The Divine Authorities Collide
The gods looked and saw Poseidon, the Sea God, lying face up in the ruins, completely unconscious.
A gruesome, massive wound pierced his chest, almost splitting him in two! The wound ran diagonally down from his right collarbone to his left ribcage, deep enough to expose the bone, and it was even visible that several ribs had been cleanly severed.
The golden Lie Yan of judgment continued to burn fiercely around and inside the wound, like a leech, scorching his divine body and preventing the wound from healing!
If it weren't for the Sea God's Trident cushioning some of the power at the last moment, and if it weren't for the god's own powerful vitality and divine body strength, Sea God would probably have been killed on the spot and his divine status shattered in the face of this terrifying sword strike!
Even so, his injuries were extremely severe, and he was on the verge of death.
There was a deathly silence all around.
Even the God of Destruction's expression turned serious.
He stared intently at the Sea God, whose breath was as faint as a candle flickering in the wind amidst the ruins, and then looked at Qian Renxue, who stood with her sword in hand and an indifferent expression.
This level of combat prowess... is already close to that of a God-King!
The God of Destruction knew the Sea God's strength better than anyone. Even among the First-Level God, Poseidon was definitely among the top in terms of combat power, wielding the power of the ocean and possessing a strong faith.
Even if he was corrupted by God of Evil divine power and was in poor condition, he should not have been so vulnerable, with even his divine artifact damaged and himself severely wounded and on the verge of death by a single sword strike!
This newly crowned "Angel Goddess"... there's something wrong with her power!
The Asura God's expression could no longer be described as gloomy.
If Arthur and Dongfang Yao hadn't been there, he would have already attacked Qian Renxue.
"Poseidon--!"
Despite the excruciating pain in her arms and the destructive power of judgment within her body, the Life Goddess approached Poseidon. Sensing the faint, almost extinguished life force emanating from him, she disregarded her own injuries and unleashed Goddess of Life from her palms, pouring it relentlessly into the Sea God's damaged body.
"That's enough, let's leave it at that."
The God of Destruction finally stepped forward. He first glanced at the Life Goddess healing the Sea God, a barely perceptible hint of disappointment flashing in his eyes. Then he looked at Qian Renxue, who stood with her sword, and Arthur and Dongfang Yao behind her.
"Angel God," the God of Destruction said directly to Qian Renxue, "I have no objection to your seeking revenge for the matter of the Divine Trial and teaching Poseidon a lesson."
He spoke frankly, even with a degree of "approval," saying, "While the Divine Realm has its rules, cause and effect are cyclical, and strength reigns supreme. Since he dared to interfere, he must be prepared to bear the consequences."
His words made the Asura God's expression even more unpleasant. This was tantamount to acknowledging, to some extent, the "legitimacy" of Qian Renxue's revenge.
But the God of Destruction immediately changed his tone: "However—"
"Poseidon, the Sea God, cannot die now."
"At the very least, he must live until he successfully passes on the Sea God Godhood."
Every divine position and divine status is a precious treasure and foundation of the Divine Realm. Although the God of Destruction dislikes Sea God, Poseidon god of the sea, he is unwilling for Sea God Godhood to disappear completely.
Chapter 344 Divine Authority is of Great Importance
The words of the God of Destruction reached Qian Renxue, and her hand holding the Angel Holy Sword paused slightly.
This newly born Angel God is not an unreasonable tyrant. On the contrary, having grown up in the Spirit Hall and received education from both her father, Qian Xunji, and her grandfather, Qian Daoliu, Qian Renxue still has her own principles and bottom line, though she can be flexible at times...
If she were now faced with a moral blackmail, as the Life Goddess had done before, demanding forgiveness or even gratitude from the so-called "Angel God's old friend," the Sea God...
A chilling glint flashed in Qian Renxue's eyes. She would use the Angel Holy Sword in her hand, with the purest light and judgment, to make these high and mighty people understand what true justice is and what inviolable bottom lines are.
In fact, when the Life Goddess uttered those words, a thought did cross Qian Renxue's mind: Could gods also suffer from mental illness?
What the Sea God did hardly deserves the titles of "elder" or "friend"?
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However, the God of Destruction's words caused Qian Renxue to fall into a brief period of contemplation.
Qian Renxue understood the meaning behind the God of Destruction's words: the Sea God could die, but he had to leave behind his legacy before he died, which Qian Renxue could accept.
"Alright." Qian Renxue's voice was clear and steady. "The position of Sea God will be preserved for now, and his life will be recorded as well."
However, she immediately changed the subject, her purple eyes meeting the God of Destruction's. "I hope you won't try to stop me again next time."
Next time?
When will it be the next time?
Without needing to be explicitly stated, the God of Destruction and all the gods present knew perfectly well that this was after the Sea God had completely relinquished his divine position and handed over his legacy to his successor.
At that moment, he would no longer be the Sea God...
On the other side, under the continuous healing power of the Life Goddess, the Sea God finally escaped from the brink of death, and his consciousness gradually cleared from chaos.
He heard every word of Qian Renxue's frank conversation with the God of Destruction.
The Sea God's intense pain was now overwhelmed by an even stronger sense of absurdity and resentment.
He couldn't understand it, he just couldn't understand it.
It was just a little joke, how could it have driven him to such a state?
In his mind, Qian Renxue was nothing more than a mortal, an insignificant being, and the Angel God was no more.
He, the mighty Sea God, the ruler of the vast ocean, condescended to pay attention to her, test her, and even "favor" her. Wasn't this an honor for her?
Mortals should accept the "jokes" of the gods with gratitude, even if they contain a hint of malice; they are still part of a blessing.
Just like his representative on earth, the devout priestess Bo Saixi, the mission he gave her was to protect, to wait, and ultimately to sacrifice her life and soul for the inheritor.
