The Northern Song Dynasty returned south, seeking the truth of the Dao.

An old man and a young boy walked along the mottled bluestone street, heading out of the city. Unlike the bustling crowds on their way there, they only saw a few scattered pedestrians on the return journey.

Wang Zhenhuan stopped and bought a few steaming hot buns from a bun shop on the street corner. A gust of autumn wind blew by, and Wang Zhenhuan looked up. A flock of wild geese flew overhead.

Before he knew it, almost a month had passed since autumn began. Since he went south, he had neither heard the cicadas sing nor seen the lotus flowers. The wind, carrying a chill, drifted into the distance, and a few fallen leaves danced in the breeze.

Wang Zhenhuan sighed, suppressing his longing. He took the steamed bun from the vendor, smiled at him, and then returned to the old Taoist priest's side, helping him continue walking towards the city gate.

By the time the two left Jeju City, it was almost noon. Following the path uphill, the midday sun scorched all the leaves on the trees along the way, turning them a scorched yellow. Passing through the woods, a dilapidated old temple appeared before Wang Huanzhen.

Pushing open the temple door, Wang Zhenhuan led the old Taoist priest inside. The temple wasn't exactly dilapidated, but it had been neglected for a long time and was covered in dust. Inside the temple was a statue of a deity holding a court tablet, its eyes wide open in anger.

Although the statue was covered in dust and cobwebs, its majesty was undeniable. Wang Zhen examined it for a moment, then asked the old Taoist priest beside him, "May I ask, Master, which deity is enshrined in this temple?"

The old Taoist priest bowed to the statue and explained, "This is a City God Temple, and this statue is naturally the City God of Jeju City. However, it has been neglected and abandoned for a long time."

"What kind of deity is the City God? To be honest, I've heard people talk about him before, but I've never really understood him," Wang Zhenhuan asked after helping the old Taoist priest sit down and relighting the fire.

"May the Heavenly Venerable bestow boundless blessings. The City God is the guardian deity of the city in Taoism. He is specifically responsible for the affairs of the underworld, both large and small, in this region. The City Gods in different places are also different people."

Some were even chosen by the local people themselves, with the criteria being people of both virtue and talent, such as loyal martyrs who died for their country, or upright and intelligent historical figures. "The old Taoist explained slowly.

"Master, since you are a Taoist, why don't you tell me about the Taoist immortals? I've only heard of them before, but I don't know how they are classified."

Wang Zhenhuan took out the steamed buns, handed one to the old Taoist priest first, took a bite himself, and then asked.

"One should not speak while eating or sleeping. Since you are curious, I will tell you the story after the meal." After saying this, the old Taoist began to eat in small bites.

After the meal, a light drizzle began to fall outside. It seemed unusually rainy after early autumn. Wang Zhenhuan got up, closed the temple door, and sat down beside the old Taoist priest, waiting for him to answer his questions.

The old Taoist stroked his beard, pondered for a moment, and then spoke: "Speaking of the immortals of my Taoist school, they are ranked according to their abilities, positions, and understanding of the Heavenly Dao..."

They can be roughly divided into five ranks: Earth Immortals, Divine Immortals, Celestial Immortals, Great Luo Celestial Immortals, and Primordial Great Luo Celestial Immortals.

Wang Zhenhuan nodded subconsciously, then, remembering that the old Taoist was blind, hurriedly asked, "Well, what is the explanation for this fifth-rank immortal?"

"Let's start with Earth Immortals. Earth Immortals are the most numerous of all immortals, almost countless from ancient times to the present. Some of these immortals are those who achieved immortality through the corpse liberation process after practicing Qi cultivation; they are also known as Ghost Immortals in folk tradition."

These people or beings had accumulated merit in their lives, but not enough to be deified, so they were not officially appointed by the Heavenly Court. However, after their deaths, their souls went to the underworld and were rewarded by Yama, the King of Hell. They were no longer subject to the cycle of reincarnation but became ghost messengers in the underworld, thus achieving a certain degree of immortality.

"Like the Black and White Impermanence, Judge Cui, and the guardian deities of various mountains and rivers. They are mostly Earth Immortals. Their status in the Immortal Realm is similar to that of us mortal officials of the seventh to ninth rank in the imperial court," the old Taoist said clearly.

