Primordial Era: Becoming the Great Emperor of Humanity from the Start

Chapter 148 The Rules Set by Jiang Heng!

Just as the Shang Dynasty and Xiqi had both ceased their activities and remained completely silent, some disciples of the Jie Sect began to feel anxious.

These disciples of the Jie Sect were eager for the Shang Dynasty to send troops to conquer Xiqi, so they could take the opportunity to teach the disciples of the Chan Sect a lesson.

But now, the Shang Dynasty is ignoring Xiqi, and although these disciples of the Jie Sect are anxious, they are helpless.

Meanwhile, Shen Gongbao had been busy making connections and gathering some disciples of the Jie Sect together to discuss important matters.

These disciples of the Jie Sect were not particularly strong in cultivation; they were mainly outer disciples of the Jie Sect, with Zhao Gongming as their leader.

"Shen Gongbao, is what you said true?" Zhao Gongming asked in a deep voice.

As soon as Zhao Gongming said this, all the disciples of the Jie Sect present focused their attention on Shen Gongbao.

It was because of Shen Gongbao's efforts in connecting and rallying these people that they were able to gather together, and what Shen Gongbao just said was indeed of great importance.

"I hereby inform Senior Brother Gongming that this matter is absolutely true. At this time, a considerable number of disciples of the Chan Sect and experts from the Heavenly Court have gathered in Xiqi."

The reason why Xiqi has not made any moves so far is simply because Xiqi is wary of the Human Emperor's strength and is currently accumulating power.

"But according to the information I've gathered, Xiqi won't be able to endure this for long; they'll make a move soon!" Shen Gongbao said.

Because of his previous assistance to the Jie Sect in pointing out Guang Chengzi on Penglai Immortal Island, Shen Gongbao gained the favor of most of the Jie Sect disciples.

Since Shen Gongbao had already betrayed the Chan Sect, he decided to go all the way and join the Jie Sect, becoming a disciple of the Jie Sect.

Moreover, Shen Gongbao was eloquent and had excellent interpersonal relationships within the Jie Sect. He was also valued by the Tongtian Sect Leader, which is why he became a second-generation disciple of the Jie Sect.

That's why Shen Gongbao addressed Zhao Gongming as his senior brother earlier. During this time, Shen Gongbao has been thriving within the Jie Sect.

"Oh? With Xiqi's current strength, do you really dare to raise the banner of rebellion and prepare to go to war with that Human Emperor?" Zhao Gongming asked in a deep voice.

"Xiqi certainly doesn't have the guts, but it does dare to conquer the surrounding vassal states and slowly erode the power of the Shang Dynasty," Shen Gongbao said.

"That's normal. It's a good idea to strengthen ourselves first and then fight that Human Emperor to the death!"

"But that emperor hasn't made a move yet, and we don't know what he's planning!" Zhao Gongming said helplessly.

This is precisely what's causing headaches for many disciples of the Jie Sect. Since Jiang Heng hasn't made any move, they are helpless and can only wait for the great battle to break out.

"Senior Brother Gongming, it doesn't matter whether the Human Emperor makes a move or not. What matters is that Xiqi has made a move, and our Jie Sect disciples have arrived!" Shen Gongbao said with a smile.

"Oh? What do you mean?" Zhao Gongming asked, quite puzzled.

"Xiqi wants to sweep away the surrounding areas in order to strengthen itself. With the strength of the vassal states around Xiqi, they are no match for Xiqi at all."

"But this is an opportunity for our Jie Sect. Among those feudal lords are disciples of our Jie Sect, so it is only natural for us to take action!" Shen Gongbao said.

"Taking advantage of Xiqi's campaign against the surrounding lords, it would be a good idea to teach the Chan Sect a lesson."

"But if we act without authorization, shouldn't we consider the Emperor's attitude?" Zhao Gongming said hesitantly.

Since Jiang Heng's battle with the Jade Emperor Haotian, no powerful being in the prehistoric world has failed to fear Jiang Heng, the Human Emperor.

"Brother Gongming, please rest assured. It was Xiqi that made the first move. We were just helping the Shang Dynasty resist Xiqi's rebellion. What can the Emperor say?"

Moreover, if the scale of this battle expands, the Human Emperor will certainly not ignore it and may even take action!

"At that time, it is not impossible for our Jie Sect to annihilate Xiqi in one fell swoop and cause the entire Chan Sect to suffer a crushing defeat!" Shen Gongbao said.

Upon hearing Shen Gongbao's words, all the disciples of the Jie Sect nodded, their faces unconsciously showing excitement.

