I Created a Containment Object at the Start, and Became a God

10: Almighty Lord of the Heavens!Lin Zhi’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly as he listened to the system prompt.

”Only twenty points...” he mused silently. ”It’s the same level as that Man-Eating Terror Ape from before, both E-rank. It seems creatures of this caliber are worth this much.”

His gaze swept over the chaotic scene on the ground.

Scattered firearms gleamed coldly under the moonlight, and bundles of cash spilled out of several open backpacks.

Although he had no immediate use for these mundane items, they might come in handy if he needed to operate in this world later.

”Snap!”

A crisp snap of the fingers.

The weapons and cash on the ground were drawn by an invisible hand, transforming into streams of light that merged into the shadow beneath his black robe.

The system interface quickly refreshed the inventory list:

[Obtained Firearms x397] [Obtained Special Ammunition x1.32 million rounds] [Obtained Cash approx. 70 million] [Obtained...]

Bai Hu watched the miraculous scene with reverence. Although he didn’t understand why the Supreme Lord would collect these mortal items, he wisely refrained from asking.

In his understanding, how could mortals presume to guess the will of a god?

”Almighty Lord,” he said, respectfully kneeling on one knee. ”Please instruct us on the next course of action.”

Lin Zhi stood with his hands behind his back, his black robe swaying slightly in the night wind.

He certainly needed to plan carefully—since he had been mistaken for an ”Outer God,” he should play the role well.

According to the intelligence gathered so far, those so-called gods seem to be restricted by the ”Laws of the Current World” and cannot descend in their true form.

Lin Zhi gazed at Bai Hu, who was prostrated on the ground, a profound curve appearing at the corner of his lips beneath the black robe.

He had previously asked the system if he could harness the Power of Faith like other gods, and the system confirmed that he could.

”System,” he asked silently, ”If I establish a sect and gather believers... can their Power of Faith truly be used by me?”

[Permission confirmation in progress...]

[Answer: Once the Host breaks through the False God rank and advances to the True God sequence, faith can be converted into Divinity.]

Lin Zhi’s fingertips rubbed lightly beneath his black robe.

Just as expected—those so-called gods who cultivate believers are essentially raising energy sources. No wonder those evil cults expand by any means necessary; this is much easier than improving through ascetic practice.

He looked down upon Bai Hu’s devout posture.

What a perfect first believer... possessing enough strength to act as a henchman, yet easily manipulated due to his hatred.

”Once I ascend the Divine Throne...” A trace of amusement flashed in Lin Zhi’s eyes. ”I might grant him the Position of Saint.”

He seemed to already see the grand sight of thousands kneeling in worship.

Thinking of this, a mysterious curve appeared at the corner of Lin Zhi’s lips, and the mist surrounding him began to churn violently.

His figure subtly fluctuated like a reflection in water, and the edges of his black robe actually began to turn into specks of starlight and drift away.

”The restraints of the mortal realm are stronger than anticipated...” His voice suddenly became ethereal and faint, carrying multiple echoes. ”This Projection... cannot be maintained much longer.”

Bai Hu suddenly looked up, all color drained from his face: ”Almighty Lord?! Are you leaving?” He frantically crawled forward a few steps, and the human faces on his fleshy wings all showed expressions of terror.

”Do not panic.” Lin Zhi’s figure was already translucent, yet his dark golden eyes remained clear.

Lin Zhi’s figure had become semi-transparent, and the edges of his black windbreaker began to turn into fragmented light points, dissipating into the night wind.

He lowered his head slightly, his eyes in the mist gazing at Bai Hu, his voice sounding as if it came from the distant void:

”The world of mortals... is too fragile for my true form.” He raised his gradually transparent hand, dark purple light swirling around his fingertips. ”But before this Projection dissipates, I can bestow a mission upon you.”

Bai Hu immediately touched his head to the ground, his voice hoarse with excitement: ”Please instruct us, my Lord! Your subordinate will not shrink from death!”

