You also want to banish all the giants, leaving none behind?

That sentence suddenly flashed through Li Ang's mind. He didn't say anything and continued listening.

"My hatred for the gods didn't last long. Soon, the God War broke out."

King Shipi said calmly, "One side of the God War was Indra,

The other side was Brahma."

"Let me guess, Brahma won."

Li Ang raised his eyebrows. Indra's full name was Śakro devānām indra. Śakra means "able," deva means "celestial being," and Indra means "king." Śakro devānām indra is the ruler of the gods in the heavenly realm.

And Brahma is also known as the Creator, Brahmā, and Pure Heaven, the God above all gods, the Lord of Creation.

Both are deities in Hindu mythology, and were later adopted by Buddhism.

According to Hindu mythology, Indra is the god of thunder and war, while Brahma is the god of creation, one of the three main gods.

By the time of Buddhism, although Brahma's status had declined, becoming a Dharma protector of the Buddha, he was still in the heavenly sequence, with a higher rank than Indra. Indra is the lord of the second layer of the Desire Realm, Trayastrimsa Heaven,

Brahma is above the Desire Realm, a member of the Form Realm Heaven.

"That's right."

King Shipi nodded and said, "Although Indra is in charge of thunder and battle, he was still vulnerable to the encroachment of the Brahma God system, lost and was defeated, and was forced to join the Brahma God system.

The God Wars in ancient times, including the God Wars on the South Asian Indian continent,

Had two solutions.

One is to directly kill the gods of the defeated god system, devour the divine corpses, absorb divine power, and completely erase the existence of the god in history, permanently occupying their divine position.

Many of the well-known gods you are familiar with started by slaughtering and devouring the surrounding indigenous totem gods.

The second is that the defeated party retains their lives and joins the victorious god system in its entirety.

The result of this is a change in belief, losing their original rank and status in the god system.

After the God War failed, Indra had two choices: either die, or join the Brahma God system.

He chose the latter.

As a result, Indra went from being the 'ruler of all gods'

To being the 'ruler of the gods in the heavenly realm,'

Forever subordinate to Brahma."

Li Ang thought for a while and said, "Similar to a corporate merger?"

"Um... although it is theoretically more complicated, because it involves the conversion of divine positions and the rise and fall of divinity...

But it can indeed be understood that way."

King Shipi nodded, "The God Wars of that era were so bloody and cruel.

The evolution of mythology in the eyes of mortals,

Is actually a series of God Wars.

As a member of the Indra God system, I also merged into the Brahma God system.

However, before long, the Brahma God system fell into silence."

"Silence? What do you mean?"

Li Ang frowned and asked.

King Shipi is a deity left over from ancient times, possibly the third long-lived species Li Ang has ever seen.

If he wasn't lying or deliberately concealing anything, what he said would undoubtedly be a history of the evolution of ancient deities.

"Gods who embark on the path of faith and godhood are also bound by the power of faith.

Like Indra and other gods, they can never escape this point.

As for Brahma, I have never seen his true form, and I don't know how high his strength is or whether he can escape the constraints of the Killing Game.

However, what I do know is that Brahma ordered all the gods to fall into slumber."

King Shipi said calmly, "According to my speculation, it is very likely that Brahma's life is coming to an end.

In real history, whether it is a Deva who does not choose the path of faith and godhood, that is, the players you call,

Or gods who choose the path of faith and godhood,

Their lifespans have an upper limit, only slightly longer than ordinary people.

I believe that Brahma's lifespan was coming to an end, and he wanted to transform himself from a living god into a god of faith, that is, a post-mortem form, when his power was at its strongest.

With his boundless power,

And the sum of the divine power of all the gods in the god system,

To consolidate his free will.

In the form of a god of faith, to escape the pursuit of the Killing Game, attain longevity, and at the same time possess self-awareness."

"He failed?"

Li Ang said in a declarative tone. If Brahma had succeeded, he would not have been reduced to a Dharma protector of the Buddha in Buddhism.

"Of course he failed."

King Shipi said lightly, "So many god systems and so many gods throughout history could not solve the problem. How could he overcome it independently?

Although I did not observe it with my own eyes, judging from the later results, he not only failed, but all the gods, including those in his god system, also fell into a long sleep.

