Chapter 77 Blasphemy 26. Do you confess?

Seeing Shen Mingxin staring blankly at her without saying a word, Chu Shenxiang assumed that he was still reeling from the shock of her ideas, so she softened her voice and said, "Don't overthink it, just eat your meal."

Shen Mingxin snapped out of her daze, her eyelashes trembling slightly as she lowered her gaze.

Indeed, overthinking is pointless.

He was just an ordinary mortal. Although he could barely be considered to have embarked on the path of cultivation that the gods spoke of, it was only the beginning. He had no power to help Him.

Right now, all he can do is resolve his own problems so that Chu Shenxiang won't have to worry about him anymore. If Chu Shenxiang needs him to test certain methods, he will cooperate; if not, he will diligently cultivate, hoping to be able to stand by Chu Shenxiang's side when she needs him in the future.

As for deliberately hindering the cultivation technique for the sake of Chu Shenxiang's lineage and future...

To be honest, Shen Mingxin had, for a fleeting moment, entertained such a despicable and disgusting thought. Shen Mingxin did not consider himself a saint, and he also had selfish desires, but the premise for satisfying his selfish desires was not to do things against his conscience and not to harm innocent people.

If it truly hinders Chu Shenxiang's plans, it will be harmful to both ordinary people and Chu Shenxiang herself.

Unfortunately, there is no perfect solution in this world.

"No matter what others do, I will still make offerings," Shen Mingxin said, bowing her head to pick up her chopsticks and eat as Chu Shenxiang wished. She secretly made up her mind, "Even if there is no more gods in the future, as long as I am alive, Shenxiang Jun of Wangqiu Mountain will always have believers."

"I only regret that in the past, out of fear and because of my romantic thoughts, I never came to offer incense and worship the gods. It was all my fault..."

Shen Mingxin was filled with sorrow for the future and regret for the past. He chewed his food without tasting it, but the energy expenditure of cultivation was great, so he still ate quite a lot, and almost all the offerings on the table were gone.

The gods only eat incense and cannot taste the flavor of mortal food.

Chu Shenxiang didn't touch her chopsticks, but just watched Shen Mingxin eat, occasionally pushing a plate of prettier pastries over.

Seeing that Shen Mingxin had almost finished eating, he spoke again: "Cultivation must not be rushed, otherwise one will go astray or suffer a qi deviation in an instant. From now on, you should cultivate during the day and sleep as usual at night. You must also eat three meals a day on time..."

Chu Shenxiang had never given such detailed instructions to anyone before. The words he spoke in just one or two days were more powerful than his roars and soliloquies over the past two hundred years.

Seeing that Shen Mingxin had agreed, appearing extremely obedient and showing no trace of arrogance or spoiled bratness, Chu Shenxiang was pleased and asked, "What are your plans after the Divine Embryo is refined?"

Intend?

Shen Mingxin had actually thought about this.

“Since the Shen family has my elder brother’s small statue, I’m not too worried. Shen Chou isn’t so heartless as to take the lives of so many servants,” Shen Mingxin said. “What I’m more worried about is my grandfather. I’m thinking of secretly sending him a letter to tell him not to come back to Yu County for the time being and to stay away for a while. Once this matter is settled, I will go to find him or bring him back.”

Upon hearing this, Chu Shenxiang knew that Shen Mingxin did not want to be a burden to him any longer, so she said, "This matter is not simple, and it will probably be difficult to resolve in less than a year or two. Your grandfather is in danger outside, so why not come back? He has been a disciple of me for twenty years, and no matter the reason, I can protect him. If I am truly unable to protect myself and can no longer protect you, I will send you and the people of Yuejia Village away."

Shen Mingxin was still somewhat hesitant, but Chu Shenxiang had already sent out her divine sense and conjured a white cat.

"You can entrust the letter to it, and it will go down the mountain and find someone to deliver it."

Shen Mingxin thought for a moment and stopped refusing. He then asked Chu Shenxiang, "Brother, we already know yesterday that Lord Chunshan and his group will not let this go. You said you have a plan, and I believe you. But if there is anything you need me to do, please don't forget me. Even if it's just a little bit, I hope I can help you."

“Alright,” Chu Shenxiang knew Shen Mingxin’s sincerity and did not refuse. “Now that this cultivation technique has taken shape, my strategy has also changed. Everything I’m doing now is to buy time for the evolution of this cultivation technique.”

