Chapter 214

“Land God Temple? A Land God?”

Light flickered within Fang Qing’s eyes as though piercing through the small temple itself. His gaze penetrated the divine statue, revealing the somewhat illusory spiritual body hidden within.

‘Weak, far too weak. Somewhat similar to a cultivator’s soul, yet also somewhat like a ghost cultivator, but its strength is probably only around that of a first-layer Qi Ingestion cultivator. No, that’s not quite right. Even a first-layer Qi Ingestion cultivator is still a true cultivator who has stepped onto the Dao. What exactly did he consume? The essence of incense offerings?’

After entering this stretch of the void, Fang Qing had already calculated karma and learned quite a number of things.

‘Interesting… Mortals cannot cultivate. Only by accumulating merit while alive, then being enfeoffed by the imperial court as divine officials after death, can they continue cultivation through the divine path in the form of heroic souls?’

‘A divine seal?’

‘Without such a thing, cultivation is impossible. Even if one somehow possesses a trace of supernatural power, they would be branded a heterodox fiend. Under the incense offering divine network, the gods would execute them on sight?’

Thinking this, Fang Qing directly concealed his form and entered the Land God Temple.

This Grotto Heaven actually possessed an entirely different cultivation path. Quite unusual. It deserved proper investigation.

‘I entered this Grotto Heaven for only two reasons!’

‘First, to see what benefits this place can offer me! Second, to see what dangers it contains!’

‘I still need to find a local cultivator and ask a few questions.’

With that thought, Fang Qing had already arrived within the tiny Land God Temple.

Inside the divine statue was actually a small independent space. A tiny old man no larger than a finger stood there, holding a peachwood staff and wearing robes embroidered with a hundred blessings. Through the drifting incense smoke, he gazed at the small village outside with a deeply satisfied expression.

“This year’s harvest in Qingxi Village was excellent. Grain is abundant, livestock are multiplying. At the year-end evaluation, I should surely receive a top rating. Perhaps I’ll even be awarded a nice incense stipend.”

“Oh? And what exactly is an incense stipend used for?”

At that moment, Fang Qing’s voice rang out.

“An incense stipend is crystallized divine power, the salary granted to us gods. It can replenish our divine power, be used to forge divine artifacts, increase fortune and merit… In short, it has countless benefits.”

The old Land God answered in a perfectly serious tone.

Then… he saw a giant hand.

That hand was fair and smooth like jade, vast as some colossal being. It reached into the clay divine statue, plucked him out in a single motion, and raised him before its owner for close inspection.

Those five fingers looked like five towering white jade pillars supporting the heavens.

And the pair of eyes staring at him were like stars hanging in the sky.

‘This… is a Land God?’

‘So tiny…’

Fang Qing stared at the thumb-sized figure in his palm. No, not a thumb-sized maiden. A thumb-sized old man.

He could not help but grumble inwardly.

‘Though the size of a soul body isn’t especially important, this is cutting corners a bit too much, isn’t it? Sure, a smaller soul body means less expenditure, but still…’

Against someone whose strength merely rivaled a first-layer Qi Ingestion cultivator, Fang Qing could not even be bothered to listen to thoughts or employ subtler mystical means.

With the support of his Duzi status, even his innate talent of ‘silver tongue’ alone could produce effects akin to ‘words becoming law.’

“May I ask your origins, fellow Daoist? And how exactly did you become this Land God?”

Fang Qing spoke, his breath surging forth like a storm. The Land God barely managed to cling to one of Fang Qing’s fingers to avoid being blown away.

Once the gale passed, he straightened his robes and solemnly replied, “This old one is Sun Zimu, a jinshi scholar in the thirty-sixth year of the Daye era under Great Sui. I governed one region faithfully, and after death, due to accumulated virtue, I was enfeoffed as the Land God of this village.”

“A jinshi? A Land God?”

Fang Qing blinked, immediately understanding.

‘Since this is the divine path, these positions must all be fixed slots. Too many people already occupying the positions ahead. For this fellow to secure an actual official post, even one as lowly as a Land God, his methods and accomplishments must have been quite exceptional.’