Brahma himself, as the Lord of Creation, lost a large number of believers in the mortal world, and no one worshiped him."

In the real world, Brahma, one of the three main gods of Hinduism, is not worshiped by many Hindus today.

India has tens of thousands of temples dedicated to Vishnu and Shiva, but there are only a few temples dedicated to Brahma.

"As for me, as a marginal god in the god system, I did not participate in the collective slumber of the Brahma God system,

But before the slumber, I used the name of the Killing Game to feign death and escape."

King Shipi said calmly, "I obtained an extremely special cultivation technique from the Killing Game,

That can actively split one's own soul into thousands of pieces,

The remnant fragments of the soul,

In the form of 'self-origin,'

That is, the genetic information commonly known today,

Pass it down.

Any mortal who carries a fragment of my soul is both that mortal himself, and also me, Shipi.

The descendants born by mortals may also inherit fragments of my soul.

In most cases, these soul fragments will not awaken,

Only a very small number of fragments can awaken some will, possess some special abilities, and see memory fragments of past soul hosts.

And even fewer fragments can fully awaken, recover their memories, and realize that they are King Shipi,

And become me."

"Similar to a reincarnated Living Buddha?"

Li Ang narrowed his eyes, "No, compared to the sayings of reincarnated Living Buddhas, soul vessels, or seizing bodies,

This is more like memetic propagation."

"Exactly."

King Shipi said lightly, "I am one, and I am ten thousand.

I voluntarily gave up the path of faith and godhood,

Relying on this non-dead and non-living, both dead and alive, I survived, and lived longer than other gods.

Although in thousands of years of history, I have slept for far longer than I have been awake,

But this is enough for other versions of me in the world to execute the plan.

I, we,

Traveled across the ocean, carrying fragments of our souls to every corner of the world.

We witnessed heavily armored knights charging in formation on the European plains,

We witnessed tens of thousands of laborers building pyramids in the South American rainforests in the pouring rain,

We witnessed the arrival of the Age of Discovery and the enlightenment of the Industrial Age's steam whistle.

We have seen the rise and fall of dynasties, the changes of the times,

And have been quietly waiting for an opportunity.

An opportunity for the large-scale rise of the Killing Game, and the gradual resurrection of all sleeping gods.

Then, at that moment, stab them hard."

"Opportunity..."

A flash of lightning seemed to flash through Li Ang's mind. The strange phenomena and doubts he had seen in the Ajanta Caves were now explained.

Li Ang hesitated and said, "You supported your own divine kingdom, consuming the power of faith accumulated in temples around the world, in order to delay the awakening of other gods?"

"That's right."

King Shipi said slowly, "The future of mankind belongs to mortals, not to gods.

Gods who rely on the power of faith for 'eternal life' are just parasites parasitic on mortal races.

After they wake up,

Whether they regain their self-awareness or become puppets of faith and thought,

Will cause an unprecedented blow to mankind.

Several god systems are enough to make mankind regress to the primitive era.

And what if dozens or hundreds of god systems awaken at the same time?

That kind of future,

The human civilization created by mortals with hard work will be reduced to ashes."

"..."

Li Ang was silent for a while, feeling that this King Shipi was a Prometheus-like figure,

Always seeking a future for the vast majority of mortals.

"Before, I supported the divine kingdom and consumed the power of faith accumulated in the temples,

There were three reasons.

First, I cherish human civilization as brilliant as a diamond, and I don't want to see mortals once again enslaved and kept by the gods and Buddhas in the sky.

The second is to avenge the feud of thousands of years ago, when Indra and others destroyed my hometown and killed my relatives."

King Shipi said, "As for the third reason,

Our world is controlled by the Killing Game, and dominated by the Killing Game.

No matter what it wants, what it wants to get from us,

The path of faith and godhood will not truly liberate mankind."

"What exactly does the Killing Game want?"

Li Ang couldn't help asking, "Evolution? Selection? Observation?"

"...I don't know."

King Shipi said bluntly, "The Killing Game threatens human civilization,

Coercing and enticing the extraordinary people it has selected to constantly become stronger in the cycle of life and death.

If it is to select the strongest among the mortal races, then it should at least regularly take people away to participate in some kind of activity.

But in my observation,

All gods either fell or fell into slumber.

