Douluo Continent: On Becoming a God Through Science

Poseidon observed Poseidon's martial spirit condition and quickly frowned.

He created this Sea God Martial Soul himself, so how could he not see the problems it contained?

"Even the high priest, who is theoretically the most steadfast in his faith, has now fallen to the level of an ordinary, true believer in his devotion to me?"

The hierarchy of believers is divided into levels from low to high: general believers, true believers, devout believers, fanatics, and high priests, who are in a class of their own after the fanatics.

There was not a single person living on the island of Poseidon who was not a devout follower of his.

Now, even the dignified High Priest of the Sea God's faith is not as strong as that of an ordinary Soul Master from Sea God Island!

This is outrageous!

Even without using his divine sense to carefully investigate and gather intelligence, he could guess that You Chen must have done something far worse to Poseidon than the previous limb amputation.

From this glimpse, one can easily understand You Chen's attitude towards Seagod Island.

Poseidon's original thought was that Poseidon's appearance and figure were so perfect, and You Chen did not kill Poseidon directly but kept her alive, which was very likely because he was lustful.

The saying goes, "familiarity breeds fondness," a principle that Poseidon, an old fox, naturally understood.

His idea was simple: once You Chen and Poseidon developed feelings for each other, there was a possibility that You Chen might take the initiative to visit Poseidon Island in the future.

Even if You Chen is truly wary and unwilling to go to the island, if he were to reappear at this point, You Chen's reaction might not be so intense, allowing the negotiation to be completed before the Asura God notices anything amiss.

But now, he could almost be certain of You Chen's attitude toward Seagod Island and even toward him, the Seagod.

As for why we don't consider the possibility that Poseidon might have fallen in love with us and thus weakened our faith?

Please, how many years has Poseidon been a god?

Faith is faith, and love is love. If faith were so easily swayed by love, then the island of Poseidon would probably be filled with people who would die alone, which completely contradicts the principle of sustainable development for its followers!

His sea god doctrine contains absolutely no restrictions on marriage or romantic relationships! He has always advocated for freedom of love!

What's more, Poseidon's faith is even stronger than that of a fanatic, which is why he was able to create a Sea God Martial Soul.

Not to mention that Poseidon had fallen in love with other people before this, but her faith never wavered!

It's obvious without even thinking that You Chen must have used some unconventional methods!

Poseidon has been a god for so many years, what kind of tricks doesn't he know? Of course he can figure it out!

Poseidon's expression shifted between light and shadow as he rapidly considered ways to maneuver.

If he could set aside his divine authority and some of his pride, there might be a possibility of reconciling with You Chen.

The simplest approach is to wait until the Seagod Island grants its inhabitants the Divine Trial each year, then issue a large number of tasks related to the Wandering Dust.

Considering that You Chen deliberately concealed his identity, one could choose to help the organization he established, thus indirectly expressing goodwill.

However, the divine trials on Poseidon Island are often related to the ocean, and these trials are actually similar to offering sacrifices to the gods.

This is how the cohesion of believers is enhanced, and it is also how the xenophobia towards land dwellers is generated, while at the same time ensuring the purity of believers.

Issuing such a blatantly obvious test task to curry favor with the mainlanders is tantamount to digging one's own grave.

The believers would not immediately doubt the sea god, but they would definitely express their doubts to the holy pillars, believing that they had tampered with the statues and engaged in underhanded dealings.

Believers are stubborn creatures. Even if the order is issued by their faith, they will feel something is wrong if it contradicts doctrine and customs, and may even question it directly.

It might be hard for people without faith to understand, but it becomes much easier to understand with a different analogy—your ideal woman, even if she herself came to you, could not compare to the image in your memory.

Doing something that goes against custom will inevitably backfire.

Of course, if Poseidon were willing to accept such backlash, it wouldn't be impossible for him to do it once or twice. Given the solid foundation of the sea god's faith, one or two such incidents could be easily resolved.

Although it slightly shakes their faith, it won't cause the religious customs of Poseidon Island to collapse. Moreover, choosing to issue divine decrees through divine trials completely bypasses the laws of the divine realm, so even the Asura God can't do anything to Poseidon.

This is indeed a highly feasible method.

However, Poseidon would obviously not stoop to flattering a mortal, even if that mortal possessed the potential to become a god.

Gods are all proud. They may admire mortals, and it is not uncommon for them to fight or be jealous of other gods because of mortals. But they will never place a mortal on the same level as themselves or consider them as an equal.

Therefore, such an idea never crossed Poseidon's mind.

After rejecting all these options, what thoughts would Poseidon have? Actually, there aren't many options left.

He is currently hesitating between two directions.

One option is: if one cannot become the successor, then one should regard the other as an enemy.

The other possibility is... engaging in illegal activities! We need to communicate directly with You Chen himself!

