Chapter 500: Io, I'll Kill You a Billion Times!

In the Silent Mountains, within the perpetually dark demonic lair.

Numerous Wild Gods had gathered here, standing in a circular formation around the ominously towering Darkest Black Axe, which constantly exuded a terrifying aura. Among them stood three Dragon Gods who did not belong to the Wild Gods' faction.

"Everyone, let's begin."

"Activate the soul formation and separate the true spirits of the Lord of Terror and the Nine-faced Dragon God."

"After countless ages, the Great Demon God will reappear in the world, engulfing the gods in a wave of endless terror."

An oddly-shaped Wild God, shrouded in the shadows of the deep sea, wriggling and shifting, slowly spoke.

This was the ancient god of the deep sea, Dagon, a Wild God who had lived since the ancient times of the Dawn War and the primary leader of the Wild Gods' resurrection plan. Dwelling in the Shadow Sea of the Bottomless Abyss, it had always seemed to avoid conflicts but secretly revived fallen Wild Gods with hidden ambitions.

Responding to Dagon's call, many bizarre Wild Gods began to concentrate.

Crackling sounds echoed. Chains extending from the Darkest Black Axe moved on their own, producing eerie sounds. The chains bore mysterious and obscure runes, emitting a ghostly light.

"Begin!"

Dagon's deep voice commanded.

Garon squinted and extended his dragon claw.

Hissing sounds filled the air as countless chains intertwined and were simultaneously grasped by the silver giant dragon.

The other Wild Gods and Dragon Gods did the same, grabbing the chains surrounding the Darkest Black Axe.

The runes on the chains began to flicker, their ghostly light quickly turning into a blinding brilliance. The Darkest Black Axe shook violently, releasing a torrent of terrifying energy that distorted the surrounding space. The chains vibrated at high frequency, clanking loudly.

The Wild Gods unleashed their power.

The high-frequency vibrating chains straightened in an instant, stabilizing the violently shaking Darkest Black Axe.

Meanwhile, a ring-shaped formation with the Darkest Black Axe at its center formed under the Wild Gods' positions, interlocking from outside to inside. Each Wild God stood at a node of the formation, with the Darkest Black Axe precisely at the center.

With so many Wild Gods present and the formation already in place, the assistance of the Dragon Gods was unnecessary.

However, Garon and the other two Dragon Gods participated in the formation process to witness and control the separation progress firsthand, given the gravity of the situation.

The precious materials embedded in the chains and the sacrificial offerings penetrated or bound by the chains turned to powder as the Wild Gods activated the soul formation. The powder fused into the chains, transforming into multi-colored energy flows, which were then absorbed by the Darkest Black Axe.

Inside the Darkest Black Axe.

In an indiscernible dark space.

A peculiar true spirit existed.

It appeared as a viscous black-red liquid, constantly changing shape. Though its surface was black-red, its interior revealed faint, multi-colored hues. Occasionally, it would take the form of a majestic dragon, other times a terrifying Wild God.

This was the fused true spirit of the Nine-faced Dragon God and the Lord of Terror after eons of battle and mutual devouring.

The dragon soul and the demon soul had merged into this bizarre form.

Though it lacked a physical body, only retaining its true spirit, even mid-level deities would feel uncontrollable tension and fear facing this odd true spirit. Even high-level deities would not take it lightly.

"How many years has it been, a million or ten million? Because of you, I've been trapped in this narrow darkness, enduring your disgusting presence."

"Io! Even if I kill you a billion times, it wouldn't be enough!"

A deep, terrifying voice echoed within the true spirit, reverberating through the dark space.

The true spirit assumed the shape of the Lord of Terror.

This top-tier Wild God, known as the Great Demon God, resembled traditional depictions of demons, with three pairs of twisted, menacing horns, a muscular humanoid body, blood-red muscles, a black tail, and large bat-like wings.

The next moment, a dragon head grew from the Lord of Terror's neck, accompanied by dragon wings, claws, and a tail.

This dragon head was unique.

