Firm Faith in the Heart, Calamity Approaches

The voice was incredibly alluring, but it alerted Qiu Yan. He was familiar with the voice; deep within his memory, a vision of a Seven-Colored Divine Sense surfaced.

Back then, Qiu Yan placed his seed in the Five Marshes and, through the Geluolan of the Saluo Tribe, introduced the Kitchen God Sacrifice to the Marshfolk. Several tribes then began to worship and erected clay statues of the deity.

One of the Duolai Tribe, had a dispute over changing customs and traditions. During the dispute, the Ancestral Spirits were causing trouble, so Qiu Yan descended to the realm of consciousness. However, he was ambushed by an unknown deity who manipulated the thoughts of a thousand people in an attempt to melt Qiu Yan's Divine Sense.

But Qiu Yan went with the flow, using this opportunity to experience thousands of lives, understand the human Human Path of the Marshfolk, then broke free and fought the god remotely around his main body. Finally Heart Demon to attack the enemy, forcing the opponent to shatter his Divine Sense.

At that time, the unknown deity displayed Seven-Colored Divine Sense, and the voice of that Divine Sense was also charming and alluring, which Qiu Yan would never forget.

Hearing this now, my heart stirred, and I realized that the unknown deity had a profound connection with the Five Marshes.

"Why be nervous? I am not here to make things difficult for you. We are on the same side now." The soft and charming voice rose again. Qiu Yan's mind changed, causing his aura to fluctuate slightly. The god noticed this and spoke in this way.

Seeing that the other party had gotten to the point, Qiu Yan didn't mince words and asked, "You must be Marshfolk spirit. May I ask what brings you here? And why do you say we are on the same side?"

The voice continued, "No rush, no rush. You might as well settle the believers in this village first, then we can talk about other things. You have quite the skill; you've easily gained so many devout believers. Almost an entire village, saving you a lot of trouble. If word gets out, it will be the envy of all the gods."

"A people of unwavering faith?" Qiu Yan's eyes flickered slightly. He was familiar with the term "unwavering faith" and had already formed a certain understanding of it before, but hearing it spoken in this context, and placed within the context of a complete sentence, gave it an unusual flavor.

Just then, a rustling sound came from Fenglin Stockade, accompanied by whispers. It was as many villagers, seeing that the chaos outside had subsided, came out of their houses and talked to each other.

Their faces were filled with lingering fear, and their eyes held an undisguised panic, yet also a mixture of dread and anticipation.

Among them, Yuan Shoufang, who was guarding the stockade, stood out. Although he was also shaken, his resolve was exceptionally strong. After falling from the railing, he knelt down and kowtowed towards Qiu Yan in the sky.

In the darkness of night, Qiu Yan's Divine Spirit Body glowed faintly, flames on his head fluttering like a headscarf, his divine power spreading down and covering the ground along with the moonlight. Such a scene was impossible for anyone to ignore or overlook.

Seeing Yuan Shoufang's reaction, the other villagers were slightly taken aback, then whispered among themselves.

People's words are like drops of water, slowly gathering and forming a stream. They contain a kind of momentum that can influence the thoughts of others and unify their ideas.

Soon, led by the village chief Zhang Lin, the others also knelt down.

After several bows, with the Divine Name in their hearts, the chaotic thoughts of the people gradually calmed down, and the confusion caused by the unexpected event also subsided.

For the villagers of Fenglin Stockade, today's events have been full of twists and turns, and they hold extraordinary significance within the context of the village's entire history.

A month ago, Yuan Shoufang returned, causing changes in the village. This was the beginning of a subtle transformation, leading the villagers to formally establish the worship of the Kitchen God.

Don't underestimate this formality. Having been a deity for so long, Qiu Yan had long since discovered that simply believing in the Kitchen God, while it could generate Incense Faith, was intermittent and unstable. Moreover, compared to proper sacrifices, it was far inferior in both quantity and quality of incense offerings.

That is why Qiu Yan values Marshfolk tribe, because these tribes have diverse living environments and are more eager to entrust their spiritual needs to the gods, making it easier for new gods to take root.

In contrast, establishing the worship of a new god among the Great Rui was no easy task. Qiu Yan only managed to carve out a space in Jiannan Circuit and spread the name of the Kitchen God through several events. Even now, although there has been some development, the expansion speed is limited.

This is because the social system of Great Rui was well-developed, the composition of its deities was very stable, and they were deeply integrated into all aspects of social life, making it extremely difficult to infiltrate them.

Therefore, the Five Marshes, with their still unstable social structure, undoubtedly became the first choice.

On the other hand, due to the existence of various tribes, there are connections between them, but also barriers. This allows Qiu Yan to test his understanding of the Divine Path on several tribes, collect information, and then make adjustments, laying the foundation for future integration.

The spread of sacrificial rituals is difficult to reverse. If a deviation is caused by carelessness, as the entire sacrificial community grows, the initial mistake may eventually become a major problem. As the number of people increases, a single mistake can have far-reaching consequences, and it may become difficult to reverse the situation.

One wrong step leads to another.

It is important to understand that in the current pantheon, the relationship between believers and deities is not one of hierarchy in the conventional sense, but rather a mutually dependent community. The affairs of the believer community will reflect on and influence the deities, causing them to gradually deviate from their Original Edition course.

Throughout history, there has never been a shortage of deities whose temperaments have drastically changed and whose personalities have been reversed. Ultimately, many of these changes were due to the influence of believers, which caused the talismans to change and ultimately affected their personalities.

