Just as Shalin was engaged in an internal struggle, Hyacine saw through her concerns at a glance and took the initiative to say, "How about this, Shalin, we split up. It'll be more efficient. You stay outside and continue looking for clues about the Radiant Church and the Church of the Radiant Sun. This is equally important, serving as a backup plan for us. As for the crisis over at the Shadow-fold Valley..."
She paused, her gaze looking toward the direction of the valley.
"I will take Hong Guoguo and Little Ica to handle it. We will rush there as quickly as possible to assist Little Castorice in dealing with the Evil God."
"But, entering the Shadow-fold Valley requires..."
Hearing Hyacine's words, Shalin subconsciously wanted to remind her about the secrecy of the entrance.
"I know about that too." Hyacine smiled, interrupting her in a relaxed tone. "I know how to enter your Shadow-fold Valley. Don't forget, Little Castorice and I have a special way of contacting each other."
"Eh?!" Shalin froze once again. This Doctor Hyacine had brought her far too many surprises; she seemed to know everything.
...
In the dense Emerald Forest, two figures were moving at a speed far exceeding that of ordinary people.
"Sister Hyacine, are we really going to fight that terrifying Evil God right now?" Relying on the innate agility of a Feline Demi-human, Hong Guoguo sprinted rapidly through the tangled woodland while looking up and shouting at Hyacine, who was flying at a low altitude between the tree branches.
Previously, she only knew that Sister Hyacine was looking for a friend and had been heading in this direction all along. However, such a... thrilling matter like the revival of an Evil God was something she had just managed to understand.
"Mhm, yes." Hyacine's voice drifted down from above, clear and steady. "Little Castorice is currently in a stalemate with that Evil God. Although that guy has thick skin and flesh and can take a beating, Little Castorice has always been the one occupying the upper hand. Even without my intervention, I estimate that in a little while, she will be able to claim victory by herself."
"Sister Castorice... is also this powerful?" Hong Guoguo opened her mouth slightly in surprise, even her running speed unconsciously slowing down a fraction.
Although she was young, she had heard of the terrors of the Evil God from the ancient legends within her clan and the stories of wandering bards.
It was said that some powerful Evil Gods could even make the revered orthodox gods of this continent feel troubled. Yet, Sister Hyacine said that Sister Castorice could defeat an Evil God alone?! Didn't that mean that Sister Castorice possessed strength comparable to an orthodox god?!
"That's right," Hyacine replied affirmatively, a trace of laughter in her voice. "In our world, she is the Demigod of Death who governs the 'life' and 'death' of all things."
"Demi... Demigod?!"
Upon hearing these two words, she instantly felt as if her brain was overloading.
But her powerful instinct for gossip (as well as her curiosity about everything regarding Sister Hyacine) allowed her to instantly catch another key point. While trying hard to keep up the pace, she shouted with a tone filled with marvel and curiosity, "Then... then since Sister Castorice is a Demigod in charge of life and death, what about you, Sister Hyacine? You're also so amazing, are you also...?"
"Me?" Hearing this question, Hyacine's flying figure paused slightly in the air. She seemed to hesitate for a moment before answering with her usual gentle voice, "I am also a Demigod. However, the authority I govern is different from hers; I am the Demigod in charge of the 'sky'."
"Sister Hyacine... so you are also a Demigod..."
At this moment, Hong Guoguo was completely dumbfounded. Her brain was completely blank, leaving only the word "Demigod" echoing within.
It turned out... a god had actually been beside me all along?! I previously thought Sister Hyacine was just a hidden powerhouse with unfathomable strength who had lived for a very, very long time... I never expected her to be an actual deity! Even though it's just a Demigod, that's still a god!
Wait... that's not right? A Demigod... seems to also count as a powerhouse who has lived for a very, very long time in a sense? Then my previous thoughts seem to be... not entirely wrong either?
Then didn't I previously... eat Dried Small Fish personally handed to me by a god?! Heavens! Can't I boast about this for a lifetime?! This is simply the peak of a cat's life!
Hong Guoguo completely fell into a vortex of shock and wild thoughts. Even her footsteps became somewhat messy, and she was about to crash headfirst into a thick tree trunk ahead.
Meanwhile, looking at Hong Guoguo's blank look, as if her brain had crashed, Hyacine sighed softly in helplessness.
