Chapter 1839: Divine Firmament Deliberation

The Human World

What is a god?

Hearing this question, Master Wan fell into deep thought.

This was probably a question every Daoist cultivator had. They were accustomed to the existence of altar guardian deities and had heard countless legends about celestial gods. If the legends were false, why could talismans summon altar guardian deities? If they were true, why could altar guardian deities only protect altars, and why were all sorts of supernatural arts for summoning ghosts and gods useless? Where were the celestial gods? Where did the altar guardian deities come from? The Daoist Court could officially confer titles upon local deities, so were celestial gods also conferred titles by the Daoist Court?

"A talisman has no fixed form; it becomes spiritual through qi. With the talisman as its body, once it connects to the spirit, it is a god," the old Daoist slowly articulated these four sentences.

Upon hearing this, Master Wan's expression greatly changed. At his level, he could sometimes vaguely perceive this, yet he still found it hard to believe. "A god is... a Talisman God?"

The old Daoist did not answer. His gaze was profound, as if he sought to pierce through the distant past. He slowly said, "The Way of Talismans originated with the Zhengyi school and reached its peak with the Shenxiao school. In the early days of Daoist evolution, the Zhengyi Celestial Masters observed the changes in celestial phenomena and the subtle, profound qi flowing in the air, thereby comprehending the Way of Talismans. A talisman is a spark of spiritual light that connects heaven and earth, a vessel for spirit, forming a Talisman God. It contains the essence of talismanic magic. Later, ritual registers were created, and scriptures were compiled by combining them with qi absorption methods, passed down to future generations. These ritual registers allow communication with the gods. When placed on an altar, they facilitate constant enlightenment, enabling future generations to grasp the wisdom of the ancient masters and make progress. Thus, the Way of Talismans was perfected."

"When talismans first emerged, the Talisman Gods of various schools differed and were not subordinate to one another."

"In earlier years, when the Shenxiao school flourished, enlightened High Sages proclaimed to all Daoist schools across the land, inviting True Masters from all factions to gather at the Shenxiao Upper Palace. There, they comprehensively reviewed methods such as qi absorption, internal alchemy, visualization, talismanic magic, shamanic rituals, and various techniques, all to establish the laws and regulations for Daoism."

"All True Masters assented, and thus, together they established the Daoist Court, built the Divine Court, and forged Talisman Gods!"

"With the Celestial Masters as their venerable leaders, they opened the Nine Heavens Golden Palace within the Shenxiao Upper Palace. Beneath the Nine Heavens Golden Palace, administrative districts, pacification garrisons, and altars were established, forming the nascent Daoist Court. Nine ranks of immortal officials were created, and they were granted the High Shenxiao Ritual Register. True Masters from various schools were selected to serve in the Daoist Court, governing the entire world. Internally, they were responsible for monitoring all directions; externally, they performed the duty of propagating heavenly teachings. Regardless of whether they were Daoist cultivators or others, all were subject to the Daoist Court's control, known as the Shenxiao Grand Control."

"The responsibilities of the Daoist Court were to promote the prosperity of Daoism, resist external evils, and transmit the Daoist lineage. From its inception, it transformed the previous state of disarray, truly marking the beginning of our Daoist school's flourishing. The Celestial Masters and High Sages meticulously studied the essential methods of various schools, revised scriptures to establish nine major dharma positions, and invited and summoned the Talisman Gods of all schools to enter the Divine Court, where they evolved into Celestial Gods through talismans!"

"The Divine Court was the abode of the Talisman Gods, formed by the condensed spiritual will of Daoist cultivators from across the land, residing high in the Nine Heavens, invisible and unattainable."

"At that time, Thunder Magic was revered in the cultivation world. Thunder is the pivot of heaven and earth: heavenly pivot and earthly mechanism, yang thunder and yin lightning, pivot yin and mechanism yang, governing all things. All schools had transmitted Thunder Magic, and Thunder Dao Talisman Gods were countless. Shenxiao Thunder Magic, in particular, was unsurpassed in the world."

