Yu Cheng's body involuntarily leaned forward, while Darkness Goddess Diliya, behind her, instantly raised her hand to swat away the golden-glowing slap, then followed up with a punch.
It landed squarely on the chest of the golden figure behind Mo Tan!
Despite the uncool moves, lack of grandeur, and unflashy effects, this seemingly ordinary punch made Dawn Goddess gasp, "That hurts like hell!"
Finding that she still had control of her body, Yu Cheng quickly retreated several steps, while Diliya, floating behind her, gave Pa Ke Xi a strange look and mumbled in a voice audible to everyone, "Did you shrink again?"
"I'll kill you!" Dawn Goddess shrieked, flailing her arms, then leaned in close to Mo Tan's ear and roared, "Go on! Go let me slap her!"
Mo Tan picked his ears with a look of disgust, then stepped forward again, walking towards Yu Cheng.
The brief skirmish between the two deities had caused no harm to him or Yu Cheng; furthermore, not even the surrounding environment was disturbed in the slightest. The few withered blades of grass in front of the church didn't even sway when the two gods fought.
Whether it was Dawn Goddess or Darkness Goddess, the power they used in their fight seemed capable of harming only each other, much like an explosion on a screen, no matter how grand its scale, it couldn't affect the outside world in the slightest, not to mention the rather uncool scene of these two brawling.
In an instant, the heavens and earth were split; in a flash, mountains were moved and seas filled; black holes appeared out of nowhere; ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine Holy Swords of Dawn poured down; an ancient darkness like the world's last night; pillars of night containing primordial divine power; one hundred and eight morning stars tearing through space; the ultimate light that reshaped the balance of all things; Darkness Goddess's plot to transform Yu Cheng into a Heavenly Demon Sacred Body; Dawn Goddess's ultimate sacrifice to turn the tide—all of these...
None of them happened!
The two gods merely imbued their fingertips, palms, and arms with sacred light and chilling darkness, then began to shove, slap faces, assault chests, grab ears, pull hair, and poke eyes. The aforementioned descriptions basically cover the entire battle that unfolded above Mo Tan and Yu Cheng for the next few minutes.
Forget all the things Mo Tan had imagined earlier; the two of them didn't even bother to conjure a shockwave to blast at each other.
"I think even the group fights that used to break out at the school gate in middle school were more exciting than this," Mo Tan said with a pained expression, glancing sideways at the sky, then gently nudged Yu Cheng, who was standing beside him, with his shoulder. "I feel like I'll never be able to look at the words 'divine war' the same way again."
Yu Cheng timidly turned her head and whispered to him, "Campus violence is bad..."
"I think your focus is a bit off," Mo Tan chuckled dryly, then pointed at the two goddesses floating about two meters above the ground. "Are they really suitable like this?"
The young girl shook her head worriedly, "Of course not. Although it's hard to get fatal injuries or infections since it's not a weaponized fight, if they accidentally get hit in the eye or head, they could still end up in the hospital."
Mo Tan was stunned. He looked at Yu Cheng with a horrified expression. "Are you joking or acting cute?"
Yu Cheng blushed and stuck out her tongue, "Acting cute..."
"..."
And so, such a bizarre scene unfolded: Dawn and Darkness, two goddesses at odds, fought fiercely in mid-air like a street brawl, while the two mortal players, possessed by the gods, watched their fight and chatted idly. There were no surging winds, no celestial phenomena. This 'War of Gods,' which could undoubtedly be recorded in the scriptures of their respective sects, didn't even affect the surrounding flowers and plants, apart from the continuous curses.
Of course, gods are gods after all, so there were naturally many details worth noting in this battle. For example, beneath their flowing long dresses, there was a faint layer of divine light/dark mist, ensuring that no matter how vigorous their movements, there would be no wardrobe malfunctions.
"Hmm, mastering this technique would certainly make summer much more convenient," Yu Cheng mused, glancing at the undersides of the two goddesses' skirts, then gave Mo Tan a remarkably innocent smile. "But from a guy's perspective, it would be quite a pity, wouldn't it? After all, holy light and anti-gravity skirts and such..."
Mo Tan coughed dryly, interrupting Yu Cheng, and spread his hands with a wry smile. "It depends on the person. Speaking of which, your otaku culture level is truly surprising."
