Chapter 264: Abandoned By The Deities, Submitting By One’s Own Initiative
Horace was dead!
After being burned by the Netherworld Divine Fire, he was unsurprisingly reduced to ashes.
He had come in a hurry and was also gone in a hurry.
His death caused a large number of people to feel as if they had plummeted into an ice cave. Their hands and feet were cold and clammy as endless fear and hopelessness came over them. It felt no different from the entire sky collapsing unto them.
Among them, the Thunder Titan Emperor was one who felt it the strongest.
No hint of blood could be seen in the Titan Empire’s ruler’s countenance at the moment. As if he had been drained of strength, he fell limp onto the ground.
“It’s over! The Titan Empire is totally over!”
...
The Beast Emperor felt just as hopeless.
Even an unfathomably powerful true god like Horace had been so badly beaten up by Meng Lei in a one-sided fight. How were they, the Beast People Empire, supposed to contend with Meng Lei?
By relying on the Beast God?
Was he dependable enough?
The Beast Emperor didn’t hold any bit of confidence in that. His thoughts were currently a mess, and he was in a state of utter stupefaction.
Great skill and strategy?
Unifying the continent?
Emergence of the empire?
Everything had been tossed to the back of the mind!
At the moment, the Beast Emperor wanted only to leave this place and have a quiet moment to himself so that he could properly think about how he was to resist Meng Lei’s attacks.
...
“He’s actually killed Horace!”
The Fairy Empress was just as filled with disbelief as the others. She knew that Meng Lei was very strong. After all, he had annihilated the Dragon Island half-deities and battled the Titan half-deities by himself. His cultivation prowess was unfathomably powerful.
Even so, never would the Fairy Empress have ever imagined Meng Lei to actually be ‘this’ strong. He could kill even a true god-level powerhouse like Horace!
Just how strong is Meng Lei, exactly?
The question couldn’t help but arise in the Fairy Empress’ mind.
In truth, a lot of people were also wondering about this. However, there was no one who could answer their question—not even Meng Lei’s closest subordinates like Bubbles, Puhaman, and the others.
“Horace is dead!”
As he faced the shocked and horrified, idolizing, or hopeless eyes of everyone present, Meng Lei spoke. He said, “I believe the so-called Titan Spiritual God, Dragon God, and even the Beast God will not be easily sending anyone else here now! So...”
Meng Lei turned to the three empires’ envoys and said, “All of you should have lost all hope by now, right? Thus, I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you what you should be doing anymore?
“Within a month, I want the three empires to submit to me. If I don’t see that happening, my apologies, but the Colossal Dragons of yesterday shall be your fates tomorrow!”
After leaving behind those words, Meng Lei returned to the dragon carriage and left together with Bubbles and the others. Everyone looked at one another wordlessly as they watched the departing dragon carriage.
“What do we do now, Your Majesty?”
“You’re asking me? Who am I supposed to ask, then?”
...
Meng Lei’s throne ascension ceremony had concluded, but the impact it’d brought had only just begun.
A declaration of the humans’ emergence!
Ordering the three empires to submit!
Killing the Dragon God and exterminating Horace!
Every single incident, every single deed...
Like a tornado, they spread throughout the Meng Lei Empire and even the entire continent. In particular, under the Meng Lei Empire imperial court’s deliberate promotion efforts, the news had spread even faster.
“His Majesty has said that in the Meng Lei Empire, all humans below the age of 20 can undergo magic aptitude evaluation tests and receive Battle Aura manuals at no cost!”
“His Majesty has also said that he’ll build Battle Aura and Magic Academies in the Meng Lei Empire! All children under the age of 16 can enroll at no cost and receive six-year-long compulsory education!”
“His Majesty has also said he will not levy any taxes, collect agricultural tax, or recruit any soldiers in the Meng Lei Empire for ten years!”
“His Majesty has also said that every human in the Meng Lei Empire will receive a plot of land measuring at least two square kilometers!”
“His Majesty has also said that everyone is equal in the Meng Lei Empire. There are no slaves, no nobles!”
“Sob! Praise be to the great His Majesty!”
“Your Majesty, praise be to you!”
“Your Majesty...”
