The whole of Dahuai Lane let out a faint tremor.
In a phenomenon visible to the naked eye, the old locust tree’s withered, pitch-black bark began to peel away, revealing a newborn trunk beneath, smooth as Mutton Fat Jade.
The black corpse poison that had lurked deep in its roots, tormenting it for nearly a century, let out a series of shrill hisses as it was scoured by this vast, divine power, finally dissipating into a puff of black smoke.
"I... My foundation..."
The old locust tree let out a trembling groan. It felt an unprecedented power filling its entire being.
Its Cultivation, which had long stagnated, began to loosen wildly at this moment.
Chu Bai’s expression was grave. The golden light at his fingertips condensed in the air, forming a palm-sized, translucent, light-blue Divine Dao Talisman Decree.
Carved upon the Talisman Decree were the words "Anping Alley God," and on its back was the standard insignia of a Demon Slaying Officer of the Evil Suppression Department.
"In my name, I hereby enfeoff you as the Alleyway God of the bustling district of Anping County. You shall command the shadows within a three-li radius, patrol for Demons, and shelter all living beings. Your merits and faults shall be judged by me alone. Your sustenance shall be drawn from the mortal world’s offerings!"
"Descend!"
With Chu Bai’s sharp cry, the blue Talisman Decree transformed into a streak of light and shot into the center of the forehead of the face on the old locust tree.
With a thunderous boom, a pillar of blue Qi rose from Dahuai Lane, yet under Chu Bai’s deliberate concealment, it was confined to this small area.
In that instant, the old locust tree’s lush leaves and branches completed their final transformation.
Each leaf was now sparkling and translucent, as if carved from jade, and faintly exuded an inviolable, divine majesty.
The clothes the residents had hung on the tree to dry now billowed without any wind, as if held aloft by a gentle force.
Not only that, but the noisy, foul air surrounding Dahuai Lane was instantly purified. The cockroaches and rats hiding in the cracks of the bricks scurried away madly, as if sensing the arrival of a natural predator.
As for the white Spirit Fox, bathed in this divine power, its snow-white fur became even smoother. Its originally somewhat impure Demon Qi was now tinged with a faint layer of Purifying Qi.
It was the first beneficiary.
At this moment, Chu Bai’s face was a little pale, but his eyes were brighter than ever.
He had planted a pair of eyes in the heart of this bustling city.
A pair of eyes that would forever be awake, forever loyal, and able to see through all shadows.
When all the golden light and strange phenomena subsided, Dahuai Lane returned to silence.
The old locust tree now looked as weather-beaten as ever, but only a true Cultivator could sense that it was no longer just a tree. It was a living entity completely fused with this land and its Destiny.
"My Lord..."
The ancient voice spoke again, but this time, it was not tentative. It was one of complete submission.
The face on the trunk slowly detached from its wooden confines, transforming into the phantom of an old man in a simple, long robe, holding a staff.
The old man knelt before Chu Bai, trembling, and performed the most solemn rite between a master and servant.
"Lord Locust, rise."
Chu Bai withdrew his hand. Although his aura was slightly weak, the authority of his Regular Ninth Grade Demon Slaying Officer token was more potent than ever. "Since you have been enfeoffed, you must guard this duty well. If any Demon slips past your senses and harms the common people again, I will not be lenient."
"This old servant shall protect the peace of this place until my dying day."
Lord Locust looked up, his eyes filled with awe and gratitude. He knew all too well what had just happened. Not only had his wounds been healed, but he had been directly granted a divine station.
In the Great Zhou Dynasty, it was as difficult as ascending to heaven for a wild spirit to achieve true apotheosis.
But now, he was the Guardian of this land, at least in name.
Although this enfeoffment was done privately by Chu Bai, without going through the Court’s official channels.
It was a divine post nonetheless.
Besides gratitude, the locust tree couldn’t help but feel astonished.
’Such incredible power, such methods...’
’My Lord’s enfeoffment actually bypassed the Great Zhou Celestial Court!’
The white Spirit Fox also leaped down from the treetop.
It no longer tried to flee. Instead, it lay meekly at Chu Bai’s feet, gently rubbing its furry head against his boots.
It was an intelligent creature that had already awakened its spiritual consciousness. After witnessing Chu Bai bestow godhood with a single finger, how could it harbor any thought of resistance?
Chu Bai bent down and gently pressed his hand on the Fox Spirit’s head.
A Divine Thought entered his mind.
It turned out the Fox Spirit hadn’t fled the Wuu Family for no reason.
A Spirit Pet, after all, is bound to a person. Once its intelligence awakens, how could it be willing to remain so?
It had a chance encounter with the old locust tree in its youth, which was why it had hidden here.
Chu Bai nodded, pondering how to handle the matter.
Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps came from the entrance of the alley.
"Captain! Captain, where are you?"
It was Hu Hao’s voice. They had sensed the Magical Power fluctuations from this direction and were rushing over.
Chu Bai glanced back at Lord Locust. "Conceal the phenomena," he commanded via a thought. "From now on, do not reveal your divine form before outsiders unless I summon you."
"Yes, my Lord."
Lord Locust’s figure flickered and merged back into the tree trunk.
The almost excessively lush greenery also receded, and it reverted to the appearance of an unremarkable old tree.
"Brother Fox, come with me. This matter still needs to be settled."
Chu Bai then picked up the Fox Spirit by the scruff of its neck, holding it casually in his hand.
A moment later, Hu Hao and Feng Qin rushed into the alley with a dozen Evil Suppression Guards.
When they saw Chu Bai standing alone under the locust tree, holding the elusive white Fox Spirit, everyone froze for a second before bursting into a huge cheer.
"He caught it! As expected of the Captain!"
"That beast is really cunning, hiding in the shadows of this tree!"
Feng Qin stepped forward and glanced suspiciously at the large locust tree. "Captain, there seemed to be a strong Spiritual Qi fluctuation here just now. Could it be that the Fox Spirit detonated its Inner Core?"
Chu Bai’s expression was calm as he casually replied, "This Fox Spirit knows a bit of a Concealing Breath Technique. I just used a Secret Technique to force it out, which caused a bit of a commotion. Since we’ve caught it, let’s head back."
"Yes, sir!"
The group walked out, surrounding Chu Bai.
No one noticed that after they left, a small twig on the old locust tree quietly waved in the moonlight, as if seeing them off.

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