Fengyun World, The World Association.
"Hahaha, I thought Xiong Ba was a formidable enemy of our City of Unparalled, a hero who dominated his era, but to think he actually believes in Divine Spirits, this is truly the greatest joke under the heavens!"
The lord of the City of Unparalled, Dugu Yifang, saw Xiong Ba actually kneeling in front of the altar to offer prayers and sacrifices, his entire being stunned, disbelieving. Then, regaining his composure, he couldn't help but burst into loud laughter.
Xiong Ba, now kneeling before the altar praying, looked like a clown. Such a person didn't deserve to be his enemy.
"Yeah, look how devout they are. The God of Hongmeng must be very pleased; maybe he will even bestow upon Xiong Ba ten thousand years of power!" a mocking voice with a sarcastic tone resounded, a face full of endless ridicule.
"Ten Thousand Years of Power? Maybe he will make Xiong Ba immortal, turn him into a fairy, a god!" another voice dripping with scorn followed.
"Hahaha!"
The crowd burst into an uproar, releasing peals of laughter.
Listening to the surrounding mockery, Qin Shuang and the other members of The World Association blushed with shame and were filled with indignation. They wanted to rush forward and teach them a lesson. But with Xiong Ba still kneeling there praying, not speaking, they didn't dare act rashly. They could only continue praying with him.
"May your Divine Power be eternal!"
"May your Divine Fire never be extinguished."
"Great God of Hongmeng, the most supreme and holy, the only True God!"
At the end of the prayers, Xiong Ba's fervent voice carried humble entreaties and a certain excitement, growing louder and louder. In the end, it burst forth like thunder, echoing across The World Association's drill ground, rendering the onlookers dumbfounded. If they hadn't witnessed it with their own eyes, they would never believe that Xiong Ba had such a fanatical side to his belief in gods. They were utterly certain in their hearts. Xiong Ba has gone mad!
However, at that moment, the altar began to change. Runes seemed to come to life as endless divine light burst forth from the altar, forming a dazzling pillar of light that shot straight into the sky.
ROAR.
BARK.
MOO.
The sacrificial animals bound to the altar howled, one by one breaking free from their restraints and soaring into the sky, their bodies growing larger and their presence becoming more imposing.
The pig transformed into a Ground-shaking Golden Pig.
The cow transformed into a Purple-Eyed Devil Cow.
The chicken turned into a Fire Phoenix.
The dog turned into a Golden Fur Dog God.
...
Everyone's eyes widened, shocked beyond belief.
Am I dreaming?
Am I hallucinating?
What were plainly ordinary sacrificial animals had transformed into Divine Beasts. Terrifying divine might permeated every inch of space, causing them to tremble with terror, shaking uncontrollably. Some cowardly martial artists had already begun to wet themselves. They had no doubt these Divine Beasts could easily crush them to death.
"What's going on?"
"Is there really a god?"
"Even if there is a god, isn't this a bit too exaggerated?"
Everyone was shocked. Horrified. Afraid. They were facing an unknown terror.
Only Xiong Ba's eyes shone with excitement and fervor. He had seen Murong Fu's sacrificial video, but witnessing it firsthand was still incredibly shocking. One by one, Martial Arts Secret Books transformed into mysterious and profound runes, condensing into a holy Martial Arts Aura. The Bingpo Divine Stone radiated endless divine brilliance, as if containing an Ice and Snow World within. All the gold and silver treasures transformed into divine objects. And his daughter's figure slowly ascended. An aura of sacred and powerful holiness pervaded around her. It swiftly surpassed his own power by countless times, even surpassing those Divine Beasts, making her resemble a Goddess in heaven.
"There really is a god!"
"This is a miracle!"
Qin Shuang's mind was deeply shaken. He witnessed Fengyun's corpse transforming into two Tongtian Paths, containing the true essence of wind and clouds, as if they were the origin of wind and clouds themselves. That was the Path.
BOOM!
Thunder exploded in the heavens above, filled with boundless Heavenly Might. Everyone felt as if they were bearing the weight of mountains on their backs, their bodies trembling, every cell filled with fear.
BOOM!
Another thunderclap echoed. Lightning tore through the sky. The clear sky became densely covered with dark clouds, and it seemed as if the heavens and earth were trembling in fear, weeping and wailing. It was as if some terrifying entity was about to descend, causing even the emotionless and unconscious 'heavens' to feel fear and dread.
