Chapter 155 (1/2)
Chapter 155: Running Toward the Vast Outside World
Fang Ning had been curious what Faith actually was.
Even when the System first transformed into a dragon, someone had misunderstood it to be an appearance of the Celestial Dragon. There were also many a time where the System Notifications showed the Celestial Dragon Favorability Points being increased.
He knew the Celestial Dragon was a manifestation of the collective Faith of the people of China, but he did not know how Faith was collected, he could not find information anywhere. Most importantly, he was too lazy to look it up…
‘Now that there is a perfect specimen, I wouldn’t let go of the opportunity to have a good look at it.’
As Fang Ning was rationalizing to himself, the eagle had brought the dragon to the top of a tall, steep cliff.
The whole of the peak was only as large as a standard-sized master bedroom on which an eyrie was located.
Sky Eagle said, “Please wait here, Brother Dragon. I’ll go and fetch the key item I have prepared a long time ago that can help me absorb Faith.”
It immediately dove into its huge eyrie after finishing its sentence. Some moments passed before it finally returned with a little trinket in its beak.
Fang Ning was fascinated by the key item, thinking, ‘Could it be some kind of treasure?’
When the eagle let go of the item and pushed it, it floated toward the fire dragon. Fang Ning saw the trinket and was stunned speechless.
It looked just like a normal rock that was picked up haphazardly and sculpted into a sibuxiang 1 .
Fang Ning stared at it for longer than he should have before he finally recognized a beak, two claws, and a pair of wings that all mysteriously reminded him of a roast chicken…
Speaking of which, it had been such a long time he had eaten with his body, he somehow started feeling hungry.
The fire dragon asked, “What is this?”
Sky Eagle replied, “I have spent ten years working on this statuette of mine. Every stroke, every ridge, I have carved them myself with my beak and claws. Have a look, Brother Dragon. Don’t they look exquisitely lifelike?”
The fire dragon commented, “I really don’t see it…”
The System said, “What exactly is this thing?”
Fang Ning offered his opinion, “I think it looks like a roast chicken. Sir System, what do you think?”
The System said, “Great minds think alike…”
Fang Ning had an idea. “Oh, forget about it. Don’t you know the four arts? Just make a portrait of it. From what it said, I think it wanted to use the statuette as a conversion medium. A portrait would probably have the same effect, since normal people also worship pictures of their deities.”
System Notification: [The System consumed 500 Experience Points and produced the portrait Sky Eagle with the skill Beginner-level Drawing Skills.]
The System instructed, “Persuade the silly goose to use this instead, I don’t feel too good about the statuette.”
Fang Ning resumed control of his body and said, “Fellow cultivator, your statuette is really nice, but since you’ve worked on it for ten years, I think you should keep it. I have just used my power to make you a portrait, do you think it would be sufficient to replace your intricate statuette?”
Before he even finished, a scroll of drawing with the dimension of ten meters by three meters appeared in the air.
In the drawing were a giant mountain and a vast grassy plain. A male eagle was roosting atop the peak of the mountain, exuding a sense of majesty and eminence while holding its head up high.
It only took the giant eagle one look to be charmed to speechlessness.
It jumped all over the place, occasionally getting really close to the picture while exclaiming, “That’s such a handsome-looking eagle! I didn’t know I look that good!”
The System said, “Hey, look. Our dude turned green almost immediately.”
Fang Ning glanced at the System Map. As expected, the circle that represented the giant eagle had turned green, a sign of alliance.
Fang Ning told the System in relief, “Looks like this guy is much simpler than the king cobra. It didn’t have as many tricks up its sleeves, so it turned green so easily… I do have to wake it up though. Looking at its self-indulgence, it might stare at itself for a whole day if we don’t interrupt.”
Fang Ning said out loud, “What do you think of the painting, fellow cultivator?”
Sky Eagle only nodded and said, “That’s really, really good.”
Fang Ning continued. “Can it serve the same purpose as the statuette that you carved?”
Sky Eagle turned around and looked at the floating statuette it had spent ten years on. Now that it had a comparison, the statuette looked rough and ugly, and it resembled a really intricate roast chicken. Sky Eagle felt a sudden rising hatred toward it…
“What is this statuette supposed to look like? Go away.” It flapped its huge wings, sending the chicken statuette into the sky that disappeared in a black dot.
Fang Ning said in amazement, “Fellow, cultivator, you’re really decisive.”
Sky Eagle gave the drawing a final glance with reluctance and said, “Brother Dragon, you have used up so much of your power to produce such a masterpiece. Just for this, I will help you in whatever way I can. Nothing would better represent me to receive the Faith from the people than this masterpiece. It completely captured my elegance and eminence, which I think would definitely increase the Faith received exponentially. I just need to apply a Spiritual Brand on it now.”
Again, Sky Eagle glanced at the picture of itself before a faded projection of the giant eagle appeared from its body and charged into the picture and merging with it.
The Sky Eagle portrait was only a normal painting that captured, in detail, Sky Eagle’s features.