When Believers Ask, Gods Must Answer

"High Antiquity gods? Remains?" Qiu Yan's true form also switched to telepathy, but his thoughts were filled with doubt. "What are High Antiquity gods? What does this 'remains' mean? As far as I know, gods and deities are half spiritual and half real. If they are annihilated, they will not leave much trace, and they will vanish into thin air as the People's Wishes disperse. So how can there be any talk of 'remains'?"

The term "remains" literally means the physical body left behind after death. However, the divine is mysterious, existing between energy and matter, and is unpredictable. If it were to perish, it would be like the East City Land God, where the True Spirit ceases to exist and completely dissipates. How could it possibly leave behind remains?

Yin Xiao'e replied telepathically, "The High Antiquity gods seem to be different from those of today. There are many mysteries within them that I cannot fully understand. Moreover, the Ancient God's Remains are only speculation. However, the information is quite reliable. The remains of the Ancient Gods may be different from what we think."

"Then how do you know that this remains can help you break free from the Heavenly Court's constraints?" Qiu Yan asked telepathically, having already guessed Yin Xiao'e's plan.

Yin Xiao'e said, "There are some reasons for this, and it's a long story. It's also related to my father, the commander. If you want to know, I will tell you in detail. However, that ruin is not a top secret, and it is not easy to get in. You need the help of Heaven-Born Deity."

"Your father? The Prince Yin!"

Upon hearing this, Qiu Yan's heart stirred. Now that he knew Yin Xiao'e's identity and background, he naturally knew who the "Father Commander" she mentioned was.

Yin Xiao'e's father was a king of a different surname from the previous dynasty. He was invincible and was once appointed as the Grand Marshal of the Army. His martial arts were outstanding. Even today, there are still many temples dedicated to Prince Yin.

After a moment's thought, Qiu Yan nodded. "That's right. Back then, the Marshfolk submitted to the previous dynasty, presented a memorial and were granted titles, but not long after, Swamp General Nong Di led troops in rebellion. The Prince Yin was then ordered to quell the rebellion, and thus came to the Shu Region, even venturing deep into the Five Marshes. Could it be that it was at that time that the site of the Ancient God's Remains was discovered?"

The historical records about the Prince Yin are very detailed, because after the establishment of the Great Rui, the Prince Yin's loyalty to the country was highly praised, and Scholar Forest and Confucian Way also gave him much praise.

Thinking about all this, Qiu Yan recalled the words of the Circuit City God and asked telepathically, "Your father is highly respected by the court and enjoys great popularity among the people. He should be considered a local deity. Why then Circuit City God's words earlier imply disrespect?"

"What happened to my father..." Yin Xiao'e shook her head. "It's better not to talk about it. You were Heaven-Born Deity, so you shouldn't encounter anything like that."

Seeing that the other party was unwilling to elaborate, Qiu Yan wisely stopped pressing the matter and changed the subject, saying, "You previously said that you had a way to place me above that Circuit City God, could it be through this Ancient God's Remains?"

"That's right," Yin Xiao'e nodded. "My original intention was simply for you to help me open the ruins, but judging from your actions and progress over the past two years, you're not someone who's content with mediocrity. In that case, why not come in with me? If you want to gain something, you have to take the risks. However, there's something I need to make clear beforehand: these ruins aren't hidden; they've been opened several times before."

Qiu Yan was not surprised by Yin Xiao'e's knowledge of the main body's progress. The main body's Fortune was connected to the Divine Office, so the changes in progress could not be hidden from the other party. As for the fact that the ruins had been opened in the past, it did not surprise him either. Since it was a ruin, it had an unknown history of how many years. In such a long period of time, it was normal for people to discover it and explore it. Otherwise, Yin Xiao'e would not have been able to get the news.

After pondering for a moment, Qiu Yan himself said, "In that case, I will Metropolitan City God to take this opportunity. This is a rare chance."

Upon hearing this, Yin Xiao'e didn't mince words and replied directly, "Okay! Then you should make some preparations in advance."

"What preparations?"

Yin Xiao'e pointed to the two demons beside her and said, "Right now there is still the threat from the Upper Spirit Sect, but you have now advanced to the Fifth Grade, which is very different from before. The path to Divine Path is much wider, so you can put your worries aside for the time being. As for Qiu Yan, there is no need to worry. He is currently taking the imperial Imperial Examinations, so we can ensure his safety for the time being. If you can gain something in the Ancient God Remains Site, you can protect him. Otherwise, thinking too much is futile. You can only rely on the Dragon Court in the mortal realm for temporary protection."

Yin Xiao'e seemed to value the scholar's clone highly. After finishing her sentence, she added, "Qiu Yan's talent is extraordinary, and he may become a great help in the future, but we can't count on him for now. You'd better focus your attention on your Divine Path Divine Office."

As she spoke, a sudden ripple emanated from her body.

Qiu Yan immediately sensed a hint of People's Wishes in it.

Then, Yin Xiao'e raised her hand and grabbed a ball of People's Wishes. With a flick of her finger, she sent the ball of People's Wishes flying toward Qiu Yan, who caught it in his hand.

A surge of sensation coursed through him, and Qiu Yan immediately sensed a desire for a full and delicious meal.

"Is that you?" He looked up at Yin Xiao'e.

"Your divine power has accumulated too rapidly, making it difficult to grasp many subtle aspects. Take these people's Votive Thoughts, for example. Although they can be transformed into Incense Faith, there are differences between the different wishes. Some pray for blessings, some for children, some like a hearty meal, and some wish for a peaceful life. They are all different, and the Divine Office involved are also different, thus involving different deities."

Yin Xiao'e's words sparked a Spiritual Light in Qiu Yan's mind. "Is she trying to guide people to the Divine Path?"

As expected, Yin Xiao'e's next words confirmed Qiu Yan's guess.

"The people are the masters of the gods. This doesn't just mean that people's Votive Thoughts can lead to someone being deified after death. It also means that the existence of gods depends on the incense offerings of the people. The kind of believers a person has determines the kind of gods they have."

A sharp glint appeared in the eyes of Yin Xiao'e's metal mask as she stared directly at the real person.

"A deity should understand his believers; when believers offer incense to the deity, the deity must respond."

As she spoke, the fluctuations emanating from her body grew more intense, and a faint divine power flowed against the flow of the People's Wishes.

"At the Seventh Grade and Sixth Grade, deities can only focus on themselves. But now that you've reached the Fifth Grade, you can attach your divine power to other things, giving you the ability to give back to believers. Bestowing blessings, giving back, and manifesting miracles, although they consume some divine power, will strengthen believers' resolve to worship the gods and expand their influence. This is more effective than simply spreading the Divine Name in dreams. As the number of believers increases in the future, the amount of incense offerings received will also increase, forming a cycle Mortal Realm, yin and yang, which is the way to longevity."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Yan suddenly understood and nodded, saying, "So that's how it is. After collecting the incense offerings, the consciousness of the deities and believers became subtly connected. There was actually this purpose behind it. But if they want to give back to the believers, they must do so within the scope of their Divine Office. Wouldn't it be difficult to respond to requests that exceed their Divine Office?"

He recalled the gratitude he had gathered from the disaster victims two years ago. As time passed, their conversations gradually became blurred, and the connection was about to be severed.