Xianqing Hall
After Di Xin finished his medicinal meal, he felt refreshed and invigorated. As his qi and blood circulated throughout his body, wisps of heat surged outward, making him feel as if he possessed inexhaustible strength.
"E Lai, come spar with me in the training grounds!"
"This minister obeys!"
Di Xin took the lead, followed by a man who stood a head taller than him. He had rugged features, a sturdy physique, heavy armor, and a fierce, intimidating appearance!
He was none other than Di Xin's foremost general, E Lai!
The two entered the training grounds one after the other. Di Xin gave a muffled grunt, and his qi and blood churned without pause. Wisps of heat seeped from his body, gathering above his head without dispersing and taking the form of a Black Bird.
"Great King, forgive this minister's disrespect!"
E Lai cupped his hands and shouted. With a furious roar, his qi and blood boiled as well, transforming into a black bear. Its eyes widened in fury as it raised its head and roared at the heavens!
"Hahaha, come!"
After being nourished by the Kongtong Seal, Di Xin felt that the bloodline within his body had been purified once more, while his divine strength had grown even more immense!
He stomped his right foot, causing the ground to cave in. Like an arrow released from a bowstring, Di Xin charged toward E Lai at top speed. His right fist shot out, producing a faint sonic boom!
"Great King, well done!"
Seeing Di Xin's speed, E Lai's eyes flashed brightly. He laughed and threw a punch, while the manifestation of his qi and blood above his head sank into and empowered his body.
--Boom!
The two fists collided. The resulting shockwave whipped up a strong wind, making the surrounding guards sway from side to side and struggle to remain standing.
One had to understand that the guards serving in the royal palace were at least warriors on the level of commanders of ten thousand in the army. Only warriors whose qi and blood surged and condensed into a manifestation of their own qi and blood—a level equivalent to an Earth Immortal—were qualified for selection.
Yet warriors of this caliber could not withstand even the aftershock of the two men's battle. From this, one could see just how formidable their physical bodies and combat strength had become!
"Hahaha, again!"
His qi and blood circulating and his royal robes billowing, Di Xin looked like a round ball as he halted his retreat and charged forward with another punch!
"Great King, what strength! E Lai is coming too!"
E Lai let out a loud roar. The manifestation of his qi and blood completely merged into his body. Using his own flesh as a Golden Core, he transformed into a flawless body! (Golden Immortal)
"Good! Don't hold back, but don't hit my face. I still have to attend court tomorrow morning!"
"This minister obeys the decree!"
The two figures intertwined, their fists striking flesh as they fought with utter exhilaration!
As Di Xin fought and was struck in turn, he gradually became familiar with the tremendous brute force in his body. Drawing on the memories in his mind and E Lai's demonstrations, he began learning to rein in and control his strength. His flesh resonated, his sinews and bones rang in harmony, and the power he displayed surged layer after layer!
--Boom!
With a deafening explosion, E Lai was sent flying hundreds of meters by a single punch. His feet forcibly plowed a deep trench into the earth!
"Cough, cough! Congratulations, Great King, on advancing your divine strength once more. E Lai admits defeat!"
From within the trench, E Lai shook his head, patted the dust from himself, and walked out. When he looked at Di Xin again, his eyes were filled with even greater reverence.
"You were still holding back. Otherwise, with your combat skills, no matter how much strength I possessed, I wouldn't have been able to hit you."
Di Xin shook his head with a smile. E Lai was bold yet meticulous. He had continuously clashed with him using brute force. Several times, he had wanted to dodge but forcibly stopped himself, choosing to meet Di Xin head-on instead. That was why Di Xin had been able to send him flying.
"Not at all. It was only because Your Majesty has sat in court for so long, handling state affairs and neglecting your former martial skills. That was what gave this humble minister an opportunity to show himself."
E Lai cupped his hands. He spoke with deep feeling and complete sincerity, without the slightest trace of flattery.
"Enough. I came to find you because I have serious business."
