Chapter 3, Statue of the Lake God

Indeed, what he possesses is merely a statue of the lowest quality, which can only be used on Cormorant Island, surrounded by Cormorant Lake. Once it exceeds the usage range, its corresponding effects will naturally dissipate. Additionally, there is a limitation on the duration of use for this statue; Zhao Shoushou's statue can be used for a maximum of three to five years. Once the usage time is exceeded, it is necessary to go to the Lake Temple to recharge it with a type of energy known as "Divine Power" in order to continue using it. These are some basic means by which deities earn spirit stones.

I hope that in the days to come, I will have good fortune and gather enough mist stones; of course, it would be even better if I could catch a mist fish. Zhao Shoushou prayed earnestly to a blurred wooden statue, which he had specially brought back from the small gathering at Cormorant Lake with three low-grade spirit stones.

In such a fantastical world of immortal heroes, the existence of deities is a given. Every mountain peak, every river, every lake, and even every village is home to true deities who enjoy offerings. The gods of the land, the river, the mountains, and the lakes permeate every piece of land. The only distinction is that it is not the Heavenly Court that bestows these divine titles, but rather the court that has gained recognition as the ruling authority over the mortal realm.

According to the records in "Ripple Power," there are a total of nine major stages in cultivation: Qi Refinement, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Spirit Transformation, Dividing Spirit, Great Achievement, Tribulation Crossing, and Ascension. Unfortunately, the available methods are not comprehensive, only covering the cultivation techniques from the first to the tenth layer of the Qi Refinement stage, which can further be divided into four levels: early stage, middle stage, late stage, and completion.

6 low-grade spirit stones, 48 mist stones, and if luck is sufficient, one may salvage 12 mist stones from the bottom of the lake or catch a mist fish. Gathering 12 low-grade spirit stones allows one to purchase 4 first-tier low-grade spirit pills for Qi circulation at the small gathering on Cormorant Lake. Only then is there a possibility of breaking through to the second layer of Qi training before the end of the year. Inside a simple thatched cottage, Zhao Shoushou, after completing the inventory, carefully stored the mist stones and spirit stones in a porcelain jar.

The first level of Qi training is merely an introduction; apart from having a strong physique, being immune to ailments, and possessing slightly greater strength, one only understands the basic low-grade spiritual eye technique, which allows one to see through some simple illusions and barriers. This is precisely why one can freely maneuver a small fishing boat in the core area of Cormorant Lake.

Three sticks of first-grade incense for honoring the gods, tasteless when consumed yet regrettable to discard. Fortunately, what I seek are merely mist stones and mist fish, which are only the lowest-grade treasures of the lake, barely qualifying as an equivalent exchange; even a mosquito's leg is still meat. The Lake Lord's divine seal commands. In the depths of the bottomless Cormorant Lake, within a luxurious underwater palace, a middle-aged man clad in a yellow robe murmurs softly, and a mysterious golden light containing an inexplicable aura flashes above the nearby divine seal before vanishing into the depths of the sea.

The Lake Lord possesses a divine position, rightfully recognized as the master of the lake. Through the divine seal, he can effortlessly control every movement of the entire lake. If he becomes angered, one can forget about reaping any rewards in the future. Fortunately, he also requires the power of incense to cultivate. Compared to ordinary mortals, the incense made by cultivators possesses greater power, which can be considered a form of indirect transaction. A low-grade first-tier incense can only be purchased in threes with one low-grade spirit stone. Fortunately, he also requires the power of incense to cultivate. Compared to ordinary mortals, the incense made by cultivators possesses greater power, which can be considered a form of indirect transaction. A low-grade first-tier incense can only be purchased in threes with one low-grade spirit stone.

Becoming a deity is not solely determined by one's cultivation; some scholars who held great prestige during their lifetime, or military generals who maintained peace in their region, may also be posthumously enshrined as deities and have temples built in their honor to receive offerings from the people, thus embarking on a path of cultivation in a different manner

The credibility of the divine has always been reliable. Since a promise has been made, it is certain that the days to come will be filled with abundant returns. After the conclusion of the Cormorant Lake gathering, there is hope for reaching the second level of Qi training. The deal reached has made Zhao Shoushou quite excited, and his visions for the future have become increasingly bright, as if he can already see the scene of a large quantity of mist stones and mist fish being collected into his possession

In fact, these seemingly imposing deities, who control their domains and enjoy offerings, are also quite pitiable. If they are unable to elevate their divine status before the end of their lifespan, they will be confined to a fixed range for their entire lives, unable to enter or exit freely. It is precisely for these reasons that many local land gods, river gods, and lake spirits do not oppose such transactions.

In fact, although deities and cultivators appear to be entirely different, they ultimately share the same goal of pursuing the supreme path. However, for Zhao Shoushou, who currently possesses only the first layer of Qi training, this is a distant reality. Whether it is the divine position or the great path, these are not aspirations for a novice like him. For him, the most pressing matter is how to gather twelve pieces of mist stones before the small meeting at Cormorant Lake in order to exchange for enough first-grade low-grade Qi dispersants.

The so-called spiritual eye technique is merely the process of channeling the meager and thin spiritual energy from the dantian along specific meridians into the eyes, which can assist in seeing more clearly. In other words, a practitioner at the first level of Qi cultivation is not significantly different from an ordinary person and does not possess the superpowers often attributed to cultivators in legends

Starting from the second level of Qi Refinement, the combat power of cultivators experiences explosive growth. With each breakthrough of the bottleneck, the spiritual power within the dantian increases exponentially, and they can learn some truly lethal spells. Advancing to the third level of Qi Refinement grants the qualification to refine magical tools, provided that one possesses a suitable magical tool. In fact, for most low-level loose cultivators, magical tools are a precious and expensive existence. A solitary loose cultivator would need at least several years of accumulation to possess their own magical tool, requiring a cultivation level of at least mid-stage Qi Refinement.

The first to third levels of Qi training are considered the early stage of Qi training, the fourth to sixth levels are the mid-stage, the seventh to ninth levels are the late stage, and the tenth level represents the Great Perfection. There exists an insurmountable gap between each level, which means that Zhao Shoushou is merely a novice who has just begun his journey.

After receiving the approval of the Lake God, a faint yellow light flashed across the indistinct face of the deity statue located in Zhao Shoushou's thatched cottage at the same time. The only function of this statue, which cost three low-grade spirit stones, is to facilitate some simple communication and transactions with the corresponding deity

Many cultivators, upon realizing the hopelessness of their path, often choose to align themselves with the imperial court, wholeheartedly striving to achieve notable accomplishments. They seek to secure an opportunity to become a deity as their lifespan draws to a close. Even if it is merely a ninth-grade divine position, such as that of a local deity, one can still enjoy a lifespan of a thousand years, which is nearly comparable to that of a Yuan Ying period ancestor

Six low-grade spirit stones are all the savings Zhao Shoushou has accumulated over the years, while forty-eight mist stones are the harvest from the past three months at Cormorant Lake. Since he fortuitously entered the path of cultivation seven years ago, his cultivation level has remained at the first layer of Qi Refinement. However, during recent training, he has been unable to refine spiritual energy into his dantian, indicating that he has reached the peak of the first layer of Qi Refinement. If he could obtain a spirit pill to assist him, he would surely be able to advance to the second layer of Qi Refinement.

May the Lake God bless the younger generation to successfully obtain mist stones and catch mist fish in exchange for spirit stones. If the cormorants can successfully break through to the second layer of Qi training after the meeting, Zhao Shoushou is willing to offer three low-grade incense sticks to pay respect to the spirits. Zhao Shoushou lit three ordinary incense sticks one by one in prayer.