"I don't really like going out to play," Yu Cheng said shyly, lowering her head and speaking softly. "So..."
Splat!
A graceful golden phantom suddenly fell from mid-air, landing in a 'big' shape in front of the two of them, then quickly scrambled up, patting her blurry long dress and spitting out a harsh 'Pah!', "Damn it, miscalculated..."
"Goddess!" Yu Cheng jumped in surprise.
"Weren't you quite confident just now?" Mo Tan asked the Dawn Goddess in front of him with a helpless expression, whispering, "Things aren't looking good?"
"Terribly not good," the Goddess shook her arm, her previously luminous form slightly dimming. She glanced at the Darkness Goddess, who was standing in mid-air with her arms crossed, smirking, then whispered to Mo Tan and Yu Cheng, "To be honest, I think I can't beat her..."
Mo Tan rolled his eyes. He had realized this long ago. From his observation, Dawn Goddess had gained absolutely no advantage in that particularly uncool brawl. She had been elbowed in the chest several times, had her face slapped a dozen times, and been kicked two dozen times. She couldn't even win an argument against the other party, which was definitely a significant disadvantage.
"Then will it be very dangerous if this continues? And what about Xia Lian?" Yu Cheng asked softly, a little worried. Although she herself hadn't been affected, she could feel the Dawn divine power in the city gradually fading. The divine resonance array under her feet, which had almost completely turned black, also gave unsettling feedback. She felt that her Holy Maiden might be in danger.
"It's fine, I'll figure something out!" Pa Ke Xi gently patted Yu Cheng's shoulder to comfort her, then looked up and shouted to the dominant Darkness Goddess, "Truce for two minutes, you wait a moment."
Darkness Goddess Diliya, however, waved her hand magnanimously. "Suit yourself. Anyway, in a while, that elven girl will be crippled by my divine power. By then, without a large amount of Dawn divine power to support you, you'll only lose even more miserably."
Yu Cheng's face instantly turned pale.
"Go to hell," Pa Ke Xi said concisely.
"How about a compromise?" Diliya suddenly laughed, clapping her hands. "You surrender immediately, then issue a divine oracle to make that elf stop her divine art, and then retract your divine blessing on this little girl. One Holy Maiden for another Holy Maiden, you won't lose out."
Dawn Goddess was silent for a long while before slowly saying, "You wait a moment."
"Alright, but my patience is limited," Darkness Goddess replied leisurely.
At the same time, a voice suddenly sounded in Mo Tan's ear.
【Kid, I've figured it out. Now I'll talk, you listen. Be careful not to show any abnormality; that bitch has sharp eyes.】
Mo Tan remained expressionless... as if he hadn't heard anything.
【What I calculated earlier was largely correct. Because the god that little girl Wang Yu believes in is still me, and there's also my Dawn divine art array here, so even if that Diliya fellow takes advantage of the situation, she shouldn't be able to beat me...】
The goddess explained rapidly in Mo Tan's mind, making him gradually understand the whole story...
Simply put, Darkness Goddess had found an opportunity in this divine art resonance to forcibly complete a God Descent on Yu Cheng. This was not a carefully planned conspiracy; it was merely because the church Yu Cheng was currently in had lost its divine protection, and the array Xia Lian had set up before was a more general type. Therefore, when Yu Cheng prayed, it not only resonated with Dawn Goddess's power but also attracted Darkness Goddess's attention.
The reason was simple: she was not only a God-blessed one of Dawn Goddess but also, unknowingly, a God-blessed one of Darkness Goddess. Although Pa Ke Xi's words were somewhat vague, Mo Tan instantly understood her meaning. Yu Cheng's talent 【Unstable Divine Blessing】 was the best proof.
But why did Darkness Goddess get the jump on her?
【Because our Dawn Sect has many followers. Every now and then, there's a group prayer somewhere. That guy Fulei even wishes he could live in the prayer room and bother me all day. That bitch Diliya doesn't have many believers, so she... took advantage of my distraction to perform God Descent first.】
Although she couldn't read the doubts in Mo Tan's mind, Pa Ke Xi still explained it in a very self-incriminating way.
