People in Conferred Gods: Rising from humble beginnings, I am the God of Wealth

Chapter 343 The root of the great calamity lies in the Nine Provinces; Emperor Xin and Daji plot to become gods!
Inside the Emperor's Palace.

Daji bowed to Di Xin and asked:
"Is Your Majesty considering doing as much as possible before the Great Calamity arrives, then abdicating and returning to the Fire Cloud Cave?"

"exactly!"

Di Xin nodded. That was indeed what he thought. This matter was arranged by the sage, and even the sages of Huoyun Cave were helpless. What could he possibly do to change it?

The only thing he can do now is to do more before the Great Tribulation arrives, so that the human race of the Nine Provinces has more protection during the Great Tribulation, and so that he can realize his ambitions more fully.

As for Daji being able to guess what he was thinking, Di Xin was not surprised.

Throughout the Shang Dynasty, Daji has always played the role of a strategist.

But what Daji said next was completely unexpected.

Daji gently touched the red string on her wrist, bowed to Di Xin again, and said in a deep voice:

"Your Majesty, the matter of abdication requires careful consideration!"

"According to the message from Huoyun Cave, the Sage only said that within one era, when the human dynasty changes and the human qi moves turbulently, that will be the day when the great calamity descends."

"The root of this matter lies in the turmoil of human morality, not in the change of human dynasties. In my humble opinion, there may still be a chance for this matter to turn around!"

Daji spoke with absolute certainty, and a confident look appeared on her face.

Her origins are extraordinary. She knows more about the Investiture of the Gods than the Sage Taiqing told the human race. She not only knows that the Jie Sect and the Chan Sect are the ones who are destined to face this calamity.

They also knew that the ultimate goal of this great calamity was to evolve the Three Realms and further perfect the primordial world.

The ancient sages of the human race in Huoyun Cave deduced from what the Taiqing Sage said that the Investiture of the Gods calamity was closely related to the human race, and that the Nine Provinces would even become the main battlefield of the calamity.

It is certain that Daji is connected to the human race in the Investiture of the Gods.

In the Zixiao Palace, although Hongjun Daozu only said that he would settle the karmic debts owed by the Xuanmen by conferring gods, he also asked the Heavenly Dao Saints to sign the Investiture of the Gods and forced the Chan Sect and Jie Sect to accept the calamity.

The specifics of the Investiture of the Gods were not mentioned by Hongjun Daozu.

However, all the saints present understood, especially after learning about the evolution of the Three Realms, they understood Hongjun Daozu's intentions even more.

Hongjun Daozu used the change of dynasties and the turmoil in the human world as the opportunity for the Great Tribulation to descend, so that this Investiture of the Gods would take place in the Nine Provinces.

The reason why Hongjun Daozu specifically named the Chan Sect and the Jie Sect to face the calamity was not only because the Chan Sect and the Jie Sect did indeed owe the prehistoric world a great deal of karma, but also because of the inevitable Great Dao struggle between Yuanshi Tianzun and Tongtian Jiaozhu.

The evolution of the Three Realms in the primordial world would certainly proceed more smoothly with the help of external forces.

After understanding these things, it is not difficult to guess Hongjun Daozu's arrangements for the Investiture of the Gods.

The Chan Sect and the Jie Sect had a dispute over the lineage of their doctrines. One sect sought to follow the will of Heaven, while the other sought to secure a glimmer of hope for all living beings in the primordial world.

The two dynasties of the human race needed to be replaced, one was born in accordance with the will of Heaven, and the other was destined to die, which was in line with the doctrines of the Chan Sect and the Jie Sect.

The so-called Investiture of the Gods would then be a struggle between the two religions over their respective lineages. If the new dynasty overthrows the Shang dynasty, it would prove that the Primordial Heavenly Venerable was right.

If the Shang Dynasty were to quell the rebellion, it would prove that the Tongtian Sect Leader's doctrines were superior.

After learning these things, Daji knew that there was still a glimmer of hope for the fate of the Shang Dynasty.

After a brief pause, Daji spoke again before Di Xin could ask any more questions;

"Even saints need to understand cause and effect. They must support a completely new dynasty in order to replace the Shang Dynasty and become the new ruler of the human race."

"Moreover, this dynasty needs the permission of the sages in the Fire Cloud Cave and the recognition of the human race of the Nine Provinces. It cannot be decided with just a word."

"Furthermore, as far as I know, there is a doctrinal dispute between the Chan Sect and the Jie Sect, and both the Chan Sect and the Jie Sect are the ones who will face the tribulation of the Investiture of the Gods."

"If my thoughts are correct, then the change of dynasties in the human race is part of the Investiture of the Gods calamity, which is related to the doctrinal conflict between the Chan Sect and the Jie Sect, and it is by no means something that can be resolved overnight."

