When Wei Yuan eagerly pressed the Lying Tiger Waist Badge, a number representing merits flashed in his mind.

Then a slight smile froze on the corner of his mouth.

The part representing merits was still empty, even though he had killed small demons and captured painted skin slaves, both of which should have earned him three merits. However, the many evil gods in the Huai River Basin that he had killed didn't leave him with a single merit.

The part displayed by the Lying Tiger Waist Badge remained unchanged.

Then Wei Yuan noticed a difference. The part representing the Strange Power Chaotic God Scroll was slightly lit up.

Wei Yuan's consciousness stirred, and the Strange Power Chaotic God Scroll flashed, revealing a collection of scrolls. One of the scrolls flew out and unfolded slowly in front of him. It had a blank space, and then the form of a river appeared from the left side, with people kneeling on the riverbank praying and making sacrifices.

A person sat on the river, using water as a sword, and strange creatures that called themselves gods appeared next to him, with a line of text floating beside them.

"The Strange Power Chaotic God Scroll: The Chaos of the Huai River Evil God, killed by the Commandant Wei, to purify the heavens and the earth."

Then text appeared next to it, and the Strange Power Chaotic God Scroll appeared next to Wei Yuan, asking him to write his name. It was at this moment that Wei Yuan realized that what he had obtained by using Wu Zhiqi's power to kill the Huai River River God was not merits, but the "Strange Power Chaotic God Scroll" recorded by the Lying Tiger Order.

And it was classified as a divine scroll.

Based on his previous understanding of the Lying Tiger Order, this was not merits, but a qualification.

A qualification to exchange for top inheritances and treasures.

The first and foremost was the Dragon and Tiger Sword of Mount Longhu.

And the inheritances of various eras.

It was not only merits that could be exchanged for them. One had to do something significant enough to be recorded independently by the Lying Tiger Order in order to obtain this qualification. The Lying Tigers of each generation did not want the treasures of their predecessors to be disgraced in the hands of later generations. This was a kind of selection process, and even the ancient Lying Tigers did not expect every generation to accomplish such great things.

Wei Yuan exhaled and looked at the newly appeared scroll in his hand.

This qualification was undoubtedly more valuable than mere merits.

He reached out his hand and wrote his name, Wei Yuan, in the blank space on the scroll. However, the Lying Tiger Order did not record it. After thinking for a moment, he had to compare it with ancient characters and wrote his name in seal script on it.

The text lit up, and then the light disappeared, and the scroll closed.

Suddenly, the Lying Tiger Order opened, and while the scroll flew into the Han Dynasty arsenal to be preserved, an object flew out and headed straight for Wei Yuan. Without thinking, he raised his hand and grabbed the object, feeling its coldness and faint buzzing. It was a sword.

The anomaly on the Lying Tiger Order disappeared, leaving only the sword in Wei Yuan's hand. It seemed that after recording the scroll, he received this object as feedback.

In other words, has this sword been through the hands of many Lying Tigers after reaching a certain level?

Is it a kind of inheritance that can be accessed after reaching a certain level?

Wei Yuan was curious and carefully examined it. The sword in his hand was not a broadsword like the Eight-Faced Han Sword, nor was it a war sword like the Four-Faced Han Sword. The blade was slender, a sharp sword. Wei Yuan drew the sword, and the blade remained chilling. Then faint symbols lit up on the back of his hand.

Wei Yuan sat down and saw a scene in front of him.

Moonlight casting shadows. At the same time, strands of blue light climbed up the sword, entwining his hand.

This was indeed an inheritance.

...

After the stability of the Moonlight Casting Shadows divine ability, Wei Yuan saw an ancient city. On top of a majestic and simple academy, a young man was giving a lecture. Occasionally, he mentioned astronomy, geography, and divination books, all of which he was extremely proficient in. Wei Yuan looked up and saw that the place was large and densely populated.

There were hundreds of people listening to his lecture.

Most of them were older than the young man.

It was a magnificent and astonishing sight.

The people around couldn't see him, but they listened to him as if they were enchanted. Wei Yuan found a quiet place and listened quietly. After a full hour, the lecture finally ended, and the young man came down with a book in his arms. Then the hundreds of students all respectfully saluted him as their teacher.

And the young man returned a half salute.

Wei Yuan saw that the clothes he was wearing were the same as those of the listeners.

They were all students. But obviously, although they were students, these people were learning from him. It was clear that it was not simple. The scene followed the young man's movements, and Wei Yuan slowly followed behind him. He saw that the young man had a calm and gentle expression, meticulous in his interactions with others, and a sword at his waist, the same one that appeared in the Han Dynasty arsenal.

