14: Chapter 14 Faith Arrives and Danger Rehearses

The next morning, Lin Yuan received the 10 standard faith units transferred by Boss Qian as agreed. There was no physical currency exchange; only the anonymous "psionic beacon" he had left in the black market grew slightly warm. On the system interface, the [faith reserve] column jumped from a pitiful 0.507 to 10.507.

An unprecedented sense of "fullness" instantly enveloped his soul. If the previous 0.5 points of faith were like a candle flickering in the wind, these 10 points were like lighting a stable oil lamp—though the light was still limited, it was enough to illuminate the surroundings and provide continuous heat and power.

He immediately felt the difference. His perception of the surrounding energy (though very thin in the city) became a fraction clearer, the crude interface of the Godhood System seemed a bit smoother, and more importantly, his ability to mobilize and manipulate Power of Faith was significantly enhanced. If he had been struggling to scoop water with a strainer before, he now had at least a stable small ladle.

But these 10 points of faith were a "loan"; they had to be used where they mattered most and generate a sufficient return.

In the afternoon, Boss Qian's message arrived, accompanied by several blurry pictures and a brief description:

"The things you wanted aren't easy to find. For stabilizing the Yin Qi of the ley lines, there's an 'Earth Qi Anchor Talisman.' It's single-use and can temporarily solidify the flow of Earth Qi in a small area for about fifteen minutes, preventing ley line energy from running wild and affecting the operation during 'surgery.' Black market price is 3 faith points each; I talked them down to 2.5 points for you. How many do you want?

"Something to gently guide resentment... that's even more niche. I found a 'soul soothing guide.' It's said to be an old item blessed with the residual divine power of an 'Earth God' whose incense offerings were nearly cut off. Its effect is to emit an aura of 'tranquility' and 'attraction' that low-level spirit bodies and pure resentment feel, guiding them to approach unconsciously. Note, it only attracts and soothes; it has no transcendence or purification functions, and its effect is very poor against those slightly stronger or clearly malicious. This thing has some years on it, so its effectiveness is questionable. The seller is eager to sell and asking 5 faith points. Do you want it?"

Lin Yuan carefully looked at the picture of the "soul soothing guide." It was a palm-sized, dull-colored bronze small incense burner with blurry patterns of mountains, rivers, and land carved on the body, and a little aged incense ash inside. The spiritual sensation was indeed very weak, but that charm of "tranquility" and "earth" couldn't be faked.

He quickly calculated: two "Earth Qi Anchor Talismans" for 5 points, and the "soul soothing guide" for 5 points—exactly 10 points. It would spend everything perfectly but solve two key needs: stabilizing the operational environment and guiding (at least part of) the target resentment.

"I'll take them all. How do we trade?" Lin Yuan replied.

"Old place, Zishi Market, tonight. I'll bring the items to you, and the faith points will be transferred directly." Boss Qian was efficient.

Late at night, behind the City God Temple. Lin Yuan stepped into that bizarre black market space again. Boss Qian was already waiting for him in a relatively quiet corner, without any subordinates.

The transaction was completed quickly. He received two talismans drawn on strange leather with complex patterns emitting a faint earthy-yellow glow, as well as the cold, heavy bronze small incense burner. Lin Yuan transferred 10 points of faith (via an intermediate black market platform) to the anonymous account designated by Boss Qian.

"I've given you the goods; how they work depends on your own skill." Boss Qian tucked away the transaction receipt and lowered his voice. "Also, I'll give you a piece of news for free. 'Mr. Mo' seems to have been active nearby again recently. There are rumors he's looking for 'high-quality composite Baleful Lands,' seemingly wanting to refine something. The things in your park might have already been 'marked' by him. You'd better move fast and settle it before he remembers this 'semi-finished product,' or... don't let him find out it's you touching his 'things.'"

Lin Yuan felt a chill in his heart. This news was worse than expected. That mysterious Mr. Mo might not just be a fraud, but a real, purposeful evil cultivator. Not only did he have to deal with a dangerous aggregate, but he might also attract an even more terrifying mastermind.

"Thank you for the warning," Lin Yuan thanked him solemnly.

"Just taking what we each need." Boss Qian waved his hand. "By the way, I have a client interested in your 'Optimization diagnosis' service. He's in cross-border e-commerce, with teams all over the place; the internal competition and communication costs are ridiculously high. Once you're done with your business here, shall we set a time to chat?"

"Sure." Lin Yuan agreed. This might be an important step in establishing a stable secular income and a source of high-quality aspiration power.

Carrying the two newly acquired items and a heavy weight of pressure, Lin Yuan returned to his apartment. He didn't rest immediately but began an intense "rehearsal."

First, he needed to familiarize himself with his newly acquired power (10 points of faith) and the items.

He tried to manipulate Power of Faith more finely. Previously, he could only roughly guide it to trigger talismans or deploy a weak mental barrier; now, he could try to shape and weave Power of Faith. He spent two hours and barely managed to use Power of Faith to condense an extremely unstable, fist-sized energy orb with a faint sense of "Optimization" order in his palm. The orb had no offensive power, but it seemed to slightly smooth out the surrounding energy ripples and allowed him to perceive the "veins" of energy flow more clearly.

This might be used during "surgery" to "comb" and "guide" the stripped streams of resentment energy.

