Collecting Faith

Bi Ji and Bear Lord crouched beside the Azurefall Celestial Ring, which had just "gone on strike," looking as focused as if they were restoring some priceless treasure. Bi Ji's slender fingers brushed over the overloaded, scorched rune marks, emerald life energy flowing like the finest needle and thread as she gradually repaired the damaged energy pathways within the alloy. Her brows were faintly furrowed with distress. Meanwhile, Bear Lord used the massive hands capable of crushing refined gold to carefully remove the badly warped outer armor plates, muttering, "Easy, yeah, that's it... This connecting shaft is bent. Gotta hammer it back slowly... This thing is expensive. What's burning is money!"

Supported by Demon Spirit, Huo Yuhao walked over. Seeing the two of them acting as though they faced a formidable enemy, he could not help but laugh. "Is that really necessary? It's just fixing a machine. You two look more nervous than when you're fighting a Super Douluo."

Bear Lord raised his head, his bell-sized eyes widening. "Hey! Easy for you to say! Do you know how much Bi Ji and I sank into building this beast? Two years! Two whole years of profits! That was over a hundred million Gold Soul Coins! This is the first time in my life I've burned money like this!" He gestured in heartbreak, then touched the partially repaired ring body, a trace of pride appearing on his rugged face. "But still, this thing really works. You felt that just now, right? That healing enhancement is one of a kind on the entire continent—no, probably the whole planet! Worth it!"

Nearby, Crimson King was checking the stability of the energy core, his three heads huddled together and whispering. At those words, the middle head suddenly lifted, its golden-red eyes rolling as an idea occurred to it. "Hey, what if we caught some poor bastard, lit an eternal Soul Fire on him, then tossed him into this Azurefall Celestial Ring... Wouldn't he keep getting burned while being healed, and healed while being burned? An endless cycle? Would that count as a different kind of immortality?" His left head obligingly spat out a tiny flame, while his right head wore a contemplative expression.

"Pfft—!" Huo Yuhao had just taken a sip of warm water brewed with Forest Life Chronicle Heartclearing Grass that Demon Spirit had handed him. Hearing that, he sprayed it all out, coughing several times before catching his breath. "Cough, cough... Crimson King! What kind of hellish joke is that?" Demon Spirit hurriedly patted his back, unable to stop herself from snickering. Bi Ji shook her head helplessly and continued focusing on the repairs as if she had heard nothing. Bear Lord, on the other hand, burst into laughter and slapped Crimson King on the shoulder. "That's the spirit! Ruthless idea! But our Celestial Ring saves lives. It's not for torture!"

At that moment, Di Tian strode over. He first glanced at Huo Yuhao's visibly improved complexion and gave a slight nod before asking, "How do you feel? Is the Forbidden Dragon Curse working well enough?" They had gone through no small amount of trouble to test and refine this incantation inherited from the ancient black dragon lineage. Zi Ji had "voluntarily"—under Di Tian's authority and Bi Ji's gentle persuasion—served as the primary test subject. The gray runes had suppressed her power until it became sluggish, leaving her uncomfortable all over, and she had given Di Tian the cold shoulder for several days.

Huo Yuhao put away his smile and nodded seriously. "The effect is excellent. It's highly targeted. Without it, yesterday's separation would not have gone so smoothly. But..." His tone shifted as he rubbed his still faintly aching temple. "I can only seal it for fifteen years for now. And the Golden Dragon King has now split into two consciousnesses, 'gold' and 'dark gold'... Say, Di Tian, does your dragon race have some inherited tendency toward... well, 'split personalities'?" Amusement flickered in his ice-blue eyes as he looked Di Tian up and down. "Look at you. Usually, you're as steady and imposing as a block of ten-thousand-year black ice, but sometimes—like in the online world, or when dealing with Demon Spirit and the others—you suddenly become kind of... fatherly? Don't tell me that one day you'll go pop and split into 'Stern Di Tian' and 'Kindly Di Tian'?"

Di Tian froze for a moment, then rolled his eyes irritably. The dignity of the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King nearly broke. "Split my ass! If I'd known you'd start running your mouth the moment you recovered a little, I should've had Bi Ji give you less soul power. You were quite proper when you were weak." Though he said that, there was no real anger in his eyes—only the relaxed familiarity of old friends.