"Little Ica," she called out softly, "please help keep an eye on Hong Guoguo. Don't let her actually run into a tree while running."
"Doo doo—!"
Following a cheerful chirp, Little Ica flew out lightly from the halo beside Hyacine.
It first flew a circle affectionately around Hyacine, then obediently flew to the side of Hong Guoguo, whose eyes were vacant and footsteps were staggering. From time to time, it would let out soft "doo doo" sounds to remind her to pay attention to the path ahead.
Under the "doo doo" sounds of Little Ica, Hong Guoguo gradually returned to her senses from the massive shock.
She suddenly jolted, her body instinctively dodging to the side nimbly, narrowly avoiding an ancient tree she was about to crash into head-on. She then quickly adjusted her steps and stabilized her posture once again.
"I-I'm fine!" she hurriedly shouted to Hyacine, who was looking over from the air with concern. Her small hand patted her chest, and her face carried a lingering fear and an embarrassed blush. "It's just... just that the news I heard just now was too shocking, I didn't react in time..."
Looking at her appearance, Hyacine gently shook her head, her pink hair shimmering with a soft luster in the faint light filtering through the woods.
She maintained that reassuring smile and explained in a calm tone, "It's alright. Actually, in our world, 'Demigod' is more of a title for authority and power. It doesn't mean that we are truly those aloof gods who are disconnected from the mortal world."
"Fundamentally, we aren't too different from those 'normal people' who have become extremely powerful through their own efforts. We still experience happiness, anger, sorrow, and joy, and we still need friends and companionship. Therefore, you really don't need to care too much about this identity."
"Mhm! I got it, Sister Hyacine!" Hong Guoguo nodded vigorously, a bright smile blooming on her face once again, as if to sweep away her previous gaffe.
Subsequently, she quickened her pace and followed closely behind Hyacine.
However, after saying that, she still couldn't help but mutter to herself in an extremely low voice:
"But... even if you say that, Sister Hyacine, just thinking that there's a god who commands the sky by my side... I still feel it's so unbelievable, so shocking..."
Naturally, this quiet murmur did not escape Hyacine's keen hearing.
But the corners of her mouth merely curled up imperceptibly, and she didn't say anything more. A trace of gentle amusement revealed in her eyes.
Then, she chuckled softly, collected her thoughts, and continued to focus on the journey.
However, just a quarter of an hour after they moved forward, a sudden change occurred!
Flying ahead, Hyacine's figure abruptly paused, and then she stopped without warning, landing lightly on a thick, horizontally extending branch.
The gentleness and composure on her face disappeared instantly, replaced by an emotion that rarely appeared on her face.
Expressions of astonishment and disbelief appeared on her face. Her bright eyes widened slightly, as if she had sensed something completely beyond her expectations.
"How could... it be him?!"
She exclaimed softly, her voice filled with confusion and puzzlement.
Hong Guoguo, who stopped right behind her, immediately became tense upon seeing Hyacine's reaction.
She agilely climbed a nearby tree, then jumped over to the branch where Hyacine was in a few steps, asking with concern:
"Sister Hyacine? What's wrong? What happened? Your expression suddenly looks so strange..."
Hearing Hong Guoguo's question, Hyacine recovered from her brief distraction.
She took a deep breath of air, trying to calm the waves in her heart, then gently shook her head. With a tone carrying a complex meaning, she explained softly:
"It's nothing, just... I just sensed that an... 'acquaintance' seems to have also arrived at the Shadow-fold Valley. Moreover, it looks like he plans to intervene in this battle against the Evil God."
Immediately after, Hyacine's tone became somewhat subtle:
"It seems we need to speed up a bit more. Otherwise, if we're late, we might really end up as bystanders, making us seem a bit redundant."
After saying that, she didn't stay any longer. Her figure drifted up again, her speed noticeably faster than before, as she sped rapidly towards their destination.
"Oh, oh! Okay!" Although she completely failed to understand who the "acquaintance" Hyacine mentioned was, or why it would make her show such an expression, Hong Guoguo still replied without hesitation. Exerting force with all four limbs, she brought the speed advantage of a Feline Demi-human to its extreme, following closely behind Hyacine and turning into a red shadow amidst the forest.
...
At the same time, above the Shadow-fold Valley, the battle remained intense.
