Slaying Gods, Devouring Divinity

In a mysterious space.

Seven figures stood around a planet.

One of them had their eyes tightly shut, as if their primary consciousness was elsewhere.

Whispers emanated from the surrounding six figures.

"Death Descendant has been gone for so long, why hasn't there been any movement?"

"Hmph, Death has long wanted to leave this damned place. No doubt they're enjoying themselves in the mortal world now."

"Fate, when will the rest of us be able to enter the mortal world?"

At these words, the five figures turned their gazes toward one being—a figure with their left hand covering their left eye, leaving only the right eye open.

They were like the guiding starlight of divination, directing the course of life.

Hearing the question, Fate smiled serenely. "No need to rush. When the time is ripe... you will all enter."

"Until then, let us observe... the fate of Death."

"The fate of Death?!"

"What do you mean by that?"

The gathered beings froze. Whenever Fate spoke like this, it meant one thing—

That was...

"Death... will die?!"

"How is that possible?! Death's true body is right here—how could they perish?!"

"Fate, explain yourself!"

Shock, confusion, and disbelief colored their expressions.

Death Descendant was an existence that could crush the mortal world effortlessly—how could they possibly die?

Even if the divine fragment sent into the mortal world were destroyed, how could it affect the true body in this space?

Fate merely chuckled and shook their head. "The secrets of heaven... cannot be revealed. Just watch quietly."

......

......

Linhai City.

The commercial complex had been ravaged once again.

Fortunately, Leng Qingqiu arrived in time, and no casualties were reported.

"Sis! These monsters appeared out of nowhere!"

"There was one especially powerful, deformed creature among them!"

"He... he seemed like a human!"

"When he attacked Qionglan, he suddenly collapsed in pain!"

Leng Ling'er frantically gestured as she recounted the events to Leng Qingqiu.

"A human?"

Leng Qingqiu frowned. She had just finished eliminating all the monsters that had appeared in Linhai City.

Unlike the previous assault on headquarters, these creatures had shown significantly weaker aggression.

Hearing Leng Ling'er's words, a bad premonition struck her. "Take me to see it."

They approached the last remaining deformed monster.

Bai Qionglan and the others had already gathered around it.

Yet, Bai Qionglan's expression was one of distress and helplessness as she stared at the grotesquely swollen creature.

Though it was a monster...

For some reason, she sensed a familiar presence from it.

Especially when it had attacked her, only to suddenly stop.

"Leader."

"Leader."

The group greeted Leng Qingqiu respectfully as she arrived.

She stepped forward to examine the last deformed monster—its aura was immense, rivaling that of a Grand Master.

If it had unleashed its full power, the entire city of Linhai would have been reduced to ruins.

At the very least, everyone in the commercial complex would have perished.

Yet, Leng Qingqiu detected something strange about it.

Her brow furrowed—this was... the Power of Night.

Had this monster been implanted with the Power of Night to forcibly elevate it to Grand Master level?

And...

Perhaps it was her imagination, but she also sensed an aura similar to Bai Qionglan's emanating from it.

Could it be...?

Leng Qingqiu already understood the truth.

With a sigh, she dismissed the irrelevant onlookers, leaving only Bai Qionglan and Leng Ling'er behind.

She walked to Bai Qionglan's side, gently patting her head. "I'm sorry."

At these words, Bai Qionglan seemed to realize it too.

Staring at the deformed monster before her, she finally broke down, covering her mouth as her eyes reddened.

"Is this... my brother?"

Leng Ling'er's expression also froze. "This is Bai Jun?!"

Leng Qingqiu wasn't sure whether Bai Jun had been turned into a monster by Gu Yan.

But one thing was undeniable—the Power of Night within him.

Even if Gu Yan wasn't directly responsible, he was undoubtedly connected.

Just as Xiao Leng had said—would Gu Yan force her to act against him?

If she had to fight Bai Jun, did that mean he was willing to harm even his own allies?

Thinking of this, Leng Qingqiu suddenly noticed something odd.

"Ling'er, where's Yinyin?"

She turned to Leng Ling'er, recalling that it was Lin Yinyin who had wanted to come to this city.

Leng Ling'er, still comforting the sobbing Bai Qionglan, shook her head. "I don't know. Yinyin suddenly said she had something to do and couldn't come."

