Chapter 270 - 1121 - 1129

Unrest

"Tsk… Chester really is pitiful…" Ukekelu, the lion-bodied demigod, shook his head.

"If my ascension fails, I won't end up any differently either…" A mass of black mud issued this thought, but while the demigods continued their discussion a rain of blood enveloped the Tree Castle. Any survivors believed to worship Chester Potter were sent to burn at the stake.

On the other hand, Schliff faced much better treatment. His head had been chopped off directly by a legendary paladin.

Leylin looked around and asked, "How is it, everyone? After witnessing this scene, what do you think of my idea?"

"With the obstruction of a true god, our chances of advancing will definitely be reduced… Your suggestion is worth considering…"

"I'll answer you before the time limit."

The other false gods gave a reply one after another.

"Very well. I believe that, as long as we work towards a common goal, becoming true gods isn't just a wild hope for us. We'll definitely succeed!"

...

Once the other demigods left, Leylin looked towards the forest with an imposing look.

'Vengeful spirits will arise during ascension, causing a tide of pollution…' Although Chester Potter's situation was a unique case, Leylin did not completely overrule the possibility of the same happening to himself.

'Experimental results show that negative energy easily attracts such mutations, and also results in powerful magnetic fields that distort space…' He stroked his chin.

If one spoke of karma, Leylin's kill count almost equalled that of the Poison Scorpion. Even in the World of Gods alone, the number of people who had fallen at his hands was an astronomical figure. Countless natives had fallen at his hands, and numerous high-ranked Professionals. If even 1% of those vengeful spirits moved during his ascension, it would land him in a very tricky situation.

'I need to thoroughly bid farewell to my past before I ascend? Moreover, only true gods of the World of Gods can bear the weight of the vengeful spirits…' His understanding of deities had increased.

'That's not everything I gained from today,' Leylin's eyes shone, 'The descend of the World Will allowed me to distinguish between the strengths of the different camps. Malar was a live example, the same kind of thing will definitely happen to me!'

Chester Potter could be called a test subject for Leylin's own situation. The A.I. Chip had gathered a lot of valuable information from this live experiment, information that would be vital to Leylin's advancement.

'Once all the preparations are complete, I shall immediately return and ascend!' Desire and thirst revealed themselves in Leylin's eyes, and his confidence peaked. Who other than him could start the war on the gods once more?

...

'May your soul be at peace.' Rafiniya prayed silently inside the Baron's household. Those that had survived the sacrifice sympathised with evil and there was no need to let them off. She'd undertaken the task, purging the entire residence with her holy sword.

Rafiniya felt like her own heart had been stirred up by that bloody altar. Twenty thousand innocents had died, and even their corpses hadn't been spared. Their only remnants were traces of wetness and ripped clothing.

'Those evil and false gods are the greatest stain on the cause of justice!' Rafiniya felt a burning flame within her chest, about to break out of her body.

"Holy Knight!" A priest of Tyr ran over, bringing over a mirror of water. An image formed on the mirror, showing an old priest that resembled a warrior. The man had a kindly face and thick eyebrows, his expression filled with determination.

"Cardinal!" Rafiniya immediately saluted to the old man. Her actions weren't just due to a difference in status and strength, instead a respect born from her heart.

"Rafiniya! I've learnt that the false god has been eliminated. You've done well," the cardinal praised.

"All is due to the Lord's protection. Under the guidance of our Lord, those evil and false gods only received their just punishment." Rafiniya pursed her lips, seeming very obstinate.

Seeing this scene, a kind smile surfaced on the Cardinal's face. He then turned serious, "Rafiniya, I have another task for you."

"Please." Rafiniya did not want this tragedy to repeat itself. She was in a hurry to set off, slicing the evil zealots apart to save innocent civilians.

"Very well," A trace of unwillingness appeared within the elderly cardinal's eyes as he looked at Rafiniya's current state, but he soon suppressed it. "A number of demigods backed the resurrection and frenzy of the Poison Scorpion Church this time…"

The cardinal's face was exceptionally serious, bemoaning the state of the universe and pitying the fate of mankind.

"These false gods greatly disrupt the peace of the continent. The Lord has decreed that we investigate the parties involved in this incident, and work together with the other churches to eliminate those false gods."

"As the Lord wills." Rafiniya knelt down on one knee and agreed. "Where am I to investigate?"

"The southern seas, Debanks Island. Specifically, the Giant Serpent Church." The moment the cardinal revealed her destination, Rafiniya's body quivered.

The cardinal spoke slowly, "I know you had a good relationship with that demigod wizard. If you're unwilling—"

"No! I accept this task." The Holy Knight looked up, incomparable resolution on her face.

"It is true that Leylin and I were friends. However, he's threatening the peace of the continent! It's my duty as his friend to pull him off the wrong path!"

"What if he exceeds his limits?" the cardinal asked indifferently.

"In that case, I shall end his mistakes once and for all." Rafiniya's body radiated justice with her reply.

"Very well! The Lord has seen your determination!" The cardinal nodded in satisfaction, stopping communications.

"Holy Knight Rafiniya! The cardinal commanded us to follow you." A team of powerful paladins and priests approached Rafiniya. This was only the investigation team. Once she sent confirmation, high-ranked legendaries and even gods' avatars would be dispatched there.

"I didn't expect us to end up like this, Leylin…" Rafiniya looked towards the setting sun, faint regret in her eyes. She seemed to recall their first meeting, a time when both of them were of similar strength. Leylin had shaken her off quickly, becoming a high-ranked wizard, then a legendary and ultimately a demigod. She could only watch his distant back, unable to even shadow him.

'I'm so stupid! Really, with his thirst for power and his attitude of safety over principles, it should've been clear from the start that we'd end up on opposite sides!' Rafiniya withdrew her sword, the regret replaced with resolution. 'You have your path, and I shall insist on mine. From this day forth, we are enemies!'

The Holy Knight pointed her longsword towards the south, setting into an unshakeable determination, "Let's set off. Our target is in Debanks Island, the Giant Serpent Church!"

A large number of mounted troops filed out of the Tree Castle, leaving dust on the road.

...

"Romese!" Helm's avatar called out to his own cardinal in another camp.

"My Lord! You are the guardian and defender of the true gods…" Romese knelt down, his face full of sincerity.

"Although we won this time, things won't remain so simple…" The avatar's eyes shone with foresight.

"Head towards the south, and assist the troops of justice in eliminating the Giant Serpent Church entirely." Helm decreed, "The church will exert pressure as needed on the coastal nation, having them form a sea expedition."

"I understand! Your will is my command!" Romese respectfully agreed, but great shock entered his heart. 'Not hesitating to gather secular forces in an expedition? This breaks custom… Has our opponent reached such a terrifying level?'

The church and state had certain tacit understanding. This action would throw the gods' might around the secular world; such an action would attract a great deal of negativity.

There was only one reason Helm would shoulder this— the danger of allowing the Giant Serpent Church to continue developing greatly exceeded the danger royalty posed towards them. It could even threaten Helm himself!

Having thought of this, Romese suddenly felt the weight of the task that had been placed on his shoulders…

The situation in the continent hadn't calmed after the Poison Scorpion Church was eliminated, instead growing even more strange. Numerous demigods began to stir, and dense clouds began to shroud the prime material plane. It was in such a turbulent environment that Rafiniya's party arrived in the southern seas.

Rebellion

Faulen Island.

Rafiniya had a nostalgic expression on her face as she stepped onto the dock once more. The last time she'd come here, it was to congratulate Leylin on advancing to the legendary realm. She'd then entreated him to take part in the operations of the Silverymoon Alliance in the north.

It seemed like that had happened just yesterday. However Rafiniya clearly knew that nothing was the same as before.

"There's news, my Lady. All transport to Debanks Island has stopped." A paladin arrived by Rafiniya's side.

"I've seen them," Rafiniya looked at Port Venus. The originally flourishing port had now become rather desolate. With the loss of the hugely important Debanks Island, a majority of the ships had left. There were only two or three boats here, a rather pitiful scene.

"They've pulled back their forces, did they discover something?" Rafiniya gritted her teeth, "Even if we have to find our own ships, we must hurry onwards to Debanks Island!"

*Bang!* Just at this moment, the earth suddenly shook beneath them. The skies rippled with a powerful aura and turned dark.

"What's happening?" "Help!" The port was in an uproar.

Rafiniya looked in the direction of Debanks Island with an experienced gaze. Strong origin force undulations were spreading from that location, and faint sounds of prayer could be heard even here. Her expression grew grave, 'Too late!'

In the next moment, origin force from ascension spread towards them. It wasn't only from the southern seas, gods seemed to be ascending everywhere. Rafiniya's face paled instantly in response.

...

Within the swamp, many natives had come together and knelt in prayer. "Ukekelu… Almighty Ukekelu, you are our master…" The power of faith converged into a sweeping tide, completely enveloping the sphinx.

...

A clump of murky mud suddenly spread across the grasslands, expanding to the size of several cities as sparks of golden flame began to seep out from its body.

...

*Rumble!* The tremor of origin force spread across the multiverse in a moment. Many gods turned their gazes to the prime material plane, shock clear in their eyes.

"So many demigods are ascending…" "This is a conspiracy!"

