Immortality begins with meditation puppets

The atmosphere at the Celestial Masters Temple was frozen.

Arrogant as Penglai, who once said that the past was inferior to the present and that the present could surpass the past, actually ended up in this Taoist temple of the Celestial Masters and saw the manifestation of the ancient Celestial Masters. He humbled himself and remained silent.

Zhao Zhengquan secretly put away the Heavenly Official Register and the Heavenly Official Seal. In ancient times, the Heavenly Officials were created by the gods who had suffered too much humiliation from the Four Heavenly Masters. They created the Heavenly Officials lineage to control the Four Heavenly Masters. At that time, there were tens of thousands of Heavenly Officials. The strongest one was called Wang Lingguan, who had the ability to refine the void. Even he was humiliated in front of the Four Heavenly Masters. What was Zhao Zhengquan? He was just a junior in the Heavenly Officials' ranks. How could he dare to offend the Heavenly Masters? If he were to be targeted by the Heavenly Masters because of his status as a Heavenly Official, wouldn't that be unjust?

Master Fuhu was a man of integrity, and even with the Celestial Master in front of him, he stood straight, though his gaze remained fixed on the ear pick in Celestial Master Ge's hand. Was this the original form of the old locust tree? It seemed that this Celestial Master had enlightened it back then. If it was so ruthless to its own people, how could it be merciful to outsiders? Silently, Master Fuhu's straight back bent again.

Xi Fangzhen's future depends on the divine mark bestowed upon her by the Celestial Master. Her life is in the hands of others, so she dares not show any disrespect to the Celestial Master.

As for the old cook, Zhu Jiang, Granny Xu, and others who came to Langya Island at the invitation of Master Tong, after the Celestial Master's will appeared, they kept their eyes down and waited for the Celestial Master to reward them for their merits. They dared not make a fuss in this sacred occasion.

The once noisy group of cultivators from Wanghai all gasped in shock upon entering the temple and seeing the black-haired, white-bearded, and emaciated Master Ge. They quickly found a cool spot in the temple and stood there respectfully.

Su Qing stood the most obediently. He had originally planned to have a good talk with everyone in the Taoist temple about the ownership of the prayer mat. He was originally the most ferocious Great Witch True Spirit. His aura was violent and barbaric, but now his whole body was filled with a pure and peaceful aura, in accordance with the natural way of Taoism. He was definitely a true Taoist master.

Hey! Who hasn't practiced a few Taoist techniques? Although the Talisman of Myriad Manifestations Technique was disappointing, failing to produce the corresponding infant spirit during the Nascent Soul stage, the child has been practicing this technique for a long time. At this moment, it shouldn't be a problem for him to get close to the Celestial Master lineage.

"Alright, everyone's here? If everyone's here, then let's hurry up and finish this quickly. With my limited awareness, I can still go out and take a look around, and see what kind of good stuff your descendants have come up with!"

The gaunt and emaciated Ge Tianshi, whose appearance bore no resemblance to that of a Taoist master, put away his ear pick and spoke.

"Master Ge, the divine markings bestowed upon you concern your descendants' exorcism and demon-slaying. With a great calamity about to begin, your ability to handle the invasion of evil spirits is of utmost importance and should not be taken lightly!"

Tong Laodao was also a little intimidated by this Master Ge, but now he represented the Ancestral Master. Thinking of the earnest instructions the Ancestral Master had given him when he was being refined, he had no choice but to step forward and say a few words.

Master Ge glanced at Old Taoist Tong, then at Madam Lanxiang and the six-winged centipede, and said lazily:

"If it were really something important, it wouldn't be me who came this time. Old Zhang and Old Xu didn't come either, so I knew it wasn't anything serious. It's just that I took this opportunity to come back and see what's going on, that's why I'm willing to talk to you. Otherwise, do you think we Four Heavenly Masters are so free that we would come at your summons?"

