Struggling to Survive with Regression Power in the Primordial Saint Sect

Although it was hard to believe, Lü Yang tested several more times. Only when the old man was nearly shattered in soul did he finally confirm that the other party had indeed been outwitted by him.

There was nothing more to say.

He took action—Soul Search!

Fortunately, after leaving the Earth God Temple, the opponent’s status plummeted. From a pseudo-Foundation Establishment, he fell directly to the level of a Qi Refining cultivator who had mastered great divine abilities.

Dealing with someone at the Qi Refining stage didn’t require going all out.

Soon, as Lü Yang’s divine sense surged in, the old man’s memory fragments emerged in a rush, revealing the accumulation of his half-life cultivation experience.

”This Earth God’s origin was merely the first village chief of Bai Village. Back then, he led dozens of households to reclaim wasteland in the Taiyue Mountains, establishing Bai Village. After his death, the villagers spontaneously worshiped him. Through incense and talisman bestowal, he became the current Earth God of the Taiyue Mountains.”

”Incense and talisman bestowal?”

Lü Yang lowered his eyelids and quickly unearthed the most crucial part from the Earth God’s memory—the current cultivation system of Qiyao Heaven.

The cultivation in Qiyao Heaven could be summarized in eight characters:

Incense and talisman bestowal, ascend to heaven in five steps!

The initial talisman bestowal required the worship of a village or township’s people, allowing one to become a God of Fortune and Virtue, also known as the Earth God. In remote areas, this equated to the level of a pseudo-Foundation Establishment.

That said, this type of incense deity had significant limitations. The greatest was the jurisdictional area. For example, the Earth God before him possessed pseudo-Foundation Establishment strength within his own Earth God Temple. However, once he left the temple, his status equated only to a Qi Refining cultivator with great divine abilities.

”Even so, it’s still quite impressive.”

A pseudo-Foundation Establishment was still Foundation Establishment. Having status was better than having none.

More importantly, this cultivation method was incredibly fast. As long as one could gain the worship of ordinary people, the incense’s blessing would allow immediate ascension!

Take this Bai Village Earth God, for instance.

In life, he was an ordinary mortal. After death, he became a pseudo-Foundation Establishment great cultivator. In remote areas, countless Qi Refining cultivators would envy him.

”Above the Earth God is the City God.”

There were four ranks of City Gods.

County City God, Prefecture City God, Provincial City God, and the highest, Capital City God, corresponding respectively to early, mid, late, and complete stages of Foundation Establishment.

As the names implied, a County City God received incense worship from a county. However, in reality, a significant portion was siphoned off and sent higher up, giving rise to the Prefecture City God, then the Provincial City God, and finally the Capital City God overseeing all City Gods.

This hierarchical system resembled tax collection.

Thus, an encompassing, ironclad City God system was established, governing the entire Qiyao Heaven and the vast lands of Central State.

”Very similar to the Dao Court, but far inferior.”

Lü Yang pondered. This system, based on the populace, resembled Jiangdong Dao Court. However, the City God system relied heavily on incense and was deeply dependent on the people.

In contrast, the Dao Court’s ”official positions” had far fewer restrictions, entirely bestowed by the Dao Court’s emperor. The populace only needed to maintain a number.

Moreover, the Dao Court was much stricter than the City God system.

Under the Dao Court’s rule, there were no loose cultivators. Any force had to be registered within the Dao Court’s departments; otherwise, cultivation was impossible.

In comparison, the City God system had too many loopholes.

The biggest was the fickleness of human hearts. Incense could be easily stripped away. Not everyone would worship the City Gods.

Hence, there emerged the ”Heretical Worship.”

”Heretical Worship refers to establishing beliefs outside the City God system, bestowing talismans to become deities, and even attempting to overthrow the City God system.”

”However, most Heretical Worships weren’t strong, often entrenched in remote areas outside Central State, making it hard to cultivate powerful incense deities. Only two exceptions existed: one called the ’White Lotus Sect,’ worshiping the ’Unborn Mother,’ and the other was the ancestral temple of the royal court.”

Seeing this, Lü Yang’s eyes grew brighter.

”This incense deity path... truly a good thing!”

With the simplest belief, one could transform the thoughts of mortals into incense power, then elevate cultivation and status—perfectly suited for him!

Because he possessed the Myriad Spirits Banner!

In Lü Yang’s view, the City Gods of Qiyao Heaven were too pure, relying solely on protecting mortals to gain incense worship.

Why go through such trouble?

A simple mind-bewitching technique could solve it.

In this regard, the White Lotus Sect had some methods, using various mind-bewitching techniques to gather incense. But compared to the Myriad Spirits Banner, they were still too naive.

Because the White Lotus Sect’s followers could betray.

But the banner spirits of the Myriad Spirits Banner were absolutely loyal!

Thinking of this, Lü Yang began to plan: ”According to the Bai Village Earth God’s memory, the world’s incense currently supports at most three Capital City Gods.”

Now, the City God system, White Lotus Sect, and the royal ancestral temple each held one.

Though the three vied for power, they maintained a delicate balance. No one wanted a fourth equal to themselves.

Their method was simple.

Control the population.

After all, the foundation of the incense deity path lay in people. The more people, the more beliefs, the more incense, and naturally, the more incense deities could be supported.

So, by controlling the population, the possibility of a fourth Capital City God was cut off.

”But conversely... if the people of Qiyao Heaven fervently reproduced, causing a population explosion, not just three, even nine Capital City Gods could be supported!”

Nine Capital City Gods? Nine complete Foundation Establishments!

”This is my opportunity!”

At this thought, Lü Yang’s eyes gleamed with a cold light. If he could achieve this, he might have a chance to return to that desolate place!

But he soon calmed down.

Starting was the hardest part. Though the ideal was grand, reality was harsh. To specialize in the incense deity path, he had a fundamental problem to solve.

He wasn’t a native!

Though Qiyao Heaven, under Hong Yun’s development, didn’t exclude outsiders, it was unlikely to offer them the same treatment as locals.

Including the banner spirits he carried—they weren’t natives of Qiyao Heaven. Without status influence, no matter how loyal, they couldn’t generate incense belief out of thin air. If he wanted to follow the incense deity path, the only way was for Qiyao Heaven to accept him as one of its own.

But how to achieve that?

Lü Yang stroked his chin. Unless he could, like last time in the Ten Thousand Martial World, bribe the realm’s heavens, he’d always be an outsider in Qiyao Heaven.

How to bribe?

”Earth vein energy... no, an entire earth vein!”

Eight Hundred Li Skeleton Mountain!

”Thinking back, I should’ve taken the Skeleton Mountain’s earth vein when I was in Jiangbei. Yet, I completely overlooked it.”

Lü Yang slapped his forehead. He should’ve noticed something was off back then. After all, the Skeleton Mountain’s earth vein was valuable. Yet, he seemed to have entirely forgotten it. Looking back now, perhaps the heavens had already been subtly interfering with his thoughts through the immortal spirit body!

The more Lü Yang thought, the angrier he became.

”Heaven and earth are heartless... then don’t blame me for being unrighteous.”

At this thought, Lü Yang immediately decided: to undermine the heavens, he’d start with the Eight Hundred Li Skeleton Mountain. Otherwise, how could he continue to progress in Qiyao Heaven?