I subdue demons and monsters, and cultivate immortality in hell to become a saint.

In a flash, Zhong Jiu had already made his decision and told Elder Jiang all the pros and cons of the spiritual energy revival.

Old Jiang was struck dumb, abruptly standing up with wide eyes and his beard and hair standing on end: "What?! The spiritual energy has revived?!"

"What a bunch of Buddhist sects! How dare they plot against the fate of our Yanhuang Kingdom! Appointing a national preceptor and establishing it as the state religion—they want to use our country as sustenance for them!"

"They even want to use the government to recruit disciples and expand their influence, attempting to monopolize cultivation resources? They're dreaming!"

His lips trembled with rage, his knuckles clenched so tightly they turned white, and his eyes blazed with fury. The thought of how he had almost agreed to such a devastating condition sent a chill down his spine.

The situation in Kyoto has long been in a state of disarray. Without external assistance, it is uncertain whether it can survive until the spiritual energy recovers. Moreover, the recovery of spiritual energy may not be a good thing. If demons use the power of spiritual energy to become stronger, the Yanhuang Kingdom will only die faster.

Countless questions left him dizzy and disoriented. Old Jiang gritted his teeth and made a firm decision, immediately about to bow down and plead, "Please, Your Honor, enlighten me and save my Yanhuang Kingdom from this calamity!"

Just as his knees were about to hit the ground, an invisible force steadily supported him, keeping him completely still.

"No need for such formalities, Elder Jiang."

Zhong Jiu slightly raised his fingertips, his tone indifferent, "I do have a plan that might solve your immediate problem and prevent the Buddhist sect from succeeding."

Old Jiang's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he quickly leaned forward: "Please enlighten me, sir! I will risk my life for this chance to break this deadlock!"

Zhong Jiu's lips curled into a playful smile as he slowly said, "It's simple. Immediately announce the news of the spiritual energy's revival to the public, let the whole world know!"

"At that time, both ordinary people and cultivation sects will be in an uproar over this news. Once they understand the conditions of Buddhism, they will inevitably feel dissatisfied and rush to the capital. When a large number of cultivators flood into the capital, do you still worry that ghosts and demons will have no one to resist them?"

Upon hearing this, Old Jiang was first taken aback, then his pupils contracted sharply, and his face lit up with a look of ecstatic joy: "Brilliant! This plan is brilliant!"

He clapped his hands and laughed, the gloom of the past few days vanishing completely. "This move to muddy the waters is absolutely brilliant! Although Buddhism is powerful, the cultivation world is not monolithic. There are many forces that dislike them, especially those who have grudges against Buddhism. They certainly won't sit idly by and watch Buddhism rise!"

At that time, he wouldn't need to ask for anything; those forces would rush to Kyoto, using the banner of "assisting the government" to rival and restrain the Buddhist sect.

On the surface, the authorities are the weakest party, but in reality, they can stabilize the situation by leveraging the power struggles among various factions. If handled properly, they can even win both sides. Even at worst, they can buy time, secretly accumulate strength, and wait for the change in the spiritual energy revival.

"Thank you for your guidance, sir! This kindness will be forever etched in the hearts of the people of Yanhuang!"

Old Master Jiang bowed deeply, his attitude extremely respectful.

Although they did not directly invoke the Yin Gods to intervene, they obtained a way to break the deadlock and learned the secret of the great changes in the world. The gains far exceeded their expectations.

Zhong Jiu accepted the bow without hesitation, then waved his sleeve and said indifferently, "Go. This is not a place for you to stay for long. Return to the capital to make arrangements immediately."

Old Jiang felt a blur of light and shadow before his eyes, and when he looked again, he was back in the temple in the mortal world, with the incense stick in his hand just inserted into the incense burner, and wisps of green smoke rising.

Surrounded by throngs of worshippers, the air was filled with the warmth of the crowd, making him momentarily believe that his experience had been a dream.

But Zhong Jiu's guidance, the Buddhist conspiracy, and the secret of the spiritual revival were all etched into his mind like a brand, crystal clear.

Old Jiang exhaled a breath of stale air, bowed to the statue again, and turned to leave, his steps hurried yet steady and powerful.

Seeing this, Zhang Yunxiao, who was waiting outside, looked puzzled and quickly stepped forward: "Elder Jiang, are you leaving already? Aren't you going to continue your quest to see the gods?"

Old Man Jiang didn't reply, his tone carrying an unquestionable authority: "No need, the deity has already been seen."

Zhang Yunxiao and the security personnel from the Special Operations Department beside him exchanged bewildered glances.

You've seen him? When was that?

But Elder Jiang didn't give them a chance to ask further questions, and ordered in a deep voice: "Immediately notify the accompanying personnel to assemble and depart for the airport in one hour! The trip to Xingsha City is over, return to Kyoto at full speed!"

Several days passed after Elder Jiang set off to return to Kyoto.

Inside the Judge's Hall of the City God's Mansion in Xingsha City, Zhong Jiu sat upright at his desk, having finished processing the last document from the underworld, and finally looked up.

The incense smoke swirling around the altar was so potent it was almost tangible, enough to support him in exchanging all seven remaining halls of the City God's Palace.

When he first entered the City God's Palace, he only managed to exchange for six main halls and one Wuchang Hall due to a shortage of incense offerings. Now that the incense offerings are plentiful, he naturally wants to improve and perfect the City God's Palace.

