One truly could not underestimate any deity, even one imagined into existence by the kuo-toa.
No matter how foolish a god might be, they possessed knowledge beyond mortal comprehension.
The kuo-toa's move was something an ordinary person would find nearly impossible to resolve—either give up entirely, or wait to be forcibly shoved onto a divine throne. The Kuo-toa Goddess had surely already contacted those evil deities, waiting to tear Aige apart and devour her.
Yet Aige was different from others. She had far too many options, because she had many friends she could trust, and every single one was extraordinarily capable.
"Let me try this power of faith," Anbaixiu offered first.
Normally, no one would be willing to share such a precious thing, but the relationship between Aige and Anbaixiu was no longer as simple as mere friendship. They were allies whose fates were tied together; damage to one was a loss to both. Aige trusted Anbaixiu unreservedly, and Anbaixiu had never betrayed her trust, having helped usher her all the way to the brink of ascension.
Now that Anbaixiu asked for the power of faith, Aige naturally would not be stingy in the slightest.
Aige grasped Anbaixiu's hand, and a massive surge of power poured into his body.
It felt completely different from mana. The moment Anbaixiu felt the power of faith transfer into him, he felt omnipotent—as if, with a flick of his wrist, he could turn the entire world into gold.
Yet immediately following it were countless chaotic voices, like ten thousand madmen screaming at him, babbling rambling, twisted, bizarre words. Anbaixiu's body began to mutate along with them.
Barnacle-like encrustations sprouted over his skeletal frame, and even his soul began to warp.
"This is way too terrifying!"
Forcing such a transfer consumed a tremendous amount of faith; perhaps out of ten parts transferred, only one remained. After all, Aige was not yet a true deity, and her control over the power of faith was very rudimentary.
Yet even just a tenth was still almost too much for Anbaixiu to bear. He hastily summoned his Golden Throne.
The immense power of faith seemed to find an outlet, surging wildly into the golden chair behind Anbaixiu.
The Golden Throne, which had previously lost most of its backrest and diminished from a throne into a little stool, began to "grow" at a speed visible to the naked eye under the flood of faith.
Countless golden specks of light appeared—the Golden Throne was continuously converting the power of faith into gold.
Along with this came changes in Aige. The scales, shells, and similar growths upon her ghost ship began to recede, for Aige was genuinely giving this power of faith to Anbaixiu without holding back.
And as the Golden Throne steadily restored itself, the chair's appearance altered as well.
Originally a majestic high-backed chair, it had now morphed into an agglomeration of coral, shells, and marine creatures.
Whether viewed up close or from afar, this monstrosity was astonishingly hideous.
Anbaixiu stared at the unrecognizably warped Golden Throne, at a loss for words. The mental contamination of the kuo-toa was simply absurd.
"Senior Aige, that you managed to hold out for so long and keep your sense of self... you're truly incredible!"
Anbaixiu meant this with complete sincerity. He had underestimated the corruptive power of the kuo-toa; Aige's willpower was formidable indeed, able to hold out stubbornly until he arrived. Truly worthy of being a senior in the Elegy Poetry Society.
"Now isn't the time for that. Aren't you affected?" Aige asked curiously.
Aige did not release Anbaixiu's hand; a vast stream of faith continued to channel into him, yet Anbaixiu seemed completely unfazed.
Did the Golden Throne also possess the ability to filter the power of faith?
Anbaixiu said with confidence, "Senior, your willpower is strong, and my desire is sufficiently pure. No matter what shape gold takes, it remains gold. The kuo-toa's thoughts can twist the appearance of this Golden Throne, but they cannot alter its function."
Anbaixiu truly was not affected at all. The essence of the Golden Throne was merely a spellcasting amplifier. It possessed no will of its own; at most it grew uglier, but its spell-boosting effects were completely unimpaired.
Watching this Golden Throne, ugly as dung, continue to expand slowly, Anbaixiu could only keep holding Aige's hand and absorbing the chaotic faith.
Aige felt her mind relax. Before this, she had pushed herself to the limit just to maintain her sanity; otherwise, she would either have been driven mad by the storm of chaotic thoughts or succumbed to an uncontrollable ascension into godhood.
Fortunately, he was here to help. Otherwise, she never could have endured on her own.
Looking at the ever-expanding Golden Throne—which had grown from a stool to the height of a person and was still getting bigger—Aige couldn't help asking, "Does your Golden Throne have no upper limit on how much faith it can absorb?"
