Shui Miao was not ashamed to ask questions, and asked the young Taoist apprentice many things.
The little Taoist apprentice seemed to rarely have anyone to talk to normally, yet he patiently answered all of Shui Miao’s questions. Through his explanations, Shui Miao gained a rough understanding of the entrance to the ninth celestial realm.
Shui Miao learned that the young Taoist apprentice was named Li Muzi, the son of an ordinary immortal from the Nine Heavens. Born in the immortal realm, Li Muzi was a natural immortal, yet his powers were not particularly strong because he had never undergone trials or cultivation. Compared to immortals who had ascended from the lower realms, he was far less accomplished.
As for his use of the term “going to work,” it was because he had interacted with many half-immortals from the lower realms and had picked up certain habits from them.
The immortals of the ninth heaven were quite ordinary, mostly half-immortals who had ascended from the lower realms. Their language was somewhat similar to that of the lower world, and the younger generation preferred to refer to their duties as “going to work.”
As for specific details about immortals, Shui Miao didn’t have time to ask much since they had just met.
Most importantly, Shui Miao gathered the information he urgently needed.
Through their conversation, Shui Miao learned that the immortal gates of the ninth heaven were not a single structure, but consisted of thirty-six gates, each containing thirty-six buildings. This meant that no matter which gate one exited through, there would always be the Thunder Department’s Sixteen Palaces. From the platform of the Thunder Department’s Sixteen Palaces, one could use the Eight Trigrams to teleport back to where they had come from.
Shui Miao specifically asked Li Muzi how to return to the original realm. The apprentice said that all one needed to do was stomp their feet a few times at the place they had arrived from, and they would return immediately.
Shui Miao was skeptical but eager to try it out.
Li Muzi also told Shui Miao that the human, ghost, and divine realms shared many similarities.
For example, burning paper in the mortal world would become spirit money in the underworld.
And incense from the human world would transform into a highly valued commodity in the immortal realm—”fragrance!”
This fragrance was the most cherished item among immortals.
Because the scent of incense had many uses for immortals—enhancing concentration, enjoying the aroma, displaying one’s numerous disciples and followers in the mortal world, and even serving as currency for trade and gifts. In short, incense functioned much like money in the immortal realm.
The guardian deities of this immortal gate were Kuanglei Shen (the Thunder God), Jufeng Po (the Hurricane Crone), and Baoyu Bo (the Rain Elder).
If an immortal from the lower realms had a lot of incense, they could establish good relations with these three deities and exchange incense for various favors. The simplest example was employing Yellow Turban laborers to do tasks, or even summoning the Thunder God, Wind Crone, and Rain Elder to create wind, rain, or lightning. As long as one had enough incense, they could accomplish nearly anything in the immortal realm—there was nothing impossible, only things one hadn’t thought of.
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After hearing the apprentice’s explanation, Shui Miao was deeply embarrassed. He never expected that whether in heaven, the human world, or hell, everything still revolved around money!
Li Muzi led Shui Miao through the immortal gate, where he saw more clouds and misty mountains. However, floating in midair were numerous immortal mountains, suspended at various heights as if nailed in place. The mountains were covered with lush green trees, strange rocks, and magnificent classical buildings. Occasionally, immortal cranes silently circled around the peaks.
After Li Muzi explained how incense could summon the Thunder God, Wind Crone, and Rain Elder to create storms, Shui Miao pointed at the mountains and asked, “Surely those immortal mountains are where the three guardian deities reside?”
“Of course not!” Li Muzi shook his head with a smile. “The three deities have their own divine palaces. They wouldn’t live here. These are the residences of powerful half-immortals who bought them with ten thousand sticks of incense. They are incredibly luxurious! Even if we worked for a thousand years, we ordinary immortals might never afford to live in such places!”
Shui Miao was stunned. Even in the immortal realm, there was real estate?
He broke into a cold sweat and quickly asked, “What’s the purpose of these immortal residences? This realm seems vast enough—surely there’s no need for houses?”
“Of course, there are houses!” Li Muzi blinked. “The immortal realm also has malevolent winds, which are extremely dangerous. By now, your cultivation level should have allowed some of these malevolent winds to enter your spiritual realm through that heavenly gate, right?”
Shui Miao frowned. “Once, yes. But it was only a small amount.”
“That was just your good fortune. If you encountered a stronger one, you wouldn’t be here to talk to me. Don’t worry, once you find a master, they will teach you how to deal with it.” Thinking about finding a good apprentice for the immortal in the seventh heaven, Li Muzi became excited again and continued, “You don’t need to envy these immortal residences. If you gather enough incense, you can buy one in the fifth, sixth, or seventh heavens. Those would be truly magnificent!”
Li Muzi was just teasing Shui Miao, knowing full well he couldn’t afford it.
“Besides being impressive, they don’t seem to have much use. I’m not interested!” Shui Miao shook his head. He had refused to be a house slave in his previous life, and now he was expected to be one in the immortal realm? That couldn’t be right!
Li Muzi chuckled, “You really don’t know anything! Immortal residences are extremely important. They can protect you from many celestial calamities. You can establish your own immortal sect, gather disciples, and expand your influence. Some of the best immortal residences contain incredibly pure spiritual energies. The finest ones, called Purple Mansions, are even more extraordinary! Most importantly, half-immortals like you can bring the souls of your loved ones from the lower realms to the immortal realm, allowing them to become immortals themselves. In the ninth heaven, you can bring ten souls; in the eighth, fifty; in the seventh, a hundred; in the sixth, five hundred; and in the fifth, a thousand! But so far, even the most powerful half-immortals from the lower realms have only managed to buy a residence in the eighth heaven. The better the residence, the more astronomical the price in incense!”
