I was forced to cultivate immortality when I just wanted to lie down

Chapter 428 A Mortal's Marriage

"Those who protect life are in charge of the reproduction of humankind, safeguard mothers and infants, receive offerings from all families, and accumulate immeasurable merit."

Inside the Zhonghuang Temple, the goddess looked at Xu Qing with a profound look in her eyes and said, "But where does the way of procreation originate?"

The root of reproduction.
In a broader sense, it can be described as the chaos of heaven and earth, the vastness of the universe; in a more recent sense, it can be described as the union of yin and yang, the harmony of men and women.

Xu Qing couldn't very well tell the truth and say that the root of human reproduction lay in the goddess.
This sounds like an accusation that the goddess 'gives birth but doesn't raise the children,' which is somewhat offensive.

After racking his brains several times without success, Xu Qing simply bowed and listened, saying, "This disciple is dull-witted, and begs Master to enlighten me and clear up my doubts."

The goddess smiled and said, "Its root lies in marriage. Without the guidance of a virtuous woman and the union of good fortune, how can there be a continuous lineage of offspring, and how can life be protected and blessed? This is the foundation of the reproduction of all living beings in the world, and how can your duties be considered perfect?"

"Now that I have accepted you as my disciple, I shall entrust you with the authority to manage marriages. You shall remember this well."

"."

Xu Qing never expected that the inescapable and ever-troubling responsibilities of marriage would manifest at this moment.

However, upon closer reflection, all of this seems to make sense.

Over the years, quite a few pilgrims have visited Baosheng Temple to inquire about marriage prospects. Xu Qing is not good at this, but the midwives in the temple are very enthusiastic about matchmaking.

As a result, the business of Baosheng Temple has also undergone significant changes.

However, Xu Qing still did not voluntarily assign the duties of the God of Marriage to herself.

This is not because he is unwilling to accept marriage offerings, but because he is not good at this practice and fears that it may bring unnecessary negative karma and affect the development of Baosheng Temple.

There's an old saying: "Don't be a middleman, don't be a guarantor, don't be a matchmaker, and your family will prosper for three generations."

There are countless instances in this world where newlyweds are brought into the house, only to be thrown over the wall by the matchmaker!
Xu Qing did not possess the talent of the Tu Shan clan to cultivate through predestined connections, and thus could not perceive the subtle entanglements of fate.

However, with the powerful deity of Zhonghuang Temple who established the authority over marriage, the situation is completely different now!
With the ancestral goddess who pioneered this industry guiding him, how could he possibly fail to learn it?
Inside the Zhonghuang Temple, Xu Qing was completely absorbed in listening to the goddess's sermon.

The number of people who receive special tutoring from the goddess is probably less than a handful, even if you count them from the beginning of time. He has to take this seriously!

After an unknown amount of time—perhaps a moment, or even a thousand years—Xu Qing finally emerged from his state of listening to the Dao.

He was savoring the wonders of the way of marriage when he suddenly remembered Master Yizhen, who was far away in Tianjin.

"Master, I have heard that the Tushan clan once held sway over worldly marriages."

The goddess nodded and said, "Tushan is the goddess of fertility whom I personally taught in the past. She is also the one appointed by the Zhonghuang Temple to walk in the mortal world. I also taught Tushan the secret art of silk thread pulling and appointed her clansmen as marriage officials in the world."

"pity."

The goddess shook her head and sighed, "The Tushan clan ultimately could not escape this calamity."

Xu Qing also sighed with regret.

During his ministry, he learned some secrets from snippets of the goddess's words.

For example, the Primordial Ancestor, the various deities, and even goddesses seem to be unable to descend to the mortal realm to intervene in human affairs for some reason, as their true forms are not in the Three Realms.

The Primordial Ancestor that Xu Qing had seen before was just an avatar.