Anbaixiu couldn't answer that question definitively, so he could only say, "I haven't encountered a limit yet, or at least I don't feel one right now. But we can't just sit here waiting. Those kuo-toa don't need to eat or sleep, and we can't stay pinned down like this indefinitely. We still need to find a solution."
The kuo-toa's faith was certainly not infinite, but making them stop anytime soon would be difficult. Anbaixiu was currently worth tens of thousands of gold coins a minute; he couldn't keep standing here holding hands with Aige forever.
"We can only ask the other members of the society," Anbaixiu suggested, then turned his head toward the dwarven vampire who had been tagging along behind him. "Hey, stop watching the show! Can't you see neither of us has a free hand? Use the Necrotic Codex to ask."
The Necrotic Codex required writing with one's own mana to send a message. Right now, neither Anbaixiu nor Aige dared to use their mana recklessly for fear of complications, so they had to rely on someone else's help.
Heji Stone was like Anbaixiu's shadow these days, following him everywhere so long as there was no danger, and now he had finally found a use.
Heji Stone slowly closed his notebook. On it, he had just written: "...Having just parted from the oblivious Princess of the Raging Tide, Master Ultraman took the hand of another lady without the slightest embarrassment. Such behavior suggests he has done this countless times before."
Putting down his pen, Heji Stone took out his Necrotic Codex and posted in the group.
[Dislikes Humans: Friends, we've run into a tough problem and need help. See the picture for details.]
With deft strokes of his pen, Heji Stone sketched the image of Anbaixiu and Aige holding hands in a few simple lines and sent it to the chat.
Each holding one side with a free hand, Anbaixiu and Aige held up Anbaixiu's Necrotic Codex to view the messages in the chat group.
Seeing the vivid sketch, Anbaixiu said in shock, "You actually have this skill?"
Heji Stone puffed up with pride. "I am a vampire, the most elegant of the undead. Not only am I learned, but I also understand the arts. I don't just draw—there isn't an instrument I can't play."
Anbaixiu replied flatly, "So-called elegance starts with face and figure, doesn't it?"
Heji Stone glared viciously at Anbaixiu, then sketched another drawing from a different angle and posted it.
Again, it was just a few lines, but with an extra stroke or two capturing their gaze.
Except the look between them seemed rather questionable.
In the next second, the chat erupted.
[Crown of the Headless Horseman: What is this? What is this?! Brother Tiga, say something! What is going on here?!]
[Rose of Decay: ???]
[Pale Little Skeleton: Hmph, all men are cut from the same cloth!]
Anbaixiu realized things were going south. This vampire was spreading scandalous rumors!
Was he courting death?
Anbaixiu didn't even need to do anything. Aige merely turned her head and glanced at Heji Stone; her detached, emotionless gaze made the dwarven vampire shudder all over.
"At a time like this, do you think joking around is appropriate?"
Aige's tone was placid, but Heji Stone trembled.
He had been reckless—so focused on messing with the lich that he forgot Aige was far more terrifying.
Watching the dwarf scratch his ears and cheeks in panic, Anbaixiu chuckled inwardly. The dwarf really didn't understand priorities—was this any time for jokes?
"A misunderstanding, totally a misunderstanding!" After saying this, Heji Stone immediately explained in the chat: [The Kuo-toa Goddess attacked Lady Aige with the power of faith. Right now, my good brother Ultraman Tiga is helping her filter out that mad faith to preserve Lady Aige's sanity. Neither can easily use mana. Friends, don't get the wrong idea—this is normal medical treatment!]
[Rose of Decay: Is that so?]
[Crown of the Headless Horseman: Then why did you draw it so intimate? Their eyes were practically melting into each other!]
[Pale Little Skeleton: Dwarf, do you have some kind of shady side gig? What on earth are you drawing?]
[Crown of the Headless Horseman: Exactly! That art style looks indecent at a glance! You've ruined my brother's reputation—he's definitely going to demand compensation!]
Anbaixiu prompted, "Heji Stone, tell them the kuo-toa's faith is too overwhelming. I probably can't divert it all on my own. Tell them to think of something quickly."
No longer daring to joke, Heji Stone hastily relayed Anbaixiu's words.
Unfortunately, these active members in the chat had no good solution for the power of faith either.
After they discussed it for quite a while, a message carrying real weight finally appeared in the group chat.
[Mourner: Aige, have you already sensed the Overgod's intent?]
It was the President! The President of the Elegy Poetry Society, who usually ignored the group chat entirely, had finally appeared!
Even Anbaixiu was startled, never expecting the most mysterious President to show up. If the President took action personally, this matter should be settled.
