Yuan County was a lower-level county in the Great Zhou Dynasty. Its population was only one-fifth of that of an average upper-level county. The county seat was dilapidated and had been in disrepair for many years. The city wall was still the ancient city wall from the Dapan Dynasty. The last time it was repaired was during the reign of Taizu of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
Cheng Tuo served as the City God of Yuan County for decades. The previous generation of City God was eroded by the incense and the river burst its banks all year round, so the people of Yuan County had many complaints when they offered sacrifices.
During the last major disaster, the river changed its course and Yuan County was also affected. The previous City God was overturned by the angry people and the City God Temple was cut off, and the incense offerings were cut off.
The golden statue of the city god was hit by the resentment of the people of the whole county. The city god, who lost his incense, was immediately stripped of his status as a god and fell into the underworld, and his whereabouts are unknown.
This is also the final fate of most gods in the world today. If they cannot become the true gods of the underworld, even if they are gods, without the protection of their family, clan, or immortal sect, they will be eroded by the incense one day and become a clay sculpture or a wooden frame. Even if they do not encounter such a disaster, they will eventually be at the mercy of others and end up with a miserable end.
Cheng Tuo was once the magistrate of Yuan County. He had made some achievements during his tenure and devoted himself to disaster relief and saving the people. He died of illness while in office. After his death, the news was reported to the capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty. In recognition of his merits and the fact that he was a disciple of the Imperial Academy, he was named the City God of Huan County.
Cheng Tuo imagined that he would be like other gods on earth, quietly guarding this ancient Yuan County. As this land decayed bit by bit, his memories would be buried here together.
Then he might be abandoned by the people of Yuan County again because of a disaster, or he might die because of someone's scheme, but by that time he would probably have forgotten even his own name.
However, it was impossible for Cheng Tuo to say that he regretted becoming the City God of Yuan County. During the period when he was the City God of Yuan County, the Cheng family became a prominent family in Yuan County. There were also several descendants in the family who were nominated for the imperial examinations. One of them is now serving as an official in the capital.
These are all the benefits that Cheng Tuo brought to the Yuan County as a local deity. This is also the reason why so many people want to be granted the title of local deity, not because they miss the living world, but to benefit their descendants.
But today, a plain yet elegant carriage drove into Yuan County. Cheng Tuo, the city god in the spiritual realm of Shenfu, could already feel an overwhelming momentum pressing down on him from afar, even though he was hundreds of miles away.
When he looked up, he saw the majestic aura that covered the sky and the earth and soared into the sky. As a disciple of the academy, he knew that it was definitely the arrival of the great sage Wenzong.
As soon as the carriage entered Yuan County, we saw the current Yuan County magistrate who had immediately received the news and hurried to the street with his officials to greet them, but he did not even see the people in the carriage and was stopped by the coachman.
However, the magistrate of Yuan County did not have any complaints. Instead, he bowed respectfully to the driver repeatedly before slowly backing away.
The carriage drove into the City God Temple. An old man got off the carriage with the help of the coachman and looked at the statue of the City God.
Immediately, a middle-aged scholar with golden light and ghostly patterns on his face walked down from the statue. He bowed and asked, "Cheng Tuo, the City God of Yuan County, greets you. May I know who you are and why you are here?"
The old man replied with the courtesy of his peers: "Master Qu Yong of Shangxian Academy!"
Immediately, the face of the City God of Yuan County changed. His attitude suddenly became extremely respectful, even reserved to the point of being a little scared: "I didn't know it was the teacher in person! I am sorry for my disrespect!"
After saying this, the City God of Yuan County wanted to salute again, but was stopped by Qu Yong: "Since you have become a god, the Lord of the City, you are in charge of the reincarnation of all living beings within a hundred miles. You don't have to follow the etiquette of the Yang world."
"I came here today to ask you a question!"
"When Feng Sheng ascends to heaven, the Xundu Academy will also transform into a cave in the upper realm. Now the academy is trying to select one person to become the city god of the ancient Xundu to usher in the academy's birth."
