Projection of the Heavens: I prove my immortality through slaughter.

When Dao Xuanzong was established, Kunwu was shaken.

Half a month has passed since Lin Xuan drew a mountain on the ground and established his lineage.

In the center of the Cangwu Continent, the central sacred mountain, surrounded by nine mountains, has become an indisputable holy land in the eyes of cultivators throughout Kunwu Star and even the surrounding star regions.

Every day, tens of thousands of cultivators flock from all directions, gathering before the purple-gold rainbow bridge that spans the sky as if on a pilgrimage.

The "Way of Inquiry" is bustling with people, yet orderly.

No one dared to act recklessly here. Even the once unruly demonic giants and powerful demons had restrained all their arrogance, their eyes filled only with longing and piety.

That seemingly ordinary stone path, shrouded in mist, contained the supreme Daoist essence of the Xuanzun, pointing directly to the heart, filtering out opportunism, and leaving only sincerity.

Lights continuously shone from the Path of Inquiry, and the successful were guided into the mountain gate by celestial light, while the unsuccessful retreated in dejection. Yet, no one dared to complain, blaming only their own lack of steadfastness in their Daoist resolve.

Within the Dao Xuan Sect, a vibrant and dynamic scene unfolded. The newly initiated disciples, regardless of their previous status, were all dressed in uniform light blue Daoist robes, moving about in their designated areas, their faces radiating excitement and exhilaration.

The Transmission Pavilion already contains basic Qi Refining and Foundation Building methods for reference. Although they are only the most basic of the great Dao transmitted by the Mystic Venerable, they are a hundred times more exquisite and profound than the cultivation methods they practiced in the past.

Lin Xuan did not personally manage these trivial matters. He entrusted the daily operation of the sect to Xuan Chengzi, who was the first to surrender and whom he had confirmed with his divine sense to be loyal, and appointed him as the outer sect elder in charge of registering, settling and teaching basic skills to the initial disciples.

He himself resided in the "Xuanzun Hall" at the summit of the central sacred mountain, with the hall doors always closed, as if he no longer cared about worldly affairs.

However, the entire Dao Xuan Sect, and even the entire Kunwu Star, were all revealed in detail under the influence of his divine sense.

On this day, deep within the Xuanzun Palace, Lin Xuan sat cross-legged on a cloud bed. There was no fluctuation of spiritual energy around him, but the Nine-Turn Golden Pill within his body slowly rotated at a mysterious frequency, absorbing and releasing some kind of energy that gathered from the darkness.

He was introspecting, observing a novel change.

In his perception, centered on Kunwu Star beneath his feet, and especially on the Cangwu Continent, countless tiny, almost imperceptible, milky-white specks of light permeated from the void, traversing spatial distances, like moths drawn by an invisible force, continuously flowing into his body.

These points of light are neither aura, nor star power, nor any known form of energy. They are subtle, pure, and carry a sense of piety, dependence, and reverence.

It is faith.

It is the spiritual power emanating from the disciples who formally became disciples of the Dao Xuan Sect through the Path of Inquiry, the Kunwu Star cultivators who, though not yet disciples, are filled with awe and longing for the name "Xuan Zun," and even the beings from distant star regions who are deeply moved by his deeds of defeating the Tian Shu Sect and reshaping the mountains and rivers.

Initially, these powers of faith were like spider silk, so weak as to be almost negligible.

But as the number of Dao Xuan Sect disciples exceeded one hundred thousand and one million, and as his reputation spread to a wider star field, these spider silks began to converge into streams. Although they were still thin, they could be clearly perceived.

They merged into his limbs and bones, eventually flowing into his dantian and being absorbed by the slowly rotating Nine-Turn Golden Elixir.

Something amazing happened.

These powers of faith did not directly transform into magical power, nor did they strengthen his soul. Instead, they acted as a purest "lubricant" and "catalyst," lingering around the purplish-gold golden core and permeating the naturally formed Dao patterns.

The rotation of the Golden Core, under the influence of this power, seemed to become more harmonious and free. The eight Dao patterns on the surface of the core, representing "power," "star," "silence," "extinction," "life," "emptiness," "illusion," and "killing," which had already blended perfectly, now seemed to have a more restrained and profound luster under the nourishment of the power of faith. The connections between them were also becoming closer, and there was a faint tendency for further transformation and the birth of more complex Dao rhythms.

The speed of quenching has been increased.

