I Am King Zhou, Human Emperor!

Compared to the human body, the thousand-zhang-long Giant Serpent was unquestionably a colossal behemoth.

But now, such a behemoth was being seized by a single human and dragged ashore from the North Sea.

It was an utterly stunning scene, as could be heard from the fervent cheers of countless soldiers.

After all, the one dragging the Giant Serpent ashore right now was none other than their King of Great Shang!

Originally, when they had first seen the Giant Serpent, they were already on the verge of collapse—who could have imagined such an outcome?

The King, born with divine strength, had faced a God-and-Devil-like Giant Serpent and captured it with ease—what divine might was this?

It was foreseeable that this event would surely become a tale of renown, spreading swiftly throughout all of Great Shang.

Born with divine strength, personally descending into the North Sea to capture a Jiaolong, his divine might shaking the world!

Following such a king into battle, they not only feared nothing but would also be invincible in every fight!

"I thought the King was merely fond of grand exploits, but it turns out he had everything planned long ago," Zhang Guifang thought to himself.

Before this battle, he had been filled with worry, and things had unfolded exactly as he had feared.

When the Giant Serpent appeared, he had even resented the King, believing this defeat was all because of the King's love for grand displays.

But when the King personally acted, slaying the Giant Serpent in the North Sea, he was left utterly dumbstruck.

He now realized that the King's order for him to take the initiative had likely been part of a scheme long in the making.

What could boost morale more than the King leading from the front, personally descending into the North Sea to slay the Giant Serpent?

From now on, even if the Demon Race struck again, as long as the King was present, there would be no more collapse of morale.

And without the interference of the Demon Race, what were the mere Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea worth?

"Today, This Lonely One has slain the Giant Serpent, just in time to feast the entire army. Right here by the North Sea shore, we shall hold a grand banquet for all!" Zi Shou declared loudly.

To feast the entire army, ingredients were needed, and the Giant Serpent served that purpose perfectly.

This was somewhat audacious—the North Sea was a place where remnants of the Demon Race lurked, yet he chose to hold a grand banquet here.

Not only would he feast the entire army, but he would also treat an Earth Immortal-level Demon Race member as mere food.

Any Demon Race member witnessing such a scene would surely be furious beyond measure.

But he insisted on doing it precisely to enrage those Demon Race remnants in the North Sea!

He wondered whether those Demon Race in the North Sea had the courage to come or not.

The grand banquet proceeded smoothly. The thousand-zhang Giant Serpent, roasted, was nothing short of a delicacy of the mortal world.

After all, this was an Earth Immortal-level Demon Race; its flesh was not only tender and delicious but also brimming with the essence of heaven and earth.

Ordinary people who ate it could strengthen their bodies, while cultivators could even enhance their cultivation.

For this reason, everyone feasted heartily, and the army's morale soared even higher.

Zi Shou also set aside his dignity, personally mingling among the troops and bonding with the soldiers.

Having personally slain the Giant Serpent, his prestige in the army was already immense, and by doing this, it rose even further.

Without exaggeration, now he only needed to wave his hand, and the direction he pointed would be the army's path forward.

However, to his slight disappointment, the North Sea remained calm and uneventful, with no Demon Race appearing.

After the banquet, Zi Shou remained clear-headed and met with Kong Xuan, who had been absent for some time.

"Who made the move? Was it the North Sea Demon Race, or someone else?" Zi Shou inquired.

Earlier, a gust of wind had rescued the Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea, yet no one knew what that wind truly was.

But that wind might fool others—it could never fool Kong Xuan.

The Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea had indeed been rescued, but Kong Xuan had followed behind and discovered the existence behind them.

"It wasn't the Demon Race—it was the Chan Sect!" Kong Xuan said.

As a Quasi-Saint of his stature, there were truly few in all the world who could deceive him.

By the North Sea shore, someone had used Daoist arts to not only cover their tracks but also seize the chance to rescue the Seventy-Two Route Lords.

If the King hadn't stopped him, wanting to rescue them before him would have been nothing but a fool's dream.

In fact, following behind and wiping out all those Chan Sect disciples in one fell swoop would have been no great difficulty either.

But the King had ordered him not to act, only to uncover the identities of those behind the scenes.

"The Chan Sect? Unexpected, yet within reason," Zi Shou said with a smile.

In the Investiture of the Gods, if anyone cared the most, it was undoubtedly the Chan Sect.

The Sage Yuanshi Tianzun held the Investiture of the Gods List, and both the one conducting the investiture and the many Children of Fortune all came from the Chan Sect.