Next, he studied the "soul soothing guide." Injecting a wisp of Power of Faith, the small incense burner glowed slightly, and the aged incense ash inside moved without wind, emitting an extremely elegant, soul-quieting scent of sandalwood mixed with the smell of earth after rain. This scent might just be pleasant to an ordinary person, but in Lin Yuan's current spiritual sense and [Weak Chaos Perception] state, he could "see" ripples of faint golden light filled with thoughts of "soothing" and "belonging" slowly spreading out from the incense burner.

He tried to guide this scent toward a small, grayish energy ball in the corner of the room that he had intentionally condensed with negative emotions and stray thoughts (recalling debt pressure). After the gray ball came into contact with the golden ripples, it clearly became "quieter" and slowly, unconsciously drifted a bit toward the incense burner.

It worked! Although the guiding force was weak and the speed was slow, the direction was clear! This was crucial for him, as he needed to precisely guide the "surgery" subjects.

Finally, there was the "Earth Qi Anchor Talisman." He had no test subject, so he could only carefully perceive the heavy, stable energy structure inside the talisman, imagining how it would connect with the earth's aura after being triggered.

By the time he finished all this, it was already three in the morning. He had consumed about 1 point of faith in practice and testing, dropping his reserve to 9.507. Fatigue washed over him like a tide, but his spirit was slightly more at ease because he was prepared.

He pulled up his refined "Energy Restructuring Surgery" plan and performed a final mental deduction:

Step One: Infiltration and Field Preparation.

• Enter at night, using the soothing scent of the "soul soothing guide" to lower the hostility and activity of the peripheral resentment as much as possible.

• At key nodes on the periphery of the core factory building, pre-place the "Earth Qi Anchor Talisman" (possibly two) to stabilize the ley line energy of the surgical area and prevent accidental disturbances.

Step Two: Stripping Attempt (The most dangerous step).

• Target: Prioritize separating the relatively independent "Infant Spirit Resentment," which might be "newer" and more affected by the "soul soothing guide."

• Method: Continuously attract it with the "soul soothing guide," and use his own "Optimization" Power of Faith to construct a guiding channel (similar to an energy conduit), attempting to "pull" the Infant Spirit Resentment out of the aggregate and guide it toward a temporary "Soul Soothing Talisman Array" (drawn on the ground or a specific carrier) prepared in advance with his own blood and "purification" intent.

• Risks: Might alarm the entire aggregate, triggering a counterattack; energy loss of control during the stripping process; resistance from the Infant Spirit Resentment itself.

Step Three: Isolation and Response.

• If the Infant Spirit Resentment is successfully stripped, immediately use the strongest means (one remaining Ancient Battlefield Talisman + faith light orb suppression) to try to temporarily "isolate" or "soothe" it.

• Simultaneously, the main body of the aggregate (Work Injury Resentment + Ancient Battlefield Baleful Qi) will likely be provoked and launch an attack. Use the shockwaves of the bronze bell and the "Optimization" barrier for defense and interference to buy time.

• Depending on the aggregate's reaction, decide the next move: either attempt to use the remaining talismans and all Power of Faith to perform a "forced seal" on the Ancient Battlefield Baleful Qi core, or retreat immediately and plan for the long term.

Step Four: Follow-up Treatment.

• If the Infant Spirit Resentment is successfully stripped and temporarily controlled, try subsequent guidance or seek professional transcendence.

• If the Baleful Qi core is successfully sealed or weakened, immediately set about changing the park's layout to destroy the "Gathering Yin and Locking Evil" arrangement.

• Regardless of success or failure, Chairman Liu must be notified immediately to cooperate on a physical level (such as adjusting the layout according to the Preliminary Plan).

The plan was rough and full of uncertainty and risk. But it was the only feasible path he could think of at the moment.

He glanced at the system interface.

[faith reserve: 9.507]

[divine breath Countdown: 25 days, 15 hours, 42 minutes]

[Status: Weak Chaos Perception (approx. 18 hours remaining)]

[Items: Ancient Battlefield Talisman x1, Damaged Heart-Cleansing Spirit-Tranquilizing Bell x1, Earth Qi Anchor Talisman x2, soul soothing guide x1, a few medicinal herbs.]

Equipment, status, and plan were all ready.

All that remained was execution.

He needed to rest and recharge his energy. Tomorrow daytime would be the final safe time; he planned to purchase some auxiliary supplies: high-intensity flashlights, batteries, protective gloves, a first-aid kit, and... some high-purity cinnabar and special incense sticks (as backups).

Then, tomorrow night, when the moon was dark and the wind high, would be the moment for him, the "God of Ruins," to launch an "Optimization Restructuring" challenge against that deformed aggregate in Yongxin Cultural and Creative Park.

If he succeeded, he would temporarily solve his urgent problem and gain valuable experience, faith points, and potential client resources.

If he failed... there might not be a next time.

He turned off the light and lay on the bed. In the darkness, the dull pain in the meridians of his right arm and the cold touch of the bronze bell in his arms were exceptionally clear.

The city outside was still sleeping, and no one knew that a debt-ridden apprentice deity was preparing for an adventure that might shake the energy balance of this neighborhood.

And in the deeper darkness, was that existence known as "Mr. Mo" watching him, this uninvited guest who dared to touch his "work," through some means?

No one knew.

Only the countdown was passing, silently and steadily.