The Deity in the Heart and the Deity in the Body

"Charge them?"

The Seven-Colored Divine Spirit was slightly taken aback, his brows furrowing even more deeply, but he asked again, "I wonder, fellow Daoist, how did you know the whereabouts of the Jiannan Circuit City God? You said he has already returned to the Underworld, do you have any proof?"

She couldn't help but wonder. After several encounters and extensive investigations, she had gained some understanding of Qiu Yan's background. She knew that he was a Heaven-Born Deity, but he had not been born for long, had limited knowledge of the Divine Path, and had not yet developed any divine arrangements. He had not even fully established the tradition of worship by believers.

Such a deity, who needs to be taught Divine Path knowledge by himself, yet he spoke with absolute certainty that the Circuit City God had returned, naturally aroused the suspicion of the Seven-Colored Divine Spirit, who then doubted the source of the other party's information.

"Whether it's true or false, it's not hard to verify if you're willing to investigate," Qiu Yan didn't explain further. The Heart Demon Body was a fundamental secret of his, and he wouldn't tell just anyone, especially since he had no close relationship with this Seven-Colored Divine Spirit. "However, if you accumulate strength and remain on guard at all times, you'll undoubtedly expend too much energy and become passive. There's no such thing as being a thief for a thousand days and guarding against a thief for a thousand days. Rather than waiting passively, it's better to strike decisively when the opponent is unstable!"

As Qiu Yan spoke, the Core Talisman, thousands of miles away, faintly pulsed. The Humanistic Fire Seed at the center of the talisman trembled twice, emanating a certain artistic conception. It was none other than the "Knowledge and Action" principle summarized by Fleshly Body, emphasizing decisiveness. Like the sun rising, difficulties formed by thousands of demons and monsters would be shattered upon contact and resolved upon encounter!

The Seven-Colored Divine Spirit listened and fell into deep thought.

In fact, the reason why the Seven-Colored Divine Spirit organized believers and even joined forces with Qiu Yan was because they could not obtain accurate information from the Underworld Office of Jiannan Circuit. They could not prescribe the right medicine and could only cast a wide net. If what Qiu Yan said was true, then the situation would be opened up immediately.

"I need to consider this matter for a while. I'm not afraid of offending you, fellow Daoist. How to deal with the Jiannan invasion is no small matter, and I can't draw conclusions based on just a few words."

After thinking for a moment, the Seven-Colored Divine Spirit Deity replied, "However, if it is true, that would be for the best, as it would give us the upper hand."

Qiu Yan nodded. "That makes Correct Principle. If you listen to these words and agree without thinking, and then want to make arrangements, then I'll have to be more suspicious."

The Seven-Colored Divine Spirit chuckled, "Fellow Daoist, you are truly a wonderful person with witty words. By the way, there is something else I would like to mention to you."

"Oh? What is it?"

The Seven-Colored Divine Spirit then said, "Fellow Daoist, you once captured a Marshlands deity and obtained a Black Marsh Law Seals, didn't you?"

"That's true," Qiu Yan nodded. "What? Is this Law Seals, this God of the Black Marsh, related to you?"

"There is some connection," the Seven-Colored Divine Spirit did not hide anything. "I hope you can release the Black Marsh, after all, a great calamity is coming. More strength means more security. If we really want to strike first, we must also have a backup plan. We can't put all our chips in one basket."

"That's true," Qiu Yan nodded. But before the Seven-Colored Divine Spirit could rejoice, he changed the subject, "But these are two separate matters. I have a grudge against the Black Marsh God, so it's only right that I take him down. If you want him to contribute as well, I can relay your words to him. However, his release won't happen anytime soon."

The Seven-Colored Divine Spirit was not angry; instead, he laughed, "Fellow Daoist is indeed straightforward and did not lie to me. Since it is not feasible, then so be it."

As she finished speaking, she raised her hand and waved it, scattering seven-colored light that flew towards the projection of the Kitchen God.

Qiu Yan didn't press for details about the Black Marsh Patriarch's origins. He manipulated the projection, raised his hand, grabbed the radiance, and crushed it with a pinch of his fingers, releasing the Divine Sense within.

The voice of the Seven-Colored God came from the side—

"This contains the secret of the Spirit-Strike Method. It's nothing profound, just a thin veil. I believe that with your talent, you will soon understand it. However, given the urgency of the situation and the impending calamity, I, the deity, will offer it up."

"Thank you!" The projection of the Kitchen God bowed respectfully and then took his leave.

"Fellow Daoist, please go ahead. I will inform you as soon as I make a decision," the Seven-Colored Divine Spirit said readily.

After bidding farewell to the Seven-Colored Divine Spirit, the Kitchen God's projection vanished and melted away, turning into a spark that disappeared into the distance.

"This Nascent Primordial Spirit's talent is astonishing. Given his progress, it would be unwise to continue treating him as an enemy. Perhaps we should use him as an opportunity..."

Watching the sparks disappear into the horizon, the Seven-Colored Divine Spirit pondered for a moment, then its seven-colored body slowly disintegrated, turning into clouds of poisonous smoke that scattered around.

The fog in the swamp grew even thicker.

"The Spirit-Strike Method..."

At the same time, atop the Stove Mountain, the Divine Spirit Body was deep in thought.

