Chapter 1219: The Death God Appears
In the following days, the Underworld Office's losses grew increasingly severe. The combined strength of the Spirit Masters and the Talisman Order, coupled with the involvement of other forces, left the Underworld Office outmatched.
Fortunately, the Underworld Office promptly consolidated its forces, abandoning cities that needed to be given up immediately. This significantly reduced their losses, for otherwise, the damage to the Underworld Office would have been even greater.
While the losses had been minimized to the greatest extent possible, this was merely a relative assessment. In truth, the Underworld Office still suffered substantial casualties, with the magnitude of losses incurred in just a few days being unprecedented in the Underworld Office's history.
Yang Haoran's Ninth District also suffered significant losses. In these past few days, the combat room of Yang Haoran's Guardian District had known no peace, with discussions and deployments ceaseless. To minimize losses and deliver some blows to the enemy, Yang Haoran had dispatched numerous experts to reinforce cities in need of support.
But Yang Haoran knew that such measures were merely a drop in the bucket, utterly incapable of turning the tide. Considering the considerable losses the Underworld Office had already sustained in just a few days, it was clear they couldn't hold out much longer. His own Guardian District was, of course, no exception.
If this great war continued in its current state, the destruction of their Underworld Office was an absolute certainty.
Of course, Yang Haoran wouldn't reveal these thoughts to his trusted subordinates. Though he believed that, given the intellect of most of his confidants, they would undoubtedly deduce this ultimate outcome even without him stating it.
Let alone his intelligent confidants, even an ordinary person with a modicum of sense could analyze the current situation and arrive at the same conclusion, for this matter was not complex to unravel at all.
Though Yang Haoran appeared calm and collected before his subordinates day in and day out, seemingly unconcerned by the current predicament, this was ultimately just a facade. In truth, as the Underworld Office's losses mounted, a certain degree of worry inevitably began to sprout in his heart.
Even he, the Guardian of the Underworld Office, felt anxiety growing within him, let alone the tens of thousands of Emissaries of Death throughout the Underworld Office.
Several more days passed, and the Underworld Office's disadvantage grew ever more severe. Casualties mounted, and there even arose instances of Emissaries of Death and Night Watchers defecting.
The reason these Emissaries of Death and Night Watchers chose to defect was, naturally, because they could no longer see any possibility of the Underworld Office prevailing. They didn't wish to die miserably at the hands of the Spirit Masters, or perhaps it was for other reasons, leading them to ultimately decide to betray the Underworld Office.
After these individuals defected from the Underworld Office, the Spirit Masters not only refrained from killing them but generously allowed them to join their ranks and cultivate Spiritual Art. This method enabled them to transform the Spirit Power within their bodies into Communication Power, making them true Spirit Masters.
This matter became widely known through the Spirit Masters' deliberate propaganda. While other factions ridiculed the Underworld Office, the Underworld Office itself faced severe internal problems. Learning that the defectors were not slain by the Spirit Masters but had become members of their ranks, some Underworld Officials grew restless. To preserve their lives and for their own gain, they, too, began to entertain thoughts of defection.
This affair not only worsened the Underworld Office's already dire situation but also brought extremely negative repercussions upon them. The high-ranking officials of the Underworld Office were utterly enraged by it.
For if this continued, an ever-increasing number of Underworld Officials would decide to join the Spirit Masters, turning their weapons against the Underworld Office. Should it truly come to that, the speed of the Underworld Office's demise would undoubtedly accelerate exponentially!
Conversely, the Spirit Masters were exceedingly pleased with this situation. Their primary objective was to destroy and replace the Underworld Office, so they were naturally delighted to see its demise hasten.
To this end, they even intensified their propaganda efforts, declaring that any Underworld Official, be they a formally appointed one or an unranked Night Watcher, who was willing to abandon the darkness and embrace their Spirit Master ways, would be unconditionally accepted. They would be allowed to become a member of the Spirit Masters and receive the same treatment as other Spirit Masters, depending on their strength.
The Spirit Masters' objective in doing this was self-evident. Many within the Underworld Office clearly understood the Spirit Masters' intentions but, swayed by their own self-interest, couldn't resist jumping into the fray. This caused the Underworld Office's internal stability to become extremely precarious, with some even losing all will to fight.
Under such circumstances, let alone contending with the Spirit Masters' allied army, it was already quite difficult just to keep the Underworld Office from collapsing entirely. How could they possibly have enough energy to deal with the Spirit Masters' grand army?
Yet more time passed. The Underworld Office's territory in the mortal realm dwindled further, casualties grew increasingly severe, and the number of defecting Underworld Officials multiplied. Just as it seemed they could no longer endure this situation, a mere step away from utter destruction, the tide of the war unexpectedly turned.
