A simple question silenced the crowd standing below.
Who can truly face death without fear or complaint because of their faith?
The fact that they are still alive under the current chaotic rules of Changsheng City is enough to prove that they are trying to survive.
Although no one answered, Ye Tianxuan already knew the answer in his heart. He looked at those people and then slowly said:
"The City of Immortality is no longer your sanctuary. It is now a quagmire, a place of utter darkness. It will devour your hope. You have lived for so long, do you really want to give up on yourselves here?"
"I don't think so." No one refuted Ye Tianxuan's confident answer.
Some met his pure gaze directly, their eyes shining brightly, while others hid in the shadows of the main city of Changsheng, remaining silent.
Under the gaze of countless people, the figure reflected in their eyes was thin and fragile, truly like a leaf that could be blown away by the wind at any moment. Yet he stood there, straight and upright, exuding an unwavering sense of fortitude that reassured everyone.
"I am not your god, and I have never intended to be your god."
"I was just passing by and saw you all stuck in the mud, unable to escape. I just wanted to lend you a hand." Ye Tianxuan slowly looked into those eyes. "You can ask me for help, you can ask me for more lifespan, or you can choose not to believe in me, but if you choose me, I will definitely save you."
His meaning was very clear. Anyone who could understand human speech understood his words. The high priest did not accept his existence, but he said he could save everyone. Therefore, choosing him meant abandoning the high priest and their original god of immortality. This was beyond doubt.
But... abandoning their original god is something they have never done before.
Some people will hesitate, while others will make a decisive choice.
"I choose to believe you!" someone shouted from the crowd. He was the man who was about to be captured by the main city and stripped of his lifespan.
He was already lucid, and so were the people kneeling there; they just had no reason to rebel against the City of Immortality, but now that reason had appeared.
Countless people had watched him kneel before the main city as he entered the City of Immortality, and watched him walk toward death. But the only man who reached out and grabbed him, offering to share his lifespan with him, saying that he could see the sun tomorrow, was this man.
Whether he was a god or not, at that moment, he was a god.
"I believe you." The man stared intently at Ye Tianxuan and said firmly again, "You are willing to save us who are about to die, you are our god."
Those who nodded in agreement were the same people who had been kneeling outside the main city, their hopes already fading. If it weren't for Ye Tianxuan's appearance, they would have been restricted by the High Priest's rules and forced into the main city under the watchful eyes of countless people, stripped of their remaining lifespan, and become unnecessary sacrifices.
The others remained silent; they wouldn't make a decision so quickly, they simply kept quiet.
The divine messenger who had just been kicked down by Ye Tianxuan, seeing someone respond, immediately shouted angrily, "What are you dying people doing jumping around here! The High Priest's original order was to capture you and take away your last bit of lifespan! It's already the High Priest's mercy that you've been allowed to live until now! And yet you dare to disobey the High Priest's orders and support this person of unknown origin!"
He glared at them through gritted teeth, "I'll have your men arrested right now! You people don't deserve to live!"
The messenger began using the communicator, and his harsh tone made some of the hesitant people even more timid and hesitant.
Ye Tianxuan stood on the stairs, glanced down at the divine messenger he had just kicked down, raised his hand and held up the megaphone, saying casually, "Those who don't live long and still say they choose to believe in me, now listen to my advice."
"Since the City of Immortality doesn't treat you like human beings, you might as well not be human at all. Why are you all standing there so obediently? Come and learn from me."
As he spoke, he leaped down the stair railing and kicked the messenger who had been shouting earlier, stomping his face on the ground. Then, he raised his megaphone and said slowly, "I don't know if you had any rituals when you chose your gods before, but those of you who choose to follow me now, come and participate in my ritual."
As he spoke, Ye Tianxuan bent down and grabbed the man on the ground.
The divine messenger, who had previously been high and mighty in Changsheng City, was now furious and shouted, "You false god of unknown origin, not only are you sowing discord here, but you even dare to attack the divine messenger of Changsheng City! You are making an enemy of the entire Changsheng City!!"
Ye Tianxuan completely ignored his harsh words, disregarded his gaze, and shouted through a megaphone: "Those who choose to follow me, come over now and slap this man across the face. Consider it a ceremony to join me. Even those who don't choose to follow me can come and try it out. It's all about participation."
The man who had just been so arrogant was completely stunned when he heard those words.
There probably aren't many residents willing to give up the god of immortality and choose this strange man instead.
He hesitated before looking up and saw that some of the people who were about to be captured and taken to the City of Immortality, whose lifespans were already limited, were all rubbing their hands together and walking over with confidence.
"God Ye, please let go! Let me handle this small fry!" The man abandoned by Changsheng City treated Ye Tianxuan with utmost respect, regarding him as a god. He swiftly stepped forward and pinned the messenger, who was about to be slapped, against the wall.
"Ye Shen, please go and rest over there. Leave things here to me! Everyone who is supposed to participate in the ceremony will be accounted for!"
"Alright." Ye Tianxuan smiled and released the man, then turned around and took two steps upstairs to sit on the stairs leading down from the main city, blocking the divine messengers who wanted to rescue people there as well.
The captured divine messenger looked terrified, while the other divine messengers standing at the main city gate, wanting to come out, were at a loss. They saw this man of unknown origin sitting there calmly smoking a cigarette. For some reason, none of them could take a step forward. It was as if this sickly-looking man, who looked like he could be blown away by a gust of wind, was a monster.
"What are you standing there for?! Come and save me!" the captured messenger shouted angrily, his whole body trembling with panic as he watched the residents approach him step by step.
"We...we can't get through..." The divine messengers above really wanted to save people, but when they looked up, they saw Ye Tianxuan sitting at the top of the stairs and couldn't move at all! They couldn't take a single step, and a strange fear of this man would inexplicably arise in their minds, as if he had really controlled their thoughts.
"Those who go down will participate in the ceremony just like him, how about that?" Ye Tianxuan smiled kindly, a cigarette between his fingers. The divine messengers instantly took a large step back in unison.
If I go down there, I'll get slapped too... well, never mind.