Becoming a God by Searching Mountains and Subduing Demons

Kyoto, Royal Palace.

The palace gate is made of thousand-year-old cold iron and is about ten feet high. It is carved with reliefs of ancient mythical beasts. Every line is smooth and powerful, and the eyes of the mythical beasts are bright, as if gazing at everything in the world.

As you enter the hall, what catches your eye is a row of sturdy pillars, each of which requires ten people to hug. The pillars are engraved with the great achievements of emperors of the Great Zhou Dynasty. After years of polishing, they exude an ancient and solemn atmosphere.

Looking up, the dome is high, inlaid with countless luminous pearls, which shine together and make the whole hall as bright as day.

These night pearls are arranged according to the constellations, forming a vast starry sky map, as if telling the mysteries of the universe.

The floor is paved with a whole piece of white jade, as smooth as a mirror, reflecting everything inside the hall.

On both sides of the hall, there are bronze incense burners. Smoke from the burners curls up and the fragrance permeates the entire hall, giving people a feeling of tranquility and mystery.

The throne was located at the end of the hall. It was made of pure gold and inlaid with various rare gemstones. The back of the chair was high and carved with nine lifelike dragons, as if they would take off at any time. On the throne, a slightly hunched figure sat quietly. This person was the Great Zhou Emperor Zhao Yongnian.

He held an ancient and heavy secret book in his hands. The cover was engraved with mysterious inscriptions, which emitted a strange luster under the bright light.

Zhao Yongnian had been sitting there for a long time, his body stiff, but his eyes were fixed on the secret book, his brows were twisted into the shape of a "川" character, and the wrinkles on his face seemed to have deepened, revealing the vicissitudes of life and the sorrow at the moment.

"It only appears once every few decades. Will this time be different?"

His voice was low and hoarse, carrying a hint of fatigue and helplessness, and it echoed in the empty hall, but no one responded.

The situation in the Great Zhou today is precarious. The seventy-two states and counties are caught in the quagmire of internal and external troubles. The flames of war are like a raging wildfire, spreading everywhere, throwing the land into chaos.

The forces of all parties are intertwined and their interests are constantly conflicting. The entire Great Zhou is like a huge tangled mess that cannot be cut or sorted out.

Rebels rose up in various places, holding high the banner of rebellion, aggressively attempting to overthrow the existing rule and get a piece of the pie.

Foreign religious forces also took advantage of the situation, misled people, secretly developed their own believers, and tried to undermine the foundation of the Great Zhou from a spiritual level.

There are also evil spirits hiding in the dark, who stir up trouble and create chaos from time to time. The people are suffering terribly, and the Sky Patrol is overwhelmed to deal with them.

These enemies are like poisonous snakes hiding in the darkness, difficult to identify and impossible to guard against.

Zhao Yongnian knew very well that the Great Zhou now had many enemies. If he could not find a good plan to resolve the crisis, it would not be long before the throne under his buttocks would be replaced by others, and the Great Zhou's foundation of thousands of years would be destroyed.

Obviously, if we trace back to the source, the root cause of all this chaos is the decline of royal power.

In the prosperous past, the royal family could control the world with ease and everyone was obedient to them. How could they end up in such a miserable situation today with internal and external troubles and a precarious situation?

Looking back to the past, the royal family of the Great Zhou was extremely powerful, and possessed the supreme power to enfeoff immortals and gods.

Once a deity is conferred, the recipient will rely on the special power granted by the royal family to be grateful to the royal family, serve wholeheartedly, and become a solid barrier to protect the country and people of the Great Zhou.

Those immortal gods who were granted titles, in their respective territories, either displayed extraordinary magical powers to protect the people, or used their powerful military force to intimidate the villains, making the Great Zhou peaceful and attracting all nations to pay tribute.

But times have changed and the glory of the past has long become a thing of the past.

It's a pity that although the method of sealing has not been lost, it seems to have been sealed by some unknown force and has become ineffective.

Zhao Yongnian knew very well that perhaps it was because of the loss of the vital original power, or perhaps it was because the fortune of the Great Zhou was declining, that this method of conferring the title became a useless decoration.

The current royal family of the Great Zhou Dynasty seems extremely noble, but in fact their power has been greatly reduced.

The only places where Zhao Yongnian can truly have complete control and implement his government orders unimpeded are a few states and the capital.

The rest of the states and counties, on the surface, were respectful to the royal family, but in fact they all had their own ulterior motives.

