Gentlemen, it's time to enter the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls.

Chapter 170 Not Doing That Foolish Act

On the table were fresh fruits and vegetables, several stacks of flatbread, and a whole roasted lamb that was sizzling and smelling delicious.

Looking across the entire northern Xinjiang region, this is already a rare and abundant feast.

Chen Ye had put a lot of thought into preparing this table of offerings. The vast city of Fengdu currently had a population of just over a hundred.

Roasting a whole lamb is fine, as there's never a shortage of sheep on the grasslands of northern Xinjiang.

The real challenge lies in the fruits and vegetables. Finding fresh fruits and vegetables in northern Xinjiang is extremely difficult, and those placed on this offering table are already considered treasures.

But in Chen Ye's view, it is absolutely unacceptable to not bring some fruit when performing a sacrifice.

A large table of food was offered in the City God Pavilion, and Chen Ye recited the prayer again.

The specific words of the prayer are not the key, nor is there a fixed format; what truly matters is the sincerity with which it is recited.

One must concentrate one's thoughts and transform them into pure willpower. Then, with this willpower, one can sketch, condense, and manifest the "form" and "taste" of the offerings out of thin air, and finally present them to the ancestral spirits of the skeletons.

The most troublesome part of the entire sacrificial ceremony is here.

The items used in the sacrifice must be things that Chen Ye himself understands and is familiar with. He cannot just pick up a stone or some trash as an offering, because everything is a manifestation of the power of incense and vows. If even he himself does not know what he is offering, then the power of vows is like water without roots, unable to take shape at all.

The sacrificial practices inherited by various tribes in northern Xinjiang are precisely missing this crucial step. They focus more on communication itself, treating offerings as a "stepping stone," showering them upon ancestral spirits in hopes of attracting attention and gaining a response.

In this way, the incense and prayers are directed in the wrong direction. Instead of coalescing into the proper form of the offerings, they turn into reckless impacts, striking the consciousness of the ancestral spirits like heavy hammers.

It's fortunate that most of the ancestral spirits were not yet enlightened and were in a daze, otherwise who could withstand such disturbances?

This is why such simple and crude sacrificial rites often anger ancestral spirits. Priests of many tribes often encounter so-called "ancestral spirits' wrath" and "misfortune," which, in essence, is nothing more than knocking on the door too hard and too frequently, making the ancestral spirits unable to bear it.

Sincerity, focus, and an unparalleled clarity of what one desires.

The offerings are meant to be given to the ancestral spirits for their enjoyment, not to be used to bang on their heads.

Chen Ye's mind was pure, and with his cultivation having reached the Profound Realm, his soul was much stronger than that of ordinary people. This allowed him to successfully and vividly manifest this large table of delicious food before the White Bone Ancestral Spirit.

When the White Bone Ancestral Spirit picked up a piece of flatbread and tried putting it in its mouth, it trembled all over and exclaimed excitedly, "This is the first time I've tasted anything like this. Is this what sweetness is?"

Before Chen Ye could answer, the Bone Ancestral Spirit opened its mouth and stuffed all the food in front of it into it. Luckily, it wasn't a physical being, otherwise, stuffing it in like that would probably have burst its mouth.

A moment later, the table was empty. The ancestral spirit of white bones prostrated itself on the ground and bowed deeply to Chen Ye.

He said in a trembling voice, "Thank you, Sect Master. I will never forget this kindness and virtue."

Chen Ye quickly told him to get up, saying it was just a meal, not really necessary.

After the ancestral spirit of the white bones calmed down a bit, Chen Ye said to him, "From now on, I will set a sacrificial day in Fengdu, and all the city gods can enjoy the offerings. However, it may not taste as good as this meal."

Not everyone who makes offerings can be as selfless as Chen Ye. If the power of the vow contains other thoughts, then what the ancestral spirit of the white bones eats may not taste like food.

Sincerity moves mountains; this is no exaggeration.

