Wizard: Starting With the Knights Breathing Method Chapter 2840: 579: Maya Joins the Team! The Origin of the Nest!
Previously on Wizard: Starting With the Knights Breathing Method...
A shadowy figure, faintly visible as a swordsman clad in black armor, streaked toward the storm vortex with blinding speed, effortlessly breaking through the Wind Prison divine arts unleashed by the pair of angels, and pulling Maya to safety.
Denis's gaze sharpened at the sight.
"That's him—the Dusk Palace Master."
Even as a minor wild god lingering on the edges of the astral world, his network of believers in the Belief Land kept him updated, so he had long been aware of the Dusk Palace Master's legendary deeds.
From taking down level 9 foes to rallying forces against level 10 powerhouses, every tale was familiar to him.
Deep down, Denis knew this entity—whatever his destiny held in shaking the cosmos—was far beyond anyone he dared to challenge.
Having scraped by as an insignificant player in the astral world up to now, he grasped the essence of the Path of Following the Heart all too well.
Though the astral world loomed vast and mighty, history showed that feeble gods without real power, constantly stirring trouble across the Multidimensional Plane, fell the quickest...
Legends frequently arose from such figures who gained fame by felling gods using just a Level 9 Body.
And the ancient-born mighty gods showed zero concern for the fates of these lesser deities.
In truth.
Without the Star Ancestor's watchful oversight, the greatest threats to these weak gods weren't demons or the Nightmare Monarch... but the native great gods of the Thousand Hills Countries!
Differing from Father and Holy Mother.
Denis hadn't originated in the astral world; he'd forged his Faith Path amid the Multidimensional Plane before ascending!
The ascent proved brutally challenging!
Plenty of astral world's weak gods shared his origins, derisively labeled "Lower Gods" by the native great gods.
Referring to those who rose from the Lower Realm.
In contrast stood the notion of "Upper Gods."
Lower Gods typically started with borrowed divine authority, endlessly targeted and carved up by the astral world's native great gods. For them, snatching even a sliver of innate divine authority sparked immense delight.
Hence, the astral world resembled a fortress under siege.
All imagined it as paradise upon entry, convinced godhood meant bliss, only to discover it was no paradise, but a tormenting inferno...
Yet once committed, retreat was impossible.
After breaching the astral world, only a handful with exceptional methods could employ hidden arts to reincarnate and restart their cultivation, breaking free from this trap.
The majority of weak gods remained ensnared... forever!
In clashes against Nightmare and Abyss forces, they served as mere fodder.
To rise at all, they needed to pledge loyalty to Upper Gods in the Forest of Myriad Phenomena and Thousand-Autumn Countries, laboring for scraps of their rewards.
Across eras, the highest any Lower God had climbed—reaching the Forest of Myriad Phenomena to claim Intermediate God status—was the limit, save for one outlier who ascended to powerful god rank and carved a place in the Thousand Hills Countries: Dream Lady Hillin!
Still, that feat happened in the Ancient Times, amid the astral world's desperate war with Nightmare and its manpower shortages, when ascension rules stayed lax.
Hillin hailed from the alien Dream Eater race, wielding dream-based powers, gradually building a faith trail through visions before entering the astral world. She then leveraged her cunning, insight, and allure to ascend from Subordinate God step by step.
By chance, the Main God holding Dream Realm Divine Authority tumbled into an ambush against the Lost Monarch. As a Subordinate God, Dream Lady grasped the moment, consuming His corpse and divine persona to seize the authority and take His throne!
Afterward, she absorbed subordinate gods like Sleep God Chupnos, emerging as the guiding force of that path. The Star Ancestor quietly endorsed her rise.
Since then, no other Lower God had wrenched power from Upper Gods to claim mighty god status. Even becoming an Intermediate God defied the heavens.
With these thoughts swirling.
Denis eyed the dark-armored form and quietly ended the projection.
"Master, did you spot who it was?"
The two angels inquired.
Denis scowled, replying in a frosty tone:
"It's the Dusk Palace Master. Should you cross paths with him later, avoid any conflict at all costs, or it could spell disaster for our Divine Kingdom. Got it?"
Shock rippled through the two angels.
What? Him?
Had this individual grown so formidable that even a Main God dreaded him?
"We understand."
"Master, are we simply dropping this issue?"
Denis gave a nod.
"Yes, heed my words, or you'll court destruction."
...
Aboard the Aid the Vast Sea ship, in the hidden chamber.
The crimson eyes atop Levi's forehead slowly faded away.
A faint grin crossed his face as he murmured:
"This weak god actually dared to observe me, yet without any ill intent—truly uncommon. Looks like the astral world hides some prudent deities after all. I'd pegged them as nothing but haughty pests."
Levi pondered intently.
The dynamics among the Four Great Giants proved far more tangled than he'd anticipated.
Sects abounded, ranks rigid, conflicts everywhere.
Exploiting these rifts to sow division, or forging short-term pacts with select allies, could serve as a solid plan.
...
Six months passed.
Levi's group reached the Flora Realm.
The silver vessel anchored near Little Wo, concealed within a plane's molten core. The Spider King and Little Rou rushed out to greet them, beaming with delight.
Rowling glanced at Little Wo and grinned, "Parasitic Realm Crabs exist here too—impressive. So this is your modest base in the Land of Darkness?"
"These are transcendent beings under my command, each with useful talents for resource collection and monitoring the Council of Ten Thousand Clans. Madam, please step inside and rest."
Levi guided Rowling in, while the Spider King cast nervous peeks. Levi calmed him, "She's my old mentor and nearby ally, Lady Rowling."