Finally, the young man gathered with another person. The other person had a spirited look and seemed older than the young lecturer. His skin was a bronze color, and his face was full of vigor. After seeing the young man in white, he smiled and teased, "Fu Han, your reputation is getting stronger and stronger. Hahaha, even the scholars of the Imperial Academy have to admire you."

The young man called Fu Han smiled bitterly, "Zhong Sheng, please stop teasing me."Zhong Sheng smiled and spread his hands, saying, "How is this mocking? You are the descendant of Liu Hou, young and talented, proficient in Confucianism and Taoism, and knowledgeable in astronomy and geography. As a result, there are more than a thousand scholars following you. I'm just speaking the truth."

The young man in white was speechless.

Zhong Sheng stopped his friend's shoulder and said with a smile, "Come on, it's rare that you have free time. I'm two years older than you, and my elderly mother still needs support. I have to leave Luoyang soon, so let's have a good gathering today."

Zhong Sheng was obviously poor, and even though he entered the Imperial Academy because of his family background, he could only barely make a living here. It was difficult for him to treat guests, but when the young man blinked his eyes and looked at his friend with a thick-skinned face, the young man in white had no choice but to take out his money bag. Zhong Sheng was overjoyed and spent all the money in the bag to buy food and wine. Since his family was poor, they decided to leave the city.

At this moment, the Great Han Dynasty was strong, and the capital Luoyang was naturally safe.

They found a mountain, avoiding the crowds, and sat on a high slope. They could see the bustling city of Luoyang in the distance. Zhong Sheng sighed with satisfaction, spread the food and wine on a stone, opened the sealed wine jar, and drank with his head tilted back, shouting in delight.

The young man in white drank from his cup and could only smile and shake his head when he was teased.

As they ate and drank, Zhong Sheng burped and looked at the prosperous capital in the distance, sighing, "I'm going back. My older brother is still at home, and I can't enter the court first. Besides, my younger sister is still young, and my mother is getting old. I can't compare to you. Your talent is already renowned, and you will surely rise to success."

The young man in white took a sip of wine and said calmly, "But I don't like all of this..."

Zhong Sheng was surprised and asked, "What don't you like?"

The young man replied, "The governing strategies of Confucianism cannot achieve immortality or solve the mystery of life and death."

Zhong Sheng scratched his head and said, "Immortality? Throughout history, how many emperors and kings have sought immortality? Did any of them succeed?"

"A great man should achieve extraordinary feats in the world, becoming a marquis or prime minister. If you seek immortality, why not follow the ancient people and search for the immortal flower on Mount Kunlun in the west? Or the longevity medicine mentioned in the Classic of Mountains and Seas? They should be able to solve your problem."

The young man in white said, "You don't know, the ancient gods and spirits have not appeared in the world for a long time. The Kylin and the Boshou are things from the time of Confucius, and Mount Kunlun has not appeared for a long time and has not responded to worship. It's as if all those ancient gods and spirits have disappeared."

"Instead, there are more and more evil spirits and mountain ghosts occupying the incense and worship."

Zhong Sheng thought for a moment and said, "Hasn't the emperor also granted titles to the gods of mountains and rivers?"

"With these gods of mountains and rivers responsible for regulating the earth's veins, it should be enough."

The young man in white shook his head again and said, "The natural gods of heaven and earth come from Mount Kunlun; the imperial titles in the mortal world can only be called earth spirits, not gods."

"They uphold the fortune and worship of the mortal dynasty, and are connected to the fortune of the country. When the dynasty is prosperous, they can naturally control the wind and rain. When the dynasty declines, how many of these earth spirits can survive? Even if they survive, how many can receive worship again?"

"If a new dynasty grants titles to other beings, won't the original earth spirits become abandoned?"

"They can only add to the splendor, but they cannot provide timely assistance. What use is it when a dynasty collapses? They cannot resist demons and evil cultivators. It is even possible that these earth spirits once granted titles by the dynasty will become demons themselves."

Zhong Sheng drank a mouthful of wine and said, "The ancient gods have disappeared, and you look down on the earth spirits granted by the dynasty."

"What are you going to do then?"

The young man in white stood up, looked at the distant capital, exhaled a breath of wine, and said, "The gods of heaven are not our clan, so we cannot rely on them. The earth spirits follow the command of the king, rising and falling with the dynasty!"

The elegant young man spoke with great ambition and heroic spirit.

