At this point, seeing that there was nothing more for them to do, Emperor Tian spoke: "With today's matters settled, we of the Spirit Transmission Tower shall take our leave."
"Everyone, please wait."
Just then, Harossa, who had been keeping his distance, suddenly stepped forward, his gaze fixed on Huo Yuhao and Gu Yuena.
"Honored ones, I have a question. Would you be willing to grant me an answer?"
"What question?" Huo Yuhao raised an eyebrow.
"One concerning the Holy Spirit Cult's deity!"
Harossa's voice was not loud, yet it caused the Limit Douluos who had not yet dispersed to fall into a sudden hush. Dong Zi'an and Yu Guanzhi turned to him in shock.
*Holy Spirit Cult... deity* — these two words together were enough to strike terror into their hearts.
As Federation high officials, both were well aware that the Holy Spirit Cult and evil soul masters had resurfaced in Xingluo. But they had truly never imagined that the Holy Spirit Cult's strength could be so terrifying as to even possess a deity.
They had just witnessed the power of a true god. If the Holy Spirit Cult also had a being of that caliber, then the Federation's threat assessment against both the Holy Spirit Cult and Xingluo would need to be raised several levels.
As for Emperor Tian, Snow Empress, and the others, while they had learned some intelligence from Huo Yuhao and were not as shocked as Dong Zi'an and Yu Guanzhi, they had not expected to hear such information from the Hades Douluo himself. Their expressions shifted as well.
"The Holy Spirit Cult's deity, you say?" Huo Yuhao seemed thoughtful, then gave a slight nod. "Lord Hades, please speak. If it is something I can answer, I will not refuse."
"Thank you."
Harossa first erected a barrier around them, enclosing only the Limit Douluos present within it, before speaking: "In recent years, I left the Federation and traveled to the Douling Empire."
The Douling Empire, like Xingluo, was a nation established overseas by the defeated Douluo Empire ten thousand years ago. The continent they inhabited was named the Douling Continent.
Harossa did not explain his original reasons for going to the Douling Continent, but spoke directly: "During my investigations there, I discovered that although it is outwardly an empire, internally it resembles a theocratic state, and it is connected to the Holy Spirit Cult. Many within its borders worship and enshrine a certain deity in their homes."
"To uncover more, I used the advantages of my martial soul to infiltrate a subsidiary organization of the Holy Spirit Cult, step by step approaching its core. Through multiple channels of inquiry, I learned that the Holy Spirit Cult has a deity within its ranks, one suspected to have come from the Divine Realm, and I also discovered that deity's true name."
"However, merely knowing the deity's true name would not be of much help to the Federation, given our limited knowledge of Divine Realm affairs."
"So I planned to continue my investigation, either to locate where this deity is hidden, or to remain undercover within the Holy Spirit Cult, seeking opportunities to sabotage their important plans. But recently I received orders from the Federation and had no choice but to terminate my mission and return."
At this point, Harossa turned his gaze to Huo Yuhao and Gu Yuena. "Now it seems this may have been a blessing in disguise. You two are deities from the Divine Realm. Do you happen to know the background of that deity? According to my investigation, his true name is Shupuros!"
Upon hearing this, Gu Yuena looked calmly at Huo Yuhao, as if asking whether he wished to answer. But Huo Yuhao could read her expression. It was pure bewilderment and inquiry, clearly saying, *I don't know* in her eyes.
How could she, the Silver Dragon King who had long left the Divine Realm, possibly know the deities of the current Divine Realm?
However, under the present circumstances, she clearly could not say that. She would have to rely on whether Huo Yuhao had any information.
As for Huo Yuhao, aside from those deities who appeared in his memories, he did not recognize any others either.
But fortunately, this name was one he did indeed know, and he was equally surprised.
"The Holy Spirit Cult's deity is *him*? With his divine consciousness devoured by a divine tool, he actually survived? But if he is still alive, joining the Holy Spirit Cult does seem reasonable..."
