Immortality begins with meditation puppets

"It's targeting evil spirits, oh, that's fine!"

The 17th brother breathed a sigh of relief. He had almost thought he was going to Langya Immortal Island to support his two bosses. He hadn't been idle in Demon Smoke City all these years. Now he was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, a real combatant!

The captain of the Thousand Islands, who had an honest appearance and seemed unlikely to kidnap them to an unnamed island and make them have children with sea monsters, smiled kindly with his bushy beard: "Only evil spirits could make the cultivators of the Western Sea rise up and attack. Besides them, who else could cause such a commotion? Even the pirates of Shipwreck Bay, whom we deeply hate, couldn't do that back then!"

Upon hearing this, both Brother 260 and Helian Xian spoke up:
"I am sworn in with sin!"

"Evil spirits must be eradicated by everyone!"

"My boss, Su, is invincible!"

"I, Fellow Daoist Liang, am unparalleled in my attire!"

Having suffered at the hands of evil spirits in Baiyun Immortal City, they now wished for as many Western Sea cultivators as possible to rush to Langya Immortal Island to lend a hand. They had no time or opportunity to go out and provide support while searching for treasures, but by shouting a few words now, they could consider it a contribution from afar and do their part.

The Western Sea was vast and endless, and no one paid any attention to the treasure ship. The many cultivators from other places on board were even less able to determine the ship's course. The three brothers, who were full of dreams of finding treasure, had no idea what awaited them at this moment...

······
"Is Master Su finished yet? Anyone want to ask him?"

"What a waste of time! The Celestial Master's will has already been unleashed. Inside the Celestial Master's Temple, they might even start distributing prayer mats and receiving divine runes!"

"The Penglai people and the Thousand Island people went in a long time ago. These guys aren't enthusiastic about fighting, but they are enthusiastic about dividing up the spoils!"

Inside the Celestial Master's Ruins.

The monks who had been looking out for the sea waited anxiously outside the Nine Dragon Boat.

Just now, they received their battle reward from Zhao Zhengquan for their victory against the evil spirits.

To be honest, the people of Penglai eat really well. Their rewards for military achievements are much better than what they receive in Wanghai. When they go out to work with Master Su, they never see him give them any rewards. They have to pay for all the weapons they use to fight.

Of course, it can't be said that Master Su is bad, after all, Master Su allowed them to distribute the spoils of war themselves.

When Master Su came to Langya Immortal Island this time, he said he would help them get rich, and he really did. Now, every single one of the cultivators who can still stand at the sea has accumulated enough capital to marry one, two, three, four, or even five wives.

Once you've earned a lot of spirit stones, you're more likely to be eyeing other benefits.

Yes, the cultivators who gaze at the sea are generally not as talented as those from Penglai Thousand Islands, and their cultivation levels are also much lower. Many of them are not even at the Golden Core stage, and even if they are afflicted with divine runes, they cannot withstand divine power.

But I dare not even think about fifth-order divine runes, so a Celestial Master cannot have third-order or fourth-order divine runes.

They weren't like Su Qing, whose path to immortality was limitless, which is why they weren't very interested in divine runes. These Foundation Establishment and Core Formation cultivators had suffered enough from the hardships of cultivation and longed to be carefree minor deities. They were willing to kneel and beg for third-tier minor deities or fourth-tier minor deities, as long as the Celestial Master was willing to give them to them.

They had just put on a show in front of the Celestial Master's will. If they went to the Celestial Master's Taoist temple, would the Celestial Master have the nerve to not give them anything?

That can't be! If Zhao Tianguan of Penglai can give them benefits, how could the ancient Celestial Master not be more generous than Zhao Zhengquan?
I'm afraid the cultivators from Penglai Island will be shameless and take all the good prayer cushions first!

Seeing that Master Su was in seclusion and they didn't know what he was doing, the impatient cultivators from Wanghai were naturally itching to ask him for advice.

