An hour later.
Li Yue frowned.
No news?
Could he have died?
Messages kept refreshing in Regional Chat.
[What happened to that guy? He hasn't said anything else. I'm still waiting.]
[I'm waiting too. I'm about the same as that guy. If he can pull it off, I'll have the Temple Keeper lure the mission target over right away!]
[Did he die?]
[No way. Is this third mission really that hard?]
[Looks like that guy really did die. We'll probably have to wait until we're promoted to Subordinate Ninth Rank before we can complete this mission.]
[All right, break it up. Our brother's dead. Burn some paper for him.]
[This world doesn't even have an Underworld. Where are you going to burn paper?]
[Come on, we're Deities ourselves. We can even become Lord City Gods someday. What the hell would we burn paper for?]
[Bro, we're just Wild Gods right now. We've still got a long way to go before we become City Gods.]
A little while later.
Li Yue was about to close the Regional Chat window and head out of his Divine Domain to stroll around Four Seas Village.
By now, Four Seas Village had nearly doubled in size.
And the area of his Jurisdiction had changed along with it.
In other words—
The Divine Path Rules acknowledged the other villages' incorporation into Four Seas Village.
That meant he could keep expanding his Jurisdiction by doing this!
He even wondered—
If he had people set up villages all over the place, then incorporated them into Four Seas Village—
Could he expand his Jurisdiction indefinitely?
But that was just wishful thinking.
He felt that the rigorous Divine Path Rules would never let him exploit such a loophole.
[Brothers and sisters, I'm back. I didn't die, but I didn't complete the third mission either.]
This message suddenly flashed across Regional Chat.
Everyone in Regional Chat had a profile picture, and it showed their actual face. No one could impersonate someone else.
So Li Yue recognized at a glance that this was indeed the guy who'd risked his life to test the demon!
He immediately perked up and read the man's message.
[I can tell you with absolute certainty: the demonic creature targeted by the third mission is at the peak of the second tier, about as strong as we are!]
[I fought that Wild Boar Demon until heaven and earth went dark. I unleashed ten Golden Blade Arts in total, hacking it until its flesh was torn and blood flowed freely.]
[But that Wild Boar Demon had thick skin and tough flesh. Though I grievously wounded it, it still escaped my Jurisdiction, so I failed the mission. What a pity!]
[So you're saying you just wasted ten divine power charges? Stunned.jpg]
[You're impossible to reason with!! Angry.jpg]
[...That guy was testing the demonic creature's strength for all of us. How can you rub salt in his wounds? Dog head.jpg]
Peak of the second tier...
Li Yue's gaze flickered.
It seemed this mission was quite difficult for the Wild Gods of Blue Star.
After all, the strength of an unranked Wild God was also at the peak of the second tier, matching the mission target.
But—
Even an unranked Wild God was still a Deity!
A Deity's power came from the force of the Divine Path Laws between heaven and earth, which greatly countered demonic creatures and Evil Specters.
With careful preparation, even an unranked Wild God had a chance of killing a second-tier peak demonic creature.
"Just a second-tier peak demonic creature..."
"Li Youming can kill it without me lifting a finger."
Li Yue's expression was calm.
Li Youming's strength was comparable to a mid-second-tier fighter, which naturally wasn't enough to kill a second-tier peak demonic creature.
But as his Temple Keeper, Li Youming could use the Deity Invocation Art!
When a Temple Keeper used the Deity Invocation Art—
He could choose whether or not to answer.
If he answered, he could borrow the other person's body to cast a Divine Technique.
However, a Divine Technique cast through a Temple Keeper's body—
Would have only a third of the power of one he cast himself.
Yet it would consume just as much divine power.
But this could be used outside his Jurisdiction!
Why could Temple Keepers act as Deities' emissaries in the Mortal Realm?
It was because of the Deity Invocation Art!
"A Divine Technique with a third of its power is still enough to instantly kill any second-tier demonic creature."
He spoke indifferently.
Then he looked beyond the Divine Domain.
Inside the Land God Temple.
The Temple Keeper, Li Youming, was indoctrinating the former residents of Chen Family Village, who had come to worship Lord Zhangyue...
No, he was teaching them the virtue of treating others kindly.
"In three years, the deadline will come again, and the Wolf Demons from Thousand Wolf Mountain will descend to eat people!"
"But now you're villagers of Four Seas Village!"
"Our Four Seas Village is protected by Lord Zhangyue!"
"As long as you devoutly worship Lord Zhangyue and burn two sticks of incense each morning and evening without fail, you won't have to worry about being seized and eaten by the Wolf Demons anymore!"
"Lord Zhangyue's Divine Might blankets Four Seas Village. This is a forbidden land for demonic creatures!"
Li Youming spoke with stirring passion, and his words set the villagers' blood surging.
Protected by Lord Zhangyue!
They no longer had to worry about being dragged away and eaten by Wolf Demons!
Four Seas Village was a forbidden land for demonic creatures!
In this terrifying age, anyone would be thrilled to hear such words.
After all—
With the world in such a state, it was incredibly difficult to find a place free from the ravages of demonic creatures and Evil Specters.
They had even heard stories—
That in some places, entire villages, towns, and even counties had been swallowed whole by demonic creatures!
At once, the crowd became as excited as if they'd been injected with chicken blood. They knelt devoutly before the Land God Temple, offered incense to Lord Zhangyue, and prayed.
Li Youming sat down with satisfaction.
Beside him, his eldest son, Li Desheng, immediately brought him a cup of tea.
"Desheng, I know you want Lord Zhangyue's blessing too, so you can become a Martial Artist in one leap."
"After all, your younger brother is already a Martial Artist. You don't want to lose to him."
"But you have to understand: only Believers who worship Lord Zhangyue with the utmost sincerity can receive his blessing."
"Your heart isn't sincere enough."
Li Youming took a sip of tea and spoke with frustration.
"Father, I've been very sincere."
"Why don't you ask Lord Zhangyue for me?"
Li Desheng said with a bitter expression.
He really had been sincere, burning two sticks of incense every morning and evening without fail.
"Sincerity isn't measured by what you do, but by what's in your heart."
"Only you know whether you truly and wholeheartedly worship Lord Zhangyue."
"As for me asking Lord Zhangyue to grant you his blessing?"
"Don't even think about it."
Li Youming set down his teacup and spoke calmly.
From the moment he became the Temple Keeper, he'd understood one thing.
To be a qualified Temple Keeper, he must never cause Lord Zhangyue any trouble.
Unless something truly momentous happened, he absolutely mustn't contact Lord Zhangyue of his own accord.
Lord Zhangyue was a Deity, after all.
His time was surely precious. How could Li Youming waste it?
Just then—
He felt a wave of drowsiness.
His spirits immediately lifted. He understood that Lord Zhangyue must have another Divine Oracle to deliver.
"Go outside for now."
He waved his eldest son away.
Then he closed the door, propped his head up with one hand, and fell into a deep sleep.
More than ten days had passed, and the simple shed had become a little more presentable. At least it now had a room.
Four Martial Artists were always patrolling around the Land God Temple, so there was no danger even while he slept.
Besides—
This was right in front of the Land God Temple.
Right under Lord Zhangyue's nose.
Who could possibly harm him here?
The instant he fell asleep—
He saw Lord Zhangyue, towering so high he blotted out the sky, gazing down at him with indifference.
Without the slightest hesitation, he knelt devoutly and cried out:
"Li Youming pays his respects to Lord Zhangyue!"
Before you continue