Chapter 678
: The Curtain Falls, the Gods Depart
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In addition, Roosevelt Harper, Gnus Tang, and several other demigods who had initially formed the prototype of a divine kingdom also felt the same, or even stronger, suppression.
The nascent divine kingdom is a crucial step towards becoming a true god, the cornerstone of the future divine kingdom, and contains a trace of divine rules.
At this moment, this connection between the rule and the material world of the main plane was forcefully "shielded" by the joint seal of the seven main gods.
They were unable to project the nascent form of the divine kingdom, unable to use the power of the rules within that nascent form to crush their opponents, and even felt that the connection between themselves and that nascent form had become sluggish.
The seal has taken effect.
The terms of the covenant of the gods are not empty words.
Saints and demigods are forbidden from directly interfering in mortal wars with temples and nascent divine kingdoms—this rule, solidified by a powerful seal set up by the seven main gods covering the entire prime plane, has become one of the fundamental rules of this world.
After the initial shock, discomfort, and frustration of having their power restricted, the vast majority of the saints and demigods present silently accepted it.
The will of the gods cannot be defied.
Moreover, while the rules seem strict, they are relatively fair.
At least in terms of limiting the direct involvement of top-tier combat forces in war, everyone is treated equally.
However, this so-called "equal treatment" is not seen in the eyes of some beings.
Especially when countless gazes, some bright and some dim, involuntarily drifted toward the young emperor, Cohen Corleone, who was enveloped in the divine light of the Goddess of Light, surrounded by several women of noble status, and whose face was still somewhat pale but who had just completed the feat of "slaying a god."
This discontent fermented even faster, almost turning into a torrent of resentment and doubt.
"These rules... these damn rules are practically a tailor-made talisman for him!"
A saintly assassin belonging to a certain human empire growled at his companion beside him in an almost inaudible voice.
His gaze was fixed on Cohen, filled with resentment.
His companion, a heavily armored holy knight, also had a grim expression and said in a muffled voice:
"That's right... The fighting power that kid just displayed, how could he be a legend?"
Even the past incarnation of the God of Darkness was defeated by him... This is beyond the description of fighting beyond one's level!
"The power he wielded, the golden flames, the eerie runes, and finally, that terrifying phantom dragon."
If the temple isn't used, ordinary saints...
He didn't finish speaking, but all the saints present who heard his whisper felt a chill in their hearts.
Ordinary saints, without using the "Temple" and being unable to unleash the Temple Domain, relying solely on their Saint-level magic power, physical strength, and combat skills... would they have a chance against the monster Cohen, who was able to withstand the final battle against the incarnation of a god even at the Legendary level?
Cohen's combat prowess at the Legendary level has defied common sense, reaching and even surpassing the conventional combat power ceiling of many veteran Saints.
He was like a "legend" with an invincible cheat code, while the new rules of the gods forcibly dragged those saints who wielded the Temple, this super weapon, down to the same level as him.
In this way, it becomes immediately clear who benefits and who suffers.
Discontent quickly spread among the crowd.
It's not just because of the limitation of power itself, but also because this limitation seems so unfair to Cohen, the "special case," as if it's clearing obstacles for him and providing him, the "miracle creator" who has just offended the God of Darkness, with an invisible protective shell.
After all, the gods only prohibited direct interference with the temples and the nascent divine kingdoms, but they did not prohibit the gods from supporting their "chosen kingdoms" in other ways, nor did they prohibit the gods from bestowing blessings, artifacts, knowledge, etc., upon mortals they favored, as long as they did not directly violate the rules.
So, how far will Cohen, who has just displayed such incredible potential that even the Goddess of Light is willing to confront the God of Darkness to protect him, grow in the next five years with the "reasonable" support of the gods?
How should those forces that are hostile to him and the Efein Empire deal with such a monster that cannot be suppressed by the Temple and whose growth rate may be frighteningly fast?
The mortal rulers present quickly expressed their dissatisfaction, especially the human emperors and kings who held the most power in the mortal realm and were supported by powerful deities.
They exchanged glances, their lips moving silently. The royal blood flowing through their veins and the charisma cultivated from long-term wielding of power made them almost desperate to speak up and question the divine incarnations they served or cooperated with.
Or at least impose certain restrictions on Cohen.
After all, this concerns the fate of the nation, the lives of hundreds of millions of people, and their own life, death, honor, and disgrace.
However, Madora, the majestic chief god and god of prophecy, did not give them any chance to speak, and looked directly at the incarnation of Losanda, the god of space.