Meng Lei’s vows were printed into booklets. They spread throughout streets and alleys, villages, and every corner of the empire.
The effects brought about by the vows were beyond comparison. Scorching tears welled up in everyone’s eyes as they wept tears of joy, edified by his vows.
For a while, those that already worshiped Meng Lei became even pious, while those that didn’t also started to worship him. Meng Lei’s worshipers began to increase at a terrifying rate.
When all these pieces of information made their way into the three major empires, the influence they caused on the humans there was also beyond comparison.
As the saying went, “With comparison come frustrations.”
For a while, everyone longed for the Meng Lei Empire. Everyone wanted to become part of the Meng Lei Empire. Among them, those with initiative then started to flee...
To sum it up, the whole continent had become chaotic because of Meng Lei’s actions.
An invisible storm engulfed the continent as the three major empires started to be shaken at the core.
Of course, none of this was very important.
The three empires didn’t fear rioting slaves. The only thing that worried them was still just Meng Lei himself. The slaves didn’t possess any combat power. No matter how fiercely they struggled, it was no more than the mad barking of the weak.
On the other hand, Meng Lei was different—he loomed over them like a sharp blade that might cleave down upon them any moment!
In the Beast People Empire...
“Please, I’m leaving it to you, high priest!”
The Beast Emperor, as well as all the Beast People Empire officials, were all watching the old Fox-Man with hope and anticipation in their eyes. Now that things had come to this, they could only place hope in... the Beast God.
“Your Majesty, this old man will try his best!”
The aging old high priest let out a couple of coughs. Then, he slowly closed his eyes and began to build a communication link with the Beast God hidden in some obscure place.
As the Beast God’s most devout worshiper in Heaven’s Vault Continent, it wasn’t hard for the old Fox-Man to build a link to the Beast God. The Beast God would also usually respond to him, but this time...
A minute passed.
Two minutes passed.
Half an hour passed.
“Your Majesty, I’ve disappointed you.”
The old Fox-Man opened his eyes, a look of shame and guilt on his face.
“Old high priest, has the Beast God really abandoned his pious believers?”
The Beast Emperor’s eyes were filled with hopelessness. Dejected and lost, all the officials looked like lifeless grieving widows.
“Your Majesty, let me try again!”
The old Fox-Man let out a resigned laugh. He quietly set ablaze the power of his divine spirit and strengthened his senses.
Yet, no matter how hard or how many times he tried, the great Beast God simply didn’t respond. It was as if he had vanished into thin air.
In the end, the old Fox-Man could no longer persevere any further. He coughed up blood, collapsed to the ground, and breathed his last.
“Old high priest!!”
“Old high priest!!”
“Sob...”
A sad and sorrowful atmosphere filled the hall as the officials fell onto their knees. The Beast Emperor was filled with self-blame. “Old high priest, it’s my fault! It’s all my fault...”
Disregarding the sorrowful and despairing Beast People Empire monarch and officials for now and focusing on the old Fox-Man instead, a mysterious and mighty force descended upon him and brought his divine spirit away after he died.
When he opened his eyes, he was already in a beautiful, scenic, and picturesque golden divine nation. Power of divinity descended from above and re-manifested a physical body for him.
A brief moment later, a strong and muscular Fox-Man with a head full of black hair appeared—it was the Fox-Man himself!
As the Fox-Man looked at his hands and took in his young and strong body’s sensation, he became so agitated that tears filled his eyes, and he dropped onto his knees right away and kowtowed.
“O great Beast God! Thank you for your generosity and kindness! Praise be to you!”
“Those who believe in me shall gain eternal life!”
An awe-inspiring, majestic, and thunderous voice rang out in his ear. The old Fox-Man knew that it was the Beast God’s voice. At once, he lamented tearfully, “O great Beast God, please save your lowly people. They are currently in an abyss of suffering...”
The Beast God’s voice, however, completely died down and didn’t sound again.
“Beast God...”
The old Fox-Man fell limp onto the ground as a look of despair came over his features. He knew—the Beast God had completely abandoned the Beast People in Heaven’s Vault Continent!
In the Titan Empire...
“What do we do now, Your Majesty?”
“Think of something, Your Majesty!”
