Chapter 689: Slaughtering the Gods
The Failed Negotiation
Seeing that Luke was moved, another deity continued,
"There's no need for this battle to proceed. Human, state your conditions. We will not refuse anything within our power."
"We can also tell you the secret to achieving true godhood."
The deity from the Celestial Court stepped forward, speaking with apparent sincerity. "The Celestial Court system is divided into two major schools: physical body and divine soul. Judging by the techniques you use, you belong to the latter. If I'm not mistaken, your divine soul has already reached the demigod peak, just one step away from entering the realm of a True God. This step is the most crucial and difficult one. Throughout history, countless powerful individuals have failed here."
"We can help you cross that step and become a True God. Consider it. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
This statement struck a chord with Luke. The deity was right; that step was indeed difficult, and he still had no idea how to take it.
A True God and a Demigod may not differ much in immediate combat power, but the difference is fundamental. The former is nearly immortal, while the latter is limited by bloodline constraints. Furthermore, there are differences in bloodline and superpowers.
According to the Tianshi Records, becoming a True God not only grants the bloodline a permanent evolution but also awakens an exclusive primal power—a power akin to a rule, such as Hanyue's singing, the White-Eyed Woman's soul-freezing, the Ancient Hidden Buddha's True Word Spells, or the God of Shangxu's Void Sword-Light. These are all derived from a primal power foundation, making them incredibly potent and almost unresolvable.
Another deity stepped forward. "If you deem it appropriate, we can cooperate right now. We tell you the method to achieve godhood, and you let us go."
The atmosphere became silent. The army of flame ghosts also ceased their attack, looking at Luke with confusion.
Seeing this, the residual Gods all breathed a sigh of relief. The situation was heavily stacked against them. Even if they managed to kill Luke, what then? This world was a true existence, not a fleeting soul illusion. Killing Luke wouldn't solve anything; they would still be trapped here, becoming fuel for the green flame.
The only way to survive was through the human before them.
To live, they had no choice but to compromise.
"Your suggestion moves me greatly. Unfortunately, it is too late."
Luke shook his head with regret, drew his bow, and fired. The arrow light streaked past, piercing the bodies of two residual Gods before vanishing into the void.
Two more fell, becoming funeral sacrifices to the sea of fire.
The remaining Gods were shocked and furious. One deity roared,
"Human, you brought this upon yourself!"
"Kill him!"
The Massacre
The negotiation failed. The residual Gods immediately entered a deathmatch mode, unleashing all their abilities and assaulting the sky simultaneously. Waves of world-destroying energy surged one after another but were blocked by the sea of fire.
At this point, the sea of fire had become a liquefied energy torrent, containing enough power to easily destroy a planet.
Luke stood atop the raging inferno, his gaze cold and merciless. Every time he drew his bow, a deity perished.
Slaughtering the Gods. It was nothing more than this.
This was his world. If the Gods' true bodies were here, they might have stood a chance, but alas, what came was a group of residual souls, mere copies lacking self-will. How could they possibly withstand the endless sea of fire and the seemingly infinite army of flame ghosts?
The war was already decided. As time passed, more and more Gods died, either becoming victims of the arrow, being burned by the green flame, or serving as sustenance for the army of flame ghosts.
From hundreds of residual souls, the number dwindled rapidly. Unconsciously, only a dozen or so were left, fiercely resisting. Those remaining were the strongest, including Hanyue and Artemis.
"Surrender!"
Luke looked down at them from above. "Offer your primal essence and become my captives, and I may spare your lives."
Hanyue, transformed into a woman of fire, hissed,
"We are Gods! How can we submit to a human?"
"In that case, never mind. I didn't plan on letting you go anyway."
Luke raised his hand and pressed down. The sea of fire poured downward, an endless torrent that submerged their bodies. They struggled desperately, but it was futile. They could only fade into nothingness amid unwilling and despairing roars.
The over five hundred residual Gods all perished. None were spared.
Luke took a deep breath, whispering a sound only he could hear,
"Goodbye, Princess Hanyue."
Having dealt with the Gods, the next issue was the troublesome little brat. He wondered how Diana was faring, and if she had been able to hold on.
Victory and Despair
The battle in the Green Flame World was over. Likewise, the battle outside was also drawing to a close.
Diana and Clark, having sacrificed an arm and a leg respectively, still couldn't stop the hostile twin. The gap between them was too vast, chillingly so.
The victorious twin knelt over the Mother Entity, gorging on flesh and drinking blood. It was completely delirious with excitement. As it consumed more and more of the flesh, its body quietly transformed.
The purplish-black skin disappeared, replaced by fine scales shimmering with seven-colored light. Its facial features began to mature, shedding the infant form and resembling a child of seven or eight years old.
If this continued, it would soon become the Ultimate Entity, a terrifying being that surpassed all Gods.
Diana watched this with despair, wanting to intervene but helpless. Her body was near collapse; she didn't even have the strength to walk. Clark was even worse. Not only had he lost a leg, but his soul had been severely wounded. He was dazed and unresponsive. She didn't know if he would ever wake up.
"Luke, how much longer will you take?"
Diana couldn't help but give a bitter smile. Before the words were out, the Mother Entity, now only one-third of its original size, moved. It raised a tentacle and brutally whipped the hostile twin, knocking it away.
"Luke?" Diana cried out in surprise and joy.
"It's not him. It's me."
J'onn's voice came from the Mother Entity. The massive body began to writhe, returning to its original form.
"Are you two alright?" J'onn asked.
Diana gave a wry smile. "I'm okay. Clark is severely wounded and hasn't woken up."
J'onn quickly used his psychic abilities to check Clark's mental state. After a moment, he let out a long breath.
"It's okay. His psychic signature hasn't vanished. When Luke returns, there will surely be a way to save him."
"Luke... why hasn't he returned?" Diana asked anxiously.
J'onn shook his head. "The situation was more dangerous than we imagined. There were over five hundred residual divine souls inside the Mother Entity, each with different powers. Their combined strength was too terrifying. I didn't dare show myself. Then, I don't know how, Luke somehow took himself and all those divine souls away."
"I was able to seize control of the body thanks to that window of opportunity."
"Then Luke?" Diana was extremely worried. "Did he ever appear to you?"
J'onn sighed softly.
"I'm sorry. I don't know his current situation."
A single person facing hundreds of Gods—J'onn racked his brain and couldn't conceive of a way Luke could have survived.
Diana froze, her face drained of color. Her once-vibrant eyes lost their luster, turning into dark abysses of despair.
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