King of the World
Seventeen years is but a fleeting moment in the vast realm of the divine Divine Dao.
However, for the [Lingyong] Great Realm, these seventeen years were a torrent of incense offerings that swept across the eight wastelands and reshaped the universe.
Qi Yun's journey, which began in Yong and Han prefectures, has never stopped.
The all-pervasive "Great Luo Dao Sound" arrived before the divine soldiers.
Wherever the Dao's teachings reach, people's hearts are subtly influenced, and their beliefs quietly shift.
Countless beings at the bottom of society, low-ranking gods, and even forces dissatisfied with the original rulers of the states were swayed by the vision of peace, order, and prosperity that Dao Yin offered, and began to secretly plot against each other.
When Qi Yun, with the overwhelming momentum of the two states' unification, arrives at the city gates, internal troubles often already exist, and external forces are difficult to withstand.
There may be rulers who are out of touch with reality and overconfident in their strength, such as the "Heaven-Burning Lord" of Yan Province who controls all fire and has a violent temper, who attempt to use the world-burning fire to stop the flood.
As a result, the prairie fire that it was so proud of was extinguished under the influence of the "all rivers flowing into the sea" power, which was Qi Yun by the incense offerings of the two states.
The divine body was suppressed deep into the earth's veins by the chains of divine law formed from the phrase "Hurry, Swiftly, Swiftly, As the Law Commands."
There were also those skilled in political maneuvering who attempted to form alliances, such as the rulers of Ze Province and Lin Province.
However, given Qi Yun's exquisite strategy, which far surpassed the understanding of the Divine Dao of this world, and the absolute difference in strength, the so-called alliance collapsed at the first touch.
What awaits them is the stripping of their divine status and the suppression of their Divine Soul.
Over the course of seventeen years, Qi Yun's presence seemed to have become a predetermined destiny sweeping through [Lingyong].
Divide and weaken, and win over and appease.
Those who are willing to submit will receive the True Disciple of the Great Luo Dao Sound, retain their divine status, and may even have the hope of advancing further in the new order;
Those who stubbornly resist will have their divine kingdom crumble, their incense offerings seized, and will become prisoners.
Once a snowballing advantage is established, it becomes unstoppable.
When the incense offerings of a state are unified, its power increases by one point. With this power, conquering the next state becomes even more devastating.
In the final Feng Province, the "Xun Wind Lord," known for his speed and unpredictability, attempted to maneuver and even tried to delay the enemy by taking advantage of natural defenses and the Qi Yun).
Qi Yun simply stood in the middle of the sky, slightly activating the Incense and Fire Prayer Power of the eight unified states, transforming it into a "net of heaven and earth" that covered the sky and was sparse yet leaky. This net then caught the inescapable Xun Wind Lord and his ten thousand miles of gale-force winds, slowly refining them.
Thus, the nine provinces of Lingyong were unified!
From the snowy Han Province the far north to the volcanoes of the south; from the Jin Province Desert of the Yan Province to the coastal waters of the easternmost Cang Province; from the Yongzhou Central Land...
The fertile lands of the five states of Lin, Ze, Feng, and Lei----
The boundless land, the billions of living beings, their births, aging, sickness and death, their prayers and thoughts, their purest faith and will, all cross thousands of mountains and rivers, like hundreds of rivers flowing into the sea, continuously converging on the supreme temple located in the center of the Nine Provinces, which has been expanded into a heavenly palace.
Inside the temple, Qi Yun did not manifest any exaggerated Dharma form; he was simply of ordinary size, sitting on a purple-gold throne composed of reliefs depicting the landscapes of the Nine Provinces.
However, the Daoist aura flowing around him had already created a profound resonance with the entire Lingyong Great Realm.
With each breath, it seemed as if the veins of the entire land pulsed in rhythm; with each blink of his eyes, he seemed to reflect the lights of cities and the smoke rising from rural villages.
At this moment, he is the manifestation of the will of the Nine Provinces, the uncrowned ruler of the Nine Provinces!
Just as the incense offerings of the Nine Provinces were completely brought under Qi Yun's control, and the last wisp of wandering willpower was channeled back into its proper flow, "Buzz!"
The sky above the temple was no longer the usual clouds and sun and moon, but suddenly transformed into a pure, indifferent, and supreme sea of rules!
Countless runes representing the fundamental Principle of heaven and earth were born and died within it, converging into a "gaze" that was clearer, more vast, and more profound than ever before.
This is no longer an examination, nor a warning.
A grand, cold, emotionless yet crystal clear thought, directly imprinted on the deepest part of Qi Yun's Divine Soul, descended like a divine decree. "You shall rule the nine provinces, gather the faith of all people, and restore order to the Divine Dao path."
Would you be willing to become the lord of Lingyong?
Within the intention lies a clear set of conditions and information:
If granted, Qi Yun will be officially "bestowed" the title of Lord of Lingyong by the Heaven's Will, becoming the number one person under the Heaven's Will and above billions of living beings!
He will have control over more than 90% of the power in the entire Lingyong Great Realm.
It can mobilize almost infinite power of heaven and earth, formulate and modify Divine Dao laws, decide the fate and rise and fall of billions of living beings, and depose and establish gods with a single word!
The Heaven's Will will retreat to the background, and apart from maintaining the most basic operation of Heaven and Earth and the balance of Principle in Lingyong, it will not interfere with any of his decisions or actions.
He will become the de facto "King of the World"!
However, this move also comes at a price.
Once he accepts the imperial decree, he will be completely bound to and integrated with the fundamental Principle of the Lingyong Great Realm.
He is Lingyong, Lingyong is him.
