In Qing Shui Village, the Grand Venerable Shen Lei watched the departing expedition with disbelief in his eyes.
“They’re really setting off?” he muttered.
Beside him, Zhu Zhuangshi gazed enviously at the proud and powerful large black dog marching off to war. Gathering his courage, Zhu looked at the Grand Venerable Shen Lei. In the past, he would have bowed and scraped before a True God, but after following the village's protector deity for so ti, he had lost much of his fear of authority—though he still held a deep respect for the deity.
“You get used to scenes like this after a while,” Zhu Zhuangshi said, speaking from experience as he tried to comfort Shen Lei. After all, those who had followed the protector deity for a while had beco immune to such grand displays.
Shen Lei gave Zhu a glance and said dismissively, “A man who was pinned down by a dog and couldn’t even get a seat at the table has no right to speak to .”
At that, Zhu Zhuangshi's previously confident deanor vanished, and he looked pitifully hurt. Recently, during a feast, Zhu had drunk too much and tried to reminisce about the good old days while hugging the large black dog, only for the dog to pin him down.
Wang Chongshan, who was standing nearby, teased him, saying, “My sworn brother isn’t who he used to be; how dare you ss around with him?” Wang Chongshan's sworn brother was none other than the large black dog. Zhu Zhuangshi looked even more aggrieved at that.
Outside Fei Wu City, officials lined up in two rows at the city gates. Their expressions varied—so were eager, others anxious, and so looked heartbroken.
“Commander Ji, why are you still here?” asked a tall man with a neat mustache, wearing a green robe and a gray belt. He looked spirited and robust.
Ji Buran glanced at Wang Chunfeng but remained silent.
Wang Chunfeng didn’t seem offended and replied with a polite bow, "We're colleagues now; we should look out for each other."
Fei Wu City had no ancient gods, only a city lord. Ji Buran was the Chief Commander in the city lord’s manor, overseeing a battalion. With the sudden changes in the city, most of the prominent figures had fled, leaving Ji Buran as the highest-ranking official who had stayed behind.
As for Wang Chunfeng, he was originally a rchant with no official position, but since the new god was about to take over Fei Wu City, he had pledged his allegiance early and thus beca the representative of the new god’s forces.
Now they were standing outside the city gates, waiting to welco the new god's arrival. Each of the officials had their own motives, standing there under a light drizzle, which was nothing to these cultivators.
Wang Chunfeng, smiling, said, “Commander Ji, do you think less of because I’m just a rchant?”
Ji Buran finally looked at him seriously and replied in a deep, powerful voice, “Not at all.”
“That’s good. I’ve always admired you, Commander Ji,” Wang Chunfeng replied amiably. “Once the lord arrives, we can work together to serve the god.”
When Wang Chunfeng ntioned the new god, his eyes were filled with reverence. The new god would assimilate so of the citizens, but not all. The new god had also promised that those who served loyally could leave the Fanxin World with the god and gain eternal life.
Wang Chunfeng’s roots were in Fei Wu City. Leaving the city would an losing everything he had accumulated over the years, so he chose to stay. Many like him sought to take advantage of the situation. However, most of the city's population consisted of elderly and frail citizens who couldn’t leave. Even those with cultivation levels at the Foundation or Core stages faced certain death if they ventured out of the city in these troubled tis.
Ji Buran had stayed behind out of concern for the people under his care.
"Yes," Ji Buran responded, nodding at Wang Chunfeng.
At this mont, Wang Chunfeng recalled sothing and said, "Commander Ji, with the new god arriving, we should do sothing to show our loyalty. We’re planning to hold a feast for young girls. Since you know the city best, we’d appreciate your help in gathering them."
A fierce light flashed in Ji Buran’s eyes, which he quickly concealed. "Fei Wu City is in a state of decline. Such a feast should be planned carefully."
"Are you unwilling to help, Commander Ji?" Wang Chunfeng asked with a sly smile.
"What do you an?" Ji Buran’s eyes filled with anger.
Wang Chunfeng clapped his hands, and two guards brought forth a child, about seven or eight years old, who was struggling to break free.
Wang Chunfeng smiled. “If you’re unwilling to hold a feast for girls, perhaps we can hold one for boys instead. I’ve already caught one.”
