"I've merely managed to secure a Yin God realm through sheer luck," Xiao Mu said modestly.

Elder Zun smiled and praised, "Not anyone can be as fortunate as you are. To gain a Divine Spirit rank during the mid-stage of the Yin God realm suggests that you, Xiao Mu, have both great fortune and a strength surpassing others at the same cultivation level. Young man, there's no need for you to be overly modest."

The man in golden-yellow Daoist robes nodded in agreement, clearly concurring with Elder Zun's words.

Ordinarily, Mutated Beings would need to reach the late of peak stages of the Yin God realm to stand a chance at obtaining a Divine Spirit rank.

Most mutated beings who are in the late or peak stages of the Yin God realm usually acquire a Divine Spirit rank corresponding to that of a door god, kitchen god, or a judge of the dead; only a rare few, like Xiao Mu, secure a higher rank such as the Kitchen God upon their first acquisition.

"What Divine Spirit rank have you obtained?" Elder Zun asked with a smile.

"Land God," Xiao Mu decided not to hide it and replied after thinking for a moment.

"What?"

"You received the position of a Land God?"

This time, both Elder Zun and the man in golden-yellow Daoist robes couldn't help but be startled.

The two exchanged glances, both wearing expressions of disbelief.

A rank as the Land God or Door God signifies a True God within the Divine Spirit level, arguably the strongest Divine Spirit rank attainable in the Yin God realm.

Even more powerful deities like the City God, Netherlord, Thunder God, and the Gods of Fortune and Prosperity require one to be in the Divine Spirit realm before one can obtain and possess them.

"So you've seen it too?" The man in golden-yellow Daoist robes suddenly broke the silence with a cryptic statement, leaving Xiao Mu completely baffled.

"Seen it? What do you mean by that, senior?" Xiao Mu asked, looking puzzled at the man in the golden-yellow Daoist robes.

Elder Zun interjected, "Xiao Mu, after you merged with the Land God rank, didn't you notice anything?"

A sudden revelation struck Xiao Mu, "Elder Zun, are you referring to a cluster of gray Catastrophe Clouds?"

"Indeed, you have seen it as well," Elder Zun affirmed with a grave nod.

The man in golden-yellow Daoist robes dismissed the significance, "It's only natural to see the Tribulation Cloud when inheriting a True God position. It would be unexpected not to see it."

It seemed that both Elder Zun and this golden-robed man also possessed Divine Spirit ranks, but what kind were they? At the Divine Spirit level, or higher?

Elder Zun's power was unfathomable, and the man clad in golden-yellow appeared to be his equal. Their Divine Spirit ranks were likely superior to mine.

Their exceptional Divine Spirit ranks concealed their cultivation levels, making it impossible for others to detect and even see through their true strength.

Therefore, the Divine Spirit ranks of Elder Zun and the golden-robed man could indeed be higher-level positions, such as the City God, Netherlord, Thunder God, the Gods of Fortune and Prosperity, or perhaps like the Dragon King or Rain God.

A myriad of thoughts flashed through Xiao Mu's mind, and he suddenly realized something, prompting him to inquire, "Elders, may I ask what exactly is this gray Catastrophe Cloud? Why does it appear over the heads of divine beings?"

Elder Zun shook his head slightly, "You're mistaken. The gray Catastrophe Cloud isn't exclusive to divine beings; it appears above the heads of all in the human world."

"Xiao Mu, having obtained a Divine Spirit rank, you haven't met anyone else, have you? Otherwise, you would have been aware of the Catastrophe Cloud's existence above everyone."

Xiao Mu nodded awkwardly, having indeed thought that the gray Catastrophe Cloud existed only above himself and other divine beings. It had not occurred to him that Elder Zun would deduce that he had only recently obtained a Divine Spirit rank based on this observation.

Elder Zun spoke with a heavy tone, "This cloud looms over us all, signifying that every one of us could encounter unforeseen disasters at any moment."

"An unforeseen disaster is death. Our death is beyond our control, and the possibility of dying can come at any time."

Xiao Mu was puzzled, "Isn't it said that after stepping into the True Realm, one can avoid death?"

Elder Zun replied calmly, "Stepping into the True Realm merely signifies that we've gained the ability to live forever. It doesn't guarantee eternal life."

"Even those in the Yin God realm can still be killed by others, can't they?"

Xiao Mu pressed further, "Does our death have something to do with that gray Catastrophe Cloud?"

"Ha!" The man in golden-yellow Daoist robes suddenly laughed, his stern face marked with a hint of scorn as he looked at Xiao Mu and chastised, "Naive!"

