Beneath him, two twins were born.
One was the Good God Ahura Mazda, inheriting the divine authority of flames and light.
The other was the Evil God Angela Manu, ruling over the realm of death and darkness.
The two opposed and depended on each other, forming a system of opposing yet unified Persian mythology.
Luo En turned to look towards the side of the pillar of flames, at the black torrent floating with countless corpses and departed souls, and couldn’t help but swallow.
A bit towards the south, it seemed to be in the region of the South Asian Subcontinent.
So, the Indian Divine Era?
The opposition and unity of Persian mythology was not only internal but also projected externally.
According to the Fire Worship classic "Avesta" recorded in the Ancient Persian Scripture, at the beginning of creation, King Feridun had three sons, the eldest Tur, the second Salem, and the youngest Aryan. In his old age, the King divided the Empire into three parts: the eldest son Tur governed the east, evolving into the Turanians (Turkic peoples), ancestors of the Turks; the second son Salem governed the west, ancestors of the Romans; the youngest son Aryan governed the central south, evolving into the Iranians, ancestors of the Aryan people.
During the turmoil, a race named Aryan-Punjab migrated southward into the northwest of the South Asian Subcontinent, forming the Aryan people mentioned in ancient Indian texts. They drove the ancient Dravidian people southward, creating the Vedic culture and establishing the caste system, bringing the Aryan-Punjab linguistic family into India.
Ultimately, the ancient Aryans and ancient Dravidians merged into today’s uniquely featured South Asian Subcontinent people.
The term "Aryan" in ancient Persian culture is even older than what is recorded in the Fire Worship classic "Avesta". Some say it originated from the Persian language of Iran, meaning "people of faith"; others say it originated from Sanskrit, meaning "noble".
It is also possible that both Persian and Indian civilizations are its origin.
The caste system and mythological system that laid the foundation for Indian civilization are another reflection of Persian civilization, both originally from the same family, like the two sides of light and shadow.
Canaan, Persia, India...
The three Divine Eras, each possessing Origin Level power, sandwiched the Babylonian gods, serving them overtly and covertly, coupled with Marduk’s collective betrayal of the gods, no wonder even powerful beings like Apsu and Tiamat could be overturned.
Fortunately, I was cautious enough, not only inciting the New Gods and humans of the Babylonian Divine Era, but also holding back myself, only revealing and acting at the crucial moment, thus sweeping away the Babylonian Old Gods before the situation fully worsened.
Otherwise, if Marduk and others realized something was wrong, they could directly request external assistance.
Canaan, Persia, India, along with the Babylonian Divine Era’s own strength, with four Origin Level powers gathered together, even if I possessed two World Essences, facing such a situation, there was no chance of victory.
Upon thinking of this, Luo En couldn’t help breaking into a cold sweat, feeling a lingering fear.
However, the most dangerous moment had already been stably passed.
Now, Marduk’s gods of Babylon have been dealt with in advance by him, even if Canaan, Persia, and India united, they would only have three pieces of World Essence.
Luo En estimated that as long as he delayed slightly, waiting for Tiamat to complete the fusion of that piece of World Essence, regaining control of the Babylonian Divine Era,
Three against three, our side might still have the power to fight.
And once the initial wave of assault was withstood and entered a stage of strategic stalemate, he could call for reinforcements from the European Mainland.
By then, with internal and external pincer attacks, the scales of victory would eventually tip in his favor.
Just as Luo En’s thoughts were gradually coming together, the first wave of crisis arrived amidst the rolling thunderstorm and dark clouds.
A deity with bull horns atop his head, his entire body shimmering with arcs of thunderbolt, leading three men and one woman, passed through the barrier of the world’s walls, officially stepping into the domain of the Babylonian Divine Era.
——Supreme Yi Le! Canaan Divine Race!
Luo En sensed that breath belonging exclusively to the Origin level approaching, his eyes narrowed, and he resolutely ordered the gods behind him:
"Abandon the surface, lead the Mother Goddess back to the Garden of Eden, I will buy you time!"
"At your command, my God!"
The gods respectfully bowed in response, already treating Luo En as the king they served.
Immediately, they protected the remaining human believers and terrestrial beings, following the Goddess Tiamat, together entering the Garden of Eden in the Netherworld.
Watching the last figure step through the gates of the Netherworld, Luo En no longer hesitated, leading the army composed of the eleven Magical Beasts and the three Doomsday Beasts, grandly marching to confront the Canaan Divine Race at the forefront.
Meanwhile, in the European Divine Era.
A breeze swept across the sea surface, strands of golden silk in the air trembled violently. Aglaea on War God Mountain, busy with handling affairs, suddenly opened her eyes, gazing towards the sky above the Mediterranean.
She saw a massive golden warship carrying the Sun, sailing through the mist;
And above the sea surface, a serpentine monster with a mouth resembling the circular sawteeth of a lamprey wriggled its massive body stretching for miles, moving towards the land.
Aglaea suddenly stood up, her eyes filled with shock.
Moments later, the Disaster Bell on War God Mountain rang loud and clear, countless starlights trembled, a squad after squad of Pegasus Knights set off for each Divine Era, each city-state.
Elysium, the Pantheon, Avalon, and Heather Island successively lit up with the dazzling Sacred Flames, voices either tense or solemn resonating in the minds of all living beings:
"Everyone, the foreign enemies are here, the war has arrived!"