Chapter 33: The Era of Gods
Having spoken these words to Xianyue, Du Xin slowly ascended into the sky.
"I shall return to the Divine Realm now, to await your arrival!"
Year 738 of the New Era—Autumn. Southern Rose Kingdom, White Moon City. Creation descends to the mortal plane; life makes its debut; divine attributes are bestowed; thus begins the Era of Gods! *The Era of Gods*
A deity had descended to the mortal world, and with his arrival, the dawn broke. A pillar of light erupted skyward from the White Moon Tower, outshining even the brilliance of the sun. The entire world witnessed this colossal column of light, accompanied by a voice that resounded across the entire continent:
"Three hundred years hence, a cataclysm shall befall the mortal realm—a demonic invasion that will plunge all living beings into misery and lay waste to all creation. Yet, a glimmer of hope remains. Today, I bestow upon you the Proof of Divinity; Divine Attributes have descended to the mortal plane. Whosoever possesses a Divine Attribute shall have the opportunity to ascend to godhood!"
As he spoke, a tall, majestic, and sacred figure slowly materialized within the pillar of light. In his hands, he held a dozen or so multicolored gems that radiated a dazzling brilliance. Suddenly, all the gems broke free from Du Xin's grasp, scattering across the continent to various corners of the world before vanishing from sight.
Du Xin, too, fulfilled his promise and returned to the Divine Realm, from where he observed the mortal world—a realm now rife with bloody conflicts sparked by the pursuit of these Divine Attributes. Upon descending to the mortal plane, the Divine Attributes had transformed into mundane objects—be it a small pebble, a gold coin, or a single ice crystal. Only when a person whose nature aligned with a specific Divine Attribute appeared would the object revert to its true form; yet, it would not immediately merge with its bearer. Instead, the individual would typically be subjected to a series of trials—tests of power, wealth, or sheer strength. Only those whose true nature remained unwavering throughout these trials could retain possession of the Divine Attribute, until the final, complete fusion was successfully achieved.
The first individual to manifest a Divine Attribute was, naturally, Xianyue. Possessing the strength of a peak Rank 7 cultivator—a power level, when combined with her Divine Attribute, that rivaled that of a Rank 8 powerhouse—she began to traverse the land shortly after Du Xin's departure. Already endowed with an innate affinity for Wood-element magic and the Force of Life, she swiftly attained absolute mastery over the Divine Attribute of Life. She bestowed her blessings upon the world, propagating the faith in the Divine and spreading the tenets of Life. She successfully brokered a reconciliation between the Rose and Azure Kingdoms, and as she journeyed across the land, she ceaselessly wielded the power of Life to heal and save all living beings. The second individual to attain divinity was a general—the Second Princess of the Rose Kingdom. She fought valiantly on the battlefield to defend her homeland. In fact, just one year after Xian Yue had brokered a reconciliation between the two nations, the Azure Empire crumbled into dust, driven mad by the intoxicating allure of divine power. At a moment when the Rose Kingdom itself teetered on the brink of collapse, this Second Princess—named Yana—stepped forward! She rallied her forces to encircle and defend the Rose Kingdom; on that very day, a divine spark descended from the heavens, and the very Will of War manifested upon the earth. Under the iron-fisted conquest of Yana—now the Goddess of War—the Rose Kingdom brought the entire continent under its dominion in less than two years.
The third divine spark was the Divinity of the Dragon. Du Xin had specifically created several divine sparks tailored to various races, among which was the Divinity of the Dragon God. Upon its manifestation, it descended directly onto the summit of Holy Dragon Mountain. The Dragon King of that era spent ten years fully integrating this divine spark, thereby ascending to the Ninth Rank—becoming the very first Ninth-Rank powerhouse on the continent.
For the next twenty years, no new gods emerged. It was not until the year 773 of the New Era that a human girl was born; at that moment, a divine spark flew in from the horizon and settled beside her. The spark radiated a faint, sacred glow. The girl was named "Shuguang"—meaning "Dawn"—yet this "Dawn" offered her no protection. Because of the divine spark, her family was destroyed, and she was cast into a life of ceaseless wandering. Disfigurement, death, and constant flight became her inseparable companions. She attempted to cast away the divine spark on numerous occasions, yet failed every time. It was not until twenty years later, when she returned to her homeland, that she finally grasped the true meaning of "Shuguang"—and transformed into the Goddess of Dawn!
