Chapter 1433: The God is Dead
~Date: October 22nd~
The divine war erupted, so sudden, a great upheaval in the Divine Domain, a disaster beyond imagination.
The succession of new and old gods has always been bloody and brutal. Unless the god's designated heir succeeds, the world will turn into a slaughterhouse, with blood staining the earth.
The Divine Domain was vast, but it nearly shattered. Two terrifying auras erupted, engaging in a fierce, great confrontation, horrifyingly immense, like crashing waves against the shore, like an ocean pouring back into the nine heavens.
"The statue is real, it really is you—Qing Ming, the loser who competed with me for the divine throne back then, still not dead!" the old god roared. He stood on the divine altar. Although the external faith power was dim, his body glowed from the inside out, still very brilliant.
"You are wrong. I am not Qing Ming. That was my grandfather. He did not have the Ancient Tree of Life and could not live a second life like you. I am Qing Yu Tian, here to send you off and reclaim everything that belongs to my clan!"
This was a divine and heroic middle-aged man, identical to the secret statues worshipped by various clans. His majestic figure dominated the world, his eyes deep, his tall body exuding a terrifying authority.
"A rebel usurping the throne deserves death!" the old god roared, striking forward with a palm that covered the sky and earth, shocking the great sages outside the Divine Domain.
He seemed to have taken that step, his strength terrifying. But upon closer inspection, it didn't seem quite right; there were still some traces to be found, not quite the Quasi-Emperor realm.
"Boom!"
Qing Yu Tian was fearless. He soared into the sky, meeting the attack head-on without a trace of fear, calm and composed, shouting: "Back then, my grandfather was the Divine Son, but you usurped the throne. You killed the old god, slaughtered my clan—you are the rebel usurper! Today, I will execute you and restore a clear and bright world to the Divine Domain!"
Not only were those from outside the domain shaken, but the Divine Domain itself was in chaos. The natives were even more shocked, as various clans recalled an old incident from years past.
The old god's ascension was dishonorable. He had killed his predecessor, seized the divine throne, and driven away the former Divine Son. Over the long years, this had almost been buried in time.
Now, the old god had lived two lifetimes. Everyone from his era was long dead. He had deliberately covered up this disgraceful past, so naturally, it wasn't known to the world. Only the elders of the major clans knew.
The old god shouted: "Rebel! It's useless for you to return. Your clan came from outside the domain, trying to overthrow the Divine Domain in the past. You deserve death. I corrected the wrongs and will be remembered in history."
The crowd was confused. Who was telling the truth? Who was lying? However, none of that mattered now; strength would decide everything.
"Old thief, even the Supreme Divine Artifact refuses to obey your command. Isn't that proof enough? Wait until I truly correct the wrongs and restore a brilliant world to the Divine Domain!" Qing Yu Tian roared.
The two clashed fiercely, battling together, shattering the entire sky and earth. The Divine Domain split apart, on the verge of destruction.
Just then, a low mountain and the most ancient palace atop it together erupted with terrifying divine power, vast beyond compare to oceans or star seas, instantly stabilizing the Divine Domain and repairing its cracks.
"This is..."
The crowd was shocked. This was the most ancient mountain in the Divine Domain, said to have existed as long as the world itself. If there was a world, this mountain existed.
Though it was not tall or conspicuous, no one dared to blaspheme it. It was the Supreme Divine Mountain of the Divine Domain, even more sacred than the ancient mountain where the Ancient Tree of Life was planted.
On it stood an ancient palace, said to have coexisted with the world, never collapsing. It had existed since recorded history. It was not the most magnificent, but it was absolutely the most mysterious. Even the god could not normally set foot inside.
This low mountain was the symbol of the Divine Domain, like Mount Sumeru to the Buddhist sect, and the ancient palace's status was equivalent to the Great Thunderclap Monastery. However, there were even more taboos here, forbidding people from lingering.
