Chapter 7: Innate Deities

The divine power is profound and varied, yet at its core, it is essentially a method of transformation. At the level of the seventh rank divine position, it primarily involves the consumption of divine power, fluctuating between existence and non-existence

Indeed. Qiu Yan nodded, feeling a sense of emotion in his heart

Early the next morning, Qiu Yan got up early. He first did some simple exercises in the yard. After having breakfast and seeing off Liu Huai and his son, he found an excuse to leave, only returning in the evening

In the southern part of the city, the recognition of Qiu Yan as a natural deity led to a significant change in attitude; the previously official demeanor vanished completely: "Since you are unaware of these matters, it seems you have not encountered other deities since your birth. However, it is of no concern. Now that you have arrived in our Yuaning City, the City God will look after you in the future. If you have any questions, the City God will also provide you with answers."

Above the Earth Deities, there exists a greater land, often found within the grand cities of governance. The diminutive Earth Deity before Qiu Yan is one such example. Although he is only responsible for the southern part of the city, he holds a rank of the sixth grade among the deities.

In this realm, the divine path flourishes, and in any place with a certain level of population, a land deity will emerge.

Qiu Yan, the true self, spoke while carefully observing the deity before him. Although he was embodied in a clay statue and born as a god, he was confined to a corner, and this was the first time he had encountered other deities.

Born as a divine being? Will we become colleagues in the future? It seems that the mysteries within the divine path are indeed profound

This is correct! In the southern part of the city, when the land is clapped, how can an ordinary deity's true form leave the place it is commanded to stay?

As he spoke, he raised his hand and pointed, a spark of starlight shot out from his fingertip and landed in the hand of Qiu Yan's true self

The starlight characters provide two addresses and a set of incantations. The addresses record the locations of the City God Temple and the Land God Temple in the southern part of the city, which need not be elaborated upon. Over the past three days, Qiu Yan has wandered through the city and has generally become familiar with the layout, having long since memorized the locations of the City God Temple and the Land God Temple.

The land before him was draped in a sandy yellow satin, not only short in stature but also possessing an exceptionally peculiar appearance. The nose and mouth protruded, forming a prominent bulge, yet Qiu Yan did not feel out of place.

"Born divine spirit? What does this actually mean? Previously, the crow demon also mentioned it. Could it be that there are different varieties of these divine spirits? Am I considered a rare variety?"

In the main hall, the governor of Yuan Ning, dressed in casual attire, sat at the head of the table. To his right, in the seat of honor, sat a robust man with a stern expression, who was serious and unsmiling, contrasting sharply with the lively atmosphere around him

In the evening, while having dinner at home, Liu Huai, upon hearing this matter, remarked briefly, suggesting that Qiu Yan pay attention to the recent situation and that it would be best not to go out casually.

The arrival of this land was not unexpected. Although I am unaware of how the divine realms are distributed in this world, when I entered the city, I felt as if I had jumped into water, clearly entering another's domain. This must be attributed to the city god of this place. I can sense it, and he must also have some influence, sending someone to inquire, which is not surprising at all.

However, in this case, this clone should be able to cultivate normally, and the practices of sexual cultivation and life cultivation mentioned by the crow demon should correspond to soul refinement and spirit forging

On the contrary, that set of methods is even more important. In the world, temples that worship deities are accessible to anyone, but the place where the essence of the deities resides contains the power of the underworld. Not to mention humans, even other deities cannot easily enter. One must be guided or have corresponding methods to approach. What is presented before Qiu Yan is precisely this kind of method

As the esteemed figure raised a hand, a glimmer of starlight appeared. The starlight trembled and scattered, transforming into lines of characters.

