CHAPTER 393: CHAPTER 322: THE POWER OF THE DREAM REALM_2

"Among the gods shepherded by the ’Beautiful Wizard King,’ one seems to have become your child."

"The longer time drags on, the more advantageous it becomes for the Deception Lord, so naturally, he wouldn’t mind continuing the conversation. With a mocking tone, he added... Even if, as you claim, the ’Hidden Wizard King’ is still alive, given the relationship between the Ancient Gods and the Desecration Wizards, how could the ’King of Nature’ possibly collaborate with him?"

"You have no way to argue back."

"In truth, this has always been a question lingering in your mind. You are only aware that ’Itas’ and the ’King of Nature’ made a deal, yet how they came to unite, and what factors caused the ’King of Nature’ to lower his hostility and vigilance against the Desecration Wizards—these are details you remain utterly clueless about."

"At this moment, you froze, sensing that something was amiss."

"Indeed, the alliance between the ’Hidden Wizard King’ and the ’King of Nature’ leaves many questions unanswered. However, one thing is clear: that Ancient God King who presides over ’Nature’ has indeed hidden in Asgard for millennia. Moreover, he harbors unknowable schemes towards the Deception Lord’s Divine Descent Ceremony. Everything you’ve said is truthful, with not an ounce of deception."

"And as the being holding the authority of ’Fraud,’ seated upon the Unique God Seat that symbolizes ’Deception,’ even if merely a wisp of his incarnation, even at an Angel-tier level, he should theoretically be able to distinguish truth from lies with ease."

"Yet the Deception Lord now categorically asserts that your claims, though truthful, are deception. Moreover, he emits an oddly inappropriate sneer."

"There must be something wrong with the Deception Lord’s incarnation..."

"This thought barely took form in your mind before you suddenly felt a trembling sensation arise from your chest—it was the journal of the Hidden Wizard King. Then, a familiar whisper echoed by your ear."

"Na...tu...re... King..."

...

"The King of Nature must have secretly tampered with the Deception Lord’s incarnation, affecting his judgment between lies and truth."

"This is the authority-holder of ’Fraud,’ seated upon the Unique God Seat as one of the Pillar-level beings."

"Surely, Itas—the Hidden Wizard King—must have played a role in this, as otherwise, it would be beyond the capabilities of the King of Nature alone."

Yang Qizhou couldn’t help but feel a shiver of unease at the King of Nature’s methods.

"At this very moment, ’Mr. Death,’ focused on the current developments, also noticed the slightly grim expression of the nearby lamp holder. Adjusting his glasses, his voice carried a trace of anxiety, ’What’s wrong, my lord? Are the events not going according to plan?’

"No wonder Mr. Death was on edge; after all, whether Yang Qizhou could successfully thwart the Deception Lord’s Divine Descent Ceremony directly impacted his survival."

"There’s been some trouble... the ’Deceiving Apostle’ is the Deception Lord... the ’King of Nature’ remains in Asgard... he has tampered with the Deception Lord’s incarnation." Yang Qizhou felt a tinge of frustration. Considering Mr. Death was somewhat involved, Yang explained the situation roughly.

This left Mr. Death bewildered, even forgetting to adjust his glasses, as he grappled with the illusion that his worldview had been overturned.

"The Deceiving Apostle turns out to be one of the rulers of the Endless Abyss, a top-tier figure and the ultimate authority in the Deceit World—the Deception Lord... Wait a second, could it be that the lamp holder’s game character had been battling against the Deception Lord himself?"

"How could the lamp holder’s game character have gleaned knowledge of the King of Nature’s schemes involving the Deception Lord?"

"Lamp Holder, what on earth did your game character experience?"

"Well... Lamp Holder, your game character is contending at a level far beyond my comprehension—I can’t offer any advice," Mr. Death paused, then added with a note of resignation in his voice, "Just don’t forget to save me."

"An utterly inexperienced reaction."

Yang Qizhou grimaced with disdain as he realized Mr. Death couldn’t offer any constructive input, shifting his focus back to his phone to refresh the text.

...

"So it was the ’King of Nature’ who meddled."