Many divine wills flowed together in the void. News of this activity even spread to the demons and devils.

Many leading existences of the World of Gods focused their attention on the prime material plane, hoping to preserve themselves or gain something from this occasion.

In the outer planes, Mystra's avatar arrived outside a divine kingdom filled with divine light.

"Mystra, I've waited a long time for you to come!" Origin force roared outside the divine kingdom, congealing into an elderly warrior who had lost both his eyes.

"We have another slip-up in our plans. Elminster had stayed in hiding and not acted all this time, but now he has already begun his ascension to become a true god…" Mystra was very gloomy, "And with that demigod's ascension, great changes have occurred in the path of fate."

"You still care about that prophecy?" Tyr straightened his back, "In this world, only justice and fairness can be eternal."

"The snake that will destroy the world…" Mystra's wry smile soon grew serious again, "I have never before felt as I do now, that his footsteps are imminently drawing closer and closer…"

Tyr could not overlook the powerful premonitions of so great a god. He grew silent, and the divine kingdom nearby seemed to grow suffocated as well, "It's not so easy to ascend to godhood. Since that person is ascending in the domain of massacre, he'll suffer great hostility from Malar and Cyric…"

"Let's wait and see. My premonition is far from reassuring…" Mystra looked into the distance. Her starlike eyes seemed to cut through everything, and see directly into the future.

...

The ninth level of hell, Nessus.

"Father!" The current ruler of Malbolge, the Erinyes Queen Glasya who possessed unimaginable charm, bowed in front of an old devil.

Having entered the realm of laws herself, Glasya could sense the incomprehensibly formidable power that Asmodeus possessed. In spite of the primordial contract in his hands giving him natural authority over Baator, the other Archdevils had been resisting his rule. However, his innate control could not be changed…

"I sense the undulations of Baator's origin force…" Asmodeus took the form of a mountainous devil, his black goat horns slightly pointed and his eyes filled with immeasurably profound evil.

"A Lord of Baator is currently trying to ascend to godhood." Asmodeus' words made Glasya cry out in shock.

"Ascension? Who? Which devil dares to renounce…. Hmm? Don't tell me it's the Lord of Dis…" Glasya's thoughts seemed to turn very quickly to the ruler of Dis. Leylin was still a mystery to her.

Of course, after many years of investigations, Leylin's true identity was not a secret to the Lords of Baator. They had even formed a unanimous pact and set plans to invade and overturn Dis in motion. Had Leylin not left Baator to reside permanently in the prime material plane, he would perhaps have been ambushed and killed already, his authority divided up among the other lords.

"Baator was never his goal… He pursues only the everlasting radiance of godhood…" Asmodeus said with great accuracy.

Asmodeus had to thank Leylin. The demigod had been a conspicuous target to date, attracting considerable ire that let his own plots play themselves out in the shadows. Asmodeus hadn't attracted any violence yet.

With Leylin's 'contributions', Asmodeus would have been willing to spend some time crafting a devil's form for him if he wished to completely depend on Baator in the future. He would even bestow a false reputation and glory upon him. However, all of this had now changed.

"The integration of a god and a ruler of hell will no doubt give rise to many unimaginable consequences…" A poisonous worm crawled out from Asmodeus' beard, and was tossed into his mouth. The Archdevil's evil eyes were filled with resolution, "We need to overthrow the Lord of Dis, and sever his ties with Baator."

"The pit fiend Azlok is ruling over Dis in his place right now, and is quite satisfied with his current positions. Even if we use the people we placed amongst their ranks and add the power of the other Lords, it'll still be difficult to topple his rule. Even if he isn't a true devil," Glasya bit down on a scarlet lip, "I need a lot more time…"

The Erinyes Queen had taken several thousands of years to seize Malbolge, accumulating a large rebel army in secret before taking advantage of the upheaval in the Second Hell to succeed. Had she not first stripped the Hag Countess of her origin force and forced her out of the realm of laws, she wasn't likely to be the final victor.

That showed the power a Lord of Baator held over their subordinates. However, Leylin being human caused many devils to feel dissatisfied, and his rule hadn't been too long either. It wasn't a particularly favourable situation for him.

"No buts! Go and notify Mammon and the others. I'll need their help to overthrow Dis. Even if we have to leave Avernus for it and give them that authority, I'm fine with it. You'll be in charge of accepting and signing the contract," Asmodeus flipped through his enormous tome of contracts before tearing out a piece of black parchment.

"Understood!" Glasya accepted the agreement. She saw her father's resolution, and knew that with Asmodeus' wisdom and foresight in addition to her decisiveness, their interests in Leylin could not be held back.

'An existence which my father is willing to sacrifice profit to defeat, what sort of schemer is he? I really look forward to this, haha…' Devils were a bunch of fast-moving creatures, especially when it came to the formalities of contracts.

In order to save time, Asmodeus had even directly opened up the network of authority, allowing several Lords of Baator to contact their moles in Dis.

The entirety of Dis was soon embroiled in war. Powerful explosions resounded, as armies of armed devils rushed forth to burn the Iron City. Their primary target was the official residence of the highest-ranking devils, the core of the city's rule— the Iron Tower!

At this moment, pit fiend Azlok was surveying the scene of the city with taunting eyes.

"Mm, Dir, Modiklo and Hessas, all of you betrayed us…" Looking at his city falling into enemy hands, Azlok's expression did not hold the slightest trace of regret and or rage. He looked at these devil rebel armies as if he was looking at a bunch of clowns.

"You lot have never tasted our master Kukulkan's power…" Azlok turned and moved to a conference hall, where the old devil that Leylin had subdued appeared.

"Haha, all the preparations are complete. We have our people guarding all the nodes, the devil hunters are all in position!" Borke cackled, radiating primordial evil. His power caused even Azlok's heart to skip a beat. Only Leylin with his superior power and plots could subdue such a creature.

"Very good, let's go out and receive them! I'm impatient to see the despair on those traitors' faces, haha…" Devils were most fond of using schemes to get rid of those more powerful than them.

"I can't wait either!" The old devil followed behind Azlok like a butler, and they slowly left the Iron Tower.

Many great devil armies had already surrounded the region around the Iron Tower, held back by their fear of the tower's defences. They were late in mounting their offensive.

Shock

Seeing Azlok and Borke walk out, the traitorous devils all took a step back.

"Surrender, Azlok. You don't have to work so hard for the sake of an outsider!" A pit fiend dressed in barbed black armour stood out, "We're backed by the Lords of Baator, including Supreme Asmodeus himself. This is the will of the Nine Hells!"

"Even the Nine Hells must submit to our master!" Borke stepped forward, emanating vile, devilish soul light.

"This… Primordial power… Who exactly are you?" The pit fiends were stunned. This old devil was almost as strong as the Supreme.

"Keke… My name's long since been buried in the long and deep river of history. On the other hand, you shall become the dust and decay of yesteryear… You shall be buried in history, remembered as foolish and inferior…" Borke snickered, and a terrifying wave of origin force suddenly descended upon Dis, accompanied by some unresigned, enraged howls.

"It's beginning!" Borke and Azlok exchanged a glance and knelt down, beginning to pray.

"Our master, Kukulkan. You are the master of Baator, the Nine Hells. You are the Lord of all devils, the personification of order, the speaker for evil. You are the maker of laws and rules, holding power and authority!"

"Our master, Kukulkan. You control the power of massacre. The blood and terror of your enemies shall turn into your strength. Death shall accompany you wherever you go. You are the master of the end!"

"Our master, Kukulkan! Your will extends across the earth. Your divine kingdom shall protect our souls, and the souls of all your worshippers shall gain new life within!"

"Our master, Kukulkan! Your name shall become sacred. May your throne remain tall and turn into the stars in the skies!"

"This is… an ascension ceremony! A Lord of Baator is about to become a god!" Dir, Modiklo, Hessas and the other pit fiends all exclaimed at this moment.

The slight sounds of prayers could be heard from all directions. All the devils that Leylin had subdued now knelt piously, their fervent prayers gradually filling the entirety of Dis with a holy golden lustre.

Horrifying origin force howled out, and with the zealous power of faith crossed the obstruction of space and dimensions to arrive in the prime material plane.

...

Debanks Island.

At this moment, all the natives had abandoned whatever they were doing. Those of higher status gathered at churches, while the rest turned to statues or even the sky to pray.

"Our master, Kukulkan! You are the protector of natives. We natives exist because of you. You lord over our souls and protect us after death in your heavenly kingdom. Your name shall become holy amongst all natives!"

"Our master, Kukulkan. You control the power of massacre. The blood and terror of your enemies shall turn into your strength. Death shall accompany you wherever you go. You are the master of the end!"

"Our master, Kukulkan! Your name shall become sacred. May your throne remain tall and turn into the stars in the skies!"

For some reason, all the natives felt a hot rush in their hearts that they could not get rid of. Only praying allowed them to feel peace. The prayers that were similar yet different from those in Baator grew louder and louder, until they were suffused with the faith of the world to gather in the capital of the Faulen Empire.

Upon the holy mountain, the skies were already filled with terrifying dark clouds. Lightning flashed and thunder boomed from inside, as if numerous thunder dragons were roaring out from within. Golden power of faith converged to form a funnel, pushing all this power right on top of the holy mountain into the shrine Leylin was in.

