Is this place, in the thunderclouds high in the sky?

He looked down at the path he had come from and saw a bottomless staircase.

This place is invisible to the outside world.

"Was this the work of the Ghost Queen?" he wondered.

The Snow King stood in front of him, looking up at the higher place. He turned to the side and pointed to the void above: "The matter that Bei Yujianzun entrusted to me is up there. You need to go up there yourself."

It smiled and said, "But the prerequisite for going up is that your true spirit must be sublimated at least once. That is the basic condition for stepping onto the ladder of godhood."

Kotegawa paused, his gaze passing over it, looking up at the empty sky.

Higher up in the sky, the clouds swirled, but the sky was nothing but a deep, dark expanse.

Going up... does that mean his true spirit wasn't strong enough, which is why he couldn't see it?

The Snow King smiled slyly, with a hint of slyness. It coughed, put its hands behind its back, and slowly said, "Her Majesty the Queen has left behind divine power to amplify true spirits in many places. If we had looked around earlier, perhaps Your Majesty's true spirit would have been elevated..."

"It's really annoying." This thought flashed through Kotegawa's mind, but he calmly said, "No need, I have my own way."

As soon as he finished speaking, his figure vanished from the spot and appeared in the Realm of Impermanence.

Under the dim, blood-red sky, he transformed into clouds and appeared amidst piles of "figurines" stacked like small mountains.

Some of the "figures" were bound by chains formed from a curse, and tightly bound by a realm of impermanence that had been elevated to an unknown level.

Last time, the Evil Road King summoned countless ghost kings and evil gods to attack him, but he wiped them all out in one fell swoop. However, he was worried that he would "overeat," so he kept them in his domain.

Now, it's their turn to put in the effort.

He watched silently as countless black mists suddenly churned behind him, casting the phantom of a colossal serpent that seemed to reach the heavens, and slowly opened its scarlet eyes.

"The Sacrifice of Greed!"

In an instant, apart from Yang Jie, all the other true spirits in the entire Impermanence Domain were swallowed up and entered the True Spirit Space together.

The evil gods and demon kings, tormented by the curse, had long lost the power to resist.

He didn't expend much effort, reaping every single one of these densely packed true spirits.

Countless points of light merged into the surroundings, and the entire True Spirit Space suddenly trembled. His True Spirit instantly fled from this place.

Within the realm of impermanence, his pupils were tinged with gold, and then grew brighter and brighter.

The sea of ​​the heart also underwent earth-shattering changes.

Even the deepest part of my heart, as profound as the starry sky, shone with brilliance, as rays of light pierced through the darkness and illuminated all directions.

The countless orbs of light floating above it shattered on their own.

The ancient, large characters trembled intermittently, eventually forming several lines:

[Achievement: 9999]

[Sword: 9999]

[Fist: 9999]

[True Spirit - Black Iron]

【talent……】

[The ultimate...]

……

Countless new insights surged into his mind, and his whole body radiated golden light. His boundless aura spread out invisibly, and the air currents carrying blood and sand gathered around him to form a storm. All the piled-up evil god corpses collapsed and knelt down, as if welcoming a new king.

"Is this the sublimation of the true spirit? It is indeed completely different from the feeling before..." He looked down at his palm, and power at least ten times stronger than before was surging out of his body, as if it would never run dry.

Yosuke, who was in the far corner, was almost scared to death, but he could only watch helplessly.

Fortunately, Kotegawa managed to suppress his aura in time. He glanced at him with his eyes, which could not conceal the golden light and contained a heavy, mountain-like pressure, and then his figure disappeared in an instant, reappearing in the outside world.

"Thump!" The Snow King, with its beast ears and white robes, knelt down on the ground. It was completely stunned, and an indescribable sense of fear emanated from its heart. At this moment, it felt as if it were facing its own queen.

Kotegawa ignored him and looked up at the sky.

