This is a cultivation game, but the operation is bad

Ascension: I'm the Gatekeeper in Heaven

Becoming the Jade Emperor Starting from Guarding the Gates of Heaven

"A man guarding the gates of Heaven ascended to the Jade Emperor after three thousand years."

Jiang Liu had already started fantasizing about what side job he could do to earn money while he was working as a gatekeeper.

He carefully put away his token, his gaze falling on the smiling celestial official on the high platform, his mind racing with calculations.

Now that the position of First-Class Heavenly King has been secured, and ascension is imminent in a few years, they know very little about the specifics of the Heavenly Court. With the celestial official right in front of them, this is the perfect opportunity to gather intelligence. If they miss this chance, it will be difficult to find a celestial official of this rank to question again.

Jiang Liu wasn't the only one with this thought. General Yang, Ye Longying, and even the greedy Nangong Wentian all had a hint of inquiry in their eyes. They exchanged a subtle glance, all understanding each other without saying a word.

We finally managed to capture a celestial official, so we have to interrogate him thoroughly!
Jiang Liu turned to look at the celestial official, his previous helplessness vanished, replaced by a sincere expression. He cupped his hands in greeting and said, "Celestial Official, we are deeply grateful for your guidance today, which enabled us to successfully obtain the first-class positions."

"We are all mortal cultivators who have never set foot in the Heavenly Court and know nothing about its affairs. May I ask you a few simple questions so that we can prepare for our future ascension?"

These words not only gave the celestial official face but also made the reason for asking for advice seem reasonable. The celestial official had just received a reward of over a billion spirit stones and was in a good mood. Upon hearing this, he did not put on airs and said with a smile, "It's alright. Since you are holders of first-class positions recognized by the Heavenly Court, it is only right that you know some basic information. As long as it does not involve the secrets of the Heavenly Court, this celestial official can tell you everything he wants."

Upon hearing the celestial official's approval, everyone was overjoyed. General Yang stepped forward first, as he was most concerned about military affairs after his ascension. He immediately asked in a deep voice, "Celestial Official, after our ascension, we will command 100,000 celestial soldiers. I wonder what their combat strength is like? Are there any additional restrictions when deploying them? And to whom should we report our daily military affairs?"

The celestial official stroked his short beard, nodding slightly, clearly appreciating General Yang's pragmatism. He slowly said, "You've asked a crucial question. The Heavenly Soldiers are all transformed from rigorously selected cultivators, with a minimum cultivation level of Human Immortal. Their strength is extraordinary."

"The dispatch of heavenly soldiers requires a document issued by the Heavenly King's token. Small-scale daily dispatches can be decided independently, but if it involves large-scale warfare, it must be reported to the Heavenly Court's Ministry of War for record and approval."

"As for daily military affairs, you will be assigned a dedicated military officer after your ascension. He will explain everything to you in detail, so there is no need to worry too much."

One hundred thousand heavenly soldiers, one hundred thousand immortals!
Everyone was shocked!

Each of them has 100,000 Celestial Soldiers under their command, and that's the minimum. My God, this 10 billion was definitely well spent!
Upon hearing this, General Yang felt a great weight lifted from his heart. Just as he was about to express his gratitude, he suddenly remembered something and added, "My lord, I have heard that the Heavenly Court has eight departments that are in charge of various core affairs in the Three Realms. As first-class Heavenly Kings in the future, we will inevitably have to deal with these departments frequently. I wonder what specific powers these eight departments hold, and whether there are any jurisdictional or checks-and-balances relationships between them? Which departments should we pay special attention to in our actions?"

This question hit the nail on the head, and Jiang Liu, Ye Longying, and Nangong Wentian all perked up their ears, their eyes full of seriousness. After all, knowing the powers and responsibilities of the Eight Departments would help them avoid making mistakes when they ascended to heaven and better establish themselves in the Heavenly Court.

A hint of approval flashed in the celestial official's eyes as he slowly explained, "The eight departments of the Heavenly Court each have their own duties, checking and balancing each other to maintain the order of the Three Realms. Knowing this will indeed save you from many detours."

