Primordial Era: I, Tongtian, will slay all enemies!

Di Xin sat high on his throne, and the question he posed was like a boulder thrown into a deep pool, but it did not elicit a single response, which disappointed him.

"Is there not a single one of you in the court who can answer my question?" Di Xin's voice echoed in the hall, filled with intense dissatisfaction and questioning.

The ministers all lowered their heads and remained silent, each lost in their own thoughts.

E'lai, impetuous by nature, could not contain himself. He stepped forward and shouted, "Your Majesty, I only know how to lead troops into battle. Whoever dares to harm my Great Shang, I will lead the warriors of Great Shang to slaughter them all!"

Upon hearing this, Di Xin shook his head slightly. "Grand Preceptor, Teacher, shield this royal palace from the secrets of heaven. Do not let outsiders hear it."

Xiangwei and Wudang immediately formed a hand seal, and powerful spiritual energy fluctuations rippled throughout the palace. A flash of light, and the palace was instantly enveloped by an invisible barrier, completely shielding it from the secrets of heaven.

Di Xin's gaze was resolute as he spoke again: "Enough. Let's set a small goal first: change the fiefdoms to prefectures and counties, gather all the fortune of the human race into our Great Shang, vigorously cultivate our Great Shang cultivators, and allow us to recuperate and prepare for the future attack on the Heavenly Court!"

Upon hearing this, the ministers' breathing quickened instantly. They were utterly shocked; this was an extremely audacious plan.

Changing the feudal system to a prefecture-county system would undoubtedly provoke resistance from all the feudal lords, and gathering the human race's fortune to attack the Heavenly Court would be an unprecedented feat. Everyone looked at each other, and no one dared to speak first.

Looking at the silent ministers, Di Xin felt a pang of disappointment. He knew the plan was fraught with risk, but for the future of humanity, he had no choice but to do it.

"What's wrong, my lords? Are you afraid? Or do you wish for our human race to be trampled on by outsiders?" Di Xin's voice was filled with anger and threat.

At this moment, the ministers finally realized the truth. They understood that Di Xin was right; if they did not rise up in resistance, humanity would inevitably become a tool for others to achieve their goals under the oppression of various forces.

Their eyes gradually hardened, their initial surprise replaced by determination, and they shouted in unison, "Your Majesty is wise!"

Di Xin nodded in satisfaction. "I hope you all will strive harder. You are all pillars of the Great Shang Dynasty. Today's events must not be revealed in the slightest. If our Great Shang Dynasty succeeds, then you too can live forever and be revered by the human race for eternity!"

Everyone bowed in gratitude, for the allure of immortality and eternal reverence was simply too great for them.

Bigan stepped forward and asked, "Your Majesty, what is this five-year plan, and how should we proceed? There must be some plan, right?"

"Establish the Wenyuan Pavilion to gather the literary traditions of the world and spread the knowledge of the human race. Bi Gan will be the head of the Wenyuan Pavilion and the literary sage of our human race."

Upon hearing this, Bi Gan immediately bowed and expressed his gratitude, feeling a surge of intense emotion.

"The Shadow Guard will be established under the command of Grand Tutor Wen, responsible for investigating the situation of all forces and gathering intelligence. Remember, the Shadow Guard must be omnipresent!"

Wen Zhong stepped forward, his eyes resolute. "This old minister is willing to die ten thousand deaths to serve Your Majesty and to fight for a better future for our human race!"

Wen Zhong understood that the importance of the Shadow Guards was self-evident. During the Investiture of the Gods, intelligence was the lifeblood of humanity. Only by possessing sufficient intelligence could the Shang Dynasty gain an advantage over various forces.

"Shang Rong, this book was a gift from the Imperial Preceptor. It contains many things that are beneficial to our human race. I request that Prime Minister Shang go and find them."

"Your Majesty, rest assured, this old minister will find it, and will serve the Great Shang Dynasty and the human race to the death!"

Just as Emperor Xin was about to dismiss the court, a soldier rushed in from outside the gate. "Your Majesty, there are three cultivators outside the palace who come to pay their respects. One claims to be the Grand Master Xuandu, one claims to be the Taoist of Mutual Killing, and one claims to be the True Man of Yellow Dragon."

