"Bibi Dong," Tang San slowly spoke, his voice carrying no hint of joy or anger, "Long time no see."
"Indeed, it has been long," Bibi Dong said indifferently, "Probably about ten thousand years. Congratulations on becoming an enforcer of the Divine Realm, controlling the Divine Realm's central hub, and achieving the position of God King."
"Your progress also surprises me," Tang San's gaze swept over Bibi Dong, a trace of strangeness flashing in his eyes, "Your understanding of laws has already surpassed many 1st-Class gods. This path is difficult to walk."
"But worth it." Bibi Dong simply responded.
Xiao Wu walked to Qian Renxue's side, gently taking her hand: "Child, are you alright? I sensed the Angelic God's aura fluctuating quite intensely."
"Thank you for your concern, Aunt. I'm much better now." Qian Renxue said softly. Toward this former rival, now elder, her feelings had always been complex.
Tang San finally turned his gaze to Qian Renxue, his eyes becoming profound: "The Angelic God's divine position has completely revived. But your condition is very strange—the divine position is complete, yet your divine power is less than one-tenth of its peak. Moreover, I sense that within your divine position, there seems to be some residue... something that doesn't belong to the Angelic God."
Qian Renxue's heart trembled, and she subconsciously looked at Bibi Dong.
Bibi Dong nodded slightly: "You might as well tell them. This matter may require God King-level power to truly resolve."
Under everyone's gaze, Qian Renxue took a deep breath and began to recount the anomaly during her acceptance of the Angelic God inheritance—that suddenly appearing gray airflow, that mysterious voice, and that unsettling prophecy:
"When the Twilight of the Gods descends, the Forgotten shall return from the Abyss to claim the price from the Betrayer."
After hearing Qian Renxue's account, Tang San's expression became exceptionally grave. He closed his eyes, his God King-level divine consciousness fully expanding to carefully examine every inch within Qian Renxue's body.
After a long while, he opened his eyes, shock flashing within them.
"This is... a karmic brand from the Ancient God War!" Tang San said in a heavy voice, "Before the Angelic God fell, she seems to have made some kind of pact with an extremely ancient existence. That gray airflow is the manifestation of the pact. It lurks deep within your divine position, completely fused with the Angelic God's divine power. Even I cannot strip it away without destroying the divine position."
"Ancient God War?" Dai Chengfeng frowned, "What is that? The history of the Divine Realm doesn't seem to have detailed records."
"Because that period of history was deliberately erased." It was Bibi Dong who spoke, her voice carrying a distant meaning, "It was only during my comprehension of laws that I occasionally touched upon some forgotten fragments. In ancient times, the Divine Realm was not as it is now. There were more gods, more pantheons, constantly warring against each other. Later, a catastrophe swept through all pantheons, and the vast majority of gods fell in that calamity. The Divine Realm nearly collapsed. The surviving gods jointly sealed away that history and rebuilt the present Divine Realm."
"You mean the Angelic God participated in that Ancient God War?" Tang Wulin asked.
"Not only participated, but likely played an important role in it." Tang San interjected, his brows tightly locked, "That prophecy—'the Forgotten shall return from the Abyss'—if I'm not mistaken, 'the Forgotten' refers to those gods who fell in the Ancient God War and were erased by history. And 'the Betrayer'..."
He looked at Qian Renxue, a trace of sympathy flashing in his eyes: "I'm afraid refers to the Angelic God. She promised something in the pact but ultimately didn't fulfill it, so the resentments of those fallen gods must now be borne by her inheritor."
Qian Renxue's face turned pale: "Then what should I do?"
"The pact has already fused with the divine position. Unless you abandon the Angelic God position, you cannot escape it." Tang San shook his head, "But abandoning the divine position, you will also lose all divine power, and may even endanger your life. This is an unsolvable dilemma."
The plain fell into silence. The sun had completely set, night began to fall, and countless stars appeared in the sky—but no one was in the mood to appreciate them at this moment.
"Not necessarily unsolvable." Bibi Dong suddenly spoke.
Everyone's gaze focused on her.
"We don't know what the pact's contents are. But since it's a pact, there are rights and obligations on both sides." Bibi Dong slowly said, "Whatever the Angelic God promised but didn't fulfill, we can try to fulfill. Or, find a loophole in the pact and settle this karma in another way."
"You mean..." Tang San fell into thought.
"Find the 'Abyss,' find those 'Forgotten,' and ask them personally what exactly happened back then and what the Angelic God promised." Bibi Dong's voice was especially clear in the night wind, "Escaping cannot solve the problem. This brand will grow stronger and stronger along with Qian Renxue's increasing strength, and will fully erupt when she attempts to break through to the God King realm—that would be the true desperate situation. Rather than waiting passively, better to take the initiative."
"But where is the 'Abyss'? What are 'the Forgotten'?" Xiao Wu asked worriedly.
"I know of a place," Dai Chengfeng suddenly spoke, his eyes flashing with memories, "In the memory fragments of the Wind God inheritance, there is a forbidden place called the 'Gods' Tomb.' Legend says it buries countless fallen gods and is one of the Divine Realm's oldest secrets. Perhaps, that is the so-called 'Abyss.'"
"Gods' Tomb..." Tang San murmured, repeating this name, his expression becoming exceptionally serious, "I know of that place. It's an absolute forbidden zone of the Divine Realm, sealed by five God Kings together, forbidden for any god to enter. Legend says it's filled with resentments and curses from the Ancient God War. Even a God King entering risks falling."
"But if there really are answers there?" Qian Renxue raised her head, golden eyes flashing with resolute light, "Uncle, I don't want to live my whole life under the shadow of this curse, nor do I want this brand to erupt at some point in the future and harm those around me. I'm willing to take the risk."
"I'll go too." Tang Wulin said without hesitation.
"Wulin, you..." Xiao Wu wanted to say something, but was stopped by Tang San.
Tang San looked at this young couple before him, then at Bibi Dong and Dai Chengfeng, finally letting out a long sigh: "The seal of the Gods' Tomb loosens once every ten thousand years. The next time it loosens happens to be exactly three months from now. If you truly decide to go, I will secure entry qualifications for you. But remember—"
His gaze swept over everyone, his voice incomparably serious: "That is a place where even God Kings may fall. Once you enter, life and death are your own responsibility. Moreover, the seal only opens for three days each time. You must come out within three days, or you will be trapped there forever until the next ten thousand years."
"Three months..." Qian Renxue clenched her fist, "It's enough. I need time to stabilize my current realm and become familiar with the power of the Angelic God Armament."
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