Collecting Faith

Bi Ji and Bear Lord were crouched beside the Azurefall Celestial Ring that had just "gone on strike," looking as focused as though they were restoring a priceless treasure. Bi Ji's slender fingers brushed over the overloaded, scorched rune engravings, green life energy flowing like the finest needle and thread as it gradually repaired the damaged energy channels within the alloy. Her brows were slightly furrowed with distress. Meanwhile, Bear Lord carefully removed the badly warped outer armor plates with hands capable of crushing refined gold, muttering under his breath, "Easy, yeah, that's it... This connecting shaft is bent. Gotta hammer it back slowly... This thing's damn expensive. What's burning is money!"

Supported by Demon Spirit, Huo Yuhao walked over. Seeing the two of them treating the situation as though they faced a formidable enemy, he could not help finding it amusing. "Is it really necessary? It's just repairing a machine. You two look more nervous than when facing a Super Douluo."

Bear Lord looked up, his eyes as large as bronze bells widening. "Hey! Easy for you to say! Do you know how much capital Bi Ji and I poured into building this beast? Two years! A full two years of profit! That was over a hundred million Gold Soul Coins! It's the first time in my life I've ever burned money like this!" He gestured in anguish, but then stroked the partially repaired ring, a trace of pride appearing on his rugged face. "Still, this thing really works. You felt that earlier, right? That healing amplification effect is one of a kind on the entire continent—no, probably the whole planet! Worth it!"

Scarlet King, who was checking the stability of the energy core nearby, had his three heads huddled together in whispered discussion. At those words, the middle head suddenly lifted, its golden-red eyes rolling as an idea struck him. "Hey, what if we caught some unlucky bastard, lit an eternal Soul Fire on him, then tossed him into the Azurefall Celestial Ring... Wouldn't he just keep getting burned and healed, healed and burned, forever? An infinite loop? Would that count as a different kind of immortality?" The head on his left obligingly puffed out a small flame, while the one on his right wore a thoughtful expression.

"Pfft—!" Huo Yuhao had just taken a sip of warm water brewed with Heartclearing Grass from Forest Life Chronicle when Demon Spirit handed it to him. Hearing that, he sprayed it everywhere and coughed several times before catching his breath. "Cough, cough... Scarlet King! What kind of hellish joke is that?" Demon Spirit hurriedly patted his back, unable to stop herself from laughing as well. Bi Ji shook her head helplessly and continued focusing on the repairs as though she had heard nothing. Bear Lord grinned broadly and slapped Scarlet King on the shoulder. "That's the spirit! Brutal idea! But this Celestial Ring is for saving lives, not torture!"

At that moment, Di Tian walked 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 effective enough?" Testing and refining that incantation inherited from the ancient Black Dragon Clan had taken no small amount of effort. Zi Ji had "volunteered"—under Di Tian's authority and Bi Ji's gentle persuasion—to serve as the primary test subject. The gray runes had suppressed her power until it flowed sluggishly, leaving her uncomfortable all over. For several days, she had not shown Di Tian a pleasant face.

Huo Yuhao's smile faded as he nodded seriously. "The effect is excellent, and it's highly targeted. Without it, yesterday's separation wouldn't have gone so smoothly. But..." His tone shifted as he rubbed his still faintly aching forehead. "I can only seal it for fifteen years at most. And now the Golden Dragon King has split into two consciousnesses, Jin and Dark Gold... Tell me, Di Tian, does your Dragon Clan have some kind of inherited tendency toward... well, dissociative identity?" His ice-blue eyes gleamed with amusement as he looked Di Tian up and down. "Look at you. Usually, you're calm and imposing, like a piece of Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice. But sometimes—like in the online world or when dealing with Demon Spirit and the others—you somehow become a bit of a... concerned old father. You're not going to suddenly split one day with a pop into 'Stern Di Tian' and 'Kindly Di Tian,' are you?"

Di Tian was stunned for a moment, then rolled his eyes irritably. The majesty of the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King nearly slipped. "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 much more proper when you were weak." Though he spoke that way, there was no real anger in his eyes. Instead, there was the relaxed familiarity shared between old friends.

Everyone gathered around the temporary tables and chairs set up beside 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 atmosphere relaxed.

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

Di Tian remained concise as ever, but when he mentioned the Deep Space Dragon Domain he had personally led, a rare hint of satisfaction entered his tone. "The product line has spread through the continent's major cities. Market response has been good." Good was an understatement. Its designs blended cutting-edge technological style with understated luxury, while its after-sales service built around the Silent Guardianship philosophy had practically become a status symbol in the high-end market. In particular, orders for the Soul Tool vehicle with its transforming shield were already booked three years in advance.

Scarlet King's three heads chimed in one after another, brimming with pride. "Three-Headed Spirit Scent? Firmly at the top! The new Starry Night Orchid line was ordered in ten cases by Star Luo Palace! Those noble ladies and young misses only recognize our brand!" The uncrowned king of the perfume world certainly deserved his reputation.

Myriad Demon King's voice was gentle yet confident. "The high-quality medicinal herbs 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 made in cooperation with Scarlet King account for eighty percent." Such shares were nearly monopolistic, deeply planting the concepts of nature and life into humanity's daily existence.

