Chapter 65 The Curse

The entire process was nearly complete, and the gods held their breath, their gazes fixed on the golden-haired goddess radiating a life force that was utterly at odds with the underworld, alongside her, the dark-haired deity with ebony wings. "O spirits who have completed the journey of death, listen to my whispers. Death is not an end but a new beginning. When you regain your original purity, you will be granted the right to be reborn. Come, enter the temple of reincarnation, walk through the radiant stone archway, and you will be reignited with the flame of life, bidding farewell to your past self. You will descend into the world you have always loved in a brand new form. In the name of the Goddess of Life, let reincarnation be established!" As the goddess spoke, a massive stone archway appeared. Crafted from the deepest stones of Tartarus, it shimmered with a mysterious, dark purple hue, engraved with intricate silver divine patterns. The immense power of space formed a swirling portal of light within the archway. Stepping into this light, the soul would be transported from the underworld to the mortal realm. "Pacus." The golden-haired goddess with purple eyes exchanged a glance with her other half. The handsome dark-haired deity nodded solemnly and took out a golden seed from his bosom. He activated his divine essence of death, and a dense aura of death surged into the miraculous seed. Under the influence of this deathly energy, the seed emitted a brilliant golden-blue divine light. A tender sprout broke through the soil, and a divine herb imbued with resurrection power was born in an instant. Its golden, leafless body was long and vine-like, adorned with enchanting blue flowers that bloomed like lotuses, their petals elongated and accompanied by fine tendrils, appearing both alluring and majestic. Pacus threw the resurrection herb towards the stone archway. The extraordinary and beautiful divine herb immediately took root and entwined around the archway, merging with it under the catalysis of the world's will. The swirling light of the portal transformed into a golden-blue hue, completing the reincarnation gate imbued with the power of rebirth. With the establishment of the reincarnation gate, a strange wave of energy began to emanate from the world's will, which even the confused gods could sense as an expression of joy. In the void, an indescribable and unfathomable power was gathering, revealing the shadow of a peculiar divine essence, black and white intermingled, gradually manifesting before the gods. It was two completely conflicting divine powers now condensed within a single divine essence. The resurrection divine essence within Hebe uncontrollably flew out, transforming into a streak of light that darted into that divine essence shadow. Instantly, the black-and-white divine essence radiated with brilliant light, quickly taking shape. The golden-haired goddess with purple eyes grasped the divine essence in her hand, integrating it into her own body. She shone with black and white light, her divine power level continuously climbing until it reached the pinnacle of a high god, seemingly halted by some limitation. The power of reincarnation spread out, causing the gods to gaze up in awe. "Embrace death, bring forth new life, in the name of Hebe, let reincarnation be established with me as its sovereign!" With the goddess's final words, reincarnation was officially established in the world of Chaos. The will of the world swept across the entire Chaos realm, affecting everything—from the lofty Mount Olympus to the vast lands and oceans, and even the entities dwelling in the depths of the underworld. This will inspired an uncontrollable, boundless joy from the depths of their hearts. The world of Chaos had changed, and the first to sense this transformation was Gaia, the Mother of the Earth. The goddess's face lit up with joy; as the foundation of the world, she could feel that the establishment of reincarnation had infused the realm with vitality, making it seem as though the world of Chaos had come to life. It began to actively draw power from the chaotic energies that enveloped it, converting them into primal energy to replenish itself. Wearing the crown of all creation, the Mother of the Earth radiated a gentle glow. Her previously solemn and majestic expression softened, and her face, which appeared somewhat aged and weary compared to her siblings, now bore a layer of skin that resembled snake scales. In just a moment, the scaly layer shed away, revealing a much younger and beautiful visage. With her essence replenished, Gaia had become youthful again. The wrinkles on her face had diminished significantly; where she once looked like a charming middle-aged woman, she now resembled a stunning woman in her late twenties, exuding a mature and elegant charm. Even with her status as a primordial goddess, several male gods present could not help but swallow hard at the