"Evil Deity" Lu Changsheng Manifests the Saint Body, Slaying the True Deity in Yuedu with a Single Blow!

At the Kang City yamen, Tang Lu's appearance caused quite a stir. Tang Lu's beauty, her background, and the recent rumors surrounding the Tang family provided ample fuel for gossip. Tang Lu paid them no heed. She walked straight to the yamen and took her place alongside more than a hundred other participants in the county trial. In total, there were 132 candidates. Tang Lu was the only woman among them. It was hardly surprising she drew so much attention. The trial was presided over not by the county magistrate, but by an official specially dispatched from the province to prevent fraud. From this alone, it was evident how seriously the Dayue Divine Dynasty regarded the Divine Child Trial. "The Kang City Divine Child Trial officially begins!" "The first test of the county trial: lift a three-hundred-jin stone lock." This was a preliminary screening. Anyone unable to lift a three-hundred-jin stone lock need not bother taking part in the rest of the Divine Child Trial. As it turned out, even this entry-level test proved too much for many. One after another strained with every ounce of strength, yet still failed to lift the stone lock. Many were eliminated and slunk away in disgrace. Finally, it was Tang Lu's turn. The crowd perked up, eyes lighting with interest. Among a crowd of burly, rough-hewn men, an anomaly like Tang Lu was a rare sight indeed. Tang Lu stepped up to the stone lock. It was massive. Contrasted with her petite frame, onlookers could not help but break into a sweat on her behalf. Most assumed she would never lift it. Yet Tang Lu did not hesitate. Grasping it with both hands, she pulled upward. Hmm, effortless. Even easier than she had imagined. A mere three-hundred-jin stone lock—she felt she could have lifted it with one hand. Of course, Tang Lu was not so ostentatious. She still used both hands to raise the stone lock aloft. "What? Miss Tang Lu actually lifted the stone lock?" "And it looked so effortless!" "Truly... unbelievable." "With those slender arms and such a delicate frame, how could she harbor such terrifying strength?" "Could it be Tang Lu really can pass the county trial?" Murmurs of astonishment rippled through the crowd. Even the provincial official presiding over the trial felt his eyes light up. He paid a little extra attention to Tang Lu. Next was the endurance test. Endurance was simple: running. Just keep running. Those who fell short were eliminated. These two tests alone weeded out seventy to eighty percent of the candidates. The final test assessed reaction speed and agility. After all three tests, over ninety percent of the contenders had been eliminated. Of the more than one hundred participants in the county trial, only eight remained in the end. And among them was Tang Lu. "Very good. The eight of you have passed the county trial." "In three days, proceed to the prefecture city to undergo the prefecture trial." The official presiding over the Divine Child Trial reported the names upward. Those who had witnessed the entire county trial exchanged glances, their expressions charged with excitement. "Miss Tang Lu actually passed the Divine Child Trial?" "Even if it's only the county trial, it's still incredible." "Impressive! Miss Tang is truly remarkable." "If she can pass the prefecture trial too, the Tang family is destined to soar!" Chatter erupted all around. The prefecture trial was comparatively easier to clear, and once someone passed it, that was already a remarkable feat. They could even enjoy certain privileges granted by the Dayue Divine Dynasty—a method the dynasty employed to encourage people to improve their physical conditioning and participate in the Divine Child Trial. As for the province trial, ordinary folk dared not even dream of it; the difficulty was simply too immense. Tang Lu soon returned to Tang Manor. She approached Lu Changsheng and said respectfully, "Master, Tang Lu has fulfilled her mission and passed the county trial." Lu Changsheng nodded. "I saw it all. The county trial was easy, and the prefecture trial will not be difficult either. The crux is the province trial. There are only three days until the prefecture trial. Set out for the prefecture city immediately. Travel openly on your own along the way; I will follow behind you." Lu Changsheng still did not wish to draw attention. He would not travel together with Tang Lu, but would trail behind her. "Yes, Master." Tang Lu promptly made preparations, settled affairs for the Tang family, and