Hearing Huo Yuhao's muttering, Harossa and the others' eyes lit up. Yu Guanzhi and Dong Zi'an even held their breath, waiting anxiously for what came next.
Huo Yuhao seemed to be recalling and organizing information. After a moment, he spoke slowly.
"Shupuros. He is the Second-Class God of the Divine Realm, the Killing God, and a Divine Realm Enforcer." *(Character from The Wine God)*
*Second-Class God? Killing God? Divine Realm Enforcer?*
Hearing this crucial information, Harossa frowned deeply and could not help asking: "Lord Fire God, how powerful is he?"
"Twenty thousand years ago, among Second-Class Gods, he ranked in the top three. Below First-Class Gods, there was almost no one who could claim a sure victory over him."
Huo Yuhao's expression remained calm, but a trace of gravity flashed in his eyes.
At his peak, the Killing God Shupuros was undoubtedly a powerhouse among Second-Class Gods, far beyond what Tang Hao or A Yin could compare to.
His Spirit-Subduing Art could restrain all deities below First-Class. He also possessed a technique called "Asura God Possession" that could borrow the power of the Asura God. Combined with the Killing Law's suppression over most deities, to some Second-Class Gods, he might as well have been a First-Class God.
It was only because he encountered Flame, the current God King of Goodness, and Ji Dong, the current God King of Evil, the protagonists of *The Wine God*, that he was unfortunate enough to be sealed.
And the battle with Flame before his sealing demonstrated the true measure of Shupuros's strength.
Flame was a newly ascended Second-Class God at the time, but she had the advantage of fighting on her home ground.
Her true form was the Earthfire Red Lotus, and the place that gave birth to her was the Earthcore Lake located at the heart of the Five Elements Continent. All her power came from the Earthcore Lake, and she had long since merged with its energy, making the lake essentially another body of hers. While she could not be directly counted as two Second-Class Gods, fighting on her home turf clearly made her far stronger than an ordinary Second-Class God.
Moreover, because he feared that fighting within the earth's core would detonate the entire Five Elements Continent, Shupuros had used the power of his first Spirit-Subduing Art and Asura God Possession to protect the Earthcore, unnecessarily revealing his trump cards and consuming forty percent of his divine power.
Even so, in the end Flame still had to pay the price of her divine soul nearly dissipating to destroy the Killing God's physical body, leaving him with only his divine consciousness. But for Shupuros, as long as his divine consciousness remained, he could recover once he returned to the Divine Realm. Although he was ultimately sealed because he had overlooked Ji Dong, who used the Fire God Twin Swords against him, his strength was still evident.
*Shupuros: Even bearing the weight of the entire Five Elements Continent, I, the Killing God, remain invincible!*
"Still, at least it is not the worst-case scenario."
Huo Yuhao reconsidered.
At the very least, the Holy Spirit Cult's deity was not a First-Class God, and he knew a great deal about the Killing God. That was good news.
Having learned the Killing God's true power from Huo Yuhao, Snow Empress and Emperor Tian's expressions grew somber.
*A peak existence among Second-Class Gods in his prime? Truly a formidable enemy.*
As for Yu Guanzhi and the others, upon hearing it was a Second-Class God, and seeing the two before them who were suspected to be First-Class Gods, they felt relatively relieved.
However, they were not overly optimistic.
After all, the Killing God had been recuperating within the Holy Spirit Cult for many years, with the Douling Continent providing faith to aid his recovery. His condition was likely better than these two's. They could not afford to be careless.
Harossa pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked: "Lord Fire God, since he is a Divine Realm Enforcer, why would he collude with the Holy Spirit Cult? You said it seemed reasonable. Why?"
Enforcers were always representatives of order and rule, naturally opposed to evil cult organizations like the Holy Spirit Cult, which thrived on chaos, devouring, and destruction. It seemed utterly incompatible.
Facing the confused gazes of the crowd, Huo Yuhao shook his head.
