With just a brief introduction, they could basically confirm each others’ identity. The main god of the Chunmu River stood before them, and Desheng Prefecture’s City God could also easily recognize the white flood dragon. And Ying Ruoli’s divine light, characteristic of a Righteous Lord of Water, was even greater than Bai Qi’s, which could not be faked. There was only one Tongtian River, in Dazhen and even in all surrounding countries.

In the past, the two river gods would naturally refrain from revealing so much divine light, and even if it was difficult to completely conceal it, there would at most be an extraordinary halo behind them. Their actions today were entirely for the purpose of displaying their identities.

The true body of Desheng Prefecture’s City God accompanied Ji Yuan and his companions, and he led the group of distinguished guests into the underworld of Desheng Prefecture. A gloomy and eerie atmosphere pervaded the place. An ordinary person would definitely have been frightened, but this was normal for Ji Yuan and the others.

“The main hall is right here, please come in!”

The City God stretched out his hand to usher the guests inside. They led the way into the main hall of the City God Temple.

Compared to other ghosts and gods, city gods had their own sense of pride. They were in awe of those with profound Taoist achievements and powerful spiritual energy, but they would not bow to them. After showing sufficient respect, they would steer things their way.

In the main hall, the City God sat at the head of the room, while Ji Yuan and the Old Dragon sat next to each other on his right, and the Dragon Daughter and Bai Qi on the left.

The head officials of the various divisions and the land gods sat on both sides, while others stood in place. Qin Zizhou actually had a chair, too. After all, all the ghosts and gods present knew that this Doctor Qin might become a true Wandering God sometime in the future, perhaps in one hundred or several hundred years.

But Qin Zizhou didn’t dare to sit down: couldn’t they see many head officials of the underworld chosen to stand?

“Qin Zizhou, in life you were one of the most kind-hearted individuals of Desheng Prefecture. You have never committed any crimes in your lifetime. You managed your family strictly, and taught your disciples carefully. You have practiced medicine for over 80 years and saved countless lives. You lived a total of 120 years; your accumulated blessings will protect six generations of your descendants…”

Qin Zizhou’s achievements were not only in his medical practice and personally saving lives, but also in cultivating many students with excellent medical ethics. Over the years, countless people have benefited, directly and indirectly, from his instruction.

The City God of Desheng Prefecture personally listed Qin Zizhou’s merits and demerits throughout his life. He paused here, and glanced around before continuing.

“Now, an immortal is grateful for your life’s achievements, and upon seeing that you are filled with a pure spiritual aura, he wishes to enlighten you in your cultivation practice… to the path of the Wandering God. Are you willing?”

Even the City God couldn’t help but emphasize the tone of the words “Wandering God.”

Before Ji Yuan and the others had arrived, the gods of the underworld had already explained to Qin Zizhou what a Wandering God was. However, because the position was so mythical, its nature was vague, and the gods of the underworld did not understand it very well. At the very least, Qin Zizhou was no longer confused.

Ji Yuan had arrived with the Lord Gods of Water, but the only one who could make the final decision was Qin Zizhou himself.

It was impossible to claim that he wasn’t nervous. Because he had lived so long, there were no Qin family ancestors still in the underworld. However, after two days of adapting to the afterlife, Mr. Qin was no longer as nervous as he had been when he died. He had regained the calm demeanor of a great doctor.

Sometimes, when faced with a patient’s grievous symptoms, relatives and friends would not dare approach them. Aside from an individual’s closest relatives, only the doctors would be able to remain calm and composed. Qin Zizhou was one such person.

Qin Zizhou already knew how significant an opportunity this was, and he had already made up his mind about his choice. However, when faced with the City God’s question, he bowed, and gave a different answer.

“I, Qin, know that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I just wish to ask Immortal Ji why he chose me. Although I have indeed saved many lives through practicing medicine, and my body and soul may be somewhat special, I am sure that, with your ability, you can find many more people like me. How is choosing me beneficial, Immortal?”

Qin Zizhou’s actually echoed the doubts of many people present. Perhaps only the Old Dragon could understand a little of Ji Yuan’s perspective.

When Ji Yuan heard his words, he couldn’t help but think: ‘Doctor Qin, don’t underestimate yourself. There really aren’t many souls like you. ’

But he didn’t speak it aloud. Instead of giving an answer, he asked a question in return. At the same time, he opened his supernatural eyes as wide as they could go.

“Doctor Qin, you spent your entire life practicing medicine. Why?”

Qin Zizhou was stunned. What was there to even question?

