Infinite Professions

The sixty-first year of Yuanning, the 327th year of Chen.

In September, the armies of Jinyang from two routes converged beneath the walls of Jinling City, forming a formidable encirclement. The former Crown Prince Xiao Ye of the Xiao Chen Dynasty fell ill and died suddenly.

In the same month, the Lu, Zheng, and Cui clans from Jinling jointly conspired to open the northern gate of Jinling to allow the million troops of Jinyang to flood in. Except for the steadfast resistance of Jinling’s defender Wang Ben and others, all else surrendered, leading to Jinling’s change of rulers.

In the same year, in the first month, Li Mubai led the hundred officials in conducting a grand ceremonial offering to the heavens, venerated the original Jinyang City God, the Heavenly Mirror Country Guardian King Song Xiang as the head of the ten-direction deities, ruling the heavens and the earth, and enjoying the incense offerings. He also initiated new reforms, establishing the nation as the Zhou Dynasty, with the era named Shenwu.

In the first year of Shenwu, the Zhou Dynasty launched a new military campaign, simultaneously attacking by water and land to seize Jingzhou and Yangzhou. The local commanders surrendered upon sight, and by July of the first year, Jingzhou and Yangzhou had fully changed hands. Emperor Shenwu Li Mubai and Supreme General Song Jian divided their forces east and west to conquer Liangzhou and Guangzhou.

In the third year of Shenwu, Liangzhou and Guangzhou were pacified, unifying the four southern states. Emperor Shenwu Li Mubai reached the end of his life and passed away, ceding the throne to Song Jian’s son, Song Ji.

In the same year, Chancellor Chen, Grand General, and Grand Commandant Huo Ming passed away, pursued posthumously by Emperor Ning as King Wei.

In the same July, Huo Ming’s son Huo Li succeeded to the title of King Wei and the position of Chancellor.

In October, Emperor Ning of Chen issued a decree of abdication, offering the throne to King Wei Huo Li, but Huo Li refused.

In November, Emperor Ning offered it again, but Huo Li still refused.

In December, Emperor Ning offered it a third time, and King Wei, with no choice, accepted, ascending to the throne as Emperor Weiwen.

Thus, the Xiao Chen Dynasty came to an end, and the two new dynasties Wei and Zhou, faced each other across the Qinhuai River, north and south.

...

A few hurried years have passed, and the landscape of the realm has changed once more.

The Xiao Chen Dynasty has faded, and Wei and Zhou have emerged anew, standing against each other, north versus south.

The Zhou Dynasty’s capital remains Jinyang, not moved to Jinling.

Thus, within Jinyang Prefecture, in the City God Temple.

Shen Hex sits alone, counting the spoils of war.

Jinyang has freed itself, deploying troops from two passes, and within a mere few years, unified the four southern states, surpassing Xiao Ye’s efficiency greatly.

This is not solely due to the monarch’s personal capabilities; critically, the investment of divine power and Dragon Qi played a significant role.

This world is extraordinary, the heavens and earth vast. A single state spans hundreds of thousands of miles, and when combined, the four southern states form a territory of millions of miles. By conventional military techniques, in a few short years, one might not only fail to conquer territory but might not even complete the march.

Yet this world is extraordinary, with deities existing capable of achieving what mortals cannot with divine power.

Even though the world under Heaven has its laws, distinguishing Yin and Yang, deities are traditionally restrained from overly interfering with the human realm, unless Dragon Qi permits.

There’s a crack in the celestial rules, and this Dragon Qi edict is one such loophole.

Dragon Qi is the supreme force of the Human Dao; once bestowed on deities, it can effectively counter the Celestial Punishment.

Therefore, as long as the Hidden Dragon is willing to bestow blessings on deities, countless auxiliaries can be summoned. They may not directly engage the enemy but can assist in transportation, support logistics, even open mountain roads and bring water through the rivers.

The contributions these methods make to military operations are evident; it depends only on whether the monarch is willing to invest.

After all, the ultimate aim of pursuing Dragon Qi is to utilize its power for supreme elevation, eventually breaking through the Third Grade limit, ascending as an Upper Realm Celestial God.

If, along the way, Dragon Qi is excessively expended through widespread bestowals, even if the world is unified, the final achievement of divine merit will be severely impaired. The founding monarchs and reincarnated gods naturally disinclined to such outcomes.

Xiao Ye was the same, placing heavy bets seeking the First Grade position, naturally unwilling to exhaust Dragon Qi on extensive divine bestowals, only constrained by Shen Hex’s obstacles to finally reluctantly bestow the Northern Emperor Sect Ancestor Master a Third Grade Divine Position.

However, Li Mubai was different; he had no aspirations to ascend the Upper Realm. The profession-incorporated Celestial Halberd Destiny rendered him immune to Dragon Qi’s willful influence so that he could freely bestow divine favors, using divine power and Dragon Qi to bolster military efforts, capturing cities, and seizing territories.

Utilizing this method enabled him to pacify the four southern states in merely a few years.

But he paid a price for this; excessive consumption of Dragon Qi impaired his Celestial Destiny, leading to his demise in the third year of the new dynasty without unifying the world or achieving the True Dragon.

Fortunately, Shen Hex compensated him by appointing him as the head of the Dou Division and Jinling City God, achieving a Fourth-rank True God position.

The Dou Division aside, speaking of Jinling, this ancient capital of six dynasties and prefecture of Yangzhou can easily support a Third Grade True God.

Shen Hex withholding the Third Grade is no limitation, as he himself hasn’t achieved Third Grade yet.

The battle of Lanruo severely damaged his Primordial Qi, and years of healing have yet to fully recover, much less advance. Therefore, Shen Hex remains in the Fourth Grade.

He, as the Main God, is of Fourth Grade. Li Mubai, as a subordinate, how could he possibly ascend to Third Grade? Even the Fourth Grade position results from his lifetime merits and Hidden Dragon fortune.

Nonetheless, it’s of no consequence. The four southern states are already in control, and with this foundation for development, Shen Hex’s achievement as a Great God is merely a matter of time. Then, as one achieves Dao, everyone rises alongside.

Of course, Shen Hex could choose to distribute power, bestow cultivation techniques like True Dao Scripture, allowing them to become independent deities, autonomously ruling a domain.

Yet, that doesn’t align with his strategic development, nor would it complement his profession, severing the support of "Earth Yellow Turban" and other professional powers—a dubious trade-off.

Thus, Shen Hex chooses not to differentiate, not bestowing any, considering all as subordinates, advancing and elevating together with him.

Certainly, should any insist on independence, Shen Hex won’t obstruct them, as each has their own ambitions.

All sorts, for now, let’s leave aside.

Focus solely on the harvest of spoils.

Even though the Jinling Prefect and Weishui River Dragon Monarch performed a scorched-earth policy before reincarnation, leaving nothing behind, it cannot halt his progress.