Outside the capital, war was raging and people were displaced, but the royal family was insufficient in strength to mobilize enough troops and resources to quell the war. They could only watch as the Great Zhou's territory was eroded bit by bit. Zhao Yongnian was filled with helplessness and reluctance, but there was nothing he could do.

"We have actually followed the old path of the previous dynasty." Zhao Yongnian's voice was low, with a bit of bitterness and self-mockery, like a sigh squeezed out from the depths of his soul.

He slowly closed his eyes and frowned. The scenes he saw in the classics flooded into his mind like a tide. The scenes of the rise and fall of the previous dynasty kept emerging in his mind.

Once upon a time, Taizu of the Great Zhou was full of vigor and vitality. He led an army of powerful troops to pacify the four directions and establish this vast empire. The glory of that time seemed to be still before our eyes, but now it is repeating the mistakes of the previous dynasty step by step. The trajectory of this fate is so similar.

"Could it be that this is the will of heaven? There is no eternal dynasty after all..."

He slowly opened his eyes, his eyes full of helplessness, and looked into the distance outside the hall. There, the war was still burning and the people were still suffering, but he, as the king of a country, felt deeply powerless.

He knew clearly that countless heroes had attempted to break the cycle of history, but all had failed in the torrent of time. Could it be that the Great Zhou could not escape this fate?
Zhao Yongnian sighed, and in this empty hall, the sigh seemed particularly heavy.

But in this despair, he still had a faint hope in his heart. Perhaps, he could only place his hope on the person who returned this time.

When those people left, he was full of hope. Now, many days have passed, and he wonders whether he has found the key to turning the tide.

Thinking of this, a glimmer of light flashed in Zhao Yongnian's eyes. He held the handrail tightly and prayed silently in his heart, hoping that this last hope would not be shattered, and that the Great Zhou would be able to regain vitality and escape the fate of imminent destruction.

The previous dynasty stole the power of immortals and gods in an attempt to recreate its glory. Although it ended in failure, it was able to obtain a lot of useful information from it.

Although the Great Zhou is now on the verge of collapse, its foundation is still deeper than that of the Great Qian when it was about to perish.

As long as you can find the method, you can definitely give it a try.

The solution to break the impasse may be here!
.........

The heavy barrier slowly opened, making a dull sound, breaking the surrounding silence.

The Sky Patrolling General Zhao Jinghuan strode out with a tall and straight figure, the red cloak on his shoulders rustling in the wind.

Not far away, an airship was quietly suspended, its hull engraved with intricate and mysterious magic arrays, emitting a faint glow.

Zhao Jinghuan stepped steadily onto the airship. He nodded slightly, signaling the pilot to set off. The airship slowly rose into the air and sped towards the direction of the governor's throne.

In this survey mission, he successfully brought back 30 people, which is not a small number. Every person who was successfully brought back could become an important force in promoting national development, and could be said to be a star of hope for the future.

For Zhao Jinghuan, this was undoubtedly a brilliant achievement. However, he had always been indifferent to fame, wealth and power, and did not take this achievement to heart.

I always feel a little relieved when I think about the safe return of those young geniuses of the Great Zhou.

The next moment, something strange happened!

Without any warning, a beam of light suddenly lit up from where the sky and earth met. This beam of light was completely different from the ones I had seen before. The beams of light in the past might have been of a single color, revealing simplicity and mystery.

But this time, the brilliance bloomed as if the paint palette between heaven and earth had been overturned. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet were intertwined together, magnificent as a dream. Each color was shining brightly, and as it flowed, there seemed to be a charm surging in it, as if a miracle had descended to the earth.

"What?" Zhao Jinghuan was concentrating on the airship's progress. The sudden light startled him and he blurted out the question subconsciously. He reacted very quickly, turned his head quickly, and looked in the direction of the light with a sharp gaze.

In an instant, a surge of ecstasy surged in my heart, and my originally stern face was instantly brightened by surprise.

Another one returns!
He knew in his heart that every returnee was of great significance to the Great Zhou, not to mention that at this critical moment, one more strong person meant one more hope. Moreover, the one who could trigger such a brilliant beam of light must not be an ordinary person, and might be a genius of the Great Zhou with outstanding talent.

This unexpected surprise caused waves in Zhao Jinghuan's originally calm mood. His eyes were full of anticipation, looking forward to the true face of this mysterious returnee.

"Hurry, change direction!" Zhao Jinghuan was extremely anxious, and his voice unconsciously rose octaves. While shouting loudly, he waved his hands vigorously, his eyes full of anxiety.

Seeing this, the driver did not dare to delay for a moment. He quickly manipulated the magic circle with both hands and input commands accurately one after another.

