Translator: CinderTL
After the unveiling ceremony for the hero statue concluded, Feng Qi returned to the Tiger Soul Research Institute.
In the following days, he resumed executing the Lord of the Mist's "faith harvesting" plan.
One morning, after finishing breakfast, Feng Qi went to his office.
As he entered, he noticed a thick stack of documents on his desk.
He sat down and took a sip of the freshly brewed tea Ye Er had prepared.
Setting down the cup, he picked up a document and began to read.
These materials, which he had instructed Ye Er to retrieve using the Tiger Soul Research Institute's access privileges the previous night, pertained to the faith systems of modern humans.
Gaining a deeper understanding of the structure of modern human faith would greatly aid him in executing his subsequent "faith harvesting" plan.
As he studied the documents, time slipped away unnoticed.
He occasionally paused to sip his tea.
Through the documents, Feng Qi discovered that modern human faith was divided into numerous sects, primarily composed of mainstream traditions such as Taoism, Buddhism, and Christianity.
Each faith sect revered its own unique deities, and their pantheons varied significantly.
The data within the documents revealed that modern faith sects had long since lost the prosperity they enjoyed before the cataclysm.
Under the new educational paradigm, modern humans were more inclined to worship heroes who fought and bled on the front lines than to revere nebulous, intangible gods.
The Old Day Research Institute conducted a social survey on human faith.
The final data revealed that devout believers accounted for less than 6% of the modern human population.
Among them, casual believers made up approximately 23%.
These casual believers held a cautious attitude toward the existence of deities, adopting a "better safe than sorry" approach. They might follow their elders in worship, but their hearts lacked genuine devotion and remained easily swayed.
The remaining 71% consisted of atheists and those who worshipped heroes.
While reviewing faith-related materials, Feng Qi noticed a peculiar phenomenon.
He discovered that in the new human era following the cataclysm, numerous novel faith traditions had emerged.
However, these traditions remained small in scale, unable to compete with mainstream sects.
This was clearly related to the post-cataclysm environment.
Living in the aftermath of the cataclysm, people approached problems from a practical perspective, leaving little fertile ground for faith traditions to flourish.
Yet one sect stood as an exception.
This faith tradition, known as the Dark God Cult, originated in the western district of Old Day City.
Today, its followers have spread throughout the Five Great Cities and many smaller affiliated cities.
The deity worshipped by the Dark God Cult is called the Dark God.
The documents also contained a detailed account of the Dark God, describing how this first deity born from darkness created the world and brought fire and light to humanity, among other things.
The final section emphasized the numerous benefits of worshiping the Dark God, primarily revolving around reincarnation and rewards in the afterlife.
Feng Qi scoffed at these claims.
The deities described by their followers were remarkably similar across different faiths.
If worshiping a deity truly worked, cities wouldn't have fallen, and countless scavengers wouldn't be homeless.
Yet he remained deeply curious about the Dark God Cult's rapid growth and expansion.
With lingering doubts, he continued to pore over the cult's materials.
His expression soon turned grave.
He discovered that the Dark God Cult's rapid growth was largely due to the feedback from its followers.
The documents contained numerous case studies of believers who had received tangible benefits after worshiping the Dark God.
For example, a follower from the western district of Old Day City had been terminally ill, with doctors issuing a critical condition notice.
On the brink of death, the follower had chosen to worship the Dark God as a last resort.
Within a month, their illness had miraculously vanished.
Hospital examinations confirmed that their health had been fully restored, indistinguishable from a normal person's.
This incident had caused quite a stir in Old Day City's western district at the time.
The Dark God Cult gained significant public attention, leading many to embrace the Dark God. Had their tenets not been so positive and uplifting, the Old Day City authorities would likely have suppressed them.
Such cases were abundant in the cult's growth and expansion. The documented instances numbered in the hundreds, while the testimonies of other believers were even more numerous. It seemed that faith in the Dark God truly could heal illnesses and bring about blessings.
After reviewing the information on the Dark God Cult, Feng Qi fell into deep thought.
He naturally didn't believe in the existence of the Dark God.
However, the documents revealed that many believers had shared his skepticism before embracing the faith. Some were even graduates of prestigious academies, whose critical thinking skills made them unlikely to be easily swayed.
Yet Feng Qi sensed that the truth was more complex.
If the Dark God possessed the power to aid humanity, why hadn't he dispelled the Domain Fields entirely, bringing true light to the world?
The healing of minor ailments was something many domain creatures could accomplish. For example, Le Ping'an had recovered from a terminal illness with the help of the Black Shadow Faction, which was a major reason his parents had chosen to join the darkness.
Feng Qi had reason to suspect that a Domain Force might be operating behind the Dark God Cult.
They might be playing a grand game.
He even suspected that this potential hidden force possessed abilities similar to his Miracle Bracelet, using the Dark God Cult merely to gather faith power and lay the groundwork for their future plans.
Just as Feng Qi was deep in thought, the door swung open.
He looked up and saw the Lord of the Mist standing there.
Observing the Lord of the Mist, still clad in his tattered clothes and beaming with a smile, Feng Qi couldn't help but ask, "Is it over?"
"Emerging from seclusion, my Divine Art is perfected, and the future is bright," the Lord of the Mist replied, striding to the desk and settling into a chair.
Hearing this, Feng Qi couldn't help but roll his eyes.
"What are you researching?" the Lord of the Mist asked, glancing at the documents spread across the desk.
"Analyzing the current composition of human faith."
The Lord of the Mist nodded immediately. "This is crucial. We've chosen the path of heroes ascending to godhood, which fundamentally clashes with the faith in these deities—they're practically opposing forces."
"After all, we're approaching this from a practical standpoint, while these divine faiths stem from ethereal spiritual beliefs. To gain more followers, we must find ways to dismantle these divine faiths."
"Think of it like a cake—there's only one. As our followers increase, the followers of other faiths will inevitably decrease."
As he spoke, the Lord of the Mist asked with curiosity, "Having examined the current structure of human beliefs, have you made any discoveries?"
"I did stumble upon an unexpected finding," Feng Qi replied, handing the Lord of the Mist the Dark God Cult's dossier.
The Lord of the Mist accepted the dossier and began reviewing it with a puzzled expression.
After a moment, he looked up at Feng Qi. "You suspect that a Domain Force is behind the Dark God Cult, manipulating faith power to orchestrate future events?"
"Exactly. My thoughts align with yours," Feng Qi nodded immediately. "But there's one thing I can't explain. If a Domain Force is indeed pulling the strings, why would the Spirit Energy Clan, entrenched in Old Day City, simply stand by and watch? After all, this Domain Force is developing right under their noses. Aren't they concerned about the potential threat this faction might pose?"
"Have you considered the possibility that the Dark God Cult might be part of the Spirit Energy Clan's long-term strategic plan for the future?"
The Lord of the Mist's words plunged Feng Qi into deep thought.
He suddenly recalled something related to the monk's historical identity.
(End of the Chapter)
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