“And how exactly does one become a Land God? Let me take a look.”

He continued speaking.

This time, however, a trace of hesitation and struggle actually appeared on the old man’s face.

‘Even with the blessing of my Duzi status, he can still hesitate for a moment? Remarkable. Is it because he is inherently integrated into this incense offering network?’

‘If that’s the case, then the moment he dies, it would immediately trigger alarm. Worse, harming the small one might instantly bring the big ones. I might end up facing the greatest terror in this entire Grotto Heaven right away!’

‘That won’t do. Better to proceed slowly.’

Fang Qing simply watched in silence.

Sun Zimu only hesitated for a brief instant before reaching into his own body and pulling out a strange black seal.

The seal was pitch black throughout, save for a single line of divine script in its center.

The writing carried the profound truths of heaven and earth themselves. Even someone illiterate would understand its meaning at a glance:

“Ninth Rank Lower Grade, Great Sui, Jiujiang Prefecture, Sanshan County, Qingxi Village Land God Position.”

‘As expected, a tightly structured incense-based divine cultivation system.’

Fang Qing did not take the divine position.

After all, the position was intimately bound to Sun Zimu’s very existence. Taking it away would mean the Land God’s death.

And once that happened, it would inevitably alert his superior, then the superior above that.

“May I ask how fellow Daoist cultivates? And how one advances?”

He continued his questioning.

“As a deity, why would this old man need to cultivate?” the elder replied matter-of-factly. “As long as I govern the people well, I naturally receive incense stipend rewards each year. My merits are also recorded by the civil and martial magistrates under the City God. Ten thousand points of human merit earns one promotion. This old man has already accumulated three thousand seven hundred points. In a few hundred more years, I should be able to advance to a proper ninth-rank Land God and take office over a large village.”

“And with ten thousand points of earthly merit, one may be appointed as a proper seventh-rank City God, governing an entire foundation.”

As the old man explained, Fang Qing nodded quietly while secretly calculating with hand seals.

‘Mm. [Ghost Metal] carries the symbolism of ghosts, spirits, and sacrificial rites. This incense-based divine bureaucracy is precisely an expression of that symbolism.’

‘And… it excels in artifact refinement?’

Fang Qing smiled.

“Fellow Daoist, I wonder what artifacts you have refined? Might I take a look?”

“This old man has only served as Land God for a few decades. My savings are limited. I only have this staff and bowl.”

Sun Zimu immediately handed over the peachwood staff in his grasp.

Fang Qing looked at the peachwood staff in his hand, which was about as substantial as a toothpick, then glanced at the toy-like chipped bowl. His expression turned slightly strange.

“Mm… although the materials are exceedingly ordinary, and the quantity is far too little, the underlying essence remains unchanged. These barely qualify as Qi Ingestion magical artifacts.”

Qi Ingestion magical artifacts were no trivial matter.

Even now, Yue Mingxue of the Fang Family was still using that damaged Xuanqing dharma magical sword.

Aside from disciples of major sects, how many Qi Ingestion cultivators could casually possess two magical artifacts?

“Not bad, not bad… How exactly were these refined?”

Fang Qing asked.

“This staff was made from century-old peachwood, tempered day and night with incense offerings… Naturally, quite a bit of incense money was also invested.”

“As for the bowl, its primary material is ‘Qingyuan Stone.’ It is rather useful for defense…”

Sun Zimu answered somewhat awkwardly.

“As for the refining method? It seems I simply knew it instinctively… no, rather, after becoming a deity, the knowledge came to me naturally.”

‘Is this some Dao Foundation profundity? No… this is Purple Mansion mystery!’

Fang Qing examined the artifacts more carefully, his heart growing solemn.

‘This is Purple Mansion-level artifact refinement mystery, distributed to every deity through the great network of the incense divine path.’

‘In that case, as long as one has enough incense money, could they freely refine so-called divine artifacts?’

‘If so, the higher-ranking deities absolutely would not lack Dao Foundation spiritual artifacts.’

‘Then what about Purple Mansion treasures?’

A thought stirred in Fang Qing’s heart.

‘Could this be the opportunity available to me?’

