Chapter 135: The God of Love's Gift and Dissipation
The dark golden cocoon enveloping Zhang Lexuan did not last long. The shell, composed of countless Law of Emotion runes, seemed to have fulfilled its final mission. The light flowing upon it gradually receded, followed by a subtle "crack," like the sound of ice shattering.
Cracks spread rapidly, and pieces peeled away, turning into specks of golden light that dissipated into the somewhat empty space, revealing the slender figure within once more.
Zhang Lexuan slowly opened her eyes. Her eyes, originally clear as autumn water, were now filled with a sense of daze and confusion.
The vast amount of information and insights into the laws that had flooded her mind during the inheritance process had not yet been fully organized or absorbed. The sudden change in her identity left her feeling somewhat at a loss for a moment.
She subconsciously looked down at her hands, feeling the majestic power within her that was completely different from before—as if it contained endless tides of emotion. She then looked up at the space, which had lost all color and become grey and void, and couldn't help but murmur softly, "I am...?"
Her voice carried a hint of hoarseness, as if she had just woken up, sounding exceptionally clear in the silent space.
Just then, not far in front of her, a faint golden light lit up again. Though dim, it still radiated a warm aura. The golden light slowly condensed, finally sketching out an extremely illusory, nearly transparent figure of a woman.
Although the figure was blurred, one could still glimpse her peerless elegance.
She wore a flowing celestial dress that seemed woven from moonlight and starlight; the hem fluttered without wind, ethereal and otherworldly. Her features were breathtakingly exquisite, yet her brow was clouded with an inextinguishable sorrow and the vicissitudes of ages. Her eyes, which once mirrored the myriad emotions of the world, now held only relief and exhaustion.
She was the last manifestation of the God of Love in this world, that wisp of original divine sense that was about to be exhausted.
The phantom of the God of Love gazed at Zhang Lexuan, an extremely complex yet ultimately peaceful smile appearing on her face. Her voice was ethereal and misty, as if coming from the distant horizon, echoing directly in the depths of Zhang Lexuan's heart:
"Child, do not be alarmed. I have passed everything I am—the god of love divine seat—to you."
Seeing the deepening confusion in Zhang Lexuan's eyes, the phantom of the God of Love explained patiently, "Because less than one percent of my power remains and I am nearly at the end of my rope, and you have not yet cultivated to the level 99 mortal limit, this inheritance has not allowed you to ascend to the divine realm."
Her words carried a trace of imperceptible apology, but her tone soon turned into a comforting confidence:
"However, you need not worry. Your body already carries my complete First-level God foundation and the depths of my laws. From now on, there will be no more bottlenecks or obstacles on your cultivation path; it will be a smooth road."
"You only need to accumulate Soul Power and comprehend the laws step by step. When your cultivation is complete and you step onto the peak of level 99, that will be the day you naturally inherit the God Position and officially ascend to the realm of a First-rank Deity."
After hearing the God of Love's explanation, Zhang Lexuan lowered her head again, staring blankly at her open hands. Feeling the vast origin of divine power hidden within her body like a sleeping giant beast, her gaze was complex and difficult to describe.
The god of love divine seat... This sudden inheritance, this opportunity sufficient to drive countless Soul Masters in the world mad, left her heart filled with mixed emotions.
"A First-rank Deity... The god of love divine seat..." Zhang Lexuan's voice was very soft, carrying a trace of uncertain trance.
The phantom of the God of Love saw all her reactions, yet the smile on her face became increasingly tranquil and relieved, as if she had finally put down a giant stone that had weighed on her heart for ages. She smiled and spoke her final words of gift, her voice gentle yet carrying a kind of fated certainty:
"Since you are willing and have the courage to forever remember that love which may never have an echo, and are willing to endure all the pain and suffering it brings... then I shall grant you this God Position that symbolizes 'eternity'."
"This 'eternity' is both authority and perhaps... a shackle. I hope that in the future, after you truly experience the long years and emotional burden brought by the God Position, you will not regret today's choice..."
Her voice gradually faded, and the phantom of the God of Love began to become more transparent, like a thin mist under the dawn, about to dissipate into nothingness.
Her final gaze seemed to pierce through Zhang Lexuan, seeing some distant answer regarding love and eternity. Finally, it turned into a nearly inaudible sigh, which, along with that last smile, returned to nothingness.
That wisp of obsession that had been maintained for tens of thousands of years finally dissipated completely after completing the final inheritance, leaving no trace behind.
Lei Chen, who had been standing quietly to the side like a silent witness, had never intervened from beginning to end. He watched calmly as the God of Love's divine sense exhausted its last strength, watching as that ancient existence which had carried countless joys and sorrows completely returned to the world.
As a fellow First-level God, he understood and respected the God of Love's final choice—it was not extinction, but the end of an obsession and the inheritance of a will. To forcibly make her stay would perhaps be the true cruelty to her.
Feeling the warm aura beside her disappear completely, Zhang Lexuan stared blankly at the place where the phantom of the God of Love had dissipated, a huge sense of loss inexplicably welling up in her heart.
That deity who governed the law of "love" had ultimately suffered and passed away because of love. Now, she had even handed this incredibly heavy authority to her... a mortal who couldn't even sort out her own emotions.
"No need to overthink it."
Lei Chen's peaceful voice broke the silence, pulling Zhang Lexuan back to reality from her chaotic thoughts. He walked to Zhang Lexuan's side, his gaze deep, as if he could see through all the confusion and burdens in her heart.
"This was the God of Love's own choice. She chose you because she recognized your character and persistence." Lei Chen's tone carried a reassuring steadiness. "This God Position is a gift and a responsibility, but it is by no means an unchangeable fate."
"If you feel that this power is contrary to your original heart, or if you change your mind in the long life ahead, once you truly become a god and completely control the God of Love's authority, you can entirely rely on your own will to strip away the God Position and find another suitable successor." He paused, giving Zhang Lexuan a final direction and lifting the last trace of forced weight from her heart:
"So you need not have any psychological burden. Do not feel that because you accepted it, you must carry it for a lifetime, and certainly do not feel fearful or uneasy because of it. You only need to move forward following your own heart, just as before. This God Position is an aid, not a shackle. How to treat it—the right to choose—is always in your hands."
Lei Chen's words were like a spring breeze and rain, quietly smoothing the waves in Zhang Lexuan's heart.
She took a deep breath and looked again at the direction where the God of Love had dissipated. The daze in her eyes gradually faded, replaced by a clarity and determination. No matter what lay ahead or what this inheritance meant, she indeed only needed to, and could only, follow her own heart.
She bowed slightly toward Lei Chen, her voice returning to its usual coolness and composure, but with an unprecedented steadiness: "I understand. Thank you for your guidance, Plane Master."
Lei Chen nodded slightly and said no more. The purpose of this trip to the Qiankun Valley of Questioning Love had been achieved. The successor to the god of love divine seat had been chosen, and the cornerstone for the Douluo Plane's future fourth First-rank Deity had been quietly laid.
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