Furina sat elegantly on the main seat of the Axis Cult main hall, her gaze sweeping calmly over the four people standing below.
She raised her hand gently, and water elements flowed around her fingertips, reflecting the flickering candlelight within the hall.
"Very well. From today on, the three of you, together with Guardian Lei Bao, are the four great protectors of my Axis Cult." Her voice was crisp and melodious, yet carried an unquestionable majesty.
In truth, she would have preferred to use the title "Four Heavenly Kings," as it sounded imposing.
But on second thought, if she used that title, wouldn't she become something like a Devil King?
This was far removed from the image of a Water God she wanted to Cultivate.
As the Pope of the Axis Cult, she needed to maintain a holy and solemn image.
Guardian Lei Bao stood at the very front, his expression solemn.
He had long been accustomed to Furina's style of doing things and was not surprised by this appointment.
Meanwhile, Long Ziyun, City Lord of Ice Wolf City, Yan Luo, City Lord of Savage City, and Wind Blows Snow, who stood behind him, could hardly hide their excitement.
They glanced at each other, seeing joy and anticipation in each other's eyes.
"This is the general Cultivation Technique of our Axis Cult, the Mysterious Heaven Skill."
Furina took out three books emitting a water-blue luster and gave them a gentle push, causing them to fly steadily toward the three. "Guardian Lei Bao has already learned this technique, and I assume you have noticed the speed at which his Soul Power has increased."
Long Ziyun, City Lord of Ice Wolf City, took the book cautiously and scanned it quickly.
He suddenly realized what was happening and exchanged a knowing look with Yan Luo, City Lord of Savage City, and Wind Blows Snow.
No wonder Guardian Lei Bao's Soul Power had increased so rapidly in such a short time; apart from the Spirit Bone and Medicinal Pill he had obtained previously, there was also this miraculous Cultivation Technique.
The three thought in unison that the foundation of the Axis Cult was likely far deeper than they had imagined.
Long Ziyun, City Lord of Ice Wolf City, could not help but recall the scene when Guardian Lei Bao first invited him to join the Axis Cult.
At that time, he had been skeptical of this emerging cult, and even though Guardian Lei Bao had gifted him two precious profound water pills and a bottle of Foundation Establishment liquid, he had still harbored doubts.
But after Guardian Lei Bao demonstrated his shocking increase in strength, it now seemed that this decision had been the most correct one possible.
Yan Luo, City Lord of Savage City, gently stroked the cover of the Mysterious Heaven Skill with his thick fingers; even this usually composed man could not hide the excitement in his heart.
He had originally been just a city lord of a small city, and his Soul Power had not made any progress for many years.
Now that he had joined the Axis Cult, not only had he obtained a precious Cultivation Technique, but more importantly, he saw hope for a Breakthrough.
Wind Blows Snow was as calm as ever, but his slightly trembling fingertips revealed the turmoil in his heart.
At the same time, they could not help but think that since Furina was so young yet could casually produce such precious Cultivation Techniques and resources, was it possible that she was truly, as the rumors said, the Reincarnation of the Water God?
Once this thought arose, it could no longer be dismissed.
If this were truly the case, then by following her, they might one day actually reach that Realm all Spirit Masters dreamed of—the Titled Douluo.
Furina took in all their reactions, and a complex emotion could not help but rise in her heart.
She shook her head gently, her thoughts drifting to the distant past.
"Tang San..." she thought to herself. "Back then, you painstakingly managed to build the Tang Sect into the number one Sect on the continent, and with your Hidden Weapons and your achievements, you truly succeeded. It is a pity that ten thousand years later, the Tang Sect has withered, and now no one even recognizes the Cultivation Technique you left behind."
Was this tragic, or was it hateful? Perhaps this was all within your expectations, Tang San.
Leaving behind incomplete Cultivation Techniques, designating the Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul as the Sect Leader of the Tang Sect, and the conservative style of the Tang Sect... that such a Sect would gradually decline was only to be expected.
"However, it is a pity," a sharp light flashed in Furina's eyes, "your plan is destined to fail. Because the child of destiny of this generation is already mine! Even your daughter... is very likely to stand on my side. I look forward to seeing that day of fatherly kindness and filial piety."
