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

Time flies, and several months have passed in the blink of an eye.

During this period, the world was in turmoil, and countless new talents rose to fame!

The major sects closed their mountains and retreated from the world, temporarily withdrawing from the stage of heaven and earth, which gave independent cultivators an excellent opportunity to rise against the heavens!

In this world, there is never a shortage of dragons waiting for their opportunity. Countless people take advantage of this vacuum period to rise up, establish their power, recruit disciples, and strive to create a world-shaking achievement!

To Zhong Jiu's amusement and exasperation, whenever a new power emerged, the first thing they did was to set up a shrine to him, with the entire sect kneeling in worship!

It is unclear who started this practice, but it has gradually become a common practice worldwide.

It's as if simply worshipping the City God of Xingsha would express submission and respect to the underworld and grant him its protection!

This time, the underworld has been discreet enough, but even so, no one can ignore it!

The legend of the "Catastrophe of Immortals and Demons" has been spread by people all over the world and has become more and more fantastical and outrageous!

The heroic deeds of the City God of Xingsha, who joined forces with the demons of the East Sea to sweep away the Buddhist and Taoist forces, have long been known to every household.

Chung Kau's popularity among the people was at its peak, and the people spontaneously embellished his image to an extreme degree. Even the Great Ape King Yuan Hong was portrayed as a righteous, fearless, and peerless divine monkey who acted on behalf of Heaven!

When there are countless versions of a legend, people can no longer distinguish between truth and falsehood; they will only believe the one they want to believe.

Ten years have passed in the blink of an eye.

Those sects that had been lying low in seclusion could no longer contain their ambitions and all made their appearance!

For the past ten years, the underworld has been so quiet that it is almost invisible, yet this is precisely the ultimate truth. True supreme authority does not need to flaunt or show off; simply maintaining the order of Yin and Yang is enough to awe the world!

With sects emerging from seclusion, the cultivation world once again erupted in clamor.

That day, after finishing his official duties, Zhong Jiu's eyes suddenly flashed with a divine light! "The time has come; it's time for a breakthrough!"

Suddenly, an opportunity for advancement arrived!

He had already amassed a mountain of faith, more than enough.

The final hurdle to the position of judge is the great order of Nanling Province!

For ten years, all the gods, the City God, and the officials in charge of the City God Temple devoted themselves wholeheartedly to this day, serving with utmost loyalty.

The results were immediate. Under the protection of the gods, Nanling Province had long since transformed into a paradise on earth. The economic center of the Yanhuang Kingdom had shifted entirely there, and elites from all walks of life gathered in Changsha. The vast fields yielded bumper harvests year after year, and the prosperous scene was on full display!

Zhong Jiu silently calculated in his heart that the time was ripe and the day of great prosperity was today.

He felt something in his heart and walked out side by side with Wen Tianxiang, transforming into two ordinary people: one with a strong physique, like a burly man who had worked hard all year round; the other with a refined and gentle demeanor, like an old clerk in an office.

The two concealed their divine power and traversed the Southern Ridge in their mortal forms, unnoticed by anyone.

"Brother Zhong, Guiling City is just ahead," Wen Tianxiang said with a light laugh, pointing.

Zhong Jiu looked up and a smile appeared on his lips. This was the place where he started his career!

The two were immediately stunned by the scene before them as they stepped into Guiling City.

Over the past decade, this small city has undergone a dramatic transformation, becoming an international metropolis with a scale that even surpasses that of Changsha!

The City God Temple in the city has been expanded several times, and is now magnificent and imposing!

Zhong Jiu swept his divine sense across the city and was slightly surprised. There were numerous temples, not only the local city god, but also the city god of Xingsha, civil and military judges, the ten kings of hell, the four judges, the five ghost emperors, ox-headed and horse-faced demons, black and white impermanence... all the gods were present, densely packed and spread throughout the city!

Even with such grandeur, it still couldn't stop the tide of pilgrims who knelt in devout worship, their incense burning so high it seemed to pierce the clouds!

He swept his divine sense lightly, without disturbing Guiling City God Lei Bo and the others. Only Zhulong came from the statue with a burst of wild joy and agitation, wishing he could break out of the body immediately!

"Little one, behave yourself. I'm just here to take a look. I'll come to pick you up in a few days," Zhong Jiu said gently.

The Candle Dragon Palace originally intended to move to Xingsha, but Guiling City was developing rapidly, with its population catching up with Xingsha, and its incense offerings were even more devout and pious. It was more suitable for the Candle Dragon to devour and grow, so it was left in this place.

Now that the Candle Dragon has consumed all the incense offerings, it has long since left its infancy and entered its growth stage. It is only waiting for Zhong Jiu to be promoted to judge and take charge of the underworld before he will take it with him!

Chung Kau and Wen Tianxiang strolled through the streets, where statues of themselves could be seen everywhere.

The legendary deeds of the Guiling City God have long been adapted into operas, movies, and TV series, and are passed down by word of mouth and are known to every household.

"If you were to reveal your true form, the entire city would probably erupt in uproar," Wen Tianxiang joked.

Zhong Jiu smiled helplessly. He knew that the people of Guiling cherished old friendships and many of them traveled a long distance to Xingsha to offer incense.