"They're just some junk divine runes we didn't have time to deal with back then. I saw that you young men did a good job just now. Hurry up and choose a futon to sit on!"

"This...this is inappropriate! Conferring divine titles requires considering qualifications and examining character. Only in this way can we ensure that the divine inscriptions are entrusted to the right people, so that they can work for the benefit of all living beings and bring peace to all generations!"

It was so casual, so casual, that Lady Lanxiang simply couldn't accept it. She had endured so much hardship on Langya Immortal Island, and had even changed husbands twice. Suddenly, she discovered that what she considered the most sacred Heavenly Master's dying wish was nothing more than a redistribution of garbage in the Heavenly Master's eyes. Naturally, she felt that all these years of perseverance had been in vain.

Master Ge rubbed his ears again, seemingly dissatisfied, then casually tossed the locust branch on the ground, shifted to a reclining position, let out a comfortable groan, and finally said:

"A few useless divine runes are not enough to open up the balance for all generations. It's just that Old Xu treats everything he has as a treasure and hides all the trash, thinking that he can leave it to his descendants so that they can suffer less. That's why this happened. If you ask me, we have all suffered, so why can't our descendants suffer a little?"

"Useless things given to useless people. Let's hurry up and finish this. I watched the young men fight earlier, and they brought out quite a few novel gadgets. It seems that our human race has indeed produced some things over the years. I'd be better off going out to see what's going on than wasting time here!"

With a casual wave of his hand, Master Ge didn't care what Old Taoist Tong and Madam Lanxiang thought. After all, he was the true Celestial Master, and his rules were the only rules.

He then let the cultivators in the temple choose their own prayer mats. The many cultivators who had originally fought to the death over the prayer mats, their heads turned to pieces, looked at each other and became gentle, kind, respectful, frugal and modest.

“Master Fuhu, although we serve different masters and our interests often clash, I have long admired your character. Master Fuhu should be given priority in choosing this futon.”

"What you're saying, Master Zhao, is quite something. I was born unrestrained and love freedom. I don't even know how to be a human being, so how could I be qualified to be a god? It's just that you, the high-ranking cultivators of Penglai, have received orthodox education since childhood and take it upon yourselves to build a humane heavenly court. You, my fellow Daoists of Penglai, are more than qualified for this divine inscription. Please go first, we are few in number and there's no rush for now."

"Master Su! We are very grateful to Master Su for slaying the sea demon and killing the evil spirits, protecting our lives. If it weren't for Master Su, how would we have the opportunity to stand in this Celestial Master Temple? If Master Su doesn't sit on this futon, how can we have the face to sit here!"

"Absolutely, absolutely! If Master Su doesn't sit on this prayer mat, none of us dare to sit on it!"

Things that are rushed or eagerly pursued are not necessarily good things.

Master Ge said that anyone could sit on this futon.

The more cultivators present did so, the less they dared to sit down.

The Celestial Masters were in a hurry, but they weren't. They weren't sure what problems might arise if they sat on the prayer mats, so they absolutely dared not move their buttocks to sit on them.

Su Qing didn't have as many ideas as they did.

You can help me up to sit, then I'll sit.

If Master Ge can trick me, can my good brother Master Tong and sister-in-law Lanxiang trick me?
With a knowing look from Master Tong and a knowing glance from his sister-in-law, Su Qing knew there was nothing wrong with the futon. So he chose it!
Yue Zhong stepped forward and casually stuffed the locust branch that Master Ge had just thrown into his storage bag. In the eyes of the Celestial Master, this thing was just an ear pick, but in his eyes, it was a precious material that could be used to refine fourth or fifth-order puppets. Wasting it was shameful. Besides, it was wrong for the Celestial Master to throw away trash so casually.

Looking again at the 108 prayer mats on the ground, he and the other cultivators in the temple sensed that these prayer mats were all square and identical, and looked no different.

