I have Immortality In The Cultivation World

Night fell.

Zhou Yi pushed open the jade armrest and stood in front of the window, gazing into the distance.

There was a Land God Temple east of Linyang County, which held sway over the local qi for hundreds of miles and was worshiped by the county's residents.

Not long ago at Manchun Tower, Zhou Yi had seen the Earth God whose aura was akin to one who had just entered the Golden Core stage, and whose mana was mottled, not quite the Xuanmen Orthodoxy; even upon meeting face-to-face, he didn't recognize Zhou Yi's identity as a cultivator.

Beyond the Earth God, there were two other immortals in Linyang County: the Lord of Yuntong River and the Wushan Mountain God.

The people of Linyang County mostly worshiped these three deities, not just one exclusively; they would worship whoever could remedy their current need.

If the harvest was poor, they would pray to the Earth God; if there was drought and no rain, they would offer sacrifices to the River Lord, true practitioners of pragmatism.

"There really are divine beings!"

"That Earth God's foundation is the Immortal Technique, and he carries a strong scent of incense on him, clearly having cultivated the secret technique of the divine path. A pure cultivator wouldn't waste their lifespan managing land."

"For now, I will observe a little longer. Three thousand years have passed in the sea, a few more years won't matter!"

In his heart, Zhou Yi was still apprehensive about the four characters Dongsheng Divine Continent and dared not easily provoke those of the Immortal paths.

Most cultivators seeking the Dao had sectarian lineages. It was all too easy to strike a lesser being and find an elder one knocking at your door. Once entangled in karma, unless one eradicated their entire lineage, it wouldn't easily come to an end.

Now there was an Earth God of lower cultivation whom he could observe in secret. Explore more at empire

This Earth God had protected Linyang for three hundred some years and was nearing the end of his lifespan. He could simply wait for his death and safely claim his divine inheritance afterward.

Half a month later.

Zhou Yi bought a two-courtyard residence in the west of the county town, and also acquired a nearby shop.

There Is a Tavern.

After thousands of years and billions of miles, he had started it up once again.

Zhou Yi listened as the girls talked about how the Earth God possessed the authority to vanquish demons and monitor local affairs, working with the County Government Office to maintain peace within the town.

If he really lived like a dissolute idler, doing nothing but frequenting brothels, he might attract the Earth God's attention and expose his cultivation level.

Running a tavern, on the other hand, was something he was familiar with.

Pear Blossom White quickly made a name for itself and became a special supply for many taverns, bringing in a fortune each day.

The Earth God heard of its fame and came to taste it, afterwards praising it.

"This wine's brewing technique is mystic, with the clever fusion of floral and wine aromas, and suits this old one's palate quite well, quite well indeed!"

"Old sir, please come often."

Zhou Yi smiled and gave a courteous bow. The Earth God manifested as an elderly man with white hair, dressed in lavish clothing. It was unclear whether that was his true form or a transformation.

A few days later.

The temple priest visited the tavern, with everyone he met bowing and paying respects.

The Earth God was one of only two deities in Linyang County, and the temple priest acted much like a spokesperson, his status not lesser than the county magistrate.

"This wine is good. Send ten jars to the temple every day."

With one command from the temple priest, silver coins were naturally out of the question.

Having a deity drink your wine was an honor; you should offer incense and give thanks by right. If you really dared talk about price, weren't you afraid that after losing the god's protection, you'd fall prey to thieves and bandits?

"It will be delivered tomorrow."

Zhou Yi showed a flattered look, which provided a good reason to explore the Land God Temple.

...

Twenty years passed in the blink of an eye.

A generation in the mortal world was but a flick of the finger in Zhou Yi's eyes.

After twenty years of observation and learning, Zhou Yi had fully integrated into the society of the Daheng Dynasty, with his speech, conduct, accent, and customs indistinguishable from those of the ordinary people.

Before the year ended.

Zhou Yi was finally recorded in the Yellow Register of Linyang County under the alias Zhu Gang.

The Daheng Dynasty had a strict household registration system, meticulously managing its people; making amendments was quite troublesome.

Zhou Yi had originally planned to use his magic on a whim, entering his name into the Yellow Register without alerting anyone, making it appear legitimate upon inspection.

Later, while drinking with Official Sun from the County Office, he learned that things weren't so simple. Above Linyang County, in Qingyun Prefecture, there was a City God who controlled the Yin and Yang Registry of life and death, with a record of every birth and death.

"With control over the cycle of rebirth, these divine skills must be akin to the underworld realm, right?"

When Zhou Yi first heard of this, he almost fled in fright. The appearance of a person not in the Book of Life and Death would surely attract the City God's attention.

After asking Official Sun in detail, Zhou Yi learned that the Yin and Yang Registry was derived from the Imperial Court's Yellow Register.

One yin and one yang, cross-referencing each other, it facilitated control over the movements of the populace, not like the mythical Book of Life and Death where one could truly peruse people's origins and endings through their lifespans.

Official Sun, seeming drunk but not really drunk, said, "It's not easy to get your name into this Yellow Register; it's quite troublesome."

"Is one thousand taels enough?"

"Manager Zhu, it seems your business is thriving!"

"Manchun Tower has a new girl named Xiaoxiao, said to have been an Oiran in the capital. Does Official Sun have time today?"

"I'm free, I'm free!"