Less than three years later, an elderly man ascended to godhood. Wielding a long-handled, double-bladed axe and sporting streaks of white at his temples, Zhong Shan had honed his skills amidst countless life-and-death struggles, eventually reaching the Seventh Rank and becoming the continent's preeminent warrior. On the very day he founded the Academy of Martial Arts and retired from the mercenary world, a deep-brown divine spark burst forth from the earth beneath his feet. Zhong Shan had become the God of Earth!
Another thirty years passed without a divine spark descending upon the world. Then, in the year 828 of the New Era, three new gods emerged. Among them was the God of Retribution—the master of divine punishment—a judge hailing from the Rose Kingdom named Sind. Remarkably, he possessed absolutely no prior cultivation base whatsoever! Venerable Gu Yao, who had safeguarded humanity for nearly two centuries, finally ascended to godhood. Wielding the power of space and time, he manifested in the form of a young man—the God of Space and Time had arrived!
Third in line, the turn finally came for the Elven race; the Elven Queen at last returned to the Divine Realm, taking command of the Divinity of the Sky.
Subsequently, the Divinity belonging to the Treants finally emerged—though, surprisingly, it was claimed by a human Druid. The Goddess of the Forest had taken her rightful place.
Now, only Youmeng remained. He had actually acquired a Divinity long ago, yet, unable to shake his concern for the Beast Forest, he had lingered behind. Finally, in the year 900 of the New Era, he fused with his Divinity and ascended as the Beast God.
With this, all ten Divinities released by Du Xin had been successfully fused. The Age of Gods had dawned; all ten individuals had reached the Ninth Rank and were transported to the Divine Realm by Du Xin's laws. Three of them—having originally departed from the Divine Realm—had now finally returned.
Within the Divine Realm, inside the Great Temple, Du Xin sat high upon the throne situated at the front of the hall. Michael stood to Du Xin's right; the spot to his left—once occupied by Lucifer's Guardian Angel—now stood empty. Lined up below them stood the ten gods. While they had reached the Ninth Rank previously, they were then merely "quasi-gods"; now, having undergone the baptism of the Divine Realm's laws, they truly possessed the power of gods—a power requisite to truly contend against Hell. Of course, Lucifer alone would be an insurmountable challenge, which is precisely why there were ten of them.
"In one hundred years, Hell shall descend; Satan shall arrive, plunging all living beings into utter misery. It falls to you to lead the mortal realm and stand united against this cataclysm."
Du Xin sat upon his throne, delivering these words with solemn gravity. Although Du Xin himself spoke with an air of detachment, those gathered below—ranging from the diminutive God of Space and Time, standing merely 1.6 meters tall, to the colossal Dragon God, towering thousands of meters high—listened with absolute, undivided attention.
"Very well. You may all withdraw."
Having dismissed everyone, Du Xin felt a twinge of frustration. Xian Yue was currently giving him the complete cold shoulder, maintaining a strictly formal demeanor—as if they were merely sovereign and subject. To Du Xin—who had utilized time acceleration—Xian Yue's behavior felt almost like a childish act of spite. Looking down at the Underworld with a heavy heart, Du Xin observed that the Seven Demon Kings had already begun inciting the various races of the Demon Realm to launch an invasion against the Human Realm. Virtually every demon clan was converging upon the Gates of Hell. The demons had long known the location of the Gates of Hell; however, the Human Realm possessed no fixed location for them—the gates would only establish a connection to the mortal plane when they actually opened.
With the war still a century away, Du Xin—having already orchestrated the entire "Age of Gods"—felt his enthusiasm waning; he was ready to return to reality.
After settling affairs within his Divine Kingdom—and to prevent the Underworld from stirring up trouble in his absence—Du Xin granted the Ten Great Deities unrestricted access to the realm before making his departure.
Having spent several centuries within the "small world," Du Xin finally returned to his own reality. It was the dead of night. Du Xin took a brief respite—primarily to allow his mind to readjust—watching some television and ordering a delivery meal. It wasn't until he had finished watching a movie that he finally managed to fully extricate himself from the mindset of the small world; he had become far too immersed in the role.
Switching off the television, Du Xin suddenly realized that nearly half a month had already elapsed. He hurriedly entered the System Space.
The System Space was now filled with a swirling gray mist. Within it lay the ninety thousand yuan he had deposited earlier, a "Captain China" costume, and a shield.
"System! System! Are you there?"
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