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*****
In the context of the Douluo Star, the "Sun" refers specifically to that burning star in the sky, and the "Moon" refers to its solitary satellite. However, when placed within the vastness of other planes and dimensions, these terms represent different celestial bodies entirely. The emergence of these two particular Martial Souls was an evolution of these two grand, fundamental concepts.
As the Sea God spoke, the God of the Blazing Sun and the Goddess of the Cold Moon frowned. This was the first time they had viewed their own Martial Souls through such a lens. To put it simply, during their time on Douluo Star, they had never truly explored the underlying essence of their power. After ascending to godhood and learning the truth of the universe, they gained a "clearer" perspective, yet listening to the Sea God now provided them with a profound new understanding.
"Are you saying, Sea God, that our Martial Souls do not actually need to grow closer in nature to physical stars and satellites?"
The Sea God nodded. "Correct. Your Martial Souls are not so much celestial bodies in the cosmos as they are concepts derived from the fusion of celestial imagery with the duality of Yin and Yang. If I recall correctly, your spiritual talents were exceptional even before you attained godhood. The Sun and Moon both belong to the stars; they carry the attributes of the stars, and it was this, combined with the compatibility of your spiritual attributes, that allowed you to possess a Martial Soul Fusion Skill."
The Sea God spoke with easy confidence, though inwardly, he felt a surge of admiration for Su Wen. Such a theory, at least logically, was flawless. It was a true exploration of the fundamental essence of power. Furthermore, much of this was based on Su Wen's own conjectures. Because the legends of the Sun and Moon deities were relatively intact before the Sea God's own ascension, he was able to verify these ideas, which is why he spoke with such certainty now.
The expressions of the Sun and Moon deities grew increasingly complex. They realized that the Sea God might actually understand their Martial Souls better than they did themselves.
"If you wish to become First-Class Gods, given your situation, evolving the characteristics of blazing fire and freezing ice is not the optimal route. Instead, the path of Yin and Yang is your best bet; perhaps it would even lead to a higher ceiling in the future. Beyond that, attributes like 'Star' and 'Spirit' could also be prioritized as focal points."
The Sun and Moon deities looked conflicted. The theory was sound, but walking the path of Yin and Yang was far easier said than done.
"My friends, this is your opportunity," the Sea God said, noticing their hesitation and immediately addressing the source of their worry.
"An opportunity?"
"Exactly. As I mentioned before, if we view the Sun and Moon as totems, they are essentially concepts of fantasy. This is why your spiritual attributes are so prominent. By the same token, the Sun and Moon themselves are inherently beneficial to a Spirit Master's cultivation of spiritual power."
In pure visualization methods, visualizing the physical sun or moon often yielded mediocre results—something Su Wen had experimented with extensively in the past. He found that the more he analyzed the sun's structure using scientific principles to create a more "realistic" visualization, the less effective it became for tempering spiritual power. In fact, unless his visualization was perfect, this deviation in focus could actually cause the effectiveness of the spiritual tempering to decline.
It was through developing the artistic conception of visualization and contemplating the two deities after arriving on the Sun Moon Continent that Su Wen managed to overcome his previous struggles and identify the problem. The Sun and Moon should be visualized for their "charm" and their "artistic conception." The "Sun" is not merely the sun, and the "Moon" is not merely the moon. Thus, the Sea God claimed that the Sun and Moon were beneficial to spiritual power.
However, the Sun and Moon deities wore strange expressions. Why were they unaware of this?
"That boy, Su Wen, developed a visualization method that contemplates all things in heaven and earth to cultivate spiritual power. Because I bestowed the Nine God Trials upon him, I am aware of the characteristics of his methods. In his Sea of Consciousness, he visualizes the Sun and Moon. There is a gap between his vision and the physical celestial bodies, yet he hasn't quite grasped the true artistic conception of the Sun and Moon..."
The Sea God stopped there. He didn't need to guide them any further. The God of the Blazing Sun and the Goddess of the Cold Moon were no fools; they understood exactly where their opportunity lay.
"The artistic conception attached to our Martial Souls is the key to his Sun-Moon Visualization!"
"No, it is not just the key to his visualization," the Sea God corrected them, shaking his head. Every time he thought of Su Wen's visualization method, his mouth twitched. That boy was literally trying to visualize an entire, complete world. The Sun and Moon were merely a fraction of his grand design. "To be precise, the artistic conception of the Sun and Moon is the key to the visualization methods for all Spirit Masters on the Douluo Continent."
The fundamental goal of visualization is to cultivate spiritual power, and the Sun and Moon are relatively simple yet highly efficient choices. Therefore, by establishing the Sun and Moon within the "Academic Realm" and allowing their artistic conception to shroud the entire realm, they could provide a reference for countless Spirit Masters. This was the key for the Sun and Moon deities to harvest faith through the Academic Realm.
"We thank the Sea God for his guidance."
The Sun and Moon deities bowed respectfully. Even though they had attained godhood earlier than the Sea God, they put aside all seniority. In this realm, strength was the only thing that commanded respect. While they hadn't been arrogant before, they had never shown this level of genuine deference until now. With the Sea God's guidance, the path ahead of them suddenly seemed clear.
"Well, I have invested quite a bit in Su Wen myself. With the help of you two, his chances of attaining godhood will only increase."
Leaving the Temple of the Sun and Moon, the Sea God looked back at the sanctuary and murmured, "Those two are quite lucky."
Originally, the Sea God had finished gathering "sponsors" and hadn't included these two. However, because Su Wen was currently dealing with them on the Douluo Plane, the boy had used the power of faith to constantly bridge his intent with the mark of the Nine God Trials, catching the Sea God's attention. This mutual effort had allowed for this initial communication.
"This kid... he isn't even a Spirit Saint yet, and he can already take the initiative to communicate with me," the Sea God marveled. "I just wonder what else he needs."
He couldn't possibly have requested the Sea God to pull in these two deities just because he needed to cooperate with the Sun Moon Cult, could he? "That would be a loss."
Of course, if the Sun and Moon deities followed Su Wen's "correct path" and promoted to First-Class Gods, then it wouldn't be a loss at all. By the time Su Wen ascended, he would have two extra First-Class Gods in his inner circle.
"That boy couldn't be thinking that far ahead, could he?" The Sea God's expression turned peculiar. "Good grief. He hasn't even reached the Divine Realm yet, and he's already building his faction?"
Inside the Temple of the Sun and Moon, a long silence followed the Sea God's departure.
"Moon, what the Sea God said makes sense."
"Yes. And there is nothing we have that would be worth the Sea God scheming against us for."
The two looked at each other and nodded simultaneously.
"In that case, let us give Su Wen a helping hand."
In the next heartbeat, both of them looked troubled.
"But... what exactly can we give Su Wen that would benefit him?"
(End of Chapter)