nagpurpolice Chapter 42 Unveiling the Secret of the Ichigo Shinto
Chapter 42 Unveiling the Secret of the Ichigo Shinto
Shixi Village.
It's late at night and everyone is quiet.
A side hall inside the Jiaoshen Temple.
Lin Shi stood by the window, gazing at the dark pool in the distance. His mind was as clear as a mirror, reflecting the dramatic change in faith taking place in Shanghe Village across the Qinghe River.
Lin Shi could sense that the power of communication transmitted from the other side of the river had changed significantly compared to the daytime.
They are increasing in number and have become noticeably thicker, like more tributaries flowing into the main trunk.
In terms of quality, the impurities of fear, doubt, and hesitation that were originally mixed in with much faith have been greatly reduced, and replaced by a clearer, firmer, and even more fervent sense of belonging.
Especially after the extraordinary phenomenon of the Earth God yielding his position appeared, a surging collective faith, mixed with complete worship and infinite awe, surged like a tide, rushed into the dragon god statue, and then flowed into the dragon god's avatar at the bottom of the Azure Pool.
Lin Shi was well aware that once the new shrine was completed and formal sacrifices were held, the torrent of faith would become even more powerful and pure.
"Confidence has greatly increased!"
As Lin Shi felt the warm current washing over him, he was pondering something else entirely.
Not long ago, I had my first real close encounter with and utilization of the god of this world—the Earth God.
Although it was just a lingering mark, its essence still reveals some of the deeper secrets of this world.
"The Earth God?"
"Ground?"
"An existence formed by the combination of incense offerings and the earth's veins?"
Lin Shi recalled the subtle sensations he had felt when he sensed the earthy yellow halo and phantom through the dragon's clone. It was a power completely different from that of the dragon, more profound and grounded, closely bound to the local environment and the people's livelihood.
Its existence, strength, and even its continued existence seem to depend heavily on continuous incense offerings and specific geographical areas.
Once the incense offerings cease and the temple falls into disrepair, its divinity will quickly dissipate, like a tree without roots. This may be the root cause of the decline of the Shanghe Village Earth God Temple and the backlash from the Wang Temple's rituals.
"Then what about the dragon? Or rather, what about me, the dragon god?"
Lin Shi discovered that the dragon's power seemed to originate more from its innate aquatic nature, nurtured and strengthened by incense offerings. It wasn't purely shaped by incense; rather, the incense seemed to be resources that accelerated its growth and recovery. This appeared fundamentally different from the Earth God, who seemed entirely nurtured by incense and the earth's veins.
"How exactly does the Shinto system of this world operate?"
Lin Shi frowned.
Land deities like the Earth God sound more like a kind of grassroots divine office, vaguely corresponding to the grassroots governance of the dynasty and government, and relying on a stable folk sacrificial system.
The idea that dragons, being naturally spiritual creatures, can become gods seems closer to that of wild gods and demons. They need to manifest their power, accumulate merit, or even be granted titles to be incorporated into or challenge the existing orthodox system.
"Legitimate? Conferment of titles?"
Lin Shi recalled some of the divine systems he had researched in his previous life.
Tonight's land offering ceremony is essentially a symbolic transfer of legitimacy.
But this only applies to the grassroots level.
What about a higher level?
How would the BR County, state, or even the legendary Heavenly Court or the imperial court-approved system of official worship view the existence of the Jiao God, which has risen rapidly and even swallowed up the original local deity worship?
"The sources of power are different, the forms of existence are different, and the locations they occupy may be different."
Lin Shi vaguely sensed that he was touching the tip of the iceberg of a vast and complex world of gods.
Having traveled through time, relying on the combination of the dragon's clone and modern thinking, I have proceeded step by step. But only tonight did I truly realize for the first time that faith is not only needed by myself or the dragon, but also by the local earth god and many minor and major gods.
Does the decline of the Earth God signify a loosening or neglect of control over the grassroots by the higher-level divine system?
Was the rise of the Jiao God an opportunistic move or a timely opportunity?
