Chapter 282 - Chapter 595: Hunting God

The next day.

  The army did not move, but the food and grass went first.

  Although the war in the mythological era did not have such strict requirements, the vastness of the earth narrowed the gap between it and the later generations.

  In just half a month, the oracle from Olympia spread throughout the world.

  For the first time, the god of war personally led the army, intending to use the situation of war to recover the prisoners and kill the man who had lost his dignity on the battlefield.

  At the same time, the response from the pagan country soon came back.

  In the face of Ares's request, they unceremoniously called him a false god, and declared that if he dared to set foot on the land illuminated by the glory of the Lord, they would weave failure into a crown to replace the useless bronze helmet of the god of war. For

  a time, the eyes of the east of the earth gathered, and the war in Athens became eclipsed.

  This was the first time in a thousand years that a god had taken action against a country that believed in one god.

  So when Ares' army went east, countless believers spontaneously gathered under his command, hoping to do their part for the gods.

  "This is my power of appeal, my sister, you don't have to worry about me. Compared with the battlefields in the human world, the annual bath of the Mother Goddess is more worthy of your attention."

  "Every 120 years, the Mother Goddess will feast the gods after she regains her youth and share the holy fruit in the garden with them."

  "When you arrange it for her, it will be a good opportunity to celebrate my success."

  ...

  The human world.

  Nafplio.

  The milky white hot springs emerge from the ground and merge with the springs in the mountains.

  A golden cup floats in the spring water, and the light blue liquid infects the surrounding water droplets.

  The war in the human world is getting more and more intense, and the spirit of war seems to be spreading in the wilderness.

  But it is different here. Around this city-state called Nafplio, everything is as peaceful as before.

  Because the Kanassos Spring is here, no matter the war or chaos, it has never affected the tranquility here. (See 3-178)

  Tick-tick...

  tick-tick...

  wow...

  Holding the golden cup, Hebe waved her hand.

  The light golden holy power flowed through her body, evaporating the water on her body.

  Not long ago, the words of her brother Ares, who was born of the same mother, seemed to be still vivid in her mind.

  At that time, he had just drunk the fine wine he brewed, and was full of fighting spirit among thousands of troops.

  But Hebe didn't know if what he said was true, she could only hope it was.

  After all, as the other party said, the banquet of the Mother Goddess was about to be held.

  "Water from the sky, water from the ground, water that is neither heaven nor earth, the essence of the four oceans."

  Holding the golden cup, Hebe murmured in a low voice.

  "I, Hebe, goddess of youth, bless you with my supreme authority."

  "When you flow through my golden cup, I will leave youth to you; youth melts in your water, and you will return purity to the bather..."

  "Karnassos Spring, you are my symbol, the bathing place of Queen Hera."

  "The great mother goddess rotates here. She comes here as a married woman and leaves the spring as an unmarried woman."

  "Guardian of marriage... unmarried girls pray to you for happiness."

  "Protector of marriage... married wives pray to you for fidelity."

  "Your daughter offers you a gift here, purifying anxiety, fatigue and aging, allowing you to return to virginity and restore youth..."

  Hebe whispered, accompanied by the silent trembling of the law.

  This is a ceremony that will last for several days, and finally at the beginning of spring, when all things are born, welcome the hostess of Mount Olympus, Queen Hera, to bathe here.

  This loyal and faithful goddess rarely leaves the sacred mountain, but this is the place she must go every year.

  Even the world has long sung poems to praise this great spring of Karnassus.

  "... But Erwin, few people know that unlike other legendary springs, the spring of Karnassus was actually nothing at the beginning."

  "The devil of hell once said that at the midpoint of the nine layers of hell, there is a sacred spring in the atrium that purifies everything; the goddess of beauty Aphrodite also has a spring that can restore her chastity. She bathed in the sea water of Paphos, and the three goddesses of beauty danced for her. When she came out of the sea water, she seemed to have been reborn." "

  But only Hera is different. At first, it was just a simple spring. Just like every spring on earth, it has no special function."

  "Until that day, the goddess of youth Hebe was born, and then changes occurred."

  On the nameless barren mountain, the oak cane supported the ground.

  With the respectful support of the students, the old man walked step by step to the top of the barren mountain.

  With turbid eyes looking into the distance, not far from Nafplio, the goddess was chanting a ballad.

  "Look, this is God... this is the power of God."

  "Powerful and special, elusive and difficult to replicate. So much so that their birth will bring subtle and tangible effects to the whole world, allowing this spring to transform with her."

  "The Queen of Heaven gave birth to the goddess of youth, and Hebe also gave her true youth."

  "How about it, Erwin, do you understand anything?"

  The old man asked with a smile, pointing his cane into the distance.

  But beside him, the middle-aged man was already nervous.

  "Teacher... I..."

  "No... we really have to..."

  "Haven't we done it?"

  The old man asked back, but Erwin just shook his head.

  "But that was just an ancient god that no one cared about, and at that time, he was exhausted of all his power by Typhon!"

  "But this one..."

  "But this one, is the beloved daughter of Queen of Heaven Hera and King of God Zeus, a well-known god in the Olympus Pantheon - but Erwin, what is the difference between them?"

  "Whether it's important or not, it's the same result if they are discovered. You should know this."

  No, it's different, Erwin refuted in his heart.

  The risks of the two are completely different, so how can they be equated? However, he did not dare to refute his teacher. After all, he knew that although he was the one who did most of the experiments, it was always this old man who came up with the real ideas.

  If the other party's body had not long decayed, he would not have been able to assist in many things.

  In Silver Moon City, there are many wizards who are more talented and capable than him.

  It's just like what the teacher said, in this world, position and mentality are often more important than ability, and knowing yourself and choosing are more important than talent.

  So hundreds of years later, he is still alive and standing in this position, while those "capable" people have died without a trace.

  Even if Medea looked down on him, those other great wizards only gave him the most basic respect for the sake of the teacher, but he was already satisfied.

  It is important for people to know themselves. Since he has never been a smart person, he just needs to follow the real smart people.

  "Teacher, I understand."

  Erwin nodded silently, respectful.

  "Then when do we start, wait for the battle over there to start?"

  "No."

  Unexpectedly, the old man shook his head.

  "Let's start now."

  "After all, if we really wait until then... it may be too late."

  Without explaining why it was too late, the middle-aged man also tactfully did not ask.

  Standing on the nameless barren mountain, the two waited quietly.

  When the sun gradually set and the moon had not yet risen, the old man's expression changed slightly and he slowly nodded.     "Almost... now."

  "But remember - Erwin, the key to this operation does not lie in me, but in you."

  Leaning his cane on the ground, the old man gave his final instructions:

  "Complete the task I assign to you at the most appropriate time and at the most appropriate node. This is something only you can do - I have given you all my control over the artificial magic network, so don't let me down."

  "You should know that, unlike the God of Stars, Hebe's authority is naturally linked to life, which is the closest path to eternal life."

  "Although your talent is average, Erwin, we all know." Looking into the student's eyes, the old man's words were filled with some encouragement: "You are not as good as those of your peers, let alone Medea."

  "But as long as there is endless time, they will eventually be your stepping stones."

  "This is the reward that the diligent deserve."

  "Yes... I understand, teacher!"

  He spoke in a deep voice, clenching his fists slightly. At this moment, the long-lost passion surged into his heart.

  Yes, just like the teacher said, if my one day is not as good as someone else's one day, I will use ten days or twenty days to compare.

  So what if you are a descendant of God, or have a longer life? Can you compare it with immortality?

  Taking a deep breath, Erwin bowed deeply to the old man.

  "Teacher, I'll go first then."

  "As long as you give an order, the power you need will fall in the most appropriate place."

  He said without hesitation.

  With a wave of space, the middle-aged man disappeared directly on this nameless hillside.

  Only the old man continued to stand here, welcoming the arrival of night.

  "Hehe... You are so energetic."

  After a long time, the old man laughed softly.

  When Erwin received the message that everything was ready, looking at the goddess of youth who was still performing the ceremony, a trace of inexplicable light flashed in his eyes.

  "This can't be helped. Who told me... Forget it."

  "It's all your own fault. How can you blame me?"

  Shaking his head slightly, the old man tapped the ground with his cane.

  The next moment, on the plain at the end of his vision, the light and shadow of Nafplio seemed to tremble slightly, and then became a little blurry.

  In the dark, it seemed that something was activated.

  But at this moment, the mortals in the city-state were still unaware.

  "Human sacrifice is a taboo of the gods."

  "Fortunately, I am not a believer."

