Creating Gods, Creating Gods!

"So-called 'godhood through gathered thoughts,' also known as 'godhood through faith.'

This is a system that has existed in the Great Wilderness for a long time, but few people know about it. Although there are many difficulties in achieving it, it is theoretically absolutely feasible.

What does 'gathered thoughts' mean? It means gathering the beliefs of all living beings, condensing these beliefs within oneself, and thereby accumulating powerful divine power.

The Women's Country has a unique advantage in this regard.

Do you all know why Innate Gods occupy certain territories?

It's because when Innate Gods are injured, they can draw upon the power of faith from all living beings through the method of gathered thoughts, thereby gaining the strength to rapidly recover from their injuries.

In other words, among the Great Wilderness's laws, there is one concerning the aggregation of faith.

Although no one has ever tried to become a god by aggregating faith... the faith power gathered is highly likely to be able to resist the divine power left by the Goddess of the Women's Country and the erosion of the Queen's consciousness.

Furthermore, my mother and I discussed it and prayed to the Star Gods. As long as the gathered faith power is abundant and pure enough, it can indeed condense into an acquired Divine Spark, although its combat power would be significantly weaker than that of an Innate God, as it wouldn't be able to wield the power of laws."

By the pool, within the Soundproof Array, Wu Wang spoke rapidly and eloquently.

Beside him, the middle-aged scholar's face was a deep purple. He gritted his teeth and endured, forcefully pulling on the chains forged from immortal power.

At this moment, only Wu Wang, the Queen, Ling Xiaolan, Ji Mo, the National Teacher, and two chancellors of the Women's Country were enclosed within the Soundproof Array.

As they listened to Wu Wang's words, a light gradually appeared in their eyes.

Wu Wang continued:

"Your Majesty, whether the tragedy of the Women's Country can be ended and a true paradise opened in the Great Wilderness rests entirely on your will.

Your current Spiritual Sense power is already excellent. Before we establish the faith channel, you can completely resist the erosion of the Goddess's divine power."

The National Teacher quickly asked, "How should the thoughts of all living beings be gathered?"

"Prayer, statues, temples," Wu Wang replied. "Besides these, there are certainly other limitations. If necessary, I can return to the Northern Plains to seek help from my mother."

The National Teacher immediately fell into thought: "This..."

Ling Xiaolan, however, asked, "If humans were to give birth to gods, wouldn't that go against the very foundation of humanity's existence?"

Wu Wang chuckled, "Divine power, magic power, physical strength – any power that can protect one's kin is good power."

"Brother Xiong," Ji Mo also asked, "how long would this take?"

"It could be thousands of years, or it could be tens of thousands of years, but as long as it can be achieved, Her Majesty the Queen should be able to move freely very soon and not be confined to the statue of the Goddess."

Wu Wang looked towards the edge of the pool and said softly:

"After I figured all this out, an idea suddenly struck me.

Perhaps the Goddess of the Women's Country left because she had no choice. She left her daughter here and also left these two divine artifacts.

It's highly possible that this Goddess originally hoped her daughter could inherit her position, and she used this mutually destructive method to warn other Innate Gods not to covet this place, thus bringing about the peace of the Women's Country over countless years.

Otherwise, she could have just destroyed the Women's Country before leaving.

Moreover, the Women's Country is a branch of humanity. Its birth must have occurred after Empress Nuwa created humans. The Goddess's identity and why she left might be related to Empress Nuwa's disappearance after creating humans."

Wu Wang paused:

"The disappearance of the Goddess of the Women's Country is related to the ancient god wars.

If that were the case, it wouldn't make sense to go to the god wars without divine artifacts... The system of the Women's Country is very likely a form of divine position inheritance, but the successive rulers of the Women's Country either couldn't endure it or didn't cultivate to the minimum strength required to accept the inheritance.

That's right, this could be related to why humans were burdened with the six-hundred-year lifespan limit. Their Spiritual Sense wasn't strong enough, and their lifespan wasn't long enough, causing them to perish."

Everyone was somewhat dazed and confused.

Ling Xiaolan retorted, "Didn't humans appear after the god wars?"

Ji Mo said, "There's also a theory that humans were born during the era of the god wars. That was a period spanning tens of thousands of years; the battles of the Innate Gods didn't end in a single day.

Humans were burdened with the lifespan limit precisely after the god wars ended. Just as humanity was beginning to rise, they were brutally slaughtered."

Everyone couldn't help but show a deep... contemplation...

"Hey! Can you get to the point! Tell this Queen what she needs to do!"

