Daily Intelligence: From Water Snake to Jinghe Dragon King

Chapter 152 Two Powers: Water and Thunder Melt Ice; Three Incense Sticks: Soul Divide and Gold is Turned.

Hong Gu, worried that her husband's pockets were too empty, secretly slipped him another hundred taels of power gold. Liu Qing couldn't refuse, so he accepted it. However, he still had incense money on hand, and his estimated expenses for the trip weren't high, so he absorbed the divine essence of the hundred taels of power gold.
At this point, Liu Qing's authority and divinity reached 45%, and a new authority and supernatural power were being conceived in the Divine Treasury.

This time, on the way, Shui'er finally realized that the sticks that were digging into her back and causing her pain were actually two, not one.
Actually, that's not quite right. It's clearly just one stick, but it's shaped like a double fork.

Upon arriving at the sacrificial realm, Liu Qing first scanned the robbery stones on each gambling table. Unfortunately, the intelligence treasure box did not emit any golden or purple light, not even a red one.

This greatly disappointed Liu Qing, who had planned to reap another harvest. Now it seemed he was dreaming. After all, even though the Tribulation Stone nurtured the Stone Embryo and originated from the Investiture of the Gods, not every one of them contained a treasure worthy of his eye.

I saw Qu Yuan again.

That old bastard lost again today. He squandered the incense offerings he had just received and even lost another hand.

However, this time it was his right hand. The time he came with Liu Qing, he was too impulsive and didn't realize he was left-handed, which is why he gambled with his left hand.

Having made ample preparations, I used my useless right hand to pay off a debt as incense money, secretly feeling quite pleased with myself.

Gamblers deserve no pity. Liu Qing, Hong Gu, and Shui'er ignored Qu Yuan this time, letting him lose everything except his underwear and wander the streets of the sacrificial site.

Afterwards, Liu Qing went to the stone-skinned man Shi San again and spent a full one hundred taels of incense silver to buy dozens of pieces of various colored scrap stones.
What's needed is newly opened ones. Only newly opened calamity stone waste has the calamity energy from the Great Calamity of the Investiture of the Gods not yet dissipated, thus serving to shield the secrets of heaven.

Furthermore, I was surprised to find the mountain god of Beizhong Mountain there as well. It turns out that the mountain god of Beizhong Mountain is not a Taoist deity worshipped through incense offerings.

Instead, like Hong Gu, she ascended to godhood through power.

That makes sense. They own a huge area of ​​Beizhong Mountain, which is full of rare stones. They've creatively started gambling on these stones, making a fortune every day.
Over time, one should be able to accumulate enough power and authority to obtain the necessary power.

Hong Gu appeared quite aloof in public, exchanging only a few pleasantries with the powerful Mountain God, who was also a seventh-rank official, before taking her leave.
While Hong Gu was exchanging pleasantries, Liu Qing took the opportunity to approach her and sense her aura, which felt vaguely familiar.

Unfortunately, the mountain god of Beizhong Mountain was shrouded in divine power, obscuring his true form. Although I had guesses, I dared not make a judgment.
Liu Qing left with Hong Gu, but secretly began to pay attention to the mountain god of Beizhong Mountain.

As the two left, they were completely unaware that a gaze was fixed on them from behind, watching them greedily.

Back at Snake Pool, they entered the Willow Mansion in Lingbao, took out the purchased Calamity Stone, and used it as material to build an octagonal pavilion.
It is to be prepared in the Yangxin Garden, so that it can be used when there are more rebellions outside and the world is in greater chaos.

Although the calamity energy within these calamity stone wastes will continuously dissipate, the periodic addition of new batches stabilizes the calamity energy, creating a safe haven that shields it from celestial secrets.
From now on, the young couple plans to carry out all their schemes here.

A few more days passed, and it was already late March, just a few days away from the Godhood Festival of Lord Yuan Datou.

I don't plan to go out anytime soon, so as not to cause any trouble.

