Starting with the Earth God, the path to immortality is deduced!

The sound of horses' hooves echoed.

A cloud of yellow dust billowed up.

The last rays of the setting sun were swallowed up at the horizon.

Between heaven and earth.

It seemed as if only two riders remained, leaving everyone else far behind.

Zhou Yuan tightened the reins.

The wind whistled in my ears.

"Whoa—"

Sudden.

Zhou Yuan suddenly pulled on the reins.

The horse beneath him let out a long neigh.

Its forelegs are raised high.

It came to an abrupt halt in place.

Ma Ling'er reacted extremely quickly.

He immediately reined in his horse.

He almost bumped into Zhou Yuan's back.

Gun Gun grumbled unhappily on her shoulder.

It seemed to be complaining that the brakes were applied too suddenly.

"What's wrong?"

Ma Ling'er steadied herself.

He reached out and comforted the panda.

He looked at Zhou Yuan with a puzzled expression.

"We haven't even reached the border yet, have we?"

"Could there be a pit ahead?"

Zhou Yuan didn't speak.

His expression.

It became extremely ugly in that instant.

It's uglier than eating a dead fly.

His hand.

He pressed firmly on the divine seal at his waist.

The knuckles turned white from exertion.

hot.

Scalding hot.

The divine seal, originally as gentle and smooth as jade.

At this moment, it was like a red-hot branding iron.

Through the clothes.

It was scorching his flesh.

Even more terrifying.

An indescribable feeling of palpitation.

Like an invisible giant hand.

It gripped his heart tightly.

"Thump!"

"Thump!"

My heart was pounding like thunder.

Zhou Yuan suddenly looked up.

My gaze swept across the wilderness.

He stared intently at the due north direction.

There.

It's in the direction of Qinghe County.

It was also outside the border of his Fengzhou Tugong jurisdiction.

It was also the territory of that county god.

In Ma Ling'er's eyes.

Over there was a pitch-black night sky.

The stars and moon were dim.

But in Zhou Yuan's view of the "Daytime Travel" method.

The sky over there.

collapsed.

It really collapsed.

A thick, nauseating black aura.

Like a black dragon that devours the sky and the earth.

It hovered over Qinghe County.

And within that billowing black mist.

A faint golden beam of light could be seen.

They are struggling to stay afloat.

That was divine light.

It is the divine light of the City God of Qinghe County!

But this beam of light.

At this moment, it is like a candle flickering in the wind.

The light flickered.

Shaky.

As if it were the next second.

It will then be completely extinguished.

"save……"

"Help me..."

A faint thought.

It followed the earth's veins intermittently.

It was transmitted into Zhou Yuan's divine seal.

The voice was harsh and stern.

Filled with endless despair.

It sounded like the wailing of a dying person in a pool of blood.

"Can you feel it?"

Zhou Yuan's voice was a little hoarse.

Ma Ling'er was taken aback.

He then took out a compass.

next moment.

Her expression changed as well.

All that could be seen was the compass in his hand.

The pointer spun wildly.

Finally, there was a "snap" sound.

It actually exploded!

Glass shards were scattered all over the floor.

"this……"

Ma Ling'er gasped.

"Such heavy resentment!"

"How many people must have died?"

"How could such terrifying resentment be gathered?"

Zhou Yuan took a deep breath.

Suppress the shock in my heart.

"It's not resentment."

"It is a sign of the fall of a god."

"Qinghe County City God Temple"

"We can't hold on much longer."

Ma Ling'er's eyes widened.

"The City God?!"

"That's a seventh-rank deity!"

"An entity that controls the life and death of an entire county!"

"Who could have driven him to this point?"

"The Wukong Sect?"

Zhou Yuan nodded.

His gaze was chilling.

He tried to invoke divine power.

Through the connection between the earth deities.

Go and contact that City God.

"The City God of Qinghe!"

"I am Zhou Yuan, the local chieftain of Fengzhou!"

"What happened?!"

The thought was transmitted.

Like a clay ox sinking into the sea.

Several breaths passed.

A burst of loud noise came from over there.

It sounded like countless vengeful ghosts screaming.

It sounded like the clash of weapons.

"run……"

"Run!"

"dark……"

"The underworld... has descended..."

"ah!!!"

After the final scream.

The sensation abruptly stopped.

It's like someone violently cutting a telephone line.

Zhou Yuan withdrew his thoughts.

His face was so gloomy it looked like it could drip water.

"He couldn't even finish his plea for help."

"It seems so."

