Chapter 725 - 505: The "World Thief" Divine Spirit and the Essence of Faith
Chapter 725: Chapter 505: The "World Thief" Divine Spirit and the Essence of Faith
"What you see is merely the raw, ’unrefined’ form of faith, full of impurities. But what we have here before us is the ’finished product’ after being ’processed’ by a Divine Spirit."
The two Legendary Mages launched into a heated debate over the true nature of the "Power of Faith."
One was an authority on the study of faith systems.
The other, an expert in manipulating souls.
Neither could convince the other.
Raylo listened to their argument in silence, but inside, his mind was a tempest.
He recalled the contents of the letter he had read in the world of the "Heart of Arcane."
The Mages of that world had rejected the Light Deity’s teachings precisely because they could not accept a "god" that needed to rely on the "faith" of its followers to sustain its own existence.
They believed that Power came from within, from exploring the very source of the world, not from empty prayers.
As everyone was locked in their endless debate, Space Traveler Morpheus, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke.
"Perhaps... you are both partially correct."
His hoarse voice echoed through the noisy workshop.
All eyes turned to him.
Morpheus extended a gaunt finger, like a withered twig, and pointed to the milky-white crystal of the Power of Faith floating in mid-air.
"The essence of this crystal may not be soul, nor is it simple spiritual energy."
His voice was faint, as if he were talking in his sleep.
"Its essence is the same as that other crystal."
His finger slowly moved towards the crystal lying quietly on the ground not far away—the one that was perfectly transparent, seeming to contain an entire starry sky within...
The World Power Crystal!
Morpheus’s words struck everyone like a thunderclap, exploding in their minds!
’The essence of the Power of Faith... is the Power of the World?’
’How is that possible?’
One was an intangible byproduct of a believer’s spirit.
The other was the supreme origin that constituted the entire world, reigning above all Laws.
How could there possibly be a connection between the two?
"Morpheus, are you sure you’re not mistaken?"
Elemental Tyrant Gregory was the first to voice his doubt.
"These two things have completely different auras, and their energy structures are worlds apart. How could they be the same thing?"
"Aura and structure, spirit and soul—they are all mere appearances," Morpheus said slowly.
"I have traveled through hundreds of planes and seen countless strange forms of energy. Often, the more identical two things are in essence, the more diametrically opposed their external appearances will be."
He extended a pale, gaunt finger. A faint gray light glowed at its tip.
He used that gray light to gently touch the milky-white crystal of the Power of Faith.
VMM!
A sudden change occurred!
The rice-sized crystal of the Power of Faith, upon contact with the gray light, was like a lit powder keg, erupting in a blinding flash!
Then, before everyone’s horrified eyes, the crystal of the Power of Faith began to transform rapidly in an unbelievable way!
Its milky-white light gradually faded.
In its place emerged a radiance identical to that of the World Power Crystal!
In the span of just a few breaths, the crystal of the Power of Faith... had actually turned into a tiny but genuine World Power Crystal!
"This... How is this possible?"
Elemental Tyrant Gregory cried out in shock.
The other Legendary Mages were all frozen on the spot, their faces etched with disbelief.
The Power of Faith... could actually be converted into the Power of the World!
This discovery struck their minds like a vicious thunderbolt, shattering all their previous conceptions of Divine Spirits!
GULP.
Mage Delin swallowed hard.
At that moment, his brain began to work at a frantic, unprecedented speed.
A bold, yet horrifyingly logical, guess began to grow wildly in his mind!
He raised his head, his gaze sweeping over each of his equally stunned colleagues, and slowly stated his conclusion in a dry, hoarse voice.
"I... I think I understand now."
"The so-called spreading of faith by Divine Spirits was never about gaining the worship and reverence of their followers."
"They are using their followers’ souls, with ’faith’ as the medium, to graft the connection between the followers and the world onto themselves."
"And then..."
Every word from Mage Delin seemed to be forced through gritted teeth, carrying a chilling, heart-stopping cold.
"Then, through this grafting, they steal the most fundamental Power that should belong to the world itself, bit by bit, and claim it as their own!"
"The so-called ’faith’ has been nothing but a sham from the very beginning! A despicable excuse to cover up their theft of the Power of the World!"
"Those high and mighty Divine Spirits...!"
"They are... the most avaricious parasites clinging to the world!"
"They are... thieves! Stealing the very source of the world!"
"Through this invisible net of ’faith,’ they sink their roots deep into the soul of every believer. Then, like bloodsucking leeches, they slowly and continuously feed on the ’blood’ of this world—the Power of the World!"
"And this crystal of the Power of Faith before us is the... final product, obtained after they have ’refined’ and ’processed’ the ’blood’ they’ve siphoned!"