Chapter 637: The Agreement

"You can go save him, I have no objection. The situation now is not what it was thousands of years ago, and I have no irreconcilable enmity with him."

Lucifer's expression was very calm: "But his nature will never willingly submit to another, that is something you must be wary of. He is not like me; he will surely rebel against you."

Li Mochen frowned, but still decided to go and see.

Whether Marduk would rebel or not, Li Mochen didn't really care. He only needed this former Babylonian king of gods to provide him with some assistance within the next few decades.

But when Li Mochen arrived at Marduk's封印地, he retreated from the difficulty. The six bright angels and six dark angels under Ahura Mazda had all descended there, standing in full battle array.

Although they were all avatars, with only twenty to thirty percent of their true bodies' strength, these Zoroastrian angels had arranged an impregnable defensive formation around Marduk's封印地.

It wasn't that Li Mochen couldn't save him, but it would inevitably involve a great battle, taking at least a day.

For a Marduk who was destined to betray him, it didn't seem worth it. He understood Lucifer; this being, accused by the Lord of Light of the original sin of 'pride,' was indeed extremely proud. He disdained to lie in this matter.

So Li Mochen decisively switched to his second target: the divine kingdom left by the Mayan king of gods, Itzamna.

In the past, Itzamna should have been one of the contenders for the Wishing Tower. He was even closer to this treasure than Odin and others. But for some unknown reason, he voluntarily withdrew from this world, leaving only an avatar projection, giving the feathered serpent Kukulkan an opportunity.

However, he had left some contingencies, and his divine kingdom did not fall into Kukulkan's hands.

Li Mochen and Anthony had been searching for it until two years ago, when they finally found the location of Itzamna's divine kingdom.

But due to his wariness of the gods, Li Mochen had held back, pretending for two years that this divine kingdom, which might contain countless mythical materials and Moshlar technology, did not exist.

Another difficulty in entering this divine kingdom was its extremely powerful inner and outer defenses. Its location was not actually hard to find. The reason Kukulkan had been unable to enter was simply that the interior of the divine kingdom was too dangerous, daunting even this feathered serpent.

Li Mochen was very confident in his own strength. He and the羽蛇神 Kukulkan at his peak were now on completely different levels.

His purpose in summoning Lucifer was to prevent other pantheons from interfering.

But when Li Mochen arrived, he found it far more dangerous than he had imagined.

He had to rely on Lucifer's power to forcibly open this divine kingdom within half a day.

Then the treasures inside shocked even the well-traveled Lucifer, leaving him dumbfounded.

As Li Mochen had guessed, there was a vast amount of mythical materials. Itzamna had plundered almost all of North and South America, storing these rare treasures in his divine kingdom. The total was 3,312 pieces, among which 124 were top-tier mythical materials born at the beginning of the world. Nine of them contained the rhythm of truth. There were also six Wish Stones and nine drops of Source Blood.

The divine kingdom also grew a large number of prehistoric mythical plants, whose value was equally unparalleled.

There were also many Moshlar relics, including twenty-five starry-ship warships of various sizes and thirteen mostly intact bases that Itzamna had relocated here. The weapons and equipment inside were countless. Li Mochen even found twelve complete mythical-grade exosuits and 720 demigod-grade magical power armor.

But none of these compared to the thirty-nine complete production lines and twenty-two biological cultivation rooms that delighted him. These would allow Li Mochen to expand his 'Destiny Knights' at a faster pace.

Lucifer was not very interested in Moshlar things. He had no use for them; no one in hell could pilot these. These technologies were also unsuitable for fallen angels and demons.

So in the end, he only took thirty percent of the mythical materials. He took them with a clear conscience. During the time Li Mochen opened the divine kingdom, hundreds of gods from various pantheons had cast their gazes here, but Lucifer forcefully repelled them all.

Moreover, their game could no longer continue. As the price for Li Mochen's inability to fulfill the fourth round of mutual aid, it was only natural for Lucifer to take some things as compensation.

The reason they could no longer continue was not because the war in the depths of the Source had ended, but because Gaia's figure abruptly projected before Li Mochen, who was busy plundering treasures in Itzamna's divine kingdom.