set out for the prefecture city. Lu Changsheng followed behind, escorting her safely without incident. Three days later, the prefecture trial commenced. There were far more participants for the prefecture trial, and eight of them were women. Even so, Tang Lu remained in the spotlight. Quite simply, she alone possessed exceptional beauty. Lu Changsheng did not draw too close to the prefecture yamen. He sensed a dense concentration of the power of faith around it. Were he to approach too closely, he was not certain whether the anomaly about him would be detected. Thus, he waited for several hours. At last, Tang Lu returned, bringing good news. Tang Lu had successfully passed the prefecture trial. Next would be the province trial one month later. This time, they had ample room to breathe. "To the provincial capital." Lu Changsheng quickly decided to proceed to the provincial capital as soon as possible. However, the provincial capital was no ordinary place. Lu Changsheng no longer stayed separate from Tang Lu; instead, he blended into her entourage as a member of Tang Manor. This would spare them a great deal of trouble. Lu Changsheng sensed that the larger the city, the denser the power of faith, and the tighter the deities' control. He worried that delays would breed trouble. If they dragged their feet, his trail might eventually be discovered. He had to move quickly! *Barring any accidents, she will certainly pass the province trial as well, allowing us to head to Yuedu. However, I will have only this single opportunity. Once in Yuedu, I must pinpoint the Dayue True Deity's exact hiding place. Only then can I strike decisively and seize the deity fragment. Otherwise, if I miss this chance, it will be impossible for me to remain hidden in the Dayue Divine Dynasty...* Lu Changsheng understood this clearly. Every day he lingered in the Dayue Divine Dynasty brought another layer of danger. Thus, they set off again, traveling toward the provincial capital. The journey passed peacefully. The power of faith around the provincial yamen was denser still. Even drawing slightly near gave Lu Changsheng the sensation of being watched. He knew full well that if a false deity or true deity cast even a single glance upon him, his disguise would crumble and his identity would be exposed. Therefore, he could not approach. Soon, a month had passed, and the province trial began. There were even more contenders in the province trial, and Tang Lu began to feel the pressure. Yet it went no further than that. A sliver of pressure could not deter her. With Lu Changsheng's meticulous instruction and assistance, her physical constitution was extraordinarily robust. This time, Tang Lu held nothing back. This was also Lu Changsheng's instruction. In the province trial, she had to shine brilliantly and draw widespread attention. Only then would she capture notice during the Divine Child Trial in Yuedu. For Lu Changsheng to uncover the Dayue True Deity's exact location, the best way was for Tang Lu to draw the Dayue True Deity's attention. Then success would be assured! Consequently, Tang Lu stood head and shoulders above the sea of examinees, claiming first place in the province trial! Instantly, her name reverberated across the entirety of Xia Province. Everyone scrambled to ask: Who is Tang Lu? Where did she come from? How did she suddenly seize first place in the province trial? Intelligence regarding Tang Lu spread like wildfire throughout Xia Province. Such was the Divine Child Trial. Regardless of one's prior station in life or past hardships, once someone dazzled in the Divine Child Trial, they could ascend to the heavens in a single bound and change their destiny forever. Lu Changsheng watched from afar. When he saw Tang Lu claim first place in the provincial Divine Child Trial, he faintly sensed a strand of the power of faith plunge swiftly into her body. *Is this... being noticed? Though whether it comes from the Dayue True Deity or the Dayue False Deity is unclear—most likely the Dayue False Deity. It seems I cannot have any physical contact with Tang Lu either; otherwise, the Dayue False Deity might detect me...