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

Chapter 361 Destiny's Mandate? Man Will Conquer Heaven!

Kyushu.

As time went on, the conflict between Xiqi and Dashang intensified.

Starting ten thousand years ago, even basic trade between the two sides was cut off, and their relationship became increasingly tense.

Although no large-scale battles have broken out yet, minor skirmishes have been ongoing.

Friction inevitably leads to casualties, and the relationship between the two sides gradually escalated from hostility to hatred, with friction intensifying day by day.

At the border between Xiqi and Dashang, the number of troops stationed by both sides is increasing day by day, giving the impression that a storm is brewing.

Even ordinary people can see that in the near future, an inevitable war will break out between Xiqi and Dashang. The longer it drags on, the more brutal the war will become!

this day.

Inside Xiqi City, an old Taoist priest dressed in a gray-white robe, with a book and a wooden whip hanging at his waist, received a summons and came to the city lord's mansion, where he met the current Marquis of Xibo, Ji Chang.

At this moment, Ji Chang's face showed undisguised worry as he looked at the old Taoist priest in front of him and asked:

"Prime Minister Jiang, when will the immortals of the Chan Sect arrive?"

Ji Chang was no fool; how could he not see the situation clearly?

He was well aware that there was a significant gap between Xiqi and the Shang Dynasty, and if a war were to break out, Xiqi would be more likely to be defeated.

After all, the Shang Dynasty had been the supreme ruler of the human race for many years, and its foundation was far beyond what Xiqi could match. Even if Xiqi united with the surrounding cities to form an alliance, it still could not compare with the Shang Dynasty.

Tens of thousands of years ago, after the Fire Cloud Cave sent a message announcing the impending Great Calamity, the Great Shang Dynasty focused its main efforts on improving its combat strength.

Furthermore, the Shang Dynasty and the Heavenly Court immortals reached a cooperation agreement, and the Shang Dynasty obtained many cultivation techniques, powerful supernatural abilities, and various elixirs and spiritual treasures.

Over the years, the military strength of the Shang Dynasty has improved significantly. No matter how hard Xiqi tries to catch up, it still cannot keep up with the pace of the Shang Dynasty, and the gap between them is getting bigger and bigger.

If a major war breaks out, given the current strength of the Xiqi Alliance, they can only passively take the beating and try to find a way to block the Shang Dynasty's offensive.

Xiqi can hold out for a short time, but if the battle drags on, the Xiqi alliance will only face defeat.

At that time, out of consideration for the common people, the people of Xiqi will be fine, and the soldiers of Xiqi will not suffer too severe a fate if they surrender.

However, for these city lords, especially Ji Chang, who was their leader, it was absolutely certain that they would die; there was no other possibility.

There's no turning back now that things have progressed to this point; Ji Chang has no way out and only two paths remain for him.

Either overthrow the Shang Dynasty, take its place, and become the new ruler of the human race.

They would either be defeated by the Shang Dynasty and become traitors and sinners.

This situation is completely beyond Ji Chang's expectations.

Originally, he only thought that he would follow the example of Tang of Shang and, without losing a single soldier, rely on the will of the people to make Di Xin voluntarily abdicate and become the new ruler of the human race.

At first, things did indeed go as he thought.

As Xiqi's reputation soared, surrounding cities took the initiative to form alliances with him, acknowledging him as their master, and this influence rapidly spread to the surrounding areas. Everything was developing in a positive direction.

But gradually, different voices emerged in Kyushu. Many cities took the initiative to stand up and express their support for the Shang Dynasty, believing that the Shang Dynasty's fortune was not yet exhausted, the Western Zhou Dynasty's destiny was insufficient, and Emperor Xin should be the human emperor!

The emergence of these voices led to friction between the Xiqi Alliance and the Shang Dynasty, which eventually evolved into the current situation.

As the Marquis of Xibo and the ruler of Xiqi, Ji Chang had naturally discovered this long ago.

Tens of thousands of years ago, the relationship between Xiqi and Shang was not nearly as bad as it is now. He realized that if things continued this way, it would drive Xiqi to its doom.

At that time, he thought that he could not continue like this. Even if he wanted to replace Shang, he had to take it slowly.

But at that moment, Jiang Ziya suddenly arrived in Xiqi and brought him a message. It was this message that made him abandon the idea he had just had.

Jiang Ziya told him that Xiqi was ordained by Heaven and should become the new ruler of the human race. The human race should obey the mandate of Heaven and support Xiqi in taking over the Shang dynasty!
Upon hearing this, Ji Chang suddenly realized that the reason Huoyun Cave allowed the relationship between Xiqi and Shang to deteriorate was because it had sensed the secrets of heaven and chose to follow the will of heaven, which was why it acquiesced to the matter.

If the Shang dynasty is unwilling to abdicate, it will be going against the will of Heaven. Xiqi will then have the moral high ground, will gain more support from the human race, and may even be able to send troops to attack the Shang.

