197: Trick into the play

"Those who don't believe..."

Lin Hu deliberately drew out the end of his sentence, his sharp tiger eyes slowly sweeping over the face of every Elder in the hall.

He didn't continue speaking, but the invisible pressure solidified the air in the entire hall.

In this tug-of-war, he had to gain the absolute upper hand; if he let these old fellows gain an advantage, his authority as the "Holy Lord" would be utterly lost.

"Holy Lord, please forgive us! We should not have doubted you! Now that you have returned safely, has the Tiger Clan's crisis been resolved?"

Lin Hu maintained his posture with his back to the crowd, his broad silhouette casting a shadow in the candlelight.

In his human form, he had a powerful build, but combined with his somewhat weary voice at the moment, he managed to convey nine-tenths of desolation.

"It hasn't been resolved; all of this has just begun.

"Do you think that I simply split my Divine Soul in two back then?"

The Elders exchanged glances, and Bai Shengdao cautiously asked, "Does the Holy Lord mean..."

"The loosening of the Six Realms' barrier, how could it be resolved in just one place?"

"I split my Divine Soul into six back then, secretly entering each Realm to find a solution."

Lin Hu's gaze was distant, his voice forlorn.

He wasn't sure if five was too many; if Lin Chuping's Incarnations exceeded four in the future, it would be hard to explain.

Forget it, better to prepare for it now.

This astonishing news caused an uproar in the hall.

Elder Bai Yan asked with a trembling voice, "Then... what about the other five Holy Lord Incarnations..."

Are they alright?

What a ruthless person!

...The Elders looked at his broad back, filled with genuine admiration.

Splitting one's Divine Soul into five directly—that must be more painful than being torn apart by five horses.

Can't afford to provoke him, can't afford to provoke him.

Everyone's eyes became noticeably clearer, as if by unspoken agreement.

"Everyone, this is all I can do. The Incarnations may have undergone Reincarnation, or they may have dissipated."

"I cannot fully know their current situation."

Bai Shengdao suddenly knelt on one knee in excitement, "Holy Lord's great righteousness! To split your Divine Soul for the safety of the Six Realms!"

Lin Hu chuckled inwardly, but on the surface, he shook his head gravely.

"It's just a pity; it's ultimately just a drop in the bucket."

A young and impetuous Elder couldn't help but say, "Why is Holy Lord so despondent? If the Six Realms' barrier truly shatters, it might not be a bad opportunity for our Tiger Clan! Why don't we... take the opportunity to strengthen ourselves and unify the Monster Realm!"

Lin Hu tilted his head slightly, glancing at the Elder out of the corner of his eye.

Not bad, very insightful, but his vision is still a bit lacking.

He was different; his goal was to unify the Six Realms.

No, that's not right, Lin Chuping's goal was to unify the Six Realms.

Extraterrestrial Demons were also one of Lin Chuping's conjectures; with things like the Six Paths Reincarnation Disk and the Judge's Brush appearing, the legendary Immortals should also exist.

As for why they disappeared, it must be because they couldn't spare the time, or they simply died.

Lin Chuping speculated it was the former.

It's just that he had only just advanced to the eighth rank, and it wasn't yet his level to handle such matters.

Lin Hu retracted his thoughts and looked indifferently at the Elder who spoke.

"Elder Bai Lie's words make a lot of sense, but we don't have much time left."

"What you consider a Great Yao has no power to resist in front of that monster! What do you think an opportunity is? It's providing snacks for the Extraterrestrial Demon!"

Lin Hu withdrew his pressure, his tone turning solemn: "My Incarnation in the Human Realm has found a way out — the Divine Dao."

"Divine Dao?"

Bai Shengdao asked in confusion.

"That's right, the Divine Dao, using the power of incense from all living beings to condense an indestructible divine personality."

The tiger stripes on Lin Hu's chest glowed with golden light, "If we can gather the faith of the Six Realms, we might be able to fight!"

Elder Bai Yan pondered.

"Is the Holy Lord saying... that our Tiger Clan should also follow the path of becoming gods through incense?"

"Precisely."

