Chapter 74: The Power of Faith

“Immortal Maiden!” At the very instant Ji Mo’s body exploded, Mo Fan, who had been in a daze atop the city wall, trembled and fell to his knees, calling out to the Immortal Maiden and bowing deeply. As soon as he spoke, thud, thud! The remaining seven hundred thousand residents of Abandoned Heaven City followed in unison, kneeling on the ground and prostrating themselves toward the sun.

As the Divine Lord foretold, as long as the immortal maiden from the portrait appeared, our Abandoned Heaven City would receive light and be reborn. Look at that blue sky, that radiant sun—how beautiful it is! Witnessing the changes before them, Mo Fan and all the citizens of Abandoned Heaven City were moved to tears.

“Let us all return to the Divine Temple, erect a statue for the Immortal Maiden, and offer her the most devout worship of our Moon Clan Ji family, so that she may forever receive the incense and offerings of our entire clan.” After a long while, Mo Fan stood up. Having been bathed in sunlight, much of the deathly pallor had faded from his body; his back straightened, his spirit invigorated, and a commanding aura radiated from him.

Moon Clan? Ji family? For a moment, the people beneath the city tower did not react, staring blankly at Mo Fan. He glanced over them and continued, “From the moment the sun reappeared, the name ‘Abandoned Heaven City’ ceased to exist. Our city reclaims its original name: Moon City. We are its people, the Moon Clan, and all this, the Immortal Maiden has bestowed upon us. Her surname is Ji, and we are her subjects—should we not take her name?”

“We should! Moon Clan, Ji family! Moon Clan, Ji family!” From confusion and silence, the crowd erupted in a thunderous response. Ji Mo had, before them all, sacrificed her life to grant them new hope; at this moment, her status in their hearts even surpassed that of the Divine Lord enshrined in the temple.

Mo Fan was an elder of the Moon Clan’s Divine Temple, which was his residence. After returning from the battlefield, he stood before the statue of the Divine Lord for a long time, then turned to the painting of the maiden. He stood before it for a full day and night before speaking softly: “Immortal Maiden, thank you. Thank you for all you have done for us. From now on, the entire Moon Clan is your people.”

In the blink of an eye, three months passed. In that time, Abandoned Heaven City underwent a profound transformation. Since the sun’s return, day and night became distinct—sun by day, moon by night. Debris and leaves that once littered the roadside were cleared away, and several rains fell during this period. The ancient trees, long withered for millennia, sprouted fresh green buds.

The residents took out all manner of stored seeds from the sacred vaults and sowed them in the outside earth. The barren wasteland, once devoid of life, turned into fertile sandy soil under the sun and rain. The seeds quickly took root and sprouted, new green shoots waving joyfully across the ground, filling the land with boundless joy and hope.

The dullness and deathly stillness had vanished from the faces of Moon City’s residents. They regained boundless vitality—their steps grew lighter, their faces animated and lively, and the entire city brimmed with energy and vigor!

Within these three months, Ji Mo’s statue was also completed. Elder Mo Fan—now Ji Fan—rallied the entire city for a grand dedication ceremony in front of the Divine Temple upon its completion.

Ji Mo’s statue was not like the Divine Lord’s, placed within the temple upon the altar. Rather, it was a massive relief sculpture, no less than five meters tall, erected to the left of the temple. The likeness did not exactly match the portrait inside, but was carved to resemble Ji Mo’s present appearance—a process personally overseen by Elder Ji Fan.

Elder Ji Fan’s craftsmanship was extraordinary, rendering Ji Mo’s features lifelike: a white dress, delicate and strikingly beautiful, with a hint of childish innocence and a trace of compassion, gazing silently upon the city.

Whenever anyone gazed at this statue, they could not help but recall that scene three months prior—when that youthful maiden, before them all, sacrificed her life for the city’s rebirth. Remembering that moment, everyone’s eyes grew moist with gratitude. Without any prompting from Elder Ji Fan, the people knelt on their own, offering their most heartfelt worship to Ji Mo’s statue.

As hundreds of thousands bowed in unison, a rushing, invisible whirlwind seemed to sweep through the air. Countless streams of faith swiftly converged upon the statue. Ji Mo, whose body had exploded and whose consciousness had been lost, slowly began to awaken. As the power of faith increased, her spiritual energy grew ever stronger.

Soon, the abundant divine soul energy allowed her to coalesce a phantom image in the air. Unbidden, she drifted toward the statue in front of the temple. As her phantom merged with the sculpture, the lifeless statue suddenly erupted with a radiant light. Ji Mo’s ethereal image appeared atop the statue, silently watching over the citizens of Moon City.

