Chapter 174

After the barbarian chief finished chanting, Lu Yan burned all the bodies in the forest.

Yu Su escorted the barbarian chief back to the east side of the mountain path.

"Lord Yu Su, are you still going to investigate the traces of the evil god?" The barbarian chief stopped him, curious.

Yu Su: "The evil god has been sealed, but we don't know how his malevolence leaked. We need to find out."

Surprised to hear that the evil god was sealed, the barbarian chief cautioned, "Be careful."

Yu Su nodded, bid farewell to the barbarian chief, and returned to the forest with Lu Yan, heading towards the cliff they had flown over earlier.

Before reaching the cliff, they saw a surge of evil energy."

Just as their expressions changed, preparing to go and take a look, suddenly a massive spiritual power erupted, sweeping away the evil energy.

Then, a burst of blue light illuminated the bottom of the cliff. After the light faded, the surroundings became clear.

Yu Su: "It's the divine power of Lord Mountain God."

They hurried over and saw Qingze standing on a rock below the cliff.

A noble and elegant white deer stood at the bottom of the cliff, sunlight pouring down on it, giving it a sacred appearance.

Yu Su and Lu Yan descended to the bottom of the cliff and approached it.

"Lord Mountain God, have you discovered anything?" Yu Su asked.

Qingze looked at them. At this moment, Yu Su and Lu Yan also saw a cave below the cliff. It wasn't deep, and the inside could be seen from the outside.

Inside sat a person who had long since died, reduced to a pile of bones, entirely black.

"The follower of the evil god," Qingze's ethereal voice echoed at the bottom of the cliff.

Yu Su immediately thought of Xiongli from the lion tribe, "Is he similar to Xiongli?"

Qingze: "Quite similar."

Lu Yan went over to take a look, "This person must have been dead for a long time. Last time we were here, we didn't sense any evil energy."

Yu Su nodded. If they had noticed, they wouldn't have ignored it.

Qingze: "The evil energy was sealed within this person's remains. Something triggered the seal, exposing the evil energy."

Yu Su suddenly thought of the corpse of that monster.

Lu Yan conveyed to Qingze on his behalf, "We killed a third-rank three-tailed tiger. Its corpse fell from the top of the cliff and should be nearby."

After a moment of contemplation, Qingze's ethereal voice spoke again, "It seems the flesh and blood of that monster broke the seal. Now that the evil energy is cleared, burn this corpse."

Lu Yan nodded and set fire to the corpse of the evil god's follower.

Yu Su watched the flames engulf the entirely black remains and asked Qingze, "Lord Mountain God, why would the evil god have followers? Are there still active followers within the Five Continents and Nine Realms?"

Qingze remained silent, not denying or confirming.

Yu Su was concerned about the possibility of such incidents happening regularly in the future. He asked Qingze if there was no way to completely eliminate the evil god, even if there were followers worshiping him, it wouldn't cause trouble.

Qingze: "The gods sealed him because he couldn't be eradicated."

Yu Su didn't understand. Why?

Qingze didn't provide further explanation, leaving Yu Su to speculate that there might be deeper secrets involved, not suitable for him to know at the moment.

Lu Yan broke the silence, "The source here has been cleansed. Let's go back."

Yu Su agreed.

Riding on a cloud, Qingze ascended into the sky and flew towards Deer God Mountain.

Yu Su and Lu Yan also soared on their swords, following back to the village.

Most people on the plains were unaware of the recent events, leading peaceful lives. From above, one could see children running around naked in some villages.

However, Yu Su already knew that danger lurked around this vast land.

...

After a few days, the merchant caravan returned to the village.

Knowing about the caravan's ordeal, everyone was fearful. Only after learning that the Mountain God and Yu Su had dealt with the evil entity did they breathe a sigh of relief.

People's thoughts were simple: if the threat was removed, there was no need to worry.

As the village festival in honor of the gods approached, the atmosphere in the village became lively.

People enthusiastically decorated the village with colorful fabric bouquets, representing the totems of Deer God Mountain and the Supreme God Bai Ze.

The totem of the Deer God was a green leaf, passed down through generations. Everyone knew about it.

But no one knew the totem of Supreme God Bai Ze. After consulting Qingze, Yu Su painted an image of the god and carved it onto suitable materials. He also used mineral pigments to color the image.

The divine ceremony was majestic and compassionate.

Upon seeing the deity, people couldn't help but exhale in awe, feeling a spontaneous reverence.

After carving the deity's image, Yu Su initially placed it in his home. It would be taken to the square's altar during the god festival.

"This time, the altar should be larger than before and more majestic."

"And offerings, here's the list, take a look."

