Chapter 100

Chapter 100

It turned out that walking alone at night was indeed a bad idea. No sooner had they spoken of the malevolent entities in the mountains than these very beings appeared.

Fortunately, the little immortal had just created a protective barrier around You Nan, shielding him and preventing the evil spirits from causing him harm.

The little immortal had long been prepared for battle.

The moment these evil spirits materialized, the little immortal immediately launched into action.

A brilliant golden light emanated from him, and wherever it touched the dense, dark Yin energy, it instantly hissed and dissipated, ruthlessly scattered.

The little immortal was no longer as vulnerable as before; he now possessed the ability to confront these evil spirits single-handedly.

You Nan watched, mesmerized, as the dazzling interplay of black and gold unfolded above him, his trust in the little immortal's power unwavering.

Thus, when confronted by evil spirits that, fearing the child's strength, avoided direct confrontation and instead charged toward him, You Nan remained utterly fearless.

The malevolent spirits lunged ferociously at You Nan, only to collide with the protective barrier one after another, emitting piercing shrieks.

They attempted to escape, but their bodies were firmly adhered to the barrier, their dark Yin energy gradually diminishing before vanishing entirely.

The protective barrier had drained them of their "life force."

Simultaneously, having absorbed their power, the little immortal's strength and spiritual awareness experienced a modest surge.

Having dispatched the foolish creatures on the road, the little immortal was exhilarated and caught up in the fervor of the fight. After a brief word with You Nan, he soared directly toward the nearby village.

You Nan couldn't help but chuckle, then quickened his pace.

He needed to follow up and handle the aftermath for the little immortal.

The little immortal was benevolent, having eliminated those threats for everyone. You Nan hoped that those whom the little immortal had saved would remember his selfless efforts.

Even offering a stick of incense in gratitude would suffice as repayment.

With this thought, You Nan continued his journey without pause.

By the time he arrived, the evil spirits in the village had already been vanquished by the little immortal.

The little immortal stood in a clearing, surrounded by grateful villagers.

Encircled by the crowd, the little immortal found himself unable to depart as everyone knelt and bowed to him. The little immortal was utterly flustered, repeatedly insisting it wasn't necessary, but as soon as he helped one person to their feet, another nearby would kneel, leaving him in a state of panic.

The moment he spotted You Nan, it was as if he had found a lifeline, and he swiftly rushed to his father's side.

"Father!"

As he moved, the villagers' attention shifted to You Nan.

These villagers appeared exhausted and gaunt, clearly having endured immense suffering under the torment of the evil spirits.

"Thank you, Little Immortal, for your righteous intervention," the village chief sincerely expressed his gratitude for the little immortal's assistance.

The village chief was the most knowledgeable person in their village and also the most stringent when it came to venerating deities. He immediately recognized the little immortal's extraordinary nature.

Hearing his words, the little immortal peeked out from You Nan's embrace.

You Nan gently stroked his back, and the little immortal, feeling shy, nodded toward the village chief. With his father by his side, he confidently accepted the praise.

You Nan knew it was his turn to step forward.

He gently held the child's soft shoulders to prevent him from accidentally losing his balance.

You Nan stepped forward and spoke clearly, addressing the village chief but ensuring his words were audible to everyone.

He recounted the events that had transpired in their village and on the road, then added, "The Little Immortal was concerned for everyone, which is why he rushed here through the night. We only hope that everyone can offer a stick of incense as a token of gratitude to the Little Immortal."

You Nan bowed to the crowd.

While they spoke, the villagers listened intently.

None of them had ever encountered gods or ghosts before; they had lived ordinary lives and never believed such beings existed.

But today's events shattered their worldview, revealing the existence of both malevolent spirits and divine beings.

This realization instilled in them a profound sense of dread and fear. The power of these evil spirits was too immense for mortals to contend with; they could only await their demise.

Thus, they were immensely grateful to the Little Immortal who had saved their lives.

Upon hearing the village chief and You Nan discuss how to repay the Little Immortal, each villager began to consider what they possessed at home and whether it would be sufficient to express their thanks for his help.

To their surprise, the Little Immortal desired none of it. You Nan stated that all he requested was for them to offer a stick of incense.

Offering incense was not a difficult task; they already did so daily for their national deities.

The villagers immediately assented.

"Of course! I can go back right now to get the incense!"

"My family also has extra incense. If anyone hasn't prepared, you can come to my house to get some!"

The villagers promptly rose, their eyes gleaming.

The little immortal was delighted to witness this, but lacking a physical body, he had not been in You Nan's arms for long before gradually becoming transparent and transforming back into golden light, returning to the small plaque.

The village chief, who had been accompanying You Nan, observed this with both astonishment and joy.

He became even more convinced that the little immortal was indeed a divine being.

The villagers soon reassembled.

Their numbers were small; many in the village had had their vital energy drained by the evil spirits and had fallen into comas, unable to offer incense to the Little Immortal. Some had even been completely consumed.

After speaking, the village chief looked at You Nan with a hesitant gaze.

He wished to inquire of You Nan whether the Little Immortal could awaken those who had fallen unconscious and ascertain if there was still hope for them.

His own nephew had also had his vital energy drained.

You Nan discerned his unspoken concern.

While the villagers were offering incense, he spoke quietly with the village chief. "It's difficult to say. The Little Immortal only awoke today, and his abilities are limited. To empower him further and help him receive more offerings, I left the village to take our chances with him."

You Nan looked at the village chief earnestly. "But rest assured, I will inquire. If the Little Immortal can help, he will certainly do so."

The village chief nodded repeatedly, no longer pressing You Nan for an immediate, definitive answer.

"Indeed," the village chief said, his eyes moist with tears as he gazed at his villagers.

The Little Immortal had already accomplished so much, which was remarkable, especially considering his tender age...

