Chapter 672: Divine Beings
Chapter 672: Divine Beings
Mo Hua was stunned. He muttered, "No way..."
If one truly had to "consume" a deity to break through their realm, could anyone truly cultivate this technique to completion?
Or was this merely his own speculation?
Mo Hua frowned.
Although the Heavenly Deviation Technique was an ancient cultivation method bestowed upon him by his profound and inscrutable master, its origins were shrouded in mystery. But no matter what, it shouldn't be this "perverted"...
To slay deities, devour their marrow, and transform one's spirit before breaking through one's cultivation realm—if this were true, the technique shouldn't be called the Heavenly Deviation Technique, but rather the Divine Devouring Technique.
Mo Hua silently criticized in his heart.
"It shouldn't be that extreme..."
Mo Hua secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but then his heart tightened again as another thought occurred to him.
What if...? What if one truly had to slay and devour deities, undergoing a spiritual transformation, in order to break through the bottleneck and advance from the middle to the late stages of Foundation Establishment, and ultimately to form the Golden Core? If that were the case, wouldn't he be doomed?
Mo Hua furrowed his brows, his young face turning solemn.
It wasn't easy to kill a malevolent god...
And as for "divine marrow," it was something extremely rare and difficult to come by.
Time was also limited.
This was already his second year since joining the sect.
By the third year, it would be decided whether he would advance or be left behind.
If one truly had to "consume" a deity to break through, he should have prepared beforehand and filled himself with "divine marrow."
If, by next year, everyone else had broken through their bottlenecks and reached the middle stage of foundation establishment, and he, in his haste, failed to break through, he would undoubtedly be left behind.
And if he never managed to "consume" divine marrow, with his cultivation perpetually blocked by the bottleneck, he might remain stuck at the early stage of foundation establishment for the rest of his life.
Mo Hua's heart chilled at the thought.
If he were left behind once, he would go from being Cheng Mo and their "little senior brother" to their "little junior brother."
If he never broke through and was perpetually left behind, would he be their "little junior brother" forever? Mo Hua's expression turned grave.
No, absolutely not! Even for the sake of Old Mr. Xun's face, he wouldn't be expelled from the Grand Void Sect.
But if he remained stuck at the foundation establishment stage for life, not only would he lose face, but he would also embarrass Old Mr. Xun, who had high hopes for him.
Moreover, if he truly couldn't break through his realm, with only his foundation establishment cultivation, there were many things he wouldn't be able to accomplish in this lifetime.
He still needed to increase his cultivation and learn the kind of "array that turns yin and yang, defies life and death, and seizes the essence of creation" that Old Master Situ had mentioned, so that he could save his master!
Mo Hua's eyes shone with determination.
"I need to come up with a plan in advance..."
When facing a problem, one should always consider the worst-case scenario.
If the Heavenly Deviation Technique truly required the consumption of deities to advance, then he must prepare early and take preemptive measures, using all means necessary to fill himself with "divine marrow" beforehand! That way, even if this technique turned out to be as "perverted" as he feared, he wouldn't have to worry at all!
Mo Hua nodded to himself.
"I'll make plans based on the possibility of having to 'consume' deities to break through..."
"But where am I supposed to find so many deities to 'consume'?"
Mo Hua furrowed his brows, feeling perplexed.
Malevolent gods weren't like cabbages that he could find, capture, and "consume" whenever he wanted.
Moreover, even if he really found, captured, and "consumed" them, there would still be other troubles.
Mo Hua wasn't quite clear about the true nature of deities.
What was the difference between malevolent gods and ordinary deities?
What was the "Dao" of deities?
What means did they possess?
Additionally, after consuming "divine marrow" and undergoing assimilation by divine nature, one's humanity seemed to gradually erode, causing one to forget their original heart and change into someone else...
Without figuring out these issues, he definitely wouldn't dare to boldly go about "consuming" deities.
Mo Hua knitted his brows and pondered for a long time, but he still couldn't come up with any solutions.
In his mere decade or so of cultivation experience, he had rarely come across cultivation knowledge pertaining to deities.
Since he couldn't figure it out, Mo Hua could only temporarily put it out of his mind.
Early the next morning, after his cultivation class, Mo Hua rushed to the Grand Void Sect's library to search for any records or ancient texts related to deities.
