Postnatal Deities Work to Pay Debts

Goddess Taiyuan saw Taiyin Star Lord Wangshu and said with a smile:

"Sister, why don't you come visit me in the Primordial World? What's so good about staying on the Taiyin Star all the time? You might as well join me in smashing those Chaos Demon Gods."

Wangshu shot her a glance. "Isn't it enough that you, the War Goddess, are here? The Five Divine Emperors need talent like yours."

Li Fan sensed a trace of resentment from Goddess Taiyuan.

Wangshu spoke up. "Li Fan, this time we're promoting the Postnatal Divine Path, and your opinion carries weight. If you have any thoughts, speak them."

"I want to bring Doumu Yuanjun over too, to promote the Incense God Path together. More hands mean more strength. At the end of the day, the Postnatal Divine Path's foundation can't compare to the Innate Divine Path."

"We have to expand our gains from the very beginning. Later on, those neutral Postnatal Deities will inevitably join the major forces."

"The Three Emperors won't let us control all Postnatal Deities. Even though the overall qi fortune of all beings only accounts for five percent of the Primordial World's total, small amounts add up over time. Given enough years, a peerless genius will inevitably emerge, breaking through to Da Luo via the 'Postnatal Divine Path.' That's no small force."

"Most importantly, there are too many Postnatal Deities. If we try to manage all the neutral ones across the Primordial World, it'll be too scattered—more trouble than it's worth. Who among you would want to deal with that hassle?" Li Fan looked at the Three Goddesses.

Goddess Taiyuan waved her hand. "I definitely won't. I don't even manage the Innate Deities. I'm busy enough fighting the Chaos Demon God avatars."

Wangshu said calmly, "All beings are the densest convergence of cause and effect. I prefer peace and quiet, unlike the Solar Star God Zhuzhao, who accepts any deity that joins him without discrimination."

"One is a mixed bag, and the other is conflict. Any force that grows to a certain scale will face resource shortages. To keep expanding, they have to enlarge their territory—it's unavoidable."

"I feel like the delicate balance among the four major forces of the Primordial World is slowly being broken."

Li Fan agreed with Goddess Wangshu's words. In later generations, the Dragon-Phoenix Tribulation, the Witch-Demon Calamity, and the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation—all were fought over resources, over qi fortune. Once cause and effect become entangled, it's not something you can simply avoid.

Li Fan notified Doumu Yuanjun through the River of Time, and she arrived at the Taiyin Star quickly.

Ziguang teased, "Taiyuan, long time no see. The Taiyin Star is so lively today. Are you all plotting something shady?"

Li Fan smiled. "We're planning a major event, to benefit all sentient beings. We urgently need Goddess Ziguang to join us. Goddess Wangshu and Goddess Taiyuan are already in. You're the last one."

Then Li Fan explained the Postnatal Divine Path to Goddess Ziguang.

Li Fan proposed, "Let's perfect the path of sacrifice—the 'Incense God Path.'"

The four Da Luo Venerable Gods spent one hundred thousand years deducing and ultimately summarized three paths to becoming a Postnatal God.

Li Fan's Method: Incense offerings, building temples to gather incense, and comprehending the Heaven and Earth Laws to become a god.

Goddess Taiyuan's Method: Directly conferring godhood using the heavenly book "Investiture of the Gods." The downside is that the divine authority conferred will split the authority of Innate Deities, triggering a war among gods.

Wangshu and Ziguang's Method: Faith as the foundation, an upgraded version of incense. The downside is that believers become the complete property of the Postnatal Deity, their will unable to resist.

Li Fan thought to himself, These two goddesses deduced a rather dark method for Postnatal Deities. Can't provoke them, can't provoke them.

"Let's discuss how to collect royalties."

Wangshu looked curious. "What are royalties?"

Li Fan pondered. "Things gained too easily aren't valued. So, we can take something in return. Incense and faith are toxic, but not unusable—refining Houtian Spiritual Treasures with them is fine."

"Regardless of which faction a deity belongs to, neutral or not, once they reach the Venerable God Realm on the Postnatal Divine Path, they must contribute a set amount of incense and work for one hundred thousand years."

Ziguang asked curiously, "Work? What's that?"

Li Fan explained, "It means coming to the starry sky to serve us for one hundred thousand years. We can build Star Gates on the auxiliary stars for travel. Also, I noticed the three goddesses' palaces aren't big enough. Let's expand Goddess Wangshu's Guanghan Palace. Postnatal Deities at the Venerable God Realm can also apply to join an auxiliary star."

