Chapter 3: The Mountain God Abandons the Temple
Qiu Yan's hometown, Zuoqu Village, is located under Qingchang County. The county has a government, and the government is under the jurisdiction of the Dao. Therefore, Qingchang County is governed by the Yuan Ning Prefecture, and the entire Yuan Ning Prefecture falls under the jurisdiction of the Jian Nan Dao.
Looking at the white humanoid, Qiu Yan let out a faint sigh: "To have become a deity to this extent is truly helpless. However, this departure is merely the beginning; by delving into the world, I should be able to understand how the path of divinity should be traversed"
It is done! Looking at the man in tattered clothes, Qiu Yan nodded in satisfaction, "The deity shall remain here, accompanying me as I depart."
Having eliminated potential hazards, Qiu Yan still frowned
In the mountains and forests, figures moved swiftly, following traces and scents, gradually converging towards this small temple, yet Qiu Yan's heart became calm instead
Hot
Rise
At this thought, he composed himself and glanced at the bird carcass on the ground
This is it, the essence of the mortal and the crow converges in this temple
Inside the temple, a crack appeared on the clay sculpture, and that crack rapidly spread, soon covering the entire deity statue
With this thought, a cold glint flickered in Qiu Yan's eyes. He leaped lightly, appearing effortless, yet he soared a full three feet high
The King of Tongshan, as mentioned by the crow demon, seems to possess great power. They dare to act against the villagers, which must indicate some form of backing. It is better not to engage too early, but there is no need to fear. From Qiu Yan's memories, it is known that this is still the human world, dominated by humans, while demons and monsters are not mainstream. Moreover, I bear the consequences of this body, and there are certain things that must be done; I cannot leave the boundaries of Yuaning Prefecture.
Upon leaving the temple, Qiu Yan's figure and the image of the book swiftly vanished into the dense forest
He took off his green shirt, exposing his bare upper body. Although he appeared frail, faint outlines of muscles could be seen on his body. The tattered half of his shirt was torn away by his raised hand, leaving the remnants on the ground
The colloquial expression "jumping three feet high" refers to a person who, when happy, experiences a harmony of mind and body, unleashing their potential and achieving extraordinary performance. However, at this moment, Qiu Yan has not gathered any strength; he simply jumps and reaches such a height.
The surface of the garment trembled slightly, creating ripples akin to those on water. A figure appeared, a man holding a seal. His appearance could not be deemed handsome, yet there was a certain elegance in his brows, reminiscent of Qiu Yan. Dressed in a blue robe, he exuded an air of refinement, his demeanor calm and composed.
The body of Qiu Yan emitted a sound of tension, as if the flesh was taut and the bones were contracting. Tiny dark droplets seeped from the pores, carrying a foul and filthy odor. However, as soon as they emerged, they were scattered by a surge of scorching white vapor, drifting away with the mist, leaving not a trace behind
The clay statue shattered, scattering into a pile of clay fragments
The mist rolled and spread in all directions, gradually filling the entire temple, yet the area around the clay statue remained calm. Any mist that approached the statue would automatically avoid it, leaving a clear space.
Hoo Hoo La La
The statue suddenly rose from the ground, tracing a parabolic arc in the air before landing back on the divine platform. Threads of thought seeped out from it, connecting along the stone platform and transmitting into the land, rapidly radiating outward, and in the blink of an eye, it spread across most of Minyuan Mountain.
Beneath the talisman, there is a small, pitch-black hole that has appeared out of nowhere, its destination unknown
as light as a swallow
Such is the case, yet there is not a trace of disappointment on the face of *Tu* Shuqiao. He has been muddled in his role as the mountain deity for decades, trapped in the temple, with no one to worship him and no one to pay him any attention.
As soon as the blood droplet entered his mouth, it emitted a scorching heat, as if he were holding a flame in his mouth. After swallowing, the warmth rapidly spread, and in an instant, Qiu Yan felt a surging heat enveloping his entire body, akin to being drenched in boiling water, yet it did not harm him.
Qiu Yan has read quite a few books, and surprisingly, he can readily reference them, having even delved into topics such as the penal code and commentaries.
These monsters are not unified under any command, each acting independently, neither exchanging information nor cooperating with one another
A thought flashed through his mind, and Qiu Yan stopped his hands, raising his head to glance at the statue: "Alright, this place has already been exposed. To avoid future troubles, I can only abandon my foundation; escaping is the priority."
Qiu Yan contemplated as the statue beside him flickered with light in its eyes, gently stirring, causing the two phantoms that lingered around the drop of blood to be shaken off. Then, a white light enveloped them, pulling the phantoms into the statue.
Behind the temple, the sound of branches being snapped underfoot echoed as a figure slowly approached
After it fell, Qiu Yan let out a long breath and nodded in satisfaction
Oh? The situation is quite significant, with nearly twenty monsters entering the mountain. My Minyuan Mountain is merely a small hill, at most a hilly area on Earth, and is a branch of Jiuling Mountain. The spiritual energy here is thin, and for decades, not a single monster has attained spiritual transformation. Even passing fairies have shown no interest in settling here; otherwise, I would have long extracted cultivation information or simply escaped from this predicament.
