Inside the Hall of Heroes of the Human Emperors, the Bodhi Ancient Tree swayed gently, radiating a hazy Daoist aura.
But without a doubt, the most eye-catching thing was the Luck Torch, which was now blazing fiercely.
Not only had its flames grown considerably larger, but the Luck Torch had also changed shape dramatically.
Before, the Luck Torch had been a ball of fire. One could vaguely sense that something seemed to be gestating within it.
Now, the Luck Torch was no longer a ball of fire. Instead, it constantly shifted between different forms.
One moment, it became a Phoenix soaring with wings outspread; the next, a roaring giant tiger; then a giant Dragon rising into the sky...
The Luck Torch has changed so much. It seems my fortune is about to reach a whole new level! Zi Shou thought to himself.
During this time, as Bi Gan continued promoting his inventions, Zi Shou's own fortune had steadily increased as well.
Today, he had announced the Three-Year Development Plan. Though it had yet to be implemented, it held far-reaching significance for Great Shang.
The Three-Year Development Plan contained a great deal, covering every aspect of the people's lives, from food and clothing to housing and transportation.
This was a transformation! One destined to sweep across all of Great Shang—and the entire Human Race!
Even before such a transformation had begun, the fortune gathering around him was already terrifying.
For him, this was undoubtedly wonderful news!
A sharp rise in fortune not only meant that he was doing everything right, but also promised immense rewards.
The chance to draw a Myriad Heavens Treasure, and the chance to open the gates to the Second Layer of the Hall of Heroes of the Human Emperors.
Either one would allow him to make another great leap forward!
Suddenly, the Luck Torch stopped changing shape. It became a ball of fire again, blazing fiercely, and images began to appear within it.
"What's this? Is this the history of the Human Race's development?"
In the images, he saw someone splitting open mountains, taming floods, and casting the Nine Cauldrons to suppress the Nine Provinces. That was Emperor Yu!
He saw someone tasting all manner of herbs, facing death a hundred times without regret. That was Shennong!
He saw someone leading the Human Race through countless hardships, helping it grow and prosper, and deriving the Primordial Eight Trigrams. That was Fuxi!
In the final image, he saw someone drilling wood to make fire. A faint flame rose, lighting up the darkness.
That faint flame gradually grew stronger, until at last it merged with the fire inside the Luck Torch.
The Human Path's fire still looked the same as before, but he sensed something different within it.
It was the will passed down through the Human Race!
It was the will to overcome every obstacle and fear no hardship!
It was the will to challenge Heaven and Earth, and never surrender!
Zi Shou gradually understood. This was the Human Race's Luck Flame, its torch passed down through the generations.
Ever since Suirenshi had drilled wood to make fire, one Human Race sage after another had overcome every obstacle, leading the Human Race forward.
Fuxi derived the Primordial Eight Trigrams, Shennong tasted all manner of herbs, Xuanyuan brought order to the world, and the Five Emperors established the rules. That was how the Human Race had reached where it was today.
The Human Race's Luck Flame had steadily grown, from that faint spark to the dazzling brilliance of the Great Sun!
As the current Human Sovereign of the Human Race, he had gathered the Human Path Luck, and the torch had now passed into his hands.
With the Human Race now the protagonist beneath Heaven, and given its current standing, it should have continued to grow stronger.
Yet he was the Human Race's last Human Sovereign!
The torch had been passed down through the generations, but by the time it reached him, the Human Race had gone from its zenith to its decline.
How could he accept that?
This was the fruit of the countless hardships endured by the Human Ancestors!
This was the fruit of generations of Human Race members working together!
This was the fruit of asking nothing from Heaven or Earth, and creating everything with their own hands!
How could the countless efforts of the Human Race be reduced to nothing overnight when they reached him?
At first, after becoming King Zhou, he had only worked hard because he needed to change his own fate.
But now, along with changing his fate, a heavy burden had fallen upon his shoulders!
The torch must be passed down, and the Human Path must flourish forever!
