"Because I arrived too late," Queen Sheba said with a bitter smile, explaining the reason. "When I came to this land, Oshun and Yemaja had already vanished without a trace, and even I couldn't find them."Yemaja, also a goddess originating from Nigeria, is a deity of water who, together with the earth goddess Ayé, helped the supreme god Olodumare create the first humans.This was strange. The three goddesses had once led a black uprising to overthrow the slave system and liberate their exploited brethren. With such achievements, they should have grown stronger in the tide of belief. Why had they disappeared instead?Lin Xiang pondered. The current black community, led by the Voodoo gods, seemed to be mired in a quagmire. Had the goddesses abandoned their followers?"I once met Baron Samedi, the Voodoo god of death, in Barrow's bar. This Saturday Baron gave me a very strange feeling," Lin Xiang recalled the sense of discomfort and revulsion that the Baron had unconsciously evoked in her, and couldn't help but ask the queen the reason.Queen Sheba's face changed dramatically, and the champagne in her hand spilled onto the gambling table."You've seen them!"Something seemed amiss. Lin Xiang saw deep fear in the queen's eyes.Seeing Lin Xiang nod, Queen Sheba actually began to tremble. Lin Xiang quickly took her hand to comfort her. Sensing Lin Xiang's sincere comfort, the queen calmed down, took a deep breath, and revealed a secret that made Lin Xiang feel dizzy."They have been contaminated!"The queen murmured, "Ever since that suddenly appearing deity revealed the true nature of the world to them, they are no longer themselves!"Voodoo originated in West Africa, a primitive religion that combines ancestor worship, animism, and shamanism. It is popular in West African countries from Ghana to Nigeria, and also prevalent in Haiti and the Caribbean, as well as in southern Louisiana and South America.At that time, it was the period when white people were abducting Africans and selling them as slaves to work in the Americas. Although the black people sold to the Americas were of the same race, there were still great differences among them. The beliefs of various tribes merged during this period. The suffering life made them seek the comfort of deities. In order to obtain redemption, Voodoo was born.The beliefs within Voodoo are very chaotic, and to some extent, even incorporate Christianity."That day, a black sun fell from the sky, and a dark-skinned deity emerged from the sun."Queen Sheba couldn't help but shiver at the thought of the deity's image, "We initially thought he was the sun god from Egypt. He wore a golden crown and bracelets, like a pharaoh.""He claimed to come from a distant outer realm, and the form he presented to us was just a weak avatar for exploring the unknown world. This outsider deity showed us a book filled with strange spells and generously taught us how to use it."Hearing this, Lin Xiang already sensed something was wrong. Who would unconditionally share knowledge and power with others? If someone who is not related to you is unconditionally kind to you, then what they want to get from you will only be more than what they have given.The queen continued to tell the story of the strange deity, "He acted very friendly and taught us all the knowledge in the book without reservation. But I always felt that his smile was malicious. However, the effects of these spells were real. The spell to awaken the undead was recorded in it. All the gods thought he came with good intentions.""But gradually, I found that everything he did seemed to be just to mock us!"Queen Sheba hysterically pulled at her long hair and whispered in disbelief, "The gods used these spells to attack each other and caused chaos. They seemed to have lost their minds! He just watched, as if the gods' fighting was just an entertaining show for him!""Gradually, he also became bored. The blood of the gods could no longer satisfy his desire for pleasure.""I still can't understand why he did this to this day!" The queen closed her eyes in fear, "He gave up resistance and let the confused gods devour him!""That scene was too terrifying! I left everything behind and fled to the north, and I never saw them again."Seemingly ashamed of her act of fleeing, Queen Sheba couldn't help but sob quietly."My friend Elzeli, the gentle goddess of love, completely lost herself after devouring part of that deity's body. She, who originally protected maidens, became jealous. She ordered all unmarried girls to set up altars for her at home, otherwise she would destroy the girls' love and prevent them from ever getting married.""She began to hold decadent gatherings, making all male believers offer their bodies to her. The decadent desire made men abandon their wives. The guardian of the family began to destroy families! She took other people's husbands for herself, but she herself never remained faithful. She even wanted all men to be her husbands!"Lin Xiang understood. Everything done by that deity who also came from the Chaotic Sea, including allowing the gods to devour him, was sowing seeds!The ineradicable contamination twisted the divinity of the Voodoo gods! When the Voodoo gods grew to a certain extent, they became the fruits that could be harvested. Moreover, their existence also served as a guide. Perhaps when this deity came again, what would be harvested would not only be the Voodoo gods.Lin Xiang immediately thought of the long-unseen Yoruba gods. The spider god Anansi was obviously their spy left on the earth. Judging from this, the three goddesses of Oshun, Yemaja, and Ayé probably secretly restrained the Voodoo gods and delayed their maturation time!"Did you also use those spells?" Lin Xiang looked at Queen Sheba strangely. The goddess was probably not accepted by the Yoruba gods because she carried contamination.The queen's trembling paused for a moment, and she nodded painfully."I connected to a life goddess with the fertility divinity through those spells, and her power changed me!"Thinking of Queen Sheba's strange sacrificial methods, Lin Xiang immediately restrained her thoughts. Those sacrificed men probably had no chance of survival! Even if they were still alive, they could no longer be called human!
