Chapter 2160: Pool of Wraiths

"It's not to visit anyone, but to leave a mark and gather wish power!" Zhang Xuan said.

The guard was puzzled: "Wish power is not something just anyone can bear, and without merits or such, you're not qualified! However, if you truly wish to do it, the Hall of Wraiths won't refuse; you need to pay ten thousand divine coins!"

"Ten thousand?" Zhang Xuan nodded: "Fine!"

The money given by Patriarch Qi earlier had been transferred over by Qi Ling'er without keeping a single coin. For others, ten thousand divine coins might mean bankruptcy, but for him, it was still easily affordable.

He took out his card, transferred the money, and under the guard's guidance, walked into the hall.

The Pool of Wraiths lay at the deepest part of the hall, its power completely different from that of the Moon Clear Pool. Standing within it, one's soul felt warm and moist, as if an unknown force came from afar, continuously nourishing.

However, trying to absorb this force was like grasping at a broken kite string—impossible to catch hold of.

"This is the Pool of Wraiths. If you want to leave a mark, just leave your blood on the stone tablet!" the guard pointed.

Zhang Xuan looked and saw a small stone platform standing by the pool, carved with special patterns, like an altar for sacrifice.

"It resembles the altars of the Anomalous Spirit Tribe... yet is completely different!"

He didn't know who the Spirit God was, but he had specifically inquired about who in the God Realm was skilled in sacrifice, and the answer was a strong expert from Wraith Heaven. Thinking there might be some connection with the Spirit God, Zhang Xuan couldn't help shaking his head when he saw the patterns before him.

Although somewhat similar, in structure and content, they were entirely different, not belonging to the same system.

It seemed this place had nothing to do with the Spirit God.

Just as he was about to approach the stone platform and inject his blood to leave a mark, the pool water suddenly boiled, and a series of phantom shadows began to sway.

These phantoms varied in size; the tall ones were a full zhang in height, the small ones no larger than a thumb. Densely packed, they numbered in the thousands, dancing continuously as the pool water churned.

The special force felt earlier in the air sprinkled down like sunlight; the tall phantoms grew more solid, while the small ones flickered unsteadily, like candles, now bright, now dim.

Pop!

A thumb-sized phantom burst and vanished before his eyes.

"What's happening?" Zhang Xuan asked, puzzled.

"Those large phantoms form because many people commemorate them, giving them plenty of wish power. The small ones may only have family and friends. As time passes and these people die off, no one remembers them, and they naturally extinguish!"

The guard looked over and shook his head: "In fact, every year many people spend a great price to leave a mark here, hoping to be reborn after death. But unfortunately... when a person dies, it's like a lamp going out. Once truly gone, how many can remember? Unless they are close kin, wish power is rarely generated. So unless someone is exceptionally wealthy, even if they leave a mark, they still cannot be reborn. Otherwise, everyone in the God Realm would be immortal, and it would have been overcrowded long ago!"

Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement.

Gratitude and indebtedness are fleeting; who can remember them for long?

Like many online authors in his previous life, if they don't update for a few days, readers will forget them.

If they can't remember, wish power dwindles, making it hard even to sustain, let alone condense into form...

Thus, so-called rebirth is just a psychological comfort. Throughout the God Realm, over countless years, those who have succeeded are few and far between.

"That tallest phantom—who is it? It looks almost ready to condense into form!"

Sighing inwardly, he looked at the tallest one in the pool.

The thumb-sized ones couldn't withstand and would eventually dissipate, but that tall one, over a zhang in height, would surely condense into form. He wondered which ancestor had received such sacrifice and worship to gather this shape.

"As for who it is, I really don't know. It appeared suddenly about forty years ago, its features unclear, and there's no corresponding deity, so even we don't know..."

The guard shook his head.

"Not knowing who it is, yet it can still gather wish power?" Zhang Xuan was stunned.

"Wish power arises from those who commemorate him. As long as he exists in their hearts, it will be there. Outsiders not knowing is not strange! After all, many souls have gathered for over a thousand years... not everyone can remember them!" the guard said.

Zhang Xuan nodded, approached the stone platform, bit his fingertip, and a drop of blood flew over.

Hum!

As the blood touched the stone platform, energy ripples immediately spread, racing along the platform's patterns. Then Zhang Xuan felt his soul connect to something, and a phantom even smaller than a thumb abruptly emerged from the water.

"This is my mark?" Zhang Xuan found it both amusing and frustrating.

"Having one this big right after forming is not bad..." the guard glanced and said.

Ordinary people who just leave a mark cannot form wish power in the Pool of Wraiths. For this person to have one the size of a thumb directly meant that quite a few people were already thinking of him.