Heji Stone also recognized how critical the moment was and promptly sent Aige's reply to the group: [President, Lady Aige says she has already sensed the Overgod's intent; this is the trial she must undergo.]
[Mourner: Good. Understood.]
Huh?
That was it?
Just as Anbaixiu was wondering what the President meant by "Understood," in the very next second, an old man who was skin and bones appeared right before him.
Anbaixiu's perception hadn't detected his arrival at all; it was as though he had been there all along.
This was the first time Anbaixiu had seen this legendary figure with his own eyes. He truly wanted to ask why the man had placed the Necrotic Codex next to his coffin in the first place.
Aige, on the other hand, said with great excitement, "President, it has been a long time."
The skeleton-like old man nodded to her and said kindly, "You have finally reached this step. It is much faster than I imagined."
The President turned his head toward Anbaixiu and said, "You have surprised me. In recent days, you have caused quite a stir."
Anbaixiu said with slight embarrassment, "It couldn't be helped. Earning money these days isn't easy."
The President merely offered Anbaixiu a slight smile without making any comment, just as before, as if he cared little about anything.
The President looked toward Aige once more and said to her, "Since you have already perceived the Overgod's will, you should understand that this is your trial. The assistance of others can only grant you more time to think. If you cannot overcome this ordeal on your own, you will ultimately never win Ao's approval."
Aige's expression shifted. She had truly overlooked this point; faced with trouble, her subconscious reaction had been to seek help from Anbaixiu.
Hearing this, Anbaixiu felt something was amiss. Hadn't the President come to help?
Anbaixiu asked, "President, the situation is critical right now. Can't we figure out a way to get past this trouble first? As for ascending to godhood, we could just take it step by step."
The last time Aige tried to rely on herself, she ended up offending Eadro, the goddess of the merfolk. What could have been an easy ascension ended up taking an enormous detour.
Leaving Aige to handle it alone again made Anbaixiu worry she would make another mistake and lose her chance of becoming a deity entirely.
However, Aige had already let go of Anbaixiu's hand.
The shells and barnacles that had mostly receded reappeared on her ghost ship, and the kuo-toa's faith resumed corrupting her body and soul.
Anbaixiu said frantically, "Wait! How long can you hold out like this? Take my hand—at least until you think of a way!"
If Aige failed, all the capital Anbaixiu had invested before would go down the drain!
Twisting carapaces and tentacles began to sprout across Aige's face, yet her expression was remarkably calm. She said to Anbaixiu, "There is no need. If I cannot figure it out now, I believe Ao will not acknowledge my efforts either. I'm sorry if this disappoints you, but this is a trial I must complete myself."
"Disappointment... that's not what matters," Anbaixiu said with utter seriousness. "No matter what, you can take my hand again at any time!"
"Thank you."
Aige offered Anbaixiu a smile, then turned to the President and thanked him as well: "Thank you for your guidance all those years ago."
The President nodded and said with immense serenity, "I have seen countless mortals ascend to godhood, and countless gods fall; there is no clear boundary between the two. Aige, I believe you can do it. As long as you understand what kind of deity you wish to become, Ao will surely respond."
"What kind of deity do I wish to become?" Aige murmured to herself. A moment later, she looked upward.
Her gaze seemed to pierce through the seawater, looking toward the boundless starry sky.
"I will carry on my father's legacy, sailing to every corner of the world, beholding all its magnificent vistas, with nothing able to stand in my way.
"Perhaps this is freedom. If I can, I want to bring true freedom to everyone in the world, so that they may break free of all bonds, shatter every obstacle, and never lose their way..."
Aige muttered to herself, and suddenly her eyes lit with brilliance. She said with fervor, "I understand."
Aige's form grew increasingly warped, more than half her body already covered by bizarre growths.
Yet in this moment she felt no pain. The ghost ship began to rise swiftly toward the surface.
Then, it broke through the boundary between sea and sky.
The massive ghost ship soared into the air, radiating brilliant light beneath the starry heavens.
"All who believe in me, I share this freedom with you! May you never be bound! May you no longer be ruled by chaos, and find your true self!"
Aige's voice turned ethereal and elusive, spreading far and wide like a song.
The formless voice rippled outward, spreading at an incredible speed.
At this moment, all the kuo-toa controlled by Blibdoolpoolp who had been continuously offering their faith to Aige heard her voice.
This was the response given by the deity they "worshiped."