Although he didn't know the specific situation, Zhao Jinghuan knew in his heart that the event that could cause such a strange phenomenon must be a happy event.

In the blink of an eye, the airship deftly drew a semi-arc in the air, and the hull made a slight buzzing sound due to the rapid turn.

Then, like an arrow shot from a bow, it instantly increased its speed to the extreme and rushed towards the direction of the barrier. The spiritual tail flame at the tail was stretched extremely long, leaving a brilliant light and shadow in the sky.

After a moment, the airship landed steadily in front of the barrier. As soon as the hatch opened, Zhao Jinghuan rushed out like a black lightning. His figure flashed continuously, and each step was firm and powerful. His speed was so fast that people could only catch a trace of his afterimage.

In an instant, he arrived at the door of the teleportation room. His chest heaved violently, and his eyes were fixed on the closed door. His eyes were full of anticipation and excitement, and he couldn't wait to welcome the returnee who caused the miracle.

Sure enough, Jiang Yue's figure suddenly came into view!

Jiang Yue was seen in a black robe swaying in the wind, his figure as straight as a pine tree, just like an exiled immortal who was isolated from the world.

His breath was steady and long, and there was no disorder in his even breathing, as if he had just returned from a leisurely stroll in this world.

His black hair was neatly tied up, with a few strands of hair hanging down beside his resolute face, making his eyebrows and eyes look even more profound.

Looking closely, he was completely unharmed, his clothes were clean and new, without any signs of fighting, as if no thrilling battle had ever taken place, and he was just spending a leisurely time.

"Brother Jiang? I knew it! With your strength, how could you fail on the road to heaven!" Wang Qiwu's loud voice instantly broke the silence at the scene.

He was carefree by nature, and at this moment, he was so excited that his face flushed and his eyes widened. He stepped in front of Jiang Yue in a few steps, grabbed Jiang Yue's shoulders with both hands, and shook him vigorously, with a smile on his face that almost reached his ears, "You're finally back, everyone has been thinking about you!"

Miao Xingyu stood aside, his originally tense brows instantly relaxed, he took a long breath, and said softly: "I'm glad you're back."

From his slightly relaxed shoulders, it can be seen that he had been worried before, but now that Jiang Yue has returned safely, his tense nerves can finally relax.

Li Yiyun gently covered her chest, and the worry in her eyes turned into a smile, "I'm glad you're safe."

Her voice was soft, and her tone was full of relief. Although she said that there should be no problem, she could not be completely careful in her heart. Now that she saw Jiang Yue was safe and sound, she felt a lot more relieved.

Everyone gathered around Jiang Yue, their hearts filled with joy of reunion after the disaster.

Although everyone seemed to have countless question marks in their hearts, they were all very curious about Jiang Yue's experience on this journey to the Heavenly Road.

But seeing Jiang Yue just walked out of the teleportation array, everyone tacitly chose not to speak for the time being. After all, the journey was tiring, and it would not be too late to ask those doubts later.

"and many more."

Just as everyone was immersed in the atmosphere of reunion, Zhao Jinghuan's voice broke the harmony. His reaction was completely different from others, and he did not rush to greet Jiang Yue.

His eyes were wide open with a look of surprise, staring at Jiang Yue, as if he had seen something incredible.

"You...are on the ninth floor of the Jade Tower?!"

Zhao Jinghuan's tone was full of disbelief. You know, in the path of cultivation, it is extremely difficult to advance to the Jade Tower realm, let alone directly leaping to the ninth level.

This kind of breakthrough is rare in the entire Great Zhou. No wonder Zhao Jinghuan was so shocked. He looked back and forth at Jiang Yue, trying to find more unusual things from him.

You know... in his impression, when Jiang Yue first entered the Immortal God Ruins, he was only in the fifth realm!

Although outside intelligence often believed that Jiang Yue had already built the Jade Tower at that time, how could it be hidden from his eyes?

In other words, when the Five Realms enter the Immortal God Ruins and return...

Has the Jade Tower been completed?

Only a moment and you will be able to ascend to heaven and be crowned a marquis!
"After dozens of days and a bloody battle, he was able to break through his realms one after another under such circumstances..."

"What kind of monster is this!"

Although he had heard that the other party was extremely talented, Zhao Jinghuan was still shocked when he saw it with his own eyes.

"It's the ninth floor. The Jade Tower is indeed complete."

Facing the inquiry, Jiang Yue knew that he could not hide his realm, so he said: "It's just an accidental opportunity, not worth mentioning."

(End of this chapter)