The mountain was ancient, cracked in every inch, but now it suddenly emitted light. From its fissures flowed vast and unfathomable faith power, supremely immense.
This was not the accumulation of a single generation of gods, but the sedimentation of all gods since ancient times. As long as believers faced the Divine Domain, their telekinesis would fly here.
In a sense, this mountain had received more faith power than any single god. Year after year, day after day, even if it were an ordinary mountain, now cracked all over, it had become the most divine and sacred place.
Thus, sacred telekinesis gushed from its cracks, causing the entire Divine Domain to tremble. Many people couldn't help but kowtow. It was this ancient mountain that had protected the Divine Domain and stabilized the world.
In the sky, the fierce battle continued. The two clashed, shattering the void, extending into the cosmos. If not for the ancient divine mountain in the Divine Domain, whose faith power was too vast and continuously gushed out to stabilize the earth, fire, wind, and water, the land below would have been completely destroyed.
"Very terrifying. One foot has almost stepped into the Quasi-Emperor realm, but ultimately failed to break through!" This was the judgment of the great sages from outside the domain.
"They are indeed very powerful, invincible in one domain, able to sweep the world. But killing great sages like us twenty years ago shouldn't have been so easy." Doubt arose in their minds.
Perhaps it could only be explained by the god using the Supreme Divine Artifact. Otherwise, with a cultivation not truly at the Quasi-Emperor level, killing several great sages like that was clearly impossible.
Boom!
Even the stars in the sky were shattered. The two soared into the outer domain battlefield. The battle became even more terrifying, splitting heaven and earth, causing ghosts to wail and gods to howl.
"Old thief, after all these years, you haven't improved at all. Your cultivation has always been stuck here. Today, I'll send you on your way and end the dark rule of the Divine Domain!" Qing Yu Tian grew more confident. With a wave of his hand, he could pluck stars and seize the moon, his strength shaking the gods, overwhelming everything. He forced the old god back, putting him at a disadvantage.
"Rebel! Do you really think I can't subdue you? All these years of forbearance were just to lure you out. Today, I'll suppress and kill you!" the old god roared.
Suddenly, the divine sound shook the world, like the booming of a great bell. The old god's dim faith power suddenly blazed brightly. He emitted immeasurable light, supremely sacred.
His gray-white hair wildly danced. His eyes were like two sharp blades. Every pore erupted with sword qi, each beam hundreds of miles long, terrifyingly immense.
The old god achieved true divine might, unstoppable, sweeping forward to kill Qing Yu Tian.
The crowd was stunned. The great sages from outside the domain gasped. They finally understood how he could kill great sages. This faith power, added to his body, pushed half of him into the Quasi-Emperor realm, almost allowing him to stand in that realm.
This was the wonder of faith power—it could push oneself into another realm, one that countless great sages throughout history had longed for but could never reach—the Quasi-Emperor!
"In my eyes, so-called schemes are nothing but jokes. Before absolute power, you are nothing but clowns, utterly fragile and vulnerable!"
The old god said grimly, his entire body submerged in immeasurable light. Only his pupils were as brilliant as golden lamps, emitting two different beams. His blurry figure looked terrifyingly boundless.
The most divine and sacred faith power reappeared, covering the sky and earth, surging forward, almost reducing Qing Yu Tian to dust!
Touching the word "Emperor," even if it was only barely becoming a Quasi-Emperor, was an insurmountable chasm for great sages, unassailable by human or saintly power.
The crowd felt a chill. This old god was truly capable of forbearance. For so many years, he had been questioned as dying, but he never revealed the truth, all to lure the snake out of its hole today and kill the enemy in one blow.
"Boom!"
However, things took an unexpected turn. Qing Yu Tian did not die. On his body, brilliant light and overwhelming faith power also erupted.
"Do you think I don't understand faith power? How could your accumulation over so many years be exhausted? I only wanted to cut off your retreat, preventing the subsequent faith power from returning to you!" Qing Yu Tian roared.