After the fact that the Chan Sect had plotted against the Jie Sect disciples was exposed, many Jie Sect disciples naturally no longer had any goodwill towards the Chan Sect.

Moreover, if Zhao Gongming hadn't stopped them, many disciples of the Jie Sect would have already gone to settle scores with the disciples of the Chan Sect.

Now that they finally have a chance to teach the Chan Sect a lesson, these disciples of the Jie Sect are naturally not going to give it up so easily.

Soon, at Shen Gongbao's suggestion, these disciples of the Jie Sect devised a plan and secretly headed towards the outskirts of Xiqi.

"Hmph! This time, I will make those who look down on me pay a terrible price!"

Everything was proceeding according to plan, and a hint of pride appeared on Shen Gongbao's face. He had been waiting for this moment for far too long.

Ever since being taught a lesson by the Antarctic Immortal, and fueled by his anger at the Yuanshi Tianzun's favoritism, Shen Gongbao has been constantly plotting revenge against the Chan Sect.

Last time, when Shen Gongbao exposed Guang Chengzi's scheme against Lady Shiji on Penglai Island, he felt a great sense of satisfaction.

But this was far from enough for Shen Gongbao. Neither he himself nor those behind him wanted more than that.

Therefore, Shen Gongbao has been working tirelessly within the Jie Sect to coordinate and teach the Chan Sect a lesson through the Jie Sect's efforts.

The results were remarkable; everything was proceeding according to Shen Gongbao's plan, and a major battle between the Chan and Jie sects was inevitable.

After Jiang Heng's battle with the Jade Emperor Haotian, Xiqi did indeed remain silent for a long time, while on the surface it still submitted to the Shang Dynasty.

But in secret, the disciples of the Chan Sect had already settled in Xiqi, and many experts from the Heavenly Court had also gathered in Xiqi.

The situation of Ji Chang, the Marquis of Xibo, is very abnormal. After accepting the title of Emperor Ziwei from the Heavenly Court, he seemed to have become a different person.

Ji Chang, the Marquis of Xibo, who once loved his people like his own children and was known for his virtue, not only became ambitious but also became unusually domineering.

Over time, Xiqi's power naturally increased steadily, and Ji Chang, the Marquis of Xibo, became restless with his burning ambition.

Soon, under the arrangement of Ji Chang, the Marquis of Xibo, the army of Xiqi prepared to conquer the surrounding feudal lords, and the first target they chose was Chong Houhu.

Chonghou Hu was the Northern Marquis of the Great Shang Dynasty, and his strength was considerable. He posed a significant threat to Xiqi.

This time, Ji Chang, the Marquis of Xibo, decided to launch a campaign against the Marquis of Xibo, both to completely eliminate this threat and to establish Xiqi's reputation in one battle.

Jiang Heng, as the current emperor, could choose to remain inactive, but the Chan Sect and the Heavenly Court behind Xiqi would not allow Xiqi to remain silent indefinitely.

Under the grand scheme of Heaven, the calamity that was destined for humanity—the Investiture of the Gods—finally erupted.

Before the Xiqi army even set out, Jiang Heng had already received the news in advance, and even the movements of the Jie Sect could not be kept from him.

"Your Majesty, this move by Xiqi is tantamount to a complete rebellion against our Great Shang. This matter must be dealt with as soon as possible!" Jiang Ziya said in a deep voice.

Although Jiang Ziya did not know what Jiang Heng's plans were, he knew that the emperor in front of him was by no means a fool.

Allowing Xiqi to exist for so long was already the limit that the Shang Dynasty could tolerate, but Xiqi did not stop because of this.

Without the orders of the Shang Dynasty, Xiqi launched a campaign against the surrounding vassal states on its own, which was tantamount to treason. Naturally, the Shang Dynasty could no longer ignore this.

"It would be abnormal if Xiqi didn't move. Xiqi's movement also means that the great calamity of the Investiture of the Gods has completely erupted."

"Very well, this time, the Chan Sect, the Jie Sect, and the Heavenly Court have all gathered, along with the Western Sect hiding behind the scenes. They're all here!" Jiang Heng said in a deep voice.

The great calamity of the Investiture of the Gods had already begun, but it truly erupted at the moment when Xiqi began to take action.

Jiang Heng's continued indifference towards Xiqi was precisely because he was waiting for the moment when the great calamity of the Investiture of the Gods would fully erupt.

"Could it be that the Human Emperor had planned this all along?" Jiang Ziya asked curiously.

"It's not really a scheme, but since the Investiture of the Gods is supposed to happen to our human race, I, the Human Emperor, must set some rules for them!" Jiang Heng said.

