Chapter 1974 - 874: Hope
After sending Viheler away, Rod immediately began preparing for the awakening of the other three.
According to Asa’s account, they need to fill the gaps in the Soul Ripples based on their respective Life of Man’s "Soul Map" to reshape the divine soul of the Ancient God. Of course, this is not about resummoning the Ancient God. In fact, at the moment the soul of Life of Man was born, the corresponding Soul Ripple was already fully integrated into the soul. The so-called "reshaping the divine soul of the Ancient God" is actually about enhancing their souls, to grant them the power the Ancient God once had.
Ultimately, how much power they can acquire depends on their own aptitude and abilities.
Asa has already given Rod all the information regarding the "Soul Map." It is an extremely complex soul ritual, but for the Trolian of today, completing it is not difficult.
The most challenging part is the vast amount of soul resources needed to fill the soul. Even the Great Shepherd was shocked by the terrifying consumption: "Sir Rod, are you sure you have tens of thousands of Soulless Soul Flowers and Spiritual Flowers?"
Rod laughed and said, "Don’t worry, there will be no problem."
Bossivale, recalled from the battlefield, sighed lightly: "It’s really hard to imagine. One Soul Flower is equivalent to a hundred million Soulless Souls, and one Spiritual Flower equals one hundred thousand Spirituality. We used to only obtain a few dozen in a year, yet this one ceremony requires tens of thousands. How many souls must be split to achieve this?"
Rod smiled without answering. Even if he didn’t sacrifice souls now, the income of Soulless Souls was quite substantial. In the backdrop of the Black Fog tide, almost all Black Fog Symbionts are Derivatives. Although he couldn’t harvest souls, he could still collect a portion of Soul Bodies, that is, Soulless Souls. At his current level, gathering thousands of Soulless Souls in a single battle is not a problem.
If soul sacrifices were made using the Soul Altar, there would be even more, hence the soul resources needed for awakening the Life of Man pose no pressure to him.
What is truly scarce are the four high-ranking elements. Even with Trolian’s expansion, the production of various spiritual resources still cannot meet the advancement needs of combatants, barely maintaining consumption, which is the true concern for everyone.
However, the stock brought from Saint Longde is quite abundant and should support us for some time.
"Chucher," Rod said solemnly, "do you remember what I told you? During the ceremony, guide your spirit, pursue your source, reshape your soul, and reclaim the power you once had."
The burly Chucher patted his chest and laughed: "I haven’t forgotten a single word, Brother Rod. I truly look forward to it, standing at the forefront of humanity again, fighting alongside you once more. I thought I’d never get that chance again."
Rod smiled, "May our friendship last as long as the Holy Fire."
Chucher stepped into the center of the soul ritual, smiling, "Of course, even if our souls turn to ash, our will shall echo throughout the Three Realms, forever guarding the fire and humanity, fighting against the darkness until all the distortions and decay are completely wiped out."
As soon as the words were spoken, the soul ritual commenced. Rod’s divine power surged into the ceremony; invisible forces began gathering around Chucher, slowly integrating into his soul according to the "Soul Map."
In the next moment, countless snowflake-like black and white substances appeared in Rod’s hands—these were the condensed Soul Flowers. They instantly flew toward Chucher, like a sudden snowstorm, entering his soul under the guidance of the ritual.
His expression contorted as if enduring tremendous pain.
Yet Rod did not stop; more Soulless Soul Flowers flew from his hands, accompanied by a large number of snowflake-like semi-transparent condensates—these were Spiritual Flowers, as well as the condensate of "Soul Body Blood." These constructs of both soul bodies flew into Chucher’s soul body at an unimaginable speed, merging into the Soul Ripple of the Ancient Hill God within his soul.
Chucher bent over, as if bearing an enormous weight, but in the next second, he stood upright again, just like a rock in the center of the ritual. Invisible forces flanked countless soul substances flying around him, immense pain pierced his spirit like lightning—this was the agony of rebirth, the inevitable path of awakening his Soul Ripples.
No one knew how much time passed, the ritual ended, and Chucher stood there, looking no different than before the ritual. Even under the gaze of the Eye of the Soul, his soul showed no change.
But Rod knew that Chucher’s soul core had transformed. The fractured Soul Ripple now possessed a complete map, though it was still just an empty "container." It needed to be filled with power using the Ascension Ceremony and by consuming "Primordial Soil" to regain control over the Source Law.
About half a clock hour later, Chucher opened his eyes. Bloodshot filled his eyes; his voice was weak and feeble: "Sir Rod, I’m alright... it just hurt a little, but that’s no problem for me. Let’s continue."
Rod nodded and soon commenced the Ascension Ceremony. For him now, be it the Primary Rank or High Rank Ascension Ceremony, he handled it with ease. Soon, seven rounds of High Rank Ascension Ceremonies were completed with utmost efficiency.