Despite such cruelty, didn't Bo Saixi have no complaints, and even became more devout and grateful to him?
This is the proper attitude one should have when facing deities!
Why is it that Qian Renxue, of all people, is so ungrateful and so vindictive?
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The current Evil God, Dongfang Yao, frowned deeply at this moment.
He cast a disgusted glance at Poseidon, the Sea God, whose aura was weak yet whose resentment was palpable.
The authority of the God-King granted him an almost instinctive perception of malice and negative emotions in the world, and Dongfang Yao was also fully aware of the resentment, anger, self-deception, and deep-rooted arrogance churning within the Sea God at this moment.
"Tsk." A hint of annoyance flashed through Dongfang Yao's mind.
This was one of the main reasons why he initially resisted inheriting this "God of Evil" divine position—he was constantly being passively subjected to these dark "noises," and even someone as confident and open-minded as him disliked from the bottom of his heart the feeling that it was as if his soul was being gently brushed by sticky malice.
The Sea God was in a state of frightened panic, and immediately noticed the scrutinizing gaze from the god-king.
He felt a chill run down his spine and instinctively tried to suppress all his negative thoughts, attempting to muddle through.
However, the God of Evil divine power within him immediately took advantage of the gaps in his mind, silently and stubbornly infiltrating and corrupting him, quietly amplifying his hidden fears and dark thoughts, influencing his mind and tempting him to fall.
The God of Destruction's purple eyes coldly swept over the scene. Sensing that the surge of God of Evil divine power was limited to eroding the mind and did not endanger the life of the Sea God, he no longer paid it any more attention.
In his eyes, this little matter was insignificant as long as it did not affect the established agreement to "temporarily retain the position of the Sea God".
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On the other side, the Asura God's face had turned extremely gloomy.
He looked at Qian Renxue, Destruction, and even the gods of Goddess of Kindness and Evil God who had not explicitly opposed him. These people almost ignored his presence and had already reached a consensus concerning the fate of another First-Level God.
This made him feel more embarrassed than ever before.
As the once most powerful God of Law Enforcement in the Divine Realm, how could he have ever received such treatment?
But his reason reminded him of the vast disparity in strength between the enemy and himself.
Fighting head-on is futile; there's no chance of winning.
His jaw tightened, and in the end, he could only forcefully suppress the surging anger and frustration, turning it into a barely audible cold snort, as he strode towards the dying Sea God.
He knelt down beside Sea God, placed his hand on his shoulder, and whispered soothingly, "Poseidon, rest and recover. I've remembered what happened today. I will not allow them to... act recklessly in the future."
However, the Sea God showed no reaction beneath his lowered eyelids.
As the Asura God's most trusted aide, he was all too aware of the Asura God's current predicament.
Having lost the Super Divine Artifact, the Asura Divine Sword, the Asura God's combat power has plummeted among the five God Kings, probably only slightly stronger than the Life Goddess is completely unskilled in combat.
Now, the three veteran god-kings of destruction, God of Evil, and Goddess of Kindness have implicitly reached a consensus, and with the addition of this newly ascended Angel God who has displayed his sharp edge and terrifying combat power since becoming a god... even the Asura God himself is walking on thin ice, so how much weight can these promises carry?
Rather than believing that the Asura God can save him, he would rather believe that his successor Doria, can elevate his divine position to the level of a God-King, allowing him to barely protect himself and leave the Douluo God Realm.
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The matter is over.
With the Sea God of the Asura God camp almost crippled, the three God-Kings— the God of Destruction, the Godess of Kindness, and the Evil God— formed a temporary alliance.
Qian Renxue finally found a moment to slowly learn about the Divine Realm.
He learned that the brainless woman who had previously obstructed him was the Life Goddess Life Goddess, who was also the wife of the God of Destruction. He also learned about the hierarchy of gods in the Divine Realm, with Angel God being First-Level God and the Goddess of Life Goddess the king of gods...
At the same time, she also learned the key reason for becoming a god-king.
"You have an excellent foundation. Immortal Herb strengthened your foundation, faith tempered your soul, and the Angel God Trial further refined your foundation to near perfection. You lack nothing in terms of strength, divine soul, and compatibility with your divine position."
Arthur looked up at Qian Renxue, his tone serious and solemn. "What truly prevents you from becoming a God-King is the 'rules.' Or rather, it's the profound understanding and mastery of a fundamental law of the universe. This is the essential difference between a God-King and other gods."
Qian Renxue stood quietly, the Angel Holy Sword leaning against her side, its sharpness concealed, simply listening intently.
She has always been intelligent and quick to understand.
The authority of the Angel God is extremely complex.
Qian Renxue's mind was filled with the various powers belonging to the Angel God: justice, fire, light, holiness, judgment, and trial... powerful and comprehensive, but also implying dispersion.
To ascend to the level of God-King, one needs to be the ultimate.
Her heart involuntarily veered in one direction—judgment and trial.
This tendency did not arise out of thin air.
Growing up with her unreliable father, Qian Xunji, she witnessed the darkness of the world.
A longing for a power that could see through all hypocrisy, accurately measure all sins, and ultimately carry out punishment took root in her heart.
"Tsk, not a bad idea." Dongfang Yao's lazy voice rang out, casually pouring cold water on her idea. "However, just a heads up, there's already a Asura God sitting in this God Realm Committee who is specifically responsible for 'judgment' and 'determination,' and incidentally also controls 'killing' and 'punishment.'"
Qian Renxue's eyes narrowed.
Asura God.
Slaughter, judgment, verdict, punishment... these divine terms are almost all associated with the Asura God, and the terms "judgment" and "verdict" overlap too much with the direction she inclines in her heart.