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

Chapter 1296 Conferred God
It's hard to expose someone's struggles. Grand Tutor Yu himself climbed his way up from the bottom, experiencing all sorts of sordid and unbearable hardships. She didn't need the Imperial Guard to say much; she could guess his experiences and thoughts.

I can understand his awkward situation at this moment.

"Don't overthink it, just refine this talisman." Without saying a word, she simply handed the talisman to him.

"This old man~~" Meeting Grand Tutor Shang Yu's firm gaze, Guowei Liao was filled with excitement and emotion, and at the same time felt extremely relieved.

He accepted the talisman with both hands, but did not immediately refine it. He asked, "Grand Tutor, even if you intend to give me the talisman, have you notified the Heavenly Court?"

Grand Tutor Yu said calmly, "I have already considered everything, so don't overthink it. Let's refine the divine talisman first, and then we can sit down and talk slowly."

Despite having a thousand emotions and ten thousand thoughts, Guowei Liao could only nod solemnly at this moment.

Then he sat cross-legged on the chair, closed his eyes slightly, placed the talisman between his eyebrows, and silently circulated the Xuanmen Heart Sutra.

Without any hindrance, his spiritual energy entered the talisman with exceptional smoothness.

The process went so smoothly that it could be described as "a natural outcome".

Wherever his spiritual power passed, golden runes lit up one after another.

Even if he doesn't understand the profound meaning represented by the runes for the time being, he immediately takes control of the runes as if they were his own fingers.

He can instinctively combine runes into different divine spells and then unleash them. Just like a newborn baby, he naturally seeks out milk to nurse, and when he's full, he'll urinate.

No special training is needed; it's something they're "born with."

Of course, babies can urinate, but they don't know how to control it, let alone the skills to urinate, so they only wet the bed.

At this moment, Guowei Liao could only mechanically trigger various divine spells. He couldn't even control his strength, let alone master the laws corresponding to the divine spells.

"Buzz buzz buzz~~" In reality, the talisman between Guowei Liao's eyebrows transformed into a ball of golden light the size of a basketball, with countless runes flickering.

After a short while, the golden orb of light entered his consciousness, merged with his soul, and became a part of him.

Guowei Liao's physique remained unchanged.

But now he gives the impression of being like a deflated ball, which is then pumped up and quickly inflated into a large and hard ball.

"Whoosh!" A beam of golden divine power landed on his head, and he connected to the Heavenly Court's divine system. Pure incense and divine power flowed into his body along the laws of the divine path.

In the next instant, the Grand Commandant's appearance changed drastically. His messy, gray hair, which had been hanging down his back, was now tied into a neat and tidy bun, and he was wearing a black crown on his head.

His Qin Dynasty robes (the clothes he was buried in after his death) were replaced with the imperial robes of the Lord of Hengshan.

It bears some resemblance to the ceremonial robes of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, but the patterns embroidered on the surface are mostly of the Five Sacred Mountains, with Hengshan as the main one. You can also see the illusory icons of more than a dozen blessed lands, including Zhuling Grotto.

"Congratulations on your coronation as the Great Emperor of Hengshan!"

Grand Tutor Yu smiled, stood up, and bowed to him to express his congratulations.

"Thank you for your kindness, Grand Tutor!" Guowei Liao quickly stood up and returned an even larger bow with a face full of gratitude.

Grand Tutor Yu gestured for him to sit down again and recounted in detail how she obtained the Hengshan Divine Register and her two failed attempts to select the Hengshan God.

“I originally intended to give the talisman to Jin Chanzi, but then a Bodhisattva died. I then planned to give the talisman to Meng Zhenjun, but Meng Zhenjun had no intention of becoming a deity.”

Then the Grand Commandant came looking for us. Wasn't this a preordained opportunity?

Since it is Heaven's arrangement, Your Excellency should accept it calmly.

The Grand Commandant sighed, “The Grand Tutor can be humble, but if I were to think that way, I would be too foolish and ungrateful.”

He looked around and continued, "Everyone in Xianyang knows that the Grand Tutor's mansion has almost always been empty."

But tonight, the Grand Tutor returned here and is still reading in his study. Could it be a coincidence?

In short, I am deeply grateful and need not express my thanks; please, Grand Tutor, do not stand on ceremony.

Grand Tutor Yu nodded. "Alright, we'll just talk about your current situation."

