From this day forth, I am the Human Emperor, the Human Clan's Human Emperor!

Di Yi passed away, and the funeral bell tolled nine times.

The entire Chaoge City was shrouded in a solemn atmosphere of mourning.

The national mourning period did not last long, because a country cannot be without a ruler for a day, Human Clan cannot be Human Emperor for a day.

Under the guidance of a group of trusted ministers, including Grand Wen Zhong, Royal Uncle Bi Gan, and Prime Shang Rong, the young emperor was entrusted with the care of the young emperor.

Preparations for the new emperor's coronation ceremony are proceeding smoothly.

Seven days later, the new emperor will ascend the throne.

Chaoge, Grand Ancestral Temple.

This ancient hall, symbolizing the Great Shang Dynasty and carrying the incense offerings of the Human Clan, appears exceptionally solemn today.

Inside the enormous bronze cauldron, specially prepared incense burned, its wisps of smoke rising straight into the Yunxiao.

Wearing the most elaborate twelve-symbol crown and a twelve-tassel crown, Zi Shou ascended the ninety-nine White Jade Staircase one by one.

Behind him were Wen Zhong, Bi Gan, Shang Rong, and all the civil and military officials of the King of Shang.

Everyone looked solemn and dared not slack off in the slightest.

Today, it's not just about the change of King of Shang.

Furthermore, it marked the ascension of the Human Emperor.

Inside the Grand Ancestral Temple, incense was burning brightly, and wisps of smoke rose from the flames.

Bi Gan stepped forward, unfurled the long sacrificial text in his hand, and recited it aloud.

Every word and phrase is a hymn to the achievements of our ancestors and an expectation for future generations.

Zi Shou the three sticks of incense that Shang Rong handed him.

ignite.

Wisps of smoke rose.

He bowed deeply before the Cheng Tang.

"The unworthy Zi Shou inherited the throne today."

We must strictly adhere to our ancestral teachings, work diligently and conscientiously to protect our nation and our people, and never tarnish the illustrious name of our ancestors.

The ceremony is complete.

Zi Shou carefully inserted the incense stick in his hand into the bronze cauldron in front of him.

Shang Rong called out loudly from the side, "Ceremony complete—rise!"

After paying respects to our ancestors, the next step is to pay homage to the sages of the Human Clan.

This is the main event, and the most sacred part of the enthronement ceremony for Human Emperor throughout history.

Further in, you'll find the Human Clan Sacred Hall.

In the center of the main hall, three majestic statues are prominently displayed.

The figure in the center, holding the Eight Trigrams in his hands and gazing at the heavens, is none other than the Heavenly Emperor Fuxi.

The one on the left, holding a rice stalk and tasting all kinds of herbs, is Shennong, the Earthly Emperor Shennong.

The one on the right, wielding a divine sword, is awe-inspiring throughout the universe; he is none other than the Human Emperor Xuanyuan.

Below the Three Sovereigns are statues of the Five Emperors, each with a different expression, yet all exuding righteousness.

On either side are the ancestors of the Human Clan: Suiren, Youchao, Ziyi Shi, Xuandu, Hong Yun.

as well as...

Zi Shou's gaze suddenly fixed on a very special spot above the Three Sovereigns.

There stands a statue there, its face resolute, its eyes seemingly gazing into the endless future.

Under the statue, there is a simple Chinese character - "" engraved.

The Martial Ancestor of the Human Clan spread martial arts throughout the world.

This Human Clan, even those without the aptitude for cultivation, to attain enlightenment through martial arts and gain the power to protect themselves—a legendary existence.

Looking at the statue, Zi Shou's heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason.

An indescribable sense of familiarity instantly welled up in my heart.

It's like... looking in a mirror.

But he knew very well that it was not a mirror, but Forefathers who stood Ten Thousand Years years ago.

"Your the King?"

Prime Shang Rong, who was standing nearby, noticed Zi Shou's unusual behavior.

He saw that the new king stood frozen in place upon hearing the name "Martial Ancestor," hesitating to make any further move.

He couldn't help but whisper a reminder.

"The auspicious time is almost over; it's time to offer incense."

This call pulled Zi Shou back from that strange state.

He snapped out of his daze and saw Shang Rong's worried face.

"I have nothing to do."

Zi Shou of his daze, took a deep breath, and suppressed the inexplicable throbbing in his heart.

He accepted the three sticks of incense. At that moment, he did not refer to himself as "I am alone," but instead, with unprecedented piety, he chanted in a deep voice.

"Human Clan Zi Shou pays respects to all the sage ancestors."

"Human Clan was insignificant, struggling to survive in the cracks of the Primordial Wilderness. It was entirely thanks to our ancestors who braved hardships and fought valiantly that we have the Nine Provinces we have today."

"Today, Zi Shou ascended the throne, I dare not seek longevity or eternal bliss."

"I only wish to carry on the aspirations of our Forefathers and strive for lasting peace for our Human Clan!"

After saying this, he inserted the incense sticks into the bronze cauldron.

Grand Tutor Wen Zhong, carrying a tray, slowly stepped forward.

Two items lay quietly on the tray.

One is the Royal Seal, and the other Human Emperor Sword.

"Please let the new king ascend the throne!" Wen Zhong's voice boomed like a bell.

"May the Human Emperor!"

Behind them, Bi Gan and Shang Rong led the civil and military officials in a thunderous roar.

