Night hung like ink, heavy over Seven House of Notting Junior Soul Master Academy. Candlelight flickered in the dimness, as though it might go out at any moment. At one corner of the table, the Stone Statue stood silently like a mountain.
Shen Yan frowned deeply as he stared at the Stone Statue, his voice low and tinged with confusion. "...Was he really carved? These past few days, I've always felt something was off, but I can't put it into words." A thoughtful gleam shone in his eyes, as if he were trying hard to uncover something.
Li Jingchen quietly agreed. "I think so too. Last time, when I woke up in the middle of the night, I thought I saw light in that statue's eyes... Of course, maybe my eyes were playing tricks on me." Uncertainty laced his voice, while a trace of fear flickered in his eyes.
Chen Shao grinned, attempting to hide his unease behind a smile. Yet his gaze still drifted involuntarily toward the statue, his expression complicated. His lips twitched slightly as he murmured, "If he has a spirit, why don't you go worship him?"
For a moment, everyone fell silent, as though an invisible force were suppressing them. Instinctive reverence showed in their eyes—a mixture of fear and respect for the unknown. Though they were young, they already had some experience on the path of cultivation, and their perception of Soul Power far surpassed that of ordinary people. Ever since Gu Hengzhi had placed this nameless Stone Statue here, an indescribable sense of calm had always faintly permeated the room, like a protective barrier.
Shen Yan spoke softly. "I read in books before that some ancient clans and factions on the continent worship certain ancient wills... Maybe this thing is one of those." Reverence colored his voice, as though he were recounting a distant and mysterious tale.
Li Jingchen hesitantly suggested, "Why don't we... give it a try and worship him?" A note of testing lingered in his voice, while anticipation flickered in his eyes.
Chen Shao raised a brow and retorted, "We don't even know what he's called. How are we supposed to worship him?" His teasing tone attempted to ease the tense atmosphere.
"Sincerity is what matters most." Li Jingchen carefully placed a dried fruit on the altar, then tore off a piece of incense paper and lit it in the censer. Wisps of green smoke slowly rose, like dancing sprites. A faint fragrance spread through the room, as though draping the entire space in a mysterious veil.
Gu Hengzhi leaned against the bed, quietly watching everything unfold. His eyes were deep and calm, like still water. Yet beneath that composed exterior, waves had already risen within his heart.
Before the flame on the green paper had gone out, Gu Hengzhi's heart suddenly trembled.
Deep within his sea of consciousness, the ancient tome that had lain sealed and dormant opened by itself. Without the slightest stir of wind, its pages turned on their own, glimmering with faint light.
On the God-Sealing Record, a brand-new rune silently lit up, as though it were burning—or like the faint flicker of a leaping flame.
[Incense System activated!] [Number of incense worshippers: 3] [Tier-One Incense: 3.61 wisps] [Current divine statue: Earth Deity] [Faith Power: 0 wisps] [Upon reaching 10 wisps of incense, it may be refined once within half a month to condense Tier-One Faith Power.]
Gu Hengzhi held his breath and stared unblinkingly at the lines appearing within the illusory realm of his sea of consciousness.
"So... this is incense offerings," he murmured.
There had been no deliberate worship, nor had anyone offered incense under a name. It had merely been the investment of emotion and belief—the feelings his roommates had developed from vague reverence, gratitude, and peace had unknowingly transformed into incense offerings.
As if sensing his thoughts, the God-Sealing Record displayed another line of pale golden words:
[The thoughts of mortals accumulate into incense; incense offerings do not depend on spoken worship, but solely on sincere emotion.] [Gods manifest through incense offerings; when faith is born, the true spirit stirs.]
With a thought from Gu Hengzhi, he looked again at the Stone Statue and felt a subtle ripple flowing around it. Though the statue remained completely motionless, it seemed to possess a little more vitality, like a sleeping person gently turning over.
Gu Hengzhi stared at the illusory panel hovering before the shrine. Before he could recover from his shock, a hoarse yet gentle voice suddenly rang beside his ears. Like spring rain nourishing the earth, it slowly seeped into his soul.
"Young friend, it seems you have finally taken another major step upon the Huaxia Divine Way."
Gu Hengzhi's heart shook. Deep within his sea of consciousness, his Stone Statue Martial Soul rippled slightly, while the portrait on the first page of the God-Sealing Record slowly transformed into the figure of a short old man with white hair and beard, clothed in coarse linen with a yellow sash at his waist. He stood suspended at the edge of Gu Hengzhi's sea of consciousness.
It was the Earth Deity.
"Senior," Gu Hengzhi said quietly.
"No need for such courtesy." The Earth Deity smiled and nodded, his gaze kind. "I am the divine incarnation of this world. You awakened me through your carving. Now that I have awakened, I shall naturally assist you upon the path of divinity."
Gu Hengzhi silently nodded, his gaze returning to the gradually stabilizing system interface. "So this is incense offerings and Faith Power?"
The Earth Deity slowly nodded, his tone becoming more solemn.
"Incense offerings are the manifestation of belief, born from the intentions and thoughts of mortals. Tier-One Incense is the most basic kind. It can only serve as fuel to refine the most elementary Faith Power. Only every ten to twenty wisps can condense into a thread of faith."
"And Faith Power is the very foundation of gods. Without faith, a divine statue is no different from earth and stone; with faith, heaven and earth answer in harmony."
Gu Hengzhi listened intently, his gaze growing deeper. "Then how are incense offerings acquired?"
The Earth Deity stroked his beard and smiled before slowly explaining.
"First, gather more incense worshippers. There is no Huaxia Divine Way in this world. You have only just established this divine statue, and no one has heard its name. Yet that is precisely an opportunity. As long as someone offers incense for the first time, incense offerings can be produced. Even if they do not know the god's name or recognize the divine statue, a single thought of reverence is enough."
"Second, increase the strength of your incense worshippers. The stronger their Soul Power, the purer the incense offerings they produce. The higher their level and rank, the more frequently and abundantly their incense offerings will grow."
"Third, guide them toward devout hearts. If you can offer tangible aid—such as saving someone with spiritual medicine, bestowing blessings to change their fate, and thus inspiring faith—then the incense offerings will become more enduring and abundant."
"You may choose one or two people within Seven House and offer them some support. Once they develop a sense of reliance, the incense offerings will naturally change."
Gu Hengzhi pondered for a moment before suddenly asking, "What if I offer incense myself?"
The Earth Deity's expression became slightly solemn, his tone carrying a measure of dignity.
"You are the vessel of the divine way. You bear the God-Sealing Record and cannot produce incense offerings. Your cultivation cannot rely on incense offerings themselves. Only by using incense offerings as a guide to aid externalized power can you forge your divine lineage."
Gu Hengzhi fell silent for a moment. Taking a deep breath, he raised his eyes toward the Earth Deity's phantom standing within his sea of consciousness. "I understand. Establishing divine statues and opening the divine way is not merely about statues and divine names. It is also the circulation and inheritance of belief."
"Good." The Earth Deity nodded, his voice gradually fading again. "One who walks the divine way must hold reverence in his heart and carry the thoughts of all living beings. This is only the first step... What you must do is far more than this."
As his voice faded, the divine statue within Gu Hengzhi's sea of consciousness trembled slightly before returning to silence.
Gu Hengzhi slowly opened his eyes, his expression solemn.
Before you continue