Now that the Human Race's torch had passed into his hands, it would shine high in the sky—it would never sink toward the horizon!
So what if the Canonization of the Gods was coming?
So what if all the Gods and Buddhas stood against him?
So what if fate had long since been decided?
The Human Race had never relied on Heaven or Earth, nor worshipped ghosts and gods!
From nothing to something, from weakness to strength, the Human Race had never depended on anyone else's charity!
The situation they faced today had been created by countless people with their own hands!
Then no matter what they faced, the Human Race could still rely on their own hands to protect it!
As the turbulent emotions slowly settled, he knew all too well that he still had a long, arduous road ahead.
The Human Race's transformation was about to begin. It was a necessary step, but also an extremely perilous one!
Prime Minister Shang Rong had been right. A situation in which the whole world rebelled would likely arise very soon!
But it was a step they had to take. Every transformation came with growing pains.
Without pain—or if the pain was not great enough—it could only mean that the transformation was not forceful enough!
What a pity! It'll still take some time for the Luck Torch's transformation to stabilize, Zi Shou thought to himself.
The Luck Torch had clearly changed, but the transformation was still underway. It would probably take a few more days.
A few days was nothing; he could afford to wait. Besides, he had only just broken through and needed to stabilize his realm.
And when it came to stabilizing his realm, there was no better choice than the Great Emperor's Arena.
After proving the Dao and becoming an Emperor, his opponents in the Great Emperor's Arena had become actual Human Emperors.
This time, his opponent was none other than Emperor Wushi!
He had obtained Emperor Wushi's legacy, so it was only natural that he would make the most of the chance to fight Emperor Wushi at the same level.
Only by discovering his own shortcomings and learning from his opponent could he see the path forward.
While Zi Shou was cultivating, his Three-Year Development Plan was spreading at astonishing speed.
Ordinary people naturally knew nothing about the Three-Year Development Plan, but the various feudal lords learned of it very quickly.
"Has King Zhou gone mad? What is this Three-Year Development Plan? Is he trying to drive us to our deaths?"
"No! If the Three-Year Development Plan really gets put into effect, there'll be no place left for us!"
"I'm probably not the only one who thinks this Three-Year Development Plan goes too far. The other feudal lords must feel the same way. So why don't we..."
No matter how much the various feudal lords argued, the Three-Year Development Plan was being implemented at court.
Much of that was thanks to Grand Tutor Wen and Bi Gan. With the two of them supporting it, everything was proceeding in an orderly fashion.
With his Seven-Orifice Exquisite Heart, Bi Gan had an extraordinary talent for handling state affairs. He could always arrange everything in the shortest possible time.
As for Wen Zhong, he commanded the army. With him stationed in Chaoge City, no one dared to cause trouble.
Thanks to these circumstances, things were moving ahead smoothly despite all the heated debate.
At the same time, the Three-Year Development Plan had quickly come to the attention of the Deities in Great Shang.
The other measures might have been one thing, but forbidding the people from worshipping the Deities—and requiring the Deities to obey Great Shang's laws?
Those two rules alone were enough to enrage countless Deities throughout Great Shang!
They were Deities, yet mere mortals dared to order them around?
A breeze stirred in the duckweed, heralding a Human Race transformation that would soon unleash a storm!
"At last, it's about to transform. I wonder what kind of legacy I'll obtain in the Hall of Heroes of the Human Emperors."
As Zi Shou watched, the Luck Torch's transformation gradually stabilized, and its metamorphosis neared its end.
By his estimate, the Luck Torch would complete its transformation in half a day at most!
When that happened, he would not only be able to draw another Myriad Heavens Treasure, but also open the gates to the Second Layer.
Which Human Emperor's legacy would he obtain on the Second Layer of the Hall of Heroes of the Human Emperors? The thought was truly exciting.
During those few days, he had fought every day in the Great Earth Arena, and his realm had now stabilized.
He stood at the peak of the Human Dao Domain. Even against those Deities, he had more than enough power to protect himself.
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