"It has to do with his experience. About twenty thousand years ago, in the lower realm, he was jointly sealed inside a divine tool by the current God King of Goodness and God King of Evil before they had inherited their divine seats."
"And because he had violated Divine Realm law at the time, the former God King of Goodness and God King of Evil sentenced him to a thousand days of punishment within the divine tool."
At this point, Huo Yuhao paused, then continued: "A thousand days in the Divine Realm, converted to the lower realm, is a thousand years."
*Oh...*
Trapped in a dark, lightless divine tool for a full thousand years, it would not be surprising if he came out seeking revenge on society.
Xiong Jun scratched his head, thinking that if he were locked up for a thousand years, resentment would be inevitable.
Yu Guanzhi, however, caught the keywords "former" and "current" and frowned deeply. "Lord Fire God, it cannot be that simple, can it? Since he was sealed by the two current God Kings, surely he holds a grudge against them. Would the current God Kings honor the judgment of their predecessors?"
The former rulers' order was to imprison him for a thousand days, but would the current God Kings follow that order? Or rather, did the current God Kings of Goodness and Evil have any intention of releasing him at all?
Huo Yuhao glanced at Harossa, his expression somewhat peculiar.
"The current God King of Goodness and God King of Evil are husband and wife, deeply devoted to each other. The Killing God, in the lower realm, nearly destroyed the current God King of Goodness's divine soul to the point of dissipation. If not for the former God King saving her, she would have died. Do you think they would release the Killing God?"
Upon hearing this, many understood the reason for Huo Yuhao's look at Harossa.
It was like asking whether Chen Xinjie would release the Hades Douluo if he caught him.
Huo Yuhao continued: "Moreover, due to his enforcement methods and attitude, the Killing God was not well-liked in the Divine Realm and had offended several First-Class Gods."
"And his backer was the former Asura God. But when the Divine Realm Council punished him, the former Asura God had already passed his divine seat to Sea God Tang San. That matter was likely the last time the former Asura God participated in Divine Realm affairs."
Emperor Tian, Harossa, and the others: "..."
That Tang San was the Asura God was recorded in Federation archives.
So then, with poor relationships, a backer who had fled, two God Kings who had passed judgment and left the Divine Realm, and new God Kings who were his mortal enemies, the question was: Would Flame and Ji Dong release the Killing God?
The answer was obvious.
The scene fell into silence. Xiong Jun's mouth hung open, his hand frozen mid-scratch, his expression reading, *This poor wretch is beyond saving.*
Emperor Tian's lips twitched slightly. Even with his hundreds of thousands of years of experience, he felt Shupuros's situation could only be described as a textbook example of "divine tragedy."
Offending multiple main gods meant no one would plead for him. His backer fled. His enemies rose to power. The judgment became worthless paper. He was personally sealed by his enemies. Could he really expect them to release him according to an "expired sentence"? That was not just wishful thinking. It was sheer delusion.
The entire Divine Realm had probably forgotten the Killing God existed.
Calculating by lower realm time, the Killing God had likely been imprisoned for over ten thousand years, only having a chance to escape when the Golden Dragon King rampaged through the Divine Realm.
Locked away for over ten thousand years, ignored by all, cared for by none, in eternal darkness and silence, accompanied only by a searing hatred for his enemies and the endless despair of his circumstances. And when he finally escaped, the even greater despair was discovering that the ones who had sealed him before had become God Kings.
Of course he would descend into darkness. The old Killing God leaned toward Asura. Now that he was mixed up with the Holy Spirit Cult, he seemed to be drifting toward Rakshasa.
Yu Guanzhi, who had also grasped the situation, completely abandoned any thoughts he had entertained.
He had originally wondered whether the Spirit Transmission Tower's side, with their First-Class Gods, could negotiate a surrender. That was no longer worth considering. They might as well prepare to face the Killing God and the Holy Spirit Cult.
Still, upon hearing that this Killing God's experience was so tragic, everyone felt somewhat more at ease.