The avatar she manifested was in the form of a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl, with a cold temperament and a solemn expression: "Andre Li Wiltonstein, I need your help, my descendant!"

This was not wrong; theoretically, Li Mochen was indeed one of the descendants of the Titans, possessing quite pure Titan divine blood after several refinements and evolutions.

"Then what do you need me to do, Mother Goddess of the Source?"

Li Mochen respectfully bowed to her: "Although my current situation is not good, as long as it is within my ability, I will certainly consider it."

Gaia's eyes flashed with a hint of cyan: "You are very interesting, my descendant! So, can you help me force Odin, Ahura Mazda, and my other enemies back from the Source? This is beneficial for both you and me, and it is within your ability."

"I could probably do it."

But Li Mochen shook his head vigorously: "But they will surely kill me—"

This was beyond doubt; ruining someone's path is worse than killing their parents.

Gaia did not wait for him to finish: "I have about half a gram of Fate Source Substance, which I can give you now."

Li Mochen's pupils contracted slightly.

Source Substance is equivalent to the Eastern 'Chaos Primordial Qi.'

This substance could enhance his Fate authority, or be used to make artifacts. The main body of the 'Kunlun Mirror' was formed from 'Chaos Primordial Qi,' a powerful object close to a先天性 divine treasure.

With this half-gram of 'Fate' Source Substance, he might be able to advance his Fate divine authority to the level of pseudo-truth without needing Merit Purple Qi. If used to strengthen an artifact, it could elevate his 'Destiny Sword' or 'Longinus Holy Spear' to a先天性 divine treasure.

According to Western classification, that would be a pseudo-truth-level mythical armament.

Zeus's 'Thunderfire Spear' and Odin's 'Gungnir' should be at this level, among the stronger pseudo-truth-level mythical armaments, each elevating one or two divine authorities to the truth level.

Moreover, for figures like Nyx and Odin, Source Substance has an even more important role; it itself represents a part of the Source's authority.

But Li Mochen would not agree so easily. The Fate Source Substance did tempt him, but the price was likely death within a few days.

"Mother Goddess of the Source, you are forcing my hand. I will still die, beaten to death by several divine kings."

"If you agree, then from now until Rhea returns, you and your pantheon will be under the protection of the earth."

Gaia said expressionlessly: "In addition, I can let you share part of the Source's authority."

Li Mochen was already laughing inside. This was what he had told the Moon Goddess Rabbit—not participating in the struggle for the Source did not mean he couldn't obtain the Source's authority.

But his face showed no unusual expression.

"Part? Then may I ask how much, Mother Goddess? I admit I am a bit tempted, but if I don't get enough benefits, it's hard for me to convince myself to take the risk of death."

"I can only give you at most twenty percent. That should be enough to offset their Source authority in your battles with Odin and others."

The cold-faced girl flicked her sleeve, seeming impatient with this haggling.

"The exact extent of authority depends on my progress in the Source! So the sooner you act, the better."

Li Mochen did not intend to waste time: "Fifty percent. If you agree, I will act now."

"That's impossible!"

Mother Goddess Gaia's tone was strong: "Twenty-five percent! That is the limit I can accept. Beyond that, I might as well continue cooperating with Zeus."

"But if Zeus were reliable, you wouldn't have come to me, would you? He is determined to become the God over Gods."

However, Li Mochen saw a hint of mockery in Gaia's eyes, as if to say, 'Aren't you the same?'

He was indeed coveting it, but comparatively, Li Mochen had a huge advantage.

"Of course, I may not be reliable either. But you should know that my foundation still has a big gap compared to yours. Even with my talent and cultivation speed, I cannot aspire to become the God over Gods within fifty years. We still have a basis for cooperation, don't we?"

This was mainly because his Ancient God body was only at divine rank 11. To become the God over Gods, the minimum requirement was divine rank 20.

In the past, Gaia almost completely controlled the Source, but because her Ancient God divine rank did not meet the requirement, she gave others an opportunity.

"Thirty percent!"

Gaia frowned, displeasure showing in her eyes: "You are too greedy, even more than Zeus."

"But my credibility far surpasses his!"

