528: King of the Hill

"It's nothing, don't worry. I'm going to take a stroll in the Mortal world. Let's see if I can find a few people to help share your burden."

"The investiture of the gods list tribulation begins with the transition between the Shang and Zhou dynasties and responds to the decline of the Dynasty's Luck in the Mortal world. Di Xin... Yin Shou, is one of the eyes of this tribulation."

Lu Jiuyuan walked through the city of Zhaoge. According to the original trajectory, Di Xin would write a poem at Nüwa Palace, angering the Saint and initiating the tribulation;

Due to his muddled cruelty and loss of popular support, his country would ultimately be destroyed, and he would die. The six-hundred-year foundation of the Cheng Tang would be ruined in an instant, with countless Cultivators and Mortals drawn into it, their true spirits filling the investiture of the gods list.

"He is merely a pawn, blinded by lust and muddled by the tribulation's Evil Qi, plotted against, pushed, and ultimately sinking into ruin himself."

Lu Jiuyuan shook his head. "But if a pawn had its own will, knew of the chessboard's existence, and even saw part of the game plan, would this game still proceed according to the players' wishes?"

He decided to place his piece.

This first piece was placed upon the Mortal king, Di Xin.

That night, in Zhaoge, the capital of the Yin Shang Dynasty.

Deep within the imperial palace, in the Shouxiansheng Palace.

Di Xin (Zi Shou) had just finished reviewing the piled-up bamboo slips and rubbed his throbbing temples.

He was in the prime of his life, strong and powerful, and had always possessed the ambition to expand his territory. Since ascending the throne, he could be considered diligent in his governance.

However, in recent years, there had been frequent unrest in the four corners of the realm, and the old officials in the court were hindering him, often leaving him feeling frustrated. As the night deepened and the dew grew heavy, he finally fell into a deep sleep.

In a daze, Di Xin discovered that he was not in his familiar palace, but standing above an endless sea of clouds.

All around, rays of rosy light shone, and thousands of auspicious mists swirled; celestial cranes soared, and golden Dragons appeared and disappeared.

An extremely majestic and brilliantly golden palace complex appeared before his eyes. The precious hall towered into the clouds, and the four Dao runes for "Hall of Miraculous Mist" flowed on the plaque, exuding an aura of Supreme majesty and order.

"Where is this?"

Although Di Xin was a Human King with Luck protecting his body, unafraid of ordinary ghosts or demons, he was still shocked to see this fairyland.

"Human King Di Xin."

A calm, majestic voice that seemed to come from above the Nine Heavens rang out; it was not loud, but it resonated directly in the depths of his Soul.

Di Xin looked up and saw, above the Hall of Miraculous Mist, a figure sitting on the Supreme throne, shrouded in endless purple-gold radiance.

The figure's face was blurry, but when his eyes opened and closed, it seemed as if the stars were being born and dying, and the primordial Universe was flowing.

Just from that gaze, Di Xin felt that his "nobility" as the Shang King, carrying the Luck of the Cheng Tang, seemed so insignificant at this moment.

Like a firefly compared to the bright moon.

"I am the Jade Emperor Great Heavenly Venerate, the Dominator of the Three Realms, and the Supreme of the Heavenly Court."

Lu Jiuyuan's voice rang out again, directly stating his identity.

Di Xin's heart was shaken! The Heavenly Emperor! The legendary Dominator of Heaven and Earth! Although he was a Mortal king who sacrificed to Heaven and Earth, to Mortals, the Heavenly Emperor was more of a vague concept of faith. How could he have ever manifested so vividly?

He subconsciously wanted to bow according to protocol, but he found that his body in this dream seemed to be out of his control, and he could only maintain the posture of looking up.

"No need for formalities." Lu Jiuyuan slightly restrained his aura, allowing Di Xin to feel more at ease:

"I have entrusted a dream to you today because I have important matters to tell you, concerning the national destiny of your Yin Shang, your own life and death, and also a great tribulation between Heaven and Earth."

