Chapter 379: Asura's Poisonous Scheme
Even among the Five God Kings, there were still differences in power and authority.
Although Asura, Destruction, and Life were all members of the Divine Realm Committee, when it came to major decisions, Evil and Kindness held the final say.
As the original divine embodiments of the Divine Realm, Evil and Kindness each held two votes, while the other three God Kings only had one vote each.
In other words, the true rulers of the Divine Realm were Evil and Kindness.
The decision to grant god positions to Douluo Star had been made collectively by all the gods. They were also fully aware of the additional slots that had been allocated over time. Naturally, Asura's recent actions hadn't gone unnoticed by the two.
However, since Asura had only been observing and hadn't actually made a move, they hadn't intervened.
They understood all too well that Destruction and Asura never saw eye to eye. If Destruction caught wind of this, it would just lead to another pointless argument.
And, as always, they would be the ones forced to listen to it.
But now, it seemed that Asura actually had something in mind.
At least… he hadn't acted yet.
At least… he still knew to ask for their approval first.
"So, what exactly are you suggesting?"
Before Destruction could speak, Evil took the initiative to ask.
"I want to pass on the Asura God Position to him when he ascends."
Asura glanced at Destruction, a faint smirk playing on his lips as he spoke calmly.
"Are you serious?"
Before Evil and Kindness could respond, Destruction had already spoken up, his expression shifting.
"Of course. I wouldn't joke about something like this."
"Besides, he was already one of my chosen successors, wasn't he? The only reason I didn't pass it down earlier was because he had the potential to create his own god position. That's the only reason I've waited this long."
Asura's tone remained indifferent, and what he said was an acknowledged fact.
Destruction stared at him, opening his mouth as if to argue only to say nothing in the end.
He and Asura had always been rivals. Their divine duties and laws constantly clashed.
To be precise, Asura had always been searching for a successor.
Unlike Destruction and Life, who were a married pair capable of balancing each other's laws, Asura had always been alone.
And because of his laws and responsibilities, slaughter and judgment constantly surrounded him.
As he grew stronger, his own divine power would begin to consume him. It was only because he was so powerful that it hadn't become an issue yet.
But if this continued indefinitely, the hidden risks would only grow.
Finding a suitable successor was beneficial for both him and the Divine Realm.
Still, as an old rival, Destruction couldn't help but feel bitter.
He had never once defeated Asura in direct combat.
And now, before he even got the chance, Asura was preparing to step down.
And it was obvious.
A lone Asura, free from his position, would inevitably leave the Divine Realm altogether.
He had already expressed this intention in the past.
And ultimately, this wasn't Destruction's god position to decide.
There was nothing he could say.
"You intend to use the inheritance of your position to elevate him directly to God King level?"
Evil and Kindness exchanged glances.
To be honest, they couldn't find a single reason to oppose this.
Asura resigning?
Gaining a replacement at God King level instantly?
Eliminating the long standing risk of Asura's divine power backlash?
That was two victories in one.
"Yes, that's exactly what I'm proposing. And…"
Seeing that none of them objected, Asura paused briefly before continuing.
"And I have another condition."
"You all remember the three who accompanied him into my inheritance trial, don't you?"
The four gods nodded.
"The power of Asura isn't something easily controlled.
"So, I intend to make those three women who underwent my god trial his co inheritors as well."
Before anyone could object, Asura cut them off.
"Let me finish."
"I don't want a situation where, after selecting an inheritor, we have to constantly replace them due to their inability to control the power."
"You all understand how difficult it is to find suitable successors."
"Han Li's talent, his growth, and his uniqueness you're all well aware of it.
"As Evil said earlier, given enough time, he has a high probability of reaching God King level by himself. And that probability is very high."
At this, Asura glanced at Evil.
Evil, after briefly looking at the glowing screen, nodded.
He did not disagree.
Han Li was frighteningly young and he had accomplished all this while still in the lower realm.
His potential was undeniable.
"Don't forget when he passed my trial, the Killing God Domain was completely absorbed into his own power.
"I am certain he can handle the Asura God's power and become a worthy successor."
"But the most important point is this
"Why has the Douluo Plane suddenly begun to change?
"Why did its world consciousness suddenly awaken and bind itself to Han Li?
"We still haven't found an answer."
As he spoke, Asura traced his fingertip through the air, expanding the screen to reveal the cosmos itself.
Now, the entirety of Douluo Star appeared before them.
The planet slowly rotated in the center of the projection, its outer layers visibly absorbing cosmic energy and channeling it into its core.
"At present, Douluo Star's total energy density has already surpassed that of planets of similar size by more than tenfold."
"But because the increase has been gradual, it has yet to reach the point where the planetary landscape has begun forming visible anomalies."
