Chapter 211.1: Battle Plan

Heaven and earth trembled. The all-consuming pillar of light vanished into oblivion.

Zhu Zhuangshi beamed with pride, flicking his wide sleeves as he said smugly, "Looks like I can finally beat the shit out of that dog!"

Some time ago, he had been bullied miserably by Big Black Dog. Finally, he could hold his head high again!

The other three remained solemn as the sacred glow in their eyes waned. The remaining ancient gods were still reeling from the shock. What they had just witnessed was simply too overwhelming.

An all-out strike from a Great Venerable... Erased just like that...

Silence and disbelief filled the scene.

Was this the power of Mythic? Obviously not. Though they had never witnessed one before, there was no way the four could be so overpowered. Even if they had awakened Divine Domain Seeds, that feat was still impossible. What unfolded surpassed anything they could have imagined.

No wonder Qiyuann Sovereign dared to march to the Cai Empire. He had obviously planned everything in advance, seizing complete victory. Their image of Qiyuann Sovereign grew even loftier.

Just then, Qi Yuan's voice rang out. "An NPC should know how to do more than just stand there in shock, or you'll become redundant real fast. It's important to master a skill, or you'll be phased out by society before you're even thirty-five, unable to find a job. Chef? Musician? Professional mourner? Which one do you want? I'll teach you. These three are especially easy to find work in. You don't have to fear job obsolescence."

The ancient gods froze. The shock in their hearts instantly dissipated.

The older twin stared at Qi Yuan helplessly. "My lord, we should leave quickly. If that Great Venerable chases us, the battle will inevitably be deadly!"

Her peers hurriedly nodded.

Even if they had blocked that strike, if the Great Venerable came with hundreds of evil gods, they would still be cornered.

"We can leave, but what about Great Venerable Thunder?” Qi Yuan thought for a moment, then felt it wasn't worth worrying about. "Never mind. Let's go.”

Unless that old geezer has something seriously wrong with his head, he’ll figure out what happened and retreat on his own.

Everyone turned into streaks of light and headed back toward Clearwater Village.

***

Thousands of li away, an old man stood, wearing a golden-threaded mask etched with strange patterns. Through the slit, a pair of icy eyes stared in shock. "My strike was blocked?"

Four measly Venerables had blocked his attack.

"Camp Master, should we pursue them?" asked a Third Step new god anxiously.

Though they didn't know how those ancient gods had survived, they couldn't just watch them escape. Their camp didn't lack True Gods. With the camp master leading them, wiping out those cretins would be easy.

The camp master said firmly, "No."

Something about this felt off. Every single one of those ancient gods had Divine Domain Seeds. Wherever they went, True Gods like these would stand out as prodigies and receive special treatment. How could they suddenly emerge in the fallen zone as assassins? How absurd. Something had to be brewing here. It could even be a plot aimed at him.

Hearing this, the deputy felt dejected. The military merits that had been within reach were about to vanish.

At that moment, the camp master looked at him, eyes narrowing. "You take a few True Gods and capture them."

The deputy was stunned. "

Huh

?"

Wait, really? You're sending me?!

***

The road was wide, with divine creatures occasionally flying past overhead. By the roadside tavern, a sign had been put up.

Today only. Drink three and get three for free.

Thunder stopped in front of the tavern. He sniffed hard, and a rich, fragrant aroma filled his nostrils.

Before undertaking a great task, one must drink heartily.

He then shouted, "Shopkeeper, three jars of good wine!"

"Coming right up!"

He sat down, purple lightning flickering faintly in his eyes. "Looks like destiny is looking after me. If I hadn't gotten lost, I would have run straight into that Great Venerable."

He had traveled cautiously, concealing his identity, planning to catch Zhang Feng off guard. On the way, he encountered an Ancient God Alliance member and casually asked for directions, only to be sent down the wrong path. Although he ended up wasting a great deal of time, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

After all, not long ago, he witnessed a battle between Great Venerables in the sky from afar. Thanks to the unexpected delay, he missed that battle. Thunder strongly felt that luck was on his side.

"I wonder which two Great Venerables were fighting," Thunder mused, then dismissed the thought.

As long as it didn't interfere with his major task, it didn't matter. The wine arrived. Thunder opened a jar and filled his bowl to the brim. As he drank, he felt unusually refreshed. Wine seeped into his sorrowful heart, giving rise to a hint of melancholy.

Thunder sighed, his mind drifting. "By now, that kid should have just left the Ancestral Land. Lishan should have stopped him, right?"

Having given his storage pouch to Little Xue, he had nothing on him. Even his communication jade slip was thrown away, afraid that his old friends would dissuade him and cause him to waver. Of course, he had no way to cover the wine bill.

He was going to die anyway—either while trying to assassinate Zhang Feng or in the attempt itself. What harm was there in eating and drinking for free one last time?

Soon, he finished all three jars. "Shopkeeper, isn't it drink three, get three free?"

The shopkeeper soon brought three more jars. "Coming right up!”

The elderly man was all smiles, as though good fortune were approaching.

Thunder asked, "Did something good happen, Shopkeeper?"

He wanted to say that once he assassinated Zhang Feng, it would be double happiness. Most people loathed the evil gods, and traitors like Zhang Feng were usually cursed by thousands behind closed doors.

The shopkeeper glanced at Thunder. "There is huge news. You don't happen to worship the new gods, do you?"

Thunder said boldly, "Nope. How could I ever worship those sons of bitches?"

The shopkeeper sighed in relief. Anyone who cursed the new gods like that clearly wasn't from their camp. "The heavens of Cai Empire... have changed."

Thunder froze. "

Huh

?"

"Zhang Feng is dead."

He jolted violently. "What?!"

Seeing his shocked expression, the shopkeeper laughed. "Not long ago, a voice echoed from the sky, declaring Zhang Feng’s execution and the death of anyone who stood in the way. Then, a number of ancient gods rushed into the Cai Empire and did just that. In response, the evil god camp master struck, only to be blocked by them. They've escaped, probably headed north."

Saying so, the shopkeeper pointed in a direction. "They came and went that way."

Thunder was completely dumbfounded.

Who stole my kill?

There were such fierce people in the fallen zone?

Thunder said blankly, "Such righteous gods... I admire them."

His main objective was gone, and now he suddenly felt lost.

The shopkeeper said joyfully, "Zhang Feng's death let us vent a lot of pent-up anger!"

Clearly, most of the Cai Empire's people regarded Zhang Feng as a disgrace. In the fallen zone, such satisfying events were exceedingly rare.

The ordinary citizens lived as if treading on thin ice. After all, the evil gods only saw them as livestock—delicious and ready to be consumed. Who knew when some Child Banquets or other feast would be held?

The shopkeeper praised wholeheartedly. "That righteous god was a true hero! Traveling ten thousand li, killing a god, and leaving. He treats life and death as if it is nothing!"

Thunder stood there in a daze. It should've been him!