It was like a script long arranged by the Chan Sect—that the North Sea rebellion was linked to them was hardly strange.

"Why did the King not allow me to act?" Kong Xuan asked.

Neither the Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea nor the Chan Sect disciples were of any concern to him.

He simply didn't understand—when they could have wiped them all out in one stroke and resolved the North Sea rebellion, why did the King stop him?

"This is different! You can deal with the Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea, and you can deal with the Demon Race, but you cannot lay a hand on Chan Sect disciples!" Zi Shou said.

Whether it was the Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea or the Demon Race, they were all matters laid out in the open, yet none of it truly mattered.

As long as the Chan Sect's support remained, even if the Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea were wiped out today, a Seventy-One Route Lord of the North Sea would appear tomorrow.

Eliminating the Chan Sect would indeed resolve the Northern Sea rebellion, but the one to act could not be Kong Xuan.

If Kong Xuan made a move, given the Chan Sect's modus operandi—strike the junior, and the senior comes running—the consequences would follow.

Though Kong Xuan was powerful, before a Sage like Yuanshi Tianzun, he was still nothing to behold.

Of course, as the current Human Sovereign, even facing Yuanshi Tianzun, he would not flinch when it was time to act.

But compared to the Twelve Golden Immortals of Chanjiao, his strength was insufficient for now, so he had to think of another way.

"All beneath a Sage are but ants? I'd like to test that claim!" Kong Xuan murmured to himself.

Zi Shou couldn't help but shake his head. Kong Xuan was always so unruly and proud, even when facing a Sage.

Yet to resolve the Northern Sea rebellion, a direct confrontation with the Chan Sect wasn't necessary.

His decision to spare the Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea had other intentions from the start, perhaps even a surprise for the Chan Sect.

Moreover, seeing everything that had transpired today, the Twelve Golden Immortals of Chanjiao would surely be taken aback.

Faced with a King Zhou blessed with "innate divine strength," what would the Twelve Golden Immortals of Chanjiao think?

"I never expected that King Zhou, with his innate divine strength, could slay an Earth Immortal-level Demon Race!" Taiyi Zhenren said, his expression grave.

Originally, they had intended to head to Zhaoge to reclaim his disciple and salvage the Chan Sect's dignity.

But they never imagined that King Zhou would not only launch an Imperial Expedition to the Northern Sea but also take his disciple along.

With no other choice, they followed to the Northern Sea, yet before they could act, King Zhou made his move.

Relying solely on his physical strength, he had brutally killed an Earth Immortal-level Demon Race—they had all witnessed it.

"He knows no Daoist arts, has no cultivation base, and merely relies on brute force—it's nothing remarkable!" Guang Chengzi said.

A strong body? Innate divine strength?

Being able to slay an Earth Immortal-level Demon Race was likely his limit.

In the eyes of Sage disciples like them, what did that amount to?

Not to mention King Zhou, even the Wu Clan of old—had they ever truly looked them in the eye?

And even if King Zhou did possess cultivation, what of it?

"What do we do about the Northern Sea? Originally, it was meant to tie down the Jiejiao disciples, but now it's become troublesome!" Jù Liúsūn said.

The Northern Sea rebellion was indeed their handiwork, with a clear target aimed straight at the Jiejiao Sect.

Many Jiejiao disciples held official posts in Great Shang, with Wen Zhong at the helm, so they had meticulously orchestrated the Northern Sea rebellion.

By trapping Wen Zhong in the Northern Sea, the Jiejiao disciples would be leaderless, making it convenient for them to lay their groundwork ahead of time.

Once the time was ripe and the Canonization of the Gods proceeded smoothly, the Jiejiao Sect would become a turtle in a jar.

But they never expected this! King Zhou suddenly launched an Imperial Expedition!

With Wen Zhong stationed in Zhaoge, even if they wanted to make a move, they had to consider the Jiejiao Sect's reaction.

"It seems we need to meet this King Zhou and, while we're at it, help Junior Brother Taiyi retrieve his disciple!" Guang Chengzi said after a moment of thought.

He still did not regard King Zhou as a threat, but the king's recent actions had indeed exceeded their expectations.

Perhaps it was time to display the demeanor of the Chan Sect's Golden Immortals and let King Zhou know his place.

The Twelve Golden Immortals of Chanjiao were led by Guang Chengzi; since he had spoken, the other Golden Immortals naturally had no objections.

Thus, the Twelve Golden Immortals of Chanjiao mounted auspicious clouds and arrived directly outside the Great Shang military camp.

"The Twelve Golden Immortals of Chanjiao are here! Why do you not come forth to greet us immediately!"