"Without this part of the cultivation method, even if I beat Chunshan Gong, there is also Xu Mingtian Zun, and even if I beat Xu Mingtian Zun, there are all the gods in the world. As long as the divine way is like this and the human way does not flourish, even if I kill all the gods, ghosts and demons, it will only be a temporary solution."

Without last night's success, Chu Shenxiang would have had no choice but to take this path of slaughter.

Naturally, Chu Shenxiang also considered whether she should sacrifice herself and spread the clear and bright atmosphere to all the gods, guiding them from evil to good, so that all the gods of the Nine Provinces would be compassionate and benevolent, and could also bring blessings to the people.

But on what grounds?

They have been eating human flesh for many years, so why should they be able to cleanse themselves and live forever with just a little bit of their essence? I have no resentment or hatred, so why should I give up everything and dedicate it to them?

He was willing to walk a path of certain death for the sake of all mortals, but he was unwilling to kill himself for these wicked gods.

Moreover, even if all the gods were to turn from evil to good, mortals would still have to depend on and beg for their help. Living without one's own strength and relying on the whims of others is never a sustainable path; sooner or later, the balance will be disrupted again.

"Therefore, this technique is the key."

Chu Shenxiang said, "You should focus on your cultivation and follow me to advance this technique. That will be the greatest help you can give me."

Shen Mingxin worried: "But I don't seem to have any talent. It will take me ten days to finish refining it. Only after finishing refining it can I be considered to have just entered the path of cultivation? If I want to develop some skills in the future, it will probably take even longer. Will Lord Chunshan and the others wait for us?"

Chu Shenxiang said, "The Grand Preceptor of Shenzhao Kingdom sent someone over this morning. They were all talk and no action, pretending to appease and win over people, but in reality, they were just trying to buy time. Things should be peaceful for a few days in the future, which will give you some time to cultivate and for me to make my plans."

"After those few days, I will have my own way of dealing with it, and I can buy us some more time, so there is no need to worry too much."

Shen Ming thought to himself, "Then I'd better intensify my cultivation. I still need to eat, but I don't need to sleep. I will definitely calm my mind and focus my spirit, and stop as soon as something goes wrong, so I won't suffer a qi deviation..."

"Haste makes waste," Chu Shenxiang said, looking at him. "As I say, focus on your cultivation and don't overthink things."

Seeing Shen Mingxin purse her lips, about to speak again, Chu Shenxiang said, "Do you not trust your godfather?"

"How could that be!" Shen Mingxin exclaimed hastily. He looked back at Chu Shenxiang, and under the gaze of those dark blue eyes that seemed to encompass all of nature, he unconsciously relaxed his slightly furrowed brows.

"I'll listen to my godfather."

He drew something from it called peace of mind, his gaze slowly settled, and he quietly tugged at the blue sleeve, speaking softly.

If you listen to every word, then you're truly listening to everything.

Chu Shenxiang set his rest and meal times, and he meticulously followed them on time. The rest of the time, he devoted himself to cultivation, drawing upon the energy of his divine embryo. If it weren't for the occasional sensitive trembling caused by his own touch, which he would secretly relieve, Chu Shenxiang would have thought that his adopted brother had been trained into a robot.

As for Chu Shenxiang herself, besides secretly contacting people down the mountain to plan and deduce cultivation techniques, she also took time to check on Shen Mingxin's progress in refining his divine embryo and taught him some simple spells that she had adapted, though she was unsure if they were suitable for mortals.

For the next few days, the entire Yu County was exceptionally peaceful.

Occasionally, some ordinary people would come to Wangqiu Mountain to worship the god after hearing that Shenxiangjun had displayed great divine power in Yu County. They would brave the wind and rain to offer incense and sacrifices. That was all.

The battle between the gods that day seemed to have vanished silently, with no further developments.

But Chu Shenxiang knew that this tranquility was just an illusion, and what was bound to happen would eventually come.

Seven days later.

At dawn, Chu Shenxiang was practicing her martial arts inside the statue when she suddenly felt a jolt in her mind and looked up at the sky.

Within the territory of Xiling, the celestial phenomena suddenly changed; thousands of incense sticks burned like torches, only to be extinguished in the blink of an eye.

In the darkness, Chu Shenxiang heard a shrill roar.

He immediately connected the small statues at the foot of the mountain.

Soon, they learned that all the statues of the Goddess Tongtian in the four counties of Yushui had been shattered.

The Great Goddess of Heaven is dead.

Chu Shenxiang sighed inwardly, calmed her mind, and waited for the grand show the next day.

However, he overestimated the patience of Chunshan Gong and others. Without waiting for the next day, that very night, countless torches, like a long dragon, surged out of Yu County and headed straight for Wangqiu Mountain.

