Chapter 610 - 516: The Gods Retreat

Be it by faith or by blood sacrifice.

The purpose of such things, in the end, is to provide the deities with power and maintain their glory.

By forging a War domain, Metis's power would be greatly enhanced. At that point, even a significant decrease in her number of followers would not affect her.

'Besides…'

'To switch sides and pledge allegiance so decisively… Metis must also harbor considerable dissatisfaction with the Far South Continent…'

Su Ye mused to himself.

The Far South Continent despised its gods. Its beloved children had been simply too incompetent, suffering a crushing defeat at the hands of cultivators, causing it to lose its autonomy and be captured by the world of the Celestial Dao.

It constantly exerted its influence, forcing the gods toward decline, intending to purge these decrepit and incompetent beings and create a new host of existences that could truly save the world.

Unfortunately, the stubbornness of the reactionary forces exceeded the Far South Continent Celestial Dao's imagination.

Faced with the world's malice, the gods decisively fought back, sacrificing living beings in blood rituals and creating high walls to ensure their own survival.

They clung on through hardship, stubbornly refusing to die!

The Far South Continent's plans for cost-cutting and efficiency-boosting fell completely flat. Instead, the mutual attrition with the gods consumed a great deal of World Primordial Force in a mutually destructive conflict.

Until now, when Wisdom Goddess Metis took the initiative to defect to Su Ye and the Jade Light Cultivation Realm.

Her idea was to help Su Ye destroy the will of the Far South Continent to regain her freedom.

—With the nation destroyed, the crimes are erased.

Once the Far South Continent was completely annexed, the world's will, and its hatred for the gods, would naturally dissipate!

'Hmm…'

'Is such a plan reliable?'

Su Ye shrugged, noncommittal.

In any case, the outcome was good for him.

'This is good, too. Saves me a lot of trouble.'

With Metis's defection, he had gained an influential deity from the fourth-generation divine court as a subordinate.

At the same time, it also offered the other Southern Deities another option.

—The chance to switch allegiances!

'The longer you live, the more you fear death… As long as I don't try to wipe them all out and instead offer them a way out, then even if Nether Mirror is unwilling, he won't be able to rally many to his side.'

'Besieging and killing me is even more absurd!'

Su Ye sneered.

If the Southern Deities wanted to kill him, there was only one way!

To pay with their lives!

But as lofty deities, how many would be willing to do so?

'Even Nether Mirror's subordinate gods… probably wouldn't be willing, right?'

...

「Next.」

With Metis's assistance, Su Ye and the other colonists from Yaoguang effortlessly took control of the City of Wisdom.

This densely populated native city-state, along with its nearly one thousand affiliated native settlements, all became territory of the Nanyaoguang Corporation!

Su Ye was relatively merciful. He granted the natives of the southern territories the right to reside on the corporation's land and did not expel these illegal invaders.

After taking control of the City of Wisdom, Su Ye proceeded methodically.

He began Refining the Spiritual Spring. The Spiritual Spring in the City of Wisdom was one grade higher than the one in the City of Knowledge.

This fifth-grade, high-quality Spiritual Spring was exceptionally rich in Spiritual Qi, allowing Su Ye's Magical Power to accumulate by leaps and bounds.

In just half a year.

He had already accumulated over half the Nascent Soul Magical Power needed to advance from the Mid-stage to the Late-stage—a process that would normally take centuries of meditation and arduous cultivation!

'To advance to the Late-stage Nascent Soul Realm and become a Great Cultivator… I need one more fifth-grade Spiritual Spring.'

Su Ye rubbed his chin. Once he advanced to the Late-stage Nascent Soul Realm, he could rely on his Immortalized Dharma Body to truly achieve it.

—Taking down the whole world, all by myself!

And all that stood between him and this goal was a single fifth-grade Spiritual Spring!

'A fifth-grade Spiritual Spring…'

'I should ask Metis.'

Su Ye pondered.

As one of the Southern Deities, she had a much deeper understanding of the situation in the southern territories.

「The Temple.」

Metis descended in an incarnation, wearing a crown of olive branches, and eagerly offered Su Ye her counsel.

"Your Excellency, based on your requirements, I have an excellent target in mind."

"Blood Dragon City... Yes, the territory of the Blood Dragon god. You have had dealings with this deity before."

"The city is relatively close to our current location. Furthermore, he is a subordinate god of Nether Mirror. Attacking him will not attract new hatred or make you too many enemies."

Metis waved a slender, pale finger as she spoke eloquently.

Because of the grudge from the stolen technique, the relationship between Su Ye and Nether Mirror was one of permanent mortal enemies.

In for a penny, in for a pound. Since they were already permanent mortal enemies, offending him a little more wouldn't make a difference.

"Indeed, not bad."

"Your incarnation will accompany me to Blood Dragon City," Su Ye commanded with a slight nod.

He still didn't trust Metis. Demanding her incarnation accompany him was a means of control.

For the current Southern Deities, the loss of an incarnation had a tremendous impact on their true body. Even for a deity of the Wisdom Goddess's caliber, losing another incarnation would force her into slumber.

If Metis was only feigning submission and harbored ill intentions, Su Ye could slay this incarnation and immediately inflict a heavy blow upon her!

"Yes."

Metis's eyelashes trembled. She sighed softly and agreed.

She was also well aware that Su Ye did not trust her completely.

But she had no choice. To slay the Eternal Hunting God and consolidate the War domain, she had to rely on Su Ye.

Besides, the fifth-grade Spiritual Spring in the City of Wisdom had already been refined by Su Ye.

Having lost the Spiritual Spring she depended on, Metis could no longer maintain her number of followers.

She had to rely on Su Ye, or else she would be forced into slumber, and eventually perish!

...

「A few days later.」

BOOM!

The cannons of the Ghostly Flood Dragon roared!

In the sky, a figure covered head to toe in armor and wearing a tattered, blood-red cape was taking a beating under the bombardment of Plasma Bombs!

'It's over.'

Su Ye remarked to himself as an icy silver light flickered in his eyes.

VMM.

He activated the Eyes of Eternal Union, freezing the Blood Dragon god's incarnation and utterly annihilating it!

Blood Dragon City had also fallen into his hands!

From beginning to end, Nether Mirror made no move, allowing his subordinate god to perish.

This was to be expected. The power Su Ye had displayed had already surpassed what Nether Mirror could handle in the mortal plane.

At the helm of the Ghostly Flood Dragon, Su Ye of the Nascent Soul Realm, along with Cangyuan Dragon Monarch, could now run rampant across the Far South Continent!

Trapped by the world's hatred and worn down day by day, Nether Mirror's only hope was to hype up the "Su Ye threat," mobilize all members of the divine court, and orchestrate a siege to kill him!

Unfortunately, Metis's defection had turned all of that into an empty dream.

The gods, barely hanging on, were weaker than Su Ye had imagined, utterly incapable of uniting and descending in their incarnations to besiege him.

"When fortune arrives, heaven and earth themselves lend their strength..."

Su Ye murmured, taking a step into Blood Dragon City's Underground Spiritual Spring!

By absorbing this fifth-grade Spiritual Spring, he could take another step forward and advance to the Late-stage Nascent Soul Realm!

'At that time, marching on Luofu State and annihilating the Jade Void Sword Sect will be child's play.'

An icy silver light flickered in Su Ye's eyes, a hint of eager anticipation.

"It's time to make all of the Yaoguang Islands submit to my will!"

The Lord of Yaoguang... who else could it be but me?!