Li Mochen replied with a smile, then his expression turned serious: "Then thirty percent, thirty percent under any circumstances, plus the Fate Source Substance and the earth's protection you mentioned. Swear by the Source, okay? I can help you repel Odin, Ahura Mazda, and Nyx. As for the others, you handle them yourself. Also, this is not an alliance or subordination; if it were, the price would increase."

"Agreed!"

At that moment, Gaia moved her mind, and dense runes projected before their eyes.

They were not any script known in the mortal world, but mysterious runes originating from the Source, akin to 'Dao marks.'

Li Mochen had never seen them before, but he could still understand them. Having glimpsed the scenery behind the Gate of Truth, this 'script' posed no difficulty for him. He even found several loopholes favorable to the other party.

Li Mochen knew this was Gaia testing him, trying to gauge his understanding of the Source through this method.

But this was an open and honest scheme; Li Mochen could not avoid it, nor could he evade it. So he calmly corrected these loopholes one by one, ensuring the 'contract' was valid.

"It seems you indeed have the qualification to compete with us in the Source."

When both parties received the Source's response, Gaia looked at Li Mochen meaningfully: "And as you said, the basis for our cooperation still exists. If your actions this time satisfy me, I may consider giving you more Source authority in exchange for further alliance."

She had left two small traps in the contract, which Li Mochen did not notice, but this actually put her at ease.

Then she sent some multicolored dust to Li Mochen.

"This is my deposit to you!"

At this moment, Li Mochen was fully suppressing the trembling of the 'Divine Fortune Purple Gold Tower.'

Ever since the 'Fate Source Substance' appeared before him, this mysterious treasure had fallen into a state of frenzy. He had never seen it so 'crazy'; the intense 'hunger' was clearly conveyed to his mind, almost making him lose reason.

But Li Mochen restrained himself. He could not lose control in front of Gaia, nor could he expose the existence of the 'Divine Fortune Purple Gold Tower.'

He flicked his sleeve, tucking the 'Fate Source Substance' into his sleeve, his face showing a look of indifference mixed with barely suppressed joy and greed.

"But I must ask you to wait a moment. Before that, I need to make some preparations. This includes not only myself but also my subordinates."

Odin and Ahura Mazda's full retaliation was certain, but he was already prepared for battle. The 'Eternal Angel' Atlas and the 'Angel of Strength' Fenrir were his capable assistants for this fight.

Only the possible mutation of the 'Divine Fortune Purple Gold Tower' was somewhat unexpected.

"Alright!"

Gaia was also understanding of his situation: "Please hurry. They already know of our meeting and should understand the consequences, right? Also, if you want more Source authority, then you'd better not let me lose more."

Then her avatar dissipated directly before him.

"So this is our final action?"

Only then did Lucifer, who had been watching, speak: "Let it be. For now, I can't think of any target that requires our joint attack."

Li Mochen detected a hint of barely concealed envy in his words. Clearly, Lucifer was not without desire for the Source, but wisely chose not to participate.

"You could actually get involved, Prince Lucifer! If you are willing to participate, the Mother Goddess of the Source would surely be very surprised."

"Surprised? Her wariness of me is obvious."

Lucifer sneered: "I neither have her bloodline nor have I reached the Ancient God rank of 19. In your words, there is simply no possibility of cooperation."

Lucifer was a bit envious of Li Mochen, but he knew that this opportunity to touch the Source was not something he could envy. Gaia did not invite him, and he would not humble himself to ask for this opportunity.

He left as soon as he said it, taking all his due share from Li Mochen and disappearing before his eyes, leaving only a final remark: "Andre, my friend, you are indeed cunning, very cunning!"

He naturally knew that everything Li Mochen had done before was to attract Gaia's attention. The two sides had clearly already colluded, with a basis of mutual trust.

But there was no anger in Lucifer's tone; instead, there was a hint of approval.

Li Mochen did not want to delay. After thoroughly looting Itzamna's divine kingdom, he flashed back to the top floor of the Destiny Manor Magic Tower.

Only here could he ensure that the commotion caused by the 'Fate Source Substance' and the 'Divine Fortune Purple Gold Tower' would not be detected by others.

