90: Chapter 90 First Round of Clash

The moment the world bridge docking was complete, Su Bai saw the world on the other side.

Incense Divine Kingdom.

Dazzling golden light, like a second sun, hung in the void. Golden rays seeped from every inch of that world's land, converging into visible rivers of light that surged from all directions toward the thousand-foot temple at the center of the world.

Three million believers knelt on the ground, their hands clasped and lips moving. Their bodies emitted a faint radiance; this was the "incense glow" produced when Power Of Faith was extracted. Countless points of light floated up from their heads, like fireflies filling the sky, merging into that golden river of faith.

On the temple dome, four golden orbs of light were rapidly expanding.

The God of War was the first to reveal his complete form. A ten-zhang-tall golden giant stepped out from the light orb, clad in battle armor and wielding a giant sword, his face as firm as iron. His eyes were pure gold, lacking pupils, holding only endless divine might. With every step he took, the void trembled, and golden flames spread from beneath his feet, igniting the surrounding space.

The God of Agriculture followed closely behind. His eight-zhang-tall body was clad in linen robes, and he held ears of wheat with a kind expression on his face. His arrival filled the air of the entire Incense Divine Kingdom with the fresh scent of rice, and plants on the ground began to grow wildly; vines and branches sprouted from the soil, wrapping around the stone pillars of the temple.

The Water God walked out from the blue orb of light; his seven-zhang-tall body was surrounded by water dragons that circled and hissed around him, emitting thick water vapor. He tilted his water bottle, and clear water poured from its mouth, converging into a suspended lake in the void.

The God of Plague appeared last. His six-zhang-tall body was shrouded in dark green mist, and his face was blurred, with only a pair of pale green eyes visible, flickering within the fog. The moment he appeared, the air began to fill with the stench of decay, and dark green mist spread from around him. Wherever it passed, plants on the ground began to wither, and the air began to rot.

Four deities, four sixth-order auras, stood like four pillars propping up the sky of the Incense Divine Kingdom.

And behind them, the central orb of light on the temple dome still floated silently. It revealed no form and released no aura, simply remaining there quietly like a sleeping ancient beast.

But the brightness of that orb of light was more intense than the other four combined.

Sixth-order peak.

Shen Zhao's consciousness avatar hovered in front of the temple, clad in white sacrificial robes, his amber eyes looking calmly at the gray-white world on the other side.

A faint smile played at the corners of his mouth.

"Netherworld World?" he said softly, his tone carrying a trace of amusement. "An interesting name. But a Yin Qi World is just a Yin Qi World; giving it a scary name cannot change its essence."

He raised his hand.

The four deities moved simultaneously.

The God of War raised his giant sword, and golden flames erupted from the blade, illuminating half the void. His voice was like thunder, exploding in the void: "Where incense reaches, all evil is warded off!"

The God of Agriculture raised his hand, and countless golden vines surged from his palms like giant pythons, spreading toward the gray-white world on the other side. Those vines were covered in golden barbs, each one absorbing the Yin Qi in the air and converting it into golden light.

The Water God tilted his water bottle, and the suspended lake transformed into a monstrous wave, carrying golden light as it surged toward the other side. Those waves contained rich Power Of Faith and had a natural purifying effect on Yin Qi, like hot oil poured onto ice and snow.

The God of Plague did not move. He simply stood quietly in front of the temple as dark green mist spread from around him, silently drifting toward the other side. That mist contained plague, disease, and decay, capable of causing all living things to die in agony.

The moment the four deities attacked, three million believers simultaneously raised the volume of their prayers. Their bodies erupted with an even more blazing light, and Power Of Faith, like a breached flood, surged into the bodies of the four deities, causing their auras to climb steadily.

On the God of War's giant sword, the flames turned from golden to white-gold, the temperature soaring high enough to melt steel.

The God of Agriculture's vines turned from golden to golden-red, their growth speed tripling, spreading dozens of miles in the blink of an eye.

The Water God's giant waves turned from golden to golden-white, growing higher and higher, rising from ten zhang to fifty zhang, blotting out the sky and sun.

