"But it's not impossible to use."
Gu Chuan stroked his chin.
Although it was said that the power of faith has various disadvantages, even poisonous, making it extremely harmful to the gods—so much so that if one is not careful, they might fall—it does not mean that the power of faith is entirely without merit. Its limitless applications are enough to make countless gods covet it.
This is akin to polluted water. Water itself is invaluable and essential for life, but once polluted, it becomes toxic. However, if one purifies and filters it properly, it can return to its pure and usable state.
The same principle applies here.
If one could find a way to remove the poisonous aspects of the power of faith, leaving only its pure essence, it would undoubtedly be of immense benefit to the gods.
"Do you want to find a way to filter the toxins within the power of faith?"
Gu Chuan narrowed his eyes, a glint flashing through them. Deep within his sea of consciousness, the Chaos Eight Trigrams Technique continued to operate, calculating and deducing countless methods to purify the power of faith.
What seemed impossible for an ordinary Chaos Demon God was not difficult for him.
"With this, one could create an Instrument of Faith—a sacred tool capable of filtering the impurities within faith, leaving behind only its purest essence."
A sudden inspiration struck him, and at last, he found a solution.
In fact, the gods of later generations had also considered a similar approach—creating an Instrument of Faith to cleanse the impurities of belief. This was a method contemplated by countless deities.
For example, the Jade Emperor, the supreme ruler of the Heavenly Court, received the greatest amount of faith from mortals. Logically, he should have been the most poisoned by its impurities and thus should have fallen.
Yet, he did not fall. Instead, he grew even stronger.
This was not unique to the Jade Emperor. Many gods of the Heavenly Court also avoided the corrosion of faith's impurities. As their divine positions rose, their power only became more formidable.
The Jade Emperor's Instrument of Faith was the Heaven Opening Talisman, refined using the Deficit Jade Inscription, which was secretly bestowed upon him by Yuanshi Tianzun.
With the Chuanguo Yuxi (Imperial Jade Seal) in hand, the Jade Emperor could command the heavens, confer divine titles, and seal the universe itself.
At the same time, the vast power of faith he received was purified through the Heaven Opening Talisman, allowing him to absorb only its pure essence. His cultivation naturally continued to grow, and he suffered no ill effects.
As time passed, countless years passed in the blink of an eye.
"Haha, the refining was a success!"
Gu Chuan laughed, sitting cross-legged in meditation. Floating in the air before him was a black talisman, pulsing with an eerie glow, radiating like a miniature planet.
After much thought and design, he had finally refined his own Instrument of Faith—the Primordial Ancient Serpent Talisman, a Black Chaos Talisman.
Intricate Chaos Runes covered its surface, inscribed with supreme divine abilities: Great Faith, Great Purification, Great Filtration, Great Chaos, Great Karma, Great World, and more.
Though it appeared to be a simple talisman, within it lay the boundless mysteries of the Great Dao's Laws.
"Go in."
With a wave of his hand, Gu Chuan channeled all the power of faith stored in the depths of his sea of consciousness—vast as a blazing sun—into the Primordial Ancient Serpent Talisman.
Boom!!
In an instant, the talisman seemed to come alive. It transformed into the true form of Gu Chuan's Primordial Ancient Serpent, its massive maw opening wide as if swallowing the heavens, devouring every ounce of faith.
The once immense power of faith within Gu Chuan's consciousness was now completely absorbed into the Primordial Ancient Serpent Talisman, leaving nothing behind.
Deep within this talisman resided a complete universe, but unlike other Great Thousand Worlds, this one was unique.
It was divided into two realms: black and white, like night and day.
• All pure power of faith ascended into the White Realm, filled with light, vastness, warmth, and purity, resembling a Heaven.
• All impurities within the power of faith sank into the Black Realm, condensing into a dark liquid that radiated evil, chaos, corruption, and decay, resembling the Underworld.
This stark contrast between heaven and the underworld held boundless mysteries. Through this filtration, all impurities were permanently sealed within the Primordial Ancient Serpent Talisman.
Now, Gu Chuan could use the purest power of faith at will, without suffering any side effects.
Clatter~~~
However, as it absorbed the vast power of faith, the Primordial Ancient Serpent Talisman underwent a profound transformation, evolving into a true Chaos Magic Treasure overflowing with unfathomable energy.
It emitted alternating black and white radiance, forming a swirling Yin-Yang Diagram.
The boundary between black and white appeared as the coiling body of the Primordial Ancient Serpent, slithering along the curve of balance.
Vaguely, it seemed alive, as if ready to break free and devour the world, exuding an overwhelming and chilling aura.
"It's so heavy."
Gu Chuan grasped the talisman, but despite its palm-sized form, he was astonished to find it incredibly heavy—even for a demon god of his immense strength.
If he, with his unfathomable power, felt this burden, how could ordinary demon gods withstand it?
It was as if merely dropping the talisman would be enough to shatter heaven and earth and collapse lesser gods.
"I see…"
Gu Chuan soon realized why the Primordial Ancient Serpent Talisman carried such immense weight.
It was bound by the faith threads of countless beings, linked to the souls of billions upon trillions of lives across the Chaotic Void.
The reason for its extreme weight was not due to physical mass, but because it carried the collective will of all those who worshipped it.
Anyone who attempted to wield this talisman would also bear the burden of countless lives' thoughts and desires.
The sheer weight of such faith was terrifying.
As the saying goes:
"The condemnation of thousands can bring death without illness."
This ancient wisdom speaks of the power of words and belief—a force capable of shaping reality itself.
Yet, if the mere criticism of thousands could ruin a person, then what of the thoughts of billions upon trillions of beings?
Such an unfathomable burden was unbearable even for a demon god. The weight alone could crush lesser beings into oblivion, their minds shattered by the sheer pressure of faith.
"This Magic Treasure is incredible."
Even Gu Chuan found himself awed.
Though the Primordial Ancient Serpent Talisman was still in its infancy, weaker than the legendary Chaos Treasures, in time, it would surpass them.
As the endless power of faith continued to refine it, this talisman would eventually ascend beyond imagination, surpassing all Chaos Magic Treasures.
This was the instrument of faith, forged by the thoughts of all living beings, tempered into an ultimate treasure.
Its future supremacy was inevitable.