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

Chapter 405 Famous temples and shrines hold no profound truths, but the Demon Orb Cave holds a divine destiny.

The funeral horse transformed into a rainbow of light and sped through the sky. Clearly, it was no longer content with running the funeral business in the mortal world, but had a heart that wanted to take the funeral business to the heavens.

The little demon horse traveled without stopping, using various supernatural abilities to travel freely, such as leaping through the ground with golden light, diving into the abyss and shrinking the earth, and riding the clouds. In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, it brought Xu Qing to the East Sea region.

The coast of the East China Sea is vast, and Xu Qing inquired along the way and found that there were no fewer than five or six places named Jiuwan River alone.

"This kind of destiny with immortals is truly not something that ordinary people can find!"

Xu Qing arrived in the East Sea in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, but it took him seven or eight days to find the small temple from his memory.

However, the opportunity to become an immortal is something that can only be encountered by chance and cannot be sought after. Xu Qing was not in a hurry. As the saying goes, with a pure thought, the opportunity to become an immortal arises; with an obsessive thought, the opportunity to become an immortal is destroyed.
Xu Qing had previously used the Qimen Dunjia divination method, but the result was an obscure and difficult-to-describe hexagram, such as "clouds obscuring the moon." He then used the "shoe-throwing method" to ask for directions, but the shoe, which was placed on his head and foot, wobbled back and forth like a roly-poly toy, and he still could not find the direction.

These methods below the Heavenly level ultimately fail to reveal the true path to immortality.

Xu Qing decided to stop searching and instead immerse himself in the local customs and culture of the East China Sea, as well as the unique charm of sea burial and water burial.

Water burial is completely different from earth burial. Xu Qing visited many places before finally finding a Li family who were having a funeral.

These people, who have lived and thrived along the coast for a long time, have a much stronger sense of clan than those in the inland areas. For example, on the day of the funeral of a member of the Li clan, nearly a thousand people from the entire clan gathered at the Li family's ancestral home to mourn and pay their respects.

Xu Qing inquired and learned that the patriarch of the Li family had passed away peacefully. The patriarch was highly respected, and even his water burial was conducted with the highest level of ceremony.

As the saying goes, it's better to arrive at the right time than to arrive early. It's a pity if you can't find a divine connection, but it would be extremely lucky to find an opportunity to improve your funeral skills.

Funerals are important events that are not for outsiders to observe, and the Li family clan is extremely resistant to outsiders. Xu Qing was originally unable to enter and observe, but when he claimed to be the temple keeper of the Sea Goddess Temple, the Li family immediately changed their attitude and treated him as an honored guest.

The reputation of the Sea Goddess was more effective than that of the emperor in coastal areas!
Xu Qing sighed inwardly, wishing that one day the fame of his Baosheng Temple could also influence the coastal towns.
Coastal water burial is similar to earth burial and cliff burial. In all cases, a funeral director is invited to choose the time and place. However, the funeral director does not choose earthen pit graves or cliffs, but avoids fishing grounds and ports, and chooses open sea areas or areas at the mouth of large rivers for the family to choose from.

On the day of water burial, it must be done at high tide or sunrise, so that the soul may follow the dragon palace as the tide ebbs and flows.

This idea is similar to Xu Qing's advocacy of welcoming and seeing off guests.

In addition, the coffins used in water burials also vary.

The coffin used for water burial is actually a bamboo raft or boat.

During the funeral procession, the funeral director would wrap the boat in plain cloth and place offerings, mostly rice, wine, and paper money, at the bow.

Those with money used boats to collect the remains of the deceased, while those with limited means used bamboo rafts or old wooden rafts as makeshift burial containers.

A highly respected figure like the Li family patriarch would use a coffin soaked in the finest tung oil.

To ensure the boat would sink after entering the water, the Li family collected pottery jars, bricks, and other items from various houses, which they then scuttled once the boat was at sea.

Xu Qing's mastery of geomancy was already extraordinary; he could tell good from bad at a glance whether it was a mountain town or a place by the sea.

When the funeral director was choosing a water-filled burial site, he couldn't find the dragon's lair for a long time. But when Xu Qing broke off a piece of tile and threw it into the water in the distance, the old man's eyes lit up.

"With its arched back reaching the sky and winding course, the water flows in a meandering manner, exuding an auspicious aura. It is truly an excellent water feature!"

"I never imagined that you, a mere temple keeper, would know anything about feng shui."

Xu Qing smiled but remained silent.

Can he say that he is also in the same industry?

"What's the name of this place?" the funeral director asked the local Li family.

A fisherman who had been fishing and hunting for generations stepped forward and replied, "This place is called Xihai River, also known as Jiuwan River."

"The West Sea River? Isn't this the East Sea?"

The man who performed the water burial was full of surprise.

A member of the Li family explained, "This matter has some origins. To be honest, my Li family was not originally from the East Sea, but has lived in the Jiuwan River of the West Sea for generations."

"However, according to ancestral tradition, after our ancestors accumulated a vast fortune in the Western Sea, they suffered a tragic misfortune."

