If I become a saint, a celestial official will summon me to raise horses.

Chapter 956 Better Immortals and Gods

The birth of the first meritorious immortal in the Heavenly Dao caused a great phenomenon: golden lotuses were scattered from the sky, reaching every corner of the world.

No divine voice proclaimed Li Ya's ascension to immortality, but all beings, bathed in a rain of golden lotuses, gained many insights and understood the method of achieving immortality through merit.

Only by doing good deeds and accumulating virtue can one become an immortal, which makes all living beings more accepting of the Way of Heaven.

If all judgments are determined by strength, then what is the difference between immortals and gods and powerful forces in the mortal world, and what is the point of their pursuit of being ranked among the immortals?

Why not just focus on becoming stronger and dominate the region?

Most importantly, no one can become the strongest being among the masses. Most living beings will encounter beings stronger than themselves, and they all need protection and a sense of security. The appearance of the Merit Immortal gave them hope.

Become a free and unrestrained immortal!

Compared to self-cultivation, doing good deeds and accumulating merit seems easier.

Regardless of how people interpret the Immortal of Merit, he is indeed accepted by them all at once.

This extraordinary phenomenon lasted for seven days and seven nights. Not only did all living beings learn the path to immortality through merit, but their own cultivation and vitality were also enhanced to varying degrees.

The title of "Immortal of Merit" became a topic of discussion in various Taoist temples, and more and more cultivators began to pursue it.

Gu An watched Li Ya ascend to the Heavenly Court from the courtyard. He saw the fate of Zhongtian constantly changing. With the emergence of the Immortal of Merit, Zhongtian would move in the direction that all living beings expected. Besides the law of the jungle, there is also justice in the world, and kindness and righteousness are the main rules.

Anxin walked into the courtyard and came to Gu An. She first bowed and then asked, "Master, what do you think of the Immortal of Merit?"

During these seven days, she gained many insights, but more than the significance of the Immortal of Merit, she was curious about how the Immortal of Merit was stronger or weaker than ordinary immortals and gods.

Sitting on the steps, Gu An replied, "Strength or weakness depends on the individual, but in a sense, the Immortal of Merit is more free, it's just that becoming an Immortal of Merit is more difficult than becoming an ordinary immortal."

People think that doing good deeds is easy, but little do they know that accumulating good deeds to the point of becoming a meritorious immortal is as difficult as ascending to heaven.

Li Ya relied not only on his chivalrous deeds, but also on his achievements in saving the world and spreading the Way. He adopted many disciples and taught them by example, guiding them onto the right path. When his disciples did good deeds, they would also share some of their merits with him.

To spread the teachings like Li Ya requires extraordinary comprehension and exceptional ability.

Even if he doesn't become a meritorious immortal, Li Ya can still become a god.

This is something that people cannot think of for the time being; only time will prove it.

Is it more difficult?

Anxin was talking to herself, and Gu An could hear her thoughts. She had become interested in the Immortal of Merit.

What she cared about was not the celestial position, but the power of merit.

She was pondering whether she could use the power of merit to enhance her Celestial Emperor Eyes.

Merit is not an innate Great Dao, but as the cause and effect of the Heavenly Dao become too complex, merit is born and grows stronger. In the past few days of good fortune, An Xin was able to feel the vastness of the Way of Merit. She even felt that the Way of Merit was no less than the Great Dao.

Anxin asked a few more questions, which Gu An answered one by one, giving her a clear understanding and a deeper appreciation of the path to merit.

Gu An was not talking about the meaning of merit, but rather why merit is formed and what rules govern its operation.

Anxin left feeling elated. Shen Zhen also overheard their conversation, but unfortunately, she felt nothing for the Immortal of Merit.

……

Li Ya felt like he was on a dreamlike journey to immortality. Before meeting Xuanqing Star Lord, he never imagined that he would become an immortal in this way, and the Heavenly Ascension Staircase was even more shocking to him.

He finally understood why the immortals and gods were so arrogant; anyone who walked up the Heavenly Staircase would experience a significant change in their mindset.

On the Heavenly Stairs, with each step he took, he could see the life of all living beings in the world. The higher he went, the more scenes he saw. He even saw the life of beings in the middle heaven, and he could also glimpse the past and future of some great beings that he once looked up to.

Becoming a deity felt like being able to encompass all living beings, a feeling he was experiencing for the first time.

When he reached the top of the Heavenly Staircase, he stepped into the Heavenly Court.

A burst of bright light flashed into his vision. When his vision returned, the magnificent celestial realm appeared before his eyes, and the vast spiritual energy of the Heavenly Court made him widen his eyes in amazement.

He was propelled forward by the forces of fate, and everything he saw and heard along the way constantly challenged his perceptions, leaving him in a daze.

When he entered the Lingxiao Palace, he was suddenly awakened. He found that there was swirling immortal mist around him, and two rows of immortals stood on the left and right, each of them majestic and imposing. The immortals were of different shapes and sizes, both male and female, some riding mounts and others holding magical weapons.

He looked ahead and couldn't see the end. The celestial mist in front of the main hall was incredibly thick, and a huge mountain stood in the distance, making him look up in awe and feel an inexplicable urge to kneel down.

thump—

A deafening bell rang throughout the Lingxiao Palace, making Li Ya's legs go weak. Fortunately, he managed to brace himself with his hands and kneel down on one knee.

"Li Ya, you are the first meritorious immortal. You came from the mortal realm. Today, tell all the immortals and gods what you think the Heavenly Dao needs now. As immortals and gods, it is your duty to make the Heavenly Dao better."

A majestic and loud voice rang out, accompanied by a gust of wind that swept over him. Li Ya felt refreshed and his mind became completely clear.

Li Ya couldn't see the expressions of those immortals and gods, but he could feel countless eyes on him. Even though he was knowledgeable and experienced, he couldn't help but feel nervous.

These beings before us are symbols of power that control everything in the Heavenly Dao.

Li Ya felt this was the first step towards realizing his ideals, and he had to seize this opportunity.

He took a deep breath, his eyes hardening. He looked up and uttered a single, solemn sentence that immediately made the atmosphere in the Lingxiao Palace heavy.

"The Heavenly Way is governed by immortals and gods. If there is a problem with the Heavenly Way, then it is naturally the immortals and gods who have the problem. If we want the Heavenly Way to be better, then we need to replace it with better immortals and gods."

Li Ya's breath hitched. Having just become a meritorious immortal, he was still unable to calmly face the oppressive feeling of numerous immortals and gods.

But he looked ahead fearlessly, trying hard to suppress his emotions.

Gu Anzheng, far away on Mount Wuzhong, was watching him as the newly reincarnated Heavenly Emperor questioned Li Ya.

The Heavenly Emperor asked Li Ya because Li Ya's thoughts were the same as his own. Li Ya's ability to become the first Immortal of Merit was not entirely due to his own efforts. Xuanqing Star Lord had many candidates he favored, and choosing Li Ya was the choice of the Heavenly Dao Immortal Register, which in turn was the Heavenly Emperor's choice.

Of course, Li Ya was unaware of this, as was Xuanqing Xingjun.

Li Ya's arrogant words aroused the dissatisfaction of all the immortals and gods in the hall. Some immortals and gods even reprimanded him. However, the Heavenly Emperor remained high above and did not express his opinion, watching Li Ya argue with the immortals and gods.

(End of this chapter)