Chapter 315 313-The God of Night's Pet—Pochi
But the pervasive divinity and the deities' oppressive force were beyond reason.
They all vented upon Ethan, as the omnipresent divinity poured into him like quicksilver, pushing his body down once more.
"Thump—"
Ethan's body, scarcely managing to rise to a half-kneel, was once again forced to kneel on one knee.
"Pfft—" Ethan spat out a mouthful of blood, splattering the temple floor, staining it with a disturbing, mottled ugliness.
Ethan's eyes had turned completely red, with blood seeping from his eye sockets.
"No! I will not kneel!."
Ethan howled to the heavens, exerting all his strength, once more forcibly rising to his feet.
Under the blanket of oppressive force, Ethan felt excruciating pain in his body.
His skin had started to crack, like shattered porcelain.
Pieces of skin flew off, with blood and flesh attached.
Blood sprayed from his body, and Ethan knew if he didn't bow down to worship the omnipresent deities,
he would be crushed by the omnipresent oppressive force.
Looking at the deities' indifferent, lofty gazes, Ethan once again circulated his Golden Divine Dragon Blood, as blood gurgled from his mouth.
He gripped the Blasphemous Spear and roared with difficulty: "I will not kneel, I refuse to kneel!"
For Ethan, his mind had descended into chaos, his thoughts a tangled mess.
He did not understand why the deities within the temple suddenly became hostile, why the Celestial Deity's essence descended, nearly crushing his body.
But one thing he understood—a principle, that no one could make him kneel.
Not even the exalted deities.
Ethan looked up at the deities standing above all heavens, observed their indifferent demeanor, saw their cold eyes that regarded all beings as mere straw dogs.
Ethan bellowed, "Burn, Golden Divine Dragon Blood. No one can make me kneel, for the blood of the Dragon Bloodline flows within me."
As if heeding Ethan's call, the Golden Divine Dragon Blood began to circulate autonomously, surrounding his body with a golden mist.
This golden mist enshrouded him, and a boundless strength welled up from the depths of his heart.
Ethan's bent figure slowly straightened.
Suddenly, from the heavens above, the chanting of the faithful resounded; they were praying for the aid of the deities, seeking their divine attention.
The omnipresent Power of Faith washed over Ethan like a torrential downpour.
The golden mist around his body, like a fire quenched by a bucket of cold water, extinguished in an instant, disappearing without a trace.
Only the swirling mist remained around Ethan.
The golden mist had been swept away by the Power of Faith, leaving Ethan with no means of resistance.
The Golden Divine Dragon Blood within him was exhausted; even his marrow and heart, attempting to forcibly squeeze out blood, could not.
Ethan's body could no longer carry out the task.
"Thump—"
Ethan's body shattered like porcelain, bursting apart.
The temple still stood tall within the Divine Realm, divine beasts circling its perimeter.
Within the temple, the deities let out cold laughs, returning to their places to continue their singing, practicing, or conducting rituals...
Ethan sank into the darkness, surrounded by silence, without the faintest sound.
...
Deityforsaken Land, Dream Garden Town.
Dream Garden Town was brimming with rainbow bubbles.
The rainbow bubbles floated in the void, serving as a warm cradle that coaxed the slumbering individuals within into even more tranquil rest.
Suddenly, one of the rainbow bubbles burst.
A man clad in black looked around vigilantly, his gaze shifting from the surroundings to his own body, which was surprisingly unharmed.
"Am I... am I not dead?" he murmured as if in a dream.
He was Ethan, miraculously alive.
Ethan surveyed the area, astounded by the environment around him.
Countless rainbow bubbles, each displaying enchanting hues, were captivating to behold.
Yet Ethan felt a chill crawl up his scalp, for within each rainbow bubble lay a person, a humanoid, or a beast.
Their expressions were sweet, as if they were peacefully immersed in slumber.
Ethan's eyelids twitched slightly as he continued to scan the environment with caution.
Numerous rainbow bubbles clustered around a bizarre magical beast, which, unlike the others, was not inside a bubble but seemed the most at ease.
It even snored contentedly, with rainbow bubbles emerging from its nostrils before expanding and settling in the air at random.
"So, it's behind all this," Ethan narrowed his eyes, drawing closer to the magical creature.