It bore all the characteristics and auras of dragonkind, yet these traits coexisted harmoniously without confusion.

This was the great Eternal Wheel, the Dragon Lord, the Primordial Dragon, the Nine-faced Dragon God Io.

The dragon head turned and breathed a dragon's breath onto the Lord of Terror's face.

The Lord of Terror, undeterred, extended a claw to tear at the Nine-faced Dragon God's head.

Quickly, the claws, tails, and wings of the two entities fought, but despite the battle, they maintained their original state, further deepening their fusion through mutual devouring.

If this continued for another million years, the Nine-faced Dragon God and the Lord of Terror would fully merge, becoming inseparable and forming a new entity capable of creation or destruction.

However, the Wild Gods needed the Lord of Terror.

The Dragon Gods needed the Nine-faced Dragon God.

In an alternate timeline, these two supreme beings might have merged into a great entity and escaped the Darkest Black Axe, shaking the multiverse. But in the main timeline, this was now impossible.

The dark space suddenly trembled.

Colorful light waves extended and illuminated the dark space.

Simultaneously, countless ethereal chains formed from soul power surged in, piercing the bizarre true spirit.

"Hmm?"

The Lord of Terror and the Nine-faced Dragon God temporarily ceased their endless battle, sensing the sudden change.

The Lord of Terror immediately felt a strong Wild God aura, familiar primordial forces.

Laughing heartily, the Lord of Terror said to the Nine-faced Dragon God, "Io, the Wild Gods are here to save me. Prepare to die."

"No, I won't let you die easily. I will fulfill my promise and kill you a billion times! Beg for mercy!"

The Nine-faced Dragon God looked at the Lord of Terror as if he were a fool and breathed dragon's breath directly into the Lord of Terror's open mouth.

"Io, you!"

The Lord of Terror, already quick-tempered, fought the Nine-faced Dragon God again.

Meanwhile, countless ethereal chains pierced the fused true spirit, accurately targeting the true spirits of the Lord of Terror and the Nine-faced Dragon God, binding them on either side.

During this process, the Nine-faced Dragon God did not resist.

Recognizing familiar auras, Io murmured, "My children..."

Io couldn't understand why Tiamat and other Dragon Gods were mixed with the Wild Gods, but he was certain they had come to rescue him.

The chains tightened, pulling the fused true spirit apart.

A fine crack appeared.

Both the Lord of Terror and the Nine-faced Dragon God frowned deeply, feeling a soul-wrenching pain.

The true spirit instinctively resisted.

Chains snapped, but more surged in, exerting greater force to separate them.

Despite their strength, the Lord of Terror and the Nine-faced Dragon God only had their true spirits left.

Moreover, the Wild Gods and Dragon Gods outside were numerous and powerful.

The gathering of so many Wild Gods was mainly to precisely separate the true spirits without harming their intended rescue targets.

Time passed quietly.

The crack between the fused true spirit grew more pronounced, the tearing pain reaching its peak. Yet, despite their twisted expressions, their gazes remained unyielding; mere pain could not shake their resolve.

Crack!

Eventually, the true spirits of the Nine-faced Dragon God and the Lord of Terror were completely separated.

"Haha, Io, we're finally apart. Prepare to face my wrath."

The Lord of Terror roared.

Meanwhile, numerous ethereal chains pulled the Nine-faced Dragon God's true spirit out of the dark space within the Darkest Black Axe.

Outside the Darkest Black Axe, in the demonic lair.

Feeling the increasingly potent aura of their main god, the three Dragon Gods' eyes gleamed with excitement.

Garon glanced around at the Wild Gods, ready to summon the Dragon Gods' pantheon in case of betrayal.

Buzz!

Brilliant light radiated from the Darkest Black Axe, forming an energy-like dragon soul, pulled away by the chains, emerging before the Wild Gods and Dragon Gods.

At this moment, the Dragon Gods' vigilance peaked.

However, the Wild Gods did not break their cooperation agreement and quickly released the chains, freeing the Nine-faced Dragon God's true spirit.

