novelapdf Chapter 215 Divine Consort
Chapter 215 Divine Consort
City God Temple.
The Hall of the Civil Judge.
"Disciple pays respects to revered master..."
Sun Zimu respectfully bowed to the head of the table.
A flash of light appeared above the shrine, revealing a middle-aged man dressed in an official's robe, with a long, three-stranded beard and a very refined appearance. He was considerably taller than his grandson, who was only as tall as a thumb, and already the size of a normal child. He chuckled, "It's rare for you to visit your master. Is something important? Normally, sending a ghostly soldier to deliver a message would suffice; otherwise, be careful the day-roaming spirits don't see you and record it as a dereliction of duty..."
Sun Zimu shuddered, as if this was a serious crime, but quickly regained his composure: "This disciple will introduce you to someone, Master. It is this...this..." He looked at Fang Qing, his face full of doubt.
What was this person's name again?
"Haha... We're all travelers from the same land, it's fate that we meet."
Fang Qing laughed heartily: "Fellow Daoist, do you have any incense money on you? And the divine weapon-forging method? Hand it all over."
The judge immediately beamed and pulled out a string of coins, round on the outside and square on the inside, from his sleeve: "This is my accumulated salary over the years, along with a method for refining artifacts, a direct descendant of the divine path... It's called 'Divine Manifestation of Subtle Artifacts Containing Profound Mysteries Ritual,' quite wondrous. All things possess a spirit, and the internal patterns arise spontaneously. We only need to offer incense money, and it will refine itself..."
Fang Qing nodded repeatedly as he listened.
The methods of weapon crafting used by this judge are almost identical to those of the local earth god; they are essentially the same thing.
The only difference lies in how much money is spent on incense and the quality of the materials themselves.
"Judging from this, I'm even more confident that I can refine that bronze halberd into a Purple Mansion Magic Treasure..."
"However, the civil and military judges, the day and night patrol gods... their strength is all around 'Fu Qi' (a term used to describe a powerful but ultimately weak force). Their accumulated incense and divine power are too little, not even enough to refine a foundational spiritual artifact... 'If we're going to rob someone, we should rob a big one!'"
Fang Qing smiled and said to Judge Wen, "Where is the City God? Take me to see him..."
"The City God has gone to the prefectural city to participate in the evaluation... He will return soon."
Judge Wen answered respectfully.
"In that case, let's go sit in the main hall of the City God Temple first..."
Fang Qing smiled.
The next day.
"The City God returns to the temple!"
In the void, unseen by mortals, accompanied by the sound of a gong clearing the way, countless divine lights descended, their colors dazzling.
Strangely, all that could be heard was the sound of gongs and drums, but no one was in sight.
One had to look down to see that it was a procession no bigger than a thumb, made up of the City God's underworld officials, dressed in constable uniforms and with long swords at their waists. Behind them, numerous divine officials grew taller and taller, as if they had entered a normal country from Lilliput.
Some of these officials carried black books, some carried writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, and some carried sedan chairs.
The sedan chair, adorned with carvings of chickens, geese, and rhinoceroses, exuded grandeur and majesty. Already the size of a normal person, it proceeded directly to the City God Temple. A pair of jet-black cloud-stepping boots emerged, and the City God, dressed in the robes of a seventh-rank official, gracefully appeared.
It had already reached the size of an ordinary person, and surrounded by numerous ghost officials, it resembled a colossal creature as it entered its own City God Temple.
"Where are the civil and military judges? Where are the day and night wandering gods?"
"Why aren't you kneeling to greet me as I return to the yamen? Do you want to be beaten with fire and water sticks?"
The City God's face was flushed with anger. When he arrived at the main hall of the City God Temple, he saw a young man in a blue shirt with short hair sitting in his seat, checking the local Book of Life and Death.
On both sides of the main hall, there are many large boxes filled with incense money.
Civil and military judges, day and night patrol gods, and underworld ghost messengers stood solemnly on both sides.
