Although gods are said to be immortal, if their divine core is tainted by demonic energy, it is like a flower that has been drained of its nutrients and will die instantly.
Gu Zhong used his powerful swordplay to create a barrier, trapping Yang Shuo inside and preventing him from killing anyone else.
As if he felt no pain, Yang Shuo slammed into the sword formation again and again, and soon a crack appeared in it. It looked like he was about to break out of the formation.
"Get out of the way!"
A sharp shout rang out, carrying an overwhelming and oppressive aura, and a figure suddenly appeared in the arena.
A golden phantom flew from the newcomer's hand, heading towards Yangshuo, instantly binding the man tightly, causing him to fall heavily to the ground, unable to move an inch.
Gu Zhongneng could tell that this golden light was probably a divine artifact not commonly found in the divine realm—the Binding God Rope.
Only the young lord and the god emperor possess it.
"Greetings, Young Master!"
The surrounding immortals and deities all bowed in respect.
Gu Zhong also sheathed his sword and bowed to her.
The elegant and graceful woman walked slowly and steadily toward Yangshuo, dragging the tail of the Binding God Rope.
“Lord Gu Zhong, come with me to see my father.”
With a serious expression, she spoke to Gu Zhong.
Gu Zhong glanced at Ling Yan, who was standing to the side. She was looking back at Gu Zhong with some worry, seemingly hesitating whether to go with her.
He shook his head almost imperceptibly at her, then followed the young lord, dragging the demon-possessed Yang Shuo, towards the Nine Heavens Palace.
"Gu Zhong, what's going on? Why has a demon appeared? And why has it possessed one of my divine lords? And why are you here in the divine realm instead of guarding the Abyss of Gods and Demons?"
Upon hearing the report about the situation at Tianmen, the God Emperor was furious.
He slammed his palm heavily on the crystal jade table that had been used for many years, and a few cracks suddenly appeared on the flawless white tabletop, showing that the God Emperor was truly furious.
"It is my dereliction of duty."
Gu Zhong immediately knelt on one knee, lowered his head and eyes, and sincerely admitted his mistake.
The demonic energy leaked out unnoticed and infiltrated the divine realm without her noticing, which was indeed a dereliction of duty on her part.
"Father, please calm your anger. It was my fault. I thought the divine realm had been peaceful in recent years, with nothing major happening. I have long admired Goddess Gu Zhong and have always wanted to have a heart-to-heart talk with her. Two days ago, I specially invited her to the divine realm, but I never expected that such a major incident would occur by chance—"
For some reason, the young lord took the blame upon himself, finding a reason for Gu Zhong's unexplained entry into the divine realm.
"A coincidence? Hmph, is it really just a coincidence?"
The God Emperor snorted coldly, his eyes fixed intently on Gu Zhong, but ultimately he did not unleash his fury as before.
"Sigh—you—forget it, it's come to this. You, follow Gu Zhong, gather a group of celestial soldiers and generals, and head together to the Abyss of Gods and Demons to thoroughly investigate this matter—let's set off immediately!"
The God Emperor ultimately let the matter drop lightly, though he ordered the two to investigate thoroughly. However, he no longer trusted Gu Zhong.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Gu Zhong had no objection to this; the fact that Shao Jun was investigating was, to her, somewhat favorable news.
The God Emperor waved his hand, dismissing the two from the hall.
The two walked out of the Nine Heavens Palace, just like before.
Gu Zhong turned to face the young lord and bowed.
"Thank you, young master, but I wonder—"
Her question was interrupted before she could even voice it.
"You're doing this for Xiaoyan's two-thousandth birthday, right?"
The young lord looked as if he understood perfectly.
Gu Zhong nodded gracefully.
"Then what I said doesn't count as deceiving the emperor. Her invitation to you and my invitation to you are essentially the same. It's good that you can spend more time with her."
Shaojun said nonchalantly that she genuinely believed it.
Upon reaching Tianmen, the previous scene had been completely cleaned up, presenting a brand-new look.
Apart from the celestial officials who immediately went to wait here upon receiving the divine emperor's summons, only Lingyan remained standing here, eagerly awaiting his return.
"You—you're going back?"
Seeing Gu Zhong return, she quickly walked up and blocked their way, looking rather resentful.
