NABC Page 70
Page 70
At this moment, it is comparable to a kingdom of faith where the supreme god resides, simply because three goddesses have descended upon the Arcadia jungle.
I took a deep breath. Although I couldn't see the gods in my sight, my spiritual senses were roaring and screaming wildly.
It tells of three indescribable beings, so enormous they far exceed imagination, waiting for their 'prey' to walk into their trap.
"It's like a moth drawn to a flame." Bai Zhi chuckled self-deprecatingly as she followed closely, analyzing and sensing to confirm the identity of the approaching deity.
First, there is Hera, the queen of the gods, who stands with a dignified posture, her eyes filled with loving kindness, her temperament elegant and majestic, exuding the majesty of a mother goddess.
Secondly, with a scepter in one hand and a round shield in the other, the wreath of tassels on her forehead does not obscure the goddess's boldness and sharpness; she is Athena, the goddess of victory.
The two goddesses that Bai Zhi knew were now frowning as they comforted the last goddess.
His sharp gaze swept across the scene, its focal length comparable to or even surpassing that of a high-definition camera, and he saw the location where the gods were meeting.
But it was precisely because she saw it that Bai Zhi raised her eyebrows, thinking she had misread it.
Her clothes were disheveled, her hair was messy with occasional bristles sticking up, and her once delicate and beautiful appearance revealed a ferocious, helpless, and contradictory expression. She trembled and grabbed the hems of Hera and Athena's clothes, as if she were crying out or telling a story.
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Despite never having seen the deity before, Bai Zhi could guess its identity.
Demeter, the mother goddess of Persephone, one of the twelve Olympian gods, and the goddess of harvest.
"Jason, help me, Jason, only you can help me!"
Demeter had heard of this eccentric believer who worshipped the twelve Olympian gods and, accompanied by Hera, observed him for some time.
Therefore, Demeter recognized Bai Zhi at first sight. Breaking free from Hera and Athena's support, she staggered and threw herself into Bai Zhi's arms, her beautiful face streaked with tears as she looked up and pleaded:
"Hades, that inhuman bastard, has completely sealed off the entrance and exit between the underworld and the mortal world. Even Zeus couldn't force his way into the underworld. Only you are left."
Hades invites you to his wedding, Jason. You must prevent this tragedy and bring my daughter Persephone back. I'll give you anything you want—divine blessings, right? I can even give you divine power. All I want is for my daughter to come back!
Even Zeus, the king of the gods, could not enter the underworld.
Bai Zhi frowned. "Really? Is Hades really that fierce?"
Aren't you afraid that this seemingly amiable king of the gods might once again wield the thunderous weapon and display the same bravery that defeated the previous king of the Greek gods?
"I can only say that I will do my best, but I cannot change Lord Hades' decision."
"No, no, no, no, you can't do this, my daughter... Waaah—"
As if her long-held spiritual pillar had been stripped away, Demeter's expression froze as she wept, tears silently streaming down her face. Then, the land soaked by her tears began to wither, and a yellowish storm of decay emanated from Demeter, spreading from the Arcadia Mountains to the surrounding areas, to the border states, and even to the whole of Greece, where a phenomenon of 'anti-harvest' began to appear.
"Huh? The essence of abundance and immortality manifests outwardly as the withering of all things?"
Ignoring the gradually withering surroundings, Bai Zhi's attention was completely awestruck by Demeter's instinctive use of divine power.
Extremes beget their opposites; the most abundant abundance foreshadows the most desolate decline.
If I were to fully activate the three divine blessings and reverse them, my strength would leap to a whole new level, and I would even be able to hold my own against the gods.
Currently, Bai Zhi possesses three powers: invulnerability to all laws, indestructibility to all things, and an immortal body—extreme abilities. However, if one extreme were to become the complete opposite extreme...
The three abilities combined are enough to temporarily create a fatal weakness in the enemy.
In this way, Bai Zhi can defeat opponents of the same level, and is equally capable of fighting against a larger force with fewer troops. Challenging opponents of higher levels is no longer a dream.
Unleashing a completely opposite divine power, Demeter's previously weeping personality underwent a dramatic transformation. She raised her hand to wipe away her tears, and with red eyes, offered Bai Zhi a blooming flower stamen:
"Help me hand her over to my daughter. Although I don't approve of this wedding, it is my daughter's wedding after all, and as a mother, I can't not show my support."
"Please, I'm not asking you to bring her back, but you must pass on a message to Hades: if I don't see Persephone after this wedding, congratulations Hades, a new war of the gods will begin with the decline of the Greek lands, a fight to the death."
Leaving these words behind, Demeter transformed into a wisp of spring breeze, her form merging into the vast expanse of the earth, bearing the wrath of the withering land.
“Alas, the conflicts among the gods have brought misfortune upon the common people.” Athena sighed, shaking her head and patting Bai Zhi’s shoulder. She then gave a hearty laugh, her heroic demeanor infectious as she spoke: “It is time for heroes to step forward once again. I will have the bards prepare to sing this new poem. Jason, I hope you will not disappoint me a second time.”
So you never mention divine blessings, right?
