Chapter 152: These gods are all about to "die"

This is pure nonsense!!

Lu Yuan's earlier meaning, and even his previous meaning, was only that after the entanglement of their Fate Patterns was resolved, the Deity of Beauty would leave.

But when did he ever say she had to leave?!

Hey!!

This Deity of Beauty!

She's purely dreaming up whatever she wants to hear!

At the same time, the Deity of Beauty turned her head, her dark brows lifting slightly as she looked at Lu Yuan.

Her tone carried a trace of a coquettish, unyielding quality that was neither angry nor pleased.

"Your meaning, wasn't it that you wanted to shoo me away?"

"Whether I leave or not, don't I know that myself?!"

"Listening to your tone, if I don't leave, will you have to chase me away?!"

Lu Yuan: "????"

Hey!!

How could she possibly connect it like that?!

Lu Yuan was just about to say a few words, but then he reconsidered.

Regardless of whether the Deity of Beauty wants to leave after their Fate Pattern entanglement is resolved in the future.

Even if the Deity of Beauty really does leave then, that's still a matter for the future.

At the very least, the Deity of Beauty hasn't said she wants to leave now, right?

She's here right now, playing mahjong every day, having who knows how much fun and happiness.

Him bringing up all that stuff was indeed somewhat of a buzzkill.

For a moment, Lu Yuan wanted to explain, but didn't know where to start.

Just then, Zhao Qiao'er beside him suddenly let out a soft "pfft" laugh.

That laugh was charming to the bone, carrying an indescribable charm that echoed in the side hall.

"He's not shooing you away~"

"This is clearly him being reluctant to let you go~"

Um...

As soon as Zhao Qiao'er's words fell, both Lu Yuan and the Deity of Beauty were stunned.

Firstly, Lu Yuan certainly didn't have the intention to "shoo" the Deity of Beauty away.

But...

Lu Yuan also absolutely hadn't reached the point of being "reluctant" to let the Deity of Beauty go.

Song Meiqin also put down the tiles in her hand at this time, took off the Gold-Rimmed Glasses from the bridge of her nose, gently wiped the lenses with a handkerchief, and then leisurely put them back on.

That series of actions was calm and unhurried, exuding an unparalleled intellectual beauty.

"That's right~"

"If Yu'an'er really wanted you to leave, once the Fate Pattern entanglement is resolved, everyone goes their separate ways, and no one can stop it."

"Why would he keep saying these things every day?"

"Whether you leave or not, what does it have to do with him?"

Aunt Qin raised her eyes to look at Lu Yuan, then glanced at the Deity of Beauty, a faint, elusive hint of slyness flickering in her gaze.

Aunt Qiao'er beside her also put down the mahjong tiles in her hand. Those jade-like hands painted with bright red nail polish gently clapped together, her eyes swirling with endless charm.

"So you see, this is him being reluctant to let you go, that's why he keeps asking all sorts of questions!"

"On the surface, it seems like he's always saying you're going to leave. In reality, he's afraid you'll leave. It's because he's reluctant in his heart that he keeps saying it~"

"Otherwise, he couldn't be bothered to ask~"

Lu Yuan: "???"

Did he have that meaning?

Lu Yuan was a bit confused.

The explanations from these two beautiful aunts were simply so reasonable that Lu Yuan was almost convinced.

Could it be that he really was reluctant to let the Deity of Beauty go??

Whether Lu Yuan believed it or not was another matter.

But the Deity of Beauty clearly believed it.

Following the words of the two "beautiful aunts," the Deity of Beauty's expression visibly softened a lot.

No.

Not just softened a lot.

It instantly cleared up!

At this moment, the Deity of Beauty turned her head. Those beautiful eyes, brilliant as the Milky Way, were full of slyness as she looked at Lu Yuan.

"Hmph~"

"If you're reluctant to let me go, you should have said so earlier~"

"Going through all this, you nearly made me leave in anger~"

"Don't worry, even after our Fate Pattern entanglement is resolved, big sister won't leave, okay~"

The Deity of Beauty's perfectly flawless face now wore an expression full of earnest promise.

Lu Yuan, on the other hand, stood to the side with a speechless expression.

Alright then....

Even if the process was wrong, as long as the result is right, it's fine.

Lu Yuan couldn't be bothered to deal with these three anymore and instead went to the corner of the hall to check the prerequisite for the tongue-restoring method, the seven-day rootless water.

He took a glance. Good, no changes.

So next, he needed to prepare the things to be used tonight.

Although it was outside the mountain gate of Zhenlong Temple, he still had to make all necessary preparations.

Lu Yuan didn't intend to have any conflict with these "wild deities."

As said before, "deity" is a neutral term.

A deity does not necessarily represent good, but it certainly does not represent evil!

Otherwise, it wouldn't be called a deity, but an Evil Entity!

So Lu Yuan wasn't going to exterminate these "wild deities."

His purpose in going was only to draw a clear line and ask for clarification.

But the necessary preparations absolutely could not be lacking, lest the other side does something outrageous if the talks break down.