At this moment, he hesitated. Undoubtedly, using Source Substance to refine artifacts and equipment was best. Integrating it into oneself was not impossible; it could greatly shorten the distance between oneself and the Source, increase strength, and even reach the level close to truth in one step. But this was actually a very shortsighted act. It would damage his foundation, creating irreparable flaws.

Yet Li Mochen was very hesitant: should he use the Fate Source Substance for his 'Destiny Sword' or the 'Divine Fortune Purple Gold Tower'?

Using it for the former could immediately greatly enhance his strength. A pseudo-truth-level mythical equipment could offset most of the equipment disadvantage when facing Odin and others; using it for the latter, Li Mochen was unsure of the effect it would have. It would certainly benefit the 'Divine Fortune Purple Gold Tower,' but what exactly? If it only increased his efficiency in using merit, then from a profit perspective, it was not a good choice.

After all, he was not short of merit now, and the only ability of the 'Divine Fortune Purple Gold Tower' that could be used directly in battle was the merit spiritual shield formed by the four strands of Merit Purple Qi, which helped him resist attacks—similar to the Eastern so-called 'Merit Golden Body.'

The balance in Li Mochen's heart was tipping toward the 'Destiny Sword,' but in the end, he could not resist the hunger of the 'Divine Fortune Purple Gold Tower.'

The latter was already his lifebound treasure, their bodies and minds intertwined and inseparable. Li Mochen naturally could not defy his own 'instinctual will'. Even though he knew that merging this 'Fate Source' into the Heaven's Mandate Sword might be more useful, he still sent those colorful dust particles into the 'Divine Fortune Purple Gold Pagoda'.

Then in the next instant, as he had guessed, this pagoda underwent drastic changes. The surrounding magical energy was stirred up first, and a surge of magical power almost as strong as the one that had leveled Canterbury Cathedral began to sweep in all directions. Yet it was firmly contained within this twenty-eight-story magic tower.

"This is—"

After only half an hour, a look of pleasant surprise flickered in Li Mochen's eyes.

First was 'integration': he sensed that this 'Divine Fortune Purple Gold Pagoda' had formed a true connection with the origin of this world, unlike before when it was merely tied by the power of merit.

Next was 'stability' and 'recovery': the foundational structure of the 'Divine Fortune Purple Gold Pagoda' had truly stabilized. No longer would its abilities decline in tandem whenever Li Mochen's forces suffered a blow or he himself was severely wounded.

Only now could this precious artifact be considered a true item capable of suppressing destiny.

One could say it was originally like this, and now it was merely restored to its former state, but the restoration was not yet complete. Li Mochen sensed that this thing had only recovered to at most one-third of its peak condition.

Moreover, what delighted him most was that this thing finally had the ability to intervene in actual combat.

First was merit: he could channel the power of merit into all his attacks and defenses. The stronger the merit power, the greater the increase in power.

And the consumption was negligible; there was no longer any need to enhance it through wish magic as before.

In short, this pagoda now had the ability to 'lock' merit and destiny.

Secondly, this artifact could now intervene in fate and the flow of time to a certain extent—again, not through wish magic, but in the form of a normal magical artifact.

And its pairing with the Kunlun Mirror was a match made in heaven.

※※※※

An hour later, in the 'Fate's Domain' magic tower, all the deities of the Fate Pantheon had gathered.

"His Majesty means for all of us to temporarily abandon our divine kingdoms and gather in His Majesty's 'Fate Divine Kingdom'?"

This was a deity named Franz, the god of artistic creation and novels. He asked cautiously, "May I ask why?"

To his surprise, the more than twenty powerful deities present seemed not at all surprised by this decision, showing no doubt about the Fate Lord's decree.

This forced Franz to step forward and inquire about the reason.

"Of course, to prepare for war!"

Bismarck swept his gaze over the assembled deities. "The coming battle will be extremely harsh. He does not want you to become his weakness or vulnerability. Only by gathering together can He truly protect you. This is undoubtedly a responsible act toward you."

His words caused the auras of most deities present to fluctuate, their eyes filled with panic.

