Retired God King becomes Witch Idol Manager

Whoosh!

The dark moon spread, and the surging ink pool, like mud, entangled the limbs of the skeletal behemoth. Tess's figure materialized from the black water, and the chain blade in her hand spun and cut, quickly locking the neck of the Cherry Orange King tightly. The purple mark attached to the chain blade shone slightly, actually suppressing the rampaging Truth and trapping the evil note in Honey's throat.

"Drink!"

King Huangyan charged forward, not missing this golden opportunity. He leaped high and cleaved Haron's head with a thunderous axe. The power of the Deep Rock Emperor slammed the giant beast into the depths of the Ink Pool. Babol's rainbow chains restrained him from the side, and the elemental runes made King Cherry Orange unable to move.

The two sides were locked in a stalemate. The skeletal behemoth roared madly, but could only watch as the Hunter's Chain Blade tightened little by little. Honey's expression grew increasingly painful. If this continued, it wouldn't be long before Tess beheaded the Demon God.

"Talion!"

Haron suddenly turned his head and looked behind him. The palace hall was in a mess. The blue throne, which originally symbolized the respect for royal power, was lying askew deep in the rock. However, there was another person inside the coffin that should have been isolated from the capital. That person was lying on the throne and had been quietly watching this exciting battle for who knows how long.

"Quick! Kill Mr. Siemon, and everything will be over!"

Haron struggled slightly to no avail, but tried to seek help from the man, which made Serantia and Tess wary of the mysterious accomplice. William and Barbor, however, were shocked and froze the moment they saw the man.

"what?"

The man chuckled as if he had heard a joke. He was thin with sunken cheeks, and his face was old but he was very energetic. He wore a green royal robe and had a Wind Rider sword hanging at his waist. He looked more like an elegant gentleman than an apostle of a demon god.

"First of all, I hate it when people tell me what to do, and nobody has the right to order me around! Secondly, I never said I was here to help you, kid. And lastly, and most importantly, stop talking like an idiot, okay? How are you supposed to kill a dead person?"

After speaking, the tall, thin old man burst into laughter. His hearty laughter echoed through the ruins, sounding particularly jarring and full of mockery. In his eyes, the Cherry Blossom Twins were now completely ugly, like a pair of clowns, and their defeat was only a matter of time. This made the White Bone Demon God even angrier.

"Human? And who are you? How did you get in?"

The Abyss Demon King glanced coldly at Tess, who harbored ulterior motives. Victory was assured, and the two of them were already plotting how to seize the Twin Godhood, paying no attention to anyone else.

However, this was the culprit Roland had been waiting for, the last cancer in the Holy Alliance, and only then did the real revenge begin.

"You've even forgotten me, sister? This is truly disheartening. This is my home. Why can't I come in?"

The old man waved his leather gloves, brushing the dust off his body. His eyes flashed with a cold light. His reply and the unusual reaction of the King of Huangyan fully demonstrated his special identity.

"It's been a long time, old friend."

The silent demon overlord rode his skeletal unicorn forward slowly, standing between the Cherry Orange King and the old man. His dragon spear swept across, dividing the battlefield, his attitude clear.

"He is the fourth White Demon God to awaken, am I right, Azure Guardian Knight, Lord Talion?"

Talion wore a strange smile, not denying it, but staring intently at Roland. The emblem on his chest belonged to the Azure Royal Family, and he was a guardian knight who also had the blood of the Human Emperor flowing through his veins. His duty was to protect his elder brother, Emperor Tafus, and his successor, Duke Dalton, until his death.

The death of Tavers led everyone to believe that this powerful guardian knight should also perish with him, just like Lord Zitan, but the truth seems to be different.

"What!?"

Archbishop Barbor trembled all over, and Duke Huangyan felt a chill run down his spine. Not only Duke Yingcheng, but even Duke Cangqing's most trusted brother was a traitor. No wonder even with Tafus's cunning, he couldn't escape the clutches of the devil. For a long time, the devil's claws had infiltrated half of the round table, but they were completely unaware.

