Why Am I a Priestess When I Reach the Maximum Level?-Chapter 149[Vol. 6] - The Step to Godhood

[Vol. 6] Chapter 149: The Step to Godhood

The young white-fox girl stared at the crystal carefully preserved and presented before her by the armored guardian. Its exact purpose was unclear, but she did not reach out to take it. Instead, she placed one hand gently on its surface, causing the crystal to glimmer faintly.

—– —– —– —– —– —– —– —–

[Heart of the Guardian]

[An extraordinary creation forged by the [Spirit Fox Shrine Maiden], capable of granting artificial life and a soul to lifeless objects. It also bestows the blessing of the “Guardian” from the “Spirit Fox Shrine Maiden”.]

[After countless failures and tireless efforts, the “Spirit Fox Shrine Maiden” achieved true artificial life creation. Together with the [Supreme Sacred Fox God], they established a fully independent, stable space somewhere, using their divine powers to bring forth this creation.]

[However, the plan was not entirely successful. Due to premature awakening, XXXXXXXXXXX…]

—– —– —– —– —– —– —– —–

“Snap!”

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A sudden flash of invisible light shot forth like a bolt of lightning, forcefully bouncing her delicate fingers off the [Heart of the Guardian]. The information gleaned from her [Information Detection] skill vanished instantly.

“…What was that?”

She quickly recovered from her shock, her gaze falling back on the kneeling armored warrior. It remained in a respectful posture, holding the glowing artifact in both hands. Through the gaps in its armor, she noticed its hollow chest. A void where a heart or life should have been.

“…It wasn’t an illusion.”

The [Information Detection] ability had indeed revealed much, but some critical pieces of the puzzle seemed to be deliberately erased by a powerful force, leaving the rest garbled and incomprehensible.

Even though she now understood the crystal’s general purpose and immense value, the missing details gnawed at her curiosity.

It seemed the [Spirit Fox Shrine Maiden] had collaborated with the [Supreme Sacred Fox God] on an extraordinary plan. Could there be a connection between that and the similarities between Lucas and this Guardian?

Moreover, the brief glimpse she had caught mentioned phrases like “plan not entirely successful” and “awakening”, but even the name of the awakened entity was left blank, pure nothingness. This situation was eerily reminiscent of something she had encountered once before.

Back in the Ten Thousand Demons Mountains, when the [Demon God’s Gem] was restored and evolved into a Semi-Divine artifact, certain key details about its transformation were similarly obscured.

Mystery is the most fearsome adversary. Whatever was concealed here must not be underestimated.

She attempted to use [Information Detection] again, but it was futile. The garbled text and any related details had been completely erased, leaving no trace behind, no matter what methods she employed.

It was pointless to chase after clues that were now beyond her reach.

For now, she decided to let it go.

She naturally was Violet, not some miraculous incarnation of the Spirit Fox Shrine Maiden [Dawn].

It wasn’t her intention to deliberately mislead others or deceive them into trusting her. However, when the residual power of [Dawn] erupted and miraculously achieved [Reconstruction] within the tomb, two items in Violet’s possession, [Dominion of the Fox Mask], long silent in her inventory, and the newly acquired [Spirit Fox Pendant], seemed to resonate with this surge of power.

They stirred as though urging Violet to use her own abilities to link them together, hinting at some unprecedented transformation.

Caught up in the situation and the significance of the moment, the priestess chose to once again transform into [Dawn] to intervene.

As expected, the moment she equipped both [Dominion of the Fox Mask] and [Spirit Fox Pendant], an extraordinary resonance burst forth.

This experience revealed something crucial to Violet.

These two items were likely components of a single set, and what she had glimpsed before through [Dominion of the Fox Mask] was merely a fraction of the true power of the [Spirit Fox Shrine Maiden].

By combining the two Semi-Divine artifacts, Violet gained access to extraordinary abilities. With the [Cloud Dream Zither] gifted by Meng Rui, the girl she encountered on the [Music Fairy Ship], she managed to channel this newfound strength.

The results exceeded her expectations. With a single move or more precisely, a variation of her improvised composition, [Red Dust Sigh], she effortlessly subdued the nearly resurrected [Nameless Demon Sovereign], leaving even herself a little astonished.

Considering everything she had witnessed within this tomb, Violet could now confirm one thing without doubt.

At her full strength, the [Spirit Fox Shrine Maiden] was undoubtedly a true God. One of remarkable power and terrifying majesty.

It was clear that [Dawn]’s connection to the [Supreme Sacred Fox God] went far deeper than the surface-level stories suggested, and likely held secrets beyond Violet’s current understanding.

As for the [Heart of the Guardian]…

While [Information Detection] didn’t classify it as an item or equipment, its importance was undeniable. The armored guardian’s immediate decision to return it upon recognizing her as the [Spirit Fox Shrine Maiden] was proof enough of its significance.

