Chapter 70: A God’s Story
Chapter 70: A God’s Story
I frowned and said, “Was the God King stupid? He actually believed that Gabriel’s slander just like that?”
Theomandis’s voice carried helplessness. “That’s what I thought at the time too. I did everything I could to explain. The Free Angel Lucifer also spoke for me. But the other three First-Rank Deities all, like Gabriel, determined that I had already defected to the Netherworld. Gabriel was the God King’s most trusted subordinate, so he chose to believe him. And so I was imprisoned.
“Later, when Lucifer came to see me, he told me the God King had decided to imprison me for life and stripped me of my First-Rank Deity title. At that time, all thoughts within me turned to ashes. Imprisonment was not frightening to me—death would have been no big deal either. But being separated from Feier Yunna was something I could not accept.
“I was in unbearable pain. During the time I was imprisoned, Feier Yunna never came to see me even once. I thought she had abandoned me, and I fell even deeper into self-destruction. I even thought about ending my own life.
“Only Big Brother Lucifer—he would come to see me often. One day, he brought news that struck me like a bolt from a clear sky and cast me into an abyss deep beneath the earth.
“Feier Yunna… she died.”
If Theomandis still had a physical body, he would definitely be shedding agonized tears. Thousands of years had already passed, yet he was still in such pain. One could imagine how deeply he and Princess Feier Yunna had loved each other.
I shot up from the ground, blurting out, “What? Princess Feier Yunna died? Even your god race dies that easily?”
Theomandis’s voice became unbearably heavy. “Yes. My most beloved Feier Yunna left just like that. Big Brother Lucifer said she took her own life, because the God King refused to release me and refused to let her see me. So she killed herself.
“Only later did I learn the truth. To make her forget me, the God King told her I had already been executed. That was why Feier Yunna chose to die for love.”
Theomandis’s voice suddenly turned very gentle. He said softly, “Feier… why were you so foolish? Even if I was gone, you didn’t need to die for me. I love you. I truly love you so much. If the belief in revenge hadn’t been supporting me all this time, perhaps I would have gone long ago to that place where chaos first began, to find you… Feier…”
Listening to him speak as if weeping, I realized my own face had already been soaked by hot tears. Deep in my heart, I truly pitied this god race’s Mad God. To be separated by death from the one you loved most—how painful was that?
After a long time, Theomandis’s emotions gradually calmed, and he continued.
“At the time, I was devastated. I immediately wanted to kill myself and follow Feier Yunna, but Big Brother Lucifer stopped me. He gritted his teeth and said, ‘Don’t you want revenge? Do you know why Gabriel framed you?’
“That one sentence snapped me awake from grief. I thought, right—why would Gabriel frame me? Usually, even if our relationship wasn’t good, it was still passable.
“Big Brother Lucifer told me the truth. It turned out Gabriel had also always loved Feier Yunna. When we had just returned to the gods, he saw our relationship from our expressions, so he devised a vicious plot to frame me, hoping to take Feier away from my side. But he probably never expected Feier Yunna’s love for me to run so deep that she would die for me.”
I asked, “Then did you take revenge?”
Theomandis suddenly fell silent.
I shouted, “Theomandis—say something! Did you take revenge?”
A full mealtime passed in silence before his voice finally sounded again—filled with unwillingness and disappointment.
“No. I couldn’t take revenge for Feier Yunna.
“At the time, Big Brother Lucifer ignored my status as a prisoner. He resolutely used his own power to rescue me from the prison, and went with me to settle accounts with Gabriel.
“Caught off guard, Gabriel was beaten into a grievous injury by us. Just as I was about to kill him, the other three great archangels appeared.
“The power among us six First-Rank Deities was not far apart. During the fight with Gabriel, because I was too rash, I was wounded by him. After the three great archangels arrived, they immediately besieged us.
“Big Brother Lucifer and I fought desperately, but we were one person fewer. Under their continuous attacks, we had almost no ability to strike back. We fought as we retreated. The wounds on our bodies steadily increased.