The middle-aged scholar beside them gritted his teeth, spitting out a few mouthfuls of blood, and cursed, "I'm really about to collapse!"

Wu Wang's figure emerged from behind the middle-aged scholar and he placed a hand on the scholar's shoulder:

"A man should never say he's about to collapse! Senior, keep pushing."

The middle-aged scholar's eyes instantly filled with emotion, and he nearly swatted Wu Wang away.

"Let's get to the point," Wu Wang said immediately. "Your Majesty, do you wish to try this path?"

"I do."

The Queen's eyes sparkled. "Whether I become a god or not is irrelevant. If I can remain conscious, I am willing to protect my Women's Country for all eternity."

"Then you must do two things."

"Mm."

Wu Wang said seriously:

"First, hold onto hope. Don't let negative emotions consume you; maintain a positive and optimistic outlook."

"Second, if you can communicate with us later, do so as soon as possible and report all changes to us."

"I will."

"Also, don't go into that cramped underground palace this time," Wu Wang said. "If you have the courage to face your people, stand here, by the Spirit Nurturing Pool."

Queen Jiayi paused slightly, then slowly nodded, clearly feeling a bit of pressure.

"Go."

Wu Wang said, bowing his head in a salute: "This time, I will do my best to help the Women's Country!"

Ji Mo and Ling Xiaolan bowed together. The National Teacher and the prime ministers on either side slowly knelt down. Outside the Soundproof Array, all the generals and civil officials simultaneously knelt.

Fengge had already fainted, her temples rapidly turning white.

Queen Jiayi glanced at Fengge, a hint of tenderness in her eyes. Without any further hesitation, she turned and leaped into the Spirit Nurturing Pool, holding the crown to her chest.

Golden light surged, and the Spirit Nurturing Hall transformed into a golden ocean!

A magnificent statue of a goddess rose from the ground amidst the golden light. A gentle breeze blew everyone into the air, and the roof of the hall was directly shattered!

Melodious music drifted from somewhere, and colorful, cloud-like mist filled the sky above the capital. The upper half of the goddess statue towered over the palace walls, visible to the citizens of the Women's Country who were gazing at the capital.

They all prostrated themselves, and a clamor of prayers rose from all directions.

Inside and outside the palace, guards and soldiers knelt and bowed.

A colossal divine statue, with faint fluctuations of spiritual sense...

This divine statue stood beside the Spirit Nurturing Pool. It bore the appearance and attire of Queen Jiayi, with a texture like jade that had sunk into clouds, beautiful, sacred, and a little mysterious.

It was hard to imagine that the rulers of the Women's Country throughout history had all looked like this before falling into the form of ugly fierce beasts.

At the foot of the divine statue, Wu Wang, Ling Xiaolan, Ji Mo, the National Teacher, and several ministers of the Women's Country were urgently discussing something.

In a corner of the scene, a scholar sat leaning against something, spitting blood while looking with satisfaction at Ji Mo, who seemed to have grown considerably.

Soon, everyone began to split up, all with a sense of urgency.

The National Teacher rushed to the underground palace, bringing priests and young women in white robes, who surrounded the Queen and continuously prayed and chanted.

Ling Xiaolan and Ji Mo took out precious communication talismans and rushed beyond the border to summon their elders.

Wu Wang, however, was in a league of his own. He was dragged aside by a middle-aged scholar, and the two began to wrestle fiercely, the scene becoming quite bloody.

Half a day later.

A faint glimmer of light appeared on the toe of the divine statue. The National Teacher let out a cry of joy, so excited he was overwhelmed.

Wu Wang, whose face was swollen like a pig's head, and the middle-aged scholar, whose robes had turned into a long, blood-red strip down his back, immediately rushed over upon hearing this.

"How is it?"

The middle-aged scholar asked in a low voice.

Wu Wang did not answer. He placed one hand on the edge of the divine statue's toe, feeling it quietly. Soon, he looked up and roared:

"It's mental power, different from Your Majesty the Queen's mental power!"

The surrounding priests and warriors immediately erupted in thunderous cheers.

Wu Wang stood up and shouted: "Increase the intensity! Mobilize more people to pray to the divine statue in an orderly fashion!"

The warriors and priests nodded quickly, then looked back at Wu Wang.

"Divine Envoy... you don't seem to be able to directly command us."

"The Divine Envoy can!"

The National Teacher, leaning on his staff, strode over and exclaimed: "Divine Envoy is our Women's Country's... honorary National Teacher, our highest-ranking guest official!"

