【 TRIDENT OF THE SEA GOD 】

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Even now, Evé remained uncertain of what, precisely, had been sealed within these ancient ruins.

When she had first entered the ruins and beheld the illusory undersea world, she had assumed that the sealed entity might be an Ancient Sea God who had lost its control over the Divinity of the Seas, yet retained certain other corresponding divinity.

This impression only deepened after she sensed the ancient and timeworn aura emanating from it.

However, the moment she witnessed the form manifested by its divine soul, one that bore a striking resemblance to Leviathan, she overturned that assumption of hers.

During the brief exchange between Evé and Eris, in which the entity controlled the latter, further contradictions emerged, leaving her greatly perplexed.

For one, the entity was capable of wielding divine power close to the peak of intermediate divine strength, yet it was unable to deploy a domain.

Second, it could manipulate the power of divine laws, yet Evé was unable to discern any divinity it possessed. In fact, it showed no clear control over any specific divinity, with only a faint indication that it was influencing the laws of the seas.

Yet the authority over the ocean currently belonged to the Demon Lord Leviathan. Therefore, from where, then, did this entity’s power over such laws originate?

If it could command the laws of the seas, how had it managed to contend with Leviathan, the current ruler of the seas, for a thousand years?

And during her pursuit, what was the meaning of the chaotic and mixed aura within its divine soul?

Speaking of its soul, although this entity possessed immense spiritual power, its level of intelligence appeared to be quite rudimentary.

Only after Evé drew closer did she realize that it could express nothing more than simple emotions such as fear and anger.

Even during her first contact through its statue back in the small town, what she had sensed was a will as naive and childlike as that of an infant.

What, then, was truly sealed here?

And what lay hidden behind that heavy and complex divine soul?

Evé was deeply curious.

Although she had yet to determine the entity’s true identity, she had already uncovered its real objective.

The colossal tree continued to grow, its aura steadily rising.

As Evé gazed upon the Tree of Life before her, a single term surfaced in her mind:

—Ascension Ritual.

Among the Ancient Gods, an Ascension Ritual was a concept of great significance, comparable in status to the Apotheosis Ceremony of faith-based deities.

In essence, it was a process through which an Ancient God transcended the limitations of its bloodline, ascending to a higher form of existence within its race.

Typically, such rituals occurred in the transition from demigod to true god, though they could also take place within the ranks of true gods.

Thus, for a Tree of Life grown from a branch of the World Tree, the culmination of its ascension would be to become the World Tree itself.

The World Tree began at the rank of mythical existence.

There was no doubt.

The sealed entity had plotted for a thousand years, not merely to escape its confinement, but also to fully merge with the Tree of Life and ascend into a World Tree.

Observing the nearly boiling primordial energy around her, Evé narrowed her eyes slightly.

Her expression remained calm, showing no fear despite the increasingly powerful fluctuations emanating from the entity.

Every Ascension Ritual of an Ancient God required specific conditions.

As the true World Tree, Evé naturally understood the requirements for a Tree of Life to ascend:

1. It must possess the bloodline of the World Tree, with its main body being one of the following: a Tree of Life, an Ancient Tree of War, or an Eternal Tree.

2. It must take root within a prime material world and connect to the world’s origin core, enabling it to absorb origin power.

3. It must accumulate energy reserves at least equivalent to the level of a true god, or matching the level of its divine soul.

4. It must master either the laws of Nature or Life, or at least two corresponding divine laws under these greater divinities.

Clearly, since the entity had already initiated the ascension ritual, these four conditions had most likely been fulfilled.

Yet Evé was not concerned in the slightest.

Because beyond these four requirements, the ascension of the World Tree held one more condition, one that required no preparation, yet was the most crucial of all:

5. The World Tree must not already exist.

The aura of the Tree of Life continued to surge as its branches and leaves expanded rapidly.

However, upon reaching its peak, it suddenly began to tremble.

As if guided by an unseen force, something seemed to be preventing it from advancing further.

After trembling for several seconds, the massive tree shook violently, its aura collapsing as though a punctured balloon.

The Tree of Life began to wither at an astonishing rate.

Only after some time did it stabilize, shrinking back to a form merely thirty percent larger than it had been before the ascension began.

Faintly, Evé sensed a trace of confusion and fear emanating from it.

A hint of mockery flashed across her eyes as she observed the entity’s failed ascension ritual.