Losanda nodded in understanding, and in the next instant, another huge portal of light opened in the sky above the Florence Plains, hovering stably in front of all the mortal rulers.
Inside the door, the same deep, swirling silver vortex still existed, but its direction was clearly leading back to where they had come from.
The moment this "gateway to return" appeared, Madora's voice rang out again:
"The will of the gods has been decided. The terms of the covenant cannot be changed."
His voice was calm, yet it sent chills down your spine more than the harshest rebuke:
“Go yourselves, gather your armies, prepare your arsenals, use your wits, or... prepare your surrender documents and your graves.”
The five-year period begins at this very moment, in this minute, in this second.
Return to your country and face your destiny.
The covenant of the gods took effect the moment I uttered the last word.
He paused, then uttered a sentence that sent chills down everyone's spines, making them feel as if mountains of corpses and seas of blood were rushing towards them:
"If, in the next second, the name of any country on the map of the mainland were to disappear forever... I would not be surprised at all."
Cold, the coldness of a god looking down upon ants.
There was no room for negotiation or appeal.
The gods set the rules, and mortals simply need to follow them, or... die while following them.
Although the monarchs of various countries looked unwilling, they had no choice but to accept it.
Under the seal jointly set up by the seven main gods and the emotionless gaze of the god of prophecy, any protest is futile, and any delay may mean annihilation.
Emperor Wilson Jarvis of the Southern Empire was the first to move. He glanced deeply at the gods high above, then at Cohen, who was shrouded in holy light, and without saying a word, strode into the silver-white gate of return.
As if a switch had been flipped, Emperor Clemenceau Munro of the Western Regions, leaning on his amethyst cane, followed closely behind without hesitation.
Emperor Abraham Cox of the Northern Region glanced at Cohen with a strange expression before striding into the portal.
One after another, the rulers of various powers, whether monarchs of human empires, leaders of powerful churches, or representatives of alien tribes, all stepped through the silver gate leading to their lands, which were destined to be no longer peaceful, with extremely solemn expressions and suppressed complex emotions.
The area above the Florence Plain, which had been filled with dignitaries and almost all of the continent's top powers moments before, quickly became empty.
At that moment, Shanies Klein, Freya, Garlene Saint-Mera, and Mavis Tinuvel, these four noble empresses and queens, did not leave immediately.
Their gazes, without prior agreement, turned to Cohen once again.
Cohen gently shook his head and spoke slowly:
"Go back first. With such a big incident, your country, your people, your court and parliament must be in complete chaos, with countless urgent matters waiting for you to handle."
This isn't the place to talk. Once things stabilize a bit, I'll... come find you.
I promise."
A few simple words miraculously soothed the thousands of words that were about to overflow in the eyes of several queens and empresses.
They were all top-level rulers, so they naturally understood that Cohen was right.
Now, every second counts. They must return immediately, take command at the central command, and deal with this upheaval that could upend everything.
Shanis gave Cohen a deep look, her beautiful face regaining the calm and majesty of the Empress of the Central Empire, before turning and stepping into the silver gate.
Freya gazed at Cohen with deep affection for a second, then her figure seemed to merge into the snow and ice, disappearing into the portal of light.
Carlene Saint-Mera gave Cohen a firm "take care" gesture before transforming into a dark golden stream of light and disappearing into the portal.
Mavis Tinuvel gave Cohen a perfectly standard mage's salute, mouthed "Be careful," and then gracefully lifted her skirt and stepped inside.
The silvery-white gate, after swallowing the figure of the last ruler, quietly closed, turning into specks of silver light that dissipated into the air.
The sky above the Florence Plain, which had just been filled with the sounds of people and the undercurrents of life, suddenly became completely silent.
Only the gods, still radiating their immense divine power, remain high in the sky.
Only on the plains remained hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians, still immersed in immense shock and bewildered fear, who had not yet fully comprehended that their fate had been utterly altered.
The cold and cruel final rules of the covenant of the gods, like invisible shackles, weighed heavily on the hearts of every listener, and also heralded the end of this phase of the gods' direct intervention in mortal affairs.
The objective has been achieved, the ironclad rules have been established, and all that remains is to hand the stage back to the mortals, allowing them to struggle, gamble, and fight to the death under the new, bloody rules.
The divine incarnations hanging high in the sky began to shimmer.
The divine thoughts of Madora, the god of prophecy, had already reached the consciousness of every deity present.
The gods who had no direct connection with the Florentine Plains, with Cohen, or with this wager were the first to react.
