The world is like a prison, my body is holy

Time flies like a galloping horse, and the sun and moon are like falling flowers and flowing water.

In the blink of an eye, it was the third year of the Tianqi reign, the winter solstice.

As Wang Wen predicted, the drought not only failed to ease in the past two years, but also showed a trend of spreading from south to north...

Fortunately, he had made ample preparations and held the Yellow River and the Yangtze River, the two largest waterways in China. Despite years of natural disasters, he managed to salvage some of the grain production and preserve the vitality of the people in Huainan and Jiangnan.

This also made Wang Wen and his Huainan Demon-Slaying General's Mansion completely overshadow Emperor Tianqi and the Great Zhou Dynasty in both Huainan and Jiangnan.

In Huainan and Jiangnan today, there are many people who do not know the current emperor's reign title or the new dynasty's policies.

Yet everyone knows that the Grand General of the Huainan Demon-Slaying General's Mansion is surnamed Wang and named Wen!
Even in Yangzhou, no one mentions Wang Erhu's past messy and disgraceful affairs anymore.

In the past two years, Wang Wen has been extremely busy, patching up the two administrative systems centered on his Demon-Slaying General's Mansion and the Huangshan Jun Mansion every day, coordinating human and material resources in various places, and having to serve 20 to 30 million mouths every day when he opens his eyes...

It can be said that I have never had a single day without worries and concerns.

However, although he has been so busy these past two years that he has divided himself into five or six parts, he has generally lived a comfortable and peaceful life.

In the past two years, apart from racking his brains every day to fight against natural disasters and teaching his useless and incompetent subordinates, there have been no other creatures or things that have distracted or bothered him.

Emperor Tianqi and Prince Qin tacitly maintained the standoff across the river, quietly reaping their respective victories without causing any trouble that would anger the heavens and the people.

Both Buddhism and Taoism were steadily recovering their strength and expanding their influence, without making any further big moves that would cause trouble.

The demons and monsters from all over the place also stayed quietly in their caves to cultivate, and did not jump out to cause trouble or provoke him when he was most distressed.

Throughout the Great Zhou Dynasty, both the mortal realm and the cultivation world were recovering their vitality and flourishing.

Wang Wen sighed more than once, wishing that life could always be this peaceful and smooth...

Even he himself knew that this idea was just wishful thinking.

In the past two years, he has spent his merits and virtues to promote himself a total of four times.

The only time his virtuous deeds were depleted was during the White Dew season in the second year of the Tianqi reign.

He spent a full 22000 points of Yin virtue to improve his Yin spirit realm. After being struck by nine bolts of heavenly lightning from the Heavenly Dao, his Yin spirit realm smoothly climbed to the Ghost Immortal realm.

Although the Ghost Immortal is only the lowest and most worthless of immortals, he has at least temporarily escaped the suffering of reincarnation...

At the same time, this is also the first piece of the puzzle to be completed in his cultivation plan of achieving sainthood through the Trinity.

The remaining three enhancements were used twice on the "Nine Tribulations Returning to Origin Body," which pushed the Nine Tribulations Returning to Origin Body from the seventh level to the perfect ninth level in one fell swoop.

He used another upgrade on the "Boundless Ocean Divine Skill," pushing it from the tenth level to the eleventh level in one fell swoop.

The perfected Nine Tribulations Returning to Origin Body, after passing through the power of the Four Symbols in the eighth level, has reached the power of the Two Elements in the ninth level, integrating the power of Yin and Yang into one. Its unique power of Yin and Yang regeneration can not only adapt to all extreme and harsh environments under heaven, but also reduce the intensity of the opponent's attack, as well as the terrifying regenerative power of limbs regenerating in the blink of an eye!

Wang Wen once tried to fight Zhi Baiqing's zombie body head-on with his physical strength alone, but the result was still that he was completely overwhelmed by Zhi Baiqing in all aspects. Whether it was physical strength, reaction speed, or power, he was inferior to Zhi Baiqing's zombie body. However, without using his ultimate move, Zhi Baiqing found it difficult to break through his physical defenses.

Zhi Baiqing frankly admitted that his current physical strength has reached the limit of the human world, comparable to those ancient demons who specialized in body refining techniques. If he wants to go to a higher level, the only way is to cultivate the great sect's protective arts.

After hearing what it said, Wang Wen had a clearer understanding of his physical strength.

Trinity Physical Ascension to Sainthood Cultivation Plan, 2/3!

As for the "Boundless Ocean Divine Skill" which was upgraded to the eleventh level, it was far beyond his expectations.

The first unexpected thing was that this divine skill, which cost him a full seven million merit points to advance from the tenth to the eleventh level, only pushed his martial arts realm of "Unbreakable Godhood" to the Great Perfection, instead of directly advancing him to a higher martial arts realm.

The second unexpected thing was that even after spending a full seven million merit points to reach the eleventh level, it was still not the highest level of this divine skill!
What does this mean?
This means that if he wants to master this divine skill, he will need to spend at least 28 million merit points!