Couldn't come?

Considering Bai Jun's condition—

Something was wrong.

Leng Qingqiu's expression hardened. She immediately tore open a spatial rift and stepped through.

"Ling'er, stay in Linhai City with your friends for now. It's... relatively safe here."

"Got it!"

Whoosh!

As she traversed the void, Leng Qingqiu's expression was grave. If her guess was correct, Lin Yinyin wasn't in Jianghai or Linhai.

That left only one place!

Whoosh!

Inside the Anti-Demon Weapon Laboratory, a spatial rift opened, and Leng Qingqiu stepped out.

"Not here?"

Her frown deepened.

Then where?

Suddenly—

Her expression shifted.

The three great families!

She immediately extended her senses across the city, finally detecting an unmistakable aura in a remote area.

That was... Gu Yan's presence!

And before him, another strange aura—similar to Lin Yinyin's, yet different.

What was he doing?

Ah, Lin Yinyin's silver core—the source of all her power—was embedded in her forehead.

Was that Gu Yan's target?

With that realization—whoosh!

Leng Qingqiu vanished once more.

......

......

Back in the secret chamber.

Death looked down contemptuously at the ashes that had once been Gu Yan.

"This is the power of a god!"

"Mortal, consider it an honor to perish by divine might!"

Death laughed wildly—but the laughter didn't last.

Because—

Under Death's stunned gaze—

"What... are you laughing at?"

The insignificant mortal who should have been annihilated stood before Death once more.

"Impossible!!"

"How are you still alive?!"

Death roared in disbelief, raising their scythe high, unleashing boundless divine pressure to strike Gu Yan down again.

A fluke? A coincidence? No matter—they would just kill him again!

Yet—

The insignificant mortal before them seemed to have gained some inexplicable power.

His aura surged violently—boom!

In an instant, it reached—

"Divine rank?!"

Death's face paled. Skipping the Immortal rank entirely to ascend to Divine rank?!

What kind of joke was this?! How could such a thing be possible?!

Gu Yan's expression was icy as the Power of Night coalesced behind him into a massive black greatsword, meeting Death's strike head-on.

The two forces clashed in midair, erupting with unprecedented power.

Boom!

In a deafening explosion, the forces of Gu Yan and the God of Death clashed and canceled each other out, erupting into a blinding radiance.

The entire world seemed to freeze in that moment, with only the two figures suspended in midair, locked in confrontation.

The God of Death’s expression twisted in disbelief. "A divine-tier power?! How?!"

"You won’t win," Gu Yan said coldly, the black longsword in his hand flickering as the Power of Night grew denser around him.

"Foolish mortal! Foolish mortal!!!" The God of Death could no longer comprehend the situation, refusing to accept the reality before him.

"You think a mere mortal like you can slay a god?!"

His scythe swung once more, carrying an endless aura of death as it hurtled toward Gu Yan.

Yet, instead of retreating, Gu Yan surged forward, his presence growing even more formidable.

His blade met the scythe in a devastating collision.

An infinite brilliance erupted between them.

BOOM!

With a thunderous roar, the God of Death witnessed something that made his eyes nearly burst from their sockets.

CRACK!

His divine scythe—shattered?!

Black light scattered like the arrival of doomsday.

"Die."

Gu Yan’s voice was icy. The Power of Night behind him thickened, enveloping his entire body in a shroud of black mist, transforming him into a battle god straight from the depths of hell.

Gripping his weapon, Illusion’s End, he charged directly at the God of Death.

Impossible! Impossible! How does this mortal keep breaking through?!

No—I must flee immediately!

A deep sense of humiliation burned within the God of Death, and he immediately sought to withdraw his divine consciousness from this plane.

But Gu Yan’s attack was already upon him, forcing him to block.

No matter. Perhaps this fool believes I’m bound to stay and fight him to the death.

To his shock, the weapon in Gu Yan’s hand was no longer a dagger but an unfamiliar mortal-forged blade.

If that’s the case… then it changes nothing!

With that thought, the God of Death disregarded everything and prepared to abandon his vessel.

STAB!

A piercing agony erupted from the depths of his soul. What?!

His eyes flew open in horror—only to see that Illusion’s End in Gu Yan’s hand had somehow reverted to a dagger!

