[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-ascending-to-divinity":3,"chapter-ascending-to-divinity-ascending-to-divinity-chapter-266":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Ascending to Divinity",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2280816,4461,"Chapter 266: Yecha","ascending-to-divinity-chapter-266",266,"\u003Cp>On the stone platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl sat cross-legged, wearing a deep blue skirt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She extended her pale wrist, revealing a semi-transparent wristwatch beneath the silk sleeve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a hidden special enrollee, her privileges differed from those of other students.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was permitted by the academy to carry an identity device into the Second Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It could be temporarily requested when needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A holographic screen appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nie Zheng swiped his finger, glancing at the communication list.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the very top.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pinned name was “Jiang Jian.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since he failed to break through, he won’t obtain an identity device in the short term.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he pondered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nie Zheng still moved his hand, opening the inbox below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few seconds later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her previously calm gaze suddenly sharpened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Zhao family reported to the Jingcheng Patrol Group.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They claimed a special aircraft was spotted in Guangling City.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nie Zheng frowned slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She took this unremarkable report very seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had grown up in Guangling City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She naturally knew its unique location.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the ground zero for Earth’s ring reconstruction, the spatial coordinate’s anchor point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it were anywhere else, it wouldn’t matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she had lived in Guangling City for over a decade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nie Zheng clearly sensed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This place differed drastically from all other surface cities!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A great adept had once calculated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next Heaven-gifted one would most likely appear in Guangling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was also the reason, over a decade ago,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her father had hidden his identity and chosen to be born here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhao family’s Zhao Jianxue.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Once had a marriage contract with Jiang Jian.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Again, it’s someone from the Zhao family.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl shut off her identity device and murmured, “I hope this has nothing to do with him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After receiving the report,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Jingcheng Patrol Group did not ignore it; they dispatched specialists to investigate Guangling City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were well aware of Guangling City’s unique position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if the claim of an extraterrestrial aircraft seemed far-fetched, it was not entirely impossible if Guangling City was involved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Nie Zheng calmed her mind and resumed cultivation,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The depths of the volcano fell silent once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the gurgling of molten lava around the platform remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yinshan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Tenth Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The great hall was brightly lit, its ceiling reaching a thousand meters high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian opened his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Familiar scenes from his memory appeared before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was seated upon a massive throne hundreds of meters high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Below the throne stood countless yecha demons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Manifesting the Wheel-Turning Divine Form here consumes almost nothing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His spirit stirred slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His clothing instantly transformed into a deep, luxurious golden-threaded royal robe!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Tenth Hall still has only three Divine Palace cultivators.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian, wearing a beaded crown and a wide black robe, looked down from the Wheel-Turning Throne.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Horse-Faced Demon, a hundred meters tall, stood in the front row like a towering skyscraper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the other two Divine Palace cultivators—the Hell Judge and the Ox-Head Demon—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were not present in the hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Majesty!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Horse-Faced Demon, his body like a mountain, stepped forward heavily and bowed low to Jiang Jian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Rise.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian waved his hand lightly, “Where is the Hell Judge?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Horse-Faced Demon looked uneasy and said, “Your Majesty, I do not know his whereabouts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind it,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Patrol Yecha stepped forward and announced loudly, “Your Majesty, the royal treasury has been robbed—many spiritual resources are missing!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian’s expression remained calm; he asked no further questions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, he flipped his palm and invoked the authority of the Wheel-Turning Hall to summon the Hell Judge!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few seconds later,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Hell Judge appeared, transformed his form, shrank rapidly, and knelt below the throne: “Your Majesty!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His face was pale, lips trembling, as if he had something he could not say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, he bore a secret he dared not speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He finally made up his mind and gritted his teeth: “This subordinate failed to guard the treasury, resulting in massive losses. I beg Your Majesty’s punishment!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having spoken these words,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Hell Judge’s expression turned ashen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had already imagined himself cast into the depths of hell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian gazed at him, paused briefly, then said, “You are not guilty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Hell Judge froze, instinctively lifting his head to look at Jiang Jian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the chief custodian of the Tenth Hall’s treasury,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Hell Judge had always been diligent, traveling between the Wheel-Turning Hall’s major resource sites to collect renewable materials and replenish the treasury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But recently,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had been horrified to discover that many ghostly spiritual resources had vanished without cause!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the amount lost was negligible compared to the total treasury,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fact that these resources had been stolen under his watch was enough to warrant punishment!