Chapter 629: The Celestial Court and the Underworld
Chapter 629: The Celestial Court and the Underworld
Shangwu City.
Fang Xing slightly altered his facial features, further enhancing his gentlemanly appearance. He wore a slightly faded green robe and carried a half-old bamboo scholar's basket on his back as he entered the city gates.
"Halt, where are the inspectors?"
At the gate, several soldiers stood lazily.
Fang Xing could tell that these soldiers had decent foundations, and their current laziness was like a dozing tiger, biding its time. Among them was a squad leader-like figure with eyes as sharp as a falcon, scanning every person entering the city.
'The Da Zhou Divine Dynasty has quite a surplus of martial ethics...'
A thought struck him, and he handed over his identity proof and travel pass.
"Fang Yun, a local from this state, a miscellaneous disciple, currently traveling for studies?"
The soldier glanced at the document and saw that the description matched Fang Xing perfectly, or rather, it was an exact copy.
"Indeed..."
Fang Xing bowed politely, exuding the demeanor of a well-read scholar.
"No need, you may enter the city."
The soldier stepped aside, clearing the path.
In the cities of the Da Zhou Divine Dynasty, there was no entrance fee.
As Fang Xing entered, he saw a wide street that could accommodate several carriages side by side. Various shops lined the streets, bustling with customers, creating a lively atmosphere.
"What a vibrant place..."
He smiled and merged into the crowd.
The identity of 'Fang Yun, the miscellaneous disciple,' was naturally obtained through that evil cult believer.
This person did exist, but he had been dead for some time, and his identity proof had fallen into the hands of the evil cult.
Fang Xing, skilled in disguise, found it effortless to impersonate this person, and the disguise was flawless... Well, as long as that person didn't expose him.
'But even if I'm exposed, it doesn't matter. I'm best at nesting dolls...'
'Beneath this identity of a miscellaneous disciple is a heretic demon who secretly cultivates origami magic.'
The art of origami was widespread, and occasionally, heretic demons in the Da Zhou Divine Dynasty learned it, which was a perfectly normal occurrence.
Furthermore, Fang Xing's possession of the Mirage Paper Cottage Realm was sufficient proof of his long immersion in this path.
'If I peel away the skin of this heretic demon, they will discover that I am a great druid from beyond the mortal realm...'
'Only after peeling away the skin of this great druid will they have a chance to uncover my divine identity...'
'The key is that beneath my divine identity, I also have the identity of a visitor from another world...'
'It seems unnecessary to go to such lengths. With my divine insight and heroic fortune, they wouldn't be able to peel away even the first layer of skin...'
'Moreover, this identity is merely for casual use, and I'll discard it afterward...'
Fang Xing tightened the bamboo basket on his back.
This Fang Yun was also unlucky. Originally, as a miscellaneous disciple, he was preparing to travel the four corners of the world, gain experience, and then enroll in the State Academy.
The Da Zhou Divine Dynasty required passing an exam for enrollment in the State Academy, which granted 'academic enrollment' and genuine 'spellcasting rights,' allowing the study of various supernatural abilities. Without it, one might be relegated to the ranks of heretic demons.
Among those who excelled in the State Academies, they could take the exam to enter the 'Imperial Academy' located in the capital of the Da Zhou Divine Dynasty! Once admitted, a smooth graduation guaranteed a high-tier profession.
Well, this high-tier profession, when placed in the realm beyond the mortal world, equated to the position of a Yin Shen Immortal.
Furthermore, after graduating from the Imperial Academy, one could directly enter officialdom! Being an official in the Da Zhou Divine Dynasty came with numerous benefits, but the most crucial was the posthumous enfeoffment, which allowed one to instantly become a City God or a Land God, among other terrestrial spirits.
If one achieved 'incarnate deification,' they could transform their yang life into yin life while alive, enabling them to live several times longer, an incredibly mystical feat.
'This is why those from beyond the mortal realm admire the Da Zhou Divine Dynasty—nothing more than the allure of benefits...'
'In this divine dynasty, there are also starving corpses and various unbearable miseries...'
Ancient dynasties, even those boasting of a golden age, were not much different.
They fell far short of the productivity of modern times, let alone the interstellar age.
The Da Zhou Divine Dynasty had deities and supernatural abilities, which made the situation somewhat better, but it seemed... ruined by these deities.
Suddenly, Fang Xing reached into his pocket and took out a wooden stick, tapping it on a filthy little hand.
This hand had just attempted to reach for his waist to take his money pouch.
Slap!
The small hand recoiled as if shocked, and when Fang Xing looked over, he saw a few beggar-like kids slipping into the crowd, using their familiarity with the terrain to disappear without a trace in an instant.
'But...do they think they can hide from the perception of a legendary druid like me?'
He smiled and continued walking, his pace unchanged, but his speed mysteriously increased as he turned into an alley.
Not long after, faint voices came from ahead:
"That guy hit me so hard!"
"Damn, I misjudged him; he's a trained fighter!"
"Today we don't have enough money, and Tiger Grandpa won't spare us."
...
Ahead, several small beggars were gathering, each with a hint of bitterness on their faces.
Among them, one small beggar had a faint supernatural glow.