This was just the start, and the intense whistling of origin force far exceeded how things had gone with Chester Potter. Tiff and Isabel stood together outside the headquarters of the Giant Serpent Church, gazing up at the origin force lightning above them. There was a look of obvious worry on their faces.

"Ascension… Our master has the accumulation of faith from an entire empire. He definitely will succeed!" Tiff's eyes showed a crazed fervour. Over all these years of serving him, he'd developed an absolute trust in his god.

"With his accumulation of divine force, I'm not worried even with the backlash from origin force and malicious spirits…" Fine dragon scales appeared on Isabel's body, emanating the aura of an ancient dragon. This was a form ready for battle at any time. "What I'm worried about is him being targeted by those gods…"

""Whatever it is, we will serve as a fort for our master, firm and solid!"" Tiff looked solemn, speaking in unison with a circle of powerful members of the clergy.

"Be it god or devil, anyone who wants to interrupt the ceremony will have to do it over my dead body!" Isabel gripped the Red Dragon Sword's hilt tightly, the look of resolution in her eyes like ice that would never thaw.

...

*WHOOSH!* The origin force lightning in the sky seemed to have reached the limit of what could be amassed. With what sounded like the enraged roars of primordial dragons, the sounds of explosions seemed to tear the skies apart.

*Rumble!* The roof of the shrine was cut through. If Leylin hadn't sent a decree to evacuate the slaves and weaker clergymen, there would've been heavy casualties in the Giant Serpent Church.

The lightning, with all its boundless destructive force, was stopped by a golden palm. Numerous prayers had formed a surge of faith that lingered around Leylin's godly body.

"All these years of planning… Today is the day they come to fruition!" Leylin floated in the skies, dazzling golden light emanating from all parts of his body. Golden godfire revealed itself, using massive amounts of divine force to resist the heavenly lightning.

Numerous chains of laws flickered around Leylin. Pure runes of massacre were already beginning to enter the godfire unceasingly, terrifying power that only belonged to true gods growing within.

...

*ROAAAAR!* In the hunter's wasteland that was Malar's divine kingdom, the main body of the God of the Hunt began to howl. The ape could sense that someone was eyeing its massacre domain, that thief that had once stolen its divinity!

Malar left his divine kingdom without hesitation, moving towards the boundary of the prime material plane.

...

"Another false god eyeing our master's domain!"

Deep inside the marshes and ravines, within in the headquarters of the God of Murder's church. An aged pope rapidly turned red, and even began coughing out large amounts of blood, "Let them work on their own…"

He feebly waved his arms, his crooked body seeming to hold an endless amount of fatigue. The pope stared at the statue of Cyric, eyes holding a last bit of hope.

"Our master still has yet to respond at all… Hopefully Merrick can get the Book of Truth to him as soon as possible, or challengers like these will only increase in number in the future…"

...

On Debanks Island, Leylin now reached a critical moment in his ascension.

*Rumble! Rumble!* Destructive lightning rained down, dying out to large amounts of divine force.

"The Feathered Serpent God, Kukulkan!"

"Our master, Kukulkan… who exists with us!"

"Who exists with us…"

In the meanwhile, a river of death formed that extended through multiple worlds. Numerous illusory souls crawled out of the river, holding the power of blood and vengeance. They tried to contaminate Leylin's pure body.

These vengeful spirits were mostly natives, and Isabel could even recognise high-ranked Professionals who had died at Leylin's hand. Even the late demigods of the native empire were here!

"A divine soul is the sublimation of a life form. Before this can happen, it is necessary to put an end to all sins of the past…" Tiff mumbled.

Numerous vengeful spirits pounced forth, pulling at Leylin's holy lustre with hands stained with fresh blood. It was like they were trying to put out his godfire.

The origin force lashed back with lightning, and these vengeful spirits shot forth with hatred. If a demigod could not hold up, they would end up like Chester Potter, pulled down to the depths of the underworld to be tortured for eternity.

With the number of lives Leylin had taken, the backlash and hatred were abnormally terrifying, exceeding the destruction wrought on the average demigod significantly.

However, just as Tiff and Isabel were starting to feel their hearts clench in fear, Leylin made his move!

"I am the master of the law of massacres. All of your pain shall become my power!!" He suddenly took a step forward, his powerful massacre domain quickly spreading out. Bloody light radiated out, and the vengeful spirits' cries disappeared. Hundreds of thousands had been absorbed instantly, forming Leylin's strength.

"Even if enemies that have died can be revived, none can escape the fate of death once more!" Leylin seemed to be chanting a prayer, at the same time making a prediction. Even the spirits of the demigods paled with terror, and they were immediately annihilated alongside all the other powerful enemies Leylin had killed in the World of Gods.

Lightning dissipated in the skies, and the vengeful spirits of the Styx seemed to lose all their strength in front of their master. Tiff and Isabel clenched their fists in anticipation, this was a moment they would never forget in their lives!

The godfire stabilised, surging with the power of laws.

[Beep! Host is beginning ascension. Being amplified by power of faith, comprehending law of massacre!] [Beep! Host's comprehension of the law of massacres is at 67%… 80%…] The A.I. Chip's prompts were refreshed continuously.

The laws of the World of Gods were different from the Magus World, and the gods could use faith to comprehend laws. The process of solidifying one's divine domain was, in fact, the process of comprehending that law. Leylin obviously would not let this hard-to-come-by opportunity slip past him. Great amounts of divine will rushed forth as he recorded all his realisations about massacre.

*Boom! Boom!* At this moment, the power of the Weave went berserk above Debanks Island. Mystra's figure revealed itself, dressed in splendid clothing. Tyr's avatar showed itself as well, holding a large blade with both hands. The avatars of two greater gods had arrived here, and they obviously harboured terrible intentions.

Some demigods obtained favour from certain gods. During their ascension, these gods would especially show themselves via their avatars and protect them. However, Mystra and Tyr were obviously not about to do this.

True God

A huge monster made of sludge roared out over the spacious grasslands, a small godfire emerging to meet the pale-white lightning in the sky. Bolts of lightning crashed down like raindrops, the power of annihilation they carried destroying the surrounding landscape.

*Ooo!* The silhouette of the river of death appeared once more, and vengeful spirits reached out towards the monster with their bloody hands, climbing on top of its body to pull it down into the underworld.

"No!" The monster released a loud roar, and its godfire burst forth. However, its divine spark was eventually extinguished. Losing its divinity, the monster's body was dragged down into the Styx, and it completely disappeared…

The southern swamp.

"Lord Ukekelu!" "Ukekelu!"

With the pious prayers of numerous worshippers, the lion-bodied demigod Ukekelu managed to survive the thunderstorm and the resentment of the vengeful spirits. Twisted runes of law gradually formed within his godfire, about to propel his breakthrough.

"You sinner! How dare you commit such heresy on my law of savagery?" A huge figure emerged in the sky just then, carrying the imposing aura of a true god. Scarlet lightning crashed into Ukekelu's godfire, causing it to tremble. Space rippled at the edges of the divine spark, and power of law collided with the runes to form such chaos that it eventually just exploded.

"Damn that true god!" Ukekelu looked up into the skies, snarling and roaring as the radiance in his eyes gradually dimmed.

"My Lord… NOOO!" The priests on the ground bellowed, soon finding the divine power in their bodies ebbing like a tide. The suffering that came with such a thing was more painful than if all their bones had been pulled out.

"Pu!" All the members of the clergy spat out blood and fainted under the horrifying attack, while some of the old and weak met their deaths directly.

...

In the skies above Debanks Island, the Goddess of the Weave and the God of Justice were standing side by side.

"Two of those false gods have been defeated by Gruumsh," Mystra said with conviction as she looked towards the horizon.

"In comparison the serpent's accumulation is terrifying. To directly overcome the vengeful spirits and the origin force… It looks like his comprehension of his law is extremely deep as well, and it won't be a problem for him to enter his divine domain…" Tyr looked at Leylin surrounded by origin force, the evil energy making him furrow his brows. How had they not noticed this huge tumour that had been hidden in the prime material plane before?

"He's currently protected by origin force, as a matter of law we cannot interfere…" However, Mystra faintly added another word to this statement, "Unless…"

"Unless it's by a god in an identical domain, who can devour the power of law." Tyr looked at the primate that appeared in the sky.

Malar's avatar bellowed with rage, its huge claws pulling back as the law of massacre descended upon the World of Gods. It caused Leylin's divine domain to grow unstable, and scarlet lightning struck his divine spark.

"This damned monkey. I'll kill it one day!" Isabel suddenly gnashed her teeth in rage.

"We're not strong enough yet to deal with the avatar of a true god…" Tiff held Isabel back, "However, it's not a problem to deal with the rest."

He hinted for Isabel to look down, and she saw some sneaky silhouettes lurking towards the holy mountain.

"Those damned things!" Isabel snarled as two huge draconic wings burst out of her back. Her transformation only took an instant before a legendary Dragon Warlock pounced towards the silhouettes. The land was bathed in a sea of blood.

...

Leylin had sensed the lightning strike down on him from the sky.

"Malar," he laughed coldly, "How could I forget you?" He'd seen the beast god use this move on Chester Potter but a short while ago, how could he not be prepared?