Of course, there was no need to worry too much.

Not to mention Zhenlong Temple standing firm behind him, nor Gu Qingwan being here.

Just tonight, the Deity of Beauty would be standing beside him.

The Deity of Beauty's strength goes without saying.

Otherwise, Lu Yuan wouldn't have started taking on tasks again just a few days after recovering.

......

The third quarter of the midnight hour.

The moon hid behind the clouds.

Outside the mountain gate of Zhenlong Temple, Lu Yuan stood alone.

He wore a dusty old Taoist robe, holding no Ritual Tools in his hands, nor any talismans.

He just stood there, like an idler who couldn't sleep and came out for a stroll in the middle of the night.

The mountain wind blew up from below, carrying the chill of the winter night, sweeping up the withered leaves on the ground, swirling past his feet.

Lu Yuan didn't move.

He just raised his eyes to look at the pitch-black night below the mountain.

There was something there.

He could sense it without even looking.

Those things were gathered on the bluestone steps outside the mountain gate.

Not Evil Entities, not spirits, but... "deities."

They had no form, yet had weight; they made no sound, yet had breath.

That breath was extremely, extremely light, so light that ordinary people couldn't perceive it at all.

But Lu Yuan, standing here, could feel the slight tremor brought by that breath.

It wasn't the ground trembling, but the air trembling, as if something was slowly inhaling and exhaling the aura of this place.

Of course, this was somewhat intangible.

Better...

Better to just use the [Vanquish Demons and Exorcise Evil] system for a more direct and clear view.

Speaking of which...

It really was thanks to Lu Yuan's poor condition and weak strength.

And the warning system of [Vanquish Demons and Exorcise Evil] was based on Lu Yuan's current strength to judge.

Lu Yuan was very weak now, finding it difficult to use zhenran, difficult to use techniques, and even more unable to activate Ritual Tools.

Even doing the most ordinary things a Taoist does, if the intensity gets too high, he easily sees stars.

Right now, Lu Yuan was probably only a bit stronger than Wang Cheng'an and Xu Erxiao.

Given Lu Yuan's current condition, he could see all the "deities" below the mountain clearly.

After all, "deity" doesn't necessarily mean overwhelmingly powerful.

Take Yellow Braised Chicken for example.

It was also a proper immortal who underwent tribulation and attained the Dao, but Yellow Braised Chicken had never triggered a danger-level warning with Lu Yuan.

The Celestial Master Realm was still very authoritative!

Especially since Lu Yuan's Celestial Master Realm wasn't an ordinary one.

As Lu Yuan began to descend the mountain, information about these "deities" gradually appeared before him.

[Type: Recumbent Ox Stone Lord]

[Cultivation: Three hundred and sixty-two years]

[Type: A giant rock in the fields resembling a recumbent ox, regarded by villagers as a divine object believed to protect the area's favorable weather and good harvests. People offered incense and worship year-round. Spiritual consciousness gradually emerged within the stone, thus forming this deity.]

[Danger Level: ★★★★★]

[Note: This deity can pose a threat, but its nature is not evil. It is formed from incense offerings, not an Evil Entity.]

[Type: Spring Mother]

[Cultivation: Three hundred and seventy-seven years]

[Type: The deity of the mountain spring source at Tianquan Mountain, the origin of the water vein. Abundance and drought are all tied to her. Villagers think of the source when drinking water, worshiping her generation after generation, thus forming this deity.]

[Danger Level: ★★★★]

[Note: A water vein deity, inherently gentle and kind. But incense offerings have been cut off for many years, showing signs of exhaustion, urgently needing to find a new source of incense offerings.]

[Type: Flower Maiden]

[Cultivation: Two hundred and seventy-seven years]

[Type: A wild little flower deity in charge of the flowering sequence in an area. Young women often pray to her for beautiful looks or to find a good match.]

[Danger Level: ★★★]

[Note: If there are no more incense offerings to sustain her, she may struggle to last another ten years.]

Looking at the "deities" hidden in the darkness of night, Lu Yuan felt some understanding in his heart.

It seems these danger levels are all very high.

But this is based on Lu Yuan's current strength.

In reality, these are just some minor deities.

Just like Lu Yuan said before, these are similar existences to Yellow Braised Chicken.

Of course, there were others around that Lu Yuan couldn't see, as the detection range of the [Vanquish Demons and Exorcise Evil] system was only five hundred meters.

Beyond five hundred meters, there were a few more.

But there wouldn't be any stronger ones; Lu Yuan could sense that.

So, these are pretty much just these kinds of minor rural deities, without much significant Cultivation.

Strange...

Deities of this level of Cultivation dare to come and tempt the Deity of Beauty?

The gap between these rural wild deities and the Deity of Beauty is like the gap between Lu Yuan and Shen Jizhou.

With such a huge gap, they still dare to come knocking?

Lu Yuan pondered carefully. This seems... not really a big problem.

After all, this bunch of "deities" just came up to persuade the Deity of Beauty?

