Raging Against the Heavenly Law

Xu Ying had long since given up on appearances. A simple kowtow to the Green Robe Deity counted as worship, and as for incense, candles, or fruit—don't even think about it.

He didn't even have enough to eat himself, so how could he possibly offer anything to a deity?

The other two villagers the Green Robe Deity had singled out, however, wore grim expressions.

Villager Jiang Lu, a man in his forties who looked as old as eighty, his face a web of wrinkles and his body hunched, spoke tremblingly: "Deity, sir, this old man can't even afford a meal. Last night I only gnawed on some tree bark, and the officials came again to extort taxes. Where would I find anything to offer..."

The Green Robe Deity glanced at him and sneered: "You offer to the officials, but not to me? Are you saying I'm beneath them?"

Jiang Lu dared not reply.

The Green Robe Deity's eyes rolled, and he said: "Don't you have a daughter? Give her to me, and I'll be your son-in-law. I'll guarantee you a life of plenty!"

Jiang Lu's legs gave way, and he knelt: "Deity, sir, last night the officials came to extort taxes. This old man couldn't pay, so they took my daughter away, saying it would waive my taxes..."

The Green Robe Deity snorted, his fist the size of a wine jar smashing down. Enraged, he bellowed: "Didn't you have two daughters? Trying to hide one from me?"

Jiang Lu was blasted several zhang away, crashing into the wall across the way. Broken ribs pierced through his chest, the jagged bone ends exposed, blood gushing from his mouth.

The crowd of villagers in the shrine trembled, daring neither to voice their anger nor to speak.

Xu Ying clenched his fists so tightly they hurt, forcing himself to look away.

That was a deity, radiating an awe-inspiring majesty that made ordinary people incapable of even thinking of resistance. Even Xu Ying, who had cultivated the Taiyi Guiding Technique since childhood, could only shiver before the Green Robe Deity.

Besides, his godfather and grandfather had taught him from a young age: commoners don't fight officials, don't fight deities. Snake catchers risked their lives to catch venomous snakes just to survive. Fighting officials or deities was a path to certain death!

Jiang Lu tried to get up but couldn't.

The Green Robe Deity cursed: "Where's your other daughter? Hand her over! I'm bedding her today! Don't be ungrateful!"

Suddenly, Steward Jiang of Jiangjiatian laughed: "Deity, sir, you might not know this, but I figured you had your eye on Jiang Lu's girl, so I bought her with my own money, planning to offer her to you today. Someone, bring the bride over!"

The Green Robe Deity was overjoyed and laughed: "Now that's what I call sensible, Steward Jiang."

He turned his gaze to the other villagers and sneered: "You lot can't even bring offerings, and you expect my protection? Today, those without offerings—your fields get only three fingers' worth of rain for the year. Those without even incense or candles—not a single drop of water! Die of thirst, you bastards! And you!"

The Green Robe Deity pointed at Jiang Lu and roared: "I was going to make you my father-in-law and give you some benefits! But now your daughter is Steward Jiang's offering to me, nothing to do with you! You came empty-handed, no offering at all—this year, not a single drop of rain on your land!"

Jiang Lu sat dazed against the wall, haggard, his face drained of all color.

No rain on the fields meant no harvest.

"How am I supposed to live?" he thought, utterly despairing.

The Green Robe Deity laughed heartily, pulling the bride close: "Why wait for tonight? Today's as good a day as any for the wedding night!"

Steward Jiang quickly chimed in with a flattering smile: "Now is indeed an auspicious hour!"

Xu Ying silently turned and followed the crowd out of the shrine. He had never seen a deity take a bride, but he had heard of it.

Other villages also worshipped deities. Some villagers, unable to make ends meet, offered their daughters as wives to the gods. He had heard that the Water Earl of the Xiao River had married over a hundred women, all offerings from nearby villages.

Jiang Lu staggered to his feet. Seeing this, Xu Ying walked over to help him.

Jiang Lu had never been unkind to him. When Xu Ying was a child, his grandfather had rescued him from a fire and brought him to Jiangjiatian. Jiang Lu had given him a cornbread bun, and his grandfather had told him to call the man Uncle.

Xu Ying remembered it well.

"Uncle, let me take you home..." Xu Ying said.

Suddenly, Jiang Lu charged at the wall.

"Bang!"

Blood splattered across Xu Ying's face.

Xu Ying's vision blurred as a few drops of blood seeped into his eyes. Through the haze, he saw the old man smash his head violently against the wall. The blood instantly stained the white wall, like a plum blossom tree in a winter snowfield.

A ringing filled Xu Ying's ears, and his mind went blank.

"Uncle..."

He reached out, but saw Jiang Lu's shattered head pressed against the wall, his body slowly sliding down, painting the white wall with the sturdy trunk of a plum tree.

The old man's corpse, like the tree's trunk, knelt before the wall.

Chaos erupted in the shrine as people scattered, screaming.

