Immortality begins with meditation puppets

Luck and connections are very important.

But the most important thing is still the brain.

Ge Tianshi, who rose from an ordinary person with no powerful connections to become one of the Four Celestial Masters, deeply agrees with this.

And appreciate anyone with a brain.

He couldn't figure out how Su Qing had managed to borrow the identity of Judge Wu.

But he knew that the entity he had just conferred the divine power upon was Judge Wu, not Su Qing.

This kid received the benefits of the divine runes, but he never abandoned his path to immortality!
He's a smart person, only slightly less intelligent than he was back then, which is already quite remarkable!
Ge Tianshi did not expose Su Qing's true identity, but simply followed procedure and bestowed a divine title upon the so-called "Martial Judge".

While the Celestial Master representatives, including Master Tong and Madam Lanxiang, sensed something was amiss, firstly, Su Qing had a good relationship with them, and given their moral standards, they couldn't bring themselves to betray their own family and expose such a matter; secondly, Ge Tianshi's consciousness could dissipate at any time, so he didn't care about offending cultivators in the mortal world, while Master Tong and the other two Celestial Master representatives would still need to cultivate in the mortal world in the future. Based on Master Tong's understanding of Su Qing, offending him would definitely not end well for them. Since Celestial Master Ge was turning a blind eye anyway, why should they say anything more?

Those who could see it pretended not to see it. The cultivators from Penglai Thousand Islands and other worldly places in the Taoist temple couldn't see anything wrong at all. They had never seen or experienced the Celestial Master's Edict before. Besides not being able to see anything amiss, the main reason was that their minds were not on this. Su Qing had successfully received the divine runes and received his divine office. Now, all the cultivators' minds were attracted by those futons. They didn't have time to think about anything else!
No time to hesitate!

The chance to become a god is right in front of you!
Seeing that Su Qing was the first to eat the crab and that there seemed to be no problem with the futon, the other cultivators couldn't contain themselves and began scrambling for the futon.

While cultivators like Xi Fangzhenling and Ying Jueshen were still considering their options and not in a hurry to make a decision, some second- or third-tier cultivators didn't care about the quality of the mats; as long as they could sit on one, they considered it a good find.

In a short while, the futons on the outer perimeter were filled with people. Su Qing glanced at them and found that these cultivators were all unfamiliar. It seemed that they had not performed well on the battlefield outside and were just some scoundrels who would run away when there was trouble and take advantage of any opportunity.

You've managed to get a bargain from the Celestial Master, but do you think he'll allow it?

Su Qing knew what was going on, so he silently shook his head at Ying Jueshen and the other cultivators who looked towards the sea, telling them to be patient and not to rush things.

"Wang Lao Er, you bastard, you dare to sit on a prayer mat? Have you ever dealt with a single evil spirit outside? You'd rather hide under my crotch. I haven't even sat on a prayer mat yet, and you think you're worthy?"

One of the cultivators, unable to bear it any longer, pointed at a weasel-faced young cultivator on the prayer mat and said...

The second son of the Green King was mocked, but he was not angry. He just looked at the Celestial Master with eager eyes, wanting the Celestial Master to quickly issue a divine decree.

Do it quickly!
Regardless of whether he is worthy or not, once the divine rune is in his hands, he is a god. Regardless of his past contributions, he will definitely be valuable to Penglai in the future, and he will be able to enjoy a higher status than that Niu Laosan who insulted him!
Niu Laosan is too naive. In this world, what's the use of being a fighter? If you can fight, why don't you grab a prayer mat to sit on first? If you don't grab one, no one will give it to you!

Whether it was his sincere gaze that moved Master Ge, or Master Ge genuinely wanted to get things done quickly, once someone sat on the prayer mat, he began bestowing titles upon gods one by one without stopping.

This infuriated the cultivators who hadn't sat on the prayer mats. They couldn't understand how the Celestial Master could be so casual. Divine runes weren't like cabbages; they couldn't just give them to anyone. Casual was one thing, but you were casual with me, yet you were casual with others!
The Celestial Master's will cannot be swayed by anyone. Celestial Master Ge kept pointing his finger at the person on the prayer mat and reciting the corresponding edicts.

"There is a cultivator named Liu Simei, who is both intelligent and brave, virtuous and of impeccable character, and widely praised... He is hereby appointed as the Grand General of Spirit Martial Arts and granted the title of Fourth-Order Divine Rune..."

"There is a cultivator named Wang Eryong, who is both wise and brave, virtuous and of impeccable character, and widely praised... He is hereby appointed as a Junior Banner General and granted a third-tier divine rune..."

"There is a cultivator named Li Qiuquan, who is both wise and brave, virtuous and of impeccable character, and widely praised... He is hereby appointed as the Heavenly River Water Official and granted fourth-order divine runes..."

Good guy, really good guy.

This Master Ge doesn't even have eyes!