Su Qing, who was inside the Nine Dragon Boat blockade and focused on absorbing the Dao patterns, knew that the cultivators looking towards the sea were anxious, but there was nothing he could do about it, as his own affairs were also quite urgent.

The Daoist patterns that had been transformed from the Bodhisattva Baoxiang were the first to be completed. The points of light from these Daoist patterns merged into the mind, forming beams of light and shadow that caused the consciousness to sink into oblivion.

Having advanced to the Nascent Soul stage and subsequently to the fourth-tier Body Cultivator, Su Qing can now grasp his physical body and soul when comprehending Dao patterns. He is not easily assimilated by illusions and can act as a free observer, experiencing and appreciating the immense cause and effect contained in the Five Elders Dao patterns.

In that fleeting glimpse of light and shadow.

He saw gods, humans, demons, and monsters, each doing their own thing. Humans had their troubles, demons had their pains, and gods and monsters also had their own untold secrets.

Some people, having learned a few Taoist arts, dare to hastily summon these supernatural beings to perform their duties, regardless of whether they are busy or capable of doing so.

Some powerful demons, instead of using their own brains when faced with problems, love to stomp their feet and call on others. Don't these gods and demons have any pride? They don't even have livestock or an altar, yet they expect these gods and demons to work hard for them!

"Why is this mark so full of resentment? No wonder it turned into an evil mark. I wonder if Erqiang will curse me behind my back like this when I stomp my foot to make him do things? Probably not, he's a good brother!"

After Su Qing finished sharing her thoughts, information about the Daoist runes appeared on her personal panel.

[The Dao Pattern of Salvation and Transcendence, current completeness: 78.87%, is the first master of this Dao Pattern. Other masters of this Dao Pattern include: Demon Buddha (too high a rank to be explored), and Soul Ferryman (the Netherworld, the Boundless Dead Sea).]

[Taoist Pattern: Connecting to the Mysterious Realm.]

[Rank: Lower Five Elders]

[Power: Heaven, earth, gods, humans, ghosts, creatures of all kinds, including those with scales, fur, feathers, and insects. Snakes have their own way, rats have theirs, and all kinds of living beings follow their own path. Those who can communicate with the spirits can perform supernatural deeds in human form, utilize supernatural abilities, and command supernatural beings to serve them.]

[Current Rank: Rank 5, Available Abilities: Commanding Spirits, Soul Soothing and Guiding, Traversing Two Realms (Tianyuan Realm - Netherworld, Tianyuan Realm - Fallen God Realm, Tianyuan Realm - Burial Immortal Realm, one-way ticket, no return). Power can be upgraded, up to Rank 7.]

[Note: The Daoist rune for connecting with the underworld can be combined with the Daoist rune for suppressing the prison and the Daoist rune for the Emperor of the Underworld to form the Five Elders' Daoist rune: the Emperor of Fengdu.]

[One of the essential Dao patterns for puppet immortals; branding it grants divinity and the ability to create masks of demons and gods.]

[Ghost Mask: One of the basic abilities of the Puppet Immortal, this mask can contain divine runes, allowing the user to act by borrowing the identity and abilities of a deity.]

[The Netherworld Mask: Can transform into a judge of the underworld, wielding judicial authority. Each mask can only contain divine runes of the same attribute and rank.]

"Soul-binding and commanding generals? Interesting. This is more cost-effective than controlling puppets. Puppets require materials to be crafted, but these strange gods can be used and discarded as soon as they are done."

"Leaving that aside for now, let me see what's going on with this demon mask. It seems like one can wield divine power without abandoning the path of immortality?"

The Dao Pattern of the Netherworld, as one of the Five Elders' Dao Patterns, possesses power as expected.

But Su Qing wasn't inexperienced in such matters. After a moment of delight to show his respect, he focused his attention on the puppet immortal's ghost mask.