Without question, with the incense divine path forming such a vast network, combined with the mortal imperial authority of Great Sui.

Any Dao Foundation spiritual materials or Purple Mansion spiritual materials born within this Grotto Heaven would certainly have long since been collected and stored away in official treasuries.

To obtain them without going to war against the divine path would be nearly impossible.

At present, Fang Qing was still in the reconnaissance phase. His preference remained opportunistic scavenging.

And this brought another thought to mind.

The Bronze Ge exotic treasure in his possession!

According to Sangji, the artifact possessed excellent foundations and already carried the latent potential of a Purple Mansion treasure. If he could only find a master artifact refiner skilled in metal and fire, it could be forged into a true Purple Mansion artifact!

‘Purple Mansion-level artifact refining masters are nearly impossible to approach through ordinary means, but inside this Grotto Heaven, there seems to be a shortcut?’

Even for a Purple Mansion-level artifact refiner, creating a Purple Mansion artifact treasure would require years of effort and enormous material investment.

Yet within this White Luminary Grotto Heaven’s incense divine network, such costs could apparently be substituted with vast quantities of incense money, backed by specialized artifact refinement mysteries.

How could Fang Qing not feel tempted?

‘Still… I am only at the bottom for now. I need to climb higher first.’

His thoughts shifted as he looked toward Sun Zimu.

“Does fellow Daoist have any connections with the City God? Could you perhaps introduce me?”

“Of course!”

Sun Zimu nodded immediately.

“The civil magistrate under the Sanshan County City God was once this old man’s own examiner.”

“Excellent. I shall spend a few days making preparations. When the time comes, I will trouble fellow Daoist for the introduction.”

Fang Qing smiled faintly.

“Before then, however… you will forget this matter.”

He gently set the Land God back down in his palm.

The next moment, his figure had already stepped out of the Land God Temple.

“Eh? What was this old man just doing?”

Sun Zimu’s gaze turned cloudy. He rubbed his swollen forehead.

“Ah… this year’s incense stipend…”

…

Several days later.

After completing a round of exploration, Fang Qing returned once again to the tiny Land God Temple of Qingxi Village.

‘Within this Grotto Heaven, Great Sui governs the people while the divine path governs the world. There are still mountain spirits, demon creatures, wandering fox-zen hermits, and rogue Daoists, but none amount to much. Outside the divine system, all are ultimately ants.’

‘And within the divine path, everything is founded upon divine seals. Ninth rank bears black seals, eighth rank gray seals, seventh rank white seals, fifth rank crimson seals, third rank red-gold, first rank pure gold… layer upon layer of rigid control. Extremely tight.’

‘Any so-called opportunities out in the wild are nonexistent. Seeking fortune through the gods will inevitably carry danger.’

‘Ah… right. I am here in the body of a destined child. Exploration is precisely the point.’

A faint smile appeared on Fang Qing’s face as he walked toward the Land God Temple.

“Fellow Daoist Sun!”

“Oh? So it is Fellow Daoist Fang… come, come, this old man shall lead the way.”

The moment Sun Zimu saw Fang Qing, he froze briefly, then immediately behaved as though greeting an old friend not seen for many years. He rose into the air on divine radiance with Fang Qing in tow.

“My former examiner is surnamed Zhao. He is especially fond of nurturing younger generations. If you have read Wang Moke’s poetry collections and can discuss them a little, you will surely win his favor.”

Sanshan County City.

The city gates bustled with endless streams of people. Built against mountains and rivers, it was prosperous and lively.

Yet at the very heart of the city, surrounded by the walls, the central structure was not the county yamen.

It was a great temple.

The City God Temple.

Through Fang Qing’s perspective, he could see dense incense power gathering overhead, faintly weaving itself into a vast dharma net that blanketed the entire county city.

Within it patrolled countless golden-armored soldiers, alongside day and night roaming divine envoys, civil magistrates, martial magistrates, and more.

Ordinarily, this incense dharma net would naturally reject an outsider like him.

But with Sun Zimu, the local Land God, personally leading the way ahead. It was no different from opening the gates and inviting the thief inside.