Hades did not casually use the crystal of Ultimate Power he had obtained but temporarily stored it away. He had many matters to handle. As for Iapetos's core essence and Chu Zhen scissors, he casually tossed them aside on the banks of the River Styx.
Since he couldn't use them, he might as well leave them there. He had no interest in these items; even if they were given to him, he wouldn't dare use them. After all, the Earth Goddess was silently watching. Using items crafted by her without any issues was unlikely, and any problems could lead to trouble.
Thus, unnecessary items remained unnecessary. Hades left the underworld and, after some contemplation, headed straight for the ocean realm.
He had already obtained two world chains: those of the stars and the sky. He still needed the chains of earth, underworld, and ocean. The world chain of earth was particularly special and would be dealt with last. As for the underworld, acquiring it would be easy.
The next best target was the world chain of the ocean, located in the Heart of the Ocean. Under normal circumstances, it was an inaccessible place. Since the mythological world's inception, only the true master of the ocean realm could enter the Heart of the Ocean. Neither the first-generation God-King Uranus nor the second-generation God-King Cronos had ever been there.
The reason was simple: the true master of the Heart of the Ocean was Poseidon. No other god could enter.
Hades moved swiftly. With the help of the invisibility cloak, he concealed himself and quickly arrived at the ocean realm. After a brief moment of sensing, guided by the divine power left by Poseidon and Zeus, he reached the entrance to the Heart of the Ocean.
Poseidon, feeling a presence, stood up from his throne, opened his hand, and revealed the Heart of the Ocean in the ocean realm. Hades didn't hesitate and entered.
"The Heart of the Ocean," Hades muttered as he stepped in, immediately feeling the difference. Here, a special barrier suppressed his divine power and laws.
This indicated that in the Heart of the Ocean, if Poseidon wanted to act, Hades might not be able to escape. However, Hades knew Poseidon wouldn't do that.
"Hades," came Poseidon's cold voice as he walked out step by step. "First time meeting."
"Poseidon, first time meeting," Hades replied quietly.
Hades with his black hair and Poseidon with his sea-blue hair stood in silence, just staring at each other.
How to describe it...
Hades's personality was heavily influenced by his role as the god of the underworld, leading to a rational, less emotional disposition. Poseidon was cold and detached, with little emotional fluctuation.
Zeus, by contrast, was impulsive, sinister, and greedy. Among the three brothers, Hades embodied absolute rationality, Poseidon represented coldness, and Zeus signified greed.
There was no question of who was better or worse; their personalities were simply vastly different.
"Hades."
"Poseidon."
Zeus also walked out from the Heart of the Ocean. Seeing his two brothers standing there silently, just staring at each other, he had an urge to complain. Couldn't they act a bit more normal?
"Let's talk inside!" Zeus said helplessly. "Now is the best time."
"Alright."
"Okay."
Hades and Poseidon nodded quietly. Zeus, exasperated, led them into the depths of the Heart of the Ocean, where three thrones stood, representing the sky, sea, and underworld—each belonging to one of the brothers.
Each took their seat, with sea spirits behind them serving drinks. Zeus, seated on his throne, intended for Hades and Poseidon to speak first.
However...
Zeus looked at his brothers, both coldly silent, and didn't know what to say. Could they please say something? What was this all about?
As for what happened between Hades and Zeus at the edge of the sky, there was no need to discuss it. These matters were settled and shouldn't be dwelled upon.
Even if the two gods weren't fools, they wouldn't bring it up now. The focus was on the upcoming Titan War, not their personal conflicts. After the war, they could settle their differences.
Zeus sighed softly and said gracefully, "Hades, Poseidon, let's discuss the upcoming Titan War..."
Hades and Poseidon remained silent, simply looking at Zeus, their expressions saying, "Go ahead, we're listening."
Zeus nearly threw his wine cup at them but restrained himself and continued, "Hades, you defeated and killed Iapetos. This is the best signal to the many new gods of the mythological world and the Titans dissatisfied with our father. As long as..."
"I'm not interested," Hades interrupted, seemingly knowing what Zeus was going to say. "You can recruit those gods. I have no interest in them."
Poseidon also said coldly, "I'm not interested either."
"Alright." Zeus accepted the task with a smile. "If you don't want them, I'll take them. Though many are useless, there might be a few good ones."
Zeus didn't mind. He continued, "But before that, we need to reclaim our essence. Without it, we have no chance against our father."
Before the other two could speak, Zeus continued, "Hades, you already have a bottle of the Dirge of the Gods. There are only four bottles in total. One has been used to save Poseidon. Poseidon and I will each use one bottle to reclaim our essence."
"I have no objection." Hades understood Zeus's point: he wouldn't get another bottle. He nodded in agreement; it wasn't a big deal.
Poseidon also nodded indifferently.
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