Struggle for the Dao Lineage

For the preceding dozens of Yuan Hui, the feudal lords had still observed the ancient rite of "one dynasty per Yuan Hui, one tribute every five Yuan Hui." The Nine Tripods in Chaoge City still symbolized the common sovereign of the realm.

However, when Zi Yan, the thirty-fifth Human Emperor, ascended the throne, the situation took a sharp turn for the worse.

The other Human Emperors might occasionally handle the Imperial Tutor.

But this Human Emperor had only shown himself once, at his coronation.

After that, he never concerned himself with state affairs again.

Even the ministers of the Shang Dynasty were utterly unfamiliar with this Human Emperor...

And the human fortune of the Shang Dynasty began to pour toward the feudal lords in every direction like a breached riverbank.

Seeing this, the feudal lords throughout the land finally tore off their last masks.

The Marquis of Chu was the first to overstep his station and declare himself king, gathering the southern feudal lords in an alliance at Yunmeng Marsh.

The Marquis of Jin annexed seventeen surrounding minor states, bringing the entire Fen River basin under his control.

Under the banner of "revering the king and repelling the barbarians," the Marquis of Qi effectively seized control of the eastern states.

By the end, of the eight hundred feudal lords, only a little over two hundred remained. None of them called themselves marquises any longer, instead directly proclaiming themselves kings.

During this time, the saints of the Primordial Wilderness also revived one after another.

Within the Eight Sceneries Palace, rosy light swirled as Dao Rhyme flowed.

Taishang sat quietly upon a cloud couch, his gaze lowered. His fingertips seemed to lightly stir the River of Causality stretching across the void.

Reflected within that river was the sight of human feudal lords