"It's time to use you. Go!" Leylin's hands suddenly opened up, and surging divine force mixed with the power of faith isolated the scarlet lightning for a moment. Leylin fished out a crystal ball with a huge amounts of blurry spirits inside it, directly transforming them into soul force that was absorbed by the godfire.

These spirits had been stored by Akaban, the emperor of the former Sakartes Empire. A small number of them had been used for tests in Baator, but now Leylin had cast most of them out. His godfire rumbled as it absorbed so many spirits, its power skyrocketing as a sparkling translucent crystal emerged, the depiction of his divine domain.

This crystal was flawless, a hint of blood to its colour indicating that it belonged exclusively to a God of Massacre.

"Such a pity. Malar is only a lesser god in the end. If Cyric was here, this demigod could only fall…" Mystra's face was full of doubt, "Why exactly is Cyric sitting back and watching others take over his domain?"

"There's no use guessing right now!" Tyr shouted from beside her, his huge sword in hand. "All we can do now is wait. The power of laws and the prime material plane will stop protecting him once he ascends, and he'll be thrown out. A lesser god has nowhere to run facing my true body…" As a greater god, Tyr was confident in himself.

"That's the only way," Mystra sighed. Her heart was filled with anxiety, but she had no other choices.

...

Leylin currently wasn't in the mood to care about the outside world. Once the crystal appeared in his godfire, it commanded the entirety of his focus.

*Buzz!* The crystal radiated the power of laws, trembling as it fused together with the godfire back into Leylin's divine body. It seemed tailor-made for him, no longer able to be split apart.

At the same time, Leylin saw a vision. A powerful god was screaming from within dark shadows, holding his head as a force instantly tore a crack into his throne of massacre.

The image faded quickly, replaced by the AI Chip's prompt:

[Beep! Host has obtained the divine domain of massacres. Comprehension of the law of massacres has reached 100%.] [All conditions have been met, host is now ascending…] [The host comprehension of Massacre rule: 100%! All the conditions have been met! Advancing true god!"] [Beep! Host has automatically been classified as a legendary priest. All spells unlocked.]

All of Leylin's followers seemed to sense something at this moment, their eyes brimming with tears of excitement as they started praying.

"Kukulkan, my Lord, you are the lord of our souls. You shall shelter us in your kingdom after death, for you are the ruler of all!"

"Kukulkan, my Lord, you wield the power of massacres. The death of your enemies shall bring you power, and you are the end of everything!"

"Kukulkan, my Lord, your will shall shape the earth. We wish for your throne to join the stars in the skies!"

Devout prayer spread across the prime material plane, followed by Baator, the Abyss, the heavens, and even the entire astral plane. Those of legendary might, devils, demons; they all shifted their attention to this location. A true god had been born, recognised by the world to stand at its peak!

If someone were to ascend to godhood, even if they fell the very next moment they would leave an indelible mark on the history of the World of Gods, one that would be hard to forget. Numerous existences saw this moment as an opportunity, making their moves while Leylin was experiencing drastic changes to his body.

The terror of the law of massacre was enough to support a powerful god. Furthermore, Leylin hadn't comprehended the law step by step, instead having it all thrust upon him through faith and the power of the World Origin Force. It caused him to feel bloated in an instant as the terrifying energy mixed with faith was spreading around his body. If not for the divine body he already possessed, Leylin would have exploded due to the enormous force.

With such terrifying energy, his godfire and divine force seemed to fuse with his divine domain, ultimately forming a true god's body. In that split second, Leylin Faulen had entered the realms of rank 7 and become a true god!

*Buzz!* The whole world started to roar, and the space around Leylin began to shatter. The world was beginning to suppress him, the prime material plane unable to accommodate the body of a true god. It was urging him on, to move into the endless void and establish his divine kingdom.

'Establish a divine kingdom? I'm not that stupid!' With his ascension, Leylin had an understanding of the process of establishing his divine kingdom that was almost second nature. It was so much so that, with the favour of the origin force, the construction of his divine kingdom would far surpass normal domains and save a great amount of divine force.

However, two greater gods were waiting to ambush him the moment he left the protection of the prime material plane. Only a fool would choose to do so.

"Haha… Mystra, Tyr, I'm sorry to disappoint…" Leylin laughed wildly. This was only the tip of the iceberg.

"A divine kingdom? My choice is— here!" Leylin floated up into the sky, suddenly pointing towards Debanks Island. Golden divine force whizzed out, instantly surrounding the entire island and changing the laws of space and time within.

The sea origin force attracted during his advancement had yet to disperse, giving Leylin a large reserve of energy that allowed him to cause drastic changes to the large island.

*Rumble!* Earthquakes and tsunamis rocked Debanks Island, but all of Leylin's worshippers were sheltered by golden divine force. Large traces of divine power caused many natives to start kowtowing in a frenzy.

Divine Kingdom

"Has he gone crazy? He actually wants to build his divine kingdom in the prime material plane?" Mystra was flabbergasted.

"We can think about that later. Let's leave now!" Tyr retreated very quickly, moving above the oceans in an instant. He distanced himself from the island that had been enveloped in golden light. The two greater gods were only here through avatars. If they recklessly entered Debanks Island which was in the midst of becoming a divine kingdom, the only outcome would be death.

Mystra retreated miserably as well, but Malar's avatar had been trapped by the golden light of the divine kingdom. It was rapidly consumed, and could only release a final cry of anguish before it perished, boosting the creation of the divine kingdom.

Avatars themselves had been reduced to such a state, so the elites that had been sent their definitely met with misfortune. Even those with legendary strength were rendered as helpless as normal human beings, killed mercilessly by the holy crusade of Debanks Island.

Golden threads of law energy appeared in the void, forming an intricate pattern above Debanks Island that was a scene to behold. Now that Leylin could exercise his will in control of the law of massacre, he combined the threads of law into one that was meant for his divine kingdom.

"No, we can't let him continue this! Let's rally our troops immediately, and transfer the units and paladins in the Silverymoon Alliance. No matter how high the price is, we have to kill him!" Mystra's voice had grown extremely shrill, "He's only building his divine kingdom right now, it will take but a few avatars to destroy it. If we give him time, I'm afraid…"

Tyr nodded his head solemnly, acknowledging Mystra's judgement, "Such pure evil should not be allowed to exist in this world!"

It took several hundreds of years to build a divine kingdom. Only after that could the realm be called a safe haven for its creator, amassing large numbers of elite troops and powerful Professionals. These places had holy spirits and valiant spirits, with such strength that even a greater god wouldn't want to engage in so large a battle.

Leylin's divine kingdom lacked the time it would need to strengthen him. Without enough worshippers, guardians, and spirits, as well as a lack of churches and spell formations and the weak foundation of laws, his defences were at their weakest right now.

What's more, once Leylin established his divine kingdom in the prime material plane, his true body would no longer be able to leave. He would have to remain there, stuck as a Saint.

Many gods had once chosen to descend into the prime material plane as Saints and Saintesses, but they had perished. A god in such a form was just a big gift to those powerful legendaries. Mystra had no doubt that Debanks Island would turn into a haven for adventurers in the future.

If one managed to kill a true god, the god's divinity, divine domain, and all their accumulations would become their own. Even some demigods wouldn't be able to resist such temptation.

"He's seeking his own death!" Tyr concluded.

...

'Building my divine kingdom in the prime material is just courting death… Don't you think I know that already?' Leylin mocked the thoughts of the two from within Debanks Island. He was almost done with his ascension now, but it wasn't quite done.

His many worshippers were praying, "Kukulkan, my Lord, your seat is royal and divine, like the stars in the skies!"

""Your seat is royal and divine, like the stars in the skies!""

Truth be told, even if all ascension ceremonies had this line in them that was merely a wish of the gods. The establishment of a divine kingdom wasn't something one could do overnight, not to mention that a throne among the stars. Such a thing would deplete several centuries of accumulation of a lesser god instantly!

However, Leylin was different. He'd still held onto the origin force sea that had helped him ascend, and he had a trump card.

"My ascension ceremony is far from being over!" Leylin exclaimed loudly, and the entirety of Debanks Island began to tremble. The light of the divine kingdom enveloped the entire region, separating the outside space from the island itself. The ocean separated from the land, and Debanks Island had turned into a semi-plane in an instant.

"A royal seat? How?" Mystra felt like all her knowledge and expertise with the divine had vanished today. She was unable to comprehend Leylin no matter how much she tried. 'Even if he still has the origin force from his ascension, it's definitely not enough!'

The World Origin Force began to surge wildly. The entirety of the southern seas roared as the miniature continent that was Debanks Island was removed from it. This was an extremely big chunk of the world being taken off the map, so the repercussions of such an act were unimaginable.

Of course, Leylin did not give a hoot about such things. If not for his limited divine powers, he would gladly remove the entire southern seas from the prime material plane. After all, the size of a divine kingdom was directly related to the power of its god.

At this moment, all intelligent creatures in the prime material plane noticed a brand new star shining atop the southern seas.

"This… is a royal seat! The evolution of a divine kingdom!" Many gasps sounded throughout the prime material plane.

However, they were soon replaced by cries of disbelief. Instead of rising up into the skies, this new star had actually fallen down! What did they just see?

