Compared to the Human Race's bodies, the thousand-zhang-long Giant Serpent was undoubtedly a colossal beast.
But now, this colossal beast was being dragged ashore from the North Sea by a member of the Human Race.
It was an incredibly shocking sight, as the soldiers' fervent cheers made clear.
After all, the one dragging the Giant Serpent ashore was the King of Great Shang!
When they first saw the Giant Serpent, they had nearly lost all hope. Who could have imagined things would turn out this way?
The King was born with divine strength. Faced with a Giant Serpent like a god or demon, he had subdued it with ease. What incredible might!
It was easy to imagine that this feat would become a legend, soon spreading throughout Great Shang.
Born with divine strength, he had personally ventured into the North Sea to capture a Jiaolong, his divine might shaking the world!
With a King like him leading them into battle, they would not only fear nothing—they would be invincible!
"I thought the King was just showing off, but it turns out he had everything planned!" Zhang Guifang thought to himself.
Before this battle, he had been full of worry, and things had unfolded just as he had feared.
When the Giant Serpent appeared, he had even blamed the King, believing they had suffered a crushing defeat because the King had been showing off.
But when the King personally took action and slew the Giant Serpent in the North Sea, Zhang Guifang could only stare in stunned silence.
He now understood: the King had probably planned everything when he ordered him to launch the attack.
What could inspire the troops more than the King leading from the front, venturing into the North Sea himself to slay the Giant Serpent?
From now on, even if the Yao Race struck again, as long as the King was there, their morale would never collapse.
And without the Yao Race interfering, what did a mere Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea amount to?
"Today, I slew the Giant Serpent. It's the perfect occasion to reward the entire army. We'll hold a grand feast for the troops right here by the North Sea!" Zi Shou declared.
A grand feast for the whole army required ingredients, and the Giant Serpent would serve perfectly.
It was a rather brazen move. The North Sea was crawling with Yao Race remnants, and yet he planned to hold a grand feast for his army here.
Not only was he going to feast the whole army, he was turning a Yao Race creature at the Earth Immortal level into food.
Any member of the Yao Race who saw this would surely be enraged.
But he was doing it anyway. He wanted the Yao Race remnants in the North Sea to fly into a rage!
The only question was whether those Yao Race creatures in the North Sea had the nerve to come back.
The feast went off without a hitch. Roasted, the thousand-zhang-long Giant Serpent was a delicacy fit for the gods.
After all, this was a Yao Race creature at the Earth Immortal level. Its meat was not only delicious, but also rich in the essence of heaven and earth.
For ordinary people, eating it could strengthen the body. For cultivators, it could even improve their cultivation.
That was why everyone ate with gusto, and the army's morale continued to soar.
Zi Shou also set aside his dignity, venturing into the ranks himself and mingling with the soldiers.
After personally slaying the Giant Serpent, he had already earned immense respect from the army. This only raised it further.
It was no exaggeration to say that all he had to do now was sweep his hand in a direction, and the army would march that way.
However, to his disappointment, the North Sea remained calm. Not a single Yao Race creature appeared.
After the feast, Zi Shou stayed clear-headed and saw Kong Xuan, who had been gone for some time.
"Who was responsible? The North Sea Demon Race, or someone else?" Zi Shou asked.
Earlier that day, a sudden gale had carried off the Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea, but no one knew what had caused it.
The gale might have fooled everyone else, but it could never have fooled Kong Xuan.
The Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea had indeed been rescued, but Kong Xuan had followed them and discovered who was behind them.
"It wasn't the Yao Race. It was the Chan Sect!" Kong Xuan replied.
As a Quasi-Saint of his stature, there were indeed only a handful of beings in the world capable of hiding something from him.
Someone by the North Sea had used Daoist magic to conceal their actions from others, then seized the chance to rescue the Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea.
If the King had not stopped him, rescuing them right under his nose would have been nothing but a pipe dream.
In fact, following the group and wiping out the Chan Sect disciples would not have been difficult for him either.
But the King had forbidden him to act, telling him only to identify those behind it.
"The Chan Sect? That's unexpected, but it makes sense!" Zi Shou said with a smile.
When it came to the Investiture of the Gods, no one was more invested than the Chan Sect.
Sage Yuanshi Tianzun held the Investiture of the Gods List, and those destined to be deified, along with many Children of Fortune, all came from the Chan Sect.
It was as if the Chan Sect had scripted the whole affair long ago. It was hardly strange that they were involved in the North Sea rebellion.