Back then, Huang Feihu was just a Grand Commandant of the Imperial Court, and his status, position, and reputation were similar to those of the old man.

Chong Heihu, Wen Pin, and others, at best, were at the level of military commanders of the Great Qin Dynasty.

During the ancient period of the Investiture of the Gods, they easily obtained the mandate of the Five Sacred Mountains.

In modern times, many powerful immortals with abilities hundreds or thousands of times greater than them cannot even become mountain gods of famous mountains, which are one level below them.

Times have changed; humanity is flourishing, and so is the divine way.

The same divine position, which no one wanted to take in the past, is now highly sought after by countless people, so naturally the best of the best must be chosen.

If you're not the best, others won't be convinced.

Therefore, given the old man's current situation, forcibly bestowing upon him a divine title would make it difficult for him to secure his position.

The Imperial Commandant nodded slightly. "Even when the late emperor was alive, the highest deity he bestowed the title of was only the City God Ying Qian."

I am also aware of my own limitations.

I had always thought that I could find a sinecure in some divine palace in heaven or on earth, have a place to settle down and make a living, and no longer be easily controlled by ghosts and gods, and I would be satisfied.

Now that I've been fortunate enough to receive the Grand Tutor's favor and become the God of Hengshan, how can I convince others to believe in me?

"There are only two paths: improving oneself and finding helpers. Improving oneself means mastering the Hengshan authority contained in the divine talisman and the complete set of Hengshan divine arts."

This divine talisman was personally forged by me; no one understands the authority and divine arts of Hengshan better than I do.

Xiao Yu took out a piece of spirit jade from his pocket and spent half a cup of tea's time recording a million-word "Detailed Explanation of Hengshan Divine Authority and Divine Arts" inside.

"This will help you gain power and divine arts more quickly."

She first handed the "Analysis of Divine Authority and Divine Arts" to the Imperial Guard, and then took out two pieces of spiritual jade to inscribe the "Hengshan Refining Spirit Treasure Book" and the "Qiushan Heart Sutra" on them respectively.

"The divine position of a deity is difficult to change, but the deity himself can also cultivate. It is difficult to cultivate Qi, but there is no hindrance to cultivating the spirit."

There's no need to practice the old man's previous corpse-dissolving immortal technique.

From now on, with the "Hengshan Refining Divine Treasure Book" as the fundamental method, you are guaranteed to master the divine power of the Hengshan Lord of Faith in the fastest time.

The Heart Sutra of Qiushan is a method for cultivating the mind.

By dredging the earth's veins in China, I essentially 'united' with the earth, experiencing its all-encompassing, profound, and gentle way. This led to a sudden enlightenment, which is why I created this method.

It cannot directly increase your strength.

Even at the highest levels of cultivation, one can only condense a 'Heart of the Earth'. But the 'Heart of the Earth' gives you the opportunity to surpass Huang Feihu in terms of realm.

Grand Tutor Yu was not exaggerating.

The "Qiushan Heart Sutra" is the "Qiushan Old Mother Sutra 5.0 Plus Version" that she had previously passed on to Tu Ji, the City God of Fuli County.

The 1.0 version of the Qiushan Laomu Sutra can only help Tu Ji cultivate his character and prevent his mind from being corrupted by calamity, evil, and demonic energy.

The 5.0 version of the Qiushan Laomu Sutra can at least make the Guowei Liao sense the "Yu Taishi earthquake bombardment".

Yes, if another earthquake strikes Mount Goyue along the earth's veins in the future, the National Guard Bureau may be able to predict the precise transmission route of the earthquake's force, as well as the earthquake's magnitude and arrival time.

Since last year, Mount Tai has been hit by countless earthquakes, but Huang Feihu still hasn't figured out the transmission of earthquake force or the precise timing of earthquakes.

Huang Feihu's strength lay in his divine power and authority, but Grand Tutor Yu held his own cultivation level in contempt.

Guowei Liao held three pieces of spirit jade, his chest filled with gratitude and excitement, but he didn't say a word. He only solemnly said, "I will master the 'Hengshan Refining Spirit Treasure Book' as soon as possible and do my best to fulfill the duties of the Hengshan Prefect."

Xiao Yu stood up and said, "If you master these three manuals, it's not just a fantasy that you can surpass the other four mountain gods in terms of cultivation."