"Haha… Why would I want to evolve it and enter the higher planes? I can do the same in the lower planes!" Leylin laughed maniacally. It was much easier to have his divine kingdom descend than rise

Of course, either option would require a great deal of energy for any other god, but Leylin was different. He had his authority as an Archdevil of Baator, and the doors of the Second Hell were forever open to him. With his status as the Lord of Dis, Baator would not reject the descent of his divine kingdom, Moreover, he could even use the power of Baator's origin force to help his divine kingdom evolve at crucial times!

Indeed, Leylin's goal had been the Second Hell of the Nine Hells. He'd made the entirety of Dis almost a part of his divine kingdom! If he combined Debanks Island with the Second Hell, it wouldn't be far fetched to make the entire plane his divine kingdom!

With the unlimited space in Baator, and the laws of Dis alongside his divine kingdom, Leylin's powers immediately surpassed that of lesser gods to enter the rankings of intermediate gods. His divine kingdom was equivalent to ones that intermediate gods would put painstaking effort into building!

At this point Asmodeus' schemes and Mystra's hostility could all be thrown to the sidelines. Dis would eventually become a strong fort for him.

"The destination is Baator. Let's go!" A phantom of Leylin appeared in the skies. At the borders of the world, one could see the giant turn its head towards Baator.

*Boom!* A fist comprised of immense, endless origin force broke free of any obstructions posed by the prime material plane, beginning to sink down…

The Second Hell of Baator, Dis. The origin force of the world began to smoulder as an infinite power of law moved out to link with Debanks Island.

"Kukulkan, my Lord, you are the marshal of all devils, the Lord of Hell! The entirety of Dis shall become your divine kingdom!" In the innumerable space nodes within Dis, the devils that were dispatched from Debanks Island had begun to pray in unison.

Dis trembled violently, as if welcoming a newborn child. Many devils of Baator sensed the change, and began to turn uneasy. However, even the highest level of their hierarchy in the Lords of Baator couldn't do a thing about it!

"NOO!" An extremely unwilling roar rang out from the Ninth Hell. The deep valley of Nessus was split open to reveal the massive body of a devil. This was the true body of Asmodeus, the Supreme of Baator. It had been recuperating from serious injuries all this while, leaving all matters to be taken care of by a clone.

Right now, however, Asmodeus could no longer tolerate Leylin's actions. He'd always wanted to unify the Nine Hells, and now that Leylin wanted to take the entirety of Dis for his own, never to leave, he couldn't stand it anymore.

A primordial contract appeared in Asmodeus' hands, causing the origin force of Baator to whistle in rage. His body expanded to nearly cover all of Baator, blocking the arrival of Leylin and his divine kingdom.

"I hereby invoke the primordial contract, exercising my right as the sole party allowed to collect souls. I have the authority to unify all of Baator. You, get lost!" As Asmodeus roared in rage, a massive wave of hell's energy surged towards Leylin.

"You pathetic existence! You want to stop me, a true god?" The same origin force congealed behind Leylin, "As the overlord of DIs, I now proclaim that Dis is no longer a level of Baator."

With Beelzebub's authority in hand, Leylin used it to the utmost. It took only a few moments for a huge chunk of the origin force behind Asmodeus to be ripped off.

"In my name as Kukulkan, Dis now has the authority to collect the souls of my worshippers. The primordial contract shall be rendered void!" Leylin immediately used his godhood to counter Asmodeus.

Asmodeus was aided by Baator because he had the authority to harvest souls on its behalf. Now, however, Leylin removed this right by law! Such an attack hurt Asmodeus even more than just the loss of Dis.

"You actually dare…" Asmodeus seethed with venom.

"There's no use in making any noises, get lost!" Dis rumbled, and Asmodeus' figure immediately turned smaller. As Leylin activated the onslaught of his divine kingdom, the devil was sent flying back to Nessus.

*Boom!* Debanks Island had immediately merged with Dis, and radiated with a holy light!

Divine Domain

"Kukulkan, my Lord, you are the Creator of Order, the Overlord of all Devils. You are the Wielder of Massacre, the Lord of Dis!"

Prayers resounded as the two planes experienced a perfect fusion. Leylin had prepared for this, remodelling Debanks Island to be similar to Dis so they could draw closer.

A golden glow spread across the former Second Hell. A large region around the middle of the Iron Tower in the middle of Dis had been evacuated, and Debanks Island fit into the place like a tile of a puzzle. The laws of the two began to blend together, eventually forming a divine kingdom that belonged to Leylin alone.

With the accumulated area of Dis, Leylin instantly overtook all lesser gods in the aspect of his divine kingdom. Golden light shrouded the heavens and the earth, and all of Leylin's believers regardless of race obtained an enormous boost to their power.

On the other hand, the rebel armies were dumbfounded. Entire batches of their elites started to melt under the divine light, nourishing the growth of the divine kingdom.

"Haha… Dir, Modiklo and Hessas… Dis is now the Lord's divine kingdom. Can you even run away now?" Azlok roared. With the power of the divine kingdom he was close to rank 7, and the other pit fiends couldn't even unleash the strength of intermediate devils. They were easily tortured to death.

With his divine kingdom in tow, Leylin could suppress the rebellion with ease. In fact, just his subordinates were enough to settle this problem.

...

"So he was also a Lord of Baator… We've failed completely this time…" Mystra laughed bitterly.

"The entirety of Dis as his divine kingdom, and an endless army of devils… He really is hard to handle…" That evil forces were thriving caused Tyr to furrow his brows. No matter how much thought he put into it, he never would have been able to guess Leylin's plans. Even after Leylin's success, his insane approach was still unbelievable.

"Such a large divine kingdom… Once it's completely built up he'll definitely be even harder to kill…" Mystra sighed. "With such resources, even as a lesser god I'm afraid his power is—"

"He's started to raise his divine essence," Tyr interrupted at that instant, causing Mystra to calm down and begin sensing the movements in Dis.

Divine essence was the proof of a god's strength. To an extent, it was even more important than their position in their domain, giving them their divine rank. Some ordinary true gods, if they accumulated divine essence the moment they advanced, would just be jokes at divine rank 0.

To be at divine rank 1 just as one advanced to become a lesser god could be considered very good, while rank 2s and 3s were rare geniuses. Of course, this didn't count those like Cyric, who had the fortune to inherit the divinity of powerful gods. Those were special cases, and could not be compared to the rest.

"He's begun… Did he break through to rank 3 directly? He really is a genius!" Just as Mystra was speaking, the two gods' eyes suddenly bulged.

They sensed Leylin's divine rank rising rapidly, not slowing in the slightest after he reached rank 3. He broke through rank 4 and 5, slowing down only when he reached rank 6. He'd become rank 7 in a flash.

"Divine rank 7, near the peak of the lesser gods… His talent is really—" Tyr laughed bitterly.

"No, it's still rising!" However, Mystra's face changed. She sensed Leylin still growing after rank 7, breaking through to rank 8 before he stopped. He was now at the pinnacle of lesser gods!

"Divine rank 8, the pinnacle of the lesser gods… Just one level away from being an intermediate god… He's a monster! A monster!"

Tyr and Mystra discovered that they had nothing else to say. One's divine rank represented their power, and was the most direct way of determining a god's battle capability. Those upto rank 8 were lesser gods, 9-17 were intermediate gods, and those at 18 and above were categorised as greater gods.

The higher one's rank, the greater their power. As well, the abilities their divine spark granted them also grew more terrifying. Leylin was currently at the pinnacle of lesser gods, only one breakthrough away from being an intermediate god!

...

Leylin was currently focused on his own transformation, the A.I. Chip frantically updating his status as many prompts surfaced.

[Beep! Host has ascended to godhood, divine rank 8.] [Beep! Host is affected by divinity, all primary stats +8.] [Beep! Arcanist rank has been supplemented by divine rank, level +8. Host is currently a rank 35 arcanist.] [Beep! Host has obtained the divine abilities— Warp Reality, Epic Massacre.]

Leylin instantly felt his own power evolve greatly. Unlike the rest of the astral plane, even one stat point in the World of Gods caused a drastic change. Even those with powerful divine force only had their stats floating around the fifties.

"No wonder demigods can't contend with true gods… So advancing causes such terrifying changes…" Leylin muttered.

[Host attributes have changed, refreshing status.]

The A.I. Chip soon projected the new statistics to Leylin. His status had experienced a heaven-rending change, and the new additions due to his godhood attracted his attention.

[Leylin Faulen:

Race: Human(Lesser God).

Divine Name: Kukulkan, the God of Massacre.

Alignment: Lawful Evil.

Divine Domain: Massacre.

Divine Kingdom: Dis.

Divine Rank: 8.

Worshippers: Natives, Devils, Adventurers, Clerics.

Worshipper Alignments: True Neutral, Neutral Evil, Lawful Evil.

Arcanist Rank: 35. Strength: 29. Agility: 29. Vitality: 29. Spirit: 29. Arcane Energy: 350. Divine Force: 800. Status: Healthy.

Feats: Herculean Strength, Master of Knowledge, Dreamscape Vision, Epic Adaptability.

Divine Feats: Origin Force Detection, Arcane Art Amplification, Illusions.