“I knew that if this continued, both of us would be captured—or even killed.
“So I used my last strength to teleport Big Brother Lucifer away, sending him to the Netherworld. Only there could he escape the gods’ pursuit. Big Brother Lucifer was willing to defect from the gods for my sake—how could I let him be harmed again?
“At the instant my teleportation array completed, I was also struck by a combined blow from the three great archangels. But I did not regret it, because my teleport succeeded. At the very least, Big Brother Lucifer was sent away.
“I don’t know how he is now. Unfortunately, I will never be able to see him again.”
Even though Theomandis spoke calmly, I could still imagine how terrifying that battle must have been. “If the legend is correct, the Free Angel Lucifer you spoke of has already become the Fallen Angel Lucifer—the Great Demon God Lucifer. He is now a demon god second only to the Nether King Hades. You can rest assured.”
Theomandis said excitedly, “Really? If that’s the case, that’s wonderful. Big Brother Lucifer is finally safe. With his power, I knew he could definitely establish himself in the Netherworld.”
I asked, “After you were struck by the combined blow of the three great archangels, what happened to you?”
Theomandis sighed. “What else could happen? Under an attack of that level, even at my peak state, it would have been hard to avoid destruction—let alone when my power was exhausted. My flesh body was completely annihilated.
“In truth, Big Brother Lucifer and I should both feel fortunate. Because of Feier Yunna’s death, the God King was in deep grief and went into seclusion. Otherwise, none of us could have escaped.
“Although my body was destroyed, I was still a First-Rank Deity. In the final instant of clarity, I injected my divine consciousness completely into my Mad God Armor.
“As my body was annihilated, because the power reached an extreme peak, it also caused the passage to the human realm—which the Father God had cut off back then—to temporarily open a crack. I seized that chance and drove my Mad God Armor into the human realm.
“It is the set you see now.
“My armor, carrying my divine consciousness, crashed into this mountain. The cavern you see was formed by that collision. As for the mountain mass above, I created it after recovering a tiny amount of energy.
“That final collision almost shattered my remaining divine consciousness. Even though I barely held it together, I still slept for a thousand years before recovering some energy and waking.
“Here, I suddenly discovered that the human realm is very suitable for cultivation. There is abundant free-floating energy here—various elements. If I still had a physical body, after long cultivation, I might even have been able to catch up to Big Brother Lucifer’s strength. But I no longer had that chance, because I had no body.
“Still, I refused to accept it. Intense hatred was the driving force that kept me alive. Even with only divine consciousness left, I could still control energy, so I cultivated in hiding on my own.
“But that battle’s damage to me was truly too severe. Even my divine consciousness was incomplete. After another two thousand years, I knew there was no hope of revenge anymore.
“So I used a special method to write down everything I had learned in the Mad God Art and passed it into the human world as a book. It should be the one you later obtained.”
So that was it. I finally understood the entire process. I hadn’t expected it to be so tangled and complex. I asked, “Then what was the Five-Colored Radiance that appeared a few months ago?”
Theomandis let out a long sigh. “That was the probing light I released. Its main purpose was to search for human kind who had learned my Mad God Battle Energy—people like you.”
I corrected him. “I’m not human kind. I’m a mixed-blood of human, demon, and Beastmen.”
Theomandis said, “You’re wrong. You are true human kind. Any creature living on this continent, as long as it has intelligence, belongs to human kind—only split into different branches.
“According to my divine-consciousness scan, what you call ‘human kind’ is only the original human kind created by the Father God. What you call the demon race is the demon-human branch of the original human kind. And the beast race is the Beastmen branch. Even special races like elves and dwarves are simply mutations that arose from human kind.”
His words gave me a completely new understanding of the continent. I said doubtfully, “Really? So they’re all just branches of human kind. Then that means I count as human too. Why did you release that probing light to search for people who learned your Mad God Art?”
