Spellcasting Gods

Accompanied by a familiar voice, Zhang Cheng, who was sitting on the throne, finally stood up and greeted the king with a smile.

"It's you?!" The female ruler known as Afuya stared wide-eyed, as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Because in the minds of most rulers, Zhang Cheng was just a daring newcomer with some special methods and the madness to dare to break all taboos.

No one could have imagined that he, one of the last to enter the spiritual world, would become the first to return alive and then start a war.

Admiring this woman, one of the few rulers who matched his aesthetic standards, Zhang Cheng smiled and asked, "What, is that strange? You know, since the last time I opened the node, this universe has gone through at least two cycles of explosion and annihilation. Besides, I'm not the only one who returned from there."

"Not just yourself? What do you mean! Could it be..." Afuya's star-like pupils suddenly contracted.

"Just as you guessed. If nothing unexpected happens, there should be another person who has also crossed the isolation zone, currently waiting to awaken in some corner of the material universe, or perhaps already awakened, secretly plotting how to reshape the entire universe and its numerous subordinate rules according to their own will," Zhang Cheng explained casually.

"Who is the other returnee?" Afuya asked anxiously.

Keep in mind that the return of one person is enough to make the rulers tense and ready to fight to the death. If there is a second one, their chances of winning may not even be five percent.

"Byron! I believe you are very familiar with this name. He was the first highest-level life form born in this material universe, and also the first madman to realize the ceiling and voluntarily give up everything."

Without any concealment, Zhang Cheng directly stated the name the other party wanted to know.

As someone who always likes to plan for the worst, he didn't think Byron would choose to stay in the broken mental world. He believed Byron would do the same as him, risking permanent disappearance to cross the isolation zone and then be resurrected.

This is why it is constantly sending signals into the entire universe.

He seemed to want to use this method to make this former collaborator, now a competitor, make it clear that he had been resurrected.

As for the rulers of these old universes, they were no longer within his consideration.

"Byron! The First Ruler! The Supreme Dominator, Explorer, and Destroyer. He created the most glorious era in this universe, and he also destroyed the original perfect cycle and balance..." Afuya murmured the description written in the ancient book.

Perhaps in the eyes of many rulers who came later, Byron was merely an ancient symbol, existing only in books and memories.

But for someone who has walked step by step from the distant past and witnessed that history firsthand, she understands better than anyone the power of the original ruler.

He was like a savior who dispelled the darkness and established order, but also a tyrant who would not allow anyone to defy his will.

That's right!

He's a tyrant!

Although the newly formed rulers were unaware of this at first, by the time they realized it, it was too late...

Chapter 1409 The Dawn of a New Era

There is no doubt that Avya's feelings for Byron were complex.

From initial worship and obedience to later suspicion, betrayal, and enmity, she didn't even know how she would react if the other party reappeared.

Tormented by this incredibly conflicted emotion, she remained silent for a full ten minutes before finally asking, "Where's the evidence? What evidence do you have to prove that he also came back from that world?"

"Evidence? Hahahaha! Believe me, I don't need to prove anything. I've seen him in the spiritual realm, talked with him, cooperated with him, discussed with him, and fought with him. I know him better than any of you. If there's anyone in the entire universe who can compete with me, it's him. Byron won't die; he'll pull through just like me. Of course, he might lose something in the process, but he'll gain far more than he loses."

When he said these words, Zhang Cheng's tone was full of determination, without the slightest hesitation or wavering.

Because he needs an opponent, an enemy.

Only in this way can he unleash all his potential to the fullest extent and move towards the goal of a higher life form.

If he succeeds, he will be the sole ruler connecting the material and spiritual worlds, and may even be given the title of the supreme god.

"You've seen him in the spiritual world? What... what did he look like back then?" Afuya asked cautiously.

Zhang Cheng stroked his chin, briefly searching his somewhat hazy memories, and then slowly said, "He was wearing a black cloak, and his body was so thin that he was practically just skin and bones. His appearance resembled that of a lich, or even the god of death, a necromancer mentioned in some magical civilizations."

"You mean... he has almost no life force left in his body?" Afuya suddenly frowned for some reason.

"What, do you find it strange?" Zhang Cheng pursed his lips, a playful smile appearing on his face. "The spiritual world is a very pure place, so pure that you can't pretend to be yourself. Because every action or thought of yours will be presented directly. So the Byron I see is the real Byron without any pretense. What you see is Byron disguised under layers of halo and deception."

Afuya nodded thoughtfully, then asked, "So what secrets have you discovered in the spiritual world? And in what way will you reshape the entire universe?"

