Chapter 1945: Recruiting The Gods Of Vedas

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"Hey, why aren’t we getting revived?!" Zhulong’s soul complained.

"I don’t think you have the right to complain," Lucifer replied. "If you don’t want me to eat your soul, go join my children and plead for mercy!"

"Ugh...!" Zhulong’s blazing soul glared at the other Heavenly Dragon Souls. They had all been befriended and refined into Divine Spirit Dragon Ghosts by Nyx and Thanatos, becoming their contracted Undead Familiars. In the end, he accepted his fate and became their friend—or rather, their pet.

As all of this unfolded, Maria explained to Shiva, Kali, Vishnu, Brahma, Zhulong, Kannon, and the other deities present what had been happening and why she had chosen to give them a second chance.

She revealed that the Heavenly Father planned to devour them all once Shiva weakened the Tenfold Realm enough, and that the Jade Emperor was a traitor willing to sacrifice every one of them except his own Heavenly Jade Palace Immortals.

Naturally, even after being revived, it was hard for them to believe her. However, what else could they do? Fight back and get killed again, this time permanently? Many of these deities had already tried to flee. They clearly no longer wanted to fight.

"The Great Creator, as you call him, has fallen into a kind of mental illness and has now decided to devour everything," Maria explained. "He has already consumed several worlds, and I have met many of their survivors. Many of them are among us right now."

Beside Maria, six radiant divine gods stepped forward. All of them had fought through the war and earned significant merit.

First was a funny-looking scarecrow carrying farming tools and overflowing with a divine aura of life and nature. He was the Legendary Farmer, a scarecrow who had developed a Divine Spirit Soul and become a god of his own Divine Realm filled with sentient plants. He came from the world known as Verdelore on Floor 28.

Next was a beautiful lady made of flowing lake water, with long hair and slightly sorrowful emerald eyes. She was the Spirit Queen of the Lake from the world known as Lakevale on Floor 45.

Then came the Merman King, with bright azure skin and scales, a muscular body, a long fish-like tail, and bright golden eyes that radiated an imposing aura of power. He was Oceanus, the Atlantis King from Floor 43.

All three belonged to the Ancient Spirit World that had been devoured by the Creator, a world the gods of the Tenfold Realm already knew about.

"I never thought I would climb the tower and get this far," the Scarecrow said excitedly. "Ah, our Ancient World... It was beautiful. I miss it, and I am quite sad it is gone."

"I agree with my friend here," the Spirit Queen of the Lake nodded. "My realm is quite small, too small to be recognized as a full world. If it is chosen to be devoured next, I fear I will never have the power to create anything like it again."

"Our worlds are practically part of our Inner Spirit Realms, not true worlds created in more conventional ways," Oceanus added in a firm voice. "They were our refuges, yet the tower infiltrated our own inner worlds and claimed them as floors, threatening us. There is simply no way to escape other than destroying the tower, or this cycle of death and destruction will never end."

Then the other three shocked them even more, for they were gods the Tenfold Realm deities actually knew—descendants of primordial gods born here who had fallen onto one of the "faulty petals" that could not make it through Vedas’ creation.

Amaterasu, Divine Empress of the Sun.

Tsukuyomi, Divine Prince of the Moon.

Susanoo, Divine Sword of the Storm.

"Yo," Susanoo greeted the gods who had never seen him before with a smile. They all realized the bright golden slashes that had appeared from nowhere were his doing. He had single-handedly killed three Great Bodhisattvas and slain over fifty other deities. "Long time no see! The last time I saw you all and had a proper conversation, I was a damn brat no older than ten, barely grasping the sword. I had no idea you wouldn’t give a damn about my world falling. And then it was eaten, and you still didn’t care. How the tables have turned, huh? Now we’re back and we’ve beaten all you bastards. Do you have something to say about it? What? The rule of the strong? Survival of the fittest? Well, it looks like the weakest one, the least apt for survival, got all the way here and beat you all to a pulp! Gahahahaha!"

Susanoo could not help but go on a small rant, mocking all the gods before him with a bold smirk. Maria did not stop him. She liked his boldness.

"Susanoo, that’s enough," Amaterasu said with a sigh. "I apologize for his behavior. But yes, we originate from the twelfth petal, Jipang."

"What... What about the Eleventh Petal?!" Zhulong asked. "Murim, was it? I remember one of us, a Heavenly Dragon, was its Guardian Deity!"

"He was unfortunately killed," a figure clad in black and red robes stepped forward. He had long black hair and glowing red eyes. "The tyrant that killed him stole his Divine Throne and his powers, becoming a calamity known as the Golden Dragon Emperor. I was the one who killed him. I am known as the Heavenly Demon." He had not fought in this battle but had been summoned by Maria. "I’ve heard that Murim used to be a much vaster world. There weren’t three heavens but nine, and countless divine beings like our True Dragon Ancestor. I suppose that world was eaten and only a fragment survived with three heavens—the current Murim."

While the gods of the Tenfold Realm talked among themselves, Shiva clicked his tongue and stepped forward.

"Tsk! I hate it, but you’re right. This cannot continue anymore. We are all loyal to the Creator, but now that we are threatened with being devoured, what else can we do but revolt?! Or are you going to willingly offer your lives to him if he says you should be eaten?!" Shiva asked angrily.

"Hm, Shiva, for once I have to agree with you."

"Yes, let’s work together."

The gods still doubted, but then Brahman stepped forward alongside Vishnu.

"I have no other option either way..."

Then Zhulong and the other Heavenly Dragons followed.

"Maria revealed the truth to me, and now it has been revealed to all of you."

Afterward, Kannon led all the Bodhisattvas. Even those who had doubted her now saw the truth.

Maria had ascended into a Bodhisattva like them, and upon that realization, they understood she could not be a being of pure evil.

In fact, despite her monstrous strength and ruthless behavior, she was inherently kind and good.

They learned that Maria, this terrifying Outer God, simply wanted to save as many people as she could and put an end to the endless destruction.

That was all she had ever wanted.

With their rulers agreeing to help Maria climb the tower, the rest of the gods inwardly accepted it as well. They had to follow their great leaders.

Of course, Maria remained kind.

"You are welcome to leave the Tenfold Realm and seek refuge elsewhere. I will not force you to fight..." she said.

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