Chapter Ten: The Celestial Veil of the Divine Netherrealm

Commander Luo sneered and said, "It is fortunate that when I went to Green Wild Mountain to pay my respects to the Great Heavenly Lord, the Lord bestowed upon me a talisman. I shall use it here and now!"

The internal power structure of the Cheng-Tian Path was chaotic, consisting of dedicated clergy and missionary envoys, alongside local commanders like Commander Luo who managed the believers. Ever since the first uprising of the Cheng-Tian Path failed, the Great Heavenly Lord had reflected deeply and decided to win over local families. He established the rank of commander among the clergy specifically to co-opt the influence of these powerful local clans. Commander Luo had visited the Great Heavenly Lord back then and earned his high regard.

At this moment, he solemnly produced a piece of yellow paper inscribed with talismanic runes in cinnabar. As soon as the talisman appeared, it burst into flames. The heavens and earth shifted color, winds surged across the wilderness, and in an instant, sand and stones flew as the sky turned pitch black.

"Divine Abyss, Divine Abyss... The Heavenly Lord reveals his might, the Green Wild Divine Abyss..."

The followers of the Cheng-Tian Path all prostrated themselves, chanting, "We thank the Heavenly Lord for granting us this power!"

Darkness descended from the mountain peak, shrouding the entire Dongji Mountain. It felt as though the interior and exterior had been severed, transforming into two separate dimensions.

"The power of the Divine Abyss..." Wang Zhenling’s expression changed. Under this isolation, he could no longer sense the Dharma Net or the imperial aura. It was as if this shadow had formed its own realm, cutting itself off from the outside world.

In the past, Wang Zhenling had frequently assumed that his enemies were wielding the power of gods or the Divine Abyss. That was merely because of his own ignorance and tendency to be easily startled. However, at this moment, he finally witnessed the true power of the Divine Abyss.

From the germinating phase to the cultivation of divine spirit, and then the ability to manipulate objects with the spirit, one eventually reaches the realm of the Divine Abyss. In this state, one can manipulate objects weighing over three hundred pounds, forming an "origin spirit field." This field is known as the Divine Abyss. Typically, such a field only covers a radius of about three yards. Yet, to have this field cover the entire Dongji Mountain—such power was far beyond what a master at the Soul-Exit stage could achieve; even a master of the divine realm would find it impossible!

"Could there truly be such a master on the mountain? That seems unlikely. It must be some kind of powerful artifact..." Wang Zhenling pondered to himself.

Seeing the might of the Divine Abyss shroud the heavens and earth, turning all of Dongji Mountain into an isolated, unique world where even the imperial aura and the laws of the land could not be felt, Wang Zhenling was momentarily at a loss.

However, he then sneered, "A hurricane does not last the morning, and a downpour does not last the day. I do not believe that a mere artifact can maintain a Divine Abyss domain for long!"

Such a vast domain would indeed last a long time if the Great Heavenly Lord himself were present, but a single spiritual talisman could not sustain it for long. Nevertheless, this was enough; not everyone could remain as calm as Wang Zhenling. Most of the county soldiers, witnessing what appeared to be a divine miracle, were in a state of extreme panic and disarray.

Yet, this was not the true purpose for which they had opened the Divine Abyss. Amidst the darkened, obscured world, a streak of cyan-white light shot out from the Taoist temple, manifesting as a god-general several yards tall, holding an iron halberd, looking majestic and imposing.

"Who dares to offend my immortal house?"

The god-general roared in the sky, causing the wind and thunder to change color. In an instant, it was as if the scorching sun had appeared, bathing the world in light. Seeing this, the county soldiers completely collapsed; the brave fled down the mountain, while the cowardly fell to their knees, knocking their heads against the ground like garlic. Ordinary people were inherently in awe of ghosts and gods, and these county soldiers were, after all, ordinary folk.

"Playing at gods and ghosts!" Wang Zhenling shouted sternly. "In broad daylight, under the clear heavens and the laws of our imperial court, all ghosts and gods must submit! You demonic creature, you dare to impersonate a divine being and threaten officials—your crimes are heinous and you deserve to be executed!"

Following Wang Zhenling’s sharp shout, a thunderclap boomed from the horizon, striking the god-general. If the god-general had not appeared, the Divine Abyss domain would have been impregnable. But once the god-general manifested, the power of the domain concentrated upon him, leaving a flaw in the Divine Abyss that could no longer block Wang Zhenling’s connection to the imperial aura.

With a crackle, the god-general swung his iron halberd, actually parrying the thunder generated by the Dharma Net!

"I am a patrolling god-general sealed by the Son of Heaven! How can the laws of man be imposed upon me..."

A series of lightning bolts rained down, but the god-general guided them with his iron halberd as if it were a lightning rod, diverting all the thunder's power. He laughed heartily, "You mortals, why do you not bow before me!"

"Seeking death!" Wang Zhenling cursed under his breath. He stopped wasting effort trying to manipulate the Dharma Net for attacks. If this god-general truly had been sealed by the Emperor as he claimed, the Dharma Net's attacks would pose little threat to him.

However, did they really think Wang Zhenling had no other way to deal with him?

He had only been worried about the Divine Abyss cutting off his connection to the Dharma Net; he feared nothing else!

At this moment, Wang Zhenling let out a great shout. Suddenly, his origin spirit exited his body, pulling upon the imperial aura and the laws of the land. In an instant, the crimson imperial aura gathered upon him. At that moment, Wang Zhenling seemed to be burning with a circle of fire, and countless thunderbolts roared around him as he charged toward the god-general.

Before the god-general’s eyes, which were filled with horror, they collided.

The two separated upon impact, and the sound of shattering glass echoed through the air. The god-general’s body, which shone like glazed light, shattered into countless pieces and fell to the ground.

Wang Zhenling’s origin spirit stood in the sky, surrounded by the flame-like crimson imperial aura, with the lightning of the Dharma Net circling him. At this moment, Wang Zhenling looked like a thunder god descended to earth. Everyone on and around Dongji Mountain witnessed this scene.

Followers of the Cheng-Tian Path, arriving from all directions, saw Wang Zhenling’s origin spirit standing proudly in the air, encircled by lightning. They could not help but feel their legs go weak, and they all prostrated themselves. Even those county soldiers, at this sight, were stunned and fell to their knees, kowtowing to Wang Zhenling’s origin spirit.

In time, many legends about Wang Zhenling began to circulate among the local folk. Because he had handled a previous plague effectively, he was already called the Plague God. Upon seeing him wreathed in lightning and fire, they began to call him the Thunder God. The tale of the "Thunder God who dispels plagues" began to spread, persisting for a thousand or two thousand years.

Of course, those were stories for another day.

It was not only the commoners and soldiers who were shocked...

"This Wang Zhenling actually dared to use his origin spirit to directly command the imperial aura. How is this possible?"

The Taoists’ mouths hung wide open, hardly able to believe what they had just witnessed.