Indeed, Yan Fei was not wrong.

The existence of a fully automated prayer machine, besides distorting the meaning represented by the act of prayer, plants the seeds of division and pushes faith into a meaningless internecine state of Zhi Fu... unquestionably also increases the efficiency of prayer, accelerates the Holy God's exploitation and erosion, and even enhances the absorption efficiency of the Holy God!

The result, one hundred and two percent, serves the enemy.

But he overlooked one issue... When you want to serve the enemy, is the enemy willing to let you serve?

The so-called prayer and faith are the process by which the Holy God gradually devours the self of all believers. In this process, believers gradually lose their humanity and desire, slowly turning into empty shells amidst the sip by sip consumption, and the self and identity birthed among countless souls will also merge with the Holy God, becoming the resources for Transformation.

This daydream is an invisible gluttonous feast...

Since it's delicious, fondly enjoyed, favored by them, then let them eat more!

Not afraid you don't eat enough, just afraid you can't eat anymore!

Know this, eating more doesn't necessarily mean better growth, it often leads to indigestion... Uncontrolled gluttony will only catalyze a cumbersome mountain of flesh that can't move.

Especially in fields like Ascension, what matters is purity and dedication, the singularity and uniqueness of self— if you cannot digest and fully absorb in time, then the more self and identity that converge will instead plant the seeds of conscious division.

Having seen with his own eyes the diocese, Ji Jue can already confirm: the so-called Holy God, the false pretense beneath the splendor, the fragility behind the strength, and even the limits hidden behind the appearance of omnipotence!

Praying while focusing on meditative thought already strips away the most pollution from consciousness, trying to purely separate out one's own self-nature, yet must still be so gradually harvested.

The reason for this, apart from maximizing the benefits from simultaneous pruning and growth, is likely also the limit that can be withstood under the premise of maintaining one's own purity!

This is not baseless speculation, but a shared conclusion reached by Ji Jue and Bao Old Deng after gaining a deep understanding of Chongguang Church's operations from Yu Shu.

Since it is formed by uniting various elements, naturally it must also be shackled by all!

In this daydream, even in the current world, there was already an unmistakable case—the Holy Spirit of Chongguang Church!

In the face of countless Ascension pioneers' voluntary sacrifices, gathering countless faiths born of good deeds and good fruit, yet it never actively collected any faiths.

Even Chongguang Church repeatedly publicized internally and externally: Relying on oneself is better than relying on gods, admiring saints is less than loving people.

[The Holy Spirit is not a god]

If you are coming for faith, then do not set foot on this path from the beginning!

This medicine of faith, beneath the sugar coating, has been a poison that cannot be peeled away from the start. After one taste, you can't help but drink more and more, until in the end, you simply can't stop.

No matter what state that Holy God is in right now, absolutely, it's too busy to care about anything else. Otherwise, it wouldn't have stayed out of sight for so long, not even responding after Wen Wen repeatedly stirred up considerable chaos.

"Simply put, Mr. Ji, you want to stuff him to death?" Yan Fei seemed to half-understand.

"Unfortunately, it won't stuff him to death."

Ji Jue regretfully shook his head, "At most, it'll only make him lose his own nature and fall into chaos. But before that happens, it can't be ruled out that he might ruthlessly cut off parts, destroying part of the believers to lower the efficiency of prayer and sacrifice."

"Huh?"

Yan Fei became more confused, "But can't he just not eat?"

"That's where the problem lies..."

Bao Dacai grinned, laughing strangely, as a specialized craftsman in this field, he was even more convinced than Ji Jue: "The thing about faith and prayer emphasizes mutual willingness, much like marriage.

Once a relationship is established, it's impossible for him to unilaterally refuse the offerings.

Even if he doesn't eat, the sacrifices offered by the believers during their prayers will still be forced into his mouth, continuously, until he spits them out!

If he refuses to pray, then inversely, faith will waver... Once the relationship between a couple breaks down, it can't be repaired with children as an excuse."

"I don't understand, and it feels even more complicated!"

Yan Fei reflexively wanted to get angry, feeling his intelligence was being looked down upon, these two, Qing Deng and Old Deng, always talking about things he couldn't understand!

Bao Dacai regretted, "That's what happens when you're uneducated."

"Mm, indeed." Ji Jue nodded, "Communication really is difficult for someone who hasn't been to school."

"I haven't been to school, so what!" Yan Fei glared angrily.

"Then make up for it with some lessons."

Ji Jue calmly decided, "Since you're idle anyway, reviewing the old to know the new, start from the math, Old Deng, you join too?"

"Me?" Bao Dacai shrugged, "I've forgotten everything long ago, Marvelous Alchemy doesn't care about these."

"Oh, almost forgot, you're still a remnant of Ancient Alchemy." Ji Jue, a proper modern craftsman, dismissively waved, "Okay then, I'll handle math, there's no physics and chemistry in this, then start a machining class in the camp, and you handle grammar and foreign languages?"

"I don't mind." Bao Dacai nodded.

