Becoming a god starts from planting a Bodhi tree.

Chapter 434 The Mandate of Heaven is Mine
Inside a roadside hot pot restaurant, Ji Jingqiu's spiritual incarnation found Zhang Chongba, the Eighth Brother.

"Brother?! You're back?!"

The familiar voice, the familiar bald head, the floral shirt, the big gold chain—he still exudes that same thuggish charm.

The bald man, who seemed unchanged for over thirty years, stood up with delight to greet Ji Jingqiu.

"Where is Brother Dao?" Ji Jingqiu asked curiously. "I couldn't sense Brother Dao's presence on the Eastern Continent."

Zhang Chongba cheerfully pulled Ji Jingqiu to sit down, then sighed and said, "That guy started going solo after breaking through to the Celestial Realm and doesn't want me anymore. He went out on a mission not long ago."

"Brother Dao has already broken through to the Celestial Realm?" Ji Jingqiu asked in surprise, that's quite fast.

Zhang Chongba clicked his tongue and said, "Isn't it because the pressure from your side is too great? It's been almost ten years since I broke through."

"What mission did Brother Dao go on?" Ji Jingqiu asked.

Zhang Chongba clutched his chest, his face contorted with heartache, and said, "A Dao didn't tell me."

Ji Jingqiu couldn't help but become interested.

The Yanhuang Federation is now vastly different from what it used to be. With the addition of numerous forces from the Nine Provinces, such as the Nine Palaces and the Sun Empire, there are nearly twenty Heavenly King auras guarding their respective regions on the Eastern Huang Continent alone, threatening the vast star sea.

This is a "Permanent Heavenly King" jointly created by various forces.

After all, due to various reasons, the Eastern Continent has been coveted openly and secretly by various True Saint forces.

Ji Jingqiu made a point of informing Ji Anquan before arriving, fearing that these seniors might clash with Qi Tianjian, which would be inappropriate.

Given Qi Tian's strength and his special circumstances...

Even with nearly twenty seniors working together, they all fell one by one.

There are nearly twenty Heavenly Kings, not to mention the Heavenly Beings.

Every thirty years, each alliance will appoint some of its core disciples to serve in the Yanhuang Federation, where they will be at the Federation's disposal, in exchange for other benefits.

For example, you can enter the sealed land of the Death Demon and directly face and feel the baptism of the Death Demon's murderous intent.

This is an invaluable opportunity for the Heavenly Kings of each Dao lineage.

These core disciples often start at the Heart Realm, and many of them are Celestial Beings. They are all accumulating merits for their own benefit, preparing for future breakthroughs.

In this situation, the federal government has no shortage of capable personnel to carry out its missions.

The tasks that Dao Ge needs to carry out can only be classified secrets that cannot be handed over to outsiders.

Ji Jingqiu suddenly remembered the four divine lords that Ji Anquan had mentioned earlier—

This guy acted so quickly, he's already sent people to contact the reincarnations of the four gods?
Judging from the situation, it seems that the reincarnations of the four gods are not within the Federation.

Whether it is the arrangement of the universe or not, if the four gods had any last wishes before their deaths, the universe would try its best to fulfill them, given their achievements.

"In recent years, a number of talented young people have emerged in the Federation, and many of them admire you. Would you be interested in meeting them?"

Zhang Chongba suddenly grinned and said.

Ji Jingqiu didn't leave in a hurry. He sat down with Bage in front of the hot pot, enjoying the hot pot and wine, and chatted about the changes in the Federation in recent years.

According to Ba Ge, Leng Dao's niece was once an infant girl who suffered from the same karmic poison as Ji Jingqiu. Ji Jingqiu even held her in his arms. Now she has grown into a graceful young woman, and she is not inferior in martial arts. She has joined the Dragon Tiger Dojo and won the title of "Heavenly Blade" more than ten years ago.

In addition, there was another "acquaintance" of Ji Jingqiu.

Once, when Ji Jingqiu was traveling through the western starry sky of the Federation, a girl pulled him to a tombstone and proudly told him that her father, like Ji Jingqiu, was one of the Federation's most talented martial artists and was once known as the "Heavenly Sword".

Before parting, the girl firmly told him that her goal was to win the title of Heavenly Sword, just like her father.

After leaving, Ji Jingqiu sent a message to Xingchen Group and heard that Lou Qinglan of Xingchen Group sent people to pick her up. At that time, the girl was not yet old enough to practice martial arts.

After that, Ji Jingqiu was very "busy" and hadn't heard any news about the girl for a long time.

According to the myna bird, a girl named Yan Qingping had won the title of "Heavenly Sword" for her generation more than twenty years ago. After advancing to the Shackled Realm, she embarked on a journey through the three thousand Jambudvipas...

Listening to the stories of these younger generations of the Federation, Ji Jingqiu was somewhat lost in thought.

In recent years, he has been so focused on his spiritual practice that he has left all the important tasks and conflicts within the Federation to Ji Anquan.

His cultivation and spiritual progress have improved, but he is also getting further and further away from the Federation.

Across from the hot pot, Zhang Chongba, through the rising steam, seemed to see one "Ji Jingqiu" after another emerging from behind Ji Jingqiu.

He rubbed his eyes; it seemed like what he had just seen was just an illusion, or perhaps his eyes were playing tricks on him?

"Brother Ba, let's drink." Across the table, Ji Jingqiu smiled and raised his glass.

Zhang Chongba said cheerfully, "Come, come, come!"

In places unseen by ordinary people, as Ji Jingqiu's mind fluctuated, one "Ji Jingqiu" after another emerged from behind him, just as strands of his thoughts manifested in the world, splitting into countless forms, going to different places, and meeting different people.

……

Eastern Continent, Temple.

The two Ji Jingqius, one on the left and one on the right, entered the central temple and a nameless temple not far away that seemed to be hidden in an alley.

"Fellow."

Inside the temple, Li Yingtian, the former son of the Li family, manifested an avatar and silently bowed to Ji Jingqiu, signifying that they had met.

Looking at this fellow Daoist who seemed to still be competing with him, Ji Jingqiu sighed inwardly.

After the departure of the four divine lords, this person, under Ji Shuai's arrangement, experienced the agonizing pain of being emaciated and became the last pillar of the Federation's divine path.

Now, more than thirty years later, his aura has become somewhat tainted by the ever-growing number of worshippers of the Federation.

At this rate, Li Yingtian will not last more than a thousand or ten thousand years before he completely falls into the abyss, corrupted by the thoughts of all living beings, and plunges into chaos, with no chance of redemption.

Before this, Li Yingtian, who had received the final gifts from the four great gods, was still the Federation's last line of defense in the universe.

Thousands, tens of thousands of years...

It's unclear whether this "time" was reserved for Ji Shuai himself or for Ji Jingqiu.

Thousands of years from now, no matter who returns or who rises again, the Federation will no longer need Li Yingtian.

Thinking of Ji Shuai's various actions, Ji Jingqiu couldn't help but sigh softly.

Seven people becoming saints is not as good as one person transcending.

The warnings from Master He still ring in their ears; they all need to be wary of Commander Ji's relentless pursuit of justice.

Ji Jingqiu made a move, and although it was only a mental clone, it still lit up a ray of wisdom, which he gave to Li Yingtian to help him resist the invasion of the beliefs of all living beings.

……

Ji Jingqiu walked into the depths of the alley, where a temple was hidden, enshrining the faceless statue of Master He.

Ji Jingqiu could hear the children making noise from inside, even from a distance.

Upon closer inspection, a tall, handsome young man was leading a group of children in learning basic martial arts moves in the back hall of the temple. This was to help them improve their physical fitness and lay the foundation for future martial arts training.

Ji Jingqiu looked at the young man walking among the children, as if he were seeing the embodiment of the passage of time.

The boy, Acheng, whom he had placed in the temple to help with odd jobs back then, has now reached the age where he can help others.

In Ji Jingqiu's eyes, Acheng had already reached the late stage of the Shackled Realm.