Theomandis said gloomily, “Because I am nearing the end of my life, but my revenge has not been taken. I drew in those who cultivated my art because I want to pass my divine seat on. And you are the one chosen.”
Hearing that he wanted to pass a divine seat to me was obviously a benefit, but I didn’t feel even a trace of joy. The matter of Mad God Theomandis and Princess Feier Yunna made my heart ache. Feier Yunna was already dead, and Theomandis was about to go as well. This pair of lovers could never be together…
Theomandis seemed to see through my heart. His voice lightened. “I can tell you’re a good child. Finding you as my inheritor is my luck. You don’t need to grieve for my death. Death is a release for me. Maybe in another world, I can find Feier Yunna again. There, I will be happier.
“The only thing I cannot accept is that the one who harmed me is still alive. I have only one request: kill the Death Angel Gabriel, and tell the God King of my innocence.
“I know it’s difficult, but I have confidence in you. Don’t rush. After you obtain my inheritance, your power will not surge enormously, but your cultivation speed will increase greatly. And your vitality will rise with your strength. When you reach my original level, you will become another Mad God—another undying body. Then you will have hope of killing Gabriel.”
I said doubtfully, “Can a divine seat really be inherited? You’ve already been cut off from the God Realm—what divine seat do you still have?”
Theomandis snorted. “Even the God King has no ability to strip my divine seat. I was created by the Father God.
“What you call inheritance is actually passing some of my special abilities and some things that cannot be explained onto you. As for how you use them and whether you can reach the original realm, that depends on you.
“Of course, your current condition is still not enough to accept all of my inheritance power. I will first change your constitution and compress the inheritance. It will gradually unseal as your strength rises.
“Originally, I could even manifest my former appearance to meet you. But when I brought you in that day, the combined attack from those three humans consumed a great deal of the energy I had gathered. In order to make the inheritance go smoothly, I must conserve energy, so you won’t see what I look like.”
I asked heavily, “After the inheritance, will you die immediately?”
Theomandis said, “More or less. It can’t be called death—only the dispersal of divine consciousness. But it means the same thing as what you humans call death. If there’s enough energy left, maybe after the inheritance I can still speak to you a few more words.
“Don’t be sad for me. As long as you can take revenge for me in the future, that will be the greatest repayment.”
A determined look flashed in my eyes. I said solemnly, “I’ve decided to accept your inheritance, and also accept your hatred. The Death Angel Gabriel will become my target from now on. As long as I don’t die, one day I will trample him underfoot and let him know—Mad God is not someone to be framed so easily.”
Theomandis let out a clear laugh and cried excitedly, “Good! That’s worthy of being my inheritor. That carries the arrogant spirit of my Mad God dominating the world.”
I nodded. “Then let’s start now.”
Even though I knew Theomandis would disperse after the inheritance, he would die eventually anyway. What use was it to talk longer? It would only deepen my feelings for him. Feelings affected cultivation. Rather than that, it was better to put all my mind into the inheritance, and cultivate hard afterward to take revenge for him.
Mad God Theomandis said approvingly, “Cut when you must cut—this is a true man’s nature. Before I pass the inheritance to you, I need to tell you about this Mad God Armor.
“This armor was compensation given to me when the Father God created me, because I did not have wings. You could also say it is the only item in the Three Realms personally forged by the Father God.
“The power inside it is relative. It will rise as the user’s energy rises. It is divided into eleven major parts: Helmet, Shoulder Armor, Breastplate, Heart-Protecting Mirror, Bracers, Gauntlets, Waist Guard, Hip Guard, Battle Skirt, Greaves, and Battle Boots.
“Among them, the most important are the Heart-Protecting Mirror and the Helmet. If the Heart-Protecting Mirror is the power source of the entire set, then the Helmet is the armor’s soul. Only when all eleven parts are fully assembled can its full power be unleashed.”