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He dared not even defend himself—only confessed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the current rules of the Yinshan Realm,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian held the position of Wheel-Turning Sovereign.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He held absolute power over the life and death of all beings in the Tenth Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He controlled their fates utterly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Hell Judge could not even conceive of rebellion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Majesty!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Patrol Yecha’s face changed, and he reported again, “The Hell Judge is greedy and selfish—he has secretly used royal treasury resources, committing a crime worthy of ten thousand deaths! He has no respect for Your Majesty!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind him,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Other yecha stepped forward one after another, filled with righteous fury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All their accusations targeted the Hell Judge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Majesty, this traitor stole from his own post—his crime cannot be forgiven!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We beg Your Majesty to judge fairly!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing these voices,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Hell Judge’s face, which had briefly improved, turned even more ghastly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian stood on the throne, looking down coldly at the yakshas below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew perfectly well why the treasury had been stolen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the Yinshan Guide Messenger, using his personal token, who delivered the items to the Second Realm to fill the Hanlight Storage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this Patrol Yaksha stubbornly blamed the Hell Judge, deliberately stoking internal conflict to weaken the Tenth Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His malicious intent was glaringly obvious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A black-gold column of light crashed down, illuminating the thousand-zhang grand hall!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Led by the Patrol Yaksha, over a hundred yakshas stood behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All were frozen in place beneath the radiance of the milky light!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without a sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hundred yaksha spirits disintegrated silently, turning to dust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this sight,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>every living being in the hall—including the Horse-Faced Ghost—trembled, lowering their heads in frozen silence, daring not to make a single sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the Hell Judge looked up at Jiang Jian, his expression complex.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian ignored it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, he gazed coldly at the spot where the yaksha had perished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The contest for the Earth Storeholder’s seat has not yet officially begun.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yet someone has already resorted to despicable tactics.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ashes fell from where the Patrol Yaksha had stood, forming a dark shadow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It writhed and clawed, grotesque and menacing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just now,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>seeing the Patrol Yaksha’s strange behavior,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian had instantly concluded—there was definitely foul play!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each of the Ten Halls of Yinshan held its own opportunity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Jiang Jian’s deduction,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>one of the Hall Lords must have obtained a special artifact granting command over the yaksha race.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the barriers of the Ten Halls had not yet officially opened,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>every one of the Ten Halls of Yinshan harbored yakshas!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These yakshas were low in cultivation, incapable of causing major upheaval.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But they could certainly annoy each of the other Hall Lords one by one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My Lord, the yakshas were responsible for patrolling the Tenth Hall. Now that the position is vacant, should we hold a new selection?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Hell Judge steadied himself and asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unconsciously,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>his gaze toward Jiang Jian had grown more respectful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the Lord of the Tenth Hall,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>since Jiang Jian had declared “not guilty,”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>then he himself must be innocent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his view, Jiang Jian had not only refrained from punishing him or holding him accountable,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>but had even slain the entire yaksha race to protect him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This filled the Hell Judge with gratitude.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian gave a slight nod and turned toward the back hall. “Handle it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Hell Judge rose and shouted, “Your servant obeys!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the back hall,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian turned his head to the Guide Messenger beside him and asked, “How far has the Wonder Realm progressed?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Guide Messenger calculated briefly and said, “The Yinshan Wonder Realm has just reached the opposite side of Earth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you descend now, you’ll have to cross over a dozen fu realms before reaching Chang’an Fu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if you wait for the next cycle, when the Yinshan Wonder Realm returns, I can open a teleport gate directly near Chang’an Fu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian frowned slightly. “How long is one cycle?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Guide Messenger replied, “About ten days.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian considered briefly, then abandoned the idea of going to the Surface Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the Surface Realm was on wartime alert.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heavy troops guarded the borders of every fu realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without a valid reason, no one could cross borders without authorization.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His official position in the Yu Xing Palace—“Observer of the Guanxi Pavilion”—had not yet been activated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he left Yinshan now and headed straight for Chang’an Fu,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>crossing over a dozen fu realms along the way would take an unknown amount of time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to that,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>it was better to wait ten days in the Tenth Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could cultivate in peace while waiting for Yinshan’s cycle to return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When that time came,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Yinshan’s power, the spatial teleport gate would open directly above Chang’an Fu, saving much effort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Centuries of quiet peace have suddenly been shaken.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Conditions on the Surface Realm are inevitably chaotic.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiang Jian opened his identity device and read through every unread message from start to finish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was no longer blind to the current state of the seventy fu realms on the Surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1658,"2026-06-20T01:21:35.424Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","13803c5e33b171f6c0eb4f407a43f264afe43a866119f8182ef27ef64df461e3","ascending-to-divinity-chapter-267","ascending-to-divinity-chapter-265",306,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fascending-to-divinity-cover.jpg"]