Chapter Forty-Five: The Earth Deity

In the depths of night, in a forest outside Renjia Town.

Li Yang was returning from a hunt when he suddenly sensed a surge of eerie energy rising from the woods. His heart stirred at once; he suppressed his aura and hurried toward the source.

“It’s all that pretty boy’s fault. Who knows what he said to Master during the day, but now Master’s been scolding us all day and even kicked us out…”

“Hmph! Next time I run into him, I’ll make sure he pays for it…”

Hidden atop a large tree, Li Yang saw Qiu Sheng, fuming and cursing as he rode his bicycle through the forest. On the rear seat sat a female ghost, her face radiant with happiness, dressed in a bright red wedding robe.

“Xiao Yu… In the end, Qiu Sheng still couldn’t escape this fate…”

Perched in the tree, witnessing the scene, Li Yang could only shake his head, marveling at the strength of fate’s correction.

Just then, the female ghost lost her balance, crashing into a tree and tumbling to the ground.

A burst of mocking laughter rang out, and a wave of divine energy swept by. Startled, the ghost turned and vanished without a trace.

Seeing this, Li Yang’s gaze shifted to the nearby Earth God’s shrine, his eyes narrowing in surprise: an Earth Deity.

“Earth God, please show yourself!”

Once Qiu Sheng had gone, Li Yang leapt from the tree, approached the shrine, and clasped his fists in greeting.

“The humble deity greets the master. Your blood and energy blaze like the sun—if you do not restrain it, my own divine power is too feeble for me to approach. Forgive me for not having visited your residence,”

As a yellowish glow flickered, a diminutive old man appeared before Li Yang. His face was rosy, his hair and beard snow-white, his entire being shrouded in a white, smoky aura—though his spirit body was faintly translucent.

“Earth God, what is the meaning of this?”

Li Yang was genuinely puzzled. Although this Earth Deity’s rank was low, he was nonetheless a true, officially recognized god with standing and authority. How could it be that his divine form was so insubstantial?

The Earth God responded with a bitter smile, “You are not mistaken. Ever since the great calamity centuries ago, when the celestial court withdrew from this world and concealed itself, our realm has been cut off from heaven. Add to that the ceaseless wars ravaging the land and the invasions of Western tribes, the people suffer, and the offerings to the underworld have dwindled. Naturally, our divine power has become scarce—hence the proliferation of demons and monsters everywhere.

“I am fortunate. With a true master protecting Renjia Town, the feng shui and fortunes here have improved. In most places, Earth Deities are far worse off—many have fallen or slipped into deep slumber for lack of incense offerings,” he explained, seeing the confusion in Li Yang’s eyes.

“I see. Earth God, do you know of any places nearby where yin energy gathers? My Thunder Rooster seems on the verge of a breakthrough, and I would appreciate any guidance you can offer.”

“You are too courteous, Master. As for places where yin energy accumulates, Renjia Town enjoys perpetual spring, and the earth’s qi is abundant—such places are rare here. But some dozens of miles away lies Teng Teng Town, where a vein of yin energy runs beneath the ground. It may suit your purpose,” the Earth God said after a moment’s thought, though somewhat hesitantly.

“Thank you for your guidance, Earth God. In a few days, I shall return with a generous gift. I will not trouble you further—farewell!”

Having received the answer he sought, Li Yang turned and departed without hesitation.

“Master, may your journey be safe. Forgive me for not seeing you off—I must attend to my duties…”

…

To speak plainly, the lineage of Earth Deities is a branch of the immortals, under the jurisdiction of the underworld. Their power is drawn from heaven and earth, and their cultivation is even more arduous than other paths. One could say each deity fills a unique post destined for them and no other.

Cultivation begins with meditation—also called ‘cultivating the truth,’ as one strives to transform illusion into reality. All supernatural abilities stem from the will and imagination of mortals.

The will of ordinary people is weak, but the will of heaven and earth is boundless. Cultivation along the path of divinity means harnessing the will of the Dao, enforcing the laws of heaven.

In this, it resembles the Western faith in God; both Eastern and Western divine paths are, in essence, variations on the same theme.

The Western God is claimed to be omniscient and omnipotent.

The very first words of the Bible state: “God said, Let there be light. And there was light…”

That single phrase encapsulates the beginning of all cultivation: the stronger the will, the greater the power. God dares claim omnipotence because His will is sufficient to reshape all of creation.

Human strength has its limits, but in all the universe, only the will knows no bounds. With a will strong enough, one’s desires are realized—heaven and earth are sundered, the universe remade with a mere thought.

Western divinity venerates God, who is the core of their system. In the East, divinity acts in the name of Heaven, for human will is but a mote compared to that of the cosmos—this is the fundamental difference between the two.

For this reason, humanity is crowned the leader of all living things. With innate intelligence, humans hold every advantage on the path of cultivation. For otherwise, with their frail bodies, how could they have survived the savage ages, amidst countless primordial beasts? It is precisely this intrinsic wisdom that grants humanity limitless potential.

To put it simply, in terms of size and strength, humans are at a disadvantage—that’s obvious. The ancient beasts all survived cruel, harsh environments, emerging through brutal competition as the strongest of their kind.

As for supernatural arts and spells, most are imitations of the abilities of those celestial beasts. But no matter how humans mimic them, can they truly match the battle instincts etched into the beasts’ very genes? Unless aided by extraordinary treasures, sheer strength trumps all. No matter how profound one’s magic, against overwhelming force, it is useless. A fox, no matter how it trains, cannot hope to defeat a tiger of the same rank—nature’s food chain allows no exceptions.

In every other respect, ancient beasts outclass humanity—save for intelligence. Yet in the end, they were still defeated by humankind, showing the true power of will.

Consider martial arts: is the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms in Qiao Feng’s hands the same as in Song Qingshu’s? Why did Little Li’s Flying Dagger become a legend? The answer is simple—it is the power of will.

As the saying goes, “One phrase of true teaching is worth more than ten thousand volumes of false instruction.” Will, at its core, means belief: if you believe you can do it, then you can. The subtlety of this truth is what cultivators spend their lives pursuing, seeking the ultimate principle of the Dao.

As for spiritual energy, it is a substance distinct from ordinary energy, capable of nourishing the intelligence of all things—a gift from heaven and earth. As is well known, all energy radiates, and most forms of radiation are harmful to the human body, making them unsuitable for cultivation. But spiritual energy is utterly without such fluctuations; except for those with spiritual sense or willpower, ordinary people cannot even perceive its existence. This is the true uniqueness of spiritual energy.

It is precisely this power, bestowed by heaven and earth, that offers all living beings the possibility of transcendence.