"Your face darkened, feeling the situation becoming increasingly thorny. Initially, you had anticipated that, upon finding out about the King of Nature’s covert scheming, the Deception Lord would surely be on guard, relying upon his ’authority’ to uncover the truth and halt the Divine Descent Ceremony as soon as it was confirmed. This would mean your own plans would come to fruition, allowing you to successfully ascend to the Angel tier."

"But unexpectedly, the Deception Lord’s incarnation became compromised, staunchly believing your revelations to be lies and deception, and persisting with the Divine Descent Ceremony."

"Now, there are only two choices available."

"First... The Deception Lord’s Divine Descent Ceremony has become unstoppable, and the King of Nature’s plot is bound to surface. Pillar-level conflict and slaughter are now predictable outcomes. You could immediately escape Asgard to avoid becoming collateral damage."

"Second... Attempt to uncover the tampering left by the King of Nature on the Deception Lord’s incarnation and destroy it, allowing the Deception Lord to perceive the scheme clearly."

"From the Otherworld, relying on ’despicable’ tricks and ’cheats,’ the Desecration Wizard who successfully shepherded four gods now stands once again at a crossroads of fate."

"So, will you choose to leave—"

"—or to engage in one last divine battle, seeking out and dismantling the King of Nature’s tampering on the Deception Lord?"

"Make your decision."

...

"With a save-and-load mechanic, it’s obvious."

Reading the text, Yang Qizhou’s initially tense mood relaxed immensely. After all, there was no problem that Restarting Destiny Line couldn’t resolve. And if there was... then restart again.

As for which choice to make, Yang Qizhou already had a plan in mind,

"The God of Victory’s Promotion Ceremony is imminent—it’d be a shame to give it up. Besides, with save-point mechanics in place, if the plot turns sour, I can always reload and choose a different approach."

While muttering under his breath, Yang Qizhou quickly completed the corresponding selection.

"Option Two."

...

"You ultimately decide to destroy the tampering left by the King of Nature on the Deception Lord’s incarnation."

"This is not an impossible task. While the Deception Lord is a Pillar-level Old God, his incarnation could only utilize certain characteristics of his main body to a limited degree. At this moment, his tier remains Angel-level, meaning the gap between you two isn’t insurmountably vast."

"Wasting no time, you summon the power of the ’Spiritual Dragon,’ stirring up massive tempests across the subconscious depths of the Spirit Ocean."

"Soon, the water—a collective manifestation of all mortal spirits, resembling a Sea of Dreams—is whipped into towering waves, carrying monumental mental turmoil and pouring toward the island of the incarnation known as the ’Deceiving Apostle.’"

"In the Real World, you also deploy the might of the Power of Royal Authority, transforming into an emperor wielding a scepter and wearing a crown, radiating intense majesty. You issue a series of decrees: [Imprison], [Surrender], [Fear]."

"Under the simultaneous assault of both Real and Spirit layers, the Deception Lord’s incarnation falls into a daze, trembling all over as if subjected to tremendous shocks."

"Your expression brightens with hope, but it’s short-lived; danger suddenly floods your senses."

"Something’s wrong."

"The Deception Lord’s incarnation before you is fake—you’ve been deceived."

"Immediate realization strikes, and you consider entering the Spirit Ocean to evade the looming peril. However, on second thought, since the Deceiving Apostle supplanted the Star Color Ancient God, he too possesses the ability to enter the Spirit Ocean. This means the plan isn’t foolproof."

"Your decision is swift—you retrieve a chain talisman, the ’Heart Dream Source,’ and activate it upon yourself. Instantly, a fantastical purple ocean emerges, engulfing you and removing you from the Real World."

"Indeed."

"You have physically entered the Dream Realm."

"This technique was inspired by your mind-travel experience with the ’Spiritual Dragon.’"

"And just as you vanished, a massive abyssal maw, adorned with a dark-gold hexagram, appeared violently—just inches away from swallowing you whole."

"The giant maw quickly dissipates, and the Deception Lord’s incarnation appeared in its place, furrowed brows hinting at profound contemplation, as he murmurs gravely... ’The power of the Dream Realm?’"