Gods of the Nation: You worship the God of Longevity, I worship the King of Hell!

Chapter 245 I've become the second-in-command of the Ministry of War...

"Wow, this Plague God Palace is well designed. It's grand and peaceful, yet it doesn't lose the dignified air that the Plague God should have!"

Upon entering the hall, Lu Chen looked around and nodded slightly: "Not bad, just what I wanted."

He did not rush to pay homage to the Plague God, but instead went first to the statue of the "Plague Prince".

The statue depicts a young man in a blue robe with his hair tied up. His clear and bright features exude a sense of elegance and refinement, and he bears a striking resemblance to the man himself.

"Indeed—he's kind of handsome!"

Lu Chen looked him up and down for a while before returning to the statue of the Plague God and offering incense.

Before long, the statue began to glow with a hazy blue light.

"Is everything alright?"

"Reporting to Master, all is well." Lu Chen cupped his hands in greeting.

"Speak, what brings you here?"

The Plague God's voice remained concise.

Lu Chen wasn't in a hurry; things would be done one at a time.

First, present the prepared rare and precious materials one by one.

The Plague Lord didn't stand on ceremony and took away another quarter of the materials, but most of them were third- or fourth-grade spiritual materials, and he didn't even touch many fifth-grade spiritual materials.

Lu Chen looked surprised: "Master, is this all you're taking?"

"That's enough. These spiritual materials are not needed by my Plague Path and are of little use. You can keep the rest for yourself."

The Plague God changed the subject: "You must have already met the God of Wealth."

"Yes."

"Has He already informed you about the matter of the horse and straw register?"

"It has already been explained."

"In that case, I shall return."

"Master, please wait, I have two more questions to ask you." Lu Chen quickly said, trying to persuade him to stay.

"speak."

Lu Chen immediately informed Lu Chen of his recommendation of the jinx into the Plague Department.

The Plague King simply replied with a faint, "Alright."

"Thank you, Master! The second matter is..."

He then explained how the rare treasure matured, released spiritual energy, and enhanced cultivation.

The Plague Lord's voice remained calm and composed: "As I said before, it's not too late to discuss this after you find the method to achieve physical sainthood. The opportunity has not yet arrived, so further words are of no use."

"So, is there really a connection between the extraordinary treasure and physical immortality?" Lu Chen pressed.

The atmosphere inside the hall was slightly tense.

"...Disciple understands."

Lu Chen wisely refrained from asking any further questions.

"What are your thoughts on this trip to the Heavenly Court?"

The Plague God rarely took the initiative to inquire about it.

Lu Chen's expression turned serious, and he fell silent.

"What, scared?" The Plague King's tone seemed to have a hint of teasing.

Lu Chen shook his head first, then nodded slightly, raised his eyes to look at the statue, his gaze deep: "Master... I just feel that I am still too weak."

The statue shimmered with a blue light, and after a moment of contemplation, a barely perceptible smile seemed to flicker across its imposing presence:
"But you—you've got guts! However… you handled this matter quite well."

"It's all thanks to you, Master, otherwise I wouldn't have had such a good opportunity to escape. Thank you, Master!"

"Alright, enough of these flattering words. In short, stay put for the next while and don't cause any trouble. I'm off."

As soon as he finished speaking, the blue light dissipated.

The Plague God has returned to Heaven, leaving behind only the same instructions as the God of Wealth.

"Sigh, he's as aloof as ever..."

Lu Chen took a deep breath, and his mind became much clearer.

This trip to the Heavenly Court truly made him realize how insignificant he was.

Let alone a powerful being at the Star Lord level, even a random heavenly soldier from the Heavenly Court could easily kill him.

He was able to escape unscathed this time entirely due to a stroke of luck and a stroke of good fortune. If it weren't for the Four Rivers Dragon Seed, the Hearth Fire Seed, and the Thousand Demon Contemplation, he would never have been able to escape from the Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda, no matter how hard he tried.

He shook his head and walked out of the Plague God's Palace.

Although the Plague God didn't say much, every word he uttered hit the nail on the head.

"The method of achieving sainthood through physical means..."

Lu Chen's eyes flickered slightly: "Then let's wait for the Third Prince to arrive."

He then moved to the Kitchen God's Temple and chatted with the Kitchen God for a while.

The Kitchen God's voice was gentle: "Boy, the fire in your hearth is of the same origin as mine. You have absorbed a large amount of Samadhi True Fire this time, which is of great benefit to me. You should take back these natural treasures; they are useless to me."

Lu Chen was slightly taken aback: "This..."

"No need for further words. If you are so inclined, go to the Samadhi True Fire Heaven to absorb true fire a few more times in the future, and that will be enough to thank me. Since this tower is at your command, there will be no shortage of opportunities to be tempered by true fire in the future."

"This junior will remember it, and thanks the Kitchen God!"

Lu Chen bowed and thanked him: "Then... thank you very much, Kitchen God! This junior will remember it."

