Shortly after the priests of Set, the God of Storms, departed, an airship larger than a sea vessel rapidly flew in.
This airship, resembling a cigar, was a perfect fusion of magic and machinery. Propelled by magical energy and levitated by magic arrays, its mere creation dictated a price that could bankrupt a dragon.
It possessed the advantage of transcending eras and revolutionizing all modes of transportation. Few forces on the entire continent could afford to maintain it. To put it plainly, the magical energy used to propel the airship was supplied by magic crystals. A single Level 3 magic crystal was enough for the airship to travel only a few kilometers, and its consumption of magic crystals during full-speed movement could make even a minor power question their existence. It was essentially a mobile gold-shredding machine.
This airship bore the insignia of a large hexagram, marking it as belonging to the Magic Temple. Only the Magic Temple, which did not consider money, could afford such a luxury as an airship.
The airship flew over Crescent Island and, without anyone disembarking, hovered in the air for a moment before heading in the direction from which the priests of Set had departed. It appeared they also possessed unique tracking methods.
As both parties departed sequentially, the fragmented Crescent Island fell silent once more. However, in the days to come, there would undoubtedly be many people flocking here to prospect for gold.
...
One hundred meters deep beneath the ocean, Sanbi Isofu was swimming towards the continent, its three tails swaying behind it like kelp. Its four small legs churned, propelling Sanbi's massive body forward at a surprisingly swift pace.
Within the spiritual space, Li Xi frowned, "I have a bad feeling about this."
Sanbi comforted him, "Although my speed is not as fast as yours in the sky, I can definitely return safely in about twenty days. Besides, no one saw us do it. We've run so far, and no one should be able to catch up."
Li Xi also thought he was being overly cautious, "I hope so."
Alas, things did not go as planned. As soon as Li Xi finished speaking, the seawater above Sanbi, hundreds of meters thick, parted as if cleanly sliced. Sanbi was instantly exposed to the air.
Sanbi looked up in bewilderment. The towering walls of water on either side stood like sheer cliffs. An invisible force rendered the water walls as solid as bedrock, blocking Sanbi's path forward. The fish within the water walls swam leisurely, unaware of the danger. Many fish even pierced through the water walls and fell into the air, flapping in terror before dropping. Fortunately, the sea below was still there, and all the fish that passed through the water walls fell back into the sea.
"It's him."
Li Xi had already spotted more than ten people floating on the sea surface. The lightning symbol between the brows of the leader was unforgettable to Li Xi. This person was none other than Mendit, the red-robed archbishop of the Storm Temple, whom Li Xi had encountered when escorting Flin back to Aisinger – a priest of Set, the God of Storms.
At that time, Li Xi had defeated him but dared not kill him, as it would have invited pursuit from the Storm Temple. He never expected to encounter him here again.
Li Xi knew the temperament of the Storm Temple members better than anyone; once they set their minds on something, even nine oxen couldn't pull them back. "Today, bloodshed is unavoidable. Isofu, prepare yourself."
"Alright, let's kill them."
Sanbi Isofu stopped swimming and turned its body to face them, ready for battle. Its body tensed, poised to obey Li Xi's command and kill these pursuers.
What Li Xi didn't know was that Mendit, who had intended to hunt and seize the divine power from the culprit, had his murderous intent instantly replaced with elation upon seeing the mountain-like Sanbi below after parting the sea. Especially Sanbi's aura, heavier than mountains, made Mendit's heart race. Every part of Sanbi Isofu was, in Mendit's eyes, utterly perfect.
Just as Li Xi was preparing to strike, believing the confrontation to be a fight to the death, Mendit above suddenly spoke in a friendly tone, "Esteemed sir, your power is so immense, it appears you are only one step away from igniting the divine fire. Would you consider returning with us to join the Storm Temple? Our great God of Storms will surely help you become a deity."
Li Xi was stunned. He had killed the evil god, the great octopus, and seized its divine power. Should this not have been a confrontation to the death upon meeting?
Why were they now trying to recruit him?
