The next morning at eight o’clock.
The entrance to Nanshan Residential Complex was already bustling with activity.
Three brand-new buses were lined up neatly, waiting early.
Lu Chen stood at the front of the convoy, calmly organizing the scene.
“Aunties and uncles, everyone, please board in order. No need to rush!”
Over a hundred people surged forward, excitement written all over their faces.
Quite a few of them had dark circles under their eyes — it was obvious they had been too excited to sleep last night.
“Oh? Where are you all heading off to? Is the community organizing a team-building event?”
Some passersby from the neighboring complex, drawn in by the commotion, came over curiously to ask.
“Old Liu, what perfect timing! Come on, come with us. We’re taking you to a great place!”
“What great place?”
“The Sun Family Temple in the south of the city.”
“Why are you going to a temple so early in the morning? To pray? To which deity?”
“King — Yama —!”
“What? King Yama?! Have you all lost your minds? Did everyone take the wrong medicine?”
“Come if you want. Don’t if you don’t!”
“Hey, don’t walk away. Explain yourselves…”
“Alright, here’s the thing…”
…
In the end, the three buses — each with a maximum capacity of one hundred thirty people — were not only filled to the last seat, but even the aisles were packed with standing passengers.
The actual number reached a full one hundred and fifty people, which was forty more than expected!
Seeing this scene before her, Sun Yourong, who had come specifically to coordinate, was so stunned she couldn’t speak. After a long moment, she turned to Lu Chen with a mixture of disbelief and amusement. “How on earth did you manage this?”
Lu Chen hadn’t expected the sudden increase either. It just went to show how terrifying the power of viral spread could be.
He smiled faintly but didn’t respond.
After all, his relationship with the Sun family was essentially one of employment and cooperation. Since the task was to recruit worshippers, he had done his job well and that was enough.
There didn’t seem to be any need to go into the details.
Seeing that Lu Chen didn’t want to elaborate, Sun Yourong tactfully dropped the subject. “Come on, take my car.”
“Okay.” The buses were already packed to the brim, so Lu Chen was happy to enjoy some peace and quiet.
He also had one unfinished task from yesterday at the Sun Family Temple — to pray to Lei Zu (the Thunder Ancestor).
He had been busy until late last night and had put it off.
Today was the perfect chance to test it out and see just how easy — or difficult — it really was to worship these popular deities!
As soon as they got in the car, Sun Yourong picked up her phone and started tapping away.
Soon, Lu Chen received a bank alert: 35 million had been deposited into his account.
“Huh? Didn’t we agree on a total of 30 million? Why the extra 5 million?”
“Think of it as a bonus. Who knew you’d be so incredibly efficient?” Sun Yourong said, then took a set of keys from her sachet and handed them over. “Here you go. These are for the villa at Cloud Summit Manor. It’s already been cleaned. You can move in right away.”
Lu Chen took the keys and couldn’t help but laugh. “Miss Sun, are all wealthy people this generous? Throwing around money and houses like it’s nothing?”
“Well, that depends on who’s doing what for whom. What you’ve done is worth every penny, no matter the cost.” Sun Yourong replied gracefully.
“Alright then, I won’t stand on ceremony.”
With 30 million safely in his pocket, Lu Chen was in a great mood.
“By the way, which deities are the main ones enshrined at your Sun Family Temple?”
“Our temple has three main deities: Lei Zu, Zhenwu Great Emperor, and Wang Lingguan.”
“Wow —” Lu Chen couldn’t help but exclaim. It seemed his original self’s knowledge was still quite limited.
“The lineup of deities at your Sun Family Temple is just overwhelmingly powerful!”
“We’ve always been a martial temple at heart.”
“That’s true. So which deity do you worship?”
Unexpectedly, this question made Sun Yourong a little uncomfortable, and a faint, almost imperceptible blush appeared on her face.
“What’s wrong? Is it awkward to talk about?”
“Not really…” Sun Yourong took a deep breath, her eyes sharpening. “I can tell you, but you have to promise not to laugh.”
“Laugh? Why would I laugh at you? I worship King Yama myself.”
Lu Chen chuckled.
Sun Yourong thought about it and realized he had a point, but she still hesitated. “Actually… I worship Ju Ling Shen (the Giant Spirit God).”
“What?!” Lu Chen’s eyes widened. “You! You worship Ju Ling Shen?!”
Sun Yourong shot him a sidelong glance. “What? Is that not allowed?”
“No, no, that’s not what I meant,” Lu Chen quickly waved his hand. “I’m just surprised. Why didn’t you choose Jiutian Xuannü or another goddess? Why Ju Ling Shen of all deities?”
Instantly, the image of Ju Ling Shen popped into his mind — his blue-black face, his giant axe always at his side, his towering height of ten thousand zhang, and his eyes like bronze bells.
He never would have guessed that Sun Yourong would choose him as her main deity.
“When I was born, my father hired a fortune-teller to read my fate. He said I had a ‘karmic connection’ with Ju Ling Shen, so…” Sun Yourong explained.
