Chapter 309: A Slap in the Face
This novel is translated and hosted on BCatranslation
The second group had just removed their names from the family register and stepped out of the grand doors of the Ming Clan’s ancestral hall when the statue of the Life God, revered within, exploded into a brilliant, dazzling light.
An elderly man from the Ming Clan trembled, his lips quivering as he fell to his knees. “It’s the aura of the Life God! It’s the deity we worship!!” he exclaimed, his voice shaky with emotion.
“He hasn’t perished; our deity hasn’t fallen!!” another voice shouted. Whenever divine power appears in the world, the idol gives a sign.
The Ming Clan members still inside the hall had tears in their eyes, clinging to this glimmer of hope like it was their last chance.
Those who had just stepped outside turned to look at the Second Elder, their expressions filled with confusion.
“The Life God hasn’t bestowed divine power in ages,” the Second Elder sneered, his face twisted with disdain. “It seems His power has waned and is no longer enough to protect the Ming Clan.”
But before he could finish, a phantom appeared out of thin air in the vast sky.
A shadow covered the heavens, and rays of light outlined a towering, ancient tree. It stood above all living things, casting a soft, ethereal glow.
“Oh heavens, look up at the sky! Look!!” a voice filled with fear and awe rang out, followed by a thud as someone collapsed to their knees.
The clan members’ knees buckled, and they knelt on the ground, gazing upwards in astonishment.
The clan chief stumbled out of the door, his eyes wide with disbelief. Countless clan members pushed aside the stunned Second Elder and others at the entrance to get a better view.
“It’s… it’s the true form of the Life God!” the clan chief gasped. Even the well-informed leader was so shocked that he fell to his knees.
[Who on earth has summoned the true form of the Life God?] he wondered, his mind racing with confusion.
The Ming Clan had been calling upon the deity for a thousand years, but they had never seen the Tree of Life.
But now…
The divine tree stood majestically, reaching into the clouds, its vastness beyond comprehension.
Such a gigantic divine tree, unheard of and unseen before—the Ming Clan members were already trembling, prostrating themselves on the ground in reverence.
“The deity hasn’t abandoned us! The High God Xian Ting hasn’t forsaken us…” they murmured, voices filled with desperate hope.
“Please, High God Xian Ting, bestow divine power upon your believers!” the Ming Clan head called out, tears streaming down his cheeks, his voice echoing with fervent belief.
The Second Elder’s face darkened; the phantom of the divine tree above seemed to exert endless pressure on him.
[This can’t be happening…] he thought, panic seeping into his heart.
At that moment, little Lu Chao Chao saw the phantom of the divine tree above the clouds, her tiny face scrunched up in puzzlement.
“Funny… why Chao Chao hear god servant’s voice?” she mumbled, tilting her head to the side, her baby-like voice filled with innocence.
“Want power?” Chao Chao scratched her head, confused.
She knew that god servants needed power from the gods to survive. But she had never given power before.
Chao Chao hadn’t expected she could use Xian Ting’s power so easily, like it was something that naturally belonged to her.
“Power… um, here, Chao Chao give you a little,” she said in a tiny voice, her words innocent and sweet. She flicked her finger lightly, and a tiny wisp of light flew out.
She didn’t know how much to give; she had no experience.
It was only about the size of a fingernail.
Chao Chao’s little face turned a shade of pink, feeling a bit embarrassed.
[Is Chao Chao being too stingy? Will Xian Ting be mad at me?] she thought, her tiny brow furrowed.
Back at the Ming Clan, the clan chief knelt on the ground, praying fervently for divine power.
Everyone knelt devoutly behind him, their voices rising in unison, filled with hope and desperation.
“Please, High God Xian Ting, bestow divine power upon your believers!”
Seeing that divine power hadn’t descended for a while, the Second Elder relaxed slightly, a smug expression crossing his face. “Give up, Ming Cheng,” he said dismissively. “The Life God has abandoned the Ming Clan. With that group behind you—old folks and children—what can you possibly do?”
“The Ming Clan’s geniuses have all followed me to establish a new clan. Ming Cheng, you’ve lost,” he declared with a hearty, mocking laugh.
But just as he finished speaking, a gentle light descended from the divine tree, enveloping all the Ming Clan members who remained loyal.
