Perfected Lord of Pure Source and Wondrous Way

"Lin Yu, a disciple of Maoshan, pays his respects to Senior."

Lin Yu saw a handsome man emerge, wearing a three-peaked flying-phoenix cap and a pale goose-yellow robe. Gold-threaded boots covered his coiling-dragon socks, and a jade belt completed his eight-treasure finery adorned with floral medallions. A crescent-shaped slingshot hung at his waist, and he carried a three-pointed, double-edged spear.

A pitch-black hound followed behind him, and a great eagle perched on his shoulder.

At the sight, Lin Yu knew who he was, and the excitement in his heart could hardly be contained.

Lin Yu didn't know why, despite the sealing of heaven and earth, he hadn't returned to heaven and had instead stayed in the mortal world.

"You're very different."

To Lin Yu's surprise, the first thing the man said was that he was different.

Lin Yu wondered what was different about him. Weren't they all human?

"Everyone else quietly waits for a true god to guide them, but look at you, picking and choosing for yourself. If heaven and earth weren't cut off from each other, I'm afraid they'd be fighting like mad to have you."

The man saw Lin Yu's confusion and explained.

"Uh." Lin Yu was embarrassed. It wasn't as if he'd been picking and choosing. Seeing that those paths were broken, he'd assumed the immortals really were cut off. He hadn't expected they could still see what was happening in the mortal world.

"Lin Yu, a disciple of Maoshan, pays his respects to the Perfected Lord of Pure Source and Wondrous Way."

Seeing that Erlang Shen had fallen silent after speaking, Lin Yu hurriedly bowed again.

"Granted."

A majestic, resounding voice rang through heaven and earth. Having successfully contacted a god, Lin Yu's soul flew swiftly back the way it had come.

Just as Lin Yu was about to return to the mortuary, a golden light shot into the space between his brows.

"Holy shit, I've hit the jackpot!"

After receiving it, Lin Yu spoke with golden light shining in his eyes.

A divine mark had appeared on his soul's forehead, just like a third eye.

"Could it be... ow!" Before Wen Cai and Qiu Sheng could finish, Uncle Nine interrupted them with a smack on each of their heads.

"Master, what was that for?" The two looked at Uncle Nine reproachfully.

"We've just contacted a god. It must not be spoken of or mentioned. The deity is still watching this place," Uncle Nine reminded them.

But his own face was glowing, and he had clearly guessed which god Lin Yu had meant when he said he was very powerful.

"Xiao Yu, remember to make an offering every day from now on. You mustn't neglect it," Uncle Nine instructed solemnly.

This was the first time in modern times that one of their Maoshan disciples had contacted such a high-ranking god. They had to make proper offerings.

The Maoshan inheritance Lin Yu had obtained wasn't something he could use to invoke a god and then be done with. His was like the practice of spirit mediums: he was seeking a partner for the future.

That showed just how enviable and astonishing it was that Lin Yu had managed to invoke Erlang Shen. With this technique, a person could only make offerings to one god in their lifetime.

Of course, under normal circumstances, they could still invite a founding master to possess them, but it wasn't as good as having a god they made offerings to. Sometimes a founding master couldn't be summoned at all.

The founding masters had so many disciples and received offerings from so many people that they bestowed power according to how close they were to them.

With someone like Lin Yu's Erlang Shen, it was more like, "You won't come? Fine, I'll die right in front of you, and then you'll have to avenge me."

That was probably another form of karma.

With a big shot like Erlang Shen around, as long as Lin Yu didn't court death, ordinary people really wouldn't dare touch him.

"Xiao Yu, make your offerings properly." As Uncle Nine spoke, he handed Lin Yu a blank spirit tablet.

Lin Yu accepted it respectfully, inscribed the corresponding divine title on it, and bowed again and again.

"Wow, Junior Brother, you've really made it!" Qiu Sheng and Wen Cai looked at Lin Yu enviously.

They wanted a spirit tablet like that too, but unfortunately they lacked the talent to learn the God-Invoking Technique. Even if they learned it, no one would think highly enough of them to agree to receive their offerings.

"Senior Brothers, if you practiced the talismans and spells Master taught you properly, you'd do just as well. It's your own fault for slacking off." Lin Yu didn't spare either of them any face this time.

"Sigh, it's not like we want to be this way. Junior Brother, you don't know, no matter how we try, we just can't learn."

"Yeah, yeah. Qiu Sheng's a little better off, but I really can't learn Master's skills. It's been so many years, and I haven't made any progress at all," Wen Cai said dejectedly.

"Senior Brother, as long as you promise not to slack off for a month and practice diligently, I'll make sure you can get started." Lin Yu encouraged Wen Cai.

