Picking Up Attributes From Today

Chapter 205: A Deity’s Path of Advancement, Splitting One’s Divine Spirit

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Dodola had begun to somewhat question its own life.

The ten magic elements represented ten types of basic laws of nature. Despite being just basic laws of nature, each type was nevertheless still incomparably complex and profound. Comprehending them was an extremely difficult task that required a lot of time, effort, and energy.

Think about it—during the last 40,000-odd years since the Dragon God Empire’s founding, legions of typical Saint Domains had come into existence, but only a handful of pinnacle-level ones existed. The number of limits-level Saint Domains were even more pitifully low.

As for existences that had fully comprehended a type of laws of nature and attained half-deification over the last 40,000-odd years... One could count their numbers on their fingers!

From this, one could tell just how difficult comprehending laws of nature was. Yet Meng Lei had fully comprehended all ten types of basic laws of nature at just the age of 16?

Who would believe that?

Who would dare to believe that?

How were they supposed to?

“Kid, are you sure you’re not lying to me?”

Dodola’s eyes bore into Meng Lei.

“What do I get out of lying to you?”

Meng Lei shook his head lightly. Then, he contacted the system and instructed, “System, boost my laws of nature comprehension for all ten elements to 100%!”

Whoosh!

His Wealth instantly shrank by 1,000 Laws of Nature Origin Crystals.

Boom!

A split second later, an endless wave of information instantly gushed into Meng Lei’s divine spirit like waters from a breached dam, furiously raising his comprehension of the ten elements’ laws of nature.

An infinite amount of information flowed through his mind, and Meng Lei closed his eyes and took in each type of laws of nature in detail, taking in the content in every piece of information.

At that moment, the fog shrouding his mind gradually dissipated, and information about laws of nature that was once hidden in the laws of nature ocean became clearly displayed to him.

The heavens and earth were as though a cage, and laws of nature the extensive net.

Different types of laws of nature were like chains that differed from one another—fiery-red fire, cyan wind, thick and heavy earth...

Each type of law of nature was independent of one another, yet also inseparably and closely linked. They supported the cage as one, much like a cage’s pillars, ceiling beams, steel bars, concrete...

Pillars were pillars, ceiling beams were ceiling beams, and steel bars were steel bars. They were made of different materials, yet they formed a perfect combination.

After some time, Meng Lei slowly opened his eyes. The look in his eyes had become incredibly deep and profound, and it seemed as if at the bottom of his eyes were flames rising, vegetation growing, oceans surging, and lightning flashing...

“So, this is what the half-deity realm is like!”

Dodola could clearly sense a change in Meng Lei’s disposition in this instant. His brilliance and edge had been hidden away, and his entire bearing had become simple and unadorned as if he had returned to his origins...

“Have you really fully comprehended them?”

Dodola’s voice was shaking somewhat.

“Yes. I’ve fully comprehended them.”

Meng Lei let out a sigh, as though an aged monk that had been in meditation for 100 years and had seen through all lies and fabrications to attain a state where he was one with the universe.

His aura had become self-contained, taciturn, and reserved.

“Why does someone like you exist in this world?” Dodola let out a strange squawk and exclaimed, “Let’s not even talk about how you have a magic talent for all ten elements’ laws of nature! To think you can actually comprehend all ten types of laws of nature at 16 years old! This is unheard of! Practically unheard of!”

“Is that so?”

Meng Lei was awfully cheerful.

“You haven’t lit up the divine fire yet, right?” As though something had just occurred to it, Dodola’s eyes suddenly bore into Meng Lei as it asked, “Tell me, have you lit up the divine fire?”

“Nope!”

Meng Lei shook his head lightly.

“That’s great!”

Fervent delight filled Dodola at once. It couldn’t be any more thrilled, and it jumped up and down as it flapped its miniature devil wings.

“Do you need to be that happy just because I haven’t lit up the divine fire yet?” Meng Lei was terribly bewildered.

“I don’t know why you haven’t kindled your divine fire yet, but this is a piece of fantastic news! A piece of fantastic news, y’know!? It’s inconceivable why a monster like you actually exists in this vast universe, and on top of that, I’ve even run into you!”

Dodola was in incredibly high spirits. “O’ great and noble God of Time, thank you! It’s your blessings that have allowed me to encounter a piece of uncut jade like him!”

“Don’t be in such a hurry to thank the God of Time yet,” said Meng Lei as he rolled his eyes. “Tell me, why are you so excited?”

“Alright! I’ll tell you about the profoundness within now, lest you end up destroying yourself!”

