From Secret Clan to the Divine Dynasty

White Sea.

The Dawn Church had been in control of the isolated island for over a dozen years.

Inside a dilapidated wooden hut, a reticent middle-aged man was sharpening a knife.

His frail body leaned slightly forward, holding a sharpening stone carefully restoring the sharpness of the blade, the sound of friction between the blade and the stone continuously emanated.

Just then, a dark-skinned youth walked in from outside.

The middle-aged man also stopped sharpening his knife.

"Uncle."

"Do you really still worship that self-proclaimed god, the sea monster?"

The eyes of the dark-skinned youth were red with emotion as he questioned his trembling uncle; the middle-aged man raised his head to look at the youth, his eyes filled with complicated emotions.

The youth continued, "It's just a monster, not any kind of deity at all, it can't protect us!"

"You…"

The middle-aged man slowly rose to his feet, raising the knife and pointing it towards the youth.

For over a dozen years, the island had been controlled by the Fischer family, and a new generation of White Sea natives had largely accepted the new faith.

Especially in the past five years, since Lilian, taking a series of suggestions from Christine, used the Fischer family's enormous wealth to accomplish many things.

She not only preached on the island and built grand statues of the gods but also established a school there, while also providing periodic treatment for the more devout natives' physical ailments.

Simply put, it meant giving those natives with sufficient faith and loyalty a completely different treatment from their fellow tribesmen.

So, the new generation on the island, as well as those natives who changed their faith, began to believe more and more spontaneously in the great Lord of the Lost.

Whether it was the entrance allocation for the school, "Spirit-returning Tree" usage slots, or the distribution of many living resources, they were all treasures to be cherished.

Among the ten thousand White Sea natives on the island, only the very best could compete for them.

The middle-aged man holding the knife approached the youth, his voice almost a growl.

"You don't understand the divine!"

The youth stood firm, eyes wide open, without retreating half a step, he said:

"What's so good about worshiping that monster? Is it really good to offer living people as sacrifices every year? Sacrificing fishermen from the East Coast wasn't enough; you even sacrificed my parents to it…"

The middle-aged man suddenly raised the knife, his demeanor nearly manic.

Suddenly, a dozen Dawn Church guards armed with flintlocks rushed in, led by a Daybreaker who had stepped onto the 2nd Rank of the Path of Divine Sacrifice, the Listener.

The youth took a deep breath and pointed at his uncle.

"I want to report, he still worships the sea monster, he destroyed school facilities a few days ago, he's the one who killed two church guards and a student!"

The uncle's eyes widened, incredulously looking at his nephew while gripping the knife tightly.

The Daybreaker scoffed loudly, "The noise during your escape has already been discovered by 'Ears', and do you think you can hide your malice in your heart?"

"Even if he didn't report you, you wouldn't have escaped!"

The youth closed his eyes in pain.

The uncle suddenly roared, swinging the knife wildly, flames ignited on his body without warning.

"Sea God above all! Oh furious Sea God, one day you will utterly destroy all these remnants!"

Everyone was stunned momentarily, and the Daybreaker shouted while raising his gun:

"Be careful, he is indeed an Extraordinary Exponent!"

The youth opened his eyes in shock, but did not take a step back, instead standing there, staring at the flames burning on his uncle's body.

That flame was far too small, nothing compared to the great Lord of the Lost!

"Aaaaaaaaah!"

The uncle, waving the knife crazily, charged at his nephew, wanting to perish along with the traitor, but a dozen bullets hit him, instantly inflicting severe wounds.

Watching his uncle bleeding profusely on the ground, on the verge of death, the youth fell into deep silence.

He knelt down and said with utmost conviction, "Uncle, the Sea God Cult is finished, the so-called 'Sea God' is nothing more than a man-eating monster that has devoured my parents and many others' parents."

"Only the great Lord of the Lost is the sole way out for us, the White Sea people!"

The uncle shivered uncontrollably, struggling to extend a feeble hand to grab the youth's neck, a crimson bloodprint staining his neck.

That rough hand mixed with blood, however, fell to the ground.

The youth stood up silently, breathing heavily, feeling a piercing tinnitus.

Before long, he heard the Daybreaker speak.

"What's your name?"

"Ian."

"Come, I'll take you to meet that person."

"Alright."

Ian nodded slightly, finally getting the chance to meet that person.

That person held immense power,

with just one word, he could decide life or death for the tens of thousands on the island.

Ten years ago, that person suddenly descended with the people of the Dawn Church, completely altering the fate of the natives on the island.

The youth even often felt there might be no existence more terrifying than that person in the world!

Leaving the cabin, Ian followed the Daybreaker.

They arrived inside a massive cavern, where the boy only had to raise his head to see the many White Sea natives, still tirelessly constructing the grand statue of the Lord of the Lost.