"The Daoist Court, based on Thunder Magic, constructed a nine-layered Divine Court according to the legends of the Nine Heavens. It also divided the Talisman Gods into nine ranks, corresponding one-to-one with the cultivation dharma positions. The uppermost Ninth Heaven was named 'Shenxiao Yuqing Miaojing Dayou Heaven,' followed by 'Zixiao Hejing Shuangque Huashen Heaven.' In the Eighth Heaven, they enshrined the 'Nine Heavens Yingyuan Leisheng Puhua Tianzun,' who is what later generations call the Thunder Ancestor!"

"Beyond Thunder Magic, other Ways, such as Yin-Yang, Five Elements, and Stars, also had their place in the Divine Court but were generally subsumed under the Thunder Ministry. Because Thunder Magic Talisman Gods were held in highest esteem, the Divine Court was also called Thunder City, known as the Celestial Gods of the Thunder Ministry."

"From then on, ritual registers also changed, becoming the means to connect with the Divine Court. Our Daoist cultivators, regardless of school or sect, or whether they belonged to Daoist Court temples, could use ritual registers to communicate with the Divine Court, evoke the divine, summon corresponding Celestial Gods, and invite gods to descend upon the altar. Those with profound cultivation could even summon Celestial Gods to bless their troops, greatly increasing their strength to defend against external enemies."

"Within each administrative district, the Daoist Court established a Commander who wielded the Commander's Seal. The Commander's Seal was the manifestation and extension of the Divine Court's power in the world. With each district established, the strength of Daoism increased. As Daoism flourished, the spiritual will of more and more cultivators converged in the Nine Heavens, making the Divine Court increasingly stable."

"It is imaginable that as long as the Divine Court remains intact, even if all Celestial Masters ascend or perish, the Talisman Gods will persist, ensuring the eternal prosperity of Daoism."

"This joint deliberation was undoubtedly the greatest event in Daoist history, known as the Shenxiao Grand Council!"

The old Daoist's pace was unhurried. As he spoke, he also reminisced about the old days of Daoism, but the hidden secrets within his words were enough to shock everyone.

The shock on Master Wan's face grew deeper; only now did he truly understand the Daoist school's profound foundation.

Until the old Daoist's words slowly faded, Master Wan snapped back to reality, silent for a long time. But he soon realized that the Daoist Court his grand-uncle spoke of seemed vastly different from the present one.

The Daoist Court then only had the Shenxiao Grand Control and did not involve the Heavenly Pivot Bureau or the Northern Pole Exorcism Bureau.

Also, why could they only invite gods to descend upon altars now, but not have Celestial Gods bless troops?

He opened his mouth, about to voice his doubts, but saw his grand-uncle's gaze fixed on the Bashi District Altar outside the hall, lost in thought. He quickly closed his mouth, not daring to disturb him.

Before long, the old Daoist withdrew his gaze and looked at Master Wan, his eyes seemingly able to penetrate everything and see into his heart.

"Our Daoist school has nine major dharma positions: Zhengyi, Daode, Dongshen, Shengxuan, Dongxuan, Wufu, Hetu, Dongzhen, and Bidao. Among these, the Bidao position is the most special and should not have been listed separately. Legend has it that Dongzhen should have three steps, with the third step being called Bidao."

"The ranks of the Talisman Gods also corresponded to these; the Nine Heavens Yingyuan Leisheng Puhua Tianzun belonged to the first step of Dongzhen."

"Talisman Gods can transmit the Dao. At the same time, the evolution of Talisman Gods is also related to the Grand Dao of Talismans. Another significant purpose of establishing the Divine Court was to gather the strength of all Daoist schools to jointly evolve the Grand Dao! In the derivations of the ancient High Sages, above the Thunder Ancestor, the second step of Dongzhen should encompass the Great Emperor of the South Pole, Changsheng."