  With a calm expression, the old man took a step and came to the top of the Kanassos Spring.

  He stretched out his hand, and the next moment, in the heart of Hebe, the goddess of youth who was maintaining the ceremony, a shadow called "death" that the gods had never experienced was instantly shrouded her heart.

  ...

  At the same time, in the southeast of the continent, in Silver Moon City.

  A thousand years are like a day, and a day is like a thousand years.

  The temple on the high cliff was the same as when Chiron came last time.

  A breeze blew, setting off a series of wind chimes.

  But this time, standing in the hall, the centaurs were no longer here for help.

  "Sir Chiron, how did you feel about your days in Olympia before?"

  One of the three people from last time, a young man in his twenties, stood in the temple.

  The silver-gray hair seemed to be silently telling his age, and standing in front of him, Chiron shook his head helplessly.

  "It was just a period of imprisonment, but thanks to you, it was not too hard."

  "Hercules saved me. He was a wise and brave young man... Let's talk about me."

  "You called me here today. I heard it was about something related to the teacher?"

  "Strictly speaking, it's not."

  The young-looking archbishop smiled and waved his hand. His gray hair was draped over his shoulders and his attitude was very casual.

  But the next moment, what he said made Chiron's heart tighten.

  "You know, considering the oracles and help the angels have given, the church has always respected Her Highness Artemis, Her Highness Selene, and Her Highness Hecate."

  "We do not regard them as false gods, but as colleagues of the angels. Therefore, many of the things they have done before, such as desecrating life, creating undead, and even splitting souls like your students - we will temporarily ignore them."

  "After all, the great light of the Dark Moon can also create the dead, and everything is part of reincarnation. In addition, you have sealed up those forbidden research in a timely manner, so all of this is acceptable."

  "Until not long ago, you know, a being from Mount Olympus sneaked into Silvermoon City. Although the White Tower did not take the initiative to inform us of this matter in the end, I still knew about it."

  "This matter can be big or small. After all, they just teased the 'honorable' wind god. However, it is interesting that when we were investigating what the wind god had done in order to prevent accidents... we were blocked by a barrier."

  "Barrier?"

  Chiron looked confused and didn't know what the other party was talking about.

  "How is this possible?"

  "Can't the magic of the archbishops summon the projection of the artifact? Under the shadow of the legendary [Book of History], what in the mortal world can stop your pursuit?"

  "Yes, I thought so too."

  The young man nodded slowly, still smiling, but the centaur inexplicably felt a chill.

  "Nothing in the mortal world can stop the pursuit of the [Book of History]. It is the shadow of the Lord reflected in history, and it is a symbol of His suppression of the past."

  "Even if it is just a projection, it has a power that most false gods cannot resist - but unfortunately, there is just one there."

  "[Artificial Magic Net], if my magic summons the shadow of the Lord in charge of [History], then it is a counterfeit of the authority of the [Magic Net]."

  "In Silvermoon City, in the mystery lock of Her Majesty Hecate, I can't break it without attracting the attention of its owner - so Lord Chiron, can you tell me... what's there?"

  "...I...I don't know..."

  Cold sweat flowed from his back, and the centaur was speechless.

  He knew that his defense was weak, but he really couldn't find a way to explain himself.

  I don't know... who would believe it. However, the fact is that although he spread the original magic for the goddess of the magic network, he really has nothing to do with the white tower.

  But to Chiron's surprise, the young man nodded.

  "You don't know, I believe, otherwise I wouldn't be the one coming to see you today."

  "But respected Sir Chiron, the world-renowned Centaur Sage - for this thing that we don't know, do you have any way to let us know?"

  "Of course!"

  This time the answer was very quick, and Chiron bowed slightly.

  "I can take you there."

  "Although the control of the Silvermoon City Mystery Lock has fallen into the hands of the twelve clock towers, they only made a 'key'."

  "And I am the key itself."

  "Very good."

  Smiling again, the young man raised his hand to signal.

  The matter of the God of War Ares is being watched by two other people. Since the accompanying wizards are full of confidence, let them face the false god king's stone throwing.

  As for cleaning the backyard... there is no way.

  The old woman can't tolerate any sand in her eyes, and the other one is too gentle.

  In the end... it can only be done by him.

 Night fell, and the moon disappeared into the clouds.

  Outside Nafplio, the wind from Silver Moon City could not reach here, and Hebe, who was reciting the ballad in a low voice , knew nothing about it.

  In the dark, the rules moved with the singing, and the power of youth washed the spring water in front of her.

  Although these ballads were not a necessary part of the ceremony for the god who really controlled [Youth], Hebe did not slack off.

  Because just as dance was the oldest gift given to God by the priests, Hebe's ballads were also her dedication to her mother goddess, in return for the blessing that Hera had given her in person:

  in the name of the guardian of marriage, you will have such a husband - his bravery and wisdom are unmatched, and his reputation spreads throughout the earth and sky.

  "Praise you, loyal wife."

  "Praise you, loving mother goddess."

  Whispering silently, Hebe slowly stood up as a poem came to an end.

  There were still a few days left for this ritual, so she could take a break at night... However, at this moment, even though nothing had happened, an inexplicable sense of horror suddenly surged into her heart.

  "What—"

  Heber subconsciously wanted to call for help without any time to react.

  But at the same time, the omen of death seemed to be imminent.

  Fear gripped her heart in an instant, and Heber seemed to have seen her own corpse... Under this unprecedented stimulation, the instinct of survival directly stimulated the divine power hidden in the divine body.

  Wow—

  the thought was revealed, isolating the inside and the outside.

  In an instant, the pale golden divine light enveloped the surroundings, cutting off everything from the outside world.

  The fear was dispelled from the bottom of her heart. Although the goddess of youth who had regained her sanity felt regret at the first moment, she also felt a little relieved when she felt the divine power around her.

  After today, she might suffer a serious injury. But no matter what, the power of the mortal world could not break her divine shield.

  Taking advantage of this last bit of time, she was able to return to the sacred mountain safely and smoothly. At that time, she must report to the Mother Goddess and let this madman who dared to attack her suffer eternal punishment!

  Turning around suddenly, Heber wanted to see the murderer's face clearly before leaving.

  But at this moment, an invisible field opened up instantly.

  It covered the entire spring, the entire Nafplio, and all the creatures in this space.

  In the center of this field, the goddess of youth seemed to have become a solidified photo. Even the slightest expression was vivid and lifelike, and it was difficult to move a little.

  Buzz——

  [Ten Rings Sorcery·Shadow of Death]!

  [Ten Rings Sorcery·Time Stillness]!

  [Ten Rings Sorcery·Large Space Lock]!

  On the distant barren mountain, the old man's face seemed to become even older at this moment.

  Slowly retracting his outstretched fingers, looking at the still scene in the distance, he couldn't help but sigh slightly.

  This is God... Even if she is the God who controls youth, her divine power is enough to resist any mortal power.

  Even if the God of Stars had not been defeated by the Lord of Ten Thousand Demons until his divine power collapsed, and then the [Artificial Magic Net] had not continuously absorbed new divine power, then the God of Stars would not be able to be imprisoned by them.

  As a wizard, perhaps the Goddess of the Magic Net before becoming a god could compete with the real true god... But facing this unbreakable barrier, the old man was not discouraged.

  Because he knew that if he wanted to hunt gods, this was a hurdle he had to face.

  He took a step forward and passed through the invisible portal. The old man stood in the sky and looked down at the earth.

  Under his feet, Heber, shrouded in the divine shield, was like a sculpture, but the laws of the world had not yet arrived.

  Without the slightest surprise, the old man knew very well that the power of [Time Standstill] could not actually affect the time of a god who burst out with divine power.

  Therefore, few people know that the effect of this witchcraft is not to stop time at all, but to "accelerate time".

  When everything in this field is accelerated thousands of times, then Heber, the only one who has not been accelerated, is equivalent to having his time stopped.

  Therefore, it seemed that a long time had passed, but in fact, if the opponent's divine shield could not be broken, the old man's action today would have failed.

  Fortunately, as he said before, the most critical person today has never been himself. The only one

  who can fight against a god is naturally another god.

  "One city, millions of people."

  "Your city-state has prospered because of the daughter of the Queen of Heaven, so now it is a worthy death to die because of her."

  The voice was calm. In that city, in addition to the original civilians and nobles, the believers who gathered because of the annual advent of the Queen of Heaven, and tens of thousands of descendants of gods who were captured by the old man's students.

  They used to be scholars and nobles, or perhaps judges or knights.

  But now, they have only one identity.

  "That is the sacrifice."

