Chapter 199: Goddess as Prisoner

Wails and screams spread through the city like a plague.

The gray sky cast a bleak light. On the high platform, the Divine Arbiter's figure appeared almost demonic. Countless spiritual threads emanated from her palm, all connected to the deities she had absorbed.

Cries, pleas for mercy, the clash of weapons, and the crash of carriages against tall buildings echoed raucously, a boiling cacophony across the city.

The boy lay on the ground, struggling to open his eyes. He stared at the motionless black serpent, convinced it was merely an illusion.

Standing on the high platform, the Divine Arbiter surveyed everything below with an impassive face, as if reigning over the world. To her, the summoned spirits were merely tools for seizing power; their life and death hung on her whim.

The Divine Master was long dead, leaving her subordinate to no one.

After today, she would take the complete sundial to the Gate of Chaos and reopen the Divine Realm.

Who could stop her now?

Before the arrogance and solitude in her heart could fully manifest into genuine emotion, the Divine Arbiter's bare, snow-white foot instinctively took half a step back beneath her black robe.

Sensing a hint of danger, a cold gleam flashed in her icy eyes. She abruptly looked down.

Amidst the scattering crowd, a dark figure, wreathed in black mist, ascended against gravity, lunging towards her.

"Ye Chu?"

This was the Divine Arbiter's first thought, but she quickly realized something was wrong; this powerful, unfamiliar aura certainly didn't belong to Ye Chu.

Explosive cracking sounds continuously echoed along the giant stone pillars of the high platform. Everything began to collapse in the black serpent's wake.

Before the Divine Arbiter, the black serpent surged skyward, its massive black head held high, then arrogantly bowed. Its eyes fixed intensely on the Divine Arbiter, flicking its crimson tongue at her.

On the black serpent's forehead stood a black-robed figure, woven as if from black feathers.

The Divine Arbiter didn't know who it was, but this black serpent, which she could have easily destroyed, gave her a profound inner tremor. The moment she looked at the black-robed figure, it felt as if a great bell had struck within her.

Could this be a master hidden by Ye Chu within the city, waiting for today to stir up trouble?

In an instant, the black serpent lunged towards her. Its size had expanded hundreds of times in a short period. Under its gaze, the Divine Arbiter's body seemed as minuscule as the great serpent's slit pupil.

"Mere bluster," the Divine Arbiter scoffed. Her black sword instantly left its sheath. Her figure twisted, transforming into a black hurricane, and the sword spiraled upward with her, slashing towards the black serpent.

The black serpent likewise opened its gaping maw filled with sharp teeth, lunging at the Divine Arbiter.

The Divine Arbiter's hurricane-like figure deftly dodged. With one hand, she pointed a finger, using the authority of time to freeze the black serpent. With her other hand, she struck the sword hilt, thrusting towards the spot between the serpent's two eyes.

The black serpent's massive form was trapped in a temporal prison, unable to move.

The black-robed figure, however, remained completely unaffected. He plucked a black feather from his robe, held it between two fingers, and flicked it, sending it shooting towards the sword that the Divine Arbiter was thrusting.

The black feather and black sword collided, both coming to a standstill.

The black-robed figure extended a long, pointed finger and drew a perfect circle in front of him.

The stationary black sword hummed, then was violently flung away.

The Divine Arbiter's expression drastically changed, and her body rapidly retreated. The black sword struck the high platform like a meteor, causing the already fractured structure to slowly collapse. The Divine Arbiter's robes billowed like the raised wings of a giant bird, and she was repeatedly pushed back by the powerful shockwave.

After just one exchange, the Divine Arbiter knew she was no match for him, even if she couldn't accept that outcome.

The Divine Arbiter extended her hand, reaching forward, attempting to draw the black sword back to her with telekinesis.

But the black-robed figure gave her no such chance.

The black serpent surged forward like a swimming dragon, and the black-robed figure atop it tapped the air several times.

At each point he tapped, black feathers materialized, drifting down as if to form an indestructible cage.

The Divine Arbiter instantly knew things were dire. She immediately activated her authority, rewinding time to a few breaths ago. The feather cage self-destructed without an attack. She abruptly reached out, and the black sword, transforming into a streak of black light, returned to her grasp. With a flash, she opted not to pursue but instead fled, seemingly vanishing among the dense cluster of tall buildings below.

