A Precedent for the Human Path!

At this moment, the statue had changed its appearance; its surface, carved from ordinary stone, was cracked everywhere, and a dark red light flowed through the cracks.

After the fire giant dissipated, it split into streams of fire that merged into the crack.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

While many tribespeople were bewildered, a series of sounds suddenly emanated from the statue, and dark red sparks surged from the cracks, expanding and enveloping the entire statue.

In an instant, flames engulfed the statue, the fire raged, and the statue seemed to rise several feet higher out of thin air!

This sudden turn of events brought the Lianxi people around to their senses. Recalling what had just happened, they were filled with lingering fear and immediately knelt down and kowtowed before the statue.

Just now, a giant rock fell from the sky, and the broken stones rained down. Flames were released from the statue, forming a barrier that saved the people. Then, the wind intensified the fire, the flames surged, and the heat wave was overwhelming. The people protected in the barrier were inevitably panicked, but in the end, the rolling heat wave transformed the barrier into a giant of fire, enveloping everyone inside without causing them any harm!

From initial despair, through the exhilarating battle Heavenly Gods, to being saved at this moment, although it wasn't a series of twists and turns, the contrast before and after was enormous, making the Lianxi people especially aware of the dangers of heaven and earth and the preciousness of life.

Among these people, some had only come to join Qiu Yan after he left the Remnant Shedding Grounds. They had never seen the deity in person and had only followed others in worship. But now, having experienced life and death, they finally understood the power of the deity and became believers.

Soon, led by the trembling clan elder, the Lianxi people, whose shock had subsided, held another prayer ceremony amidst the ruins, bowing their heads devoutly.

Leading the group was the clan chief, Shao Jing, whose face was solemn and whose eyes flickered, as if he were deep in thought.

At the end of the ceremony, the clan chief came out and lit the brazier.

The custom of lighting fire pits is a recent development, signifying the acquisition of Fire Seed as a seed of life. It symbolizes the divine power of the gods and also represents the existence and continuation of the tribe.

Shao Jing held the brazier high above his head, stood before the statue, focused his mind, took a deep breath, and finally made up his mind before speaking—

"Please, Heavenly Gods, bestow upon us Divine Ability powers to protect our people and strengthen our tribe!"

His voice was loud and clear, but as soon as he spoke, the surroundings fell silent!

The elder's eyes widened suddenly as he looked at Shao Jing with a look of anxiety. He then took two quick steps, raised his cane, and smashed it down on Shao Jing's head!

Buzz!

Shao Jing didn't flinch, taking the blow head-on. His head was instantly torn open, blood gushing out, but he didn't even blink, staring intently at the statue, waiting for a reply.

The other members of the tribe also had various expressions upon witnessing this scene.

Some knew that this last sentence would disrupt the rhythm of the ceremony and even offend the Heavenly Gods, so they panicked; others, having experienced the previous calamities, shared the same thoughts as Shao Jing, and upon hearing it, their hearts tightened, and they listened intently.

These images were captured by the Divine Sense emanating from the statue and transmitted to Qiu Yan's heart.

"Divine Ability powers..."

As Qiu Yan pondered the word, a thought struck her.

He was able to descend to the Land of the Divine Remains because he obtained a Fire Seed, which allowed him to overcome obstacles and absorb the incense offerings Votive Thoughts of the Lianxi Tribe. The believers of the Lianxi Tribe were connected with the deity, which enabled his Will Descent.

The Lianxi Tribe is located in the Land of the Divine Remains, which is somewhat isolated, and the gods' attention cannot always be on their side. This time, the tribe was in danger, facing life and death in an instant, and the entire tribe's thoughts were united as one, making them exceptionally strong, which is why Qiu Yan had this sudden urge. However, now that his consciousness is attached to the statue of the god, and through the connection of the Domain of Law, he naturally learned about the recent experiences of the Lianxi Tribe.

The expansion of the tribe inevitably led to war. In battles with other tribes, Shao Jing took the lead and conquered several tribes in succession.

Some of these tribes originally had Heavenly Gods overseeing them, but due to various reasons, they lost their pillars. However, the people in the tribes knew more or less about the secrets of the Heavenly Gods. Although they only knew bits and pieces, they added up over time. Shao Jing also gained an understanding of the Heavenly Gods and knew that some Heavenly Gods were not born with Natural-born God, but cultivated them Postnatal Realm. Therefore, he had some ideas.

Today, having survived the ordeal, the seed has finally taken root and sprouted, yearning to break through the soil, which is why these words were uttered during the prayer ceremony.

For Qiu Yan, Shao Jing's plea was within his expectations.

"To cultivate, one must either follow the path of spiritual cultivation or the path of life cultivation. Spiritual cultivation cultivates the soul, requiring the gathering of inner and outer thoughts, and in the early stages, it involves absorbing the emotions scattered in the dreams of others. However, this path is impassable in this land of remains. As for life cultivation, it is possible to temper the muscles and bones in the early stages, but in the end, one must absorb spiritual energy to strengthen oneself and condense true energy. The spiritual energy in this land of remains is extremely thin, making it difficult to go far. However, precisely because these factors are absent and there is no interference, certain things can be highlighted..."

With these thoughts in mind, Qiu Yan gradually made a decision: to spread the little bit of knowledge he had recently gained, starting with the Lianxi Tribe and Shao Jing.

At this thought, Qiu Yan activated his mind, and the statue immediately reacted; the flames within the crack flickered, emanating a vast and powerful intent—

"Cultivation is arduous, and the future is uncertain. Without sincerity, how can one attain it?"

Upon hearing this, Shao Jing's face lit up with joy, and his tense nerves relaxed.

His attempt to seek the Dharma was suspected of offending the gods, and he was therefore beaten with a stick by the clan elders.