"Let's establish some rules?" Jiang Ziya looked bewildered, completely unaware of what Jiang Heng meant.

"Yes! It's the rule of our human race!" Jiang Heng said with a smile, but didn't say anything more.

The Investiture of the Gods calamity must have occurred within the human race, which is not a coincidence. In fact, it can be said that the entire human race is also within the Investiture of the Gods calamity.

This is naturally the work of Heaven and Dao Ancestor Hongjun, and it will not be affected by the will of any human race. Humanity can only passively accept it.

This was naturally not what Jiang Heng wanted. After the Lich War, he had been preparing for this God Conferring War.

Now, the Great Tribulation of the Investiture of the Gods has arrived. Because of Jiang Heng's existence, the Great Tribulation of the Investiture of the Gods has undergone many changes, but its essence remains unchanged.

Regardless of whether things change or not, Jiang Heng will not allow this great calamity of the gods to erupt without restraint, nor will he allow disciples of various sects to act recklessly among the human race.

Leaving those aside for now, at this time, the Xiqi army, without any warning, had already marched towards the territory of Marquis Chonghouhu of the North.

On this very day, Ji Chang, the Marquis of the West, issued a proclamation of conquest, which included eighteen charges against Chong Houhu, the Marquis of the North.

It is said that at that time, seven-colored light descended from the heavens, indicating that the Western Marquis Ji Chang's conquest of the Northern Marquis Chong Hou Hu was aided by Heaven.

In an instant, the morale of Xiqi soared, and under the watchful eyes of countless powerful figures, the Xiqi army was already close to the territory of Marquis Chong Houhu of the North.

However, the Xiqi army encountered an obstacle as soon as it stepped into the territory of Marquis Chonghouhu of the North, and was blocked by a large formation.

Among the Xiqi army, there were many experts from the Chan Sect and the Heavenly Court, so they quickly realized that the formation in front of them was unusual.

Upon closer inspection, one could see that the formation was filled with poisonous miasma, which made one feel dizzy and lightheaded even from a great distance.

"This formation is probably no ordinary one. Who exactly set it up here?" Taiyi Zhenren, one of the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect, said in a deep voice.

"It's just a mere formation. With us here, breaking it won't be difficult!" Guang Chengzi said with considerable disdain.

This calamity of the Investiture of the Gods was extraordinary. In order to ensure that nothing went wrong, the Chan Sect not only had some third-generation disciples participate, but also mobilized all twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect.

This time, when Xiqi sent troops to attack Chong Houhu, the Marquis of the North, three of the Twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect came: Taiyi Zhenren, Guangchengzi, and Yuding Zhenren.

"We should still be careful. Since this formation has appeared here, the other party must have been prepared!" Dong Wanggong said in a deep voice.

The Heavenly Court's experts were already in Xiqi, and the Eastern King Duke was sent down to the mortal realm by the Jade Emperor, with him as the leader of the Heavenly Court's experts.

As they were talking, a Taoist priest emerged from the great formation. He was dressed in a bright red robe and had three eyes.

The red-robed Taoist walked up to the Xiqi army. Facing numerous experts from the Chan Sect and the Heavenly Court, he remained calm and said in a deep voice:

"I am Lü Yue, a man of Qi from Nine Dragons Island. You disciples of the Chan Sect not only insult my Jie Sect, but now you even dare to help Xiqi rebel."

"Today I have set up the Plague Formation here, specifically to meet you and settle this score with you disciples of the Chan Sect!"

Guang Chengzi and the other disciples of the Chan Sect then realized that the person in front of them was actually a disciple of the Jie Sect, and everything before them became quite obvious.

It must be that the Jie Sect came here specifically to compete with the disciples of the Chan Sect after receiving news of Xiqi's campaign against Chong Houhu, the Marquis of the North.

"Hmph! The disciples of the Jie Sect are indeed ignorant of destiny. Do they not know that Xiqi's campaign against Marquis Chong Houhu of the North is aided by Heaven?" Guang Chengzi stepped forward and said sarcastically.

"Hahaha! Among the human race today, the Human Emperor is the rightful heir. What Marquis of Xibo is nothing but a traitor!" Lü Yue said disdainfully.

"Hmph! Since you dare to obstruct us here today, you should be prepared to pay the price!" Guang Chengzi said in a deep voice.

"Hmph! Are the disciples of the Chan Sect only good at empty talk? If you have the ability, break my Plague Formation first before talking about anything else!" Lü Yue said coldly.

After finishing speaking, Lü Yue gave Guang Chengzi and the other disciples of the Chan Sect a cold look, and without paying attention to their reactions, he walked back to the Plague Formation alone.

