Ch. 541It's Normal for New Gods to Be Short on Brains
Key plot points and events
- Ning Qing enters the Buddhist Order’s Reincarnation Forbidden Land alone. The trial generates countless possible lives and realities, probing whether she can distinguish illusion from truth and hold to her real self.
- Ning Qing sees through the trial easily, recognizing its doubts as ideas she has already examined many times through the Esoteric Sect’s practices. She leaves the illusions behind and enters the Forbidden Land’s core.
- Using her prior experience and the advantages of her Mark and widespread recognition, she merges with part of the Space-Time Origin. The result is a power beyond ordinary spirit power, though not quite the Origin itself.
- After more than a month, Ning Qing emerges and reunites with Chen Shu. Their casual teasing and playful sparring make clear that their familiar relationship has not changed despite her becoming a god.
- Back in Jade Capital, Xiaoxiao worries about being short and asks when she can receive a Mark. Chen Shu explains she must reach Seventh Tier first, but promises that he and Ning Qing can help her cultivate with small amounts of divine power.
- Chen Shu checks in with the other newly ascended figures. Most have completed their Origin fusions; a few are still in Forbidden Lands or waiting their turn.
- The group jokes about choosing divine titles. Zhang Suannai announces she is the “Last Sword God,” closing the succession of increasingly grand Sword God names. The others offer a mixture of serious and ridiculous titles, leaving Chen Shu convinced that their new gods are anything but dignified.
Character developments and interactions
- Ning Qing demonstrates extraordinary self-knowledge and mental discipline. Her trial confirms that she can face uncertainty without being trapped by it, and she successfully becomes a god.
- Chen Shu is also a god, but remains playful and irreverent. He and Ning Qing trade dry jokes as naturally as before, while he offers practical reassurance to Xiaoxiao.
- Xiaoxiao is determined to grow taller and catch up with her sister. Though frustrated by the requirements for a Mark, she is reassured by the promise of divine help.
- Zhang Suannai claims the title “Last Sword God,” humorously but firmly ending the tradition of successors trying to outdo earlier Sword Gods.
- The other members of the group reveal their personalities through their title banter: some favor formal names, while others lean into absurdity. Their mockery and camaraderie continue despite their newfound divine status.
Significant themes
- Self-knowledge and truth: The Forbidden Land tests whether a person can preserve their identity amid convincing illusions and contradictory possibilities.
- Resilience through reflection: Ning Qing’s repeated inner examinations make the trial’s challenges feel crude; confronting falsehood without losing one’s purpose becomes a path to seeing reality clearly.
- Power and recognition: Marks, contact with the Plane Origin, and public recognition help the new gods merge with the Origin more quickly.
- Continuity amid transformation: Ascending to godhood changes the characters’ power, but not their humor, affection, rivalries, or everyday concerns.
- The absurdity of status: The title debate pokes fun at divine prestige, showing that even gods can be childish and self-important.