On March 28th, Hong Gu, Xiao Ya, Bai She'er, and Shui'er, bored, started playing mahjong again.
Liu Qing has been having such good luck lately, always winning by himself, so Hong Gu and the others have strictly forbidden him from playing at the table. He can only watch dejectedly from the sidelines.

As I was looking at it, suddenly in my mind, the place where the gods resided, the incense, and the authority all trembled.

Liu Qing was taken aback, but then realized that the incense offerings and supernatural powers that had been brewing some time ago had probably matured.

Making up a random excuse, Liu Qing went to Yangxin Garden.

Five new supernatural powers have been created, two of which are powers of authority: 'Ice Melting' and 'Water Thunder'.
There are three supernatural powers associated with incense offerings: 'penetrating the Yin,' 'turning gold,' and 'dividing the soul.'

[Explanation 1: The supernatural power of turning water into ice originates from the divine nature of authority. When activated, this supernatural power can freeze water into ice, and its power increases greatly with the increase of growth level.]

[Explanation 2: The supernatural power of water and lightning originates from the divine nature of authority. This supernatural power can refine the Qi of water veins and transform it into lightning. Its power increases greatly with the increase of growth level.]

[Explanation 3: The supernatural power of penetrating the spirit originates from the divine essence of incense offerings. This supernatural power acts on the soul, and when activated by the soul, it can perceive the spirits and demons. Its power increases with the level of cultivation.]

[Explanation 4: The Supernatural Power of Turning Incense into Gold originates from the divine nature of incense offerings. This supernatural power, when applied to incense offering silver, can transform it into power-gold, and its power increases with the level of its growth.]

[Explanation 5: The supernatural power of soul splitting originates from the divine essence of incense offerings. This supernatural power allows the soul to split into new individuals. As the soul's growth level increases, the number of split individuals also increases, but this requires the soul to be strong enough.]

As explanations of each supernatural power emerged, Liu Qing followed them, growing increasingly delighted with each reading.

Both of these divine powers—ice-melting and water-thunder—are means of increasing combat power. When these powers are activated, external water melts into ice, boosting both offensive and defensive capabilities by several times.

Water and thunder are even more powerful than ice, refining the Qi of water veins into lightning. No demon is immune to lightning. Liu Qing's ability to control water and thunder is rare among demons. Being invincible within the same realm is commonplace, and fighting across realms is normal.

The incense-burning supernatural power originally conceived eight at once, but three matured today. Its effect on the Yin realm is minimal; it's merely a pupil technique, allowing one to see ghosts and demons—a nice-to-have bonus.

As for the two abilities, "Midas Touch" and "Soul Splitting," they surprised Liu Qing the most, even more than "Ice Melting" and "Water Thunder Divine Power."

The art of "gilding" can be applied to incense offerings, transforming them into "power gold." Incense offerings are common, but power gold is rare.
The ability to transform ordinary incense money into gold through the power of alchemy is so powerful that it is unheard of.

It should be understood that incense silver is an acquired substance, while the power of gold is innate. However, with the power of alchemy, the acquired can be reversed and transformed into the innate.
This alone makes it comparable to the legendary supreme spiritual treasure, the Qiankun Cauldron.

Currently, with a steady stream of salt production, there is a steady stream of incense money in hand. Once there's an abundance of incense money, a portion can be converted into power gold.
Absorbing it can enhance one's authority and divinity.

Ever since he vowed to merge with the Dao of Authority, Liu Qing had longed to find a stable source to enhance the divinity of his authority, and absorbing Authority Gold was the simplest and most convenient method.

However, the power of gold is extremely rare; it is a primordial substance that can only be born from the spiritual veins of mountains, rivers, the sun, moon, and stars.
Liu Qing was constantly worried about how to find Quanbingjin.

Hong Gu had indeed said that if anyone needed anything in the future, they could simply ask her; if she didn't have it, Donghai would have an inexhaustible supply.

But the two are not yet married. Even after they are married, he can't keep taking things from Donghai. Otherwise, how can he, as the son-in-law, save face?