Lu Chen suddenly understood. “So that’s it. No wonder you’re always dressed in such practical, martial attire. So, Miss Sun, is your weapon of choice a painted battle axe?”
“What, is that not allowed?!” Sun Yourong lifted her chin, revealing a rare hint of playful pride.
“No, not at all. I just think you’ve maxed out the contrast.”
Lu Chen wanted to laugh, but remembering his promise, he forced it back down and changed the subject. “So, what’s your current Servitude Level with Ju Ling Shen?”
“37%.”
“Whew! That really is a karmic connection. Second rank, or third?”
“Early third rank.” Sun Yourong’s lips curled into a slight, almost challenging smile as she looked at Lu Chen. “Mr. Lu, I won’t claim to excel in other areas, but when it comes to fighting, I think I have some skill.”
That was true.
At the third rank of martial arts, she could easily suppress someone at the fourth rank of civil arts, and even hold her own against someone at the fifth rank.
After all, martial artists beating civil artists across ranks was an everyday occurrence.
“Wow, Ju Ling Shen is that powerful? I wonder if I called on Xiao Qing, Xiao Ru, and Ox-Head and Horse-Face together, could I beat her?”
Lu Chen pondered to himself.
The thought of Sun Yourong swinging a painted battle axe left him feeling less than confident.
“By the way, judging by your age, you must be in an advanced class, right?”
Sun Yourong’s voice interrupted his thoughts.
Lu Chen snapped back to attention and nodded. “That’s right.”
Sun Yourong suddenly smiled. “Then you’ve come at a perfect time. Did you know that your academy — and in fact, all academies nationwide — are about to undergo a major reform?”
Lu Chen’s heart jolted, and he stared directly at her. “Do you… know the inside scoop?”
“Judging by your reaction, it seems you already know about the reform? Right now, 99% of people have no idea.”
Sun Yourong paused and furrowed her brow slightly. “I don’t know the exact details either. I only know that starting with your cohort, students will be allowed to take on missions early. As for the specifics, you’ll find out when you go to school tomorrow.”
It was true! Deng Jiajia’s prediction had come true!
The core of this reform was to allow students to take on missions early, further screening for top-tier talent.
“Whew!”
Lu Chen took a deep breath.
His heart began to race with excitement!
If that was the case, could it be that his golden age was about to fully begin?!
…
About an hour later, the convoy arrived at the Sun Family Temple.
At the temple entrance, Sun Qingcang, along with all the staff, had already set up banners and were waiting. When he saw so many people getting off the buses, he stood there completely dumbfounded.
“This number… seems like more than one hundred and nine, doesn’t it?”
“Uncle Sun, I’ve brought the people as promised!”
“Xiao Chen, I really don’t know how to thank you enough!”
Sun Qingcang grabbed Lu Chen’s hand tightly, too moved to let go.
Afterward, the temple staff began their warm reception.
To make sure the residents of Nanshan Complex were well taken care of, the temple had even closed its doors to the general public for the day.
This level of service made the residents feel especially valued.
After all, most temples had signs on their walls saying, “No Abusing the Worshippers,” but the service at the Sun Family Temple today was comparable to that of a five-star hotel.
Once the residents were settled, Lu Chen lit ten more sticks of incense and made his way to the main hall of Lei Zu at the Sun Family Temple.
The magnificent golden statue of Lei Zu stood tall in the hall, radiating a divine and awe-inspiring presence, as if it could cleanse the world of all evil.
“Truly the foremost deity of the Thunder Department!”
Without further hesitation, Lu Chen lit the incense, recited his prayers silently, and began his worship.
As the incense burned, a wisp of ethereal energy rose up and once again pierced through the void…
——
In the heavenly court, within the Divine Firmament Jade Mansion.
Rolling thunderclouds stretched for a hundred thousand miles. The jade palace stood towering and majestic, with thunderfire swirling around its golden steps.
High above, countless streams of incense smoke, like rivers flowing into the sea, poured into the Divine Firmament Mansion.
The nine-day Thunderclap Honored Lord, presiding over the thunder, sat upon his cushion, his divine light illuminating infinity. At a height of ten thousand zhang, he faced this vast ocean of incense with his divine eyes half-closed, long accustomed to such offerings.
Suddenly, he sensed something and slightly lifted his eyelids.
Among the countless streams of incense, a single strand — infused with a special kind of luck — was racing toward him.
“What insolent fool dares use such opportunistic tricks?”
The Thunder Lord, majestic even in his anger, gave a gentle flick of his finger, which had been forming a mystic seal.
With a soft pop, that strand of incense shattered into specks of starlight, dissipating into nothingness before it could even reach the gates of the Divine Firmament Mansion.
Then, the Thunder Lord closed his eyes once more and continued to enjoy the endless offerings of the mortal world…
At the same time, inside the temple, Lu Chen suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood, and his energy instantly weakened.
“Is this… retaliation from the prayer? How did I get hit with backlash on my very first try?”
Lu Chen wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his gaze growing heavy. “It seems that a popular shrine… isn’t just hard to worship. It’s practically impossible! …”
