Chapter 43

"Your Majesty Void Mask, you intend to establish a pioneer village to serve as the foundation for your faith, is that correct?" Snowflake asked after she had grasped the situation regarding Sui Xiong.

"That is correct. Although I have not yet fully constructed my own system of faith, it will happen sooner or later," Sui Xiong replied candidly.

"In that case, I have a suggestion." With a flick of her finger, ice and snow danced rapidly across the "blackboard," and in moments, she had sketched out a large map.

She pointed to the map and said, "Look, our Four Northwest Towns are distributed from south to north along the Desolate Mountains, but in reality, there is plenty of room for one or two more towns even further north. The reason no one has gone there to pioneer is because of the frigid climate; the winters are simply too difficult to endure."

"However, for your followers, this is not a problem. I believe a deity who specializes in cold would certainly have a way to protect his followers from the freezing temperatures."

As she spoke, the map on the blackboard faded, replaced by an image of a shirtless man standing amidst ice and snow, posing to show off his muscles, with steam rising from the top of his head.

Seeing the floating jellyfish in the air nod slightly, Snowflake continued, "Since cold resistance is not an issue, then clearing land and farming are not issues either. Under these circumstances, the cold weather will not hinder your followers from multiplying and thriving; instead, it will become their natural defense. This defense might not be very effective against Magic Beasts, but it will absolutely be highly effective against those with evil intentions!"

On the blackboard, in the corner, a group of people in armor holding long spears attempted to ambush the shirtless man, only to be frozen into blocks of ice while still on the road.

Sui Xiong pondered this in his heart and nodded secretly.

What Snowflake said made a lot of sense. As a deity who excelled in cold-based magic, he indeed possessed special techniques for resisting the cold.

Unlike ordinary people who relied on warmth to resist the cold, he could absorb the cold itself. Once the cold was absorbed, what remained was naturally warmth. Therefore, as long as he left an avatar in each pioneer village to absorb the chill, or simply set up a magic array that could concentrate and condense the cold air, he could create areas as warm as spring in the middle of the frozen wilderness. A "Jiangnan of the North" was within reach.

Moreover... according to the things the God of Redemption had taught him, an excellent deity should allow followers to frequently perceive His presence and power, which could effectively increase the piety of the followers. A little Jiangnan inside the Kingdom of Ice and Snow... this would definitely allow all the pioneers to clearly experience his power, which would be of great benefit to increasing faith.

"This concept is excellent, but the expenses required would be too great." Palin, who had worked in a caravan, was sensitive to money and raised his objection after a brief calculation. "Pioneers can only be recruited from the Gold Coin Federation, and sending them from there to a place even further north than Dragon Roar Town would require a huge additional cost. And to build a village in that kind of frozen wasteland, even with the help of our Majesty's great divine power, the manpower and material resources consumed would be staggering!"

He shook his head and sighed, "Ms. Snowflake, your plan is indeed very tempting, but perhaps we must wait until our church has developed to a certain extent and has a sufficient foundation before we can carry it out."

What he said made sense, and Sui Xiong could not help but nod secretly again.

His few followers each had their own strengths: Gerald was formidable in combat and skilled at teaching students, making it easy for him to establish prestige among the pioneers; Palin was diligent, studious, and fond of thinking, and he understood some business knowledge, often offering valuable suggestions; Satan was knowledgeable, well-versed in magic, and had a fair amount of connections among the middle and upper classes; Rod was cautious and meticulous, making him best suited for filling gaps and preventing the team from making mistakes.

Just like a famous saying on Earth, talent is the most important thing! If he wanted to truly get his church up and running, spread his faith, and become a proper deity, the more talent, the better!

"You are right, but your vision is still not broad enough." Snowflake shook her head and smiled. "After all, you are too young and lack experience... just like that fellow Frost, who thinks he is very capable and useful all day long, but you have seen the result."

On the blackboard appeared a small dragon striking a cocky pose, head tilted back as it breathed fire, while a large dragon and a small dragon beside it sighed in unison. In the blink of an eye, the image was wiped away, returning to the previous topic: "Admittedly, for a deity, the development of faith is not something to rush. A hundred years is not long, and a thousand years is not short. In any case, a great deity is eternal and immortal. Even after countless years have passed, and someone as long-lived as me has turned into a pile of withered bones in a dragon graveyard with only a little cold air left, Your Majesty Void Mask will still be the same, perhaps just more mature and sophisticated."

"However, for a newborn deity, the first step in developing a church must be taken steadily and firmly. Just like building a house, the foundation must be laid deep and solid!"

As she spoke, the images on the blackboard changed into large stones being driven hard into the ground, upon which a towering castle was built, standing unmoved by wind or rain.

"Why?" Sui Xiong was not convinced just like that and pressed for the reason.