"The situation over there."

"It's worse than I imagined."

Just then.

A streak of fire suddenly flew in from the horizon.

Extremely fast.

In the blink of an eye, it was right in front of us.

It was a yellow talisman.

A red crane with vermilion ink was drawn on the talisman.

It was Uncle Liu's communication talisman!

The talisman hovered in front of Zhou Yuan.

Spontaneous combustion without a flame.

It turned into a wisp of green smoke.

In the blue smoke.

Uncle Liu's face, which was always smiling.

At this moment, however, his expression was filled with anxiety and solemnity.

"Xiao Zhou!"

"Can you hear me?"

"Never go to Qinghe County!"

"That's a trap!"

Zhou Yuan frowned.

He asked in a deep voice:

"Uncle Liu?"

"You noticed it too?"

Uncle Liu spoke very quickly through the smoke.

It felt like something was chasing us from behind.

"It's not just about perception."

"I've uncovered the true nature of the Wukong Cult!"

"These lunatics."

"Their target wasn't those few village pavilions at all!"

"Those are all just a facade!"

"Their real goal."

"It's the shrine of the County God!"

Zhou Yuan felt a chill run down his spine.

really.

Just as he guessed.

"What are they going to do?"

"Kill God?"

Uncle Liu's voice trembled slightly.

"More terrifying than slaying gods."

"They want to 'issue deities on behalf of Heaven'!"

"The leader of the Wukong Sect."

"I don't know where I got my hands on an ancient fragment."

"Attempting to seize the position of the Earth God of the Great Ling Dynasty."

"To build their own 'underworld'!"

"This is the City God of Qinghe County."

"That's the first piece of fat meat they've set their sights on!"

"Once they succeed..."

"To refine the City God into their puppet Yin God."

"The entire Qinghe County."

"Within a radius of one hundred li."

"It will be completely reduced to a ghost town!"

"At that time."

"Don't say it was you."

"Even if the imperial court sends a powerful expert at the Yang Shen realm."

"Even then, we might not be able to remove this nail!"

Speaking of it.

Uncle Liu paused for a moment.

His tone became extremely serious.

"Xiao Zhou."

"I know you're very capable."

"But this time is different."

"That's the City God Temple!"

"Although the world has changed drastically and the divine way has declined."

"But even a starved camel is bigger than a horse."

"They were able to drive the City God to the brink of despair."

"The other side has deployed at least three experts at the peak of the Manifestation Realm."

"even……"

"There might be a heretical cultivator at the Yin Spirit Realm in charge!"

"Your current strength."

"Going there is suicide!"

Listen to your uncle's advice.

"Take that little girl from the Ma family with you."

"Go back to Fengzhou City and hide."

"Or just run south."

"Go find your cheap old man."

"This is muddy water."

"We can't afford to wade through that!"

Done.

The wisp of smoke flickered.

It seems to have run out of energy.

It slowly dissipated in the wind.

On the wilderness.

Deathly silence returned once more.

Only the rustling sound of the wind blowing through the withered grass could be heard.

Ma Ling'er held Gun Gun in her arms.

He glanced at Zhou Yuan.

I glanced again at the dark sky in the distance.

His throat moved.

"Zhou Yuan..."

"That's what Uncle Liu said..."

"That sounds pretty scary."

"The Yin Spirit Realm..."

"My old man has only just touched the threshold of the Yin God Realm."

"If there really is an old monster of that level."

"We're so small."

"It's not even enough to fill someone's teeth."

Although Ma Ling'er is usually very outgoing.

But they also know what's important and what's not.

Yin Spirit Realm.

That means one can travel in spirit to the vast emptiness.

A terrifying entity that kills without leaving a trace.

And those previous realms of object manipulation and manifestation.

They're not even in the same dimension.

Zhou Yuan remained silent.

His gaze remained fixed on the north.

His hand.

He stroked the divine seal at his waist.

The divine seal at this moment.

Although it's no longer piping hot.

But it was trembling slightly.

That was fear.

It is also a kind of sorrowful feeling of "the rabbit mourns the fox's death".

"hide?"

Zhou Yuan suddenly spoke.

The sound was very soft.

Yet it possesses a hardness like that of metal and stone.

He turned his head.

Looking at Ma Ling'er.

A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips.

"Ling'er".

"you say."

"If Qinghe County is finished."

"Next."

"Who could it be?"

Ma Ling'er was stunned for a moment.

The answer was given subconsciously:

"Our Fengzhou and Qinghe are right next to each other..."