From the outset of the great war until now, the Underworld Office's Death God, who had remained unseen, unexpectedly appeared in Jingling Continent! Not only did the Death God manifest, but he also slew several Grand Spirit Masters of the Spirit Masters and several Gold Talisman Masters of the Talisman Order!
The moment this news broke, the entire New Beginning Realm was shaken to its core. The Spirit Master faction was struck with terror, while the Underworld Office's morale soared.
The Death God's appearance not only offered hope to those within the Underworld Office who had been engulfed in despair but also allowed them to glimpse the dawn of victory. For it was the Death God whom they worshipped, and in their eyes, the Death God was the mightiest True God in all the world, irreplaceable by any other deity. Indeed, to many Underworld Officials, only the Death God they believed in was a True God; all other deities of other sects were, without exception, mere False Gods!
The scene of the Death God appearing in Jingling Continent was witnessed by tens of thousands of people, from both allied and enemy factions. The sight of the Death God slaying several Grand Spirit Masters and Gold Talisman Masters was likewise witnessed by a vast multitude. Many low-ranking Spirit Master henchmen even chose to flee on the spot without the slightest hesitation, for they knew that before the Underworld Office's Death God, they were less than ants. If they didn't seize the opportunity to escape while the Death God was preoccupied slaying Grand Spirit Masters and Gold Talisman Masters, then Soul Transformation would surely be their fate.
Why did the Death God appear in Jingling Continent and not other continents? In some people's view, it was likely because the Jingling Continent Underworld Office was the weakest. If the Death God didn't intervene first to resolve some troubles for the Jingling Continent Underworld Office, then while it might not be immediately annihilated, the pressure it faced would undoubtedly be the greatest. Hence, the Death God appeared in Jingling Continent and eliminated several Grand Spirit Masters and Gold Talisman Masters for the Jingling Continent Underworld Office.
After the Death God appeared, some factions' views on the situation changed once more. They had previously believed that the Underworld Office's Death God hadn't appeared because he had fallen for some reason, and that there was no Death God left in the world. Thus, they were convinced that the Underworld Office would be destroyed in this great war, and the Spirit Masters would surely replace the current Underworld Office. It was precisely because they held this belief that they dared not side with the Underworld Office; some chose to ally with the Spirit Masters, while others maintained neutrality.
Now that the Death God had appeared, the speculation that he had fallen for unknown reasons was naturally overturned. And precisely at this moment, the Underworld Office extended an olive branch, making weighty promises. After careful consideration, some factions that had previously remained neutral ultimately chose to join the Underworld Office's camp, among them the Demon Hunter Guild.
Although the Demon Hunter Guild was not a religious sect and did not worship any deities, its standing throughout the New Beginning Realm was by no means low; it was also considered a major power. It could be said without exaggeration that, apart from the great powers that possessed deities, the Demon Hunter Guild was absolutely the foremost power without a deity. Thus, the Demon Hunter Guild's strength was truly formidable, and with its inclusion, the Underworld Office's disadvantage would certainly see significant improvement.
As for what substantial reward the Underworld Office used to sway the Demon Hunter Guild, the outside world naturally had no way of knowing. Aside from the high-ranking officials of the Underworld Office and the Demon Hunter Guild, it was, of course, impossible for outsiders to be privy to this matter.
However, it was clear without even needing to think that since the Demon Hunter Guild was no longer maintaining neutrality, was willing to participate in this great war, and had decided to join the Underworld Office's side, the benefits offered by the Underworld Office must have been astonishing. Otherwise, how could the Demon Hunter Guild possibly risk such a venture?
While it was true that the Death God had appeared, the Spirit Master faction, besides their False God Spirit Master, also had the Talisman Ancestor of the Talisman Order. Even if a False God's strength was inferior to a True God's, it was undoubtedly terrifyingly powerful. The Death God would have to face both a True God and a False God simultaneously; in many people's eyes, the Death God would be lucky just to avoid a tragic demise, let alone win.
How could the Demon Hunter Guild not have considered this point? Yet, having considered it, they still chose to join the Underworld Office's camp. The immense interests involved were thus imaginable, certainly beyond what ordinary people could conceive.
The New Beginning Realm, already chaotic enough, became even more disarrayed with the entry of neutral forces led by the Demon Hunter Guild. The number of people dying tragically each day multiplied compared to before the Death God's appearance.
Yet, what puzzled many was that the Death God, after appearing in Jingling Continent that day and slaying several Grand Spirit Masters and Gold Talisman Masters, had once again vanished without a trace. And surprisingly, the Spirit Master's False God Spirit Master and the Talisman Order's Talisman Ancestor had similarly not made an appearance.
Some people thus speculated whether these three grand figures were concerned that their world-shattering powers would shatter the New Beginning Realm, and so had sought out an uninhabited place for a one-on-one duel!
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