His body radiated sacred brilliance, causing the entire outer domain battlefield to rumble. Stars and moons fell together, the sun dimmed, as if the entire sky was about to be destroyed.
"Your lineage... has established a faith inheritance in other ancient domains, lit the divine fire, and proclaimed yourselves gods?" the old god said in shock. This was a true god returning, far more troublesome and terrifying than he had imagined.
"That's right. My grandfather, father, and I have worked for three generations, opening up a vast ancient land of faith power, even more powerful than yours!" Qing Yu Tian roared, charging forward.
"I see. You have obtained the divine nature. The Supreme Divine Artifact, remembering your lineage and your grandfather's kindness, has withdrawn," the old god muttered to himself.
"So you are doomed to lose. Surrender your life!" Qing Yu Tian shouted.
At the same time, several divine elders in the Divine Domain suddenly exerted their power, smashing the old god's divine throne. The same thing happened in the ancestral lands of the major clans. The old god's statues shattered into pieces, destroyed by people.
This was to cut off his foundation, to annihilate the source of his faith.
"You..." The old god was furious. He hadn't expected so many betrayals, his subordinates stabbing him in the back at the critical moment.
Most terrifying of all, the destruction of his divine throne within the Divine Domain shook his mind. The endless pure faith power stored within his body became unstable.
"Boom!"
The battle almost lost its suspense. The old god was utterly defeated. His faith power was almost completely scattered. His body burned, turning into a wisp of light that disappeared into the cosmos.
Qing Yu Tian took over the Divine Domain, obtained the divine throne, and became the ruler of this generation.
Clearly, the old god could no longer cause any trouble. He was old and weak, and his faith power was almost completely scattered. He no longer had the ability to compete for the Divine Domain.
The great sages from outside the domain frowned. Although the old god had fled in defeat, a new god had succeeded in the Divine Domain. This was not good news for them. The Supreme Divine Artifact, the formation diagram of Numinous Treasure Heavenly Venerable, would hang over their heads like an Asura blade. Once discovered, they would surely die.
However, things took another unexpected turn. It did not end there. That very day, the old god returned, entering the forbidden land where the divine-demon liquid was produced.
This was a terrifying place. For so many years, only the god could enter and exit. No one else could.
"Everyone says the Divine Domain is the most divine place. But if you are not a god, you cannot know its origin. This is clearly a self-imposed prison, a cursed land. Once you enter, faith becomes a shackle. The bloodline of the Divine Domain is destined to be prisoners forever!"
The old god muttered to himself, walking forward step by step.
"Ancient Great Emperors, beings that even the gods must revere. Their corpses, their killing intent, can double the curse. Previously, I dared not come here, fearing that my entire Dao fruit would turn to nothing. Now, I don't care. I want the traitors of the Divine Domain to accompany me in death!"
The old god revealed his true form. Without divine light protecting his body, he was just a withered old man, truly old and weak. His hair was gray-white, his skin had no luster, his flesh was dry and shriveled, completely different from his usual sacred appearance.
He knew how to enter and exit the forbidden land, stepping on the correct path, going straight in, avoiding the terrifying divine-demon runes, and approaching the giant coffin.
"Ah..." He roared in pain. His entire body ached. The remaining faith power within him burned like light. The giant coffin seemed to possess a magical power, causing his entire body to shake violently, blazing light shooting into the sky.
The Great Emperor's ancient coffin emitted wisps of Dao marks, turning the faith power into ashes, like moths in a flame, ceasing to exist.
The old god himself was nearly destroyed. At the critical moment, he hardened his heart, cast away all his faith power, and completely lost the divine throne.
"Come and be buried with me!" he roared loudly, his hands tracing out terrifying trajectories. Then he took out a strange divine stele, shattered the world, and struck a great void hole. He tore open his chest, where blood continuously dripped, falling onto the nine-layered coffin of the mythological era, trying to open the coffin.
