Chapter 43: Diting

“My Lord War God—you must not!”
The reporter was a great immortal in a gray-black cloak, moving through war and gods, carrying intelligence for the immortal realm.
“My mind is set. No more persuasion.” The War God summoned her blade, voice rising. “If one life can end this war, I give it gladly!”
She clapped Diting’s shoulder. “Diting, when I’m gone, support the other gods with care. Guard peace in immortal realm and mortal world.”
Diting knelt on one knee. “I will follow you to death, my Lord—slay the evil god Milt and not return until she falls!”
“You’ve cultivated under me for years—arts at the finest edge, no less than a god’s. This kill—I go alone.”
The War God smiled and handed him the tassel from her blade. “This tassel is an artifact refined from my divine power. After I die with the evil god, you will hold War God Palace until the next War God is born.”
“But my Lord…”
“Diting. That is an order.”
Diting fell silent, gripped the tassel artifact, and watched her leave.
Among the gods only the War God and Milt were goddesses—also the two highest in the twelve.
Against demonized Milt, resentment-armed, only the War God could fight.
Sure she wouldn’t return, Diting took off the cloak and showed the face under the hood.
A long scar on his left cheek—artifact wound, permanent.
“…The Lord.” Bai Yanci’s voice was heavy.
In the message crystal they wandered the immortal realm a thousand years ago as spirits, watching history unfold.
All of this was phantom in the crystal—past sealed on purpose by someone.
Diting rose and went to Spirit Tide Pool, guarded by the Spirit Tide jade pendant, power thick—the place gods met to plan Milt’s death.
He put the hood back on and knelt before the gods. “The War God sent me back—the evil god is too strong. My Lord, she cannot hold!”
“Outrageous! What is the War God’s plan?”
Diting nodded. “She says—with your Lords’ help, open the God-Slaying Array, and the evil god can be killed utterly—for the three realms’ peace.”
In the gap he looked up at the lords and smiled—a smile of success.
He’d followed the War God long—her close aide, loyal in all eyes. No one doubted the clumsy lie.
“God-Slaying Array.” A god spoke. “God or evil god—enter the array and consciousness turns to ash. No body left.”
“But the array is vast—at least ten gods to open…”
“No matter—only cost some divine power. Killing Milt is what matters now.” A god in white said, “Diting, we go aid the War God. You stay and guard Spirit Tide Pool.”
Diting agreed at once.
When the gods left for the battlefield he finally dropped the mask, sneered with contempt, and went alone to War God Palace.
The War God loved bustle. Many minor immortals with ordinary cultivation did sweeping and chores.
In idle hours they gathered and chatted light things.
Under the twelve gods’ shelter, small immortals lived easy and happy.
Seeing him come they set work down and bowed: “Greetings, Lord Diting.”
He waved them off and entered the main hall alone—at last sat the moon palace’s highest throne.
He’d dreamed of this moment a thousand years.
“I’ve waited so long.” He stroked the jade seat, eyes cold. “You all looked down on me—used me as a useful piece. In the end even lofty gods danced in my palm.”
“I have power not beneath any god—why serve another?” Arms spread, he laughed. “The more you despise me, the more I’ll be master of War God Palace!”
He vented years of pressure. Everything in the great hall—smashed.
When mood settled he hid his form, rode immortal power, and reached the battlefield before the gods.
He would make an accident—all gods dead on the field.
Then by power and rank he would be first in the immortal realm without dispute.
After Diting left, the gods arrived, raised artifacts, gathered immortal power, and together laid the God-Slaying Array.
The array was vast—spilled power would be noticed.
He set barriers quiet to hide the overflow—stay unseen, keep War God and Milt from finding the array in the clouds.
Under his hand neither saw the gods—nor the array above.
Milt stood in a moon corner, dodging the War God’s strikes, not striking back: “War God, I governed life—how could I let beings suffer? Believe me—the disasters in mortal and immortal realms are not my work!”
Unlike the statue in the disordered space, real Milt wore red, white teeth red lips—more stunning still.
That familiar dress—exactly Jade Dust’s look.
The War God pointed her blade at Milt: “Stop lying! You chose demonhood—became evil god. I spare no old tie!”
Lethal every move—no mercy.
After the War God’s artifact blade cut Milt once, Milt finally struck back—without harming the War God.
Milt sighed: “War God, we were colleagues—why won’t you believe me?”
The War God sniffed cold: “Milt, righteous and evil never share a path. Demonhood is fact. Slaughter is fact. For old sake I’ll leave your body whole—let your consciousness enter rebirth’s wheel.”
Light blazed above. The God-Slaying Array was complete.
Diting withdrew the hiding barrier at once.
The War God looked up, shocked: “God-Slaying Array!”
Ten other gods stood on array points, divine power condensed, trapping Milt firm.
Milt laughed cold: “Colleagues—you use the God-Slaying Array on me?”
The gods cried loud: “Milt, the array passes judgment. Today you die!”
As the array was about to start Milt’s heart went cold. No more pleading. She gave everything—broke free a moment—and pulled the nearest War God into the array with her.
“War God, since you preach justice—die with me!”
No one had foreseen it—not even Diting.
Array started—no closing it.
After great light, Milt and War God both—consciousness scattered, turned to ash in the formation.
Opening the array had drained the gods badly.
Now weak, War God dead in the array—a chance once in ages.
Diting walked the clouds step by step. The tassel the War God gave became a blade, pointed at the ten gods: “My Lords—do you like the gift I sent?”
He’d laid barriers everywhere—with their remnant power the gods couldn’t flee.
“Diting, you!”
“I lied that the War God needed help—brought you to slay the evil god with the array. I didn’t expect the evil god so strong—dragged that fool woman down with her. Surprising.”
The white god raged: “The War God treated you well—why betray her!”
“Betray?” He sneered. “She only used me as a piece—when did she truly care? If she cared, why not help me draw the thunder tribunal and become a new god!”
“A filthy heart like yours can never become a true god!”
“Shut up!” He gripped the white god’s jaw, furious. “When you’re dead—tribunal or not—I’ll be the new god! Then I rule the whole immortal realm!”
“Right—since you’re dying anyway, one more secret.” Proud. “Milt’s demonization—and slaughter in the mortal world—both my handiwork.”
No more words. With the War God’s tassel artifact he slaughtered every god present.
---
The message crystal ended there.
Eyes open again—they stood in Wangshu Orphanage’s corridor.
Yi Ke had seen it all. Learning the true cause of the gods’ fall shocked her.
Moon legend said the evil god brought ruin, barren land, sealed by the twelve—consciousness scattered to the mortal world.
“I was born after that age—I didn’t witness the war. I thought the gods’ war must have hidden cause. I never thought the Lord did it himself.”
Bai Yanci’s voice was heavy: “No wonder records of the war vanished. Diting framed the gods’ fall to rule the moon—he had to erase every trace.”
Teeth clenched: “He killed all the gods—and I believed him all these years…”
Bai Yanci had soaked in moon rules—once Diting’s most trusted great immortal, passing the Lord’s orders, loyal years.
If Diting hadn’t forced Xi Yue’s sacrifice she wouldn’t have broken with him—Jade Dust wouldn’t have framed her for stealing the pendant.
But she noticed a gap. Puzzled: “This crystal says nothing about Xi Yue.”