Just when he was feeling sleepy, the Puppet Immortal suddenly gained the power of this ghost and god mask. He was struggling with the dilemma of whether or not he would be able to deal with the possible threats from the outside world if he didn't become a god, but becoming a god would be unfair to his future path.

After studying it carefully, he finally figured out the detailed usage of the ghost mask.

As we all know, divine patterns and evil patterns are all transformed from Dao patterns. The essence of so-called gods lies in Dao patterns. Dao patterns determine their upper limit. To gods, building temples, burning incense, and making merits and vows are merely fuel and food, allowing them to use divine power without damaging their essence.

Those who can master Dao patterns can not only perform the deeds of the gods, but also are not bound by a single divine pattern, and have the potential to transcend Dao patterns.

The Puppet Immortal is like this; after becoming the first master of any Dao pattern, he can conjure a ghostly mask and use it to wield the power of the demonic god.

"What's even more interesting is that each of these ghost and god masks, in addition to being able to use its own Dao patterns to evolve into a divine identity, can also accommodate a divine pattern of the same level."

"Using the Netherworld Mask, I can even get one of the Five Old God Marks from the Old Celestial Master to nurture for now?"

Entering a mountain of treasures and not taking a single thing is not in Su Qing's nature. Everyone knows that the best thing in this Celestial Master's Ruins is these hundred or so divine runes. Originally, he did not want to walk the path of the gods. He could only look at these divine runes and could not take them, which made him very uncomfortable.

Now that he has this mask of ghosts and gods, regardless of whether he becomes a god or not, the old master will not skimp on any of the benefits he deserves!

"Refine yourself into a puppet! Quickly refine yourself into a puppet!"

Let the merit-making wooden fish continue to convert the other side's Five Elders Dao Pattern Suppressing Prison Dao Pattern, Su Qing suddenly refined the Tongyou Dao Pattern into his own body.

The Five Elders Dao Patterns, with their extremely high degree of integrity, were first imprinted on his body. Even though he was now a fourth-level body cultivator, strong and robust beyond human capabilities, the side effects of the failed puppet refining caused his internal organs to shift and his skin torn open.

This was within his expectations.

He originally planned to return to Wanghai, make all necessary preparations, and carry out the refining in a safe environment.

But right now, this ghost mask is crucial to whether he can get more divine runes from the Old Celestial Master. This matter can't wait. He can wait, but the Old Celestial Master can't!
[Failed to refine the puppet immortal. Current proficiency: 0.36%]

[Exhausted magical power, depleted vital energy, weakened consciousness, and listless soul...]

[The Daoist rune is now imprinted on the body. Daoist rune imprinting successful. Daoist rune proficiency +300. Current proficiency: 300/10000 (Tier 5)]

[Spiritual root aptitude improved, innate comprehension enhanced, bond with heaven and earth strengthened, obtained the Ghost God Mask—Judge (can accommodate another Netherworld-type divine rune of the same tier)]

"The relatively complete Five Elders Dao Patterns are not ordinary items for the Puppet Immortal; they actually accelerated the Puppet Immortal's progress bar!"

Compared to the previous progress bar that never showed any end in sight, the appearance of this progress bar immediately energized Su Qing.

For some things, having a progress bar and having a full progress bar seem like two different things, but they are actually the same thing.

Previously, Su Qing had only thought that successfully refining a puppet immortal was a pipe dream and dared not think about it too much. For the first time, he had the confidence to make it perfect.

That's a matter for later.

Focus only on the present.

With a mask of a demon or god in hand, all suffering and hardship become insignificant.

He took out the pills he had taken from Zhao Zhengquan from his storage bag, and swallowed them whole. After refining the medicinal power, replenishing his mana and blood, and repairing the damage to his body and soul, Su Qing gritted his teeth and stomped his foot. He then sped up the viewing of the light and shadow of the Prison Suppression Dao Pattern by twenty times and imprinted the Dao Pattern onto his body.

[Failed to refine the puppet immortal. Current proficiency: 0.59%]

[Exhausted magical power, depleted vital energy, weakened consciousness, and listless soul...]