  Raising his hand again, the ancient and complex array pattern spread along the city wall, and finally covered the entire city.

  In the center of the ceremony, a starlight shone brightly.

  "I dedicate your life and everything to the Father of Stars, the Light of the Falling Sky, the Son of the Great Titan, the Immortal Astraeus!"

  "Since the gods are the beginning of your glory..."

  "Then they will also be the end of everything for you."

  The ritual officially began to run. Standing on the nameless barren mountain, the old man pointed his finger.

  Everything that belongs to a person can be sacrificed, and a part of what belongs to the gods must be left.

  So under his control, in the city of Nafplio, while the sacrificial fire burned on the bodies of the descendants of the gods, the imperceptible essence of the blood of the gods finally remained silently in front of them.

  ...

  Silvermoon City, the abandoned city area.

  Underground crypt.

  Bones piled up endlessly.

  Stepping on the hills of piled bones, the great wizard Erwin walked forward.

  The candlelight brought some light to this huge space, but when the faint firelight was reflected in the hellish crypt, light became an accomplice of darkness.

  With a blank expression on his face, the middle-aged man was still very uncomfortable with the scene in front of him at first.

  However, as the teacher's most obedient disciple, facing the increasingly aging and unwilling to move old man, he could only take on all the experiments that required hands-on work himself.

  Once, twice, three times... After so many times, he got used to it.

  Until today, he could leave the beast's abdomen without changing his expression, take out the divine embryo that was only a few months old alive, and then maintain the lives of both of them while extracting the most essential [life residue] when the living creature was conceived and born.

  Or he would conduct some more taboo experiments after eating... the kind that if a mortal heard a little bit, he might not be able to sleep for several days.

  Time... is really the greatest power in the world.

  In the face of long enough years, everything can be adapted.

  Sometimes when thinking about it, Erwin was also surprised.

  When did he start to walk on such a path from an honest and hardworking boy?

  "...I don't remember."

  "But the teacher is right."

  "As long as there is endless time, ants can also become dragons."

  "I'll think about it carefully after I gain immortality... First, I'll finish the things that the teacher asked me to do."

  After shaking off the messy thoughts in his mind, Erwin stepped onto the high platform piled with bones.

  As if it had finally noticed the newcomer, the figure pierced by the wriggling flesh and blood tubes trembled slightly, and slowly raised its head like a dry bone.

  "Your Highness Astraeus, the honorable God of the Stars, I come to see you again."

  "..."

  Bang——

  "In order to thank you for your dedication day and night, providing me with countless offspring, and even not sparing your own divine body, I come to offer you a sacrifice again."

  Bang——

  "This is the respect of mortals for you, and our insignificant contribution to the honorable gods——Wait, I know you can't wait, but please don't move."

  Bang bang——

  "You have to wait a little longer before your sacrifice can be delivered... and when you taste those nourishing blood foods, a new batch of female beasts are already waiting for your visit."

  Bang bang bang——

  "Don't worry... I know you can't wait. But in many cases, waiting is also a virtue."

  Bang——!

  Unable to make a sound, the dry body madly hit the invisible barrier, but he could not shake it at all.

  Looking at all this, the middle-aged man still had no expression on his face, as if the tone of the words just now was not what he said.

  Erwin knew that at this moment, the God of Stars only had his hearing barely functioning, and he couldn't see his appearance at all.

  And with his brain being corroded by blood sacrifice and covered by hatred, it was impossible for him to calmly think about his purpose.

  In the past, in order to avoid wasting the sacrifices that he had collected with great difficulty and consuming the precious power of the gods in the confrontation with the [Artificial Magic Network], Erwin always avoided further stimulating the opponent's spirit.     But at this moment, his words were as sharp as a knife.

  From the description of the life of the gods on earth to the "touching and interesting things" that happened during his own experiments.

  As time passed, the middle-aged man looked at the gods who were getting weaker, but more angry and desperate with indifference.

  He could not get any happiness from it, but this was his mission.

  The voice echoed in the empty underground palace, and the words of mortals played a melody with the struggle of the gods.

  Until a certain moment, the void around the [Artificial Magic Net] shook slightly, and a wisp of crimson shone through it.

  "...Hmm? It seems that time has come."

  "Your Highness, your feast is here."

  Mocking tone, cold eyes.

  At some point, the field of [Time Stillness] that had been prepared long ago was opened here, and even with the help of the existence of the [Artificial Magic Net], even Astraeus was easily enveloped by the accelerated time.

  Under the gaze of the middle-aged man, the shriveled body in the center of the underground palace began to recover at a speed that was almost visible to the naked eye.

  This is God... Even if he was tortured for a thousand years, once he had enough divine power, the injuries on his body could be easily healed.

  But Erwin knew that according to the past rules, the sacrifice would be over at this point.

  After all, the blood sacrifice of mortals is to replenish the vitality of the divine body, not to restore the strength of the God of the Stars and have the possibility of breaking free from them.

  In order to prevent this from happening, the number of sacrifices in the past has been carefully selected - but this time is different from the past.

  In the center of the underground palace, a steady stream of blood sacrifice power seeped out from the void.

  They rushed into Astraeus' body, and then relieved the dryness of every inch of blood and flesh with the beating of the pulse.

  At the same time, as the target of the sacrifice, the resentment that was hundreds of times greater than before also acted on the spirit of the God of the Stars, causing his sanity, which had reached its limit, to collapse again.

  At this moment, feeling the blood sacrifice power that was many times stronger than before for some reason, Astraeus instinctively drove the divine power of his whole body.

  Even though his body, which had just regained its fullness, lost its vitality again, even though the suppression of the laws in the dark would suppress him the next moment his divine power left his body, at this moment, when the mortal's 'mistake' that he had been waiting for a thousand years finally appeared, the God of Stars chose to fight hard without hesitation.

  "...Human...Human——!"

  "Ah——————!"

  "I——want——you——to——die——!"

  The starlight burst out, 'easily' tearing the [Artificial Magic Net].

  It went straight through everything in front of it, breaking the accelerated time domain here, and passed through 'Erwin's' body.

  Then, under the middle-aged man's calm expression, it continued to move backwards and shot into the space gate that had been opened long ago.

  ...

  Outside the city of Nafplio, everything was the same.

  Everything was still, only the old man stood in the air.

  At some point, hundreds of diamond-shaped crystal columns that were charged to the extreme were arranged beside him, and a crystal stone that was extremely black was dragged in his hand.

  A space portal opened in front of the goddess of youth, and the surrounding void was surging with unimaginable elemental tides.

  [Time Standstill], it stretches one second in real time into a day in the eyes of the old man.

  Even though it actually lasts less than one tenth of a second, and even though its use is actually restricted, in today's world, it is the sharpest spear and shield in the hands of great wizards.

  Even though it is not the first time that the old man has experienced this power, he can't help but sigh at the greatness of time again.

  If this witchcraft is not a ten-ring, but can be sublimated to the realm of twelve rings... then even if it is not in the world, it is enough to shock the real gods with its power.

  However, no one can do this. After all, witchcraft comes from the analysis and imitation of all things. But since there is no immortal who controls time in this world, even the goddess of the magic network can only sigh in despair.

  Buzz——

  "Hmm?"

  "Finally here."

  The spirit moved slightly, and the face became solemn.

  Feeling the fluctuations of the space gate, the old man drank the last "Star Blood" in one gulp, and then crushed the black crystal in his hand.

  The next moment, the field of [Time Standstill] was shattered, and a starlight that penetrated everything came out of the door.

  Beside the old man, the real apprentice hurried over. He looked at the starlight that tore his flesh and blood puppet with lingering fear.

  From the perspective of the goddess of youth, her eyes only blurred slightly, and a beam of light wrapped in anger, murderous intent, and madness rushed towards her.

  In an instant, the divine power collided with the divine power, and Heber, who was originally preparing to escape back to the sacred mountain, stopped.

  At the same time, hundreds of bright streams of light cut through the sky and headed towards the direction of the goddess of youth.

  With a finger, the black crystal used as the material for the spell turned into ashes, and then silently condensed again beside Heber.

  Almost at the first moment when the divine shield and the starlight were broken at the same time, a dark space vortex merged with the figure of the goddess of youth.

  [Counteracting aura]

  [Regeneration suppression

  ] [Divine penetration ] [

  Weakness detection]

  [Protection cracking]

  ...

  [Eleventh ring witchcraft · Collapse singularity]!

  The space shattered silently, ruthlessly tearing the body of the god.

  With the spellcasting skills that the chief of the White Tower had honed for thousands of years, even if Heber's divine shield was still there, he would not be able to watch it calmly.

