551: Chapter 552 A Beginner's Guide to the Divine Court!

Thoughts raced through Patrol Envoy Zhang's mind, yet his face revealed an expression of utmost sincerity.

He took out a pale golden token from his sleeve and handed it to Lu Ming.

"Fellow Daoist, you are new here and unfamiliar with the surroundings. This token contains ten years of Karma worth of Power Of Faith, which I previously transferred from the Heavenly Treasure Treasury.

I originally intended to keep it for my own use, but I thought that you, Fellow Daoist, probably need it more than I do right now."

Patrol Envoy Zhang's tone was exceptionally sincere as he handed it over, appearing as if he were truly a kind-hearted person eager to help.

However, he did not want to appear overly eager; after all, ten years of Power Of Faith was not a small amount.

Once this person officially became a divine official, he would inevitably learn about some of the inside information.

If his motives were suspected, that would not be ideal.

Thus, he added a sentence.

"Fellow Daoist, just use this Power Of Faith for now; consider it a loan from me."

"Ah, this... how could I be so embarrassed!"

Lu Ming had not expected Patrol Envoy Zhang to pull such a stunt.

This dog thing was truly willing to go to great lengths just to scheme against him.

Although he had not personally experienced Power Of Faith, he knew it was considered hard currency in the Divine Court. A ten-year denomination would likely be worth something.

Lu Ming was very clear in his heart that Patrol Envoy Zhang was doing this to build favorability and to pave the way for tricking him into taking out a loan later.

However, Lu Ming had always been one to never refuse what came to him; there was absolutely no reason to decline.

Since you dare to give, he dares to receive.

Who would refuse something obtained for free?

As for whether it was a sugar-coated bullet?

That was not important!

With his main body as backup, he could completely eat the sugar and then fire the bullet back!

Thus, while he spoke of feeling embarrassed, his actions were very honest.

He snatched the token from Patrol Envoy Zhang's hand in one go.

"Uh... haha."

Looking at his empty hand, Patrol Envoy Zhang's expression stiffened slightly.

Ten years of Power Of Faith were gone just like that; it would be a lie to say he didn't feel the sting.

At the same time, he cursed inwardly, thinking that this stinking outsider was really not polite at all!

However, he still feigned generosity with his mouth.

"Fellow Daoist, no need to be polite. If you become successful in the future, just remember that you have me as a friend."

"Mm-hmm, definitely, definitely!"

Lu Ming took the token and lowered his head to examine it.

As for Patrol Envoy Zhang's words, he was even more perfunctory.

At this moment, holding the token, he felt the power contained within the Power Of Faith; it was pure and gentle, like nectar that had been carefully purified.

Although it wasn't much, for him, a newcomer to the Divine Court, it should count as a decent "startup capital."

Thus, his face finally revealed a hint of perfectly timed gratitude, and he bowed to Patrol Envoy Zhang.

"Patrol Envoy Zhang's great kindness, Wang will keep it in his heart. If there are any tasks in the future, I will certainly do my best."

He spoke with such sincerity, at least it sounded very serious.

And when Patrol Envoy Zhang saw that Lu Ming was so sensible, the slight dissatisfaction that had just risen immediately vanished.

He thought to himself, my judgment was indeed correct; this person is truly sensible.

Thus, his smile deepened by a few degrees.

"Fellow Daoist is too polite. You and I are fated; this was merely a small effort."

He paused, as if he had just remembered the real business.

"By the way, since you have entered the Divine Court, you also have a corresponding official residence.

Although it is a bit simple, its advantage is that it is quiet, which is convenient for you to go into seclusion and refine the official Talisman."

As he spoke, he made a "please" gesture, "Fellow Daoist, please follow me."

"Sorry for the trouble."

Lu Ming followed Patrol Envoy Zhang through several urban areas and arrived in front of an official residence located in the west.

Lu Ming looked up, having expected it to be an ordinary courtyard with blue bricks and gray tiles.

