The Authority of the Underworld Administration

When it came down to it, the Land God hesitated.

He did not accept the gift immediately, but instead explained to Ling Qing, "In my perception, this Stone Tablet holds a portion of land authority, as well as a trace of Underworld Administration authority.

"Since you have obtained that scripture, once you have cultivated successfully and returned to that small town, you could use this Stone Tablet to become the Land God of that town.

"At the same time, you would be able to shelter the departed, collect wandering souls, and guide them into the underworld for reincarnation.

"If the incense offerings are plentiful and your merits are fulfilled in the future, that town might even be promoted to a City God of a prefecture.

"I suggest you reconsider, sir."

"There is no need. My journey is to seek the Dao and immortality at Mount Lao; my ambitions do not lie here."

Seeing the Land God act in such a manner, Ling Qing felt he had not helped the wrong person, nor had he misjudged his character.

On the contrary, he felt his own motives and thoughts were somewhat dark and lacking in integrity.

Although Nature encompasses both light and darkness, and Druids are mostly of a neutral alignment dedicated to maintaining the natural cycle and the balance between good and evil, both his upbringing and the immortal path he yearned for taught him to strive for goodness.

While it was impossible for Ling Qing to be absolutely good—not only because his alignment did not permit it, but because he himself lacked the desire—neutral good is still good, and good neutral is still neutral.

He smiled slightly and said, "To meet such a benevolent and righteous Orthodox God as you today is a great benefit to me.

"Please, accept this Stone Tablet. As for how to handle it, I leave that to your own judgment.

"Although I have read the scripture several times, I cannot grasp its essence for the moment, so I cannot be of much more help to you."

Regardless of whether he could successfully enter Mount Lao after this trial, meeting the Land God was already a significant gain for Ling Qing.

In his view, the Land God's conduct and example were far more precious than the ancient scroll itself.

After all, there would always be ways to acquire power in the future; the Druid heritage alone was enough for him to study for a lifetime.

But if one's path goes astray, it is a regret that can never be mended.

Seeing that Ling Qing was truly sincere and seemingly enlightened, the Land God felt both happy and pleased for him.

This time, he did not perform the elaborate bows as before, but simply accepted it with a cheerful word of thanks.

In his heart, he recognized that Ling Qing would surely achieve greatness, and he sincerely accepted this bond of fate.

True friendship is kept in the heart; grand and cumbersome rituals are for strangers.

Afterward, the man and the god each busied themselves.

Ling Qing was busy concocting poisons. After preparing several batches of standard toxins, he began to experiment haphazardly.

It was not entirely without basis, as he formulated them according to his knowledge of plants and medical principles.

As for whether they were poisonous or how potent they were, he did not pay much attention.

If they worked, all the better; if not, it didn't matter, as using poison was merely an auxiliary means.

Besides, he doubted ordinary poisons would have much effect on a pack of tigers brimming with vitality.

He prepared them just to have a straw to grasp; perhaps it could be the one to break the camel's back.

Meanwhile, the Land God began to integrate the aura of land and Underworld Administration authority from the Stone Tablet into his own divine office.

The land authority could increase his divine power and jurisdiction, allowing him to exert influence deeper and further.

The Underworld Administration authority would grant him the means to deal with ghosts and spirits.

While a standard Land God office includes the function of guiding souls, he had never touched upon this aspect before and lacked the corresponding authority.

The reason the Stone Tablet contained this aura was that it had been transformed from a tombstone invaded by dark, ghostly energy, and had subsequently been purified by the Taoist incantations of Ling Qing and his companions.

Compared to the guiding ability of a typical land deity, this aura possessed an additional layer of power: the ability to refine ghosts.

This would allow him to neutralize one of the Tiger Demon's most important weapons.

There is a saying: "The tiger creates a Chang Ghost." It describes how those eaten by a tiger become Chang Ghosts, who then lead the tiger to prey on others.

This shows that tigers are naturally capable of controlling ghosts, and this Tiger Demon, having attained spiritual essence, was no exception.

The reason it descended the mountain to eat people was precisely to acquire more Chang Ghosts.

Originally, the Land God intended to use his divine power to forcibly suppress the Chang Ghosts, but that would have caused their souls to scatter.

Even if they didn't scatter, once he killed the Tiger Demon, these Chang Ghosts would become wandering spirits, unable to enter the Underworld Administration.

But now, with the Underworld Administration authority and the power of refinement, he could save those Chang Ghosts, purge the fierce, baleful energy from them, and restore their clarity.

This would allow them to enter the underworld and be reincarnated.

By noon, Ling Qing had finished his preparations.

As a spiritual entity, the Land God did not need to eat; he had not yet reached the stage of fasting from grains.

Ling Qing did not intend to enter the village. He took some dry rations from his book box and drew a bowl of water from the nearby stream to eat.

With the Heart of Nature, Ling Qing could sense the purity of the water and distinguish what was safe to drink.

Moreover, as the stream flowed past the Land God Temple, it was influenced by the god's power and was free of any impurities.

It was unlikely that anything miraculous would happen, however.

After finishing lunch, Ling Qing cast a glance at the Land God Temple.

He discovered that aside from a faint, clear light flickering within the temple—which he could only perceive through his senses—and an aura of mystery, there was no movement at all.

It stood to reason that the Land God had yet to fully master his new divine authority.

Then again, if it were that easy, the Land God would not have been so agitated.

Presumably, without that scroll of Divine Script and the Stone Tablet, he would not have known when he might ever possess the ability to ferry ghosts.

It was currently high noon, and the Tiger Demon would surely not choose this time to strike; after all, the sun's essence was fiercely suppressive toward ghosts.

Sitting in the shade of a tree to rest for a while, he took three sticks of incense out of his book box.

He had purchased these from the Special Affairs Department using points; it was said they were crafted from premium sandalwood by master incense makers and cellar-aged for several years.

Someone had obtained them but found no use for them, eventually putting them up for sale on the Special Affairs Department's platform.

Ling Qing did not buy this incense to burn it, but rather to aid in his cultivation.

Primarily, to cast the Incantation of Incense Offering effectively, one must have incense as a medium for the spell.

He had been chanting over this incense for over half a month, so it should possess some divine efficacy by now.

Once the Tiger Demon arrived, he would use this incense to perform the Land God Incantation to offer to the Land God, which would surely provide him with some assistance.

After adjusting the spells within his spellbook, he prepared the spellcasting materials, placing each portion within easy reach.

He committed the layout to memory repeatedly, ensuring he could grab them the instant they were needed.

He then strung a dozen Ghost-Repelling Pills together with a thin vine and hung them around his neck to prevent the Chang Ghost from ambushing him.

Next, he applied the talismans he had traded from Zhu Guang to his body, ready to activate them at any moment.

Finally, he placed the three Mud Pellets given to him by the Land God in an accessible spot, prepared to flee should the situation turn dire.