After a pause, Theomandis continued, “When I came to the human realm, because my energy was nearly exhausted, I lost the two most important parts of the Mad God Armor before landing—the Heart-Protecting Mirror and the Helmet.
“I didn’t expect the Heart-Protecting Mirror to return unexpectedly before you arrived. If it hadn’t returned to me in time, that day I would have almost been unable to resist the final power that attacked you. That human’s ability really is strong.”
I froze. “Could it be that even you can’t deal with the Wind-Extinguishing War God Li Feng? And what about the Helmet?”
Theomandis snorted. “Of course not. Without a body, I have less than one-tenth of my original strength. Otherwise, how would he have had the chance to run wild?
“But don’t underestimate the humans of this realm. Your learning ability is very strong. That Li Feng you mentioned has great power. Even by God Realm standards, he is close to a Third-Rank Deity level.
“As for the Helmet, I only remember that it fell on another continent. You must find it. Only when the full set is gathered can you become a true Mad God. The Helmet is the soul of the Mad God battle armor. Without the soul, how can it display its power?
“Moreover, when cultivating the final layer of the Mad God Art, you must wear the full set of Mad God Armor. The Helmet is indispensable.
“This is difficult, but I believe you. You will succeed.”
I said doubtfully, “Another continent—what does that mean?”
Theomandis said, “The human realm does not have only your one continent. There is another continent, much smaller than your Jin Yuan Continent. It lies in the ocean. I only passed by there, but I discovered that it is home to races even stronger than those on this continent. When you go there to search for the Mad God Helmet, you must be careful.”
In the ocean? Another continent?
I had never heard of any of this. But since Theomandis said it existed, then it existed. To truly inherit the Mad God inheritance, once I reached a certain level of cultivation, I would have to go search for the Mad God Helmet. Only then could I go to the God Realm to settle accounts with Gabriel.
Thinking that, a question suddenly occurred to me. So I asked, “I’ve heard people say that if you cultivate your strength in this realm to a certain level, you can break through the barrier and go to the God Realm and Netherworld. Is that true?”
Theomandis said, “It should be. When the Father God sealed the passage between the human realm and the God Realm and Netherworld, it was mainly aimed at us. So going from your side to theirs is much easier. But you still need to reach the level of a Second-Rank Deity—that is, the Shining Angel level.
“Any human who can ascend from the human realm into the God Realm and Netherworld will become a target both realms try to win over. If you want to take revenge for me, you must reach that standard—no, you must reach First-Rank Deity level to have hope.
“Even if you obtain all of my power and reach my former peak, you still might not be able to kill Gabriel. He alone is stronger than me. And besides him, there are the other three great archangels and the God King.”
I said firmly, “I will succeed. If I can’t beat him head-on, can’t I ambush him?”
Theomandis seemed to remember something and asked, “The sword in your hand gives me a very familiar feeling. Where did you get it?”
I instinctively glanced at Mo Ming. “Back when I was cultivating at the academy, the academy gave it to me. I heard it is one of the five great famous swords of this age. The demon race said it was a weapon passed down from ancient times, used by the Fallen Angel, the Great Demon God Lucifer.”
Theomandis said in surprise, “Big Brother Lucifer’s weapon? Let me see.”
I felt a tremor in my hand. Mo Ming flew out of my grasp and hovered in midair. A five-colored energy shot toward it. Mo Ming let out a pained moan. The blade trembled continuously, releasing a layer of black radiance.
Theomandis cried out in surprise, “Such intense dark energy. If it’s Big Brother Lucifer’s weapon, how can dark energy exist within it?”
I froze. The Great Demon God Lucifer’s weapon having dark energy was the most normal thing imaginable. What was strange about it?
Then it clicked. Theomandis probably still thought of Lucifer as the Free Angel of the God Realm from back then. I explained, “Since Lucifer went to the Netherworld, he would naturally use dark energy.”
Theomandis said, “This sword’s energy is very strong. It can be considered a divine artifact. It’s just that with your current strength, you can’t yet unlock the source of its power.