In the future, as faith expands to a certain extent, it will inevitably come into contact with or even conflict with higher levels of orthodoxy!
Lin Shi felt a slight chill run down his spine. After a long while, he walked back to the center of the quiet room, sat down cross-legged, and carefully pondered the gains and losses of this entire process of expanding his faith power.
The answer is obvious.
The seeds of faith have been successfully sown in Shanghe Village, providing a stable stronghold of belief once the new ancestral hall is built. The source of faith has expanded from one Shixi Village to both villages, indicating enormous future potential.
Secondly, through the two key miracles of purifying the water source and publicly displaying divine power, especially the final interaction with the local earth god, the supreme status of the Jiao God in Shanghe Village was thoroughly established. In fact, it destroyed or replaced the foundation of the old earth god belief and gained valuable experience for future negotiations with other orthodox divine systems.
Furthermore, my perception and application of faith, as well as my ability to remotely and accurately reveal and manifest divine power through the dragon's avatar, have been greatly honed and enhanced.
The most important point is that it was the first time I had a direct and intuitive understanding of the power nature and existence of the orthodox earth deities of this world, which opened a window for understanding the deeper rules of this world.
There are gains and losses.
One is that the risk of exposure is greatly increased.
The public manifestation of divine power, especially the final interaction between the two gods, caused quite a stir. Although the effect seems excellent so far, it's hard to guarantee that it won't attract the attention of beings in more distant places and at higher levels.
The escaped male toad spirit and the evil forces it might attract are only the visible threats. Furthermore, the attention of rogue cultivators, wandering deities, and even government officials or orthodox religious systems may also be drawn to it.
Every step from now on requires greater caution; the balance between increasing power and maintaining secrecy must be carefully managed.
The speed at which the second faith expands and its capacity to be absorbed is a problem. The faith foundation in Shanghe Village was rapidly established through the grace of salvation and awe-inspiring miracles, and the believers were highly devout, but the depth of their faith needs time to settle and solidify.
After the ancestral hall is established, how to manage it, how to guide it, and how to prevent internal problems will be a huge challenge. We cannot focus solely on expansion while neglecting to solidify its foundation. We must make good use of Liu Laosi, Yang Qianchui, Lu Cheng, and others.
Third, there's the difference in power coordination and growth between the main body and the dragon's clone. As the main body's power surges, the dragon's power recovery speed accelerates, the chains loosen further, and its autonomy and power level increase. While the main body also benefits, the rate and extent of its growth are certainly slower than that of the clone. How to maintain effective control and guidance over the clone, preventing unpredictable deviations or the risk of it taking over, is an increasingly prominent issue.
The decline pattern of the Fourth Earth God reveals the dependence of this realm's deities on the offerings of incense at the grassroots level, while also hinting at a certain order that may exist in a higher-level deity system.
The current path of the Flood Dragon God resembles a wild growth on the edge of the old order. Once it touches the boundary of the true order of this world, will it be accepted, disciplined, or suppressed?
We must now begin consciously gathering information about the higher divine systems of this world!
The new ancestral hall in Shanghe Village is a milestone, but it also marks the beginning of new challenges.
To survive in this world and go further, the only way is to become stronger, not only in terms of physical strength, but also in terms of understanding and knowledge of the world, so as to manage the ever-increasing power and the increasingly complex situations.
A night breeze drifted in through the window, carrying the coolness of the pool and the faint, distant excitement of the new believers. At the bottom of the pool, the soft creaking of chains seemed to carry a sense of satisfaction, yet also a yearning for a wider world.
The tide of faith is propelling the ship of destiny toward a wider, and inevitably more perilous, deep water.
As the helmsman, while reaping abundant rewards, one must also be aware of the undercurrents lurking beneath the surface and the storms lurking in the distance. The divine secrets of this world have only just begun to be revealed.
"Expansion is difficult, maintaining the status quo is even harder, and the road ahead is shrouded in mystery."
Lin Shi opened his eyes, his gaze piercing through the darkness, as if he could see into the distant unknown.