Chapter 975: Hooking Up with a Celestial Eye Agent

Chapter 965: Colluding with an Upper Realm Informant

The temple priest who came out here had a nearly shaved head, with only a small tuft of hair left at the very center of his forehead.

That hairstyle was very familiar; Fang Canran had indeed recommended the right place.

On the overseas islands, there were many fringe forces and numerous temples dedicated to minor gods and wild deities.

He stepped into the temple, which was only about ten square meters and had no distinct front or back sections. He Lingchuan looked up and saw that the idol worshipped inside must have been recently renovated, with a fresh coat of paint and repairs to any damage.

On the altar table were two plates of mixed fruits, a plate of red steamed buns, and even a whole roasted chicken!

Several sticks of incense burned in the censer, their smoke rising continuously.

It seemed this temple was quite popular with worshippers.

Additionally, an old woman with greying hair was prostrated on a prayer mat, palms facing upwards, murmuring prayers with great devotion.

Aside from her, there was no one else in the temple, and the priest who had just left was nowhere to be seen. He Lingchuan lit seven sticks of incense and placed them in the censer. Then, he picked up the divination blocks from the altar table, circled the incense three times, and each time he circled, he whispered:“Heavenly God Shinan, please reveal yourself. A friend from Thundergod Island is visiting!”After speaking, he cast the divination blocks onto the floor.

These “divination blocks” were crescent-shaped pieces of wood, flat on one side (the “yang” side) and convex on the other (the “yin” side). They always came in pairs, painted red on the outside, and were common tools in temples for communicating with deities.

When seeking a deity’s will, worshippers would take the blocks and cast them onto the ground.

He Lingchuan cast them, and both blocks landed flat side up, meaning both “yang” sides were facing up. This indicated that the deity's will was undecided and required further inquiry.

He picked up the blocks, waited patiently for a quarter of an hour, and cast them again.

They still landed flat side up.

He Lingchuan whispered, “The deal we discussed last time, do you no longer wish to proceed? I’ve brought the item.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the candlelight suddenly flickered.

He Lingchuan understood and cast the blocks onto the floor again.

This time, finally, one yin and one yang side faced up, indicating the deity’s agreement or satisfaction!

The old woman on the prayer mat was still prostrated. He Lingchuan initially thought of asking her to leave but then decided against it. He went to close the doors and windows himself, then lit another seven sticks of incense.

The candlelight and smoke rose straight upwards, and the air in the room became still.

At this moment, the smoke rising from the censer suddenly moved on its own, without a breeze, bending and heading towards the old woman on the ground.

She was praying with her eyes closed, completely unaware.

The smoke entered through her ears and nose, and the old woman’s prayers immediately ceased.

Then, she slowly lifted her head and stood up.

The old woman, usually stooped, now stood perfectly straight. Her cloudy old eyes gained a vibrant gleam, and her pupils, large and tinged with blue, fixed on He Lingchuan. She said:“It’s you, the vessel of Naraka.”Even the mask he wore was the same as last time.“Where is the item you were to bring me?”Its voice was rough, but not indistinct.

He Lingchuan took a small copper rod from his embrace and handed it over, saying, “It’s been used.”

The old woman took it, turned it over several times, and indeed found several wisps of gas inside, proving the item had been used.

This was He Lingchuan’s newly designed Dragon Punishment Pillar, with a different style from before.

“Very good,” said the old woman, her mind controlled by the God Shinan. “The transaction is complete.”

The last time He Lingchuan had sought out the God Shinan on Thundergod Island, he had received five answers in advance. The God Shinan had requested him to return a used Dragon Punishment Pillar within a year.

For others, this condition would be incredibly difficult to meet, as those who possessed Dragon Punishment Pillars usually kept quiet about them, and the items were not circulated in the market.

But for He Lingchuan, it was no problem.

Therefore, this time he simply brought the God Shinan a large-capacity version, and the latter’s satisfaction was evident.

“What else do you wish to ask?” This was a profitable business; answer a few questions and get a Dragon Punishment Pillar.

“You can calculate the arrival time of the Emperor’s Essence Nectar, right?”

“Yes, of course.” Divine demises occurring in the God Realm could not escape their notice.

“Besides the two consecutive arrivals within half a month, when will the subsequent Emperor’s Essence Nectar descents occur?”

The God Shinan stared at him for a while. “Who told you it would arrive within half a month?”

“Naraka.”

Upon hearing the name of this upright deity, the God Shinan’s voice rose three octaves:“Wait, has He already found you?”

If Naraka had been continuously observing this vessel, it would not have been difficult for Him to discover his transaction with Shinan!

Coveting another’s vessel, especially that of an upright deity, was a great taboo in the God Realm. Shinan would avoid such a risk at all costs.

Sensing Shinan’s reluctance, He Lingchuan immediately said, “Don’t worry, He won’t look for me again for a while, nor will He discover the connection between you and me.”

His demeanor was utterly calm, like friends discussing the weather.

Shinan sensed the confidence in his words and asked doubtfully, “How do you mean?”

“Naraka encountered a slight accident.”

The old woman controlled by Shinan’s neck trembled slightly. “What happened?”

“Wouldn’t you know if you inquired in the God Realm?” He Lingchuan smiled. “In short, I am very safe, and you are very safe. No deity will come after us.”