The village chief recalled the Little Immortal's face, which appeared to be about the same age as his own grandson, and a wave of tenderness washed over him.

His own grandson, at such a young age, was still playing in the water and mud with other children, while the Little Immortal, despite being equally young, was already combating evil and promoting good.

Such a benevolent Little Immortal—he had already done his utmost.

But...

The village chief closed his eyes. What if the Little Immortal was also powerless in this situation? What would they do then?

After the villagers finished offering incense, You Nan held the small plaque in both hands and conveyed the village chief's request to the Little Immortal.

Upon hearing this, the Little Immortal suddenly recalled that after vanquishing the evil spirits earlier, he had felt as though he had forgotten something.

So, he had forgotten to awaken the villagers!

The little child felt a touch of embarrassment. He patted his small head and gently assented, "Of course, it can be done."

You Nan's eyes immediately lit up. Overjoyed, he promptly informed the village chief, who listened with tears welling in his eyes. "Excellent! Excellent! The Little Immortal is so powerful—we are saved!"

He turned, about to instruct the villagers to bring out all the unconscious people from their homes.

Just then, the small plaque flickered, and You Nan heard the little child's voice whispering in his ear, "There's no need to bring them out. I can awaken them from right here."

You Nan quickly stopped the village chief. "No need. The Little Immortal has his own method."

The village chief did not inquire about the method. Whatever You Nan said, he now believed without question. He called back those who had already started to leave.

Everyone watched curiously as the golden plaque ascended, emitting streaks of golden light that purposefully shot toward the homes of those whose vitality had been drained by the evil spirits.

The villagers gasped in astonishment upon witnessing this.

"That's the direction of my house!"

"There are so many beams! Perhaps my family is included too!"

"Let's go, let's hurry home and see if my son has woken up!"

Everyone rushed home, while the golden beams of light had already dissipated.

Those who lived closer to the ancestral hall had only just opened their doors when they saw their family members on the bed stirring, awakening.

Those who lived farther away had not even reached their homes when they spotted people standing outside their homes from a distance.

"Is that...?"

Their hearts swelled with emotion. Who else would be standing at their doorstep so late at night if not their own family?

The clouds in the sky parted, carried by the wind, and moonlight streamed down, illuminating the figures at the door.

From afar, the villagers clearly recognized the silhouettes of their family members.

They identified them and immediately cried out, "Father! Mother! You're awake!"

"My son! You're finally awake! Your mother was so worried about you!"

"Thanks to the Little Immortal for saving our village! Come, let's go offer another stick of incense to the Little Immortal! I'll tell you what happened as we walk!"

And those who had been awakened also vaguely realized something—they had been saved.

Overwhelmed with joy, everyone embraced their loved ones, weeping uncontrollably.

.

You Nan visited the two nearest villages that night and returned to his own village by day, having the Little Immortal awaken all the unconscious people there as well.

The little child left a wisp of his divine consciousness in the deity statues of all three villages.

This signified that these villages would now be under his dominion.

As for the original small deity statues, the little child scrutinized them from every angle but found them utterly empty, devoid of any divine presence or other inhabitants. Since that was the case, he decided he might as well take residence!

In this realm, the divine presence had become so faint it was almost imperceptible.

This presented him with an opportunity for growth.

Thanks to the wisp of divine consciousness the little child had left behind, these villages found a newfound stability.

Knowing that the small deity statues had become the little child's dwelling, the villagers worshipped him with even greater devotion.

In the past, when they worshipped deity statues, it had become a mere habit, with little genuine reverence. But now, having witnessed a true deity, their attitude was, naturally, entirely different.

Because the deities of the past had not protected them, but the Little Immortal would.

In the following days, You Nan and the little child worked together to eliminate the evil spirits in all the villages throughout the region.

The little child's strength finally experienced a significant increase.

He had reached approximately the seventh level of the Qi Refining stage in human cultivation.

Moreover, the daily incense offerings from the villagers continuously cleansed his body, stabilizing his divine soul.

The little child now commanded several hundred believers, spread across the foothills of the Great Xing Mountains, and had officially entered the ranks of wild deities.

However, the number of evil spirits was vast, and many villages were affected. The Little Immortal and You Nan spent several days eradicating them, but many innocent villagers perished in the process.

The survivors, with reddened eyes, buried the deceased villagers.

They needed to prevent the spread of disease.

The atmosphere in all the ravaged villages was heavy, and You Nan shared their sorrow, grieving for these simple people who had suffered such an unjust fate.

If only he also possessed the ability to protect others.

The little child observed his father's sadness, and his own heart ached in response.

He knew his father had a soft heart and could not bear to see others suffer.

After pondering for several days, the little child finally developed a new divine ability.

On the day his father came to offer incense, the little child immediately called him over.

"Father!" the little child exclaimed happily, waving at You Nan.

He still resided within the plaque, but he no longer shared a dwelling with his father.

Because he was the Little Immortal, the villagers had proposed moving his small plaque to the ancestral hall so he could receive daily incense offerings. Although he could reside within the small deity statues, the villagers preferred to worship him individually.

He had also overheard the village chief and others discussing building a new temple for him to reside in alone.

The little child blushed and quickly asked his father to decline their kind offer.

Hearing the little child's words, You Nan approached and gently asked, "What's wrong, little immortal?"

Being called "little immortal" by his beloved father always made the child feel a bit self-conscious.

He cleared his throat, attempting to sound mature and composed. "Here's the thing!"

Adopting a serious tone, he spoke in a childish voice mimicking an adult's manner: "I'm powerful now! I can help people unblock their meridians and guide them to cultivate immortality, you know?"

"Father, would you like to cultivate immortality?" the child asked nervously, looking at You Nan and awaiting his father's reply.