Chapter 789: Am I a God?

"What is the price, my lord?"

Lifelin found her voice trembling; in that instant, countless images flashed through her mind, and the tips of her ears involuntarily flushed red.

But Lei En's reply thundered like a bolt of lightning: "Abandon your faith and convert to another deity."

Lifelin's expression turned astonished; this was nothing like what she had imagined, and hesitation immediately arose. Changing one's faith is a cost second only to giving one's life, involving one's honor in life and fate after death, and must not be altered lightly.

Like most blood elves, she worships the Vengeance Goddess Tixifen.

Because of the unjust treatment of the blood knights and the hardships she has endured on the New Continent over the years, Lifelin's faith in the Vengeance Goddess Tixifen is not strong, hovering between a casual believer and a devout follower; she prays occasionally, but has never received a response.

Even so, making her abandon her faith in the Vengeance Goddess Tixifen is extremely difficult.

For over three thousand years, worship of Tixifen has permeated every corner of blood elf society, becoming the spiritual pillar of the blood elves, who await the day of vengeance.

Converting to another god is tantamount to betraying the blood elves.

Unless one worships the elven deities that already existed in the Third Epoch, such as the elf and phoenix god Asurilon, the dark moon goddess Eluna, the ranger god Melike, and so on.

But the temptation Lei En offers is simply too great.

If one changes faith, one can immediately ascend to Saint Rank; the deity capable of granting that cannot be weak, perhaps even surpassing the power of the Vengeance Goddess.

Moreover, one must consider Lei En's position; his midnight visit must have been after careful deliberation, so if one refuses him…

Lifelin hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "My lord, which deity do you wish me to convert to?"

As far as she knows, Lei En is a follower of the God of Magic.

The God of Magic is one of Ai Lun E Si's most powerful deities; having supported humanity to become the world's overlord, He is the most radiant deity of the New Era. It is said that many elves in Aoroan worship Him, but among blood elves He has little presence or influence, with almost no followers.

Moreover, the God of Magic is a well‑known benevolent deity, extremely tolerant of followers; converting to the God of Magic seems worth considering.

Lifelin feels the scales in her heart tilting; she is not opposed to converting.

Strangely, Lei En does not answer immediately.

An indescribable expression settles on his face, as if something is brewing.

Suddenly, Lei En rises, his eyes shining; layers of golden light envelop the surroundings, a holy aura fills the hall, and his voice, which makes Lifelin's soul shiver, intones in a deep tone: "Lord of Radiance Saint Jilesi. If you convert to the great Saint Jilesi, you will become the first Holy Blood Angel beneath the divine throne."

Lifelin is stunned, like a wooden chicken.

At that moment, the aura around Lei En makes her feel as if she has glimpsed the deity's true form; the golden rays, like dawn, shine into her soul, compelling her to bow in worship.

Fortunately, the divine presence fades after only a few seconds.

Lifelin gasps heavily, her ample chest rising and falling, and her gaze toward Lei En changes completely.

In that instant, she truly perceives the frailty of mortals and the greatness of the deity.

Before a deity, mortals are like ants.

After a long while, she barely steadies herself and, cautiously, asks, "My lord, are you a god?"

Lei En sits down again, his gentle smile returning, "I am merely a mortal; how could I dare call myself a god."

Lifelin is bewildered, shaking her head, "I don't understand."

That's precisely because you shouldn't understand.

Lei En deliberately becomes a riddler, "You need not understand. You only need to remember one fact: Ryan Augustus is a mortal, Lord of Radiance Saint Jilesi is a god; there is a boundary between humans and gods, humans and gods are distinct, yet they are both independent entities and highly unified."

"Serving Saint Jilesi and being loyal to Ryan Augustus do not conflict; one day in the future, you will understand."

These pretentious words leave Lifelin even more confused.

Immediately, another doubt arises: she has never heard of Lord of Radiance Saint Jilesi!

Could it be an ancient old god?

Or a newly deified god?

From the honorific "Lord of Radiance", one can infer that His divine office must relate to "light", yet the offices of "Dawn", "Scorching Sun" and "Dusk", as well as the closest "Illumination" office, now all belong to the sun god Geong; what then is Saint Jilesi's divine office?