Divine Abilities: Warp Reality, Epic Massacre]

"There's a separate divine name?" Leylin's eyes stopped at his divine name for a moment. He'd chosen that instead of his original name because of some plans for the future.

Skimming through his new status, Leylin's attention fell to the abilities granted by his divine spark. The A.I. Chip showed him the explanations of the two:

[Warp Reality: Anything can be changed in the presence of a god. Host can consume divine force to change the laws in the material planes, Hell, Heaven, the Abyss, and even hostile divine kingdoms. Range is limited by divine rank.] [Epic Massacre: Host can obtain divine force by conducting massacres. Any gods killed by the host's true body will have their divine spirits thoroughly exterminated.]

Although the explanations were simple, they caused Leylin to suck in a cold breath, 'Such formidable powers of massacre, this is what true gods rely on!'

Even though he'd skipped right to the peak of lesser godhood, Leylin didn't have the slightest amount of doubt. After all, a god's strength was directly connected to their divine kingdom.

Take Avernus for example, the First Hell. There were two gods within it, the God of Kobolds Kurtulmak and the God of the Sahuagin Sekolah. Still, a vast region of it remained unoccupied. Leylin, on the other hand, had swallowed the entirety of the Second Hell, the lands he possessed far surpassing the two combined.

Moreover, he had built a perfect divine kingdom without having to waste the slightest amount of divine force, and this in spite of only being a lesser god. Even compared to the gods, the word genius wasn't enough to describe him. Instead, he befit the title of monster!

With the sheer size of Dis, Leylin didn't have to spend much effort perfecting his divine kingdom. He'd even acquired a great number of devil hunters. Besides, he himself had advanced to the peak of lesser gods, with abundant divine force.

More importantly, the cards he had prepared for his ascension had been hidden away, and not all of them had been revealed.

'This is much better than what I anticipated. The worst case scenario didn't come into play.' Leylin had been prepared to reveal his identity as a Magus if worse came to worst, falling out with the gods and killing Mystra directly as he restarted the Final War. Right now, however, time stood on his side. He could spend his time accumulating power, to great effect once the war did come back.

'It's not good to leave my cards hidden… I should at least reveal my power and determination!' Resolution flashed across Leylin's eyes, and Thultanthar glowed with a chilly radiance inside his semi-plane. It was like a ferocious ancient beast, ready to devour its prey.

All of Dis was now under Leylin's control, having become his divine kingdom. Just a thought caused space to flicker as a few silhouettes appeared in front of him.

"My Lord!" Two devil hunters saluted obediently the moment they saw him.

"Tiff!" Leylin instead called out to his pope, "You shall spread my glory around the world."

Leylin waved his hands, and a surge of divine power gushed out of them. A golden radiance fell upon Tiff's body, and the original papal symbol that was a demigod weapon cheered as it entered the ranks of true divine weapons.

"Your will shall spread through the entire world, my Lord!" Tiff piously got on his knees to pay his respects.

A Divine Battle

Tiff's transformation didn't end there. Leylin had showered the man with divine grace, raising him to a legendary priest immediately.

This ability was unique to true gods. Demigods could only give their priests rank 0 to rank 5 divine spells, while true gods could go all the way up to rank 9, even legendary divine spells like Revive that only existed in rumours!

This was also the basis of the influence of true gods' churches. In the past, Leylin was limited to guarding his worshippers on Debanks Island, but now he could move outside and attack like any other god.

Tiff knew this, and it naturally caused him to be flooded with emotion. He was on the verge of tears.

"Return and placate the worshippers on Debanks Island. Their lives will remain like they were on the prime material plane, maybe even better." Leylin waved a hand, and space fluctuated once more as Tiff was returned to his original location.

Truth be told, although fusing Dis with Debanks was good for Leylin, this was not necessarily so for the natives of Debanks Island. They were residents of the prime material plane, and being told that their lands had fallen down to the Nine Hells could terrify them to death. Some might commit suicide, or just go mad.

After all, the churches indoctrinated the prime material plane with Baator being a synonym for the evil devils. Thankfully the natives weren't as affected since they knew little about Baator and the propaganda around it. They put their faith in the Giant Serpent, and with the pope personally telling them that their lives would only be better, they would likely settle down.

"Isabel, Azlok, Borke!" Leylin turned to his cousin and the two other large devils.

"You did well!" He started with expressing his approval, then moved on to the main question, "How are the war preparations?"

"The devil hunters are ready and waiting," Isabel said with a bow. "The flame devils and armies of gluttony are prepared to receive your orders."

Azlok and Borke bowed elegantly as well, their eyes full of a thirst for battle and unification. Devils liked order, and unification and laws were a representation of that. All the Lords of Baator were unsatisfied with its current segmented nature, and now these two believed they'd found a chance to combine the Nine Hells once more!

"Good. Begin operations immediately," Space flickered, and the three figures disappeared. Dis began to make an abrupt move.

All higher existences shifted their attention to the Nine Hells once more. The Second Hell glowed with divinity, causing all the divine conscients watching to be filled with suspicion and confusion.

In their view, Leylin should have kept a low profile as a newly advance god, amassing his strength. Instead, he was doing something so eye-catching right after his ascension!

[Beep! Host body has created an avatar. 100 divine force consumed.] [Beep! Host body has created an avatar. 100 divine force consumed.] [Beep! Host body has created an avatar. 100 divine force consumed.]

Three bright balls of golden light separated themselves from Leylin, warping in the air to three doppelgangers that looked exactly the same as him.

They were avatars, something every god acquired the ability to make after ascension. However, Leylin had been exceptionally quick in this, and that was thanks to the A.I. Chip.

These three avatars all possessed a holy lustre, their golden pupils radiating the cold dignity of the divine. Leylin didn't have to give them any commands, they already knew what to do.

*Rumble!* The three avatars left instantly. Reappearing in front of Isabel and the army of devil hunters.

Isabel raised the Red Dragon Sword high up, announcing, "The Lord has sent us a decree. The target is Minauros. In the name of the Lord, ATTACK!"

"In the name of the Lord!" "The mighty Kukulkan is watching us!" Huge portals opened up, and the devil hunters called out Leylin's true name as they marched into the battlefield.

In front of them was a nasty, loathsome marsh. There were numerous imps and lemures here, stunned to see this large army all of a sudden.

One of Leylin's avatars walked to the head of the army, body suddenly radiating an inexhaustible light, "Begin the divine battle!"

*Rumble!* Dis began to emanate bright light that corroded Minauros unceasingly, fusing with the light from Leylin's avatar.

Divine light shone to quickly neutralise Minauros, and what had been a filthy marsh dried up, congealing into solid ground.

"Go!"

The devil hunters charged forward, a great battle was about to begin!

"Our mission here is just to control the battle. With the two avatars and the help of my divine kingdom, there won't be any issues with keeping the frontlines of the battle here for a while." Leylin's two remaining avatars were in deep discussion with Isabel at the heart of the army.

"If it's necessary, sacrifice the avatars. That should be enough to hold Mammon back for a while…" Leylin's avatar glimmered with golden light, smiling gently as he spoke.

"You mean this attack is a feint? Then your true motive…" Isabel's eyes went wide.

"This place is one of my targets as well. But before that…" Leylin chuckled.

The earth rumbled, as even greater power radiated than before. Divine light filled the First Hell, and in that moment the laws of Leylin's divine kingdom fused with the original laws of hell to begin remodelling everything.

Those gazing upon Baator from the outside would see an extremely interesting scene. Avernus and Minauros, as the First and Third Hells respectively, had originally been sandwiching Dis between them. Now, Dis began to emanate a bright lustre that was corroding these two Hells of Baator.

Minauros was only slightly affected, but Avernus was taken over completely. Under Azlok and Borke, large numbers of devils had broken through into Avernus from Dis.

Numerous powerful conscients arrived in the place in a moment, filled with anxious questions and terrifying roars. Nothing could exceed this situation in its abruptness!

'So what if you're true gods? What if Mammon is a Lord of Baator? If I don't do this now, there won't be a better chance in the future!' Leylin was incomparably calm at the centre of this storm. He seemed extremely resolute, ignoring the intent of the two gods of Avernus to negotiate. Once he made up his mind about something, he would never change.

Amidst the army at Minauros, Leylin's avatar was still speaking to Isabel.

"There's three reasons I want to seize two of the hells immediately," he said frankly, "First and foremost, my divine kingdom is but one of the Nine Hells. If I don't occupy more and gain the upper hand, the other Lords will definitely unify to resist me. While I'm not afraid of them, I'd lose the opportunity to grow further.

"However, if I can fuse the first three layers, I'll immediately have the power to choose between attack and defence. The rest of the Lords aren't of one mind, and I'll be able to rope them in or attack them individually."

"Ah. Since Asmodeus was gravely injured by the origin force during the descent of the divine kingdom, he can't come out anymore. The rest of the Lords are leaderless, so they can't work together now?" Isabel seemed to understand.

"Yes. Making use of the momentum of becoming a true god, I'll suppress them and give them no chance to react or establish ties with me. In the future we can learn of each other better, then it'll be even more difficult for them to reach an understanding amongst themselves. Instead they'll serve me… After we take these two Hells, we'll be stronger than them. We won't be afraid of being overthrown!"

