Immortality begins with meditation puppets

Observing people and discerning spirits is a method employed by celestial masters.

Celestial Masters are appointed by Heaven and respond to human needs. Only when the divine way and the human way are prosperous can one or even several Celestial Masters be born, serving as the hub between Heaven and Earth, and the bridge between God and man, so that humans and gods can live in harmony.

In ancient times, the Heavenly Emperor reigned, the gods were in office, the Human Emperor ruled the world, and peace prevailed throughout the land. There was frequent contact between gods and humans, which is why there was such a magnificent scene of four Heavenly Masters together.

Although Master Ge has never left this Taoist temple, he knows that the aftermath of the great calamity has not yet subsided. The Taoist runes belonging to the Heavenly Emperor still seal the high-ranking demons as they have always been. The deposed gods can no longer regain their former glory. The Taoist runes of the Human Emperor have scattered and separated. Various sects and kings have divided their territories and gone their own way. The human cultivators, who are used to freedom, can no longer bear the additional control of the Human Emperor above them.

With the Heavenly Emperor and the Human Emperor no longer around, it seems there's no need for a Celestial Master anymore.

Even Tong Chang, though possessing the Celestial Master's Dao Mark, was merely a figurehead, lacking the authority of the ancient Celestial Master to control the gods and govern the cultivators.

At least Tong Chang received the blessing of the Celestial Master, though he had the title but no real power. At least he still had a name!

Who do you think you are, Su Qing? How come you have the ability to observe people and gods, and can assign corresponding futon patterns to each person according to their needs?

This is clearly Ge Tianshi's job, but you've assigned it to him quite well, without making any mistakes. You're just treating Ge Tianshi as a tool for commanding gods!
Meanwhile, the Celestial Master, having nothing to do, secretly resented Su Qing for stealing his job.

Su Qing was also very busy and felt that this job was not easy.

Arranging seats and distributing fruit is a complex matter.

Out of consideration for others, Liang Haishun, Ying Jueshen, and the others, who followed his old comrades and heroes, should be given good divine runes; otherwise, what kind of person is Su Qing?

Logically speaking, Zhao Zhengquan used spirit stones, and Xi Fangzhen not only played the flute for him later, but also gave him a storage bag. The Penglai Thousand Island cultivators who wanted to sit on the futon also emptied their storage bags. If he accepted all of Zhao Zhengquan's gifts but did not help him with anything, then what was Su Qing?
Logically and emotionally, Su Qing already possesses a mask of ghosts and gods, capable of containing numerous divine runes; wouldn't he leave himself some good things?

There are only so many futons, a total of 108. Among them, there are five fifth-order divine runes. I have already taken one, and I have given one each to Ying Jueshen, Xi Fangzhenling, and Zhao Zhengquan. The remaining one is just enough for me to use my Prison Suppression Mask. It's just that I don't have many fifth-order masks. Otherwise, Zhao Zhengquan's 50,000 spirit stones would only be enough to buy a fourth-order futon!

The only difficult ones to distinguish are the fifth-tier divine runes. The third and fourth-tier divine runes are much easier to distinguish. The corresponding divine runes are assigned according to each person's cultivation level and achievements. For example, for Liang Haishun, he will also consider the type of divine rune according to his preferences and requirements. For others he is not familiar with, he will not pay attention to them even if they use spirit stones. It is good enough to have them. You are even picky? If I give you the good ones, what am I supposed to use?
It wasn't much hardship, but at least all the cultivators who sat on the meditation cushions were extremely grateful for his selfless act.

Having finished his preparations, Su Qing bowed to Master Ge and said:

"Reporting to the Celestial Master, under your guidance, all cultivators have accepted their destiny, found their place, and are ready to receive the divine markings and become gods, not humans. We humbly request the Celestial Master to grant us divine command so that we may take up our posts and fulfill our missions as soon as possible!"

“You did a pretty good job. How about you handle the matter of consecrating the gods as well?” Master Ge said, looking at Su Qing with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

"Can I do it? Isn't that inappropriate?" Su Qing hesitated. If he were to come to the capital, these people would owe him a huge debt of gratitude. If Zhao Zhengquan didn't let his daughter remarry when he returned, it would be considered that he was ungrateful and immoral!

"You really want to do this? So, you have the power to command gods?"