At this point, Daji paused slightly, and after Di Xin had digested the information, she continued:

"Your Majesty, I believe that the Great Shang should strive to enhance its national strength during this period in order to prepare for the future struggle for the Investiture of the Gods."

"If my thoughts are correct, it should not be long before disciples of the Chan Sect or the Jie Sect come to the Great Shang to discuss the matter of the Investiture of the Gods."

"If I am overthinking it, enhancing the strength of the Great Shang Dynasty will also help the human race of the Nine Provinces cope with the Great Calamity."

"These are merely my humble opinions; I leave the decision to Your Majesty!"

Upon hearing this, Di Xin remained silent.

To be able to sit on the throne of the Human Emperor, one cannot be associated with fools; otherwise, the sages of the Fire Cloud Cave would not have agreed to it.

The human emperor may be inactive, but he must never make a grave mistake that shakes the foundation of the human race; this is a fundamental principle.

Emperor Xin was hailed as a wise ruler by the people of the Shang Dynasty for his outstanding strategic acumen.

Although Daji did not reveal all the secrets of the Investiture of the Gods, her speculations were all reasonable and well-founded. Regardless of the truth, enhancing the strength of the Shang Dynasty would not be a bad thing for the human race of the Nine Provinces.

The only problem is that if Daji is wrong, when the great calamity arrives, Di Xin will have to abdicate.

Unable to realize his ambitions during those final tens of thousands of years, he could only return to the Fire Cloud Cave with his regrets.

In other words, all these risks rested on Di Xin himself.

If he does what he wants, he will have at least tens of thousands of years left to use.

If he had followed Daji's advice and strived to enhance the power of the Shang Dynasty, then his ambitions and ideas might never have had a chance to be implemented.

"If you want to wear the crown, you must bear its weight. As the Emperor of the Great Merchant, I should prioritize the human race. Why should I care about my own petty interests?"

Di Xin shook his head and smiled, having made his decision.

Since he is the Human Emperor, he should prioritize the interests of the human race. At this stage, he should do his best to enhance the strength of the Shang Dynasty, which would obviously be more beneficial for the human race in dealing with the Investiture of the Gods.

Di Xin's original plans were all embodied in trade routes, commerce, and urban construction, which could improve the living conditions and cultivation environment of the human race.

In a relatively peaceful era, once these policies are implemented, humanity will surely take a giant leap forward and steadily enhance its foundation.

But now that the Great Tribulation is approaching, the Nine Provinces will become a major battlefield of the Investiture of the Gods, and will have nothing to do with peace.

From a rational perspective, Di Xin's original plans were indeed unsuitable for implementation at this stage. Having made his decision, Di Xin no longer hesitated and immediately summoned his ministers to the palace to discuss ways to enhance the strength of the Shang Dynasty.

Today, the Shang Dynasty has long since developed a social structure in which humans and gods coexist.

To maximize the national strength of the Shang Dynasty, it is necessary to find ways to utilize the Heavenly Temples and Underworld City God Temples throughout the Nine Provinces.

Although Yang Xuan stipulated that neither the celestial gods nor the underworld gods should interfere in the internal affairs of other forces, he did not prevent the righteous gods of the celestial court from having dealings with other forces in their personal capacity.

The celestial gods and underworld spirits who are able to build temples in Kyushu all possess considerable strength, with most having cultivation levels above True Immortal, and many even being Golden Immortals.

In the past, the human race wanted to be self-reliant. Apart from sorting out the earth's veins, building cities, and constructing cave dwellings, they never sought help from these immortals, gods, or spirits.

But now, with the great calamity approaching, the Shang Dynasty wants to improve its national strength as soon as possible and protect more of its people, so it has no choice but to further cooperate with these immortals, gods, and spirits.

If we can trade with them for some advanced supernatural abilities, cultivation techniques, or even elixirs and spiritual treasures, the national strength of the Great Shang Dynasty can certainly be rapidly enhanced.

After several years of deliberation, Emperor Xin finally settled on a relatively comprehensive policy and ordered local officials to implement it.

However, to the surprise of Di Xin, Daji, and the others, the matter went much more smoothly than they had anticipated.

They had originally thought that the celestial gods and underworld spirits would take advantage of the impending calamity and the human race's desires to make exorbitant demands, and they were prepared to bleed heavily.

Unexpectedly, it seemed that both the celestial beings and the demons of the underworld had been prepared all along.

After the humans came knocking, they quickly negotiated a deal with them in their own names, offering spiritual treasures, magical objects, or cultivation techniques and supernatural abilities.

What they traded was remarkably consistent: a promise from the human race that, regardless of how human dynasties changed in the future, they should be given priority in receiving offerings.

As long as humanity exists, the incense will burn forever—that is their demand!

If only a few gods or spirits do this, it could be considered a coincidence. But if all gods and spirits do this, then there is clearly a problem.

Even a saint might not be able to get the celestial gods and the underworld gods to make such a decision simultaneously.