Why say at least?

Of course, it's because he doesn't know whether the twelfth level is the pinnacle of this divine skill.

If this divine skill has thirteen more levels... then the merit points needed to perfect this divine skill will need to be increased by another 140 million!

Even though Wang Wen now has eight hundred Yin Gods and tens of thousands of Yin Warriors under his command, working day and night to share the profits with him on a 30/70 basis, he still feels a pain in his liver whenever he thinks of those two numbers.

However, the progress of his martial arts realm made him hope that this divine skill had a thirteenth level...

Because even with the twelfth level of the "Boundless Ocean Divine Skill," it is very likely that he still won't be able to push his martial arts realm beyond the level of "Seeing God and Being Indestructible."

It is highly likely that the twelfth level is only to perfect the realm of seeing gods without decay, and only the thirteenth level can push it above seeing gods without decay!

In the past two years, apart from Wang Wen's significant improvement in personal strength, the one under his command that has seen the greatest increase in strength is not the Huainan Demon-Slaying General's Mansion.

Instead, it is the system of local deities centered around the Huangshan Junfu, and... the Zhou Tian Academy.

Two years is a fleeting moment in the time-consciousness of immortals and gods, who can sleep for ten or eight years in a nap.

But for Wang Wen, a modern man whose concept of "seizing every minute" is deeply ingrained, two years is more than enough time for him to do a lot of things.

Under Wang Wen's supervision, the system of local deities in Zhongzhen Huangshan Junfu underwent several major adjustments within two years.

These major adjustments are complex and require extensive explanation.

But fundamentally, there is only one principle: the capable rise, the mediocre fall, the lazy are dismissed, and the wicked are executed. If the authority is unclear, the authority is clarified; if there are insufficient personnel, personnel are added; if the jurisdiction is too large, the jurisdiction is divided; if the strength is too weak, the jurisdiction is transferred...

Thanks to Wang Wen's painstaking efforts, the Earth God system of Zhongzhen Huangshan Junfu is now a very complete and sound system, whose functions cover life and death reincarnation, favorable weather, smooth water and land transportation, harmony between humans and demons, and maintaining public order and stability.

It has even escalated to the point of competing with the Demon-Slaying General's Mansion in Huainan for business. Several times, when the Demon-Slaying General's Mansion received reports of demonic disturbances in a certain place, while they were still summarizing the cases and conducting background checks, the head of the demons had already been delivered to Wang Wen's desk through the reporting channels of the Earth God system of the Central Town Huangshan Junfu... This forced Wang Wen to put on a brave face and pretend to stroll around to the Logistics Department, telling the intelligence elites of the Earth Net Palace that he had accidentally encountered a demonic disturbance while taking a walk last night and had casually killed the demon.

Now, the intelligence elites in the Earth Network Palace look at him strangely, practically saying, "General, please don't go out wandering around unless you have to. The brothers need to eat too!"

What can he do?
Cases involving demonic possession are considered achievements in the Demon Suppression General's Mansion, directly linked to the Demon Suppression Guards' promotion channels, welfare salaries, and cultivation resources.

Within the system of local deities in Zhongzhen Huangshan Junfu, political achievements are also linked to the promotion channels, welfare salaries, and cultivation resources of the local deities.

He couldn't very well tell the intelligence elites in the Earth Network Palace, "We're all family, I have to treat everyone equally, so from now on these cases will be decided by speed—first come, first served, no served," could he?

He could only turn a blind eye and let the city gods, judges, mountain gods, and local deities snatch meat from the mouths of the generals and officers of the Demon-Slaying General's Mansion.

After he visited the Earth Net Palace more often, the intelligence elites there gradually realized something was wrong...

How could the general have killed a demon "casually" hundreds of miles away without even leaving his gate?

This isn't right, something's very wrong. There must be another "Demon Suppression Guard" force trying to take our food.
Will this pamper them?

Then roll it up, roll it up as hard as you can!
The increasingly sophisticated and expansive system of local deities in Zhongzhen Huangshan Junfu has taken over all the affairs of the former Heavenly Court and Underworld in the human world.

The incense offerings and prayers flowing into Huangshan Grotto grew stronger day by day, and the number of wandering spirits entering and leaving Huangshan Grotto also grew stronger day by day. Meanwhile, the demons and monsters from the Central Plains, Huainan, and Jiangnan regions found it increasingly difficult to endure their suffering...

The people in the three regions could hardly feel the atmosphere of spiritual revival anymore. If it weren't for the occasional sight of demons accompanied by the demon-suppressing guards of the General's Mansion to cultivate fields and dredge waterways, they would almost think that the distant rumors of demons and monsters eating and harming people were just supernatural tales spread by word of mouth.

"Thank you, Lord Huangshan!"

Some people knelt devoutly inside the City God Temple, bowing and praying to the majestic deity in the center, who was clad in golden armor and covered with a purple robe.

"Thank you, General Wang!"

