After the Divine Thought of the Water God receded like a tide, the System's notification sound rang out at the perfect moment, breaking the silence in the room.
[Congratulations on accepting the Water God's Third Trial, officially stepping onto the path of the Water God. According to System calculations, you are highly likely to become the fastest person in the history of the Douluo Continent to achieve a God Rank.]
[Special reward: one Water God Seven-Day Statue, 100,000 points. The system mall has opened a section for Rank 6 and below spirit tools, and added a Blue Star technology partition, containing various pistols, vehicles, and their design blueprints. These technical materials can be used for research to promote the development of spirit tool technology on this plane.]
"This is truly an unexpected delight!" A glimmer of excitement flashed in Furina's eyes.
She had long been dissatisfied with the development of the technology tree in this world—despite having such a magical technological foundation as spirit tools, it appeared remarkably deformed in its civilian and military applications.
Now that she had the mature technology and design blueprints of Blue Star, she was fully capable of guiding this twisted technology tree onto the right track. At the very least, it could allow ordinary people to have a bit more self-preservation power when facing Spirit Masters.
However, when she opened the system mall with great enthusiasm, she was startled by the prices. A single ordinary pistol, including design blueprints and matching ammunition, actually cost 5,000 points.
"This price is really..." Furina shook her head helplessly, but then thought about it—the power and precision of these weapons were far superior to the Tang Sect Hidden Weaponss and low-Rank spirit tools; they were indeed worth the price.
The biggest problem right now was the lack of talent.
The number of Soul Engineers under her command was scarce, with the highest Rank being only Rank 4; there wasn't even a single Rank 5 Soul Engineer.
This was within her expectations—except for the Sun Moon Empire, the Three Great Empires of Star Luo, Heavenly Soul, and Dou Ling did not place much importance on the development of spirit tools. Advanced Soul Engineers were already rare; most were specifically cultivated by the royal families, while those wandering outside were mostly low-Rank Soul Engineers with limited talent.
"Unless I open a branch in the Sun Moon Empire..." Furina whispered to herself, then immediately dismissed the thought, "It is not the time yet."
After all, her own power was still too small, and she couldn't reach that far. Moreover, the Sun Moon Empire was the base camp for Evil Soul Masters; it would be impossible to get things done there.
However, she held a trump card—Huo Yuhao. This youth, who possessed exceptional talent in spirit tools, would be able to come into contact with the most Advanced spirit tool technology in the future, whether he entered Shrek Academy or the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Academy. By then, she could hand the pistol design blueprints over for him to study; with his talent, he would surely achieve something.
"The most urgent matter is to help him reach Rank 20 and obtain his Second Martial Soul, the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion." Furina walked to the window, watching the blue-haired youth working hard at Cultivation in the training field, a smile appearing on the corner of her lips.
...
God Realm, Water God Temple.
In the crystal-clear palace, the sound of flowing water rippled. The Water God was sitting on a throne carved from ten-thousand-year cold ice, an irrepressible smile hanging on her lips.
"What has made you so happy?" A deep and magnetic voice came from outside the hall. The Fire God walked into the hall with steady steps, his body radiating a warm aura that formed a subtle balance with the coolness inside the Water God Temple.
The Water God lifted her head, her eyes flashing with smug light: "I have found an excellent successor. Her talent is even more outstanding than that Phoenix God you chose back then, and she is diligent and hardworking, unlike the successors some people find who are just lazy."
The Fire God raised an eyebrow and sat down on the flame throne opposite the Water God: "The Phoenix God was, after all, a friend of the Sea God. It is a pity that he was never able to break through the shackles of a Second-Rank deity and could not bring his lover to the God Realm."
"Isn't that your responsibility?" The Water God pursed her lips, "If you had been willing to guide him more back then, or if the Sea God had been willing to put in a good word for him, perhaps the ending would have been different. Even if he couldn't inherit your God Rank, at least you should have let him spend the rest of his life with his lover in the Lower Realm, rather than immediately summoning him back to the God Realm after bestowing the God Rank."
The Fire God shook his head gently, his expression calm: "It is not that I am heartless. At that time, the Sea God and the others had already ascended to the God Realm; he was the only one left on the Douluo Continent with the qualifications to become a god. Moreover, he was too arrogant, thinking that obtaining my God Trial meant he could rest easy. How could there be such an easy thing in this world? Besides..."
At this point, the Fire God suddenly paused, a complex look flashing in his eyes.
"Besides what?" The Water God asked curiously, her body leaning forward unconsciously.
"Nothing." The Fire God looked away, clearly unwilling to continue this topic.
He had indeed promised that person that he would never tell others the truth of that year, not even his own wife; after all, once spoken, it would surely have a major impact on her.
"Hmph, boring." The Water God leaned back on the throne in dissatisfaction, "Anyway, just wait and see. The successor I have chosen will surely open your eyes. Perhaps after she completes her Ascension, her strength will even surpass mine! When that time comes, if you bully me again, I will have her teach you a lesson."
The Fire God couldn't help but chuckle upon hearing this: "Are you sure your successor can beat me?"
The God Realm has always had an unwritten rule: those who inherit a God Rank are often slightly weaker than the original god. Take Sea God Tang San as an example: although he is a dual God Rank holder, due to the blessing of the God King God Rank, the Sea God Rank is stronger than it originally was, but the Asura God Rank is far inferior to its predecessor. As of now, even Tang San might not be able to defeat the God of Destruction in his prime state.
Therefore, he did not think the Water God's successor could defeat him in a one-on-one fight, unless she possessed a Super Divine Artifact.
After all, the ability boost from a Super Divine Artifact is very strong, but it is not something an ordinary deity can possess.
Because Super Divine Artifacts are only possessed by God Kings; the Sea God's Sea God Trident is an exception. At least in the years before he passed on his God Rank, the Sea God Trident was only a pseudo-Super Divine Artifact. By the time Sea God Tang San ascended to the God Realm, the Sea God Trident in his hand had already become a Super Divine Artifact, and it also contained the power of the Holy attribute... how peculiar!
The Water God snorted coldly, a sly light flashing in her eyes: "If she can't beat you alone, then I will join forces with her to deal with you."
"..." The Fire God shook his head helplessly, "Fine, I will not argue with you. Since you have already chosen a successor, I suppose it won't be long before she can ascend to the God Realm."
One day in the God Realm is one year in the mortal world. If the Water God's judgment is correct, in ten years at the fastest, that girl will be able to achieve a God Rank.
"Heh heh, then let's wait and see." The Water God lifted her chin triumphantly, her eyes full of anticipation for the future.
At the other end of the temple, the Fire God watched the Water God's joyful back, a trace of imperceptible tenderness flashing in his eyes. Although they were always arguing, he had never doubted the Water God's judgment. Perhaps this time, she had truly found a successor capable of changing the landscape of the God Realm.