The Pantheon was silent, so quiet that the dropping of a needle would sound like thunder.
Faced with Ao's unfriendly gaze, the gods lowered their heads and avoided his eyes, like rabbits under the gaze of a hungry wolf, not daring to even breathe heavily.
The powerful deities closest to Ao were not so lucky. The lesser and minor deities watched from afar, their hearts pounding, let alone those directly facing Ao's pressure.
Lady Shuna of the Fiery Hair, pressured by the other powerful deities, rose and forced a smile, asking, "Your Highness of the Gods, do you have any commands for us?"
Ao glanced at Shuna, who was sweating profusely, and with a look of disdain, turned his gaze to Tempus. "Lord of War, you should shoulder the responsibility of punishing the rebels!"
Tempus frowned imperceptibly, then rose and replied, "Your Highness, we are confident that you will defeat the rebels and display your might with their blood. How could we dare to interfere and disturb your enjoyment?"
Ao's hand, resting on his throne, tightened uncontrollably. The ornate decorations were flattened, only to return to their original state the moment he raised his hand.
"Are you mocking me?"
His calm voice seemed to suppress a brewing storm. Red Knight, seated on the outermost row of minor deities, looked towards the chief god with worry.
"I have no such intention," Tempus replied, his expression unchanged. "Otherwise, I would not have accepted your invitation."
Ao's anger subsided slightly. "Gods, you enjoy supreme glory and power. Now is the time to pay the price for it."
The lesser deities and those below them secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Their power was negligible, and even Ao was unwilling to waste more words on them. At most, they would be assigned logistical tasks, and their safety would be greatly guaranteed.
The middle-tier deities found themselves in a more difficult position. They were not entirely defenseless against the ancient gods and elemental primordials, and could still expend energy to resist.
The powerful deities had varied expressions. Ambitious individuals like Cyric were naturally eager, while deities like Shuna, who were not skilled in combat, were distressed, their apprehension evident on their faces.
Most were filled with unease. Deities like Gonde, who had not joined any powerful deity's faction, felt their hearts sink. Their unwilling gazes subsided before the brightly shining Tablets of Fate.
The domain of war naturally fell under Tempus's command. Reluctantly, Tempus rallied himself to assign tasks to the gods, and those who received dangerous missions could only consider themselves unlucky.
It was not until it was Worin's turn that she suddenly stood up before Tempus could speak, causing the subtle murmurs to cease.
The divine incarnation of the world of the Rings had entered its proper course. Worin could completely abandon the world of Faerûn and withdraw. After all, Ao would not go to Ilúvatar to argue with him on her behalf. Therefore, Worin calmly accepted the task of coordinating logistics.
She bowed and said, "Your Highness Ao, I represent the goddess Tycha in speaking with you. I hope you can give me an opportunity."
Ao lowered his eyelids, concealing his expression. He gestured for Worin to approach, simultaneously shielding the gods' inquisitive gazes.
"You'd better bring me good news?" Ao's expression was more complex than ever before.
"Of course, it's good news," Worin replied immediately. Perhaps thinking her description was too concise, she added, "Your Highness Tycha does not wish to be your enemy. It is merely a helpless action under the coercion of the rebels."
"Regardless, you saved me from the Abyss. I sincerely hope you achieve your goal."
Worin's sincerity softened Ao's rigid face. "Therefore, I also implore you to accept Tycha's conditions and cease being her enemy."
"The reason?" Ao's expression was unreadable. "She has repeatedly aided the rebels. In my view, she has already chosen to oppose me."
"Your Highness Tycha says you will understand. She hopes you will help her seize the Abyss. In exchange, she will restrain Corellon, who might intervene, and will never allow you to be disturbed."
Ao immediately looked at his wrist. A message, sent by an unknown sender, appeared on his hidden watch.
After a moment of silence, Ao slowly said, "I hope so."
In the empty divine hall, Tycha smiled as she looked at Ao's reply on the watch.
Ao had no choice. If he did not quickly free himself to deal with the Laws, the swarming轮回者 (reincarnators) would cause even greater trouble than the Laws themselves! Therefore, even though he knew Tycha had ulterior motives, he had to feign cooperation to buy time.
The anxious gods, before they could ask Worin what she had said to Ao, were dazed by new orders.
The army marched towards the Abyss. While the gods were surprised by Ao's change of mind, they also breathed a sigh of relief. Compared to the ancient gods, the pressure brought by the lords of the Abyss was much smaller.
Ao was not idle either. Under his chilling gaze, the four ancient gods decisively retreated and banded together, no longer able to focus on the battlefield in the Abyss.
Tycha's avatar, with her dark butterfly wings, arrived before Cyraen's bone fortress.
"Cyraen, it's time to send you on your way."
Cyraen's face was vaguely visible beneath a hazy white veil. The fallen mother of demons slowly lifted her veil, and the impact, as if struck by a heavy hammer, caused the demons to bleed from their eyes and die silently.
"Not bad," Tycha remarked, appraising Cyraen's true form. "You have quite a distinctive appearance among demons."
The chaotic will of the Abyss did not resist Tycha's actions; instead, it offered encouragement.
The allied army of gods encamped in Messiah's territory, carving a path through the layers of the Abyss.
The lords of the Abyss had considered uniting to resist, but Graz'zt and Demogorgon, the two most powerful lords of the Abyss, lacked even the most basic trust. More critically, the demons had no experience in coordinated combat!
Unlike the devils, who were almost dead, demons fought alone in the blood-soaked Abyss. At most, they used violence to drive lesser demons to their deaths. In their battles against the allied army of gods, they were repeatedly defeated and unable to turn the tide.
Cyraen's desperate resistance did not grant her any more opportunities. Tycha's avatar, at the cost of half her body, took Cyraen's head.
After a brief rest, the avatar, taking the Abyss plane she had seized, actively merged it with Hell.
The maddened demons refilled the empty Hell, and the Laws, no longer able to hold back, re-engaged Ao in battle.
Although they did not understand Ao's intention in attacking the Abyss, a vague sense of crisis prevented the Laws from standing idly by.