Chapter 1679 - 1250: The So-Called Fanatics

Suddenly, all the zealots were shocked.

"This is a revelation from the only god! Darkness is the Apostle chosen by the only god! Our only leader!"

Among the divine group, a god clad in armor suddenly shouted. From the gaps of the armor, a pink pig snout could be vaguely seen.

The zealots immediately started to discuss amongst themselves.

Until now, being a zealot was just an identity, with nothing particularly special about it. Most of these zealots belonged to their own Legions and sects.

But now, an envoy of the only god has appeared!

"No, I do not wish to be your leader," Darkness spoke. "The revelation from the only god did not include becoming your leader. Therefore, I have never revealed my identity, and I have been quietly collecting and restoring the treasures left to me by the only god. In fact, I do not need your help, nor do I have to rely on your strength. The reason why I am revealing my identity now is because you are all zealots of the only god. Although many of you are not firm in your beliefs, I do not wish to harm you. So, what I want to say is, if you do not wish to stand by me, please also do not stand against me. If that’s the case, I will not hesitate to kill you and seize your Divine Status. To be against me is to be against the only god, and I will show no mercy. However, if you wish to help me and become my ally, then as I decipher the Divine Texts, you will also bask in the glory from the only god, something I believe you have all just experienced firsthand."

The so-called glory is the elevation of Divine Status. Indeed, every zealot had just experienced a significant increase in their Divine Status, which was indisputable.

Immediately, many zealots were tempted, but it was only a fleeting thought, as they still had concerns.

How can we be sure that everything Darkness says is true?

"We have decided to join you! Lord Apostle!" A team of over a hundred deities stepped forward and declared.

"Us too." Several more teams consisting of dozens of gods joined Darkness.

Soon, the number of teams joining Darkness had reached around a thousand.

But that was merely over a thousand, and the number of opposing zealots remained large.

"There are some Divine Texts left on that Divine Power planet, I need to get closer to decipher them. Do you intend to clear a path for me, or do you want me to fight my way through?" The meaning of these words was straightforward: it was time to make a choice. Friend or foe, make your decision.

Those zealots standing in the front had always been timid, and now that Darkness had revealed her identity as the Apostle, they immediately found an appropriate reason to act.

The frontmost zealots cleared a pathway for Darkness. With the example set by those at the front, none of the deities behind wanted to risk their lives, and they all obediently cleared a path as well.

Accompanied by her newly recruited underlings of about a thousand, Darkness passed through this path and arrived in front of the Divine Power star. The remaining Divine Texts were not directly absorbable by the existing texts and required Darkness to augment them. She had no intention of keeping the process a secret, after all, this wasn’t something one could learn just by watching.

In the presence of the gods, the Divine Texts began to combine, to project Divine Status, and when all the Divine Texts were absorbed, the newly aligned zealots to Darkness’s side were surprised to find that their Divine Status had increased by more than double!

Not only did they realize this, but all the surrounding zealots noticed it too!

"Well then, thank you for your cooperation, my brothers. Farewell."

Having said that, Darkness directly tore through space and left. Along with her disappearance were the over a thousand zealots who had just joined Darkness’s camp!

When Darkness left, some gods were envious, others were regretful.

At this time, the little pig who had once again changed its appearance was still spreading rumors among the divine group: "Ah, if only I had known, I would have stepped forward. Without having to fight or search laboriously for Divine Texts myself, I could have simply followed and had my Divine Status instantly elevated! Where else in the six rings could you find such a good deal?"

This was almost exactly what some zealots were thinking in their hearts, though they only dared to think it, not act on it. After all, their foundations were still here, they couldn’t just pick up and leave like those smaller groups did. However, what had just occurred indeed shook all of the zealots, that was inevitable.

Taking her group of underlings with her, Darkness continued on her journey through the six rings. Each time a Divine Text was absorbed, there would be a corresponding enhancement for the surrounding zealots. In fact, this enhancement had nothing to do with so-called faith or with being an Apostle. After all, the Apostle was deceiving them; the only reason their Divine Status was elevated was because Darkness distributed Divine Status to them.

Everything Darkness had said to those zealots before was fabricated, knowing that little pig was hiding amongst the zealots, so she spoke accordingly. With little pig’s inflammatory rhetoric working in her favor, Darkness could obtain Divine Status faster and without worrying about the delay of combat.

For Darkness, the Divine Status gained from deciphering each Divine Text was minuscule, but for those zealots who originally had low Divine Status, it was a tremendous upgrade. Darkness needed to use this method to get the zealots on her side. In fact, the passage to the fifth ring was completely controlled by several large Legions. If she was unlucky, a battle with these Legions would be inevitable. If she had to fight alone, accidents could occur. Taking advantage of the current situation to foster a bit of her own power might make the journey into the fifth ring a little easier.