Chapter 520 - 265: Third Grade

The roar shook the heavens and the earth, resounding through Yin and Yang.

In the four southern states, echoes were heard, and there appeared many strange phenomena and visions.

In the sky, the great sun shone brilliantly, yet dimmed in an instant, transforming into somber clouds and rain, descending as thundering showers.

On the earth, all living things thrived, trees grew vigorously, flowers and grasses blossomed exuberantly, displaying a vibrant vitality.

Between rivers and seas, waves surged, fish and turtles leaped from the water, shrimps and crabs moved in competition, as if racing for the Dragon Gate.

Farmers stood in their fields, watching the crops sway, growing rapidly and turning golden in an instant.

Woodcutters walked in the forest, discovering the sound of dead trees, sprouting numerous new shoots, turning verdant in a moment.

Fishermen stood at the boat’s prow, seeing the rivers and seas tumultuous, the waters flowing in strange patterns, forming hidden veins that extended.

The sun, moon, stars, grass, trees, mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas...

All things in heaven and earth displayed anomalies, bursting with vitality.

Especially in the Jinyang Land, all trees stretched their branches toward the center, a thousand birds spread their wings in the sky, a hundred beasts bowed to the Prefecture City.

All the people felt something, yet it was inexplicable. Unknowingly, tears streamed down their faces.

The Three Religions and Hundred Schools, and various divine beings were also stirred by these phenomena.

"This..."

"What is happening?"

"Is there a change in Jinyang?"

"Is it the Bright Spirit King?"

"With such phenomena, is He ascending?"

"Ascending... to the Third Grade?"

"This being was still of the Fourth Grade?"

"Hiss!!!"

For a moment, there was an uproar from all directions, with countless intakes of cold breath.

Though rumors circulated that the Bright Spirit King was still in the Fourth Grade, it was just hearsay, unverifiable, and none dared to confirm.

Fourth Grade to Third Grade, a difference of one realm, worlds apart.

If possible, everyone hoped the rumors were just that. After all, if the Bright Spirit King remained in the Fourth Grade, the significance of the Lanruo battle would be even more terrifying, and His future even more immeasurable.

At the Fourth Grade, He entered Lanruo and defeated the Six Great Ghost Gods.

What about after reaching the Third Grade?

Attaining Great Godhood, spanning heaven and earth, how would His power grow, what elevation would He achieve?

The crowd dared not imagine, filled with awe and trepidation.

"This god is the Venerable of the Southern Land. Borrowing the Southern Dragon Qi, ascending to the Third Grade should be effortless, with no need to wait until today."

"Yet He remained silent for a hundred years, breaking through only today!"

"Refusing the power of Dragon Qi, seeking to become Dao on His own?"

"Dragon Qi consecration can quickly succeed, but successes from Dragon Qi can also fail due to Dragon Qi. Unless one is a True Dragon, relying on external consecration can only achieve a subordinate position, not true fruition."

"Not only is the merit impure and untrue, but He would also be constrained by Dragon Qi, vulnerable to life and death under others’ control. Unless reincarnating and retraining, further progress would be hopeless."

"The ambitions of the Bright Spirit King are vast, so He wouldn’t shackle Himself with Dragon Qi, remaining silent for a century, comprehending the Daoist Scripture Collection, intending to attain Dao on His own."

"Silent for a century, has He finally achieved Merit Perfection?"

All sides watched, chattering in astonishment beyond words.

The Divine Dao Venerable Position is divided into nine grades and eighteen levels, differing between God of Righteous Position and Subordinate Gods. Even among those of the same grade, there can be vast disparities.

The God of Righteous Position undoubtedly surpasses the Subordinate Gods, in both strength and potential.

The reason is that Subordinate Gods are mostly consecrated by a Main God or Dragon Qi, while the God of Righteous Position is independently established, innately autonomous, and perfect in merit, needing no one’s favor, nor bound by anyone.

However, attaining Dao independently, though beneficial, is exceedingly arduous and rare, achievable only by those with great wisdom, perseverance, and fortune.

Many deities, lacking this aptitude, can only seek alternative paths, first acquiring merit from the dragons, rising through consecration, then reincarnating, leveraging past accumulation and experience to retrain, washing away the Dragon Qi influence, and regaining righteousness through their own power.

This is the choice of the majority of Great Gods in righteous positions, even including the Weishui River Dragon Monarch, who many years ago rose to the Third Grade through Dragon Qi consecration, thus forming a karma bond with the master of Dragon Qi, ultimately perishing and vanishing due to entanglement during a second Dragon contention.

Such is the difficulty of achieving a righteous position.

Yet now...

"This god emerged from Qinghe and Huangshan, has not yet reached three hundred years."

"In three hundred years, attaining Dao independently, stepping into the Great God Realm?"

"If solely relying on natural talent, with no foundational buildup, that would be too terrifying."

"But if it was reincarnation and retraining, how is there no trace, no exposure of identity until now?"

"Has He hidden it too well?"

"Or is it..."

The world changed, with wonders from all around, divine beings focused with awe and uncertainty.

But what occurs outside is of no consequence.

Within the Magic Realm, inside the temple.

Shen Hex sat alone, immersed in Dao.

Understanding all Three Vehicles and Five Natures, realizing one’s own Pearl Library.

This time witnessing the true self, requiring no reliance on others’ portals.

Marvelous, marvelous, most marvelous, profound, profound, most profound!

Through cultivating the three bodies in unison, enduring a century of hardship, relying on personal understanding and occupational assistance, Shen Hex finally pushed open that mysterious door, stepping into the Great God Realm, the grand Dao of heaven and earth.

Behold, the deities, masters of the Dao!

Dominating heaven and earth, the door to infinity.

To ascend to the Third Grade for the Great Divine Venerable Position, one must merge with Dao, aligning oneself with the great Dao of heaven and earth, yet not be consumed by it, being a master of Dao and not a slave to it.

This fruit is not easily attained, beyond the reach of ordinary beings, requiring scrutiny of one’s foundation and external authority.

As for oneself, without sufficient accumulation, how could one merge with Dao and command it?

Concerning external authority, embodying Dao, by virtue of what do you merge with Dao?

Does this world belong to you, that you can decide to merge?

One must first possess authority, master a realm, before uniting with it.

Shen Hex’s current authority speaks volumes, having previously eliminated the Six Great Ghost Gods, controlling Jinling and Weishui, even the two states of Jingzhou and Yangzhou, subsequently sweeping Liangzhou and Guangzhou, unifying the Four Southern States. With Huangshan Prefect and those abstaining or submitting early on, the other evil spirits and deities were all swept away, their territorial authority falling entirely under His command.