Chapter 79 Blasphemy 28. A small statue, a bowl of water.

"I... I didn't hear wrong, did I? Did Venerable Xu Tian really say that?"

"That's right, it's Him! He's going to slaughter the four counties of Yushui!"

"Could it be that what those people said just now... was all true?"

"Massacres, killings, creating demons, committing atrocities while disguised as demons, then manifesting as a spirit to offer protection... Is this a god? Even demons and heretics cannot compare to its cruelty!"

Countless people were struck dumb, bewildered and incredulous.

Although Xiling was the pilgrimage site of the Heavenly Goddess, the Heavenly Venerable Xu was a great deity renowned throughout the five kingdoms, with many followers. Amidst the confusion and commotion, someone shouted and threw stones at the sky.

"Sorcery! This must be the sorcery of Shenxiangjun! It's not real!"

"The water mirror...this water mirror is fake too, it's all sorcery! It's a conspiracy by that evil god, Shen Xiangjun..."

"What kind of fiend dares to slander the Celestial Venerable like this! Stop the illusion at once!"

"ah!"

As soon as the roars were heard, screams followed immediately.

It turned out that the stone that someone had thrown at the sky had bounced back, catching them off guard and hitting them squarely in the face, causing them to bleed profusely from their heads.

Some people angrily climbed onto the roof to tear apart the illusion, but slipped and fell, crying out in pain.

Amidst the disgraceful behavior of these people, a loud voice rang out: "Sorcery? If it truly is sorcery, if what those people say is not the truth, why would Venerable Xu Ming act in this manner, and why would he intend to massacre the city?"

"How do you know that what's reflected in this water mirror is real? It's all fabricated by those evil heretics!" someone retorted.

"No...it's true, it's true!" Suddenly, a desperate cry pierced the throng of people. An elderly man in brocade robes collapsed to his knees, his face filled with remorse, tears streaming down his face. "A month ago, I heard that the Imperial Preceptor had come to the city, and that his sixth disciple had a penchant for handsome young men. I...I sent my grandson there, thinking that even if he lost his virginity, it wouldn't matter, as long as he could become the Imperial Preceptor's disciple. But I never expected..."

A middle-aged, well-to-do man exclaimed in shock, "Mr. Lu, didn't you say your young master was away studying abroad? How come..."

"Mao'er is dead...he's dead!" The old man's eyes were bloodshot, his appearance crazed, a mixture of crying and laughing. "His body is mangled beyond repair...When I went to prepare the body, that disciple of the Imperial Preceptor even asked me if I had any other grandsons, saying this one wasn't handsome enough...I really wanted to kill him! I really wanted to kill him! But...how could I dare? How could I dare!"

"Mao'er! Grandfather is sorry for you... Grandfather is sorry for you!" The old man banged his head on the ground with a loud thud, and blood was as red as plum blossoms.

Such a piercing cry also echoed beneath many sky curtains.

“I knew it! I was right back then. There were no demons, only gods. It was the gods who were massacring the village… At the turn of dawn and dusk, all spirits revealed themselves. I saw it… It was Lord Chunshan! I saw it! Father, Mother… Your child will avenge you, I will!”

"Twenty years ago, the city of Luofeng County and two nearby counties were massacred. Not a single person survived in the three cities. My brothers and sisters all died there... Everyone said that it was the work of the Bull Demon King, and that it was the merciful Venerable Xu Tian who killed him, otherwise the massacre would have spread... I have always believed it and never dared to forget it. When I came to Xiling, everyone advised me to believe in the Heavenly Goddess Tongtian, and I did not change my mind. But it turns out that I was recognizing a thief as my father?"

"Countless innocent people have been killed and falsely credited on the border, and the Northern Pearl Court neither cares nor dares to intervene..."

"Mingyin eats people! Mingyin eats people! My son was eaten by him... chopped up and eaten! Mingyin eats people!"

"Xiuxiu, my Xiuxiu... Wang Pei, give me back Xiuxiu's life! You want to drown her for such an evil god! Otherwise, how could she have escaped, how could she have died by accident! I will kill you!"

"Is it fake? Impossible... impossible! I've already welcomed the gods in and offered up the young boys and girls, how could it be fake? Impossible, impossible!"

The old and young cried out in grief, husbands and wives turned against each other, some were filled with resentment and unwillingness, some murmured with regret, the lamentations were boiling, and the cold moon wept blood.

In the unseen realm, the weather and atmosphere within Xiling changed imperceptibly.

This was all created by Chu Shenxiang, and he was the first to realize it.

The time has come.

Chu Shenxiang's eyes flickered slightly, and she had no intention of delaying any longer: "Xu Ming, don't forget, this is Xiling, not Shenzhao. If you want to massacre the city, have you consulted the heavens and earth of Xiling?"

