<h4>Chapter 205: A Deity’s Path of Advancement, Splitting One’s Divine Spirit</h4>


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Dod had begun to somewhat question its own life.


    The ten magic elements represented ten types of basicws of nature. Despite being just basicws of nature, each type was nevertheless still iparablyplex and profound. Comprehending them was an extremely difficult task that required a lot of time, effort, and energy.


    Think about it—during thest 40,000-odd years since the Dragon God Empire’s founding, legions of typical Saint Domains hade into existence, but only a handful of pinnacle-level ones existed. The number of limits-level Saint Domains were even more pitifully low.


    As for existences that had fullyprehended a type ofws of nature and attained half-deification over thest 40,000-odd years... One could count their numbers on their fingers!


    From this, one could tell just how difficultprehendingws of nature was. Yet Meng Lei had fullyprehended all ten types of basicws of nature at just the age of 16?


    Who would believe that?


    Who would dare to believe that?


    How were they supposed to?


    “Kid, are you sure you’re not lying to me?”


    Dod’s eyes bore into Meng Lei.


    “What do I get out of lying to you?”


    Meng Lei shook his head lightly. Then, he contacted the system and instructed, “System, boost myws of natureprehension for all ten elements to 100%!”


    Whoosh!


    His Wealth instantly shrank by 1,000 Laws of Nature Origin Crystals.


    Boom!


    A split secondter, an endless wave of information instantly gushed into Meng Lei’s divine spirit like waters from a breached dam, furiously raising hisprehension of the ten elements’ws of nature.


    An infinite amount of information flowed through his mind, and Meng Lei closed his eyes and took in each type ofws of nature in detail, taking in the content in every piece of information.


    At that moment, the fog shrouding his mind gradually dissipated, and information aboutws of nature that was once hidden in thews of nature ocean became clearly disyed to him.


    The heavens and earth were as though a cage, andws of nature the extensive.


    Different types ofws of nature were like chains that differed from one another—fiery-red fire, cyan wind, thick and heavy earth...


    Each type ofw of nature was independent of one another, yet also inseparably and closely linked. They supported the cage as one, much like a cage’s pirs, ceiling beams, steel bars, concrete...


    Pirs were pirs, ceiling beams were ceiling beams, and steel bars were steel bars. They were made of different materials, yet they formed a perfectbination.


    After some time, Meng Lei slowly opened his eyes. The look in his eyes had be incredibly deep and profound, and it seemed as if at the bottom of his eyes were mes rising, vegetation growing, oceans surging, and lightning shing...


    “So, this is what the half-deity realm is like!”


    Dod could clearly sense a change in Meng Lei’s disposition in this instant. His brilliance and edge had been hidden away, and his entire bearing had be simple and unadorned as if he had returned to his origins...


    “Have you really fullyprehended them?”


    Dod’s voice was shaking somewhat.


    “Yes. I’ve fullyprehended them.”


    Meng Lei let out a sigh, as though an aged monk that had been in meditation for 100 years and had seen through all lies and fabrications to attain a state where he was one with the universe.


    His aura had be self-contained, taciturn, and reserved.


    “Why does someone like you exist in this world?” Dod let out a strange squawk and eximed, “Let’s not even talk about how you have a magic talent for all ten elements’ws of nature! To think you can actuallyprehend all ten types ofws of nature at 16 years old! This is unheard of! Practically unheard of!”


    “Is that so?”


    Meng Lei was awfully cheerful.


    “You haven’t lit up the divine fire yet, right?” As though something had just urred to it, Dod’s eyes suddenly bore into Meng Lei as it asked, “Tell me, have you lit up the divine fire?”


    “Nope!”


    Meng Lei shook his head lightly.


    “That’s great!”


    Fervent delight filled Dod at once. It couldn’t be any more thrilled, and it jumped up and down as it pped its miniature devil wings.


    “Do you need to be that happy just because I haven’t lit up the divine fire yet?” Meng Lei was terribly bewildered.


    “I don’t know why you haven’t kindled your divine fire yet, but this is a piece of fantastic news! A piece of fantastic news, y’know!? It’s inconceivable why a monster like you actually exists in this vast universe, and on top of that, I’ve even run into you!”


    Dod was in incredibly high spirits. “O’ great and noble God of Time, thank you! It’s your blessings that have allowed me to encounter a piece of uncut jade like him!”


    “Don’t be in such a hurry to thank the God of Time yet,” said Meng Lei as he rolled his eyes. “Tell me, why are you so excited?”