Where there had been nothing before, a mottled black stone staircase covered with lightning snakes appeared, bearing the marks of sharp blades and exuding an incomparably ancient and weathered aura.

He looked up, a hint of confusion in his golden eyes.

The stone steps are broken in the middle.

"This...this is the Ascension Staircase to Godhood!" The Snow King struggled to its feet, as if carrying a mountain. It gasped for breath and said with difficulty, "In all the long years I have lived, only Her Majesty the Queen and Bei Yujian have successfully reached the top..." It took a deep breath and shouted, "This is the true Ascension Staircase to Godhood that has been passed down through the ages, but it was cut off by the Three Noble Sons! It has severed the path to godhood for countless beings!"

Kotegawa tried to reduce his oppressive aura, but it remained strong. When he spoke, his voice reverberated through the void: "Ascend it, and you can become a god?"

The Snow King, somewhat relieved, was still panting heavily: "That's true, but it's not that simple. It's the Heavenly Path, and even if it's broken, each step must undergo the test of the Heavenly Dao! But now, not only is the path to godhood broken, but if anyone dares to ascend the divine steps without authorization, it means the War of the Divine Order will resume, and the Three Noble Sons will continuously come to kill. Thousands of years ago! Her Majesty the Queen killed Tsukuyomi before reaching the top! Thousands of years ago, thousands of years ago! The Three Noble Sons did not reappear, and Bei Yujianzun killed countless gods before he was able to reach the top!"

Its eyes gleamed with fanaticism and bloodlust as it roared, "The broken stairway to godhood ahead must be mended with the blood of gods! If you wish to reach the summit, you must, like Her Majesty the Queen and Bei Yujian, kill gods! Kill gods! Kill gods!"

Kotegawa was deeply shaken.

So that's what the Fourth Order is all about?

------------

Chapter 212 Bewilderment

Several days later, on the summit of Mount Daisetsuzan in Hokkaido, Furude River stood silently, gazing at the distant sea and sky blending into one.

He had adapted well to his own power, and after much deliberation, he still came to Hokkaido.

A white cloud drifted down and landed directly in front of him. Bei Yu Jianzun, always dressed in a white palace gown, appeared, dozing off with a hint of languor in his eyes: "You've been there?"

Kotegawa looked at her and nodded silently.

His spiritual ascension could not be hidden from the gods.

Kitamatsu Kenzun looked at him, a smile suddenly appearing in his eyes: "You finally know what you've always wanted to know, but why do you not look so happy... Were you scared?"

Kotegawa honestly replied, "I was indeed shocked."

Bei Yujianzun gave a soft hum: "I will not be able to help you with this matter any further. Just climbing that path and undergoing the trials of Heaven is already very difficult. Now, with the Three Noble Sons' Divine Order as an obstacle, it is as difficult as ascending to Heaven. What do you want to do?"

"Why is the Three Noble Sons, the Divine Order, so hostile to those who have become gods?"

“The original reason is too distant, and it is no longer important,” Bei Yujian said calmly. “But ever since they destroyed the steps to godhood without authorization, they have had to stop every being from becoming a god.”

Before Kotegawa could ask, He continued, “This is the price of destroying the Ascension Staircase. If they remain indifferent, the Ascension Staircase will drain their true spirit, their divine kingdom, their blood… and everything about them.”

Kotegawa listened silently; Yuki-ou had also mentioned these things.

"What were the circumstances when you became a god a thousand years ago?"

Kitamuki Kenzun briefly recalled, "Back then, I was fighting against the Viper God, and many other gods were trying to stop me. It wasn't anything special. In short, I just fought my way up."

He spoke casually, but Kotegawa was even more puzzled. Just how strong was Kitami Takematsu?

However, he didn't ask that question. Instead, he remained silent for a while before asking the question that had been hidden in his heart: "My Lord, why are you so good to me?"

Bei Yujianzun looked at him, tilted his head slightly, seemingly somewhat surprised: "...Really?"

