Picking Up Attributes From Today - Chapter 212
Chapter 212: Eight Half-Deities, Killing A Dragon King In An Instant
The tall, lofty mountain towered proudly above the ocean. At the mountain’s mid-point was a cave that looked as if a monster’s enormous mouth, which was about to devour everything in the world.
That cave was Goblen’s den. A thick layer of golden bricks paved the way and covered the walls, which were embedded with all sorts of glittering jewels. They lit up the entire cave and made it glitter with gold, forming a beautiful and spectacular sight.
As one went deeper into the cave, what entered their sight were gold coins piled like mountains, gold nuggets, and gold horse hooves[1]. All these stacked together into a gigantic dragon’s nest—it was Goblen’s den.
Surrounding the den was also piles and piles of jewels, elemental crystals, Laws of Nature Origin Crystals…
Every single item was a rare and precious treasure. Any random piece was enough to turn a beggar into a tycoon.
At the moment, aside from Goblen himself, a few other figures were also at the empty space in front of the den.
Comprising both men and women, old and young, every one of them had a strong, surging aura and vast, majestic divine power—they were half-deities!
Not one more and not one fewer, they made up exactly eight people—they were the Dragons’ eight other half-deities.
“That knave has killed my metal-elemental divine incarnation and cut off my path to deification!”
Goblen’s visage was contorted with rage, and deep hatred shot from within his eyes. “I, Goblen, swear that I will never become a god if I don’t cut him into a million pieces!”
“How dare a human be this traitorous and perverse! He should be killed!”
“Since the empire’s founding to this date, such horrifying events have never once happened during the last 40,000-odd years. His behavior is heinous to the extreme and unforgivable!”
“What else is there to say? These traitorous renegades should be slashed with a thousand swords and sentenced to capital punishment!”
“Looks like we’ve still treated the humans too well all these years. How dare those lowly monkeys show such insubordination and disrespect to those above them just because they think they have a bit of power? It’s time that we rectify things properly!”
“Kill him! Make his head roll! Make his blood flow unceasingly! Let those cheap, lowly worms know that they, humans, will only be befitting of being slaves for eternity…”
The other half-deities spoke up one after another, sentencing Meng Lei to death with just a few simple words and even decided the attitude that Dragon God Empire would take toward humans.
Goblen was greatly satisfied with the half-deities’ stances. He wasn’t a match for Meng Lei, so he needed everyone to attack together if he wanted to take revenge.
“Amolin, what do you have to say?”
Upon noticing one of the half-deities’ silence, Goblen couldn’t help but frown slightly, somewhat displeased.
An alarmed and doubtful Amolin asked, “Grandmaster, are you sure that the culprit is named Meng Lei?”
“That knave killed my metal-elemental divine incarnation. I’d recognize him even if he had been turned into ashes. How would I possibly mistake someone else for him?”
Goblen let out an icy snort and asked, “What, do you have some sort of history with that knave? Do you know him?”
“I indeed know a young fellow named Meng Lei, but he is only a Saint Domain. He shouldn’t be the same person as the knave that killed the Grandmaster’s divine incarnation.”
Amolin shook her head. For some reason, she had a rather foreboding feeling in her.
“No matter who he is and whether or not you know him, for daring to kill my divine incarnation, he has to die,” replied Goblen coldly.
“Grandmaster is right!”
The other half-deities indicated their stance one after another.
“Wonderful!” Goblen stood and said, “Since that’s the case, then let’s head to Heaven’s Vault Continent now and slay that knave.”
“We’ll follow what Grandmaster says!”
“As Grandmaster wishes!”
The other half-deities got up one after another.
“Goblen Frederick, did you think that I wouldn’t be able to find you just because you’re hiding on Dragon Island? Hurry up and get out here to face your death!”
At that moment, a long thunderous howl suddenly reverberated in the skies and boomed in everyone’s ears. The howl was as though rolling thunder, so loud that it almost deafened them all!
“Who is it?” exclaimed all the startled half-deities.
“It’s that knave!”
