Chapter 1270: Returning Home

"Grandfather, you always nag me about this every year. My ears are about to grow calluses from it." Hu Zi listened, then complained impatiently.

"Heh, you little brat, you're getting impatient. Do you know, back in the day..."

"I know, I know. Back in the day, our Wumeng Island was nearly destroyed by foreign enemies. At the critical moment, thanks to the Ancestral God manifesting in time and personally striking down the enemies..." Before the old man could repeat the old tale for the ninety-eighth time, Hu Zi interrupted him, shaking his head and reciting.

"It's good that you know. But it's a pity that it's been many, many years since we last saw the Ancestral God manifest..." The old man sighed and said.

"Grandfather, look, look quickly..." The little grandson, seeing his grandfather's regretful expression, was about to comfort him when he suddenly shouted.

Immediately after, a clamor of shouts arose from the crowd. Almost everyone stopped in their tracks and looked toward the towering statue of the Ancestral God in the center of the island.

Hearing the noise, the old man quickly turned his head to look. He saw that the enormous statue, bathed in the morning light, was now shimmering with a dazzling aquamarine glow, looking like a giant blue gem.

Layers of dense water-attribute law power rippled from it, transforming into a vast blue radiance that spread across the entire island, bathing everyone in it and making them feel incomparably comfortable.

"It's... it's the Ancestral God..."

"The Ancestral God has manifested..."

"Blessings of the Ancestral God!"

The square immediately erupted. Everyone began to kneel and prostrate themselves, once again starting to worship and pray.

At that moment, a figure suddenly appeared atop the statue, rose into the air, and flew away from the island, quickly disappearing from everyone's sight.

This time, all the islanders of Wumeng began to panic. They rose from the ground one after another, exclaiming in shock.

Just then, the clan leaders from the other islands, who had just flown in from outside, passed by the figure. They also hovered in midair, looking at each other in bewilderment, somewhat at a loss.

Only when they saw a slightly plump, refined man in a blue robe fly up into the air from the island did they breathe a sigh of relief and hurriedly greet him.

"Clan Leader Luofeng, was that the Ancestral God who just left the island?" asked a clan leader of a foreign race, clad in a gray robe.

The refined man was none other than Luofeng, the clan leader of the Wumeng Islanders. His expression was somewhat grave. He merely nodded, gazing in the direction the Ancestral God had departed, and said nothing.

"What happened? Could it be that foreign enemies are attacking again?" Another woman in a purple robe asked nervously.

"Everyone, please wait in the议事殿 (Council Hall). I will join you after I settle the clan members." Luofeng steadied himself slightly and said to the crowd.

In truth, he himself did not know why the Ancestral God, who had been in seclusion all along, had suddenly left the island today.

Seeing this, the dozens of clan leaders from the outer islands did not dare to ask further and descended one after another toward the island.

After a moment's hesitation, Luofeng flew back down to the square.

"Clan Leader..."

"Clan Leader, the Ancestral God, he..."

Seeing him, the crowd immediately gathered around, asking questions in a flurry.

"Do not panic. The Ancestral God was moved by the resonance of heaven and earth today and thus manifested. That you were able to see him with your own eyes is itself a stroke of fortune and blessing. You should pray devoutly and you will surely receive the Ancestral God's protection." Luofeng's gaze swept over the crowd as he spoke slowly.

Upon hearing these words, the Wumeng Islanders were overjoyed and began to pray piously once more.

"Ancestral God, where have you suddenly gone off to?" Luofeng sighed inwardly, then turned and hurried toward the Council Hall.

Those seated inside were all the clan leaders from the nearby islands, not so easily fooled as the islanders before him.

...

Thousands of miles away from the island, a blue figure streaked across the sea and landed on a black reef less than a hundred zhang in circumference. The figure was tall, with ordinary features, almost identical in appearance to Han Li—it was his Earthly Deity incarnation.

On the reef, with his back to him, stood a tall man in a green robe and a pretty young girl in a goose-yellow dress.

"You've finally returned..." The Earthly Deity incarnation came up behind him and spoke.

Hearing this, the tall man turned around to look at the incarnation, a smile appearing on his face.

Before he could speak, the girl beside him cut in: "Uncle, is this the Earthly Deity incarnation you mentioned? He really does look exactly like you—same dark complexion, same lack of handsomeness..."

As she spoke, she walked up to the incarnation, circled around him, and looked him up and down.

The tall man and the pretty girl were none other than Han Li and Gold Boy.

"Almost at the late Golden Immortal stage, even better than I expected." Han Li finally spoke.

"After I lost contact with you, I no longer had time crystals to accelerate the condensation of heavy water. But since I no longer needed to supply you with heavy water and had an endless stream of faith power to support me, my cultivation speed hasn't been too slow. Now I can condense three layers of heavy water." The Earthly Deity incarnation said.