Sounds of pursuit came from behind her.

The Divine Arbiter's black robes billowed ceaselessly in the strong wind, her wild silver hair glinted, and the law of time enveloped her as she moved at high speed through the city, quickly leaving the black serpent behind.

The black serpent did not pursue her into the residential area, as if it were law-abiding and unwilling to destroy any houses.

But the black-robed figure followed closely.

By the banks of a river flowing through the city, the Divine Arbiter was intercepted for the first time.

The black-robed figure suddenly appeared before her, forcing the Divine Arbiter to an abrupt halt. Gripping her sword hilt in reverse, she made an immediate decision, swinging her arm and unleashing a fierce forward slash.

From the edge of the black sword, a bright light exploded like a projectile, threatening to engulf everything in its path.

The black-robed figure remained unperturbed, extending a finger once more.

The light, which had just spread for dozens of yards, receded like a tide, visibly retracting entirely back into the sword's edge before the Divine Arbiter.

The Divine Arbiter was greatly alarmed. Given the realm suppression in this world, how could the power the opponent wielded be anything less than a Purple Court level?

She immediately grasped the reason: her opponent also held authority, an authority far more powerful and complete than her own!

"Who exactly are you?" the Divine Arbiter demanded, suppressing her inner horror, her icy eyes sharp.

The black-robed figure stated calmly, "You broke the rules."

"Rules? Whose rules?" The Divine Arbiter grew more perplexed. A thought flashed in her mind, and she immediately asked, "Are you, by any chance, the embodiment of this world's laws?"

The black-robed figure did not find her statement amiss.

He was, after all, one who dispensed divine punishment.

"Deceiving the populace, destroying residences, wantonly taking lives—these are your crimes. Do you admit them?" The black-robed figure enumerated them one by one. With each statement, a sword materialized before him, inscribed with small characters that resembled laws.

The Divine Arbiter's fear deepened as she looked at the swords. "You madman, what nonsense are you spewing?" she said coldly. "Under this heaven, who can condemn me?"

The black-robed figure showed no anger. The three swords drifted towards the Divine Arbiter like black feathers.

The Divine Arbiter extended her hand, intending to catch the first sword. Her palm shimmered with the law of time, capable of slowing anything approaching it by dozens of times.

*Rip!*

The moment her hand neared the sword, her wide black sleeve ripped open. The sword, however, did not slow down in the slightest as it approached her palm; instead, it burrowed into her flesh like a leech, piercing directly through the back of her hand.

The Divine Arbiter attempted to reverse everything using her authority over time, but she found that much of her power was sealed by the sword. No longer able to hide her terror, she withdrew her hand, gripped the sword's hilt, and tried to pull it out. However, the sword felt as if it were an integral part of her body, and she felt agonizing pain with every tug.

The Divine Arbiter gritted her teeth, sweat beading on her exquisite face. Before the other two swords arrived, her figure flashed, and she plunged directly into the nearby river.

The Divine Arbiter slipped into the water like a fish, with the two swords relentlessly pursuing her from behind.

The black-robed figure stood on the bank, calmly observing the river formed by an underground spring. He then made two ethereal gestures on the water's surface with his fingertips.

The two points met the water and transformed into "ice."

A massive, frigid tide surged forward like a fierce dragon. The river began to freeze inch by inch, and in an extremely short time, the chilling cold enveloped the Divine Arbiter's back.

The immense cold front crashed into her head-on, instantly engulfing the Divine Arbiter.

She was entirely frozen in ice. Her black robe retained its flowing grace, suspended as if in water, and every strand of her silver hair was covered and solidified by the ice. She appeared like a peerless beauty sculpted from ice, imprisoned within a frozen cage. Her icy eyes, narrowed in fear, slightly unfocused, reflecting the beauty of death she had once favored.

Only, she disliked and had never imagined that such beauty would one day appear upon herself.

The other two swords of law immediately caught up. Like two ethereal phantoms, they effortlessly passed through the solid ice, piercing the Divine Arbiter's left and right shoulder blades respectively.

Blood bloomed in the ice, accompanied by excruciating pain.

The Divine Arbiter, of course, would not surrender so easily. Within her bones, power accumulated with great difficulty, then erupted tenfold, even a hundredfold, under the influence of her own laws.

Countless cracks appeared on the frozen river.

