I have Immortality In The Cultivation World Chapter 331

Chapter 331: Chapter 279 Poisoning the Common People_2

The common folk, when faced with troubles, would seek divine aid at temples, with the temple priests often adjudicating their cases.

Neither the officials of the yamen nor the local gentry could do anything about this, reluctant as they were to accept it, for the being in question was a Golden Core Realm immortal, who could wipe out the entire county with a single slap.

This was also the greatest chronic affliction of the Great Heng Imperial Court; the legitimate and Wild Gods had overstepped the bounds of the law, beginning to dip their hands into the mortal coil of power in pursuit of incense and Wish Power.

The prefects and provincial governors were cultivators too, yet they were powerless before the formidable strength of the gods, and even though they were overshadowed, they had to bear it.

The Great Heng Imperial Clan governed alongside the immortals, not the civil and military officials!

“My lord, the epidemic has now settled down. It seems that one has won and should be promoted to an Eighth Grade deity before long,”

the secretary reminded, “The City God Temple in Qingyun Prefecture is bustling with incense. With a high and influential position as the Judge of the Dead, he can claim more Wish Power Beads and may even break through to the Nascent Soul Realm in the future!”

“Haha, an Eighth Grade deity, this official must respect him from now on,”

the Prefect Zhao, holding a Ninth Grade official rank, remarked. However, official positions and godhood were two separate systems, independent from each other.

Official positions were appointed by the Imperial Court, with no strict requirements for cultivation, only that one had to be at least at the Golden Core Realm to enter the imperial ranks.

For deities, the rank had to correspond with the Cultivation Realm; Ninth Grade for Golden Core, Sixth Grade for Nascent Soul, and Third Grade for Divinity Transformation, such as the Earth God of Linyang being promoted to Eighth Grade as the Judge of the Dead, could at most be promoted to Seventh Grade, but the Sixth Grade required a breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Realm.

Hearing the sarcasm in Prefect Zhao's voice, the secretary quickly changed the subject and congratulated him, “Once that one ascends to Qingyun Prefecture, my lord will be able to use those Wish Power Beads.”

After pondering for a long time, Prefect Zhao shook his head and said, “Not just yet, we must wait.”

“Why?”

The secretary, puzzled, knew the path of cultivation was about seizing every moment. To advance mana and cultivation sooner would offer a greater chance of breaking through realms.

“This official often wonders, does the Imperial Court really not know? At least Qingyun Prefecture is aware!”

Prefect Zhao said, “That one recklessly harvests the common folk's incense, whether the higher-ups turn a blind eye deliberately, fattening him up for the harvest. When the time comes, not only will we get the Wish Power Beads, but also the gratitude of thousands!”

The secretary was taken aback, realizing Prefect Zhao, having spent many years in the Capital, was well aware of the hidden scheming within the Imperial Court.

“If that's the case, why does my lord still accept Wish Power Beads?”

“Dare I not accept them? In this world, after all, the power and authority of one's cultivation realm call the shots,”

Prefect Zhao's eyes flashed with greed, “But there's also no need to fear too much. It's not always that virtue is rewarded, and vice is punished; if that one remains undisturbed for ten years, this official will have gained those Wish Power Beads for nothing!”

The annual salary of a Ninth Grade county official, depending on their performance rating, would be issued three to five Wish Power Beads, certainly not enough for daily cultivation.

In these five years, he had accrued what amounted to several decades of salary from the Earth God!

Right and wrong, good and evil; Prefect Zhao knew them well, yet for the sake of prosperity on the path of immortal cultivation, he couldn't help but stretch out his hand to take them.

Kushui Street.

The courtyard.

Inside the room.

Lin Heng sat cross-legged, with spiritual energy from heaven and earth surging towards him, refining it into mana within his Dantian.

Ding ding dang…

The crisp sound of a bell tolled, as a woman in a green dress pushed the door open.

“Xiaoqing, you're here.”

At the sound of the bell, Lin Heng ceased his training and, like a child showing off a new trick, formed a spell with his hands, transforming into a golden light.

Foundation Establishment!

The Spirit Ginseng doll was already aware of it, squatting outside the yard every day awaiting its summoning, also casting spells to conceal fluctuations in spiritual energy, having felt the breakthrough aura just last night.

Her face showed a mix of shock and joy, with a hint of melancholy, “My benefactor has exceptional talents; in just half a year's time, your cultivation has surpassed mine.”

“No matter the cultivation level, our relationship will not change,”

Lin Heng wanted to express his feelings directly, but thinking of his deceased family, entangled with the powerful Golden Core Cultivators, he had no choice but to postpone those thoughts.

“Xiaoqing, you promised to tell me the truth once I made my breakthrough in Foundation Establishment. Was the plague last year caused by the Earth God using magic?”

“Yes,”

the Spirit Ginseng doll nodded, “Not just the epidemic, the droughts, floods, earthquakes, locust plagues from the past few years have all been orchestrated by the Earth God behind the scenes.”

Even though Lin Heng had his suspicions, hearing the truth still made him see red, recalling how his parents took him to worship at the Land God Temple numerous times, treating the Earth God as a benefactor who relieved suffering.

“Why would he harm people?”

“For the sake of incense and Wish Power.”

