Chapter 67 (2/2): Turning the Tide Against the Wind, Returning Every Favor

Su Fu stared at the flattened mountain, barely suppressing a smirk.

“Now that’s… a big meal. Thanks to our Indian friends for the points.”

***

Su Fu’s explosion pleased her, but the Indian Pantheon was thrown into chaos by the operation.

“Trouble in the eastern vein!”

“What happened? Thunder power? Who dares invade the Indian Pantheon?”

“What was that thunderstorm just now?”

“Oh my god, the whole mountain’s gone?!”

Soon, a squad hurried from a nearby peak, led by Indian Pantheon’s Ashoka.

Seeing “Kevin’s” figure, he immediately went on high alert.

“South Polar Star! How dare you break the Seven Pantheons’ alliance agreement and sneak-attack the Indian Pantheon?”

Kevin shrugged with an innocent look.

“Hey hey hey, it’s a misunderstanding, really.”

“Let me explain.”

“I was chasing Su Fu, not deliberately attacking your map.”

“Nonsense!” Ashoka’s face twisted in anger.

“Do you think I’m a child? Everyone knows Su Fu is dead by your hands!”

“Where’s the proof? Where is Su Fu?”

Kevin blinked, then purple lightning suddenly exploded around the three, their figures fleeing like lightning bolts.

“Damn it!” Ashoka roared.

“Chase them! They’re still in the map. We can’t let them escape!”

***

While the Indian Pantheon scoured Lingjiu Mountain in frustration, Su Fu’s trio had already teleported back to Qingqiu.

The false blame had been laid firmly on South Polar Star—no need for further theatrics.

In the peach blossom forest, the three sat on a green stone, comfortably waiting for feedback from Lin Mingxi and Jiang Qingyu.

“Logically…” Pi Chu Xi rested his chin on his hand.

“Since Indian Pantheon caused such a huge commotion, their vanguard sent to attack Qingqiu should be retreating, right?”

Fang Bo Han nodded, “Definitely. Now they think South Polar Star is after them, and they just had a mountain destroyed. The damage was brutal. They’re probably scared stiff, no way they’ll still attack Qingqiu.”

As they spoke, the communication device suddenly lit up.

Su Fu looked over and sure enough, Lin Mingxi’s message came in: Indian Pantheon had quit the alliance.

[Mingxi: “Boss, you’re incredible. You really dealt with the Indian Pantheon’s base. They didn’t even explain why—just said, ‘Received orders to return to map immediately,’ then left the alliance.”]

Following that was the full alliance chat transcript:

[Indian Pantheon Anil: “No more Qingqiu, everyone bye.”]

[Egyptian Pantheon Isis: “@Indian Pantheon Anil, you just mocked Amaterasu Pantheon as cowards, now you’re one too?”]

[Norse Pantheon Eric: “Haha, mocking others while you turn around and shrink back yourself?”]  

[Indian Pantheon Anil has left the chat]

By watching the chat logs the three laughed hard, especially Pi Chu Xi.

“Now he’s not even boasting about being the third-largest pantheon.”

Fang Bo Han added, “The key is they broke and quit the alliance outright. Amaterasu hasn’t left yet. Shows just how hurt the third pantheon really is.”

***

At the Supreme Divine Palace, several Ministry of Education Ministers sighed over the screens.

“Never thought she’d actually pull it off…” Xuanyuan Po’s expression was complicated.

“The Seven Pantheons’ siege plan was so easily undone.”

“Tell me about it,” An Muyu lamented.

“Not only undone, but she also made South Polar Star bear the brunt of the blame.”

An Muyu glanced at the silent Xia Linyuan and continued speculating.

“If she keeps acting like this, the whole exam site will soon fall into chaos. And everyone will blame South Polar Star. Then who cares about Qingqiu?”

“Meanwhile, she can rack up points like crazy, making a fortune.”

As for Su Fu herself?

She was happily hidden away.

This one move was three birds with one stone: lifted Qingqiu’s siege, harvested points, and pushed South Polar Star into the spotlight.

