8mi Chapter 4 Tracing the Causes and Effects
Chapter 4 Tracing the Causes and Effects
Xiong Zhou sat on the ground, looking at the believers who were several sizes larger than him, their faces filled with fanaticism and excitement, and his eyelids twitched.
He had a general idea of his current situation.
He, Xiong Zhou, became a god.
[Name: Xiong Zhou (Avatar from the Mountain and Sea Realm)]
[Extraordinary Path: Qi Refiner, Totem God]
[Power: Abundance]
Incense offerings: 404↑ (Upgrading)
Cultivation Realm: None
Current progress: Lv.0 (1/10)
Based on feedback from the innate divine power, the "Mountain and Sea Realm" gifted him two things.
It is the same as [Authority: Abundance], which is the control authority corresponding to the laws of heaven and earth.
It is the same instinct to perceive, consume, and utilize the Qi of incense.
As for the body that is compatible with the power of one's own bloodline and the laws of heaven and earth that one is currently cultivating, that is an accessory of [Authority: Abundance].
At the same time, after becoming a totem god, he also automatically gained the ability to communicate with believers without barriers, which is equivalent to having a spell of words permanently attached to him.
A large dog, standing three meters tall at the shoulder and relatively tall and strong among all the believers, suddenly approached Xiong Zhou, blinked its huge eyes, and stuck out its pink tongue, panting.
"Ugh, ugh?"
[God, you can turn the grass golden, that's amazing! But God, why are you so small?]
The big dog approached Xiong Zhou, sniffed with its wet black nose, and its expression changed instantly. It opened its mouth and licked Xiong Zhou's fur with its big pink tongue.
"Ugh!"
[It smells milky, God, it's a cub!]
"Bang!"
Xiong Zhou extended one claw, and the bloodline power within his body, fully adapted to the "Mountain and Sea Realm," surged, directly swatting away the big dog that had been licking his face. The dog flew ten meters off the ground and landed on the wheat-covered ground not far away.
Totem gods are also gods.
Knowing full well that the person before them is a god who holds absolute power, yet still daring to be so disrespectful to a god, this is no ordinary believer; a strong response is necessary.
"Ugh!"
[Wow, that's amazing! The leader can fly!]
"Ugh!"
[God, I want that too! I want to fly!]
"Ugh!"
[God, one more time!]
Seeing Xiong Zhou send the leader flying ten meters, the big dog, which had quieted down slightly, started barking again.
The leader, who had landed not far away, stood up from the pile of wheat, shook off the ears of wheat clinging to his fur, and was fine. He stuck out his big pink tongue again, pushed aside the large dogs surrounding the bear boat, and tried to continue licking his fur.
Xiong Zhou's eyelids twitched wildly several times, and he immediately let out a howl.
"Ugh!"
[stop!]
"Ugh!"
Stop licking me!
"Ugh!"
[sit down!]
Hundreds of large dogs blinked their enormous eyes, then sat down in unison, creating an imposing and majestic scene.
Xiong Zhou nodded slightly in his heart.
Not bad, at least these big dogs listen to what this totem god says.
But then he felt a wave of distress.
Xiong Zhou originally planned to harness the enlightenment resources of the "Mountain and Sea Realm" to begin meditation and level up his cultivation, preparing for the True Disciple Grand Competition a year later.
But now he has become a totem god, in charge of a portion of the laws of heaven and earth, and has the instinct to use the energy of incense. Hundreds of large dogs that appeared out of nowhere have suddenly appeared beside him and have automatically become his followers.
Things seem to be getting serious.
Should we just leave these big dogs alone and not intervene at all?
He has "automatically" become the totem god of these guys and accepted the incense offerings from these big dogs, so it is impossible for him to just let them fend for themselves.
His values, inherited from his past life, wouldn't allow him to do something so irresponsible.
If Xiong Zhou is truly so irresponsible and abandons the situation, then his mental state is definitely going to be problematic.
The "Tai Li Refining Qi Method" is an immortal scripture that focuses extremely on the cultivation of both body and mind. If one is not sincere with oneself, not only will one not be able to attain immortality in the future, but even breaking through to the third level of Qi Refining may cause problems.
Furthermore, this is a continuously generated incense energy, an incense energy that belongs entirely to itself.
If you accumulate enough of these, they will be equivalent to a "Treasure Medicine for Enlightenment" at the seventh level of Qi Refining.
In the Tai Li Immortal Sect, this is a resource for enlightenment that only immortals are qualified to enjoy.
Xiong Zhou looked at the leader sitting in front of him and called out softly.
"Huh?"
Do you have a name?
The tall leader tilted his head, stuck out his pink tongue, and his pupils were clear.
"Waaah."
[My name is Chief.]
Hearing the big dog's response, Xiong Zhou opened his mouth, his face full of helplessness.
He knew it would be like this; these guys' civilization was probably only just beginning.
