"Pay respects to Lord Zhangyue!"
"Light the incense! Bow again!"
"Second bow!"
"Third bow!"
Li Youming's expression was solemn. Kneeling at the very front of everyone, he held up fragrant incense and shouted.
Behind him, four or five thousand Believers knelt in a vast, dark mass, yet they were perfectly orderly, kowtowing along with his cries.
Even though this was not Zhao Jiuyuan's first time witnessing it,
he still could not suppress the shock in his heart.
After the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty collapsed,
Demonic Creatures had blanketed the land, Evil Specters had run rampant, and the Human Race had been reduced to blood food. He had never seen Human Race commoners with spirits so high.
Is this what a Deity is?
He had already learned
that it had only been a little over five months since Lord Zhangyue revealed himself.
Yet he had already utterly transformed everything in Cangmu Town.
"When will Lord Zhangyue's divine might cover the county seat?"
He yearned for it in his heart.
Just then—
he saw a resplendent golden divine talisman fly out from the Land God Temple. It then hovered above the temple, blooming with blazing brilliance, as though another scorching sun had appeared between heaven and earth.
The radiance was dazzling, its divine might vast and mighty!
There was not even a trace of Demonic Creature aura. On the contrary, beneath that divine might, any Demonic Creature aura would be suppressed!
Upon seeing this,
the final trace of doubt in Zhao Jiuyuan's heart vanished completely. He now wholly believed that Lord Zhangyue was a Deity!
"This is—"
Li Youming looked up.
Seeing this scene,
he recalled the previous divine talisman that had transformed into a mu of Spirit Field.
All the Believers kneeling on the ground also looked up, their hearts surging with excitement and exhilaration.
Especially the villagers who had joined Four Seas Village over the past two months. It was their first time seeing such a dazzling divine miracle. Every one of them was stirred to the core, and the devoutness of their faith in Lord Zhangyue rose steadily.
A divine miracle with its visual spectacle maxed out—
was always the finest tool for catalyzing faith.
Boom—!
Thunder rumbled even across the vault of heaven.
That brilliantly golden divine talisman suddenly stretched—
then formed a colossal structure in midair, fifteen zhang long, ten zhang wide, and three zhang tall.
This structure had jade railings, floors paved with precious jade, and glazed tiles for its roof. It was filled with a terrifying divine might that inspired awe.
Boom—!
The colossal structure crashed down!
All the Believers widened their eyes, their gazes filled with shock.
They saw—
that this enormous structure, formed from a divine talisman, had directly replaced the original simple Land God Temple!
The original Land God Temple had been exceedingly crude, built back in the days of Li Family Village. Apart from a Land God statue, there had only been an offering table in front of it.
It could not even truly be called a temple.
But now—
this was a true divine temple!
It had a courtyard, gates, a plaque bearing the four words "Land Spirit Temple," and an enormous divine statue visible through the gates!
The divine statue stood within the main hall. It was far taller than the former Land God statue, towering like a giant as it overlooked everything.
"A Land Spirit Temple built by Lord Zhangyue with supreme divine power!"
Li Youming said fervently.
This was a true divine temple!
He had once considered building Lord Zhangyue a new Land God Temple from mortal materials, but how could that possibly be worthy of Lord Zhangyue?
Only this Land Spirit Temple before him, vast with divine might, was worthy of Lord Zhangyue!
"The might of a Deity is terrifying indeed!"
Zhao Jiuyuan sucked in a cold breath, his face full of shock.
Witnessing such a divine miracle with his own eyes, he felt excitement and exhilaration well up within him.
A Deity!
A true Deity who had stepped from legend into the Mortal Realm!
The other villagers were likewise beyond excited.
Such a divine miracle once again proved that the great Lord Zhangyue truly existed and had always been protecting their Four Seas Village!
With Lord Zhangyue's protection—
their children and descendants would never again be reduced to Demonic Creature blood food.
Quite a few people even began to weep.
Many who had originally only been "Grade D Believers" advanced to become "Grade C Believers" at this moment.
Some of the original "Grade C Believers" also advanced to become "Grade B Believers."
After a long, long while,
the villagers gradually calmed from their excitement and rose one by one to return home.
Just then—
"Father!"
An anxious shout came from afar.
Zhao Jiuyuan froze, then immediately turned around.