Su Fu was undoubtedly the biggest winner amid the chaos—while others fought desperately, she just stoked the fires and collected points.

“Her brain…” Xuanyuan Po couldn’t help but marvel.

“What is it made of?”

“The Seven Pantheons alliance is already starting to fracture. Amaterasu first, then Indian.”

“Odinson’s elaborate setup has been broken, and has ironically become their own death warrant.”

“Isn’t that ridiculous?”

Xia Linyuan was noticeably frustrated, watching South Polar Star, with all the advantage, being reversed bit by bit by Su Fu.

“The key is, Odinson still knows nothing,” Xuanyuan Po said with an indescribable expression.

“No, not just nothing—he probably can’t even imagine his own base has been raided.”

“He’s still outside, watching the wind and snow, thinking everything is going according to plan. It’s absurd, but who would have thought Su Fu alone would dare defy the entire Seven Pantheons? Even boldly infiltrating the Norse Pantheon’s stronghold?”

“Crazy, suicidal. But she did it. And succeeded with no injuries.”

An Muyu wanted to ask something.

“Su Fu’s plan isn’t complicated, even has many loopholes.”

“For example, why didn’t Indian and Amaterasu confront South Polar Star? Wouldn’t that be suspicious? Also, why didn’t they warn others? If Amaterasu warned everyone, Indian Pantheon would have prepared, maybe even turned the tables on Su Fu. Her frame-up and scheming wouldn’t be so hard to see through if they shared information. Then why did the plan go so smoothly?”

Kong Ying chuckled lightly. and replied, “Minister An, maybe you think they’re too united. The Seven Pantheons’ cooperation was always based on dividing Qingqiu’s benefits. Since they united for gain… Of course they’d fracture for gain. Now two pantheons have taken heavy losses while others remain safe—can they really balance this?”

An Muyu was stunned, “So their silence is intentional?”

She sighed, realizing she had been wrong to think of them as a solid block.

In truth, it wasn’t scarcity but imbalance that worried them.

They probably wished other pantheons would also be ‘sneak-attacked’ and taste loss.

Why should only they suffer?

Most importantly, if they admit weakness, their ‘allies’ might immediately turn on them.

Cooperation?

What cooperation?

That’s just a balance of power.

So they’d rather feign deafness and watch the others fall one by one.

“Could Su Fu have planned this too?”

Everyone was shocked.

She really thought of everything?

Simply… flawless.

Her move directly fractured the Seven Pantheons alliance from within.

Xia Linyuan sighed, “She’s not calculating the situation—she’s calculating hearts. To disrupt the entire exam site, brute force isn’t enough. She accounted for everyone’s interests, ambitions, jealousy, fear—and used them all.”

“How terrifying. One person turned the entire board upside down.”

At that moment, the surveillance screen showed another disturbance.

A fire suddenly broke out at an Egyptian Pantheon outpost, followed by thunderous roars.

“Here it comes,” Xuanyuan Po expressionless.

“That’s the third one.”

“Do you think when the Egyptian Pantheon discovers they were attacked, they’ll also stay silent?”

“Of course,” Xia Linyuan said helplessly.

“Only those sneak-attacked realize the truth.”

“But ironically, because they were attacked, they can’t reveal the truth.”

Xuanyuan Po shook his head.

“With a mind like hers…”

“The key is, all her plans rely on her Divine Skills, combined with the diverse Chinese Civilization divine powers. It’s a massacre.”

If not seen with one’s own eyes, who would believe it?

Other pantheons were paranoid, suspicious, secretly wary of South Polar Star, unaware that only one person was behind it all—perfectly hidden.

And the instigator, Su Fu, quietly reaped the rewards.

An Muyu was silent, then asked, “In this exam, Odinson’s team should have had the upper hand, right?”

“He also deployed well and chose the right strategy from the start. He highly valued Su Fu, issued a bounty on her, sent elite squads to assassinate, and even allied with other pantheons to split Qingqiu.”

“Every step was lethal. So why has it come to this?”

Everyone was speechless.