Divine Listening
As thoughts swirled, Qiu Yanzhi's body was already shrouded by smoke and obscured beneath the books.
The one who rules over all directions is the Great Rui Dynasty. The dynasty has a household registration system. Fleeing blindly may be manageable in the wilderness, but once one enters the city or the government office without a travel permit and cannot be traced back to their registered residence, trouble arises. Once the place of origin is established, one must not act recklessly or cause disturbances. Violators will be punished and sent back to their original place of residence, leaving no escape.
As the thought settled, Qiu Yan did not delay any longer. The mouth of the split body opened, swallowing the drop of blood.
These two phantoms, rich in demonic energy, if absorbed together, are likely to leave hidden dangers. It is possible that an ordinary person may gradually become demonized, ultimately becoming neither human nor demon. Once the phantoms are dispelled, this drop of essence will be purified. However, the phantoms contain strange powers, possibly related to the fate cultivation mentioned by that demon. If we can capture them, we may achieve some insights through future research.
As time passed, messages were conveyed one after another, and the mist within the temple gradually dissipated
As he finished speaking, he turned and walked outside
The first absorption of the essence of blood was unexpected; the physical body was relatively weak, necessitating a gradual approach. Otherwise, it would be difficult to endure, and I was temporarily left behind in the temple. However, if this physical body is not strengthened, given the long and arduous journey ahead, I fear that before even leaving the mountains and forests, I would be exhausted. Therefore, this step cannot be avoided
By absorbing the essence of blood, the flesh and muscles have been strengthened, and some toxins and impurities within the body have been expelled, resulting in a three to fourfold enhancement of physical constitution. While it may still fall short compared to monsters, among humans, it can be considered a robust physique, making traversing the forest a trivial matter. Hmm? Monsters have already entered this ravine, only about 200 zhang away from here.
Hoo hoo hoo
Creak! Creak!
Demons and monsters, beyond imagination. Although I have been in this world for seventy or eighty years, I have been confined to a corner and am not well-versed in matters of the supernatural. I cannot afford to be the slightest bit careless. This corpse remains, and it may bring unforeseen complications; it is better to destroy it.
Bang
At this moment, on the more than six-mile-long Minyuan Mountain, no movement of wind or grass can escape the scrutiny of the statue's true form
As this thought settled, the white mist that filled the temple completely dissipated, and Qiu Yan's figure reappeared. His complexion had become much rosier, and his skin had lightened somewhat; apart from that, there were no other changes.
The monster is ignorant of worldly affairs, yet shows no hesitation when it comes to devouring humans, disregarding any notions of interpersonal relationships or conversational strategies. Like that crow demon, it revealed quite a bit of information in just a few words, and having fallen into my hands, it remains arrogant and reckless, speaking in a brazen manner, as if it is courting death
A radiant light flashed, and from the clay sculpture of the deity emerged a glowing white silhouette, hazy and indistinct, making it impossible to discern its features. In its left hand, it held a square seal, the back of which resembled a mountain. Within its chest, a peculiar talisman slowly rotated, surrounded by five tiny stars, one of which had already dimmed, significantly smaller than the other four.
This is a world reminiscent of ancient China, where the mountains and rivers bear a striking resemblance, much like the Jian'nan region, which is roughly located in the land of Shu
As the voice faded, the white humanoid turned and settled onto the garments spread out on the ground, attaching itself to them
Qiu Yan thought to himself while loosening his clothes and unfastening his belt
As the thought descended, a flash of white light swept by, and the bird's corpse vanished without a trace
As the mist rose, Qiu Yan's figure gradually became enveloped in the white fog, and amidst the hazy atmosphere, his brows slightly furrowed
The white mist of steam surged from every pore of Daodao Sen's body, instantly enveloping Qiu Yan in a dense fog. He sat cross-legged within it, evoking a sense of ethereal detachment.
Although the essence was extracted by divine power, the headless bird did not disappear; it merely became shriveled and withered.
Behind him, the pile of garments that had fallen from the crow demon emitted a faint white light, slowly dissipating, while the footprints on the ground were gradually obscured by dust
This essence is derived from compressing and refining the entire vital energy of the crow demon into blood using divine power, and extracting it required the expenditure of half a divine power star. However, it is all worth it. This demon possesses a formidable physique; compared to an ordinary adult, it is akin to an infant. The essence extracted, although only one-tenth or one-twelfth of its original physique, is sufficient to strengthen this current flesh with just a single drop
Snap
Scent
This person is lying on the ground, moving forward slowly
Using a hair as a guide, this incarnation was obtained, and the original memories of the body were absorbed. In Qiu Yan's memory, there is naturally information about this region.
"Monsters seem to have cognitive deficiencies," Qiu Yan's face revealed a contemplative expression. "Indeed, although they possess human forms, they were once merely birds and beasts. Their modes of thinking are not sufficiently meticulous, which is to be expected."
He slowly stood up
In the usually tranquil mountains and forests, at this moment, there are more figures, coming and going, gathering and dispersing, scattered throughout the mountains and valleys
Worshiping the gods, if no one worships them, how can they be called gods