Grinding EXP From a Demon Hunting Ship

Chapter 358: Chapter 353: Gods of the Southern Domain, Scheme of the Fog Forest

BZZT.

At the edge of the Fog Forest.

Ziyuan’s figure transformed into an Escape Light and entered the Mist Forest Divine Kingdom.

A moment later.

WHOOSH.

Three figures materialized on the spot.

"Divine Lord, why did you let her go?"

The one who spoke wore an intricate Dark Gold Robe and held a Pure Crystal Ball.

He was handsome, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly in a roguish, devil-may-care smirk.

His striking appearance and the crystal ball in his hand...

...made him seem very much like one of those wastrels from the southern city-states—men who shirked honest work, obsessed themselves with Witchcraft, and excelled at using silver-tongued words to coax resentful wives and noblewomen into a night of passion.

However,

there was a fundamental difference between him and them!

Deep within the handsome rogue’s seemingly devil-may-care eyes, a dangerous light flickered from time to time, carrying a sinister aura.

More importantly, even though it was high noon and he was bathed in the brilliance of the sun...

...he cast no shadow!

The Shadowless!

He was one of the Shadowless!

This fact alone was enough to prove he was no mere mortal!

"Shadow Binding."

"The Divine Lord’s will is not to be questioned."

The "person" who answered him was even more terrifying and bizarre than the Shadowless One.

He was tall, his entire body clad in pitch-black Dragon Head Armor, revealing only a pair of scarlet eyes!

His tattered black-and-red cape and corroded greatsword seemed dilapidated, yet they exuded an overwhelming Evil Qi born from surviving a hundred battles and countless slaughters!

"Blood Dragon!"

The roguish-looking Shadow Binding raised an eyebrow.

He was clearly displeased by Blood Dragon’s cold, hard tone and was ready with a sharp retort.

Tension flared between the two subordinate gods.

But at that moment.

"Shhh..."

"Quiet," the Divine Lord said softly.

The two subordinate gods immediately fell silent and knelt on one knee.

The ’Divine Lord’—dressed in a gold and white robe with his hair in a long braid, looking for all the world like an ordinary young nobleman from the Far South—paid no mind to the dispute between his subordinates.

His pitch-black eyes gazed into the distance. "Come out."

"Hm?"

Upon hearing this,

the two subordinate gods, Shadow Binding and Blood Dragon, were both stunned.

’Someone’s here?’

Hehehe...

A laugh like silver bells drifted in on the wind.

"Metis, the Goddess of Wisdom."

"I pay my respects to Your Excellency, Nether Mirror. Your gaze pierces a thousand leagues."

In the distant wasteland, the figure of a goddess slowly materialized. She had a graceful figure, was draped in white silk, and wore a crown of flowers. She bowed in greeting.

As she bowed,

a flicker of barely perceptible panic crossed Metis’s eyes.

She cried out inwardly.

’I can’t believe... I ran into Nether Mirror?’

Nether Mirror.

One of the Four Pillar Gods of the Fourth-Generation Divine Court!

Aside from the Fourth-Generation Divine King—the Sun God, who slumbers year-round to keep the world turning—the Four Pillar Gods were the greatest beings in the Fourth-Generation Divine Court!

And only the Four Pillar Gods could be addressed as ’Divine Lord’!

And Nether Mirror...

...was the most capricious and unpredictable of all the Four Pillar Gods!

According to rumor, the eponymous Divine Artifact He wielded, the Nether Mirror, was one of the primordial creation artifacts. Its surface could reflect the very course of the river of time!

With it,

Nether Mirror could foresee the future, averting disasters and solving calamities.

The most obvious proof of this...

...was that since the First-Generation Divine Court, He had witnessed the fall of three Sun Gods!

Furthermore, according to the hidden histories Metis had learned through her divine authority over [Wisdom], during the fall of the Second-Generation Sun God...

’...Nether Mirror... seemed to have played some kind of extremely crucial role?’

’Killing a Divine King?’

Such an achievement made Metis’s heart tremble with fear!

Therefore, even Metis, the Goddess of Wisdom herself, had to remain humble before Nether Mirror.

"Metis, for what purpose have you crossed the High Wall?"

Nether Mirror asked softly.

The High Wall.

A great wall stood between the Northern and Southern Territories.

This barrier was thousands of feet high, nearly the size of a mountain. More importantly, it was woven from the Power of Rules of the gods themselves!

When the Fourth-Generation Divine Court was established, all the gods...

...contributed a part of their divine kingdoms to weave this net of rules!

This High Wall Magical Net could resist the oppressive weight of the world!

By residing within the High Wall, the backlash of negative energy faced by the gods of the Southern Territory was somewhat lessened.

As a result, the gods of the Southern Territory were in a much better state than those in the Northern Territory.

Of course,

it was a double-edged sword.

The existence of the High Wall obstructed all exchange between the north and south.

For the gods cowering within the High Wall, barely clinging to life, interfering with the outside world became incredibly difficult.

It was like a terminally ill patient being unable to leave the ICU.

To this day, most of the gods in the Southern Territory had completely lost the ability to cross the High Wall and interfere with the outside world.

—To insist on doing so meant certain doom!

In other words, they should have perished long ago; the High Wall was merely protecting them.

The High Wall granted them a period of ’false’ life.

’Why have I come...?’

"With Your Excellency’s wisdom, isn’t the reason obvious?"

Metis chuckled softly, firmly suppressing the panic rising in her heart.

The reason for her visit was simple: she had sensed the aura of the Aquis Shield!

This Divine Artifact.

It held extraordinary significance for her.

Beyond being a relic of her late husband that she was obligated to recover, it also held a more practical significance...

Therefore,

the moment she sensed the aura of the Aquis Shield, she immediately sent down an incarnation, crossed the High Wall, and rushed to the Northern Territory without a moment’s rest to try and recover the Divine Artifact.

But she never expected to run into Nether Mirror!

’Could it be... that the Aquis Shield is in his hands?’

Metis’s heart sank, and a bitter feeling washed over her.

’If that’s the case, my chances of recovering the shield are practically nil... Snatch a Divine Artifact from the hands of one of the Four Pillar Gods? Am I trying to get myself killed?’

Just as Metis’s mind was racing,

a faint, ghostly light flashed in Nether Mirror’s eyes. He spoke with an air of understanding and certainty.

"I see."

"The Aquis Shield... The domain of [War], is it?"

"[War] and [Wisdom]... A fine combination."

Nether Mirror nodded slightly in praise.

Metis’s expression stiffened. She forced a smile and said, "Your Excellency Nether Mirror, you..."

Her mind was in turmoil, reeling with disbelief!

Her plan to use the Aquis Shield to claim the domain of [War] left behind by her late husband, combining it with her own to ascend further, was her deepest secret.

And yet,

before Nether Mirror, this secret had been laid bare. It was simply... inconceivable!

Metis’s thoughts were a tangled mess.

At that moment,

"Serve me."

"And you will achieve your desire."

Nether Mirror stated calmly.

Metis gave a bitter smile. At this point, did she have any other choice?

"I will obey your will."

"Mm."

Subduing Metis...

...seemed to be a trivial matter for Nether Mirror.

"Enter the Divine Kingdom."

He nodded slightly.

He gestured for the three deities to enter the Mist Forest Divine Kingdom.

Shadow Binding, Blood Dragon, and the Goddess of Wisdom nodded in assent.

Nether Mirror was the last to enter.

But before he entered the Divine Kingdom,

his gaze shifted, and the corner of his mouth curled into an amused smirk.

’To think I managed to find a scion of the Old Gods...’

’Interesting...’