"The area for spectators must not be too close to the altar; place it here."

"Also, besides my deity dance, select eighty-one sturdy men from the village for a prayer dance. Each person should have a similar height and build."

The grandeur of the Supreme God required careful arrangements, and Yu Su's plan was more extravagant than previous years.

Upon hearing about the selection of eighty-one men for the prayer dance, the men in the village became excited. Everyone hoped to be chosen.

With a special ruler made by Yu Su, the heights and builds of everyone were measured. The criteria were strict: not only similar height but also uniform body proportions. Yu Su emphasized that the Supreme God should be pleased.

"People must be of the same height?"

"Not just that, but also evenly distributed in terms of body shape. Lord Yu Su said it should please the Supreme God."

"Moreover, the most important thing is impeccable character."

"That's too strict."

"I heard Lord Yu Su consulted Lord Mountain God, and Mountain God said the Supreme God likes devout and virtuous people."

"No wonder."

People discussed the selection criteria passionately. Some who had committed wrongs or considered their conduct questionable touched their noses and refrained from joining the excitement.

For those who were selected, it was an opportunity to proudly stand tall, indicating their character had been recognized.

Families with members selected couldn't help but proudly puff out their chests. It meant their conduct had received certification.

For those not chosen, elders might administer a light punishment, creating a mix of joy and sorrow.

This process took several days, considering both height and build and investigating the character and background of each person thoroughly.

"Lord Yu Su, it's all sorted out," Yu Feng handed the roster to Yu Su for review.

Yu Su opened it and found Yu Feng's detailed records—height, build, character, and family background were thoroughly investigated and clearly presented.

Yu Su was pleased and commended him for a job well done.

"Next, have these eighty-one people assemble here every day."

"Yes."

Yu Su had to teach these eighty-one men the prayer dance. To avoid mistakes during the god festival, daily practice was essential, ensuring perfection in every movement.

The next day, Yu Yan, Yu Meng, and others were already at Yu Su's residence.

Looking at the eighty-one men, all with standard height and build, Yu Su nodded in satisfaction. After personally arranging them in formation, he began teaching them the prayer dance.

As Yu Su danced, everyone, especially Yu Meng, couldn't help but admire. Yu Su's movements were rhythmic and powerful, his posture graceful. They were captivated.

Then, Yu Meng couldn't resist saying, "Brother Yu Su, you dance so beautifully."

This was sincere praise because Yu Su's dance was rhythmic, powerful, and aesthetically pleasing, captivating everyone.

Yu Su knew it was genuine praise, but he still felt a bit awkward.

In the past, he wouldn't have believed he'd become a dance teacher, considering he lacked those skills. Yet, now he was doing it convincingly.

Among the eighty-one men, some quickly grasped the dance, like Lu Yan, learning after just two viewings. Others struggled, requiring more time and guidance from Yu Su.

"Lord Yu Su, maybe I should step aside. I'm too clumsy," said the one who performed the worst, head lowered, afraid to meet Yu Su's eyes.

虞苏, although almost worn down without patience, remained firm, saying, "You've passed all the selection criteria, proving that this is the dance you should perform."

Not only did Yu Su not blame him, but he also encouraged him, stating that it was destined for him to dance.

The person, upon hearing the encouragement, looked up at Yu Su.

Yu Su continued, "There's still some time before the God Festival. As long as you're willing to practice, you'll definitely learn. Do you lack even this confidence?"

Gritting his teeth, the person took a deep breath and exclaimed, "No!"

Yu Su nodded, "That's good."

He looked at Lu Yan, "He doesn't know, teach him. If he doesn't get it once, teach him twice, and if he still doesn't, teach him thrice, until he gets it."

Lu Yan nodded, "Leave it to me."

Yu Su secretly sighed in relief, effectively passing on this tormenting task. He exchanged a glance with Lu Yan, expressing a bit of apology.

In Lu Yan's eyes, a hint of a smile appeared. Teaching someone to dance was nothing; if Yu Su wanted this person to learn, then learn he must.

With that in mind, Lu Yan looked at the "struggling student."

The person, feeling the gaze, tensed all over, silently swallowing, having a vague sense that agreeing too quickly earlier might result in a rather uncomfortable experience.

After delegating the task of teaching dance, Yu Su couldn't escape the torment of practicing himself.

Because this time's deity dance was different from the previous one—more complex and longer—Yu Su had to invest more time in learning.

To save face, he, as before, sneaked into the mountains to practice secretly.

["No, it's not like that, it's like this."]

["Wrong again..."]

The all-knowing elf became his dance teacher, experiencing the same feelings as Yu Su had before. This "struggling student" Yu Su was truly tormenting!