Chapter 178: A New General Joins the Logistics Team

Qi Qi ignored Qi Yuan's words. Whenever he blurted out things she couldn’t understand, she simply dismissed it as a generational gap. After all, her godfather was from the ancient era, it was only natural she couldn't follow.

"Maybe I should head to Feihuang City and see if there's a solution there. They have quite a few immortals who are skilled in agriculture," she suggested.

Qi Yuan's eyes lit up. "Got it. Leave this to me!"

If immortals were skilled in farming, why not imagine a god who oversaw agriculture himself? If his memory served him right, both Hou Ji and Shennong were gods associated with farming.

According to some ancient texts, Hou Ji was the founding ancestor of Zhou. As the son of heaven, he had served as a minister during the Yao and Shun eras. He was the first to store grain in the national treasury and establish agricultural methods. By giving the people seeds and teaching them to farm, he earned the title of God of Agriculture and Lord of Millet.

On the other hand, Shennong was simply legendary. He was the god who tasted hundreds of herbs. Who on Blue Planet didn't know him?

Still, when Qi Yuan thought of their high divine ranks, he realized he couldn’t summon either of them. He would have to settle for someone a bit less powerful considering his evil god spiritual energy.

Returning to the temple, he re-entered the visualization chat group. The group was lively as ever.

Venerable Shengmiao:

Ugh

, I've come up with yet another rare method of God Visualization, and someone else seems to have failed again.

Shengmiao was clearly mocking Dong Jianghe.

Dong Jianghe shot back.

Dong Jianghe:

Hmph

, a bunch of old men looking down on the Young Celestial Emperor,

huh

?

Venerable Heilong: You, Young Celestial Emperor? Qiyuann Sovereign seems far more qualified than you

Dong Jianghe: Qiyuann Sovereign, are you here to visualize again?

Qiyuann Sovereign: Yes.

Dong Jianghe: Which true god are you aiming to visualize this time?

Dong Jianghe probed, trying to gauge Qi Yuan's intentions. The more people succeeded in the visualization, the less influence he would have in the group.

Qiyuann Sovereign: I wanted to visualize a powerful one. Unfortunately, my spiritual energy is too weak. I'll have to settle for a weaker one this time.

In Qi Yuan's knowledge, this god was indeed relatively weak.

Dong Jianghe's face lit up with relief. Finally, it wasn't a powerful god! His title as Young Celestial Emperor was safe!

Dong Jianghe: Don't worry. Even visualizing a Common One-Star is still good. After all, not everyone can be like Venerable Bai Xi. One Epic, three Rare... While I... I am destined to surpass Venerable Bai Xi!

The group quickly began teasing him again.

└Dong Celestial Emperor, when will you visualize a rare one?

Qi Yuan greeted everyone in the group and returned to the Visualization Realm. Before him stood a towering Visualization Mountain. The god he intended to summon appeared in his mind.

"An old man holding a staff. White hair and beard. A warm, kind smile."

Instantly, a small temple appeared, with a white-bearded old man inside. Occasionally, a mischievous monkey with a thunderous voice would strike the ground, and the little old man would quickly pop out of the soil.

The Visualization Mountain questioned him twice more, and Qi Yuan followed the process exactly, bathed in the light of the Star Golden Core. After a few moments, the mountain suddenly blazed with light. A God Visualization Art appeared in Qi Yuan's hand. His three pieces of evil god spiritual energy had vanished, including one at the Violet Palace level.

Qi Yuan's eyes widened. "Wait, it’s way stronger than the Howling Celestial Dog?!"

Soon, he remembered this god received an entirely different scale of incense offerings. That explained it. He exited the mountain with the visualization art in hand.

Meanwhile, the chat group was still buzzing.

Venerable Shengmiao: Just now, the mountain flashed with golden light. Did someone get an epic? Qiyuann Sovereign just went in, could it be him?

Dong Jianghe: He said this one is ordinary. There's no way it's an epic. Besides, Qiyuann Sovereign is just at the Step Three Heaven Treading, he wouldn't know that many rare true gods.

└Dong Celestial Emperor, don't speak too soon! Let's wait and see!

└Hey, Qiyuann Sovereign is out! What did you visualize this time?

Qi Yuan smiled wryly at the messages.

Qiyuann Sovereign: Luck was on my side. I visualized an epic one-star.

