Chapter 165: Amun-Ra

Just as Gu Chongyan was preparing to wipe out all of these clay sculptures in one fell swoop, a majestic voice suddenly echoed throughout the temple.

"Mage, do not push your luck. Sometimes, you need to know when to stop!"

As this voice resonated, the wall before Gu Chongyan seemed to transform into an ocean of light.

Amidst a dazzling and brilliant radiance, a majestic and imposing grand vessel materialized in front of him.

It was nearly a hundred meters long, with both ends curved upward, and a hull as smooth as a shuttle. A three-masted white sail stood proudly at the center. The sacred serpent, the Uraeus, was intricately carved and coiled around the mast, looking lifelike and vivid. Its pair of serpentine eyes burned brightly, radiating a terrifying divine glow.

Across the outer hull, scene after scene of rituals dedicated to the Sun God flowed past like a cinematic art exhibition, exuding an imposing, solemn, and majestic aura.

Upon the grand vessel stood a towering figure bathed entirely in a red glow. With the head of a hawk and the body of a man, holding a scepter, and crowned with a solar disc along with a serpent coiled atop it, he was none other than the King of Gods in the Egyptian pantheon: Amun-Ra, the Sun God.

As a Skyfather-level entity, the very moment Amun-Ra appeared, his overwhelming aura began to distort the surrounding space.

The searing temperature instantly skyrocketed into the thousands, and even a powerful telepath like Gu Chongyan felt a scorching heat that nearly melted his senses.

Yet, in the face of such a vast and mighty presence, Gu Chongyan showed not the slightest sign of weakness.

With a light chuckle, the Book of Darkness behind him began to turn on its own accord. Within the world of light, a massive serpent as dark as iron coiled its colossal body, opening its abyssal maw to swallow the endless ocean of light.

Even the realm of light cast a hint of shadow due to the serpent's appearance.

The shadow was not large, but it happened to envelop Gu Chongyan entirely, shielding him from the blazing radiance of the sun.

Apophis, the Serpent of Darkness, the most ancient god of destruction, even older than the Ennead, the source of all dark power, and the mortal enemy of Amun-Ra.

Apophis resided in the deepest abyss of the underworld, associated solely with destruction and harm. By day, he hid in the darkness, waiting for night to fall to plunge the entire world into shadow.

Naturally, this giant serpent was not the true Apophis, but as a telepath utilizing the power of darkness to conjure a phantom capable of resisting Amun-Ra's aura, it posed no difficulty at all.

Crouched within the shadows, Gu Chongyan looked calmly at Amun-Ra in the light and spoke softly, "Pushing my luck? I don't feel that anything I've done is excessive."

"Respected Sun God, the Age of Gods has long since passed. Surely you are aware of the rule that deities must not descend to Earth without cause, are you not?"

"The Egyptian gods secretly manipulating this land through the power of the Book of Darkness already violates the pact between Heliopolis and Kamar-Taj."

"Clearing away deities that have no business appearing in this realm is only right and proper. If the Sun God has any objections to this, I believe the Sorcerer Supreme, Ancient One, would warmly welcome you to Kamar-Taj to chat with her face-to-face."

"Now, either your true body descends and I concede defeat and leave, or you retract your projection and stop trying to intimidate me with borrowed authority. It won't work."

As he spoke, the Book of Darkness behind Gu Chongyan churned even faster. The phantom of Apophis stretched its massive body, its serpentine coils piling up like a mountain, with curves resembling a winding highway.

The serpent's head leveled out, opening its bloody maw like a black hole, and grandly devoured a vast expanse of the world of light. Like rolling dark thunderclouds, it attempted to obscure the sun's radiance.

As a peak planetary-level entity, Gu Chongyan had long since perceived that the Sun God before him was all show, merely an illusory projection while his true body hid safely in the celestial realm of Heliopolis, not daring to descend at all.

Had he actually come in person, the Ancient One would likely have been waiting for him at the dimensional border before he could even manifest.

True to expectation, Gu Chongyan's words left Amun-Ra utterly speechless.

Talk to the Ancient One? If he had that kind of capability, entities like the Pantheon would never have come to be.

As for descending with his true body? That was nothing short of seeking death.

Consu might be able to bounce around on Earth, but that was only because a deity who had to rely entirely on an avatar to maintain worship could never stir up any real waves.

After all, no matter how powerful the Ancient One was, she was only one person. Earth served as the convergence point for countless dimensions; if she had to manage every stray cat and dog, she would die of exhaustion trying to keep up.

Minor characters, as long as their impact remained negligible, were generally ignored with one eye shut, serving as practice fodder for other guardians of Earth.

However, if a Skyfather-level entity like Amun-Ra dared to stick his head out, she would decisively lop it off, burn it to ashes, and hang his corpse at the dimensional border as a warning for three days and three nights at the very least.

Seeing Gu Chongyan push back so fiercely and drive the Book of Darkness forward to shatter his projection, the Sun God could no longer sit still.

If he really allowed Gu Chongyan to wipe out these dozen or so deities in one fell swoop, his position as King of Gods would exist in name only.

"Enough, Mage, stop playing around. Name your conditions. If we truly break ties, even the Ancient One won't be able to protect you," Amun-Ra said with a dark expression.

He knew that Gu Chongyan was only acting this way to extort more benefits.

Using overwhelming pressure earlier was merely an attempt to bully a young man and scare him off.

He had not expected Gu Chongyan to be so unfazed and clear-sighted, seeing right through his bluff. With no other choice, Amun-Ra had to endure the heartache and bleed a little to protect these deities.

In truth, Gu Chongyan had never really intended to wipe out the entire group of deities. Not that he couldn't, but there was simply no need.

If he destroyed them now, he would still have to negotiate terms with the Egyptian pantheon later. Early or late, negotiations were the same; in fact, early negotiations could boost his strength, whereas later, once his own power had grown, the Egyptian pantheon might no longer possess anything that caught his eye.

"Simple, I want the Book of Amun-Ra."

"Impossible." Amun-Ra refused without a second thought.

His tone grew harsh and severe as he proclaimed loudly, "Mage, I am negotiating with you in good faith. Do not push your limits; otherwise, Heliopolis is not to be trifled with."

Gu Chongyan rolled his eyes at him and retorted unceremoniously, "Don't be so impatient. They say you ask for a sky-high price and bargain down. For a Sun God, how do you lack even this bit of patience? Since the Book of Amun-Ra is out of the question, then give me Solar Essence. That should be fine, right?"

Hearing this, Amun-Ra let out a cold snort. "Very well, but you must return Consu as well."

Clearly, the Sun God still held deep concern for his own son.

"Impossible," Gu Chongyan refused without hesitation. "Give me the Solar Essence, and I can leave the deities of the Pantheon untouched. But as for Consu, that requires a separate price—unless you bring me the Book of Amun-Ra, or the Sun Boat, or the Lotus of Genesis, then we can talk."

"Anything else, forget it."