Although Guang Chengzi had just expressed great disdain for the Plague Formation, he was actually well aware that the Plague Formation was no ordinary formation.

Just as the disciples of the Chan Sect and the experts of the Heavenly Court were discussing how to break the formation, a powerful aura appeared between heaven and earth without any concealment.

The disciples of the Chan Sect and the experts of the Heavenly Court were slightly startled and all looked up. Sure enough, they saw that the current Human Emperor of the Human Race had already descended to this place.

Meanwhile, in another direction, the disciples of the Jie Sect, seeing the arrival of the current Human Emperor, dared not be negligent and quickly came out to pay their respects.

The experts from the Chan Sect and the Heavenly Court looked at Jiang Heng with apprehension, but they were also puzzled by his presence.

The Shang Dynasty remained relatively quiet until the Western Zhou Dynasty launched its campaign against Chong Houhu, the Marquis of the North, when Emperor Jiang Heng appeared.

Is the Shang Dynasty about to attack Xiqi? If so, an unprecedented war may well begin immediately.

Although the Chan Sect and the Heavenly Court had ways to deal with Jiang Heng, the Human Emperor, they were still extremely wary of his strength.

"The Emperor himself has come here. Could it be to punish the rebels of Xiqi?" Zhao Gongming stepped forward and asked the question that was on the minds of all the powerful figures present.

"The Great Tribulation of the Gods has fully erupted, a fact you all know perfectly well. I am here to establish rules for all parties, to create an opportunity for our human race!"

Jiang Heng scanned the surroundings, and none of the experts from the Chan Sect and the Heavenly Court, or the disciples of the Jie Sect, dared to meet his gaze. Only then did he speak in a deep voice.

"The rules of the human race? I wonder what rules the Human Emperor intends to establish?" Zhao Gongming asked in a deep voice.

"The great calamity of the Investiture of the Gods is inevitable. The reason I ignored Xiqi is because I knew that even if Xiqi was destroyed, the great calamity would still come."

But this is my human territory, and it is absolutely impossible for us humans to kill each other on our own land.

As you all know, the rule of our human race is that human affairs belong to the human race, and no other being may interfere!

"But the Great Tribulation still needs to be resolved, so I'm giving you a chance, a chance to fight each other and complete the Great Tribulation of the Investiture of the Gods!" Jiang Heng said in a deep voice.

"The Human Emperor's words are a bit excessive. Human affairs should be left to the human race. Does this mean even a sage cannot interfere?"

Surprisingly, Guang Chengzi showed no fear at this moment and stepped forward, speaking in a deep voice. His gaze towards Jiang Heng held a barely perceptible hint of hatred.

Guang Chengzi was filled with hatred for the emperor who had once humiliated him. If he hadn't been wary of Jiang Heng's strength, he probably would have already made his move.

"Guang Chengzi, you don't even have a shred of self-awareness. I didn't kill you last time, but don't think I really won't dare to kill you!"

If I wanted to kill you, even the Primordial Sage couldn't protect you. If you don't believe me, you can try!

Jiang Heng looked at Guang Chengzi with disdain in his eyes. His words, though devoid of any murderous intent, sent chills down one's spine.

No one doubted whether Jiang Heng would keep his word. Even Guang Chengzi, who had been quite assertive just moments before, dared not utter another word.

"Please, Your Majesty, state your position clearly. Our Jie Sect harbors no ill will toward the human race. If Your Majesty sets forth any rules, our Jie Sect will certainly abide by them!" Zhao Gongming said.

Since Jiang Heng's last battle with the Jade Emperor Haotian, the attitude of the Jie Sect towards Jiang Heng has undergone a tremendous change.

If the Chan Sect placed its bets on Xiqi during the Investiture of the Gods, then the Jie Sect placed all its bets on Jiang Heng.

Therefore, the strategy of the Jie Sect was very simple: to cooperate with Emperor Jiang Heng as much as possible to deal with the disciples of the Chan Sect.

This time, if it weren't for Shen Gongbao's efforts in spreading the word, Zhao Gongming and other disciples of the Jie Sect would not have come here to fight against the Chan Sect.

"Since the great calamity of the Investiture of the Gods is unavoidable, everyone should rely on their own abilities to determine who is superior. If someone is less skilled than others and ends up on the Investiture of the Gods list, it is because their own methods were insufficient."

But no matter how you fight, you cannot harm the mortals below the Immortal Realm in the slightest. This is the ironclad rule of our human race.