    “Alright! I’ll tell you about the profoundness within now, lest you end up destroying yourself!”


    The next moment, Dod’s countenance turned unprecedentedly stern and serious. It asked, “Meng Lei, do you know how you should cultivate after you’ve be a half-deity?”


    “Seems like I should first light up my divine fire, then manifest a divine core, andstly, establish a divine nation.” Meng Lei answered, “It’s only when a half-deity has divine fire, a divine core, and a divine nation that they are considered a real deity. Otherwise, a half-deity will always stay a half-deity, and never a real deity.”


    “That’s right. That’s indeed what it’s like for a half-deity.” Dod nodded slightly. Then, it asked, “Then, do you know how you should be cultivating after you be a true god?”


    “That... I wouldn’t know.”


    Meng Lei shook his head lightly.


    “Listen well now. In this world, deities are divided into two different types—Laws of Nature Deities and Religious Faith Deities!” A smiling Dod said, “You should know that you belong to the former even if I don’t touch on that, right?”


    “Yeap!”


    Meng Lei nodded.


    “Unlike Religious Faith Deities, if Laws of Nature Deities wish to continue enhancing their abilities to be a lesser deity, an intermediate deity, or even a higher deity after they be true gods, their only option is to continue toprehendws of nature.”


    The course of the conversation changed at this point as Dod went on. “But the miserable thing is that once a deity has kindled their divine fire and manifested a divine core to be a true god, their divine core itself would gain an element, thereby making it very difficult for them to everprehend other types ofws of nature.”


    Dod exined, “For example, if you be a true god through cultivating fire-elementalws of nature, then your divine core would be a fire-elemental one. Would it then still be possible for you toprehend another type ofws of nature after that?”


    Meng Lei thought for a moment before he answered, “...Seems like it would be very difficult!”


    “It won’t just be ‘very difficult’ but ‘extremely difficult’!”


    Dod shook its head as it said, “A fire-elemental divine core can only store fire-elemental power of divinity. Even the divine spirit within the divine core will also bepletely linked to fire-elementalws of nature. Comprehending other types ofws of nature? Dream on!


    “This is akin to a piece of good jade. Once it has been carved into an article, it’ll no longer be possible to carve it into something else.”


    “Going by that, how are deities supposed to advance in their cultivation, then?” Meng Lei’s brows drew together as he asked, “If one is unable toprehend newws of nature after they be a true god, wouldn’t that mean that they cannot advance any further?”


    “That is why they have to make their choice even before they light up the divine fire!”


    “What choice?”


    Meng Lei was stunned.


    “The choice to split their divine spirit or not.” Dod exined, “Most typical half-deities with even a bit of ambition would choose to split their divine spirit into two before they light up their divine fire. After that, they’ll choose one of the two and light it up while the other stays as a divine spirit so that it can continue toprehend newws of nature.”


    “Split their divine spirit?”


    Meng Lei was shocked.


    “That’s right! Split their divine spirit!” Dod nodded affirmatively. “Splitting the divine spirit is a Laws of Nature Deity’s one and only way out. Otherwise, their future paths would bepletely sealed off!”


    “Fine!”


    Meng Lei nodded silently.


    “The divine spirit half that is lit up will ultimately be a divine incarnation of themselves, while the other half continues toprehend newws of nature.”


    Dod went on. “Upon fullyprehending the second type ofws of nature, they’ll then have to make another choice—will they light up the divine fire right away, or split their divine spirit once more?


    “Typically, fairly ambitious deities will choose to split their divine spirit again, lighting up half and keeping the other half toprehend newws of nature. This way—by splitting their divine spirit every time theyprehend a new type ofws of nature—true gods typically will only need to split their divine spirit four times before it’s sufficient.”


    “It’s enough to just split it four times? Why?”


    Meng Lei was awfully puzzled.


    “It works like this—those that haveprehended two types ofws of nature and own two divine incarnations are categorized as lesser deities; while those that haveprehended five types and own five divine incarnations are categorized as intermediate deities,” Dod exined, “And once they be intermediate deities, they won’t need toprehendws of nature anymore. Therefore, you’ll only need to split the divine spirit four times andprehend five types ofws of nature!”


    “It’s enough toprehend just five types? Then how do intermediate deities be higher deities?”


    Meng Lei was awfully puzzled.


    “Intermediate deities need to assimtews of nature in order to advance to be higher deities.”


    Dod exined, “This assimtion process isn’t purely just the assimtion ofws of nature, but also includes the integration of their divine core, divine incarnations, divine spirit, and power of divinity. You can try imagining for yourself the difficulties involved in assimting divine incarnations of different elements!”


