Chapter 120: The Path of Faith, A Blueprint for the Divine Realm
Lei Chen hovered in the air within the Plane Origin Sea, the flowing seven-colored divine light around him perfectly in harmony with the pulse of this world's core.
His gaze was profound, as if capable of piercing through the barriers of the plane to peer directly into the depths of the endless void.
The slight ripples in his heart stirred earlier by the Xue Di's ascension to godhood and the transformation of the divine artifact had now completely subsided, replaced by a calm contemplation based on absolute rationality and long-term planning.
Regarding how to handle the newly discovered otherworldly planes that harbored faith in the Thunder God, there were essentially two distinctly different paths laid out before him.
The first path was naturally to emulate the method used against the Abyss Plane: the path of devouring.
Relying on his current formidable strength as a First-level God in the late stage and the Plane Master, as long as he could pinpoint the specific coordinates of those planes, it might not be impossible to find an opportunity to forcibly breach their planar barriers, drag them whole, devour them, and turn them into nourishment for the Douluo Plane.
This method was simple and brutal, perhaps yielding faster results, significantly enhancing the plane's energy reserves and material foundation in a short time.
The second path, however, appeared far more gentle: focusing primarily on harvesting faith.
Since there were groups within those planes that held faith in the concepts of 'Thunder' and 'Judgment,' it meant there existed fertile ground capable of continuously generating the Power Of Faith. Rather than draining the pond to catch all the fish and destroying the plane itself, it would be better to treat these planes as sustainable 'faith pastures.'
Lei Chen's thoughts raced, and after brief consideration, he had already made a decision. He chose the second option almost without hesitation.
'Devouring a plane may indeed lead to temporary growth, but it is ultimately destructive plunder, contrary to the natural order, and may invite unpredictable backlash from the laws of the universe.'
'More importantly, what is the fundamental difference between such actions and those of the Abyss Plane? It's merely the law of the jungle.'
Lei Chen pondered inwardly, his eyes clear: 'What I aspire to achieve is a new divine realm of orderly governance, capable of being passed down for generations, not a chaotic monster that knows only devouring and destruction.'
His train of thought grew increasingly clear. Since the beings in those planes could generate the Power Of Faith, then this Power Of Faith itself was a resource more precious and potentially greater than the plane's matter and energy.
'Expand the faith in the Thunder God, making it the mainstream, or even the sole, belief in those planes, allowing the prayers and convictions of billions of beings to converge here.'
'When that time comes, my Thunder God Position will no longer rely solely on the native faith of the Douluo Plane and scattered foreign beliefs. Instead, it will gain a vast, stable source of faith. The status of the God Position will inevitably rise accordingly, and it might not be impossible to even... glimpse the realm of the Divine King, which lies above the First-level God.'
This was only the first part; Lei Chen's ambition extended far beyond this. His gaze turned toward a broader domain.
'Apart from the Thunder God, the Douluo Plane still requires many more First-level Gods to support the structure of a divine realm.'
'The Ice God has already returned to position, but that is far from enough. If we can use these otherworldly planes as a foundation and harness the Power Of Faith there, it might be possible to nurture or directly forge new God Positions.'
He well understood that whether it was elevating the status of existing God Positions by expanding faith or forging new God Positions with the aid of faith from other planes, as long as these God Positions ultimately anchored and integrated into the Douluo Plane, they could immensely enhance the plane's volume and foundation at the level of laws.
This kind of enhancement was fundamental and sustainable, far beyond what simple devouring of matter and energy could achieve.
'Therefore, I have no need to choose to devour other planes to increase the Douluo Plane's volume, taking that seemingly expedient but ultimately perilous path of draining the pond to catch the fish.'
'I can completely choose to harvest faith, achieving a steady, long-term flow, realizing the co-evolution of the plane and its deities. This is the path to lasting peace and stability, and also... the path of righteous rule.'
Lei Chen's resolve had always been firm. Ever since he planned and successfully exiled the corrupt divine realm led by Tang San, his goal had never changed—to continuously advance the Douluo Plane, ultimately replacing the old divine realm and establishing a new, nascent divine realm that would govern a sector of the starry sky and maintain the balance of numerous planes!
This was not arrogance on his part, but a necessary choice after deeply discerning the rules of the universe.
To be honest, he harbored no inherent opposition to the very concept of a 'divine realm.'
A mature divine realm shelters its subordinate planes, maintaining the balance and development of each plane, while these planes continuously provide the divine realm with the Power Of Faith. Furthermore, the top powerhouses within these planes possess the possibility of ascending to the divine realm and achieving godhood.
Both sides benefit mutually, forming a virtuous cycle. In the grand cosmos, this is a very stable and high-level ecological arrangement.
But who would have thought that fellow Tang San, after becoming the Divine King, would pay lip service to divine laws and the prohibition of deities interfering in the lower realms, while behind the scenes, knowingly breaking the law, treating the lower planes as his own backyard and meddling wantonly for personal desires.
Thinking of this, a flash of coldness passed through Lei Chen's eyes.
It was precisely this extreme injustice and hypocrisy that made him resolve to orchestrate that earth-shattering plan to exile the divine realm, to drive out that realm which had long strayed from the righteous path, vacating the position so he could take its place and establish a truly fair and orderly new system.
For the Douluo Plane to truly ascend to a divine realm capable of hosting numerous deities and maintaining the balance of subordinate planes, based on Lei Chen's estimation combining ancient secrets and his own perceptions as Plane Master, its foundation needed to meet at least one extremely stringent condition.
At the very least, there must be one existence at the level of a Divine King serving as the core pillar, along with the statuses of seven or more First-Rank Deities simultaneously anchoring and integrating into this plane's system of laws. Only then could it trigger the ultimate transformation of the plane's origin, perfect its laws, elevate its status, and become sufficient to bear the authority and responsibilities of a 'divine realm.'
This was a goal so grand it was breathtaking.
Whether it was nurturing a Divine King or gathering seven or eight First-level Gods, neither was an easy task. It required vast resources, endless time, and unimaginable opportunities.
And in this process, the continuous, boundless Power Of Faith provided by other planes would be an indispensable, key asset.
Without this cross-planar support of faith, relying solely on the Douluo Plane's own output to meet the conditions for divine realm ascension would undoubtedly be a fool's dream.
'The road ahead is long and arduous...' Lei Chen sighed softly, yet his gaze grew even more resolute and sharp. 'But since the direction is clear, I will simply walk it step by step, starting with consolidating this plane, and then... extending my reach toward those distant 'faith pastures.''
His divine sense once again connected with the violet-golden radiance of the Thunder God's law, following those few faint yet tenuous threads of faith, quietly extending toward the unknown otherworldly planes.
A grand, cross-planar scheme had already quietly begun to unfold in the heart of this Plane Master
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