The Titan Empire officials were currently in a state of utter panic. In spite of that, the Thunder Titan Emperor was instead drowning his sorrows in alcohol, paying no attention whatsoever to the anxious officials.
“Your Majesty!”
Helpless, the officials could only request the Titan Empress to make an appearance in hopes that she could persuade the emperor.
“Oh, it’s the Empress? Come on, have a few drinks with me!”
“Your Majesty, how can I possibly still be in the mood to drink when a national crisis looms over us?” The Titan Empress said, “The officials are all in a panic and awaiting your directions!”
“Directions? What kind of directions can I possibly give?”
The Thunder Titan Emperor looked completely drunk as he said, “The temple grandmasters are all dead, and even Horace, whom the Titan Spiritual God had dispatched, is also dead.
“The enormous Titan Empire doesn’t even have a single half-deity anymore. We are, but just meat on the chopping block now. What kind of directions is there to give at this point? We can just await death to befall us!”
“Even so, are you just going to do nothing and wait for the Meng Lei Empire to invade us, Your Majesty?”
The Titan Empress said in persuasion, “If that happens, we won’t have any way out at all!”
“What do you mean by that, Empress?”
The Thunder Titan Emperor looked at the empress out of the corner of his eyes.
“Since we cannot resist them, then why don’t we take the initiative to submit to them?”
The Titan Empress said gravely, “If we take the initiative to submit, we’ll at least be able to welcome a decent outcome, rather than ending up like the Dragons whose country has been ruined and the whole race annihilated. But if we do nothing and wait for the Meng Lei Empire to invade us instead, I’m afraid we’ll only see our people dead and our country ruined, while we ourselves suffer wretched deaths!”
“Wretched deaths?”
The Thunder Titan Emperor shuddered and instantly snapped out of his drunken stupor. He said, “Yes, yes, that’s right! We mustn’t wait for them to invade us! We mustn’t!
“Someone! Hurry! Assemble the officials! I’m going to submit to the Meng Lei Empire! I don’t want to die!”
In the Fairy Empire...
The Fairy Empress opened her beautiful eyes. She gazed at the many pairs of eyes filled with hope and anticipation, let out a wry laugh, and said, “Everyone, I have disappointed you!”
“Your Majesty!”
The officials’ countenances changed drastically, their hearts sinking to the very bottom in an instant.
Azshara’s voice trembled as she asked, “Your Majesty, what did Her Holiness say?”
The Fairy Empress’ expression was pained as she replied, “She wants us to take the initiative to submit. I am to lead the Fairies to take shelter in the Forest of Life, and from then on, we are never to take another step out of the Forest of Life ever again!”
“Take shelter in the Forest of Life? How would that do?”
Azshara couldn’t accept the outcome at all.
The Fairy Empire’s territory included the entire Fairy Forests. Its vastness in territory was in no way inferior to the Dragon God Empire’s, while it was only a tad smaller than the Beast People Empire’s. But what about the Forest of Life?
The Tree of Vitality gave off a vitality barrier and the range that the barrier covered formed the Forest of Life. It was the heart of the Fairy Forests and measured only about 1,000 miles in radius.
That bit of territory wasn’t even as big as a corner of the Fairy Forests. Yet they, the Fairies, had to give up the vast and spacious Fairy Forests to take shelter in the Forest of Life that only measured 1,000 miles in radius? Who would be able to accept something like that?
“This is Her Holiness’ orders. There’s nothing I can do about it, either.”
The Fairy Empress let out a soft sigh, and then she ordered, “Dispatch envoys to the Meng Lei Empire at once and take the initiative to submit. On account of Her Holiness, I should think that His Majesty Meng Lei wouldn’t go as far as to take all our lives!”
“We mustn’t, Your Majesty!”
Azshara cried out, “The Fairy Forests are the Fairies’ home. If we give up the Fairy Forests, just how many of our clansmen would we have to abandon?”
“Regimental Commander Azshara, I know this is a painful decision to make, but have you thought about this? Should we not give up the Fairy Forests, the entire Fairy race shall completely vanish from the face of Heaven’s Vault Continent!”
A look of pain came over the Fairy Empress’ countenance as she asked, “Between the two, which do you think is worse?”
Updat𝓮d from freew𝒆bnovel(.)com