CHAPTER 415: CHAPTER 401 HAVE YOU EVER LOVED ME?_2

Zeus used the Youth Holy Grail, the companion Divine Artifact of the Youth Goddess Hebe, to restore his physical energy. In fact, Nezha had long noticed a weakness of the Greek Gods—their Divine Power came from the blessing of the world’s origin. Their omnipotence was due to the support of Divine Power.

However, using Divine Power came with a cost: their physical energy. In other words, they had a physical energy bar. When the energy bar was emptied, their combat ability would plummet drastically, and this was no exception even for God King Zeus.

Though his energy bar might outlast the lives of many other gods, it had its limits. His method of replenishment was to plunder the Divine Artifact—the Youth Holy Grail—belonging to his own daughter.

Nezha discovered this when interacting with Hebe earlier, so he had always guarded against this vile Zeus replenishing his energy. This strike had been meticulously prepared for a long time.

Zeus, who had been maintaining his composure all along, finally showed signs of panic. He was not unaware of the weaknesses of the Divine Race; otherwise, he wouldn’t have taken possession of his daughter’s Divine Artifact. Fighting Hercules until now, he realized that the opponent’s physical energy seemed infinite, showing no signs of diminishing at all.

Now that he had lost the Holy Grail that replenished his energy, the odds of defeat increased significantly.

"Hercules, you truly are a heartless man. That Holy Grail is the Divine Artifact of your fiancée! Shattering it will inflict unimaginable harm upon her!"

Zeus spoke with a gloomy expression. His entire demeanor seemed like he was heartbroken for his injured daughter, trying to sway Hercules’ resolve.

Nezha had no intention of giving Zeus any more time to recover his energy. Raising his Great Sword while charging, he said, "I’ve already honored my filial piety to you—what more do you take me for, a ’good person’?"

If I have no morality, then you have no way to morally blackmail me.

Zeus felt suffocated by Nezha’s words about filial piety and then looked at the charging Hercules wielding his sword. His chest tightened. This brat calls *this* filial piety?

He gathered thunderbolts in both hands and clashed with Hercules once more.

"You think you’ve won? I can fight for another ten thousand years!"

The facts proved otherwise. Zeus was talking big.

Three months later, a crimson beam pierced through Mount Olympus. The Divine Mountain was completely destroyed, with the entire mountain not just leveled to the ground but sunken hundreds of meters below sea level.

The fearsome shockwaves that had lasted more than half a year finally subsided. The thunder clouds in the sky gradually dispersed. In the deep crater, Hercules’s Fangtian Halberd stabbed into Zeus’s kidney, leaving Zeus lying on the ground, utterly exhausted.

Athena, Artemis, and the others realized the outcome of the battle and rushed to the deep crater of Mount Olympus.

Zeus, seeing his many sons and daughters approaching, put on a kind and gentle expression and said, "Cough, cough... Hercules, you’ve won. You will take my place as the next God King and enjoy infinite glory."

Nezha completely disregarded Zeus’s rambling. He flicked his spear, and Zeus was hurled against a rocky wall, embedding him into it before collapsing pitifully into a heap of rubble.

Having already gained recognition, Hercules had aced this challenge. As the dissipating thunderclouds revealed the sky, a silvery-gray vortex suddenly appeared. A purple beam of light descended, linking itself to Nezha’s body. Threads of purple energy continuously flowed into him.

That familiar yet unfamiliar aura thrilled Nezha—it was something he had long fought for.

The Hongmeng Purple Qi, the opportunity for Divine Ascension.

The fusion process went smoothly. In just moments, the beam of light dissipated. After merging with the Purple Qi, Hercules appeared unchanged except that his expression became even more detached. At this moment, he seemed more like a god than ever before.

"Dark God Erebos? Come quickly and help me!"

"Erebos, come help me!"

Zeus shouted for a long time, but there was no response.

"Hercules, you’ve already gained everything you wanted. Spare me, and I will no longer stand against you!"

Zeus’s last hope vanished. At this moment, he resembled a defeated lion, entirely bereft of his God King’s majesty.

