When the old man, Lin Defeng, knelt before the Snake King’s statue, the crowd was jolted from a daze. They quickly followed his lead, kneeling one after another in an endless stream.
So many people knelt that the line stretched from the Snake King’s Main Hall all the way to several kilometers outside the Snake King Temple, forming a great, long dragon of people. The scene was as magnificent as it was sorrowful.
"Lord Snake King, please emerge to vanquish the demons and slay the devils! Restore peace and tranquility to the people of Bai Town!"
Their heartfelt, resounding cries joined as one, soaring to the heavens and shattering the clouds above, leaving the sky clear for miles.
The smoke from the incense in the Snake King Temple billowed upward like mist and clouds, shrouding the sky and stubbornly refusing to disperse.
The situation was dire. The demonic Fierce Beasts were rampaging through Bai Town, leaving destruction and death in their wake. Of Bai Town’s original population of over five hundred thousand, more than a hundred thousand had already perished.
The ghosts of the dead lingered over the land, exuding a grim miasma of Death Qi.
"Lord Snake King, please emerge to vanquish the demons and slay the devils! Restore peace and tranquility to the people of Bai Town!"
Again, the crowd’s thunderous cry shook the heavens and the earth. The deafening sound was like the beating of a war drum.
On the second floor of the Snake King Temple, Tu Xiao’an was jolted by the crowd’s shouts as if from a deep slumber. A sharp light glinted in his bewitching eyes.
To protect one’s own, one must protect all. It was clear the people of Bai Town needed him now.
In the distance, the earth-shattering roars of a hundred or so Fierce Beast Taoties echoed, sounding as if they wouldn’t rest until the ancient town was utterly destroyed.
’He couldn’t help but wonder, why would so many Taotie avatars converge on a small ancient town like this? It’s overkill. It’s like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.’
’If a hundred Taoties came to Bai Town, what must the scene in Wencheng be like? It’s probably on the brink of destruction.’
However, Tu Xiao’an didn’t act immediately. He was waiting. ’With an event of this magnitude, the system should issue a mission directive.’
"Lord Snake King, please emerge to vanquish the demons and slay the devils! Restore peace and tranquility to the people of Bai Town!"
Inside the temple, the crowd roared in unison once more. The deafening sound seemed to linger in the air, echoing endlessly.
Back when the Mutated Bloodsucker Snake was wreaking havoc on She Mountain, the people of Bai Town had called for him, the Snake King, in the same way, but the spectacle hadn’t been this grand.
The sheer scale of it now was truly shocking. Tu Xiao’an could feel his blood begin to boil with excitement.
’It’s about time, isn’t it? System, what are you waiting for?’
Suddenly, Tu Xiao’an’s eyes lit up.
"Ding... System Mission triggered: The Bai Town Catastrophe. Host must resolve the crisis in Bai Town. Upon completion, your Level will increase by 1, and the reward is one hundred million Faith Points."
’Haha, just as I expected!’
Before, it was the She Mountain crisis when he entered the mountains to kill the Vampire Snakes. Now, it was the Bai Town crisis.
A direct Level increase? For the current Tu Xiao’an, a single Level was a massive jump. And with a hundred million Faith Points, he could go on a spending spree in the store.
It was perfect timing. He had already spent all his Faith Points. This hundred million was like a mountain of gold and silver.
In truth, Tu Xiao’an would have acted whether the system issued a mission or not.
But killing two birds with one stone was even better.
At that moment, Tu Xiao’an focused his Qi and calmly watched the hundred or so Fierce Beasts advance. His every move exuded the imperious air of an emperor who looked down upon the world.
With him, Tu Xiao’an, here, let alone these avatars, not even the true body of the Taotie could dream of destroying Bai Town.
Because he would not allow it.
Inside the temple, before the Snake King statue, the people continued to kowtow and cry out. This was their only hope, the only thing they could do.
As the saying goes, "Man proposes, God disposes." Whether the Divine Spirit they believed in would protect Bai Town as it had before was all up to fate.
Suddenly, the Snake King statue lit up. It was like a light bursting through the darkness, uplifting everyone’s spirits and giving them a glimmer of hope.
