GDK 869: A gathering of experts
Salas’ followers were fleeing from the Pandemonium, trying to get as far as possible.
The battle between Ossosa and Salas had produced tremendous energy fluctuations. As they were overgods with similar strengths, it would take a while before a victor emerged.
The terrifying undulation of elemental energies had alerted many of the experts around the Fringe. They followed their senses and flew towards the Pandemonium, hoping to find out what was happening.
The tremendous shockwave shook the earth and penetrated deep underground. Han Tu, who was paving a tunnel for the Pandemonians to escape, suddenly stopped moving and closed his eyes to sense. It took him no time to understand what was happening above the Pandemonium.
Han Tu and the others had begun their evacuation before Ossora and Salas started their battle. They were currently under a plain that was hundreds of miles from the Pandemonium.
“It looks like we might not have to flee after all!” Han Tu seemed pleasantly surprised by something. He said to Goron, “I’m turning back to take a look. You and your men will stay here for now. Don’t worry, I believe Salas is now too occupied to deal with us!”
“Why? What’s happening?” Goron was confused. Although his strength was greater than Han Tu’s, his sensitivity to the earth element wasn’t as great and he couldn’t sense the minute undulation of the earth element.
“Salas and Ossora are fighting! WIth Ossora’s help, Salas will be too busy to trample the Pandemonium!” explained Han Tu with a big smile before he started flying to the other end of the underground tunnel.
Han Tu took no time to reach Han Mu, Han Huo, Rose, and the others who were at the other end. He immediately informed them that Ossora and Salas were in a great battle.
As they were deep underground and a good distance away from the Pandemonium, they were clueless about what was happening above the Valley. Not even Han Mu could sense the soul undulation of Ossora. They were pleasantly surprised to hear the news from Han Tu and asked synchronously, “Really?!”
Han Tu nodded affirmatively and explained, “Only an expert at Ossora’s realm could produce such an intense earth energy undulation when utilizing earth energy. He must be helping us!”
“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s turn back and take a look!” said Han Huo cheerfully. He too turned around and flew back towards the Pandemonium.
The battle near the Pandemonium produced an extreme amount of shockwaves and explosions. Experts in the vicinity with strength above a certain realm could detect the energy fluctuation. In the entire Land of Chaos, there were only a few experts who could detect the disturbance from a great distance.
Every super-powerful expert who detected the battle between two overgods through the abnormality of elemental energies in the environment put down whatever that they were doing and rushed to the Pandemonium.
*** Near a volcanic crater, Han Hao was wearing a calm face while hiding in ambush against a powerful force.
The power commanded by Han Hao had substantially increased after he subdued Polo. It had grown to be greater than the majority of powerhouses in the Fringe. Only a few in the Fringe were in command of forces larger than Han Hao’s.
“What should we do?” Polo, crouching beside Han Hao, asked very softly.
Before them was a group of experts who served Sovereign Logue. It was led by a late-stage highgod of light. They were rather relaxed and not vigilant to their surroundings as no Fringedweller dared mess with them, until today.
Logue was known for his treacherousness in the Fringe. He was no less frightening than the vengeful Salas. Normally speaking, his followers could do whatever they wanted in the Fringe and no one would even think about attacking them. Even Polo who had lived in the Fringe for many years had never thought about attacking a follower of Sovereign Logue. Han Hao, however, decided to ambush one right after he agglomerated Polo’s faction into his.
“Kill,” commanded Han Hao without any hesitation.
Polo hardened his heart, turned around, and gestured. The godhunters received his command and descended from the volcanic crater. Those followers of Sovereign Logue were surrounded and immediately attacked without the chance to engage in inconsequential talks.
“We will join hands in killing that guy. This will be a smooth ride once he’s dead,” exclaimed Han Hao as he pointed at the arrogant-looking highgod of light.
“Understood,” replied Polo. He had learned to follow Han Hao’s command without question.
Han Hao and Polo emerged and, without uttering a word, they started attacking their target with their full strengths. The highgod of light, as expected, tried threatening them with Logue. However, Han Hao and Polo ignored his words and finished him in less than half a minute. All his troops were defeated by the godhunters and their divine energy was devoured.
While the godhunters relished in the joy of consuming divine energy, Han Hao suddenly bunched his brows. He raised his head towards the sky and closed his eyes. Moments later, he abruptly opened his eyelids and revealed a pair of sinister glowing eyes. He commanded, “I will give you all ten minutes before we start moving.”