Given Poseidon's character, he would not choose the former unless it was truly impossible.

For the latter, timing is very important.

Although You Chen's opinion of Poseidon Island is probably not very good right now.

The feasibility of lowering You Chen's guard and thus reducing conflict, as previously thought, is virtually zero.

On the other hand, as a fellow "educational master," Poseidon knew that people like them had a strong sense of control over the state of toys.

Furthermore, although Poseidon dared not expose his divine sense to observe the lower realm during this period, he was still very clear about You Chen's repeated use of his divine sense to explore the structure of the Sea God Martial Soul, even though his divine sense was hidden in the core of the Martial Soul.

His previous concern about a potential conflict with You Chen stemmed largely from his knowledge that You Chen understood that Poseidon, with his assistance, would be capable of resisting and struggling.

But now, Poseidon has been so tamed by the wandering dust that even his faith has begun to fade significantly.

So, if when You Chen is just one step away from completely taming Poseidon, he betrays Poseidon, helps You Chen subdue Poseidon, and gives You Chen the information about the Sea God Martial Soul that he cares about and wants most, how will You Chen respond?

With this thought in mind, Poseidon revealed a smile that said, "Everything is under control."

A day in heaven is a year on earth, and Poseidon decided to dedicate the next few hours to focusing his consciousness on the lower realm.

The vast difference in flow velocity between the two realms makes it impossible for even gods to maintain their consciousness in both realms simultaneously.

Even Poseidon could only retain a wisp of light for vigilance within his main body in the divine realm when his primary consciousness resonated with the Sea God's Martial Soul in the lower realm.

Fortunately, due to the lower realm's time flow, when consciousness is focused on the lower realm and then returns, only a moment has passed in the divine realm.

Keeping one's consciousness in the lower realm for several hours at a time is still somewhat dangerous—not in terms of personal safety, but in terms of the risk of being caught on the spot and locked up by an enforcer like the Asura God.

But considering that his resignation and retirement might be his only chance, Poseidon decided to take a gamble.

……

In the few minutes that Poseidon was observing, analyzing, thinking and making a decision, the Porcupine Douluo had already sent the information back to the Spirit Hall through a secret channel.

Inside the shrine, beneath the statue of the angel, Qian Daoliu stood alone.

He stared at the angel statue for a long time, then took out the letter the intelligence officer had given him for the second time and stared at it for a long time.

"..."

He put away the letter and looked up at the angel statue. Silence, still silence.

Only his wide-open eyes and slightly trembling hands revealed the turmoil in his heart.

—No. You Chen, how come someone with innate soul power level 2 has become almost as strong as me in the blink of an eye?

Sendo Ryu's inner monologues are usually more elegant, but if translated directly into plain language, they would roughly mean the above.

At first, Qian Daoliu thought he had misread it.

You Chen's talent is average, but it's unlikely that You Chen's talent is average.

If it had been half a year earlier, and he had seen that You Chen already possessed the strength of a Super Douluo, he would probably have been very shocked, but he might have then seriously pondered the reasons behind it.

But now, the strength of a peerless Douluo? That's not just a three-level jump, it's almost like ascending to the heavens in one step!

"well……"

A thousand streams flowed, a long sigh escaped.

He regrets it now; he deeply regrets his decision to stand idly by while Bibi Dong oppressed You Chen.

He even couldn't help but fantasize that if he hadn't kept Qian Xunji under such strict control, and had allowed Bibi Dong to interact more with the children of the Spirit Hall, and if Bibi Dong had met You Chen, who was ten thousand times stronger than Yu Xiaogang, perhaps so many unsavory things wouldn't have happened later...

But people always have to look forward.

Even the clueless Old Deng was keenly aware of the impact a suspected ultimate combat power could have on the continent's political landscape.

"Judging from You Chen's previous interactions with Xue'er and the others, he at least still maintains some goodwill towards Xue'er and remembers the bond between master and disciple. The fact that he also visited Yan when he took Diwan and the others away, and didn't forcibly take Yan away, shows that he is indeed a sentimental person."

Qian Daoliu silently conducted his analysis.

What both of them knew, Qian Daoliu certainly couldn't possibly be unaware of.

It's not difficult to deduce from Yan's changes that You Chen had visited Yan.

The key point revealed by this incident is that You Chen took away three Soul Douluos, but not Yan.

There are only three possibilities why Yan was given such a rare treasure, yet it was left in the Spirit Hall.

Alternatively, You Chen didn't actually intend to be an enemy of the Spirit Hall, so he felt at ease leaving Yan behind.

Either You Chen wanted to plant a spy in the Spirit Hall.

Either this is a trick by You Chen to distract them and lead them into a misconception.

Considering that You Chen had clearly exposed himself before, yet still let Qian Renxue and the other two go, Qian Daoliu put himself in You Chen's shoes and didn't think You Chen was lying when he implied that "there was no betrayal".

