If you don't give up, I'd like to be your adoptive father.

Chapter 1267 The Grand Ritual of Luo Tian
When offering sacrifices to Heaven at the Temple of Heaven, the celestial masters of the Imperial Observatory stand in the center of the altar and pray to Heaven. However, when offering sacrifices to the spirits at the Temple of Earth, they leave the spacious Temple of Earth completely vacant.

The Temple of Earth, which is ten times larger than the Temple of Heaven, was transformed into a passage between the living world and the underworld, the City of the Unjustly Dead.

"Grand Tutor, Grand Tutor Yu, thank you for remembering me, Chen Huan. I, Chen Huan, died for the Great Qin without regret, it was an honor. I only regret that I was unable to cut off the head of that treacherous Wu Guang. I hate them! They had no martial ethics, how could dignified immortals join forces to ambush mortals!"

A majestic "ghost king" resembling a general, riding a warhorse, came first.

He was surrounded by a dense horde of ferocious ghost soldiers, and behind them were his family members, whose appearances were pitiful.

Some women were disheveled, and some children were being led by the hand by elderly people.

It really is a big family, all together, sharing everything.

"Give me back my life! Give me back my life!"

In another direction, there were ghosts with glowing red eyes, howling with venomous intent; it was both terrifying to look at and to hear.

"Kill! Kill! Kill! I am an official of the imperial court! Chen Sheng, you traitor! Wu Guang, you dog! I will kill you all!"

Even after becoming ghosts, soldiers with limb defects still wore the "Terracotta Warrior attire" with their hair twisted to the right.

They were not soldiers from Chengfu County; their ranks were disorganized, and they even mingled with the local people.

At this point, he was so enraged that he was completely dazed and only knew how to slash and kill.

"Waaaaah, I died so tragically! I didn't want to die! Why did you kill me? Waaaaahh ...

Most of the victims were civilians who had suffered from the ravages of war, clutching their heads and weeping bitterly and desperately.

All kinds of ghosts, thousands upon thousands.

Most of them lacked rationality, yet they seemed to receive some kind of call, instinctively converging towards the Temple of Earth.

Grand Tutor Yu's gaze passed through them, and he could even see the somewhat familiar architecture of the City of the Wrongfully Dead. He saw Zhao Kuo, the Ghost King of the City of the Wrongfully Dead, gazing into the distance.

Their eyes met briefly before Zhao Kuo quickly looked away, his body disappearing into the thick fog formed by the yin energy.

"Grand Tutor, look, it's exactly as you requested." Yang Li approached Grand Tutor Yu, pointed to the Netherworld "behind" the Temple of Earth, and laughed, "The judges of the underworld specially designated an area in the City of the Wrongfully Dead, named 'Qin City'."

Qin City was specifically used to house Qin soldiers, officials, and ordinary people who died in the war.

"We guarantee there will be no external ghosts to disturb us, so the unjustly deceased souls of our Great Qin can rest in peace."

Actually, there are outside ghosts. They are blocked outside by fences and ghost messengers, and they keep crying out, "Why is no one offering sacrifices to me? I also want to be worshipped."

Xiao Yu said, "Many people died in the floods in the Central Plains this year. Are they here?"
There are also many ghosts outside 'Qin City,' but what are their origins?

Yang Li shook his head and said, "Those who die in natural disasters are bound by fate, not 'unjustly killed'."

Since they did not die unjustly, they naturally do not need to enter the City of the Unjustly Dead; they have most likely already entered the cycle of reincarnation.

Most of the ghosts outside are vengeful spirits from the City of the Wrongfully Dead, and some are even former subordinates of Chen Sheng and Wu Guang. Look at their attire; those with their right arms exposed are all traitors!

Grand Tutor Yu looked awkward and said, "No wonder Wu Guang's tens of thousands of men couldn't defeat Chen Huan's few thousand men."

Our Qin soldiers are naturally well-equipped, and many of them wear iron armor.

Wu Guang's men were mostly dressed in leather armor, or even cloth, with their arms exposed. How could they possibly fight?

"There must have been a deity who cast a spell on them, putting 'iron armor talismans' on their bodies."

It's impossible to actually fight a war with bare arms.

"The two sides are not much different in terms of equipment; it's purely that Chen Huan is more skilled in military tactics and formations," Yang Li said.

Xiao Yu activated her magic eye and looked outside "Qin City," saying, "There are indeed quite a few people with their right arms exposed, but they don't make up the majority."

Surely there are still those who died in the natural disaster, and those who are filled with resentment remain in the City of the Dead.

Go to the underworld again tomorrow and ask King Yama to send all the 'citizens of Qin' to this 'Qin City'.

We can't let them associate with traitors and suffer the same fate as them.

"Okay," Yang Li nodded in agreement.