Wu Wang blinked. Did you discuss this with the next Queen?

The priests and warriors immediately clasped their hands in prayer. The National Teacher leaned in, wanting to hold Wu Wang's hand, to raise it in celebration.

Wu Wang instinctively took half a step back, offering an apologetic smile.

The National Teacher: ...

It was a misjudgment.

Three days later, a tall wooden platform was erected in front of the palace. A celebration held in the goddess's name attracted many citizens from within and outside the capital.

During the prayer session, which occurred every half hour during the celebration, the National Teacher, dressed in ceremonial attire, stood on the high platform, reading the still-wet ink of the goddess's short story from a piece of paper, proclaiming the goddess's greatness and benevolence.

"This is the most crucial step: we must bestow a divine halo upon Your Majesty Jiayi, elevating her from the original ruler to a true deity."

Wu Wang's words still echoed in the National Teacher's ears:

"I have a few plans here.

The first plan is [Future Disaster], which will create a sense of tension among the populace, leading them to place their hopes in the goddess. The advantage of this is that it's quick to take effect, but the disadvantage is that it can easily cause panic and is not conducive to the future ideological development of the Women's Country.

The second plan is [Exaggerated Narration and Fabricated Stories], and the third plan is [Forging Miracles]. All three can be carried out simultaneously."

The National Teacher had previously only paid attention to the handsome and dashing Divine Envoy from the Northern Plains. Only now did he realize that when it came to faith...

He was a "professional."

"No wonder they could become a Divine Envoy of the Star God."

In the royal palace, Wu Wang and the middle-aged scholar were roasting skewers, meticulously observing the toes of the Queen's statue.

It was a very proper observation.

The middle-aged scholar asked curiously, "Fellow Daoist Xiong, did you come up with this entire belief system in the past few days?"

Wu Wang smiled without answering.

Would he tell them that his ultimate goal in founding the Star God Cult was to elevate his mother to godhood, thereby betraying the Star God in the most ultimate way?

Of course not.

After all, Wu Wang hadn't discussed this with his mother yet. He had only mentioned that the Star God Cult would make it easier to unite the forces of the Northern Plains.

"Senior Xu Mu," Wu Wang said with a smile, raising his skewer and gently clinking it with the middle-aged scholar's, "I actually learned this in the Northern Plains. How could I, at my young age, possibly understand such things."

"Oh?"

Xu Mu, the National Teacher of Ji Mo, immediately narrowed his eyes and chuckled:

"If I believed you, that would be truly foolish.

However, why did you ask Ji Mo and Ling Xiaolan to summon their families' Immortals here?"

Wu Wang asked, "The Ji family and the Heavenly Origin Mystic Maiden Sect are both major powers in the Human Domain, aren't they?"

Xu Mu smiled, "The Human Domain is different from the Northern Plains, and also different from this Women's Country. There's no such thing as 'major powers.' Everyone is here to protect the Human Domain and provide humanity with a space to survive without being bullied.

The Ji family itself doesn't have many experts; their most important assets are their influence and their ability to rally others.

As for the Heavenly Origin Mystic Maiden Sect, it's an old Immortal Sect with disciples spread throughout the Human Domain. Even the only Demonic Sect dares not provoke them."

"Oh? Why is that?"

"Do you think the Mystic Maiden Sect has no disciples married to powerful Demonic Cultivators?"

"They accept both Immortals and Demonic Cultivators?"

Wu Wang's eyes lit up, and he raised his fruit wine, clinking it with Xu Mu's.

"Asking them to call their families is actually for the future considerations of the Women's Country.

The Women's Country is located in the desolate Western Plains, with no large tribes or threatening forces around them. However, by embarking on this path of deification, their future is filled with infinite variables.

Establishing a close connection with the Human Domain will bring more benefits than drawbacks, and it will allow the Mystic Maiden Sect to select disciples here."

"Let's not talk about this anymore. As a cultivator like myself, there are indeed some things I can't compare to a Young Master from a Great Clan like you."

Xu Mu smiled and lightly bumped Wu Wang's arm, his lips curling slightly and his eyebrows twitching:

"Fellow Daoist, you and Junior Nephew Ling, are you, hmm hmm?"

Wu Wang gave an awkward laugh and said, "Just friends."

"And what about you and Queen Jiayi?"

"Ah," Wu Wang sighed softly, "The Women's Country inherently has a yearning for men. The Queen has always been burdened by her responsibilities, her personality has become increasingly gentle, but she craves a more fulfilling life.

