"Heh! Heheheh!"
Seven gates: beauty, physique, then the third gate was gentleness, and after that…
Things got ridiculous!
Hair quality! Leg length! And then skin quality!!
Ishtar didn't want to lose a single one, but in the end, she had to face the consequences.
Now, the final gate was before her.
Ishtar, shrunken to just over twenty centimeters, floated in the air, trembling all over. The last comparison was something she absolutely couldn't tolerate!
"IQ! IQ, IQ, IQ! You fiend!!"
Ishtar knew perfectly well that Ereshkigal was toying with her, but she wouldn't give up!
She turned to look at Mo Shuying, her eyes calm, but Mo Shuying could tell it wasn't calmness—it was a readiness to face death!
"Ishtar! When it comes to saving face! I, Mo Shuying, declare you the strongest! Ereshkigal! I choose Ishtar!"
"..."
Even Mo Shuying could feel Ereshkigal's silence. Just as Mo Shuying thought Ereshkigal would let Ishtar off the hook this time!
*Boom!*
Thunder struck! Mo Shuying covered his eyes, unable to watch.
"Hmph, you know you'll be punished yet you're still so stubborn? And you claim to have a high IQ! So, Mo Shuying, what's your answer?!"
"..."
Mo Shuying looked at the gate, lost in thought for a moment.
Should he choose Ereshkigal?
No! Ishtar had already tried so hard! How could he not defend Ishtar's dignity now?
"I choose Ishtar!"
Mo Shuying took a deep breath and shouted loudly! His booming voice echoed through the Underworld.
"What?!"
Ereshkigal was surprised. Not just Ereshkigal; even Ishtar, who was sprawled on the ground, flinched, unsure if it was from being touched or startled.
"I said! Ishtar is more—"
*Biu!*
Mo Shuying wanted to shout again, but suddenly, a tiny Magic Bullet, the size of a grain of rice, hit him in the face.
Mo Shuying looked down at Ishtar and saw her just lowering her hand. The atmosphere instantly became incredibly awkward.
"Well… I choose Ereshkigal…"
Mo Shuying understood now! Ishtar was only being stubborn because she had challenged Ereshkigal six times already and simply couldn't bring herself to back down this time.
"Correct answer!"
Ereshkigal didn't waste any time and quickly opened the gate.
Mo Shuying walked over and picked Ishtar up. Star Infusion descended. While it couldn't restore Ishtar's size, it could help her recover her spirit. Mo Shuying had always done this previously, and Ishtar would quickly recover, but this time…
"..."
Perhaps because she was too mortified to show her face, Ishtar kept her face buried, not looking up. Mo Shuying didn't rush her. He placed her on his shoulder and then looked ahead, where there was a simple Temple.
Ereshkigal's Temple was incredibly simple.
Just a platform, surrounded by steps, and a few plain pillars.
Mo Shuying walked onto it, and a chill permeated the air. If it were an ordinary person, they would already be unable to bear it.
"Ereshkigal!"
Mo Shuying shouted, and at first, there was no response, but then!
"Woooo!"
Suddenly, mournful wails erupted, and a cold surge violently rose from the center of the platform! Accompanied by bone-chilling Mana, a massive blood-and-bone phantom appeared.
"Fear! Pray! Fall into despair!
I am the mistress of the Underworld, she who treads the sacred peaks, Ereshkigal!"
The blood-and-bone phantom began to turn white. This was not Ereshkigal's true body, but a combat form created by gathering Garula Spirits.
As soon as the white bone phantom appeared, the already freezing temperature around them dropped further. The ground visibly frosted over, dropping below zero degrees.
"Eresh…kigal…"
Mana shimmered on Mo Shuying's body, slightly blocking the approaching chill.
Ishtar slowly lifted her head and then sat on Mo Shuying's shoulder.
"This is her combat form. If she's showing this, it means she wants to fight us, Master. I can't help you right now."
Ishtar passed through seven gates, and with each gate, a portion of her Divinity was temporarily stripped away, ultimately reducing her to only about 10 centimeters tall.
Mo Shuying nodded upon hearing this; he wasn't there to fight.
"Just you watch."
Mo Shuying said, a smile playing on his lips, as he looked at the skeletal phantom.
"Ereshkigal! I haven't come here to seek a fight, but for aid. Outside, Uruk is on the brink of destruction. If I can get help from you, a goddess, we will surely overcome this crisis! So—"
*Boom!*
"Silence!"
Mo Shuying's words were interrupted again. A glowing spear appeared in the skeletal phantom's hand, and she plunged it into the ground. Mo Shuying immediately felt a surge of Mana beneath his feet!
"Hmm?"
Mo Shuying quickly retreated. The next second, a stone pillar shot up from the ground, narrowly missing him!
"Uruk! It is indeed, as you said, on the verge of destruction! But I have made my decision!"
The skeletal phantom raised her glowing spear, and stone pillars continuously rose behind her, turning to crash down on Mo Shuying!
*Boom boom boom boom boom!*
The stone pillars fell like spears.
Mo Shuying easily dodged them, jumping left and right.
"Soon! In at most a day, Gorgon will awaken, but before that! I will bring the Underworld! And drag all of Uruk down. Then, the souls of Uruk's people will be in my grasp, and the Holy Grail! will also be mine! I will achieve final victory! Hahaha! This is Goddess Ereshkigal! Making a decision based on her own will for the very first time!"
The skeletal phantom was still laughing, while Ishtar, perched on Mo Shuying's shoulder, looked displeased.
But then Mo Shuying spoke.
"Oh! Is this your way of protecting Uruk?"
"Eek!"
Mo Shuying's words had an effect. The skeletal phantom, still attacking, froze, letting out an incredibly cute sound.
"You—you—you—you! What are you talking about! How could I possibly protect them!"
The skeletal phantom quickly reverted to her original cold voice, but by now Mo Shuying was certain he had guessed correctly.
"No need to pretend, Ereshkigal. You actually deeply love the people of Uruk, don't you? You're actually collecting their souls to protect them, to shelter them in the Underworld so they won't be harmed by other goddesses or even Tiamat. And once you get the Holy Grail, after everything is over, you can use it to revive everyone. Truly... you live up to your name... Ereshkigal."
Mo Shuying called out the name, and the already shocked skeletal phantom suddenly turned pink.
"Ahhh! What nonsense are you spouting! As if you know me so well! What makes you guess such things about me! This goddess! Is going to destroy Uruk!!"
The "flustered and enraged" skeletal phantom raised her glowing spear, and a terrifying burst of Mana erupted! The entire Underworld responded to it!
*Rumble!*
A large amount of crimson lightning gathered above the Temple, seemingly preparing for a supremely powerful strike!
How could Mo Shuying let her succeed? So!
"Ereshkigal! If you can bring yourself to do it, then come on!"
Mo Shuying didn't resist. He spread his arms, closed his eyes, and waited for the attack.
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