If Violet’s guess was correct, the miraculous [Reconstruction] just now was likely driven by this object as its core. This artifact was entirely different from the cores of those “Straw Warriors” she encountered before. It was of a far higher tier. Moreover, the life it granted would not dissipate even if the core was removed.

This was evident in the fact that, even after extracting it from its body, the White Armored Guardian before her did not fall. In other words, it wasn’t dependent on the core for its existence. Instead, it appeared to be safeguarding the item for the [Spirit Fox Shrine Maiden] or simply drawing power from it.

After some thought, Violet let out a solemn sigh and gently pushed the dazzling [Heart of the Guardian] back toward the Guardian.

“…?”

The White Armored Guardian raised its head, the hollow outline of its armor faintly conveying confusion and hesitation.

“Keep it. It’s more important to you than it is to me. Use it wisely and protect this place well. Don’t worry… this time, I won’t disappear and never return.”

“!”

Even though it was just a simple verbal promise, to this nameless warrior who had guarded the tomb for millennia, it was akin to receiving an unparalleled blessing and a powerful source of encouragement.

It nodded deeply and carefully reintegrated the [Heart of the Guardian] into its body for safekeeping. In the air, a solemn vow resonated again, as though spoken through vibrations of pure energy.

“I shall… not fail this duty!”

Come on, don’t take it so seriously. It was yours to begin with…

Violet couldn’t bring herself to feel justified in taking something left behind for someone else, even if she could temporarily “become” the [Spirit Fox Shrine Maiden]. She believed in taking things honorably and respectfully. Besides, as someone who didn’t place much value on material possessions, it wasn’t in her nature to covet treasures like this.

She watched as the White Armored Guardian, created by the [Spirit Fox Shrine Maiden] herself, returned to its original position in front of the massive statue. It stood motionless, sword in hand, as though it had fallen into a deep slumber. With her understanding of this peculiar lifeform now clear, Violet shook her head and shifted her attention to the ball of white light floating in her palm.

Though abstract, this was likely what people referred to as [Existence].

Or, more precisely, it was a manifestation of [Existence] extracted and condensed by the [Nameless Demon Sovereign], after he forcibly stripped it from others. Under the power of Violet’s soul-stirring melody, this essence had been forcibly torn away.

A person’s [Existence] is not innate but is instead a product of countless interactions and connections formed through life over time. A force tied to [Causality].

Whether it’s [Causality], [Faith] encountered on the borders of the Holy Empire, or other elusive powers that defy the [Matter] and [Void], the two fundamental forces of the world, they all seem to lead to the same ultimate truth.

Simply put, this is the “power of the gods”, the fundamental force necessary to ascend to godhood.

Its form is incredibly complex, so Violet couldn’t decide on a proper name. For now, she chose to call it [Power of Origin]. The essence that forms the core of a true god.

Speaking of which, this made Violet think of a long-standing question she’d been pondering. What exactly is SP?

For a long time after arriving in this world, Violet believed SP to be a type of soul energy. However, during her time in the Ten Thousand Demons Mountains, she encountered the concepts of the [Higher Dimensional Realm] and the [Lower Dimensional Realm], which revealed that the essence of a soul is actually [Void Energy]. A completely different concept from the SP she knew.

But SP undeniably felt like an extension of the soul in Violet’s understanding. So, what was the connection?

The answer had just revealed itself.

This [Power of Origin], formed by the accumulation of [Existence], was strikingly similar to SP!

Why can gods manipulate their souls freely, wielding them like weapons through divine will, while the souls of ordinary beings are static, unresponsive, and even imperceptible to themselves?

The reason is likely because the “soul of a god” and the “soul of an ordinary being” are fundamentally different.

In other words, a god’s soul, what Violet recognized as SP, is composed of [Power of Origin], whereas the souls of ordinary beings are made of a lower-tier energy: [Void Energy].

This is why powerful abilities like ultimate magic require SP to function. The [Power of Origin] that forms divine will exists on a much higher tier than the two foundational energies of the world and is capable of supporting these extraordinary techniques.

The [Nameless Demon Sovereign]’s act of extracting [Existence] was, in essence, refining a small portion of this higher-tier essence.

This also explains why it is almost impossible for ordinary beings to ascend to godhood. The gap between their soul’s nature and that of a deity represents an insurmountable divide. A fundamental evolution in the essence of life itself.

“Ultimate magic… and transcendent ultimate magic…”

It’s unbelievable, yet it makes perfect sense.

Back in the Holy Empire, the intermediate energy extracted by the [Divine Web] from [Faith], used to condense the [Light Divinity Core] while converting the excess into light elemental energy, might also have been [Power of Origin].

Different paths… but the same destination.