Did Odinson make a mistake?

No.

He took it seriously and did his best, but the results were the opposite.

Xia Linyuan sighed, “Exactly because Odinson did nothing wrong, it makes this even more absurd.”

“Or, more accurately, terrifying.”

How to reverse this?

Maybe they shouldn’t have opposed Su Fu from the beginning.

“Then…” Xuanyuan Po looked at the others.

“What do you think will happen next?”

The Ministers exchanged looks, feeling the absurdity from their god’s-eye view.

Finally, Kong Ying spoke.

“Now it’s up to those sneak-attacked pantheons to realize something’s wrong. If they don’t… This game’s outcome is probably already decided.”

Everyone found it ridiculous—one person controlling the whole exam.

“No, wait,” Xia Linyuan said suddenly.

“There’s still one variable.”

“Bai Yu, the Greek Pantheon’s Bai Yu, who controls Olympus Sanctuary. If Bai Yu can seize control of the Olympus map before Su Fu’s plan fully unfolds, there might still be a chance to change the tide.”

“Other pantheons descend into chaos? Let them. They can’t reach Olympus Mountain anyway.”

“Instead, Bai Yu can use the chaos to harvest points.”

“Like a whale fall giving life to many, as other pantheons self-destruct, she quietly follows Su Fu’s wake to reap the rewards.”

“As for the final battle?”

“Even more advantageous. Su Fu alone can’t breach Olympus Mountain—that’s the mountain of the gods.”

“Or there’s another possibility,” An Muyu whispered, “someone exposes Su Fu’s plan and reveals everything.”

“That would put Su Fu at a huge disadvantage.”

“Facing seven pantheons alone? How could she dare?”

“Still letting the fox plant trees, only to have the entire Qingqiu trampled flat if discovered.”

***

Greek Pantheon map, the mountain of the gods.

Amid swirling mists, a palace appeared faintly, golden domes piercing the sky.

Bai Yu stood by the window, looking toward the peaks.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps approached.

“Master, bad news!”

Chris burst in, panting.

“Just now, South Polar Star’s Kevin suddenly appeared, blew up a mountain in our east, then fled. We failed to catch him.”

He added bitterly, “He insisted he was chasing Su Fu, but who doesn’t know she’s dead? I think Kevin did it on purpose—to provoke us.”

Bai Yu turned with a gleam of interest.

“You mean he appeared here briefly, then disappeared quickly?”

“This…”

“Teleportation?”

Chris nodded vigorously, “Yes, so skilled and fast, he must have preplanned his escape route—definitely well-prepared.”

Bai Yu wasn’t misled, but asked instead, “Do you think something like this is within Odinson’s capability?”

Chris froze, “You mean…?”

“Investigate.” She said calmly.

“See if other pantheons suffered similar incidents.”

Chris immediately took action, contacting others.

When he saw replies from Amaterasu, Indian, Egyptian pantheons, his face darkened.

“Master…” Chris said cautiously.

“It’s not just us—almost all pantheons have been ‘Kevin’-sneak-attacked.”

“In my view, South Polar Star wants to break the alliance by sneak-attacking us all while we’re focused on Qingqiu, weakening our strength and advantage.”

“The worst part—it’s working. With the mountain destroyed, many anomalies died, and tons of points vanished.”

“So hateful, so hateful.”

“Moreover, I suspect Kevin didn’t just blow up a mountain and leave quietly.”

“He might be gathering more info secretly to prepare for future attacks.”

“Damn! South Polar Star’s cunning, Odinson’s cunning.”

“Qingqiu might just be a trap, part of South Polar Star’s scheme to catch us all—Odinson’s truly wicked.”

“No wonder he targeted Su Fu from the start.”

“I wondered why Odinson would target a top from some backwater like Northern Polaris.”

“Now it makes sense—his real aim wasn’t her, but them.”

As Chris dwelled on his suspicions, Bai Yu interrupted.

“Meaning, the exam site is already a mess?”

Chris, annoyed: “Yes. I think Odinson deliberately set this huge trap…”

“Such a ruthless ambition, brazenly declaring war on all pantheons.”

