I subdue demons and monsters, and cultivate immortality in hell to become a saint.

In the mortal realm, at the City God Temple, in the Judge's Hall.

As soon as Old Jiang straightened up, everything went dark, and the surrounding scenery changed instantly...

Vermilion palaces, black iron railings, a cold wind swirling around paper money scraps, and faint ghostly wails and howls echoing in the air.

"This is... the City God's Palace in the Underworld?"

Although startled, Elder Jiang remained calm and quickly regained his composure, realizing, "Since the deity has led me here, it must be to see me."

The thought had barely formed in his mind when two soul messengers, clad in black armor and expressionless, strode over, bowed respectfully, and said, "Distinguished guest from the mortal realm, Your Majesty the Judge invites you."

This soul messenger was originally from the lowest level of the underworld, yet he could clearly sense the aura of national destiny emanating from Elder Jiang. Although faint, it carried the majesty of the great power of heaven and earth, and was definitely not something a mere soul messenger like himself could offend.

Old Jiang quickly cupped his hands in thanks: "Thank you for leading the way, officer."

"I don't deserve it, I don't deserve it!"

The messenger quickly stepped aside, not daring to accept his greeting. He bowed and led the way, keeping his posture extremely low. He thought to himself: This person is too important. Even the judge has to see him in person. I must serve him well.

A moment later, Elder Jiang stepped into the Judge's Hall of the Underworld.

Zhong Jiu sat upright, his gaze calmly fixed on him, and sighed inwardly: The world is indeed unpredictable. The resurgence of supernatural phenomena has just begun, and now the resurgence of spiritual energy has arrived. This old man Jiang's status is no longer what it used to be.

However, Zhong Jiu also knew that the biggest beneficiaries of the spiritual energy revival were probably the demons!

While human physique can be improved, it takes time to mature. In contrast, demons already have a foundation for cultivation, and when spiritual energy arrives, they will inevitably experience explosive growth.

Moreover, the Yanhuang Kingdom is now beset by internal and external troubles. The capital is in grave danger, and the local areas are fighting each other. The nation's fortune is already declining. The dragon-shaped aura on Elder Jiang looks bright, but in reality, it is gloomy and unstable.

Furthermore, the underworld doesn't value power or position in the mortal world. If you have power and influence while you're alive, and the nation's fortune favors you, the underworld might give you some leeway. But once you die, you're just an ordinary soul, and once you enter the underworld, you'll still have to listen to the underworld's judgment.

Despite his turbulent thoughts, Zhong Jiu maintained his judgely demeanor and calmly said, "Please take a seat."

A spirit messenger immediately brought over a carved sandalwood chair and placed it in the hall.

"Thank you, Your Honor."

Old Jiang was somewhat flattered and felt a little awkward, hesitant to sit down.

Seeing this, Zhong Jiu smiled faintly and said, "No need for formalities, sir. Please have a seat."

He had heard a legend in his past life that Emperor Taizong of Tang once wandered into the underworld, scaring all the ghosts away, and even the judge Yama treated him with great respect.

Putting aside the legendary hidden stories, to put it bluntly, it's still about the imperial power intimidating the underworld.

Zhong Jiu was somewhat curious about how majestic the golden dragon symbolizing the nation's fortune must have been during the heyday of Emperor Taizong of Tang.

In contrast, Elder Jiang's fortune, from its very inception, was tinged with decay, which was in keeping with the chaotic state of the world.

Wen Tianxiang stepped forward, cupped his hands, and asked, "May I ask what brings you, esteemed sir, to the underworld?"

Old Jiang composed himself, returned the greeting with a bow, and sighed deeply, his tone heavy: "Judge, Chief Judge, I have come to Xingsha City to express my gratitude and to request your assistance."

"We express our gratitude to the gods of the underworld for protecting the Southern Ridge, vanquishing demons, and restoring peace to the people; we request aid to earnestly plead with the gods to send troops to the capital as soon as possible. The capital is now in imminent danger and cannot hold out much longer!"

He paused, then added rapidly, "Demons roam the city, fear grips the people, and some ambitious individuals are secretly fanning the flames, waiting for Kyoto to descend into chaos so they can fish in troubled waters. Kyoto right now is a powder keg, ready to explode at any moment; one wrong step and it's all over!"

Chung Kau and Wen Tianxiang listened quietly, their faces expressionless throughout, neither interrupting nor expressing their opinions.

After Elder Jiang finished speaking, Zhong Jiu slowly opened his mouth, his tone leaving no room for argument: "The Underworld has its own rules, and we cannot go to the capital in the short term."

He's too lazy to waste words; if he can do it, he can do it; if he can't, he can't.

He is currently just a local judge. Although he is not far from the position of the city god of the prefecture, the city god of the capital is an emperor-level big shot who oversees all the underworld and has a prestigious position. With his limited authority, he is not even qualified to interfere in the affairs of the capital.

"Your Honor! In my capacity as the King of Yanhuang, I request that you come to the capital!"

Old Jiang grew anxious and stepped forward to plead again.

Wen Tianxiang smiled and waved his hand, his tone gentle but his attitude firm: "You flatter me, sir. The underworld is not some kind of bodhisattva who saves people from suffering. It is merely a place where everyone has their own duties, sets rules, restrains demons, and ensures that humans and ghosts live in their proper places. This world should be peaceful, but it has been disrupted by demons. We are just trying to restore order."

He paused, then changed the subject: "As for the matter in the capital, since the judge said he was powerless to help, then it truly is impossible. There is no need for you to persuade me further; forcing it will be of no use."