"The first is the Ministry of Personnel, which is the department to which this celestial official belongs. It is in charge of the appointment, assessment, promotion and dismissal of officials in the Heavenly Court. Your job transfers and salary adjustments are all under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Personnel."

"The second is the Ministry of War, which I just mentioned. It is in charge of military affairs in the Three Realms, the deployment of heavenly troops, and the overall coordination of war. It will be the department you will be dealing with most frequently in the future."

"Thirdly, there is the Ministry of Revenue, which is in charge of the allocation of resources in the Heavenly Court and the Three Realms, the reserve of spirit stones, the registration of cultivators' household registration and forces. Whether it is receiving a salary, applying for cultivation resources, or managing forces in the mortal world, one must go to the Ministry of Revenue."

"The fourth is the Ministry of Justice, which is in charge of punishments in the Three Realms. It handles violations by cultivators, disturbances by demons, and adjudication of power disputes. Once the rules of the Heavenly Court are violated, the Ministry of Justice will determine the crime and punish the offender."

"The fifth is the Ministry of Works, which is in charge of refining immortal artifacts, immortal armor, and elixirs, maintaining the Heavenly Court's secret realms, constructing immortal mansions, and providing you with the standard equipment you need. Cultivation elixirs are mostly supplied by the Ministry of Works."

"The sixth is the Ministry of Rites, which is in charge of the Heavenly Court's rituals, sacrificial ceremonies, and diplomatic affairs of the Three Realms. If one needs to participate in the Heavenly Court's deliberations or deal with forces from other realms, one must follow the regulations of the Ministry of Rites."

"The seventh is the Xuan Department, which is in charge of exploring the secret realms of the Three Realms, monitoring demonic energy, and controlling rifts. The demonic rifts on the edge of the Underworld are also under the Xuan Department's control. Ye Longying, you will be guarding the Underworld in the future, so you need to communicate more with the Xuan Department."

"The eighth is the Guard Department, which is in charge of guarding the forbidden areas of the Heavenly Court and ensuring the security of the core area. It does not involve your daily affairs; you only need to know that you must not trespass into the forbidden areas without authorization."

The celestial official paused, then added, “The eight ministries are independent of each other, yet they also check and balance each other. For example, the Ministry of War needs the Ministry of Personnel to issue appointment certificates when dispatching celestial soldiers, and the Ministry of Revenue needs the Jade Emperor or a core department to approve the allocation of resources. As first-class celestial kings, you hold mid-level positions with real power and are directly responsible to the Ministry of War. Report daily military affairs to the Ministry of War, seek help from the Ministry of Revenue for resource allocation, avoid the Ministry of Justice for violations, and seek help from the Ministry of Works for equipment and supplies. There is no need to deliberately attach yourself to any particular ministry; just fulfill your duties.”

Jiang Liu: “.”

General Yang: "."

Yoru Oboro Sakura: "."

Nangong Wentian: "."

These eight movies are not quite the same as the eight movies we imagined.
This is so human!

No, that's not right!

Jiang Liu was taken aback, then hurriedly asked, "What about the Thunder Department among the Eight True Gods?"

"Raiden?"

The celestial official was slightly taken aback, first puzzled, then suddenly realized and said, "You mean the Thunder Department, which is in charge of thunder punishment?"

"After the reform of the eight departments of the Heavenly Court, the Thunder Department has been placed under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice. Its power is now limited to issuing tribulations of lightning when mortal cultivators undergo tribulations."

Jiang Liu: “!!!!”

Has the original Eight Thunder Gods been nerfed into this mess?

Now that everyone is focused on overcoming tribulations, is there any need for the Thunder Department to exist?
Oh right, it no longer exists; it's now the Thunder Department under the Ministry of Justice.

Damn it, what was the point of getting Lei Bu's favorability before?

Jiang Liu was speechless. Luckily, he had asked. If the Thunder Department invited him to take up a position there when he ascended, and he ran over there without knowing anything, that would be terrible.

