"Heh, quite the spectacle!"
"Itâs been almost three thousand years, hasnât it? We havenât seen any of the Oakland Continentâs Deities, but now we get to see one from an Otherworld."
A pillar of scorching light descended from high in the heavens.
The projection of a Deity, appearing to be over ten thousand meters tall, stood there in the sky.
At that moment, the sky was clear and the sun shone brightly.
Whether they were Transcendents or Tierless common mortals,
right then, everyone could clearly see the full form of this terrifying divine projection.
All living beings, including Sismerton and the other Dragon Species, froze for a moment the instant this Deity made its Descent.
However, because Lince had previously manifested a Miracle in the Demon God Hall,
and Linceâs own status and physical form were far beyond what this divine projection could compare to,
upon seeing the current Deityâs Descent, the Dragon Species were only stunned for a moment before their gazes turned solemn.
"Itâs definitely a Deity."
"But itâs just a projection. Seems the Deities of this world are afraid of dying, huh?"
As far as the Dragon Species were concerned,
in the age when gods existed, what kind of Deities hadnât they seen?
Divine projections, mortal avatars, and even descents of their true bodies.
They were all too familiar with the various methods Deities employed.
As for comparing the strength between Deities, that was something mortal beings could not possibly know.
They couldnât even begin to judge it.
After all, the gap between Deities and mortals was ridiculously vast.
"I donât know if theyâre afraid of death, but since theyâve actually come,"
"then I imagine they truly do want to talk to us."
"Ultimately, though, these guys still fear the Power of our Dragon Race,"
the Whale Dragon interjected, shooting a strange look at the Cyan Dragon Sismerton.
"So, Sismerton, isnât this the perfect time for you to take the stage?"
Sismerton nodded with a smirk.
"Indeed, itâs my turn."
"A Deity has descended. We should at least offer a proper reception."
"Otherwise, weâd seem far too rude."
"And while Iâm at it, I might as well test the quality of this divine projection!"
"Itâs been a while since I became part of the Pure-blooded Dragon Clan, and I havenât even gone all out yet. Iâm getting a little impatient to find a worthy opponent to test my skills against."
The two Sub-dragons watched Sismerton in silence.
They clearly had no intention of listening to his "humble-bragging" anymore.
Sismertonâs shameless showing off these past few days had been so excessive that the other two had grown used to it.
"Whatâs with those expressions?"
"You guys are no fun. Forget it. Iâll go meet this fellow and see what it has to say."
Sismerton was clearly displeased with their aloof, meditative postures.
âCanât you even offer a few words of flattery or praise?â
âAnd you expect me to carry you guys?â
Sismerton grumbled internally, but given his personality, he just muttered a couple of things to himself and let it go.
Just then, his gaze locked onto the divine projection.
"ROAR!!!"
Within a few breaths of the Deityâs Descent,
as it was looking down upon the creatures of the world, Sismerton immediately responded.
With a roar that echoed across the heavens and earth,
the Giant Dragon suddenly shot into the air.
At the same time, a wind of Elementalization began to rise.
The next moment, amidst a fierce cyan light, a terrifying Tornado descended from the heavens and enveloped him.
With the Tornado as its core,
Sismertonâs entire flesh-and-blood body was completely covered by the whirlwind.
Then, in the very next instant, he abruptly manifested his ten-thousand-meter Elemental Body.
After his Elementalization, his ten-thousand-meter body was covered in countless small vortices, like the eyes of tiny storms, constantly swirling.
The Giant Dragon hovered in the sky.
At that moment, on the Giant Demonsâ side,
more than ten Saint Tier experts roared and sprang into action.
The Giant Demons all underwent Elementalization and quickly gathered to the left and right of the Deity.
Meanwhile, on the Demon Beastsâ side, the two Sub-dragons werenât idle either.
They both underwent Elementalization as well.
Then, with bodies ranging from three to five thousand meters, they took up positions to the left and right of Sismerton.
And at that very moment,
a heaven-shaking sound erupted throughout the world.
It was the successive roars of the Demon Beasts.
It was also the morale-boosting war cries from the nearly one million Giant Demons on the other side.
The air vibrated.
The earth echoed.
Both sides looked ready to launch into all-out war at the slightest provocation.
And in the instant they prepared for battle, the Magic Power in the surrounding area was instantly drained dry!
"I am Sismerton, vanguard of the Dragon Race!"
"Deity of an Alien Race, state your name and purpose!"
Facing the divine projection, the Hurricane Dragon stared at the fiery silhouette before him and roared with an intimidating aura âno weaker than a godâsâ.
The two were separated by a little more than ten kilometers.
Given their Body Types, this was practically a face-to-face confrontation.
For a mortal being to be so disrespectful to a Deity, and to even dare speak with such an attitude, it predictably provoked a torrent of curses from the numerous Saint Tier Giant Demons.
But before the Saint Tier Giant Demons could curse for more than a moment, the projection of the flame Deity raised a hand to stop them.
Then, the Giant Demon Deity, Matty, was seen laughing as if he didnât care at all:
"A mere mortal being, yet your courage is truly commendable."
"However, I observe that you possess some of the air of an Ancient Species. I suppose youâve earned the right to be arrogant."
"As for my title,"
"listen closely. I am the Dean of the Theological Research Institute of the Tobien Empire."
"In the Star Realm, I am known as the God of Flame and Forging."
