It was already late March.
Spring planting had ended, and Four Seas Village had opened up a great deal of new farmland, all of it planted with rice.
With so many Martial Artists around, the village had the best labor force imaginable.
They were as good at building houses as anyone.
And just as good at planting crops.
"Temple Keeper."
"Our village now has 1,992 residents, including 106 children under five."
"Among them are one mid-rank, second-tier Martial Master, eight peak first-tier Martial Artists, and sixty-eight mid-rank first-tier Martial Artists."
Li Deyang stood behind Li Youming and reported.
"Go find Deng Jiu'e. Also, pick ten women from among the mid-rank first-tier Martial Artists and bring them here."
Li Youming gave the order.
His eyes rested on the Spirit Field ahead, where spiritual energy swirled in the air. Even though it was already the second day, he was still excited.
After all—
This was a Spirit Field.
Even Cangmu Town didn't have one.
The county seat had only one and a half mu.
Now Four Seas Village had one, so they had to cultivate it carefully and not let anyone damage it.
Before long.
Deng Jiu'e came running over. She looked barely twenty-one or twenty-two, small and slender. She bowed and said:
"Temple Keeper, you called for me?"
She had big eyes. Her hair, dry and lifeless just yesterday, had become glossy and smooth after she became a peak first-tier Martial Artist. Her skin had filled out, too, and her cheeks had grown a little chubby.
Ten mid-rank first-tier female Martial Artists came running up behind her.
Some were middle-aged women, while others were young girls.
The ten of them bowed to Li Youming as well, their eyes full of respect.
After receiving Lord Zhangyue's blessing and becoming Martial Artists—
their standing in the village had changed.
Even the farm wives who had once waited on the men in their families had now become the pillars of their households, with the men taking care of them instead.
They had no choice but to serve them.
The difference in strength was just too great.
And the Temple Keeper and the village chief had their backs, too.
"Deng Jiu'e, starting today, you'll be in charge of this mu of Spirit Field."
"Planting, pest control, weeding, guarding... You'll handle all of it with these ten women."
"I have just one requirement."
"The Spirit Field must not suffer the slightest damage, and the harvest must be assured."
Li Youming turned to Deng Jiu'e and spoke in a grave voice.
"Huh?"
"Me?"
Deng Jiu'e looked at the Spirit Field in front of her, immediately flustered. She waved her hands and said:
"Temple Keeper, I can't do it."
"I don't know enough. I'm afraid I'll mess it up."
Before coming to Four Seas Village, she had been just an ordinary villager in the Land of Demons.
Back then, she had been terrified that the demons might eat her at any moment.
She had even dreaded how they would handle her when they ate her, and whether it would hurt.
How could someone like her handle something so important?
This Spirit Field was a divine treasure bestowed by Lord Zhangyue!
She was afraid she wouldn't do a good job and would waste the divine treasure Lord Zhangyue had bestowed. She was also afraid of disappointing the Temple Keeper.
"If I say you can do it, then you can."
"You've received divine blessings from Lord Zhangyue twice. Have some confidence."
Li Youming patted Deng Jiu'e on the shoulder and spoke with unquestionable certainty.
Then—
He turned his gaze to the ten female Martial Artists.
"You'll follow Deng Jiu'e's instructions in everything. If any of you try to obey her in name while defying her in practice, don't blame me."
"Our Four Seas Village has never driven a villager out before."
"Don't be the first."
His voice wasn't harsh, but the ten women's hearts trembled. They hurriedly replied:
"Rest assured, Temple Keeper. We'll follow Miss Deng's instructions!"
As if—
If the Temple Keeper drove them out of the village, how could they face their families?
Besides, being driven out of the village meant losing Lord Zhangyue's protection.
In a world crawling with Demonic Creatures and Evil Specters, how long could they survive?
"These are the White Jade Spirit Rice seeds. You must plant them with great care."
"These White Jade Spirit Rice seeds were also bestowed by Lord Zhangyue. They're extremely precious."
Li Youming carefully took out a bag of White Jade Spirit Rice seeds and placed it in Deng Jiu'e's hands, his expression solemn.
Deng Jiu'e accepted it in a daze.
Not only had she received Divine Grace, but the Temple Keeper trusted her this much?
He had entrusted her with two divine treasures...
Her expression grew resolute, and she nodded firmly.
"Rest assured, Temple Keeper. I won't let you down!"
Li Youming smiled and nodded.
Half a month later.
Late at night.
Li Youming was immersed in cultivation.
Suddenly, three earth-shaking beast roars rang out in the distance, shaking the mountains!
"Demonic Creatures?"
He woke at once, stepped out of his room, and looked toward the source of the sound.
Though it was the dead of night, under the faint starlight, he could still make out three enormous Demonic Creatures standing atop a mountain peak, roaring toward Four Seas Village!
"They're the three Demonic Creature Leaders from the Land of Demons!"
Li Youming's gaze turned cold.
There were many Demonic Creatures in the Land of Demons. Most weren't very powerful, only low-rank second-tier, with a few mid-rank and high-rank second-tier ones.
But among them were three Demonic Creature Leaders, all at the peak of the second tier, no weaker than the Wolf Demon of Thousand Wolf Mountain.
And above those three Demonic Creature Leaders was a Great Demon!
He knew.
The three Demonic Creature Leaders had come after him because he had slain seven demons in the Land of Demons and brought back a large number of people.
But he wasn't worried at all.
What kind of place was this?
This was Four Seas Village!
This was Lord Zhangyue's territory!
He still remembered the shocking scene at Thousand Wolf Mountain, when Lord Zhangyue's Divine Might manifested and he commanded the thunder and lightning of heaven and earth, killing the Wolf Demon of Thousand Wolf Mountain with a single strike.
What could these three Demonic Creature Leaders amount to in front of Lord Zhangyue?
They'd come to their deaths, that was all.
At that moment—
People began coming out of every household in Four Seas Village.
Many households had Martial Artists among them. Each had sharp eyes, and they looked toward the three Demonic Creatures on the distant mountain peak without a trace of fear.
How dare Demonic Creatures swagger into territory protected by an Orthodox God?
On the distant mountain peak.
A Bear Demon, over three zhang tall, glared with blood-red eyes. The black fur on its arms stood up like steel needles as it looked down at Four Seas Village, where more and more lights were beginning to flicker on. It roared:
"Who entered the Land of Demons and killed the Demonic Creatures under my command!"
"Get your ass out here and face your death!"
Beside it.
A dog demon stood upright on two legs. It stood even taller than the Bear Demon, nearly four zhang high. It licked its lips as it stared at Four Seas Village, drool dripping nonstop.
This was a village it could devour at will!
Today, it was going to eat a hundred people!
And it would pick the tender, delicate ones!
As for the third Demonic Creature, it was a snow-white Giant Horse. It held its head high in arrogance, as though it couldn't be bothered to speak.
"This land is protected by an Orthodox God. You wicked creatures dare to make trouble here?"
Li Youming stood before the Land God Temple and shouted at the three Demonic Creature Leaders.
His voice rolled through the night sky, reaching the three leaders despite the five or six li between them.
"Ha ha ha—!"
"What Orthodox God!"
"There are no gods under heaven!"
"Let's see what sort of thing this so-called Orthodox God of Four Seas Village really is, and what it's disguised as!"
"I'll eat your god today!"
The Bear Demon gave a cold laugh. Then its massive body leaped straight down from the mountain peak and charged toward Four Seas Village!
The dog demon and the white Giant Horse charged after it.
Moments later—
They had already rushed into the territory of Four Seas Village.
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