You became an emperor by letting me AFK.

Gedentana was delighted that the design had come in handy.

Great.

The establishment of the image of the embodiment of the Heavenly Dao will make faith clearer and will inevitably inspire a wave of artistic creation, including sculpture, painting, and poetry. These will become part of the spiritual civilization of the Great Qian Dynasty, and the Inner Temple of the Priests will lead this cultural movement.

"Furthermore, I am giving this to you because Heaven wants me to pass it on to you."

Feng Tianyin reluctantly handed over the necklace.

It is made of finely strung pearls, and most importantly, it is decorated with a small and exquisite incarnation sculpture at the very center.

Xia He made a last-minute decision to create a model, after all, she couldn't neglect the Great Prophet, who was personally promoted by him, and she had to let her get along well with the little android and work together.

In a sense, it was Feng Tianyin who reminded him.

lonely.

Xia He remembered Feng Tianyin's emotional expression when she talked about parting with familiar people.

The only people who can keep her company right now are herself and Gergentana, so she might as well give a gift to the diligent Great Prophet.

"Thank you for the gift from Heaven."

The black-haired, black-eyed girl immediately knelt down and presented the gift with both hands. Seeing this, the surrounding priests also paid their respects. They never expected that Heaven would give the Great Prophet a special gift. If this news got out, everyone would be overjoyed.

But why did the High Priest only give it to us three days late... Never mind, I shouldn't speculate on His Majesty's intentions.

Gengtana understood the reasoning behind it, so she ignored the fact that Feng Tianyin had actually kept it a secret for a while and happily accepted the gift.

hum!

A glimmer of psionic light appeared, carrying a faint protective glow.

It appears weak on the surface, but considering the high status of beings like the Heavenly Dao, even simple protection is terrifying enough. In addition, the safety factor is greatly increased by the immortality, so there is no need to worry at all.

He probably made this preparation because he knew that the high priest had been assassinated.

"Keep it safe, and congratulations."

Feng Tianyin was a little envious, but she valued her own exclusive access to communication with the Heavenly Dao more, so she didn't care.

The surrounding priests also kept congratulating Gegentana, and the protagonist was naturally overjoyed. This was the first time in so many years that he had received such a precious gift, which could be called the second true masterpiece of the Heavenly Dao in the Great Qian Dynasty.

Treasure!

Its existence proves that the deity's connection to the mortal realm and its recognition of those who are elevated.

Combined with this large-scale manifestation of power, it would be enough to elevate the Heavenly Dao Sect's influence to a new level; everything was perfectly timed. At this moment, Feng Tianyin and Gegentana exchanged a glance, already having a rough outline in mind.

Before they could discuss for long, a group of guests arrived:

The diplomatic ambassador, Coron, arrived late to report on his duties, accompanied by priests, merchants, and officials, and looked travel-worn.

They were in a hurry, probably because they couldn't find anyone in the outer hall and came all the way to the inner hall.

"Greetings, Your Majesty and Your Majesty."

The main guests were only the High Priest and the Great Prophet, but even that was considered a high-level reception for them. Some merchants were already bowing down in fear and trembling with fear. The two men's psychic auras were so strong that even those without psychic perception could feel their presence.

"No gift."

Feng Tianyin gestured for them to be offered seats, indicating that they didn't need to stand stiffly.

Her majesty needs no elaborate embellishment; just as the merchant trembled upon their first meeting, her true nature lay in her spiritual power.

Gegentana urged, "Kerong, tell us about the Southern Faith, what is its attitude towards the Heavenly Dao Sect?"

Upon hearing this, he explained in detail:

alert.

The primitive worship of the sea god has a long history, and its image seems to be that of a giant octopus. This social phenomenon based on "giant worship" is not surprising, but they have become more systematic and have formed related sacrificial and ritual culture...

Its development trajectory is somewhat similar to that of the Great Qian Dynasty, and the rulers of Qingzhou throughout history have drawn lessons from it.

Your opponents are often the ones who respect you the most. They have been emulating the process of building the Heavenly Dao and its benefits to the cohesion of the Great Qian Dynasty. Therefore, the God of the Sea Dwelling has a strong official background, and the King of Qingzhou, Hou Yu, is quite wary of the Heavenly Dao.

That's normal.

They were permeated with religious cohesion from top to bottom, naturally rejecting other religions, and this was also related to some of the actions of the Great Qian Dynasty itself.

"Your Majesty, we have instigated these wars through believers, so it is inevitable that we will be on guard."

Ke Rong bluntly pointed out the other party's concerns.

Not worried about displeasing the two leaders, the temple's upper echelons have always been known for efficient communication and speaking their minds directly. Sure enough, after hearing this, Feng Tianyin and Gegentana simply smiled, completely unconcerned.

“This means they need the guidance of Heaven, and I am very happy.”

"It's a good opportunity to promote our culture. I've already thought of a name for it: let's call it Festival Culture."

"What's your plan, Coron?"

