The inheritor of the Flower God heard Debbie’s words and flew into a rage. He stepped forward at once. “Girl, you are crossing my line. I hate it most when people call me the Shit God. I am the inheritor of the Flower God. The inheritor of the Flower God!”
When Debbie heard him, her face suddenly lit up. “Oh? So other people have called you Shit God too.”
The Flower God inheritor: “…”
His companions could not hold back and let out a snort of laughter, then quickly covered their mouths.
The Flower God inheritor glared at them, roared loudly, and charged straight at Debbie. He was actually very handsome. Apart from the stench caused by his overly strong fragrance, he could count as a fine-looking man. With a wave of his hand, vines burst from the ground around him like venomous snakes. They slithered swiftly along the earth toward Debbie, blooming constantly with flowers that released a dizzying, strange scent.
Turtle Treasure stood to one side, holding Celty’s head. Celty quickly explained. “The Flower God is a lower god under the Goddess of Life. He controls all the flowers in the world. But Debbie was not wrong either. Back in the gods’ domain, the Flower God was always especially disliked because of that overwhelming smell. This fellow has clearly inherited a good deal of the Flower God’s power. The scent is truly the same as ever.”
“Is the Flower God strong?” Ye Chui turned to ask Celty.
“Him?” Celty said with a laugh. “When the Goddess of Life, Lil, created the Flower God’s position, it was to have a deity who specialised in decorating banquets. In the early years, every banquet in the mortal world had an altar for the Flower God. Offerings to him ensured the banquet ended perfectly. But later, people could no longer bear the smell and started placing his altars in toilets. What Debbie said is actually right. The Flower God has an unflattering nickname. It is not Shit God, but Toilet God.”
Ye Chui: “…”
While they spoke, the vines controlled by the Flower God inheritor had already bound Debbie tightly into a cocoon covered with thorny flowers. The cocoon kept tightening, as if to crush her inside.
Soon, however, golden light began to shine through the cocoon.
Boom. The thorny vines shattered completely. Debbie, bathed in golden light, walked step by step toward the Flower God inheritor.
His face filled with shock. He frantically summoned more vines, making them burst from the soil again and again to entwine her.
Yet Debbie’s steps never slowed. She let the vines wrap around her, only for them to break apart moments later. They could not hinder her at all.
Shock covered the Flower God inheritor’s face. Debbie stopped in front of him and raised her fist.
“Don’t hit my face—” He hurriedly covered his face with both hands.
Bang. Debbie’s punch struck his face and sent him flying backwards.
“So stinky, so stinky. I nearly fainted from the smell.” Debbie pinched her little nose, whether on purpose or not, and spoke to the fallen inheritor.
The Flower God inheritor clutched his face, looking deeply wronged. He had said not to hit the face…
His companions exchanged glances. The Flower God inheritor was the weakest among them, yet Debbie had crushed him utterly. Even with their domain damaged, this world clearly still held terrifying strength.
Debbie returned to Ye Chui’s side. She tilted her head as if listening to something and said to him, “I think I heard a voice. The Flower God has become a lower inheritance under the Goddess of Wealth now…”
Ye Chui nodded. Defeat meant becoming a lower inheritance. That was the rule.
From the remaining six inheritors, a dark-skinned woman with white hair stepped forward. She was the inheritor of the God of Gale.
“You won the first match. Now it is my turn. Who will face me?” she asked Ye Chui’s group.
“I will take this one.” Salome stepped up willingly. After Ye Chui agreed, she moved forward. She still held a roasted beef leg, took a few bites, then tossed the bone aside. Her small body crouched, golden light spread over her, and her originally dark skin seemed to turn black-gold, giving the impression of extreme toughness.
The Goddess of Wealth controlled the rules of eternity and gold. The God of Gold was her subordinate and had learned her golden rules, so his inheritors could fight with indestructible golden bodies. But the Wealth Goddess’s own golden body was the strongest of all.
Debbie, Guni, and Salome had each received part of the Wealth Goddess’s power. Salome seemed to have gained more of the golden body aspect. Her body had nearly turned to gold.
“Little girl, you are my opponent?” The Gale God inheritor looked at Salome with disdain. She seemed naturally arrogant. She flicked her hair lightly. “Dealing with you will be far too easy…”
As she spoke, fierce winds began to swirl around her like countless wind blades slicing toward Salome.
Those standing nearby found it hard to breathe. Some staggered. The surrounding trees swayed violently, as though they might fall at any moment.
“In my gale, you cannot even approach me!” the Gale God inheritor declared proudly.
Then her face froze. She saw the girl walking steadily forward through the wind.
Salome had received the Wealth Goddess’s body. It was forged like metal through countless hammers, hard as gold. When she exerted divine power, her weight exceeded ten thousand jin. How could mere wind move her?
Salome raised her fist, ready to strike.
The Gale God inheritor’s face changed. She leaped into the air. The howling winds lifted her body and let her hover.
The Gale God inheritor could fly!
“Phew, that was close. I did not expect you to move freely in my gale. But now I am in the air. What can you do?” she continued to taunt.
Salome scratched her head, turned, and waved to a Dragon Tooth soldier hiding behind a tree.
The soldier paused, understood, and threw his gun to her.
