Siheyuan: I have a multi-dimensional chat group!

With the cultivation level of the mid-stage Mahayana, how vast and surging is his magical power?

In just two days, he dispatched his subordinate spirits and demons to bring in suitable building materials, and directly built a vast river god's water palace.

Xiao Shan then used a concealment formation to hide the River God's Water Palace, so that anyone who accidentally went into the river would not see it and be frightened.

By this time, Xiaoshan, the self-proclaimed river god of the Blackwater River, had officially taken office.

The first order issued by Xiaoshan was to eliminate all the water ghosts under his jurisdiction.

Instead of letting his subordinate spirits and demons be wiped out, which would have resulted in the water ghosts under his jurisdiction being scattered to the winds, he did not allow them to be killed off.

Instead, the main approach is to capture him. Xiao Shan plans to personally intervene and guide him into reincarnation, which can be considered as doing good deeds and accumulating merit.

Judging from Xiao Shan's way of governing his own territory, he is someone who likes order.

They all prefer an orderly and stable life, as this can save them from a lot of unnecessary trouble.

He naturally had the idea and actions to abide by the Yin-Yang order, which is the core of this world.

Ghosts and spirits should not exist in the mortal world. Helping them enter the cycle of reincarnation is a meritorious deed and a good deed. No matter how you look at it, it is a good thing.

Water ghosts, in particular, are pitiful people who unfortunately fell into the water and, for various reasons, are unable to enter the cycle of reincarnation.

Over time, their intelligence is lost, and they rely solely on resentment to harm themselves and others.

Transforming their resentment and sending them into the cycle of reincarnation is not necessarily a bad thing.

At his command, the demons and monsters under his command sprang into action, forcibly capturing the water ghosts within their territory, who were then converted by Xiao Shan and sent into reincarnation.

Once all the water ghosts within his territory were sent into reincarnation, Xiao Shan didn't feel anything obvious, but he keenly sensed that his avatar's control over his own territory had increased significantly.

I don't know if this is the benefit of converting water ghosts and sending them into the cycle of reincarnation.

After gaining complete control of his own waters, Xiao Shan continuously enlightened aquatic creatures that had lost the potential to evolve into spirits, and in one go, he enlightened hundreds of small fish and shrimp demons.

After a brief period of training, they embarked on a simple and brutal expansion journey.

First, they spread fifty miles outward from the waters they controlled, subduing or killing any unruly water demons or monsters.

As for the water ghost, it was handled the same way as before: captured and taken back to the River God's Palace, where Xiao Shan personally converted it and sent it into reincarnation.

As mentioned before, the Blackwater River is one of the three major river systems of the Great Chu Dynasty. The Great Chu court has always attached great importance to it and established a special government office to manage it, prohibiting the appearance of powerful water demons, water monsters, and water ghosts in the river.

Years of continuous cleanup have turned the Blackwater River into a complete power vacuum, which has now benefited Xiao Shan, the self-proclaimed river god.

Xiaoshan initially expanded its influence cautiously, only extending outwards in increments of fifty li.

However, after discovering that although there were aquatic spirits and fierce ghosts in the river, there were no truly powerful demons or water ghosts who had entered the ranks of ghost cultivators, Xiao Shan's courage suddenly grew.

Before long, the expansion range increased from fifty li to one hundred li, and then to two hundred li.

However, in just six months, they directly took control of 20,000 li of the river!

As his territory and the waters he controlled continued to expand, Xiao Shan keenly sensed that the authority of his self-proclaimed divine position was growing, and the strength of his avatars was also constantly increasing.

This is because the Blackwater River God has just been established, and Xiaoshan's control over its own waters is not yet deep or thorough enough.

With his vision and knowledge, he naturally knew that after a few more years, once he had completely grasped the divine authority in his hands and had full control over the river section within his own territory, the strength that his avatar could exert would be at least at the mid-stage of the Tribulation Transcending realm.

If he disregards everything and allows his avatar to boldly absorb the power of incense and faith offered by the people along the river, it is believed that in less than ten years, the avatar may even be able to advance to the level of an Earth Immortal.

What a rapid way to increase one's strength!

No wonder there were so many unofficial shrines throughout history.

Countless human nobles, as well as demons and monsters, sought the power of incense and faith, hoping to directly embark on the path of becoming gods through incense offerings.

Because this path is far too easy and simple.

Putting aside other matters, given the right opportunity, flexible methods, and favorable timing, someone like Xiao Shan, who proclaims himself a deity or whose descendants worship him after death and enjoy the power of incense and faith, can improve much faster than a traditional magic cultivator, and his realm also advances very quickly.

There's no need to comprehend any rules of heaven and earth. You only need to fully grasp the principles and authority contained within the divine position, and you will reach the highest level that the divine position can grant in terms of both realm and strength.

The path to becoming a deity through incense offerings is truly a shortcut to entering the cultivation world and improving one's strength and realm.

