"Surrender! In the clash of domains alone, you've already fallen into an absolute disadvantage!"
Among the two demigods, the most powerful — Akban — was leisurely circling around the periphery, sending a multitude of voices into the battlefield.
This demigod forged from the emperor's spirit was clearly a tactician as well, using words to constantly hammer at
Unfortunately, for Leylin, whose will had been tempered through countless trials and was harder and more terrifying than diamond, all such provocation was futile — it even allowed him to see through a hint of nervousness in his opponent.
"Does he think I still have some hidden card up my sleeve? Or is he wary of my mainland background?"
Leylin's eyes flickered, and he immediately grasped his opponent's thoughts.
This Akban clearly knew something about the mainland's divine system, and thus still harbored suspicions about Leylin's identity.
Unfortunately, at this moment Leylin was completely alone. Even if he were killed here, no one would come after Akban for it — with the exception of his warlock main body!
"If I deployed Soul City, I could of course annihilate all four demigods right here, but then this secret would no longer remain hidden…"
A contemplative look flickered through Leylin's eyes. When it came to hidden cards, the sheer depth of reserves he had accumulated was probably enough to leave even other gods dumbfounded.
The floating city, naturally, had already relocated to the void beyond the outskirts of Bankitz Island in accordance with Leylin's will, awaiting his command.
A floating city at its peak was a force that could contend with a true god! Dealing with a few demigods would be as easy as child's play.
Unfortunately, such powerful energy fluctuations would also be clearly detected by the gods, making everything that followed extremely troublesome.
"Domain of Slaughter!"
And so, Leylin chose to fight head-on with his own strength.
A layer of dark crimson domain of slaughter erupted outward with him at its center, gaining tremendous amplification in this, his home ground.
The dark crimson domain, brimming with sharp and violent killing intent, surged outward with savage force, even pushing back the domains of both demigods and establishing a dead-even standoff.
"Such pure killing intent… and this domain power…"
On the face of Akban, who was observing from the sidelines, a contemplative expression appeared — he had clearly gleaned some form of inspiration from the domain Leylin was radiating.
"Is it 'purity'? I was too greedy before… To ascend to True God, I must thoroughly master the power of a single domain!"
Something subtle shifted in Akban, who had just received his revelation. His divine body grew more solid and condensed — the ability to continuously learn and evolve in battle against his enemies was truly his most terrifying aspect!
If Akban were allowed to escape this time, he would very likely be able to purge his impure domain and ultimately obtain a divine portfolio. Ascend to True God!
"A pity… you won't get that chance!"
Leylin roared with laughter, and the legendary spells in his hands were cast almost instantaneously.
— Meteor Burst!
— Shattering Palm!
The brilliant meteor explosions and the colossal palm immediately engulfed both demigods. Their furious roars could still be heard intermittently from within the spell's radiance, while Leylin executed a Dimension Jump, arriving directly before Akban with a golden staff materializing in his hand.
"Chirp chirp!"
Amidst the flickering of light and shadow, a colossal bird wreathed in crimson-gold flames materialized directly. Petal-like flames sprayed ceaselessly from its two great wings, and its enormous beak thrust toward Akban in a piercing strike.
"A divine creature's soul? So this is what you're counting on? Naive!!!"
Facing this attack, Akban's brow furrowed slightly. The titanic horse at the front of his war chariot let out a sharp snort, inhaling every scattered lick of flame.
"Consider this repayment for pointing me down the right path — I'll send your true spirit straight to the Astral Plane!"
Akban's golden spear thrust forward viciously, colliding head-on with the flame bird's beak.
Ding-a-ling-a-ling… A crisp sound of collision and shattering rang through the air. Then the flame bird's beak began cracking apart like glass, revealing the crimson-gold staff within. The great bird's beak had been the tip of the staff all along.
"Whether it is the power of a divine domain or the accumulation of divine might, you are inferior to me…"
Akban seemed to sigh, yet the golden spear in his hand struck ruthlessly against the crystal at the staff's tip without a moment's hesitation.
"Chirp chirp…"
Within the crystal, the soul of the flame bird let out a mournful cry. Then a golden core at its center shattered with a thunderous boom — and Akban immediately sensed that something was wrong.
"Haha… Many thanks for breaking through that last shred of resistance in this flame bird's soul! Otherwise, subduing it wouldn't have been nearly so easy!"
With a flash of light, Rayleigh's figure vanished from where he had been. At the tip of his staff, the original massive flame bird suddenly exploded, then re-condensed.
However, compared to before, the flame bird's eyes now lacked a spark of sentience, appearing dull and stiff.
Balls of flame wrapped around the staff. Energy fluctuations that faintly surpassed those of a Legendary item radiated outward ceaselessly.
