If only their Qi wasn’t frozen... they would’ve long performed a sound-blocking technique, sealing themselves away from this humiliating drama.
But seeing that she didn’t respond to his question, Ileus decided it was time to get on with it.
Among all the ten gods, he was the strongest—and the coldest. His command over Mana allowed him to use all elemental skills effortlessly. He had no near-fatal weaknesses, making him the most dangerous of them all.
"So I’ll take your silence as a yes," Ileus said calmly, placing his thumb gently on her forehead.
Immediately, her body lit up in golden radiance. The glow pulsed for three seconds... then vanished.
She fell from his telekinetic grasp—but softly, landing on her feet.
And in that moment, Lia felt something shift within her. Something deep.
The connection she once had with the God of Dao... was gone.
In its place, she now felt tethered to him. Ileus. The god of Mana.
The suffocating pressure that had kept her frozen just moments ago now lifted like a curtain. She could breathe again.
Lia was relieved to be free—but then she felt it.
Something... strange.
’Where is Qi? What is this energy!? Is this... Mana? This energy is so powerful.’
Panic surged through her. Her heart beat erratically.
She looked at him and asked in a slightly trembling voice, "What did you do to my body?"
"Severed your link," came the familiar, cold tone of Ileus.
His casual voice only made her angrier. She was asking something important, and he was acting like it was nothing.
"Not that!" she snapped, her frustration rising.
"So what did I do?" he said again, feigning ignorance. He wasn’t done playing with her yet.
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO THE QI IN MY BODY!? WHAT’S THIS STRANGE ENERGY!?" Lia screamed, her voice almost cracking.
She wanted to lash out—wanted to attack him. But the bond prevented her. The connection, now severed from Dao and chained to Mana, wouldn’t let her lift a hand against him.
"So that’s what you’re talking about. That would be your new energy from now on," Ileus said. "Call it Mana."
Hearing that, Lia knew she had no choice in this matter.
Even though the energy felt... good. Even though it seemed stronger than Qi. She couldn’t let him see that. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
That was why she asked.
That was why she acted as though she hated it.
From the way he said it, the message was clear.
Whether she liked it or not... she had to accept it.
She must start using it.
The other gods were stunned.
He gave her Mana? Just like that?
No rituals? No conditions?
If their Qi wasn’t frozen, they would’ve immediately examined her—scanned her body to understand what he had done.
But that wasn’t an option.
’Enjoy all you want. Gather all the servants in this world. All of this means nothing before the God of Qi and Dao. Deus will finish you when he comes. I’m sure he already noticed the severed link. I won’t pity you when he mercilessly ends your life.’
All of them harbored similar thoughts.
She looked at him again, brows furrowed.
"So... how does it work?"
"The same way as Qi," Ileus replied. "You’ll still be able to use your techniques—albeit in a different manner. But this isn’t the right time for this."
He tilted his head slightly.
"We’ll talk later. For now... I want to deal with these insects."
His words cut like blades.
Hearing him curse them so easily, the God of War tried to clench his fists... but he couldn’t.
Ileus’s telekinesis was simply too strong.
Their fury boiled with every passing second, but it didn’t matter.
Utterly powerless in his grasp.
They were angered beyond words. Their bodies tried to tear Ileus to pieces, and they almost swore to cut off his disgusting lips once they got the chance.
The God of War and the God of Darkness were the most furious of them all. The veins on the God of War bulged out, threatening to tear through the skin that held them back—veins swollen with divine rage, trembling violently as if yearning to erupt from his body and lash out.
Looking at the dark-skinned god, one would see black veins—some as thick as a quarter centimeter, others needle-thin—cutting through his snow-white skin like cursed roots crawling beneath a flawless surface.
Each vein stood out in raw definition, exposed and twitching, giving a grotesque and terrifying sight. It was disgusting, yes—but more than that, it was intimidating, capable of instilling pure fear into anyone watching.
But unfortunately for him, that was as far as he could go. He could not act... not unless Ileus allowed him to.
Among them, the God of Light was the calmest. Too calm.
He sat relaxed, as if nothing was happening at all—his expression composed, his divine heart seemingly untouched by the tension around him. Only now and then would he reveal a flicker of shock in his eyes as he watched the ’show’ unfold.
He made no effort to struggle. Instead, he leaned back into the invisible fortress that was Ileus’s telekinetic hold.
What truly helped him contain his rising anger... was the belief that Ileus was already dead. Just not yet.
’Don’t worry... continue to enjoy yourself while your life lasts. I wonder if Deus, the God of Qi and Dao, will come... No. No! He will come! We are his most powerful subordinates. He won’t just abandon us like trash. He will come for you. You dared to rebel against him!’
But then... the God of Light—Lumen—suddenly tensed.
What if Deus didn’t come?
What if... he really did abandon them?
What if... they were no longer worth saving?
The thought made his divine heart stutter. But he steeled himself again, drawing strength from the obvious truth: Ileus was rebelling. There was no way Deus would ignore that.
Rebellion—especially among gods—was rare. And when it did happen, it usually came from low-ranking gods who foolishly believed they had surpassed their master