The sun was rising at dawn.

The morning sunlight fell from the sky.

Mist and rosy clouds started to rise above the river's surface.

As the sunlight fell, it refracted a spectrum of dazzling colors.

The villagers of Lin Huan Pass were still gathered outside the Water God Temple, trembling with fear and utterly lost.

The Water God... was dead!

In their minds, the Water God was a divine being sent by Heaven to ensure their land had good weather for the crops and peace throughout the seasons.

But now, the Water God had died here.

If this were to anger Heaven... perhaps there would be a great flood that would submerge the entirety of Lin Huan Pass and the surrounding villages.

No one would be able to escape!

Naturally, the villagers were terrified beyond measure.

They could only place their hope in that three-eyed Immortal who had killed the Water God!

Yes, this Immortal!

An Immortal who could slay a Water God could surely bless them with favorable weather and peaceful seasons!

They only needed to shift their worship and sacrifices towards this Immortal to continue living as before!

At this moment, Wen Zhong walked out of the Water God Temple.

The golden morning light shone upon him, casting a halo around him, making him appear like a supreme divine entity.

"We, the people of Lin Huan Pass, pay our respects to the Immortal!"

No one knew who started it, but the crowd began to kneel down one after another.

Then, a frail, elderly man, shakily said, "We are willing to offer tribute every month, burn incense and worship day and night, earnestly requesting the Immortal to protect us, to bless Lin Huan Pass with favorable weather and peaceful seasons!"

The crowd then shouted in unison:

"Please bless us with favorable weather and peaceful seasons, Immortal!"

Hearing these thunderous cries, disappointment was evident in Wen Zhong's eyes.

Especially after undergoing the enlightenment of the "Encyclopedia," he realized deeply that the Human Race could thrive with ample food and clothing by their own means!

He took a deep breath, looking solemnly at the crowd.

"Why must there be a Water God?"

"Without a Water God, will you not be able to cultivate crops?"

"Without a Water God to summon clouds and rain, can you not draw water from the river?"

...

The crowd just stared at him, at this Immortal capable of slaying gods.

No one could answer his questions.

For generations, their ancestors had always lived this way.

The Water God might change, but they could never be without one!

Without a Water God, who would ensure their favorable weather?

Seeing their expressions, Wen Zhong already knew their thoughts.

They... had no thoughts of their own!

"The Huai River Water God whom I have slain was an impostor; do you know what the true Huai River God is like?"

Wen Zhong said, looking at the crowd.

Still, no one answered.

Wen Zhong didn't mind and continued, "In ancient times, the Huai River God was the Water Ape Great Saint Wuzhiqi.

He possessed immense Divine Skills and Dao Xing, using the force of the great flood to submerge all plains and cities... turning billions of miles around into swampland!

People could only flee to the mountaintops, letting the floods wreak havoc without any solution.

However, there was a man of the Human Race named Da Yu who stood up!

He led the people to dredge rivers, braving obstacles, channelling the great floodwaters into the ocean...

Even the imperious Huai River God was subdued by Da Yu beneath Gui Mountain..."

He slowly recounted the story of Da Yu's water control to the crowd.

When they heard that even the Divine beings with immense Divine Skills like Mountain Gods and Water Gods obediently followed Da Yu's command, and those who did not obey were subdued, all were filled with intense doubt.

Gods, following the orders of humans?

How could humans subdue gods?

At this moment, Wen Zhong proclaimed loudly, "Gods are considered gods because people believe in Them!"

As he spoke, he took out a small triangular banner and said to the crowd, "Now, I can give you an opportunity to become a Water God, who among you wishes to become the Water God?"

"Become a Water God?"

The people were stunned.

Such a thing was unheard of to them.

Could they, mere mortals, also become a Water God?

None of their ancestors had ever witnessed such!

Wen Zhong nodded slightly and spoke gravely, "To become the Water God of this land, you must take on the duty of summoning clouds and rain and managing the water veins along the thousand miles of the Huai River banks. This is not child's play. If among you there is anyone who believes they are up to it, step forward!

Once chosen, you must swear to Heaven!

You must be diligent and responsible, fair and impartial, without any personal bias or favoritism, not disappoint the trust of the masses, and not misuse your Mana to commit unjust acts!

Any violation, and divine punishment will come immediately!

There will be no mercy!

So be sure to think carefully before coming forward."

After he finished speaking, a curious child around eleven or twelve years old asked, "Immortal, can we mortals really become the Water God?"

"Of course!"

Wen Zhong answered unequivocally.

"Then I want to be the Water God!"

The child raised their hand and rushed forward.

A stocky man with thick eyebrows and big eyes, ignoring the dissuasion of those around him, mustered his courage and came forward, trembling, "Immortal, I also want to be the Water God!"

After that, a few more courageous villagers stood out.

Wen Zhong nodded and said lightly, "There can only be one Water God. You here are now the candidates. Line up and let everyone present decide who they want to support as the Water God by standing behind them…

The one who gains the most support will be conferred by me as the Water God of Lin Huan Pass!"

Soon, the crowd began to disperse with hesitation and skepticism.

In the end, the short and stocky man from the beginning received the most support.

Wen Zhong's gaze turned toward him. "What is your name?"

The short and stocky man immediately knelt and said, "Everyone calls me Shi Dadan!"

Wen Zhong looked at this Shi Dadan.

His body was robust, his hands and feet were coarse, his face was simple and honest-looking, very unpretentious.