Di Xin forced himself to calm down and cupped his hands, saying: "Please instruct me, Your Majesty!"

"Do you know that Heaven and Earth have tribulations that repeat in cycles? Now, another great tribulation is approaching, its name is 'investiture of the gods list'." Lu Jiuyuan said slowly:

"This tribulation begins because of the vacancies in the Heavenly Court's divine positions, causing the Three Realms to operate unsmoothly and Evil Qi to breed. Three hundred and sixty-five true gods must return to their positions to complete the Heavenly Court, establish order, and eliminate the Evil Qi."

Di Xin listened without fully understanding, but the words "great tribulation" made him feel a sense of awe.

"Although this tribulation began to fill the divine positions of the Heavenly Court, its fuse is tied to the transition of the Mortal Dynasty."

Lu Jiuyuan's gaze seemed to pierce through time. "Your Yin Shang has enjoyed the country for six hundred years, and its Luck has turned from prosperity to decline; this is the cycle of the Heavenly Dao.

However, in this tribulation, your Cheng Tang empire, your ancestral temples, your subjects, and even yourself have all entered the tribulation, becoming pawns within it."

"Pawns?" Di Xin frowned tightly; the pride of being a Human King made him feel displeased with this term.

"That is correct. This tribulation intends to use the change of the Mortal Dynasty to complete the killing tribulation and fill the divine positions.

And you, Di Xin, are the key person selected by The Three Teachings to drive the tribulation, bear the infamy, and ultimately overturn the empire." Lu Jiuyuan's words were straightforward, like a dousing of ice water.

"The Three Teachings? How bold, to dare to plot against this King, to plot against my Cheng Tang empire!" Di Xin's anger rose.

"What are you angry about?"

"They... why do they want to plot against me? Has my Yin Shang ever neglected the sacrifices? Has this King ever violated the heavenly laws?" Di Xin said angrily:

"It is not your fault, but rather the 'circumstances of the times' are such that you are the most suitable 'eye of the tribulation'.

As for the specifics, it is not convenient for me to say everything, and the heavenly secrets cannot be revealed too early. I can only tell you one thing."

"Soon, it will be the birthday of Goddess Nüwa, and you should lead your people to Nüwa Palace to offer incense.

At that time, you must guard your heart and mind, do not be deceived by external objects, and even more so, you must not harbor any blasphemous thoughts!

Remember this, remember this! This is the first barrier of the tribulation, and it is also the beginning of the disaster.

Once you make a mistake, the Saint will be furious, and the tribulation's Evil Qi will formally begin."

Di Xin frowned: "This is quite unreasonable. Goddess Nüwa has a birthday every year, and there are sacrifices every year. All I can see are wooden statues and stone carvings; how could I harbor blasphemous thoughts?"

"Heh."

"Wooden statues and stone carvings? If there were no external forces, you would naturally have a clear mind. But you are in the midst of the tribulation, entangled by the Karma and Evil Qi of the Three Realms; you are already a pawn in the game. How could you still distinguish between your true heart and deviant thoughts?"

"When encountering things, have you ever felt an inexplicable fire rising in your chest? In governing the country, have you ever felt that the advice of those old officials is becoming increasingly grating?"

"The mass tribulation is about to begin, and the tribulation's Evil Qi is pervasive, subtly eroding the spiritual altar of all living beings, amplifying the evil in their hearts, and obscuring their original wisdom.

Ordinary Cultivators can hardly detect it, let alone you, who are at the center of the vortex and affecting thousands of Karma."

"At that time, the tribulation's Evil Qi will be driven, soaking into your spiritual altar. With your heart and mind lost, let alone mistaking a stone sculpture or a clay statue for a goddess, even if you saw a lizard, you would think it was a stunning beauty. Do I need to spell out what you would do?"

"A lizard???" Di Xin broke out in a cold sweat. He imagined the scene, and a chill ran up his spine.

Is it that exaggerated? To make me see even a lizard as a beauty?

As a Human King, he was not a fool. At this moment, he was struck on the head by the Heavenly Emperor! He was completely stunned!