"We, the younger generation, are not very clear about the specifics of the incident. We only heard from our elders that a demon child caused trouble in the sea, angering the Dragon King of the West Sea, which caused all the towns near the Nine Bends River to be submerged by the sea, and the Li family's foundation was lost overnight."

"To escape the scourge of that demonic child, our ancestors led the surviving members of their clan to seek a living elsewhere."

"But my Li family ancestors have lived by the water for generations, how could we adapt to the water and soil of other places?"

The elder of the Li family shook his head and continued, "Fortunately, there is always a way out. When our ancestor fell ill halfway, an immortal riding a white-browed tiger came to his rescue. After learning that our ancestor had nowhere to go, the immortal used divine means to bring the surviving members of our Li family to the East Sea to live and multiply."

“The West Sea and the East Sea are separated by more than ten thousand miles. Our ancestors were no longer afraid of demons and monsters, but they could not bear to leave their homeland. That is why they named this place Jiuwan River in commemoration of their ancestral homeland.”

After recounting the origins of the Nine Bends River, the elder of the Li family added, "It is quite a coincidence that my Li family ancestor later encountered an immortal riding a white-browed divine tiger in the East Sea. However, by then, the immortal had already ascended to the ranks of immortals and become the sea god of the East Sea."

Xu Qing recognized the name, but the water burial expert beside him paid no attention, treating it as mere nonsense.

"The Demon Child of the West Sea, the Demon Orb of the East Sea's Grotto-Heaven"

Xu Qing felt that there was some connection between the two, but couldn't quite put her finger on it.

The group traveled by boat, and when they arrived at the location of the water burial site, the water burial master began chanting scriptures and performing the water ritual.

Relatives and friends gathered around the small boat, scattering flower petals, rice, and paper money along the way.

The younger generation of the Li family is responsible for burning paper boats to guide their elders.

Xu Qing made a connection: this guiding boat was just like the rooster that was responsible for summoning souls and guiding people in the burial!

Other rituals for the deceased are no different from ordinary religious ceremonies.

After relatives and friends have finished saying goodbye, the final funeral ceremony is the burial in the water.

The small boat that held the remains looked like an ordinary wooden boat, but it was supported by pottery jars and bricks underneath.

It looks like wood on the outside, but it immediately becomes an anchor when it enters the water.

The water burial master sent the boat into the water, then immediately began chanting a spell using hand gestures:
"Wandering souls, where do they stay?"

The three souls have already departed, and the seven spirits have arrived.
A false alarm, a strange and alarming sight; graves and forests!

"Now I have received the mysterious decree from the Water Palace and hereby order the Water Palace to:"
Dragons and turtles, protect the hidden spirits!
The waterway is not far; one thought is all it takes to reach it!
This journey to the secluded place is smooth and uneventful!

Xu Qing silently made a note of it, thinking that she could use it someday if a customer came looking for her for a water burial.

After reciting the incantation, the water burial master used a hammer and chisel to carve a small hole in the bottom of the wooden boat, symbolizing the opening of the heavenly gate, and also to allow the wooden boat to sink into the predetermined water hole.

After all this was done, everyone worked together to slide the wooden boat carrying the body into the water. The funeral boat swayed and rocked towards the water's edge, eventually sinking before everyone's eyes.

Water burial has no tombstone, but the emotions and sentiments of the living are no less profound.

On their return journey, the group did not take the original waterway, but instead took another waterway back to the ancestral hall.

Along the way, all the people on board were forbidden to speak, for fear of disturbing the Water Dragon Lord who came to guide the souls of the deceased.

As the ship passed through Jiuhe Bay, the current suddenly became rapid. Xu Qing's mind stirred slightly, and the invisible water-zombie magic power within his body enveloped the surrounding waters, instantly restoring the large ship, which had been swaying precariously, to stability.

Just as Xu Qing was regaining his composure, his gaze was drawn to a dilapidated temple on the distant coast.

He suppressed his doubts and waited until the ship docked before asking:
"Uncle Li, I see a small temple on the high cliff in the southwest of Jiuwan River. I wonder which deity is enshrined inside?"

Xu Qing hadn't brought it up, but the moment he did, the elder of the Li family immediately frowned and said, "A revered god? What kind of revered god is he! I don't know who my Li family has offended, that they would build a ghost temple to worship an evil god right in front of my house!"

The elder of the Li family was furious: "Our Li family was almost wiped out because of the evil child from the West Sea. Now we have moved here as a family, and for generations we have regarded the evil child as a tiger and wolf, but the temple openly worships the evil child."

"How could my Li family tolerate this?"

The elder of the Li family sneered, "Two years ago, I had the statues in that temple destroyed and the temple gates broken down. Anyone who dares to worship there will be making an enemy of the Li family."

"."

Xu Qing didn't respond to the question. Instead, he asked, "May I ask, sir, what is the name of that ghost temple that worships the evil god?"

"I can't remember, but it was something like Demon Heaven Temple. What kind of respectable deity would have such a name?"