  Looking at this scene in front of him, the old man knew that the easiest part of this "God Hunting Plan" was completed.

  The goddess of youth could not run away. She was not a god with medium or higher divine power, and she had no chance to use divine power for the second time in the human world.

  She was not one of those gods who were good at fighting. Even if she was not considered a god, she was still a top demigod in the human world.

  Weak will, sparse skills, almost no resistance in the whole process... If she was a human instead of a god, such a human would probably not even have the opportunity to become a high-level professional even if she was born noble.

  When the eleven-ring great witchcraft shattered her last resistance, she was already a captive.

  However, the old man knew that the core of the entire "God Hunting Plan" was never how to target a goddess of youth who had no intention of fighting, but how to get rid of the possible subsequent anger of the gods, how to make herself disappear in the eyes of the gods, and how to nip all accidents in the bud.

  Although all of the above are just "possibilities", perhaps Olympus will turn a blind eye to Hebe's disappearance, just like it did to the god who was imprisoned by mortals for decades... But the old man only wants certainty, not possibility.

  Especially when everything is finally settled, the old man can't help but recall the beginning of the "God Hunting Plan".

  "... Hebe, you know, I didn't intend to go this far."

  "Although I am so eager for your "youth" and your strength, this is not the reason for me to take risks... We should have lived in peace, not met with swords."

  Shaking his head helplessly, a trace of fatigue flashed in the old man's eyes.

  Just like he said, he has never been a person who advocates "seeking wealth and honor in danger". If possible, he would rather use his eternal life to accumulate victories, rather than dreaming of ascending to heaven in one step.

  "What a great opportunity... Let the angels behind the church fight Olympus to the death, gain knowledge and accumulate strength in the war of gods."

  "When they finally bring about a real war, a dispute that swept the world like the Typhon Plague, and then wait until the winner is clear, isn't that good?"

  "We already have experience and understand the gods. This time, even if there is no god as unlucky as the God of Stars, we can 'create' one... 'create' a god that no one cares about and eventually falls into our hands, or even more than one."

  "If that day really comes, as the daughter of the King of Gods and the Queen of Heaven, even if you fail, I will never set my sights on you."

  "It's just a pity that your luck is bad, and my luck is not very good either... Our luck is not good."

  "Teacher."

  The middle-aged man beside the old man seemed to notice the teacher's buzzing lips, and stepped forward and asked respectfully.

  "Teacher, we finally succeeded... Do you have any instructions?"

  "...Nothing, nothing anymore."

  Sighing, without looking at the student beside him, the old man stroked his chest.

  "I succeeded, but there is nothing else to tell you."

  "I just suddenly felt a little emotional... If you could have worked harder, how could you have come this far?"

  ·······

  One hour after posting, I'll add something.

  The level of the art in this book is not completely in accordance with the one-to-one comparison of DND, because I always feel that the level division has no mathematical beauty. The specific content has actually been mentioned loosely before, but it has not been systematically explained.

  Originally, the first ring of DND was level 1, the second ring was level 3, and so on, the ninth ring was level 17, and then it started to jump, so in this book it is like this:

  if the mortal stage is divided into four levels, each level has five levels, then 1-4, 6-9, 11-14, 16-19 have the ability to cast spells of 1-8 rings respectively, following the +3+2 rule, the ninth ring is the fifth level of legend, the tenth ring is the sixth level of high legend, the eleventh ring is the seventh level of demigod, and the twelfth ring is the existence that touches the realm of gods, which belongs to the supermodel stage. Normal people are not included in it, and spells of the same level are generally more lethal. This is because spells rely on external forces, and combat professionals who do not become gods basically rely on their own abilities.

  In general, although some settings have stitched together a reasonable part of DND, it does not mean that the rules of a board game are the truth of this book. The specific settings are based on the logical consistency of this book. If you have any objections, please question the previous settings of this book, not the content that I have never written. That's all.

  No matter what, the previous plan no longer exists.

  Facing reality, the old man must change his plan.

  Fortunately, it is not too late, and he discovered it in time.

  If it is later, it is very likely that he will be powerless to save the situation.

  "Teacher, I'm sorry for your trouble."

  He stood aside with his head down and blamed himself. Although he didn't know why the old man was lecturing him again, the middle-aged man was used to it.

  After all, in the past hundreds of years, facts have told him more than once that if he doesn't understand why the teacher is angry, it's probably just that he hasn't seen the root of the matter.

  And every time he reaches the end, the ending proves the foresight of the former.

  "Forget it, it's been so many years."

  "If you can change it, you would have changed it long ago."

  "Today, there is no need to change it... Come on, start the next step."

  Slowly shaking his head, the old man only felt that his body had begun to tremble.

  The power of time is not something that mortals can spy on. Without the divinity that truly relies on itself to complete the sublimation process from nothing to something, it is impossible to be exempt from the reverse flow of time.

  In less than a second in the outside world, he not only exhausted the vitality restored by the last 'Blood of the Star' potion, but also exhausted his remaining lifespan... Fortunately, things will soon turn around.

  "Erwin, go."

  "Although you are still young, you should have begun to feel the urgency of life."

  "While preparing for the next ceremony, you might as well taste the taste of the 'Fountain of Youth'."

  "After all, according to mythology, the golden cup of the goddess of life carries the water given by God, which can heal the sick and regenerate the old."

  "Yes, teacher!"

  This time, the middle-aged man's tone finally had a little more joy and desire.

  The hunt was successful, and it was time for him to enjoy the results.

  His figure flashed and came to the dark horizon that was still shrouded in a shattered space. He carefully calmed the nearby space fluctuations, fearing that there would be any consequences that should not happen.

  The eleven-ring great sorcery, the collapse singularity, was added with more than one top-level spellcasting technique by the old man during the casting process, and finally it was cleverly combined together without any rejection.

  Indistinctly, its power has exceeded a certain limit. Even the previous [Ten Rings Spell: Large Space Lock] was not essentially to lock the goddess of youth, but to calm the shock caused by [Destruction Singularity] in the space field, so as not to attract too much attention.

  As for restricting the goddess of youth? That's overthinking.

  If her divine shield is successfully broken and she loses all resistance, there is no need for the old man to restrict her.

  On the contrary, if she can still use divine power to resist... then the ten rings of witchcraft cannot stop her from leaving.

  Soon, as the witchcraft to calm the space was released one after another, this witchcraft that consumed most of the power on the god finally calmed down a little.

  Carefully casting the spell to pull, soon, a wisp of broken skirt finally appeared in front of Erwin.

  "Huh?"

  He was slightly stunned, and it was not until Heber was completely dragged out that the middle-aged man realized it.

  The body of the god that should have been torn into pieces by the distorted space was actually very complete, and it was not even possible to see any damage.

  Not only that, even the pale blue skirt of the goddess of youth, which was made of some unknown plant fiber and had long been broken, was recovering at a speed visible to the naked eye.

  Except for the large amount of divine blood spilled around, the middle-aged man could not tell that this was a god who had suffered a severe injury.

  "Is this [Youth]? Even plants that have been made into clothes will be affected, let alone a real human like me..."

  His heart beat violently, and he resisted the urge to swallow the spilled divine blood.

  The middle-aged man knew that unprocessed divine blood could not be used. He just summoned a magic rope to bind the former, and then took the golden cup with all kinds of legends from her hand.

  This is the real fountain of youth, which can give people the ability to rejuvenate.

  At this moment, there is still a little remaining blue liquid in the golden cup. The middle-aged man hesitated for a moment and poured a drop into his mouth.

  In an instant, an incomparably wonderful taste rose from his body and flowed through his limbs along the flow of blood.

  In a trance, the soul seemed to become lighter.

  The middle-aged man stroked the corner of his eye, and he could not find the tiny wrinkles.

  "...Teacher, this is the goddess of youth and the golden cup."

  He took a deep breath and suppressed his inner desire.

  The middle-aged man returned to the old man and gestured respectfully.

  "Very good, very good..."

  The old man took the golden cup with his trembling arms due to weakness, and looked at it repeatedly for a long time.

  Although there is no active urging of the goddess of life, the spring water inside is almost difficult to regenerate. But even the remaining ones are enough to restore his youth more than once.

  After a moment of silence, the old man handed the golden cup back to his student.

  "Go, save the past years for me."

  "Yes, teacher."

  The middle-aged man nodded solemnly, and turned around and looked at Nafplio, which has now become a dead city.

  The blood and vitality have long disappeared in the sacrifice, and only shriveled corpses are scattered all over the streets.