Especially considering You Chen's "true strength" that he has now revealed, what need would a being standing at the pinnacle of the continent have to lie? And who could force him to lie!?

But since that's the case...

"I really can't fathom his true motives. His previous actions against the Spirit Hall, in retrospect, can be seen entirely as revenge against Bibi Dong. So, what else could he be doing—establishing an assassin organization and a massive business guild—just for fun? His strength has already reached, or is close to, that of a Peerless Douluo; what else could possibly attract him? What could possibly motivate him to go to such lengths?"

To establish a sect? To leave behind a legacy? To achieve great things? To be remembered for generations? ...

Qian Daoliu thought a lot, but as a faithful believer of the angel god, he was trapped in the mental barrier of never considering "becoming a god".

But... there are only so many options.

When Qian Daoliu looked up again and saw the statue of the angel god once more, he finally understood.

"He's going to... become a god!?"

Qian Daoliu's pupils contracted.

This shocking possibility connected everything together, and Sendou Ryu realized that this was the most likely truth.

So, for Qian Daoliu, is having another person who might become a god an unacceptable thing?

You should know that he had always known about Bibi Dong receiving divine inheritance.

For the people of Douluo Continent, their faith is absolute, but they do not demand the exclusivity of their faith, that is... they do not deny the existence of multiple true gods in the world.

Therefore, as long as You Chen does not become an enemy of the Spirit Hall, or more precisely, does not interfere with Qian Renxue's ascension to godhood, which is of utmost importance to him, then You Chen's ascension to godhood will not conflict with his interests.

Qian Daoliu breathed a sigh of relief.

This answer, while shocking, is far better than the unknown.

At least he won't have to live in fear anymore.

If Qian Daoliu was still worried about whether You Chen would become an enemy of the Spirit Hall in the future, the fact that You Chen only educated Qian Renxue without doing anything else, even though he had the ability and a certain necessity to kill or capture Qian Renxue to silence her, was enough for Qian Daoliu to judge that You Chen would not hinder Qian Renxue from becoming a god.

To put it simply, Qian Daoliu is a somewhat pedantic and even morally fastidious person; otherwise, he wouldn't have made an agreement with the Haotian Sect and then truly refrained from taking action.

This was enough for Qian Daoliu to lower most of his guard against You Chen.

In particular, after Qian Daoliu recalled what the highly intelligent Douluo, the Porcupine Douluo, had subtly mentioned in his secret letter—that Qian Renxue seemed to harbor some improper thoughts about her teacher…

Qian Daoliu's expression turned slightly strange.

"Let's leave aside Ji'er and Bibi Dong, since it was forced. But why is Xue'er like this too? Could it be that our Qian family really harbors such a bloodline?"

Shaking his head, Qian Daoliu banished this unrealistic thought and replaced it with a slightly more serious one.

"After becoming a god, one gains endless lifespan. However, for Xue'er, who has lived a lonely life, becoming a god might not necessarily be a good thing; it could even be considered my own arbitrary decision, my willfulness. If the hatred between mother and daughter ultimately cannot be resolved, perhaps having such a respected and beloved person by her side would prevent Xue'er from being too lonely..."

Thinking of this, a bitter smile appeared on Qian Daoliu's face.

Just as Poseidon, a devout believer, could also harbor feelings of love, Qian Daoliu, a fanatical follower of the angel god, also had warm affection and care for Qian Renxue.

His tolerance towards Bibi Dong stemmed not only from guilt but also largely from the fact that Bibi Dong was Qian Renxue's mother.

Given this premise, after concluding that You Chen "would not hinder Qian Renxue's ascension to godhood," he not only refused to be an enemy of You Chen, but even went so far as to offer him some assistance...

However, while Qian Daoliu was giving the Spirit Hall's supporters a friendly policy towards the Beast Soul Merchant Guild, Bibi Dong also learned of the disappearance of Diwan and his two companions.

The connection between these three people was too obvious; even if Bibi Dong was stupid, she wouldn't be unaware that their disappearance was related to You Chen.

After all, these are three Soul Douluos, and three of them are top-tier Soul Douluos with the potential to break through to the title level!

Even a titled Douluo couldn't possibly take the three of them away silently; they would have to cooperate willingly.

It's perfectly normal for Bibi Dong to make this judgment, as she couldn't have imagined You Chen's current combat strength.

However, Qian Daoliu did not inform Bibi Dong of the information that the Beast Soul Merchant Guild was related to You Chen.

Bibi Dong has not been able to find any trace of You Chen and Tianwang for so many years. Even if she knows that this time it was You Chen who did it, what can she do but be impotently furious?

You Chen's unbridled actions intensely provoked Bibi Dong's nerves.

