Upon hearing the thoroughly-odd beast's order, the preliminary-grade divine gods of the god of darkness side and of the isolated alien spaces fled in the direction of their stronghold, their hearts drumming, chills creeping down their spines.
Austin had sent fear racing through them like a forest fire through dry leaves.
"You're not going anywhere!" Austin roared.
With that, he bounded after them, rage burning deep inside of him.
"Go get Austin. We can't let him hurt more our men,"
the thoroughly-odd beast and the fire-disaster beast bellowed, their voice filled with anxiety.
A lot of divine gods who worked for the god of darkness side had died at Austin's hands earlier that day. The thoroughly-odd beast had no intention of seeing more divine gods fall.
"You little bastard, don't be presumptuous!"
Several medium-grade divine gods of the god of darkness side rushed toward Austin, trying to block his way.
"Do you think you can get in my way, you weaklings?" Austin sneered at their feeble attempts, his loathing for their audacity leaking from his every word.
He dashed forward, his body a blur, a lightning strike that was near impossible to follow. Catching the medium-grade divine gods off guard, he changed his path, got past them, and went after those preliminary-grade divine gods who were fleeing.
At that moment, the gates of the Underworld Cosmos ripped open.
Ignoring the gates, Austin focused on hunting down his prey. They would not escape him. That, he swore.
Dark corpse miasma gushed from the gates, spreading in all directions.
Its foul stench choked the air.
Then, a crowd of people rushed from the gates.
A giant beast led them. That creature was none other than the devilish nether beast of the underworld.
A huge black coffin shot into the sky above the crowd. Its ominous form cast a long shadow.
Standing within the coffin, hands behind his back as if he were the master of the entire universe, was a man with eyes that could pierce a person's soul; eyes to give nightmares to a nightmare.
"Austin, give that Nether Picture for Deceiving Heaven back to me right now!" the man in the coffin shouted, voice as cold as a corpse.
He stared at Austin, eyes full of killing intent.
This man was Colby of the underworld.
On the day Austin was in the middle of completing the Apotheosizing Doom, Colby distracted him with nine Nether Pictures for Deceiving Heaven. As a result, Austin failed to break through to a divine god.
Later, Colby entrusted ten superior elders of the underworld with a Nether Picture for Deceiving Heaven so they could hunt down Austin.
Austin killed the ten superior elders.
He also took the Nether Picture for Deceiving Heaven.
Colby had nine Nether Pictures for Deceiving Heaven, but after he lost one of them, their powers had been greatly weakened. It was of the utmost importance
Austin what real power was.
"Old bastard, go to hell!" Austin screamed.
Tremendous chaotic energy massed from the secret realms inside him. Austin gathered the chaotic energy on his fist, unleashing a punch at Colby.
Both parties released infinite runes. Their energies collided. An explosion rocked the area like a massive thunderclap, a wave of air and power blasting away upon the energies' impact. Such was the power unleashed that it would have blown away, would have torn apart anyone who was not a powerful cultivator.
This was a fight between opponents of immense strength.
"I can't believe that Austin dares to fight a medium-grade divine god head on."
Everyone was dumbfounded at the scene.
The chaotic void shook violently with each impact, with each clash. The effect could be felt in the air, the earth, the sea. It encompassed the world.
Austin and Colby became blurs as they battled. One emitted a bright golden light, while the other released the black fog. The light and the fog filled the space for up to a billion miles. Light flickered in the black fog, slicing holes in it. The black fog congealed around the light, choking it. Back and forth the battle went, becoming a dance, a rhythm of golden light and black fog.
Bang!
Finally, a figure was flung away. The figure spat out blood.
"Austin, are you all right?"
Peterson, Morphy, and other gods of light yelled, shock filling their voices and expressions.
The figure was Austin.
Steadying himself in the void, Austin wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
"I'm good," he answered.
"Humph! Brat, I didn't expect your body to be so tough.
But it doesn't matter. The game just started.
I will slowly rip you to bits,"
Colby chortled, voice dripping with hate.
Although he had the upper hand in the first round, Austin hadn't sustained serious injuries.
Austin was far stronger than Colby imagined.