As soon as Corvan gave the stern order, the gods didnât hesitate. They immediately unleashed a barrage of attacks toward Yuan, casting spells powerful enough to destroy entire cities.
All this, just to defeat a single man who seemed to treat their divine positions as if they were nothing. It was as though Yuan had declared war against the heavens themselves, challenging their long-standing dominion over the world.
Massive magic circles lit up the sky as fire and lightning rained down upon himâblazing destruction descending with divine fury.
"AAHAHA!! Letâs see how you survive this!" one of the gods laughed as he swung his sword, releasing a massive arc of lightning toward Yuan.
"This is more than enough to bring down a monster beyond SSS rank! Thereâs no way a mere mortal like you can survive this!"
"Donât stop now! Keep attacking him until every cell in his body is obliterated!"
The laughter of the gods echoed through the air as countless powerful attacks rained down on Yuan.
The sky trembled beneath the overwhelming concentration of mana, and violent shockwaves rippled outward, shaking the entire kingdom.
Yet, Yuan didnât move an inch. He stood there calmly, his expression unwaveringâas if the approaching attacks were nothing more than a summer breeze.
He had no intention of dodging or defending.
But as the attacks neared him, a faint smile appeared on his face, one filled with amusement rather than fear.
Corvan noticed this instantly, narrowing his eyes at Yuan.
That small smile unsettled him.
He couldnât understand why Yuan was smiling at a moment like thisâwhen death itself was closing in.
âSomethingâs wrong... Why do I feel this strange sense of dread?â Corvan thought, a chill creeping up his spine as he struggled to make sense of it.
The barrage struck Yuan directly, every single attack exploding on impact with enough force to shatter mountains.
BOOM!!! The sky erupted in a chain of deafening explosions as shockwaves burst outward, forcing the giant eagles to reel back in panic.
Still, the gods did not relent. They surrounded Yuan from every direction, commanding their mounts to circle him as they continued their relentless assault.
Within minutes, countless attacks had hit him. Smoke and debris filled the air, obscuring his figure, causing many spells to go astray and miss their mark.
Yet despite enduring an onslaught of divine attacks, Yuan stood completely unharmedâexcept for a few tattered edges on his clothing.
Every attack that landed on him simply vanished upon contact, leaving behind only the deafening echoes of explosions that reverberated across the entire kingdom.
The attacks from the gods turned out to be utterly useless. Despite the countless spells, divine artifacts, and destructive blasts unleashed, they couldnât even leave a single scratch on Yuan.
After a few moments, the gods finally stopped attacking, convinced that Yuan had been completely annihilatedâerased from existence itself.
Even though attempting to kill Yuan meant defying the God Kingâs direct command, none of them felt any regret. After all, they had witnessed two of their comrades being slaughtered by Yuan.
Four others were still alive but gravely injured, suffering from shattered bones and internal bleeding. The gods knew they had to rescue them quickly before it became too late for them to survive.
The smoke from the explosions filled the air, thick and suffocating, blocking their vision entirely. Even their Magic Sense was useless within the dense fog.
"Is he dead?" one of the gods muttered in a low, uneasy voice as he stared at the swirling haze.
"IâI have no idea... my Magic Sense isnât working for some reason," another replied, confusion heavy in his tone.
"Weâve unleashed countless attacks on him. He should be dead by now after taking that many hits."
"He should be... but this fog is blocking our view. I canât see anything," another added nervously.
The gods murmured among themselves, their voices filled with hesitation and doubt. No matter how hard they tried, their Magic Sense failed to detect any trace of Yuanâs presence.
"Since we canât sense him at all, itâs safe to assume heâs dead for sure now," Corvan said calmly after taking a deep breath. He had used his Magic Sense several times, ensuring he wasnât mistaken.
A wide grin spread across his face as he continued, "Everyone, the task given to us by His Highness has been completed. Though we failed to capture him alive, we successfully neutralized a major threat to the High Heavens."
Meanwhile, inside the thick fog, Yuan let out a low laugh as he listened to Corvanâs proud speech to his subordinates.
âWhat an amusing speech... So, the God King wanted me alive? To present me before him like some kind of prize? How bold of him,â Yuan thought with a dark grin twisting his lips.
âFor now... Iâll let this be a warning. Once I return from the Demonic Continent, Iâll go to the High Heavens myselfâand make him kneel before me,â Yuan swore inwardly, his eyes gleaming with cold resolve.
"How arrogant and foolish of you all... to think a bunch of insects like you could kill meâhow utterly infuriating!" Yuanâs voice thundered as he waved his hand casually.
In an instant, a powerful gust of wind surged outward, sweeping away the fog that concealed him from the godsâ sight.
As soon as they heard his voice, every god froze. Their eyes widened in disbelief as the fog clearedârevealing Yuan standing tall among them, completely unscathed, not a single scratch on his body.
"Y-You... how are you alive?! You should be dead by now!" Corvan muttered in a trembling voice, his tone filled with disbelief, as if he were witnessing a dead man rise again before his very eyes.
His eyes widened, his entire face drenched in sweat as he noticed not a single scar or burn mark on Yuanâs bodyâdespite being hit by countless devastating attacks.
Magic strong enough to erase an entire city had rained down on him, yet Yuan stood there smiling, completely unharmed.
