Chapter 1551: Message Source

A few incense sticks were almost burnt out, so the old woman sitting by the wall quickly added a few more, meticulously placing them upright in the incense burner. She then used a cloth to wipe away the incense ash that had fallen onto the altar.

Guide Liu stepped forward and asked, only then learning that this was where the townspeople had stoned City Guard Liu to death. After Emperor Jiuyou left, Commander Yang had led the people to erect a black dragon statue in his honor, and many people came here daily to offer their respects.

Bai Ziqi instructed his subordinates to split up and gather information about the two battles. He, meanwhile, asked the old woman by the wall for directions to Puyu Temple.

The old woman, who was bowing to a wooden carving, replied indifferently without opening her eyes, "Go back, behind the city, to Bayuan Village."

Bai Ziqi followed the direction of her finger and walked towards the back of the city. Along the way, he passed through a market. Besides common agricultural products, there were several stalls selling necklaces, small statues, and protective cloth pouches. Although crudely made and somewhat abstract, everyone could tell at a glance that they were imitations of black-armored figures or black dragons.

Emperor Jiuyou was very popular here.

Passing through a pass, he saw a small temple standing on a hill.

The temple was somewhat dilapidated, with a missing corner under its eaves.

Bai Ziqi ordered his companions to wait and entered the temple alone.

The temple was empty, with a thick layer of dust on the deity's statue. On the altar, there was only a plate of cold steamed buns and a bunch of somewhat shriveled grapes. This was in stark contrast to the abundant incense and mountains of offerings at the black dragon totem behind the gates of Shizhou Head.

One incense stick had burned down to a stub and was about to go out.

Bai Ziqi lit six incense sticks. Then, with a wave of his hand, the doors and windows automatically closed tightly.

Once the smoke rose straight up, he murmured a few words.

After a dozen breaths, the smoke suddenly paused, condensing in the air without dispersing, as if trying to form a shape.

However, Bai Ziqi waited for a while, but it never fully formed.

Seeing that the smoke was about to disperse again, he simply took out a pale gold candle from his pocket and carefully placed it on the altar.

With a soft 'puff,' the candle ignited on its own, but its core flame was an odd pale green. At the same time, the smoke in the air naturally dispersed.

"Puyu God?" Bai Ziqi asked.

The pale gold candle's flame shot up over a foot high, transforming a few times like clay, and shaped itself into a blurry, rectangular face without features.

"This is a long-burning lamp spirit of the Lingxu Pantheon..." a muddled voice stated. "Whose divine official are you?"

"Star-Picking Tower, Chief Cloud Envoy."

"Oh?" Puyu God seemed to awaken from a long slumber, almost yawning. "What is a servant of the Lingxu Main God doing in my temple?"

"Your temple's worship is almost gone," Bai Ziqi said rather impolitely, as Puyu God's temple keeper had run away, posing no threat to him. "It seems your followers have all been taken by Emperor Jiuyou."

"..." Puyu God grumbled, "What exactly do you want?"

Was it the only god whose worship was stolen on the Golden Flash Plain? Its worship at Shizhou Head wasn't strong; it originally had hundreds of followers, but after Emperor Jiuyou appeared, there were fewer than ten left.

Without followers, the temple naturally fell into disrepair.

"My master couldn't find you in the Divine Realm, which is why I was sent to Bayuan Village," Bai Ziqi said, looking up. "Are you hiding?"

Puyu God chuckled, "Where I go, what business is it of theirs?"

"Why are you being so secretive? You're not trying to imitate Mitian from back then, are you?"

The name "Mitian" was a taboo in the Divine Realm. As soon as Bai Ziqi uttered it, Puyu God found it jarring. The human-like face formed by the lamp spirit suddenly moved closer, almost touching Bai Ziqi's face, but he remained unmoving.

"You are a divine envoy of Lingxu, but you are also a lowly human!" it hissed. "Didn't your masters teach you to show reverence when facing a deity?"

Bai Ziqi raised a hand and poked it, and the lamp spirit immediately retreated to its original position. He stood tall. "Status is determined by strength," he declared. "I only serve my master."

The lamp spirit trembled erratically and re-formed Puyu God's face. "Your masters can't stand to see others possess treasures," it said. "If I hadn't hidden, I would have been targeted when the Imperial Dew erupts in over two months."

Bai Ziqi understood. What could be called a "treasure" by heavenly gods was most likely the Dragon-Punishing Pillar.

This wild god had somehow acquired the Dragon-Punishing Pillar, and when the Lingxu Pantheon discovered it, Puyu God began to hide everywhere.

In the current Divine Realm, the struggle over the Dragon-Punishing Pillar was intensifying; even a righteous god had fallen. Minor gods like Puyu God clearly understood the peril of possessing such a treasure.

"Don't worry, I haven't come for your Dragon-Punishing Pillar," Bai Ziqi said earnestly. "I am merely here on the Saint Lord's command to investigate Emperor Jiuyou. It is said that Emperor Jiuyou first appeared in Shizhou Head. Do you have any clues, Puyu God?"

"Emperor Jiuyou?" So that's it; has Emperor Jiuyou also threatened the faith of the Lingxu Pantheon? Puyu God remained silent for a moment before speaking. "You've been at sea for a long time, haven't you?"

"Yes."

"Recently, Emperor Jiuyou gained another title: Reincarnated True Dragon. It's being spread everywhere in the Golden Flash Plain that he is also the reincarnation of the Black Dragon Divine Venerable."

"Black Dragon Divine Venerable?" Bai Ziqi questioned. "Where did these rumors come from?"

"Unclear, they're everywhere," Puyu God chuckled. "Don't you see where you're standing? The Golden Flash Plain is a land of chaos. Do you expect to find the source of every rumor here?"

"Emperor Jiuyou has been to Shizhou Head, which is very close to Bayuan Village. You know that, right?"

Puyu God asked, "What benefit do I get from giving you clues?"

"This lamp spirit is yours," Bai Ziqi offered. The long-burning lamp spirit was one of the treasures bestowed by the Heavenly Palace, with countless wondrous uses; an ordinary lamp attendant might not be able to cultivate one in a lifetime. Puyu God could find many uses for the lamp spirit.

Otherwise, with the temple keeper absent, it wouldn't even be able to converse with humans.

Bai Ziqi didn't blink. "Besides, if I can uncover Emperor Jiuyou's true identity, wouldn't that be good for you?"

The sharp decline in faith on the Golden Flash Plain had already caused numerous wild gods to complain bitterly. So Puyu God no longer played hard to get. "Emperor Jiuyou has been in here," it conceded.

"Here?" Bai Ziqi asked, slightly surprised. "In this temple?"

"He once stood where you are now," Puyu God whispered. "At that time, he was dressed in that attire, with a mask on his head, but no karmic flames rose around him. He was accompanied by a subordinate wearing a wolf mask."

"Karmic flames?" Bai Ziqi seized on the keyword. "Are the black flames around him not a divine ability?"

"First, let me finish," Puyu God grumbled, annoyed that the servant of Lingxu Saint Lord was almost as impolite as his master. "At that time, Yang Meng, the commander of Shizhou Head, was still praying in my temple because the invading Zhao Guangzhi had retreated, but City Lord Liu Shuheng had instead led his troops to attack his own city. After Emperor Jiuyou arrived, he repeatedly asked me what was happening in the Divine Realm and why gods were continuously falling. He also asked about the recent situation of Naraka and the date of the Imperial Dew's descent."

"Interrogating about the Divine Realm?" Bai Ziqi mused. "Emperor Jiuyou is so interested in deities? Why did he specifically ask about Naraka?"