Even he hadn't expected that a seemingly obscure little old man would turn out to be an epic one-star.

Dong Jianghe: What? Qiyuann Sovereign, you can't joke like this!

Qiyuann Sovereign: I'm not joking. It really is an epic one-star. I visualized the Earth God.

The Earth God also oversaw part of agriculture. Some ancient texts even identified the Earth God with Hou Tu. Qi Yuan had visualized the version of the Earth God from his memory. [1]

└The Earth God? What kind of true god is that? I've never heard of him!

└Could there really have been such a great god in the Ancient Era?

└Dong Celestial Emperor, I'm about to visualize too. Give me some tips!

Dong Jianghe: Get lost!

└I think from now on, there's no Dong Celestial Emperor, only Dong Death God. Or rather, Qiyuann Sovereign!

The chat buzzed with excitement, everyone praising Qi Yuan. Even Bai Xi appeared to offer a few compliments and encouraged Qi Yuan to leave the danger zone.

Venerable Tianbao: Qiyuann Sovereign, you visualized an Epic One-Star? Your future looks bright! I happen to have some treasures that could help someone ascend to True God. I probably won't use them. Do you want them?

Qi Yuan felt reassured, most people in the group were genuinely kind.

Qiyuann Sovereign: No, no. Keep them, Venerable Tianbao. Later, I'll invite you to a feast!

Venerable Tianbao: Alright...

└You don't want them? Father Tianbao, I do!

└Father Tianbao!

Qi Yuan exited the chat.

"Who should I give this to?" he wondered.

Qi Qi came to mind, but having a girl embody the Earth God felt awkward.

Qi Yuan made up his mind immediately. "Little Xue? Perfect!"

Little Xue had her pant legs rolled up as she worked tirelessly planting seedlings in the field. "Miss, I'm hungry, I want pork!"

"Stop slacking off. Finish your work first, then go tend the pigs. You'll have all the pork you want," Qi Qi said. She had long since cast aside her airs as a young lady and was working alongside Little Xue in the fields.

"What solution did Lord God say he had?" Little Xue asked curiously.

Qi Qi paused for a moment. She was curious too. "I don't really know."

The longer she stayed with her godfather, the more enigmatic he seemed.

"Miss, that crazy old woman is back again," Little Xue said suddenly, pointing at the old woman standing on the ridge between the fields.

Qi Qi frowned as soon as she saw her.

The old woman rambled in a slurred voice, "You were born noble, how can you do such lowly work? Miss, come with me. Leave this remote mountain village!"

Qi Qi's frown deepened. "First, farming determines whether the people of the world can eat. It's not lowly. Second, I'm not your miss, and I'm not going with you. If you keep spouting nonsense, I'll have Big Black Dog chase you away."

The woman sighed after hearing this.

"Go then... go..." muttering to herself, she ran off and soon disappeared.

"Don't pay attention to that crazy woman again," Qi Qi ordered.

"But Miss," Little Xue hesitated, "what if she's telling the truth? What if you really do come from a noble lineage with a powerful bloodline?"

"What good would that do?" Qi Qi replied without hesitation. Right now, she was fully immersed in the joy of nurturing her godfather. "Even if I had a noble bloodline, wouldn't I still have to cultivate and pull my own weight? I'd much rather raise my godfather. I think he has the potential to become a Great Venerable!"

Little Xue nodded. It sounded reasonable to her.

At that moment, a voice transmission reached them.

Little Xue's expression turned strange. "Miss... Master is calling for me."

"Let's go together," Qi Qi said, puzzled. "Why would Godfather suddenly call for you?"

Could it be that something went wrong with the pigs?

Qi Qi wondered.

They entered the divine temple and immediately saw Qi Yuan sitting on a stone bench.

"Sit down, Little Xue," Qi Yuan said straight to the point. "I have a God Visualization Art here. Do you want to cultivate it?"

Qi Qi froze. She hadn't expected her godfather to come up with another God Visualization Art so quickly. Moreover, to give it to Little Xue instead of her? After thinking it over, she concluded it was because this one was of lower rank than Big Black Dog's. Of course, her godfather would reserve the finest for Qi Qi. Giving it to Little Xue meant he trusted the maid.

"I want it!" Little Xue exclaimed. She never imagined such an incredible opportunity would fall into her lap.

"But cultivating this method may come with a tiny side effect," Qi Yuan said.

