These days, the shrine has gradually shown changes.

There is actually a gathering of the power of incense!

Although it's faint, it still made Li Yan take heed.

No wonder, this figure is truly well-known.

From ancient times to the present, various legends have been left, and the temples offering tribute are countless; he is a true great deity.

But this shrine is an ancient relic, possibly tracing back to the era of ancient tribal ancestors, yet no one has enlightened or paid tribute to it—why would it gather incense?

To this day, Li Yan has come to understand mortal gods.

They are born from incense and perish from oblivion.

In terms of past life concepts, the so-called mortal gods are projections of collective consciousness, a virtual existence, for instance, seeing natural phenomena like wind, frost, rain, and snow would lead to the creation of gods wielding related powers.

This represents humanity's exploration of the external world.

The emotional power of humans is immensely strong, coupled with the circulation of Astra Bane Qi in this world, joy, anger, worry, thought, sorrow, fear, and shock—in turn, certain things are born.

Mortal gods are the same.

Weaker ones can only reside in a small divine statue, barely stronger than wandering ghosts, at most capable of sending dreams as warnings.

Powerful ones, like the Water God Yang Si General, have divine statues spread along southern rivers, their incense forming a continuous line, that can manifest miracles and even slay demons.

And Immortal Master Erlang, exists on yet another level.

He reincarnated as a human and achieved ascension.

This phenomenon might not be unique.

For instance, the Queen Mother of the West.

From the Classic of Mountains and Seas, we know that in ancient times she was the ruler of Kunlun, overseeing the "Heavenly Fury Five Defects" and "Immortality Elixir."

The so-called "Heavenly Fury Five Defects" refer to ancient ancestors' feared disasters: plagues, wars, famines, floods, and earthquakes.

Her body is symbolized by "Tiger Teeth and Leopard Tail," representing the ruthlessness and regeneration of natural laws, also embodying the fears of ancient ancestors.

In other words, a fierce deity.

However, there is another saying that the Queen Mother of the West was indeed the female clan leader of ancient Western regions, similar to the Nuwa clan, Fuxi, and Shennong, they were all clan names, not referring solely to one person.

Daluo Conference of Zhou Muwang at the Turquoise Pool was merely a mythical expression of a historical event, thus allowing an exchange of gifts.

Regardless of the situation, changes occurred later.

During the Han Dynasty, Emperor Wu built the "Golden Mother Temple," describing her appearance as "perfectly balanced, heavenly grace radiant, incomparably beautiful," and she gifted the immortal peach to Emperor Wu.

Myth and history are often intertwined.

This might relate to Zhou Muwang's westward expedition and Emperor Wu's circuit to the west.

The idea of "gifting the immortal peach" might be related to the Fangshi bewitching the emperors to seek longevity, leading to the "Queen Mother of the West Token" divine nightmare event.

Eventually, she gradually transformed into the current "Blessed Goddess" form.

This is a typical influence of incense.

Like Erlang, who, through the absorption of incense, changed in both character and divine demeanor, eventually becoming Yang Jian after ascension.

The Queen Mother of the West possibly underwent a similar process.

In any case, the truth has long been buried in history.

This shrine is still an artifact of ancient times, the nature of the Queen Mother of the West has changed, any sacrifices, incense would only now appear on the Blessed Goddess.

Could it be that the sacrifices to the Queen Mother of the West encountered a problem?

Li Yan couldn't figure it out.

Fortunately, this bit of incense power has no impact on him.

Holding the shrine, Li Yan stored a single thought, and the Copper Coin Scale Armor on his Arm Guard Thousand Thoughts immediately clattered noisily.

A sudden gust arose, Astra Bane Qi gathered, directly clearing away the incense on the shrine completely.

After completing these actions, Li Yan carefully put it away.

With so many matters at the Open Cellar Conference, once it's over, he will head straight to West Ridge, waiting for Long Yan'er to break through while absorbing the shrine.

Then head to Luoyang.

After setting the plan, Li Yan came to the window.

Qingcheng chose a good day; today is a long-awaited sunny day, the pervasive cold fog dispersed, sunlight tore through the thick mist and fell, revealing the beautiful scenery of Chaoyang Cave once again.

Looking afar, it was a scene of shattered golden splendor.

However, although the scenery was beautiful, Li Yan had other concerns on his mind.

The appearance of the Nine Tripod, new firearms, ocean exploration, steam engines, anomalies in the Daluo Law Realm—all signs indicate that this transformation in the Human Dao will be revolutionary.

The wheel of history has long deviated from his understanding.

Prior to setting out from Guanzhong, their goal was merely to travel the world, gain knowledge, and complete their inheritance and cultivation.

Afterward, they got embroiled in the Southwest battle and demon plots.

By now, their strength has grown rapidly, both his and the name of the Twelve Primordial Spirits have spread far and wide.

Before setting out, they had never imagined this.

However, yesterday's gathering also reminded him.

Under the great trend of Human Dao, those deep-rooted major sects are all seeking a path forward, with the Mei Mountain Taoist directly aligning with the court.

Where will his small group go…?

......

The glazed hip roof of the Shangqing Palace pierced through the sea of clouds.

As the mountain wind stirred the pine waves, beneath the flying eaves of the palace's octagonal corners, seventy-two copper bells jingled in the wind, followed by the Daoist pulling up the striking wood.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The majestic sound of the morning bell resonated through the mountains.

Outside the Shangqing Palace, it was already crowded.

The first-day sacrificial meeting, the second-day Open Cellar to collect treasures, today is the final day, it's also the time for the exchange of various spiritual materials and treasures.

The Open Cellar Conference doesn't occur every year, and such a large-scale one is even rarer, so the various sects wouldn't miss it; they had arrived outside the Shangqing Palace early to wait.

Li Yan and others were also among them, exchanging pleasantries with many.

Among these forces, many were old acquaintances.

Such as the Taibai Mountain Doumu Institute, Hua Mountain Chunyang Palace, Wudang Zhenwu Palace, Wuchang Baotong Zen Temple, Guangde Temple…

Though not familiar faces, they had all been seen before and maintained a good relationship.

Unknowingly, Li Yan had accumulated quite a network of connections.

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