon? If someone can become a Paragon in less than three thousand years, we’d all have no face to stay here. Haha.” The group of commanders clearly didn’t believe a word.
“Hermes, don’t believe people’s nonsense,” the commanders scoffed.
“The strongest of the Azure Dragon clan, Gaisrein, is on par with us. Where would they get a Paragon? If they had one, they wouldn’t have been bullied so badly by the eight great clans.”
The murmuring continued, and clearly no one believed Hermes.
“Impossible!” Magnus, sitting in the corner, slowly spoke. “Less than three thousand years to cultivate to Paragon? Absolutely impossible! Not to mention three thousand years—even thirty thousand, three hundred thousand years wouldn’t be enough to reach Paragon. Achieving Paragon within a million years is an impossible feat.”
As a Paragon himself, Magnus had the most authority on this matter.
“Are you saying I, Hermes, would lie to you?” Hermes was furious, hot air blasting from his nose. His eyes bulged with rage, sweeping over the others like copper bells, causing the commanders to unconsciously lower their laughter. They really didn’t want to provoke this guy.
“Fine, don’t listen. Don’t blame me if you die,” Hermes snorted, sat down, grabbed a roasted leg of meat from the table, and bit into it ravenously.
The Darkness Divine Realm camp and the Radiant Divine Realm camp lay silently on either side of the Cosmic River, both waiting for the great decisive battle to begin. Compared to the commanders, it was actually the soldiers who were most eager!
In the planar war, the soldier mortality rate was extremely high.
Some soldiers wanted to earn military merits to exchange for Sovereign power. But more soldiers—those who had lived for far, far too long—wanted to witness the legendary, most terrifying war: the planar war! So they sent their divine clones to participate, sacrificing one divine clone to experience the fabled planar war.
Was it foolish or insane?
Hard to say. When a god has lived for billions of years with nothing left to cling to, anything is possible.
The planar war itself was a war of madness!
In the courtyard where Linley and his companions were staying, within the Darkness Divine Realm camp’s commander residences.
Reisgem and Bebe were sitting opposite each other, chatting casually.
Suddenly—
A terrifying rumble echoed through the sky, and at the same time, energy fluctuations like the sky collapsing and the earth splitting wildly spread in all directions.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
On both sides of the Cosmic River, large numbers of buildings were struck by these energy fluctuations and turned directly into dust, revealing the soldiers and commanders inside. In an instant, countless soldiers and numerous commanders on both sides of the river turned their gazes toward the Cosmic River passages.
A vast, surging crowd stared at the Cosmic River passages.
Linley looked into the distance. He saw that both passages of the Cosmic River were emitting seven-colored light. This light shot up into the sky, stirring the space above and causing tremors. At this moment, the two passages of the Cosmic River were more conspicuous than ever before.
“The great decisive battle has finally begun,” Linley murmured as he witnessed this scene.
According to the rules of the planar war, at the final moment of the thousand-year period, the Cosmic River passages would erupt with seven-colored light, causing heaven and earth to tremble. This was the signal for the great decisive battle to begin! Legend had it that this phenomenon was created by the Sovereigns, while others said it was caused by the Overgods. But one thing was certain—
The great decisive battle had begun!
There was no unified command, and no hesitation whatsoever.
“Kill!” A roar erupted into the sky in an instant.
The soldiers who had long been waiting on both sides of the Cosmic River passages immediately surged forward like a tidal wave, charging along the passages toward the enemy. The Radiant Divine Realm camp’s army, without a moment’s delay, also charged along the passages toward the opposite side.
“Haha, the slaughter begins!” Reisgem laughed heartily. “Let’s go!”
“Let’s roll!” Bebe cheered.
Linley and his three companions shot forward like lightning, heading straight for the Cosmic River passages.
The commanders didn’t need to follow a unified formation; they all acted independently. The soldiers in the camps, however, immediately formed ranks and then surged like long dragons toward the two Cosmic River passages. The tasks for each camp had been arranged during that gathering.
The slaughter began in an instant!
The dreamlike Cosmic River, with its two passages now radiating dazzling seven-colored light, appeared utterly enchanting. Yet the Radiant and Darkness camps charged along the two passages, beginning their frenzied slaughter.
Linley, Bebe, Reisgem, and Reihong stood at the edge of the Cosmic River passage.
“Truly insane,” Linley remarked as he watched.
From the surface of the Cosmic River up into the sky above the passages, countless soldiers filled the space. In units of over a thousand soldiers, they launched collective material attacks or soul attacks, taking turns unleashing their strongest assaults on the enemy. This long-range attack lasted only a moment, and then the two massive armies collided like giant beasts, and the melee began!
Blood flew everywhere, divine sparks scattered, and badges fell haphazardly.
Slaughter at its most extreme!
“According to the rules of the planar war, winning on both Cosmic River passages means victory. Winning on only one passage means a draw,” Reisgem said, his eyes gleaming. “Haha, Linley, don’t hesitate. The other commanders are already charging in!”
Linley saw white badges and black badges falling everywhere. Some soldiers waved their hands and grabbed ten or twenty soldier badges at once. In this kind of frenzied slaughter, it was indeed the fastest way to earn military merits. But it was also the most insane and dangerous.
“Let’s go!”
Linley and his three companions charged into the Cosmic River passage, merging into this torrent of madness. Behind them, an endless stream of soldiers and commanders followed, one after another, plunging into the fray.