Cultivation knows no passage of time; Xu Qing was immersed in seeking enlightenment, paying no attention to worldly matters beyond the window.
By the time the Goddess' teachings were completed and she returned to the divine temple, three entire years had passed in the outside world.
Xu Qing stepped out of the restored Middle Emperor Temple, where many temple visitors were hustling up the mountain path, eager to be the first to light incense.
At the temple gate, the temple priest, who had been sweeping fallen leaves early in the morning, looked on in astonishment at the emerging 'Goddess'.
At this moment, Xu Qing still retained the appearance of the Bao Sheng deity, adorned in a robe wreathed with incense, with the wheel of merit reflecting the Blood Lake Realm portal behind him, holding the emblematic pink ball that signified the identity of the Goddess.
Was this not a divine revelation of the Goddess?
The temple priest, overwhelmed with emotion, dropped the broom and knelt, bowing repeatedly.
"The Goddess has manifested! The Goddess has manifested!"
This statement, like a stone causing waves in a thousand layers, led the incoming visitors, of all trades and statuses, to bow in worship and chant the name of the Goddess.
"..."
Seeing himself on an irreversible path toward the divine, Xu Qing's resolve grew even firmer.
The roles of Lady Bao Sheng and the marriage deity were clearly irrelevant to him, Xu Qing. Except for Shiyue and Xuan Yu, no one else should know this!
If this were to get out, his reputation as the Sect Leader would be completely ruined!
"I am not the Goddess incarnate; I am a disciple under the Goddess, the deity of nurturing at Bao Sheng Temple, and also the high deity overseeing the world's marriages."
The divine revelation outside the Goddess' temple was part of Xu Qing's intention all along.
A wild deity without backing or origins has a thousand challenges in acquiring a divine name. However, a deity with background and endorsement from an orthodox sect holds a natural advantage over self-made deities.
Xu Qing, at least, through his own abilities, had become a disciple under the Goddess. If he didn't leverage this support to open doors for himself, wouldn't his apprenticeship be in vain?
It's like being fed by the ancestral master, yet spitting it out—that would be sheer folly.
Xu Qing understood the privileges of being a disciple of the Goddess and the advantages of having a prestigious background.
Even descendants and disciples of the Guo family monopoly on storytelling in the Jin Sect, still promoted the name of their ancestor Guo Dongyang. Even those selling wine or slaughtering pigs claimed it was a craft handed down from their forefathers.
Why should Xu Qing feel embarrassed when referring to his revered master?
Hearing Xu Qing speak, the visitors who came to worship became even more excited.
Isn't a disciple of the Goddess also an Immortal?
Many of those coming to the Middle Emperor Temple did so in hope of seeking a good marriage. Now, although they hadn't met the divine ancestor of the marriage system, respected as the progenitor of affectionial unions, they had at least encountered a disciple of the Goddess to act on marriage matters.
This was hardly different from the Goddess herself manifesting!
"Lady Bao Sheng..." the temple priest suddenly remembered that deity who spread the knowledge of nurturing across the world.
"Might I inquire if the Upper Immortal is the senior deity of Bao Sheng Temple in the Jin Sect?"
Xu Qing nodded affirmatively.
The Bao Sheng Temple he had established from scratch had already become the first of its kind in Da Yan. Branches and palaces extended into the twelve provinces, including remote areas like the Shu Region and Lingnan.
So it was no surprise to Xu Qing that the people of Yaozhou were aware of Lady Bao Sheng's divine presence and her heavenly abode.
Upon learning about the connection between Lady Bao Sheng and the Goddess of the Middle Emperor Temple, the worshippers were not shocked but found it all quite natural.
No wonder Lady Bao Sheng held such a sacred name; she was a direct disciple of the Goddess...
Xu Qing seemed to perceive the people's thoughts and suddenly spoke: "When I was a deity of nurturing, I was not a disciple of the Goddess. Because I upheld the path of goodness and protected mothers and infants worldwide, I was fortunate enough to catch the attention of the Goddess, who accepted me as a disciple and entrusted me with the complete authority of marital harmony."
High deity of marriage symbolizes both nurturance and a marriage medium. By saying complete, Xu Qing implied that the authority over nurturing he once held was incomplete, and it was the Goddess who perfected this authority by accepting him as her disciple.
Simultaneously, Xu Qing conveyed to the world that he was not 'divine' because he was chosen by the Goddess, but rather, he was chosen because he was already divine.
This illustrates that true capability precedes recognition.
Though Xu Qing behaved haphazardly and lacked decorum, when it came to his pursuit of enlightenment, he was remarkably clear and insightful. Otherwise, he wouldn't have received guidance from the Primordial progenitor and subsequently earned the esteem of the Goddess.
If anyone else were in his place, they might not prevail against Zombie Xu.
Outside the Middle Emperor Temple, the number of temple visitors was neither excessive nor sparse. Seizing the opportunity of his divine revelation, Xu Qing guided the visitors on matters of marriage and alleviated their doubts.
By the time it was three quarters past the hour of the dragon and the positive energy increased, Xu Qing cast the embroidered ball aside, stepping on a rainbow ribbon, and vanished into the celestial music and mists.
The crowd below beheld the miracle, becoming even more devoted in their worship.
"What a noble Immortal! Truly a noble Immortal!"
...
Barely two or three days after the revelation of the Goddess' disciple at the Middle Emperor Temple, the news that Lady Bao Sheng had assumed authority over marriages and apprenticed under the Goddess spread throughout the streets and alleys of Yaozhou.
The prefect and magistrates from nearby areas to the Middle Emperor Temple flocked to offer their homage. In their eyes, it wasn't only Lady Bao Sheng they were honoring, but also 'Star of Luck and Fortune' for their promising careers.
Xu Qing wasn't keen on engaging with these officials obsessed with fame and fortune. The only thing at the Middle Emperor Temple that truly pleased him was when the temple priest used his longtime savings from incense offerings to build an annex next to the Goddess' Incense Hall, where Xu Qing's divine statue was enshrined.