Pirate Kingship

Aside from Byron and the Radiant Queen in the Pyramid, who exchanged a knowing glance due to their inner confidence, they remained calm and composed.

Everyone else’s hearts tightened.

The phrase "a turtle caught in a jar" flashed through their minds.

Trapped in the Divine Kingdom now, unless they achieve the Truth Embodiment of [Creation Nine Pillars], killing more Kin would be useless.

The current victory in counter-surrounding can only keep them alive a bit longer.

Once Horus descends, the group will become superior offerings for the revival of the Old Gods.

As for going out of the temple area to find Horus and the High Priest?

Without the complete Creation Nine Pillars, the death would come even faster!

Realizing that the human side was indeed facing a deadlock, four mummies that had been pretending to be dead reopened their eyes, and the Cemetery Protector’s pupils reflected a wave.

Time passed minute by minute, just as the unrest in everyone’s hearts was about to reach its peak.

Suddenly.

Buzz—!

The entire Combined Divine Country trembled, and the surrounding air, yellow sand, and buildings began to cheer as if they had regained life:

"Horus! Horus!..."

"God King! God King!..."

Immediately thereafter, right before everyone’s eyes, a ripple appeared in the void, and a brilliant solar barque gracefully sailed forth.

Standing quietly at the ship’s bow was a Hawk-Headed Deity as majestic as the sky, clutching the Anka Holy Symbol, exuding radiant divine light, breathing in unison with the entire Divine Kingdom.

It was none other than God King Horus.

The image was identical to the Divine Statue in the temple, except the dual pupils representing the sun and moon divine positions were replaced with ordinary eyes.

[High Priest] Hamna stood respectfully behind Him, a suppressed miniature "Alice" perched on His shoulder.

Upon their appearance, the human wizards reacted in an uproar.

They instantly realized the cause and effect.

Not only did the Creation Nine Pillars School want to consume Kin and Desert Gods, but this God King also desired to consume them.

Moreover, Horus, unwilling to die, sought survival in death and, with the High Priest’s help, indeed succeeded in consuming his Goddess Queen and numerous Kin, regaining sanity.

At this moment, He gained an additional [War] divine position originally belonging to the Venus Goddess.

During the wizards’ counter-surrounding battle, it’s clear where He went—not to continue consuming leftover Kin, but to capture the powerful [War] Incarnation.

Similar to Byron’s pursuit of holding both [Fertility] and [Netherworld] divine positions.

Combining [War] with Horus’s inherent [Guardian] allows Him to stabilize His anchoring with divine positions that can both oppose and relate to each other.

Though not fully restored to victory, reaching the general demigod power level poses no issue.

Now, even Byron’s "ballistic jump" finds it difficult to threaten such an existence.

Everyone felt like they faced a great enemy.

However, unexpectedly.

The rejuvenated [God of Royal Iron] Horus didn’t immediately shout for violence, but instead spoke kindly to the group:

"Esteemed human wizards, I, the God King of the Desert God System, God of Royal Iron, Horus, am willing to swear upon the Nether River at the edge of the world.

As long as you hand over Creation Nine Pillars, sincerely submit to my feet, disarm yourselves, and return the Desert Empire to me, you can not only avoid death but also retain all your statuses and riches."

When alive, Horus was indeed a God King, naturally possessing a convincing authority.

The oath seemed quite legitimate.

Yet Byron’s mind automatically conjured up a certain... partner by the Luo River.

"I wish to speak for the Nether River: Who cares for your oaths, every time you swear by it, the entire river risks going foul."

The [Rudder] of the Kin belongs to the Old Gods, while the [Rudder] of the Old Gods belongs to the Deep Sea, its base no longer anchoring to Human Nature, but rather anchoring to the Deep Sea’s Beastliness and madness.

Unable to ever achieve the balance between divinity and beastliness in life, forever serving as a pawn of the Sea of Origin Matter to devour the world.

Even if they manage partial sanity and return, they’re all semi-mad maniacs; despite appearing normal, they’re merely deeply hidden madmen!

One careless moment, they’d revert to a state of madness and chaos.

They must constantly consume humans to stabilize their pitiful sense of autonomy.

Perhaps there exist Old Gods unwilling to accept this fate, preferring noble annihilation over dishonorable survival, but most had rejected the corruption of the Sea of Origin Matter and actively sought death from the beginning.

The former [Sky God], current [God of Royal Iron] Horus, clearly isn’t among them; otherwise, He wouldn’t have consumed His wife.

Expecting them to reform is as likely as hoping for wolves to turn vegetarian.

Horus, high above, proclaimed His verdict over the crowd, then suddenly raised His hand and pointed into the group, His voice icy:

"One of you is an exception.

The condition for accepting you is offering me this person’s head!"

Everyone turned their heads and found Horus’s finger pointing directly at... Byron!