All of this had happened in the blink of an eye — Rayleigh had used Akban's power to completely subdue the flame bird, and had reforged the Sighing Red Dragon Staff from scratch.
"The Red Dragon Staff no longer suits you. From now on, you shall be called the Flame Scepter!"
Rayleigh appraised his work with satisfaction. Having used the soul of a divinity bearer along with the assistance of a Demigod, the Flame Scepter had not yet ascended to the rank of a Divine Artifact, but it had nonetheless taken a tremendous leap forward within the grade of Legendary items.
"A Divine Artifact still requires the flesh and divine power of an actual god to be completed..."
Rayleigh sighed to himself as he contemplated this, but Akban, who stood before him, had already flown into a towering rage.
"Damned sinner! You dare to make a fool of me!"
With the emperor-like fury radiating from the other, an enormous vortex instantly formed in the night sky above, and bolts of blue lightning as thick as arms ceaselessly slashed downward.
For Akban, being toyed with by a mere divinity bearer — one who had even used his own power to refine a weapon — was an unforgivable insult!
And the fury born of such blasphemy could only be washed clean by the blood and soul of the blasphemer!
"I shall show you the magnitude of the mistake you have made!"
His warhorses neighed as Akban charged forward atop his flaming chariot. The lightning in the sky danced along with his spear, condensing in an instant at its very tip.
"Roaaar!!!" "Squeee!!!" The two Demigods who had been briefly restrained by Rayleigh now lunged forward as well — apart from looking slightly disheveled, not a single wound could be found on them.
The combined assault of four Demigods generated such tremendous force that the surrounding air was instantly vaporized, creating a bizarre pocket of vacuum.
Rayleigh's pressure skyrocketed in an instant, the forces surging toward him from every direction seeming bent on tearing him to shreds.
"As I expected — pitting a divinity bearer against Demigods is simply too disadvantageous..."
A bitter smile flickered across Rayleigh's face before being replaced by steely determination and resolve.
"You only realize this now? It is far too late! Your corpse shall be placed beneath my Golden Throne, to serve as a permanent ornament..."
Akban roared, unleashing his attack alongside the other three Demigods, and the combined assault immediately engulfed Rayleigh.
Lightning, fire, venomous toxins… all manner of forces mingled with divine power and the force of domains, forming a chaotic zone of multicolored energy.
Within that maelstrom, Rayleigh's aura waned violently before sputtering out entirely, as though it had vanished completely.
"Even I cannot simultaneously withstand the siege of four Demigods…"
Akban withdrew the golden spear in his hand. "A pity I didn't obtain the method to cure the plague, but learning the path to ascension as a True God already makes this trip worthwhile… Hm? That's not right!!!"
Akze's expression changed violently in an instant, because he had felt the descent of an enormous mass of World Origin Power.
*Crack!* The sky plunged into sudden darkness. The stars and the silver moon withdrew their radiance, and thunderbolts like those of a raging dragon streaked through the black clouds ceaselessly. Compared to the lightning now, the bolts Akban had summoned earlier looked like children playing make-believe.
"The descent of World Origin… This is… the calling for ascension to Demigod!"
This was a scene Akban had experienced once before — there was no mistaking it.
And just as he was about to interrupt the process at any cost, a force of overwhelming power surged forth, carrying slivers of the Origin Power's will, and sent him and the other three Demigods flying backward.
Divine beings were the favored children of the world. During ascension, they naturally received the attention of the World Origin Power, and this barrier of seclusion was not something four mere Demigods could breach.
The howling surge of World Origin Power drew the attention of several powerful deities as well.
Although to them the ascension of a single Demigod was hardly worth noting, a few presences nonetheless took notice of Rayleigh.
"This feeling… it is indeed a Demigod, and the location is in the barbarian lands south of the Southern Sea. Could it be that some totem spirit or nature spirit has ascended?"
To the gods, the totems of those barbarians were nothing more than a motley bunch of country bumpkins — lacking any real combat strength and unable to leave the range of their own domains. They were entirely beneath notice.
Several divine thoughts gathered briefly in the air, then departed as though nothing had happened.
However, no matter how careful Rayleigh had been, his reputation as the youngest Legendary Mage had already made waves, drawing the attention of certain presences.
On Faolan Island, within the temple of the Goddess of Wealth, Waukeen.
Golden light flickered before coalescing into the form of an elegant woman resplendent in a magnificent golden robe.
"There's no mistaking it. That aura — it's that mage! He's ascended to Demigod?"
Amusement danced in Waukeen's eyes. "How interesting! I suspect the name of that genius will resound across the continent once more..."
"My servants!" At this thought, Waukeen's voice rang out with majesty.
"My Lady!"
Several wealth priests immediately fell to their knees, listening to their goddess's oracle.