Goblen’s wrinkled old face was rather contorted as he spat, “To think he has actually charged all the way to Dragon Island. He’s too much!”
All the other half-deities were astonished. “Grandmaster, is the one shouting and ranting outside right now that knave named Meng Lei?”
“There’s no mistaking that voice! It’s that wicked knave!” replied a teeth-gnashing Goblen as a chilly gleam appeared in his eyes.
“How audacious!”
“How impudent!”
“How presumptuous!”
“How brazen!”
“To think he actually dares to storm Dragon Island. He’s utterly belittling us, Dragons!”
“To think he has actually come here before we’ve even gone looking for him…”
All the half-deities flew into a rage.
During the long passage of time that they, the Dragons, had stood tall and strong in Heaven’s Vault Continent, when had anyone ever pursued them all the way to Dragon Island?
Never! Not even once!
Yet someone was actually bold and brazen enough to carry out such a treasonous act.
“This is an insult to us! An impossibly great insult!”
One of the half-deities declared coldly, “This insult can only be erased by that knave’s blood!”
“Kill! Kill him! Show him the consequences of challenging the Dragons’ authority!”
“Follow me!”
Goblen let out a cold snort, and then he led the rest of the half-deities out of the cave.
“It really is you!”
Amolin was the first to leave the cave. She had spied Meng Lei, who was standing proudly in the sky, with just a glance. A huge shudder couldn’t help but come over her as disbelief flashed across her eyes.
“It’s been a while, Elder Amolin!”
A smile appeared on Meng Lei’s countenance as he greeted Amolin. He held somewhat complex feelings toward Ol’ Amos’ younger sister.
“Meng Lei, why is it you?”
Amolin didn’t understand how Meng Lei had suddenly become a half-deity, but that was no longer of any importance.
The important question was—why was Meng Lei challenging Dragon God Empire’s authority? To the extent that he had even charged all the way here to Dragon Island?
Meng Lei replied slowly, “For the power of faith!”
“Power of faith?” A huge jolt went through Amolin as she exclaimed, “Are you intending to fight for Dragon God Empire’s power of faith resources? You’re out of your mind! Do you know what you’re doing?”
“I know very well what I’m doing.” Meng Lei shook his head slowly. “You’re also a half-deity; you should know how important the power of faith is to us.”
“You’re out of your mind! The Dragons will never let you off for challenging their authority like this! Neither will the Dragon God!”
Amolin shook her head. She didn’t refute Meng Lei’s statement, because he was right—to half-deities like them, the power of faith was indeed too important!
It could strengthen their divine spirit, convert power of divinity, help them to comprehend laws of nature, as well as shorten the time they needed to achieve deification.
If it were possible, any half-deity out there would wish to have their own power of faith resources and their own power of faith territory, so that they could collect a vast amount of power of faith every day.
Unfortunately, this was but just an extravagant wish.
Heaven’s Vault Continent’s power of faith resources had long since been split up among various parties down to the very last bit. The Dragon God, the Titan Spiritual God, the Beast God, and the Fairy Goddess had seized all the power of faith for themselves. There was nothing left for half-deities like them at all.
Therefore, no matter how much they longed for it, they could only suppress the desire. They didn’t have the guts to fight the four true gods for power of faith.
Yet that was exactly what Meng Lei was doing. This was an act of great taboo in this world, and a challenge of a true god’s authority.
He was purely just having a death wish.
“What’s there to fear on the road to deification?” Meng Lei shook his head lightly. “Elder Amolin, you’re Ol’ President’s younger sister, so I won’t fight with you. I hope you can stay out of this.”
“Even if I were to stay out of this, you won’t be a match for them, either.” Amolin sighed and said, “Meng Lei, give up. The Dragons’ blood flows through your veins, too. As long as you stop now, I can plead for leniency on your behalf—”
“It’s useless even if you plead for leniency!”
Goblen led the other seven half-deities and charged toward them. “Amolin, have you become muddleheaded? That knave’s sins are so unforgivable, yet you still want to plead for leniency on his behalf?”
