Chapter 261: News of the Golden Sand God and the Half-God’s Legacy

Earth deities and true gods in the starry skies are both true gods, but their situations differ.
The powers granted to earth deities are not the result of their own gradual understanding but are bestowed by the Will of the World. Thus, these powers come with certain limitations. Moreover, since the laws governing totem deities are incomplete, earth deities can only master a portion of them, with the rest still under the control of the Will of the World. As a result, earth deities above the half-god level are always one tier below true gods of the same rank.
In other words, although totem deities such as half-gods, newly risen gods, and lower gods can fully exert powers comparable to those of true gods in their own domains, killing them to seize their totem deities results in powers that are lower than expected.
For example, if they kill a powerful totem god of mid-tier god status, their main reward might only be a deity level and divine powers equivalent to those of a lower god. Other materials like divine blood, divine bodies, and faith crystals are not much different, representing a typical case where effort does not yield proportional results.
However, earth deities also have their advantages. First, because their powers come from the Will of the World, the true gods themselves can reside in the material plane, unlike the gods of the main world, who, due to their powers exceeding the rules of the material world, can only hide in divine kingdoms above the stars. Unless it’s the divine kingdom of a fallen true god, it’s virtually impossible for mortals to invade them.
Second, for Donald and his group, earth deities offer numerous lower-tier targets for mortals seeking divine power. By killing dozens or hundreds of totem gods with gold or legendary strength, they can, with good luck, gather enough deity fragments and divine power to reach the half-god level.
After completing the unification of the Three Iron Bell Islands, Donald and his five companions retreated to Iron Bell Island to rest for fifteen days without going hunting again.
According to the knowledge of the Iron Bell God, their sea area was located in the southwest of the continent, where there were no suitable totem gods on the nearby land. In contrast, the northern region had a sparser population, tribes separated by large distances, and a relatively isolated environment with little external interaction. Thus, Donald and his group decided to use this opportunity to strengthen their overall strength before taking action again.
But plans often change faster than expected. Before Donald and his group could finalize their targets, guests arrived outside Iron Bell Island.

Upon sensing the presence of an external deity, God of Iron Clang immediately reported to Donald, then flashed away to the skies above Iron Clang Island. Upon seeing who the visitor was, he exclaimed in surprise, “God of Golden Sand! What brings you here?” The totem god, with his pale golden skin and the appearance of a mature, handsome middle-aged man, was also stunned when he saw God of Iron Clang coming from Blackfish Island, and soon became greatly alarmed.

“God of Iron Clang, you…” God of Golden Sand was the totem god of a tribe located in a sandy area on the opposite continent. Like God of Iron Clang, he was originally a human Golden Totem God. However, God of Golden Sand had become a god much earlier than God of Iron Clang and was considered quite powerful among the Golden Totem Gods. He had extensive connections, and due to their shared human origins, their relationship had always been good!

He had originally come to seek cooperation from the Blackfish God brothers for an important matter about to begin. Unexpectedly, just a few months later, Blackfish Island had changed hands—and its new owner was none other than God of Iron Clang, who had been the least favored among the three Blackfish Islands! By merely sensing the much stronger divine aura surrounding God of Iron Clang, he realized that God of Iron Clang was now one rank higher than him. Asking him to join forces for that matter would be like trying to skin a tiger. If he offered benefits first, what would be left for himself even if the task succeeded?

But since he had already arrived here, it would be difficult to explain nothing. Moreover, although not much was known about that matter for now, it wasn’t exactly a secret. Eventually, God of Iron Clang would find out from other deities. Once he understood why God of Golden Sand had come today, he would completely offend this newly risen legendary totem god! Thus, God of Golden Sand stood awkwardly in midair, unable to speak.

Seeing God of Golden Sand’s state, God of Iron Clang knew he had something difficult to say, so he extended a hand and invited, “If there’s anything to discuss, let’s go to the island and talk!” With that, he flew ahead toward the temple already completed on the island in the lake. God of Golden Sand had no choice but to follow, pondering how to explain himself later.