"Go." After bidding farewell to the Kitchen God, Lu Chen hurried to the Yama's Palace and offered incense to each of the deities inside.
I also took a look at my own statue of a general from the underworld.

He was as handsome and dashing as ever.

His temperament and appearance are quite different from those of the Plague Prince, leaning more towards a military general style.

The two people standing on either side of the statue were Xie Qingyi and Fan Rusong.

"Speaking of which, it's been a long time since I've seen them. It's time to talk to them about the guardian deities."

With a thought, the Yama Decree flashed, and the figures of the two women appeared.

For a moment, Xie Qingyi and Fan Rusong were both stunned when they saw Lu Chen, then their eyes shone brightly:

"General!!"

Lu Chen grinned and opened his arms wide: "Did you miss me?"

"think--!"

The two women practically leaped into his arms...

……

After the temple visit, Lu Chen gathered his followers and invited neighbors from Nanshan Community to a banquet, where they drank until late at night.

Sun Qingcang and his family, along with Yu Feng, arrived as promised. The meal was lively, with toasts and laughter filling the air.

It was already past midnight when we returned to Yunding Mountain Villa.

Curious, Lu Chen decided to make a simple statue of Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, overnight.

After being repeatedly tempered by the Samadhi Fire, his physique and spirit have greatly improved, and the matter of sculpting the statue is now just a matter of lifting a finger.

In less than ten minutes, a lifelike simplified statue of Li Jing, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, was completed.

"It's time to reveal the answer." Lu Chen properly placed the statue, inserted incense into the censer, and chanted in a deep voice, "Welcome the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King!"

……

The Heavenly Court, the temporary central office of the Ministry of War, [Chonglou Hall].

"Marshal, are you really going to bestow such an important position upon that mortal? Isn't that... too much of an honor?"

Your Highness, the Giant Spirit God and the Four Heavenly Kings looked at each other with strange expressions.

"Marshal, in my humble opinion, even bestowing upon him the title of Linglong Guard would be an extraordinary favor. Such a generous reward might only make him arrogant."

"The Southern Growth Heavenly King said in a deep voice."

"Yeah yeah!"

"Big brother is right!"

The other four Heavenly Kings all echoed this sentiment.

On the cloud platform, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King slowly opened his divine eyes.

"My mind is made up, and you need not try to persuade me further. From now on, you should follow the example of the Five Plague Envoys, obey his orders, and keep him in check. When I find a way to break his connection with the Seven Treasures Pagoda, I will reclaim my divine position."

What happens after that is none of my concern.

The Giant Spirit God and the Four Heavenly Kings looked at each other for a moment and bowed in unison: "We respectfully obey the Marshal's decree!"

As they were talking, a unique wisp of incense smoke drifted into the hall.

The Heavenly King Li Jing's eyes narrowed: "They've arrived."

Before the words were finished, the divine figure had already vanished from the cloud platform.

……

Inside the Cloud Peak Manor, Lu Chen waited for a while, but there was no movement at all. He frowned and said, "Huh? The Incense Offering Mantra didn't work? Never mind, I'll try the Heavenly King Mantra."

He was about to light another stick of incense when suddenly, the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King's hearty laughter rang out from inside the room:
"Young friend Lu, how have you been? I've been thinking of you quite a bit."

Lu Chen felt a chill run down his spine and rolled his eyes: "Your Majesty is joking. Whether you count the time in heaven or on earth, we've only just met. How can you say you miss me?"

The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King laughed and said, "A day apart feels like three autumns. In that case, isn't it perfectly reasonable for me to miss you, young friend?"

“Your Majesty, please speak frankly.” Lu Chen pulled up a chair and sat down, getting straight to the point: “I heard from my brother that Your Majesty wishes to forge a good relationship with me? How can this be? I am truly terrified!”

"Fear? What is there to fear? This general and I hit it off immediately. Although there was a misunderstanding before, it has now been completely cleared up. Since this tower now obeys your command, and this general is connected to the tower in spirit, then you and I can be considered as close friends and family!"

Lu Chen: "..."

Is this the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King he knows?
The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King seemed to realize that his words were somewhat deliberate, and with a wry smile, he dropped the pleasantries: "Never mind, it's better to resolve enmity than to create it."

I was the one who was unreasonable first, and you suffered injustice.

But as the saying goes, "no fight, no friendship," and I greatly admire your intelligence and extraordinary courage.

You must know that in this world, only you and I can currently control the Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda. Based on this relationship alone, we should not harbor resentment towards each other, but rather cooperate fully.

Therefore, I have a suggestion.

Would you be willing to agree, young friend?

"Your Majesty, please speak plainly."

"This general is willing to become sworn brothers with you, young friend."

From this day forward, I shall be known as the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King.

You are—the Heavenly King of the Pagoda!
Although I am the elder brother, I cannot grant my younger brother the authority to command heavenly soldiers and generals.

But you may order around the Four Heavenly Kings and the Giant Spirit God, my worthy brother.

From now on, in the Ministry of War, you will be second only to the emperor, above all others!

What do you think, my dear brother?

(End of this chapter)