By utilizing the relatively independent Marshfolk tribes, Qiu Yan was able to summarize his experiences through comparison, make timely adjustments, and reduce potential hidden dangers. After all, as a deity, he was essentially isolated and helpless, and he had to take every step by himself and explore on his own. Even if others could offer guidance for a while, they were merely passersby in the long run and could not stay for long.

Therefore, under these circumstances, Fenglin Stockade becomes particularly special.

This is a village called Great Rui, which resembles Marshfolk tribe. The people in the village are not Marshfolk, but people from the Central Plains. Although they are influenced by the Marshfolk in terms of customs and traditions, their inner culture, such as morality and value system, still conforms to the Central Plains dynasty.

They possess the spirit of the Central Plains, yet remain relatively independent, and are as easily influenced as the Marshfolk.

This unique combination can provide Qiu Yan with more valuable information and even help him develop a direction for the expansion of the Divine Path.

In fact, Qiu Yan had already sensed something amiss from the villagers' behavior today—

Today, the villagers are in dire straits, and the spirit of the entire village is almost decadent. Then, a fire was lit in the clay sculpture and shot into the sky, causing the villagers' State of Mind to fluctuate. Although there was fear, there was also hope. Unfortunately, the good times did not last long. The monk's Will Descent and he manifested a golden giant, which made the villagers' thoughts waver again and even shook the foundation of the Kitchen God Sacrifice, causing the incense to decline!

Then, Qiu Yan fought a fierce battle with the golden giant, which shook the mountains and rivers, and caused the Milky Way and Galaxy Heavenly Fire to fly. The villagers who were not close by could see it clearly, and even those several miles away could see it clearly. The surrounding Marshfolk tribes were all startled and panicked, not to mention all the creatures on Nine Spirits Mountain and the thousands of aquatic creatures in the Great Snow River.

The power beyond the imagination of ordinary people is most likely to shock their hearts. The Fenglin Stockade in a State of Mind with many ups and downs and had long lost their will. When the Marshfolk disappeared and the giant was gone, only Qiu Yan remained. When they associated the clay sculptures in the village, they immediately realized that it was a manifestation of the gods. Their longing and awe for the Kitchen God reached its peak!

In an instant, everyone's thoughts transformed into Votive Thoughts, converging on the clay sculpture of the village, soaring into Qiu Yan's Divine Spirit Body. Within the dazzling stars of the Divine Power Space, several more stars immediately appeared!

"A people of unwavering faith...?"

Through the connection of incense, Qiu Yan could sense the thoughts and ideas of many villagers. He knew that the people's faith in the Kitchen God was stronger than that of most believers in Jiannan Circuit. Unless the village was destroyed by some unexpected event or subdued by other deities, their worship of the Kitchen God would continue, be imprinted in their blood, passed down from generation to generation, and eventually become a part of their culture, indistinguishable from each other.

"Integrating rituals into cultural heritage, subtly influencing all aspects of life, is undoubtedly an ideal state for the gods. It ensures the incense offerings continue uninterrupted, and even if they are extremely weak, they will not vanish into thin air, unless the talismans are stolen by others. I never expected that my battle with that golden giant would cause such a change in this village... Hmm?"

Suddenly, Qiu Yan sensed something and realized that among the villagers, one person exuded an aura that was different from others.

This person was none other than Yuan Shoufang.

At this very moment, a firm will actually coalesced in Yuan Shoufang's heart, manifesting as a radiant divine statue!

God sits in my heart.

Its light permeates every part of the heart, dispelling all distracting thoughts and even dispelling any awe one might have for other deities. No extraordinary power can coexist with the Kitchen God.

"What's going on? Although I left a bit of divine power in Yuan Shoufang's heart, it was only to calm his mind. He actually used this connection to condense a god within his heart. In terms of purity, it is even better than the god statues formed in the Land of the Divine Remains using the method of Contemplating the Spirit."

While Qiu Yan was investigating, Yuan Shoufang seemed to sense something. His muscles and bones twitched, and his energy flowed. He was moved by Qiu Yan's Divine Eye and fell into a state of enlightenment. His cultivation suddenly broke through the bottleneck, Force Penetrating the Marrow!

Yuan Shoufang's cultivation level was originally on par with Zhang Xue, the son of the chieftain. Now, with the unification of his strength, he immediately surpassed the latter. The combination of Bright Force Hidden Force vibrated his bone membranes, causing his pores to tremble slightly and his hair to stand on end. He had developed the Vibratory Force!

Foundation Establishment Level 3!

In the mortal martial arts world, this would already be considered a skill level.

Zhang Xue followed his father and knelt down next to Yuan Shoufang. He immediately sensed something, his eyelids twitched, but he dared not say anything. He had wanted to punch the clay sculpture earlier, but now that the gods had appeared, he was more frightened than anyone else.

"He broke through the martial arts bottleneck with just a glance and Divine Sense? Yuan Shoufang's current state is extraordinary; it must involve the secrets of the Divine Path!"

Qiu Yan understood this, and then he heard a soft, alluring voice again.

"From the change in your aura, I can sense a hint of surprise. It seems you are unaware of the division of believers. Very well, since we have met by chance, I will inform you of the division of believers as a show of sincerity, so that when disaster strikes, we can truly join forces."

ps:

Thank you "Misaka01898" for the monthly pass!