There are numerous ways for deities to gain faith, but ultimately, it requires followers.
In the original timeline, after Tang San became a deity, his followers spread across the entire Douluo Continent, encompassing both the oceans and the human world.
But what did he bring to his followers?
Evil soul masters, abyssal invasions, demon invasions, a ten-thousand-year plan...
If he hadn't absorbed the authority of the Douluo Ocean and bound the continent's master to Tang Hao, how could the Douluo Continent have ended up like this?
It's worth noting that the current Douluo Continent can withstand battles between three first-level deities and even allow god-king level beings to descend.
Yet, twenty thousand years later, the Douluo Continent struggles to even accommodate the descent of second-level deities.
The continent's essence is draining, and the world is descending in dimension.
As the most deeply rooted plane in the divine realm, the Douluo Continent should have been incredibly formidable, at least within the Douluo universe.
Compared to Tang San, Poseidon appears much more upright...
Despite his rapid cultivation speed, even when stuck at the peak of first-level deity, he never tampered with Douluo Continent's authority, nor did he exploit its essence.
Whether it was the Asura God, the Rakshasa God, the Angel God, or the Sea God, none of them did such things.
But once Tang San ascended, in order to stabilize his own power, he completely disregarded the well-being of the Douluo Continent.
Although he eventually helped strengthen the continent, it was merely to turn it into the "Tang Family Continent."
Poseidon and the other gods were, after all, natives of Douluo.
Tang San was different; he wasn't a local, nor did he rise through arduous cultivation.
His emotional connection to the Douluo Continent wasn't deep.
This is also a major flaw of inheritors.
For example, Poseidon spent a full thousand years conquering the seas and gathering faith. He had a deep affection for these waters.
The Angel God spent a considerable amount of time purging evil and establishing the Spirit Hall.
She, too, held deep feelings for the continent and never absorbed the authority of the sky.
Only through comparison do the original deities of Douluo seem somewhat decent...
"Xue'er still needs more experience. For now, there are taller figures to shoulder the burden. Even if the sky falls, it won't be a problem..."
Qian Daoliu glanced at Zhongli, thinking to himself.
"Thank you, Martial God, for saving the world and its people!"
Everyone bowed respectfully to Zhongli, their expressions solemn.
The Spirit Hall still held deep affection for the common folk, especially among its higher echelons.
Wasn't the original purpose of establishing the Spirit Hall for this very reason?
We shouldn't condemn the entire Spirit Hall because of a few individuals.
After all, the Holy Knights are still running around the world, tirelessly purging evil and sin, even at the cost of their lives.
The lower-level officials still travel to remote villages to awaken the spirits of children there.
Without the Spirit Hall, who knows how many demon emperors and evil emperors would rise, and how many commoners would have the chance to rise above their station?
The Spirit Hall is one of the few fair paths for commoners to rise, where birth doesn't matter, only talent and strength.
Of course, joining the Spirit Hall guarantees at least a basic livelihood.
Zhongli waved his hand, not to refuse, but to indicate that no words were necessary.
For some reason, he felt that his days of lazing around were slipping away.
Trouble always finds its way to him in various forms and excuses.
Glancing at Paimon beside him, and noticing her evasive eyes, Zhongli felt a sense of relief.
No wonder trouble follows the Traveler wherever they go...
And there's always an endless list of tasks to complete.
The fact that he managed to enjoy a year of peace is a testament to the little one's mercy.
Judging from these Hilichurls, the "summoning" of people isn't targeted but random.
If it were targeted, the first to arrive should have been the Traveler, not someone like Cloud Retainer or Diluc, let alone these Hilichurls.
"If only Azhdaha could come, perhaps his erosion could be purified. With Azhdaha's help, even if the Heavenly Principles turn against us, we would still have a fighting chance."
Azhdaha is no weakling, he is the Geo Dragon King capable of absorbing other elements!
This is something neither the Anemo Dragon, nor the Hydro Dragon, nor the Dendro Dragon can achieve.
What?
Azhdaha's authority is incomplete, and he's not a full-fledged Geo Dragon King?
Then return it to him!
Azhdaha's authority has always been with him.
Without this authority, he may not be the Geo Archon, but he is still Morax!
Not all gods care about the Dragon King's authority. Without the Geo Dragon King's authority, he still dominated Liyue.
Do we need to destroy the divine throne to return the authority?
Glancing at Paimon, she always has a way, doesn't she?
Although Azhdaha is a second-generation Dragon King, he has existed for a very long time.
According to the concept that dragons grow stronger with age, once he regains his full authority, almost no Dragon King would be his match.
Zhongli's fear is that if Azhdaha comes to Douluo Continent, his erosion might not be purified!
Look at these Hilichurls tainted with abyssal energy, their curses remain, and they are even infected with abyssal energy.
He both hopes for Azhdaha's arrival and dreads it...
At this moment, Zhongli is deeply conflicted.
"With this matter settled, I urge everyone to pay close attention to any changes on Douluo Continent after returning, especially any unusual occurrences."
Although Zhongli's words were somewhat cryptic, everyone understood his meaning, he was referring to the appearance of monsters like the Hilichurls.
Such things are truly beyond their ability to handle.
"Of course, if you encounter ordinary Hilichurls, you should be able to defeat them. These Hilichurls are infected with abyssal energy, making them particularly strange."
"Abyssal energy is the ominous aura emanating from them, the dark flames."
Hearing this, everyone nodded, realizing that this "Abyss" must be incredibly powerful.
But then it dawned on them—it wasn't that they were weak, but that these creatures had mutated!
As everyone left the Hilichurl camp, two figures appeared in the camp. One looked no different from a human, a young blonde.
The other, however, was somewhat eerie.
His form still retained some human features but was encased in armor, with fiery red lines running through it.
The two "individuals" exchanged glances, and the scene fell into silence.
After a while, the blonde finally spoke, "I never expected Morax to have arrived here as well, a full three years before us."
"Returning to another world, my plans in Teyvat..."
"The Heavenly Principles have yet to be defeated..."
Five hundred years of planning, five hundred years of preparation, only to end up crossing worlds once again...
"Your Highness, why don't we stir up some chaos in this world and wait for the Abyss to descend."
"If Morax can come, if Cloud Retainer can come, then we can too. The Abyss has no reason not to follow..."
"Enjou, let's put that idea aside for now. Let's investigate this world first before making any decisions."
Not every world deserves to be reshaped. Without understanding this world, it's better not to resort to force.
"As you wish, Your Highness!"