The day after Klaus left, Asa easily entered the pagan cult of Nature's God. After staying for a day and inquiring for a day, he already had a general understanding of this cult.

  This is a very strange pagan cult. The strangest thing is its loose structure, most of the followers are villagers from nearby villages, or almost all the villagers in nearby villages and many people in Aili City have become followers. Those with more prestige, such as village heads, have become spontaneous small leaders.

  The term "heretic" is a bit of an exaggeration for them. In peacetime, the believers farm and do their daily chores just like anyone else, at least in terms of lifestyle they are no different from ordinary people. As long as local officials don't interfere with their behavior, they won't go against the authorities either. Moreover, unlike other mysterious and sinister cults, they have no guard against outsiders who come to join them, but instead are very enthusiastic and generous, warmly welcoming and inviting others to join the faith.

  The only unusual thing about them is that they go to the sacred forest every day at noon to meditate and worship, contemplating under the care of the natural gods. The method of contemplation is simple and easy to learn, even illiterate farmers can sit cross-legged with their minds united, and after contemplation, they feel refreshed and invigorated.

  This simple and easy-to-learn meditation is the leader of the gods of nature, taught by the great prophet to his followers.

  The Great Prophet is the one who founded the cult of the God of Nature. No one knows him, nor does anyone know where he comes from. Last time when those troops came to drive away the followers of the God of Nature, the Great Prophet claimed that he felt the divine revelation of the God of Nature and that a miracle would occur. As a result, these guardian statues really appeared out of thin air, making all those who offended the God of Nature disappear. Since then, under the influence of this vivid and powerful miracle, the God of Nature has grown at an alarming rate.

  This afternoon, another batch of new followers will be brought before that sacred forest to feel the power of the natural gods. Asa is also among them. However, he naturally won't go to feel any divine spirit, he wants to see and experience the prophet, take a look at those strange carvings.

  Now we must solve the problem here as soon as possible, and then we can leave to catch up with Lord Hart. For 40,000 to 50,000 followers, the troops brought are really insignificant. Moreover, these followers are just ordinary people. So now the most effective way is to find out the leader of this cult and figure out what kind of tricks they are playing.

  The one leading the new followers to the place of worship was a man in his fifties with an air of a scholar, who was said to have been a teacher at a school in Aili City before. In the Church of Nature, it is common for relatively knowledgeable people to voluntarily come and spread their faith to the followers. He walked along the way, constantly explaining the doctrine to the new comrades.

  "How great is the natural world that nourishes us without seeking reward! And how paltry and weak are the gods invented by religions to serve the ruling classes, compared with this great mother of all things. So 'Nature' is our watchword. We do not bind our followers by any dogma or creed, nor will you find anything in it that jars."

  "There's no need for me to say more, just use your own eyes to look at that magnificent forest of the great natural god, and use your own heart and soul to feel it. That shocking power is absolutely not something that can be compared to those wooden puppets in churches. As long as you face the forest of the natural god every day with a sincere and meditative heart, you can feel connected with this great nature, finally reaching the realm of unity between heaven and man, transcending worldly troubles."

  The new disciples nodded together and exclaimed in admiration. As long as there is empty space, it's possible to sit and become one with heaven and man, this is indeed a relaxed and inexpensive deal.

  Asa had a strange feeling that this cult was able to grow so amazingly in such a short period of time, apart from taking advantage of the Low Language Forest, its biggest characteristic was that it was too... how to say, Asa didn't know many words and couldn't clearly express this feeling to himself, he could only say it was too... good value for money.

  No matter what kind of religion it is, it attracts believers with promises and the power of manifestation. The church threatens and tempts with heaven and hell, displaying its power through the magic of enlightened magicians and pastors. And now this natural god has demonstrated a power that transcends human understanding, not only having a truly soul-shaking feeling but also suddenly appearing guardian statues. This is a far more powerful force than the prayers of the church, which cannot help but make people believe.

  Just sit down, get dizzy, doze off and receive the blessings of the gods, you can achieve the state of unity between heaven and man. This is far more convenient, beautiful and cost-effective than the church's promise that only by maintaining a sincere prayer and pious faith can one go to heaven after death.

  Every believer learns at the beginning of joining, and the meditation aisa that has been mixed in is already taught. It's a slight modification of the basic meditation technique for mages, making it very simple. Remove all magical elements, only make the meditator feel calm and mentally full. And if you meditate in front of the Whispering Woods, you will naturally feel more clearly the shock deep in your soul.