Simultaneously, under the gaze of the Dragon Gods.

From the eerie shadows of the deep sea ancient god, a slimy tentacle swiftly wrapped around the Darkest Black Axe.

A powerful spiritual force burst forth, forming soul imprints that were embedded into the Darkest Black Axe. Other Wild Gods, a step slower, did the same, imprinting strange soul marks into the axe.

To be precise, these imprints were embedded in the true spirit of the Lord of Terror within the Darkest Black Axe.

Garon's eyes narrowed, his pupils reflecting the soul imprints as he analyzed their function.

"These are imprints that plant obsession deep within the mind?"

His thoughts raced, connecting the dots between the Wild Gods' unity, the Steel Queen's disdain for coercion, and the deep sea ancient god's mental and spiritual prowess. Garon quickly made a guess.

"Is the idea of returning the multiverse to its primordial state reinforced by the deep sea ancient god?"

Garon silently pondered.

As the Nine-faced Dragon God broke free, he gazed at the Dragon Gods with a gentle and inclusive look.

Noticing Garon, the new Dragon God, Io's gaze lingered on him for a few more seconds, showing approval.

"My children, you've worked hard during my imprisonment."

"Now, I'm back, and my wings will shield you as they did in the past, now, and forever in the future."

With that, the Nine-faced Dragon God's true spirit raised its neck and opened its mouth, taking a deep breath.

In various planes, the accumulated dragon faith over countless ages began to surge. In an instant, it converged into a mighty river of faith, crossing infinite space and layers of dimensional barriers, entering the Silent Mountains in the Fourth Layer of the Blazing Hell, and flowing into the depths of the demonic lair.

At this moment, the gods sensed the massive faith anomaly.

"What's happening?"

"What an enormous and profound faith... where is it coming from?"

"It feels familiar, like... the Nine-faced Dragon God, Io! How is this possible? Wasn't he completely annihilated ages ago?"

Due to the prolonged inability to resurrect the Nine-faced Dragon God, many deities speculated that the Lord of Terror possessed some ability to utterly destroy a deity, causing Io to fall into eternal death. Only the Metallic Dragon God and the Immortal Dragon Queen knew the truth — Io was never completely dead.

In the Heavenly Court, the Celestial Emperor Haotian opened his eyes, his purple-gold pupils flickering with a fleeting battle intent, before closing them slowly.

In the Outer Domain, within a microcosm.

Annan, who was sculpting a star, paused, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

The Storm Lord, learning from his Father God, asked in confusion, "Father God, what's happening?"

Annan smiled gently and said, "An old friend has returned to the grand stage of the multiverse."

"This world is becoming more and more exciting."

The Storm Lord was slightly taken aback.

At the same time, the Feathered Serpent God on the Mountain of Paradise and the Devil Kings in the Nine Hells also turned their gazes toward the Blazing Hell, showing ambiguous expressions.

The anomaly of faith was just the beginning.

The Wild Gods ceased releasing soul imprints and looked expectantly at the Darkest Black Axe.

Boom!

Strands of black-red, flesh-like threads extended from the surface of the Darkest Black Axe, intertwining and absorbing the blood sacrifices prepared by the Wild Gods, exuding a terrifying and malevolent aura.

"Hahaha! I, Eric, am back!"

The Lord of Terror's thunderous roar echoed across the heavens.

This aura soared skyward, reaching the Paradise Mountain and descending into the Bottomless Abyss.

The gods and many demi-gods turned their attention to the Blazing Hell, their gazes fixed on the demonic lair.

Though protected by a formation that shielded against divine senses, it couldn't withstand the scrutiny of so many deities simultaneously. The barrier quickly faltered.

Thus, the scene within the demonic lair appeared before the gods' eyes.

At the end of the river of faith, the Nine-faced Dragon God Io was wrapped in boundless faith power, reconstructing his divine body and rapidly increasing his aura.

Absorbing countless sacrifices to restore his power, the fearsome Great Demon God Eric stood.