Serantia's eyes narrowed, and she raised an eyebrow. An existence she couldn't even fathom must have fully awakened. The knight named Talion might have already merged with the devil. Could there really be a demon god in this world who awakened even before her?!

855. The Secret of Divinity

Perhaps Lockrean, far away in Avalon, had already figured it out: the Cherry Blossom Twins alone were not enough to support this conspiracy; the real mastermind was someone else entirely.

Tess's gaze shifted between light and shadow, but then she inexplicably looked at the man on the skeletal warhorse. She didn't care about the survival of the Holy Alliance or the dying demon; the terrifying truth before her only confirmed her suspicions.

Snapped!Snapped!Snapped!

Talion raised his hand and clapped, smiling slightly. "All correct, as expected of you! You brat from the Cherry Blossom family, you were wrong about one thing earlier. Killing Sion would end everything? No, the guy who's about to personally destroy you isn't the Demon Lord at all! Duke of Destruction? Holy Marshal? Or Blue Shield Guardian Knight? No, no, no, none of those are right. What should I call you now, Roland?"

"What? He's already...?"

Harlong and Honey were shocked, then they realized something. Even Lord William and Archbishop Barbour could be resurrected, so why couldn't Roland? At this moment, perhaps only they and one other person in the palace did not know this secret.

Tess's eyes trembled, her hands, which were pulling on the chain blade, relaxed slightly, then tightened even more. Talion finally called out that familiar yet unfamiliar name.

Roland remained silent for a moment, then slowly removed his helmet, revealing his true face. His cold eyes never once looked at his wife, because they were no longer the same people they used to be. His pale face was completely bloodless, just as handsome as when they first met, only lacking the former radiance and enthusiasm, and lifeless.

“The dead need no titles. Soon you will be just like us, serving the kingdom of the dead.”

Talion shrugged and stepped down from the throne. His powerful aura made Serantia dare not make any rash moves. If she remembered correctly, he was the fourth White Demon after the Instant Demon and the Bone Twins, the Mourning White Demon.

"I have always admired your courage. Even knowing that there was no chance of victory, you still accepted His Holiness the Pope's appointment to go to the Red Fortress to die. Today will be no exception."

"is it?"

Roland glanced at Bowen, signaling to continue with the plan; he would handle this incurable madman alone.

The Azure Guardian Knight stroked his beard, his face bearing a striking resemblance to Emperor Tafus. The Weakness Curse he wielded was not a truth known for its suppressive power, but rather it could make life worse than death, just like Roland in the past.

"But I'm curious, when exactly did you discover me?"

"At the Crimson Fortress, the human officer who tried to assassinate me, though he was covered in flesh and blood, was not a demon serving the Abyss. At that time, it would have been easy for Sion to kill me, and assassination was not his style."

Talion nodded, glanced at the Moonlit Hunter who was locked in a stalemate with the Cherry Blossom King, and sighed with a half-smile, "So that's how it is. It's terrifying that you could think so far ahead even though it was just a wrong move made for the sake of caution. But there are also unexpected surprises. It's all thanks to you, my lovely lady, for helping us get rid of Sion. Otherwise, Serantia's power would have been even greater."

With a formidable foe before him, Roland lightly patted the neck of the skeletal unicorn, dismounted without a word, and stood facing Talion on the battlefield.

"It was just a guess at first, but I found more evidence after I woke up. There have been traitors within the alliance who have been helping the Abyss invade Huangyan Province, misleading William into misjudging the timing of the attack, and constantly stirring up conflicts in the Polar Snowfield, tearing up the alliance with the Free Federation, leaving the Holy Alliance surrounded by enemies and isolated. Only in this way can you benefit from the chaos, otherwise the White Demon God, who has lost the power of faith, will never be a match for the Black Demon God."

Talion sighed again and said, "That's right, you were right. It's just a pity that Lockrean and Youli are more capable than I thought, and the situation still got out of control. I'm starting to doubt whether it was the right decision to plot against you. It seems that you are more troublesome than when you are alive."

