Chapter 93

"The Four Pillars? Divine Spirits?"

Qin Shi pondered, originally wanting to call out their names directly, but the Thinking Hall suddenly trembled, stopping him from this slightly rash, unwise act.

"Not even allowed to speak them aloud—truly observing the taboo for the Venerable Ones; the standard is just too high."

Qin Shi was somewhat confused; Dongxia did not revere religion or Divine Spirits.

Large-scale gatherings, sacrifices, and other group activities were even forbidden in public places.

Among the Four Pillars, the only one he had heard of was "Divine Machine."

Dongxia people called powered armor capable of roaming the Star Sea and conducting cross-planet activities alone "Divine Machines," later extended to mean combat weapons.

The most heroic legendary tale of the Ancient Era was none other than a Professional Martial Artist single-handedly driving a Divine Machine, beheading enemy commanders among ten thousand troops, and achieving great deeds.

Back then, Dongxia strictly forbade private possession of "Power Armor."

Anyone reported and verified possessing more than three sets was deemed treason.

Execution of the entire clan, punishment extending to nine generations!

Thus, Divine Machines were also called "Nine-Clan Elimination Fun."

Claimed "One armor tops three crossbows, three armors enter the Underworld."

As for the "crossbow" that could rival Divine Machines, it was the essential weapon of Ancient Era martial artists for assassinating kings and attacking carriages—the Dongfeng Crossbow!

This thing was also called the Box Cannon, with tremendous power; a single shot could blast through a tank without issue.

According to currently reliable historical records, during the Turbulent Period, at least seven emperors died under the Dongfeng Crossbow.

Even powerful individuals who had broken through the Hundred Point Threshold of Life Force would find it very hard to survive against the Box Cannon with a range of two thousand meters, weight under eighty jin, bullet caliber of forty millimeters, and a rate of fire of sixty rounds per minute.

But once defensive systems like Silent Force Fields and Hysteresis Force Fields were researched, the Dongfeng Crossbow that martial artists loved so much was eliminated, completely exiting the historical stage.

"He Lanchan relied on the gaze of the Four Pillars, then broke through the Spirit Gate?"

Qin Shi was greatly surprised; although he had heard Lao Liang mention Divine Spirit Favored Clans, Blessing Grace, and the like several times, he had never seen them with his own eyes, nor did he know what Divine Spirits actually looked like.

"The rich rely on burning money, the poor rely on luck. According to Lao Liang, Qi Wuxiang had whatever he wanted in this life, while He Lanchan had nothing he wanted; the latter making it out of the Yazhou Garbage Zone probably relied on strong luck."

He continued consulting his Dao Nature Avatar—Xiao He Xiao He—on how to seek the gaze of Dongxia's Four Pillars.

The white-haired youth had a blank expression, like a robot with low intelligence, his demeanor stiff as he recited:

"There are three conventional paths: holding Esoteric Rituals, Ancient Relic Summoning, and Bloodline Awakening..."

Qin Shi pondered for a moment, then asked for the detailed content of the first category.

He also sighed with feeling, Martial God A Meng is truly useful!

It can auto-train and act as a search engine too.

"Esoteric Rituals are divided into twelve levels total; depending on the requirements, the conditions for achievement differ. The higher the level of the Esoteric Ritual, the stricter the conditions, with detailed requirements for materials, venues, and even timing."

"The Four Pillars are everywhere, eternal and everlasting; if merely seeking their gaze, even just pressing palms together and praying devoutly, with good luck, one might receive a partial response."

Hearing the white-haired youth's answer, Qin Shi's mouth twitched, inexplicably feeling like a telemarketer—as long as enough calls were made, the Four Pillars would surely be willing to pick up.

Hello hello hello, are the Four Pillar Bosses there?

Can you glance at me!

"Let me see how He Lanchan did it."

Qin Shi thought for a moment, discarding the foolish notion of shouting every day "Taiyi/Tianren/Divine Machine/True Dragon, bestow power upon me."

He suddenly became very interested in how the youth Shi Fo moved the Four Pillars, after all, the latter came from the Yazhou Garbage Zone, a bottom-layer environment even worse than Hengzhou Old Factory Street.

That Dao Nature Avatar opened its eyes, making a gesture of writing with a brush; an old, tattered diary was projected out, densely packed with tiny fly-head characters beginning to appear.

"Praise the Machine Soul! The soul of the Divine Machine walks with me, the soul of the Divine Machine bestows energy upon me! Today the weather is clear, up early to work, sip a little 95 machine oil to refresh the spirit! Machinery, what a precise structure; metal, what a beautiful property..."

"Taiyi like the sun and moon in motion, the eternal order makes people immersed. Today strong winds, light rain, I return home from school, thinking of what the church's priest said—the Star Sea is vast; if I could devote myself to spreading the gospel, singing the praises of Taiyi's great cause, how wonderful that would be..."

"Tianren is the most towering, most grand supreme pillar in my heart..."

"As a descendant of the True Dragon, a citizen of Dongxia, I am truly too happy..."