Di Xin waved his hand and stirred his qi and blood to blow away the dust. Only then did he begin walking back toward Xianqing Hall while explaining the matter to E Lai:
"There is a mighty pass of Great Shang on the coast of the East Sea. Do you remember it?"
"Great King, do you mean Chentang Pass? A commander named Li Jing serves there, and he has received great favor from Your Majesty."
E Lai answered without hesitation.
"That's right. Chentang Pass has a treasure that protects the pass, known as the Universe Bow and Sky-Shaking Arrows. They are unbelievably heavy and possess extraordinary might. An ordinary person could not even draw the bow halfway, let alone lift it."
"What does Your Majesty mean?"
"Tell Li Jing that I, the Great King, want to take that bow and play with it for a few years, to see whether I can draw this treasured bow that no one else has been able to lift! Also, when the lords of the eight directions come to pay tribute next year, have him bring his family to Chaoge for a couple of days. I will reward him then!"
Di Xin subconsciously stroked his chin, revealing a knowing smile between men.
But the smile vanished in an instant, so quickly that E Lai wondered whether he had merely imagined it.
"I'll go to the hall and write the decree. Take it and handle this matter."
"Understood!"
Before long, E Lai received Di Xin's royal decree. He turned and left the royal palace, while Di Xin sat alone upon the throne and sank into thought once more.
If Fengming Qishan was the origin of the great Shang-Zhou war, then Shi Ji's death was the beginning of the conflict between the Two Sects. Without question, the Universe Bow, the Sky-Shaking Arrows, and Nezha were the source of everything.
He had sent E Lai to seize the bow and arrows first precisely so that he could take this uncontrollable factor into his own hands. Then, following the trail, he would use unexpected speed to recruit Nezha, the vanguard officer of Western Zhou, under his command!
He would turn the Third Crown Prince of the Heavenly Court into the Third Crown Prince of Great Shang. With their destinies entangled, he could see what moves the Chan Sect would make, turn passivity into initiative, and test them a little.
As for Fengming Qishan... hehe...
Having made up his mind, Di Xin summoned the Kongtong Seal once more and delved into an investigation of this special supreme Innate Spiritual Treasure.
Rather than an Innate Spiritual Treasure, the Kongtong Seal was better described as a sacred artifact of Human Race Destiny. Powered by Human Race Destiny, it could manifest all kinds of incredible abilities.
It had now transformed into a simple, ancient bronze seal. As Di Xin toyed with it in his hand, strands of warm energy continuously entered his body, nourishing his bloodline and physical body and accelerating the growth of his strength.
Without holding the Kongtong Seal, Di Xin could use Human Dao Destiny to withstand a Grand Unity Golden Immortal without issue. Without borrowing Human Dao Destiny and relying solely on his own brute force, however, he could at most possess Golden Immortal-level combat strength, barely reaching the Grand Unity realm.
After obtaining the Kongtong Seal, Di Xin deduced from the imprints within it that he might possess combat strength at the peak of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm. He could wrestle with a Quasi-Saint, but he definitely could not defeat one.
As for the strike with which he had angrily rebuked Zhunti in Nuwa Palace, that had been empowered by Human Dao Destiny, with the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors joining forces and using Di Xin's body to activate it. Moreover, Human Dao Destiny could not be used frequently. If his destiny were damaged at a critical moment, his position as Human King would truly come to an end.
"Human cultivation today follows two paths. The first is refining qi and pursuing immortality, with Grand Tutor Wen Zhong being a leading example. The second relies on the tempering of the physical body passed down from ancient times. It seems more like a method altered from the Witch Clan's techniques. E Lai follows this path, and my situation is similar."
It seems there is still much I can do. Daji has not even appeared yet, and there is still a long time before King Wu's Campaign Against Zhou. I still have time to change things slowly.
There is no need to rush. I'll proceed one step at a time. If you dare provoke me, then I'll fight you to the bitter end! In any case, I've already profited just by living this life...
Before you continue