Worldwide Awakening: My Soul Kinds Are Lost-Chapter 468: The Spirit Master Cuts Off Connections, Must Prioritize Internal Peace Before Expelling the External Threats_1
Wang Linchi fled in disgrace from the ritual space.
The good news was that he hadn’t stayed there for too long. He found the exit and managed to get out in half an hour.
The bad news, however, was that from the formation of the fissure to the total destruction of the ritual space, it all happened in less than ten minutes. He hadn’t been able to get anything before he was squeezed out.
Thankfully, he had used the Saint Master as a shield, which prevented his own skin from being torn apart.
Once he got out, he quickly tidied up. Before he could sort out the gains from this experience—which weren’t many to begin with—he had to deal with the Devil. The Devil was on the verge of death and was probably his biggest haul.
His activities had not been quiet, so the guards outside rushed in to check on the situation.
"Your Majesty, are you alright?" the leading guard, who was armed with a saber, asked anxiously.
"I’m fine, just a minor issue." Wang Linchi waved his hand, dismissing them.
"Yes, Your Majesty." The guard acknowledged and then added, "Chief Assistant Zhang and the Grand Supervisor have been waiting for you for a long time."
The Grand Supervisor was the chief eunuch by Emperor Jing’s side. It was a bit strange for him to come looking for Wang Linchi this time. Under normal circumstances, this particular eunuch wouldn’t be the one sent to fetch him.
"I understand. Tell them to go back for now. I’ve had an insight during my Cultivation and it’s inconvenient for me to receive guests," Wang Linchi refused directly.
No matter how important other matters might be, Wang Linchi felt none were as crucial as what he was currently handling.
"Yes, Your Majesty." The guard, naturally obeying Wang Linchi’s orders, turned and left without hesitation to carry out the instruction.
Wang Linchi sat down and rested for a moment before he began to merge the Devil with the devil qi.
Black smoke began to writhe on his hand. Because Wang Linchi was helping to shield it from the Calamity of the Last Law, the Devil did not perish immediately.
As Wang Linchi listened more intently, he could hear faint prayers.
’Great Sky Wolf, please...’
’Wolf God Your Majesty, you are the most...’
’Sovereign of the Mysterious Snake, I offer to you...’
The cacophony of prayers all flowed into the Devil’s body, giving Wang Linchi the sensation of listening to a massive broadcast.
It might even become a Central Faith Controller, capable of receiving all faiths.
I thought I had resolved the Wolf God faith issue, but it seems there are still remnants. And besides the Wolf God, there are various other miscellaneous minor faiths.
Wang Linchi grumbled to himself but didn’t pay it much mind. The eradication he spoke of didn’t mean that absolutely no one believed anymore. From the Devil, Wang Linchi could perceive many prayers, but when spread out, the actual number of believers wasn’t significant. With this little incense faith, it’s questionable whether even a faith point could be formed, let alone reconstitute the Wolf God. It’s not as if one or two believers are enough to deify someone.
The ritual space seems capable of blocking the faith connection. Interesting.
In the ritual space, the Devil hadn’t possessed this ability. Afterwards, Wang Linchi tried to probe it with his Mana. Instantly, a large amount of faith poured in and was converted into Divine Power.
Before this Divine Power could flow into Wang Linchi’s body, he destroyed it immediately.
This Divine Power wasn’t masterless or pure; it belonged to the Wolf God, the Mysterious Snake, and other Demon Gods. It was extremely variegated. Swallowing it would not be beneficial, as the costs of conversion or purification would outweigh any gains. Therefore, the best solution was to destroy it.
The mutual attraction between Divinity and Divine Power means that even if it’s not the original master, it will still be drawn over. This must be the monks’ method of mental cultivation. Wang Linchi quickly identified the root cause. Otherwise, how would they obtain incense faith?
Self-cultivation imbued monks with Divinity—or Buddha-nature, as they called it. Ultimately, this Divinity absorbed the Divine Power that the Devil converted from the incense faith gathered from various sources, thereby strengthening the monks themselves.
Does this mean that after the dynastic change, the next era is likely to be the age of gods?
Wang Linchi suddenly thought of this. The decline of Spirit Masters was already unstoppable, especially since Divinity could, to some extent, resist the Calamity of the Last Law. Therefore, the level of Spirit Masters would fall below that of the gods, leading to their ultimate decline.
No wonder. Given my Luck, the Spiritual Talent I received before must be related to Divinity. It seems now that it was preparation for this major trend. Wang Linchi quickly realized that one’s destiny, when aiding you, doesn’t engage in futile efforts.
"Your Majesty, something has happened!" Zhang Lin’s voice came through, fraught with urgency.
