"Thank you, Lord Willow God, thank you, Lord Willow God." Lin Zhuang was ecstatic and quickly expressed his gratitude.
After getting the accurate information, without lingering, Lin Zhuang hastily went down the mountain to inform his parents.
"Father, mother, you must remember that you must pay your respects to Lord Willow God the moment you see him."
On the way, Lin Zhuang repeatedly reminded them.
Although he believed that Lord Willow God was not a stickler for formalities, he still felt it necessary to fully prepare the proper rituals.
Lin Meng and Mrs. Zhang were naturally happy to hear all of this. They felt the same need to respect this unknown, powerful entity without being told so.
Aside from Lin Meng and Mrs. Zhang, all of Lin Zhuang's siblings also followed, no one was left behind.
This was a big event that might allow them to familiarize themselves with a possible Sacrificial Spirit. Mrs. Zhang wouldn't allow a single child to miss it.
Thus.
The entire family, under the leadership of Lin Zhuang, began their grand march towards the mountain.
Because there were several young children in the group, the journey took longer than expected.
By the time they reached the summit, it was already noon.
The sun was blazing hot, and the scorching summer wind felt like waves of dry heat. Their beast robes clung to them, drenched in sweat, making them uncomfortable.
However, just as Lin Meng's group was feeling unbearably hot, a surge of unexpected coolness washed over them, engulfing them completely and dispelling the surrounding heat...
Lin Meng couldn't help but shiver.
Comfort!!
The feeling was like encountering a table full of dishes made from Ferocious Beast Meat when one was extremely hungry and thirsty.
Just as he was wondering where this breeze came from, an enormous silhouette standing tall before him caught his eyes.
It was a tree.
A willow tree, luxuriant and gigantic, its massive canopy obscuring the scorching sun, full of vibrant life from within.
The willow branches fluttered in the wind.
From afar, thousands of willow branches, in singles or in clusters, bathing under the sunlight, appeared verdant and luxuriant.
"What magnificent vitality."
Lin Meng was astonished, genuinely admiring it.
Even just standing under the willow tree and taking a few breaths of the surrounding air, Lin Meng felt as if he were more than a decade younger, light as if about to ascend.
However, it took only a moment for Lin Meng to snap back to reality.
The Willow Tree!
Could this be Lord Willow God?
He opened his eyes wide and looked around, apart from Lin Zhuang, everyone else e was immersing themselves in the shade of the tree, enjoying the rare coolness.
"I pay my respects to Lord Willow God, The Willow God Above, these are my family members!"
Lin Zhuang quickly stepped forward and knelt on the ground.
'Adult' is a term of respect not exclusive to the human race, it could refer to any creature.
Seeing this, how could Lin Meng miss the significance? He quickly woke Mrs. Zhang and the other siblings of Lin Zhuang.
As if waking from a dream, all of them felt a bit anxious. They had thought out the details of the rituals along the way, but what they hadn't anticipated was messing up upon arrival.
What if Lord Willow God became furious and blamed them because of this?!
Meanwhile, Lin Meng's surprise had almost filled his whole being.
The term 'god' shouldn't be casually used. If it did not fulfill that level of power, using such a term may bring about disasters!
But the grand silhouette in front of them hadn't reacted much from beginning to end, apparently acquiescing to this term.
"This could indeed be a supremely powerful entity!"
Lin Meng exclaimed in his heart.
Jiang Hui was oblivious to what Lin Meng and his family were thinking. He could only see and hear far, but not to the extent of hearing people's thoughts.
While Lin Meng and his family worried that their behavior might have displeased Lord Willow God, Jiang Hui was actually very pleased.
"The Willow God Above, we...we are the family of Lin Zhuang. Today... today we have come to pay a visit to the Adult!"
After much thought, Lin Meng decided that standing aimlessly here wasn't helpful. Biting the bullet, learning from Lin Zhuang, he bowed and knelt before Jiang Hui, uttering his words.
He stuttered a little but his voice was loud and was filled with vigor, startling Mrs. Zhang and the others.
With him as the lead, Mrs. Zhang and Lin Zhuang's siblings quickly followed suit. Even those little children who had just started learning to speak copied them.
The surroundings were eerily quiet.
Only the sound of the wind howling...
Just like Lin Zhuang before, they received no response.
Although Jiang Hui could have swayed his branches to communicate, he felt there was no need at this point. These people may have some faith in him, but it had not yet reached the level that required imparting the skills.
All they needed to know was that he exists.
"Son, could it be...that Lord Willow God is displeased with us because of...our previous behavior?" Lin Meng pursed his lips, his worry deepening.
He waited for quite a while without receiving any response and began to doubt whether their earlier actions had angered Lord Willow God, causing him to be furious with them.
He had finally encountered a possible Sacrificial Spirit in his lifetime. If a simple gesture of theirs led to being disliked by that entity, Lin Meng could think of no other feeling but to want to die.
"It should not be, father." Lin Zhuang hesitated, shaking his head. "The child remembers just this way in the past. At first, Lord Willow God never noticed me, but after persisting, I was finally able to move him, and he granted me the Supreme Body Refinement Scripture.
As the saying goes, 'sincerity can move the spirits'. Father, you should move Lord Willow God with your sincerity." Lin Zhuang slowly explained.
"That makes sense, that makes sense." Lin Meng quickly nodded, firmly believing in this.
How could such a significant figure be easily moved!
...
For some time afterward.
Lin Meng and Mrs. Zhang, like before and even more grandly, worshipped Jiang Hui at sunrise every day, performing the worshiping rituals.
The village needed boiling hot Ferocious Beast Blood for the Sacrificial Spirit. They couldn't obtain Ferocious Beast Blood, but they had enough wild animal blood.
With daily blood offerings, the soil in front of Jiang Hui even began to take on a reddish tint and spread outwards, giving off a somewhat eerie impression.
In the beginning, Jiang Hui thought this peculiar ritual might have some unusual effects on him. Though it seemed disgusting, he initially held great expectations.
However, as the ritual repeated, Jiang Hui realized the effect was not significant; his roots only became sturdier...
...apart from the soil changing from black soil to red soil.
Although it didn't have any concrete effect on him, one thing was undeniable; this method increased the faith value faster than Lin Zhuang's incessant chatter. In less than half a month, the faith value of Lin Meng and others had reached the required 60 points.
Without hesitation, Jiang Hui immediately imparted the skill.