Joining and Steady Progress
Wangshu nodded. "It has indeed been a long time. Speaking of which, are you really sure? What about Haoyang..."
Primordial Lord Bi Shui said calmly, "There's nothing to think about. People just strive for better things. I understand the rules and won't cause you any trouble."
"Alright, then follow me." Wangshu didn't ask any more questions and turned to lead the way.
The group crossed the defense line and Luozhen Province.
Looking at the orderly cities, patrolling disciples, and fertile Spirit Field along the way, feeling the rich yet peaceful Spiritual Qi in the air, and the Tribulation Qi that was noticeably thinner than outside, the gods behind Primordial Lord Bi Shui were all somewhat moved.
This place is much better than the dilapidated Primordial Beginning Valley.
Not only is it more vibrant, but it also feels almost entirely free of any Tribulation Qi.
It seems... this place truly is the dwelling place of these gods.
Soon, the group arrived at Luozhen City and were led into the Luozhen Grand Hall.
Li Yunjing sat upright in the main seat, with the Five Aggregates Cauldron floating beside him, its five-colored spiritual light slowly flowing around him, carrying a pressure that suppressed the soul.
"I welcome all of you who are willing to come Luozhen Sect to fight against the calamity together," Li Yunjing said slowly.
"Wangshu should have told you all the rules: leave your soul imprint, abide by the sect rules, and receive the protection of fortune according to your contributions."
"We understand." Primordial Lord Bi Shui stepped forward first, separating a wisp of pure divine soul imprint and throwing it into the Five Aggregates Cauldron.
The divine soul imprint was swept away by Ding Guang and absorbed into it. There was nothing unusual about it; she had come to join him sincerely.
Hundred Herbs Old Immortal and others also stepped forward, leaving their divine soul imprints.
Eleven deities—one Higher God, four Middle God, and six Lower God —all joined the Luozhen Sect, and surprisingly, they all came with genuine sincerity.
After registering and compiling the list, Li Yunjing assigned tasks to each person according to their strengths.
Primordial Lord Bi Shui was proficient in formations and water-based Divine Ability, so she assisted Shui Yao in managing the water system projects and border formations of Luozhen Province.
The Immortal of Hundred Herbs Old Immortal was proficient in Dao of Alchemy and pharmacology, so he took the position of Supreme Elder of the Alchemy Hall, guiding his disciples in alchemy and improving the quality of elixirs.
The other deities were also assigned to different places, some entering the Artifact Hall, some entering the Array Hall, and some going to the border to assist in defense.
Once everything was arranged, everyone was taken to the Gods' Hall to take their seats.
The moment she stepped into the temple, she felt the Tribulation Qi weakened by 30% and the gentle, Divine Soul Nourishment, and Primordial Lord Bi Shui couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
The Hundred Herbs Old Immortal was so excited that his beard trembled. "What a wonderful place! What a wonderful place!"
With this place, how could we possibly survive the God-Slaying Tribulation?
The other deities were even more excited beyond words.
This defection was worth it!
With the arrival of the gods, the Gods' Hall grew ever more powerful.
The news of Primordial Lord Bi Shui's defection and her leading her followers to join Luozhen Sect spread like wildfire throughout the entire circle of deities.
"My God! Is the Heavenly Hao Alliance finished? Even the second-in-command has run away?"
"Haoyang must be furious. The person he trusts most has defected to his mortal enemy."
"It seems that Luozhen Sect is the real source of vitality! Otherwise, why would Primordial Lord Bi Shui give up her position as the second-in-command to become a guest elder in the Luozhen Sect?"
"Hurry up and pack your things, I'm going to Luozhen Province to try my luck!"
"..."
In no time, the Rogue Cultivator who had been observing set off for Luozhen Province.
The lineup of deities of the Luozhen Sect expanded rapidly.
In less than half a month, the total number of deities exceeded fifty.
Among them are four Higher God, fifteen Middle God, and more than thirty Lower God. Their overall strength has far surpassed that of the Heavenly Hao Alliance before its split.
The Gods' Hall became increasingly lively, with gods practicing and preaching at the God-Praying Altar every day, and the atmosphere of the Ten Thousand Gods Paying Homage to the Sect grew stronger.
On this day, Li Yunjing stood in the square in front of the Gods' Hall, gazing at the spiritual light flowing within the temple, with Wangshu and Primordial Lord Bi Shui standing beside him.
"Sect Leader, according to the latest statistics, the number of gods willing to join us is still increasing. At this rate, we might break 100 by the end of the year," said Primordial Lord Bi Shui.
