CHAPTER 399: CHAPTER 394: THE WAGER WITH APOLLO_2

BOOM!

After the sand and rocks flew in all directions, the entire hill was leveled by the terrifying power carried by the arrow.

The female deer dumbly looked back at the vanished hill behind her. When she turned her head again, she saw the two-legged beast opposite her was already pulling the bowstring with an arrow aimed squarely at her once more.

The deer tried to take a single step back, only to see the bowstring tighten further. Tentatively taking a step forward toward the human, the bow didn’t stretch farther.

She didn’t know whether she was faster than the arrow, and she didn’t want to gamble—gambling was never good for deer.

Under Nezha’s warm gaze, the female deer obediently approached him. Originally still harboring thoughts of fleeing, the moment she got close to Nezha, she instantly sensed a chilling aura emanating from him that made her shiver. Driven by instinctive fear, she couldn’t help but rub her head ingratiatingly against the person before her.

Nezha lowered his bow and patted the deer’s forehead, feeling deeply satisfied—not only was he a connoisseur of human nature, but he also understood animal nature. He was practically invincible!

Meanwhile, Artemis and her brother received news of Hercules’ mission and rushed toward Chryneia Mountain, only to stumble upon an intriguing scene of the handsome young man peacefully interacting with the deer by the stream.

The gods of Greece were all obsessed with appearances. Letting their personal values be swayed by good looks was just par for the course. Initially extremely worried about her prized deer, Artemis found herself momentarily mesmerized by the sight of the beautiful youth amicably bonding with her favorite deer.

"Oh, Apollo, I think Hera has grossly exaggerated her slander of our younger brother Hercules. Surely, he will fulfill his destiny one day and ascend to Olympus, becoming a true god like us."

Apollo, still bearing some resentment over the death of his illegitimate son, immediately poured cold water on her excitement: "Artemis, don’t be fooled by this guy’s outward appearance. That so-called *Phoenix Legend* he created is outright blasphemy against music!"

Think about it: If an old lady were doing a public dance to *Phoenix Legend*, you’d complain about her being a public nuisance. But if a young beauty in her twenties did the same, you’d praise her performance, captivated by her charm.

This was precisely Artemis’ dilemma now—she felt her brother was just jealous!

"Apollo, aren’t you just upset that he’s better-looking than you and more compassionate? That’s why you defame him, isn’t it?"

"Ha? Me, Apollo, a proud member of the Twelve Main Gods of Olympus and the God of Light, jealous of a mere demigod? Preposterous!"

On Nezha’s side, as he pacified the deer while waiting for its owner, the first one to arrive was not Artemis, the Moon God, but an irate Apollo.

Nezha: ???

Where’s your sister? I requested to communicate with her instead. I’m a lecturer in human nature, but not in feminine emotion—different fields require different expertise!

"Kid, that deer belongs to my sister. You have no right to take it away."

Nezha sensed a familiar aura exuding from this blonde and couldn’t help but grin. "I heard this deer belongs to the Moon God. So, it’s not yours, then, is it?"

"It belongs to my sister, so naturally, I share ownership!"

The arriving Artemis greeted Nezha with a warm smile of goodwill. Though she was slightly captivated by his good looks, her loyalty to her own brother outweighed any fleeting impression.

She nodded in agreement with Apollo’s words.

The situation took an unexpected turn, but Nezha didn’t find it problematic.

"Honorable Lord Apollo, what would it take for you to let me take this deer with me?"

Apollo, aware of Zeus’ favoritism toward Hercules, was simply trying to make things tricky for him, while showcasing his superiority. Proudly puffing his chest, he replied, "You can set the terms. As long as you beat me, the deer is yours."

Feeling a bit irritated by the blonde’s meddling, Nezha scrapped his earlier plans and decided to teach the arrogant god a lesson.

"Let’s place a bet: Tomorrow, will the sun rise and follow its usual path?"

Apollo chuckled, thinking Hercules had truly lost his mind.

"I am Apollo, the Sun God, and you dare wager with me on this?"

Artemis, too, doubted the reasoning of this handsome individual before her. Concerned, she interjected, "This doesn’t seem like a good idea. I heard your archery skills are outstanding—why not compete in that instead?"

Apollo, out of respect for Zeus, didn’t object but looked toward Hercules with disdain.

"No need. Let’s stick to the original bet. We’ll eat, sleep, and wait till dawn to see the result."

At this point, Apollo was truly livid. He felt his dignity as the Sun God was being grossly insulted.

"Hercules, your arrogance will come with a price!"

Both gods expected Hercules to employ some elaborate scheme or tactic, only to watch him leisurely grill fish by the river.

"Would you two like some grilled fish?" he offered nonchalantly.

Apollo snorted coldly and turned away, while Artemis, intrigued by Hercules, accepted his invitation. Soon, laughter and chatter filled the air between the two.

Brother, danger!

Apollo, suddenly alarmed, could no longer bear his disdain for Hercules. He hurried to the fireside, staring intently at him as if afraid he’d leave with his sister.

Nezha casually handed Apollo a grilled fish. His cooking was nothing special—no charm, enchantments, or tricks. But he did excel at storytelling.

In such a primitive era, where hunting and childbearing dominated life, entertainment was scarce. Before long, even Apollo was engrossed in Nezha’s tales.

"Once, two city-states were about to go to war over land disputes. At this time, a female hero, nicknamed Leopard Head Lin Daiyu, stood up to prevent the war. She proposed to the two kings that if she could shoot a fruit dangling from a spear thousands of meters away, they must stop the conflict.

The two kings, intimidated by Leopard Head’s reputation and fearing she might side against them, reluctantly agreed. In front of all the onlookers, Lin Daiyu hit the target, stopping the war. This is the story of Lin Daiyu shooting the fruit outside the gates."

Moved, Apollo couldn’t help but remark, "Preventing war with skill and wisdom—truly a hero worthy of the name."

Artemis felt inspired, eager to replicate such heroics herself, while secretly plotting to find Leopard Head Lin Daiyu and enlist her as her priest—the Moon God’s mortal representative.

Nezha was speechless. How could they take a random story so seriously?

Where would you even find Lin Daiyu here? At best, you’d find a fake Jade.

Thus, the night passed with the siblings captivated by Nezha’s twisted tales. At dawn, as sunlight crept from the East, Apollo smiled contentedly.

Kid, you tell great stories, but I still win today!

Nezha remained calm as the dazzling morning light reflected in his eyes, revealing a majestic purple hue. Every sun projected in the Primordial World was merely an extension of the Sun Star. Though Nezha’s cultivation was temporarily sealed, his Fate Grid was untouchable.

Forget this world’s sun—even the endless galaxies wouldn’t dare defy him.

Apollo’s smug expression gradually turned sour as time passed. As the Sun God, he was acutely aware of the sun’s position. And now, it hadn’t budged an inch.

"Did you tamper with this?"

Nezha innocently waved his hands. "I didn’t tamper. I just let it rest a while."

Apollo was incredulous. "How dare you? You think you’re Zeus, stopping the sun with a whim?"

Stretching his hand toward the eastern sun, Apollo channeled his divine power. "By the name of Apollo, the Sun God, move!"

"Move!"

"I said, move!"

But the sun remained motionless. This challenge to his divine authority left Apollo utterly unhinged.

Turning back to berate Hercules, Apollo was struck with an inexplicable fear. Muttering "You bastard," he transformed into a beam of golden light, fleeing toward the distant sun.