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The war has ended.
After Tang San defeated Xu Huang, Ge Long organized his troops and, together with the armies of the other three major factions, launched a full-scale assault on Xiaohai City.
Despite the enemy's more advanced soul-guided weapons, the overwhelming numerical advantage of the attackers rendered them ineffective. Within a day, Xiaohai City was recaptured.
Tens of thousands of the Sun and Moon army were taken prisoner and detained.
Luo Qiu and the thirteen Moonlight Elves followed behind Tang San and his group. Their significant victory was partly due to their efforts in ambushing and killing nearly thirty of the enemy generals from the rear.
Thus, these fourteen individuals had severed their ties with the Sun and Moon faction and joined the Spirit Hall, becoming notable examples of those who switched sides.
"This victory is largely thanks to Lord Count Silverblue. It has minimized our losses to the greatest extent," Marshal Ge Long expressed his gratitude, but Tang San helped him up, saying, "Marshal, there's no need to be so formal. It was merely within my capabilities."
Seven days later, Tang San, along with the Spirit Hall army, returned to Spirit City. A large crowd was already waiting outside the city to welcome them, mostly residents of Spirit City, while Spirit Hall personnel were primarily maintaining order.
At this moment, Tang San realized that the war had been recorded by soul-guided photographic devices, particularly the scene where he was seen "sitting on the Throne of Wisdom and Spirit Imprint, commanding the enemy to 'kneel.'" This footage was broadcast on an outdoor screen, and it was even said that some people actually kneeled upon seeing it.
Fanatical followers can be overwhelming.
However, Tang San still showed a different attitude compared to Hu Liena, waving to the crowd.
"Do you enjoy this kind of attention?" Hu Liena's demeanor was more aloof, and she generally did not respond too much to unfamiliar faces.
"Enjoy?" Tang San shook his head, continuing to wave at those calling his name, and explained, "They've cheered so enthusiastically. I feel I should respond to their expectations. It's just a matter of moving my arm. It doesn't take much effort."
"Is that so?" Hu Liena pondered, feeling that she learned this from Tang San, and waved to the crowd herself. She noticed that her admirers became even more excited!
"Lady Saint!"
"Lady Hu Liena!"
Seeing their increased fervor, Hu Liena broke into a slight cold sweat. If this were a soul master competition, it would be fine, as there would be distance between the venue and the audience. But now, with the crowd so close on the street, she found it a bit overwhelming... Nevertheless, she had to put on a brave face and wave, showing her approachability.
"It seems you're not very accustomed to this," Tang San said with a smile, patting her shoulder and advising, "As a leader, you need to be even more approachable than I am. You shouldn't spend all your time in a cramped office. It's important to mingle with the people. Balance is crucial in both training and work."
"Thanks for the reminder," Hu Liena replied with a hint of annoyance. "You only need to focus on your favorite research, while I have to manage the vast affairs of Spirit City. It's not as leisurely as you have it. Even with the assistance of the Throne of Wisdom and Spirit Imprint, I'm still incredibly busy every day."
Upon entering the inner city, Tang San, along with Xiao Wu, Guang Ling, Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, and others, went to the Pope's Hall. Gu Yue Na, however, returned to the Soul Martial Manor first, as she was not among those chosen for this campaign against the Sun and Moon enemies.
After commending everyone, Bibi Dong asked Tang San and Ju Xuanyu to stay behind.
"Now, how do we separate Ju Douluo and Ghost Douluo?"
Although Ju Xuanyu/Ghost Mr. had grown more powerful and now possessed two souls—Ju Douluo operated during the day and Ghost Douluo at night—their roles were clearly defined, allowing them to work around the clock.
But in Bibi Dong's view, having one person is ultimately less effective than having two.
"Currently, there's no way to separate them. The Martial Soul Bone Armor is a complete fusion of the martial soul and the individual, not simply a release or possession state," Tang San shook his head. "In this situation, using the martial soul fusion technique doesn't just merge the two souls but intertwines their physical forms as well."
