Chapter 145: Stepping into the Game, the Grand Design Is Mine

“Damn bug, where do you think you’re going? Give up now and I’ll make your death quick!”

Afa snapped back to his senses and slammed his palm down, shattering the void. That massive figure dove into a rift and vanished in an instant.

“You dare toy with us to our faces and still try to run? The dignity of a god can’t be challenged!”

Al’s eyes went blood-red as he watched Gu Xiaoyao make a clean getaway. Beating his chest in fury, he also transformed into a blur and shot after him.

Having escaped nearly a hundred thousand miles away, Gu Xiaoyao didn’t dare pause for even a breath. His face was grim as he felt those two relentless presences closing in from behind.

There was no safe place left in this stretch of void. Even putting aside the difference in cultivation, just facing those colossal bodies was overwhelming.

Taking on both of them alone, he knew there was no way to come out ahead—a single misstep meant instant death.

The only hope now was to sprint for the far end of this path. Only by passing through that gate could he escape this predicament, maybe even become a god on the spot!

He could also turn and fight to the death, but that would be pure madness—a dead end with no chance of survival.

With another leap, Gu Xiaoyao sped another hundred thousand miles. Suddenly, a tiny speck of light flickered in the endless darkness ahead.

That was the end of the Void—the Gate of Divinity!

Xuyan, wide-eyed with excitement, slapped Gu Xiaoyao on the shoulder and pointed at that spot of light. Grinning, she exclaimed, “Host, hurry, that’s the end of the Void—the Gate of Divinity! Only by crossing it can you become a god!”

“Really? That’s amazing!” Gu Xiaoyao’s eyes sparkled as he leapt forward, racing on.

He shot toward the gate at lightning speed, a smile breaking out on his face. But just as he was about to collide with it, the grin froze.

His body locked in midair. Staring in disbelief, he reached out to touch the gate—only for his hand to pass through. It was just a shadow.

The place he touched rippled and instantly returned to normal, perfectly intact.

Xuyan stared in shock. “Wha… what? Where’d the gate go?”

Just as the two were distracted, a crackling sound came from the void near the Gate of Divinity, and a rift slowly tore open.

Gu Xiaoyao suddenly sensed a terrifying aura rushing toward them. He yelled, “Watch out!”

Acting fast, he grabbed the dazed Xuyan and leapt back dozens of meters before stopping.

At the same time, the newly cracked void collapsed all at once. A huge, blood-soaked maw lunged at the spot where the Gate of Divinity had been.

Two crimson eyes gleamed in the darkness as bestial roars echoed out. A moment later, Afa’s towering form crashed into view.

Before Gu Xiaoyao and Xuyan could catch their breath, Al arrived in a flash, swinging his massive tail straight at them.

Gu Xiaoyao reacted instantly, shooting into the air. The spot he’d just left was obliterated by Al’s tail, only to quickly restore itself.

The two giant fiends—Al and Afa—lifted their scarlet eyes to Gu Xiaoyao above, the monstrous forms facing down the lone, tiny figure.

“You’ve got decent moves for a human! If this damn void wasn’t suppressing our power, you wouldn’t have survived even once!” Al growled.

Afa roared in rage. “Exactly! If not for that damned mysterious man who showed up fifty thousand years ago and dragged us out of the Demon Domain—”

“He forced us to guard this wretched Divine Path, so even though we’re gods, we can’t use a fraction of our full strength!”

“All brawn and no divine power, that’s why we’re in this sorry state!”

Suddenly Al burst out laughing. “Still, thanks to that mysterious man, we’re stationed here on the Divine Path—and got to taste such delicious food!”

“His intention was to go easy on humans, let more of them cross the Divine Path and ascend, he even placed a curse on us so eating humans would backfire on us.”

“But we weren’t about to let him get his way! Even if we have to endure the backlash, we’ll devour every last human who sets foot on the Divine Path!”

Afa started hopping excitedly. “Human cultivators taste the best! We’ll chew them up, bones and all!”

The two fiends licked their lips, clearly savoring the memory of old meals, grinning foolishly—then froze suddenly.

Afa sighed, “Who’d have thought after all these millennia guarding the gate, we’d let two slip through our fingers? That’s Murong Qingxue and Murong Jianbai! It’s a disgrace!”

“Hey, don’t forget—it was your laziness that let them snatch the key and open the gate!” Al smacked Afa hard.

Afa fumed, “Nonsense! Last time it was you messing around, and that’s how Murong Qingxue stumbled into the Gate of Divinity by accident!”

Having their failures brought up, the two fiends started brawling. Bellowing and trading blows, they completely ignored Gu Xiaoyao overhead.

Afa lunged and wrapped Al with his tail, flinging him far away. Al shot back with a piercing screech and leapt at Afa.

Fist after fist, tail after tail, the two fiends fought furiously. The surrounding void collapsed under the barrage, neither giving an inch.

“Host, while they’re ignoring us, maybe we should make a run for it?” Xuyan tugged Gu Xiaoyao’s sleeve.

Gu Xiaoyao sighed. “I doubt we could go anywhere. The only way out is through the Gate of Divinity.”

Xuyan looked puzzled. “But that gate was just a shadow! We still don’t know where the real gate is!”

Gu Xiaoyao suddenly smiled. “Did you hear their conversation? It’s either get the key, or rely on luck.”

“So I’ve got a theory—two possibilities.”

“First: That shadow is the gate, but it needs a key to reveal the real thing. Second: We have to find the actual gate by luck.”

“I’m leaning toward the first. Those two fiends are just gods in form, no real power left. I might have a shot at fighting them!”

Xuyan was stunned. “Wh-what? Host, are you serious? Even without their power, they’re still gods!”

“My mind’s made up. With this void as my board and me as the piece, I’ll win, even against gods!”

Gu Xiaoyao turned and set up ninety-nine killer sword arrays and nine clones, each holding half his original power.

Then he flashed away like a shooting star.

Xuyan quietly thought, “A mere mortal trying to slay gods… this is madness. I hope I made the right choice.”

“Well, I guess I’ll join you in this madness!” With a sigh, she hurried after Gu Xiaoyao.