"A hundred gods are too many; the Gods' Hall can't hold them all, nor can it afford to support them." Li Yunjing shook his head. "Let's set a threshold: Middle God and above will be given priority, Lower God must have a special skill. We don't want those who just coast along."
"Furthermore, the deities who have already joined the Luozhen Sect cannot be left to their own devices. An assessment will be set; if they fail multiple assessments, they will be removed from the Gods' Hall. If they excel in the assessments, they will be allowed to establish their own independent Gods' Hall."
"Understood." Primordial Lord Bi Shui nodded.
After finishing this, Li Yunjing looked in the direction of Primordial Beginning Valley.
Haoyang has been in seclusion for so long, it's time for him to come out.
I wonder what his expression will be when he comes out and sees the Heavenly Hao Alliance in disarray.
After the Gods' Hall had been in operation for over a month, its effects began to manifest in all aspects, the most obvious being the weakening of the Tribulation Qi.
Originally, Luozhen City could also sense a faint black Tribulation Qi, which, over time, would cause people to feel restless and uneasy.
However, since the Gods' Hall was upgraded to level ten, the combined effect of [Tribulation Qi Shielding] and [Evil Suppression and Territory Stabilization] has weakened the Tribulation Qi in the city by more than half.
The High Antiquity wounds left by the Old God Lingmu had troubled him for nearly ten thousand years. After living in the Gods' Hall for more than a month, he slowly recovered, and his cultivation even showed signs of breaking through to the Higher God.
Fairy Qingyuan was previously injured by the Tribulation Power, and her divine body was dim. Now, she is recuperating in the palace, and her recovery speed is far beyond expectations. In just half a month, she has returned to her peak, and her divination skills have even improved.
Once the gods were at peace, they began to give back to the sect.
The effect of [Inheritance Manifestation] is the most amazing.
The deities regularly give lectures and instructions to their Core Disciple. With the Dao Rhyme Empowerment of the Gods' Hall's spiritual energy, the disciples' comprehension speed is increased by more than 50%.
The number of disciples who broke through to higher realms during this period was more than 50% higher than the same period in previous years.
The Alchemy Hall has produced three alchemy prodigies. Under the guidance of the Hundred Herbs Old Immortal, their alchemy skills have improved by leaps and bounds, and they can now independently refine fourth-grade pills, which are of great benefit to Nascent Soul Cultivator.
Needless to say, the Artifact Hall, with the Craft God and several other deities skilled in crafting artifacts, has elevated the overall craftsmanship of the Artifact Hall to a whole new level.
The utilization rate of Fallen Star Iron increased by 30%, and the quality of the Law Artifact forged from it generally rose by one level.
The effect of [Divine Array Resonance] was also verified in a drill.
Mo Xuan presided over the mountain-protecting formation, while Primordial Lord Bi Shui activated the Gods' Hall for enhancement. After the two resonated, the power of the mountain-protecting formation directly increased by 20%.
During the test, even the combined full power of the five Middle God failed to break the formation.
"With this formation in place, even if Haoyang comes in person, he won't be able to break through for a while." Mo Xuan was beaming with excitement.
In addition to these, [Evil Suppression and Territory Stabilization] also stabilized the earth's veins in Luozhen Province.
Previously, there were occasional small earthquakes and animal tides along the border, but none have occurred in the past month.
The people lived in peace and contentment, and merchants and travelers came and went in an endless Luozhen Province increasingly prosperous.
On this day, Li Yunjing summoned the core elders and deities to discuss matters.
Inside the Luozhen Grand Hall, everyone was gathered.
"Things on all sides have progressed smoothly during this period." Mo Xuan stood in front of the map, his face beaming.
"Fallen Star Ore has increased by 40%, the Third Fleet's 36 escort ships are complete and undergoing drills, all three lines of defense along the border have been reinforced, and a monitoring station for Tribulation Qi is located every 100 miles, providing early warning of any unusual activity three hours in advance."
"The Alchemy Hall's reserves of medicinal pills are sufficient for 100,000 disciples for three years, with ample reserves of healing, enhancement, and soul-soothing pills."
"The Spirit Field yielded a bountiful harvest of spirit medicine, and the expansion of the medicine valley was completed, doubling the annual output."
"..."
Good news kept coming in, and the atmosphere in the hall was relaxed. Everyone had smiles on their faces and were talking in hushed tones.
Li Yunjing nodded slightly, and after Mo Xuan finished speaking, he slowly said, "Well done."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. "I have an announcement to make. I am about to undergo Fire Tribulation."