He hadn't finished speaking.

Her face turned deathly pale instantly.

Yes.

If the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold.

If Qinghe County really becomes the "ghost domain headquarters" of the Wukong Cult.

Fengzhou, which is right next to it.

It's the next piece of meat they're about to eat.

At that time.

Where can we hide?

Where can they hide?

Zhou Yuan looked up at the sky.

at this time.

Night had completely fallen.

But there were hardly any stars in the sky.

Only endless gloom.

"This world."

There has never been a Shangri-La.

"Uncle Liu wants me to stay out of trouble."

"But I am a local deity from Fengzhou."

"I am the god of this land."

"If you can't even put out the fire in front of your own house."

"Waiting for the fire to burn into the house."

"Then I am a god."

"That's such a pathetic job."

Zhou Yuan's voice gradually rose in pitch.

It exudes a soaring, heroic spirit.

"We'll see."

"So what if you're at the Yin Spirit Realm?"

"His head fell off."

"It's just a scar the size of a bowl!"

"Since they want to build an underworld."

"Then I'll send them to real hell!"

Ma Ling'er looked at Zhou Yuan's angular profile.

The fear in his eyes gradually faded.

Instead.

It was a surge of excited fervor.

She slapped her thigh hard.

"good!"

"Well said!"

"I've had my eye on these pretentious bastards for a long time!"

"Since you, Zhou the Great Earth God, are willing to risk your life..."

"Then this young lady will risk her life to accompany you, my lord!"

"Fuck him!"

Zhou Yuan smiled.

He laughed wildly.

But his eyes.

Yet he remained unusually calm.

That's the hunter's composure before the hunt.

"but."

"Strategically despise the enemy."

"Tactically, we must take the enemy seriously."

"Since we're going to cause trouble..."

"You can't do without some serious weaponry."

Zhou Yuan dismounted.

He sat cross-legged on the desolate ground.

"Ling'er".

"Protect me."

Give me the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

Ma Ling'er didn't say a word.

He drew the peach wood sword from his back.

Several talismans were pasted on the sword.

"rest assured."

"As long as I have a breath left."

"Not even a fly can get in!"

Zhou Yuan nodded.

Close your eyes.

A thought crossed my mind.

That ancient and weighty book, "Strange Tales of Gods and Monsters".

It came back to mind.

The golden pages of the book turned.

It made a rustling sound.

It stopped at the "Supernatural Powers" section.

at this time.

The Yin energy value is displayed at the bottom of the page.

It has reached an astonishing eight hundred strands!

This is the Sao Dang Eighteen Village Pavilion.

Including all the spoils from the previous battle at Blackrock Ridge.

It's a huge sum of money.

This is also Zhou Yuan's current source of confidence.

"system."

"Derivatives of the imperial edict!"

Zhou Yuan silently recited in his heart.

He's gambling.

I'm betting on these eight hundred strands of yin energy.

It can transform this originally useless basic supernatural power.

It has been extended to a completely new level.

The previous imperial edict.

It can only command some low-level wandering spirits.

Or perhaps it's about slightly adjusting the earth's energy around the temple.

It's like someone who not only has no power.

A commander without any troops.

Even before, at Black Stone Ridge.

It also relies on the pressure of the divine seal itself.

They crushed their opponent to death.

There aren't many techniques involved.

But when facing a true powerhouse.

This kind of brute force.

Not enough.

He needs an army.

A massive, unyielding army of ghost soldiers, whose orders are strictly obeyed and whose commands are as precise as an extension of one's own arm!

He needs the authority to truly control the rules of this world!

"boom!"

As Zhou Yuan's thoughts settled.

Those eight hundred strands of yin energy.

Like a flood bursting its banks.

They frantically flooded the page containing the imperial edict.

Runes on the pages of the book.

It lit up instantly.

It turned from black to red.

From red to gold.

At last.

It turned into a purple-gold color!

In Zhou Yuan's mind.

It was as if a resounding, great sound of a bell had been heard.

"Imperial Edict!"

This one word.

It's no longer just about pronunciation.

Rather, it contains the rules that embody the ultimate principles of heaven and earth.

Zhou Yuan was aware of his own consciousness.

It rose instantly.

It broke free from the physical body.

They broke out of the wilderness.

It floats above this vast land.

He saw it.

I saw the earth veins flowing deep underground.

Like golden veins.

I saw those lonely ghosts wandering in the wilderness.

Shivering.

I could see every blade of grass and every tree beneath my feet.