Shenzhao and Beizhu's soldiers stood outside, their ranks imposing, their armor gleaming, with a magnificent carriage flanking them in the center.

On the carriage, Mingyin was dressed in a black and gold Taoist robe, with a tall crown on his head. He held a small statue of the Spring Mountain Duke in one hand and embraced a charming young man with unfamiliar features in the other. His eyes were half closed and his expression was restrained.

The charming young man, dressed only in a gauze robe, was hiding inside a Mingyin robe, doing something unknown, his legs trembling and making strange noises.

Near the carriage, the Grand Preceptor's disciples and servants were secretly restless, but dared not raise their eyes to peek.

"This is so frustrating..."

As they approached the foot of Wangqiu Mountain, the commotion on the carriage finally ceased. The charming young man wrapped his arms around Mingyin's neck, his face filled with resentment and hatred. "I kindly let Shen Mingxin go that day, but I never expected him to repay me like this, telling the Tongtian Grandmother about my unborn hair. How is that any different from killing me?"

"This world truly is a place where good deeds go unrewarded. If it weren't for your method that allowed me to take over this young man's body, I'm afraid I would have already forgotten about you two great deities and reincarnated on my own..."

Judging from this person's tone, it was none other than Chen Chong.

It seems that the Heavenly Goddess found Shen Chou's baby hair in the Shen family and did something to make Shen Chou look like he does now.

Sure enough, Mingyin, or rather Xuming, said, "I know Chou'er hates. After we attack Wangqiu Mountain today, I'm afraid you won't be able to control Shenxiangjun, but Shen Mingxin is fine. You can do whatever you want with him. Whether you tear him apart, grind his bones to dust, or tear him apart by five horses and shatter his soul, it's all up to you. As long as you can vent your hatred, is that alright?"

"The Heavenly Venerable truly dotes on me," Shen Chou said tenderly, nestling into Xu Ming's arms. "It's just a pity that this young man doesn't possess the Yin-Yang constitution, otherwise Chou'er would definitely have helped the Heavenly Venerable stabilize his divine power."

Chunshan Gong, who was standing nearby, said, "Although the Yin-Yang body is rare, the Nine Provinces are vast, how could there not be one? After this matter is settled, we will search for it, and once we find it, we will take its body."

“Indeed,” Xu Ming said. “Chou’er, there’s no need to worry. The taste is quite good right now.”

Shen Chou suppressed a hint of smugness, lifted his foot and stepped on the face of the small statue of Chunshan Gong, rubbing it as he looked up and kissed Xu Ming.

But since they still had important business to attend to, the three of them did not linger any longer, and stopped when the carriage came to a halt.

It was nearly midnight, and the autumn mountains were deep, dark, and silent.

At the foot of the mountain, the soldiers had blocked all the mountain roads, and the torches were gathered, illuminating the surroundings as if it were daytime.

The commotion reached the nearby villages. The timid ones quickly closed their doors and windows and huddled in, while the bolder ones quietly left their homes and craned their necks to see what was happening.

The people of Yuejia Village secretly took out their hoes and sickles, holding their breath: "Shenxiangjun told us to stay home and not go, but if something really happens, we absolutely cannot stand idly by!"

"Have you done everything Shenxiangjun entrusted to you? Have you been watched and given away without anyone noticing?" the village chief asked his son in a low voice.

"Don't worry," the village chief's son whispered, "Shenxiangjun gave me a lot of paper figures. Those people in Yu County have been watching them closely, but they haven't found anything... Although I don't know what Shenxiangjun is going to do, I feel that Shenxiangjun will definitely be fine, and he will probably shake the entire Xiling!"

The village chief didn't understand any of this. He just sighed, grabbed the shovel handle, knelt in the village temple, and prayed silently.

Before long, the enclosure was completed, and a majestic voice that shook the entire Wangqiu Mountain and could even be faintly heard in the four counties of Yushui instantly resounded like thunder throughout the heavens and earth.

"The evil god Shen Xiangjun of Wangqiu Mountain has slaughtered the people and harmed the innocent. His crimes are too numerous to count. He will soon fall into demonic possession. Now, the divine spirit of the God of Illumination of the Nation is here to eliminate you and appease the people. You may confess your sins!"

Inside the temple, Chu Shenxiang slowly raised her eyes, her dark blue pupils resembling the deep sky.

"roll."

The divine voice was cold and serene, instantly purifying heaven and earth.

The thunder trembled and then suddenly dissipated.