[The Prison-Suppressing Dao Mark is now on my body. The Dao Mark imprinting was successful. Dao Mark proficiency +300. Current proficiency: 300/10000 (Tier 5)]

[Spiritual root aptitude improved, innate comprehension enhanced, bond with heaven and earth strengthened, obtained the Ghost God Mask—Soul Suppressor General (can accommodate another Netherworld-type divine rune of the same tier)]

[Dao Pattern: Prison Suppression.]

[Rank: Lower Five Elders]

[Power: Heaven has its laws, Earth has its rules; humans, demons, gods, and monsters are all bound by these rules and cannot overstep their bounds. In ancient times, there were Soul-Suppressing Generals who herded the wronged spirits of the underworld, preventing them from causing trouble and forcing them to atone for their sins in the underworld, awaiting reincarnation. By wielding this Dao rune, one can suppress wronged souls, evil spirits, and the dead, possessing the power of ghosts and gods.]

[Current Rank: Rank 5, Available Abilities: Power of Demons and Gods, Prison Suppression. (Power can be upgraded, up to Rank 7)]

[Note: The Prison Suppression Dao Pattern can be combined with the Netherworld Connection Dao Pattern and the Underworld Emperor Dao Pattern to form the Five Elders Supreme Dao Pattern: Emperor of Fengdu.]

With the Demon-Suppressing Dao Mark imprinted on his body and a Ghost-God Mask, Su Qing originally intended to give up, but not wanting to keep his brothers outside waiting for too long, he planned to leave the seclusion and take them to the Celestial Master Temple so that the Celestial Master could deliver on his promise.

Su Qing wasn't greedy. He only wanted the two fifth-tier divine runes from the Celestial Masters. As for the rest, he would share them with his brothers. Even if the cultivators from Penglai Thousand Islands got some benefits, he wouldn't care.

But he wasn't greedy; Xiong Er could be!
Previously, Xiong Er had been leading the Arhat Buddha Bear Group to clear out the army of second and third-tier evil spirits. With the eighteen merit wooden fish that Su Qing assigned to him to convert the evil runes, and with Bi Lian as a container to collect Dao runes, he had amassed quite a lot of Dao runes, filling Bi Lian to the brim, and he even lost the interest in cursing.

Seeing Su Qing get up to leave, Xiong Er jumped up and down in a panic, pointing his paws at his brothers and shouting at Su Qing:

"Does the master have brothers, and does Xiong Er not have brothers? Xiong Er is the master's servant, and Xiong Er's brothers are also the master's servants."

How many of the cultivators outside, like Xiong Er and his brothers, regard their master as heaven and obey his every command? We are the ones who are truly family with our master.

"There's no reason why any good thing in the world should be given to outsiders but not to one's own servants. I urge you, Master, to refine these Dao patterns into your own body, to condense more ghost and god masks, so that all your puppet brothers, even the puppets themselves, may have divine seats!"

It must be said that what Xiong Er said made sense.

Su Qing used the Ghost God Mask because he only wanted fifth-order divine runes. Divine runes below the fifth order were not as powerful as his true self, so they were useless to him. Therefore, he did not want to take more than his share and wanted to leave some benefits for others to share.

After all, everyone has had a tough time. The cultivators from Wanghai traveled a long way to get here, while the cultivators from Qiandao lost an entire fleet. Three and a half of their five Nascent Soul cultivators died. Zhao Zhengquan from Penglai was quite sensible and gave him a lot of benefits.

But then again, Su Qing has worked very hard this time, right? He dealt with the sea monsters and evil spirits, so it's only right that he gets some benefits.

Just because he can't use these third- or fourth-tier divine runes doesn't mean his puppets can't.

Yes, the Celestial Master will not share the divine runes with the puppet.

But if he first obtains these divine runes, stores them in the demon mask, and then transfers them to the puppets, wouldn't that allow the puppets to become gods and have a group of divine puppets under his command?
Xiong Er is quite clever; he's truly mastered the skill of never leaving empty-handed.