At this moment, Master Guan began to shout again, "Soldiers of Great Qin, people of Great Qin, the imperial court has specially established this ritual to comfort the heroic souls. May you accept this offering, may all ghosts accept this offering!"

Beside the Temple of Earth, dozens of Iron Eagle Warriors, dressed in mourning clothes, knelt on the ground, continuously putting the paper money around them into a burning iron pot.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh~~~" A cold wind howled in, blowing out large amounts of paper ash from dozens of blazing iron pots.

As soon as the ashes drifted out, they transformed into a gleaming gold ingot and a shimmering silver ingot behind the "Gate of Ghosts".

It looks almost exactly like a real gold ingot.

Xiaoyu could also clearly sense that the "ghost money" burned by the imperial court contained abundant incense and prayer power, and even contained a trace of dragon energy.

Without a doubt, this is the highest quality "ghost money".

As the saying goes, money makes one greedy.

Upon seeing those gold ingots, the spirits, who had been filled with resentment, gloom, and malevolence, immediately opened their eyes wide, and their expressions and even their inner feelings completely changed.

They used to hate and resent each other, but now they're all all smiles.

Even the ghost messengers maintaining order in the distance had greedy expressions on their faces.

"Give me back my life! Give me back my life—Holy crap, what a huge gold ingot! Hahaha, I'm rich! I'm rich!"

The vengeful ghost stopped complaining and burst into laughter while holding the gold ingot.

"Kill! Kill! Kill! I am an official of the imperial court, Chen Sheng is a traitor—wow, so much money, hahaha."

Your subject is Wang Gou'er, a centurion of the Chen County Garrison. Wang Gou'er thanks the Imperial Court for its generous reward. You bunch of scoundrels, get out of my way! Don't try to take this from me, hahaha, so much silver!

"I want to build a five-room brick house and marry Cuihong from the Grand View Garden. Many thanks to the imperial court for the reward, and to Grand Tutor Yu for the reward!"

Chen Huan's ghostly army only stirred slightly.

However, some relatives of the deceased couldn't hold back and rushed out to grab the money from behind the ghostly army.

The ghost soldiers who died in battle in other counties even snatched gold and silver ingots from the "ghosts of the common people".

The transformations of the ghosts were so dramatic and intense that even Grand Tutor Yu was stunned.

Yang Li smiled smugly: "Grand Tutor, did you see that? My Xuanmen Daoist scriptures cannot directly reduce the karma of the dead, but they can directly change their state, thereby reducing their resentment, restoring their rationality, and making them obediently become 'peaceful ghosts'."

The Xuanmen Luotian Grand Ritual is not just about burning paper money.

Burning paper money is the job of the Iron Eagle Warriors who pretend to be filial sons.

The forty-odd Celestial Masters at the rear were the main force of the Grand Ritual; they were even more powerful.

As the Taoist priests chanted various scriptures to bless the deceased, large swaths of golden light descended from the sky, landing on the ghosts.

Ghosts missing limbs were instantly restored to their original form. Their faces, covered in blood, were cleaned. Golden light transformed into a magnificent brocade robe and draped it over their bodies.

The common people were not originally entitled to wear crowns. Now, regardless of their social status, they all wear tall crowns and wide belts, dressed like officials.

Of course, each ghost has a different wish, and their clothes and appearances are also different.

For example, some ghost soldiers transformed into great generals in golden helmets and silver armor, dressed no differently from the supreme generals of the Qin Dynasty.

A group of paper figures and horses descended from the sky, transforming into "real" soldiers and horses, kneeling before him and shouting in unison: "Your subordinates pay respects to General Wang Gou'er. General Wang, your five large tile-roofed houses are ready, please move in!"

Behind these paper figures and horses, there really was a magnificent palace.

It was more than just five large tile-roofed houses; its magnificence rivaled that of a prince's mansion.

What's even more impressive is that the Taoist priests who presided over the grand rituals almost satisfied the different needs of all the deceased souls.

Wang Gou'er became a general, moved into a blessed land, and even had a royal mansion. This was enough to allow him to live a carefree and happy life until the end of his "yin lifespan".

Some commoners became wealthy merchants, surrounded by beautiful wives and concubines, numerous stewards and servants, living in magnificent homes and indulging in the ultimate pleasures of life.

Scholars who find themselves accompanied by beauties of celestial beauty also live in blessed lands, enjoying the company of their wives and children, living a carefree and happy life.

In short, the Taoist master who presided over the Luotian Grand Ritual granted the wishes of all the ghosts who had desires.

Moreover, this is neither an illusion nor a cyber virtual world.

Whether it's the clothes, maids and servants, hundreds of soldiers, beautiful wives and concubines, magnificent royal palace, wealthy mansion, or the blessed land itself, everything is real.

