Chapter 994: Reconstruction

Translator: Ryogawa

TLC: Hedonist

They had been completely terrified by Han Shuo. Gyál, one of the three Keepers of the Light, had been famous in Elysium for being the top fighter of the God of Light. He had struck down many powerful experts and was feared and respected by many. Yet, Han Shuo had managed to strike down this very person without even breaking a sweat.

And that still wasn't the worst part. Yarus, being the wise guy that he was, could immediately tell that it was the God of Light who intervened after Gyál's body was destroyed. The white light from the God of Light that came out of Gyál's soul wasn't able to harm Han Shuo at all and even praised him before leaving. If even the God of Light didn't kill Han Shuo immediately for the transgression of killing his most faithful servant, the other gods stood even less of a chance.

The thought of the slaughter Han Shuo had engaged in within the Dominions of Death and Darkness and the response of their respective Quintessence Overgods made Yarus realize something that caused him to feel a chill down his spine.

Talbot finally knew why Yarus was so wary of Han Shuo now. After hearing his cry, he immediately retreated and no longer held the slightest trace of his desire to seek vengeance against him, completely relegating Han Shuo's rampage at the City of Wraiths to the back of his head.

The two of them exchanged glances before focusing their full attention on Han Shuo as they took one slow step after another out of the Hexopolis, fearing his attack. They might not be able to leave this place alive.

The other guardians from other dominions began to shiver in fear from seeing Gyál killed in an instant. They felt even more terrified when the God of Light's presence vanished after saying praise of Han Shuo. Eventually, some of them couldn't help but say, "Since the Godhunter Alliance isn't here any more, there's no reason for us to be as well! We won't disturb you any longer."

"We have only come to deal with the godhunters, after all. We don't intend to make Pandemonium our enemy, so we shall take our leave here."

"We have other matters to attend to, so no need to see us off."

They all gave their excuses to leave after Yarus did, slowly backing away towards the exit of the city. McKinley was the only one who didn't move a step, standing excitedly as he looked at Gyál's blood. "He's finally dead... Just like that... It's finally over..."

Han Shuo, who had been bathing in elation for his avatars' sudden breakthrough, snapped out of it when Yarus bid his farewell. However, he didn't really pay attention to them and remained standing on the spot pondering.

The twelve chief guardians of their respective dominions were all powerful in their own right. Yarus and a few others were even overgods, not that Han Shuo would take them seriously. The reason he didn't wipe them out was that he didn't want to anger the Quintessence Overgods that backed them. Not to mention, he had heard Yarus and Talbot's conversation earlier.

With the battle of the gods about to start, Han Shuo couldn't wait for them to leave and wouldn't cause them any trouble. He wouldn't be participating in that grand battle, feeling that it was better for him to lay low for now. With that in mind, he let Yarus and the rest leave while he continued to feign deep thought.

Yarus and the rest, seeing that Han Shuo wasn't paying attention, moved a bit faster as they left. Once they were finally out, they immediately turned tail and zipped away as fast as they could. Almost immediately, the leaders left the Fringe with the rest of the guardians faster than they came in for the fear that Han Shuo would change his mind and come after them.

"Bryan, are you just going to let them leave like that?" Wasir asked.

Relaxing his stiffened expression, Han Shuo smiled. "They have Quintessence Overgods backing them. A few of them even have stigmas from them. It isn't wise to keep them in the Fringe at this point in time. They will eventually fight among themselves anyway, so why should I waste my energy?"

"You mean to say that they will go to war with each other soon?" Salas asked, shocked.

"Of course. Just wait and see. Once they leave the Fringe, they will begin to fight. Haha, I didn't think that we would usher in the battle of the gods."

At this moment, McKinley took a deep breath and bowed. "I will maintain neutrality and not participate in that battle. Bryan, I have you to thank for resolving my centuries-long grudge!"

Waving at McKinley, Han Shuo said, "You don't have to go that far, given our friendship. McKinley, you should hurry back to Ethereal City soon. The battle might affect it, so you have to be prepared for it."

"Understood." McKinley nodded, before he thought in silence. turning back to Han Shuo with a solemn look, he continued, "Bryan, Gyál's soul hasn't been eliminated yet. Was that white light that took him really the God of Light?"

"Of course. You shouldn't think too much about this. If the God of Light decided to protect his soul, there's little I can do about it. However, Gyál fared far worse than you did. Back then, your soul and divine body had only been separated, but Gyál's divine body was now completely vaporized. In a way, your grudge is now resolved."

"I am more than satisfied with how things turned out. Only, I am a little worried about you. The God of Light definitely has his eyes on you now. Will you be alright?" He furrowed his brow as he paused. "I really don't know how you cultivated to the point of being able to wipe Gyál out so easily."

"It's best that you don't overthink this matter. Don't worry, I can protect myself. It's best you go back soon to defend your city."

"Alright, I'll take my leave now. Take care, Bryan!" He didn't say anything else and immediately went where Yarus and the others had gone.

By stunning the invading guardians with his nigh-impossible feat, Han Shuo managed to resolve the threats easily.

"Haha, the Fringe won't be in any danger for the time being. We still have to rebuild the Hexopolis. I will go back to Pandemonium for now, so I'll need you guys to stay here. Just use the magic mirror to contact me if there are any issues and I'll come immediately," Han Shuo instructed, now that he had the luxury of getting things done without having to worry about the threats.

"Alright. We will gather the other gods in the Fringe and have them help manage the place according to your plans. Just rest assured, we will make sure nothing goes wrong here," Salas said with a laugh. He seemed to be in a rather good mood.

From that day onwards, conflict in the Fringe substantially decreased. Without the sneaky Tyre, Logue, and Ossora around, they could finally manage the Fringe properly. Once the battle of the gods began, many more people might come to the Fringe, giving it new life. It might even grow even more powerful than before.

"Bryan, go deal with what you have to," Wasir said.

"Alright. I'll leave this place to the two of you." He left without saying much else. At his consciousness's current level, he would even be able to feel the presence of enemies all the way from Pandemonium without needing Wasir or Salas to inform him, so he wasn't worried in the least.

......

Soon, Han Shuo returned to Pandemonium. The Five Elite Zombies managed to restore some former semblance to the ruins, with most of the crevices in the ground now gone, causing the eternal fog to once more form within.

Han Shuo began the reconstruction once he arrived, first having the Five Elite Zombies to change some of the mountainous layout as he imagined them before using his power to forcefully alter the natural laws. He even moved large swathes of earth to fill in the seas and collected all sorts of material that he lacked.

With his realm state at the Diablo Realm and the power of his thirteen avatars, he was stronger than he had ever been. He began to focus his efforts on installing the Ninth Realm Mystical Yin Harvester.

Something like that could rob so much elemental Yuan from the surroundings that it could even drag Han Shuo into this world from another universe. If it was constructed in Elysium, a place with energy that was hundreds of times denser and countless times abundant, it was surely to be unmatched.

It represented a tremendous undertaking. Han Shuo utilized the Five Elite Zombies' powers and his own insights from his new realm to gather resources from all over the Fringe, the areas near Ethereal City as well as the Dominion of Destiny to fill Pandemonium without regard for how many black crystal coins he had to spend.

Time quickly passed and Pandemonium had changed quite a lot, incorporating much of the mountains and lakes next to it as it expanded to five times its former size. The climate in Pandemonium had also changed considerably, with lightning bolts and strong snow being common sights. It gradually turned into among the grandest places in Elysium as the battle of the gods began.