  But above the old ceremony, there is still a ball of light golden light-it is the essence refined from the bodies of all the descendants of the gods.

  The old man had intentionally kept them and did not let them be sacrificed together.

  The middle-aged man also knew about their uses.

  Although he had never seen them, Erwin had heard of such an existence from his teacher.

  He was the most powerful warrior in the world, and a pioneer who dared to carry the corpse of the gods with his flesh and blood.

  But he also had another identity - the golden human, the most noble, most perfect, and most false generation of human beings.

  Mythology records that when the ancient beings created them, the gods dripped their blood and gathered it into a river, and then returned to their original state under the fusion of [life], creating the first golden generation.

  Therefore, they are born with longevity, but are not restricted by the descendants of gods; they are born with a physique comparable to that of high-level professionals, but they only regard it as instinct.

  Even in some versions, the goddess of the magic network was once a member of the golden human race... The middle-aged man didn't know if this was true. After all, this somewhat violated the iron rule that the golden age was only for men.

  But when Erwin remembered that she eventually became a god, it seemed that this rule was not so certain.

  "Whether it's true or not, it doesn't matter."     "We cannot erase the will of the gods in the real blood of the gods and return it to its original state; we cannot create souls either, and we have never tried. After all, that is an insurmountable taboo of the church." "

  We don't have the legendary [Life Bottle], otherwise why would we attack the gods... Fortunately, although we don't have it, we are not trying to create a race or a civilization."

  "What we want is just a shell..."

  [Life Residue], the core material of the 'Blood of the Stars' potion, is the original essence extracted from the root of the living.

  The essence of the descendants of the gods, although it cannot be compared with the real blood of the gods, does not have the indelible divine influence and will of the gods.

  [Cup of Youth], its power can return the blood of the descendants of the gods to its original state, returning to the state of being born, erasing the changes brought about by the acquired nature.

  Even the goddess of youth herself, her 'existence' can bring a mysterious influence to the entire ceremony...

  In addition, the old man has a lot of preparations.

  Like the rituals that Achilles had performed before, soul division, flesh regeneration, erosion of the Styx... The reason why he supported Chiron was not to respect his predecessors, but to use the channel of the apprentice of the Magic Net Goddess to contact a higher realm, obtain taboo knowledge from it, and let the other party protect them from the wind and rain.

  Erwin knew all these, and he was even the executor. And now, he will personally make these preparations come true.

  "Hu——"

  Flying into the city, the middle-aged man raised his hand to activate the rituals that had been arranged in advance.

  The first of the three rituals arranged under the city of Nafplio has been used, and now, he is activating the second one - [Life Alchemy·Fake].

  The reason why it is "fake" is that the old man believes that he cannot create a body comparable to that of the golden human, so he distinguishes it from this.

  However, in Erwin's view, the latter is the realm of the ancient gods of creation, and as a mortal, there is really no need to compare with them.

  "The first body will be made for the teacher first."

  "After all, in order to break through the limitations of self-generated divinity and lifespan, the teacher did not hesitate to obtain divinity from the God of Stars and tried to erase the will in it in various ways."

  "However, divinity is divinity after all... The teacher succeeded, and his strength was broken through, but he also failed, because his soul and body did not sublimate as imagined... Although they also became stronger, and did not affect the soul of the caster like the divinity bestowed by the gods, locking the upper limit of progress, the teacher also carried the burden of foreign divinity from then on."

  "This kind of influence cannot be eliminated by simple rejuvenation, and can only be washed away with the help of artifacts. As for me... let's wait a little longer."

  Flying in the air, Erwin sighed lightly.

  According to the teacher's previous statement, he had only seen three truly self-generated divinities in his life, and the rest were more or less assisted by divine blood.

  One was the golden human at the beginning of the establishment of Silver Moon City, one was Hercules who was met later, and the third was Hermes who left Silver Moon City and went to Athens decades later.

  Besides, even Theseus, who had met them once, was somewhat affected by the divine blood... The old man didn't know whether the young monarch had gotten rid of this influence later, but at least he hadn't at that time.

  Only these three people, they may have divine blood, or they are simply mortals, but their divinity is completely unrelated to the gods... It's just that the success of the latter two makes it hard to see clearly, so the old man finally had to focus on the first person. After all,

  the origin of witchcraft is the imitation of the rules of all things, so his path to get rid of the influence of the old divinity and gain immortality is to explore the paths of these three successful people.

  "Come on, life refinement..."

  The middle-aged man whispered in his heart and initiated the ceremony.

  The next moment, the complex and ancient array pattern once again enveloped the entire city.

  Behind him, the old man watched this scene quietly, and he didn't know what he was thinking in his heart.

  ...

  Southeast of the continent, Silver Moon City.

  In the abandoned city area, long silver-gray hair was scattered on his shoulders.

  The young-looking archbishop seemed to be still relaxed, but the centaur could see a trace of solemnity in his eyes.

  According to the original plan, the two should not be here at this moment. After all, it is almost evening today, and so many years have passed. Even if they want to solve the problem, there is no need to rush at this moment.

  However, Chiron was caught up by the young man as soon as he left the temple.

  He told the centaur that because of the previous discovery, the place that could not be peeped had been strengthened by them.

  And just now, there was a sudden abnormal and powerful wave there.

  The breath of divine power was covered up, but the law turbulence caused by the use of divine power by the true god in the material world could not be blocked by the power of the [Artificial Magic Net].

  So if nothing unexpected happened, there should be some changes there.

  "It doesn't look good... Sir Chiron, please open the blockade here."

  "Okay."

  The centaur spoke in a deep voice and nodded decisively.

  He took a step forward and began to communicate directly with the nearby magic net string.

  Soon, along the invisible channel, Chiron's thoughts were unblocked all the way, and finally connected with the mystery lock covering the entire Silver Moon City.

  As Hecate's apprentice, although he believed that his talent in magic was far inferior to his personal martial arts, he still successfully activated the core of the mystery lock, and then went downstream, trying to control the part covering this area.

  However, just as this action began, the centaur felt a little sluggish. That was a precaution someone had taken here in advance to prevent other people with authority from revealing the secrets here... However, this obstacle may be able to stop any master of the clock tower, but it can never stop the students of the goddess of the magic network.

  With a little force, Chiron tore open this layer of protection and cut off the mystery lock from hiding this area.

  So at the same time, the entrance to the underground palace instantly lost its cover and appeared brightly in the perception of the two.

  His expression remained unchanged, but his smile inexplicably added a bit of coldness.

  The young man patted the centaur's front legs that were as high as a person, and smiled and praised the wisdom of the wizards.

  "Very clever, isn't it, Lord Chiron?"

  "They built the entrance underground in the abandoned temple. After all, no one would search this place strictly... Without your help, I might not have considered this place as a suspect."

  'I might not believe that they are so rampant, this is what you want to tell me...'

  The thought flashed through his mind, and the Centaur bent down slightly, trying to make some excuses for the other wizards in the White Tower.

  "Your Excellency the Archbishop, from what I sensed just now, this was done by only one of the twelve clock tower masters."

  "His name is Erwin, and he is the most mediocre of the twelve tower masters. Perhaps it is precisely because of this that he used his own authority and the authority borrowed from others to connect the puzzle lock with his creation, and finally conducted forbidden research here..."

  "Well, I understand.

  "Sir Chiron, I believe this is your sincere words, and I am willing to believe that not every wizard is evil by nature."

  Smiling and raising his hand, the young-looking archbishop stopped the centaur's self-defense.

  "Just let us go in and take a look first."

  "As for how to deal with this... let's talk about it later."

  Let's talk about it later... that is, solve the current problem first, and then settle the score later.

  Chiron could certainly hear the meaning of the young man's words, but he was in a dilemma now.

  Because although he had not participated in the wizards' experiments, he believed that he had indeed used their research results.

  "I don't know what they are doing this time... Before, they split the soul and made the life box, and now they are not going to involve "thinking creation" and "memory rewriting"... "

  I'm not sure, because the centaur remembered that the great wizard named Erwin seemed to have mentioned this matter unintentionally.

  But under his repeated questioning, he said that this was just a failed idea.

  They could not give thinking to an originally unintelligent being, and modifying the memory of a living person would only make their souls overwhelmed and collapse on their own.

  In their expectation, unless they can get close to the authority of the gods related to "soul", "memory" and "mind", they must at least complete the qualitative change of the soul, and only the existence that has ascended to the legendary level in the spiritual realm can accept this modification.

  Even so, it will cause their spirit to become irreversibly disordered and collapse.

