To become a god, gain eternal life and absolute freedom, there seem to be only two paths ahead.
Either be favored by the God King, like Huo Yuhao, become his loyal subordinate, and exchange for a God Position.
Or, it is the extremely difficult and uncertain path of self-creating a God Position.
The latter requires a massive amount of Power Of Faith and deep comprehension of the Law, consuming enough time to cause most Genius Spirit Masters to despair and die of old age midway.
"Thinking about this now might be too early..."
Caelus shook his head slightly, scattering the last of the fish food in his hand, causing the koi in the pond to churn.
"But if one doesn't even dare to think about it, how can one ever reach it?"
His gaze gradually became sharp, like a tempered blade.
Having achieved nothing in his previous life, he would absolutely not repeat the same mistakes in this life.
He must expend everything, utilize all available resources, step by step, treading on thorns and bones, to ascend to the pinnacle of power.
He wants to become the strongest person, preventing the so-called God King from arbitrarily manipulating his destiny, and ensuring those so-called Children of Luck cannot obstruct his path.
He wants freedom.
Not the limited, restricted kind of freedom, but true, unrestrained freedom.
The freedom to decide what he does and what he doesn't do, to protect everything he wants to protect, and to refuse everything he does not wish to accept.
The highest throne of this World is destined to have a master in the future, so why... why can't that person be him, Caelus?!
He wants to create a World—an absolute Domain where no person or god can threaten him, and no power can resist his will.
He wants to be the sole master of that World, the creator of its rules.
This thought might sound arrogant, even carrying a touch of youthful chuunibyou, but Caelus knew this was the truest, most fervent desire and dream deep in his heart, the goal for which he must burn everything now that he had been reborn.
He lowered his head, looking at his reflection with white hair and golden eyes in the water.
In the reflection's eyes, the flame called ambition burned.
The road was still long, but he had already seen the direction.
Caelus looked at the koi fighting for food in the pond, but his gaze drifted far away.
He muttered softly to himself, as if confirming his judgment: "Next, all I have to do is wait."
His mind was clear.
A few days ago, his Innate Martial Soul Awakening, witnessed by members of the Eighth Soul Master Legion, which involved his black hair turning snow-white and his golden eyes blossoming, could absolutely not be ignored by the military.
The name Caelus, along with his time-attribute Martial Soul and his Innate full Soul Power talent, must have already been compiled into an urgent intelligence report and delivered to the desks of the legion's high command.
His background was impeccable; he was a legitimate orphan of the Eighth Soul Master Legion, both his parents being officers who died for the nation.
Such a background, coupled with a rare Innate Awakening and top-tier Genius, made him a treasure that no power could afford to miss.
The Eighth Soul Master Legion would certainly not remain indifferent to this.
And this was exactly what Caelus had hoped for.
He clearly knew that he came from a common background, lacking the backing of a great Family.
To obtain Cultivation resources, and to gain a foothold and climb higher in this World, he had to demonstrate sufficient value to attract investors.
The Eighth Soul Master Legion was undoubtedly the best platform he could access at this stage.
He needed to rely on this "first pot of gold"—whether it was guidance for Spirit Master Cultivation, help in acquiring a spirit ring, or more practical resource allocation—to take the most solid first step on the path to becoming a powerhouse.
"Background, huh..."
Caelus sighed softly, not in complaint, but in calm recognition.
He clearly knew that while his current status was not prominent, compared to the vast majority of commoners in this World, he was already extremely fortunate.
In this era where Spirit Hall had already perished, commoners seeking a Martial Soul Awakening needed to travel to local Awakening Halls and pay a considerable fee.
For many families struggling to make ends meet, this money was an insurmountable chasm, and countless children who might have possessed Spirit Master Genius were thus buried in the dust.
In contrast, as a military orphan, he was at least guaranteed the opportunity for a Martial Soul Awakening and a relatively safe environment in which to grow up.
This was a starting point many could only dream of.
"Although the Innate Martial Soul Awakening makes the advantage of this starting position seem less crucial..."
A subtle curve appeared on Caelus's lips.
However, the bond with the Eighth Soul Master Legion, forged by his parents' blood and his own Genius, was still the most valuable resource he currently possessed and one he must utilize well.
He withdrew his gaze from the pond, his eyes becoming calm and resolute once more.
The bait had been cast; all he needed to do now was patiently wait for the fish to bite, and then seize this crucial first opportunity to begin his journey.
The road to the supreme throne was destined to be long and perilous, and this was the starting line.
Eighth Soul Master Legion, Ming Dou Mountain Range Defense Command Headquarters.
Inside an office that was simply furnished yet imposing, a burly, stern-faced middle-aged man was intently reading an encrypted document in his hands.
The general's stars on his epaulets and the faintly emanating Soul Power fluctuations, heavy as a mountain, proclaimed his noble status and powerful strength.
He was the commander of the Eighth Soul Master Legion, titled Golden Spear, a Level 94 attack system Titled Douluo, Jin Yang.
The contents of the document were a detailed report concerning Caelus—the orphan whose parents had just died on the front lines and who subsequently experienced the phenomenon of an Innate Martial Soul Awakening.
Jin Yang's gaze lingered for a moment on keywords such as Innate Awakening, white hair and golden eyes, time attribute, and Innate full Soul Power. His eyes were deep, and his fingertips unconsciously tapped the smooth mahogany desk, creating soft thudding sounds.
He commanded the Eighth Soul Master Legion, permanently stationed in the Ming Dou Mountain Range. Besides defending against the Sun Moon Empire, he also bore another secret mission from the Star Luo Imperial Family: to restrain the Duke of White Tiger, Dai Hao.
That Duke of White Tiger had outstanding military achievements, commanded extremely high prestige within the military, and his influence was rapidly expanding.
Even though he had a deep personal friendship with the current Star Luo Emperor Xu Jiawei, close as brothers, sitting in the Emperor's position meant that certain precautions had to be taken.
This was the art of the Emperor, and a necessary means to stabilize imperial power.
Jin Yang himself greatly admired Dai Hao's character and ability, but he was an Imperial Family retainer, and his stance had to be unequivocally on the side of the Star Luo Imperial Family.
A child with an impeccable background, whose parents were both martyrs of the legion, and whose Genius could be called a Prodigy... Jin Yang's thoughts raced.
Under normal circumstances, he might consider personally nurturing such a prospect to add another future general to the legion.
But given the current delicate political landscape, the appearance of this child took on an extraordinary significance.
He could not allow this child to be bound too deeply to the legion, especially to him personally, lest he become a bargaining chip in the eyes of certain people or provoke unnecessary suspicion.
At the same time, such a rare Genius absolutely could not be left to drift or be easily recruited by other powers.