Taoist Myth: I am the last true immortal in the world

Chapter 851 Golden Words
The moment Emperor Shengfuming, the Minister of Justice of the State, returned to the throne, Chen Yun was undergoing a profound transformation.

He sensed a vast innate divine power empowering him.

The sheer magnitude of this innate divine power is comparable to that of a half-step Great Luo Realm cultivator.

If we had to make a comparison in terms of "magnitude," this innate divine power would be about as strong as Lei Zu's.

When this innate divine power is within oneself, one can control it.

If released from the body, it will condense into its own avatar.

The incarnation's name was not that of the Great Emperor, but rather that of the Chengtianjian Kingdom's Minister of People's Prosperous and Bright Spirit King.

In addition, both this innate divine power and the Chengtianjian Kingdom's Minister of Civil Affairs, Shengfuming Lingwang, possess very mysterious abilities, the most direct of which is the Book of Life and Death.

This Book of Life and Death records information about all living beings in the mortal world. Whether you are human, animal, demon, monster, or immortal, as long as you are in the human realm, your name will appear in this magical Book of Life and Death and be governed by it.

Yes, even immortals are the same.

Chen Yun can kill any living being in the Book of Life and Death at will, or extend their lifespan, including immortals.

To be precise, all immortals who have not cultivated to the level of half-step Great Luo are subject to the Book of Life and Death when they are in the mortal realm, while those who have cultivated to the level of half-step Great Luo will not have their names appear in the Book of Life and Death.

The main reason is that the Book of Life and Death is formed from the innate divine power condensed from the power of the Great Dao's origin, and it cannot govern the sacred beings whose lives are entrusted to the trajectory of the Great Dao.

As for the Celestial Realm, where life is entrusted to the laws, it remains effective.

This Book of Life and Death is a powerful treasure bestowed upon the Heavenly King, the God of Heaven, who is in charge of the people's well-being and brings blessings to the nation.

Of course, Chen Yun, as the original, could also use this treasure.

"Now that I've become the City God, I can't just sit around doing nothing."

Chen Yun's figure gradually dissipated, heading towards the divine palace at the intersection of the underworld and the mortal realm, where he merged with his incarnation.

……

Inside the shrine.

Chen Yun himself sat in the empty palace, sensing the situation in all the heavens and myriad realms.

As the Emperor Chengtianjianguo Simin Shengfuming, he naturally had to assume the responsibilities of his corresponding divine duties. However, he could not rely entirely on himself for this task; he also needed the assistance of some subordinate deities.

For example, now that all the city gods in the myriad realms are under his jurisdiction, he will definitely have to manage his subordinates well.

In addition, unlike later times, many places no longer have a City God.

When Chen Yun received his divine office, Laozi's decree stated that he was to command all the spirits of the underworld.

Therefore, he was determined to establish city god temples in places like prefectures and counties where there were none.

Chen Yun had no say in the construction of temples in the mortal realm.

He can definitely control this place where the underworld and the world of the living meet.

With this thought in mind, Chen Yun waved his hand, and a vast amount of innate divine power burst forth, shooting towards all the heavens and myriad worlds.

Soon after, City God Temples appeared at the intersection of the underworld and the world of the living.

After doing all this, Chen Yun immediately looked outwards and transmitted his divine sense, "City Gods of all realms, come and see me!"

After transmitting this divine thought, he then transmitted another divine thought to the Fenglei Great Immortal Temple: "All the gods, soldiers and generals, come to Kaifeng to see me."

After the message was delivered, he sat on his throne, which resembled a dragon throne, and quietly awaited the arrival of the gods.

Before long, one innate city god after another arrived.

"I have met the Emperor Shengfuming, the Minister of the State of Chengtianjian Kingdom."

"I have met the Emperor Shengfuming, the Minister of the State of Chengtianjian Kingdom."

"Greetings, my lord."

"Ji Xin greets His Lordship."

"Qin Liang greets his master."

One.

ten.

One hundred.

The city gods of all the heavens and myriad realms actually came... well, a hundred and forty or fifty of them.

These are city gods from all the heavens and myriad realms, yet their numbers are so few.

