Half an hour later, Ji Yuan left a trace of his divine power within the idol and then opened the main hall's doors, walking out.
Under the watchful eyes of a group of soldiers, he slowly departed the Hebo Temple and arrived at the bank of the Linfu River beside it. As if walking on solid ground, he steadily moved towards the river's center.
He felt the dense yin energy contained within the long river beneath his feet, as well as the countless resentful spirits. It was as if he could hear incessant, mournful screams.
The waters of the Linfu River were exceptionally heavy, emanating an aura of extreme yin and cold. A mere touch of sensation would result in a colossal impact of vengeful energy.
Even with the sturdiness of his golden body, this surge of vengeful energy caused slight tremors. For a weaker deity, their golden body would likely have cracked on the spot.
Ji Yuan found it difficult to imagine how the Hebo, connected to the Linfu River's source, had endured the past three hundred years. The deity must have been constantly subjected to such vengeful impacts, day and night, moment by moment.
Furthermore, as a local deity, he was daily eroded by the incense and wish power of the populace. It was truly not easy to persevere.
One must understand that incense and wish power not only brought benefits but also, through the seven emotions and six desires attached to the prayers of believers, acted as a poison to divine beings.
Cultivators often spoke of the toxicity of incense, referring to these very seven emotions and six desires. They not only greatly eroded deities but also posed a significant trouble if other cultivators were tainted by them.
At best, it could shake the foundation of their cultivation. At worst, their entire cultivation would dissipate, and the karmic fire generated by the seven emotions and six desires would burn them to nothingness.
Ji Yuan took a deep breath. The vast divine power within him flowed out, and he held the Hebo Scepter. Using it, he stirred the source of the Linfu River beneath him, infusing his divine power into it.
In an instant, golden light blazed across the river's surface. Even though it was nighttime, the surroundings became as bright as day.
It took Ji Yuan a full seven days to initially refine the Linfu River's source. From now on, wherever he stood within this area, he could receive the augmentation of heavenly and earthly power, much like standing on his own Water God Temple's peak.
Now, let alone those in the early stages of the third realm, even opponents in the middle stages would be easily contended with.
He even estimated that if he could completely refine the Linfu River's source and purge the resentful spirits and yin energy from the river, the augmentation of heavenly and earthly power he would receive, along with the power granted by his divine authority over this place, would likely make it impossible for even someone in the late stages of the third realm to defeat him head-on here. At most, they could only gain a slight advantage.
However, with the inexhaustible supply of power from the Linfu River's source, the ultimate victory would remain unchanged.
After initially refining the river's source, he had a thought. Instantly, golden light flashed around him, and in the next moment, he vanished from his spot. Within one or two breaths, he reappeared outside the Hebo Temple.
Such incredible divine abilities naturally shocked Li Buwei and the others who were waiting, as well as the surrounding soldiers. Simultaneously, it filled them with a deep sense of reverence.
"Li Buwei, you, Zhu Tao, and Liu Qi, take some men to the nearby county towns. Invite as many registered Taoist priests from the court and monks who have genuine cultivation as possible."
Ji Yuan looked at the few people before him and then spoke his orders, "Spread the word that a grand ceremony is to be held here to save the resentful spirits who have unjustly died over hundreds of years."
The vengeful energy in the Linfu River, along with the vast number of resentful spirits, water ghosts, and the like, would require at least several years for him to clear alone.
During this process, let alone cultivation, even his divine power would be considerably depleted. Even with the replenishment from the city's incense power, it would still consume a significant portion of his fundamental power.
Therefore, after instructing Li Buwei and the others to head to the surrounding counties to invite Taoist priests and monks to prepare for a grand ceremony, he also summoned the soldiers guarding the area, asking them to notify Zhang Qingyang in the county yamen.
Upon receiving the news, the young county magistrate's expression immediately lit up with excitement, and he readily agreed. He even went so far as to use the county yamen's treasury to prepare the various necessities for the ceremony.
This was a golden opportunity to increase his reputation and merit. If handled properly, it could even be recorded as a significant achievement in his merit book.
This would undoubtedly bring immense benefits to Zhang Qingyang's future promotions, making his official career smoother and saving him years, or even over a decade, of experience accumulation.
From this day forth, the news of the grand ceremony to be held at the Linfu River quickly spread throughout the county town.
Many common people began to look forward to it, especially those who had lost relatives or friends in recent decades, who wept as if their tears had run dry.
The gentry and wealthy merchants in the city also actively responded to the county yamen's decision, contributing money if they had it, and labor if they could. Some helped gather more supplies, while others took the initiative to invite renowned masters from all directions.
Even ordinary folk were spreading the word. Those with well-off families donated supplies, while those with less could not afford much, they rushed to the Hebo Temple or the Little Yuan Mountain Water God Temple to offer three sticks of incense.
For several consecutive days, both temples saw a substantial influx of incense and wish power, and it continued to steadily increase.
On the eighth day, Lin Yubai, with a somber expression, arrived at Linfu County and successfully met with Ji Yuan's true form and Jiang Yunzhou.
They remained in a deserted courtyard to evade the city's surveillance. Upon seeing Lin Yubai arrive, they were not surprised or taken aback at all.
This was because both parties had maintained basic contact through the unique methods of the Nine Profound Sect.
Lin Yubai, who arrived at this time, was not alone. He was followed by eight disciples of the Nine Profound Sect, whose rankings within the inner sect were not low.
"We've investigated almost everything. The one protecting the Hebo Temple and committing various crimes should be the Prefect's chief advisor—Wang Chongshan!"
As soon as he entered the courtyard and saw the two before him, he spoke with a grim expression.
Even with the Nine Profound Sect's influence, it took nearly a month to untangle many hidden threads and follow the clues to identify the suspected source.
However, investigating up to the Prefect's chief advisor was their limit. To delve any deeper would inevitably alert certain individuals, and sounding the alarm would be more detrimental than beneficial.
Currently, the Nine Profound Sect was still covertly investigating to find more clues and decisive irrefutable evidence.
But based on the intelligence they currently possessed, it already implicated the Prefect's chief advisor, Wang Chongshan, and over a dozen high-ranking officials. The number of other officials involved was immense.
Not to mention the involvement of many other factions and sects, including wealthy and influential figures from the mortal realm.