The myth begins with the Lotus Lantern

Chapter 263 Six Toes
Without anyone noticing, Ding Lin was pushed into the center of everyone's attention by Tian Peng. No words were needed; one could tell from the way the soldiers around him were looking at him.

People have varying degrees of closeness and distance, and compared to Ding Lin, who had just arrived, the heavenly soldiers were naturally more inclined to side with their comrades-in-arms who had fought side by side for many years.

This is simply human nature, and has nothing to do with right or wrong.

Ding Lin remained silent, crossing the square without looking to either side, and left with his fifty personal guards.

He walked and pondered.

Ding Lin was in a bad mood. He had just left the Peach Garden and was already missing it. He missed the sweet air and the absence of troublesome matters there. Unlike here, where less than half a day had passed and he had already engaged in intrigue three or four times and made several more enemies.

Unfortunately, even the Seven Fairy Maidens were not capable of selecting officials after they became immortals.

Fortunately, after what just happened, things should be peaceful for a while.

Ding Lin raised his hand and rubbed his temples. The job at the Tianpeng Temple was certainly not as good as the Peach Garden, but for him now, it could be considered a place to go.

Once the temple leaves the barracks, it can temporarily set aside grudges. This is a sinecure, which means time, which can be used to improve one's cultivation.

Today's misfortune, though seemingly an unexpected one, was not entirely without cause. Ultimately, it stemmed from his unworthy status. A fifth-rank official position in the Heavenly Court usually requires a Golden Immortal to be granted, yet he, a Celestial Immortal, received it first. Although this was done in accordance with the rules, it was an exception, which easily stirred up resentment. To put it bluntly, his current Celestial Immortal cultivation was insufficient to suppress this fifth-rank official position.

Although celestial beings have higher potential, in the end, they are still just celestial beings.

Wang Yu felt resentful for his subordinate Ding Lin because Ding Lin was only an immortal. But if Ding Lin became a Golden Immortal like him, would these sordid schemes still exist?

However, the Golden Immortal realm is not an ethereal concept for Ding Lin now; the distance is tangible. Although he has only recently ascended to immortality, Ding Lin has already accumulated one-third of his cultivation to the Immortal realm. Once he completes his cultivation and comprehends any one of the Thirty-Six Transformations of the Heavenly Gang, he will be able to achieve the status of a Golden Immortal.

Ultimately, in this world, realm and cultivation are the true foundation for one's existence. Compared to these, official rank and position are merely external things.

For a Golden Immortal to don the purple robe, one must endure countless hardships and accumulate immense merit. Even if one manages to wear it, unless one possesses an extraordinary background, reaching the third rank is the limit. However, once one attains the Taiyi Scattered Number, one can immediately rise from a commoner to the third rank.

Only those who have no hope of finding a way to advance their careers need to pursue official positions and wealth, and the more hopeless they are, the more confused and bewildered they become.

He then imagined that if he were to achieve the Taiyi realm one day, looking back, it would all seem like petty scheming and worthless pursuits, something to be laughed off.

……

About two or three hundred miles from the Heavenly River Water Palace, outside the military camp but less than ten miles away, lies the Heavenly Canopy Temple.

Perhaps because Tianpeng resides in the Water Palace, this temple is relatively simple.

Of course, this is only a relative comparison between the two. After all, it is still the residence of a second-rank official. The flying eaves, brackets, carved beams and painted rafters, pavilions and towers are all present and complete.

The entire Tianpeng Temple covered an area of ​​about a hundred miles, and fifty heavenly soldiers were only enough to guard the entrance.

Ding Lin's earlier assumptions were correct; the purpose of his existence and that of these heavenly soldiers was indeed to put on a show.

During the handover, the deputy general who was originally on duty was very enthusiastic, and he couldn't suppress the smile on his face. He naturally had a reason to be happy - after Ding Lin took over, he was transferred by Tianpeng to a post as a Sima.

This is a position between a captain and a commander of ten thousand men. It is not a permanent position and, depending on the situation, commands three to five captains. It is between independent and semi-independent and corresponds to the military rank of a deputy general.

Although his rank remained unchanged, compared to the monotonous daily routine of guarding the gate, being a Sima (military commander) was still far more advantageous, granting him greater freedom and ambition. Ding Lin also learned from the deputy general that Tianpeng would only return to this official residence on the fifteenth of each month, a very regular occurrence. Apart from that day, the residence was simply an empty house.

The lieutenant, with a touch of pity, told Ding Lin that he could make arrangements as he pleased, except for the day Tianpeng returned. Then, he excitedly led a group of guards and left this 'cold palace' without looking back.

With his departure, the duty room that had been occupied became vacant.

Ding Lin was unwilling to put in much effort. He followed the previous rules and arranged the personnel on duty at each gate. He then assigned the task of supervision to Xin Jia. Afterward, he unceremoniously entered the guard room and occupied the place, leaving Xin Jia outside the door, hesitant to speak.

Close your eyes.

Ding Lin let out a sigh of relief; finally, he was alone again.

From the time he was selected to the time he took office, only half a day had passed, but he felt exhausted, as if he had been through a lot in the world. Sure enough, he was still not suited to socializing.

My mind gradually relaxed.

Ding Lin began to sort things out; he hadn't yet fully understood the golden flower petal on the Ascension Platform.

The golden flower was half absorbed by the physical body the moment it fell, and the rest rose into the cave between the Niwan Palace.

Inside the grotto, the golden elixir was held high, and a wisp of golden cloud painted the horizon.

Upon contact with his consciousness, a golden light flowed, and as if struck by a sudden inspiration, Ding Lin instantly understood.

Golden flowers are a gift from Heaven, bestowed upon those who have performed great deeds or excelled in a particular situation.

To draw an analogy, it's like the certificates awarded to students in a past life for acts of bravery or academic excellence.

Ding Lin is an excellent student in both character and academics.

It might be more appropriate to describe it as a bonus. Once the bonus is issued, it can be used as one pleases to buy whatever one wants.

What this golden flower can buy are things related to cultivation: cultivation level, breakthroughs in bottlenecks, and comprehension of the laws...

Ding Lin had just been bathed in heavenly lightning, and his physical body was surging. He carefully recalled that he seemed to have touched a certain limit at that time, which was the limit of his physical body under his cultivation level. He wanted to break through with the help of heavenly lightning, but the shackles were teetering on the brink of collapse. He could never break through them. Every time he reached the last moment, he was just one breath away.

Later, when Jin Hua landed, the pass was immediately breached.

It must have been in a moment when he himself was unaware that, under the influence of his subconscious, a thought arose without his knowledge, and the sudden opening of the bottleneck was the help that the golden flower provided to the bottleneck.

Ding Lin opened his eyes, his expression shifting with a complex mix of emotions. Treasures like the Golden Flower would certainly be more useful for comprehending the laws of nature, yet he had inadvertently used it on his physical body.

But it shouldn't be a loss...

Ding Lin spread out his right hand, and with a thought, his entire right hand transformed into a dragon claw. The five toes at the very end, covered by fiery red scales, had changed, with a new protrusion growing at the very tip.

Tiny, not yet fully mature—the sixth dragon toe.

(End of this chapter)