Why Am I a Priestess When I Reach the Maximum Level? - [Vol. 5] Chapter 316

[Vol. 5] Chapter 316: The Weight of History

When speaking about the enigmatic [Fox God], Vast Dream’s face revealed a clear mix of awe and reverence as he spoke in a solemn tone:

“Though I was granted such an opportunity, according to the [Seven Hidden Stars], the likelihood of receiving a response from the [Fox God], especially for mortals and, more specifically, outsiders not native to the [Ancient Spirit Realm] is less than one percent.”

“At first, I approached the [Divine Fox God Shrine] with a mindset of giving it a try, but to my surprise… the deity actually responded to my prayer.”

“It was truly… an incomprehensibly magnificent being. Do you remember, Minchen, how we used to stumble upon ruins left behind by deities in this world and discuss what a true god might be like?”

“But on this continent, the gods have long departed. We couldn’t reach them, couldn’t witness them directly.”

“In the battle over the remains of the [Serpent], we faced the projections of the Twilight Council’s members. In the Illusionary Realm, we encountered the God of Blazing Flames and found traces of the slumbering elemental lords. But none of those were true, complete gods…”

“The [Ancient Spirit Realm] is different. There are no restrictions on the presence of deities there, and the [Fox God]’s power far surpassed anything I have ever witnessed. It even reminded me of the [Will of the World] that once led us to this realm.”

“In fact, I suspect they possess the full capacity to manifest their true form in this world, though for some unknown reason, they have refrained from doing so.”

“That… was a true, supreme [God].”

“After making my plea to that ethereal yet omnipresent voice that seemed to linger everywhere around me, the [Fox God] granted me a key.”

“Of course, ‘key’ is just a metaphor. More precisely, it was a kind of secret art. One that allows mortals to exchange something of their own as a price to gain an equivalent amount of ‘causality power’, a strength beyond human comprehension.”

“Exchange… causality?”

In the air, the priestess’s voice carried a hint of surprise and confusion, as if she had suddenly realized something. Vast Dream’s light laughter followed, breaking the silence.

“Haha, I bet you’re utterly perplexed right now. Though it sounds mysterious, this secret art isn’t as complicated as it seems.”

“Minchen, imagine time as an endless, formless river that surges forward continuously. As mortals, we naturally cannot observe or touch this [River of Time], because we are within it, we are part of the river and can only be swept forward by its current.”

“But with the secret art bestowed by the [Fox God], a being can step outside the [River of Time], like a true god, to observe and even alter the flow of its past and future.”

“Of course, as I mentioned, this doesn’t come without a cost.”

“To master this secret art and step outside the [River of Time], a being must first relinquish the concept and bonds of causality. That means giving up their [true name], like mine, [Vast Dream], or yours… ahem…”

Vast Dream awkwardly rubbed his nose, preemptively cutting himself off before a certain robed young man’s face could begin twitching in irritation. He quickly changed the subject.

“Ahem, anyway, that’s the principle of the art. Once it’s used, the true name granted to us by the [Will of the World] be erased. Furthermore, the more we interfere with the flow of the [River of Time], the more the traces of our existence will gradually fade as a corresponding price.”

“By now, you must understand what I mean, right? Yes, while the cost is immense, this secret art passed down by the [Fox God] theoretically allows one to [rewrite] certain events of the past.”

“At first, I thought the deity gave me this art so I could do something like in those comic books and novels, travel back to the past and rewrite the outcome of that battle in the Illusionary Realm. But as I delved deeper into the art, I realized its true function is not to change the events themselves, but to alter the traces of [River of Time] or what we call [history]…”

“And the things that truly happened, the people who have died, cannot be reversed.”

“After all, we are just mortals. Perhaps we can cleverly step outside of time, but we cannot shake the [River of Time] itself. It’s likely that even true gods would find it difficult to reverse space and time, or completely overturn causality, such terrifying feats would make them omniscient and omnipotent.”

“History is the past that cannot be recreated or simulated. A single thread pulled can move the whole body. The power of the butterfly effect, its weight, is far more serious than you or I can imagine. It cannot, and should not, be altered.”

“So I couldn’t help but start thinking. How could I properly use this power to achieve my goal of saving Mochi?”

“During this time, I browsed many ancient books stored on the first floor of the [Immortal Codex Pavilion], and by chance, I found a blueprint that recorded a secret art called [Blood of the Cross].”

“Minchen, can you believe it? It was an unbelievable method to create a true god by gathering the causal power of faith to condense a divine essence!”

“I thought about it for a long time, and combining the direction suggested by the [Seven Hidden Stars], the secret art granted by the [Fox God], and this ancient method, I decided to give it a try.”

“With the support of [Spirit Veil], I brought Mochi back to this continent and established an organization called the [Spirit Veil Merchant Guild]. Using trade as a cover, I set up bases around the world, using the help provided by Spirit Veil Island and my own collection to gather funds and prepare extensively.”

“My original idea was to use the secret art granted by the [Fox God] to modify parts of history, create a virtual ‘divine name’, and attract faith. By harnessing the power of [Blood of the Cross], I planned to slowly transform Mochi into a god, in order to reshape her soul and body.”

“But soon I realized that this was far too slow. Without a vast amount of faith as a foundation, fulfilling the conditions for the [Blood of the Cross] to condense a divine essence would likely take thousands or even tens of thousands of years. How could Mochi possibly wait that long!”

“However, at that moment, news came from the Holy Empire. Demons had once again launched a large-scale invasion. The [Bright Light Saintess] and the [Corruption] incarnation were mortally wounded in battle, and the leaderless holy army was being pushed back with each passing day…”

“I didn’t want to waste time getting involved, but then I suddenly realized that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

“The [Church of the Light Seekers] of the Holy Empire is the largest faith organization in the world, and their belief in the [Primordial Light] is an abstract concept, more elusive than any god, making it very easy to guide and manipulate.”

“So, I decided to use the [Church of the Light Seekers]’s foundation of faith to reshape Mochi.”

“At the time, the Holy Empire was in absolute decline after losing the Bright Light Saintess, and was struggling in its war against the demons. I used this as an excuse to approach the [Judgment Saintess], Loknisa, and claimed that I could develop a new power to aid them.”

“You know that girl. On the surface, she’s cunning and clever, but when facing those she trusts, she’s very naive. Plus, she was drawn in by the information I brought about you. She didn’t suspect anything and decided to fully support me.”

“With the secret art [Blood of the Cross] at the core, and my mechanical craftsmanship enhanced and modified, I decided to create a new system of power, which I named the [Divine Network].”

“And the power driven by the [Divine Network]…”

The image of [Vast Dream] rested his chin thoughtfully for a moment, as if suddenly struck by inspiration, and let out a light laugh.

“Since it relies on the power of faith to activate, let’s call it [Faith-based Magic]. What do you think?”