Chapter 1482: Forging a God Statue (Part One)
Yang Haoran's voice snapped those who hadn't yet recovered from their shock back to attention. Though still reeling, their interest was piqued by his words. After all, discussing the appearance of a God Statue was something they had never heard of, let alone witnessed. To their surprise, they were now fortunate enough to be part of such an experience.
“Emperor, your subordinate believes the God Statue should be mighty and domineering! The Underworld Office Death God's statue has three arms, three legs, and three eyes, so your God Statue should have six arms, six legs, and six eyes! If possible, adding two more heads would be even better. Not only would it look awe-inspiring, but it would also provide unexpected utility when summoning the Dharma Body to face enemies. After all, a Dharma Body with more limbs and features is surely stronger than one with fewer. ”
This time, it wasn't Bai Xue who spoke, but Lu Wu. Lu Wu was incredibly excited, his emotions running high as he shot up from his seat, speaking animatedly, spittle flying. One might have thought he was about to forge a God Statue for himself.
Once, Lu Wu had been a devout worshipper of the Death God. Even after following Yang Haoran, his faith remained unchanged, unwavering in the slightest. Not even when he died in battle and became a ghost did Yang Haoran abandon him. Instead, Yang Haoran expended vast resources to help him increase his strength, clearing his path all the way to the Ghost King realm. Although his faith in the Death God remained during this period, his reverence for Yang Haoran gradually and secretly surpassed it. For everything he had was given by Yang Haoran, not the Death God. While he might be stubborn and often reckless, this much he could discern.
After Yang Haoran defected from the Underworld Office, he no longer allowed his subordinates or the common people under his jurisdiction to worship the Death God. Initially, Lu Wu felt some resistance to this, as his faith in the Death God had never wavered. To stop worshipping the Death God was, of course, difficult for him to accept immediately, but he dared not show his reluctance in front of Yang Haoran.
If even Lu Wu, one of Yang Haoran's trusted confidants, felt this way, how much more so would other former Underworld Office members under Yang Haoran's command?
However, through Old Master Wu's long-term ideological education over the years, the vast majority of their thoughts had undergone earth-shattering changes. They were no longer devout worshippers of the Death God; their sole belief now rested in Yang Haoran. Lu Wu was naturally no exception.
It was precisely because Lu Wu's faith had undergone such a monumental transformation that his words now sounded so natural, utterly devoid of any pretense. He even used the Death God's statue as a point of comparison.
“Heh heh, who told you that a Dharma Body becomes more powerful the more limbs it has? The more physical features a Dharma Body possesses, the more imposing it might appear, but the reality isn't quite so. The more parts a Dharma Body has, the more its power gets dispersed. So, the notion that more limbs equate to greater power doesn't hold true. Of course, a Dharma Body with many parts has its advantages, and one with fewer also has its own, but in terms of overall strength, there will be no difference. ”
Yang Haoran had undoubtedly researched the knowledge of Dharma Bodies far more thoroughly than Lu Wu, thus he understood this subject much better. Seeing Lu Wu's misunderstanding, he not only refrained from keeping silent or even sealing off information on the matter, as other deities might, but instead offered an explanation to Lu Wu, preventing him from continuing his misconception.
“So that's how it is! I really thought a Dharma Body with more limbs was stronger. Heh heh, how embarrassing, utterly embarrassing. ”
Lu Wu laughed awkwardly, his excited emotions settling considerably. He chuckled as he spoke, then sat back down.
“Emperor, can the God Statue be any shape? What I mean is, are there absolutely no restrictions on designing the God Statue's appearance? Can one fully design it according to one's own preferences? ”
Ma Ling spoke, her tone somewhat cautious. After finishing her sentence, she felt her meaning wasn't quite clear enough, so she added another line.
Ma Ling's cautious tone stemmed from the occasion. Everyone present was of a higher cultivation realm than her, and had followed Yang Haoran for longer. Some even made her feel an intense pressure. In such a setting, she naturally felt some stress. Furthermore, she knew very little about God Statues and Dharma Bodies, which left her with less confidence even in asking questions, uncertain if her query would invite ridicule from others. Hence, her tone was hesitant.
She didn't realize she was overthinking it. Everyone present, apart from Yang Haoran, had very limited knowledge of God Statues and Dharma Bodies. Some were even no different from her, knowing no more on the subject. Therefore, the very point she was asking about was something others also wanted to know.
No one ridiculed Ma Ling; after all, this was not her area of expertise. If they were to mock her for this, then were Ma Ling to bring up her knowledge of formations, everyone present, including Yang Haoran, would without exception become the object of ridicule.
As Ma Ling finished speaking, Yang Haoran smiled, nodded, and then began to speak.
“You are correct. The appearance of the God Statue can be designed entirely according to one's own preferences. It can be human, a ferocious beast, or even a bizarre work of art – there are absolutely no restrictions. Of course, this is based on the assumption that the information I have obtained is accurate. If the information I acquired are problematic, then that would be another matter entirely. However, I believe the information I have received should be sound, so this should indeed be the case. ”
Yang Haoran's words caused Tang Shi, who stood in the corner wearing a smiling face mask, to feel a slight apprehension. This was because almost all of the information had been secretly gathered by him for Yang Haoran. If there genuinely were any issues with these materials, his responsibility would be immense.
However, among the documents he had given to Yang Haoran, some aspects could be corroborated by other sources, indicating that these particular materials were likely sound and highly reliable. Yet, some pieces of information were unique, with no way to verify them through other data, and thus he couldn't be certain of their authenticity.
Based on his understanding of Yang Haoran, he believed that Yang Haoran's words contained more jest than seriousness. Hence, he was only slightly uneasy, not to the point of losing his composure.
Receiving Yang Haoran's explanation, Ma Ling showed an expression of enlightenment. As for the veracity of Yang Haoran's words, she harbored no doubts; she felt that if Yang Haoran said it, it must certainly be without major issue.
“Since the God Statue can be designed according to one's preferences, may I ask, Emperor, do you prefer a human form, a beast, or a work of art? Once decided, the scope of choices will narrow considerably, making it much simpler for you to design a God Statue you truly like. ”
Old Master Wu spoke, offering his own suggestion to Yang Haoran.
“I am fundamentally human, so naturally, using a human form for the God Statue would be good. However, if I choose that, I would only be able to use my own appearance for the God Statue. Using someone else's likeness would certainly be inappropriate. It's just that my own unremarkable looks hardly evoke might and dominance. ”
Yang Haoran chuckled, making a joke. He could say such things freely, but no one else present, save for a select few, would dare. At this moment, they didn't even dare to laugh, for if they did, the nature of their actions would change.
Yang Haoran, however, paid no mind to the changing expressions of his confidants at that moment, nor did he have any intention of setting a trap to test them. After his words fell, he paused briefly before continuing.
“Beasts are certainly not bad either, but I'll skip the cute ones. While they might be good for women to admire, for a grown man engaged in battle, they ultimately lack a certain ferocity. So, it must be a mighty beast. As for those bizarre, pieced-together works of art, I have no interest in such monstrosities. ”
At this point, Yang Haoran's voice paused once more. The others recognized that he seemed to have more to say, so no one spoke, waiting quietly for him to continue.
“Between humans and beasts, I actually lean more towards the former. Unfortunately, my own 'hardware' doesn't quite meet my requirements, so I can only opt for the latter. However, the range of choices for beasts is quite broad, and I'm currently undecided. That's why I've called you all here to consult, to see if any of you have a ferocious beast in mind that aligns with my taste. ”
Comments