Chapter 5: Temple Priest Consecration — The God's Divine Manifestation Shocks the Villagers
Shortly after.
Li Youming arrived at the Land God Shrine with his two sons in tow.
The Land God Shrine stood on a small earthen mound at the northern edge of the village.
To the left of the shrine grew an ancient willow tree, its long branches cascading down in sweeping curtains.
"Desheng, Deming — get that shelter built, quickly."
Li Youming waved a broad hand and issued his orders.
With sons around, why would an old man like him need to lift a finger?
"Father, are you really going to become the Temple Priest of the Land God Shrine?"
Li Desheng asked, his face twisted in a grimace.
He was a powerfully built man, standing a full head taller than Li Youming, broad-shouldered and imposing.
Yet his martial aptitude was poor. At twenty-eight years old, he had practiced the Stone-Splitting Palm for over a decade and still had not managed a single Blood Transformation to enter the Body Tempering Realm and become a Warrior.
"Of course it's real."
"Lord Zhangyue came to me in a dream. From now on, your father is Lord Zhangyue's representative in the mortal world!"
Li Youming shot his eldest son a sideways glance, and even his hunched back straightened noticeably with pride.
Li Desheng and Li Deming exchanged a glance.
Each could see the helplessness in the other's eyes.
They didn't believe a word about Lord Zhangyue visiting their father in a dream.
Most likely, their old man had simply dreamed it himself.
Still, both brothers held their father in deep respect and dared not argue.
Whatever the old man said, they would do.
Without further complaint, the two brothers set to work building the shelter — gathering timber and piecing it together, a task that posed no difficulty for them.
At that moment.
Word had spread, and several of the village elders came hurrying over.
"Youming, did Lord Zhangyue truly visit you in a dream?"
Li Youtang hobbled over with his walking stick, eyes wide with excitement.
He was five or six years older than Li Youming — the eldest person in all of Li Family Village.
"Youming, is it true?"
"Lord Zhangyue really asked you to become the Temple Priest?"
"Deyang told us you're going to walk the mortal world on Lord Zhangyue's behalf?"
"Could it be that yesterday's Body-Strengthening Herb was truly consumed by Lord Zhangyue?"
"Youping, of course the Body-Strengthening Herb was consumed by Lord Zhangyue — you still don't believe it?"
Seven or eight elders stood before the Land God Shrine, all speaking at once, several of them visibly stirred with emotion.
Li Youming drew himself up proudly, straightening his hunched back as best he could, and addressed his old companions with a satisfied air:
"You all know what kind of man I, Li Youming, am."
"Last night, Lord Zhangyue truly came to me in a dream and asked me to walk the mortal world in His stead."
"From this day forward, stop calling me Youming — address me as Temple Priest!"
A short distance away.
Village Chief Li Deyang wore a peculiar expression.
He studied Li Youming's face carefully and found it difficult to believe the man was putting on an act.
Even so, Lord Zhangyue visiting someone in a dream was absolutely impossible.
Uncle Youming had probably just dreamed of Lord Zhangyue on his own.
His conclusion matched that of Li Desheng and his brother.
After all —
He simply did not believe gods existed.
The martial path was the only truth!
In fact, he even wondered —
Could Uncle Youming have secretly taken the Body-Strengthening Herb himself, and then staged this whole performance to make everyone believe Lord Zhangyue had consumed it?
All to cover his tracks.
He narrowed his eyes and glanced over at Li Desheng and Li Deming.
Neither brother had any martial talent to speak of.
It wasn't out of the question that Uncle Youming had stolen the herb to help one of them complete a Blood Transformation and become a Warrior.
"All right, old friends."
"Morning is nearly upon us. I must pay my respects to Lord Zhangyue and formally take up the role of Temple Priest."
"Everyone, please be silent."
After chatting with the elders for a moment, Li Youming glanced at the sky, his expression turning solemn as he spoke in a firm voice.
He carried the greatest prestige in the village, and when his face grew serious, the other elders fell silent at once.
One by one they stepped back, eyes unblinking, watching intently.
Further out, a crowd of villagers who had heard the news had gathered around, peering in with curiosity.
