A large number of life believers actively joined the battle, including escaped slaves, peasants, freemen, mercenaries, and merchants... Whether ordinary believers or those with extraordinary powers, they all joined the army formed by the two territories that worship the Life Church.

Soon, the number of combatants from the two territories also surpassed a million.

This is an astonishing figure.

It’s important to understand that the entire Fengyue Free Territory, along with the Southern Territory which has yet to recover, has a total population of less than ten million.

Nearly one-tenth of the population, even in a world of extraordinary powers, is a quite exaggerated number.

Most of the combatants are people from the lower classes, many of whom fled from the Holy Mania Empire and the Aries Kingdom, among other human kingdoms.

Especially after the Eternal Church announced its commitment to the holy war, the number of people escaping from the human kingdoms increased significantly.

This, in part, was naturally due to the widespread dissemination of Old John’s story over the past month, secretly promoted by Dema and a large number of players, stirring a longing for the Life Church among the lower-class populace and animosity against the Eternal Church.

On the other hand, the nobles’ war mobilization placed a heavy burden on the citizens once again.

The mobilization of the army, especially on such a large scale, always puts pressure on the region.

Particularly, the promises made by the Eternal Church drove many nobles into madness.

The Elf Forest in the Fengyue Free Territory is rich and well-known throughout the world. Owning land there is fatal attractive to many nobles, especially those whose territories are not affluent.

Many small nobles spent their entire savings on this endeavor.

The cost of this naturally shifted to those of lower status.

The division within human society has further intensified with the commencement of the grand holy war, laid bare in plain sight...

The day after the Fengyue Free Territory and the Pathfinders’ Alliance declared their resistance against the Eternal Church’s invasion, the Elf Forest also released an announcement.

The Grand Priest of the Life Church, Taylor Yan Sha, declared that the Life Church and all members of the Elf Clan would defend the Elf Forest to the death, protect every subject of the Goddess, and safeguard every temple of the Life Church.

The Chosen One Army composed of the legendary Elf Chosen Ones, akin to heroic spirits, along with the Elf Army composed of elves and half-elves, totaling about two hundred thousand troops, announced their participation in the war.

This realization caught each force by surprise; although the elven population was still small compared to humans, they could now mobilize such a significant army.

Not to mention, a considerable portion was comprised of the legendary undying Elf Chosen Ones, a powerful army that had crushed the invading Demon Army in the Segis World...

For a moment, as the Life Church gradually revealed its strength, the once almost overwhelming advantage of the Eternal Church shifted to a more nuanced balance.

This great holy war in the Segis World, possibly unprecedented in millennia, has its future becoming increasingly obscure.

Every force is speculating whether the Eternal Church will ultimately prevail, destroy the Life Church, and defeat the World Tree once more, or if the Life Church will triumph, reclaim the Segis Plane, and drive the Eternal Church out of the Segis World...

However, as more attention was drawn to the Segis World and this grand holy war, new developments arose.

In mid-February, just half a month after the Eternal Church declared a holy war on the Life Church, news that shocked the entire world emerged from Pasha City in the Extreme Northern Icefield...

The Grand Priest of the War God Church issued a holy decree, declaring an alliance with the Eternal Church and also launching a holy war against the Life Church, calling on all War God believers to march on the Elf Forest.

The Beastman Alliance, Lizardman Kingdom, Giant Troll Tribe, and the Free Half-Dragon Council, which had separated from the Dragon Descendant Kingdom, all announced their participation in the war, as if prearranged.

Witnessing this series of changes, ancient beings cast surprised gazes, their expressions turning complex.

For a moment, they seemed to see the war from a thousand years ago sweeping across the Segis World once more.

This time, nearly all forces that participated in that ancient war joined again.

And their goals seemed unchanged from a millennium before.

However, shortly after the War God Church declared its participation in the holy war, another shocking piece of news came from the Underworld of the Segis Continent.