"The world of Xiling?" Xu Ming's expression turned cold as he looked down at me. "The entire world of this Nine Provinces acknowledges me and bestows upon me the title of Heavenly Venerable. Why would I need to ask Xiling, a mere ant, for permission to kill a few? How laughable!"

After saying that, he slammed his palms down again, and the cyan runes instantly disintegrated even more, with no time to repair them.

The great formation began to shatter rapidly.

Chu Shenxiang's Dharma form trembled, blood spilling from the corner of her lips, but her dark blue eyes suddenly rose, shining with astonishing brightness: "Heaven and earth give birth to all spirits, and all spirits nourish heaven and earth. Incense and divine ways, the wishes and karma of all living beings, originate from heaven and earth, and can also shake heaven and earth."

"In the past, when the divine way flourished, the Nine Provinces favored you and bestowed titles upon you. Was the Nine Provinces blind? Who says that Xiling should acknowledge it?"

He suddenly raised his hand, and the white lotus lamp immediately flew out, shining brightly and overflowing with divine light: "This is... the wish of the Western Mausoleum Heaven and Earth!"

The lotus lanterns, like the moon, burst forth from the sea of ​​clouds and soar into the sky.

Completely disregarding the preservation of divine power, Chu Shenxiang poured all her current divine power and incense offerings into the lotus lantern. The lotus petals trembled and bloomed layer by layer, and the light spread throughout the entire Xiling world through countless water mirrors.

In an instant, the sky changed dramatically, thunder roared like the heavens, the mountains trembled, sand and stones flew, and vegetation was destroyed, like the earth roaring in anger.

Xu Ming was usually calm, but at this moment his heart suddenly trembled, and a strong sense of unease welled up.

This is a warning from this world to Him!

"What did you do?!"

Xu Ming, distracted, sensed something was wrong and roared in anger.

However, before he could finish speaking, His Dharma form suddenly flickered, and then, before He could react, the Dharma form, which was over three hundred feet long, suddenly shrank rapidly as if it had been sucked out of its air.

Three hundred zhang, two hundred zhang, one hundred zhang...

"Impossible! This is impossible!"

Xu Ming's expression suddenly changed, filled with shock: "Heaven and earth reject me... How could it be heaven and earth rejecting me! I am a Heavenly Venerable appointed by the heavens and earth of the Nine Provinces, why would a mere prefecture in Xiling reject me?"

"Why should I!"

All deities have their own designated territories for worship, and their power is diminished in places outside those territories. Xu Ming and Xu Yin are two exceptions; they received imperial decrees from Heaven and Earth, allowing them to maintain their divine power even in other territories by borrowing the power of Heaven and Earth.

Xu Ming dared to survey the world and threaten all the gods, and that was the reason he did so.

But what if Heaven and Earth reject Him and abandon Him?

Chu Shenxiang spent most of her divine power to create this causal array that can perceive inner thoughts and reveal truths.

The gods rely on incense offerings, and heaven and earth are also influenced by the creatures living here. The hatred of the people of Xiling can change the incense offerings here and shake the heavens and earth of Xiling.

This was the opportunity Chu Shenxiang had been waiting for.

"Xu Ming, prepare to die!"

The deity in blue robes sharpened his gaze.

The white lotus lanterns bloomed in full glory, and the Four Heavenly Swords were summoned by Chu Shenxiang's magic. They were as huge as towering mountains, condensing in the sea of ​​clouds, surrounded by endless lightning. Their clear and melodious ringing sounded like the cry of a phoenix, and the earth and sky trembled as soon as they were released.

The four heavenly swords crashed down with a deafening roar!

"You think you can kill me with just the power of Xiling Heaven and Earth? You're deluding yourself!" Xu Ming shouted, distracted.

His divine form had shrunk to a hundred feet, and with a surge of divine power, it held nothing back, instantly drawing the sun and moon above his head and transforming them into a bright wheel that slashed down.

With a deafening roar, the already collapsing array exploded!

The runes scattered like countless blue shooting stars. Amidst the interplay of light, Xu Ming's small statue suddenly emerged from the darkness and appeared in the Shenxiang Temple, before the statue of Chu Shenxiang herself.

"You have many spells, but I have just as many tricks up my sleeve... Trading a fraction of my power for your life and my secrets isn't a bad deal!"

The small statues had sticky faces and twisted smiles.

Golden light condensed into a sword, its edge formed by wicked power, and the stench of blood and gore reached the shrine of Chu Shenxiang in an instant.

At the critical moment, a long sword carrying a phantom white butterfly suddenly rushed in and collided with the golden, malevolent sword.

The white butterfly spread its wings, bursting forth with light. The golden light suddenly veered off course and struck the wall behind it, instantly turning it into dust.

The small statue suddenly turned its head and saw a young man in red hiding behind the altar, covered in sweat and with blood seeping from the corner of his eyes. He was using his unstable divine power to control a long sword and relying on the white butterfly's divine sense to block him.

"A mere mortal... courting death!"

