I Am King Zhou, Human Emperor!

What the Four Lords were thinking remained unknown for now, but another matter had set the entire Great Shang abuzz.

The release of the Edict of Talent Recruitment gave countless unrecognized talents a glimmer of hope and became the focus of endless discussion.

No regard for birth, no regard for wealth or poverty—only talent and ability were sought. This was truly a precedent under heaven.

An old man had just descended Kunlun Mountain when he heard news of the Edict of Talent Recruitment and set out toward Chaoge City.

In a famous mountain range, a towering figure heard the news of the Edict of Talent Recruitment and likewise headed for Chaoge City.

In an instant, Chaoge City became a gathering storm, the focal point of the entire realm's attention.

From the day it was established, the Hall of Talents became a highly anticipated presence throughout Chaoge City.

At first, onlookers were many, but those who actually dared to enter the Hall of Talents could be counted on one hand.

Moreover, as one person after another walked out of the Hall of Talents with dejected expressions, even fewer dared to step inside.

Gradually, many came to understand that while anyone could enter the Hall of Talents, staying in was exceedingly difficult.

The Hall of Talents had very high standards; ordinary people could hardly meet the requirements. Only true great talents could stand out.

However, there were also rumors that if one could pass the Hall of Talents' assessment, they would immediately be heard by the King and summoned to his presence.

But for so long, no one had managed to do so, which only made those watching from the sidelines even more hesitant to act rashly.

One day, three burly men arrived at the Hall of Talents and, under the gaze of many onlookers, walked inside.

"More people going in, and three at once! This is going to be a good show!"

"Do they really think the Hall of Talents is some ordinary place? Just watch—they'll come out crying soon enough!"

"Come on! Place your bets! Place your bets! I'm wagering whether even one of those three can pass the assessment!"

From these remarks, it was easy to tell that most people had little faith in those three passing the assessment.

After all, since the Hall of Talents was established, there had been few with even minor abilities, and not a single true great talent had appeared.

But under everyone's watchful eyes, the three burly men who had entered the Hall of Talents did not come out for a long time.

Just as many were growing puzzled, the sound of a bell rang out—dong, dong, dong—three clear, ancient, and resonant chimes.

"The Recruitment Bell has rung! A great talent has emerged and is to be summoned by the King?"

Time seemed to freeze in that moment. Moments later, the area around the Hall of Talents erupted into chaos.

It was said that within the Hall of Talents hung a Recruitment Bell, and if a great talent appeared, it would be struck.

When the Recruitment Bell rang, it reached the King's ears, allowing the bearer to enter the palace directly for an audience and be entrusted with an important post.

But since the Hall of Talents was established, the Recruitment Bell had never been struck—until this very day.

Was it because of those three burly men? They were the rare great talents of the age!

Countless people stared wide-eyed. In their understanding, a rare great talent of the age could not possibly look like that.

Just then, an old man with white hair and a youthful complexion arrived before the Hall of Talents and stepped inside without hesitation.

At that moment, because the Recruitment Bell had rung, countless eyes were fixed on the Hall of Talents, so naturally they saw this old man.

"At his age, one foot already in the grave, and he still dares to enter the Hall of Talents?"

"Don't talk nonsense. Maybe he's also a great talent. Look at him—white hair, youthful face, extraordinary bearing!"

"There aren't that many great talents around. If this old man had any real ability, how could he have remained unknown all this time?"

Amid the crowd's chatter, not only did the three burly men fail to reappear, but the old man also stayed inside.

Just as many were growing puzzled, the Recruitment Bell rang out again—dong, dong, dong—three more chimes.

The onlookers erupted once more, shock written plainly on every face.

What was going on today? The Recruitment Bell, silent for so many days, had rung twice in a single day?

Besides those three burly men, was the old man who had just entered also a great talent?

Under countless gazes, the three burly men and the old man walked out of the Hall of Talents and then made their way toward the Royal Palace.

The Recruitment Bell had rung, and they were personally summoned by the King—to countless people, this was the ultimate honor.

Ten years of study unknown to all, but with one success, the whole world knows your name!

Crowned with the title of great talent, rising to prominence from then on—everyone envied them immensely.

The appearance of two great talents in a row gave many people newfound confidence. They stopped hesitating and entered the Hall of Talents.

But unfortunately, after those two rings, the Recruitment Bell never sounded again.