Besides, the East Sea has a lot of power and wealth, but it also has many sons and grandsons. It can't be that they don't give it to their own children and grandchildren, but give it all to their son-in-law, can it?

Even the old Dragon King wasn't this generous.

And now, this Midas touch has come at just the right time.

A glint flashed in Liu Qing's eyes as he recalled the ingot of authority he had taken out when purchasing the Five Grains Spirit Seeds, which had been fought over by the demons within the sacrificial realm.
A plan was forming in his mind. Hmm, he'd call Hong Gu over later, and the two of them would work together to refine their money-making scheme, leveraging each other's strengths and compensating for their weaknesses.

The last supernatural power, Soul Splitting, is related to the path of cultivation. In Liu Qing's heart, this supernatural power is more important than any talent or supernatural power he has awakened.

The supernatural power of soul splitting, once activated, allows the soul and spirit to split, giving birth to new individuals. Furthermore, as the individual grows, this split can multiply, then into four, and so on, eventually becoming sixteen.
If one's soul is strong enough, one can divide one's soul infinitely.

Yin spirit and Yang spirit are both manifestations of the soul, or rather, manifestations that occur at a certain level.

Therefore, Liu Qing can now split the Yin Spirit, from one into two.

If there are two spirits, then one should be kept in the physical body, awaiting the attainment of authority and the Dao; the other can be used to unite with the incense offerings of the Dao.
He was just lamenting that he had the divine position of a ninth-rank river god, which was filled with incense offerings, but could only watch helplessly. Now, with this supernatural power, Liu Qing suddenly had room to maneuver.

For Liu Qing, the path of incense offerings and power meant a steady stream of income, making it a simple and quick route to advancement in divine rank, surpassing the path of power.

Although its foundation is illusory and subject to many limitations, it can serve as a protector of the true nature and authority of the deity, becoming its own shield.
This is used to collect various divine resources and powers to nourish the main body, allowing the main body's divine powers and powers to proceed more smoothly.

Those who wield power and follow the path of incense and worship, under the protection of these deities, are granted freedom, longevity, and eternal existence.

Faced with two paths, Liu Qing made no choice; he wanted both.

If investing in Li Shimin and profiting from salt production was merely the first glimpse of Liu Qing's ambition, then...
But from the moment the power of splitting the soul was conceived, this nascent ambition truly began to be realized.

Taking a deep breath, Liu Qing couldn't contain her excitement.

The newly developed Soul Splitting Divine Power is only at the beginner level, but it can already split into two, which is sufficient for its use.
There was also some primordial energy on the panel, which would allow Liu Qing to cultivate his Soul Division Divine Power to a minor level.

At the beginner level, one can split into two souls; at the minor level, four; at the advanced level, sixteen; and at the perfect level, even more. However, this is contingent on Liu Qing's soul being strong enough.
Otherwise, even if one's supernatural abilities improve, if one's soul is not strong enough, a forced split could result in either mental confusion leading to madness or, in severe cases, the destruction of one's soul.

Liu Qing cautiously activated his Soul Splitting Divine Power, attempting to split his soul for the first time. However, the moment the power was activated, he felt excruciating pain in his soul, his Yin Spirit teetering on the verge of dissipation, almost annihilating him.
Liu Qing was so frightened that he immediately stopped his soul-splitting technique.

He originally thought that his Yin Spirit, nourished by the Yin Spirit Mushroom, had matured a realm ahead of others, making him far more powerful.

Unexpectedly, it wasn't truly powerful enough to split into two Yin Gods.

Liu Qing's face was pale because her Yin spirit had almost collapsed, but she wasn't worried; she would recover completely after a few days of gentle recuperation.
However, the Yin spirit was not powerful enough to split into two, which worried Liu Qing to death. Where could he get a treasure like the Yin Lingzhi that nourishes the soul?