"In reality, Douluo Star has already exceeded our initial expectations. If Han Li continues to evolve after officially ascending to godhood, its value and potential may not be any less than the Divine Realm itself."
"You've all seen how he operates he holds absolute control over Douluo Star and is not someone easy to deal with. If we want the Divine Realm to continue expanding and hope to take control of the Douluo Star plane from him, our sincerity must be sufficient. This will also contribute to the Divine Realm's long term stability."
"And my answer to this problem… is the Asura God Position. What do you all think?"
Asura finished his statement in one breath, looking at the four God Kings. This was his true thought process. Since he had not yet stepped down, his priority was still the interests of the Divine Realm.
The Divine Realm Core fell silent.
The four gods lowered their heads in deep thought, analyzing Asura's words.
"...Your words and your actions don't align."
For once, the God of Life, who rarely spoke, was the first to break the silence.
"Hm. That was intentional."
Asura didn't take her skepticism as an offense. Instead, he admitted it outright.
"You suspect he has a connection to Dragon God? Or are you afraid he will become the next Dragon God?"
Kindness also spoke up, and the moment she did, she dropped a bombshell.
"I'm not certain.
"By all logic, Douluo Star should never have been able to develop a Plane Consciousness in the first place.
"On top of that, I had already chosen my successor… yet he emerged from nowhere and disrupted everything. How do you explain that?"
"I admire him, but I also remain cautious.
"I have found no evidence linking him to Dragon God, but that doesn't mean I won't make preparations."
"In the end, when he ascends to godhood, it will be up to you all to judge him.
"I am merely setting the stage in advance.
"Consider it my final gift to the Divine Realm."
Asura spoke without hesitation, proving that he had already planned all of this in advance.
"So, your real plan is to divide the Asura God Position's authority among multiple people?"
Evil looked at Asura's calm demeanor for the first time and realized just how deeply this man planned ahead.
"Exactly.
"If he proves harmless, a compensatory God King position will be more than enough, and it won't hinder his future cultivation. In fact, it could even reduce his pressure in the early stages."
"But if he does turn out to be a threat, even if he inherits the god position, reclaiming full control from the others will take time.
"This gives all of you a buffer period.
"If a battle does break out, those three women will become his burdens, making it impossible for him to unleash the full might of the Asura God."
"Furthermore, once he ascends to the Divine Realm, any potential problems will become instantly apparent.
"He will never have the chance to grow into another Dragon God."
"If it weren't for Douluo Star's increasing value, and the complications that would arise from forcefully seizing it, I would have no issue crushing his influence outright.
"But his personality makes that impossible he would become our greatest enemy.
"And frankly… if we attempted to forcibly break his control over Douluo Star, the results would be immediately obvious."
Asura's eyes flashed red.
If the decision were his alone, he would have acted long ago.
This had always been his preferred method.
He had always been more radical than Destruction even more extreme.
"So this is the real reason you accelerated the god trials for those around him?"
Evil's expression finally shifted to realization.
No wonder.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Destruction's expression darkened as he listened.
His first instinct was to denounce such actions but just as he was about to speak, the God of Life gently pulled on his sleeve and silently shook her head, stopping him.
Destruction's wife had always been the one to calm his impulses.
Her intervention kept his emotions in check, and after a long pause, Destruction closed his eyes with a complicated expression.
To be honest…
If Asura hadn't provided such thorough reasoning today
If it weren't so painfully obvious that he was making this decision for the greater good of the Divine Realm
Destruction wouldn't have hesitated to challenge him to a duel on the spot.
As Law Enforcement God, what Asura had done was technically a violation of his duties.
Evil, having noticed the subtle exchange between Destruction and Life, awkwardly coughed to ease the tension.
Thankfully, everyone here was rational.
If a fight really did break out…
Evil genuinely wouldn't know whose side to take.
"And what if he refuses to relinquish control of Douluo Star?"
Kindness spoke up again.
"If that happens, I will make him agree before passing down the god position.
"It will also serve as a final test to gauge his response."
"If he willingly hands it over, then everything proceeds smoothly.
"But if he refuses, I will immediately revoke my decision to pass on the god position.
"He may still ascend, but it will be through the most basic divine pathway, and he will pose no direct threat to us."
"Besides… does he really think inheriting multiple god positions is that easy?"
"His connection to Douluo Star might allow him to stay in the lower realm longer, but his companions will not have that luxury."
"When their trials are complete, we will issue a divine decree forcing them to ascend within one year."
Asura's voice was cold.
He didn't elaborate further.
But the other four immediately understood.
After all…
They were very familiar with Asura's methods.
"...Agreed."
A long silence followed.
And then, one by one, voices echoed through the Divine Realm Core.
(End of Chapter.)
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