The main battlefield of the Divine Descendants Star Domain.
Facing three opponents alone was an extremely taxing battle for Marduk.
Although he possessed peak Rank Seven combat power and his divine abilities carried a somewhat omniscient and omnipotent quality, Marduk had one major weakness.
He was too well-rounded.
So well-rounded, in fact, that he appeared somewhat mediocre overall, lacking any truly outstanding strength.
This directly made his attempt to break through to Rank Eight incredibly difficult.
Back then, had he focused on mastering a specific divine portfolio or a single path of laws, then given that Divine Descendants World’s overall foundation was on par with Faeloria’s, Marduk might well have reached Rank Eight by now.
Marduk’s omniscience and omnipotence were fundamentally different from the profound achievements accumulated by the seasoned soul overmages of Magus World across countless fields.
Marduk had gained his omniscience and omnipotence by plundering the divine portfolios and divine relics of others.
By contrast, the soul overmages of the Magus Civilization had discovered truths through long years of exploration and research in their laboratories.
Although Marduk would also think, study, and expand upon the divine abilities he acquired in a given field, his path of growth was fundamentally different from that of Magus World mages, who built their foundations step by step from the most basic principles.
Furthermore, the three opponents Marduk faced were no ordinary foes.
The Dawn Emperor, Gongsun Wuji, not only commanded the fortune of an entire empire, but both his birth father and sworn father had once stood among the absolute top figures of their respective tiers across the entire Astral Realm.[1]
Although both had since passed away, Gongsun Wuji had inherited parts of their legacies. Even then, there were still a few beings at his life level who could rival him.
At first, Marduk had held the upper hand mainly because his “omnipotence” made it difficult for Gongsun Wuji to gauge his true capabilities.
Furthermore, the world-class secret treasure known as the Ark was indeed an exceptional artifact, surpassing both the Heirloom Seal and the Dark Sword in quality.
The fusion of divine power and technology was so complex that not only did Gongsun Wuji struggle to comprehend it, even the most erudite overmages of the Magus Civilization would have been briefly stunned by it.
However, after a period of intense combat, Gongsun Wuji and his forces gradually began to decipher Marduk’s attack patterns.
Above the battlefield, the phantom of the Ark continued firing downward, only to be held at bay by Gongsun Wuji’s mount, the Holy Dragon King.
With its sturdy dragon scales and the formidable physique of a dragon-type overlord, the Holy Dragon King was an excellent shield on the battlefield.
Gongsun Wuji himself frequently wielded the Heirloom Seal, relentlessly hammering the Ark with it.
Empowered by unparalleled Dragon Qi, the power of his Heirloom Seal surged dramatically.
The square jade seal pressed down directly against the Ark, leaving a series of deep indentations across the colossal structure.
The Immortal Realm Civilization possessed a renowned world-class secret treasure known as the Heaven Overturning Seal.
Held by a sage of the Immortal Realm, it possessed the power to suppress evil or even an entire world.
In terms of usage, Gongsun Wuji’s Heirloom Seal bore some resemblance to the Heaven Overturning Seal.
The Heirloom Seal, however, appeared far more noble and elegant. Furthermore, within the Dawn Empire, the appointment of all officials of the Fourth Grade and above, as well as the bestowal of Dragon Qi, required the personal stamp of the Heirloom Seal.
Sein likely had no idea that the official position he had obtained in the Dawn Empire had actually been certified by the Heirloom Seal. That was why he had been able to draw upon a vast amount of Dragon Qi from the very beginning.
In addition to the Heirloom Seal, Gongsun Wuji’s Son of Heaven Sword frequently coordinated with Gustavo’s Dark Sword.
The white and black law-powered swords crisscrossed through the battlefield, placing ever-increasing pressure on Marduk.
As for Marduk, one could not help wondering if he had simply grown too used to bullying lower-ranking subordinate gods.