"If you come, that auxiliary star nominally belongs to you, and you become a Zhou Tian Star God. Zhuzhao is recruiting so many deities—he's not one to stay put. Those unowned auxiliary stars in the Taiyin and Ziwei Star Domains can't be allowed to fall into his hands."

Ziguang agreed readily. "Full support. The starry sky is too desolate. Many auxiliary stars don't have a single person. This time, let's make the starry sky lively."

What Li Fan was really thinking about was the Zhou Tian Star Array. Incense could be used to refine the array flags. The Postnatal Deities who wanted to join would be part of the manpower to set up the formation. Better to be prepared than sorry.

A win-win. Li Fan wins twice. Haha!

With the Postnatal Divine Path's method of becoming a god fully deduced and everything ready, Li Fan and the four Da Luo prepared to inscribe the "Postnatal Divine Path" into the laws of the Primordial World.

"Heaven and Earth of the Primordial World above, I, Li Fan, Taiyin Star Lord Wangshu, Doumu Yuanjun Ziguang, and Central Yellow Emperor Taiyuan Goddess, hereby establish the Postnatal Divine Path and the Incense God Path."

"All sentient beings with emotions may enter my Postnatal Divine Path. May the Heaven and Earth of the Primordial World bear witness."

The Postnatal Divine Path officially debuted on the stage of the Primordial World. Many Da Luo instantly learned the essence of the Postnatal Divine Path from the Heaven and Earth Laws.

With this establishment, the Primordial World rewarded qi fortune. Li Fan and the other three split it equally, each gaining something.

Heavenly Emperor Cangli mused, "The Postnatal Divine Path, huh. The conflict between Innate and Postnatal—I hope it ends up complementary."

Human Emperor Jiutou Clan praised, "All beings now have another choice. For Houtian Beings, this is a blessing. Admirable, admirable."

Hongjun pondered, "Between the Postnatal Divine Path and the Qi Refinement Path, how will all beings choose? Azure Emperor Yang Mei, you Five Divine Emperors—do you have any designs on the Primordial World?"

Yang Mei waved his hand. "You old Daoist, I don't meddle in affairs. Go ask the Taiyin Star Lord yourself."

The Primordial World suddenly buzzed with activity. One by one, people went to ask their clan's elders about the method of becoming a god on the "Postnatal Divine Path." The elders comprehended the method from the Heaven and Earth Laws and passed it down.

Among the four Da Luo, Goddess Taiyuan's method for Postnatal Deities required her personal involvement. Li Fan told her to use the "Investiture of the Gods" to confer Postnatal Deities while she was out fighting Chaos Demon Gods.

Li Fan was doomed to a life of hard labor. He still had to go to the Primordial World to set up teleportation arrays, sending Postnatal Deities to build up the starry sky.

Taiyuan and Li Fan parted ways upon arriving in the Primordial World. In this era, without the Heavenly Court's guiding light, traveling between Heaven and Earth below the Da Luo realm took eons. Teleportation arrays could cut down the deities' travel time.

Building a teleportation array was a complex process, involving Space Law, energy transmission, and stability control.

Li Fan's comprehension of Space Law was deep enough. He spent one hundred thousand years establishing the Nine Giant Teleportation Arrays—one in the territories of the Three Emperors and the Five Divine Beast Clans, and the last one in Goddess Taiyuan's territory.

Outside the teleportation arrays, Li Fan issued a Great Luo Warning: any deity who dared to destroy them would die.

Li Fan arrived at Goddess Taiyuan's territory. Taiyuan said, "I've already enfeoffed quite a few deities, but they're all too weak."

"Take it slow. We'll wait for the flowers to bloom and the fruit to ripen."

"Taiyuan, here's some Dao Comprehension Divine Tea and an Innate Spirit Fruit Huangzhong Plum for you. Let me brew the tea. We'll sip it together and wait for a Postnatal Deity of the Venerable God Realm to be born."

Goddess Taiyuan drank the tea brewed with Three Lights Divine Water and entered a state of Dao comprehension. A hundred years later, Taiyuan opened her bright eyes.

"This tea has granted me much insight. I'm not far from the Grand Unity Tenth Heaven."

The Untainted Land keeps no record of years. Li Fan stayed in Taiyuan's territory, chatting and discussing the Dao with her. Li Fan's Law of World grew even stronger.

Goddess Taiyuan went into seclusion to break through. Li Fan protected her path. The goddess successfully broke through to the Grand Unity Tenth Heaven, making Taiyuan a standout among Grand Unity cultivators.