* A chill ran through Lu Changsheng's heart. He had not expected that merely placing first in the province trial would earn Tang Lu such "focused attention" from the Dayue False Deity. In truth, this was normal. For a woman to take first place in the province trial was exceedingly rare. It was only natural for the Dayue False Deity to take notice. It was merely a strand of faith power; it did not mean the Dayue False Deity's gaze was fixed on Tang Lu at every moment. Even so, caution was prudence, and Lu Changsheng was unwilling to take unnecessary risks. Thus, he left a slip of paper explaining the situation, instructing Tang Lu not to meet with him in person. All communication was to be conducted through written notes. Lu Changsheng would direct her next steps. When Tang Lu returned to her quarters, she found no trace of Lu Changsheng, discovering only the letter he had left behind. Reading its contents, Tang Lu was not overly surprised. On the contrary, she had long prepared herself mentally. After all, her master was an "evil deity." And how could an evil deity step into the open light? With the Dayue False Deity's gaze potentially lingering on her, Lu Changsheng naturally could not show himself rashly. Therefore, following Lu Changsheng's directions, she still had to journey to Yuedu. However, there was no hurry to reach Yuedu. The Divine Child Trial in Yuedu was three months away, leaving Tang Lu ample time to travel there at a leisurely pace. Tang Lu stayed in the provincial capital for more than half a month. Lu Changsheng secretly observed her during this time, finding that after entering her body, the power of faith had no adverse effect on Tang Lu. She showed no abnormalities whatsoever. Lu Changsheng surmised that the strand of faith was likely just an imprint, equivalent to a mark left by the Dayue False Deity. Seeing that all was well, Lu Changsheng sent a letter ordering Tang Lu to depart for Yuedu. Lu Changsheng also blended into Tang Lu's carriage convoy, exercising extreme caution to avoid meeting her face-to-face lest the Dayue False Deity take notice. The convoy was fairly large. Furthermore, despite the long journey, Tang Lu was traveling to attend the Yuedu Divine Child Trial, and had won first place in the provincial trial at that. The entire route was exceedingly safe, and they encountered no trouble. Officials waved Tang Lu's convoy through every checkpoint without hesitation; none dared obstruct them. In this manner, they reached Yuedu. At the gates of Yuedu, the guards conducted a brief search, but it was merely going through the motions. They were promptly allowed through and entered Yuedu completely. *Hum...* Lu Changsheng instantly sensed a distinct difference. In Yuedu, the power of faith was overwhelmingly dense, like a gigantic web. Everyone was bathed in this power of faith at every waking moment. Even those who did not particularly believe in the deities would, under the subtle, relentless erosion of faith power, turn into the most devout subjects of the Dayue True Deity and the Dayue False Deity. *What terrifying power of faith. A world ruled by deities holds no hope whatsoever. There was good reason for the immortals and martial artists to join forces and drive the deities out back then...* Lu Changsheng faintly understood why the deities had been banished. This kind of faith power was nothing less than the systematic erasure of every living being's innate spirituality. Over time, everyone would become puppets of the deities. In Yuedu, Lu Changsheng had to be all the more cautious, not stepping out of line in the slightest. After all, the entire city was blanketed by a web of faith. Any slight anomaly from him would likely be detected immediately by the Dayue False Deity. Lu Changsheng even drastically reduced his written correspondence with Tang Lu. However, Lu Changsheng had already discussed the matter with Tang Lu on the road. Tang Lu knew her objective: to do everything in her power to locate the Dayue True Deity's exact position. Once the Dayue True Deity's exact position was found, the rest would have nothing to do with her. After arriving in Yuedu, Lu Changsheng remained completely dormant, making not the slightest stir. He did not even step out to gather information. He was well aware that in Yuedu, every movement of any person could potentially be detected by the Dayue False Deity. Remaining motionless was the best course of action. Days slipped by. Finally, the day of the Yuedu Divine Child Trial arrived. Like the other participants, Tang Lu arrived at the examination grounds for the Yuedu Divine Child Trial. Lu Changsheng watched from a great distance. The first stage was exceedingly arduous: lifting a thousand-jin stone lock. The difficulty far surpassed that of the province trial. After all, this was screening the finest contenders from the entire realm; to withstand the power of a deity, one needed a physique of exceptional fortitude. Even so, Tang Lu passed smoothly. Her physical condition