Chapter 123: Ascending to the Heavens in a Single Step
Yu Linyuan's worry and apprehension were written clearly and unmistakably across his face. It wasn't that he was unwilling, but rather that he deeply felt the family's strength was meager, fearing they could not shoulder such an important responsibility and would hinder the grand plans of the Plane Master.
This anxiety born of responsibility, however, caused a barely perceptible flicker of approval to pass through Lei Chen's eyes.
If Yu Linyuan had blindly agreed merely for the benefits, it would have seemed frivolous. Such prudence was more fitting for the responsibility a clan head should bear.
"You need not concern yourself with matters of strength," Lei Chen's voice was calm, yet carried a supreme confidence that brought peace of mind, as if stating the simplest of facts.
"Since I have chosen your Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, I naturally have the means to grant you the strength befitting this position. Reaching level 99 is nothing to speak of; even granting you demi-godly power in an instant is no difficult task for me."
He paused slightly, his gaze piercing as he looked directly into Yu Linyuan's eyes, a tone of admonition in his voice:
"However, there is one point I must make clear in advance. You must carefully consider it and think clearly before answering me."
"Once you accept the position of High Priest and receive the power and responsibilities I bestow, the life essence of the one who serves as High Priest will become deeply bound to the faith in the God of Thunder. From then on... the path to becoming a god independently will be completely severed. There will be no further possibility of condensing a God Position of one's own or ascending to realms beyond the divine."
"This is a limitation imposed by the rules. Even I, as the Plane Master, cannot change it. Yu Linyuan, you, and your future successors, are you willing to sacrifice this elusive chance for personal apotheosis for the sake of your family's glory and duty for generations to come?"
Lei Chen's words fell like a heavy hammer upon Yu Linyuan's heart.
"Completely severed... the path to godhood?" Yu Linyuan murmured to himself, the excitement and anxiety on his face instantly replaced by immense shock and deep contemplation.
Becoming a god—this was the ultimate dream of countless Soul Masters. Even he, deep in his heart, had not been without a trace of distant longing. Now, a single choice would block this path completely?
The quiet room fell into a prolonged silence, broken only by Yu Linyuan's slightly ragged, fluctuating breaths. His brows were tightly knit, clearly engaged in a fierce internal struggle. This concerned not just him personally, but the fate of every future clan head.
After a long while, Yu Linyuan slowly raised his head. The confusion in his eyes was gone, replaced by a sharpness born of impending decision. He cautiously sought confirmation:
"Plane Master, forgive this junior's impertinence for asking once more. When you speak of severing the path to godhood, do you mean... it is limited only to the one who serves as High Priest? Or does it mean my entire Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, from top to bottom, will henceforth have no connection to the divine path?"
This was a crucial distinction. If it was only one person's divine path being severed in exchange for the family's foundation for ten thousand generations, that was a bargain worth making by any calculation. But if the entire clan would be implicated, then extreme caution was required.
Lei Chen showed no displeasure at his prudence, stating indifferently, "Naturally, it is limited to the High Priest alone."
"The position of High Priest is the nexus of faith and requires deep integration with the divine authority. Hence, it is bound by this limitation. The paths of the other clan members remain unaffected. If a truly exceptional talent emerges in the future, capable of knocking on the divine gate through their own ability, I would be pleased to see it happen."
Hearing this, the last trace of hesitation in Yu Linyuan's eyes instantly vanished, replaced by a relieved firmness and resolve.
He took a deep breath, no longer harboring any doubt. Facing Lei Chen, he assumed the most solemn posture and performed a deep bow, his voice sonorous and forceful, ringing with conviction:
"In that case, this junior, Yu Linyuan, on behalf of the entire Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, accepts the command of the Plane Master! From this day forward, my clan is willing to devote itself wholly to the worship of the God of Thunder, honoring you as our master for generations! Every successive clan head shall serve as the High Priest of the God of Thunder, fulfilling their duties, spreading the faith, without a trace of disloyalty!"
"Good." A satisfied smile finally appeared on Lei Chen's face. Yu Linyuan's decisiveness was quite pleasing to him. "Since it is so, let it begin with you. Take on this duty and power."
Before the words had fully faded, Lei Chen slowly raised his right hand, extending his index finger. At its tip, a point of pure and majestic violet-gold divine light silently coalesced, as if condensing a universe of thunder, brimming with endless life and destructive aura.
He took a light step forward, and his finger had already crossed the distance between them, landing precisely on the center of Yu Linyuan's brow.
"Focus your spirit, calm your breath, open your body and mind, and accept this power." Lei Chen's voice resonated like a celestial decree, sounding directly within the depths of Yu Linyuan's soul.
Not daring to offer the slightest resistance, Yu Linyuan immediately complied, completely releasing all defenses of his mind and Soul Power.
The moment Lei Chen's fingertip touched his brow—
"BOOM!!!"
Yu Linyuan felt as if his consciousness had been struck by a divine thunderbolt that cleaved heaven and earth apart, his entire soul trembling violently from the impact!
A vast, ocean-like, supremely pure violet-gold energy, like the waters of a breached heavenly river, surged torrentially through Lei Chen's fingertip and flooded into his body.
This was not mere Soul Power, but divine energy of a higher order, mixed within it an exquisitely pure strand of the Power Of Faith, radiating with the fluctuations of countless living beings' prayers!
This power was overwhelmingly domineering, yet under Lei Chen's precise control, it appeared exceptionally "gentle." It did not ravage destructively, but rather, in a manner akin to remolding, scoured Yu Linyuan's meridians, tempered his bones, flesh, blood, and soul...
"Urgh—!"
Even though the process was controlled with extreme finesse, the ultimate agony born from the leap in life's hierarchy still forced a suppressed roar from Yu Linyuan.
His entire body trembled violently, fine beads of blood seeping from his skin's surface only to be instantly vaporized by the crackling arcs of lightning surrounding him. His bones emitted popping, explosive sounds, as if undergoing a thorough shattering and Reorganization.
His Martial Soul, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, manifested uncontrollably, yet under the infusion of divine energy, it underwent a shocking metamorphosis. The phantom became more solid and majestic, profound violet-gold patterns emerged upon its scales, its draconic pupils shot forth with lightning, radiating a dragon's might far beyond the mundane.
Level 93, level 94, level 95...
Yu Linyuan's Soul Power cultivation soared at an unprecedented, terrifyingly rapid pace. Every breakthrough came naturally, as if encountering no bottleneck whatsoever.
The Soul Core within him, which had condensed his lifelong cultivation, nourished by the dual forces of divine energy and the Power Of Faith, grew increasingly radiant and stable, its capacity and quality undergoing a heaven-shaking, earth-overturning transformation.
This process seemed lengthy, yet in reality, it occurred within the span of a few breaths.
When the point of violet-gold divine light at Lei Chen's fingertip completely dimmed and dissipated, and he slowly withdrew his finger, the suffocating fluctuations of energy within the quiet room also receded like a tide.
Yu Linyuan remained in his seated posture, but the aura surrounding him was now utterly and completely different!
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