Chapter 165: Qian Renxue—Fated to Be an Opponent

"As expected... just like I suspected—faith really is the key to a God Position."

After hearing Yue Jiang's explanation, Xu Yang showed little outward reaction. He had long suspected that faith played a role in becoming a God, though he never believed it was the only key. His reasoning was simple—if all Gods required faith, then why did most of the Divine Realm's deities, apart from the Angel God and Sea God, seem so indifferent to it? If faith were truly indispensable, then the planets governed by the Divine Realm would've already descended into endless religious wars, each ruled by competing sects.

"But faith only matters during the process of consolidating a God Position," Yue Jiang continued. "What truly determines a God's power is Authority. The more Authority you possess, the higher your God Position. The reason the Five Great God Kings of the Divine Realm are so powerful is because, at the very moment the Divine Realm was established, each of them seized enough Authority to solidify their dominance. There were no other Gods strong enough to contest them—so they were born strong."

"What's the benefit of possessing Authority then?" Xu Yang pressed. "From what you just said, wouldn't Gods walking the same path end up fighting to the death over the same Authority?"

"Fighting to the death is putting it mildly," Yue Jiang replied. "For Gods pursuing the same domain, Authority is a matter of life and death. Gods who already possess a God Position and want to grow stronger only have two paths: abandon their position to pursue cultivation freely, or upgrade their God Position—say, from a Second-Class God to a First-Class God. And the key to upgrading? Authority."

"So a God Position actually limits a God's cultivation potential?" Xu Yang frowned. "Then why do so many deities still value God Positions so highly? Wouldn't it be better to remain as a free God and continue strengthening oneself without limitations?"

"That's because the benefits of a God Position are far too tempting," Yue Jiang said. "Let me give you three reasons:

First, inheriting a God Position lets one ascend in a single leap. Once inherited, you immediately gain the strength associated with that position. A First-Class God Position bestows High God-level power; a God King Position gives you God King-level strength. Who could resist that?

Second, Authority helps a God comprehend the corresponding Laws. Take the Water God, for example—with control over the Authority of Water, that God can gain insight into the Laws of Water at a pace no ordinary God could match. A regular God might struggle for a hundred years to make progress that a God with Authority could accomplish in just half a month. That's why so many Gods would rather stagnate in cultivation than give up their position.

And third—God Positions can be relinquished and passed on."

Xu Yang now understood completely. A God Position was the ultimate cheat code for cultivation. Use it to grow rapidly, and once it's no longer useful, pass it on and go free—retaining all your insights and improvements. With that level of return on investment, was there anything else in the universe that could compete?

His brows furrowed soon after. Of all the God Positions that might suit him, only the Fire God, Light God, and Angel God came to mind. But even those didn't perfectly match his Sun Martial Soul.

Then Xu Yang suddenly asked, "Is there a Sun God Position in the Divine Realm?"

Yue Jiang shook her head. "No. At least, not that I've ever heard of. The Authority over the Sun isn't unified. The Angel God holds a small portion, and the Fire and Light Gods each hold parts as well—but none of them control it fully."

"So there's no Sun God, but the Authority still exists."

Xu Yang's frown deepened. No Sun God meant there was no God Position for him to inherit. But the existence of Sun Authority also meant he had the chance to create his own God Position. That would be the only path to deification. However, to claim the full Authority of the Sun, he would need to fight for it—especially against the Angel God, Fire God, and Light God, who each held a portion.

"How does one seize another God's Authority, then?"

"To take another's Authority," Yue Jiang replied with a hint of surprise, "you must first obtain their Godheart. Authority resides in the Godheart. But how to acquire a Godheart… well, once you become a God, you'll naturally understand."

"So that means... Qian Renxue can't die yet."

Xu Yang's thoughts turned. The Fire and Light Gods didn't seem to have passed down any inheritances on the Douluo Continent. Going after their legacies was practically impossible. The Angel God, however, had a clear successor—Qian Renxue, inheritor of the Seraphim.

If Xu Yang wanted to create his own Sun God Position, he had two choices: ascend on his own, or face off against Qian Renxue after she became a God. Only then would he have the chance to wrest a portion of the Sun's Authority from her.

"You have any more questions? I'll answer all of them," Yue Jiang said, watching Xu Yang fall silent. She already knew what he was thinking.

"Earlier you mentioned the nascent soul cultivation method and how to create a God Position," Xu Yang said seriously. "I want both."

"I can give them to you," Yue Jiang said with a smile, "but on one condition."

Here it comes, Xu Yang thought. He'd long predicted this cunning Water Dragon King would ask for something in return, and he was already prepared for a heavy price. He smiled back. "Let's hear it."

"It's simple. I want you to help me and Zhao Yan come back to life."

"You two were High Gods when you were alive. You want me to resurrect you? You've got to be kidding," Xu Yang said flatly. "Reviving two High Gods isn't going to be easy. Whatever I get in return won't be enough to cover the cost. I know that much."

"I'm not joking," Yue Jiang said calmly. "It's not as hard as you think. Once you've reached the level of God King, all you need to do is find the Dragon God's Heart. With the power contained inside, it will be enough to resurrect both me and Zhao Yan."

"Oh, that's all?" Xu Yang said sarcastically. "You think I'll become a God King that easily? And as for the Dragon God's Heart—do you have any idea what that even is? Let alone where it might be? Even if I did find the Dragon Clan's ancestral tomb, and even if it's still there… I'm not a dragon. What if it refuses to recognize me?"

"You will become a God King," Yue Jiang said confidently. "First, because of your current cultivation state. I've never seen a human at the Soul Sage level who's already touched the threshold of Godhood. With your talent, your chances are very high.

Second, I believe in the power of the Dragon Clan's cultivation methods. Back in our prime, aside from the Dragon God, we had eighteen God Kings among us. Do you understand now?"

As she spoke, Yue Jiang's gaze never left Xu Yang. Throughout their conversation, she had been quietly observing him—and the more she saw, the more astonished she became.

She had never encountered anyone like him before. His aura was unlike anything she had ever felt—potential that seemed limitless, boundless in scope.