The Green Robe Deity, holding the sobbing bride who was nearly breathless, laughed: "Steward, clean up the body and repaint the wall. Don't spoil my fun."

Steward Jiang quickly agreed, hurried over to Xu Ying, shoved him, and barked: "A Ying, move the corpse out! The deity wants to start the wedding night!"

Xu Ying's head was still ringing, his body trembling, his fists clenched so tight they shook.

Steward Jiang shouted: "Are you going to defy the deity—"

"Bang!"

Xu Ying threw a punch, striking Steward Jiang in the face. The steward's face caved into his skull, the back of his head exploding. His body swayed and then crumpled to the ground.

"Murder! A Ying committed murder!" Steward Jiang's household servants fled in panic.

Xu Ying's body still trembled, his mind still blank. He didn't know why he had punched Steward Jiang's head to pieces, or why the rage had suddenly become uncontrollable.

"I killed someone, killed someone... I didn't want to kill..."

His hands shook, the blood on his face still wet. He looked up, trembling, but the one he had wanted to kill wasn't Steward Jiang.

His gaze fell on the Green Robe Deity. The one he truly wanted to kill was this god.

"But for some reason, I just can't control my hand. I just want to beat you to death!" Xu Ying panted like a wild beast, glaring at Steward Jiang's fallen corpse. "You're too noisy! Stop talking! Stop pushing me... I told you to stop pushing me! I'm going to kill Him right now!"

Steward Jiang's head had already burst open, his skull caved in. Naturally, he couldn't speak.

Yet Xu Ying's mind was still filled with all kinds of chaotic noises, buzzing incessantly, urging him to go and beat this god to death.

The Green Robe Deity's pupils contracted as he stared at Xu Ying.

From Xu Ying's eyes, he suddenly no longer saw the familiar fear. This ignited a blazing rage in his chest.

Fearful eyes were the eyes he knew best—the terror that mortals should rightly feel toward gods!

Before, he could see that reverence in Xu Ying's gaze, the awe of an insect toward a great figure.

But now, that reverence was gone!

In its place was blasphemy!

Killing Intent!

From this youth's eyes, he saw a naked murderous intent directed at himself!

Even more terrifying, he realized he was somewhat afraid of that look!

The Green Robe Deity flew into a rage, tossing aside the bride and swinging a fist the size of a jar straight at Xu Ying. "Bastard! What kind of look is that?!"

Xu Ying raised both forearms to block, feeling as if he had been struck by a bull weighing several thousand jin. He flew backward, crashing through the shrine wall with a thunderous roar and tumbling out of the shrine!

The Green Robe Deity strode forward, stepping over the collapsed wall, sneering, "Mortals must only accept the fate the gods arrange for them—no resistance! Xu Ying, I see the evil thought of blasphemy in your eyes! I will cleanse your sins!"

Xu Ying landed, his feet digging into the ground as he slid back more than a zhang before finally steadying himself.

"You seem..." Xu Ying shook his hands and lifted his head, his gaze strange, "...not as strong as I imagined."

"What?!"

The Green Robe Deity erupted in fury, lifting his leg and sweeping it sideways. His thick limb swung like a pillar, the wind howling and roaring!

"Insignificant mortal, daring to question divine might! You deserve the tongue-plucking hell!"

His face was stern and majestic, as if this single kick could send Xu Ying straight into hell, to sink forever!

Xu Ying furiously drove his blood and qi throughout his body, throwing a punch to meet the god's sweeping leg!

The scriptures he had just read flashed through his mind—the blood and qi circulation diagrams from the Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist surged forth, and without thinking, he followed their instructions to channel his qi!

His blood and qi churned within him at a wildly violent speed, vibrating through his organs, grinding against his muscles and fascia. A resounding elephant's cry erupted from his chest, deafening!

Xu Ying poured all his strength into his right arm. The surging qi swelled his arm, making it thick and large, his right hand suddenly growing a size bigger. The fist wind howled with a sharp whistle!

First Form of the Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist: Horn Strength Splits the Mountain!

Xu Ying's power exploded, and his fist collided with the Green Robe Deity's sweeping right leg. With a puff, he punched straight through the god's thick leg!

At the same time, a series of crackling pops rang out from within his body—the sound of his qi breaking through barriers!

Seven years of cultivation, diligently practicing the Taiyi Guiding Technique, never once training in a martial arts method. He had no idea what stage he had reached. Now, with his first exposure to a martial arts technique, all his accumulated effort over those seven years was unleashed at once!

The Taiyi Guiding Technique tempered his blood and qi—his foundation. The martial arts technique was the path to release that power!

Seven years honing a single blade, its frosty edge never tried.

Now, at last, was the moment to test that edge!

At Xu Ying's home, the Snake Demon had finally reconnected all his dislocated joints and was fleeing toward the village outskirts when he suddenly heard a series of strange popping sounds. He froze, then quickly looked toward the source.

"Second, third, fourth levels of the Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist—he broke through them all in an instant! Is this brat human or a demon? How can he cultivate so fast?"

