Chapter 125: Manifestation (Part I)

Fang Yue hesitated.

He was weighing whether he should use this idol to manifest his godhood or use his own physical body.

"I will use the idol. It can act as a manifestation; if something goes wrong, I will have a buffer."

Fang Yue made his decision quickly. Ascending to godhood through the power of incense and prayers was a path into the unknown. The risks involved were still unclear, and the dense, overwhelming negative emotions he had encountered left him with lingering fear. Had he not accumulated such a vast amount of merit points, he would have been in grave trouble this time.

Fang Yue made no further moves; as he was currently possessing the idol, he could not move anyway. He waited quietly as the milky-white energy of prayer condensed within the statue. It did not take long before the prayer energy formed a colorless, transparent, diamond-shaped godhead inside the idol.

Soon after, Fang Yue discovered that he could finally move. He stepped down from the altar and walked toward the people who were burning incense and praying, though none of them could see him. At this moment, he was in the state of a divine manifestation.

"Please, Sea God, save our Yutou Town..."

Upon hearing the pleas of the townspeople, Fang Yue frowned. It was the first month of the lunar year, and he had expected the people coming to burn incense to be praying for peace. Instead, they were all pleading for the salvation of Yutou Town, their faces etched with sorrow, devoid of the joy that should have accompanied the new year.

"Could it be that Yutou Town has encountered some calamity?"

Fang Yue’s expression turned stern. Yutou Town was a place he had fought hard to protect; it was his stronghold. Not only did it provide him with a stable source of merit points and silver, but it was now also the source of the incense and prayers for this Sea God manifestation. It could not be lost unless absolutely necessary.

Fang Yue attempted to channel his divine power to peer into the thoughts of the worshippers. Before long, he understood the full scope of the situation.

...

In Yutou Town, at the Patrol Bureau office, Fang Baoliang, Qian Dagui, Patrol Captain Li Kunyu, Town Mayor Deng Hetong, and Deputy Mayor Deng Dahai were gathered together to discuss the matter. Since Fang Yue had gone to the north of Yunzhou to study martial arts and the Ren family had moved to the provincial capital of Baiquan, these remaining few were the masters of this small, independent kingdom that was Yutou Town.

Their faces were grim, filled with worry and anxiety.

Deng Dahai looked at the group and said, "That ghost has set its sights on our Yutou Town. It demands that the entire town convert to the worship of its master. What do you all suggest we do?"

Although Deng Dahai held the title of Deputy Mayor, he effectively managed the town's affairs and held the highest rank among those present. Deng Hetong held the title of Mayor, but he possessed little power and was merely a puppet. This had been arranged by Fang Yue before his departure; he had not stripped Deng Hetong of his position, leaving him with the title, but the actual administration of Yutou Town had been handed over to Deng Dahai.

Hearing Deng Dahai’s words, Deng Hetong remarked, "That ghost is several feet tall; we are no match for it. If it wants us to convert to its master, then let us convert. It’s no big deal; it won’t cost us a limb."

Deng Dahai shook his head. "It’s not that simple. That ghost and its subordinates are devouring people everywhere. What kind of good could its master possibly be? If it turns out to be an evil god, who knows what fate awaits us?"

The imperial court had long decreed that, aside from the official deities recognized by the state, all others were considered licentious or evil spirits. Anyone caught worshipping them would be treated as a traitor, with their entire family executed.

Deng Hetong sneered, "Then what do you propose we do? That ghost and its minions come to eat people every night. The entire town is in a state of panic. If we don't agree to its demands, everyone will be eaten. Perhaps the next ones they eat will be us."

Deng Hetong, who harbored resentment toward Deng Dahai for usurping his authority, was eager to oppose him at every turn. However, his words were not without reason. Yutou Town was currently in dire straits; several people were being eaten every night. If a decision wasn't made soon, the people would either be eaten or flee the town entirely.

Everyone turned their eyes to Fang Baoliang, who sat silently in the corner. Fang Baoliang was not only the strongest individual in Yutou Town but also the person designated by Fang Yue to make the final decision in times of crisis.

Fang Baoliang looked up and said calmly, "Tell the townspeople to pack and prepare. Tonight, I will go to meet this ghost. If I fail, tell everyone remaining in the town to evacuate to the neighboring prefecture and county to save themselves."

...

"Tonight?"

Using his divine manifestation, Fang Yue stood right beside Deng Dahai and the others, listening to their conversation. He did not reveal his form; the act of condensing a godhead was not something to be shared lightly. With a thought, he vanished and reappeared in the small courtyard where he used to live in Yutou Town.

His current activities in Yutou Town relied on the power of the idol holding his godhead. The range of his movement was limited to the town itself; he could not venture beyond those boundaries. A divine manifestation could not stray too far from its idol, restricted to a radius of a hundred miles. However, within that hundred-mile radius of the Sea God idol, he could move instantaneously, appearing and disappearing like a ghost.

"In terms of power level, this divine body is only at the peak of the Xiantian realm, but its various miraculous abilities are certainly not something a Xiantian grandmaster could compare to," Fang Yue mused to himself. Even a minor deity was still a god.

The only drawback was the inability to stray too far from the source of the incense and prayers.

"It is fortunate that I condensed the godhead into the idol to form a manifestation. If I had used my true body to condense it, I would have been trapped in Yutou Town, which would have been a massive loss." Fang Yue felt a sense of relief.

...

As the sun set, Xing'er came out of the house holding a half-grown orange cat.

"Orange, when do you think young master will return?" The young girl looked at the setting sun in the distance and sighed. The cat meowed twice in response.

Fang Yue stood in the courtyard, watching Xing'er for a moment, but ultimately chose not to reveal himself to her.

...

Deep into the night, Fang Baoliang carried his broadsword alone to the ferry crossing at the east end of the town. Fang Yue stood right beside him. Fang Baoliang seemed to vaguely sense something and frowned, looking around, but he discovered nothing. He found a spot by the ferry and sat down. The sea breeze was strong, ruffling his hair and clothes. Fang Yue did not manifest; he simply waited silently with him.

Fang Yue had intended to use his "Illumination" ability to spy on the ghost haunting the town, but unfortunately, this divine body could not utilize the innate abilities of his true form.

...

No one knew how much time had passed when suddenly, cold winds began to howl across the sea, and waves surged violently. A ghost standing about ten feet tall, accompanied by several minions, was walking across the sea from the direction of Qingyu Town.

Fang Yue focused his gaze. Was this not Magistrate Wen, who had appeared in his dream back in Ping'an County demanding he serve as his secretary, along with his ghost bailiffs?

Compared to before, this Magistrate Wen had been bolstered by the local earth energy; he had grown significantly taller, and his strength had naturally increased by a wide margin.