Chapter 41: The Four Protectors
Furina sat poised upon the main throne of the Church of the Water God's great hall, her calm gaze sweeping across the four figures standing below. She raised her hand with a light, effortless motion, and the water element swirled and danced at her fingertips, catching the flickering candlelight that filled the hall.
"Very well. From this day forward, you three—together with Lei Bao—shall be the Four Protectors of my Church of the Water God." Her voice was crisp and pleasing, yet carried an unmistakable, irrefutable authority.
In truth, she would have much preferred the title "Four Heavenly Kings." It sounded so magnificently imposing. But on second thought—if she used that title, wouldn't that make her the demon king in this scenario? That was far, far removed from the image of the Water God she was striving to cultivate. As Pope of the Church of the Water God, she needed to maintain a sacred and solemn image.
Lei Bao stood at the very front, his expression solemn and composed. He had long since grown accustomed to Furina's manner of doing things and was not the least bit surprised by this appointment. Behind him, Long Ziyun, Yan Luo, and Feng Chuixue found it difficult to mask their excitement. They exchanged glances, each seeing the same joy and anticipation mirrored in the others' eyes.
"This is our Church of the Water God's universal cultivation technique—the Mysterious Heaven Technique." Furina produced three tomes, their covers gleaming with a watery blue luster. A gentle push of her hand, and the tomes glided smoothly through the air toward the three. "Lei Bao learned this technique long ago. I imagine you've already noticed the speed at which his soul power has advanced."
Long Ziyun accepted the tome with the utmost care and swiftly scanned its contents. A look of sudden understanding dawned on his face. He exchanged a knowing glance with Yan Luo and Feng Chuixue.
No wonder Lei Bao's soul power had surged so rapidly in such a short time. Beyond the soul bone and elixirs he'd already obtained—there was this miraculous cultivation method as well. The same thought struck all three at once: the hidden reserves of this Church of the Water God were likely far, far deeper than they had ever imagined.
Long Ziyun couldn't help recalling the moment Lei Bao had first invited him to join the church. Back then, he had still harbored doubts about this newly risen sect. Even when Lei Bao had gifted him two precious Profound Water Pills and a vial of Foundation-Building Liquid, a sliver of suspicion had lingered. But now, having witnessed Lei Bao's shocking leap in strength... it seemed this decision had been the correct one all along.
Yan Luo's thick, coarse fingers traced lightly over the cover of the Mysterious Heaven Technique. Even this usually steady and imperturbable man couldn't fully suppress the excitement stirring within him. He had been nothing more than the lord of a minor city, his soul power stagnant for years without the slightest advance. Now, joining the Church of the Water God, he had not only obtained a precious cultivation technique—more importantly, he could see the hope of breaking through.
Feng Chuixue maintained his customary cool composure, but the faint, almost imperceptible tremor in his fingertips betrayed the turbulence within.
At the same time, a thought surfaced unbidden in their minds: Furina was so young, yet could casually produce cultivation techniques and resources this precious. Could it truly be, as the rumors whispered, that she was the reincarnation of the Water God?
Once the thought took root, it could not be shaken loose. If this were truly the case—if they followed at her side—then perhaps one day they might genuinely reach that realm every soul master dreamed of: Titled Douluo.
Furina took in every nuance of their reactions, and a thread of complicated emotion stirred in her heart. She shook her head softly, her thoughts drifting toward a distant past.
"Tang San..." She murmured the name in the silence of her mind. "Back then, you schemed and toiled with such painstaking care, wanting to build the Tang Sect into the continent's foremost sect. And through hidden weapons and your own achievements, you did indeed succeed. What a pity that ten thousand years later, the Tang Sect has withered to dust. Now, no one even recognizes the technique you left behind."
Was this tragic, or simply detestable? Perhaps all of it had been within Tang San's calculations all along. Leaving behind a mutilated, incomplete technique. Designating the Bluesilver Grass martial soul as the mark of the Tang Sect's leader. The Tang Sect's own insular, conservative ways... A sect like that gradually fading into obscurity was only the most natural thing in the world.
"But what a pity." A sharp, cutting light flashed through Furina's eyes. "Your plans are destined to fail. Because this generation's Child of Destiny—he is already mine. And even your daughter... is very likely to stand at my side in the end. I do so look forward to the day when father and daughter share a most filial reunion."
