"Blade in hand, judgment upon all directions!"
"No matter what, I will never bow my head to you evil soul masters!"
Ye Guoyi shouted in a low voice. Behind her, a holy angelic phantom slowly emerged, its gaze lowered as it silently watched Jiang Jue.
"Crimson-Eyed Blood Abhorrence Technique!"
Jiang Jue raised his hand toward the angelic phantom. The Soul-Refining Banner floating behind him began emitting black smoke, while the dense blood-red patterns on its surface writhed continuously, forming a scarlet, sinister eye.
At a glance, it was precisely the third vertical pupil of the Crimson-Eyed Blood Demon.
"Whoosh!"
A thick, demonic beam shot straight toward Ye Guoyi. Besides its evil aura, it faintly carried a trace of sealing power.
"Third Soul Skill: Angelic Holy Light!"
Ye Guoyi's expression tightened. The golden longsword in her hand burst into radiant light as she slashed down toward the blood-red beam.
However, at the instant the longsword made contact with the beam, the beam turned illusory, passing straight through the blade and pouring into Ye Guoyi's body.
Immediately after, Ye Guoyi sensed an invisible sealing force expanding within her. On the angelic phantom behind her, chains of crimson light suddenly began to spread one after another.
Very quickly, the angelic phantom was completely bound by those chains, and its once-open eyes slowly closed, as if unwilling to witness the scene of evil overcoming light.
At the same time, the wings behind Ye Guoyi swiftly retracted, and the golden longsword in her hand vanished into thin air.
To her shock, Ye Guoyi discovered that she had lost her connection with her Angel Martial Soul—it had been sealed!
"T-This… how is this possible?!"
Ye Guoyi stared at her own hands, frantically circulating the soul power within her body, hoping for a response from her Angel Martial Soul. But it was like a stone sinking into the sea—there wasn't the slightest ripple.
The Angel Martial Soul she relied on had completely disappeared at this moment!
Even in the past, when facing evil soul masters at the Soul Douluo level, her Angel Martial Soul would still shine with light. But before Jiang Jue, all of that had failed.
"When your Angel Martial Soul no longer protects you, do you still have the courage?"
Jiang Jue spread his wings and descended before Ye Guoyi, calmly looking at her.
A trace of struggle flashed through Ye Guoyi's eyes. Her hands clenched tightly into fists as she continued trying to awaken her Angel Martial Soul.
"No rush. I'll wait for your answer."
Seeing this, Jiang Jue waved his hand. From the Soul-Refining Banner flew out a jet-black cicada, and then his fourth soul ring lit up. A clear, piercing cicada cry rang out.
Accompanied by that sound, a moment of daze flashed through Ye Guoyi's eyes. Her expression changed, her eyelids slowly closing as the struggle in her eyes grew increasingly intense.
Thump!
Ye Guoyi's body fell backward, landing in Shangguan Weier's arms.
A thoughtful look appeared in Shangguan Weier's eyes. She then looked at Jiang Jue and said with a smile,
"Holy Son, don't look at Bone Yi like this—her talent is actually quite good…"
From Jiang Jue's earlier actions, Shangguan Weier could clearly tell that he didn't intend to kill Ye Guoyi. Thinking of Ye Guoyi's act of repaying kindness just moments ago, she spoke up on her behalf.
"Alliance Leader Shangguan, it's your turn. Your Soul Flame."
Jiang Jue naturally had no intention of killing Ye Guoyi—she would be of great use later.
"Can't I… not hand it over~?"
Shangguan Weier's eyes flickered as she spoke coquettishly.
"I won't say it a second time."
Jiang Jue raised his eyes and glanced at her, his voice cold and clear.
"Tch~ At your age, still thinking of an old cow eating tender grass—no, no, more like a toad lusting after a swan."
The Masked Douluo spat inwardly. If the Holy Son were fond of women, he would've already made a move…
"Fine then."
Seeing this, Shangguan Weier didn't say anything more. She directly separated a strand of her soul, which floated toward Jiang Jue.