"Ninth rank? That's equivalent to the head of a county!" Wang Zhenhuan was taken aback and blurted out instinctively. In his mind, a ninth rank was just a minor official like a county magistrate, which in ancient times, during chaotic times, could even be bought with money.

"Yes, not too much. Above that are the immortals, who are a level above the earth immortals. Immortals are different from earth immortals; most of them are cultivators who have achieved success in their cultivation and have gained insight into the Dao of Yin and Yang."

A small number are those whose souls were sealed after death due to great merit, thus lacking a pure yang body and relying on their souls to communicate with the divine. They need to cultivate for many years before they can possibly reshape their golden bodies, and most of them serve the Heavenly Court, resolving complex matters in the Three Realms, such as seeking divine guidance and divination.

These immortals, whether they cultivate to the point of pure Yang or undergo spiritual rebirth, are all immortals with physical bodies. The folk saying "ascending to heaven in broad daylight, attaining enlightenment in the flesh" refers to this. They are deities, often officials in the celestial realm, and in the underworld, they are in charge of affairs. For example, the Earth God, in my Taoism, is also called the God of Fortune and Virtue," the old Taoist explained.

"There must be quite a few gods in the celestial realm, right?" Wang Zhenhuan understood the implication behind his words when he heard him mention the Earth God.

"Yes, there are quite a few accumulated over the years. Roughly speaking, there are several thousand. Their status is equivalent to officials of the sixth to fourth rank in the mortal court, and they are the backbone of the immortals and gods." The old Taoist priest nodded and continued.

"The Celestial Immortals, who are above the Immortals, are completely different from the previous two. To attain the position of Celestial Immortal, one must first have a more thorough understanding of the Great Dao of Yin and Yang, and one's cultivation will naturally be higher."

Furthermore, to attain the status of a Celestial Immortal, cultivation alone is insufficient; great merit is also required. Only when merit is perfected can one attain the status of a Celestial Immortal. The number of Celestial Immortals in the Celestial Realm is not large, in fact, it can be said to be very small.

Throughout history, there have only been a mere hundred of them. These immortals hold positions in Heaven equivalent to censors, grand tutors, and other high-ranking officials in the mortal realm.” The old Taoist priest straightened himself and bowed respectfully to the sky.

"And what about above the Celestial Immortal?" Wang Zhen asked curiously. If becoming a Celestial Immortal was already so difficult, he could hardly imagine how powerful the Great Luo Celestial Immortals above them must be.

Above the Celestial Immortals are the Great Luo Celestial Immortals. There are even fewer Great Luo Celestial Immortals; from the beginning of time until now, there are only a dozen or so. They generally live in the Heavenly Palaces and Heavenly Mansions in the heavens, and some also live in ancient caves and immortal mountains.

Their status in the celestial realm is equivalent to that of a prime minister or imperial censor in the mortal world. The Jade Emperor, well-known among the common people, is one of them. "Do you understand what I've said?" The old Taoist patted Wang Huanzhen's hand.

Above them are the Primordial Great Luo Celestial Immortals, only three in total. These are the Three Pure Ones, the patriarchs of our Taoism. They are Taiqing Daode Tianzun, Yuqing Yuanshi Tianzun, and Shangqing Lingbao Tianzun.

They are the heads of all immortals in the Heavenly Realm. Although they reside in the Three Pure Realms above the Nine Heavens, they do not personally govern. They are omniscient and omnipotent regarding all matters in the Three Realms, and are the highest gods of my Taoism.

The old Taoist priest's words filled Wang Zhenhuan with longing. The thought of the heavenly realm, with its myriad immortals and gods paying homage, filled him with immense excitement.

Such a sight, even just to see it once, would be enough to make one's life worthwhile. While listening to the old Taoist priest's explanation, he noticed a word that had appeared many times before.

—A person who practices Qi cultivation.

Could it be that this Qi cultivation is the same as entering the Dao? Reflecting on his own destiny, he couldn't help but ask, "Daoist Master, what is a Qi cultivator? Is Qi cultivation the necessary path to immortality?"

"That's right. My Taoist practice, including summoning gods and controlling ghosts, drawing talismans and performing rituals, is all inseparable from the concept of spiritual energy!"

The so-called spiritual practice is about cultivating the mind, and what it involves is circulating one's energy!