She gathered her straying thoughts and returned her focus to the matter at hand.
"Furthermore—here are three Soul Ascension Pills. They may well assist you in breaking through to the Soul Sage realm!" Furina produced three more exquisitely crafted jade vials. A faint blue luminescence emanated from the vials, through which the silhouettes of the pills within could be dimly discerned.
An uncontrollable, incandescent joy ignited in the eyes of all three. Even Long Ziyun, who had already received Profound Water Pills and Foundation-Building Liquid from Lei Bao, could scarcely contain his excitement at this moment. Those former treasures, precious as they were, were better suited for the younger generation of their clans. But the Soul Ascension Pill—this was a supreme treasure that could directly elevate their own strength!
If, on top of this, they could obtain a soul bone as Lei Bao had... then breaking through to Soul Sage might truly take no more than a year. At this thought, the breathing of all three unconsciously quickened.
"We thank Your Holiness!" The three voices rang out in unison, thick with heartfelt, unalloyed gratitude.
Furina inclined her head slightly. "Lei Bao shall handle the matters that follow."
"Yes, Your Holiness. Please rest assured." Lei Bao bowed, then turned to the three. "Brother Long, Brother Yan, Brother Feng—let us withdraw and discuss the arrangements in greater detail."
"Of course. Please, lead the way, Brother Lei," Long Ziyun replied on behalf of the three.
Watching the four figures depart, Furina allowed herself a soft sigh of relief. Just then, the long-silent system notification chimed within her mind.
[Congratulations! You have successfully assembled the Four Protectors and earned the sincere allegiance of three city lords! Special rewards: 10,000 points, and "Statue of the Seven, Water God" x1.]
"What's this? Statue of the Seven, Water God?" Furina reflexively shot the question back in her mind.
[Indeed. The Statue of the Seven, Water God.] The system's voice was utterly placid. [You may choose to install it within the church to receive the worship and offerings of believers. Through the collection of faith, Faith Power may be condensed. Faith Power can not only assist you in forging a divine body—allowing you to achieve godhood without needing to break through rank 100 or undergo divine trials—but can also grant Neuvillette temporary combat capability, with battle strength equivalent to that of a Limit Douluo.]
"Forging a divine body? Achieving godhood directly? And granting Neuvillette the power to fight at the Limit Douluo level..." Furina savored each piece of information in turn. "That does sound rather good. But—can't I just exchange points directly for it? Or unlock it through follow-up missions?"
[It is, naturally, also possible. Summoning Neuvillette for combat requires 100,000 points per use, each use lasting one minute. If Faith Power is used instead, the cost is merely 100 points.]
"Daylight robbery!" Furina couldn't stop the mental curse.
One hundred thousand points! Even counting the ten thousand the system had just rewarded her, her total now barely crossed that threshold. And she'd been continuously burning through points to exchange for elixirs and other resources to recruit these three city lords and develop the church. Her expenses had been anything but small. A single use, and she'd be reduced to a pauper in the blink of an eye.
[On the Douluo Continent, a Limit Douluo can be considered invincible under heaven. This holds true even through the Douluo 2 era.] The system explained with perfect calm. [A single ninth-tier fixed-type soul ammunition shell has a destructive yield roughly equivalent to the full-force strike of a Limit Douluo.]
Furina had to admit the system's logic was sound. She recalled the original story—how Elder Mu, even with only a single breath of life left in him, could still command awe across the entire continent. The existence of a Limit Douluo was akin to the nuclear weapons of her previous world: a tool of strategic deterrence.
"If you announce you won't deploy your Limit Douluo, then I'll announce I won't deploy my ninth-tier fixed-type shells"—this delicate balance was, indeed, the linchpin holding the broader situation in check.
"Fine. I understand," Furina sighed. "Now then—I'd best go see to the installation of this Statue of the Seven."
She rose from her throne, her long robes trailing along the floor. Her water-blue hair gleamed with a soft sheen beneath the sunlight. Gazing out at the bright, cloudless sky beyond the great hall, she had already begun charting out how to wring every last drop of benefit from this statue, gathering ever more Faith Power for the Church of the Water God.