Gods of the Nation: You worship the God of Longevity, I worship the King of Hell!

Chapter 186 Ringing the Literary Bell: An Unexpected Opportunity!

Although, broadly speaking, his relationship with Emperor Wenchang was indeed quite close.
After all, incense has been offered for so many years.

But the key point is that his affinity with the Wenchang Emperor is only 0.5%!
Because of this, the original owner was always at the bottom of the class or even the grade.

"Kitchen God, is there... any other way?"

Lu Chen smiled somewhat embarrassedly.

"Other methods?" The Kitchen God was slightly taken aback upon hearing this. "No, at least for now, these are the only three I can think of. What... could it be that your affinity with the God of Literature and the God of Literature isn't high?"

"Cough cough, 0.5%," Lu Chen said in a barely audible whisper.

"What, only 5%?"

Lu Chen: "..."

"Kitchen God, it's 0.5%!"

This time, there was complete silence on the other side of the statue.

After a long while, the Kitchen God's incomprehensible voice finally came:

"Young friend, are you joking with me? There really is a 0.5% chance of serving a god in this world?"

"Yes... we do."

Lu Chen guessed that at this moment, in the Kitchen God's mind, he had probably been relegated from being a person of exceptional talent to being a brute.

"Hiss~ This number is really beyond my expectations."

A soft, suppressed laugh came from the other side of the statue.

"That's it, that's it. There's really no way to change things now."

Even if you kowtow a hundred or a thousand times, your meager devotion to the gods may not earn you the emperor's favor, let alone allow you to communicate with him.

Young friend, why don't you give up here and find another task?

The Kitchen God spoke frankly, but also honestly.

"This……"

Lu Chen frowned, feeling truly unwilling.

Now that we've found the weakness of the formation, it would be a shame to give up now.

He had considered using the "divine incantation".

But when I recalled the situation when I had previously asked Lei Zu to come...

Wenchang Dijun, who is also a major devotee of the Heavenly Court, and perhaps even more so, is probably not much better off.

"That's right!" Lu Chen suddenly had a flash of inspiration and cupped his hands to ask, "Kitchen God, when I made offerings to you before, I attracted your attention with the 'smoke and fire' of the kitchen. I would like to ask if there is a similar method that can attract the Emperor's attention? For example... would it be feasible to make friends through literature?"

"Making friends through literature?" The Kitchen God asked with a hint of doubt, "But your service to the gods is only 0.5%?"

The implication couldn't be clearer—if you were truly talented, how could your divine favor be so low?

So where does the idea of ​​"making friends through literature" come from?

"Well..."

Lu Chen didn't argue further and simply got straight to the point, reciting:

"Sunlight shines on the incense burner, creating purple smoke; from afar, the waterfall hangs like a curtain before the river. It plunges straight down three thousand feet, seeming like the Milky Way falling from the ninth heaven!"

"Kitchen God, what do you think of this poem...?"

The faint divine light above the statue seemed to freeze for a moment.

A moment later, the Kitchen God's voice betrayed a hint of surprise and appreciation: "Wonderful, this poem sounds... quite remarkable."

Lu Chen thought to himself: How could a timeless masterpiece be bad?
The Kitchen God pondered for a moment: "The God of Literature, Wenchang, is in charge of literary fortune. If you use this method as a medium, you might be able to attract His attention. However, a poem alone... is probably not enough."

"Don't worry, Kitchen God, as long as this method works, poetry—is absolutely no problem!"

Lu Chen never imagined that one day he would also end up as a plagiarist.

Oh dear, for this mission, for those 20,000 military merits, I have no choice but to go all out.

Fortunately, the abbot of the temple forced him to memorize many famous ancient texts since he was a child, which came in handy now.

"Strange, young friend, if you possess such talent, then why do you serve the gods..."

"It's just that we haven't had a chance to show it off yet. We can't just suddenly recite poetry in front of a crowd of worshippers, can we?" Lu Chen chuckled and made up an excuse on the spot.

"Well, that makes some sense. I never imagined that you, young friend, were such a hidden literary talent."

