Divine evil is an abomination that defies existence. Historical records describe these entities as souls consumed by divine power, nurtured by the pure hatred of all natural beings. The evil gods themselves are grotesque, twisted forms that thrive on this hatred, loathing both deities and the natural world.
During the tumultuous transition from old gods to new, these evil gods emerged, rivaling the gods in power and striking a nearly catastrophic blow to Xia. Ultimately, they were exiled to various dark and powerful planes, with the Abyss absorbing the majority. However, the Abyss could not control these evil gods; it could only cast them into the dark realms at the bottom of its endless chasms.
All beings that defy the Abyss's laws, along with the remnants devoured by it, are expelled into this shadowy world—a realm regarded as taboo by all. While the Abyss itself may crumble, its depths must remain untouched.
Bai Yi was astounded that Night Rose had birthed the God of Evil. His unintentional expertise had transformed the dark side into this malevolent deity. As he introspected, he noticed a drop of black blood next to the heart of the light side, radiating a familiar essence: the divinity of hatred.
He glanced at the panel, where the God of Evil lay dormant, waiting for his claim. A whirlwind of emotions stirred within him. He sought forbidden knowledge—the alchemical secrets that would allow him to redefine sin itself. In his vision, the dark side's growth mirrored the body's evolution, yet its essence was woven from sin.
When it had been merely a modified creature, replacing its components had significantly increased its power. Now, as an extremely evil entity, it could not absorb pure sin as easily. The sin of the divine would become the bedrock of the dark side.
An idea sparked in his mind: God's bones. This transformative science allowed one to replace their own bones with those of a god, enabling the creation of a divine being. Yet, such beings were the lowest tier of divinity, as divine bones would trigger an immune response in living creatures. However, if he could fuse these bones with the essence of sin, perhaps the rejection could be nullified.
By leveraging this forbidden knowledge and the dark side's affinity for sin, he could amplify divine power and awaken divine expertise. This was the enhancement Bai Yi needed most.
The challenge lay in sourcing the bones of a god. Charles had some, but Bai Yi was uncertain if the bones of a false god would suffice. The worlds of Black Death and Pathogen had seen the disappearance of divine sin, and any reincarnated gods would also vanish, rendering further hunting impossible.
Ling's message interrupted his thoughts: "Erin left a note, Boss. Luo Ning and I are leaving with Master and will return later."
Bai Yi paused, dismissing the message as he retrieved a medical formula for study.
[Name: Soul Purifying Potion]
Grade: Legend
Effect: Significantly enhances soul strength, purges impurities, and purifies the soul.
Introduction: "Underworld, child of the underworld, I will save you. Do not fear." — Artemisia
Price: 30,000 gold coins.
This recipe, passed down since the era of the Ancient Gods, emerged during a time of great chaos in Shia, when the powerful tribes reigned supreme. Historical records indicate that dimensions with strong erosive qualities, such as the undead plague and the Abyss's corruption, periodically invaded Shia. The underworld, a dimension teeming with ghosts and phantoms, was one such invader.
If ever the stars you know turn blue, it signifies the underworld's invasion—an indication that all life there has perished. The energy of the underworld pollutes living souls, transforming them into horrific corpse-ghosts that devour their kin.
This potion was crafted by alchemists during the underworld's incursions. Bai Yi intended to master this recipe. Although he might not succeed in creating a legendary potion, the process of material conflict and fusion could yield results, especially since this potion could save lives and purify evil thoughts.
He used five skill points to maximize his proficiency in the Soul Purifying Potion, Soul Potion, and Spirit Potion, elevating his alchemy skills to an advanced level.
[You created 2 Soul Purification Potions, 1 Soul Potion. Experience +90,000, additional experience +90,000, skill points +3.]
[Your alchemy transformation skills have upgraded to master.]
[Name: L-type Weapon]
Attributes: Flesh and blood transformation.
Effect: Preserves the self-awareness of creatures, deforms their bodies, and significantly boosts physical attributes.
Minimum Increase: Strength +30, Agility +5, Endurance +50.
Randomly Awakens Specialties: Berserk, Powerful Self-Healing.
[Name: M-type Transformation]
Attributes: Flesh and blood transformation.
Effect: Similar to L-type but emphasizes agility and intelligence enhancements.
Minimum Increase: Strength +5, Agility +50, Intelligence +10.
Over the past half month, Bai Yi had fully honed his skills in preparation for upcoming challenges. However, the mental strain of absorbing new knowledge was overwhelming, akin to crafting thousands of potions.
He needed a proper rest. Shaking his neck, he heard a satisfying crack. The production of potions would temporarily halt until he gathered more materials.
He uncorked a Soul Purifying Potion and drank deeply.
[You drank a legendary potion; your soul is greatly improved. Spirit +30.]
Bai Yi felt an invigorating surge of mental clarity; the fog of knowledge-induced confusion lifted. The once-tinged soul now felt light and pure, like a newborn untouched by the world's impurities.
He clenched his fists, realizing that despite failures in his potion-making, he had gained immensely. The effects of consuming soul crystal cores had waned, requiring accumulation for any significant increase.
His soul energy had transformed from a cup to a bucket; the same amount of water had a different impact in a larger vessel. The higher the value of his soul, the more challenging it became to elevate it further.
He needed additional soul potion formulas. The dark side was once again under his control, ready for battle without the risk of internal invasion. As it grew to a certain threshold, he could harness the energy stored in the soul lantern to amplify it further. Currently, the soul lantern's storage rate had reached 400%, and he wondered if it could surpass the quality of the soul crystal core.
He retrieved the [Soul Potion], a concoction requiring three medium soul crystal cores. He was eager to see how much this would enhance him.
[You drank the legendary soul potion; your soul is greatly improved. Spirit +41.]
A blue light flickered in Bai Yi's eyes, and a faint azure energy enveloped him. The world around him shimmered into a blue haze, and he perceived a tower adrift in a cerulean ocean. An elder at the entrance regarded him with intrigue before the vision shattered, returning him to reality.
Bai Yi was momentarily disoriented. What had just happened?
[Your spirit has reached 800 points, triggering an attribute task.]
[Mission: Saint.]
Task Attributes: Upper Limit Task.
Mission Description: Your soul has reached its maximum capacity; the Soul Tower has taken notice. It will present three crises for you to overcome, allowing you to transcend this mortal threshold.
Mission Reward: Conversion of spiritual attributes into holy soul attributes, upgrading your soul level.
[Failure Penalty: None.]**
This mission bewildered Bai Yi. What did it mean to be a saint? The elder he had glimpsed—was he a saint? This new term carried weight. There were no creator gods in this world; the ancient deities were the oldest beings, perhaps even older than those lurking within dimensional turbulence.
He pondered if these saints were akin to the [Evil Secret: Black Death] or even more primordial. What was the Soul Tower?
Despite his confusion, Bai Yi understood the implications of his newfound attributes. Why are gods deemed invincible? Because their godhood coupled with faith creates new deities. World consciousness combined with supreme levels of existence forms plane gods.
In contrast, mortals can only accommodate a fraction of divine power. For instance, one point of divine power could require ten or even fifteen points of ordinary strength to counterbalance.
This was why gods reigned supreme. Cersis, a simulated god within the nightmare realm, remained a false god, bound by the limitations of ordinary attributes.
Forbidden powers are the only means by which mortals might breach the divine divide, termed forbidden legends. Though comparable in quality to divine power, the limits of mortal existence remain insurmountable.
But now, the holy soul attribute seemed to offer a path to divine power. Bai Yi had inadvertently approached the threshold of limitless potential, with both the saintly and the divine evil poised for infinite growth.