Under Chen Ergou's lead, he saw a middle-aged man striding over. His face was haggard, and he looked exceedingly anxious.
It was none other than his only son, Zhao Yinian.
"Yinian, what happened?"
Seeing the anxious expression on his son's face, Zhao Jiuyuan's heart skipped a beat as he immediately asked.
"Yongyuan has caused a huge disaster!"
"He killed the fourth son of the Third Great King of Drunken Demon Mountain!"
Zhao Yinian said anxiously.
"What?"
Zhao Jiuyuan's body swayed, and his eyes instantly reddened.
"Why was he so impulsive?!"
He had only one son, Zhao Yinian.
And Zhao Yinian also had only one son, Zhao Yongyuan.
Their branch now had only a single heir.
Zhao Yongyuan was his only grandson!
And Drunken Demon Mountain—
was one of the top ten Demonic Creature forces within Xuan County!
Drunken Demon Mountain had four great kings, every one of them a fourth-order great Demonic Creature!
His grandson had killed the offspring of a fourth-order great Demonic Creature. How could they possibly spare him?
"Father!"
"I arranged for Yongyuan to hide in the county seat, but he will be found soon!"
"Once Yongyuan is found, he will definitely be sent to Drunken Demon Mountain!"
Tears flowed from Zhao Yinian's eyes. He knelt on the ground and kowtowed to his father.
"Father, Yongyuan is your only grandson. You must save him!"
He was merely a second-order peak True Qi Realm martial master.
Naturally, he could not save his son.
But his father was a third-order mid-rank Origin Essence Realm Great Martial Master, and he served under the County Magistrate. He felt that his father's strength should be enough to save his son.
Zhao Jiuyuan closed his eyes. Then he rose and headed outside without another word.
No matter what,
he had to return.
He could not watch his only grandson walk to his death!
Moreover, he knew full well that his grandson hated evil as though it were an enemy. He must have personally witnessed the fourth son of the Third Great King of Drunken Demon Mountain harming Human Race commoners, which was why he could not restrain himself from acting.
Furthermore, his grandson was also exceptionally gifted. At such a young age, he already possessed second-order upper-rank cultivation.
In the future, he might very well travel farther along the Martial Path than Zhao Jiuyuan himself!
Zhao Yinian immediately followed behind. One after the other, the two rapidly disappeared into the distance.
Li Youming watched calmly, shook his head, and did not pay it much mind.
He was the Temple Keeper of Four Seas Village.
His duty was only to fulfill Lord Zhangyue's Divine Oracle and protect the villagers of Four Seas Village.
Within the "Divine Domain,"
Li Yue naturally saw this scene as well.
"Interesting."
"After watching the divine miracle I just displayed, this man actually leaped straight into becoming a Grade A Believer."
"It seems that it is indeed so—"
"The more knowledgeable one is, once one develops faith, the easier it is for that faith to become exceptionally devout."
"Perhaps—"
"this is related to the firmness of their original will."
"Once those with firm wills decide to believe and completely accept my existence, their steadfast will makes their faith incomparably devout."
His gaze was curious.
Li Deyang had been the same back then.
In a short period of time, his faith had directly surged to the level of a Grade A Believer.
"So be it."
"Since you have already become a Grade A Believer, I will give you something."
"As for whether you can survive, that will depend on yourself."
Li Yue extended a hand.
Thirty strands of divine power immediately flew out, transforming at his fingertips into a "Subordinate Ninth Rank Divine Art Talisman."
It contained a Subordinate Ninth Rank Divine Art, the "Cloud and Mist Method."
Divine Art Talismans—
were talismans formed purely through the condensation of divine power.
However, they required three times as much divine power.
Moreover, the power unleashed from them was only one-fifth of the power he could wield by casting that Divine Technique himself.
It was a basic ability he had only acquired after advancing to Principal Ninth Rank.
These Divine Art Talismans were far less cost-effective than having a Temple Keeper perform the Deity Invocation Art.
Thus, this was also his first time using one.
"One-fifth of the power—"
"is still enough to withstand attacks from fourth-order lower-rank and fourth-order mid-rank Demonic Creatures."
Li Yue's expression remained calm.
He flicked his finger lightly.
That Divine Art Talisman immediately flew out of the "Divine Domain," flashing down into Zhao Jiuyuan's hand as he hurried toward the outskirts of Four Seas Village.
Before you continue