After listening, Di Xin pondered for a moment, then said, "Let them in."

Wu Dang and Wen Zhong were also curious. It was understandable that the Grand Master Xuandu, being a human, would come to the Human King's Palace, but it was rather strange that the Daoist Sanwu came.

At this moment, the three entered the main hall and all paid their respects.

"What brings the three immortals to my Human King's Palace?"

"The great calamity is approaching, and my master has instructed me to descend the mountain for training. I have heard that the current Human King is dedicated to protecting the dignity of our race for the sake of the country and its people. As a human being myself, I also wish to contribute my share. I humbly request the Human King's permission!"

"Hahaha, the Grand Mage is one of the first innate humans. With the Grand Mage's assistance, our human race will surely win. Therefore, the Grand Mage shall become the Right Prime Minister of our Great Shang Dynasty."

"Therefore, I do not presume to ask, but I wish to serve my people and the King!"

Di Xin nodded, looked at Huang Long with an air of dominance, and asked, "What brings you to my Great Shang, Immortal Master? My Great Shang and the Chan Sect are enemies!"

"I am a former disciple of the Chan Sect. Yuanshi is immoral and disregards the life and death of his disciples. Therefore, I have come to seek refuge with the Great Shang. I beg Your Majesty to take me in."

Upon hearing this, Di Xin was troubled, as he did not know whether this person was trustworthy. If he was a traitor, it would bring incalculable losses to the Shang Dynasty.

"Your Majesty, Second Master Uncle is indeed right. Among the Twelve Golden Immortals, he only favors Guang Chengzi, so it is possible that Junior Brother Huanglong defected to the Chan Sect."

"Your Majesty, that day when my junior brother Jiang Ziya went down the mountain, he was ambushed by Guang Chengzi. I went to ask Yuanshi to take charge, but not only did he refuse, he also wanted to imprison me. Fortunately, Tongtian Jiaozhu and Xiangsha Daoist rescued me, otherwise I would probably not know where I am now."

Upon hearing that it was Tongtian who had saved him, Di Xin lowered his guard somewhat and said, "I wonder if the True Man would be willing to join my Shadow Guard? To gather intelligence for my Great Shang and protect my safety?"

"I was originally a stray dog, but now that the King has taken me in, I am willing to obey Your Majesty's orders."

"Your Majesty, rest assured, although I do not know Fellow Daoist Huanglong, Fellow Daoist Xiang Sha is absolutely loyal to my Great Shang Dynasty, and I, your national teacher, am willing to vouch for him."

After hearing this, Di Xin's doubts were completely dispelled.

"Fellow Daoist Huanglong, the sect leader had already foreseen that you would submit to our Great Shang Dynasty. Therefore, the sect leader instructed me to give this item to you. I urge you to do your best to benefit the human race."

After saying that, Xiangwei took out a bead and a few drops of essence blood.

Upon seeing this item, Huanglong froze on the spot. After a long while, he recovered and said, "Thank you for your great kindness, Master. I will follow the lead of the human race."

Suddenly, another soldier rushed into the hall with a report. After reading it, Di Xin sighed and said, "Sigh, tell me, what has happened this time?"

"Your Majesty, news of the deaths of the lords of the two southeastern towns has spread like wildfire, and the two towns are stirring with the intention of launching a rebellion."

Before the ministers could speak, Emperor Xin immediately stood up and gave orders: "I hereby appoint Wen Zhong to guard Sanshan Pass, and Huang Feihu, Elai, and Lu Xiong to guard Youhun Pass, closely monitoring the two southeastern towns. The Shadow Guards are to be handed over to Grand Master Xuandu. I have Kong Xuan brought to court; I will inspect all the towns!"

Everyone agreed with the previous arrangements, but when Di Xin announced his intention to inspect the various towns, there was a chorus of opposition.

"Your Majesty, please reconsider!"

"Enough! There are nobles in the court and warriors of the Yin Shang dynasty outside. What do I have to fear? My mind is made up. All of you, step down!"