But Xiong Er is neither a bear nor a human, and has no moral constraints, so he can be completely shameless.

Su Qing wasn't particularly accomplished, but he had some qualities, which made things somewhat difficult for him.

"This...this isn't appropriate. There aren't enough human cultivators with these divine runes to go around using them for your puppets. It's not really my place to ask for them. Besides, Xiong Er, you've already secured the Vajra Fruit position. Your path to immortality is bright. There's no point in being a third or fourth-tier deity!"

Before Xiong Er could respond, Hu Dan, with Liu Yin in his arms, jumped out first.

"Who said Brother Xiong Er needs it? It's Liu Yin and Fei Long who need it, Master. Sister Liu Ying has been with you since you were nobody. Now, you're a brother to everyone, and you're doing quite well."

"Poor little sister isn't as clever as I am, the tiger egg. She's never developed her own sentience and hasn't enjoyed the blessings of her master. Now that her master has the opportunity to bestow good fortune upon her, if he ignores it, it will surely disappoint us meritorious puppets!"

Who is heartbroken?
This room full of puppets, only you and Xiong Er have developed their own intelligence, wouldn't you feel disheartened!

Do you want the flowing silver to have a divine quality so that it will be more interesting when you kick the white tiger?

You lecherous tiger, who taught you this?!

Su Qing glared at Hu Dan with annoyance, then sat back down in her original spot.

"Personally, I think it's not very ethical to take more than one's share, but since you two, Xiong Er and Hu Dan, insist on it so much, I can't refuse."

"Let Bilian spit out the Dao patterns. I'll refine myself into a puppet and transform these Dao patterns into a ghost mask. Sigh, in the end, isn't it me, your master, who's exhausted? I already have to provide you with spirit stones and materials, and now I even have to create the divine patterns for you!"

Reluctantly agreeing, Bi Lian, whose throat was being held by Xiong Er, immediately began to utter foul language, releasing wisps of Daoist patterns.

[Failed to refine the puppet immortal. Current proficiency: 0.5901%]

······
[The Daoist pattern paper figure is on your body. The Daoist pattern imprinting was successful. Daoist pattern proficiency +300. Current proficiency: 700/1000 (Tier 4)]

[With the Dao Pattern Imprint on my body, I have gained clairvoyance. Dao Pattern Imprinting successful. Dao Pattern Proficiency +300. Current Proficiency: 500/500 (Tier 3)]

[With the Dao Pattern Imprint on my body, the Dao Pattern Imprint has been successfully completed. Dao Pattern Proficiency +300. Current Proficiency: 500/500 (Tier 3)]

······
[Obtain the Ghost Mask - God of Unexpected Wealth (Tier 4, easy to obtain unexpected wealth, but plagued by misfortune.)]

[Obtain the Ghost Mask - Gossip God (Tier 3, hears all idle matters, spreads rumors but does not believe them.)]

[Obtained the Ghost Mask - Labor God (Tier 3, Bricklaying, I love bricklaying.)]

[Obtain the Ghostly Mask - Old Woman Goddess (Tier 3, skilled in everything from washing clothes and cooking to sewing and bedding.)]

[Obtain the Ghost Mask - Little Ghost (Tier 2, Yama is easier to see than a little ghost.)]

······
"What a bunch of idiots!"

After opening boxes for half a day, he didn't get a single good item. Just as Su Qing expected, the Ghost God Mask below Tier 5 was just an ordinary character card to him, and he wouldn't have many opportunities to use it.

However, these ghost and god masks themselves are not very useful, but they are sufficient as containers for divine runes.

"That's all. Seven fourth-tier, thirty-eight third-tier, and one hundred and four second-tier. I don't even know if the Celestial Master has enough divine runes for me to collect. It would be good if I could fill them up, but I can't be too greedy!"