Only with a pure heart can the offerings to ancestors manifest completely. If one only thinks about what one wants when burning paper money, the power of one's wishes to manifest all things will not be so accurate.

If Chen Ye had burned mahjong tiles with the intention of ensuring his victory in every gamble, the mahjong tiles he burned might have cheated on their own.

Such is human nature; it is unavoidable.

However, with more people making sacrifices, there will always be those with pure hearts. Perhaps in the future, the underworld of Fengdu City will even develop a unique "treasure appraisal" profession, specializing in determining whether the incense offerings received by the spirits are "pure" enough.

However, these are all things to be discussed later; Chen Ye had already found a way to transform his will into matter.

If we design a few rituals to guide the living in their offerings and encourage them to be as devout and focused as possible, we can then gather objects for the spirits on a large scale, and the mahjong parlors can truly open.

The ancestral spirit of the white bones discussed with Chen Ye for a while and suggested that Chen Ye promote this sacrificial method as soon as possible. If everyone in the Northern Frontier worshipped the ancestral spirits in this way, other ancestral spirits would also soon develop intelligence. In this way, the City God Pavilion would be rightfully established.

Chen Ye also thought this made sense. Of the hundreds of ancestral spirits, only the White Bone Ancestral Spirit could speak and communicate, which was really inadequate.

However, promoting this sacrificial practice is not so easy.

After a moment's thought, Chen Ye summoned Tuoya Lier to the City God Pavilion.

"Greetings, Sect Master."

The woman bowed gracefully, her posture still respectful, but the deliberately cultivated allure between her brows had vanished. Some time had passed since their last meeting, and this once captivating beauty from the northern frontier now wore an elegant and appropriate plain-colored long dress, her demeanor exuding composure and dignity, completely devoid of her previous frivolity.

Chen Ye nodded inwardly. This kind of woman was indeed admirable. She not only possessed stunning beauty, but more importantly, she had a keen insight into people's hearts and the wisdom to assess situations.

She can quickly determine what those in power need and show the appropriate attitude at the right time. No wonder the High Priest's lineage can secretly influence and control many forces in the Northern Frontier.

Chen Ye told Toya Lier about the sacrificial ceremony, repeatedly instructing her on several key steps and asking her to carefully record the important points so that she could find a way to promote it.

Toya Lier was quick-witted and soon understood Chen Ye's intention. After a moment's thought, she offered her opinion: "Sect Master, the tribes in the Northern Frontier all have their own sacrificial rituals passed down through generations. If we were to forcibly promote a new method, we would likely encounter considerable resistance."

Chen Ye naturally understood this principle. How could a tradition that had been followed for thousands of years be easily changed? Most ordinary tribal people would find it difficult to accept.

But looking into Toya's eyes, he knew that she must already have a plan in mind.

Chen Ye couldn't help but think of the shrewd and capable subordinates he had met in his previous life. They often had solutions ready as soon as they raised a problem, which always made the leader feel at ease and satisfied.

Chen Ye didn't mind Toya's little scheme; instead, he went along with it and asked, "Oh? Do you have any good ideas?"

Toya Lier quickly bowed and said, "Although the tribes of the Northern Frontier believe in their own ancestral spirits, changing their titles to City Gods is merely a change in name, and there is not much resistance to its implementation. The real difficulty lies in changing the way of worship."

"In my opinion, instead of us trying to persuade them, we should let the ancestral spirits speak for themselves. Since the City God Pavilion has the power to communicate with and even manifest the various City Gods, why not summon the high priests of each tribe to Fengdu City for a pilgrimage?"

"Pilgrimage?" Chen Ye raised an eyebrow.

“Exactly!” Toya Lier said with certainty, “In the sacrifices of the various tribes in the Northern Frontier, perhaps only one in ten times will receive a clear response from the ancestral spirits. But in your City God Pavilion, Master, the situation is completely different.”

