Chapter 39 The God of Growth

'The deathly aura here is truly pure, as if it has been filtered. It seems my pale and terrifying divine essence is on the verge of a breakthrough," Paikos opened his eyes, and a flicker of surprise passed through his dark golden irises. 'Indeed, it's extraordinary." Herber lowered her gaze, pondering where things had gone wrong… 'Ugh~ ugh~" A faint sound of crying echoed, accompanied by a chilling gust of wind that swept through, carrying an eerie coldness. The sound seemed to be right in front of them yet also felt distant, fluctuating between near and far, elusive and unpredictable. Something's wrong! Herber and Paikos cautiously scanned their surroundings. Suddenly, a pair of golden wings spread out behind the goddess, and the two deities took flight, their wings propelling them into the air. Herber's fingertips glimmered with icy blue light. With a wave of her delicate hand, she unleashed her divine power of ice and snow, summoning a frost storm that spread out from her center, dispersing the surrounding mist. When they looked down, they realized that they had unknowingly been surrounded by numerous monsters. These were swarms of skeletal soldiers, a motley crew made up of various remains. Judging by the bones, there were humans, animals, magical beasts, nymphs, and even a deity! 'Is that the Wind God of the Valley, Theodoros?" The divine form was in better condition than the other creatures. Most of the flesh on his body had decayed, but his face was still vaguely recognizable from his life. Gods have excellent memories; Herber vaguely recalled seeing this deity several hundred years ago on the Divine Mountain. The Wind God of the Valley, a weak third-tier minor god, had since vanished without a trace. It was difficult to draw attention to the disappearance of a minor god. She never expected he would fall in this Death Gorge, his body tainted by the aura of death, turned into something sinister. 'To think even a god would dare to be devoured. This divine essence doesn't have any crazy derivatives, does it?" Paikos remarked, observing the slow-moving undead creatures below, their eyes burning with ghostly flames. 'It not only absorbed their life energy but also enslaved their bodies and souls," Herber noted, seeing shadowy figures flickering behind the undead. These were vengeful spirits born from the resentment of the creatures after their tragic deaths. 'My lord, don't worry. Leave these little things to me," Paikos said with interest. This Death Gorge was indeed dangerous. Even a first-tier god entering here would likely face dire consequences against such a multitude of undead creatures and vengeful spirits. Moreover, the mastermind behind this had yet to reveal themselves, adding to the instability of the situation. But who could have imagined that the ones coming to this Death Gorge would be two gods of the highest rank? While dealing with these undead creatures and vengeful spirits might require some effort from others, it was like showing off a big knife in front of Guan Gong for Paikos, the god of the underworld. With a single flap of his wings, Paikos shot into the swarm of undead like a bolt of black and gold lightning. He had sheathed his frost sword and suddenly became interested in testing the power of his two accompanying artifacts. 'Hiss!" The undead creatures roared and charged at him as they sensed the approaching enemy. A round, pitch-black ring appeared in Paikos's hand, floating in his palm. With a flick of his wrist, it unleashed a burst of dark light, and the extinguished divine power overflowed. Everywhere the god with crow-gold wings passed, the undead were reduced to ash, their deathly energy dissipating and being absorbed by him. 'Ugh!" The vengeful spirits, seeing the undead fall, screamed as they lunged at the enemy. Their voices had a disorienting effect, briefly stunning their foes. The vengeful spirits flickered in and out of view, their hands transforming into sharp claws aimed at Paikos. These claws wouldn't harm his physical body, as they were meant to tear at the soul. This was undoubtedly more lethal; physical injuries could be repaired, but once the soul was damaged, it would be much more troublesome to mend. However, the vengeful spirits' haunting sounds had no effect on Paikos. A phantom of a sun of the underworld flickered on his forehead, providing protection for its master. Between Paikos's long fingers, a purplish-red flame appeared out of nowhere. A rain of ghostly fire fell from the sky, and when the flames touched the vengeful spirits, they burrowed into their bodies like maggots, using their souls as fuel to burn fiercely. One by one, the vengeful spirits screamed as they were consumed by the flames. The entire gorge instantly transformed into a purgatory of purplish-red, with the god sporting crow-gold wings floating in mid-air, admiring the scene, his expression one of intoxicated delight. '…" Herber watched from above, feeling that her half-brother was truly suited to play the role of a villain; he looked every bit like an evil god. The heavenly fire burned only souls, and under such a natural nemesis, the vengeful spirits didn't last long. They quickly exhausted their soul power and dissipated into the void. Paikos absorbed the deathly energy they released, and his pale, terrifying divine essence surged, shining brightly as it broke through to the peak of second-tier divine power. 