Divine Throne

"Is this guy calling you?"

Yin Chen lowered his voice. He completely abandoned his elegant posture of standing with his arms crossed. The blue light at the tip of the staff in his hand flickered, reflecting the violent fluctuations of his emotions.

"This... well, the River God actually knows you?"

This question was far more absurd than all their previous deductions combined.

If Chen Guan was truly a descendant of the King and had inherited the bloodline of the betrayer...

...then this black river, a symbol of divine power, should have marked him as its primary enemy.

It should have used the most vicious means in the world to completely tear him apart and devour him, condemning him to eternal damnation just like those traitors.

Yet, the scene before them presented an eerie posture of welcome, one that felt like a reunion after a long separation.

It coincided perfectly with the attitude of the stone golems outside.

Long Ao remained silent the entire time, but his actions clearly stated his stance.

He took a large stride forward, his tall and burly frame stopping right behind Chen Guan's flank, ready to support him at any moment and ensure his side was secure.

[Holy crap, what's going on? What kind of shocking plot twist is this "you're finally back"?]

[The previous plot clearly stated that Chen Guan was the descendant of the betrayer.]

[The thing in this river should be the god who was betrayed, right?]

[How could a god welcome the descendant of its enemy home?]

[I feel like my brain isn't enough for this anymore. The amount of information is too ridiculous.]

[Bold guess: the god in the coffin is actually the betrayed god. Honestly, I think this part of the story could be a standalone spin-off for Chen Guan.]

Chen Guan stood quietly by the black riverbank. He didn't reply to Yin Chen and the others, because he was just as clueless.

He felt as if a segment of his memory had been deleted. Was White Hakimi causing trouble again?

Regardless, it didn't matter at the moment.

The chaotic noise that would have driven anyone else mad had already faded from his ears, leaving only that sorrowful and familiar call.

That voice echoed back and forth through the depths of his soul, over and over again.

"You're finally back."

He could clearly sense that this black river was revealing its entirety to him.

The specks of light floating in the air weren't just fragments of despairing souls; they were the physical manifestations of memories and emotions.

They were the proof that those people had lived in that distant era.

They were silently pouring out to him a loneliness that spanned through the eons.

Chen Guan slowly lifted his eyelids. His gaze passed straight over the smooth, black surface of the river, looking all the way into the dark zone in the distance.

Then, he directly answered the call that had been transmitted across endless space and time.

"I'm back."

These brief words instantly broke the dead silence. The black river immediately surged with violent waves.

The originally quietly flowing water began to churn intensely, and the specks of light suspended above the river lit up with blinding halos one after another.

The specks of light quickly gathered, eventually forming a dazzling band of light. They spiraled along the air currents, flying rapidly toward Chen Guan's position.

"Watch out!"

An Changqing shouted sharply, instinctively moving his legs to charge forward.

"Don't move!"

Yin Chen grabbed his arm tightly with a backhand grip, his face covered in an unprecedentedly solemn expression.

"Look at the movement of those lights!"

The band of light, constructed from countless soul fragments, didn't show the slightest intent to attack. It came to a halt on its own when it reached about a meter away from Chen Guan's body.

These specks of light carefully circled around Chen Guan. They carried a bit of the joy of a long-awaited reunion, mixed with an ill-concealed timidity.

It was as if they didn't dare to casually touch this regained treasure before them.

The originally noisy and chaotic whispers at the bottom of the river completely quieted down. What followed was a low whimper filled with joy—a joy so palpable that even someone as emotionally inept as An Changqing could feel it.

Thousands upon thousands of voices perfectly converged into one at this moment.

"What in the world is going on?"

Hong Yuan stared in astonishment at the miraculous scene before her. The sweat seeping from her palms made it difficult for her to grip her heavy giant axe.

"They look very afraid of you."

Hong Yuan swallowed hard.

"But they also like you incredibly much?"

"This has nothing to do with liking."

Buoyed by this outpouring of affection, Su Yuehe finally overcame the sorrow welling up in her bones and completely held back the tears swirling in her eyes. She stared fixedly at Chen Guan, who was surrounded by the sky full of lights.

"This is absolute worship."

Su Yuehe's chest heaved.

"They are welcoming their master's return."

"Master?"

An Changqing repeated the word mechanically, his facial expression going completely blank.

Wait, what kind of situation have we stumbled into?

He turned to look at Chen Guan, the companion who always maintained an indifferent and aloof posture on normal days.

At this moment, he was standing quietly right in the center of the dazzling light.

Chen Guan remained silent the entire time, using his quiet demeanor to tacitly permit the specks of light to get close to him.

A brand-new hypothesis, far more shocking than him being the descendant of a betrayer, took shape in everyone's minds.

This thought climbed along with the flow of their blood, eventually wrapping tightly around the hearts of everyone present.

"The source of his resonance."

Yin Chen's lips trembled slightly.

"It's that entity who was betrayed by the King and completely erased by the entire civilization."

"The one who was offered everything by its believers, only to have it all forcibly taken back."

"The God."

Yin Chen spoke this last word as lightly as if it weighed nothing, yet this faint syllable set off a massive wave in everyone's hearts.

The exit of the entire passage fell into a prolonged silence, leaving only the gentle breezes stirred up by the swirling soul lights.

They were using this unique method to tell this unbelievable truth.

Right at this moment, the violently churning black river began to gradually calm down.

In the area directly in front of Chen Guan, the black river water began to slowly part to the left and right.

A path constructed from materialized darkness revealed itself, extending from beneath his feet all the way to the unknown abyss on the opposite bank of the river.

A road leading straight to the source of the lingering hatred opened up exclusively for him.

That ancient voice from the depths of the river echoed in his mind once more. This time, the call carried a clear sense of guidance.

"Come back."

The voice gradually deepened.

"Return to your divine throne."

Chen Guan looked back at the people around him. Judging by their expressions, he was the only one who could hear this sentence.

That whisper, meant exclusively for Chen Guan, pierced through the surrounding silence. It drilled into his mind with an irresistible allure, causing ripples in his previously tranquil thoughts.

Divine throne.

A term that could evoke endless greed just by hearing it.

He obediently stepped forward, setting foot alone on that pitch-black path leading to the abyss.

His back showed no hesitation. He quickly blended into the thick darkness, and even his silhouette was completely swallowed by the dark.

"Chen..."

An Changqing had barely uttered a single syllable before Yin Chen reached out a hand to stop him.