However, these Wu Shen Jiao and Hou Tu Imperial Honors, although deeply rooted, face a lack of strong individuals. Aside from governing the Netherworld, Hou Tu Imperial Honors has numerous Mountain Gods and Earth Gods on the Divine Continent, but lacks enough manpower, having to rely on Wu Shen Jiao for support.

Yet, Wu Shen Jiao also faces a manpower shortage. Over the years, Wu Shen Jiao has been shutting its doors, unlike other top immortal sects that open their doors wide to recruit disciples. They simply cannot gather enough disciples to oversee the Nether Yin Department.

While ordinary Yin Department Netherworld Divine Positions can be managed by some Wu Shen Jiao disciples, positions like the Ten Halls of Yama, Five Ghost Emperors, and Judges, wield tremendous authority that ordinary disciples are not qualified to oversee.

For ordinary Wu Shen Jiao disciples, forcibly integrating these divine positions without enough strength not only brings no benefit but also results in erosion by the Nether Yin Department, completely cutting off their path, which is something the strong of Wu Shen Jiao do not wish to see.

Thus, their initial approach can only have these strong individuals oversee through incarnations, slowly finding suitable strong individuals to take charge of these divine positions.

Yet even after ten thousand years, the divine positions of the Ten Halls of Yama are still not fully replenished, with about half of the positions vacant, and taken by the incarnations of these Taoist Monarchs and True Immortals.

Now, the Wood Virtue Star Lord wants a venerable position of the Ten Halls of Yama, making Zhu Jiuyin curious about what exactly the other side is planning.

"It seems we have underestimated this Wood Virtue Star Lord. To rise from an independent practitioner to this point without relying on any Daoist Monarchs indeed shows he has his own trump cards," Zhu Jiuyin whispered.

The conditions from the other side have actually revealed many things; the Wood Virtue Star Lord seems to wield Wood Dao Authority, but it's not entirely tied to it. He also has other options related to the netherworld.

It's precisely because of this that the Wood Dao Authority is not something he cannot relinquish, and he wants to seize this opportunity to make a deal.

Admittedly, the other side has picked an incredibly appropriate timing.

The Nether Yin Department is almost considered sacrosanct by them, unwilling to let outsiders meddle, even though their current power isn't enough to completely grasp it.

But for Wu Shen Jiao, it's already a piece of rotten meat in their pot; as long as that Longevity Taoist Monarch doesn't step in, they can handle it however they please and aren't in any rush, slowly simmering.

In the past, they would never let anyone interfere, and if someone coveted these things, they wouldn't hesitate to fight fiercely.

They wouldn't exchange even for one chance to testify as Taoist Monarch; previously, the Wood Virtue Star Lord had no qualification to negotiate with them; they could take over the Wood Dao Authority slowly without paying any price.

But things are different now; the current situation gives even Wu Shen Jiao's strong individuals a sense of immense pressure, and even though they've prepared various plans, there's still crisis and an urgent need to enhance their battle power.

Each individual and power takes different positions, with naturally different pursuits.

To some ordinary True Immortals and immortal sects, they know their own limited strength, even though aware the upcoming world's chaotic situation carries danger with opportunity, they can seize this chance to loot more.

But they clearly understand their main goal is to preserve themselves, ensuring self-preservation while gaining more, rather than rushing in like moths to flame.

For Wu Shen Jiao, a top power, this chaotic world is something they anticipate; they seize this chance not only to preserve themselves but to whale and plunder more benefits during this chaos, allowing them to rise higher.

For them, the world's dynamics are like rowing against the tide; not advancing is retreating, and when all powers constantly elevate, even standing still becomes a colossal failure, insufficient to satisfy their appetite.

Moreover, they possess so much. Their current occupation is due to sufficient strength; if opponents grow stronger, they might lose even what they currently hold.

Thus, considering the Wood Virtue Star Lord's request might seem excessive, touching upon their sacrosanct territory, yet upon careful measurement, this cost is not inherently unacceptable.

The venerable position of the Ten Halls of Yama indeed looks promising; especially under the push from various Taoist Monarchs, the Divine Land World is destined to ascend to the Great Thousand Worlds, where even if the Ten Halls of Yama cannot forge Daoist Monarchs, they can, by virtue of Yin Department's authority, be deemed Quasi-Taoist Monarch.

However, all of this pertains to the future, not the present. If they can produce another Taoist Monarch now, they can gain more benefits in the upcoming Great World; these gains far exceeds a single venerable position of Yama.

"Seems this Wood Virtue Star Lord hides deeply." Ju Mang nodded, acknowledging the Zhu Jiuyin Ancestor Witch's evaluation of Wood Virtue Star Lord yet chuckled, saying, "But what does it matter to me? If he's willing to surrender Wood Dao Authority, then giving him a venerable position of the Ten Halls of Yama is not impossible!"

Ju Mang Ancestor Witch, upon first receiving this news, understood the Wood Virtue Star Lord's thoughts - knowing the opponent held his trump card and path; hence willingly giving up Wood Dao Authority.

After all, someone who rose from an independent practitioner to this position has naturally had trump cards, and he never looks down upon any strong person who can rise.

But as he mentioned, what does it matter to him? His interest is solely in the other's Wood Dao Authority, regardless of other plans or calculations the other might have, irrelevant to him.

As long as there's no conflict between them, he doesn't care about the other's plots, and can even draw him into their Wu Shen Jiao camp, increasing their power.

Even in the worst scenario, if future plans by Wood Virtue Star Lord conflict with their interests, with their strength they can easily resolve these issues without worrying about any potential threat the other might pose.

"If that's the case, then agree to him," said Zhu Jiuyin Ancestor Witch.

Though not a Taoist Monarch, as the Ancestor Witch mastering the Time Dao, Zhu Jiuyin holds decisiveness within Wu Shen Jiao.

Moreover, even though Wu Shen Jiao functions as a top immortal sect, their internal authority division differs from other top immortal sects.

For other top immortal sects, strength is the fundamental basis; even if you are a descendent disciple, as your strength realm elevates, though your seniority doesn't, your voice gains prominence, a realistic trait among many immortal sects.

But Wu Shen Jiao differs; Wu Shen Jiao's highest authority stays with the numerous Ancestor Witches; even if one is a True Immortal, without holding Ancestral Witch Venerable Position, even against a Supreme Strong, your voice carries less weight.

All Wu Shen Jiao's authority derives from Ancestral Witch Venerable Position; without it, no matter the strength, such a figure remains without core authority, blocked at the final step.

This existed since Wu Shen Jiao's founding; only by grasping Ancestral Witch Venerable Position can one gain the sacrificial authority and obtain sufficient authority before the former Human Race Common Master.

Therefore, even if Zhu Jiuyin hasn't ascended to Taoist Monarch, nor masters unique Laws like Time Laws, his authority across the Wu Shen Jiao remains equal to Wu Shen Jiao Church Master Di Jiang.

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