"It all comes down to the choice you make," Di Lin said solemnly.
The choice made at the moment of becoming a god through one's own power would determine all future development and achievements.
Lin Lei barely had to think. His heart was already inclined toward the second option. He was currently cultivating the comprehension of both Earth and Wind, and giving up either element would leave him deeply unwilling.
"Lord Di Lin, if I choose the second option—for instance, if I become a god through Wind first—at the moment of apotheosis, the godhead is placed outside the body, and then heaven and earth naturally condense a divine body based on that godhead. My soul will also split in two. In truth, there's virtually no difference between the clone and the original body as far as the soul is concerned, right?"
"Right." Di Lin nodded.
"Then I'd like to ask—once the clone becomes a god, what about my original body? Does its strength improve at all?" Lin Lei cared deeply about this.
If his clone became a god but his original body remained at the Saint Realm, wouldn't that be a massive weakness?
"Strength does improve. Your original body can borrow divine power from the clone," Di Lin said, shaking his head. "Unfortunately, that's merely borrowing. You can borrow large quantities of divine power, but without a godhead in the original body, divine power unaccompanied by a godhead is far weaker than true divine strength."
Hisai, standing nearby, smiled. "Lin Lei, you should know that some holy figures of religious orders can occasionally borrow divine power."
Lin Lei nodded slightly.
Hisai continued, "You'd be in the same position—able to borrow divine power only from your divine clone. Of course... you wouldn't need to perform sacrifices or anything like that, and you could borrow large amounts. It's just that without a godhead to harmonize with, the power is much weaker."
"Understood," Lin Lei nodded.
He understood the importance of a godhead well enough. Without one in his original body, having divine power was hollow—things like a "divine domain" would be impossible to manifest.
"Without a godhead, your original body is weak, but there are ways to protect it. Since the original body and the clone are actually one and the same, you could simply absorb the clone back into your body," Di Lin continued with a smile. "You'd still be able to wield the divine clone's power."
Lin Lei shook his head inwardly.
Merge the divine clone and the original body into one? Wield the divine clone's power?
In truth, his strength wouldn't actually increase.
"That way, my strength doesn't really grow—I'm just better at protecting the original body. The only real benefit of the second option is... it allows me to cultivate other elemental laws. The true drawback is that the soul splits in two!"
Di Lin looked at Lin Lei and said gravely, "Lin Lei, the soul is the most vital part of a living being. Strengthening and transforming the soul is extraordinarily difficult. Suddenly splitting it in two is tantamount to halving the soul's very foundation. It will affect both your cultivation speed and your ability to withstand others' attacks."
"I understand. No gain without sacrifice. How could I reap all the benefits without paying anything?" Lin Lei saw it clearly enough.
"Good that you understand." Di Lin nodded.
But inwardly, Lin Lei was puzzled: "What's gotten into Di Lin today? He's laying out all the inner details of godhood for me, every last one—this doesn't match his usual personality at all." Lin Lei could sense that Di Lin was being unusual today.
War God O'Brien spoke in a booming voice, "Lin Lei, remember what was just discussed. The Church of Light's Holy Island is yours to handle."
"Rest assured." A glint of cold ruthlessness flickered across Lin Lei's eyes.
Destroy the Church of Light?
How many years had he been waiting for this?
"Good. You may all leave now," the War God said coolly.
Lin Lei, Desli, Faen, and Tulei immediately rose to their feet, bowed respectfully, and departed from the War God's secluded courtyard.
Walking along the quiet paths of War God Mountain.
"Lin Lei, congratulations. The fact that Master and the others were so friendly toward you today shows they already consider you one of their own," Faen said suddenly.
Lin Lei was briefly taken aback. He could now fully sense the bitterness in the hearts of the three powerhouses beside him—thousands of years of bitter cultivation, and still no breakthrough.
"Faen, I'm sure all of you will break through soon enough."
Desli smiled and nodded. "That's right, the breakthrough will come soon. Faen, Tulei... have you forgotten what Lord Beirut told us? For the few of us, it could happen in as little as a single day. The most important thing is having confidence in ourselves."
"That's right, we will break through." Tulei and Faen's eyes lit up, and they nodded.
If they could break through on their own, why would they need to beg for a godhead?
It was just that breaking through on one's own was far too difficult.
"Lin Lei, when do we set out to destroy the Church of Light's Holy Island?" Desli asked.
Lin Lei pondered for a moment. "Let's settle this as quickly as possible." At the thought of going after the Church of Light, his blood surged with excitement and his entire body thrummed with power. "Everyone, go back today. Tomorrow, gather your forces and make preparations. The day after—the eighth—on the morning of the eighth, come to my Dragon Blood Castle, and we'll set out together to strike the Holy Island of Light."
"Good. We'll set out together on the morning of the eighth." Both Tulei and Desli nodded.
Faen laughed. "Lin Lei, you're moving so fast. Looks like I need to pick up the pace too and deal with the Church of Darkness as soon as possible."
"Haha, Faen, then we'll be off," Lin Lei said.
Immediately, Lin Lei, Desli, and Tulei took to the air, flying directly eastward.
Lin Lei's Dragon Blood Castle was in the northern region of the Baruch Empire, while Desli's residence was in the southern region. As for Tulei, he was even farther away on the great eastern steppes. The three flew together for a short stretch before parting ways.
"Whoosh~~" A fierce wind whipped past, their robes snapping and fluttering.
Soaring through the clouds and mist at tremendous speed, they headed straight for the Dragon Blood Castle.
"Lin Lei, wait." Suddenly a voice rang out, and a hazy figure materialized beside Lin Lei.
It was a strikingly handsome young man in a dark golden robe—the god-level powerhouse Di Lin. A vertical scar, like a blade mark, adorned the space between his brows.
"Lord Di Lin." Lin Lei was somewhat surprised.
The eerily charismatic Di Lin wore a sincere smile. "Lin Lei, you're remarkably fast. It seems your time in the Tomb of the Gods truly brought about a great improvement."