"Why didn't you let me act, my King?" Kong Xuan asked.
Neither the Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea nor the Chan Sect disciples had ever been worth his notice.
He simply couldn't understand why the King had stopped him from acting when he could have wiped them all out and ended the North Sea rebellion in one stroke.
"This is different! You can deal with the Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea, and you can deal with the Yao Race, but you can't lay a hand on the Chan Sect disciples!" Zi Shou said.
The Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea and the Yao Race were both visible, but they were not what mattered.
As long as the Chan Sect supported them, even if the Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea were wiped out today, the Eighty-One Route Lords of the North Sea would appear tomorrow.
Taking on the Chan Sect could indeed resolve the North Sea rebellion, but Kong Xuan could not be the one to do it.
If Kong Xuan acted, given the Chan Sect's usual way of doing things, the elders would come after the younger ones were beaten.
Kong Xuan was powerful, but even he was no match for Yuanshi Tianzun, a Sage.
Of course, as the current Human Sovereign, Zi Shou would not show the slightest fear even if he had to face Yuanshi Tianzun.
But compared to the Twelve Golden Immortals of Chanjiao, he was still too weak. He would just have to find another way.
"Everyone beneath the Sages is an ant? I'd like to put that to the test," Kong Xuan murmured.
Zi Shou couldn't help shaking his head. Kong Xuan was always so unruly, even when facing a Sage.
But ending the rebellion in the North Sea did not necessarily mean clashing with the Chan Sect head-on.
He had let the Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea go because he had other plans. Perhaps he could even give the Chan Sect a surprise.
Besides, after witnessing everything that had happened today, the Twelve Golden Immortals of Chanjiao were surely astonished as well.
What did the Twelve Golden Immortals of Chanjiao make of a King Zhou who was "born with divine strength"?
"I never expected King Zhou to be born with divine strength. He actually managed to slay a Yao Race creature at the Earth Immortal level!" Taiyi Zhenren said, his expression grave.
They had originally been heading to Zhaoge to reclaim his disciple and restore the Chan Sect's reputation.
Who could have guessed that King Zhou would not only lead an Imperial Expedition to the North Sea, but also take his disciple with him?
There was nothing they could do but come to the North Sea too. But before they could act, King Zhou had made his move.
They had all watched as he used nothing but his physical strength to beat a Yao Race creature at the Earth Immortal level to death.
"He knows no Daoist magic and has no cultivation. He's just relying on a little strength. It's nothing impressive," Guang Chengzi said.
A powerful physique? Born with divine strength?
Slaying a Yao Race creature at the Earth Immortal level was probably the limit of what he could do.
What did that amount to in the eyes of disciples of the Sages like them?
Not to mention King Zhou—even back in the day, had they ever given the Wu Clan a second glance?
Besides, what did it matter if King Zhou had cultivation? He didn't have any now, and even if he did, it wouldn't change a thing.
"What should we do about the North Sea? We originally meant to keep the Interception Sect disciples tied up, but things have become rather troublesome," Jù Liúsūn said.
The Chan Sect had indeed instigated the North Sea rebellion, and their objective had been clear: to target the Interception Sect.
Many Interception Sect disciples held official positions in Great Shang, with Wen Zhong at their head. That was why they had carefully planned the North Sea rebellion.
With Wen Zhong held up in the North Sea, the Interception Sect disciples would be without a leader, making it easier for them to put their plans in place ahead of time.
Once the time came, the Investiture of the Gods would proceed smoothly, and the Interception Sect would be trapped like a turtle in a jar.
But who could have expected it? King Zhou had suddenly launched an Imperial Expedition!
With Wen Zhong stationed in Zhaoge, they couldn't make a move without considering the Interception Sect's response.
"Looks like we'll have to meet King Zhou. We can also retrieve Junior Brother Taiyi's disciple while we're at it!" Guang Chengzi said after thinking for a moment.
He still didn't take King Zhou seriously, but King Zhou's recent actions had certainly exceeded their expectations.
Perhaps it was time to show off the bearing of the Chan Sect's Golden Immortals and teach King Zhou that there were always greater heights above the sky.
Guang Chengzi led the Twelve Golden Immortals of Chanjiao. Since he had said so, the other Golden Immortals naturally had no objections.
So the Twelve Golden Immortals of Chanjiao rode their auspicious clouds straight to the outskirts of the Great Shang military camp.
"The Twelve Golden Immortals of Chanjiao are here. Hurry up and come greet us!"
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