This Human Immortal Is Too Serious-Chapter 338 - 336: Fabricating a Mythology!

Power is indeed a wonderful thing.

Wu Wang stood atop the clouds, his heart filled with countless emotions.

Rows of Immortal Soldiers moved through the fields, distributing low-grade elixirs that dispelled illness to mortals, from villages and towns to majestic cities, house by house.

It was merely a word from him, yet it could affect so many lives.

Probably, that's why beings like Candle Dragon and Emperor Shun fought to the death for it.

A streak of sword light crossed the sky, and Xiao Jian Daoist, dressed in a white robe and cloth shoes, hurried over from the direction of the Human Emperor Pavilion's main pavilion.

"Wu Wang! The eight Pavilion Masters have arrived at the main pavilion via the teleportation array, and we're just waiting for you!"

"Hmm," Wu Wang responded, retracting his Immortal Consciousness that had been probing various locations.

"Ahem, about this..."

Xiao Jian Daoist looked around, then leaned in close to Wu Wang and transmitted his voice, "Wu Wang, is this really appropriate? According to the rules of the Human Domain, only His Majesty can directly summon the eight Pavilion Masters. Directly inviting the eight Pavilion Masters to the Human Emperor Pavilion for a meeting is a bit... premature. It can easily give rise to gossip."

Gossip?

Wu Wang laughed. "It's fine. I've also summoned His Majesty."

"His Majesty!"

Xiao Jian Daoist's feet almost slipped, and he nearly fell from the clouds.

"Don't take so-called status and position too seriously," Wu Wang said nonchalantly as he tossed over a Storage Magic Treasure. "As for the cost of distributing these elixirs, if there's any surplus, use it to donate one hundred Zhu Rong temples on my behalf."

Xiao Jian Daoist opened the Storage Magic Treasure and couldn't stop grinning.

There was indeed a surplus.

"Wu Wang, why have you asked His Majesty to come out this time?" Xiao Jian Daoist asked via voice transmission. "Is there something amiss with the Heavenly Craft Pavilion? Sometimes, if the issue isn't too grave, perhaps just something they couldn't achieve due to limited abilities, there's no need to make such a big fuss over it."

Wu Wang laughed. "What, have the seniors from the Heavenly Craft Pavilion come to you to intercede on their behalf?"

"Indeed," Xiao Jian Daoist said, his expression still holding a smile. "Your 'infamy' is now well-known."

"What infamy?"

"The reputation for scolding people."

Xiao Jian Daoist spread his hands and teased him, "From the main pavilion of the Four Seas to the Southeast Division, and when you finally stopped scolding, you pulled out a Yin and Yang Path, slapping half the Human Domain in the face. It's not just those old seniors—I, being closest to you, also fear that you might discover some disgraceful matter about me and drag me to the Human Emperor Pavilion for a thorough scolding."

"Hahaha! That's not going to happen, definitely not."

Wu Wang waved his hand dismissively. "Go on now. Don't keep the seniors waiting, or I might forget what I wanted to say."

Xiao Jian Daoist glanced around, made a reassuring gesture to an old man in the distance, and then returned to the Human Emperor Pavilion with Wu Wang.

Inside the main pavilion, within Wu Wang's small building, the eight Pavilion Masters were seated in two rows. Emperor Yan of Shennong was already present, waiting.

If Wu Wang could not produce a satisfactory explanation later, he would find himself in a very awkward position.

「An hour later.」

Wu Wang stopped his narration, picked up a cup of hot tea beside him, blew on it a few times, then gulped it down.

The small building was utterly silent.

Shen Nong closed his eyes, feigning sleep, while Liu Baiyi and Feng Zhizi, who sat on either side of him, stroked their beards, deep in thought. The other six Pavilion Masters each held different views regarding the lengthy discourse Wu Wang had just delivered: some understood only a part of it; others began to understand but ended up confusing themselves as they listened further.

Liu Baiyi, rightfully one of the most eminent cultivators, had truly reached the transcendent state of 'listening to a speech as if one were merely listening to a speech.'

"Ahem," Liu Baiyi cleared his throat, gazing at Wu Wang with a slight smile. "Does anyone see any problems with what Hall Master Wu Wang just said?"

Everyone offered polite smiles.

Feng Zhizi asked, "The phrase Hall Master Wu Wang mentioned, 'only through belief can one be sincere'—how should we understand it? Does it mean that not everyone believes in Commander Fire Plume's valiant battle against the Gold God?"

"That's not what I mean," Wu Wang patiently explained in a soft voice. "It means that not everyone has truly regarded Fire Plume as a God."

"Go on and elaborate," said Liu Baiyi.

"Alright," Wu Wang made a gesture. "Let me rephrase; I might have been a bit unclear before. From another perspective, what's the most important aspect in creating Acquired Divine Spirits?"

Several Pavilion Masters spoke out:

"Incense offerings."

"No, it should be selecting the right candidate."

"I think, in fact, it's the Dao of Fuel and Fire."

Wu Wang chuckled. "Actually, it's the atmosphere."

