Chapter 189: The Liberation of the Empire of Infer [Two-in-One]

Chapter 189: The Liberation of the Empire of Infer [Two-in-One]

Had dawn broken?

The sudden burst of light across the heavens and earth left Ben Keming—and countless armed personnel of the Reduction of Working Hours and Increase in Wages Movement—stunned.

They looked around in a daze.

One moment ago, the world had been plunged into darkness, with rolling black clouds overhead, thunderous storms raging wildly, and lightning clawing at the sky.

The next moment, the skies were clear and bright, the terrifying tempest gone without a trace, and the despair that had weighed upon their hearts lifted like a shadow dispelled.

An indescribable awe rose from their chests, surged up their spines, and struck their minds like a thunderclap, shaking their very souls!

Ben Keming abruptly turned his gaze toward the approaching figure of Mr. Aji De.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Mr. Aji De wore a khaki workman’s uniform—rough, simple, and unadorned.

There was not a trace of bloodlust or power about him; he looked like the most ordinary laborer.

Yet, wherever he walked, the crowd instinctively parted, forming a path, their faces filled with disbelief as they stared at him.

This was the exhilaration of turning the tide when all seemed lost, of propping up a collapsing edifice!

This was the shock of witnessing the heavens and earth shift in response to his calm declaration, of seeing the world bathed in light once more!

Countless members of the Reduction of Working Hours and Increase in Wages Movement inwardly cried out in amazement—Mr. Aji De had always been with them, not just in ideology, but in person!

Standing on the balcony of the imperial residence’s second floor, Arvis, Emperor of the Empire of Infer, watched the man slowly approaching. His pupils contracted violently, his lips trembled, and his mind went nearly blank.

Only one thought echoed in his heart:

Aji De actually exists!

As a member of the imperial family with close ties to the Original God Church, though he had never seen the gods themselves, he had glimpsed their power through the missionaries.

But the power Aji De had just displayed was beyond anything he could have imagined.

Other than a god, he could not fathom who else could wield such terrifying might!

At that moment, a sudden voice booming across the skies confirmed his suspicions—and sent the entire world into an uproar.

"So it’s you! The Internet God?"

"Leave! This is not your world!"

The furious shouts reverberated over the capital of the Empire of Infer, shaking countless souls!

People looked up to see four indistinct figures—impossible to discern as male or female—looming in the sky, which had been bright as day just moments ago.

One was crowned with rolling black clouds, thunder and storms raging around them like the end of the world.

Another flickered between existence and nothingness, there one moment and gone the next, an unsettling sight.

A third was enveloped in pure, ethereal bubbles.

The fourth had flames spewing from their feet, the deafening roar of steam engines echoing from within their body.

Divine Descent!

The Four Primordial Gods, recorded in holy scriptures, had descended upon the mortal world—a rare and awe-inspiring sight!

The entire capital of the Empire of Infer fell into stunned silence.

Yu Sheng’an did not even glance at the figures in the sky. Instead, he walked unhurriedly to Ben Keming’s side and patted his shoulder.

"Continue leading your comrades toward victory! As for the Four Primordial Gods—those parasites who feast on the faith of their people yet sit idly by as they suffer—leave them to me."

His words were not just for Ben Keming but for every member of the Reduction of Working Hours and Increase in Wages Movement.

His calm, confident voice, amplified by the Music Godhood, reached the ears of all who sought to remake the world, lifting their spirits and bolstering their morale!

With those words, Yu Sheng'an lifted off the ground, soaring straight into the sky.

His altitude quickly matched that of Emperor Arvis.

He saw the emperor recoil in terror, stumbling backward until he collided with the queen and his guards.

Yet the queen and guards fared even worse—they turned and fled in panic, with no idea where to go.

Yu Sheng'an swept his calm gaze over them without pause, ascending rapidly. A wave of invisible infrasound surged into the imperial residence, incapacitating the hidden armed personnel within.

Then, Yu Sheng'an flew higher and higher, eventually leveling with the Four Primordial Gods.

Suddenly, a mysterious ripple swept across the heavens.

The gods—vanished!

Only the prematurely brightened sky remained, still illuminating the mortal world below.

Ben Keming craned his neck, staring dumbfounded at the scene. Overwhelmed by shock, endless questions bubbled in his mind.

But now was not the time for contemplation.

He didn’t know if Aji De could stand against the Four Primordial Gods, nor whether the gods would spare them if Aji De failed.

Yet he realized this brief respite was his final chance to slaughter the imperial family of the Empire of Infer and overthrow feudal rule!

Killing the royals would inevitably bring liberation to the Empire of Infer—

Because Aji De’s ideology had already made this clear.

He believed it without a shred of doubt!

"Brothers! Under the banner of Aji De, victory is ours! Follow me—slaughter the royals, liberate Infer, and free our homeland!"

Ben Keming roared at the sky!

At this moment, though the steam engine within him had fallen silent, nothing could halt his advance!

"Boom!"

