Wait, How Did My Digital Girlfriend Become a Sword Immortal? Chapter 856.3: Immortal Stone Pine

A careful examination revealed that the statues adorned with remnants of incense were merely minor deities and subordinate gods of the Lingxiao heavens. These included figures garbed as common heavenly soldiers, low-ranking immortal attendants, handmaidens, and Yellow Turban Warriors. In contrast, the incense burners dedicated to supreme, high-ranking Immortals remained entirely untouched.

Moreover, the incense burners varied significantly in scale.

For instance, the vessel belonging to a common Yellow Turban Warrior was no larger than a bottle cap. A single stick of incense would produce enough ash to fill it to the brim. Conversely, the burner of Erlang Xiansheng Zhenjun, positioned on a higher tier, was the size of a massive water vat; one could burn tens of thousands of incense sticks without ever filling it.

Zhang Yibai fell into deep thought.

Hiss—!

Was it possible...

That this incense served as a currency or fee to summon deities and Immortals down to the mortal realm?

If so, the measly handful of incense sticks provided by Hua Jin the True One would barely be enough to call forth a lowly, door-guarding deity.

These celestial Immortals were truly parsimonious...

Zhang Yibai had initially plotted to interfere with the ritual, but he now realized deception was unnecessary. He needed a test run to gauge the reality of the situation.

After scanning the rows, he selected a minor deity—a small, dwarf-like creature with wrinkled, leathery skin. It was an oddity, with half a green pine branch jutting from its head and its body encrusted with rough stones, appearing exceptionally ragged. Most significantly, its bottle-cap-sized burner was empty, suggesting that even with its meager requirements, no one ever bothered to pay it tribute.

As for why no one offered it incense...

The answer was self-evident.

It must be incredibly weak!

Since he was forced to perform the summoning, he might as well pick the weakest entity to evaluate the process.

With this, Zhang Yibai retrieved a stick of incense crafted from Celestial Jade Marrow and placed it into the burner.

The tip ignited spontaneously. A pale, straight column of smoke ascended, shooting toward the dome of the Lingxiao Hall and transforming into an elongated pillar of vapor.

Zhang Yibai and Gu Changsheng instinctively retreated half a step, their eyes locked on the stone statue of the dwarf-like entity with the pine branch embedded in its cranium.

The dull, lifeless surface of the black stone began to ripple with a faint, shifting color:

The withered skin took on a waxy, yellowish tinge, the stones across its form turned a dull grayish-brown, and the pine branch gained a flicker of verdant age. The statue’s eyes slowly transitioned from stony, clouded spheres to something vibrant and sentient, as if a soul had been infused into the rock.

*Crack, crack*—the ominous sound of fracturing stone resonated through the hall.

The statue slowly flexed its neck.

It then swiped the dust from its robes and stepped down from its podium.

Zhang Yibai and Gu Changsheng, having never experienced an "Immortal summoning" before, stood dumbfounded. They weren't sure if this was a standard manifestation, but the lack of spectacle was certainly jarring.

They could clearly feel that the entity before them existed on a different, higher tier of the power hierarchy than any mortal. A single flick of its finger would likely force them to their knees in submission.

However, this minor deity lacked the ethereal, transcendent Immortal Qi associated with true divinity. Instead, it was draped in a layer of grayish mist, reminiscent of thick, stubborn grime. Even its breath reeked of a musty, stale odor—a far cry from the majestic figures Zhang Yibai had envisioned.

Upon touching the ground, the entity stretched its neck and inhaled the incense smoke, a flicker of raw greed crossing its face. It reached out, snatched the wisp of golden incense, and plucked it from the air.

Rather than consuming it immediately, it withdrew a small cloth pouch from its waist, carefully tucked the incense inside, pulled the drawstring tight, and hid it deep within its robes.

Zhang Yibai watched this display, his mouth twitching in disbelief.

The minor deity acted like a starving ghost, desperate to hoard its find for later, terrified that a second chance at such a banquet might never come.

Having secured its prize, the entity straightened its hunchbacked frame, attempting to project an aura of grandeur. It squinted at Zhang Yibai and Gu Changsheng with beady eyes and chirped in a shrill, piercing voice, "Mortals, why have you dared to summon This Deity?"

Realizing the duo might be unfamiliar with the protocol, it quickly added, "Know that I am the assistant mountain god of Kunlun Mountain, the Great Immortal Stone Pine, overseer of the flora, peaks, and stones of this region!"

“If you have requests, you must provide supplemental incense as tribute—not a single grain less! You base, lowly mortals, do not even think about swindling me!"

It puffed out its chest, desperately trying to appear divine, but its grimy, dusty state and squeaky voice made the entire performance seem absurdly comical.

Zhang Yibai and Gu Changsheng shared a look.

The so-called 'assistant mountain god' was essentially a minor functionary, likely far below the status of temple lackeys, ghosts, or even the Jade Rabbit in Chang'e's arms. Yet, undeniably, it was still an Immortal.

Its arrogance was insufferable, and its table manners were non-existent.

If the Heavens of Lingxiao were populated by such characters, Zhang Yibai decided he wouldn't mind kicking every single one of them once he finally ascended to godhood.

"Great Immortal, if we require your assistance, what manner of payment do you expect?"

Zhang Yibai plastered on a subservient, fawning smile.

The title of "Great Immortal" clearly stroked the ego of the Stone Pine.

It rubbed its shriveled belly, a greedy grin spreading across its face. "If you want This Immortal to act, you must offer spirit jade... perhaps a hundred pieces of mid-grade spirit jade should suffice..."

"Uh..." Zhang Yibai and Gu Changsheng were stunned into silence.

A hundred mid-grade spirit jade pieces? That was its price?

The demand was pathetic.

It was clear this 'Immortal' was truly famished. Watching it gulp down the spiritual air of the Kunlun Immortal Palace, the place clearly offered it immense relief.

Zhang Yibai certainly had no intention of footing the bill himself.

He bowed respectfully and replied, "Great Immortal, the one in dire need is the Leader of the Kunlun Immortal Palace, Hua Jin the True One. We are merely fulfilling her decree to summon aid. She believes the Lingxiao Hall houses the ancestors of Kunlun, and instructed us to burn the incense accordingly. Seeing your mighty presence, we naturally chose you.

Since Hua Jin the True One remains in peril, perhaps you could assist her first? We can settle the details of the incense offerings with her afterward?"

Upon hearing this, the smile on the face of the 'Great Immortal' Stone Pine withered significantly.

The Leader of Kunlun was the strongest powerhouse within the sect, a titan among mortals.

If an enemy could threaten such a person, that opponent must, at the very least, be a Quasi-Immortal.

A flash of caution crossed its face. "Who is Hua Jin the True One's adversary? Also, be warned: the strength of my manifestation depends entirely on the incense provided. You have only offered a single stick. If the opponent is truly formidable, I fear I may be insufficient..."

Zhang Yibai mentally filed this crucial information away.

"Hua Jin the True One is fighting a Demon Immortal from the Great Thunder Temple, known as Wu E."

"Wu... Wu E?!" The Great Immortal Stone Pine's lips trembled, its pupils shrinking like needle points.

It jabbed a finger at itself. "You expect me to fight Wu E—one of the Four Great Demon Immortals under the Divine Joy Emperor? Are you insane?"

With a spiteful hiss, it transformed into a faint gray mist and vanished back into its memorial tablet, solidifying into the dull, lifeless stone statue it had been before.

Zhang Yibai and Gu Changsheng stood frozen, staring at the altar, needing several moments to process what had just happened.

The 'Great Immortal' Stone Pine they had gone to such lengths to summon had simply... run away?