Su Qing slapped Bi Lian, who had just finished spitting out Dao patterns, back into her storage bag. She then instructed Xiong Er and Hu Dan to identify their relationship puppets, so that when the divine patterns appeared later, they could be given to these relationship puppets first.

"I have no selfish motives, I only wish that my master has more powerful generals under his command. I think the Arhat Buddha Bear Group is quite good. The Mighty Arhat deserves a fourth-tier divine rune, and the Arhat Buddha Bear is also worthy of a third-tier divine rune!"

"Tiger Egg is selfless and dares not trouble his master. He will give Sister Liuyin, Brother Feilong, and Brother Pengwang a few divine runes. If the master is so kind as to give Sister Liuyin a divine rune related to childbirth and reproduction, Tiger Egg will be eternally grateful!"

Xiong Er and Hu Dan loyally wrote down their respective relationships on a list and handed it to Su Qing. Then they stood behind him and watched him slap Bi Lian, who also wanted to make a request, back into his storage bag.

"Alas, you are satisfied, but you have put me in a difficult position. When I get to the Celestial Masters Temple, I really don't know how to explain this to my brothers!"

Su Qing clutched the thin piece of paper in her hand, shook her head with a wry smile, and stepped out the door.

"Master Su has emerged!"

"How is Master Su's seclusion going? His cultivation must have made another breakthrough, right?"

“There’s no need to rush out like this. We’re really not in a hurry. Sigh, since Master Su is in such a hurry to go to the Taoist temple, then let’s go with Master Su!”

Upon seeing Su Qing emerge from seclusion, the cultivator Wang Hai acted like a middle-aged woman who had just taken a bath and prepared her toilet paper, exuding a suffocating sense of urgency and anxiety that any middle-aged man could feel.

"I have gained some knowledge, so please don't worry about me, brothers. I believe the cultivators from Penglai Thousand Islands have already entered the Taoist temple."

"Don't worry, everyone. I'm good brothers with Tong Chang. They wouldn't dare start the feast without my presence."

After calming the cultivators at Wanghai, Su Qing stepped forward and led them slowly toward the Tianshi Taoist Temple.

The cultivators who gazed at the sea were all dreaming of the Heavenly Master's Divine Mark, and they were all blushing with joy.

Only Yao Guangquan, Xu Huaiyi, and other cultivators who had dealt with Su Qing remained calm and did not show much excitement.

"Guangquan, what's wrong with you? You've survived all eighty-one tribulations, now is the time to strive for the greatest benefits. Get excited, get hyped up! Don't be self-conscious. Although you're only at the Foundation Establishment stage, the chances of gaining the Celestial Master's approval and obtaining divine runes are very low. But you can be happy for me, right? I, Li Kuishan, am a third-tier body cultivator. I'll become a god and bless you!"

Li Kuishan, who was overjoyed at having already found a wife, couldn't bear to see his younger brother looking so listless and dispirited.

"Master Su just called us brothers!" Yao Guangquan said dejectedly.

"So what? Can't a fourth-level True Person call us brothers? When I was your captain, didn't I call you brother too?" Li Kuishan didn't care. What's wrong with calling someone brother? Calling someone brother proves that True Person Su is happy, just as happy as he, Li Kuishan!
When do you call me "brother"?

When you borrowed money? When you were asked to risk your life?

"That settles it! If you don't need anything from someone, why should you be polite to them?"

"You mean Master Su still wants us to risk our lives? But we've already wiped out the sea demons and evil spirits, so who else is there to wipe out? Does Master Su not want the cultivators of Penglai Thousand Islands to share the spoils, and instead want to go to the Celestial Master Temple and exterminate them all?"

"It's only a possibility..."

"That's the only possibility. Surely Master Su wouldn't ask us for money!" Li Kuishan laughed heartily, feeling that someone of Master Su's stature would never stoop to borrowing things from them.

