Chapter 104: Legendary Elements

The Phonograph's record kept spinning, playing the beautiful melody over and over again.

The originally enchanting "Viola of the Lake", after being listened to dozens of times in a row, sounded to Lei En like a death‑cursing spell.

Facing the deity's demand, he dared not refuse and could only work hard.

Finally, after an indeterminate amount of time, a chill shot from his tailbone up his back to his brain, his spirit peaked and burst forth in a soaring climax.

Then a wave of fatigue struck, and Lei En felt completely exhausted.

He exhaled a long breath, thinking this was even more tiring than battling hundreds of Demons in a single melee.

In his arms, Viola was radiant, her face flushed, her dark‑gold pupils both eerie and awe‑inspiring; she wore a satisfied expression, let out a soft sigh as if savoring the moment.

"Mortal, you have done well."

Viola spoke, her voice still very unfamiliar.

Though her voice was not loud, it echoed throughout the entire temple, reverberating; as her tone shifted, an indescribable force enveloped the space, making Lei En shiver, his mind conjuring the illusion that he was a reptile facing a giant dragon, ready to be crushed into dust at any moment.

Such a majestic and terrifying power, Lei En barely managed to keep his resolve unaffected.

He opened his mouth, yet not a single word came out.

In truth he wanted to make a couple of snide remarks: wasn't it agreed he'd just observe? Why did you personally get involved? Was watching not enough?

But recalling that this was a true deity, whose divine might was unfathomable, he decided it was wiser to keep quiet.

Viola's dark‑gold eyes scanned up and down, her gaze seemingly piercing, as if to see through Lei En entirely, inside and out.

Lei En felt uneasy, fearing the deity might also possess the ability to see through souls and discover the MutatedPhone in his mind.

After waiting half a minute, nothing happened.

Only then did Lei En notice that Viola's face was full of admiration; she regarded his body as if appreciating a fine work of art.

"A steel body, a fine Element; its defensive power is secondary, while its shaping effect on the physique surpasses any Element," Longhaired Lady said in an evaluative tone.

Lei En could not help but be speechless; this deity's focus was oddly strange!

It withdrew its gaze, turned to the Phonograph beside the altar, and praised, "Mortal, your invention is exquisitely crafted; even I am fascinated. Phonograph... what a fitting name, a machine that captures sound, affordable yet fine, spreading wonderful music to people, letting them grasp the true meaning of art, stirring true love in their hearts, showcasing the beauty of all things in the world!"

"The Phonograph, to me, is no less than a high‑grade artifact, and it was tailor‑made for me; no one can snatch it away!"

It fixed its gaze on Lei En again, its demeanor majestic, and said, "Mortal, you are not my follower, yet you offered such an artifact; I shall not be stingy in granting you."

As it spoke, Viola lifted her palm, and a beam of light gathered upon it.

The light intensified, blinding Lei En; after a few seconds it contracted, forming a crystal‑clear gemstone about the size of a pigeon egg, its surface cut into dozens of facets, gray‑purple in hue, with a faintly moving soul within.

Lei En recognized it as a Soul Stone, and a very high‑grade one at that.

"This is your reward."

Longhaired Lady caused the Soul Stone to levitate automatically, landing in Lei En's hand, and said softly, "Its value is far below that of an artifact, yet it is sufficiently precious for you."

He quickly caught it, but before he could examine it, the unsettling aura around Viola dissipated rapidly.

Her fiery red hair shortened, reverting to gold; she uttered a murmur, her once beautiful body became weak and limp, and she collapsed into the water.

Lei En couldn't look at the Soul Stone; with quick eyes and swift hands, he grabbed Viola.

Viola's eyes stayed closed, her long lashes fluttered a few times before opening; her irises returned to a beautiful lake‑blue, like a pair of unparalleled sapphires.

"Lei En..." she exclaimed joyfully.

"Viola, is your body alright?" Lei En asked, a little worried; being suddenly possessed by a deity never seemed like a good sign.

"I'm fine!"

Viola stood upright, a beam of white light descended from the heavens, landing on her, bathing her in pure radiance; a breathtaking beauty, even though she was now naked, she exuded an inviolable divine majesty, to be admired from afar but never profaned.

The light caused the entire temple to resonate.

The towering deity statues glittered, the altar, like a bathing pool, quivered gently, the crystal lanterns in the temple swayed back and forth, and the blooming flowers seemed alive, all turning toward Viola's position.

From the void came wonderful music, waves of indescribable, surging power echoed throughout the temple.

Viola spread her hands, her body slowly floated up, hovering above the water's surface.

All the phenomena centered on Viola, converging onto her.

Lei En realized; this must be divine power!

Viola had certainly received Longhaired Lady's blessing Divine Technique, but wasn't this display a bit excessive?

