Please be my partner.

The old man in the Taoist robe looked at the paper crane, which immediately disintegrated, revealing the information within.

The old man in the Taoist robe was moved and muttered to himself, "Junior Brother You, have you recovered from your injuries?"

"Ring ring!"

Amidst the jingling of bells, the old man in the Taoist robe walked out of the mortuary, followed by several stiff figures bouncing around.

……

In a remote ancient temple deep in the mountains, a bald monk with a scar on his face and a missing arm is quietly worshipping Buddha when a yellow paper crane wanders into the peaceful Buddhist hall.

The scarred monk remained unmoved, continuing to calmly worship Buddha, paying no attention to the paper crane.

But at that moment, another old monk in the Buddhist hall said, "Brother Jiekong, your mind is in turmoil."

Jiekong remained silent for a moment, then asked, "Senior brother, what can I learn from you?"

The old monk shook his head and did not respond.

After another long silence, Jiekong finally reached out and opened the paper crane. After reading what was on it, he said, "It seems that my worldly ties are not yet severed."

Jiekong bowed deeply to the old monk and said, "Brother, I need to settle this last worldly ties."

The old monk sighed and said, "Fate brings us together and fate separates us; cause and effect are intertwined. Once you step into it, you will only stumble more and more."

Jiekong didn't say much, but bowed again and turned to leave.

……

The patrons in the brothel...

……

An old farmer working in the fields...

……

A graceful noblewoman in a secluded mansion...

……

Ascetics trekking through the mountains and forests...

……

One by one, these extraordinary individuals received the message from Elder You. The vast majority of them chose to keep the appointment, but a few, who had long since settled into a peaceful life, were unwilling to wade into the muddy waters again.

Back in the day, Elder You was quite a prominent figure, and those who could associate with him were naturally all powerful individuals. Their gathering attracted the attention of some interested parties.

Of course, it's just a matter of being cautious, since compared to ghosts and city gods, the human race's own power is too weak to be worth mentioning.

Wushan, forty li to the north, is an unnamed mountain peak.

A powerful human arrived at the appointed time. They were either acquainted with each other or had long been friends, so no trouble was caused.

When all twenty-odd people had arrived, the organizer, Old You, was nowhere to be seen.

Among these twenty-odd people, three were particularly special, seemingly holding a significantly higher status than the others.

One was an old man in a Taoist robe, with a golden bell hanging from his waist. Two zombies stood behind him, and most of the others looked at him with admiration.

One was a scarred monk, but he was very silent and did not respond when some familiar old friends came up to greet him.

One is a mature woman in her thirties. Although the years have added some wear and tear to her face, they have also given her a more voluptuous and elegant appearance.

After a short while, the mature woman said somewhat impatiently, "What's this guy surnamed You up to? He invited us here, but he's not showing up himself?"

The old man in the Taoist robe said, "Please calm down. I believe Junior Brother You is not one to speak without reason. Since he has summoned us here, there must be something important to discuss. Besides..."

"Hmph!" The mature woman snorted and continued, "Besides, that man surnamed You was already half-crippled back then, having lost eight or nine tenths of his strength, and there was almost no chance of him being cured. But judging from the way he communicates, he has not only recovered his strength but also seems to have reached a higher level."

The old man in the Taoist robe nodded slightly and said, "Although this matter is somewhat strange, the aura and the code words are correct, so it is indeed Junior Brother You."

The mature woman didn't say anything more; if she hadn't confirmed this, she wouldn't have rushed over in such a hurry.

Just as they were discussing this, a golden divine light shot out from the direction of Wushan, and almost instantly streaked across the sky and arrived above them.

The extraordinary individuals immediately became wary, but upon seeing who it was, many of them paled in shock.

The figure enveloped in golden divine light in the sky was none other than Elder You, only decades younger, having returned to the peak state of his life.

"You...you..." The mature woman pointed at Old Man You and said with a complicated expression, "Are you...You Zhengtian's son?"

You Zhengtian, also known as Old You, was immersed in the joy of reuniting with his old friend when he suddenly heard these words. His expression froze, and he almost spat out a mouthful of blood.

However, the mature woman's words made the others look suspicious, as if they were considering the possibility, and even the old man in the Taoist robe looked thoughtful.

Seeing that the generational order was about to get mixed up, Old Master You hurriedly began to explain, desperately trying to prove that he was himself and not his son or grandson.

After a flurry of activity, the others still looked doubtful. The old man in the Taoist robe got to the heart of the matter and asked, "Junior Brother You, are you saying that you took on a disciple, and that disciple developed the method of divine command, which can transform everyone into gods, and that your current state is the result of this transformation?"

Elder You nodded and said, "Yes, Senior Brother Shen."

The mature woman clicked her tongue and said, "You, are you sure you're not joking with us? Or is this actually a story from some novel?"

