"Py the role of a deity and revive a mountain god on the verge of losing all faith?"

  Lu Jueming roughly understood the heavy responsibility this system was thrusting upon him.

  "But still, throwing such a high-difficulty task at me right off the bat—isn’t that just bullying a measly Qi Refinement Stage 2 raccoon?"

  Just as Lu Jueming hesitated, the number of faithful followers of the Tai Ming Mountain God dropped again—from six to four.

  His brows furrowed. The situation was worse than he expected. His whiskers twitched as he muttered,

  "Hey, can I request a different system? Something simpler, like a check-in or stat-allocation system?"

  Sensing his protest, the system dispyed new text in response:

  [Host has already been bound to the Tai Ming Mountain God and can obtain divine power (faith points) equivalent to the deity’s current worship.]

  [The incense and faith of mortals contain their devotion and prayers. By absorbing this power, host can convert it into spiritual energy, thereby increasing cultivation strength.]

  As Lu Jueming puzzled over this, a wisp of white, ethereal smoke drifted down from the incense burner, swirling around him.

  "Is this… divine power?"

  Unable to resist, he sniffed—and the white mist flowed into his body.

  At first, he only felt a warm current circuting through him, like the gentle embrace of spring sunlight. His body, previously tense from hunger and injuries, gradually rexed.

  As the divine power continued to pour in, his body grew slightly feverish.

  His heartbeat strengthened, each pulse like a war drum sending surges of energy to every corner of his being.

  The entire process took less than ten breaths. To his astonishment, his spiritual energy had increased—his cultivation had advanced from Qi Refinement Stage 2 to Stage 3!

  "Holy—just one wisp of divine power is this potent?! This is way more efficient than the original owner’s painstaking cultivation!"

  Divine power was truly divine!

  "If I could gather thousands, no, tens of thousands of these wisps… becoming an immortal and achieving eternal life might actually be possible!" Suddenly, the future seemed bright and full of promise.

  The little raccoon immediately changed his tune. Raising a paw, he patted his chest and decred, "Who says the mountain god has nothing to do with me? From now on, the mountain god’s business is my business!"

  The system screen updated again:

  [Based on host’s current follower count (4), the following divine authority has been unlocked: Divine Dreamwalk.]

  [Divine Dreamwalk: Can convey hidden messages to believers through dreams, issuing warnings or guidance.]

  [Host must py the role of the deity, bestow blessings upon the people, and gain more followers!]

  [As the sage Lu Xiansheng once said: ‘In the beginning, there were no gods or immortals. But when enough people believed, they became gods and immortals.’]

  Lu Jueming felt a slight warmth in his head—as if his brain had expanded. In an instant, he mastered the Divine Dreamwalk ability.

  After this series of expnations, he finally understood how the Deity Rolepy System worked.

  His next goal was clear: Bless the people → Gain more followers → Unlock more divine authorities → Obtain more divine power.

  By simultaneously improving his divine abilities and cultivation, he could steadily grow stronger.

  "But now the question is—how exactly do I ‘bless the people’ and increase their faith in the mountain god?"

  This time, the system’s screen remained bnk, offering no guidance.

  Lu Jueming fell into thought.

  If this were the modern era, he could have just edited some fshy videos, spped on clickbait titles, and used special effects to attract followers.

  But in this brutal world where demons roamed freely and the strong preyed on the weak… he was momentarily stumped.

  "My strength is pitiful—I can’t command wind and rain like a Dragon King, nor perform miracles like a true deity."

  "Am I supposed to just trick people with ‘Divine Dreamwalk’?"

  "Ah, whatever. Since things have come to this, I might as well eat first."

  Lu Jueming leaped onto the offering table, grabbed the dried salted fish with his paws, and took a big bite.

  "Damn! So salty!"

  This fish had probably been cured for at least half a year.

  He snatched the vase next to it, tilted his head back, and began gulping down water without caring about grace or manners.

  Salty or not, he was starving. As long as it filled his stomach, he couldn’t afford to be picky.

  Suddenly—

  Footsteps echoed outside the temple.

  Lu Jueming’s fur bristled, his heart lurching. Clutching the half-eaten fish in his mouth, he darted behind the mountain god statue in a fsh.

  His movements were quick, but not quick enough—the newcomer caught a glimpse of his fleeting shadow.

  "Huh? What was that just now?"

  A young girl in pin blue-green robes stood frozen at the entrance, a bamboo basket in hand.

  Xu Ling had come to retrieve the offerings, but as her eyes swept over the table, she noticed the salted fish was missing. Her delicate brows furrowed.

  That fish had been carefully cured—it was meant to st her many days, paired with porridge to save money.

  Remembering the grayish-white blur she’d seen earlier, curiosity stirred in her.

  Gently setting down the basket, she took slow, cautious steps toward the statue.

  The sound of her footsteps echoed unnervingly in the silent temple, making Lu Jueming’s heart pound harder.

  "Xiao Ling, what are you doing there?"

  Xu Ling paused and turned.

  A middle-aged peasant woman in coarse hemp clothing stood at the entrance, a tattered straw hat hanging at her waist.

  "Oh, Auntie Sun! It’s nothing, just… I think some animal got into the temple and stole the offerings."

  The woman’s jaw clenched, her expression hardening.

  How dare some stray beast steal from Lord Tai Ming’s altar?

  She set down her vegetable basket, grabbed a fire poker near the incense burner, and pnted a hand on her hip. "Where is it?"

  Xu Ling pointed behind the statue.

  Auntie Sun shot her a look—let’s fnk it.

  Xu Ling understood immediately. The temple was small; if the creature was still inside, it had nowhere to run. Perfect for a pincer move.

  The two advanced slowly, step by step.

  The light from the doorway cast Auntie Sun’s shadow against the wall, the fire poker in her grip resembling a reaper’s scythe.

  One step.

  Two steps.

  Three steps.

  Finally, they peered behind the statue—

  Only to find a gray-white broom and dustpan leaning against the wall.

  "Maybe… I just imagined it?" Xu Ling said awkwardly.

  Auntie Sun lowered the poker, visibly disappointed, and returned to the altar to arrange new offerings.

  Meanwhile, Lu Jueming—now disguised as a broom through his Raccoon Transformation—was sweating bullets.

  Only when the two women turned their attention back to the offerings did he dare exhale in relief.

  And then—

  [Newbie Guidance Task: Listen to and fulfill a vilger’s wish, converting a potential believer into a true follower.]

  [Progress: 0%]

  [Reward 1: Newbie Gift Pack.]

  [Reward 2: Unlock the ‘Divine Authority Upgrade’ function.]