  Although the assumption has not been verified, they cannot verify it... After all, there are not many such beings in the world, and it is even more impossible for them to be used as test subjects.

  Therefore, after studying the holy power bestowed by the goddess of beauty on the clergy, wizards with spells like [Charm Humans] have long stopped conducting similar research.

  At least until then, the purpose of their research on souls and memories was not to blaspheme the gods, but just to pry open the door to eternal life.

  Therefore, Chiron finally believed their explanation, but only asked Erwin to sign a "devil's contract" that the goddess of the magic network got from somewhere, promising never to restart research in this area.

  "Words can lie, but contracts cannot be false. Even the teacher admits that the devil's contract has a binding force on non-gods, and he can't break free..."

  With this in mind, Chiron opened the secret passage and walked into the secret door leading to the depths of the underground palace.

  In the long stone corridor, as the two walked in, candles burned without fire.

  The long silver-gray hair fell on his shoulders, and the archbishop who followed closely frowned slightly.

  Faintly, he smelled a special smell, which was different from the stench of burning animal fats, but instead had a refreshing fragrance.

  "Is this the special lamp oil synthesized by wizards?"

  After searching his mind, the young man still couldn't identify the source of the fuel, so he simply asked.

  But in front of him, in front of the tall back of the centaur, although he also didn't recognize the source of the oil, Chiron had a bad omen in his heart.

  "I don't know... maybe this is some new technology."

  The centaur responded truthfully and continued to move forward.

  Tap-tap-

  the horse's hooves stepped on the ground, and it was unknown how long it had walked in the stone corridor. At this moment, the centaur felt that every second was like a year.

  Until the bend was close in front of him, his footsteps finally stopped... As long as he turned it, he might be able to see the real secret of this underground palace.

  He hesitated for two seconds, he was undecided.

  But under the calm and increasingly profound gaze behind him, he finally took a step forward and bypassed the last obstacle.

  "Your Excellency the Archbishop, it should be here—"

  The Centaur took a deep breath and was about to speak, but his voice suddenly stopped.

  The tall body was stiff in place, but behind him, the young man seemed to be still as usual.

  "How is it?"

  The Archbishop took a step forward and was still smiling.

  "Student of Her Highness Hecate... what did you see?"

  He sniffed and

  extinguished the Eye of Divine Magic, and the brief tone was cold.

  Yes, they are spellcasters, not mortals who can only observe with the naked eye. Chiron was unwilling to accept the "reality" in advance, but it does not mean that everyone is like this.

  Even if the clergy do not pursue the power of the soul like wizards, as one of the most powerful masters of divine magic in the world, the young man still released his "eyes" shortly after entering the underground palace and saw the secret hidden in the depths.

  A group of starlight that had long lost its shape was suspended in the center of the underground palace. Everything that had bound it had long gone; the pressure of divinity and authority was still there, but in front of it was only a thin contract document placed on the table.

  The starlight illuminated the endless bones, but the rules of order had already crushed the last resistance of this god who was running out of energy.

  Astraeus, the god of stars, had his body directly obliterated, turning into a form similar to eternal sleep.

  Even if his innate priesthood continued to provide him with divine power, he would not be able to wake up as long as the trauma of the law backlash did not fade away.

  Of course, this might be the sleep he longed for day and night... Only for Chiron, who saw this scene, it was a heavy hammer that shook his soul.

  "True... God..."

  The centaur whispered to himself, and beside him, the young man raised his hand slightly and summoned the contract on the table.

  The ink was not dry yet. This special ink seemed to have its own life. It could last for a hundred years and still look like it was just written, making it impossible to tell the specific year.

  As for the content above, it seems that there are many clauses, but in fact the core is concise and concise.

  "Cooperate in hunting gods."

  "Share the results of experiments."

  "Monitor prisoners together."

  "Ultimately...explore the secret of immortality."

  "It's a free, equal, and exploratory profession, don't you think, Chiron?"

  The Taishan collapsed in front of him without changing his face, and the elk rose on his left without blinking.

  Looking at the names signed on the copy of the devil's contract calmly, the archbishop said lightly:

  "But unfortunately, Silver Moon City cannot tolerate such equality... So now, mobilize the magic network and trace the spatial traces here - don't tell me you can't do this."

  "Then from now on, abolish all control of the clock tower over the puzzle lock. If something similar happens in Silver Moon City from now on, then you, Chiron, will be their accomplice."

  Without replying, the centaur beside him just did it silently.

  And as he used the power of the puzzle lock more deeply, although destruction was far simpler than destruction, in the void not far away, a silver-shining portal shadow still appeared from nothing, and recovered little by little.

  Looking at this scene, several messages were sent out by the young man.

  He prayed silently, not knowing whether he would get a response, but he still did it... Then several divine lights flashed on his body, until he was ready, he stepped through the space gate.

  "This is the wizard... Maybe she is right, the church is still too easy to talk to."

  "It's just that now, although it is probably too late, I still want to see it myself."

  "Without the protection of the mystery lock, without the power to resist the shadow of [Book of History]... Which tower master is the master behind all this?"

  "Chiron, what do you think?"

  Having said that, the young-looking archbishop was ready to return empty-handed. Because since the other party can do this, he must have thought of his own retreat.

  But wherever you go, you must leave a trace.

  Even if it is a means to get rid of tracking, its existence itself is a clue. What's

  more, if the other party's means are not so useful... Then he can just bring it back and judge his crimes in front of the Lord.

  ...     Nafplio, in a well-preserved but deadly city-state.

  Runes are densely covered, covering the void.

  Under the manipulation of the middle-aged wizard, rare materials in the world rise to the sky.

  Under the power of the ritual, they twist, deform, merge, sublimate, and finally turn into a mysterious substance.

  The blood essence of many descendants of gods is suspended under the golden cup, and the drops of the fountain of youth dispel the impurities, return to the original, erase the influence of the acquired, and return to the purity of the mother's womb.

  Gradually, with the passage of time, a naked human figure gradually takes shape... It is young and strong, with a strong and perfect body.

  The vigorous vitality emanates from the body, making the seeds sprout and the dead trees grow branches.

  The overturned cup is straightened again, and the last mouthful of the fountain of youth ripples at the bottom of the cup.

  The remaining blood essence of the descendants of gods falls into the cup, dyeing the light blue holy water red, and a rich fragrance spreads from it.

  The unconscious goddess of youth fainted on the side. Under the control of an invisible force, she unconsciously held her divine weapon in her hand.

  The old man waiting in the distance covered his chest.

  Feeling his increasingly weak life, he gave his student his last order.

  "Come, Erwin, now."

  "Life and death will be swapped here... This is the greatest miracle of mortals in this century."

  "Yes, teacher."

  Knowing what he was going to do next, the middle-aged man came to the old man. After

  hesitating for a moment, he immediately pulled out a long sword burning with dark flames and covered with complex patterns from the void.

  [Nine-ring witchcraft·Destruction Magic Sword]!

  With his hands open, the old man faced the sword.

  In Erwin's hand, this magic sword shaped by witchcraft pierced his chest without hesitation.

  The witchcraft that imitated the power of destruction and death ended the old man's physical vitality in an instant, and even his soul was severely damaged.

  However, at this moment, the ceremony has not yet ended... So the ritual based on the first level of the ritual of worshiping the gods used his death as a sacrifice, as a brick for the birth of new life.

  His eyes went dark, and when he next sensed everything in the outside world, the old man's broken soul had awakened in his new body.

  He opened his eyes, and his heart began to beat violently.

  The long-lost vitality and energy surged into his heart with the pulsation of blood. The old man wanted to say something, but at this moment, a strong sense of dizziness hit his heart like a shadow.

  He knew why this was happening. This was the pressure of the divinity of the stars... Even if the [Destruction Demon Sword] shattered his body and severely damaged his spirit, as long as his soul was not completely annihilated, the power of the mortal world would never be able to separate this kind of connection that was like a thorn in the bone.

  "The divinity of the stars... It is still there."

  It was not surprising. After all, the old man knew that this was a wizard.

  The power that is far stronger than that of a warrior at the same level is exchanged for the difficulty of the road to promotion.

  In the eyes of the human gods, sublimating the blood and refining the divinity are the biggest obstacles to their promotion to demigods. But even though Medea was sure that she could do this easily five hundred years ago, she was still hesitant to act.

  Because unlike warriors, the independent spirit and will of wizards are the prerequisites for their promotion, and the divinity extracted from their own blood must be influenced by the source of blood...

