The appearance of Head-Bumpers-Bring-Warmth was a brief interlude, soon forgotten.
The conversation with Xue Ding returned to the Immortal Marks.
How could one touch an Immortal Mark?
Xue Ding explained the key in just a few sentences.
It lay in the spiritual treasures formed from divine incense.
Three strands formed incense, nine formed a censer, and twenty-seven gave birth to a Divine Altar.
Incense, censers, and Divine Altars were all objects used to honor Heaven and worship the gods, and each carried extraordinary significance.
When driven by spiritual power, these treasures would touch the undying Immortal Marks between Heaven and Earth. Following the principle that like attracted like, one's cultivation method and the true qi one cultivated would draw in things of the same kind more strongly.
Of course, among incense, censers, and Divine Altars, the Divine Altar was the most likely to win the favor of a powerful Immortal Mark and draw it down.
The delicious buns were gone in a flash.
Xue Ding rose and bid Yuan Tianzong farewell.
He didn't ask Yuan Tianzong how many strands of divine incense he had obtained or what kind of treasure he had formed. Instead, after finishing his explanation of the Immortal Marks, he left of his own accord, giving Yuan Tianzong some time to himself.
Just like the prodigies and old monsters in many sects—and even Xue Ding himself—no one wanted outsiders present when they drew down an Immortal Mark and learned what they had received.
Cultivators needed to maintain a certain distance from one another. Unless they were a beloved family member or close friend, even the slightest intrusion from someone else would provoke resentment.
After all, cultivation methods—especially special ones—could make all the difference at crucial moments. Who would want outsiders to learn about them ahead of time and be ready for them?
Xue Ding knew Yuan Tianzong had a good impression of him. The chance to talk with Yuan Tianzong and become his "cook" was a precious opportunity Yuan Tianzong had given him. He absolutely couldn't ruin their relationship himself.
After Xue Ding left, Yuan Tianzong gave Bone an instruction.
"Go stand guard outside. I have something to do, and I don't want to be disturbed."
"Tap, tap!" Bone nodded. The refined python-skull gaped open like a frightening black hole, expressing that Yuan Tianzong could rest easy—Bone was strong now.
Yuan Tianzong nodded. After refining the bones of several powerful Molting Beasts, Bone's strength had indeed improved considerably. Ordinary beings were no match for him; one blow would knock them down.
Once Bone had left, Yuan Tianzong brushed at his clothes, sat cross-legged, and closed his eyes to meditate.
Immortal Marks. Let's give it a try.
He turned his attention inward. In the silent realm, as dark as the depths of space, four Divine Altars stood quietly.
As Yuan Tianzong poured his spiritual power into the four Divine Altars, wisps of green smoke drifted upward and vanished from the spiritual realm.
Outside, divine light shimmered between Yuan Tianzong's brows. Strands of invisible incense rose straight into the sky and dispersed into the world.
At the same time, the battles for divine incense in various places had ended. Any living being who had formed a treasure from divine incense and could touch an Immortal Mark began the process in a safe place.
Deep in a mountain range somewhere, nine peaks stood around a valley, each guarded by a powerful being. They were protecting the old monster meditating in the valley as he reached for an Immortal Mark.
When divine incense had appeared, this sect had dispatched a large number of disciples to search for it for the old man. Later, the sect's experts had joined forces to suppress the spiritual backlash. At last, he had withstood the impact of twenty-seven strands of divine incense and formed a Divine Altar. The entire sect was overjoyed!
Heaven and Earth fell silent.
On the ground around the old man, a withered leaf suddenly stirred, flipping and shifting.
A moment later, the leaf shot into the sky, joining countless others as they swept upward.
Wind—a fierce wind!
The guardians sensed something and looked up. Their eyes shone as they suppressed their excitement, not daring to make a sound.
In the void, a transparent lotus appeared, turning slowly. Its aura was mysterious.
A Dao Lotus!
Lotuses appeared frequently in Daoist Sect texts. To a certain extent, they represented the Daoist Sect's supreme heights.
Awakening, Lotus Lamp, Dan Heart, Soul Fusion, Dao Palace, Primordial Fetus, and Ascension.