When Xiaoyu was in Tianmen Town, he had seen the general and steward who were transformed from funerary objects.

They are spirits from the underworld, not robots; they all possess their own spirituality.

However, it is extremely difficult for ordinary families to raise spirit-possessed funerary objects. For example, when Xiaoyu once visited the old master of the Wang family in the underworld, she specially brought a gift: a paper carriage and servants.

As a result, the servants were very dull and could not even follow orders properly.

At this time, the paper figures and horses that the Imperial Astronomical Bureau sent to the millions of Qin ghosts were all consecrated and possessed the spirituality of living people.

They even casually created a blessed land in the underworld, allowing the souls of the dead to enjoy a truly wonderful ghostly life there.

In addition to satisfying the spirits of the deceased both spiritually and materially, the Taoist scriptures of the Celestial Masters also truly dissolve the resentment, yin energy, and ghostly aura emanating from them.

Well, ghosts are supposed to have ghostly and yin energy. The Taoist scriptures of the Celestial Masters make them more like living people.

It's the kind of people you encounter suddenly during the day or at night, and ordinary people would completely mistake them for living people.

Even extraordinary people, if not carefully observed, can be mistaken for ordinary people from the mortal world.

To put it more bluntly, these ghosts, like Nie Xiaoqian, can have sex with living people, and the sensation is just as real as that of a living person. If the connection is deep enough, having children is not a problem.

"Amazing! It's actually a group Taiyin Refinement Technique, which directly turned the vengeful ghosts into 'people of the underworld'!" Xiaoyu couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.

She has now read many esoteric texts, but most of them are about Qi cultivation methods, supernatural powers, and Taoist techniques.

Having never received systematic training in esoteric arts, this was indeed the first time she had ever seen a real "Luo Tian Grand Ritual".

It is not enough for a Taoist priest to perform rituals to deliver the souls of the dead to qualify as a "Luotian Grand Ritual".

For a ceremony to be considered a "Grand Ritual of the Heavenly Gods," it must involve a large number of Taoist priests of very high quality, elaborate and expensive rituals, and a huge expenditure on preparing various items.

Without a doubt, the sacrificial ceremony that Grand Tutor Yu personally led a group of celestial masters to prepare was the highest-level Luotian Grand Ritual.

"Alas, the Qin Dynasty has fallen. If the Emperor were still alive, the court would have invited immortals from all the immortal sects in the land to form a grand ritual of ten thousand immortals, which would have moved even the heavens to tears," Yang Li sighed.

"What does it mean that Heaven is weeping?" Grand Tutor Yu asked curiously.

"The Heaven and Earth Society will send down 'Mysterious Yellow Qi,' also known as 'Tears of Heaven,' which can allow vengeful ghosts to ascend directly to the Heavenly Realm and become 'Celestial Beings,'" Yang Li said.

Xiao Yu seemed to be deep in thought and said, "It seems that the land of China does not have an urgent need for Buddhism."

Yang Li shook his head repeatedly, "It's not that it's not urgent, it's that it's completely unnecessary."

Even without Buddhist monks, hasn't the human race of China developed from the ancient primordial era to its current state of flourishing humanity?

Xiaoyu asked, "How many times have you witnessed 'heavenly black and yellow descending'?"

Yang Li said awkwardly, "I've never seen it, I've only heard people talk about it."

Xiaoyu then asked, "Does the imperial court frequently hold grand rituals like the one tonight?"

Yang Li shook his head and said, "Look at Master Guan and the others, they are all pale and their breathing is disordered. They are all exhausted."

In previous years, when the Grand Ritual of Ten Thousand Immortals was held, the immortals would take turns to participate.

Few immortals can maintain this state for so long, let alone for several days and nights.

Xiao Yu sighed, "Even the imperial court can't hold the Luotian Grand Ritual regularly, so what about ordinary people?"
Furthermore, the group of battle-hardened Yin soldiers around Chen Huan were too burdened with karmic debts to enter the blessed land.

Even if one enters a blessed land, one's lifespan will eventually run out, and one will have to enter the cycle of reincarnation again. What will happen then?

The souls of the dead who were sent to the blessed land by the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony probably only account for about 80% of the vengeful souls of Qin City in the City of the Wrongfully Dead, which is not a small number.

They enter the blessed land to live their ideal lives until the end of their lifespan in the underworld. Then they enter the Yama's palace again, where their next life is decided based on whether they were born as humans or ghosts.

If someone is evil, even if they leave this blessed land, they will still have to go to the eighteen levels of hell.

The vengeful spirits still remaining in the City of the Wrongfully Dead at this time were mostly ghost soldiers and generals.

The main force consisted of soldiers from Chengfu County led by Chen Huan, along with evil spirits from other counties who sided with them.