still ranked among the very best of the candidates. Even if not first, she was easily in the top three, which was already remarkable. Next came the second and third stages. More and more contenders were eliminated, but Tang Lu remained steady throughout. Even when it came to testing martial techniques in actual combat, Tang Lu did not lag behind in the least. In fact, she proved even stronger in real combat. After all, Tang Lu had survived being hunted down and had fought her way back into Tang Manor, killing countless foes along the way. She was no delicate, pampered lady. At last, the Divine Child Trial drew to a close. Tang Lu secured third place! This result was exceptionally stellar. Lu Changsheng's expression grew profoundly solemn. He fixed his gaze intently on Tang Lu. Now was the critical moment. Supposedly, once candidates passed the Yuedu Divine Child Trial, all who qualified would become Divine Children and receive the blessing of the Dayue True Deity. After all, a Divine Child was the Divine Child of the Dayue True Deity, not the Dayue False Deity. This ceremony could be performed only by the Dayue True Deity; the Dayue False Deity could not take its place. Tang Lu raised her head as well, gazing up into the void. She knew the pivotal moment had arrived. Was this not what her "master" behind the scenes had been waiting for? Though she did not know what her master intended to do upon finding the Dayue True Deity, she could deduce a thing or two. Evil deities and true deities were irreconcilable enemies. What else would an evil deity scheme so painstakingly to locate a true deity for? If all went as planned, then after today, the entire city of Yuedu might cease to exist... "All Divine Children step forward to receive the True Deity's blessing!" the presiding official shouted in a booming voice. All who had passed the trial stepped forward reverently and knelt on the ground with profound devotion, awaiting the blessing of the true deity. *Hum...* In the next moment, a dazzling light seemed to materialize out of thin air. A towering phantom silhouette faintly manifested across the void, radiating a terrifying aura. The Dayue True Deity! This was the Dayue True Deity! Of course, this was not its true body, merely a projection of its aura. Lu Changsheng could not yet pinpoint its exact location. Yet that did not matter. He had nurtured Tang Lu for so long precisely for this instant. When the light enveloped Tang Lu, Lu Changsheng instantly barked, "Tang Lu!" "Yes, Master!" Tang Lu's gaze turned resolute. In an instant, she lunged straight toward the crowd. The entire assembly was dumbfounded. Tang Lu bolted straight to Lu Changsheng. Almost immediately, Lu Changsheng sent his spirit sweeping into Tang Lu's mind. Sure enough, within her mind, a "seed" had already been planted. This was a faith seed. Once the faith seed was planted, the Dayue True Deity could channel power into Tang Lu's body. Furthermore, it served another vital function: through this faith seed, Lu Changsheng could instantly pinpoint the Dayue True Deity's exact location. *Boom!* As Lu Changsheng's consciousness swept over the faith seed, his spirit roared and shook violently. Yet Lu Changsheng remained unmoved. *Found you!* A strange gleam flickered in his eyes. Because he had mobilized his spiritual power, an uncontrollable trace of terrifying spiritual fluctuations leaked from his body. And that spiritual ripple naturally could not escape the notice of everyone present. Shock washed over the crowd. "An evil deity! It's an evil deity!" "Impudent! How dare an evil deity infiltrate Yuedu! Seize the evil deity and execute him on the spot!" "Divine Children, all Divine Children mobilize!" The scene erupted into chaos. No one could have imagined that an evil deity would appear right in Yuedu, and acting with such blatant arrogance. He even seemed to have brought an examinee under his control. What was he trying to do? Countless Divine Children surged forward. They communed with the faith seeds within their bodies. Instantly, formidable streams of power ripped through the air into their flesh, and terrifying auras erupted from them. Lu Changsheng narrowed his eyes slightly, then took a single step forward. *Boom!