Chapter 211 Approaching the Divine (33)
"If you are a fictional person, and the people in this city are also fictional, then where does real faith come from?" Liu Sheng retorted, "The true Supreme God would not receive these beliefs. Only the fictional gods of this realm can, or rather, there is no true God in this realm at all, just a pile of code."
Old Divine Official didn't understand what 'code' meant, but he understood the preceding words, finally realizing why Liu Sheng said that he didn't believe in the true Supreme God.
The divine statue he had built for the Supreme God in his heart collapsed with a crash, but he still stubbornly said, "This is your task. Why do you seek reality here?"
"Yes, why?"
"It's just an exam. Completing the task is enough..."
"Why am I thinking more and more?"
"I should just follow the steps, right? Why do so many unnecessary things?"
"Logically, once I've gained faith points, I don't need to care about them anymore, so why cultivate fields, establish schools, and build new temples to shelter refugees?"
Liu Sheng's heart was also filled with conflicting thoughts.
"Because, a part of me empathizes with them..."
"Perhaps because we are one with the world? I don't know, maybe that's the reason."
"The beginning of the world was also like this, so can we truly believe that these people are not real people?"
"Strange sympathy..."
"Perhaps a certain respect for digital life."
Liu Sheng, having achieved logical self-consistency and collective agreement, became somewhat different.
Old Divine Official had originally thought his words would shake Liu Sheng's Dao Heart, but instead, they strengthened her resolve, and the faint divine radiance emanating from her became even more sacred.
What exactly is this heretical God?
His own Dao Heart, instead, wavered a little.
"Of course, you did indeed come into contact with the true Supreme God; that was when you reported me. Only at that moment were you connected to the Supreme God."
Liu Sheng looked at Old Divine Official, who seemed to be experiencing a collapse of belief and a wavering Dao Heart. Although she didn't know why, she still kindly reminded him.
Anyway, it was almost the end, so letting him be content was good.
"Perhaps seeing your beloved idol before death would make you happy?"
With that thought, the fragments in Old Divine Official's mind trembled, forming the shape of a divine statue.
"But you are special, a contingency left by the Supreme God when this realm was set up. Apart from you, no one can touch the true boundary of the Supreme God. Do you want them to believe in a vague and ethereal existence?" Liu Sheng's words were sharp and piercing, "Just use such a perfectly fictional identity to deceive them for faith points?"
Hearing Liu Sheng say this, Old Divine Official actually sneered, "Isn't your Earth Mother the same? Is she truly real? What's the difference from the Supreme God? It's just for her own gain, to deceive people for faith points."
Liu Sheng listened coldly to Old Divine Official's response, then shook her head: "It's different."
"How is it different?" Old Divine Official's tone was aggressive. At this moment, he was less and less like the old man he once was. "You make these people believe in Earth Mother only for yourself!"
Liu Sheng hadn't responded yet, but the Little Tentacle behind her stirred, eager to "descend" and demonstrate a divine miracle.
The basement door opened with a "bang."
Someone rushed in excitedly, shouting loudly, "It's different! Earth Mother is different!"
Liu Sheng and Grand Divine Official looked at the newcomer; it was Dawn Priest.
At this moment, her dark, thin Face was flushed, and her usually downcast lips were drooping.
It turned out she had been listening outside the whole time and was clearly very angry at Old Divine Official's accusations, which made her unable to hold back and rush in.
"Sorry, Grand Divine Official, I didn't follow your instructions." Dawn Priest looked at Liu Sheng apologetically.
Old Divine Official was stung by this title. Dawn used to call him that, but now that respect and adoration had completely shifted.
"It's fine. This house is yours; you would naturally hear our conversation." Liu Sheng expressed understanding.
"Yes, this damned basement is part of your Dawn, hehe."
"Congratulations, after following a heretic, you've gained a house, a position, and Face."
Old Divine Official's tone was mocking, clearly disdainful of Dawn Priest's betrayal, despite her being a Divine Official of the Supreme God.
"I'm not doing it for these things. Although the house is very important to me, it's not the main reason I chose to follow Earth Mother." Dawn Priest explained awkwardly.
"Then what else could it be for?" Old Divine Official stared coldly at his former subordinate. He had once thought her obedient and diligent, keeping the temple in perfect order, but now, she betrayed him so heartlessly and coldly.
"I... I, it's because I want to find the meaning of existence." Dawn Priest thought for a long time before finally speaking.
Old Divine Official only understood after hearing this and turned to ask Liu Sheng: "Oh, you told her the truth a long time ago?"
Liu Sheng shook her head: "Never. I just unlocked that lock; she figured it out herself."
"I always found it strange why I was busy in the divine hall every day. What exactly was I doing it for?" Dawn Priest recalled, "How did I get here, what is my origin, why do I believe in the Supreme God..."
"Too many questions, no answers."
"At that time, I was making pastries in the back kitchen with the sweet potatoes sent by Earth Mother Divine Official. This wasn't my daily task, but an unparalleled joy suddenly surged in my heart. It was a joy I had never felt before, full of a sense of reality."
"I suddenly realized that I enjoy this so much, so why have I never done it before, and I can't even remember when I started to like it."
Dawn Priest's thoughts were muddled, but she was trying hard to express her ideas little by little.
"Also, I couldn't remain indifferent to the people in the city being displaced and their families separated due to the anomalies. I found it very strange why the Supreme God we believe in didn't act in time."
Old Divine Official frowned: "What are you talking about? The Supreme God is the only reliance for solving anomalies!"
"Is that so? Where is this reliance exactly?"
Dawn Priest looked at Liu Sheng, revealing a rare, gentle smile.
"I only saw Earth Mother Divine Official constantly striving, working tirelessly to save the people. I saw all of this with my own eyes."
"No, when she was working hard, wasn't she also holding the holy sword and holy water I gave her? These are all powers from the Supreme God. Without the Supreme God's power, how could she be where she is today?"
Old Divine Official retorted unwillingly, his teeth clenched in excitement, and veins bulging on his forehead.
"No, although the power comes from the Supreme God, it is she who personally toils for the people..." Dawn Priest shook her head, "Perhaps my understanding of the divine book is insufficient, but I only see the Supreme God, who was said to save the world, never descending. Instead, Earth Mother has been guiding Earth Mother Divine Official to rescue the people trapped in anomalies..."
"The Supreme God not descending is precisely because she is not devout enough to trigger the divine descent!" Old Divine Official argued strenuously.
Liu Sheng then realized for sure that there would be a divine descent and was somewhat surprised.
However, if devotion was a prerequisite, perhaps those examinees who cultivated by connecting with gods could naturally meet this condition, but she certainly could not.
"So we must first offer our devout faith, and only then will help descend?" Liu Sheng asked.
"What's strange about that? It's written right there in the divine book." Old Divine Official said as a matter of course.
In fact, she also knew that these things were clearly written in the divine book.
It was just that she felt this logic was a bit too much like a bandit's.
She wasn't someone who truly understood theology or faith, so she couldn't articulate what was wrong with it.
Fortunately, she wasn't the only one who felt uncomfortable about this. Dawn Priest was full of questions: "This is precisely the question I've always had when reading the divine book: Why isn't it first receiving salvation, and then spontaneously believing?"
"Why must we be forced to believe first before we can receive salvation?" Dawn Priest shook her head, "I think it's wrong, very wrong."
Old Divine Official was suddenly speechless upon hearing this.
Because he also didn't know how to explain it; he only knew that the setting for divine descent was like this.
But is the setting always correct?
He wasn't sure anymore.
Regarding faith, there are too many theories, and everyone's experience is different. What is expressed here is just one way of thinking in this situation...