“Grandmaster, he’s just a child!” Amolin quickly said, “Everyone has moments of folly during their yout—”
“Say no more!” Goblen said coldly, “He killed my metal-elemental divine incarnation and thoroughly cut off my road to deification. We are mortal enemies, and it will never rest until one of us is dead.”
“To think it’s actually you, little brat!”
One of the seven half-deities, a Black Dragon half-deity, was someone familiar—Elder Thaniel. His eyes, filled with disbelief, bore into Meng Lei as he exclaimed, “It’s only been a few days, yet you’ve broken through to the half-deity stage and even killed the Grandmaster’s metal-elemental divine incarnation?”
“A separation of three days makes one a changed man!”
Meng Lei said with a slight smile, “Elder Thaniel, on account of how we’re acquainted with each other, I can refrain from fighting you, too.
“The same goes for the other half-deities, too. My target is Goblen alone, and has nothing to do with all of you…”
“You little knave, who do you think you are?!”
A Green Dragon half-deity with a head of green hair and holding a snake staff spoke in a cold and imposing voice. He said, “Nothing to do with us? Did you think you can leave Dragon Island alive today?”
“To have the audacity to charge all the way here, you’re really foolish to the extreme and full of yourself!”
“Kid, since you’re here, then don’t think of ever leaving. Dragon Island will be your final resting place!”
“After I kill you, I’ll grind your corpse into fish bait and scatter them into the ocean!”
“To dare charge all the way to Dragon Island, you clearly show no respect for us Dragon Island half-deities. How can we possibly condone you?!”
The Dragon half-deities spoke up one by one, full of murderous intent. At the sight, Amolin couldn’t help but sigh again and again. She knew that there was no going back anymore.
“Since all of you have a death wish, then don’t hold this against me.” Meng Lei shook his head lightly. “Just as well! Dragon Island is a beautiful and scenic place with clear and distinct laws of nature, making it a place that’s very suitable as a burial ground for all of you.”
“How impudent!”
“How presumptuous!”
“How condescending!”
“Offer up your life, you little knave!”
The Green Dragon half-deity let out an icy snort as he wielded his snake staff.
“Divine Technique: Shadow Snakes!”
He had only just spoken when his head of green hair shot into the sky and turned into an infinite number of green poisonous snakes that went biting toward Meng Lei.
Every snake was highly toxic. Even normal half-deities would be reduced into a puddle of pus and die from the poison upon being bitten even just once. They were incredibly vicious and poisonous.
“That’s all you got?”
Meng Lei shook his head and chuckled. Then, he quietly vanished from where he was, causing the poisonous green snakes to miss their target.
“He’s dodged it?”
The Green Dragon half-deity’s countenance changed slightly.
“Elder Horace, be careful. That renegade’s agility is very—”
Goblen hastily shouted a warning, but what a shame that he was ultimately still a step too late.
A cry rang out and then, the Green Dragon half-deity plummeted toward the ocean like a launched cannon.
On the other hand, Meng Lei had actually soundlessly appeared at the spot where the Green Dragon half-deity was originally standing.
“Why do you even bother, everyone?”
Meng Lei gazed at the Dragon half-deities standing near him and said, “Why do you insist on becoming dead Dragons when you can be living Dragons? Are your brains filled with sh*t?”
Then, he vanished again.
By the time he reappeared, he had already arrived at the ocean surface. The Green Dragon half-deity happened to be crashing straight down at this point. Meng Lei brought out the Gods-Slaying Spear and with a casual flip…
Splurt!
Amid shrill Dragon cries, the Gods-Slaying Spear instantly pierced through the Green Dragon half-deity’s throat. A spout of blood sprayed from the wound and dyed the ocean beneath them red.
Splash!
The Green Dragon half-deity died on the spot and turned into its true form—it was actually a 5,000-feet-long Dragon King-level Green Dragon with green scales all over it.
“Elder Horace!”
“Noooo!”
[1] A currency during the Western Han dynasty. They are oval-shaped and hollow inside, making them look like a horse’s hoof