What is the relationship between Lei En and Saint Jilesi?

Divine Chosen, an incarnation of a saint, or a fallen deity resurrected within a mortal?

Lifelin's mind is filled with countless questions, but seeing Lei En's mysterious expression, it is clear he will not answer them. This concerns divine secrets; Lei En's reluctance to reveal them is understandable, and she does not dare to know too much—sometimes the more one knows, the faster one dies.

"My lord."

When Lifelin uses that title, it feels completely different from before, yet she can only address him as such, and asks, "If I worship the Lord of Radiance, can I instantly ascend to Saint Rank?"

"Yes," Lei En nods, "and you will never suffer a headache again."

"If I only want to cure my headache without converting, is that possible?" Lifelin's eyes filled with hope; this way she could break free from reliance on Sunlight Blood and rely on her own breakthrough.

Lei En shakes his head firmly, "Impossible."

There's no such cheap thing.

He painstakingly fabricated a deity out of nothing—not a free perk for blood elves. Even if one converts to Saint Jilesi, not every blood knight can cure headaches; the Holy Blood Amber blessing consumes energy and depends on one's devotion.

If all blood knights shed Sunlight Blood, he would lose his strongest means of controlling the Holy Spear Knight Corps.

Lifelin sighs softly.

In truth she knows it's a wishful thought, yet she can't help but ask.

"My lord," Lifelin, with a thoughtful expression and some worry, asks, "Do you intend for the entire Holy Spear Knight Corps to convert to the Lord of Radiance?"

"Exactly," Lei En admits calmly.

"But when Gotham City forged an alliance with Yongge City, you made a promise to the Regent…" Lifelin furrows her brows.

Lei En shrugs, smiling, "My promise then was not to 'force' a change of faith; if the blood knights voluntarily convert to Saint Jilesi, it does not violate the alliance."

Lifelin is taken aback.

She recalls that day's situation seriously; Lei En seemed to have said that, and she helplessly remarks, "So the lord had been scheming all along."

"That's not scheming."

Lei En, unconcerned, says sincerely, "Even today, that promise still holds. I'm not forcing you to change faith; I'm giving you a choice, and the final decision rests with you."

"If you refuse, then consider it as if nothing happened; it will not affect your standing in Gotham, you will remain the commander of the Holy Spear Knight Corps, the blood knights will still receive Sunlight Blood, and all other benefits remain unchanged."

These words made Li Fulin breathe a sigh of relief.

A few touches of emotion flashed in her eyes; after six months of contact with Lei En, she knows Lei En's noble character and personal charisma well, and has always kept his word.

Lei En seized her emotions and continued, "But from your personal perspective, and also considering the greater picture of Gotham City, I hope you will think it over seriously."

"I understand, my lord." Li Fulin nodded solemnly.

Lei En stood up, preparing to leave.

For such an important matter, he did not expect Li Fulin to decide immediately.

Yet as soon as she stood, Li Fulin half‑kneeled before him, lowering her head in reverence, and said firmly and clearly, "Li Fulin*Qingge is willing to serve the great luminous Lord Sheng Jilesi for life; may my lord's name spread to every world; may my lord's light illuminate every soul."

This caught Lei En off guard; he hadn't expected her to be so decisive.

The soul's eye saw the blood‑colored fire of vengeance‑goddess faith in Li Fulin's soul dim rapidly; her faith fire, already weak, vanished completely within seconds.

Then it was replaced by a golden fire of faith.

This strand of faith fire was extremely thin, like a dying candle in the wind, ready to extinguish at any moment. It also did not, unlike ordinary faith fire, project upward toward the unknown void to offer its power to a deity.

The luminous Lord Sheng Jilesi does not exist.

At least not at present.

Even the most devout faith cannot elicit a response from Sheng Jilesi; the fire of faith can only remain within the soul, unable to grow, worse than faith that has fallen from a deity.

In essence, Lei En is Sheng Jilesi.

He hasn't reached th Level, not even Saint Rank, cannot hear the prayers of believers, nor give a response, but that is already enough.

"Follow me."

Lei En extended his hand and pressed it on Li Fulin's shoulder; the moment his hand touched her body, Li Fulin gave a barely perceptible shiver, but did not resist.