"I mind!" Xiao Deng was furious, panicking, sweating profusely, "When did I say I wanted to attend class?!"

"If you're not attending classes, what will you do after going out? Pretend to be a gangster?"

Ji Jue walking ahead turned back to glance at him, "Uneducated people get chewed up faster in society, a guy who can't even handle the college entrance exams has no hope of becoming a big boss in life. At the very least, find a factory to screw bolts, right?

If not, after so many years with no improvement at all, are you expecting your brother to look down on you too?"

"I..."

Yan Fei's expression stiffened for a moment, dazed, anger and anticipation mixed together, twitching: "My brother, he..."

"If you could reclaim your self from the Holy God, perhaps recovery is still possible." Ji Jue, walking in front, said nonchalantly, "But some aftereffects are unavoidable, likely needing care then, and more funds, potentially a lot of money."

Ji Jue calculated with his fingers, "Hmm, about the amount you currently may not make up even by selling blood and organs. After all, aside from being a hothead and fighting, you have no other skills to sell at a price, you'll have to find some strengths elsewhere.

Of course, if you don't want to, I won't insist on being overly sentimental..."

"I'll learn!"

Yan Fei raised his voice, gripping Ji Jue's sleeve: "I'll learn anything! Mr. Ji, rest assured, I... I'm very capable of enduring hardships."

Ji Jue turned back, looked at that expectant face, and amidst the anger in his eyes, it seemed a gentle illusion reappeared.

Soon, he chuckled silently.

He rubbed his head and stuffed the last piece of malt candy into his hand.

"Eat the candy first." he said, "Children should eat more candy."

"Mr. Ji..." Yan Fei chewed the candy, unsure of what to say.

"What's wrong?"

"The candy doesn't taste good..."

"It's okay."

Ji Jue smiled warmly, "Soon you'll find it tasty."

"Huh?"

At that time, Yan Fei naively chewed the candy, his eyes still carrying an innocent light.

Suddenly not knowing, the days of hardship... were still ahead.

.

.

A week later, Yan Fei had no light in his eyes.

Countless harsh precedents tell us, when adults are bored, children become toys for adults. Especially when both happen to be craftsmen, the ways to play increase.

Torturing the mind, tormenting the body, indoctrinating consciousness...

From force-feeding to corporal punishment, even the dog that used to shake its head at Little Deng at camp now only foams at the mouth every day, crashing headfirst into the abyss of the Empire's and Federation's languages, drowning in the ocean of math and mechanical engineering principles, wanting to live but unable, wanting to die but not able, nowadays even seeing Border Prison feels like Paradise.

Once holding a hammer, everyone looked like a nail. Now with his head full of formulas, even frothing at the mouth he can perform axial stretching calculations.

Progress is not insignificant.

Though it seems like a part of him has died.

And just as the light left the young boy's eyes, the Main Priest's eyes were full of light!

His large bright eyes had only the desire for faith and yearning for achievements.

"Brother, brother..."

He clutched Ji Jue's hand, weeping uncontrollably: "I was wrong before, please don't hold it against me. That Holy Seal, do you have more? More... can you give me more!"

In just a short week, the once unapproachable Main Priest now clutching Ji Jue's hand, hunger and tears flowed down, as if ants crawled over his body.

At this moment, his bright mind had no thoughts of himself, filled with ideas on how to make others pray more!

After random testing the effects of the fully automatic praying machine on experimental products, having pondered over it for a night, he started distributing the Holy Seal among the Holy Hall's followers.

The result was unexpected, in less than a week, the monthly faith quota was almost fulfilled!

The achievements Ji Jue once 'boasted' about were now terrifying results before him.

Impossible to ignore or remain silent.

Before this, even a devoted believer praying with full focus for eight to nine hours a day was already incredibly efficient, but ever since wearing Ji Jue's fully automatic praying machine, one could pray all day long, twenty-four hours a day, praying praying praying even while walking, sitting, eating, drinking, and relieving oneself!

With such calculations, in a year, one could at least accumulate a week's worth of Paradise exchange time! Almost on par with the Main Priest's benefits!

Who had ever experienced such frightening speed before?!

This inevitably led to working overtime, sacrificing sleep and food to pray like mad?!

Even with the Main Priest's repeated orders, they could only take the Holy Seal off when sleeping, and once they experienced the exaggerated endurance and massive flow of the fully automatic praying machine, they could never go back!

This transformation happened in just a few days.

When users lost the Holy Seal and had to rely on their hands to pray, it felt dull, missing the abundant feeling when the Holy Seal was present, itching more in their hearts, wanting more, longing for the Holy Seal's return...

Yet, the effect of the Holy Seal in their hands seemed to be weakening.

As they used it more frequently, it gradually lost its luster.

As if it was worn out.

Resulting in praying becoming more lackluster, reminiscing the initially terrifying efficiency, unable to restrain the desire...

So, is there more?

Give me more, give me more!

"Don't worry, brother, there's more."

Ji Jue's smile was meaningful: "I thought you didn't want any since you never said. What's our relationship? You just need to say, right?

You do want it, don't you?"

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