Chapter 293: Forming Alliances, Part 1
In this small corner of the cosmos, the Divine Realm held unrivaled power but faced no external threats. Without adversaries, development here stagnated to an even greater degree than in the feudal societies of Douluo. This stagnation was exacerbated by the fact that gods could not easily leave this particular universe. As a result, the Divine Realm had become either a sanctuary for lethargic gods or a playground for gods seeking mischief.
After settling in, Ye Wen, accompanied by Bibi Dong and Qianxue, made a point to visit and familiarize himself with the other gods. After all, he had plans to understand the Divine Realm's intricate dynamics fully getting a sense of its powerful and influential figures was essential.
Ye Wen primarily paid respects to first and second level gods, avoiding the few third level gods. Those still in the third level were typically either weak or reclusive and preferred to stay hidden, obsessively trying to break through to the next level.
This tour proved fruitful, as the gods welcomed Ye Wen warmly, recognizing his new role as one of the Divine Realm's three enforcers. Many of them, seeing fresh energy in the Divine Realm for the first time in ages, treated him with unexpected respect. Ye Wen maintained a polite facade while feeling a touch of disdain for the gods' complacency.
"These unambitious fools," he thought. "The Dragon God's era has long passed, and yet they haven't expanded the ranks of god kings since then. If some external force invaded, how would they stand a chance?"
After these social calls, Ye Wen inspected his own resources. Douluo's reserves paled compared to the Divine Realm's, and while Poseidon had left him with some resources, he hadn't handed over his entire treasury. Consequently, Ye Wen was practically broke by godly standards.
During his visits, Ye Wen also learned that some gods still possessed divine cores from the ancient Dragon God's followers. This confirmed his theory on how Ma Hongjun had inherited the Phoenix God's position. But without resources, trading for such items was currently beyond Ye Wen's reach. He'd have to bide his time.
His visits further clarified the alliances within the Divine Realm. The gods divided themselves into three factions. The first consisted of the two married god king couples and their followers. The remaining gods, generally powerful first level gods, chose to remain neutral.
Technically, Qianxue's Angel God position should have aligned her with the kind hearted faction of the Good and Evil God Kings, while Bibi Dong's Rakshasa God affiliation aligned her with the Life and Destruction God Kings. However, as they had all become family through marriage, Ye Wen opted not to join any existing faction, considering he now held a role equal in authority to the four god kings. This unique status positioned Ye Wen to form his own independent faction within the Divine Realm.
However, with most gods in a lethargic state, formal alliances held little practical value unless a Divine War erupted.
During his rounds, Ye Wen also made a concerted effort to build a rapport with a particular second level god couple: the Nine Colored Goddess and the God of Food. The couple's journey to godhood was noteworthy. They had ascended after generations of aiding and healing mortals, achieving godhood through the prayers of the people. They weren't the strongest, but their divine roles made them highly valuable for their supportive powers, enabling them to interact easily with all factions.
Ye Wen knew these two would face trouble without his intervention. In the original timeline, Asura God had pressured them into helping Tang San revive by empowering Ning Rongrong and Oscar, effectively leading to the couple's exile into the cosmic wilderness.
Ye Wen saw the opportunity to gain their trust and support while possibly taking over their god positions. Experienced fighters understood the value of a good support team, and as two of the rare support deities, the Nine Colored Goddess and God of Food were exactly what Ye Wen needed.
In their discussions, both gods expressed a willingness to pass on their god positions. The Divine Realm had become tedious, but as support oriented gods with little offensive power, they feared venturing into the cosmos alone.
Recognizing this, Ye Wen offered them a deal. He proposed creating a specialized set of support oriented battle armor that would provide them with enough power for self defense and survival. With his extensive technical knowledge and insights from studying the Shura Demon Sword's craftsmanship, Ye Wen was confident he could forge something effective. Though crafting a true super artifact was beyond his reach, Ye Wen was certain he could equip them with battle armor capable of enhancing their abilities to a respectable first level god's strength.
After a year of intensive work, Ye Wen finally crafted a set of divine armor for each of them. Now in the Divine Realm, he abandoned the clunky name of "battle armor," rebranding it to divine armor. The Divine Realm's armor could only grant a 10 level boost, unlike the mortal realm's versions, which provided a 20 level increase; the massive gaps between divine levels limited its potency.
(End of Chapter)
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