"Old Huang, don't speak like that."

Elder Zun chided the golden-robed man with a smile, "When we first entered this realm, we surely didn't know much more than Xiao Mu. Everyone grows gradually, step by step."

The golden-robed man huffed lightly, apparently not quite agreeing with Elder Zun's view, yet he offered no rebuttal.

Elder Zun turned to Xiao Mu and patiently explained, "Our deaths have nothing to do with the Tribulation Cloud. In fact, the cloud causes us no harm at all."

"You can imagine the Tribulation Cloud as a sign of death, an omen, but only those who possess the Earth God Rank can see through this omen,"

"The emergence of this omen is related to the real danger lurking behind it."

Xiao Mu, with his keen senses, quickly realized something and said anxiously, "Elder Zun, are you suggesting that we're always in danger, and the Tribulation Clouds are a result of that danger?"

Elder Zun nodded and said approvingly, "Smart, that's exactly it."

Xiao Mu asked curiously, "Then who is bringing us this danger?"

Elder Zun shook his head, his expression tinged with sadness and regret, "I don't know either."

"This..."

Xiao Mu was slightly stunned. He had thought that Elder Zun, with his higher Realm and Rank than his own and his richer experience, must know some secrets about the Gray Catastrophe Cloud, but it turned out that Elder Zun was as clueless as he was.

Elder Zun continued, "City Gods, Land Gods, Netherlords, they all have a certain authority, and that is the control over the life and death of mortals. You should know this, right?"

Xiao Mu nodded.

Elder Zun's expression grew serious, "I once had a conjecture, but it may not be correct, just listen."

"We people, initially were also mortals. Though through cultivation, we have stepped from the mortal into the True Realm, but the status of mortals might not have been eliminated."

"You must have read 'Journey to the West', Sun Wukong followed Bodhi Ancestor to cultivate, seeking the Dao. But the Underworld was unaware of his cultivation, and when it was time for his natural death, they still sent Black and White Impermanence to fetch him."

"Our situation, I suspect, is similar to this one."

"The Ancient Heavenly Court experienced a rebellion, the Heavenly Emperor fell, the Heavenly Court collapsed, and various Divine Spirits met with accidents, including City Gods, Land Gods, Netherlords, etc."

"The death of these Divine Spirits caused problems in the Heavenly Court's duties, and the jobs that were once handled by some are now left undone."

"Life and death lost control, and the retribution for good and evil began to go awry."

"The process of our cultivation has thus also lost oversight."

"No one knows that we have stepped into the True Realm, that we have escaped from life and death, in the Life and Death Record, our status might still just be that of mortals."

"Mortals will die, they have a lifespan limit, they may encounter accidents at any time."

"Perhaps this is the reason for the appearance of the Tribulation Cloud, because, although our bodies have transcended, our underlying identity has never changed."

Xiao Mu fell silent, his expression gradually becoming serious.

What Elder Zun said made sense.

If it really was like this, then the person holding the Life and Death Record could control the life of everyone, including himself, Elder Zun, and even everyone on Earth.

Because life is always controlled by someone else, death can occur at any moment, so the Tribulation Cloud representing the omen appears above everyone's head.

"Don't we have any way to resist?"

Xiao Mu started to worry.

The feeling of life and death being in someone else's hands made him extremely uneasy. Who knew when that person might suddenly become unhappy and use the Life and Death Record to erase him?

"There's no way to resist. What do you think I and Old Huang are going to do now?"

The man in the gold Daoist robe suddenly asked Xiao Mu coldly.

A simple declarative sentence would have sufficed to explain, but this man in the gold Daoist robe preferred to use rhetorical questions instead.

It gave the impression of someone incredibly lacking in emotional intelligence, as if every sentence he spoke was meant to start an argument.

This guy really doesn't know how to talk, probably gets into conflict with others quite a bit.

Xiao Mu silently criticized the man in the gold Daoist robe to himself, yet he remained expressionless to avoid being seen through by the man in the gold Daoist robe and attracting unnecessary trouble.

"Old Huang, be more tolerant towards the young man. Try not to be so confrontational when you speak,"

Elder Zun said to the man in the gold Daoist robe with a smile, then turned to Xiao Mu and chuckled, "Not long ago, I asked if you wanted a great opportunity, and you said no, but now you suddenly ask me proactively. Heh, interesting!"

"In fact, Old Huang and I are going out this time specifically to solve the problem represented by the Tribulation Cloud behind."

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