Faith might seem mysterious, but it truly exists in this universe. It is a convergence of spiritual power.
Typically, this encompasses various hellish cults and other religious sects.
In the East, this concept is known as the "power of incense," an abstract idea.
This power is significant; otherwise, demons from hell and beings from heaven would not compete for faith on earth. The wars between hell and heaven revolve around resources, among which faith is crucial. Therefore, such conflicts are often called "wars of faith."
Devotees fervently worship a demon or deity, gathering a type of spiritual energy known as the power of faith.
The power of faith has many applications and is widely influential.
As a resource, it is quite important. However, its importance varies among individuals. For instance, a dark lord like Dormammu does not require the power of faith at all. First, he disdains it, and second, it is useless to him.
His stature and level are so high that the power of faith is inferior to his dark energy, to the extent that he does not even consider it.
The same applies to Bi Xiao. The power of faith is impure, mixed with the will of the believers. Some can harness the power of faith in specific ways to become stronger.
Both demons and angels can do this.
They have unique methods of extracting power, removing the believers' will to absorb pure energy.
This accelerated growth is particularly valued by long-lived beings, as their main drawback is the time required for their power to accumulate. Everyone hopes to become stronger quickly, automatically making this a valuable resource.
Of course, this is limited to these beings.
Bi Xiao can extract the power of faith effortlessly, even altering reality with a mere thought to eliminate the chaotic consciousnesses efficiently. However, gathering these energies would require him to invest effort in developing a large following.
He finds it more fruitful to simply rely on his cells' automatic generation of magical power while drinking tea.
If necessary, he could increase efficiency dramatically by confronting a celestial being.
There is no need to use it for those around him either; he can accelerate their transformation by planting magical seeds in their core, achieving astonishing growth speeds.
Therefore, with a mere thought, Bi Xiao immediately dispels all the converging power of faith.
Subsequently, any new power of faith is automatically eradicated.
After this minor episode, Bi Xiao gazes at the gates of hell below. The entire Arctic Circle, including Greenland, has been transformed into a hellish environment. If left unchecked, this transformation would persist for hundreds of thousands of years, turning the area into a true forbidden zone on Earth.
This would be like a cancer on Earth, causing ecological imbalance and affecting the whole world.
Disasters would be rampant, with extreme temperatures, acid rain, and other severe conditions. In ten years, most surface life would perish.
Seeing this desolation ten years into the future, Bi Xiao envisions a post-apocalyptic wasteland.
Although he intends to become a ruler of a dimension, Bi Xiao, accustomed to life on Earth, does not plan to abandon it. No matter how ruthless he might be, he cannot allow the deaths of so many people in the next decade.
Thus, Bi Xiao looks at the gates of hell below and reaches out.
Boom!
Instantly, with a loud shock, a deep green beam shoots from the gates of hell into the sky, captured by Bi Xiao. Everyone sees him holding an object resembling a crown.
This object is the ancient artifact Cassilius used to open the gates of hell.
The commanders of the allied forces and leaders are puzzled by its nature, but Thor and Loki recognize it immediately, exclaiming, "The Serpent Crown?"
"The Serpent Crown?" Volstagg scratches his head, vaguely recalling but feeling unfamiliar.
"It is the Serpent Crown, one of the ancient deities, symbolizing his supreme authority. It is one of the most ancient and powerful artifacts," Thor explains, enlightening Volstagg, Fandral, and Hogun.
Set, once one of the most ancient deities, had been mostly forgotten due to the passage of time.
"I've read descriptions stating that Set was one of the most evil deities, devouring countless other gods to increase his power during the ancient god wars. He fell into darkness and became a demon, but for unknown reasons, Set and other gods were expelled from this world."
"I never thought that dark sorcerer would find Set's crown."
Thor and Loki had suspected that the appearance of the gates of hell on Earth might involve this artifact, but seeing it still surprised them.
Even the treasure vaults of Asgard hold few artifacts of this caliber.
"How ugly," muttered the Scarlet Witch and Bella, their delicate faces full of disdain.
No matter how powerful an artifact or ancient god's crown, its appearance was terrifying.
The deep green crown, entwined with seven snakeheads, was not only ugly but also disgusting.
Radiating a nauseating energy, Wanda and Bella found it repulsive, but Bi Xiao did not mind. The crown's material was unique, crafted by Set himself, containing his will and power.
Typically, anyone acquiring it would be controlled and enslaved.
However, in the hands of someone like Bi Xiao, it naturally becomes part of his Golden City. With a burst of golden magic, the Serpent Crown is enveloped in dazzling light.
The green snakeheads writhe violently, their eyes glowing red, emitting nauseating black gas, quickly purified by the golden magic. The crown struggles, but Bi Xiao's power dominates it completely.
In the end, it stops moving entirely.
~~~
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— Completed (Chapter 277: Finale)