Absolute Destiny Game.

Chapter 584 Immortal Upgrade Mechanism, Incense Offering Plan

A flash of golden light disappeared in an instant, and the text above Ye Luo's head that identified him changed quietly from Ye Luo (Yellow Springs Envoy) to Ye Luo (Heavenly Punishment Ghost Warrior).

The font of her new profession had a subtle, dark gold hue, as if echoing her newly acquired duty of "acting on behalf of Heaven."

What she needs to do next is to keep hunting down sinful evil spirits and seizing their power. Although the process will definitely be difficult, at least she will have a clear path to immortality.

Standing to the side, I, who longed to become an immortal, watched with envy, my face filled with admiration. Now, Brother Feng and Xiao Jie had already ascended to immortality, and Sister Ye Luo had clearly identified the path to becoming a ghost immortal and found her direction. Only he remained stagnant, his future uncertain. He subconsciously touched the scroll of "The Divine Refining Manual of Ten Thousand People's Incense Offering" in his backpack, secretly resolving that he too must intensify his efforts and not hold others back.

"Brother Feng," I leaned closer, my voice filled with anticipation, "when are we going to attend Yama's victory banquet? I can't wait."

Xiao Jie estimated the time and replied, "It will be tomorrow at the earliest. The area outside the city is in ruins after the great battle. There are many troublesome matters to handle, such as resettling millions of ghosts and rebuilding defenses. Yama must be extremely busy. Just wait patiently, and he will send someone to inform us when the time comes."

Having arranged the advancement paths for his two companions, Xiao Jie himself needed to calm down and carefully study the leveling system after becoming an immortal. In today's battle, his level soared seven levels, jumping from level 40 to 47 in one go. However, the feedback from this leveling up was completely different from before. There were no familiar prompts for allocating free attribute points; instead, a concise message appeared: [Your immortal cultivation has increased, and your spiritual energy intensity has increased.]

It is obvious that there is a difference between immortals and mortals. After ascending to the immortal position, the way power grows has undergone a fundamental change.

But just how much strength can this "immortal cultivation" increase? And how is "spiritual energy intensity" manifested? With these questions in mind, Xiao Jie summoned the attribute panel that he hadn't looked at closely in a long time.

Sure enough, two new entries appeared prominently in the attribute panel:

Cultivation progress (Loose Immortal Realm): 43%.

Spiritual energy intensity: 95385/95385.

These two attributes clearly appeared after this upgrade. Xiao Jie opened the detailed upgrade log and checked it one by one. After ascending to immortality, his total spiritual energy was 55000 points.

This is the sum of his accumulated Qi through continuous Qi cultivation before his ascension.

Unlike the mortal stage, after becoming an immortal, spiritual energy is like physical strength; it is not truly exhausted, but rather replenishes itself over time after being used up.

Previously, when I transformed into a golden crow to fight against the army of the Underworld Emperor, my spiritual energy was depleted by more than half, but it has been fully restored in just a short while.

With each subsequent level up, the spiritual energy intensity increases by a fixed 5000 points, from 39 to the current 47. Over eight levels, this represents a total increase of 40000 points. Adding this to the initial 55000 points, the total is 95000 points. This part is straightforward.

It seems that after becoming an immortal, level increases are directly related to the growth of total spiritual energy, rather than the improvement of basic attributes.

In addition, the immortal wine and fruits consumed in the Mountain and Sea Painting Realm, and the spiritual wine and delicacies consumed in the Senluo Palace, will more or less increase the spiritual energy value. Although each time it is not much, it will increase by several hundred points over time, which is better than nothing.

But that "cultivation progress" was rather intriguing. He carefully calculated the percentage increase in cultivation for each level:
Level 40 to 41: Increase of 3.9%
Level 41 to 42: Increase of 5.1%
Level 42 to 43: Increase of 4.7%
……

The seven upgrades combined increased the cultivation progress by approximately 36%.

"Strange, where did the remaining 7% come from?" Xiao Jie wondered, scrolling through the records of his cultivation gains. He traced back to two days ago, where a piece of information he had overlooked at the time caught his eye:

[System notification: You have successfully visualized the Golden Crow Dharma Image, your cultivation level has increased by 6.1%.]

At the time, I was so overwhelmed with joy at successfully visualizing the Radiant Dawn and transforming into a golden crow that I didn't even notice this subtle hint. Flipping further back, I found even earlier records:
[System notification: Visualization of the rabbit successful; cultivation level increased by 0.05%.]

[System Notification: Visualization of the pine tree successful; cultivation level increased by 0.03%.]

[System Notification: Visualization of the stubborn rock successful; cultivation level increased by 0.01%.]

