The temple of Tianzun was rising at astonishing speed.
Ever since Tianzun had playfully dealt with the imperial soldiers, the newly arrived villagers had undergone a complete transformation. What began as fear had quickly turned into absolute faith. In the span of mere days, they had become fervent believers of the Tianzun Daoist Sect.
Faith, once ignited, became a powerful force.
Even those who had yet to build homes for themselves devoted all their strength to constructing Tianzun's temple. Hunger, exhaustion, and hardship no longer seemed to matter. Their belief gave them purpose, and purpose gave them strength.
As a result, Gao Family Village pulsed with energy.
This fervent atmosphere had continued uninterrupted for six days.
Today was the seventh.
At noon, the sun blazed mercilessly overhead.
The temperature once again climbed toward forty degrees Celsius, and the air itself seemed to shimmer with heat.
Li Daoxuan leaned over the diorama box, intending to check on the villagers' progress, when Gao Yiye's voice rose from below.
"Tianzun, the two uncles responsible for carving the statues wish to report to you."
Li Daoxuan immediately understood.
It's ready.
He allowed his voice to descend.
"Let them speak."
The two sculptors approached reverently. Upon reaching the designated spot, they dropped to their knees and kowtowed deeply before speaking.
"Tianzun, the clay statue of Your revered form, as well as the wooden statue of the Victorious Fighting Buddha, have both been completed. They now await coloring."
Li Daoxuan smiled faintly.
He had been waiting for this moment.
He took a small piece of aluminum foil and placed it inside the box, flattening it carefully before them. Then he used a prepared straw to draw up a small amount of red paint and released a single drop.
To him, it was barely five millimeters wide.
To the sculptors, it was enormous.
The paint fell with a heavy splat, spreading across the foil like a pool of divine liquid.
The sculptors stared in awe.
They cautiously stepped closer and dipped a small stick into the paint. One of them raised it to his nose and inhaled sharply.
"This… this is heavenly paint!"
His voice trembled with reverence.
"It far surpasses any paint of the mortal realm."
They were not wrong.
During the Ming Dynasty, paint consisted primarily of lacquer derived from tree sap, mixed with pigments and oils. While effective, it lacked the brilliance, durability, and smooth finish of modern synthetic paints.
What Li Daoxuan had provided was the product of centuries of chemical advancement.
And yet, it had only cost him fifteen yuan.
To the sculptors, however, it was nothing less than divine treasure.
Li Daoxuan continued, releasing one drop after another.
Red.
Green.
Blue.
Gold.
Each drop formed a separate pool of color.
This time, he controlled the quantity perfectly. In the past, he had not understood the scale difference and had wasted resources through excessive generosity. Now, he knew exactly how much was needed.
The sculptors' excitement was impossible to conceal.
Never in their lives had they seen such a wide range of colors.
Gold paint, in particular, was something they had rarely been allowed to use. Normally, it was strictly controlled by wealthy patrons, and even then, sculptors could only use it under supervision.
Yet Tianzun had given it to them freely.
Their hands trembled with excitement as they picked up their brushes.
With utmost care, they began painting the wooden statue of Sun Wukong, bringing the legendary figure to life with vibrant color.
Li Daoxuan watched silently for a moment, then shifted his attention elsewhere.
Under the brutal midday sun, villagers continued working tirelessly on the temple.
Sweat drenched their clothes. Their movements had slowed, but their determination remained unbroken.
Then suddenly—
One villager staggered.
The stone he carried nearly slipped from his grasp as his body swayed unsteadily. His companions rushed forward and caught him before he could collapse completely.
They lowered him to the ground.
His face was pale.
His breathing was uneven.
Li Daoxuan frowned.
Heatstroke.
Of course.
Under such extreme conditions, collapse was inevitable. The fact that they had endured this long without incident was already remarkable.
San Shier quickly arrived and began directing the others.
"Bring water!"
Villagers rushed to fetch water from the pond while others used damp cloth to cool the fallen man.
Watching this scene, Li Daoxuan felt a twinge of concern.
These tiny villagers had placed absolute faith in him.
He could not ignore them.
He immediately walked to his refrigerator and opened the freezer.
Inside was a tray of ice.
He carefully picked up a small shard and returned to the diorama box, lowering it gently before the heatstroke victim.
To the villagers, it appeared as a massive block of ice descending from the heavens.
They froze in shock.
Then realization struck.
"Tianzun has bestowed divine ice!"
They acted quickly.
Cloth was pressed against the ice until it grew cold, then placed on the man's forehead. Others chipped off small fragments and mixed them into water, feeding him carefully.
Gradually, his condition stabilized.
Li Daoxuan sighed in relief.
But cooling one person was not enough.
He needed something more effective.
He broke off another small piece of ice and placed it into a bottle cap. Then he opened a bottle of cola and poured a small amount inside.
Fizz.
A miniature serving of ice-cold cola was ready.
He lowered it into the diorama box.
The villagers stared at the strange brown liquid in amazement.
It bubbled continuously, releasing an unfamiliar but enticing fragrance.
At its center floated a towering block of ice, radiating refreshing coolness.
"What is this?"
"I have never seen anything like it."
"It smells sweet…"
Some hesitated.
Others whispered nervously.
"But… is it safe?"
Before panic could spread, Gao Yiye spoke firmly.
"Tianzun says this is called Happy Fat Water. It can relieve heat and restore strength."
The villagers' hesitation vanished instantly.
They rushed forward eagerly.
The first villager scooped some into his hands and drank.
His eyes widened.
"Ah!"
He coughed violently, startled by the carbonation.
Yet moments later, his face lit up.
"It's strange… but incredibly refreshing!"
Others followed.
Laughter spread rapidly.
Joy replaced exhaustion.
San Shier stepped forward confidently.
He filled a teacup and drank deeply.
His reaction was immediate.
He coughed, gagged slightly, then let out a loud burp.
But then he smiled.
"Incredible," he said hoarsely. "This truly is divine."
Nearby, the heatstroke victim weakly raised his hand.
"…What about me?"
The villagers burst into laughter.
"Give him some too!"
But Gao Yiye quickly stopped them.
"Tianzun says he must recover first."
The heatstroke victim groaned dramatically.
"Am I… unworthy…?"
He went limp.
The villagers panicked.
Then noticed he was pretending.
Laughter erupted once more.
"It seems he has fully recovered!"
They helped him up and gave him a small sip.
Moments later, he let out a satisfied burp.
His face glowed with happiness.
Under the blazing summer sun, joy filled Gao Family Village once more.