From Celestial Official to Great Celestial Venerable

Chapter 40 Conferment of Ordination
Qin Chuan was unaware of the dramatic changes in the upper echelons of Jiuchuan County.

He simply stood quietly in his spiritual field before Sun Qinghan left, watching the golden carriage disappear into the horizon.

He has no regrets about what he has done today.

Although he had made a solemn pledge, binding himself firmly to Lingchengtian and demanding tangible results, Sun Qinghan's final promise convinced him that he had made the right bet.

Although the task force was small, it meant that he had directly entered the core camp of the county magistrate.

There is only one person responsible for her; the future is clear, and there is no need to worry about people like Guo and Liu stealing her credit.

This is a rare opportunity. If it succeeds, the position of Deputy Abbot will be within reach.

On the path of cultivation, one must dare to fight and act decisively at crucial moments.

Opportunities are always earned.

As for success or failure, Qin Chuan has his own confidence.

With the Heavenly Essence Furnace in hand, and as long as the Dharma essence was sufficient, he firmly believed that success was assured.

When Qin Chuan finished work in the evening and ran into He Xingchen, he was pleasantly surprised: "Brother He, you've come out of seclusion?"

However, the other party's aura was deep and concentrated, indicating that he had already broken through to the seventh level of Qi Refining.

"He left the pass this morning and even went to work this afternoon." He Xingchen stepped forward excitedly. "If that weren't the case, how would we have known that Brother Qin would cause such a commotion!"

Qin Chuan was slightly taken aback, then asked in surprise, "Brother He, do you already know about the matter at Nongling Temple?"

"How could I not know? Have you forgotten what my job is?" He Xingchen laughed. "Langyin Pavilion has not only received the news, but has also prepared the draft. Quick, this is the perfect time, Jiuchuan News is about to broadcast it."

After saying that, she pulled Qin Chuan and quickly went into the house.

"Brother, Brother Qin Chuan, you're back!"

He Qingxuan greeted them with joy, and seeing that the two went straight to the Xuan Guang Mirror, she knew that they had come for the news.

Sure enough, the Taoist Langyin in the mirror announced in a clear and resonant voice:

"Guo Shanshan, male, 146 years old, former abbot of Nongling Temple... He had reached the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment cultivation. Due to his loss of faith and doctrine, disloyalty, and double-dealing, the Immortal Examination Division has decided to strip him of his immortal position, reclaim his Eighth-Rank Eighth-Wax Xingrang Register, abolish his cultivation, and transfer him to the Xiezhi Academy for investigation..."

"Liu Shichang, male, 82 years old, former deputy abbot of Nongling Temple, abbot of the temple, mid-stage Foundation Establishment... He is two-faced, deceiving his superiors and subordinates..."

He Qingxuan covered her mouth in surprise and exclaimed, "Brother Qin Chuan, all the leaders in your temple have been in trouble!"

At this moment, the Mystic Mirror continued:
"It has been decided by the Longevity Immortal Class of Jiujiang Temple to establish a special 'Jiuchuan Agricultural Economic Research Special Implementation Class' at Nongling Temple, dedicated to promoting and researching Jiuchuan agriculture..."

He Xingchen was deeply moved, patted Qin Chuan on the shoulder, and congratulated him:
"Brother Qin, congratulations! You've finally emerged from hiding and can now show your skills under the county magistrate's command!"

"This is all thanks to the fellow Daoists in the association, especially Secretary Chu. If it weren't for him, the County God would never have suddenly descended upon Nongling Temple for inspection... It was precisely because it was so sudden that the two abbots were caught completely off guard..."

Qin Chuan shook his head:

"No one would believe that I, a tiny ant, could trip me up."

"Brother, does that mean Brother Qin Chuan is going to do something for the county god?" He Qingxuan was even more surprised.

This is an honor that can be described as a meteoric rise to power.

Qin Chuan only replied ambiguously, "It hasn't been decided yet."

"Since the county magistrate has personally spoken, it's just a matter of going through the formalities. Brother Qin will definitely receive his ordination within two days!"

He Xingchen asserted.

Qin Chuan, however, remained perfectly sober and simply said:

"Joining this small team of the county god is both an opportunity and a responsibility for me. I must achieve results, otherwise I will not have a good outcome."

He Qingxuan finally understood and exclaimed excitedly, "So Brother Qin Chuan is going to get a promotion! That's amazing!"

Although she didn't know much, she understood what "becoming a permanent employee" meant—when her brother became a permanent employee last year, the whole family celebrated even more than during the New Year.

He Xingchen sighed:
"The current Heavenly Court is in a state of great momentum, and everyone is in the midst of the great current. Now, Brother Qin has finally stood at the forefront of the tide through his own efforts. However, the forefront is full of glory, temptations, and risks, so we must be careful."

"Brother He's words are profound."

He Xingchen waved his hand and said, "Let's not talk about that. Today is your big day, so please stay home for dinner."

"it is good."

Immediately, the He family slaughtered a chicken to entertain their guests. Qin Chuan was not stingy and decided to expand the meal, giving Qing Xuan spiritual energy so that she could buy more wine and dishes.

That evening, everyone in the courtyard enjoyed a meal of wine and meat.

"Congratulations, Master Qin!"

"Congratulations, Daoist Qin!"

Qin Chuan was also infected by this joy. While happy, he couldn't help but think of his family, and thought to himself:
"If my parents and younger sister knew, they would be even happier than Uncle He and Qingxuan." It has been two months since I last returned home.

