Gods of the Nation: You worship the God of Longevity, I worship the King of Hell!

Chapter 131 Everyone was stunned! This is a divine offering?!? (Please read on!!!!!!!!!)
Lu Chen looked in the direction of the sound.

The shrine in front of us was clearly dilapidated.

But compared to the complete desolation of the Zhao Clan Temple.

At least it still maintains a basic appearance and is still pleasing to the eye.

He took a deep breath without making a sound, picked up the incense stick in his hand, turned around and said in a low voice, "Excuse me, gentlemen, please step back a few steps and allow me to try it once."

Upon hearing this, Sun Dechang and his companions immediately retreated, maintaining a distance of more than three meters from him.

As Lu Chen lit the incense sticks, and wisps of smoke rose, the secret incantation for seeking out the Kitchen God appeared in his mind.

He concentrated his mind and silently recited in his heart:
"Heaven and Earth are in their positions, and the Kitchen God governs destiny."

When people respect you, you will receive abundant blessings and prosperity.
Disasters were averted, and plagues fled.
"By relying on the sea, all find peace..."

After reciting the incantation, Lu Chen respectfully inserted the incense sticks into the burner.

Next, it's time to wait.

The incense sticks glowed and faded, the smoke curled and swirled, and time passed in silence.

Even after half an incense stick had burned, the shrine remained silent, showing no signs of abnormality.

Old Wu sighed softly, not surprised by the result.

He burned incense more than three hundred times, but it all disappeared without a trace.

This young man's idea of ​​succeeding in one fell swoop is far too unrealistic.

Although Mr. Wu had heard from his son about Lu Chen's recent extraordinary achievements.

But this household deity... is ultimately different.

After all, this was a place that consistently ranked among the top ten in the Three Realms during its heyday.

Which household in the world does not respect the Kitchen God?
You could say they've seen it all.

Mr. Wu even wondered if the incense offerings had been too plentiful in the past.

Is this why the Kitchen God no longer cares about these incense sticks?
Upon closer examination, this possibility may not be entirely unfounded.

After the incense stick burned out, everything returned to calm.

Lu Chen frowned: Strange, even the incantation to summon the gods had no effect?
This is truly the first time.

Even the time when we worshipped the [Nine Heavens Responding to the Origin of Thunder and Universal Transformation Heavenly Venerable], although we suffered a backlash, it also proved that the power of the incantation was effective.

Why is it that when it comes to the Kitchen God, not even a ripple can be stirred up?
Lu Chen didn't believe in this superstition.

I lit incense again, offered it, and silently chanted a mantra.

But the incense burned to the bottom.

There was still no movement.

—Again!
failure!

—Again!
Still a failure!

This process was repeated until the eighth incense stick burned, at which point the incense gradually turned to ash.

The statue remained indifferent and motionless.

Lu Chen: "..."

Holy crap!!!
He was completely stunned.

What's going on with this Kitchen God?

Logically speaking, He should be one of the most easily communicated deities among all the gods.

How come the current difficulty is even higher than that of the Eight Great Gods?
"It seems that it really won't work."

Sun Dechang's voice came from behind. He glanced at the sky and advised, "Xiao Chen, it's getting late, how about... we call it a day?"

“Yes,” Sun Yourong chimed in. “Even Grandpa Wu prayed three hundred times at his own temple to no avail. Perhaps this Kitchen God doesn’t want incense offerings?”

Upon hearing this, Lu Chen seemed to suddenly realize something, and abruptly turned around, bowing to Elder Wu: "Elder Wu, you mentioned earlier that the Emperor once guessed that the Kitchen God disliked the atmosphere of the temple, which might be the reason why He did not respond?"

Old Wu nodded: "Indeed, the Emperor did say that. However, this guess is reasonable. Household spirits are mostly used to being close to the mundane world. Temples are too solemn and solemn, which may make them feel uncomfortable and unable to live there."

Lu Chen raised an eyebrow, clasped his hands in a fist salute again, and said earnestly, "Elder Wu, I have a favor to ask. May I borrow a corner of your esteemed temple to temporarily build a stove and try again?"

"What!?"

Upon hearing this, not only Sun Yourong and her group of bodyguards looked astonished, but even Sun Dechang and Old Wu were taken aback.

“Build a stove in a temple?” Sun Yourong’s forehead creased with annoyance: “Lu Chen, your idea is… quite unique.”

Sun Dechang chuckled and said, "This method... I've never heard of it before."

He turned his gaze to Old Wu, his expression inquiring: "Old Wu, what do you think of this..."

Old Wu frowned, lost in thought and remained silent.

Seeing this, Sun Dechang realized that Lu Chen's actions were somewhat offensive, and quickly smoothed things over, saying, "Old Wu, Lu Chen was just making a suggestion, don't take it to heart..."

Old Wu raised his hand to stop him: "No, Old Sun, that's not what I meant. I was thinking... this method might really be worth a try."

"what!?"

The group of bodyguards behind him were almost speechless with shock.

