Above the Great Dao
Chapter 148 - 86 County Town Disturbed by Evil Spirit_2

Chapter 148: Chapter 86 County Town Disturbed by Evil Spirit_2

Generally speaking, the reason for the formation of divine images is that the worshipped spirits gain self-consciousness and decide what they should look like; then, the divine image will turn into that appearance.

For example, the godmother of Huangyang Village is a God Demon Copper Statue, worshipped by the villagers long enough to have developed self-awareness, believing itself to be a fat person, hence the divine image has become that of a voracious fat person.

The godmother of Huangpo Village is an ancient tree, thinking it should be a young girl of eighteen or nineteen, so the divine image is that of a dignified and delicate young girl.

"The divine image will always be conscious, but the divine image in the Mountain Lord Temple has no consciousness, which means... the Mountain Lord is still alive!"

Chen Shi looked deeply at the divine image in the shrine and thought, "The Mountain Lord should be in the ancestral land, Huaxia Divine Continent. Hence, his image is formed without the need for consciousness. However, why is the Mountain Lord of Qianyang Mountain not in the West Bull New Continent but in the ancestral land instead?"

He suddenly realized, "When the eunuch Sanbao led the soldiers of Great Ming to this strange continent, seeing evil spirits everywhere, the first thing they must have done was not create a god, but to enshrine the Divine brought from their ships, allowing them to descend through the statues! In other words, the Mountain Lord of Qianyang Mountain must be the spirit of a great mountain in the Huaxia Divine Continent!"

He was somewhat puzzled.

Back then, this place must have been thriving with incense offerings, but why did it decline, and even the statues have disappeared without a trace?

"Once the divine image of the Mountain Lord is formed, we will be able to know the full story."

After leaving the Mountain Lord Temple, he went to the county town and arrived at Wencai Academy. During these few days of examination preparation, Chen Shi was not worried about his Literary Examination, but was somewhat concerned about the martial exam, so he planned to ask his classmates for advice.

There were only a few students in the academy, many of whom had not come to school. Chen Shi was surprised to see these few gathered together, whispering and discussing something in secret.

Hu Feifei was among them, and upon seeing him arrive, she waved urgently, "Brother Chen Shi, come here, quick!"

Chen Shi approached, and the several students, three boys and two girls who were about the same age as him, the oldest no more than fourteen or fifteen, the youngest around ten, were all neatly dressed with black hats on their heads.

"Are there no classes today?" Chen Shi asked.

"No classes have been held. There’s been an incident in the city, so Teacher Fu advised us all to go home, and not to come to the academy for the next two days."

Hu Feifei said mysteriously, "The day before yesterday and yesterday, more than a dozen students disappeared from the city, and the officials couldn’t find anyone. They say an evil spirit entered the city and took them to eat. That’s why Teacher Fu dares not hold classes. We don’t believe an evil spirit would come into the city! If an evil spirit entered the city, why would it specifically abduct students and not others?"

The students nodded in agreement.

One of them said, "So we plan to catch this evil spirit!"

Chen Shi looked at them, surprised, their young faces eager to capture an evil spirit?

Are the city’s students all so brave?

"Have you cultivated the Divine Embryo?" Chen Shi asked.

The student with a child-like face shook his head.

Chen Shi looked at the others and asked, "Have any of you cultivated the Divine Embryo?"

Everyone shook their heads, except for Hu Feifei who just giggled, neither shaking her head nor nodding.

The student around ten years old said, "Chen Shi, you come from the countryside, we city students learn different things than you country students. Although we’ve only cultivated the shrine and not the Divine Embryo, we can harness the energy of the shrine to activate spells! We’re very powerful!"

A girl said, "That’s right! Shen Yusheng is the best! He can always gather Sword Qi, which I can’t do!"

Chen Shi looked towards Shen Yusheng, another boy with a child-like face, no more than eleven or twelve years old.

"Have you not cultivated a Golden Core?" Chen Shi asked.

"Golden Core? Only a Scholar can cultivate a Golden Core!"

Shen Yusheng spoke with a serious expression, "You have to pass the Scholar examination first. During the Grand Sacrifice, a True God descends in secret, bestowing a divine gift, allowing you to own a Divine Embryo and enter the Divine Embryo Realm. Then you cultivate the Divine Embryo and, with its help, enter the Divinity Transformation Stage and refine a Golden Core."

The students nodded in agreement.

Chen Shi thought for a moment; he was indeed different from them. He had cultivated the Golden Core without the Divine Embryo. But if he passed the county examination and the True God descended and granted the Divine Embryo, he’d have reached that realm and could be on par with other Scholars, right?

"I suspect our private tutor, Teacher Fu, is the one disguised as the evil spirit."

Hu Feifei whispered, "With the county examination approaching, he’s been acting suspicious lately. I think he’s already selected candidates from among us, and when the Grand Sacrifice comes, he’ll steal those students’ Divine Embryos and sell them for a good price."

"Is it right to suspect our teacher?"

"Teacher is definitely not that kind of person!"

The students all challenged her claim, but Hu Feifei scoffed, "You don’t believe it? We just need to monitor Teacher Fu, and we’ll find the evidence!"

Shen Yusheng looked at Chen Shi, "Will you join us, Chen Shi?"

Chen Shi hesitated, and the other students encouraged him, "What are you afraid of with Shen Yusheng here?"

Chen Shi, concerned about the safety of these newly met classmates, agreed, asking, "Do you have any way to find this evil spirit?"

"Use me as bait!" The youngest student stood up and said boldly.

Chen Shi asked, "What’s your name?"

"I’m Gu Qingmeng! What about it?" replied the student.

"Nothing."

Chen Shi thought to himself, "Now I know what name to carve on the tombstone."

Hu Feifei said, "Teacher went to the East Market today; let’s go find him there. Later on, Qingmeng will go speak with him. We’ll observe from the shadows, and if he really tries something with Qingmeng, we’ll jump out to rescue her and capture the old villain to take to the county yamen."