Moments later, the ice river shattered. The Divine Arbiter's figure transformed into a black-and-white streaking light, fleeing towards the city's outskirts. Simultaneously, she set up barrier after barrier behind her, each one an embodiment of frozen time.

After all, this place was under the suppression of worldly laws, meaning even the black-robed figure could only exert less than one percent of his power. Therefore, he couldn't completely disregard the Divine Arbiter's laws either.

However, the Divine Arbiter's efforts could not last much longer.

The black-robed figure broke through the first barrier, flashed forward to the second, and casually shattered it again.

Cracking sounds continuously echoed behind her. Those sounds were like arrows, piercing her heart with one despair-inducing bloody hole after another.

Soon, she felt something appear behind her.

The city gate was still dozens of yards away. If she could get out of Boundary City, she might have a chance to escape longer by utilizing the complex terrain, then rendezvous with Ye Chu, who was coming from the ice plain. At this point, they should put aside their past grievances and merge their authorities to deal with this black-robed individual.

Although the authorities of time and fate were fragmented, if they were to merge, the power unleashed at their convergence point would be enough to create tidal waves capable of severing the sky and rending the earth. This was also why they had sought to devour each other for seven hundred years.

But she failed to exit the city.

Piercing pain suddenly erupted from her back.

A foot pressed down on her back.

Under the force of the stomp, her body sharply sank, cracking the ground tiles. Half-buried in the rubble, she continued to slide forward due to inertia, plowing a long, broken furrow down the street.

The Divine Arbiter's nerves were taut, and she desperately tried to break free, but the opponent's strength was like an unmovable mountain. The pain in her shoulder blades surged again, rapidly eroding her willpower and fighting spirit.

The Divine Arbiter had been invincible in this world for seven hundred years. How could she possibly endure the humiliation of being trampled underfoot, no matter who the person was?

As the opponent's judgment descended, her black robe inflated like a balloon. The power of the law contained within it exploded along with her garment. Fragments of the black robe, carried by the airflow, flew like countless chaotic throwing knives, each surging towards the black-robed figure. Under the intense impact, all the tiles on the ground turned to dust after violent undulations.

The Divine Arbiter shed her robe, escaping like a cicada shedding its skin. Simultaneously, she activated the law of time, rapidly healing the wounds on her shoulder blades.

The black-robed figure remained unmoved. The fragments of her black robe that flew towards him gathered into a ball with a light squeeze of his hand. Then he extended two fingers and made a long sweep in front of him. The black robe fragments reassembled into a long whip, which coiled towards the Divine Arbiter's bare, snow-white feet.

The Divine Arbiter glanced behind her, unleashing every evasion technique in her mind. Her figure darted wildly like a spark caught in a gale. Yet, even if she flickered a hundred times in an instant, she still couldn't escape the long whip, which clung to her like a maggot to bone.

*Snap!*

All confrontations unfolded in an instant.

In just half a breath, the black whip lashed through empty space, as if presciently striking the Divine Arbiter's figure, sending her flying.

She was flung by the whip, crashing against the gate of Boundary City.

An invisible force then supported her back, preventing her from smashing the gate. The black-robed figure resembled a stern enforcer of law.

He lightly landed before the Divine Arbiter and said, "I can give you one chance to explain yourself."

The Divine Arbiter had never believed herself to be in the wrong, so why would she admit fault now?

"So it's His Lordship the Sin Sovereign in person," the Divine Arbiter said, letting out a weak, bitter laugh as she stared at the mysterious figure woven of black feathers.

After such a long confrontation, she had guessed his identity. Besides, who else in this world could push her to such an extent, if not the current Divine Realm Lord?

Fortunately, this was in this world; if it were outside, she would have no power to resist unless she was at her peak.

The Sin Sovereign looked at her face, which still glowed with divine radiance, and asked, "Who did you serve in the past?"

The Divine Arbiter did not reply. She pressed her lips together, forcefully using her own laws to resist the Sin Sovereign's power of judgment. Having absorbed the authorities of all the city's deities, she refused to believe she lacked even the power to escape, even with the Sin Sovereign himself present and at a similar level of power.

The Sin Sovereign didn't need her answer; he could see her thoughts just by her conceiving them.

He reached out, probing the Divine Arbiter's thoughts. However, anything related to her previous Divine Master seemed to be veiled by a peerless divine ability that defied heaven and earth, making it impossible even for him to perceive.