Salome caught it. Golden sword energy flowed over the weapon, turning it entirely gold. She aimed upward. Bang. A golden bullet shot out.
“Ah!” The Gale God inheritor screamed and crashed to the ground.
Everyone: “…”
Salome looked puzzled and asked, “Does this count as my win? You never said weapons were not allowed…” chapter_content();
The members of the Temple of Gods: “…”
The Flower God had healing powers, so his inheritor quickly tended to the Gale God inheritor’s wounds.
“This match is your victory!” the Battlefield God inheritor said, his face rather grim and clearly surprised.
“Now it is my turn. I will not be so easy.” A powerfully built man stepped forward. He was even taller than the Battlefield God inheritor. He wore heavy armour and carried a two-metre stone pillar carved with intricate patterns on his shoulder.
The inheritor of the God of Earth-Splitting!
“The God of Earth-Splitting is an orc deity, though humans may worship him too. He controls earthquakes and disasters, possessing the power to tear the land apart,” Celty explained. “He is a pure tank. His inheritor will be very hard to deal with.”
“Leave it to me!” Guni had already taken the greatsword from Cass. She spoke with full confidence.
“Wait…” At that moment Ye Chui suddenly realised something was wrong. His face grew troubled. “Oh no. We have been tricked!”
The others looked at him. Some understood at once and their expressions changed.
Ye Chui went on. “We meant to stall for time, but the opponents they sent were all weak. We have crushed them instantly. We only feel sure of three matches. After those three we will certainly lose. They still have their domain’s blessing…”
This contest was first to four wins out of seven. If the first three were lost quickly, using little time, then the next four could be won while Ye Chui’s artefact was still unrepaired. Victory would be theirs.
“They must know our artefact is nearly restored, so they used this plan,” Debbie said with a nod. She asked Ye Chui, “How much time is left until it recovers?”
Ye Chui looked pained. “The last two battles together took just over five minutes… Twenty-five minutes remain.”
“Only five minutes have passed!” Debbie and Salome both felt cheated. They had barely used any strength and still won. The Temple of Gods members were too cunning. They had lost on purpose…
Though Ye Chui’s group spoke softly, the Temple of Gods heard everything. The Gale God inheritor could transmit sound, so everyone caught the conversation.
Hearing it, their faces grew awkward. Who wanted quick fights? You are simply too strong…
“I will definitely win the next one,” the Earth-Splitting God inheritor said gravely. He felt his pride insulted.
“You can do it!” The Battlefield God inheritor clapped him on the shoulder.
Guni stepped forward with her greatsword. The little girl promised Ye Chui, “I will drag this out for more than twenty minutes. Don’t worry. It will be fine.”
“Yes. It is up to you!” Ye Chui patted her shoulder.
The girl of one and a half metres and the man over two and a half metres soon faced each other.
“Roar—”
The Earth-Splitting God inheritor gave a terrifying bellow. He opened with his ultimate move. Both hands gripped the pillar, raised it high. Boom! He smashed it heavily into the ground.
Guni held her greatsword and prepared to charge, but the earth beneath her feet sank. A fissure opened. It seemed to pull with suction. Her body fell in uncontrollably. Boom. The crack closed, leaving only a narrow seam.
The Earth-Splitting God inheritor roared again, leaped high, gripped the pillar with both hands, and drove it down from above into the spot where Guni had vanished.
Boom!
A muffled thud came from the ground.
Everyone gasped in shock.
Ye Chui and the others could not help worrying. The rest also looked concerned. Guni was straightforward and well-liked in Stan World. The Earth-Splitting God’s attack was truly fearsome. After such a blow, her safety was worrying…
“The fight is over!” the Earth-Splitting God inheritor said in a deep, rough voice.
He believed that even Debbie or Salome could not have survived unharmed. He had not meant to injure Guni seriously, so after declaring victory he gripped the pillar and prepared to pull it free.
But…
The pillar began to shake by itself. The Earth-Splitting God inheritor tensed and held tighter, trying to control his weapon, yet the shaking continued. In his stunned gaze, while still clinging to it, his whole body was lifted upward.
Beneath the pillar, Guni’s small hand supported it. She climbed out of the fissure step by step.
Guni looked a little dishevelled but extremely excited. Golden light covered her.
Of the Wealth Goddess’s divine power, Debbie had taken the soul aspect, Salome the body aspect, and Guni the innate divine strength!
Her tiny frame simply lifted the pillar that weighed hundreds of jin, with the Earth-Splitting God inheritor still holding on above.
“Ah ah ah—” Guni let out a string of light cries. Buzz buzz buzz. She spun the pillar around, then bang, slammed it into the ground. The Earth-Splitting God’s body rolled away. His eyes rolled back. He was completely unconscious…
“Huff huff, huff huff…” Guni panted with excitement. She held the pillar upright beside her with one hand. Then her face showed alarm. She had meant to stall for time…
Ye Chui and the others all covered their eyes, unable to look.
This fight had lasted one and a half minutes. It was even quicker than Debbie’s and Salome’s…
“Fine. We have won three matches now. Even if we lose the next three, it does not matter. Just stall for time until twenty-four minutes have passed. Then I will finish the wager in the final match…”
Ye Chui told his companions, sounding rather weary.