Lin Hu nodded, "My Incarnation in the Human Realm has already attained the position of Mountain God, with strength comparable to a Heavenly Immortal!"

Bai Lie seemed to have thought of something and said with some hesitation.

"Holy Lord, you may not know, but not long after you disappeared, the Qingqiu Fox Clan also attempted the Divine Dao, and ultimately suffered the backlash of incense."

"The current Qingqiu Nine-Tailed Clan Chief's reputation is still good, but in reality, for two hundred years, her strength hasn't improved at all."

"Not only that, I heard she even regressed a rank."

The candlelight in the hall flickered gently, reflecting the concerned faces of the Elders.

After Bai Lie finished speaking, he seemed to realize his rashness and quickly cupped his hands in apology: "Holy Lord, please forgive me, your subordinate is not questioning, merely... somewhat worried."

Lin Hu raised his hand to signal it was fine, a gentle smile appearing on his face.

"Elder Bai Lie cares for the clan; what sin is there in that?"

"I am also aware of the Qingqiu Fox Clan's matter. Their problem lies in their eagerness for quick success."

Bai Xuan stroked his beard and nodded: "I remember, the Fox Clan built a thousand temples within a month in pursuit of quick results back then; they were indeed too impatient."

"Precisely."

Lin Hu looked at Bai Shengdao approvingly, holding up a soft golden light in his palm, "The Dao of Incense values purity, not quantity."

A small mountain village appeared in the golden light, where villagers were devoutly worshipping before a simple temple.

Elder Bai Yan squinted his eyes to look closely: "This is... a village outside the Ten Thousand Mountains?"

"Indeed."

Lin Hu's voice was as gentle as a spring breeze, "Three years ago, my Incarnation saved a village child, and the villagers spontaneously built this small temple."

The scene in the golden light changed, showing scenes of abundant harvests year after year.

"For three years, the incense has been continuous; though not as magnificent as the Fox Clan's temples, it excels in its purity."

The Elders nodded one after another, expressions of realization dawning in their eyes.

The eldest, Elder Bai Shi, tremblingly stood up: "Does the Holy Lord mean that our clan should be down-to-earth and exchange sincerity for faith?"

Lin Hu quickly stepped forward to support this highly respected Senior: "Elder Bai Shi sees clearly."

He looked around at everyone, "I suggest we start with the villages protected by our Tiger Clan, sincerely protecting the local land and people. Once the Foundation is stable, then we can slowly expand."

The Ten Thousand Mountains, although without humans, still had some villages of various sizes, inhabited by small, gregarious Yao.

Bai Lie was now completely convinced, lowering his head in shame.

"This subordinate's vision was narrow; I almost ruined a great matter."

"Elder Bai Lie, you exaggerate."

Lin Hu patted his shoulder, "You care about the safety of our clansmen; this sincerity is precisely what our clan needs."

Saying that, he turned to all the Tiger Yao.

"You are all Seniors who watched me grow up. Today, please speak freely and discuss this grand plan together."

Bai Xuan stroked his beard and smiled with satisfaction.

"Since the Holy Lord has a plan, I will be the first to support it. Our clan has protected villages in the South Mountain area for over seventy years; we can start there."

"The spiritual fields on the northern slope can also serve as a pilot."

Elder Bai Yan added, "Harvests have been poor in recent years. If we can improve them with Divine Dao techniques, we will surely win the people's hearts."

The atmosphere in the hall gradually became lively, with Elders offering suggestions and advice one after another.

Lin Hu listened quietly, nodding occasionally and adding comments, his eyes shining with satisfaction.

When the discussion came to an end, Lin Hu solemnly cupped his hands to everyone: "With your strong support, our clan will surely advance steadily on the Divine Dao path. However..."

His tone turned cautious, "In the Early Stage, it is imperative to proceed gradually, rather slowly than hastily."

Elder Bai Shi responded on behalf of everyone: "Holy Lord, rest assured, I will personally supervise and absolutely not let the children repeat the Fox Clan's mistakes."

Lin Hu bowed deeply.

"In that case, I am relieved. In three days, I will impart the specific method for condensing incense, so please make preparations early."