Sending out lightning tribulations to the Thunder Department is nothing compared to the carefree life of commanding 100,000 heavenly soldiers in the Ministry of War.

Upon hearing this, everyone suddenly realized what was happening and bowed to express their gratitude.

Jiang Liu now has a clear understanding of the Heavenly Court's authority system and knows how to coordinate with various departments in the future to avoid getting involved in unnecessary conflicts.

He then seized the opportunity to ask, "My lord, besides their daily tasks of idling and patrolling, do the Heavenly Kings have any other missions to perform?"

"Of course! The Xuan Department will regularly distribute talismans to ward off evil spirits. If you carry out a high-difficulty mission assigned by the Ministry of War, you can also get extra access to secret realms or rare cultivation resources."

The celestial official replied with a smile, "There aren't many extra tasks. You only need to complete three patrol missions assigned by the Ministry of War each year. You can arrange your remaining time for cultivation or to earn spirit stones. You have a high degree of freedom."

As soon as she finished speaking, Ye Longying stepped forward, her cool gaze carrying a hint of seriousness, and asked, "My lord, I have chosen the position of guardian of the underworld. Does the underworld have any exclusive cultivation techniques or ways to improve one's strength?"

The celestial official nodded in agreement: "The spiritual energy of the underworld is more yin and cold, making it more suitable for cultivating yin-attribute techniques. The spiritual energy of the heavenly court is pure and abundant, spreading throughout the immortal veins, and the cultivation speed is far superior to that of the mortal realm. The two have their own strengths and weaknesses, and there is no superiority or inferiority between them."

"The Underworld has its own exclusive cultivation methods for Yin spirits, which are uniformly distributed by the Underworld's central government. The officials in charge can receive the corresponding cultivation methods according to their rank. In addition, the Netherworld Secret Realm deep within the Underworld contains a large number of Yin-attribute spiritual herbs and Netherworld ores, which can be used to refine Yin-attribute immortal artifacts and pills, and the improvement of one's realm is no slower than in the Immortal Realm."

Ye Longying silently noted it down, cupped her hands in thanks, and Nangong Wentian, seeing this, quickly stepped forward, a hurried smile on his face, and asked, "Immortal Official, does the Heavenly Court have any exclusive money-making secret realms? You mean places where treasures are produced in large quantities, can be quickly converted into cash, and the threshold isn't too high? I'm currently severely depleted of spirit stones, and I want to find a reliable way to make up for my losses as soon as possible, and hopefully accumulate more wealth as well."

The celestial official chuckled upon seeing this, then shook his head helplessly: "The Heavenly Court does have quite a few secret realms where you can earn spirit stones. These realms are rich in various immortal plants, low-grade immortal ores, and occasionally even produce fragments of immortal artifacts. They are easy to convert into cash, and the danger level of these realms is relatively low. You only need to register with the Ministry of Revenue using the Heavenly King's token to enter once a month."

"In addition, the Ministry of Revenue will issue resource collection tasks every month. Completing the tasks will reward you with a high amount of spirit stones. The difficulty is moderate, which is suitable for quickly accumulating wealth. If you want to make money, you can pay attention to these two places first."

Nangong Wentian's eyes lit up as he listened, and he quickly thanked him, afraid of missing any crucial information. He even silently recited it to himself several times.

Jiang Liu was completely relieved and thanked General Yang, Ye Longying, and Nangong Wentian together. The group confirmed a few more unimportant details, and seeing that the immortal official's eyes were already showing some impatience, they stopped asking questions and sincerely thanked him again.

The celestial official waved his hand, his smile fading slightly. He looked up at the sky and said calmly, "I have told you everything I need to say. I have been in the mortal realm for a long time, and I have many official duties to attend to in Heaven. I will take my leave here today. We will meet again when I ascend to Heaven in the future."

As soon as he finished speaking, the celestial official's celestial power surged, and golden light enveloped his entire body. His figure quickly rose into the air, and in the blink of an eye, he transformed into a golden light and disappeared into the horizon, leaving only a faint aftertaste of celestial power dissipating in the air.

