2: Foundation of Faith

The morning sun rose, casting golden light across the wasteland. Shen Xiaochuan stood up from his high vantage point.

He glanced at the system panel; his faith points were at 2,700. The number was still climbing, increasing by one every second.

The five hundred Warriors had already finished dismantling the three thatched huts and cleared the ground. Broken wood and mud were piled to one side, revealing a clearing.

"Time to divide the labor."

Shen Xiaochuan walked to the front of the group. His voice wasn't loud, but everyone heard him clearly.

"Three hundred people will continue leveling the land to prepare for the Barracks. Fifty will dig trenches and build walls using the salvaged wood and stone. The remaining hundred will rotate on guard duty in pairs, switching every hour."

The Warriors acted immediately; no one asked why, and no one stopped.

A sturdy warrior with a scar on his face stepped forward: "Lord God, I'll lead the guard unit."

Shen Xiaochuan glanced at him. "What is your name?"

"Chen Yan."

"Good. You're in charge of the south and west. There are many woods there, and there might be wild beasts."

Chen Yan nodded and turned to leave. His movements were swift, and his commands were clear.

Shen Xiaochuan opened the Faith Mall.

The blueprint for a Basic Barracks cost 5,000 points; he was still halfway there. A Low-level Weapon Forge was 3,000 points, and a Defensive Wall was 4,000 points—he didn't have enough for any of them.

He entered the Huaxia Divine Domain channel.

The channel was full of messages from New Gods.

Someone had just summoned thirty Believers and was celebrating.

Someone had found a water source and was asking for tools.

Another person was being attacked by a pack of Wind Wolves, suffering heavy losses and desperately calling for help.

Shen Xiaochuan scrolled through them one by one.

Most people had fewer than a hundred Believers, with a combat power of around 60. Having two hundred was already considered a strong start.

But he had five hundred Warriors under his command with an average combat power of 89, much stronger than the others.

He closed the channel, feeling reassured.

Resources were the most important thing. Without mines or Crystal Veins, development would be slow.

He summoned three Scouting Spirits and pointed in four directions: "Split up and Scout the paths. Return in two hours. Focus on finding ore veins, water sources, and the locations of hostile gods."

The spirits turned into smoke and quickly vanished.

Shen Xiaochuan stood and waited.

An hour later, the spirit from the east returned first.

"Thirty miles to the east, there is a divine domain. Their flag is a Black Cross, and their Believers wear iron armor. There are about four hundred of them."

Shen Xiaochuan frowned. An enemy so close?

"What about the south?"

The second spirit returned: "There's a pack of Wind Wolves in the southern woods, over five hundred of them. Their nest is in a cave, surrounded by many white bones."

"The west?"

The third spirit brought good news: "Fifteen miles to the west, there's an underground crystal ore vein. No one has developed it yet, and crystals are visible on the surface."

Shen Xiaochuan's eyes lit up.

crystal ore! The thing a novice lacked most. It could be used to upgrade buildings, strengthen Believers, and exchange for blueprints.

With enemies to the east and fierce beasts to the south, only the west was safe—and it had a mine.

He couldn't miss this opportunity.

He immediately shouted, "Chen Yan!"

"Here!"

"Take two hundred men and follow me to the west. The others stay here and continue working."

"Yes, sir!"

Two hundred men quickly lined up. Chen Yan walked at the front with a steady pace.

The group set off, heading west.

On the way, Shen Xiaochuan asked, "Do you think we can hold this mine?"

Chen Yan looked back at him. "As long as we occupy it first, we can build walls. If they don't come, then fine. If they do, we fight."

Shen Xiaochuan smiled.

This man was bold and spoke tough.

After walking for a while, the group stopped.

Below the hillside ahead, among a patch of gray-brown rocks, several glowing crystals were scattered. They were blue-white, the size of a fist, and embedded in the rock crevices.

"This is the place," the spirit said.

Shen Xiaochuan nodded. "Start mining. Chen Yan, take ten men and keep watch from the high ground. The rest of you, divide into five groups and take turns digging."

The Warriors set to work, using stone hammers to smash the rocks and extract the crystals.

Soon, the ore was piled into a small mound.

