Buer was surprised. "You're challenging Artosh? We still don't know how far Artosh can truly go."
Zhongli was equally surprised. "That's true. From what we know, his strongest concept will directly escalate to surpass his opponent, and the limit is the current universe."
"Even if we as Primary Gods master the Supreme Mystery, that only grants us the ability to fully liberate the rules of the universe—to control the rules themselves."
They had never fought him directly, so they couldn't know for sure. But the sheer scale of his potential—tied to the cosmos itself—already outclassed the First-tier Primary Gods.
In terms of battle performance, Artosh had one foot in the realm of Supreme Gods, but for now, he was merely at the stellar level.
When it came down to actual combat, Artosh would surely surpass the stellar level, which meant Zhongli was no match for him.
The Abyssal Monarch Aether glanced back for a moment, his gaze filled with determination. He had been cultivating the Abyss and now he was only a step away from reaching the Second-tier Supreme God level.
He focused, sensing a strange presence.
"This... so many rules! And they are all unknown to me—this power is stronger than mine. What is going on?"
He sensed an energy surpassing his own from Raiden Makoto and Raiden Ei, a mix of many rules, but it didn't quite feel that way. It resembled the aura of a different universe altogether.
It was incomprehensible.
It seemed Lord Heavenly Principle had given the two from the Inazuma Pantheon something remarkable.
Istaroth, arms crossed and lips curling into a U-shape, understood perfectly. As the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles, she knew exactly what those energies were.
She often visited the Temple of Truth and was familiar with the secrets it held—those were the secrets of the universe.
Zhongli was astonished but quickly regained his composure.
He couldn't sense what was happening, but since Aether had said that these two from Inazuma were stronger than him, there was only one possibility.
Lord Heavenly Principle had endowed them with something extraordinary.
After all, the relationship between these two and Lord Heavenly Principle was not ordinary. They bore traces of His presence, faint but undeniable.
Raiden Makoto smiled as she extended her hand. A 'Celestial Orb' appeared in her palm, emanating an aura that hinted at a foreign universe, carrying the essence of another cosmos.
"This is the Pseudo Star Map Creation, a cosmology that contains everything of a universe. So leave Artosh to me. My sister and I would like to test this power."
"Pseudo Star Map Creation!"
"Cosmology!"
"Pseudo Star Map Creation!"
Upon hearing those words, Zhongli, Indra, Amaterasu, and the other gods gasped in surprise.
They had initiated the Divine Collective Gift Game, so they naturally knew what the Pseudo Star Map Creation was.
Asmoday, with her golden eyes, looked at the Raiden sisters with indifference. "I didn't expect the right candidate for the Pseudo Star Map Creation to emerge so soon. This is surprising."
Abyssal Monarch Aether quickly asked, "Wait, what are you talking about? Pseudo Star Map Creation? Cosmology? Everything from another universe?"
Wait, what was going on here? This was clearly some cosmic secret he didn't know—an incredibly important one.
Zhongli took a deep breath and looked at Aether, an old friend, and began explaining everything he knew.
Aether listened, then let out a sharp breath.
Holy—holy! Teyvat had such an extraordinary artifact?!
The Pseudo Star Map Creation guaranteed its user would become a First-tier Supreme God, and it even promised eventual ascension to a Single Universe level.
This was unimaginable!
He had been toiling away in the Abyss, thinking that becoming a First-tier Supreme God was a certainty, but now it seemed there were others who had surpassed him.
"Tsk—"
The Primary Gods behind them gasped in unison, their eyes focused on the Celestial Orb in Raiden Makoto's hand, their gazes fiery with anticipation.
Istaroth, observing the shocked gods, waved her hand dismissively.
"The Pseudo Star Map Creation is no big secret. It was always destined to reveal itself eventually. Most pantheons already have at least one. Over twenty different cosmologies have been born so far."
"Possessing a Pseudo Star Map Creation is merely a matter of time."
Odin swallowed hard, his breath disordered, his eyes gleaming with envy. "Over twenty? And each pantheon has at least one?"
Before he could ask further, another god eagerly spoke up.
Venti, recovering himself, rubbed his hands together and grinned. "Hehe, Istaroth, how can we acquire a Pseudo Star Map Creation?"
He stole a glance at Zhongli, who stood calmly with his arms folded, inwardly grumbling.
The old man was not sharing such a big secret with him. Not fair.
With a flash, every god turned their eyes toward Venti. This was the question they all wanted to ask.
