Chapter 2: Ascending the Divine Rank — Ninth Grade (Lower) Ordained Earth God!
Li Yue stared blankly at the information before him.
He was genuinely stunned.
The information that had appeared in his mind earlier had stated clearly that offerings collected during the two annual Grand Sacrifices would receive a twenty-percent amplification.
In other words, a 1.2× multiplier!
But now——
What was this hundredfold amplification about?
He immediately opened the [Regional Chat] interface.
If he still had a physical body, he was certain his heart would be pounding wildly right now.
The moment he opened the [Regional Chat] interface——
A flood of messages began streaming past in rapid succession.
["Holy shit! My believer's offering was the corpse of a first-grade fire fox. The twenty-percent boost is actually pretty decent — the whole thing grew noticeably bigger!"]
["Ten years' worth of 'Bone-Strengthening Flowers' turned into twelve years' worth!"]
["Fresh off the press — top-grade 'Blood Qi Pills', amplified by twenty percent! Selling for just three Divine Power!"]
["Seriously… you all adapted this fast? I'm still completely lost."]
["Would any kind big brother lend a girl two Divine Power? Once I get a physical body, I'll give you something special~ "]
["Looking for a Couple! I'm a sweet girl from the south — looking for someone to keep each other warm!"]
["Oh my god! I just discovered there's a dog demon lurking outside my believers' village! It's terrifying——!"]
["Anyone need a first-grade broadsword? Two Divine Power each."]
["What the fuck! I'm completely numb — my believers' offering turned out to be a stolen man's wife?! My believers are a whole gang of bandits!"]
"So it seems everyone else really does only get a twenty-percent amplification…"
"And only my offering gets a hundredfold amplification?"
Li Yue's face broke into a wide grin.
The gap between a hundredfold amplification and a twenty-percent one was enormous.
A twenty-percent amplification——
Could only enhance the quality of a first-grade item by a modest amount.
But a hundredfold amplification?
It could elevate a first-grade item all the way to a fourth-grade item!
The advantage this gave him was simply immense!
In this mass transmigration, it seemed he was the one who had been blessed with a golden finger!
He opened the [Regional Marketplace] interface.
Not only did it allow gods within the same region to trade with one another, it also allowed any item of value to be sold to the [Divine Store].
Though of course, the [Divine Store]'s prices would never be generous.
Or rather——
The primary function of the [Divine Store] was simply to set a reference price for items.
"Based on what I just saw in the [Regional Chat]…"
"A first-grade item's listed price in the [Divine Store] is roughly one thousand units of Incense Faith — that is, about one unit of Divine Power."
"A first-grade item after a twenty-percent amplification goes for around fifteen hundred units of Incense Faith."
"Clearly worth more than the base twenty percent."
"So what about my offering after a hundredfold amplification?"
He turned his gaze to the Dragon Blood Blaze Herb that had been collected and amplified a hundredfold.
The entire Dragon Blood Blaze Herb floated within the Divine Domain, radiating a blazing crimson radiance. Faintly visible around it was a tiny dragon-shaped mist drifting and coiling in the air.
In terms of appearance alone——
It surpassed the first-grade Body-Strengthening Herb that had sat on the offering table by an immeasurable degree.
He reached out and grasped the Dragon Blood Blaze Herb, his mind stirring with intent.
Instantly——
The fourth-grade Dragon Blood Blaze Herb vanished and appeared listed on the [Divine Store].
A wealth of information surfaced alongside it.
[Name]: Dragon Blood Blaze Herb
[Grade]: Fourth Grade
[Effect]: When consumed by a human Primal Gang Realm peak third-grade Warrior, grants a fifty-percent chance to break through and become a fourth-grade Yin-Yang Realm Warrior.
[Price]: 360 units of Divine Power
"Three hundred and sixty units of Divine Power!"
Li Yue's face lit up with delight.
That was roughly equivalent to nearly eight years' worth of Incense Faith income from his current believers!
And it was more than enough to advance his Divine Rank from "Unranked" all the way to "Ninth Grade (Lower)"!
Once he made that promotion, he would no longer be a Feral God — he would be a proper, official Earth God!
Right from the very start, he was already leagues ahead of the other Blue Star Feral Gods!
While others were racking their brains over one or two units of Divine Power, he had effortlessly obtained three hundred and sixty.
"It honestly feels like playing a game with cheats enabled…"
"This feeling…"
"Is truly exhilarating!"
He murmured to himself, the smile at the corners of his mouth impossible to suppress even if one tried.
Without a moment's hesitation, he sold the fourth-grade Dragon Blood Blaze Herb directly to the [Divine Store].
As for the herb's effects? He didn't particularly care.
After all, among his current believers, only two were first-grade Body Tempering Realm Warriors — the rest were ordinary mortals. A fourth-grade treasure like the Dragon Blood Blaze Herb was completely beyond their use.
With the sale complete——
Li Yue immediately felt three hundred and sixty units of Divine Power surge into his being.
Those three hundred and sixty units of Divine Power gave him an overwhelming sense of his own might.
He even felt the sudden urge to test out the Golden Blade Art again.
"Stay calm, stay calm."
"Wasting Divine Power just to test a Divine Art — that kind of behavior is shameful."
He suppressed the restless impulse within him.
Then——
He channeled one hundred units of Divine Power and initiated his Divine Rank promotion!
* * *
Outside the Land God Shrine.
The villagers who had been kneeling in worship gradually rose to their feet one by one.
They had long grown accustomed to the two annual Grand Sacrifices.
It was a tradition.
Even though Lord Zhangyue had never once shown any divine manifestation, no one felt that worshipping him was a waste of time.
After all——
Paying respects to a god was, at its heart, about finding peace of mind.
That was the sentiment shared by many of the villagers present.
Among them, however, five elderly men held a particularly devout reverence for Lord Zhangyue, and it was they who presided over every Grand Sacrifice each year.
"Hmm?"
"Where did the Body-Strengthening Herb go?"
Li Youming, past fifty years of age and hunched at the back, was about to tidy up the offering table — especially making sure to carefully put away the most precious Body-Strengthening Herb.
But when his gaze fell upon the table, there was no trace of the Body-Strengthening Herb anywhere.
He was instantly dumbfounded.
Where was the herb?
Where had such a large plant gone?
The other elderly men nearby heard him and immediately looked over. Upon discovering the Body-Strengthening Herb was missing, they all grew visibly anxious.
After all——
This was a first-grade spiritual herb worth ninety silver taels — the most valuable item in the entire village!
They searched here and rummaged there, but the Body-Strengthening Herb was nowhere to be found.
"Just before the third bow, I still saw the Body-Strengthening Herb sitting on the offering table."
"How could it just vanish like that?"
Village Chief Li Deyang frowned.
The other villagers spread out as well, searching all around the Land God Shrine.
"Could it be that while we were kneeling before Lord Zhangyue, some bird swooped down and carried it off?"
One of the villagers suggested.
"Impossible."
"This is the Land God Shrine. No bird has ever dared to snatch food from the Earth God's offering table."
Li Deyang shook his head.
"Then…"
A little girl of seven or eight years old spoke up timidly:
"Could it be that Lord Zhangyue… accepted the offering himself…?"
The moment those words left her mouth, Village Chief Li Deyang froze.
The villagers froze too.
Lord Zhangyue accepted the offering himself?!
One by one, pairs of eyes snapped toward the earth god statue inside the Land God Shrine.
Boom——!
Suddenly, a crack of thunder exploded across the sky!