The Spirit Ginseng child meticulously recounted the ins and outs of the matter, including the Earth God's imminent promotion to become a Judge of the Dead.

“An Evil God causes trouble in the area and still gets to be promoted and prolong his life?”

Lin Heng said angrily, “Once I break through to the Golden Core, I will certainly go to his door and slay the bastard under my sword!”

On hearing this, the Spirit Ginseng child thought to itself that it was indeed as the immortal had said, with Lin Heng planning to rely on his own strength for revenge and immediately tried to dissuade him.

“He is a legitimate deity conferred by the Imperial Court. No matter what crime he has committed, privately executing him is tantamount to rebellion. When the time comes, it won't just be Golden Core practitioners; there will be Nascent Soul and Divinity Transformation experts who will come to capture you and bring you to justice!”

“Divinity Transformation…”

Lin Heng's brow furrowed tightly. Even with a Heavenly Spiritual Root, he had little hope of breaking through to Divinity Transformation. He said gravely, “The enmity for my parents must be avenged; even if I am to shatter into pieces and my soul scattered, I must slay this Evil God!”

“Benefactor, there is another way to resolve this matter.”

The Spirit Ginseng child said, “That Evil God has cultivated for hundreds of years and has only reached the early stage of Golden Core, which clearly shows he has mediocre talent. Benefactor only needs to reveal his talent and report this deity to the Imperial Court–certainly, they will send an imperial envoy to investigate.”

Lin Heng sighed and said, “If I cannot kill my enemy with my own hands, how can my heart be at peace?”

The Spirit Ginseng child said, “For Benefactor to advance to Golden Core will take at least a few decades, during which that Evil God will harm countless others.”

“Xiao Qing is right.”

Lin Heng nodded slightly. Using his talent to be accepted by a powerful mentor and relying on the Imperial Court to eradicate the Evil God was indeed a quicker and safer approach.

“I will head to the Capital right now!”

There Is a Tavern.

Scattered ten or so patrons, business was much better than a year before.

Commoners are truly like weeds; after one batch dies, another quickly sprouts. Last year's plague took who knows how many lives, and now no one speaks of it–it just passed like that.

After all, those who died are gone, and the living must live well!

The commoners were still discussing the Earth God, who would soon be leaving to take up his post as Judge of the Dead at Qingyun Prefecture.

Last year, there was a big commotion among the people, who were so distressed about the Earth God's departure that there were protests. Later, somehow, news spread that the Earth God had fought a magic duel with the River Lord and the Mountain God and exhausted his Divine Power curing the plague.

As a result, his foundations were damaged, and his lifespan was short.

Only by dying and becoming a Yin God, that is, being promoted to Judge of the Dead, could he extend his life and survive.

The Earth God died to save the people!

With this turn of events, no one opposed the Earth God's promotion any longer, and he seized the opportunity to harvest countless offerings of incense and Wish Power Beads.

“The way this rascal manipulates public opinion is truly impressive!”

Zhou Yi stood behind the counter, a three-inch Light Dividing Sword dancing on his fingertips, emitting a joyful, light hum.

The Light Dividing Sword, a Spiritual Treasure, had recovered to its prime. The Artifact Spirit had the intelligence of approximately a seven- or eight-year-old child; as long as its Mana and Spiritual Energy were plentiful, it could unleash the power of the Nascent Soul Realm on its own.

With the addition of the Divine Fire Fan, the Supreme Clarity Divine Talisman, and the Bodhi Golden Wheel, it was like having the protection of four Nascent Soul elders!

Zhou Yi, relying on an unparalleled advantage in the declining era, easily inherited most of the legacies of the Nine Continents, and was finally able to utilize them.

“The Wish Power Beads are truly mysterious; infusing them into the Light Dividing Sword slightly enhanced its power, but the Artifact Spirit's intellect grew rapidly. If I infuse enough beads, its intelligence will not be inferior to that of an adult!”

“There are three divine positions near Linyang. The River Lord is not a viable target, so I can only try to take possession of the Earth and Mountain Gods.”

“The Earth God's harvest of incense and Wish Power Beads far surpasses the Mountain God's. However, I must first observe how loosely or strictly the Great Heng Imperial Court controls local divine positions before making further plans.”

Zhou Yi, being an outsider, found the Yellow Register full of loopholes and his cultivation non-existent. If the management of divine positions was strict, any irregularities would easily be discovered.

The Mountain God is a Wild God, and the strongest take charge. The Imperial Court has only nominal jurisdiction over it.

Suddenly.

A powerful Divine Sense swept across the county town, interrupting Zhou Yi's reflections.

Quite unreservedly, it manifested a formidable Mana presence, vast and deep as mountains and abysses, immobilizing all living beings within the town.

“Waited half a year, and finally, they have come!”

Zhou Yi formed a spell with his fingers, and the Supreme Clarity Divine Talisman stuck to his body, allowing the Divine Sense to sweep back and forth without detecting anything unusual.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Thunder roared in the clear blue sky, and a majestic and solemn voice came down from the heavens.

“I am Jin Yangzi, the Chief Supervisor of the Imperial Inspection Office, acting on the Emperor's command to investigate the case of Linyang County's Earth God abusing his power for personal gain and tormenting the common folk…”

“Earth God of Linyang County, will you not promptly show yourself?”

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