Nezha did not respond. Athena suddenly stepped forward and said, "Hercules, my dear brother, do you remember the wish I once shared with you?"

Although the side effects of merging with the Hongmeng Purple Qi required some time to subside for Nezha to regain his full composure, he still retained his sense of self. His expression remained indifferent, but he slightly nodded.

Athena’s face lit up with joy.

On the other side, Zeus’s face turned hopeful as well. Athena was his most obedient and dutiful daughter—surely she had come to plead on his behalf!

"I hope you can help me rescue my mother, Metis."

Zeus’s smile froze on his face.

"Athena, what are you talking about?"

Athena turned her icy gaze to Zeus and said, "I simply want to save my mother."

Zeus’s body trembled violently, and blood gushed from the wound at his kidney. He cast his gaze towards Apollo and Artemis.

"Artemis, Apollo, can you really watch your father be killed like this?"

Apollo was about to speak, but Artemis cut him off. Without any emotion, she said, "My beloved father, have you forgotten how helpless my mother was when she gave birth to us?

Moreover, you always taught us to revere strength and obey the powerful. Now, Hercules is the strongest."

Apollo stood silently behind Artemis, showing his agreement. If not for his sister and aunt, he would never have been born. Zeus’s so-called paternal love existed only because his children were valuable to his rule, nothing more.

"Ungrateful brats! A bunch of ungrateful brats!"

Hermes, the God of Thieves, remained silent like a well-behaved child. His ascent had always depended on opportunism and ingratiating himself with the powerful. Once, Zeus was the strongest, but not anymore.

Harvest Goddess Demeter, a woman of no strong opinions, stood by quietly. Though she had a history with Zeus, so had countless other women and goddesses. She saw no reason to fight for him.

Nezha had a compelling reason to kill Zeus. He couldn’t let the beings of the Primordial World discover that he had obtained the Hongmeng Purple Qi. If the Thunder God got wind of this, the Dragon Clan’s gossipy nature would ensure that the whole Primordial World would know by the next day. At that point, the entire world would become his enemy.

Look at Kunpeng and Nether River—just for a rumor about the Purple Qi, they dared to assassinate Ancient Gods and ambush Saint Disciples. Their madness was evident.

Athena, seeing Nezha’s tacit approval, immediately wielded her Wisdom Wand. With a swing bathed in golden divine radiance, she aimed for Zeus’s skull to fulfill her filial duty and liberate her mother.

Suddenly, a crimson figure rushed forward, using their own body to block Athena’s full-force strike—it was none other than Hera, who had hurried over.

Bearing the brunt of Athena’s powerful blow, Hera was gravely injured and collapsed next to Zhou Si. The once-glorified Divine Queen no longer had her splendor. Kneeling on the ground with tear-streaked cheeks, she pleaded, "Hercules, I beg you, please spare Zeus. Please."

Nezha asked curiously, "He has always betrayed your marriage. Why are you still protecting him?"

Hera’s expression was filled with bitterness, yet her resolve remained strong as she said, "No matter what, he is my husband. I cannot watch him die."

She then mustered all her strength to turn around and shield the blood-soaked Zeus in her embrace.

"Zeus, no matter what happens today, I will stay with you. Because we are husband and wife. I have always loved you; have you ever truly loved me...?"

*Squelch!*

Zeus thrust his right hand through Hera’s chest, pulling out her crimson, thunder-infused heart, and stuffed it into his mouth. His eyes were filled with madness as he licked the blood from the corners of his mouth and said, "Hahaha! Of course, I’ve always loved you, my Divine Queen. Now, let us merge completely into one!"

Hera’s heart, the core of her Godly Power, pulsed in Zeus’s hand before disappearing. Her gaze turned hollow—not merely from losing power but, more devastatingly, from her crushed spirit.

As she collapsed powerlessly to the ground, her divinity drained away. Her once-immaculate white skin now appeared mottled and lifeless. Her dazzling golden hair turned the dull gray of withered grass.

Bound tightly and unable to move, Ares’ eyes bulged wide. Using all his strength, he howled with an anguished scream, "Mother!"