  What's even stranger is that with such a cheap and beautiful slogan, why would so many people come to do what? Just sit there every day?

  But now there's no time to delve into these matters, as long as we can find out the so-called guardian statue tricks today, see the so-called prophet. Those who should be caught will be caught, those who should be killed will be killed, and those who should be smashed will be smashed. The rest of the things will be easy to handle.

  Under the leadership of the old scholar, the Protestants arrived in front of that sacred forest. It was actually the same meadow where Asa and Vedenina first met.

  The grassland, once filled with slaughter and zombies, now has a peaceful and solemn atmosphere. Thousands of devout followers sit densely on the grass, facing the forest in front of them, closing their eyes in contemplation. Even the Grand Cathedral of the Magic Academy does not have such a grand atmosphere during worship. And these are just a few grains of sand among the hundreds of thousands of followers, it is said that there are also several such places on the outskirts of this forest.

  Asa saw the long-lost Whispering Woods among the new followers.

  Gazing at the mysterious forest that once made people's hearts tremble with fear, Asa clearly felt that the power that once shook people's souls to their core, inspiring terror and awe, had almost disappeared, leaving only a hint of its former presence, like the dying breath of a giant still echoing between the ancient trees, barely maintaining the dignity of this sacred place. And now these devout followers were adding a ridiculous and laughable flavor to this residual majesty.

  The new believers were seeing the Whispering Woods for the first time, and they were immediately overwhelmed by the remaining divine aura. Their previous half-belief and half-doubt took a big step forward towards devotion. Everyone exclaimed in unison, with some even directly kneeling down. The old scholar's expression was filled with pride as he led them towards the edge of the forest.

  Asa walked with the new followers around him, but his attention was focused on the dozens of stone statues standing in the grass. These were the legendary things that suddenly appeared here overnight and were revered by the followers of the natural god as guardian statues.

  These strange statue-like objects are all the same, about 5-6 meters high, with a human body and limbs with claws, and a mouse-like face with a mouth that stretches down to the chin. On their heads, there are two sheep-like horns, and a pair of bat-like wings folded on their backs. These stone statues are all in a half-kneeling posture, spaced tens of meters apart, forming an arc facing the Whispering Woods. It seems as if they really are guarding this sacred forest, just like the followers say. According to the followers' account, these statues appeared silently and suddenly one night on the outskirts of the forest, forming a circular shape that protects the forest in a way that is impossible for human power, which can only be described as a divine miracle.

  But Asa can now be certain that these strange statues have absolutely nothing to do with the Whispering Woods. He has never seen anything like them in the elves' dwellings, and their bizarre shapes are clearly at odds with the elves' austere but beautiful natural style. Besides, the dryad guardians were enough to protect them, where would they need these strange and ugly stone statues?

  Asa walked forward and touched one of the stone statues. The texture was indeed stone, and the vivid shape was not something that ordinary craftsmen could create in a short time. Asa gazed intently at the statue's somewhat eerie face, and suddenly a faint sense of foreboding emerged from the bottom of his heart.

  "Don't touch it with your dirty hands, this is a sacred object of the great god of nature." An old female believer rushed over and slapped his hand.

  "Are you sure?" Ah-sa seemed to be asking the old woman, yet also muttering to himself. His expression was one of shock and terror.

  The old woman thought that this presumptuous fellow had already felt the majesty of the gods, and walked away contentedly to continue her meditation.

  Asa's heart is now extremely shocked. Because just now when he put his hand on these statues, he felt a hint of magical fluctuations.

  It wasn't just the simple magical fluctuations that shocked him, as he had expected these inexplicable things to be some kind of magic. What shocked him was that these magical fluctuations felt very familiar, so familiar that it seemed like he could smell the stench of death in them.

  It was also on this grassland that she met her senior sister, Vedina, and the zombies she summoned had similar fluctuations. Later, when extracting monsters from the Magic Academy, I smelled such a smell on those skulls and zombies. And not long ago, when Sandru raised his hand to turn the Holy Knights into living corpses, those living corpses also had such fluctuations.

  Asa stared blankly at the dozens of statues on the lawn, according to the old believer's words, this was only a part of it, and there were hundreds of them surrounding the Whispering Woods. Looking again at the devout believers filling the lawn, Asa suddenly felt a chill run down his spine under the bright sunlight.