"The second reason is for the other gods to see," Leylin's eyes glimmered with wisdom.

"The other gods?" Isabel exclaimed in surprise.

"I am one of the gods, after all. They see me as an enemy and want to beat me down, so I need a reason to do this. If I attack the devils and conquer Baator, won't that be a great pretext? I'm sure it'll garner support from some of the good gods. More importantly, even the gods that detest me will be happy to see me expend my energy on fighting the devils, so they'll lower their guard…"

"Making use of this time to lower their guard…" At this point, Isabel was beginning to understand Leylin's overall strategy, and she respected it a great deal.

"But…" She bit at her lips, worry evident from the crease between her eyebrows, "Two Hells… Even if we catch one by surprise and the reinforcements can't come in time, two true gods and one Lord of Baator… Can we really take them down like this?"

"That's the third point," Leylin lifted his brows, looking decisive and unyielding, "We won't just win, we'll do it beautifully! That way, we can completely terrify everyone who's unsure!"

This was Leylin's main intention, and after thinking it through properly even Isabel had to admit that as long as Leylin's plan succeeded he would truly be able to stand on his own two feet amongst the gods. He would no longer be afraid of any uprisings against him.

Even after understanding all this, Isabel still watched Leylin with worry, "Are you confident?"

"A 100%!" Leylin's boundless confidence was evident in his smile. His divine body took one step forward, and arrived inside his concealed semi-plane.

""Master!"" Shaylin and Ilyo appeared atop the flying city, "Thultanthar is ready for launch!"

Shadow

The ancient Netherese had established the splendour of the arcanists. In the period of darkness after the dusk of the gods, the arcanists had saved the commoners from savagery and foolishness, building a civilisation the gods themselves feared!

Combined with their flying cities, ancient great arcanists had the power to kill gods themselves! The gods would not stand such an affront to their existence, and the arcanists who coveted origin force and touched on several taboos were exterminated.

However, that very war that had destroyed the Netheril Empire had also gravely hurt the gods. Many had fallen, and the numbers of gods decreased without end.

Because of this painful lesson, the arcanists became taboo and were annihilated by numerous churches. All tomes related to the Netheril Empire were destroyed, creating another era of savagery.

One flying city of the arcanists had managed to survive that period, and at a specified time it had returned to the prime material plane. It was in the western desert the Thultanthar fell into Leylin's hands.

Having obtained such an instrument of death, Leylin had left it alone. Even though he'd met some crises before he hadn't allowed the City of Shadows to reveal itself.

Firstly, he'd been waiting to use this card at the best possible moment, and secondly he was working on understanding everything about it and remodelling it to his desires. If it had to do with Distorted Shadow, Leylin would not let his guard down.

Right now, the Adept Scepter of the Monarch of the Skies, the elemental radiation of the Magus World, Dreamscape, and the Shadow World, and all sorts of other high-energy sources had been piled into Thultanthat, giving it a great boost in power. It had grown to become the ultimate slaughter machine!

As well, Leylin was currently a rank 35 arcanist. The power that would result from him working in conjunction with the city was something even the A.I. Chip could not calculate.

"Master! Thultanthar heeds your call!" The city's fairy Shaylin and the skeleton lich Ilyo knelt before Leylin, awaiting orders. Leylin had now become a true god, and his imposing aura far exceeded that in the past. These two beings were filled with reverence.

"Mm, I sense that." Leylin had now been in possession of Thultanthar for a long time, and was naturally attuned to its changes. It was no exaggeration to say that the City of Shadows had experienced a complete transformation, the city's primary material becoming silvery-grey metal. The primary cannons had been restored completely, and the diamond golems were fully armoured, awaiting orders.

What Leylin found most satisfying was the addition of the Shadow Weave. How could he have let the information he got from Shar go to waste? He'd obviously used it to immediately remodel Shadow City.

[Beep! Connected to Thultanthar's core authority. Shadow Weave construction at 100%. Overall performance estimated to have been raised by 37%.] The A.I. Chip loyally sent information regarding the City of Shadows.

As long as the A.I. Chip was around, Leylin had no need to fear betrayal by Shaylin and Ilyo, even at the same time.

'With the Shadow Weave built, not only can I obtain power from the outer Weave directly, I'm immune to all offensive magic from rank 0 to rank 9. Most importantly, I don't need to care about Mystra's interference.'

This was easy to comprehend. The Shadow Weave had been created specifically by Shar to steal Mystra's power. How could she have any control over this?

'With the A.I. Chip's analyses of the true Weave extending the Shadow Weave, I can now steal Mystra's divine force directly… Of course, that can only be used as a way to kill her…" Leylin's figure instantly appeared in the control room of Shadow City, where he sat at the throne high up and above.

"How can the birth of a true god not be built on the ichor of the other gods?" Leylin snickered, while the A.I. Chip's prompts continued to show. [Beep! Systems launch complete, beginning spatial jump!]

*Rumble!* Terrifying spacetime undulations erupted out, and the huge city disappeared in an instant. When it appeared once more, its surroundings had changed.

This was a deep blue sea that spanned as far as they eye could sea. Sharkmen could be seen on occasion, and numerous petitioners were resting on a beach. The lustre of valiant and holy spirits brightened the skies.

Shrines filled the scattered islands, and there was a huge feeling of pressure in the skies. A great amount of divine lustre seemed to be on the verge of seeping into Thultanthar, filled with the great suppression from laws.

There was no question about it. This was the divine kingdom of a true god!

*Bzzt bzzt!* The appearance of the floating city caused great distress to the surrounding petitioners. Numerous sharkmen roared, hissed, and had various other reactions. Some fled, while others gathered around.

"Who is it that dares encroach upon our Lord's divine kingdom?" A few powerful holy spirits approached from the skies, yelling out loud.

Indeed, they were in the divine kingdom of the god of the Sahuagin, Sekolah. A long period of accumulation had turned this place into a sturdy nest, and Leylin could currently see a dozen holy spirits around him, all powerful beings comparable to rank 6 Magi!

However, in Leylin's eyes, they were merely trying to do something impossible.

"Little worms shouldn't try to speak here. You don't even meet the requirements for me to use the main cannons on you." Leylin waved his arms around casually, and Thultanthar's auxilliary cannons shot out a malicious light. A powerful web of energy formed a black hole that melted away the surrounding holy spirits.

Just one move decimated the surrounding space, and Thultanthar had only revealed one part of itself.

Numerous petitioners cried and yelled as they fled. When had they, who dwelled in the divine kingdom, ever seen a battle at this level?

"Sekolah!" "Sekolah, my Lord!" The pious worshippers shouted out in prayer, the power of faith filling the skies above the ocean.

*Rumble!* Lightning appeared on the blue horizon, and a terrifying suppressive force lowered the flying city's strength.

An avatar walked over, radiating golden light. He looked like a sharkman, his eyes filled with a cold ruthlessness, "God of Massacre, Kukulkan, why do you invade my divine kingdom?"

Although Sekolah was merely a lesser god, and this moreso was only an avatar, it held power akin to that of a true god with the help of his divine kingdom.

"Protector of the Sharkmen, God of the Ocean, Sekolah!" Leylin's figure appeared outside Thultanthar. In front of a true god, he still needed to be polite. "I wish for you to move your divine kingdom away, so there won't be any pointless conflict between us."

Leylin had been serious with his conditions, but it left Sekolah feeling extremely enraged.

"Greedy god, you must pay for what you did today!" Asking a true god to move their divine kingdom was an absolute insult. It would have been strange if Sekolah agreed.

The ocean seethed with his rage, turbulent storms appearing in the skies. The weather within a divine kingdom indicated the god's mood, and having stayed in Baator for a long time Sekolah obviously possessed the malevolence of the devils as he snarled.

"I knew this wouldn't work…" Upon seeing this, Leylin sighed.

"You gave up your last chance, Sekolah…" His figure gradually dissipated.

"This isn't a negotiation but an obvious challenge. I'll satisfy you!" Sekolah waved his hand, and powerful sharkmen armies appeared from the depths of the ocean. They radiated with energy, power gathering at their hands to form mottled attacks.

"Ready. Shoot!" A holy spirit waved his arm, and numerous bows thundered as they shot a rain of arrows onto Thultanthar. On the other side, a barrage of magic attacks drowned out the flying city.

When fighting in the divine kingdom of a god, one had to face the frightening attacks of an unending sea of people.

"Face my fury!" Sekolah snarled as well, the terrifying pressure of his divine kingdom appearing once more as lightning crashed down on the City of Shadows.

Gods, in their divine kingdoms, possessed unimaginable might. Even greater gods had to pay a terrible price to slay one, requiring several centuries to recover.

[Beep! Launching Shadow Weave.] With the A.I. Chip's prompt, a translucent layer of the Shadow Weave appeared and protected Shadow City. Any attack, be it physical or magical, lost all form in front of the Weave as long as it didn't possess legendary might. In fact, the energy of such attacks was actually absorbed by the Shadow Weave.

[Beep! Divine kingdom laws analysed. Counter field prepared, launching…] A tremendous stream of data entered Thultanthar, and the city seemed to spread its wings. The invisible Shadow Weave spread out, emitting unfathomable spatial undulations.

