Third-stage peak... fourth-stage! Fourth-stage mid-phase... fourth-stage peak!
The bottlenecks were shattered as easily as if they were made of paper!
Fifth-stage!
When the auras of the two finally stabilized at the fifth-stage essence devouring stage, the paper figures of the Corpse Soul Sect fell into a dead silence.
If Lu Cheng’s rejuvenation was enviable, then Shitou and Hong Ling’s immediate breakthrough on the spot brought a shock that overturned their very understanding of reality.
Heavenly treasures that increased longevity were rare, but the major sects usually had some stock in their deep foundations.
The paper figure elders of the Corpse Soul Sect envied Lu Cheng’s fortune, but their primary feeling was that the god was generous enough to bestow such treasures upon a mortal.
But this...
A pill that could allow someone to leap directly from the third-stage peak to the fifth-stage, with no side effects and a stable foundation?
What kind of supreme divine ability was this?
It was unheard of! Unseen!
Even if a Pill Emperor were alive today, could they refine such a divine pill?
The Great Elder and the rest of the Corpse Soul Sect’s upper echelon almost had their eyes pop out of their sockets.
Ordinary people might not understand, but as an immortal sect with a long heritage, they knew exactly what this meant.
Fifth-stage! Essence devouring stage!
Their previous Sect Master, Mo Yuan, a peerless genius who carried the hopes and sins of the entire sect and practiced bitterly for nearly a hundred years, had only reached the fifth-stage peak.
Yet these two youths before them, who appeared to be no more than twenty years old, had reached a height that countless cultivators could never achieve in their entire lives, all thanks to a god-bestowed pill?
"The divine power of the god has truly reached such heights..." an elder murmured, lost in thought.
"Inconceivable, truly inconceivable." Another elder shook his head repeatedly, as if trying to shake the scene that defied all logic of cultivation out of his mind.
Fifth-stage young geniuses!
This was no longer a simple reward; this was the creation of a legend!
It was an announcement to everyone that the height one could reach by following the god would exceed their wildest imaginations.
After Shitou and Hong Ling, several others were rewarded.
"Zhang Cuigu, your faith is devout. You have meticulously managed the spirit fields, ensuring a bountiful harvest of spirit grain to nourish the city. Today, I bestow upon you the title of Harvest Envoy."
"Li Dazhu, your faith is devout. You have falled timber for materials, laying the foundation for the city's construction. Today, I bestow upon you the title of Green Wood Envoy."
"Qin Kuan, your faith is devout. You have overseen the mines, braving hardships to supervise the extraction of resources. Your contribution is great. Today, I bestow upon you the title of Firm Stone Envoy."
...
The process was the same: bestowing pills, consuming them, and watching their cultivation surge.
For those like Li Dazhu and Qin Kuan, whose spirit root talent was only mortal or yellow grade, Chen Zhou additionally bestowed Bodhi Heart Fruits to help purify their spirit roots to the mysterious grade.
Chen Zhou felt very satisfied. Now, those with solid faith and outstanding talent had all been appointed as his titled champions.
Next, it was the turn of the ordinary people who also possessed faith and were industrious and kind.
Chen Zhou’s voice rang out again. This time, he was no longer naming managers, but the names of ordinary people who had contributed silently at their respective posts.
One name after another was called, and one low-grade pill after another was bestowed.
These ordinary people, who usually kept their heads down and worked hard, became the center of attention on this God's Grace Day.
They might not have had extraordinary merits, but their steady perseverance and devout faith were also seen by the god and received their due rewards.
The series of rewards gave all the citizens hope.
As long as they believed in the god, worked diligently, and made contributions, the god would not be stingy with rewards!
Even the most fundamental problem of talent could be solved by the god!
Those who received rewards were overjoyed and moved to tears of gratitude.
Those who had not yet received anything watched with eager eyes, secretly resolving to work even harder in the future.
Meanwhile, the elders of the Corpse Soul Sect observing from the side were now completely numb.
The Bodhi Heart Fruit, a rare treasure of heaven and earth that could purify spirit roots and improve talent, was enough to cause small sects to fight to the death outside. Here, it was given to mortals managing lumberyards and mines like it was candy?
Those pills that could help one break through directly, though not of a high grade, were being bestowed in such massive quantities.
And then there were the pine cones that restored youth, and the divine pills that created fifth-stage young geniuses.
"So... so many heavenly treasures, so many divine pills..." an elder's voice was dry.
"If a normal sect were lucky enough to obtain even one of these, they would treasure it dearly. It wouldn't be moved unless for a great merit or a direct disciple of the Sect Master. How can it be that with this lord, it is... it is like..."
He couldn't find the right words to describe it.
Another elder murmured, finishing the sentence, "...Like common cabbages on the side of the street."
They looked at the god sitting high upon the throne, his face obscured by shadows, and their hearts were filled with nothing but overwhelming shock.
Following such an existence, the future was truly limitless.
The elders exchanged glances, seeing the same determination in each other's eyes.
They had to move the sect here immediately; there was nothing left to hesitate about.
With a true god ruling and an auspice sitting in guard, how could this City of the Wrongfully Dead remain a small pond for long?
If a capital was built here in the future, they would be the founding veterans. If ordinary immortal sects wanted to move in then, that lord might not even agree to it.
This was truly a colossal opportunity!
The future of the Corpse Soul Sect might very well be decided right now.
As the divine grace overflowed and the devout atmosphere reached its peak, Lin Feng led a squad of Sword Sect paper figures forward.
They escorted dozens of prisoners locked in special shackles to the front of the altar.
Hong Ling stepped forward, her gentle expression replaced by coldness.
She picked up a scroll, her voice clear and chilling.
"The divine grace is vast, covering all living beings, but it is not without limits. The majesty of the god must not be offended.
"These karmic sins, living in this city under the protection of the lord and enjoying peace, did not know gratitude. They performed no good deeds, but instead harbored evil thoughts and violated the divine laws."
She unfurled the scroll and read out the crimes one by one.
"Zhang San, committed multiple thefts within the city. Furthermore, he was lazy and deceitful during labor, repeatedly showing disrespect to the god and slandering the divine grace!"
"Li Wangshi, taking advantage of her husband's management position in the city, received grain intended for newly arrived refugees and secretly resold it for profit, oppressing the elderly and orphans and seizing the residences of others!"
"Zhao Si, engaged in drunken brawling, assaulted colleagues, and even shouted insults at the god late at night. Absolute disrespect!"
"Sun Silang and his gang, formed cliques to dominate the market, forcibly extorted protection fees, and threatened and intimidated the honest citizens. A literal tumor within the city!"
Case by case, item by item, these were all crimes verified by the Patrol Team recently, with solid evidence.
These people were inherently crooked and had managed to suppress their nature when they first entered the City of the Wrongfully Dead.
But once their lives stabilized, they reverted to their old ways, viewing the god's protection as indulgence and the citizens' simplicity as something to be exploited.
Zhang San, who had been named, turned red in the face and shouted loudly.
"I refuse to accept this! I only took a few insignificant things and spoke a few words of truth. On what grounds do you arrest me? I bled and sweated for the construction of this city! Even if I have no merit, I have worked hard!"
That Li Wangshi also began to wail in a shrill voice, trying to garner sympathy.
"This is a great injustice, Lord, please see clearly! This humble woman only wanted to exchange excess grain for some items more urgently needed. It was all for the sake of this family!
"That widow couldn't keep track of her own things; how can she blame me?"
Rate on N.U.
