Soon.
Li Youming brought his two sons to the Land God Temple.
The Land God Temple stood on a small mound at the northern edge of the village.
To the temple's left stood an ancient Willow Tree, its branches hanging low in great curtains.
"Desheng, Deming, hurry up and put up the shelter."
Li Youming waved his hand and gave the order.
With his sons around, why should an old man like him have to do such things?
"Dad, are you really going to become the Land God Temple's Temple Keeper?"
Li Desheng asked with a pained expression.
He was a strapping man, a head taller than Li Youming, and looked broad-shouldered and strong.
But he had little talent for the Martial Path. He was twenty-eight this year and had practiced the Stone-Splitting Palm for over a decade, yet he still hadn't managed to undergo even a single Metamorphosis of his vital energy and blood or enter the Body Refining Realm to become a Martial Artist.
"Could it be any more real?"
"Lord Zhangyue appeared in a dream and told me that from now on, I'll be his representative in the Mortal Realm!"
Li Youming shot his eldest son a sidelong glance, his hunched back straightening considerably.
Li Desheng and Li Deming exchanged a look.
They both saw the helplessness in each other's eyes.
They didn't believe for a second that Lord Zhangyue had appeared in a dream.
Most likely, their father had simply dreamed something like that himself.
But the brothers held their father in great respect and didn't dare contradict him.
Whatever their father said, they'd just do it.
Without wasting any more words, the brothers got to work putting up the shelter. All that meant was gathering some wood and propping it up, so it wasn't difficult for them.
Just then.
Some of the village elders heard the news and hurried over.
"Youming, did Lord Zhangyue really appear in your dream?"
Leaning on his cane and trembling, Li Youtang asked, eyes wide.
He was five or six years older than Li Youming and the oldest person in all of Li Family Village.
"Youming, is it true or not?"
"Did Lord Zhangyue really tell you to become his Temple Keeper?"
"Deyang told us you're even going to represent Lord Zhangyue in the Mortal Realm?"
"Could the Body Strengthening Grass yesterday really have been enjoyed by Lord Zhangyue?"
"Youping, Lord Zhangyue must have enjoyed the Body Strengthening Grass. You still don't believe it?"
Seven or eight elders stood in front of the Land God Temple, all talking at once. Several of them looked quite excited.
Li Youming straightened his hunched back with effort and spoke proudly to his old friends:
"You all know what kind of man I, Li Youming, am."
"Lord Zhangyue really did appear in my dream last night and tell me to represent him in the Mortal Realm."
"From now on, stop calling me Youming. You'll address me as Temple Keeper!"
A little farther away.
The village chief, Li Deyang, wore a strange expression.
He studied Li Youming's face carefully and thought he didn't look like he was acting.
But Lord Zhangyue appearing in a dream was absolutely impossible.
Uncle Youming must have dreamed of Lord Zhangyue himself, that was all.
He shared the same view as the Li Desheng brothers.
After all—
He didn't believe Deities truly existed.
The Martial Path was the one and only truth!
He even wondered—
Could Uncle Youming have secretly taken the Body Strengthening Grass and staged this whole performance afterward?
Wasn't it all to make everyone believe even more firmly that Lord Zhangyue had enjoyed the Body Strengthening Grass?
He narrowed his eyes and glanced at the Li Desheng brothers.
Neither brother had much talent for the Martial Path.
It wasn't impossible that Uncle Youming had secretly taken the Body Strengthening Grass so one of them could undergo Metamorphosis of their vital energy and blood and advance to Martial Artist.
"All right, old friends."
"It's almost the hour of Chen. I'm going to bow before Lord Zhangyue and officially become his Temple Keeper."
"Quiet down."
After chatting with his old friends for a little while, Li Youming checked the sky and spoke in a solemn voice.
He held the greatest authority in the village. When the other elders saw his expression turn serious, none of them dared say another word.
They immediately stepped back and watched without blinking.
Farther out, many villagers who had heard the news had also gathered around, watching curiously.
Lord Zhangyue had appeared in a dream?
Uncle Youming was going to become the Temple Keeper?
That was quite a rare sight!
Their village's Land God Temple had never had a Temple Keeper before.
"Believer Li Youming of Li Family Village bows before Lord Zhangyue!"
"Li Youming is willing to become Lord Zhangyue's Temple Keeper and represent him in the Mortal Realm!"
Li Youming knelt before the Land God Temple, his expression solemn. He bowed three times and kowtowed nine times as he spoke loudly.
His voice was solemn and reverent, carrying a devotion that everyone could feel.
All the villagers of Li Family Village held their breath.
In front of the entire Land God Temple, not a pin could be heard dropping.
Within the Divine Domain.
Li Yue looked at Li Youming kneeling before the Land God Temple, his expression calm.
He raised his right hand.
At once—
Ten strands of divine power gathered, slowly taking shape as a radiant Divine Talisman.
The talisman bore intricate, mysterious runes and carried an air of authority.
This was the Temple Keeper Divine Talisman!
A talisman created specifically to appoint a Temple Keeper!
Once the Divine Talisman entered the body, its bearer would gain a trace of a Deity's might!
Whoosh—
The Land God Seal flew over and left its mark on the Temple Keeper Divine Talisman. In an instant, the talisman, which had been white, turned entirely purple.
"From this day onward, Li Youming shall be my Temple Keeper."
"He shall represent me in the Mortal Realm."
Li Yue spoke.
At the same time—
The Temple Keeper Divine Talisman in his hand transformed into a streak of purple light and shot out of the Divine Domain!
"From this day onward, Li Youming shall be my Temple Keeper."
"He shall represent me in the Mortal Realm."
A majestic, impassive voice, as if it came from beyond the heavens, suddenly rang out above the Land God Temple.
The voice was lofty, gazing down upon the earth.
Every villager who heard it seemed, in a daze, to see a Deity standing tall above the heavens. His face was indistinct, but his eyes brimmed with boundless authority.
A purple light flew out from the Land God statue and vanished into Li Youming's body.
In an instant—
Li Youming's graying hair turned black.
His hunched back straightened.
The deep furrows of wrinkles on his face faded away.
His eyes, once a little cloudy, cleared.
A faint scent of incense seemed to flow from him. In that single moment, he looked twenty years younger.
And his entire bearing was utterly different from before!
All the villagers around them stared in stunned silence.
They had heard the Deity's lofty voice, filled with boundless authority.
They had seen Li Youming undergo a complete transformation in an instant!
"L-Lord Zhangyue has revealed himself!"
"Lord Zhangyue really did appear in Youming's dream!"
"I just heard Lord Zhangyue's voice. Am I dreaming?"
"Y-Youming looks younger! Lord Zhangyue has revealed himself!"
One elder after another dropped to their knees and bowed reverently toward the Land God Temple; some even wept tears of age.
The other villagers also knelt one after another, their faces alight with excitement.
What had they witnessed?
They had witnessed Lord Zhangyue reveal himself!
Their Li Family Village really was under a Deity's protection!
In that moment—
The faith of every villager around them deepened considerably.
Many villagers secretly resolved to offer incense to Lord Zhangyue every morning and evening from then on.
Perhaps Lord Zhangyue would bless their families even more!
"D-Do Deities really exist?!"
"Lord Zhangyue has revealed himself?"
Village chief Li Deyang shuddered and hurriedly knelt on the ground, too.
His mind was in a daze.
Could Deities really exist in this world?
Was Li Family Village under a Deity's protection?
He had heard Lord Zhangyue's lofty voice, filled with boundless authority, loud and clear.
And Uncle Youming's transformation had happened right before his eyes.
Lord Zhangyue really existed!
Before you continue