Master Ge leaned forward, his mind reeling. He had only mocked Su Qing for using their Celestial Masters' divine patterned prayer mat as a favor for Su Qing, but he never imagined that Su Qing truly possessed the ability to command gods.

It should be noted that in ancient times, the imperial decree of a deity required a report from a celestial official, approval from the human emperor, and nod from the heavenly emperor before a celestial master could issue the decree.

Although things have changed over time and everything is simplified now, the step of the Celestial Master's conferment of the title cannot be omitted casually.

If one wants to skip this step, one must go through the same tedious process as Gao Erqiang and Di Motian, including setting up a temple and burning incense, before one can replace the Heavenly Master's decree. The reason Penglai Thousand Islands wanted to seize these divine runes was that they wanted to do this step themselves after returning.

Now that the Celestial Master's will has descended, those sitting on the prayer mats naturally want to get things done in one go, so the Celestial Master can just say a few words and save them from running around.

Only Master Ge could do this, so why could Su Qing do it?

"As long as Master Ge is willing, I can certainly do this!"

What's wrong with just opening your mouth?
Su Qing changed into the Great Sun Star Infant costume, exuding an aura of domineering emperor, and said with extreme confidence.

Master Ge's eyes narrowed, and he leaned back slightly, seemingly also intimidated by the aura, remaining silent for a long time.

It's not that Su Qing's Great Sun Star Infant was so powerful that even a Celestial Master like him had to bow down.

However, Master Ge understood that being able to condense the Great Sun Star Infant itself meant many things.

It should be noted that in ancient times, only the Heavenly Emperor had ever condensed this Great Sun Star Infant.

If so, Su Qing, with this Great Sun Star Infant, might truly be able to exercise the authority of Heaven and complete this task for Master Ge!
But we can't do it for him. If we do it for him, then Master Ge won't have done any work on this trip. How will he explain it when he goes back?

Even something as simple as opening one's mouth requires Master Ge to do it!
Ignoring Su Qing, Master Ge summoned his troops and commanded the gods one by one.

"Therefore, a cultivator has rendered meritorious service in exorcising evil spirits, suppressing demons and monsters, and eliminating evil demons. The Four Heavenly Masters, acting on behalf of Heaven, hereby authorize him to be appointed as an armored divine general, and to assume the divine duty of guarding the land and protecting the people!"

"There is a cultivator named Zhao Zhengquan... who is hereby appointed as the Heavenly Official in Charge of the Book, responsible for transmitting information between heaven and earth and upholding the prescribed rules."

"There is a cultivator named Liang Haishun... who may be appointed as the God of Peach and Deer Longevity, and given the divine office of Peace, Health and Longevity."

Because Su Qing distributed the resources properly, everyone's cultivation level and merits met the requirements of their respective prayer mats and divine runes. Therefore, this time the divine command went smoothly and the tragedy of being unworthy of one's position and having one's divine runes explode did not occur.

One by one, the cultivators who obtained divine runes and successfully received divine positions were even more grateful to Su Qing. They cupped their hands in a gesture of respect to Su Qing from afar, all saying that they would definitely repay him handsomely in the future.

Su Qing didn't have time to pay attention to them; he was busy right now.

"There is a cultivator named Su Qing... oh no, there is a Prison King who has performed meritorious service in exorcising evil spirits and suppressing demons, and can also serve as the Moon God."

*Ding*, the fifth-tier divine rune—Moonlight Divine Rune—has arrived in your account.

After the divine inscription arrived, Su Qing immediately went to the prayer mats of Li Kuishan and the others. After the Celestial Master had inspected their merits, he asked them to move their buttocks. He then changed into a ghost and god mask and took over their divine duties one by one.

"There is a god of windfall wealth... who also serves as a god of increasing blessings."

"There is a God of Labor... who also serves as the God of Duty."

“There is a wicked man who has also assumed the role of a mighty god.”

They were all third or fourth-tier divine runes, which Su Qing considered quite ordinary. He only accepted them with the Ghost God Mask because he was afraid of wasting them, and he would have to make room for the puppets to use them in the future.

He thought it was just so-so, but Zhao Zhengquan of Penglai and Fuhu Zhenren of Qiandao were extremely envious. Their Penglai and Qiandao had made such a big commotion all for these hundred-odd divine runes.