A junior member of the Li family chimed in, "It's not the Demon Heaven Temple, it's the Demon Orb Cave Master Temple."

"I don't care if he's the Demon Orb Cave Master or the Fish Orb Cave Master. As long as he has three heads and six arms and looks like the legendary Demon Child, he must be an evil god without a doubt!"

"In my opinion, that temple is inextricably linked to the Luo family of Hedian."

On the west side of the Jiuwan River, a dilapidated temple stands alone on a barren beach and cliff.

The temple gate was half broken, with gaps in its structure. When the sea breeze blew, it creaked and rattled, which was quite eerie.

Xu Qing led the mourning horse and stepped inside alone.

Although the dilapidated temple is small, it has all the necessary parts.

On either side of the incense hall, there were also couplets written in a rather formal manner.

"My fate has always been natural; it is indeed in my own hands, not in the hands of heaven."

Looking at the crooked handwriting, which resembled snakes and worms crawling haphazardly, Xu Qing could actually discern the unruly spirit of the owner of this place between the lines!
What would such an arrogant deity look like?
Filled with curiosity, Xu Qing couldn't wait to enter the hall.

Inside the incense hall, a statue of a deity stood facing due north.

Xu Qing looked up and saw that the statue in front of him was vaguely the image of a boy with three heads and six arms. However, the head of the statue had been completely destroyed, leaving only a few broken arms and legs, which were still stubbornly standing there!

"My fate is in my own hands, not in the hands of God?"

Xu Qing's tone was full of questions.

He leaned closer and took a look. When he saw the golden statue in disarray and the overturned incense burner on the altar, Xu Qing's expression became even more strange.

"My fate is in my own hands, not in the hands of God?"

It's still a question.

Xu Qing found it hard to imagine that the deity who could write such a couplet would be in such a disheveled state.

Although the owner of this 'Demon Orb Cave Heaven' is somewhat different from what he saw in his Immortal Seeking Technique, Xu Qing is certain that this is the immortal destiny he is looking for!
Xu Qing composed himself, straightened the incense burner, held three sticks of incense in his hands, and said solemnly:
"I am Xu Qing, a junior traveler, and I have just discovered that this place is filled with extraordinary spiritual energy. I believe that a true deity resides here. Therefore, I offer three sticks of incense to honor the deity."

Being overly polite is never a bad thing, and the same goes for gods.

After exchanging greetings and formalities, Xu Qing unleashed his full potential, searching every nook and cranny of the incense hall for any clues that might conceal a connection to immortality.

With his Heavenly Eye and Heart Eye open, Xu Qing scrutinized every temple wall, yet he found no celestial book or any other trace of divine destiny.

Xu Qing did not give up. He then took out a needle and thread and stitched the damaged three-headed, six-armed deity statue back to its original state.

But still, no abnormalities were observed.

Xu Qing frowned.

The Immortal-Seeking Technique shouldn't be wrong; there must be some immortal opportunity here. Could it be that he arrived too early?
Or perhaps he hasn't shown the same sincerity in seeking knowledge as Cheng Men Li Xue, and therefore hasn't gained the approval of the host here?
Xu Qing is also stubborn.

The world is vast; where can't one cultivate oneself?
Since there might be a chance to find immortality here, he might as well stay here a little longer. Maybe the owner of this wild temple will really appreciate his sincerity!

Having made up his mind, Xu Qing said to himself, "I have recently gained some insights. If you do not mind disturbing me, please allow me to build a hut here and quietly contemplate the way of heaven and earth."

"."

Meanwhile, in the Water Palace not far from the Demon Orb Temple, a young man suddenly frowned.

He looked through the newly sewn clay statue towards the Demon Pill Temple, and saw that the uninvited young man was indeed sitting cross-legged on the ground in the incense hall, meditating and cultivating!

As the master of the Demon Orb Temple, he was extremely annoyed to see the other party refusing to leave.

"Why is it so easy for you, senior brother, to find your destined partner? But why is everything going wrong for me?"

The boy dressed in lotus fairy robes was already caught in self-doubt.

Back then, he made quite a name for himself in the West Sea. The people of the Jiuwan River area regarded him as a wicked child who brought disaster for generations. Otherwise, he would not have chosen to come to the East Sea, which is completely opposite to the West Sea, to find his destined person.

Unexpectedly, fate had other plans. He went to the East China Sea and finally found a place with the same name, Jiuwan River, to build a temple. There he even met people from the Li family branch of the West China Sea!
Could this be retribution?

Many years later, thousands of years later, the Li family personally destroyed his golden statue and smashed the temple he used to find his destined person.

"This place is really unlucky!"

If it were someone else, they might have already changed locations and chosen a new cave dwelling by now.

But the Demon Orb Cave Master was a stubborn man; the more others disliked him, the more he insisted on staying.

As a result, in the past two years, not only have we not had any destined people, but not even half a person has come to offer incense!
Today, finally someone has come to the temple, and it turns out to be the destined person that my senior brother chose back then.

Where can he go to seek justice?
No way! We have to find a way to get this person out of here today, no matter what!
(End of this chapter)