No matter how strong he was, he could not escape the fact that he was a miserable wretch.
At the same time, the Federation powerhouses regarded Huo Yuhao with increasing solemnity.
The information Huo Yuhao had revealed made his identity as "Lord Fire God" seem ever more real in their eyes. Even Gu Yuena and Snow Empress were looking at him with strange expressions.
*Yuhao, this is all top-secret Divine Realm information, isn't it? Where did you learn all this? Are you really not a Divine Realm deity?*
*We would believe it if you said yes.*
Meanwhile, having exchanged information, Huo Yuhao began considering the reason the Killing God was still alive.
The former God King of Evil had said that a Second-Class God's divine consciousness is not so easily erased. There will always be traces left behind.
From that perspective, after Shupuros's divine consciousness was sealed within the divine tool, although its power was used by Ji Dong to enhance the Fire God Twin Swords, it had not completely died. Later, as Ji Dong ascended to become the God King of Evil, he likely paid it no further mind, simply leaving it imprisoned as punishment, which gave it the opportunity to rekindle.
However, if that were the case, the Killing God's recovery would be all the more difficult.
The Divine Realm had been gone for so many years, and even with the Holy Spirit Cult and resources from two continents supplying him, the Killing God still could not recover quickly. Only recently had he recovered to a certain degree. Otherwise, the Holy Spirit Cult would not have become so aggressive.
Huo Yuhao felt reassured, then remembered another matter and warned: "Do not report the Killing God matter to the Federation for now."
Harossa frowned. "Why?"
Huo Yuhao exchanged a glance with Snow Empress, and the latter spoke: "The Spirit Transmission Tower has discovered signs of Possession Demons within the Federation. We have checked all of you. None of you are possessed, but the same cannot be said for other Federation high officials."
"Originally, we intended to investigate and eliminate this threat in secret. But since the few of you are clean, it is better to inform you in advance."
Yu Guanzhi and Dong Zi'an broke out in cold sweat!
*Possession Demons?!*
That thing had infiltrated the Federation?
Harossa took a deep breath. "It seems we will be very busy from now on. Operations against the Holy Spirit Cult, Xingluo, and Douling will have to be postponed."
Because of Shrek Academy, a large portion of the Federation's military and administrative personnel would need to be replaced. Previously, things had only been temporarily stabilized. That did not mean the interim appointees were suitable.
Now, with Chen Xinjie's betrayal, the Sea God Corps, War Temple, and even other departments, even if they did not undergo complete replacement, would still face rigorous review and restructuring. This was already a period of intense power and personnel upheaval within the Federation, with morale unstable and oversight bound to have gaps. With the Possession Demon's abilities, this was the perfect time for them to make their move.
It could be said that until the Possession Demon threat was dealt with and the internal personnel purge was complete, the Federation would have to shelve any large-scale military operations against the Holy Spirit Cult, Xingluo, and Douling.
Yu Guanzhi sighed. "Truly troubled times."
---
Far away on the Xingluo Continent, the Ghost Emperor received news from his mole within the Federation, his expression darkening.
He had seen with his own eyes: Snow Empress at the Divine Origin realm, Emperor Tian who had reached true godhood through external power, Yun Ming, Chen Xinjie, the true god of Shrek Academy, and the two reincarnated First-Class Gods.
*Splendid. In trying to destroy Shrek Academy, they ended up stirring up a nest of monsters like these!*
The sheer number of powers touching the divine level was terrifying just to think about, let alone face.
He had thought that with the Eternal Heaven in their possession, they were invincible. Now it seemed the Federation's hidden reserves were not to be underestimated.
After the shock subsided, the Ghost Emperor felt a wave of relief.
Fortunately, their scheme to frame Shrek Academy had succeeded, causing the Federation to weaken its own strength while exposing these hidden cards. Otherwise, the Holy Spirit Cult would have had to face those powerhouses completely unprepared!
***
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