Chapter 182: Is Faith Poisonous?
The towering blue gold light pillar continued to shine for a full half hour before gradually fading away.
Neptune slowly closed his eyes, attuning himself to the heavens, the earth, and every whisper and prayer resonating within the vast ocean. The power of faith nourished his soul, as countless sea creatures called out to him in their most devout voices. His Sea God's power was elevated through this faith, becoming even more complete.
Many worlds speak of faith as poison, but whether faith is harmful depends on whether one depends on it, whether it can influence one's mind, and what remains of oneself without it.
In some worlds, gods are shaped by the beliefs of their followers their personalities, desires, and very existence are dictated by the expectations of mortals. If faith dwindles, their power weakens; if faith disappears completely, the gods themselves may cease to exist. For beings in such worlds, faith is indeed toxic, an unstable and inferior path to divinity.
However, in the Douluo world, gods attain power through their own strength, using faith as a catalyst to break through limitations and condense their divine position. Even without faith, they may lose some power, but it won't erase their existence.
Moreover, a divine position serves another crucial function it filters and purifies the faith energy, removing the impurities of mortal emotions and desires. After this purification, what remains is pure energy, which gods can absorb without risk.
Despite often being mocked as a low tier fantasy world, this is largely due to authorial oversights in writing rather than the true nature of the world itself. The laws of this world still hold divine legitimacy.
The Calm After the Storm
As everything settled, Neptune retracted his Sea God's divine power. His divine consciousness had now officially declared his return to the entire ocean. From this moment on, the sea had a new ruler.
The gates of the Sea God Temple slowly opened.
A figure clad in flowing blue gold robes emerged it was Neptune. His Sea God Armor had been retracted into his body, replaced by a divine robe formed from his godly power. Even the Sea God Trident had transformed into a streak of light, merging into the Sea God's brand on his forehead. These divine artifacts were now part of him, appearing or disappearing at will.
Not long ago, he had stood as a god reborn, radiating power that could shake the world. But now, with all his aura restrained, he seemed nothing more than a kind and peaceful man a testament to his complete mastery over his divine power. This was what the ancients called "returning to simplicity".
A New High Priest
Outside the Sea God Temple, the Seven Sacred Pillar Douluos had been waiting.
Seeing him emerge, they instantly knelt in reverence.
"Greetings, Lord Sea God!"
Neptune made no gestures yet an invisible force lifted the seven guardians to their feet.
"Rise, my guardians. You have safeguarded the sacred pillars for years, your efforts invaluable. The future of Sea God Island will continue to rely on you all."
After offering these words of acknowledgment, Neptune turned his gaze toward Sea Dragon Douluo, the most senior among them.
"Sea Dragon Guardian, now that High Priest Bo Saixi has completed her duty, the position of Sea God Island's High Priest shall pass to you."
"What?! Me?"
Sea Dragon Douluo froze for a moment, then quickly asked, "Lord Sea God, didn't you say you were going to resurrect High Priest Bo Saixi? Did something go wrong?"
The other six guardians also looked at him anxiously, awaiting an answer.
Neptune smiled gently and explained, "The position of High Priest is both an honor and a heavy burden. Bo Saixi's entire life was bound by this role because of it, she even lost the chance to pursue her own happiness."
"Now that she has sacrificed herself to help me ascend, I choose to honor her wishes when I resurrect her, she will be free."
The Guardians' Realization
"Happiness?"
The Seven Sacred Pillar Douluos were stunned.
As long time residents of Sea God Island, they were well aware of Bo Saixi's past with Tang Chen. They also knew that, due to her role as High Priest, she had been forbidden from leaving the island, which was why she never sought out the man she loved.
If she were resurrected and retained her position as High Priest, she would still be trapped by her responsibilities, unable to pursue her own happiness.
Now, as the new Sea God, Neptune had chosen to set her free thus appointing a new High Priest.
Upon hearing his explanation, the seven guardians felt at peace.
Sea Dragon Douluo no longer objected. After all, beyond personal sentiment, the title of High Priest held immense honor and power.
In Sea God Island's hierarchy, the High Priest was second only to the Sea God himself. When the Sea God was absent, the High Priest ruled the entire island. The weight of this position could not be underestimated.
Realizing this, Sea Dragon Douluo made his decision.
He knelt once more, and the other six guardians followed.
"We obey Lord Sea God's decree!"
Neptune smiled and accepted their reverence without hesitation. At his level, such displays were not only appropriate but necessary. A god rejecting the respect of his followers would seem unnatural.
After ensuring that the Seven Guardians accepted their new roles, and promising them they would soon see Bo Saixi alive again, Neptune returned to the Sea God Temple to begin the resurrection process.
The Resurrection of Bo Saixi
In the Douluo Continent, reviving the dead was surprisingly simple as long as the soul remained intact, creating a new body was not difficult for a god.
This world lacked the Six Paths of Reincarnation, the Netherworld, and any higher authority over life and death. As a result, gods could manipulate souls freely, violating natural laws at will.
Even some mortal soul masters had resurrection abilities Bibi Dong, for example, had a soul skill that made her unkillable by anyone below god level. Even if her body were reduced to ashes, she could revive herself.
In Douluo Dalu II, Tang San easily revived Huo Yuhao's mother.
In Ultimate Douluo, even after so many people died, Tang Hao casually brought them back to life.
Clearly, in this world, as long as the soul remained, resurrection was not a difficult feat.
Now, could Neptune grant Bo Saixi an immortal divine body? No, that was beyond him.
But to create a normal human body? That was ridiculously easy.
If a god couldn't even do that, they wouldn't be worthy of the title.
Inside the Sea God Temple
Neptune's expression turned serious as he activated his divine power to its fullest.
The water element in the air rapidly condensed, and in just a few moments, a giant sphere of pure water energy one meter in diameter formed before him.
With a flick of his wrist, Neptune released Bo Saixi's soul, gently guiding it into the floating sphere.
This sphere of water essence would serve as the foundation for her new body.
Using pure water elemental energy, Neptune would reshape her physical form granting Bo Saixi a new life in the mortal world.
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 20 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/cortez10