This white dragon was as clear and beautiful as a celestial spring. Yet, this beautiful creature glared angrily, its tongue lolling out, soaring through the clouds and stirring up towering, turbulent waves, displaying its magnificent power of fury as it crashed down upon the [Portrait of Mara]. Its body flashed, transforming into a torrential downpour that began to strike around the [Portrait of Mara]!
A downpour might not sound like much, but in reality, a heavy and powerful downpour can tear steel apart. Moreover, this dragon possesses half the energy and processing power of the [Bo Xun Divine Image]. Therefore, even the shadow of death cannot ignore the white dragon's attack and must wield the magical artifacts in its six arms to try its best to resolve this terrifying storm.
Dragons are clouds, clouds are water, and dragons are also the continuous, undulating veins of the earth. Therefore, dragons are gods, the earth gods of water, wind, and soil, freely changing and omnipotent!
Seeing this scene, both Tujini and the Five-Colored Goddess had to frown and look at the white dragon in the stage space with solemn eyes.
They also turned their heads and looked at Hayden with suspicion, after all, the white dragon looked somewhat familiar to them.
During last year's "Bo Xun" incident, all the high-ranking members of the Mithra Group saw the video footage of the battle in the sewers. Although surveillance and communications were cut off after the appearance of the Dragon God, the Mithra gods still saw it for a moment and knew that a white dragon had appeared at that time.
Deities can shield themselves from each other's surveillance, the extent of which depends on the amount of information processing power each side invests. This is why weaker deities can withstand the surveillance of higher deities—as long as they are willing to invest more processing power to protect themselves. Higher deities often have too many things to attend to and don't have the time to allocate so much processing power to monitor every single deity, especially those weaker than themselves.
The Mithra Group did not fully witness the scene of the white dragon appearing and killing several Vajra Warriors... but they at least knew that it was the work of a white earth dragon god.
First it was Mara, and now it's the White Dragon.
No wonder Dakini and the Five-Colored Goddess are now looking at Hayden with suspicion.
However, Hayden had already come up with an excuse.
"Red Leaf is a wild white fox spirit with blood of Bo Xun."
He immediately explained to the goddesses and celestial maidens in the audience.
"My magic just now used the red leaves as a medium to tear apart and split a second false Mara from the [Mara God Form]. But it's too difficult to control this second Mara using only the red leaves' own attributes. I can only try to create an image that is more powerful than the 'fox' conception, which is a dragon."
Upon hearing this, Tujini Tian immediately frowned: "Dragon? What's the connection between dragons and foxes?"
To his surprise, before Hayden could answer, the goddess Mikt spoke up first: "There is indeed a connection. This is the 'Fox Dragon' from the Taiping Guangji."
According to the Taiping Guangji, during the Qianfu era of the Tang Dynasty, a white fox lived at the foot of Mount Li, and no one could get rid of it. Suddenly one day, the white fox went to a hot spring to bathe. Soon after, steam rose and mist swirled, a strong wind blew, and the white fox transformed into a white dragon and ascended to heaven.
How can a fox transform into a dragon? It is because the white fox is born with the metal element of the west, hence its white color. It does not associate with others, nor does it dwell near them, living alone for a thousand years with dignity and without contention. Heaven knew this and thus commanded it to become a dragon, just as a virtuous person transforms from an ordinary person into a saint.
...Well, nobody really knows whether this is true or not. But it's enough for Hayden to use as an excuse. He just didn't expect that the goddess Mikt would actually tell Hayden this story first.
Since the goddess Mikkuri had said so, Dakini could not possibly complain "What the hell?" and could only stare wide-eyed and accept this explanation.
Instead, the white celestial maiden [Mira] added a question: "Mr. Hayden, where did you get that Dragon Ball that serves as the core? It's a special material that's prohibited from being traded or circulated in the second category. Only licensed companies can handle it."
Hayden, of course, had already given his explanation for this.
"Karen started investing in research on ley line restoration technology a few months ago, exploring various ways to regenerate ley line energy. Synthesizing the Dragon Ball was one such attempt. Unfortunately, the cost was still too high, and I only had one experimental sample on hand. Now that it's been used up, I hope the board can compensate me for my loss."
He wielded sharp words, spouting nonsense and deceiving people, yet the technical theories he mentioned were indeed true, and Karen was indeed researching ley line engineering technology. The celestial maiden [Mira] thought about it and surprisingly, there wasn't anything wrong with it.