Since each pantheon had at least one, they all had a chance to possess one.
The excitement in their eyes was palpable, trembling with anticipation.
It was no wonder. Owning a Pseudo Star Map Creation would guarantee an ascension to a First-tier Supreme God, a single step to the heavens.
Istaroth waved her hand again. "Don't get too greedy. The appearance of a 'Pseudo Star Map Creation' depends on many factors. It requires pantheons to merge into a greater divine collective, and all gods must possess rules equivalent to the foundational laws of a universe."
"Or, one must be a special candidate for the Pseudo Star Map Creation."
"Additionally, it's not about strength. You need to be aligned with the cosmology itself."
"There are two ways to obtain a 'Pseudo Star Map Creation.'"
"First, after its appearance, participate in the trial of the Pseudo Star Map Creation, a form of divine competition. Each god only gets one chance."
"Second, if a candidate already exists, they may become the direct owner of the Pseudo Star Map Creation."
Zhongli nodded thoughtfully. "I see. So the two from Inazuma are the second case—they directly became the owners of the Pseudo Star Map Creation."
At first, he thought it was something Lord Heavenly Principle gave them. Now it seemed almost laughable.
The Pseudo Star Map Creation contained everything from a foreign universe. Without being aligned with the cosmology, even a gift from Lord Heavenly Principle wouldn't allow them to wield it.
Nyx, Athena, Zeus, Odin, Yahweh, Amon, Shiva, Vishnu...
The eyes of every pantheon leader gleamed, their divine intent betraying their burning desire.
Each god was calculating and analyzing Istaroth's words.
While they conversed, Artosh, riding on the Phantasma Avant Heim, had already arrived from the 'Divine Star' ahead of them.
He released a challenging divine will without restraint.
With sixteen wings unfurled behind him, Artosh flew out of the 'Inner World,' and behind him followed the winged army of Flügel.
Azril, Jibril, and the squad leaders of the Flügel army glared bloodthirstily at the oncoming meteor shower.
Each meteor, even the weakest, was stronger than them.
They felt no fear. After all, they were divine slayers, born as weapons of their creator.
Being shattered in the war among the Old Deus was their ultimate honor.
The meteors flew forward. The first few stopped in front of Avant Heim, while the rest continued without hesitation toward the 'Divine Star.'
Naturally, the ones who stopped were Raiden Makoto, Raiden Ei, and the Seven Supreme Gods.
The Divine Star didn't need their presence to maintain its order.
The only exception in this universe was Artosh.
Artosh, seeing the strongest gods before him, sighed in admiration.
"So strong. You are truly formidable. I'm glad you've come."
"It's been thousands of years since I had no opponent. I even felt my god essence slipping into slumber."
His voice grew fierce and fiery as he spoke.
"But, I wonder, can you, my fellow beings from beyond the universe, allow me to taste the flavor of defeat?"
Artosh's smile widened, his golden eyes now burning with a platinum flame.
His heart was beating furiously, his divine essence surging violently. The concepts of Strongest and War flooded into his being, continually amplifying his power.
The rate of his power increase was geometric—each second, his strength grew to a level that could overwhelm his previous self.
But Artosh wasn't smiling because of his own exponential growth. He was grinning because of the unimaginable opponents before him.
No matter how powerful his adversaries were, he would ascend to match or even surpass them.
This was a clear testament to the incredible strength of those from beyond the universe.
Aside from Four Shades, even the other Supreme Gods were taken aback, unable to hide their shock at how fast Artosh's power was growing.
Every second, his strength accelerated at an exaggerated rate. It was beyond what any of them had expected.
They had speculated on how fast he might become stronger, but they hadn't anticipated it would happen in seconds. At this rate, within half a minute, he might even reach the strength of a Supreme God.
Of course, this was only strength—the strength of the rule concept, without the Truth.
In Teyvat, this would be considered a Exceptional Primary God-level, possessing the destructive power of a Supreme God without the essence of one.
Aether, the Abyssal Monarch, observed Artosh with complexity in his gaze. "The concept of 'Strongest'—it's like a cheat. The only thing stronger than 'Strongest' is probably 'Invincibility.'"
Had he had such a cheat back then, he wouldn't have been traversing the Sea of Quanta. Instead, he would have roamed the great universes of the Imaginary Tree.
He could have faced any so-called Aeon—all at once.
Artosh, hearing the praise, did not boast. Instead, he spoke with respect, "The concept of 'Strongest' is just an empty concept. And for you, it's even more so. I can feel the threat you pose to me."