Seeing the colossal turtle, exuding an aura as terrifying as an abyss, standing motionless and bewildered, yet with its defensive posture unwavering, Mendit understood that the creature did not trust him. He continued, "I know the island you reside on was recently attacked, and your source of faith has been entirely eradicated. If you do not have a new source of faith, your divine power will weaken day by day until it vanishes completely, and you will once again be reduced to a demonic beast, with no chance of igniting the divine fire in this lifetime."
Mendit transformed into a proselytizing charmer, "Come, join the ranks of our great God of Storms. We will place your image in all our temples, and countless believers will worship and prostrate themselves before you, so you will no longer worry about finding a source of faith."
"You can roam freely in the ocean, and no one will dare cast covetous glances at you. You can ignite the divine fire, establish your divine kingdom, and gain immortality."
"Join us, and you can do anything you desire. Come, the embrace of the gods awaits you."
Within the spiritual space, Li Xi, after listening to Mendit's words, felt his mind momentarily freeze before a wave of idiotic joy washed over him. He asked Sanbi, "Does he mistake us for that evil god?"
Sanbi nodded, "He must. That evil god, the great octopus, is still in my belly. Outsiders likely cannot distinguish whether the divine power emanates from me or from within my stomach. Besides, my appearance at first glance doesn't present a problem for being mistaken for an evil god."
Understanding this, Li Xi chuckled, "Such a misunderstanding. I wonder if they are too foolish, or if everything is just too coincidental."
Sanbi asked, "It seems we don't need to fight. How should I reply to him?"
"He wants to recruit you as a free mercenary. Not discussing salary and benefits when looking for a job is unprofessional. He won't believe he needs to shell out some blood money to find a super expert."
Sanbi's cunning mouth curved into a smile, "I know what to do."
Outside, Sanbi slowly emerged from the seabed. Its four limbs sprawled onto the water's surface, presenting a sight like a colossal mountain.
Upon seeing it up close, Mendit and the others finally grasped Sanbi's immense size. They were not even as tall as a single barb on Sanbi. The shadow cast by the sunlight covered a vast expanse of the sea. If such a colossal being were to become a subordinate deity of the God of Storms, the Storm Temple would be as formidable as a tiger with wings!
Hunting evil gods and seizing divine power was a worthy endeavor, but it also depended on whether the evil god had potential for cultivation. If the evil god's intrinsic value surpassed the divine power, the evil god itself would become the object of contention. Even among the numerous deities today, many had transitioned from being evil gods. Of course, they all had a powerful main god supporting and nurturing them. While they were ultimately beholden to the main god, who would refuse godhood?
From the moment Mendit saw Sanbi's appearance and the aura it emanated, he was convinced this was a new subordinate deity for their Storm Temple!
There had never been a precedent for an evil god of such size becoming a deity. Even the largest of the gods in their true form, Endis, the God of Giants, was only about a third the size of Sanbi. Yet, even so, Endis, after becoming a god, was not someone to be trifled with.
The stronger one's innate strength, the greater the augmentation upon becoming a deity. Therefore, if Sanbi could sign a contract with the God of Storms, it would significantly enhance the God of Storms' power after ascension.
In the ten thousand years since the God of Storms came of age, he had only had a meager three subordinate deities, ranking among the weakest of all deities. If he could recruit this behemoth and facilitate its ascension...
Thinking of this, Mendit's breathing quickened. If he could truly accomplish this, the position of the next Pope would undoubtedly be his.
Mendit looked at Sanbi with hopeful eyes, no longer merely seeing an evil god, but his own future. How he wished Sanbi would immediately agree to his invitation.
Unfortunately, Sanbi opened its mouth and said, "My life is inherently eternal. I am not interested in what you say."
Mendit did not dare to hesitate, like a villain trying to lure away a young girl, he increased his offer, "Join us, and you will be protected by everyone. No one will dare attack you again. What happened today will never happen again. You will be free."
"I am not afraid. I usually sleep at the bottom of the sea, and no one can find me. Besides, my strength is not weak. Those who came today have all been eaten by me. I am very free now."
"We have endless delicacies to enjoy."
"I do not like delicacies; I only like to sleep."
"We will carve statues of you, to be passed down through generations, and everyone will remember your name."
"Whether they remember me or not is irrelevant to me, as long as they don't disturb my sleep."
Perhaps Mendit's persistent nagging annoyed Sanbi. Its three tails lashed out forcefully, churning the sea surface into violent waves. "I am not interested in anything you say. If you continue to pester me, I will not be polite."