"Regrettably, the divine wisdom of the ancient sages was exhausted, and despite exhausting all Daoist efforts, they could not evolve this Talisman God. After countless failures, the ancient High Sages, reflecting deeply on their pain, decided to reopen the Shenxiao Upper Palace and reconvene the Shenxiao Grand Council!"

"Within the Shenxiao Palace, the True Masters debated the Dao for what is said to have been a hundred years, finally deciding to undertake a great reform of their methods, replacing the Daoist system, and transforming the Divine Court."

"The Nine Heavens continued to serve as Thunder City for the Celestial Gods of the Thunder Ministry. The remaining gods were invited out, and following the law of the celestial constellations, a new Divine Court was re-established with the Great Formation of the Celestial Constellations as its foundation, re-evolving the gods of the Dipper Ministry. The myriad gods of the Milky Way encompass all things; wherever stars shine, above and below, there are deities."

"Within the Daoist Court, the Heavenly Pivot Bureau was separated from the Shenxiao Grand Control. It was granted the Commander's Ritual Register. Subsequently, many Commanders of districts, Pacification Masters, and Altar Masters originated from the Heavenly Pivot Bureau. Their main duties were to monitor all directions, govern the Daoist school, and correspond to the various gods of the Dipper Ministry."

"However..." The old Daoist's tone suddenly shifted, and he paused.

Master Wan was listening intently, realizing his grand-uncle was about to discuss the origin of the Northern Pole Exorcism Bureau. As he hailed from this bureau, he was naturally more attentive, his expression growing more serious.

"However, during that Shenxiao Grand Council, some High Sages put forth different views. They believed that Talisman Gods were all illusory deities, lacking a solid foundation and thus incapable of attaining the Grand Dao. Therefore, they proposed the assertion that only by a cultivator merging with a god in truth could a true deity be formed."

Upon hearing this, Master Wan's expression was shaken, and he murmured, "Merging with a god in truth, the Divine Way..."

"Precisely," the old Daoist nodded. "This act inadvertently pioneered the Divine Way. However, at that time, most True Masters did not agree with this path. One Celestial Master, pushing against all dissenting opinions, was willing to test the method herself, even without regret for martyrdom, and finally convinced the True Masters. But Daoism was in the early stages of reform, with countless complexities, making it difficult to provide more support. Moreover, this path contradicted ancient methods. To stabilize the hearts of the people, a rule was set: the development of this path must not interfere with internal Daoist affairs, lest it shake the foundation. Thus, some immortal officials were separated from the Daoist Court to follow this Celestial Master, forming the Northern Pole Exorcism Bureau."

"Empress Houtu Earth God?" Master Wan, hailing from the Northern Pole Exorcism Bureau, his mind racing, immediately guessed the Celestial Master's identity.

Other schools, including the Heavenly Pivot Bureau, worshipped Talisman Gods. Only the Northern Pole Exorcism Bureau worshipped True Gods!

They were deities, and also Daoist forebears!

"It was indeed she. This Celestial Master, whose Daoist name was Houtu, painstakingly devoted herself to developing the Divine Way. She can truly be called the Empress of Earth Gods, well-deserved!"

"When the Northern Pole Exorcism Bureau was first established, its duties included investigating and punishing evil spirits, eradicating demons and monsters, and excising wicked influences. Its purpose was to capture demons and ghosts to verify the Divine Way. At that time, the Northern Pole Exorcism Bureau was restricted both within and outside Daoism. Only in the domain of the River of Karma, where few people ventured and demons and ghosts ran rampant, did the True Masters willingly brave dangers to enter the River of Karma and hunt for demons and ghosts."

"Celestial Master Houtu refined the Twenty-Four Heavenly Prison Records, established the Six Heavenly Palaces in Mount Fengdu Luoshan, and internally evolved the Talisman Gods of the Ghost Ministry. She proclaimed herself the Great Emperor of Fengdu, also known as the Great Emperor of Beiyin. She also improved the Commander's Ritual Register, passing it to the Exorcism Bureau, adding the power to summon and invoke the Talisman Gods of the Ghost Ministry, and personally named it the Northern Emperor's Register."

