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Chapter 177: The Incomplete God.
The Sea God Temple was estimated to be about two to three hundred meters tall.
At this moment, the Grand Hall door that appeared before Neptune was a full hundred meters tall, its thickness unknowable. On both Grand Hall doors, a pattern was carved. On the left Grand Hall door, a statue of the Sea God was carved: a tall Sea God holding the Sea God Trident, his feet treading crashing waves. The pattern on the right depicted the Sea God holding his trident, poised to attack, with a giant whale rising from the seawater in front of him. From its appearance, it was precisely the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King that had been subdued earlier.
'This Sea God is really showing off...' he muttered to himself. Yet, simply standing there, he felt as if he was truly there, as if he had personally witnessed the Sea God galloping across the Great Sea.
"Since you've already arrived here."
"Why are you still standing outside the door? ...Come in!"
A majestic voice suddenly rang out. It was impossible to tell where the voice came from, and an invisible pressure assailed him from all directions.
Neptune's expression became serious; he did not speak.
Accompanying a series of rumbling sounds, the two hundred-meter-tall giant doors slowly opened, unfolding towards the interior of the Sea God Temple. Immediately, intense golden light shot out from within the Sea God Temple, dazzling Neptune, who stood ready, so much that he could barely open his eyes.
Immense divine power surged forth, making one feel like a mere grain of sand immersed in the Great Sea, utterly insignificant.
However, to Neptune, this was like a gentle breeze. It couldn't affect him at all. After all, his current strength had already stepped halfway into the hall of a deity; all that was left was this final step. Facing a strong cultivator who was, at most, slightly stronger than himself, it would be strange indeed to feel any fear or timidity.
Neptune's expression was calm as he strode confidently through the Grand Hall door.
Inside this Grand Hall, thirty-six massive pillars on either side supported the ceiling of the Grand Hall, with a passage three hundred meters wide in the center extending all the way to the innermost section.
At the end of that passage, a person sat upon a colossal throne—no, it should be said, a giant!
Neptune did not stop his steps, without his expression betraying any emotion at the sight of the giant.
This giant's appearance seemed no different from that of a human. A white, gold-trimmed robe was draped over his body, and he wore a three-pronged circlet on his head. In the center of the circlet, a sky-blue gem was embedded.
It was precisely the Sea God Poseidon!
Step by step, Neptune's gait was unhurried as he slowly approached the end of the passage.
The Sea God on the throne had an ancient face, not conventionally handsome, yet it was extremely majestic. A pair of calm yet slightly stern eyes watched Neptune as he entered from the other end of the passage, and faint light flowed within his gaze.
The immense pressure that had been felt outside earlier now grew even stronger here.
Neptune's expression remained unchanged. He stopped after walking about several dozen meters from the throne. He raised his head and calmly gazed at the towering Sea God, speaking neither subserviently nor arrogantly: "Greetings, respected Sea God. I have come to receive your final inheritance."
"When you see me, why do you not bow?"
The Sea God spoke, his majestic voice filled with oppressive power.
Neptune said with a calm expression, "I am merely your Inheritor, not your servant. Why should I bow?"
Hearing his words, the Sea God smiled in satisfaction and slowly stood up from his seat. The moment he stood, he immediately gave off a feeling of Mount Tai pressing down. His height exceeded a hundred meters!
"Are you displeased because of Bo Saixi's sacrifice?" the Sea God said to him with a smile.
"Somewhat."
Neptune did not deny it, stating frankly, "The High Priest has helped me greatly during this period, and I could tell she didn't want to die. Yet, in the end, she had to sacrifice her life to complete my deification. This is too unfair to her."
After listening, the Sea God said indifferently, "She merely returned to my embrace. What does life matter? What does death matter? Sometimes, living is even more painful than dying. Even for a god, this is no exception."
Neptune snorted coldly and said, "So, you decided her destiny, is that it?"
The Sea God shook his head, saying, "No, you are mistaken. She decided her own destiny. Even a god cannot decide a person's destiny. That was her choice. Everyone has their own choice, and you are no exception. Your coming here was your choice.
