Chapter 10: Annexing the Neighboring Village and Completing the Personal Mission
In the blink of an eye, ten days had passed.
Every household in Li Family Village — every man, woman, and child — made a point of visiting the Land God Shrine morning and evening to offer a stick of incense.
Even the youngest children were brought along by their parents to pay their respects to the Earth God.
Everyone was remarkably enthusiastic.
After all, ten days ago, Lord Zhangyue had manifested in person — consecrating Li Youming as Temple Priest and bestowing his grace upon the Village Chief and others.
And in the ten days since,
Lord Zhangyue had bestowed his grace upon two more people!
After careful observation, the villagers had come to a conclusion.
Those two individuals had been exceptionally devout toward Lord Zhangyue, and in their daily lives, they had always been kind and good-natured toward others.
This gave everyone a clear understanding.
To receive Lord Zhangyue's blessing, being kind to others and showing exceptional devotion — these were the necessary conditions!
Though Li Youming had told them as much before,
was hearing it from someone else really the same as realizing it yourself?
With this realization,
the entire atmosphere of Li Family Village underwent a sudden transformation.
Villagers began treating one another with warmth and kindness, greeting everyone they met with a smile.
And without any prompting from Temple Priest Li Youming, everyone eagerly came to offer incense morning and evening without fail.
Who wouldn't want to receive Lord Zhangyue's blessing and become a powerful Warrior overnight?
At this moment —
In Chen Family Village, separated from Li Family Village by only a river, Li Youming sat with an air of commanding authority.
Beside him sat Village Chief Li Deyang.
Behind the two of them stood eight Warriors of the mid first-grade Body Tempering Realm — Li Xiuwu, Li Deming, and the others.
Two more mid first-grade Warriors had been assigned by Li Youming to guard the Land God Shrine.
Li Youming would absolutely not allow anyone to cause trouble at the shrine.
"Are you really Li Youming?"
Chen Family Village's chief, Chen Mazi, stared at Li Youming in disbelief.
He and Li Youming were from the same generation — they had even gotten into fights as children.
Just two months ago, he had seen Li Youming in person.
Back then, Li Youming had been hunched over, his face deeply wrinkled, his hair more than half white.
But now?
He looked vigorous and full of life — his skin ruddy and glowing, his hair jet black and lustrous. It was as if he had reversed his age entirely!
Could everything that had been spreading from Li Family Village actually be true?
Had the Earth God of Li Family Village truly manifested?
Had Li Youming really been consecrated as Temple Priest by the Earth God, turning his white hair black overnight?
Impossible!
There were no such things as gods in this world!
He figured Li Youming had most likely consumed some rare natural treasure.
"Chen Mazi, I won't waste words with you."
"I've come here in person to tell you this: from this day forward, Chen Family Village is to be merged into Li Family Village!"
"The existing idol in Chen Family Village's Land God Shrine is to be removed. Henceforth, Lord Zhangyue shall be worshipped here."
Li Youming spoke in a calm, unhurried tone.
Having been Temple Priest for ten days now, he had gradually taken on an air of quiet authority.
"What did you just say?"
Chen Mazi was stunned, wondering if he had heard wrong.
Annexation?
Li Family Village wanted to annex Chen Family Village?
The surrounding Chen Family Village clansmen erupted in an uproar, instantly furious. Had it not been for some of the elders holding them back, they likely would have charged forward and started brawling on the spot.
"Don't understand?"
"Deyang, help him understand."
Li Youming said calmly, his expression not changing in the slightest.
Li Deyang rose to his feet.
His face was composed as he walked slowly toward Chen Mazi:
"Uncle Chen, by rights you are my elder, and I shouldn't be raising my hand against you."
"But the Temple Priest walks the mortal world as the representative of Lord Zhangyue. The Temple Priest's orders are Lord Zhangyue's orders."
"Forgive me."
His voice was steady and calm.
"Li Deyang?"
"You're going to fight me?"
Village Chief Chen Mazi laughed in furious disbelief. He snatched up a wooden staff from beside him and roared:
"You think just because I'm old, you can beat me?!"
"Come on — !"
"Let me teach you a lesson!"
The words had barely left his mouth before he swung the staff straight at Li Deyang!
As the chief of Chen Family Village, he too had undergone two Blood Transformations and was a mid first-grade Warrior.
Though he was getting on in years, his experience more than made up for it!