It's easy to imagine what stage the belief in the City God is currently at.

This doesn't mean people don't believe in the City God, but rather that the City God wasn't included in the formal sacrificial rites before, so it was impossible to build a temple for him, which naturally resulted in very few people worshipping him.

On the contrary, the Fenglei Daxian Temple has more than three thousand subordinate gods, soldiers and generals.

Looking down at the dense mass of kneeling City Gods, their subordinate deities, and divine soldiers, Chen Yun slightly raised his hand and said, "Please rise, everyone, there's no need for such formalities."

All the city gods, their subordinate deities, and divine soldiers and generals stood up and stood in an orderly fashion on both sides.

Chen Yun said softly, "Laojun appointed me as the Great Emperor of Chengtianjian Kingdom, who governs all the Yin gods in the mortal world. He ordered me to build temples in all the prefectures and counties of the myriad worlds. I have already used the Great Law to create the temples, but there are still many vacancies for the position of City God. Therefore, I say here that if anyone recommends someone who has performed good deeds in his lifetime, he can become a member of the City God after passing the examination."

At this moment, a city god stepped forward and said, "Great Emperor Chen, I have someone to recommend."

Chen Yun looked over and asked, "Who are you, and who is the person you've recommended?"

The city god hurriedly said, "I am Xu Sheng, and the people I have recommended are Zhou Yu, the former commander of Eastern Wu, and Zhang Fei, the famous general of Shu Han."

According to historical records, Xu Sheng became the City God very early on, so it's not surprising that he appeared here.

Chen Yun was surprised that Xu Sheng not only recommended Zhou Yu, but also Zhang Fei.

He asked calmly, "What good deeds have these two done that made you recommend them?"

Xu Sheng said, "After Zhou Yu died, he did not enter the underworld, but was worshipped by the people. He was blessed by incense and became a god. Although he was not officially conferred a title, he never did anything wrong and always protected the local area with good weather and abundant harvests. Zhang Yide is the same. He prevented plagues, protected the weather and abundant harvests, and helped people who suffered injustices to clear their names. Therefore, I would like to recommend these two people."

Chen Yun had a very good relationship with Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, as his brother, could be promoted to City God without committing any serious crimes.

As for Zhou Yu, he was actually quite interested in this historical figure.

If the deceased truly performed many good deeds after death, it wouldn't be unreasonable to bestow upon them the title of City God.

Thinking of this, he did not immediately reply to Xu Sheng's words, but instead sensed the past and deduced all the deeds that Zhang Fei and Zhou Yu had done after becoming wild gods.

A moment later, Chen Yun had discovered that what the two had done in the past was indeed no different from what Xu Sheng had said.

Most importantly, both Zhou Yu and Zhang Fei, after so many years of incense offerings, have acquired considerable divine power, and their cultivation levels are comparable to those of the Earthly Immortal Realm.

Furthermore, the things these two did after becoming wild gods were all very similar to the duties of the City God.

It's fair to say that these two are the best people to serve as "skilled" City Gods.

Indeed, in historical records, both Zhou Yu and Zhang Fei became City Gods.

Zhang Fei, in particular, rose through the ranks, from City God to Grand Inspector of Yin and Yang, in charge of all injustices in the three realms. This was in line with his character of hating evil. However, in modern society, his role as a deity was gradually overshadowed by other rising gods and eventually disappeared and was forgotten in the torrent of time.

After learning about their past deeds, Chen Yun said slowly, "Since these two have performed many good deeds after becoming gods, and you recommended them, then I will appoint Zhou Yu and Zhang Fei as City Gods."

His words were like gold, and as soon as they left his mouth, they transformed into two beams of red light, shooting off in two different directions.

Before long, Zhang Fei and Zhou Yu also rushed over and knelt down to pay their respects.

Subsequently, a group of former City Gods recommended some other people.

Chen Yun reviewed the past records of each of these people.

Those with problems are eliminated immediately, while those without problems are immediately promoted to godhood.

The main problem is that there are too few people available right now, so he has no choice but to make this selection; otherwise, he would definitely have taken his time to choose.

After working for about half the night, the City God's procession had grown to over a thousand people.

