“No rush,” Jiang Lin said, crouching beside him and watching the intricate lines. “Once you’re done with this, help me carve one around the statue as well. A protective type, to keep the polluted ones from getting close.”
Cyrus’s hand paused. He looked up, adjusting his glasses.
“You certainly know how to put people to work.”
“You’re more professional than I am.”
Cyrus remained silent for a moment, his lips twitching slightly, though whether it was a smile or exasperation was unclear.
“Fine,” he muttered, lowering his head to continue carving. “A protective rune array needs three magic crystals as its core. Do you have any?”
Jiang Lin pulled three pale gold light-attribute magic crystals from his spatial ring and placed them at Cyrus’s feet.
Cyrus glanced at them.
“You certainly came well-prepared.”
“Always better to have it and not need it when you’re out in the field.”
A few minutes later, the purification rune array was complete.
Cyrus embedded the final rune stone into the ground, and the entire array activated instantly.
A pale blue light flowed along the patterns, making the stream water look like flowing gemstones.
Eri crouched by the stream, cupped some water in his hands, and took a careful sip.
“It’s sweet!” His eyes lit up. “The water is sweet!”
The natives crowded around. Some used their hands, some used broken bowls, and some simply lay face-down by the bank to drink.
The woman holding the child knelt by the stream, cupping water and bringing it to the child’s lips.
The child drank, let out a small burp, and then grinned.
It was the first time Jiang Lin had seen a child smile since arriving on this planet.
Next, Jiang Lin began handling the protective rune array around the statue.
Cyrus was responsible for carving the patterns, while Jiang Lin handled embedding the magic crystals and activating the nodes.
The two worked with tacit understanding, with almost no unnecessary conversation.
Dorian patrolled the outskirts of the village, Victor continued to watch for movement from the north, and Selene led several natives in clearing out the polluted houses.
A breeze blew in from the north, carrying the familiar scent of scorched earth mixed with sulfur.
Jiang Lin stood by the stream, watching as Cyrus embedded the last rune stone into the node of the protective array.
A pale gold light spread from the base of the statue, echoing the pale blue purification runes in the stream.
The two layers of arrays overlapped, their light intertwining to weave a warm halo under the dim sky.
“It’s done,” Cyrus said, standing up and brushing the dust off his knees. “The protection covers the entire withered tree and a thirty-meter radius around it. Any polluted ones that get close will automatically trigger a Holy Light barrier. Anything below the 4th-rank shouldn’t be able to get in.”
“And what about those above that?”
Cyrus looked at him and adjusted his glasses.
“If a 6th-rank polluted one shows up, you really expect these few stones to stop it?”
Jiang Lin nodded, not arguing the point.
Just then, a wave of warmth emanated from the Apostle Brand on his chest.
【Faith Anchor Statistics: Real-time Update】
【God of Holy Light Anchor: 1 (Current Faith Value: 43/10,000)】
【God of War Anchor: 0】
【Lord of Arcane Anchor: 0】
【God of the Hunt Anchor: 0】
【Goddess of Life Anchor: 0】
【God of the Dark Moon Anchor: 0】
【God of Contracts Anchor: 0】
【Total Faith Value: 43/70,000】
He stared at the information for several seconds, suddenly realizing something.
Others might not necessarily believe in the God of Holy Light, but rather whichever of the Seven Righteous Gods corresponded to them.
Lothar was from the Holy Sword Knight Order, so he believed in the God of Holy Light as well.
Mavis specialized in fire magic, so she believed in the Lord of Arcane.
Selene was a priestess, believing in the Goddess of Life.
Good was a shield warrior, likely belonging to the God of War’s faction.
He wasn’t sure about Dorian or Victor, but with Cyrus’s focus on runes and arrays, he most likely followed the Lord of Arcane or the God of Contracts.
So, the mission each person received was to establish anchors for the specific deity they followed.
If each person corresponded to one anchor, their seven professions might perfectly complement each other.
Seven Righteous Gods, seven anchors—each building their own.
As a 4th-rank mid-stage whose profession overlapped with Lothar’s, it felt as though he was a well-connected person who had been shoehorned into the mission halfway through...
The Seven Righteous Gods of the Temple: “Let’s arrange for these few people to go on this mission.”
The God of Holy Light: “Wait, I have one more over here.”
The image flashed through Jiang Lin’s mind, but he shook his head and tossed the thought aside.
