83: Incense never ceases, temples last forever

“Ding! Please explore on your own, Host!”

I’ll explore your der!

Pain makes people irritable.

Lin Chuping was in so much pain at this moment that he wished he could curse.

Unfortunately, the unreliable System left him with that one sentence and then fell silent. Lin Chuping had no choice but to endure the bone-gnawing pain and try again and again to gather the Divine Power that had already spiraled out of control.

This Divine Power was like a group of wild horses, running rampant through his body, completely disobedient.

Each collision felt like his Soul was being torn apart, a sensation that was simply indescribable.

So exhilaratingly painful!

“Ugh ah—”

Another wave of intense pain hit him, and Lin Chuping curled his body up, feeling as if his head had been split in two, one half burning, the other freezing.

* * *

At this critical moment, at the foot of the mountain, the villagers of Chang Sheng Village and Nan Shu Village swarmed towards the temple.

Torches, one after another, formed a long fiery Dragon, their light clearly illuminating everyone's faces, which were filled with solemnity and piety.

Even the usually noisy children, who could never stay still for a moment, now obediently followed behind the adults, mimicking their every move, not daring to make a sound, fearing any mistake.

Before long, in the square in front of the temple, hundreds of people knelt in a dense mass. At the very front was the energetic Liu Chunsheng, his bronze sacrificial knife reflecting the torchlight, cutting a sharp arc in front of the temple.

Then he shouted loudly:

“The glorious Heavenly Dao, the manifest Divine Might.”

“We, the humble commoners, now with sincere hearts, respectfully offer three sacrificial animals and five grains before Lord Chuping—”

His voice echoed through the valley, every word pious, bouncing off the mountain walls and returning, the lingering sound swirling.

After speaking, Liu Chunsheng was the first to prostrate himself, his forehead heavily striking the ground.

“Respectfully offered to Lord Chuping!”

After this sentence, all the villagers shouted in unison, simultaneously touching their foreheads to the ground, their voices like a great bell, their Aura proud.

Some villagers kowtowed so forcefully that blood seeped from their foreheads, yet they seemed not to notice, still pressing their heads firmly against the ground.

Invisible Power Of Faith, with each kowtow and each shout, gathered in the air, surging like a tide towards the temple.

At this moment, their faith in Lord Chuping gave them strength, gave them value, gave them life!

After three sacrifices, Liu Chunsheng raised the sacrificial knife high.

“First offering of clear wine, to cleanse away impurities!”

As he spoke, he vigorously splashed the vessel filled with murky wine, and the wine, like a silver curtain of water, splattered onto the base of the divine statue, giving rise to layers of misty vapor, which appeared even more mysterious under the torchlight.

“May the divine eyes be like torches, seeing our earnest hearts!”

“May the divine eyes be like torches!”

Everyone pounded their chests in unison.

The sacrificial knife swung out, a cold glint flashed, and a lock of goat's beard floated into the brazier.

“Second offering of livestock, for the vital Qi to ascend!”

Liu Chunsheng dipped his finger in sheep's blood and drew a blood talisman on the base of the divine statue, “May the Divine Might be like a mountain, guarding the peace and tranquility of this land!”

“Third offering of fine grains, each grain devout!”

Liu Chunsheng held up golden wheat stalks, and the flames instantly engulfed them.

“May divine grace be like rain, nourishing the green seedlings in the fields!”

“May divine grace be like rain!”

“Crack—”

At the end of the ritual, Liu Chunsheng suddenly cut his palm, and fresh blood splattered onto the toes of the divine statue.

“Now, evil blood is invading, and demonic clouds press down!”

As he roared, veins bulged on his neck, and he pointed to the surging bloody mist in the distance, “We, the old ones, are willing to offer our flesh and blood as sacrifice, to beg the revered god to manifest—”.

“Incense never ceases! Blood offerings never stop! The temple stands eternal!”

“Incense never ceases! Blood offerings never stop! The temple stands eternal!”

Amidst the frantic sounds of kowtowing, the ground began to tremble.

* * *

Inside the temple, in the depths of Lin Chuping’s consciousness, which was almost shattered by the intense pain, a warm current suddenly surged in. He struggled to open his eyelids, heavy as lead, and through his blurred vision, he saw countless pure white specks of light, like agile fireflies on a summer night, lightly penetrating the thick brick walls and gently swirling around him.

“This is... Power Of Faith?!”

He raised his hand with difficulty, and as his fingertip passed through one of the light specks, he suddenly heard the simultaneous prayer of three hundred people.

As the ritual progressed, more and more Power Of Faith surged into the temple.

These powers were pure and warm, like spring water, cleansing the rampaging Divine Power within Lin Chuping’s body.

The golden patterns on his body surface began to rearrange, gradually forming profound designs.

Lin Chuping felt relieved and pushed forward with all his might.

Power Of Faith, was this what he had been lacking? His luck was truly good this time; if it weren't for the villagers performing the ritual today, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Power Of Faith continuously surged in, and Lin Chuping calmed his mind, fully committing to the Breakthrough!

* * *

The lingering echoes of the ritual reverberated through the valley, and the villagers maintained their kneeling posture, foreheads pressed to the ground.

The flames in the brazier gradually lowered, casting long shadows of the crowd, twisting and swaying on the flagstones in front of the temple.

“Xiao Tao, do you think this ritual will work? We heard about rituals before when we were in the capital; aren't they just for peace of mind?”

When they were in the capital, there were no less than ten large and small rituals every year, and they didn't know how many cattle and sheep were slaughtered. This kind of thing was all about psychological comfort.

As for the actual effect, for so many years, no one had ever seen it, anyway.

Xiao Tao turned and glared at the guard who spoke.

“Don't talk nonsense, be careful not to bring trouble to Young Master.”

“Yes, yes, Miss Xiao Tao, this subordinate knows his mistake.”

Only when the man was completely silent did Xiao Tao turn back around.

Since coming to Chang Sheng Village, Young Master's health had been getting better and better; now he could even walk on his own.

This time, with Chang Sheng Village surrounded by demons, Young Master was also busy running back and forth.

It was as if the Young Master who was once as elegant as an orchid and as distinguished as a tree, with a magnificent Aura, had returned.

Xiao Tao stood on the periphery of the crowd, quietly watching that figure within the crowd, and suddenly felt a pang of sadness.

“They're out, they're out!”

With a loud shout, a group of people, led by Liu Chunsheng and Shen Jianxing, walked from the direction of the temple.

“Brother Shen, now that the divine ritual is complete, Lord Chuping must have seen our determination to eliminate evil and defend the Dao. The rest is up to us.”