Many walked into the Hall of Talents full of confidence, only to walk out with their heads hanging low.

Because of this, many were curious: what kind of ability did one need to make the Recruitment Bell ring?

Meanwhile, within the Royal Palace, Zi Shou was meeting the four extraordinary individuals who had caused the Recruitment Bell to sound.

"Yuan Hong pays respects to the King!"

"Wu Long pays respects to the King!"

"Chang Hao pays respects to the King!"

"Jiang Shang pays respects to the King!"

The four stepped forward to offer counsel, and Zi Shou likewise observed these four great talents before him—or rather, three demons and one man.

Within the Canonization of the Gods, the famed Meishan Seven Saints were naturally well-known to him, and he also understood their origins.

These three great men before him, though appearing human, were three of the Meishan Seven Saints.

Yuan Hong was the leader of the Meishan Seven Saints, a White Ape who had cultivated the Dao and attained a thousand years of cultivation.

Moreover, Yuan Hong had mastered the Eight-Nine Mysterious Skill, practiced seventy-two transformations, and possessed profound cultivation and vast divine powers.

He could not compare to the Twelve Golden Immortals of Chanjiao, but beneath the Golden Immortal realm, he had almost no equal.

Wu Long and Chang Hao were likewise two of the Meishan Seven Saints; Wu Long was a Centipede who had cultivated the Dao, while Chang Hao was a Long Serpent who had cultivated the Dao.

Though they were also of the demon race, the Meishan Seven Saints and the demons of the North Sea were entirely different matters.

By taking the initiative to come to the Hall of Talents and then face him, the King, the attitude of the Meishan Seven Saints was already laid bare.

If his guess was not off, Yuan Hong and the other two demons had merely come ahead to test the waters and see what his stance was.

Since ancient times, humans and demons had never coexisted. Though the Meishan Seven Saints had chosen to voluntarily pledge allegiance to Great Shang, they were still demons, and their status was quite awkward.

In particular, his slaying of demons in the North Sea was likely no secret to the Meishan Seven Saints.

"That the three of you would emerge from seclusion to aid my Great Shang fills This Lonely One with boundless joy!" Zi Shou said with a smile.

There was indeed great conflict between the human and demon races, but demons could not be exterminated entirely, nor did he reject all demons.

For instance, within the Jiejiao Sect, there were also many disciples of demon origin, but they were a different matter from the North Sea demons.

As long as their hands had not been stained with human blood, even if they were demons, as long as they were willing to join Great Shang, he could accept them.

However, his amiable attitude did not set Yuan Hong and the other two demons at ease.

Zi Shou's guess was correct; though Yuan Hong and the other two had entered the Hall of Talents, their hearts could not help but be uneasy.

The common folk might not know of King Zhou's demon-slaying in the North Sea, but the Meishan Seven Saints knew it clearly.

Now, though King Zhou appeared amiable, it was because he did not know their demonic identities.

If he learned they were demons, could this King Zhou before them still remain amiable?

But before Yuan Hong and the other two demons could reveal their identities, Zi Shou's gaze shifted to the old man.

Jiang Shang, who would act on Heaven's behalf to canonize the gods and raise Zhou for eight hundred years—how could he not know of him?

He truly had not expected that establishing the Hall of Talents and issuing the Edict of Talent Recruitment would land such a big fish.

"Jiang Shang, your talents are outstanding. How do you view the current state of Great Shang?" Zi Shou said.

In the recommendations from the Hall of Talents, Yuan Hong and the other two demons were described as men of extraordinary abilities, possessing Daoist arts, and being talents fit for generals.

Especially Yuan Hong—not only was he powerful in strength, but he was also adept at commanding troops in battle.

As for Jiang Shang, the reason for his recommendation was not his mastery of Daoist arts, but Jiang Shang's own abilities.

Whether in governing the state and securing the realm, or in military strategy and tactics, he had earned the admiration of the ministers in the Hall of Talents.

On this point, he naturally had no doubt; Jiang Shang, who would raise Zhou for eight hundred years, should indeed possess such capability.

But this was also the crux—it was raising Zhou for eight hundred years, not raising Shang for eight hundred years!

Jiang Shang was after all a disciple of Chanjiao, a personal disciple of Yuanshi Tianzun. His stance was, in truth, already predetermined.