In his eyes, this person is both intelligent and brave, and possesses both virtue and wisdom.
It has a great reputation!
Wang Lao Er, also known as Wang Er Yong, stole gold at the age of seven, murdered his father and sold his mother at the age of twelve. After reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, he used his identity as a cultivator from Penglai to often follow the pirates of Shipwreck Bay to hunt in the wild. He did all sorts of beastly things, bullying the weak and bullying the strong. How could he be virtuous and kind!
The cultivators were filled with righteous indignation and began to expose the shortcomings of the cultivators on the prayer mats, hoping to open the eyes of the Celestial Master and let him see the true colors of these people.

The Celestial Master was not only blind but also deaf, unable to hear their honest advice. He was just like a heartless worker going through the motions, mechanically issuing decrees and bestowing titles upon gods!
This made the cultivators who didn't get to sit on the futons so angry they almost choked, while the cultivators on the futons were overjoyed.

In this world, it's not important whether you're proactive on the battlefield; what matters is being proactive when it comes to reaping the benefits!
Just as they were secretly delighted, divine light appeared on their prayer mats and divine patterns emerged as the Celestial Master gave the order. Seeing this, their faces lit up with even greater joy.

Just now, when Master Su was consecrating the gods, they could clearly see that as soon as the divine runes entered their bodies, they would be able to wear divine robes and golden armor. Their past actions would be wiped clean, and their past cultivation would be insignificant. They would thus become gods, a sacred moment where their past filth was no longer worth mentioning and their thoughts would be unrestrained and boundless.

What shocked them was that when Master Su accepted the divine runes, it was as easy as eating candied fruit or pastries.

They found it as painful as swallowing gold or stone when they tried to eat the divine runes; the runes were resisting and rejecting them, refusing to give them any.

No, not only are they not being fed, these divine runes are actually eating them!

Divine runes swept across their bodies, their divine light like the wind, dissolving their flesh and souls. As the divine winds passed, the divine light dimmed, and the futons were empty of cultivators, as if they had never existed!
This horrifying scene left the cultivators who had just cursed outside the prayer mat speechless, only able to look at Master Ge with trepidation.

"It's a pity. These young men seem quite good to me, but the divine runes don't seem to approve of their actions or have high hopes for their cultivation. Alas, they chose them, so we can't blame anyone else. Everyone, I think you are all good young men. If you can gain the approval of the divine runes, quickly sit on the futons!"

Master Ge shook his head slightly. Although he was lamenting the death of the cultivator, there was no hint of regret or apology in his tone.

After this ordeal, all the cultivators knew that this futon was not something to be sat on easily, and that the divine runes were not something anyone could obtain.

Su Qing had it easy because Master Su was skilled. If you had Master Su's skills, it would be easy for you too.

But who can compare to Master Su?
If you suddenly sit on the prayer mat, not only will you not be able to sit as a god, but you might not even be able to sit as a human. Anyone could endure that.

This scare alone made the cultivators cower in fear again. What they had thought was a treasure just now looked like a trap to them!

But there were also some bold ones. Among the Penglai warriors, a middle-aged cultivator with a face full of acne stepped forward.

Su Qing had some impression of this person because he was a vanguard warrior of Penglai during the battle against evil spirits. He seemed to possess a virginity cultivation technique that he had been holding back for a hundred years. Although he was not a fourth-order body cultivator and did not possess the same level of virginity true energy that Su Qing had cultivated through hard work, the fact that he could hold back for over a hundred years was still quite an achievement. Relying on this virginity cultivation technique and his third-order cultivation, he performed well in the battle against evil spirits and was very likely to gain the approval of the Celestial Master and be granted divine markings by sitting on the futon.

As he expected, the person had chosen a third-tier futon. After the Celestial Master gave the order, divine runes appeared, wandered around him, and then settled into his body, signifying his acceptance.

However, even though he successfully commanded the gods, the divine positions and titles were somewhat different from what he had imagined.

"The cultivator Liu Hudan has rendered meritorious service in exorcising evil spirits, suppressing demons, and eliminating monsters. The Four Heavenly Masters, acting on behalf of Heaven, hereby bestow upon him the title of Red Thread Matchmaker, entrusting him with the divine duty of arranging marriages!"

Under the watchful eyes of the assembled cultivators, the burly man with arms strong enough to run a horse transformed his acne into moles, and his once broad and upright body, exuding masculine charm like a lion, became hunched over, transforming into a thin, petite woman dressed in a floral jacket.

This change was even more terrifying to the cultivators than the deaths of Wang Eryong and others.

Liu Hudan was even more unable to accept it, and kept kowtowing to the Celestial Master, saying:
"I beg the Celestial Master to rescind the divine decree. I, Old Liu, will no longer serve as a god. I, Old Liu, am a man as fierce as an eagle. To ask me to act as a matchmaker for others is worse than killing me. Besides, I, Old Liu, haven't even gotten married myself. How could I possibly be a matchmaker for others!"