Browsing the library also required spending merit points.
Mo Hua was currently quite wealthy in terms of merit points, so he didn't mind the expense.
However, after searching for a long time, he still didn't find anything useful.
There were only sparse mentions of deities in some cultivation texts, with vague descriptions of how there were deities in certain regions who received offerings and protected the people there.
Or how people's greed and lust could corrupt their faith, causing the deities who originally protected them to fall and become malevolent gods.
Or how malevolent gods wreaked havoc, only to be suppressed and sealed away by powerful cultivators...
But these records were mostly hearsay and rumors, and it was unclear how much of it was true.
Not to mention any information pertaining to the origin of deities, cultivating divinity, "consuming" deities...
Or the "theology" mentioned by the golden malevolent god's eyeball—things like divine embryo, Dao transformation, divine marrow, sacrificial offerings, divine position, incense power, and authority.
Mo Hua had a vague feeling.
It seemed that gods and humans were two completely different types of cultivators.
"Should I ask Old Mr. Xun or the sect's elders about this?"
Mo Hua considered the idea but ultimately discarded it.
Since his intentions were less than pure, and his purpose was something he couldn't reveal, it was better not to ask the elders about such taboo topics.
Although he had fallen from grace and was now a mere impoverished mountain god, a mountain god was still a god, and he surely knew more than Mo Hua did.
Mo Hua made up his mind.
A few days later, during the decennial break, Mo Hua specially prepared wine, food, and offerings, and set off for Ku Mountain.
This time, he was visiting specifically, not just passing by.
To avoid "breaking his promise" and to not let Huang Shan Jun "down," Mo Hua even got up early, hired a faster carriage, and planned to arrive early and leave early to avoid any last-minute delays.
The carriage sped like the wind, and several hours later, Mo Hua arrived at Ku Mountain.
After disembarking, he climbed the familiar rugged mountain path and steep stone steps.
The surrounding scenery remained as he remembered it—quiet and desolate.
From a distance, he could see Huang Shan Jun's dilapidated temple.
A sense of familiarity and warmth filled Mo Hua's heart.
Treading on the moss-covered steps, he walked towards the temple, facing the morning sun with a cheerful heart and light steps.
The mountain breeze was refreshing, and the mountain scenery remained unchanged.
Humming a tune, Mo Hua walked into the temple and looked up to see Huang Shan Jun sitting upright on the clay statue, his face looking rather gloomy.
He seemed resigned, filled with helplessness and a sense of hopelessness.
Mo Hua looked up at the sky and asked in confusion, "Shan Jun, why do you look so unhappy on such a beautiful day?"
Huang Shan Jun gave Mo Hua a plaintive look.
It was all because he knew you were coming...
Huang Shan Jun sighed inwardly.
Ever since he had a premonition that a little troublemaker was about to pay him a visit, he had been worried sick and couldn't sleep well for several days and nights...
This premonition had come to him earlier in the month.
But later, for some unknown reason, it suddenly disappeared.
Huang Shan Jun thought that the child wasn't coming, and he felt relieved, overjoyed that a huge burden had been lifted from his shoulders.
However, his relief didn't last long before the premonition returned stronger than ever, and it seemed unavoidable.
Huang Shan Jun resigned himself to his fate, so early in the morning, he sat stiffly in the clay statue, enduring the torment of waiting for his "guest" to arrive.
Mo Hua looked around and asked curiously, "Aren't you going to hide in the puppy this time?"
Huang Shan Jun wore a numb expression.
If hiding in the puppy would help, I would have done it long ago.
But the fact was, even if he hid in the puppy, he couldn't escape; this child would still be able to "sniff" him out...
It was just self-deception.
Mo Hua noticed Huang Shan Jun's unhappiness and thought that it was because he had no incense offerings or offerings to eat, so his mood was low.
It seemed that not only did people suffer when they fell from grace, but even gods had to endure hard times when they fell from grace.
Whether they were gods or humans, those at the bottom seemed to lead similar lives.
Mo Hua felt a sense of sympathy, and his heart was soon comforted by the thought that he had come.
"I brought you some good food!"
Mo Hua took out the spiritual wine, spiritual fruit, steamed buns, snacks, meat, and other delicacies from his storage bag and placed them on the altar, looking at Huang Shan Jun expectantly.