"Mortal! You dare?!"

He reached out toward Gu Yan, but…

The surroundings shifted.

The shattered battlefield faded away, the scenery reverting to the moment when he and Gu Yan had first burst out of the chamber into the open sky.

SPLURT!

A mouthful of blood sprayed from the God of Death’s lips.

He snapped back to reality, staring in disbelief at his surroundings—and the mortal standing right before him.

In Gu Yan’s hand was a dagger, its blade buried deep in the God of Death’s forehead.

"An illusion…"

"Since when…?"

The God of Death coughed up blood, his mind reeling.

Everything just now… was an illusion?!

How? Why?!

I am a divine consciousness descended from a god-tier being! How could I be deceived by mere illusion magic?!

What kind of monster is this mortal?!

No… I have to escape!

The moment the thought crossed his mind, he tried to flee the vessel—only to find himself paralyzed.

THUD.

A wave of terror seized his heart.

Then, a cold, indifferent voice echoed in his ears.

"Even gods… can feel fear?"

The God of Death looked up at the mortal before him, whose eyes burned with chaos. For the first time, he felt true dread.

"M-mortal… what have you done…?"

STAB!

As the dagger sank deeper into Lin Yinyin’s forehead, Gu Yan spoke emotionlessly.

"This body was already implanted with countless controllable demonic cells."

"The three clan leaders you devoured were no different."

"By descending into this vessel… you’ve walked straight into your own demise."

The candies Lin Yinyin had been consuming were actually crafted from Zhao Zhao cells fused with the Power of Night.

Originally, their purpose was to trigger Lin Yinyin’s rampage, allowing Gu Yan to seize her silver core and eliminate the risk of her being consumed by demonic corruption in the future.

But now, they had served an even greater purpose.

The Zhao Zhao cells, combined with the Power of Night’s heavenly laws, forcibly trapped the God of Death’s divine consciousness within the vessel—severing his ability to escape using divine power.

And now…

Gu Yan’s gaze locked onto the thin thread of life hovering above the God of Death’s head.

At this moment, he could see it clearly.

So this was how one could perceive the life threads of beings stronger than themselves.

All it took… was exhausting their spiritual energy.

Once their mental defenses weakened to a level comparable to his own, the life thread would become visible.

And the purpose of using Illusion’s End to trap the God of Death in an illusion had been precisely for this goal.

First—lure the god into descending into Lin Yinyin’s body, already infused with Zhao Zhao cells.

Second—strike while the god’s consciousness was unstable after possession.

Third—exploit Illusion’s End, a weapon imbued with the same origin as the heavenly laws, to wear down the god’s spiritual energy through illusions.

And fourth—

With everything aligned, Gu Yan had prepared every possible advantage to slay a god.

Now, staring at the life thread above the God of Death’s head, he hesitated no longer.

As the deity’s face twisted in horror, Gu Yan swung the dagger—

And severed the thread.

Just as he had declared before:

If he could see the life thread…

Even a god… could be killed.

"W-wait! NO! NO!!"

The God of Death screamed in terror, experiencing true mortality for the first time.

The next instant, as the life thread snapped—

The divine consciousness within Lin Yinyin’s body instantly dispersed.

But it didn’t end there.

The dagger’s power followed the thread—striking directly at the God of Death’s true form.

Because this thread was the God of Death’s own lifeline.

Unaffected by identity, distance, space, or even time—

This was the power of the dagger, [Night].

Once a life thread was severed, the existence tied to it would be erased from the world in the truest sense.

SPLURT!

In a distant, enigmatic realm—

"ARGHH—!!!"

One of the seven figures encircling a planet suddenly let out a bloodcurdling shriek—before disintegrating into ashes.

The God of Death… had perished?!

Then, from the ashes, a surge of divine energy erupted.

In the blink of an eye, it plunged into the planet below, defying all attempts by the remaining entities to stop it.

Back with Gu Yan—

The Tome of Corruption emerged from his consciousness.

Its pages flipped excitedly as it forcibly summoned a wisp of divine energy from the void, devouring it with a sinister glee.

BOOM!

In an instant, an aura of deathly wings manifested around the tome.

"Kekeke!! The complete power of death!!"

