Only God

Aquatic plants swayed, their pale green lines ethereal and beautiful, as if adhering to a certain rhythm of life, singing in chorus the sounds of Heaven.

"This is the space of honesty."

Xilan pointed to this place and introduced,

"Here, no one can tell lies or do anything false, of course, you can choose to remain silent, but once you speak, it must be the truth."

Upon hearing these words, the three Divines looked around in surprise at this neither large nor small space filled with aquatic plants, trying in their hearts to lie and deceive, but when they spoke, out came their most genuine thoughts.

Such a scene let a fine fear rise and fall like the tips of the water plants.

It seems this place was indeed as Xilan had said, where lies couldn't be told, and false deeds couldn't be done.

Only to hear Xilan continue,

"In these three days, I will reveal to you the past and future.

You will discuss, consider, and ponder here until after three days, if even just one of you wishes for my death, I shall die right here."

The Hermit of God opened his arms and declared among the thronging water plants,

"God Will has passed the power to destroy divine miracles into your hands."

Laren showed a burst of excitement at this moment, Utus's gaze also revealed a hint of delight, but Hiris alone had a worried face, not knowing what to do.

"Is three days too short a time, for beings divine, it's but the flick of a finger," Hiris said.

Laren and Utus both glanced at him, as if to reproach the artisan for meddling.

"No, even if we are Divine, every minute and every second are very important to us," Laren said with a shadow in his eyes, looking at Xilan,

"You who want to be a Prophet, just wait!"

The Dream God offered up a coronation to a mere mortal rich with irony.

In Laren's view, Xilan was already as good as dead, and no matter what, three days later, he would certainly firm up his own thoughts.

Unexpectedly, Xilan just smiled and wasn't perturbed in the least.

The Dream God, however, did not doubt the honesty of this place; Laren believed that their Father wouldn't deceive them, and besides, he had already instructed the other Divines to have the Priests incite and cause Kaelonde to ignite a great fire, when the time was right.

Laren thought that no matter how long he stayed here, the plan had been set and was ready to be executed.

Now, he just needed to solidify his intention to kill Xilan.

The room was extremely dark, with only a meager amount of weak light, the water plants beneath the shallow lake swayed faintly, and the surroundings were desolate, as monotonous as a graveyard.

Laren lifted his eyes, only to see Xilan slowly kneel, clasp his hands together forcefully, so tightly that they seemed about to bleed, and slowly close his eyes, letting his head droop, in the dimness of the water plants, creating an indescribably eerie aura.

And so, Xilan remained, like a statue, kneeling there, awaiting the Divinities' verdict after three days.

Staring fixedly at Xilan, Laren waited a long time; Xilan remained motionless, as if he were a long-dead stiff corpse.

The three Divines did not speak.

The dark room was unsettlingly quiet, this strange chamber, devoid even of insect chirping, only the drifting water plants gradually stilled.

After an unknown length of time, having yet to witness any visions, they raised their heads and exchanged glances.

Finally, Utus broke the silence first,

"Since that's the case, let's confirm each other's thoughts.

I believe my thoughts align with Laren's."

Hiris, however, voiced a different opinion, saying,

"Dreams, Storms, my thoughts differ from yours.

I can let you destroy the divine Path, but I will not support you in killing Xilan.

Remember, he belongs to our Father."

Laren swept an eye over Hiris with disdain and said,

"What are you afraid of, afraid of retribution?

No, there won't be any, Xilan has promised us, our Father will not bear grudges against us."

Utus agreed, saying,

"I think the same, we don't need to worry about our Father's grudge."

Hiris furrowed his brow, took a deep breath, and spoke slowly,

"Do you think I'm worried about angering Father?

It's not that I'm worried about angering Him, I know He wouldn't bear a grudge.

It's just... to kill someone who belongs to the Divine, we cannot bear the heaviness of this sin."

Laren found Hiris's words laughable.

"The heaviness of sin?

How utterly ridiculous. Have you forgotten that even after Xilan dies, his soul will return to Heaven?

What's the difference to Father between a Xilan of flesh and blood, and a Xilan existing as a soul?"

Laren outlined the relationship,

"Do some mortals see death as a final farewell, oh revered and skillful craftsman? Is that what you believe?

What do you think you are, thinking like a mortal?

We are eternal Divine beings!"

The Dream God was disdainful of Hiris's thoughts; His voice was intense as He spoke, and ripples formed under His feet, setting the previously still underwater plants adrift once more.

The surface of the water turned murky, showing a strange black, and the rippling waves resembled the slight shaking of a body when someone leans in to listen closely, making one feel as if there might be an ear made of flesh in the depths of the shallow lake.

The room's walls were covered in moss, with the paint peeling away in damp patches.

Facing Laren's rebuttal, Hiris became a bit agitated, the straightforward craftsman puffed up his chest, holding in his breath, unsure of what to say.

After a long time, Hiris let out his breath slowly, looked at Utus, then at Laren, and spoke again,

"You say I think like a mortal; then, I admit it, I indeed think like a mortal, or rather, many Divine beings have once thought like mortals.

But I must remind you, I awakened my self-consciousness far earlier than any of you; when I awoke, the Netherworld hadn't even been born."

Utus frowned, as a newly born Divine being, He despised the preachings of the elderly,

"So what? We have shown you enough respect."

"No, I'm not seeking your respect,

I'm trying to tell you, before the Netherworld was born, death was a final farewell to the Gods just the same!"

Hiris's lips began to tremble lightly, as painful memories surfaced,

"I once had a son—Shanon. He sought glory, marching onto the battlefield, only to realize in the end that the happiness of living far outweighed the glory after death.

I watched him die, powerless to stop it. You say I think like a mortal; it's because you have never been through the same."

Hiris's words did not change Laren's mind; the Dream God suddenly flared up in anger.

"You say I've never been through the same?

I tell you, I have. My beloved son Shangla'er died at the hands of a mortal.

Do you think I'm so persistent for what? It's precisely because my progeny has died that I understood the terror of creating a Path!"

As Laren spoke, He glanced at the unmoving Xilan,

"Killing him is not just because the Gods need to seal the Path of Creation; it's also my revenge for Shangla'er."

The Dream God Laren was resolute; Hiris seemed to see the flames of vengeance in this place where no lies could be told, no false deeds done—Laren's confessions were undoubtedly true.

Seeing that he could not sway Laren, Hiris turned his gaze to Utus.

"What about you? Utus, do you have any compelling reason for killing Xilan?"

The proud Storm God glanced coldly at Xilan and uttered a short sentence,

"Survival of the fittest."

"Survival of the fittest?"

Hiris repeated, astonished.

"Isn't it a simple concept?

Just as wolves should eat sheep, and like a King of beasts rules over its territory, everything has its order. We, as Divine beings, are meant to have mortals under our dominion.

The emergence of the Path of Creation will shatter this principle."

Utus, a Fifth Rank Divine being, stood above many Gods; His formidable Divine Power and pride always adhered to this kind of pure rationalism, believing in the ancient laws.