“Immortal Maiden, Immortal Maiden!” The people of Moon City, witnessing this, were filled with shock and joy, crying out fervently, many in tears. Ji Mo, observing the scene, could not quite describe her feelings—a warmth in her heart, a touch of ache, a surge of heat, a swelling she could not name. Was this what it meant to be moved?

She longed to say something to them, but before she could speak, she suddenly felt her soul grow light as a powerful force pulled her away from the city. When her mind cleared, she found herself crashing onto the crystal floor of a grand palace.

Ji Mo shook her head and scrambled to her feet, reaching up to touch her face, then her arm—everything felt real, not at all illusory. Her white dress had been replaced by a pale yellow robe, embroidered with golden phoenix motifs. She glanced down at the garment, sensing it resembled the clothes she wore in the portrait back in Abandoned Heaven City, feeling somewhat awkward.

“This is a magical robe, a reward for clearing the fourth trial. It will be helpful for the fifth,” came Ao Feng’s voice.

“Senior Ao Feng, from your words, does that mean I’ve completed the fourth trial and returned safely?” Ji Mo looked up, but the palace was empty—no sign of anyone.

“That’s right. You’ve successfully completed the fourth trial and returned to the Crystal Palace of the Blue Moon Shrine,” Ao Feng replied.

“But I remember my body exploded into pieces in Abandoned Heaven City. Was all that just an illusion?” Ji Mo pinched her cheek, bewildered.

“No, it was not an illusion. Everything truly happened. If you don’t believe me, check the storage pouch in your mind-sea—see if it still contains the spices you ‘borrowed’ from Moon City’s residents,” Ao Feng said.

You even know about me taking their spices? Ji Mo glared fiercely in the direction of the voice. Even if she couldn’t see him, she could at least vent her annoyance with a glare. But the puzzle in her heart remained, so she pressed on, “If everything there was real, then my body truly exploded. How am I standing here alive?”

“It’s because you practice the Celestial Demon Body-Tempering Technique. As long as your soul remains, there is a chance to restore your body,” Ao Feng explained.

“Really? Doesn’t that mean as long as my soul survives, I am immortal?” Ji Mo was thrilled. With this technique, did that make her an undying demon?

“It’s not that simple. With your current cultivation, if your body is destroyed and you lack special opportunities, your soul will soon disperse into nothingness. Once your soul is gone, there’s no way to restore your body. This time, you were saved only because, at the moment your body exploded, you received the devout worship of hundreds of thousands of Moon Clan members, nourishing your soul for three months.”

“After three months, they built a relief in your honor and offered the faith of the entire clan. Only then did you awaken safely. Otherwise, without the nourishment of faith, your soul would have lasted no more than two or three days after your body exploded,” Ao Feng’s calm voice echoed in Ji Mo’s mind.

“So if I hadn’t received their faith, I’d just be dead?” Ji Mo felt she’d been played by Ao Feng, and was furious.

“Of course. To receive the inheritance of the Blue Moon Shrine, there must be risk. Still, you exceeded my expectations—a lazy, trouble-averse person like you showing such spirit of sacrifice. It’s true, appearances can be deceiving,” Ao Feng replied, his voice tinged with surprise—clearly, he had not expected Ji Mo to complete the trial so smoothly.

Ji Mo opened her mouth, wanting to say she had no grand spirit of sacrifice, that she had simply been overcome by frustration and had howled at the sky, never imagining it would lead to such a disastrous outcome. If she’d known, she’d never have done it. But such cowardly thoughts were not something she could admit openly, so she shut her mouth.

In some unseen corner, Ao Feng’s lips curled in a faint smile. He hadn’t noticed that, as a dignified divine beast, he was subtly moved by this little girl. When she had no way out, she would charge ahead with courage, but as soon as the crisis passed, she reverted to her true nature and never considered herself remarkable.

“So, do I continue with the trials now?” Ji Mo, seeing Ao Feng silent for a while, couldn’t help but ask.

“Of course you do. The fourth trial tested sacrifice and courage, and you did well. I hope you will pass the fifth as smoothly. Since your body was damaged in the explosion, and though the Celestial Demon Body-Tempering Technique is miraculous, it can’t restore you instantly. Rest for a few days, and then I’ll send you to the fifth trial.” Ao Feng, in rare good spirits, was surprisingly indulgent with Ji Mo.