"The atmosphere?"

"Exactly, the atmosphere."

Wu Wang, with hands clasped behind his back and under the watchful eyes of the nine top experts of the Human Domain, paced slowly while explaining, "The Human Domain lacks the atmosphere for creating Gods. People don't believe that the god statues placed in temples are actual Gods. This is the crucial point.

"Going to temples to worship the deceased with feelings of remembrance and collective thoughts will certainly generate a steady power of incense offerings. However, it's ultimately just remembrance; the emotional fluctuations are gentle, not very intense. But when a living being harbors an earnest request in their heart, desiring something from a Divine Spirit—be it protection, wealth, or even just a sliver of solace—that can generate a significantly stronger power of will.

"In the Human Domain today, Fire Plume is a deceased general of the Human Domain, not the Divine Spirit Zhu Rong. That is the crux of the problem."

Shen Nong nodded slightly.

Feng Zhizi stroked his beard, murmuring softly, "If that's the case, does it mean we need to make everyone in the Human Domain return to a state of ignorance? 'Believing in oneself is better than believing in Heaven; carving out the future of the Human Domain with our own hands'—this is a precious principle that our Human Domain took long ages to achieve."

Wu Wang smiled. "Creating Gods through collective will indeed doesn't quite align with the current Human Domain. However, it's a power we can use to contend with the Heaven Palace."

"Indeed," Liu Baiyi said gravely, "I believe I understand Wu Wang's meaning now. To quickly gather the power of incense offerings, we first need to make people rely on this Divine Spirit, to seek this Divine Spirit's protection. Only then can the power of their will converge upon this God. The method of creating Gods through collective will, which we are currently trying to implement, stems from everyone's respect for Fire Plume."

The Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Craft Pavilion, who was beside them, added, "If Emperor Yan's edict hadn't protected Fire Plume's Divine Thought, this would have been extremely difficult to achieve."

A Pavilion Master sighed, "Isn't this asking everyone to abandon their true selves and return to ignorance?"

"Indeed, our Human Domain is different from the Hundred Races. It's true that the Hundred Races suffer oppression from the Heaven Palace, but they also depend on it. Wanting them to stand up and resist the Heaven Palace has always been something we've wished to achieve but found exceedingly difficult. If we must resort to such methods to defeat the Heaven Palace, then when that time comes, will it be the Human Domain that has won, or will it mark the beginning of a new divine era?"

"I, for one, think this method is feasible."

"At such a critical juncture, we must take expedient measures. If, within a few hundred years, we can create a dozen or so experts capable of confronting Innate Gods head-on—no, even just a few—then all this effort will not have been in vain."

"If we do this, I fear we will be cursed by future generations."

"Then let me be the villain! I have thick skin and am not afraid of curses. What we must focus on now is how to protect the Human Domain."

Feng Zhizi said slowly, "I still have doubts. If the Human Domain develops such an atmosphere for creating Gods, what should we do when Innate Gods come to harvest the incense offerings?"

Wu Wang also fell silent at this point.

"At a time like this, everyone in the Human Domain, from top to bottom, should be mobilized."

Liu Baiyi said in a deep voice, "In what way is our Human Domain better than their Heaven Palace? We are better because we are united, and because we understand that in the long run, this approach actually does more harm than good. However, right now, if the method of creating Gods through collective will is successfully implemented, it can bring us immense benefits. We must consider all factors comprehensively."

Four or five Pavilion Masters slowly nodded.

"But..."

Feng Zhizi wanted to speak again but glanced at Shen Nong and continued to stroke his beard, humming softly.

Liu Baiyi said, "There's another point that all of you seem to have missed."

"Brother Liu, just say it. Don't keep us in suspense in front of His Majesty," one of them urged.

"Wu Wang just mentioned that the power of will generated by cultivators and mortals is nearly the same."

Liu Baiyi spoke slowly, "We don't necessarily need to promote the creation of Gods through collective will throughout the entire Human Domain directly. Instead, we can look to areas with many mortals and few cultivators. We could, for instance, designate such a region, transfer the cultivators out, and leave only mortals. Then, we find ways to make them believe Fire Plume is a Divine Spirit, and that praying to Fire Plume will bring results."

"This method is good."

"Indeed, the reasoning is sound."

Feng Zhizi nodded slowly at the side, smiling. "This plan is quite exquisite."

The eight Pavilion Masters gradually reached a consensus, while Wu Wang, standing by, didn't interject.

Finally, Shen Nong opened his eyes and smiled. "To obtain rewards, one must inevitably bear risks. If one is always timid, overly cautious, and hesitant, what can possibly be accomplished?"

The eight Pavilion Masters stood up to salute, loudly praising His Majesty's wisdom.

Once the venerable elder had spoken, the tone for the matter was set.

Wu Wang, after a moment of thought, added, "Bestowing divinity upon a heroic spirit isn't actually that simple; it's not something that can be achieved just by deciding to do it."

Shen Nong chuckled. "You wouldn't have called us old bones here without having thought of a method, would you?"

"Of course not."

