Incense Deity Scripture, Profession Fusion

A vast, ancient will surged through Qin Geng's fingertips and washed into his mind like a river bursting its banks.

It came not as obscure, impenetrable words, but as vivid, uncanny images. The grand sound of a sacrificial rite accompanied them, branding them deep into his soul.

It was an ancient scripture glowing blue and gold, titled the Incense Deity Scripture.

It followed neither the Daoist inner-alchemy path of refining essence into qi and qi into spirit, nor the martial path of tempering flesh and blood until the body became sacred.

It was a dead-end road—and a great road to the heavens.

It cultivated the divine path, fought for incense offerings, and gathered the hearts of the people.

Within that will, the Incense Deity Scripture divided divine cultivation into nine steps. Each carried its own identity and power, and the hierarchy was strict:

The first step: [Spirit Awakening]. Newly awakened intelligence had no support or refuge. Like a lonely ghost, it could scatter on the wind unless it found somewhere to dwell.

The second step: [Spirit Possession]. Once refined, the soul could lodge in plants, bricks, stones, statues, or ancestral tablets. Unable to withstand wind and sun, it could only wait.

The third step: [Manifestation]. Through dreams and omens, it could reveal miracles to mortals and begin harvesting its first scattered wisps of incense offerings.

The fourth step: [Altar-Seating]. With worshippers and a small altar or shrine, it could enjoy offerings of Blood Fare and protect a household. People commonly called such beings "household immortals."

The fifth step: [Temple-Establishment]. Its incense offerings flourished; a temple rose within a hundred li, and thousands worshipped there. Its golden body first took shape, placing it on the level of the "Earth Gods" or "Dragon Kings" commonly worshipped by the people.

The ninth step: