# 1072
Chapter 1073
Grudge
"Moral Heavenly Lord……"
Thor gazed at the Moral Heavenly Lord, who had slaughtered through the Norse forces without a single drop of blood staining him, and felt a profound sense of helplessness rise within him.
He knew that an Supreme God and ordinary deities existed on opposite sides of an insurmountable chasm, but only by standing before a Heavenly Lord did he truly grasp how terrifying the pressure of an Supreme God could be.
Yet despite this, as one of the Chief Gods of the Norse pantheon, he absolutely could not retreat at this moment.
He didn't understand the grievances between the Norse and Great Xia, nor why a Great Xia Heavenly Lord would ascend to Asgard with such terrifying killing intent. These matters were important, yes, but what truly governed Thor's actions was simply his position.
He was a god of Asgard—this was his home. For whatever reason, if a Great Xia deity wished to destroy this place, he could not stand by and do nothing.
Beneath his crimson robe, Thor's palms had already summoned blinding lightning. He watched the Moral Heavenly Lord warily at the temple entrance. Above the temple, oppressive thunderclouds had gathered into a swirling vortex, slowly rotating.
World-shattering bolts of lightning danced furiously within the clouds.
The Moral Heavenly Lord stood at the temple gates, as if completely oblivious to all of this. He calmly gazed upon the one-eyed old man seated upon the divine throne and spoke slowly:
"I've already fought my way here. Do you still intend not to make a move? Do you truly believe these junior Chief Gods can hold me back?
Or have you……already lost the courage to act?"
The Moral Heavenly Lord's eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze seeming to pierce through every aspect of the one-eyed old man. At that moment, from the darkened corner behind the temple doors, a Western god with closed eyes eerily materialized from the darkness.
He gently raised both hands, ghostlike, his palms passing through emptiness as they silently reached toward the Moral Heavenly Lord's eyes from behind his head.
Thor felt his heart lurch at the sight of that figure.
One of the Norse Chief Gods—the god of darkness and blindness, Hodur.
Hodur was nothing like those nameless deities who had blocked the stone steps. Along with Thor, Loki, Tyr, and the others, he was a vital Chief God who had constructed the Norse pantheon. It was like the difference between a Golden Immortal and a local mountain deity in Great Xia mythology—their power existed on entirely different planes.
When had he been hiding there?
Just as those palms were about to touch the Moral Heavenly Lord's body, the Heavenly Lord's eyes hardened. Beneath his black and white Taoist robe, a surge of powerful spiritual energy erupted outward. Hodur, the blind god concealed in the darkness, was blasted back more than a dozen steps. From the corners of those closed eyes, thin streams of blood began to trickle down.
BOOM—!!
Hodur's strike was like a signal. Thor roared from his position, thrusting his palm toward the sky. A ferocious bolt of lightning instantly pierced through the temple roof, carrying a silver hammer as it精准地砸向天尊的头顶！
The Moral Heavenly Lord seized the retreating Hodur with one hand while grasping the wooden sword with the other, its tip pointing toward the silver hammer descending with thunderous fury.
With a deafening roar, endless lightning danced wildly above the Taoist robe. The entire temple shuddered violently. Just as the Heavenly Lord engaged both Chief Gods simultaneously, a sinister shadow suddenly darted before him.
Loki's right hand shot directly toward the Moral Heavenly Lord's heart. At the same time, wisps of black silk rapidly wove together around his body.
The Moral Heavenly Lord stood between the lightning and darkness, calmly gazing down at Loki with utterly emotionless eyes. He parted his lips and gently exhaled a breath of clear air.
From within this figure clad in black and white Taoist robes, a second Taoist stepped forth. He reached out and casually gripped Loki's extending wrist. The black and white energies instantly swept outward, freezing Loki's form in place.
"I've remembered now." The second Taoist stared into his face. "I heard that over a decade ago, a Norse god of mischief invaded Great Xia, destroyed an entire city, and annihilated a million lives……Could that god of mischief be you?"