“Of course, it’s to cure diseases and save lives!”

Qin Zizhou’s answer came completely from his heart. His Qi flowed naturally, and his body and soul did not show any fluctuations.

This showed that his words were entirely in line with his heart and mind. Over all the years of Qin Zizhou’s life, this had been his simple guiding purpose, just like how people needed to eat and drink to live.

His words seemed simple, but in truth they were not. Few people could speak them so calmly.

“I hope that Doctor Qin can still save lives when you enter the path of spiritual cultivation. But it would not longer be a matter of just a few hundred or few thousand people, in one or two places, but all the people and spirits in the world, and all sentient beings. What do you think of this?”

“This…”

Qin Zizhou remained silent, not be cause he didn’t wish to speak, but because he couldn’t conceive of the meaning of Ji Yuan’s words. He was even more afraid that he wouldn’t have the ability to achieve it. After all, he was still thinking like a mortal; but he could understand that it was absolutely a virtuous path.

Ji Yuan just smiled.

“Although the way of the Wandering God cannot be achieved overnight, it is indeed extraordinary. It can only be taught to those who are kind-hearted and naturally gifted. Doctor Qin, how many people in the world do you think are like you?”

Ji Yuan didn’t wait for Qin Zizhou to answer, and went on.

“In all my time practicing till now, I have only seen you!”

As soon as these words were spoken, all the powerful players present, including the Old Dragon, subconsciously looked to Qin Zizhou again, sizing him up and down. To receive such a comment from Mr. Ji, Qin Zizhou must truly be extraordinary.

Seeing the ghosts and gods react like this, Qin Zizhou felt a lot of pressure, but he also seemed to realize his own singularity.

“Humans, ghosts, monsters, spirits, gods, immortals, Buddhas, and demons; insects, reptiles, birds, beasts, plants; even mountains, rivers, and swamps: all things in the world have spirits, and all have emotions. As I said before, I hope that Doctor Qin can continue to save the lives of sentient beings, as your path of spiritual cultivation!”

Although his voice was calm, it carried the sense of all the paths of life as it rolled over them, as if creating a conceptual universe in the hearts of the onlookers. Qin Zizhou was shocked and awed, his expression dumb as a piece of wood.

Ji Yuan stood up and solemnly looked at Qin Zizhou’s soul. He let go of the inner world within his body, reversed his Transformation of Heaven and Earth, and combined his own thoughts with his outer expression.

This was a result born of Ji Yuan’s own cultivation after he had met with Qiu Feng in the small courtyard and realized that he had inadvertently released a state of “sentimentality.” Although he could not and dared not compare his current actions to the situation at that time, he nonetheless achieved an extraordinary effect.

“Whether you can do it is one thing; whether you dare to do it, or are willing to do it, is another. There are too few people who can walk the path of the Wandering God, but may be that this path is a difficult one to walk, just like how there are very few people who can attain the Tao and achieve enlightenment among those who practice immortal cultivation…”

As Ji Yuan reached this point, he suddenly uttered the following words in a powerful and resonant voice.

“Qin Zizhou, are you willing to cultivate your godhood for the sake of the common people in the world?”

The sound was like a raging torrent, shaking the spirits and of the lesser gods and ghosts around them and making them numb. A faint spiritual energy was hidden in the sound, but Qin Zizhou, this newly dead soul, seemed to have been awakened, and looked towards Ji Yuan’s still grey eyes that never seemed to waver.

Caught in the sound of the Tao, Qin Zizhou felt as if his vision was sucked into it, and he could see heavens, the earth, and all mountains and rivers in the world…

After a moment, the pure energy in Qin Zizhou cleared his vision, and he could see the sincerity in the Immortal’s eyes. His own thoughts and concerns seemed truly ridiculous faced with the vastness of the world at this moment. He stood still amidst the manifestation of the Tao, then bowed and kowtowed deeply.

“I, Qin Zizhou, do not dare to claim that I will definitely achieve the Immortal’s high expectations, but I am willing to walk this path!”

When his words fell, a chess piece appeared in Ji Yuan’s sleeve, and the ghostly aura in Qin Zizhou’s spiritual body almost disappeared. A fresh energy in his body flowed out from him, making him exude a faint vitality, as if he were truly no different from any living person.

This change shocked all the ghosts and gods in the hall. They all thought that this was result of Ji Yuan beginning to instruct Qin Zizhou in the path — even the Old Dragon thought so. Little did they know, Ji Yuan himself was also significantly shocked, but he felt it much more deeply than the others. He vaguely sensed that this might be due to Qin Zizhou’s own aura and his new vow.