"Gu Yan!! You actually did it!! A true prodigy among monsters!! I knew following you was the right choice!"

"Keep it up! Let’s slaughter every last one of those gods!!"

Meanwhile, Gu Yan’s own energy surged as the Tome of Corruption’s absorption of divine power fed back into him.

BOOM!

In an instant, his cultivation skyrocketed—reaching the pinnacle of the Immortal-tier!

Just one step away from reaching the Divine Realm!!

With millions of cycles of memories, Gu Yan knew exactly how to ascend to the Divine Realm.

This final step was... condensing a Divine Core!!!

After completing this,

Gu Yan raised his gaze to Lin Yinyin, whose body was broken but whose consciousness had returned.

She stared at him in a daze. During the time she had been controlled, she had been aware of everything happening around her.

Only now did she realize that this world was filled with monstrous beings beyond imagination.

More importantly, the Gu Yan who had always fed her sweet candies...

"So... your enemies are gods, Xiao Yanzi..."

Lin Yinyin's breath was weak, but a faint smile lingered on her lips. "You have to win..."

"Don’t let Leng Qingqiu down..."

Boom!!

As soon as she finished speaking, the silver core embedded in her forehead shattered abruptly.

The power of her silver qi was completely absorbed by Gu Yan.

Then, a tentacle emerged, capturing Lin Yinyin’s soul and carrying it away to the Forbidden Zone of Monsters.

Whoosh!

Her body gradually dissipated before his eyes.

Gu Yan’s expression remained unchanged—he was no longer capable of grief.

The ashes of Lin Yinyin’s demise drifted past him. He reached out, caught a handful, then let them slip through his fingers.

"Sleep well, Boss," he murmured softly.

"When you wake up... everything will be over."

......

......

A moment later.

Hum!

A rift tore open in space.

Leng Qingqiu stepped through.

She glanced around, taking in the devastation, and froze in place.

What... happened here?

"You’re late."

A voice—cold and detached—spoke from behind her, sending a tremor through her heart.

Leng Qingqiu whipped her head around.

There, standing with his hands behind his back, was the familiar essence of life.

"Gu Yan..."

Her voice carried a trace of relief as she took a step forward.

But then, she sensed another presence—

The lingering silver qi of Lin Yinyin, swirling around Gu Yan.

"You noticed, didn’t you?"

"Yes, this is the power of Lin Yinyin’s flawless silver qi."

Gu Yan spread his hands, his tone indifferent. "So, you’re too late."

Leng Qingqiu’s heart clenched. Gu Yan had still killed Lin Yinyin.

"Why...?"

"Why would you do this?"

"Weren’t Lin Yinyin and Bai Jun your friends?"

She couldn’t understand. She couldn’t fathom why Gu Yan would go this far just to make her a hero!

"No reason, Leng Qingqiu."

"This was for their own good."

Gu Yan walked toward her slowly, his face calm, his voice icy. "I’m glad to see you still care for me."

"After all... that’s the only way killing me will have any effect."

As his oppressive aura drew near,

Leng Qingqiu stood rooted in place, fists clenched, teeth gritted.

For... their own good?

How could killing them be for their own good?

Gu Yan stopped right in front of her. He reached out, cupped her face, and tilted it upward.

He could no longer see Leng Qingqiu’s face—nor could she see his.

But the wetness on his fingertips told him she was crying.

And indeed, Leng Qingqiu was crying. She had realized it now.

Gu Yan would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.

The next step...

"Who are you targeting next...? Is it Ling'er?"

Her voice trembled. Step by step,

Gu Yan was forcing her hand.

And what else could compel her to kill him?

Nothing except... Ling'er.

Gu Yan wiped the tears from her cheeks, his tone flat.

"Leng Qingqiu, you’re clever. So, if you want to kill me..."

"Get stronger. Quickly."

"Otherwise..."

"Everyone in this world will die."

"Enjoy this brief respite. Soon... the world will be plunged into a catastrophe wrought by the Night King."

The next instant—

Whoosh!

Before Leng Qingqiu could reach out to grab him, he vanished.

She lowered her head, fists trembling.

Right now, she felt nothing but helplessness and despair.

Bastard... bastard... bastard...

Gu Yan...

Why did it have to come to this...?