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Chapter 36 Secrets
Lin Tian felt the fire-elemental divine power within his body, as if a completely new door had been opened through his god-level soul.
The world Lin Tian saw was completely different—the omnipresent lines of fire-elemental laws, like dense, clearly visible red threads, intertwined, flowed, and wove together to form the texture of the world; the distant mountains, forests, and rivers, under his god-level perception, held no secrets whatsoever, the structure of every rock, the veins of every leaf, and the aura of every magical beast were clearly reflected in his soul; space was no longer an obstacle, and in the blink of an eye, he could perceive movements thousands of miles away, and even vaguely "see" the outlines of dimensional barriers, feeling the vastness and desolation of the universe.
"This is...the world of gods?"
Lin Tian was deeply shocked, beyond words.
Lower-level gods are nothing in the Panlong Universe. Countless lower-level gods are born and die at any time. But a god is a god, and there is a world of difference between them and a saint.
The extraordinary phenomenon of Lin Tian becoming a god alarmed the entire imperial city, and the emperor and empress rushed to his palace. Seeing the divine aura surrounding Lin Tian and the sparks dancing in his eyes, the empress's eyes reddened with emotion: "Tian'er...you've truly become a god!"
Although Emperor Leo XIII tried his best to restrain himself, his voice still trembled: "Good lad, the Leo family has gained another god-level expert! If your great-grandfather knew, he would be extremely gratified."
Lin Tian held his mother's hand, feeling its warmth, and smiled, "I owe my success today to the upbringing of my father and mother, as well as the guidance of my grandfather and Teacher Lao En."
As they were talking, hurried footsteps sounded outside the hall, and Potter and Laun quickly entered. Potter looked at Lin Tian's undisguised divine aura and tears streamed down his face: "Good, good! My Leo family has a worthy successor!" Laun also stroked his beard, his eyes full of satisfaction: "Lin Tian, your talent is already heaven-defying. To become a lower god at such a young age, you will surely go even further in the future."
As the four were talking, Harry's figure quietly appeared in the hall. As a lower-level god, he was most sensitive to the aura of gods. Looking at Lin Tian, he showed a rare smile: "Becoming a god within your body, and merging even more with the laws, you've made the right choice. Pack your things and come with me to see the ancestor. He wants to meet you, the newly promoted lower-level god, in person."
Lin Tian's heart stirred; the doubts that had accumulated in the Scripture Pavilion and Mount Huoshen were finally about to be answered.
Stepping onto Mount Huoshen once again, Lin Tian's state of mind was completely different. The oppressive aura that once filled him with awe now felt like a gentle breeze. The palace on the mountaintop was still magnificent, its red rocks shimmering with a fiery luster under the sunlight. However, this time, King Leo I was not sitting on the throne, but rather in the garden behind the palace, sitting by the stream, toying with a pulsating flame crystal core in his hand.
"Ancestor." Lin Tian and Harry stepped forward and bowed.
King Leo I turned around, his gaze seemingly able to pierce through the soul. When it landed on Lin Tian, it carried a hint of scrutiny, which then turned into a gentle smile: "Not bad, a god within the body, a perfect harmony between the soul and the laws. It seems Harry wasn't lying to me; you are indeed a fine prospect."
"I was able to become a lower-level god entirely thanks to the guidance left by the Ancestor," Lin Tian said respectfully. "However, there are a few things I don't understand, and I dare to ask the Ancestor for clarification."
King Leo I waved for him to sit down, then tossed the Flame Core into the air, letting it hover above the stream: "What you want to ask about are the manuscripts from the Library Pavilion, or the agreements of the Plane Guardians?"
Lin Tian was startled, but then said frankly, "That's all. The notes I saw in the Scripture Pavilion contained records of profound fusion that far exceeded the level of a mid-level god, even involving the fusion of multiple laws. And the Plane Guardian, whose strength is clearly inferior to that of the Ancestor, was able to get three mid-level gods to sign an agreement. There must be a hidden story behind this."
King Leo I gazed at the reflection of the crystal core in the stream, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly spoke, his voice carrying the vicissitudes of time: "Now that you have become a god, you have the right to know these things. I will tell you slowly."
"Eight thousand years ago, the Mayan continent was not as peaceful as it is today. At that time, holy realms were everywhere, but there were no three great empires, only countless forces of all sizes vying for power. What was more troublesome was that powerful beings from other dimensions frequently descended upon the land. Most of them were gods, and some were even high gods. In order to compete for the continent's power of faith, they plunged this place into chaos and devastation."
Lin Tian was shocked—the power of faith? This was the reason why the main god launched the war of faith in the original Panlong novel. So it happened so early in the story?
"Walter, George, and I were all just Saints back then." Leo I's gaze drifted into the distance, as if returning to that era of war and chaos. "The three of us met in a battle against a powerful being from another dimension. We were all chosen by a powerful being named 'Inferno' because of our outstanding talents."
"Lord Yanyu is a high-ranking god from the fire-elemental divine plane. His mastery of fire-elemental mysteries is extremely high. He describes himself as a seven-star demon, and 'Yanyu' is his title. He needed someone on the Mayan continent to help him with miscellaneous matters, so he took the three of us as his servants. However, Lord Yanyu often lends us the cultivation manuals he has collected for our study—those you saw in the library are Lord Yanyu's treasures."
Lin Tian suddenly realized: No wonder those manuscripts were of such a high level, they were the inheritance of the Seven Star Demon!
"Lord Yanyu often fought against gods from other planes. He often said that the power of faith was a requirement of the chief god, and he was only trying to survive." Leo I's tone was regretful. "But after one battle, Lord Yanyu never returned."
"The three of us, carrying his notes, hid in a secluded valley. Without Lord Yan Yu's protection, we could only hide and cultivate. Perhaps it was the tempering on the edge of life and death, or perhaps it was the insights gained from the notes, but a hundred years later, I was the first to break through to the lower god level, and a thousand years later, Walter and George also became gods. However, in the Mayan continent at that time, the status of a lower god was not as high as that of a saint today, so the three of us could only continue to hide."
A thousand years later, the war of faith ended, and the powerful beings from the divine plane and the supreme plane departed.
At this point, a hint of pride flashed in Leo I's eyes: "The three of us joined forces and drove out all the lower gods who had occupied the continent. At that time, the continent was already ravaged. So, following Lord Yan Yu's advice that 'faith needs to be balanced,' we each established an empire—the Leo Empire focused on fire, the Golden Shield Empire on earth, and the Frost Empire on water. This tripartite balance of power not only prevented the monopoly of faith but also restored order to the continent."
Lin Tian then realized that the establishment of the three great empires was not simply for the purpose of vying for faith, but rather contained the wisdom of checks and balances.
"As for the Plane Guardians..." Leo I's tone turned colder.