Chapter 2296 Feng's Clarification <TOC> Chapter 2298 Divine Right
Translator: SumTLMan
“Because the ritual is there.”
In the external void, the Path of Light constructed by Void Light Algae, the stone platform suspended at the end of the void, and the light sphere hanging above the platform, are all part of a special ritual’s apparatus.
Even the choice to place the treasure in the “void corresponding to the center of the Tidal Realm” is a component of the ritual’s apparatus.
This ritual is named the Initial Right Ritual of Thaend.
Thaend was a devotee who worshipped an evil god. Although born in a remote, primal plane, he received a wealth of ritualistic information from the murmurs of his evil god. Later, a wizard visited Thaend’s plane and obtained the ancient devotee’s stone tablets, which contained extensive information on rituals, all named after Thaend, significantly enriching the study of rituals.
Although the rituals from the Thaend series are generally somewhat sinister, often associated with unclean, malevolent deities, after thousands of years of analysis by wizards proficient in ritual studies, much of the malevolence was removed, leaving only the essence of the rituals. However, without the malevolence, many of the rituals were weaker than their original forms.
The Initial Right Ritual is one such ritual.
It allows a projection of the World Will to be cast onto the ritual platform through various pre-set apparatuses.
However, due to the absence of the original malevolence, what originally required only two years to form was extended a hundredfold, taking two hundred years to complete.
“Two hundred years?” Angel caught onto this time frame. The treasure hidden by Feng six hundred years ago, surrounded by a void storm two hundred years later, clearly wasn’t a coincidence.
“Was the Initial Right Ritual set up by Mr. Feng? And did the void storm appear because of it?”
Feng nodded: “Correct.”
“Why? Is it because of the Book of Kael?”
Feng said, “Indeed, part of it is due to the Book of Kael, but I also played a role in pushing things forward. After all, the Tidal Realm has been sealed for over three thousand years, reaching a certain limit. I have a certain affection for the Tidal Realm. Rather than leaving it to be ravaged by unknown strangers, it’s better to leave it to you who have followed in my footsteps.”
Angel furrowed his brows, his eyes filled with confusion, not understanding Feng’s meaning at all.
Feng noticed Angel’s puzzled look and felt a bit surprised himself: “You don’t understand what I mean?”
Angel shook his head: “I don’t understand.”
Feng, with a face full of astonishment, said, “Don’t you know about the divine right of attached planes?”
Angel shook his head again.
Feng was baffled: “Isn’t this basic knowledge? Could it be that during my long absence from the Southern Region, even this kind of basic knowledge has been lost to the ravages of time?”
Feng, puzzled, could only mutter to himself about the increasing marginalization of the Wizarding World in the Southern Region. Then, he explained the situation of the divine right from the beginning.
The fusion of two planes is not as simple as just merging them together as one might imagine. There are a lot of unseen negotiations involved, such as the possibility of most pinnacle life forms of the attached plane being purged during the fusion, which is actually the result of a negotiation to prevent powerful beings from becoming obstacles to the fusion of the two worlds.
Not only might powerful beings be purged, but the will of the attached plane, being the “weaker” party, could also be purged.
However, this purge is not the same as annihilation in the conventional sense, but rather a form of restart and rebirth.
Of course, the real situation cannot be simply summarized by “rebirth.” There are many complex issues involved, and if we were to discuss it, even a conference with ten thousand people discussing it for a hundred years might not yield any absolute answers.
The reason for using “rebirth” to describe it is because the will of the attached plane can be considered as a nascent will.
The divine right of power can only be granted by the nascent will of the world.
The exact origin of this divine right remains a mystery to all. However, it is known that when sentient beings first come into contact with the projection of the World Will through the Initial Right Ritual, they gain the favor of the World Will.
This favor doesn’t directly reward you with anything.
But it will bring you many conveniences in the future development of the world.
In summary, this convenience is——the trend of the times.
The reason why the Crown Star Church can monopolize the Shining Plane is that it has captured the trend of the Shining Plane.
Take another example, the Extreme Sect. Although the Extreme Sect has not truly occupied the trend of the Southern Wizarding World, their actions are fundamentally good for the world itself, naturally gaining its favor, which is equivalent to them seizing the trend.
“Does this mean that the divine right of power is equivalent to being the master of a world?” Angel’s eyes couldn’t help but light up.
Feng shook his head: “No, the divine right of power simply gives you a seed that facilitates passage through the Tidal Realm, giving you an advantage in the overall trend. As for being the master of a world, that’s an unfounded claim, impossible unless you have the strength to create a world of your own.”