Even if his divine authority is not as great as Huang Feihu's, at least his cultivation level will be significantly different from Huang Feihu's.

Next, I'll find you an assistant. Okay, let's go to the Imperial Observatory first.

Leading the Imperial Guard out of the Grand Tutor's mansion, just as he was about to use Earth Escape, Xiao Yu suddenly caught sight of two ghostly figures hiding deep within the Ghost Path, furtively peering in his direction.

"Who is this brat, daring to spy on this Grand Tutor!"

Grand Tutor Yu gave a low shout, and golden light emerged from the ground, which then transformed into earthen shackles, binding the two ghostly figures. "Grand Tutor Yu, spare our lives! We are not bad people."

"We are the Impermanence of Fengdu Underworld, and we are righteous gods."

Guowei Liao glanced at them and said awkwardly, "They are indeed not bad people, but the two ghost guards who escorted me back."

Xiaoyu had actually guessed their identities, but deliberately put on a show of power to teach them a lesson.

"Come and take a look at the old Grand Commandant." With a thought, she unsealed the seal.

The two ghostly figures floated over tremblingly, and after only glancing at the Imperial Guard's office, their expressions changed drastically.

"Grand Commandant, you possess divine power. Could it be that you have become a god?"

"Such powerful divine strength, and a crown robe... Why does his aura seem somewhat similar to our Great Emperor's? You... what kind of god have you become?"

The two impermanent beings cried out in shock, their eyes filled with a mixture of awe and longing as they looked at Grand Tutor Yu.

They did know the purpose of the Imperial Guard's trip.

Guowei Liao was filled with emotion and said, "I am deeply grateful for the Grand Tutor's kindness in bestowing upon me the title of Lord of Hengshan."

"Ah, Imperial Commandant, no, Your Excellency Imperial Commandant, you've become the Emperor of Hengshan?!"

The two impermanent beings were in a daze, finding it hard to believe, yet their way of addressing each other and their attitudes naturally changed drastically.

Previously, the Imperial Guard was a fallen phoenix, worse than a chicken, and could be easily manipulated by them.

Now, the phoenix that was once again in distress, Guoweiliao, has taken flight again, rising from the ashes and soaring into the sky, even higher than before.

Guowei Liao took out two exquisite jade artifacts from his sleeve and handed them to the two messengers, saying, "This is the reward I promised to you two officers. Please go back first and thank Judge Wang for me."

Once I'm settled here, I will personally go to Fengdu to explain the situation.

"No, we dare not~~" The two impermanent men felt that the jade artifacts in their hands were hotter than red-hot irons, especially since Grand Tutor Yu was watching them with cold eyes (calm expression).

They wanted to return the jade artifact, but Guowei Liao already had his hands behind his back.

They could only hold the jade artifacts in their hands, kneel on the ground, and kowtow to express their gratitude, saying, "Thank you for the 'Heavenly King's' generous gift."

After learning about the Emperor's situation, Judge Wang was only happy for the Emperor.

The Emperor doesn't need to go to Fengdu to explain the situation.

When an emperor becomes an emperor, he is automatically removed from the Book of Life and Death in Fengdu.

The Great Emperor is now recorded in the Heavenly Register and is no longer under the jurisdiction of Fengdu Underworld.

"From now on, we, along with Judge Wang, will need Your Majesty's continued guidance!"

The Imperial Guard waved his hand, signaling them to leave.

He then followed Grand Master Yu and used earth magic to reach the Imperial Observatory.

"Yang Li, come here." As soon as they arrived at the Imperial Observatory, Grand Tutor Yu called out to the young Taoist Yang Li.

Master Guan and Yang Li arrived upon hearing the news.

"Grand Commandant, you've returned from the blessed land to visit us?"

The two saw from afar that the Imperial Commandant was dressed in his official robes and was greeting them with a smile, looking calm and composed.

As they got closer, the two immediately sensed that something was wrong with the aura emanating from the Imperial Guard.

"Sir, have you been hailed as a great deity?"

"Your attire is not suitable for a funeral."

Master Guan had a sudden realization and exclaimed in surprise, "Grand Master Yu gave you the Hengshan Divine Talisman?"