Xiong Zhou had never longed for the enlightenment method, which required cultivation at the third level of Qi Refining.
With a simple tap, one can package all their basic understanding of the world and instantly make the recipient comprehend it... It's so convenient.
Xiong Zhou took a deep breath and whispered to the leader.
"Waaah."
[From now on, your name will be Bai Yi.]
Then, Xiong Zhou looked at the hundreds of large dogs and called out to them earnestly in a soft voice.
"Waaah."
[The entire group, that is, those with similar horns and similar fur colors, are collectively called "cunning."]
The big dogs tilted their heads, stuck out their pink tongues, and had clear eyes.
Those gazes were so clear, so pure that they were untouched by any trace of intellectual taint; from beginning to end, there was only one kind of instinctive cognition.
Xiong Zhou's face twisted slightly. He stretched out his paw and slapped his forehead, then used it to block out the sunlight streaming down from the sky.
He couldn't bear to look at these idiots.
No, continuing to communicate like this is just asking for trouble.
Xiong Zhou suspected that these guys couldn't understand what he was trying to say at all, and he had to go back to the Tai Li Immortal Sect to find outside help.
Cultivation Realm: None
Current progress: Lv.0 (1/10)
After glancing at the information panel again, Xiong Zhou immediately activated the "Tai Li Refining Qi Method," drawing out the corresponding Qi of heaven and earth from the extremely neat clumps of wheat and circulating it according to the slightly adjusted technique.
【Lv.0 (2↑/10)】
【Lv.0 (3↑/10)】
......
【Lv.0 (10↑/10)】
After several dozen breaths, the Qi of Heaven and Earth that had been absorbed and refined was nearing its limit. Guided by the "Tai Li Qi Refining Method", the consciousness sank down, and strands of refined Qi of Heaven and Earth transformed into cubes, and the dreamlike ocean rippled like real seawater.
Cultivation Realm: First Level of Qi Refining - Spirit Building
Current progress: Lv.1 (11↑/100)
In the blink of an eye, he had returned to the first level of Qi Refining.
Xiong Zhou's actions of inhaling and exhaling the Qi of Heaven and Earth accelerated the process, causing the Qi of Heaven and Earth extracted from the wheat to transform into cubes that constituted the [Gate to Another World], aligning with the hazy "Netherworld Teleportation Gate".
Ten obsidian-shaped blocks rose up again, and the solid, starlight-filled portal reappeared.
"Old man..."
The resonance was intense, and Xiong Zhou's consciousness in the inner world seemed to see the phantom of the "Qi Refining World" through the [Gate of Another World].
In an instant, he sensed the "true form" sitting cross-legged on the futon, and the memories of the two realms were immediately connected.
-----------------
Chenming Mountain, inside the small courtyard.
Xiong Zhou's inner world trembled slightly. A stream of celestial energy, imbued with the principles of celestial and terrestrial laws related to the Way of Abundance, was drawn from the mountains. After passing through the [Innate Divine Power: █ (Pixel Cube)], it transformed into pixel cubes, causing a grass cube in the inner world to grow pixelated wheat, which then slowly spread to the entire grassland.
[Technique: Tai Li Qi Refining Method]
当前进度：Lv.4（20，000/100，000）】
Xiong Zhou murmured to himself, "The progress of the cultivation technique is synchronized, but the cultivation level is not. The spiritual foundation also needs to be adjusted slowly. It will take a considerable amount of time for the clone in the 'Mountain and Sea Realm' to return to its peak. It will also take some time for me to fine-tune the laws of heaven and earth contained in the spiritual foundation."
While maintaining the operation of the "Tai Li Refining Qi Method", he picked up the token of the true disciple, logged into the Tai Li Heavenly Network, and began to search for relevant information.
[Retrieving content related to "education"...]
[Initiating retrieval of the development history of "Canine Monsters"...]
[Initiating retrieval of the transformation technique for "canine demon beasts"...]
[Beginning the method of utilizing "incense energy"...]
[......]
[Retrieval complete. Based on your current True Transmission Access Level (Qi Refining Level 1), the following information will be displayed for you:]
1. "The Barbarians Beyond the Boundary: Teachings": Originating from the Celestial Altar Immortal Sect, by the Thunder God.
2. *The Autobiography of the Rainbow Demon Saint*: Originating from the Wanshan Mountains of Lingnan, a modern study guide for dog demons.
3. "The Contemplation of Howling Moon: Transformation Through Tribulation": Originating from the myriad mountains of Lingnan, by the True Lord Howling Heaven.
4. *An Initial Understanding of Humanity's Vows and Power: The Chapter on Incense and Offerings*: Originating from the Qin Dynasty, this is a preliminary reading list.
......
106. *The Rules of All Races: Totem Belief*: Originating from the Qin Dynasty, a preliminary reading list.