He pointed to the sky and the earth, saying, "Why can't we, the people of Shen Zhou, establish our own order of heaven and earth? We are not gods, nor earth spirits, but the disciples of future generations can control the wind and rain, exorcise demons, and protect the people of Shen Zhou from harm, generation after generation!"

Zhong Sheng was dumbfounded and burst into laughter, "Zhang Ling, you're dreaming in broad daylight!"

The young man in white blushed and sat down, saying, "Whether it can be achieved is still unknown."

Zhong Sheng held back his laughter and thought his friend was drunk. He said, "Then how are you going to accomplish this grand task? Even if you can live as long as your ancestor Liu Hou, how can you do such a thing?"

The young man replied, "Descendants like me are poor, but I can establish a sect and accept disciples."

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Zhong Sheng said, "Tsk, disciples. But now the Imperial Academy is not cheap, and private schools also require money."

Zhang Ling said, "Then I don't need to invest."

Zhong Sheng smiled and said, "That won't work either. If you establish a sect, what will you eat? Even if you can forage for wild vegetables, it won't fill your stomach."

The young man in white thought seriously and said, "Then I only need five measures of rice to join, how about that?"Zhong Sheng was dumbfounded, suddenly burst into laughter, laughing so hard that his stomach hurt. Later, he realized that his friend was not joking and rubbed his stomach, saying, "Alright, alright, I believe you can do it. But how can the disciples of the Five Bushels of Rice Sect in the future distinguish between good and bad? You would have died long ago."

Zhang Ling said, "It's simple. Both you and I have a household registration, so I will compile a similar register for the local residents, called the Lu, to prove our identities."

"Only by obtaining this register can one activate the power of this formation."

Zhong Sheng opened his mouth and said, "Are you serious?"

Zhang Ling calmly replied, "Yes, I have already decided to leave the academy soon. The heavenly gods have already left, and the earth spirits will follow the decline of the dynasty. But even if the dynasty falls, the cities built by the previous generation can still be used to resist foreign enemies and bandits."

The smile on Zhong Sheng's face faded, and he said, "But if other Qi Refiners learn about this method..."

White-robed Zhang Ling replied, "The Great Wall of Qin was not built by one country alone. There were other countries that built walls during the Warring States period, and eventually it became a vast and mighty force. If the Qi Refiners of Shen Zhou join forces, even if the Western Kunlun has passed away, we can still build an invisible Great Wall for Shen Zhou to resist the demons."

Zhong Sheng listened in astonishment and scratched his head, saying, "But that's too difficult. You won't be able to succeed in your lifetime."

Zhang Ling sighed, "Perhaps. After a person dies, their soul returns to the vast world. With their cultivation, they can build this invisible Great Wall. It may make no progress for a hundred years, gain nothing in three hundred years, but I believe that after a thousand years, this Great Wall will be built to protect the people of Shen Zhou. With a single talisman, we can summon wind, rain, thunder, and subdue the demons."

Zhong Sheng looked at Zhang Ling's serious expression and burst into laughter, saying, "Indeed, it's just a daydream!"

Zhang Ling took a sip of wine and said, "What about you? What are your plans after returning home? Are you waiting for an opportunity to become an official?"

Zhong Sheng fell silent and said, "My father is a historian, but I don't want to be one. I can only assist those old men until they retire. Hey, I don't want to."

He tilted his head back and drank another mouthful of wine, then suddenly stood up and pointed to Luoyang in front of him, saying loudly, "A great man should have great ambitions. Just like Fu Jiezi, who achieved great things in foreign lands and was rewarded with a noble title. How can one be satisfied with being a mere scholar?"

His voice was passionate, but a burst of laughter from a woman came from behind the trees. It turned out that there were other people enjoying the outing, and their voices evaluating his grandiose words could be faintly heard. The young man blushed and sat down awkwardly. Now it was Zhang Ling's turn to be dumbfounded, pointing at the young man and laughing loudly:

"Ban Zhong Sheng, oh Ban Zhong Sheng, how come you are daydreaming here too?!"

Ban Zhong Sheng gritted his teeth and said, "Just you wait, one day I will definitely achieve greatness!"

The white-robed youth nodded with a smile, indicating for him to continue speaking, saying that he was listening.

Ban Zhong Sheng was so angry that he turned red and pointed angrily at the vast sky, saying, "Greatness! I want to achieve greatness! And not just a noble title that is passed down through generations. There are countless such titles in the future. A real man should aim to become a champion marquis, achieving extraordinary feats and gaining fame. Even if thousands of years pass, when future generations mention this title, it can only refer to me, Ban Zhong Sheng!"

