MTLNOVEL Chapter 320: Zhongli's Plan
The Power of Faith, what is it?
For these little soul masters, it was something far too distant to comprehend.
Without Zhongli's explanation, they truly wouldn't have known that such an "energy" as the Power of Faith existed in this world.
Zhongli was so candid, speaking openly about it without reservation, that they couldn't help but feel a bit lost.
Zhongli had already reached the peak of the mortal world.
This was the time for him to gather the Power of Faith, ignite the divine flame, and forge his divinity.
And yet… yet he took the Power of Faith from the people and gave it back to the people…
Could the legendary deities ever do such a thing?
The Power of Faith was like an all-purpose elixir, it could enhance strength, improve potential…
And yet their sect leader was offering this hard-earned Power of Faith to them unconditionally.
In the end, they even had the audacity to question why their cultivation speed had increased.
That night, as they lay down and closed their eyes, they all suddenly sat up and gave themselves a slap.
At that moment, Paimon's expression was extremely interesting. She looked at Zhongli, then at the group.
This street loafer had finally stepped down, and getting back up wouldn't be so easy.
Becoming a god?
Zhongli only wished to be human…
Born as a God, he didn't know when exactly he had started yearning for a human-like life.
Of course, he never neglected his divine duties, still bestowing divine revelations upon Liyue each year.
On the continent of Teyvat, the erosion brought by Celestia was ever-present. Even the hardest rock would one day be worn away.
Morax was no exception.
As long as he was still "alive," he could continue protecting Liyue.
But if one day he forgot everything, the consequences would be unimaginable.
For this reason, he had set up trials.
"Becoming a god, huh..."
Zhongli murmured, a glimmer flashing through his eyes.
Looking at Du Bafang, the light in his eyes deepened.
At most, in five years, Du Bafang would be able to break through from level 95 to level 96.
By then, he would descend with another trial, to see what would become of the sect in his absence.
Becoming a god…
If he were to "fail" on the path to godhood and end up crippled…
Thinking of this, Zhongli's expression remained unchanged, but his mood lightened considerably.
Faking death to escape, this trick had worked once in Teyvat, and it had been quite effective.
But on the Douluo Continent, it wouldn't be so easy.
Mostly because of Paimon.
Paimon was Zhongli's "Martial Soul," at least in name.
Zhongli himself could "die", at worst, he'd just change his appearance, something that was effortless for him.
He could even turn into a mature big sister if he wanted to…
But Paimon was difficult to disguise. With her by his side, anyone would immediately know something was off.
So, faking his death wouldn't work here.
However, if he were to fail in his breakthrough to godhood and become a "cripple," that would be a different story.
As a "crippled" Zhongli, he could pass on the sect leader position entirely!
Du Bafang suddenly felt a chill down his spine, as if something terrifying had its eyes on him.
His eyes were filled with confusion and doubt.
This was the headquarters of the Body Sect, with the world's strongest expert residing here. Who would dare plot against him under these circumstances?
"Maybe it's just my imagination…"
What Du Bafang didn't know was that the one scheming against him was none other than his esteemed sect leader.
Seeing Zhongli lost in thought, the others felt a pang of heartache.
They resented themselves, why were they so weak, their talent so poor, their bodies riddled with hidden injuries?
Without Zhongli, what were they even worth?
Rather than wasting time overthinking, they needed to train harder and repay the sect!
Zhongli exchanged a few more words with them before leaving the Body Sect, leaving the others staring at each other in silence.
"Did the sect leader even take our words to heart?"
"Probably not. The sect leader is filled with great love, he selflessly shares the Power of Faith, strengthening our abilities, improving our talent, and healing our hidden injuries."
"He gives without expecting anything in return..."
"If we weren't such burdens, would the sect leader have already become a god?"
"He definitely would have!"
"We really are…"
"Let's just focus on training. We can't betray the sect leader's expectations."
Before Du Bafang could say anything, the group had already scattered, throwing themselves into training like madmen.
Somehow, their previous training effort seemed lacking in comparison.
Could their level of effort ever match the sect leader's sacrifices?
At this point, they only hoped that the sect leader would stop doing this in the future, he should break through first before worrying about them.
A god-level expert!
Even in the legends of the Douluo Continent, it had been over ten thousand years since the last god had ascended.
The last deity to ascend from the Douluo Continent was the Angel God!
Thus, she couldn't have perished in the Dragon God War!
It was only after the Dragon God War that soul beasts, martial souls, and the soul ring system came into existence.
The Sea God and Angel God had both ascended to the Divine Realm after the Dragon God War.
The Spirit Hall had existed for over ten thousand years, established by the descendants of the Angel God, devoted to worshipping her.
This meant that the Angel God had ascended over ten thousand years ago.
The Sea God, on the other hand, had ascended even earlier, more than twenty thousand years ago.
Based on the timeline of the Douluo Continent, over twenty thousand years ago, the Deep Sea Demon Whale King had been blinded in one eye by the Sea God, and soon after, the Sea God had ascended.
The Sea God had become divine even before the Angel God.
As for the Asura God, he had also ascended from humanity on the Douluo Continent. However, there had been no soul ring system at that time, his path was different.
This could be seen from the place where he attained divinity.
Ancient fierce beasts, the inability to use soul rings, and so on.
After the Asura God ascended, he slew the Dragon God. Then the Sea God ascended, followed by the Angel God and the Rakshasa God…
Of course, Du Bafang only knew the legend of the Angel God.
Since her "orthodoxy" still existed on the Douluo Continent and remained one of the world's most powerful forces, it was widely spread.
Most commoners were unaware of the Angel God, but soul masters were different, certain myths and legends circulated among them.
That said, not all soul masters knew these things.
Which deity was the most widely recognized?
Naturally, it was the Angel God.
At sea, however, the legend of Poseidon, the Sea God, was more prevalent.
Zhongli, with Paimon in tow, walked straight into Heaven Dou City. As they entered, the guards respectfully saluted him.
This left some of the newcomers lining up behind him feeling bewildered.
Rumor had it that Heaven Dou City was filled with nobles, and these nobles never lined up with commoners.
They had their own exclusive passageways, symbolizing their noble status.
Yet when these nobles passed through, the guards barely acknowledged them, showing no signs of saluting.
And yet, this young man, who looked every bit like a noble yet queued with commoners, received "special treatment."
Judging by the guards' expressions, they were filled with deep respect for him.