"The Twenty-Four Heavenly Prisons were established in Fengdu to detain demons and ghosts, refining them into ghost soldiers. Their merits and demerits were judged, and those willing to surrender were allowed to merge with a god, sealed as Ghost Gods. They entered the Six Heavenly Palaces, commanding ghost soldiers, which not only expanded our Daoist school's territory. Furthermore, as the Six Heavenly Palaces of Fengdu connected with the Divine Court, the Ghost Gods of Fengdu, like the Talisman Gods, could be summoned by ritual registers to assist Daoist cultivators! This meant that the Divine Way and the Daoist lineage could coexist!"

When speaking of Celestial Master Houtu and the sages of the Exorcism Bureau, the old Daoist's face showed reverence.

Master Wan, however, discerned another meaning, and greater doubts arose in his mind.

What was the relationship between the River of Karma and the Karmic Plain? And what was the origin of the Yin Heavenly Palace, and its connection to Fengdu?

The old Daoist noticed Master Wan's expression. "When heaven and earth were first separated, before Yin and Yang were distinct, and purity and turbidity were undivided, it was called the 'Former Qi of the Six Heavens.' Remnants of this Former Qi survived in the world, gathered and settled, transforming into the River of Karma in the Great Thousand World. The Former Ghosts of the Six Heavens ran rampant there, making it a forbidden land for living beings. Daoist cultivators, by communicating with the Divine Court through talismans, could draw upon the Divine Court's power to pacify the Former Qi of the Six Heavens and summon divine generals to protect their primordial spirits, thus enabling them to enter the River of Karma to hunt demons and ghosts. As for the origin of the Yin Heavenly Palace, it was precisely because its first palace master obtained fragments of the Twenty-Four Heavenly Prison map..."

After a pause, the old Daoist, disregarding Master Wan's astonished expression, continued his narrative. "With Ghost Gods established and the Divine Way proven viable, Daoism was shaken, leading to a third Shenxiao Grand Council, and the Shenxiao Upper Palace was reopened!"

"This Shenxiao Grand Council focused solely on the Divine Way."

"The Daoist school collectively agreed to name True Gods as 'Earth Gods' to distinguish them from Celestial Gods, and divided Earth Gods into Yin (Underworld) and Yang (Worldly) bureaus. The Six Heavenly Palaces of Fengdu became the Yin Bureau, while the Divine Way practiced in various districts was called the Yang Bureau."

"The Yang Bureau included Earth Deities, River Lords, City Gods, Village Deities, Dragon Palaces, and Mountain Temples. All mountains, rivers, seas, cities, and nations could have gods consecrated. Daoist disciples wishing to enter the Divine Way were often consecrated as City Gods, Mountain Gods, or Dragon Palace Deities. Among these, the Mountain God of Dongyue (Eastern Peak) was held in highest esteem, revered as the Great Emperor of Dongyue, holding the same rank as the Great Emperor of Fengdu—though by then, the Great Emperor of Fengdu was no longer Celestial Master Houtu."

"With the Yin and Yang Bureaus standing side by side, external enemies like the Former Ghosts of the Six Heavens entered Fengdu. Demons, ghosts, and culpable cultivators from various districts entered the Mountain God Temples for examination of their merits and demerits and determination of their transgressions. The Ghost Gods of both the Yin and Yang Bureaus were also subject to examination and summoning by the Northern Pole Exorcism Bureau, daring not to commit misdeeds or crimes."

"With the world greatly pacified, Celestial Master Houtu ascended in rank, entering the second step of Dongzhen, and was canonized as the Empress Houtu Earth God, who emulates Heaven!"

"From then on, the Heavenly Pivot Bureau's duties remained unchanged. The Northern Pole Exorcism Bureau was known as the supreme overseer of all evils, responsible for examining and summoning ghosts and gods. The Shenxiao Grand Control was left only with Thunder Magic cultivators, renamed the Jade Mansion of Thunder, specializing in Thunder Magic and guarding the Daoist Court."

