Man on the ark, forced to become king

From that moment on, the saints were simply saints, and everything from the past had no further connection to them.

Those who became saints were the first snow.

It sounds like a beautiful fairy tale, where a girl from the human world receives divine grace and becomes God's spokesperson on earth. For the Sherag people who believe in Jeragand, that is the highest honor.

However, reality is often not so rosy. The so-called selection of saintesses is in fact a sacrifice—a living sacrifice with people as offerings.

If you fail to reach the end of the Heavenly Road before nightfall, you will be considered to have failed the trial.

Then, the Chosen Shrine will select another maiden to embark on the heavenly journey the following day, until the Holy Maiden appears.

This is a very cruel process. Hiking on the snow-capped mountains is extremely dangerous in itself. Even strong adults would find it difficult to endure, let alone a group of young girls.

The bitter cold and howling snow meant that a slight misstep could lead to a fall or freezing to death in the snow. Anyone who managed to come down the mountain alive was considered extremely lucky.

Therefore, the long-standing ceremony for selecting holy maidens in the snow-capped mountains evokes both longing and fear in some.

And now, the sacred relic representing the great god Yeragand is placed before the eldest daughter of the Shivaesh family.

It was a bright bell, as big as a head, and looked extremely heavy. The Heavenly Road was already rugged and difficult to travel, and to carry such a heavy item to the top of the mountain without any supplies was incredibly difficult.

Its surface doesn't have any complicated or fancy engravings; it's quite ordinary, like any other handicraft you can find on the market, only much larger.

However, no one from the Sherag dared to belittle this sacred object because of its appearance, for it was a token given by God, and the saint who held it was able to exercise a part of God's power through it.

The thick snow leopard's tail swayed uneasily behind it as it stared at the sacred object before it. Enya's small hands gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, unable to hide her nervousness.

Will she... really be able to complete the heavenly journey to the holy mountain and gain God's approval?

Thinking of her younger sister at home and remembering the words of her usually stern brother, Enya felt uneasy and couldn't quite describe her feelings.

She knew very well that once she took the sacred object, she would no longer be an ordinary person. Even if she became a saintess, she would be separated from her family and would hardly ever see them again.

In Sherag, the saints are sacred, favored by the gods, and must abide by many, many precepts, and are not allowed to leave the Manjusang (House of the Holy Maidens) easily.

However, she had no choice.

Because 'God' chose her.

Enya felt a slight warmth in her chest, but she knew it was just her imagination. Inside her clothes, in the small sachet she had sewn overnight, was only a single golden leaf that her brother had given her. It was exquisitely crafted, but ultimately just a decorative item.

However, it's also possible that this is not unusual?

In fact, the leaf wasn't delivered by her brother himself. It was the messenger who secretly told her that if she encountered danger on the heavenly journey, crushing this leaf would save her.

The messenger also said that her brother hoped she could participate in the Holy Trial, and ideally become a saint, and that the golden leaves would help her.

Perhaps it's some kind of amulet or talisman containing magic?

Enya had seen similar items with some psychics, and she knew the messenger wouldn't lie to her. Even if she didn't sense anything, this leaf might indeed have some effect that would allow her to survive the selection of the saintess.

So, what's the significance?

Wouldn't cheating in the trials by such means incur the wrath of the gods?

Thinking of this, Enya felt even more uneasy.

If she were to anger the gods, not only would she be implicated, but the entire Shiva'ish family would also be affected.

Even if she didn't particularly like her brother's methods, that didn't mean she wanted to bring trouble upon him, especially since there was also her younger sister involved...

My brother's actions are too unorthodox. It was one thing before, but now he's even interfering in the sacred selection of saintesses. This is too dangerous.

Seeing her sister's worried expression, Enya made up her mind, her eyes hardening.

The leaves must not be used! She would never put her family in danger, not even with the slightest risk!

She will walk the path to heaven on her own, wait for the great god's recognition, and become 'First Snow'!

Especially considering what the messenger said, that her brother hoped she would become a saintess... and with the Leaf Blade's methods, he probably hoped that she would be of greater help to him after becoming a saintess.

Then let's show him!

She will become a saint, but she will not follow her brother's arrangements! Nor will she become a tool for him to achieve his goals!

Once she becomes a saint, she'll be able to stand on equal footing with her brother and stop some of his actions, right?

Just like this time, they were even bold enough to interfere in the sacred trial.

He doesn't care what he wants to do, but what about Encia? Does she have to go through all this risk with him without even knowing what's going on?

Enya will not allow that to continue!

-------------------------------------

"Ha, what sacred trial? I think it's just a way for Manjushri to select puppets."

After listening to Ensiodes's explanation of the origins of the Saintess Trials, Lin Lu couldn't help but chuckle.

In his view, what was called a trial was nothing more than a living sacrifice in disguise.

Such behavior has no meaning to God; it is merely human self-indulgence.

Moreover, the gods of Sherag have not performed miracles for a long time, making it hard not to think that some power-hungry individuals might use this opportunity to achieve their own selfish goals, a point corroborated by Ensiodis's words.