Only after the celestial official had completely departed did the four of them finally relax, and the polite smiles on their faces vanished.

Nangong Wentian rubbed his cheeks and couldn't help but complain, "This celestial official left quite decisively, but at least I found out the powers, benefits, and ways to make money of the eight departments of the Heavenly Court. It wasn't a complete waste of that bribe. In particular, the Ministry of Revenue manages resources, the Ministry of Works provides equipment, and the secret realm can be quickly converted into cash. I now have a clear direction for making money and improving my strength in the future."

"Go to Heaven to make money?"

Jiang Liu was amused by Nangong Wentian's words, glanced at him sideways, and said with a smile, "It's really better to make money in the Immortal Cultivation Era."

In the Immortal Cultivation Era, one can earn 100 million spirit stones a day. Can you do that in the Heavenly Court?

If that were true, would the celestial beings in Heaven still need to rack their brains to rip off players? Nangong Wentian: "."

It seems so.

"You don't care about me!"

Nangong Wentian glared at Jiang Liu, then turned and left; he needed to go back and farm money.

"You son of a bitch, when I become the head of the Ministry of War, I'll send you to patrol the Three Realms every day!"

Jiang Liu pursed his lips and also left the event map.

This wave of emptying his backpack and spirit stones has drained his savings, so he'll have to go back to farming for more money.

Back on the main game screen, Jiang Liu opened his backpack and looked at a gift pack inside.

When he was refining the immortal artifact, he received a random immortal technique gift pack. He was so excited about obtaining the artifact that he completely forgot about it until he was cleaning out his inventory.

[Start Random Magic Gift Pack?]

【Yes】

You have obtained the Nine Heavens Soaring Sword Technique.

[Soaring Nine Heavens Sword Technique]

[Grade: Lower Grade Immortal Grade]

[Entry: This sword technique consists of nine sword strikes, each strike increasing the damage of the previous strike by 20%, with each strike stronger than the last.]

"It's another skill similar to the Five Elements Revolving Sword."

Jiang Liu knew what the skill description meant as soon as he saw it.

Each strike adds 20% damage to the previous strike, and by the ninth strike... wow, the damage is unimaginable.

Just right.

With the Immortal Sword in hand and the Immortal Sword Technique at my fingertips, let's first go to the Nine-Layer Demon Realm and test our skills!

Open the large map and return to the Nine-Layer Demon Realm!

First floor, let's begin!
level one.

"The demonic realm lies ahead! Righteous paths are forbidden!"

You killed.

You have obtained 6361 Spirit Stones.

You have obtained 3971 Spirit Stones.

You have obtained 4193 Spirit Stones.

Second floor.

"Who is coming!"

You killed.

the third floor.

"Anyone who trespasses into my Ninth Level Demon Realm shall be killed without mercy!"

You killed.

Fourth floor.

"kill!"

You killed.

The fifth floor.

"A bunch of trash!"

You killed.

The sixth floor.

"Damn it! They actually let a mere Nascent Soul cultivator break into the sixth level of the Demon Realm! What were the people ahead of us doing?!"

You killed.

The seventh floor.

"I have to admit, you've got some skill to get this far, but this is where it ends!"

You killed.

The eighth floor.

"You mere Nascent Soul cultivator dare to stand in the territory of the Ninth Layer Demon Realm and kneel before this sect master!"

You killed.

The ninth floor.

"No!"

You killed.

level one.

"what!"

You killed.

Jiang Liu has started grinding monsters in the Nine-Layer Demon Realm again. The demonic cultivators in the Nine-Layer Demon Realm have truly committed a great sin.

Day 1, 100 million.

The next day, 1.1 million.

On the third day, it reached 1.2 million.

Fourth day.

You have successfully broken through to the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage.

[You have reached the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage and can no longer gain cultivation points. Please break through to the next realm as soon as possible.]

He has reached the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage! (End of Chapter)