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

With one step, Zhong Jiu broke through the shackles of the Celestial God Realm, feeling a refreshing sensation throughout his meridians, as if he had ascended straight to the top of the heavens!

This taste is completely different from before!

Previously, he only knew that he was powerful, but now he felt an absolute sense of control over the world!

It was as if all things in the world were in his grasp, and he could play with them at will!

However, his cultivation level skyrocketed, but in Zhong Jiu's eyes, that was not the main event at all!

The first thing they got their hands on was the City God's Seal, which symbolized the authority of the City God!

Compared to the one in Guiling City, the City God Seal of Xingsha City is twice the size. It is made entirely of black jade, and it feels icy cold to the touch. The mysterious aura surrounding it soars straight into the sky!

The seven large characters "Xingsha City God Bell" are prominently engraved on the bottom of the seal, their force penetrating the jade back!

On the seal face, there is a miniature version of the City God's Palace, with every detail perfectly rendered!

With this seal in hand, even if separated by thousands of miles, the City God's Mansion's every move is under his control!

The City God Seal of Guiling City is already a remarkable magical artifact, but the City God Seal of Xingsha City is far superior, and the two are simply incomparable!

After accepting the City God's seal, the next item will be the official robes of the Underworld, which are exceptionally impressive!

The purple ribbon and crimson cloud robe, exclusive to the fourth-rank Prefectural City God, shimmered with a faint glow as soon as he appeared!

Compared to the official robes of a fifth-rank official, the most eye-catching feature of this purple ribbon and red cloud robe is the replacement of gold patterns with red patterns, instantly elevating its style!

Stripped of its ostentation, it exudes understated elegance, while the dark patterns add an air of undeniable authority!

"Good heavens! It's a top-tier magical artifact that combines offense, defense, and escape techniques!"

Zhong Jiu, dressed in an official robe, instantly grasped the secret of this treasure!

This fourth-rank official's robe has incredible defensive power and can even shrink the distance to an inch, covering tens of thousands of miles in an instant!

With this treasure in hand, Zhong Jiu can go anywhere in the world, ascending to the heavens to grasp the moon in the morning and returning to the City God's seat at night, living a life of unparalleled elegance!

After acquiring the official robes, the next step is the Underworld God Ranking, exclusive to the City God of the Prefecture!

Chung Kau casually flipped open the book, and the large gold characters inside shone so brightly they made one's eyes dizzy!

The names of officials from Xingsha City, such as Bai Qi and Wen Tianxiang, are prominently listed; each of them is a renowned figure!

Even the names of Lei Bo Lao and others from Guiling City are clearly printed on it!

All officials of the ninth rank and above are listed in the register, making it easy to see at a glance!

This Underworld God Ranking is the sole power of the City God to bestow divine titles; his word can determine the positions of gods!

Now that Zhong Jiu has been promoted to the position of City God of the Prefecture, he can appoint all the deities in the entire Nanling Province at his own discretion!

The Nanling Province comprises 15 prefecture-level cities, 125 counties, and over a thousand townships and villages, covering a vast area!

But now, in the vast Nanling Mountains, only Xingsha and Guiling have city gods in charge, while the rest of the cities are empty!

As for rural areas, there are no gods to protect them, and evil spirits often cause trouble!

Cities need a City God to govern the area, and villages need a Land God to protect the land!

Although the Earth God is the lowest in rank, he is a legitimate and upright deity of the underworld!

Besides protecting the peace of their region, they must also fully cooperate with the operation of the underworld, as they are the foundation of the underworld!

As the saying goes, one's environment shapes one's character, and one's land protects one's soul. Every person's birth and death must be reported and verified by the local land temple!

Although the Earth God holds a lowly position, he is the most crucial grassroots official in the underworld. Whenever a newborn is born, the Earth God records it and reports it to the City God. Whenever a deceased soul reaches the end of its lifespan and is escorted to the temple by the Soul Envoy, the Earth God will check the "Household Register" to verify that the deceased is a local resident who has died of old age. If he confirms that the deceased is a local resident, he will stamp the register and release the soul.

As long as these countless local gods are all granted fiefdoms, the City God's control over Nanling Province will increase exponentially!

"The conferment of godhood is my top priority now!"

Zhong Jiu closed the Underworld God Ranking, his tone resolute, each word ringing with conviction!

Immediately afterwards, his gaze settled on another great treasure: the supernatural power "Law Restricting Heaven and Earth"!

The system had already poured all the mysteries of "The Law of Forbidden Heaven and Earth" into Zhong Jiu's mind, allowing him to fully understand and master them!

This supernatural power is so strong it's practically defying the heavens!

Once unleashed, its form can cover the sky, its power increases ten thousandfold, and every move it makes can destroy the world!

Zhong Jiu chuckled inwardly. If he were to combine the "Law Forbidden Heaven and Earth" with the Heavenly Dragon Strike, wouldn't its power be earth-shattering?

But the grand finale is the magical artifact that Chung Kau has been most looking forward to:

【Ghost Blows Out the Light】!

This treasure is by no means a standard item for a city god; it is a genuine top-tier weapon with immense power!

The lamp body is made of crystal clear glass, exuding an ancient and weathered aura. On the wick, a cluster of grayish-white ghost flames burns quietly, emanating a chilling aura!

This is ghost fire from the underworld!

With immense power, it can reach the depths of the underworld and is the absolute nemesis of all ghosts; it will burn anything it touches!

