Chapter 2024: Chapter 2024: Duke Dongfang

Since Zen entered the hall, the atmosphere seemed to fall quiet.

Most of the top-rank True Gods in the hall had taken part in the debates over the Godly Ways before and didn't seem to find any particular difference in this debate.

But some of those in the know had guessed something had changed when Harold appeared.

Perhaps this debate truly differed from the rest.

The subtle atmosphere dragged on for a while until Marsh led the members of the Sword Clan into the hall.

Wearing a faint smile, he entered the hall and let his gaze fall on Troy.

“I'm sorry,” he said. “This time, the seats our Sword Clan can give the Floating Islands have been reduced to half.”

“What?”

The top-rank True Gods were dumbfounded.

The expressions of the consummate True Gods suddenly changed as well.

A particularly sharp glint flashed in Troy's eyes as though he was trying to see into Marsh's mind.

“According to our arrangement, the Sword Clan has always given each Floating Island six seats to take part in the debate. Why did you reduce the seats by half this time?” Troy's tone was cold.

Because he was a calm and thorough man, he wouldn't utter words that could wage war against Zen and Harold as Rachelle did in her rage. All he wanted to do was get to the bottom of it.

He was well aware of what this debate meant, after all.

In this situation, if the Dongfang Clan couldn't get what they wanted, neither could Harold.

So naturally, the top-rank True Gods he brought along were the most powerful in his clan.

The goal of these top-rank True Gods wasn't to obtain the inheritance of the skeleton but to eliminate all the candidates who could possibly do so.

Certainly, Zen was one of them.

Marsh grinned as he glanced at Troy. “Are you kidding me? When did our clan make such an arrangement with you? How about the Tang Clan? Or the Mu Clan?” Ṝâ𐌽ŐВЕ𝒮

Marsh was asking more aggressively now, rendering the consummate True Gods speechless.

Indeed, the Sword Clan hadn't made any such agreement with the powerful clans on the Floating Islands.

All the True Gods in the divine land had the qualifications to participate in this debate and the Sword Clan had always welcomed them warmly. So long as they could pass two tests, it was enough.

But later on, the Sword Clan somehow gave the powerful clans on the Floating Islands numerous seats in what seemed like an abrupt decision.

Each Floating Island had six seats—the six candidates had no need to take the tests.

The Sword Clan offered the six seats on their own prerogative in the first place. But clearly, as time passed, the powerful clans took it for granted.

It would seem that they had forgotten how the seats were originally offered up by the Sword Clan voluntarily. It was no wonder the Sword Clan could refuse to offer seats without any explanation.

“To be honest, I could easily refuse you all the seats and drive you lot out of here,” Marsh responded with a cold smile.

To that, Troy, Rachelle, and the others frowned.

The people of the Sword Clan were known to be rather easygoing. Even their Holy Beings hadn't had a fallout with the consummate True Gods.

From Marsh's statement, everyone understood that the Sword Clan had already made their choice, standing by Harold's side.

When Rachelle was about to talk back, Troy pulled her back and shook his head in warning.

When left at a disadvantage, people just had to yield. Even if Rachelle argued on the basis of reason, it would have been no use. If they crossed a line and offended Marsh, they would be completely deprived of seats and fall into deep trouble.

So with that, the seats for each Floating Island were reduced to half. But they still had many top-rank True Gods in the game—at the very least, they stood a chance.

“Well, at least we still have three seats,” Troy replied dejectedly.

“Well then.”

Taking a look at the True Gods in the hall, Marsh projected his voice as he said, “Since you've come here to participate in the debate, you must have known that the Killing Zone is the most dangerous place. What will protect you in there is not your strength, but the Truth of Godly Way. If all you know are a few words of the Truth of Godly Way, you might as well quit now. Don't curse me when you are in the face of imminent death!”

“No one quits, right?” After a pause, Marsh asked again.

Although almost none of the True Gods was willing to give up such a hard-won opportunity, the Sword Clan would ask them every time as a matter of course.

With that, Marsh waved his hand and gave the order. “Let's go!”

And so they left the hall one after another and soon arrived at the square at the gate of the hall.

Marsh stepped out and clapped his hands.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Flying was supposed to be forbidden on the Sunrest Tree.

But that rule was particularly for outsiders.

The Sunrest Tree was so large that it could take the Sword Clan's members ten to fifteen days to run an entire lap, and it would take half a year to run from one side to the other.

The Sword Clan used a special kind of flying sword.

As soon as Marsh clapped his hands, many flying swords came flying down.

“Each of you, go and pick one flying sword. They don't need to recognize you as their masters—you can control them by infusing your spiritual sense into them,” Marsh explained calmly.

Yan glanced at the swords and merely jumped up to one of them.

Meanwhile, Zen walked over to one and injected some spiritual sense into it.

“Buzz!”

He felt the flying sword's blade quiver slightly before flying off gently.

About half of the top-rank True Gods from the wealthy clans on the Floating Islands were staying.

And it was only reasonable—since Marsh didn't prepare enough flying swords, the extra True Gods couldn't go.

Seeing what Marsh had done, Troy became clear that Marsh had long been scheming with Harold.

“Duke!” Troy shouted all of a sudden.

A man in front of him, about thirty years old with gray hair, turned to him.

He was Duke Dongfang, Troy's younger brother.

But Nicholas had picked him out in particular.

It was only natural—Duke was an outstanding top-rank True God.

It could be said that below the consummate True Gods, Duke was ranked first.

His goal was to kill all those brought in by Harold.

And to be exact, these people meant Yan and Zen.

Troy didn't know for sure who was to get the inheritance of the skeleton under Harold's arrangement, so in this case, it was safer to kill them both.

Whether or not Duke could kill Zen and Yan in the end, he would end up dead.

This was perhaps the last time Troy could ever see his brother.

“Don't worry.” Duke's eyes quietly swept over Zen and his sister. No contempt laced his eyes as he firmly stepped on a flying sword.

When all the True Gods stood on their swords, Marsh stepped on one himself and shot forward. “Follow me!”

“Swish! Swish! Swish!”

Zen and the others stood on the swords as well as they spiraled upward, flying out of the Heavenly Sword Divine City behind Marsh.

As soon as Zen and Yan flew off, Harold turned around and left.