"Ah Yan, I'm sorry—"
Gu Zhong was filled with guilt, but no one could have imagined that such a thing would happen on what should have been a wonderful day.
However, given her duty, she had already failed in her duty once and had to find a way to make amends.
"Don't worry, we will investigate as soon as possible and try our best to bring your god back before your birthday, okay?"
Shaojun reached out and patted his younger sister's head, trying to lighten the somber mood that surrounded the Heavenly Gate with a humorous tone.
"Sister, are you going too?"
Lingyan looked at the young master in surprise, after all, the young master of the God Realm rarely left the God Realm.
“This matter is of utmost importance. Father has ordered a thorough investigation, so I naturally have to go and find out the truth.”
I want to go too!
Ling Yan said angrily, her cheeks puffed out like a steamed bun.
"You'd better stay here and wait for us to come back."
Shaojun smiled and shook his head, firmly refusing her. A minor deity with meager divine power truly couldn't offer any help.
"You must come back! Otherwise—"
When her companion's request was denied, Ling Yan could only wave her fist at Gu Zhong, pretending to be fierce and threatening him.
"I will."
Even though he knew the chances of returning on time were slim, Gu Zhong couldn't bear to disappoint the little god at this time, so he still made a promise.
Watching the troop of soldiers disappear through the Heavenly Gate, Ling Yan gave a low, cold snort and ran towards the Chaos Palace.
"It's starting..."
Not far away, someone was whispering, filled with immense joy, yet seemingly entangled with endless sorrow.
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Author's Note:
Happy May Day everyone! (A bitter face that doesn't deserve a holiday is actually beaming with joy.jpg)
Chapter 146 The Supreme God and the God of War (Part Six)
==========================
Returning to the Abyss of Gods and Demons, it was no different from when Gu Zhong left.
The soldiers guarding the border were conscientious in their duties, keeping a close watch on the barrier between the two worlds for a moment, creating a scene of peace and tranquility.
"My Lord, what is this?"
The soldiers on duty were puzzled when they saw Gu Zhong leading a large group of immortals and gods to suddenly descend.
"How about the barrier between gods and demons?"
Gu Zhong asked in a serious tone.
"Of course, they are safe and sound."
Hearing his question, the soldier was very surprised, but still answered respectfully.
A hint of doubt crept onto Gu Zhong's brow. If the barrier was intact, how could demonic energy have infiltrated the divine realm?
She walked towards the barrier and reached out to touch it carefully.
As slender fingers swept across the light screen, ripples of light appeared one after another.
Although the group did not understand her reasoning, they still held their breath and watched her actions quietly.
Suddenly, Gu Zhong stopped moving her hand, and her eyes glanced at a corner on the ground.
She bent down and gently placed her hand on the seemingly intact patch of ground.
With a slight movement of divine power, the perfect spot vanished instantly, revealing a huge crater—this place had previously been concealed by an illusion.
Where that pit should have been buried was a crucial stone—the Demon-Suppressing Stone—the very foundation upon which the barrier between gods and demons was constructed.
Upon seeing the scene before them, the crowd gasped in astonishment.
"What happened?"
Shaojun stepped forward, staring in disbelief at the empty pit; the Demon-Suppressing Stone had vanished without a trace.
She turned to Gu Zhong with a puzzled expression, as if expecting her to provide an explanation.
Gu Zhong's face darkened. She stood up, looked at the barrier, pondered for a few moments, and then struck the light screen fiercely.
The light screen flickered and shattered into pieces in an instant, like broken glass, with transparent fragments peeling off.
—The previous perfect state was all an illusion.
Dense black mist clung to the light screen, constantly seeping into the divine realm, weaving into a massive black net that continued to extend and expand, sending chills down one's spine.
From the other half, which was shrouded in black, came continuous crashing sounds. With each impact, the cracks on the barrier visibly spread further.
At this rate, the boundary between gods and demons will soon be completely shattered.
Even more terrifyingly, despite the relentless efforts, demonic energy, right in front of all the immortals and gods, managed to seep in through the gradually widening crack. Gu Zhong immediately swung his sword and annihilated it.
However, before this, no one knows exactly how much demonic energy had successfully infiltrated and secretly slipped into the myriad realms...
With just a tiny bit, this land will be plunged into carnage.
Disbelief almost overwhelmed Gu Zhong. How could this be? It had reached this point so silently, and she hadn't even noticed?