Qu Yong's face was solemn, and a fierce and righteous spirit burst out in an instant. In an instant, all the living beings in Yuan County heard a bolt of thunder from the blue sky resounding in the sky above Yuan County. The thunder went straight to the heart of the City God Cheng Tuo, and he shouted out a word, as if asking for advice on how to refine the mind.
"Cheng Tuo! Are you willing to become the City God of Xundu and ascend to heaven with the sages of Fengsheng and the academy?"
Cheng Tuo, the City God of Yuan County, felt as if his head had gone blank. He never expected that such a divine fate would fall upon him so suddenly.
No, this is no longer some kind of immortal fate; this is a direct step to heaven.
"Cheng Tuo is willing!"
In recent days, on the wasteland of the ancient Xun site, disciples of the academy wearing straw hats and short brown clothes have been walking around, holding various scrolls, surveying and circling the scope of the former Xun capital.
Farmers from several nearby counties who were off-season were also hired. Together with these academy disciples in short brown robes, they drove the mysterious pillars brought from afar into the ground, one every one or two mile, as if to enclose the entire xiao field.
One by one, Dinglong piles were driven into the nodes of the dragon veins in the ancient Xun site. The veins that had long been withered and dead were gradually awakened because of the Dinglong piles, but were also cut off from the outside world because of the Dinglong piles, as if they had formed a world of their own.
The earth revived again. The land that originally only grew weeds and was barren began to recover little by little, and all kinds of plants grew wildly.
In addition, a stone platform for praying to heaven and earth was built in front of the former gate of the ancient Xun City. It was built overnight, rising dozens of meters above the ground, with a rough and majestic style.
At this moment, thousands of people from all over the academy gathered in front of the rooftop and prostrated themselves on the ground.
Several masters and presidents of various academies stood on a high platform, and Master Qu Yong held up a document and prayed to heaven and earth.
In an instant, a strong wind arose, the clouds changed color for thousands of miles, and the cumulus clouds were pulled into flowing clouds, dragging them away into the distance.
The wind blew across the ancient land of Xundu, and the whistling sound was full of vicissitudes of life. For a moment, everyone seemed to hear the ancient sound of Xun, which lingered in their hearts.
However, Cheng Tuo, the former City God of Yuan County, felt at this moment that the whole world had suddenly become extremely clear and transparent. The hundreds of miles of land in Xundi fell into his eyes. The rich power of incense poured into the golden body of the Shinto, and he seemed to have turned into an ancient god walking on this ancient land.
The thousand-year history of Xundu was reviewed bit by bit in his eyes. Time seemed to flow backwards, and scenes kept appearing in his eyes.
From nowhere, a divine decree flew out from the earth and descended upon him.
His originally simple divine robe turned red and black in an instant, and the divine patterns on his face turned golden. He saw the ground veins taking shape above the Xun land, and a ground dragon roaring beneath the earth.
A temple took shape deep in the earth, where ancient revived gods and ghosts were waiting for him. A gorgeous golden bronze chariot rushed out from the depths of the earth and carried him back to the ground, followed by densely packed underworld officials and ghosts along the way.
Until today, Cheng Tuo realized the value of gods.
But at this moment, the scene seen by everyone on the high platform was different. The scholars in the academy only saw the earth veins being stimulated, the dragon energy reviving, and the deification of the City God of Xundu going smoothly.
As the earth veins are stimulated and the dragon energy revives, mirages continue to appear. The palaces and buildings of the ancient Xun site and the scenes of past dynasties continue to turn over.
This ancient great capital of Dahuan returned again, and as the City God of Xundu Chengtuo entered the spiritual realm of the divine mansion, it didn't take long before a black light was seen vibrating from the core of Xundu.
An extremely terrifying aura suddenly surged out from the depths of the earth. No matter whether it was a living person, an animal, or a ghost, everyone could feel the power that governed the cycle of heaven and earth and controlled the life and death of all living beings enveloping them. Everyone felt as if their souls were frozen in an instant, unable to move at all.
A spot of black permeated the earth and continued to spread, like a black vortex, swallowing up everything within hundreds of miles.
"Boom~"
A dull and long sound came from the earth, as if a huge door that was extremely heavy was slowly pushed open. The whole earth shook slightly, and the sky suddenly became gloomy.
"The netherworld!"
"The gate to the underworld is open!"