Yellow Turban Warrior Deng Mao

Zhang Yan glanced appreciatively at his disciple and nodded. "Indeed, mere resentment isn't enough to birth such an Evil God. This Evil God was formed by the resentment of the villagers of Niujia Village, which is also a form of creation. An Evil God formed this way can be said to possess the obsession for revenge from the very moment of its birth."

As he spoke, Zhang Yan looked at the receding phantom of the Evil God. "Under normal circumstances, Evil Gods born from the various stray thoughts in the world only have the instinct to devour living beings from the moment they are born. However, this Evil God can resist the powerful innate temptation to devour living beings, relying solely on that obsession for revenge."

Han Song's eyes lit up. "We don't know who massacred Niujia Village or where they are hiding, but the Guardian God of Niujia Village and the villagers who died unjustly must know. This Evil God is tracking the aura of that demon."

Zhang Yan flew forward, closely following the strange phantom of the Evil God. "Let's go. This Evil God was only born recently. Any cultivator in the First Realm could easily destroy it. I fear it's no match for that demon. We'll have to step in to eliminate the demon ourselves, which would also resolve a major hidden danger for Great River City."

Han Song nodded slightly and followed closely behind Zhang Yan. Before long, the phantom of the Evil God had entered the Shun'an Ward. Zhang Yan suddenly heard Han Song's slightly hesitant voice. "Master, if we continue forward, it seems we'll be entering Shun'an Ward."

Almost instinctively, Zhang Yan's figure paused as he landed on a rooftop, frowning as he looked at the continuous buildings shrouded in the night ahead. "Shun'an Ward!"

Not long ago, Yang Li, the sect leader of the Great River Sect, had issued an order: disciples of the Great River Sect were forbidden from entering Shun'an Ward unless absolutely necessary.

Some lower-level disciples didn't understand why, but Zhang Yan and Han Song knew that there was likely an existence of Imperial Sovereign dwelling in Shun'an Ward. Any slight carelessness could bring undeserved disaster upon their Great River Sect.

"Master, what should we do?"

Seeing the Evil God's figure disappear into Shun'an Ward, a hint of hesitation flashed in Zhang Yan's eyes. Finally, he took a deep breath. "That evil creature is no match for us and cannot harm the common people protected by the statues. However, that demon is a great scourge to our Great River City. We must take this opportunity to find its whereabouts and eliminate it."

As he spoke, Zhang Yan looked ahead and cupped his hands with a touch of reverence. "If that senior knows, they certainly won't blame us for disturbing them."

His gaze fell on Han Song, who looked excited. Zhang Yan cautioned him, "Remember, Shun'an Ward is the place where that senior resides. Even if we need to step in to kill that demon later, do not cause too much of a disturbance, lest we disturb the senior's peace."

Han Song respectfully replied, "This disciple understands."

Meanwhile, the phantom of the Evil God, ethereal as it was, followed the residual aura of He Yuan under the drive of its obsession, heading straight for that dilapidated courtyard, just as Zhang Yan and his disciple had said.

Although He Yuan had turned to ashes, he had devoured the flesh and souls of the villagers of Niujia Village within that courtyard, treating it as his lair. The aura he left behind had not yet dissipated.

Meanwhile, Huang Huai had been waiting for the God-Worshipping Incense to burn out. The moment it did, wisps of Incense and Fire Power gathered towards the statue of the Yellow Turban Warrior. Under Huang Huai's gaze, they entered the statue's body. The originally clay statue of the Yellow Turban Warrior instantly transformed into a divine body with a bronze sheen.

Huang Huai blinked. Although he had already witnessed the Three-Eyed White Lotus Goddess statue of the Seventh Elder of the Great River Sect manifest a divine body, and had seen the divine manifestation of Holy Lord Emperor Guan, he was still deeply curious upon seeing the Yellow Turban Warrior manifest.

Who would believe that a clay statue could become a divine body if they hadn't seen it with their own eyes?

Since the Yellow Turban Warrior statue could manifest, Huang Huai's expectations for the Guanyin Bodhisattva statue grew even higher. However, just as Huang Huai was about to look towards the Guanyin Bodhisattva statue, an incredibly deep voice echoed in his mind. "Yellow Turban Warrior Deng Mao pays respects to the High God!"

The moment this voice sounded in his mind, Huang Huai's body stiffened. He couldn't help but slowly raise his head to look at the Yellow Turban Warrior before him, which had already manifested a divine body.

