"Afterward, we'll keep looking and see if we can invite another sacrificial spirit to protect us!"
"That's all we can do!"
An old man spoke helplessly, hoping only that Stone Village could weather the days safely until the next sacrificial spirit arrived.
"Right, a senior intervened this time and saved Shi Wu and the others. Otherwise, the consequences would truly have been unimaginable. Come, come! We must thank him in person."
Led by the old village chief, Shi Yongge, the elders approached Lin Yue.
"Senior, thank you for saving Shi Wu this time. The Shi Clan has nothing with which to repay you and can only offer a cup of fruit wine in respect. We are truly ashamed."
"Sincerity moves people more than any gift. I have felt your sincerity, so there is no need to take this matter to heart. I came here to save a friend, however, and need to borrow your land and a few things."
"If anything belonging to the Shi Clan catches your eye, Senior, it would be our honor. Please do not stand on ceremony."
Clearly, the old village chief, Shi Yongge, knew how to deal with a deity.
"This will be a good thing for you! Didn't your sacrificial spirit run away? This friend of mine can become your new sacrificial spirit."
Lin Yue rose and walked to a spot near the stone platform at the village entrance. Within his internal divine universes, the Willow Deity's shattered body had already emerged.
Lin Yue raised his hand. The Willow Deity's lifeless remains transformed into a ruined, heaven-reaching tree stump and took root at the entrance to the Shi Clan's village. This was the only remnant left after the Willow Deity's manifested body had exploded, gathered up by Lin Yue. The Willow Deity's final spark