Chapter 144 Incense Wish Power

"Has the Martial Saint manual really appeared?" Fang Yue asked in surprise. Hurrying back all the way, he hadn't paid attention to news along the road.

"Yes," Qiu Shiyan said with a solemn expression. "Right there in Yannan Prefecture, and there's more than one. Everyone is going crazy over it now."

"More than one? Has anyone obtained a manual and practiced the martial arts within it?" Fang Yue asked.

"Some people have indeed practiced them, and rumors say one can genuinely reach the realm of a Martial Saint through them," Qiu Shiyan replied.

Fang Yue's expression grew serious as well, and he fell silent in deep thought.

The earlier news that a Martial Saint manual would appear in Yun Province had been spread by the Mud Buddha of Huo Province.

The Mud Buddha was well-versed in heavenly calculations, known as a "living Buddha of the present age," and was a powerhouse at the level of a "terrestrial immortal." His prophecies carried immense authority.

Consequently, many martial artists from other provinces had rushed to Yun Province in search of the Martial Saint manual's whereabouts.

One had to bear in mind that the realm of a "Martial Saint" could not be achieved merely through cultivation; it required a martial artist's own personal enlightenment.

Now, with manuals appearing that could directly lead one to the Martial Saint realm, it was bound to drive martial artists into a frenzy.

"Rumor has it that the news of the Martial Saint manual first originated from the Mud Buddha of Huo Province. Senior Sister Qiu, how much do you know about this Mud Buddha?" Fang Yue asked.

As a martial artist, it was impossible not to be tempted by a Martial Saint manual. However, the entire affair clearly bore the traces of a conspiracy, demanding utmost caution.

The Mud Buddha was the key to this entire matter.

Qiu Shiyan thought for a moment and said, "The Mud Buddha of Huo Province is very famous. He excels in heavenly calculations, is proficient in the Buddhist wooden wheel physiognomy, and his prophecies are extremely accurate.

"It is said that even the imperial court of our Daqi frequently invites him to the imperial capital of Shenjing to divine karmic causes and conditions for members of the royal family.

"Furthermore, he possesses another miraculous ability: he can undergo nirvana and reincarnation.

"I've heard that the current Mud Buddha is already in his third reincarnation."

"Reincarnation?" Fang Yue was somewhat startled.

In this world, the netherworld had been shattered and the underworld no longer existed. Although the concept of reincarnation existed, it was purely a matter of legends.

To hear of an actual instance now left Fang Yue greatly astonished.

Qiu Shiyan said, "I don't know whether it's true or false, but that's what the rumors say.

"Oh, that reminds me. When I was little, I went back to my maternal grandfather's home with my mother, and I accidentally overheard the adults talking about the Mud Buddha, saying he was connected to the aristocratic families."

At the mention of aristocratic families, Fang Yue immediately became alert.

As far as he knew, the aristocratic families were undoubtedly the most powerful forces in this world.

The reigning imperial court was merely manipulated by them from behind the scenes.

Fang Yue's feelings toward the aristocratic families were complex.

On one hand, the aristocratic families suppressed the ghosts and spirits running amok in the world and resisted the frenzied and evil foreign deities.

On the other hand, the aristocratic families also viewed ordinary people like pigs and sheep; when needed, skinning them and eating their flesh was a very ordinary matter in their eyes, entirely without psychological burden.

If the Mud Buddha was connected to the aristocratic families, then...

Fang Yue conjured up a flurry of possible conspiracies in his mind.

"By the way, Senior Sister Qiu, where is your maternal grandfather's home?"

A family capable of knowing the connection between the Mud Buddha and the aristocratic families was certainly extraordinary.

A mysterious flush appeared on Qiu Shiyan's face. She pressed her long legs together beneath her skirt, sat up straight, and spoke in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz: "My maternal grandfather's home is not in Yun Province, but in Feng Province, quite far from Yun Province. When my father was young, he traveled across the realm and met my mother in Feng Province, and the two of them got together.

"Ever since my mother passed away a few years ago and my father went mad two years ago, I haven't been back to my grandfather's home for quite some years. I miss my grandparents, aunts, and uncles very much.

"If there's a chance, I'll take Junior Brother there to Feng Province to have a look."