Bai Zhi squinted as she thought.
On the other hand, Hera's personality is different from Athena's. The queen of the gods' majesty and solemnity mean that Hera would not lie or procrastinate.
So she came to pay the fee.
Her wrist, adorned with gold jewelry, wrapped around Bai Zhi's neck, and she leaned forward, her ample bosom embracing Bai Zhi's cheek.
There was no extravagant imagination, only the maternal love and care of a mother embracing her child.
“My child, you were born into a noble and honorable family, but you encountered unspeakable misfortune and ran away from home. You have suffered hardship, hunger, cold, and fire. You have never had a good day. As a mother, it is my duty to leave you a rich family fortune so that you can live a life of luxury and honor without having to eat or drink.”
"Therefore, Jason, my child, my blessing is simple."
"[Noble gold will accompany you throughout your life]"
Hera cradled Bai Zhi's head and gently kissed her between the eyebrows. The emerald-green divine blessing added another seed of divinity to the heart source stone in her chest.
The divine artifact body filled another gap.
The suppressed impulse in her heart began to surge, an almost exponential emotional surge that made Bai Zhi frown slightly. Although she could still suppress it for now, once she received a few more blessings, she might not have to wait for Zeus's final contract.
In order to complete the task, Bai Zhi may have unconditionally agreed to the conditions of the other gods.
The Book of the Sons of the Greek Gods: Chapter 147 Charon's Tribulations
Standing before a cave beneath a cliff shrouded in thick fog, one gazes into the distance at the scene inside. A winding path leads downwards, its depths dark and seemingly bottomless. In the distance, one can almost hear the sound of a flowing stream.
But the sound of the water brought not clarity, but the wailing and howling of countless ghosts.
The dark and deep cave is the entrance to the underworld.
It is the only entrance to the underworld that Bai Zhi knows of.
"The entrances to both the underworld and the mortal realm have been sealed by Hades, the god of the underworld. I don't think that Lord Hades would have missed any, or that these are just some entrances that the gods couldn't find."
Moreover, this cave was originally brought here by Athena herself.
The answer is clear.
"Lord Hades has been watching me closely, waiting for me to finish Chiron's lessons. That's why the wedding started at such an unexpected time. That's why Lord Hades specially broke the seal to welcome me when I arrived at the entrance to the Underworld."
Bai Zhi straightened the wrinkles in her clothes, then held a bouquet of the most vibrant flowers that had bloomed at sunrise, which she made into a wedding gift for Hades and his queen.
"The process of driving away the guests during the wedding is a desecration of marriage and a denial of the blissful ceremony. This time, I cannot be forcibly teleported away. Lord Hades, are you ready to obey the Queen of the Underworld and leave, or... to kill me completely?"
Upon entering the cave, the first obstacle is a bottomless downhill path. The only way to reach the bottom of the underworld is to realize that you have already arrived at the realm of the mind.
Having had the experience before, Bai Zhi was adept at it. In just two or three steps, the downhill road disappeared from sight, replaced by Cerberus, the three-headed dog, the gatekeeper of hell, who was hiding in the corner of the wall, baring his teeth but never daring to approach.
Noticing Bai Zhi's gaze, Cerberus let out a few whimpers and buried its three heads deeper into its fur.
He had a profound and painful lesson from being shot through the abdomen once.
Knowing that he was no match for the monster, Cerberus would never invite trouble upon himself.
"Don't worry, if this trip goes smoothly, we'll be saying goodbye for the rest of our lives. Of course, if it doesn't go smoothly and we're forced to stay in the underworld forever, maybe we'll have a chance to become good friends."
Bai Zhi rubbed Cerberus's fluffy head; it was hard and not as smooth and soft as she had imagined. The strange sensation from the tips of the long fur made Bai Zhi let go of it.
"Negative review. Your fur is too stiff. I suspect that an ordinary person would get pricked if they touched it. Also, how long has it been since you took a bath? Your fur is all wrinkled. If I have the chance, I will bring you some bathwater. Of course, I would prefer to break my promise."
After teasing the shy (just kidding) Cerberus,
In the void, a pair of invisible, enormous doors were slowly pushed open.
The dense sounds of the Styx River echoed in his ears, and Bai Zhi knew that he was going to see his next friend.
......
......
On the banks of the River Styx, the ferryman Charon stared blankly down at the river, meeting the gaze of the pale-faced undead that emerged from its depths.
The mysterious atmosphere of their first meeting had completely vanished.
He's like a corporate slave, crushed by the pressures of life.
The mystical hooded robe was tattered and covered with scorch marks. The hood covering his head was burned to ashes, revealing Kalon's true appearance: a skull with azure soul flames burning in its eye sockets.
As for who it was that made the ferryman suffer such pain and torment, yet dared not speak out against it.
It was the seven-stringed lyre placed in the most open spot at the bow of the ferry, completely out of place with the overall atmosphere of the underworld.
The sun god's power that flowed intermittently across the seven-stringed lyre perfectly explained the identity of the culprit.
The seven-stringed lyre was a divine gift from Apollo to Bai Zhi, and it also served as a beacon for survival. As a result, Bai Zhi left the underworld, but the artifact remained there. It would be strange if Apollo didn't come to investigate.
