Chapter Sixty-Eight: The So-Called Gods

Bai Ziyu’s face was filled with astonishment, staring at Gu Sha in disbelief. Then, he quickly regained his composure, maintaining that serene, unruffled expression, allowing a slight smile to curl his lips. He clapped his hands and said, “Good, good... Mr. Gu, I am ever more convinced that my intuition is not mistaken. You should join us, travel with me. You will become the one closest to divinity—even when we journey to the new world, you will surely be God’s envoy, blessed to serve at the side of the divine.”

Gu Sha had no patience for the ramblings of such a madman. He brushed off the embers burning on his clothes and charged toward Bai Ziyu, knife in hand.

Only two members remained at Bai Ziyu’s side: one was a third-tier extraordinary warrior, the other an ability wielder.

Both moved at once. The warrior, gripping an iron rod, swung it down with force. The ability wielder remained motionless, but the ground beneath Gu Sha’s feet suddenly softened into quicksand, pulling him down swiftly.

Gu Sha’s body sank into the quicksand, which instantly hardened, binding him fast.

No need for guessing—the ability wielder was manipulating earth.

As Gu Sha was trapped, the third-tier warrior struck down at Gu Sha’s head.

Unfazed, Gu Sha exerted himself, sending a shockwave through the ground that blasted a huge crater. He soared skyward, his Tang blade slicing through the night, severing the warrior’s head in one clean stroke. Then, he released the blade, hurling it toward the ability wielder.

Yet, the Tang blade froze in midair, a mere foot from the ability wielder’s throat. An invisible force manifested, holding the blade suspended, then reversing its direction, sending it hurtling back at Gu Sha like a flash of lightning.

Gu Sha stepped forward, grasping the blade. The immense pulling force tugged at him, forcing him to stagger back a step.

“The power of inscriptions!” Gu Sha’s pupils contracted as he held the blade.

At that moment, Bai Ziyu clutched a scepter, shimmering with threads of white light, radiating sanctity and brilliance. The scepter must have been folded up in Bai Ziyu’s backpack earlier.

The mysterious force that had halted and repelled the Tang blade had erupted from that scepter.

“Hail the descent of my God!” The earth ability wielder’s eyes burned with fanaticism as he knelt, kowtowing in fervent excitement.

Bai Ziyu, holding the scepter, seemed enveloped in light. He stepped forward slowly, gazing at Gu Sha across from him, and spoke, “Mr. Gu, this is the divine artifact bestowed by God. This is proof of the divine’s existence. God heard my prayers, witnessed my devotion, accepted my most reverent faith, and granted me this artifact of light to help purify the world.

Mr. Gu, come, accept the embrace of the divine. Let us assist God together, forging a new world!”

Gu Sha regarded Bai Ziyu, his gaze growing grave. He was not inclined to believe in gods.

Rather, he recognized the power emanating from the scepter—it was truly the inscription power possessed only by those of the king tier.

This meant that somewhere in the world, a king-tier being had emerged before him—whether human, beast, or zombie, someone had advanced ahead of him.

From the memories of his previous life, king-tier beings only appeared a year after the apocalypse’s onset.

Now, barely a month had passed, and already there was a king-tier existence.

Gu Sha wasted no words. He drew his blade and charged, leaping into the air and slashing toward Bai Ziyu.

In that instant, the scepter released a surge of energy, shielding Bai Ziyu.

A metallic clang resounded as the Tang blade collided with the energy barrier, sending sparks flying.

Gu Sha was thrown backward, tumbling through the air.

Upon landing, Gu Sha vanished from Bai Ziyu’s sight, only to reappear instantly behind him, swinging his blade once more.

Another resounding crash—the powerful energy surrounding Bai Ziyu shattered Gu Sha’s Tang blade.

Gu Sha retreated several steps, glaring at the broken blade in his hand, his mouth twitching in frustration. Without hesitation, he hurled the shattered blade at the kneeling member of the Purification Society.

The broken blade pierced the member’s skull. The victim barely had time to register what had happened, falling dead to the ground without so much as a cry.

Gu Sha raised an eyebrow at Bai Ziyu and asked, “You didn’t even try to save him?”

Bai Ziyu replied, “Salvation is not rescue, but redemption. He has gone to the new world, embraced by the divine—that is redemption. Why should I intervene? The divine power is here, sensing his devout faith, so he is welcomed into the new world. This is his true redemption.”

Gu Sha sneered, “You’re good at spinning nonsense. To put it plainly, you can’t control this inscription power. It only triggers passively!”

At the mention of inscription power, Bai Ziyu’s eyes flickered with surprise, then excitement. He exclaimed, “No wonder you are so powerful, Mr. Gu! You have encountered the divine, haven’t you? If you know about inscription power, you must have met God, received the divine’s blessing—hence your strength. You... you... truly are my comrade!”

Gu Sha replied, “Right.”

Bai Ziyu, still eager, approached Gu Sha, his expression fervent. “Mr. Gu...”

“Enough!” Gu Sha cursed and moved toward Bai Ziyu, raising his fist.

Bai Ziyu said, “Mr. Gu, since you have also seen the divine, surely you understand God’s power. Why persist in such meaningless actions? You—”

Gu Sha ignored him, suddenly extending his hand. A mysterious energy ripple emerged, instantly enveloping Bai Ziyu.

It was his first time using temporal abilities against an enemy.

In that moment, Bai Ziyu’s raised leg remained suspended, unable to step down. The flow of time in his space slowed dramatically. He sensed nothing amiss.

Yet, in the next instant, Gu Sha’s hand appeared beside Bai Ziyu, gripping his wrist and crushing it with a snap. The scepter slipped from Bai Ziyu’s grasp.

Gu Sha seized the scepter.

“Aah!” Bai Ziyu screamed in agony, his wrist broken. He stared at Gu Sha in disbelief. “You... how could you break through the power of God? This... impossible!”

Gu Sha curled his lip. “Inscription power is indeed formidable, but the wielder is too weak. That is all.”

Gu Sha had just used his temporal abilities to manipulate the flow of time around Bai Ziyu, preventing him from activating the inscription power to defend himself.

Bai Ziyu was merely a third-tier extraordinary. Without inscription power, he stood no chance against Gu Sha.

Disoriented, Bai Ziyu shouted, “God must have granted you another artifact to counter mine. Otherwise, you could not have broken through my divine power!”

(End of chapter)