"This method involves attaching divine power and Divine Office to believers, lending out these powers and Divine Office for others to use. It is similar to the Treasure Edict Method I previously comprehended, but there are also differences."

Sitting cross-legged on the stone chair, Qiu Yan fell into deep thought.

During his struggles with the Buddhist Sect, he comprehended the secrets of the Buddha's meditation and, in the Land of the Divine Remains, he summarized a method for Deity Seated in the Heart.

This method has developed to a considerable extent, enabling the tribespeople of the Land of the Divine Remains to deepen their understanding of the gods through faith and worship, and to activate their divine power and Divine Sense through prayers and praises, thereby influencing the things around them and using their power to achieve extraordinary goals.

This method requires the practitioner to be sufficiently devout to the deities and to visualize them in their mind, meditating daily; otherwise, there is a risk of regression. It is not easy for ordinary people to cultivate it.

In comparison, the Spirit-Strike Method is much more convenient. Although it also involves giving oneself a suggestion through words and then directly borrowing the divine power from the Void, it has fewer restrictions.

On the other hand, the amount of divine power borrowed varies depending on the degree of piety of the person casting the spell towards the deity. Similarly, people with different physical constitutions can withstand different limits of total divine power.

For believers, this is a double-edged sword.

"The method of Contemplating the Deity in the Heart, while able to borrow power, is essentially a purely spiritual approach, a tempering of one's own spirit and will. The Spirit-Strike Method, however, is different; it can only temporarily borrow divine power, lasting only a short time and offering little benefit to the individual..."

While pondering, Qiu Yan raised one hand, extended a finger, and a glimmer of light emanated from the fingertip.

First, raging flames appeared within the light, then mountains and rivers intertwined, and finally it transformed into a single article.

"From the information conveyed by the Seven-Colored God, it can be roughly seen that the gods only use this Spirit-Strike Method as a means of combat, without exploring it further, which is a great pity. My abilities as the Kitchen God are enough to enhance the skills of the believers, such as cooking and tea brewing, which are actually very promising abilities. Secondly, the Domain of Law of the Mountain God River Earl is of great value to the farmers in the village. As for this Humanistic Fire Seed..."

As Qiu Yan pondered, his thoughts gradually opened up. After comparing them with some memories from his previous life, he discovered a completely new possibility for the Spirit-Strike Method.

"No matter how much I say, thinking about it in isolation won't yield clear results. It's better to try to investigate. As a deity who has already reached the Third Grade, I must experience these things eventually. Although I have the threat of Lü Liang and intend to strike first, I cannot act rashly. I need to consider the whole picture carefully, otherwise it won't be striking first, but rather sending myself to my death."

Thinking this, Qiu Yan suddenly stood up, reached out and grabbed a small flame that was rushing towards him from the horizon. Then, flames rose all over his body, and his Divine Sense spread out. Based on the Incense Faith within the Divine Power Space, he rapidly expanded. With a sweep of his consciousness, the minds of millions of believers appeared one by one.

"The best way to try the Spirit-Strike Method is through the tradition of sacrificial rites. However, strictly speaking, Divine Striking is not tolerated by the imperial court and therefore cannot be openly performed in sacrifices. Thus, we must take advantage of one or two opportunities to let the Spirit-Strike Method circulate privately among believers."

With a single glance, Qiu Yan grasped the minds of the believers. The Divine Sense of a deity is far superior to that of mortals. With a rough sense, it can process astronomical amounts of information in an instant. However, concentrating on sensing like this requires a lot of attention, which affects even the Fleshly Body, causing it to stop what it is doing.

"Divine power can be lent to believers, but not without reason. It must align with the beliefs of the believers; otherwise, it will inevitably lead to future troubles and become uncontrollable..."

Jiannan City.

This city is the Central Pivot of the entire Jiannan Circuit. To the north, it leads into the Guanzhong Plain; to the south, it connects to Jingxiang and Jiannan Circuit, known as the Land of Abundance; and to the west, one can enter the barbarian lands.

Such a well-connected place was naturally a favorite spot for merchants, bustling with people.

The movement of people also brought many uninvited guests. These people came with merchants, or were displaced and wandered, and some were even exiled. According to the household registration law, some of these people were to be sent back, while others were to be settled in the surrounding area. However, their living conditions could not be guaranteed.

The outskirts of Jiannan City are such a place. Many of the residents here are the families of convicted officials. Compared to their previous lives, their circumstances have truly plummeted, but it is still better than going directly to the harsh and cold frontier. Therefore, most people are content to stay here.

However, no matter where you are, there are always restless people...

Yang Chi returned home, his body weary, his steps faltering.

Today, his identity was exposed, and the employer who hired him hurriedly fired him. Fortunately, compared to his previous employer, this person was somewhat trustworthy and settled his wages for the past few days. Otherwise, Yang Chi would have worked for free for several days.

Ding-ding-dong.

The coins in his purse jingled softly. Yang Chi sighed, then forced himself to stay alert, looked at the dilapidated little house in front of him, and strode over.

The house was surrounded by a fence, inside which were a few simple chairs, and in one corner there was a shed with a spinning wheel underneath.

With a creak, the door was pushed open.

"Mother, I'm back!"

He called out and Yang Chi quickly walked to one side of the main room, where a shrine stood. (To be continued, please search for the novel for better and faster updates!)

P. S.: Thanks to "Wan Bu Xiala" for the donation!