Infinite Professions

In general, such a standoff lasts no more than a few months. After all, a few months in, the enormous military expenditure will drag down the nation and its people. If the war doesn’t cease, internal chaos will arise.

But now, these countries of Wei and Zhou have stubbornly deadlocked for a century, and have even built the largest and densest cities and fortifications along the banks of the Huai River in history.

No typical human world dynasty could sustain such a consuming war.

The reason that Wei and Zhou are able to maintain this is entirely because the deities are exerting their strength from behind the scenes.

The deities utilize Divine Power to perform various Divine Techniques, aiding production in the rear, only then can the insatiable front line be sustained.

But the power of the deities is not infinite; it requires the incense from offerings to sustain it, and incense is toxic — it cannot be absorbed indefinitely, or else one will lose oneself.

Thus, this standoff is extremely torturous for the deities as well. Over the years, in the Northern Lands, countless deities have exhausted their Divine Power, overdosed on incense, which finally seeped into their very bones, forcing them into reincarnation.

See the sinister outcomes of this confrontation!

Torture, sheer torture!

Some deities even contemplated ending it all with a full-scale attack on the Southern Lands, but in the end, they were suppressed by King of Zhaoren.

The reason for suppression was not that King of Zhaoren was timid or afraid to go all out, but because the opponent’s actions offered a glimpse of opportunity.

What actions?

The woman’s eyes were deep as she observed the fortifications on the southern shore: "It’s said that in recent years, the Bright Spirit King has enforced stringent laws in the Southern Lands, eradicating many factions. The major sects of the Three Religions and Hundred Schools in the Southern Lands suffered greatly, even facing extermination!"

"Not just that."

The man continued: "He has also uprooted several demon and ghostly realms, forcing those Great Demon Ghost Kings into mutually destructive confrontations with him."

The woman frowned: "Could this esteemed one be plotting to achieve a First Grade rank?"

"It’s possible."

The man also frowned, his eyes filled with doubt and speculation.

The ultimate goal of deities competing for Dragon Qi is to use its power for the utmost elevation, enhancing their Divine Dao Rank to reach Second Grade or even First Grade.

Whether one achieves First Grade or Second Grade depends on one’s level and the quality of the Dragon Qi.

If one is an Upper Realm Heavenly God reincarnated, with a Second Grade rank by default, then one doesn’t need to exert much effort. By methodically unifying the world and achieving True Dragon status, one can advance to First Grade.

However, the Bright Spirit King is clearly not of such Honored God stature; he holds only a Third-Grade Rank. To leap directly to the top, he must accomplish significant feats to enhance the quality of the Dragon Qi.

This explains why, despite his evidently superior strength, he does not launch an active attack but instead holds his position in the Southern Lands. He deploys a mortal army to confront Qinhuai, forcing the Northern Lands to drain their resources against him.

He aims to increase the population of the Southern and Northern Lands through competitive means.

For the Southern Lands, under his management, growth is no issue.

But the Northern Lands face difficulties because generally, deities cherish their power and would not significantly interfere in human affairs.

Yet now, as he enforces strict laws in the Southern Lands, eradicating many sects and deities from the Three Religions and Hundred Schools, he assumes the posture of a tyrant, creating a sense of crisis among the deities in the Northern Lands. Thus, they are forced to rally together and join this "military competition."

Consequently, the deities of the Northern Lands must invest their Divine Power to boost the population and production to sustain the front-line needs, ultimately achieving his goal of stirring the world, increasing the population drastically.

With a larger population, the power of the people’s wish naturally grows stronger. Then, by unifying the world and achieving the great enterprise of the True Dragon, the acquired Dragon Qi would undoubtedly be extraordinary.

Through this, he might hope to leap across two great barriers straight into the realm of First Grade!

This is currently the most reasonable speculation.

But...

"If his designs are as such, then he should not harm the Dragon Qi!"

The man furrowed his brows: "In these recent years, the emperors of the Zhou Dynasty have repeatedly abdicated their thrones. Li Mubai abdicated to Song Ji, and Song Ji then passed it to Ye Jing. This repeated passing of the throne will certainly diminish the emperor’s prestige. As the emperor’s prestige wanes, so does the Dragon Qi. How then could he achieve First Grade?"

Upon hearing this, the woman also fell silent.

An emperor is the lord of humans!

The so-called Dragon Qi is actually the power of Human Dao, condensed from the reverence the populace harbors for the emperor.

The greater the emperor’s authority, the stronger the power of Dragon Qi, and vice versa.

Therefore, such abdications are detrimental to the emperor’s Dragon Qi, significantly weakening the sacredness of the emperor. It fosters the rebellious notion among the populace that "the emperor alternates; next year it will be my family’s turn," undermining imperial authority and weakening the power of Dragon Qi.

Usually, abdication is a matter reserved for the inception of a new dynasty, to inherit the legality and orthodoxy of the previous regime.

However, the Zhou Dynasty is different. After Li Mubai abdicated to Song Ji, the dynasty initiated a tradition of abdication, thrice passing the throne among the Song, Li, and Ye families.

This is perplexing.

What is the meaning of such abdications?

Do they not fear the diminishment of Dragon Qi, ultimately making it difficult to achieve the merit of First Grade?

Furthermore...

"He has also purged the Great Demon Ghost King in the Southern Lands, which is also a major self-harming act."

The man furrowed his brow, gazing towards the southern lands, his eyes filled with uncertainty and suspicion.

Great Demon Ghost King!

This world was not always one where deities were supreme.

In that ancient era long ago, the heavens and earth were not divided into the Yin and Yang Realms; the essence of the universe was not dominated by reincarnation but was completely sealed within the Divine Soul of living beings.

Back then, Spiritual Qi was abundant between heaven and earth, all things thrived, and humans and gods coexisted. Apart from the deities born from faith, there were also immortals and buddhas who achieved the Dao through Qi Refining, along with some demons and malevolent beings, all powers self-contained, without the need for faith as sustenance.