The Kitchen God changed the subject, saying, "By the way, outside the 'Nine Heavens Enlightenment Palace' where the Emperor resides, there hangs a 'Literary Bell.' It is said that this bell is quite spiritual. If it encounters someone with outstanding literary talent, the bell will ring automatically. The sound of the bell can reach the Nine Heavens, shake the universe, and be known throughout the heavens."

As the Kitchen God spoke, a hint of anticipation seemed to linger, "I wonder if you, young friend, have the ability to ring this bell."

If the bell can be rung, then not only will your request have a great chance of being fulfilled, but you may also be able to ignite your own inner fire.

At that time, your fortune in the literary path will naturally increase by three points.

Even the mysterious ritual equipment you set up for me that day will become several times more powerful.

Ultimately, to anyone with a discerning eye, your ceremonial procession clearly exudes an air of cultural refinement.

Upon hearing the Kitchen God's words, Lu Chen's pupils constricted sharply, and his heart began to pound uncontrollably.
"Such...opportunity?!"

Is there anything strange about this?

Lu Chen quickly waved his hand: "It's no fault of mine, it's just that I've learned something new."

After saying this, he bowed solemnly and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Kitchen God. If it weren't for your guidance, I would still be like a headless fly, flying around aimlessly."

"It's nothing, just a trivial matter. If there's nothing else, I'll head back now. I wish you all the best."

"Respectfully sending off the Kitchen God!"

"Good~"

As the words fell, the smoky atmosphere in the room slowly dissipated.

The simple statue of the Kitchen God creaked open, revealing a tiny crack.

Lu Chen reached out and put the statue into his storage ring.

"The Kitchen God really helped a lot this time..."

I thought that the Qian Tian Music Array was extremely difficult, almost a dead end.

After the Kitchen God's guidance, everything became clear, and the difficulty level dropped dramatically.

Indeed, only magic can defeat magic!
No wonder he's the number one "know-it-all" in Heaven!
Lu Chen's emotions surged:

"As long as I can get the Emperor's approval, and even have the help of the Deaf and Mute, I will definitely be able to take that treasure-filled secret realm!"

"Moreover, since the Kitchen God has confirmed the effectiveness of the 'copying' method, it is worth a try."

"If we can strike the bell and light the fire, it will be like adding wings to a tiger for my lineage of ritual ceremonies!"

"I never expected that this mission would contain such a hidden opportunity..."

As his thoughts wandered, Lu Chen suddenly realized something deeper:
"If I can really ignite a small fire, will it also trigger my 'connection with heaven and earth'?"

"If I succeed, wouldn't I have a chance to advance to the Green Robe, or even... directly to the Red Robe?"

"But whichever it is, once I'm promoted, I can... receive the ordination certificate!"

“Even a private talisman will do!” “At that time, I will be able to establish a sect in this world and recruit many disciples.”

With more disciples, the level of the rituals naturally increases, allowing for the invitation of celestial soldiers and generals to protect the Dharma, and even the holding of…”

Four words suddenly exploded in Lu Chen's mind:
"The Grand Ritual of Luo Tian!!!"

Upon hearing those four words, Lu Chen felt a sudden shiver run through his body, and a bead of sweat immediately seeped out from his back.

In my mind, I could almost picture the magnificent scene of "immortals descending to earth and all the gods paying homage"!

"Good heavens! If we have the chance to successfully hold the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony, wouldn't our Lu Clan Temple be on the verge of complete takeoff?!"

During a brainstorming session.

Originally, Lu Chen felt that striking the Wenzhong bell and shaking the heavens was too high-profile and might easily attract unnecessary trouble.

But now...

try!!

We absolutely have to try this Wenzhong!
Whether it succeeds or not is another matter.

Immediately, Lu Chen quickly reviewed the famous poems and lyrics he knew in his mind, and even roughly recalled the classics of Taoism.

He secretly made up his mind: if the Emperor Wenchang wanted to talk to him about poetry, he would present him with hundreds or thousands of famous poems and overwhelm him with them.
If you want to discuss the Tao, that's fine too!

