Buzz—Buzz—Buzz—
Inside the City God Temple, golden light surged like a blazing sun rising on the horizon.
This time, the merit-infused radiance was greater than all previous instances combined.
Lucian Graves felt as if he were basking peacefully on a sunlit beach, his entire body warmed by the holy light.
Centered around the City God Temple, an aura of awe-inspiring righteousness soared into the heavens.
Had any evil spirits existed within a hundred-mile radius, they would have instantly been vaporized by this torrent of divine merit.
It wasn't until a stick of incense had burned through that the aura gradually faded and the golden light receded.
Lucian's features became even more defined, more exquisite—his very presence now radiated a transcendence beyond the mundane.
Facing that Puzzle Wraith from before?Now, a single strike would be enough to obliterate it—its soul shattered, scattered to the wind.
[Ding! Quest Complete: Eliminated the Puzzle Wraith. Reward: 1x Random Draw.][Ding! Quest Complete: Fame of the City God Spreads. Reward: 1x Random Draw.]
Two back-to-back system notifications echoed in Lucian's mind.
After briefly absorbing the newfound energy within him, he whispered,"System, initiate one draw."
The divine wheel appeared—six paths spun, fate turning once more.
[Draw Complete! Congratulations, you have obtained: Divine Thunder of Merit.][Divine Thunder of Merit: Summons heavenly thunder through the power of righteous merit. The denser the merit, the stronger the thunder. Nothing under heaven may withstand it.]
Lucian's thoughts stirred—and the world responded.
From clear skies, an oppressive pressure began to descend.
Between drifting white clouds, countless golden bolts of lightning were being conceived.
As his merit surged, the skies above roared—lightning burst forth like golden serpents in a frenzy.
A radiant golden glow bathed the heavens.
This was not just thunder—it was divine judgment incarnate.
If any ghostly entity were caught under this thunderous might, merely witnessing it would shatter their will.If struck, they would be utterly annihilated—erased from existence.
Merit itself was invisible to the eye. As long as Lucian didn't actively display it, no ghost—no exorcist—could perceive the Divine Thunder.
And even if they did... it would already be too late.
"No wonder they call it the Thunder of the Nine Heavens…" Lucian murmured with awe.
One day, when his merit reached its peak, the heavens would be flooded with golden lightning, divine thunder descending like a cleansing storm—ridding the world of every last trace of evil.
He had a feeling…
If he truly unleashed his full power, even the Three Thousand Nether Soldiers of the Underworld would be reduced to ash under this divine lightning.
After allowing that insight to settle within him, Lucian released his will.
The divine thunder and oppressive aura slowly dispersed.
"Looks like that worked out nicely~" Lucian whispered, gazing toward the skyline of Huadu City.
With each rise in his power, the day drew nearer when the Netherworld would no longer remain hidden in shadow.
So he no longer chose to keep a low profile.
He let Black and White Wuchang appear publicly—openly—before all.
And finally, in full view of the public, he used merit to bring back a dying man—Chen Bin—from the brink of death.
The consequence of these actions was this:
A deity once nearly forgotten, worshipped by only a few, began to reclaim his place in the hearts of the people of Huadu.
Now, more and more households in the city were buying statues of the City God—placing them in their homes and lighting incense.
Bit by bit, strands of merit flowed toward Lucian. Not much, yet.
But he knew—this was only the beginning.
At this moment, all of Huadu seemed wrapped in collective joy.
People chatted excitedly about one thing:
"Huadu has a god…""The City God has returned!!"
Meanwhile, in a hospital room—
"Don't look at me like that… you guys are creeping me out," said Chen Bin, scratching his head awkwardly under everyone's gaze.
"How are you feeling now?" Chen Yan asked, full of concern.
"Me? I feel great!"With a grin, Chen Bin hopped off the hospital bed to prove he was perfectly fine.
Everyone around him stared in disbelief.This guy had one foot in the grave just yesterday—and now? He looked healthier than ever.
Chen Yuxi could even sense that the ghost inside Chen Bin was beginning to evolve…
Which meant one thing:Chen Bin hadn't just survived—he was about to awaken as Huadu's second B-Rank Exorcist.
Old Lady Wang sat nearby, smiling from ear to ear as she watched her grandson.
"I told you, didn't I? Our Huadu does have a real god. The City God himself promised to protect my grandson. Of course he kept his word!"
"Righteous folk, that's the key! Do you understand what that means?"Puffing up proudly, Grandma Wang launched into a vivid retelling of everything that had happened in the City God Temple.
"Tomorrow, you two are coming with me to offer incense to the Great Lord!"
Chen Yuxi said nothing, deep in thought, as Grandma Wang cheerfully took her leave.
Ten minutes later.Huadu Bureau of Exorcism—War Room.
Chen Yuxi stood solemnly before the gathered officials.
"I've reported everything to the capital. From this day forward—Black and White Wuchang, and the terrifying army that follows them—are not to be treated as enemies."
"Their ability to casually destroy A-rank evil spirits suggests they themselves are at least S-rank. As for the City God that appeared later… his power is unfathomable."
"If they meant harm to Huadu… the city would already be a wasteland."
"Judging by their actions, I propose we acknowledge them for what they truly are—"
"Divine Beings!!"