Chapter 447: Greetings, Heavenly Lord
Just as the two were speaking, a cheer erupted from the Craftsman Well: "We've finally finished, hahahaha!"
Song Yingxing and Young Master Bai looked towards the sound, only to see two sculptors rushing out of a room, carrying a life-sized statue of the Heavenly Lord.
The statue had been carved in a standing posture, as requested by the Heavenly Lord.
It stood at approximately one hundred and eighty centimeters, with a perfectly proportioned, neither fat nor thin, figure. It wore a Daoist robe, held a sword in its right hand, and a whisk in its left. The face was meticulously carved; anyone from Gao Family Village would recognize it as the Heavenly Lord instantly.
After all, who in Gao Family Village hadn't seen "The Heavenly Lord Dao Xuan's Demon Extermination"? They had gazed upon the Heavenly Lord's handsome and majestic face year after year.
"Masters," Song Yingxing asked curiously, "you've sculpted another statue of the Heavenly Lord? Where is this one to be placed? Has a new Heavenly Lord's Grotto been built somewhere?"
The two sculptors shook their heads, laughing. "This is material from the Immortal Realm, personally bestowed by the Heavenly Lord, who commanded us to carve it. We don't know where it's meant to be placed, but following the divine decree for the carving is surely correct."
"Material from the Immortal Realm?" That phrase immediately piqued Song Yingxing's interest. He was a man of insatiable curiosity, eager to examine any unusual material. The "plastic" bestowed by the Heavenly Lord had already fascinated him for a long time, though he hadn't been able to fully understand it.
Now, hearing of yet another material from the Immortal Realm, there was no way he wouldn't join the excitement.
He hadn't known until he touched it, but the sensation was truly wondrous.
"Ah? Indeed, it's material from the Immortal Realm!" Song Yingxing exclaimed. "This is truly strange; it feels remarkably similar to real skin."
The two sculptors chuckled. "Isn't it though? We both got a fright when we first touched it. We'd never encountered anything like it before, and for a while, we didn't even know how to carve it. It took us ages to figure out that we had to shave it down little by little with small knives, finally managing to sculpt it into the Heavenly Lord's likeness."
"Things from the Immortal Realm are truly breathtaking," Song Yingxing couldn't help but marvel.
No sooner had he uttered these words than he saw the statue's eyes swivel around.
Song Yingxing gasped in alarm, stumbling backward.
But then, the statue reached out a hand and steadied Song Yingxing.
Everyone: "!!!"
It was fortunate this happened in Gao Family Village; anywhere else, those nearby might have dropped dead from fright on the spot.
But in Gao Family Village, the reaction unfolded entirely differently.
After a moment of stunned silence, everyone simultaneously snapped to attention, bowing in unison. "Greetings, Heavenly Lord!"
Li Daoxuan had just used the "Co-sensing" function to inhabit the statue's body. He was still getting used to it, and when he had steadied Song Yingxing just now, he'd noticed his hands felt somewhat soft and rubbery...
Alright!
This "gum-man" was crafted by the little people, sculpted from a piece of silicone material about a centimeter thick. It had no internal skeleton, so its structure wasn't strong; the entire figure was, in fact, quite soft and flexible.
Still, it was no major issue; it was at least much more flexible than a clay statue.
Li Daoxuan grinned, a smile spreading across his face. "No need for such formality."
The voice that emanated from the "gum-man's" mouth wasn't Li Daoxuan's own either. It carried the same majestic and profound quality, like an echo resonating from the very heavens and earth.
Li Daoxuan turned to the two sculptors. "Excellent work!"
Delighted by the praise, the two sculptors were overjoyed, so excited they could barely speak.
Young Master Bai, however, managed to speak with composure, cupping his hands in a respectful salute. "Has the Heavenly Lord descended into the statue to visit the lower realm?"
Li Daoxuan smiled. "Indeed, I've come down for a little recreation. Don't mind me, just go about your tasks. I'll observe for a while, then return to my abode above."
With the Heavenly Lord's decree issued, no one dared to voice any objection, but to actually "not mind him"? That was simply impossible.
Everyone's gaze, despite themselves, remained fixed on Li Daoxuan.
They thought to themselves: *This is the first time we've seen the Heavenly Lord miniaturized and standing right beside us. The pressure is immense.*
Meanwhile, Li Daoxuan was still studying his new body.
He shook his right hand, realizing a sword was stuck to its palm, impossible to dislodge. It turned out the sword was "integrated" with the hand, and being carved from silicone, it was so flimsy it was utterly useless.
He waved a hand at the sculptors. "Remove this sword; it's quite inconvenient."
The sculptor broke into a sweat. "If we remove it, the fingers will need to be re-carved."
Li Daoxuan found a bamboo chair nearby and sat down, extending his right hand flat. "Very well, re-carve it."
The sculptor was drenched in sweat. *This... does he mean for us to do it right here, right now? Good heavens!*
He cautiously approached, using a small knife to slowly cut the sword away from Li Daoxuan's fingers. As he worked, sweat beaded on his brow, and he dared to ask, "Heavenly Lord, will your fingers feel pain if this humble one uses a knife like this?"
"No, it won't hurt," Li Daoxuan reassured him. "Carve freely."
He then extended his other hand. "Remove the whisk as well; it's equally inconvenient."
Another sculptor came over and carefully began shaving away at the connection between the whisk and the left hand.
Both sculptors were drenched in sweat, proceeding with extreme caution, slowly shaving away with each cut. Finally, the sword and whisk were detached. The cut surfaces where the hilt and whisk handle met the palms would need to be re-carved and polished to resemble proper hands, and both men worked with the utmost delicacy.
Li Daoxuan sat between the two, both men meticulously refining his hands. *Hmm?* he mused inwardly. *Is this what it feels like for a girl to get her nails done at a salon?*
For him to be so casually "getting his nails done" in the middle of the Craftsman Well, the implications were indeed significant.
Soon, everyone in the Craftsman Well rushed out to pay their respects. Someone also ran to inform Gao Yiye, and a moment later, she arrived, sprinting with quick, pattering footsteps that grew louder as she approached. Qiu Ju and Dong Xue, two other girls, struggled to keep up with her frantic pace.
"Heavenly Lord!" Gao Yiye cried out, tears welling in her eyes, as she rushed forward and prostrated herself.
"No need for everyone to come forward and bow one by one," Li Daoxuan quickly interjected. "It's too troublesome. Just speak to me as you normally would."
Gao Yiye rose, her eyes subtly glancing at him.
This was her first time seeing the Heavenly Lord in life-size form. It felt far more intimate and real than seeing a gigantic face in the sky. The silicone's high degree of realism made her feel as if the Heavenly Lord stood before her, truly alive.
The sensation was utterly... indescribable.
Her heart thumped wildly in her chest.
However, as she watched the Heavenly Lord's hands slowly take shape under the sculptors' knives, she remembered that this Heavenly Lord before her was not a true person, but merely a divine will attached to a statue. The whimsical thoughts that had just blossomed in her heart had to be suppressed once more.
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