At over forty years old and in the late stage of the Shackles Realm, A-Cheng is not considered slow within the Federation. Moreover, his foundation is very solid, and his aura faintly reveals the martial arts legacy of Master He.

Ji Jingqiu raised his hand, fusing the insights and understanding he had glimpsed in the Dawn Realm into a unique sword manual, which he then silently left as a sword mark on the floor of the back hall beneath A-Cheng's feet.

He did not disturb Acheng, who was correcting the children's posture, and his clone disappeared into the world.

...The western starry sky of the former Federation has now been incorporated into the western border starry sky of the Eastern Continent.

All habitable planets were relocated to the outer edge of this supercontinent, as if a courtyard had been created in the starry sky to accommodate numerous habitable planets.

Ji Jingqiu revisited the old place, walking on the planets and streets he had visited before, and once again found an old acquaintance.

This is a martial arts academy, with the words "supported by the Federation" prominently displayed on its plaque.

The boys and girls inside were mostly dressed simply, indicating that they came from ordinary families.

The dean here is named Cheng Xin.

Compared to more than 30 years ago, Cheng Xin's appearance has matured a lot. Unlike Ji Jingqiu and others, he has not achieved the level of martial arts cultivation that requires at least the Mind Realm. Compared to his past self, Cheng Xin's realm has only advanced from the True Seed Realm to the Divine Travel Realm.

In a remote region, Shenyoujing would be considered a minor expert.

Ji Jingqiu stood high in the sky, not meeting his old friends, but gazing into the distance.

More than thirty years later, the girl who once looked up at the towering mountains has become a pillar of support in the eyes of others, one that even the fiercest winds cannot shake.

Ji Jingqiu looked up and, in an instant, the wonders of the world and all kinds of stars came into view.

He simply raised his hand and grabbed at it, as if he were casually taking something from his own home, and extracted strands of spiritual energy from the void, one of which was even nine feet and nine inches long.

After not seeing each other for many years, witnessing her old friend living the life she longed for was a gift in itself.

In the training ground below.

Chengxin suddenly looked up and gazed at the surrounding fields, only to see a vast sea of ​​clouds, and was stunned for a long time.

"Dean! They say you fought against Commander Ji back then, is that true?!"

"Of course it's true! This is a martial arts academy that receives strong support from the Federation, but our Dean is only at the Divine Ascension Realm!"

The restless noise of the teenagers pulled Cheng Xin back to reality.

Hearing the laughter of some troublemakers, Cheng Xin narrowed his eyes, his expression somewhat dangerous, instantly silencing the group of boys and girls. Clearly, Dean Cheng's reputation was still quite formidable.

"A bunch of little brats," Cheng Xin chuckled and cursed, "all you do is slack off all day. I was just absentmindedly looking around, and you think you can turn the world upside down? Do you even want to leave this planet and go to the center of the continent, the center of the Federation?"

Regardless of their background or age, teenagers are at the age when they are most adept at reading people's expressions. They immediately realized that the dean was not really angry, and they surrounded him with laughter.

"Dean! Tell us about Marshal Ji's story!"

"What's there to say? It's all written in the book, isn't it?" Cheng Xin said with a smile. "If you really have potential, then work hard and get into the central area. Maybe one day you'll see him on the street."

She paused, then drawled out:
"Here's what we'll do: if any of you can enter the Federation's new generation of key talents in the upcoming selection competition, I will give him a wisp of spiritual energy, the most supreme spiritual energy in the world!"

Hearing the voices coming from behind, Ji Jingqiu chuckled to himself. When did he become Commander Ji?
The Federation had indeed intended to award him this military rank, but Ji Jingqiu declined.

The Federation does not need any new marshals from the future besides the Seven Marshals.

And Ji Jingqiu has no need for the glory of his predecessors to be bestowed upon him.

He will forge his own path.

One day, there will be no one in the world who is as great as him.

……

After visiting seniors such as Master Yang, Ji Jingqiu's spiritual avatars multiplied into millions, just like Qi Tian, ​​walking and stopping in every corner of the Eastern Continent to visit old friends, repair the shortcomings of the [One True Dharma Realm], and transmit back to his original body in real time.