"A pity, a true ancient divine stele wasted," he muttered to himself.
That great hole connected to the Divine Domain. Clearly, he wanted the coffin to suppress the Divine Domain, destroy all faith power there, erase the divine throne, and leave the world without gods from then on.
"What is he doing? Where are Zi Yue and Ji Hao Yue? Shouldn't they be appearing?" Pang Bo asked doubtfully.
Ye Fan did not speak, watching closely. They had just arrived here, wanting to check on the Ji siblings, and unexpectedly witnessed this scene.
"Boom!"
That day, the Divine Domain shook violently. A great hole appeared in the void. An ancient coffin lay horizontally, dropping endless Dao patterns, wiping out countless faith power!
"Ah..." The people of the Divine Domain were terrified, all screaming.
"Pfft!"
Qing Yu Tian, who had just ascended the divine throne, was sent flying horizontally. His body was burning. The infinite faith power within him had turned into the most terrifying flames.
"The nine-layered ancient coffin of the mythological era, burying a Great Emperor... How did this thing appear in the Divine Domain?" Qing Yu Tian shouted. His entire body was cracking. The faith light had become the most terrifying hellfire, turning him into a great torch.
"No!" Everyone screamed. Some were called divine elders, others were lords of sacred halls, and there were holy maidens. They too were worshipped by the world, had divine thrones, enjoyed worldly incense, and refined faith power.
At this moment, these people also suffered severe injuries. This was an unimaginable catastrophe, sweeping across the entire ancient domain.
"Ah..." As a divine elder closest to the Great Emperor's ancient coffin turned to ashes, everyone else was terrified to the extreme. They all fled for their lives, quickly expelling the faith power from their bodies, because it was this thing that was burning.
Now, it was fatal, capable of killing gods!
Everyone was shocked, including the powerful clans outside the Divine Domain. Upon hearing the news, they all rushed over, watching in stunned silence.
Many already knew that the nine-layered coffin of the mythological era had descended on the Other Shore and sunk into a forbidden land. But no one knew that this was the ultimate weapon against the Divine Domain.
The people of the Divine Domain suddenly understood. No wonder the old god had become increasingly low-key over the years, never venturing deep into that forbidden land, not even drinking the divine-demon liquid when it appeared.
At this moment, Qing Yu Tian, the divine elders, the holy maiden, the lords of several halls, all fled, doing everything possible to remove their faith power, while simultaneously summoning the Supreme Divine Artifact, using the formation diagram to counter the nine-layered coffin.
"Why is this happening? Why is the Great Emperor's coffin suppressing our Divine Domain?"
"It's... the old god. He's gone mad. He's come back to die together with us."
The people of the Divine Domain were terrified, all screaming.
The old god was disheveled. His chest was split open. The blood dripping was true heart's blood. One drop was worth a hundred drops of divine blood. He didn't have many drops in his body, and now he had exhausted them.
The nine-layered coffin needed sacred blood and such to be opened. Now, several layers had already been opened. He clearly intended to open them all and destroy this place.
"You took my divine throne. You will all die!" he laughed bitterly.
Boom!
Qing Yu Tian exploded. The faith power within him was too vast, impossible to completely cut off. Before the opened giant coffin, it burned and exploded.
And the old god, like a moth in the flame, was about to turn to ashes!
"The god is dead. From this day forward, the Divine Domain will have no god!" Many people felt their blood begin to boil.
Bull Demon King, Sacred Spirit, and the other great sages all appeared, their expressions shifting!
Sang Gu, Golden Serpent Lord, Di Tian, Great Demon God, Devouring Heaven Beast, Divine Clan Heavenly Maiden, Metal-Eating Beast, and others also appeared, their expressions shifting unpredictably.
They knew that with no god in the world, there would be no one to suppress them. A chaotic era had arrived. The Ancient Tree of Life in the Divine Domain and the formation diagram of Numinous Treasure Heavenly Venerable would trigger a storm! (To be continued...)