The two left Guiling and traveled through Zhucheng by car, stopping and starting along the way.

This is the first and last time that Chung Kau will examine the Nanling Province under his rule with the eyes of an ordinary person.

As he looked around, he noticed that even in this prosperous era, there were subtle flaws. He couldn't help but sigh, "Even gods are not immune to oversights."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than an old farmer in the nearby field suddenly turned around, his brows furrowed in anger. He strode over, hoe in hand, and shouted sternly, "Nonsense! How could the gods, so majestic, err? Without the protection of the gods of the underworld, where would we find our good life today? If you dare to spread such rumors again, don't blame me for being impolite!"

Although the old farmer was frail, he was in good spirits and full of vigor.

Wen Tianxiang could only smile wryly and quickly stepped forward to apologize.

Once the old farmer's anger subsided, he took the opportunity to ask, "Old man, in your heart, which of the gods of the underworld is the best?"

The old farmer pondered for a moment, then solemnly said, "They are all good! But if I had to choose the best, it would undoubtedly be the City God of Xingsha! He resides in Xingsha, overseeing all the City Gods of the entire Nanling province. Today's prosperous era is entirely thanks to Lord City God!"

The old man looked up at the sky, filled with hope: "My old bones only wish that the City God will forever protect the Nanling Mountains!"

The moment those words were spoken, the world changed dramatically!

Auspicious clouds surged forth from the heavens, and a dazzling golden light crashed down, enveloping Zhong Jiu's entire body!

Zhong Jiu was jolted awake, and suddenly everything became clear!

"I understand! Nanling Province is already well-governed. What I lacked was never political achievements, but rather listening to the people's voices! Having heard this today, everything is perfect!"

All the conditions for promotion to judge have been met!

"Congratulations, sir! Congratulations, sir!"

Wen Tianxiang sensed the earth-shaking change in Zhong Jiu's aura, looked up at the auspicious clouds, and excitedly cupped his hands in congratulations.

Bathed in golden light, Zhong Jiu's mortal disguises were stripped away, revealing a majestic official robe that exuded an aura that soared to the heavens!

He took a deep breath, unable to contain his excitement: "Finally... I've been promoted to a legitimate judge of the underworld!"

Although he was a judge in the past, he was only a judge of a city, which was not a legitimate title.

Now, this judge is a supreme deity of the underworld who sits in the Judge's Hall of Fengdu, holds the Book of Life and Death, and wields the Soul-Catching Pen!

The Grand Judge who can wield power over the entire world!

The four judges of the underworld hold high positions of power and possess unparalleled supernatural abilities!

Zhong Jiu's heart stirred slightly; he wanted to see which judge he would be appointed as!

He took a step forward, enveloped in golden light, and instantly returned to the City God's Mansion!

The old farmer in the field only felt a blur before his eyes, and the two disappeared into thin air, as if in a dream.

He froze for a moment, then suddenly knelt down, trembling with excitement: "It's the City God! That person just now... was the City God of Xingsha!"

The old farmer was moved to tears; this was something he could boast about for the rest of his life!

At this moment, inside the City God's Mansion.

As soon as Zhong Jiu stepped in, auspicious clouds gathered like a tide, transforming into a giant pillar of light that poured into his body!

His cultivation level soared, increasing rapidly. His divine cultivation reached the God King realm! His human cultivation had already broken through to the Profound Immortal realm!

A terrifying aura swept out, shaking the entire Yanhuang Kingdom!

But Zhong Jiu immediately withdrew his divine power and suppressed the strange phenomenon, unwilling to be too ostentatious.

"Let's call it a day."

With a casual wave of his hand, all the strange phenomena in the world vanished.

At his level, empty fame and glory are no longer worth mentioning.

The next moment, system notification sounds flooded the screen:

[Congratulations, host! You have successfully been promoted to a third-rank judge!]

[Congratulations, host! You have obtained a Rank 3 Purple Pattern Qilin Divine Robe!]

[Congratulations, host! You have obtained the supreme cultivation technique, the Yin Calendar Scripture!]

[Congratulations, host! You have gained the supernatural powers: summoning wind and rain, and turning beans into soldiers!]

[Congratulations, host! You have acquired the supernatural power: Golden Light Across the Earth!]

[Congratulations, host! You have officially unlocked the complete Underworld! You can now access the Six Paths of Reincarnation, Fengdu Ghost City, the Eighteen Levels of Hell, and more...]

[Host, please report to the Underworld for your new post within three days!]

The series of rewards thrilled Chung Kau!

Stepping into the upper echelons of the underworld, the difference is truly like night and day!

Strength has skyrocketed, and the entire system is now in operation!

Previously, he had no need for cultivation and no orthodox techniques, but now that he has been promoted to judge, the system has directly bestowed upon him the "Yin Li Jing"!

This book appears to be the Yellow Emperor's military strategy, but inside it is a supreme divine cultivation method, specifically designed to absorb yin energy and temper the yin spirit, tailor-made for the great gods of the underworld!

Countless spirits spend their entire lives seeking it but cannot obtain it, yet Chung Kau achieves it in one step!

At the Judge realm, one is already among the great supernatural beings. The path to further advancement is long. The system bestowed the cultivation method upon him so that he could cultivate independently and make steady progress, preventing him from stagnating for hundreds of years.