The radiant and majestic deity was naturally Tang Chuan's incarnation.
Empowered by the Fantasy Attribute and divine power, he was naturally the ruler of this universe. No matter what form he took, it was effortless.
The incarnation of strength and defense, God of War, Pantheon.
This was Tang Chuan's first time conveying the concept of a deity to this planet.
From his conversation with Hu'erlun, it was clear that Tang Chuan intended to put forward a leader among the ancient humans, then have that leader spread faith in him among his people.
A god could easily make a mortal the ruler of this continent, placing him at the very top of the hierarchy.
There was nothing more persuasive than that. Once the human ruler spread his deeds and image across the continent,
the others would naturally come to revere and believe in the supreme deity from the bottom of their hearts.
Even those gods of uncertain authenticity on Azure Star were regarded by mortals as spiritual pillars. They offered incense to them and brought unimaginable traffic and wealth to their shrines.
God of War, Pantheon, was a deity who truly existed and had manifested his holiness. He could casually choose one lucky person and place him at the pinnacle of the world.
Naturally, he was far more convincing than those unmanifested gods of Azure Star.
In this early stage, when the concept of deities was still vague, selecting a God Chosen would not only unite humanity, but also establish a system of faith at the same time.
No matter how one looked at it, it was killing several birds with one stone.
The Blazing Flame Tribe.
It was also one of the largest tribes within a thousand miles, with a population nearing ten thousand.
Within the tribe, there were two people held in the highest esteem.
One was the Tribal Chief.
The other was the Tribal Great Shaman.
To some extent, the latter possessed even greater prestige and was more revered by the tribe's members.
After all, a large tribe like theirs was not lacking in people capable of leading their people into battle and hunting.
The so-called Tribal Chief had merely inherited his father's authority.
He was not the first-generation leader who had led the tribe to carve out this territory.
But in the eyes of the Blazing Flame Tribe's people, the Tribal Great Shaman was the spokesperson of nature's great power. Before every war or hunt, the Great Shaman had to lead them in praying to that great power.
The Blazing Flame Tribe had always been the nearly unchallengeable king of this region. In every battle and hunt, they rarely suffered setbacks.
Over time, from the perspective of primitive mortals, they naturally attributed their repeated bountiful returns to the Great Shaman's blessings.
As for those rare instances of failed hunts, they were naturally only minor punishments from nature's great power for their own lack of devotion...
That night.
The Tribal Great Shaman was kneeling as usual beneath the Blazing Flame Totem Stone Slab in his relatively luxurious stone house.
Day after day, year after year, he prayed to the supreme power, praying that it would make the Blazing Flame Tribe ever stronger.
"Majestic and boundless flame, your devout apostle, Loserius, prays that you will continue to protect our tribe, allowing it to spread your light to every corner of the Canghuang Continent."
"Flame, you bestowed light upon us and used your blazing divine fire to drive away beasts and darkness. Thank you for your grace. Loserius is willing to believe in you for his entire life."
"Your greatness transcends humanity. Even savage beasts fear your power. May I one day kneel before your true form with this humble body..."
Light suddenly appeared.
It stung Loserius's half-closed eyes.
When he subconsciously raised his head,
his mind froze in the same way.
The same rigid expression.
The same inability to speak.
This seemed to be the universal state of shock ancient humans entered after witnessing a true deity.
Within the light, Blazing Flame Petals bloomed one after another. A deity radiating the aura of flames, his body formed from white-and-red elemental matter, stood in the air with a blazing spear in hand. He was tall, handsome, and noble.
Beyond the heat and brilliance, the Blazing Flame Deity seemed to exude an aloof and arrogant presence.
He looked down at the mortal kneeling on the ground and said coldly, "Lowly creature, why have you summoned me?"
Why else would one say that a Tribal Great Shaman was a high-ranking figure with experience?
Loserius performed far better than Hu'erlun, that minor nobody.
Though he was equally excited, shocked, and incredulous, he quickly regained his composure and recovered the ability to organize his words.
Loserius wept with joy and prostrated himself. "Majestic incarnation of flame! You... you truly exist and watch over your followers?
Loserius thanks you for your grace, for finally allowing me to see your true incarnation! Heavens, this... this is not a dream. Great power, your mercy has left me at a loss!"
