Shennong Dao Master
Chapter 316 - 5: Destroying the Sect and Abandoning the Temple, Meeting an Acquaintance Again

Chapter 316: Chapter 5: Destroying the Sect and Abandoning the Temple, Meeting an Acquaintance Again

The Arrowfish Flying Boat headed towards Anping Prefecture. Since it was adjacent to Datong Prefecture, the speed of the Arrowfish Flying Boat would take just a day.

Zhao Xing came out for some air, while Long Xiao focused on steering the flying boat.

A day’s time was enough for the thick-skinned martial artist Long Xiao to recover from his melancholy. Now, he started chatting again, "Why is it always raining? I can’t see anything. Can you stop this rain?"

Zhao Xing replied, "How can I just change the rainfall of an entire prefecture? Do I have a death wish?"

During normal times, a little more or less rain inland wouldn’t matter much.

But now, on the eve of the grand battle to pacify the barbarians, both Datong Prefecture and Anping Prefecture were crucial borderlands.

If Zhao Xing, this small character, dared to change the rainfall, even if he was a genius from Ten Suns Cave Heaven, the Ministry of War would cut off his head without hesitation.

Long Xiao was just finding something to talk about, "We have already entered the territory of Anping Prefecture. Speaking of which, why did the Military Realm give you this task, involving even matters of the Yin Realm?"

The Yin Gods resided in the Yin Realm, serving a similar role to the gods in the Military Realm. However, entering the Yin Realm was only possible for two types of people: the dead, whose souls, if not destroyed, would automatically be absorbed by the Yin Realm, and if not sealed as Yin Gods, would dissipate over time.

This duration usually lasted three to five generations.

After three to five generations, the descendants generally no longer offered incense, and so the souls dissipated naturally.

The other situation involved those who had reached the Third Grade Primordial Soul Realm, able to break free from the constraints of the life soul inhabiting the body and go to the Yin Realm.

The Yin Realm was not created by the Great Zhou but existed since ancient times.

Entering was difficult, but coming out was not, as incense reception, spell summoning, or even natural birth at the convergence of yin and yang could allow Yin Souls to exit the Yin Realm.

Earlier, Zhao Xing had been involved in dubious business in Gucheng. Such an occurrence belonged to the convergence of yin and yang, resulting in an entrance appearing, as wandering souls, due to other anomalies, couldn’t enter and thus remained in the mortal world’s yin regions.

Therefore, upon the birth of a new Fortune Dynasty, the first act was to take control of the Yin Realm and establish a Yin God system to prevent Yin Souls from wreaking havoc in the mortal world.

Long Xiao’s question made Zhao Xing think carefully.

"Seventh Rank Realm, not only the Minister of Agriculture, but all professions can summon gods. I might have a very high chance of being appointed a seventh-rank official upon completing the Nine-Ring Task, which is probably why I’m undergoing this training."

"Long Xiao, have you ever summoned a god?"

Long Xiao nodded, "I have. Once I summoned the God of Fate, and another time the Giant Spirit True Monarch. But that was seven years ago."

"Only twice? What was the cost?" Zhao Xing, having experienced issues with the Yin God system in his past life, had fewer opportunities to practice it."

But summoning gods required a price, with the process of sending them back being particularly difficult.

"Twice is already a lot, and the cost was not small," Long Xiao said. "In the military, martial artists often use their vital blood as a medium to summon a god. The second time I summoned the Giant Spirit True Monarch was at a life-and-death moment, and I had to pay half of my vital blood as the price."

"I lost at least ten years of my life from that. Later, I went to the divine temple for an extension of my lifespan; I don’t know how much was restored."

Long Xiao recalled, "It was a dire situation. If I hadn’t summoned, I would have died immediately. Who cared about losing some lifespan then?"

"Priests have it easier; their cost of summoning is much smaller."

Zhao Xing said, "That also depends on which deity they’re summoning. If the gap is too large, even the priests may have to pay with their lifespan."

Long Xiao said, "I don’t know much about specific details, but it seems that anyone who can become a priest is quite powerful, practically omnipotent."

Zhao Xing nodded, thinking about why emcees and priests were referred to as early-stage divine roles.

Because they were exceedingly powerful and versatile.

No matter which deity was granted a divine title by the Great Zhou, they could summon them!

Especially military priests of the seventh rank and above, they could almost summon any Yin God from any profession.

Once possessed, the priest would obtain some of the abilities the Yin God had in life.

All professions could summon gods, but the restrictions were significant, typically only summoning deities related to their specific profession.

However, priests could summon any god. For example, if an eighth-rank priest could summon Caoxi True Monarch, he could call for wind and rain, making him roughly equivalent to a Military Minister of Agriculture Officer for a short time.

If he summoned the Duke Donghu, he would immediately become immensely powerful.

The divine profession was literally an "overpowering" occupation.

When Zhao Xing was in Gucheng, he considered switching to being an emcee for the thrill, planning to eventually become a priest, a position almost invincible within his rank.

But for the sake of long-term considerations, he ultimately gave up on the short-term pleasure.

Because priests were too dependent on the Fortune Dynasty system, and once the Yin God system collapsed, the priests would fall from the altar.

At that time, summoning gods would no longer work effectively, and liberated Yin Gods certainly wouldn’t serve obediently, becoming indifferent to work or demanding exorbitant prices.

The Minister of Agriculture, if causing harm, could create massive destruction, so the evaluation and promotion, especially the military officers, were extremely stringent.

Yet, compared to military priests, they still fell short.

"Priests are indeed strong," Zhao Xing said. "Without a dire need, I too wouldn’t summon a god. This time going to Anping Prefecture, I reckon I’ll just play the role of a juror. In this mission, I’m not the one truly doing the work."

Zhao Xing saw things clearly. As a minister, being assigned this task meant offering some opinions, not actually dealing with those Yin Gods.

In essence, he was just going to talk.

All officials needed to understand the Yin God system, and military officers waging wars should definitely avoid borrowing power from any evil gods.

Otherwise, a Military Minister of Agriculture Officer plus the power of an evil god would be catastrophic.

.....

The current Prefecture Lord of Anping Prefecture, Cui Zhe, held a standard fourth-rank lower position.

However, the High Priest of the Anping Prefecture Divine Temple, Wei Hong, held a standard fourth-rank upper position, half a rank higher than the Prefecture Lord.