"Your Majesty, during this time I have won over some people, and taking advantage of this large-scale blessing phenomenon, I have tried to subdue Wangjiang by using the storm stirred up by the Heavenly Dao. Only by taking it down can we open up the waterway to the south."

If we consider land routes, there are other attack routes to choose from.

But it's too slow.

Going downstream to resupply along the way is low-cost, high-capacity, and fast—it's practically perfect. And you can't avoid using waterways, because if you try to avoid them by land, the enemy will use this "highway" to ambush you.

In other words, if there is a river, you must seize control of the river; otherwise, the risk of war is extremely high.

"Let's try your plan, and I'll approve whatever the budget is."

Feng Tianyin made the final decision.

The actions taken against Wangjiang City were also a test of the South, a clear indication of their intentions, and a way to gauge the other side's reaction.

She couldn't wait for the war to start, because Xia He had said she would keep an eye on it.

I look forward to that person's return.

---

The holiday for the Tendou Festival ends on the 7th day.

However, the turmoil had already spread far and wide at an even faster pace, and all those who had witnessed the grand occasion became faithful believers in the Way of Heaven.

Seeing the magnificent sight, they realized that only He could provide them with protection.

I believe you.

Initially, some people in the border regions were wary of the Heavenly Dao Sect, but now they have completely let go of their reservations and have flocked to join them. Numerous villages and barbarian strongholds in the surrounding area have also joined the Great Qian Dynasty one after another.

Although each area has a scattered population, the total number of people in each area is not to be underestimated.

Moreover, their inclusion signifies a strengthening of control over a region.

Influence +5

The ruling system of the Great Qian Dynasty will become more efficient, just, and strict. The various agencies, which were already operating at a super-efficient level with various benefits, will expand further with their support, and the grassroots governance will further consolidate the existing territory.

At the same time, Fengguo also responded to the construction and began producing materials according to the city functions that Xiahe had initially planned.

As the saying goes, "An army marches on its stomach."

When the situation in Daqian was in turmoil, it was impossible for Wangjiang City-State, which was directly under pressure, not to panic. From the start of the Heavenly Dao Ceremony, Lin Jian felt like every day was a year, and he was conflicted.

He had no choice but to comply.

How could a mere mortal not be swayed in the face of such immense power?

Even possessing spiritual power was meaningless, because a clearer sense of oppressive force was felt.

We simply cannot defeat a country that exists under protection.

However, the adjutant in front of him also expressed his concerns: "After all, we are the city-state that has resisted the enemy for the longest time, and we have made many enemies in Daqian. What if we rashly surrender and then face retribution? Then we will all be finished."

Lin Zhao, however, held a different opinion.

"Everyone in the world knows that the High Priest is kind and benevolent. If you surrender now and do so with proper ceremony, you will still be granted the title of Marquis."

"No, Qingzhou is still supporting us and supplying us with resources. Their first batch of soldiers is also heading upstream by boat..."

"Wait a minute, how come I didn't know about this?"

"Because we just received the news," the adjutant replied coldly.

This signifies Qingzhou's full support for Wangjiang, which will serve as the frontline controlling the entire river; war is imminent. Their decisiveness is unexpected; they likely began troop deployment immediately after the Heavenly Dao Ceremony, and the first batch of soldiers is about to arrive.

They don't care about the undercurrents within Wangjiang City; they don't care about infiltration or propaganda—they only have one method:

Suppression.

Qingzhou will not allow any changes to occur on the front lines.

The two looked at Lin Jian, the person in charge, and after a moment of contemplation, he replied, "The Qingzhou navy is heading north and is almost here. We have no choice. Prepare and fight resolutely."

Even with countless distracting thoughts in my mind, once I've made a decision, it's not going to be changed.

Upon hearing this, both the adjutant and the envoy looked regretful. It was a pity; as pawns or even the chessboard, there were really no better choices. Today's consequences were yesterday's causes; the grudges between the two sides were already difficult to resolve, and war had to take precedence.

The three of them had worked together for many years and understood that a life-or-death decision had been made, but ultimately it was not up to them to decide.

Do your best.

Wangjiang City officially welcomed its first batch of 2000 naval personnel from Qingzhou.

The number is small, mainly because the city is not big enough.

Moreover, considering the strategic importance of the city-state's location at a strategic pass, it would be difficult to defeat an attacker ten times its size, not to mention the continuous arrival of reinforcements and supply lines.

They made this medium-sized city crowded.

This is not finished.

The quality of Qingzhou soldiers is not comparable to that of Daqian. As they encroach on urban space, friction is inevitable. Having acquired military power, they will naturally consider resolving the issue directly with their fists.

"Get out of here, we don't allow stalls here anymore, we need to put our military supplies here."

"This workshop has been requisitioned. Stop all your original orders and give us equipment maintenance services."

"All mules are used to transport grain and fodder."

...The constant friction caused the locals of Wangjiang City to complain bitterly. They never expected that these guys would bully them before even offering any protection.

Outrageous!