At this, Wang Linchi sighed and called towards the door, "Please let Chief Assistant Zhang in."
The guards outside naturally didn’t obstruct him and quickly ushered them in. Zhang Lin was not alone; the Grand Supervisor accompanied him.
Zhang Lin was sweating profusely and didn’t speak immediately. He first had everyone else withdraw, then used Spirit Law to ensure privacy before saying, "The examination system... it’s malfunctioned."
"Malfunctioned? What could possibly go wrong with it?" Wang Linchi, his mind preoccupied with the development and utilization of the Devil, hadn’t yet realized the gravity of the situation.
"Today was supposed to be the day to announce the list of Spirit Master candidates to Heaven and Earth, but this time, there was no response," Zhang Lin said hurriedly.
Only then did Wang Linchi understand.
The imperial examination system’s computer is broken; of course, there won’t be any response!
It was then that Wang Linchi truly understood. It wasn’t just that the Spirit Masters’ cultivation levels might decline; it was highly probable that Spirit Masters as a path was completely severed. All Spirit Masters would be unable to pass the examinations for official ranks, meaning they could never advance further, forever stuck at their current Realm.
"It seems you are here for this matter as well?" Wang Linchi said, looking at the Grand Supervisor who had entered with Zhang Lin.
Emperor Jing naturally knew the importance of Spirit Masters.
"Yes, Your Majesty. His Majesty summons you to the palace to discuss this," the Grand Supervisor replied.
"I won’t go to the Imperial Palace. Does this matter affect our nation-strengthening plan?" Wang Linchi asked.
The two men were taken aback. He doesn’t even care about the Spirit Masters?
"It hasn’t had an impact yet. We’ve suppressed the news, but this is certainly not a long-term solution," Zhang Lin said. It’s fine for now, but it won’t be once it’s announced.
"So, you want me to resolve this trouble, is that it?" Wang Linchi replied calmly.
"Yes, with your abilities, King Heaven Equivalent..." the Grand Supervisor began.
Before he could finish, Wang Linchi interrupted him, "My meaning is, how do you want me to resolve it?"
"Should I eliminate the Spirit Masters, or should I ensure the imperial examinations continue?"
"The first option, there’s still a way. As for the second, forget it. I simply can’t do it."
If the imperial examination system’s computer had fallen into his hands, Wang Linchi could still help. But it’s scrapped, and who knows where. How could he save it?
"Then eliminate the Spirit Masters. Make sure they don’t cause trouble and don’t affect our nation-strengthening plan," Zhang Lin said without hesitation.
"That’s not too difficult. We just need to stabilize them. It’s merely a matter of giving them a bit more of the pie, ensuring their ruckus remains only verbal." Wang Linchi’s solution was simple: bind them with benefits.
"What if they take the benefits but still make trouble?" Zhang Lin felt Wang Linchi’s method was inappropriate.
Wang Linchi said with a helpless expression, "If they take the benefits and still refuse to be sensible, that’s a slap in our faces. In that case, they must be killed as a warning. Kill enough of them, and the living Spirit Masters will surely settle down."
"But wouldn’t that make the Spirit Masters..." the Grand Supervisor tried to interject again.
"Do you think Dajing still needs Spirit Masters now?" Wang Linchi retorted.
The two fell silent. Ever since the emergence of what Wang Linchi called ’steam technology,’ the role of Spirit Masters had indeed diminished, becoming an unaffordable burden. Everything derived from steam technology could be used by ordinary people at a very low cost. Hiring a Spirit Master versus hiring an ordinary commoner—the costs were simply incomparable.
"The disappearance of Spirit Masters is, for us, a good thing," Wang Linchi said slowly.
"If there are no Spirit Masters to establish the nation, won’t the surrounding countries..." Zhang Lin hesitated, still somewhat unwilling to give up this path.
"Then first deal with the Spirit Masters, then annihilate the surrounding nations. Dajing can unify everything. With no internal threats and no external enemies, wouldn’t that be a life free of worries?" Wang Linchi proposed an absurd suggestion.
Absurd as it sounded, coming from Wang Linchi, the probability of it being implemented was very high.
"Alright. Your Majesty is the Regent King, so we will listen to you. However, this matter will inevitably cause a huge uproar. It is not appropriate for you to appear publicly." Zhang Lin knew Wang Linchi wanted a good reputation, so this matter had to be handled by them. The Royal Family and the Great Families would take the benefits, while Wang Linchi would take the reputation. This was what they had agreed upon. If they tried to be clever now, Wang Linchi would do the same to them in the future.
The Grand Supervisor, standing to the side, looked as if he wanted to speak but then hesitated, ultimately saying nothing. He was, after all, the Grand Supervisor appointed by Wang Linchi; how could he dare to oppose him?
