Chapter 578 · Volume 1

Blank Godhead, Building Wenxin Hall

The blank godhead floated within a slot in the system storage, completely transparent like a fist-sized crystal ball. No color or light existed within it; only the purest aura of divinity flowed slowly inside.
The system panel displayed only a brief description.
【Godhead (Blank)】
【Grade: Low-grade】
【Status: Unactivated】
【Effect: Can be fused with any attribute divinity to transform into a low-grade godhead of the corresponding attribute. The transformed godhead can be bestowed upon a subordinate god, granting them the enhancement of a godhead of that attribute.】
【Note: Blank godheads are extremely rare. Please choose the fusion attribute and recipient carefully.】
A godhead was a precious thing.
Even a low-grade one was rare because of the anomalies in heaven and earth and the scrutiny of the heavenly tribulations. New gods were almost never born in the world now, and naturally, no new godheads would be formed.
The godheads that still remained in the world were almost all relics left behind after the fall of the old gods from the previous eon.
Thus, a blank godhead that allowed one to determine its attribute was even more invaluable.
Chen Zhou currently had only four subordinate gods.
The most suitable godhead for Lian was certainly her original outer godhead as the Oasis Goddess, so this blank godhead was not for her for the time being.
That left Nie, Jian Huaishuang, and Wu Gou.
Nie followed the Way of Plague, Jian Huaishuang followed the sword path and the laws of lies, and Wu Gou was the reincarnation of a true Buddha.
Each of the three had their own path. After some thought, Chen Zhou decided to keep it for now and see who would be more suitable later.
He closed the system panel and called out to a squad of paper people patrolling nearby, telling the leading paper person to fetch Lu Cheng.
The paper person bowed and floated away.
Chen Zhou then took out the blueprint for Wenxin Hall from his system storage and unfurled it to take a look.
The blueprint depicted a three-story pavilion with flying eaves and bracket sets, and carved beams and painted rafters. The building was octagonal, with large windows on every side. Atop the roof sat a stone-carved Wenchang pagoda finial.
The list of materials required for construction was long, mostly consisting of spiritual wood, spiritual jade, star sand, and the like. Most were around the fourth or fifth stage, which were not considered rare items for the current City of the Wrongfully Dead.
The only troublesome item was a primary material—Wenxin Stone. It required spiritual jade of the seventh stage or higher, and it had to naturally possess rhythmic textures; ordinary spiritual jade would not suffice.
However, this was not a problem.
The treasury of the Gloomlight Province capital was filled with many good things left behind by Yin Wudao, including several pieces of Wenxin Stone that met the requirements.
With Lu Cheng’s Godlike Craftsmanship and the current manpower and resources of the City of the Wrongfully Dead, an Earth Grade building should be completed before long.
Soon, Lu Cheng arrived in a hurry. He wore a coarse tunic covered in wood shavings and stone dust, with several streaks of black ash on his face. It was clear he had run over directly from a construction site.
Another person followed behind Lu Cheng—Song Zi'an.
“My Lord!” Lu Cheng strode over and bowed. “You were looking for me?”
Chen Zhou handed him the blueprint for Wenxin Hall. “A new building, Earth Grade. Take a look.”
Lu Cheng took the blueprint and unfurled it, his eyes lighting up instantly.
The moment he looked at the blueprint, his entire demeanor changed. He went from a boisterous, rough man to a craftsman focused to the point of obsession.
The more he looked, the more excited he became. His fingers traced the lines on the blueprint. “An octagonal pyramidal roof, spirit-cloud pattern bracket sets, a Wenchang pagoda finial... This design is exquisite, truly exquisite!”
Chen Zhou asked, “How long will it take to build?”
Lu Cheng didn't even look up. “Three days!”
He paused for a moment, then corrected himself. “No, two days! Give me two days. I’ll bring my disciples and work through the night!”
Chen Zhou nodded. “No rush. Quality comes first.”
“Rest assured, My Lord!” Lu Cheng patted his chest in guarantee. “When has anything I've built ever had a quality issue?”
After saying that, he lowered his head to stare at the blueprint again, muttering to himself as he began calculating the construction plan in his mind.
Only then did Song Zi'an find a chance to speak, saying with a silly grin, “My Lord, I also have something to report.”
Chen Zhou looked at him.
Song Zi'an rubbed his hands. “The Sophora flowers you sent over before are all top-quality ingredients, brimming with spiritual energy and in excellent condition. Master was overjoyed the moment he saw them.”
“Master said these Sophora flowers are rare treasures capable of stabilizing the soul and divinity. Incorporating them into meals will not only improve the quality of the dishes but also make the consumer's soul more stable.”
“Thanks to these Sophora flowers, Master has already successfully incorporated all the divinity you bestowed previously into the meals.”
Chen Zhou nodded slightly.
Song Zi'an continued, “Master asked me to come and ask you, My Lord, when it would be convenient for you to come to Dingnai Hall for a meal.”
Chen Zhou asked, “Are there enough Sophora flowers left?”
“Yes, yes!” Song Zi'an nodded repeatedly. “We've already packed several large bags. The special meal Master prepared for you only used less than a small handful of Sophora flowers. There are plenty left.”
He pulled out a small notebook from his robes and glanced at it. “Master calculated that the remaining Sophora flowers are enough to prepare a soul-soothing meal for every core member of the City of the Wrongfully Dead, with some left over for Lord Su Xue to use for medicine.”
Chen Zhou nodded, then asked, “How is the processing of the flat peaches going?”
Song Zi'an replied honestly, “Master said the old peaches are too hard and there are some issues with the heat that need to be resolved. They probably need a few more days of slow stewing with heart-fire.”
Chen Zhou was in no hurry. He said, “Then there is no rush for the meal. Wu Gou is at Dingnai Hall right now, isn't he?”
Song Zi'an’s expression became difficult to describe.
He opened his mouth and carefully chose his words. “Yes, My Lord.”
“Master prepared a restorative feast for Diting to recover its vitality, since Diting consumed a lot over in Tianchi Province. Master said it needed to be properly nourished.”
“The moment the meal was served, Master Wu Gou came over, having caught the scent. He said he was here to help taste-test, and then...”
He paused, his expression becoming even more strained.
“And then he sat down at the table and wouldn't leave.”
Chen Zhou smiled, took out a Jianmu leaf, and handed it to Song Zi'an.
Song Zi'an hurried to take it with both hands.
“Take this to Wu Gou,” Chen Zhou said. “Tell him that when he goes to Tianchi Province to pick up the people, he should plant Jianmu at the Stone Forest. Then, have Duke Martial lead troops to guard it.”
As Song Zi'an carefully cradled the Jianmu leaf, Chen Zhou continued, “Once Wu Gou has brought everyone back, we will hold a banquet for the whole city.”
“Don't be stingy with the Sophora flowers. The Old Locust tree can bloom quite a lot. Those are rare treasures that can stabilize the soul and divinity. Everyone should eat more; it will be of great benefit to your cultivation.”
Song Zi'an tucked the Jianmu leaf away and bowed respectfully. “Zi'an understands. I will head to Dingnai Hall to find Master Wu Gou right away.”
Lu Cheng also finally looked up from the blueprint, smacking his lips with lingering interest. “My Lord, then I shall take my leave as well. I must quickly gather the materials.”
Chen Zhou nodded.
The two withdrew together. After walking only a few steps, Lu Cheng couldn't resist unfurling the blueprint to look at it again. He walked while staring at it, nearly walking into a lamppost by the side of the road.
Song Zi'an quickly pulled him back, and the two walked away, talking and laughing.

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