In the materials the God of Redemption had given him, there was no mention of this aspect.

Seeing that he did not understand, Snowflake continued: "As you said, building one or two pioneer villages in a more southern area where anyone can pioneer—this approach can indeed establish a region of faith, but people's faith must develop slowly. How can you ensure the rapid and stable acquisition of a large number of pious followers? How can you more clearly and explicitly proclaim Your Majesty Void Mask's great power to the people of this world?"

She raised a slender, white finger and manipulated her magic to draw a scene on the blackboard of a group of people piously worshipping a giant jellyfish in the sky, while nearby were many eyes hidden in the mist, some friendly and some treacherous.

Her drawing skills were superb; she used a style similar to chibi rather than realism, yet those pairs of eyes fully expressed the attitudes hidden behind them.

"For a deity, the first step in showing yourself to the whole world must be done beautifully, leaving a deep impression on everyone! You must know that there are many deities in this world. A new deity who wants to grow smoothly needs to win over allies, and it is inevitable to confront enemies. The more you demonstrate your excellence, the more you can win over stronger allies, and the more you can make those neutral deities unwilling to be your enemy, reducing potential foes."

"The world of deities is actually very cruel. Not every deity is as easy to talk to as Your Majesty Void Mask—and most deities in this world are not gentle or generous. If you don't show your fists, even a deity whose divine office does not conflict with yours might attack you just to win over allies or directly to plunder divine power."

As Snowflake explained, more and more eyes appeared hidden in the mist, the vast majority of which were filled with malice, making one feel uncomfortable just looking at them.

"Then let them come. I don't like to provoke others, but I am not afraid of a fight." Sui Xiong stared at the painting, his heart shaken, yet he felt no fear, only a surge of fighting spirit.

A fight? Fine! Who's afraid of whom!

Snowflake sighed and advised, "But this means that when you officially ascend to godhood, you must fight a large group of deities at the same time. Even if you are powerful enough to fight a group and win, it will inevitably cause heavy losses to your followers. Are you willing?"

The scene changed: the giant jellyfish fought with weapons in both hands, using eighteen different types of arms, clashing with countless eyes hidden in the mist. On the ground beneath, flames raged, and little figures ran for their lives, with many already lying dead in heaps, the scene truly miserable.

Looking at this scene, which was not at all exaggerated, Sui Xiong was rendered speechless.

He had once fought a demigod old tree spirit in the Shadow Plane, and the destruction caused by the battle between the two was comparable to a natural disaster. If they were to fight in a place like a pioneer village, let alone mortals, even Gerald might not survive among his followers.

"By contrast, through a large group of pious followers and a holy land that can be called a miracle in the mortal realm, you can completely make those opportunists give up the idea of attacking you. You would only have to confront the few whose divine offices overlap or conflict with yours. This not only increases your chances of winning but also reduces the damage to your followers."

Her voice was not loud, but combined with the image on the blackboard where the pairs of eyes gradually became friendly, there was a persuasive power in it: "In fact, if the gods see that you have such vision and ability, even deities who are inherently opposed to you are very likely to directly give up on direct conflict, allowing you to ascend to godhood smoothly without any resistance!"

Sui Xiong nodded repeatedly, his gaze falling on the image that kept changing, where the hostile eyes became fewer and fewer, eventually leaving only a few hiding in the distance. He remained silent for a long time, all his thoughts turning into a long sigh.

"You are right!"

For some reason, he could not help but recall the sentiments of Liu Bei after his "Longzhong Plan" discussion with Zhuge Liang.

Having Kongming is like a fish having water!

Snowflake's explanation, combined with those vivid "chalk drawings," gave him a sudden sense of enlightenment.

Previously, Sui Xiong had always felt that he did not know enough about this world and needed an advisor. After hearing this clear and persuasive analysis, he could not help but have this thought again.

Moreover, it had never been so intense.

"I need an advisor!" he said to himself. "And, one is right in front of me!"

"Someone who fully understands this world, has sufficient insight and wisdom, and is also a fellow enthusiast of painting—this is very important! Since coming to this world, this is the first time I have met someone who likes to draw!"

"If I miss out on such talent, I will regret it for at least a thousand years!"

Thinking of this, he no longer hesitated and said in the most earnest tone, "Ms. Snowflake, what you said is truly so reasonable! I would like to invite you to help me, to become my advisor and devise strategies for me. Would you be willing?"

Snowflake finally smiled: "If it weren't for those words, would I have bothered to spend so much effort telling you all this?"

Sui Xiong was stunned, then could not help but burst into laughter.

Thanks to reader Fanren Atu for the generous tip, and also thanks to readers: Abyss of All Evils, Snail sa, Feng, and Forward Comrade for their enthusiastic tips. Everyone's support is the motivation for my updates!