He laughed then, clearly relishing the feeling.
"Threat? That's a word I've only heard from my fellow kin. I never understood it before, but now I do."
Buer looked at Artosh with a look of pity. "Ah, the strongest of this universe, yet shackled by your own concept. You haven't truly freed yourself. What's the difference between you and someone without a self?"
Artosh laughed again.
"Don't pity me. I can feel it—we share the same essence."
"Every god has a purpose. Our rule concepts are the meaning of our existence. That is the world's gift to us."
"Your universe has given the same to you."
Artosh didn't sound like a madman fighting for battle's sake. His logic was incredibly clear.
Raiden Makoto shook her head. "That may be true, but the connection between power, rules, and self-awareness is not that power and rules dominate self-awareness. Rather, it's self-awareness that governs power and rules."
"It's like whether the god controls the artifact in their hand or the artifact controls the god."
Artosh furrowed his brows, seeming confused.
"Do you mean... you have broken free from instinct?"
Buer replied, "No matter how much we explain, unless you experience it yourself, you won't truly understand. And we're not gods; we are divinities."
Artosh was even more confused. A god wasn't a divinity? What was the difference?
However, he didn't dwell on the confusion. He wasn't here to debate.
"You are strong. Your existence has undoubtedly lasted ages. I cannot comprehend it, but my kin, I am here to fight—to taste the bitterness of defeat."
"So, my kin, who among you will fight me?"
At this point, armor appeared on his body, covering him like stone.
The God of War raised his hand, and a long spear materialized from pure conceptual energy.
This spear, if it were in Teyvat, would be a 'Prime Artifact' that only a First-tier Primary God could forge.
The spear had once pierced the divine essence of two kin and the strongest Dragonia born from their remains.
That strike had pierced the continent, permanently altering the planet's terrain.
Now, its power had increased by several hundred thousand times—nearly reaching a million times its original force.
Not even the planet could withstand it. Artosh could now destroy a sun from a distance.
Esdeath licked her lips, itching to rush forward and battle Artosh herself. But since everyone had agreed to let the Raiden sisters take the lead, she refrained from speaking.
Besides, she was curious to see just how powerful the Pseudo Star Map Creation truly was.
She could clearly feel that, despite being a Second-tier Supreme God, she was inferior to the Raiden sisters, who were only First-tier Primary Gods.
Rather than feeling disheartened, she was excited.
Esdeath was the only Second-tier Supreme God in all of Teyvat. A Third-tier Supreme God could last only a few dozen strikes against her. Yet, when facing the First-tier Supreme Gods of the Four Shades, she had been defeated in mere dozens of strikes.
This disparity bothered her deeply. She longed for an opponent who could match her in power, for an exhilarating fight.
And now, the perfect adversary had appeared—someone not only her equal but possibly stronger.
She was eager to witness the Raiden sisters' strength firsthand.
Raiden Ei's eyes glowed with a purple hue as the 'Chakra Desiderata' appeared behind her, emanating radiant divine light. In her hand, Musou Isshin materialized.
The Pseudo Star Map Creation activated in that instant, its cosmic power surging through her, temporarily elevating her from a First-tier Primary God to a Second-tier Supreme God.
Of course, this was only a temporary boost.
Channeling the power of the universe was the basic function of the Pseudo Star Map Creation. The greater power lay in the unique forces derived from the cosmology itself.
"I'll be your opponent, God of War, Artosh."
Just as Artosh was about to laugh triumphantly and strike with his spear, a force from the universe itself descended, binding everything in place.
Artosh furrowed his brow, confused. What was happening with the world?
Was it the arrival of the kin from beyond the universe that triggered a reaction from the world?
The Voice of the Cosmos echoed throughout the cosmos.
The voice reached every living being's mind, announcing their individual Gift Games.
[Gift Game Name: Duel of Two Universes]
The competition will have a winner and a loser, with no draws.
Only one victor can emerge from the two universes.
Although a competition, despite the outcome, no one shall die.
Participants: All sentient beings in the Teyvat Universe, All sentient beings in the Disboard Universe
Victory Condition: Win in each universe's Gift Game, forcing the other side to surrender.
Defeat Condition: Lose in each universe's Gift Game, voluntarily surrender.
Loser's Condition: After defeat, the loser will bear the mark of the winning universe, becoming part of the other universe's life.
Organizers: Teyvat Heavenly Principle, Disboard One True God
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