A mage's journey begins with a battle mage.

Chapter 696 Self-Destruction

The Astral Plane, the location of the Cyric realm.

Because of His suggestion, the gods began to huddle together for warmth, and their divine kingdoms nestled together, looking like a string of dazzling bubbles.

Magnificent and beautiful, yet also fragile.

At least, that's how Shirek sees it.

As the feeling of weightlessness washed over him, Cyric coughed violently a few times, as if he were drowning.

"This feels really bad."

He sighed deeply, then collapsed onto his throne.

"My lord, your blade is ready and waiting to be drawn."

The angel with blood-red wings knelt on one knee and spoke to Cyric.

"Let's begin then. I've waited too long for this moment!"

Upon hearing this, although Cyric still felt some pain of death, it was all insignificant in the face of the enormous benefits he was about to receive.

For Him, all talk of face and agreements with the gods is utter bullshit!

Only power, only power, could make Him give up everything!

As soon as Cyric thought of it, the enormous divine kingdom began to move.

Then, with a loud bang, the divine realms collided.

This is the most common tactic in wars between gods, and it is also a sign of a fight to the death.

The collision of their divine kingdoms caused them to connect, ultimately leading to war.

Normally, divine wars are always long. Even gods with weak divine power can contend with powerful gods within their own divine realm.

Although the final outcome was still decline and destruction, it would certainly not let that powerful god who dared to invade its divine kingdom get away with it.

But the situation is different now. The gods are completely unprepared, and no one would believe that in this time of shared hatred, any god would dare to betray them.

Moreover, in the eyes of these gods, they have signed a contract, and because of the severe punishment, no one would break the contract.

However, Cyric did just that, and he succeeded.

In order to escape punishment, He made a deal with the abyss.

As for the content?

That is to sacrifice Jiang Shuzhou to the abyss.

It can only be said that the Abyss still hasn't forgotten Jiang Shuzhou.

Whether or not it can be completed is something that Cyric doesn't care about.

Anyway, He will have to fight Jiang Shuzhou in the future, and it will be a fight to the death, and they will definitely have to decide who is better.

If that's the case, then why did He refuse?

Moreover, by then, Cyric might have already reached a higher level, and the opinions of the Abyss might no longer be worth His attention.

Just like Jiang Shuzhou, possessing terrifying strength and performance, this is what Xirek has always hoped for.

"My lord, we have successfully conquered the enemy's divine kingdom, and His angels have fallen."

Since it was his first time, in order to avoid any accidents, Cyric chose a god with weak divine power.

The result was obvious: Cyric defeated him effortlessly.

"This is the other party's divine essence."

The angel raised his hands high and offered his divinity to Cyrek.

"very good."

Looking at the radiant divine spark, Cyric's eyes were filled with longing, and a hint of greed.

This is what He has longed for, and what He needs to become stronger.

With the divine spark reflected in his eyes, Cyric rose, stepped forward, and then grabbed it.

Then, he suddenly exerted force with his fingers.

With a muffled thud, the divine core shattered.

Immediately afterwards, the laws dissipated, and Cyric sensed the authority that had lost its master.

This authority was originally intended to vanish, dissipate, and evaporate.

But Cyric took them in.

"I've become stronger. Just wait, I'll be back."

What was reflected in Cyric's eyes was no longer the shadow of divinity.

Instead, it was someone else, someone who haunted his dreams and filled his thoughts day and night.

Jiang Shuzhou, his greatest enemy.

"The next time we meet, I'll crush you completely!"

"Cirik said viciously."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"How could this happen?"

As their companions gradually disappeared, almost all the gods felt immense pressure.

The gods, having finally held firm for a moment, launched a full-scale attack, ready to fight Jiang Shuzhou to the death.

Now this has happened, who can stand it?

Almost all the gods subconsciously prepared to flee.

They planned to return to their warm divine kingdom, enjoy their supreme status, and live a life of luxury and indulgence.

Even if it's only for a short period of time.

But this is better than it simply disappearing now.

At least I can live a few more years.

Unions can be so fragile at times.

"Look, you keep talking about upholding the boundary between life and death, but who set those boundaries and rules?"

While enduring dozens of Death Finger strikes from Yege and being pointed at and criticized by him, Jiang Shuzhou also relentlessly verbally attacked Yege.

"Look, the River Styx is with me now. What does that mean?"

Jiang Shuzhou said, and then he asked and answered his own question.

"This means you're the most useless old man! I will forge new rules, and you will be erased from my life!"

Jiang Shuzhou's words were not a threat, but a factual statement.

With the influx of the River Styx, the order of the world of the dead is gradually being taken into Jiang Shuzhou's hands.

Nowadays, the River Styx recorded in many ancient texts has been replaced by the lake of the Tree of Souls at some unknown time.

It is a peaceful land, where an enormous Tree of Souls governs people's reincarnation and life and death.

The soul will eventually enter the tree and be reshaped and redistributed.

Human and non-human, intellectual and non-intellectual.

Everything is subject to the will of the Tree of Souls.

"Give up, you have no chance anymore. Your divine nature is the Styx River, isn't it?"

Although Jiang Shuzhou used a question, his tone was very confident.

Sometimes, the so-called divine nature is not confined to that small sphere.

This is especially true for deities like Yeg, who have long since transcended the Tao.

"Why hasn't He come yet?"

This is Jaeger's biggest question.

Why hasn't the God of Time arrived yet?

It seems that even the God of Time can break promises. I wonder if the God of Time's disregard for time constitutes a violation of his divine authority.

The gods below continued to dissipate gradually. Jiang Shuzhou didn't even need to lift a finger; relying solely on Xirek's own plan, nearly a third of them vanished.

"Go and visit your hometown, visit it often, or it will be gone."

After Jiang Shuzhou finished speaking, the spatial storm outside finally subsided.

At the same time, Jiang Shuzhou's spatial anchor was also released.

In an instant, almost all the gods fled.

After all, Jaeger was bound to leave, and the gods who had not yet disappeared were now eager to return to their homeland and had no intention of fighting at all.

Once they left, the other gods naturally prepared to flee as well.

This caused the encirclement and attack that the gods had painstakingly organized to collapse on its own.

But this is just the beginning.

Death and the soul, from this day forward, are no longer the exclusive authority of the gods.

From this day forward, Jiang Shuzhou will be the master of death.

The gods will never have new believer souls again.