Just like the Dragon Progenitor Urinos, the World Tree, as one of the most supreme Ancient Gods, possessed a unique and singular status.

Within the entire universe, only one could exist.

So with Evé already occupying that position, no matter how hard the other entity struggled, it was destined to fail.

Watching the Tree of Life’s aura fall back to its starting point, Evé smiled.

Then, with a flicker in her gaze, her entire form transformed into a streak of light and once again surged into the Tree of Life.

The Ascension Ritual of an Ancient God also carried another effect:

It strengthened the connection between the divine soul and the physical body.

Through various signs, Evé had already determined that what was sealed within the seal was a mass of divine soul.

Previously, the entity had relied on flaws in the seal to control the Tree of Life and the Church of the All-Divine Mother, while its true body remained within the seal itself.

Even if Evé had destroyed the Tree of Life, it was unlikely that she could have eliminated the entity entirely.

But now, the situation was different.

Although its ascension had failed, having already attempted fusion, the entity would likely never again be able to separate itself from the physical form of the Tree of Life.

And this, in turn, presented Evé with the opportunity to destroy it completely and fully inherit its “legacy.”

With a flicker, Eve’s figure vanished, reappearing within a mist-filled space.

This was the Mental World of the Tree of Life.

Within this place, divine power surged violently.

A massive, illusory face was crashing about in all directions.

The face bore five or six parts resemblance to Leviathan, while the remaining features resembled a grotesque treant.

At the sight of this form, another term surfaced in Eve’s mind.

Soul mutation.

At that moment, she noticed something else.

The entity’s divine soul had not yet stabilized into a fixed form.

This surprised her.

Such a condition usually only appeared when a powerful will had just come into existence and was in the early stages of forming consciousness.

In other words, the sealed entity’s will beneath the Mindel Realm had likely not existed for long.

This aligned perfectly with the childish ignorance and low intelligence Evé had sensed, yet contradicted the ancient, timeworn aura it emitted.

Gazing at the terrified face before her, Evé fell into brief contemplation.

“Get out!”

The giant face roared, its expression a mixture of fear and fury. Its voice, ancient yet tinged with dread, echoed throughout the mist-filled space.

Hearing this, Evé raised her head slightly and smiled.

“It seems you have failed.”

“Reveal your original form. If I am in a good mood, I may grant you a chance to survive.”

Her voice remained ethereal and pleasant.

Yet upon hearing her words, the illusory face grew even more agitated.

“Get out!”

It repeated the command, the beard-like mass of tentacles and roots trembling violently.

Seeing this, Evé gently shook her head and sighed.

“I gave you a chance.”

“But since you refuse, then I bid you farewell.”

As she spoke, her expression turned solemn, her gaze gradually growing cold and indifferent.

Golden power gathered around her and began to spread throughout the misty space.

As it expanded, the entire space was gradually dyed in gold.

At the same time, the Mental World trembled, as traces of green began to emerge, evolving into vast stretches of forest.

This was the manifestation of Eve’s will as the World Tree.

In that instant, she decisively initiated her invasion, contending with the illusory face for control of the Tree of Life.

At this sight, the face grew even more terrified.

It could sense a natural suppression, as though from a higher form of existence and in the blink of an eye, the entire space transformed into a dense forest.

Within it, a towering tree rose skyward, upon which stood a solemn and majestic divine temple.

Evé, clad in a sacred gown, sat upon the divine throne within the temple, gazing down upon the illusory face below.

“Bind.”

She spoke softly, raising her hands slightly.

At her command, countless green vines surged forward. Within moments, under the face’s horrified gaze, they tightly restrained it.

“Absorb.”

Evé said calmly.

With a single thought, golden radiance burst forth, enveloping the illusory face entirely.

In the next instant, Evé felt a vast and surging power flooding into her consciousness.

[Absorb]

She once again activated this unique ability of the World Tree.

However, this time, what she extracted was not divine power, but the divine soul itself.

The giant face struggled desperately, yet under Eve’s control, it could not break free at all.

The chaotic soul was drawn out, devoured, and refined into pure soul power, strengthening Eve’s own divine soul.

At the same time, an immense torrent of information poured into her mind.

Yet she did not examine it. Instead, she temporarily sealed it away.

As time passed, the illusory presence grew increasingly faint, and its struggles weakened.

At last, it seemed to reach a final critical point.