Of course, in the early stages of cultivating the path of incense to become a god, one must be cautious and careful. It is best to keep a low profile like Xiao Shan, so as to easily get through the dangerous period of just starting to cultivate the path of incense to become a god.

Once one has fully comprehended the power in one's hands and the rules of heaven and earth that power carries, one will have firmly established a foundation in the cultivation world.

The next step is to continue increasing one's own fortune and the power of incense and faith, thereby enhancing the status and strength of one's divine position.

Xiaoshan currently controls only about half of the entire Blackwater River.

If one completely controls the entire Blackwater River, their divine authority would be at least at the level of an Earth Immortal.

What he needed to do was seize control of the entire Blackwater River area with lightning speed before the other cultivators could fully react.

Chapter 894, The Inconveniences of the Path of Incense Offering! (Please Subscribe!)

The path to godhood through incense offerings, if accompanied by sufficient local fortune and abundant faith, allows for incredibly rapid progress.

Not only did Xiao Shan, who transformed into the river god of the Blackwater River, benefit greatly, but the aquatic spirits and monsters he had gathered under his command, as well as a group of lesser aquatic demons, also received considerable benefits.

After all, Xiao Shan isn't the type to keep everything to himself.

Xiao Shan also discovered that as long as his territory remains unchanged and the Blackwater River basin does not undergo significant geographical changes, theoretically, as the incarnation of the Blackwater River God, his lifespan can be extended indefinitely.

If he could conquer the entire Great Chu and become the undisputed guardian deity and totem god of Great Chu, his incarnation might even be stronger than Xiao Shan's original body.

Therefore, Xiao Shan suspected that the founding emperor of the Great Chu, whose memorial tablet was placed on the top floor of the ancestral temple, was the guardian deity of the Great Chu, whose strength should not be underestimated.

As the saying goes, "the higher you stand, the farther you can see," and at this moment, Xiao Shan, reflecting on his own situation, suddenly understood many things that he hadn't been able to grasp before, or even fully comprehend.

Not counting the frontier regions, when he was leading his border troops to sweep across the Northwest, he discovered a very strange phenomenon: almost every county town in the Northwest had shrines and temples dedicated to the various former emperors of the royal family.

Some were damaged before the border troops swept through, while others were well preserved and even exuded a sense of sacredness.

However, after the border troops occupied the area, all the ancestral halls and temples that represented the royal family of the Great Chu were demolished. The local powerful families not only showed no regret, but were actually quite happy.

They showed no anger whatsoever at the humiliation suffered by the Great Chu royal family.

Since Xiao Shan did not directly intervene at the time, he naturally could not immediately sense the presence of the aura and the power of incense and faith in these royal temples; otherwise, he would have known about these situations long ago.

Needless to say, it was the Great Chu royal family that forcibly seized the local incense and faith, which naturally aroused the dissatisfaction of the local powerful families. They should also know some of the mysteries of the power of incense and faith.

It was one thing if they hadn't noticed it before, but now that they understand the key point, Xiaoshan will naturally not give the local powerful families any opportunity to take advantage of it.

Want to gather the power of local incense and faith? Dream on!

Those powerful local families can keep their ancestral worship behind closed doors and provide incense and faith to their ancestors, but if they want the common people to follow suit and offer incense as well, then they shouldn't blame him for being ruthless.

Xiao Shan maintains very strict control over the areas under his jurisdiction; everything is under his control.

Or rather, he would further distribute the power to his subordinates and government officials. Anyone who tried to exploit loopholes or use the power of the government to obtain supernatural resources such as incense offerings and religious offerings for themselves or their families should not blame him for being ruthless.

Whoever touches him dies!

Although he himself did not follow the path of becoming a god through incense offerings, he would not allow local powerful families to possess a powerful ancestral spirit in this way.

Now he fully understands that the rules governing humanity in this world are quite different from the rules governing human dynasties in ordinary worlds.

The standards for so-called local powerful families, aristocratic families, and even noble clans are no longer based on long-standing traditions and the influence and core standards of the court in easing local tensions.

The strength of the ancestral spirits is the primary criterion for classifying these families.

Having figured this out, Xiao Shan naturally had better means and methods to control his subordinates and generals.

These are some important situations that Xiao Shan overlooked after he gained control of half of the Blackwater River and realized the true nature of his self-proclaimed godhood.

Of course, despite the various benefits of the path to godhood through incense offerings, the drawbacks are also quite obvious.

That would mean being completely bound to the Blackwater River and the source of its incense and faith power, unable to break free even if he wanted to—a price he was unwilling to pay…

That's why Xiao Shan used the incarnation technique to create an avatar to become the Blackwater River God.

Without the method of incarnation, Xiao Shan himself would not have gotten involved with such things.

After all, incense is poisonous!