  So Medea, who has the blood of the gods, must spend thousands of years to wear away the remaining will in her blood; and the old man without the blood of the gods, even if he used external force to extract and erase the influence of the God of the Stars on the divinity, but at the same time as he was promoted to a demigod, this foreign product that was not born with him naturally had a rejection reaction with him. In the

  end, not only did it not prolong his life, but it turned into a burden that oppressed his flesh and soul.

  To this day, the old man has completed the transformation of his body, but the influence of the divinity of the God of the Stars has become more serious because of his injured soul.

  Fortunately, all this is as expected... He forced himself to be strong. Under this handsome and perfect body, the old man's soul on the verge of breaking was very calm.

  Since the power of the mortal world cannot eliminate this influence, then I will become a god, right?

  Even if it is just a short moment of falsehood, it is enough to erase the legacy of Astraeus in himself.

  He took a step forward and looked at the lifeless eyes of the goddess of youth. He took the golden cup from her hand.

  The clear and transparent light red liquid rippled in the wine cup, and the rich aroma of wine went straight into people's hearts.

  According to human legend, on the majestic Mount Olympus, the goddess of youth Hebe is the daughter of the Queen of Heaven and the King of Gods, and is also the priest who pours wine for the gods at the banquet.

  Only the most noble gods are qualified to enjoy the wine flowing from the artifact golden cup, but now, he received it as a mortal.

  On the earth, the second ritual of shaping life is still running. As a new life, in addition to Erwin who presided over the ceremony, the goddess of youth Hebe is the first life he has seen, and the identity she gave to the old man is "god".

  This is the complete content of [Ritual·Life Refining·False God], and it is also the most perfect masterpiece of the old man's life so far.

  In an instant, the wine entered his stomach, and the false identity produced some real power under the effect of the ritual and the artifact.

  At the same time, the strands of starlight in the old man's soul were completely eliminated, and the damage caused by [Demon Sword of Destruction] was repaired.

  Rejuvenation, rebirth... Without the influence of divinity, the wine in the golden cup of youth no longer hesitated to let the decayed soul return to the past, without having to worry about its further interpenetration with the power of the God of Stars.

  In this process, there was almost no hindrance, and the old man extracted his divinity from his body as a descendant of God.

  This was not difficult, at least for him.

  Unlike before, the divinity he extracted at this moment was no longer affected by the will of the gods.

  Because the blood mixed with countless kinds of divine blood reached a balance in the conflict with each other, and even the power of the 'false god' once again refined the divinity, making it reach a relatively perfect level.

  At this moment, the old man knew that as a wizard, he was only one step away from truly and thoroughly "self-generated divinity".

  As long as he could clarify his own path to becoming a god, and let it initially form a complete framework, connect it with his own pure divinity, and finally let it be stained with his own "color", then he would become a true god, and even develop a twelve-ring great wizardry based on his own "path", which would be invincible in the world.

  However, he couldn't do this step yet.

  "The path to becoming a god... I'm not sure yet."

  "But it's enough to get to this point."

  Feeling the vitality of his new body, the old man had nothing to be dissatisfied with.

  "With enough life, I can finish the rest of the journey by myself."

  "Now I... can live for at least 10,000 years."

  He failed to take the last step. After all, spellcasters and warriors are different, and the principles and methods of their divinity are naturally different.

  So facing this situation, the old man gladly accepted it.

  In addition, with the example of Hermes, since he has gotten rid of the influence of the past, this last step should not be a problem...

  "I should leave."

  "But before that, I still have to deal with the ending of this matter... and give a decent 'explanation' to those who come later."

  Looking at the city under his feet, the old man glanced at the student beside him, and then gently slid his fingers.

  Nafplio has three rituals, one for sacrifice to the gods and one for sacrifice to himself.

  Now, it's the turn of the third one.

  The problem of lifespan was finally solved, and the gods were captured successfully, and it seemed that everyone was happy.

  However, the old man was also very clear that after doing all this, there would be many troubles waiting for him.

  A goddess of youth, Hebe, would likely attract the attention of the God King; and the experiment of the God of Stars, the exploration of flesh, memory, and even the essence of the soul, compared to which, the connection with the lower world was nothing.

  It was not that he had not thought about finding a backer for himself, but this idea was quickly dispelled.

  Because he knew that after knowing what he had done, no force would believe in his loyalty.

  Even in Hell, which believed in contracts the most, the old man only made a deal with some of them in exchange for a contract to "sell his soul" in an alternative way.

  If he failed today, he would decisively end his life, not giving anyone the opportunity to judge him, but letting the devil fulfill the contract and take his soul away on his own initiative.

  Although dealing with the devil is indeed very brain-consuming, even if the chaos of the devil is even more incompatible with wizards, he will have no choice at that time.

  Fortunately, he succeeded in the end, and the contract became his opportunity to explore the abyss in the future, rather than a one-way ticket.

  As for going in now? Forget it.

  The chaos of Tartarus might be a reference, but it would never pave a proper path to godhood for him, unless he planned to abandon wisdom and embark on the path of the abyss demon.

  On this basis, even if the old man wanted to hold a sacrificial ceremony pointing to hell or the abyss, it would be useless to push all this on them.

  Because unless the Lord of Hell or the Will of the Abyss personally responded to him, ordinary demons and demons could block the archbishop of the church from spying on the past, but they would definitely not be able to stop the artifact projection summoned by the angel himself and the king of the gods on Mount Olympus.

  So after going around in circles, if he wanted to erase the traces he left here and the way for later people to track him, then he only had one solution left.

  Offering sacrifices to a powerful enough being, the other party would also appreciate the pitiful sacrifices he prepared and be willing to take time out of their busy schedule to meet him...

  "Such a being can be found, but the problem is that even if I find it, I don't want to meet it face to face..."

  With a sigh, the old man, who was no longer old, waved his hand, signaling his apprentice to come closer.

  "Teacher? Did you succeed?"

  With a hint of joy and desire on his face, Erwin stepped forward.

  The old man once promised that after him, he would be the second wizard to have the opportunity to embark on this path.

  After all, even among several brothers, he was the only one who was loyal to the teacher and never disobeyed.

  Although there was a reason that he was not capable enough to be independent, everything was judged by deeds rather than by heart, and no one in the world was perfect.

  He did everything the teacher asked him to do very well, and that was enough.

  And as if it was just as he thought, the old man nodded slowly.

  "That's right, Erwin. I succeeded, and according to what I promised you, as long as you can do what I told you to do, you will be the next me."

  "--Thank you, teacher!"

  He couldn't hide his excitement. As the actual host of the ceremony, no one knew the old man's current state better than Erwin.

  A perfect demigod, whether physically or otherwise, as long as he could find his own true and feasible "path", the purest divinity and the door to godhood would be open to him.

  Strictly speaking, the reason why the old man couldn't really generate his own divinity at this time was just because he was a wizard.

  After all, there was a fundamental difference between spellcasters and warriors.

  If warriors wanted to generate their own divinity, they didn't need to find their own path to godhood directly.

  If they wanted to make their divinity similar to that of a true god, with an indelible will and influence, there was a natural shortcut, which was to directly merge it with their own condensed and sublimated will itself.

  This fusion was not even limited by time or place. Whether it was fierce battles, deep hatred, or great ideals and visions, they could all become tools to stimulate the sublimation of will.

  Because the path of the warriors is to seek from themselves, no matter what their future path to godhood will be, as the core that supports them to reach demigodhood, they will inevitably have their own will and belief involved, which is an indispensable part of them.

  In this case, no matter what the future path is, the divinity sublimated by their own will will not conflict with it... So at this step, the warriors have an unquestionable advantage.

  But in contrast, the casters are different.

  The will and belief that are condensed and sublimated to the extreme can itself be regarded as the first step of the warriors' path to godhood, and it is one of their indispensable prerequisites.

  But for wizards who focus on seeking truth from the outside world, even spiritual witchcraft is based on the analysis of rules and order.

  No wizard will suddenly become stronger because his will is condensed and his fighting spirit is burning during the battle. This is the most fundamental difference in the path, which is three points close to the idealism and materialism debate in later generations.

  Therefore, the spellcaster must find a practical path and walk out of a rough framework, using the feedback of the rules to prove that the direction of his path is correct, and then he can make this crystallization of his own wisdom and inspiration unite with the divinity and complete the final transformation of sublimation.

  One is promoted to the right path, and the other can skip classes first and then make up for them. This is the spellcaster and the combat professional.

  Maybe in the future there will be spellcasters who will find a way to bypass this condition, but there is definitely not now.

  The right direction that is initially recognized by the rules... This is what the old man lacks at present, but it is also what Erwin has never thought about.

