Chapter 1614: Destiny Has Decided

Ye Guan had no idea what Xi Zhong was thinking. What he'd said earlier was simply the truth; he really couldn't summon the Divinity.

If I could, why would I still be wasting time with these people?

I'd have wiped them all out by now!

Screw this!

Putting up with this nonsense?

Ye Guan could sense Xi Zhong's change in attitude. Glancing at him and catching the look in his eyes, Ye Guan immediately saw through his thoughts. He smiled faintly and said, "Hall Master Xi, if you feel like this ship is sinking, no one will blame you for jumping off and finding another ride. I understand."

Xi Zhong shook his head. "Divine Emissary, I admit, I panicked. It was just the instinct to survive. I hope you'll forgive me."

Ye Guan looked at him, a little surprised.

Xi Zhong revealed a bitter smile. "I won't lie to you. Everyone wants to live, especially us old monsters. Not only do we want to live, we also want power and status, but..."

He looked into the distance, toward the ever-growing crowd around the woman in white. In a softer voice, he continued, "But I choose to believe you really are the Divine Emissary."

Ye Guan raised a brow. "Why's that?"

Xi Zhong turned to him and smiled. "Because if I don't, then I have no chance of surviving."

His earlier panic had passed. With a clearer mind, he fully understood his situation. Even if he tried to kill Ye Guan now, did he really think he could? This man was facing down a crowd of top-tier elites without flinching; that kind of composure and confidence wasn't something one could fake. Even if he wasn't the Divine Emissary, he was definitely backed by something terrifying.

And say he could kill Ye Guan, what then? Could he actually live afterward?

No chance.

He had already turned his back on the higher-ups. They'd never trust him again. At best, they'd let him live but only in disgrace. His career would be over; he would be stripped of his rank and left to rot.

In this political jungle, once one had picked a side, there was no turning back.

Now, his only path was to follow Ye Guan to the end.

It was all or nothing. Riches or ruin.

Once he made peace with that, all his hesitation and fear vanished. He looked toward the distant crowd and laughed. "Divine Emissary, give the word, I'll follow it."

At this point, waffling or trying to hedge bets would only get him killed. If he was going to move, he had to move with conviction.

That's life. Sometimes you just have to play the piece and never look back.

Just go for it.

Seeing that Xi Zhong had chosen his side firmly, Ye Guan smiled. "Let's wait a bit longer. Surely, not everyone in this Divine Civilization is on their side."

That was a loaded comment.

Xi Zhong caught the nuance and nodded. "Alright."

He then looked into the distance, where more and more people were gathering behind the woman in white.

At first, many had just wanted to wait and see who came out on top.

If Ye Guan prevailed, they'd join the 'loyalist' side. If the Divine Continent was stronger, they'd help 'eliminate the rebel.'

Now it looked like the Divine Continent had the upper hand. Naturally, they were all siding with it. Risking it all was for gamblers. Anyone with sense would bet on the sure thing.

And to them, Xi Zhong? He was just another fool who made the wrong bet.

***

In the shadows, Gu Hao and Tian Ya were still watching. Like many others, they wanted to assess the situation before choosing a side. And right now, it looked like Ye Guan had been completely overpowered.

The entire South Temple of Divinity had been declared enemies of the Divine Civilization. Those in the Divine Realm were being weakened one by one.

At this rate, they'd all be crippled.

Tian Ya stared hard at Ye Guan. "He's finished. No chance left."

However, Gu Hao shook his head.

Tian Ya looked over. "You think otherwise?"

Gu Hao kept his eyes on Ye Guan. "He's... calm."

Tian Ya snorted, "Could be an act."

Gu Hao didn't flinch. "Doesn't seem like one."

Tian Ya frowned, "We're out of time. Say what you want to say."

Gu Hao asked, "If he's really faking being the Divine Emissary, what's his motive? What would he gain?"

Tian Ya frowned deeper.

Gu Hao went on quietly, "Tian Ya, this whole thing doesn't make sense. That sword, and the Divine Seal... didn't you see those?

"His sword clashed with the Divine Edict. His Divine Seal holds real energy from the Divinity. What if... just what if he truly is the Divine Emissary? What if the Divinity is using him to test us? To see who's still loyal?"

