In the vast, deep sea.
Poseidon treads on the deep sea currents, freely traversing the ocean floor, covering thousands of miles in the blink of an eye, speeding towards the other side of the ocean.
Suddenly, a golden arrow fell from the sky, parting the thick seawater and rapidly approaching him!
Almost the instant the arrow entered the sea, Poseidon sensed it and, after realizing the terrifying power contained within the arrow, his expression changed slightly.
He instantly changed course, making a turn on the seabed and flashing off in another direction.
But the arrow seemed to have locked onto him, no matter how he turned or twisted, the arrow tip remained locked onto his body and followed closely behind.
Most importantly, this arrow completely ignored the pressure of the seawater and was much faster than Poseidon in the sea!
As the golden arrow drew ever closer, Poseidon's expression grew even more grim. Realizing he couldn't shake it off, he stopped and turned to look back.
Golden arrows whistled through the air!
Poseidon raised his trident, and the seawater swirled rapidly, transforming into walls of heavy water that overlapped in front of him. At the same time, his body radiated brilliant divine light, and the might of the sea god enveloped the entire ocean!
Thump thump thump—!
The golden arrow exploded in the water, its kinetic energy easily shattering all the water walls, and in the blink of an eye, it was in front of Poseidon.
Upon seeing this, Poseidon snorted angrily, and the trident in his hand shone brightly as he fiercely met the arrow head-on!
Thump—!
A muffled roar echoed through the deep sea, and enormous waves spread outwards. Poseidon's trident flew from his hand, only to be knocked away by the immense force contained in the arrow!
The next moment, a second golden arrow appeared in front of Poseidon.
Poseidon's pupils suddenly contracted as he struggled to adjust his body, barely managing to avoid the arrow's tip. However, the terrifying power it contained still tore through Poseidon's body, ripping off one of his arms!
The blood of the sea god stained the bottom of the deep sea.
Poseidon took a hit from an arrow and lost an arm; the pain made him deathly pale. He clung to the floating limb, his teeth clenched, his expression shifting between anger and uncertainty.
He looked back, but the third arrow had not appeared.
This is retaliation, and also a warning.
He attempted to trespass into the territory of the Great Xia Dynasty, and he had to pay the price. This was the punishment the gods of the Great Xia Dynasty inflicted upon him.
"Great Xia... Hmph." Poseidon sneered, "I'll remember this grudge."
As soon as he finished speaking, he stepped on the dark current and rushed towards Olympus at an even faster speed.
...
In the illusory realm of the underworld.
An old man in a monk's robe, radiating a faint aura, walked across the underworld. Wherever he went, the spirits of the dead were converted by the white light and disappeared without a trace.
Hades frowned as he looked at the old man before him and spoke in a deep voice:
"Who are you? How dare you block my way?"
The old man stopped in front of Hades, his white light dispelling the surrounding deathly aura, and calmly spoke:
"Amitabha Buddha, this humble monk's Dharma name is Jin Chanzi, and I have been ordered to come and deliver the 100,000 vengeful souls of your underworld."
This Netherworld is Hades' foundation; to convert his 100,000 vengeful souls here would be tantamount to severing his arm and cutting off his very essence.
Hades sneered, "You want to save ten thousand vengeful spirits from my soul? Do you have that ability?"
Jin Chanzi was surrounded by a radiant Buddhist light, like a ray of sunshine in this dark world, illuminating half of the sky of the underworld.
"Whether it works or not, you'll know once you try."
...
Cangnan City.
The Celestial Hound carried Yang Jian and slowly walked into the distance.
"Heavenly Venerable," Yang Jian looked at the Taoist beside him, "what about that Norse god of mischief?"
"I've already locked down the surrounding space; he can't escape," the Taoist priest said leisurely. "As for the rest... that's up to the children themselves."
"Xiao Chen and Qiye?" Yang Jian frowned slightly. "He's just a Night Watchman who hasn't even reached the 'Chuan' realm. Xiao Chen was so severely injured that she could barely hold herself together... How could they possibly deal with the God of Tricks?"
"Don't forget, this city was destroyed half a month earlier than expected..." The Taoist looked up at the sky, "This means that the divine power left behind by the Seraphim, enough to support the operation of the [Mortal Divine Realm] for half a month, has all flowed into his body. Possessing divine power and the [Mortal Divine Realm], he will also have the power to kill gods for a short time."
"Lin Xi Chen is a quiet, benevolent young woman—someone who is reserved and always puts others first. What happens, then, when she gets angry?"
Even though he knew Lin Xi Chen was incredibly powerful when enraged, but this was a battleground where gods clashed with humans and make Yang Jian still looked somewhat worried.
"Yang Jian," the Taoist sighed, "Impenetrable protection cannot foster their growth. Only through trials and tribulations can they achieve true enlightenment... Both Lin Qiye and Lin Xi Chen possesses terrifying potential, but their path must be walked by themselves."
He looked up at the devastated Cangnan and continued:
"We are the gods of Great Xia, but that doesn't mean we can protect Great Xia forever. Too much interference in the country's growth is not a good thing. Only under pressure can they improve themselves the fastest."
"This time, we have declared our existence, enough to deter those outer gods. There won't be any major crisis in the short term. Now that we're back, we should focus wholeheartedly on rebuilding the Heavenly Court."
"Rebuild the Heavenly Court?" Yang Jian was taken aback. "Heavenly Venerable, can the Heavenly Court... really be rebuilt?"
"It's difficult, but not impossible," the Taoist said slowly. "Now, the gods in the mist all possess their divine kingdoms: Takamagahara in Japan, Asgard in Northern Europe, Olympus in Greece... It's time for our Great Xia's divine kingdom to see the light of day again."
A look of anticipation appeared in Yang Jian's eyes. "How long will that take?"
"It could take a few years, or even more than ten years. The speed depends on the number of gods involved. If we rely solely on the few of us who have been resurrected, it will take at least fifteen years." The Taoist sighed.
"The hundred-year period has ended, and the gods of the Great Xia Dynasty who re-entered the cycle of reincarnation are beginning to awaken. We can only hope that in the coming years, more gods will be able to revive and help us rebuild the Heavenly Court."
Yang Jian nodded, his eyes darkening as if he had thought of something.
"If that monkey were still alive, perhaps we wouldn't be in such a difficult situation... Unfortunately, it didn't even enter the cycle of reincarnation."
The Taoist raised an eyebrow, looking at Yang Jian with a half-smile, and said:
"Not entering the cycle of reincarnation does not mean complete death. Within this shroud of mist, anything can happen, it is even possible for a human to become a god...."
"Heavenly Venerable, what does this mean?" Yang Jian asked, puzzled.
The Taoist priest shook his head. "Heavenly secrets cannot be revealed."
...
Cangnan border.
Lin Qiye stood there blankly, watching the city disappear before his eyes, as if he had turned into a statue.
Endless divine power surged from his body, golden light enveloped him, and a dazzling golden light slowly emerged in his eyes…
In a daze, he felt as if he had ascended to the moon.
The seraphim who watched over humanity stood before him and slowly opened its eyes.