Seeing that the two were adamant and there was no room for negotiation, Old Jiang could only smile bitterly. Just as he had expected, the gods of the underworld never listened to human sentiments. They didn't negotiate or ask for anything in return. If it was okay, it was okay; if it wasn't, no amount of persuasion would change anything.

This is the strictly governed underworld, where there is absolutely no room for leniency.

He muttered dejectedly to himself, "It seems I have no choice but to agree to the Buddhist sect's conditions..."

"Oh? The Buddhist sect has set conditions?" Zhong Jiu's eyes flashed, and he immediately asked.

The Buddhist community has always been shrewd in its calculations; their seeking out Master Jiang at this critical juncture is certainly not out of good intentions.

Old Jiang, his face full of bitterness, did not hide anything and told the Buddhist sect's proposal in detail.

It was simply a matter of getting the Yanhuang Kingdom to recognize the orthodox status of Buddhism, allowing Buddhism to build temples and spread its teachings in various places, and in return, for Buddhism to send troops to help protect the capital.

"What a clever scheme by Buddhism to leverage external forces!"

After listening, Zhong Jiu sneered a few times.

Wen Tianxiang stroked his beard and pondered, "It seems the Buddhist sect has also sensed it, knowing that a great change is about to occur in the world. They want to seize the opportunity to monopolize cultivation resources under the guise of protecting the capital before the spiritual energy recovers!"

Zhong Jiu nodded!

"My lords, there seems to be a hidden meaning in your words. Please enlighten us!"

Old Jiang stared intently at the two people in front of him, his tone full of urgency and certainty.

While chatting with Zhang Yunxiao in the car earlier, he had a cloud of doubt in his mind. Now, seeing the two of them acting so mysteriously, he was even more convinced that this matter was no small thing, and immediately pressed them for details.

Jiang Lao thought to himself, "The Yanhuang Kingdom is now beset by internal and external troubles, teetering on the brink of collapse. Demons are causing trouble, and the capital is in dire straits. Yet, the Buddhist sect has put forward three outrageous conditions at this critical juncture. There must be a deeper meaning behind it."

The position of Imperial Preceptor must be held! The identity as the state religion must be acknowledged!

They even need the government to take the lead and help them recruit disciples on a large scale!

In a peaceful and prosperous era, although these conditions are harsh, one can understand the Buddhist sect's desire to expand its influence.

But what time is it now?

It's uncertain whether the Yanhuang Kingdom can even survive the next month. What's the point of being a nominal national advisor? What's the point of fighting for that elusive status as the state religion?

As for recruiting disciples, Elder Jiang found it absurd. Buddhist sects have always been discerning in selecting disciples. If they encounter a promising talent with potential, they would have already taken him in. Why would they need the government to intervene?

The key point is that people with spiritual roots and wisdom are already extremely rare. Finding even one in the vast sea of ​​people requires a stroke of luck. This is clearly a deliberate attempt to make things difficult!

A series of questions exploded in his mind. The more Old Jiang thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong. He just hoped that the two of them could give him a definite answer.

On the other side, Zhong Jiu lightly tapped the table with his fingertips, pondering to himself, "Should I tell Elder Jiang about the revival of spiritual energy?"

To put it bluntly, this was undoubtedly a public humiliation of Buddhism.

Zhong Jiu knew perfectly well that the Buddhist sect's three conditions revealed their ambitions: to demand a national preceptor and establish a state religion, with the aim of taking away the fate of the Yanhuang Kingdom!

Throughout history, even the most powerful dynasties have been extremely cautious in bestowing titles upon their national advisors, for once the pen is put into writing, it is tantamount to sharing the very foundation of the nation's destiny with the practitioner.

The fate of a nation is the foundation of a dynasty's survival. Such arbitrary cession will inevitably lead to disaster and bring about one's own downfall sooner or later!

However, for cultivators, sharing in the nation's fortune is an immense opportunity, entirely beneficial with no drawbacks. Their cultivation can be nourished by the nation's fortune, progressing by leaps and bounds.

As for asking the government to help recruit apprentices, that's an outright and blatant scheme!

Zhong Jiu had long foreseen that after the spiritual energy revived, the human physique would undergo a dramatic change, and ordinary people who were originally unable to cultivate would very likely awaken their spiritual roots.

At that time, the number of disciples that cultivation sects can recruit will increase exponentially.

Once Buddhism receives official endorsement, it's as if it has grasped the label of "orthodoxy." With the help of the government, it becomes much easier to deceive people.

At that time, all the promising talents in the world will probably be wiped out by Buddhism, leaving other cultivation forces with nothing to eat!

"What a clever scheme to use someone else to do the dirty work and reap the benefits! That's a brilliant plan!" Zhong Jiu sneered to himself.

If the Yanhuang Kingdom truly fulfills its promise, not only will its national fortune be lost and its foundation shaken, but even its future cultivation talents will be hollowed out. Before long, it will become a puppet controlled by Buddhism. The ruthlessness of its methods is truly despicable.

However, as a judge in the underworld, his duties did not actually include "managing internal strife among human sects".

The Buddhist sect's schemes against the Yanhuang Kingdom have absolutely nothing to do with the underworld. As long as the other party doesn't indiscriminately kill innocent people or provoke the underworld, the Buddhist sect really has no reason to take action to suppress them.

But having no reason to take action doesn't mean you can't sabotage someone.

Zhong Jiu had always disliked the hypocritical and sanctimonious nature of Buddhism. On the other hand, the Yanhuang Kingdom's government, though limited in ability, genuinely cared about the lives of ordinary people.

We must help Elder Jiang and point him in the right direction so that the Yanhuang Kingdom can survive between Buddhism and demons until its spiritual energy recovers. Then, it will have a chance to turn the tide!