Otherwise, even if the growth rate of the Soul Splitting Divine Power is raised to the Great Perfection or even the Perfection, if the soul is not strong enough, it will not be able to even split into two at the beginner level, so wouldn't it be in vain?

For a time, Liu Qing had no choice but to suppress his frustration and wait for an opportunity.

On the panel, there were 54 points of Heaven and Earth Origin Qi remaining. Looking at the five new divine abilities that had just been born, Liu Qing waved his hand and added 9 points to each of them, raising their growth rate to minor completion.

To advance to the highest level, each level requires 81 points, but Liu Qing's Heaven and Earth Origin Qi is insufficient, so he has to give up.

Trying to absorb moonlight during the rainy season, or absorbing river water, would disrupt the habitat of aquatic creatures and incur karmic consequences. Absorbing air to purify the primordial energy of heaven and earth is problematic because its content is too thin, and it would also be beneath the dignity of the head of the household.
For now, Liu Qing could only hope for a clear, moonlit night, or for that blind monster to come looking for its death.

[Name: Liu Qing]

[Race: Horned Serpent (In Transformation)]

[Realm: Spirit Refining and Returning to the Void 90%]

[Status: Ninth-Rank Incense God (Not Yet Integrate with the Dao)]

[Divinity: Authority 45%, Incense 2.1%]

【血脉天赋：1吞象（大成）；2尾鞭（大成）；3厚甲（大成）；4口囊（大成）；5沸血（大成），6獠剑（大成），7火翼（小成），8妖言（小成）】

【神通：1御水（大成）；2水傀（大成）；3寄香（大成）；4力士（大成），5化冰（小成）；6水雷（小成）；7洞阴（小成）；8点金（小成）；9分魂（小成）】

[Heaven and Earth Source Qi: 9 points]

Before we knew it, it was already the first day of April.

Early in the morning, Xia Kexing and his wife Xia Qianqian arrived at Shetan to find Liu Qing, planning to go to Dawan Lake together to participate in the ascension festival of Lord Yuan Datou.

Liu Qing understood what the couple meant; they were trying to get on Liu Qing's boat as soon as possible so they could cling to his coattails.
When he first transformed into a demon, Xia Kexing had given him some guidance, and afterwards, Wuding River and Snake Pool became close friends again.
In truth, there was no need for the Xia Ke Xing couple to act this way. Liu Qing had long considered them close, and if he achieved anything in the future, he would certainly benefit from their good fortune.

Liu Qing's gratitude was not just lip service.

Hong Gu had prepared a congratulatory gift for Liu Qing a few days earlier, which included some precious herbs from the East Sea and a hundred taels of gold, a generous gift indeed.

After the local lord, Yuan Datou, becomes a god, he will receive prayers and help the people, and thus a continuous supply of incense money will be produced.

Therefore, the congratulatory gift did not include incense money, and although the hundred taels of gold for authority was not much, it was enough for its short-term use when it first became a god.

The Xia Ke Xing couple came to invite her to come along, but Hong Gu originally didn't plan to go. Firstly, as a seventh-rank deity with authority, it would be inappropriate for her to go to celebrate the occasion of a mere incense-offering deity.
Such good fortune is something Yuan Datou may not be able to bear. Secondly, apart from Liu Qing, Bai She'er, and a few other close river demons, Hong Gu also dislikes contact with other demons.

However, considering that Lord Yuan Datou had taken good care of Liu Qing, Hong Gu agreed to go.

But when he left, he took out something from his pouch. It was shaped like a rice weevil, and had seven colors. It was a rare and wondrous creature, produced in the East Sea, and was called the Face-Changing Worm.

This "face-changing insect," named for its ability to "change one's appearance," can transform its owner's looks and physique completely once it recognizes them and is placed in their ear.
While the outward appearance may change, the underlying energy (qi) can be altered even more significantly. It's important to understand that while outward appearance can change, the underlying energy is much more difficult to change.

The face-changing insect can not only change a person's appearance, but also their aura, completely transforming them into someone else.

(End of this chapter)