It was as if he was saying, "Go on, eat."
Amidst Huang Shan Jun's complex emotions, a hint of warmth and gratitude emerged.
Even though this child signaled big trouble...
He sighed and didn't want to... nor dared to reject Mo Hua's kindness. So, he took a sip of the wine and ate some of the chicken meat.
As soon as the meat touched his tongue, Huang Shan Jun's narrow eyes lit up.
Heaven had mercy, and he didn't know how long it had been since he last tasted such delicious offerings.
Delicious!
For a moment, Huang Shan Jun forgot his worries and indulged in the feast.
Mo Hua nodded in satisfaction.
These offerings were specially prepared by Mo Hua.
Some of the dishes were even made by him, containing the goodwill of a young "half-god."
However, Mo Hua was unaware of this fact.
Huang Shan Jun never expected this either.
He only felt that today's offerings were exceptionally delicious, perhaps the most delicious he had ever tasted since taking refuge in this dilapidated temple after being killed by the divine sword's godly consciousness.
Huang Shan Jun ate with relish, his eyes half-closed in pleasure.
Mo Hua was also happy to see this and jumped lightly onto the altar, sitting side by side with Huang Shan Jun. He then took out a roasted lamb leg from his storage bag and enjoyed it together with Huang Shan Jun.
Mo Hua remembered that Huang Shan Jun didn't eat lamb, so he happily kept the lamb leg for himself.
Huang Shan Jun caught a whiff of the lamb and stiffened.
He turned his head and saw Mo Hua seemingly oblivious, chewing on the lamb leg, his small mouth greasy from the oil. Huang Shan Jun couldn't help but blink rapidly, trying to hold back his laughter.
After a while, Huang Shan Jun sighed, took a sip of wine, and continued eating his own offerings.
The mountain forest was picturesque, and the temple was serene.
The bright sunlight shone through the roof, casting a warm glow on the floor.
Mo Hua and Huang Shan Jun sat side by side, quietly enjoying their meal—one chewing on the lamb leg and the other savoring the offerings.
After eating for a while, Huang Shan Jun suddenly realized something.
"You're looking for me... Do you have something to ask me?"
"Yes!" Mo Hua nodded and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. He got straight to the point and asked, "Shan Jun, what is the difference between gods and humans?"
"This..."
Huang Shan Jun was taken aback, confused by the question. "Why do you ask?"
"I'm just curious." Mo Hua blinked innocently.
Huang Shan Jun rolled his eyes, not believing for a second that Mo Hua had traveled so far and brought such delicious treats just because of his "curiosity."
There was an innocent and adorable look on Mo Hua's face as he said this, but for some reason, there was also an air of authority that made it hard for Huang Shan Jun to...
refuse.
Huang Shan Jun's heart trembled.
Had something happened to this child again? Why did his words make Huang Shan Jun, a mountain god, subconsciously afraid to refuse?
Huang Shan Jun's expression changed, and his emotions fluctuated.
Mo Hua noticed his strange behavior and asked, "Shan Jun, what's wrong?"
Huang Shan Jun was startled and then forced a smile, "It's, it's nothing..."
"Oh." Mo Hua gave Huang Shan Jun a doubtful look and then asked, "So, can you tell me? What exactly are gods, and how are they different from humans?"
Mo Hua expected Huang Shan Jun to give another vague response, but instead, Huang Shan Jun seemed to shudder slightly before heaving a deep sigh and agreeing, "Alright, I'll tell you..."
"Mhm."
Mo Hua straightened his small frame and listened intently.
Huang Shan Jun glanced at Mo Hua, his expression complicated, and then slowly sighed, "So-called deities are also a type of spirit among the heavens and the earth. They are just different from humans in that they do not rely on flesh and blood to exist but are instead a powerful, independent, and pure embodiment of divine will."
"But this does not mean that deities do not need a physical form."
"Just like humans, they possess both flesh and divine consciousness. Both are indispensable."
"When a human's cultivation reaches a certain level, their divine soul can temporarily leave their physical body, but neither the body nor the soul can be harmed."
"If the divine consciousness scatters, the flesh will be without a master, and if the flesh perishes, the divine consciousness will also perish."
"It is much the same for deities..."
