Chapter 78: The God Statue Cracks

Mortals offer money and wealth, while deities obtain Incense Wish Power.

The copper coins and silver notes inside the merit box are not important; what is important is the Incense Wish Power contained within them. Under normal circumstances, this kind of Incense Wish Power is even more high-grade than ordinary incense offerings.

Therefore, within Li Heng's field of vision, a large portion of the Incense Wish Power absorbed by this Earth Deity Statue originated from this massive merit box.

But now, a Weird has suddenly appeared inside the merit box, emitting a sinister curse.

What will happen because of this?

Suddenly, under the observation of his Heavenly Eye, this Earth Deity Statue exhibited an imperceptible tremor. These tremors directly turned the God Statue into a water pump, beginning to continuously extract the Incense Wish Power of the believers.

It was clearly resisting the curse of that Weird Official Report.

But it was obvious that the Official Report was far too fierce. Even after extracting the Incense Wish Power of those believers, it was quickly exhausted, and the God Statue began to become listless.

In the Heavenly Eye's field of vision.

The God Statue was even gradually stained with a shade of gray, becoming gloomy, as if it had been abandoned for many years. As time passed, it was further stained with a touch of evil.

It was as if what stood before him was not a God Statue, but a monster.

Li Heng frowned.

Is this God Statue really that fragile? Is that all it can do? It seems it is just a showpiece, a silver spearhead with a wax tip. He must retrieve this Weird Official Report as soon as possible to avoid it spiraling out of control.

Just as he was about to take action.

The God Statue jolted violently, as if rebounding from rock bottom, triggering some kind of hidden mechanism. It began to extract the Incense Wish Power that was supposed to be transported along the network to resist the curse.

The gray color staining the God Statue also dissipated directly under the impact of that massive Incense Wish Power, swept away like dust, becoming radiant once more.

He raised an eyebrow; this God Statue has a few tricks up its sleeve?

It is just unclear how long it can hold on.

Things that can be called Weird are not simple. Weird things operate according to rules; there are rumors that these things might not have any concept of energy.

As long as they conform to the rules, they can operate forever.

In other words, no one can exhaust a Weird to death.

However, Li Heng did not quite believe it, which is why he harbored the idea of using such an evil God Statue to test it, to see if he could probe anything out.

Massive Incense Wish Power poured out, and while protecting the God Statue from the curse, it even began to counterattack, scouring the Weird Official Report inside the merit box, wanting to completely obliterate it.

But a Weird is a Weird after all.

Even under the impact of the massive Incense Wish Power, it did not suffer the slightest damage. It was as if they were on parallel lines that never intersect, leaving this Source Power completely helpless.

Li Heng watched this situation and frowned in deep thought.

This thing called a Weird is truly unreasonable.

Can't even handle it with the Incense Wish Power of an incense deity? Or is it because this level of Incense Wish Power is too low-grade?

He shook his head and sighed; it seems the essence of the Weird is still too high. After all, it is something involving the operation of rules, and it might even be corrupted, alienated rules...

Of course, Li Heng was not afraid.

Incense Wish Power cannot solve it, but Source Power can.

Your Weird essence is high and involves rules. But can it be higher than those innate ancient gods who created Heaven and Earth? That is definitely impossible. As long as Li Heng has enough Source Power, he can visualize innate ancient gods, or even create them.

Even without indulging in such lofty fantasies.

Li Heng estimated that if he spent the remaining 190 points of Source Power to upgrade his Sun True Fire, he could likely succeed in burning this Weird.

It is just that there is no need right now.

He continued to watch; the once immensely massive Incense Wish Power began to slowly weaken, just like water in a faucet—very strong at first, but eventually turning into mere drips.

The Incense Wish Power that could be drawn over was completely exhausted. But that Weird Official Report still did not suffer the slightest damage. Without the obstruction of the Incense Wish Power, it continued to issue curses toward the Earth Deity Statue, once again causing it to be stained with a shade of gray.

But this time, the God Statue's resistance was somewhat intense.

With a sudden 'Crack!', the face split open.

Li Heng looked at the God Statue, which had lost all divine power and could no longer even transport or store Incense Wish Power, and fell silent. This Earth Deity is simply not as fierce as this Weird.

With you like this, how do you have the nerve to be a deity?

Just quit the group; you can't even beat a mere Weird.

As expected, it would be better to let his divine path avatar be the Earth Deity. Li Heng shook his head and sighed, then swiftly retrieved the Weird Official Report from the merit box.

Under the suppression of Li Heng's supreme Great Sun True Form essence, the Weird that was previously acting so arrogantly instantly wilted; its so-called curse was like a tickle, completely insignificant.

Thinking this, he walked straight out of the Earth Temple.

In the domain observed by the Heavenly Eye, the Earth Deity Statue had cracked. That would soon manifest in Reality as well, so he had better run away first to avoid getting into trouble.

Sure enough, not long after Li Heng left, many panicked and terrified shouts came from inside the Earth Temple.

"What's going on? The Earth Deity's statue has cracked!"

"How is this possible? Could this be a warning from the deity? Could Bei'an City also end up like the Sanshan Gathering..."

Li Heng did not leave immediately but stood in the distance to watch. With such a big thing happening, he didn't believe no one would come; he wanted to see who exactly was behind the God Statue.

To actually pull off such a grand scheme.

While collecting the Incense Wish Power of the common people, it was also extracting something from their bodies, suspected to be vital essence... Is this treating ordinary people as its own rations?

At this moment, the young Daoist boy tossed aside the unconscious Meng Hao with one hand and frowned.

What is going on?

This so-called person of good fortune is good to look at but not good to drain, and he even has bad luck—that's fine. But the Incense Wish Power supply of one of his Temples was actually interrupted? It even diverted other Incense Wish Power, directly leaving the Incense Wish Power pool he built empty.

He was slightly annoyed; the joy of accidentally encountering a person of good fortune to drain their Luck and make up for his own deficit vanished. Who exactly dares to stir up trouble on the head of Tai Sui!

Could it be the County Magistrate of this Bei'an City, Ren Hai?

Heh, the Ren family!

A look of wariness flashed in the young Daoist boy's eyes, followed by a cold sneer as he drifted toward the Earth Temple in the South City.

Shangguan Yan left the Flower Boat and walked on the streets of the South City. At this time, she was not wearing much clothing, only some gold and silver jewelry to cover her vital parts. She also had a few bells tied to her feet, which jingled as she walked.

If there were anyone who did not know this woman's true nature.

They would likely mistake her for a spirit of this world.

Even dressed like this, the surrounding pedestrians remained unmoved, unable to see her at all. Shangguan Yan wove through the pedestrians, walking in a realm on a different plane from the Present World.

The surrounding pedestrians naturally could not see such a wanton woman, yet whenever Shangguan Yan passed by, she would always cause those pedestrians to have restless, wandering thoughts.

Commonly known as being inexplicably struck by spring fever.

Although Shangguan Yan did not mind walking down the street like this and holding an uninhibited gathering, she was, after all, here to attend to serious business: searching for that missing Strange.

She would not go looking for trouble by manifesting her form in the world.

Suddenly, a look of joy appeared on her face; the Strange she had just lost contact with had inexplicably appeared for a brief moment! Thinking this, she directly increased her speed and dashed straight toward that Earth Temple.