It's hard to tell what's good and what's bad, which is really frustrating. For a Nascent Soul cultivator like Xi Ling, if she chooses a third-tier futon, she'll only be a lowly guardian deity. She might as well reincarnate and start over. Even if she can't awaken her past life's blessings, with her current Nascent Soul cultivation, securing a Golden Core in her next life shouldn't be a problem. That's much better than being a lowly deity. As for the other Foundation Establishment and Golden Core cultivators, they shouldn't even think about trying their luck and choosing a fifth-tier divine rune. They need to understand the principle of "you can't eat as much as your stomach can hold." The Celestial Master can afford a fifth-tier divine rune, but they can't. If they sit on the futon and a fifth-tier divine rune enters their bodies, with their small frames, it's a miracle they don't explode on the spot—it's a testament to the Celestial Master's cleanliness and unwillingness to dirty the temple.

Master Ge said that these divine runes were useless and there was no need to go through all that fancy and tedious testing.

However, a relatively mild test that follows certain patterns is always simpler than this method of gambling with luck and risking one's life.

"Choices are important, or rather, luck is important. Whether now or in the past, there are always some people who are enviable, born with a fortune that ordinary people cannot reach. If you want to become a god, you must first have the destiny to become a god!"

After Su Qing entered the Taoist temple, Master Ge did not show it on his face, but in fact he had been observing him all along.

Although Ge Tianshi had been observing this later cultivator for a long time while dealing with sea monsters and evil spirits, he still couldn't get enough of looking at him.

The fact that he couldn't see enough, or rather, couldn't understand, was quite astonishing. It should be noted that although he was only a wisp of consciousness returning to the mortal world, he was rejected by the mortal world and could not stay for long. Moreover, because the world was petty, it had stripped him of his former authority as a Celestial Master long ago and had no intention of returning it to him. He could not use many of the methods he had used in the past. But even so, his knowledge as a Celestial Master was still there. Those below the fifth rank were like naked in his eyes, transparent and clear at a glance. Su Qing was only at the fourth rank, yet he could still see that Su Qing was dressed in his eyes. This truly piqued Celestial Master Ge's interest.

The more you can't understand something, the more curious you become, and the more you want to take a closer look.

Seeing him the first to come out and choose a prayer mat, if it were any of the other Celestial Masters, especially Celestial Master Xu, they would definitely shout "No!" They never expected that this rare seed of immortality in later generations would stray onto the wrong path of the divine.

But Master Ge was different.

Everyone has their own path, and only they themselves have the right to choose their own path. Even if the four Heavenly Masters believe that they have made some achievements in the path of Taoism and have made some progress in the past, they can see higher and farther than others, give advice to others, and even influence other people's lives.
He disdained to do such a thing. In other words, he had no concern for Su Qing's future. Whether he became a human, a god, or an immortal was entirely up to him. Even if he were to explode into a lump of mud right now, Master Ge would only feel that he lacked luck.

Although he thought so, he unconsciously reminded her again, and before he knew it, he had sat up straight, watching Su Qing walk back and forth in front of the 108 prayer cushions, constantly glancing in his direction.

What? You want me, this old Taoist priest, to give you a hint? It's not impossible, but do I even know you? Why should I give you a hint?
As Master Ge was wondering, he saw that Old Taoist Tong and Madam Lanxiang were winking at Su Qing. Even the six-winged centipede would sometimes flap its wings, sometimes two, sometimes three, sometimes five, but never all six wings would flap at the same time.

Of course, there won't be a time when all six wings appear simultaneously, because the futon below doesn't have six tiers!
Well, Master Ge isn't familiar with this kid, but this kid gets along quite well with the other three Celestial Master representatives.

Although he saw through Su Qing's little tricks, Master Ge did not stop her.

Because in addition to understanding that becoming a god requires destiny, he also understood another principle.

Whether you're a human, a god, or an immortal, connections are the most important thing! In his time, a mere youth dared to chop down the God of Justice with a broken axe, thus making a name for himself and obtaining a divine position. Why? Because the God of Justice was his uncle, who was willing to go easy on him and pave the way for him!

