Chapter 48: The New Version. Come, Try It Out.

The luxurious banquet continued.

At the banquet, various masked individuals concealed their presences, forming small circles that occasionally merged with others before separating again.

Later on, the atmosphere of the entire banquet seemed to grow warm. It began when Yu Lizhi, a commander from the Wu State, removed his mask, prompting many others to take off theirs as well in order to join in.

They did not harbor too many worries. After all, in their view, they were merely attending a gathering and making a few friends, without discussing any crossing-the-line matters. As for Origin Ghosts and the like—they were so cunning; if one had sneaked in, how could they possibly know?

Consequently, Weisheng Wu kept a mental tally, diligently and bitterly recording every single person he recognized or didn't recognize. For those whose names he didn't know, he noted their appearances; for those whose faces he couldn't see, he noted their distinctive features.

Suddenly, however, his head felt somewhat dizzy, and the surrounding shamans and wizards of all sizes began to sway like phantoms.

Then, he shook his head hard to keep himself awake. What he saw next was an entirely different scene.

In the middle of the hall was a terrifying giant snake that weighed down upon the heavens and earth. Beside him stood a colossal divine tree, a burning black bird of terrifying heat, an oriole that looked tiny yet had countless phantom shadows behind it. By comparison, the green bamboo of Earth Shaman Commander Yu Lizhi, the hamster transformed from Borang’s side, and the other totems looked as cute as little pets.

"It's over," Weisheng Wu muttered, unsteady on his feet. "What should I do? I think I've been contaminated. I'm seeing so many Heavenly Shamans..."

Borang steadied him and said helplessly, "I told you not to come, I told you not to come. Look at this, you've been hit. I think you've remembered enough for today. Why don't you go back and write down the name list first, and come again next time?"

Weisheng Wu shook his head. "No, opportunities like this are rare. I must figure out what is going on..."

"What is going on?" Borang was stunned. "Aren't we at a graduation celebration for the academy? You came here to earn some pocket money."

Weisheng Wu fell silent for a moment, then blinked. "It... seems to be the case. We came to earn some pocket money, and that old man of mine won't give me any allowance..."

Borang also nodded. "That's right. In a few days, we'll be going to the Wu Nation together."

"Yes, to Dashan Tu of the Wu Nation," Weisheng Wu said, clenching his fist tightly.

"What Dashan Tu?" Borang paused in bewilderment. "Aren't we going to the Xuanwu Divine Capital of the Sixth Wu Nation to cultivate in the Shamanic God Temple there?"

There was a trace of struggle in Weisheng Wu's eyes, but he quickly recalled, "Ah, I remembered wrong. Let me tell you, I had a dream earlier. In the dream, there was a place called the Di State. I lived there for a very long time. It was very interesting and completely different from here."

"How was it different?"

"I don't remember," Weisheng Wu shrugged. "It was just a dream anyway."

"Haha, then let's hurry. We still have to serve as shamanic servants for three hours," Borang said with a smile.

Several wizards around him were discussing the risks of blood sacrifices.

"The price of sacrificial crystals has risen again. I don't have many supplies left. What am I going to do when the alienation hits..."

"I wonder how many sacrificial crystals we can scavenge this time. If the Di State can yield a bit more, it'll be for the best."

"Isn't that what everyone is doing this for? Sigh, if I become a Heavenly Shaman, I will definitely carve out a country of my own and raise commoners. That way, I'll have an endless supply of sacrificial crystals without the worry of losing control. Such a great method, and yet the Shamanic God forbids it."

"The Fifth Shamanic God is truly wise."

"The Fifth Shamanic God? Are there five Shamanic Gods?"

"Of course there are! We are currently in the Xuanwu Divine Capital under the rule of the Fifth Shamanic God!"

"Historical records state that the Xuanwu Divine Capital is the divine capital of the Sixth Wu Nation..."

"What are you talking nonsense about? The Xuanwu Divine Capital has always been under the rule of the Fifth Shamanic God. There is only the Fifth Shamanic God in this world, how could there be any other Shamanic God?"

"You're right. How could I have remembered it wrong..."

Similar conversations spread through the small banquet hall. Their topics seamlessly transitioned from the previous discussion of blood sacrifices to how to live in the Xuanwu Divine Capital—how high the prices were here, how difficult it was to be selected as a new Heavenly Shaman in the Shamanic God Temple, and how hard it was to dwell in the Divine Capital.

Even Si Jin realized something was amiss, and his question to his older brother transformed into: "Brother, the Shamanic God Temple is urging you to go back again..."

Si Li was used to tugging at his own Basilisk totem's wits. He immediately sensed something was wrong and, with decisive action, grabbed his younger brother by the collar and vanished from the vast banquet hall in a single step, reappearing on the Great Wall in the blink of an eye before casually delivering a solid backhand slap to his brother's head.

"Ouch!" Si Jin hissed, his head buzzing for a long time before he came to his senses. "You didn't bring Xiao Zhao with you?"

Si Li shook his head slightly, gazing into the distance. "There's no need. Brother Yaoguang will protect him. He is his food."

Despite saying this, his fists clenched slightly inside his sleeves.

He was already a Heavenly Shaman, but because his soul had not yet fused with his totem, it lacked containment and could not resist the pollution from the "Origin" for long.

