Divine and Malevolent Card Maker: Hundred Ghosts Night Parade at the Start - Section 4

2. If there are, how should the materials be combined to precisely target the Door Gods?

Regarding the first question, as a researcher of folk mythology, Lin Chen believes that gods from different cultures and worlds share certain commonalities, stemming from unified icon worship throughout human development.

Just as Chinese and Western cultural legends are vastly different, they both feature similar divine roles, such as sky gods, sun gods, fire gods, household gods, and so on, including Door Gods.

The origin and belief in Door Gods reflect humanity's need for and longing for safety and protection, a common thread across all cultural mythological systems.

For instance, in ancient Greek culture, the Door God was called Janus, depicted with two faces looking forward and backward, symbolizing closing and opening doors.

In Indian Buddhism, the Door God is Vajrapani, also a Yaksa, typically with a ferocious appearance, wielding a vajra, and guarding the heavenly gods. They are usually placed on either side of temple entrances.

Within Eastern mythological systems, the prominent figures for Door Gods are Shen Tu, Yu Lei, Zhong Kui, Qin Qiong, and Yuchi Gong, with Qin Qiong and Yuchi Gong being the most widely recognized.

From this universality of divine culture, Lin Chen boldly inferred that this world would very likely also develop deities of the Door God type.

Combining the common characteristics of Door Gods from various mythological systems:

1. Related to doors. 2. Possessing the function and symbolism of protection and guarding. 3. Almost always appearing in pairs.

Based on this, Lin Chen deduced the summoning formula for the [Door God] card: [Guardian] + [Pair] + [Door] + [God].

Currently available card materials: [Guardian] (White), [Incense Ash from the City God Shrine] (Green), [Incense and Candles Infused with Spirituality] (White).

The [Guardian] entity is already present. The [Incense Ash] carries the attribute and symbolism of [Deity], but materials symbolizing [Door] and [Pair] are still missing.

He needed to search quickly for any materials in the temple that he might have missed and that possessed these two attributes. He couldn't possibly tear down the temple door itself!

Lin Chen scanned the temple interior again and suddenly noticed a pair of couplets hanging at the entrance of the inner hall.

A pair! Couplets!

A pair symbolized [Pair]; couplets also had a symbolic connection to [Door].

The crucial materials were found!

Lin Chen immediately took down the pair of couplets, their inscriptions illegible.

He began crafting the card!

Zhong Yue Ming had previously given a brief explanation of the card crafting process.

Card crafting steps: Material insertion, spirit condensation, card spirit visualization, and depiction.

He inserted the materials into the main card, [Guardian]. The card possessed a spirit absorption function and would automatically absorb relevant materials.

The card back had spiritual energy patterns. He visualized the image of the card spirit in his mind and then used the spirit-touching brush to engrave the card spirit's symbolic image on the card back, requiring continuous concentration of mental spiritual energy throughout the process.

Shaping with spirit, forming the card.

The step of [Visualizing] the card spirit was also crucial. The more accurately the mental [visualization] matched the card spirit's image or symbolism, the higher the success rate of spirit summoning and card crafting!

This reminded Lin Chen of a cultivation method in Esoteric Buddhism called "visualizing the tutelary deity."

Practitioners would choose a Buddha statue and imagine it in their minds. Through continuous internal visualization, they could draw closer to the Buddha, understand the Buddha better, and thus gain spiritual power.

This was very similar to the [visualization] step in card crafting!

However, before [visualizing], Lin Chen hesitated.

If he directly visualized the image of Qin Qiong/Yuchi Gong from his past life, would the card spirit in this world of gods and demons acknowledge it?

It would be like holding someone else's photo and calling out to the Door Gods, "Bro, is this you?"

Then he thought again, while the divine authority and abilities of a deity are fixed, their image is not necessarily so.

Many deities have various forms and manifestations. One shouldn't judge deities based on a human's perspective; perhaps they don't care about looks!

Moreover, at this point, there was nothing left to hesitate about. It was a gamble!

Lin Chen cast one last glance at the dilapidated City God statue and suddenly remembered that he still had the [Incense and Candles Infused with Spirituality] material.

At this critical juncture, he decided to make the most of it. Since he was going to summon a spirit, he might as well light the incense for the City God statue, considering it a prayer for his own good fortune.

The incense and candles were lit, and spirituality permeated the air.

He bowed piously three times: "Lord City God, please grant me good luck!"

Lin Chen closed his eyes, silently reciting tales related to Door Gods, and began to visualize.

From "Records of Divine Immortals Through the Ages," Volume 13:

"The Emperor (Emperor Taizong of Tang) fell ill and was restless in his dreams, as if malevolent spirits were near his sleeping quarters. He ordered Qin Qiong and Yuchi Gong to stand guard, and the spirits no longer dared to approach. The Emperor, mindful of their service, ordered their likenesses, clad in armor and holding halberds, to be hung on the palace gates, thereby dispelling the malevolent spirits. Later generations followed this practice, and they became eternally known as Door Gods."

The spirit-touching brush seemed to recognize his intent, moving with his thoughts and simultaneously drawing upon Lin Chen's mental spiritual energy.

In this City God temple, desolate for a century, something long dormant seemed to be awakened and bestowed upon Lin Chen.

