Douluo Continent: I possess astonishing wisdom as I control energy!

Once again, the God of Destruction felt that the successor he had chosen was somewhat strange.

"That's not all."

The God of Asura chuckled, but he keenly sensed something amiss. "Didn't you see? Their so-called 'Star Ring' technique has only condensed six 'Star Rings' so far."

"Six 'Star Rings' are enough to achieve the strength of a third-level god. What about nine 'Star Rings'? Even if we don't jump directly to the second-level god, we should at least have the strength of the most elite third-level god, right?"

"At that time, if this kid comes up with another method and takes another step forward, he might just reach the level of a second-level god!"

"Furthermore, if my prediction is correct, the opponent's life level will still remain at the Limit Douluo level at that time."

"Then, in the next step, the opponent will use the qualitative change of breaking through the life level to the god level to achieve another leap in strength, thereby directly raising their strength to the level of a first-level god!"

Chapter 165 Snow Empress: No rush, test me slowly in a bit.

"This"

The God of Destruction hesitated slightly, somewhat doubting the words of the God of Asura, after all, it was rather far-fetched.

However, the Asura God smiled and said:

"In the true sense, there are actually only four stages of life."

"Firstly, below the gods, this is the realm of mortals. The most notable characteristic is that living beings have limited lifespans and cannot set foot in the universe; they are usually confined to their own plane of existence."

"Secondly, there are beings from the third level to the first level of gods. These beings are deities, and their lifespans are usually so long that the limits are invisible. This is what mortal beings consider 'immortality'."

"Thirdly, god-kings like you and me, who stand above ordinary deities, possess the qualifications to rule any star system in the universe, have a profound understanding of their own power, and control the 'laws'."

"Fourth, there's not much to say about the realm above the God-King."

"This kid has only just gained some control over the divine level of power in the mortal realm. Apart from being unorthodox, there's nothing wrong with that."

Anyway, he couldn't understand this kid before, and now he's even more incomprehensible. Since he can't understand either of them, it makes no difference.

The God of Destruction remained silent, but was somewhat convinced. While it was absurd for mortals to possess divine power, it wasn't impossible; it was just that this kid was progressing too quickly.

If you calculate the time, how long has it been since he started cultivating? If this continues, how far will this kid go in another ten or twenty years?

The God of Destruction had some expectations for this.

……

……

Within the Douluo Continent, inside the ice cave, the overwhelming aura that had swept across everything slowly receded like a tide, eventually returning to calm.

The next moment, a flash of light appeared on Kong Ming'an's body while he was in fusion, and the fusion state instantly dissipated. He separated from Xue Di's figure again and fell back to the ground.

Snow Empress subconsciously and slowly raised her hand, her icy blue eyes fixed on her palm, then gently clenched it.

She felt the terrifying power flowing within her body from the "divine essence," and a subtle ripple appeared in her eyes.

"How are you feeling?" Kong Ming'an noticed the subtle change in her emotions and asked.

Xue Di's gaze was somewhat unfocused, and she murmured softly, as if in a dream: "It's like...a dream."

This fundamental leap and transformation in her own power was all too clear. She clearly sensed that she had already stepped into that level she had pursued for tens of thousands of years without success—the realm of the gods.

Furthermore, this transformation has not yet stopped; the cycle formed by "divinity" and "star ring" continues to propel her transformation until it reaches a certain limit.

What she had pursued for tens of thousands of years without success, she had now achieved in just a few short years. Under normal circumstances, even if she didn't burst into laughter, she should have been overjoyed.

However, at this moment, she felt little joy, but rather a calm and taken-for-granted sense of "it should be this way."

She paused slightly, turned her gaze, and met the eyes of the figure beside her. The turmoil in her icy blue eyes became increasingly apparent, yet she seemed to be suppressing it.

Yes. With him around, this is only to be expected.

"what happened?"

Kong Ming'an looked at Xue Di and noticed that her gaze seemed a little unusual at the moment, which puzzled him slightly.