Zi Shou a deep breath, reached out, and first grasped the Royal Seal that represented the power of the Great Shang Dynasty.

Immediately afterwards, his hand grasped the hilt of the Human Emperor Sword.

Buzz--!

The moment he became the Human Emperor, the long-dormant Human Clan Ancestral Vein resurfaced beneath the land of Nine Provinces.

As if sensing something, it let out a joyful growl.

Endless Human Path Fortune converged from all directions, penetrating the roof of the Grand Ancestral Temple.

It transformed into an invisible beam of Purple Gold light, which poured straight into the Zi Shou!

Wen Zhong's Heavenly Eye between his eyebrows suddenly opened a crack, and he looked at this scene in shock.

"This is... an endorsement of Human Path Fortune?"

"What immense Fortune! Even when the late king ascended the throne, it couldn't have matched even a tenth of this!"

Fortune the body.

Zi Shou's body stiffened abruptly.

Deep within the sea of consciousness.

The seal, personally laid down by Empress Pingxin and infused with the power of the Earthly Dao, finally shattered under the overwhelming force of the Human Emperor's Luck.

A vast, ancient, and boundless memory, like a volcano dormant for millennia, erupted with a deafening roar!

The Ten Thousand Years meditation in the Huoyun Cave...

Day and night, they deduced the secrets of Heavenly Secrets with Fuxi and Shennong...

Before the Netherworld Sea of Blood, the promise made with Empress Pingxin...

The resolute decision to step into the Six Paths of Reincarnation...

Those are not memories belonging to "Zi Shou," but to "Wu" through the ages!

Scene after scene, event after event, all the causes and consequences, all the plans and schemes, all came together in this instant!

Zi Shou's body suddenly stiffened.

He slowly closed his eyes.

Wen Zhong, standing in front of him, keenly sensed that something was wrong.

Just a moment ago, the aura emanating from the new king... seemed to have changed.

That youthful vigor and ambition that belonged to a king seemed to have been instantly drained.

Instead, there was an indescribable sense of antiquity, profundity, and... indifference.

"Your the King?" Wen Zhong called out tentatively in a soft voice.

The officials also noticed the brief pause, and they all looked up, their eyes filled with doubt.

After a few breaths.

Zi Shou slowly opened his eyes.

Those eyes, which were once sharp and full of ambition, were now filled with only calm.

It was a tranquility that had overlooked countless ages of change and witnessed the birth and death of heaven and earth.

He raised his hand and gently stroked the blade of the Human Emperor Sword.

The divine sword, which had been humming merrily, instantly fell silent, becoming as docile as a lamb.

He looked at his hands, at the sword in his hand, and then at the memorial tablets filling the hall.

Finally, a barely perceptible smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

He turned around, facing the civil and military officials waiting outside the hall, and the Great Shang Dynasty land of the Shang Dynasty.

A faint, almost inaudible voice escaped his lips, more like a whisper to himself than to someone else.

"Only today do I realize who I truly am."

The voice was very soft, yet it seemed to possess a peculiar magic.

Wu, or rather, the current Crown Prince, swept his gaze over all the ministers below the steps.

From this day forward, I Human Emperor.

Everyone in the hall, including Wen Zhong, prepared to pay their respects.

This is only natural.

However, Zi Shou's next words froze everyone in place.

He paused, then spoke each word clearly, his voice carrying throughout the entire Grand Ancestral Temple and the entire Chaoge City.

"The Human Emperor."

These four short characters seem to carry a weight a hundred million times greater than "King of the Great Shang Dynasty"!

Wen Zhong suddenly raised his head and looked at the Dao Body on the High Platform, his eyes flashing with an unprecedented light.

Human Emperor!

Not the Human Emperor of the Great Shang Dynasty, but... the Human Emperor of the entire Human Clan!

Since Yu the Great, the Human Emperor, no one has truly been worthy of this title!

What ambition! What courage!

After a brief silence.

Wen Zhong was the first to react. He knelt on one knee, placed his right hand on his chest, and shouted with all his might.

"Your subject, Wen Zhong, pays his respects to the Human Emperor!"

Bi Gan and Shang Rong followed closely behind, tears streaming down their faces, and knelt on the ground.

"Your Majesty, we pay our Human Emperor!"

Immediately afterwards.

All the civil and military officials, along with the thousands of soldiers on the periphery, knelt down in unison.

"Your Majesty—"

"Greetings, Human Emperor!!!"

"Greetings, Human Emperor!!!"

The roaring sound, like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing, converged into a torrent that pierced the Yunxiao.

Huoyun Cave, Fuxi and the others, who had been meditating with their eyes closed, all opened their eyes and revealed a relieved smile.

Beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens, in the Empress Wa's Palace, the Saint Nuwa frowned slightly, as if she sensed something, yet couldn't quite make it out.

At Mount Shouyang, in the Eight Views Palace, Taiqing frowned, seemingly puzzled.

In the Jade Void Palace Kunlun Mountain, a strange look flashed across the eternally unchanging face of the Yuanshi Tianzun.

On Golden Ao Island, Jade Palace, the Tongtian Sect Master stopped his Dao Lecture, looked up in the direction of the Human Clan, and seemed to be deep in thought.

In the West, on Mount Sumeru, the two Saint, Jieyin and Zhunti, had a bitter look on their faces.

The Fortune of the Human Clan seems to have undergone a change that is beyond their control.