"The reason why Hongye's original 'fox' attribute can be transformed into 'dragon' attribute is mainly due to this dragon ball."
Any resemblance to actual persons or events is purely coincidental!
Whether the gods and goddesses believed him or not, Hayden had no idea. At least, they didn't seem to intend to pursue the matter.
"In that case, there will be two [Heavenly] level gods on the stage as combat forces, and [Bo Xun Divine Image] itself has been weakened by half. The odds of winning are at least 70%. Mr. Hayden, you have done very well."
[Mira] The celestial maiden nodded and said with approval.
Tujini scoffed at these words. But she dared not say anything more to Hayden.
Now that Hayden has broken the seal on the stage space with his "Sword of Words," the gods and celestial maidens present could also help attack "Marsh's Appearance." However, that would certainly consume resources. Since Hayden has already taken on the task, why should everyone waste money?
"Ms. Mira, don't underestimate Magical Girl Pazuzu."
However, Hayden then said very solemnly,
"She will definitely not just show you the single combat power of a [Heaven] level god."
what?
The celestial maiden, Mira, was momentarily stunned.
No sooner had he finished speaking than the situation on the battlefield had already changed.
While the white dragon transformed into a torrential rain to fight with [Bo Xun Shen Xiang], [Magical Girl Pazuzu] also seized the opportunity, flapping her new eagle wings and creating a strong wind.
The gust of wind swept across the entire stage space. It enveloped the remaining nineteen idols, absorbing their pain regardless of whether they had been defeated or suffered other injuries in the battle. This restored their consciousness, leaving them greatly surprised.
"Get up! Get up and fight!"
【Magical Girl Pazuzu】shouts out to the other nineteen idols.
"Follow me, fight for the lives of all of us!"
The idols suddenly realized what was happening and immediately stepped forward. It was truly unbelievable; they had previously been easily defeated by [Bojun Shenxiang] in a single move, but now, under the influence of this wind, they were clearly much stronger. [Magical Girl Pazuzu]'s wind had infused them with power.
After regrouping, they didn't foolishly rush towards [Bo Xun Shen Xiang]. Instead, they avoided the fierce attack, scattered, and re-surrounded [Bo Xun Shen Xiang], regrouping into a new formation. In an instant, nineteen sword lights intersected and collided a hundred times in the air, actually causing [Bo Xun Shen Xiang]'s magical artifacts to shake.
Although no damage has been inflicted yet, these attacks are already like spider silk, wrapping around it again and again, as if trying to weave a web of light to envelop it. On the other hand, no matter how much the opponent fights back, it cannot defeat these nineteen idols again.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, the White Dragon launched an attack, capitalizing on the opening they had created. The dragon transformed into clouds, the clouds into rain, and the rain into water; the Water God's Sword slashed out repeatedly amidst the downpour, striking the [Bo Xun Divine Image] relentlessly, one strike after another cutting through the divine image!
This tactic will soon be effective.
However, these nineteen idols, led by [Magical Girl Pazuzu], were able to barely hold their own against [Bojun Shenxiang]. How could this be?
The answer is simple. These nineteen idols have temporarily become part of the army under the command of [Magical Girl Pazuzu]. In other words, they have temporarily become part of the god, and their combat power has naturally been enhanced, like the hands and feet of the god.
[Bojun the Divine Manifestation] has four heads and six arms, so [Magical Girl Pazuzu] uses nineteen idols as her nineteen arms to launch a fierce attack. Even if [Bojun the Divine Manifestation] originally had greater energy and processing power than her, now that Pazuzu has nineteen more arms, [Bojun the Divine Manifestation] has lost half of his divine power, thus leveling the gap between the two.
How could the hands and feet of one true god be so easily cut off by another true god?
This is why the gods of this world still need high-level soldiers like the War Gods.
Why hasn't this world become one of individual, one-on-one combat? Why do all the gods need to farm and produce crops or play financial games? Why don't they just release the gods to fight each other and determine who is stronger?
Why is the strongest force in the world still the army?
Because the divine army, led and blessed by the true God, is stronger than He alone!
A true god A uses His multi-threaded processing capabilities to lead and empower a divine army of millions, which is like giving Him millions of extra hands and millions of pseudo-gods.
This is certainly stronger than a true god with only three heads and six arms!
If a Bodhisattva were to fight the Peacock King in a ring without any subordinates, no Bodhisattva could defeat him. However, if a Bodhisattva were to deploy an army, empowering a million divine soldiers to form a great mandala where oneness and manyness are one, that would be the most powerful military force in the world.