As if sensing the danger, the [Blood-Red Wedding Sedan Ghost], which had been waiting outside the temple, began to move!

The large red sedan chair slammed into the already battered walls of the City God temple!

Blood splattered, and malevolent energy surged.

The walls of the City God temple finally gave way, creating an opening.

A deathly pale hand reached out from the sedan curtain and rested on the broken wall.

The author brings the [Blood-Red Wedding Sedan Ghost] to beg for votes and continued reading!

This is very important for the book's future recommendations and exposure!

The [Blood-Red Wedding Sedan Ghost] extended its small, deathly pale hand and rested on your monthly ticket button.

Chapter 5: Card Creation Successful! Summoning Door Gods Qin Qiong and Yuchi Gong

The [Blood-Red Wedding Sedan Ghost]'s hand rested on the damaged wall of the City God Temple, and blood energy and malevolent energy poured into the gap like a torrent.

The sense of security and the calming effect that had originally permeated the City God Temple were completely swept away!

Zhong Yueming's pressure increased dramatically, his sanity meter flashing a warning again as he stared intently at the boneless, unnervingly white hand.

In the next second, the hand didn't move, but the [Ghost Yaksa], which had been smashing the wall for a long time, did.

The [Ghost Yaksa] shot into the temple like a streak of dark light, heading straight for Zhong Yueming.

If his human body were to be hit, he would undoubtedly be crushed to dust!

The DS-R1 immediately activated its [Guardian] trait, stepping in front of Zhong Yueming and colliding fiercely with the [Ghost Yaksa].

The DS-R1 couldn't withstand such a massive impact either. It was thrown backward repeatedly, mechanical fragments flying off its body, but it still held onto the [Ghost Yaksa] tightly.

Without needing any command from Zhong Yueming, the [DS-R1 Mechanical Guardian] tightly embraced the [Ghost Yaksa] and began releasing an electromagnetic pulse.

At such close range, the interlacing electromagnetic currents formed an arc-flashing force field.

The [Ghost Yaksa] fell to the ground, its body pierced by arcs of electricity, emitting a burnt, foul odor and radiating black ghost energy.

The DS-R1 also trembled, unable to rise again: "Warning! Right leg component damaged, core unit impacted, mobility significantly reduced, warning!"

The two halves of the [Falling Ghost]'s body squeezed through the gap in the wall, and the swollen, rotten skin of the [Drowned Ghost] oozed in like a puddle of mud...

The sanctuary was breached!

The guardian card fell!

The ghosts closed in!

Lin Chen, on the other side, was completely focused and could not be disturbed.

Zhong Yueming gave a bitter smile, "Is this where it ends?"

But since he had promised to defend this line for Lin Chen, he had never considered running away to save his own life, and besides, there was nowhere to run.

As a Green-tier intelligent mechanical card, the [DS-R1 Mechanical Guardian] was equipped with a hidden [Self-Destruct Module] (which is why it wasn't displayed on the card information interface initially).

It seemed it was time to activate it as a last resort!

The [Skeleton Monk] also entered the temple at this moment. Zhong Yueming suddenly felt a strange urge, and couldn't help but look at the [Skeleton Monk].

The skeletal monk was pulling aside its kasaya, revealing the forbidden scripture within its chest cavity.

The bizarre, chaotic, and obscure characters on the scripture burned into Zhong Yueming's eyes like red-hot irons.

He felt a dizziness akin to looking directly at the sun, a confusion and delusion that made him completely forget about detonating the DS-R1.

Taking advantage of this moment, the [Blood-Red Wedding Sedan Ghost]'s hand began to move.

Extending from the sedan curtain, it kept extending, completely exceeding the length of a normal human arm, reaching directly for Zhong Yueming's chest.

The fallen [DS-R1 Mechanical Guardian] suddenly began broadcasting:

"[Unregistered Divine System detected! Warning! Current card creation formula involves...&#*...

Signal interfered by unknown entity...&@...]"

It was at this precise moment that Lin Chen made the final stroke!

The instant he completed his final [Visualization] in his sea of consciousness, he saw a being open its eyes from a distant, unknown place. It seemed to traverse infinite time and space, making eye contact with him.

Then came a tearing pain in his mind, draining Lin Chen's mental energy.

The entire world erupted in strange phenomena!

The brushstroke stirred the wind and rain, the card's creation made ghosts and gods weep!

All the ghost monsters present flinched and shrank back from the shockwave.

Zhong Yueming, too, was jolted out of his deadly state of confusion and delusion, regaining consciousness once more.

When both of them and the surrounding ghosts came to their senses, they discovered that two imposing figures had appeared in the temple without them knowing when.

Two formidable Eastern generals, clad in ornate armor and wearing golden helmets, stood facing each other.

The general on the right had a jade-like complexion and held twin maces; the general on the left had a dark face with a full beard and wielded a steel whip.

One had phoenix eyes gazing skyward, his twin maces striking down the Tang dynasty's white general; the other's angry eyes widened in fury, terrifying ghosts and spirits, his single whip protecting his lord, a black, malevolent god.

Indeed:

Their merits are recorded in the Lingyan Pavilion, their might forever guards the Tang dynasty's banners. For a thousand years, they are hailed as heroes in the world, and for eternity, they are revered as Door Gods by the common folk!