Invincible Starts From Dao Fruit

If it were before the battle at Cangtou Mountain, they would have stayed quiet and not uttered a word.

But after this battle, their thoughts had started to shift.

Just as silence pervaded the tent, and the atmosphere thickened—

"Those bastards!"

The Tornado Demon King roared, standing up first. His eyebrows arched sharply, his fury uncontainable as he bellowed, "The Alliance Hierarch trusted these Evil Gods so deeply, yet they turned out to be a pack of treacherous scum. I beseech the Hierarch to order the extermination of Gu'en and his lot, to root them out completely without leaving a trace. I am willing to lead the vanguard!"

With the Tornado Demon King's lead, the other Demon Kings quickly caught on and echoed in unison, "Yes, yes! Wipe out every single one of these Evil Gods!"

A unified resolve.

Hearts aligned, loyalty secured.

"Good!"

"Since these Evil Gods harbored malice first, there's no need for our Alliance to extend any benevolence to them."

"Relay my command—strike camp immediately and launch an attack against Gu'en's faction. Summon General Shuiqing's forces and have them rendezvous with my division at once!"

Chen Jichuan rose sharply, issuing directives one after another.

"As you command!"

A chorus of responses followed.

In an instant, war loomed on the horizon.

...

Starfire Plain.

Qii Land stretched narrowly, its fertile soil home to over a hundred thousand Barbarians who formed countless tribes, large and small. These Barbarians all worshipped the Fire God, Gu'en, praying day and night with utmost devotion.

Surrounding the plain, beasts and wolf packs frequently launched attacks. Within the tribes, devout Mages, Priests, and High Priests borrowed Divine Power from the gods, wielding fire to slay the beasts and repel the wolves, thereby protecting the tribes. These faithful figures took the opportunity to spread their teachings, strengthening the unwavering faith of the Barbarians in their gods.

After death, the most devoted believers could ascend to the Divine Domain or Divine Country, becoming Divine Envoys under the Fire God, achieving immortality and eternal blessings.

Every one of the hundred thousand Barbarian followers aspired to this fate, fearless and ready to die for it.

On this particular day,

Across the Starfire Plain, where firelight illuminated every household, it appeared as if flames had merged into a single blazing expanse. Among these flickering flames, palaces emerged in clusters.

Within the central palace, Gu'en, draped in a grand divine robe, exuded confidence as he reclined upon the main throne.

Beneath his seat were four other Barbarian Gods, each distinct: one heavy as a mountain, another flowing like water, one burning with the will to fight, and the last elusive and ever-changing.

Just from their auras, it was clear these four were the Earth God, Water God, War God, and Wind God respectively.

With the Fire God, Gu'en, included,

the five Barbarian Gods had all gathered. Among them, the War God Lin Pu resided farthest from Wuling Mountain, ruling a tribe in the northmost reaches called the Warhammer Tribe.

The closest, naturally, was the Fire God Gu'en's domain—the Starfire Plain.

In recent months, the Wuling Mountain Alliance had risen swiftly and powerfully, catching the attention of these Barbarian Gods. Their unease and alertness drove them to frequent secret exchanges, far more often than in quieter times.

After all, they were Barbarian Gods—competing fiercely for faith had led to constant conflicts amongst them.

Without external pressure, it would have been nearly impossible to unite all five Barbarian Gods in one place.

"Esteemed fellows."

"The Wuling Mountain Alliance marches with great momentum. After consolidating internally and dealing with the East River Water Mansion and Cangtou Mountain, they will undoubtedly turn their sights on us."

"We must unite. Otherwise, we'll only be picked off one by one!"

The Fire God Gu'en's voice boomed, his face flushed as if he had downed a hundred barrels of liquor.

For over three months, he had been on edge.

From the day the Tornado Demon King was subdued, to the establishment of the Wuling Mountain Alliance, to its rapid expansion and strengthening.

As a 'neighbor,' Gu'en closely monitored these developments, his anxiety growing as the Alliance became unstoppable. He could not shake the fear that one morning he would wake to find Alliance forces storming the Starfire Plain, slaughtering his followers, and toppling him from his godly throne.