"So, when first forming, can there be even smaller ones?" Zhang Xuan asked.

"Most are smaller than this; many are invisible to the naked eye. In my twenty-plus years on duty, the largest I've seen was that of Divine King Bai Yi, who died ten years ago. He was killed during the spiritual energy tide, and when his subordinates placed his belongings into the pool, a palm-sized phantom immediately appeared!"

The guard said: "It shocked quite a few people."

"Was this Divine King Bai Yi deeply beloved?" Zhang Xuan said.

"Not at all. As a God King, you certainly have many powerful subordinates. Not to mention others, just these people alone can generate a great deal of faith!" the guard said.

"Could it be... that the generation of faith is also related to the strength of those who commemorate him?"

"Naturally, it is related. The stronger the strength, the longer the lifespan, and the longer the commemoration can last, naturally the greater the faith generated. Under normal circumstances, the faith generated by gods, celestial gods, god kings... increases a hundredfold!"

The guard smiled.

Zhang Xuan understood.

Different lifespans, different strengths—how could the faith generated be the same?

Birds of a feather flock together. The higher one's cultivation, the easier it is to be resurrected. It's not just about fame or the number of people who remember you; more importantly, those associated with you are all experts. The commemoration of a single such person is equivalent to hundreds or thousands of weaklings... Naturally, the efficiency is vastly different.

"You're not bad either. The size of a thumb indicates that those who remember you and generate faith include not only gods but also celestial gods!" the guard smiled.

The size of a thumb might seem insignificant, but among those commemorating this person, there must be celestial gods; otherwise, such powerful faith could not exist.

"Celestial gods?" Zhang Xuan nodded.

Qi Ling'er and Zhang Jia were both celestial gods. One served him loyally, and the other was his beast pet; both would surely generate faith.

Feeling that the power in the Nether Soul Pool had connected with his soul, indeed allowing the latter to slowly improve, Zhang Xuan sighed in relief, then clasped his hands and left.

After leaving the hall, another guard entered and asked the first, curiously: "How was that newcomer?"

"Only the size of a thumb. I reckon it will dissipate on its own within half a year!" the first guard snorted.

"Being able to last half a year upon arrival is not bad..." the second said.

"Not bad, but he's not even dead yet and already thinking about resurrection... He has no spirit of struggle or adventure. I despise him, so how could anyone miss or admire him? There may be faith now, but it's probably from some relatives who don't know the truth. Once they find out, it will surely extinguish!" the first guard said.

"That's true..." the second guard nodded in agreement.

In the divine realm, the strong are revered, and power is worshipped. The powerful are always admired by others.

If you were in your twilight years, that would be one thing, but a young man around twenty, with plenty of life left, fears death and leaves behind a soul imprint—that clearly marks you as a coward. How can you earn others' genuine respect?

Even if a phantom appears now, it will soon extinguish!

"Let's go!"

With a sigh, the first guard was about to leave when the pool before him suddenly rippled.

Stopping, the two looked over.

They saw the phantom left by the young man trembling incessantly. Though small, it shook the pool violently.

"This is..."

After a moment of confusion, the first guard seemed to recall something, his pupils contracting: "More people are missing him, bringing more faith?"

This could only mean that the faith from those missing him was increasing.

Boom!

Before he finished speaking, the thumb-sized phantom suddenly shook and grew to the size of a palm, becoming more solid and full of power.

"Though many people miss him, most are gods, so the effect is limited..."

Though unclear why this faith had taken so long to arrive, based on its purity and quantity, most of those missing him were gods, and at the lowest level at that, with few celestial gods. The effect, though improved, was negligible and would not last long, soon dissipating.

Boom!

Again, before he finished, the palm-sized phantom surged wildly, growing visibly.

"This is... the faith of a god king?"

His pupils contracting, the first guard stood frozen.

He was only a low-grade celestial god—how could he earn the commemoration of a god king?

Whoosh!

The phantom grew again.

"Two more god kings?" The second guard was also stunned.

"Three god kings generating faith for him at the same time—is this man really just a low-grade celestial god?" The first guard gritted his teeth, trembling.

Just moments ago, he had said the mark was a waste of money and would disappear within half a year. Never in his dreams had he imagined that in the blink of an eye, countless gods and three god kings would be missing him.

Boom!

The phantom surged again, becoming life-sized.

The two guards looked at each other, their bodies shaking uncontrollably, as if witnessing something unbelievable. After an unknown time, a murmuring voice slowly emerged from their throats.

"This is... the faith of a titled god king?"