  "Gather 'round, all you followers of the Nature God! I have something to say." A loud, dignified voice suddenly rang out. Even in this vast meadow, everyone could hear it clearly, and the originally quiet worshippers all got up and gathered around where the sound came from.

  "It's the Great Prophet." The followers seemed to have heard a heavenly voice and were extremely excited. "The Great Prophet must have something important to announce."

  Asa finally managed to force his way through the crowd and walked up to a place where he could see the Prophet.

  This man, so revered by all, certainly looked as if he deserved such veneration. If Asa had seen him anywhere else, she would have taken him for a superhuman hermit from another world. His snowy white robes were spotless, and his silver hair and beard blended in with them to create an aura of saintliness and extraordinary dignity. His features were sternly handsome, every wrinkle seeming to be a synonym for wisdom and knowledge of the mysteries of the universe. He sat beneath a stone statue that was closest to the Whispering Woods and unlike any other, its double wings spread wide in a protective gesture, cradling the Prophet under its feet. With such an extraordinary leader, it was no wonder that this cult attracted so many followers.

  The densely packed crowd of followers gathered even more closely, shoulder to shoulder and silent as a raven, their attention riveted on the prophet's slightest movement.

  "My fellow worshippers of the gods of nature, I have some good news to share with you." The prophet's voice boomed out, his back to the whispering forest, and the lingering aura of the forest seemed to blend into his voice, infecting it with an unspeakable mystical charm. He raised his hand and pointed at the stone statues, saying: "According to my communication with the gods of nature through meditation, tomorrow at noon, the gods of nature will descend upon each person who is sincerely praying and meditating beside the guardian statues. This miracle will unite heaven and humanity, bringing us to the highest realm that our lives have always pursued."

  A massive sigh of excitement still suppressed burst forth from the mouths of the faithful and swept across the lawn.

  The prophet's voice rang out once more, and immediately everyone fell silent, afraid of missing the smallest sound that came from his mouth. But his voice was loud and clear, ensuring that every person could hear it clearly. "Because tomorrow's prayer and meditation are the most important, so tonight everyone should rest well and nourish their spirits. And I will also be here to communicate with God for the last time."

  Asa suddenly remembered something he had heard and asked a believer beside him, "I've heard that the Prophet has never left this place since these statues appeared, is that true?"

  The believer nodded affirmatively: "Yes. The Prophet spends all his time communicating with the God of Nature. Whether it's day or night, windy or rainy, he will be here meditating. Never leaves. You don't even know this, newcomer?"

  "Does he stay here day and night, never leaving? Doesn't he need to eat, shit, or take a bath?" Asa gazed intently at the perfect religious leader. He suddenly became certain of one thing - this person, or rather, this being, was absolutely not a necromancer.

  "That's the Great Prophet, a saint who has already established a spiritual connection with the God of Nature. Please don't use such profane and worldly words." The believer was very dissatisfied with this new comrade. "You know? Your luck is really too good. You've just joined and you can encounter such a good thing."

  A Sa sighed and nodded in agreement. "I also think I have good luck."

  It's evening now.

  Rather than saying that the forest of whispers at night is quiet to death, it would be better to say that it is dead.

  According to the prophet's instructions, the tens of thousands of believers who were still seated here during the day have all gone home to rest their spirits for the divine sign that will arrive at noon tomorrow. Now there is no movement of any living thing here, and the faint light of the new moon and stars casts a gloomy atmosphere on the ancient trees and stone statues. The ancient trees still exude residual majesty, intimidating wild beasts, birds, and insects from approaching this place, not even the wind dares to blow, only the stone statues continue to glare with their ferocious faces, half-kneeling towards the forest, silently confronting the divine power of the ancient trees.

  Under the stone statue closest to the forest, there was a figure sitting silently, blending in with the eerie atmosphere. He had silver-white long hair and beard, and wore a snow-white robe that shone brightly under the faint moonlight and starlight. The prophet looked ethereal despite the eerily quiet environment, as he sat there alone every night to meditate and communicate with the gods of nature. This was an act that required purification, so he had instructed no one to disturb him at night.

  Two footsteps broke the dead silence in the distant darkness, and two figures slowly emerged from the darkness and walked towards here.

  The sage did not have any reaction to these two figures that suddenly appeared, still sitting there with a sacred and solemn grandeur.