Are stoves built in temples for offerings?
Is it... feasible?
Did I hear that right?

I can't find such an operation anywhere in history books!

Old Wu pondered for a moment and said, "Young friend Lu, do you mean to simulate the scene of smoke rising from ordinary households, so as to use the smoke to evoke the Kitchen God's senses?"

Lu Chen nodded: "That's right! That's exactly what I mean. Since conventional methods don't work, it's not a bad idea to try unconventional methods."

Old Wu nodded, his eyes lighting up: "Yes, that makes sense. Why didn't I think of that back then?"

He immediately turned around and ordered in a deep voice to those behind him, "Go find a few craftsmen immediately, bring the materials, I want to build a stove in the backyard!"

"Yes, sir!" a bodyguard replied and was about to leave.

"Wait a minute!" Lu Chen added, "Could you please bring some more firewood and raw rice? If you don't have rice, water will do!"

"understand!"

Seeing that the solemn ritual of inviting the gods was about to turn into a civil engineering project, the Sun family grandfather and grandson looked at each other, both of them at a loss for words.

Sun Dechang sighed inwardly: When a quick-witted person meets a sharp-witted one, they really hit it off immediately.

Three craftsmen and several staff members rushed over with various materials.

"master!"

"Build it right here, get started quickly!" Old Wu personally designated an open space next to the shrine.

"Yes!"

These bricklayers were clearly skilled in martial arts, though only at the first rank, their movements were exceptionally nimble.

Perhaps it is a shrine to the "Immortal Master Lu Ban" or the "God of the Beams".

With the combined efforts of the three, a brand new stove was built in just five or six minutes, and even the whitewash was finished.

The efficiency is astonishingly high.

Then, Old Wu ordered someone to pour in raw rice to prepare for cooking.

"I'll do it."

Lu Chen took the initiative to take on the task.

He carefully scrubbed the pot and wiped the stove, then poured in water, added raw rice, and covered the pot with the lid.

He then squatted down and added firewood to the stove.

As the flames flickered.

Soon, the pot began to bubble and simmer, filled with the aroma of rice and the unique scent of firewood.

"Gulu——"

Someone's stomach growled loudly behind me.

I actually got hungry just looking at it?
Looking at this unprecedented and almost magical scene of worship, Sun Yourong felt that her understanding had been severely impacted once again.

She swore she had never seen such a method of invoking the gods.

--Clothes.

—I'm truly impressed.

As the aroma of food grew stronger, it filled the courtyard.

Lu Chen walked up to the shrine, bowed three times to the statue, and said, "I have offended you, Kitchen God."

He bent down and carefully took out the statue, placing it on the stove so that it could be completely bathed in the steaming aroma of the pot, the fragrance of rice, and the scent of firewood.

Then, he lit incense again, concentrated on chanting incantations, and bowed in worship.

At that moment, everyone behind him held their breath.

The stove has been built, the rice has been cooked, and all the preparations that can be thought of have been made.

If that doesn't work, then we're truly at our wits' end.

As the incense stick burned down to one-third of its original value.

Lu Chen clenched his fists secretly.

at this time.

suddenly!

A subtle yet incredibly clear sensation, like an electric current, suddenly swept through his mind! "This is...!"

Lu Chen's pupils suddenly contracted.

"There is a fluctuation of divine power!"

Upon hearing this, everyone behind him trembled!
"It...it really worked!?"

Sun Dechang is simply incredible.

So this is how you worship deities?!

Sun Yourong's expression also changed. She never expected that a god who was almost a "dead immortal" would be conquered by this guy.
Still using this almost "evil" method!?
As expected of... the god of cold stoves!

Old Wu's eyes gleamed even brighter. If Lu Chen could really activate this Kitchen God, it would undoubtedly be a huge profit for the Wu Clan Temple!
However, that wisp of divine power only lasted for a moment before receding like the tide, leaving no trace.

Lu Chen waited until the incense sticks had completely burned out, but still received no further response from the Kitchen God.

But this time, instead of being discouraged, his fighting spirit grew even stronger!
Since there are fluctuations, it proves that this method is effective!

Next comes the time for painstaking work and accumulating quantity!

"Old Wu, could you please help me burn ten more incense sticks... no, twenty! Sister Sun, could you do me a favor?"

"Alright!" Without another word, Sun Yourong flashed and swiftly rushed towards the incense window.

Lu Chen turned around, took a deep breath of the aroma mixed with smoke and incense, and lit the last stick of incense in his hand.

Please, you really have to do your best!

When the incense sticks were inserted into the cauldron again, the divine power fluctuations appeared even faster than before!

When the incense had burned down to a quarter of its flame, that familiar, subtle sensation swept through my heart once more.

Strangely, it still only appears for a moment before disappearing without a trace.

"Holy crap! What happened? It's gone again?"

Lu Chen thought to himself, "What do you mean?"

Fortunately, Sun Yourong quickly bought incense sticks, a full twenty sticks.

—Sufficient ammunition!
Keep going!
Lu Chen lit incense again...