Soon they arrived at the temple. Looking at the tall totem pillar glowing with divine light, God of Golden Sand also understood and simply said, “I originally came here intending to invite Brother God of Black Fish to collaborate on a major task. Since God of Black Fish and the others are no longer here, I’ll just convey this message to God of Iron Bell. After all, with my abilities, even if I went, I’d be at the bottom and have little chance of success!” God of Golden Sand realized that since he had to tell the other party anyway, there was no need to hide it, as that would only cause discomfort for both of them. Moreover, he had a past relationship with God of Iron Bell and knew his character wasn’t that of a selfish person who would abandon principles for profit.

So he detailed everything he knew. The major task he was referring to was the treasure hidden at the ruins of the demi-god Green Tree God, which would be uncovered in three months. Green Tree God was a demi-god who had perished hundreds of years ago. His name was rarely heard by the true gods who emerged later, and even fewer people knew about him. Generally, totem gods who reached the demi-god level found it very difficult to perish, unless they engaged in battles with other powerful gods. Green Tree God was once considered the most promising demi-god to ascend to a lower-tier totem god. He was a subordinate god of God of Gray Forest in the south, but later left the Gray Forest tribe due to ideological differences and moved alone to the snowy mountains in the north of the continent, becoming a totem god without followers. The north of the Totoem Continent had a harsh climate, so it was sparsely populated. Unless forced, few totem gods would build territories here. Green Tree God’s dream was to create a lush green forest at the foot of the snowy mountains, allowing all creatures suffering from lack of food and clothing in winter to shelter from the cold. Eventually, Green Tree God succeeded, but shortly after achieving his goal and just before ascending to a lower-tier god, he suddenly perished for no apparent reason, a result that saddened many gods.

“Most deities don’t know the reason for the Green Tree God’s demise, and after a few years, the matter was left unresolved.” “Who would have thought that hundreds of years later, the great White Mountain God suddenly proclaimed an oracle to several of his subordinate deities—stating that he had been entrusted by the Green Tree God to select an heir to inherit the sealed divine status, along with other treasures and artifacts. The White Mountain God would not intervene directly; ultimately, it would depend on the candidates to enter the Green Tree ruins on their own to seek these treasures. This news is set to be announced in a month, and the ruins will open in two months, which is why I’ve come to seek the help of Brother Wu Yu. If we truly manage to obtain the Green Tree God’s treasures, we’ll divide them equally.” He had never heard of the Green Tree God, but the divine status, position, and treasures left behind by a powerful demi-god on the verge of ascending to a lower god level were an irresistible temptation for totem gods like them who were below demi-gods.

However, Iron Bell God wasn’t swayed by temptation and instead asked, “If the Green Tree God’s treasures are so important, those demi-gods must also covet them. Then what chance will we weaker deities have?” Golden Sand God replied with a smile, “That’s something you don’t know. The White Mountain God has already issued an oracle stating that only deities below the level of demi-gods within his territory are allowed to compete for the Green Tree God’s ruins. In other words, those demi-gods can’t directly seize the treasures left by a demi-god, though supporting their subordinates in the competition is allowed. So, the main contenders for these divine treasures this time are gods like you and me, who are below demi-gods. Although the Golden Race is the weakest, they’re not without a chance. It’s said that the White Mountain God has placed powerful restrictions in the ruins, suppressing the strength of all deities entering to within the Golden Realm level, ensuring fair competition. It all comes down to luck!” Upon hearing this, Iron Cat God became very excited. The vast northern snow mountains were among the strongest regions in the Totem Continent, belonging to the lower totem god White Mountain God. As the totem god with the largest territory among the lower ones, backed by the entire northern snow mountain range, aside from the two more powerful gods above him, no other lower totem gods could compete with White Mountain God in those areas. Moreover, that great being was known for being fair and mild-mannered, rarely leaving his territory and disliking power struggles with other gods. With him as a guarantor, it was enough to reassure the many weaker totem gods.

Only deities within the jurisdiction of the White Mountain tribe could participate in the selection, as a form of favor toward the deities in their territory.

Although the Iron Cat God belongs to the deities of the Western Gulf Islands, he is located at the edge of the White Mountain God’s territory and is nominally under the White Mountain God’s rule, so he naturally qualifies to participate in the struggle. However, the Iron Bell God now has a master and must seek his approval before making a decision. As he was thinking about this, he heard an order in his mind: “Agree to it! I also have another idea—go ask if he agrees. If he does, bring him along on this mission; there will be benefits to share then!”