Therefore, Xiqi raised its banner and declared that Xiqi was ordained by Heaven and should be the new leader of the human race, leading the human race through the great calamity. Anyone who obstructed this matter would be going against Heaven and putting the human race in an unjust position.

These words immediately caused a huge uproar throughout Kyushu.

However, the outcome of this matter was not what Ji Chang had expected.

In his view, even the sages of Huoyun Cave tacitly agreed that the human race should follow the will of Heaven, and even if they did not openly support Xiqi, they should still remain neutral.

However, the outcome was not entirely so. After the news spread throughout the Nine Provinces, many clansmen did express that they should follow the will of Heaven and support Xiqi to become the new common leader of the human race.

Many neutral cities in the Nine Provinces even chose to stand with Xiqi, supporting Xiqi in overthrowing the Shang and becoming the new ruler of the Nine Provinces.

However, some people believe that since ancient times, the human race has been moving forward through hardships and setbacks, either facing the tests of the primordial world or preparing to accept them, so how can there be any talk of following the will of heaven?

Moreover, Emperor Xin was a wise ruler who implemented many policies that benefited the human race during his reign.

For example, further promoting trade routes would enable the exchange of goods and resources across the prehistoric world, accelerating the development of the human race.

For example, strengthening cooperation with the Heavenly Court and the Underworld, sorting out the earth's veins, building cave dwellings, and improving the cultivation and living environment of the human race in the Nine Provinces would also be a great achievement.

Although Emperor Xin made some wrong decisions during his reign, overall, his merits outweighed his demerits, and these mistakes were negligible compared to his achievements.

Given this, is it really reasonable to force Emperor Xin to abdicate and replace the Shang dynasty simply because of a vague notion that "the Mandate of Heaven belongs to Xiqi"?

Furthermore, since Di Xin learned from Daji that the Investiture of the Gods was not without hope, he did not believe in the so-called destiny of heaven, making it even more impossible for him to abdicate voluntarily.

After discussing the matter with Daji and other important court officials, Di Xin's response consisted of only four words: "Man can conquer nature!"
These words caused another uproar, and those who had previously sided with the Shang Dynasty became even more resolute in their stance.

Even some neutral people felt that it was too hasty to change the dynasty of Kyushu just because of a destiny.

Who decided that if one is destined by Heaven, one must obey Heaven's will? Can't human will overcome Heaven?
The emergence of the two sayings, "Destiny is bestowed upon us" and "Man can conquer nature," has made the conflict between Xiqi and Da Shang Che no longer just a struggle for the common ruler of the human race, but a struggle over the development philosophy of the human race, with no way out.

If we consider Xiqi and Dashang as two different orthodox traditions, then this is a struggle between two doctrines, and two completely opposite transactions. How could there be any possibility of reconciliation?
With the emergence of these two claims, some highly skilled human sages sensed something unusual, and Ji Chang was one of them.

The concepts of "destiny is ordained" and "human will can conquer nature" are remarkably similar to the doctrines of the Chan and Jie sects.

Furthermore, since Jiang Ziya was a disciple of the Chan Sect, Ji Chang, upon hearing the saying "Man can conquer nature," immediately thought of the Chan and Jie Sects, two sage-led sects, and directly sought out Jiang Ziya to raise his questions.

However, Jiang Ziya did not give a definite answer, but he did reassure Ji Chang. Jiang Ziya told Ji Chang that the Chan Sect would support Xiqi in becoming the new ruler of the human race, and that in the near future, immortals from the Chan Sect would come to Xiqi to help Ji Chang conquer the Shang!

Upon hearing that a celestial being from the Chan Sect would assist him, Ji Chang was indeed much more at ease.

But so many years have passed, and with Xiqi about to break out into a great war with the Shang Dynasty, no immortals from the Chan Sect have come. How can he be at ease?
As for Jiang Ziya...

Although he didn't have the negligible cultivation level that later generations had described, he was, after all, the one destined to be a god. How could the Primordial Heavenly Venerable not give him special attention and cultivation?

However, Yuanshi Tianzun follows the elite route and will not do anything that forces growth. In addition, time is of the essence, and Jiang Ziya is only at the initial stage of Taiyi Golden Immortal cultivation.

In the great battle between the Shang Dynasty and Xiqi, even the Taiyi Golden Immortal had no way to turn the tide!

Even though Jiang Ziya was a disciple of the Chan Sect, with profound Taoist cultivation, extraordinary supernatural powers, and powerful spiritual treasures, the human race was not without Taiyi Golden Immortals.

How could Jiang Ziya alone bridge the gap between Xiqi and the Shang Dynasty?

Therefore, Ji Chang summoned Jiang Ziya and inquired again about the origins of the immortals of the Chan Sect.

Compared to Ji Chang's unease, Jiang Ziya appeared much calmer, with a faint smile on his face, looking full of confidence.

"Marquis of Xibo need not worry. The overthrow of Shang by Xiqi is the will of Heaven, the decision made by my master himself, and with the help of my Chan Sect, how could any unexpected events occur?"