He burned his blood in frenzy, his feet erupting with scorching steam, propelling him skyward as he lunged onto the second-floor balcony.

Arvis, who had once swaggered with arrogance, now turned and fled in terror—

A coward worse than any street thug.

Ben Keming hesitated not a second, nor wasted time on reflection. Every moment counted.

His legs spun like wheels as the steel blade in his arm snapped out, thrusting mercilessly toward Emperor Arvis of Infer.

"Aji De’s ideology lights our path!"

"For our families! For our homeland! For future generations!"

"Charge!"

The members of the Reduction of Working Hours and Increase in Wages Movement roared once more!

Even divine miracles couldn’t extinguish their fervor to liberate their homeland!

They had endured enough despair.

As long as fate remained in their hands, they would fight to the death!

Rowell watched his comrades storming the imperial residence in a frenzy. Abruptly, he turned, snatched up a fallen flag, and clamped it between his teeth. Scaling the palace walls like a madman, he climbed.

Passing a window, he saw his brothers cutting down enemies like melons and vegetables!

Aji De was right—all enemies were paper tigers!

Rowell climbed with exhilaration, his speed no match for his comrades charging into the building.

But the further behind he fell, the more fired up he became.

Strength surged through his limbs as he scrambled upward like a gecko, using the palace reliefs as footholds.

At last, he reached the rooftop—right above the emperor’s head!

He inhaled deeply, savoring the imperial air, and surveyed the scene.

The world was now bathed in light, though the sun was nowhere to be seen.

But it didn’t matter!

Aji De had always been their sun, illuminating their path and guiding them forward.

Rowell raised the flag, waving it wildly.

Grinning into the wind, bathed in light, the blueberry jam still wedged between his teeth gleamed brilliantly blue!

……

……

High above, five figures hovered in the air.

The Four Primordial Gods of the Primary Domain of Azerai stared at the Internet God with shock and suspicion, their eyes filled with deep wariness and disbelief.

They had never imagined that the Internet God truly hailed from the Primary Domain of Azerai!

Yet, they had never expected that he was not one of them—not any of the Four Primordial Gods.

Had he not actively wielded his godhood to neutralize and even slay the Red-robed Archbishop stationed in the capital of the Empire of Infer, they might have remained oblivious to his existence until he had fully seized control of Infer.

At this moment, the Four Primordial Gods were torn—should they rage at the Red-robed Archbishop for meddling in the mortal world’s imperial succession?

Or should they be grateful that the Red-robed Archbishop’s intervention had exposed the Internet God?

Otherwise, by the time the Empire of Infer had completely fallen into the Internet God’s grasp, they might still have been none the wiser.

Digging deeper—

If the Internet God had continued lurking in the shadows, manipulating the Empire of Infer and setting his sights on the Primary Domain of Azerai, waiting until he had absolute control over mortal sovereignty…

The Primary Domain of Azerai could very well have changed hands overnight, right under their noses!

What terrifying cunning!

Without mobilizing a single soldier, merely spreading an ideology, he could stir boundless power to topple a mighty dynasty!

Such methods were nothing short of chilling!

And that was without even considering his influence across the multiverse.

For a moment, despite their imposing presence, the Four Primordial Gods fell into silence as they encircled the Internet God.

They were at a loss—how should they handle this?

Fight?

The Internet God was a figure on par with the Five Great Righteous Gods. If the Five Great Righteous Gods acknowledged him, his power must be extraordinary!

In fact, his two displays of force in the Keville Empire had already demonstrated formidable combat prowess!

If it came to a real battle, they might not even be able to defeat him.

Otherwise, they would have long since ventured beyond the Primary Domain of Azerai to carve up the multiverse.

Would they have remained isolated, content with their own little domains?

Even if they somehow defeated the Internet God before them, what then?

This was merely a divine projection.

Killing it would achieve nothing but wasting Source Essence and exposing their abilities—the drawbacks far outweighed any benefits!

The greatest power of a nuclear weapon lies in its launch readiness.

The same principle applied to a significant portion of weaker gods.

The unknown was the greatest deterrent against an enemy.

But if they didn’t fight, were they to simply let him annex the Empire of Infer? To allow him to carve out a piece of their own territory?

As the Four Primordial Gods wrestled with their dilemma, Yu Sheng’an spoke up.

“I don’t know how you’ve kept Azerai hidden from the eyes of the gods, or if the Primary Domain of Azerai itself possesses such a trait—and frankly, I’m not interested! But I have a proposal that could resolve our current predicament. Would you care to hear it?”

“Oh?” The Mechanical Steam God regarded him with caution.

“You don’t want Azerai exposed to the outside, and neither do I. That’s why I’ve refrained from deploying forces from the multiverse. Given that, why don’t we bind our hands? Let us treat the mortal world as a chessboard, empires as pieces, and domains as stakes—how about a game?”

Yu Sheng'an proposed,

"How about we each tie one hand behind our backs? What do you say?"

