Chapter 314 312-Deityforsaken Land
Cold sweat began to bead on Valentine's forehead.
Were this in the Besk Kingdom, Valentine wouldn't fear a princess of the Azure Empire so intensely.
But now, within the bounds of the Azure Empire, to provoke a member of the imperial family...
The Azure Empire could expel the Adrien family with but a word.
And the deal they were brokering would crumble to dust.
Should that happen, Valentine's standing in his family would plummet without restraint, casting him to the fringes.
With an awkward tone, Valentine spoke, "Lady Lana, my apologies to you and your friend. We are willing to offer two trial slots to your friend, free of charge."
Lana leaned in close to Ethan, her breath a fragrant whisper:
"Best to accept the olive branch. A full-scale feud would ensnare both Besk Kingdom and the Azure Empire."
Lana chose not to use soul transmission, deliberately letting Valentine overhear.
Indeed, upon hearing her words, Valentine's eyelids gave a slight twitch, his expression softening somewhat.
A thin layer of frost seemed to glaze Ethan's visage, for his anger had been genuine just moments before.
He had no fear of slaying Valentine outright, even if it meant becoming the target of the Adrien family's manhunt.
Ethan was confident he could obliterate the Adrien line.
Yet Lana's intervention prompted a change of heart.
To kill Valentine in her presence would complicate matters further.
It could entangle both the Besk Kingdom and the Azure Empire in its wake.
The ice on Ethan's face abruptly melted away, replaced by a warm, affable smile:
"Indeed, it's all a misunderstanding. A little clarification is all we need."
Valentine watched with seething envy as Lana and Ethan shared an intimate closeness.
He had longed to take Lana's hand in his, an honor she refused.
Yet there she stood, so close to this stranger that her lips nearly brushed Ethan's skin.
Suppressing the jealousy that raged within him, Valentine forced a sheepish smile, "Glad to see you understand, sir. Let's proceed with the test. Others have been waiting for too long."
Ethan stepped back with Daphne and asked Lana to help him by keeping an eye on Daphne within the camp.
When Lana first laid eyes on Daphne, her expression shifted ever so slightly.
It was the natural comparison that sprang to mind when a beautiful woman sees another.
Lana, saying little, escorted Daphne into the camp.
Before long, they emerged—Lana, composed as ever; Daphne, smiling.
Lana spoke to Ethan, "Daphne is qualified to enter the Deityforsaken Land."
After expressing his gratitude, Ethan departed with Lana.
Valentine watched Ethan's retreating figure, fury filling his heart.
His eyes blazed with vengeful fire, and he silently vowed:
"In the Deityforsaken Land, you will find your grave. I will claim your woman before your very eyes. I will show you the consequences of crossing the Adrien family."
…
Ethan, Daphne, and Lana walked together.
Lana, driven by curiosity, inquired, "Aren't you going to take the test?"
Ethan, cradling his head leisurely, declared, "No need. I have complete confidence in myself."
Lana's eyes sparkled with admiration for Ethan's self-assuredness.
She considered herself confident, fully acknowledging her own strength.
Yet, in Ethan's presence, she always felt somewhat diminished.
Lana lacked the audacity that Ethan possessed.
"Can we now enter the Deityforsaken Land?" Ethan asked.
"Anytime," Lana replied with a matter-of-fact tone.
"Do you need to make any preparations?" Ethan turned to Lana. "I'm ready to enter the Deityforsaken Land."
"I'm all set. We can go together," she affirmed.
Ethan smiled, "I couldn't ask for more."
With that, the trio approached a stone stele.
The stele, the height of an adult, bore divine runes that swirled into a vortex, imbued with the Power of Space.
The dense Power of Space filled Ethan with anticipation.
This was the gateway to the subspace, and beyond it lay the Deityforsaken Land.
Surprisingly, Lana took the initiative to grasp Ethan's hand.
Soft and smooth, Ethan was taken aback.
Lana's cheeks tinged pink, "Don't get me wrong. Holding hands ensures we land together."
Hearing this, Daphne too reached out, taking Ethan's other hand.
Ethan felt as if he were holding two pieces of jade, exquisite to the touch.
"Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"
Together, they stepped through the stone stele.
…
Wrapped in the familiar embrace of the Power of Space, Ethan then experienced a dizzying whirl.