"I'm quite curious." Castorice's cold voice echoed in the night sky. Wielding a giant scythe flowing with dark purple light, her figure stood steadily atop Pollux's broad dragon spine. Her gaze calmly watched that already drastically changed "moon" in the sky. "Your Excellency is clearly an esteemed Evil God, but beneath that terrifying moniker, is the strength you display merely limited to this?"
Just as her words fell, she turned her wrist slightly, throwing out another fierce slash containing the power of death. She added another deep wound onto the Nether Moon's massive body that was already covered in pus.
Graa——!!!
[Why! You are not an orthodox god of this world! Why must you... stubbornly make an enemy of me?!]
A mental fluctuation—indistinguishable in gender and age, and filled with chaos and furious emotions—pierced directly into Castorice's consciousness.
Although to others, this might just sound like a crazed howl filled with agony, Castorice could clearly understand the rage and questioning contained within.
"I am indeed not an orthodox god of this world." The expression on Castorice's face didn't change in the slightest, and her voice remained flat and calm. "But similarly, I am absolutely not an 'Evil God' of your kind either."
She tightened her grip on the giant scythe in her hands. The dark light flowing on the scythe's blade reflected her placid purple eyes.
"Your Excellency has abused your authority, causing countless innocent lives to die in vain. You have even forcibly imprisoned and tortured their souls, turning them into eternal decorations of agony on your filthy shell. Such actions have already utterly violated the principles and bottom line I uphold."
Speaking up to here, Castorice's eyes suddenly became sharp, and the Aura of Death emitting from her body became increasingly solid.
"Therefore, it isn't me who is opposing Your Excellency. It is Your Excellency... your existence and your actions are inherently making an enemy of me!"
Swish——!
The moment her words fell, three phantom dragon claws that tore through space materialized out of thin air once again. Carrying a might that could rend anything, they viciously clawed onto the Nether Moon's main body once more!
Accompanied by a teeth-aching tearing sound, another three massive wounds were forcibly ripped open. Even more foul-smelling, grayish-yellow pus surged out like a fountain!
Graa——!!!!!!
[Unreasonable! Unreasonable!! Unreasonable!!!]
The Nether Moon unleashed an even more frenzied roar!
Its body, already soaked in pus, began to tremble violently!
Immediately after, the pus covering its surface began to boil violently, as if endowed with independent life. It then abruptly detached from the Nether Moon's surface, transforming into an overwhelming yellow raincloud that exuded extreme stench and filthy energy, hovering in midair!
Within the pus, countless twisted, semi-melted humanoid soul dregs could faintly be seen struggling in agony, letting out silent wails.
Graa——!!!
[I will extract your soul as well! I will imprison it here! I will make you endure the same torment as us for eternity!!]
As the words fell, this yellow pus began to surge fiercely towards Castorice's direction.
"So disgusting..."
Facing this incoming filth, Castorice furrowed her pretty brows slightly. A clear trace of disgust flashed through her eyes as she muttered to herself.
Without needing further commands, Pollux, who shared a telepathic connection with her, had already reacted.
Its massive dragon maw opened once more. Destructive purplish-white energy crazily converged at an unprecedented speed, causing the surrounding air to hum and distort from this terrifying power!
Boom——!!!!!!
In the next instant, a thick, purplish-white dragon breath violently blasted out, accurately bombarding the surging pus cloud.
However, the scene that occurred next exceeded Castorice's expectations!
The dragon breath's extreme high temperature and destructive energy, which was enough to annihilate mountains, failed to completely evaporate the pus cloud upon contact, unlike how it had destroyed rocks or flesh previously.
On the contrary, the massive pus cloud acted like an extremely unstable, giant water bladder. Under the furious impact of the dragon breath, it actually burst open, unable to bear the burden!
In a split second, countless foul-smelling, grayish-yellow drops of pus, carrying the agonizingly writhing soul dregs within, began to shoot out crazily in all directions! The range it covered was so vast that it almost instantly shrouded over half the sky above the Shadow-fold Valley!
These pus raindrops, containing intense corrosiveness and mental pollution, then rapidly plummeted down under the effect of gravity, blanketing the valley forest, the elf dwellings, and some Moon-marked elves below who were still struggling in agony or lying unconscious!
"Not good!"
Castorice frowned, instantly realizing the Nether Moon's true intentions!
This was completely a sinister feint! The Evil God knew it would be difficult to break through her and Pollux's defenses head-on, so it used this attack to shift its target to those elves in the Shadow-fold Valley!