As he looked up, he met the Yellow Turban Warrior's eyes. Just one glance sent ripples through Huang Huai's heart. The Yellow Turban Warrior's eyes actually flickered with a faint spark of wisdom. Not only that, but Huang Huai heard clearly that the other party even had his own name and was actively greeting him.

"Yellow Turban Warrior Deng Mao."

Taking a deep breath and suppressing the strangeness in his heart, Huang Huai stared intently at the Yellow Turban Warrior standing before him and slowly said, "You say your name is Deng Mao. Do you have your own memories?"

Others might not know, but Huang Huai knew that the Yellow Turban Warrior statue he had brought in had the name Deng Mao in the Xunzhen Temple.

When Huang Huai was young and foolish, he had carved characters on the Yellow Turban Warrior's foot and was punished by the Great Daoist Master. He had sincerely burned incense and chanted Deng Mao's name before the statue. Huang Huai remembered this name vividly.

With a hint of anticipation, under Huang Huai's gaze, the Yellow Turban Warrior before him seemed to understand his question, but his face showed a hint of confusion. He first nodded, then shook his head.

Huang Huai's heart was filled with both surprise and joy. At this moment, Yellow Turban Warrior Deng Mao, with a hesitant and effortful expression, respectfully said to Huang Huai, "Replying to the High God, this subordinate's mind is in a jumble, as if countless images and voices are telling me something. I can only vaguely remember that I am Yellow Turban Warrior Deng Mao, under the Great Teacher of Virtue. It seems I was accompanying General Cheng Yuanzhi in the attack on Zhuo Commandery when I died in a duel against the Man of Yan, Zhang Yide. After death, I returned to Yellow Heaven. The next thing I knew, I saw the High God."

At this moment, Huang Huai's entire attention was focused on this Yellow Turban Warrior. He completely failed to notice that when Yellow Turban Warrior Deng Mao, who had manifested a divine body, mentioned the Man of Yan, Zhang Yide, a faint divine light flickered and vanished from the statue of Holy Lord Emperor Guan on the altar.

"Besides that, do you have any other memories, or memories of Yellow Heaven, or how did you wake up?"

Hearing Huang Huai's question, Yellow Turban Warrior Deng Mao's eyes were filled with confusion. He shook his head at Huang Huai. "Replying to the High God, this subordinate's memories seem fragmented. Other than having a deep impression of the High God, knowing that the High God awakened me from chaos, I have no other impressions. Please forgive this subordinate."

At this point, Huang Huai could see that Deng Mao's memories were clearly in a fragmented state. Besides knowing his identity as a Yellow Turban Warrior and his name, he didn't have many other memories.

Huang Huai remained silent, pondering Deng Mao's reply. Deng Mao said that he had awakened him from chaos. What did that refer to? Was it because he had just offered incense to Deng Mao, or because he had continuously chanted its true name before its statue for a month back then?

The more he thought about it, the more confused he became. Huang Huai frowned in thought, while Deng Mao stood there blankly.

Suddenly, Huang Huai snapped back to attention and looked at Deng Mao. "Can you transform back into your statue form?"

Deng Mao immediately replied, "Replying to the High God, this subordinate only needs to consume a type of mysterious power to maintain the current state and can revert to statue form at any time."

The next moment, Deng Mao, who had manifested a divine body, retracted his divine light. He had now reverted to the clay statue of the Yellow Turban Warrior.

Huang Huai looked at the clay statue of the Yellow Turban Warrior. He had already made a guess earlier, and thinking about Deng Mao's words from the previous moment, Huang Huai seemed to confirm his suspicion. He thought to himself, "It must be the effect of Incense and Fire Prayer Power. Deng Mao's memories are fragmented, as if countless people are speaking to him in his mind. That must be the various jumbled information from countless common people burning incense and praying, attached to the Incense and Fire Prayer Power. And Deng Mao's ability to have some intelligence is also the result of the convergence of information contained within countless Incense and Fire Prayer Power."

Sizing up the Yellow Turban Warrior statue, Huang Huai suddenly had a thought. If this Yellow Turban Warrior statue received enough Incense and Fire Prayer Power, and digested and absorbed the information contained within it, wouldn't that mean that this Yellow Turban Warrior statue, Deng Mao, would completely transform from a clay statue into a true deity with his own memories and consciousness – Yellow Turban Warrior Deng Mao?

Since Yellow Turban Warrior Deng Mao could possess some intelligence after manifesting, what about Holy Lord Emperor Guan?