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

"May I ask, Master, what is this Qi?"

"The so-called Qi means spiritual energy. It is the spirit of all things and the Qi of the Five Elements. The purpose of Taoist cultivation is to attain Tao and longevity. And to attain Tao and longevity, one must cleanse the body of impurities."

Only when impure energy is reduced can more spiritual energy enter the body. Once the spiritual energy within the body accumulates to a certain level, after receiving ordination, the Taoist can use this energy as a guide to draw talismans, perform rituals, and invoke spirits and control ghosts.

As the old Taoist priest explained, he extended his right hand, making a sword-finger gesture in the air. Wang Zhenhuan saw a faint purple light flash at the tip of his finger. Then, the old Taoist priest pointed towards the fire.

The bonfire, which had been almost completely burned out, suddenly burst into flames. It was as if someone had rekindled it, with flames leaping and dancing. Wang Huanzhen raised an eyebrow at this sight.

He was excited and grasped the old Taoist priest's hand, his voice trembling as he asked, "Taoist priest, what is ordination? Does ordination mean one can enter the Tao and cultivate? Please enlighten me."

"Haha, don't rush, don't rush, allow me to explain slowly." The old Taoist chuckled and patted his hand, gesturing for him to sit down. After pondering for a moment, he reorganized his thoughts and then spoke in a deep voice.

"As I said before, when invoking gods and controlling ghosts, spiritual energy is merely a catalyst; the most important thing is the ordination. Our Taoist school reveres the boundless salvation of all beings. And if you wish to save others, you must first save yourself. This ordination ceremony originates from this. Its original purpose is to establish the orthodoxy of Taoism and to bestow Taoist positions and divine authority upon Taoists on behalf of the Heavenly Court."

"How...is this..." Wang Zhenhuan had an indescribable feeling after hearing the old Taoist's explanation. This act of bestowing titles was somewhat similar to how local officials in the mortal world would apply to the central government for official positions for their subordinates.

"Haha, it is indeed somewhat similar to the imperial court. However, only after a Taoist priest is ordained can he summon gods and control ghosts. To put it simply, only when one holds an official position can one request assistance from the imperial court."

The "lu" in the ordination ceremony is a combination of talisman and register. Taoists believe that talismans are naturally formed by clouds in the sky, copied by immortals and passed down to the world. Therefore, they have miraculous functions such as summoning ghosts and gods, pacifying the five directions, subduing demons and monsters, and curing diseases and eliminating disasters.

The "register" (箓), also known as the "ritual register" (法箓), typically lists the names of divine officials and corresponding talismans, and some even include images of deities. Only by possessing the appropriate ritual register can a Taoist priest summon divine officials and generals to protect him or command them to perform Taoist rituals.

The old Taoist priest seemed to be in a very good mood, patting Wang Zhenhuan's hand and laughing heartily. Although he said a lot, Wang Zhenhuan understood it all. He muttered to himself.

"So you're saying that talismans are for performing rituals, while registers are for invoking deities?"

"That's right, that's the meaning. You're teachable. Since you understand, I'll continue. The ordination is divided into nine ranks, also known as the nine levels of the earth, which is also a division of spiritual energy cultivation."

These nine levels are divided into three parts: Dongzhen, Dongxuan, and Dongshen. The Benji Jing states: Dongzhen is characterized by its purity, Dongxuan by its unobstructed nature, and Dongshen by its unfathomable nature.

Therefore, the term "Dongyan" (洞言) signifies complete understanding. The three Dong (洞) are interconnected in their profound meanings. "Dongzhen" (洞真) is named for its pure and unmixed spiritual essence. "Dongxuan" (洞玄) signifies the creation of heaven and earth, its function unimpeded, hence its name "Xuan" (玄). "Dongshen" (洞神) signifies the summoning and control of spirits and deities, its power immeasurable, hence its name "Shen" (神). All these methods can lead from the mundane to the sacred, aligning with the Mahayana teachings, hence the name "Dong" (洞).

Here, "洞" (dong) means "to penetrate," referring to the three stages of a cultivator: penetrating the truth, penetrating the mystery, and finally penetrating the divine. Each of these stages is further divided into three realms. The "洞真" (dongzhen) stage consists of three realms: light red seeking truth, red aura seeing truth, and deep red illuminating truth.

