Seeing that the situation had stabilized, the Lord of Evil Spirits quickly left Licitris's side.
Everyone understood that Licitris wouldn't make a suggestion without having a backup plan. However, with their lives at stake and feeling on the brink of collapse, it was best to purify the Blood of Contamination first before continuing the fight.
The deity from the Golden Kingdom revealed a peculiar smile.
He was the first to choose a spot to sit down. After making a few hand seals, the river of blood enveloped him, and a faint rainbow-colored blood was exchanged.
In Sterl's view, it resembled the dialysis treatment for kidney disease he had undergone before his transmigration, where Polluted Blood was expelled and replaced with ordinary blood.
Although drawing blood from the layer of hell would undoubtedly cause significant harm, it was nothing compared to the Blood of Contamination that had transformed from the calamity of the upper realms; it was almost negligible.
The deity from the Golden Kingdom's complexion visibly brightened.
It seemed he was already familiar with the formation here.
The other gods reacted quickly as well. Even if they lacked talent in formations, their long lifespans allowed them to grasp some knowledge about formations. Under the Archduke of Blood's full concealment, it seemed they could easily manipulate the Heavenly Locking Formation. Soon, all five gods occupied their respective positions and began purifying themselves.
Only Licitris not only wanted to purify herself but also wanted to bring Sterl along...
At that moment, Sterl didn't overact; he simply said coldly, "It's most important for you to restore your strength first. I'm not in a hurry."
To express his willingness to sacrifice himself and even give up purifying the Blood of Contamination was a bit excessive.
As expected, Licitris showed another expression of gratitude.
"Hmm~"
She gently kissed Sterl before sitting down to purify her blood.
Sterl stood by, ignored by everyone.
To the gods, no matter how much potential or talent Mephistopheles had, he was not a divine-level entity—just an ant that could be easily squashed.
Aside from Licitris, everyone else disregarded Mephistopheles, treating him like an insignificant stone on the roadside, unworthy of even a glance.
It wasn't that no one wanted to use Mephistopheles to threaten Licitris.
However, as divine-level beings, they all felt that Mephistopheles was more likely a bait thrown out by the Succubus Queen.
Who would believe that a god could genuinely fall in love with a mortal?
The more probable scenario was that Licitris's Divine Power was hidden within Mephistopheles, ready to explode at any moment. Anyone who tried to capture him as a hostage would face dire consequences.
The only approach taken by the many divine-level beings was to ignore him.
Sterl wasn't angry about this; he understood that the current calm was extremely unstable.
The Blood of Contamination within the five deities had reached its peak and needed to be suppressed and purified first. Once they somewhat returned to normal, the flames of battle would be ignited.
At that moment...
Sterl gazed at the surging blood in the valley, which reflected a handsome face.
Yet in his eyes, that face gradually morphed into a grotesque demonic visage—one that resembled the Archduke of Blood.
Once the five divine-level entities began to clash, it would be the perfect opportunity for the Archduke of Blood to make his entrance.
Meanwhile, Sterl merely wandered casually, and as a demigod, the actions of the five divine-level units—aside from Licitris occasionally checking on him with divine sense—were of no concern to the other four gods at all.
He was quite pleased to analyze the situation with ease.
As expected, he picked up on some clues.
On the surface, the formation still appeared to be the original version in the valley, but having been here before, Sterl realized that the formation had already been altered.
Sterl felt a flicker of attention from the Archduke of Blood directed at him, but this divine-level demon chose to ignore it.
He even sensed a hint of mockery coming from the Archduke, despite his Holy Spirit Bloodline.
The Archduke of Blood found it amusing!
In the thoughts of this divine-level demon, there was not a hint of the idea that Mephistopheles wanted to take the opportunity to control the formation.
The Archduke simply believed that Mephistopheles might be a quick learner...
Did he really think that while on the verge of death from the Blood of Contamination, he could gain some knowledge of formations?
Did this little demigod truly believe that his master Licitris could survive and take him along?
How laughable!
Even if the three gods of the main world had a chance, the two divine-level demons were still doomed.
At this moment, the Archduke of Blood's form had dissolved into a strange flow of water, surging through the valley.
Yet, while he had marked the two divine-level demons for certain death, it seemed to stem from a desire to avenge the earlier killings.
However, there was no hatred in the Archduke of Blood's eyes!
Then, on the third day...
Colorful traces gradually appeared on the slate above the underground valley.
At this moment, the entire layer of hell had become a desolate wasteland. Aside from the six divine-level entities and Sterl, there were no living creatures; everything had transformed into a continuously flowing, filthy, multicolored liquid.
The several deities, including the concealed Archduke of Blood, had blocked off the passage in the valley early on, preventing any blood tainted with the Blood of Contamination from flooding back into the riverbed. They were purifying themselves using the massive amounts of blood accumulated in the valley over millions of years.
Their complexion had improved significantly.
Meanwhile, Sterl remained deep in thought, his eyes flickering.
The incomplete knowledge of the array of seizing heaven and creating fate and the incomplete Law Power were not the same thing. Without fully comprehending them, there was no proficiency to speak of, and thus he could not enhance them with blood force.
Sterl could only split his remaining blood-type true power in half and add it to the Blood Sacrifice Array to enhance his perception of similar formations.
[Your ability [the array of seizing heaven and creating fate (incomplete)] has increased in completeness.]
[Your ability [the array of seizing heaven and creating fate (incomplete)] has increased in completeness.]
[Your...]
...
Time flowed steadily.
On the fourth day, the deity from the Golden Kingdom inexplicably opened his eyes and meaningfully glanced around.
On the fifth day, while everyone else was calmly purifying their blood, Licitris suddenly activated a powerful force that surged toward her body from within the valley; it was the Supreme backup plan she had previously arranged.
Licitris could no longer rely on this backup to initiate a grand blood sacrifice to enhance her strength, but she could draw upon the immense power of the valley to rapidly refine herself, significantly slowing the progress of the Blood of Contamination, allowing her to strike first and seize the initiative.
Just at that moment...
"Stop!"
A rough, guttural voice echoed through the air.
Licitris was not surprised; a hint of regret flashed in her eyes as the other divine-level entities slowly opened their eyes and began to rise.
At this moment, a stream of blood surged within the valley, ultimately transforming into...