Supreme Golden Palace

Chapter 183 Fist Power (Part 1)

Eight thousand armored soldiers were defeated in Xudu, and from then on, no one would dare to underestimate the State of Xu.

As Lü Shang gazed upon the wrecked soldiers and broken armor after the great battle, the image of a human-headed, red-haired, snake-bodied deity deep within his pupils grew increasingly solid, its features gradually taking on some of Lü Shang's own essence.

"Gonggong! Gonggong!"

In a daze, Lü Shang seemed to hear the sound of surging waves echoing in his ears. He seemed to see the vast ocean, the surging Milky Way, and the terrifying waves, and he also seemed to see the wrath of the heavens, the loss of the sun and moon, and the sinking of the southeast.

When Lü Shang came to his senses, two hours had passed without him realizing it. The sun was high in the sky. He looked up blankly at the floating clouds, his thoughts racing, and murmured, "This divine and enlightened realm of man is not far off!"

Since achieving the pure-blooded Gonggong, gaining access to the source, and entering the path of the ultimate human, Lü Shang has been favored by the Great Dao of Heaven, Earth, Water, and Man. His cultivation has been improving almost every moment, as if he doesn't know what the bottleneck is. In less than a year, he has reached the ultimate realm of the ultimate human.

This is a state that most enlightened beings can only hope to reach after hundreds of years of arduous cultivation.

And this was far from his limit. Now, if he took just one more small step forward, he would attain the divine fruit, reach the pinnacle of the mortal realm, and be comparable to a duke or marquis. Naturally, Lü Shang's heart was not as calm as he appeared.

Among the mortal realm, dukes and marquises are second only to the emperor and the Four Mountains, and are the most powerful among the feudal lords. Lü Shang is currently only the Earl of Xu. If he can attain the divine and human realm, aside from his ability to intimidate foreign states, he can also strive to be promoted from Earl of Xu to Marquis of Xu, and even Duke of Xu.

The so-called Nine Earls of Henan were merely regional governors, not dukes or marquises.

"If I attain the Dao of the Divine Human, I will be able to manifest the divine body of Gonggong. Perhaps, when I attain the Great Wilderness Divine Human, that will be the day when my foundation is perfected and I simultaneously attain the Human Immortal realm."

"At that time, martial arts immortals and great wilderness gods will all attain two realms. Below the level of gods and righteous gods, who will be their match?"

Just as Lü Shang was secretly overwhelmed with emotion, he heard the soft clatter of armor behind him.

Young Master Chong carried a scroll of bamboo slips up the steps, the edges of which still carried the scent of bamboo shavings.

"Your Majesty, the rulers of the six states have arrived at the city outskirts,"

Gongzi Chong unfolded the bamboo slips, and the sealing wax shattered in the morning light.

"These rulers have presented their letters to the monarch to apologize,"

Lu Shang raised an eyebrow, glanced at the official letter, and chuckled, "Yesterday they were still observing from the sidelines, and today they've rushed to Xudu to humble themselves. It must have been quite a feat for them."

"Don't be too harsh on them; you should also appease them appropriately. After all, aren't they also our vassals?"

Young Master Chong hesitated for a moment, then replied, "Yes."

As one of the Nine Hegemons, the State of Xu also had vassals, and these six states were its vassals.

Although the State of Xu and the four states of the Ji clan, led by the Southern Yan, were not large states and were referred to as small states, not all of them were small states.

Like the four uncles of the Xu Kingdom and the Ji family, their regional governor seals all possess supernatural powers at the level of a supreme being. Their kingdoms also have ten thousand households of citizens, ten armies of soldiers, and inherited treasures to suppress their destiny. Each of them is a local tyrant.

Before such powerful vassal states, those smaller states that could only be called rulers had to be extremely cautious and watch the powerful's every move in order to survive.

"Let's go and see them. Although these six states are not very useful, they are still vassals of our Xu Kingdom. Yesterday, the armies of the four kingdoms pressed on our border, and these weak states and their rulers did not immediately turn against us. That is quite kind of them."

After thinking for a moment, Lü Shang said, "They are kind-hearted, so we can't be too ruthless. We should always leave ourselves an out."