Everyone sat around the tables and chairs temporarily set up by the Lake of Life, while Demon Spirit briskly laid out fruit tea and pastries specially supplied by Myriad Demon King. The setting sun cast the forest in warm gold, and the mood relaxed.

As Huo Yuhao sipped his tea and listened to his companions discuss the development of their "businesses" over the past few years, his heart filled with emotion.

Di Tian remained concise, but when he mentioned the Deep Space Dragon Domain he led, a rare trace of satisfaction entered his voice. "The product line has expanded into the major cities across the continent. Market response has been good." Good was an understatement. Its designs blended cutting-edge technological aesthetics with understated luxury, and its after-sales philosophy of Silent Guardianship had practically become a status symbol in the high-end market. In particular, orders for that soul-guided vehicle with the transforming shield were already booked three years out.

Crimson King's three heads chimed in one after another, immensely pleased with themselves. "Three-Headed Spirit Scent? Firmly at the top! The new Starry Night Orchid line? The Star Luo Palace ordered ten cases! Those noble ladies and young misses only recognize our brand!" The uncrowned king of the perfume world indeed lived up to its reputation.

Myriad Demon King's voice was gentle yet assured. "The premium medicinal ingredients supplied by Forest Life Chronicle account for forty percent of the continent's circulation. As for beverages and alcohol, ninety percent of the market. Our daily washing and care products in cooperation with Crimson King account for eighty percent." It was practically a monopoly, deeply embedding the concepts of nature and life into humanity's daily existence.

Bi Ji wiped her hands and took over, her gentleness carrying a trace of fatigue and pride. "Emerald Court has focused on the Azurefall Celestial Ring these past few years, but our high-end custom Western-style clothing still leads the trends. And the special alloy we helped develop, which is compatible with spiritual power and exceptionally inclusive, has also opened up the high-end soul-guided device market." It was the crystallization of her painstaking efforts.

Zi Ji leaned lazily against her chair, violet light glimmering in her eyes. "On my end, Violet Dragon Pavilion is the undisputed authority on Eastern styles. Our clients are either rich or powerful. But..." She looked at Huo Yuhao, a sly gleam flashing in her eyes. "Following your previous suggestion, we invested heavily in film and television. It's a booming field now."

Bear Lord patted his chest, his voice booming like a bell. "Dark-Gold Heavy Peak alloys? Same as always, hot sellers! But for the past two years, most of my energy went into helping Bi Ji with the Celestial Ring, so production couldn't keep up. Prices on the market are skyrocketing now! Perfect chance to recoup some losses!" Hard currency would never lack buyers.

Demon Spirit raised her little hand, her eyes curving into crescents. "Demon Spirit Gameworks has stayed super popular! We just reached a partnership with Shrek Academy to develop a Soul Master-assisted training system!" By combining entertainment and cultivation, her path was growing ever broader.

Listening to these reports, Huo Yuhao felt deeply gratified. These former ferocious beasts had not merely integrated into human society; they had carved out their own domains and achieved remarkable success. They were no longer simply hiding from the world. They had become participants in the rules, even makers of them.

Once everyone had nearly finished chatting, Zi Ji turned to Huo Yuhao and returned to the main subject. "Yuhao, the proposal for the new film series under your 'faith power collection plan' is ready. Want to take a look? The follow-up response and data for the first Battle Against the Dragon King film have been absolutely explosive."

To accumulate the faith power needed to restore his divine position, Huo Yuhao had thought of using the hugely influential medium of film and television in the human world. He had entrusted the task to Zi Ji, who was the most deeply involved in the cultural industry and eager to open up a new field. She had done exceptionally well.

Zi Ji explained in detail, "Our people secretly interviewed the higher-ups of the Tang Sect, Shrek Academy, and Spirit Pagoda. All three parties welcomed renewed publicity for 'Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao'—after all, people's lives are too comfortable these days. They need heroic legends. As for your divine position, the 'historical research' released by Violet Dragon Pavilion says that Ice Douluo's seven great Soul Spirits each possessed a distinct personality, as though they governed different emotions, so he was honored as the God of Emotions. All three parties accepted that explanation." After all, ten thousand years had passed, and the truth had long since blurred. The explanation was both romantic and consistent with Huo Yuhao's known abilities, so no one would investigate further.

