A mountain need not be high; it becos renowned if a deity resides there. Water need not be deep; it becos mystical if a dragon inhabits it.
What is the most important vessel for faith?
So say it’s the temple.
This view has gained popularity in recent years, but often, the widely accepted answer is not the correct one, and it’s a misguided cause-and-effect relationship.
With so deeper thought, you’ll understand that these splendid temples in Zhongzhou were "newly constructed" over millennia. For current believers, the habit of worshipping temples seems inherent, but that doesn’t an it should be so.
Human life is brief, and understanding is shallow, often unconsciously expanding one’s perspective to the entire world, continuously searching for evidence.
However, thinking deeper, if temples were the root of faith, how could the barefoot Divine Officials dressed in simple clothes, in ancient, primitive Zhongzhou, make people believe in sothing nonexistent?
Thinking about this, the answer becos clear: the most important vessel for faith is the stories told by word of mouth.
The earliest Divine Officials were more like storytellers or bards, rather than actual officials.
These individuals traveled and sang across the Zhongzhou continent, telling the people here that the Demon Race and darkness have dispersed. By following the guidance of the divine, happiness can be attained.
In this process, so were devout and sincere, while others sneered.
But none of this mattered, for the reason strong individuals are almighty is never because of others’ recognition, but because of their unwavering self-belief, marching only along their chosen path.
The runner can only hear the wind in his ears; when he looks back, followers are multitudinous.
The ancient stories spread by the Divine Court remain fresh and highly revered because each story contains a real protagonist.
This protagonist is called a deity in Zhongzhou. For instance, here in Luanzhou, the most worshipped deity is Wu Hao.
But if you travel further south, to Bazhou, the most worshipped deity becos the Purple Cloud Divine Monarch.
So, when Master Lingxiao Ji Shang, together with Tang Luo, arrived in Luanzhou City, the city had already transford dramatically.
The grand temple in the center city had a purple glow pierce the heavens like a pillar. The believers within the city were all kneeling and extolling the Purple Cloud Divine Monarch’s na. This scene almost made the two believe that as Wu Hao ascended to the Taiyin, Luanzhou City’s faith had drastically changed, even replacing the temple’s deity.
Such acts of a cuckoo occupying the nest are common in the countryside. Who would have thought that even the revered summit of the Divine Court is not immune to this secular trend?
Ji Shang’s disdainful smile was fleeting, yet Cang Lan, standing nearby, could not miss it.
Just as the people from the Outer Continent see the An’s Divine Court as swindlers, the An Family sees people from the Outer Continent as fools.
Though Ji Shang’s smile was restrained, Cang Lan still found the misunderstanding and audacity unbearable, stiffly explaining: "The Purple Cloud Divine Monarch and the divine seat are friends. Luanzhou and Bazhou, being adjacent to Gegong, are frequently invaded by the Divine Firmant and fierce winds, with disasters everywhere. It was due to the teamwork between the two Divine Monarchs that these states have beco the current fertile lands. Although the two divine seats have differing doctrines, the believers under their rule are as close as brothers!"
After the sardonic smile, Ji Shang remained silent, only pointing to the piercing purple light in the city, speaking to Tang Luo: "Academy Master, please, let’s not keep the Divine Monarch waiting!"
"Master Ji’s words are precisely so."
Tang Luo nodded in agreent, then smiled and nodded to the disgruntled Cang Lan: "After fulfilling the Divine Monarch’s invitation, The Academy will discuss the matter of supplies with the Great Divine Official."
"Thank you, Academy Master. Cang Lan shall await your arrival in Pinglan Hall."
Towards those instructed by Wu Hao Divine Monarch to be respected, Cang Lan was quite courteous and, after proper courtesy, watched them disappear, then slowly headed towards the temple.
...
Things are drawn together according to their likeness, as are people grouped.
If you want to see which level a person is at, just look at the friends they associate with and the opponents they confront.
The Purple Cloud Divine Monarch being close friends with Wu Hao Divine Monarch, besides the relation of the sa sect and lineage, also indicates that they are on the sa level.
Combined with the thirty-one awe-inspiring movents beyond the sky, Tang Luo had little doubt that although this invite from the Purple Cloud Divine Monarch was a personal one, it also reflected the Divine Court’s attitude towards Outer Continent rulers.
Indeed, judging solely by the eting place, one could sense sothing amiss.
The Purple Cloud Divine Monarch did not receive them in the temple but arranged for the eting to be held atop the purple glow, overlooking Luanzhou.
The Divine Firmant is always violent and swift; in the eyes of mortals, it seems only like a brief flash during a stormy night. Even practitioners regard lightning as the most unruly Spiritual Energy.
Yet upon the Purple Cloud Sky Pillar, Ji Shang and Tang Luo saw a throne seemingly ford from lightning.
The Divine Firmant that ought to be violently flowing was calm as water, solid as ice, standing there squarely.
The sword-shaped chair back soared high, its tip piercing through the clouds directly to the outer firmant, where the Nine Heavens Thunderbolt danced.
Were even a single strand of this to fall into Luanzhou, it would be a catastrophic disaster.
Yet, rely separated by a thin layer of clouds, there was no sense of it below at all.
Beneath this astounding Divine Firmant cloud curtain, the host, the Purple Cloud Divine Monarch, looked at the two with eyes full of interest.
While called observation, the Divine Monarch’s gaze was mostly fixed on Tang Luo, with purplish pupils flickering with peculiar light.
Such a gaze might cause a woman to blush with embarrassnt, but Tang Luo did not mind, showing no intent to dodge; he also stared back intently.
The opponent was dressed in a divine robe like a starry nebula, with a powerful and resilient body forged from the Divine Firmant, adorned with so purple patterns, obscure yet mysterious, with long jet-black hair spread out across the back, dancing with the starry nebula on the divine robe.
Unlike other God Kings who display five or six pairs of spiritual wings, the Purple Cloud Divine Monarch’s back had only one pair, but this pair was astonishingly large.
Contrary to the arrangents of other Divine Monarchs that seem to make room for other primal elents, the Purple Cloud Divine Monarch’s wing roots occupied the entire back.
If the spiritual wings of other Divine Court leaders resemble the wings of an eagle, the wings of the Purple Cloud Divine Monarch would be more akin to a butterfly’s.
They are large, flamboyant, and audacious!
The colorful lightning marks were heart-palpitating; Xiehe practitioners all regard thunder thods as the foremost killing disaster. Previously, Tang Luo deed all the theories focusing on type over quality foolish.
But upon seeing Purple Cloud today, he began to involuntarily acknowledge this perspective.
To develop a primal elent to such an extent not only highlights the extraordinary talent of the Purple Cloud Divine Monarch but also affirms the depth of thunder thods itself.
No wonder practitioners adept in one or two types of Thunder Spells are so favored in Xiehe.
Tang Luo marveled inwardly, but Ji Shang remained indifferent.
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