The Netherese Core of the flying city began to roar violently, transmitting terrifying energy to all parts of Thultanthar. A power of law radiated out that was tailored to counter the laws of the divine kingdom, and a hazy fog melted the lightning in the sky away.

"This is… Flying city!" Sekolah exclaimed in shock. The flying cities of the arcanists could contend with divine kingdoms, and they naturally had techniques specifically to destroy them.

'The construction of this divine kingdom… I can see how the Magi from then failed…' Leylin sighed, appearing in front of the Netherese Core in an instant.

"Let me see the power of the arcanists to kill gods!" Heat radiated from Leylin's eyes. The Shadow Weave allowed him to connect to the core, and his power as a rank 35 arcanist was emitted without reservation.

[Beep! Antigod network prepared. Primary cannon 2 charged.] the A.I. Chip prompted robotically.

Afterwards, incomparably terrifying energy arose from Thultanthar, attracting the attention of all beings high above.

*Rumble!*

Fall Of A God

Light!

White light!

A scorching, dazzling brilliance that seemed to come from multiple worlds radiated origin force as it was launched from Thultanthar's primary cannon. This was a fusion of a great arcanist and a flying city, possessing the power to kill gods! Such might showed itself once more in this world, causing many existences to cry out in alarm.

*Rumble!* Space shattered in the divine kingdom, and the avatar melted away under the white light. The light cut a path of destruction through the ocean, eliminating anything in its way. Shrines, holy spirits, or obstacles, they were all reduced to dust under the light, before even that dust was reduced to nothingness.

*Boom!* The white light finally burst through the divine kingdom, breaking through the confines of the First Hell to disappear into the endless void.

"AAAAAHH!" Sekolah's divine kingdom had received a massive amount of damage. Numerous petitioners perished in an instant, and many more valiant and holy spirits cried out in pain.

[Beep! True body discovered, sniping down.] The terrifying City of Shadows swept through numerous churches immediately, the powerful Shadow Weave spreading its tendrils to form Sekolah's true body out.

The true body of the Sahuagin God was much larger than his avatar. He looked to be made of gold, but he'd already lost an arm, the area around him horrifyingly translucent. This ease evidently due to to the main cannon firing just now.

"Wait… I'll admit defeat and leave Baator!" Sekolah yelled loudly.

"Too late. I need the fall of a true god to pave my path to victory. This will intimidate the other gods as well…"

Leylin expressionlessly sent down the order., and the terrifying cannon rumbled once more…

On the prime material plane, in a hidden church in the ocean.

"Sekolah, my Lord, please protect us and ensure our victory in battle…" Guided by a priest, a group of sharkmen piously knelt down before a statue of the Sharkman God. As the Lord of the Sahuagin, Sekolah was the protector of the entire race. Without him, they would instantly lose 90% of their territory in the ocean!

"Sekolah, my Lord… You are the Lord of the Ocean, the Protector of the Sahuagin…" Devout power of faith gathered in front of the statue, glimmering with traces of light.

*Ka-cha!* However, at this very moment, slight shattering sounds could be heard from the statue.

The sharkmen below exchanged glances. Finally, someone gathered the courage against the danger of profaning a god and looked up. Afterwards the poor man gaped, his mind going blank.

"The… the statue…" The other sharkmen looked up, but were alarmed to find that the glimmer on the statue was dimming without end.

Finally, with a loud crack, the holy light of the statue disintegrated. The entire statue began to fragment, and turned into little piles of dust.

"Priest…" The sharkmen desperately looked for their priest, but found that he was now lying on the ground, the holy light leaving his body. He was twitching uncontrollably, a look of pain on his face as he lay unconscious.

All the sharkmen cried and yelled, feeling that the mighty existence had completely cut off all contact with them and left them feeling empty inside.

"Our god… Our god, Sekolah…" An elderly sharkman knelt on the ground, large drops of tears flowing from his eyes and turned into beads of pearls that fell to the surface of the ground, producing crisp sounds.

"God… our true god has fallen…" The rest of the sharkmen cried out, moving around helplessly like headless flies. The fall of their god was a calamity!

Without Sekolah's protection, the sharkmen would lose all their priests, met with challenges that could wipe out the entire race. Mournful wails sounded as a bugle horn resounded in the seas. The Sahuagin Emperor had sent down an order. The entire race began to grieve, while remaining on their guard.

Unlike the prime material plane, the changes in the divine kingdom were far more terrifying. Layer after layer of chains undid themselves, and terrifying destructive storms poured in from the outerworld, causing great disasters. The petitioners and valiant spirits fell without the ability to resist, while the other beings and holy spirits didn't fare much better.

Wide expanses of space crumbled. If nothing went wrong, the laws of Baator would enter and remodel the place once more, restoring it to the wasteland of bloody streams that was Avernus.

*Bzzt bzzt!* Thultanthar rumbled violently as it moved about the divine kingdom, bringing ruin and destruction everywhere it went. The city steamrolled all resistance.

[Beep! Treasure trove discovered, energy undulations at grade C.]

A dazzling shrine opened up, revealing a treasure trove filled with gems and other precious materials that contained energy. This was something Sekolah had accumulated after he ascended, but the City of Shadows took it all without reservation.

As a time-space fort, Thultanthar was essentially merged with the semi-plane it was created in. It had near endless space, and it would be no problem for it to store hundreds of such treasure troves.

Leylin was currently standing atop Thultanthar, allowing Shaylin to sweep through Sekolah's divine kingdom in her excitement. He was paying attention to the greatest harvest of the battle.

[Beep! Law of devouring has been activated, 80% of the target's divine force has been absorbed. Obtained divine domain: Sahuagin. Comprehension of the law of the ocean now at 17%.]

'As expected of a god of the World of Gods. Just killing one can give a Magus so many benefits…' Leylin looked at the golden crystal in his hand and sighed. One could gain less than 10% of the accumulation of the opponent in a battle between Magi of laws, but that number rose to above 60% in a battle between a Magus and a god. With his law of devouring, Leylin could even go as high as 80%. It was no wonder that the gods and Magi were so envious of each other, and the Final War was without end.

"But… Sharkmen and the ocean? It looks like Sekolah is only the God of the Sahuagin, only understanding a little about the ocean. Who knows, he might not even have a minor domain in the ocean… But then again, there's the Goddess of the Ocean and the Master of Storms who are both more powerful than him, how would he dare to dip his finger into the laws of the ocean? This bit of comprehension was likely because of natural accumulation as the God of a marine species…"

Leylin shook his head. He had no interest in the law of the ocean, much less the narrower domain of Sahuagin. Being the god of such a race was worthless to him, and it didn't even qualify to be branded into his origin force weapon.

"I'm afraid I can only gift or trade…" Leylin stowed the crystal away, "The ocean gods should have a bit of interest in the faith of those sharkmen. More importantly, they're aligned to chaos and evil so it doesn't go against my interests. They wouldn't see me as an enemy…"

Since he'd chosen to side with evil, Leylin naturally wouldn't help the good gods. He could still find a few allies amongst them.

*Whoosh!* Currently, the destructive storm had swept through the divine kingdom and eliminated all traces of Sekolah. Few even survived. In contrast, Thultanthar stood tall in the heart of the storm, the object of everyone's terrified gazes.

This move had allowed Leylin to show the terror brought about by an arcanist using his flying city to the higher existences. They couldn't help but recall the brutal memories of their war with the Netheril Empire.

*Rumble!* Just at that time, violent tremors swept through the Nine Hells. One could see a divine kingdom glimmering with gold as it left Avernus, moving towards the boundless void. The God of Kobolds slowly appeared behind the translucent divine kingdom.

Seeing Sekolah's fate, Kurtulmak had wisely chosen to escape. After all, his strength was about the same, so if Leylin could kill Sekolah he would face no trouble in killing him.

Moving one's divine kingdom wasn't similar to the situation after Leylin ascended to godhood. At that point in time, Leylin had the support of the origin forces of the prime material plane and Dis, reducing the energy required for movement. It was different for a realm that had already settled down. If it moved again, it wouldn't just use up a lot of divine force but also cause great turmoil within the realm itself.

In spite of all this, Kurtulmak chose to leave. This meant only one thing: he was afraid, terrified of Leylin! If a true god took the first step to withdraw, Leylin's reputation would definitely spread through the worlds.

With Kurtulmak gone, nobody could stop Leylin from expanding into Avernus anymore. Under Borke and Azlok, the army of flame devils purged all resistance. With the descent of the floating city, the Bronze Citadel was taken over without any issues. The pit fiends who had been guarding the area had their heads thrown off the city walls.

The brilliance of Leylin's divine kingdom finally spread all over Avernus, and the two planes slowly began to fuse.

"Damn it… He's remodelling his divine kingdom too quickly… Is this because of the momentum from his ascension, or because he's a Lord of Baator?" Glasya watched Thultanthar from outside Avernus. Seeing the city that looked like a heavenly country, she gritted her teeth before leaving, choosing not to attack.

Glasya had no confidence of victory in front of a true god's divine kingdom. More importantly, her father's main body was grievously injured, and their allies had became unreliable. She did not have the energy to waste here.

The laws of the devils were much more cruel than those in the mortal world. Asmodeus, who was seriously injured, had become prey to many of the Archdevils. This included even her, a Lord who had risen from his shadow.