Chapter 146: Stealing the Chicken

The other four deities each summoned the projection of their respective divine kingdoms, calling upon their holy spirits to come to their aid. In an instant, the area transformed into a massive battlefield where hundreds of thousands confronted one another.

Furthermore, an endless stream of beings continued to emerge from the divine kingdoms of those deities.

Zhou Changsheng’s brows furrowed deeply. Although their side was aided by the arts of military formation, the enemy possessed a virtually inexhaustible source of troops. If this were to drag on, they would inevitably sink into a vast quagmire.

Without further hesitation, Zhou Changsheng thrust out his hand, and an ancient spear materialized in his grasp. The battle spear was as crimson as blood, exuding an overwhelmingly fierce might. The tip of the spear was wreathed by the long river of time, piercing through eternity with peerless power!

"Die!"

Zhou Changsheng swung the battle spear, the cyan-gold armor on his body glowing and intertwined with divine principles. This was also a Heavenly King-grade supreme treasure, providing him with steadfast protection.

Though there were seven opponents, he felt not a shred of fear, charging forward just like that. He could sense that only the Holy Deity, the God of Thunder, and the God of Death possessed strength equal to his own, while the hosts of the other four deities were slightly inferior. On his side, there were only five Heavenly Kings, along with two injured younger brothers who could at best barely manage a one-on-one match against one of those four deities.

Clang!

An immortal sword materialized in the hand of the Lord of Holy Deity, slashing downward. This realm was instantly obliterated; the void shattered, and primal chaos filled the heavens and earth.

Immediately afterward, two figures rapidly intertwined in combat. Brilliant sword flashes and terrifying spear tips flashed across the space one after another, resembling dazzling bolts of lightning.

Following that, a torrential rain of blood fell, and various heavenly phenomena manifested in succession. The aftermath of the battle was even beginning to evolve tangible realms.

Within it, one could witness the rise and fall of civilizations, the perishing of mighty beings, the spectacle of creation, and the imagery of the apocalypse—terrifying beyond measure. This was a collision of their very wills.

"Slay!"

The God of Thunder made his move, towering magnificently between heaven and earth. Standing tall in the void, he seemed as ancient as if he had existed for billions of epochs. His massive physique emitted symbols, his runes glowing with a mysterious and unfathomable aura—those were incantations transformed into tangible Dao patterns.

Right here, he constructed an altar, communicating with the supreme power of his own divine kingdom. Instantly, it triggered a resonance, forming an unprecedentedly magnificent grand altar.

"Thunder Dao Obliterates the Heavens!"

He roared, a thunderous shout that shook both heaven and earth. Wind and clouds rolled turbulently as the altar shone, guiding boundless thunderbolts and channeling them directly toward Zhou Changsheng.

"Do you take us for mere decorations?"

With a stern shout, a surging river of righteous awe manifested. A mighty figure from the Grand Luo Academy emerged from the void, radiating boundless light. Grand power accompanied him, elevating his entire being to the utmost brilliance, making him resemble an emperor gestated within a white scorching sun.

Amidst ringing metallic sounds, the Academy expert was draped in a layer of white armor—the condensation of his very essence, merging his magical power and spiritual will. The Dao runes of his origin shimmered continuously.

Boom!

Clad in the armor of righteousness, the Academy expert bloomed with towering white mist. Looking much like a scholar, he charged directly into the battlefield, his right palm acting like a blade that cleaved the altar apart.

The Lord of Holy Deity wore an expression of cold indifference, wielding a holy sword accompanied by boundless radiance from behind. He appeared exceptionally divine, yet as he unleashed his full strength, visions of the mighty beings he had slain in the past and the scenes of world-destruction surfaced around him.

Though he looked utterly sacred, pristine, and brilliant, one could not possibly rise to prominence peacefully to become a preeminent figure among ancient deities.

The God of Death also intervened in the battle, gripping a gigantic black scythe adorned with mysterious patterns, its design exaggerated to an extreme degree.

