He wore magnificent armor adorned with golden patterns, and golden divine flames swirled around his body. Behind him, a blazing sun seemed to materialize in the air.
“Old friend, it’s been a long time,” the man said, his gaze gentle as he looked at the Solar Divine Spear. His handsome face wore a faint smile. Strangely, his appearance was identical to that of the Solar Divine Spear.
The moment he saw this figure, Solar Divine Spear suddenly trembled, his face full of disbelief.
“My Lord… you’re still alive?!” he exclaimed, astonished.
Upon hearing the title, Luca and Jormungandr both froze for a moment.
“This is… the Lord of the Sun?!” Luca murmured, his voice filled with disbelief.
Wasn’t this being supposed to have vanished during the Divine Cataclysm a hundred thousand years ago? How could he be appearing now, in the Divine Ruins?
“The true god…” Jormungandr’s face turned pale in shock. Her instinct was to retreat into the contract space, but she quickly reconsidered—if the being wanted to kill her, she wouldn’t even have time to react. Her face was a mixture of hesitation and internal conflict.
“Do not worry, I mean you no harm.” It seemed that the Lord of the Sun could sense Jormungandr’s concern, as he smiled and spoke reassuringly. Despite his overwhelming power, this being was unexpectedly gentle and calm.
At this moment, Luca also noticed something unusual about the one who wielded the power of the sun. His body was not a solid form, but something akin to an ethereal spirit. Luca could even see the ruins behind him through his body.
Moreover, the aura surrounding the Lord of the Sun was not as formidable as Luca had expected. Although his power level far exceeded that of a Transcendent, his aura and life energy seemed faint and frail—almost weaker than the Solar Divine Spear and Pandora from before.
Luca’s mind raced. It seemed that Solar Divine Spear might have been right. This being had likely perished during the Divine Cataclysm a hundred thousand years ago. What remained now was only a fragment of his spirit, which had only now manifested.
But for Luca, this didn’t change much. If the Lord of the Sun truly wished to kill him, a mere wave of his hand could do it.
Noticing Luca’s gaze, the Lord of the Sun turned toward him, scrutinizing him carefully. After a moment, he nodded slightly and said, “It seems they didn’t choose the wrong person.”
Luca’s heart stirred with curiosity. He asked, “Who are ‘they’?”
“Didn’t you already meet them?” The Lord of the Sun looked up at the golden starlight and beams of light scattered across the sky. He smiled and continued, “If you hadn’t received their approval, they wouldn’t have used their spiritual essence to help refine your soul and body.”
Luca frowned, his suspicion rising. “Why are they helping me?”
“Simple,” the Lord of the Sun said without hesitation. “We share a common enemy.”
Luca’s breath hitched, and he urgently asked, “Are you talking about the Zenithians?”
“The Zenithians?” The Lord of the Sun paused for a moment, then couldn’t help but laugh softly. “That’s an interesting name. But to be precise, they should be called ‘Ancient Gods’.”
“Ancient Gods…” Luca repeated the name, chewing on the words as his fist unconsciously clenched.
Ten years! A full decade! He had finally found the trace of these beings!
Sensing what Luca wanted to ask, the Lord of the Sun explained, “The Ancient Gods are ancient beings that existed long before the birth of us gods. They have always slumbered in the dark corners of the universe, a place known as the ‘Abyssal Realm.’ The Abyssal Demon Realm is the entrance to this ‘Abyssal Realm,’ where the dark thoughts of all beings in the universe are buried. It is truly a hellish place.
“The power of the Ancient Gods is similar to that of the gods, but it is far more eerie and terrifying. Monsters are a twisted race that was born under their influence, a sign that these beings’ powers do not come from the natural elements.”
Upon hearing this, Jormungandr immediately felt slightly offended. “Twisted race? What, do I look that ugly?” she thought.
But she quickly held back her retort, fearing that if she angered the Lord of the Sun, he might smack her to death. Instead, she sulked behind Luca.
“The people you want to kill, we too want to see them torn to pieces,” the Lord of the Sun said, his gaze turning to the ruins behind him. His eyes dimmed as he spoke, “They destroyed the Divine Court, destroyed the gods’ kingdom. Although, including myself, many of us didn’t particularly like this place, it was still our home. We’ve lived here for countless millennia, and now, because of them, it’s been reduced to dust in the annals of history. Even in death, we can’t accept that.
“We help you because we hope, one day, you’ll make them pay for what they’ve done.”
You overestimate me.
Luca thought with a bitter smile. “So these Ancient Gods are too much for you to deal with?”
The Lord of the Sun replied, “They are beings that existed long before us gods.”
“They have slumbered in the dark corners of the universe, a place known as the ‘Abyssal Realm.’ The Abyssal Demon Realm is the entrance to that ‘Abyssal Realm,’ where the dark thoughts of all beings in the universe are buried. It is truly a hell.”
