Where Immortals Once Walked

How was she able to violate the common knowledge and natural rules that govern the gods? The Generous Pot?

That was the only explanation He Lingchuan could think of.

He pointed at his own head. “There is a divine seal mark in my sea of consciousness, but I have no idea when it was planted there.”

“That’s not strange. How could such a fine skin-sack be ownerless?” Even Shinan himself coveted his body terribly.

Dong Rui, meanwhile, turned to look He Lingchuan up and down.

Why is this the first time I’m hearing about things this important?

Shinan treated He Lingchuan like an object, but the latter did not get angry. He simply continued pressing, “Can this kind of divine seal mark be planted into my sea of consciousness without my knowledge?”

“To plant a mark, the skin-sack’s owner must agree! That is the prerequisite.” Shinan asked him, “When was your mark planted?”

He Lingchuan’s brow furrowed. “I don’t remember. Probably a very long time ago.”

He had searched through his own memories and the original body’s countless times, yet he had never found the slightest clue related to the divine seal mark.

At present, what he could basically confirm was that the mark had probably been planted on the original body, back when it was still the former He Lingchuan in control.

He, the unlucky transmigrator, had merely inherited it.

Shinan added, “Heh, this sort of thing can be induced, especially when the skin-sack is young and ignorant.” There was no lack of envy in its tone. “Which heavenly god do you belong to?”

“Naluotian. Have you heard of it?”

Shinan gave a long “oh,” then said, “Never heard of it.”

“...” He Lingchuan was disappointed.

It was one thing for Mitian not to recognize it, since she had said that she had been in seclusion too long. But now even Shinan could not recognize it.

Although Shinan might call itself a wild god, judging from the many temples it had established throughout Xunyang Sandbar, it should be rather attentive to social connections.

“You don’t know every god, do you?”

“I know every heavenly god with status and renown,” Shinan said offhandedly. “If you give me a name I’ve never heard of, then either it has always been obscure, or it is a newly ascended god that has yet to gain a name, or—”

“Or?”

“Or it changed its name,” Shinan said. “A heavenly god’s primary name is also their divine persona. Changing it is not as simple as it is for you humans.”

Shinan then asked him, “Where did you hear this name? The mark itself wouldn’t state its origin.”

While the two spoke, Dong Rui silently added seven more sticks of incense before the shrine niche.

Before he could insert them, He Lingchuan poured out nearly half the ash from the incense burner, then began tracing on the table with his finger.

This time, it was Shinan’s turn to fall silent.

This brat truly has no respect for me!

But for the sake of the Dragon Punishment Pillar, it would not lower itself to the human’s level.

He Lingchuan used the incense ash to draw the pattern of the divine seal mark.

Shinan looked at it for a while without speaking.

He Lingchuan read his expression. “You recognize it, don’t you?”

“This is the mark of the god Bilu.” Shinan pondered. “It was only recently elevated to a true god, so I still didn’t know it had changed names. As you know, each god has only one primary name, but they can have many titles.”

He Lingchuan gave a hum of acknowledgment. Mitian had many titles as well, and Moon God was one of them.

“Is this Bilu very powerful?”

“Every true god is powerful.” Shinan chuckled. “Congratulations. A true god has taken a fancy to you! But I’m not familiar with Bilu.”

He Lingchuan showed not the slightest joy. “Since I have already been marked, can the owner of the mark descend at any time?”

“You’ve paid only one Dragon Punishment Pillar and a little bit of nightmare qi, yet I have answered so many of your questions. Every one of them is a core secret, and every one of them concerns your life.” Shinan drawled, “But my generosity is not endless. If you want more answers—” The old attendant held his hand out to He Lingchuan. “Then offer up more sacrifices!”

Shinan understood negotiation. It had stopped right at the core question He Lingchuan cared about most.

“What kind of sacrifice do you want? The Dragon Punishment Pillar and nightmare qi are already gone.”

“Find me a few fine skin-sacks, or help me build new temples in prosperous places.”

He Lingchuan shook his head. “I can’t do either at present.”

“Then come find me when you can.” Shinan stretched its hand toward him with the leisurely composure of an old god. After all, the anxious one was not him.

The other party had indeed answered quite a few questions, so He Lingchuan still had to give what was owed. He handed the Dragon Punishment Pillar to the temple attendant, then took several items from his chest and placed them on the offering table. “Are there any among these that catch your eye?”

He had taken out a frost talisman, a lightning-warding plaque, and several other odds and ends.

“Oh, you still have quite a few good things.” Shinan looked them over, then selected two. “Give me these two, and you may continue asking.”

The things he chose were actually glazed gold and jiang beads!

When He Lingchuan broke the array eye of the Grand Spirit-Gathering Array, he had secretly taken a glazed gold pillar, then later smashed it himself into a dozen large chunks. It was a precious material for artifact refinement, something money might not even be able to buy. After going through all that trouble to make a trip to Mount Xu, he had to recover at least the travel expenses somehow.

As for jiang beads, there was no need to explain them. They were pearls taken from slain monsters, and proof of State Preceptor Qing Yang’s crimes.

He Lingchuan did not know what Shinan wanted with these two items. Perhaps also artifact refinement? After all, gods also needed ways to win people over.

“The same question as before.”

“A divine seal mark is both a locator and a permit. However, the first invitation of a god requires a divine descent ceremony or ritual. In other words, both the host of the ritual and the skin-sack must be present, and the entire process must be completed. Otherwise, the heavenly god has to suppress the skin-sack’s original soul, which is very, very troublesome.” The old temple attendant lifted his head, and a few wisps of smoke drifted from his nostrils. “After the first descent, though, that is no longer necessary.”

He Lingchuan recalled the time when Sun Fuping had invited a god. Indeed, he had performed a ritual first before summoning a god’s avatar to descend upon Nian Songyu.

Although this body bore a divine seal mark, it should have never received a divine descent before.

At that thought, He Lingchuan secretly let out a breath of relief.

If Naluotian wanted to smack down and forcibly descend into his body, it would not be that simple. This was the best news he had heard in quite some time.

“If a heavenly god takes an interest in a skin-sack, can it seize the vessel by force without consent?”

Shinan’s answer was very direct. “No.”

He Lingchuan shook his head. “Two heavenly gods’ avatars once invaded my sea of consciousness, trying to occupy the nest like a cuckoo. They didn’t seem to think it was very difficult.”

“You’re quite popular.” Shinan selectively ignored the fact that he himself had also tested the waters just now. “Did they frighten you?”

“Far more than that. They attacked me directly.” The heavenly god avatar Sun Fuping invited had turned into the sand leopard that had fallen off the cliff with him after entering his sea of consciousness. Before Miaozhantian concluded his trial of He Lingchuan’s soul and spirit, another god had also rushed over, trying to drag him into the shadows.

“Then that was intimidation, and it could only be intimidation. They used overwhelming force to threaten you. As long as you were afraid and weak—most humans usually are—they could force you to agree to let them possess you, then brand you with their mark.” Shinan smiled. “That is the method with the smallest cost, and often the most effective.”