In the golden sarcophagus, a boy of seven or eight, dressed in a golden robe with red trim, slowly sat up.
His long black hair was tied high with a feathered crown, the ends fading into a beautiful gradient of gold.
His pair of obsidian eyes, deep within the pupils, were adorned with a golden glass bead, exuding nobility and beauty.
His features were as exquisite and adorable as those of a royal scion.
The Rat God stared fixedly at Lu Zhi, asking in a soft, childlike voice, "Was it you who awakened me?"
Lu Zhi retracted the divine mark in his hand and shook his head, pointing at Qin Huai. "It wasn't me, it was him."
The Rat God lowered his gaze to Qin Huai, who stood beside the sarcophagus, then looked at Lu Zhi, his expression blank as he said, "Yes, it was you."
Lu Zhi: ???
The Rat God lightly tapped the bottom of the coffin with his toes, and as light as a swallow, he flew out of the sarcophagus.
The Rat God casually waved his sleeve at Qin Huai and Lu Zhi, and golden flowing sand healed their internal injuries.
Qin Huai was secretly astonished. Was this the power of a deity?
That invisible pressure seemed to cling to him, and those eyes appeared to see through all things in the world, as if all secrets ceased to exist in their gaze.
"Don't be nervous," the Rat God said, his palm facing outward. The crown inlaid on the coffin lid flew into his hand. He addressed Qin Huai, "Your luck is the strongest I have ever seen. You and I are fated, which is why the crown chose you. However, the crown is my divine artifact and cannot be gifted to you."
The Rat God placed his hands behind his back. "Help me retrieve my divine artifact, and I will permit you to choose a suitable defensive treasure from my vault."
As he spoke, the Rat God walked to a wall behind the sarcophagus and waved his sleeve. The wall blurred and swirled, eventually dissolving into mist. On a shelf in a bright stone room, a multitude of treasures were displayed.
"Thank you... Rat God," Qin Huai knew he couldn't truly control the crown and wouldn't be able to unleash its full potential. It was better to choose something else.
The Rat God nodded proudly and waved his sleeve, "Go ahead."
Qin Huai glanced at Lu Zhi, and only after Lu Zhi nodded did he feel at ease entering the treasure vault.
The Rat God's demeanor was like that of an old soul in a young body, adorable and well-behaved, and inexplicably likable.
Lu Zhi felt no sense of danger from the Rat God and couldn't help but ask, "Rat God, are you a positive deity or a dark entity now?"
Positive deities represented the yang aspect, while dark entities naturally referred to the negative.
"Of course, a positive deity." When answering Lu Zhi's question, the Rat God lacked the composure he displayed with Qin Huai, his expression appearing somewhat nervous.
Lu Zhi understood and asked curiously, "Why did you say that I awakened you?"
"The crown was merely the key to opening the sarcophagus; it was the divine power you used that awakened me." The Rat God paused, then asked sternly, "The divine power felt very familiar. Could you display it to me again?"
Lu Zhi was utterly charmed by his serious yet adorable appearance. The divine mark reappeared in his palm. Each time he used that boundless power, Lu Zhi felt a contradictory sense of familiarity and uncontrollability.
"As expected!" The Rat God pursed his lips tightly, his eyes filled with both excitement and emotion, which eventually turned into a long sigh. "This is not a single, pure divine power, but a fusion of two different divine powers, giving birth to a new divine personality."
The Rat God gazed at Lu Zhi with a complex mix of emotions and nostalgia. "He succeeded. Although I don't like him, I still have to thank him, even though I don't like that mad dog."
Lu Zhi: ... Shen Qi, what exactly did you do to incur such widespread anger that even such an adorable little boy calls you a mad dog!
"What is a divine personality?" Lu Zhi felt this was a very important question.
Suddenly, the Rat God opened his arms and hugged Lu Zhi's waist. The action startled Lu Zhi, but in the next moment, he instinctively reached out and patted the Rat God's head.
Well, familiarity breeds contempt. Who knew how many times he had patted heads before.
"A divine personality is the core of a spirit's divine soul. Without it, we are no longer deities." After his impulsive action, the Rat God retreated from Lu Zhi's side, looking somewhat shy. "I am very, very happy to see you again."
Lu Zhi realized it. The only regret was that he couldn't recall any memories of the Rat God, or indeed, any memories of the Twelve Zodiacs. He couldn't remember anything at all.
"I'm sorry, I can't remember," Lu Zhi's dark eyes dimmed. "I'm so sorry for forgetting all of you."
The Rat God shook his head rapidly. "It's okay, it's good that you've returned. We all miss you."
Lu Zhi thought, this Rat God was too well-behaved!
Lu Zhi asked, "Rat God, after you awakened, do you plan to stay in the Rat God Hall or visit our department?"
The Rat God said seriously, "I bear a mission to guard this place and cannot leave lightly." He paused and added, "The other deities also have such missions."
Lu Zhi was stunned. "The Horse God said she was guarding the divine tower, and you are guarding the Isle of Never-Sleeping. Is there a connection between these?"
The Rat God's eyes flickered, and he hesitated before replying, "Yes."
For some reason, Lu Zhi felt that the slumber of the Twelve Zodiacs and their places of guardianship were extremely important.
There were a total of twelve sacred islands in China. Currently, two deities had confirmed awakenings, no, wait, three.
Shen Qi had never once said he was one of the Twelve Zodiacs. So, what kind of deity was Shen Qi?
And what kind of deity was he himself?
At this moment, the Rat God said with a serious expression, "You are currently mortal. I will grant you the Rat God Seal, which can help you escape danger in times of crisis."
As the Rat God's words fell, a golden rat-shaped imprint appeared. However, the moment it touched the skin of Lu Zhi's hand, it was shattered and dispersed.
The Rat God's shocked expression was identical to that of the Horse God when she experienced her "Bari-Q" incident.
The Rat God clenched his fists in anger, his lips pursed, his cheeks bulging slightly. Finally, he exclaimed in anger, "Mad dog!"
Lu Zhi: ... Well, how should I put it, it's all Shen Qi's fault.
At this moment, Qin Huai emerged from the treasure vault, having selected a new treasure. He held a white, square wooden box about the size of his palm.
"What kind of treasure is this?" Lu Zhi's gaze was immediately drawn to it.
"Original Wood Box," the Rat God looked at Qin Huai with admiration. "It perfectly suits your abilities."
Qin Huai's ability was origami. Anything he folded could be used by him. The Original Wood Box was a treasure forged from ancient spiritual wood. Any paper placed inside could be infinitely replicated, and it could also enhance the paper's strength and imbue it with the five elemental attributes.
The Rat God said, "Blood recognition as master. This treasure belongs to you from today onwards."
Qin Huai could not hide his joy. With blood recognition as master, the Original Wood Box transformed into a square wooden ring, which he wore on his right index finger.
Suddenly, the Rat God looked up at the sky above the Rat God Hall and said, "It's getting late. Your friends seem to be waiting for you."
The Rat God looked at Lu Zhi with reluctance. He suddenly took a golden brocade pouch from his waist and, with a sweep of his hand towards Linggu Mountain, stuffed a large portion of the spiritual valley into the pouch. He handed it to Lu Zhi with both hands. "This is your favorite spiritual valley. If you finish it, come back for more."
Lu Zhi was taken aback, then smiled broadly as he accepted the Rat God's gift. He leaned down and hugged him, saying, "Okay."