Someone carried eggs and fermented bean curd in a bamboo basket and chased after the Demon-Suppressing Guards of the General's Mansion, saying this while crying and laughing.

Compared to the rapidly evolving system of local deities in the Central Town of Huangshan, the development of the Zhou Tian Academy was not as rapid, but rather more subtle and gradual.

In the second year of the Tianqi reign, the current Duke Yansheng of the Confucius family in Qufu personally went to Yangzhou to express to Wang Wen the Confucius family's request to move into the Zhou Tian Academy.

Wang Wen unhesitatingly rejected the contemporary Duke Yansheng, whose beard was longer than his hair, and proposed that Zhang Zai, a renowned Confucian scholar of the time, be allowed to teach at the Zhou Tian Academy. The contemporary Duke Yansheng agreed to make this happen.

In the midsummer of the same year, 1,432 students from Zhou Tian Academy, having completed a year of study, embarked on their first study tour around Huainan Road.

These students, led by thirty-six teachers from the Demon-Suppressing Guards, went deep into various prefectures, counties, and towns in Huainan Province.

Some of them entered government offices to learn about government affairs from officials, some went to the streets to learn about business from laborers, some went to the fields to learn about farming from farmers, and some went deep into the mountains to learn about exorcising demons from the demon-suppressing guards...

When the autumn semester begins, more than 1,400 students gather at Zhou Tian Academy in Shugang, Yangzhou, bringing forth the radiance of the sun and moon and the auspicious purple aura from the east.

This prompted the three sect leaders of the Talisman School to rush to the Zhou Tian Academy overnight, where they accepted over a hundred disciples in one go, declaring that the Xuanmen (Taoist sect) should flourish...

Three days later, more than ten eminent monks from four major Buddhist temples—White Horse Temple, Lingyin Temple, Xingguo Temple, and Shaolin Temple—came to Yangzhou to express to Wang Wen their request for the Buddhist lineage to be established at Zhou Tian Academy.

Wang Wen opened his Dharma Eye to look at these monks and confirmed that they were all true monks with merits. However, he still rejected their requests and stated that Zhou Tian Academy could accept all lineages except the Buddhist lineage... all for the sake of those innocent souls from the ten prefectures of Jiangnan in the past!
More than ten eminent monks had no choice but to leave the Demon-Slaying General's Mansion. After performing a three-day and three-night Buddhist ritual at Caishikou in Yangzhou, they left Yangzhou in sorrow.

As the news spread, countless lineages flocked to the Zhou Tian Academy, requesting to join its ranks.

There are well-established schools of thought like the Medical School and the Agricultural School, as well as the Mohist School, which has long since undergone a transformation, and the Yin-Yang School, which has been hidden among the people for many years. There are also schools of thought that have been lost, such as the Legalist School and the Miscellaneous School, which are half-schools and half-lineages...

Wang Wen carefully selected the best and most useful students and brought them into the Zhou Tian Academy, thus restoring the former glory of the Jixia Academy.

The number of new students enrolled this year has more than doubled compared to the first year, exceeding three thousand!
Upon hearing of the grand occasion at Zhou Tian Academy, Emperor Tianqi ordered Liu Zhi'en to deliver his handwritten inscription at top speed, earnestly pleading with Wang Wen to have it engraved at the academy's main gate so that he could share in the glory of being remembered in history.

Wang Wen had no choice but to acquiesce to the increasingly shameless and ruthless emperor's request...

From then on, two towering stone tablets appeared at the main gate of Zhou Tian Academy, one inscribed with "Benevolence, Righteousness, Propriety, and Wisdom" and the other with "Loyalty, Filial Piety, Chastity, and Brotherly Love".

Summer of the second year of the Tianqi reign.

More than 4,400 students from Zhou Tian Academy embarked on the second round of study tours around Huainan and Jiangnan...

This time, local government offices were waiting outside their offices early on, welcoming these young men whom they couldn't afford to offend now and would never be able to reach in the future with smiles on their faces.

Countless reclusive old monsters have been lying in ambush along the way, waiting to abduct a disciple they like.

Some old monsters were stopped by the Demon-Slaying General's Mansion.

There are also some old monsters that the Demon-Slaying General's Mansion cannot stop.

Wang Wen received a crooked note: 'I'm taking the child with me. Bring him back when school starts. — Zhang Yong'

What can he do?
Of course, he could only hope that the elusive and peerless swordsman would take a few more with him!

That autumn, five thousand new students enrolled at Zhou Tian Academy.

From the sons of royalty to the daughters of ordinary people... they all studied together!
That autumn, Bai Zimo took his lesson plan and stepped onto the podium at Zhou Tian Academy.

……

Lamb is always the perfect match for the winter solstice.

Huang Xingde and his son Wang Wen were dipping freshly sliced ​​mutton in a bubbling copper pot, raising their glasses in celebration: "We hope that the days to come will be as peaceful and prosperous as these past two years!"

(Volume Two: A Hundred Boats Race, A Thousand Sails Compete, The End) (End of Chapter)