Upon seeing this, Xiao Jie suddenly understood. So that's how it is! Simply relying on killing enemies to level up and meet the requirements for advancing to True Immortal (100% cultivation progress) at level 50 is far from enough. He must actively engage in cultivation activities related to the core of the "Myriad Transformations Immortal" profession—that is, visualizing all things and transforming them into countless forms—in order to effectively improve his cultivation progress.

He further speculated that the reason leveling up could increase cultivation was likely because he was fighting in his "Golden Crow Transformation" state at the time. In other words, if he had fought in pure human form, his cultivation might not have increased at all. Although there was no explicit game explanation, Xiao Jie had already analyzed this immortal leveling mechanism quite thoroughly based on his rich gaming experience.

"It seems I can't blindly pursue levels anymore." Xiao Jie thought clearly. "I must raise my cultivation progress as a Loose Immortal to 100% before reaching level 50. That way, once I reach the required level, I can naturally unlock the True Immortal profession."

Otherwise, you might waste an opportunity to advance.

The goal is clear, and the path is well-defined. The next step is to visualize as many different things as possible and frequently use transformation spells to solidify the foundation of cultivation.

However, having figured these points out, Xiao Jie couldn't help but feel a lingering doubt: "If improving one's cultivation is really that 'simple,' requiring only constant visualization and transformation, then the leap from a Loose Immortal to a True Immortal doesn't seem to take much time. But the immortals of Lonely Cloud Prefecture have cultivated for tens of thousands of years, and most of them have only reached the True Immortal realm..."

After pondering for a long time, the most reasonable explanation came to mind.

"It must be because I'm a 'player'!"

Indeed, thanks to the game's leveling system and job-change mechanism, players can acquire power at a speed far exceeding common sense. Just like the core skills and various talents in the game, in the real world, they require years of hard work and good fortune to obtain, and some are simply beyond our control.

But in games, you might only need to meet specific conditions to master it. Wasn't my own ability to ascend to immortality so quickly a result of greatly benefiting from these game rules?

"To create this almost realistic 'game world' and set up such mysterious rules... what kind of incredible being is this!" Xiao Jie felt an indescribable shock and curiosity welling up inside him. This was far beyond the reach of ordinary technology or power; it might involve cosmic laws, causality, or even the work of a supreme creator, transcending dimensions of imagination. Each deeper thought filled him with a more profound awe of the world's mystery and grandeur.

Without delay, Xiao Jie returned directly to the mortal realm, found a secluded valley, and began to devote himself to meditation and cultivation.

He started with the most common plants and trees in his surroundings, such as the resilient pine trees on the rocky cliffs and the swaying purple orchids in the secluded valleys, and then moved on to various birds and beasts, such as the nimble forest foxes and the mighty wild bears of the wilderness. Each successful visualization would cause his cultivation progress bar to jump slightly, increasing by just a tiny bit.

But he soon discovered that visualization wasn't without its limitations. For example, he simply couldn't visualize the various undead creatures like zombies and walking corpses that were everywhere in the wilderness. This was probably because their forms were too distorted and went against the instincts of the living; Xiao Jie couldn't imagine what it would feel like to become a decaying, walking corpse. Fortunately, these monsters didn't possess any particularly valuable abilities, so Xiao Jie wasn't too disappointed.

For example, some concepts that are vague or too abstract, such as the elusive spirits of the mountains or the intangible spiritual energy of the earth, are equally difficult to capture and cannot be effectively visualized.

In contrast, various wild beasts and birds with physical forms and relatively clear behavioral patterns are the easiest to visualize.

Throughout the day, Xiao Jie's "Myriad Transformations Atlas" added dozens of new forms, and his cultivation progress as a Myriad Transformations Immortal steadily increased to 52%. However, Xiao Jie still felt the pace was too slow. Visualizing these ordinary wild beasts yielded negligible increases in cultivation each time, and their practical value after transformation was also limited. To quickly improve his cultivation, he needed to focus his visualization on divine beasts and immortal beasts possessing extraordinary power.

Just as he was pondering what powerful creature he should seek out next, a sense of unease suddenly arose in his mind.

"Who's there?" Xiao Jie's gaze flashed like lightning as he looked towards the shadows in the valley.

In the darkness, a faint ripple of yin energy emanated, and a figure gradually materialized. The newcomer wore the standard black robes of a ghost messenger from the Senluo Palace, his face obscured, with only a "soul-guiding plaque" hanging at his waist indicating his identity.

The Netherworld Guide bowed respectfully, his voice carrying the hollow quality unique to Netherworld beings: "Greetings, Immortal Master. This humble official has come on the orders of His Majesty King Yama to invite you to the Hall of the Underworld to attend the celebratory banquet."

It turned out it was time for the victory celebration. Xiao Jie nodded, suppressing his thoughts, and said, "Lead the way."