The Dongxuan Department is divided into three realms: Pale Blue Knowing Profound, Blue Ascending Profound, and Deep Blue High Profound. The Dongshen Department is further divided into three realms: Pale Purple Dwelling God, Purple True Abyss, and Deep Purple Supreme Profound. The higher the level of ordination, the higher the rank of the summoned spirits and the higher the level of the spells used. The power will also increase accordingly.

Wang Zhenhuan listened intently to the old Taoist priest's narration, becoming increasingly engrossed. This was a field he had never explored before, and no one had ever told him about it. He sat quietly to the side, listening intently, afraid of missing a single detail.

Seeing that the old Taoist priest was hoarse from talking, he took out his water bag, placed it in the old Taoist priest's palm, and whispered, "Taoist priest, drink some water to moisten your throat before you continue."

"You rascal," the old Taoist priest chuckled, shaking his head. He then picked up the water pouch, took a sip, and spoke again, "I have a question for you: do you know how the cultivation level is determined at the ninth level of the Earth Realm?"

Wang Zhenhuan pondered for a moment, then said uncertainly, "According to the Taoist priest, I guess it must be distinguished by color."

"That's right, it's distinguished by color. People of different cultivation levels will display colors when they manipulate spiritual energy, and these colors represent their cultivation level. Usually, in our Taoist tradition..."

Those who cultivate with red aura are called Daoist Masters, and after receiving ordination, they can summon earth immortals for assistance. Those who cultivate with blue aura are called Dharma Masters, and after receiving ordination, they can summon deities. Those who cultivate with purple aura or higher are called True Persons.

"If a true master receives the ordination, he can command celestial beings to descend to the mortal realm." After saying this, the old Taoist priest fell silent. It seemed he didn't want to continue, or perhaps he wanted to take a short rest.

The rain outside the temple hadn't stopped, and dusk was falling. Wang Huanzhen got up and found a worn-out broom in the corner of the main hall. He took it to the statue, wanting to clean it, but worried about any taboos.

So he turned to the old Taoist priest and asked, "Master, I've noticed this City God statue has been covered in dust for a long time, and I'd like to clean it. Are there any taboos associated with it?"

"Don't bother," the old Taoist priest said. "The incense here has been extinguished for a long time, so the City God must have moved elsewhere."

Wang Zhenhuan listened to his words and thought he made sense. Since they couldn't clean the statues, they would clean the main hall instead. He carefully swept the hall bit by bit with a broom, but his mind was elsewhere.

Ever since he learned about the classification of spiritual energy, his mind has been filled with the image of Daoist Luo Puzi. If he remembers correctly, according to the old Daoist, Daoist Luo Puzi should be a real person.

When Wang Huanzhen saw him make his move, a deep purple light flashed across his body. However, at the time, he didn't understand what this meant and thought he was seeing things.

Now he understood that, if he hadn't misjudged, Daoist Luo Puzi should have been at the Deep Purple Tai Xuan level of cultivation. Thinking about it that way, the Puhua Tianzun that Daoist Luo Puzi had summoned that day should also have been at the Heavenly Immortal level.

Heavenly beings! There are only a hundred of them in the entire celestial realm. No wonder they scared that alien god away so easily. Thinking of this, he suddenly realized that he seemed to have overlooked something.

What exactly did he miss? Wang was sweeping the floor absentmindedly, his brows furrowed. What... what happened just now that he hadn't noticed?

Suddenly, Wang Zhenhuan's eyes widened, and he stood there dumbfounded. He felt his mouth go dry, and the broom in his hand fell to the ground with a thud. He slowly turned his head to look at where the old Taoist priest was.

"What happened? Hmm? Why are you silent?" The old Taoist priest turned and asked when he heard the broom fall to the ground.

"Dao... Dao... Dao... Daoist Master, you... you are a Purple Qi True Person?" Wang Zhenhuan stammered. He suddenly remembered that when the old Daoist was drawing talismans in the air, purple qi had appeared at his fingertips.

"Of course, why make such a fuss?"