Though there was no smoke of war nor the beating of war drums, an oppressive tension filled the air, suffocating and overwhelming. Above, the sky was split in two: one half cloaked in dark clouds with lightning crawling like serpents, and the other half bathed in brilliant sunshine and clear blue skies. These two diametrically opposed weathers were controlled by opposing factions of deities, locked in a fierce struggle to overpower each other.
With just a casual glance, Yang Hao could see nearly a hundred different races of gods. Not far away stood Yun Shang, still in the form of his chubby old man, though now with a pouting expression and a serious demeanor. His white hair and flowing white robe seemed to swell without wind, radiating pure white energy that kept the darkness at bay across half the heavens and earth.
The fierce and resolute aura Yun Shang now exuded was a far cry from his usual image as a harmless old man, and it deeply moved Yang Hao. If there was still someone willing to fight alone for the cause of light, that person deserved the utmost respect.
Opposite Yun Shang stood the gods of the dark world. Many of the races were unfamiliar to Yang Hao, but at the forefront, two green dragons and a black dragon radiated arrogance and menace. Particularly the black dragon, whose size was twice that of Hei Man, wings fully spread, covering the sky and turning the air into a hurricane. Its eyes brimmed with death, and even a glance could instill a sense of impending doom.
The power radiating from this dragon was far beyond anything Yang Hao could comprehend. The dark, violent aura it exuded could easily overturn the entire world. Were it not for Yun Shang balancing the scales, the gods of light would likely have been nearly wiped out already.
Behind the dragons stood dozens of dark deities. What caught Yang Hao’s attention most were hundreds of floating figures not far from the dragons. These beings looked no different from ordinary humans like Yang Hao, and were even more handsome in appearance, with flowing gray hair and pale, sharp-featured faces. Their eyes were a deep, piercing blue. However, each of them had black wings growing from their backs—some with one pair, some two, and one with as many as six pairs. Though not as powerful as the dragons, their restrained strength suggested they were not far behind.
“Dark angels,” Xin Mei appeared behind Yang Hao. “Demons from the Earth system.”
Yang Hao nodded, accepting the term. Although all these beings were generally called gods in the eyes of ordinary people, the dark forces representing evil were often referred to as demons by the gods of light. And the demons themselves also believed this name suited them better.
Legends of dark angels were widespread on Earth. In ancient times, when the Creator shaped the universe and all life, he first created three perfect species, the first of which were the white-winged angels. The Creator intended to combine all that was pure and beautiful into these beings, representing the light of the world.
Yet after tens of thousands of years, some white-winged angels fell into darkness and became true demons. They retained their perfect appearance and strength, but their wings turned gray, even black. Thus, people called them fallen dark angels.
Like white-winged angels, the number of wings determined the power and rank of dark angels. Dual-winged dark angels were already formidable figures among demons, often the merciless killers humans encountered. Quad-winged angels were even rarer; it was said their combat power was several times that of dual-winged angels, and they possessed dark magic such as curses and soul-binding. But the truly terrifying were the six-winged angels. With three pairs of wings, these dark angels were almost like demons in human imagination—wherever they appeared, death followed in great waves.
Yet as Yang Hao saw it now, those legends were nothing. What were six-winged angels, or even peerless demon kings, compared to this group of dark angels? Among them, a six-winged angel was merely at the lower end of the hierarchy. The true ruler soared high above the clouds, shining even amidst the storm, with lightning and gales parting to make way for his flight—a twelve-winged dark angel.
Six pairs of wings—something Yang Hao had never even heard of—yet here it was, appearing in this very place. This peerless sovereign stood amidst the clouds, gazing coldly down at the crowd below, as if they were mere playthings in his hands.
“Good grief!” Yang Hao didn’t even dare to wipe the sweat from his brow. This was a truly grand scene—compared to this, all the previous battles he had encountered were mere child’s play.
“Scared?” Xin Mei pouted, trying to pull Yang Hao back.
“Scared? Not on your life!” Yang Hao had already stepped forward, and now ran ahead, rushing right in front of Yun Shang to face the dragons head-on.
The dragons and Yun Shang had been communicating through telepathy, never expecting that a mere child would dare to charge forward. For a moment, they hesitated to attack, merely glaring at him with eyes brimming with killing intent.
