Chapter 649 Faith, Five Spirit Mystic Maidens
The gods created by faith will eventually be devoured by faith itself.
Gods can have faith, but they cannot have only faith.
—The End Dao Lord
……
Faith is toxic.
Looking across the heavens and seas, the Ragnarok, time and again, has revealed this fact to all the gods in the most cruel way.
While faith can bring power, it can also bring countless negative consequences.
Faith originating from the heart is the most complex thing in the world.
As civilization develops and times change, all those who were once powerful because of their faith will eventually meet their end.
The Five Spirits Mystic Maiden is just like that; she was born because of the faith of all living beings, and she also went to extremes because of the faith of all living beings.
From the very beginning, the Five Spirits Mystic Maiden was a puppet, manipulated by a powerful force called faith.
In the early days of the purest faith, when everything was thriving, this problem was not considered too serious.
Because in the very beginning, the beings of the Nine Realms were ignorant and could not generate overly complex thoughts.
Like later generations, they had both good and evil aspects, but due to the limitations of their time and their lack of understanding, they found it difficult to develop overly complex thoughts.
They revered the gods and the heavens and earth, placing themselves in the lowest of positions.
Even if they are swayed by ambitious individuals, the impact they can have is extremely limited.
Although the beliefs at this time were diverse, they were still within a controllable range.
Because of some contingency plans left by Mu Ling'er back then, the Five Spirits Mystic Maidens during this period have always been following the trajectory set at the beginning.
Although the Five Spirits Mystic Maiden occasionally does things that are illogical, overall, she does not exceed Mu Ling'er's initial expectations.
For hundreds of years, the Five Spirits Mystic Maiden appeared before mortals as the guardian deity of the empire and the arbiter of justice.
……
As time marched forward and the era changed time and again, the state of the Five Spirits Mystic Maiden deteriorated rapidly.
The Great Spirit Empire has developed so rapidly that almost everyone in the empire has received a high level of education.
Expanded knowledge and a broader perspective have given the people of the empire more ideas as their lives become better.
New ideas have emerged one after another over the centuries.
Increasingly convenient communication methods have accelerated the spread of ideas. Without the need for opportunists, in the pursuit of truth, problems that were once overlooked naturally come to the surface.
Silently, a chasm appeared between the imperial court and the people of the empire.
As the concept of cultivation gradually became more widespread, and as imperial officials first proposed the idea of universal cultivation and everyone becoming like a dragon, people lost their reverence for gods and emperors.
At first, there weren't many, and the vast majority of people were still full of piety towards gods and emperors, but as time went on, things changed.
As the empire's development gradually stagnated, as the people encountered some difficulties in their lives, and as the overall environment gradually deteriorated...
A mournful cry echoed throughout the land.
More and more people are blaming all their misfortunes on the imperial court and the emperor in the palace.
They selectively ignored the empire's progress over the years, while magnifying the difficulties the empire encountered and trivial matters.
They take things out of context, desperately searching for allusions in reality and ancient books, and subverting past perceptions in a way that benefits themselves.
Gods are no longer sacred, emperors are no longer noble, virtuous people in history are highly controversial, and villains are highly praised...
They question everything except their own abilities.
In their eyes, the imperial court was lifeless, and all the officials were incompetent and lazy.
The empire needs change, and only they can lead it to glory.
Unbeknownst to the officials in the Qing'an Prefecture court, a subtle shift in the prevailing sentiments within the Great Ling Empire was taking place.
The officials in the court have lived for far too long, to the point that they cannot comprehend these new ideas, nor do they consider them to be of any great importance.
Without a sound, they had already placed themselves on the opposite side of countless citizens of the empire.
……
If the Great Spirit Empire were an ordinary mortal kingdom, or if it were like the Heavenly Craft Empire, having already undergone countless revolutions and reached an extremely high level of civilization, then...
Things might not have turned out the way they did, and these ideas could still be properly guided.
The world is not lacking in ignorant people, nor is it lacking in rational people. We can win over some and suppress others, and solve problems in a gentler way.
but--
Unlike the mortal kingdoms of the Heavenly Craft Empire and the Nine Realms, the Great Spirit Empire is a completely theocratic kingdom, a celestial empire dominated by the cultivation civilization.
In the Great Spirit Empire, there can only be one voice.
As more and more bloodshed erupts, as more and more people die in conflict, as those who create chaos blaspheme against the gods and insult emperors...
The outcome was already predetermined.
Seeing the memorials presented from all directions, Mu Zhaoyang gave the most concise instructions.
kill!
We gave them too much credit!
If you don't want to live, then all of you should die!
The empire has no need for such scoundrels!
A decree was issued and spread throughout the land. The imperial army was swiftly mobilized and, with unstoppable force, imprisoned all those who had caused the conflict.
Inevitably, this process caused a series of chaotic events, and countless innocent people were implicated and burdened with crimes that did not belong to them.
Following the emperor's will, the process was simplified without limit.
From arrest to sentencing, everything happened incredibly fast.
In just six months, nearly a million people lost their heads.
The empire maintained its rule, but also sowed the seeds of fear and doubt deep within it.
Ordinary people are powerless to resist, so they can only place all their anger and resentment on the gods and entrust it to the Five Spirits Mystic Maiden.
Having just returned from the Celestial Craftsmanship Realm, and before she could even sort out her thoughts, a faith filled with resentment and indignation surged into the mind of the Five Spirits Mystic Maiden.
"Help us!"
"What did we do wrong? What did the dead do wrong?"
"The emperors are tyrannical! The gods are without virtue!"
"The world needs neither gods nor tyrants!"
……
Countless contradictory thoughts flooded into the Five Spirits Mystic Maiden's mind like a tidal wave, completely shattering the last vestige of her humanity.
As a deity born from the faith of all beings, she should follow the will of all beings and uphold justice for them.
If an emperor is tyrannical, then depose him.
If gods are without virtue, then we should not have gods.
If an empire can only have a future after its destruction, then destroy the empire and build a kingdom ruled by mortals on the ruins!
Even if it means her own destruction, she will have no regrets.
……
With this thought in mind, the Five Spirits Mystic Maiden arrived at Wangxing City.
She wanted to see Mu An and seek his support.
She wanted Mu An to voluntarily give up all interference in the mortal world, leave the Nine Realms, and leave this world.
But Mu An didn't see her. She only saw a piece of trash in her eyes—Qing He, who only knew how to waste resources and was useless.