Mo Tan really wanted to ask the Goddess what the logical connection was between 'many believers' and 'distraction', but he wisely chose to continue listening.
【So by the time I reacted, it was already too late. With Diliya having the upper hand, it didn't matter that Yu Cheng believed in me more. So after scolding her for a while, I performed God Descent on you. After all, you're also my believer in this world, and I've chatted with you before.】
"Haven't you thought it through yet?" Darkness Goddess, who was also Whispering in Yu Cheng's mind at this moment, suddenly looked over here and softly said, "That elf's time is running out. Or are you planning something?"
Dawn Goddess snorted, "Almost done thinking, just wait!"
【But I miscalculated one thing! Even though the timing (daytime) and the geographical advantage (divine art array) were on my side, you were much weaker than Wang Yu! And we descended using you two as vessels. Although the power used was at the highest level, the foundation was Wang Yu and you. That's why she's beating me like I'm her granddaughter, understand?】
Mo Tan, who was greatly disheartened, couldn't directly answer her in front of Darkness Goddess, so he just sighed in place.
This burden was truly uncomfortable...
【Don't worry about it. After all, you and that girl aren't on the same level in terms of talent or foundation. Being weak isn't a sin~】
Mo Tan: "..."
【Alright, back to the main topic. There's a way to turn the tide now. It's not difficult, but it requires your and Wang Yu's cooperation. Otherwise, if this drags on, not only will Wang Yu and this city suffer, but Xia Lian will also surely die. Will you help?】
Dawn Goddess's tone was particularly serious.
Mo Tan nodded imperceptibly. Although he was not in his 'lawful good' personality at the moment and didn't care as much about those unfamiliar commoners, and he knew that even if Yu Cheng, as a player, 'had an accident,' it might not be a big deal, he still didn't want those people to die in vain, nor did he want Yu Cheng to 'darken.' Moreover, there was Holy Maiden Xia Lian, an NPC whose life was only once...
And the goddess also said it wasn't difficult.
So he had no objections.
【Very good, I've temporarily 'modified' your body just now. In a moment I'll @#%* and then you'll...】
"What!?"
Mo Tan, having heard the 'plan,' finally couldn't help but let out a gasp, successfully catching Darkness Goddess's attention. But Dawn Goddess's reaction was even faster. She roared '@#', then actually detached herself from Mo Tan, her vessel, and tackled Diliya in a grapple, then turned back and shouted to Mo Tan, "Five minutes! The rest is up to you!"
A dazzling burst of light exploded, and the two goddesses vanished into thin air!
"This... Is it over already?" Yu Cheng looked at the spot where the two gods had disappeared for a while, then turned to Mo Tan and whispered, "But I can still feel that, well, that Darkness Goddess's power on me."
Mo Tan nodded, his face contorted. "You're right, they haven't disappeared. They've just temporarily gone to another plane where they can't interfere with this one. They'll be back in five minutes, and by then, our Dawn Goddess will be especially weak..."
"Then what should we do?" Yu Cheng grabbed Mo Tan's wrist and shook it gently, her eyes filled with worry and unease. "Xia Lian..."
Mo Tan turned his head away from the young girl's clear, bright eyes and said hesitantly, "I know... No, the Goddess told me a way. If it goes smoothly, not only can Holy Maiden Xia Lian be saved from danger, but this ritual can also be successfully completed."
"What way?!" Yu Cheng immediately looked at Mo Tan with extreme hope.
But the latter became somewhat hesitant, his face particularly grim as he whispered, "You have to... you have to... Sigh!"
"What about me?" Yu Cheng blinked, asking softly, "Am I going to die? It's okay, we're all players, even if I die, I'll just create a new character..."
"No, I'm not telling you to die," Mo Tan sighed deeply.
"Then there's nothing to worry about, hurry and tell me," Yu Cheng pressed anxiously.
Mo Tan held his forehead, looking utterly defeated, "It's for you to take off..."
"Huh?"
"Uh, you have to... take off..."
"Take... take off what?"
"Headwear, shoulder guards, wrist guards, rings, gloves, shoes, belt, clothes, pants..."
"Huh?"
"Yes..."
"Th-then what?"
"I'll wear them."
"Eh!?!?!!?"
Chapter 174: End
