Chapter 389 - 195: Temple, Expedition

Another, more direct criterion was the amount of Incense they received.

This concept was also very clear and straightforward: the larger the tribe worshiping a Guardian God and the more devout their faith, the longer the god was steeped in Incense. Consequently, the more Incense Fire Divine Power they would accumulate within their body. The might they could unleash naturally couldn’t be compared to that of latecomers with shallower foundations.

Of course, this standard wasn’t absolute.

If one became too old and their physical functions severely declined, then no matter how much Incense they had accumulated, it would be difficult to compare them to younger beings brimming with vitality.

...

Right now, Li Chang’an was stuck at the stage of achieving his Transformed Form.

He had been stuck for a full thousand years.

The reason for this was that the Divine Dragon form he was constructing was too exquisite and complex. This made achieving his Transformed Form incredibly difficult, far exceeding his initial expectations.

Even though Li Chang’an had already polished his stone body to a state of near-perfection, he still couldn’t complete the most crucial final step of adding the eyes to the dragon.

This was because dragons were creatures of myth and legend; Li Chang’an had never seen a real one.

And in this world, there were no similar creatures he could use as a reference.

So, even though Li Chang’an had polished and carved the Dragon Scales and the dragon’s body to the pinnacle of his understanding, he could never manage to create the eyes.

He simply couldn’t imagine how a dragon’s eyes would look as they moved with life.

This caused Li Chang’an a great deal of trouble.

He needed an opportunity—an opportunity to leap the Dragon Gate and soar through the nine heavens.

...

Of course, even though he was stuck at the stage of his Transformed Form, it didn’t mean Li Chang’an had made no progress at all.

After all, besides the Incense and Candle Divine Dao, Li Chang’an was also a Martial Artist. His true expertise lay in the Martial Dao.

Due to his physical form, he was unable to move.

But that didn’t stop Li Chang’an from strengthening his body, refining his Spiritual Power, and cultivating his Soul Fire.

During this past century, the Fusang Tribe had built a Temple for him.

The Fusang Tribe’s population had dwindled to just one-tenth of its peak, but they didn’t hold back at all when it came to the scale of the Temple.

Li Chang’an’s Temple was massive and looked exceptionally magnificent from a distance.

’At first, Li Chang’an had felt it was unnecessary. After all, the Fusang Tribe was so small now; building such a large Temple would waste too much time and labor.’

’They would be better off focusing on practical production.’

’It wouldn’t be too late to start construction after the tribe’s population had grown.’

But after a moment’s thought, he understood the Fusang Tribe’s reasoning and didn’t voice any objection.

The people of the Fusang Tribe had learned of Li Chang’an’s current situation from Bi Yue.

Their Guardian God had not yet completed his Transformed Form. In the eyes of the Fusang tribespeople, this was tantamount to him not having much combat strength.

From their perspective, Li Chang’an’s combat strength was already lacking.

If the Temple they built also looked shabby, small, and unimpressive, they feared it wouldn’t be long before the newly stabilized Fusang Tribe would once again face the covetous eyes and attacks of other, watchful tribes.

Building a massive Temple would not only shield him from outside view but also serve to intimidate others.

After all, if the Guardian God within the Temple weren’t powerful, how could the Fusang Tribe possibly exhaust their people and resources to build such a grand structure?

As for how long this facade of strength could last...

...that would depend on luck.

...

When Li Chang’an was thirteen hundred years old, Bi Yue, who had once been in the prime of her life and incomparably beautiful, had become a white-haired old woman.

She walked up to Li Chang’an, touched his dragon horn, and whispered, "Respected Lord Guardian God, I’m going to die soon. I had hoped to hold on until the day I could see you successfully complete your Transformed Form, but I never imagined it would take so long..."

Her voice was filled with sorrow, and her eyes revealed a deep reluctance to part.

The Human Race in this world lived a rather tragic existence.

Because they were not blessed by the heavens, the Spirituality of the Human Race would quickly fade after birth. They couldn’t cultivate the Incense and Candle Divine Dao like Spirit Monsters such as Li Chang’an. Thus, they could only rely on crude, self-devised methods to barely extend their lifespans and increase their combat strength.

For Bi Yue to have lived for over two hundred years was already considered a long life.

On that day, Bi Yue said a great many things to Li Chang’an.

Li Chang’an listened the entire time but didn’t reply, remaining silent throughout.

It wasn’t until night fell that Bi Yue finally fell silent forever.

A long while later, another stunningly beautiful young woman of seventeen or eighteen walked in. She bowed cautiously to Li Chang’an, and only after confirming Bi Yue’s death did she go out to report the news to the other tribe members.

The Fusang Tribe sent people to prepare Bi Yue’s body for burial. They interred her in the royal graveyard not far from Li Chang’an. From then on, the young woman from before took over Bi Yue’s duties as the Divine Envoy and became the one to communicate with Li Chang’an.

Li Chang’an usually just listened quietly, rarely responding.

He had now completely grown accustomed to viewing the world from the perspective of a long-lived being. For humans, a few decades, or even a century, constituted a long lifetime.

But to the current Li Chang’an, a millennium was perhaps just a slightly longer unit of measurement. The shifting of seas into mulberry fields and the erosion of rocks into dust might just be fleeting moments.

’That was why he was reluctant to form too many attachments with these Divine Envoys who were responsible for communicating with him.’

’After all, it was better to let a flower that was destined to wither bloom on its own.’