Wet viviparity

Chapter 878 High-ranking official, advancing in an instant
Driven by the iron whip in Ji Ming's hand, the rugged Forbidden Mountain emitted a muffled, thunderous roar as it slowly sank into the earth's vein base that originally belonged to the Silver Falling Lake.

The massive earth trembled violently, the lake surged with waves, and countless snow-like waves were stirred up. The most abundant and vital energy in the soil of the forbidden mountain naturally dispersed into the thick earth. The earth veins were as if they were being combed and connected by an invisible giant hand. The originally floating and turbulent earth energy of the thousand miles settled down at a speed visible to the naked eye.

A thick, stable, and life-giving earthy aura emanated from the depths of the earth, and the great calamity of the future earthquake was averted without a trace.

Ji Ming held the iron whip upside down, bowed three times towards the direction of Taiping Mountain Cave, and then threw the iron whip away. It flew away and disappeared into the eastern horizon, returning to its original owner—Chong Chi Dragon Girl.

Almost simultaneously, hundreds of acres of purple mist descended from the sky, spreading out in layers of auspicious light and ethereal clouds. Celestial music drifted from the upper realm of the spirit sky, making the scene even more solemn than when he was appointed as the Cloud and Water Official in Cangjiang last time.

A golden chariot, seemingly made of heavenly horses, broke through the clouds and slowly descended.

On the golden chariot, a celestial official with a refined and serene face, wearing a crane-feather cloak, held up a jade scroll and a heavenly edict in both hands.

Ji Ming stood on the lotus, diagonally below the celestial chariot, enveloped in auspicious light and mist. Ding Ruyi, holding a porcelain bottle, accompanied him and also stood in the light. Apart from this, there was nothing else. On the great lake below the clouds, whether it was the busy disciples of Taiping Mountain, the surviving rogue cultivators of Tiannan, or even some hidden demon remnants, all were awestruck by this celestial phenomenon and looked up at the sky.

Ji Ming had expected his emotions to fluctuate, but he didn't feel anything special, perhaps because he had already discussed the contents of the imperial edict with the White Crane Ancestor.

The duty officer's gaze swept over the now-stable ground below. He showed little emotion or engaging in casual conversation. He then unfolded the jade scroll imperial edict in his hand, on which the seals of the Three Primal Heavenly Venerables and the Three Life Old Star Lords shone brightly.

"The Duty Officer of the Great Luo Purple Palace Department, by order of the Three Primal Heavenly Venerable, and conveying the decree of the Three Life Old Star Lord:"
There is a Taoist master named Lingxuzi of Taiping, whose heart is steadfast and whose merits are profound. During the great calamity in the south, he was brave and resolute, breaking evil and revealing righteousness. After the calamity, he wielded the Mountain God Whip, moved mountains, stabilized the veins, guided spiritual energy, and quelled the calamity, so that the mountains and rivers of this place could return to peace and the living beings could be spared from suffering.

Your merits are great, and you are hereby specially promoted to the position of Grand Official of the Longevity Palace, with the same rank as the Celestial Officials of the Heavenly Court. You may reside permanently in the Heavenly Palace, overseeing all affairs of the Heavenly and Earthly Courts, auditing merits and demerits, and managing the registers of life, death, and well-being of all living beings. You are hereby granted a jade tablet as proof of your merits; and also three cups of Longevity Immortal Tea and three golden flowers.

You should admire it!

"May you diligently fulfill your duties, uphold justice and righteousness, assist the Star Lord, bring blessings to all living beings, and not fail to repay Heaven's grace or betray your moral principles."

After the announcement, the official gently pushed the jade scroll imperial edict in his hand, and the edict transformed into a stream of light that entered the top of Ji Ming's head. The duties and powers of the "Master of the Dust of the Longevity Palace" and the relevant heavenly laws and precepts instantly became clear in his primordial spirit.

Ji Ming remained silent for a moment, digesting this information about authority and precepts, without the slightest surprise.

The authority over the local affairs department that the chief clerk was assigned to was something he obtained from the White Crane Ancestor.

Of course, this is not a position with great power. After all, the Underworld has its own system. As the chief official of the Heavenly Court, if he were to interfere, he would lose his noble status and would not be able to participate in the operation of the core power of the Underworld.

For him, this authority was not an end in itself, but rather a bridge.

Beside him, Ding Ruyi carefully accepted the jade tablet, three cups of longevity tea, and three golden flowers, her face solemn and dignified.

Ji Ming bowed respectfully and, following procedure, said loudly, "Lingxu receives the decree and thanks the Heavenly Venerable and Star Lord for their grace. I will do my utmost to live up to your trust!"