Jiang Jue waved his hand. Bitter, obscure incantations spilled from his mouth as the strand of soul gradually transformed into a flame. Under his control, it drifted into the Soul-Refining Banner.
A howl sounded from within the banner.
Little Tiger indicated that the Soul Flame had been swallowed.
At that moment, Zhang Peng came up behind the Masked Douluo and elbowed him.
"Do you still want to improve? Such a great opportunity is right in front of you."
"A bright future is right before your eyes!"
The Masked Douluo looked at Zhang Peng in confusion, only to see him pointing at Shangguan Weier. Realization immediately dawned on him.
"Holy Son, this is my Soul Flame. Please accept it."
The Masked Douluo hurried forward, holding a strand of soul as he walked up to Jiang Jue, his face full of smiles as he spoke respectfully.
"Hm?"
"Elder Yue, have you thought this through? Once your soul is in my hands, you'll have to listen to me from now on."
Jiang Jue raised an eyebrow and said in a deep voice.
"Young Master, I revere you as I would a god. My heart has long since followed you."
The Masked Douluo's expression turned solemn as he replied.
"But you're an elder of the Holy Spirit Church…"
"With you as the Holy Son, that is the true Holy Spirit Church!"
The Masked Douluo answered without hesitation.
Zhang Peng looked at him and nodded in satisfaction, thinking to himself, Kid, you've really widened your path this time.
Meanwhile, Shangguan Weier was utterly puzzled—why were people lining up to hand over control of their own lives?
"Very well, Elder Yue. You will not be treated unfairly in the future."
A smile curved Jiang Jue's lips as he likewise transformed the Masked Douluo's strand of soul into a Soul Flame and placed it into the Soul-Refining Banner.
Suddenly, the Soul-Refining Banner began to tremble. Strands of transparent lines flickered within it—there were thousands of them.
These lines varied in thickness: some thinner than hair, others as thick as silver needles.
They danced and intertwined in the air. Under the influence of the Soul-Refining Banner, they gradually formed the illusion of a throne.
Upon that throne were figures—human shapes, beast shapes—chaotically interwoven.
"What's going on?"
Jiang Jue frowned slightly as he looked at the scene before him, puzzled.
This phenomenon had appeared right after the Masked Douluo's Soul Flame entered the banner. The energy radiating from those lines was something Jiang Jue had never encountered before.
It was neither soul power, nor spiritual power, nor fate power—none of them!
Buzz!
A humming sound rang out as Ilex appeared beside Jiang Jue, surprise evident in his aged eyes.
"Elder Yi, do you know what this is?"
Jiang Jue asked in confusion.
"This is faith power."
"Faith power? This much?"
Jiang Jue looked toward the Masked Douluo, his expression somewhat strange.
"Elder Yue really was speaking from the heart just now."
"That's right—it's faith power. Have you forgotten? The souls within your Soul-Refining Banner possess absolute loyalty toward you. In a sense, their faith is you."
"In my view, all that faith power has been contained within your banner. Today, when that person's faith in you was absorbed, the accumulated faith reached a limit, resulting in what you're seeing now."
A glimmer flashed in Jiang Jue's eyes, his gaze growing deep.
"The Divine Realm that controls the Douluo Plane—aren't its god positions derived from the faith of the lower realms?"
He remembered that the Deep-Sea Demon Whale King, whose cultivation had approached a million years and who was killed by Tang San ten thousand years ago, had lost one eye while competing with the first Sea God for the faith of ocean creatures—and was ultimately defeated.
The first Sea God, relying on the faith of countless oceanic beings accumulated over time, had condensed the Sea God position, successfully creating his own godhood and ascending to the Divine Realm.
"So, in Douluo Continent, to become a god, there are two paths: inheriting a god's position, or creating one yourself."
At that moment, a bold thought arose in Jiang Jue's mind.
"If that's the case, then why shouldn't I take both paths?"
"I want the inherited god position—and I want to create my own as well!"
One was expectation; the other, insurance.
(End of Chapter)