Seeing Qin Zizhou bowing solemnly, Ji Yuan did not dare to be negligent at his moment. He bowed deeply to Qin Zizhou in return.

“Mr. Qin is very righteous!”

Afraid that Qin Zizhou would not be able to maintain this rare state, Ji Yuan immediately turned to the City God of Desheng Prefecture.

“I hope to borrow the place with the heaviest concentration of Yin energy in the underworld for a little bit.”

The City God stood up to answer.

“Immortal Master, please, if it’s convenient, could you allow us in the underworld to watch?”

“It’s not some dangerous evil technique. It would be fine to watch from the sidelines around nine feet away.”

…

This was a major event in the underworld, but it was also a top secret. Before Ji Yuan could even mention anything about not letting the information leak out, the entire underworld was already very nervous. Aside from the division heads of the twenty four divisions and a select few underworld messengers, the other denizens of the underworld knew nothing about it. They only knew that two river gods had arrived.

The place with the heaviest concentration of Yin energy was the prison of the Punishment Division. The evil spirits originally imprisoned there were taken away by the underworld messengers one after another, and even the wooden ghost prison cells had been moved away with the power of the Lord of the Punishment Division. Although this location with its extreme Yin energy was was still gloomy and eerie, it was now shrouded in divine light.

Qin Zizhou sat cross-legged in the center of the space, with Bai Qi, the River God of Chunhui Prefecture, sitting cross-legged on his left, and Ying Ruoli, the Goddess of the Tongtian River, sitting on the right.

The Old Dragon and Ji Yuan stood in front and behind them, respectively. Surrounding the prison space were the City God of the underworld and the Gods of the Twenty Four Divisions, as well as of course the Land God of Deyuan County.

Lord of Civil Judgement held a piece of paper in his hand and drew a picture that was three parts vivid and seven parts abstract. It was a misty and mysterious image. He was very satisfied with his work, and stroked his beard as he scribbled the title in the corner: The Enlightenment of the Realm-Wandering God.

Ji Yuan stood solemnly before Qin Zizhou. He waved his hand through the air, and the word “Edict” appeared on the ground where Qin Zizhou was sitting.

“Thank you in advance for your support, River Gods!”

“You’re very welcome, Uncle Ji!”

“Mr. Ji, there’s no need to be polite!”

The Dragon Daughter and the white flood dragon responded verbally even as their hands began to cast the spell. A rich water essence was created in this place of extreme Yin, intensifying the Yin Qi several-fold.¹

The old dragon standing in the back also waved his hand, and the spiritual energy surged, making the water and Yin in this place merge, and actually creating wisps of Yin spiritual springs that surrounded Qin Zizhou’s soul.

The divine light of the Dragon Daughter and Bai Qi shone brightly, and a halo of rainbow light appeared behind them. As they waved their hands and cast spells, colorful lights broke away and merged with the spiritual spring. Within them, one could vaguely hear the sounds of people praying and see the flow of incense power.

It was impossible to determine just how much incense power and prayer was contained in just a tiny trace of the light, let alone the large amounts that were flowing out now.

As the divine light grew brighter and brighter, the entire prison was now covered in a divine halo. The ghosts and gods outside could not even see what was happening inside. However, no one spoke, they just nervously used their supernatural vision to watch.

Ji Yuan also had to open his supernatural eyes to see everything clearly. As the spiritual spring seeped into Qin Zizhou’s soul, the ghost body under the flow of pure energy had reached the critical level, creating a pure Yin body.

“Edict — transform!”

The sound of the Edict that Ji Yuan had been preparing since long before emerged along with a large amount of mysterious yellow energy. The sound rang out like an enormous bell, and the sound waves rolled out from his spot.

The character for “Edict” under Qin Zizhou’s body lit up. At the same time, the infinite incense power and and the power of the vow within his body merged with the mysterious yellow Qi, and all were integrated into Qin Zizhou’s own pure aura.

First, the life-water rose inside the body.² Then, a wisp of true Yang energy rose from inside of it, and then it was like a spark catching alight in a prairie, and the whole body turned from Yin to Yang, from intangible to solid.

T/n: everyone else: shock! Awe! Terror!

Ji Yuan: Well this isn’t exactly how I thought things would go but hey it worked out well

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1. Water is considered the most Yin of the five elements (from most Yin to most Yang, it roughly goes: Water, Metal, Earth, Wood, Fire)
2. 先是身内诞葵水 has connotations of energy “blooming” and the “Dan” inside the body with regards to the water energy

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read