No one truly recognizes the true purpose of the Killing Game—at least no one can live to recognize the true purpose of the Killing Game.

And if it's just observation, then there's no need to put in so much effort..."

King Shipi paused, shook his head and said, "Maybe only the strongest in the god system, or the long-lived species who have lived long enough, can know this.

Anyway,

The existence of the path of faith and godhood is not a good thing for ordinary mortals.

The gods promoted through the path of faith and godhood cannot satisfy the ultimate purpose of the Killing Game."

"Um..."

Li Ang narrowed his eyes and thought. The so-called long-lived species and travelers he had seen, such as the Shenlong, Hanba, Su Nisheng, Professor, and Penguin,

More or less hinted that the path of faith and godhood is not the so-called Great Dao, but did not completely explain it.

Li Ang himself didn't care about faith and godhood, or whether he could live longer. He wasn't a fanatical pursuer of immortality.

The Great Dao, and the ultimate purpose of the Killing Game...

Let's take it one step at a time.

"As for this script mission,

Just like what I said just now, Steven is me, and Barbara is also me."

King Shipi said, "This script mission is actually a life encountered by one of the thousands of me.

In the real world, there are indeed people like Steven, Mavis, and Barbara.

I invited you people who participated in the Ajanta Caves to enter a script mission constructed with me as a sample.

The reason I invited you,

Is to entrust you to convey a message to other people in the real world."

"Please speak."

Li Ang reacted and his attitude was peaceful.

If King Shipi wasn't lying, then he had indeed done a lot for human civilization.

And he didn't seem to have any reason to lie, or to gain any benefit - his own body had exploded.

"Those gods will, and must, awaken."

King Shipi said with a serious expression, "Humanity needs to be extremely vigilant to deal with these gods who should have died long ago.

If those awakened gods,

Have lost their free will and become puppets of the power of faith,

Then you can try to control and enslave them.

And if the awakened gods have completed the conversion during their slumber, turning from death to life and regaining their free will,

Then, be sure, be sure, to take thunderous measures and kill them.

You are still far from being a match for those gods of the mythical era.

To this end, you even have to take the most extreme strategies,

For example, eradicating the soil in which gods exist."

"..."

Li Ang's eyes narrowed. Eradicating the soil in which gods exist means destruction and annihilation.

The highest crystallization of human technological level in violence in the real world is undoubtedly fusion and fission nuclear weapons.

And the mobilization power of human society can indeed eradicate the "soil" in which gods exist.

"I understand."

Li Ang nodded, "I will convey the information to others,

As for what they will do, I can't control it."

Human civilization has the means to eradicate violence, but it may not have the determination.

Let's not talk about Buddhism, which is already declining in India, but other god systems...

"That's enough."

A smile appeared on King Shipi's face, "That's all I have to say.

Your time to teleport back is almost here, right?

I see that you have also chosen the path of faith and godhood. Remember one thing, while other gods have not awakened, go to their lairs and kill more gods, and kill gods often.

Strengthen yourself as soon as possible.

In this era, the advantage of the first mover is always greater than that of the latecomer."

"Huh?"

Li Ang raised his eyebrows when he heard this, "Aren't you afraid that I will devour the divine origin of other gods and become a new god,

According to the path you hate the most, continue to enslave ordinary people?"

"Hehe."

King Shipi smiled, "I believe in you,

I saw the script mission you promoted in Steven's identity, and the things you did for Steven after the script mission.

You are different from those old gods, at least not now."

"Okay."

Li Ang nodded. Just now, he had been using psionic energy to talk to King Shipi, trying to slow down the time sensed by both sides and improve the efficiency of information transmission.

However, the five-minute teleportation time limit was still almost up.

Li Ang waited for the countdown to the teleportation time and asked casually, "One last question, how did you have self-awareness and appear here?

Isn't the world of the script mission completely closed and isolated?"

"This..."

King Shipi smiled slyly, "I borrowed a certain divine relic and used a clever method to 'invite' you to participate in the script mission.

Of course, even gods cannot truly transcend. Only when you complete the mission can I appear in the scene - in the form of a mortal who has abandoned his power.

By the way, after you go back, tell others not to think about finding thousands of me in the real world, who have been broken up into pieces.

Although I have lost most of my power, I can still hide in a way that you will never find me."