Although the improvement is extremely small, perhaps only one percent or one thousandth, at Lin Xuan's level, every step forward in the Nine Revolutions Golden Core is extremely difficult. This one percent acceleration is already a heaven-defying benefit.

"I see..." A flash of understanding appeared in Lin Xuan's deep black eyes. "Gathering fortune isn't just about having the advantage of location and people, but also about reaping the power of faith from all living beings. Faith can actually accelerate the tempering of the Great Dao's origin?"

He recalled that when he was projected into the Desolate Ancient Realm, that small human tribe worshipped him as the "Mysterious Heavenly God" and provided him with the power of faith. However, at that time, his cultivation level was still low, and his projected body could not perceive it in detail. He only felt that it slightly nourished his soul.

Now that his true form has achieved the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir, his understanding of the laws of heaven and earth and the essence of energy far surpasses that of the past, and he has finally truly grasped the wondrous uses of the power of faith.

It doesn't directly increase power, but rather lowers the threshold for enlightenment and cultivation, like laying steps on a rugged and steep mountain path, allowing him to more smoothly reach the pinnacle of the Great Dao.

"No wonder those ancient deities and celestial beings built numerous temples to spread their faith. This is not merely vanity, but a matter of fundamental importance to the path of cultivation," Lin Xuan understood. It was a mutually beneficial relationship: believers provided faith, and the deities reciprocated with protection and the manifestation of their power.

He did not follow the path of incense and deity, which required him to create a golden body to absorb faith. Instead, he used faith as a high-level resource to aid in the tempering of his Golden Core path, making it purer and less prone to future troubles.

With a thought, he began to observe these points of faith with even greater detail.

He discovered that the power of faith also has different levels. The most common is "awe," which comes from those beings who fear his power; the light is murky and has the lowest effect.

Secondly, "gratitude" comes from those who have received his protection or have had opportunities because of him; the light shines brighter from these individuals.

The purest qualities are "reverence" and "devotion," which mainly come from disciples who have genuinely embraced the Dao Xuan Sect's philosophy through the path of self-examination. Although these qualities are few, they are as brilliant as diamonds and have the best effect on refining the Golden Elixir.

"Both quality and quantity are indispensable," Lin Xuan said thoughtfully. Expanding influence and recruiting more disciples can increase "quantity."

Strengthening the cohesion of the sect, passing down the true Dao, and winning the sincere allegiance of disciples can improve its "quality".

Just then, he sensed with a slight movement of his divine sense that Xuan Chengzi was respectfully waiting outside the Xuanzun Hall.

"What is it?" Lin Xuan's voice rang directly in Xuan Chengzi's mind.

Xuan Chengzi trembled and bowed even more respectfully: "Reporting to the Venerable Master, the first batch of three hundred core disciples who passed the Path of Inquiry have been settled."

Among them are three disciples whose aptitude and temperament are all of the highest quality. I wonder if the Venerable Master could...?" He wanted to ask if he should meet them in person and offer some guidance.

"No need," Lin Xuan interrupted him. "Pass down the first three levels of the Basic Daoist Scripture and set up a 'Discussion Platform' for him to study and discuss on his own. Do not disturb me unless it is a matter of life and death for the sect."

"Yes! I will obey the decree of the Venerable Master!" Xuan Chengzi dared not say more and quickly withdrew.

Lin Xuan withdrew his divine sense. He established the Dao Xuan Sect to sow seeds and gather the wind and rain, not to act as a babysitter. True strength must grow through trials and tribulations. He only needed to grasp the general direction, provide the most basic soil, and offer occasional "sweet rain."

His attention returned to the wisps of faith power flowing into his body. With his recent understanding and focus on this power, his connection with it seemed to have grown stronger. The speed and purity of its flow had even slightly increased.

"Can recognition at the level of consciousness also strengthen this connection?" He seemed to have touched upon a completely new rule.

As Lin Xuan felt the slow but steady tempering process of his golden core being nourished by the stream of faith, a barely perceptible smile appeared on his lips.

This Xuan Tian Star Domain is more valuable than he imagined.

It was not only the foundation upon which he initially established himself, but also the source of resources for him to accelerate the refinement of his golden elixir and advance to a higher realm.

He slowly closed his eyes, no longer deliberately guiding them, allowing the power of faith to gather naturally, his body and mind completely immersed in a deeper understanding of the Golden Elixir Path and the mysteries of faith.

Inside the Xuanzun Hall, silence returned, save for the invisible stream of faith that flowed ceaselessly across the void.