Queen Sheba quickly composed herself and, before leaving, didn't forget to warn Lin Xiang not to have any dealings with the Voodoo gods.The plight of the Voodoo gods was indeed alarming. As deities, they had gone against their nature, leading their followers down a path of crime and chaos. No wonder the black community wasn't well-received; the gods they worshipped were rotten to the core. In such an environment, how many believers could remain untarnished?Lin Xiang's actions in speaking out for the black community would undoubtedly stir the tide of belief. The mysterious Yoruba gods would probably be compelled to seek cooperation. However, inadvertently, this also accelerated the maturation of the Voodoo gods. These fruits destined for reaping had taken another step towards death.In the forest park of Oregon, Lin Xiang wandered through the uninhabited wilderness. The last time she had come here was to chase Eulona, and she had left in a hurry after discovering the media goddess's conspiracy, without having the chance to properly appreciate the beauty of the forest.The dense fir trees and the hazy mist reminded Lin Xiang of the Island of the Invisible, and she immediately felt a sense of familiarity. During her long time as a deity, the vast majority of it had been spent on the island.Now that she thought about it, if it weren't for her missing brother, who still tugged at her heartstrings before the plane crash, staying on the island to enjoy the tranquility might have been a good choice.Thinking of this, Lin Xiang couldn't help but chuckle. After all, she still had an agreement with Mistral, and the journey to explore the Chaotic Sea was inevitable.The purple flowers of the artichoke were bent by the dew that fell from the trees. The flexible stems trembled in the mist, shaking off droplets that splashed onto the leaves, creating a mist of water.In the moment that the droplet dispersed, Lin Xiang felt as if she had suddenly arrived at a temple located at the bottom of the water. Soft light fell from the surface, and the mottled shadows between light and dark rippled within the temple.Three black-skinned goddesses dressed in long gowns quietly appeared. They were Oshun, Yemaja, and Ayé."Thank you for all you have done for my followers," Oshun, who held the power of fate and was implicitly the leader of the three goddesses, said. "Please do not mind our rudeness; we are bound by certain matters and cannot appear in our true forms."Lin Xiang, who had already learned about the plight of the Voodoo gods from Queen Sheba, spoke frankly, "Queen Sheba has already told me. It is I who should apologize to you. My reckless actions might have ruined your efforts."The three goddesses exchanged some secretive glances, and then Oshun spoke, "Since that is the case, you should know that the conflict between the new gods and the old gods is unnecessary! If we cannot unite to stop this, our world will face a terrible disaster.""Have you found a way to eradicate the contamination?" Lin Xiang remained calm and did not panic.The water goddess Yemaja shook her head, "We have tried many methods. Even if the contaminated gods lose their followers and are completely destroyed, the contamination will not disappear.""They will split into the form of seeds, waiting to be nurtured by evil desires and grow strong again!"Yemaja's face was full of fatigue and confusion, "Then they will attach themselves to the souls of believers and continue to grow. The resulting influence makes innocent souls become violent and lazy."One can imagine how long the three goddesses had tried to eradicate the contamination. When they realized that all their efforts were in vain, they inevitably fell into confusion and fear for the future.Among the three goddesses, the earth goddess Ayé, who appeared as a middle-aged woman, also spoke, "We have tried to guide our followers to change for the better, but the Voodoo gods, driven by belief, are becoming stronger and stronger. We are powerless now."Ayé's eyes were full of compassion, "We have done everything we can, but we can only delay the arrival of that day.""But we have not given up," Oshun's resolute expression was very convincing, "We still hold on to the last hope. He might be the one who can prevent the disaster from coming.""So the birth of Shadow was also pushed by you," Lin Xiang thoughtfully stroked his chin, "So Odin is also a part of the plan. He spares no means to defeat the new gods in order to quickly integrate all the living forces to meet the end of the world.""Another Ragnarok?"Lin Xiang connected everything together and immediately formed a perfect loop.It all made sense now. The spokesperson of the Yoruba gods, Anansi, would so firmly support Odin and the new gods to go to war, which was Oshun's will. If it were not for the Voodoo gods to tie up all the energy, they would not mind going on stage to support Odin, quickly clean up the situation to deal with this crisis."Yes, we need his power."Oshun turned over the mirror in her hand, and the mirror showed Shadow. "Odin took out the divinity of his son, the god of light and joy, Balder, and reborn him in the womb of the earth. Setting up all kinds of hardships and tempering for him was to push him to the position of leader.""He is our only hope to get out of the crisis."Lin Xiang understood that Shadow's mother was the earth goddess of the American continent. The world's law also had high expectations for Shadow, using the last strength to give birth to this son of fortune. So even the barrier to protect the world could not be maintained.This is a real do-or-die situation. The world, unprotected, could be invaded by the evil creatures and demons wandering in the Chaotic Sea at any time. The law also pinned its hopes on Shadow."I have one thing I don't understand," Lin Xiang was not in a hurry to take a stand first. "Why don't you tell this to Mr. World? The continued hostility between the new gods and the old gods will only consume the strength to resist. If both sides can put aside their grievances and work together, it may not be a bad idea."Oshun's expression was solemn. "Mr. World, or Loki, knows all of this."Lin Xiang was not surprised that Mr. World's true identity was Loki. What she didn't understand was why Loki would cause division at such a critical moment."We also don't understand why he made such a choice," Oshun shook her head with a bitter smile. "But one thing is certain: Loki was not contaminated."In Norse mythology, Balder is the embodiment of radiant beauty, the god of spring and joy, and the personification of light. As the son of Odin and Frigg, his birth brought warmth to the cold world. This important deity felt the shadow of death in a nightmare, and the queen Frigg was very worried about it. Therefore, she ran all over the world and asked everything to swear not to harm Balder.All things swore not to harm the god of light, except for a weak mistletoe, which was too small to hurt anyone.Loki induced Balder's twin brother, the god of darkness, Hoder, to shoot an arrow made of mistletoe branches at the god of light. Balder fell, and the world lost its light.