"You want to know? I'm sorry, this is difficult to explain clearly in words. If you really want to know what secrets are hidden in the spiritual world, you can only feel it yourself through your own eyes, your own hands, and your own purest spirit. Because even Byron and I can't guarantee that our understanding is 100% correct. Okay, enough of the nonsense. If I'm not mistaken, you must be an emissary sent by the rulers, or to put it another way, you are a sacrifice they sent out, right?"

After saying that, two sharp, cold glints flashed in Zhang Cheng's eyes.

Although he never considered the rulers representing the old era as enemies, he wouldn't mind dealing with them in advance if they came looking for trouble.

“You guessed right! I am the messenger, and also a sacrifice. Now, I have almost completed my mission. Obviously, you have no intention of negotiating with us. You have a grander, almost insane goal. We are destined to be enemies, and there is nothing to talk about. If you don’t want to kill me, imprison me, or enslave me, I would like to take my leave now.” Afuya bowed gracefully.

This is not some hypocritical etiquette or courtesy, but rather the weak expressing their respect to the strong.

Because this young man, who had just been resurrected, was already standing in a position even higher than the Overlord.

Although he hasn't completed his final transformation yet, it's only a matter of time.

But Zhang Cheng didn't seem inclined to let him go so easily. He meaningfully urged him to stay, saying, "Do you really have to leave right away? Why don't you stay and have a drink together, and exchange some views and opinions? I know you're different from those stubborn conservatives. You don't have their ambitions and desires, nor are you keen on power or dominance."

"What are you trying to say?" Afuya seemed to sense some kind of intention, and instantly became tense.

"Relax! I don't intend to kill you, at least not now. I just want to give you a choice. As the ruler, you should already be able to sense that the cycle of the material universe can hardly continue for much longer. When the cycle collapses, all energy, matter, space, time, and dimensional chords will collapse along with it. Even more terrifying is that the chaos caused by the collapse will destroy all life and civilization. That's right! This universe beneath our feet will become a dead land, and no more life will be born."

At this point, Zhang Cheng picked up his cup and took a small sip of the juice extracted from the fruit of the Chaos Tree.

"A world without life is boring, and a universe without civilization and conflict has no reason to exist. Therefore, reshaping it is one of Byron's and my missions. But you know, one person cannot systematically reshape the entire vast material universe, and I also intend to incorporate the spiritual world into it. Only a perfect unity of matter and spirit can create something more interesting. So, are you interested in joining forces with me?"

"Join forces? Do you want me to betray the other rulers and my own faction?" Afuya asked with a cold laugh.

"Don't put it so harshly! Betrayal isn't shameful, as long as you gain enough from it. Look at me, how many conspiracies, betrayals, and destructions have I gone through to get to where I am today. Of course, this isn't bragging, just stating a fact. Many idealists believe the world is bound to be beautiful, and the future will be bright and full of hope, but the cruel reality is quite the opposite; we, including you and me, are shrouded in darkness. Interests, conflicts, struggles, and killings—these are the most essential things in life, deeply etched into the genes and even the soul of every living being."

"What would you do if my answer was no?"

"I can only apologize; you probably won't be able to leave this palace, much less deliver such an important message back. But if you agree, I will grant you permission to pass the message on to the other rulers and tell them that the old era has passed and the dawn of a new era has arrived..."

Chapter 1410 Twilight of the Old Era (Part 1)

Undoubtedly, the envoys sent by the rulers have been placed under house arrest.

Afuya didn't even need to try to know that she couldn't possibly leave this palace made of vines and branches, nor could she avoid the tens of millions of magical warships surrounding it to send back the message she had finally obtained.

All she could do was wait patiently, waiting for the other party to release her resources, or for them to make up their minds to kill her.

As for the option of betrayal, it never existed in the first place.

Because she doesn't want to be controlled by anyone, even if that person possesses power far exceeding her own and a higher life form.

Of course, Zhang Cheng had no intention of making things difficult for this female ruler, and continued to calmly release strong signals to the entire material universe.

This delicate state lasted for quite some time until the Overminds finally could no longer contain themselves and began sending small groups of troops to launch probing attacks on the starfleet composed of Darents.

Looking at the clusters of light flickering in the distant starry sky due to the battle, Zhang Cheng asked the Speaker kneeling before him with a half-smile, "How's the intensity of the attacks these past few days? It hasn't cost you too much of your main fleet, has it?"

