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Chapter 17 - Chapter 17: Rice Like a Mountain, Completely Solve the Famine

"Showing his power… God truly shows his power!"

The crowd erupted in unrestrained shouts, their voices trembling with awe and excitement. Eyes wide, hearts pounding, every person there felt the indescribable thrill of witnessing the divine. It was the first time they had seen the power of the gods manifest so tangibly, and the shock was overwhelming.

It was a miracle. No, more than a miracle—it was a spectacle that made mortals feel insignificant in the face of the divine.

"My God… what is that? Is it a meteorite? How can it be so powerful?" someone yelled, rushing toward the city wall of Chang'an to get a closer look, breathless and shaking with a mix of fear and curiosity.

What they saw was beyond anything they could have imagined. 1.25 million grains of white rice were falling from the sky. Not gently, not subtly, but with a force that flattened mountains, crushed hills, and smashed the earth into deep, gaping pits. Trees splintered, rocks shattered, and the ground itself was cracked and upheaved, as though the land itself were trembling under the power of the falling rice.

And as the grains continued to pour down, piling atop one another, they formed a colossal mountain of rice, a mountain that dwarfed every natural peak the people had ever seen. The vast, undulating white mass stretched farther than the eye could see, occupying more space than even the entire city of Chang'an itself.

"No… it's not a meteorite. It's rice. It's rice!" someone shouted in disbelief, eyes wide, mouth agape.

They stepped closer, every step cautious and tentative, and the truth hit them with full force. The seemingly solid, white stones were not stones at all—they were rice grains. Immense, enormous grains, each one as big as a boulder, perhaps even bigger than a small house to their miniature perspective. Five men together could not even lift one.

"What… what kind of rice is this? How is a single grain bigger than five men combined? How is that even possible?"

Even the most seasoned citizens, the most experienced farmers and soldiers, could not comprehend the sight. Never in their lives had they imagined such a magnitude of food. Never had they imagined a single grain of rice could be so immense, so utterly incomprehensible.

"Do you still need to ask?" a voice whispered, awe-stricken. "This is no ordinary rice. It's divine rice. Rice from the realm of the gods themselves. That is why it is so enormous."

Excitement rippled through the crowd. Bodies trembled. Hearts pounded. Some fell to their knees, overwhelmed by the realization that they were witnessing sustenance from the divine, rice that was literally eaten by the gods, imbued with energy and power far beyond mortal understanding.

"Divine rice?" another murmured, awe threading his voice. "So this is why it is so huge… it's rice that the gods consume?"

"Yes," said another, shaking his head in disbelief. "With such bodies, with such immense needs, how could the gods consume ordinary grains? Only rice of this size could sustain them, fill them. And now… it falls upon us."

"My God… the world where the gods live… is it really like this? Just one grain… one grain could feed a family for a month. Perhaps longer. One grain is enough to sustain life itself for weeks!"

Voices rose, whispers and exclamations mingling, as ordinary people poured out of the city, their gazes fixed on the mountain of rice. Never before had they seen so much food, so massive, so unimaginable. Even for those who had doubted the existence of the primordial gods, faith now grew, spreading in their hearts, visible even in their gestures and expressions. One by one, the skeptics fell to their knees. One by one, belief and devotion poured from their hearts, forming an invisible but palpable river of faith.

Indeed, there was no greater means of inspiring believers than performing miracles. The sight of mountains of divine rice, falling from the heavens themselves, was enough to convert even the most skeptical.

...

Li Xiao and his court officials arrived shortly thereafter, rushing to the edge of the city. Their eyes widened, their breaths caught in their throats as they took in the full scope of the scene. The mountain of rice stretched higher than mountains, wider than valleys, beyond imagination itself. Even for men who had seen miracles before, even for men who had witnessed the wrath of the gods and the destruction of armies, this sight was beyond comprehension.

"Your Majesty… it's saved. It's truly saved," one courtier said, voice trembling with awe. "With such a mountain of rice, it is enough for Tang to endure for years, perhaps decades. Famine, drought, scarcity… none of it matters anymore."

The natural disasters, the droughts, the famines that had terrified the empire, became irrelevant, insignificant in comparison to the bounty descending from the heavens. Food, enough to feed millions, enough to sustain armies and citizens alike, was now at their disposal. Tang State would not starve. Not ever, for the foreseeable future. The empire's stability was guaranteed by divine providence.

"No," a general said, his voice trembling with excitement, "this is more than food. These grains… they are full of abundant energy. Ordinary rice cannot compare. Warriors who consume this… their blood will be replenished, their cultivation strengthened. Even a small portion will sustain them through days of battle, weeks of exertion."

Indeed, warriors consumed food in massive quantities. Ordinary meals were trivial compared to what they required. A single warrior might consume as much as ten cows in one day. And yet, this divine rice was unlike ordinary sustenance. A single grain could nourish, could restore, could strengthen, reducing the burden of feeding armies by an unimaginable degree.

"As expected of the Shenmi," a soldier whispered, awe-struck. "Lord Shenmi is too generous, too vast in his gifts."

"I never imagined… we would witness the taste of divine rice in our lives. What a blessing," another said, kneeling to scoop up a handful of the immense grains. The scent alone—rich, fragrant, almost intoxicating—made one feel younger, stronger, more alive.

"The aroma… it's incredible. As if the breath of the gods themselves is within it," whispered a young officer, staring in wonder.

Li Xiao, however, quickly regained his composure. "Do not waste time marveling. Secure it. Guard every grain. This mountain of rice cannot fall into the wrong hands. We cannot allow chaos to squander the gods' gift."

His voice was resolute, commanding. Faith in the gods, now solidified by the miracle, reinforced his determination. He had witnessed their power firsthand. The methods of the gods were unfathomable, incomprehensible to human minds. With a single motion, they could cover the earth in rain or clouds, manipulate mountains and rivers, transform disaster into providence.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" soldiers and officials alike shouted, raising their weapons and voices in synchronized affirmation. They immediately organized the protection and storage of the divine rice, careful to ensure none would be lost or stolen.

The mountain of rice, the grains larger than houses, the scent rich and alive, symbolized more than sustenance. It was divine favor, proof of a god's attention and protection, a miracle that would be remembered for generations.

For the citizens, for the warriors, for the entire Tang State, famine was no longer a threat. Mountains could crumble, rivers could flood, the sun could scorch the land—but with this divine bounty, the people would survive. They would endure. They would prosper.

And above all, the mountain of rice was a tangible manifestation of faith, of divine intervention, and of the unbreakable bond between mortals and their god. It was a lesson for the people, for the generals, for the rulers themselves: the gods were not distant. The gods were present. Watching. Judging. Providing.

In the distance, Xia Chuan observed from his otherworldly vantage point, eyes faintly glowing with amusement. The miniature world, fragile as it was, had received its sustenance. The belief of hundreds of millions surged like a river, reinforcing his power. One act of divine generosity had transformed fear into faith, desperation into devotion, famine into abundance.

And for the first time, mortals truly understood: when the gods act, even rice can become mountains. Even food can become miracles. And when faith is combined with divine favor, the world itself bends to their power.

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