Moments later, Anbaixiu watched as Aige's body gradually reverted to normal. The grotesque, twisted growths swiftly receded, until she was completely restored to her original form.
Perhaps there was a subtle difference as well, only Anbaixiu couldn't put it into words.
"Brilliant!"
Anbaixiu couldn't help praising her. Aige had used the power of faith in reverse, delivering an oracle to all the kuo-toa who believed in her.
Faith was the conduit connecting believers and deities. Since Aige could receive the power of faith, she could naturally communicate with these kuo-toa. It was just that previously, Aige had focused entirely on preserving her sense of self, resisting their chaotic thoughts, leaving her in a purely passive state.
Yet in that instant just now, Aige had dropped her resistance, fully embracing the chaotic thoughts, and delivered her "oracle" to every kuo-toa praying to her.
This was how gods communicated with their believers—the most direct and sacred manner of communion.
Aige had issued them no commands; she merely conveyed to every kuo-toa the creed by which she lived.
In that instant, they truly seemed to have become Aige's believers. Their chaotic minds were anchored by the "freedom" she bestowed, and these kuo-toa began to ponder the meaning of "self"—the revelation their deity had granted them.
And in that very instant, the overwhelming power of faith vanished.
Anbaixiu guessed that Blibdoolpoolp had used her authority as a racial deity to forcibly stop the kuo-toa's prayers, commanding them to cease worshipping Aige.
It had to be said, this kind of gambit was truly mad.
Both sides were walking a tightrope. Had Aige been drowned in the kuo-toa's chaotic thoughts before delivering her oracle, she would have been doomed, completely reduced to nourishment for Blibdoolpoolp.
On the other hand, if Blibdoolpoolp had failed to sever the kuo-toa's prayers at the final moment, those kuo-toa would genuinely have become Aige's worshippers, turning into her greatest boon toward ascension.
Now it appeared neither side had lost out, but in truth, Aige had won.
Aige had not only clarified the path she walked, stepping even closer to godhood, but more importantly, she had resolved this crisis on her own, which had likely earned Ao's approval.
Once she finished accumulating her power, there would presumably be no obstacles left on her path to ascension.
Amid his joy, Anbaixiu was about to cozy up to the President, but when he turned his head, he realized the old man had vanished without a trace, just as silently as he had arrived.
So mysterious?
What a pity. Anbaixiu had wanted to chat a bit more and ask about other uses for that artifact ring while he was at it.
"Thank you."
Hearing Aige's voice, Anbaixiu put aside his regrets and congratulated her. "Congratulations on getting through this crisis safely. The Overgod should be quite pleased with your performance, wouldn't you say?"
Aige shook her head. "I don't know. I will only know for sure on the day I truly become a deity. But that no longer matters. I have settled upon my path, and I will waver no more. For all of this, I must thank you."
Anbaixiu gave a self-deprecating smile. "I didn't really do anything."
"No, you have been helping me from the very start. If you hadn't uncovered the truth of my father's death, I wouldn't have been able to make up my mind to pursue Ao's favor. Later, you helped me seek out the goddess of the merfolk, devised a new strategy after I failed, claimed this sea to bring me so many believers, delivered the ring capable of condensing a divine realm, and appeared when I was in greatest danger to give me time to think."
Aige looked at Anbaixiu's face and said with profound earnestness, "I have never interacted normally with others, and I do not know how to express my gratitude properly. I can only promise that if I successfully become a deity, I am willing to share half my divine power with you. And starting today, everything belonging to the Silent Night Pirates is yours."
"You're being far too polite. I don't really understand how pirate fleets operate," Anbaixiu said demurely.
"That includes two newly discovered undersea veins of gold," Aige added.
Anbaixiu's tone immediately shifted to utmost sincerity. "Since it comes straight from your heart, Senior, refusing would be an insult to you. Rest assured, I will never betray your trust."
Aige smiled faintly. Beneath the starry sky, her beauty was breathtaking, leaving Anbaixiu momentarily dazed.
Was this the power of a deity? She hadn't even fully stepped into godhood, yet her charisma could already sway a lich?
Having watched the entire scene, Heji Stone held his pen, observing the two standing shoulder to shoulder.
After deliberating for a long time, he finally cast aside the thousands of words of scandalous essays he had concocted in his head, and dutifully wrote a single sentence in his notebook: "In the depths of winter, beneath the boundless starry sky, I bore witness to the birth of a deity. Yet even the radiance of a true god could not outshine his brilliance. The lich, Ultraman Tiga—a mortal form standing shoulder to shoulder with gods."
Chapter 471