"Really?" Wen Cai looked at Lin Yu with eyes full of doubt.

"Of course. Just look at who I'm making offerings to now. What is there in the mortal world that he can't do?"

Lin Yu wasn't actually planning to trouble Erlang Shen. He wanted to use Erlang Shen's name to spur Wen Cai on, then find a solution through the chat group.

After all, there were no resources in the mortal realm of this world, but other worlds had them. Shi Hao's world alone was a high-level world.

"Junior Brother, me too! You can't forget about me." Qiu Sheng also squeezed Wen Cai aside, signaling to Lin Yu that he would work hard too.

"That's enough, you two!" Uncle Nine couldn't stand watching anymore.

He didn't want Lin Yu going to the Perfected Lord on behalf of these two lumps of mud that couldn't be plastered onto a wall. That could cause the Perfected Lord's impression of Lin Yu to worsen.

"Don't worry, Master. I have my own way. It'll be fine." Lin Yu reassured Uncle Nine that it wasn't what he thought.

"Then, Junior Brother, we're going to practice." With that, the two ran off.

"Hey, it's late at night. Instead of resting, are you trying to disturb the neighbors?" Uncle Nine looked speechlessly at the two clowns. Their enthusiasm never lasted more than three minutes.

"Then I'll go rest too, Master. Good night." Lin Yu carried the spirit tablet back to his room.

"Sigh, founding master, please bless him. Lin Yu is the most promising disciple of this generation. I hope he grows up safe and sound." Uncle Nine offered a stick of incense to the founding master.

"You two, get to bed! We still have to help Master Ren relocate a grave tomorrow. If you can't get up, don't bother coming." Uncle Nine spoke as he watched the lively pair in the courtyard.

"Yes, Master!" ×2

The two hurried back to their room. They didn't want to miss the chance to see Ren Tingting.

The next day, as the hour of the monkey approached, everything was proceeding according to plan.

The Ren household had clearly divided the work: some scattered paper money, while others burned incense to send away the lonely souls and wandering ghosts nearby.

Lin Yu and his companions stood beside Ren Fa, waiting for the appointed time.

Ren Tingting wore a blue cloth outfit that day. Since it was her grandfather's grave being relocated, she hadn't dressed up much, but the outfit still gave her the air of a demure girl from a modest family.

"Wow, she's so beautiful." From the moment Ren Tingting appeared, Wen Cai's eyes had hardly left her.

"Yeah. I'd gladly give up ten years of my life to marry her." Qiu Sheng wore a lecherous grin.

"Senior Brothers, could you stop being so gross? There are so many people here." Lin Yu couldn't stand watching them. It was too embarrassing; they acted as if they'd never seen a woman before.

"Hey, you lot stay away from my cousin, you bunch of country bumpkins!" At that moment, A Wei, the captain of the security team, made his entrance.

"A Wei, come here." Before he could throw his weight around for even two seconds, Ren Fa called him over.

"You two come over too. It's time to pay your respects."

"Everyone, bow with sincerity and respect."

As Uncle Nine spoke, he led Ren Fa and the others to Ren Weiyong's grave to offer incense.

"Uncle Nine, the feng shui master said back then that a piece of land like this was very hard to find. It's an excellent site." After paying his respects, Ren Fa went up to Uncle Nine with a proud look on his face.

"Mm, that's right. This is a Dragonfly-Touching-Water Feng Shui Site. The site is thirty-four feet long, but only four feet can be used... so the coffin cannot be buried flat. It must be given a ritual burial." Uncle Nine walked a circle around Ren Weiyong's grave as he gave his assessment.

"Amazing. You truly live up to your name, Uncle Nine." Ren Fa looked at Uncle Nine with admiration. The feng shui master had searched for a long time to find this land, yet Uncle Nine had seen its nature after only a few glances.

"Junior Brother, what's a ritual burial? It can't be a... mmph!" Before Wen Cai could finish, Lin Yu manually muted him.

He already knew what embarrassing thing Wen Cai was about to say, and he didn't want them to make fools of themselves.

"A ritual burial means burying the coffin upright." Lin Yu looked at Wen Cai speechlessly.

"Yes, yes, exactly! As expected of Uncle Nine's accomplished disciple, you even know that." Ren Fa was very fond of Lin Yu.

"The feng shui master said the same thing back then: 'Bury the ancestor standing tall, and his descendants will outshine them all.'"

Qiu Sheng looked mockingly at Wen Cai, who had almost embarrassed himself.

"Uncle Nine, the offerings are finished. Can we start digging?" At that moment, the workers came over carrying their tools.

Uncle Nine checked the time and said, "You may."