The phenomena lasted for over ten minutes, eventually coalescing into a rune that settled on Viola's forehead. The rune was highly intricate, essentially Longhaired Lady's holy emblem, heart‑shaped, encircled by flowers and musical notes, merging into Viola's brow; after flashing a few times, it vanished.

Viola fell back into the pool, her eyes filled with an indescribable surprise and joy.

"I have become the lady's Divine Chosen!"

Lei En was startled by the words, then a sudden clarity dawned in his mind.

No wonder there was such a grand spectacle; it wasn't a simple blessing Divine Technique, but a ceremony to elevate a Divine Chosen!

It happened that not long ago he had just finished reading a book titled "Deities and Followers," giving him some understanding of this.

Divine Chosen, sometimes also called the deity's "Chosen One" or "Divine Favored," are followers cherished by the deity.

They also serve as the deity's emissaries in the mortal realm.

In any deity's church, Divine Chosen hold a status no less than that of the Pope; through prayer they can communicate with the deity at any time, possessing Divine Techniques stronger and more abundant than those of priests and pastors.

Moreover, when needed, the deity can use a Divine Chosen as a vessel to descend to the mortal world.

In other words, Divine Chosen are akin to the deity's incarnation, serving as its eyes, ears, and voice among mortals.

Elevating a follower to Divine Chosen consumes a great amount of divine power, and after the elevation, they must also be sustained by divine power.

If there are too many Divine Chosen, it becomes a heavy burden on the deity, weakening the deity's own strength.

Therefore, most deities keep the number of Divine Chosen within a set limit; only when a vacancy appears can a new Chosen One be elevated, or the slot remain empty.

For someone like Viola, not on the quota, a sudden elevation to Divine Chosen is an extremely rare occurrence.

Usually such cases arise when a follower makes a massive contribution or wins the deity's favor, greatly pleasing it, prompting the deity to spare divine power to elevate them.

Clearly, Viola's elevation was mainly due to her contribution, and the prayer ceremony also pleased Longhaired Lady.

Lei En mutters privately, "I have my own share of credit here."

Satisfying a deity isn't easy; an ordinary person might wither on the spot.

Lei En, curious, quietly activates his Soul Eye and looks at Viola.

In his eyes, Viola's soul structure underwent an earth‑shaking transformation, bearing the Divine Chosen's holy emblem rune, hanging high atop the Ten Thousand Spirits Wizard's Soul‑Gathering Tower; the fire of faith surged severalfold, enveloping the entire soul and radiating divine power.

A thick illusory line shot straight up from Viola's crown and vanished into the void.

It was Lei En's first time seeing such a resilient illusory line; it resembled a positioning conduit, and a chilling aura emanated from the void as if a deity might descend at any moment.

"The Divine Chosen truly lives up to being a god's incarnation—how terrifying!"

Lei En sighs inwardly.

Becoming a Divine Chosen means a deity backs you; once your status is revealed, who would dare provoke you?

That would let you stride across the whole world!

Even Divine Chosen of other deities wouldn't become enemies lightly, for it could spark a divine war, and both sides would act cautiously.

Of course, ascending to Divine Chosen isn't without cost.

From now on, Viola must devote her whole life to the church's work, carry out divine decrees, and spread Longhaired Lady's faith.

Viola was thrilled; the outcome of this prayer ceremony far exceeded her expectations.

After a long while, she finally calmed down.

Then she notices Lei En staring at her absent‑mindedly; recalling the feeling just now, she can't help but feel a flutter in her heart and, with a bewitchingly charming smile, asks, "Aren't you satisfied yet?"

"It'll never be enough."

Lei En wraps his arms around Viola's waist, sits in the water, leans his back against the edge as if soaking in a hot spring, and lets out a contented sigh.

He says nothing, savoring the delicate, smooth sensation, and a satisfied smile spreads across his face.

Viola nestles against Lei En's chest, enjoying the tranquility of the moment.

After a moment, she sees Lei En looking as if he wants to speak but hesitates, instantly reads his mind and chides, "Don't overthink it; when the Lady descends, I can sense everything. Besides, the Lady is using my body, you're forced too, and I can forgive you."

Lei En, a bit embarrassed, snorts, "That's good, that's good."

He says it's fine, but wonders inwardly whether this counts as some form of "Daboflei".

If Longhaired Lady later takes an interest, or when he deals with Viola, could it be mixed in again?

Thinking of that makes Lei En's scalp tingle.

He really doesn't want to experience such a bizarre ordeal again.

"Lei En, what did the Lady reward you with?" Viola asks curiously, having also seen the reward process earlier.

"I'm not sure either."

Only then does Lei En recall that he still clutches a soul stone in his hand; his attention had been drawn to Viola's grace, and he hasn't had a chance to examine it closely yet.

He holds the soul stone up, activates his Soul Eye, glances at it, and his eyes instantly bulge round.

"What the hell!"

Lei En leaps out of the water as if electrocuted, shouting, "Legendary Element!"

(End of Chapter)