Once the world's spiritual energy had entered his body to a certain point, it began to spill out on its own, unable to accumulate any further.
His body was declining, his vital energy drying up. Like a rusted iron pot, it could no longer hold too much water, and everything seeped out.
These were the signs of a life flickering like a candle in the wind, nearing its end. They also meant Zi Shou's second life was about to conclude.
Each transformation was a trial between life and death. It was far from smooth sailing, and there was even a risk of dying and having his Dao vanish.
At that moment, for instance, his second transformation had reached its limit. His lifespan was exhausted, and his body was failing.
If he made it through, he would naturally live a third life, not only reaching the prime of life again but also advancing further.
But if he failed, his body would wither completely, his lifespan would run out, and he would die, his Dao vanishing with him.
In this state, making the ultimate leap and living a third life would undoubtedly be incredibly difficult.
Fortunately, the Great Emperor's Arena existed. Fighting countless Human Emperors had given him ample training.
His body's decline was irreversible. When Zi Shou had weakened to his limit, he opened his eyes.
The cycle of a drop of blood had returned. His primordial spirit took control of his body, bringing with it the gains from a lifetime of reincarnation.
He had not only transformed through a lifetime of reincarnation, but had also gained its insights—and even transformed his physical body.
The ultimate leap was happening now!
Within his body, all Five Great Secret Realms began to shine, and his ruined vitality started boiling once more.
His blood and vital energy surged skyward like ten thousand galloping horses, rumbling like thunder!
The myriad paths wailed, as if bearing witness to the resurgence of an inconceivable existence!
Vast waves of blood-colored energy blazed into the sky. Zi Shou appeared once more and slowly rose to his feet, reborn through nirvana amid vitality as boundless as the sea.
He was young again, though his appearance remained unchanged. His black hair cascaded down, falling naturally over his crystalline body.
He had successfully transformed and lived a third life. His strength had reached a higher level, powerful enough to make anyone tremble.
A Great Emperor was comparable to an Earth Immortal, and their strength should not have differed much. But now, an Earth Immortal was no match for him.
Each transformation was like a rebirth—a qualitative leap that surpassed the breakthroughs of ordinary realms.
After the Earth Immortal came the True Immortal, and after the True Immortal came the Celestial Immortal. Normally, one had to advance step by step.
But the path he walked—undergoing Nine Transformations to become a Red Dust Immortal—let him leap directly across those two realms.
For example, if he fought a True Immortal now, he could not say he would certainly win, but he was confident he would not lose.
Once he completed all Nine Transformations, he was confident he could defeat even a Celestial Immortal.
The Red Dust Immortal was a special realm. In the world where Emperor Ye lived, it also spanned the two realms of True Immortal and quasi-Immortal King.
The road was long and arduous. He still had far to go; these meager achievements were nothing.
"The Luck Torch has flared up a little more. It must be because of the great victory in the North Sea. I should soon get a chance to draw a Myriad Heavens Treasure!"
His gaze quickly shifted to the Luck Torch. It was easy enough to tell whether his own luck had increased.
When his cultivation speed picked up again, that naturally meant his luck had increased once more!
After the great victory in the North Sea, he had clearly felt a change. His cultivation speed had increased considerably.
That was only natural. After the victory, his prestige as King Zhou had risen significantly.
Across Great Shang, no one called him a foolish ruler anymore. Instead, words like "wise and mighty" and "supremely talented" were being heaped upon him.
Moreover, the victory in the North Sea had positive implications for all of Great Shang.
Once the Rebellion of the Lords by the Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea had been quelled, the other lords' rebellions became minor troubles.
The precarious situation had been reversed in an instant, and Great Shang's national fortune naturally rose with it.
As Great Shang's king, his own gathered fortune naturally rose along with the kingdom's.
His foundations were still shallow, but everything was moving in a good direction, and the future still held hope.
There was no point dwelling on it. He had only been King Zhou for a few short months, so all he could do was make the most of his limited time and work hard to improve himself.
Soon, he threw himself back into the Great Emperor's Arena, engaging the Human Emperors in savage battles.
After news of the great victory in the North Sea spread across the land, everyone's attention turned to Zi Shou.
The people of Chaoge City and the civil and military officials were counting the days, wondering when the King would return.
The lords who had already rebelled were counting the days too, eager to see what King Zhou would do next.