”I command you...” Lin Zhi’s voice grew fainter, yet it was branded into Bai Hu’s mind like an eternal mark. ”To establish a Sanctuary dedicated to me upon this land.”

Bai Hu trembled all over, and fanatical light burst forth from his eyes.

”Gather those... souls abandoned by the world.” Lin Zhi’s figure was so faint it was nearly invisible, yet his dark golden eyes remained clear. ”Tell them that the lord of the heavens will grant refuge to the lost...”

”And those... Otherworldly Abominations that crawl out of the Rifts...” His voice was like distant thunder. ”Offer them all as sacrifices upon My Holy Altar.”

Bai Hu shuddered violently, instantly realizing—what his Lord referred to were the various anomalous creatures that flooded the world after the ”Third Month” Incident a century ago.

Those twisted monsters plunged the world into chaos, and His Lord came precisely for this reason!

”So that’s it...” His fleshy wings trembled with excitement. ”My Lord descended to purify this world!”

He slammed his forehead into the ground, causing gravel to scatter: ”Your subordinate vows to eradicate all filth that defiles Your Lordship’s Holy Domain! I shall ensure those otherworldly beasts become sacrifices for Your Lordship’s descent!”

A satisfied curve appeared at Lin Zhi’s lips.

Excellent. This believer is very good at Self-Indoctrination.

Lin Zhi’s Projection subtly fluctuated, like a reflection in water.

He stepped forward slowly, his translucent palm gently resting on Bai Hu’s head. This action caused the surrounding air to solidify.

”Power... Longevity...” His voice was like an ancient bell, each syllable infused with seductive whispers. ”These are merely the most basic gifts.”

Bai Hu’s breathing suddenly quickened, and the human faces on his fleshy wings all showed expressions of yearning. But what truly made him tremble was the next sentence—

”For those who believe devoutly, whatever they think or wish for... can be realized.” Dark golden light seeped from Lin Zhi’s fingertips, entering Bai Hu’s skull like a living thing. ”Even... Reversing Life and Death.”

The four words ”Reversing Life and Death” exploded like thunder. Bai Hu suddenly looked up, terrifying brilliance erupting from his eyes: ”My Lord! Are you saying... Xiao Yu, he...”

Lin Zhi’s figure began to dissipate faster, but the mysterious curve of his lips became clearer: ”Establish the Sanctuary... collect the sacrifices... the day My true form descends...”

The last few words were as soft as a whisper, yet they were branded onto Bai Hu’s soul like the hottest mark:

”...will be the time of the dead’s resurrection.”

When the last speck of starlight vanished into the night sky, Bai Hu remained kneeling, trembling violently all over. He clenched his fists tightly, his sharp claws piercing his palms and drawing black blood, yet he didn’t feel the pain.

”Xiao Yu...” he choked out, murmuring to himself. The human faces on his fleshy wings simultaneously shed bloody tears. ”Brother will definitely... definitely bring you back...”

Lin Zhi’s figure completely dissolved into specks of starlight and scattered in the night wind. Bai Hu frantically lunged forward, only grasping cold air.

”Almighty lord of the heavens!” he screamed hoarsely into the empty alley. ”How shall your subordinate listen to Your Holy Edict?”

A faint echo suddenly reverberated in the void, sounding as if it came simultaneously from countless dimensions: ”I have dispatched a Subordinate to descend upon this realm... It shall appear when you need it...”

The voice faded, and silence returned to the alley. Bai Hu excitedly touched his forehead to the ground: ”I obey the Holy Edict! Your subordinate will not fail to live up to Your Lordship’s expectations!”

Meanwhile, in his Exclusive Dimension, Lin Zhi was leaning lazily on the Divine Throne, chuckling softly as he watched Bai Hu’s devout appearance on the light screen:

”What Subordinate? That was just a fabricated setting to maintain my prestige.”

”Gotta leave a customer service hotline for the believers, right?”

...