“What does Your Majesty mean?”
“No need to rush.”
Emperor Fengdu couldn’t be bothered to explain. His gaze suddenly drifted toward the direction of the City God Temple.
His eyes narrowed, and a meaningful smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “This fellow is more impatient than anyone else…”
…
Meanwhile, inside City God Street, Li Chenghuang’s fists clenched silently.
Of course he hoped Lu Chen would succeed.
After all, Emperor Fengdu’s avatar had already arrived in person.
This meant the selection for the Prefectural City God had officially begun!
“Kid, you absolutely must succeed!”
“If you don’t succeed…”
“This game can’t go on!”
…
At that moment, inside Nanshan Residential Complex.
Veins bulged on Lu Chen’s forehead. Sweat had long since soaked through his Daoist robe, clinging to his back.
He could clearly sense the [Fireworks Register]’s “thirst” for fireworks aura.
It wasn’t a simple need—it was a nearly instinctive, ravenous devouring, like parched earth desperate for sweet rain.
Yet the little bit of fireworks aura gathered in Nanshan Complex was nothing but a drop in the bucket compared to its appetite.
A flash of determination crossed Lu Chen’s eyes. “Damn it! If the complex’s fireworks aura isn’t enough, then I’ll use the whole city’s!”
The problem was, to stir the entire city’s fireworks aura, he’d need more than ten times his current magical power!
He clearly couldn’t handle it!
But seeing the light on the altar gradually dimming, the luck and fortune about to scatter…
“Fuck it, let’s go all in!”
A fierce look swept through Lu Chen’s eyes. Without hesitation, he raised his hand and bit his fingertip, forcing out several drops of crimson essence blood and sprinkling them onto the Eight Trigrams mirror.
Sizzle—!
The instant the blood drops touched the mirror, a blinding burst of blood-red light exploded!
His hands flew rapidly, forming an incantation gesture far more complex and obscure than before. The words of the spell fell from his lips like iron stones hitting the ground:
“With my essence blood, I stir Heaven and Earth; the fireworks of ten thousand homes, all serve my purpose!”
As the spell was spoken, Lu Chen’s whole body swayed, and his face turned pale.
He could feel his magical power draining at incredible speed, like a floodgate thrown open—impossible to stop.
The Daoist texts record that the human body harbors “three souls and seven spirits,” and among all blood, the blood from the fingertips is most precious—crystallized from “innate essence,” the very distillation of vital energy and spirit.
To offer this blood as sacrifice is to use one’s own foundation as a contract, borrowing power from Heaven and Earth, from the gods, or from the ancestors!
It is also the secret method of practicing “Heaven-Man Resonance”!
This is also the key reason why in all those TV shows and movies, when a Daoist priest can’t defeat a zombie or demon, he bites his finger.
And the blood sacrifice technique truly had miraculous effects!
The pillar of light that was about to extinguish suddenly surged, growing thick once more. Its suction power skyrocketed, forcibly drawing in the fireworks aura from several surrounding neighborhoods.
Yet for the [Fireworks Register], this was still merely a trickle flowing into a deep pool—swallowed up in an instant.
The light pillar dimmed again, and this time the decline was even more severe, teetering on the verge of collapse.
“Don’t panic, young friend—I’m here to help you!”
Just as Lu Chen gritted his teeth, preparing to force out more essence blood, the Kitchen God statue beside him suddenly emanated a gentle yet immense and mellow divine power, like a warm spring stream, instantly pouring into his nearly dried-up meridians!
At the same time, above the altar, light and shadow interwove as a blurry figure slowly took form.
Crowned and robed in vermilion, with a kind face and smiling eyes.
It was the Kitchen God’s Dharma Form manifesting!
—However, perhaps out of caution, the Kitchen God did not assume His true form and appearance!
As the Dharma Form solidified, it slowly stood upright.
In that instant, it was as if invisible ripples spread outward, and the clamor of all Jiangdu City fell silent.
—”The Kitchen God has appeared!!!!!!!”
In the residential complex, someone shouted at the top of their lungs, like a spark thrown into a pan of oil, instantly igniting the entire crowd into a frenzy.
And that frenzy spread toward the entire city at an astonishing speed!
…
“A D-Dharma Form descent?!”
Sun Qingcang and his son cried out in shock, their voices distorted and cracking from extreme astonishment.
Beside them, Sun Yourong was visibly much calmer.
After all, she had witnessed the descent of the God of Wealth’s Dharma Form in Longhu County.
She had also seen the entire process of the Well Dragon King ascending to become a Guardian Golden Dragon.
Compared to those, this Kitchen God Dharma Form was, frankly, completely within the realm of acceptability.
…
“Impossible! He can actually invoke the Kitchen God’s Dharma Form to descend in person?!”
In the eastern part of the city, Old Wu—who had been sighing in regret just moments ago—abruptly widened his eyes.
Dharma Form descent!
How high a degree of divine service was required to make a god descend into the mortal world in Dharma Form?
Back when the Wu family was elevated to a great clan, they had pooled the entire clan’s strength for a grand ritual, and only barely managed to draw a single glance from the Dharma Form of the God of Literature—and that was already the most glorious chapter in their family’s history, still praised to this day.
Yet now, this bizarre ritual of unknown origin—one that was clearly on the verge of failure—had, at the final moment, summoned the Kitchen God’s Dharma Form?!
…
Beneath the vault of heaven, the Kitchen God’s Dharma Form gave Lu Chen a slight nod, then raised a hand and gently pointed at the vast sky.
With that single point, the winds and clouds changed color!