With all departments in place, the efficiency of the underworld's operations and its overall combat power will experience a qualitative leap.

"The documents from the Office of Documents, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Treasury, the Department of Population, plus the Department of Punishment for Offenders, the Department of Salary Increase, and the Department of Sushi Collection—all have been exchanged!"

With a flick of his fingertip, Zhong Jiu sent a stream of incense energy into the depths of the City God's Mansion.

The Document Hall is in charge of all official documents, records, and yin-yang records of the City God's Palace. It is also responsible for liaising with the Underworld Chief and reporting on the affairs of Xingsha City in real time.

The Agricultural Affairs Department is in charge of the harvest in a region. Food is the most important thing for the people. With it in place, Xingsha City will surely have a bumper harvest of grains and plenty of food for the people to live in peace next year.

Although there are currently no heavy items to store, the position of the Treasury Officer is an indispensable duty of the City God's Office and will be put into use in the future.

The Department of Population and Family Affairs is in charge of the household registration and birth and death records of the living population in Xingsha City, and accurately controls the movement of all living beings in the city.

As for the chefs of the ceremonies, Zenglu and Zhusushi, they were all experienced chefs he had already employed when he was in Guiling City. Each of them performed their duties skillfully.

As the seven halls were activated simultaneously, the tightly closed doors burst open, and a large number of Yin spirits dressed in official robes and exuding a deep and solemn aura filed out.

The other underworld deities who had been waiting outside the hall stepped forward, cupped their hands, and offered their congratulations: "Congratulations on your return to your posts, colleagues!"

The newly returned Yin deities smiled and returned the greetings, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then immediately went to the Judge's Hall to thank Zhong Jiu. Afterwards, they each performed their duties and went about their work.

With the gods returning to their positions, the aura of the entire City God's Palace in Xingsha City suddenly surged, and the pressure from the underworld spread out as if it were a tangible force.

Inside the temple, the statues that were originally just cold clay figures were now all possessed by Yin spirits. Pairs of divine eyes suddenly opened, their divine light shining brightly, lifelike, and their awe-inspiring power swept in all directions.

This earth-shattering change instantly alarmed the Ghost Mother, who was living in seclusion in Xingsha City.

At this moment, the Ghost Mother was leaning on a recliner in the courtyard. Her fiery red dress accentuated her snow-white skin, and she wore crystal sandals. Her slender, fair legs were faintly visible beneath the hem of her dress, exuding a languid and alluring charm.

She slowly removed her sunglasses, her narrow phoenix eyes gazing towards the City God Temple, reflecting the changing winds and clouds within them. Her tone was nonchalant: "This Underworld has actually become stronger again."

She picked up the chilled plum juice on the table and took a sip. The cool sweetness spread across her tongue, but her gaze grew even deeper. No one knew what she was planning. Was it fear, curiosity, or some other scheme?

On the very day the City God Temple was fully completed, in Kyoto, after several days of meticulous planning, Elder Jiang finally mobilized all publicity channels to broadcast the news to the world.

Breaking News: After the Paranormal Outbreak, the Countdown to the Recovery of Spiritual Energy Has Officially Begun!

This headline resonated globally like a thunderclap, instantly dominating the top of the trending search lists on all platforms, with clicks skyrocketing at an alarming rate.

Even the residents of Xingsha City, whose lives are relatively stable and where paranormal events are less common, were shocked by the news. Discussions about the matter filled the streets and social media, and the level of attention skyrocketed.

The Buddhist community was instantly in an uproar!

"Which bastard dares to ruin the eternal plan of my Buddhist sect!"

A furious roar shattered the dome of the ancient Honglun Temple, causing the beams and pillars of the halls to vibrate. The sound waves swept across the surrounding area, startling hundreds and thousands of birds in the deep mountains and forests, forming a dark, dense mass that blotted out the sun.

The roar echoed around the beams, and dozens of monks in the ancient temple stood frozen in place, looking at each other in shock.

How could such a top-secret secret be leaked?

"Uncle-Master Yuanhui originally had twenty-three years left to live, but for the sake of the foundation of Buddhism, he forcibly burned off his remaining lifespan, sacrificing his soul to glimpse a sliver of future secrets. And what happened? The authorities are now making a huge fuss about it, making the whole world know!"

A monk clenched his fists, his voice filled with anger and urgency.

The one who was angry was the white-browed old monk Zhichen. His bright red kasaya made his face look even more gloomy, and the prayer beads in his hand creaked as he gripped them tightly.

His face, which should have been kind and gentle, was now bulging with veins, his eyes wide open like an angry Vajra, and his imposing Buddhist power poured out like Mount Tai pressing down, frightening the monks in the hall into bowing their heads and not daring to even breathe.

The entire Honglun Temple was silent, no one daring to utter a word.

Uncle Yuanhui was of extremely high seniority and his cultivation was unfathomable. He risked his life to exchange for the secrets of heaven for the future of Buddhism, but in the end, the news was made public. Not to mention Abbot Zhihong, even these ordinary monks were filled with hatred.

"Junior Brother Yuanhui's blood must not be shed in vain! Investigate! Dig three feet into the ground to find out! Where did that old fox, Old Man Jiang, get his information from!"

Zhichen roared angrily, and the Buddhist beads in his hand snapped with a "crack".

One by one, the Bodhi seeds were smashed onto the bluestone slab, the crisp sound like thunderclaps hitting the ground. Each sound struck the hearts of the monks, revealing their fury.