"Different deities have different objects of incarnation. Some reside in mountains and rivers, but most deities actually inhabit a 'divine statue'..."
"'Divine statue' is akin to the physical body of a deity."
"However, there are various types of divine statues. Some are natal divine statues, some are twin divine statues, some are missionary divine statues, and there are also heterodox divine statues of other kinds..."
"Missionary?" Mo Hua asked, puzzled.
Huang Shan Jun explained, "For a deity to become stronger, it needs to feed on incense offerings and receive faith from humans. Thus, it must 'missionize'..."
"The broader the missionary efforts, the more believers there are, the deeper their devotion, and the stronger the deity becomes."
"When a deity missionsizes, it cannot move its only 'natal' divine statue, so it divides itself and inhabits 'missionary' divine statues, sending them throughout the lands so that the people can offer incense and worship."
Mo Hua understood, "So most of the 'divine statues' seen in the world are 'missionary' divine statues, inhabited by a fragment of the deity's divine will, used for receiving offerings and worship?"
"As for the 'natal divine statue', it is like the deity's foundation, something that cannot be easily revealed?"
Huang Shan Jun nodded, "Indeed."
Mo Hua's eyes lit up, and he curiously asked, "Then, is this clay statue of yours a natal divine statue or a missionary divine statue?"
Huang Shan Jun was shocked. He quickly covered his clay statue, "I can't tell you that!"
If he did, it would be the end of him!
Mo Hua didn't insist, seeing Huang Shan Jun's panicked expression, and comforted him instead, "Don't worry, I'm just asking casually, I'm not plotting against you..."
Huang Shan Jun was half-believing, but he still kept a tight hold on his clay statue.
Mo Hua offered some more reassurances and fruit before Huang Shan Jun finally calmed down.
"Missionary divine statue..."
Mo Hua thought for a moment and then asked, "Then, are there any deities... that inhabit human bodies?"
Huang Shan Jun's eyes flickered, and his expression became terrifying.
Mo Hua was taken aback, "What's wrong?"
Huang Shan Jun's face struggled with conflicting emotions before he finally sighed, "There are..."
"Usually, deities inhabit divine statues. If a deity inhabits a human body, it means that... it has become an evil god!"
"Evil god..."
Mo Hua's eyes turned solemn.
Huang Shan Jun's expression became solemn as he continued, "Divine statues are usually made of clay or stone. These things are inanimate objects in the world, without life or consciousness, so they are 'clean'."
"When a deity inhabits a divine statue, it upholds its own 'Dao' and is not influenced or affected, so there is usually no problem."
"But humans are different. They possess divine consciousness, and within that consciousness lie unknown greed and desires, making them 'unclean'..."
"When a deity inhabits a human body, it will either corrupt the human or be corrupted by the human..."
"Once corrupted, it will fall..."
"Not only humans, but if a deity inhabits a magical beast, a spiritual beast, or any other being with consciousness and life, it means that the deity has become an 'evil god' or is at least on the path to becoming one..."
Huang Shan Jun's eyes held deep fear.
Mo Hua's heart turned solemn, and he whispered, "Evil gods... are they very scary?"
Huang Shan Jun nodded fearfully.
Mo Hua thought for a moment but still didn't understand, "Why does inhabiting a living being with flesh and blood lead to corruption and falling, turning into an evil god?
"Wouldn't it be fine if they just fed on incense offerings and received faith?"
"What happens when a deity becomes an evil god?
Mo Hua asked a string of questions.
Hearing this, Huang Shan Jun smiled bitterly, "I'm just a small and destitute mountain god. How would I know about such things? Evil gods are not something I can afford to offend..."
"That's true..."
Mo Hua nodded, no longer pressing Huang Shan Jun with such terrifying questions about "evil gods."
Huang Shan Jun breathed a sigh of relief.
"Right..." Mo Hua thought for a moment, then asked another question that had been puzzling him, "Can people become gods?"
Huang Shan Jun was taken aback, then immediately shook his head, "What are you thinking? That's definitely impossible."
"What about living like a god and feeding on incense offerings?" Mo Hua asked.
Huang Shan Jun replied impatiently, "Have you ever seen a living person receiving incense offerings?"
Mo Hua recalled, and indeed, he couldn't remember any examples of living people receiving incense offerings.
