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

Marquis Zhenwei?

A hint of surprise flashed in Zhong Jiu's eyes, but he quickly understood.

Back in Guiling City, he was granted the title of Earl of Ankang because the people longed for peace; now, the people admire his authority and respect his iron fist, and wish for his power to manifest, so they have granted him the title of Marquis of Zhenwei, which is well-deserved!

"Your subordinates pay their respects to Marquis Zhenwei!"

All the officials of the City God's Mansion knelt down again and paid their respects with great ceremony, their voices even more respectful than before!

The sound was as loud as thunder, once again resounding throughout the entire Star Sand City, echoing for a long time!

Marquis Zhenwei!

From the Earl of Ankang to the Marquis of Zhenwei, the difference between the two titles reflects the true state of mind of the people, from hoping for peace to respecting authority!

Zhong Jiu was bathed in the immense power of his vows. He took a deep breath, and his divine power became even more refined, making him even more imposing than before!

"Gentlemen, please rise!"

His gaze slowly swept over the officials of the City God's Mansion, a glint of light flashing in his eyes. The matter of bestowing titles upon the gods could not be delayed!

The massive amount of incense offerings he had accumulated were all for this moment!

The first step is to perfect the structure of the City God's Palace in Xingsha City!

After Chung Kau was promoted to City God, the positions of civil and military judges were vacant and had to be filled as soon as possible!

Without hesitation, Zhong Jiu used the power of incense offerings to exchange for the civil and military judges!

The civil judge had a scholarly air about him, gentle and refined, yet he harbored a sharp edge; the military judge had a dark complexion, was burly and imposing, and exuded a menacing aura.

The two stand side by side, the civil judge holding the judge's pen and the military judge holding the Mirror of Life and Death, jointly managing the Book of Life and Death and deciding the life and death of people!

"Your subordinate greets Your Excellency!"

The civil and military judges stepped forward together, bowed, and stood tall and straight!

Get up.

Zhong Jiu nodded, his tone calm yet authoritative.

With the arrival of the civil and military judges, the core structure of the City God's Palace in Xingsha City was completely perfected!

After taking down the City God's Palace, the next step is the grand undertaking of bestowing titles upon the gods throughout the entire Nanling Province!

"Let's start with the fifteen prefecture-level cities!"

Zhong Jiu spoke with a firm tone, using the power of incense in one breath to directly exchange for it!

In an instant, a vast and imposing multitude of underworld officials, from the City God to the Inspector General, appeared all at once!

Zhong Jiu's incense energy was instantly depleted by more than half, but he remained unfazed!

"You are all hereby appointed by the Yin-Yang Division. You may proceed to your posts upon receiving your appointment letters! Once in your positions, you must be diligent in your duties and conscientious in your responsibilities, without the slightest negligence! Any act of dereliction of duty will be met with swift and severe punishment!"

Zhong Jiu spoke calmly, his voice not loud, but it carried an undeniable authority that resounded throughout the entire venue!

The fifteen City Gods, along with their respective chief officers, merit officers, assistant officers, and soul messengers, all knelt down and bowed, not daring to raise their heads even slightly!

"Your subordinates will obey Your Excellency's decree!"

All the city god temples in these prefecture-level cities must respectfully address Zhong Jiu as their Prefect and await his orders!

As for the officials within the City God's Palace of Xingsha City, they addressed him as "Master" or "Lord," showing a clear hierarchy!

The prefecture-level cities are densely populated and economically developed, forming the foundation of Nanling Province. Therefore, Zhong Jiu first summoned them and gave them some instructions, and then used the power of incense offerings to exchange for them again!

"Next, one hundred and twenty-five counties!"

"Exchange them all at once!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhong Jiu's incense power was instantly depleted by 90%!

Such a large-scale exchange is a truly earth-shattering event in the history of the underworld!

Looking around, the entire City God Temple square was packed with a dark mass of underworld officials, stretching as far as the eye could see, their imposing presence terrifying!

"Your subordinates pay their respects to Your Excellency!"

After the officials appeared, they knelt down without hesitation, their voices so loud that the ground trembled slightly!

This time, Chung Kau didn't elaborate further; the rules had already been clearly stated and there was no need to repeat them!

With a thought, he accessed the system to retrieve information on all his subordinates, scanned it one by one, and had a clear understanding of it all!

These hundreds of City Gods vary in strength and experience, but they are all talents that the Underworld can utilize!

The first fifteen to redeem their positions were the strongest and most senior, thus they rightfully deserved to hold the title of City God of a prefecture-level city!

Those who were slightly less capable took charge of the county level, each performing their duties and guarding their respective areas!

As city gods, within the underworld system, the extent of their power has always been linked to their territory!

These hundreds of City Gods are, frankly speaking, in a competitive relationship where they compete on the same stage!

Positions are never guaranteed; success depends entirely on performance.

The capable rise, the mediocre fall!

Zhong Jiu glanced at the statues and found that one-third of the City Gods exchanged this time were characters that already existed in this world.

These people, like Elder Lei Bo, enjoyed immense prestige in the local area. Some were even renowned figures of the past millennium, whose stories are still told today. Now, they have all been enshrined as City Gods!

The remaining two-thirds have no connection to the local area, and nobody knows where the geniuses the system recruited came from.