A sense of madness rose again, and she began a massive search for people associated with Diwan and the other two, as well as those connected to You Chen. She no longer bothered with concealment and resorted to some ruthless methods.

If it weren't for Yan's relationship with Hu Liena, he probably wouldn't have been able to escape punishment either. However, the cultivation resources Yan enjoyed were also greatly reduced, which was far from matching his current status as the leader of the Golden Generation.

Such actions naturally yielded no results.

Based on the treatment Diwan and the other two had received, You Chen had already anticipated that his old acquaintances would be implicated, but even knowing this, he didn't care.

Even Ye Han, who was the closest among ordinary friends, was not someone You Chen would be completely indifferent to even if he died, but it was absolutely impossible for him to let Ye Han affect his plans.

In terms of feelings alone, Ye Han and Dugu Bo are not much different to You Chen, but if Dugu Bo gets into trouble, he will definitely go to lend a hand, after all, he is currently the top employee.

Ye Han? Well, all I can say is I'm sorry.

Moreover, You Chen has already withdrawn most of his spies from Wuhun City, so he simply doesn't have the manpower to keep track of his old acquaintances.

Such a situation will inevitably arise one day as the Beast Soul Alliance develops.

Even though Qian Daoliu chose to conceal You Chen's situation this time, as long as the Beast Soul Alliance takes any action, it will eventually leave traces. Bibi Dong is, after all, the current Pope. In terms of the quality of her manpower, she cannot compare with the Offering Faction, but in terms of quantity, she is definitely superior.

You Chen foresaw this, which is why he specifically took the time to bring Diwan and the other two away.

The reason he didn't take Yan away was because he knew the kid's personality.

Unlike the three Beast Kings who were already middle-aged, even Keenekis had no choice but to accept being forcibly abducted. After all, although Keenekis was proud and fierce, he wasn't stupid. Although Keenekis preferred to stay in the Spirit Hall for self-realization, following his close friend You Chen wasn't so unacceptable when he had no other choice.

Ke Yan is a young person, and being young means being relatively simple and innocent.

Yan, who was born and raised in the Spirit Hall, would definitely think about nonsensical things like easing the relationship between his teacher and the Spirit Hall, believing that both sides are essentially friends and there is nothing that cannot be discussed openly.

Just like those young heroes in the martial arts world who, after coming into contact with the daughter of the Demonic Sect, thought that the Demonic Sect wasn't so bad after all, and then thought about shaking hands and making peace, but ended up doing more harm than good and ruining the entire sect.

You Chen would never do something so foolish, so he didn't take Yan with him.

He wanted Yan to re-examine the world after being suppressed by Bibi Dong, and then make a decision. Only then would Yan give the true answer, and it wouldn't waver or falter due to external interference.

As a representative of the Spirit Hall's Golden Generation, Bibi Dong would normally not really kill Yan, and she would also consider Hu Liena's influence.

But... this doesn't mean that Yan's life is completely safe.

If Bibi Dong is truly so depraved that she can temporarily disregard her own plan to destroy the Spirit Hall in order to vent her anger, then You Chen will have no choice but to revive Yan in the future if he has the opportunity.

As for not having such an opportunity? Well... if it's gone, it's gone.

Bibi Dong's attack on Yan was actually more in line with You Chen's interests.

This undisguised madness will undoubtedly cause unrest within the Spirit Hall and greatly shake Bibi Dong's rule.

In fact, Bibi Dong's ruthless search has already caused many within the Spirit Hall to question her actions. However, due to Bibi Dong's power, they have not yet formed a cohesive resistance organization.

However, rumors about Bibi Dong's cruelty and being possessed by a demon still reached her ears.

"Go to hell, go ...—!!!"

Inside the Papal Palace, Bibi Dong, having dismissed everyone around her, was contorting her face, her eyes bloodshot, as she frantically smashed the interior decorations.

After venting for nearly half an hour, Bibi Dong's expression finally returned to normal.

But from the slight twitching of her face, it was clear that she was merely forcibly suppressing her distorted emotions.

"If it weren't for this divine test... if it weren't for my choosing another option..."

A look of madness and clarity swirled in Bibi Dong's eyes, while a devilishly seductive whisper echoed in her mind.

More than ten years ago, Bibi Dong had already qualified for the divine examination of the Rakshasa God.

In the original story, it took more than twenty years to finally complete all the divine tests.

In contrast, Tang San and Qian Renxue only took a few years, and during that time they also relied on divine power and divinely bestowed soul rings to level up.

And what about Bibi Dong? When she took the divine test, she was already at the bottleneck of level 90, not to mention that she also had the spirit ring of her second martial soul to use for leveling up.

Therefore, Bibi Dong's actual testing time was nearly ten times the time Tang San and his companion truly spent on the assessment. (End of Chapter)