Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Deep within the true spirit space at the core of the god's soul, countless tangled threads of spiritual essence stretched in every direction. These true spirit threads intertwined with one another, forming an immense, complex, and mysterious spiritual imprint.
However, each thread was a chaotic mess of colors. The resulting spiritual imprint was equally disorderly—a jumbled tapestry of hues. The better threads contained only two or three colors, while the worst were a cacophony of seven or eight different shades.
From a distance, it might appear somewhat tolerable. But upon closer inspection, it was nothing short of visual pollution. No—it was worse than that. To approach too closely risked having your very being distorted.
The corruption caused by countless fallen sorcerers' twisted spirits had been fully integrated into the imprint. If one listened carefully, the agonized moans of these fallen sorcerers could be heard echoing from the depths of the True Spirit Mark.
Yet despite this corruption, the true spirit continued to gather. Though contaminated by other spiritual essences, the pollution also brought with it tremendous and ferocious power. Therefore, the True Spirit Mark, which had already endured two devastating blows, now faced a crucial opportunity for rebirth.
In other words, even knowing these sudden spiritual energies carried hidden dangers, Lockhart had no choice but to absorb and accept them. Now, the process was nearly complete.
What kind of deity would emerge from such a polluted genesis? Perhaps something akin to the legendary Cthulhu. After all, gods were gods once born, and what gods excelled at was creating dependent families.
Lockhart floated before the True Spirit Mark, contemplating the work he had created. It was time to end this—he had other business to attend to.
In his soul state, Lockhart flew into the center of the True Spirit Mark and closed his eyes.
In the next moment...
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Countless colorful threads shot out like arrows in all directions, penetrating both the god's true spirit space and the True Spirit Mark itself.
Immediately, the colorful silk threads began to glow with prismatic light. As if guided by some spiritual intelligence, each thread slowly attached itself to a true spirit thread, entwining them together.
Almost every true spirit thread found itself paired with a corresponding colorful thread. Like twisted vines, they entangled with increasing tightness, as though seeking to either embed the true spirit threads within themselves or to devour them completely.
Observing any single true spirit thread closely revealed that as the colorful silk threads tightened their grip, the original variegated colors gradually faded away, as if being purified. But then, the now-pure white True Spirit Threads transformed again, taking on the brilliant hues of the colorful threads that had ensnared them.
As time passed, the originally chaotic, multi-colored silk threads and the entire True Spirit Mark gradually transformed into a harmonious spectrum of brilliant colors. The twisted, polluted aura they once emitted seemed to have been cleansed, almost completely disappearing.
In its place emerged something illusory and fantastical—reminiscent of the power of dreams.
Though his eyes remained closed, Lockhart was acutely aware of all the changes occurring around him. Sacrificing to the dream world had been his choice, but a sacrifice was just that—a sacrifice—not merely lighting candles in the dream world.
Naturally, he would use this opportunity to obtain corresponding benefits. Otherwise, wouldn't the sacrifice be in vain?
His target was, of course, the god he had been aiming for all along.
David, leader of the fallen sorcerers, had attempted to seize the unborn god and replace it. Other fallen sorcerers had tried to carve up the god's origins, while true souls sought to increase their chances of godhood. Even the two evil gods had attempted to control this deity, hoping to obtain a divine puppet.
But Lockhart wanted them all. He intended to refine the god into his own incarnation.
The dream world was his proudest achievement, one he'd invested tremendous energy and resources to research. After sacrificing to the dream world, his strength would inevitably diminish significantly.
In the supernatural world, weakness was akin to guilt. He needed an alternative method to increase his power.
And what better way to rapidly enhance one's strength than by acquiring a god's incarnation? With a newborn deity at his disposal—if manipulated correctly—he could command divine combat power for himself.
As his own protector.
Though he did not follow the path of the gods, this didn't mean he couldn't accept divine-related assets. Moreover, the dangers that lay ahead would only grow, and without godly strength, weathering them would prove difficult.
Furthermore, he had suspected—and the system had confirmed—that the path forward for a sorcerer lay among the gods. When the deity became his incarnation, he could better study and understand everything.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
The pure power of dream origin continued to pour forth, and the massive dream consciousness accumulated in both worlds began assimilating the True Spirit Mark.
Purify! Cleanse! Assimilate!
Time passed minute by minute until finally, Lockhart opened his eyes and gazed at the enormous seven-colored True Spirit Mark before him.
With a deep breath, Lockhart's soul slowly floated to the center of the seven-colored mark, melding into its core like water into water.
In the next moment...
BOOM!
It was as though some form of completion had been achieved, or new life had sparked into being. Suddenly, the massive True Spirit Mark emitted dazzling, prismatic light.
The brilliant seven-colored radiance began spreading outward continuously, passing through the true spirit space and reaching the god's soul. Simultaneously, vast amounts of information emerged, flowing directly into Lockhart's mind.
The inherited memories of the gods!
In the outside world, those watching saw the nearby angel's soul begin to move. Faintly visible, colorful light emanated from its eyes and between its brows.
When Ian, Wanda, and Vera recognized this familiar sign, their hearts soared with elation.
Success!
The instructor had succeeded!!!
Witnessing the trembling god's soul, everyone present couldn't help but smile.
However...
Buzz!
The next moment, the trembling ceased, and the colorful light between the brows and in the eyes dimmed. Everything fell silent, as if returning to the beginning.
Everyone's spirits fell.
Then...
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
It seemed as though a gentle breeze had begun to blow. Before everyone's eyes, the once-massive and solid god's soul dissipated like smoke. With just a soft breath, it transformed into wisps of mist spreading throughout the surroundings.
In less than half a minute, under everyone's anxious gaze, the formerly enormous god's soul had completely dissolved into mist, slowly dissipating and drifting into the surrounding space.
The scene made everyone's hearts clench with worry.
Because this looked too much like failure!
But the next moment...
Whoosh!
A familiar transparent figure rose from below.
It was... Lockhart's soul.
Lockhart's soul flew rapidly toward Thor's location, where his physical body lay.
Buzz!
Like water blending with milk, the soul merged smoothly with the body.
The familiar sensation of touch, the magic flowing through his body, and the hard texture of the wand against his palm flooded his awareness.
Lockhart opened his eyes.
Then...
"Lockhart, tell me what's going on," Thor, the God of Thunder, demanded, his tone complex and tinged with indifference. "Don't forget the conditions you promised me."