“Their power is on par with the gods, but far more strange and terrifying. Monsters were birthed under their influence, a twisted race. Just look at them, and you’ll realize that their power does not come from the natural elements.”
“Why did these Ancient Gods target you? Is the interaction between the two worlds their doing?” Luca asked, voicing the doubt that had been weighing on his mind.
“Sorry, I fear I can’t give you an answer,” the Lord of the Sun replied, looking at his own ethereal form. A hint of helplessness flashed in his golden eyes as he spoke. “Until I died, I only knew of their existence. I still don’t understand why they meddled in the Eternal World.”
“The only guess I have is that something happened in the Abyssal Realm, causing these Ancient Gods to awaken and come to the Eternal World.”
“As for the interaction between the two worlds, it was most likely caused by the power of the Celestial Pearl. Only it has the power to bridge the gap between two worlds and create such a massive disturbance. Otherwise, the gods and the Ancient Gods wouldn’t have been able to do it.”
“Celestial Pearl, huh…” Luca recalled that this object was supposedly the treasure of the God King, and it had been in Zenobia’s possession a hundred thousand years ago.
Could this god of sin and desire be the mastermind behind it all? Was his rebirth the result of these gods’ interference, and what exactly was the goal of the Ancient Gods?
He still had many questions.
But it was clear that the Lord of the Sun didn’t intend to elaborate further. “Fate will not bind you, but it will guide you,” the Lord of the Sun continued. “Many things buried in the river of time must be uncovered by you yourself.”
“After receiving the blessings of the gods, your strength and talents should increase greatly. As for what happens next, that will depend on you. The only help we can offer you may be this.”
As soon as he finished speaking, a golden symbol resembling a sun appeared on the Lord of the Sun’s forehead. It suddenly emitted a beam of light toward Luca.
Luca didn’t move to dodge—it wasn’t that he couldn’t, but he felt no danger from the golden light. On the contrary, he felt a familiar aura, similar to the Soul Forge that Solar Divine Spear had used on him twice, but with some differences.
Before he could think further, the golden light engulfed his vision.
At the same time, countless golden specks of light, guided by the Lord of the Sun, transformed into a spectacular river of stars, flowing rapidly into Luca’s body.
[Congratulations! You have received the blessing of the “God of the Sky,” Perception +21!]
[Congratulations! You have received the blessing of the “Mother of the Earth,” Charm +17!]
[Congratulations! You have received the blessing of the “Lord of Storms,” Talent +24!]
…
A stream of game notifications appeared before Luca’s eyes.
With the help of the Lord of the Sun, Luca’s absorption of divine power was noticeably much faster than before.
The endless river of stars spiraled around him, and this spectacular scene left Jormungandr utterly dumbfounded.
This bastard’s luck truly surpasses the conventional! To have the power of a single god bestowed upon you is already rare, and yet this guy has received the blessings of a whole group of gods!
“How is that fair!” Jormungandr thought bitterly. This jerk just walked through the Divine Ruins, and somehow he ends up reaping such massive benefits? It’s just infuriating, how can people be so unfairly lucky?
Solar Divine Spear, on the other hand, looked towards the Lord of the Sun, hesitating before he spoke. “Master, should I…?”
Before he could finish, the Lord of the Sun gently smiled and said, “Just follow this young man. I am already dead, and the little bit of spirit I have left won’t last much longer.”
With that, a golden flame ignited in his hand, flowing into Solar Divine Spear’s body, making his previously ethereal form appear more solid. Conversely, the spiritual glow around the Lord of the Sun grew a little dimmer.
“Master! What are you doing?” Solar Divine Spear exclaimed in surprise, wanting to stop him, but it was already too late.
“Don’t worry. I can still handle this little bit of consumption,” the Lord of the Sun reassured him. Then, turning his gaze to Luca, who was enveloped in golden light, his eyes blazed with a fierce golden fire. “From now on, you will stay with him, guide him, and help us bear witness—whether the destiny already set is truly unchangeable, and if it is, whether it is truly unbreakable!”
Solar Divine Spear stared at him in a daze. After a long moment, he nodded firmly. “Don’t worry, master. I will stay with him. I’ll make sure those Ancient Gods pay the price!”
The Lord of the Sun gave a slight nod. Then, as if something occurred to him, he asked with a trace of confusion, “After the Divine Cataclysm, we were protected by the God King’s power, leaving just enough spiritual essence to survive.
“I’m curious, how did you escape from the pursuit of the Ancient Gods? How did they fail to destroy you?”
Solar Divine Spear chuckled. “I was lucky. Just as I was about to be killed, I encountered the Goddess of Dawn, Sylvia. It was her who told me to wait there for this young man. She must have already arranged everything.”
“Sylvia…” The Lord of the Sun paused for a moment, looking lost in thought.
Then, he slowly uttered a chilling line that sent a shiver down Solar Divine Spear’s spine.
“But… wasn’t she already dead?”
“And moreover, she died right in front of me.”