8mi Chapter 16 Reveals the True Form!
Chapter 16 Reveals the True Form!
"Lin Shi! Now that we know the true form of the Divine Lord is here, what should we do next? Should we continue to worship this stone toad statue? Wouldn't that be disrespecting the true god?"
Sun Ming calmed down, then suddenly remembered this matter and tightly grasped Lin Shi's hand.
Lin Shi secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He had just been thinking about how to bring up this topic when Sun Ming took the initiative to speak, saving him a lot of trouble.
"Chieftain, you are right. Now that we know the Divine Lord has a true form hidden in the Azure Wave Pool, our way of worship should be adjusted accordingly to show our piety."
Lin Shi didn't rush to say what he had planned to do. He had a thoughtful expression on his face and didn't speak for a while.
"What do you mean?"
Sun Ming stared intently at Lin Shi.
"I believe there are two urgent priorities."
"Firstly, the temple should be expanded. The existing stone niche is rudimentary, only able to accommodate the stone toad's incarnation, which fails to reflect the majesty of the true form of the dragon god. A formal shrine to the dragon god should be rebuilt at the current site of the stone niche. The main image of the dragon god should be enshrined in the main position of the shrine."
Lin Shi held up two fingers, his tone steady and forceful.
"The true form of the Flood Dragon God?"
Sun Ming's eyes shone brightly.
"Exactly."
"We can ask the village's skilled craftsmen to carve a statue of a coiled dragon or a submerged dragon, based on the outline of the divine image seen in the pool a few days ago and with reference to the descriptions of dragons and jiaos in ancient books. This statue should face the clear pool and resonate with the energy of the true body in the pool."
Lin Shi nodded.
"What happened to the original stone toad statue?"
Sun Ming pressed for an answer.
"The stone toad statue is the embodiment of the divine ruler's compassion, and therefore it should not be abandoned."
"It can be placed in the new shrine, either in front of or below the statue of the Dragon God, symbolizing the unity of the true form and the incarnation, and the coexistence of compassion and majesty. In this way, the new shrine will become a sacred place for the complete worship of the Great Dragon God."
Lin Shi had already prepared his explanation. He didn't want to worship the stone toad at all, worried that it might continue to steal his faith power. However, he didn't know if abandoning it directly would cause problems, especially if it would alert the cultivator. To be on the safe side, he decided to handle it this way for now and wait until he found out there were no problems or his strength was strong enough before making any further decisions.
"Great! Great! That's a good idea! Now, what's the second thing?"
Sun Ming nodded repeatedly as he listened.
Secondly.
"The sacrificial rituals need to be updated along with the new ancestral hall."
"In the future, village sacrifices should be held at the new shrine."
"During the worship, first pay homage to the incarnation of the stone toad, to express gratitude for its long-standing silent protection; then pay homage to the true form of the dragon god, to show reverence for its power to control clouds and rain and subdue demons; finally, when everyone faces the Azure Pool, perform a grand ceremony to the true form hidden in the pool, in order to communicate with the divine will."
"With the completion of the new shrine and the erection of the dragon god statue, believers have something to rely on and something to see when they worship, which naturally strengthens their faith and makes them more devout. Moreover, the solemnity of the shrine can attract devout people from afar to come and worship, thus spreading the blessings of the god."
Lin Shi laid out his entire plan.
"Wonderful! Wonderful!"
"Lin Shi, your thinking is thorough; it is truly a blessing bestowed upon Shixi Village by the Divine Lord! As you have suggested, I will immediately gather the village elders to discuss the matter and begin construction as soon as possible!"
Sun Ming slammed his fist on the table in admiration.
Lin Shi breathed a sigh of relief, feeling reassured.
The construction of the new ancestral hall and the erection of the dragon god statue were not merely upgrades in ritual.
More importantly, the stone toad statue, acting as a suppressor, may be a key factor in the loss of credibility.
If a new sacrificial system centered on the true form of the dragon god could be established, allowing faith to be directly focused on the statue representing the true form, it might reduce the loss caused by the stone toad acting as a transit point, allowing more faith to directly nourish the incarnation at the bottom of the pool.
I don't know if it will be successful, but I have persuaded Sun Ming very smoothly. Once the new ancestral hall is built, we will know once we try it.
sunset.
Villagers quickly gathered in the open space in front of the stone niche at the village entrance.
Sun Ming stood before the crowd, seemingly ten years younger in an instant. His voice was a little hoarse, but incredibly clear and resonant as he declared that the stone toad, worshipped for generations, was the compassionate incarnation of the supreme dragon god in the human world!
Hidden within the Azure Pool is the true form of a dragon that controls wind and rain, and vanquishes evil spirits and demons!
The two are originally one!
Let's protect Shixi Village together!
"What?! The Flood Dragon God?"
"Is the Stone Toad King an incarnation?"
"How is this possible? We've worshipped this stone toad our whole lives!"
Sun Ming's words were like a boulder thrown into a lake, causing an uproar among the crowd.
"Village chief! You can't just say things like that! My great-grandfather started worshipping the Stone Toad King, how did he suddenly become some kind of Flood Dragon God? Can the rules passed down from our ancestors be changed so easily?"
Chen Feng, with his white hair and beard, stood out shakily.