After all, the "Water Envoy" in Patrol Envoy Zhang's words was only the lowest level of a True God.

Analogizing to the Cultivation World, it would be equivalent to a manager at the Qi Refinement Stage in a market; the treatment might be better than a Loose Cultivator, but how much better could it really be?

But when the vermilion-lacquered gate slowly opened, he realized he was wrong.

Hanging above the lintel was a gilded plaque, with two large ancient seal script characters written on it — "Water Mansion".

The brushstrokes were heavy and steady, and spiritual light flowed faintly; it was clearly not a mundane object.

Stepping over the threshold, the view suddenly opened up. He saw deep courtyards, winding paths leading to secluded spots, and the ground paved with bluestone.

On both sides were rows of spiritual plants; spiritual light flowed between their branches and leaves. They were not ordinary flowers or grass, but high-quality precious trees and divine stamens.

In the distance, a rockery stood, with flowing water surrounding it. The sound of water was gurgling; it was actually a miniature spiritual stream.

Under the corridor hung several glazed palace lanterns. What burned in the lamps was not oil or wax, but spiritual flames condensed from the power of incense, emitting a soft light that did not extinguish even in the daytime.

Looking further ahead, there were three main halls with flying eaves and bucket arches, carved beams and painted pillars. The doors were inlaid with jade plates polished as smooth as mirrors, reflecting the light and shadows in the courtyard.

Looking at all this before him, a trace of surprise flashed in Lu Ming's eyes.

He was not a Mortal who hadn't seen the world; after all, he was now the master of a cave heaven, and the resources he possessed were unimaginable to ordinary people.

Therefore, although this Water Mansion before him was extremely luxurious and far exceeded his expectations, for him, it was actually just so-so.

But what surprised Lu Ming was that the level of luxury of this "Water Mansion" was only the lowest level of a True God's official residence?

He silently compared it in his heart to the Immortal Caves of those Golden Core True Persons in the Profound Spirit Domain and found that, except for the spiritual energy which might be superior, many other aspects were actually not as good as this Water Mansion.

Lu Ming couldn't help but sigh in his heart: With this level of corruption, no wonder so many people want to become officials.

Patrol Envoy Zhang seemed to see his surprise, his tone carrying a bit of complacency and pride.

"Fellow Daoist, you do not know this, but the Divine Court has regulations from top to bottom. Although the Water Envoy is the lowest rank among the True Gods, after all, it is recorded in the Heavenly Official Registry, so the proper decorum must be maintained."

While the two were talking, the door of the main hall opened from the inside.

An old man dressed in a green robe walked out quickly, bowed to Patrol Envoy Zhang to pay his respects, and then greeted Lu Ming.

"This old servant has seen Patrol Envoy Zhang, and has seen the Master."

And behind him followed two beautiful maids dressed in light green palace attire, as well as two servants.

They bowed in unison, their movements uniform and orderly, clearly well-trained.

Patrol Envoy Zhang introduced to Lu Ming: "This is the steward, Zhou Tong, who has managed miscellaneous affairs in the Water Mansion for many years and knows the affairs of the mansion like the back of his hand. If you have anything you don't understand, Fellow Daoist, just ask him."

"Although the Water Mansion is a bit small, it has everything it should have. If you feel there are not enough hands, Fellow Daoist, you can add more at any time."

His tone was flat, as if he were talking about the most ordinary thing, but Lu Ming always felt that he was showing off.

After all, this Water Mansion, which was "a bit small" in Patrol Envoy Zhang's words, was already more luxurious than the Immortal Caves of many Sect Heads of medium-sized Sects in the Cultivation World.

And this was only the lowest level of a True God; what kind of life did those Divine Lords, those big figures in the upper three layers, lead on a daily basis?

However, he did not reveal the emotions in his heart, just nodded slightly.

"Sorry for the trouble, everyone."

Zhou Tong hurriedly said he dared not, and then led Lu Ming and Patrol Envoy Zhang to sit in the main hall, where the maids served spiritual tea.

