Investiture of the Gods: Childhood Sweetheart Daji, Starting with Quasi-Saint Cultivation

Inside Xuanyuan Tomb.

The demonic wind dissipated, revealing the true forms of the three demons.

The nine-tailed fox conjured a water mirror, reflecting her alluring and captivating face!

But his eyes gleamed with ambition and greed.

"Sister, are we really going to do it? The Chaoge Royal Palace is a gathering place for human destiny, and there are also many talented and extraordinary people there..." The pheasant spirit hesitated.

"What's there to be afraid of?" The nine-tailed fox chuckled, her voice alluring and seductive. "This is a decree from the sage! It is our supreme opportunity to shed our demonic forms and achieve enlightenment!"

She looked at the water mirror, her gaze seemingly piercing through the void and landing on the distant Jizhou.

"I've heard that Marquis Su Hu of Ji Province has a daughter named Daji, who is incredibly beautiful and possesses a spiritual essence, making her an excellent vessel for a body..." She licked her lips. "Sisters, our 'opportunity' will begin in Ji Province."

"First, go to Jizhou, take over Su Daji's body and identity, then enter Chaoge!"

"This 600-year-old empire of the Shang Dynasty should serve as a stepping stone for us sisters to attain enlightenment!"

An eerie laugh echoed deep within the Xuanyuan Tomb.

Under the cover of night, three dark, demonic auras silently left their lair and sped off towards Jizhou in the north.

King Zhou's decree to select beauties came sooner than anyone expected.

There was no preamble, no detours.

A royal decree, personally drafted by Fei Zhong and You Hun, was delivered at an urgent speed of eight hundred li.

It was delivered to the territories of various feudal lords, including Ji Province.

The message was simple: with a new king on the throne, the harem was empty.

In order to ensure the continuation of the royal bloodline, the emperor ordered the feudal lords of all directions to select the most beautiful and virtuous women from their clans and among the common people and send them to Chaoge for selection.

Beneath the high-sounding reasons lies an undisguised demand.

The main hall of the Marquis of Jizhou's residence.

Su Hu's face was ashen, and his knuckles turned white from gripping the rolled-up imperial edict.

The atmosphere in the hall was heavy and oppressive. The servants held their breath and lowered their heads, not daring to make a sound.

Yang sat to one side, her face pale, clutching her handkerchief tightly.

His gaze kept drifting anxiously towards the door—towards Daji's courtyard.

"My lord..." an old minister began, his voice trembling.

"The king's decree is not to be disobeyed. Moreover, this beauty pageant has far-reaching implications, not just affecting my Ji Province. If we defy the imperial order, we risk bringing about the extermination of our entire family!"

"Yes, my lord, the eldest daughter has reached marriageable age and is exceptionally beautiful. I'm afraid this time..."

The other person echoed in a low voice, the meaning of which was clear even before the words were finished.

"Enough!" Su Hu slammed the silk cloth onto the table, making a dull thud.

He stood up, his chest heaving, his eyes burning with suppressed anger and determination.

"I, Su Hu, have guarded the northern frontier for many years. I have always been loyal to the Yin Shang dynasty and to Your Majesty, and have never harbored any disloyalty!"

"But my daughter, Su Hu's daughter, is not a commodity! Not a bargaining chip to curry favor with the monarch or consolidate power!"

"Back then, I adopted Yunbai in the snow and treated him as my own son. Today, I am being asked to personally send Daji into the deep palace to fight for a vague and uncertain position as a concubine, to compete for the emperor's favor with countless other women, and perhaps even become a political sacrifice in the future..."

He looked around at everyone and said, slowly and deliberately, "I can't do it!"

"My lord, please reconsider!" The crowd hurriedly knelt down.

"My mind is made up!" Su Hu said resolutely.

"Repair the watch immediately! I, Su Hu, will defy the imperial decree! My daughter will never be sent to Chaoge! If the King punishes me, I, Su Hu, will bear the consequences!"

Disobeying the imperial decree!

These two words struck like a thunderclap in everyone's heart.

Everyone knows what this means—Jizhou will stand against Chaoge!

War may break out at any moment!

"Father!" A cry of alarm, choked with sobs, came from the doorway.