Loki's heart suddenly lurched.
A sharp glint flashed in his eyes. The black silk around his body had already completed its weave. The "mischief" was triggered—his form actually vanished from the Heavenly Lord's grasp, reappearing behind the Heavenly Lord the next instant!
A killing intent blazed in Loki's eyes.
But at that very moment, a third Taoist emerged from the Heavenly Lord's back. With two fingers pressed together like a sword, he lightly traced them across Loki's throat.
PFFFT—!
With a soft sound, Loki's head crashed to the ground, blood spraying in all directions.
Staring at that死不瞑目的head, the Moral Heavenly Lord seemed to notice something. He gave a soft hum of surprise and slightly furrowed his brow.
He thrust both hands outward. Hodur violently spat a mouthful of blood and flew backward. The silver hammer atop the wooden sword's edge trembled violently. The thick lightning connecting to the sky cracked inch by inch. A stream of spiritual energy rushed upward, striking the mass of dark clouds and scattering them directly.
Thor slammed heavily into the ground, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. His right hand gripping the silver hammer trembled uncontrollably.
"Moral Heavenly Lord……" Thor stood beneath the divine throne, his voice hoarse. "I know that Asgard initiated this war, targeting Great Xia—we are indeed guilty first. But this was not the will of Asgard's gods. Our two nations have never shared any deep-seated enmity. I believe……"
"Silence."
A low voice rang out from atop the divine throne, cutting off Thor's words.
He looked up in astonishment. The one-eyed old man had somehow risen to his feet. Odin coldly glanced at him, and an immediate chill enveloped Thor's entire body.
The Moral Heavenly Lord heard these words and smiled lightly. "It seems the gods of Asgard are not aware of the situation……You've concealed it well, Odin."
Thor stood frozen, his eyes filled with confusion.
"Asgard and Great Xia indeed share no deep grievances. But you, Odin……" The Moral Heavenly Lord spoke calmly. Between his eyes, a faint gleam appeared.
BANG—!!
Before the Moral Heavenly Lord could finish speaking, the tall, pristine divine throne violently shattered.
A torrent of divine might erupted from within Odin, instantly pressing down upon the Moral Heavenly Lord's shoulders. With a thunderous hum, the entire sacred mountain was forced down into the earth by several meters. A wave of dust and energy rapidly spread outward from the mountain as its center.
The one-eyed old man slowly rose, gazing down coldly at the Moral Heavenly Lord below the steps. The surrounding space warped, as if layer upon layer of shackles were pressing down死死on the space above the Heavenly Lord's head.
The grass sandals beneath the Moral Heavenly Lord's feet were torn to shreds. His black and white Taoist robe billowed in the fierce wind. Yet his gaze remained unshaken. He lightly parted his lips and spoke his next words:
"But you, Odin……personally released the Nameless Fog from Antarctica, bringing devastation to the world. You caused our Gods of Great Xia to destroy their own Heavenly Court, to collapse their own cultivation, all to exchange for a sliver of hope for the billions of common people……How then shall we settle this blood feud?"
The Moral Heavenly Lord, though restrained, slowly raised his hand. The wooden sword broke free from the spatial shackles and stabbed directly toward Odin's face!
Odin's brow furrowed. The wooden sword was immediately frozen before him, as if an invisible wall blocked its path. It trembled violently, humming, yet could not advance another inch.
At that moment, the wooden sword unexpectedly shattered on its own. Countless sword qi whistled outward. One strand broke through the invisible wall, slicing across Odin's brow, while simultaneously cutting off the black eyepatch that covered his right eye.
The Moral Heavenly Lord's eyes narrowed slightly. He spoke slowly:
"Gods of Asgard, open your eyes and look carefully.
Seated upon that throne……
Is this still the Norse King of Gods you once knew?"