Vast divine power poured down, directly flooding towards them.
Countless forces surged forth; no one expected the deity to bestow such incredible power!
In an instant, thick divine power lingered outside the ancestral hall, filling the air with a tangible, almost touchable energy.
“Am I dreaming?” The clan chief was stunned, his eyes wide with disbelief.
[Even my deceased father hadn’t witnessed such overwhelming power…] he thought, astonished.
Without hesitation, he sat cross-legged to absorb the divine power, closing his eyes in concentration.
The clan members behind the Second Elder all had their eyes lit up, gazing hungrily at the divine energy.
They looked expectantly at the swirling power, waiting for it to pour into them.
But…
The divine power seemed to have eyes of its own, directly bypassing them and isolating them outside.
“Ming Ting!!!!” one of them shouted in frustration.
The Ming Clan members who had established a separate clan were left standing outside the flow of power.
“Being expelled from the Ming Clan’s register severs your connection with the Life God. No need to waste effort trying to absorb spiritual energy,” Ming Cheng said calmly, his eyes steady.
He had never felt such vigorous power before.
[Why is the High God Xian Ting so generous?!] he wondered, filled with awe.
The Second Elder could feel the rich spiritual energy around him, almost thick enough to touch, but he couldn’t absorb any of it.
He watched helplessly as his elder brother’s strength increased again and again before his eyes.
Those clan members he had looked down upon as having mediocre talent were actually undergoing a transformation under the divine power, their abilities improving dramatically.
“Hiss…” The clan members behind the Second Elder were green with envy.
Some even stomped their feet in frustration, their faces twisted in longing.
“Why didn’t you bestow divine power earlier!” one of them shouted angrily. “Isn’t this just wasting our time! You didn’t show up early or late, but just after we erased our names from the register, you appear!” His voice was almost tearful.
“For decades, even a hundred years, such vast power had never been bestowed!”
Ming Ting’s breathing was heavy, his face pale. There was no turning back now.
The Ming Clan would return to its peak, and he would be left behind.
“Idlers, leave the Ming Clan at once!” A cold light flashed in the clan chief’s eyes, and his imposing manner made everyone feel fear.
Ming Cheng had broken through to a new level of power!
“Clan Chief… it was all the Second Elder’s deceit that led me astray,” a clan member cried out, falling to his knees. “Please give me another chance. I will be loyal to the Ming Clan and the Life God. Please, just one more chance…”
Ming Cheng flicked his sleeve, knocking the person to the ground without even looking at him.
“The Ming Clan will never tolerate traitors!” he declared firmly.
“Get out!”
“From now on, you are no longer descendants of the Ming Clan!” he continued, his voice cold. “Since you despise the Ming Clan and the Life God, then get out and pursue your own path!”
Ming Cheng’s heart ached, but he steeled himself. He would not waver.
“Go! Useless lot!” The Second Elder spat, glaring at the kneeling clan members.
“It’s not like you summoned the deity; what’s there to be proud of!” he snarled, his face livid as he turned on his heel and led his followers away.
After they left, the ancestral hall seemed vast and empty, the silence heavy.
Everyone gathered around the clan chief. “Clan Chief, what’s going on?” one of them asked hesitantly. “Why couldn’t we summon the deity?”
“Who exactly summoned the High God Xian Ting?” another chimed in. “They even summoned the true form! Such an honor hasn’t been granted to the Ming Clan in a thousand years!”
The clan chief raised his hand, and everyone immediately fell silent, awaiting his words.
“Just now, I observed carefully,” he began, his voice measured. “The Tree of Life rose from North Zhao. The summoner must be in North Zhao.”
“North Zhao?” someone murmured. “But that’s a desolate swamp land…”
“Write a letter and have Ming Lang pay close attention,” the clan chief instructed. “This person is the hope of our Ming Clan.”
“North Zhao, a desolate swamp—is it about to rise?” another wondered aloud. “I heard the royal family has been unable to summon the High God Bai Zong. Last time, it was also North Zhao that succeeded…”
“North Zhao, again North Zhao! What secrets does North Zhao hold?” a third mused, eyes distant.
Everyone silently looked towards the direction of North Zhao.
It was as if a sleeping giant dragon was ready to awaken at any time and soar into the heavens.