'My lord, I've cleared away the riffraff. Let's move on," Paikos said cheerfully, having broken through to a higher divine essence, as he flapped his wings and returned to Herber's side. 'Paikos, if someone had seen your expression just now, they might have thought you were some kind of dark overlord," Herber couldn't help but tease, even though he was her half-brother. 'Hmm? I learned that expression from Prince Danadus. He always wears that look when he's reaping souls. He says it's the only way to instill a sense of reverence for death," Paikos replied, a hint of confusion flashing in his dark golden eyes. 'Is he wrong?" '…" Damn Danadus, what kind of nonsense is he teaching? That kind of villainous grin really only makes people think they're about to be sent to the depths of hell. In the underworld, Danadus, who had finally found some peace and quiet, couldn't help but sneeze. The silver-haired god of death muttered, 'Who's talking about me…?" Time was short, and Herber couldn't afford to address Paikos's education issues right now. They continued onward. The cliffs on either side of the gorge grew taller, nearly blotting out the sky. The ground had transformed into the purest shade of ghostly purple, a characteristic unique to the underworld. Herber looked around. Unlike the earlier parts of the gorge, there was no gray mist of death here. The view was expansive, with the surrounding rocks and streams clearly visible. Yet, she still felt an overwhelming and suffocating aura of death surrounding her, making her quite uncomfortable. 'Strange, there's clearly no mist of death here, yet I still feel very uneasy." 'My lord, that's because the aura of death here is too dense; it has already coalesced into a river," Paikos pointed to a small river in front of them. This was no ordinary river; it was a river of death, formed from the concentration of deathly energy. '!" Herber followed Paikos's gaze. The river wasn't very wide, but it was long and winding. Her eyes sparkled with golden light as her divine sight traced the river's path. Finally, she saw it. At the end of the river, a staff adorned with intricate carvings and embellished with golden wheat and fruit gleamed with dazzling light. At the top of the staff, a vibrant green six-sided crystal shimmered with enchanting divine light. It was the Golden Staff of Wheat from Crys and the embodiment of the divine essence of growth! 'Finally here, I've been waiting for you for quite a while…" The male voice whispered, seemingly penetrating through space, resonating in Herber and Paikos's ears. The tone was elegant and gentle, making one feel that its owner must be an incredibly kind person. The vibrant green divine essence of growth emitted a dazzling divine light, with green photons swirling like flowing emeralds, slowly sketching out the form of a male deity in the void until it finally solidified. With dark green, wavy hair and a handsome face, his eyes contained the mysteries of life. He gently caressed the Golden Staff of Wheat, casting a faint gaze towards the two unexpected visitors in the gorge, a meaningful smile curling at the corners of his mouth. The ancient Titan god, the God of Growth, Crys! 'Crys," Herber said, her expression serious as she faced him from a distance. 'Beautiful goddess, it is my honor to meet you. The radiance of life surrounding you is truly dazzling. May I have the privilege of knowing your divine name?" Crys maintained a gentle smile, his handsome face glowing with a subtle golden hue, reminiscent of spring buds, exuding a vibrant vitality that made him seem approachable and unforgettable at first glance. '…" Herber remained silent. This deity appeared gentle and harmless, but she had witnessed the entire Titan War through the historical divine essence and knew that he was the epitome of a ‘gentle knife'—every strike could take a life. Those who underestimated him had undoubtedly suffered great losses in his hands. 'Ah? Not willing to share? You truly are a cold goddess, Princess Herber," Crys sighed, a hint of melancholy flickering in his light green eyes. 'But fortunately, that little fellow knows that the soul of that minor god doesn't taste very good; however, his memories are somewhat useful." 'You devoured the soul of Deodoros!?" No wonder there was no sign of that wind god among the vengeful spirits.