"Moreover, their bodies are no longer just flesh and blood but have taken on a semi-energy form, between flesh and energy. The intertwining is very complex."
"In simple terms, it means that their essence, energy, and spirit are fully integrated. To separate them perfectly would likely require divine-level power and precise judgment of each individual's essence, energy, and spirit."
Upon hearing that divine-level power was needed, Bibi Dong quickly abandoned the idea of separating Ju Douluo and Ghost Douluo, as she did not want to attract the attention of the divine realm.
Moreover, it seemed that Ju Douluo and Ghost Douluo actually enjoyed their current state, using it as another example for their training and observation. It was a good choice to keep them as they were.
"Then let's leave it as it is for now."
Bibi Dong dismissed Ju Xuanyu and said to Tang San, "Didn't you mention needing my help? How did you solve it on your own? Moreover, from your appearance, it doesn't seem particularly difficult. The strength you've displayed surpasses that of an ordinary Rank 1 Deity."
"Just in case," Tang San replied with an awkward smile before becoming serious. "The Asura God has descended. You must have felt it too, right? Compared to him, how confident are you in your chances after becoming a deity?"
Bibi Dong tightened her grip on her scepter and responded coldly, "Not even one percent."
The Asura God's aura was overwhelmingly powerful. Even just the murderous intent he emanated was enough to instill fear in Bibi Dong, making her feel as if she might be struck down at any moment.
Although she had Blood Qi Golden Core, Soul Power Core, and Spirit Essence, and had refined her primordial spirit, she was still far from matching the Asura God in terms of strength.
The natural energy of Douluo Star could not compare to the celestial spirit qi of the divine realm. Even the energy within the Spirit Beast Illusion, which was similar to celestial spirit qi, could not fully make up for this difference.
Bibi Dong understood that when a mortal ascends to godhood, they do not immediately inherit all the powers of the deity. After ascending to the divine realm, they need to absorb celestial spirit qi to fill the energy void in their divine body before they truly inherit the divine position.
Gods also need energy to function.
The energy of the lower realm is insufficient to meet the needs of a deity. Only high-quality energy like celestial spirit qi can replenish and sustain the activities of a god.
This is one of the reasons why the divine realm requires ascended mortals to come to the divine realm.
In addition to preventing gods from having too much impact on the mortal world, if a newly ascended god does not ascend to the divine realm, they will not receive adequate energy replenishment, leading to a state of "malnutrition" and, in severe cases, "starvation."
To avoid "starvation" without ascending, one must find alternative methods, such as occupying and taking over the core and consciousness of a planet.
After all, planets themselves contain vast amounts of energy and instinctively absorb and purify energy from the cosmos. While this energy may not match the quality of celestial spirit qi, it is still sufficient to sustain several gods.
In summary, a deity's body after ascension no longer adapts to low-energy environments and must live in environments with higher quantities and quality of energy.
However, Bibi Dong could sense that Tang San's theory about the circulation of energy within the Blood Qi Golden Core, Soul Power Core, and Spirit Essence, and forging the physical body into the universe and refining the soul into the primordial spirit might, when perfected, allow for the active absorption of any cosmic energy. In such a state, one could survive in any environment without discomfort due to energy concentration.
"One percent, huh?" Tang San sighed. "Celestial spirit qi, this high-quality energy, truly cannot be matched by ordinary energy. However, it's not that we cannot obtain it."
Bibi Dong's eyes shifted. To fully forge the physical body into the universe would take an unknown amount of time, as the energy transformation and circulation loops for the Golden Core, Soul Power Core, and Spirit Essence had not yet been fully resolved.
While celestial spirit qi might not increase the efficiency of her cultivation, its high quality would help her meet the "emptiness" in her body more quickly once she reached level 100.
"Is there a way to obtain it?"
(End of Chapter)