Little Xue didn't seem bothered. "What kind of side effect?"

"You might get shorter."

Qi Yuan was simply guessing, he didn't actually know. Still, it was better to say it upfront. Otherwise, if Little Xue really did shrink, she could resent him later.

"That's not a problem at all," Qi Qi said generously. "Worst case, you just use a spell to grow taller again."

It was just an ordinary art, no big deal to give away.

Little Xue nodded vigorously. "I want it!"

"Good. This is the method, take a look." Qi Yuan handed the golden-glowing scroll to Little Xue.

Qi Qi's eyes went wide. "Golden light... Epic One-Star?!"

She completely lost her composure. What she had assumed to be an ordinary technique turned out to be even more valuable than Big Black Dog's! There was no way she could remain calm. With the right treasures, it could absolutely give rise to a True God.

Qi Qi transformed into a childlike form, barely reaching Qi Yuan's waist, appearing oddly adorable. "Godfather, this is far too precious, what a waste! Honestly, I want to be shorter too! I want to go back to being held in your arms!"

Qi Yuan chuckled. "You'll get yours later. This one suits Little Xue better."

Qi Qi deflated instantly. "Godfather..."

She couldn't understand. It felt as if something that should’ve been hers had been given away. Perhaps because she was nurturing her godfather, she felt that whatever belonged to him also belonged to her. Although Little Xue was her maid, someone who fed pigs shouldn’t deserve an Epic One-Star.

"It's fine." Qi Yuan laughed. "Little Xue, try cultivating it."

Little Xue glanced at her mistress, then couldn't suppress her anticipation any longer and accepted the art. She immediately entered a meditative state.

Qi Qi said helplessly, "Godfather, mountain boars shouldn't eat fine grain."

Of course, since it was her godfather's method, he could give it to whoever he wanted. She had no right to object. Still, she couldn't help feeling upset.

Qi Yuan said casually, "It's fine. Kill more evil gods, and there'll be more Visualization Arts."

Qi Qi replied, "I'm just worried you'll run out of stock."

Even in ancient times, there were only so many gods who received incense worship. Nearly all the truly powerful ones had been visualized. Epic-tier gods were rare enough, even more so Legendary ones. The Mythic ones probably wouldn’t appear even once in several hundred years.

That night passed in silence. Qi Qi cast resentful glances at Little Xue, while Qi Yuan hugged Little Bride and crawled into a pit to sleep. The next morning, blood-red light once again bathed the land. Qi Yuan felt refreshed. He had leveled up again.

Looking at Little Xue, he nodded with satisfaction. "Not bad. Violet Palace already."

God Visualization Arts really help people advance fast. His domain now had two Violet Palace cultivators.

Little Xue opened her eyes, joy written all over her face. "Thank you, Godfather. Thank you, Miss."

Qi Qi still appeared aggrieved. "

Haa...

Little Xue, looks like you'll be conquering other villages from now on, while I'll just be watching from behind."

A Violet Palace cultivator meant serious combat power.

"Little Xue's Origin Divine Technique is different from most," Qi Yuan explained. "Her combat strength is average. She excels at protecting land and handling agricultural matters."

After all, the Earth God was never a combat-oriented deity. Qi Yuan had also sensed that Little Xue's awakened technique was tied to farming.

"What?!" Qi Qi's eyes widened. "Little Xue visualized a god with an actual divine office? And one related to agriculture? How is that possible? Isn't agriculture under the authority of Great Venerable Youlong?"

Since Great Venerable Youlong had been visualized countless times, there was no way to cultivate him to the Violet Palace realm, much less awaken an agriculture-related Origin Divine Technique.

Qi Qi was completely baffled. Now she was being told there was another god who governed agriculture? What did that mean? Where did that come from?!

1. In Chinese folk belief, Earth God or Tudigong (土地公) is a low-ranking but extremely important and beloved god, deeply woven into everyday life. Tudigong is the guardian deity of a specific piece of land. Each village, neighborhood, field, or street may have its own Tudigong. He does not rule the heavens or the world at large; instead, he oversees a small, clearly defined area. Although Tudigong is not a powerful heavenly god, his worship is among the most widespread:

There are countless Tudigongs

People interact with him daily

He is accessible

In

Journey to the West

, Sun Wukong frequently summons Tudigong by striking the ground and demanding answers. Tudigong usually appears immediately, nervous but obedient. ☜