After mentioning the position of High Fertility, the goddess suddenly became serious and said, "Today you will hold this power, but you must remember—"

"Marriage is not something that can be forced or arbitrarily arranged. It is simply a way to clear away the fog of past and present lives for those who are destined to be together, to guide them and reduce obstacles, nothing more. You must not abuse your power and act recklessly by arbitrarily tying up marriages just because of the merits of offering incense!"

Seeing Xu Qing nod, the goddess continued, "Besides bringing together good couples, the goddess of fertility also has the responsibility to untie knots. Many ill-fated couples in the world are bound together by karmic debts from past lives. You need to have the wisdom to recognize them, sever the red thread of karmic entanglement, and resolve the knots. This is also a meritorious deed."

After speaking, the goddess suddenly took out a large red embroidered ball from her sleeve and threw it to Xu Qing.

"This is the treasure that governs marriage, named 'Red Phoenix Embroidered Ball,' which I now bestow upon you. I hope you will use it wisely."

The hydrangea was filled with a wonderful fragrance. Xu Qing held it in both hands and felt as if she were wrapped in thousands of red threads. As far as the eye could see, there were beautiful images of phoenixes flying together and couples living side by side.

The goddess continued, "The strength of this treasure is inextricably linked to your magical power and the prosperity or decline of worldly marriages and incense offerings. When this treasure is at its peak, it can control the marriages of the three realms and contains the power of supreme cause and effect."

"This embroidered ball is a tool for marriage, but it can also be a weapon of harm. If you use this embroidered ball to fight someone, the person who is hit will immediately fall into the mortal world, be bound by the threads of love, and suffer the torment of love tribulations. You must use it with caution!"

Huh? There's such a use for it?
Xu Qing finally understood why the goddess had warned him time and time again: the direct damage from the embroidered ball might not be high, but the psychological trauma it caused might take a lifetime to heal!
For some reason, Xu Qing suddenly saw the image of the Heavenly Emperor in his mind. If he were ever really treated as a traitor, he might just use this embroidered ball to arrange a marriage for him with the immortals and gods who were trying to capture him in the mortal realm.

As everyone knows, for a god to fall in love is to violate the laws of heaven, and any god who tries to capture him is also violating the laws of heaven.
Xu Qing thought about it more and more and felt that there was great potential in it.

On her throne, the goddess looked down at the obedient and sensible junior below and nodded to herself.

She is virtuous and kind, and has a dignified demeanor.
Taking it out would certainly not be a disgrace to the Zhonghuang Temple.

"There is one more thing you need to remember."

The goddess said patiently, "When you are cultivating, you should pay more attention to the whereabouts of the Marriage Stone. In the past, I used a divine stone as a base and infused it with the power of my own bloodline to create a Marriage Stone. This stone can reflect the marriage predestined for humans, gods, ghosts, and demons across three lifetimes."

If you can find this sacred stone, you will be much more at ease when helping others untangle knots in the future.

Xu Qing's mind stirred slightly, and he asked, "The divine stone that Master spoke of, could it be the 'Three Lives Stone' located in the Nine Netherworlds, atop Yin Mountain, which can reflect the cause and effect of three lifetimes?"

The goddess shook her head and said, "This marriage is not the same as that fate. The Three Lives Stone is a stone for observing 'fate,' which reveals the entanglements of cause and effect in the world. The 'Marriage Stone' that I have refined is specifically for the marriage of men and women and the formation of 'fate.' The two have different functions and are not the same stone."

Xu Qing immediately realized that the Karma Stone he obtained through the Salvation Scripture in his early years was a magical treasure similar to the Three Lives Stone, while the Marriage Stone was still lost in the mortal world and had not been discovered.

"May I ask, Master, if I wish to search for the divine stone, where should I begin?"

The goddess pondered, "The Marriage Stone was once used by the Tushan clan. If you are interested in finding it, you could investigate the whereabouts of the Tushan lineage; perhaps you can find some clues. However, as far as I know, the Tushan bloodline in the mortal world is on the verge of extinction."

"If you happen to meet a junior from Tushan someday, please remember our past friendship and help him out appropriately."