Subsequently, Chen Yun appointed all the subordinate gods, soldiers, and generals under his command as City Gods.

For example, Wang E was appointed as the City God of Xiangyin.

For example, Ji Xin was appointed as the City God of Tianshui City.

Qin Liang, Cui Ming, and others were all granted official titles in various regions.

Chen Yun had promised Ji Xin and the other divine soldiers and generals that he would find them jobs in the underworld, and the position of City God was definitely higher than that of an underworld official. Now that he had bestowed these titles, he could be considered to have fulfilled his promise. At this time, the number of City Gods had reached three or four thousand.

Despite the large number, it is actually insignificant in the grand scheme of things, considering the vastness of the universe.

Chen Yun also wanted to quickly establish city gods in all the heavens and myriad realms, but there was simply no one to accept them.

He knew that these things couldn't be rushed. He definitely couldn't appoint so many City Gods tonight. He would leave it to the incarnation of the Chengtianjian Kingdom's Minister of Civil Affairs, the Shengfu Mingling King, to handle slowly.

He has more important things to do.

After bestowing titles upon three or four thousand City Gods, Chen Yun said slowly, “A country has its laws, a family has its rules, and naturally, we City Gods also have our own rules. From now on, City Gods will be divided into Capital City Gods, Prefecture City Gods, State City Gods, and County City Gods. Lands below that level will be managed by County City Gods. Capital City Gods will be of the first rank, and their deputies will be of the second rank. Prefecture City Gods will be of the third rank, State City Gods will be of the fourth rank, and County City Gods will be of the fifth rank. Although City Gods may be established below that level, their ranks will be from the sixth to the twelfth rank, and they will not be included in the ranks of the official City Gods.”

"I respectfully obey the decree of the Great Emperor Chengtianjian, the Minister of State and Minister of the People, who bestows blessings upon the people."

"I respectfully obey the decree of the Great Emperor Chengtianjian, the Minister of State and Minister of the People, who bestows blessings upon the people."

The city gods quickly answered.

Chen Yun gestured for everyone to be quiet and said, “All City Gods are accompanied by civil and military judges, various departmental gods, Gan Liu General, Fan Xie General, Ox and Horse General, Day and Night Patrol God, Shackles General, and other attendant gods. In addition, depending on their rank, there are three, six, or even twenty-four or thirty-six departments. The number of ghost soldiers ranges from three thousand to a million. I hope that you can uphold righteousness, maintain strict discipline, protect the country and the people, and be virtuous and cultured. You must remember that if you do evil, burning incense will be of no use; if you are upright, you will not need to worship me.”

The City Gods once again proclaimed, "We respectfully obey the decree of the Great Emperor Chengtian Jianguo Simin Shengfu Ming."

Finally, Chen Yun waved his hand and said, "I hope you will all take good care of the City God's affairs in the future. I'm leaving now."

After speaking, he departed, leaving only the revered Chengtianjian Kingdom's Minister of Civil Affairs, Shengfumingling King, to guard the divine palace and handle all matters concerning the City God.

……

Outside Bianjing city, there lived a young man named Wang Jin, who was an orphan.

He was tall and broad-shouldered, with a leopard-like head, bulging eyes, and a full beard.

Although he has an extremely fierce appearance, he has a heart that upholds justice and is good at fighting for the underdog.

Wang Jin possessed the strength to exert a thousand pounds of force in his arms, and coupled with his martial arts training since childhood, he was extremely skilled.

His family was poor, with only a dilapidated ancestral house and a few acres of meager land, barely making ends meet.

Due to the unstable situation, bandits caused chaos.

On one occasion, Wang Jin encountered a dozen or so bandits who came to rob the village.

He annihilated the bandits, but the bandits left a large scar on his face, making him look even more ferocious.

Wang Jin didn't have many friends, and he only often met with his neighbor, Zhang Yan.

The two grew up together and had a very good relationship; they both enjoyed drinking.

That day, Wang Jin had a few drinks with his childhood friend, and it was already evening when he got home.

Because of the heat, Wang Jin took a bamboo chair and sat in his yard to cool off.

Gradually, the drunken Wang Jin became drowsy.