Unwilling to sit idly by, Gu'en took action proactively.

On one side, he sought clandestine connections within the Wuling Mountain Alliance, reaching out to Demon Kings and former allies.

On the other, he maintained close contact with fellow Barbarian Gods.

This marked their first direct meeting. Alas, consensus among the gods was proving elusive.

"The Wuling Mountain Alliance's Hierarch, Dai Zong, is terrifyingly powerful. He crushed the Fuling Demon King, defeated the Tornado Demon King, and recently even killed the Golden Lotus Demon King."

"Even if we join forces, we likely wouldn't be a match for him—it would be nothing more than a futile sacrifice."

The Water God, Luna, gently shook her head. Her voice, as soft and flowing as water, conveyed her skepticism about defeating Chen Jichuan's immense strength.

"And what of it, then?"

"I've lobbied ten Demon Kings within their ranks, and they've all expressed willingness to side with us against Dai Zong. Our side also has support from gods in the west, east, and south, totaling thirteen gods."

"Adding those together, we have twenty-four Holy Domain Level powerhouses, while the Wuling Mountain Alliance only has fourteen. When the fighting begins, it's doubtful all fourteen will even stand with Dai Zong."

"Our chances of victory are considerable!"

Gu'en was eager to wage this war.

If he won, he would claim vast lands, amass greater faith, and become exponentially stronger. It was an opportunity too rare to pass up.

Even if victory proved unattainable, Gu'en considered survival amidst the chaos an acceptable outcome.

"I wouldn't trust those barbaric, ignorant Demon Kings."

The Earth God, Taolifu, snorted coldly. He had little to no regard for Demon Kings and rejected trusting them or provoking a powerful alliance like the Wuling Mountain Alliance.

Looking at Gu'en, he spoke in a deep tone, "If we can't win, we should join them."

"Indeed, indeed!"

Luna immediately agreed, adding, "If we join the Wuling Mountain Alliance, we wouldn't have to face the immensely powerful Alliance Hierarch, Dai Zong."

"Impossible!"

"He will never permit us to join the Alliance. So much time has passed without any overture from them—it's obvious they have malicious intent!"

The War God, Lin'en, fiercely refuted.

The chamber erupted into a cacophony of arguments.

Among the five Barbarian Gods present, the Fire God Gu'en and the War God Lin'en supported war. The Earth God Taolifu and the Water God Luna espoused diplomacy. Meanwhile, the Wind God Ruth, the weakest among them, remained silent as usual.

As Barbarian Gods, they had always butted heads.

During the early days of expansion into the Barbaric lands, they had cooperated to some extent.

But as centuries passed and the Barbarian Gods consolidated their dominance in the region, cooperation gave way to fierce competition.

For centuries—past and present—their actions were governed by 'interest' above all else. They united for gain and competed for the same reason.

They fought over faith.

They fought over territory.

They fought for ascension.

Often, these conflicts were bloody and even unrelenting. Only the pressing threat of Demon Kings kept them somewhat restrained for now. But internal chaos and struggles were beginning to surface, especially in the remote and desolate inner lands.

Cooperation?

Even with external pressures, no resolution could be achieved without months, if not years, of bickering.

But time was a luxury they no longer had.

As their arguments continued—

"Hmm?"

Gu'en abruptly stood, the ground beneath his feet transforming into an ethereal plane. Through the glow of flames, he spotted twenty-five streaks of light roaring toward them, directly breaching his Fire God Domain and surrounding the palace complex engulfed in firelight.

"How dare they—"

His fury and disbelief were quickly interrupted.

A thunderous voice boomed from outside, "Evil God Gu'en conspires with ill intent. Surrender at once!"

The sound shook the flames, causing them to waver chaotically. Gu'en's expression shifted dramatically as he struggled to calm his rattled nerves. Casting his gaze toward the varied faces of Lin'en and the others, he spoke in a grim tone, "Fellows, the war has begun!"

...