Xue Di didn't answer, but blinked her clear, icy blue eyes. Her gaze lingered briefly, almost imperceptibly, on Kong Ming'an's lips.

Her eyes still held a cool and aloof air, but beneath that coolness, something seemed to be stirring.

Is she hesitating? No, why would she need to hesitate?

The problem was solved the instant it flashed through my mind.

Without any warning or preparation, and under Kong Ming'an's initially puzzled gaze as Xue Di looked at him, Xue Di pulled Kong Ming'an's hand slightly, leaned in, and moved closer.

The next moment, a cool sensation touched Kong Ming'an's lips.

Her movements possessed an innate crispness and directness, so abrupt yet seemingly imbued with her own unique logic, appearing inexplicably natural.

However, before that slight coolness could turn into warmth, after only a brief pause, she relaxed easily and stood beside her again.

Kong Ming'an was slightly taken aback, a hint of lingering confusion in his eyes, and was about to speak...

The next moment, a white and green figure suddenly appeared, exuding an urgent aura.

"How are things? Is everything alright?"

Hyotei's voices arrived before the people did.

At the last moment, she simply couldn't withstand the aura of their breakthroughs, and thus, she didn't even have the right to be a spectator, so she had to retreat temporarily.

Her golden eyes scanned the two people present with tension, and only after confirming that they were both calm and unharmed did she breathe a sigh of relief.

Kong Ming'an looked at Xue Di, only to find that she had already returned to her unchanging, aloof demeanor, as if the sudden kiss had never happened, her face showing no flaw whatsoever.

With a calm tone, Xue Di looked at Bing Di, her voice as even as ever:

"No surprises."

The increase in strength was real; she had never felt so powerful before. Every bit of power was efficiently circulating and transforming under the control of the nascent "divine spark" within her.

This is not merely a qualitative change in soul power, but a holistic sublimation of the body, spirit, and even soul.

This feeling is hard to describe precisely in words, but there is no doubt that it is a state of constant transformation.

Hyotei blinked, looking at Yuki-tei whose aura was now beyond her comprehension, and a sense of envy welled up inside her.

But soon, her envy was replaced by an even stronger fighting spirit. If Xue Di could do it, it was by no means impossible for her!

Although, according to this guy, the formation of "divinity" depends heavily on talent, comprehension, and personal accumulation,

Under the "Star Ring" system, not everyone can condense a "godhood" at the sixth ring stage. She may not be able to perfectly replicate it, but she still has a chance when she tries to reach the seventh "Star Ring"!

Kong Ming'an's gaze remained calm, but she did not participate in their conversation for the time being.

Xue Di's sudden actions had left him somewhat flustered, so he decided to clear his head for the time being.

At this moment, most of his attention, through the hand he held with the Snow Empress, began to roughly observe whether the Snow Empress's condition was stable after her advancement.

However, the next moment, Xue Di's hand gently covered his hand.

His thoughts paused, and Kong Ming'an came back to his senses, raising his eyes to meet Xue Di's calm, unwavering gaze.

Then, Xue Di's calm voice rang out:

"No rush, test me slowly in a bit."

"..."

Why does this sound a bit odd? Kong Ming'an was speechless for a moment, but still nodded.

"also."

Hyotei watched the two interact so naturally, blinked, then frowned.

Was it just her imagination? She had a feeling that something had happened between this guy and Xue Di.

Hyotei felt something was off, but they couldn't quite put their finger on it.

I hope everything is alright.

Chapter 166 The Source of Energy: Seeking It Externally

Hyotei did not stay in the ice cave for long.

There's nothing she can do here!

Kong Ming'an kept his eyes closed, his hand still tightly clasped with Xue Di's. Six ice-blue "star rings" slowly swirled around him, clearly indicating that he was in a state of deep perception and observation.

Meanwhile, Xue Di remained motionless, her icy blue eyes fixed intently on Kong Ming'an, who was standing close at hand, his expression focused. She was also quiet and composed.

And she just stood there watching, longingly.

