The giant python let out a roar as it felt its master's gaze upon it, a thought simultaneously conveyed.
A smile played on Ji Yuan's lips, and he nodded gently at it.
During the purification of the resentments at the riverbed, the giant python, empowered by the sage's artifact, boundless divine power, and the Buddhist, Daoist, and Confucian scriptures from both banks, had purged all demonic energy from its body.
As it fully mastered the origin of the Linfu River, it had finally made its ultimate choice: to embark on the path of divinity.
With a mere thought, the scepter symbolizing the River God's authority shattered, transforming into the purest divine power and natural laws, condensing into a ball of light the size of a fist.
Ji Yuan reached into the void, and the origin power of the Linfu River surged, gathering into a single speck of light in his palm.
The next moment, he infused both into the giant python's head, along with a complete set of natural laws imprinted within his own soul, sending it into its spiritual consciousness.
He had fully comprehended this set of natural laws; its loss would not be significant. He could re-comprehend it given time, and it would not even affect his mastery of the Linfu River.
Upon receiving the divine power born from the River God's authority, along with the complete natural laws and divinity, the giant python erupted with immeasurable golden light.
Its black scales were now tinged with a golden halo, and golden threads appeared along their edges.
The two bumps on the giant python's head transformed under the divine radiance, sprouting two sharp, straight horns, while long whiskers grew from each side of its mouth.
Roar!!!
The giant python raised its head and let out a long roar. Its aura suddenly surged immensely. Large patches of scales on its abdomen fell off, and torrents of blood flowed from the cracked skin, spreading into the wide river.
It took a full half-stick of incense for four sharp claws to finally emerge from its belly. During this process, a pair of long, slender hairs grew on both the upper and lower sides of its tail.
It let out several more roars, and besides the shimmering golden divine light, a dragon's might emanated from its body.
With the aid of the Linfu River's origin, natural laws, and the blessing of its divine position, the giant python activated the power within its bloodline, successfully transforming into a Flood Dragon.
At Ji Yuan's signal, the transformed Flood Dragon, carrying his golden body, slowly descended onto the river's surface and swam towards the tail end along the river channel.
As it traveled, divine light illuminated the surroundings. All cultivators and mortals who were bathed in its glow felt their fatigue from the past few days vanish. The former's magical power recovered rapidly, while the latter's spirit, energy, and mind reached their peak.
Many common folk who had gathered for the ritual knelt on the ground, their eyes filled with devotion. Pure wish power converged from the void, entering Ji Yuan's divine body.
He felt a vast amount of merit accumulated within his golden body, the recognition and reward bestowed by heaven and earth for his purification of the Linfu River's resentments.
In fact, it was not only him; everyone who participated in this ritual, including the martial artists and cultivators who repelled the attackers at the end, received some merit.
While this could not directly improve cultivation, it could protect a person's destiny, allowing them to avoid misfortune and find good fortune in the years to come.
Moreover, the greater the merit, the more prosperous their destiny would become, enabling them to turn danger into safety even in the face of calamity, and even encounter various opportunities.
Purifying the resentments from bottom to top had taken Ji Yuan several days, but now, surveying from top to bottom, it only took two hours.
When he returned to the River God Temple, the incense and golden light there suddenly surged severalfold. Even ordinary mortals could see auspicious clouds in the sky with their naked eyes.
The Flood Dragon, having completed its transformation, shrunk its body and coiled around Ji Yuan, its head resting on his shoulder, eyes closed as if it had fallen asleep.
After assisting its master in purifying the riverbed's resentments for several days, battling water ghosts and attackers, and finally undergoing its transformation, it had truly exhausted all its strength.
"Congratulations, Water God Master, on successfully purifying all the resentments of the Linfu River!"
Li Buwei and a group of rogue cultivators stepped forward, their faces filled with joyous congratulations.
The soldiers who had maintained order in the area, as well as the early assembled commoners, now cast their devout gazes upon him, clearly won over by his actions and the displayed divine miracles.
Although mortals did not fully comprehend the peril of this undertaking, they could sense that the Linfu River no longer carried any chilling aura.
Its surface was much clearer than before, and it was filled with a sense of peace.
Not to mention that some cultivators and martial artists, when they had leisure, would chat with the surrounding commoners, informing them of the dangers and difficulties involved in this ritual.
"Someone has fallen?"
Ji Yuan's brow furrowed as he scanned the crowd.
Despite the smiles on Li Buwei and the others' faces, sorrow was evident in their eyes, though they had tried to conceal it.
However, in his current state, how could he possibly be deceived?
Seeing them nod slowly, Ji Yuan gave a slight nod and then turned and walked out of the divine temple again.
Under the gaze of many onlookers, he walked to the banks of the Linfu River and then stepped onto the water, reaching the center of the river.
The divine light radiating from him suddenly intensified, and a divine murmur instantly spread across both banks of the river, causing many commoners to prostrate themselves in devotion.
"I, in the divine name of Tian Yi, call upon your souls to return..."
"Souls, return..."
A murmur echoed through the heavens and earth. Then, the Flood Dragon, which had been dormant, suddenly lifted its head from his shoulder, its eyes emitting brilliant divine light. It raised its head and let out a deafening roar.
As its cry faded, gentle breezes began to swirl on the river's surface, and dark clouds gathered overhead, obscuring the brilliant sunlight.
Then, before the eyes of the crowd, a faint mist appeared on the river's surface, and following it, over twenty figures slowly emerged from the mist.
These were the martial artists and cultivators who had perished while resisting the enemy, along with many ordinary soldiers and commoners. Now, summoned by divine arts, their souls that had not yet entered reincarnation were gathered.
"Mas... Master?"
The leading three figures were none other than the rogue cultivators who had pledged allegiance to Ji Yuan, and they had also perished in the previous battle.
As they called out, the souls behind them looked over, and upon seeing the deity before them, their gazes displayed devotion.
"You have two choices: one is to remain here longer and become a divine official under me, and the other is to enter reincarnation, and I promise you a life of wealth and prosperity in your next life."
Ji Yuan spoke slowly, his divine might encompassing the souls before him, protecting them so they could linger in the world for longer.
Upon hearing this, the fallen souls exchanged glances, and even those on the bank watched with bated breath, waiting for their decisions.
"I am willing to become a divine official under Master!"
"I am willing too!"
"And me!"
The three cultivators who were rogue cultivators in life immediately stepped forward a few paces and then knelt on the mist-covered river surface.
Following them, over twenty souls made their choices, some willing to become divine officials under the Water God, while others only wished to enter reincarnation.
Ji Yuan nodded slightly, his divine might permeating his being while divine power surged forth.
He softly chanted divine incantations, conveying the will of a deity to heaven and earth, sparing no effort in consuming the merit power within him, wishing to secure a prosperous and peaceful next life for these souls.
Streams of merit emerged from his body and were bestowed upon the souls who wished to reincarnate, protecting them as they vanished into the world.
With a portion of merit, their next life would undoubtedly be free of disaster and misfortune, and a life of great wealth and prosperity was assured.
To achieve this, Ji Yuan had expended nearly half of the merit power within him. Trading with heaven and earth always came at a great cost.
Some astute cultivators informed the surrounding crowd of the immense price of this ritual, and the commoners who learned the truth bowed their heads in deep devotion and faith.