Bo Saixi's ancestors were my subordinates who fought alongside me in the Great Sea. The ancestors of almost all the aboriginals on Sea God Island were like this. They guarded Sea God Island not just to await the arrival of you, the Inheritor, but also to guard that memory. That was their choice, not my demand.
What I left behind was only the method to reach this place, but I never stipulated that she *must* do this. Only when the High Priest of Sea God Island believes it is worthwhile will she make such a choice. Do you understand?"
Neptune remained silent, but inwardly cursed: 'What a clever trick of swapping concepts! Yes, you didn't explicitly stipulate that the High Priest *must* do this! But didn't you leave the method precisely for them to do so? Even if you didn't explicitly decree it, as a fanatical believer of the Sea God, knowing that only by sacrificing oneself can the inheritance be activated, which believer wouldn't follow the method left by the deity?'
Although he felt that the Sea God's words were somewhat flawed, as the beneficiary of this incident, Neptune naturally wouldn't be bored enough to expose him. Everything could wait until he received the god position; otherwise, all his efforts would be for naught.
Seeing that he remained silent, seemingly convinced, the Sea God smiled and continued, "The death of every person is, in essence, the separation of the body and the soul. Neptune, tell me. For a person, which is more important: the body, or the soul?"
Neptune replied, "In a sense, the body can be considered the vessel for the soul. However, without a body, would the soul still exist? It would likely dissipate." The Douluo Continent did not have the concepts of reincarnation or the Six Paths of Reincarnation, so when a person died, they were truly dead.
The Sea God nodded, saying, "Since you understand this principle, it will be easy for me to explain. Indeed, after ordinary humans die, their souls will dissipate within a short time. Even for a Soul Master, this is no exception. However, after Bo Saixi's sacrifice, although her physical body died, her soul will not dissipate. Her soul, under the guidance of my power, can go to another world. That is the world where the souls of all gods go after death."
"The world where gods go after death? Don't they achieve eternal life after achieving godhood? Do they still die of old age like mortals?" Neptune feigned a shocked expression.
The Sea God shook his head, saying, "True gods are naturally eternal and indestructible. However, what is referred to as 'Becoming a God at level 100' on the Douluo Continent, the 'gods' they achieve still have a fundamental difference from true gods. Therefore, their life is naturally limited. It's just much longer compared to that of humans."
"A difference? What difference?" Neptune asked, perplexed.
"They only possess a divine soul, but they lack a true divine body, so their physical body will naturally decay, age, and die! Only the divine soul is immortal." The Sea God patiently explained to him, "And to forge a true divine body, one must go to the God Realm and undergo the baptism of the God Realm's Immortal Spirit Qi to truly undergo transformation into an immortal divine body that matches the divine soul. Otherwise, no matter how powerful the body, it will always age and die."
Upon hearing this, Neptune understood somewhat. So, it turned out that after becoming a god at level 100 on the Douluo Continent, the body still had lifespan limitations because, strictly speaking, it wasn't a true divine body. Only by going to the God Realm and absorbing the high-level energy of the God Realm could the physical body truly undergo transformation and gain a long lifespan. Only then could they be considered complete gods!
"Generally, after strong cultivators on the Douluo Continent achieve godhood, they can only stay in the Mortal Realm for a century at most. Afterward, they must proceed to the God Realm according to regulations to undergo the baptism of Immortal Spirit Qi and become true gods! Otherwise, even with a divine soul but no divine body, the power they possess would probably only be able to unleash ten to twenty percent in the Mortal Realm." the Sea God explained.
Neptune suddenly understood, thinking, 'No wonder the gods of Douluo Continent are so weak! It turns out they haven't undergone the baptism of the God Realm's high-quality energy, leading to them possessing powerful souls but being restricted by their bodies. The two are uncoordinated, preventing them from unleashing the power that a god of their level should possess. Only by going to the God Realm and having their physical bodies baptized by its energy can they truly acquire the power befitting a god!'