Lord Zhangyue appeared in a dream?
Uncle Youming / Great-Uncle Youming was going to become the Temple Priest?
What a rare and extraordinary thing!
Their village's Land God Shrine had never had a Temple Priest before.
"Believer of Li Family Village, Li Youming, pays reverence to Lord Zhangyue!"
"Li Youming is willing to become Lord Zhangyue's Temple Priest and walk the mortal world in His stead!"
Li Youming's expression was grave and solemn as he knelt before the Land God Shrine and performed three prostrations and nine kowtows, his voice ringing out clearly.
His voice was dignified and reverent, carrying a sincerity that every onlooker could feel.
Every villager of Li Family Village held their breath.
Before the Land God Shrine, the silence was so complete one could hear a pin drop.
Inside the Divine Domain.
Li Yue watched Li Youming kneeling before the Land God Shrine, his expression calm.
He extended his right hand.
In an instant —
Ten units of Divine Power converged, slowly forming a talisman that blazed with divine radiance.
The talisman bore complex and inscrutable runes, and emanated an aura of authority.
This was the Temple Priest Divine Talisman!
The talisman used specifically to consecrate a Temple Priest!
Once the talisman entered a person's body, they would possess a trace of divine majesty!
Whoosh —
The Earth God Seal flew over and stamped its mark upon the Temple Priest Divine Talisman, instantly transforming the originally white talisman into a deep, luminous purple.
"From this day forth, Li Youming is my Temple Priest."
"He shall walk the mortal world in my stead."
Li Yue spoke.
At the same time —
The Temple Priest Divine Talisman in his hand dissolved into a streak of purple radiance and flew out of the Divine Domain!
"From this day forth, Li Youming is my Temple Priest."
"He shall walk the mortal world in my stead."
A voice — majestic and impassive, as though descending from beyond the heavens and earth — suddenly rang out above the Land God Shrine.
That voice looked down from on high, gazing upon the land below.
Every villager who heard it seemed to glimpse, in a daze, a divine figure standing tall against the vault of the sky — features indistinct, yet with eyes filled with boundless, overwhelming authority.
A streak of purple light shot forth from the earth god idol and, in a flash, merged into Li Youming's body.
In an instant —
Li Youming's salt-and-pepper hair turned jet black.
His hunched back straightened completely upright.
The deep furrows of wrinkles on his face faded by more than half.
His previously clouded eyes became clear and bright.
A faint aura of Incense Faith flowed through him, as though he had grown twenty years younger in a single moment.
And his entire bearing, compared to moments before, was utterly transformed — like a different person entirely!
Every villager around him stood slack-jawed.
They had heard the god's voice — lofty, supreme, and filled with boundless authority.
They had witnessed the earth-shattering transformation that had come over Li Youming in an instant!
"Lord Zh-Zhangyue has manifested!"
"Lord Zhangyue truly did visit Youming in a dream!"
"I just heard Lord Zhangyue's voice — am I dreaming?"
"Youming… Youming has grown young again! Lord Zhangyue has manifested!"
One elder after another dropped to their knees, pressing their foreheads to the ground in devout reverence before the Land God Shrine, some weeping with tears streaming down their aged faces.
The rest of the villagers followed, kneeling one after another, their expressions overwhelmed with emotion.
What had they just witnessed?
They had witnessed the divine manifestation of Lord Zhangyue!
Their Li Family Village truly had a god watching over them!
In this moment —
Every villager present became far more devout than they had ever been.
Many quietly resolved in their hearts that from now on, they would offer incense to Lord Zhangyue morning and evening.
Perhaps Lord Zhangyue would then bestow even greater blessings upon their families!
"Gods… gods truly exist?!"
"Lord Zhangyue has manifested?"
Village Chief Li Deyang gave a violent start and hastily dropped to his knees as well.
His mind was reeling.
Could it be that gods truly existed in this world?
That their Li Family Village had a god watching over it?
The voice of Lord Zhangyue — lofty, supreme, and filled with boundless authority — he had heard it with perfect clarity just now.
Uncle Youming's transformation had happened right before his eyes.
Lord Zhangyue truly existed!