Choose from 100 classic Taoist texts!
If even five thousand years of wisdom from a previous life cannot ring the Wen Bell.

Lu Chen didn't even dare to imagine what kind of person could ring this bell.

Sharpening knives does not miss woodcutters.

Lu Chen turned around and ran into the bathroom, took a long and refreshing shower, and changed into a clean and tidy new set of clothes.

After showering and changing, he turned on his phone and searched for nearby temples dedicated to Wenchang Dijun.

—Hu Family Temple.

It's closest to the hotel where he's staying.

It's only a few kilometers away.

"That's it!"

Lu Chen immediately set off, hurried downstairs, intending to take a taxi directly there, so as not to have to ask Sun Yourong to borrow her car.

While waiting for the bus on the curb.

A black luxury van suddenly stopped in front of him.

Lu Chen moved to the side.

Unexpectedly, the car window rolled down, revealing a familiar face with a bright smile.

"Brother! Where are you going?"

"Young Master Wang, what are you doing here?"

"I was just about to look for you! Luckily I arrived in time, or I would have missed you!"

Young Master Wang grinned, his tone very familiar.

Not long after Lu Chen and his group returned to the hotel, Young Master Wang, knowing there was no hope of breaking the formation, also slunk back with them.

Upon returning, after much deliberation, he decided to come and talk to Lu Chen.

Unexpectedly, he had just arrived at the hotel entrance and hadn't even gotten out of the car when he saw Lu Chen running out of the lobby, and they bumped right into each other.

"Where are you going? I'll give you a ride!"

"No trouble at all, the car I called will be here soon."

"Hey, why are you calling for a car! Hurry up, get in! We're all friends, you have to give us this much face, right?"

As he spoke, Young Master Wang opened the back door and moved a little further inside.

Seeing this, Lu Chen stopped refusing and bent down to get into the car.

"Please go to the nearest Hu Clan Temple, thank you."

The vehicle drove off smoothly.

What are you going to the temple for? To worship a god? Which one?

Young Master Wang immediately launched into a barrage of three deadly questions.

Lu Chen thought for a moment, realizing he couldn't hide it any longer, so he simply admitted it openly: "Emperor Wenchang."

"Huh? Can Emperor Wenchang help break the formation?"

Lu Chen smiled and said no more.

Young Master Wang sized him up a few times, then suddenly said:

"Hey bro, need any help? If you need it, I can get someone to clear the area!"

Lu Chen turned to look at him, pondered for a moment, and then nodded: "That's definitely something we could do!"

"Alright!" Without saying another word, Young Master Wang took out his phone and gave the order.

"It's all arranged. The Wenchang Hall over there has been vacated for you."

"As expected of a young master from a prestigious family, your efficiency is truly remarkable. Thank you!"

"Hey, we're all young, let's stop with the nonsense. Come on, let's get to know each other properly—Wang Yiming."

"Lu Chen".

The two shook hands again and smiled at each other.

"Brother, what are your chances of breaking that strange formation?"

Wang Yiming leaned closer and asked in a low voice.

Upon hearing this, Lu Chen glanced at him sideways but did not reply.

"Oh, don't worry!" Wang Yiming quickly waved his hand, his face completely at ease.
"Our Wang family has always had a good reputation for doing things."

My trip here is really just a formality; my family already knew this task wouldn't be easy to handle.

If it weren't for the title of 'Young Master,' I would have come here just to watch the show.

But it's fortunate I didn't arrive earlier, otherwise I would have missed this amazing showdown between the gods!

He paused, then chuckled, "I just love watching a good show, and I think following you will definitely bring some excitement!"

Lu Chen couldn't help but laugh and said, "Young Master Wang, to be honest, you're quite special, not like the average top young master."

“That’s right!” Wang Yiming proudly raised his chin. “I’m all about being genuine and down-to-earth! Unlike those two-faced guys. So…”

He leaned closer, lowered his voice, and asked with excitement in his eyes, "Will there be some excitement later?"

Lu Chen laughed and said, "Even if it exists, you won't be able to see it."

"Why?" Wang Yiming asked, puzzled.

"Because, in heaven!"

(End of this chapter)