This new official in the Dust and Clouds is vastly different from the previous official in charge of wind, rain, and water veins. He has truly entered the middle level of the Heavenly Officials' power, but compared to the Heavenly Officials, the distance is still enormous.

If one can be promoted to a celestial official, that is the highest rank of Taiyi Zhengshu, the supreme immortal.

However, Ji Ming still needs to cross the level of Divine General before he can reach the level of Heavenly Official, which is the center of this world's stage.

"Lingxuzi, from now on, you will be responsible for the lifespan, fortune, merits, and demerits of the spirits in the Heavenly and Earthly Courts. You must report to the Longevity Palace regularly. The task is arduous and the road is long, so please take good care of yourself." After giving these instructions, the Duty Officer rode in a heavenly chariot, accompanied by celestial music and auspicious light, and slowly ascended into the sky, disappearing into the horizon. "As you wish."

Ji Ming shouted.

"Master, are you planning to launch a military campaign to punish the guilty?" Ding Ruyi asked.

Ji Ming was slightly taken aback. He hadn't expected his disciple to be able to guess his thoughts. He asked, "How do you know?"

“Master always plans carefully before acting, and he never hesitates to do things. Today, his divine journey and unexpected killing intent are extremely rare.”

Ji Ming did not expect that he had unintentionally revealed his killing intent, so he said, "There is someone I have to kill, but I am not entirely confident in killing, which is giving me a headache."

Especially given my current position, there are many concerns. On the one hand, I need to mobilize the elders of the sect to reignite the conflict just as the great calamity has subsided; on the other hand, I need to ensure that person dies peacefully, so as not to provoke reactions from all sides and make my sect the target of public criticism.

Ding Ruyi didn't ask who the person was, but only asked, "What are your orders, Master?"

Ji Ming glanced at Ding Ruyi and laughed heartily. This disciple was becoming more and more to his liking. He knew that once he had the intention to kill, no obstacle would be insurmountable.

"I drafted the first decree, sending the two elders, Dragon and Tiger, to assist me. They summoned the judges and spirits of the underworld in the blessed land of Taiping Mountain to hold a grand ceremony to search the mountain and examine the soil, in order to determine the whereabouts of the Crying Ancestor."

Furthermore, in the name of the high official Fuming Chentu, I will draft a second decree, requesting Taishan Doushi to deliver this decree to the Ghost Gate beneath the Divine Tree on Mount Taiyi Qingmu. I will join the two Southern Ghost Kings to jointly exterminate the evil spirits that are wreaking havoc in the south.

Finally, I urge all sects, large and small, of the world to open their doors and not to harbor the remnants of the great calamity.

Ding Ruyi noted everything down, marveling at her master's generosity, and then asked, "Will the two elders with hooks and sickles get involved?"

Ji Ming laughed and said, "I have already sent the two gentlemen to Flying Star Island in the South China Sea to ask Brother Leng to come out of seclusion and go to the two elders of Nanlao Divine Mountain to persuade them that I will only imprison the Crying Ancestor on Qionghua Island for three hundred years."

"Qionghua Island, Pei Xian's Daoist Temple, the former sect of Senior Xiao Shou Gu," Ding Ruyi thought to herself.

He once again marveled at his master's consistent style, truly a master who, when he moved, would achieve his goal in one fell swoop. With Leng Cuishan going to the sacred mountain to appease the two elders, even if the Crying Ancestor died, they could use the excuse that he was determined to resist and could only be killed.

Moreover, Pei Xian of Qionghua Island is a wandering immortal, so the two elders should be able to accept being imprisoned there.

However, Ding Ruyi was still somewhat worried and asked, "What if the two elders, Gou Lian and his companion, insist on refusing?"

Ji Ming said, "Even a figure like the God Lord has been suppressed for a thousand years. He, a heretical demon who has not yet attained enlightenment, has only been imprisoned for three hundred years. If the two elders still have any excuse for this treatment, then Taiping Mountain has a legitimate reason to fight."

In Ji Ming's mind, the Crying Ancestor was already doomed. The two Hook and Sickle Elders had no powerful figures protecting them and could not withstand the attack of Taiping Mountain. The only thing that Ji Ming was worried about was that this move would provoke the alliance of the Southern Sects, which would leave him with a negative impression of acting rashly in the eyes of the patriarchs.

"Better to strive for progress than to stagnate."

Ji Ming looked eastward. This time, he relied entirely on his two divine brothers. He had begged the White Crane Ancestor for the position of Earthly Official, all so that these two could be put to use with a legitimate name.

(End of this chapter)