But right now, it seems that Su Qing has gotten most of the benefits, so how can they not be envious and upset?

"It's good enough that you even have one. At least Master Su gave each of you a fifth-tier divine rune!"

Seeing that they were not clear-headed, the cultivator Wang Hai immediately offered some advice.

"Did he give it to me? It was the Four Heavenly Masters who gave it to me! Besides, I also used spirit stones. Without spirit stones, would he have let me sit on this futon?"

Zhao Zhengquan said irritably. He could see clearly that it wasn't that Su Qing didn't want the fifth-tier divine runes, but that he didn't have the ability to take more. He could only accommodate two fifth-tier divine runes, so he distributed the remaining ones. If he could take them, they wouldn't get any!

"You're quite sensible. Both of us received a fifth-tier divine rune, and we also received some third- and fourth-tier divine runes. If this Master Su is too serious, we'll just throw these divine runes away and ruin them. If he doesn't give us the chance to sit on the futon, there's nothing we can do about it!"

Seeing that Xi Fang had obtained the fifth-order divine position, Master Fuhu thought that he would have given an explanation to the higher-ups of the Immortal Kingdom after returning. He had no resentment towards Su Qing. On the contrary, he thought it was very good. Giving the divine rune to a dog, no, to Su Qing, was better than giving it to Penglai!

"It's truly a joyous occasion, everyone's wishes have been fulfilled. Such divine grace is something we should all express our gratitude to the Celestial Master for this imperial decree!"

After finishing their work, Su Qing, being very good at interpersonal relationships, led everyone to bow and express their gratitude to Master Ge and the three representatives of the Celestial Masters, including Master Tong.

Then, they all stared intently at Master Ge, who had finished his errand and was about to slip away.

What is this for?

Do you want me to invite them to stay for dinner?

I haven't eaten yet!

Having been away from the world for too long, Ge Tianshi, who was no longer very aware of human affairs, looked at Tong Chang, Lan Xiang, and even the six-winged centipede with a pleading look, wanting them to tell him what was going on! Did he still have something to do?
No, that can't be. Before I came, all I talked about was the matter of commanding the gods. There were no other tasks.

"Master Ge, they wish to hear your teachings and receive your guidance..."

Tong Chang cupped his hands in a respectful gesture and explained, his eyes gleaming with a thirst for knowledge. He seemed to be a studious person, no, a studious puppet, just like Su Qing and the others, hoping to receive instruction from the Celestial Master.

"Yes, for many years there has been no Celestial Master in the world. All cultivators have no way to see the way forward. We urgently need a great master like the Celestial Master to guide our cultivation and be a guiding light on our path of cultivation."

We all know that it is not easy for the Celestial Master to descend, and we do not know how long he can stay. There will certainly not be enough time to preach. We only hope that the Celestial Master will give us some of the ancient Celestial Master's inheritance, a few books of Celestial-level Taoist techniques, or a few immortal techniques. We would be eternally grateful!

Su Qing continued Tong Laodao's words, and after him, Fuhu Zhenren, Zhao Zhengquan, and others echoed his sentiments.

Regardless of whether everyone has become a god or not, before becoming a god, everyone was a shrewd person and knew exactly what was going on. In this Celestial Master Temple, besides the more than a hundred divine patterns, the most precious thing is still the wisp of Celestial Master consciousness of Celestial Master Ge.

The ancient Celestial Masters were all powerful cultivators who had reached the Void Refinement stage. Even if they died in haste in the past or came in a hurry this time, they did not bring any treasures with them. The secrets of cultivation and the inheritance of techniques in their minds were priceless treasures that could benefit them for a lifetime.

They were full of expectations, but Master Ge knew they had misjudged him!

Among the Four Celestial Masters, Celestial Master Ge was notorious for being ignorant and incompetent. It was only because he had strong luck, extensive connections, and a clever mind that he managed to reach the position of Celestial Master. All his skills were either innate or imparted to him by others; he had never learned anything himself, so how could he teach others?
But he should keep it to himself and never say it aloud, lest these later cultivators look down on him as the ancient Celestial Master.

"What kind of inheritance do you desire?" the Celestial Master asked, lowering his head.