"If that's the case, and they continue to be so ambivalent in the future, then when we eliminate their country, no one should say that the Lü clan killed them without warning."

The young master laughed and said, "Your Majesty is benevolent."

"It's not that I'm being kind, but rather that I'm giving them a final bit of dignity."

Lü Shang stepped down from the city wall, his bronze armor gleaming coldly in the morning light.

Prince Chong, carrying the bamboo slips, followed closely behind. The group traversed the streets and alleys, heading straight into the palace. "Announce that the lords of the six states have entered the hall,"

Before the main hall, a palace attendant announced in a loud voice.

Lu Shang sat on the throne, the candles in the palace still burning, casting his shadow on the palace wall, making him appear like a giant god descending to earth.

"This foreign ruler pays homage to Lord Xu. May Lord Xu live ten thousand years!"

The envoys from the six states filed in, all looking flustered. The leader, Lord Chen Cao, was especially trembling and immediately prostrated himself in deep worship.

Before Lü Shang could speak, Chen Caojun touched his forehead to the ground and said in a trembling voice, "Our sins are unforgivable, even if we die ten thousand times. Now, seeing the divine might of Xu Bo that shakes Yuzhou, we realize that those who defy Heaven perish. We hope that Your Majesty will remember our past respect and deference to the six states and show mercy to forgive our foolishness!"

After speaking, Chen Caojun kowtowed repeatedly, and blood appeared on his forehead.

Seeing this, the rulers of the other five states followed suit, and the hall was filled with apologies.

Lord Zhenjian removed his hat and went barefoot, took off the jade pendant from his waist and held it in his palm, saying, "This is a national treasure passed down from my ancestor when he founded the country. I am willing to offer it to Lord Xu, only asking that my ancestral temple be preserved."

The jade pendant gleamed warmly in the candlelight, but it couldn't hide the violent trembling in his hands.

Lü Shang's gaze swept over the trembling lords in the hall, finally settling on the jade held by Lord Zhenjian.

The jade pendant was simple and ancient in shape, with faint traces of spiritual light flowing through it. It should be a remnant of an ancient sacrificial artifact. Although it was not a treasure of the highest level, it could still barely suppress some of the aura.

Lu Shang pondered for a moment and said, "A gentleman does not take what others love. Since this jade is a national treasure, let it remain in the Zhenjian Ancestral Temple."

As he spoke, the candlelight in the hall flickered, casting a deep shadow on his brow bone. He said, “Since the six states have already repented, they should show their loyalty with concrete actions. After the autumn harvest this year, each state should contribute 30,000 shi of millet to the granary of Xu State, and send ten noble sons to Xu Capital as hostages.”

Chen Caojun dared not hesitate and loudly proclaimed, "Xu Boren is virtuous!"

"We will certainly pay our tribute on time and will not delay in the slightest!"

The other five rulers hurriedly echoed this sentiment, all looking as if they had survived a calamity.

Thirty thousand shi of millet was indeed a devastating blow to the six states; not everyone had the savings of thirty thousand shi from Tongqiu.

However, compared to being punished, which could lead to the collapse of the ancestral temple and the destruction of the state, the punishment of 30,000 shi of millet was not unacceptable.

Seeing the rulers of the six states rushing to express their gratitude, Lü Shang snorted coldly, and the candlelight flickered, making the cold light in his eyes appear even more sinister.

"You should know that this is your last chance. I rarely give people a chance, so I hope you will all cherish it."

As soon as Lü Shang uttered these words, the temperature inside the hall plummeted, and the surrounding candlelight condensed into eerie blue flames.

"promise,"

Upon hearing this, the rulers of the six states felt their hair stand on end, and all their hopes immediately turned into deep fear.

"Xu Boming, please understand!"

Lord Zhenjian prostrated himself on the ground and shouted, "If we ever harbor any disloyalty, may we be condemned by heaven and earth, our souls suppressed in the Yellow Springs, never to be released again."

The other five princes touched their heads to the ground and took turns swearing oaths.

Lu Shang looked at them indifferently and said, "You'd better watch yourselves."

(End of this chapter)