"Ah!" The Divine Arbiter suddenly threw her head back, her silver hair bristling. She let out a sharp cry as all her law power erupted like molten lava, and her continuously swirling white dress moved like a butterfly dancing in a storm.

The Sin Sovereign's figure paused slightly.

The Divine Arbiter had indeed broken free from his restraints. Under the influence of the law of time, she fled towards the vast, boundless world outside the city gate, rapidly putting distance between herself and the Sin Sovereign.

The Sin Sovereign stood still, drawing another perfect circle in front of him. "Blasphemer, be captured," he stated dispassionately.

Within that perfect circle, the power of law activated with his words.

The canyons transformed into swords slashing towards the Divine Arbiter, the wild grass became needles piercing her, and scattered rocks turned into roaring tigers blocking her path. Even the murky, boundless sky seemed like an all-encompassing net descending upon her.

Mountains surged like furious waves, and mountain winds felt like knives and swords.

The Divine Arbiter felt a sense of solitude, the loneliness of having the whole world as her enemy. In the past, this solitude was accompanied by arrogance, but now, a stronger presence had emerged, shattering her pride.

Once despair arose, it was like a drop of ink clouding a glass of water.

That ink drop traveled from her mind to her pupils, then became a true reflection within them.

The Sin Sovereign was right before her.

Fear had become reality.

The Divine Arbiter felt a choking sensation. She gripped the black sword that hovered beside her and, holding it, slashed towards the Sin Sovereign. A continuous *clanging* sound erupted; with every strike, she precisely hit the sparse feathers floating around the Sin Sovereign. Ripples encircled them, and in the blink of an eye, the Divine Arbiter had launched hundreds of slashes. Her hands, gripping the sword, trembled incessantly, and a faint flush appeared on her pale wrists.

Yet, she failed to inflict even the slightest injury on the Sin Sovereign.

The Sin Sovereign pointed a finger, and all sounds ceased.

After a brief pause, all the solidified laws around the Divine Arbiter shattered under that single finger. Her fair and beautiful figure was once again blasted away, crashing through countless rocks and trees, and slamming into the side of a canyon mountain. The rocks fragmented, and her body was directly embedded.

The Divine Arbiter's chest heaved, her vision blurred, and her temples throbbed. She felt viscous blood oozing from her body, soaking her entirely. A searing pain pierced her brow, as if a red mark had been cleaved there.

She had never imagined that the day she had long conspired for would end like this.

She was unwilling to admit defeat but powerless to do anything.

A hand gripped her collar, pulling her out of the mountain once more.

Her silver hair was full of dust, and her snow-white dress was stained with much dirt.

These were all things she detested.

"Divine Punishment."

The Sin Sovereign uttered these two words robotically, then drew a cross in front of him.

At the same time, an enormous golden cross-shaped scaffold appeared above the royal palace of Boundary City.

The Divine Arbiter was covered in wounds, and her law power was shattered. Even her continuous attempts to heal her injuries with the power of time were futile. She was completely suppressed by the Sin Sovereign.

From a high and mighty goddess, she had become a sinner.

The Sin Sovereign bound her with the power of judgment and sent her to the golden cross hovering above Boundary City. She struggled ceaselessly, but the law's power mercilessly bound her hands, spreading them out in a cruciform shape. Then, the bone-piercing power of judgment nailed her to the cross suspended in the sky, her dust-stained white dress resembling a prisoner's garb.

She hung her head, and everyone in the city witnessed her most humiliating sight.

The Divine Arbiter wished to kill everyone who witnessed this scene, but she was powerless. Finally, she gathered spiritual power at her fingertips, but instead of directing it at anyone, she pointed it towards a distant beacon tower.

A smoke signal abruptly rose, soaring straight into the sky.

The Sin Sovereign watched this scene but did not stop her.

He plucked a feather, which transformed into a black raven and landed on the golden cross. This raven would absorb her divinity, slowly devouring all her power over a long period until it was entirely consumed, thus becoming a part of the Sin Sovereign.

Beneath the cross, a massive black serpent coiled. The current Sin Sovereign was not truly omniscient and omnipotent, so he needed this "old friend" to guard his prey and prevent others from seizing the authority he was determined to claim.

"Fate."

The Sin Sovereign uttered this word, gazing towards the ice plain.