The fragrance of the tea was thick, and Spiritual Qi curled; it tasted mellow and sweet, and it was actually high-quality blessed food.

The two sat and chatted for a few sentences, then Patrol Envoy Zhang found an excuse to take his leave.

Lu Ming accompanied him all the way to the door and then bowed.

"Sorry for the trouble, Patrol Envoy Zhang."

Patrol Envoy Zhang waved his hand: "Brother Wang, you are too polite. You should settle down first, refine the official Talisman as soon as possible, and officially become a divine official.

If you have any needs, feel free to contact me at any time with the communication magic item."

As he spoke, he took out a palm-sized jade Talisman and handed it to Lu Ming.

"This item can transmit sound; you can communicate within a thousand miles, which is convenient for you and me to keep in touch."

Lu Ming took the jade Talisman and thanked him once more.

Patrol Envoy Zhang gave a few more instructions and then took his leave.

Watching his back disappear at the end of the street, Lu Ming then turned and returned to the courtyard, the official residence gate behind him closing gently.

Only then did he have the mind to tour this mansion.

First, he walked into the main hall, walked around the corridor, and finally returned to the center of the courtyard. Looking at this exquisite, almost luxurious official residence, a sense of absurdity arose in Lu Ming's heart.

It is simply too corrupt!!

No, when he goes back, he must have someone build one for him at the Qingwei Dao Sect!

In the past, True Lord Qingxu emphasized quietude and naturalness; the so-called dojo for seclusion was actually just a lonely Daoist temple.

Although it wasn't bad, after all, the Cultivation World emphasizes that a mountain doesn't have to be high, it just needs an immortal to be spiritual.

But when it comes to grandeur, it was still lacking something.

Lu Ming was a vulgar person, and given the conditions, he was still willing to enjoy it a little.

He even began to look forward to what the mansions of those Divine Lords would look like.

At that time, he would definitely have to learn a thing or two from them!

Not letting his thoughts run wild anymore, Lu Ming dismissed the steward and maids and walked alone toward the backyard, where there was a quiet room dedicated to seclusion.

Walking inside, Lu Ming originally intended to casually set up a few concealment Formations, but after thinking about it, he gave up.

After all, this was the territory of the Divine Court, and rashly using immortal methods would be too abrupt.

Moreover, he was not sure if there was a possibility of this official residence being secretly monitored.

Besides, this was just a descended incarnation; even if something went wrong, the loss would not be great.

Thus, Lu Ming simply did nothing, sat cross-legged on the prayer mat in the center of the quiet room, and then took out the "supreme red text water virtue spirit official talisman" from his sleeve.

Lowering his head to examine it for a moment, he gently stroked his fingertips across the surface of the Talisman, feeling the gentle and pure water-element power within.

"Sure enough, the so-called Divine Dao is actually operating under the rule of the Heavenly Dao. The so-called "water virtue" is actually just the water of the Five Elements, no different from the Immortal Dao."

However, because their focuses are different, there is a fundamental divergence in their usage.

The Divine Dao complies with the rules of the Heaven and Earth Law and exercises the power of management.

While the Immortal Dao attempts to act against the Heaven-Defying, stealing the opportunity of the Five Elements to prolong life, in order to "jump out of the Three Realms and not be within the Five Elements."

But there are thousands of Daos, all leading to the same destination; the right of interpretation belongs to the Heavenly Dao.

Of course, Lu Ming's Primordial Dao is also among them.

Therefore, this "supreme red text water virtue spirit official talisman" must be refined.

He would start from the lowest True God, step by step, step by step to the highest; he wanted to be Zhao... the Heavenly Emperor!

Then swallow the Divine Dao in one gulp!

Lu Ming dared not even think about how nourishing that would be.

Thus, Lu Ming followed the method Patrol Envoy Zhang spoke of, first forcing out a drop of Essence Blood and dripping it into the center of the Talisman.

