Chapter 167: The Name of the God of Sky and the Power of Faith

Her affinity for life and plants was exceedingly high, as evidenced by the faint floral scent that emanated from Estira’s body and her nature-like demeanor.

That’s why she was the current High Priestess.

But bearing the power of a deity in a mortal body was undoubtedly a challenge, and even the relatively high-quality physique of the White Feather Tribe would not allow such a feat without consequences.

Like burning firewood, which can burst forth with light and heat far beyond normal for a short time, it will also turn to ash sooner and quicker than ordinary trees.

This is what’s referred to as a shortened lifespan.

Typically, White Feather Wings have lifespans exceeding a thousand years, but the High Priestesses, as Vilyric later discovered, are often replaced every two hundred years or even less. If Estira was the Wing Emperor’s sister, she had held this priestly position for well over a century.

Moreover, last night, in battling the Withering Goddess, she forcibly activated the power of the Divine Spark fragments, crossing the limits of mortality for a brief period and reaching the realm of deities above level 80, which undoubtedly further accelerated her decline.

Saying she had only a few years left was not an exaggeration.

That’s why Xi Fu Lin asked this question. As the Life Goddess, she might not excel in other areas, but as long as Estira became her priestess and received divine favor, extending her life shouldn’t be a problem.

“Hey, don’t look at me like that! It’s not like I want you as my follower. Alright, let’s start from the beginning…”

Feeling a bit awkward under the gaze of the White Feather girl seeking help, Vilyric scratched her head and roughly explained the relationship between Xi Fu Lin and the Withering Goddess, along with some necessary information.

There was a lot to cover, and the Priestess spoke for quite a while before finally clarifying the situation for Estira.

“Um… So, this is actually a deity, the Life Goddess who split off from the Earth Mother Goddess? And that opposing counterpart, the Withering Goddess that attacked the city last night, has been sealed away by the two of you together?”

The Priestess blinked with difficulty; despite having anticipated much of this, she was still taken aback by the reality.

“Yes, and by the way, what do you or rather, what do your people know about the God of Sky Minerva and this so-called ‘Divine Core’?”

“This… Ah!”

Having seemingly grasped the situation, Estira suddenly panicked and stood up to worship, only to be stopped mid-motion by a casual wave from Xi Fu Lin.

“No need for that. Although the Winged People indeed revered Xi Fu a thousand years ago, it is now Minerva who offers you protection and guidance. Moreover, I am no longer the Earth Mother Goddess; now I am Xi Fu Lin, not Xi Fu.”

The Priestess next to them jokingly whistled.

“Hey, weren’t you initially quite disdainful of that name?”

Ignoring Miss Vilyric’s usual teasing, Xi Fu Lin focused her attention on the White Feather Priestess, who had been stopped yet insisted on bowing three times after Xi Fu Lin released her.

“What does this mean?”

Estira seriously completed her worshiping gesture before explaining.

“It’s not like that. Our ancestors told us long ago that she wasn’t truly a deity. We continue to worship deities as a way of expressing gratitude for our ancestors’ teachings and also to convey respect to the Earth Mother Goddess who has always protected our tribe with the Divine Core.”

“The will left by our ancestors has long been dormant, and unless it’s something special, it might not awaken even once in a century. Therefore, the real protection, the establishment of boundaries, and the granting of blessings comes from your power. Generations of High Priestesses willingly take on this responsibility. While we Winged People have flown into the sky, we have never forgotten the grace of the earth.”

“O Goddess, I wish to be your priestess and continue to serve you… No, I should say this is my honor! The honor of the entire Winged Tribe! After a thousand years, we have finally received the deity’s grace again. This is wonderful, truly wonderful!”

The excited white-haired, white-feathered Priestess girl looked incredibly moved. With her spirits lifted, even her pale face from exhaustion regained some color.

But the ever-inquisitive and tactless Priestess had to jump in.

“By the way, since you know of the Earth Mother Goddess’s existence, why did you still go ahead and fabricate the name of the God of Sky, thereby allowing Xi Fu’s existence to almost vanish into the dust of history?”

“This is…”

“It’s faith.”

Before Estira could hurriedly explain, Xi Fu Lin turned back to clarify for the eagerly listening Vilyric.

“Faith is a power, an invisible force similar to causality, akin to a soul. For a few individuals, it might not mean much, but if millions or even billions of sentient beings simultaneously express their faith towards a deity, it becomes something else.”

“As I told you before, there are strengths among Divine Sparks. This difference arises from the various concepts they represent and the fluctuations caused by the amplification of the power of faith. Simply put, the more believers there are, the stronger the god becomes. In extreme circumstances, it could even cause the Divine Spark itself to evolve over time.”

“Similarly, if this power continuously flows into the Divine Spark while the Earth Mother Goddess is sealed, it would keep it activated, significantly increasing the chance of breaking the seal. It is likely this consideration that led Minerva to deliberately replace Xi Fu with a fabricated name to carry that causal power.”

“Yes, yes, yes! The secret left by our forebears says just that! No wonder it’s the Life Goddess!”

Estira nodded vigorously like a chick pecking at rice, while Vilyric remained curiously persistent.

“But isn’t Minerva an archangel? She doesn’t have a Divine Spark to contain this; where do all these unclaimed faith karma end up?”

Perhaps the question was particularly tricky, as Xi Fu Lin hesitated a moment before responding thoughtfully.

“Hard to say. Under normal circumstances, it would naturally dissolve into the world like dispersing souls, but if this causal power has a clear target and that target meets certain conditions, it could land directly on that deity.”

“Of course, such situations are rare, since no god would expend their efforts helping mortals who don’t believe in them in a bid for followers.”

“I see, thank you for your guidance, Teacher Xi Fu Lin!”

“So when are you going to shape up…?”

Wrapping up that topic, the three girls of varying ages, but looking similarly, exchanged more information before the current Life Goddess, Miss Xi Fu Lin, proposed the true purpose of their visit.

“Estira, I plan to plant a tree in this city, and I’d like to seek your opinions as the local residents. Is that alright?”

“Plant a tree?”

   

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