It seemed as if the other party was the City God, and they were merely prisoners awaiting judgment...
The City God was stunned for a moment. He looked down at his official robes, then at the young man, and opened his mouth to speak...
"A seventh-rank City God, merely at the early stage of the Dao Foundation Establishment realm? Kneel down!"
Fang Qing glanced at the City God statue and said calmly.
But the incense smoke rising from the City God's body transformed into a ring of red light, miraculously withstanding the influence of "verbal prowess": "You're not a local cultivator... an extraterrestrial demon?!"
"what?"
Fang Qing let out a soft "hmm".
If it were an ordinary Dao Foundation cultivator, like those from the Xuanwu Sect, even if they possessed some destiny, they would be immediately manipulated like puppets by the "skill of words" enhanced by his status as a Dao Foundation cultivator. This talent comes with them and can be activated as long as they have words; it doesn't disappear when someone possesses them. But this City God is different?
"Only the personality itself can resist a personality!"
"Does this foundation have a position similar to that of a master? No... it's too weak... the position on him is too low and too few, and it's not something he possesses himself, at most it's a 'false position'... it's the blessing of the incense and divine path itself?"
Fang Qing calculated with his fingers and realized a lot: "This divine way is quite interesting. It is similar to the initiation method of the secret realm. It may have been learned from the initiation method... No, it may also be that the initiation method of the secret realm was originally learned from the divine way."
But that's all there is to it.
The light emanating from his body changed instantly, as if a great sun were rising, clearly indicating that the cultivation method had been altered through the infusion of his true form.
From [Female Earth] to the "Great Sun Initiation Secret Technique"!
"Radiant Spirit Fiery Blaze" activated!
The idea of directly altering the City God's name!
This City God was only at the early stage of the Dao Foundation stage. Even though the power of the incense offerings was somewhat miraculous, his strength was still undeniable. Faced with a Daoist at the Purple Mansion level, he was easily converted and knelt on the ground, saying, "This humble god greets Your Excellency..."
"Show me your foundation..."
Fang Qing said casually.
The city god immediately opened his official robe, revealing his chest to be transparent.
It was originally a soul, with nothing inside its body except a pure white talisman with divine script written on it in vermilion ink: "Seventh Rank, City God of Sanshan County, Jiujiang Prefecture, Great Sui Dynasty"!
Beneath this divine inscription, there was actually a foundation!
"It wasn't self-taught, but rather it came with a divine inscription, called 'Divine Illumination Instrument'?"
Fang Qing's eyes flickered: "【Ghost Gold】Dao Foundation - Divine Illumination Ritual? This seems to be a wondrous artifact refining technique. Oh... so it's the 'Divine Illumination Subtle Artifact Containing Profound Mysteries Ritual'."
"This layered system of enfeoffment explains why the City God's subordinates possess such extraordinary weapon-forging skills..."
"The laws and regulations of the divine path can actually grant one a foundation for the Dao, a rank... could it also grant supernatural powers?"
He sighed, already understanding where Bai Yaotian's danger lay.
There must be some divine cultivators comparable to those at the Purple Mansion level! There might even be more than one!
"Indeed, grotto-heavens are dangerous! Back then, several Purple Mansion True Persons could have easily looted the entire Misty Wave Blessed Land, even taking the pots and pans... But this grotto-heaven land, even if we used all the power of the White Bone Sect, we might not be able to take it down, and there would definitely be heavy casualties..."
"Well, I've pretty much completed my mission, with both the benefits and risks anticipated."
"Next... let's secure a minimum reward, then gracefully retire... before perishing, let's test the power of this grotto one last time."
Several months later.
"Sigh... It's really difficult for me to shoulder the responsibility for all ten counties of Jiujiang Prefecture..."
"Being a weightlifting champion isn't easy."
Fang Qing leaned back in the armchair, crossed his legs, and fiddled with a gold ingot in his hand.
This gold ingot is entirely pure gold, but it was actually crafted with the rich power of incense and divine energy.
