Chapter 294

It all began there.

Leonard and Cenn Cruach advanced almost simultaneously, unleashing their full power. Though both of them were still far from mastering their divine authority, their battle against a worthy adversary was accelerating their growth at an alarming pace.

The range of conceptual realms that could be severed by the Five Elements Divine Sword expanded. The blade, which previously could only cut through the fabric of space-time, now extended its reach to interfere with causality itself. Cenn Cruach, who had just begun an evasive maneuver, suddenly found one of his arms severed; it was spiraling through the air.

At the same time, Cenn Cruach’s authority—his dominion over “decay” and “corruption”—spilled forth from him, taking the form of snakes and spiders that lunged at Leonard with venomous fangs. He possessed an overwhelming number of divine authorities, but controlling them all was an impossible task. Instead, he had chosen to sever and cast away the portions he couldn’t manage.

Taisui[1] God of the East

Thunder God’s Armor

However, splitting off and independently controlling fragments of power was a domain in which Leonard had far more experience than Cenn Cruach.

Groarrrrr!!

Lightning erupted from Leonard, taking the form of a massive dragon wreathed in divine energy. Since ancient times, lightning striking down from the heavens had been revered, transcending civilizations and eras. A force of divine judgment, a symbol of righteousness prevailing over evil, a manifestation of celestial punishment. It was not something that could be overcome by crude, makeshift apostles.

“It’s my turn now.”

Having effortlessly neutralized his opponent’s attack, Leonard dismissed the Five Elements Divine Sword from his hand. Then, he assumed an unusual stance—one that looked nothing like the traditional posture of a swordsman, because it wasn’t.

Sun God of the South

Sun-Shooting Divine Bow

A blazing red bow materialized in Leonard’s left hand, and he drew the string back with his right hand, forming a crimson arrow of pure energy. This was the pinnacle of the Yeon Family Archery—the Myriad Bow, a theoretical realm of mastery that not even Yeon Gaesomun[ref]Yeon Gaesomun was a powerful military dictator in the waning days of the Goguryeo kingdom, which was one of the Three Kingdoms of ancient Korea. He is remembered for his successful resistance against Tang China under Emperor Taizong and his son Emperor Gaozong.[2] had been able to attain and a technique that transformed ten thousand variations into a single strike that still possessed the essence of ten thousand variations.

This was a realm said to have been reached only by Hou Yi, the legendary God of Archery who had shot down nine suns in ancient times. While Leonard had not yet reached Hou Yi’s level, Cenn Cruach found the attack beyond comprehension.

―W-What...?

Cenn Cruach’s eyes widened in disbelief. A gaping hole had appeared in the center of his chest. He had neither dodged nor defended in time—his heart had been pierced before he could make a decision.

Scorched by the Vermilion Bird Qi, the wound would not regenerate easily. Even for someone whose vital points had nearly lost all meaning, the heart and brain remained critical.

―An insignificant human... dares...?!

“You’re just a piece of trash.”

Leonard dismissed his bow and clenched his fists, looking down at Cenn Cruach as if he were nothing more than waste. Cenn Cruach was overwhelmed with a sense of defeat.

Just then, the White Tiger Qi enveloped Leonard’s fists like gauntlets.

Taibai God of the West

Mountain-Crushing Divine Fist

Unlike the Azure Dragon and the Vermilion Bird, this power was not focused on special abilities but rather on pure destruction and resilience. A force capable of toppling mountains with a single strike. Leonard’s fists rained down upon Cenn Cruach in rapid succession, delivering dozens of devastating blows in the blink of an eye.

Cenn Cruach instinctively tried to optimize his movements, but at best, he was merely achieving seamless efficiency. Leonard, however, had already surpassed even the concept of unity between man and weapon—he had transcended into an entirely new realm. To him, Cenn Cruach’s desperate flailing was no different from the clumsy thrashing of a lowly thug.

―Graaaaah!

At the level of True Gods, damage was determined not by the sheer scale of power but by the difference in their divinity. Even an attack capable of shattering worlds would be useless if it was an attack of lesser divinity. Conversely, if two opponents were of the same rank, even a simple strike could inflict real harm.

Using Mountain-Crushing Divine Fist, Leonard concentrated and amplified all his destructive power into a single point, shattering Cenn Cruach’s internal organs.

Even after piercing his heart with Sun-Shooting Divine Bow and pulverizing most of his internal organs... he’s still moving. Should I aim for the head next?