They all bowed their heads in respect to him.

At this moment.

He is no longer that little local chieftain who lives in a remote corner.

Rather, it is a deity who truly controls life and death!

[Deduction successful.]

[Supernatural Power: Imperial Edict (Mortal Level) advances to: Supernatural Power: True God Imperial Edict (Earthly Fiend Level).]

[The True God's Decree: Acting on behalf of Heaven, His words are law. He can forcibly summon all wandering souls within a hundred miles to transform into Yin soldiers; he can command the earth's veins and mountains to shift their positions; he can suppress all disobedient evil spirits!]

A profound message flooded my mind.

Zhou Yuan suddenly opened his eyes.

Two beams of purple-gold divine light.

It shot out from his eyes.

It shot out a full three zhang (approximately 10 meters)!

The surrounding air.

Everything was distorted because of those two gazes.

"This is..."

"The power of authority?"

Zhou Yuan clenched his fist.

Feeling the surging, ocean-like divine power within my body.

This is not just an increase in strength.

It is also a leap in the level of life.

If we're talking about him before...

It's a child holding a wooden stick.

And him now.

He is a general wielding a sharp sword!

"rise!"

Zhou Yuan sat on the ground.

He did not get up.

It was just looking at the ground in the distance.

He uttered a single word softly.

The divine seal was not used.

There wasn't even much movement.

"Boom!"

The earth trembled.

All that could be seen was a small mound of earth about a hundred meters away.

It was as if it had come to life.

It rises slowly.

The soil churned.

In the end, it transformed into a clay giant about three zhang tall!

The giant was facing Zhou Yuan's direction.

Kneel on one knee.

Although it has no facial features.

But that will to submit.

Yet it was conveyed clearly.

Ma Ling'er, who was standing next to her, was dumbfounded.

The peach wood sword in his hand almost fell to the ground.

"Creating soldiers from beans?"

"wrong!"

"Is this some kind of earth spirit?!"

"My goodness!"

"Zhou Yuan".

"The time it takes you to burn an incense stick."

"Did you go to the Heavenly Court for further studies?"

"You seem like a completely different person."

Zhou Yuan slowly stood up.

The purple-gold divine light emanating from his body gradually subsided.

It has returned to its normal state.

But the majesty in every gesture and movement.

But it couldn't be hidden no matter what.

He patted the dust off his clothes.

I glanced at the mud giant.

He waved slightly.

The giant instantly disintegrated.

It will turn back into a pile of yellow earth.

I guess so.

Zhou Yuan smiled faintly.

"I learned some new techniques."

"Perfect timing to practice on those bastards."

Done.

He mounted his horse.

This time.

His movements became even more swift.

The horse beneath him seemed to sense the change in its master.

They became unusually docile.

They didn't even dare to snort at that slightly restless bird.

"Let's go."

Zhou Yuan gave the reins a tug.

His gaze was like a knife.

Pointing directly north.

"It's time to let that City God see it too."

"Reinforcements from Fengzhou."

"Is this enough?"

Ma Ling'er chuckled.

He carried the panda on his back.

"Alright!"

"General Zhou."

"I'll clear the way for you!"

"drive!"

Two fast horses.

Restart.

Like an arrow released from a bow.

They rushed into the vast darkness of the night.

wind.

They became even more anxious.

It carried a chilling, murderous aura.

But behind Zhou Yuan.

On that once peaceful wilderness.

I don't know when.

A thin layer of mist rose.

In the fog.

Indistinctly visible.

It was as if there were thousands of troops.

Following silently.

Those were heroic spirits and lonely souls awakened by the [Decree of the True God].

As Zhou Yuan said.

He was no longer fighting alone.

He is God.

Wherever divine power reaches.

All of this belongs to the king!

……

Half an hour later.

The boundary marker of Qinghe County.

This stone tablet has stood for over a century.

It had broken into two pieces at this point.

It was covered in dark red bloodstains.

in the air.

A strong, putrid stench permeated the air.

It smelled like countless corpses piled up and fermenting.

The surrounding trees.

They all withered and died.

The branches are twisted.

They looked like ghostly hands pleading for help from the heavens.

Here.

It is no longer the human world.

Rather, it is the entrance to hell.

Zhou Yuan reined in his horse and stopped.

Looking ahead at the city shrouded in black mist.

At the city gate.

There were no guards.

There were only a few pale lanterns.

Swaying in the wind.

It made a strange "creaking" sound.

"It's so quiet."

Ma Ling'er lowered her voice.