Huang Shan Jun said, "Gods are gods, and humans are humans. Although they are both types of beings in the heavens and the earth, they are fundamentally different. It is impossible for a human to 'become a god'."
"Without a physical body, a human's divine soul will eventually perish over time."
"And with a physical body, all sorts of desires will attach themselves to you, constantly 'polluting' you. Without detaching yourself from worldly affairs, it is absolutely impossible to become a god."
Mo Hua nodded slowly, then asked, "Then, what if one doesn't have a physical body and instead possesses an external object, such as a painting, a sword, or a gourd...?"
Mo Hua remembered that he had seen quite a few visualization charts, and the evil spirits within were mostly like this.
Huang Shan Jun said, "In that case, it's not a human, nor a god, but a 'ghost'."
"Ghost?"
Mo Hua was taken aback.
Huang Shan Jun nodded, "A human's divine soul and physical body are one. The flesh, spirit, and soul are intertwined and inseparable..."
"Once a human's divine soul leaves its physical body, or if the physical body is destroyed and the divine soul remains, that soul becomes 'incomplete'..."
"Incomplete things will seek completion."
"Possessing an external object is futile because it doesn't belong to you. Possessing a physical body is also pointless if your original body has been destroyed, even if you replace it with someone else's. It still won't be yours."
"In this situation, your divine soul will constantly deplete, your memories will gradually blur, and your original 'humanity' will distort..."
"Eventually, you will become a 'ghost'..."
"What does a person do when they turn into a ghost?" Huang Shan Jun looked at Mo Hua and sighed, asking slowly.
Mo Hua frowned and thought for a moment, "Do they eat the divine souls of others?"
Huang Shan Jun nodded, "Yes. Without a physical body or a place to nurture your soul, your soul will constantly deplete and you won't be able to recover. You can only sustain yourself by consuming the divine souls of others."
"Won't consuming other ghostly beings or evil thoughts work?" Mo Hua asked.
Huang Shan Jun said, "Of course, it will work, but other ghostly beings and evil thoughts are not easy to come by. Even if you encounter them, you may not be their match."
"Even if you consume them, it won't really help..."
Huang Shan Jun sighed, "The most terrifying thing about a person turning into a ghost is..."
"...they will first feed on the divine souls of their blood relatives."
"Blood relatives?" Mo Hua's eyes narrowed.
Huang Shan Jun nodded, "When a person becomes a 'ghost', their divine soul will deplete, and their memories will blur."
"Among other people, the ones with the most memories related to you are naturally your blood relatives."
"So, after becoming a vengeful ghost, the first divine soul they will want to 'consume' is that of their relatives, to sustain their existence."
"It's an instinct that cannot be suppressed."
"Even if it can be suppressed for a while, there will eventually come a day when their violent nature erupts."
"Secondly, a ghost's physical body is gone, and the one most similar to their physical body is a blood relative with the same bloodline."
"So, ghosts also tend to parasitize their parents and children."
Huang Shan Jun sighed, "Therefore, when a person becomes a 'ghost', or when a cultivator becomes a ghost cultivator, it indicates that they have most likely already harmed their own blood relatives..."
Mo Hua's heart softened, and he fell into deep thought.
Finally, Huang Shan Jun said solemnly, "Gods, humans, and ghosts are all related to the 'divine soul' and follow certain grand dao rules, but they are also clearly distinct and fundamentally different from each other."
"This knowledge about divine souls is extremely confidential in the path of cultivation. I am a mountain god, and I have lived for a long time, so I know a little more than others."
"Ordinary cultivators who do not cultivate their divine souls and have weak divine consciousness are completely ignorant of such things."
"They only know to respect gods and fear ghosts, but they do not know what they should respect and what they should fear."
"Even among cultivators, some of the so-called aristocratic families have a bunch of old monsters that have lived for a long time. Without this kind of heritage and understanding of gods and ghosts, they won't know much either..."
Huang Shan Jun stroked his beard with a self-satisfied expression as he finished speaking.
Mo Hua respectfully nodded his head, then paused slightly and looked at Huang Shan Jun doubtfully, "Have you lived for a very, very long time, Shan Jun?"
Huang Shan Jun was taken aback, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
...
(End of Chapter)
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