A mundane Dynasty?
These words were like a sudden clap of thunder on a clear day.
The expressions on the faces of the several Lu Clan elders instantly shifted from their previous confusion to sheer horror.
A mundane Dynasty... could produce a monster like this young girl?
Lu Changfeng and Lu Ge Xian exchanged a glance, both seeing the undisguisable shock in each other's eyes.
Was that land truly so nurturing?
Or was it... that this girl's talent was too monstrous, and she had been scouted by some Grotto-Heaven or Blessed Land, taken in as a Disciple, and having completed her studies, she had now returned to give back to her hometown?
Regardless of which possibility it was,
it was enough to prove one thing.
The woman before them was not the type of cold-hearted person who would forget her roots once she gained an Opportunity.
What kind of person was Lu Gexian?
Though he had been in seclusion for a long time and did not meddle in clan affairs, how could his mind be even a fraction inferior to a young person's?
If even Lu Changfeng could understand the logic, how could he not?
The future achievements of such a Prodigy were beyond what ordinary people could imagine.
Right now, she had a request; for the Lu family, this was not a trouble, but rather a heavenly Opportunity!
Providing help in a time of need is far better than adding flowers to a bouquet.
With this thought,
Lu Gexian had already made his decision.
The old man took a deep breath, all the suspicion on his face vanishing. "Young lady, your heart remains with your homeland; I admire such sentiment. What does a mere Incomplete Manual of the Golden Body Technique matter?"
"The Lu Clan is willing to exert the strength of the entire clan to assist the Great Tang in transitioning to the Incense Path of Divinity!"
...The Great Tang.
Since the day Jiang Yuechu left the capital, a strange sight had appeared across the Great Tang.
In every corner, large-scale construction was underway.
One after another, brand-new temples rose from the ground.
Chang'an Imperial City.
The young Emperor put down his brush and rubbed his brow.
"Are they all built?"
The Old Eunuch bowed and said, "Your Majesty, according to your decree, the divine temples in various prefectures and counties have been completed one after another."
"However... the local authorities dare not act on their own; Your Majesty must decide what appearance the Divine Statues should take."
Hearing this,
the corners of the Emperor's mouth unconsciously curled upward.
Decide?
What more was there to decide?
Ever since Jiang Yuechu spoke to him about the great matter of becoming a god through incense, only one thought remained in his mind.
In this world of Great Tang, across tens of thousands of miles of territory,
besides her, who else was qualified to sit upon that divine altar and receive the incense of the millions?
But that girl seemed to have anticipated his thoughts long ago.
Before leaving, she had repeatedly exhorted him.
The temples could be built first.
But the matter of the Divine Statue must wait until she returned for further discussion.
Only... the Emperor picked up his teacup and blew on the floating foam.
Discussion.
It was a discussion.
But she didn't say I couldn't make some preparations in advance.
"How about this."
The young monarch pondered for a moment and said softly, "First, order people to carve a few smaller ones in Lonely Moon's likeness. They don't need to be too big, just half a person tall, and... just put them in the warehouse for now."
The Old Eunuch was stunned, somewhat bewildered.
This... carving them but not using them... what did this mean?
The Emperor spoke indifferently, "In your opinion, what kind of person should sit upon this divine altar?"
The Old Eunuch lowered his eyes, his thoughts spinning rapidly.
The Great Tang was to take the path of Incense; this matter concerned the national Luck and was by no means a joke.
The person sitting on this divine altar would be the Great Tang's reliance in the future.
Who should it be?
The Former Emperors of past generations?
No.
Though the Former Emperors had achievements, their souls had long since returned to heaven and earth.
How could they become the vessel for the Great Tang's incense?
Forcefully establishing them would be nothing more than a castle in the air, self-deception.
Ancient Sages?
Even less so.
Setting aside that those sages had little to do with the current Great Tang... even if they were established, not all sages were dead. Some had left this realm and their whereabouts were unknown; who knew if they were still alive?
If they suddenly returned... that would be damn awkward.