Perhaps they knew a powerful new deity had emerged beyond the Great Wall, so they came knocking, wanting to follow the Deity of Beauty?

It's like something...

It's like flying a kite in the wilderness. If you fly a very large kite, a flock of birds will quickly follow behind it.

Of course, Lu Yuan didn't know the specific situation.

Lu Yuan had asked the Deity of Beauty about it today.

However, the Deity of Beauty said she didn't have much contact with these "deities."

It was only in the last couple of days that these "deities" frequently appeared.

As for the Deity of Beauty's conversations with them, they were limited to the first night when this bunch of "deities" asked the Deity of Beauty to go with them.

The Deity of Beauty naturally didn't agree and paid them no further mind.

She just guarded the mountain gate of Zhenlong Temple, not letting this bunch of "things" come up.

When Lu Yuan reached the foot of the mountain and looked around at his surroundings.

Lu Yuan slightly cupped his hands and then spoke:

"Everyone, if you have matters, please manifest and discuss in detail."

Lu Yuan spoke. His voice wasn't loud, but in the quiet of the night, it traveled far, far away.

The mountain wind stopped.

The leaves no longer rustled.

The whole world suddenly fell into an eerie, deathly silence.

Then, things began to appear on those bluestone steps.

First, mist.

Extremely faint, gray-white mist seeped out from the cracks between the steps, strand by strand, wisp by wisp, gathering more and more.

The mist didn't spread out, just clung tightly to the steps, spreading upwards layer by layer, as if something was stepping on it to come up.

The mist spread to three feet in front of the mountain gate and stopped.

Then, within the gray-white mist, pairs of faint, glowing lights lit up.

They weren't real eyes, but points of light, either sickly green, dark yellow, or gray-white.

These points of light flickered uncertainly within the mist, like will-o'-the-wisps in a graveyard at night.

But these were definitely not will-o'-the-wisps.

Lu Yuan knew what this was.

This was "divine light."

Those wild deities who had gained some incense offerings, acquired some Cultivation, but weren't qualified to be properly enshrined.

They had no form and could only manifest in this way.

After all, not all "deities" had physical forms like the Deity of Beauty.

Of course, these manifested things...

No matter how you looked at them, they carried a somewhat Evil Entity-like aura.

It didn't seem like the posture a deity should have.

But upon careful thought.

Actually...

From a certain perspective...

Deities and Evil Entities share the same origin.

Often, only a single thought separates the two.

It's just that...

Deities can turn into Evil Entities, but...

Evil Entities cannot turn back into deities...

For a moment, Lu Yuan inexplicably thought of Qingwan...

Hmm...

Getting a bit carried away. Lu Yuan shook his head, steadied his mind, and looked at the faint "divine lights" before him.

Lu Yuan counted.

Seven pairs.

Fourteen points of light.

Seven wild deities.

As he watched, the points of light in the mist suddenly began to flicker violently.

Immediately after, those points of light began to slowly gather, stretch, and change.

They were trying to manifest forms.

Lu Yuan didn't move, just watched quietly.

The gray-white mist churned, as if stirred by an invisible hand.

Those sickly green, dark yellow, and gray-white points of light separated from the mist, slowly condensing into vague, blurry outlines.

The first to take shape was a hunched figure.

It was an old man-like existence, the gray-white mist condensing on him into a tattered robe.

His face was unclear, only a pair of sickly green eyes glowing faintly in the mist.

He was slightly hunched over, as if he had been squatting by the fields for hundreds of years and could no longer straighten up.

[Recumbent Ox Stone Lord]

This name flashed through Lu Yuan's mind.

Immediately after, the second figure took shape.

It was a woman's outline, clearer than the first.

She wore a set of dusty, grayish clothes, her hair loose and disheveled. Her facial features were blurry and indistinct, but one could sense a... parched aura.

Like a riverbed that hadn't seen rain for a very, very long time, cracked with fissures, yearning for something.

This was [Spring Mother].

Then... the third figure also took shape.

It was the form of a young girl, more blurred than the previous two, like a wisp of smoke that could disperse at any moment.

She wore clothes that seemed piled from flower petals, swaying slightly in the night wind.

That face was still unclear, but one could sense a... withering aura.

This was [Flower Maiden].

The remaining four figures also took shape one after another.

There were old and young, male and female. Without exception, all were as blurry as wisps of mist that could disperse at any moment.

Their eyes glowed faintly in the mist, all looking at Lu Yuan standing before the mountain gate.

Lu Yuan also looked at these "deities."

He thought again of the prompts given by the [Vanquish Demons and Exorcise Evil] system.

Lu Yuan suddenly realized a problem.

These minor rural deities weren't the kind of wild deities who had attained the Dao but never received incense offerings.

They were all deities who had once received incense offerings, who had once protected the common people of an area!

But now, with incense offerings cut off and believers scattered, they had become like this...

Without form, without a fixed abode, they could only wander at night, searching for even the slightest trace of incense offering aura.

If one had to give these "deities" an adjective...

Then it would be...

These deities are all about to "die."