“You!” Ji Buran’s anger exploded as he recognized the child as his own son. He had stayed in Fei Wu City, ready to defend it to the last, sending his family away to safety. He never expected Wang Chunfeng to capture his son. Fury boiled within him, and his aura, that of a Purple Mansion cultivator, surged as he prepared to strike.
But Wang Chunfeng remained calm. “The lord will arrive soon. Are you planning to rebel?”
Wang Chunfeng was after power and intended to eliminate Ji Buran, becoming the new god’s top subordinate.
As Ji Buran’s aura spread, he struggled to hold back his fury. Just then, a sound of a suona—a traditional Chinese horn—floated in from the distance.
The officials turned to see a long procession moving slowly through the sky. Leading the way were more than a dozen middle-aged won in mourning clothes, crying as they flew, their wails filled with sorrow. The mournful suona music was heart-wrenching.
“Who are they, and why are they heading into the city?” Wang Chunfeng was furious. “This is the day of the new god's arrival. If they offend the new god, we’ll all be in trouble! Soone, drive them away!”
“Respect for the dead is paramount,” Ji Buran interjected.
“They must be up to sothing. Do they not know what today is? Choosing today for a funeral—this is treacherous!” Wang Chunfeng was genuinely afraid that the mourning procession would offend the new god. He couldn’t fathom why anyone would hold a funeral on such a day, and his worst fears were soon realized.
A celestial lody suddenly filled the air, and above them, twelve beautiful won hovered. Their exposed shoulders and chests, covered only by thin silken stockings, made them look incredibly alluring. Behind them, a giant auspicious beast pulled a divine chariot.
The two groups t in the sky, and Wang Chunfeng's heart filled with dread.
Inside the divine chariot, a man with golden eyes reclined with a beautiful woman in his arms. A sultry voice called out from outside the chariot, “My lord, there's a funeral procession ahead, blocking the way.”
The man with golden eyes opened his eyes, irritation flashing within them. “Do they have a coffin? Put everyone else in it.”
The woman hesitated, realizing that the procession looked like a funeral but wasn’t quite right.
At that mont, a lazy voice spoke up. “Is that the Flowing Venerable up ahead?”
The golden-eyed man imdiately sensed sothing amiss, but being a new god in a conquered zone, he remained bold. “Speak.”
“We’re short one key participant for our funeral procession. Would you care to join us as the corpse?” The voice was casual but brooked no refusal.
The words echoed outside the city, leaving the officials stunned. This wasn’t a funeral procession—it was trouble!
Ji Buran was puzzled, trying to figure out who would dare to be so bold in the conquered zone. But the mysterious speaker’s identity beca clear when the golden-eyed man responded.
“Such audacity!” The Flowing Venerable roared, shattering his chariot and reducing the woman in his arms to a bloody ss. His eyes burned with murderous intent as he demanded, “Na yourself! I do not kill naless n!”
“Qing Shui Village, the Origin Heavenly Venerable,” Qi Yuan responded leisurely. “Now, may I borrow your corpse?”
Wang Chunfeng, emboldened by this, shouted, “How dare you be so disrespectful to the lord! You’re courting death!”
This was his chance to prove himself! Surely the lord would crush this upstart. But to his shock, the Flowing Venerable turned and shouted, “I’ve rembered your na. My brother-in-law won’t let you off for this!”
With that, the Flowing Venerable fled, leaving Wang Chunfeng in stunned disbelief.
Qi Yuan watched him go and sighed, “His presence was grander than mine. I thought he was a hero, but it turns out he’s a coward.”
As Qi Yuan spoke, four true gods suddenly appeared before the fleeing Flowing Venerable, blocking his path. These four were Arhats—Happy Arhat, Long-browed Arhat, Gate-guarding Arhat, and Joyful Arhat—all at the First Step of Heaven.
“Lend us your corpse!”
The four Arhats spoke in unison, their voices like thunder.
The Flowing Venerable's face went pale. “Have the ancient gods of Fei Ling Prefecture co here? No, you’re not from Fei Ling Prefecture!”
These Arhats weren’t any of the ancient gods he rembered. The Arhats said nothing, only attacking in unison. The ground shook under their combined power, and the Flowing Venerable, despite his four open divine apertures, felt overwheld.
