Deities: Rulers of Nature

The golden light bestowed by Ji Xuan was not merely for restoring the snake people's physical condition.

The Xishan Snake-People tribe currently numbers 232, and four elderly Snake-People have passed away this winter.

For a newly born demigod, having such a kin is already quite remarkable.

But Ji Xuan's goal is definitely not to be content with the status quo. He wants to actively explore the Void Realm and plunder resources from the demi-planes, small worlds, and remnants scattered throughout the Void Realm. In this process, he may even encounter other demigods.

From this perspective, the number of snake people is far from sufficient.

Now that snakes provide food and people's safety is initially guaranteed, the next step is naturally a pleasant time for reproduction.

Ji Xuan hoped that the Xishan Serpent Clan could grow stronger as soon as possible. To this end, he would do his best to ensure a peaceful and prosperous God Realm in the next few years, even if it meant consuming his faith power.

In addition, this blessing is also laying the foundation for the snake people's extraordinary abilities.

The so-called path to transcendence, simply put, is to condense one's blood and spirit power, which have been honed to the extreme of the mortal level, and then fuse them with a wisp of pure transcendent energy.

When the three elements combine, they condense into a transcendent seed within the body of a living being, thus marking their entry into the Black Iron Rank.

It sounds simple, but it is quite difficult for lower and middle-class races.

The first step is to reach the limit of the mortal rank, which is level 10.

Secondly, both physical and mental attributes must be improved to 5 points.

Improving one's physique is relatively easy. As long as one is willing to train hard, has sufficient nutritional support, and engages in hunting day after day, one can gradually improve their physical condition.

However, the mindset is different, and without the right method, most people will find it difficult to get to 5 points.

The final and most difficult step is to sense and absorb a wisp of pure extraordinary power, and then perfectly integrate and condense it with one's own qi, blood, and spirit.

However, being able to perceive it does not necessarily mean that you can absorb it, and even if you can absorb it, you may not be able to refine it into purity. Even if you have a pure wisp, it does not mean that you can successfully integrate it.

In short, every step is fraught with difficulties.

If this is the case for middle-class races, then the situation is even worse for lower-class races. They can only hope that a few exceptionally talented individuals will emerge from their vast numbers.

Fortunately, the Xishan Snake-People are a mid-level race, otherwise Ji Xuan would have been in real trouble.

As a deity, Ji Xuan could naturally consume faith or divine power to forcibly help believers condense a seed of transcendence.

Regardless of how much it consumes, from a long-term perspective, this is also a self-destructive act.

That is why Qinglu was able to condense an extraordinary seed on her own at the age of fifteen; this talent is extremely precious.

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Time flows slowly.

Three years have passed in the blink of an eye.

During these three years, the Qingling Mountains enjoyed favorable weather and abundant harvests, and under Ji Xuan's protection, the Xishan Snake-People tribe experienced tremendous growth.

Ji Xuan hovered high in the sky, looking down at the snake people below.

Today, this place can no longer be called Xishan Settlement, but is now the true Xishan Tribe.

The original simple wooden houses and fences are long gone, replaced by rows of neat wooden and stone houses that are not only sturdier but also have better insulation.

Outside the house was a wide and neat stone-paved road, on which the snake people moved smoothly and comfortably.

The center of the tribe is a large plaza that can accommodate all the snake people. The two stone pillars erected during the last sacrificial ceremony have become a symbol of the tribe.

Ji Xuan's altar is located in the center of the square.

For the past three years, the tribe has held a formal sacrificial ceremony at least once a month. Ji Xuan has also bestowed upon them various kinds of knowledge, such as animal husbandry, planting, and weaving, according to the tribe's development needs.

Every gift of knowledge brings the tribe's life a step forward.

The population has also grown from the initial 232 to 389.

其中老年蛇人占比最少才18人、成年雄性83人、成年雌性104人，剩下的184人全都是14岁以下的幼年蛇人，其中又以这三年新出生的居多。

The sounds of young snake people playing and frolicking could be heard everywhere, in the streets and squares.

The power structure of the tribe also changed.

This spring, Qingdao voluntarily stepped down from his position as chieftain and became the tribe's first high priest.

He now spends most of his time in the tribe, organizing the knowledge bestowed upon him by Ji Xuan, presiding over sacrifices, teaching young snake people, and compiling the sacred texts of the God of Nature.

The already composed Seido now possesses an even more sacred aura.

Qinglu became the new chieftain of the Xishan tribe without any controversy.

Three years have completely shed Qinglu's youthful immaturity. Now he is tall and upright, and his eyes are more mature.

Qinglv often goes out hunting on her own, and at the very least, she can bring back a Black Iron-tier prey.

In the past three years, four more snake people have successfully condensed the seed of the extraordinary: one green-scaled snake person, two golden-ringed snake people, and one red-chained snake person.

Aoki, Jinyan, Chifeng, and the newly promoted Qingyun, Jinsha, Jinyang, and Chishui are the tribe's seven leaders, whose status is only below Qingdao and Qinglu.

Qingyun is the only female Black Iron level snake-person, while Jinsha is Jinyan's younger brother.

The entire tribe was well-organized, with each member fulfilling their specific duties.

The morning mist hadn't completely dissipated yet, but the area around Mirror Lake was already bustling with activity.

Several snake-eaters held fishing nets woven from sturdy vines in the shallow water. With each swipe, they caught dozens of plump blue-backed carp, which was much more efficient than using sharpened wooden sticks to poke the fish.

The snake people built fishponds around Mirror Lake so that they could have fresh fish to eat even in winter.

In the nearby breeding area, emerald rabbits hopped around in their enclosures, while several young snake people squatted nearby, feeding them grass and occasionally reaching out to touch them.

In the chicken coop next door, the golden pheasant crowed.

In the orchard outside the tribe, female snake people are clearing weeds. These fruit trees were dug up and brought to the vicinity of the tribe over the past three years, and now they have formed an orchard area.

At the entrance of the tribe, Jin Yan and Jin Sha led their hunting team out. Today, they were going to explore outwards along a river that connected to Mirror Lake.

Even the youngest snake people were busy, cutting grass in groups in the safe area around the tribe.

Occasionally, a mischievous little snake-man would be attracted by butterflies, birds, or other small creatures and run away. Then, a slightly older child would chase after him, bring him back, and the group would continue mowing the grass, laughing and joking.

Over the past three years, the snake people's faith has become increasingly devout. Many snake people would offer a brief prayer to Ji Xuan before eating, thanking him for bestowing food upon them and allowing them to have such a happy life.

Every time the hunting party returned, the first thing they did was, under the organization of Qingdao, present Ji Xuan with the best prey.

But even now, the only saint is Green.

Ji Xuan looked at the vibrant Xishan tribe and a smile appeared on his lips.

it's time.