The God of Plague's mist turned from dark green to ink-green, its toxicity more than doubled; wherever the mist passed, even the void began to rot.

Shen Zhao looked at that gray-white world, and the smile at the corners of his mouth deepened.

"Let me see how long your Yin Qi World can hold out."

...

Netherworld World, before Ghost Gate Pass.

Su Bai looked at the golden light surging over to cover the sky, his expression calm.

Golden vines had already reached the boundary of the Netherworld World, their barbs crazily absorbing Yin Qi and converting the gray-white mist into golden points of light. The roar of giant waves came from the void, shaking the gates of Ghost Gate Pass until they trembled slightly. Ink-green mist drifted in the air, carrying the stench of decay, causing the Ghost Soldiers before Ghost Gate Pass to become restless.

But Su Bai still did not move.

He was just observing.

"Incense Divine Kingdom..." he said softly, his tone devoid of tension or fear, holding only a sense of pure curiosity. "Deities condensed by Power Of Faith, the collective prayers of three million believers, a sixth-order peak main god. Indeed, this is much stronger than Zhao Wuji's Blazing Sun World."

He thought for a moment and decided that the opponent's world was not worthy of having all ten ghost messengers attack; sending half this time would be enough.

Immediately after, he raised his hand, his consciousness linking with the Ghost King.

"Ghost King."

"Your subordinate is here."

"The opponent's Power Of Faith has a natural restraining effect on Yin Qi. In a frontal confrontation, our units will be at a disadvantage."

"Your subordinate understands."

"But did you notice?" Su Bai's voice was very calm. "Their Power Of Faith originates from those three million believers. If the believers exist, the faith exists. If the believers die, the faith dies."

The Ghost King's golden vertical pupils contracted slightly.

"Does Master mean..."

"Decapitation," Su Bai said. "But not by decapitating the deities. The deities are condensed from faith; as long as the believers are still praying, the deities can regenerate infinitely. What must be decapitated are those three million believers."

The corners of his mouth raised slightly.

"Yin Qi is restrained by faith, but faith is also restrained by fear. When the believers begin to fear, when they begin to doubt, when they no longer pray with purity, the Power Of Faith will collapse."

"And what the Netherworld is best at is creating fear."

He withdrew his gaze, his consciousness simultaneously linking to all Hero Units.

"Black and White Impermanence."

"Here." Two voices sounded simultaneously, one gentle and one fierce.

"Your target is those three million believers. There is no need to confront the deities head-on. Bypass them and sneak into the hinterland of the Incense Divine Kingdom. Use your methods to let those believers know what fear is."

"Understood." White Impermanence's smile remained gentle, but his eyes became deep. "Hook their souls and demand their lives; let them taste the flavor of the Netherworld."

"Ox-Head and Horse-Face."

"Here!" Ox-Head's voice was heavy like thunder, while Horse-Face's voice was sharp like the wind.

"Your target is the God of Plague. His plague poses a fatal threat to the Mushroom People and humans of the Yang realm; he must be dealt with first. The power of Tongue-Pulling Hell has a natural suppressive effect on 'punishment-type' deities like him. Use your escort skills to drag him into Tongue-Pulling Hell."

"Hehehe..." Horse-Face let out a weird laugh. "The God of Plague? Let him taste the flavor of Tongue-Pulling Hell."

"Ghost King."

"Your subordinate is here."

"Your target is the God of War, the God of Agriculture, and the Water God. There is no need to kill them; just hold them off. Once the believers collapse and the Power Of Faith dries up, they will naturally dissipate."

The Ghost King did not answer; he simply slowly drew the ghost king sword at his waist.

The body of the sword was pitch-black like ink, and the blade shone with a faint blue light, appearing exceptionally eerie within the gray-white Yin Qi.

"Five Great Races."

Su Bai's gaze swept over the Mycelium Deep Forest, Shadow Demon Abyss, Extreme Cold Ice Plains, Deep Blue Sea Abyss, and New Era Ruins.

"All troops, attack."

"Target: Incense Divine Kingdom."

"There is only one tactic."

His voice was very soft, but every word felt as if it were carved into the heart of every unit.

"Kill."