The goddess, representing agriculture and harvest, surrounded by illusory images of wheat ears and grapevines, nodded slightly towards Madora before transforming into specks of golden light imbued with the breath of life and dissipating into the air. The protector of travelers and thieves vanished without a trace, like mist dispersed by the wind.
The embodiment of the god of music and art, before departing, seemed to pluck an invisible string, leaving behind a complex and incomprehensible fragment of melody, which then vanished along with the melody.
One by one, the neutral gods, especially those whose duties leaned towards support, healing, exploration, knowledge, and other non-combat areas, transformed into streaks of light and returned to the divine realm after receiving Madora's orders.
Many more, especially those divine incarnations responsible for combat, protection, punishment, and order, paused briefly to confirm Madora's will before turning back and heading towards the more treacherous and perilous battlefield—the abyss of the underworld.
There, the true forms of the guardian god Heim and the space god Losanda are leading the warriors of the divine realm in a fierce and crucial battle against the rioting seventy-two demon gods and their endless army of demons.
Streaks of powerful divine light pierced the slightly gloomy sky above the Florence Plains, traversing the dimensional barrier in ways incomprehensible to mortals, and heading towards the abyss of the underworld.
However, not all gods chose to leave immediately. Several exceptionally powerful gods remained firmly in place, showing no signs of leaving.
Madora, the prophetic goddess seated amidst the mists of time, witnessed all of this, and after a moment of silence, slowly spoke:
You have one day.
One day later, at sunset, all the gods must leave the prime plane and return to the divine realm, and may not return unless there are special circumstances.
Remember this, just one day!
The seal set up by the seven elemental gods is not only effective against the temple of the saints and the nascent divine kingdom of the demigods.
It will also suppress the prolonged stagnation of power levels that do not belong to the main plane itself.
This naturally includes the gods. This additional restriction is also to ensure the purity of the covenant's execution and to prevent certain entities from secretly interfering with the upcoming continental struggle.
Madora's final admonition served as a final note to this gathering that affected both the divine and mortal realms.
Having finished his explanation, the ancient god of prophecy lingered no longer. His blurred figure faded completely, merging into the invisible barrier between the main plane and the divine realm, and vanished without a trace.
With the Chief God leaving first, the other gods had no reason to linger and departed one after another.
Finally, only four figures remained, still hovering there steadily, radiating different yet incredibly powerful divine radiance, supporting the last extraordinary aura of this sky.
The goddess of light, Aetherel, gently yet firmly enveloped a small area, protecting Cohen and his closest confidants.
Those pure, light-like eyes were fixed on Cohen almost without blinking.
Her gaze was so complex that Cohen couldn't look her in the eye. There was a mix of longing and bittersweetness at finally reuniting after a long wait and search, displeasure and possessiveness at the sudden appearance of so many outstanding women around him, and excitement and confirmation at the long-lost affectionate nickname she had just uttered.
A thousand words, countless emotions, surged within that silent gaze.
Having been separated for so long, the joy of reunion was intertwined with the complexities of the current situation, so she naturally wanted to stay and have a good talk with Cohen.
The gaze of the ice element and the ice goddess Daphne was entirely fixed on Adele.
The ownership of the divine status has been settled, but this does not mean the end.
The unbreakable bond between her and Cohen, and the role she will play in the raging vortex sweeping across the continent... there are so many things that need to be told.
Elon Wise, an ancient elven sage, was primarily concerned with Vilekis.
He needed to ensure that Virekis, the most precious seed of the Elven race, could find the right direction in the storm.
Finally, there is the dragon god Bahamut Goldbright.
At this moment, his gaze sometimes swept over Cohen, and sometimes seemed to penetrate the barrier of space, looking towards a distant and specific direction—the direction of the Dragon Plane.
He has obtained detailed information about the Red Dragon Princess Asuna Iliad from the Eastern Empire.
Asuna is not in the main plane at the moment, but in the Dragon Plane, where she is consolidating the dragon legion there.
Clearly, this is a crucial contingency plan that Cohen has laid for today's battle, and even for future changes—a colossal dragon army that can be summoned at any time to wreak havoc.
Bahamut was very concerned about Asuna's condition and wanted to talk to her, but to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings, he decided to communicate with Cohen first.
Four gods, four gazes, four different intentions, yet all focused on the same mortal below, and several women whose fates were closely intertwined with his.
Soon, in order to comply with the new rule set by the main plane that restricted the manifestation of excessive power, the four remaining deities began to retract their original, majestic divine forms.