  Two figures approached, coming directly to the prophet's side. The prophet still did not react, nor did he move in the slightest, remaining deeply absorbed in his meditation. However, the two visitors showed no respect for this devout concentration, with one of them even reaching out to place a hand on the prophet's white-haired head.

  The prophet sat silently, unmoving, not even blinking. The rude man seemed unappreciative, pressing down on the prophet's head, rotating his wrist back and forth, then grasping the silver-white hair and pulling it straight up.

  The prophet still didn't move, his face was still calm and dignified, but a head of silver hair had been completely lifted up like a lid along with the scalp.

  The originally quiet and stifling environment seemed to liven up a lot all of a sudden. After the prophet's head was uncovered, a large group of insects were revealed, including maggot-like creatures, earthworm-like ones, and even winged insects. This group of small things seemed to have been suppressed by the solemn and majestic residence for a long time, and suddenly being exposed to the air made them extremely excited, struggling and flipping about while making strange noises. The person who had lifted the prophet's head waved his other hand at these lively insects, chanted a few spells, and the insects quieted down again, re-entering the depths of the prophet's skull. This person nodded in satisfaction, saying: "This insect puppet will probably only be used until tomorrow. But it should be fine, just hold on until noon and gather all the followers."

  Next to him, his companion said in a hoarse voice: "This insect puppet is indeed worth the money, and it has easily deceived so many people into coming."

  "He was originally a pastor in a small town outside, with great prestige. However, behind the scenes, he often **** some girls under the age of ten. I occasionally discovered and exposed him, but unexpectedly, no one in the whole town believed me, instead thinking that I was the real culprit. At that time, I realized that being hypocritical was actually very useful. Coincidentally, I had to go back home to handle some matters recently, so I caught him and turned him into this puppet to rally followers. Look, the effect of deceiving people is quite good, right? Now we have 40,000 to 50,000 people at our disposal. During this time, they have been meditating in silence, and tonight they were told to go back and sleep well to recharge their spirits. Tomorrow, their energy will surely be abundant, meeting our requirements."

  Both of their voices were strange, sounding as if there was always something stuck in their throats, making it unclear to listen.

  "It's not like it cost more than 40,000 or 50,000 yuan anyway. These stone statues can't eat that much." His companion's voice was old and detached, as if discussing a bland meal. "The excuse you came up with is actually effective on these idiots - 'heaven and man united', the highest pursuit of life. I didn't think it would be able to deceive 400,000 or 500,000 people into joining this organization that you just made up on a whim."

  "Strictly speaking, I didn't cheat them," the man said with relish. "I'm actually helping them reach the highest state of life - death. Isn't death the ultimate goal of life? Every living being is striving for this final purpose, aren't they? Most people in the world are pitifully chasing after some elusive, mysterious, and intangible goals to transcend their unsatisfying reality. Am I not being merciful and poetic by letting them end their lives in a wonderful fantasy?" The man looked up at the starry sky and sighed. "Tomorrow will definitely be a good day. With these 108 stone statue demons and the help of so many enthusiastic citizens, this ancient divine forest and all its spirits will turn to ashes after noon. This magnificent feat that no one has ever accomplished in tens of thousands of years is about to be achieved by us, and it's even making me feel a long-forgotten excitement."

  "The leaves of the World Tree belong to us, let's take a look at that Sun Well and see if it can be used. If not, think of a way to destroy it." Even with such grand plans, his companion's voice was still bleak and unenthusiastic. "Hmph, didn't Vedenina have the chance last time? I don't know what she did, but after all that trouble, she only managed to bring back one leaf from the World Tree, and in the end, it was wasted by her for no reason. Women are really extravagant."

  "Please be considerate. Being willful is a girl's privilege, and also what makes them lovely. Why don't we just take care of it ourselves this time?" This person carefully put the fortune teller's headgear back in its original place, making the disgusting puppet look dignified and worthy of admiration once again. "It's always best to do things personally."

  "I heard that old Ronis has sent someone to quell the heretic uprising here. Let's hope they don't stir up trouble tomorrow. Do you know who he's sent?"

  "Not very clear, I've been busy with other things lately and didn't pay attention to these. But since the prophet has already spoken out, those enthusiastic and devout people will surely come as promised. No one can stop them."