“When I examined your body, I found that aside from the Mad God Art energy, you also have a dark energy within you—something used to match it, right?”
I nodded. “More or less. The dark magic inside me comes from cultivating the Heavenly Demon Art. The Heavenly Demon Art is the demon race’s highest cultivation method. I heard it’s the technique your Big Brother Lucifer cultivates. Will it affect my later cultivation of the Mad God Art?”
Theomandis said, “Yes. After Big Brother Lucifer reached the Netherworld, he naturally couldn’t use the God Realm’s techniques anymore. My Mad God Art is relatively neutral, so there shouldn’t be any conflict. Big Brother Lucifer’s power is extremely strong. You can practice it alongside the Mad God Art—maybe it will help.”
I said, “The Heavenly Demon Art of the Fallen Angel Lucifer has three major levels. Each breakthrough brings a qualitative leap. Breaking the first layer lets you transform into a two-winged Fallen Angel. Breaking the second layer lets you become a four-winged Fallen Angel. Is that comparable to your God Realm Shining Angel ability?”
“Oh? That exists? What layer have you reached now?” Theomandis asked.
Showing was better than telling. I chanted, “Darkness condenses the soul. Only through depravity comes freedom. Awaken—endless magic sleeping within my blood.”
Black fog surged. My entire body began changing. When four black wings unfolded behind me, Theomandis exclaimed in surprise.
“It seems I underestimated you. After becoming four-winged, your ability increases greatly. But I must tell you: your four-winged Fallen Angel is very different from the God Realm deities. Put simply, it’s a difference in strength. Your current strength is still inferior to a God Realm Quasi-Deity. But if you could cultivate to six wings, it might be different.”
I gave a bitter smile. “Six wings? That’s impossible. Your Big Brother Lucifer didn’t leave the final layer of the Heavenly Demon Art in this realm. I’ll never reach six wings.”
“Foolish boy, don’t lose heart. Have you forgotten my Mad God Art? Even if my power might not match Big Brother Lucifer’s, the Mad God Art paired with the Mad God Armor is still First-Rank Deity power. If you ever have the chance, if you fuse my Mad God Art with Big Brother Lucifer’s Heavenly Demon Art, maybe you could surpass even First-Rank Deity power.
“Since you can cultivate my Mad God Art, you should also be able to transform into the same battle form as me, right?”
“Battle form? What is that?” I asked.
“You don’t know? It’s what I described in the Mad God Art as berserk—instantly increasing attack, defense, and healing ability.”
So he meant berserk. I nodded. “I could before. But some days ago, in a battle with an enemy, the other side self-destructed and used a Forbidden Art, borrowing the Netherworld’s power. I won, but that death energy still remains inside me and keeps harassing me. Ever since I was hit by that Forbidden Art, I haven’t been able to use berserk.”
Theomandis said, “Death energy? What is that? It probably doesn’t even amount to one ten-thousandth of the Nether King’s power. After you came here, I already removed it. I was wondering why you carried the Nether King’s aura—so that’s why.
“I didn’t expect anyone would be foolish enough to offer everything to the Nether King. That leads to never being able to ascend. Their soul won’t even have the chance to enter the Realm of Chaos. Truly foolish. Don’t worry—you should be able to berserk again now.”
Hearing that I could berserk again, ecstasy surged in my heart. Only when I became a Blood-Red Angel could I fully unleash all my power.
Theomandis said, “This berserk battle form is very useful, but it has many limits. You must be in extreme anger to use it, and it can’t be maintained for too long. Your consciousness also becomes blurry. You’ve experienced that, right?
“But what I’m telling you now is that this is because your Mad God Art cultivation is not yet complete. When you cultivate the Mad God Art to the eleventh layer, you will be able to control your berserk state yourself, and the berserk duration will extend greatly.”
Eleventh layer?
I was only at the fourth layer. When would I ever reach that realm? I didn’t even dare to think of it.