“But, Chief, that’s not enough time for us to devour all their energy,” said the confused Polo.
“Ten minutes!” said Han Hao assertively. He seemed rather impatient.
Polo had been in contact with Han Hao for some time but he had never seen him being so impatient. He understood that something major must have happened. With that, he raised no further objection but commanded his subordinates to make the most of the time.
Precisely ten minutes later, without uttering a word, Han Hao started flying towards the Pandemonium. His troops followed closely behind him.
***
Back at the Pandemonium, the great battle was still ongoing. Ossora and Salas did not expect so many experts would gather around them.
By now, Ossora’s purpose in fighting Salas had changed slightly. His goal was no longer just to help Han Shuo defend the Pandemonium.
Although all Five Sovereigns were overgods, most people would still try to guess which among them was the strongest.
To most Fringedwellers, Tyre was known to be the strongest Sovereign while the other four were of about the same strength. It was thanks to this preconception that the super-experts from all over Elysium would tend to enlist themselves in Tyre’s army instead of the other Sovereigns. This caused Tyre’s power to grow stronger and stronger.
If Ossora could defeat Salas, then he would have proven to the world that he was stronger than Salas, Logue, and Wasir. Then he might be known to the Fringedwellers as possessing strength rivaling that of Tyre.
The real reason the Five Sovereigns had been constantly fighting was for reputation. In the Land of Chaos where might makes right, having a fearsome reputation was very beneficial as it would sway the to-be-Fringedwellers to submit to their rule, growing their power.
Salas had squandered the power of faith from billions of his worshippers during the battle against Han Shuo a few months back and he had just used up a good amount of divine energy on the Pandemonium. To Ossora, this was the perfect opportunity to defeat Salas and gain greater infamy. Of course he would not let go of the opportunity.
Salas was rather impetuous. If it was Logue who was in such a situation, he wouldn’t have fought Ossora for it was clear to this treacherous Sovereign who knew how to restrain himself that the odds were stacked against him.
But Salas cared nothing about these things. His mind was affixed with making retribution. All those who infringed upon his Sovereignty must pay back tenfold in blood.
For these reasons, it was unlikely that the two Sovereigns would stop fighting anytime soon.
The great disturbance over the Pandemonium had attracted various experts located nearby. However, they dared not get too close to the battlefield but gazed from a great distance. They could not see the battle clearly and could only determine the battle progress through the fluctuation of elemental energies.
Battles between overgods were extremely rare. Most ordinary divine beings would never have the opportunity to witness one in their lifetime. To a highgod who wished to further advance to the next realm, this was a once in a blue moon opportunity. By observing the battle between two overgods, they could possibly come to enlightenment and gain a more profound knowledge of those energies, and potentially unravel a few mysteries of the overgod realm.
Every late-stage highgod expert wanted to break through this nearly insurmountable cultivation hurdle. If they were to reach the overgod realm, they would possess even greater strength, enjoy even greater perks, and gain an even greater following. The temptations were much too strong to resist.
Therefore, gods from every region of the Fringe had gathered around the Pandemonium to witness the world-shaking battle of two overgods.
Some stringers had boldly ventured into the Pandemonium and discovered that it was covered with bodies. They sold the news to those gods who gathered near the Pandemonium and made a handsome profit. The Fringedwellers were surprised by what they learned and started discussing it with those around them.
All those dead bodies were Salas’ followers. Not a single of the perished came from the Pandemonium. Even one without a brain could deduce what the information meant.
Those observers suddenly became very curious and on guard towards the Pandemonium. They reminded themselves that they should not offend the Pandemonians unless they wanted trouble too great for them to afford.
A day passed and the battle grew only fiercer. The sky was filled with lightning bolts that slithered all around while the land was as tumultuous as the sea during a storm. Deafening explosions and powerful shockwaves repeatedly came from the region as lightning and earth energies in different forms would clash at every second.
On that day, a fat guy with a faint harmonious smile appeared above the Pandemonium. His small eyes glittered with astonished lights as he gazed at Ossora and Salas who were fighting in the distance.
A highgod of death sensed the changes in the energy of death in the environment. Upon raising his head and looking, he cried out in alarm, “It is Sovereign Logue! He’s here!”
The crowd simultaneously raised their heads to look in the same direction and they saw the beaming fatty. Their faces jolted and they left the area without making a noise, as though afraid of waking a sleeping monster.