If he weren't busy with something, Lord Huangyan would probably have already started cursing. Roland asked in a deep voice, speaking for William and Barbor about the knot that had been troubling them.

"Talion, what more could you possibly want? Why did you betray humanity? And when did you become controlled by the devil?"

"Domination?"

Talion paused for a moment, then burst into laughter, his twitching fingers tracing the edge of his sword. This made Roland tense, wary of a possible powerful attack. He was about to face a true god, and no amount of preparation would be enough.

"Don't lump me in with those two pieces of trash. They willingly offered their souls for the sake of the throne, making a deal with the White Bone Demon to become its host. They were merely a seed I planted more than a decade ago. As for me, I not only awakened the sleeping demon, but also seized control of its divine essence! Do you think I was also a victim of the deal? How laughable! I am not the White Demon's vessel, but its master. Even gods must obey my commands!"

Talion grinned and looked up, his eyes filled with madness. His disdain for the Cherry Blossom Twins was evident, and he didn't care about their lives. To a devil, companions were just tools to be used, and could be discarded as soon as they lost their value.

Roland narrowed his eyes and exchanged a glance with Serantia. Talion's arrogance actually made them relax a little. Since he was not a vessel, he did not yet possess an immortal divine body and was not qualified to ascend to the divine court. They still had a chance to kill this madman!

"Why!"

"why?"

Talion pondered for a moment, then said wistfully, "Don't you think this world is too boring? Power, wealth, beauty, even strength—I can have these things easily. Greed is my brother's biggest flaw, and all I want is an answer."

"Answer?"

"So I began to explore the true meaning of life, but the results I found after searching through the divine scriptures were utterly disappointing. Faith... was nothing but a trap left by the gods, and it's laughable that we still treasured it and prayed to it devoutly! From that day on, I knew that lies were everywhere around me, and that the high and mighty goddess of the seven luminaries was nothing but a lowly whore!"

Talion muttered to himself, wandering alone among the ruins. Everything in his way, whether deep rock or white bones, crumbled into dust. A mysterious power surrounded him, making it difficult to approach.

"I couldn't tolerate such a deception, so I explored countless ancient battlefields and traversed thousands of dimensional rifts before finally finding some remnants of the divine war and successfully summoning an ancient god! Now, looking back, it was decades ago, and it took me a considerable amount of time to find a way to crack the secret of godhood..."

Unraveling the secrets of divinity!?

Everyone was moved. If Talion hadn't lied, then he had achieved a dream that no other school in the entire Star Alliance could realize, getting infinitely close to the final answer.

856. The Demon Lord returns!

The demon girl glanced back at the hourglass pressed under the grotto. The elemental sand had already been poured out, meaning the swaying rainbow coffin could shatter at any moment. This talented madwoman might have a lot in common with the Chaos Apostle, but they had no time to waste any more.

Roland held his spear horizontally in front of him, his body emitting eerie, ghostly light. It didn't seem like he was preparing for battle, but rather summoning something. "You've gone mad."

"Say what you will, it doesn't matter. Losing this little game is fine, but you've really angered me by making things so ugly today!"

Talion frowned, his face growing increasingly grim, finally revealing his brutal true colors. "Even in death, you won't let us go, right? I'm truly impressed by you, Roland. If you weren't in this world, perhaps the Eight Demon Gods would have already been reborn within my body, rising again through the corpses of the Holy Alliance! Why...why won't you just die obediently!?"

Talion waved his hand sharply, and an invisible wave shot out like a cannonball, shattering the air and propelling Roland's body far away, directly smashing the ring barrier constructed by the Yellow Rock King!

"Divine authority!"

Tess looked anxious, wanting to use the power of the Huntsman to suppress the demon, but the skeletal twins beneath her feet were still putting up a stubborn resistance.

Serantia bit her lip, suddenly having the urge to retreat. Things were more serious than she had imagined. Although Talion did not have an immortal divine body, he truly possessed the power of the Sorrowful Demon. That power was something that neither she nor any of the other demon girls could handle. Standing before her was a physical, mortal true god. Even if he was not as powerful as a supreme monster like the Triad, he was still a genuine chief god.