She put away her thoughts and refocused her attention on the matters at hand.
"In addition, I have three soul ascension pills here, which might help you reach the Spirit Saint Realm!" Furina took out three exquisite jade bottles, the bodies of which emitted a faint blue light, with the outlines of the Medicinal Pill vaguely visible inside.
An irrepressible ecstasy burst forth in the eyes of the three.
Even Long Ziyun, City Lord of Ice Wolf City, who had already received the profound water pill and Foundation Establishment liquid from Guardian Lei Bao, could not hide his excitement at this moment.
Although the former two were precious, they were more suitable for the Juniors in his Family, whereas this soul ascension pill was a supreme treasure that could directly enhance their own strength!
If they could obtain another Spirit Bone like Guardian Lei Bao, then perhaps they would only need one year to reach the Spirit Saint Realm.
Thinking of this, the three could not help but breathe faster.
"Thank you, Pope!" The three bowed in thanks in unison, their voices filled with heartfelt gratitude.
Furina nodded slightly: "I will leave the following matters to Guardian Lei Bao to handle."
"Yes, please rest assured, Pope." Guardian Lei Bao bowed, then turned to the three, "Brother Long, Brother Yan, Brother Feng, let us go out and talk in detail to discuss future arrangements."
"Very well, please lead the way, Brother Lei." Long Ziyun, City Lord of Ice Wolf City, replied on behalf of the three.
Watching the four figures leave, Furina let out a soft sigh of relief.
Just then, the long-absent System notification sound rang in her mind.
[Congratulations on successfully gathering the four great protectors and gaining the loyalty of the three city lords. You are hereby rewarded with 10,000 points and 1x Statue of the Seven - Water God.]
"What is this thing? A Statue of the Seven - Water God?" Furina asked subconsciously in her mind.
[That is correct, it is the Statue of the Seven - Water God.] The System's voice was calm and waveless, [You can choose to place it within the cult to receive offerings from believers. By collecting faith, you can condense the Power Of Faith. The Power Of Faith can not only help you shape your divine body, allowing you to become a god without needing to reach level 100 or undergo a God Trial, but it can also allow Neuvillette to gain temporary combat ability, with a strength equivalent to a Limit Douluo.]
"Shape a divine body? Become a god directly? And it can let Neuvillette fight temporarily with the strength of a Limit Douluo..." Furina savored this information, "That sounds really good. However, can't it be exchanged directly with points? Or unlocked through subsequent missions?"
[Naturally, that is also possible. Summoning Neuvillette requires 100,000 points per time, with each session lasting one minute. If you use the Power Of Faith, it only requires 100 points.]
"How unscrupulous!" Furina could not help but complain internally.
100,000 points! Even counting the 10,000 points the System had just rewarded her, she had only just exceeded 100,000 points in total.
Moreover, to recruit these three city lords and develop the Axis Cult, she had been using points to exchange for Medicinal Pills and other resources, which was quite an expense.
If she used it once, she would instantly become penniless.
[On the Douluo Continent, a Limit Douluo can be said to be invincible, and this remains true even in the douluo 2 period.] The System explained calmly, [A single level-nine fixed soul guidance cannonball has a power equivalent to only a full-strength strike of a Limit Douluo.]
Furina had to admit that the System made sense.
She recalled that in the original work, even when Elder Mu had only one breath left, he was still able to deter the entire continent.
The existence of a Limit Douluo was equivalent to the nuclear weapons of her past life; it was a form of strategic deterrence.
"If you announce that you will not use a Limit Douluo, I will announce that I will not use a level-nine fixed soul guidance cannonball"—this delicate balance was indeed the key to maintaining the situation.
"Alright, I understand." Furina sighed, "So now, I must go and arrange for the placement of the Statue of the Seven - Water God."
She stood up, her long robe trailing on the ground, her water-blue hair glowing with a soft luster in the sunlight.
Looking at the bright sky outside the hall, she had already begun to plan how to make the most of this statue to gather more Power Of Faith for the Axis Cult.