Throughout the entire city, in every corner, wherever someone was lighting a fire to cook and cooking smoke rose, a wisp of golden fireworks aura drifted forth.
These wisps of fireworks aura rose from thousands of households, converging in the sky into golden rivers that surged toward Nanshan Residential Complex.
Viewed from above, the sky over the entire city was a spectacular sight—countless golden streams converging like hundreds of golden brooks flowing into the sea.
The scene was breathtakingly beautiful, so awe-inspiring it left one speechless.
The citizens of the entire city witnessed this miraculous spectacle.
Some fell to their knees on the spot;
Some screamed with excitement;
More stood frozen like wooden statues, staring blankly at this divine miracle.
Some didn’t even notice their phones slipping from their hands.
And before such vast and majestic divine power—
Yu Feng, the four great families, and even the ten new elites… all were shaken to their core, standing dumbstruck.
That immense, pure divine power fluctuation—transcending the mortal world—had clearly exceeded the limits of their understanding.
A massive volume of golden fireworks aura condensed above the altar into a giant golden vortex, slowly rotating.
The [Fireworks Register] suddenly flew up on its own, hovering at the center of the vortex, like a great whale drinking water, madly devouring the fireworks vow-power gathered from the entire city.
With every bit absorbed, the book’s body grew brighter!
On the cover, the three gilded characters “Fireworks Register” grew brighter and brighter, until they finally seemed to come alive, transforming into three leaping golden flames!
—[Eye-Opening], succeeded?!
Under the Kitchen God’s divine power feedback, Lu Chen’s originally depleted magical power was instantly replenished, and some color returned to his pale face.
Feeling the surging power within his body, he had no time for excitement before giving a clear shout:
“Thank you, Kitchen God! Leave the rest to me!”
Lu Chen slapped a palm on the table.
The cinnabar talismans needed for [Spirit Sealing] moved on their own, flying up into the air.
With a flick of his peachwood sword, the talismans settled firmly on the blade’s tip.
The final step of the ritual: [Spirit Sealing]!
“Swish!”
The talisman ignited without fire, tracing an intricate and profound talisman pattern in the air, golden light flowing, then exploding outward with a boom!!!
“SEAL!!!”
Lu Chen exhaled and shouted, thrusting the peachwood sword forward!
The golden talisman transformed into a streak of light, shooting straight into the sky toward the [Fireworks Register] above the heavens.
“BZZZZ—!!!”
A deafening hum rang through heaven and earth!
The [Fireworks Register]’s radiance instantly peaked, outshining even the noonday sun.
Setting the sea of clouds ablaze with gold.
That massive volume of fireworks aura, like a bursting dam, suddenly formed a giant vortex, madly surging into the Spirit Sealing Mark.
Meanwhile, the Spirit Sealing Mark, nourished by the fireworks aura, grew more solid and larger, ultimately transforming into a golden rune about ten feet in size, firmly imprinted at the center of the [Fireworks Register]’s cover.
In that moment, all was silent, save for the golden light that dazzled the world.
The citizens of the entire city were stunned by this unprecedented phenomenon.
…
“This kid’s fortune is truly heaven-defying!”
Even the well-traveled and experienced Ghost Emperors Yang Yun and Zhang Heng couldn’t help but draw a sharp breath at the sight of such a celestial phenomenon.
…
And as the Spirit Sealing was completed.
The Fireworks Register suddenly began flipping its pages.
With every page turn, it stirred up a hurricane.
That swept outward in all directions.
Yu Feng and the others nearby were caught off guard, pushed back repeatedly by the divine-power-laden airflow, nearly losing their footing.
“Thank you, young friend, for helping me rekindle my magic treasure!”
The Kitchen God’s Dharma Form gradually faded, and a divine voice full of gratification and emotion clearly transmitted into Lu Chen’s mind.
Lu Chen was about to respond humbly when he suddenly felt his mind shaken!
A powerful connection surged in his heart.
Immediately after, countless images and sensations flooded into his perception like a tide—
He actually “saw” an old woman in an old house in the eastern part of the city, trembling as she held a bowl of hot porridge, blowing on it to cool it before feeding her bedridden husband;
He actually “heard” children in the western part of the city standing at their doorways, excitedly discussing the current phenomenon;
He actually “felt” a plump restaurant owner in a hotpot shop in the southern part of the city repeatedly kowtowing toward the sky, his forehead turning red;
“What is this…?”
Lu Chen was shaken to his core.
He could actually ignore spatial distance and instantly perceive the subtle scenes and emotional currents of countless families across the entire city!
“I never expected young friend to be so deeply blessed, to actually gain the [Fireworks Register]’s recognition.”
The Kitchen God’s voice rang out again, tinged with amusement.
Lu Chen’s pupils contracted sharply. “I… the Fireworks Register?”
“Why not come in for a chat? It’s also time for this old man to fulfill his promise.”
As soon as the words fell, white light swept across Lu Chen’s vision, and the familiar sensation of weightlessness came over him.
When his vision cleared, he was once again within the Kitchen God’s consciousness realm.
The strikingly handsome Kitchen God stood before the door.
Beside him, the brand-new [Fireworks Register] was lively, fluttering up and down, radiating spiritual energy—not a trace of its former deathly stillness remained.
The Kitchen God looked at him, smiled broadly, then cupped his hands in a bow.
Almost simultaneously, the [Fireworks Register] “whooshed” over to Lu Chen’s side, affectionately circling and dancing around him, its pages lightly brushing against his sleeve.
Lu Chen: “??!!”
He was utterly dumbfounded.
