The infinite darkness was shattered by four radiant divine powers that shone within the splendid, ancient, and spacious stomach of Cronus.
In an ancient and vast temple, supported by thirty-eight enormous stone pillars inlaid with colorful gems. In this ancient temple, there is a majestic throne. Beneath it lie many stone steps, a total of fifteen levels.
This means that the identity of its owner is noble and his status transcendent.
And its owner is none other than Cronus, the strongest Titan King!
Cronus is the youngest of the twelve Titans conceived by the goddess Gaia and her eldest son, the sky god Uranus.
He is the ruler of everything in the world: whether the sky, the underworld, the sea, or the earth, all are under his dominion. He is the supreme god-king of the world!
And now, the supreme god-king sat on the throne, one hand on the armrest, a fist at his temple, his head held high. A moment ago he seemed to have been asleep, but now he was awake, with a ghastly, thin wound on his abdomen—yet in the blink of an eye, the wound vanished and his body returned to its original state.
Cronus opened his eyes and looked at the handsome man standing below the throne, with long black hair and dressed in a divine robe the color of ink, a garment that seemed to contain the infinite darkness of the world.
And this man was none other than Hades, the King of the Underworld, who had just emerged from his womb!
Cronus, the Titan God-King, looked at Hades who had come forth from his womb and smiled joyfully:"Hades, you are worthy to be my eldest son. How interesting—you broke through the Seal on your own."
With these words, Cronus praised Hades generously, like an adoptive father watching the growth of his foster son, filled with expectations for his future achievements.
But Hades was not pleased by this, nor would he let down his guard. Calmly, he said:"Thank you for your praises, Father."
"Haha, Hades, my eldest son, since you have chosen to face freedom, have you considered whether you can leave the temple? To leave the sacred mountain of Othrys?"
Cronus smiled faintly.
For you see, being outside my womb did not mean freedom. He, Cronus, was the strongest Titan King in the world. This was Mount Othrys, his territory!
Thousands of divine guards covered the left, right, front, and rear. This temple could be said to be the most dangerous place of all, and Hades had just stepped out from the safest area.
"No."
Hades shook his head."I have not considered whether I can leave. But I know that if I do not seize this chance, then even if I can leave in the future, I will already have lost the qualification to be King of the Underworld. Even if I go, it will mean nothing."
Cronus fixed his gaze on Hades, two piercing lights flashing in his cold eyes."Then you would seize this opportunity to leave, even if the price is your life?"
"Yes."
Hades nodded humbly.
"Hahaha! Not bad! Not bad! Indeed, you are the eldest son of this king, and the future Lord of the Underworld. You are courageous!"
Cronus expressed his praise without hesitation and clapped his hands.
"Fate has shifted, and the future has long been unclear. Since you have chosen to be born at any cost, do your utmost to survive. Only then will you be qualified to compete with Zeus for the throne of God-King!"
Cronus understood the reason for Hades' birth, and he was astonished by his boldness.
The King of the Sky, the King of the Underworld, and the King of the Sea represented the three realms of heaven, darkness, and the ocean. At their birth, there was no distinction of strength or weakness, no hierarchy.
Talent, divine power, and authority were all equal. Each had the ambition to compete for the position of God-King—none wished to be overthrown!
Yet the time of growth depended on training and the development of one's divine power. If Hades did not escape quickly, Zeus would always suppress him and he would lose the chance to be God-King. Thus, the Underworld would fall beneath the Sky.
That would be a shame upon the Underworld! As Lord of the Underworld, Hades would never allow such a thing—therefore, he must escape!
Knowing the reason for Hades' birth, even Cronus, the mightiest Titan King, could not help but gaze at this yet-growing king and say:"Hades, face me. Let me see your future. What is the strength of the Lord of the Underworld?"
"Forgive me for being unreasonable, Father."
Hades spoke these words calmly, then rose slowly into the air. The ink-colored divine robe upon him moved without wind, and the dark divine power surged ceaselessly through his body.
Hades opened his mouth and slowly uttered two words:"Come, Darkness."
In the next moment, limitless darkness eroded and engulfed all of Mount Othrys, as well as the entire temple.
The boundless darkness enveloped Hades and Cronus.
"Hmph!"
Immediately, a cold snort resounded in the darkness, majestic and powerful!
The supreme power of the Titan burst forth from Cronus' body, and with but a single light strike, he completely shattered the endless darkness!
Anger rising, Cronus glared at Hades, his eyes turning icy."Hades, if that is all you can do, then you may die!"
By now, Hades had retreated to within two feet of the temple's gate.
Facing Cronus—the most powerful Titan God-King, who had already risen from his throne in fury—the dark power of the Underworld within Hades shone brilliantly, vast and majestic, filling the entire temple.
The once-glistening golden temple now glowed with a dark purple light under the divine power of the Underworld, like a hell beneath the abyss—terrifying, strange, yet equal to its ancient glory.
Seeing this sight, Cronus, who had been furious, slowly regained his composure.
A shock passed through his majestic eyes as he looked at Hades, who was wrapped in purple divine power. His expression grew solemn, and he said:"This is not your divine power, Hades. This is your Star of Destiny."
"But the Star of Destiny belongs to Pluto, and I am Pluto. This power is mine to use."
From the moment of his birth, Hades had felt the Star of Destiny within the universe, and most of the divine power that had been lost when he tore through Cronus' womb was quickly replenished in that instant.
Cronus was silent for a moment, then sincerely praised:"As expected of the future King of the Underworld! To be able to commune with your Star of Destiny and gain power immediately upon escape—Hades, you are doing far better than your two brothers!"
After a pause, he cast aside his smile and looked at Hades."But the power of the Star of Destiny is not so easily controlled. My son, with your current divine power, if you forcefully borrow its might, you will only suffer backlash!
"I would not even need to fight you—only watch from here. In the end, you will fail."
With that said, Cronus even calmed the vast Titan power within his body.
"But Father God, as the strongest Titan God-King, you will not act in such a way, nor will you reject the challenge of the King of the Underworld."
Hades did not deny Cronus' words. His eyes remained calm, even as the destructive power of the Star of Destiny corroded his divine body the moment it poured into him to strengthen his divinity.
After hearing Hades' words, Cronus stood and grew especially excited."You are right, Hades. Let us fight! Let me see the power of the King of the Underworld!"
At this roar, Hades' eyes also turned cold."Star of Destiny, heed my command!"
In an instant, dazzling purple light blossomed from Hades, blinding to behold.
At this moment, he transformed into a dark purple star, radiant and brilliant, and the light it emitted filled the entire temple.
When the dim glow finally faded, Cronus, boiling with fighting spirit, stared at the empty temple before him in astonishment. Then he understood and let out a furious roar:"Damn it!!!"