Yang Hao glared right back. So what if they were two green dragons? He had seen them before—what was there to fear? He practically hurled his willpower into his gaze, as if his eyes could kill, the opponent would have died countless times over.
But soon, Yang Hao realized something was wrong. The dragons’ gaze wasn’t merely fixed on him—it pierced into his mind like a blade. Then, as if thieves had broken into his brain, all his memories and consciousness were swept away and stolen.
Yang Hao turned pale with fear, yet he was now as helpless as a child, unable to resist as the black dragon rummaged through his mind, stealing everything.
After all, dragons were the most powerful beings in the universe when it came to mental strength. To them, invading anyone’s mind was as easy as breathing.
He didn’t know how long passed, but by now, Yang Hao had no secrets left. The dragon likely knew everything—including the time he had wet the bed as a child—before finally releasing him.
“So you’re the human?” The black dragon’s voice was cold enough to freeze the air. “The one who nearly killed Hei Man?”
“Human? I’m your grandpa!” Yang Hao dared not say this aloud, only muttering it bitterly in his heart.
But the black dragon’s words stirred the other dragons into excitement, especially the smallest green dragon, which nearly lunged forward in fury. “You dare show your face again? I’ll take your life!”
Yang Hao didn’t even flinch. Whether green or black, these dragons would kill him without hesitation—it was as natural to them as picking up chopsticks to eat.
Yet the green dragon never actually lunged. It flapped its wings and roared, but didn’t move an inch forward.
Because someone had slowly stepped in front of Yang Hao.
This person appeared to be nothing more than a plump old man, seemingly frail and weak, yet no one could dare ignore him. Yun Shang effortlessly blocked Yang Hao’s path, not even lifting a hand, and the green dragon could only gnash its teeth in frustration, unable to advance a single step.
“Yun Shang, you intend to protect him? Even if it means breaking our agreement?” The black dragon, clearly the leader among the dragons, spoke with a voice thick with threat, one that could be felt without even needing to hear it.
Yun Shang remained silent.
“Do you know the consequences?” The black dragon no longer focused on Yang Hao, but turned his gaze toward the gods of light behind Yun Shang. Over a hundred deities involuntarily shivered. They all knew what a dragon’s threat meant. With the demons now fully mobilized, even Yun Shang alone could not possibly hold out. And if Yun Shang fell, the hundreds of gods behind him would perish beneath the dragons’ wings.
This place had remained peaceful for centuries, but now it was about to be drenched in blood, with countless lives lost.
“We cannot kill him,” Yun Shang said calmly.
“Cannot?” The black dragon laughed, a sound like the universe’s greatest joke. “He gravely wounded Hei Man! No one who harms a dragon has ever lived to tell the tale. And especially not a mere human! This is the greatest insult to the dragon race!”
“Hei Man swallowed my master. I only wounded him—it was actually mercy,” Yang Hao scoffed at the dragon’s words. “If this were the Age of Dragon Slaying, not one of you would escape. You dare seek revenge?”
“Insolent brat!!” Yang Hao’s words truly enraged the dragons. All three spread their wings, and one green dragon unleashed a jet of dragon fire straight at Yang Hao.
This dragon fire was unlike any Yang Hao had seen before—it shot forward like a flame, faster than the blink of an eye.
But no matter how fast the fire, it could not pierce through Yun Shang’s defense. After all, he was a god who controlled time. With a mere flick of his sleeve, the flame vanished into thin air.
“Then let us begin the war!” The black dragon raised its head in fury, letting out a thunderous roar. Instantly, the demons behind it joined in, howling in unison. Though there were no war drums or rising smoke, the dark clouds above pressed down like an invincible war chariot, ready to crush Yang Hao and his companions.
“It is not for me, nor for you, that I spare him,” Yun Shang declared without fear, his voice cutting through the chaos. “This young man is the savior—the savior of us all!”
The word “savior” struck like thunder from the heavens, shaking the earth and igniting a surge of heat in Yang Hao’s spine. His blood boiled with excitement. Though he didn’t understand why Yun Shang said this, merely hearing that he was the savior of so many gods was enough to stir his soul.
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