Chapter 2922: It's Her
Zu An was stupefied. "There are multiple generations of universal deities?"
"Yes, that's right." The Deity of Bliss and Desire explained, "We aren't the primordial universal deities of the Myriad Worlds. Those were the universal deities governing the elements such as metal, wood, water, fire, earth, ice, wind, lightning, light, and dark. They are the ones who constructed the Myriad Worlds' foundation, and they wield incredible power.
"But as the Myriad Worlds prospered and life flourished, emotions and desires slowly grew into a powerful force. Correspondingly, that gave rise to a new generation of universal deities.
"The first generation of universal deities preached the cold observance of natural law and refrained from interfering with the world. That created space for us, the subsequent generation of universal deities, to rise to power.
"A war eventually broke out as the two generations of universal deities began competing over authority. As we enjoyed a steady influx of faith from the world, we slowly claimed the upper hand and eventually became the new generation of universal deities."
Zu An was astounded. He hadn't thought that there would be such a war among universal deities. Can I really know such secrets?
It could have been due to the presence of the Deity of Bliss and Desire, but he didn't face any inexplicable power striking him down. He calmed himself down and said, "The war must have gone on for a long time. Why aren't there any records of it?"
There was no lack of ancient civilizations and powers in the Myriad Worlds, but he had never heard anything that suggested this history.
The Deity of Bliss and Desire laughed. "Have you forgotten her jurisdiction?"
Zu An was stunned.
The Deity of Memory Meng governed memories, but she sought to record all events accurately. However, it was very probable for the Deity of Chaos and Enigma Mi Li to have concealed records about the war among the universal deities.
Not wanting to risk speaking ill of Mi Li, Zu An changed the topic and asked, "What happened to the first generation universal deities after the war?"
"They were ultimately universal deities who governed the fundamental laws of the Myriad Worlds. While they may have fallen from grace, they didn't face true death. Instead, they returned to the world. At least that was what we thought initially," the Deity of Bliss and Desire said with a distant gaze.
Zu An gestured for her to continue.
The Deity of Bliss and Desire rolled her eyes at him. Only this fellow would dare do something this bold. "It was a close fight between the first generation and the second generation. We had the upper hand, but it was a tough fight. The turning point came when one of the first generation universal deities defected to our side."
"Oh?" Zu An was confused. There was a fundamental difference in the beliefs of the first generation and second generation of universal deities, so it didn't make sense for someone from one side to defect to the other side.
The Deity of Bliss and Desire bit his ear as she whispered, "Who do you think it was?"
Zu An's heart stirred. He racked his brains and a face surfaced in his mind. "The Deity of Love and Beauty?"
The Deity of Bliss and Desire smiled in approval. "You are indeed a smart one. No wonder Mi Li and Meng favor you so much."
Zu An was silent. It hadn't been too hard to guess. The Deity of Bliss and Desire had hinted that the first generation universal deities were related to his lovers, and then stated that one of them had defected to the second generation universal deities.
So far, Zu An had only seen the Deity of Love and Beauty's true face, and the latter looked identical to Yu Yanluo and this world's Houtu. Those factors pointed to her being the traitor. But knowing Yu Yanluo, Zu An couldn't imagine her being a traitor.
"She was still known as the Deity of Earth back then. We didn't doubt her when she joined our side because she carried not just the traits of the first generation but the second generation of universal deities as well. Upon learning about her betrayal, the remaining first generation universal deities lost their will..." The Deity of Bliss and Desire harrumphed. "We only knew about her scheme much later."
"What do you mean?" Zu An anxiously asked.
"Her defection was a scheme. The first generation universal deities knew that the tides were against them, and that their loss was inevitable. So, they devised a plan." The Deity of Bliss and Desire's tone hinted at her fury and admiration. "The first generation universal deities fell one after another, and we thought that they had returned to the dao. It was many years later that we realized that the Deity of Love and Beauty had aided them in their reincarnation, and they were planning to make a comeback."
Zu An was shocked. For some reason, the revelation brought him relief. Yu Yanluo had her reasons for doing so!
But his head hurt right after. The Deity of Bliss and Desire had to know about his close relationship with Yu Yanluo and the others, so she would have guessed that he could stand with them. So, what could be her reason for divulging these secrets to him?
"As the Deity of Earth, she governed reincarnation. She secretly put the first generation universal deities through reincarnation." The Deity of Bliss and Desire gritted her teeth in anger. "By the time we realized that, it was already too late. The first generation universal deities had already successfully reincarnated, and it was extremely difficult for us to uncover their whereabouts."
The details clicked. The Deity of Love and Beauty, the Deity of Earth, and Lady Houtu were the same person. That would explain why they wielded the power of the Six Paths of Reincarnation.
Zu An quickly recalled the Deity of Love and Beauty's demise, and his expression turned cold. "So, the second generation universal deities banded together to kill her out of anger?"
"We were livid. We banded together to question her, but she was prepared for that. She went into reincarnation as well." The Deity of Bliss and Desire propped up Zu An's chin with her long nails as she asked, "What's wrong, dear? You look angry. Are you thinking about avenging her?"
Zu An fell silent for a moment. He was nowhere strong enough to defeat a universal deity in a fight, but the bed was a different battlefield. He transformed into an avenger and furiously assaulted the Deity of Bliss and Desire, prompting shocked exclamations from the latter.
...
Some time later, the Deity of Bliss and Desire finally spoke up. "Enough. Consider it your victory. Your body doesn't feel like that of a human at all."
Exhausted, Zu An lay down beside her. His mind was surprisingly clear. "Why did you tell me all that? Did you think I'd help you deal with the first generation universal deities?"
The Deity of Bliss and Desire propped herself up. Her hair cascaded down on his chest like a waterfall. "Of course not. I'm here to seek a partnership with you all."