"As for when the immortals of the Chan Sect will arrive, that is already set. They will arrive when Xiqi attacks Shang. Marquis of Xibo need not worry, just wait."

This wasn't the first time Jiang Ziya had said this. When Ji Chang heard this familiar refrain again, he felt helpless but had no choice but to believe it.

He had no other choice but to believe in the Chan Sect. If no other immortals from the Chan Sect arrived, he would only face certain death.

However, from a rational perspective, he really has no reason to worry.

If Xiqi represents "following the will of Heaven" and the Shang Dynasty's choice is "human will can overcome Heaven," then the Chan Sect would not stand by and watch Xiqi fall, and would definitely send immortals to help.

Similarly, it's highly unlikely that the Jie Sect would stand by and watch the Shang Dynasty lose, and would send Jie Sect immortals to help.

If Ji Chang's thinking is correct, this conflict between Xiqi and Shang is no longer a simple change of dynasty, but also involves a doctrinal conflict between the Chan and Jie sects.

"Ugh……"

Ji Chang felt helpless. The change of dynasties already meant a lot of casualties. If the Chan Sect and the Jie Sect got involved, the casualties of the human race would be even greater.

Although he and Di Xin held different positions and hoped to ascend to the throne of the Human Emperor, his starting point was good; he hoped to lead the human race to a better life.

I just didn't expect things to change like this.

But he also understood that even if he hadn't had the idea of ​​overthrowing the Shang Dynasty, the situation in Kyushu wouldn't have changed, and someone else would have done it.

Perhaps, this is the true destiny...

at the same time.

Dashang, Chaoge City.

A tall, thin, middle-aged Taoist priest dressed in a black robe led a black leopard into the Emperor's Palace.

At this moment, the palace maids and guards had already left the palace, leaving only two people inside.

One of them, dressed in a yellow robe and seated on the throne, was none other than the current Emperor Xin.

The other one was dressed in the imperial magistrate's robes and wore a red bracelet on his wrist, but he was not human.

She had two white fox ears on her head and nine white fox tails behind her, clearly a nine-tailed fox demon.

If things proceeded according to the normal timeline, the appearance of a nine-tailed fox demon in the Emperor's Palace would surely cause people to exclaim that it was a monster, triggering panic.

But in the present-day Kyushu, a nine-tailed fox demon is nothing at all.

Several eons ago, the Nine Provinces already exhibited a social structure where humans and gods coexisted, and all sorts of strange and wonderful deities could be seen everywhere.

Even if this nine-tailed fox demon is dressed in the robes of the Imperial Preceptor and is the Imperial Preceptor of the Great Shang Dynasty, as long as he performs his duties in his position, no one will find any problem with him.

This nine-tailed fox demon was none other than the famous Daji in later generations!

Upon seeing the newcomer, Daji smiled and nodded. Di Xin then smiled and said:

"Master Shen has arrived, please take a seat."

This Taoist priest in black also had a great reputation in later generations, known as the walking jinx, Shen Gongbao!
In later terms, Di Xin, Daji, and Shen Gongbao were the three biggest villains during the Investiture of the Gods.

But clearly, their current situation is different from what was rumored in later generations.

After Shen Gongbao entered the palace, he left the black leopard accompanying him outside the door and bowed to Di Xin.

"I have met His Majesty!"

Shen Gongbao was courteous and showed no arrogance or shortsightedness as a disciple of the Jie Sect, despite his status.

Now, Shen Gongbao has awakened his memories of his past life, has experience working in the Heavenly Court for dozens of years, and has been taught by Yang Xuan for many years. Naturally, he has nothing to do with arrogance and shortsightedness.

In fact, even the saying "Man can conquer nature" was told to Emperor Xin by Shen Gongbao.

When he was still angry, he asked Yang Xuan how he viewed the relationship between the human race and the Heavenly Court. He wondered if this development would lead to the human race being controlled by the Heavenly Court, causing dissatisfaction among the three emperors of the human race.

Yang Xuan's answer at the time was simply, "Man can conquer nature."

He then told Sheng Sanqi that since the birth of humanity, the human race has been fighting against heaven and earth, and only in the end was it able to uphold the human way and become the protagonist of heaven and earth today.

The fire in Suirenshi's hand symbolized the indomitable will of humankind.

How could such a race possibly be subject to the control of the Heavenly Court?
The phrase "Man can conquer nature" left a deep impression on Sheng Sanqi.

Before he left Jin'ao Island, the Tongtian Sect Leader summoned him to Biyou Palace and asked him about his plans for going to the Nine Provinces. He then recited the four words "Man will conquer nature" and Yang Xuan's rhetoric.

After listening, the Tongtian Sect Leader's expression subtly changed, as if he was shocked, surprised, and also seemed to have a sense of realization.

But he didn't say anything, he just sent Shen Gongbao to the Nine Provinces to help the Shang Dynasty defeat the Western Zhou and spread the idea of ​​"man can conquer nature" among the human race.

If needed, you can seek help from your fellow disciples in the Jie Sect.

(End of this chapter)