With Feng’s detailed explanation, Angel roughly understood.
It’s like the Child of Destiny in novels, but a significantly reduced version. If Angel were to possess the divine right of power, he wouldn’t receive tangible rewards in the Tidal Realm, nor would he find treasures just by stepping outside. Bad luck would still befall him, and death could still come. Only in developments that align with the world’s major trends could Angel gain a slight advantage.
And what does the development of the world’s major trends mean? For example, humanity’s discovery and utilization of fire, moving from the dark instincts of primitiveness towards civilization; or the transition from the natural worship of hunting and gathering to the agricultural era of utilizing nature, all fall within the trend.
In plain terms, it’s the trend of the world’s development.
“In the next major trend of the Tidal Realm, the opening of the world door and the influx of external intelligent life forms will mark the beginning of its exploration,” Feng said. “If you were to be granted divine right, you could secure a significant advantage in this exploration of the Tidal Realm.”
“Of course, becoming the next Shining Plane is virtually impossible.”
The Crown Star Church’s monopoly over the Shining Plane is not just a matter of being in the right place at the right time; it’s also because the resources of the Shining Plane are inherently scarce. In contrast, the resources of the Tidal Realm are so abundant that every wizard desires them. Even with Angel positioned advantageously and backed by the Savage Grottoes, it would be nearly impossible for him to monopolize these resources.
“Divine right is only a one-time opportunity. Once the two worlds are fully open to each other, the chance for divine right will essentially never arise again. Therefore, rather than letting the Tidal Realm develop on its own in the future, it would be better to grant you the divine right to see if you can bring some dawn to the future of the Tidal Realm.”
Angel alone certainly cannot change the overall trend. However, with the support of the Savage Grottoes, he could attempt to set the rules for the future of the Tidal Realm and establish its structure.
This is actually what Angel is currently doing.
Next, Feng detailed to Angel how to confront a strand of the Tidal Realm’s will projection through the Initial Right Ritual.
After Angel had a good understanding, Feng asked again, “Do you have any other questions?”
Angel thought for a moment: “One last question… has the game ended?”
Seeing Angel’s cautious expression, Feng couldn’t help but laugh: “Don’t worry, the game you’re referring to has indeed ended.”
“Then I have no more questions.”
Feng said, “You may have no more questions, but I still have one unresolved curiosity.”
Feng paused, looking at Angel: “I have now entrusted you with the entire truth, including the final treasure. Can you now answer the first question I asked?”
“How did you stop the Demon God Calamity?”
Angel remained silent.
Feng sighed softly, “It seems I won’t get an answer.”
After a moment of hesitation, Angel finally spoke, “If Mr. Feng is asking about the outcome of the Demon God Calamity, I can tell you that the Flameless Lord’s True Spirit has fallen. But if you’re asking about the process, all I can say is… it was me who killed him, yet it wasn’t me who did it.”
“It was you who killed him, yet it wasn’t you?” Feng’s eyes narrowed slightly, as if pondering this answer.
He could tell that Angel wasn’t lying. If he were to lie, there was no need to give such a paradoxical answer.
This answer, with its contradictory statements, what could it mean…?
Feng then indirectly asked Angel a few more questions, but Angel did not respond further. It was apparent that this answer was Angel’s limit.
Angel’s reluctance to answer must mean there is some secret. It was him who killed, yet it wasn’t him, the “he” in both instances likely refers to the same person. Why would one person have such contradictory answers, could it be…
Feng thought of a possibility: With Angel’s strength, he was utterly unqualified to stand in front of a Demon God, even just the Demon God’s True Spirit. So, the one who acted might not have been Angel, but another “person,” who merely used Angel’s hand?
Feng voiced this speculation.
Angel remained silent, but Feng saw a slight twitch at the corner of Angel’s eye.
“It seems, this is the real answer. However, Angel’s unwillingness to speak might mean that the person’s identity is significant… To kill a Demon God’s True Spirit, and through the hand of an ordinary wizard like Angel, the person must be extraordinary.” Feng imagined a towering figure standing behind Angel.
Such a figure indeed should not be probed too deeply. Perhaps, merely mentioning the person’s name could alert them to this conversation.
Feng himself is a strand of consciousness within a painting, and while being remembered is harmless, he certainly doesn’t want to attract trouble for his true self.
You see, if there truly exists such a titan who, upon learning about the “Book of Kael,” might indeed feel outsmarted and become enraged.