She simply desires the role of a husband to fill the last void in her life. Whether this husband is named Xiong Ba or Ji Mo is irrelevant; it's likely just for a night of pleasure.

The reason the Queen chose to be close to me, and the misunderstanding of Brother Ji being hung on the city wall, played a significant role."

"It's not just that," Xu Mu chuckled, "I've lived for so long and seen so many things. The Queen has a good impression of you."

"But it's only a good impression."

Wu Wang smiled, "I have a clear understanding of such matters."

"And you?" Xu Mu lightly nudged Wu Wang's arm, "Did your heart flutter?"

"This... um... let's drink, let's drink."

"Hahaha! You're flustered too! We must drink three hundred cups! We must drink three hundred cups!"

It could be said that they had become acquainted through conflict.

It was Ji Mo who felt a bit awkward. Upon returning from the border, he saw his teacher and his "Bear Brother" treating each other like sworn brothers, and he didn't know how to address Wu Wang.

They would each address each other as they saw fit.

Half a month later, the first Goddess temple was completed in the capital.

Xu Mu, who was at the True Immortal realm, remained in the capital and did not immediately return to the Human Domain, acting as a guardian.

Ji Mo and Ling Xiaolan, however, were exceptionally busy. Wu Wang had dragged them into a "black room," and the three cultivators, who had not yet ascended to immortality, began to ponder how to sense the power of faith.

After completing this phase of the task, there were still more subjects set by Wu Wang, such as "Storage and Transmission of the Power of Faith," "The Influence of the Power of Faith on One's Own Cultivation," and "The Coexistence of the Power of Faith and Magic Power."

It seemed the three of them wouldn't be leaving the Women's Country anytime soon.

In the great hall of the royal palace, where a crystal ball, parchment scrolls, a forging platform, an alchemy furnace, a parasol, a lounge chair, a manual juicer, and other items were placed.

Ji Mo said worriedly, "I've withdrawn from the trial, so I don't have to worry about the Four Seas Pavilion's attitude anymore, but Fairy Ling..."

"I've withdrawn too," Ling Xiaolan said calmly, "I'm tired of it."

"Oh, right, I have a little something for you two."

Wu Wang smiled and took out two brocade boxes, thoughtfully opening them for the two.

Ji Mo's eyes lit up. He took the crystal-like fan ribs into his hand and then saw the thick instruction manual below.

This was actually a small magic tool that looked like a folding fan's ribs but could launch hidden weapons and spray anesthetic. Its strength lay in its ingenious design, though the materials were expensive and the refining process was mediocre.

Ling Xiaolan looked at the brocade box before her, blinked slightly, and carefully took out the two straws carved from jade.

"One for tea, one for wine."

Wu Wang said seriously, "Even though you often wear a bamboo hat, Fairy, whether you tilt your head back to drink or stick out your tongue to lick your tea and wine, it's somewhat ungraceful."

Ling Xiaolan's face instantly turned red, but she nodded calmly and replied, "Thank you, Brother Xiong."

Ji Mo, on the side, tried his best to hold back. If Ling Xiaolan hadn't drawn her sword so quickly, he would have burst out laughing.

Meanwhile, deep in the Western Plains.

Dozens of giant beasts, hundreds of feet long, lay in disarray, forming a mountain of flesh. An old man with bare feet, leaning on a staff and wearing a straw cloak, was reclining on the forehead of the highest beast, rubbing his toes against his calf.

So that's how you break the predicament of the Women's Country. Well done, little one.

"Shennong!"

A furious roar came from behind, from a giant dozens of feet tall.

This giant was bound like a zongzi with a rope flowing with immortal light and hung on the horns of a fierce beast. It had goat horns on its head, a human-like upper body, and two beast-leg-like lower bodies covered in black fur.

Most striking was the divine light surging around the giant, its aura alone powerful enough to change the color of the heavens and earth.

Of course, it was a bright sunny day.

The giant roared angrily, "You dare to insult me like this! The Heavenly Emperor will not let you go!"

"Don't get any ideas," Shennong said calmly without looking back. "For the past few hundred years of my dwindling lifespan, he won't step out of the Heavenly Palace even half a step... Aren't you going to tell me? Where is that thing?"

The giant gritted his teeth. "The Heavenly... Palace!"

"I mean, besides the Heavenly Palace."

"I have my dignity! You can kill me today, and I will absolutely not tell you that thing is in the Kunlun Hills! Hmph!"

Shennong couldn't help but stroke his beard and ponder.

The Queen Mother of the West?

That wouldn't be much easier than forcing his way into the Heavenly Palace.