* The void trembled. A tempest seemed to tear through the surrounding area. The bodies of the Divine Children collapsed one after another, their corpses hitting the ground in droves. This scene sent sheer terror through the onlookers. Lu Changsheng had barely exerted any force at all. He had not even deployed a divine ability. Merely releasing a faint wisp of his saint body's aura was enough to crush these Divine Children to pieces. After all, no matter how much power the Divine Children drew through their faith seeds, their physical vessels were still mortal flesh. How could they possibly withstand even a sliver of the pressure from Lu Changsheng's saint body? "Impudent!" A thunderous reprimand suddenly boomed from the void. Immediately following, a towering silhouette bathed in golden light emerged in the heavens. The power of faith from across the entire city of Yuedu converged upon this giant form. A pressure transcending all living beings enveloped Yuedu. "It is the Dayue False Deity!" "Quick, kowtow to the Dayue False Deity!" "May the Dayue False Deity protect us and repel the evil deity!" At the sight of this silhouette, everyone in Yuedu knew it was the Dayue False Deity. Throughout the Dayue Divine Dynasty, the Dayue False Deity was the actual ruler, while the Dayue True Deity was more of a spiritual symbol. Hardly anyone had ever seen the Dayue True Deity, but many had beheld the Dayue False Deity. Its divine majesty was truly vast as an ocean! Particularly here in Yuedu, where the power of faith was at its densest, all of it was being channeled onto the Dayue False Deity. Its might was earth-shattering. Everyone fell to their knees, shivering uncontrollably from terror springing from the depths of their souls. "A false deity?" Lu Changsheng chuckled. The strength of a false deity could in fact reflect the strength of a true deity. As for the Dayue False Deity before him... with a single glance, Lu Changsheng could tell that this being was... weak! Indeed, in Lu Changsheng's eyes, even though this supposed Dayue False Deity had gathered the faith of all Yuedu and its aura appeared world-shaking, Lu Changsheng saw through to its essence at once. The Divine Ability realm! The Dayue False Deity before him was only comparable to the Divine Ability realm. It was weak to the extreme. If this was the case, just how strong could the Dayue True Deity be? "Audacious evil deity! Seeing this deity, you still show no remorse—" the Dayue False Deity roared, his voice seeming to shake the very heavens. The terrified populace lowered their heads, not daring to look up. Only a few, like Tang Lu, dared to gaze upward. They saw a faint sneer curl at the corner of the "evil deity's" lips. "Noisy." Lu Changsheng could not be bothered to waste words on the Dayue False Deity. He simply reached out his hand and snatched forward. *Hum...* With that motion, a gargantuan palm manifested in the void. It ballooned with the wind, expanding to an immense size in the blink of an eye. Like a colossal hand descending from the heavens, blotting out the sky and sun, it swept down majestically to seize the Dayue False Deity. "Ahhh!" The Dayue False Deity bellowed. Countless strands of faith power coalesced into an enormous fist, driving upward with fury to smash against Lu Changsheng's giant hand. *Boom!* The void shuddered. Yet such a terrifying punch could not budge Lu Changsheng's palm in the slightest. The colossal hand continued its descent and clamped down hard. In an instant, the Dayue False Deity's massive form was gripped firmly within the gigantic palm. The hand squeezed inward with force. The Dayue False Deity's enormous body disintegrated on the spot, shrinking precipitously. *Pfft!* When the giant hand clenched completely into a fist, the Dayue False Deity within was utterly crushed into obliteration. Destroyed. The renowned Dayue False Deity had been snuffed out by a single squeeze of Lu Changsheng's hand, its divine body completely erased. This spectacle left everyone in Yuedu staring in disbelief. The entire city fell into a dead silence. That was a false deity! How could a false deity lose? To be crushed to death alive, completely powerless to resist! "This evil deity..." Everyone trembled. The strength of this evil deity surpassed their wildest imaginations. Now that the evil deity had defeated the Dayue False Deity, would he bathe all Yuedu in blood? Yet Lu Changsheng was well aware that the Dayue False Deity was not truly dead. This entity was a god of faith. So long as the Dayue True Deity did not perish, the Dayue False Deity would not die either. The true root lay with the Dayue True Deity! Even though it was not dead, the Dayue False Deity had lost an enormous amount of faith power, and it would be impossible to recover in the short term. Once the Dayue True Deity perished, the Dayue False Deity would naturally die with it. Thus, Lu Changsheng paid no heed to the Dayue False Deity. His objective had only ever been one: the Dayue True Deity! Lu Changsheng knew where the Dayue True Deity was hiding, yet even now, the deity had not shown itself. Since the other party refused to appear, Lu Changsheng would drag it out himself. "Saint body!" With a low shout from Lu Changsheng, his Chaos Saint Body materialized. At this moment, holding nothing back, he unleashed his Chaos Saint Body completely. A hundred-zhang Chaos Saint Body loomed, emanating a terrifying aura. Everyone shivered in terror, feeling like the lowliest of creatures. Before the Chaos Saint Body, mortals were little different from ants. *Is this Master's true form?