Facing the Asura God's words, the response was a disdainful snort and an even more rapid erosion.
"Pathetic insect."
At the sound of that voice, Lin Chuan was the first to react. His expression turned strange, yet amused.
It was Giratina's voice, but somehow laced with a violent aura.
The Asura God, however, showed little reaction. Staying calm was a mandatory lesson.
When he sensed that his inheritance had been almost completely eroded, he spoke as if giving in:
"You are not a god of this plane."
"But since you possess a divine nature, why obstruct him from becoming my successor?"
As he finished speaking, a pair of scarlet eyes in the sky radiated a terrifying aura.
Giratina's violent aura was also fully revealed at that moment. Every release of his aura carried a monstrous baleful force.
It made Lin Chuan's Sea of Consciousness grow colder, and the aura permeating it affected his divine sense, but it was soon purified.
"What I want is to devour your power, not to be granted some power only to have my freedom and talent restricted."
As the two sides faced off fiercely, Lin Chuan also heard Giratina's explanation in his mind.
Godhood Inheritance in this world likewise restricted one's freedom of action. It was like being an assistant bound by contract, obliged to do one's duty and maintain the galaxy's operation.
He, too, had once been imprisoned by Arceus in the Distortion World, suppressed by the laws of the main world.
As long as the main world did not collapse, he could never leave.
But the main world had too many Legendary Pokémon maintaining it. Even after hundreds of thousands of years, if one Legendary Pokémon tasked with maintaining order died, its divine nature would pass on, and another Pokémon of the same kind would appear to take its place.
(Like Raikou: Legendary Pokémon aren't immortal. When one dies, its divine nature gives rise to a successor, and the most talented offspring inherits its position after its death.
This is based on the original setting, with additions from the novel's setting. If you don't like it, you can consider it my personal headcanon.)
With the divine nature born from Arceus suppressing him as well, he had not even the slightest room to resist.
In this world, he was no longer subject to Arceus's suppression.
Once his divine nature had been completely refined, the laws here would no longer suppress his talent.
But if he accepted this world's Godhood Inheritance, he would be restricted.
Whether the godhood in this world or the divine nature in the Pokemon World, both were fixed positions.
Although they could help someone advance and grow stronger faster, they also restricted growth and action. However, these restrictions lessened as one's position grew more powerful.
To grow stronger quickly from the level of a Limit Douluo, one had to accept Godhood Inheritance.
Otherwise, breaking through from Limit Douluo to godhood through one's own efforts would come at a tremendous cost and be incredibly difficult.
Perhaps the solution here was to serve as a god for tens of thousands of years first, then find another way.
Even if there wasn't, once they possessed a realm above godhood, they would still be suppressed by the laws, but at least they'd be free.
Something like ascending to the upper realm, only to work in the mines for thirty thousand years?
No matter what, Lin Chuan didn't want to be restricted.
His initial thought of helping the Asura God out vanished in an instant. He grew serious and cleared his throat.
"I've thought it over. I'll pass on the Asura Inheritance."
"Asura presides over judgment and slaughter. I'm a kind-hearted person, not suited to killing. I might not be right for such a bloody position."
The Asura God replied indifferently:
"That works out perfectly. Since you're kind-hearted, you won't abuse your authority, and you'll calmly judge good and evil. That's just right for Asura's judgment."
Lin Chuan was speechless, sighing inwardly:
Wasn't Tang San's Asura Godhood in the original story a bit off, too? He only had a touch of slaughter in him.
This Asura God was so eager to find an heir that he didn't even properly judge the successor's temperament or values. He only looked at talent and force-fed him the inheritance.
Wanting to refuse, yet worried that he'd offend the other party, he kept the words bottled up and fell silent.
The other party was a God King. Lin Chuan wasn't yet qualified to challenge him.
Even if he was unwilling, he had to grit his teeth and keep quiet.
However, Giratina wasn't the sort to sit quietly and negotiate.
"What right do you have to negotiate with me?"
The Godhood Inheritance contained some of the Asura God's divine power. After completing the godhood trials, one could receive energy as a reward, raising the age of one's Spirit Rings and increasing one's Soul Power.
That energy was what Giratina had his eye on.
The Asura God was suppressed by the laws and constrained by his position. It was even less possible for him to descend fully upon the Douluo Continent.
If he forcibly descended, he would only be able to send an avatar or phantom, with feeble strength below the god level.
This means we're going to be enemies with the entire Divine Realm...
Lin Chuan sighed inwardly.
The Divine Realm would never tolerate the existence of a god who was unconstrained and unsuppressed, with the potential to grow according to his own talent and act however he pleased.
The gods might band together and kill him before he could grow, eliminating the threat he posed.
Even if he was a good person, the Divine Realm wouldn't tolerate his existence.
Otherwise, something like what happened with the Dragon God might happen again: the Divine Realm thrown into chaos, countless gods slain, and the whole realm nearly brought to ruin.
With his inheritance completely eroded, the Asura God could no longer persuade them or change anything.
"I hope the choice you make won't incur our wrath... Otherwise, the Divine Realm will not allow you to exist."
The Asura God's inheritance had been eroded, but the process had not been altered, so he was still the one who granted the other party the inheritance reward.
The inherited godhood was clearly no longer the Asura Godhood he controlled.
Instead, it was a new godhood, named "Asura."
It was as if the two Asura Godhoods came from different eras and dimensions.
Could they be said to coexist? Aside from having the same name and nature, the two were different in every other way.
The Asura God could only sigh softly.
Looking at the newly born Asura Godhood, which was not of this galaxy yet somehow existed within it, he undoubtedly felt conflicted.
After the Asura Inheritance had been thoroughly devoured, Giratina felt much better.
His divine nature had directly devoured the Asura Godhood, paving a better road for what lay ahead.
The difficulties of comprehending the laws in the future would be greatly eased.
The great road stretched to the heavens; each would take his own path.
Asura was Asura. He was himself.
Ordinary successors to godhood could only walk along the sturdy path of the Asura Godhood, already built for them. Their growth was stable, but they were restricted at every turn.
Lin Chuan, meanwhile, was stepping onto the path of Asura and heading farther ahead. It was dangerous, but it was his own.
Before vanishing, the Asura God simply watched Lin Chuan in silence, as if trying to see through him.
Just before disappearing, he sighed:
"In the end, I will return to the One. Whether it is a change or a predetermined calamity, I hope the Nine Asura Trials allow you to return to your true heart."
When he finished, Lin Chuan's Sea of Consciousness fell completely silent.
The Asura God's words made him ponder for a long time, but neither he nor Giratina understood the Divine Realm's secrets or situation.
He set aside his doubts and looked at the phantom of the Asura Sword, sealed inside a chaotic sphere before him. Then he asked:
"Are we going to take his Asura Sword, too?"
Giratina replied indifferently:
"It's not impossible. Once we're strong enough, we'll take it and refine it anew."
Hearing this, Lin Chuan shook his head with a laugh. His gaze returned to the inheritance before him, now being eroded, and he asked:
"What about this Asura Godhood Inheritance? Can I inherit it now? I won't be restricted by anything, will I?"
Giratina gave a couple of affirming sounds. Only after explaining that nothing else would happen did he say:
"Send your divine sense into it in moderation and accept this inheritance."