"An ancient god?" Muria shook his head after hearing his student's claim. "Impossible. Even if an ancient god were to perish, there wouldn't be a body left behind."
Ancient gods were transcendent beings born alongside the world itself. Much like epic entities, they were nearly free from all limitations and possessed eternal lifespans. Their deaths could only occur through extraordinary circumstances.
In such cases, no one capable of slaying an ancient god would leave the body unattended. Even if by some rare chance the remains fell into a world, that world would instinctively "absorb" and dissolve them.
"Teacher, you have to believe me! It's definitely an ancient god's remains!" Li protested, growing anxious. "You can come with me to the archipelago and see for yourself!"
"Alright. I'll go with you," Muria agreed after a brief thought. Since he had no pressing matters at the moment, he decided to entertain his student's claim.
Artifacts and resources that could enhance divine power or foundational strength were highly sought after by both gods and epic beings. Large worlds were often the only places capable of producing such treasures.
Upon hearing Muria's agreement, Li eagerly guided him toward the archipelago. The desire to return home consumed Li's mind, driving him to rush ahead without even taking time to comfort the Lasha people, whose village had been devastated by the Luminous fleet. Compared to his loved ones, the tribe—despite being the foundation of his divinity—was of lesser importance to him.
Two beams of light streaked across the sky—one golden, shining brilliantly ahead, and the other dark gray, trailing slightly behind.
"Don't be so impatient. I need to pick someone up," Muria said with a smile as he glanced at his anxious student while speeding through the air.
"Pick someone up? Who?"
Muria didn't answer. Instead, he led Li to a desolate island where a demigod had once perished. As they descended, a restless Arina came running toward them.
"Where did you go? You vanished without a word! And now you've brought someone else? Is this another one of your relatives?"
Arina's gaze fell upon Li, whose serpentine body and oppressive presence made her feel uneasy.
"Let me introduce you," Muria said with a calm smile. "This is my student, Li—a young Earth God who will soon ascend to True Godhood."
Then, turning to Li, he introduced Arina. "And this is my mother."
Li froze, stunned by the introduction. He stared at the seemingly ordinary girl in disbelief. To him, she didn't possess any extraordinary power, yet Muria had just called her his mother. It defied all logic.
He had initially assumed she might be a fellow student, perhaps a junior. The truth was so unexpected that it left him momentarily speechless.
"Don't be so shocked," Muria chuckled, savoring his student's bewildered reaction. "This is my mother's reincarnation. Her current weakness is temporary. Once her consciousness awakens, her power will surpass mine in no time."
"Oh... I see," Li muttered, finally comprehending the situation. Reincarnation was a concept he could grasp, albeit one rarely encountered at such a scale.
"Let's go," Muria said, motioning for Arina to follow.
"Go where? And why?" Arina asked curiously, still eyeing Li with interest.
"Li claims he's found the remains of an ancient god. I'm going to check it out."
"Gods can die?" Arina blurted out, surprised by the revelation. In her mind, gods were immortal beings, although she came from a world without them.
"Of course they can. Even gods aren't truly indestructible," Muria replied as he helped Arina onto the back of his wyvern. The massive dragon took to the sky, with Li quickly following behind.
"You've made good progress over the years," Muria remarked, observing the network of islands below. He could sense the unified power of faith emanating from the archipelago, all directed toward his student. This was a marked improvement from the fragmented faith he had sensed previously.
Consolidating and expanding one's domain of faith was key to strengthening divine power. Conquest was the fastest way for gods to grow.
"Thank you, Teacher!" Li grinned, his thoughts momentarily distracted from his desire to return home.
"When did I say I was satisfied?" Muria's voice suddenly sharpened.
"Uh... Teacher…"
"Tell me, have you conquered all the Lasha tribes?"
"Not yet. I've taken control of roughly one-third of their tribes," Li admitted reluctantly.
"Without my assistance, you'd be doing well to have come this far. But since you've inherited the essence of a fallen demigod, you should be achieving much more. You're holding yourself back," Muria scolded.
"Understood, Teacher," Li responded obediently, knowing that Muria's words carried weight. He had no intention of arguing.
"Don't feel too disheartened. I understand the Lasha people. They were fractured and lacked a unified belief system before you arrived. But they're easily integrated through conquest. Once you've subdued them, there are few other barriers to unification."
Muria's reprimand was brief. Soon, a lush and vibrant archipelago appeared before them, its aura distinctly different from the surrounding islands.
"I'm starting to believe you," Muria said with a chuckle after carefully sensing the unique energy emanating from the islands. Though he remained skeptical about the existence of ancient god remains, he acknowledged that something unusual was present.
"I wouldn't deceive you," Li replied confidently as they descended onto the largest island.
The scene that greeted them was a vast, ancient ruin in the process of being excavated. Thousands of stocky, green-skinned Lasha laborers toiled tirelessly under Li's supervision.
"Is this the temple of the ancient god you mentioned?" Muria asked, observing the site with interest.
"Yes. Before I conquered this place, the Lasha people revered it as sacred ground," Li explained.
"And now you've got them tearing it apart," Muria remarked with amusement.
As he watched the scene unfold, Muria noticed something peculiar. These Lasha laborers were not ordinary. Many of them bore biological augmentations—organic armor and constructs seamlessly integrated into their bodies.
"What's with these modifications? Don't tell me they evolved naturally," Muria asked, intrigued.
"These are weapons and tools created by the ancient god for his followers," Li explained, pride evident in his voice.
"Biological armaments... Interesting. That god had a keen mind," Muria mused, impressed by the innovation. By enhancing his worshippers through symbiotic technology, the god had significantly boosted the tribe's productivity and potential for growth.
"Show me this god's remains," Muria instructed, stepping deeper into the temple complex.
Guided by Li, Muria soon arrived at the temple's central structure—a colossal stone sarcophagus etched with primitive carvings. The illustrations depicted a god's conquests and the reverence of various tribes. However, Muria found the artwork unremarkable and devoid of meaningful information.
"Teacher, the remains are inside. I'll open it for you, but be cautious. The corpse has a unique property—it drains the vitality of all living things around it," Li warned solemnly.
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