The might of the gods!
【Magical Girl Pazuzu】is certainly no match for a Bodhisattva. But now that she has recruited nineteen idols into her army, she can contend with 【Mara the God】! They formed a formidable force, gathering the prayers and worship of tens of millions of viewers, creating a mighty wind that forcefully sealed 【Mara the God】 within it.
The white dragon god danced freely in the storm, transforming into thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, even millions of rain swords, as if it were about to finely slice the [Bojun God Image] into minced meat. It quickly shattered the image in all directions, allowing almost endless death and darkness to surge out and overflow everywhere.
Upon seeing this, Hayden inwardly groaned. The seal on the stage space had now been broken. If this death and darkness were to spill out and contaminate tens of millions of viewers, the consequences would be unimaginable.
However, the celestial beings behind him did not immediately intervene. In fact, Hayden could even feel Mira's gaze fixed on him. Clearly, Mira wanted to see what Hayden would do next.
Why? Could it be that his actions have finally aroused the suspicion of these celestial maidens?
Hayden was truly in a bind. The Five-Colored Celestial Maidens might have wanted to see what kind of rabbit Hayden could conjure from his hat, but in reality, Hayden's regular combat strength was not even as good as that of a War God, and he couldn't solve this problem without the help of others.
However, both [Magical Girl Pazuzu] and the White Dragon Alastor are currently busy besieging [Bojun the Divine Seer] and cannot lend a hand. The four-headed, six-armed Divine Seer is violently wielding his six magical weapons—a knife, sword, axe, hammer, bowl, and halberd—attacking the storm, intending to smash the entire formation of idols and dragons until it trembles violently and teeters on the brink of collapse. Although the shadow of death is already showing signs of defeat, it is still putting up a stubborn resistance. It cannot be defeated in the short term and instead tries to let the darkness overflow, harming as many others as possible.
What should I do?
Hayden racked his brains, but couldn't come up with a foolproof plan in a short time. The best solution he could think of was to use the [Sword of Words] to attack the darkness, mocking it and forcing death and darkness to target him first. But frankly, this was extremely risky. Leaving aside the risks of mockery, Hayden had already suffered significant backlash from using too much magic and an overly powerful artifact. He could feel the heat building up in his lungs. If he used the [Sword of Words] too much, blood would likely spurt from his lungs.
Like words, swords are double-edged swords, always carrying the risk of self-inflicted harm. When eloquent words are used as a weapon, their backlash should not be ignored.
What should he do?
Such hesitation only lingered in Hayden's mind for two or three seconds. He quickly made up his mind: save lives first.
But some people are more decisive than him.
Hongye had already traversed the devastated battlefield. She stepped forward, walking steadily toward the [Divine Image of Mara].
And her body was radiant. The light was so dazzling, unimaginably intense and intense, ten times brighter than the morning sun. Even the darkness of death receded in its glow!
But such power, of course, comes at a price. Momiji's body was burning, like the sun in the myth of Amatoiwa. That incomparably hot and scorching divine power circulated continuously within her body with her blood, penetrating every part of her body with heat, almost turning Momiji into a fireball, with all her life force serving as fuel.
The darkness of death receded under her light, but Hongye herself was about to die.
"I'm sorry, Your Highness Mara."
But she endured the immense pain without a trace of resentment, and softly spoke to [the Divine Physician Bojun].
"The past is over. Although your blood flows in my veins, even my own people no longer believe that the era of kingship can be restored."
It's really unbelievable.
This faceless witch and her "divine image" should both have been manifestations of death, like the "zombie" Mara. Death has no personality or will, so the shadow of death should also be so.
However, at this moment, upon seeing Hongye approaching and hearing her words, [Bo Xun Shen Xiang]'s movements suddenly stopped, and he stood motionless.
Seeing this strange phenomenon, the sharp-eyed and quick-witted Magical Girl Pazuzu immediately commanded the idols to stop their attack and blockade. The White Dragon God also stopped the torrential rain. Everyone had stopped simultaneously, waiting to see how the situation would change.
So Kureha walked up and reached out to grab the faceless shrine maiden's snow-white sleeve. The faceless shrine maiden and her clothes looked remarkably similar to Kureha, almost identical.
"The past can never return. But Your Highness, your blood has not been severed; it still flows in our bloodline. Therefore, your life was not in vain. Everything you did was by no means in vain."