He felt himself plummeting crazily from the sky.
Quickly spreading his wings, he steadied his descent.
Hovering midair, he surveyed the Deityforsaken Land below, his eyes wide with awe.
It was as if he had descended into the Divine Realm, a tapestry of splendor and mystery unfolding before him.
Majestic structures pierced the clouds, emanating a sacred glow as if they were the crystallization of deity's power.
Mighty temples bore exquisite carvings of mythological tales, their walls adorned with depictions of deities that instilled a reverence in the beholder.
Before entering the Deityforsaken Land, Ethan had learned of its lore.
It was known as such because of a deity's battle that had wrought chaos upon this realm.
Divinity was nearly ground into oblivion by the rules of this place, leaving only temple ruins and fragments of divine artifacts.
Blood had once spilled in such volumes that the land grew dark and bleak, sometimes even raining blood.
In Ethan's imagination, the Deityforsaken Land was supposed to be synonymous with death, despair, murkiness – akin to hell itself.
But to his surprise, the instant he entered, the Deityforsaken Land was nothing like he anticipated, seeming every bit as serene as the Divine Realm itself.
Ethan scratched his head, continuing to survey the surroundings.
Suddenly, a wind rose, and the horizon quaked with an unusual tumult.
Ethan looked into the distance and was startled by the sight.
Diverse divine beasts emerged afar.
Magnificent divine beasts strolled with grace; their lithe bodies and lustrous fur seemed to pulse with boundless strength.
Among them, the Red Phoenix soared with outstretched wings, the Azure Dragon coiled atop azure clouds, the White Tiger exuded fierce majesty, and the Black Tortoise guarded the frontier of the divine realm.
These divine beasts radiated a sacred aura, appearing as beings beyond the reach of mere mortals.
Their mere presence was so overpowering it almost left one breathless.
Ethan deeply felt the chasm between himself and these creatures.
As for why the divine beasts didn't attack him, Ethan speculated.
To those divine beasts, he was like a mosquito, hardly worth their attention.
Again, the wind stirred, and the grand doors of the temple swung open.
Ethan's heart stirred slightly as he edged closer to the temple.
The scene inside caused him to recoil in shock.
There were people within the temple; they wore divine garments, emitting a holy luminescence, their divinity almost tangible, swirling around them in halos.
Adorned in splendid robes and wearing gleaming divine artifacts, they displayed a distinct elegance.
All these signs proclaimed that they were no mere mortals, but deities.
Ethan was startled by his own realization—how could there be remnants of deities in the Deityforsaken Land?
And so many of them.
The deities were each absorbed in their own affairs, some practicing divine magic that released dazzling light; others conducting grand ceremonies, singing melodic hymns, offering their devout respect to the deities.
Yet, curiously, no one seemed to notice Ethan.
A flash of insight struck Ethan's mind as he suddenly looked around—Lana and Daphne had vanished.
"Didn't Lana say that as long as we held hands, we wouldn't be separated?" Ethan muttered to himself, "Then why are we still apart? Could there have been an anomaly with the portal?"
But he dared not shout out loud; he feared drawing the ire of the deities.
All he could do was retract his wings and remain before the temple.
He felt he had been cautious enough, but in the next moment, the singing within the temple ceased, the deities' conversations faded, even the winds outside the temple halted.
All the deities stood within the temple, gazing down at Ethan.
A massive oppressive force bore down on him, as if the divinity cast down by the deities was a mountain range pressing against his body.
Ethan's eyes threatened to burst, and Golden Divine Dragon Blood spurted from his pores.
He understood the deities' intent now.
They wanted Ethan to submit; the overwhelming pressure was merely to intimidate him.
With a "thump," Ethan, unable to hold up, knelt on one knee.
Blood tears flowed from his eyes as he let out a roar to the heavens, like a lion trapped in the hunter's snare.
"Kneel, why should I kneel?" Ethan vented the fury in his heart.
The Blasphemous Spear appeared in his hand, the long spear propped against the ground.
Ethan forcefully circulated his Golden Divine Dragon Bloodline, his body erupting with golden vitality.
Struggling to his feet, even as his skin cracked and blood covered his body:
"You wish me to kneil, you are unworthy!!"
Ethan roared, standing up completely.
His body resounded with the ghastly sounds of breaking bones and tearing organs.
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