âH-How is this even possible?!â Corvan screamed inwardly, utterly shaken by the sight before him.
"This is impossible! Thereâs no way he could have taken all of our attacks and still come out aliveâlet alone without a scratch!"
One of the gods shouted, his voice trembling as disbelief clouded his expression.
"Impossible, you say? Even after seeing me standing before you?" Yuan mocked coldly, a small sneer tugging at his lips before his gaze turned razor-sharp.
Then a wide grin spread across his face as he said, "You had your chance. I wanted you all to realize just how weak you are before I crush you! Itâs far more entertaining that way."
"To let you experience despair in its purest form!" Yuanâs grin deepened, his tone laced with cruelty. The air turned icy as an oppressive silence swallowed the sky.
Not a single god dared to speak. Though they seethed at Yuanâs endless arrogance, none of them had the courage to mock him this time.
It was as if they were staring at something beyond their comprehensionâbeyond even that of a god.
Yuan slowly closed his eyes, recalling the sensation from his dreamâthe overwhelming killing intent of the Evil God, a power that once made even the heavens tremble.
Meanwhile, the gods exchanged confused glances, watching him intently. Yuanâs calm, deliberate actions unsettled them deeply. Was he mocking them again?
Despite their growing anger, not a single one dared to move. Some instinct warned themâif they made even the slightest mistake, something horrific would happen.
"Whatâs wrong with him? Why did he close his eyes?" one of the gods muttered uneasily.
"I donât know... maybe heâs just looking down on us," another replied with a shrug, trying to hide his nervousness.
âWhat is this monster planning now...? Whatever it is, it canât be anything good,â Corvan thought sharply, his eyes locked on Yuan.
Suddenly, the air around Yuan began to twist and distort as crimson miasma appeared, swirling around him like a mist of blood.
The next instant, Yuanâs eyes snapped openâglowing bright redâand an overwhelming killing intent exploded outward.
The aura was so powerful that every god felt their hearts tighten in agony. Within seconds, blood began to pour from their eyes, noses, and mouths.
"W-Whatâs happening to us?! Why am I bleeding?!" the gods cried out in terror as unbearable pain spread through their bodies, their divine forms trembling under the weight of Yuanâs murderous will.
Their once-pristine white robes were now drenched in crimson, stained by their own blood, as one by one they lost consciousness and plummeted to the ground below.
Even the massive eagles perished instantly, their bodies collapsing midair, unable to withstand the sheer killing intent radiating from Yuanâit was simply too overwhelming.
Only Corvan remained alive, though barely. His eyes bled profusely, his body trembling uncontrollably as he clung to life by a fragile thread.
Seeing Corvan still breathing after enduring the full force of his killing intent, Yuan was genuinely surprisedâso much so that a faint chuckle escaped his lips, amusement flickering in his eyes.
âWell, would you look at that... everyone else lies dead, and yet he alone survives. How very fortunate for him,â Yuan thought darkly, his grin widening. âPerhaps heâll serve nicelyâas my messenger to that arrogant so-called King of the Gods.â
With that thought, Yuan descended slowly, his calm steps echoing as he landed beside Corvan. A faint smile curved his lips as he looked down upon the broken god, sending a chill straight through Corvanâs spine.
"Would you look at that... you fools couldnât even withstand my killing intent, yet you thought you could kill me? Utterly laughable!" Yuan sneered coldly, pressing his foot down on Corvanâs hand.
"AAGGHH!!" Corvan screamed in agony, feeling his fingers being crushed under Yuanâs weight.
Instantly, regret flooded his heart. His eyes reflected pure despair as tears and blood mixed on his face. He wanted to scream apologies, but only ragged groans escaped his throat.
He cursed himself for ever crossing Yuan, for mocking him, believing that a so-called godâs power could crush a mere mortal with ease.
When Corvan finally regained a shred of composure, he clenched his jaw against the pain and looked up at Yuan with disbelief.
The being before him could not possibly be mortalâthere was no way. The power he wielded was something beyond divine comprehension, a force that defied reason itself.
"Just what kind of power was that?!" Corvan shouted, his voice trembling with pain and desperation. "A divine manifestation? What in the name of the heavens was that?!"
Yuan chuckled softly, the sound low and mocking. "You call yourself a god, yet you canât comprehend something so simple? How utterly pathetic."
"In my eyes, youâre nothing more than ants crawling in the dirt. Gods? Donât make me laugh. Even the immortals of the higher realms wouldnât dare call themselves that in front of me."
"Just who the hell do you think you are, calling yourselves gods?!" Yuan roared at Corvan, his voice echoing across the Elven Kingdom.
He continued, "Youâre nothing more than humans with a little extra mana compared to ordinary mortals. Thatâs what you areâhumans! Do you even understand?!"
"And as for me, donât even try to compare yourselfâor anyone elseâto me. I am different."
"Now, why am I sparing you instead of killing you?" A wide grin split his face as he revealed his intent.
With a cold smirk he said, "All you have to do is deliver one message to your foolish King... Tell him that if he ever crosses my path, I will split the High Heavens with my sword."
"Now goâreturn to your King and tell him exactly what I said," Yuan said, turning to leave and leaving Corvan sprawled in his own blood.
Just as he rose to fly away, he paused, glanced back, and added, "One more thing: you have no right to ask me questions. Remember that."