"Yes, village chief! Isn't that a giant snake? We've been worshipping the stone toad for so many years, and now we suddenly switch to worshiping a giant snake. What kind of behavior is this!"
Tang Hongbo pushed aside the person blocking his way, stood next to Chen Feng, and spoke loudly.
"I heard there's something in the deep pool."
"But isn't that a dangerous water monster? How did it become a god?"
Sun Fang whispered to the people around her.
Sun Ming was caught off guard and didn't expect this to happen. He wanted to refute it but didn't know how to say it for a moment. Helpless, he turned to look at Lin Shi beside him.
Lin Shi had anticipated this.
For hundreds of years, Shixi Village has only worshipped the stone toad.
To suddenly claim that the stone toad and the dragon are one and that the dragon is the true form is a fundamental challenge to the beliefs of our ancestors, touching upon the deepest foundation of the villagers' understanding.
This will definitely draw criticism.
Lin Shi remained calm and decided to replace the stone toad with a dragon, having already prepared a countermeasure.
"I ask you, why does the pool of water churn inexplicably during rain prayers? And why does a huge whirlpool appear in the sky?"
"What happened to Wang Hu?"
"What was that majestic, deep roar we all vaguely heard on the night the weasel attacked?"
"Could it be that our immobile stone toad statue could do that?!"
Lin Shi glanced at the restless crowd, their voices rising and falling in unison, and then spoke.
The villagers looked at each other in bewilderment, and the noise gradually subsided. These questions had long been buried in the hearts of everyone.
"I know this news is hard to accept at first."
"But think about it carefully, if the Stone Toad King truly has a spirit, why didn't he manifest himself when the incense offerings nearly died out over the past hundred years? Why did the strange phenomena I just mentioned not originate from the stone niche, but from the Azure Pool far to the north of the village?"
Lin Shi paused for a moment.
Everyone wore a thoughtful expression.
Ancient texts record that the true god has countless forms.
"The stone toad represents the compassionate side of the deity, rooted in the land, silently protecting it; while the true form of the dragon hidden in the Azure Pool represents the majestic side of the deity, wielding wind, rain, and thunder, safeguarding the peace of the region!"
"It's not that Shi Chan worshipped the wrong person!"
"Instead, it means that the stone toad is one of the myriad incarnations of the dragon god."
"His true form is a dragon from the Azure Pool!"
Lin Shi made a firm decision. This was the most crucial moment, and there could be no hesitation. He had to strike while the iron was hot to "reverse the truth" and confirm that the stone toad was just an incarnation of a dragon. Only then could he build a new shrine, and only then could the dragon replace the stone toad in directly receiving the incense offerings and spiritual power.
"Lin Shi!"
"Even if what you say makes sense, how do we know that the one in the pool is definitely a benevolent deity? What if it's some kind of monster in disguise?"
Chen Feng's tone softened, but he still had doubts.
Lin Shi nodded slightly.
This question hit the nail on the head, and many villagers looked at Lin Shi nervously. They knew that for many years, people who went fishing in the pond could easily lose their lives.
A few words are not enough to convince them.
"Whether it is good or evil, god or monster, I cannot say. I ask the divine ruler, and everyone should observe carefully and judge for themselves."
Lin Shi was prepared. With a thought, he raised his hand and pointed to the Azure Wave Pool. At the bottom of the water, his clone, a dragon, understood and gathered its energy. Suddenly, an unimaginably vast shadowy outline covered in dark scales rose into the air and slowly unfolded.
A vast, ancient aura, imbued with the awe-inspiring might of a dragon, surged forth like a gentle yet irresistible tide. Even more awe-inspiring was that it did not vanish in a flash; it lingered in mid-air, its posture solemn and sacred, bowing slightly towards the villagers.
"My God! It's nodding at us!"
"It's the real body! It really is the true body of the Divine Lord!"
"That aura was so majestic! It wasn't scary at all; instead, it made me feel at ease!"
"It is my old age that is foolish! It is my old age that is foolish! God, please forgive me! God, please forgive me!"
Chen Feng knelt down with a thud, tears streaming down his face, and kept kowtowing.
"Please forgive me, God! I am but a mortal with limited vision, unable to recognize the true God!"
Tang Hongbo knelt down, his face full of shame.
"So it turns out the pond is inhabited by a guardian deity who protects us, not some water monster. Now we can sleep soundly tonight."
Sun Fang murmured excitedly to herself.
"It's the real body! The real body of Lord Jiao Shen!"
"The Divine Lord has manifested! We pay our respects to the Great Flood Dragon God!"
"May the Great Dragon God protect us!"
The dense crowd knelt down in unison towards the direction of Bibo Pool, their foreheads pressed deeply into the ground.
At this moment, all doubts vanished, leaving only the utmost awe and fervent worship for the true form of the Dragon God.
No one objected to the proposal to build a temple to the Dragon God, carve a true image of the Dragon God, and update the sacrificial rituals!
Lin Shi was very excited as he watched this scene.
It worked!
From doubt to shock!
From shock to awe!
From reverence to complete conversion!
First, he carefully prepared his speech to dispel doubts, and then used the true form of the dragon to personally testify, changing the villagers' beliefs and making the suppressed dragon and stone toad appear as mere clones of the dragon, successfully "substituting one thing for another".