No one knew yet how the Four Lords had reacted, but another matter had sent all of Great Shang into an uproar.
The Edict of Talent Recruitment had given countless unrecognized talents hope and become the focus of discussion everywhere.
Regardless of one's origins, wealth, or status—only ability mattered. It was truly unprecedented.
An old man had just descended from Kunlun Mountain. Upon hearing about the Edict of Talent Recruitment, he set off for Chaoge City.
In a famous mountain range, a burly figure heard the news of the Edict of Talent Recruitment and likewise made his way toward Chaoge City.
For a time, Chaoge City was alive with activity and became the focus of the whole world.
From the day it was established, the Hall of Talents had become one of the most talked-about places in Chaoge City.
At first, most people simply gathered to watch. Only a handful dared to enter the Hall of Talents.
And as one person after another came out with their heads hanging, even fewer dared to step inside.
Gradually, many people realized that while anyone could enter the Hall of Talents, it was incredibly difficult to earn a place there.
The Hall of Talents had high standards. Ordinary people could hardly meet them; only truly exceptional talents could distinguish themselves.
There were rumors, though, that anyone who passed the Hall of Talents' assessment would immediately reach the King's ears and be summoned to meet him.
But no one had managed it in all this time, making those who were still watching even more reluctant to act.
One day, three burly men arrived at the Hall of Talents. Under the gaze of many onlookers, they walked inside.
"More people have gone in—and three at once this time. This should be fun!"
"Do they think the Hall of Talents is just any old place? Just watch. They'll be coming out in tears before long!"
"Come on, place your bets! Let's wager on whether any of those three will pass the assessment!"
From the comments, it was clear that most people had little faith in the three men passing the assessment.
After all, since the Hall of Talents had been established, it had seen few people with even modest ability, let alone any truly exceptional ones.
Yet despite everyone watching, the three burly men who had just entered the Hall of Talents showed no sign of coming out.
Just as many people began to wonder what was happening, the bell rang out—Dong, dong, dong—three times, its sound deep and ancient.
"The Recruitment Bell! Has some great talent emerged, to be summoned by the King?"
Time seemed to freeze. A moment later, the area around the Hall of Talents erupted into a commotion.
It was said that the Hall of Talents held a Recruitment Bell, which would be rung whenever a great talent emerged.
When the Recruitment Bell rang, its sound reached the King, and the talented person could go straight to the palace to meet him and be entrusted with an important post.
But the Recruitment Bell had never once been rung since the Hall of Talents was established. Until today.
Was it because of those three burly men? Were they talents the likes of which the world had rarely seen?
Countless people stared wide-eyed. In their minds, people of such extraordinary talent could never look like that.
Just then, an old man with white hair and a youthful face arrived at the Hall of Talents and walked inside without hesitation.
Now that the Recruitment Bell had rung, countless people had gathered their eyes on the Hall of Talents—and naturally, they all saw the old man.
"He's that old, with half his body already in the grave, and he still dares to enter the Hall of Talents?"
"Don't be so quick to judge. Maybe he's another great talent. Look at his white hair and youthful face, and that extraordinary bearing!"
"How many great talents can there be? At his age, if he were truly gifted, surely he'd be famous by now?"
As the crowd debated, the three burly men still hadn't come out, and neither had the old man.
Just as many people were wondering what was going on, the Recruitment Bell rang again—Dong, dong, dong—three times.
The onlookers erupted once more, their faces filled with shock.
What was happening today? The Recruitment Bell hadn't rung in ages, and now it had rung twice in a single day?
Besides the three burly men, was the old man who had just gone in also a great talent?
Under countless watchful eyes, the three burly men and the old man walked out of the Hall of Talents, then headed straight for the Royal Palace.
The Recruitment Bell had rung, and they had been summoned by the King himself. For countless people, that was the highest honor imaginable.
Ten years of obscurity, then fame throughout the land in a single day!
To be hailed as a great talent and rise to prominence from then on was enough to make everyone envious.
The emergence of two great talents in quick succession gave many people confidence. No longer content to watch, they went into the Hall of Talents.
But unfortunately, after the Recruitment Bell rang those two times, it never rang again.
