Chapter 28: Empowering the Ghost Soldiers — Bestowing the 'Ghost Soldier Armament Art'

Late at night.

Li Yue's gaze fell upon Liao Xiu'er, the Ghost Officer kneeling outside the Land God Shrine. He spoke in a calm, measured tone:

"What is it?"

Liao Xiu'er replied respectfully:

"Honored God, two individuals in the village have been identified as spies from the Wei family of Cangmu Town. Do you wish for them to be apprehended?"

She had been a reserve Ghost Soldier for two months now, and she never acted without authorization.

Moreover, when it came to soul-apprehension duties within the Ghost Officer's purview, she carried them out with diligence and care.

"Pay them no mind."

Li Yue said evenly.

Spies?

They posed no threat to him whatsoever.

At most, they would leave the Wei family of Cangmu Town half-believing, half-doubting.

After all —

For the mortals of this world, the existence of a truly real deity was simply too difficult to believe.

"Come to think of it —"

"I wonder where the nearest Blue Star god to me might be…"

Li Yue mused inwardly.

He had originally assumed there would be other Blue Star gods somewhere nearby.

And yet —

More than three months had passed, and not a single rumor of any other deity manifesting had reached his ears.

The implication was clear.

Even the closest Blue Star god to him was likely quite a considerable distance away.

His gaze returned to Liao Xiu'er, still kneeling outside the shrine.

After more than two months of observation, Liao Xiu'er had proven herself capable — and more importantly, she knew her place.

It was time for her to advance.

"Liao Xiu'er."

"Effective immediately, this god hereby consecrates you as a full Ghost Officer."

"Furthermore, I bestow upon you the Ghost Soldier Armament — the Soul-Binding Chain — and elevate you to 'Bing-Grade Ghost Soldier,' with authority to command all Ghost Officers."

He raised his hand lightly, and ten units of Divine Power surged from within him, condensing into a 'Ghost Soldier Empowerment Art' talisman that flew through the air and landed upon Liao Xiu'er.

In an instant —

The ghost energy radiating from Liao Xiu'er surged violently. Her form visibly solidified, and even a flush of color appeared on her face.

The ghost runner's garb she wore deepened in hue, and a faint aura of authority from the underworld began to emanate from it.

And then —

A soul-binding chain, black as ink and radiating a deep, terrifying presence, flew out and landed in Liao Xiu'er's hands.

Grasping the Soul-Binding Chain, her ghost energy merged with it —

In the blink of an eye she had Refined it completely, and a torrent of powerful ghost energy poured forth from the chain, causing her aura to surge once more!

In just a short while.

Liao Xiu'er, who had previously been only a reserve Ghost Soldier equivalent in strength to a mid first-grade Warrior, leaped straight past the Ding-Grade Ghost Officer rank and became a Bing-Grade Ghost Soldier with the power of an upper second-grade Warrior!

"I give my deepest thanks for the Honored God's blessing!"

Liao Xiu'er said, her voice trembling with excitement.

Feeling the tremendous power surging through her, her entire form shook with a faint tremor.

This was a strength she had never dared to imagine in her former life!

At this moment —

The other four reserve Ghost Soldiers within the Netherworld Law Domain rose up from the ground and knelt, gazing at Liao Xiu'er with undisguised envy.

"Li Youtang."

"Effective immediately, this god hereby consecrates you as a full Ghost Officer, at the rank of 'Ding-Grade.'"

"You shall assist Liao Xiu'er in commanding the Ghost Officers."

Li Yue's gaze shifted to Li Youtang, his tone unhurried.

This was the eldest man in Li Family Village, and one of the original five Yi-Grade Believers.

He had tripped and fallen just over half a month ago, and passed away from it.

His spirit had been brought back by Liao Xiu'er and consecrated by Li Yue as a reserve Ghost Soldier.

Whoosh —

Another ten units of Divine Power flew out, condensing into a 'Ghost Soldier Empowerment Art' talisman before his Divine Domain and flying forth to merge into Li Youtang's form.

Ghost energy surged through Li Youtang, and he advanced directly from mid first-grade to lower second-grade, becoming a 'Ding-Grade Ghost Officer'!

"I give my deepest thanks for the Honored God's blessing!"

Li Youtang said with profound reverence.

Beside him, Liao Chengping looked a little crestfallen — but thinking of how his sister had become a Bing-Grade Ghost Soldier, he was genuinely happy for her.