Suddenly.
From the boundless fissure stretching across the sky, brilliant light shone forth, with both sun and moon appearing together.
"The God of Hongmeng has arrived!" Xiong Ba shook with excitement. Even though he couldn't see the figure, he just had that feeling.
Soon after, everyone realized that the entities indistinguishable from the sun and moon were actually a pair of eyes. A pair of eyes that encompassed all things: the universe, heaven, and earth. These eyes were tranquil, seemingly filled with a tender love for all creation, yet also conveying an indifference to all living beings—lofty, cold, and merciless. It was as if nothing in the world could capture the interest of those eyes or stir the slightest emotional ripple within them. It seemed as if Heavenly Dao was merciless, viewing all beings as mere grass dogs.
This terrifying scene was not only witnessed by the members of The World Association but also by the entire City of Unparalled, the Imperial City, and indeed the whole world. Everyone was shocked, fearful, and trembling.
It was as though a voice resonated in their hearts.
Submit.
Submit, and you shall be liberated.
Submit, and you shall find ease.
Submit, and you shall be saved.
THUMP!
THUMP!
The martial artists who had been standing around watching the spectacle instantly knelt down. Even a Great Grandmaster like Dugu Yifang was no exception. Everyone knelt, prostrating themselves on the ground, filled with panic and unease.
So, Divine Spirits truly existed in this world.
"The God of Hongmeng has revealed His sanctity!"
The gazes of the hundred thousand members of The World Association were fervent. At first, they prayed along with Xiong Ba merely out of fear and compliance with him. They never believed in their hearts that a Divine Spirit would actually manifest. However, today's events overturned their beliefs.
It turned out that Divine Spirits truly existed.
It turned out that there really was a God in this world.
Their faith deepened even more. Their eyes blazed even hotter. Because this Divine Spirit was summoned by their leader. This was the Divine Spirit standing behind them. With a Divine Spirit supporting them, who in the world could contend with them?
"I pay my respects to the God of Hongmeng, with heartfelt welcome upon His arrival!" Xiong Ba trembled all over, and his excited voice, bolstered by his true qi, echoed through heaven and earth, resonating in every heart.
"I pay my respects to the God of Hongmeng, with heartfelt welcome upon His arrival!" Qin Shuang, Wen Chouchou, and the hundred thousand members of The World Association shouted in unison.
The voices of cheer thundered through the heavens and the earth. The emotions of ecstasy set the sky ablaze.
Their faith surged at this moment. Nominal believers became ordinary believers. Ordinary believers became devoted believers. And in this frenzied atmosphere, devoted believers became Fanatical Believers.
The Power of Faith skyrocketed. The channel of faith rapidly expanded.
The majestic figure of Hongmeng slowly materialized, starting with a pair of eyes like the sun and moon, followed by the entire head, and then the whole body. But no one could see His appearance clearly. No one could discern His stature. Galaxies swirled around His hair. Ancient Universes came into existence and met their end, all with His breath.
He was the sky.
He was the Path.
He was the center of the universe and all existence, The Sovereign of all living things.
Xiong Ba has done well! Hongmeng was very pleased as he looked at the hundred thousand followers kneeling and praying with Xiong Ba. In dealing with believers, a combination of grace and might is required. His divine might had already been revealed. Awarding them with some divine grace would only make them more devout in their faith.
With that thought, he scattered down one million units of the Power of Faith. The Power of Faith burned, transforming into Holy Water that blessed all existence. The Holy Water rained down from the heavens, enveloping all the members of The World Association and countless common folk around, yet it specifically avoided Hero King Mansion, Dugu Yifang, and many other martial artists.
Golden Holy Water descended, and the sacred radiance enveloped the world. Everyone felt refreshed and invigorated, their bodies warm and all their pain gone. Even the listlessness and weakness from indulging in nocturnal activities vanished. They felt as strong as dragons and as fierce as tigers. They felt as though they could take on ten men in one night.
And these were just the basic effects. Countless martial artists broke through in their cultivation levels, and their power surged. Countless common people with broken arms and legs had them grow back. The blind regained their sight. The deaf heard the world's sounds once more…
...