If Heaven's Mandate truly existed, then it was the mandate for him, King Zhou, to become a debauched and immoral ruler who would eventually bring his kingdom to ruin.
Was he the one Heaven's Mandate favored?
No! He was defying Heaven!
"Just as I thought. Once the Human Race's Fortune reaches a certain level, it truly has boundless uses!"
At that moment, Zi Shou was far away in Chaoge City. Though he hadn't witnessed the battle, he already knew some of what had happened.
He had written the Imperial Edict himself, and he had gathered the Human Race's Fortune. Naturally, he sensed something when the edict was opened.
This had been an experiment, and the result was just as he'd expected: the Human Race's Fortune could do more than protect him.
He also understood that its ability to manifest and even transform into the shape of the Mysterious Bird wasn't thanks to his own power.
It was likely all connected to the Luck Torch. Only because of it could he make use of the Human Race's Fortune to some extent after it had transformed.
But his control over it was still crude. He still had a long way to go before he could command the Human Race's Fortune as easily as his own limbs.
"Have you heard? The King slew a Deity with a single Imperial Edict, and the rebellious lords surrendered without a fight!"
"How could I not have heard? The King's might is peerless. First, he led an Imperial Expedition to pacify the North Sea. Now, a single Imperial Edict has put down the lords' rebellion!"
"I never would've guessed a Deity would be so powerless before the King. He's the one truly favored by Heaven's Mandate!"
During the battle, many people had witnessed the Imperial Edict manifest and a Deity be slain. The news quickly spread throughout Great Shang.
Compared with the Imperial Expedition, this event was even more legendary, and countless people talked about it with relish.
Flames swept across the sky, the legendary Mysterious Bird appeared, and a single Imperial Edict slew a Deity!
It all went to show that, before the King, Deities were no big deal!
This upended people's understanding of the world. To countless people in Great Shang, the King was no longer merely their king.
A king who could slay a Deity with a single Imperial Edict was like the Heavenly Emperor, surrounded by countless legends.
Once this belief took root in people's hearts, they would rally behind him!
"The King is unfathomable! We must serve him with all our hearts from now on," Yuan Hong said with a sigh.
This campaign had been his chance to make a name for himself. He'd originally hoped to show off his abilities.
Who could have guessed that a single Imperial Edict would turn the whole campaign into the King's personal showcase?
No matter how well Yuan Hong performed in putting down the lords' rebellion, nobody would pay attention.
Everyone would simply think that the King was wise and mighty. If a single Imperial Edict could slay a Deity, then surely putting down the lords' rebellion was only to be expected.
But Yuan Hong no longer cared about that. What mattered more to him was the King.
When he'd first met the King, he'd thought him wise and mighty, not the foolish ruler described in the rumors.
Later, he'd seen the King's peerless physical strength and innate power, and realized the tales of the North Sea victory were true. That had surprised him.
Still, the King was so wise and mighty, yet had entrusted him with such an important task. Yuan Hong had naturally felt grateful.
But all along, he'd considered the King an ordinary man. There was an unbridgeable gulf between him and a Cultivator.
Only when he saw the King slay that Mountain God with a single Imperial Edict did he truly understand: the King was the Human Sovereign!
He wasn't merely the Human Sovereign by title. He was a Human Sovereign who could gather the Human Race's Fortune!
The cultivation he'd always been proud of was nothing before a true Human Sovereign!
That was why he cast aside all his disdain and regarded the King as a true Human Sovereign, one like the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.
For this campaign, he'd set out from the Eastern Region. The lord he had subdued was only one of many.
Dozens of lords in Great Shang's Eastern Region had rebelled.
None of them were particularly powerful. Their rebellion had only gained momentum because Deities were supporting them from behind the scenes.
Lord of the East, Jiang Huan Chu, had also tried to suppress the rebels, but in the end, he'd suffered defeat because the Deities had intervened.
To ordinary people, the moment a Mountain God or River God appeared, the army's morale would collapse.
But such things were useless against Yuan Hong. He didn't even need to act. A single Imperial Edict could slay those Deities.
So, ever since Yuan Hong had led his troops to suppress the lords' rebellion, they'd advanced like a storm, sweeping across Great Shang's Eastern Region.
Thirteen Mountain Gods and River Gods were slain along the way, all by the King's Imperial Edict!
Eventually, even the Deities appointed by the Heavenly Court realized they were in trouble. They vanished without a trace, not daring to show themselves again.
In a short time, all the rebellious lords had been subdued, and peace returned to Great Shang's Eastern Region.
Then Yuan Hong didn't stop. He joined forces with Lord of the East, Jiang Huan Chu, and headed south.