······
"Brothers, take your time. To be honest, what use are the divine runes to you? To become some kind of god? Where will you build a temple and offer incense? You'll have to go to Wanghai City! But Wanghai City has Erqiang, a fifth-tier god. Even if you become gods, you'll still be under his control. It's much more comfortable to be a human being and follow me. Don't you agree?"

"Good brother, I see you have extraordinary talent and a bright future on your path to immortality. Don't be blinded by divine runes. You might be able to become a fifth-tier god, but a third or fourth-tier god is simply not worthy of you. How about it? Give me your spot on the prayer mat. We can't let it hinder your path to immortality!"

"Brother Li, before I came here, Fellow Daoist Rao asked me to take care of you. I've seen your previous performance, and I'm sure the Celestial Master's will has seen it too. You've definitely earned a third-tier prayer mat. But gods can't have families, and you're still childless. Becoming a god would mean your lineage would end, which is really not worth it. I'll buy this prayer mat for three hundred spirit stones, not for anything else, but just to ensure your Li family line continues!"

“Old Hero, don’t be so quick to say no. Do you think I’m that ignorant? I know you need divine runes to prolong your life, so why would I covet your prayer mat? With a dragon as your son-in-law, you’ll have a good life ahead of you. You don’t need to be a fourth-tier god. Your divine power isn’t much higher, and you’ll have a lot of trouble. Why not be a third-tier god? Then you can have the fourth-tier prayer mat.”

Li Kuishan, who had sold his futon, which he hadn't even gotten his hands on, to Su Qing for a mere three hundred spirit stones, had already experienced the suffering of Su Qing's brothers before even reaching the Celestial Master Temple!
Along the way, Su Qing approached all the Sea-Gazing cultivators who had performed well in the battle and had a chance to obtain a futon, and kindly asked his brothers to lend him the futon, which was actually a divine rune.

Although I think Su Zhenren's behavior is too shameless.

However, none of the cultivators were certain that they would obtain the divine runes. In addition, Su Qing offered certain benefits as compensation. Any cultivator who had aspirations for their own path and was not satisfied with being a third-tier minor god, after being called "brother" by him twice, patted their chests and guaranteed, just like Li Kuishan, that if they were fortunate enough to be favored by the Celestial Master and be given a futon, they would definitely exchange it for Su Zhenren.

Su Qing is still a human being.

At least for cultivators like Liang Haishun and Ying Jueshen, whose lifespans were nearing their end and who were seeking divine runes in order to survive, he didn't approach any of them. At most, he would ask Ying Jueshen to make do with a fourth-tier futon and replace it with a third-tier one. Of course, Ying Jueshen, who wasn't short of spirit stones and felt that his son-in-law was unreliable, simply ignored his unreasonable request.

And so, Wang Hai and his group first reached an agreement on the distribution of prayer mats. With everyone united, or at least Su Qing thought so, they walked into the Tianshi Taoist Temple, preparing to talk again with the cultivators from Penglai Thousand Islands and Old Taoist Tong.

And they entered the Taoist temple.

They then discovered that the atmosphere inside the temple was completely different from what they had imagined.

Where there used to be four empty stone platforms beneath the four statues of the Celestial Masters, there are now things standing there.

Beneath the statue of the Celestial Master, the puppet of the Celestial Master, the Taoist priest Tong, is in place.

Below the statue of Master Xu, Lady Lanxiang, a figure from the painting, is seated.

Beneath the statue of Master Sa, a six-winged centipede, believed to have severed ties with love, is positioned.

Beneath the statue of Ge Tianshi, there is a figure holding a locust tree branch as an ear pick!

Three Celestial Masters!

A Celestial Master himself!
Of the Four Celestial Masters, the one who manifested divine power was not the most accomplished Ancestral Celestial Master, nor the most talented Celestial Master Xu, nor even the kind and benevolent Celestial Master Ge.

Ironically, Ge Tianshi is widely regarded by later generations as having the most wicked character, a scoundrel who only loved to play pranks. (End of Chapter)