In this lifetime and even in the cycle of reincarnation, one can never escape the Lingyong Great Realm!
Faced with this sudden "ultimate invitation" from the will of the world, Qi Yun sat upright on his divine throne, showing no ecstasy, but rather a hint of deep thought and surprise.
"Heaven's Will —is this weariness?"
Looking for a proxy, someone to be the one who washes their hands of the business?
His mind raced, but he immediately dismissed the idea.
"That's not right. The Heaven's Will is the fundamental will of a realm, devoid of emotion and desire. Maintaining the world's operation and the balance of its Principle is its instinct; how could it be weary?"
unless----"
He thought of the "tacit approval" that Heaven's Will him for his annexation of incense offerings, the inherent rigidity and internal strife within the Lingyong Divine Dao system, and the bizarre scene of "True Lord carrying coffins" driving True Lord back to Xuanhuang. Suddenly, a bright idea flashed through his mind!
A possibility vaguely occurred to Qi Yun, and his eyes flickered slightly.
"I now hold the incense offerings of the nine provinces in my hands, command hundreds of millions of believers, and my divine will covers the boundless land. With a single word, I can determine the life and death of gods; with a single thought, I can command the power of mountains and rivers."
Qi Yun raised his eyes, his gaze calmly meeting the indifferent "gaze" formed by the sea of rules, his heart undisturbed.
"Even without your so-called Heaven's Will decree," I am already the de facto ruler of Lingyong authority.
Why then do you need your chained crown?
His Divine Soul trembled, and a clear, firm, and unwavering thought was transmitted in reverse towards the sea of rules high above.
"Boom-!!!"
The instant Qi Yun refused to let his thoughts return, the sea of rules, which had been indifferent and transactional, suddenly boiled over!
The boundless pressure was like billions of tons of seawater pouring down, causing the entire Heavenly Palace to tremble violently!
The auspicious clouds dispersed, the auspicious mists collapsed, and in their place came rolling, pitch-black clouds of cataclysm!
Within the clouds, countless bolts of chaotic lightning—purple-black, crimson, and pale white—roamed and roared like raging dragons, their destructive aura locking down every inch of space within the temple!
That grand will instantly turned cold, furious, and filled with an indignant sense of supreme authority. "Insects! How dare you defy the will of Heaven!"
"You have presumptuously instigated the worship of the people of the nine provinces, disrupted the order of the Lingyong, and overstepped the mandate of Heaven. Your crime deserves death!"
Today, I will use tribulation lightning to cleanse your Divine Soul, destroy your Dao Foundation, rebuild the incense offerings of the Nine Provinces, and reshape the order of heaven and earth!
Heaven's Will can change its mind faster than turning the pages of a book!
One moment they're recruiting you with the promise of "willingness to serve," the next they're judging you as "deserving of death!"
Clearly, the will of Heaven's Will has chosen to eliminate Qi Yun, this powerful entity that is "uncontrollable" and "unapproachable," and to reclaim all its influence and reset everything!
"Snap--!!!"
A massive bolt of chaotic lightning, as thick as a pillar of heaven and earth and containing the destructive power of creation, tore through the sky and, carrying the will of judgment and end, struck down upon Qi Yun on his divine throne!
Wherever it passed, space was completely annihilated, turning into absolute nothingness ravaged by earth fire and wind!
Faced with this world-destroying divine punishment representing the wrath of a world's will, Qi Yun's expression remained as calm as a deep well, and even the mocking smile on his lips did not change.
"Ha, getting angry because you're embarrassed?"
He slowly rose from his divine throne, and his originally magnificent purple-gold dragon-patterned divine robe fluttered and rustled even without wind. The patterns of the mountains and rivers of the Nine Provinces embroidered on it seemed to come alive, radiating an indomitable brilliance.
Just as the chaotic tribulation lightning was about to strike, Qi Yun waved his hand, and from within his sleeve, an indescribable golden light, brilliant, majestic, and ancient, shot into the sky with a "whoosh!"
The golden light surged with the wind, transforming in an instant into a vast golden scroll that stretched across the sky, obscuring the sun and moon!
The golden list was made of an unknown material, neither silk nor leather, neither gold nor jade, and its edges were filled with a chaotic flow of energy.
Above the list, the two characters "[Investiture of the Gods]" exuded boundless Daoist charm and radiated a golden light that illuminated the dark tribulation clouds in the sky, turning them into a golden glow!
Upon seeing this list, the chaotic tribulation lightning that had been violently striking down seemed to be blocked by an invisible force, pausing slightly!
Qi Yun bathed in the radiant glow of the golden list, Qi Yun formed a profound and ancient gesture with one hand and calmly declared, "Governor of Lingyong, heed my command!"
The shout was like an imperial edict, blending into the golden light of the Investiture of the Gods.
The next moment, the Investiture of the Gods of the Gods, which stretched across the sky, trembled violently.
On the list, nine honored names that were originally dim but suddenly lit up shone with dazzling golden light!
Amidst the radiance, nine majestic figures, each with a unique form yet radiating immense divine power and possessing the same origin as Qi Yun but each with its own emphasis, stepped out from the rankings and manifested in the void before Qi Yun!
The nine guardian deities appeared, their auras merging into one, echoing the vast phantom of the Nine Provinces' Incense and Fire Prayer Power behind Qi Yun. They even subtly formed a power rivaling the boiling sea of rules and the world-destroying clouds in the high heavens!
Qi Yun, his robes fluttering, stood beneath the golden list, before the nine rulers, raised his hand to the vast and unpredictable Heaven's Will, and said in a cold but firm voice, "Take him down!"