Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao

Therefore, Lu Yu hastily changed the subject and fed his nephew a poisonous dose of "chicken soup," unwilling to wade into these muddy waters any further.

"Brother Qingfeng, I have caused much disturbance during this time, and I hope for your forgiveness!"

"You jest, sir. I have taken advantage of a tremendous opportunity, and I have yet to thank you for your great kindness!" Shi Qingfeng said with a smile. After this event, Izumo Mountain's fame was bound to rise, and as the Mountain God, his status would naturally rise with the tide.

"Haha, I'll come to bother you another time when I'm free. Lu must take his leave now." At this time, Lu Yu had wrapped up his affairs and was in a relaxed mood.

After bidding farewell to Shi Qingfeng with a clasped hands salute, a cloud formed under his feet, and he flew towards his own cave abode.

Soaring through the clouds, a journey of a thousand miles took but half a day, and the vast green mountains could be seen in an instant.

The Big Black Donkey was lying in front of the cave abode, idly counting the ants passing by, when suddenly it felt a shadow blocking the sunlight above.
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Raising its head, it saw Lu Yu standing beside it, clad in a green robe.

"Master, you have returned." Big Black Donkey seemed moved to tears, hugging Lu Yu's thigh with two hooves as if they were human hands.

After Lu Yu's diligent training over this period, the Big Black Donkey had become very eager to please. After all, it did not want to stand on one hoof to perform ballet, nor did it want to stand up and dance the hula.

Lu Yu looked at Big Black Donkey, smiled, and said, "Nothing happened in the cave abode, right?"

"Nothing at all, everything is as usual. The little sapling is growing extremely well." Big Black Donkey hastily replied, nearly beating its chest in assurance.

Lu Yu walked into his cave abode and couldn't help but relax. This cave was now his home, after all. He sat down by the spring, and the Enlightenment Tea Tree swayed its tender branches, conveying a sense of joy.

"I haven't thanked you yet, had it not been for you, I would now be nothing more than a puppet."

A small branch tenderly touched his hand in response.

"I estimate it won't be long before Heaven and Earth bestow their virtue upon us. By then, we can replenish your foundation. As for the scattered Spiritual Charm of heaven and earth, we can gradually collect it."

Lu Yu had made up his mind that the first use of this upcoming virtue was to heal the damaged foundation of the Enlightenment Tea Tree, for it had seen him through this crisis. He had also become acutely aware of the importance of this Heaven and Earth Spirit Root.

Meanwhile, throughout the lands of Great Chu, a fervent national construction was underway. Every city had already received the Imperial Edict to build City God Temples. Because the Imperial Court supplied the provisions and offered payment, the citizens were filled with enthusiasm, eager to give their utmost effort.

"I hear that the City God is quite extraordinary, overseeing life and death, capturing ghosts and subduing demons, ensuring peace for the community." Naturally, the divine duties of the City God became known to the public with the construction of the City God Temples.

"Is it really that powerful? Once the temple is finished, I must worship earnestly to ensure the safety of my household."

"Indeed, I plan to worship earnestly as well. After all, the City God presides over life and death itself." For the common folk, the myriad Buddhas seemed too distant, whereas the City God was responsible for their very city, immediately narrowing the gap between them. This proximity was why, in later generations, the worship of the City God became such grand and lively events.

Even though their temples were still under construction, these City Gods had already begun performing their divine duties. The Underworld had long assigned a portion of Ghost Soldiers to the divine realms of the City Gods. However, due to limited forces, only a few could be sent to make a show of presence, with the remainder expected to be nurtured by the City Gods of their regions.

Nevertheless, even so, these nascent City Gods were not to be underestimated. In the mortal realm, they were no different from those so-called Primordial Spirit True Men, and within their jurisdiction, they were even more potent—a veritable ascent to the heavens.

For those who misused evil techniques to harm others and the Demons lurking within the crowds, the sudden emergence of so many powerful deities throughout Great Chu was a significant disaster. In a short time, the City Gods eliminated all the Evil Demons hiding within the cities; the more cunning ones had long fled beyond the city boundaries, daring not to linger.

Thus, the citizens discovered that ever since the City God Temple was established, the city indeed became much more stable, and even the government offices breathed a sigh of relief. After all, dealing with those peculiar Cultivators was somewhat beyond the capacity of these mere mortals.

Now with the presence of City God Temples, any disturbances caused by Demons could be reported, and the City Gods would take care of it, significantly reducing their workload and danger.

Therefore, within a brief period, the City God Temple became immensely popular. When not occupied, the city's citizens enjoyed strolling around the temple, to the point that in many areas, the City God Temple became a local landmark.

With the establishment of the City God Temples, the deities restored order between yin and yang, and as a result, as peace settled across the land, the Fortune and Destiny of the Human Path were further strengthened. The interplay of these elements soon gave the people of the world a sense of security as if in a golden age.

On this clear day, with an uninterrupted blue sky, people, as usual, strove to make the most of their days. Some looked up to discover a golden radiance twinkling at the edge of the sky, like a golden wave rolling on the horizon.

"How beautiful!" exclaimed the onlookers.

At that moment, celestial music sounded, and a blaze of rosy light erupted. To the ordinary people, this was merely a wondrous spectacle, but to the Cultivators, it was an enormous amount of merit. Even the reclusive great powers opened their eyes from seclusion.

"This is cosmic merit. Since the initial setting of heaven and earth, and the Divine Enthronement, there has not been such an abundance of merit descending upon the world. I never imagined I would see this again today," someone murmured softly.

"Judging by the current situation, it must be the reward for a significant contribution to the cosmos. How is it that we've heard nothing of it?"

"The direction of this merit appears to come from the Underworld. It's unexpected that such a grand feat would be achieved so quietly—what a pity we did not know ahead of time. Otherwise, getting involved would have been excellent."

While the great powers felt either admiration or regret, the merit descended from the heavens, most of which went to the Underworld, with a small portion heading towards Lu Yu's dwelling. A little was scattered among the City Gods of Great Chu.

At that moment, the Ten Yama Lords were all smiles, for it had been a long time since the Underworld had seen such an influx of merit. The amount far exceeded their expectations, showing that City God Taoism was much more beneficial to the cosmos than they imagined.

"We really do owe that human race scholar. That's a significant amount of merit indeed," the Yama Lords nodded to each other, their esteem for Lu Yu rising even further.

Some great powers were also intrigued by the merit that fell into Lu Yu's possession, attempting to divine his whereabouts. However, now Lu Yu had the Enlightenment Tea Tree to secure his Fortune and Destiny, making him no longer easily calculable. Innate Fortune and Destiny had already concealed his trail, foiling their divinations.

Lu Yu, too, heaved a quiet sigh of relief—if it hadn't been for the Enlightenment Tea Tree, his exposure to the great powers would have been like running naked before their eyes.