Had it not been for the fact that it coincided with a grand wedding in the underworld, and Hades was worried about the gods causing trouble, he deliberately sealed the entrance and exit between the mortal world and the underworld.
Charon, the ferryman, might be punished by Apollo for moving his left hand first.
He had made up his mind that he would do whatever it took to get the seven-stringed lyre flying.
The skull, engulfed in azure flames, swore an oath. Then, it heard the voice that made it regret the most in its life that it had made a deal with the other party. It turned its skull head, and the sizzling azure flames flickered a few times. It stared straight at Bai Zhi, making the latter look slightly embarrassed. Finally, she spoke.
“Mr. Caron, we meet again. Could you exchange the remaining value of the advance payment from last time for a new ticket? Please rest assured, I will redeem the lyre in time. You don’t need to worry about me defaulting on the payment. Also, I hope you can speed things up. Freshly picked flower buds must be kept at a certain level of freshness to be considered an excellent wedding gift.”
"Rewards? You still dare to mention rewards to me... It seems that my greed in demanding things from the deceased has finally come back to haunt me. This time, it really is revenge."
Caron clenched his teeth, snorted coldly, and angrily grabbed the seven-stringed zither and threw it back to Bai Zhi.
"I'm just unlucky to have transported your belongings on the ferry for free these two times. But next time, even if you wait on the banks of the River Styx until your lifespan is exhausted, don't expect me to come and ferry you across. Even if I don't transport the souls that have accumulated for hundreds of years, I'll accept the cost of working overtime afterwards!"
There won't be a next time, Caron swore.
"Quite venomous, isn't he? It seems Lord Apollo has given you unforgettable memories. Speaking of which, I didn't expect Lord Apollo to infuse his personality into the lyre at first. Now that I think about it, even a powerful god like Apollo, who is considered a first-rate deity in Greek mythology, has the habit of using underhanded methods. How did the other gods determine my situation and location through their surveillance methods?"
Bai Zhi stroked her chest; perhaps, he knew the answer.
Divine blessings are God's blessings, but they are man's curses.
Perhaps not intending to see Bai Zhi again, Caron deliberately slowed the ship down to full speed just before arriving, and began to think about what means to use to carry out this deadly order, a plan that seemed outrageous to him.
But it's the perfect look for young people.
'Don't resist, it's useless.'
I was so angry I almost burst out laughing.
On the other side, sitting on the ferry, Bai Zhi greeted the dead souls below who were catching substitutes, and then carefully examined the posture of the seven-stringed zither.
He played the seven-stringed lute with both hands, and plucked a short melody. The sound quality was perfect, and the warm, smooth feel of his hands quickly returned to normal. The lively melody calmed the wailing souls in the underworld.
"Not bad. You haven't played for a while, but your technique hasn't deteriorated. It's just that you need to get your feel back in a bit more."
After finishing her chores, Bai Zhi looked towards the end of the River Styx. She could hear not only the sound of oars cutting through the water, but also the sound of a choir singing on the horizon of the underworld, praising the greatness of the King of the Underworld.
The Chronicle of the Sons of the Greek Gods: Chapter 148 The Auspicious Hour Has Arrived
Every rock in the underworld is Hades' eyes and ears.
Every wisp of decaying wind is also Hades's touch.
The faint light reflected in the Styx, the stone pillars dripping with water, the river surface surging and crashing against the boundary.
In this underworld devoid of any greenery or living creatures, where even slumber is a luxury, Hades has no time to waste a single moment.
So, the moment Bai Zhi disembarked and left the ferryman Kalon, an invisible, enormous hand grabbed her.
It is extremely rare that, with Bai Zhi's current strength, he can be said to be invincible to some extent, yet he is still just a nobody in front of the gods.
By the time the mind realizes it has been captured, the surrounding environment has already changed.
The ceaseless wailing and curses of the River Styx vanished, replaced by the familiar yet strange palace of Hades.
The palace, which I remembered as empty, now seemed eerie and bustling.
The fierce and ruthless generals and soldiers were drinking heavily, while the pale-skinned banshee, having shed her cursed nature, celebrated the day's joy with gentle melodies. The stone-winged demons, acting as messengers, welcomed the arrival of high-ranking and prominent souls from the underworld, offering their blessings for the King of the Underworld's grand wedding.
On the main seat, with a fair complexion and jet-black hair, his deep eyes seemed to reflect the entire underworld of death. He possessed an otherworldly aura, yet he seemed like a person who awaited his destined end from a high place.
He took a deep breath, held up the bright red bouquet, and his eyes swept over the dead souls around him. Their gazes met unintentionally, and he occasionally received a stare from behind, as well as the servants surrounding him.
The gaze was like needles pricking him, and the biting cold seemed to tear him to shreds.
It was no illusion; these believers who once worshipped Hades remained in the underworld after death, coexisting with their faith.
Hades' followers were already few in number, and they had already learned of Bai Zhi's existence.
Therefore, they harbored absolute malice and hostility towards believers who dared to question and persecute Hades on behalf of other gods.