"What deal?" Chen Yi asked, curious but clearly not genuinely intrigued. Privately, he doubted this notorious for 'evil', had anything to offer that could truly interest him. Using Bibi Dong's safety as a bargaining chip? She wasn't worth that much.
Naturally, the Rakshasa God could see right through him. As a first-class god in the Divine Realm, she was accustomed to loneliness; her resources and influence were, in truth, limited.
How about Chen Yi?
His future was bright. Upon entering the Divine Realm, he would be welcomed and supported by the most powerful elemental gods, as well as the new Angel God and the Ice God. His path was meticulously paved—resources and backing alike—so the Rakshasa God truly had little with which to tempt him.
But for her to come to him personally meant she must have confidence.
"You must already know," the Rakshasa God said, her voice low and direct. "Some problems have arisen in the realm of the gods. And perhaps you have some idea what those problems might be."
Chen Yi nodded slowly. Judging by the repeated rule violations and interventions from the God of Asura and the Sea God, some forces within the Divine Realm were clearly beginning to waver. After the recent battles, it was unlikely Asura or Poseidon would intervene in the Douluo Continent again, at least for a while.
Yet the Rakshasa God's next words caused both Chen Yi and Qian Renxue's pupils to constrict!
"But let me be clear: Asura and the Sea God will never give up."
Chen Yi frowned a little at this.
"On the Douluo Continent, nothing can truly block your path. But what about...beyond the Douluo Continent?"
"Beyond...?" Chen Yi's eyes narrowed, while Qian Renxue at his side shuddered and could not suppress a cry of surprise.
"You're telling me that the Sea God and so-called Asura God plan to call upon forces from outside the continent to attack us?"
Chen Yi's gaze turned deep and pensive as he rapidly sifted through his memories. Only a handful of forces might reach the Douluo Continent quickly enough to threaten the new balance of Spirit Hall and the Body Sect.
"Sun Moon Continent? Or...the Abyss?"
Two names sprang to mind, but he quickly discarded them.
The Sun Moon Continent? That's a power of the future, colliding with Douluo and sparking a continental war. But even if such a clash was coming, it wouldn't happen for another 4000 years. Instigating such a disaster would provoke the wrath of the gods themselves. The Sea God would never risk something so catastrophic.
Besides, even factoring in their unique Soul Tool civilization, the Sun Moon Empire's all-around strength did not exceed present-day Douluo.
As for the Abyssal Plane—that was even less likely. A full-scale invasion would justify the gods' direct intervention. The God of Destruction, obsessed with expansion, would want more food for his realm, not interference from others. The Sea God and Asura God would never be foolish enough to get involved with the Abyss.
So who was left?
He didn't have an answer.
The Rakshasa God's mysterious aura faded; she simply said: "I have little solid proof, but...the most likely involves the Angels."
"Angels?"
"The Progenitor God?!"
When Qian Renxue gasped, Chen Yi's frown deepened.
"That's right," the Rakshasa God said gravely.
"When the Angel God fell, her godhood collapsed—yet as a god of evil thoughts, I am extremely sensitive to disturbances of negative emotions. At that moment, I sensed something: an intense, twisted evil will did not vanish entirely, but retreated into a subdimension adjacent to the Douluo Plane."
"That dimension...," the Rakshasa God's voice turned nostalgic. "Out of curiosity and in order to investigate, I tried to detect and contact it several times secretly."
"But every time I tried, Asura God hindered me by one means or another, clearly wishing to prevent my exploration."
"Still—just from limited long-range observation, I'm certain: the overall strength of that dimension is by no means inferior to current Douluo, and may even surpass it in high-end combat power."
"Crucially," she emphasized, "that plane is causally linked to the Fallen Angel God. If anyone from Douluo actively seeks out—or induces—contact with that realm, guiding them into this world or involving them in its affairs, then by law it would be considered war between lower planes. Even the God Committee would have trouble intervening. It's a loophole in the rules."
Hearing this, Chen Yi realized the Rakshasa God had laid out enough to let him infer Asura God's long-term plans.
Such interference could tip the balance, turning Douluo's powers upside-down.
"Is this the deal you mentioned?" he asked, looking at the Rakshasa Scythe's image.
"Of course not," the Rakshasa God replied, pride evident in her tone. "Consider this news a welcoming gift for the future God King. The real contract is..."
She paused. The purple-black light of the demon scythe flickered.
"In the depths of the dimension tied to the Angel God's evil thoughts, there must be something left behind when she fell—perhaps a shattered piece of her essence, evidence bearing some of her power or legacy, or an artifact bearing a fragment of the truth..."
"Whatever it is, these things may be critically useful for restoring the now-defective Angel God's godhood."
"What?!" For the first time, Chen Yi was genuinely surprised. "You noticed the Angel God's throne is vacant?"
He never expected the Rakshasa God to know this secret. He deduced the Angel God's godhood was crippled only from the plot and his own insights—but she had direct evidence.
No wonder the Asura God had done everything possible to suppress and even destroy her. Knowing too much—and being uncontrollable—is indeed dangerous.
"That's not surprising," the Rakshasa God's tone mellowed. "When the Angel God returned to her temple, I happened to be nearby. As the god most attuned to angelic power, I sensed the subtle difference in her divine light—no longer as complete or authoritative as before."
"Only the Goddess of Life, with her unrivaled grasp of life and energy, and perhaps the strongest Evil God among the evil deities, would suspect as much. But as the Life Goddess always operates within the rules, she refuses to set foot in the Angelic Realm for investigation."
Chen Yi nodded, understanding. The Evil God's silence meant "let it be".
"This is...an excellent deal," he admitted, gazing at the Rakshasa Scythe's apparition. "I see no reason to refuse."
Not only had the deal provided early warning about the external enemy, it also offered crucial clues to help repair the Angel God's throne—a matter of incalculable value for Qian Renxue's own divine path, Chen Yi's plans, and the stability of Douluo itself.
"I, Chen Yi, am indebted to you," he promised, willing to help the Rakshasa God as long as the request was within reason.
The deep purple-black light of the scythe seemed to brighten, a barely-suppressed joy in the god's voice:
"Good! Then… may the future God King take care of you, as well."
Standing nearby, Qian Renxue was deeply moved. Her gaze towards Chen Yi overflowed with a warmth beyond words. There was no doubt the deal's greatest beneficiary was her.
Still, Chen Yi accepted this favor without hesitation.
Sensing her gaze, he turned, shook his head gently—there was no need to worry.
Then, Chen Yi returned his gaze to the still-sleeping Bibi Dong and asked,
"So... what happens next?"
…
PS: Support me and read advanced chapters at patreon.com/AbsoluteCode