"Uh……"

Kotegawa, who was initially extremely nervous, suddenly felt embarrassed... Had he been imagining things?

Kitamuki Kenzun seemed to be pondering this question, and said, "You are my true king, and you have done a lot for me. It is only right that I help you... When I was a close attendant of the Queen, she treated me very well. I ask myself, what I am doing now is far from what the Queen did back then... So, am I really that good to you?"

This seems to be a question that comes from the soul, from the heart.

Kotegawa blushed deeply at the question, and stammered, "You saved me many times, and you've always worried about my becoming a god..."

"Oh!" Bei Yujianzun seemed to realize something and replied, "If you were killed by someone of the same rank, I, like the Queen, would not interfere. But if a god intervenes, then I cannot ignore it. This is the rule, and also my bottom line. As for becoming a god, that is mostly your own effort. Even if I didn't interfere, you would only need to spend more time searching. Besides, if you could become a god, both I and Her Majesty the Queen would be very happy to see it happen. There are too few gods in the Fourth Order, and you refuse to become a subordinate god. In this respect, you and I are natural allies, while you and the Three Noble Sons are naturally in opposition. In addition, you are a true king under my command. Are these reasons enough?"

"That's enough, that's enough," Kotegawa said awkwardly.

Bei Yujianzun didn't laugh at him, but said thoughtfully, "Did you come here just for this matter?"

“Just one of them,” Kotegawa replied, unconsciously feeling a great weight lifted from his heart. He bowed and said, “I have come here to have a match with you. Please judge whether I am qualified to ascend to the divine ranks.”

Upon hearing this, Kitamura Kenzun did not immediately agree, but pondered for a moment: "The basic conditions are certainly sufficient... If, after we have fought, I do not recommend that you continue to think about ascending to godhood, what will you do?"

Kotegawa paused for a moment, instinctively wanting to answer that he would lie low and develop for a few more years.

But Bei Yujian raised his hand slightly and continued, "You should be able to sense that your own improvement has reached a limit. Even if a few more years pass, there will be no further improvement."

Kotegawa recalled those "9999"s, a look of realization appearing in his eyes.

No wonder it's so neat.

Bei Yujianzun looked at him and said, "As the old saying goes, 'One should strike while the iron is hot, but one's spirit will wane on the second attempt and be exhausted on the third.' If I told you that now is the best time in your life to become a god, would you do it?"

Kotegawa remained silent; he was not alone, for he had someone on his mind.

Seeing his reaction, Bei Yujianzun didn't say anything, but still said softly, "There's no need to fight. If you don't have a clear mind and an indomitable spirit, even if I say that you have the strength to become a god, you still won't be able to pass the test of the Heavenly Dao... You're not the only one who has ever wanted to become a god, but how many true gods have there been throughout history?"

Kotegawa listened in silence.

"I've told you before, becoming a god isn't necessarily a good thing. Although you're no longer troubled by the passage of time, it doesn't mean you're free from worries," Bei Yujianzun said softly. "Why be so fixated on becoming a god?"

Kotegawa was bewildered. Initially, he wanted to become a god simply to fulfill his wish of marrying three wives.

Now, he has done it.

Clear skies, walnuts, dancing flowers... and a girl named Youjia who wants to live at home forever.

Now it seems that not only was it accomplished, but it exceeded expectations.

Then what reason could he possibly have not to become a god?

Beat up Inari? It doesn't seem like there's that much of a grudge.

Go kill that vengeful spirit in Kyoto? It seems he could do that now...

Beat up the Demon Queen? Even if he became a god, he might not be able to defeat her; it could even be a two-on-one situation...

So, what other reason does he have to become a god?

After becoming a god, can one truly stay with the one they love until the end of time, until the seas dry up and the rocks crumble?

If he were to become a god, would they be willing?

Kitami Takezon said that death is actually a great blessing.

Tap the screen to use advanced tools Tip: You can use left and right keyboard keys to browse between chapters.

You'll Also Like