Official Sun and Zhou Yi exchanged a smile, each having gained something of their own.

After obtaining the Yellow Register of households, Zhou Yi keenly sensed fluctuations of a profound aura, unlike Magic Divine Abilities, faintly bearing the scent of incense.

"Is this the Divine Power of Incense? It's so different from the Immortal Technique system!"

"The Underworld Department of the City God administers the common people through the Yellow Register, and perhaps there are Divine Techniques that allow remote surveillance of life, old age, sickness, and death. However, most of the time, the City God has no authority over the common people, which is the responsibility of the Imperial Court's government!"

"Only when the deceased are unwilling to reincarnate, transforming into lingering souls or even malevolent ghosts that harm others, does the City God have the authority to send emissaries to capture them."

Zhou Yi did not cast spells to erase the scent of incense nor did he seal it; he went about his daily life such as any mortal would, eating and sleeping.

Over twenty years.

He learned more than just about the Yellow Register; his understanding of the Daheng Dynasty became clearer.

He had thought it was a land where Immortal Techniques flourished, and everyone was as powerful as dragons. Now, it seemed rampant with wild gods, pervading the rivers and mountains with sacrilegious and licentious sacrifices to obtain incense from the common folk, thus practicing their Divine Techniques.

The Daheng Dynasty's control over the regions was confined to the state capitals and county towns.

As for the rest, the Mountain Gods and River Lords, none of them were Orthodox Immortal Gods; they were either monster spirits or cultivators who claimed themselves as gods after gaining control over a territory.

Last year.

Linyang County suffered from drought and no rain.

The Lord of Yuntong River appeared in the dreams of the people, demanding the sacrifice of boys and girls before rain would fall.

The Earth God, with the Imperial Decree, went to negotiate with him in the Yuntong River but ended up in a magical duel that lasted three days and three nights, with no winner.

Three consecutive months passed without rain, resulting in a failed harvest.

Zhou Yi had thought to take this opportunity to display his Divine Skills, to strike down the River Lord with his sword, perform a Soul Search, and seize his divine status. However, after inquiring with the temple caretaker, he dismissed the idea.

The backdrop of the Lord of Yuntong River was vast; his father was none other than the Nascent Soul Demon Emperor of the Great Marsh, a Dragon Lord.

"Another Dragon Emperor? It seems I have a deep karmic affinity with the dragon clan!"

Zhou Yi made a mental note and held some appreciation for the Earth God of Linyang, who didn't hesitate to offend the Dragon Lord to bring rain to the people by dueling with the Dragon King.

The outcome.

This summer.

Vast swarms of locusts swept through Linyang, resulting in another year without harvest.

With disasters striking year after year, a multitude of refugees arose.

Zhou Yi stood by the entrance of the tavern, watching the disaster-stricken people lying haphazardly on the streets, drawing more breaths in than out.

"A swarm of locusts, which a Golden Core Cultivator could wipe out with a wave of his hand, why doesn't he intervene?"

Perplexed, he summoned a server and loaded twenty jars of wine onto a cart to be sent to the Land God Temple.

East City.

Land God Temple.

A mere ten-zhang in circumference, with two sections: the front hall enshrining an Earth God statue and a back courtyard for the temple caretakers' residence.

Though it looked somewhat dilapidated, the incense burnt there was profuse, with worshipers lining up down two streets.

Zhou Yi drove the cart to the temple's back door and greeted the purchasing caretaker.

"Master Huang, this batch of wine is of excellent taste; send ten more jars over."

"Very well, the Earth God will bless you."

Upon hearing the words, Master Huang's face bloomed with a smile; the extra wine could be taken to his house, the famous Pear Blossom White from Qingyun Prefecture would have no trouble selling.

Zhou Yi unloaded the wine jars and whispered, "Master Huang, I want to request an amulet personally drawn by a god - a Spirit Talisman."

"Hmm?"

Master Huang's eyebrows rose, suddenly holding a silver note in his hand. Relaxed, he said, "Could it be that Scholar Zhu has encountered an evil spirit?"

The talismans issued by the Land God Temple for believers were 99 percent useless yellow paper, with a very small number imbued with a trace of the Divine Power of Incense, which, when worn long-term, could refresh and awaken one's senses.

Those talismans required devout worship, though what constitutes as devoutness was not specifically defined.

Usually, it was calculated based on the money offered for incense!

The Spirit Talisman Zhou Yi spoke of was even rarer, necessitating the Earth God to expend Divine Power to craft. If worn, it would strengthen the body and ward off all evils.

Such mysterious talismans were only given to those destined to receive them!

Zhou Yi looked worried, "There are too many refugees in the city, and it would be unthinkable if they were to storm the tavern, so I thought it would be comforting to have the protection of a god."

"So that's how it is."

Master Huang tucked the silver note into his sleeve but didn't agree to the talisman request, instead saying.

"There's no need to worry about the refugees; the locust plague will pass soon. The Imperial Court has already delivered grain to the County Government Office, and in a few days, it will be quiet again."

With surprise, Zhou Yi asked, "Could it be that an Immortal God intervened to save the people?"

"Of course."

Master Huang looked smug, stroking his three-inch beard.

"These common folks talk about believing in gods every day, but you don't see them offering sacrifices on normal days. Look at the disaster now, the line of people offering incense stretches for miles..."