Shen Xiaochuan saw a system prompt:

[Obtained Basic crystal ore × 127]

His faith points reached 7,800.

He wasn't in a hurry to summon new people or build Barracks.

He knew there would be more benefits ahead.

A few minutes later, the system chimed:

[Divine Kingdom resources have reached the standard. Intermediate permissions unlocked.]

[New functions added: Believer Strengthening Talisman, Bronze Treasure Chest (Limited-time draw).]

Shen Xiaochuan's eyes brightened.

He clicked on the [Believer Strengthening Talisman].

The description was simple: Spend 1,000 faith points to randomly increase a Believer's combat power by 10-30 points and activate potential talents.

He looked at Chen Yan, who was directing the mining.

The man was moving a large rock with effortless, efficient movements.

Shen Xiaochuan walked over and said softly, "Chen Yan, come here for a moment."

Chen Yan wiped his sweat and walked over quickly, standing straight.

Shen Xiaochuan said, "Stretch out your hand."

Chen Yan immediately complied.

Shen Xiaochuan pressed the strengthening talisman into his palm, and a golden light flashed.

System prompt:

[Believer Chen Yan has accepted strengthening.]

[combat power increased from 89 to 112.]

[Hidden potential detected: D-grade "Resilient Body" has been activated.]

Chen Yan's body shook, his muscles tightened, and his breathing grew heavy.

He looked down at his hand and suddenly clenched his fist.

"My strength... it's grown stronger."

Shen Xiaochuan looked at him. "How do you feel?"

"It's like a warm current is running through my bones. I can carry heavier things and run further."

"It's more than that."

Shen Xiaochuan said, "From now on, you'll recover faster, have more endurance, and be able to carry three times the burden of an ordinary warrior."

Chen Yan looked up, his eyes shining. "Lord God, I want to try it out."

"Try what?"

"I could lead a team to attack the Wind Wolf Nest right now."

Shen Xiaochuan shook his head. "No."

"Why?"

"The mining isn't finished, the Barracks aren't built, and the walls aren't up. We can't take risks."

"But we have the advantage!"

"Advantages must be used at the right time."

Shen Xiaochuan looked into the distance. "The mine to the west must be held; it's our foundation. The Wind Wolves to the south will be cleared later, but only when we are ready."

Chen Yan was silent for a few seconds before nodding. "I understand."

"Remember, winning a war isn't about impulse. It's about resources, planning, and taking it step by step."

"Yes, sir."

Shen Xiaochuan patted his shoulder. "From today on, you are the Vanguard Captain. You will help me manage this unit."

Chen Yan straightened his back. "I won't let you down."

Just then, news came from those left behind: the construction site was normal, the Natives had started helping move ore, and morale was stable.

Shen Xiaochuan nodded and checked his faith points again.

8,800 points.

In twelve more seconds, he would reach 10,000 points.

He planned to summon a thousand Artisans in one go. With people, construction could be accelerated.

But he didn't rush to click confirm.

He walked to the edge of the mine, squatted down, and touched an exposed crystal.

It was cold, hard, and had a slight sense of energy.

This was the first pot of gold for his Divine Kingdom.

"Chen Yan."

"Here."

"Send fifty men to mine in shifts, and the rest return to the main area to build walls. By this time tomorrow, I want to see the framework of the Barracks."

"Understood."

Chen Yan turned to leave.

Shen Xiaochuan suddenly called out to him again, "Wait."

Chen Yan stopped.

Shen Xiaochuan looked at his back. "You said you wanted to attack the Wind Wolf Nest... Tell me, how do you plan to do it?"

Chen Yan turned back, his gaze firm. "Lord God, I think we should first send spirits to Scout the Wind Wolves' entry and exit routes. Then, I'll lead two hundred men to raid the entrance, using gunpowder to collapse the cave mouth and force them out. We'll set an ambush outside and kill them with a Spear Formation."

Shen Xiaochuan looked at him, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.

"Not bad."

"Lord God, I have a question."

"Speak."

"When will we—"

Shen Xiaochuan raised his hand to interrupt.

In the distance, a spirit came flying quickly toward them.

It was a Scout from the main area.

It landed and said:

"Lord God, there's movement in the hostile divine domain to the east. The cross flag is moving, and a hundred-man squad is heading our way."