Throughout the entire primordial world, there is only one person who can do this!
Upon learning of this, Di Xin, Daji, and the others all turned to look in the direction of the Emperor's Temple.

"The Emperor truly deserves the title of a great sage of the human race, and our human race owes him a great debt!"

Emperor Xin sighed, filled with emotion. He had been very familiar with Yang Xuan's deeds long before he became the human emperor.

Knowing that Yang Xuan was a great sage of the human race, leaving an important mark on the history of the human race, and that the human race's achievements today are inseparable from Yang Xuan's contributions.

At the very beginning of the Shang Dynasty, Suirenshi personally came to the Emperor's Palace and gave Shang Tang an important spiritual object, instructing him to do his utmost to promote the way of commerce, spread the way of the gods, and cooperate with Yang Xuan's plans in the Nine Provinces.

This is a secret known only to successive emperors, demonstrating that Yang Xuan's relationship with the human race is far closer than what is rumored outside.

Even so, Di Xin did not expect that Yang Xuan had known all along that the human race would one day seek help from the celestial gods and the underworld gods and ghosts, and had made preparations in advance, clearing away an important obstacle for the human race.

As for Yang Xuan's request, Emperor Xin didn't consider it a problem at all.

Today, Kyushu has long since developed a social structure in which humans and gods coexist.

Humans, celestial deities, and underworld spirits are inherently mutually beneficial beings. Providing offerings to celestial deities and underworld spirits is entirely advantageous to humans.

Even if Yang Xuan hadn't made this request, the incense offerings to the celestial beings and gods of Heaven and the ghosts and gods of the underworld would surely have grown increasingly prosperous in the future.

However, this matter involved the future dynasties of the Nine Provinces. Emperor Xin was only the emperor of the Shang Dynasty and had no way to manage the affairs of other dynasties.

After learning of Yang Xuan's request, he went to Huoyun Cave and told the human ancestors inside about it.

The final result is self-evident: Di Xin entered the Fire Cloud Cave almost as soon as he came out.

However, after returning to the city, he did not immediately go back to the Emperor's Palace. Instead, he went to the Emperor's Temple and placed the inconspicuous, warm black stone in the hands of Yang Xuan's statue.

After completing this task, Di Xin returned to the Human Emperor Palace and issued orders to officials in various regions, agreeing to Yang Xuan's request and completing the transaction with the ghosts and gods of the underworld and the immortals and gods of the heavenly court.

After obtaining these cultivation techniques and spiritual items, cities throughout the Nine Provinces, centered around the marketplace, began to focus on training their armies and increasing their strength in preparation for the upcoming Investiture of the Gods calamity.

As a result, the human race of Kyushu entered a period of rapid development. Although this method of advancement was somewhat forced, none of the participants complained.

They are willing to pay this price as long as it helps them survive the great calamity and allows more of their people to live!
……

Wa Palace.

A red spirit pearl seemed to have gained sentience, filled with curiosity about the outside world. It flew around the Nuwa Palace, appearing lively, active, and full of energy.

But suddenly, the spirit orb seemed to have hit an invisible wall and stopped in mid-air.

The next moment, it vanished from its original spot and appeared in the hands of the Sage Nuwa.

"Although you have developed sentience, you still need to cultivate diligently for hundreds of years before you can take human form. If you are not careful, your sentience will be destroyed in the heavenly tribulation and you will be transformed back into a spiritual treasure."

"If you are willing to undergo the tribulation for the Xuanmen, I can send you to be reincarnated, first into human form, and then merge with your original body when you have achieved sufficient cultivation. This will not only allow you to take human form earlier, but also exempt you from the tribulation of transformation. Would you be willing?"

All innate spiritual beings possess spirituality, but it is extremely difficult for them to develop intelligence, and even more difficult for them to take human form.

Since this spiritual pearl has developed sentience, it naturally understands the difficulty of taking human form.

If he could transform into human form ahead of time and avoid the tribulation of transformation, what reason would he have to refuse?

Upon hearing Nuwa's words, the spirit pearl trembled excitedly, as if nodding, clearly indicating its willingness to face the tribulation for the Xuanmen.

Seeing this, Nuwa nodded in satisfaction and gave instructions:

“You are destined to face a tribulation. Now that the Heavenly Tribulation of Transformation is no longer present, this tribulation should be during the Great Tribulation of the Investiture of the Gods.”

"Whether we can survive this ordeal or not may depend on Yang Xuan. If we are fortunate enough to meet Yang Xuan after reincarnation, we should treat him as an elder and never be rude to him!"

Having said that, Nuwa reached out and gently touched the spirit pearl, leaving a mark on it before sending it into the cycle of reincarnation.

Nuwa looked at Kunlun Mountain, a meaningful smile appearing on her face.

Helping the Xuanmen overcome their tribulation is repaying the karmic debts they owe, but that doesn't mean she can't have her own plans!

(End of this chapter)