Meanwhile, in a spacious mansion in the city, the lights were bright, and the host was holding a grand banquet to entertain various guests

However, Qiu Yan persuaded Liu Huai under the pretext of going out to search for books, and the following day he continued to leave early and return late. This routine persisted until the third day

The term "xing" refers to the nature of the heart, thoughts, soul, and spirit, while "po" denotes life, flesh, physical body, and matter

Having spread out the scroll, Qiu Yan lay down on the bed with the book and closed his eyes to sleep

General Lang's lips curled slightly, revealing his white, gleaming teeth, as he opened his mouth and said: "Human flesh"

Contact with other deities is imperative, as it may at least provide insights into methods for enhancing divine power control. However, the primary inquiry upon this visit should still be the cultivation methods concerning the two aspects of life and death, which I believe the local deities and city gods should be knowledgeable about. Once this information is obtained, the physical body will also have a path to advancement

His face showed surprise, and he no longer cared about his original intention, urgently inquiring instead

Thinking in his heart, Qiu Yan voiced the questions that lingered in his mind

Upon hearing this, Qiu Yan shook his head and said: "To be honest, I suffered a slight injury a few days ago, and my condition is unstable. I need to rest for a couple of days and it is inconvenient for me to go out"

When deities meet, apart from the lewd rituals of wild gods, they can all sense each other's divine rank and character. This is why this land deity is able to easily manifest and treat others with respect

However, this is not surprising. Those three strands of hair are incredibly mysterious; they have allowed me to come to this world. I fear that the reason I have such an experience after death is related to these three strands of hair. Over the past few decades, aside from discovering that the strands of hair possess the ability to create avatars, I have gained almost no other insights.

Generally speaking, the land can communicate with the underworld officials and is subordinate to the local city god

What a remarkable strategy, what extraordinary abilities

On the other side, after passing through, the land south of the city, outside the City God Temple, gave a light tap to its head

Qiu Yan has been trapped in the mountain temple for decades. Although he has not seen other deities, the hand seals he performs possess their own mysteries, allowing the deities to understand clearly, thus recognizing the hierarchy of divine positions, each with its own rank.

The land in the south of the city listened and nodded repeatedly: "Indeed, I was reckless. You have departed from the realm of law, and naturally, you will be affected. No wonder I see your divine light dimmed; it must be that even the celestial powers have suffered damage."

As the hour of the Dog passed and just upon the hour of the Pig, a white light flickered on the drawing paper, revealing the true form of the divine spirit.

Here, Qiu Yan was still pondering, while over there, the land deity spoke a few words, saying: "Brother, why not accompany me to the City God Temple now to meet the esteemed one?"

A trivial deity, not worth mentioning

After a moment of contemplation, Qiu Yan said, "I kindly ask you to convey my apologies to the City God on my behalf. In two or three days, I will certainly pay a personal visit."

As he pondered, Qiu Yan, in his true form, blinked, and the brilliance suddenly vanished

Wen Anguo smiled and said, "Oh? I wonder what the general likes to eat. Speak up, and I will have the chef prepare it."

The City God wishes to see me, which presents an opportunity. Listening to the words of the Earth God, it seems that the divine beings are somewhat special, hence the change in attitude. The combination of the two may open up a new situation, allowing me to quickly gather some incense and wish power, and condense the divine power of the stars. However, the specific implementation will depend on the results of the investigations in the following two days. Additionally, I wonder if the City God can discern the connection between my true self and my avatar.

General Lang," Governor Wen Anguo of Yuanning raised his wine cup and said to the Han, "General Lang, your sudden arrival has caught us unprepared; I hope you will forgive us.

During these three days, he sought a painting scroll and transferred the original image from his blue robe onto the paper, as carrying a tattered garment with him was too conspicuous

Human beings possess life; the creation of nature is dependent on the heart, while the creation of destiny is dependent on the body

Inwardly reciting the method, Qiu Yan prostrated himself on the ground, and white light seeped into the earth. The scene in his vision transformed, quickly becoming a solemn temple.

As I spoke, two beams of light emanated from my eyes, enveloping my avatar.

On the evening of the third day, after dinner, Qiu Yan returned to his room early, took a scroll from the head of the bed, and spread it out on the table. The painting depicted a man in Confucian robes, who was none other than Qiu Yan's divine embodiment.

Having left the confines of Minyuan Mountain, Qiu Yan, although having lost the connection with the mountains and forests and unable to gather spiritual power, has thus freed himself from constraints, no longer limited to a single temple, and is able to traverse and move freely

Looking at the lines of characters before him, Qiu Yan felt a surge of emotion https://www.hetushu.com

"Oh, is there such a good thing?" Qiu Yan was taken aback. He had originally prepared a set of remarks, but unexpectedly, before he could say much, the attitude of the land before him changed dramatically due to a "natural divine spirit".