The lines of text, even just the introduction, left Xiong Zhou completely bewildered.
There's just too much content to cover.
The Tai Li Immortal Sect has accumulated a wealth of experience in exploring and developing the world beyond the physical boundaries, so much so that he is somewhat at a loss as to how to learn it on his own.
Xiong Zhou took a deep breath.
There's no other way but to take it one step at a time.
He could only describe his path to godhood in the "Mountain and Sea Realm" as "by chance."
At the Tai Li Immortal Sect, on Chenming Mountain, he upgraded the Tai Li Qi Refining Method from [Lv.3] to [Lv.4]. Regardless of whether he continued to improve, the principles and power of heaven and earth inherited from his parents, in layman's terms, "bloodline power," had begun to revive.
The power of bloodline runs through Xiong Zhou's entire body; it is an important and inseparable part of the independent entity called "Xiong Zhou".
Whether it's the inner landscape of heaven and earth or a solidified consciousness, there are traces of its existence.
Through the [Gate to Another World], Xiong Zhou's solidified consciousness arrived in the "Mountain and Sea Realm".
This means that he brought with him some of the principles of the universe from the "Qi Refining World," as well as some of the information about the path his parents cultivated and practiced.
After a series of collisions, assimilation, and fusions, the laws governing the world of the "Mountain and Sea Realm," which was in the early stages of creation, were slightly improved.
Although the extent of this improvement is insignificant to the entire "Mountain and Sea Realm," improvement is improvement, and it has contributed to this world.
Then, in order to survive and prevent his consciousness from collapsing, he struggled desperately and successfully used the Way of Abundance to live another life.
At the same time, through practice and reshaping his spiritual foundation, he also offered his own interpretation of the definition of the Abundant Way of the "Mountain and Sea Realm".
In conclusion, his entire process of becoming a totem god was based on his own inspiration and coincidences, with little of it stemming from a systematic approach.
Why has Xiong Zhou's avatar in the "Mountain and Sea Realm" become a large dog with bull horns, resembling the Bernese Mountain Dog? Why has it attracted those goofy-looking dogs? Why do these believers automatically become his followers upon sensing [Authority: Abundance]...?
These are all things that Xiong Zhou cannot explain clearly.
While they did have some understanding of the divine way, compared to their contemporaries in the Qin Dynasty who cultivated through the power of human vows and prepared to embark on the path of sainthood, their understanding was haphazard and fragmented. They lacked not only a systematic approach but also a relatively comprehensive knowledge.
Xiong Zhou looked at the hundreds of thousands of scrolls that had already materialized beside the True Inheritance Token and took a few breaths.
He sighed softly to himself, "There's no other way now but to learn and practice at the same time."
"Fortunately, the big dogs are tough and thick-skinned, and because I am a totem god, I have a certain degree of control over them."
Xiong Zhou picked up a book, steeled himself, and began to read it.
In an instant, along with the surge of the Qi of heaven and earth in the mountains, the rustling sound of wheat growing and ripening and swaying in the wind in the inner world, and the sound of turning pages of books echoed in sync.
-----------------
Deep within the Hidden Origin Hall of the Tai Li Immortal Sect.
Master Lu brewed a pot of Longjing tea and looked at the unfolding light screen in front of him with a subtle expression.
After taking a sip of tea, he clicked his tongue softly and muttered to himself with a hint of surprise, "Xiao Zhou has actually started reading books like 'The Barbarians Beyond the Boundary: Moral Education,' 'The Autobiography of the Rainbow Demon Saint,' 'The Howling Moon Contemplation: Transcending Tribulation and Taking Form,' and 'An Initial Understanding of Humanity's Vows: The Qi of Incense'?"
"Is he contemplating his future spiritual path?"
"It covers a wide range of topics."
Master Lu stood up from the bamboo chair, stretched, and then began to calculate with his hands, trying to extract the secrets of heaven.
"Yes, this child has bloodline power within him and is indeed a dog demon. Even though he doesn't need to take human form, it's normal for him to look at the things of a demon saint."
"However, why is the Qi of incense involved in the Qi of Heaven and Earth?"
"This stuff is poisonous."
"If the distracting thoughts arising from the selfish desires of an individual are not effectively resolved, the problem will become serious."
Suddenly, Master Lu's fingers stiffened slightly, and his expression changed.
"The laws of heaven and earth that belong to the external world?"
"Is there still a power over heaven and earth belonging to the outside world?"
"A self-proclaimed totem god?"
What a load of nonsense...
Master Lu frowned slightly and began to mobilize the innate Qi within his body, circulating the Heavenly Secrets Immortal Technique. Based on the connection of cause and effect, he spread towards the outer worlds, until he glimpsed a newly opened world from the vast void.
Looking down, I saw a large dog with a worried expression, acting as a "teacher" and instructing hundreds of barbarians from outside the border.