The next moment, Dodola’s countenance turned unprecedentedly stern and serious. It asked, “Meng Lei, do you know how you should cultivate after you’ve become a half-deity?”

“Seems like I should first light up my divine fire, then manifest a divine core, and lastly, establish a divine nation.” Meng Lei answered, “It’s only when a half-deity has divine fire, a divine core, and a divine nation that they are considered a real deity. Otherwise, a half-deity will always stay a half-deity, and never a real deity.”

“That’s right. That’s indeed what it’s like for a half-deity.” Dodola nodded slightly. Then, it asked, “Then, do you know how you should be cultivating after you become a true god?”

“That... I wouldn’t know.”

Meng Lei shook his head lightly.

“Listen well now. In this world, deities are divided into two different types—Laws of Nature Deities and Religious Faith Deities!” A smiling Dodola said, “You should know that you belong to the former even if I don’t touch on that, right?”

“Yeap!”

Meng Lei nodded.

“Unlike Religious Faith Deities, if Laws of Nature Deities wish to continue enhancing their abilities to become a lesser deity, an intermediate deity, or even a higher deity after they become true gods, their only option is to continue to comprehend laws of nature.”

The course of the conversation changed at this point as Dodola went on. “But the miserable thing is that once a deity has kindled their divine fire and manifested a divine core to become a true god, their divine core itself would gain an element, thereby making it very difficult for them to ever comprehend other types of laws of nature.”

Dodola explained, “For example, if you become a true god through cultivating fire-elemental laws of nature, then your divine core would be a fire-elemental one. Would it then still be possible for you to comprehend another type of laws of nature after that?”

Meng Lei thought for a moment before he answered, “...Seems like it would be very difficult!”

“It won’t just be ‘very difficult’ but ‘extremely difficult’!”

Dodola shook its head as it said, “A fire-elemental divine core can only store fire-elemental power of divinity. Even the divine spirit within the divine core will also be completely linked to fire-elemental laws of nature. Comprehending other types of laws of nature? Dream on!

“This is akin to a piece of good jade. Once it has been carved into an article, it’ll no longer be possible to carve it into something else.”

“Going by that, how are deities supposed to advance in their cultivation, then?” Meng Lei’s brows drew together as he asked, “If one is unable to comprehend new laws of nature after they become a true god, wouldn’t that mean that they cannot advance any further?”

“That is why they have to make their choice even before they light up the divine fire!”

“What choice?”

Meng Lei was stunned.

“The choice to split their divine spirit or not.” Dodola explained, “Most typical half-deities with even a bit of ambition would choose to split their divine spirit into two before they light up their divine fire. After that, they’ll choose one of the two and light it up while the other stays as a divine spirit so that it can continue to comprehend new laws of nature.”

“Split their divine spirit?”

Meng Lei was shocked.

“That’s right! Split their divine spirit!” Dodola nodded affirmatively. “Splitting the divine spirit is a Laws of Nature Deity’s one and only way out. Otherwise, their future paths would be completely sealed off!”

“Fine!”

Meng Lei nodded silently.

“The divine spirit half that is lit up will ultimately become a divine incarnation of themselves, while the other half continues to comprehend new laws of nature.”

Dodola went on. “Upon fully comprehending the second type of laws of nature, they’ll then have to make another choice—will they light up the divine fire right away, or split their divine spirit once more?

“Typically, fairly ambitious deities will choose to split their divine spirit again, lighting up half and keeping the other half to comprehend new laws of nature. This way—by splitting their divine spirit every time they comprehend a new type of laws of nature—true gods typically will only need to split their divine spirit four times before it’s sufficient.”

“It’s enough to just split it four times? Why?”

Meng Lei was awfully puzzled.

“It works like this—those that have comprehended two types of laws of nature and own two divine incarnations are categorized as lesser deities; while those that have comprehended five types and own five divine incarnations are categorized as intermediate deities,” Dodola explained, “And once they become intermediate deities, they won’t need to comprehend laws of nature anymore. Therefore, you’ll only need to split the divine spirit four times and comprehend five types of laws of nature!”

“It’s enough to comprehend just five types? Then how do intermediate deities become higher deities?”

Meng Lei was awfully puzzled.

“Intermediate deities need to assimilate laws of nature in order to advance to become higher deities.”

Dodola explained, “This assimilation process isn’t purely just the assimilation of laws of nature, but also includes the integration of their divine core, divine incarnations, divine spirit, and power of divinity. You can try imagining for yourself the difficulties involved in assimilating divine incarnations of different elements!”