Tian Ya clenched his fists.

Gu Hao added, "At face value, siding with the Divine Continent seems like the obvious move. But are we really ready to betray the Divinity?"

Tian Ya snapped back, "What if he's not the real Divine Emissary?"

Gu Hao looked at him. "That Divinity aura isn't fake..."

Tian Ya's expression darkened. "You think it's real, but you can't prove it. And even if the Divinity is back, why wouldn't she reveal herself? Why send a so-called 'Divine Emissary'? Especially one who's been branded a blasphemer?"

Gu Hao's voice softened. "Maybe... this is her mercy. A final warning. A last chance to those who still believe her."

Tian Ya's eyes grew colder. "So you've made your choice."

Gu Hao nodded. He wasn't gambling. His instincts told him this young man really was the Divine Emissary. This was the Divinity's way of seeing who still stood with her.

Tian Ya turned to Gu Hao. "I'll say it again, I don't believe the Divinity has returned. If she really had, she wouldn't have chosen someone branded a blasphemer as her Divine Emissary.

"And she certainly wouldn't have kept her old followers in the dark. Even if she has returned... I doubt she's in control of everything. From what I've heard, she vanished back then because she was gravely injured."

Gu Hao looked at him. "I know. That's how everyone in the Divine Continent sees it, too."

Tian Ya slowly closed his eyes, hands clenched into fists. "Gu Hao, just look. Besides Ye Guan, there's only Xi Zhong. All the other powers across the universes have chosen the Divine Continent. That says it all."

Gu Hao chuckled. "Did you forget the dice we rolled earlier? We got the lowest possible roll. Destiny itself has said it; it wants us to stand with the lord."

Tian Ya's face remained expressionless. "Destiny? What a joke. My destiny is mine to decide."

Gu Hao nodded. "Then we're walking different paths. There's nothing more to say."

With that, he took a step forward, and his voice echoed across the battlefield. "The Origin Temple of Divinity has answered the call. We stand with the true Divine Emissary!"

With that, Gu Hao led a hundred top-tier elites through the sky and stood before Ye Guan.

𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

He bowed deeply. "Greetings, Divine Emissary."

Behind him, his entire force followed in unison. "Greetings, Divine Emissary!"

The crowd was stunned. No one had expected the Origin Temple of Divinity to switch sides now.

Even Xi Zhong was caught off guard; he hadn't seen that coming at all.

Ye Guan looked at Gu Hao and said simply, "No need for formalities."

Gu Hao straightened and smiled faintly. Then, he moved behind Ye Guan with his followers.

Meanwhile, Tian Ya had already taken the North Temple of Divinity's side and joined the woman in white.

Even with Gu Hao's support, Ye Guan's side was still vastly outnumbered. They had four Divine Realm elites, two from Origin Temple of Divinity and two from the South Temple of Divinity. The other side had eight, plus more than a hundred Main Gods, many of whom held official positions.

And more kept coming.

Worse, everyone who joined Ye Guan was now marked by the Divine Edict. Their divine energy was being drained, and they couldn't stop it.

They were fighting against the current.

The crowd on the other side sneered. Gu Hao had just signed his own death sentence.

Then an elder beside the woman in white stepped forward.

"Your Excellency," he said respectfully. "Please, give the order. Let us execute this blasphemer."

Others chimed in, expressing their agreement.

The woman in white looked at Ye Guan. Just one look, and the spacetime around him began to collapse.

"Look out!"

Gu Hao and Xi Zhong stepped in to protect Ye Guan, unleashing their power to shield him. But the impact knocked both of them back.

"Kill him!"

The elder roared and charged forward, leading a wave of attackers.

Inside the city, Ye Guan's supporters moved to protect him, retreating quickly, but the gap in strength was too great. They were being overwhelmed.

Gu Hao and Xi Zhong prepared to strike, but Ye Guan held out a hand to stop them.

He looked up, eyes narrowing.

"They're here."

Just as he spoke, a flash of blood-red light tore through the enemy ranks. Before anyone could react, dozens of heads from those from the Divine Continent flew into the air.

Blood sprayed like fountains.