"Great King, you personally lead the expedition! All generals and soldiers, follow me and fight bravely!"
The Black Bird spread its wings and soared above the battlefield. Wen Zhong raised his golden whip high, his voice booming like thunder.
Di Xin smiled knowingly. In coordination with Wen Zhong's shout, he activated the Kongtong Seal. In an instant, golden light blazed brilliantly as he strode through the air, like a heavenly god descending to the mortal realm!
"Pass down My command: those who surrender will not be killed!"
All the soldiers looked up together. They could see the golden light but not the person within it, yet they were certain that it was Shang King Di Xin—the one to whom they needed to pledge their lives and loyalty!
They lowered their heads as one, beating their armor with their halberds and shouting with all their might:
"By the Great King's order, those who surrender will not be killed!"
"By the Great King's order, those who surrender will not be killed!"
"By the Great King's order, those who surrender will not be killed!"
Wen Zhong let out a hearty laugh and urged the Ink Jade Qilin forward. With a sudden leap, he landed before Yuan Futong's central army command flag. He swung his golden whip, and Yuan Futong's command flag snapped!
"Victory!"
"Victory!"
"Victory!"
First, Di Xin had manifested himself; then Wen Zhong had cut down the enemy's command flag. For a moment, the Shang army's momentum surged like a rainbow, and their morale soared!
The Northern Sea rebels, on the other hand, had already been suffering from "a defeated army collapsing like a landslide." After enduring such a battering from the Shang army, they threw down their battered weapons one after another and surrendered to save their lives.
"Hahaha! My Great Shang's soldiers are indeed fierce and valiant! I will wait for all you soldiers and meritorious heroes in Chaoge. When you return victorious, We will prepare a continuous feast, and We will celebrate together with all of you meritorious heroes!"
The Kongtong Seal hummed and trembled. The destiny above Di Xin's head grew even more substantial, and within its haziness there was actually a faint tinge of purple, as though it could rise another level.
"Clear the battlefield and return victorious!"
Wen Zhong rode the Ink Jade Qilin back and forth across the battlefield. The Heavenly Eye between his brows shot out waves of white light, yet he still could not find the rebel leader, Yuan Futong. Knowing that the other man must have taken the opportunity to flee, he could only let the matter go.
Seeing Wen Zhong shake his head, Di Xin did not take it to heart. Yuan Futong was only one man. If he had escaped, then so be it. He was not worth making another great fuss over.
"We will return to Chaoge City first. Grand Tutor, gather the able-bodied among the surrendered troops and incorporate them into the army. Sweep away the territories of the Seventy-two Lords of the Northern Sea and bring them under the direct jurisdiction of Yin Shang. As a precaution, Kong Xuan will remain behind to assist you."
As soon as he finished speaking, Di Xin transformed into a streak of flowing light and headed south. In the blink of an eye, he had vanished from everyone's sight.
"I see Pavilion Master Kong Xuan."
Wen Zhong clenched both fists and shouted toward Kong Xuan.
Kong Xuan nodded, his expression still gentle:
"It is only my duty."
The matter in the Northern Sea really was the work of the Western Sect. They had even sent Maitreya. Fortunately, I had won over Kong Xuan in advance. Otherwise, it truly would have been difficult to get through this wave.
Di Xin's clone flew onward as he thought, gradually deviating from his original course and heading southeast.
"As expected of Wen Zhong. Two of the eighteen Arhats, who would later become famous throughout the Buddhist Sect, were seriously wounded by him, and he did it while surrounded. Then again, during the Investiture of the Gods, he fought Yang Jian to a draw.
"Speaking of Yang Jian, he should still be in Guanjiang Kou at this point, right? I wonder whether he is the scorched version of Erlang Shen. That handsome appearance, tsk, tsk."
Di Xin subconsciously wiped at his mouth, swallowing back the drool there. He did not correct his course; instead, he veered even farther east.
"Nezha probably hasn't been born yet. My true body needs to guard Chaoge and cannot move recklessly, so I can only go take a look at my good eldest son first.
"Nezha the Third Prince of the Heavenly Court, Vanguard Officer in the campaign against Zhou—come back into your Godfather's embrace first."
