Chapter 12: The Unpredictable Power of the Gods
As Li Xiao and his men entered the frozen ruins of Chen, a wave of biting cold washed over them.
The sun shone brightly in the sky, yet the air here was unnaturally frigid. Every breath felt like a blade against their lungs.
They shivered despite their armor.
"This… this can't be real."
"The entire city… it's completely frozen."
"Dead. They're all dead. Is this truly divine punishment?"
"It turned the entire capital into an ice graveyard… What kind of godly power is this?"
Their voices trembled as they took in the frozen city before them.
It was not just Chen's capital.
"Dozens of cities have been frozen," someone whispered. "Only a few remote villages seem to have escaped."
They walked deeper into the silent ruins, their boots crunching against the frozen ground.
Then, they saw the palace.
A soldier pointed, his voice shaking.
"Look! The Lord of Chen! The Prime Minister! The generals—"
"They're all here… frozen solid."
Inside the grand halls of the palace, the once-mighty rulers of Chen stood motionless, their bodies encased in glittering ice. Their faces frozen in expressions of horror.
"This was not war."
"This was judgment."
Even Lord Chen, a man who once wielded a world item, had not even been able to fight back.
He had died instantly, unable to do anything but watch as the divine punishment descended upon him.
A general exhaled shakily.
"This… This isn't just destruction. This is the wrath of a god."
Li Xiao closed his eyes for a moment.
He could almost see it—the moment when divine punishment descended.
Ordinary people walking through the streets, merchants shouting their wares, guards patrolling…
Then—
A wave of absolute cold, sweeping through the city.
No warning. No escape.
Just silence.
The entire population, wiped out in an instant.
Even now, their bodies remained untouched, forever frozen as they had been in their last moments.
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A soldier swallowed hard, turning to Li Xiao.
"Your Highness… Is this truly divine punishment?"
Even the most battle-hardened warriors among them felt fear.
Li Xiao's grip tightened.
"The gods do not make empty threats," he murmured.
He had asked for Chen's destruction.
And the gods had answered.
At first, he had only wished for Chen's army to be destroyed—for their leaders to be killed.
But the gods had gone further.
To them, destroying a kingdom meant erasing everything within it.
This was the power of the divine.
The will of a god was not something that could be changed or taken lightly.
One wrong wish could bring unimaginable catastrophe.
Li Xiao took a deep breath.
"From this moment forward, the worship of the ancient god shall spread across the entire Tang Kingdom."
A general stepped forward, eyes filled with understanding.
"His Highness is right. It was not Tang that suffered divine wrath, but Chen. That is proof that we are favored by the gods!"
"Yes! We must dedicate temples to the ancient god. The people must know who protects us!"
Li Xiao nodded firmly.
"Send word to the craftsmen. Statues of the god shall be carved and placed in every city. The Tang Kingdom will become a land of true believers."
The generals bowed in agreement.
They would not make the same mistake Chen had.
Tang would not anger the divine.
Tang would worship, serve, and follow the will of the ancient god.
And under his protection, they would reign supreme.
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