Qin Shi's expression stiffened, as if struck by lightning.

He had learned from Lao Liang all day about the various deeds of Shi Fo He Lanchan, more or less wearing a fan filter and producing admiration.

As a result, after quickly browsing through a full five or six hundred essay-like "diary entries," with a crack, the filter shattered.

So you relied on flattery to get the Four Pillars' response?

"Today being Taiyi's dog, tomorrow being Tianren's faithful believer, the day after switching sects to wave flags and shout for the True Dragon... as a leading figure of the First Generation Ten Greats, an existence ranked in the top ten for monstrosity within nine millennia, Lao He is so humble!"

"Sure enough, before opening cheats, everyone must go through the four great stages of downfall, endurance, hiding, and development!"

Qin Shi was helpless; just knew that people who write diaries aren't serious, and what's written in a diary—how could it be the truth?

Fortunately, He Lanchan persisted, truly drawing the Four Pillars' gaze, thereby condensing his Dao Nature, seeing his true self, and breaking through the Spirit Gate's Great Limit.

"Is there a faster method?"

Qin Shi looked at the Dao Nature Avatar.

"Sacrifice."

The white-haired youth replied:

"The things the Four Pillars favor, appreciate, recognize, and crave are living beings themselves. If you can perform 'deeds' that fit their domains, they will actively seek you out."

"For example, Yan Tongxuan Doctor Yan—he founded Heart-Magnetic Theory and Three Realms Theory, laying the foundation for modern Life Force Development; the two great Pillars of Divine Machine and True Dragon almost wanted to choose him as Disciplinarian."

Sacrifice?

What's the difference from selling yourself out!

Do I have anything worth selling at a high price?

Qin Shi couldn't help but scratch his head, then asked again:

"Dongxia's Four Pillars, what domains do they each represent?"

The white-haired youth spoke without a trace of emotion, blankly saying:

"The Dao of Grand Unity is eternal and unchanging. The Dao of Heaven and Man forbids foreign arts. The Dao of Divine Machine innovates to create Saints. The Dao of the True Dragon sustains life forever."

Qin Shi tried to understand: Grand Unity was order, Heaven and Man was obedience, Divine Machine was change, and True Dragon was life.

Judging by the literal meaning, these several Pillars were all inclined toward order.

"Xiao He Xiao He, what do you think I should sacrifice? Stunning wisdom, unparalleled diligence, or invincible comprehension?"

Qin Shi asked aloud.

His Dao Nature Avatar, as another self, remained silent.

If not for lacking the means to express emotion, the white-haired youth might have raised a middle finger.

What do you think you are, don't you have a clue?!

Seeing the Dao Nature Avatar say nothing, Qin Shi was very disappointed; could even Super Xiao He, who condensed the Half-step Martial God's spiritual qi rhyme, not make a decision?

He thought seriously for a moment, then suddenly thought of the Mechanical Heart he had gouged out of Brother Ze's chest.

Could this thing be used as a sacrificial offering?

……

……

"Brother Qin, I'm in big trouble this time! To help you retrieve that contraband, I offended Chen Ruofu, the top man of the Patrol Division; I have no future anymore!"

Gao Haipeng returned home, made a phone call, and complained loudly.

He had taken a request from the Yincheng side, which was why he risked provoking Chen Yun.

"I already know. Chen Ruofu embarrassed you in public; that was indeed excessive. Here's what we'll do, Old Gao: the Chen and Lin families control everything in the Urban Circle, but this little plot of land in Yincheng is still decided by the Qin Family."

The voice on the other end of the phone was steady:

"If Chen Ruofu gives you a hard time, apply to the Center City Lord for a job transfer and come work in Yincheng; I guarantee your treatment won't be bad."

Gao Haipeng secretly sighed in relief, thinking Qin Renying was still decent and hadn't discarded him after using him.

"The Tai'an Metropolitan Area is dominated by the Chen family; he runs a one-man show, making it hard for us. If Chen Ruofu takes the opportunity to target me, I won't put up with it or swallow my anger. At worst, I'll change places!"

The other end of the phone paused, then continued:

"Old Gao, can you contact that student? It's a pity that contraband fell into his hands; can you help me get it back? The price is negotiable."

Gao Haipeng frowned, his willingness not strong:

"That student knows Chen Yun, and is said to have ties to the Lin Family. The Old Factory Street incident caused a huge storm, nearly creating an Electronic Demon, and he stole the limelight. I can tell Chen Ruofu intends to win him over; if I interfere now, I'm afraid it's not appropriate."

Qin Renying said directly:

"Hengzhou's seal is about to be lifted, and the Pioneer Families will leave. According to regulations, the Chen, Lin, Qin, and Zheng families can each choose ten percent of the thousand-year properties to take away. Old Gao, if you're willing to help, the Qin Family won't shortchange you."

So generous!

Adding money so readily!

Gao Haipeng was somewhat tempted.

Offending the top man of the Tai'an Metropolitan Area meant cutting off the path of advancement; though he had spoken boldly just now, coming to Yincheng was essentially early retirement, and retirement needs money, otherwise life wouldn't be pleasant.