Old Master You looked at the mature woman, a certain emotion surging in his eyes, but he suppressed it in the end. His voice unconsciously became gentler as he said, "Rui...er, it is indeed true."

Hearing this long-unheard address, the mature woman Chai Gu Rui's eyes welled up with tears, and she whispered, "Zheng Tian..."

Just as the atmosphere was becoming increasingly awkward, the old man in the Taoist robe interrupted their staring contest: "Junior Brother You, where in this world is there such a cheap thing? You seem to have something left unsaid, don't you?"

Elder You's expression turned solemn, and he nodded, saying, "Senior brother, you're right, that's exactly what I'm about to say..."

"I suspect that my disciple is not from this realm!"

This caused a huge stir, with the vast majority of people present not even understanding the meaning of Elder You's words.

The old man in the Taoist robe's expression turned serious. He asked, "Doubt? How certain are you?"

Old Master You smiled wryly, "Although it's just a suspicion, it's probably pretty close to the truth. After all, my disciple has never pretended, and he has clearly told me about the advantages and disadvantages of the Divine Command Method, as well as his goals."

Chapter 683 Taking Root and Sprouting

Old Master You spoke in great detail, and the group listened attentively. After Old Master You finished speaking, everyone fell silent and remained speechless for a long time.

After an unknown amount of time, Elder You's voice rang out: "Although I may no longer be qualified to say such things, this is an opportunity for us, for the human race, an opportunity to break free from the enslavement of the City God and the ghosts."

The old man in the Taoist robe looked at Elder You and said calmly, "But it is also possible to push the human race into an abyss of no return. Didn't you say that your thoughts would be distorted after you transformed into a god? So, how many of your current thoughts are from your true heart, and how many have been distorted?"

Chai Gu Rui raised her eyebrows, wanting to refute the old man in the Taoist robe, but she opened her mouth and then closed it. After all, she was no longer the little girl who was blinded by love. Just from the words Old Man You said, she could sense the danger in them.

Looking at the old man in the Taoist robe, Elder You sighed and said, "Senior brother, I cannot answer your question. I have experienced the feeling of having one's mind twisted and understand how terrible it is, so your concern is not without reason."

At this point, arguments such as "Merlen certainly had no ill intentions, otherwise how could he have explained the cause and effect so clearly" are meaningless. Everyone is working for the future of humanity, and it is impossible to place all our hopes on such vague reasons.

Old Man You looked around and said in a deep voice, "To you, I am not trustworthy right now, but there is one thing I need to clarify: before I am transformed into a god, I trust Melon."

These words made everyone think.

After another long silence, the scarred monk suddenly said, "Since we have disagreements, why don't we split into two groups? Those who are willing to believe in Layman You can accept the transformation and gamble on the future. Those who are not willing to accept can leave on their own. This way, we can leave some seeds and pass on what happened today, so that it won't be buried in history."

The crowd agreed, as transforming into a god seemed fraught with danger and subject to human control, but it was still a hope. They did not worship gods or seek help from ghosts; having embarked on the path of human self-strengthening, they had already disregarded life and death. Now that hope was right before their eyes, they were naturally willing to risk their lives to try.

Having realized this, Chai Gurui stepped forward and said, "I am willing to join."

The scarred monk bowed with one hand, chanted a Buddhist prayer, and said, "If I don't go to hell, who will? Count me in."

Then, one by one, those willing to join spoke up, and eventually two-thirds of the crowd responded.

The old man in the Taoist robe had remained silent until now, when he finally spoke: "Since that's the case, I won't join you. I will watch you and see if your actions will truly bring about any change for the human race."

After speaking, the old man in the Taoist robe gave Elder You a deep look, then turned and left without lingering. The other third of the group who did not choose to join also left with him.

Old Master You sighed as he watched the departing Taoist elder, but he quickly rallied and looked at the group of people who remained.

A team is always meaningful; a mature team can solve problems that an individual cannot.

In ancient times, during chaotic times, having one or two hundred loyal followers could easily snowball into a massive army of thousands or tens of thousands, forming a powerful force.

Now, with such a team, everyone has ideals and ambitions, shares the same goals, and most importantly, possesses the power to rival the other two major forces, it is only natural that Old Master You has gained momentum.

After bringing the group back to Wushan, Elder You began to convert them one by one according to the divine command method taught by Melun.

After numerous improvements, the Divine Edict Talisman has become increasingly sophisticated, and the conversion process is no longer so painful, so they completed it very smoothly.

Chai Gu Rui has regained her appearance as a twenty-something girl. Of course, her mature charm has not faded but has become even more alluring.

The scar on the scarred monk's face disappeared, and he looked like a young novice monk, except that he was shrouded in a faint golden halo, exuding a mysterious and majestic aura.

The others have also undergone tremendous changes. More importantly, their power has been genuinely enhanced. In the past, they might have needed various plans, schemes, or even luck to deal with some minor demons, but now, the power of the gods is enough for them to easily do things that were impossible before.