Xu Qing blinked, pondering the Tu Shan lineage that the goddess had mentioned—wasn't that Daoist Yizhen?
If that's the case, then he took care of far more than just one or two people; he took care of their entire families.
After explaining the continuation of the incense offerings, the goddess took out a golden gourd and gave it to Xu Qing.

"This item is called the 'Gourd of Borrowing Gold' or the 'Gourd of Summoning Demons.' It is a magical artifact that I used to enhance my cultivation when I was cultivating in the Yin-Yang Grotto. Since your cultivation is still shallow, you can hold this gourd and use its golden light to cultivate."

After saying that, the goddess added, "There are some five-colored stone embryos that I have refined in this gourd. These stone embryos are not yet formed and still need to be nurtured by the golden light inside the gourd. You don't need to worry about them or the day when the gourd loses its golden light and it is no longer enough for your cultivation."

"Furthermore, this gourd will condense one or two drops of golden dew every three days. Consuming it can enhance your cultivation. Even if the golden light is insufficient, this golden dew will be enough for you."

"There is one more thing. But that's all. Your cultivation is currently too weak. I will discuss it with you another day."

The goddess imparted her skills to Xu Qing and gave him the gourd for another reason, which was related to the Heaven-Mending Passage.

The second cataclysm of celestial collapse is unavoidable, making the mending of the heavens imperative. However, the use of the five-colored stones to mend the heavens requires the assistance of a massive amount of incense offerings. The power of incense offerings is similar to the mortar needed to bond a wall; only with sufficient power of the people's wishes can the five-colored stones fulfill their function of mending the heavens.

Xu Qing's cultivation is currently low, and he has not yet fully grasped the power of marriage. Even millions of incense offerings would not be enough to mend the heavens.

The goddess did not want to put too much pressure on her young, inexperienced disciple; she only told him that accumulating incense offerings would be of great use.

As for its great use
That depends on whether her disciple can truly shoulder the responsibility and earn enough offerings.

Xu Qing took the gourd, his heart filled with indescribable excitement.

He has been cultivating alone all this time, and as a disciple of the Immortal Hall, he has always been the pillar of support, single-handedly holding up the entire family.

And today he can finally understand what it feels like to have a strong support behind him.

Xu Qing respectfully bowed again to thank his master for imparting the Dao.

The goddess smiled slightly and said, "I see that the incense in your Dharma realm is pure, so you must be a kind and benevolent person who cares about all living beings. I happen to have a treasure that ranks first among the spiritual objects of the Three Realms and has the power to turn the tide of creation. However, to use this treasure, one must have the purest and most benevolent thoughts."

"This treasure is nothing more than an ordinary object to others. But with your virtue, you should be able to use it without any effort."

Xu Qing's eyes lit up immediately upon hearing this.

The foremost spiritual treasure in the world—that title sounds incredibly impressive!

A magical artifact that receives such high praise from the goddess must at least be a supreme treasure that surpasses the Heavenly Rank.

However, just as Xu Qing was eager to see what the treasure looked like, the goddess turned around and poured cold water on him.

"Unfortunately, that magical artifact is not currently in my possession."

The goddess advised, "However, in the future you can use my name to go to the Upper Realm to find the God of Justice, and he will give you the magic weapon."

Well, it turned out to be a worthless check.

Xu Qingbai was overjoyed, but he knew he would have to wait until the heavens and earth were in harmony to find the God of Justice.

He can forget about getting it anytime soon!
However, Xu Qing was not worried. He had no lifespan and was least afraid of waiting.

For now, let's just consider our magic weapon temporarily stored with the God of Justice!
After presenting the magical treasure, the goddess then inquired about Xu Qing's cultivation techniques.

Cultivation techniques? What cultivation techniques? Do zombies need cultivation techniques?

Besides his supernatural powers, Xu Qing's greatest skill was the "Three Corpses, Three Cultivations" method he developed by following the path of evolution, which involved cultivating hairy zombies, black zombies, and fire zombies.