Now that he was facing true powerhouses like Gongsun Wuji and the Rank Seven Gustavo, he failed to display the caliber expected of an overgod.
Ever since ascending the imperial throne, Gongsun Wuji had never once stopped cultivating and tempering himself.
He aspired to lead the Dawn Empire and the Martial Clan to their pinnacle, restoring the glory of his forebears.
As for Gustavo, he had spent these years doing no small amount of “dirty work” alongside the Magus Civilization.
Frequent battles, combined with the demons’ innate ferocity and warlike nature, made him an extremely formidable opponent.
Ultimately, it was Gongsun Wuji who first spotted a weakness in Marduk.
At that moment, he did not use the Heirloom Seal, nor did he wield the Son of Heaven Sword.
The opportunity was fleeting, the opening almost impossible to grasp.
Gongsun Wuji leaped from the back of the Holy Dragon King and slammed his right fist into Marduk’s back.
A divine growl filled with rage erupted from Marduk’s mouth.
A few drops of divine blood splattered onto the ground.
Across Typhoon Plane, all living beings trembled in fear.
Suffering an attack like that was not a major issue.
However, for Marduk, the former battle against Gongsun Xuance and the others had already consumed a significant amount of his divine power, and even part of his overlord soul.[2]
The fact that the Ark had not fully ascended into the ranks of high-tier world-class secret treasures was another major regret for Marduk in this battle.
Furthermore, Marduk’s Ark had only recently undergone a minor upgrade. He had not yet had enough time to properly familiarize himself with this artifact.
“We can’t continue this fight!” Marduk growled. He immediately took control of the Ark and began retreating from Typhoon Plane.
Not long ago, Marduk had also received a warning from the Gallant Federation, informing him that two legions from Myriad Manifestations World would soon arrive to support him.
Continuing to make a desperate stand on Typhoon Plane was not a wise decision. For Marduk, there was still a way out.
“Withdraw!” Marduk’s divine edict quickly spread across Typhoon Plane and the surrounding starry skies.
Guided by the overgod’s decree, more and more legions of Divine Descendants World began withdrawing from this world.
Rather than a retreat, it was more like a rout.
With their leader gone, the legions of Divine Descendants World had no will left to fight.
Of course, a small number of Divine Descendants World legions, such as the native deities and pantheons of Typhoon Plane, did not wish to leave.
However, against the overwhelming collapse of this Clash of Civilizations, the efforts of a handful of deities seemed utterly insignificant.
Not to mention, the Gallant Federation also supported Marduk’s decision to preserve his strength and wait until the Myriad Manifestations World’s legions arrived before launching a counterattack.
Marduk moved quickly, and the Ark was indeed an extremely comprehensive, platform-type world-class secret treasure.
Judging by its performance in battle, even if Marduk abandoned his homeplane, Divine Descendants World, he could still live quite comfortably in the Astral Realm simply by piloting the Ark.
But as a high-ranking overgod, Marduk was naturally unwilling to give up everything he already possessed.
As he retreated toward Divine Descendants World, Marduk fended off the attacks of Gongsun Wuji and his forces behind him while rapidly organizing his defenses.
Marduk had no intention of fleeing completely. He intended to use the large-sized Divine Descendants World as his stronghold and fight these invading enemies to the bitter end.
Just as he had proclaimed in his divine decree before the battle—victory belonged to the children of the gods!
Translator’s Notes:
1. Sworn father (义父 yì fù) literally means something like “righteous father” or “sworn father.” It doesn’t necessarily mean an adoptive father, nor does it imply that the person has no living parents. Rather, a yifu is someone respected almost like a father, often serving as a mentor, moral guide, or deeply trusted elder. The bond is based more on respect, trust, and a quasi-familial agreement than on blood or legal adoption. Also, if a person has a sworn brother, then he becomes the sworn father of that person’s children. ☜
2. Yes, that’s not a typo. We will find out in the future who Gongsun Xuance is! ☜