Chapter 13: Slaughtering the God

With the appearance of the headless War God, Xing Tian, the entire situation shifted. Both the Divine Dragon and the entity calling himself the Divine World-Ender realized that they stood no chance against Xing Tian in a one-on-one duel. As for teaming up against him, while they might have desired it, even a fool could see that the Goddess of the Forest and the Goddess of Nature would never allow such a thing to happen.

Even before Xing Tian made his move, the two goddesses had already joined forces to engage the Divine Dragon, a strategy they had agreed upon from the start, as the power of the self-proclaimed Divine World-Ender possessed a certain restraining quality against the domains of forest and nature.

Seeing that the two goddesses had chosen their opponent, Xing Tian had no objections; to him, it mattered little who he fought. As the goddesses engaged, Xing Tian swung his great axe at the Divine World-Ender.

The Divine World-Ender’s reaction was swift. Knowing he might not be able to escape, he resolved to fight to the death. Despite his divine attribute, his very nature was that of destruction. As the axe descended, he did not dodge, but instead rushed forward, white flames erupting in his hands as he struck at Xing Tian.

Xing Tian paid no mind to such an attack. He simply raised the shield in his left hand to block the twin balls of fire. However, the flames were not easily dismissed; they began to blaze along the surface of the shield.

An ordinary person might have panicked and discarded the shield, but for a battle-hardened veteran like Xing Tian, this was a mere trifle. Without even glancing at the fire, he used the shield itself to bash the Divine World-Ender.

The Divine World-Ender certainly feared no fire of his own making, but he had no desire to pit his physical body against the heavy impact of Xing Tian’s shield. Faced with this assault, he chose to retreat.

But the moment he retreated, the advantage he had briefly held vanished. Xing Tian’s attacks flowed like a torrential flood, never ceasing. Whether with his shield or his axe, every strike targeted the Divine World-Ender’s vital points, forcing him into a desperate defensive stance.

Growing increasingly frustrated, the entity finally unleashed his core power. In an instant, his black robes turned white, and a pillar of flame enveloped him from head to toe. A curved blade composed entirely of fire appeared in his grasp.

Seeing his opponent reveal his ultimate strength, Xing Tian let out a hearty laugh. He swung his giant axe as if the enemy were powerless, raining down blow after blow. Had anyone paid close attention, they would have noticed that the axe was not aimed at the Divine World-Ender’s body, but was instead systematically carving away the flames that surrounded him.

The Divine World-Ender did not realize Xing Tian’s intent, continuing to parry with his curved blade. Yet, his martial skills were inferior to Xing Tian’s. His relentless attacks failed to inflict any significant damage, instead allowing Xing Tian to close the distance and keep him trapped within reach.

After a short while, the Divine World-Ender finally grasped Xing Tian’s plan—the god intended to extinguish his flames before finishing him off. He burst into a crazed laugh. "So you, too, fear my World-Ending Flame! It seems I have found the way to deal with you."

With that, the Divine World-Ender charged at Xing Tian, clearly intending to grapple with him and incinerate him using the full intensity of his flames.

But Xing Tian was not easily intimidated. He glanced at his opponent, raised his great axe high, and, just as the Divine World-Ender reached him, brought the blade down like a lightning bolt.

This strike carried the full weight of Xing Tian’s power. Though his axe was instantly reduced to ash by the flames, it was enough. The Divine World-Ender was split in two, and the fires consuming him vanished instantly.

Looking down at the corpse, Xing Tian spoke coldly, "Do you think that because I am called the War God, I am merely a creature of brawn? I have fought all of you; I know your capabilities inside and out. My time on Mount Changyang was not spent in idleness, but in simulating battles against the likes of you."

"Your abilities are akin to a Magic Warrior. Had you stayed at a distance and pelted me with your World-Ending Flame, I might have struggled to take you down. But you assumed I feared your fire and foolishly tried to burn me alive. You underestimated me. Did you truly think I would abandon such a perfect opening just to save an axe?"

With these words, Xing Tian glanced at the Divine Dragon, who was still locked in combat with the two goddesses. Though addressed to the fallen World-Ender, his words were meant for the ears of the three remaining combatants. It was clear that Xing Tian was far from a brainless brute; he had mastered the art of psychological warfare.

Under the weight of his remarks, the pace of the remaining combatants slowed. Seizing the opportunity, Xing Tian hurled his half-charred shield toward the Divine Dragon. It struck like a meteor, sending the dragon flying back over thirty meters with a thunderous boom.

Xing Tian leapt into the air, landed on the dragon’s neck, and clamped his left hand firmly onto the beast’s throat while his right fist rained blows upon its head.

Blinded by the assault, the Divine Dragon saw only stars. Unlike Xing Tian, who was a god of myth, or the goddesses who had attained divinity through mortal effort, this Divine Dragon was a god by birth. While his combat strength was high, his combat instincts were vastly inferior to the others.

Overwhelmed, the dragon cried out, "Please, stop hitting me! I surrender!"

This declaration shocked not only the three deities but also Li Mingxing and the novice hero, who were locked in their own confrontation. They had never imagined a god would surrender; in their eyes, deities were lofty beings who would sooner perish than concede.

However, the three deities soon collected themselves. As gods, they understood the consequences of death and valued their own lives; surrender was not unheard of if the battle was hopeless. Yet, to surrender after only a few blows was truly rare.

Especially for the naturally combative dragon race, surrender was all but impossible. The three deities watched the Divine Dragon, waiting to see why it had uttered such words.

Under their gaze, the Divine Dragon shrank to a third of its size, its voice shifting from a masculine roar to a feminine tone. "I’m not playing with you anymore! You’re all bullies—picking on me before I’ve even reached adulthood!"

Hearing this, Xing Tian and the two goddesses were left speechless. The Divine Dragon had dominated this region for years, and no one had ever suspected it was merely an underage female dragon.

The three deities were at a loss. What were they to do with an underage dragon? Surely even Xing Tian would not bully a young girl.

Finally, Xing Tian departed, leaving the two goddesses to negotiate with the young dragon. They agreed to spare her on the condition that she swear to oppose Apollo and reside in the territory of the Forest Goddess for the time being.

Eager to preserve her life, the young dragon agreed. To prove her sincerity, she slaughtered all the followers brought by the novice hero and his mage.

This was a stroke of luck for Li Mingxing. Now, only the novice hero and his attendant mage remained. This was excellent news; even if the three deities chose not to intervene, Li Mingxing was certain he could finish them off.

After the goddesses left, Li Mingxing and his subordinates surrounded the Bright Alliance’s novice hero. To his delight, the two female bodyguards remained behind, joining the encirclement to assist him.

Seeing himself surrounded by four or five opponents, the novice hero’s face went pale. He clutched a badge tightly—his only means of escaping this sub-world—but he was uncertain if he could activate the portal in time. If the path did not open soon, he was finished.