Chapter 222: The Divine Stone
"You guessed correctly. The final auction item is indeed related to becoming a god—but I advise everyone here to bid with extreme caution."
"This is a treasure that can bring one instant heaven… or instant hell."
Ling Yun's voice carried calm authority as she confirmed what everyone had suspected. The last item of the auction was truly connected to godhood.
With a graceful motion of her right hand, she lifted the veil over the final treasure. A radiant, multicolored stone appeared on the auction platform.
A mysterious aura surged from it, sweeping through the hall.
Everyone present immediately felt the intensity of the energy—it was far beyond the realm of soul power.
Could this be divine power itself?
"The stone emits such overwhelming divine energy! No doubt this is a supreme godly artifact," Gu Yuena murmured, her silver eyes gleaming as they locked onto the stone.
As an actual being of divine rank, she instantly recognized the aura within it. The force flowing from the stone's core was almost identical to pure divine energy.
"I'm curious—how exactly can this stone help someone ascend to godhood? Divine power alone shouldn't be enough to make that possible," she said to herself, filled with intrigue.
Neither in the Douluo Continent nor the God Realm had she ever seen anything remotely like it.
She waited quietly for Ling Yun's explanation.
Meanwhile, Di Tian and the other soul beasts' breathing quickened. This was about the secret of godhood—and since their master had sensed that the stone might benefit the soul beast clan, excitement surged among them all.
"It truly is divine power. The aura is the same as the broken artifact I obtained before," Xu Tianran thought grimly, his eyes lit with determination.
That damaged divine artifact had elevated him to the level of Ultimate Douluo.
If he could obtain this stone, whose divine power was even more potent, perhaps stepping beyond his current limits was not impossible.
He resolved then and there: no matter the cost, he had to win it.
"The power radiating from that stone… it really must be divine energy," said Zhongli Wu of the Holy Spirit Cult, greed burning in his gaze as he stared at the glowing relic.
Even standing far away, everyone could feel the invisible pressure of the stone's divine aura.
A single wisp of that energy could overwhelm a Titled Douluo—proving how far above soul power true divine force stood.
Every soul master longed to reach divinity. How could such temptation not drive them mad with desire?
"Count all the funds we have. Convert everything possible into gold soul coins," Zhongli Wu ordered his elders coldly. "We will go all out to secure this Divine Stone. If we succeed, your efforts will not go unrewarded."
Divinity was an opportunity no faction could afford to pass up.
Competition would be brutal beyond comparison, and he had to be prepared with everything the Holy Spirit Cult could muster.
If he missed this chance, their dream of ruling the Continent would vanish forever—especially with Xu Tianran sabotaging their plans. If a new god appeared among their enemies, it would destroy all their ambition.
Even with three Limit Douluo, they were no match for a god.
"This time, we'll mobilize all of Shrek Academy's resources," commanded Mu En solemnly. "Whatever it takes, we must obtain that stone. If another god emerges from Shrek, we can restore our glory from ten thousand years ago."
"Understood, Elder Mu!"
The Sea God Pavilion masters, led by Xuan Zi, nodded fervently. They regarded Shrek as their home and would do anything to restore its might.
Everyone began tallying their wealth and converting what they could into bidding funds. The true battle was about to begin.
"Such a pity…" murmured Du Bushi of the Body Sect, sighing heavily.
"If I hadn't already spent over a billion gold soul coins earlier, perhaps we would still have a chance at competing for that Divine Stone."
He craved it deeply, but reality left him powerless.
The Body Sect had only one Limit Douluo—himself—and their resources could not compare to titans like Shrek, the Holy Spirit Cult, or the Sun Moon Empire.
He dared not gamble the sect's thousand-year foundation on an uncertain prize.
After all, he could already imagine the chaos that would erupt over this item.
Even if he miraculously won it, the aftermath might destroy the sect entirely.
The previous Sun Moon Empire auction had nearly ended in disaster after they obtained the broken artifact; if not for Jing Hongchen's ten-level soul tool, both the empire and Mingde Hall might have been wiped out.
Other forces, including the Star Luo Empire and the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, also chose to abstain.
Not because of insufficient wealth, but because they refused to risk their survival.
Better to watch and wait, observing which faction would claim the Divine Stone—and what consequences would follow.
"Everyone, please settle down," Ling Yun said as the hall fell quiet once more. "This multicolored stone is the final item of today's auction—the Divine Stone. As its name suggests, it grants the power to become a god."
"You've all sensed the dense divine power within it. But divine energy itself isn't what makes this treasure extraordinary. The true miracle lies in the power of world laws contained inside. That is the force that allows ascension."
"This differs entirely from the three known paths to godhood on the Douluo Continent—Faith Godhood, Inherited Godhood, and Self-Created Godhood. By comprehending the law within the Divine Stone, one can achieve instant divinity. It is the fourth path to becoming a god."
"It is, by far, the fastest—and also the most dangerous."
"Even one without a martial soul, if lucky enough to grasp the law hidden within, can transcend instantly and become divine without years of cultivation."
Ling Yun's words left the audience in speechless awe.
Such a power—one that defied every established rule—was beyond belief.
Many soul masters, particularly those yet to reach the Limit Douluo stage, felt their blood surge with hope and greed.
If they could obtain the Divine Stone, they could bypass all bottlenecks and ascend directly. How could such a monumental opportunity not drive them wild with excitement?
"To think the world holds such a shortcut to godhood… it borders on the impossible," Di Tian murmured, his skepticism evident.
"Indeed," Bi Ji agreed quietly. "I doubt such ascension comes without a price. No one rises to godhood so easily."
"If everyone could become divine that way," she added softly, "the world's order would collapse."
"You're both correct," said Gu Yuena, her tone measured. "I've never heard of such a method in any world. Ascending through the Divine Stone must be fraught with peril… and quite possibly fatal."
(END CHAPTER)
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