"Three horizontal and two vertical lines, five-tiered prayer mats, and related to battle."

The five-tiered prayer mat, with four vertical and six horizontal tiers, is related to the cultivation of various arts and crafts. However, the lady's eyes were not sharp enough to grasp its specifics.

Five horizontal and three vertical lines form a four-tiered futon. Old Daoist Tong glanced at Yun'er. Was this a suitable divine rune for Yun'er? But Yun'er's ambition lay in the path of immortality, with no desire to become a god. Perhaps it would be better to do that favor and give the futon to that True Person Xi; after all, he had played the flute for me.”

Su Qing walked slowly, observing carefully. With the help of Master Tong, Madam Lanxiang, and the Heartbreak Gu, she thoroughly examined the situation of each of the 108 prayer mats before finally settling on one of the fifth-tier prayer mats.

As soon as he sat down, he felt a surge of heat rising from below, instantly engulfing his entire body. A strange consciousness also roamed around him, as if scrutinizing him or judging him as someone he could get along with. After a moment, it entered his body, preparing to bestow upon him the fortune of a fifth-order deity.

Seeing this, the surrounding cultivators were filled with envy and jealousy. A fifth-order deity was comparable to a Nascent Soul cultivator, which was the strongest combat power in the Western Sea at present. It was no exaggeration to say that they had ascended to the heavens in one step. How could they not be envious when they saw others ascend to the heavens in front of them?

Only Ge Tianshi on the stone platform let out a barely perceptible sigh.

Useless things, given to useless people, may enable them to exert their meager strength.

While the fifth-order divine runes were indeed useless in Ge Tianshi's eyes, Su Qing was by no means a useless person. His choice of divine runes and his acceptance of them might not necessarily be a good thing for him.

But since it was his choice, Master Ge still respected his fate.

"There is a cultivator named Su Qing, brave and skilled in battle, virtuous and accomplished, and widely praised. At this time when the Heavenly Emperor has abdicated and the Heavenly Officials have not yet ascended the throne, the Four Heavenly Masters, acting on behalf of Heaven, have issued an edict to the gods, bestowing upon cultivator Su Qing the title of Supreme Mysterious Water Spirit Black Spirit Venerable God..."

As Master Ge was reciting, he suddenly saw Su Qing's original face on the futon gradually blur and transform into another person with a face as black as charcoal and full of majesty.

The onlookers were somewhat panicked for some reason. They all thought that Su Qing had already accepted the divine office and that's why he had changed his appearance. Would a god's appearance change again? Su Qing was originally handsome and dashing, but he had become so ugly. How could they, these deformed and ugly people, still look good after changing their appearance?
Only Master Ge stared at the transformed Su Qing for a long time before clapping his hands and exclaiming in admiration, "Wonderful! Wonderful indeed!"

After laughing for a while, Master Ge recited again:
"The Martial Judge of the Underworld has rendered meritorious service in exorcising evil spirits, suppressing souls, and annihilating demons. The Four Celestial Masters, acting on behalf of Heaven, hereby issue this decree, ordering the Martial Judge to concurrently serve as the Supreme Mysterious Water Spirit Black Spirit Venerable God, in charge of matters concerning the gods of the Boundless Dead Sea. This decree from the Celestial Masters shall take effect immediately!"

As soon as the Celestial Master issued the decree, a divine light flashed, and Su Qing was instantly clad in a divine robe and golden armor, with two Xuan Shui divine flags on his back. His divine power was vast and majestic.

"Judge Wu, wearing the divine robe and golden armor, and receiving the Xuan Shui Divine Banner, respectfully obeys the mandate of Heaven and thanks the Celestial Master for the gift!"

Su Qing—no, Judge Wu—respectfully bowed to Master Ge from the prayer mat. (End of Chapter)