When the deceased is illuminated by light, all the good and evil deeds, rise and fall of their lives are clearly revealed, leaving no room for concealment!

Once he acquired Ghost Blows Out the Light, he immediately crushed the Fallen Bell and the Twelve Blazing Flame Banners, becoming the number one treasure in Zhong Jiu's hands!

With a thought, Zhong Jiu summoned Ghost Blows Out the Light, which instantly transformed into a stream of light and entered his brow to nourish him.

Then, holding the City God's seal in his hands, he walked step by step toward the closed City God's Hall with an imposing aura!

"Your subordinates pay their respects to Your Majesty the City God!"

All the officials of the City God's Palace had already put aside their official duties and gathered outside the hall, kneeling down to perform a grand salute, their voices resounding through the sky!

From this moment on, Zhong Jiu is the rightful and sole master of the City God's Mansion in Xingsha City!

Zhong Jiu strode past the crowd with a steady breath, and with a wave of his hand, he pushed open the gate of the City God Hall, his voice resounding in all directions!

He stepped into the hall, turned to face the crowd, and spoke in a loud voice, which carried an air of authority and resounded throughout the hall!

"Everyone, rise!"

The crowd rose to their feet with a roar, responding in unison, their voices thundering!

"Thank you, sir!"

The colorful rays of light from the sky crashed down, enveloping the entire City God Temple. The light was so intense that it resembled a celestial palace descending to earth!

Upon seeing this, all the worshippers outside the hall knelt down and prostrated themselves, their eyes filled with awe and fervor!

"From this day forward, I am the City God of Xingsha City!"

The deafening sound, like a thunderclap, resounded throughout every corner of Xingsha City!

Click!

The Black Mountain Demon Mother, hidden in the shadows, suddenly changed her expression and crushed the wine cup in her hand with a "crack," splashing wine everywhere!

She stared intently in the direction of the City God's Mansion, her eyes filled with disbelief and shock, her whole body trembling!

"That judge... was directly promoted to City God? How could his strength have increased so drastically?!"

She had been lying low in Xingsha City for many days, thinking that no one had noticed her, but at this moment, a deadly unease rose in her heart!

Zhong Jiu's aura at this moment was as powerful as a mountain and as vast as the sea, several times stronger than hers, making it hard for her to breathe!

She was filled with doubts and developed a deep-seated fear of the underworld. Such a speed of advancement was simply unbelievable!

No need for arduous training, no need to spend time, yet one can directly and dramatically increase their strength?

The methods used by the underworld are terrifying!

What terrified her even more was that the moment the City God returned to his position, the entire city of Xingsha was completely transformed!

A layer of dazzling divine light instantly enveloped the entire city, transforming into an impenetrable net that protected the entire Star Sand City!

Such a ghostly being was like a beacon in the darkness within this net of heaven, extremely abrupt, her entire body locked by divine power!

"This is bad! We can't stay here any longer!"

Black Mountain Demon Mother dared not hesitate for a moment and made a decisive decision!

We may clash with the underworld, but not now.

At this moment, she was no match for him at all. She turned around and transformed into a black shadow, fleeing like a madwoman!

The moment she escaped the city walls, the divine net of heaven was fully formed, its light shining even brighter!

From this day forward, Xingsha City, like Guiling City, will become a forbidden land for ghosts, and not a single little ghost will dare to set foot there!

An eye, seemingly formed from the will of heaven and earth, suddenly appeared, its gaze sweeping lightly over the direction in which the Black Mountain Demon Mother had fled outside the city, with a hint of amusement!

"You managed to get away!"

It turns out that Zhong Jiu had just used his divine power to scan the entire city and had already discovered the lurking Black Mountain Demon Mother!

He was slightly surprised and was about to make a move to capture her when the Black Mountain Demon Mother fled like a startled bird, faster than a rabbit!

"It seems that this thing has been lurking in Xingsha City for quite some time."

Zhong Jiu smiled faintly, already understanding the situation.

At the same time, the people of Xingsha City finally learned of the great changes that had taken place in the city!

"My God! The Judge has been promoted to City God?!"

"So, the City God's Temple is finally opening? We can go and offer incense and pray for blessings?!"

"Congratulations, City God! Congratulations, City God!"

The whole city was in an uproar, and the people were overjoyed. They all knelt down to congratulate and their cheers resounded throughout the city!

The immense and vast power of the people's wishes surged toward Zhong Jiu like a tidal wave. With a wave of his hand, the power of wishes instantly manifested a series of astonishing feats!

He quelled the demon rebellion, fought fiercely against the two kings, forced back the Dragon King of Mengjiang, and cursed the Thousand-Eyed Ghost King to death; he led 400,000 soul soldiers to sweep away demons and monsters, and angrily slew the dragon on the banks of the Mengjiang River...

These tremendous achievements are deeply engraved in the hearts of the people of Xingsha!

At this moment, through the power of their vows, all of them are revealed between heaven and earth for all to admire!

"The City God's power is unparalleled, awe-inspiring throughout the land!"

This is the most sincere evaluation of Zhong Jiu by the people of Xingsha: his prestige is unparalleled!

Since he took charge of the Xingsha Yin Division, he has been strict in enforcing the law. Even evil dragons are invited to the Dragon Execution Platform to be beheaded. This authority has long been deeply rooted in people's hearts!

[Ding! A massive amount of popular will has been detected. The host is hereby granted the title of Marquis Zhenwei!]

A cold system notification sound suddenly rang in Zhong Jiu's mind!