Roland rose from the ruins, his armor tattered and twisted. He stretched his arms, gave a self-deprecating laugh, and said, "I have to thank you for this. It was your deal with the Black Lich that made me see the truth, and it was you who ruined my future. My revenge has only just begun."

Talion's expression changed several times, as if he understood something. He nodded and sneered, "So it's that bitch Miaoye! Fine, fine, I knew Mother wasn't so kind. Since she and the Ferryman went to such lengths to get you, then today I will destroy you at all costs! Feel my curse once again!"

Talion interlaced his fingers, outlining demonic runes. The eerie white symbols writhed and twisted at his fingertips, summoning the source of evil. A surge of demonic light filled the royal court, resembling a giant scorpion with a human face, its dangerous venomous tail fixed on Roland.

"Go away!"

Serantia, of course, wouldn't stand by and watch him unleash the Weakness Curse. She opened her mouth and shrieked, unleashing rays of necrosis that repelled the rune giant scorpion.

"Don't rush, Demon King, you're next!"

Talion laughed maniacally, the light of truth emanating from his body completely suppressing the necrosis curse. He was indeed not the host of the demon god, but he could manipulate the divine essence of the Grief Demon. Now the power of the god was completely under his control.

Bowen brandished his warhammer and rode his griffin in an attempt to return to the battlefield, but was stopped by a wink from Roland. His long summons came to an end, and the true warriors were about to return to the battlefield!

Ghost Rider shattered the rock shell, his swift, wind-like steps bypassing the giant scorpion and heading straight for the Azure Guardian Knight's true form. However, before the green light ripples could spread, they were enveloped by the demonic light, and bounced off the moment they touched it. The dark red dragon spear drew an arc in the air, then plunged into the paving stones and trembled incessantly.

"Overestimating yourself! Weak, too weak. Is that all you have? You were no match for me before, and you still aren't now!"

Roland pushed aside the boulder, looking disheveled but without a single scratch. With just one collision, he could tell that Talion's soul fluctuations were still in the transcendent realm, so he was extra careful to protect himself.

"Have you ever really seen me at my peak? Too bad, I'm not your opponent today."

Talion smirked, his giant scorpion tail gleaming with magical light. The Weakness Curse overwhelmed the Necrotic Demon God, leaving him utterly powerless. "Stop making me laugh, okay? Originally, I only wanted to kill Thrantia, but now I've changed my mind. You and your toy soldiers are not going to escape!"

"Toys, huh? Then what makes you think... I only brought the three of them?"

Roland closed his eyes, his hands unleashing unparalleled terrifying energy as he slammed them into the earth. A strange, eerie light suddenly erupted, blinding everyone and making their hair stand on end. It was as if they heard a call from another world, a voice that did not belong to the realm of the living. William and Barbor both sneered.

"Ok?"

As the green light dissipated, Talion took two steps back, wary of something, but Roland showed no unusual behavior, nor did his aura change.

At this moment, the skeletal unicorn circling in the sky let out a joyful roar, as if it had sensed something. The next second, a black coffin burst through the white bone crust and rose from the ground, emerging from the rock wall.

boom!

A pale arm ripped open the coffin and gripped the dragon spear stuck upside down beside it. Tess's pupils contracted, her face filled with disbelief. She saw the entire black coffin shatter instantly, revealing the tall demon hidden within. His long hair was gray and his eyes were dull and lifeless. Just by moving his five fingers, he exuded an invincible and terrifying aura.

"It's like a dream."

The ruins of the Azure Royal Court were eerily quiet. No one believed what they had just witnessed. The man took a deep breath, even though he knew he no longer needed to breathe. He leaped onto the back of his beloved warhorse, as if he had instantly shifted space. His afterimage remained, and his extreme speed had already entered another realm.

"Old friend, I... am back."

Serantia's eyes lit up with delight. She was overjoyed by Roland's gift and wished she could hug and kiss him right away.