The moment he thought this, Xu Ying's qi surged, and a spirited elephant cry burst from his chest—deep, resonant, shaking the window frames of all sixty-seven households in Jiangjiatian with a rattling hu-la-la!

Even the water in basins, vats, ditches, and ponds rippled with waves!

The Snake Demon's mind went blank.

Breaking through to the fourth level of the Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist in an instant was already astonishing enough, yet Xu Ying had broken through another barrier and reached the fifth level!

He hurriedly looked at Xu Ying, only to see his qi churning so violently that it seeped out through the pores of his skin!

The overflowing qi formed an apparition behind him—an elephant-headed divine figure!

This apparition, composed of qi, was hazy, like a transparent phantom, standing a foot and seven or eight inches taller than Xu Ying, moving in sync with his fists and feet!

This was the phenomenon unique to reaching the fifth level!

The Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist had seven levels. The first level: blood permeates the whole body, qi moves through all limbs. The second level: double the blood and qi. The third level: force extends beyond a zhang. The fourth level: Divine Elephant strength. The fifth level: Elephant Spirit Bull Demon apparition. The sixth level: qi and blood Sha body. The seventh level: Elephant King Divine Body!

Among the Demon Race, any strong cultivator who reached the Seventh Level of Martial Arts could be called a Demon King and be enfeoffed as a Mountain God or River Earl!

Reaching the fifth level already qualified one as a Great Demon!

Xu Ying could now be called a Great Demon!

"But this kid is clearly human..." the Snake Demon muttered in confusion.

Xu Ying's mind didn't dwell on it. He unleashed the second form of the Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist: White Elephant Flicks Its Trunk!

He sidestepped and spun, his right leg cutting through the air like an elephant's trunk lashing out. The air tore apart with a sharp, piercing howl!

Behind him, the Elephant-Headed Deity simultaneously turned and swung its leg. Its elephant leg overlapped with Xu Ying's, and with a crisp crack, it slammed into the Green Robe Deity's waist, sending him stumbling, his body bending nearly to the ground.

The Green Robe Deity was both shocked and enraged. He retreated several steps to evade Xu Ying's attack, then abruptly tore down a nearby wall, lifted it high, and brought it down like swatting a fly, intending to crush Xu Ying beneath it!

The wall shattered with a boom. Xu Ying punched through it, sending bricks and stones flying, one of which smacked the deity in the face.

The Green Robe Deity covered his face with one hand while throwing a punch with the other.

His fist collided with Xu Ying's incoming punch. A crisp crack sounded, and his arm snapped cleanly!

Terror seized the Green Robe Deity's heart. As his eyes met Xu Ying's, his mind was once again consumed by that fear.

It was the fear a mortal felt toward a god!

He had actually developed the timidity of a mortal, while Xu Ying seemed to be the god who held his life and death in his hands!

He parried and blocked frantically, but could no longer evade.

He saw Xu Ying's fist growing larger as it hurtled toward his face, and hastily shouted, "I am a deity appointed by the City God! My name is registered in both the Yin Court and the Imperial Court! Killing me means violating the Heavenly Law—"

Before the word "Law" left his lips, Xu Ying's fist drove straight through his face and burst out the back of his skull, punching a massive hole through his head!

The Green Robe Deity froze for a moment, his body swayed, then crumpled to the ground. His essence scattered, and he turned into a pile of wood.

"AAAAHHHH—" Not far away, the Snake Demon opened its mouth wide and screamed in terror.

----Thanks to Zhai Cai and Heng Feng, the Great Ones, for the Silver reward! Thanks to Walking on Clouds QAQ, Liang Hong, Divine Dynasty_Uncle Chuang, Long Companion Xiao Hui, Divine Dynasty_Ying An, Space Piercing Stone, Sister Lin Ah, Stars Change in a Thousand Ways, Divine Dynasty_Night Cat Kull, Divine Dynasty_Only Strive for Tonight, Divine Dynasty Big Refrigerator, I Fell in Love with a God Tonight, Ancestor of Immortals Demons Heretics, Shed a Few Tears to Grow Up, Joyous Heaven, Mirror Flower Water Moon and Careless, Divine Dynasty_Era, Three Lives Fate Small Knife, Divine Dynasty_Qing Er, Water Meter Transcriber, Heaven's Wrath Can Be Forgiven but Self-Inflicted Wrath Cannot Be Lived With, I Am Really Awesome, Yan Ling Ji, Happy Gigi, Not Leaving Blue Mountain, Q Purple Night Sky, Mo Heng 106, Clear Dream, No Trace, Towers Ultimately Betrayed the Youth, Fei Tian Yu Himself, Divine Dynasty_Array, Yu Xiaoqing, Gather All Human Dreams, Divine Dynasty_Coffee, I Live on Black Mountain, Ma Yitao, iampetty, Wash Demon, Three Lives Fate Hunter, Mom is a Tycoon in the Cultivation World, for your rewards! You all spent too much!!! I bow in thanks!!!