    “First you have to split them, and then now you have to assimte them?” Meng Lei’s eyelid was twitching. “That’s really very...”


    “...Very frustrating, right?”


    Dod shook its head andughed. “It can’t be helped. That’s what the road to deification is like. Not only do you need talent, but you also need to make choices and undergo immense pain and agony.


    “Without sufficient ambition, determination, and an indomitable will, it’s tough for one to achieve greatness.


    “To be an intermediate deity, you must face a choice and split your divine spirit once. To be a higher deity, you must face four choices and split your divine spirit four times.”


    Dod said with a sigh, “The pain, agony, and hardships involved are not something that most typical people can imagine!”


    “Since I’veprehended ten types ofws of nature, doesn’t that mean that I have to split my divine spirit nine times?” asked Meng Lei with a wryugh.


    “Yes, of course!”


    Dod nodded slightly. “Intermediate deities have to assimte at least two types ofws of nature to ascend and be higher deities. The morews of nature they assimte, the stronger they’ll be.


    “Once you assimte andbine five types ofws of nature, five divine incarnations, five divine cores, five divine spirits, and five types of power of divinity into one, you shall be a higher deity of Great Perfection level!”


    “That sounds like so much trouble!”


    Meng Lei couldn’t help but gasp.


    “Of course it is!” Dod scoffed, “Had it been that easy, everyone would’ve be higher deities and attained Great Perfection!”


    “That’s true.” Meng Lei nodded slightly. Then, he asked, “Since I’veprehended ten types ofws of nature, it must be even harder for me to assimte them, right?”


    “It’s no ordinary level of difficulty!” Dod said slowly, “Assimting two different divine incarnations is already a very difficult task, let alone ten.”


    “What a long and endless deification journey...” sighed Meng Lei.


    “Stop sighing!” Dod snorted and scoffed. “What are you being so contrary for when others are dying to have potential like yours?”


    Meng Lei looked at Dod and asked, “Is there a possibility that... Instead of being in such a hurry to light up the divine fire, I can think of a way to try and assimte all ten types ofws of nature first before I light up the divine fire—”


    “Don’t even bother! It’s absolutely impossible!”


    Dod interrupted Meng Lei and said, “If that were viable, the billions of deities in the vast universe would’ve already done so a long time ago. Why would they still undergo the pain of splitting their divine spirit?”


    “Why isn’t it viable?”


    Meng Lei frowned slightly, perplexed.


    “Because assimtingws of nature is an extremely difficult task.”


    Dod said gravely, “It’s not as simple as just pouring two baskets of potatoes into one. Instead, you have to integrate and merge two different,plex, and profoundws of nature bit by bit into one. This process is highly demanding on one’s divine spirit.


    “The only way to do it is to first light up the divine fire and manifest a divine core so that the divine spirit will be strong enough. Only then can you simte, deduce, and attempt to assimte them.”


    “At the bottom of it all, the issue is still about the divine spirit?”


    Meng Lei asked softly, “In other words, as long as my divine spirit is strong enough, there’s a chance that I can integrate and assimte all ten types ofws of nature before I light up the divine fire?”


    “Kid, you’re oversimplifying things!”


    Dod shook its head and exined, “Once a half-deity’s divine spirit is enhanced to a half-deity’s limit, it’lle to a standstill. No matter how many precious herbs and treasures you consume, and no matter how much power of faith you gain, it won’t be of any use.


    “Therefore, the concept whereby one assimtes thews of nature in advance by enhancing their divine spirit doesn’t work at all!”


    Dod chastised, “I’ve seen too many oddball geniuses, monsters, and deities suggest a great deal of strange, peculiar theories, but all of them ultimately still obediently split their divine spirits in the end.”


    “Fine!”


    Meng Lei curled his lip disdainfully. Then, he asked, “So, what I need to do now is to split my divine spirit into ten parts, and then, light up their respective divine fires, manifest their divine cores and produce ten great divine incarnations?”


    “Yes, but you need to be aware of this,” Dod said dispassionately, “Your half-deity divine spirit is not very strong. In fact, it’s of very average quality. Splitting them into two will already weaken you a great deal, let alone splitting them into ten. Thus, you must think of a way to strengthen your divine spirit. It’s best if you can strengthen it to a half-deity’s limit before you carry out the splitting process!”


    Strengthen my divine spirit? I can’t buy credit for that. Does that mean that I can only achieve it by spreading religious faith and collecting the power of faith?