Of course, Shinan was still unconvinced. He Lingchuan continued, “Besides, isn’t it a bit late for you to worry now? We made a deal on Thundergod Island a year ago. You clearly knew I wanted to unseal Naraka’s mark and even told me how. If Naraka had successfully descended, He would know all these things. Why are you only thinking of backing out now?”

Shinan choked. “This…”

At the time, it genuinely wanted the Dragon Punishment Pillar and thought Naraka might not bother.

It quickly changed the subject. “Since you can communicate with Naraka, obtaining information about the Emperor’s Essence Nectar shouldn’t be difficult, should it?”

“No, I can’t contact Him anymore.” The information about these two Emperor’s Essence Nectar descents was given by Naraka’s avatar. However, that unfortunate avatar was subsequently turned into a tree by the Great Square Pot and could no longer speak to him. “So, I immediately thought of you.”

The God Shinan immediately said, “The God Realm strictly forbids us from transmitting such information to the lower realm. Otherwise, what chaos would ensue if everyone in the human world knew?”

He Lingchuan couldn’t help but laugh. “Are you kidding me? In Beijia, whether it’s in Spirit Void City or the Vassal Demon Nation, all high-ranking officials know about it. Even the relatives, friends, and even servants of nobles have already prepared basins to collect it. Yet you tell me the news is strictly forbidden from being passed down?”

The God Shinan’s tone was a bit stiff. “Beijia is different.”

The status of the gods of Spirit Void was very high in the God Realm.

“Is that so? Then what about Mou State?” He Lingchuan didn't believe a word of it. “Does the Mou State monarch know? Do the powerful nobles know?”

The God Shinan fell silent.

Mou State was not a nation that worshipped gods, but that didn’t prevent them from acquiring intelligence.

Such important information, once it spreads, is impossible to prevent.

The only ones who remained uninformed were always the common people.

The Emperor’s Essence Nectar was incredibly precious and crucial for He Lingchuan, for the Yangshan Archipelago, and for the army he intended to build. Therefore, he had to obtain accurate information about it.

The Heavenly God known to be easiest to communicate with was Shinan.

He Lingchuan lit a few more sticks of incense. “It’s like ‘only allowing magistrates to commit arson while forbidding commoners to light lamps.’ So, the God Realm is like this too?”

The old woman remained motionless for a while, not even moving her eyeballs. He Lingchuan knew Shinan was weighing its options.

After another short while, it finally spoke, “Revealing such valuable information to you carries a risk for me.”

He Lingchuan’s hand rested on the altar table. “A birch table, a freshly repaired idol. You’re doing quite well here, at least better than on Thundergod Island.”

The temple on Thundergod Island was larger than this one, but much more dilapidated.

The old woman fluttered her eyelids but did not deny it.

“The Dragon Punishment Pillar I gave you last year allowed you to absorb quite a bit of nightmare energy, didn’t it?” Minor gods like Shinan typically had no other means of acquiring nightmare energy. They all hoped to replicate Naraka’s success, but unfortunately, such lucky individuals were too rare.

Shinan chuckled softly twice. “You think too highly of yourself. How much could just one Dragon Punishment Pillar, even if fully saturated with nightmare energy, possibly replenish me?”

“So you acquired nightmare energy through other means?” He Lingchuan suddenly realized. “What method? Did you find a new ally, or seek refuge with a powerful patron?”

“…” This young man’s mind was too sharp, wasn’t it? It had only let one sentence slip. “Don’t you think these questions are a bit abrupt?”

He Lingchuan chuckled, “Alright, alright, back to the main topic. Give me all future information about the Emperor’s Essence Nectar, and I also want to know Naraka’s movements. Name your price.”

He was preparing to establish a long-term connection.

To know himself and his enemy, he needed at least one informant in the God Realm to grasp new developments and adjust his plans in a timely manner.

Just as Shinan was about to speak, He Lingchuan added, “I could obtain information about the Emperor’s Essence Nectar with a bit of effort. Coming to you is both for convenience and the thought that one more deity friend means one more path open. With the current turbulent times, you also want to make more friends in the human world, don’t you?”

Shinan felt like rolling its eyes.

Friends? Why would a Heavenly God want to be friends with humans? What they wanted were followers, informants, and labor!

But deep down, Shinan knew that the more astute individuals were, the harder they were to control.

It had developed some devout followers itself, but these people were either poor or stubborn, all from the lower echelons of society.

Servants were easy to use but not effective, while talented individuals were effective but difficult to use. Only upright gods with “Heaven” as a suffix in their title were qualified to enlist human elites to serve them.

But this was a paradox: if it couldn't become an upright god, it couldn't attract human elites; and if human elites didn't work for it, how could it absorb enough nightmare energy to become an upright god?

Most wild gods and minor deities were stuck at this stage, with no hope of advancement.

Though the fellow before it was Naraka’s vessel, he was quick-witted and resourceful, even able to obtain Dragon Punishment Pillars. Perhaps he could do more for it in the future.

Exchanging resources with him was truly more beneficial than detrimental.

Fine, let’s cooperate, let’s be friends then. If it didn’t lower its status, how could it get what it needed from a human?

It hoped that before the final transition arrived, it could accumulate enough power and ascend to a higher god. Otherwise, the day the two realms connected would also be the day its hopes of rising, as a minor deity, were extinguished.

“I can give you the information about the Emperor’s Essence Nectar first.” Shinan pondered for a moment before starting to negotiate. “Yap Island and Shark Island in this archipelago are large islands, both inhabited by two to three thousand people. You must build a temple for me on each of those two islands.”