Ha, this was basically a special pass that let me come and go from the divine realm whenever I wanted, Guan Heng thought with a quiet laugh. All right, I suppose that counts as a reward.
Odin continued, "In the name of the Allfather, I grant Guan Heng the Blessing of the Gods. Under this blessing, you will possess powerful Spiritual Power. It will cling to your weapons and fists, allowing you to strike Soul Objects directly. It can also protect you from all Spiritual Power attacks. You will also gain a pair of eyes that can see through the true nature of all things, allowing you to perceive everything visible and invisible—even Ghostly Souls."
"Guan Heng, I know you carry a Magical Ornament," Odin said with a smile. "Take out your two rings, Revelation of Ice and Fire."
Following his instructions, Guan Heng took out the two rings and laid them across his palm.
Odin picked up the red orb of light from the chalice. It was one-third of the Source of Fire God Power he had extracted from Loki. "In the name of the Allfather, I grant this Ruby Ring the power of the Source of Fire God Power."
The orb of light drifted free from Odin's hand and circled the Ruby Ring before suddenly slipping inside the gemstone. The Flame Storm Ring, which had been dim and drained of energy, once again blazed with brilliant crimson light.
Odin said, "This ring will be bound to its owner, Guan Heng's soul. Only he can use its Fire God power. It will be useless to anyone else who holds it."
Odin then took out the Box of Frost and gently stroked it. "Treasure of the Ice Giant, you brought countless snows and ice to the world. In the name of the Allfather, I will draw out one-third of your Power of Cold." The Power of Cold became a silver-white orb. "In the name of the Allfather, I grant this Sapphire Ring the Power of Cold."
"It will also be bound to its owner, Guan Heng's soul. Only he can use this ring's Power of Cold. It will be useless to anyone else who holds it."
Guan Heng was over the moon. "This is like a gift from heaven! I was just worrying about how I'd recharge the rings."
Iron Man Tony also received Odin's favor this time. He got the set of Divine Cutlery he'd wanted. Though he'd been reduced to little more than a bystander this time, he didn't care at all. Instead, while staying in Asgard, he flirted with the servant girls at every opportunity—and earned himself plenty of slaps for his trouble.
"My friend, I can see through everything you carry, even your soul," Odin said, sounding puzzled. "But I can't see through the sword on your back, no matter how hard I try with my Divine Eye. I can only sense an immense power inside its Stone Sheath, one no weaker than my Gungnir. I hope you put it to good use."
"Holy crap!" Guan Heng was astonished. "I can't believe I earned Odin's praise. Chengying Sword must be more extraordinary than I imagined. I'd love to learn more about its origins someday."
"Thank you for the warning. I'll make good use of Chengying Sword," Guan Heng replied respectfully.
"My foolish son," Odin said to Thor. "You're still too immature. I've decided you'll continue your trials in the human world. You may not return to Asgard without my permission. And don't expect Sif to go with you; she's under house arrest. While you're away, learn from your friend Guan Heng's wisdom—and his eloquence, too."
"As you command, great Allfather," Thor replied.
After the gathering in the palace of Asgard ended, Odin returned to his chambers to rest. To thank Guan Heng, Thor shared his right to wield the Magic Hammer, allowing Guan Heng to lift it as well. Then, to celebrate getting his enchanted belt back, Thor went to have a drink with Heimdall.
"Hey, Sif," Guan Heng called out to the Goddess of Land and Harvest as she was about to leave. "Everyone else has given me something. You should give me a little something, too. After all, you insisted I go find Thor's belt."
"Hmph, you certainly have some nerve." Sif regarded Guan Heng with interest but didn't outright refuse. "Tell me, what do you want?"
"Hmm..." Guan Heng's eyes shifted as he gave her a sly grin. "How about that beautiful golden hair of yours? Doesn't it have Healing Ability? Give me a hundred strands."
"What?" Sif's face flushed with anger. "My hair is as precious to me as my life, and you ask for a hundred strands as if it were nothing!"
"Really? I didn't know your hair meant so much to you," Guan Heng said, pretending to be clueless as he made up a story. "In ancient Huaxia, it's customary for a man to ask for a lock of hair from the woman he loves, if she's already promised to someone else. It's a perfectly ordinary keepsake."
"So that's how it is..." Sif seemed to understand. But when she heard Guan Heng say he loved her, her cheeks turned faintly red. Still, among the Asgardians, who accepted relationships between siblings and between parents and children, having feelings for a friend's wife wasn't anything scandalous.
"I can't give you a hundred strands." Sif reached up and plucked thirteen hairs from her head. Her divine power surged, and the strands braided themselves into a delicate little plait. "These thirteen strands contain my Healing Divine Power. As long as I live and my soul endures, they'll always protect you from illness and help your wounds heal quickly."
Sif placed the braid in Guan Heng's palm and gently kissed his cheek. "Thank you for your help this time." She smiled, waved, and turned to leave.
"Wow, a Goddess's Kiss!" Guan Heng touched his cheek. "Hey, honestly, I'd have been happy with just that last reward."
Over the next few days, the Dwarf Master Blacksmith in Asgard reforged Jiang Dabao's twin shields and imbued them with divine power. At Guan Heng's request, he also empowered Guan Heng's Knuckle Flying Dagger and belt. It remained to be seen how much stronger the enchanted weapons were; that would depend on how they performed in future battles. But after being reforged in the divine realm, they were sure to be nearly as hard as genuine Adamantium.
Only Chengying Sword couldn't be imbued with divine power in the dwarf smith's furnace. Instead, it sucked all the Asgard Divine Fire out of the furnace. The Dwarf Master Blacksmith was so furious he nearly blew his beard off, and Guan Heng hurriedly made a joke and ran off.
"Great Allfather, could you tell me what you meant when you said the Spiritual Power granted by the Blessing of the Gods could attack souls, and that my eyes could see through the true nature of everything? What do those two things actually mean?" Unable to shake his doubts, Guan Heng went to ask Odin.
"When the time comes, you'll understand. All you need is the right opportunity." Odin clammed up, and after Guan Heng pestered him until he couldn't take it anymore, he finally gave him that cryptic answer.
"Honestly, what's the point of being so mysterious?" Guan Heng thought with a frown. Never mind. I'll let things take their course. Getting both rings recharged was already a huge win.
Afterward, Guan Heng tried controlling the two rings with his mind. He found he could manage them fairly well: he could control ice and fire within three meters, but no farther. He guessed that it had to do with his Spiritual Power. Though it had grown stronger, he still needed to keep training and unlock his potential before he could control these new powers better.
Now Guan Heng wore an Alloy Knuckle on his left hand and the Ice Storm and Flame Storm Rings on his right. His strength had increased considerably.
Before you continue