Wu Wang fumbled inside his sleeve for a while and pulled out a wooden plaque, standing it up before him.

"The following plan might be somewhat complex; I will try to explain it as simply as possible. Of course, this is just a suggestion. Whether to adopt it is still up to you seniors and His Majesty. I've named this plan—"

The plaque flipped over, revealing four freshly inked characters.

Wu Wang's voice, tinged with a trace of magnetism:

"Creating Mythology."

The eight Pavilion Masters listened with rapt attention. Wu Wang began to speak eloquently once more, this time without pause, laying out all the concepts he had formulated before entering his seclusion to achieve the Transcendent realm.

"Suppose, in a city teeming with mortals, one were to extol the virtues of a Divine Spirit and spread tales of its deeds. Very quickly, stories of this Divine Spirit would circulate throughout the entire city. It's highly probable that a believer of this Divine Spirit would emerge within this city.

"So, what if, in this city, one systematically promoted an entire Divine Faction? When constructing temples, we wouldn't just place one Divine Spirit inside, but a whole pantheon of Divine Spirits! And then, bestow divinity upon each Divine Spirit—revealing miracles, promulgating virtues, granting false divine rights, and fabricating stories that belong to them!

"In this way, we could use the same amount of time to create a batch of false Gods!"

Wu Wang's words were resolute and impactful. The eyes of the eight Pavilion Masters lit up with varying degrees of intensity.

Shen Nong asked, "False Gods?"

"Yes, false Gods. They only enjoy the incense offerings and gather divine power, yet they cannot control the rules."

Wu Wang said earnestly, "This is also the next challenge: the Divine Spirits created through our method of collective will might not be as powerful as Innate Gods who possess an equivalent amount of divine power."

Liu Baiyi frowned. "Isn't that just a wasted effort?"

"How could it be a wasted effort? They will still possess combat power, albeit slightly weaker."

Wu Wang smiled, his eyes narrowing slightly as if they held two tiny swords within them.

"Moreover, consider this: suppose we cultivate a Wind God who possesses divine power—but nothing more—yet whom living beings believe is responsible for the winds. If, at some point in the future, we manage to slay several of Heaven Palace's major Wind Gods, would there be a chance for our false Wind God to become the new, true Wind God?"

Shen Nong said, "Unless the Heaven Palace gives up this Great Dao, it would be very difficult."

"Very difficult, but not impossible."

Wu Wang laughed. "Next, I will do everything in my power to investigate the weaknesses of the Heaven Palace's Divine Court. If such a method can be found, then the creation of Gods through collective will that we begin promoting today will yield results tenfold, even a hundredfold greater.

"Moreover, we shouldn't limit our perspective to the Human Domain. Look outward—look at the Southeastern Region, look at the Eastern Wilderness. We will fabricate a complete mythology, create some perfect Divine Spirits, and use Transcendents to spread this mythology. Under the Heaven Palace's rule, the Hundred Races generally remain in a relatively primitive state. By using our mythology to replace their beliefs, we can, in turn, shake the very foundations of the Heaven Palace's divine power. If you all consider this carefully, you'll realize its great potential."

"Excellent!" Feng Zhizi's eyes shone with a divine light as he said joyfully, "If we can truly devise a mythology so compelling that people are convinced the moment they hear it, it could genuinely shake the Heaven Palace's dominion over the Hundred Races."

"The Four Seas Pavilion has the deepest understanding of the Hundred Races. Since Pavilion Master Feng says so, I believe it."

However, Shen Nong said, "Another thing: would the Heaven Palace just sit by and watch?"

"That will depend on our strategy," Wu Wang said. He put away the wooden plaque, then summoned a stone slab and drew a few circles on it.

"This is the Heaven Palace, and this is us," Wu Wang explained, pointing to the circles. "The two are clearly distinct. Yet, all around us, there are countless beings who have no idea what the Heaven Palace truly is.

"Information circulates rapidly within the Human Domain—cough—but this is largely limited to cultivators. The division between cultivators and mortals is becoming increasingly pronounced. Mortals have lifespans of merely a few centuries, while cultivators can live ten or even a hundred times longer. Don't you all feel that the current Human Domain has already split into two layers: one clinging to the earth, and one floating in mid-air?

"Outside the Human Domain, this situation is even more severe. Take the Northern Wilderness clans, for example. Before I established the Star God Cult, founded the Mining Alliance, and covertly reformed the Northern Wilderness's ecosystem, literacy, painting, Divination, and performing music were all exclusive privileges of the Priests. This is true for most regions throughout the Great Wilderness outside the Human Domain.

"We've already tried promoting the ideals of the Human Domain, even sharing our cultivation methods with the Hundred Races. The results have been minimal; one might even say entirely ineffective.

"But what if we use the method they are most familiar with—God Worship? What if we use a well-crafted, systematic, and flawless mythology, with cultivators discreetly engineering some 'miracles' behind the scenes? Fabricating mythology, using God Worship to shatter the foundation of the Heaven Palace's divine power—*that* is the ultimate purpose of our discussion here today."