72: Chapter 72 The Church of the Underworld

The one hundredth year.

The population of the Exploration Faction stabilized at two hundred thousand.

The population of the Technology Faction plummeted from 1.2 million to eight hundred thousand.

The leaders of the Technology Faction remained stubbornly convinced that technology was the only way out. They huddled in the central city district, barely maintaining the operation of their industrial system by relying on surviving equipment and spare parts.

But their situation grew worse and worse.

The energy systems frequently malfunctioned.

Food production lines were constantly shutting down.

Medical equipment failed on a massive scale.

The population mortality rate was five times that of the Exploration Faction.

And those biological chips and nanobots they were once so proud of began to become their death warrants.

Those chips gradually lost control within the Yin Qi, beginning to reverse-erode the hosts' bodies. Some people's brains were controlled by chips, turning them into puppets that only knew how to execute orders. Some people's bodies were devoured by nanobots, turning them into mindless lumps of flesh. Some people's chips suddenly exploded, blowing entire city blocks into the sky.

The Technology Faction began to fracture internally.

A portion of the people began to secretly contact the Exploration Faction.

They saw that the eyes of those in the Exploration Faction had turned grayish-white, saw that they were no longer eroded by Yin Qi, and saw them coexisting peacefully with those eerie existences.

A terrifying thought welled up in their hearts.

Perhaps, the Technology Faction was wrong.

Perhaps, the Exploration Faction was right.

The two hundredth year.

The population of the Exploration Faction grew to three hundred thousand.

The population of the Technology Faction plummeted to five hundred thousand.

Most of the Technology Faction members who defected to the Exploration Faction survived after experiencing a painful adaptation period. Their eyes turned grayish-white, their bodies adapted to the Yin Qi, and they began to understand the laws of this land.

And in this process, their perception of those Netherworld existences began to undergo a qualitative change.

It was no longer fear.

It was no longer awe.

It was faith.

At that moment, Su Bai was overlooking all of this from the world core.

He felt it.

He felt a faint but real presence of Power Of Faith gushing out from Chen Ming, converging on the Ghost Gate Pass, and then flowing through the Ghost Gate Pass into his world core.

That Power Of Faith was very weak, only a few tenths of a point.

But it was pure.

It came from the heart.

It was untainted by any ulterior motives.

Su Bai recalled what the Ghost King had said:

"From the fifth to the sixth rank, it is no longer a simple accumulation of power. Faith is required. There must be enough existences who truly believe in their hearts that you are a god."

Now, he finally understood the meaning of those words.

Faith is not something forced out through a Brand.

It comes from the heart.

It is true, pure, and unconditional belief and reliance.

He looked down at the human kneeling on the edge of the ruins.

That human was named Chen Ming.

The first human to truly have faith in the Netherworld.

The corners of Su Bai's mouth curled up slightly.

"Good."

Starting with Chen Ming, faith began to spread through the Exploration Faction.

Faith began to take root and sprout upon these ruins.

Su Bai believed that before long, his Ten Great Yin Marshals would each have a group of loyal believers.

By then, it would no longer be difficult for the Ten Great Yin Marshals to promote to the sixth rank.

The three hundredth year.

The population of the Exploration Faction grew to five hundred thousand.

The population of the Technology Faction plummeted to three hundred thousand.

The leaders of the Technology Faction finally could not hold out any longer.

They sent messengers to make peace with the Exploration Faction, requesting that the Exploration Faction take them in.

The leader of the Exploration Faction was Chen Ming.

He looked at those messengers, saw the fear and despair in their eyes, and remained silent for a long time.

He also recalled what White Impermanence had said:

"The law of the Netherworld is not revenge; it is justice."

"Good is rewarded with good, and evil with evil."

"Those willing to repent should be given a chance."

He took a deep breath and made a decision.

"We can take you in."

"But there is one condition."

The messengers were overjoyed: "What condition?"

Chen Ming pointed at the towering giant gate in the distance.

"Go there."

"Kneel before the Ghost Gate Pass."

"Repent sincerely."

"Pray for acceptance by the Netherworld."

"Otherwise, die."

The messengers turned pale.

But they had no choice.

On that day in the seventh month of the three hundredth year, two hundred thousand members of the Technology Faction knelt before the Ghost Gate Pass.

They knelt for three days and three nights.

Some knelt until they died.

Some knelt until they went mad.

Some knelt until their legs were crippled.

But even more survived.

When they opened their eyes, they saw those figures floating in the Yin Qi.

Black and White Impermanence.

The Ghost Bride.

Day and Night Patrols.

Ox-Head and Horse-Face.

The Four Great Demon Underworld Envoys.

Those existences that once terrified them were now quietly watching them.

White Impermanence still wore a smile on his face.

"Rise."

"The Netherworld accepts you."

Two hundred thousand people were moved to tears.

The four hundredth year.

The Exploration Faction and the Technology Faction completely merged.

The human population grew from five hundred thousand to eight hundred thousand.

Most of those former Technology Faction members survived after experiencing a painful adaptation period. Their eyes turned grayish-white, their bodies adapted to the Yin Qi, and they began to understand the laws of this land.

The five hundredth year.

The human population grew to 1.2 million.

They built Brand-new cities upon the ruins.

In the center of the square stood a massive statue.

It was a statue of the Ghost King.

A hundred zhang tall, clad in battle armor with a long sword at his waist, his golden eyes looked down upon all living beings.

On the base of the statue, four large words were carved:

[Netherworld Guardian]

The six hundredth year.

The human population grew to 1.6 million.

Faith began to be institutionalized.

They established the "Netherworld Church."

The purpose of the church was to spread the faith of the Netherworld, teach people to understand the principles of the cycle of life and death, and guide people toward kindness, awe, and gratitude.

The supreme leader of the church was called the "High Priest."

The first High Priest was Chen Ming.

His eyes had now turned pure silver.

His aura had reached the peak of the third rank.

He was the most powerful existence among humans.

But he was never arrogant about it.

He still woke up the earliest and went to sleep the latest every day. He personally led the believers in prayer, personally taught the young people the principles of faith, and personally visited every person in need of help.

He often said:

"I am not a leader."

"I am merely a believer."

"A believer who has lived a few years longer and understands a few more principles than you."

"The ones truly leading us are those existences."

"The Ghost King, Black and White Impermanence, the Ghost Bride, the Day and Night Patrols, Ox-Head and Horse-Face, and the Four Great Demon Underworld Envoys."

"And... the Creator."

The seven hundredth year.

The human population grew to two million.

Faith began to deepen.

They no longer just simply knelt and prayed, but began to contemplate the essence of faith.

Someone wrote the "Netherworld Sutra," expounding on the principles of the cycle of life and death.

Someone composed the "Ode to Ghost Gate Pass," praising that giant gate that guarded them.

Someone painted the "Illustration of the Ten Kings of Hell," depicting those existences they had never seen but firmly believed existed.

Someone compiled the "Record of Good and Evil," documenting the villains judged by the Netherworld and the virtuous people protected by it.

Faith was no longer just faith.

It became culture.

It became art.

It became a part of life.

The eight hundredth year.

The human population grew to 2.4 million.

Faith began to spread outward.

The four great races began to accept these humans.

Because they discovered that although these humans were weak, their faith was pure, their wisdom was unique, and their creativity was infinite.

The Mushroom People taught humans how to cultivate spores.

The Shadow Demons taught humans how to fold space.

The Ice Crystals taught humans how to control extreme cold.

The Naga taught humans how to survive in water.

Humans reciprocated with technology.

Reciprocated with art.

Reciprocated with faith.

A wonderful symbiotic relationship began to form between the four great races and humanity.