Would he lead another Imperial Expedition and sweep away all the rebellious lords? Or would he remain in Chaoge City?
Whatever they expected, when King Zhou returned, all of Great Shang was calm and still.
The rebel lords had lowered their banners and were watching the situation, not daring to act rashly.
The lords who had not rebelled also had to put aside their own ambitions and wait to see what King Zhou would do next.
Meanwhile, Zi Shou, whose movements had captivated all of Great Shang, was making his way back to Chaoge City at an unhurried pace.
Even with a forced march, the North Sea was far from Chaoge City, but the journey would not have taken too long.
Under normal circumstances, with the situation in Chaoge City already somewhat unstable, he should have returned at once to take charge.
Besides, if he had marched out immediately while riding the momentum of his great victory, he could have swept away the rebellious lords with twice the results for half the effort.
Yet he traveled slowly, even seeming to take in the scenery. Countless people were left completely baffled.
How could they know that Zi Shou was not in a hurry at all? In fact, he wished he could spend even longer on the road.
"Master, I've completed my first transformation!" Nezha ran over and said excitedly.
Hearing this, Zi Shou was speechless. How long had it been since Nezha's last breakthrough?
At most, only a dozen or so days had passed, and Nezha had already broken through again.
All he could say was that comparing yourself to others was infuriating!
Nezha's natural talent was already astonishing, and he also had the Dao fruit of his previous life. Cultivation was as easy for him as drinking water.
For Nezha, cultivation itself was the process of assimilating the Dao fruit of his previous life and continually breaking through.
However, in this life, Nezha was not practicing the Exposition Sect's Daoist arts, but the inheritance of the Human Emperors.
Although the Exposition Sect's Daoist arts had been passed down by Yuanshi Tianzun, a Sage, they were undoubtedly among the top cultivation arts in the Investiture of the Gods World.
But that did not mean the Human Emperors' inheritance was inferior. On the contrary, it might well be the better choice.
Nezha was human now, so the best cultivation method for him was one suited to the Human Race—not some Sage's Daoist arts.
After encouraging Nezha, Zi Shou checked the time. Their party was getting closer and closer to Chaoge City.
The journey should have taken only a few days, but he had stretched it out to more than half a month.
During that time, not only the civil and military officials in Chaoge City had grown impatient, but the rebel lords had too.
"I've given you plenty of time. I hope you don't disappoint me," Zi Shou thought to himself.
According to the reports Grand Tutor Wen had sent, the reason the rebel lords had not been suppressed right away was that Deities were involved.
Take the North Sea, for example. The Seventy-Two Route Lords of the North Sea had little strength and should not have posed much of a threat.
But with the Yao Race involved, the rebellion in the North Sea had grown more and more serious, even leading to Zhang Guifang's crushing defeat.
The same was true of the rebellious lords within Great Shang's borders. With Deities supporting them from behind the scenes, they were not so easy to suppress.
When they learned of the great victory in the North Sea, the rebel lords would certainly panic, but they would not simply sit and wait for their fate.
He would give them plenty of time to prepare and mobilize all the forces behind them.
That way, when he moved to suppress the rebels, he could resolve every problem once and for all.
Half a month was already enough. Even with more time, the rebel lords would have a hard time coming up with any new tricks.
Once he decided not to waste any more time, it took him only a day to return to the familiar Chaoge City.
The civil and military officials had made all their preparations and were waiting thirty li outside the city. Many people had gathered nearby as well.
When the familiar figure appeared before everyone, riding at the head of the procession, cheers erupted.
"His Majesty is mighty! His Majesty is mighty!"
The bright smiles on the people's faces showed exactly how they felt.
The great victory in the North Sea and the image of their wise and mighty king had spread throughout the land. The people's cheers for his triumph came straight from the heart.
"Your subjects congratulate Your Majesty on your triumphant return!"
Led by Grand Tutor Wen, the civil and military officials hurried forward to welcome the King's victorious return with the highest honors.
For most of the officials, the King's victorious return was undoubtedly wonderful news.
When the King had gone on his Imperial Expedition, countless officials had been filled with dread, afraid that word of defeat might suddenly reach them.
Now, after little more than a month, the King had returned victorious. Many officials could not help weeping with joy.
More importantly, everyone understood what the King's victorious return meant for Great Shang in its current state.
"Rise. We'll celebrate today. At Morning Court tomorrow, I have an important matter to announce," Zi Shou said.
Before you continue