Everyone stared with wide, astonished eyes. Their breathing grew heavy. Not a single person dared to move. Many even rubbed their eyes, afraid they were seeing things.
The Snake King statue grew brighter and brighter until it looked completely lifelike, glittering with a golden light.
DONG... DONG... DONG...!
Outside the temple, a deep and distant bell began to toll. The sound penetrated their very souls, making each person’s heart tremble.
DONG... DONG... DONG...!
The continuous ringing of the bell made the faces of Bai Town’s people flush with excitement.
The strange phenomenon of the statue and the endless tolling of the bell—these were all signs of the Snake King’s manifestation!
BANG!
As everyone held their breath, a massive, glittering golden snake, radiating a domineering and imperious aura as if from Ancient Times, violently burst forth from the statue and shot toward the Azure Sky.
RUMBLE...!
The entire Snake King Temple began to shake violently. But the people of Bai Town felt no fear. Instead, they were so excited they could hardly contain themselves. Many couldn’t help but burst into tears.
Their Lord Snake King had manifested...!
They had summoned him! Bai Town was saved! The fewer than four hundred thousand surviving citizens of Bai Town were saved!
SWOOSH...!
In an instant, an incomparably enormous snake appeared in the sky above the Snake King Temple. The Snake King aura it emitted made the very air tremble.
The people of Bai Town excitedly rushed out of the temple, staring dazedly as the colossal snake, erupting with Divine Light, vanished in a flash, heading directly for the hundred or so Fierce Beasts on the outskirts.
"Long live the Snake King...!"
"Long live the Snake King! We’re saved! Bai Town is saved!"
Countless people knelt on the ground, weeping with uncontrollable excitement.
With the arrival of the Fierce Beast Era, even the government seemed to have abandoned this ancient town, leaving them to their fate. But the Snake King they believed in had not forsaken them.
From...
From...
From...
Within Tu Xiao’an’s system, a massive and terrifying wave of the Power of Faith was being generated out of thin air.
He hadn’t seen such a surge since he left Bai Town.
"Ding... Congratulations, Host. You have gained 3,300,000 Faith Points."
"Ding. The great Fierce Beast Era has arrived. The Host can now develop his number of believers. The more believers, the more benefits the Host will receive."
Note: The number of believers is now displayed. A fixed amount of Faith Points can be gained each day. Each believer provides 10 Points.
In other words, if Tu Xiao’an had one hundred believers, they would provide him with one thousand Faith Points every day, just like interest.
Note: Upon reaching one million believers, the Host will receive one system lottery chance or can choose to forcibly raise the Level of a subdued Battle Companion by one.
"Ding... Number of believers is increasing frantically... 1,001, 23,512... 152,100..."
"Congratulations, Host’s believers have surpassed two hundred thousand and continue to increase..."
’Haha, excellent! In this Fierce Beast Era, I, the Snake King, will make the entire world believe in this snake, Tu Xiao’an!’
ROAR...!
A domineering, imperious serpentine roar echoed deafeningly across the area where the hundred or so Fierce Beasts were gathered. In an instant, three Taotie avatars were torn to pieces.
As the giant snake coiled and writhed, its Elemental Attributes burst forth. One moment it was Thunder, the next Flame, then Frost that froze everything. The Gold Element raged with divine might, turning all the metal in Bai Town into menacing, murderous weapons that shot toward the Taotie avatars.
In an instant, the powerful Fierce Beast Taoties suffered heavy casualties, falling one after another.
............
PS: Every time the New Year approaches, I (Qing Bai) get incredibly sleepy, like I’m about to hibernate. My brain turns to mush when I write. Moving forward, the plot will require more system missions, but I’m having trouble coming up with ideas on my own, so I’d like to brainstorm with everyone. For example, what kind of rewards would be good for completing missions? Or what kind of Ancient Exotic Beasts would you all like to see, maybe with a little plot to go with them? I’m going to start a review thread, so please feel free to leave comments. Whether it’s suggestions for system rewards or Ancient Exotic Beasts, if I use your idea, I will add an extra Chapter for that lovely reader—and it will be a large, four-thousand-word Chapter. I’m not kidding, this is a sincere offer.