Chapter 3: Personal Mission — Choosing a Temple Priest

Boom!

Thunder crashed, as if the heavens themselves were proclaiming something.

The villagers of Li Family Village were all startled. They hurriedly looked up at the sky, only to find there was no sign of rain — merely a dry thunderclap.

"Could it be that Lord Zhangyue truly accepted the offering?"

Li Youming muttered, his back hunched over.

He was the most respected elder in the village.

He was also one of only two Warriors of the Body Tempering Realm in the village.

Though age had dulled his edge, he was no longer as formidable as he once was.

But if he were truly roused to anger, killing two or three grown men would still be no great difficulty.

After all —

In his youth, he had mastered the Stone-Splitting Palm, completing two Blood Transformations, and his palm strikes carried tremendous force.

Even just a few years ago, a single strike from him could shatter a boulder the size of a man's head.

The village's most precious possessions had always been kept under his watch — in particular, the Body-Strengthening Herb, which he had safeguarded for seven years without incident.

Twice a year, at each Grand Sacrifice.

This Body-Strengthening Herb had been placed on Lord Zhangyue's offering table every single time — so why had it vanished this once?

"It must be that Lord Zhangyue accepted the offering."

A trembling old man nearby spoke up, his gaze fixed on the Earth God statue with extraordinary reverence.

"I think so too."

"Our village's Earth God is remarkably efficacious. A few years back, Pihou's wife couldn't conceive no matter what. Pihou came here to pray to Lord Zhangyue for a child, and within less than a year, his wife gave birth to a healthy, chubby baby boy."

Another elder chimed in.

After the villagers had searched the surroundings once more and still found nothing.

Village Chief Li Deyang said helplessly:

"Uncle Youming, it must have been Lord Zhangyue who accepted the offering."

Though he was the village chief, and the only other Body Tempering Realm Warrior in the village besides Li Youming, he did not particularly believe in the Earth God.

After all —

If gods truly existed, would demons and evil spirits still run rampant throughout the land?

He only participated enthusiastically in the Grand Sacrifice each year because he felt it put the villagers at ease, which made his job as village chief easier to manage.

In his heart, he even harbored a faint suspicion.

Had Uncle Youming perhaps hidden the Body-Strengthening Herb himself just now?

But without evidence, he — as village chief — would never say such a thing aloud. That would only harm unity.

"Lord Zhangyue has manifested!"

"Lord Zhangyue has accepted the offering — please, protect the young men of our village from demons and evil spirits!"

Li Youming knelt down once more, kowtowing devoutly before the Earth God statue.

Many of the elders followed suit, bowing again in reverence.

Village Chief Li Deyang watched Uncle Youming's devout display, and for a moment found himself wondering —

Could it truly be that Lord Zhangyue had manifested and accepted the offering?

No —

Impossible.

What gods could there possibly be in this world?

Only the martial path was the sole means of securing one's life!

[Personal Status]

[Name]: Li Yue

[Divine Name]: Lord Zhangyue

[Divine Rank]: Li Family Village · Ordained Earth God

[Divine Grade]: Ninth Grade (Lower) — "Spend 1,000 units of Divine Power to advance to Ninth Grade (Upper)"

[Divine Power]: 262 units

[Incense Faith]: 2,005 units

[Divine Arts]: Dream Visitation Art "1 Divine Power", Golden Blade Art "1 Divine Power", Ghost Soldier Consecration "1 Divine Power", Temple Priest Consecration "10 Divine Power", Illness Dispelling Art "5 Divine Power", Flight Art "10 Divine Power", Ghost Soldier Armament Art "10 Divine Power", Earth Passage Art "10 Divine Power", Ghost Soldier Empowerment Art "10 Divine Power", Cloud Mist Art "10 Divine Power", Heavenly Thunder Art "10 Divine Power"

"I feel so much stronger now…"

"Using the same 1 unit of Divine Power to cast the Golden Blade Art, I can sense it —"

"It would be far more powerful than when I was in my Feral God state…"

Li Yue gazed at the [Personal Status] panel hovering before him, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

And that wasn't all.

He looked down at his own form — no longer translucent as it had been before.

He wore the Earth God Vestment, the Earth God Crown upon his head, the Earth God Seal cradled in his left hand, and the Earth God Registry held in his right.

His appearance was incomparably more dignified than before.

"Does this mean I've finally gotten an official post?"

"As expected —"

"No matter what world you're in, the end of the universe is always the same."

The smile on his face widened by three degrees.

He gave a gentle wave of his hand.

Instantly, 2,000 units of Incense Faith rose from the corner of his Divine Domain and surged into the Earth God Seal.

Then —

Two units of Divine Power, purified of all impurities by the Earth God Seal and gleaming pure white, flew out and merged into Li Yue's body.

His Divine Power instantly rose to 264 units.

"Having an official post really does make a difference."

"This Earth God Seal is truly useful."

"Without it, refining 2,000 units of Incense Faith into 2 units of Divine Power would take a full four hours."

"With the Earth God Seal, it's done in an instant."

He nodded in satisfaction.

Then —

He opened the [Personal Mission] interface.

He was quite curious what kind of missions the "mastermind behind the scenes" — the one who had caused so many people to transmigrate and become gods — would issue.

[Personal Mission I]

[Mission Description]: As a god, even if your Divine Power is meager, you still need a Temple Priest to spread your faith.

[Mission Objective]: Have a Believer voluntarily come forward to become your Temple Priest.

[Mission Reward]: Two first-grade Divine Blessing Talismans, 2 units of Divine Power.

"Have a Believer voluntarily come forward to become a Temple Priest?"

Li Yue raised an eyebrow slightly.

The moment he saw this mission, he immediately thought of the Divine Art he possessed — the Dream Visitation Art.

It was obvious —

This mission required the Dream Visitation Art to complete.

After all, even though he was now an Ordained Earth God, gods do not appear before their Believers in person — that much he understood.

Once a god appeared directly before a Believer, the mystery and majesty would be lost. How then would anyone continue to revere you?

As a god —

One should remain lofty, mysterious, and awe-inspiring!

Only then would mortals offer their devotion more fervently!

"And then there's the reward…"

Li Yue's eyes lit up slightly.

The 2 units of Divine Power he didn't think much of.

After all, he was now an Ordained Earth God with 264 units of Divine Power to his name.

But —

The first-grade Divine Blessing Talismans were something he truly needed.

These Divine Blessing Talismans were not meant for him as a god — they were meant for his Believers.

A Divine Blessing Talisman could elevate an ordinary person directly to a first-grade Body Tempering Realm Warrior.

The importance of Believers went without saying.

And in this world, where demons and evil spirits ran rampant and dangers lurked everywhere, strengthening a Believer's power would naturally allow them to better resist such threats.

Not to mention —

Only when Believers grew stronger could they obtain higher-grade offerings!

"A Temple Priest…"

"Which Believer should I choose…"

Li Yue's gaze fell upon the Earth God Registry in his hand.

The Registry recorded the information of every villager in Li Family Village, in meticulous detail.

Every wrongdoing and every good deed — all of it was there.

And it even carried a trace of the Book of Life and Death's power!

With a single stroke of his brush, he could cross out the name of any villager recorded within.

Once crossed out —

That villager would die immediately.

And doing so would bring no punishment upon him as the Earth God, nor would it consume any Divine Power.

This was his authority as the Ordained Earth God!

"I'll choose from among the five Yi-Grade Believers…"

Li Yue's expression remained calm as he reviewed the life histories of the five candidates.