Fang Yue's mind was entirely occupied by thoughts of the Martial Saint manual, pondering what kind of conspiracy might lie within it. Hearing this, he replied without thinking, "Hmm, we should travel around and have a look if there's an opportunity."

Qiu Shiyan grew happy and softly said, "Then Junior Brother, you've agreed. You mustn't go back on your word."

...

Fang Yue—
Merit: 49,230 points
Divine Powers: Deduction, Illumination, Soul-Seizure
Arts: Dragon-Turtle Breath-Concealing Technique (Second Layer)
Martial Skills: Enlightenment Art (Fifth Layer), Fiery Iron Body (Second Layer), Flaming Palm (Third Layer), Long-Wind Fist (Second Layer), Long-Wind Sword Technique (Second Layer), Chasing Wind and Moon (Second Layer), Basic Saber Technique (First Layer)

After Qiu Shiyan left, Fang Yue sat in his room and checked the merit system.

"A trip to Bridge-Back Village yielded tens of thousands of merit points. Some were consumed along the way, and now I have around 50,000 points left."

If he could slay the Yin-Walking Woman—a ghost at the late-Xiantian realm—it would immediately grant him tens of thousands more merit points.

But clearly, he could not do that right now.

Considering the evil deity behind the Yin-Walking Woman, he could only suppress her for now rather than kill her, leaving some leeway for potential future developments.

"Still, as for things like evil deities, one cannot expect them to be entirely rational. I must guard against the possibility that they stubbornly insist on fighting me to the death.

"My divine body benefits from the power of faith, but it is also bound by it, restricted to Fish-Head Town. If the worst comes to the worst, I can only sacrifice the divine body and give the evil deity coming to trouble me more than it can handle.

"Only by showing no fear of mutual destruction can one make them wary and hesitant to act rashly.

"Of course, the best method is for the divine body to reach a level above terrestrial immortals. At that time, there would be no need to fear these evil deities. If they dare to make a noise, I could even counter-kill them by relying on my divine domain."

Thinking of this, Fang Yue shook his head. Wanting his divine body and divine power to reach a level beyond terrestrial immortals was simply unrealistic.

In such a tiny place like Fish-Head Town, allowing his divine body to reach near the Martial Saint level was already a remarkable achievement.

That was because he had practically single-handedly saved everyone in the entire town, coupled with the fact that Fish-Head Town now stood isolated outside the court's jurisdiction, surviving entirely on Fang Yue's protection and the industries he left behind.

The sea god statue had been sculpted in Fang Yue's image. The town residents' gratitude toward Fang Yue and their expectations for the future were entrusted to the worship of the sea god, making their faith relatively pious and the incense and fire of faith extremely prosperous.

This was how Fang Yue was able to condense his divine godhead so quickly, raising his divine body to the Xiantian peak, approaching the Martial Saint level.

However, with only this small population in the entire town, his divine body could at best only reach the Martial Saint level.

As for reaching the level of a terrestrial immortal, while not entirely impossible, it would require hundreds or thousands of years of accumulation, and going any higher was practically out of the question.

Yet Fang Yue simply couldn't wait that long; in several hundred or a thousand years, everything would already be over.

"Expand the scope of the sources of incense and fire faith, or find a way to pilfer the incense and fire faith generated by sea god worship in other places."

Fang Yue thought of two plans, but implementing either of them presented problems.

Fish-Head Town was considered a special case, but how long it could be maintained remained a question. Trying to expand the scope of incense and fire faith further was practically courting death, as it would inevitably arouse the court's vigilance.

When the court struck and destroyed his divine statue as an illicit and evil cult deity, he wouldn't even be able to escape.

Meanwhile, pilfering the incense and fire faith generated by sea god worship in other places actually seemed feasible.

His divine statue was worshipped as a sea god, faintly possessing the might of a sea god's divine office. If he went to pilfer the incense and fire faith generated by sea god worship elsewhere, he would naturally hold an advantage.

However, there were problems here too.

Since the court dared to designate several orthodox deities for the people of the world to worship, there should also be ways of handling the generated incense and fire faith.

If he went to pilfer it, he didn't know whether he would be detected or even traced back along the trail.