Chapter 106: The Light of the Sun (Part One)

“This is my mission! I will never back down!” Arudiba strode resolutely toward the pyramid, speaking earnestly. “You are a benevolent deity. Were it not for your mercy, I would have perished long ago!”

“But the compassion you have shown cannot shake my resolve to stop you!”

In the earlier battle, the opponent had only used the simplest close-combat techniques.

Though he had suffered a crushing defeat, the adversary had not taken pleasure in tormenting him—merely engaging him seriously and then sparing his life.

Likewise, Yin Seventeen and the other had been pinned to the ground earlier.

If the opponent harbored ill intent, they could have wiped the two out with a mere thought, never allowing them to survive until now.

All signs pointed to this being a truly kind deity, a god worthy of respect.

That was why he addressed her with honorifics.

Perhaps there was no need for force to dissuade her.

More importantly, they were simply no match.

Hearing Arudiba’s words, Quetzalcoatl pinched her chin, her expression troubled.

“What shall we do then?”

“To be honest, I admire your bravery as a warrior and do not wish to kill you!”

Suddenly, a light sparked in her eyes as she smiled and proposed, “How about you renounce the Sanctuary and become my champion?”

“Then you won’t have to stop me, and I won’t have to kill you!”

The three present were stunned by Quetzalcoatl’s unexpected offer.

Yet perhaps this was their opportunity.

Yin Seventeen immediately transmitted a telepathic message: “Lord Arudiba, why not feign acceptance to stabilize the situation, then strike when the moment is right?”

Before the suggestion could fully register, Arudiba’s furious voice echoed back.

“Blasphemy! I am a Gold Saint—the last line of defense for the Sanctuary! The most loyal warrior of Goddess Athena!”

“You two may pretend to surrender, but I cannot!”

“Even in death, I shall fall with honor! Never shall I sully the reputation of Goddess Athena!”

“Apologies, I was thoughtless,” Yin Seventeen quickly replied telepathically.

On the pyramid, when the Taurus Gold Saint remained silent for some time, Quetzalcoatl urged again, “Well then, what do you say to my proposal?”

“I refuse!” Arudiba replied without hesitation.

“That is truly a pity,” the golden-haired goddess sighed helplessly.

Arudiba tried to reason, “You are a benevolent deity. Why must you kindle such strife upon this earth?”

“If this escalates into a divine war, the entire world will be engulfed in terrifying flames of battle. Countless innocents will be displaced, families torn apart, and the land itself will become a living hell!”

“Can you truly bear to witness such an outcome?”

“A divine war? Us?”

Quetzalcoatl regarded him deeply and smiled softly. “The seeds of divine war were sown many ages ago.”

“This is an inevitable consequence, not a conflict we deliberately provoke.”

“Your current level is far from touching this truth.”

The three exchanged puzzled glances.

Quetzalcoatl’s words were inscrutable.

Yet they understood one thing—she cared nothing for preventing the divine war and was resolute in opening the Gate of the Gods.

They had no choice.

“In that case, I can only apologize to you,” Arudiba said, halting beneath the pyramid and folding his arms tightly.

“If you are determined to open the Gate of the Gods, then first kill me!”

No sooner had he spoken than he thrust both fists toward the golden-haired goddess atop the pyramid.

“Great Horn Blast!”

Golden light blossomed beneath the pyramid, Arudiba’s cosmos forming a beam once more aimed at the pyramid’s apex.

“Useless!” Quetzalcoatl shook her head, blocking the golden beam effortlessly with one hand.

Gazing at Arudiba’s shattered golden armor, she spoke earnestly, “You are the bravest warrior I have ever seen!”

“To honor you, I shall at least offer you the grandest of funerals.”

With that, she slowly ascended, raising her right hand.

Suddenly, Yin Seventeen and the others felt an overwhelming, terrifying surge of cosmos gathering in Quetzalcoatl’s right hand, radiating a dazzling brilliance.

It was the light of the sun!

That blinding radiance illuminated the earth, spanning hundreds—perhaps thousands—of meters, enveloping the entire divine realm in a searing glare.

So bright that none could keep their eyes open.

“Quetzalcoatl is seriously attacking a few Saints?” In the northeast, the leopard-clad goddess who had just shattered the ice looked toward the source of the light in surprise.

From the south, Xiulothel halted her movements and glanced sideways.

Quetzalcoatl cradled the glowing orb, soaring higher and higher until her figure was swallowed by the brilliant light. Even Yin Seventeen’s sixth sense could not perceive her.

Only a dazzling sun remained in the sky.

“Sun, transform into the burning stone tablet in my hand! Offer the earth the fiercest light!”

Quetzalcoatl’s face grew solemn as the radiant light contracted sharply, eventually becoming a circular stone tablet over three meters in diameter.

Those who observed closely could discern countless strange characters and symbols etched upon it.

It was the Aztec Sun Stone, the calendar tablet of Aztec mythology, inscribed with the history of the Aztec people—a stone embodying the weight of their entire civilization.

Seeing this, Arudiba immediately understood: she was unleashing her final assault.

“You two, get away—far away!” He urgently warned Yin Seventeen and the other through telepathy, folding his arms tightly to gather strength.

Her power far exceeded his; she had defeated him effortlessly without using her full might. Now that she was serious, the impact would be earth-shattering.

He had no confidence in blocking the attack but had no intention of retreating.

As long as he had breath, he would fight to the end.

“Lord Arudiba, you…” Mayura hesitated upon hearing his warning.

“Go quickly!” Arudiba did not look back, his gaze fixed on the goddess in the sky as he urged again, anxious.

Before Mayura could respond, Yin Seventeen pulled her back without hesitation.

Given their strength, staying put would only distract Arudiba and serve no purpose.

Above, the Sun Stone, after materializing, shrank into a fist-sized pebble, held in Quetzalcoatl’s palm.

“Turn to ash beneath the light of the sun!”

“Solar Divine Radiance!”

She arched backward and forcefully cast the pebble toward the Taurus Gold Saint below.

The moment it left her hand, the pebble expanded rapidly, returning to its three-meter-diameter form and bursting forth with dazzling brilliance, plummeting like a blazing meteor.

Though thousands of meters away, Yin Seventeen and the others already felt the scorching heat wave crashing against their faces.

Truly, the Sun God!