Thud!
Li Deyang's expression remained impassive. He casually raised one hand and caught the swinging staff in his grip.
No matter how hard Chen Mazi strained — his face flushing red with effort — the staff didn't budge an inch.
"Don't you bully my father!"
A furious shout rang out from the side. Chen Mazi's eldest son came charging in, swinging another wooden staff with full force!
Chen Family Village had two Body Tempering Realm Warriors.
One was Village Chief Chen Mazi.
The other was his eldest son, Chen Ergou.
Chen Ergou was a big, burly man with tremendous strength.
But Li Deyang simply extended his other hand and caught that staff too — equally motionless, equally unmoved!
"Let go."
Li Deyang gave a short laugh.
In an instant, Chen Mazi and Chen Ergou felt an overwhelming force surge through the staffs. Neither could maintain their grip any longer, and both stumbled backward.
The webbing between their thumbs and forefingers had split open, blood flowing freely.
"You… you…"
Chen Mazi stared at Li Deyang as if he had seen a ghost, his voice filled with disbelief:
"F-first grade… peak?!"
"You've actually become a peak first-grade Warrior!"
"How is that possible!"
"Not long ago you were the same as my son — a mid first-grade Warrior who had only completed two Blood Transformations!!"
His voice trembled as he spoke.
He looked at Li Youming, then back at Li Deyang.
Could the rumors actually be true?
Had the Earth God of Li Family Village truly manifested?
"Chen Mazi."
Li Youming stood up:
"Behind me stand eight more mid first-grade Warriors — all of them blessed by Lord Zhangyue's divine manifestation."
"Fellow villagers of Chen Family Village, you must have heard at least something about the divine manifestation at Li Family Village's Land God Shrine."
"Some of you have even gone to our Land God Shrine to pay respects to Lord Zhangyue."
"But you are residents of Chen Family Village. Lord Zhangyue is the Ordained Earth God of Li Family Village."
"Coming from another village to worship him — the results may not be so favorable."
"Why not simply merge into Li Family Village? From then on, you will all be under Lord Zhangyue's protection, with nothing to fear from demons and evil spirits!"
"You may even receive Lord Zhangyue's blessing yourselves and become Warriors in a single leap!"
"What these eight men were like before — many of you should know."
"But now —"
"Every one of them is a divinely-blessed Warrior!"
As his words fell,
Li Xiuwu, Li Deming, and the other six stepped forward as one. They drew the machetes at their waists and unleashed the full force of their blood and qi —
Instantly, a crimson aura suffused every blade!
Slash!
Eight machetes cut downward in unison, and the air itself was torn apart with a sharp, piercing shriek!
"All of them are mid first-grade Warriors!"
Chen Mazi and Chen Ergou cried out in shock.
The crowd of Chen Family Village residents who had gathered erupted into a commotion.
So many Warriors?
All of them blessed by the Earth God of Li Family Village?
More than a few pairs of eyes burned with fervent desire.
In this age where demons and evil spirits ran rampant, Warriors were the most persuasive argument of all!
Everyone wanted to become a Warrior!
Only by becoming a Warrior could one stand against demons!
And now —
A path lay open right before them!
Even Chen Mazi and Chen Ergou's expressions shifted from shock to burning eagerness.
They wanted to grow stronger too!
Just five days later,
Chen Family Village was officially merged into Li Family Village.
And Li Family Village was renamed "Four Seas Village!"
The name was chosen to embody the spirit of the sea — vast enough to embrace all rivers, great through its capacity to include.
Li Youming had come to understand that his most important role as Temple Priest was to develop more Believers for Lord Zhangyue.
The name "Li Family Village" was no longer fitting — it carried the implication of a single clan and a single surname.
So he made the decision without hesitation and changed the name on the spot.
* * *
Inside the Divine Domain,
Li Yue looked at the now-completed [Personal Mission II] and allowed a smile to cross his face.
Li Youming was truly impressive — bold and decisive.
He had actually gone ahead and annexed the neighboring village.
At this point, seven days had passed since the annexation of Chen Family Village, and it had only been twenty-two days since he had issued the Divine Decree.
Yet Li Youming had already fulfilled the mission.
"The Mountain-Leveling Divine Talisman…"
"I wonder what it does."
"Level mountains and fill seas?"
He gazed at the Mountain-Leveling Divine Talisman that had materialized before him after he claimed his reward.