"Thank you, Lord Willow God, thank you, Lord Willow God," Lin Zhuang said ecstatically, rushing to speak.
After receiving the accurate news, Lin Zhuang didn't linger long and quickly went down the mountain to inform his parents.
"Father, Mother, you must remember, the first thing to do after seeing Lord Willow God is to perform the rites of worship."
On the road, Lin Zhuang repeatedly reminded them more than once.
Although he felt that Lord Willow God was not a person who would stickle for minor formalities, it was still necessary to prepare well for the proper etiquette.
Lin Meng and Mrs. Zhang naturally listened joyfully to all of this, facing an unknown powerful being, they would have done the same even without being told.
Besides Lin Meng and Mrs. Zhang, Lin Zhuang's other brothers and sisters also all followed along, not leaving behind a single person.
This was, after all, a significant event where they could become familiar with the face of a suspected Sacrificial Spirit, and Mrs. Zhang wouldn't allow any child to fall behind.
And so,
A large family, under the leadership of Lin Zhuang, impressively made their way toward the mountain.
Since the group included a few little children who were only several years old, the journey took a bit longer.
By the time they reached the mountaintop, it was already noon.
The sun was scorching, fierce, and blazing. The wind hit them like hot waves, sweat-soaked through their Beast Robes, and the stifling heat was uncomfortable.
However, just when Lin Meng's group was finding it hard to bear the sweltering heat, an unprecedented coolness suddenly surged in, sweeping over their bodies like a tide, dispelling the surrounding heat…
Lin Meng couldn't help but shiver.
So comfortable!!
This feeling was like being extremely hungry and thirsty to the point of desperation and then discovering a table laden with Ferocious Beast Meat dishes behind him.
Just as he was wondering where the wind had come from, a majestic and towering figure suddenly entered his field of vision in front of him.
It was a tree.
A willow tree, lush and green, with a massive crown that offered a Heavenly Cover, shielding them from the harsh summer heat and bursting with vibrant life force.
Willow branches swayed with the wind.
From afar, countless willow branches, each one and each cluster bathed in sunlight, lush and verdant, bunching together.
"Such mighty life force."
Lin Meng was amazed, exclaiming from the depths of his heart.
Even just standing under this Willow Tree and taking a slight breath of the air around him, Lin Meng felt rejuvenated by decades, his body lighter as if he could ascend to the heavens.
But after only a moment of immersion, Lin Meng abruptly came to his senses.
The Willow Tree!
Could this be Lord Willow God!
He opened his eyes and looked around. Apart from Lin Zhuang, the rest were all still immersed under the shade of the tree, relishing in the refreshing coolness that was hard to come by.
"Greetings to you, Lord Willow God, The Willow God Above—these are my family members!"
Lin Zhuang hurried forward and immediately knelt to the ground.
Adult is a term of respect, not just referring to the Human Race, but to any living being.
Seeing this scene, Lin Meng quickly understood and hastily woke Mrs. Zhang and Lin Zhuang's other brothers and sisters.
The others, as if awakening from a dream, all wore a worried expression. They had thought through some details of the ritual on the way here, but they didn't expect things to go awry upon arrival.
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What if the displeasure of Lord Willow God fell upon them for this? What then?
At the same time, Lin Meng's heart was nearly bursting with surprise.
The term "god" was not one to be thrown around lightly. Misusing it, if the status wasn't met, could even bring disaster upon oneself!
Yet the towering presence before them had shown little reaction from start to finish, which was apparently an acquiescence to the title.
"Perhaps it truly is an exceedingly powerful being!"
Lin Meng reflected with a mix of shock and awe.
Jiang Hui, for his part, was unaware of the flurry of thoughts within Lin Meng and his family. He could see far and hear far, but he was not nearly close enough to hearing the inner voices of others.
Lin Meng and his family worried that their own behavior might incur Lord Willow God's displeasure, yet Jiang Hui was inwardly overjoyed.
"The Willow God Above, we... we are Lin Zhuang's family, and today... today we have come specially to pay a visit to the adult!"
Lin Meng thought over it again and again, deciding that simply standing there was not going to suffice. He gritted his teeth, and following Lin Zhuang's lead, he too knelt down before Jiang Hui stammeringly.
His words, though halting, were loud and clear, enough to rouse Mrs. Zhang and the others.
With his lead, Mrs. Zhang and Lin Zhuang's brothers and sisters quickly followed suit, mimicking the act of kneeling and performing their respects. Even the young toddlers who were just learning to speak did the same.
All around, the air was eerily quiet.
Only the sound of the wind howling...
Like Lin Zhuang before them, they received no response.
Though Jiang Hui could have responded by swaying his willow branches, he felt it completely unnecessary at this moment. These people, although somewhat devout, were far from meeting the requirements for the transmission of spiritual power.
For Lin Meng and the others, merely being aware of his existence was enough.
"Zhuang'er, could it be that Lord Willow God is... displeased with us because of our performance just now?" Lin Meng pursed his lips, the worry in his expression deepening.
He had waited for a response for a long time, and began to doubt if their actions had angered Lord Willow God and caused him to hold a grudge against them.
It had not been easy in his lifetime to encounter a being that seemed to be a Sacrificial Spirit. If they were rejected just because of their behavior, Lin Meng felt he might as well be dead.
"It should not be so, father," Lin Zhuang hesitantly shook his head. "When I started out, Lord Willow God also did not pay me any attention. After my persistent devotion, Lord Willow God was moved and bestowed upon me the Supreme Body Refinement Scripture. As the saying goes, sincerity brings spiritual response. Father should offer his sincerity to move Lord Willow God."
"That makes sense, that makes sense." Lin Meng quickly nodded, having no doubt in this belief.
After all, how could such an eminent personage be so easily swayed!
...
In the time that followed,
Lin Meng, Mrs. Zhang, and the others—much like the initial days and even with more grandeur—would ascend the mountain at sunrise to worship Jiang Hui and perform the ritual of worship.
A village's worship of the Sacrificial Spirit required the boiling hot blood of a Ferocious Beast which they could not obtain. However, they had enough of ordinary beast blood.
With daily blood offerings over time, the earth in front of Jiang Hui even began to show a ruddy tint, expanding outwards, appearing rather sinister.
At first, Jiang Hui thought this strange ritual might have some unusual effect on himself, though it looked somewhat nauseating. Initially, he held quite some anticipation.
But as the number of offerings grew, Jiang Hui realized the practical use wasn't that significant, apart from his roots becoming more vigorous...
Aside from that, the soil before him had transformed from its original dark loam to the current reddish soil.
However, though there was no substantial effect on himself, it was undeniable that compared to Lin Zhuang's initial incessant chatter, this method of increasing Faith Value was much faster. In just less than half a month, Lin Meng and the others' Faith Value had reached the required 60 points.
Without hesitation, Jiang Hui transferred the power.
```