Chapter 231: God manifests?

In the blink of an eye, it was the day of the Great God-Worship Ceremony. Before dawn, the temple square was already full of people.

Even the main roads outside the square were flooded with believers rushing from all over.

Outside the entire temple, the streets were empty, and the scene was grand.

Legend has it that on this day of the Great God-Worship Ceremony, the Great God Guiyuan would descend into the mortal world, attach himself to the statue to see the believers in the world with his own eyes, and bestow blessings upon them.

Many believers didn't hesitate to sell their family property for travel expenses, traveling all the way to Luo Cheng, just to have the luck to see the divine light manifest when the god manifested, obtain the god's protection, and have longevity and blessings from then on.

Some even dragged their seriously ill relatives and came as a family, hoping to obtain salvation.

Amidst the devout prayers of all the believers, the first ray of morning sun finally sprinkled on the land of Luo Cheng.

The high statue in front of the temple square was also plated with a deep radiance by the morning sun.

The statue had a kind face, with its eyebrows slightly lowered, as if looking down at the common people in the world.

Someone noticed a trace of difference and said quietly: "Why does the face of the statue seem different from before?"

They were immediately stopped by their companion:

"Don't talk nonsense, offending the god is a great crime!"

"That must be because the god is omnipotent and ever-changing. The god suddenly changed his face, perhaps to test whether we are loyal—no matter what appearance he changes into, we must recognize him!"

This explanation was self-consistent and perfect.

The Archbishop was currently receiving the Emperor and civil and military officials inside the temple.

It just so happened that the Emperor of Guifang also noticed that the golden body of the statue was a bit different, so he asked respectfully: "Archbishop, why has the appearance of the statue changed?"

He looked at the Archbishop and couldn't help but feel a bit puzzled: "Why does the current statue look a bit like the Archbishop?"

The Archbishop said: "The god is omnipotent and ever-changing. And I am the incarnation of the god in the human world, so it is not surprising that there are a few similarities."

The Emperor of the Guifang Kingdom originally had some doubts, but after being bewitched by his words, his eyes gradually became blurred: "That's right, the god is omnipotent and ever-changing..."

He hurriedly knelt down and prayed to the statue: "God, don't blame me, don't blame me! May the god stay in the Guifang Kingdom forever, protect the prosperity of the country, and protect me so that I may live a long life and be free from all diseases."

The civil and military officials behind him also knelt down and prayed separately.

So the entire hall was filled with the rustling sound of chanting.

After the prayer was finished, the Emperor and the Archbishop, along with the civil and military officials, appeared on the sacrificial platform of the statue square.

The crowd below cheered loudly, shouting not "Long live the Emperor" but "Long live the God, long live the Archbishop!"

And the Emperor didn't feel that his imperial power was challenged at all, intimately holding the Archbishop's hand and stepping into the highest part of the sacrificial platform together.

After another round of worship, the divine attendant announced loudly: "Offer sacrifices to the god to show piety!"

Then, a group of young children in plain clothes, with ignorant eyes, were brought to the sacrificial platform.

"Light the fire!" At the order, the sacrificial altar, which was more than twenty feet wide in diameter, ignited with raging flames.

Once the flames started, those children became nervous. The youngest ones were scared to tears and struggled to run, but were pulled tight by the guards.

Usually, gold and silver treasures were used to sacrifice to the god, but the sacrifices used in the annual Great God-Worship Ceremony were these children under six years old.

Everyone knew what kind of thing would happen next.

But they turned a blind eye, as if those innocent children were no different from cattle and sheep, not worth mentioning.

Even their parents were among them, not only not stopping them but also full of pride.

Only one young man walked out from among the civil and military officials and said: "Father Emperor, how can children be used as sacrifices to the god? This is simply cruel to the extreme! Please, Father Emperor, order the release of those children immediately!"

The Emperor said: "Sixth Prince, you have been studying in the Feng Kingdom for these years, so you don't know. These children are all chosen by the god, and the sacrifice is to send them to the Pure Land to reach the god's side. This is a great honor, and many people can't even ask for it."

The young prince only felt it was unbelievable; how could his country become so absurd after he had only been away for a few years?

"What Pure Land? It's clearly pushing them into a pit of fire and burning them to death alive!"

"Father Emperor, fire punishment has always been used to deal with those who have committed heinous crimes! These children are at most two years old, and the oldest are no more than five or six, Father Emperor, how can you bear to do this to them?"

The Emperor said: "The temporary pain is just a test from the god. Only by experiencing the pain of fire can their souls become pure. After reaching heaven, they can obtain eternal happiness."

"But..."

"Sixth Prince, are you questioning the god?" The Archbishop spoke coldly, and said to the Emperor with blame, "No wonder the god is angry and repeatedly gives hints. It turns out that there is a lack of faith in the royal family!"

As soon as the Emperor heard this, he panicked instantly: "Come, drag this rebellious son down and throw him into the heavenly prison to be convicted! Anyone who offends the god, even if it is my son, will not be spared!"

When the Sixth Prince was dragged away, he was still begging loudly: "Father Emperor, you can convict your son, but those children are innocent, you must not burn them to death at will! Why believe in such a cruel god who kills people like grass? This is not a god, it is clearly a devil! Father Emperor... Father Emperor..."

The Archbishop stood out gracefully: "Let the Sixth Prince come back. Since he doesn't believe in the god, let him see the true miracle. Since we are the representatives of the god in the human world, we naturally have the responsibility to save all living beings and let the world enter the god's embrace."

The Emperor nodded slightly, becoming even more devout: "Thank you for the god's tolerance, thank you for the god's willingness to give that rebellious son a chance."

Then he glared angrily: "Drag that rebellious son up! Let him kneel on the side and feel the god's grace well!"

The Archbishop quietly gathered a demonic power and dropped it onto the statue, and the next moment, five-colored light appeared behind the god.

"God manifests!" Someone shouted loudly.

The crowd boiled instantly, and some shouted: "Long live the God!"

Some knelt and kowtowed, their foreheads bleeding, but they didn't feel the pain at all.

Some wept bitterly, as if all their grievances and sufferings had been vented at this moment.

The civil and military officials also knelt down, turning into devout believers, constantly chanting the god's grace.

Even the monarch of a country knelt and kowtowed excitedly, sincerely making wishes to the god.

The Sixth Prince knelt on the edge of the sacrificial platform, looking up at the statue emitting flowing light and color, and couldn't help asking:

"Are you really a god? Is there really a god in this world? If you are a god, please save those children!"

The god seemed to hear his voice, and a piece of light actually drifted toward him.

The Sixth Prince was overjoyed: "You heard it? You are willing to save those children?" ===== CHAPTER 232 =====