"Brother Qin, we've known each other so long; if I can help, I certainly won't shirk it. Here's what I'll do: I'll find a way to talk to that student and get the thing back."

Gao Haipeng readily agreed; offending people in officialdom was nothing more than some suppression and idle resentment.

No matter how domineering Chen Ruofu acted, he wouldn't go so far as to take his life.

"Old Gao, put away your official airs; young people have strong rebellious streaks. Explain the pros and cons clearly to him, and he'll naturally know what to do. That thing is useless in his hands; some paths cannot be walked by ordinary people..."

Qin Renying said lightly:

"If he knows what's good for him, I won't hold A Hao's grudge against him."

Only then did Gao Haipeng recall that, according to post-incident statistics, the casualties on Old Factory Street were not many.

Only Qin Lihao and a few of his subordinates.

Right now, the Yincheng Qin Family was probably holding a funeral.

"Brother Qin is magnanimous; honestly, there's no need to quibble with a little brat. The one who kidnapped Ajie and plotted to kill A Hao is Cheng Ze; I've inquired about it. Chen Ruofu is preparing to send him to Center City for spirit testing; he's been possessed by an Electronic Demon, making him very valuable research material."

Gao Haipeng violated the Confidentiality Regulation and proactively informed him of the Patrol Division's arrangements.

"Mm, A Hao won't die in vain. Since the Great Reclamation Period, for every drop of blood the Qin Family sheds, the enemy must pay ten heads."

Qin Renying held the receiver, and funeral music drifted in from outside the house.

"Old Gao, I'll trouble you to handle this matter properly. No matter what, I don't want that contraband held by some nameless little soldier."

Gao Haipeng nodded; this was his letter of introduction before retirement.

He would rely on this to exchange for a reward.

"After all, he's just a student."

Gao Haipeng sneered.

Having worked in the Action Division for so many years, he knew how to speak officialese and how to intimidate subordinates better than anyone.

Not to mention a student; even a hardened gang thug or hoodlum...

Three hits with an electric baton and they'd be honest.

……

……

"Minister, an emergency call."

Secretary Huo was not only responsible for administrative arrangements but also managed daily care.

It was equivalent to one person handling text, confidential, and communications work.

But Secretary Huo never felt tired; the two most important things in following the path of a chief secretary were to follow the right leader and to be deeply trusted.

"It's so late. Where is the call from?"

Chen Ruofu's rest time wasn't early; he was a Professional-Grade Expert who had once obtained a Martial Artist Title, with vigorous energy; after finishing work every day, he still cultivated for a while to maintain his flesh vitality.

"The Netherworld Research Institute under the General Affairs Department."

Secretary Huo reported.

If it weren't very important, he wouldn't choose to disturb Chen Ruofu.

"The Netherworld Research Institute!"

Chen Ruofu's spirit was suddenly shaken, and his expression turned serious.

"What news?"

Yan Tongxuan proposed the Three Realms Theory known to all Dongxia people, believing that the mortal body of man runs through the space between existence and non-existence, and is the bridge of the void.

The Martial Artist Path is to constantly strengthen one's own "root" to interfere with reality and pry matter.

Espers, Mechanics, and other paths that require developing Spiritual Field Power focus more on the conception and nourishment of "Spirituality."

They often, after achieving success in cultivation, can discover the microscopic, perceive the rules, and break free from the constraints of the Material Realm.

In ancient times, this was called "spirit travel."

If one completely sheds the mortal body, it is "liberation of the corpse to become an Immortal."

Of course, a more scientific statement more in line with cultivation theory is that they break through to the realm of Shen Li Da General Manager Shi, become powerful Consciousness Bodies, master reality, and manipulate energy.

The Three Realms Theory discusses the relationship between spirit, matter, and flesh, and is also the essence of cultivation.

The flesh exists in the Material World, so where should the spirit reside?

The answer is the Netherworld.

A sea of imaginary numbers that is difficult to observe but truly exists.

Every Administrative New Star will establish a related research room, just like weather forecasting, closely monitoring changes in the Netherworld.

Chen Ruofu put on slippers, called the research institute from the Inspection Department's dedicated line, and inquired about the situation.

After understanding, the whole person was stunned.

"All Four Pillars have arrived? What a joke, our Hengzhou is famous as an Esper desert... Where is the location? Old Factory Street!"

Chen Ruofu was stunned for a moment, and thought to himself that He Lanchan had also cultivated his heart back then and attracted the favor of the Four Pillars.

"Impossible! In just one night, the Martial God Inheritance has let that kid touch the threshold? Unreasonable, unless He Lanchan himself is about the same!"

His head was dizzy; just before he had lectured his daughter that one must have composure when facing major events.

In the blink of an eye, he himself had been stunned by the sudden news.

"Secretary Huo, prepare the car. I'll go to Old Factory Street... to see what's going on."

Chen Ruofu took a few deep breaths, muttering in his heart:

"Could it be that I truly have discerning eyes and have discovered a Martial God Seed?"

(Chapter End)