Shulong Daojun

On the altar, the eight people lined up in a row according to their ranking in the previous competition.

Then one could see that the Scale Book was in the first place, followed by the North Star, and the rest stood in order.

Yi Xuan glanced at the disciples' bearing and nodded slightly.

Immediately, with a flick of his sleeve, he retrieved the memorial from the offering table and wrote down the names of eight people with a vermilion brush:

Lin Shu, Bei Chen, Chen Hao, Zhang Ziling...

With each stroke of the brush, golden light flows; with each mark, fame is recorded in the annals of heaven.

Once the memorial was completed, Yi Xuan rose from his high seat, took three sticks of incense, and lit the candle.

Then, he took the incense and descended from the altar, moved to the front of the altar, and faced the shrine of Heaven and Earth.

Lin Shu and the others also moved along with them.

A moment later, all the disciples stood behind Yi Xuan, their expressions respectful and their posture upright.

At that moment, Yi Xuan lit three sticks of incense and prayed to Heaven and Earth.

Then, with a swift movement, he grasped the inscription on the offering table.

He unfolded the memorial and read it aloud, saying: "Now there is Lin Shu, the chief disciple of the Dao Yi Tai Miao Zhen Men, who is of excellent character and has accomplished in Daoist arts, and is qualified to serve as the righteous god of a city."

Bei Chen, Chen Hao, Zhang Ziling, and four others were each appointed as the righteous god of a county.

The Grand Master of the Taiyi Yuanchen Sect, Yi Xuan, humbly beseeches Heaven and Earth to discern and bestow upon him a title.

After the proclamation was completed, Yi Xuan went to the furnace to burn the memorial.

The flames blazed brightly, the writing flowed smoothly, and a wisp of smoke rose straight to the heavens.

Suddenly, a strong wind arose, the clouds parted, and a beam of light descended, enveloping the eight people.

Upon first contact, Lin Shu felt his mind become clear, and all his past good and evil deeds surfaced in his heart, flowing gently like water.

He seemed to see himself holding Xiaodou'er as he looked back, but before he could see it clearly, it changed in an instant...

All these things were left unsaid.

After the matter was over, Lin Shu felt a sudden jolt in his heart, and then his aura merged with the heavens and earth, forgetting himself and the world.

When a clear, melodious voice rang in his ears, carrying a sense of approval, he suddenly came back to his senses.

In his heart, the Daoist light solidified into characters, and the title became clear—

"By imperial decree, Lin Shu was appointed as the Manifesting and Protective God of Qingwu City."

"He governs the city's water and soil, regulates the earth's veins, and protects the people. He oversees various local deities, including the Earth God and the Mountain Gods, who receive offerings from the people and the merits of heaven and earth, and are promoted according to their achievements."

Lin Shu sensed it briefly and couldn't help but feel a surge of joy.

The righteous gods can recommend people who have a causal relationship with them to heaven and earth to serve as low-ranking gods such as the Earth God or the Mountain Patrol God.

These kinds of deities only govern a small area, have many slots, and do not interfere with the major policies of a county or city, so there is no need for a ritual or competition; approval from Heaven and Earth is sufficient.

This position was what he was plotting for Qingmin.

After all, it's unrealistic to expect a newly born young dragon to defeat the top disciples of various lineages.

These kinds of deities are of a lower rank, but they are still righteous gods. They can be promoted according to their merits, from land to county, from county to city, and so on.

Although Qingmin started as a righteous god in charge of a small area, he may have the opportunity to govern a city, a prefecture, a state, or even higher in the future.

However, all of this still needs to be considered in the long run.

After Qingmin goes to Qingwu City to take up his post and settles down, a suitable divine position will be chosen for him and recommended to Heaven and Earth.

After thinking it over, Lin Shu looked up and saw that he was now wearing a divine robe.

The mountain and river patterns on the robe resemble winding, secluded paths, with hints of green appearing among them, suggesting a secluded village nestled deep in the mountains.

Beside him, Bei Chen, Chen Hao, and others also wore divine robes.

However, its patterns are simple and its colors are monotonous, making it less relatable to everyday life.

Lin Shu smiled faintly and looked away.

At that moment, the divine list suddenly rose from the upper level of the altar, unfolding itself without wind, its golden light flowing.

The names, titles, jurisdictions, and terms of office of the eight individuals listed in the Scale Book were displayed on the list, placing them among the righteous gods.

