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What is this ability?

Tian Heng watched in a daze from behind, his world turning upside down at this moment!

Chen Qing had displayed powers today that were more shocking with each instance, creating formations from the void, shattering enemies with a single gesture, seizing the mighty forces of heaven and earth within his hand.

This alone was shocking enough, as the ability to create void formations was known to the mages of the Heavenly Institute, but Chen Qing was the first to wield such tremendous power, capable even of single-handedly overturning the battlefield.

But this was still understandable. Tian Heng had long speculated about the extent of Chen Qing’s power, given the size of the force he currently commanded. However, the fervor and zeal with which he stirred the soldiers’ blood – that utterly terrified him...

These were his direct troops, and after joining the Western Sea forces, coupled with his own ability to distribute belief, they were utterly loyal to him!

Yet just now, he had distinctly felt Chen Qing taking complete control of them!

His own soldiers were known for their steadiness, but in that moment of frenzy, they had charged with Chen Qing without his consent and without his military orders.

How did he do it?

For a moment, Tian Heng even felt a chill in his hands and feet.

Was it the power of faith?

If that was the case... If Chen Qing could make those soldiers listen to him, then what about himself?

Would he, with just a thought from Chen Qing, become like a puppet awaiting commands?

Chen Qing, positioned ahead in mid-air, looked down at everything below. Tian Heng’s expression did not change, but his wary emotions were acutely felt by Chen Qing...

Although the Master of the Divine Path couldn’t directly read the inner thoughts of those under the Divine Imperial Mandate Spirit, he could clearly sense fluctuations in emotion. This was one of the abilities of the Master of the Divine Path.

The Master of the Divine Path could sense the overall emotions of the populace – whether discontent, joy, anger, or fervor – all could be clearly perceived.

This ability was useful for governing the nation, as in nations of the Divine Path, people’s faith was of utmost importance.

Any sign of dissatisfaction or anger could greatly shake the foundations of faith.

Being able to sense the overall emotions of the populace early on, and striving to avoid or appease such feelings, was a duty of the Master of the Divine Path.

Of course, under certain circumstances, the Master could manipulate these emotions – as he had just done.

All soldiers were already in a state of surging passion.

Combined with his own posture of breaking through the city, in an instant, their veneration for him reached its peak.

At that moment, when he invoked the power of faith, the worshipful state of the lower-rank divine citizens towards him would ignite, entering a frenzied state.

Even though this state might subside after the battle, it would be deeply imprinted in their hearts.

Over time, any soldier’s loyalty to the Master of the Divine Path would slowly surpass that to their immediate deity.

This was true both on the battlefield and among the civilians.

For example, a mountain god who bestowed fertile lands and bountiful harvests upon the mountain people would receive their faith.

But this gratitude would also be attributed to the Master of the Divine Path.

Everyone would remember that everything was initiated by the Master of the Divine Path; hence, in civil society, it was evident that the people’s respect for Chen Qing was no less than that for their direct deity.

It was the same case with Tian Heng; the soldiers normally received the power of faith to strengthen themselves, further solidifying their faith in their own deity. But since this faith originated from the Master of the Divine Path, they would unconsciously trust him just as much.

Tian Heng’s current perplexity and fear probably stem from the belief that the Western Sea Army is his private force, right?

Chen Qing shook his head slightly, a pity.

.. but that’s not the case. From the moment he led his people into the Divine Path, those soldiers would not only recognize him as their master.

When he ignited the power of faith, in critical moments, those soldiers would even turn their swords against him!

What about the main deity then?

It’s the same!

The power of belief in the Divine Path stream comes from the common folk.

When the strength of the Divine Path country thrives, and it is sufficiently wonderful, aligning with the will of the people, that belief will encapsulate loyalty to the lord of the Divine Path.

The lord god must rely on the power of belief to enhance his own strength, the more it is used, the higher his dependency on it.

In other words, if Tian Heng turns against him now, Chen Qing could instantly ignite his power of belief, making him ashamed enough to cut off his own head!

Of course, the position of Master of the Divine Path is not so easy to hold.

If there are more resentful spirits among the common people, it could backlash against oneself.