If he fused with his totem, his soul would become a complete, unified circle, and he wouldn't fear the "Origin" anymore. However...

Si Li looked at the sleeping giant snake within the Great Wall, and finally smiled and shook his head.

The ominous Basilisk excelled in both defense and offense, built upon the skeleton of the Xuanwu divine beast. If not for its lacking intellect, how could it have been conquered by him to become a totem? To demand that such a top-tier totem fuse without any lingering side effects would be far too greedy.

"Then we're just going to stand here and watch?" Si Jin sat down to the side, picked up some melon seeds, and looked into the distance.

Si Li's expression was grave. "Of course not. That pollution is spreading too quickly. You must immediately seal off the academy, forbid anyone from entering or leaving, and evacuate all the ordinary people nearby."

***

At the same time, Lin Zhao, who had been staring hungrily at Weisheng Wu inside the banquet hall, suddenly turned his head. "Old Tree, don't you feel like something is wrong?"

They were clearly in a banquet hall at the academy, yet in the blink of an eye, the banquet hall had grown immensely large. The patterns on the surrounding pillars had changed along with it, and even the dome had transformed from a white floral lantern into the stars, sun, and moon, carrying an aura far superior to before.

Ji Yaoguang was sitting beside him, slicing meat for him. "Nothing is wrong. When the Origin pollutes, it alters cognition, changes surrounding things, and even turns us into someone else."

"Not entirely changed, but rather overlapped with another scene," Ji Yaoguang thought for a moment. "When the people, objects, and perceptions around us all become a snapshot of a certain moment, the living will vanish from the original world, and this sacrifice will be complete."

Lin Zhao translated it into a more easy-to-understand explanation: "You mean it fools people into believing they're ghosts, and then they actually become ghosts and go to the netherworld?"

Ji Yaoguang felt that this metaphor wasn't entirely reasonable. Although the result was indeed that, the theory wasn't quite right...

"This isn't fooling; it's a form of control, a control that even Heavenly Shamans cannot resist," Ji Yaoguang said seriously.

"Quite troublesome then. We just need to control the Origin, right?" Lin Zhao rubbed his palms together and grabbed Ji Yaoguang. "Let's go solve the problem and the person with the problem."

Ji Yaoguang was not very willing; he rooted himself in the ground so firmly that Lin Zhao couldn't drag him no matter how hard he tried. He hesitated and said, " Ah Zhao, look, I'm fine now. Can you let me go first?"

Lin Zhao let out a light scoff and released his hand. "Then go ahead! What, you were expecting me to make a fuss and insist on going together?"

This old Tree was actually starting to act coy!

Ji Yaoguang found it utterly endearing, the branch-like ornaments on his crown swaying gently. "No, I just love how reasonable Ah Zhao is."

Lin Zhao folded his arms and stood aside, quietly watching his performance.

When Ji Yaoguang raised his head, however, his brows furrowed slightly.

In the briefest instant, Weisheng Wu and Borang, whom he had locked onto, had completely changed their appearances.

The youth named Weisheng Wu had now grown a head taller, with a stocky, muscular build. His spiky short hair stood on end like a bear's fur, and he wore a pair of immensely formidable leather armors. He sat proudly upon a high platform, smiling as he addressed the people entering the hall.

"Today, the three-hundred-and-forty-year-long foreign expedition of our Fifth Wu Nation has finally concluded. In this battle, two celestial realms and six stars have been incorporated under the rule of the Fifth Wu Nation, becoming yet another outer city of our Wu Nation," the man said with a powerful, smiling demeanor. "With the end of this expedition, the Twelve Wu Nations will reopen the Array of Stars, integrating all new foreign realms into our rivers and mountains. This time, three strands of the 'Origin' have been acquired, which will nurture a new god."

"Wu! Wu! Wu!" Explosive cheers instantly erupted from below.

"At the same time, we need to hand over two strands of the Origin to the Great Sun Divine Bird. By the day of the splitting of mountains and seas, our lands will grow increasingly abundant, and the realm where the Great Sun patrols the heavens has long surpassed that of the past," the man continued with a smile. "The Divine Bird has decided to nurture ten suns. By then, our Wu Nation will have its own sun and moon, reenacting earth, water, fire, and wind, nurturing authority, and giving birth to the Twelve Shamanic Realms!"

Another wave of explosive cheers erupted from below.

"Now, it has been thirty thousand years since the splitting of mountains and seas, and our Wu clan grows increasingly prosperous..." Before the man could finish speaking, he suddenly extended his hand, and a single bud and leaf grew from his palm, emitting a faint, serene fragrance.

"Soul-Suppressing Leaf..." A struggle flashed through his eyes, but in the next second, it was replaced by boundless majesty. "What monstrous entity dares to act presumptuously here!"

The moment he raised his hand, countless leaves had already sprouted from his body, growing green vines that almost completely wrapped him into a tree-man.

The various shamans in the hall grew furious at once, stepping forward successively as various totems rose, only to be suppressed by the roots erupting from the ground. In the end, the leading "戊" (Wu) completely transformed into a tree three zhang tall.

Ji Yaoguang appeared silently behind the tree, reached out, and plunged his hand straight into the spot where the heart should be.

At that instant, time froze.