How sacred can a trial be if even the chosen ones can be manipulated?

His words were so blunt that Enciodes couldn't help but frown slightly and subconsciously glance at the door of the study.

“My friend, it’s best not to…”

“What can’t be said? Isn’t that what you think too? I don’t see a trace of a believer’s piety in you. Don’t worry, no one will know what we talked about.”

Lin Lu waved her hand dismissively, picked up the steaming tea from the table, and said with a smile, "So, Ensiodis, you want to ask me for help, to let me lend a hand to your sister?"

"As long as her safety is guaranteed, it's a good thing for me if she becomes a saintess. If she doesn't, it's not a big deal. Also, you can just call me SilverAsh."

SilverAsh could tell from Lin Lu that his name was a little hard to pronounce, so he reminded her.

To entertain this friend who had come from afar, he specially prepared tea in the style of the Yan Kingdom, showing that he had done his homework.

Having witnessed the miraculous effects of the Golden Tree Dew, he dared not underestimate the Golden Tree or the Forest Dew.

"Alright, Mr. Yin."

Lin Lu nodded. In fact, he had wanted to call him that for a long time, but since today was a formal meeting, he felt that it should be more formal. Since the person involved said so, he didn't care.

"According to your traditions and beliefs, interfering with sacred trials should be a very serious act of blasphemy, right?"

"Aren't you afraid of incurring divine wrath by asking me to do this?"

"Anything is permissible unless God forbids it."

SilverAsh slowly uttered a sentence, seemingly unconcerned.

Some things aren't exclusive to Manzhu Academy; if they can do them, so can he.

Anyway, God didn't say he disagreed, did he?

If some great deity is truly watching over the people of Shelag, then why has He not responded?

Based on Manju-in-Yuan's actions alone, any one of them would be enough to banish them all to a desolate and cold land!

However, God made no comment on this.

Whether he didn't see it or didn't care, SilverAsh didn't know. He only knew that Manjushri's actions wouldn't incur divine wrath, so he could follow suit.

Interfering with the Holy Trial may seem risky, but in reality, it's just following the path that the people of Manju Academy have trod. It's not that dangerous. Moreover, rather than interfering with the trial, it's more about preventing the people of Manju Academy from tampering with it. If everything goes smoothly, he believes that with Enya's strength, she can complete the Heavenly Road.

After all, his sister may seem delicate and frail, but she actually has quite good physical fitness. In addition, with the various supplements he has secretly purchased over the years, she has already surpassed her peers by a considerable margin, so she is unlikely to collapse on the road to heaven.

"In addition, I have selected a good territory for the Golden Tree. There is a relatively secluded valley on the border of Shivaish territory, which is also very suitable for living."

"Oh?"

It wasn't some cold, uninhabited area? That was a bit surprising, but after a moment's thought, Lin Lu understood Silver Gray's plan.

It's simply a matter of doing someone a favor, and since I need their help, I'm naturally being more generous.

"As long as you can guarantee my sister's safety, I will offer you a reward that will satisfy you."

Seeing that Lin Lu did not give a clear response, SilverAsh pressed his advantage again, and then added:

“I know this involves a deity after all. If the Golden Tree doesn’t want to take on this commission, could we trade some suitable items? I can send my people to do it.”

He felt that Lin Lu seemed to be hesitating, so he decided to settle for second best. If he could get some things like Golden Tree Dewdrops, then the trial could be left to Jian. The Black Knight's strength would probably be enough to deal with Manju Academy's little tricks.

It's normal for Lin Lu to hesitate. Regardless of whether that great god appears or not, the fact that Sherag has never experienced a natural disaster is obvious, which is enough to prove the existence of Yeragand.

Once it's confirmed that genuine deities are involved, who can remain indifferent? Even the most fanatical Sarkaz mercenaries have to think twice.

Even if he knew that the matter itself was not as dangerous as it seemed, he couldn't explain it to others, because others might not believe his side of the story.

"There's nothing I can't accept; I'm just thinking about it."

A joke you can't accept? You're afraid to accept it? How could that be!

Lin Lu didn't take the so-called sacred trial or the selection of the saintess seriously at all.

He had no idea how many twists and turns were involved in the Holy Trial, whether it was dangerous or safe, or what would happen.

But there was one thing he understood—that even if you piled up all of Sherag, including the gods and the people, together, it would be impossible for them to defeat the current Golden Tree.

It wasn't that he looked down on Sherag, but that once he actually set foot on this land, he already had a pretty good understanding of Sherag's situation.

Their technology is extremely primitive. They have psychics who can use magic, but their strength is just so-so. If they were taken outside, let alone compared with other countries, even a non-military mobile city could suppress them completely. How could they possibly compete with the Golden Tree?

The most noteworthy thing in the entire Sherag is the reclusive god Yeragand, who hasn't appeared for many years. Gods are nothing new in the Golden Tree, and they are not invincible.