Local deities can even use these resentful spirits to become evil gods and backlash against oneself.

It all depends on the overall foundation of the nation.

Therefore, ever since Chen Qing started to take root in Jiangnan, he delved deep into the grassroots matters, especially valuing the happiness index of the people’s livelihood.

Now that his power is flourishing anew, and everyone is extremely satisfied with their lives, the foundation of faith is incredibly solid.

At this moment, having the full obedience of the Western Sea Army is utterly normal.

Chen Qing naturally would not explain this to Tian Heng.

If Tian Heng cannot bear it, he could certainly withdraw first. Chen Qing would reclaim the power of belief from him, including that of the soldiers willing to desert with him.

However... Given Tian Heng’s current strength, it’s unlikely he would give it up, even if he were flayed.

Even if he were willing, his soldiers wouldn’t be!

Tian Heng’s current terror must stem from the realization that his soldiers.

.. are not under his control. For a duke who has held military power for many years and owns tens of thousands of private soldiers, such a situation is undoubtedly terrifying.

Chen Qing understands, but what the other party chooses to do later is their own business.

The key right now is the present moment.

As the barrier was shattered by his touch, the fully armed Western Sea Army, donning thick armors, leaped onto the city walls one after another, like tigers entering a flock of sheep, instantly turning the tide of battle into a one-sided slaughter!

The Southern Barbarian Soldiers on the city walls collapsed upon contact!!

The kind of maneuver that their soldiers could perform, leaping up the walls, was something they understood.

However, the opponents, clad in what clearly weighed hundreds of pounds of heavy armor, moved like iron men, yet could leap onto the walls so nimbly, exerting an oppressive force they had never experienced before.

The steel monsters charging into the crowd were veritable killing machines.

The giant swords they swung could easily chop four or five robust Southern Barbarians in half, while their own weapons seemed incapable of shaking the enemy.

Swords clashing against them merely sparked lightly, blunt instruments struck them only causing them to retreat slightly.

Facing these seemingly indestructible monsters, despair instantly engulfed the battlefield.

From a hidden position, Mr. Zhezhi sharply inhaled upon witnessing the scene: "The gap is too big!"

Behind these Southern Barbarians was the Ghost Domain force, with the power of the Ghost Temple being one of the most substantial ancient methods for achieving quick improvements at the beginning.

In the previous two cycles, the reason Ghost Domain could carve out a place in the world was precisely this unreasonable capability of the evil ghosts to possess others, playing a crucial role!

Of course, power doesn’t come from thin air.

The strength of the Ghost Temple stems from evil spirits parasitizing their hosts, who initially do not notice anything amiss and only feel grateful for the rapid increase in strength.

But slowly, their minds twist, becoming murderous and berserk, until the resentful spirits completely devour their souls.

By using this method of stealing life essence, evil spirits quickly established a foothold among the living, with the speed at which the Path of Yin and Yang forces bolstered their ranks being among the fastest of all powers!

Especially at the beginning, it was rare to see soldiers that could stand against them, but now...

Mr. Zhezhi took a deep breath: "Is Chen Qing’s Master of the Divine Path that powerful?"

He knew that Jiangnan’s military power was strong, but he did not expect it to be this strong!

This devastatingly dominant situation was something he had never considered possible at the start. Could Chen Qing really have built such an army in just a few years?

King of Qin, too, furrowed his brows. He had previously possessed Chen Qing and had seen the wonders of the Divine Path, but he always believed that Chen Qing’s forces could not compare to the ancients unless there was enough time to grow.

But now it seems... he might have underestimated it!

"There can’t be too many of such soldiers under Chen Qing," the King of Qin calmly stated. "If there were enough of them, Chen Qing wouldn’t just be fighting in Southeast now, he’d probably be steamrolling the North instead!"

"That’s true..." Mr. Zhezhi nodded slightly but then added, "Even so, it’s terrifying enough. In just a few years? He’s been able to cultivate such a level of army strength. Given more time, could he truly stand against the ancients?"

"We’ll know once we take it..." The King of Qin gave Chen Qing a cold glance before looking behind him. Behind the two of them, a batch of transparent objects was hiding, which in the darkness, flickered with a faint, ghostly cold light!