While half-drunk and half-awake, Wang Jin suddenly heard someone calling him.

He got up and took a look.

There was only one official leading a white horse.

The official said to Wang Jin, "Your Majesty invites you in."

Wang Jin wanted to find out who the visitor was.

The official was simply urging Wang Jin to hurry up.

Wang Jin was usually bold, and seeing the officials, he thought to himself that since it was a summons from the government, there was no harm in going, so he mounted his horse.

The official led the horse ahead.

They were traveling on paths that Wang Jin had never taken before, and they were moving very quickly.

Before long, a palace resembling an imperial palace appeared ahead.

Wang Jin dismounted and saw a large cauldron blocking the way in and out of the palace.

The official leading the way had to go around the large cauldron.

Wang Jin, still drunk, laughed loudly upon seeing this and said, "How dare you block my way with such a small cauldron?" He then stepped forward, raised the cauldron above his head with both hands, and strode to the side of the road to put it down.

The official praised it highly.

Before long, the officials led the king into the main hall.

A dignified-looking young king in official robes sat on the throne in the main hall, flanked by two officials and a dozen or so others in official robes below. They all nodded in approval at Wang Jin's appearance.

Wang Jin knelt before the palace.

Before long, several officers brought in a large number of weapons.

The king then ordered Wang Jin to practice.

Wang Jin practiced them all.

The officials all praised it.

The king then asked Wang Jin some questions about his daily life.

Wang Jin answered them one by one.

After several conversations, the king was very pleased and came down from the palace to help Wang Jin up.

The king said to Wang Jin, "The world is in turmoil today, with frequent wars and rampant bandits. Countless people have died unjustly and become lost souls. Moreover, those bandits and outlaws have become evil ghosts after their deaths. You have such abilities, which is exactly the kind of talent I need. I wonder if you can help me."

Wang Jin thought it was an official position in the mortal world, and he was determined to serve his country, so he agreed immediately.

The king was very pleased and said to Wang Jin, "I have thirty-six departments here, and each department is fully staffed. The only department that is short of one special envoy for arresting evil spirits is the Department of Arrest. The special envoy for arresting evil spirits will lead 50,000 ghost soldiers. What do you think?"

Wang Jin was shocked upon hearing this and hurriedly asked, "Where is this? Am I already dead?"

The king laughed loudly and said, "This is the City God Temple. I am the City God of the capital, the head of all City Gods in the world, and my title is Chengtian Jianguo Simin Shengfu Mingling Wang. You are not dead, but you are not far from death."

After listening, Wang Jin asked, "Why?"

The City God said, "I have checked the Book of Life and Death. Your life is nearing its end, and you will die in battle. Rather than suffer, why not stay and take up this post with me?"

Wang Jin fell into deep thought, wondering if he was really going to die.
Since death is inevitable, why not stay in the human world and receive offerings instead of being reincarnated?

With this in mind, Wang Jin agreed to the City God's request, saying only, "I am all alone and need to take care of my own affairs before I come to take up my post."

The City God was overjoyed and granted his request, then ordered his officers to escort Wang Jin home.

Wang Jin mounted his horse.

The horse was even faster than when it came.

Wang Jin was shocked and tumbled off his horse.

Startled, he suddenly woke up; it was all a dream.

When he calmed down, he saw a bundle on the ground. When he opened it, he found a set of official robes and a token.

Wang Jin then believed what he had seen in his dream, and hurriedly summoned Zhang Yan to explain that the City God had asked him to become an arresting officer.

Zhang Yan was shocked after hearing this.

Wang Jin gave all of his ancestral home and land to Zhang Yan, asking only that Zhang Yan arrange his burial.

After Zhang Yan nodded in agreement, Wang Jin had already breathed his last.

Zhang Yan then buried his official robes and token along with the item.

When Zhang Yan told others, they didn't believe him.

A few days later.

Zhang Yan arrived at the City God Temple in the city.

Several officials and generals were standing in front of the City God Hall.

There was a statue with a scar on its face, which looked exactly like the knife scar on Wang Jin's face!
In no time, the news spread throughout the city and countryside, and all the people knew that the City God was recruiting soldiers and horses!

(End of this chapter)