Chapter 997: Weng Falos 3.0 (43)

Mao nodded: "Hmm, but Emilia, did you notice? When the train carriage first reached Weng Falos, it was pierced and fell to the ground by the spear of the Conflict Titan, not by Aegle."

"Yeah, but what's the problem?" the white‑haired girl tilted her head, not quite understanding what Mao meant.

"According to the legend of Weng Falos, the train crew should have suffered Aegle's divine punishment, but the punishment belonging to the 'sky' never appeared; instead the Conflict Titan intervened," Mao squinted, looking seriously at the girl. "So I suspect that the Sky Titan has become quite weakened now; even though it dwells aloft, it must have been affected by Heichi."

"Isn't that a good thing for the Golden Descendants? A weakened Sky Titan makes it easier for future Golden Descendants to go on a hunt."

"No." Mao's expression grew grave as he shook his head. "If we only hunt the Titan without uncovering the cause of Heichi, even if Golden Descendants later perform divine duties in the sky, they'll still be affected by Heichi. The so‑called Fire Pursuit Journey is merely a superficial ritual. On the surface, the Titan seems the greatest threat to Weng Falos, but in fact the culprit is Heichi—yet the Divine Edict never said that the Recreation of the World can purge Heichi."

——

"Isn't that a bit exaggerated? I can recall three defeats of Xuanfengcheng in the Golden War off the top of my head."

Wandi shook his head: "Losing to scheming and poison is not shameful. The ones who should be ashamed are those feeble, despicable scoundrels."

"That's true. 'NingzhanshiwuRonggui'—Xuanfengcheng people are straightforward, spending their lives rushing to battlefields, no wonder Zagres loves to tease you. But those are all things of the past."

Bai E suddenly asked with interest: "Guess what I'm thinking, Wandi?"

"Probably not something good, to put it simply."

"It's more than an expedition; it's a contest of victory and defeat. Since we're here… shall we have a hearty match? You and I—recreate the original Xuanfeng Festival."

Bai E solemnly placed a hand on his chest: "Let me witness Xuanfengcheng's grandest melee competition, and give this current campaign a gilded edge of glory. See who can slay more mad followers—how about it?"

Wandi turned back with interest: "What's the wager?"

"The final blow to Nicadoli."

A hint of a smile curled Wandi's mouth: "Interesting. I accept your challenge."

"What about me?" Xing noticed his position seemed a bit awkward.

Bai E smiled faintly: "I know him; that guy only likes one‑on‑one fights. There are two paths ahead; Xing, walk with me on one side. No racing, we only compare the amount of loot, counting by conscience. Rest assured, the enemies she defeats won't count toward my tally."

Wandi turned confidently, gesturing forward: "You know nothing about this place; I'll give you a ten‑step head start."

——

The Valkyrie of the End.

"What a 'NingzhanshiwuRonggui', this Xuanfengcheng is quite similar to my Sparta back then."

Leonidas stared excitedly at the sky—especially at Wandi, whom he examined up and down repeatedly. "This kid's not bad, his temperament is a lot like mine, especially his irreverence toward the gods. To be able to smash a deity's nasal bone with his own hands—that's a wonderful thing! Hahaha!"

The style of Xuanfengcheng made him reminisce for a moment; back then he led 300 warriors to guard the Hot Spring Pass, repelling the Persians and leaving a celebrated tale. Now the three of them have come to Xuanfengcheng to slay a god—regardless of the outcome, this battle is destined to be recorded for ages, becoming a legend of Weng Falos.

"What's that, from your tone you also want to hunt Nicadoli?" the First Emperor sat in his chair, leisurely sipping honey water.

"Isn't that obvious? Any deity that threatens humanity, I want to smash its face to pieces. Moreover, a god gone mad is no longer a god at all, just a deranged beast."

"But it's the deranged beasts that are truly dangerous," Brunhilde sighed lightly. What they're doing now is also god‑slaying, but it's far from easy. Only she, as a Valkyrie, understands how insane the so‑called Fire Pursuit Journey truly is.

Gathering twelve sparks means inciting humanity to kill twelve creator gods; in terms of the Twilight of the Gods, that equates to humanity needing to win twelve battles… Even assembling all the strongest throughout human history would make this virtually impossible.

Moreover, they have no 'artifact forging'; relying only on mortal swords and spears, can they truly slay a Titan?

——

Xing and Bai E formed a team and quickly dealt with a wave of enemies. Looking at the fallen followers on the ground, Xing was a bit puzzled: "Why split into two routes? Isn't dispersing forces more dangerous?"

"Don't worry, Wandi is strong, I am too." At that point, Bai E lowered his voice and whispered: "Did you see that man's look just now? He's homesick and doesn't want to show it in front of others."

"After all, for Wandi, kin and honor are everything. Even in this ruin, the only place that lets him be free is Xuanfengcheng. Now we'll distract him; wherever he wants to go and cry about it doesn't matter."

Xing never expected Bai E's thoughts to be so subtle, and couldn't help feeling moved by their friendship: "You really… I could die laughing…"

"We've been like this since we met, both foe and friend. Acting with him always sparks my competitive spirit."

But as soon as Bai E finished speaking, Wandi's voice floated over from across the cliff: "Standing still, are you planning to surrender?"

Bai E shouted back hoarsely: "What do you know? We're discussing strategy!"

"Come on, Xing. It's not that we have to settle scores, but I still hate losing."

The two continued through a great gate, and soon a bottomless cliff stretched across their path.

The opposite bank lay hundreds of zhang away, linked by two massive iron chains. Thunder after thunder hammered the chains, producing a "crack" that echoed loudly.

"Whoa… spectacular. Walking the iron chain to the far side, the road to that massive sword should have such grandeur."

Bai E reached the edge of the chain and saw a familiar figure standing on the far side.

"Hey, when did you get over there?"

Even from afar, Wandi didn't miss a chance to jab him, smirking confidently: "I told you already, you know nothing of this city's terrain, how could you beat me? By the way—six."

Bai E, not to be outdone, replied: "Whoa, looks like you've got good luck; our route is a bit under‑defended. Don't worry, once we cross this iron chain bridge I'll catch up in a flash."