sight. …Even some female deities felt the same way. Gaia touched her face, an uncontrollable ecstasy welling up within her. Accompanied by the will of the Mother of the Earth, the primal energy on the ground surged wildly. The beings on the earth felt their bodies become incredibly light in an instant, as if a mysterious fragrance filled the air. The sacred trees and flowers favored by the gods—oak trees, poplars, olive trees, daffodils, pomegranate blossoms, and others—under the influence of the primal energy, began to give birth to tree nymphs and flower spirits. Following Gaia, the ancient ocean god sensed the changes in the world of Chaos. He was one of Gaia's twelve Titan children, the embodiment of the World River that encircled the realm of Chaos, residing among the stars, tasked with guarding the world and resisting the invasion of chaotic energies—Ocean God Oceanus. The disturbance in the world awakened the ancient ocean god from his slumber. He opened his deep-set eyes and gazed at the earth, observing its radiant glow and sensing that the long-silent world had begun to actively absorb chaotic energies, converting them into primal energy to replenish itself. This revelation left Oceanus astonished. Not only Oceanus, but the ancient sea god Pontus, who was born from Gaia without union and represented the oceanic depths of the earth, also perceived the changes. The transformation of the earth did not escape his notice. The eyes of these two ancient deities sparkled with understanding; they had realized that the birth of reincarnation, as declared by the world's will, was significant enough to usher in an elevation that had not been seen in countless ages. At the same time, their long-dormant thoughts began to stir. They were among the few who knew that the primal energy of the world was insufficient to sustain a fifth primordial god. With the world now experiencing an elevation and gaining the ability to absorb chaotic energies to replenish itself, they believed that in a hundred or so years, it might be possible to barely support another deity. So, could they, as the ancient embodiment of the World River and the sea, have a chance to vie for that position? At this moment, the reigning goddess of reincarnation, Hebe, was unaware that the establishment of reincarnation brought her not only benefits but also two ancient potential threats lurking in the shadows. Meanwhile, on Mount Olympus, Zeus sat on the throne of the king of gods. His wise and far-sighted eyes also recognized the changes in the earth. He had already learned of the formal establishment of reincarnation, and it appeared that his grandmother had gained considerable benefits from it. No wonder she had been so protective of Hebe; it turned out that she was the ultimate beneficiary of this matter. A storm brewed in Zeus's sky-blue eyes as his expression shifted unpredictably. He sensed the primal energy of the world growing increasingly vigorous, and it seemed that his own divine power was subtly increasing as well. The barrier he had always struggled to cross now showed faint signs of loosening. Though this slight loosening was nearly imperceptible, it ignited a spark of hope within him. Zeus stood up excitedly from the throne of the king of gods, his eyes shining with an ambition he had never felt before. "So that's how it is! The reason I couldn't take that step wasn't due to a lack of potential within myself, but because the world's primal energy was limited and could not support my advancement. Now that the world has been elevated and the concentration of primal energy is steadily increasing, does that mean... I will have the opportunity to take that step!" If he truly succeeded in taking that step and joined the ranks of the primordial gods, he would no longer have to fear the curse of being overthrown. Who would possess the power to cast a curse upon a primordial god? However, advancing to become a primordial god would not be so easy... Zeus stroked his chin, deep in thought. To achieve his advancement, the support of the primordial gods was essential. Yet, due to the previous conflict over the authority of reincarnation, he and that "good daughter" Hebe had nearly reached a point of open hostility, with only the last shred of dignity remaining between them. The establishment of reincarnation had brought significant benefits to Gaia, and the goddess undoubtedly held considerable weight in her eyes now. Continuing to confront her in such a confrontational manner would likely lead to Gaia not looking favorably upon him, making it all the more difficult to gain her support. It seemed... he would need to find an opportunity to mend his relationship with his daughter. If he could have her as a mediator, he would not only gain Gaia's support but might also be able to win over the goddess Nyx. As long as it was beneficial for his advancement to become a primordial god, Zeus was willing to set aside his pride and make concessions.