The reason Leonard hadn’t targeted the head from the start was simple—he wasn’t confident that the Sun-Shooting Divine Bow would reach it. Cenn Cruach’s head was also a vital point.

Even without conscious effort, his authority and divine essence instinctively protected it. The only way to get past that defense was to distract him first. That was why Leonard had focused his attacks on Cenn Cruach’s torso.

―Dieeeeee!!

A massive surge of energy condensed in Cenn Cruach’s mouth before being unleashed as a concentrated beam aimed directly at Leonard.

The attack was imbued with the combined authorities of “weakening,” “corrosion,” and “disease.” It was a crude yet monstrously powerful expenditure of energy. Even in the ancient era, few could match him in sheer divine essence and authority. The incoming blast far exceeded what Leonard could output.

However—

Lunar God of the North

Indestructible Aegis

A dark, sturdy shield suddenly materialized in front of Leonard, intercepting Cenn Cruach’s devastating beam. Despite its overwhelming destructive force, which could rend the earth and tear the sky asunder, it failed to pierce through the shield and dissipated harmlessly.

Even if two authorities were of the same rank, their effectiveness could vary greatly depending on their mastery and depth. Combat was not merely about raw power—it was about control, refinement, and precision.

The Indestructible Aegis was an embodiment of the Black Tortoise’s shell. With it held firmly in front of him, Leonard began advancing toward Cenn Cruach.

―W-Why...?! Why are you still standing before me...?!”

To the Middle Realm and its people, Cenn Cruach was a harbinger of doom. But to Cenn Cruach, Leonard was the true bringer of death.

For the first time in thousands of years, he had encountered a true adversary. And to make things worse, the gap between their abilities was widening. Leonard was adapting far more quickly than Cenn Cruach. With each technique he used, he wasn’t just wielding power—he was refining it, honing it, and mastering it at an impossible rate.

“I wonder.”

Leonard took a step forward, feeling a faint sense of curiosity at Cenn Cruach’s question, which sounded no different from a desperate struggle. Ever since he had reincarnated into this world from the Central Plains, he had never truly understood why he had been given another chance at life.

The boundaries of a normal dimension were absolute. Souls were neither supposed to enter nor leave.

This world, however, was different. Perhaps it was because the Divine Throne had been left vacant after the God-Slaying War. Perhaps it was because the schemes of the Outer Gods had destabilized the dimensional fabric itself.

So that meant there was something wrong with the Central Plains as well, didn’t it?

“Well, I’ll have to look into that later.”

—What...?! What nonsense are you babbling now?!

“You don’t need to know.”

With that cold reply, Leonard closed the remaining distance—just three steps now. Each step was firm, filled with unwavering conviction and lethal intent.

Cenn Cruach knew that if this continued, he would die.

And yet, he couldn’t stop the beam of energy he was unleashing. Leaving himself vulnerable at such close range would only give Leonard an opportunity for a fatal strike. No matter what he chose, death was inevitable.

A true martial artist might have gambled everything on a desperate move in this no-win situation. But for someone like Cenn Cruach, who held his own existence above all else, that was impossible.

Eventually, there was only one step left between them.

—I... I surrender. I will submit to you. I will offer you my divinity, my entire godhood! You may strip me of my divine essence, reduce me to a lesser divinity if you must. Just... show mercy!

Cenn Cruach’s voice trembled with desperation. It was a pathetic plea, but it was not without merit.

Even from Leonard’s perspective, gaining complete control over a being with the potential to ascend beyond a Chief God wasn’t entirely without advantage. Even if he emerged victorious today, there was still an insurmountable amount of work to do as the new owner of the Divine Throne. If he could bend a True God–level being into servitude, it would ease his burden considerably.

“Oh, is that so?” Leonard’s voice was indifferent. “I don’t see any reason to accept that.”

Cenn Cruach’s face contorted in despair. At that moment, as the divine beam of power momentarily flickered after being deflected by the Indestructible Aegis, the Five Elements Divine Sword appeared in Leonard’s grasp.

With a single step forward, he swung. A single, horizontal slash. Simple, pure, and unparalleled in elegance.

One Origin Five Elements Divine Sword

World Peace and Order

The beam of energy pouring from Cenn Cruach’s maw split cleanly in two. And beyond that—his neck. That was the end.

The fractured, brittle shell of his already weakened exoskeleton shattered like glass. The severed head, crowned with strands of blood-drenched hair, spun into the air. He was decapitated, and as if that weren’t enough, Leonard followed up with a precise thrust, driving his Five Elements Divine Sword straight through the center of Cenn Cruach’s forehead.