That's right. Di Xin was planning to adopt Nezha as his adopted son. When it came to teaching troublesome children, he was quite good at it. Weren't the two brothers Yin Hong and Yin Jiao already obedient and submissive?
Fengming Qishan was very likely the doing of the Chan Sect. Given Di Xin's vengeful nature, he naturally would not swallow this silent grievance.
This trip to Chentang Pass was intended to collect a little interest from the Chan Sect first—Jin Zha and Mu Zha! Ideally, he could also make Li Jing wholeheartedly submit. That would truly mean taking out the entire nest in one stroke.
His methods were ruthless!
"The disciples under the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect seem to all be people of Yin Shang. And for these people to have been chosen by the Twelve Golden Immortals, given the Chan Sect's habits, they must all be exceptional talents, each one a genius among geniuses!
"In the end, however, they were taken in by the Twelve Golden Immortals and used as scapegoats to undergo the tribulation and become gods through the Investiture of the Gods. They would never make any further progress in the future. What a pity.
"Forget it. Another day, I'll gather the few whose names I remember and nurture them myself, to see whether I can turn these main forces in the campaign against Zhou into the main forces for suppressing the rebellion.
"Thanks to my true body, the whole situation has suddenly opened up!"
At that moment, Li Jing stood atop Chentang Pass's sturdy walls, worry written across his face.
"Ever since Madam became pregnant and failed to give birth after ten months, enormous waves have raged ceaselessly across the East Sea every day, as if Heaven itself were furious! Recently, the waves have risen higher and higher, and even the sound of the surging tide can be heard from within Chentang Pass!
"Sigh! Madam, the child in your womb—is it truly our child, or... a monster?
"Now that the Great King has taken the Xuanyuan Bow and Sky-Shaking Arrow, the treasures that guarded the pass, while I have yet to complete my cultivation of the Immortal Dao and possess only weak magic power, what can I use to protect the old and young of this city?"
"Has the East Sea been this restless all along?"
As Li Jing stared at the East Sea, a steady and domineering voice suddenly came from behind him.
Di Xin landed atop the city wall and gazed toward the enormous waves constantly surging across the East Sea:
"Could those fellows of the Dragon Clan no longer stand the loneliness and be planning to stir up trouble?"
Di Xin startled Li Jing out of his reverie. Thinking that some thoughtless soldier had wandered onto the wall, Li Jing turned around and was about to scold him, but suddenly froze in place:
"G-Great King? I am Li Jing, the General Commander of Chentang Pass. I pay my respects to the Great King!"
If he had only seen Di Xin's appearance, Li Jing would not have dared to confirm that this was Di Xin. However, this clone of Di Xin had been condensed from Human Race Destiny, with the Kongtong Seal as its core.
As long as someone was human, they would recognize his identity instinctively and believe in it without the slightest doubt.
"It is only a clone. There is no need for such a grand ceremony."
Di Xin waved his hand, indicating that Li Jing should rise. Unexpectedly, Li Jing bent even lower:
"The ruler is the ruler, and the subject is the subject. This is my duty."
"Then I order you to stand up!"
Di Xin frowned. Was Li Jing really such a rigid man?
Heh! A rebel from a family of rebels. If he had truly been blindly loyal and rigid, Li Jing would never have become the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King of the Heavenly Court!
"Thank you, Great King!"
Hearing Di Xin's displeasure, Li Jing decisively straightened his back and followed Di Xin's gaze toward the East Sea:
"Great King, the East Sea has only been in constant turmoil for the past two years. Although there were strong winds and great waves before, they were never so frequent or violent."
"What of the people living by the sea? How badly have they been affected?"
Di Xin frowned. When something abnormal happened, there was always a monster behind it. This had only started in the past two years. Had the Dragon Clan sensed that the great tribulation was approaching and begun making preparations? Or was some great demon stirring up the winds and waves?
There were few humans in the East Sea, so the power he could draw upon was limited. Even with the Kongtong Seal in hand, he could only unleash a single attack at the Great Overarching level.
This was troublesome!
"Great King, rest assured. There are not many commoners living by the sea, and I have already made proper arrangements for them..."
Before you continue