“Evil spirits are rampant in the world, and calamities are constant. We beg the Celestial Master to teach us the methods to ward off evil and avert disasters!” a cultivator pleaded.

"Even immortals cannot escape the three calamities and nine tribulations. What method is there to ward off evil and avert disaster?" Master Ge shook his head.

"We have heard that in ancient times there were body cultivators who could achieve sainthood through their physical bodies. We beg the Celestial Master to teach us the ultimate method of body refinement!" asked a body cultivator with a broad back and thick waist, resembling Li Kuishan.

"Achieving physical sainthood is extremely rare, only attainable by unparalleled geniuses blessed by heaven. In my opinion, you do not possess such aptitude." Master Ge glanced pityingly at the few second- and third-tier body cultivators. Achieving physical sainthood? I wish I could achieve physical sainthood too!

"Ancient cultivators could move mountains and shift lands, ascend to the heavens to associate with the gods, and descend to the netherworld to befriend the King of Hell. Their Taoist magic was unparalleled, and their supernatural powers were vast. We beg the Celestial Master to impart to us the supreme Taoist methods!" Some cultivators understood the principle that everyone has their own area of ​​expertise. The Celestial Master cultivates the mind, not the body. Physical cultivation is not his forte. If you want to ask, you should ask the methods of cultivators!
"Our path has already been proven unworkable in ancient times. People today do not need to learn the ancient methods. The right way is to forge our own path!" Master Ge sighed. The present world is not as good as the past, but the future may not be. The world-destroying demon was something that the great immortals and gods of ancient times could not solve, but later generations may not be unable to solve it. The four masters still believed in the wisdom of future generations.

The cultivators asked three questions, only to receive three shakes of the head from Master Ge.

They looked at each other in bewilderment, unsure whether it was because Master Ge was stingy and unwilling to teach, or because they were simply too dull for the Master to appreciate. No one doubted Master Ge's incompetence; how could someone without ability become a Master? Were the ancient Masters really that incompetent?
Su Qing didn't care whether this Celestial Master Ge was a fraud or not; he only knew that since the Celestial Master's spirit had come all this way, he absolutely couldn't let him slip away so easily.

"The Celestial Master does not know how miserable we cultivators are. There are evil spirits that bewitch people, great demons that harm people, and even among us human cultivators, there are bad people."

Since the Celestial Master has reservations and cannot transmit the Dharma to us, we dare not insist. We only ask that the Celestial Master grant us a token, so that we may borrow the ancient Celestial Master's prestige to deter evildoers both inside and outside the realm!

All cultivators are too narrow-minded; they have no idea of ​​the greatest benefit of the Celestial Master.

The Four Celestial Masters of antiquity were renowned not only in the Tianyuan Realm but also throughout all the myriad realms. Their fame endured and grew stronger with time. One could accomplish countless things by leveraging the Celestial Masters' prestige.

Upon hearing Su Qing's explanation, Master Ge immediately understood.

He understood that Su Qing wanted to use his connections.

He really does have this thing!
"This is the Celestial Master's Seal, which is of no use to me now. Since you need it, I will give it to you. With this seal alone, my friend may be able to give you some benefits, but my enemy also sees you as an enemy. How you use it is up to you. Remember, once the seal is out of my hands, the cause and effect here will have nothing to do with me. You will have to bear all the consequences!"

Master Ge tossed out a purple-gold token as if to shirk responsibility, fearing that the cultivators would make any more unreasonable demands. He then transformed into a yellow light and vanished in an instant.

As it fled, the Celestial Master's barrier that had previously separated the inside from the outside also dissipated, and the cultivators here were immediately exposed to the Western Sea cultivators who had been waiting outside for a long time.

"Slay the sea monster, vanquish the evil spirits, and capture the treacherous Su Qing of the Sea-Gazing Kingdom!"

"You wicked Su Qing, give me back my divine life... no, give me back my old father-in-law's life!"

"Don't let the evil spirits escape with the divine runes! Whoever catches the divine runes gets to keep them!"

·······
Loud roars came from outside, startling the "demon" Su Qing.

What happened?
Is Liu Feng really that good at spreading rumors? In just a few days, he's portrayed me as an enemy of human cultivators, placing me alongside evil spirits and sea monsters as one of the three scourges of the Western Sea? (End of Chapter)