204: Chapter 24 The Invasion Begins!

[Ding! You have slain the Will of Athena, Experience increased by 200 million (-20%) points!]

[Ding! Your level has increased to 81!]

[Death Space capacity increased, 1567/24270!]

[Ding! Obtained loot: Godslayer·Pseudo!]

[Godslayer·Pseudo (Title)]

[Equipment Quality: Legendary]

[Equipment Requirement: Lv8]

[Strength +50,000, Stamina +50,000]

[Agility +50,000, Spirit +50,000]

[Effect: Godslaying Power: At the cost of consuming all Mana and sealing your own skills, all attributes are doubled for 10 minutes. Cooldown: 15 days]

The moment the system prompts rang out, the body of the Will of Athena dissolved into countless golden points of light, dissipating within the sacred flames like stars ascending in reverse.

The arena constructed from golden light beneath its feet also crumbled and vanished.

Lu Yin knelt on one knee, with the blade of annihilation plunged deep into the ground, supporting his slightly trembling body.

Repeatedly activating [Unyielding Immortality], even with the support of the Death Soul, a sense of weakness welling up from the depths of his soul still surged like a tide.

"Master, are you alright?!"

The moment the arena disappeared, the seven Legion Commanders gathered around him together.

"Death's Revival!"

The Death High Priest, Hel, even unleashed his currently most powerful recovery skill to help Lu Yin restore his condition.

Under the enveloping emerald-green healing light from Hel, the tearing sensation deep within Lu Yin's soul gradually subsided.

He took a deep breath, pushed himself up using the blade of annihilation to slowly stand, the boiling death aura around his body gradually receding, finally returning to calm.

"I'm fine."

Lu Yin waved his hand at the Legion Commanders gathered around him, but his gaze was already directed towards where the Will of Athena had dissipated.

It was not empty.

A speck of golden light, pure to the extreme as if containing the mysteries of all the world's laws, was quietly suspended in mid-air.

The speck of light bloomed silently, its gentle yet undeniable golden radiance dispelling the residual death aura in the surroundings.

Within the light, a phantom more condensed than the Will of Athena, brimming with divine majesty, slowly materialized.

It was the true consciousness of Athena herself.

Her golden eyes, which seemed to perceive all of eternity, gazed at Lu Yin, her voice resounding directly in the depths of his soul.

"Mortal, thy resilience, wisdom, and grasp of timing are rare even in the long annals of the Divine Realm.

"Thou hast not only passed the trial of strength but have also embodied the true meaning of indomitability.

"For this, thou shalt be rewarded."

As the words fell, that pure speck of golden light gently floated towards Lu Yin's brow.

Lu Yin did not evade it; he sensed not a shred of malice within the light, only a divinity and wisdom as vast as a sea of stars.

The moment the light touched his forehead, it transformed into a warm current, flowing into his limbs and bones, finally settling into the deepest recesses of his consciousness.

[Ding! Congratulations on obtaining 'The Acknowledgment of Athena, Goddess of Wisdom and War'!]

[You have obtained the special status: Blessing of Wisdom: When gaining experience points, receive double the amount!]

[You have obtained the special status: War's Inspiration: Critical hit rate increases by 5% when attacking!]

[Special Status Duration: One year]

Lu Yin slowly straightened his body, sensing the two new forces deep within his soul.

One was a flowing clarity like a clear spring, the other a fervent agitation like the beating of war drums.

Double experience gain and a 5% critical hit bonus, even if only for a year,

was undoubtedly timely aid for him, who urgently needed to boost his strength at this moment.

"Mortal, use this gift well. Thy path has not yet reached its end.

"May wisdom illuminate thy choices, may courage run through thy journey."

The words faded away, and the entire temple returned to tranquility.

Afterwards, Lu Yin withdrew from the trial and returned to the third floor of the Divine Dormitory.

Today's trial had exceeded his expectations, but fortunately, the outcome was gratifying.

He had not only gained more experience points but also received Athena's blessing.

Returning to his room, Lu Yin threw himself onto the bed.

The high-intensity combat and the repeated experience of death had left his spirit utterly exhausted.

Soon, he fell into a deep sleep.

When he awoke again, it was already noon the next day.

He slowly sat up; the fatigue from yesterday's fierce battle had completely vanished.

Stretching, he planned to fill his stomach and continue with the challenges.

But a pleasant ringtone suddenly came from his communicator.

Lu Yin glanced at the caller ID; it was Xiao Wanguo. A bad premonition immediately welled up in his heart.

"Hello, Director Xiao."

"Lu Yin, where are you?"

Xiao Wanguo's voice carried a rare urgency, with the faint background noise of alarm sirens and chaotic human voices.

"The Divine Dormitory. What's happened?"

"Three hours ago, the observation team detected abnormal energy tides from the Abyssal Passage. Demonic figures have now been spotted pouring out from within the passage.

Hearing this, Lu Yin's heart sank.

Indeed, Di Gulov had arrived faster than imagined.

"Alright, I'm on my way."

Lu Yin hung up the call, the last trace of lethargy in his eyes instantly replaced by sharpness.

Without the slightest delay, his figure flashed as he rushed out of the Divine Dormitory, turning into a blur as he sped towards the bamboo forest where Chen Yuan resided.

Since returning from the Land of Lamentations, Chen Yuan had been recuperating at his own residence.

Lu Yin had visited him once during these past few days; his spirit had recovered quite well.

Entering the cottage in the bamboo forest, Lu Yin quickly repeated the message relayed by Xiao Wanguo.

After understanding the situation, Lu Yin summoned Augustus. The two mounted its back and headed directly for the monitoring base.

By the time they arrived at the monitoring base, various bigwigs from the Celestial Dynasty Alliance had already gathered.

In the conference room, a huge circular screen was projecting real-time energy maps and surveillance footage of the area around the Abyssal Passage.

The dark red patches representing abyssal energy were spreading and expanding on the screen like ink drops diffusing in clear water.

Countless demons with ferocious forms, dark red or pitch-black skin,

bearing sharp claws, horns, and fleshy wings,

were pouring out from the fissure like a tide, emitting bloodthirsty roars.

But surprisingly, after emerging from the Abyssal Passage, they did not wander about aimlessly. Instead, they were gathering in an organized manner at a certain location.

"The energy peak is still climbing, and the passage shows a tendency to expand further,"

a technical officer reported in a dry voice. "Initial assessment indicates that this vanguard force of the demon race exceeds fifty thousand, with levels generally above Lv7.

"Several powerful energy sources above Lv9 have been detected, suspected to be high-ranking demon generals lurking within the passage.

"There are also many abyssal creatures above level one hundred, ready to surge out from the Abyssal Passage at any moment.

"Moreover, the current diffusion range of the Abyssal Force has reached five kilometers. Judging by its spread rate, it's estimated to envelop our base in less than 48 hours.

"We currently have fifty thousand frontline soldiers constructing defensive positions, but if we engage within the range of the Abyssal Force, our attribute values will be greatly weakened.

"placing us in an extremely disadvantageous state."