The next instant, Kureha drew a wakizashi dagger from behind her.
"Please keep your hopes in mind as you journey to the other side."
With a flash of sword light, the mask on the faceless witch's face was split in two.
In an instant, the darkness vanished.
The world was restored to light—until the light on the stage began to fade, leaving no trace of Bo Xun or Hongye's existence.
This marks the end of the ritual.
183: A New Beginning
And so, what was supposed to be a singing and dancing competition for virtual idols ended in a very chaotic manner.
Many viewers watching the live stream were stuck in the stage space for at least an hour, unable to log off, which angered them so much that they cursed and threatened to complain or sue the organizers.
However, many audience members believe that this incredible idol competition will become a legend, leaving a significant mark on the history of the virtual idol industry and being passed down to future generations.
Tens of millions of viewers watched the live stream and witnessed how Hongye stepped forward, burning herself like a torch to illuminate and break through the darkness, sacrificing her own blood to defeat the embodiment of death and save them. They, of course, saw Hongye's actions and heard her words. Many became curious about her background, wanting to know what these so-called Mara's people were all about, and what kind of lives these ancient gods were living now.
This involves tens of millions of people, and they will soon tell hundreds of millions more. Under these circumstances, it will be quite difficult for the Mithra Group to shift the blame onto the Bojā tribe…
...Actually, it wasn't particularly difficult. But for some reason, the Mitra Group didn't choose to do so.
In fact, they quickly issued a formal public relations statement. The world's number one virtual idol, the white celestial maiden [Mira], representing Chairman Mitra, announced to the world that the anomalies that occurred during this competition were not, as urban rumors suggested, a terrorist attack—in fact, there was no terrorist attack at all!
She first solemnly refuted the rumors before stating the truth: the accident at the idol competition was due to the contestants' exceptional performance—an unprecedented display of skill—which triggered a magical resonance, leading to the accident. This situation was indeed caused by negligence on the part of the Mitra Group's responsible personnel, who failed to prepare adequate safety contingency plans. Therefore, the Mitra Group sincerely apologizes to the public. The relevant deputy director, Tujini Tian, also expressed deep remorse and has voluntarily demoted himself to reflect on his actions.
What should she reflect on? Of course, she should reflect on the fact that she didn't prepare sufficient safety measures, therefore she needs to be demoted and retrain.
...At least that's what the Mitra Group says to the outside world.
In reality, no outsider could know what kind of "punishment" Dajini would receive or what kind of treatment she would get. Anyway, the goddess Mira then changed the subject, analyzing from various angles the significance of this competition for the development of magical technology and its related research value, and announced that all spectators who were not involved would receive company vouchers as compensation.
Company vouchers, simply put, are money that circulates only within the company. Some people might think, "Who would want this?" But think about it carefully: Mitra Corporation is the world's largest conglomerate, a mega-corporation. The vouchers they issue internally are essentially money they print themselves, which can buy anything.
Or rather, money is actually just this kind of thing.
So everyone was happy, and the vast majority were satisfied. The laborers and ordinary people were naturally pleased. Fewer people were troubled by the matter.
What? A descendant of the ancient god Mara?
Although no one held them accountable for this incident, it was quickly forgotten by most people.
...To be honest, these decisions were made far too quickly, fast enough to make a small group of people suspect that the Mitra Group's board of directors was trying to hide something. Unfortunately, most people wouldn't think that way.
Regardless of how the Mitra Board of Directors actually dealt with her this time, she must be very unhappy about it, and might even be secretly plotting some other schemes against Hayden or Peacock King... who knows, but that's a matter for the future.
As for the goddess Mikt, she personally spoke with the white celestial maiden Mira—or more precisely, with the bodhisattva Mithra, whom Mira represented. Although the bodhisattva Mithra did not appear in person, Mira essentially represented the former, as if she were an extension of his body.
The apostles and saints of the gods were originally such beings.
The specifics of their discussion remain largely unknown to outsiders, but some of it is as follows:
"We need to reconsider the share of the [knocker] orders."
So said the goddess Mikt.
When she heard her say that, the celestial maiden Mira seemed somewhat surprised: "You are so optimistic about the development of this ritual, and are willing to invest more funds?"
Instead of answering directly, Goddess Mikt asked a strange question: "In your opinion, was this tournament, this magical ritual to defeat the god of death, a success or a failure?"
This is indeed a very strange question. However, the goddess Mira immediately replied, "Of course it was a failure."
In fact, this answer can be considered their consensus.