My palms were covered in cold sweat.

"It's too quiet."

"There wasn't even a dog barking."

Zhou Yuan squinted.

Deep within the pupils.

A purple-gold light flowed around it.

In his field of vision.

This is hardly a ghost town.

On that city wall.

The area was teeming with blue-faced, fanged demons.

They cling to the wall tiles like geckos.

It greedily devoured every bit of life that overflowed from within the city walls.

Inside the city gate.

Furthermore, black energy surged forth.

A pair of blood-red eyes could be vaguely seen.

They peered into the darkness at the two reckless intruders.

"It is indeed quiet."

Zhou Yuan sneered.

"Because of living people."

"They're too afraid to make a sound."

"Since nobody welcomes it."

"Then let's knock on the door ourselves."

Done.

Zhou Yuan took out a handful of soybeans from his pocket.

Those were a handful of wild beans he had casually picked up on the way.

Although it's not a spiritual object.

But now it's in his hands.

This is a deadly weapon.

"go."

Zhou Yuan casually sprinkled it.

Dozens of soybeans transformed into streams of light.

Flying towards the city gate.

"Pfft pfft pfft pfft..."

A series of muffled thuds.

Those blood-red eyes hidden in the darkness.

They didn't even have time to scream.

His skull was pierced directly by a soybean.

It turned into wisps of black smoke and dissipated.

"Awooo—!!!"

next moment.

The once quiet city gate.

It instantly caused an uproar.

Countless evil spirits rushed out of the shadows.

It was like a black tide bursting its banks.

They surged towards Zhou Yuan and his companion.

"Wow!"

"So many?!"

Ma Ling'er was startled.

Just as he was about to unleash the talisman.

But then Zhou Yuan gave a soft shout:

"Step back."

Ma Ling'er instinctively reined in her horse and backed away.

Zhou Yuan was sitting upright on his horse.

Not moving.

Faced with that overwhelming army of evil spirits.

He simply raised his right hand slowly.

In the palm of your hand.

That divine seal of the [Xiangting Land God].

It took flight.

This time.

The divine seal did not grow larger.

Instead, it rippled with concentric circles of purple-gold.

"By order of the local chieftain of Fengzhou."

"Within a radius of one hundred li."

"Hear my command!"

"Ghost soldiers".

"Where are you?!"

This was a loud shout.

Like a thunderclap.

The earthquake shook the entire Qinghe County area three times.

"boom!"

The ground behind Zhou Yuan.

It suddenly split open.

Countless phantom figures clad in tattered armor and wielding broken spears.

It emerged from underground.

Those are buried beneath this land.

The spirit of war passed down through the ages!

They were originally in a daze.

now.

But a ghostly blue flame burned in his eyes.

That is absolute obedience to this new god!

"kill!"

Zhou Yuan pointed ahead.

"Leave no one alive!"

"Waaah—"

A chilling wind howled.

Hundreds and thousands of ghostly soldiers and their souls.

Like a dark blue dagger.

It crashed violently into the black tide of evil spirits.

This is a massacre.

An unequal massacre.

Those evil spirits kept in captivity by the Void Cult.

Although brutal.

But in the face of these battle spirits blessed by military formations.

It was like stragglers encountering a regular army.

It was instantly smashed to pieces.

Ma Ling'er watched in stunned silence.

His mouth was so wide open it could fit an egg.

"this……"

"Is this still the same Zhou Yuan who only knows how to throw stones at people?"

"This is clearly the reincarnation of the Ghost King!"

Zhou Yuan ignored the gasps of astonishment behind him.

His gaze.

Crossing the chaotic battlefield.

He looked toward the center of the city.

There.

There is a towering temple.

It is the City God Temple of Qinghe County.

now.

The golden light above the temple.

It seemed to sense the arrival of reinforcements.

It suddenly lit up.

Although it is still faint.

But it gave them a glimmer of hope for survival.

Hang in there.

Zhou Yuan muttered to himself softly.

Then he suddenly spurred the horse's belly.

"drive!"

One man and one horse.

Like a golden lightning bolt.

Treading on the corpses of evil spirits scattered on the ground.

They rushed into that dead city that was about to fall.

That night.

The sky over Qinghe County.

Things were destined to change.

And the person who holds the power to change the world.

now.

He was filled with rage.

We are going to a gamble between gods and demons.

bet.

It is the people of this entire city.

And that supreme divine dignity!

"The scum of the Void Cult."

"Wash your neck clean."

"Your Grandpa Zhou."

"They're here!"