Soon, the scene before them changed.

Li Fulin found herself teleported by Lei En to the sky above Aibolaken; all around was pitch black, the black forest on the ground had been cleared away by half, revealing flat land. The magical gate once used to enter Sangtra Residence had long been closed.

Lei En cast a spell again, opening a portal and stepping through.

"Sangtra Residence!"

Li Fulin's eyes were filled with astonishment; she knew the place she had lived in for centuries better than anything.

But hadn't Sangtra Residence already been sealed? Multiple magical gate entrances had been cancelled, leaving only a highland fortress leading to Gotham City, and a barrier array was set up. How could Lei En open a portal directly?

Upon reflection, Lei En was likely a god; breaking spatial barriers should be no difficulty for a deity.

Sangtra Residence, once home to many blood elves, was now empty.

On the streets, only magical brooms and Arcane puppets were still operating, keeping the underground space clean.

Lei En explained, "When you ascend to Saint Rank there may be a great commotion; there's no need to alarm Gotham City's residents, Sangtra Residence is the most suitable place."

Li Fulin nodded slightly, "Then let's go to my former dwelling."

Lei En did not open another teleport, as the distance was short; they walked over, strolling through the silent streets. Li Fulin glanced at the tall, handsome man beside her and suddenly asked, "Lord, when will you excavate the treasure of Aibolaken's underground city?"

"I have no time now and I'm not short of money; we'll talk about it later." Lei En was not keen on the treasure.

Li Fulin replied, "I am always ready for your summons."

"Madam, there's no need for honorifics." Lei En smiled, "You will soon join the ranks of Saint Rank strongmen; you can call me Lei En just like Kestajin, Yizite, and Kuilu."

"But you are a…"

Li Fulin's words were cut off; Lei En reiterated, "I told you, I am not a god."

"Alright, Lei En." Li Fulin could only comply.

The two soon arrived at the house where Li Fulin had previously lived, a lavish courtyard of blood‑elf style. Thanks to magical power, the courtyard and house remained immaculate inside and out, though long uninhabited and lacking vitality.

The courtyard contained a spacious, bright hall.

Lei En stood in the middle of the hall, turned around, and said, "We can begin, kneel."

Li Fulin obeyed, half‑kneeling before him, lowering her head.

Lei En did not produce the Saint Blood Amber; having already grasped the artifact's usage, he thought, instantly activating the artifact within his soul. At once, his whole body radiated light, a divine dawn shining forth, and the hall's walls and floor trembled slightly.

Li Fulin felt a massive force that made her gasp for breath.

She couldn't help but look up, seeing Lei En enveloped in a layer of light. The light was not dazzling but comfortable, like the first dawn ray, pure to the soul, filling her with hope and vigor.

Lei En's right hand gestured virtually, light surging.

A mysterious golden rune formed at his fingertip, as if forged from light; mortal eyes could not discern its true shape, but could feel its immense energy.

"In the name of Sheng Jilesi, I bestow blessings upon you."

Lei En lightly hissed, pointing the glittering golden rune at Li Fulin; the rune swiftly descended, embedding into her forehead and entering her soul.

The next second, Li Fulin felt her transformation.

Inside her, the blood‑crystal power boiled, instantly devoured by the mysterious rune, paused for half a second, then the massive blood‑crystal power surged out, flowing anew within her. Each strand of blood‑crystal power differed from before; blood and gold mixed, no longer the cold feeling, becoming purer, warmer, and stronger!

Li Fulin felt as if bathed in dawn light; all past gloom vanished.

Her body felt no discomfort, reaching an unprecedented state.

Moreover, that mysterious rune merged with her soul, producing an extraordinary enhancement; every second, the blood‑crystal power strengthened, each new strand easier to control and infinitely powerful.

Li Fulin's mind was clear; even without testing, she knew her strength had multiplied several times.

She recalled a legendary Element—the Messenger of Light!

And this was not the end.

Lei En's hand rested on Li Fulin's crown; amid the flickering dawn light, a massive holy light power poured into her body, rough and domineering, causing her to emit a muted groan.

"The pain is great, endure it a bit." Lei En comforted her.

(End of Chapter)