The people below understood everything and were saddened by the disappearance of the old gods, but they did not share the grief and inability to accept it that the high priest had, because the new gods had descended and they were not without hope.
Only the high priest sat there blankly, while the others had gradually accepted the existence of God Ye.
"Actually, I don't mean you have to accept my existence. God is not something you have to believe in." Ye Tianxuan squatted down and stared at the high priest, whose face was full of disappointment.
"Even if that god disappears, she is irreplaceable in your heart. The years spent with her cannot be forgotten so easily. So you don't necessarily have to accept me to replace her. You can always believe in your god and regard me as a tool to maintain your City of Immortality."
He spoke of it casually, but in reality, it didn't matter to him at all. He was going to leave anyway, and being a god would actually make it more inconvenient for him to leave.
But in the eyes of the high priest, this was the highest form of tolerance.
This god has no need for believers. He gives unilaterally to the residents of this city without any faith or reward, and without any divine constraints. It is as if his appearance is only to save this city.
"You don't intend to... become the god of the City of Immortality?" The high priest was stunned. Tears welled up in her eyes. She had never imagined that there would be a city without a god, or even one that didn't need a god.
"I have no such intention." Ye Tianxuan shook his head, reached out and touched the high priest's hair, and said in a low voice, "The god of Changsheng City will always be the god of longevity in your hearts. I have never thought of replacing her. I am here only in the hope that Changsheng City will not disappear."
"If even you believers who are connected with her forget her, then God has truly disappeared. So remember your God and live well."
He stood up, looked down at the countless believers gathered below, and proclaimed loudly, "The God of the City of Immortality will forever live in your hearts, while I am merely a god passing through here. I will grant you the lifespan you need, I will ensure that the City of Immortality will remain here forever, and that the God you have lost will live on in your hearts forever. You do not need to believe in me."
At this moment, he exuded divinity, his selfless and holy tolerance encompassing the baseness of many citizens of Changsheng City.
Just the day before, they hated this man of unknown origin to the core and were eager to welcome the Old God to drive him out, but in this instant, they began to waver.
The old gods have gone, and new gods have arrived. The new gods are not only willing to accept them to continue their faith in the old gods, but will also selflessly dedicate their own lifespan to give them the strength to continue living.
If he is not a god, then what is a god?
"Although the God of Longevity is indeed very important to us... I am also willing to believe in God Ye!" A group of people who had followed Ye Tianxuan early on surged out at this moment. They raised the banner of God Ye high, and their inspiring momentum made even the wavering people unable to resist switching sides.
"The God of Immortality has been with us for many years and is an important god to us, but the God of Leaf brought us new life and is also an important god. I cannot choose the best one between them. The God of Immortality is good, and the God of Leaf is also good..."
"That's what I think too... I can't forget our deceased gods..."
While everyone was deeply conflicted, Ye Tianxuan slowly spoke.
"If you have no choice, you don't have to choose. I've said it before, you don't need to believe in me. If you have enough lifespan, you can live here even without the God of Immortality. You can still live without me."
"Whether there are gods or not is not important, right? Even if I leave tomorrow, your Changsheng City can be restored to its original state after some tidying up. The disappearance or existence of gods is not that important to you."
The gathered residents fell into a brief silence. In fact, if you think about it carefully, even though the god has been gone for so long, the City of Immortality still exists. The chaos that has arisen is due to the pressure caused by their own anxiety after losing the god. Neither the common people nor the high priest have been able to accept the god's disappearance. They are only in such a chaotic state because they are dependent on the god's return.
They have always been protected by God so well that they are at a loss after losing God.
But the chaos caused by Ye Shen's arrival was enough for them to become independent.
They learned what was truly precious and what wasn't actually that important.
The life-extending gold coins that people once wished to bury are now everywhere, while the cheap resources squeezed out of them are something they can only dream of. An infinitely long lifespan isn't really that important; it's better to live each day to the fullest.
"Is it really possible to be saved without faith?" someone murmured.
Ye Tianxuan nodded in response, "Okay."
"Without paying any price?"
"right."
You don't want anything?
"don't want."
Faced with Ye Tianxuan's repeated affirmations, the people of Changsheng City were caught in a dilemma. They were not yet used to being favored by such unequal treatment.
After a brief silence, the people of Changsheng City knelt down in unison, praying as if facing a true god, "Thank you for God Ye's favor, we will remember you forever."
"We will never forget the God of Immortality, nor will we forget your salvation."
The people's attitude is already clear: Changsheng City has accepted Ye Tianxuan, and now the only one whose attitude is unclear is the High Priest.
"It seems you truly are a god." The high priest sat there dejectedly, staring at the people below and muttering, "God once told me that no matter what one's status, as long as one earns respect and love in people's hearts, that person is no different from a god."
"I was just passing through and wanted to help Changsheng City. I don't want to see this city, which still has a long way to go, perish here just because of the disappearance of the gods." Ye Tianxuan tried his best to keep smiling. "I don't want to become your god, nor will I replace your god."
The high priest sighed softly and lowered his head. "I understand."
She had lost hope of waiting for the god's return and could only choose to continue being the high priestess of the City of Immortality, doing her best to maintain the city.
Because only she, only the people of this place, will remember their former god. If this place disappears and she dies, then the god she revered will truly disappear as well.
"Thank you... for saving this place." The high priest covered his face, his voice sobbing and muttering awkwardly.
Ye Tianxuan tried his best to keep smiling. "It's alright. Let's end the summoning ceremony here for today. Go back and get some rest. We'll meet again tomorrow and let this city regain its freedom."
The high priest stammered in response, while Ye Tianxuan waved his hand and stepped down from the summoning platform under the watchful eyes of the crowd.
The crowd eagerly rushed forward to welcome their savior, but just as they were about to go up, they were stopped by a man with a cold face. "God Ye has something to attend to and needs to leave for a while. You should go back and think about your future lives."
They watched with disappointment as Ye Shen's figure departed, supported by two people.
I don't know why Ye Shen was in such a hurry to leave; he hadn't even had a proper chance to talk things out yet.