The Mechanical Steam God narrowed his eyes.

"And how exactly would we do that?"

"Aside from supplies, I won’t send a single soldier from the multiverse to avoid exposing Vilia. None of us—including me—will descend onto the battlefield in Divine Descent. How about that?"

Yu Sheng'an wore an expression that screamed, I’m doing this for all of us.

"Hmph, taking things out of context! You just want to monopolize the Primary Domain of Azerai for yourself and don’t dare to use multiversal forces, yet you act like you’re doing us a favor. Shameless!"

The Night Goddess, her form flickering between reality and illusion, mercilessly exposed Yu Sheng'an’s lie.

Unfazed, Yu Sheng'an spread his hands.

"You’re right. I do want the Primary Domain of Azerai for myself. If you refuse, then I’ll just have to discuss with the Five Great Righteous Gods how to carve it up instead."

A blatant threat!

The Four Primordial Gods seethed with fury, their livers nearly bursting from rage.

"Fine, go ahead and discuss it! The Primary Domain of Azerai isn’t Azerai! Aside from the sea, there’s no mana here. Any army that marches in will weaken, their strength reduced to a fraction. By then, no one will stand a chance against our steel behemoths!"

The Space God wore a look of arrogance.

The Night Goddess concealed the domain, the Space God purified the air, the Mechanical Steam God developed weaponry, and the Storm Lord suppressed the monsters.

This was the unshakable foundation of the Four Primordial Gods’ alliance.

Through meticulous design, they had built a fortress that belonged solely to them.

They didn’t want the Primary Domain of Azerai exposed, but if it came to that, they had no fear!

No matter how vast an army invaded, facing a completely mana-devoid environment would strip them of 90% of their combat power instantly.

Among the Five Gods, the only one who posed a real threat to them was the God of the Sea.

But even if the God of the Sea charged in, his first enemies wouldn’t be the Four Primordial Gods or humans—it would be the terrifying monsters spawned after mana fused with the sea.

By the time he slaughtered them all, who knew how many years would pass?

Most importantly, would the Storm Lord just let him run rampant?

In short, the Primary Domain of Azerai was a domain the Four Primordial Gods had painstakingly cultivated for millennia. It might not be impregnable, but it was far from an easy conquest.

"Fine! Then I’ll just broadcast the coordinates and let all hell break loose," Yu Sheng'an grinned, baring his teeth.

"You won’t gain anything from it either!" the Storm Lord roared in fury.

"Still better than getting no meat at all, don’t you think?" Yu Sheng'an spread his hands.

Silence fell once more among the Four Primordial Gods, their divine projections gathered on a distant island, locked in frantic discussion.

Yu Sheng'an naturally guessed they were deliberating in private.

He wasn’t in a hurry, calmly awaiting their decision. After all, the situation in Infer was tilting in his favor.

"Restraining ourselves might not be a bad idea, but some details need to be ironed out!"

After a long while, the Mechanical Steam God finally spoke.

"No problem."

Yu Sheng'an nodded, unsurprised by the Four Primordial Gods’ choice.

The unique environment of the Primary Domain of Azerai would indeed cripple the armies of the gods, but that was exactly what many weaker deities secretly desired.

To put it bluntly, this is simply a small domain where gods can freely come and go.

While the gods may find it inconvenient to deploy armies for invasion, they can certainly spread their faith and convert the local populace! With their divine abilities, even if they can’t sway an entire nation, surely they can influence a city—or even a village, right?

Faced with the gradual encroachment of the gods of the multiverse, the Vilia domain could very well become a second Azarea Continent—only this time, with the Four Primordial Gods holding dominance.

Even so, this would likely be unacceptable to the Four Primordial Gods. After all, Vilia was originally theirs.

In reality, even if they accept Yu Sheng'an’s proposal, it wouldn’t change the bigger picture. If Yu Sheng'an is pushed too far, he might still impulsively reveal the coordinates to the entire universe.

So why agree to his proposal at all?

Naturally, it’s a matter of choosing the lesser of two evils.

By agreeing to the Internet God’s terms, they buy themselves time to prepare. Moreover, they might even maintain a stalemate, transitioning the Vilia domain from the era of the Four Primordial Gods into an era of Five Primordial Gods!

At its core, it’s all about buying time.

Time can change everything.

What if they uncover new abilities within their godhood?

What if the teams they’ve dispatched to explore unknown domains discover new ones?

Weighing the pros and cons, the Four Primordial Gods’ choice is hardly surprising.

As for Yu Sheng'an, he also wants to stall for time!

Once he fully consolidates control over the Empire of Infer, using the multiverse as a resource supply, leveraging Keville Divine Kingdom’s industrial foundation, and deploying his Fourth Calamity in a swarm tactic—a lightning war to seize the Primary Domain of Azerai outright isn’t out of the question!

By then, it might be the Four Primordial Gods threatening to expose the coordinates to intimidate him!

Heh, what a day to look forward to!