I truly exist?
What kind of thing was that to say?
So even deep down, he had thought the existence of deities might merely be his own speculation?
Yet he had kept up this mystical act every day, until he had even convinced himself...
The Blazing Flame Incarnation said indifferently, "Is this why you summoned me? Merely to kneel before me? Is that all?"
Loserius hurriedly raised his head, his expression crumbling. "No, no, not merely that. I pray that the Blazing Flame Incarnation will forever protect your followers, protect the devout Blazing Flame Tribe!"
With a trace of mockery, the Blazing Flame Incarnation said, "Mortals must strive for everything themselves. My existence is beyond your comprehension. To act against insignificant mortals is not a posture I should assume. Any tribe without rules, faith, and strength will eventually perish in the river of history."
Loserius froze. He stammered, "B-but we are your most sincere followers. Every day, we offer you tributes..."
The Blazing Flame Incarnation shook his head with authority. "Your so-called tributes mean nothing to me. But since you are somewhat devout, Loserius, state your wish. At the same time, I will give you a task."
Without even thinking, Loserius blurted out, "I am willing to devote myself to you with all my heart!"
At that point, Loserius suddenly thought of something. Though the Blazing Flame Tribe was powerful and could be considered one of the strongest forces on this continent,
if anything could pose a fatal threat to them, it could only be those powerful and mysterious Supernatural Beasts, clad in scales that mortals could not damage and capable of causing casualties of over a hundred at a time.
Moreover, as the shaman of a large tribe, Loserius had always advocated communicating with nature, studying the habits of fierce beasts, avoiding them, and making use of them...
Thus, Loserius said to the Blazing Flame Incarnation, "I hope that you, great power, will grant me the ability to communicate with animals. As long as the threat of the Ancient Fierce Beasts is gone, everyone will weep with gratitude for your benevolence!"
This still revealed the limitations of primitive human thought.
Just like the golden hoe in a farmer's eyes, one's horizons determined one's ambitions.
Loserius actually had vague concepts of things like flight, fire, and lightning.
But was controlling such elements not the privilege of incarnations of great power?
How could mortals possibly dream of touching them!
Loserius had not even considered subduing those fierce beasts. Instead, he thought of negotiating with them and asking them not to harm the tribe's people.
Such powerful beings could probably only be commanded at will by an incarnation of great power, right?
To directly declare that he wished to control such abilities would not only go against nature, but perhaps also make things difficult for the incarnation of great power?
The Blazing Flame Incarnation chuckled. "Very well. I shall grant you the ability to communicate with animals! However, some lower creatures do not even possess complete thoughts. The only ones you can communicate with are species with a measure of intelligence."
As he spoke, he raised a finger and lightly pointed at Loserius.
In an instant, after the strange aura blooming from that fingertip seeped into Loserius's body and mind,
he felt that every living creature around him seemed to possess a certain spirituality. If he wished, it seemed he could even examine the thoughts of the mouse beneath his bed?
Loserius was about to weep with joy and thank the descended god, but the Blazing Flame Incarnation interrupted him. "Do not rush to give thanks. Listen to the mission I bestow upon you first."
Loserius said solemnly, "Please command me as you wish, my lord!"
The Blazing Flame Incarnation said, "You must spread the glory of the gods to every corner, so that all may praise my true name."
Loserius instead felt relieved. He had not expected the god's task to be something mortals could accomplish. He said fervently, "This is what I should do! Your power and your light should have been worshipped by mortals! May I ask, god... what is your true name?"
The Blazing Flame Deity declared solemnly, "I am the incarnation of flames and light, the Sun God, Dabolo!"
Loserius raised both hands and declared passionately, "My lord Dabolo, your most sincere follower is willing to follow your light for life, until I am buried in a sea of flames. Even this humble body is willing to become a part of your power!"
The Sun God's light gradually faded, and his figure began to turn illusory. "I will watch over you from above the heavens, Loserius. There are countless mortals, yet I chose only you. Do not disappoint me."
Loserius said firmly, "I thank the god for his gaze. Every insignificant thing that defies your will shall be devoured by flames, sacrificed in tribute to your existence!"