"After three Shenxiao Grand Councils, the laws evolved, and the structure of the Daoist Court—two bureaus and one mansion, with three major official registers—was thus solidified! This was truly the pinnacle of our Daoist school's prosperity."

At this point, the old Daoist, uncharacteristically, lost himself in thought, a look of longing on his face as he envisioned the flourishing state of Daoism: "At that time, talents emerged in abundance from the two bureaus and one mansion. Above, there were the Celestial Gods of the Divine Court; below, the ghostly prisons of Fengdu. In the mortal world, Earth Gods assisted immortal officials in governance, ghost soldiers expanded territory, and the Thunder Ministry stood guard. Within and outside the Daoist Court, all commands were obeyed. At its peak, there were twenty-four main administrative districts, with eight each of lower, middle, and upper ranks, in addition to various auxiliary districts, sub-districts, mobile districts, and... the four special districts pioneered by the Northern Pole Exorcism Bureau on the edge of the River of Karma!"

The four special districts!

A turbulent storm immediately surged in Master Wan's mind, and he vaguely understood something.

Just now, he had been envisioning, like his grand-uncle, the magnificent appearance of Daoism at its zenith.

Whether in heaven or on earth, within or outside Daoism, in the cultivation world or among mortals, the will of the Daoist Court was omnipresent, and its decrees were absolute, daring none to defy them.

But therein lay the problem!

Daoist cultivators could enjoy the benefits of the Daoist Court, but those outside Daoism had to abide by its system, or face punishment. As an immortal official of the Daoist Court, Master Wan, even accustomed to its ways, could imagine how suppressed external cultivators ruled by the Daoist Court must have felt.

Those who cultivate immortality inherently yearn for freedom.

Furthermore, as the Daoist Court grew stronger and more territories were brought under its rule, with the Divine Way and Talismanic Way of Daoism coexisting without signs of weakening, it would inevitably cause panic among other forces, and even lead to dissenting voices within Daoism itself.

After all, the Daoist lineage was not solely based on talismans!

Thinking of the four special districts, the fragmented Twenty-Four Heavenly Prison map of the Yin Heavenly Palace, the silent Jade Mansion of Thunder, and the Northern Pole Exorcism Bureau and Heavenly Pivot Bureau whose functions now were almost indistinguishable, and also...

The Divine Way was originally another major inheritance of the Daoist Court, but now it was suppressed, and instead picked up by demons.

Perhaps the Daoist Court experienced upheaval before the Divine Way was perfected, or perhaps the current Daoist Court is too weak to manage the Divine Way concurrently.

Master Wan instantly thought of many things, his voice strained: "Could the Divine Court have..."

"The Divine Court has collapsed."

The old Daoist sighed deeply; those four words were enough to explain everything.

"The Jade Mansion of Thunder, responsible for guardianship, suffered the most severe losses; the Celestial Gods of the Thunder Ministry were almost entirely shattered. However, the Divine Court was not completely destroyed. Otherwise, we wouldn't even have altar guardian deities and wouldn't be able to survive in the Karmic Plain. Our generation's responsibility is to reclaim the Divine Court. There is a prophecy that the day the Divine Court is reactivated will be the day the Daoist Court returns to the Great Thousand World!"

Hearing this, Master Wan's somber mood instantly lifted, and he also understood why his grand-uncle had shared all this. "Is the Divine Court in the Jushan District altar?"

The old Daoist said, "It's one of the most likely places, but no matter what, we cannot let the demons get there first. Otherwise, do you know the consequences?"

"Demons usurping divine positions!"

Master Wan gasped.

I am taking tomorrow off.

I am currently on a long business trip, and things are complicated and time-sensitive. I originally wanted to take today off, but considering how crucial this chapter is, I had to push through the work for one more day. I'll be returning the day after tomorrow and will try to update then. I'll provide a specific notice when the time comes.