Infinite Professions

Chapter 334 - 176: Recruiting Soldiers

"Profession Three: Ancestral God (The ancestors become gods, protecting their clan. As a forebear, even after death, you care deeply for your family, willing to cross the realms of Yin and Yang, using the technique of Dream-Entering to guide descendants. The family deeply appreciates your thoughtful effort, beginning to strive for excellence and progress. You can gain professional experience by developing the family and protecting descendants. The consumption of divine arts on family members, animals, land, and objects is reduced, and the effect doubled, while the effectiveness of incense offerings by clan members is greatly enhanced.)"

"Professional Talent: Ancestral God’s Protection (The reproductive ability of clan members significantly improves, various qualifications of clan members greatly enhance, the incense required for clan members to extend their Yin life after death is considerably reduced, and the expense of appointing clan members as divine clerks is slightly lowered. You can consume professional experience to create professional items—ancestral tablets.)"

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Tier One advances to Tier Two, and again comes the familiar choice of three.

However, this is normal. Recently Shen Hex’s most influential activities were slaying the female corpse possessed by evil ghosts, managing Little Huang Village, and educating the unworthy descendants of the Song Family. The impact of these three events generated three Tier Two professions: Ghost Slayer, Lord Merit and Virtue, and Ancestral God.

Each profession has its emphasis.

Ghost Slayer focuses primarily on enhancing combat power, capable of increasing his interference in the mortal world, potentially crossing realms of Yin and Yang when necessary, manifesting as a divine being to exterminate evil ghosts.

Choosing this profession can not only enhance the lethality against evil ghosts and demons but also reinforce influence on the mortal world. If encountering ignorant mountain bandits raiding Little Huang Village, he can fully unleash his sword skills, for the Professional Power simply adds on, without limitation. If he desires, he can switch from exorcising ghosts to slaying people, only needing to bear the consequences himself.

Lord Merit and Virtue and Ancestral God emphasize growth and management, but one focuses on quantity, universally enhancing and benefiting all under his domain, whereas the other concentrates on quality, exclusively protecting the family, the effect of Ancestral God’s Protection far surpasses others.

Each of the three professions has its advantages, how to choose?

Firstly, exclude Ghost Slayer!

The ability to cross realms of Yin and Yang, to interfere with the mortal world, although significant, early development is more crucial; besides, he has accumulated knowledge from several lifetimes, capable of converting the Dharma Gates of Immortal Dao and Martial Dao to defend and fight, so combat capability is not lacking.

Moreover, Ghost Slayer has limited career prospects, becoming a Great God of Exorcism like Zhong Kui is already commendable, hoping to become the King Yama, or even Master of the Divine Dao above the Nine Heavens, is distant.

Therefore, this advancement can only be a choice between Lord Merit and Ancestral God.

How to decide?

Shen Hex is somewhat conflicted.

But after thorough consideration, he decisively chose Lord Merit and Virtue.

Honestly, in the early stages, Ancestral God’s advantages outweigh those of Lord Merit and Virtue.

Ancestral God’s talent, Ancestral God’s Protection, can greatly enhance the reproductive ability and various qualifications of family descendants. Choosing this profession, with just a few decades of development, can yield a batch of elite talents in the Song Family.

Han Gaozu wielded a three-foot sword to conquer the world, mostly using people from Pei County, proving that the talent of one county can govern the Nine States.

With the forebear’s guidance, the talents proliferating from the Song Family, whether in civil or military, will achieve significant accomplishments. The development of Little Huang Village will surely be rapid, and soon become a prominent local powerhouse or even a renowned family. In future chaotic times vying for supremacy, there’s even hope for the imperial throne.

But Shen Hex ultimately did not choose this.

The reason is simply, success in some areas can lead to failure in others.

For early development, Ancestral God, emphasizing quality and seeking specialization, indeed holds significant advantages, but some matters cannot focus solely on the early stages.

If he takes the position of Ancestral God, Shen Hex’s development focus will inevitably shift toward the family, leading to chain reactions consequentially. His future career will relate to this, perhaps building a glorious family and Ancestral God, but it will be challenging to become a master governing both heaven and earth, commanding realms of Yin and Yang.

How can the vision of a master be confined only to his small domain?

It requires sight set on the world, holding the welfare of all beings, to truly be called a master of a realm and monarch of the domain.

Therefore, overall, Lord Merit and Virtue’s advantages outweigh those of Ancestral God.

Furthermore, the professional talent of Lord Merit and Virtue is quite powerful, can rely on incense, gain blessings and merits, ultimately condense the Blessed Golden Body.

Recently, after Divine Power enhancement, the Earth God Seal revealed much Divine Dao inheritance, aside from more advanced Divine Arts, there is some knowledge related to Divine Dao, such as the effect of blessings and merits.

Blessings and merits, formed collectively, can be divided into two types: Celestial Dao and Human Dao.

No need to elaborate on Celestial Dao merits, must benefit heaven and earth, conventionally hard to obtain.

Human Dao merits, comparatively easier, obtainable by humans, but not just any goodwill gesture can acquire it, even ordinary gratitude and appreciation are insufficient.

Human Dao merits can be seen as higher-level, more purified incense wish power, requiring others’ willingness to risk their lives, offering heart and soul, to have the slightest chance of condensation.

Previously, the merits gained by slaying the evil ghost were of this nature, as the ghost devoured numerous innocent Yin Souls and even living beings, saturated with resentment, karma accumulated. Slaying it avenged the murdered Yin Souls and living beings; the gratitude and appreciation, unable to repay, converted the released grievances and karmic force into merits.

It is akin to being killed by someone, losing all, possessing nothing, and someone avenges you when you are about to dissipate. Unable to repay, the only recourse is offering the most heartfelt blessings and thanks to the benefactor, even pledging in the next life to be a beast of burden, bearing grass and loops.