He was indeed quite impatient. Not only to fulfill his promise to me regarding my ascension to immortality and to arrange my path to godhood through incense offerings, but he also had an important "reward" to claim—karma points. Those were treasures even the immortals of Lonely Cloud Continent considered precious. 200 points could be exchanged for a secret manual of immortal arts.
The 500 points rewarded from the mission should be enough to exchange for quite a few top-tier treasures. Accumulating more karma points might allow one to use them to "settle accounts" should one inadvertently become entangled in unresolved karmic entanglements in the future. This undoubtedly adds an important trump card.

Guided by the Netherworld Guide, Xiao Jie once again crossed the boundary between Yin and Yang and stepped into the Netherworld. Returning to the outside of the Ghost City of Senluo, most of the devastation left by yesterday's battle had been cleared away; broken bones and scorched earth had been roughly leveled. However, the energy impact craters several meters deep, the torn and twisted fragments of Netherworld metal, and the faint, lingering wails of soul power and acrid aura in the air all testified to the ferocity and scale of the battle that had just taken place.

The guide led Xiao Jie directly to the Senluo Palace. Stepping into the magnificent and profound hall, the scene before him was completely different from the desolate atmosphere outside the city.

Inside the hall, ghost lamps hung high, emitting a soft, eerie green light that illuminated the dome, which was carved with scenes of a hundred ghosts walking at night and reincarnation.

At this moment, a grand banquet had already been set up in the main hall. Dozens of black jade tables were arranged on both sides, and many civil officials and ghost judges dressed in underworld robes, as well as ghost generals and underworld commanders wearing ferocious armor, were already seated and waiting.

Although it was a banquet for the dead, it still displayed the majesty and grandeur of the Senluo Palace as the ruler of the underworld.

Lin Xuance, Wu Qingyue, and Miaofa Yuanjun Su Zhiqing were indeed present, each seated in the most honored position. They even specially reserved a seat for Xiao Jie near the main seat.

"Fellow Daoist Suifeng, please come and take a seat here!" Yan Jun Qin Chuan sat in the main seat, his voice loud and clear, with an undisguised smile on his face, clearly in a very good mood.

Xiao Jie didn't stand on ceremony; he flashed and sat down comfortably.

"Your Majesty," Xiao Jie said, bowing, "my two friends, Ye Luo and I, aspire to become immortals and have long admired Your Majesty. I wonder if we may allow them to come along and join in the fun?"

"Haha, why not!" Qin Chuan waved his hand readily. "Besides, yesterday's defense of the city was indeed meritorious, with that Miss Ye Luo slaying many rebellious ghost generals. As for my friend, 'I Want to Become an Immortal'... his courage is also commendable!" The latter part of his statement was somewhat polite; Ye Luo's battle achievements were indeed remarkable, but I Want to Become an Immortal was basically just an observer. However, in this setting, naturally no one would bother to make such a distinction.

Before long, Ye Luo and I, who wished to become immortals, were also led in by the ghost official and sat down in the seats of attendants behind Xiao Jie.

Seeing that all the main guests had arrived, Qin Chuan picked up a cup of spirit wine that exuded a chilling aura, stood up, and said loudly, "Esteemed immortals, this great calamity in the Underworld was only quelled so quickly thanks to the four of you for your invaluable assistance. If I had faced this alone, I fear it would have been difficult to achieve such an easy victory. I hereby offer you all a toast!"

(Is it hard to win easily? The subtext is that you can win without us, but it will be more difficult?) Xiao Jie thought to himself, but on the surface he remained calm and raised his glass with everyone else.

After finishing their drinks, the atmosphere became even more lively. Lin Xuance still harbored some resentment because of Qin Chuan's "acting" yesterday, so he said half-jokingly and half-seriously, "Your Majesty, you personally promised that if we helped you quell this great calamity of reincarnation, you would open your treasury and let us choose any treasures. Does that promise still stand?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Chuan's smile remained unchanged, but he sighed softly, "Fellow Daoist Lin, rest assured, my words are law. However..." He changed the subject, "Although the Underworld Emperor has been defeated and most of the millions of ghosts have been pacified, the true core problem of the Underworld—the Reincarnation System—has not yet fully returned to normal operation. When I said 'pacifying the calamity of reincarnation,' I didn't just mean eliminating the Underworld Emperor Zhao You. Only when the Six Paths of Reincarnation return to order and the balance of Yin and Yang is stabilized can the root of this calamity be truly eliminated."

Xiao Jie thought to himself: As expected, here it comes. I knew you'd bring this up. But this was exactly what he wanted.