Han Li was silent for a moment, then turned his wrist. A whistling sound arose behind him.

A black, hollow dharma wheel, half a man tall, materialized. It was covered with water-attribute dao patterns, from which emanated the aura of water law.

"I no longer need this Heavy Water True Wheel. Its law attributes align with yours, so I'll leave it to you." With that, Han Li waved his hand casually. The black wheel spun rapidly, shrinking to the size of a palm, and flew toward the Earthly Deity incarnation.

The latter took it in hand and merely nodded. Since they were one and the same, there was no need for thanks.

"Luofeng has some ability. He's managed Wumeng Island well over the years. You may not think much of it, but it wouldn't hurt to go back and have a look." The Earthly Deity incarnation said calmly.

Han Li hesitated for a moment, then said, "Alright."

Then the three of them flew back toward Wumeng Island.

When they neared the island, Han Li did not follow the Earthly Deity incarnation directly onto the island. Instead, he told Gold Boy to return to the Flower Branch Cave Heaven, while he himself activated the Myriad Acupoints Void Sealing Art, his aura suddenly contracting, and slipped onto the island unseen.

When he reached the square on the island, he found that the islanders had not yet left; they were still praying.

The Earthly Deity incarnation had no choice but to fly back onto the statue and manifest a divine miracle once more, convincing the devout believers that the Ancestral God had not abandoned them, before they gradually dispersed.

Inside the Council Hall, Luofeng sat in the seat of honor, holding a tea cup and sipping slowly, with the leisurely air of a patriarch. On the seats on both sides below, many clan leaders were still murmuring about the departure of the Wumeng Island Ancestral God earlier.

"Clan Leader Luofeng, in previous years when we came for the assembly, the Ancestral God never showed himself. What happened this year that he left the island?" asked a foreign clan leader cautiously.

In fact, not only the Ancestral God of Wumeng Island but also those of other islands rarely left their own territories. After all, staying among their believers allowed them to receive faith power at any time, which was akin to being in their own unique small world.

Moreover, this sea region was now almost entirely ruled by Wumeng Island, with few conflicts remaining. What need was there for the Ancestral God to act personally?

Thus, his sudden departure inevitably made everyone speculate wildly.

"Everyone, calm down. The Ancestral God merely went out for an inspection and has already returned to the island." Luofeng put down his tea cup, raised his hand, and pressed it down a few times, saying.

Just now, he had received a telepathic message from the Earthly Deity incarnation, and his mind was now at ease.

The others still had doubts upon hearing this, but they soon felt a vast power envelop the entire Council Hall, and only then did they believe it.

Thus, the entire hall quickly regained its usual peaceful and relaxed atmosphere.

After the council concluded, the clan leaders paid homage to the Ancestral God statue before returning to their respective islands.

Luofeng hurried directly to the island's forbidden area, the "Ancestral God Hall."

The Ancestral God Hall was built at the center of the island, beneath the giant statue of the Ancestral God. Ordinarily, the Earthly Deity incarnation went into seclusion here.

When Luofeng arrived before the hall, the doors were already open. He announced himself and entered.

As soon as he stepped inside, he saw the Earthly Deity incarnation sitting cross-legged on a cushion, meditating with eyes closed.

"Greetings, Ancestral God." Luofeng bowed respectfully.

"How went the council?" The Earthly Deity incarnation slowly opened his eyes, nodded, and asked.

"Aside from the few islands that submitted to us early on, the rest still harbor covetous intentions. After your sudden departure, they probed and tested in various ways." Luofeng said.

"No matter. Now, with your True Immortal cultivation alone, you are enough to intimidate them." The Earthly Deity incarnation said.

"Wumeng Island owes all its glory to the Ancestral God's protection. That is the foundation of Wumeng Island's existence, and I will always keep it in mind." Luofeng quickly clasped his hands and said.

"I took a walk around the island just now. You've managed this place quite well." At that moment, a voice suddenly sounded from beside Luofeng, and Han Li's figure materialized out of thin air.

Luofeng was startled. He quickly looked over, and when he saw Han Li's appearance, his expression changed again. He said in disbelief, "Is... is it Lord Liu?"

Han Li was momentarily taken aback, then remembered that he had used the alias "Liu Shi" back then. He said:

"Yes."

"Welcome, Lord Liu Shi..." Luofeng bowed again.

"No need for formalities. I have actually come to ask a favor of you." Han Li waved his sleeve, and a surge of power lifted Luofeng up, saying.

Both the Earthly Deity incarnation and Luofeng were momentarily stunned.

"Please speak, my lord. Even if it means going through fire and water, Wumeng Island will not refuse." Luofeng quickly said.

"I need to go into seclusion in the Black Wind Sea for a while. I want you to find me a remote, uninhabited island." Han Li said.