Bi Ji wiped her hands and took over, her gentle voice carrying a trace of weariness 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. Also, the special alloy we helped develop, which is compatible with spiritual power and exceptionally inclusive, has opened up the high-end Soul Tool market as well." It was the crystallization of her painstaking efforts.

Zi Ji leaned lazily against her chair, her purple eyes shimmering. "As for me, Violet Dragon Pavilion is the unquestioned authority in Eastern styles, and our clients are either wealthy or noble. But..." She looked at Huo Yuhao, a sly glint flashing through her eyes. "Following your earlier suggestion, we invested heavily in the film and television industry. It's a booming field now."

Bear Lord pounded his chest, his voice booming like a bell. "Dark-Gold Heavy Peak alloy? Same as always, hot stuff! But we spent most of the past two years helping Bi Ji build the Celestial Ring, so production couldn't keep up. Prices on the market are skyrocketing now! Perfect time to recoup some losses!" Hard currency never lacked buyers.

Demon Spirit raised a small hand, her eyes curving into crescents. "Demon Spirit Gameworks has stayed super popular! We recently reached a partnership with Shrek Academy to develop an auxiliary training system for Soul Masters!" By combining entertainment and cultivation, she had broadened her path further and further.

Listening to their reports, Huo Yuhao felt gratified. These former ferocious beasts had not only integrated into human society, but had also forged their own domains and achieved remarkable success. They were no longer merely hiding from the world. They had become participants in the rules, even makers of them.

Once everyone had nearly finished talking, Zi Ji finally turned to Huo Yuhao and returned to the main matter. "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 figures for the first Battle Against the Dragon King film have been absolutely explosive."

To accumulate the Faith Power needed to restore his Godhood, Huo Yuhao had thought of making use of film and television, a medium with enormous influence in the human world. The task had been entrusted to Zi Ji, who had the deepest involvement in the cultural industry and intended to expand into new fields. She had done exceptionally well.

Zi Ji explained in detail, "Our people secretly interviewed the higher-ups of the Tang Sect, Shrek, and Spirit Pagoda. All three parties welcomed the renewed promotion of 'Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao'—after all, people live too comfortably these days and need heroic legends. As for your Godhood, Violet Dragon Pavilion's 'scholarly research' explained that Ice Douluo's seven 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 become blurred. The explanation was both romantic and consistent with Huo Yuhao's known abilities, so no one would dig too deeply.

"However," Zi Ji said with a spread of her hands, "this is now the Sun Moon Federation. Your experiences growing up 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. With some artistic adaptation, we produced the first major film—God of Emotions Part One: Battle Against the Dragon King!"

The mention of the film immediately livened the atmosphere. Bear Lord burst into laughter. "When Big Brother unleashed that Dragon God's Claw in the movie, heaven and earth changed color! It was insanely awesome! But..." He glanced at Di Tian.

Di Tian snorted, looking somewhat embarrassed. In the film's plot, to highlight Huo Yuhao's heroism and the greatness of Spirit Pagoda's founding, "Huo Yuhao" naturally endured bitter struggles before finally "defeating" "Di Tian." Through that process, he came to understand the conflict between soul beasts and humans and founded Spirit Pagoda. Though 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 beginning that we should've at least tied!" Di Tian still felt aggrieved.

Zi Ji hurriedly protested, "Big Brother! We made this to gather Faith Power for Yuhao and establish a glorious image for him! If I filmed it as a draw, or had you win, wouldn't the whole theme be crooked? The audience wouldn't be able to immerse themselves either! Then the box office would flop, and where would the Faith Power come from?"

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

Demon Spirit hugged Di Tian's arm and shook it as she coquettishly said, "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 combined assault—persuasion—Di Tian could only compromise gloomily in the end. "Fine, fine... As long as I look strong enough in the movie." In truth, the world-destroying power displayed by "Di Tian" in the film, especially the scene of Dragon God's Claw tearing open space, had won the awe and admiration of countless viewers. To some extent, it had also elevated the mysterious and powerful image of the soul beast side.

Zi Ji's business acumen was displayed to the fullest here. After the film became a massive hit—its first-run box office surpassing one billion Gold Soul Coins, sweeping across three continents, and even achieving universal viewership in Star Luo—she immediately launched a huge range of merchandise: chibi dolls of the seven 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 raking in money, she also deeply branded the name "God of Emotions Huo Yuhao"—though ordinary people were more accustomed to calling him "Ice Douluo"—into 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 the name of your Godhood clear. Now 'Ice Douluo' is called out even more loudly than 'God of Emotions.'"

Huo Yuhao had merely smiled at the time. "It doesn't matter. Once enough Faith Power has accumulated, the title is only an outward appearance. At worst, when there is sufficient faith in the future, I can use it as a foundation to condense my Godhood anew." It was precisely thanks to the widespread faith throughout the continent brought by that film—much of it based on admiration for "Ice Douluo"—that the ice power Huo Yuhao had restored carried that trace of divinity, allowing it to freeze the Golden Dragon King's power at the crucial moment.

"I'll study the proposal for the new film carefully later." Huo Yuhao nodded to Zi Ji. "For now, it seems we chose the right path by gathering faith through film and television. But to recondense or stabilize the Godhood of the God of Emotions, we'll need an oceanic amount of Faith Power. We need to plan our next step carefully."