He also knew that this move might backfire, incur the wrath of the gods, and consequently implicate the tribe. However, having experienced the previous calamities, Shao Jing understood that blindly seeking divine intervention without any martial prowess was not a sustainable solution.

For the sake of the tribe, they had no choice but to take the risk.

The Heavenly Gods responded, which pleased those in the Lianxi Tribe who shared similar thoughts, and the others also breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that the Heavenly Gods had not harmed the tribe because of this.

Upon seeing this, the elder shook his head, glanced at Shao Jing, and a complex expression appeared in his eyes.

However, as soon as the thought was uttered, the statue remained motionless, and no matter how much Shao Jing and the others prayed, there was no response.

"Could it be that the Heavenly Gods have departed and no longer care about us?" Shao Jing felt a chill in his heart.

At this moment, the elder came over and sighed, "The Heavenly Gods have already issued Divine Oracle. If you wish to seek the Great Dao, how can you be impatient? You must be sincere." After saying this, he was helped away and led the anxious tribesmen to rebuild the tribe's settlement.

After enduring the eruption of Earthfire, the undulation of boulders and the ground, and the howling winds, the houses, cellars, and several plots of farmland cultivated by the Lianxi Tribe were all destroyed. It will take a lot of effort to rebuild. However, the tribe is still alive, and as long as people are alive, everything can be rebuilt.

Seeing this, many clansmen relaxed their brows. In their view, the clan elder was the one who had recently been connected with the Heavenly Gods, and since he behaved normally, he should not have offended the Heavenly Gods. So they put aside their worries and devoted themselves to the reconstruction.

Before the statue, Shao Jing seemed to be deep in thought after listening to the elder's words. He stopped pleading and knelt silently. Soon, twelve more people came out and knelt behind him.

These people knelt before the statue of the god, motionless, like twelve stone statues.

Qiu Yan's Divine Sense remained focused on this place.

"Inspired by the Lying God Inner Art, I have some ideas, though they are not yet fully developed. But they are a start, and I can pass them on to the Lianxi Tribe. However, in ancient times, the transmission of the Way and the Dharma has never been given away easily. If they ask for it and immediately receive it, it will not be beneficial in the future. They will gain power but have no sense of awe, which is a disaster rather than a blessing. The Human Path in this world is not yet perfect. Every action is pioneering and cannot be taken lightly, otherwise it may have a poisonous influence for ten thousand years."

With that thought in mind, Qiu Yan's Divine Sense shifted and burrowed into the earth.

Imprisoned underground were two people: Elder Shi Feng Zhongzi.

The two cultivators were pale-faced, their expressions contorted, their eyes wide open, silent and focused. Each of them had a Tightening Bands around their head, flesh and blood still attached.

Their skin and flesh, scalded by the Earthfire, have mostly healed, but considerable scars remain, leaving their bodies covered in crisscrossing marks that are a horrifying sight.

"These are merely punishments. Those who harm my believers will not be let off easily. They will serve as guards here for fifty years. After fifty years, I will set them free!"

After leaving a thought in the minds of the two, Qiu Yan's Divine Sense dissipated.

"You thief, don't run away!"

Sensing this Divine Sense, Elder Shi Feng Zhongzi struggled and roared, but after only uttering one sentence, they screamed in agony, their heads throbbing with pain, unable to even think, their flesh convulsing, almost losing their minds.

These two Tightening Bands are a kind of enslavement method, using flesh and blood and thoughts as a guide to control the soul. Qiu Yan found them in Tang Lai's memories and integrated them with Earthfire, making them a deadly threat to cultivators.

In truth, Qiu Yan's ability to ignite the Earthfire remotely was not due to the power of the Domain of Law, nor was it fueled by incense People's Wishes; rather, it was thanks to a Fire Seed he obtained from the Tenth Sun.

The Fire Seed can be used to control the fierce Earthfire, but this is limited to the area around the statue. Outside this area, it is beyond reach. Therefore, other assistance is needed to protect the Lianxi Tribe.

In this Order Land of the Divine Remains, a tribe without the protection of "Heavenly Gods" is ultimately a tree without roots. The two cultivators, Elder Shi Feng Zhongzi, along with the Poisonous Poison Insect God, are the "Heavenly Gods" that Qiu Yan arranged for the Lianxi Tribe.

Above the Stove Mountain, the true deity gathers the mind and spirit.

"That Poison Insect God entered this Land of the Divine Remains with the Black Marsh Patriarch that day. He also helped Shi Jianhui when he made his move. I didn't expect him to stay here. It seems he has developed further. This crisis of the Lianxi Tribe can be said to have been caused by him. However, even without this god, it would have happened sooner or later. But this time, we obtained information about the Five Marshes from him."

He raised his hand, and a small ball of light appeared, within which memories flowed.

With a gentle touch, the ball of light dissipated, and the information within entered the mind of the true being.

"Oh? I see. The Black Marsh Patriarch is only one of the Five Marshes. There are four other swamps, and besides that, this Marshlands is also filled with ancestral spirits. Hmm, Buddhism, the other four swamps, ancestral spirits, and me included, it's a battleground of four sides. However, there is one side that can be won over. If the plan succeeds, it can save decades of effort and might even allow me to directly break through to the Fourth Grade..."

Thinking of this, the deity himself twitched his brow slightly.

"Huh? Someone's monitoring the scholar's clone! Good heavens! Who is this person! Such a rich Literary Thought Aura, with yin and yang within it, cycling endlessly!" (To be continued)

ps: Thank you to "Wind Blowing Yangliuqing", Yokokawa, and "x-laws" for your monthly votes!

Thank you to "Legendary Evil Man", "Good Nickname", and "Volcano1889" for the donations.