Daji had been standing outside the hall for some time now, and had clearly heard everything.

Her face was deathly pale, and her eyes were filled with tears, a mixture of fear and emotion.

She had never seen her father so furious, nor had she ever felt his love for her so clearly, even at the cost of the fate of the entire clan.

"Daji, go back." Su Hu's tone softened slightly when he saw her, but it was still unquestionable. "This is none of your business. I have my own plans."

"Father..." Daji burst into tears, wanting to say something, but was embraced by Madam Yang, who gently comforted her and led her away from the main hall.

An atmosphere of chaos, panic, and despair permeated the entire Marquis's residence.

……

into the night.

The study in the Marquis's residence was brightly lit.

Su Hu is urgently discussing defense arrangements with several trusted generals, and messengers have been dispatched to contact the feudal lords who may be on his side.

A solemn expression was written on everyone's face.

In a secluded courtyard in another corner of the Marquis's mansion, Su Yunbai's room was completely dark.

He stood quietly by the window, gazing at the faint light coming from the direction of the study, his gaze calm and undisturbed.

He saw everything that happened during the day.

Su Hu's defiance of the imperial decree was within his expectations.

He knew better than anyone else the fierce nature of this adoptive father and his deep love for his children.

It was precisely this fierce spirit that, in the original story, pushed both Su Hu and Daji into the abyss.

But now, he's here.

Su Yunbai changed into a simple dark-colored outfit.

With a slight thought, he activated the Quasi-Saint level "Concealing Breath Technique" to its fullest extent, making his entire being seem to blend into the shadows of the night, minimizing his presence.

It's time to go and meet King Zhou, who "blasphemed the gods."

He took a step out, and his figure disappeared from the room.

There was no earth-shattering movement of soaring through the clouds, no violent fluctuations of space being torn apart.

The Quasi-Saint's initial application of the rules allowed him to merge with the flow of the primordial energy of heaven and earth, reaching an extreme speed.

A thousand miles is but a thought away.

Chaoge, the royal city.

The palace complex was magnificent and solemn under the night sky, with lights twinkling in the night and strict guards.

The rich aura of humanity, like an invisible flame, enveloped the entire royal city, exerting a strong suppression on demons and ghosts. But for Su Yunbai at this moment, it was like a gentle breeze.

He passed silently through layers of palace walls and restrictions, as if he were in an empty place.

With a slight sweep of his divine sense, he locked onto the deepest part of the palace, the one with the most concentrated and powerful aura—the Emperor's bedroom.

Outside the palace, armored soldiers stood in rows, their aura fierce and powerful.

Inside the palace, the lights were bright, yet it was unusually quiet.

Su Yunbai's figure blurred, passing directly through the wall and entering the inner hall.

The first thing that catches the eye is not a scene of extravagance and debauchery, but a huge sand table.

The sand table depicts mountains, rivers, cities, and passes with lifelike detail, representing the vast territory of the Shang Dynasty.

A man dressed in black casual clothes with his hair down stood with his back to the door, hands behind his back, in front of the sand table.

He was tall and imposing, and even from behind, he exuded a heavy, imposing presence and the authority of someone who had long held a high position.

It was Di Xin, King Zhou.

He seemed to be deep in thought, or perhaps waiting for something.

"You've arrived."

A deep, resonant voice suddenly rang out, without surprise or questioning, as calmly as if greeting an expected guest.

King Zhou slowly turned around.

Su Yunbai saw his face clearly.

Contrary to the rumors of a tyrant with a face full of scars, he actually has a angular face, a high nose bridge, and a strong jawline!

A pair of eyes, deep and cold as a pool, were calmly observing the uninvited guest who had suddenly appeared in the palace.

There was no panic, and no one called for the guards.

There is only one kind of contemplative observation.

Su Yunbai met his gaze without flinching.

The Eye of Truth opened silently, and what it saw was not a body hollowed out by wine and women!

It was not a confused soul, but a body with vigorous blood and energy like a dragon, hiding astonishing power!

And a soul intertwined with a tenacious, complex, and even deliberately flamboyant fierceness and... aloof and clear-headedness.

interesting.

"Su Yunbai, the adopted son of the Marquis of Jizhou."