"The total number of believers must reach three hundred..."
Li Yue frowned slightly.
Including the eight people away from home, Li Family Village had only two hundred and twenty-three people.
Eighteen of them were children under five.
In other words—
Excluding the eight people away and the eighteen children under five.
The most believers he could have in Li Family Village was a hundred and ninety-seven.
He was still over a hundred short.
"It looks like I'll have to spread my faith to the other villages nearby..."
He murmured to himself.
But what he was uncertain about now was—
Were any of the three billion "Wild Gods" who had transmigrated from Blue Star in the villages near him?
It was easy to imagine.
If another Blue Star Deity was nearby, coexistence between them would be all but impossible!
Competing for believers was a clash over their most fundamental interests!
At that moment.
He suddenly understood why the deities in Blue Star's myths and legends could launch divine wars over faith, fighting until one side was dead.
Believers—
Were a deity's most important assets.
Want more believers?
Often, you would have to seize them from other deities!
Even if you did not rob them, other deities would come to rob you!
"I'll have Li Youming send people to investigate..."
"As long as I find out which villages' deities have suddenly manifested miracles, I'll know whether any Blue Star Deities are there..."
His expression settled.
So what if there were other Blue Star Deities?
His hundredfold offering amplification had given him three hundred and sixty strands of divine power in one stroke.
The other Blue Star Deities were surely still "Wild Gods," not yet promoted to Subordinate Ninth Rank to become Orthodox Land Gods!
Being one divine rank higher was enough to crush them with ease!
He opened the final "God War" interface and examined it.
He had tried this interface yesterday, but had been unable to open it.
He guessed—
It was because he had still been an unranked "Wild God" yesterday, so he could not open this interface.
[God War] [Unlock conditions]: Reach Subordinate Ninth Rank and have been a deity for more than one year [Activation cost]: One hundred strands of divine power. "The divine power required increases with each higher divine rank." [Activation effects]: 1. Forcibly matches you with a deity whose divine rank is no lower than your own for a divine war. The divine war consists of three stages. 2. First stage of the divine war—believer war! Both sides' supernatural believers wage war. The deity on the losing side of the believer war has their strength reduced by thirty percent. 3. Second stage of the divine war—subordinate god war! Both sides' subordinate gods or Yin Soldiers wage war. The deity on the losing side of the subordinate god war has their strength reduced by twenty percent. 4. Third stage of the divine war—battle of deities! The deities fight until one dies. [Divine war rewards]: All surviving believers of the losing side, five times the divine power listed under "Activation cost," a certain number of Blessing Talismans, Divine Law Fragments, etc.
"So this is God War?"
Li Yue's eyelids twitched slightly.
After reading the contents of this interface, his first thought was that the "Mastermind" was encouraging them to slaughter one another!
The rewards were far too generous.
He did not have enough believers right now.
All he had to do was activate "God War" once and win.
He would immediately gain a great many believers and complete [Personal quest—II]!
The divine power reward was substantial too, and he could also obtain "Blessing Talismans," "Divine Law Fragments," and more!
There was no doubt.
This "God War" interface would cause the deaths of countless Blue Star Deities in the future!
"A horse won't grow fat without night fodder, and a man won't grow rich without a windfall..."
"Isn't it the same for deities?"
"With a windfall, your strength could soar at once."
He sighed.
And "God War" could give a deity just such a windfall!
But it was too dangerous.
Every deity matched with him would have a divine rank no lower than his own.
What did "no lower" mean?
It meant that whoever voluntarily chose to enter "God War" matchmaking might be matched with someone of a higher rank, but never anyone of a lower rank!
Only if you did not voluntarily enter matchmaking, and were instead forcibly drawn into "God War," might you face someone of a lower divine rank.
Furthermore—
The divine war consisted of three stages, which alone showed the importance of believers and subordinate gods.
The strength of believers and subordinate gods directly affected victory in a divine war!
In other words—
The strength of believers and subordinate gods determined a deity's life or death!
"Will those Blue Star Deities who listed their tier-one 'Blessing Talismans' for sale regret it once they become Subordinate Ninth Rank Orthodox Land Gods?"
He chuckled softly.
Looking at the full two hundred and thirty-four strands of divine power he still had, he pondered for a moment.
In the end, he took out a hundred and sixty strands of divine power, opened the "Regional Trading" interface, and bought forty tier-one "Blessing Talismans."
Once more deities in this region ascended to become Subordinate Ninth Rank Orthodox Land Gods and could see the information in the "God War" interface.
They would inevitably begin buying up tier-one "Blessing Talismans" from the "Regional Trading" interface in large quantities!
When that happened—
The price of tier-one "Blessing Talismans" would surely rise again!
They might even become impossible to buy, no matter the price.
After all—
At present, tier-one "Blessing Talismans" were only available as rewards for [Personal quest—I].
They did not appear among the rewards for [Personal quest—II].
"Only seventy-four strands of divine power left..."
"But that should be enough for now."
"Casting a divine technique only requires 'ten strands of divine power.'"
"And no one can activate 'God War' yet anyway, since you have to have been a deity for a year."
"It's only the second day now."
Li Yue's expression settled.
But believers were not the only ones who mattered.
Subordinate gods mattered too.
And he did not have a single subordinate god right now.
"Judging by the information in 'God War,' do Yin Soldiers count as a kind of subordinate god?"
"Perhaps Yin Soldiers aren't subordinate gods, but they still count as fighting strength in the 'subordinate god war.'"
His eyes flashed.
How could he obtain Yin Soldiers?
It was simple.
As long as a believer's name was recorded in the "Land God Register," he could cast the divine technique "Confer Ghost Soldier" on their soul after death, turning them into a Yin Soldier!
Yin Soldiers could leave his "jurisdiction" without losing any strength!
They were a powerful means for deities to wage war beyond their borders.
"I'll take it slowly."
"Within a year, I should be able to confer a few Yin Soldiers."
"If all else fails—"
A gleam flashed in his eyes.
Late at night.
Li Youming sat cross-legged, cultivating.
After becoming the Temple Keeper during the day.
He had gained not only those five spells in his mind, but also a cultivation method.
This cultivation method was called the "Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation Method."
It could increase the elusive energy within his body—that breath, or perhaps it should be called "qi."
It could even raise his cultivation, allowing him to advance from middle tier two to upper tier two!
Naturally, he would not waste any time, and worked hard at his cultivation even at night.
He strove to reach upper tier two someday.
Only by becoming stronger could he better represent Lord Zhangyue as he walked the Mortal Realm!
And just then—
He suddenly felt a wave of drowsiness, then fell onto his bed and sank into a deep sleep.
In his dream, he once again saw Lord Zhangyue, lofty above him and towering like the heavens.
"Li Youming."
"As my Temple Keeper, you must spread my faith."
"Within one month, I wish to see more than three hundred believers devoted to me."
"And as my Temple Keeper, you must also know of the Outer Gods."
"Go and investigate the other Outer Gods nearby."
A voice filled with boundless majesty rolled forth, filling the entire dream world.
"Li Youming humbly obeys Lord Zhangyue's divine oracle!"
Li Youming knelt respectfully on the ground and spoke with reverence.
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