Zhong Jiu was slightly disappointed; despite such a large-scale summons, there wasn't a single familiar face from Earth.

"Where is the Director of the Yin-Yang Division?"

The sound of the bell fell, carrying with it an inherent authority.

"Greetings, sir!"

Wen Tianxiang strode forward, his voice booming like a bell.

"The Yin-Yang Division shall immediately draft regulations and arrange for all City Gods and their subordinates to assume their posts. Those who fail to perform their duties shall be punished according to military law!"

Zhong Jiu's tone was icy and left no room for argument.

"Yes, sir!"

Wen Tianxiang bowed and accepted the order without the slightest hesitation.

Without hesitation, Wen Tianxiang quickly issued documents to all the City Gods and their officials, affixing the City God's seal, and the documents became effective instantly!

On the list of gods of the underworld, countless names suddenly appeared, the ink still fresh.

The next second, countless dazzling streams of light shot out from the City God's Mansion, as the City Gods and their officials headed to their respective jurisdictions to assume their posts!

Linh Gyi City is located on the border of Nam Ling Province, just a few kilometers away from the border of Bac Giang Province.

This is why the citizens of Lingjie City have a long-standing sense of insecurity.

Every now and then, wandering ghosts would roam from Beijiang Province and wreak havoc on the people. Although Bai Qi's soul soldiers would rush to the rescue as soon as they discovered them, they still left an indelible psychological shadow on the citizens.

Many people secretly lamented that they were all from the same province of Nanling, but they lived on the edge of the region. If they were in the heartland, they would not have to suffer like this!

In such a tense atmosphere, the New Year in Lingjie City was far less lively than in Xingsha City.

Many families put on new clothes and bought firecrackers before rushing home; in contrast, young people in Xingsha City were having a great time, creating a lively scene.

"Sigh, I really envy the people of Star Sand City!"

"That's right! We people from the Tomb Realm are treated like stepchildren, constantly harassed by those brats!"

"Shh! Don't say things like that. We're here to guard the border, it has nothing to do with gods."

"I'm not blaming the gods. If there were no underworld, we wouldn't be able to live our lives. I'm just a little resentful."

"If only our city had a City God to oversee things, we could have a peaceful New Year!"

The thing people fear most is comparison. Although life in Lingjie City has improved a lot, the gap is immediately apparent when compared with Xingsha City and Guiling City.

As fellow natives of Nanling Province, who wouldn't have some expectations in their heart?

Of course, this isn't dissatisfaction, just a few complaints. Everyone appreciates the good things about the underworld, and just hopes it can get a little better, that's enough.

Just as everyone's thoughts were in turmoil, dozens of streaks of light suddenly fell from the sky, heading straight for the City God Temple!

Zhang Yunxiao had long planned ahead, building temples on a large scale in various places, including not only City God Temples, but also Yama Temples and Earth God Temples, all of which were built in a magnificent manner.

This old man was truly a talent of his time. He deeply understood the principle of "either do nothing or do it well." He built temples to worship all the underworld deities he knew, regardless of whether they existed or not.

After this favor, Chung Kau will truly owe him a debt of gratitude, and he will undoubtedly receive a blessing after his death.

The City God Temple in Lingjie City has also been repaired, but no deity resides there, so offering incense is useless, and the incense has always been deserted.

Many people who want to offer incense and pray for blessings have to make a special trip to Guiling City or Xingsha City.

At this moment, dozens of streaks of light, carrying the City God, the Chief Judge, the Chief Clerk, the Assistant Judge, as well as the Day and Night Patrol Gods and the Shackled General, all fell into the City God Temple!

In an instant, the atmosphere of the City God Temple changed dramatically!

The statues seemed to come alive, their previously blurry faces instantly becoming clear, and their eyes becoming lively and spirited, exuding majesty!

Dozens of Yin spirits successfully entered the City God's Mansion, while the remaining guards and soul messengers quietly went to the Underworld to report to their respective superiors.

"What's going on?!"

"What kind of light is that? It's all falling on the City God Temple!"

Citizens flocked out of their homes, their eyes filled with astonishment and excitement.

A bold guess instantly popped into everyone's mind.

"Breaking news! Huge news! Our Lingjie City now has a City God in charge!"

The guards at the City God Temple were shocked to discover the strange phenomenon with the statue. They immediately ran around telling everyone, their voices trembling.

The temple keeper, having received the message from the spirit messenger, rushed over and loudly announced, "From this day forward, the city of Lingjie is now under the protection of the City God!"

These words caused an instant sensation throughout Lingjie City!

Without saying a word, the citizens grabbed the most convenient means of transportation and rushed to the City God Temple like madmen.

But by the time most people arrived, the City God Temple was already packed with people!

The crowd was enthusiastic, and many people were so moved that they shed tears on the spot.

The return of the City God means that they will no longer have to live in fear and can live a peaceful life like Xingsha City and Guiling City!

"Thank you for your protection, City God!"

People lined up spontaneously, full of piety. No matter how good the gods of Guiling City and Xingsha City are, they are still gods from other places. Now that their own gods are here, that sense of closeness is engraved in their bones!

This grand spectacle in Lingjie City was being staged simultaneously throughout the entire Nanling Province!