Many people entered the Hall of Talents brimming with confidence, only to leave with their heads hanging.
As a result, many people were curious about what sort of ability it took to make the Recruitment Bell ring.
Meanwhile, in the Royal Palace, Zi Shou met the four extraordinary talents who had made the Recruitment Bell ring.
"Yuan Hong pays his respects to the King!"
"Wu Long pays his respects to the King!"
"Chang Hao pays his respects to the King!"
"Jiang Shang pays his respects to the King!"
The four stepped forward to pay their respects. Zi Shou observed the four great talents before him—or, more precisely, three demons and one man.
He was naturally familiar with the famed Meishan Seven Saints from the Canonization of the Gods, and knew their origins as well.
The three burly men before him looked human, but they were three of the Meishan Seven Saints.
Yuan Hong was the leader of the Meishan Seven Saints. He had cultivated to enlightenment from a white ape and possessed a thousand years of cultivation.
What was more, Yuan Hong had mastered the Eight-Nine Mysterious Skill and practiced the Seventy-Two Transformations. His cultivation was profound, and his divine powers were formidable.
He could not compare to the Twelve Golden Immortals of Chanjiao, but below the Golden Immortals, he had virtually no rival.
Wu Long and Chang Hao were also members of the Meishan Seven Saints. Wu Long had cultivated to enlightenment from a centipede, while Chang Hao had done so from a long snake.
Though they were demons, the Meishan Seven Saints were nothing like the demons in the North Sea.
By coming to the Hall of Talents of their own accord and then appearing before him, their allegiance to Great Shang was already clear.
If his guess was right, Yuan Hong and the other two demons had come ahead of the rest to test the waters and see how he would react.
Humans and demons had been at odds since ancient times. Though the Meishan Seven Saints had chosen to join Great Shang of their own accord, they were demons, which put them in an awkward position.
In particular, King Zhou had slain demons in the North Sea. That could hardly be a secret to the Meishan Seven Saints.
"I'm delighted that the three of you have come out of seclusion to help Great Shang!" Zi Shou said with a smile.
Humans and demons did indeed have deep-rooted conflicts, but demons could never be wiped out completely. Nor was he prejudiced against every demon.
The Interception Sect, for instance, had plenty of disciples who were demons by birth, but they were nothing like the demons of the North Sea.
As long as they had not shed Human blood, he was willing to accept them into Great Shang, even if they were demons.
However, his friendly demeanor did not ease the tension in Yuan Hong and the other two demons.
Zi Shou's guess was right. Although Yuan Hong and the others had entered the Hall of Talents, they couldn't help feeling uneasy.
Ordinary people might not know that King Zhou had slain demons in the North Sea, but the Meishan Seven Saints knew all about it.
For now, King Zhou was all smiles—but that was only because he didn't know they were demons.
If he knew they were demons, would the King before them still be so friendly?
But before Yuan Hong and the other two demons could reveal their identities, Zi Shou turned his gaze to the old man.
How could he not know of Jiang Shang, who was destined to confer the gods on Heaven's behalf and help the Zhou dynasty prosper for eight hundred years?
He truly hadn't expected that establishing the Hall of Talents and issuing the Edict of Talent Recruitment could lure in such a big fish.
"Jiang Shang, you're exceptionally gifted. What do you think of Great Shang as it stands?" Zi Shou asked.
In the Hall of Talents' recommendation, Yuan Hong and the other two demons had been praised as extraordinary talents with magical arts, fit to become great generals.
Yuan Hong in particular was not merely powerful; he was also highly skilled at commanding troops in battle.
But Jiang Shang had not been recommended for his mastery of magical arts. He had been recommended for his own abilities.
His talents in governing the state and ensuring peace, as well as his knowledge of military strategy, had filled the officials in the Hall of Talents with admiration.
Zi Shou had no reason to doubt this. Jiang Shang, who would help Zhou prosper for eight hundred years, ought to have such abilities.
But that was the crux of the matter. He was destined to help Zhou prosper for eight hundred years—not Shang!
Jiang Shang was, after all, a disciple of the Exposition Sect and a personal disciple of Yuanshi Tianzun. His loyalties had effectively been decided long ago.
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