(end of chapter)
The Sea God Temple was estimated to be about two to three hundred meters tall.
At this moment, the Grand Hall door that appeared before Neptune was a full hundred meters tall, its thickness unknowable. On both Grand Hall doors, a pattern was carved. On the left Grand Hall door, a statue of the Sea God was carved: a tall Sea God holding the Sea God Trident, his feet treading crashing waves. The pattern on the right depicted the Sea God holding his trident, poised to attack, with a giant whale rising from the seawater in front of him. From its appearance, it was precisely the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King that had been subdued earlier.
'This Sea God is really showing off...' he muttered to himself. Yet, simply standing there, he felt as if he was truly there, as if he had personally witnessed the Sea God galloping across the Great Sea.
"Since you've already arrived here."
"Why are you still standing outside the door? ...Come in!"
A majestic voice suddenly rang out. It was impossible to tell where the voice came from, and an invisible pressure assailed him from all directions.
Neptune's expression became serious; he did not speak.
Accompanying a series of rumbling sounds, the two hundred-meter-tall giant doors slowly opened, unfolding towards the interior of the Sea God Temple. Immediately, intense golden light shot out from within the Sea God Temple, dazzling Neptune, who stood ready, so much that he could barely open his eyes.
Immense divine power surged forth, making one feel like a mere grain of sand immersed in the Great Sea, utterly insignificant.
However, to Neptune, this was like a gentle breeze. It couldn't affect him at all. After all, his current strength had already stepped halfway into the hall of a deity; all that was left was this final step. Facing a strong cultivator who was, at most, slightly stronger than himself, it would be strange indeed to feel any fear or timidity.
Neptune's expression was calm as he strode confidently through the Grand Hall door.
Inside this Grand Hall, thirty-six massive pillars on either side supported the ceiling of the Grand Hall, with a passage three hundred meters wide in the center extending all the way to the innermost section.
At the end of that passage, a person sat upon a colossal throne—no, it should be said, a giant!
Neptune did not stop his steps, without his expression betraying any emotion at the sight of the giant.
This giant's appearance seemed no different from that of a human. A white, gold-trimmed robe was draped over his body, and he wore a three-pronged circlet on his head. In the center of the circlet, a sky-blue gem was embedded.
It was precisely the Sea God Poseidon!
Step by step, Neptune's gait was unhurried as he slowly approached the end of the passage.
The Sea God on the throne had an ancient face, not conventionally handsome, yet it was extremely majestic. A pair of calm yet slightly stern eyes watched Neptune as he entered from the other end of the passage, and faint light flowed within his gaze.
The immense pressure that had been felt outside earlier now grew even stronger here.
Neptune's expression remained unchanged. He stopped after walking about several dozen meters from the throne. He raised his head and calmly gazed at the towering Sea God, speaking neither subserviently nor arrogantly: "Greetings, respected Sea God. I have come to receive your final inheritance."
"When you see me, why do you not bow?"
The Sea God spoke, his majestic voice filled with oppressive power.
Neptune said with a calm expression, "I am merely your Inheritor, not your servant. Why should I bow?"
Hearing his words, the Sea God smiled in satisfaction and slowly stood up from his seat. The moment he stood, he immediately gave off a feeling of Mount Tai pressing down. His height exceeded a hundred meters!
"Are you displeased because of Bo Saixi's sacrifice?" the Sea God said to him with a smile.
"Somewhat."
Neptune did not deny it, stating frankly, "The High Priest has helped me greatly during this period, and I could tell she didn't want to die. Yet, in the end, she had to sacrifice her life to complete my deification. This is too unfair to her."
After listening, the Sea God said indifferently, "She merely returned to my embrace. What does life matter? What does death matter? Sometimes, living is even more painful than dying. Even for a god, this is no exception."
Neptune snorted coldly and said, "So, you decided her destiny, is that it?"
The Sea God shook his head, saying, "No, you are mistaken. She decided her own destiny. Even a god cannot decide a person's destiny. That was her choice. Everyone has their own choice, and you are no exception. Your coming here was your choice.