The beast's appearance was most peculiar—a bird of odd and indescribable shape.
Ethan's eyes glinted as his Eye of Alchemy activated, revealing the creature's information in his vision.
Ethan drew a sharp breath as the image of himself shattering in the Divine Realm rushed to his mind.
Was everything that had just happened an illusion created by Pochi?
"No wonder," Ethan shook his head and suddenly cast a fierce glance around, "then they..."
Had all those trapped within the rainbow bubbles fallen into Pochi's crafted dreams?
A surge of foreboding made Ethan's heart race. They must have entered Pochi's domain upon venturing into the Deityforsaken Land.
And then were devoured by Pochi's rainbow bubbles, plunging into dreams.
Could Lana and Daphne walk out of this dreamscape?
Ethan's face turned grim, the danger level of the Deityforsaken Land notching up in his mind.
Unwittingly caught in the snare, such an exaggerated Deityforsaken Land it was.
Ethan tried to harness his power to levitate but found his body would not take flight.
Only then did he look up to the sky.
The sky of Deityforsaken Land was perpetually overcast, with Runes of Law streaking across like shooting stars.
This made the land beneath the Deityforsaken Land a taboo realm of the Power of Rules.
Just like the Divine Realm in Ethan's illusion, divinity pervaded the Deityforsaken Land.
The divinity was like poison, strictly limiting the powers of all beings within the Deityforsaken Land.
To fly here, one must possess wings.
With wings unfurling behind him, Ethan flew laboriously through the air.
The Deityforsaken Land's suppression of power was too severe; Ethan barely felt it before a sense of ill omen rose within him.
Within the Deityforsaken Land, he could only wield a mere tenth of his former strength.
Yet now, in the quest to find Lana and Daphne, Ethan could not afford to be prudent with his energy.
Fortunately, Ethan's eyes were unaffected, and he quickly located Lana Mokos and Daphne.
Both were sleeping within rainbow bubbles, their faces wearing sweet smiles.
Ethan grasped the rainbow bubble, shouting loudly, "Lana, wake up!"
Lana Mokos showed no sign of stirring, but the bubble, disturbed, began to drift away on the wind.
Watching the bubble flee further away, Ethan instantly fell silent.
His face was etched with urgency, a panic as if his eyebrows were on fire.
If shouting wouldn't rouse her, would he need to resort to force to break the bubble?
Yet Ethan, glancing at the mountainous Pochi, felt a flutter of trepidation.
If Pochi awoke, there was no telling what it might do.
After all, it was a deity's pet, and although the data card listed only dream creation as its method of attack,
Ethan seriously doubted whether, with his current strength, he could withstand an illusion crafted by Pochi.
As the bubble carrying Lana Mokos came to a halt, Ethan, gripping the bubble, gazed at Lana Mokos with a complex expression.
He reached out to caress her cheek, and the next moment, he found himself entering the bubble.
Ethan and Lana Mokos embraced, falling once again into slumber.
...
Azure Empire, Goot City.
As the first metropolis of the empire, it is not only the economic nexus but also the political heart of the Azure Empire.
The imperial family of the Azure Empire resides here.
In Goot City, there's an old saying: "A random stone falling from the sky could kill a baron."
Such is the testament to the power that Goot City holds.
The most renowned institution is the Goot Royal Academy, where princes and princesses are the norm, and the least of its students are heirs to earldoms.
Lana Mokos sat in the classroom, where the professor, with his teaching rod in hand, lectured with animated enthusiasm.
Yet her mind wandered, not on the textbook in front of her – she had already mastered the knowledge within.
The title of "the most talented princess of the Azure Empire" was not without merit.
Resting her chin on her hand, her eyes, amber-like, reflected the clear blue and white sky.
A face flashed across the sky – Lana Mokos thought she was mistaken.
She almost cried out, but in the next moment, the face became clear.
With a shock, Lana Mokos exclaimed, "Ah!!!"
Her cry drew the gaze of everyone in the class.
The professor pursed his lips and pushed his glasses up his nose:n((0veLbIn
"Princess Lana, if you choose not to study, please do not disturb the others."
"Should there be a next time, I shall inform His Majesty the King."