“Our losses are negligible, Master. If it weren’t for your explicit prohibition against retaliating, this small number of enemies would have been crushed by our invincible and massive fleet long ago,” the Speaker replied, kneeling on the ground in an extremely humble and devout tone.

As more and more knowledge, technology and power continuously challenged the Darrents's inherent cognition and thinking, he finally realized how ridiculous his previous arrogance and conceit had been.

As a civilization, the Darrents hadn't even figured out the most basic concepts of strings and dimensions, so how could they possibly fight against a terrifying life form that stood at the very top of the material universe?

As the saying goes, ignorance breeds fearlessness.

All the most audacious people in the world are not born fearless, but rather because they do not yet understand the underlying risks.

Once you begin to understand, those audacious thoughts will naturally and quickly dissipate, replaced by fear and awe.

Clearly, the Darrents who survived are now in this later stage.

The more they received, the more they revered this young man who looked to be only in his early twenties, and they were even willing to become his loyal servants.

"Crush them? Heh, believe me, they're not that easy to crush. You should know that what you're dealing with now is merely the enemy's vanguard, the lowest-level cannon fodder, used to test my reaction. Once they figure out your defenses, a second, more ferocious attack will come immediately. Remember, don't disappoint me, or the Darrents will have no reason to exist."

While saying this, Zhang Cheng kept his gaze fixed on the other person's eyes, which were gleaming with a sinister light, and there was no hint of joking in his tone.

As a pragmatist, he has always focused on results rather than the process.

Especially in intense confrontations like war, where there is no second chance once you lose, the process is completely unimportant; the only thing that matters is the result.

As long as the outcome is victory, it doesn't matter how big the flaws are in the process. But if the outcome is defeat, it's meaningless no matter how many victories were won or how many advantages were gained in the process.

"Understood! Please rest assured, I swear I will not allow a single enemy to penetrate the defenses." The speaker gave his assurance with complete confidence.

After all, what he now controls is not the Darrent Council, which has countless political enemies to check and balance, but a semi-military organization that is completely subservient to its master's will.

In this organization, ordinary Darrents have no right to express their opinions; they either obey or die.

Therefore, once the master gives the order, everyone must do their job well, otherwise they will face cruel elimination.

Soon, under the chairman's arrangement, the massive fleet surrounding the Tree World quickly changed formation, concealing its powerful main weapons in preparation for a big surprise for the approaching enemy.

Meanwhile, the rulers on the other side were also observing the fleet floating in the endless deep space from afar through various devices.

A full minute passed before the leader spoke: "After several rounds of probing, we are almost certain that these magical warships are equipped with special weapons capable of harming us. Please note these tubular objects at the front; they can project some kind of deep blue substance, or rather, energy, that we do not understand. Although the effective range is not far, if you are accidentally hit, it will cause an incurable wound."

“No! That’s not an ordinary wound.” Another ruler gently touched the conspicuous scar on his face.

"This is certainly not an ordinary wound, but a near-eternal freeze. Even for us, if we were hit by too many of these things, we would probably not escape our fate. Believe me, this is far more terrifying than death. Because for the next endless years, your body, soul, thoughts, and consciousness will all be frozen. So far, we have not found a way to thaw it."

"Should we still risk launching an attack?"

"Of course! Haven't you noticed that the number of this fleet is increasing rapidly? We must reduce its numbers through war before it expands to a certain extent."

"So, we have no way to turn back now?"

“From the moment Afuya was imprisoned, the enemy had already sent a clear signal of war. The only thing we could do was respond to him and tell him that we would fight back with all our might, rather than surrender.”

"In that case, what are we waiting for? Order the attack!"

……

As the discussion ended, the rulers, through their servants, issued attack orders to the massive army lurking near the main axis.

In an instant, civilizations from all dimensions, with different appearances and technologies, flooded into this star field like a tide.

At a glance, there were hundreds of billions of super warships radiating stellar-level energy, completely surrounding the Tree World from all sides.

Admiring this magnificent scene, Zhang Cheng immediately pursed his lips and murmured to himself in a voice only he could hear: "Ah! They really came! To play this twilight of an old era. But unfortunately, quantity does not equal quality. Let me tell you what true transcendence is, what true power is. Certainly, spirit without matter is ethereal, but matter without spirit is just as fragile."

Chapter 1411 Twilight of the Old Era (Part 2)

No communication!

There was no declaration of war whatsoever!

In a brutal war in which only one side is destined to survive, there are no ridiculous rules of engagement. Both sides will do everything in their power and use every means to ensure the maximum possible annihilation of the enemy.