152: Chapter 152 The Useless Ascension to Godhood

Since it leads to godhood, the difficulty of practicing the Stairway to Godhood naturally goes without saying.

For every level cultivated, one must split off a portion of their own soul and then use a special method to create an item called a 'god-forbidden ring'.

A total of nine god-forbidden rings need to be crafted.

Their function is simple: to store one's own power within them, ultimately ascending to the Divine Realm with the help of tenfold power.

While it seems like one uses their own power to complete the advancement, to put it bluntly, it's a very opportunistic method of becoming a god.

Ascension requires enduring Heavenly Tribulation, and the strength of the tribulation is proportional to one's own power; the god-forbidden ring uses this clever design to reduce the power of the Heavenly Tribulation.

But how can becoming a god come without a price?

In this era filled with Power of Corruption, the price is simply too high for ordinary people to accept.

Splitting the soul itself involves immense risk.

If it fails, the lightest cost is becoming a mentally disabled person incapable of self-care, and there's a high probability of falling directly and starting over.

Furthermore, splitting the soul is equivalent to weakening one's own mental resistance.

Nowadays, the world is full of Power of Corruption; weakening the soul is almost no different from suicide, as one could become a Corrupted Creature with the slightest lapse in caution.

Not to mention someone like him who frequently comes into contact with Corruptors; the probability of being assimilated by Power of Corruption would increase by more than nine times. Who could withstand that?

He wouldn't even need a Corruptor to take action; the soul of corruption he currently possessed could erode him on its own.

However, as a method that can lead to godhood, its power is equally proportional.

The god-forbidden ring provides nine times the energy reserves and can perform various sorceries in place of the user, effectively turning them into a mobile turret.

Of course, none of these were the most important points.

If such a method of becoming a god truly existed, most wizards would probably be unable to resist the temptation, and it wasn't as if he couldn't choose a different path.

But could someone tell him what this chaos crystal was?

As the main material for crafting the god-forbidden ring, Nie Ning had never even heard of it, causing him to fail at the very first step of becoming a god.

The other materials were even more out of the question; looking ahead, the required items sounded more impressive than the last just by their names.

Nie Ning summarized that he only recognized one percent of the items.

Even if the god-forbidden rings could be crafted step-by-step, the chaos crystal alone didn't seem like something a wizard at his stage could possess.

In other words, after spending two precious azure blue disc flowers, he had gained absolutely nothing?!

"Bad luck!"

Nie Ning couldn't help but curse under his breath.

He shouldn't have pinned his hopes on this.

If he had known, he would have been better off practicing hard; although it was a bit slower, at least there was something to look forward to.

After tidying up the cultivation room, Nie Ning found Charlie and gave him a beating without a word.

It had to be said that venting his frustration indeed made him feel much better. Only then did Nie Ning slowly walk towards Hervais Manor.

...

Just as he returned to the vicinity of Hervais Manor, Nie Ning suddenly frowned.

Under the large tree by the back gate, a figure dressed in a black robe stood there.

It was already the middle of the night, and the other party had no intention of hiding; it was obvious without thinking that they were waiting for him.

Nie Ning paused for a moment, but then walked over anyway.

Not many people knew his identity, so leaving it alone was definitely not an option. He only hoped the other party wasn't an enemy; otherwise, a fierce battle would be unavoidable.

"Holy Son."

As soon as Nie Ning walked over, the Black-Robed Person stepped forward to meet him.

The other party's voice was very familiar; it was precisely the Nales Church believer who had suddenly vanished back then.

As the Black-Robed Person lifted his hood, he revealed the face that Nie Ning had punched—the lead male believer.

"Why not go inside and have a seat?"

Nie Ning gave the Black-Robed Person a cold look and spoke sarcastically.

The Black-Robed Person didn't mind Nie Ning's tone and still had a face full of smiles: "Better not. That person inside is a bit troublesome."

Nie Ning didn't need to think to know that the other party was definitely talking about Norma.

For someone who had once been possessed by a deity, even if her strength wasn't as great as the Black-Robed Person before him, the Black-Robed Person probably didn't dare to gamble on whether Norma would unleash a powerful attack right in his face.

"Let's go, let's chat over there."

After Nie Ning finished speaking, he took the lead and walked towards the nearby alley.

The Black-Robed Person said nothing and followed closely behind.

...

"Is that crappy painting of yours fixed?"

Upon reaching the alley, Nie Ning curled his lip and asked casually.

"The Holy Son is joking. You are the Holy Son; you don't need anything else to prove it."

The Black-Robed Person responded with a natural smile.

This left Nie Ning completely confused.

They were clearly hesitant before, so how did they become so certain in an instant that he was the Nales Church Holy Son?

Could his appearance have triggered a miracle?

Just like Norma's situation back then, which caused a huge stir throughout Ska City.

Nie Ning scratched his ear: "Then what are you looking for me for? Are you here to have me inherit the Nales Church's property?"

"Uh, we want the Holy Son to follow us to the Nales Church headquarters. At that time, the Pope will naturally explain everything to you."

The Black-Robed Person spoke very respectfully.

Nie Ning stepped forward and put his arm around the Black-Robed Person's neck: "I don't have the time. Why don't you guys try switching to a different Holy Son?"

Leaving was impossible, as after all, no one knew what the situation was with the Nales Church.

Moreover, these people were Cultists. What if, in the future when he was invincible in the world, someone dug up this dirt on him?

Wouldn't that ruin his reputation!

Even though the Black-Robed Person had good self-restraint, he couldn't help but roll his eyes in his heart after hearing Nie Ning's words.

'Do you think the Holy Son is like a common cabbage that you can just swap whenever you want?'

If it were really that simple, this world would have been crawling with Apostles long ago, and those god-defying wizards would have probably all been wiped out.

"You are the one personally chosen by the deity, destined to be our church's Holy Son. Others do not have this blessing."

The Black-Robed Person calmly shook off Nie Ning's arm and spoke with a face full of reverence.

Nie Ning spread his hands, striking a pose as if he were about to start a fight: "So there's no room for negotiation then?"

"Holy Son, if you intend to fight, I advise you to think it through carefully. I also do not wish to use special means to take you away, so..."

Seeing this, the Black-Robed Person's expression remained calm, but his words carried a certainty regarding his own strength.

Let alone one Nie Ning, he wouldn't be afraid if there were two more.

If it weren't for the fact that he didn't want Nie Ning to bear a grudge because of it, he would have already packed Nie Ning up and taken him away, without wasting so many words.

Hearing this, Nie Ning instinctively took a step back.

He couldn't see through the Black-Robed Person's strength, and he had no helpers right now; the chances of winning a head-on confrontation were not high.

But then Nie Ning's eyes darted around slightly, and he suddenly thought of a good idea.

"How about this? Don't say I didn't give you a chance. You at least have to let me see the strength of the Nales Church; otherwise, it's all the same whether I join a weakling church or not."