The white-robed youth finally burst into laughter, saying, "Daydreaming in broad daylight!"

Passersby who heard the voices of the two young men just laughed lightly. This was Luoyang, a prosperous city in the Central Plains. The dreams of the young people in this city could be anything. Dreaming is the privilege of the youth, and they left without paying much attention.

The two young men got drunk and lay on the mountain, spending the night there.

The next day, the two young men, experiencing their first hangover, rolled on the ground in pain.

They almost fell off the mountain, their faces turning pale.

When they left, Zhang Ling took off his sword and handed it to Ban Zhong Sheng, saying, "This is our agreement."

"Do you remember what you said yesterday?"

Ban Zhong Sheng took the sword, wore it around his waist, and extended his hand, saying calmly, "I am Ban Zhong Sheng, and I will definitely make the Great Han Empire rise again. Wherever the sun and moon shine, wherever the mountains and rivers reach, they will all be under my command!"

"For me, that will be the Great Wall of the Western Regions."

Zhang Fuhan laughed and said, "I will go to various places to cultivate first. If possible, I will reshape the order of Shen Zhou that is no less than that of the ancient gods. If I fail in one generation, it will be achieved in the next. This vast Great Wall will eventually be built. My Great Wall will not be inferior to your 'Great Wall'."

"Hahaha, you're already destined to lose."

"But that's not necessarily true."

The two young men high-fived and left, laughing and parting ways. They then embarked on their respective destinies and never saw each other again in this lifetime. When Ban Dingyuan, who had grown old, passed away, he entrusted the Western Regions, which relied on the Central Plains Shen Zhou like a mother, to the next generation. It was more than fifty countries that submitted to the Great Han Empire.

The sword in his hand pointed forward—

Granting nobility for thousands of miles, Ban Dingyuan. Unparalleled throughout the ages.

And as the entire Luoyang blossomed, all the children and young people in the city were singing praises of Duke Dingyuan in that year. After three years of refining pills, Zhang Ling, who single-handedly controlled the dragon and tiger's aura, became known as Zhang Daoling.

The sword was now here. The sword in Wei Yuan's hand gradually dimmed. His eyes were dazed, the past scene ended again. Dingyuan Marquis, who once opened up the Protectorate of the Western Regions, and Zhang Daoling, who once established the two-thousand-year legacy of the Celestial Master, were surprisingly contemporaries, their paths crossed in that era.

A talisman appeared on the back of Wei Yuan's hand.

It was the talisman of the Zhengyi Alliance's power - the original talisman.

It represented the ability to perform Taoist magic, to invoke the power of heaven and earth, represented the rules and order built by generations of true cultivators for Shen Zhou, which were no less than those of the divine era. It represented the invisible Great Wall that towered in the sky, represented the most romantic miracle that the original Celestial Master had imagined for a thousand years.

The foundation of Shen Zhou's talisman system, which has spread for more than two thousand years, is a unique great divine power.

It keeps the core of Shen Zhou's Transcendent order intact.

Any foreign divine system can only attempt to steal, assimilate, but cannot initiate the cause of the divine war.

Neither a heavenly god nor an earthly deity.

But the grandest dream shared by generations of true cultivators on this ancient land.

Its name is - Heavenly Court!

All my disciples, grant talismans and perform magic, summon the power of heaven and earth, establish the righteous path of the three heavens. The power of Zhengyi Alliance.

Gifted by Zhang Daoling. The pact of Dingyuan.

The talisman is formed.

……………………

Longhu Mountain·Celestial Master Mansion.

An old Taoist priest was dozing off.

On the highest level of the generations of scrolls.

Under the name of Zhang Daoling, the originally hidden talisman text emerged. This represented the identity record of the talisman-granting Taoist priest, and the hidden talisman slowly transformed, finally forming some crooked clerical script - Wei Yuan.

Parallel with Zhao Sheng and Wang Chang.

On the mountain, there were young Taoist priests playing around, who were caught and made to recite scriptures. There were Taoist priests leisurely making zithers, and some were dozing off in front of the lotus pond. No one noticed that in the lotus pond, a two-thousand-year-old lotus seed was slowly sprouting.

It was just hidden in the lotus pond with a myriad of atmospheres, not noticeable.

PS: One of the functions is to perfect the talisman system.

In this fictional world, the Eastern system setting does not have a real Heavenly Court. After all, if there really were gods of the Heavenly Court, many things would be hard to explain. Instead, it chooses the original myths, the ancient gods.