Time quietly slipped away with each lighting of candles, each silent incantation, and each moment of waiting.

Before we knew it, the sun was setting and dusk was falling.

The light in the backyard quickly dimmed, with only the flickering flames in the stove illuminating the focused and tense faces of the group.

"Why is it always so fleeting? Why does it never truly manifest?"

After another ten incense sticks had burned, Lu Chen couldn't help but feel a little anxious.

It's not entirely true that there was no response at all.

But the reaction was always extremely weak, barely noticeable.

"You wouldn't actually be using me as bait, would you?!"

This continued until the thirteenth incense stick had burned out.

Lu Chen decided to stop and think seriously.

Since there is a fluctuation of divine power, it means that the Kitchen God has already sensed the incense offerings in this place.

But why has it been so long since it truly arrived?
It's really meaningful...

Lu Chen even had a strange feeling.

The Kitchen God seemed to be deliberately avoiding him.

The man and the god are separated as if by a thin sheet of paper.

Once you find the right way to break through it, the world will be your oyster!

The key question is, how do we break through this barrier?

"Xiao Chen, is it still not working?"

Seeing that so much time has been wasted and there is still no progress.

Sun Dechang and the others' hearts sank.

That's right, even Old Wu asked three hundred times but to no avail.

It's really not easy to invite the Kitchen God.

"How about... we call it a day?" Sun Yourong stepped forward, gently patted Lu Chen's shoulder, and comforted him.

"No!" Lu Chen shook his head righteously, "There's still one way! There's one last way!"

"Is there another way?" Old Wu's already dimmed eyes were rekindled: "What way?"

"Do you have any sesame candy?" Lu Chen suddenly blurted out a question that left everyone puzzled: "If you don't have sesame candy, other candies will do!"

"Why do you want candy?" Sun Yourong was even more puzzled.

"Yes! I have a lollipop here, is that okay?"

Behind me, a staff member timidly raised his hand, while his other hand had already pulled a lollipop out of his pocket.

"Okay! Thank you!" Lu Chen stepped forward and took the candy, deftly tearing off the wrapper and holding the round candy in his palm, then heating it with his magic.

A moment later, the candy melted, and a little of the sticky syrup dripped through the gaps between the fingers.

Lu Chen hurriedly walked to the statue of the Kitchen God, dipped his finger in the sugar syrup, and carefully applied it to the Kitchen God's lips.

"This is..." Old Wu, who had been puzzled, finally realized what was happening.

At his age, he certainly knows some of the history of the Kitchen God.

"Legend has it that the Kitchen God likes to eat sweets, so in the past, many people would stuff his mouth with sesame candy, hoping that he would say more kind words..."

“That’s right!” Lu Chen nodded. “That’s exactly the point. If this still doesn’t work, I’m truly out of ideas.”

After the coating was finished, the Kitchen God's "mouth" was covered with a thick layer of it.

"Here, wipe your hands." Sun Yourong took a wet wipe out of her bag and handed it over.

"Thank you." Lu Chen wiped his hands and handed them to Sun Yourong, who naturally took them and put them in her bag.

This subtle interaction caught the attention of Sun Dechang and Wu Lao, who exchanged a glance and couldn't help but smile knowingly.

--hiss!

Lu Chen straightened his body, took a deep breath, and after adjusting his state, lit the incense sticks again, silently recited the mantra, and inserted the sticks into the incense burner.

At that moment, everyone stared intently at the burning incense stick.

Staring at the idol.

Including Lu Chen himself.

Time passed by minute by minute.

The incense stick remained lit, its flame flickering as always.

——Dong dong dong!

In the quiet backyard, you could even clearly hear the heartbeats rising and falling.

Lu Chen, in particular, was already experiencing a frantic heartbeat.

"Is...it still not working?!"

The incense stick had already burned down to half its original size.

Apart from that slight electric current sensation.

There was still no other reaction.

Lu Chen's heart gradually grew cold.

It seems we really can't get rid of this Kitchen God...

But in the instant that thought had just formed!

--boom!!!!!!!!!!
A sudden change occurred! !
Suddenly, the world before Lu Chen's eyes was plunged into an extreme daylight.

The intense white light almost instantly overwhelmed his vision, forcing him to close his eyes.

When he opened his eyes again, the scenery around him had completely changed.

Lu Chen found himself standing in front of an old, simple rural farmhouse.

Thatched cottages with tiled roofs, wisps of smoke rising from chimneys, and warm lamplight shining through the window lattices.

A figure could be vaguely seen sitting quietly inside the house.

With a "creak".

The wooden door opened by itself when no one was there.

A peaceful and melodious voice slowly drifted from inside the house:

"Since you are so devout, why not come inside for a chat?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Chen's head buzzed instantly, and his heart surged with turbulent emotions.

"—That's... the voice of the Kitchen God?!"

　Brothers, click the "request update" button and let me see how many people are still here.

　　Furthermore, this chapter is not just filler; there's a reason why it's so difficult to offer sacrifices to it.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)