This scholar... Qiu Yan was initially taken aback, but then his thoughts shifted. "I was in the mountains and pointed out a few things to this scholar, allowing him to escape the disaster of flesh and blood. He remembered this kindness and said he wanted to repay me by serving me, so I then attached myself to his side..."

Life consists of the spirit and the body, which can be referred to as the essence and form

This is natural. Qiu Yan nodded, watching as the land deity bent down, turned its body, and transformed into a beam of blue light, disappearing into the ground

This is also a means of utilizing divine power, but it is more ingenious. The techniques contained within are something Qiu Yan questions he cannot achieve. At most, he can only use divine power for minor operations, but they lack coherence.

Like the day when Qiu Yan had the wild beasts in the mountains carry his own scent, or three days ago when Wang Qiao'er forgot her own name, these are manipulations of existence and non-existence

The land is governed by a local deity, ensuring peace and tranquility in the area. This deity oversees the registration of the deceased and, while seemingly ordinary, holds a fundamental position among the divine hierarchy, often ranked as a seventh-grade deity. However, its importance is particularly significant. The local land deity also manages the fertility of the fields, the growth of all living things, and the cycles of the five grains, which directly relate to the survival and well-being of the common people.

He saw that Qiu Yan still looked confused, which only further confirmed his judgment. He immediately laughed and said: "My friend, you may not know that our deities must receive a decree of pardon before they can ascend to divinity. However, these decrees vary; there are distinctions between the earthly court and the heavenly court. This pertains to the gods who are conferred titles. In addition to this, there are two other categories: those who embody the wishes of the people and those who uphold the principles of heaven and earth. Among these two, if one is born out of nothing, then they are a naturally born deity"

Within the radiant vision, the flesh-and-blood doppelgänger gradually transforms, its flesh and bones becoming increasingly ethereal, revealing several shimmering phantoms that shift in light—three rotating and seven drifting.

Listening to Qiu's vague words, the land deity slightly frowned, was about to speak again to the book, but suddenly froze, widened its eyes, and scanned Qiu's true form from top to bottom, taking a breath of cold air: "The spirit crystal is clear and untainted by dust; could it be that you are a naturally born divine being?"

"Rest assured, this matter is on me," the land deity of the southern city replied with a smile. "In that case, I shall not delay your rest any longer. I will take my leave now. When you have time, do come visit my temple; we may become colleagues in the future, and it is only right that we grow closer."

This starlight is precisely what was left behind by the land south of the city before its departure. Within it, thoughts emerge, and with just a slight touch, one can discern the content and information without needing to recognize the characters.

General Lang shook his head: "Lord Wen is overly concerned; the food is quite good, it simply does not suit my taste"

After a brief contemplation, Qiu Yan turned to look at his sleeping flesh avatar, narrowing his eyes: "However, what surprised me the most is that the land deity actually failed to recognize that this body is my avatar"

... ...

The deities of the divine path each have their own divine positions and responsibilities, governing their respective domains of law. If any external deity crosses into their territory, they will sense it immediately

With this thought, Qiu Yan's divine essence glanced at the fleshly avatar, then trembled slightly, dissipating into the air, and reformed into a scholar's portrait, affixed to his blue robe

With this thought in mind, he stepped into the temple

... ...

Indeed, in a moment of impatience, I forgot to inquire about that person's official position and origin. As he was contemplating how to report this, he realized that in discovering a natural divine being, he had lost sight of his original intention. However, the official position of a natural divine being varies with circumstances; reporting this matter will surely not incur the wrath of the city god. After all, in two or three days, when that person arrives, I will know everything with just a question.

This land deity is truly remarkable; I haven't said much, yet he has already filled in the gaps himself, indeed a clever individual

One wonders whether the avatars of others also possess independent souls and spirits

"How could you not know, my brother? Then why are you following this scholar?" The land spirit of the southern city said, pointing at the flesh-and-blood doppelgänger sleeping on the bed beside them

A night without conversation