Mendit offered a fawning smile. The more Sanbi became angry, the more assured he felt. If such a powerful being were easily subdued, he himself would not believe it. Shallow offerings did not appeal. Mendit took out his trump card from his spatial ring.
These were five small vials, each containing a small amount of golden liquid. As they were slightly shaken, it was as if worlds were being created and destroyed. This was, naturally, divine power.
With the God of Light, Apollo, having already returned to the divine realm, and other deities soon to follow, divine power had become even more scarce. Mendit, like other priests, was diligently searching for sources of divine power to contribute to his patron deity. These five vials represented his gains over a long period.
Mendit placed the vials directly in front of Sanbi's eyes, afraid that Sanbi might not see these tiny things, which were like dust in Sanbi's eyes. He tempted, "Join us, and besides having believers worship you, we will also provide you with divine power, allowing you to ignite the divine fire at the fastest possible speed. This is something any deity would fight over."
Sanbi's eyes showed hesitation. Just as Mendit believed he was on the verge of success, Sanbi shook its head. "Divine power is good, but for me, it's just so-so. Besides, you want me to work for you with this little bit of divine power? Are you looking down on me?"
At this moment, a small black dot appeared in the distance in the sky, rapidly approaching.
Sanbi's eyes showed hesitation. Just as Mendit believed he was on the verge of success, Sanbi shook its head. "Divine power is good, but for me, it's just so-so. Besides, you want me to work for you with this little bit of divine power? Are you looking down on me?"
At this moment, a small black dot appeared in the distant sky, rapidly approaching.
Sanbi raised its head, and energy gathered before its massive mouth. Mendit and the others immediately retreated, assuming defensive stances. They thought the negotiation had failed and Sanbi was about to attack. However, they sensed no killing intent from Sanbi, so they merely defended, not daring to attack proactively, lest they ruin this "sea recruitment fair."
The black sphere gradually grew from the size of a sesame seed to the size of a house. Sanbi stepped forward and swallowed it, then opened its mouth wide to the side, unleashing a beam of red light.
The red light shot into the distance, tearing through the wind and splitting the sea, as if a playful god was forcefully stirring the ocean.
"Boom!"
The Tailed Beast Bomb that Sanbi spat out finally detonated in the distance. The distance was tens of kilometers, but the powerful shockwave still caused the sea surface to churn with waves several meters high, crashing from afar in an unending surge.
The waves made Mendit and the others unsteady, and they all jumped into the sky by stepping on the wind. They were not angry at Sanbi's sudden action. Upon witnessing the power of Sanbi's single strike, they felt even more convinced that Sanbi was showcasing its strength to gain more leverage in the upcoming negotiations.
Someone behind Mendit whispered excitedly in his ear, "Sir, this evil god's strength is even greater than we estimated. We absolutely cannot let this opportunity pass."
Mendit also gazed at the surging sea with longing. The power was truly impressive. Most importantly, the release speed was so fast, and after the release, Sanbi's aura showed no signs of weakening. Besides a deity, who else could be its opponent? This was true strength, a formidable weapon!
As long as this colossal turtle was recruited, the Storm Temple would have an invincible foundation. Who would dare attack them? With this behemoth, it would be a blessing if they didn't have to crusade against heretics.
The small black dot in the sky stopped in mid-air the moment it sensed Sanbi using the Tailed Beast Bomb. However, after the explosion, the black dot accelerated with such speed that it seemed to be setting the air ablaze, with a roaring sound propagating through the atmosphere.
At this point, both Sanbi and Mendit's group saw the airship rapidly approaching. But upon seeing the hexagram pattern on it, Mendit's heart sank. Although the God of Storms dominated the seas, the Magic Temple's power was not something the God of Storms could contend with.
The Goddess of Magic ranked among the top five deities, while the God of Storms was outside the top ten. Naturally, there was also a significant gap in the strength of their followers. Moreover, the airship used by the Magic Temple was itself a strategic weapon.
However, upon seeing the hexagram pattern, Li Xi smirked. Since the Storm Temple wanted to recruit him, there was no reason the Magic Temple wouldn't. Competition would only drive up the price!