The fact that he could participate in this mission meant he was certainly needed.
Otherwise, why would they have sent him?
Jiang Lin’s gaze swept over the natives who were still praying in silence before the statue.
At the same time, as they prayed, he felt a few wisps of magic essence flow into his body.
“If I can build a few more... I could get stronger while doing nothing.”
Cyrus was crouching nearby, checking the connection between the protective and purification arrays. Without looking up, he asked, “So you plan to build even more statues on a large scale?”
Jiang Lin nodded.
“Yeah. This planet has over two hundred million natives; the entire world is an untapped market. The Demon God Apostles are competing for it too—first come, first served.”
“You’re certainly motivated,” Cyrus said, standing up and adjusting his glasses. “But I have to remind you, with just the few of us building them village by village, six months might not be enough.”
“That’s why we need to find help,” Jiang Lin said. “First, we stabilize this village, then we head south. That town of three thousand people is the best starting point.”
Early the next morning, Jiang Lin and the others prepared to depart.
By then, Jiang Lin noticed that the faith value had risen from 43 to 57.
It seemed faith value wasn’t built purely on numbers.
It was also related to the devotion and level of faith of the believers.
Among them, some had already accepted the inheritance of the God of Holy Light.
They had begun practicing the same breathing techniques that Jiang Lin and the others used.
Last night, Jiang Lin had given them some pointers.
They now possessed transcendent power of their own.
“Take it slow,” Jiang Lin said, standing under the withered tree and looking toward the hazy southern horizon. “It’s time to head south.”
Selene performed a final check on all the wounded, confirming no one had lingering issues before packing her medicine bag.
“Things are basically stable here,” Jiang Lin said to the natives gathered before the statue. “The arrays will protect you, and the purification runes in the stream will last for several months. We’re going south; there are more people there who need help.”
Mira stepped out from the crowd, her deep brown eyes fixed on him. “Will you come back?”
“Yes,” Jiang Lin said. “But not right now. Once we completely seal that rift to the north, people will come to rebuild this place.”
Mira was silent for a moment before taking a pendant made of polished beast bone from her neck and handing it to Jiang Lin.
“This is a token from our village. If you meet people from other settlements, show them this; they will believe you.”
Jiang Lin took the pendant. it was warm to the touch, and the bone surface was engraved with simple geometric patterns, polished smooth.
“Thank you.” He tucked the pendant into his spatial ring. “Take care of yourselves.”
Eri stood at the front of the crowd, his lips trembling slightly before he finally just gave a firm nod.
Jiang Lin turned and led Cyrus, Dorian, Victor, and Selene south along the dried-up riverbed.
After walking a long distance, he looked back.
The white statue shimmered with a faint golden light in the dusk, like a streetlamp lit for those who had lost their way.
With several 6th-rank powerhouses in the group, their speed was not slow.
In just one morning, they reached the town Mavis had mentioned.
The town was built against a mountain, with gray-brown stone houses layered from the foot of the mountain to the halfway point. The tallest building was a crude watchtower, with a faded beast-hide flag fluttering at the top.
The walls were made of rammed earth, about three meters high. Several militia members with bows stood on the walls. Seeing the group of five approaching from a distance, they immediately tightened their bowstrings.
“Halt! Who goes there?”
Jiang Lin stopped and raised his right hand, a ball of golden Holy Light glowing in his palm.
A commotion broke out on the wall.
A moment later, the city gate was pushed open just a crack. A middle-aged man in leather armor poked his head out, looked them up and down, and then stepped aside.
“Lady Mavis said you would come. Please, come in.”
After entering the town, the first thing Jiang Lin saw was a brand-new statue in the center of the square.
The statue was carved entirely from dark teal stone, holding an open book. Its face was solemn and wise, and the base was covered in complex rune patterns.
It was the statue of the Lord of Arcane.
A circle of people stood around the statue; some were praying with lowered heads, while others watched with curiosity.
A few children were running around the statue. Though scolded by adults, they shrunk their necks but still couldn’t resist sneakily touching the statue’s base.
“Jiang Lin! Over here!”
Mavis’s voice came from the side.
Jiang Lin turned and saw Mavis standing at the doorway of a stone house, waving at him.
She had changed into a clean, fiery red robe today, her deep wine-red curly hair looking like a ball of burning flame in the sunlight.