  "Hahaha..." The old man's voice seemed to be invigorated by the impending success, letting out a strange laugh. "Come to think of it, it's been a long time since we've all worked together like this. It really is true that there's strength in numbers. If it were just one person, even someone as capable as Napolitan wouldn't have enough resources to create this many golems. Thanks to your suggestion, we came up with this plan to deal with Taiyou no Ie's barrier."

  "This method is not my original creation, we have to thank......" The man's voice suddenly stopped, and he carefully examined the insect puppet, this strange and intricate prop.

  "What's wrong?" his companion asked.

  The man remained silent for a moment, then said in a low voice: "Nothing, just an old mouse." Then he turned around and swung his hand suddenly.

  Like a black lightning bolt in the darkness, a vague shadow suddenly shot out from the dark shadows of the nearby trees. While still in mid-air, his figure was illuminated by the flames. The place where he had just stood had already become a sea of fire, and a tall ancient tree had instantly turned into a blazing inferno. If this person's movements were half a beat slower, he would have been engulfed and disintegrated into ashes by the magical flames.

  This was a fiercely perfect firewall technique, from the release of magical force to the complete combustion into a dazzling flame in less than half a blink of an eye. The burning flames were so fierce that they illuminated the entire forest and grassland, which was originally pitch black and silent, as well as the figures of these two people.

  Judging from their appearance, they should be an old man and a middle-aged person. Both of them wore ordinary gray robes, with a silver skull mask on their faces.

  No one's eyes could withstand such a strong contrast of light, whether it was the attacker or the attacked, at this moment their eyes were all filled with dazzling light. Even everyone didn't have time to see each other's appearance. The people in the air and the two on the ground simultaneously covered their eyes with their hands.

  The slightly older man on the ground covered his eyes with great effort, while also waving his hand at the stone statue where the prophet was, and called out in a low voice.

  What was originally just a stone statue suddenly came to life with this mysterious cry and gesture, and the muscles carved out of stone actually burst forth with tremendous vitality. It sprang up, spreading its huge wings towards the person still in mid-air. The stone statue's sharp claws, as big as a human body, opened wide, revealing rows of sharp teeth inside its wide mouth.

  The half-empty man still covered his eyes, but when the stone statue's giant claws were about to grasp him, he suddenly flipped over in mid-air. The stone statue's giant claws brushed past him. His feet pushed off the statue's hands and he borrowed strength to fly deep into the forest.

  The attacker who cast the fire wall on the ground was the first to regain his sight, he raised his head and immediately saw the target flying diagonally towards the Whispering Woods in the sky, he raised his hand, a silver-white light ball rolled and flowed with the surrounding rippling electric sparks, rushing into the air.

  Just as the light ball was about to hit its target, the person in mid-air seemed to have finally noticed, and a huge fireball shot out from his hand and collided with the spherical lightning bolt, producing a deafening explosion that scattered sparks and electrical lights all over the sky. The entire forest was completely illuminated by this dazzling collision. The stone statue in the air let out a strange screech like the wailing of thousands of pigs, which was shaken back by the intense explosion. In the dazzling light, the person in mid-air, engulfed in flames, rode the air wave and flew straight into the depths of the Whispering Woods.

  The old man next to him waved his hand, and the stone statue of the ghost flapped its wings and flew in the direction where the person fell. However, just as it flew out a short distance, those huge wings suddenly stiffened, and the originally agile and swift movements also became rigid, like a chicken that had fallen into water, struggling to flap its wings a few more times before completely stopping, seemingly turning back into a lifeless pile of stones, falling straight down into the depths of the forest with a dull thud.

  "No, the seal of the Sun Well still has an effect, and the magical driving force on the stone statue can't work in the forest." The old man who was commanding the stone statue shook his head. "What to do? It seems that it's not a spirit but a human being. Without my command, the stone statues will only move at the predetermined time, what if he comes to cause trouble before then?"

  That man hesitated for a moment, and said lightly: "Let him go. There are more than 100 stone statue demons, what can he do alone? Moreover, when the sky brightens tomorrow, our enthusiastic followers will come to hear the news, they will naturally protect these sacred carvings." He beckoned to his companion. "Alright, let's go. Things have developed to this stage now. We just need to quietly wait for the good weather tomorrow."

  Two figures gradually went away, completely disappearing into the darkness. Here again restored a dead silence. Only in the air was diffused the unpleasant smell of burning wood left over from just now.