Chapter 1107: Chapter 1106: Eighteen Celestial Maidens of the Peach Blossom Tour the World
"Eighteen Celestial Maidens."
"Present!"
"You shall carry my Peach Blossom Order, patrol the forty-seven Taohua Temples across the seven paths and twenty-six provinces, and offer a bundle of peach branches at each temple, placing them beneath the Immortal statue in the main hall." Shen Ying instructed, "These peach branches come from the old peach tree and can borrow its power, as well as connect with me."
"Yes!"
Tao Zhen stepped forward to receive the Peach Blossom Fairy Order and a basket of peach branches handed by Shen Ying.
"Additionally, each of you shall be gifted a Jade Peach Blossom, an Incense Treasure, capable of flying through the sky and forming arrays of earth, water, wind, and fire. With them, you can resist even the masters of a thousand years of Dao Practice."
With a wave of her hand, Shen Ying released eighteen exquisite pink jade-carved peach blossoms from her bracelet, each fluttering down into the hands of the eighteen celestial maidens.
Tao Zhen and the other eighteen celestial maidens were both surprised and delighted, holding onto the Jade Peach Blossoms, reluctant to part with them.
Before following Shen Ying, they were mere female ghosts in the Paradise Heavenly Maiden’s Bewitching Divine Realm, their master’s Dao Practice just over two hundred years. Since then, though their cultivation advanced rapidly under Shen Ying’s guidance, their innate talents were limited, and time was short. Now each possessed two to three hundred years of Dao Practice, an unimaginable achievement.
Under Shen Ying, they lived bound to the old peach tree, free from worries and progressing in cultivation. Believing their situation couldn’t get better, they were astonished when Shen Ying ascended as the Main God of all Taohua Temples, allowing them to patrol these temples on her behalf.
Moreover, receiving such treasures, enabling them to form arrays and resist thousand-year-old demon spirits? Truly, the surprises kept coming one after another!
On the other side, Shen Ying looked at Si Lingxi and Lu Zheng, her eyes filled with gratitude.
Si Lingxi provided the material for these eighteen Jade Peach Blossoms, the original Incense was infused by Shen Ying, and the spell seals of earth, water, wind, and fire were engraved by Lu Zheng, combining the "Taiyue Divine Mountain Painting," "Profound Turtle Water Control True Spirit Secret Technique," "Western Extreme Wind-Calling Curse," and "Phoenix Divine Fire," four major cultivation techniques or divine techniques.
After forming an array, they harness Incense Qi as the source, allowing free transformation between earth, water, wind, and fire—whether in endless cycles or simultaneous bursts of power—a matchless might.
Truly top-tier magical treasures!
Shen Ying claimed they could resist thousand-year-old demon spirits, her words rather conservative.
"Rest assured, Fairy, as we patrol the Taohua Temples nationwide, we won’t diminish your prestige!" After bowing, Tao Zhen rose, donned in a vibrant outfit, exuding elegance and strength, with eyes filled with determination.
With a gentle smile, Shen Ying nodded, remaining silent.
The mission of the eighteen Peach Blossom Celestial Maidens was to command reverence, the first step in establishing power.
In the forty-seven Taohua Temples, the incumbent Incense and Candle Gods weren’t Shen Ying’s allies; this patrol was unlike hosting guests at Peach Blossom Plain, where charming the visitors was a priority.
This time, it was an official patrol of subordinate territories. The first meeting between the inspection group and local officials required asserting authority!
With Shen Ying absent, it was all up to the eighteen celestial maidens to establish power and dispense benevolence.
Power was established before benevolence.
As the eighteen celestial maidens traversed the land, they would establish dominance through their cultivation and top-tier treasures, while guiding and instructing. Bestowing a bundle of peach branches and promising unchanged distribution of Incense Qi was benevolence.
Once the other Taohua Temples and Tonglin County’s Taohua Temple established connections and Shen Ying issued further instructions, fostering familiarity, then was the time for Shen Ying’s appearance.
In this period, Shen Ying would observe and test them, assessing whether the incumbent Incense and Candle Gods could adequately serve in their positions or required replacement.
"Furthermore, you have other tasks."
"Please demonstrate, Fairy!"
"Aside from these forty-seven Taohua Temples, according to my sensing, among the seven paths’ mountains and rivers, there are thirty-eight worship places unincorporated in the City God System." Shen Ying narrowed her eyes, continuing.
Upon hearing this, Tao Zhen and Tao Qing’s group raised their heads abruptly, pupils constricted, "Evil God’s illicit worship?"
Merged with the "Peach Blossoms," Shen Ying represented the origin of blessings, where all offerings related to "Peach Blossoms" and the Peach Blossom Fairy were shared by her, even small rural temples unknown to the Great Jing Court.
From her sensing, excluding spontaneous worship by the populace, there were eighty-five locations systematically providing her Incense Qi.
Given the court’s recognition of only forty-seven Taohua Temples, the remaining thirty-eight were places unknown to the court and City God System.
These were Evil God’s illicit worship sites.
Shen Ying nodded, "Exactly, during your expedition, besides patrolling these forty-seven Taohua Temples, you are to visit these thirty-eight rural temples.
If these temples were established by the populace without any ghost gods, notify the local City God to dispatch a ghost god to guard them, bringing them under our domain.
If the temple has existing ghost gods, assess their character and usefulness; if suitable, bestow peach branches to include them in Taohua Temple. If malevolent, execute them, then inform the local City God to send personnel to occupy the temple, including it in our Taohua Temple."
"Yes!" Tao Zhen bowed to accept the order.
"Fairy." Tao Hui stepped forward, "I have something to say."
Shen Ying nodded, "Speak."
"What if the ghost gods in those rural temples know the local City God or have connections with the court?" Tao Hui inquired.
Formerly a noble lady, Tao Hui worried about city gods acting in self-interest, coveting Incense, and secretly establishing temples.
But dealing directly with those within the system might be inappropriate.
It’s not that Tao Hui feared the consequences but wished to avoid troubling Shen Ying.
Narrowing her eyes, Shen Ying nodded, "Investigate their character and history, act according to the second point, then report the matter to me."
Possessing the court-given Peach Blossom Fairy Seal, controlling all Taohua Temples, backed by Lu Zheng and Si Lingxi, Shen Ying believed petty city gods coveting small Incense wouldn’t dare directly confront her.
If someone lost their mind, such characters wouldn’t match the eighteen celestial maidens.
"Understood!" Tao Hui stepped back.
"These Taohua Temples and the local City Gods usually aren’t your equals, yet this realm is vast, with sages and hermits across mountains and rivers, hence travel mainly via official roads, avoiding reckless mountain and forest crossings." Shen Ying advised.
The eighteen celestial maidens had followed Shen Ying for years; Shen Ying wasn’t strict, so despite being subordinates, they felt more like sisters. Unless discussing official matters, they even dared to tease Lu Zheng in Shen Ying’s presence, only ceasing gradually with Si Lingxi’s arrival.
Well, they just dared to discreetly and subtly tease him behind his back, which apparently felt even more amusing...
Thus, as she bade the eighteen celestial maidens farewell on their first public duty, Shen Ying couldn’t help but give extra advice.
"Rest assured, Fairy, we will be cautious. If we encounter masters, we’ll form arrays and escape." Tao Ling smiled.
"Off you go, off you go." Shen Ying nodded, waving her hand, "Go and refine the Jade Peach Blossoms, then set out."
"Yes! We take our leave!" The eighteen celestial maidens bowed and took their leave.
Shortly thereafter, eighteen peach blossoms soared into the sky, heading east.·