Fang Xing glanced at him and discovered that he possessed a quasi-magical ability similar to 'Nimble Hands,' making him an ideal candidate for thievery.
"Interesting!"
"He's cultivated a minor spell... No, this seems more like a granted ability."
"I never expected that within a small city, there would be an organization like the Thieves' Guild..."
If it were only Fang Xing's clone, he would definitely not understand.
But Fang Xing also had his true self, so he immediately recognized the thief's quasi-magical abilities, which came from the blessings of a deity! The thief was a believer of the God of Shadows and Thieves.
This God of Shadows and Thieves was a true god within the Da Zhou pantheon, but his strength was not impressive, as he had been defeated by Asta before.
"The deity's responsibilities include 'Shadows' and 'Thieves'... So, there needs to be a dark side to society..."
Even the local government organizations, out of respect for the true god behind them, would not interfere lightly.
And thieves often breed all kinds of evil.
For example, stealing children, teaching them the art of thievery, even crippling them, and disguising them as beggars...
Similar to the ancient practice of 'abduction and dismemberment', in Da Zhou, they merged with the Thieves' Guild.
The newest, smallest, and most recent news is that the book is available at the top of the list!
"This is undoubtedly a tumor hindering societal development, but Da Zhou can't get rid of it... Why? Because the God of Shadows and Thieves is one of their own... Even the main god of the Da Zhou pantheon feels helpless and can only compromise!"
"Within the Da Zhou pantheon, even the weakest true god, as long as they hide within their divine kingdom, their safety is almost guaranteed, and they need not fear the main god... Or to put it another way, the pantheon is like a company, with the main god as the chairman, and the God of Shadows and Thieves is at least a minor shareholder..."
"Although the chairman appears to hold absolute power, if they dare to disregard the interests of the minor shareholders, there's a possibility that the other minor shareholders will unite and overthrow them..."
"Therefore, the Da Zhou divine kingdom cannot sever ties with these organizations... Similar to the God of Lust and Love..."
Fang Xing silently walked away, with no intention of helping his assistant.
These thieves seemed to be doing well, and some had already converted to the faith of the God of Shadows and Thieves.
If he went there, it would only expose himself without any benefits.
"Are the rules of the deities now becoming an even greater obstacle for Da Zhou's further development?"
Fang Xing murmured to himself and then arrived in front of a temple.
This was the City God Temple of Shangwu City, bustling with people and vibrant with incense offerings.
Countless prayers, incense offerings, and the burning of joss paper created a colorful magic web that covered every corner of the city.
The central City God seemed to possess the power of a Yang Shen cultivator.
"More importantly... With just a thought, he can contact other terrestrial spirits in Da Zhou... or even report to the Celestial Court."
"Who could possibly overthrow such a vast earthly divine kingdom?"
At least, the previous Asta saw no hope at all.
Even when he secretly prepared to hunt for benefits, he was struck down to the point of being almost incapable of taking care of himself.
But now, Fang Xing's true self would not be so reckless.
"The Da Zhou pantheon, with the formidable strength of the Celestial Court, suppresses all evil spirits and demons... Unfortunately, I am one of those evil spirits and demons..."
"On Earth, the terrestrial spirit system is like a net, with a few bad apples and a few tumors... But in reality, they don't hinder much."
After all, the most common thing in the world is the passage of days, and as long as days can still be lived, there will be no rebellion.
The Da Zhou divine kingdom is known as the 'Earthly Divine Kingdom', ruled by divine offspring.
Although there are some shortcomings, life can definitely go on, and even the poor can seek help in churches when they fall ill, and they might be saved if they encounter a kind-hearted priest.
Compared to the ancient feudal society without any supernatural power, this is already much better.
And with an extremely powerful ruling class, no one would dare to rebel at this time.
It can be said that apart from a few rare weak points like the Beyond the Mortal Realm, there are no weaknesses, and it is incredibly strong.
"Though I have only seen a single leaf, I know that autumn has arrived..."
Fang Xing did not enter the City God Temple but instead found a way out of the city: "The Celestial Court and the mortal realm... Both are almost invincible."
"Perhaps it's time to find an opportunity to visit the Underworld?"
If the Celestial Court is the upper realm, then the Underworld is the lower realm.
This world's Underworld is unique, consisting of eighteen layers, known as the 'Eighteen Hells', specifically for punishing those without faith.
True believers will ascend directly to the divine kingdom of the deities.
"So... In this world, there is no concept of reincarnation? Every fetus is a completely new sentient being... When they complete their life, they will go to heaven or hell according to their faith. Even if they go to hell, there is no thought of being reincarnated as a pig or dog."
It's just endless torment until the soul and spirit are completely dispersed, and then they are freed from suffering.
However, it's easy for a soul to go to the Underworld, but it's very difficult for a living person to do so.
Without the power of a Yang Shen cultivator, it's basically an impossible dream.
Even a Yang Shen cultivator has a high chance of not returning.
"Fortunately, my true self is a true god, and I know how to retrieve souls from the Underworld..."
"Otherwise, the believers of the Kill-Life Cult and the True Demon Lord would be truly pitiful..."
Although some evil gods do not keep their promises, Fang Xing still values his business reputation.
At the very least, he will do his best to fulfill his promises.
(End of Chapter)
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