Chapter 167: Chapter 143: Sage King, Radiant Sovereign, Yin Celestial Emperor

As Lou Zhenxiao’s thoughts raced, he was about to praise Fu Lizi, but then he heard the other man speak.

"We’re missing a few idlers to build the atmosphere. The Kitchen God Temple opening its gates is a major event; it can’t be so dull."

Fu Lizi took out a talisman, cut it into the shape of a person, and with a light flick of his finger, sent it into [Fengdu].

"Let this old Daoist help liven things up and add to the excitement!"

Lou Zhenxiao was rendered speechless, silently swallowing the praise he was about to give.

...

...

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Following three loud bangs, three more wisps of Divine Sense were blasted to dust. All of them had Furnace Flame life mandates, and none could withstand the cluster of flame bestowed by the Kitchen God Temple.

While waiting for the Celestial Book to answer, Jiang Yi observed [Fengdu]. An eighteen-layered giant tower occupied more than half the land, surrounded by a dense, jumbled landscape in the style of the underworld.

It was like a veritable Ghost Country!

If one looked deeper, past the roiling black clouds, vast stretches of shattered tiles, crumbling walls, and the desolate remains of mountains and rivers seemed to flicker in and out of view.

’It looks like it went through a great battle...’

As Jiang Yi was pondering this, a loud, clear voice suddenly rang out from the Eighteen-Layered High Platform:

"Whoa! It’s the Kitchen God Temple! This is incredible, a heaven-sent Opportunity!"

The strands of Divine Sense, like an audience watching a play, all turned toward the source of the voice. But when they saw it was just a run-of-the-mill Gold Stone Life, they instantly lost interest.

But the person continued speaking as if to himself:

"Legend has it that the Kitchen God Temple contains the ’Civil and Martial Flames.’ The Civil Flame burns one’s life, and the Martial Flame forges one’s character."

"If you can turn yourself into a stick of incense and enter the temple, you must pass two trials. The first is to reveal your life patterns—a crisscrossing network that can determine your Luck. The second is to have your life weighed, using catties and taels to judge your path on the Dao."

Hearing this person speak with such certainty, as if it weren’t fabricated, everyone on the Eighteen-Layered High Platform began to murmur amongst themselves.

"Why is there a Kitchen God Temple at the gateway to [Fengdu]?"

A Muddy Tile Life asked loudly.

"That’s a long story. It involves a distant, secret history..."

The man then gave a rough summary of the entangled grievances between the Bajing Sect of the [Immortal Dao] and the [Ghost Dao] of Fengdu.

The account was clear and logical, with no apparent flaws.

"May I ask which Dharma Lineage this High Cultivator is from?"

Someone asked curiously.

To know such old history about the wars between Daoist Lineages, one would have to be from a Grand Sect at least.

"Just an unaffiliated wanderer. My surname is ’Dong.’ You can all call me ’Brother Dong.’"

The man said leisurely.

"May I ask, Brother Dong, how does one turn oneself into a stick of incense?"

Another, a Grass Seed Life, asked timidly.

"Release your Divine Sense, condense your Life Qi, and guide a cluster of flame into your body. It’s very simple. But if your destiny isn’t strong enough and your fate is lacking, you’ll be burned to ashes in an instant, severely damaging your Cultivation."

This Brother Dong seemed eager to help, holding nothing back in his explanation.

"I’d advise those with inferior Life Qi not to even try."

Sighs arose from the Eighteen-Layered High Platform. To have such an Opportunity before them, yet be unable to grasp it, was truly a great pity!

But there was one who refused to believe it. An Earth and Wood Life, one of the lowest-ranked, soared into the air and projected his voice, begging the Kitchen God Temple to bestow its flame.

"I am willing to try! With my one-in-ten-thousand heart for the Dao, I will undergo the Kitchen God’s trial!"

’This one... looks a bit like the Sect Leader?’

Jiang Yi’s Divine Sense stirred as he watched the blurry figure formed by the Third-class Earth and Wood Life. In the end, it didn’t even last ten breaths before being burned to dust!

"I told you so. Life Qi isn’t the same as Cultivation. Trying to rely on your Qi Cultivation Twelfth Layer to endure the Kitchen God’s flame is pure wishful thinking!"

Brother Dong commented again.

The Eighteen-Layered High Platform immediately fell silent. Having witnessed the Third-class Earth and Wood Life get incinerated so easily, no one else dared to test the flame.

’I see.’

Jiang Yi compared what this "Brother Dong" had said with the tadpole-like script manifested by the Celestial Book. After confirming it was all correct, his confidence swelled.

The Kitchen God’s flame burns Life Qi!

When it comes to [Fengdu], who could possibly compare to him!

’Since that’s the case, there’s no need for me to hide my strength.’

Just as Jiang Yi was about to step forward and move to the front, he saw the winds and clouds surge above the Tenth Layer!

It was like the magnificent brilliance of the stars, or like a mountain peak soaring into the sky!

The great Kitchen God Temple suddenly trembled and sent down a cluster of flame.

That illusory figure, who seemed like stars hanging in the sky with a magnificent aura, actually refined the flame in just a few breaths.

DONG!

The temple doors swung wide open, revealing long flights of stairs. Golden flames intertwined, sometimes forming a roc, sometimes a sparrow, sometimes a spiritual crane, sometimes a crow... all manner of Spiritual Bird shapes churned and transformed.

The person flicked their sleeves and rose, walking forward with composure.

In a moment, they disappeared behind the temple doors.

"That’s a second-class ’Heavenly Star Life’! It’s only half a step inferior to the Sun and Moon Emperor’s Life!"

On the Eighteen-Layered High Platform, Brother Dong provided a timely explanation:

"To refine the flame bestowed by the Kitchen God Temple with such ease, they must be a Dao Material from an Ancestral Sect Dharma Lineage! They might even be from the ’Innate Sect’!"

Someone asked curiously:

"Why not the Taifu Sect?"

Brother Dong said boisterously:

"A Dao Material from the Taifu Sect’s Lower Courtyard Villa would never act so ostentatiously! They are all noble and magnanimous, not like the Innate Sect, who just loves to show off!"

’Could this Brother Dong be some True Master of the Water Element in disguise?’

What Lower Cultivator would dare to casually comment on an Ancestral Sect Dharma Lineage?

Jiang Yi complained silently in his heart.

The success of the second-class Heavenly Star Life in entering the Kitchen God Temple made many prodigies who prided themselves on their substantial Life Qi and destiny eager to try.

Another seven or eight people took turns stepping up and releasing their Qi Mechanisms.

In the end, only one—a high-grade Flowing Spring Life—managed to endure the ordeal for thirty breaths and scrape by.

They were also guided in, flying into the Kitchen God Temple.

The majestic eighteen layers, bordering the great void.

After that, there was no more movement.

"Who in the world is this guy? Why is he just sitting there, not moving?"

Brother Dong glanced from time to time at the Sun and Moon Emperor’s Life, who was huddled in a corner, completely devoid of any imposing aura.

Seeing such behavior, he seemed less and less like a top-tier Dao Material from an Ancestral Sect Dharma Lineage.

If he were from the Innate Sect, he would have surely displayed an imposing stance, ready to dominate all rivals, the moment he appeared!

If he were from the Taifu Sect, he probably would have gone straight up to the Tenth Layer platform, sweeping away the yin-sha and intimidating everyone in all directions.