With a single sweep of his hand, a baleful aura of darkness permeated the air, tearing massive rifts across the void. A powerful figure from the Dao Alliance swung a horsetail whisk, and purple Qi permeated the space, intertwining with and neutralizing the dark aura.

The hosts of the other four deities also joined the fray. They were elemental deities: flames surged skyward, wind-blade tornadoes raged, primordially heavy divine mountains pressed down from above, and water dragons blotted out the heavens.

The two injured Heavenly Kings of Kyushu also joined the battle.

It was five against seven, yet for a time, they fought to a standstill. The true forms of those deities might well be Dao Lords, but deities could only fully unleash their might within their own divine kingdoms. Moreover, their strength was inevitably suppressed upon descending into host bodies. Even if they forcibly employed certain secret techniques to enhance those hosts, the increase was strictly limited.

General matched general, and soldier matched soldier. Zhou Changsheng and his companions fought an intensely grueling battle, while the soldiers below engaged in bloody slaughter. The forces of Kyushu possessed the art of military formation.

Facing the holy spirits of the divine kingdoms, it was largely a one-sided massacre. In particular, the faction from the Ministry of Utensils produced a special kind of magical artifact that absorbed all the thunder-beasts originating from the God of Thunder's divine kingdom. Had those entities not carried the lingering imprint of the God of Thunder, requiring time to be converted, there would have been virtually no consumption of energy at all.

However, the gates of the divine kingdoms remained wide open. As the slaughter continued, holy spirits emerged in ever-greater numbers, yet the stalemate persisted.

"Everyone, I shall take my leave first!"

Zhou Xunchuan let out a hearty laugh, his body wreathed in surging vital blood. He leaped down from the ancient vessel, singled out a captain-tier holy spirit among the enemy ranks, and shattered it with a single punch. He then rampaged unrestrainedly until he encountered a holy-spirit of Saint tier, supported by nearby soldiers cooperating with his movements.

The others also charged down into the fray. Tian Ling nodded toward him and entered the battlefield. In a moment, only Zhou Tian remained upon the deck of the ancient vessel.

Zhou Tian glanced down at the bloody meat-grinder below, having no intention of descending himself. It was not out of cowardice, but rather because in a battlefield of this scale, the role he could play was utterly negligible.

Raising his eyes, he looked at the Hall of Myriad Deities suspended in the void. Although the doors of the bronze ancient hall had cracked open just enough for a person to squeeze through, a layer of seal still blanketed its surface.

Entering was not as simple as it seemed; certain conditions still had to be met. Yet, to Zhou Tian, this barrier was virtually non-existent. As long as the thickness of this door did not exceed three thousand characters and one hundred meters, he could simply teleport straight inside.

Zhou Tian rubbed his chin. Zhou Changsheng and the others were already embroiled in a fierce battle, fighting high up in the empyrean. The void trembled incessantly, and massive rifts extended across the firmament. It was as if by some tacit understanding, they had drawn the battlefield far away from the area where the armies clashed, for the aftermath of their combat was simply too immense and far-reaching.

It seemed entirely feasible to sneak in quietly. Zhou Tian surveyed the surrounding environment. The distance from the Tianqin ancient vessel to the summit of the Mountain of Myriad Deities was not particularly vast; a few dozen teleports would get him there.

If one thought of doing something, just do it. Why not seize an easy advantage when the opportunity presented itself? Making up his mind, Zhou Tian departed the ancient vessel directly and headed toward the Hall of Myriad Deities.

His figure flickered continuously through the void, his attention heightened to the absolute limit. He lived in constant dread that a stray bolt of lightning might suddenly shoot out from somewhere and strike him dead, which truly would have been a catastrophic loss.

To his surprise, however, not a single soul paid him any heed. It was not until he teleported right up to the bronze ancient gates of the Hall of Myriad Deities that Zhou Tian discovered others had already arrived in a standoff. They were people from Kyushu and the holy spirits of the divine kingdoms; Zhou Tian was clearly not the only one with the idea of taking a shortcut.