Lord of the East, Jiang Huan Chu, had already suffered a defeat while suppressing the rebellion. He hadn't been crippled, but his losses had been severe.
Faced with Yuan Hong, who had put down the rebellion in an incredibly short time, Lord of the East, Jiang Huan Chu, didn't dare say a word.
Besides, the story of the King slaying a Deity with a single Imperial Edict had already spread across the land. How could he still harbor disloyal thoughts?
Dozens of lords had also rebelled in Great Shang's Southern Region, and they'd once defeated Lord of the South, E Chong Yu.
But with Yuan Hong and his army arriving, the outcome was no longer in doubt!
Not a single Deity dared show up now. They didn't even dare stay within Great Shang's borders.
It was terrifying! An Imperial Edict had slain a Deity. What Deity would dare remain in Great Shang?
The Deities in Great Shang's Southern Region had already scattered. The rebellious lords left behind were no more than a disorganized rabble.
Yuan Hong didn't even need to send troops against them. The rebels crumbled without a fight and surrendered at astonishing speed.
"Only the Western Region remains. I hope Lord of the West, Ji Chang, will put up a decent fight," Yuan Hong said.
The King had assigned him to suppress the rebellions in Great Shang's Eastern, Southern, and Western Regions.
As for the north, it had already been swept clean when the King led the Imperial Expedition to the North Sea. There were no rebellious lords there.
Before setting out, Yuan Hong and the other Meishan Seven Saints had been full of confidence, eager to show off their abilities.
But after setting off, they hadn't encountered a single worthy opponent.
When a Deity appeared, a single Imperial Edict slew it. They didn't need to lift a finger.
The rebellious lords saw the Deities slain and were so terrified that they surrendered on the spot.
They had power enough to reach the heavens, yet no chance to use it. They couldn't help feeling frustrated.
Only after pacifying the rebellion in Great Shang's Southern Region did Yuan Hong's spirits rise again.
Next, they would turn to Great Shang's Western Region, where the situation was entirely different from the east and the south.
Lord of the South, E Chong Yu, and Lord of the East, Jiang Huan Chu, had both suffered defeats. That was why the rebellion had grown more and more widespread.
But in Great Shang's Western Region, Lord of the West, Ji Chang, had never lost while putting down the rebellion.
Not only had he never lost, but no Deity had intervened. The rebellious lords had surrendered before he even had to fight them.
Because of this, Lord of the West, Ji Chang's reputation had grown steadily, and countless commoners praised him.
But Yuan Hong had discussed the situation in detail with the King. How could he not know what was really going on?
Lord of the West, Ji Chang, was a lord himself. During this campaign to suppress the rebellion, he hadn't lost a single soldier. Instead, his own power had grown.
The rebellious lords' soldiers had become Lord of the West's soldiers, and their territories had become his.
After this rebellion, Lord of the West's strength had surged, making him the most powerful lord in the land.
So, in Great Shang's Western Region, the rebellious lords weren't the real concern. Lord of the West was.
The King had spent a long time discussing with him what to do about Lord of the West.
Yuan Hong hoped Lord of the West would put up a decent fight. That way, he and the Meishan Seven Saints could finally show what they could do.
In Xiqi City, an old man furrowed his brows as he stared intently at the divination he'd just performed.
"Top Nine. The yang force has reached its peak. Greatness has reached its utmost limit. This is a most inauspicious omen!"
This man was none other than Lord of the West, Ji Chang, praised by countless commoners and renowned for his virtue.
Everyone knew Lord of the West was unmatched in benevolence and righteousness, and cherished his people. He was a rare and wise ruler.
But few knew that, besides his unmatched benevolence and righteousness, Lord of the West, Ji Chang, had also studied the Primordial Eight Trigrams in great depth.
The news that King Zhou had slain a Deity with a single Imperial Edict had spread across the land. Though he was far away in Xiqi, Ji Chang had heard of it.
Yuan Hong was leading an army, joined by Lord of the South, E Chong Yu, and Lord of the East, Jiang Huan Chu. Now they were already heading for Xiqi.
Everyone in Xiqi knew Yuan Hong hadn't come in peace. Lord of the West, Ji Chang, was equally troubled, so he performed a divination.
The reading showed that a sage had the virtue of a dragon and occupied the highest position in Heaven. But after remaining there too long, he would reach the point of excess. When things reached their extreme, they would turn in the opposite direction, and regret would follow.
This was Top Nine, Arrogant Dragon Repents. It was a most inauspicious omen, signifying that once something reached its extreme, it would reverse course, and prosperity would give way to decline!
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