That night, he couldn't sleep because he missed his family.

He then got up and sat in meditation to replace sleep.

This practice.

With his cultivation at the fourth level of Qi Refining, he clearly felt a sense of utter despair, as if there was no way forward.

It wasn't about absorbing spiritual energy, nor was it a difference in mental state; rather, it was because an invisible wall stood in front of me.

The Wall of Laws!

This wall has trapped Qin Chuan for some time now.

Heaven and Earth have revealed: the fourth level of Qi Refining is the limit you can currently reach.

This is the shackles of the Fire-Worker Taoist.

Only through receiving the ordination can one break through the barrier; otherwise, further progress in cultivation becomes extremely difficult.

The next morning, Qin Chuan went to write a letter to inform his family of his promotion and enclosed a spirit ticket that could be exchanged for two hundred spirit coins.

He also sent a letter to his third uncle, informing him of the good news and attaching the rent that his third uncle had previously paid. It wasn't that he didn't want to go in person, but that he hadn't taken a single day off in the past two months to take care of Lingcheng, and now was a crucial time for the establishment of the special class, so he would go to his third uncle's house to express his gratitude when he had some free time.

The large sum of money he took out represents 80% of his current net worth. He had previously been saving the money to prepare for his promotion.

Now that we have a better understanding of the situation, we should set aside some extra money to help our family.

This money was enough to pay off the family's debts and redeem the ancestral land that the father had previously mortgaged.

My father used to secretly weep because he felt ashamed of his ancestors, but now he can rest easy.

Although he only had twenty or thirty spiritual energies left, Qin Chuan felt cheerful and light-hearted.

As He Xingchen had said, as soon as he arrived at Nongling Temple, Old Huo summoned him to the office.

Huo Yuanjue and Hong Xi, the head of the government office, were both present.

"Qin Chuan, your application for formal promotion has been approved. Yesterday, at the Longevity Conference, the County God ordered that you join the Junior Class and bestow upon you the 'Ninth Rank Child Spiritual Scripture Register'."

"From this day forward, you will accept this 'register,' and you will officially be a Taoist priest of the Heavenly Court."

To show the solemnity, Huo Yuanjue specially invited Hong Xi, the abbot with the highest real power in the temple, to confer the ordination certificate on Qin Chuan.

"So you've been ordained?" Qin Chuan asked, slightly surprised. "Is there anything I need to prepare?"

"No need. The ordination for the conversion of a fire worker to a qualified professional can be completed through the Taoist system within the temple. There is no need to disturb the county temple or hold a grand ceremony. It is already a great honor to have Abbot Hong personally confer the ordination."

Huo Yuanjue finished speaking and gestured.

"Master Hong, please."

Hong Xi solemnly said: "The one who has been granted the ordination is Qin Chuan, the Taoist priest in charge of fire at Nongling Temple. The one who bestows the ordination is Hong Xi, the abbot of the official affairs office of Nongling Temple in Jiuchuan and a Taoist priest of the Guan level."

"Your Qin Chuan has made great contributions to nurturing spiritual plants, which is in accordance with the Heavenly Court's wishes to bestow titles. Now, by the order of County God Sun Qinghan, Qin Chuan is hereby bestowed with the title of 'Ninth Rank Dongsheng Boy Spiritual Scripture Register'."

As soon as he finished speaking, the jade tablet in his hand flew towards Qin Chuan.

"Is this jade tablet a talisman?"

As soon as Qin Chuan had a thought, the jade tablet disappeared into his brow; it was actually an object that could be integrated into his body.

[Item: Scripture of a Ninth-Rank Attendant in the Eastern Heavenly Court]

[The Heavenly Court Register is the fruit of the condensation of laws, containing immense Dharma essence. Those who possess it can break through the Fire Refining barrier in their cultivation and reach the ninth level of Qi Refining. It can also be refined into 5000 Dharma essences.]

The moment the jade tablet entered the body, the Heavenly Essence Furnace immediately responded.

At the same time, the wall of laws that had imprisoned the fourth level of Qi Refining shattered with a crash!
It's like opening a "Dragon Gate" for all fire-working Taoists, allowing them to transform from carp into dragons!
"Five thousand Dharma teachings!"

Qin Chuan was secretly alarmed.

This talisman can actually be recycled into five thousand Dharma essences! This must be because of the "condensation of laws," making its quality incomparable to ordinary Dharma essences.

He quickly focused his mind, wary of accidentally choosing to return to the furnace—how could he abandon the immortal position he had longed for in a single day?
Unless... he wants to rebel against Heaven.

"Is this the feeling of receiving the talisman?" Qin Chuan murmured, sensing the celestial talisman resting in his Niwan Palace. "It seems that apart from the fact that the path to the Qi Refining stage is clear, there are no other miraculous effects?"

Huo Yuanjue smiled:
"A Taoist with a Heavenly Register is ultimately just a Taoist, without real power or a place among the immortals, and therefore has no Heavenly Duty or Laws within the register. However, if you can truly achieve the merit of the Spirit Orange as you told the County God, you may have a chance to comprehend the mysteries of the Heavenly Duty and Divine Powers within the register."

Qin Chuan remained silent.

Fireworker Taoist, Celestial Register Taoist... in the end, they are just the lowest-ranking celestial officials, not celestial ministers!
Therefore, becoming a permanent employee is just the beginning.

(End of this chapter)