His true self went into seclusion, while his mind manifested into countless forms to roam the world, observe the grand trends of heaven and earth, comprehend the changes of time, and regard the mortal world as a bronze furnace to forge an unwavering Dao heart. Both his Dharma and Dao were slowly improving.

In this process, his mind was free and he walked the path alone, gradually finding the so-called "destiny" and sensing the location of the "River of Destiny" in the Netherworld.

Those who are ordained by Heaven will have their wishes fulfilled by Heaven and Earth, and all things will be satisfied. Their desires will be realized, and their aversions will be difficult to maintain.

This is the beginning of the Eight Realms, and also the most important characteristic of the Eight Realms.

Some have likened glimpsing one's own destiny to leaping out of a river and seeing the reality of the vast world. Even if the river is about to dry up, one has the right to break free and go to a wider world.

……

Qi Tian, ​​wandering aimlessly across the Eastern Continent, looked up and saw what looked like butterflies flying across the sky.

He could sense the completion of this world more clearly than any of the Heavenly Kings guarding this continent.

Besides the Great Dao and the principles of law, the order of heaven and earth also possesses a unique charm, which is neither the charm of the Dao nor the principles of law, but rather a kind of ethereal human warmth.

"What exactly is 'true reality'? Is it the human realm or the mortal world? I am increasingly unable to see whether this world is real or illusory..."

Qi Tian's infatuated voice echoed in the ears of the resident Heavenly Kings, making those who had been secretly watching Qi Tian's existence feel their scalps tingle and their hearts tremble.

Qi Tian's words seemed to possess a certain magic; even if they initially scoffed at them, they would gradually come to agree with them and then fall into the same quagmire as him.

Some people awaken in time and cut off their inner demons in time; others are mired in the quagmire and cannot extricate themselves, their Daoist heart flowing with Qi Tian.

As Qi Tian looked up at the butterflies flitting across the sky, his expression gradually returned to calm, his eyes revealing a restrained spirit, and he once again embarked on his journey.

He wanted to measure this "True Realm" with his own two feet and find the "true form" that Ji Jingqiu spoke of.

Perhaps only then will he truly wake up from his dream.

……

Ji Jingqiu sat cross-legged amidst the mountains and rivers, as if meditating in meditation, letting the killing intent of the Death Demon transform into long swords that slashed at his body and mind, sparks flying everywhere.

His spiritual avatar had already left the Eastern Continent, as if it had attained some kind of true freedom, traveling with the stars and watching the time flow by, the flowers fall, and spring pass by.

Countless thoughts wandered thousands of miles in his mind, some intersecting, some going their separate ways, and some traveling together. Ji Jingqiu had no constraints, just let it go, like letting a horse run free.

Whether it's a dream or a wandering mind, let them be.

Finally, when the myriad thoughts that had wandered to the ends of the earth returned, bringing back the sights and sounds of this long journey, Ji Jingqiu felt as if he had seen all living beings in the world, and from them reflected the most authentic truth...

Yourself.

He saw himself, saw his destiny, and finally, like the infinite mind returning to oneness, he arrived at a strange void realm.

In the boundless abyss, he slowly sank, passing through layers of hazy mist and interwoven light and shadow, crossing the boundary between this shore and the other shore, and finally arriving at an indescribable place.

He had visited this place before and was familiar with it.

He looked up and saw another version of himself standing in front of him.

They looked at each other.

This is his true self.

After many years, his id was no longer weak and listless from being entangled in the poisonous id of the karmic illness, and looked at him with a bright smile.

In that single glance, Ji Jingqiu had already glimpsed his destiny.

In this life, the world is vast and boundless, and we ourselves are as small as a mustard seed, but our true selves will never be wrong.

What is destiny?

I.

I am the one destined by Heaven.

Heaven and earth are in harmony with my heart, and all things are as I wish.

The place where this body stands is the other shore.

This was Ji Jingqiu's destiny.

(End of this chapter)