“Who are you?” he shouted, struggling to fend off their attacks.
“Lend us your corpse!” The Arhats repeated Qi Yuan’s words, ignoring his plea. The battle intensified, with the Flowing Venerable growing increasingly desperate. He realized his only chance lay in capturing Qi Yuan.
If he could take down the leader, the battle would be won. As the Arhats pressed him, the Flowing Venerable inched closer to Qi Yuan, preparing to strike.
“This is taking too long. If it continues like this, it’ll delay the feast,” Qi Yuan remarked, bored by the ongoing battle. “Four Heavenly Kings, you—”
But before he could finish, the Flowing Venerable, bolstered by his divine power, charged at Qi Yuan, a triumphant grin on his face.
“I’ve survived divine wars! What can you local weaklings do against ?” he roared, convinced of his victory.
But as he reached Qi Yuan, four beautiful won—the Four Heavenly Kings—stepped forward. Each one was a true god. Behind them, the remaining twelve Arhats ford a protective barrier around Qi Yuan, their divine power palpable.
The Flowing Venerable’s grin froze. He swallowed hard, realizing the gravity of his mistake.
“Kill!”
The sixteen true gods attacked simultaneously. The sounds of pipa strings, spinning parasols, and jingling bells filled the air as the Flowing Venerable was bombarded with twelve iron fists.
“No!”
The Flowing Venerable’s divine apertures shattered under the relentless assault. Qi Yuan watched impassively, sighing, “If you’d lent your corpse earlier, you wouldn’t have had to suffer. I might’ve even let your spirit dine at the table.”
With that, the Flowing Venerable was beaten to death, his divine apertures obliterated by the iron fists of the mighty warriors.
Qi Yuan turned to the officials outside the city gates, his eyes cold. They were paralyzed with fear. The Flowing Venerable had been killed—by twenty true gods! Where did so many true gods co from?
“The feast begins,” Qi Yuan announced, his gaze turning icy. “Kill anyone who was planning to help the evil gods. It’ll give us more ti to feast.”
At his command, the Dragon-subduing Arhat and the Tiger-taming Arhat charged into the crowd, cutting through the officials like they were nothing. Cries of pain and terror filled the air as the once-arrogant officials fell like paper before them.
Turning to Ji Buran, Qi Yuan’s voice softened. “I have a task for you.”
Ji Buran, tense with anticipation, replied earnestly, “Yes, my lord?”
Here stood an ancient god willing to stand up for Fei Wu City. Ji Buran’s admiration for him was boundless.
“We’ve traveled far to hold a feast for the Flowing Venerable. We have chefs, mourners, and musicians—all we need is food. Go and gather so provisions,” Qi Yuan said casually.
The villagers behind him, eager for the feast, licked their lips in anticipation. To them, following Qi Yuan was most joyful when there was a feast.
Ji Buran, slightly confused, eventually nodded. “Understood!”
He didn’t fully grasp the Qing Shui Village protector deity’s intentions, but he believed there was more to this than just a feast. There had to be a deeper aning.
“The Origin Heavenly Venerable has co, so the people of Fei Wu City will have a feast,” Qi Yuan mused, watching Ji Buran’s retreating figure and the imposing city before him.
Qi Qi stood beside him, her eyes alight with excitent, though a hint of sadness lingered beneath. Unfortunately, the people of Tianfu and other cities, those who had perished at the hands of evil gods, would never have the chance to feast, to enjoy the victory over the evil gods.
Determined, Qi Qi resolved to eat heartily, to honor those who had died defending Tianfu and its people.
Qi Yuan examined the Flowing Venerable’s storage bag, quickly assessing its contents. “If I’d t him a few months ago, he might have been sothing, but now… this is it?”
The bag held little of value, but the evil god’s divine power and experience were rewards enough.
However, sothing caught his eye—a broken helt, riddled with holes and still stained with fresh blood. Qi Yuan recognized a familiar aura from it.
“Wenqi, could this be your great-grandfather’s helt?” he asked, producing the battered helt for all to see.
The evil god’s divine power still lingered within it, a testant to the fierce battle it had witnessed.
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