The light softened, and the form gradually solidified, transforming into a form that was more adaptable to the mundane world and easier to communicate with.
The gentle, holy, and inviolable light surrounding the goddess of light, Aetheril, receded like the tide, perfectly submerging and merging into her.
She still stood there, with an exquisite face, perfect body proportions, and long, light golden hair that flowed smoothly over her shoulders. She wore a plain white dress that accentuated her breathtaking curves.
Although it lacks divine radiance, it remains a beauty of utmost purity.
She looked like a perfect, unreal human girl, but the occasional glint in her pale golden eyes and the natural tranquility and majesty that emanated from her reminded others that she was no ordinary person.
The chilling cold that seemed capable of freezing the soul surrounding the ice element and the ice goddess Daphne has quietly dissipated by more than half.
Her long, icy blue hair shimmered with a cool luster, and her exquisite features were like those sculpted from ice and snow, exuding a solitary and aloof beauty that was the complete opposite of Aetherel's holy warmth, yet each had its own unique charm.
She stood there like a beautiful ice sculpture, breathtakingly beautiful, yet exuding a sense of aloofness that kept strangers at bay.
The transformation of Elron Wise, an ancient sage of the Elven race, was the most thorough.
The hazy green glow surrounding him vanished, revealing his true appearance—a tall, slender elf elder whose face did not appear overly aged.
His eyes were gentle and deep, with a faint smile on his lips. He had no imposing aura whatsoever, like a wise elder living deep in the forest, kind and compassionate, making people feel good about him involuntarily.
The form of the dragon god Bahamut Goldbright is also significantly altered.
After the divine light subsided, he appeared to be about forty years old, with a resolute face and a head of neatly combed dark golden short hair.
His posture was upright, with his hands hanging naturally at his sides. There were no exaggerated movements, yet he exuded an aura of authority and power that came from someone who had long held a high position, like a high-ranking official from an ancient empire.
The four deities, at this moment, all restrained their divine power that caused the heavens and earth to change color, and transformed into "saints" who could walk among mortals.
They appeared to be no different from powerful human legends or elders of certain alien races.
But that's just "appearance".
Anyone who has stepped into the realm of legend can clearly sense the vast and unfathomable power hidden beneath that seemingly ordinary exterior.
It wasn't the surging of fighting spirit, nor the overwhelming flow of magic, but rather a "sense of presence" that subtly resonated with the rules of the entire world.
As they stood there, the air around them seemed to slow down and become more respectful, and the light falling on them seemed to become softer and clearer.
They are gods. Even if they have concealed their brilliance and taken human form, the vast difference that originates from the essential level of life, the unique "aura" belonging to the gods, remains.
Cohen looked at the four beings who had descended before him, his face calm, but his eyes flashed with different emotions.
He was not surprised by the appearance of Aetheril and Daphne.
The Goddess of Light's entanglement with him in his past life, her protection in this life, and that silent gaze just now all foreshadowed that she had something to say.
It's reasonable for Daphne to talk to Adele after the Godhood incident was resolved, given her relationship with Adele.
As for Elon Wise, this ancient elven sage, since he personally appeared to protect Virekis, it is only natural that he would stay and have a deep conversation with this elven princess.
Only this dragon god Bahamut Golden Radiance...
Cohen's gaze lingered on the dragon god, who had transformed into a dignified middle-aged official, for an extra half second.
Whether in his past life or this one, his trajectory never seemed to have a clear intersection with this dragon god.
Although he had questions in his mind, Cohen did not show them on his face at all, and this was not the time to talk about these issues.
Below, hundreds of thousands of eyes were watching this place with astonishment and uncertainty.
In the distance, Efein's army needed reorganization, the people of the Empire needed to be appeased, and allies and potential enemies needed to be dealt with.
In a flash, Cohen made his decision.
He took a deep breath, suppressing his slight discomfort, took a half step forward, and said slowly:
"Your Excellencies, if you do not mind, please come to the Florence Royal Palace for a chat."
After Cohen finished speaking, Etherel took a light step forward almost without hesitation to indicate her agreement.
For her, as long as she could be alone with Cohen as soon as possible, the location of their conversation was not important.
Daphne glanced indifferently at Cohen with her icy blue eyes, then looked at Adele beside her. Her cool and beautiful face remained expressionless, and she nodded slightly in acquiescence.
Etheril and Daphne's reactions were expected, and Cohen's gaze then turned to the remaining two. (End of Chapter)