"The matter of issuing a divine decree is of utmost importance; how can it be easily changed? Young man, stop fooling around. You chose this futon because you are destined to be connected with this divine rune. Believe in the arrangement of fate; you definitely have the potential to become a matchmaker!"

Master Ge smiled and comforted Liu Hudan, then cruelly rejected his request.

By this time, all the cultivators present understood the unspoken rules of this divine command.

First, although Master Ge seems to not test personal character or cultivation, the divine runes do. Those with flawed virtue will not be accepted by the futon, and those with insufficient cultivation who rashly sit on a futon that exceeds their capacity will be burst by the divine power of the runes.

Second, the types of divine patterns inside each futon are different, and the divine duties are vastly different. If you are unlucky, like Liu Hudan, who is clearly a tough guy with arms strong enough to run a horse, but was chosen to do embroidery work on his fingers, the Heavenly Master will not care about you and can only blame your bad luck.

Having figured it out, the cultivators dared not sit on the prayer mat rashly.

When people are in trouble, Su Qing will help!
As a warm-hearted person, Su Qing was more than happy to do this kind of thing.

"Old hero, come, sit here. Would I, a humble Taoist, possibly cheat you? It's definitely a good divine rune that will absolutely satisfy you!"

"Master Zhao, if you're not going to be a Heavenly Official, are you going to become a deity? No problem, with your relationship with me, how could I not arrange a good one for you? Spirit stones? Fifty thousand is too much! You're being too polite, far too polite. Here, let me change your cushion. This one isn't suitable for your bottom anymore!"

"Master Xi, you will have no problem sitting on this futon. In the future, I may need to trouble you again. I just hope you will remember what happened today!"

"Brother Green Lion, why did you bring out the Golden Lions to reserve seats? You're shameless! But it's alright, I'm here, I'll make sure the Golden Lions are properly taken care of!"

"Guangquan, come here. Hmm, I've sold you your futon, but you can hold onto it for now, I'll come back for it later!"

When everyone was at a loss, the only one who had a plan gained everyone's trust and, under Su Qing's arrangement, sat on the prayer mat one by one.

Among them, the cultivators from Wanghai had the most, occupying seventy or eighty futons, followed by the cultivators from Penglai, who had only about twenty. As for the cultivators from Qiandao, apart from Xi Fangzhenling occupying a fifth-tier futon, only a handful of three or five people had futons to sit on.

But even the cultivators from Penglai Thousand Islands couldn't help but be convinced.

Firstly, the people who look out for the sea fight sea monsters and evil spirits, demonstrating their courage and virtue, which naturally earns them more prayer mats than the people who do so.

Secondly, the fortune of this futon is unpredictable. Zhao Zhengquan had to secretly give Su Qing spirit stones to make a futon. Without Su Qing's guidance, they wouldn't dare to make the futon even if it were given to them. Naturally, they would do whatever Su Qing said.

After Su Qing distributed the prayer mats.

People like Zhao Zhengquan and Xi Fang were still uneasy, fearing that Su Qing would take their money and not do the job, giving them an unreliable divine mark that would leave them helpless. Although Su Qing repeatedly assured them that he had been proven by Master Ge to be a virtuous and good young man and would never harm them, who didn't know what kind of person he really was?

Ying Jueshen, Wu Dan, Liang Haishun, and others who were familiar with Su Qing were certain that Su Qing would not cheat them. They simply followed his instructions and focused on meditating and regulating their breathing to maintain their peak condition in order to welcome the divine runes into their bodies.

The most relaxed were Yao Guangquan and Li Kuishan, the cultivators who sold their divine rune qualifications to Su Qing. They had originally hoped to become gods, but after learning from Su Qing that with their abilities and achievements, they could only become second or third-tier minor gods, and some of them were even useless divine positions with no real power, they immediately lost interest. Now they were just reserving a position for Su Qing so that he could change his identity and receive his divine position one by one.

The actions of the Wanghai cultivators caused the Penglai Thousand Islands cultivators to twitch at the corners of their mouths. They all said that the Wanghai people were good at business and would sell anything when they were in a hurry. Today they had seen it all. They even dared to buy and sell divine runes. When it comes to doing business, no one in the West Sea is better than them!

As for the random thoughts circulating among the audience, Master Ge remained indifferent and did not interfere.

He was a little puzzled. Even though Tong Laodao and the others had given Su Qing some hints and learned the details of each futon, how could he know which futon each person's battle record and cultivation level were suitable for?

After all, the imperial decree depends on fate, and only a celestial master like him can see through fate; Su Qing should not be able to see through it.

Unless, he obtained the Celestial Master's Dao Mark?

No way! Back then, the Celestial Master incorporated this Daoist pattern into his puppet, giving it near-divine power, and it became the Celestial Master Puppet Master Tong Laodao we know today.

There is only one successor to the Celestial Master, and that is the Celestial Master Puppet.

Neither the old locust tree left by Ge Xuan nor the figures in the paintings left by Master Xu were destined to receive such good fortune.

How did they acquire Su Qing? (End of Chapter)