I swear in the name of the Human Emperor that during the Great Tribulation, no matter who it is, if anyone dares to harm any human below the Immortal Realm, my human race will fight to the death!

Even if a sage were to intervene, our human race would unleash its full power. Our ancestor would emerge from the Fiery Cloud Cave and fight to the last man to seek justice.

No sooner had he finished speaking than a tremendous roar suddenly resounded from the heavens above. This was the Heavenly Dao's response, serving as a testament to Jiang Heng's words.

This is normal; Jiang Heng's oath only mentions ordinary humans below the Immortal Realm.

Although the Heavenly Dao and Dao Ancestor Hongjun wanted to weaken the power of the human race, they did not intend to completely exterminate it.

The ordinary humans beneath the fairyland are still the protagonists of the primordial world, and are the objects that Dao Ancestor Hongjun and the Heavenly Dao have to protect.

This is why Jiang Heng made such a vow; he was certain that Heaven would respond to his vow.

Indeed, the will of Heaven was in accord, which meant that Jiang Heng's oath would become the oath of the entire human race.

Once the oath is made, during the Great Tribulation of the Investiture of the Gods, if any powerful being dares to harm even the slightest mortal below the Immortal Realm, they will fight to the death with the human race.

In such circumstances, even a sage would have to carefully consider the consequences before taking action against the human race below the celestial realm.

However, wantonly killing mortals will inevitably incur boundless karma, and in the primordial world, very few powerful beings would do such a thing.

In addition to Jiang Heng's vow just now, it is certain that the Investiture of the Gods calamity can no longer affect the human race below the Immortal Realm.

"What about the humans above the Immortal Realm?" Dongwanggong asked in a deep voice.

"Today, in the name of the current Human Emperor, I hereby proclaim to the entire human race that the human race above the Immortal Realm must not participate in the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation."

"If you do not obey my decree as the Human Emperor, once you enter the Investiture of the Gods calamity, not only will you be killed or injured, but you will also be forever expelled from the human race!" Jiang Heng said in a deep voice.

This was a decision Jiang Heng made after much consideration. The Investiture of the Gods calamity was unavoidable, but Jiang Heng could impose restrictions on it.

As long as the human race under the fairyland remains unaffected, the foundation of the human race will not be shaken, and Jiang Heng can calmly deal with the Investiture of the Gods calamity.

Whether it's the Chan Sect, the Jie Sect, or the Heavenly Court, the human race below the Immortal Realm is insignificant, and they won't pay much attention to them.

Humanity is not a monolithic entity; many humans in the Immortal Realm are disciples of the Chan Sect or the Jie Sect.

If these humans obey Jiang Heng's orders and no longer participate in the Investiture of the Gods, Jiang Heng will not bother with them.

However, if they disobey Jiang Heng's orders, even if they perish in the Investiture of the Gods, they will deserve to die and have no one to blame but themselves.

Jiang Heng can also use this to eliminate those among the human race who have ulterior motives, thus increasing the cohesion of the human race.

"Our Jie Sect will certainly abide by the rules set by the Human Emperor!" Zhao Gongming said in a deep voice.

"Our Chan Sect will certainly abide by the rules set by the Human Emperor!" Guang Chengzi said with a gloomy expression.

"My Heavenly Court is the same!" Dongwanggong said, secretly wiping away cold sweat.

When Jiang Heng appeared, Dong Wanggong was genuinely afraid that this Human Emperor would go all the way and kill all the powerful figures in the Heavenly Court.

This is not impossible. Last time, wasn't the Jade Emperor Haotian beaten like a dead dog by this Human Emperor, losing all face?

Fortunately, the Human Emperor in front of him seemed to be too lazy to pay attention to the experts of the Heavenly Court, which made the Eastern King Duke breathe a sigh of relief.

Jiang Heng nodded. Both the Chan Sect and the Jie Sect, as well as the Heavenly Court, seemed quite sensible, which saved Jiang Heng a lot of trouble.

As long as all parties abide by the rules set by Jiang Heng, the Investiture of the Gods calamity will still erupt, but its impact on the human race will be minimized.

In the early stages of the Investiture of the Gods, the main focus will be on the battle between the disciples of the Chan Sect and the Jie Sect, while the human race can remain uninvolved.

Of course, when the Investiture of the Gods reaches its peak, it will surely sweep through the human race's powerful figures, and I'm afraid none of those Great Luo Golden Immortals will be able to escape.

As for Jiang Heng, he is undoubtedly a focus of attention for both the Heavenly Dao and the Dao Ancestor. However, if the Human Emperor wants to become the Son of Heaven, Jiang Heng's consent must be obtained first.

(End of this chapter)