Throughout the Seven Realms of the Divine Path, the lotus was always present. Its status was plain to see.
According to the texts, only experts in the Primordial Fetus Realm could form a Dao Lotus. It symbolized one's cultivation, standing, and even the degree to which one had merged with the Dao of Heaven and Earth.
If the Dao Lotus belonged merely to a being in the Primordial Fetus Realm, it couldn't be immortal. It must be a mythical treasure refined using a Dao Lotus as its foundation!
The old man was overwhelmed with excitement, tears streaming down his face.
The Dao Lotus before him wasn't a physical object but an Immortal Mark. Yet with it, he might be able to reach the Primordial Fetus Realm despite his lack of talent, and become a sect leader!
"Hahaha! Our sect's rise is just around the corner!"
"Congratulations, Senior Brother! Our sect's rise is just around the corner!"
"Congratulations, Senior Brother! Our sect's rise is just around the corner!"
The battle for divine incense had been fierce.
Even with the backing of a powerful faction and enough divine incense, not everyone could suppress the spiritual backlash and withstand its impact.
Few people across China had managed to form a Divine Altar.
Online discussions were heated.
Based on what they had seen during the battles, people everywhere speculated about who might have formed a Divine Altar.
"Those who have a Divine Altar formed from divine incense can reach for even more powerful Immortal Marks. Their futures are bright. I'm so jealous~"
"My cousin has a reliable source. A young prodigy reached for an Immortal Mark and obtained a damaged artifact spirit. His weapon immediately gained sentience and became unstoppable!"
"Incense? A Divine Altar? That's nothing! An ancestor of some sect reached for a Dao Lotus. His fortune is astonishing!"
"Bull Demon King—I heard he got quite a lot of divine incense and may have formed a Divine Altar too. I wonder what kind of Immortal Mark he'll reach."
"He acted so arrogantly during the battle for divine incense, and clashed with the Great Sects on Mount Tai. He has plenty of enemies, so he must be hiding somewhere to reach for an Immortal Mark. Otherwise, someone would surely disturb him."
"Divine incense, Immortal Marks—it's such a chaotic yet dazzling age. Some people have surpassed everyone else from the very beginning. Who knows what the future holds!"
Wangwu Mountain, Celestial Master Temple.
With the help of their fellow disciples, both Xue Ding and the Sect Leader Celestial Master had obtained divine incense and formed incense, qualifying them to reach for an Immortal Mark.
The Sect Leader Celestial Master began first. A mysterious Daoist talisman drifted into the void before him, illusory and formless. Its intricate markings made the void tremble before it vanished between his brows.
After successfully obtaining an Immortal treasure, the Sect Leader Celestial Master rose, but showed little joy.
He had only formed incense. Compared with those who had formed a Divine Altar, he was far behind.
"Disciple, don't lose heart. Perhaps you'll obtain a better Immortal Mark."
Xue Ding nodded and began reaching for an Immortal Mark.
The information that had emerged showed that an Immortal Mark's power depended not only on whether one had formed incense, a censer, or a Divine Altar, but also on one's personal fortune.
Silence. Still more silence.
Xue Ding had been sitting for over half a quarter of an hour, but no Immortal Mark had appeared.
An elder frowned. "Could it be that he can't reach an Immortal Mark?"
Such cases weren't unheard of.
"How could that be? Nephew Xue Ding is exceptionally talented. How could he fail to reach an Immortal Mark?" another elder immediately interrupted, cutting off such demoralizing talk.
The Sect Leader Celestial Master was steady by nature. Neither prideful nor impatient, he watched quietly.
At last, a strange aura appeared.
At that moment, the Sect Leader Celestial Master stepped forward abruptly, his pupils trembling with shock. He waved a hand and shouted, "Seal off every entrance! No disciple is to come near!"
"Yes!"
The elders hurried away, just as shocked and incredulous.
At the source of the strange aura, black light blossomed in the void. An extreme, evil killing intent poured out, making even the Sect Leader Celestial Master's body tremble.
It was an object of utmost evil!
How could his own righteous and upright beloved disciple have reached for such an Immortal Mark?
Could there have been a mistake?
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