Li Muzi’s face showed deep longing. To him, even an ordinary immortal residence was unattainable, let alone a Purple Mansion.
The idea of bringing souls from the lower realms to the immortal realm intrigued Shui Miao greatly. He quickly asked, “Senior, please tell me more about the Purple Mansions…”
“Judging from your expression, you can’t possibly afford one, can you?” Li Muzi’s eyes lit up. “If you really could, would you consider hiring me as your gatekeeper? Being a gatekeeper is my dream, but I know it’s impossible because I’m just too ordinary in the immortal realm.”
Shui Miao nodded eagerly, “Of course, that’s no problem at all!”
“Great!” Li Muzi was thrilled again. “Let me tell you more about immortal residences. They are categorized into four grades: supreme, high, medium, and low. The ones you see here are all low-grade residences. The best are the Purple Mansions, also known as supreme-grade immortal cities. Buying one comes with guardian beasts, and you can focus entirely on cultivation and advancing your immortal rank. Many great immortals might even come to join you. However, a Purple Mansion costs one hundred million sticks of incense—that’s terrifyingly expensive! High-grade ones are much cheaper, only ten million. Medium-grade ones cost a million, and low-grade ones are the cheapest at ten thousand. But right now, I only have a few dozen!”
“One hundred million sticks of incense? Is it really just about burning one hundred million sticks of incense?” Shui Miao was curious. If it was really that simple, he could just build a factory to make incense in the lower realm. Then, not only one hundred million, but even ten, a hundred, or a thousand billion would be no problem!
“Of course, it’s not that simple!” Li Muzi replied. “Each stick of incense must carry the power of belief and prayers. The more belief and prayers, the better the incense. In the ninth heaven, incense dedicated to the God of Wealth and Bodhisattva are the most valuable. But if you can obtain other types of incense with strong belief and prayers from devoted followers, that would also work.” Li Muzi watched Shui Miao’s expression, secretly hoping he could somehow acquire such a vast amount of incense.
“I see…” Shui Miao’s heart sank. This was going to be extremely difficult. Where could he find a hundred million devoted followers?
After a pause, Shui Miao asked, “Then how can one obtain incense?”
Seeing Shui Miao’s troubled expression, Li Muzi realized his dream was impossible. His mood quickly soured, and he shook his head, unwilling to explain further. “You’ll learn all about that once you find a master. Well, I’ve talked enough with you. I need to go take care of some things. Wait here and don’t wander off.”
Without waiting for Shui Miao’s response, Li Muzi flew directly into the fortress above the immortal gate to rest.
“What a waste of my time… Even with great talent, he’s just a poor soul…”
Li Muzi shook his head, sat down in an armchair, and lit a small piece of incense to enjoy.
He only earned one stick of incense per day of duty, yet he used up half a stick every day. At this rate, even after a thousand or ten thousand years, he would never afford an immortal residence.
Li Muzi was a fickle little apprentice. Once he realized Shui Miao had no potential and hadn’t even offered a gift, he lost interest.
Shui Miao stood alone, unaware that he had already been ignored…
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Before long, Shui Miao suddenly saw a mighty celestial general descending from the sky. The general was enormous, wearing white armor and carrying a massive sword on his back. He rode a crimson heavenly horse that flew like a meteor.
Shui Miao thought the general was about to leave through the immortal gate and quickly stepped aside.
To his surprise, the general pulled on the reins and stopped right in front of Shui Miao. He stared at Shui Miao for a moment, then asked with some confusion, “Might you be the half-immortal Chen Shui Miao?”
“Y-yes… that’s me…”
Shui Miao was completely taken aback. This was his first time in the immortal realm—how could a celestial general recognize him and come looking for him on a heavenly steed?
“Then I’ve found the right person!” The general dismounted, saluted Shui Miao respectfully, and handed him a round, purple jade pendant. “I have been sent by General Ling to deliver this jade to you. He also instructed me to tell you to return to the mortal world, cultivate patiently, uncover the mysteries of the nine celestial energies, and only then attempt the heavenly tribulation to ascend to immortality.”
“For me…?”
Shui Miao wanted to say, “You must have the wrong person!” But the general had clearly spoken his name—how could there be a mistake?
“Yes, it’s for you. If you doubt it, wear the jade around your chest. If you’re not Chen Shui Miao, the jade will glow. If you are, it will merge with your soul.” The general turned, mounted his horse, and prepared to leave.
Shui Miao put the jade around his neck—and it vanished.
As the general turned to leave, Shui Miao hurriedly asked, “Please, who exactly is this General Ling?”
“Hehe, if you want to know General Ling’s true identity, uncover the mysteries of the nine celestial energies first. Then, the jade will reveal everything.” With that, the general urged his horse forward, and they shot into the sky like an arrow.
As soon as the general disappeared, Li Muzi quickly appeared beside Shui Miao, astonished and curious. “Who exactly are you? Why would a White Armor General from the fifth heaven come looking for you? Could you possibly be the disciple of some great immortal from the fifth heaven…”
“I don’t know. Don’t ask me!” Shui Miao interrupted, his brow furrowed. He shook his head and turned toward the immortal gate. “Sorry, I need to go back now. Farewell…”
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