After the exhibition concluded, the divine list rolled up on its own and returned to the upper level of the altar.

Yi Xuan flicked his sleeve, glanced at Lin Shu and the other disciples, and said with a faint smile, "Return to your positions."

Lin Shu bowed respectfully, followed by Bei Chen, Chen Hao, and the others, who then returned to their prayer mats as instructed.

At that time, the sky was clear and the smoke from the plumes of smoke gradually thinned.

Yi Xuan led the Taoist priests and the Ten Directions Gods, facing the divine positions of Heaven and Earth, and solemnly bowed.

He turned around again, facing the Five Meridians Dao Tablet, and bowed once more.

After the ceremony concluded, Yi Xuan announced in a clear voice, "The Dharma assembly is now complete."

All the Taoist priests and the righteous gods of the ten directions responded in unison: "We will obey the decree."

After he finished speaking, everyone left the altar in order and dispersed.

Lin Shu took a step forward, about to go and chat briefly with Zhang Ziling, when suddenly several figures appeared before her.

The visitor was none other than the Ten Directions Righteous Gods.

The person in the lead was none other than the mountain god of Mount Taiqi.

He cupped his hands and smiled, saying, "Young friend Lin Shu, congratulations on receiving your title."

As soon as he finished speaking, the gods behind him also cupped their hands in congratulations.

Lin Shu frowned slightly, feeling a little strange, but still smiled and cupped his hands, saying, "Thank you all."

The mountain god of Mount Taiqi nodded slightly and slowly said, "I am Chang Geng. I apologize for disturbing you, young friend."

Since the city of Qingwu, which you protect, happens to be adjacent to our territory, I have come to pay you a visit and get to know you better.

Once you officially assume your post, we will personally host a banquet to welcome you back.

After saying that, he smiled and nodded again, clearly coming with goodwill.

Lin Shu did not hesitate and cupped his hands, saying, "Thank you all for your kindness. I will pay you a visit after I take up my post."

After being granted divine favor by Heaven and Earth, as a righteous god, he was naturally able to perceive information such as the scope, location, and ley line conditions of the territory under his jurisdiction.

While Chang Geng possessed the rich aura of the Taiqi Mountain ley lines, he also carried a trace of the aura of the Qingwu City ley lines.

Therefore, Lin Shu knew that what Chang Geng said was true.

Upon hearing this, Chang Geng secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

At the Dharma assembly, he had seen Lin Shu compete with others, and he was indeed extremely arrogant and overbearing.

Living next to such a person would inevitably create some tension.

After all, if you offend a novice Taoist priest, an experienced Taoist priest will surely come to reason with you.

That's a true master of the world; even if you tied your fellow Daoists together, you still couldn't argue with him.

Fortunately, this young Taoist priest seemed to be a gentle and polite person.

Thinking of this, Chang Geng looked at Lin Shu and said with a smile, "Young friend, you are too kind. We will definitely be there to welcome you when the time comes."

After saying that, he went on to talk about the sacred fruits and delicacies of Taiqi Mountain.

Before long, Chang Geng bid farewell to Lin Shu and several other righteous gods beside him, then disappeared in front of the altar with a flash of divine light.

There will be a day of meeting, and there will be a day of parting.

After Chang Geng and the others left, Lin Shu and Zhang Ziling teased each other about their divine robes and then parted with a laugh.

Beyond the mountains, green hills rise; beyond the buildings, more buildings stand; how much joy and sorrow have passed?

Lin Shu accompanied the Taoist priest, who used the Shrinking Earth technique to travel across mountains and rivers. When they returned to the Dao Yi Tai Miao Zhen Men, they saw a lonely little figure.

It was Xiaodou'er.

She rode on the little white crane, her big round eyes gazing into the distance, and murmured, "When will my eldest brother return?"

Little Bean misses you, and she misses Dragon Baby too.

Upon hearing this, Lin Shu quickly stepped forward, patted Xiao Dou'er's head, and smiled indulgently.

"Little Bean, Senior Brother is back, and Dragon Baby is back too."

As soon as he finished speaking, he gently stroked Qingmin's forehead, a thought stirring in his heart.

Qingmin understood, darted to Xiaodou'er's side, and then raised her head to cup her little hand.

Little Bean giggled, her laughter like the tinkling of silver bells.

There will be times of parting, and there will be times of reunion.