10: Close to the face and open wide

Lin Chuping's Divine Soul quietly resided within the idol, his gaze passing through the swirling incense smoke, silently observing the devout worshippers kneeling below.

At this moment, he felt omnipotent.

This feeling was truly good.

Lin Chuping subconsciously puffed out his chest slightly, feeling Battle Intent surging, as if all things in the world could be controlled by him.

With a gentle sweep of his gaze, his information screen appeared before him:

【Host: Lin Chuping】

【Rank: Wild God】

【Jurisdiction: Chang Sheng Village】

【Divine Power: 40】

【Divine Arts: Enter Dream, Blessing, Thunder Punishment, Rain Summoning Technique】

【Incense Value: 190 (Can be converted to Divine Power, used to purchase Divine Arts)】

【System Mall: Lv1】

“Tonight, it’s a good time to test the power of this Thunder Punishment. I just hope the ones who come aren’t the same weaklings as last time,” Lin Chuping mused to himself.

With his free-spirited and uninhibited nature, if he weren't bound by rules and his range of activity strictly limited to this jurisdiction, he would have long since eagerly ventured out to explore.

Although he couldn't yet contend with those Advanced Rank Essence Spirits, for the small fry like the ones he encountered last time, he only needed to unleash a single strike to completely turn them into his experience fodder, a delightful treat.

If he didn't rack up tens of thousands in faith value, it would feel like losing several million for no reason, making his heart itch.

Why would he need to just stand guard here passively, waiting for those small monsters to deliver themselves to his doorstep?

Time quietly passed. At midnight, in the darkness at the edge of the village, three ink-black mists slowly condensed, forming three blurry figures that furtively crept towards the village.

“Time for action!”

Lin Chuping’s eyes suddenly sharpened. He quietly released a wisp of Divine Power, carefully sensing the opponent’s Aura.

A moment later, he shook his head in disappointment. The opponent’s Aura was only slightly stronger than last time’s.

“Alas, what a pity. Still a completely weakling,” he murmured softly.

However, Lin Chuping knew that in a fight, even if the opponent seemed insignificant, like a lion hunting a rabbit, one must still exert all effort and never let down one’s guard.

Moreover, his followers were all watching with eager eyes. This debut, he had to make it beautiful and decisive.

For a Wild God like him, who was strapped for cash and desperately needed resources, every point of incense value was incredibly precious.

Lin Chuping suppressed his inner excitement, held his breath, and quietly waited for the monsters to approach the ancestral hall step by step.

Watching the three dark figures unknowingly delve deeper into the village, heading straight for the ancestral hall, Lin Chuping, hidden within the idol, couldn't help but feel his hands tremble slightly—a tremor born of excitement and anticipation.

“You scum, come closer and feel the might of the Heavens!”

“Closer, even closer…”

“Now!”

Lin Chuping’s eyes blazed with light, and he roared, “Winds rise, clouds gather, thunder shakes the Nine Heavens! Thunder Punishment, descend!”

At this moment, the night was like thick ink, pitch black, making it impossible to see one's hand in front of one's face.

The Mortals inside, whose naked eyes couldn't see the phantoms hidden in the darkness, all widened their eyes, staring intently at Lord Chuping's clay idol.

Under the fervent gaze of the crowd, Lord Chuping's clay Dharma Body suddenly burst forth with a dazzling white light, a light like a sharp sword, irresistibly piercing through layers of darkness and shooting straight into the sky.

Immediately after, the sky seemed to be stirred by an invisible giant hand. Dark clouds rapidly gathered, piling up layer upon layer, and the sound of thunder and lightning was incessant.

A sharp bolt of lightning, carrying an Aura of world-destroying power, descended from the heavy clouds, striking precisely towards the ancestral hall.

“Boom…!”

“Boom…”

“Crack!”

It was as if something extremely fragile instantly shattered under this violent force, emitting a heart-stopping sound.

The air around the ancestral hall seemed to be violently pounded by an invisible giant fist, shaking intensely and emitting wave after wave of dull roars.

【Ding! Killed an enhanced Ghost Spirit Rank Phantom, rewarded Incense Value +200】

【Ding! Killed an enhanced Ghost Spirit Rank Phantom, rewarded Incense Value +200】

【Ding! Killed an enhanced Ghost Spirit Rank Phantom, rewarded Incense Value +200】

If those phantoms that had already turned to ashes and smoke had souls, they would probably be overwhelmed with grief and cry out repeatedly:

I'm just a lowest Rank little phantom, do you really need to be so ruthless?

It's one thing for others to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut, but you, you directly brought out the Azure Dragon Crescent Blade. Isn't this bullying? You're great, you're amazing, alright!

Damn it, I don't want to live anymore!

*

“Ah, ah, ah! Did you all see that blinding light just now?”

Among the crowd, someone couldn't help but exclaim.

“Am I seeing things, am I hallucinating?”

Another person asked, rubbing his eyes with a hint of doubt.

“Saw it, saw it! It was so bright, how could anyone not notice it?”

Someone immediately chimed in, his tone full of awe.

“Bright as day! Lord Chuping is truly amazing, he can even control the power of lightning!”

Everyone chattered away, one after another, the scene becoming lively and bustling like a noisy market.

*

If the situation in Chang Sheng Village was like a bustling market, then Nan Shu Village presented a completely different scene—utter silence, not a sound to be heard.

Everyone seemed to be under a spell, uniformly kneeling towards the place where the golden light suddenly erupted. Their foreheads heavily knocked against the ground, again and again, as if they wished to break their foreheads.

“In this world, there really are Divine Spirits!”

It wasn't until someone exclaimed that everyone seemed to awaken from a dream.

“Mama, I saw an immortal!”

A child’s voice, trembling slightly, was full of surprise and reverence.

“They are truly saved!”

This thought spontaneously arose in everyone’s hearts. For ten years, this was the first time they had seen hope for survival.

“Thank you, Great Divine Spirit!”

*

Lin Chuping watched this scene, secretly delighted: Fanatical followers, acquired!

Just then, his information panel seemed to be summoned by something, suddenly flickering violently.

【Ding! New area Nan Shu Village detected. Do you wish to include it in your jurisdiction?】

A flash of light appeared in Lin Chuping’s eyes, and he unhesitatingly chose “Yes.”

In an instant, a mysterious and peculiar power, like an invisible thread, quickly connected him to Nan Shu Village.

For Lin Chuping, jurisdiction was like the empire in the eyes of an emperor, of paramount importance, and naturally, the more the better.

“System Brother, with the jurisdiction upgraded to two villages, is one clay idol still enough?” Lin Chuping asked the System in his mind.

“Ding! An idol personally consecrated by the Host can serve as the Host’s Dharma Body,” the System’s mechanical voice sounded at the opportune moment, providing the answer.

Lin Chuping knew about the consecration ceremony. It was a mysterious ritual that had been passed down for a long time in the Daoist Legacy. It required inviting a Divine Spirit to infuse its Divine Power into the idol, the officiant chanting mysterious incantations, and then dotting the eyes of the idol. Only then could the idol possess a portion of the Divine Spirit's power.

“Excellent, System Brother, you are indeed very thorough.” Lin Chuping’s lips curved slightly upwards, revealing a satisfied smile.