Then... the current Your Majesty?
As soon as this thought arose in the Old Eunuch's mind, he snuffed it out himself.
As for the reason... he didn't dare think it, didn't dare think it... in short,
the candidate for this divine altar must be connected to the Great Tang's Luck, possess heaven-reaching abilities to suppress these tens of thousands of miles of territory, and be able to withstand the Power Of Will of hundreds of millions... a flash of clarity crossed his cloudy old eyes.
He slowly raised his head, his voice raspy. "Your Majesty, this old servant is dull, but I humbly believe that in this world, the one qualified to sit upon the divine altar and receive the incense of the masses..."
"Is only Her Highness the Grand Princess."
Hearing this,
the young monarch was first startled, and then he actually burst into loud laughter.
"Good, a fine 'only Her Highness the Grand Princess'!"
"I thought so as well!"
Lonely Moon, oh Lonely Moon... look.
The hearts of the people in this world are aligned.
I think so, and this old fellow thinks so too.
What does this represent?
It is enough to show that most people think this way as well!
It can be seen that on this divine altar, besides her, there truly is no room for a second person.
Since that is the case, what does it matter if I prepare in advance?
It is not that I am not listening to advice, but rather it is the will of heaven and the heart of the people; it is just so!
With this thought, the young monarch was in high spirits.
He simply abandoned the idea of carving a few to put in the warehouse first.
With a wave of his sleeve: "Pass my decree!"
"Order the Ministry of Works to work through the night to sculpt a Golden Body Dharma Image based on the Grand Princess's appearance!"
"Sculpt it as large as possible!"
"I want every place within the Great Tang that has a temple to be protected by my Imperial Sister's divine light!"
...Meanwhile, the Lu Clan Head, Lu Gexian, led Jiang Yuechu and her party into the inner hall.
This place was quiet and secluded, unlike the clamor outside.
Dismissing the attendants, he served fragrant tea.
After Jiang Yuechu took her seat, she interrupted his attempt at further pleasantries and said directly, "I presume you all already know why I have come."
Hearing this, Lu Gexian also nodded solemnly. "Since you know of the Incense Path, young lady, you must also be aware of its drawbacks... This path is restricted by the Power Of Will from incense. Once one leaves their own territory, they are like rootless duckweed, and not even one-tenth of their Divine Abilities remain. That is the first point. The second is that incense is mixed; the Power Of Will is laden with the private desires of the masses. Being tainted by it for a long time easily pollutes the Dao Heart and deranges the mind, making one's strength difficult to compare with a traditional Cultivator of the same realm."
Jiang Yuechu listened quietly, her expression unchanged.
She had already anticipated these drawbacks.
"But everything has two sides."
Lu Gexian changed the subject. "Since this Incense Path can exist here, it naturally has its strengths."
"The first is the speed of cultivation."
"As long as the incense is flourishing and the believers are devout, one's cultivation can advance by leaps and bounds, far beyond what ordinary paths can match."
"The second..."
Lu Gexian paused, his voice lowering slightly.
"For the party that establishes the Divine Statue, they can receive feedback from its Power Of Will. They don't even need to specifically cultivate the Incense Path to be able to perform various Divine Abilities of the Incense Path."
Hmm?
Judging by this... if the Divine Statue was sculpted in her likeness, she could also gain benefits?
At this point, Jiang Yuechu's eyes finally brightened a little.
"Furthermore..."
Lu Gexian stroked his beard and smiled, a meaningful look appearing on his face.
"That is the special aspect of the Golden Body Technique."
"Why is it said that the gap between an Incense Path with the Golden Body Technique and one without is so vast? The fundamental reason is that the one with the statue can condense a Golden Body. Not only can Cultivators of the same clan borrow the power of the Golden Body, but the Golden Body can also be seen as a Clone, guarding a region."
"This Clone does not harm the Cultivator's foundation, yet it possesses seventy to eighty percent of the Cultivator's strength. As long as the incense is continuous, the Golden Body will not be extinguished."