I Am King Zhou, Human Emperor!

Along the way, Zi Shou had been pondering these questions, and gradually some ideas began to take shape in his mind.

Barring any surprises, the Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea themselves weren't important—what mattered was who stood behind them.

"Master, I've already reached the Great Perfection of the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm!"

A child with goat horn braids came bouncing over to Zi Shou, puffing up with pride.

He'd heard the same words quite a few times over these past few days and was already long past being surprised.

"Not bad. Keep it up." Zi Shou said, his face expressionless.

The child before him was naturally Li Jing's third son, one of the protagonists of the Investiture of the Gods—Nezha.

Logically speaking, Nezha had only just been born; bringing him along on a military campaign was indeed a bit too absurd.

But Nezha had gestated for three years before being born, extraordinary from the start, and couldn't be judged by ordinary standards.

For instance, he had already given Nezha the opportunity to inherit a Human Emperor's legacy.

And Nezha had indeed obtained the inheritance of a Human Emperor—specifically, the legacy of Emperor Wushi.

He himself had once inherited Emperor Wushi's legacy, but what Nezha received was the inheritance of Emperor Wushi's path to becoming a Red Dust Immortal.

He naturally hoped that Nezha would carry on Emperor Wushi's mantle and fight for humanity in the future.

That alone wasn't a big deal, but after only three days of cultivation, Nezha had already reached the Great Perfection of the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm!

Such an unbelievable cultivation speed was even more exaggerated than his own back when he was training.

What was a Child of Fortune? This was a Child of Fortune!

At this rate of cultivation, it wouldn't even take ten days before Nezha would Prove Dao and Become Emperor!

A child who could bounce around and cultivate at such a terrifying speed—even if he was still young, bringing him along on a campaign was nothing at all.

Originally, Li Jing had some concerns, but after seeing this, his anxious heart settled down.

Hurrying along the way, the North Sea was already in sight, and Zi Shou's group soon met Zhang Guifang.

"Your subject Zhang Guifang pays homage to The King!"

A silver helmet topped with phoenix wings, chain armor white as autumn frost!

Looking closely, Zhang Guifang was indeed a majestic and imposing general!

"Rise. Tell Imperial We exactly what's going on with the Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea." Zi Shou said.

Back then, when Grand Tutor Wen was recalled to court, upon learning that his replacement was Zhang Guifang, he hadn't said a word.

From this, it was clear that in Grand Tutor Wen's mind, Zhang Guifang was absolutely a qualified general.

Zhang Guifang secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Contrary to his expectations, The King hadn't flown into a rage or blamed him.

After all, losing a battle was a fact, and the Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea conquering territory was also a fact.

If The King truly wanted to hold him accountable, even killing him would be within reason, let alone punishing him.

Steadying his nerves, Zhang Guifang finally spoke: "The Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea aren't particularly strong, but..."

Under Zhang Guifang's detailed account, Zi Shou quickly gained a thorough understanding of the current situation in the North Sea.

According to Zhang Guifang, the Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea weren't very powerful, and with a full army campaign, they should have been pacified quickly.

In fact, after taking over from Grand Tutor Wen, Zhang Guifang had led the army steadily, advancing step by step, and had already achieved some results.

However, the North Sea's harsh environment, complex terrain, and fierce local customs made the campaign time-consuming and labor-intensive.

That alone wasn't a big deal—it just meant spending a bit more time—and Zhang Guifang hadn't been careless or reckless.

But during one campaign against the Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea, Zhang Guifang had stumbled and taken a major fall.

"Your subject reports to The King: that day, the North Sea stirred up towering waves, and Demon Race appeared, throwing the army into chaos!" Zhang Guifang said solemnly.

That was the reason for Zhang Guifang's defeat—the appearance of the Demon Race had crushed the army's morale, leading to a disastrous loss.

Still, Zhang Guifang had some skill; though morale was low, the army hadn't collapsed entirely.

But restoring morale would take time, which was why Zhang Guifang had held his position and refused to engage.

As for the claim that the Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea were conquering territory, the North Sea was vast and had few cities to begin with, so it wasn't really significant.

"Demon Race? There are Demon Race in the North Sea?" Zi Shou asked in a low voice.

This was the Investiture of the Gods World; the appearance of Demon Race wasn't strange. What mattered was the origin of these great beasts.

At a critical moment, causing Zhang Guifang's army's morale to collapse—no matter how you looked at it, there was definitely something deeper behind it.