"Since most people trust you, then you shall be the Water God… Come, take this banner and swear an oath to the Heavenly Dao!"

"Yes!"

Shi Dadan earnestly took the small triangular flag, following Wen Zhong as he loudly recited:

"I, Shi Dadan of Great Shang Lin Huan Pass… hereby make an oath to the Heavenly Dao today… to use the Water God's mana wisely, and never to abuse the power recklessly… respectfully request the Heavenly Dao to witness!"

As he finished the last sentence, Shi Dadan, who was kneeling on the ground, was alarmed to find that something seemed to be falling from above the Nine Heavens!

Not only that, but the triangular flag in his hand also emitted clear radiance like ripples of water, enveloping him within.

In that moment, he felt as if with just a flick of his fingers, he could cause the torrential Huai River not far away to fly into the sky, turning into clouds and falling back down as rain…

His heart surged with indescribable excitement.

Everything the Immortal said was true!

He… really became the Water God!

However, in an instant, he remembered the oath he had just pledged.

Should he err in the future, divine retribution might come immediately!

…

Tens of thousands of miles to the southwest from Lin Huan Pass,

in a valley concealed by an Array, three Daoists were facing a pond, seated in a triangular formation.

The pond was filled with White Lotuses, constantly releasing misty and colorful spiritual energy, puffing out the essence of Heaven and Earth, making the aura within the valley as rich as that of any Cave Heaven Blessed Land.

The three Daoists, cultivating with the pure Spiritual Energy exhaled by the White Lotuses, were no different from being in a Cave Heaven Blessed Land.

Suddenly, a faint voice arose from the bottom of their hearts.

The three Daoists stopped their meditation and listened attentively.

"The position of the Huai River God of Lin Huan Pass has shattered, the Water God Banner has fallen into the hands of a mortal. You must go and investigate!"

Quickly, the three opened their eyes and bowed their heads in response:

"Your subordinates will obey the command."

The voice in their hearts gradually faded away.

An elder Daoist clad in black robes with white hair sighed and remarked, "That Lin Huan Pass Water God was an Eight-clawed Demon who always arrogantly claimed himself as the Huai River Water God.

When he was first conferred as the Water God, I had warned him that his nature would eventually bring trouble!"

The Daoist to his right, wearing a white Eight Diagrams Daoist robe, retorted unhappily, "That's your fault, Qian Lu. If you knew he had a rebellious nature, why did you still appoint him as the Water God?"

A fellow Daoist to the left, wearing a yellow robe and of a middle-aged appearance, nodded in agreement, "Qian Lu indeed shouldn't have appointed that Eight-clawed Demon as the Water God!

With over eight hundred Water Mansions, one thousand and three hundred Mountain God Temples, and more than three thousand Earth God Temples under our command...

If they all behaved like him, wouldn't we be overwhelmed with trouble?"

Qian Lu Daoist looked at the two with some dissatisfaction, "Enough, your complaints are useless now!

Since the Venerable has spoken, we might as well take a trip."

"The Venerable's orders cannot be neglected."

While they talked, the three stood up, each riding on Auspicious Clouds and left the Great Formation, heading in the direction of Lin Huan Pass.

Within just a few hours, the three Daoists had already arrived at the Huai Water Mansion near Lin Huan Pass.

The Huai Water Mansion was in chaos, as the shrimp soldiers and crab generals had all fled in disarray.

Qian Lu Daoist used his Divine Skills and tracked the energy to find some of the Water Demons that had escaped disaster, quickly learning everything from them.

"A member of the Human Race riding a Donkey, relying on a Feather Fan, defeated the Eight-clawed Demon?"

"And a Dragon Clan youth was helping in the shadows?"

The three Daoists exchanged glances, seeing doubt in each other's eyes.

"This place is not far from the South Sea, could it be that the Dragon Clan of the South Sea wants to compete for our territory?"

"Why worry so much, if the Dragon Clan intervenes, the Venerable will take action. We just need to seize the Water God Banner, find a suitable candidate to succeed as the Water God.

Yes, we need to call some Water Demons from nearby to assist the new Water God in establishing authority at Lin Huan Pass, so that the Human Race villagers will worship again..."

"You're right, we just have to do what we are tasked with."

"Alright, I will go and find a candidate for the Water God, and you two go summon the Water Demons to help."

"Once everything is prepared, we'll flood Lin Huan Pass and make a significant show of it, so that the mortals don't lose respect because of this matter!"

This was a routine affair for Qian Lu Daoist and the others.

Under the guidance of the Venerable, they carefully managed and expanded their territory, having supported thousands of Divine Spirits within a million-mile radius.

Everything was second nature to them.

In just one day and night.

The candidate for the new Water God, along with the array of shrimp soldiers and crab generals, Water Demons, and strange creatures brought from surrounding waters, had been prepared.

"Let's set off."

Qian Lu Daoist ordered indifferently, "Let those mortals understand the consequences of angering Divine Spirits!"

"Understood!" The new Water God immediately took orders.

He donned his armor, shouldered his weapon, and led hundreds of elite strange Water Demons, riding the waves towards the riverbanks.

From a distance, the entire Huai River seemed to boil.

On the surface, the wind was furious, and the waves were rolling.

Countless Water Demons and strange creatures, with the waves at their back, marched mightily under the command of the new River God, charging toward Lin Huan Pass.

To engulf everything!

Divine Spirits do not rage in vain...

For mortals don't know better!

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