Even ordinary people, if they are wealthy enough, will burn elaborate funeral rites for their ancestors, including a sedan chair carried by eight men, carriages and horses, guards, official robes, and even a royal palace.
Once they reach the blessed land of the underworld, the souls of the dead can wear official robes, live in palaces, and enjoy wealth and luxury like kings and nobles on earth.

Even the imperial court in the human world can't control such matters.

As long as your thinking is wild enough, it doesn't matter if you burn spaceships and spacesuits for your ancestors, or let them become "Trisolarans".

Even someone of the highest rank in the human world, like the Grand Commandant, would generally be tolerated if he returned to the mortal realm to visit relatives while wearing his imperial robes.

"Alas, if I hadn't tried to dissolve my corpse, I could have lived peacefully in this blessed land."

It is still the most superior blessed land, luxurious and wealthy like an emperor.

But I attempted to dissolve my body, and failed, so naturally I was taken away by the Impermanence of Fengdu.

"If it weren't for the Grand Tutor bestowing upon me a divine position, I would still be suffering in Fengdu!"

After everyone was seated, Guowei Liao gave a general account of his experiences.

Yang Li hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help asking, "What was the reason for the old man's sudden failure to die?"

After he finished asking the question, he secretly glanced at Grand Tutor Yu out of the corner of his eye.

Grand Tutor Yu's expression remained blank.

Guowei Liao said with a troubled expression, "It's just that I'm unlucky. I had already fooled 'Heaven' and successfully faked my death to escape the calamity, and started the Taiyin Refining Form."

As long as the dead soul is refined into a Netherworld Primordial Spirit, one can ascend to heaven at night and become a Corpse-Dissolving Immortal.

If nothing unexpected happens, I should be able to achieve the Nascent Soul stage within six months.

Then I'll show off my divine power in front of everyone again.

He appeared in my grandson's dream, instructing them to open the grave in public, so that the crowd would see that the coffin contained no remains, only a shoe or a walking stick. This would make them realize the truth, and everyone would praise me for achieving immortality through the dissolution of my body.

"Then I will truly ascend to the heavens."

Master Guan said, "Having reached the Taiyin Refining Form stage, it's difficult to be disturbed by the outside world, isn't it? Is your preparation (in your cultivation) insufficient, Elder?"

Guowei Liao shook his head and said, "Even if my talent is poor, I have still accumulated more than 10,000 years of cultivation."

Having achieved the status of a Corpse-Dissolving Immortal, one's magical power is more than sufficient.

But after I entered the body refining stage, I suddenly heard a series of noisy sounds.

It seems so far away, yet its impact on me is so close at hand.

The voices seemed to be those of immortals, all talking about the Grand Tutor's battle against the Four Immortals, the unworthy death of Yin Yinzi, and how the old man's fate was already sealed and he had long been preparing to dissolve himself. The voices grew louder and more chaotic.

My tranquil and serene Daoist mind was disturbed; my heart burned like fire, and my will was like being fried in oil. Gradually, I showed signs of going astray and becoming possessed by demons.

Then I heard Yin Yinzi sneer – You old fool, you've harmed me so much, and you still want to become an immortal? Dream on!
Finally, a bolt of lightning struck and killed me.

Grand Tutor Yu secretly breathed a sigh of relief: As expected, it had nothing to do with me.

Then she flew into a rage and cursed, "When the old man's grave was blown up, I said it was probably related to Yin Yinzi."

Just as I predicted, that bastard is the culprit behind this damned act!

Yang Li hesitated before speaking to Guan Zhenren: You said that day that it was you who used Yin Yinzi's head to offer sacrifices to the Grand Commandant, which attracted Yin Yinzi's attention.

This is the truth; you are the culprit!

Although they had their doubts and felt wronged for the Imperial Guard, Guan Zhenren and Yang Li did not reveal the "truth" out of tact.

Instead, they joined Grand Master Yu in cursing, "It is indeed improper for Yin Yinzi to secretly use evil magic to curse a Corpse-Dissolving Immortal."

After cursing, Master Guan asked in confusion, "Isn't Yin Yinzi going to prove the Dao of the Great Luo?"

He did such a despicable thing; isn't he afraid of creating serious karmic consequences that could hinder his own path to enlightenment?

Yang Li was taken aback for a moment, then said, "Indeed, these kinds of great immortals usually try their best to avoid karma. Could it be that the Grand Tutor has completely destroyed his Great Luo Path?"

(End of this chapter)