"As long as those priests witness with their own eyes that the City Gods are obeying your commands here, and hear with their own ears that the City Gods approve of the new sacrificial method, they will naturally understand that the Yellow Springs Sect is the true master of all ancestral spirits! At that time, what will the Sect Master ask them to do? How dare they disobey? Promoting the new sacrificial method will naturally be a natural outcome."

With eager eyes, Toya Lier continued, "When that time comes, the miraculous reputation of the Yellow Springs Sect will spread throughout the Northern Frontier, and Fengdu will become the new holy city! The people of the Northern Frontier will worship you and come to pay homage with heartfelt devotion, offering the purest and most devout incense and prayers to the Yellow Springs Sect!"

After listening, Chen Ye couldn't help but feel a subtle sense of emotion.

This tactic... isn't it the same method used by the Nirvana Sect back then?
The Holy City used this same tactic to deceive the people of the Northern Frontier, and while it was indeed effective, Chen Ye's actions were far too demonic.

Chen Ye shook his head and said, "It's fine to have the priests from various tribes come to pay homage, but the three kneelings and nine prostrations are unnecessary. The lineage of my Yellow Springs Sect is not about fooling the people, nor is it necessary for the people of the Northern Frontier to have nothing but worshiping gods."

The celestial beings have ruled the Northern Frontier for a long time, doing nothing good but harming people. Their millennia-old poison remains unresolved! The people of the Northern Frontier still suffer from hunger and lack of clothing, helpless in the face of natural disasters and man-made calamities. If Chen Ye were to follow their example and employ methods to keep the people ignorant, how would he be any different from those demonic sects and heretics?
People can worship gods because gods truly exist and will bless all people.

However, we cannot only worship gods and ask them for blessings in everything.

Reverence for the gods without seeking their help is the only pure form of faith, and this was also the goal of Chen Ye in changing the ritual practices.

If the Nirvana Sect's system is used again, the final result will be that the ancestral spirit will always remain the ancestral spirit, existing only to satisfy the greed of mortals, and will never become the City God of the Yellow Springs Sect, making it impossible to establish a fair and just cycle of reincarnation.

Upon hearing this, a hint of confusion flashed in Toya Lier's eyes: "But Sect Master, in this way, we can completely win over the hearts of the people of the Northern Frontier and ensure that no one dares to harbor any rebellious thoughts or rebel."

Chen Ye laughed and said, "The reason why people rebel is mostly because they can't get enough to eat or wear, and they can't survive. If everyone is well-fed and clothed and lives in peace and contentment, who would be willing to risk their head to rebel? I don't want to be the king of the Northern Frontier. Whether they rebel or not is a concern for the leaders of the various tribes. What does it have to do with me?"

As long as Fengdu City is prosperous and its people live well, others will naturally think about how they can live such a good life.

Through subtle influence, the people of the Northern Frontier will naturally accept the teachings of the Yellow Spring Sect.

If one insists on playing the Nirvana Sect's game, making mortals know nothing but worshiping gods, then ultimately they will turn people into beasts, which is the greatest evil in the world.

Even if he couldn't immediately promote this sacrificial method, Chen Ye was unwilling to be the kind of villain who fooled the people.

If one year isn't enough, then two years; if two years aren't enough, then a hundred years. Chenye has a long lifespan, so there's no need to rush; we can take our time.

Chen Ye said to Tuo Yalier, "You are originally from the Northern Frontier, so think more about the people of the Northern Frontier. When you have done enough good deeds, perhaps you can also enter this City God Pavilion and enjoy incense offerings."

Toya Lier quickly lowered her head, but couldn't help blushing.

This wasn't girlish shyness, but rather shame.

She never imagined that Chen Ye, an "outsider" sect leader and a powerful figure with overwhelming strength in the Northern Frontier, would sincerely urge her to seek the well-being of the mortals in the Northern Frontier.

The sect leader before her was completely different from the ambitious people she had encountered in the past who only knew how to pursue power.

He is a great sage in all right.

(End of this chapter)