“First you have to split them, and then now you have to assimilate them?” Meng Lei’s eyelid was twitching. “That’s really very...”

“...Very frustrating, right?”

Dodola shook its head and laughed. “It can’t be helped. That’s what the road to deification is like. Not only do you need talent, but you also need to make choices and undergo immense pain and agony.

“Without sufficient ambition, determination, and an indomitable will, it’s tough for one to achieve greatness.

“To become an intermediate deity, you must face a choice and split your divine spirit once. To become a higher deity, you must face four choices and split your divine spirit four times.”

Dodola said with a sigh, “The pain, agony, and hardships involved are not something that most typical people can imagine!”

“Since I’ve comprehended ten types of laws of nature, doesn’t that mean that I have to split my divine spirit nine times?” asked Meng Lei with a wry laugh.

“Yes, of course!”

Dodola nodded slightly. “Intermediate deities have to assimilate at least two types of laws of nature to ascend and become higher deities. The more laws of nature they assimilate, the stronger they’ll become.

“Once you assimilate and combine five types of laws of nature, five divine incarnations, five divine cores, five divine spirits, and five types of power of divinity into one, you shall become a higher deity of Great Perfection level!”

“That sounds like so much trouble!”

Meng Lei couldn’t help but gasp.

“Of course it is!” Dodola scoffed, “Had it been that easy, everyone would’ve become higher deities and attained Great Perfection!”

“That’s true.” Meng Lei nodded slightly. Then, he asked, “Since I’ve comprehended ten types of laws of nature, it must be even harder for me to assimilate them, right?”

“It’s no ordinary level of difficulty!” Dodola said slowly, “Assimilating two different divine incarnations is already a very difficult task, let alone ten.”

“What a long and endless deification journey...” sighed Meng Lei.

“Stop sighing!” Dodola snorted and scoffed. “What are you being so contrary for when others are dying to have potential like yours?”

Meng Lei looked at Dodola and asked, “Is there a possibility that... Instead of being in such a hurry to light up the divine fire, I can think of a way to try and assimilate all ten types of laws of nature first before I light up the divine fire—”

“Don’t even bother! It’s absolutely impossible!”

Dodola interrupted Meng Lei and said, “If that were viable, the billions of deities in the vast universe would’ve already done so a long time ago. Why would they still undergo the pain of splitting their divine spirit?”

“Why isn’t it viable?”

Meng Lei frowned slightly, perplexed.

“Because assimilating laws of nature is an extremely difficult task.”

Dodola said gravely, “It’s not as simple as just pouring two baskets of potatoes into one. Instead, you have to integrate and merge two different, complex, and profound laws of nature bit by bit into one. This process is highly demanding on one’s divine spirit.

“The only way to do it is to first light up the divine fire and manifest a divine core so that the divine spirit will be strong enough. Only then can you simulate, deduce, and attempt to assimilate them.”

“At the bottom of it all, the issue is still about the divine spirit?”

Meng Lei asked softly, “In other words, as long as my divine spirit is strong enough, there’s a chance that I can integrate and assimilate all ten types of laws of nature before I light up the divine fire?”

“Kid, you’re oversimplifying things!”

Dodola shook its head and explained, “Once a half-deity’s divine spirit is enhanced to a half-deity’s limit, it’ll come to a standstill. No matter how many precious herbs and treasures you consume, and no matter how much power of faith you gain, it won’t be of any use.

“Therefore, the concept whereby one assimilates the laws of nature in advance by enhancing their divine spirit doesn’t work at all!”

Dodola chastised, “I’ve seen too many oddball geniuses, monsters, and deities suggest a great deal of strange, peculiar theories, but all of them ultimately still obediently split their divine spirits in the end.”

“Fine!”

Meng Lei curled his lip disdainfully. Then, he asked, “So, what I need to do now is to split my divine spirit into ten parts, and then, light up their respective divine fires, manifest their divine cores and produce ten great divine incarnations?”

“Yes, but you need to be aware of this,” Dodola said dispassionately, “Your half-deity divine spirit is not very strong. In fact, it’s of very average quality. Splitting them into two will already weaken you a great deal, let alone splitting them into ten. Thus, you must think of a way to strengthen your divine spirit. It’s best if you can strengthen it to a half-deity’s limit before you carry out the splitting process!”

Strengthen my divine spirit? I can’t buy credit for that. Does that mean that I can only achieve it by spreading religious faith and collecting the power of faith?