"The Demon Race in the North Sea, if I'm not mistaken, should be remnants of the Demon Race." Kong Xuan said.

Remnants of the Demon Race?

Zi Shou was slightly taken aback. Given Kong Xuan's strength, knowing the situation in the North Sea was actually normal.

But the presence of Demon Race remnants in the North Sea was itself a startling piece of news.

"Grand Preceptor means that the remnants of the Demon Race are entrenched in the North Sea?" Zi Shou said.

He had heard Grand Tutor Wen speak of the Demon Race before, but in Grand Tutor Wen's words, the Demon Race was no longer a threat.

Now, the Human Race is the protagonist of heaven and earth; the era belonging to the Demon Race has long since passed.

"The Demon Race once suffered a great calamity, with all their powerful figures falling to near extinction. Later, when the Human Race rose, the Demon Race had even less room to survive," Kong Xuan said.

According to Kong Xuan, in ancient times, the Demon Race encountered a catastrophic disaster, and most of the mighty demons perished.

Afterward, the Human Race rose and engaged in bloody wars with the Demon Race. Judging from the current state of the Human Race, it was clear that humanity had won.

In the present world, few Demon Races have grown into a formidable force, and most are entrenched in the North Sea.

"So, this means the Demon Race is targeting my Great Shang?" Zi Shou said.

Speaking of the Demon Race, one must first discuss the current situation of the Human Race.

Since Great Yu, one of the Five Emperors, stabilized the realm, demons have rarely been seen among humanity.

What remains are either insignificant minor demons or those with some background.

For instance, the Jiejiao Sect includes many demons, but they cannot be regarded as typical Demon Race members.

However, since ancient times, the Human and Demon Races have been irreconcilable. It is only natural for the Demon Race entrenched in the North Sea to target humanity.

"If it really is the Demon Race, they shouldn't dare to act this way," Zhang Guifang said.

Zi Shou nodded. According to Kong Xuan, the Demon Race was now weak, with few experts left.

Even if remnants of the Demon Race lurked in the North Sea, given the current strength of the Human Race, how could those remnants dare to target humanity?

If they provoked a human powerhouse, the Demon Race remnants in the North Sea would likely be utterly annihilated.

"Regardless of who it is, let's first pacify the Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea," Zi Shou said.

Whoever was behind the Demon Race, if he wanted to suppress the Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea, he would inevitably encounter them.

After some observation, Zi Shou found that Zhang Guifang was indeed a seasoned battlefield commander.

Whether in managing the army or leading the troops, Zhang Guifang handled everything methodically.

For this reason, he did not punish Zhang Guifang but instead allowed him to continue commanding the army, atoning for his crimes with merit.

For now, this King was merely a figurehead, but that was enough.

A king leading a personal expedition, aside from everything else, greatly boosted morale.

As morale gradually recovered, Zhang Guifang began to take the initiative, slowly reclaiming lost territory.

The situation where the Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea were conquering lands no longer existed. Faced with the main army, they could only flee in panic.

Only because the North Sea's terrain was complex did Zhang Guifang choose a cautious, step-by-step approach for safety.

Otherwise, with a single thunderous strike, the Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea would never have been able to hold out for long.

None of this concerned Zi Shou. He understood clearly that the key to the North Sea did not lie with the Seventy-Two Route Lords.

Given Grand Tutor Wen's ability, it still took over a decade to fully quell the rebellion of the Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea.

This showed that behind the Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea, there was definitely a powerful force intervening.

Thus, while Zhang Guifang commanded the army, he had quietly slipped into the North Sea.

Though he was not alone, only Kong Xuan and Nezha accompanied him.

"Grand Preceptor, do you know which powerful demons remain in the North Sea?" Zi Shou asked.

The North Sea was vast and boundless. Even if demon remnants lurked within, finding their traces was no easy task.

But to completely resolve the issue of the Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea, the demon remnants in the North Sea could not be ignored.

Otherwise, if he suppressed the Seventy-Two Route Lords today, tomorrow might bring the Thirty-Six Route Lords of the North Sea.

"Though the Demon Race is no longer a force to be reckoned with, some ancient great demons have survived, and they are in the North Sea..."

According to Kong Xuan, in ancient times, the North Sea originally housed many powerful demons.

The most famous among them was Demon Master Kunpeng. This demon had achieved profound mastery of the Dao, a peak powerhouse rarely seen in the world.