“Even though he’s from the Seven Great Families and respected, he clearly doesn’t care about us.”

Bai Yu suddenly laughed.

“It’s not Odinson.”

Chris was stunned.

‘Not Odinson? How could that be?’

He was about to object, then thought better of it.

Bai Yu’s patron deity was Athena—the renowned goddess of war and wisdom.

If she was that sure, there had to be a reason.

“Then…”

Chris cautiously asked, “Who then? Besides Odinson, who else has such power?”

“This is an all-out war against the whole exam site.”

“And all the evidence points to Odinson.”

Bai Yu’s tone was leisurely.

“Yes, exactly why it’s strange. All evidence points to Odinson, right?”

“Look at it from another angle: in this chaotic exam, who’s the ultimate beneficiary? Could it be Odinson?”

Chris was speechless.

He murmured, “Definitely… not Odinson. Everyone thinks he’s behind the sneak attacks, making him the scapegoat.”

“He’s caught in the crossfire.”

“And more importantly—does he really need points from these mountains?”

Chris was puzzled so he asked, “Then who else but Odinson?”

“So far, no other pantheon has benefited—all have been attacked.”

“Oh right, except for Odinson’s Norse Pantheon. No reports of attack there.”

Bai Yu looked toward a distant mountain with meaning.

“Of course, there is one.”

“Don’t forget, all pantheons united to attack Qingqiu. But if they all fall into chaos, the Qingqiu assault naturally fails. And in this chaos, the biggest winner is…”

“Qingqiu!”

Chris suddenly realized.

“Only Qingqiu benefits, and Qingqiu is backed by Su Fu from the Chinese Pantheon.”

“But that’s odd—didn’t the South Polar Star say they killed Su Fu? Can they lie like this?”

“Could Kevin and his group fail to kill her?”

Bai Yu looked at him and said, “When you’ve ruled out all possibilities, no matter how impossible it seems…”

She paused.

“That’s the truth.”

She thought to herself,

‘Su Fu really is clever—she’s managed to turn Odinson into a pawn. She must be laughing inside—especially in front of Odinson himself.’

“Lady Bai Yu, you mean… everyone is being played by a ‘dead’ woman?”

Chris speculated tremblingly, “No, Su Fu isn’t dead. She controls Kevin, or can become Kevin, stirring trouble everywhere and pinning the blame on Odinson.”

Chris swallowed hard and said, “If that’s true… Su Fu is terrifying.”

“Master, should we…?”

“Should what?” Bai Yu called a white dove, voice tinged with a strange smile.

“Notify the others? Act immediately?”

Chris was puzzled, “Shouldn’t we?”

“The situation’s too chaotic. If we continue, won’t we fall right into their trap?”

“But,” Bai Yu said, “we won’t do anything.”

She gently stroked the dove’s soft feathers, then gazed northward, toward the Giant King’s Court.

“Not only will we not act, we’ll help her.”

Chris was stunned, “You mean?”

Bai Yu waved her hand.

The dove took flight, passing through golden domes, vanishing into the clouds.

“Our true enemy is the Giant King’s Court. Since the fire has started, let it burn through the entire exam site. Let’s see if this fire can melt the eternal ice…”

***

Qingqiu, petals drifting.

A white dove floated leisurely through the falling blossoms, finally perching on a blooming branch.

Soon, Pi Chu Xi appeared before it and cautiously reached out.

Surprisingly, the dove made no attempt to flee and was easily caught.

“Huh? Strange, you’re not running?”

He brought the dove before Su Fu, a bit anxious.

“Boss, the Greek Pantheon’s Bai Yu sent us this dove… What does it mean? Could she have discovered you’re not dead?”

Su Fu smiled lightly, stroking the dove’s soft feathers.

“No matter. This is… a gift from an ally. A dove of peace means both sides have reached cooperation. A spark is lit.”

With this, the final piece of the alliance is complete.

To attack Qingqiu, the Seven Pantheons alliance, right?

This time, all debts are repaid.