* Tang Lu felt an overwhelming shock. Although she knew Lu Changsheng was an evil deity, his demeanor had never seemed like one. Instead, he had seemed refined and composed, barely different from an ordinary person. Yet an evil deity was an evil deity after all. Now, this "evil deity" had finally revealed his true form. That formidable saint body radiated a terrifying pressure, compelling everyone to prostrate themselves, not daring to look directly upon it. Many had heard legends of evil deities. Some mighty evil deities were fully a match for true deities, capable of battling true deities to the death! And now, every one of them was witnessing an evil deity terrifying enough to battle a true deity with their own eyes. Lu Changsheng drew a deep breath. Turning toward a specific spot on the ground, his saint body unleashed a savage punch. *Rumble!* The earth instantly fissured, and a massive crater was blasted open. "Come out!" Lu Changsheng's saint body rained down blow after blow, battering the crater relentlessly. Finally, he punched straight through into the depths. *Hum...* Soon, a golden beam of light shot straight into the heavens. A frightening aura immediately pervaded the entire void. Lu Changsheng's saint body shuddered slightly. Then, from within the crater, a colossal figure—also a hundred zhang tall—soared abruptly into the sky. A true deity! This was the Dayue True Deity! Everyone beheld the true form of the Dayue True Deity. It had actually been slumbering beneath Yuedu all along. "Evil deity, your death is decreed!" The Dayue True Deity's face held neither sorrow nor joy. Born a natural deity, it was an incarnation of natural laws. Deities did not understand what emotion was. Deities were truly distinct from Martial Saints, and completely different from Nascent Souls as well. Every Martial Saint Lu Changsheng had ever met likely fell short of this deity before him. Yet Lu Changsheng hesitated no longer and threw a punch forward. This punch concentrated all of Lu Changsheng's strength: the Spiritual Black Hole divine ability, Five Elements Decomposition divine ability, and Four Symbols Prison divine ability. All amplified three hundred times over. Furthermore, they were fused into one, packed entirely into this single strike. One punch, three divine abilities! And boundless divine abilities amplified hundreds of times! Lu Changsheng could be hailed as the strongest Human Saint. Now, in a direct clash against a born deity, he unleashed an all-out strike. *Boom!* At last, their attacks slammed violently into one another. The surrounding void seemed swallowed whole. Terrifying shockwaves surged outward in every direction. A true deity did not require the power of faith; a true deity wielded the power of laws. Whereas a Martial Saint wielded pure power—all great might belonged to the self. The collision between them was truly earth-shattering. Lu Changsheng's fist stalled for a split second. Then, the boundless divine abilities amplified hundreds of times finally unleashed their terrifying might. Crushing all resistance like dry weeds, it obliterated the Dayue True Deity's fist. Moreover, the terrifying force crashed onto the Dayue True Deity's enormous body. *Crack!* A crisp snap resounded. Everyone could hear the distinct sound, as though something had shattered. In truth, it was the body of the Dayue True Deity cracking apart. A fissure appeared across the Dayue True Deity's form. Then a second, a third, a fourth, a fifth... until countless fissures fractured across its body. The Dayue True Deity's face still held neither sorrow nor joy. Yet a flicker of bewilderment seemed to pass through its eyes. Perhaps it could not comprehend why, as an incarnation of the laws, it would be defeated. *Bang!* At last, the Dayue True Deity's body detonated, blown to pieces! Large deity fragments drifted in the void. The Dayue True Deity had been slain!