“Hades.”

The severed head trembled violently, its eyes darting frantically in their sockets, yet unable to scream. It was only then that Cenn Cruach understood why Leonard hadn’t immediately finished him off.

—What is your command, O’ King of Gods?

Hades, the King of the Underworld and the very being who had held the Outer God Balor at bay, answered Leonard’s summons and stepped into view. He took one glance at Cenn Cruach’s pitiful remains and let out a small chuckle.

At that moment, the battle was decided. The victor and the vanquished were clear.

“If I destroy him outright, the divinity and authority contained within him will either be erased or dissipate, weakening the very fabric of this world. Even though he had one foot in the outer dimensions, he was still born in this realm. In a way, he’s one of this realm’s largest remaining fragments.”

Cenn Cruach had been created by consuming the divine essences of over a dozen gods. Even though his being had been tainted by outer-dimensional influence, he was still deeply intertwined with this world’s fundamental laws.

If he were to be annihilated as an Outer God, it would leave an irreparable void. That was why Leonard had kept him alive—disabled, yet intact. He had already devised a way to stabilize this world.

“Reconstruct Tartarus. Seal him within it. Extract every last drop of his divine essence and authority. Once the process is complete, you may dispose of him.”

—It will take a thousand years to extract everything with minimal loss. Are you fine with that?

“That’s fine. There’s no rush anymore.”

With that, Leonard raised his hand and, in a single motion, sealed off the remaining dimensional rifts. With Cenn Cruach neutralized, there were no more obstacles preventing his interference.

“...First, I should clean up the battlefield.”

With a single downward swing of the Five Elements Divine Sword, the remnants of the outer-dimensional forces shattered into dust, disintegrating like ash upon the wind.

Without an opponent of equal standing, a True God–level being was an absolute force—a one-sided power imbalance.

Leonard tossed Cenn Cruach’s severed head to Hades and casually shook the blood and brain matter off his sword. He then rose into the sky.

Even without expanding his aura, the iridescent divine energy radiating from him painted the heavens in a breathtaking spectrum of light. Even those who could barely breathe from exhaustion couldn’t help but gaze up at him in awe.

And then, he spoke.

“Soldiers, hear me—!”

It was neither a lion’s roar nor the Six Harmonies Sound Transmission. It was simply his voice. Yet, it echoed for miles upon miles, reaching the ears of every individual no matter how far away they had fallen.

Every last surviving member of the allied forces looked up at Leonard, the god who had returned to this world after millennia of absence.

“The Great Evil God has been slain by my hand—by Leonard of the House of Cardenas! The Outer Gods who sought to trample upon our world have been vanquished! Their ambitions lie in ruin, and they shall never set foot upon this land again!”

There was no need for grand embellishments. Only the simple truth.

With Leonard ascending the Divine Throne, the dimensional barriers would swiftly restore themselves. The interference from the outer dimensions would be rendered powerless. There would be no further invasions. No more Rifts, no more Corroded Realms.

Even if the remaining cultists across the continent managed to perform their twisted summoning rituals, their sacrifices would yield only the faintest echoes of what once was. They would only be able to call forth pathetic, weakened Outer Gods—beings so feeble that even Demigod Tier beings could obliterate them.

“Lay down your arms and rest! The battle is over! Return to the surface and spread the word of your triumph—your glory! In other words...”

As if answering his declaration, the Five Elements Divine Sword shone brilliantly. The iridescent divine energy surged forth, washing over every last survivor, mending their wounds, and restoring lost limbs.

This miracle was beyond the reach of even the greatest Class 9 magic and was a power that had not graced this world since the age of legends. Leonard performed it as if it were nothing.

Then, with finality, he declared, “This is our victory—humanity’s victory!”

As if they had been waiting for those words, the allied forces erupted into cheers. They poured every ounce of their newfound strength into roaring, shouting, and thrusting their fists into the sky—as if their voices alone could shatter the heavens. Everyone was swinging wildly, overcome with joy at their victory and survival.

Despite the blood-soaked ground and the overwhelming stench of death, their faces were filled with only pure joy and delight.

1. Tai Sui is a Chinese name for stars directly opposite the planet Jupiter (木星 Mùxīng) in its roughly 12-year orbital cycle. Personified as deities, they are important features of Chinese astrology, Feng Shui, Taoism, and, to a lesser extent, Chinese Buddhism. ☜