  He only hopes that he can reach the level of a teacher, and then it will be enough.

  Full of joy, the middle-aged wizard only felt that his previous efforts were indeed valuable... But at this moment, looking at his happy student, the old man on the side suddenly asked:

  "Erwin."

  "Teacher?"

  "You have always obeyed my orders and listened to me. This is why I am willing to promise you. Do you remember?"

  "I remember." The middle-aged wizard nodded.

  "Yes... Just remember it."

  "But so many years have passed... Have you done everything I asked you to do?"

  "Of course."

  Without hesitation, the powerful soul recalled his past. The middle-aged man was sure that until today, he had never done anything to displease the teacher.

  "Is that so..."

  Nodding slightly, the old man did not comment. He just suddenly talked about something completely unrelated.

  "Erwin, do you know that as a wizard, Medea is not the only one who likes to use a crystal ball to predict the future like a goddess."

  "I also like to predict, but I rarely use tools. Instead, I directly observe the changes in the stars in the sky."

  "I don't know how many secrets are contained in the stars in the sky. The trajectories of their movement reveal the rules of the world... Until that day, not long after the god who strayed into the mystery was discovered, a mortal named Hercules came to Silvermoon City."

  "The church gave him the star shuttle I refined in my early years, and I noticed this gifted young man because of it. But it was that meeting that made me suddenly feel uneasy."

  The old man spoke slowly, his voice very calm.

  "...But teacher, you once said that the omen of the caster is not necessarily good, and it may also be the source of disaster."

  After hesitating for a moment, not knowing why the teacher suddenly mentioned this matter, the middle-aged man had to speak carefully.

  "Some dangers may not exist at first, but it is precisely because of inexplicable omens that people become unnecessarily vigilant, and ultimately bring disaster upon themselves. This is something we should learn from..."

  "Yes, this is what I taught you, Erwin. This is the terrifying part of fate. I am naturally aware of it."     "So after that day, I did nothing but watch the stars every night."

  The old man recalled that night in a faint voice.

  "I tried to get answers from the stars, or perhaps comfort."

  "But later you also know that one night not long after, the sky was bright, the day stars appeared, and there was a strange sight of a red star piercing the sun in the sky." "

  A large Mars that was originally wandering in the depths of the starry sky broke into pieces near the sun star, and its debris turned from a red star to a brown star, accompanied by a stream of fire that fell to the earth... This is an ominous sign, a disaster of apocalypse. And what's even more unfortunate is that the god we imprisoned happened to be the father of the stars, Astraeus."

  "Teacher, I..."

  "Listen to me!"

  The voice suddenly rose, and the old man interrupted.

  Pacing in the air above the ruins of the city, his breathing fluctuated violently.

  "I don't know what this astrological sign means. Is it an omen of fate, foreshadowing my destruction, or is it a reminder from Him that disaster is about to come?"

  "No one can explain this clearly. Even the Goddess of the Demonic Web herself said that fate will never explain to the viewer. It will only inadvertently reveal a corner to you, and then laugh at and play with you when you can't help but pursue it!" "

  So there is no answer. I had to solve it myself and search for it myself... In the end, I came to the beginning of everything, the underground palace where the gods were imprisoned."

  "So many years... Erwin, tell me," the old man turned to look at the middle-aged man and asked word by word, "Why on earth would I take such a big risk to imprison a god in the underground of Silvermoon City, under the eyes of the church and the gods? Is it because I like the feeling of dancing on the edge of a knife?"

  "No... no."

  Not knowing what went wrong, the middle-aged wizard was a little flustered. He had to rack his brains to think: "When Typhon was in trouble, you were not a demigod, and your spirit could not observe the complete structure of the twelve-layer magic net... Without the help of the mystery lock, the [artificial magic net] at that time could not trap a true god... And the sun god patrols the sky every day, we can't guarantee that we can hide from his eyes every time..."

  It seems that he has found a reason, and the middle-aged wizard's mood has finally stabilized.

  "Later, although the technology of the [artificial magic net] has also made breakthrough progress as you broke through the demigod, nothing has happened for so many years, and rashly transferring is risky. In addition, the power of the mystery lock can help us detect many uninvited outsiders, and the existence of the centaur can make the church less guarded against us, so-"

  "So Erwin, tell me." At some point, the old man's voice became cold: "Did you really do it according to my request and what you said?

  "Facing every sacrifice brought to the God of Stars, did you use the power of the mystery lock to review it and make sure it was correct?

  "Now, Erwin, tell me - did you do it?"

  "I -"

  "- You didn't!"

  The words were sharp, but the old man's expression was calm.

  Hesitant, not knowing what was going on, the middle-aged man looked up at his teacher's eyes, but looking at the calm eyes, an ominous premonition rose from his heart.

  This kind of eyes... dare not look again. Erwin was startled, and then a silver light flashed from his body.

  [Eight-ring witchcraft · Teleport without vision]!

  In just one breath, this witchcraft can let him leave here.

  Even if the demigod wizard took action personally, it would be impossible to destroy the various trigger-type witchcraft props he had accumulated for hundreds of years in a breath.

  At the same time, the [Nine-ring witchcraft · Wandering in the Spirit World] hidden under the fluctuations of space has begun to prepare. If the old man chooses to block the space at the first time, then his teleportation will certainly be blocked, but his soul can instantly jump to the pre-established spiritual anchor point in the second layer of the spirit world.

  Although he had done so many great things and entering the spirit world might be like leaving a wolf's den and entering a tiger's den, Erwin could not care less.

  He knew his teacher and knew what kind of person he was.

  In the past, no matter how serious his mistakes were, as long as he still needed him, he would be kind to him, with a few strict beatings at most, but now it was different.

  Looking at the teacher with a drastic change in attitude, Erwin now only wanted to save his life.

  The old man just stood opposite him with a blank expression. Looking at the student's resistance, he silently triggered the secret technique that existed a long time ago in his heart.

  "Ah--"

  With a scream, the piercing pain immediately spread from the depths of the middle-aged wizard's soul.

  The half-built witchcraft structure collapsed instantly, and the strong backlash aggravated the mental shock.

  Looking at this scene, the old man slowly moved forward. He ignored the student's painful struggle and began to remove the witchcraft protection on the other party.

  He removed it very carefully, as if he did not want to destroy their structure.

  "Erwin, my student, by now you should have remembered... You know, in this era, how many wizards who can become legends are mediocre?"

  "Average talent? Are you an exception?

  "No." "

  There is no such thing as forcing growth on the path of a wizard. The reason you can get to this point is entirely because you have the talent."

  "And the reason why you haven't made any progress since becoming the master of the clock tower... It's not because of your talent, it's because of me."

  The struggling action suddenly stopped, and Erwin's movements became more violent.

  However, the old man was unmoved, because he knew that at this moment, if the other party was really calm and indifferent, then it might be the only possibility of turning things around.

  But obviously, he would not give him this opportunity.

  "Erwin, listen carefully to the teacher... Do you still remember your senior brothers?"

  "I guess you must remember - but you must not remember them completely. "

  You only remember their achievements, but don't remember that you were once like them, talented and outstanding. Only I am different..."

  "When they became my disciples, they asked me for the secrets of witchcraft, and the young me generously taught them everything I knew."

  "It was not until later that they became legends one by one, and even gained power close to mine, and eventually drifted away from me for their own ideas, that I gradually figured it out."

  "Really good wizards are independent and it is impossible for them to be willing to be inferior to others forever."

  "So when you came to me, I seemed to remember them... So I taught you, let you release your potential, and then on the day you become a legend, I will make you my most loyal student forever."

  Woo woo -

  He didn't finish his words, but at this moment, although he couldn't make a sound, Erwin seemed to have understood something.

  So that's it, the study of the mind, the tampering of memory, and no progress in hundreds of years.

  In the past two thousand years, the White Tower has produced more than twelve legends. And even with the help of the teacher, if it weren't for his own talent, how could

  he replace his senior brother as the tower master? After all, his senior brother is so outstanding, and his research on the movement of celestial bodies is unmatched... Wait - senior brother?

  Yes... Erwin was a little dazed.

  He seemed to have several senior brothers, and even two of them had assisted the teacher in the research of the God of Stars before him... But for some reason, he seemed to have never met them, but he knew them very well...

  "Yes, it seems that you have realized it."

  Smiling and nodding, the old man slowly said:

  "Your earliest senior brothers have already set up their own schools, but the later ones have all presided over experiments on the stars for me."

  "So in order to prevent accidents... before they leave me, I can only let them have accidents first."