Inside the temple at the foot of Mount Olympus, Hades' Divine Son, seized with fury, suddenly paused.
It seemed he had sensed something.
He quickly straightened his clothes and swiftly left the great hall to ascend Mount Olympus. There were no guards, and his passage was unobstructed.
Hades' Divine Son arrived at a stone gate inlaid with various skulls and bones; the gate was majestic, towering over ten meters high.
The over two-meter-tall Divine Son Hudson seemed exceptionally minute in front of it.
"Hum—"
The Skull Stone Gate vibrated.
Hudson crossed his arms over his chest and knelt on one knee, his eyes filled with reverence and excitement.
"Greetings, Lord Nether King."
"May I know your will?"
"Boom! Boom boom!"
Grey streams of deathly aura gushed from the crevices of the stone gate; it was as if a peerless evil deity was about to awaken from within, emitting continuous thunderous roars.
"How went the probe?" An indifferent, commanding voice emanated from within the stone gate, and the temperature around seemed to plummet to freezing in an instant.
Hudson said, "Reporting to my lord, that avatar possessing a third of my strength was effortlessly destroyed by him summoning an Ancient Spirit named Ksitigarbha King."
"Who?" The indifferent voice sought confirmation.
"Ksitigarbha King, a deity I have never heard of before," Hudson recalled.
"Hum—"
The stone gate trembled, the supreme presence within seemed to have a severe emotional fluctuation at the mention of this name.
It made Hudson's whole body tremble, nearly causing him to fall to the side.
"Impossible."
"The gods of Great Xia couldn't possibly reappear," asserted the voice from behind the gate. However, Hudson thought he detected a tremble in the voice.
This caused Hudson to feel confused.
Could it be that the Nether King, an ancient supreme being, also knew fear?
No!
It couldn't be.
The sensation he felt must have been an illusion; how could the Nether King fear a mere Eastern deity?
After all, there were gods resurfacing around the world, yet none in the East; doesn't this suggest the Eastern deities are weak, incapable of even reviving?
After several moments of silence within the stone gate, the voice confirmed:
"The deities of Great Xia cannot appear on Earth; this much is certain. It must be that person you faced used some special technique."
"After all, although their gods are long gone, leaving some tricks behind is possible."
Hudson nodded and said,
"As you say!"
"There is a matter I need to report to you."
Hudson quickly relayed the message from The Black-clad People of Great Xia to the Nether King—that was the plan to fabricate a God's Child of Great Xia.
"That makes sense," the voice from inside responded.
Hudson faintly felt as if the Nether King was less tense than before, telling himself to stay devout and confident, the previous sensation must have been a mistake.
"Roar—"
At that moment, the stone gate vibrated, and the skulls embedded upon it seemed to come to life, emitting a fiery red glow. The rolling grey aura of death boiled like water, and Hudson felt a terrifying divine might.
It pressed down from all directions, and he lay flat on the ground.
"Click—"
Finally, the stone gate cracked open slightly with great difficulty, and a grey stream of light flew out, hovering in the air.
The next instant, the gate closed with unnatural speed, seemingly squeezed by an external force, making it difficult to maintain the opening and then slamming shut.
"This is..."
As the gate closed and the pressure dissipated, Hudson immediately rose from the ground, excitedly observing the object within the grey light.
"This Netherworld Ring is bestowed upon you by me. Should you encounter that fake God's Child of Great Xia again, kill him," Lord Nether King said indifferently.
Hudson immediately knelt down and stretched his hands forward to catch the ring.
"Thank you for your generous gift, Lord Nether King."
"That fellow from Great Xia relies solely on the power of treasures left by his predecessors to defeat my avatar. Now, with your gift, rest assured I can tear that boy limb from limb."
"Find an opportunity to kill that boy," the Nether King commanded. "I do not wish for any accidents to occur in this matter."
"Certainly."
Hudson thumped his chest, feeling the power flooding from the ring in his palm, and nodded, "I guarantee to complete the mission."
"Leave now; I am weary."
"Yes."
After Hudson departed, the Skull Stone Gate, shrouded in darkness, returned once more to stillness. Within, a pair of blood-red giant eyes glinted, muttering broodingly, "The Divine Spirits of Great Xia, they all dwell in ultimate perdition on that side, there's absolutely no possibility for them to return."
"Thud—"
"Thud thud—"
Like the startling thunder of war drums, the heartbeat resounded within the space behind the stone gate, the Nether King suppressing his excited emotions.
"Soon, very soon action can be taken. When the time comes, it will be a hunt and a revelry belonging to us Western deities."
"Great Xia?"
"You should be annihilated, prepare to embrace the terror of being ruled by us, savor your final moments," it concluded.
...
"Why have you come here instead of enjoying your moment of comfort?" Luo Tiance arrived at the abandoned factory.
Seeing the broken walls and the strong traces of battle, he asked Luo Yu.
Luo Yu shrugged and rolled his eyes at the elder.
"What's the deal with our security in Da Jing?"
"The other side's God's Child actually infiltrated and attempted to assassinate me directly, and nobody noticed."
Luo Tiance looked a bit displeased, as this matter was indeed a slap in the face.
If anyone could sneak into Da Jing, wouldn't it imply that they could assassinate whoever they wished?
"Which side's men infiltrated?"
Luo Yu replied, "From Mount Olympus, the God's Child chosen by the Nether King."
"Mount Olympus, eh? They've got some nerve," Luo Tiance frowned, "The gods are yet to awaken, and they're already so bold?"