Divine power!
In the incense-burning system, this can buy almost anything.
Of course, there are also troubles.
"Without entering the Shinto system, one cannot wield divine power..."
"But that doesn't matter... I can control a few city gods and local deities... and have them forge weapons for me."
The Divine Sacrifice is clearly a product similar to Mingzi; Fang Qing must be crazy to have refined it into his body.
He casually waved his hand, and dozens of Dao Foundation Spiritual Artifacts floated out, each shimmering with extraordinary brilliance.
This was naturally the accumulated wealth of the local county gods over hundreds of years, which he had completely plundered.
"A Dao Foundation artifact... is utterly useless to me. It's only good for throwing away in Wusheng Temple to reward the servants... Bah! I create value for Wusheng Temple? They should be the ones using these to exchange for usable spiritual items for me..."
When Fang Qing arrived at the back hall, he saw a group of city gods lined up in order, each channeling their divine power to continuously refine a bronze halberd.
This was naturally brought in by Sangji outside later on.
The divine fire blazed brightly, and the ritual shone with great light.
Those boxes of the thinnest "talisman coins" burned like paper, disappearing in an instant.
Only the strings of bronze coins could still hold on, burning as firewood.
The last ingot is positioned in the very center, resembling a burning ember, blazing brightly...
"If we wish to refine the Purple Mansion Magic Treasure... the incense and prayers we have are still insufficient."
Fang Qing sighed: "We can only start by targeting the other counties..."
Within the city, there is a fifth-rank "City God," who is suspected to be at the peak of the Dao Foundation stage, or even a Purple Mansion True Person!
He certainly wouldn't risk offending anyone, but he would run rampant and act tyrannically within the county town.
The key is to fight beyond one's level, which means using the grid to blast fish.
"And... I'll be discovered sooner or later for doing this. I must finish refining this treasure before they find out, and then send it out of the cave!" "Hmm, at least I haven't been crushed by a single finger despite all this, which confirms that the cave's master doesn't exist... That divine master's control over the cave is still somewhat lacking..."
Time flies like water.
In the blink of an eye, several more months have passed.
Jiujiang Prefecture.
Sanshan County.
"snort!"
With a cold snort, a giant figure suddenly descended!
He was dressed as a civil official, wearing a bright red official robe and a hat with long wings extending to both sides. He was as large as a small mountain.
This stands in stark contrast to the county town god's small plot of land, childlike officials, and ordinary people.
His presence alone overshadowed the entire City God Temple!
The spacious square of the City God Temple was barely enough to make him stop.
"Where are the City Gods of the Three Mountains? Come out and see me at once!"
The City God of Jiujiang Prefecture shouted.
Lately, he had been vaguely aware that something was wrong with his subordinate, the City God, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.
The changes should have started in Sanshan County, and he immediately chose to descend in his divine form to observe everything.
In the divine system, a higher rank can crush a lower one, and since this world is ruled by the divine, there is no fear of any powerful rebels.
After all, the higher the divine rank, the stronger the power!
"Your humble servant is here!"
The City God of Sanshan County flew out and knelt down in trepidation: "Greetings, Your Excellency..."
The City God of Jiujiang Prefecture stared intently at the County City God with his enormous eyes: "You're wrong... very wrong... What have you been doing lately?"
In his words, he had already used his own divine power to mobilize the divine laws and suppress the county god, preventing him from lying.
"To forge weapons for the young master!"
The county god Zhang opened his mouth and answered naturally.
"Young master?"
The City God was somewhat puzzled: "Whose son is he? Even if he's a high-ranking official, how can he interfere in matters of the gods? Isn't he afraid of divine punishment?"
"It's me!"
Fang Qing appeared gracefully.
Having delayed for this period of time, he successfully refined his own Purple Mansion magic treasure and sent it out of the cave heaven, after which he had no more scruples.
"Perfect... let's take this opportunity to thoroughly test the dangers of this hidden world!"