The great Lord of the Lost, His majestic statue had been under construction for a full decade, and yet it was still not completed. The boy couldn't help but gaze at it, with tears welling up in his eyes, praying earnestly from the depths of his heart.

Great Lord of the Lost,

please grant us your kind protection.

We, the people of the White Sea, wish also to become your faithful believers, and hope for the opportunity to be favored by You.

I am Ian.

I beseech your mercy!

At last, the two of them emerged from the cave to an open area, standing outside a three-story villa with a faint resemblance to the architectural skeleton of the Fischer Manor, albeit on a much smaller scale.

The Daybreaker glanced coldly at the youth nearby and said, "Wait here, don't wander off."

Ian nodded calmly, "Alright, Mr. Daybreaker, I will follow your orders."

The Daybreaker then entered the villa to send a message, and after a while, the young man was finally permitted to enter the house.

"At last, the day has come..."

Ian was extremely nervous, he took a deep breath, and it took some effort to calm his emotions before he walked into the house somewhat guardedly.

He had seen that dignitary from a distance a few times before and knew her to be a woman of astounding beauty, fiercely loyal to the great Lord of the Lost, and possessed of incredible extraordinary power.

That dignitary was powerful, beautiful, and terrifying. Up to this day, too many islanders had been executed by her for their staunch belief in the Sea God.

Whenever the natives saw her, they felt fear in their hearts and knelt on the ground, full of dread.

Ian certainly did not want to be among those executed, and he was aware that the Sea God Cult was about to be completely annihilated, while on the White Sea, there were countless others like him. They should not have to perish with the monster of the deep sea.

Inside the villa, the hall was filled with many items and standing servants, but the figure of that dignitary was absent.

Although he couldn't see where she was, Ian still kneeled respectfully in the hall.

A haughty female voice emanated from a nearby room.

"Are you Ian?"

He immediately answered, "I am."

Inside the room, Lilian pondered for a moment before continuing, "Ian, I am aware of your situation; you are the White Sea native with the best academic results in the past five years."

"Yes,"

Ian nodded calmly.

He was born with a talent for numbers, finding the basic mathematics taught at school incredibly simple.

Lilian's voice came again.

"You have passed the final test and will be given a chance..."

"Whether or not you can seize this opportunity, whether the great One will ultimately bestow power upon you, that will depend on the extent of your devotion."

Ian was momentarily stunned, then overwhelmed with joy. He knew he had a very good chance of becoming a Proselyte!

So far, the number of Proselytes from the White Sea natives could be counted on one hand!

Then Lilian suddenly said, "By the way, I heard you enjoy reading and even engaged in book theft."

Ian felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him, his body tensed immediately. After hesitating for a moment, he admitted the truth and nodded, "Yes, Lady Lilian, I very much enjoy reading, so I stole a math book once."

He quickly added, "I've already received the whipping for it, and afterward, I swore to the great Lord of the Lost that I would never steal again in this life."

"I see, you like reading books..."

Lilian fell into deep thought, finding it somewhat hard to accept that such a person could come from among the natives. However, she could indeed speculate on what rank within the God Pantheon stairway the book-loving youth outside might attain if he became a Proselyte.

After Ian left, Lilian in the room also closed her eyes, sensing the new power she had obtained the day before.

Recently, she finally ascended to the 4th Rank, becoming a "Shepherd."

The promotion ceremony to become a "Shepherd" involved aiding the god of one's worship in amassing a sufficiently large congregation. Lilian estimated that several thousand believers were required.

She couldn't help but feel wistful.

"Had the Fischer family been located in the central mainland, they wouldn't have come to the White Sea, a place lacking clear order. It's truly difficult to amass a large number of believers here."

As a "Shepherd," she acquired a physical strength of 30, a spiritual power of 170, and although she only received one extraordinary power, it was very potent.

The name of that extraordinary power was "Herder."

"Shepherds" can communicate with the souls of their deity's believers at the moment of their death, persuading them to willingly become spirits for their own dispatch.

The restrictions on "Herder" are numerous. The spirits can only follow a "Shepherd" for a maximum of three years, and a "Shepherd" cannot harbor souls stronger than themselves.

The number of spirits a "Shepherd" can dispatch is limited. At the 4th Rank stage of "Shepherd," one can shepherd a single spirit, but as their own strength increases, the number of spirits they can shepherd will also increase.

Engaging a spirit in combat continuously drains the "Shepherd's" spiritual power.

Lilian was deeply grateful to the great Lord of the Lost for granting her such a holy power!

If anyone in the order passed away while still yearning for the material world and wishing to serve Him, this sacred power would prove invaluable!

In the past year, many from the Fischer family had reached the 4th Rank. It could have been a coincidence, but certainly made everyone joyful.

Lilian looked up, praying fervently.

"Great Lord of the Lost, please protect my father and allow him to ascend that stairway."