"Now that you know my name, are you satisfied?"
As a Deity of Powerful Divine Power, Matty was, in some respects, extremely rational.
He showed no anger at Sismertonâs âblasphemousâ act.
Ultimately, this was because the Giant Demon Empireâs policy regarding faith in Deities was not extreme.
Privately, quite a few Giant Demons would discuss the Empire Gods.
It was rare for anyone to be punished for their words.
This was actually related to the fact that the sole Emperor of the Giant Demon Empire was a Deity.
A Deity ruled directly over mortals. Therefore, to this ruling Deity, while there was a difference between Deities and mortals, it wasnât a large one; after all, they were all nominally his subjects.
Thus, in terms of policy, faith within the Giant Demon Empire could be considered quite normal.
The only slightly extreme belief was probably the Giant Demonsâ adoration for their Emperor.
âDean of the Theological Research Institute?â
Sismerton was completely bewildered.
âWhat in the world is that?â
âA Deity studying theology? Studying himself?â
Sismerton couldnât comprehend this point.
However, he did understand the title God of Flame and Forging.
"Satisfied? Of course, Iâm satisfied."
"You, the Otherworldâs God of Flame and Forging, are quite interesting."
"You didnât get angry at my offense?"
"It seems youâre quite sincere about talking with us this time, eh?"
Sismertonâs tone was slightly teasing and sarcastic.
"We each have our own positions. Whether an offense is given or taken is of little significance."
"Besides, I have indeed come with sincerity."
"So, Lord Sismerton, where are the Deities of your civilization?"
"Surely, now that I have descended to this world, the Deities behind you are willing to show themselves?"
The Deity Mattyâs expression was calm and relatively peaceful.
But it was obvious he was being far too optimistic.
What Deities did the Oakland Continent have right now?
Expecting Deities to come forward?
Impossible.
That was why Lince had prepared a countermeasure for this very situation from the beginning.
"The Deities of our world?"
"Hahaha, are you joking with me, you Otherworldly Deity?"
"If you want to see the Deities of our world, you first have to prove youâre worthy."
"Mortal power may not decide everything, but it is a measure of a worldâs overall strength."
"The myriad worlds of the Star Realm are all just about the strong preying on the weak. The losers have no right to make any demands."
Sismerton suddenly burst into loud laughter.
He even shot a contemptuous look at the high-tiered Giant Demons behind the Deity.
"Damn you, you madman! Youâre the loser! Our Empire has not been defeated!"
"If our Empire wasnât busy fighting a war in another world, you madmen wouldnât have a chance to act so rampant!"
"..."
The Saint Tier Giant Demons were completely triggered by Sismertonâs words.
They immediately started cursing him out.
"Heh! Whatâs the use of saying all that?"
"A pack of beaten dogs dares to bark wildly here. What, how about you all come at me at once? Donât say I didnât give you a chance."
"As long as you Saint Tiers can defeat me, you will naturally have the opportunity to meet the noble Majesty we serve."
Sismertonâs whole strategy was to be as arrogant as possible.
How could the dozen or so Saint Tier Giant Demons opposite him possibly tolerate this insult?
If they backed down now, in front of a Deity of Powerful Divine Power, how could they ever show their faces back in the Empire?
So, even though they were a little worried about Sismertonâs strength, they still counterattacked immediately:
"Arrogant! Truly arrogant!"
"Fine! You brought this upon yourself, so donât blame us."
"A mere high-level species that hasnât even achieved Ascension to Divinity dares to be so insolent before our Deities."
"Your Majesty Matty, please allow us to deal with this madman! The dignity of the Empire cannot be provoked, and the honor of the Empire Gods cannot be lost."
"..."
However, at this moment, the Deity Mattyâs eyes revealed a hint of contemplation as he watched Sismerton.
He paid no mind to the Saint Tier beings around him.
He paused for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said:
"A civilization with a Main God Level Deity is entitled to some pride."
"When my Tobien Empire first entered the Star Realm to wage war, were we not the same?"
"Whatâs more, a certain existence from your world has been silently eroding the rules of this one, which has truly been an eye-opener for us."
"However, the Star Realm has countless worlds, civilizations, and Deities. Being too arrogant will lead to you reaping what you sow."
"I will say no more. You should know that I have come with good intentions."
"Since you, my lord, adhere to the principle of the strong preying on the weak, then I donât mind sparring with you here in the mortal realm."
"This way, if I win, I imagine you will have no reason to refuse, will you?"
"Also, are you truly the one who can make the decision on this matter?"
It had to be said, the Giant Demon Deity Mattyâs words left both Sismerton and the assembled Giant Demons stunned.
âWhat the hell?â
âIâve been so outrageous, how can a Deity like you still keep a smile on your face?â
Even more bizarre to Sismerton were the flattering undertones in his words.
âIs he really showing this much weakness?â
âCould it be that the Deities of the Giant Demon Alien Race are actually all very weak?â
âNo way, right?â
But Sismerton was given no time to react.
At this moment, Lince, who had been watching the entire time, felt it was time.
Therefore, in the next instant,
as ripples suddenly spread through Space,
a behemoth abruptly appeared in the sky in the blink of an eye.
A voice also carried over.
"Sismerton cannot make the decision. But I can."
"God of the Otherworld, you wouldnât mind a little spar with me, would you?"
"..."