Myth: The Ruler of Spirituality

Nightfall descended, and the Moon hid behind the clouds.

Outside Nafplion City, the winds from Silver Moon City couldn't reach here, and Hebe, quietly chanting hymns, still knew nothing.

In the unseen, the rules throbbed with the song, and the power of youth washed over the Fountain before her.

Although these hymns were not essential parts of the ritual for the deity truly in charge of [Youth], Hebe did not slack off.

For just as dances are the oldest gifts presented to gods by priests, Hebe's hymns were her offerings to her own Mother Goddess,

Nightfall descended, and the Moon hid behind the clouds.

Outside Nafplion City, the winds from Silver Moon City couldn't reach here, and Hebe, quietly chanting hymns, still knew nothing.

In the unseen, the rules throbbed with the song, and the power of youth washed over the Fountain before her.

Although these hymns were not essential parts of the ritual for the deity truly in charge of [Youth], Hebe did not slack off.

For just as dances are the oldest gifts presented to gods by priests, Hebe's hymns were her offerings to her own Mother Goddess, in return for the blessing Hera had once given her personally:

In the name of the Guardian of Marriage, you shall have such a husband — his valor and wisdom unrivaled, his renown spreading across the Earth and The Sky.

"Praise be to you, loyal wife."

"Praise be to you, loving Mother Goddess."

Murmuring softly, as the hymn concluded, Hebe slowly rose.

A few more days of this ritual, and she could take a break in the evening... However, at this moment, although nothing had happened, an inexplicable feeling of dread suddenly surged within her heart.

"Wha—"

Before she could react, Hebe instinctively wanted to call for help.

But at the same time, the omen of death seemed to be right before her.

Fear seized her heart in an instant, and Hebe seemed to see her own corpse... In this unprecedented terror, her survival instinct directly triggered the Divine Power hidden within her Divine Body.

Swoosh—

With a thought, isolation was established inside and out.

In an instant, a faint golden divine radiance enveloped the surroundings, cutting off everything external.

Fear was driven out from her heart, and although the Goddess of Youth who regained her rationality immediately felt regret, feeling the surrounding Divine Power, she also felt some reassurance.

After today, she would likely suffer a severe blow. But in any case, no mortal power could break her Divine Power Shield.

With the last bit of time left, she could safely return to the Mount of the Gods. Then she must report to her Mother Goddess, so that the madman who dared to lay a hand on her would suffer eternal punishment!

With a sudden turn, Hebe wanted to see the face of her assailant before leaving.

Yet at this moment, an invisible domain instantly unfolded.

It covered the entire Fountain, enveloped all of Nafplion, and encompassed every living being in this space.

And at the center of this domain, the Goddess of Youth seemed to become a solidified photograph, vivid down to the tiniest expression, yet unable to move an inch.

Buzz—

[Ten Rings Sorcery·Death Shadow]!

[Ten Rings Sorcery·Time Freeze]!

[Ten Rings Sorcery·Great Space Lock]!

On a distant desolate mountain, the old man's face seemed to age even more at this moment.

Slowly retracting his outstretched finger, looking at the seemingly frozen scene in the distance, he couldn't help but sigh lightly.

This is a god... even a god in charge of youth; her Divine Power was enough to resist any mortal power.

If not for being first struck down by the Lord of Ten Thousand Demons and then continually drained of new Divine Power by the [Artificial Magic Net], the God of the Stars would never have been able to be imprisoned by them.

To confront a True God as a wizard, perhaps before she became a Goddess, the Goddess of the Magic Net could... But faced with this unbreakable barrier, the old man was not disheartened.

Because he knew, if he wanted to hunt deities, this was a hurdle he must face.

Taking a step forward, passing through the invisible gateway, the old man stood in The Sky, overlooking the Earth.

Beneath his feet, Hebe, shrouded in the Divine Power Shield, stood like a statue, with the laws of the present world yet to arrive.

Without any surprise, the old man knew that the power of [Time Freeze] actually could not affect a god who exploded with Divine Power.

So few knew, the purpose of this sorcery was not to freeze time, but 'time acceleration.'

When all things in this domain are accelerated a thousandfold, then Hebe, who was not accelerated, would be equivalent to being frozen in time.

Thus, it seemed a long time had passed, but in fact, if he couldn't actively break the opponent's Divine Power Shield, today's actions would have failed.

Fortunately, as he had said before, the most critical person today was never himself.

To combat a god, naturally only another god could.

"A city, millions of lives."

"Your city-state thrived because of the Heavenly Empress's daughter, now to perish because of her, it must be a worthy death."

With a calm voice, in that city, besides the original commoners and aristocrats, were believers gathered for the annual descent of the Heavenly Empress, and tens of thousands of demigods personally captured by the old man's students.

They were once scholars and aristocrats, perhaps judges or knights.

But now, they had only one identity.

"That is the sacrifice."

Raising his hand again, the ancient and intricate array patterns spread along the city walls, eventually covering the entire city.

At the center of the ritual, a point of starlight shone brightly.