Chapter 192
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Chapter 192: Title
——Conferment, God of Blessings Gong Shijie of Baiyang Village.
Through the unseen barrier, Gong Shijie comprehended the significance of his current state.
This was the Heavenly Mandate’s proclamation.
The white radiance carried the sacred talisman of Earth Deities. By accepting this celestial decree, he became an officially recognized Earth Deity of the Heavenly Path.
In ancient myths and legends, this status would render him a minor yet legitimate deity of the Heavenly Court – entitled to formal worship through enshrined statues, distinct from unsanctioned cults.
As the talisman merged with him, Gong Shijie’s form underwent transformation.
Ceremonial vestments befitting an Earth Deity materialized upon him, accompanied by a Heavenly Court token and a weathered wooden staff. His spiritual power swelled like rising tides until stabilizing at an ordained threshold.
Gong Shijie’s senses expanded exponentially. Every occurrence within Baiyang Village – stray dogs darting through alleys, whispered domestic disputes, even the liquid murmur of streams – became vividly perceptible at his will.
Ye Linlang watched the motionless figure, recognizing his immersion in absorbing terrestrial legacy.
Earth Deities ascended through mortal devotion, sustained by incense smoke and prayers. Yet pre-Awakening Blue Star’s technological dominance had erased most shrines, leaving only handful of clay elders in crumbling huts to represent local deities.
Upon ascension, understanding flowed through Gong Shijie – his posthumous appointment stemmed from virtuous life and clean death. Though perished with lingering regrets, his preserved integrity spared him from ghostly corruption, qualifying him for Heaven’s inaugural conferment.
His duties now demanded shrine construction and territorial guardianship… but first, his gaze fell upon silver-haired parents aged by grief.
He materialized gradually.
The clatter of falling chopsticks fractured the silence.
"Shi… Shijie?" The trembling voice held decades of sorrow.
Ye Linlang departed during the manifestation, having verified the talisman’s efficacy. Her next task involved consecrating other newly appointed Earth Deities.
Meanwhile in Yama Palace’s judgment hall, the underworld ruler paused mid-sentence. Though Earth Deities operated beyond hell’s jurisdiction, their emergence resonated through interconnected spiritual networks.
A shared glance with the Magistrate confirmed mutual awareness. Within moments, dozens of divine signatures flickered into existence across the mortal plane – an occurrence last witnessed during Your Highness Haotian’s golden age of deifications.
The Yama’s stony countenance softened marginally. This resurgence hinted at restored balance, though the relief carried bitter aftertaste – memories of recent underworld crises too raw to forget.
In Zhongxia, only celestial beings and fate-sensitive cultivators detected the subtle shift. Nearly a hundred spirits transitioned that night – village guardians mostly, with few city-protecting deities among them – their ranks determined by accumulated merits and regional impact.
From first to last, the Awakening’s vanguard took their posts.
Some sheltered villages or towns, while others guarded entire cities. The latter remained rare—after all, few great benefactors existed who could shoulder such divine responsibility, requiring lifetimes of extraordinary virtue.
Regarding Mountain Gods and River Deities, Ye Linlang had no intention of appointing humans. Legends spoke of these roles being filled by ascended creatures rather than mortals. She saw no harm in allowing time for worthy beings to prove themselves through competition.
Humanity already enjoyed ample advantages. Further concessions might destabilize the delicate equilibrium. Ye Linlang shuddered to imagine humans growing arrogant enough to dismiss other sentient beings entirely.
She materialized in the Underworld.
The mortal realm required two days to comprehend recent events—ample time for her to inspect the netherworld’s operations. Choosing not to announce herself as the Ghostly Emperor, she avoided alerting Yama or his magistrates.
A year’s reconstruction had transformed the Underworld. What once resembled ancient dynastic realms now merged antiquity with modernity. Among numerous Ghost Cities, Fengdu remained preeminent—its ever-expanding borders hosting tile-roofed cottages alongside glass towers, the architectural dissonance forming strange harmony beneath Fengdu’s crimson skies.
Modern souls clearly favored the gleaming high-rises over crumbling ruins. From her vantage point, Ye Linlang surveyed the metropolis. The system’s brief reports hadn’t prepared her for this thriving necropolis where departed spirits recreated mortal comforts: commercial districts, pedestrian lanes, food streets, even sprawling shopping complexes.
She mused wryly—this occurred without full implementation of the Underworld network. Once digital connectivity spread, death might truly become mere relocation.
Descending into Fengdu’s streets, she wandered past the temporal divide where ancient and modern architectures collided. Though some wore historical garb, contemporary fashions dominated—understandable when most residents were recently deceased. Spirits retained living appearances unless deliberately revealing ghastly visages.
Ye Linlang adopted an utterly forgettable face, blending seamlessly into crowds. How fitting, she thought—a sovereign’s incognito inspection.
The teahouse triggered memories. She’d designed the Underworld’s original blueprint, though subsequent modifications escaped her notice. This establishment had been a modest stall, now expanded into a bustling three-story structure. If memory served, the ghost who’d addressed Ghost in Red as master frequented here.
Inside, every table overflowed with patrons. At the central dais, a middle-aged storyteller animatedly recounted mortal affairs—recent developments like the East-West exchange meeting, Zhongxia’s Spiritual Practice University partnering with England’s Magic Academy for student exchanges, the inaugural cohort departing post-summit…
Most spirits severed earthly ties upon entering the Underworld. Zhan Yuan proved the exception, his rare ability to traverse realms making him Fengdu’s prime newsmonger. With underworldly entertainment scarce, his teahouse performances guaranteed packed audiences.
A pigtailed child tugged Ye Linlang’s sleeve. "Miss! Tea or dinner?" Recognition flashed—this was one of the school tragedy’s victims, the spectral girl Ghost in Red had entrusted to Zhan Yuan during his underworld induction. The once-fragile spirit now glowed with health, though Ye Linlang frowned internally—was exploiting child labor part of their revival?
"Any seats left?" Ye Linlang gestured at the crammed hall.
"Plenty!" The girl led her past crowded tables to a counter resembling modern bistros. "We’ve got Other Shore Flower Tea from bloom-plucked petals, Meng Po Tea—that’s diluted Meng Po Soup, Yellow Springs Bone Tea from submerged skeletal blossoms…"
The child’s sales pitch crescendoed: "Or try our fresh beef! Master chefs prepare it live!" At her summons, anthropomorphic livestock emerged—a bipedal ox, iridescent chickens, and a child-sized pig.
"Pick any cut! Thirty ninth-tier ghostly energy pearls earn discount!"
Ye Linlang’s eye twitched at the preening "ingredients." Fresh indeed.