The entire Mental World of the Tree of Life trembled slightly, and the massive illusory face abruptly collapsed.

Blinding radiance filled the entire space.

Streams of multicolored light scattered in all directions, only to be gradually absorbed by Evé.

When the brilliance finally faded, a golden object appeared before her.

At the sight of it, Evé was momentarily stunned.

It was a divine artifact, emitting a faint glow.

It had a dark-golden shaft and a sharp central blade, flanked on either side by two slightly shorter prongs.

The three tips formed a trident-like structure, shaped like the Chinese character “mountain (山)” intricately engraved with elegant patterns. Yet the faint traces of black blemishes upon it lent it an eerie quality.

It was a trident.

Eve’s eyes filled with astonishment.

This trident had appeared after the collapse of the illusory face.

In other words, it was the true form of the divine soul that had been sealed within Mindel.

This revelation was entirely beyond Eve’s expectations. She had never imagined that beneath the illusory octopus-like face lay a divine artifact.

What had been sealed within the Mindel World was not a powerful Ancient God, but a divine artifact that had developed its own consciousness.

…And in a certain sense, having given rise to a soul and conscious mind, it could indeed be regarded as akin to an Ancient God.

However, at this moment, Evé had already completely devoured that newly formed soul, and the artifact had reverted to its original state.

Evé finally understood everything.

Why had its form been unstable all along?

Why had it been able to wield power close to the peak of the intermediate divine strength, yet unable to deploy a domain?

Why could it manipulate the laws of the seas, yet possess no discernible divine authority?

The answer, though unexpected, was now clear.

Because it had never been a complete Ancient God in the first place!

Rather, it was a divine artifact that had developed its own intelligence over time.

It was a consciousness born from a divine artifact, formed by absorbing various forms of power.

Gazing at the dark-golden trident before her, and recalling the earlier form that resembled Leviathan, Evé arrived at a plausible conclusion regarding its real identity.

Starlight flickered within her mind as a gentle wave of divine power swept across the trident, which was entwined by branches and vines.

Immediately, information regarding it appeared before her in the form of a system interface:

[Divine Artifact: Trident of the Sea God (Corrupted)]

[Creator: Sea God Pontus]

[Artifact Effect: Sovereignty over the ocean, granting control of the seas and dominion over all marine life]

[Passive Effect: Permanently bound to the bearer of the Divinity of the Seas, its full power can only be unleashed by one who holds that divine authority]

[Inherent Laws: Tides, Storms, Marine Life]

[“When I wield it, the ocean shall become my servant. Storms and tsunamis shall obey my will. Continents will sink, the heavens and earth will shatter, and the entire world will tremble!” — Pontus]

The Trident of the Sea God.

Eve’s thoughts stirred.

This was a renowned and powerful divine artifact recorded within the inheritance of the World Tree.

In that instant, realization dawned upon her.

“No wonder it assumed a form resembling Leviathan since that Demon Lord now holds the authority over the Divinity of the Seas, so as the Sea God’s weapon, it would naturally be influenced.”

“What Leviathan sought within this world was likely not the local faith, but this artifact itself.”

“However, due to the seal, and because the trident had developed its own intelligence, Leviathan had been unable to obtain it all this time.”

“The reason it was able to contend with Leviathan’s forces for a thousand years was not only because of the seal, but also the fact that its own power inherently suppressed Leviathan’s.”

“It developed a soul and sought to become a true living being, to ascend into a genuine Ancient God.”

“The divine laws embedded within it, tides, storms, and marine life, are all supplementary laws to the Divinity of the Seas. And since the Ocean Authority itself is related to the Divinity of Nature, it inherently satisfied the fourth condition required to ascend into the World Tree.”

“Thus, after discovering the Shadow Elves who had arrived in Mindel, it conceived the idea of seizing the Tree of Life, replacing it, and ascending into the World Tree.”

“Leviathan must have been also aware of this, which is why it sent me to this world. Its true intention was likely to use me to facilitate the trident’s ascension into a true World Tree.”

“Once it became the World Tree, the seal would be completely broken. The trident’s soul would inevitably separate from the artifact, returning it to an ordinary state, while the soul born from it would become a new World Tree.”

“At that point, Leviathan would’ve likely strike without hesitation to reclaim the souless trident, and perhaps even suppress the newly ascended World Tree, seizing the Divinities of Nature and Life.”

“But now, everything is over.”

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