He transformed into the river god of the Blackwater River, controlling a section of the river spanning 20,000 li, and commanding nearly a hundred aquatic spirits and thousands of lesser demons—no small empire whatsoever.

However, Xiao Shan has always been low-key and attaches great importance to normal order. He has strongly ordered his subordinates, including spirits and demons, not to cause trouble. As a result, the 20,000-mile stretch of the Blackwater River under the authority of the river god has been unusually stable recently.

This surprised many merchants and commoners who traveled by water and fishermen who made their living from the Blackwater River.

At the same time, he was overjoyed, thinking it was the work of the newly built Blackwater River God.

In an instant, along the banks of the Blackwater River, the newly built Blackwater River God Temple on the northwest side was bustling with fishermen and ordinary people offering incense, and their prayers and faith flowed continuously into the ears of Xiaoshan's incarnation.

Tsk!

Xiao Shan's avatar, seated on the throne of the River God's Water Palace, frowned slightly, his face showing displeasure.

It wasn't that he was afraid of trouble, but being disturbed by the believers all day long would stir up a nameless anger in him, no matter how calm he was.

This is one of the biggest inconveniences of the path to deification through incense offerings.

Since we enjoy the power of the believers' incense and faith, we must give back.

Whether it's good or bad, something has to be said.

Otherwise, if you only take the benefits without giving back, the karmic consequences could become very serious.

When things accumulate to a certain point, calamities will naturally follow; this is one of the manifest laws of the Xianxia world.

If you don't want to suffer bad luck for no reason, it's best to follow the instructions.

Unless his strength has transcended the constraints of incense and vows and reached the level of a Great Luo Golden Immortal, he must honestly follow the rules.

Any deity who considers themselves clever, or who doesn't take these rules seriously at all, is either currently experiencing misfortune or has already experienced misfortune.

This can't go on like this!

Xiaoshan was not greatly disturbed, but fortunately, it had made preparations in advance.

With a flick of his wrist, a gleaming jade appeared in his hand—the Three Yang Jade, a specialty of the northwestern frontier bordering the demon realm.

The piece in Xiao Shan's hand is an exceptional specimen, with spiritual energy swirling within, giving it a lively and wondrous feel.

Xiao Shan opened his mouth and spat out a stream of azure divine fire, which quickly melted the top-grade Three Yang Jade, eventually condensing into a square seal.

Then Xiao Shan stopped spewing flames, and no one knew what he was doing. Suddenly, half of the river's phantom image appeared, giving a very peculiar feeling, surrounded by a sacred aura.

Chapter 895, Enhancing the Strength of Subordinates! (Please Subscribe!)

A single glance is enough to tell that this is the manifestation of the Blackwater River's water transport.

Although it is only half a piece, it represents the authority of the Blackwater River God in Xiaoshan at this time.

This illusory, half-finished river, under Xiao Shan's guidance, slowly merged into the newly formed seal.

Suddenly, a divine light was about to burst forth, and a faint divine power permeated the seal, dyeing the originally white jade seal with a sacred golden color.

Xiao Shan held the great seal that shone with holy light. With a slight shake, he absorbed all the divine light that was about to soar into the sky into the great seal.

The Blackwater River God's Seal is complete!

As he played with the newly made River God Seal, all the prayers and faith that had been swirling in his ears disappeared, leaving him feeling refreshed and invigorated.

From now on, the Blackwater River God's Seal will automatically help Xiaoshan process the prayers and wishes of believers, without needing to manifest itself to do it.

This is the solution Xiao Shan came up with after consulting with everyone in the chat group.

Although this means the avatar must hold the Blackwater River God's Seal to unleash its full power, it is entirely worthwhile for Xiao Shan.

After all, even an incarnation needs to be controlled by one's own divine will. If one had to listen to the prayers and wishes of those believers every day, one would probably be annoyed to death.

When the Blackwater River God's Seal was first formed, three divine restrictions were automatically generated within it, directly entering the ranks of acquired divine artifacts, which was truly remarkable.

As for how to rank the acquired artifacts, it depends entirely on the number of divine restrictions they contain.

This was also the moment the divine seal was completed, when he obtained some information from it.

He was completely baffled by the rest. In short, the Blackwater River God's Seal was not only a symbol of divine authority, but also a powerful and potentially evolving artifact.

Because it was crafted by Xiao Shan, he didn't need to spend any effort refining the divine restriction; he could directly unleash the full power of the River God Seal.

Similarly, through the information hidden within the divine seal, he also learned a very important piece of information.

That is, as the divine seal continuously absorbs the power of incense and faith, it will slowly become a sacred artifact of incense and faith, and its power will be further enhanced when it merges with the authority of the river god.

Playing with the divine seal surrounded by golden divine light, Xiao Shan smiled slightly, then took out a dozen or so pieces of Three Yang Jade that were not top-grade but still quite good, and opened his mouth to spew out the flames of the divine dragon.

It took forty-nine days to refine twelve more large seals.