A Chance Encounter (Part 1)

"First Soul Skill—God-Summoning!"

Following Gu Hengzhi's shout, a Stone Statue slowly emerged above and behind him, as though awakening from slumber. It took the form of the Earth Deity, solemn and majestic, as if it contained boundless power. Behind and above the statue, a phantom image of the Earth Deity flickered in and out of view. It was as illusory as a mirage, yet carried an overwhelming pressure that could not be ignored.

Is this a divine form? It feels so oppressive! Gu Hengzhi secretly rejoiced, then immediately cast the Earth Wall Technique without hesitation.

"Earth Wall Technique!"

His voice rolled through the air like thunder. In an instant, an earthen wall, like an impregnable fortress, rose at the spot Gu Hengzhi designated. It towered over two meters high, roughly three meters long and a foot wide. Even a Great Soul Master known for strength would never be able to destroy it within half a quarter-hour. A quarter-hour might have been brief, but on a battlefield, every second could decide victory or defeat.

Afterward, Gu Hengzhi eagerly tested other minor techniques as well, and every use brought him another pleasant surprise.

"First Soul Skill—God-Summoning! Form Transformation!"

As the soul skill activated, the Stone Statue gradually broke apart, as though dismantled by some mysterious force. Fragments danced through the air like fluttering butterflies before swiftly assembling around Gu Hengzhi's body. In the blink of an eye, a magnificent battle robe appeared upon him, like the armor of a war god, gleaming with dazzling radiance. Its material resembled dragon scales, incomparably tough and granting him powerful defensive properties. As soul power was released, the robe's defensive effect steadily increased, from 10% to 25%, like an unbreakable shield.

At the same time, a dragon-headed cane appeared by his right hand like a divine weapon descending from the heavens, shining with mysterious light. Its dragon head resembled a war hammer—ferocious and imposing, as though it held inexhaustible power. When Gu Hengzhi swung the cane and hammered an enemy, there was a 25% chance of inflicting petrification, as if time itself had frozen them. The duration of the petrification depended on his soul power level, lengthening like sand slipping through an hourglass as his soul power grew. Moreover, the same target could only be affected once every 5 seconds, making it a precious effect that required careful use.

The base of the dragon-headed cane, meanwhile, was like the tip of a spear—razor-sharp and glinting with cold light. When it struck an enemy, it could inflict bleeding, also with a 25% chance. This bleeding effect was like venom from a poisonous snake, spreading through the enemy's wound and bringing endless pain.

Gu Hengzhi had just recovered from the afterglow of completing his soul skill. The soul power within him flowed smoothly, and his entire body felt several degrees lighter. Just then, a faint tremor suddenly rose from the depths of his sea of consciousness.

It was an extremely light, slow ripple. It was unlike soul power, and even less like spiritual power. Instead, it was some kind of... response from the God-Sealing Record.

He instinctively closed his eyes and focused, sinking his awareness into his sea of consciousness.

The ancient, weighty tome floated silently in the grayish-white space of his consciousness. The three seal-script characters on its cover still read "God-Sealing Record," while faint golden light shimmered around it, as though responding to his summons—or waiting for something.

The pages turned by themselves.

On that page, the place where the Earth Deity's divine statue had originally been engraved had grown much dimmer. The golden divine patterns had also lost their flowing luster, as though they had completed a certain stage of their mission.

On the new page after it, a blank Stone Statue outline emerged. The carvings at its four corners were slightly different, seemingly foreshadowing different directions of divinity.

A line of words slowly appeared at the center of the page: "Divine seat vacant. Available for carving."

The words carried neither pressure nor urgency. They simply rested there in calm silence, like a drop of water falling into a deep pool—yet enough to stir ripples through Gu Hengzhi's heart.

He knew what this meant—he could begin carving the next deity.

Gu Hengzhi opened his eyes and looked through the layers of tree shadows toward the distance.

He remained silent for a long time.

The Earth Deity was like the foundation of the earth, solid beyond compare—a bastion of defense and a harbor of protection. It had been his first choice upon entering this unfamiliar world, and also the safest response.

Yet his next choice left him deep in thought. Should he improve his own combat strength and become an invincible warrior? Or should he focus on stabilizing his foundation and building a solid base? Whichever path he chose, it had to be something he could put into practice now.

—Thunder Duke and Lightning Mother, wielding thunderous might to shatter evil and reveal their power, as though they would tear open heaven and earth to carve out a bright road.

—Night Patrol God, lurking and vanishing like ghosts, silently striking at their enemies and taking lives amid the quiet.

—Fire Virtue Star Lord, fighting with flame and igniting the first blaze of an aggressive assault, as though he would set the entire world ablaze.

He turned the possibilities over and over in his mind, weighing their pros and cons, but still could not make up his mind. Every choice was tempting, yet each came with unknown risks, leaving him hesitant.

Gu Hengzhi looked up at the sky. The sun, like a weary old man, slowly slid toward the west. He muttered, "Mm, it's time to head back and find Brother Tao!" Then he picked up his luggage and retraced his steps with firm strides, heading south by east.

He hurried onward as time slipped away unnoticed. The sun gradually sank, dusk quietly descended, and at last the sky turned completely dark. Gu Hengzhi grew increasingly anxious, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not return to the place where he had separated from Su Yuntao. It was as though some mysterious force was working in secret, making him wander in circles through the Spirit Hunting Forest.

Another half hour passed before Gu Hengzhi finally spotted a glimmer of light in the forest ahead. At the same time, he heard faint sounds of fighting. His curiosity piqued, he said without hesitation, "Come on, let's go see what happened!"

As he drew nearer, Gu Hengzhi saw two Nether Wolf corpses. He examined them closely and immediately reached a conclusion: these were definitely not the two Su Yuntao had killed. Moreover, the surrounding stench had yet to completely disperse, further confirming his suspicion.

Gu Hengzhi continued forward and soon arrived at a campsite. Yet the camp was deserted. Only the escape route leading along its edge showed that people had once stayed there. He followed the trail onward, his heart full of doubt and concern.

"Croak! Croak! Croak!" Suddenly, a shrill animal cry rang out from ahead. Gu Hengzhi looked closely and saw two people, one large and one small, fleeing for their lives alongside a pig. The miserable cries were coming from that pig.