The nearby Dragon Lord Garon Aurelian, the Immortal Dragon Queen Tiamat, the Destruction Dragon God Kariksh, and many other primordial Wild Gods who shouldn't have appeared in the world were all present.

Seeing so many Wild Gods revived, every deity's heart sank.

"Dragon Gods!"

"Are you secretly collaborating with the Wild Gods to overthrow the divine rule?"

"No wonder you've been instigating wars; it was all preparation for today."

The main god of the Elves, Corellon, radiated divine light and spread his divine message across the multiverse, rallying the gods to action.

Upon seeing the Nine-faced Dragon God, Corellon realized that the previously assured victory in the third round of the Pact of Non-Conflict was now uncertain. If the dragons regained dominance, the already devastated elves would face unimaginable consequences.

Thus, he sought to eliminate the Nine-faced Dragon God while he was still relatively weak.

But the deities were not fools.

Seeing the mutual animosity between the Nine-faced Dragon God and the Lord of Terror, it was evident that the Dragon Gods and Wild Gods were not allies. Though the reason for their simultaneous presence was unclear, it was undoubtedly linked to the Nine-faced Dragon God's resurrection.

Nonetheless, the gods understood the gravity of the situation.

If the dragons reestablished their dominance, the gods' status would plummet, and the multiverse's divine order would be reshuffled.

In this context, Corellon stepped forward.

The gods were eager to break the Dragon Gods' trump card before the Pact of Non-Conflict concluded.

Corellon, engulfed in divine light, descended into the Silent Mountains like a shooting star, channeling his extraordinary divine power into the Sword of the Elves, aiming it at the Nine-faced Dragon God's true spirit.

"Corellon!"

The Metallic Dragon God's low roar echoed, tearing through the dimensional barriers and appearing in the Silent Mountains.

Besides the Metallic Dragon God, the Fairy Main God, the Goblin Main God, the Queen of the Wind Elements, and the Lord of Flames.

These four, all powerful deities from the Dragon God faction, also descended.

The arc of light from the Sword of the Elves was easily intercepted.

The other gods, initially inclined to follow Corellon's lead, hesitated upon seeing the swift arrival of the Dragon Gods.

"Haotian, the Celestial Emperor, is the avatar of the God of Gods, with a divine rank of twenty."

"Even if the Dragon Lord resurrects, he shouldn't be a match for Haotian."

"Why risk everything now?"

This was the sentiment of many gods who hadn't witnessed the full might of the Nine-faced Dragon God.

After a moment of hesitation, they retreated.

If Haotian intervened, they might follow, but Corellon lacked the same authority.

Seeing this, Corellon's expression turned grim. Silently, he regarded the powerful Dragon Gods.

His intense reaction stemmed from knowing that even Haotian couldn't guarantee victory over the Nine-faced Dragon God.

Before the Dawn War, Io was revered as the Lord of Gods, battling numerous Wild Gods alone, demonstrating his immense power.

Haotian emerged later and was not as ancient as Io.

With the situation as it was, Corellon reluctantly left the Blazing Hell. Even if he were at his peak with a divine rank of nineteen, he couldn't face so many powerful gods to harm Io's true spirit.

The Dragon Gods didn't pursue him, focusing on protecting their lord.

Meanwhile, the ancient god of the deep sea summoned vortices, and the Wild Gods swiftly fled.

The gods wanted to stop them, but crossing dimensional barriers instantly was something only powerful deities could do. Mid and lesser deities needed time, and the Wild Gods had prepared well, retreating swiftly.

The demons and devils of the Blazing Hell breathed a sigh of relief.

If a divine war erupted here, the Blazing Hell might not withstand it, ending up shattered like the Beastlands.

The Dragon Gods guarded Io's true spirit, leaving the Blazing Hell and returning to the Hero's Domain.

The Blazing Hell returned to its calm.

However, with Io and Eric's resurrection, and the reappearance of many Wild Gods, the gods' hearts were in turmoil, unable to settle.

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