"However," Zi Ji said, spreading her hands, "this is the Sun Moon Federation now. Your growth experiences back on Douluo Continent involve too much sensitive history, so we can't film them directly. Therefore, we drew material from that legendary battle between you and Di Tian in the Star Dou Great Forest after you became a god, artistically adapted it, and produced the first major film—God of Emotions Part One: Battle Against the Dragon King!"

The moment the film was mentioned, the atmosphere became lively. Bear Lord laughed loudly. "When Big Brother unleashed the Dragon God's Claw in the movie, heaven and earth changed color! It was insanely cool! But..." He glanced at Di Tian.

Di Tian snorted, looking slightly embarrassed. In the film's plot, in order to highlight Huo Yuhao's heroism and the greatness of Spirit Pagoda's birth, the ending naturally had "Huo Yuhao" endure a hard battle before finally "defeating" "Di Tian," coming to understand the conflict between soul beasts and humans in the process and founding Spirit Pagoda. Although the film portrayed "Di Tian" as overwhelmingly powerful and oppressive, he was still the villainous final boss, and he lost in the end.

"I said from the start that we should have at least tied!" Di Tian still could not let it go.

Zi Ji immediately protested. "Big Brother! We made this film to collect faith power for Yuhao and establish his glorious image! If I had made it a draw, or had you win, wouldn't the film's whole message have gone crooked? The audience would lose their sense of immersion too! If the box office flopped, where would the faith power come from?"

Bi Ji also gently persuaded him, "That's right, Di Tian. The film displayed your dignity and power to the fullest. The stunning effects of Dragon God's Claw are still a classic shot in film history. For the greater good, you can sacrifice the ending a little."

Demon Spirit hugged Di Tian's arm and shook it, acting cute. "Uncle Di Tian is the strongest! You were super imposing in the movie too! But our little goal is to help Brother Yuhao, and Uncle Di Tian is the most generous, right?"

Under everyone's siege of persuasion, Di Tian could only compromise in frustration. "Fine, fine... As long as I'm strong enough in the movie." In truth, the apocalyptic power displayed by "Di Tian" in the film, especially the scene of Dragon God's Claw tearing open space, had indeed earned countless viewers' awe and reverence. To a certain extent, it had also enhanced the mysterious and powerful image of the soul beast side.

Zi Ji's business acumen shone brilliantly here. After the film became a massive hit—its first-run box office surpassed one billion Gold Soul Coins, it swept across three continents, and it even reached the point of universal viewing in the Star Luo Empire—she immediately released enormous quantities of merchandise: chibi dolls of the seven great Soul Spirits, Black Dragon Sword models, God of Emotions badges... She even held a grand Soul Spirit Era-themed cosplay convention. While continuously expanding the hype and influence and making a fortune, she also deeply imprinted the name "God of Emotions Huo Yuhao"—though ordinary people still preferred calling him "Ice Douluo"—upon this era.

Zi Ji had once teased Huo Yuhao, "Who told you to leave in such a hurry back then? You didn't even make your divine position's name clear. Now 'Ice Douluo' is called out more often than 'God of Emotions.'"

Huo Yuhao had merely smiled then. "It doesn't matter. Once enough faith power has accumulated, the title is only an outward form. At worst, when there is sufficient faith in the future, I can use it as a foundation to condense my divine position again." It was precisely thanks to the widespread faith brought by that film across the continent—many people worshipped "Ice Douluo"—that the ice power Huo Yuhao had recovered carried that trace of divinity, allowing it to freeze the Golden Dragon King's power at the critical moment.

"I'll look over the new film proposal carefully later." Huo Yuhao nodded at Zi Ji. "For now, using film and television to collect faith has proven to be the right path. But to reconsolidate or stabilize the divine position of the God of Emotions, we'll need an ocean of faith power. We need to plan our next step carefully."