Franz's voice turned dry: "Then may I understand it this way: if we remain in our divine kingdoms during this war, we are very likely to fall, is that right?"

"You may understand it that way."

Bismarck looked at him calmly. "Odin and Ahura are very likely to act in person. And His Majesty may be forced to fight them because you are in the outer realms."

This made the deities in the meeting room even more fearful, the atmosphere growing tenser.

"If that is the case, then our divine kingdoms might also be destroyed."

Franz frowned slightly. "I handed over seventy percent of my divine kingdom's warriors to His Majesty and contributed half of my divine power to obtain His Majesty's protection."

—Not trouble and danger.

For weak deities like them, establishing a divine kingdom was itself very difficult; a weak god would need at least a hundred years to complete a rudimentary divine kingdom.

And once that divine kingdom was shattered, it would be a huge loss for them, possibly even leading to their direct death.

"His Majesty will compensate you and guarantee that you will not fall because of this!"

Bismarck's gaze once again intimidated the deities. "Of course, if you are afraid, you may leave this pantheon. That is why His Majesty called this meeting: He will not force you to stand with Him."

Franz fell silent, then smiled bitterly. "His Majesty is indeed a benevolent lord!"

After much deliberation, he realized that leaving the pantheon now was by no means a good choice. The key was that he also saw the attitudes of the many Teutonic deities present, as well as the powerful gods led by 'Twitch Wood, God of Storms and Floods' and 'Anson Wood, God of Guns, Shooting, and Rapid Fire'.

This made him realize that the ship he was on might be sturdier and more resistant to storms than he had imagined.

"I have learned that in the past few days, His Majesty has recruited the two powerful archangels, Fenrir the Wolf and Atlas, and has demonstrated pseudo-truth-level fate power."

This was Isolde Morgan, the god of finance and commerce, and his words caused an uproar among the assembled deities.

The war that destroyed Canterbury Cathedral and the Holy City of Jerusalem was known to everyone in the material world. But the release and liberation of Fenrir, Atlas, and Achilles were not known to all deities.

As for Li Mochen's demonstration of pseudo-truth-level 'fate' in the process, even fewer knew. After all, aside from striking at Avalon twice, he had not directly participated in the war. And regarding the death of Little Pitt, the British pantheon had always been tight-lipped.

In the outer realms, Li Mochen had experienced a fairly intense battle, but most weak deities like Franz could not cast their gaze upon their lord, nor did they have the courage.

However, Morgan's next words shocked them even more, stirring up a storm in the meeting room.

"I want to know, is His Majesty preparing to participate in the struggle for the World Source?"

"Exactly so!"

Bismarck's expression was calm, without any concealment. "His Majesty has accepted Gaia's request and will formally intervene in the struggle for the World Source in one hour. So you have only one hour to prepare. If you wish to withdraw now, please do so as soon as possible."

※※※※

At this moment, Li Mochen was making his final preparations.

All of his mages above Legendary Level Five and their magic towers had been gathered together, still on the same scale as when they had resisted the earthquake waves more than ten days ago: a full sixty-four mage towers encircling the outer perimeter, guarding 'Fate's Domain'.

But this time, the power of the entire mage tower array was no longer for resistance but concentrated on the 'Holy Lance of Longinus'.

Robespierre and others were not without complaints about his upcoming actions. After all, the war in the World Source was a sumptuous feast for the many mages here.

And originally, this war could have lasted a month or two without issue, but Li Mochen intended to end it early, which left many of them feeling regret.

Yet regret aside, when Li Mochen issued his command, these individuals, among the strongest of humanity, followed his instructions without any compromise.

"Three hours ago, Gaia's situation became very unfavorable. They must have reached an agreement to jointly expel Gaia, including the Lord of Light. That is probably why she finally came to you for help. Forced into a corner, she couldn't hold on."

Anthony had been observing the battle in the World Source all along, so he knew the situation among the eight divine kings like the back of his hand.

Although this one was currently only a law god with a divine rank of eleven, not even a greater god, he already had two divine authorities approaching pseudo-truth.

