Chapter 2317 - 2320: The Dao Fruit That Can Drive the War Goddess Athena to Despair

The instant they heard Shen Qiang speak, the many Huaxia Sea Demons standing to the side were instantly stunned. Not only did they look at each other in dismay, but their eyes flashed with unspeakable terror and astonishment.

"Oh my god, has the Dragon Emperor lost his mind? He revived War Goddess Athena, and then he wants to kill her? Oh, what the hell is this?"

"The world of gods really is impossible to understand. She's a god, the War Goddess, the Wisdom Goddess! She's way stronger than Lord Yu Jiang. The Dragon Emperor wants to kill her? Why? Wouldn't it be great to keep her around? She's beautiful, she's capable, she's a Goddess—using her as a wife would be just perfect…"

"Revive her and then kill her? We staked our lives just to help the Dragon Emperor do this?"

The many Huaxia Sea Demons didn't dare make a sound, but each of their gazes was strange.

At the same time, Wisdom Goddess Athena looked seriously at Shen Qiang and said, "I don't know who you are. You're an accident. My fate is: a woman from another world came here, she opened the Crystal Coffin, wanting to seize my body, yet she possessed the same memories and faith as I do."

"This was predestined. No one can change it. So now you say you absolutely have to kill me—that's nothing but raising the stakes. Go ahead, state your price, I can satisfy you."

Shen Qiang suddenly laughed: "I already said, within ten meters in front of me, I am the Heavenly Dao. The Heavenly Dao's rule is: the dead may not be revived. Even trying to exploit a loophole by existing in the form of mere memories is not allowed."

In an instant, the Wisdom Goddess was stunned.

Her eyes, somewhat incredulous, stared at Shen Qiang. "What did you say?"

"You still don't get it?" Shen Qiang said with a smile. "You calculated the beginning, but you didn't guess the ending, because your ability is to control your own destiny, yet you can't influence others the way the Goddess of Destiny can. The only thing you can affect is what happens when others encounter you."

"That's why you're undefeated in battle—because you can use so-called Divine Arts to influence the state others are in when they meet you. For example: she's drunk, she's lost her body, she's had her heart broken; or he's been betrayed by his subordinates. Then you can exploit that point, make an article out of it—and you win."

"And precisely because of this, not only are you undefeated, people also call you the Wisdom Goddess. So when you realized you yourself were going to die, you laid the groundwork for your own destiny: that many years later, there would be a woman from another world who would come to seize your body, and then your memories and faith would merge with hers. That way, you'd achieve another form of rebirth."

Wisdom Goddess Athena stared at Shen Qiang with shocked eyes and said, "Who on earth are you? You are not in my plan."

"Within ten meters in front of me, I am the Heavenly Dao!"

Smiling, Shen Qiang looked at the shaken Athena and said, "Your design is near perfect. You thought you could slip through the cracks. But the Heavenly Dao is spring, summer, autumn, and winter, the cycle of the four seasons. The only way to change the trajectory of fate is effort, yet you chose to cheat."

"I am also making an effort." The Wisdom Goddess smiled. "Besides, now I'm even more certain you are not the Dragon Emperor, nor his heir. Not only that, you thinking you've won is just an illusion, because my memories will not change. As long as she occupies my body, she is destined to become me."

Shen Qiang smiled and said, "And this is precisely where the Heavenly Dao is most powerful. The life trajectory you preset carries irresistible force. Many years later, that woman who needed to occupy your body did indeed appear; she stepped into the path of your destiny. But unfortunately, in the end you still lost to the Heavenly Dao."

The Wisdom Goddess laughed. "I'm alive right now."

"No, what's alive is just a string of memory codes." Shen Qiang laughed. "Because the Heavenly Dao chose, for that woman, a master who has never believed in coincidence."

The Wisdom Goddess froze for a moment, furrowed her brows, and said, "What do you mean?"

Shen Qiang chuckled. "Before coming here, I had arranged everything. But accidents kept happening. First I was discovered by accident, then the Crystal Coffin accidentally wouldn't open, Youying knew you, Qian Ning looks too much like you, and your resumes are almost identical. That made me realize, right away, that there is no way all of this is just coincidence."

"And suppose this whole affair were to fail, to be lost, what would be the worst-case scenario?"

Looking at the frowning Wisdom Goddess Athena, Shen Qiang smiled and said, "I thought about it very carefully, then suddenly realized: the worst outcome, the biggest accident, is not that my Techniques can't bring Qingxuan back to life, but that after Qingxuan is revived she becomes someone else. That is the worst result, and the most terrifying accident. If you were me, at that moment, what's the thing you most ought to do?"

"Naturally, you avoid that accident, and if necessary, you can choose to give up." Wisdom Goddess Athena raised a brow. "But you're stupid. You still chose to revive me. That already means the worst scenario has come to pass."

Shen Qiang smiled, snapped his fingers, and said to Qian Ning, who had returned to normal, "Call in a few more great sea beasts. The big battle's about to start."

Qian Ning, totally confused, glanced doubtfully at Athena on the round altar, then gave an "Oh," and obediently went off to the side to continue her singing.

At the same time, sitting on a broken stone pillar, Shen Qiang turned his head and smiled at Wisdom Goddess Athena. "In fact, you should already know: if your goal had truly succeeded, it would mean you'd defeated the Heavenly Dao. But too bad—you lost. Your resurrection plan is destined never to succeed, because I, who have never believed in coincidence, am now the Heavenly Dao."

"That joke isn't funny!" Athena raised a brow.

Shen Qiang's gaze was mocking. "You really think so? Then why don't you come down and walk around? Or start a big fight? Oh, you won't do that! Because you're the Wisdom Goddess, and you've discovered that you can only control one right hand, while the rest of your limbs are completely beyond your control. So you have to stall for time with words, to fight for regaining control of your body as quickly as possible."

In an instant, Wisdom Goddess Athena froze, then she looked at Shen Qiang with a mocking expression and said, "And what of it? At least I'm alive now, and that Qingxuan you want will no longer exist."

Hearing this, Shen Qiang suddenly laughed. "Drop her sword."

Immediately, everyone was shocked to see Wisdom Goddess Athena's left hand abruptly and eerily twist around and grab Athena's wrist.

Clang!

The medium-length Broadsword fell to the ground.

Looking at the Wisdom Goddess's terrified gaze—

Shen Qiang smiled and said, "The Heavenly Dao is smarter than you. After that woman destined to step into the track of your life appeared, the Heavenly Dao gave her a master who never believes in coincidence and strives relentlessly."

"Of course, that alone is not enough to shatter your hopes. So he must be a Doctor. But Doctors' abilities vary in strength, so the Heavenly Dao bestowed upon this Doctor the most powerful Medical Saint Inheritance. And this perfectionist spent a full six years obtaining a Dao Fruit strong enough to make you despair!"

Suddenly arching a brow, Shen Qiang revealed a mocking smile.

"That person is me!"