The entire ice cave was so quiet that only their breathing could be heard.

This was so strange that, after hesitating for a while, Hyotei decided to leave.

She decided to go and explain to the other spirit beasts in the core area what caused the astonishing aura when the Snow Empress broke through, and to reassure them.

Of course, the main reason was that she no longer wanted to be that out-of-place "soul guide." This feeling of "she was the extra one" was inexplicably heavy, and she needed to get some fresh air for a while.

After taking one last look at the two still lost in their own world, Hyotei quietly left.

Inside the ice cave, only Kong Ming'an and Xue Di remained for a time.

Time passed slowly in silence. At a certain moment, Kong Ming'an opened his eyes.

Through careful observation, he determined that Xue Di's condition was very stable and there were no hidden dangers.

Kong Ming'an breathed a slight sigh of relief, raised his eyes, only to find that Xue Di had silently approached without him noticing. Their eyes met, so close that they could hear each other's breaths.

"Snow Emperor?" Kong Ming'an called softly.

"..." Xue Di paused for a moment, then asked, "Is there something wrong with my body?"

"There's nothing wrong with my body, but there are some other issues." Kong Ming'an slightly averted his gaze, then directly took out a "standard soul core."

"look."

As Kong Ming'an spoke, he placed the soul core into a "star ring" beside the Snow Emperor.

The "star ring," resembling a ring supporting an icy blue star, spun around, easily crushing and absorbing the soul core in an instant. It then transformed the core into pure energy, propelling the Snow Empress's cultivation level upwards.

But as if sensing something, Xue Di unconsciously frowned slightly.

"You felt it, didn't you?"

"Ah."

Xue Di let out a slightly heavy nasal sound. She was still very close, but her expressionless face carried a businesslike air, causing Kong Ming'an to miss some strange details.

She carefully sensed it and then replied, "This soul core has a negligible effect on me, almost negligible."

He nodded.

"Because the 'Star Ring' is built upon the Soul Ring system, until all nine Soul Rings are simultaneously transformed into 'Star Rings,' you are essentially still a Limit Douluo."

"Of course, your life level is stuck at the Limit Douluo level, but in terms of combat power alone, with your 'Godhood' and six 'Star Rings,' you are roughly comparable to a newly ascended third-level god."

Xue Di approached discreetly, continuing along the lines of Kong Ming'an's words:

"Although I am still at the Limit Douluo level, because my strength has reached the God level, ordinary resources and energy are ineffective against me?"

“Yes, that’s it.” Kong Ming’an nodded.

Why do deities in traditional pantheon systems rely solely on collecting faith power to improve their divine status after becoming gods, instead of directly absorbing the primordial energy of the world to continue improving?

This question wasn't specifically addressed in the knowledge about divine positions provided by the Asura God, which greatly puzzled him when he discovered it.

But now it seems that it wasn't that they didn't want to, but rather that the efficiency was too low.

For god-like beings, the "quality" of ordinary energy is no longer sufficient to meet their needs.

Compared to ordinary primordial energy, these energies from ordinary planes are inefficient to absorb, and absorbing too much can easily lead to hostility from those planes.

The power of faith, as a special high-level energy, is not only of sufficient quality and renewable, but also relatively easy to obtain, and it is highly compatible with the divine hierarchy.

Between the two, absorbing the power of faith naturally becomes the most mainstream choice.

The path of "Dharma Cultivation" is not about ascending to godhood through faith, but rather about transforming and ascending to godhood step by step through the power of the soul.

Compared to relying on the power of faith, constantly absorbing and transforming various forms of energy to refine one's own soul power and undergo continuous qualitative changes is clearly more in line with the fundamental principles of "Dharma cultivation."

Undeniably, the power of faith is indeed strong and can be achieved quickly, but it also has its limitations. He does not want to reduce the purity of "Dharma cultivation" unless absolutely necessary.

"Now that you have advanced, apart from the small amount of energy needed to maintain your own condition, you should no longer absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to cultivate."