Ji Yuan’s expression shifted, his gaze falling upon the group emerging from the grand hall, especially the clerk from the county yamen.
The group, led by Zhou Wentao, seemed to be familiar with the arrivals from the sky, even aware of their identities. However, their expressions conveyed a distinct lack of welcome.
Before Ji Yuan could ponder further, the distant streak of light had already arrived overhead. Brilliant divine radiance enveloped the entire City God Pavilion, and five figures clad in golden light slowly descended from the sky.
Only after their feet touched the ground did the divine light that had enveloped the pavilion gradually dissipate. Ji Yuan and the others immediately cast scrutinizing glances.
The five figures before them were undoubtedly deities. Their golden bodies exuded majestic divine power, and within them, divine energy flowed like rivers, releasing an extremely potent aura.
Even after leaving their respective territories, these five deities still possessed cultivation at least at the mid-stage of the third realm!
It was conceivable how much more powerful they would be within their own domains.
“It’s the City God of Liyang City, and the Four Directional Mountain Gods from within a thousand-mile radius!”
Jiang Yunzhou swept his gaze over them and immediately transmitted his thoughts to those beside him.
As a divine cultivator at the peak of the third realm, he was naturally very familiar with the deities within Feiyun Commandery. Any deity of moderate renown would be recorded in the Mountain and River Spirit Register meticulously drawn by the Nine Profound Sect.
“I didn’t expect the presiding deity to be the City God of Liyang City,” Ji Yuan murmured to himself, his eyes flashing.
Liyang City, within Feiyun Commandery, was second only to the commandery capital in terms of geographical location and prosperity. It was the sole special-grade city.
According to the Great Yu Dynasty’s classification, aside from towns and villages, all counties were divided into three grades, with county capitals and prefectural capitals above them.
There were also exceptions, such as special-grade cities like Liyang City, whose prosperity was on par with that of a commandery capital, and whose strategic importance and geographical location were also similar.
Furthermore, as such a large city, its City God was comparable to a commandery capital, with their status and divine rank only slightly lower.
“This fellow has likely reached the peak of the third realm,” Lin Yubai also transmitted, a deep sense of apprehension surfacing in his eyes.
Although he was a peak inner disciple of the Nine Profound Sect and had cultivated an extraordinary phenomenon, his current late-stage Spirit Awakening realm cultivation could at most ensure he could hold his own against, or even safely retreat from, a cultivator at the early stage of the third realm.
A peak third-realm expert possessed absolute power to suppress him.
“The other four Mountain Gods are also not weak,” Jiang Yunzhou transmitted, his divine sense tinged with solemnity.
The so-called Four Directional Mountain Gods were the four most majestic mountain ranges in the eastern part of Feiyun Commandery. Each Mountain God, within their respective territories, could exert power comparable to entering the Golden Core stage.
Even after temporarily leaving their domains, they still possessed cultivation at the mid-stage of the third realm or higher. It was believed that if they unleashed their full might without regard for the damage to their divine bodies, they could at least display power comparable to the late stage of the third realm.
While the group communicated telepathically, the two sides before them had already exchanged greetings and were currently locked in a dispute.
The deities led by the City God of Liyang City demanded that Zhou Wentao and his group hand over the River God and the local City God for them to be taken back to Liyang City for interrogation and treatment.
However, this demand, on the surface, completely contravened the laws and regulations of the imperial court and the spirits of mountains and rivers. Although Liyang City was a special-grade major city, it had no authority to handle matters concerning deities within its jurisdiction.
On the other hand, before the truth was revealed, no one would easily relent and hand over the River God and the slumbering City God.
These two were essentially the last crucial clues in their possession.
Furthermore, who knew if the other party was a force behind the mastermind, or had any connection or entanglement with them?
The two sides remained at a stalemate, neither willing to back down even half a step, creating a tense atmosphere that suggested a fight could erupt at any moment.
Ji Yuan’s eyebrows twitched. He led his people to retreat slightly, ensuring they would not be drawn into the conflict, and then watched with a relaxed expression.
In fact, any intelligent person could tell that these two sides would not truly fight. Everything happening now was merely a pretense.
Indeed, whether it was the City God of Liyang City, or Zhou Wentao, the clerk of the commandery yamen, or everyone behind them, they were all putting on a show.
Ji Yuan and his group even noticed that the City God and Zhou Wentao were exchanging surreptitious glances and even communicating discreetly through their divine senses.
“I haven’t heard of any personal friendship between these two,” Lin Yubai transmitted, simultaneously confirming with an inner disciple responsible for intelligence behind him.
This made the situation rather intriguing, leaving them to wonder what these two sides were plotting.
After a considerable period, both sides seemed to have finally reached an agreement and subsequently entered the grand hall together, apparently to jointly interrogate the River God.
Seeing that there was still nothing for them to do, Ji Yuan and his group returned to the side hall. After some casual conversation, they began to close their eyes to rest or meditate.
At the same moment, Ji Yuan’s divine avatar, situated in the spiritual realm, suddenly opened a passage into this place. Then, a figure, without anyone noticing, quietly entered.
It was a young man with an outstanding aura, appearing to be only twenty-seven or twenty-eight, but his eyes were filled with a sense of age and weariness.
The divine might emanating from him was several times stronger than Ji Yuan’s, and his every movement carried an air of superiority.
“Xiaoyuan Mountain Water God, greetings to Lord Fuyuan River True God.”
Ji Yuan rose and cupped his hands, acknowledging the greeting.
In terms of rank, he was merely a minor water god of a region and naturally could not compare to a True God of a major river.
However, the place where he became a god was his personal domain, not conferred by the imperial court, and thus he was not under the other party’s jurisdiction.
“May I ask why Lord True God has come in a clone?”
Ji Yuan slowly asked, looking at the young man before him.
Indeed, the person before him was not only the Fuyuan River Water God but also merely a clone, not the main body that had personally descended.
Upon hearing this, the young man smiled faintly and said, “I sent you a letter and an invitation, but it was to no avail. So, I had no choice but to come myself.”
He casually pulled up a chair and sat down, gesturing for the young water god before him not to be nervous, as if this were his own divine realm.
He paused, and the Fuyuan River True God continued, “At this time, the City God of Liyang City should have already arrived at the City God Pavilion with the Four Directional Mountain Gods.”
Hearing this, Ji Yuan secretly nodded. He had already received the relevant memories from his main body earlier.
However, he couldn’t quite understand why the other party had appeared here in a clone and why he had brought up the matter of the Liyang City City God.
“I advise you to withdraw your people and leave. You have already done enough in this matter.”
“What is rightfully yours will not be lacking in the end.”
“However, it is best not to get involved in what happens next.”
The Fuyuan River True God, the young man lounging on the chair, spoke slowly after a sigh.
Before his words had even finished, Ji Yuan’s brows had furrowed tightly, and his mind began to race, contemplating the meaning of the other party’s words.
“Don’t overthink it. The reason I came here and said so much is entirely because of the Xuantian lineage.”
The Fuyuan River True God said slowly.