Behind her stood Selene, along with two young natives in local dress who looked like assistants.
“You’ve arrived at the perfect time.” Mavis led them into the stone house. Inside was a spacious hall with a crude leather map hanging on the wall. “This town has over three thousand two hundred people. I’ve already convinced the mayor and several elders. About one thousand two hundred are willing to believe in the Lord of Arcane. Including those converted yesterday, the anchor’s faith value is over one thousand four hundred.”
“That was fast.” Cyrus sat at the table and pulled a crystal shard from his robe, placing it on the table. “I’ve finished the purification rune array on my end. If we need to expand the coverage, we’ll need a few more magic crystals.”
“Magic crystals are no problem.” Mavis pulled a small pouch from her spatial ring and tossed it onto the table. “I brought plenty, and they can also be gathered or traded for in this world.”
Jiang Lin placed the bone pendant on the table and briefly explained the situation in the village.
“Forty-three people survived,” he paused. “The statue is built, and the faith value is fifty-seven.”
Mavis was silent for a moment before nodding.
“Saving even one is worth it. In this hellish place, surviving is a victory.”
Selene spoke softly.
“What’s the plan next?”
“First, we stabilize this town,” Jiang Lin said. “With a base of over three thousand people, we can convert at least two thousand to two thousand five hundred believers.”
“The statue of the Lord of Arcane isn’t enough. We need Holy Light, Life, War, Contracts, Dark Moon, and the Hunt. All seven must be built.”
Mavis counted on her fingers.
“Dividing two thousand five hundred believers among seven statues means only about three hundred per statue. We’re still far from ten thousand.”
“That’s why we can’t rely on just this one town.” Jiang Lin stood up and walked to the leather map. “This planet has two hundred million people scattered across countless villages and towns. What we need to do is light these scattered sparks one by one.”
He continued, “How about we split up starting tomorrow?”
“Two people per group, carrying stone for the statues and building tools, heading in different directions.”
“The mission isn’t to eliminate all polluted ones, but to spread faith.”
“If you encounter areas with heavy pollution, purify what you can. If you can’t, bypass them.”
“We should aim to build at least ten statues for each of the Seven Righteous Gods within a hundred and fifty days, bringing the total faith value to a hundred thousand.”
No one objected.
Mavis was the first to speak.
“Fine. I’ll go with Selene toward the southeast. There’s a tribe of over two thousand people there; I’ve already sent someone to make contact.”
“Good and I will continue north to watch that rift,” Lothar’s voice came through the Apostle Brand. “The pollution concentration in the north is getting higher. I suspect the Demon God Apostles may have already established a base near the rift.”
“Dorian and I will go southwest,” Victor said.
“Then I’ll go with Jiang Lin,” Cyrus said, adjusting his glasses. “It’s a good chance to exchange experience regarding runes and arrays.”
Jiang Lin looked at the gray-haired youth and nodded.
Over the next two days, Jiang Lin and Cyrus traveled through almost the entire hilly region south of the town.
They found four villages with a combined population of about one thousand five hundred people.
The levels of pollution varied. One village was almost completely wiped out, with only a dozen survivors huddling in a cave behind the village, living off rainwater and tree bark.
In the least affected village, the pollution had just reached the entrance. A few elders had noticed the abnormality in time and led the entire village to a southern slope, losing only two head of livestock.
At each location, Jiang Lin would first purify the pollution and treat the wounded, then build a statue of the God of Holy Light along with statues for the other six deities in the center of the village.
Cyrus was responsible for carving the protective rune arrays around the statues, ensuring they wouldn't be destroyed or desecrated by the polluted ones.
After these two days, Jiang Lin had built four sets of statues for the Seven Righteous Gods.
The faith value rose from 57 to...
【God of Holy Light Anchor: 5】
【Activated Nodes: 0/10】
【Total Faith Value: 821/10,000 (Every 10,000 counts as one node)】
Five statues, totaling 821 faith value.
It was still a long way from ten thousand, but Jiang Lin noticed a change in the system display.
The statues were not calculated independently but were cumulative.
Five statues shared the same goal; reaching ten thousand believers would count as one node.
In this way, he only needed to build enough statues to bring the total number of believers to ten thousand to complete the first node.
At that point, the power of the God of Holy Light could be projected onto this planet through that node, making subsequent propagation much easier.
They needed ten nodes, which meant a hundred thousand believers.
...
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