The moment the Essence Blood merged into the surface of the Talisman, the cinnabar patterns on the surface of the Talisman began to light up one by one, like lit lamps, one after another, spreading from the edge to the center.

Then Lu Ming closed his eyes and began to chant.

"Vast and boundless void, divine light hangs down in response, water virtue flows with brilliance, the spirit official issues the decree, the red text proclaims, the jade mansion is bright, the true spirit descends, unite with my divine form, command as quickly as the Law!"

The moment the incantation was finished, the supreme red text water virtue spirit official talisman trembled violently.

Then it turned into a wisp of golden light, like a golden stream, merging into his brow along his fingertips.

In an instant, Lu Ming only felt a slight heat in his brow, as if something was merging into his Divine Soul.

Immediately following, a large amount of information surged in like a flood breaching a dam.

That information was not chaotic, but rather clear and logical, as if it had been carefully organized by someone.

Lu Ming closed his eyes to feel it, and gradually had an epiphany in his heart.

This was like a Divine Court entry guide.

The first part was the explanation regarding the official Talisman itself.

"supreme red text water virtue spirit official talisman" is the Foundation of the True God of the Divine Court's Water Department.

Red text refers to the Divine Court's red book and jade characters, which are the natural script of Heaven and Earth.

Water virtue is the supreme good of the Northern Profound, nourishing all things, benefiting and not contending.

Spirit official is the duty of the Water Department, managing rivers, lakes, and seas, moving clouds and distributing rain, to bear the Heavenly grace and benefit the myriad people.

Lu Ming silently noted it down; although these words were flowery, they summarized into one meaning.

National Water Conservancy Engineer + Meteorological Bureau Forecaster + Person in Charge of the Ministry of Ecological Environment.

Thus, Lu Ming suppressed the urge to complain and continued to read down.

The second part was about the functions of this official position.

Moving clouds and distributing rain, harmonizing wind and rain, dredging river channels, and providing nourishment for a region of water and soil.

According to the grading of the Divine Court, he is currently a small official at the lowest level of the Water Department, but he is also equipped with a set of introductory Spells.

Summoning wind and rain, Water Evasion, sensing water veins, and a "Rain Prayer Spell."

"You f***ing..."

Lu Ming almost couldn't hold it together when he saw this.

What is the difference between this and those spiritual planters in the Cultivation World?

However, fortunately, there was also content on how to promote to subsequent official positions later.

Above the "supreme red text water virtue spirit official talisman," there was still a lot of room for promotion.

For example, the subsequent "True Official of the water virtue spirit official," is a formal official of the Water Department, who can govern a water area and has fixed believers and territory.

Then there is the "Dark Official of the water virtue spirit official," who is a high-ranking divine official of the Water Department, can coordinate several rivers, control the direction of water veins, and the scale of moving clouds and distributing rain is also more magnificent.

"Prime Official of the water virtue spirit official," the main official of the Water Department, second only to the Water Lord, can mobilize the water vapor and rain of a region.

The highest level, "is the Heavenly Official of the water virtue spirit official."

He is the commander of the Water Department, ranked below the Divine Lord, almost equivalent to a regional Water God.

Lu Ming looked at the introduction, estimating that the "Heavenly Official" might be about the same as the Late Golden Core Stage.

And the Divine Lord is Golden Core Perfection, and the "Heavenly Emperor" above that is probably the False Nascent Soul level.

"It is really hidden so deep, quietly establishing such a logically self-consistent cultivation system in this place, and the upper limit is actually not low!"

Lu Ming couldn't help but sigh that the person behind the scenes really had something.

If it really was True Monarch Chiyan Yinglei, then this person's mind was too terrifying; he was definitely not as blustery as he appeared on the surface.

But what did that have to do with him?

Being hidden deep only proves that there are enough secrets, and enough secrets mean that the benefits are large enough, and if the benefits are large enough, it means that the fruits he eventually harvests will be even more abundant!

Thinking of this, Lu Ming was full of motivation and fighting spirit.

"It seems that promoting the official position is urgent!"