The clansmen under Hela, the Lord of Death and the Netherworld, and the Demon Wolf Fenrir declared in the Death Holy City Itkazar that the Death Church had formed an alliance with the Life Church, and would advance and retreat together with them.

The Death Church, which had always remained uninvolved and almost never participated in the divine wars of the Heavenly Realm and the ancient gods, joined the battle.

With the fall of the God of Darkness and Shadow, the entire Underworld, now almost the backyard of Death God Hela, loudly declared an alliance with the Elf Forest, formally joining this holy war.

From this moment on, excluding the dragons on the distant Dragon Island and the reclusive ancient gods, nearly all major forces in the Segis World were involved in this contest between the Life Church and the Eternal Church.

Even the reclusive Dwarf Kingdom wasn’t idle; though it didn’t declare war on the Eternal Church, the dwarves in the Southern Mountains strengthened their interactions with the Elf Forest, quietly providing various supplies...

In the depths of Dragon Island, beyond the northwest of the continent.

Ancestor Dragon Ulynos awoke from his slumber, gazing in astonishment at Platinum Dragon King Reinhardt, who had come to report the changes in the Segis World:

"What? That guy Yiteo has formally declared war on Eve?"

"Yes, your grace, Mother Goddess, not only the human gods but the entire War God pantheon also declared war on Eve,"

Reinhardt replied.

Ulynos’ expression grew increasingly grim.

"These guys! A thousand years and they’re still like this!"

He said angrily.

"Your grace, Mother Goddess..."

Reinhardt hesitated for a moment, then said:

"The war is now unstoppable. The Elf Clan has been a friend to us dragons and has helped us a lot, and you see..."

Ulynos remained silent.

After a while, he sighed softly:

"Keep a close eye on the developments of the war. If the situation becomes dire, you and I will go together and rescue Eve and the elves we can save..."

"We’re... not going to participate in the war?"

Reinhardt couldn’t help but ask.

Ulynos chuckled wryly:

"Participate in the war? What’s the point in joining the war at this time? There are already too few dragons..."

After speaking, he glanced at Reinhardt, who seemed hesitant to speak. After some thought, he chuckled lightly:

"Come to think of it... I remember Tistan’s Dragon Descendant Kingdom, they’ve always hated those clanspeople who betrayed us for the War God Church, right? Seizing this opportunity to take revenge on the War God Church is also understandable."

"Hmm... It’s not about engaging in the holy war, it’s just that they coincidentally want to take revenge on that so-called Free Half-Dragon Council at this time..."

Ulynos remarked meaningfully.

Reinhardt was taken aback for a moment, then his eyes lit up.

In a sense, the Dragon Descendant Kingdom was considered a subordinate force of the dragons.

The dragons wouldn’t engage in the war, but they could participate, without involving Dragon Island.

Ah... No wonder the Mother Goddess is revered; just like the elves say, old ginger is spicier.

Though Reinhardt didn’t exactly know what ginger was.

"Furthermore, if any dragon has friends among the elves and wants to participate in the war as an individual dragon, let them go, but officially, Dragon Island won’t open its mouth."

Ulynos pondered for a moment and added.

Reinhardt’s gaze brightened even more.

However, alongside the brightening gaze, his expression became somewhat peculiar as well.

He coughed lightly and couldn’t help but ask:

"Ahem, are you sure, your grace, Mother Goddess, that any dragon wanting to help the elves can join the war?"

"Of course, it’s their own business, not the will of Dragon Island. Besides, there won’t be too many dragons, and since it’s their idea, Yiteo can’t complain."

Ulynos shrugged.

However, after hearing his words, Reinhardt’s expression became even more intricate.

The Platinum Dragon King said nothing more, gently nodded, and said:

"I will heed your divine command."

Saying that, he left with a light step.

After Reinhardt departed, Ulynos looked strangely in the direction he left and muttered to himself:

"Huh? Are there actually many dragons eager to join the battle?"

After a moment of contemplation, he got up and walked toward the cave entrance.