As for the other two reserve Ghost Soldiers, they showed no sign of disappointment whatsoever.

They had been Yi-Grade Believers in life, and now in death they had been consecrated as Ghost Officers by Lord Zhangyue — what more could they ask for?

To receive the Honored God's blessing was their honor.

If the Honored God had not bestowed it, that simply meant they had not yet done enough to deserve it.

* * *

"What did you say?"

"Four Seas Village is truly under the protection of a real deity?"

Inside the main hall of the Wei family estate in Cangmu Town.

The Wei family patriarch stared at the middle-aged man before him, his expression one of utter bewilderment.

He half-suspected the man had been frightened out of his wits by the demons of the Land of Demons.

How could he say something so absurd?

What deity could possibly exist in this world?

There were only demons and evil spirits!

And even if there were a deity, it would certainly be a demon in disguise — merely seeking a more convenient way to devour people.

Wasn't there a River God Lord right in the Shunling River outside Cangmu Town?

And didn't that River God Lord demand that a spirit medium select three people every month to be cast into the river as his meal?

"How does this deity usually eat people?"

He asked.

"Eat people?"

The middle-aged man's face showed a flash of astonishment, and he shook his head hastily:

"Patriarch! That is a true deity — it does not eat people!"

"Ah Wei, there are no such things as real deities in this world."

"They are all demons in disguise, and they all eat people."

The Wei family patriarch shook his head.

Hearing those words.

Wei Wei's face immediately showed a flicker of hesitation.

A demon in disguise?

He began to waver.

After all —

He had only spent a little over half a month in Four Seas Village. Perhaps Lord Zhangyue of Four Seas Village simply hadn't reached feeding time yet?

But then, why would a demon bestow a Spirit Field?

And cause so many villagers of Four Seas Village to become Warriors?

Or perhaps —

It wasn't a real Spirit Field at all, but merely an illusion conjured by a demon?

And making them Warriors was only to fatten them up for a better meal?

With that thought, he swallowed the words that had been on the tip of his tongue and said nothing about the Spirit Field.

"Since you're back, don't go returning there."

"Seven demons from the Land of Demons were killed by that Four Seas Village. I've heard that even the great demon residing in the Land of Demons has been stirred."

"It's possible that great demon is about to come down the mountain, swallow whatever demon is masquerading as a deity in Four Seas Village, and then sweep the entire village away as blood fodder."

"The great demon of the Land of Demons — within the territory of our Cangmu Town, it ranks among the most fearsome. Truly terrifying."

The Wei family patriarch said with a tone of reverent dread.

"That great demon?"

Wei Wei's complexion changed, the color draining from his face, fear flooding his eyes.

That was the great demon who had single-handedly forged the Land of Demons!

Rumor had it that it was a Mountain Lord — no weaker than the River God Lord who ruled over Cangmu Town — and the two had been enemies for decades.

"I'll go call my brother back."

Wei Wei said immediately.

He himself had returned to town to report, but his younger brother was still in Four Seas Village.

His heart was now gripped with anxiety.

What if the great demon from the Land of Demons had already gone to Four Seas Village? His brother could be swallowed whole in an instant!

Whether the deity of Four Seas Village was a demon in disguise or not, it was confined to a single village — how powerful could it really be?

But the great demon of the Land of Demons had a fearsome reputation, its terror boundless!

The Wei family patriarch gave a nod and sighed:

"Go quickly and return quickly."

His expression was one of deep exhaustion.

After all, as the patriarch of the Wei family — the most powerful clan in Cangmu Town — the weight on his shoulders was immense.

Every year, the River God Lord demanded two Warriors to eat.

The spirit medium had set the rules.

One of those Warriors had to come from the Wei family.

If the Wei family could not provide one, they would have to endure the River God Lord's wrath.

He dared not endure the River God Lord's wrath.

And so —

He could only drive his clansmen to bear children, work tirelessly to cultivate Warriors, and send them to be devoured by the River God Lord!

This was the fate of his Wei family.

His Wei family could only cling to survival in this manner.

"But at the very least —"

"The River God Lord only eats one person from my Wei family each year…"

"Our Wei family… can still carry on its lineage…"

The Wei family patriarch murmured to himself.

In this world.

To simply survive — to keep one's family line going — was already the most desperate and cherished wish of countless people…