The little statue was almost laughing in anger. Before it could finish speaking, golden light split into two beams and shot out, one taking Chu Shenxiang's body and the other taking the head of the red-clothed young master.

After releasing the white butterfly, Shen Mingxin lost the protection of Chu Shenxiang's divine consciousness. He had no choice but to condense all the energy he had accumulated from refining the divine embryo into a protective spell in hopes of blocking it.

However, the gap is still significant.

The protective barrier was less than a thin sheet of paper in the face of the golden light; it shattered without even being touched.

In Shen Mingxin's eyes, golden light shone brightly, and the sword's edge arrived suddenly, unstoppable.

Shen Mingxin's mind went blank for a moment, and he felt as if his body and soul were about to explode.

However, it was only for a moment.

The next moment, the golden light suddenly dimmed as if it had been extinguished, the sword shattered silently, and the little statue's face became even more distorted, its smile turning into fear, anger, and resentment.

"Shen, Xiang, Jun!"

It spat out the last three words with utter venom, and then with a bang, it exploded into shattered pieces.

Shen Mingxin paused for a moment, then quickly ran out of the temple gate and looked up.

High above the temple, under the endless night sky, the golden statue, still a hundred feet tall, collapsed with a roar, as if a mountain had fallen, due to the celestial sword and earthly fire that had trapped it.

The vast and wondrous scene subsided.

A golden rain of light slowly fell, surrounding Wangqiu Mountain and the entire Xiling.

"This, this is..."

Under the vast expanse of the sky, the people of Xiling stretched out their palms to catch the drifting rain of light.

"Xu Tianzun... has he been defeated?"

"Shenxiangjun! It was Shenxiangjun who defeated that evil god!"

"May my son rest in peace!"

As dawn broke, disbelief, astonishment, and bewilderment gradually coalesced, transforming into a deafening roar.

Amidst the chaotic and complex sounds, Chu Shenxiang raised her hand and picked up the bronze mirror.

This is a treasure he crafted using incense offerings from the past two hundred years. By combining its parts with a magic array and placing them in a certain location, a water mirror can be created when needed to broadcast what the main body sees.

"It is thanks to you all that Xu Ming's soul fragment died today," Chu Shenxiang lowered her eyes to look at the mirror, and also at the mortals of Xiling looking up at her. "The world of Xiling belongs to Xiling. Humanity is cruel, hence the rise of the divine way; the divine way is inhumane, hence today's calamity. Good deeds are rewarded, evil deeds are punished; karma and karmic consequences, none are fortunate. I share these words with you all."

As soon as she finished speaking, Chu Shenxiang flicked her sleeve and put away the mirror. The sky over Xiling suddenly disappeared, leaving countless mortals standing there in a daze.

...

Ten days later, at the Yu County government office.

The Prefect of Xiling rubbed his hands together, pacing back and forth in front of the hall like an ant on a hot pan.

Not long after, the newly appointed magistrate rushed in. Under the expectant gaze of the prefect, he raised his mustache and excitedly cupped his hands: "Congratulations, Your Excellency! Congratulations! News has come from Wangqiu Mountain. Shenxiangjun has granted permission. The invocation ceremonies in our prefecture and all counties can be held immediately!"

"well!"

The governor was overjoyed and clapped his hands repeatedly, finally relaxing the tension in his heart.

With the execution of the Heavenly Goddess Tongtian and the death of the divided spirit of the Heavenly Venerable Xutian in Xiling, the entire Xiling not only lost its protection but also incurred a great enmity. If Shen Xiangjun were to flee on her own and refuse to become the new guardian deity, they would truly not know what to do.

Fortunately, Shenxiangjun agreed.

"Then let's get started on the preparations immediately," the governor ordered, not wanting to wait a moment longer. "The temple and golden statues in the open, the human sacrifices and children in the shadows... Of course, everything should remain the same as before. The things done in secret should not be displayed for others to know. This new god should first establish a reputation for mercy..."

The magistrate was stunned for a moment upon hearing this. When he came to his senses, he hurriedly spoke up, boldly interrupting the prefect's order: "Sir, wait a moment. This ritual of inviting the gods... Shen Xiangjun has its own set of rules. She has already revealed them to us. When inviting her into the temple, there is no need for a temple or a golden statue. Furthermore, human sacrifices, flesh and blood, and children are forbidden. All that is needed is a small statue and a bowl of clean water."

The prefect paused and looked at the county magistrate.

The county magistrate also looked back at his superior.

In the long silence of their staring contest, the magistrate's gaze suddenly shifted, and he hesitated before speaking, "Your Excellency, you..."

"It's nothing. Autumn has arrived in Yu County, and the wind and sand are strong." The prefect turned his head away, lowered his face slightly, and wiped his eyes heavily with his sleeve.

He was over seventy years old and had never been a sentimental person, but at this moment, for some reason, he was suddenly overwhelmed with sorrow.