He immediately took over the conversation, speaking sincerely: "Your Majesty is absolutely right! We must address the root cause as well as the symptoms. In that case, why don't we put our plan to 'unify the nine provinces, revive humanity, and eliminate the root of the problem' on the agenda? Speaking of which, my friend 'Dragon Travels the World' is currently engaged in a final battle with an enemy nation in Longhua Prefecture, and the outcome is imminent. We can lend him a hand and help him achieve the great task of unifying the nine provinces. Once the nine provinces are unified, a peaceful and prosperous era will return, with a thriving population and people living in peace and contentment. The 'life force' needed for this cycle of order will naturally flow in continuously, and restoration will be a natural outcome."

"Excellent! As expected of a savior immortal who cares for all living beings, you are indeed public-spirited and righteous!" Qin Chuan clapped his hands in praise. "This matter concerns the balance of the Three Realms, and it is indeed time to make plans for it. I wonder... how many troops will Fellow Daoist Suifeng need me to send to assist him?"

Xiao Jie tentatively asked, "Didn't Your Majesty subdue a million ghosts in the Sea of ​​Reincarnation? Why not allocate three to five hundred thousand to me to bolster your prestige?"

Qin Chuan shook his head and smiled wryly, "Fellow Daoist Sui Feng, you're being presumptuous. Ordinary ghosts have fragile souls; how could they possibly go to the Yang Realm, where yang energy is abundant? Under the bright sun's true fire, they would probably be scattered in an instant. Moreover, the Yin and Yang realms are separated by a clear boundary, and only those with certain magical power or special physical bodies can easily cross over. Ordinary ghosts simply don't have this ability. Only my regular ghost soldiers and generals, who have undergone rigorous training and are protected by standard ghost armor, can barely move around in the Yang Realm."

He further explained, "Even so, they can never be deployed during the day. They can only be deployed at night, or in extreme weather conditions where it is cloudy and the sun is not visible. There are quite a few restrictions."

Xiao Jie suddenly realized that there were so many restrictions. But then he thought that with his and the other immortals' abilities, casting spells to "summon clouds and fog" to block out the sun shouldn't be a big problem.

Su Zhiqing, the Mystic Sovereign, chuckled and said, "In fact, with the strength of the four of us, we are enough to sweep away the armies of the mortal realm. Why should we care about the number of troops?"

“Your Majesty is mistaken,” Xiao Jie shook his head. “The key to unifying the Nine Provinces lies in ‘momentum.’ As the saying goes, ‘the trend of the times’ dictates that if we want to achieve unification at the lowest cost and fastest speed, we must create an unstoppable ‘momentum.’ We must make all our opponents clearly realize that resistance is futile, and that the unification of the Nine Provinces by the Dragon Soaring Kingdom is ordained by Heaven. In this context, the more troops that come to our aid, the better, as it will better demonstrate ‘Heaven’s will.’ Of course, having ten thousand elite ghost soldiers as a surprise force and deterrent is already enough to create strong pressure.”

Sitting at the lower end of the table, Ye Luo calmly sipped his wine, seemingly uninterested in this grand discussion. But Wo Yuchengxian, listening to the bigwigs discuss matters of state, grew impatient. He secretly tugged at Xiao Jie's sleeve and whispered, "Brother Feng, Brother Feng! What's going on with my incense offering? It sounds like it'll be a long wait."

Xiao Jie chuckled, patted his shoulder, and replied via telepathic communication, "What's the rush? It's very simple! As long as you help Long Xing Tianxia unify the Nine Provinces and become the ruler of the Nine Provinces, he will have the authority to 'confer deities.' At that time, all the heroic spirits of the players who died for the country in the past will be posthumously conferred deities and enjoy incense offerings from the mortal world. I'll directly arrange a top-level national guardian general or something similar for you, so that the people of the whole country will worship you. The incense offerings and prayers will be endless, and you can absorb and refine them at will."

Upon hearing this, I, who aspire to become an immortal, felt my eyes light up, as if I could already see myself enveloped in golden light and surrounded by countless believers. I excitedly whispered, "Brother Feng! You're so righteous!"

Xiao Jie thought to himself, "This is just something I can do easily."

In fact, he not only arranged a position for me to become an immortal, but he also planned to gain some incense offerings for himself, since the transformation of a Dharma body is subject to the blessing of incense offerings.

The higher the incense level, the more magical abilities Xiao Jie can unlock.

Having appeased my desire to become an immortal, Xiao Jie had a sudden thought and sent a private message to Long Xing Tianxia, ​​who was far away in Longhua Prefecture:
"President, how's the situation on your end? I've already made preliminary arrangements for the Underworld's assistance."

Almost instantly, Long Xing Tian Xia's reply came back, his tone carrying a hint of excitement and urgency:

"Brother Suifeng! Your message is so timely! We just received the final battle challenge from 'Supreme Emperor'! The time is set for—tomorrow at noon!"

(End of this chapter)