"And now, her situation is even worse. These divine kings know that once you intervene, they will all be forced to lose ground and temporarily withdraw from the struggle for the Source. So they have all gone mad, acting almost recklessly. But Gaia's defense is still relatively solid; she can hold out for another two to three hours without issue."

Anthony spoke as he watched. "So the strategy of these divine kings was correct before. Gaia's power in the Source is deeply rooted. The Lord of Light, having suffered several heavy blows, can no longer suppress Gaia. Only by kicking her out first can they have a chance to seize the World Core."

Li Mochen cast his gaze into the distance.

The wolf Fenrir had already appeared in his field of vision, accompanied by two smaller wolves. These were the offspring Fenrir had left behind before being sealed: Hati, who chases the moon, and Skoll, who chases the sun.

In the prophecy of the Norns, after they successfully devour the sun and moon, Fenrir the Wolf will be freed from his seal, marking the beginning of Ragnarok.

These were undoubtedly two extremely powerful wolves. Their future selves could contend with and even suppress 'Balder the Sun God' and 'Hoder the Dark God'.

The Norns' prophecy was about the future; currently, these two wolves had ancient divine ranks of only sixteen. But that was already very powerful, stronger than most deities under Li Mochen, and even Robert was no match for them. If they could obtain sufficient divine power support and a seventeenth-level law domain, these two wolves could even qualify as archangels.

So for Li Mochen, freeing Fenrir was a buy-one-get-three deal.

"I heard that you are going to help Gaia, right? Then you must be careful, Your Majesty. They will do everything in their power to kill you."

Fenrir, transformed into a middle-aged Viking, appeared at Li Mochen's side. "I don't want to leave your service just yet, and certainly not in this way."

He then offered advice: "I suggest you lure Odin into the material world. I will teach him a profound lesson here. So, Your Majesty, you really don't need to care too much about the deities under you. You could learn from the Lord of Light and enjoy all the glory alone."

Having been sealed long ago, Fenrir had not joined the 'Treaty of Separation Between Humans and Gods', which was the basis of his confidence to challenge Odin.

A war that could deal a heavy blow to Odin was exactly what he looked forward to.

"In my Fate Divine Kingdom, you will find it not much different from the material world."

Li Mochen pretended not to hear Fenrir's earlier words and asked with a smile, "Can you help me hold back Thor, the Thunder God?"

"I can!"

Fenrir narrowed his eyes. "The previous battle didn't satisfy me enough."

The key was that Fenrir also had such confidence. He knew that Li Mochen had not put much effort into managing his divine kingdom. But a divine kingdom of a rank-seventeen deity with such vast faith could not be too poor in quality.

The next to return to him was 'Eternal Angel' Atlas.

"I went to see Prometheus."

There was a hint of regret in his expression. "He said he cannot serve Your Majesty for now, but Zeus has no chance of gaining his loyalty either."

A few days ago, this one had volunteered to persuade Prometheus to join Li Mochen's divine court, but had returned in failure.

"That is enough, Atlas."

Li Mochen was not disappointed; he knew that Prometheus and Athena were both direct forces of Gaia.

"I hope that in the coming battle, you can help me hold back 'Ahriman'."

Ahriman is Ahura's evil incarnation. They are one at the World Source, but outside the Source, they are two separate incarnations representing good and evil.

Among Ahura's subordinates, there is also a light angel named 'Mithra' worth noting. Originally the supreme god of the Iranian plateau and northern India, ruling the sun and worshipped by many Aryans, he submitted after being defeated by Ahura and became the angel of light and oath, representing the propagation of light.

This was a deputy divine king, who had provided great assistance to Ahura in the previous battle at the Source.

But Li Mochen had already prepared an opponent for him, enough to hold him back at the edge of the divine kingdom.

Following Atlas were Achilles and his mother Thetis.

"I have returned, Your Majesty!"

Upon arrival, Achilles immediately performed the vassal's salute. "I have obtained my mother's permission."

Li Mochen glanced sideways at the sea goddess Thetis, who nodded slightly, albeit somewhat reluctantly.

"Then from now on, you shall be my 'Guardian Angel'."

As Li Mochen's words fell, a surge of powerful divine power flowed into Achilles. He had directly transferred his own guardian domain to this once-invincible hero.