They themselves died tragically, and their families were all killed, leaving them with deep resentment. They also slaughtered more than 10,000 of Wu Guang's soldiers, so their karma was heavy.

These kinds of people are difficult for Taoist priests to help them pass on to the afterlife. They must be suppressed in the City of the Wrongfully Dead and let time wear away the resentment and hatred in them.

In the past, after the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony ended, they would be left alone.

"Can the Grand Tutor deliver the remaining Yin soldiers and fierce ghosts?" Yang Li asked.

"Let's give it a try, and see how many people we can help to be saved."

Grand Tutor Yu dared not speak too definitively.

"Should we stop? Or perhaps cooperate with you, Grand Tutor, in something?"

When Guan Zhenren saw her walking towards the Temple of Earth, he approached her and asked her something.

Grand Master Yu shook his head and said, "You may continue. There may be conflicts between Buddhism and Taoism, but the Buddhist and Taoist rituals will not interfere with each other."

Master Guan led a group of Xuanmen Celestial Masters to continue chanting scriptures and incantations.

Grand Master Yu sat cross-legged on the edge of the altar, facing Chen Huanbu inside the "Gate of Hell". He first recited two volumes of the "Inverted Head Sutra", and then recited the "Sutra of the Ancient Buddha of Burning Lamp for the Salvation of the Dead".

From the moment she began reciting the "Upside-Down Sutra," the vengeful ghosts within Qin City began to react very noticeably.

It wasn't a flurry of flowers falling from the sky or golden lotuses springing from the ground; rather, the malevolent ghosts, howling with venom, had clearly quieted down.

Previously, Qin City was very noisy, with ghostly howls rising and falling, enough to scare timid mortals to death at night.

At this moment, Qin City gradually became quiet, the ghostly howls stopped, and the howling winds slowed down.

When Grand Master Yu turned to chanting the "Lamp for Salvation of the Dead," no golden light descended from the sky, but she herself began to shine brightly.

She activated her "eighty percent Buddha heart," radiating a soft and pure seven-colored glazed light. The light fell on the departed souls, immediately dissolving their resentment, yin energy, ghostly aura, and even karma.

Karma is invisible to the naked eye, but the state of the deceased can be seen by those with spiritual insight.

"That bald thief from the Buddhist sect actually has some skills," Yang Li muttered.

Master Guan's face darkened slightly, and he said in a low voice, "What nonsense are you spouting! This is Grand Tutor Yu!"

Yang Li quickly said, "Obviously, I wasn't referring to Grand Tutor Yu. I was saying that the Buddhist scriptures Grand Tutor Yu recites are indeed quite profound."

Master Guan said calmly, "What level are we in the Daoist sect?"

Yang Li was puzzled, but still told the truth, "I am not a disciple of the rank, the real person is an immortal!"

“What is a True Person?” True Person Guan shook his head and asked again, “Is Grand Master Yu a leader of Taoism or Buddhism?”

neither.

We are just ordinary cultivators, and we can't even handle the situation at hand.

The conflict between the Taoist and Buddhist sects is none of our business.

Our Imperial Observatory's concern is simply to properly settle the affairs of the Qin people who died in natural disasters and man-made calamities.

Yang Li said, "The Grand Tutor said the same thing."

"Then why are you still gossiping on the sidelines?" Master Guan asked.

Yang Li sighed, "That's why I couldn't help but mutter to myself. Grand Tutor Yu's identity is too special."

A true practitioner of the esoteric arts like Zhenren should normally be extremely averse to and disgusted by Buddhism.

Now, just because the Grand Tutor is reciting Buddhist scriptures, the True Man has extended his respect to the house and its inhabitants.

Because of his personal reverence for Master Yu, he began to change his views on Buddhism.

Master Guan said irritably, "You little Taoist boy who isn't even an immortal, you kept cursing 'thief bald' while Grand Master Yu was chanting sutras to deliver the souls of the dead. Shouldn't I reprimand you a couple of times?"

“I didn’t curse the Grand Tutor, nor did I curse anyone. I was just marveling at how effective Buddhist scriptures really are,” Yang Li said.

"Now that you've seen that Buddhist scriptures indeed have miraculous effects that Taoist scriptures cannot achieve, you should also maintain reverence for the 'Great Way' and for power. You can no longer use 'thief bald' to belittle Buddhist disciples!"

"We 'Taoists' have it as our duty to seek the Tao and revere it," said Master Guan.

Yang Li lowered his voice and said, "Let me make it clear beforehand that I am not slandering the Grand Tutor!"

Compared to our grand Taoist ritual, the Grand Master's chanting had some effect, but it lacked the spectacular scale of the event.

It's clear that Buddhism is just that kind of thing.

It's really nothing for us to make a fuss about, much less for the Grand Tutor to insist on some kind of syncretism between Taoism and Buddhism.

(End of this chapter)