With a team in place, Elder You was once again filled with the ambition he had in his youth, determined to carve out a glimmer of hope for humanity in this hopeless world.

Wushan Valley.

Mellen watched Old Man Yu's actions quietly, without any intention of interfering.

For Mellen, the seeds have been sown, and all that remains is to wait for them to grow. During this time, Mellen can also organize his gains in the Outer Heavens and calmly comprehend the power of humanity.

Mellen could clearly sense that this humanitarian power would be the key to his journey to the other side.

When Mellen entered seclusion, the three 'seeds' he planted, like great white sharks released into safe waters, began to greedily absorb all the nutrients around them to grow.

On the Blood Flame Ghost King's side, with the power he had just acquired, he spent only a little over ten days to destroy the two old enemies who had been entangled for thousands of years, and transformed their remaining forces into the divine system.

Afterwards, the Blood Flame Ghost King set her sights on something even further away. She had already tasted the sweetness of the divine system. This domineering power, where anyone who completed the transformation would become 'one of us,' intoxicated the Blood Flame Ghost King.

Blood Flame Ghost King has always been an ambitious person; otherwise, he wouldn't have spent decades plotting against Wushan and, more importantly, Fengshan City.

If the Blood Flame Ghost King's original plan succeeds, not only will her power be further enhanced after devouring the City God of Fengshan City, but she may also gain one or two more Ghost Kings under her command. At that time, she will have an absolute advantage when facing her two old enemies, and she will still launch an attack without hesitation.

The outcome is not much different now, and the process is even simpler. Although there is now a master above us, since it has already become a fact, there is no use in regretting it. So we might as well think about how to maximize our benefits.

Therefore, unifying the entire ghost force and becoming the strongest ghost king, second only to one person and above all ghosts, might be a good choice.

While the Blood Flame Ghost King began his conquest of cities and territories, the City God of Fengshan was not idle either.

After a period of internal integration, Fengshan City God completely eliminated all hidden dangers and incorporated everyone in the City God Realm into the divine system.

To the surprise of Fengshan City God, after completing the transformation to the divine path, the power of his original City God system not only did not weaken, but became stronger, as if the City God should have been like this all along.

After careful planning, the City God of Fengshan invited the City Gods of the four surrounding cities to a meeting.

Because they had known each other for at least several hundred years and were very familiar with each other, the other city gods did not have any doubts when faced with the invitation from the Fengshan City God and came to accept the invitation directly.

The agreed location was not within the territory of the City God of Fengshan City, but in a neutral area.

However, when the other City Gods arrived, what awaited them was not the routine discussion, but the temporary City God Realm opened up by the Fengshan City God using the power of the divine system.

With the suppression of the temporary City God's domain, the other City Gods were no match for the greatly strengthened Fengshan City God, and were easily subdued one by one.

When this happened, the other city gods were all incredulous. Besides not understanding why the Fengshan City God could expand his city god domain outside Fengshan City, they were even more confused as to why he would take action against them.

"Fengshan, have you gone mad? Attacking us like this, do you want to take us all down with you?!"

“That’s right, seal the mountain. Even if you imprison us, you won’t be able to take over our city anytime soon. When chaos breaks out, those covetous ghosts will definitely not let this opportunity pass.”

"Once our city falls, how long can your Fengshan City withstand the ghosts coming from all directions?!"

In fact, this is what the other City Gods find most puzzling.

If it were only one city that was conquered by the demons, they could tacitly stand by and watch, or even reap the benefits, but when two or three cities are conquered, the pressure on the remaining cities will increase exponentially.

It is precisely for this reason that although these city gods each have their own ulterior motives, they generally stick together for warmth when faced with the threat of ghosts, because they all understand the principle that if one of them is gone, the other will be cold.

The actions of the current City God who sealed the mountain are clearly illogical in the eyes of the other City Gods.

Faced with the questions from the City Gods, the City God of Fengshan revealed a strange smile and said, "You will understand soon enough!"

Half a day later, the temporary City God's domain was lifted, and the five City Gods sat facing each other calmly, the previous tension gone.

"Is this... the power of the gods? It's truly incredible."

"With this kind of power, it's no wonder you dared to attack us, Fengshan."

"The divine law—within it, I see the opportunity to unify the entire world. With such a divine law in hand, we can accomplish even more!"

"That's right, the world should belong to our divine way!"

"..."

Fengshan City God said, "The Divine Lord passed down this method so that we could integrate the power of all the City God systems. Now that you have transformed into gods, you should understand that only the divine system is our future. The so-called City Gods before were just deceiving ourselves. To put it bluntly, we were still ghosts and spirits back then, only able to stabilize ourselves by relying on incense and prayers."

"Now, I have received the decree of the Divine Lord to spread the divine way and establish a true divine court!"

The other city gods' gazes gradually became more intense.