Therefore, it’s better not to delve into it.
“The time is almost up,” Feng said.
Angel looked up: “Is Mr. Feng going to dissipate?”
“What do you mean dissipate? I’m just a strand of consciousness. Although I am also Feng, I won’t dissipate. What will dissipate is…” Feng started to refute instinctively but realized the more he spoke, the more convoluted it became, so he simply stopped: “Let’s just say I’m going to dissipate.”
“So, should I say goodbye now?”
Feng: “Wait.”
Feng asked Angel to wait a moment but didn’t continue speaking. Instead, he lightly tapped on the table, conjuring a paintbrush out of thin air.
Then, Feng directly tore off the bark from the tree behind him, and with a casual smear, the bark turned into a dark canvas. Holding the paintbrush, he waved it towards the sky, borrowing the profound ink from the night, and outlined on the canvas. Then, borrowing a bit of pure light from the stars, with a stroke of the brush, the canvas displayed twinkling lights.
In just a few moments, Angel saw Feng create an oil painting.
The scene in the painting was exactly the one they were in at the moment of their conversation. The starry sky served as the curtain, the wilderness as the base, with Angel and Feng sitting opposite each other, the starlight casting their facial features in light and shadow, both looking cheerful and at ease.
The moment the painting was completed, the entire starry sky seemed to release energy, reflecting in this painting.
At the same time, Angel felt the surrounding space begin to darken slowly. What was previously a vague gloom had now turned completely black, as if the entire painted world was merging with the darkness.
The primordial magic in the air dissipated, leaving the already desolate world within the painting to transform into a true realm of death in an instant.
As the world was on the brink of collapse, Feng, with a calm demeanor, tore off another piece of bark and swiftly crafted an elegant wooden frame with a grain pattern, into which he placed the painting.
Then, Feng handed the entire painting to Angel.
“This is my final gift to you,” Feng said to Angel, rambling on, “I originally didn’t want to give it away, but you deserve it…”
Angel, looking at the painting, could feel that it was no ordinary piece. There was a subtle energy within it.
Although this energy was not abundant, its essence was incredibly high. Only a wizard beyond the legendary realm could condense such energy.
Without a doubt, Feng had condensed the energy of the entire world within the painting into this piece.
For this reason, Feng’s strand of consciousness, which could have remained for much longer, ended prematurely.
“The name of this painting is noted on the bottom left corner.”
Following Feng’s direction, Angel looked to see a simple title: “Close Friends… Night Talk?”
Hearing the uncertainty in Angel’s voice, Feng asked, “What, you don’t think I qualify as your close friend?”
Angel wanted to say that it wasn’t a matter of qualification; they had only just met, and perhaps in a few decades, looking back on today, they might barely qualify as old acquaintances, but to jump straight to close friends was puzzling to Angel.
Though that was his thought, Angel dared not say it aloud but instead replied, “Mr. Feng is beyond legendary, and I have only just started on the path of a wizard; I feel unworthy.”
Feng, with a smile, said, “There’s nothing unworthy about it. As I said, you deserve it.”
After a brief pause, Feng continued, “Moreover, the title of this painting wasn’t specifically intended for you to see, but for my true self to view.”
Angel exclaimed, “Ah?”
Feng’s body began to turn transparent, aware that he was about to vanish, so he spoke more clearly, “You have touched upon the Mysterious Realm, which is quite a remarkable achievement. I, speaking for myself, hope my true self can maintain a friendly relationship with you. Perhaps, in the future, you might truly step into the Mysterious Realm, and then my true self could also forge a connection through this.”
“The energy within the painting represents the special energy of the Turing Magic Cube. If you encounter any difficulties, you can take this painting to the people of the Turing Magic Cube, or to my true self. Presenting this painting, they will understand.”
As his voice faded, Feng’s form below the neck had already dispersed into twinkling fireflies.
“Looking forward to our future encounter.”
With his last words, Feng disappeared. At the same time, a passage appeared in front of Angel, leading directly to the stone platform of the outside world.
Angel, observing the painting world now largely collapsed, quickly signaled Woof Woof to return to the bracelet space.
After completing this, Angel then turned his gaze towards the framed oil painting on the table, —Close Friends Night Talk—.
Hesitating for a moment, Angel sighed softly in his heart, still picking up the framed painting.
With a turn of his body, he stepped into the passage.
Chapter 2296 Feng's Clarification <TOC> Chapter 2298 Divine Right