“Don’t lose heart. After you accept my inheritance, your cultivation speed will increase greatly. Maybe in less than a hundred years, you can reach that level. How fast you improve depends on how hard you cultivate.”
I blurted out, “A hundred years?”
“Yes, a hundred years. What’s strange about that? A hundred years to us gods is only a snap of the fingers. After accepting my inheritance, you will have endless vitality. A hundred years is nothing.
“When you break through the final layer, you will completely inherit my divine seat and become a new First-Rank Deity—Mad God.”
A hundred years might be nothing to him, but to me it was unbearably distant. It seemed revenge couldn’t be rushed. In a hundred years, maybe my beloved Zi Yan and Zi Xue would already be old and toothless. Thinking of how they would look, I couldn’t help but smile. Warmth filled my heart. Growing old together with the one you loved might be the happiest thing in life.
Theomandis misunderstood and thought my confidence had returned. “You are the human with the greatest potential I’ve ever seen. Work hard, boy. By the way, I still haven’t asked your name.”
“My name is Lei Xiang. How should I address you—Master? Or…”
Theomandis laughed loudly. “You can call me anything. I’m not your master. Even though you cultivated my Mad God Art, it was just a coincidence. You are only my inheritor. If you’re willing, call me Big Brother.”
I was stunned. Back then, having Panzong as an older brother who was over a hundred years old already felt unbelievable. Now I had another older brother who didn’t know how many tens of thousands of years old. But I couldn’t bear to go against his wishes. From the heart, I said, “Big Brother Theomandis.”
Theomandis laughed. “Good, good, good. Before I disperse, having a brother like you makes my coming to the human realm not in vain.
“Right—those two friends of yours, I already changed their constitutions. In the future, they can also, like the Dragon King, cultivate up to the limit of the Dust-Severing realm. I hope they will train hard on their own, reach the Dust-Severing realm, attain Divine Beast level, and help you someday in your confrontation with Gabriel.
“Now we begin the inheritance. Before that, Big Brother will give you a gift. Catch it.”
“Big Brother Theomandis, on behalf of my two older brothers, I thank you.”
After their realm increased, Panzong and Jin and Yin could cultivate earnestly. With their help, I believed my chances of taking revenge against the gods would be much higher.
As I spoke, a cylindrical stone drifted down from somewhere, slowly flying toward me. It was about ten centimeters in diameter and one meter long. I reached out and caught it. It felt cool and smooth in my hand. The whole pillar was green, and under the light, it seemed transparent.
I asked in confusion, “Big Brother, what is this?”
Theomandis laughed. “If your Big Brother gives it to you as a gift, of course it’s a good thing. This stone pillar is a Spirit-Void Stone Marrow. I nurtured it over three thousand years by gathering the spiritual essence of heaven and earth in this mountain range. You could say it is the essence of what you humans call the White Smoke Mountain Range.”
Spirit-Void Stone Marrow?
What was that? I had never heard of it.
Theomandis continued, “This is a truly good thing. Even in the God Realm, it is a treasure every god dreams of. Circulate the Mad God Art to the middle finger of your right hand and pierce a hole at the top. Be careful—inside is all liquid. Don’t spill it. Wasting it would be a shame.”
I held the pillar upright, gathered strength into my middle finger, and lightly pierced. The outer layer was thin, and I easily poked a hole through it. A rich fragrance immediately spread out. In an instant, the entire cave was filled with that scent.
I blurted out, “So fragrant.”
Theomandis said, “Drink it. Don’t waste a single drop.”
I brought my mouth to the small hole I had pierced and slowly raised the stone pillar. A liquid like the finest nectar poured into my mouth. I swallowed in big gulps, afraid of wasting even a little.
How could I have known that this Spirit-Void Stone Marrow was a heaven-born treasure—ten thousand gold could not buy a single drop—capable of reviving the dead and regrowing bones? What I drank was likely more than a thousand drops.