Apart from these, there are only protective supernatural powers and various unorthodox spells.

When she learned that Xu Qing didn't have a main cultivation technique, the goddess shook her head and said, "It's no good if you don't have a cultivation technique."

"Unfortunately, you are a mortal made of clay, not a celestial being, nor a powerful lich or demon. Therefore, I cannot pass on my Nine Revolutions Yuan Technique to you."

do not!

Xu Qing panicked; that was the Nine Revolutions Yuan Gong, the main cultivation technique of the God of Justice.

If he misses this opportunity with such incredible power at his disposal, he'll probably have to slap himself in the face when he wakes up in the future.

“Reporting to Master, I have always paid great attention to physical cultivation. Even though I am not as good as a Celestial Being, I am not far off.”

"This disciple earnestly requests that Master impart the primordial energy so that I may try to cultivate it. If it truly does not work, this disciple will then switch to another method, and that will put my mind at ease."

"That's all."

The goddess, who was about to teach Xu Qing other techniques, changed her mind and said, "I will teach you the Nine Revolutions Yuan Gong cultivation method, and then teach you the Five Elements Dao Technique. If your aptitude is not good enough, then cultivate the Five Elements method."

"However, you must remember that both the Nine Revolutions Yuan Gong and the Five Elements Dao Technique have methods to test one's aptitude at the beginning of cultivation. Only by passing the test can one formally begin cultivation."

"If you fail to pass the test but force yourself to continue practicing, you will be unable to switch to other methods when your practice becomes slow in the future."

To prevent Xu Qing from being too mediocre, the goddess added three or four alternative methods when imparting the teachings, including the Heavenly Maiden Refining Truth Method, the Taiyi Heavenly Immortal Technique, and the Earthly Palace Golden Chapter.

Xu Qing originally thought that Yuan Gong was precious and that the goddess might not change her mind because of his words.

But when the goddess calmly imparted her inner power to him and also taught him all the subsequent alternative techniques, he finally understood the meaning of the words "ancient saint".

What others consider invaluable Yuan Gong is utterly insignificant in the eyes of these transcendent saints.

They only need to consider the character of those who study the law; once their character aligns, they will not hold anything back.

Just like when Xu Qing was learning martial arts from the Hunyuan Ancestor in Baiyun Cave, he could choose the changes of the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends at will.

However, the transformations of the Heavenly Dipper and the Earthly Fiends are incompatible. Those who study the transformations of the Heavenly Dipper cannot practice the Earthly Fiends, and similarly, those who study the Earthly Fiends cannot practice the transformations of the Heavenly Dipper.

The entry requirements for these two transformation methods are roughly the same, so there's no such thing as you only being able to choose to practice one and being unable to practice the other due to insufficient talent.

Based on this, the Primordial Ancestor told Xu Qing to choose a cultivation path before imparting his skills.

However, the Nine Revolutions Yuan Gong and the Five Elements Dao Technique have significantly different entry requirements.

If Xu Qing could cultivate the Yuan Gong, he would naturally not need to consider the Five Elements Dao Technique.

As for the Heavenly Maiden Refining True Method, he would never practice it!
This method doesn't sound like a legitimate one at all.

As for ordinary immortal cultivation methods like the Earthly Golden Chapter, Xu Qing would not choose them.

Even if he diligently cultivates his own Kuiba Dao, it is still better than this kind of cultivation method whose end can be seen at a glance.

When the goddess was teaching him her cultivation techniques, Xu Qing couldn't resist his curiosity and asked her about the techniques she practiced.

However, the goddess said that she did not have a main cultivation method; she had always cultivated her own path.

Xu Qing seemed to understand something.

The so-called main cultivation method is, in essence, just a ballast stone on the road, a means of supporting the foundation.

When one's own understanding of the Dao is inferior to the main cultivation method taught by one's master, it is naturally better to cultivate the existing method.

But those like the goddess, who reach the heavens above and descend to the earth below, are ultimately only a minority.

(End of this chapter)