"What was his name again?" The man clearly didn't know Chu Tian's name.
"Ding Chunzi said he's called Chu Tian!" City Lord Kou stated, enunciating each syllable.
"Chu Tian? Hiss…"
Old General Lin gasped.
They were speaking in riddles, leaving Chu Tian utterly bewildered.
He thought to himself: What statue? What's going on? This old fellow, with dirt almost up to his head, why is he looking at me like that? It feels like he's seen a ghost!
"This is impossible, how can this be? When the Horizontal Blade Emperor created Wudu City, he ordered the construction of that ten-thousand-zhang statue. The pedestal of the statue was inscribed with the name Chu Tian!
But this person before us, only in his early twenties, how can he be the person on the statue?
However, he looks so much like the person on the statue. Strange… that there could be such similar people in this world, and with the same name, it's truly a colossal coincidence!"
The old man stared at Chu Tian as if he were a monster.
His words, though lacking in breath, were spoken with powerful clarity.
Not only could Chu Tian hear them clearly, but everyone in the grand hall also heard them.
Everyone was stunned, simultaneously marveling at how incredibly coincidental this was.
Aside from Chu Tian, only City Lord Kou didn't consider it a coincidence. At this moment, the attendant from outside the hall, who had been there earlier, entered, holding a scroll.
City Lord Kou took it, then flicked his hand.
The scroll floated up, unfurling and hanging vertically in the center of the grand hall.
"This person before us is… the Divine Venerable Chu Tian!"
Boom…
As City Lord Kou spoke, he crossed his arms, performing the highest etiquette of the Yin-Yang Realm towards Chu Tian.
Simultaneously, a tremor shook the ground.
A peculiar aura surged forth, and seven-colored auspicious clouds spontaneously appeared in the sky above Wudu City, blanketing the thousand-mile city in dazzling light.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh…
Countless white jade-like stones rose from the thousand-mile radius.
Some shot up from the ground, while others flew out from buildings.
Some even burst forth from the pigpens of impoverished homes.
Their destination was the plaza in the very center of Wudu City.
As these stones flew, their outer layer shed, revealing a pure white jade color, emitting a soft glow.
Clink…
As the first stone landed, the sound of subsequent stones landing followed in a continuous chime.
Soon, a statue began to emerge.
This sight stunned those who were about to question City Lord Kou.
Hum… hum…
The formless mass solidified, and a milky white beam of light ascended, striking the Wudu Grand Formation.
The Wudu Grand Formation, which was already shining, instantly surged with light, making the entire formation appear much more robust.
Even City Lord Kou hadn't expected this.
He had merely intended to display a painting that had been kept deep within the City Lord's mansion.
He never imagined it would cause such a change.
His heart immediately filled with ecstasy, not because he had correctly identified Chu Tian's identity.
But because the statue had reappeared.
Others might not know, but he was well aware that this statue… was the core formation eye of the Wudu Grand Formation.
It was also the energy supply for the entire formation.
Legend had it that in the past, the Wudu Grand Formation did not require soul crystals for replenishment. It could absorb the energies of heaven and earth and store them, activating directly when needed.
Only when it was overused were soul crystals required as a supplement.
However, two thousand years ago, those foolish individuals overthrew this statue, and the entire Wudu Grand Formation became completely dependent on soul crystals.
Even to maintain the basic operation of the formation annually required a massive amount of soul crystals.
Half of Wudu City's daily income was poured into the formation.
Someone had once proposed abandoning the operation of the formation, but alas…
Shortly after this idea emerged, Wudu City experienced upheaval. An endless tide of Yin spirits appeared. Without the Wudu Grand Formation, Wudu City, with its vast civilian population and few experts, was vulnerable.
This tide of Yin spirits caused heavy losses to Wudu City.
From then on, everyone understood the importance of the Wudu City Grand Formation.
This formation allowed Wudu City to develop safely, even in the absence of Emperor-level powerhouses.
It could be said that Wudu City could do without the Horizontal Blade Emperor, but it could not do without the Wudu City Grand Formation.
This was likely the original intention of the Horizontal Blade Emperor when he requested Emperor Lin Ran to set up this formation!
Now, seeing the statue restored to its original state, and the immense faith power emanating from each of its fragments, City Lord Kou was overjoyed.
Despite being shattered into so many fragments and scattered throughout the city for two thousand years, it had managed to absorb and preserve so much faith power.
Yes… faith power.
Because two thousand years ago, this statue stood at the very center of Wudu City.
It was also a major thoroughfare.
Everyone passing beneath the statue had to stop, bow, and sincerely pray, uttering the name of Divine Venerable Chu Tian three times.
This bowing, from being initially mandatory, became a habit.
Finally, it became a custom. On festival days, the entire city would bow and pray towards the ten-thousand-zhang statue in the city center.
Some even discovered that the more people prayed and bowed, the more concentrated the divine light on the statue became.
This led to the emergence of rebellious individuals after the sudden disappearance of the Horizontal Blade Emperor two thousand years ago. They toppled the statue, smashed it into fragments, and scattered them.
They even erected a different statue in its place!
Unfortunately, every time they tried to sculpt the face of the new statue, the heavens would unleash heavenly tribulations, shattering the statue into powder.
The last time, nine terrifying Heavenly Annihilation Lightning bolts descended.
Not a single craftsman who built the statue survived.
This dark period lasted for a century.
Finally, the group ruling Wudu City, including their leader, the City Lord, had all their heads hung on the city gate overnight.
After this tragic incident, no one knew who was responsible. However, it marked a renewal, and Wudu City thus returned to its proper course.
However, the disappearance of the statue could no longer be mended.
Some city lords had attempted to collect the jade stones to piece them back together, but the assembled stones lacked their original efficacy.
Over time, these stones were picked up by the city's residents, and some were buried underground after countless years.
Today, merely at the utterance of City Lord Kou: Divine Venerable Chu Tian.
The statue had miraculously re-fused.
He was as happy as he could possibly be. With it,
What was there to fear from the Yunshui Merchant Guild? The Yunshui Merchant Guild was nothing…
No matter how many of them came, as long as they weren't Emperor-level, they were just fodder.
And there was inexhaustible energy to be squandered.