Bo Saixi's ancestors were my subordinates who fought alongside me in the Great Sea. The ancestors of almost all the aboriginals on Sea God Island were like this. They guarded Sea God Island not just to await the arrival of you, the Inheritor, but also to guard that memory. That was their choice, not my demand.
What I left behind was only the method to reach this place, but I never stipulated that she *must* do this. Only when the High Priest of Sea God Island believes it is worthwhile will she make such a choice. Do you understand?"
Neptune remained silent, but inwardly cursed: 'What a clever trick of swapping concepts! Yes, you didn't explicitly stipulate that the High Priest *must* do this! But didn't you leave the method precisely for them to do so? Even if you didn't explicitly decree it, as a fanatical believer of the Sea God, knowing that only by sacrificing oneself can the inheritance be activated, which believer wouldn't follow the method left by the deity?'
Although he felt that the Sea God's words were somewhat flawed, as the beneficiary of this incident, Neptune naturally wouldn't be bored enough to expose him. Everything could wait until he received the god position; otherwise, all his efforts would be for naught.
Seeing that he remained silent, seemingly convinced, the Sea God smiled and continued, "The death of every person is, in essence, the separation of the body and the soul. Neptune, tell me. For a person, which is more important: the body, or the soul?"
Neptune replied, "In a sense, the body can be considered the vessel for the soul. However, without a body, would the soul still exist? It would likely dissipate." The Douluo Continent did not have the concepts of reincarnation or the Six Paths of Reincarnation, so when a person died, they were truly dead.
The Sea God nodded, saying, "Since you understand this principle, it will be easy for me to explain. Indeed, after ordinary humans die, their souls will dissipate within a short time. Even for a Soul Master, this is no exception. However, after Bo Saixi's sacrifice, although her physical body died, her soul will not dissipate. Her soul, under the guidance of my power, can go to another world. That is the world where the souls of all gods go after death."
"The world where gods go after death? Don't they achieve eternal life after achieving godhood? Do they still die of old age like mortals?" Neptune feigned a shocked expression.
The Sea God shook his head, saying, "True gods are naturally eternal and indestructible. However, what is referred to as 'Becoming a God at level 100' on the Douluo Continent, the 'gods' they achieve still have a fundamental difference from true gods. Therefore, their life is naturally limited. It's just much longer compared to that of humans."
"A difference? What difference?" Neptune asked, perplexed.
"They only possess a divine soul, but they lack a true divine body, so their physical body will naturally decay, age, and die! Only the divine soul is immortal." The Sea God patiently explained to him, "And to forge a true divine body, one must go to the God Realm and undergo the baptism of the God Realm's Immortal Spirit Qi to truly undergo transformation into an immortal divine body that matches the divine soul. Otherwise, no matter how powerful the body, it will always age and die."
Upon hearing this, Neptune understood somewhat. So, it turned out that after becoming a god at level 100 on the Douluo Continent, the body still had lifespan limitations because, strictly speaking, it wasn't a true divine body. Only by going to the God Realm and absorbing the high-level energy of the God Realm could the physical body truly undergo transformation and gain a long lifespan. Only then could they be considered complete gods!
"Generally, after strong cultivators on the Douluo Continent achieve godhood, they can only stay in the Mortal Realm for a century at most. Afterward, they must proceed to the God Realm according to regulations to undergo the baptism of Immortal Spirit Qi and become true gods! Otherwise, even with a divine soul but no divine body, the power they possess would probably only be able to unleash ten to twenty percent in the Mortal Realm." the Sea God explained.
Neptune suddenly understood, thinking, 'No wonder the gods of Douluo Continent are so weak! It turns out they haven't undergone the baptism of the God Realm's high-quality energy, leading to them possessing powerful souls but being restricted by their bodies. The two are uncoordinated, preventing them from unleashing the power that a god of their level should possess. Only by going to the God Realm and having their physical bodies baptized by its energy can they truly acquire the power befitting a god!'
(end of chapter)
