I Am King Zhou, Human Emperor!

"Report! Seven lords in the east have openly rebelled!"

"Report! Six lords in the south have openly rebelled!"

"Report! Eight lords in the west have openly rebelled!"

"Report! Zhang Guifang has been defeated in battle, and the Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea are seizing the opportunity to conquer territory!"

In a short span of time, news of lords rebelling came one after another, forcing Zi Shou to immediately convene a court assembly.

"My esteemed ministers, with lords rebelling on all sides, what do you think should be done?" Zi Shou said.

His face betrayed no expression, leaving no one to guess his true feelings.

The ministers wore grave expressions; faced with so many lordly rebellions, none could remain calm.

In a single day, lords had revolted in the east, south, west, and north. The entire Great Shang was engulfed in flames of war, the situation dire to the extreme.

Everyone understood that, facing such a perilous state, one misstep could topple the Great Shang.

"Your Majesty, the lords' rebellions are no coincidence—all of this stems from Your Majesty's Three-Year Development Plan!" Shang Rong said.

He had said it before: if the King insisted on going his own way, the whole realm might rise in revolt.

And now? In just a few days, so many lords had rebelled.

Moreover, this was only the beginning. The other lords, though not yet in revolt, were watching the Great Shang's every move.

If the Great Shang failed to handle this properly, the day when all lords under heaven rebelled would soon arrive.

"What does my minister think should be done about this?" Zi Shou said, his face expressionless.

The lords' rebellions were within his expectations, nothing surprising.

And though lords had revolted in the east, south, and west, they were all minor lords.

They didn't even require a full army to suppress—a decree to the regional commanders across the Great Shang would suffice to wipe them out.

But the situation in the North Sea was serious. Those were no minor lords, but the Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea.

This matter was far too grave, and it was the reason the ministers were panicking!

Were the Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea important?

Of course they were! If not, Grand Tutor Wen would never have led a great army personally to campaign against them.

It was only after his insistence that Grand Tutor Wen was recalled to court, but the campaign against the Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea did not stop.

Instead, Zhang Guifang took over—a seasoned battlefield commander of great ability.

But now, Zhang Guifang had been defeated in the North Sea, and the Seventy-Two Route Lords were sweeping across the Great Shang's northern territories, unchecked!

If this were not dealt with swiftly, the Seventy-Two Route Lords would conquer lands and shake the very foundation of the Great Shang.

"Your Majesty, this old minister still believes the Three-Year Development Plan is too drastic. If you could revoke the decree, it would work wonders!" Shang Rong said.

The meaning was clear—he was all but saying that the lords' rebellions were caused by the King's Three-Year Development Plan.

To turn the situation around would be simple: just abolish the plan.

Shang Rong's view was shared by many ministers, and several immediately stepped forward to support him.

"The Three-Year Development Plan is not up for debate. I am asking how to solve the current problem, not to change course!" Zi Shou said in a low, firm voice.

He had already rebuked Shang Rong multiple times, yet this man still failed to grasp the gravity. Did Shang Rong not understand his intentions?

If he truly feared these rebellions, why would he have ever proposed the Three-Year Development Plan?

If gradual progress were possible, why would he choose such a radical path?

"Your Majesty, lords have already rebelled. If you refuse to repent, the realm will fall into chaos!" Shang Rong said, his face full of sorrow.

Even at this moment, the King remained stubborn, completely contrary to what he had expected.

In his dismay, he also felt a pang of worry—if the King would not relent, where would he go from here?

"Rest assured. With Imperial We here, this realm will not fall into chaos!" Zi Shou said solemnly.

He cast another glance at Shang Rong, fully aware of the man's purpose, and thus all the more determined not to yield.

"Your Majesty, rest assured! This old minister is willing to go to the North Sea and will surely suppress the Seventy-Two Route Lords!" Grand Tutor Wen Zhong stepped forward and said.

At once, all eyes turned to Wen Zhong, and many ministers let out a long sigh of relief.

In everyone's view, with Grand Tutor Wen personally leading the campaign against the Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea, success was guaranteed.

"If the Grand Tutor goes personally, Imperial We is naturally at ease. But Imperial We intends to lead the campaign in person!" Zi Shou declared loudly.

