"When Heaven and Earth first opened, many powerful creatures rampaged between Heaven and Earth, making it difficult for the Human Race to survive. They could only seek survival by worshipping the Divine Spirits."

"The Divine Spirits enslaved the Human Race and were ultimately slain by the strong among them, the ’Celestial Masters.’"

"So..."

Bao Huisheng rested his chin on his hand, musing:

"Is the altar dedicated to the Celestial Masters who cleared the way for the Human Race?"

"No."

Professor Chen shook his head:

"The altar is not dedicated to the Celestial Masters but to a deity named the Nine-Headed Dragon Elephant, one of the five deities."

"Hmm?" Bao Huisheng was stunned:

"How can that be?"

"Indeed!" Xiao Hong nodded beside him, with a puzzled expression:

"Why?"

Both were driven by curiosity, one following Fang Zheng out of interest, the other seeing Fang Zheng as a savior, following him everywhere.

Originally uninterested in archaeology, they were now engrossed in the ancient tales described by Professor Chen.

"I don’t know either."

Professor Chen shook his head, looking at the mural with emotion:

"Clearly, it was the great ones among the Human Race who defeated the Divine Spirits, yet the altar displays the statue of a deity. Archaeologists are equally perplexed."

"Perhaps..."

"Another story we are unaware of occurred."

"Alas!"

He sighed, saying:

"The Ghost Script is already rare, and with no discernible pattern, there are only six scholars, including myself, in the entire Xia Country studying it."

"All of them are only studying it in addition to other fields, and some questions may never have answers."

This situation is very common in archaeology.

Oracle Bone Script is just a general term; during the same period, many other similar records existed, sometimes as text, sometimes as patterns.

The information hidden within these, modern people have no way to authenticate.

Just like the Ghost Script,

because there are too few recorded remnants, mostly incomplete, even the most advanced computer cannot restore the original intent.

Fang Zheng remained silent, but within him, a tumultuous wave surged.

Celestial Master!

Master of Heaven and Earth!

This is how the Otherworld refers to the highest achievers in Magic and Martial Dao.

In all of history, there have only been three worthy of the Celestial Master title; each possessed earth-shattering strength and magnanimity.

The first Celestial Master was a legend, spanning both ancient and recent eras, yet no name was ever left behind.

On Earth, there are many legends about ancient times.

Even within a single country, there are a dozen creation myths, so Professor Chen regards the mural as a similar storyline.

But,

Fang Zheng knew very well, the story depicted on the mural is most likely true!

Master Jiuyuan explored ancient relics, also finding numerous clues of fallen deities, which corroborate to distinguish truth from falsehood.

Initially,

When Heaven and Earth first opened,

Innate beings rampaged.

The Human Race was weak, struggling to survive.

Later, benefiting from the protection of Divine Spirits, they survived by chance.

Afterward, a divine battle occurred, with many gods falling, leading to the rise of the Human Race, and the birth of the first Celestial Master, annihilating the Ancient Deities.

Five Ancient Deities, seeking to escape the Celestial Master, used some Dharma Gate to flee to Earth, yet were still slain by the Celestial Master’s power from afar.

The Heaven-Swallowing God was one, the Nine-Headed Dragon Elephant was another, and Yama...

Was indeed also one of them!

Many clues linked together in his mind and, though some were still unclear, he could already piece the story together.

"Professor Chen."

Fang Zheng took a deep breath, speaking slowly:

"I’d like to photograph some documents on the Ghost Script for records. Would that be possible?"

"No problem." Professor Chen nodded:

"Nowadays, documents are preserved digitally, so exposure isn’t a concern. Besides, another person studying ancient Ghost Script is beneficial to us."

"Thank you!"

Fang Zheng cupped his hands.

"No need to be polite, Daoist." Professor Chen waved his hand, saying:

"There are very few records of the Ghost Script, so there’s not much to photograph. If you want to see more Ghost Script, you could visit the Langya Wang Clan."

"Though the Wang Family’s Library Pavilion is not widely known, there are quite a few good things inside."

Langya Wang Clan?

Fang Zheng looked up, lost in thought.

*

*

*

Hotel room.

Fang Zheng stood in the center with hands behind his back.

A projection screen covered the entire wall, with many patterns, symbols, and murals flickering on it, interspersed with some Ghost Script.

In other words,

Ancient Divine Text!

Fang Zheng’s expression remained unchanged, his gaze distant, as numerous characters in his mind intertwined and converged, finally forming prayers.

"Your might is immeasurable, you uphold Heaven and Earth, you suppress evil spirits, you nurture the Divine Soul..."

"Great Nine-Headed Dragon Elephant, believers prostrate at your feet, listening to your teachings, and after our deaths, our souls enter the Divine Court to serve you..."

"Your voice is the first note in Heaven and Earth, your hands tore through chaos revealing light, your heads symbolize immortality..."

"Yama submits beneath your feet, the Snake God coils around your waist..."

"Ha!"

Reaching this point, Fang Zheng couldn’t help but chuckle and shake his head.

In the Heaven-Swallowing God’s prayers, there are similar records; however, Yama, the Nine-Headed Dragon Elephant, and other deities became vassals of the Heaven-Swallowing God.

It seems,

be it humans or gods, they both like to downplay the opponent.

Yet Yama never seemed to regard other deities, focusing more on its own interpretation of power and authority.

In comparison, Yama seems more magnanimous.

Different deities have varying strengths and methods.

Yama can control Yin and Yang, traverse two realms, the Heaven-Swallowing God can devour worlds with boundless form, the Nine-Headed Dragon Elephant possesses immense strength, mastering the Divine Soul...

Professor Chen’s data did not include techniques similar to the Celestial Spirit Technique but did mention the other two deities among the five.

One is the Snake God, able to enter the Infinite, pursue lightning, apparently excelling in speed.