Upon the soil of the Dongyuan Realm, no deities were born, nor was there an Incense Fire Divine Path.
For Chu Zheng, this was undoubtedly an excellent soil for propagating the seeds of his own faith.
In this world, the Nine Domains and Thirteen Wastelands were vast enough that even though the Human Race only occupied a quarter of the territory, the population wasn't less than that of the Cangyun Realm, numbering in the hundreds of billions.
If he could become the only True God in this world, seizing all faith within it, Chu Zheng's cultivation would undergo a terrifying leap.
However, the absence of the propagation of Incense Spirituality meant that the people of this world did not believe in the existence of deities.
Spreading the faith of a deity among a group of people with no concept of divine beings would be much more difficult than competing for devotees.
In such circumstances, establishing a strong reputation first, then recasting mythological stories to create a god after death, seemed to be a relatively simpler method.
However, the specific situation required further understanding of the Dongyuan Realm before proceeding to a more definitive judgment.
As Chu Zheng was deep in thought, streams of spiritual energy began seeping into his body from his back and limbs, warming his flesh like trickling streams entering his four limbs and bones.
Chu Zheng's gaze instantly hardened; he stripped off his upper clothing. His Divine Sense was bound to his physical body and could not see behind him, but judging from the markings on his limbs, it was likely that the totem of a Mythical Beast had been imprinted on his back.
The four claws, adorned with scales, coiled around his limbs, blood-red and exuding an aura of ferocity.
After feeling it for a moment, Chu Zheng was somewhat moved; the totem on his back could actually autonomously absorb spiritual energy to aid his cultivation, delivering spiritual energy directly into his limbs and bones without the need to spend time cultivating.
This method of cultivation was truly astonishing.
If it could be overlaid with other Taoist orthodoxies, it would be like adding a clone that was cultivating all the time. Over time, this would create a considerable gap between him and other cultivators.
Take this body now, which was already four years old; although it was inexperienced in cultivation, after four years of nourishment from the totem, its Qi strength was already extraordinary, easily possessing the force of a couple of thousand pounds.
Seeing this, it was clear that the secrets of the totem had to be unraveled.
The evening sky was blood-like with eagles and hawks used to scavenging carrion circling above. Chu Zheng stood up and scanned his surroundings; everywhere he looked, there were bloodstains and remains.
From the information he had gathered during his previous Soul Division wanderings, within Dongyuan Realm there were no structured kingdoms, only tribes.
Within the tribes, there were strong and weak, all closely related to their totems, but it was unknown at which level the totem on his back belonged.
There was a sharp cry from the skies, and a dark shadow of more than ten zhang swooped down, stirring up a mighty gust of wind.
A black Divine Bird land in front of Chu Zheng, with a few figures standing on its back.
Seeing the naked Chu Zheng standing there, several cries mixed with joy erupted:
"There's a child here!"
"There are survivors!"
[Ming Sculpture (Fourth Order): A ferocious bird that roams the edges of death, accustomed to moving in mountains of corpses and seas of blood, its body shrouded in the Qi of tribulation.]
Chu Zheng's eyes swept across the black Divine Bird and the figures, his gaze flickering slightly.
The bird, comparable to a Divine Infant Cultivator, and the people standing on its back, none of their strengths were below the Fourth Order.
The figures instantly dispersed in all directions, staying alert while they searched for any other survivors.
A Great Man nearly ten zhang tall suddenly strode forward, hoisting Chu Zheng up to examine his back.
According to the information provided by the Spiritual Eye, this person's name was 'Lie,' and he had reached the strength of the Fifth Order.
In some smaller tribes, people did not have surnames, only given names. Surnames were something that only larger tribes had.
Only those from larger tribes with populations extending beyond the limit of a single word needed more complex names as identifiers.
After rough hands rubbed over Chu Zheng's back for a moment, Lie fell silent for a while, and with a light sigh said,
"He's not a child from our tribe."
Before his words had faded, the dispersed figures each turned back, their eyes slightly dimmed, shaking their heads:
"Apart from this child, there are no other survivors."
Among those scattered bones, presumably, lay all the family members of this child.
"Lucky boy, it seems the spirits of the tribe are watching over you. To which tribe do you belong? What's your name?"
Lie held Chu Zheng aloft with one hand, the thick beard on his face rubbing against Chu Zheng, making him slightly uncomfortable.
"Tribe... I don't know,"
Chu Zheng hesitated slightly before shaking his head and then said, "My name is Zheng Chu."
This time reincarnated, he was not preparing to endure tribulation but to pave the way for the Incense Fire Divine Path.
Currently, his principal body's Qi Refinement's Cultivation had entered a Stable Period, and without extra forces at work, it was difficult to make substantial progress. There was not much Tribulation Qi left around him, and undergoing tribulations need not be rushed.
Hearing this name, the people around him all showed a hint of surprise.
Merely having a two-character name was already characteristic of a larger tribe.
"Well, let's take him back first. We are all of the Human Race; if we can help, we should,"
With a low murmur, Lie held Chu Zheng with one hand and stepped onto the Ming Sculpture, the thick Qi of tribulation hitting them, even starting to erode Chu Zheng's flesh.
Before Chu Zheng could react, Lie squeezed out a drop of blood from his fingertip and dripped it onto Chu Zheng's back.
In an instant, a burning sensation came from his back, and the totem as if came to life, its scales slightly opened, emitting a fierce warmth that dispersed the tribulation Qi.