The moment these words left his mouth, the entire hall fell deathly silent. Everyone stood dumbfounded, expressions frozen.

What was happening now?

Besides the Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea, lords in the east, south, and west had all rebelled.

If the King personally led the campaign to the North Sea, what would become of the other rebels?

And more than that—the moment the King set out on a personal campaign, even more lords would surely rise in revolt.

"With your old minister here, why should the King personally lead the campaign?" Grand Tutor Wen said in a deep voice.

Even he hesitated—under the current circumstances, the King remaining in Zhaoge was the safest course.

Other ministers also stepped forward to remonstrate, refusing on all counts to allow the King to personally lead the campaign.

"This Lonely One's mind is made up. No more words! As for those lords who have already rebelled, let the Four Lords each handle their own campaigns!

Furthermore, summon the garrison commanders of Chen Tang Pass and San Shan Pass to Zhaoge. This time, they shall accompany This Lonely One on the personal campaign!" Zi Shou said.

Having spoken, he paid no heed to the ministers' reactions and turned to leave.

The matter of the personal campaign was thus settled. He was the King of Great Shang—if he truly insisted, no one could stop him.

Yet how could he not know the dangers of a personal campaign? But compared to the risks, the rewards were far greater.

If he did not personally lead the campaign, how could the wavering lords dare to rebel?

If he did not personally lead the campaign, how would those Deities within Great Shang dare to stir up trouble?

Moreover, the Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea were clearly not as simple as they seemed on the surface.

The Canonization of the Gods was already set. He had little time to waste—staking everything on a single throw was the only path.

"The transformation of the Luck Torch is finally complete!"

No sooner had he returned to his bedchamber than Zi Shou sensed the change in the Luck Torch, a look of delighted surprise spreading across his face.

Unable to contain himself, he entered the Hall of Heroes of the Human Emperors. For him, the moment of a great harvest had finally arrived.

Within the Hall of Heroes of the Human Emperors, the Luck Torch blazed fiercely, now the size of two fists.

This clearly indicated that over this period, his personal luck had nearly doubled.

At this moment, the flame of luck was leaping violently, as if something was about to emerge.

Under Zi Shou's gaze, the flame of luck pulsed and leaped, until finally, with a thunderous boom, it burst apart.

A piercing cry of a phoenix rang out—the phoenix was reborn, rising from the flames, spreading its wings and soaring high.

The flame of luck was no longer a flame. It had become a phoenix—a phoenix bathed in black flames.

"Heaven sent down the Mysterious Bird, and it descended to birth Shang," Zi Shou murmured to himself.

He was no stranger to the phoenix bathed in black flames; it had appeared on him once before.

In that light, the Luck Torch's final transformation into this form was only to be expected.

Still, back then, he had already formed some guesses about the phoenix bathed in black flames.

In later legends, there had always been the saying, "Heaven sent down the Mysterious Bird, and it descended to birth Shang."

The Mysterious Bird was a black bird, which now seemed to mean the same thing as the phoenix bathed in black flames.

The luck gathered upon him was both the luck of the human race and the luck of Great Shang—the two were originally one.

And now, the flame of luck transforming into the form of a phoenix bathed in black flames undoubtedly proved that this saying held some truth.

Whatever the Mysterious Bird was, it was deeply connected to Great Shang, and he already had some guesses in his heart.

But he did not dwell on it. No matter what form the flame of luck took, it was ultimately unimportant.

What mattered was that the flame of luck had transformed, and the Luck Torch had reached a new level—that was the most important thing.

The possibility of opening the second floor of the Hall of Heroes of the Human Emperors, the chance to draw from the Myriad Heavens Treasures.

All of this was far too important to him!

Especially in this era of human transformation, the Hall of Heroes of the Human Emperors was his greatest trump card.

He did not immediately draw from the Myriad Heavens Treasures. After the Luck Torch's transformation, he walked toward the second floor of the Hall of Heroes of the Human Emperors.

A towering gate stood before him. He reached out with both hands and pushed gently, and the gate swung open to both sides.

The scene was still familiar—row upon row of towering statues stood within the hall, each exuding a breathtaking aura.