Bo Yikao?

Song Lin caught sight of the strikingly heroic man before him and immediately understood who he was.

If his guess was right, this must be King Wen's eldest son, Bo Yikao.

The man was being escorted by guards, yet his expression showed no trace of panic.

"Is this the head chef? Apologies, but could you cut him open from the back, extract the finest meat, and make patties for offering to the divinities?"

The two burly martial artists beside him spoke.

Their heads were adorned with ram horns, and legends said they carried the bloodline of the Xiezhi, able to distinguish between loyalty and treachery.

"Me? Why me?"

Song Lin felt puzzled. Human sacrifices were typically prepared by wizards; why would a mere cook like himself be tasked with it?

"The wizard offended the queen and got dismissed. You kill chickens and slaughter sheep on a regular basis—I figured it's not much different."

While they were discussing how to prepare Bo Yikao, the man stayed calm, even nodding and smiling at Song Lin when he caught his gaze.

"Alright, all of you leave. Outsiders are not allowed to witness bloodshed."

Song Lin took the task; the guards and attendants departed.

"I know your younger brother. I'll save you soon—work with me."

"Ji Dan often mentions you in his letters." Bo Yikao clearly knew Song Lin but seemed unwilling to leave. "The world calls Xibo a Saint, but Emperor Xinn has imprisoned my father. If I do not die, the king will not spare him."

King Zhouu wasn't planning to sacrifice him to the heavens but had a crueler scheme—turning him into meat patties for his father to consume, testing their resolve.

Bo Yikao believed he had to die; if he didn't, the king wouldn't easily release West Zhou.

"You're the eldest son. How can an eldest son take on such a fate?"

"Ji Fa is wiser and can lead the Small State Zhou to prosperity. Ji Dan has Wang Zuo's talents. My other brothers are immature, so the duty falls to me as the eldest to bear it."

"Yet I see you as quite capable."

Song Lin assessed him and noted that Bo Yikao had remarkable potential.

While Bo Yikao lacked the aura of a ruler, he was distinctly suited for cultivating the dao.

"Come with me later to cultivate the dao."

"Cultivate the dao? What is cultivating the dao? Is it Heavenly Human Connection?"

"That's exactly cultivating the dao."

Song Lin suddenly revealed his dharma body, radiating a five-colored light.

In his palm, he held the Heaven and Earth Xuan Sect.

Whoosh!

Bo Yikao was drawn into the bizarre and dazzling world within the Heaven and Earth Xuan Sect.

"This is… Whose descendant are you? Are you a Great Witch?" Bo Yikao exclaimed in shock.

He had only seen such supernatural feats from his father. The wizards and drug-imbibing Abnormal Soldiers in their country could not accomplish such things.

Even Zhou people skilled in sensing the heavens and self-cultivation required certain bloodlines and talent, as each individual's innate limits were predetermined.

Why couldn't the eldest son Bo Yikao succeed West Zhou? Simply because Ji Fa's talent eclipsed his own.

Song Lin seemed to have modest origins; how could he possess such extraordinary powers?

"My magic skill needs neither pedigree nor divine favor. With enough understanding, even a commoner's son can wield imperial strength."

"Wouldn't that disrupt the established order?"

"Order? Cultivators care little for it. I was born without omens, without the protection of the Heavenly Destiny Mysterious Bird, yet I wield powers equal to Saints. Want to learn?"

"I do."

"Then pledge yourself as my disciple."

Song Lin withdrew his dharma image and stood with his hands folded behind him, adopting the demeanor of a master.

"Ji Kao greets his teacher."

Bo Yikao knelt and kowtowed, accepting Song Lin as his master, who then bestowed upon him the title of Ziwei.

In the canon of gods, Bo Yikao's title became Emperor Ziwei of the Central Heaven, an honorable deity.

Song Lin hoped to shape this young man into the legendary figure he would become.

After Bo Yikao pledged as a disciple, Song Lin used Taoist Soldiers to counterfeit Bo Yikao's meat patties and broth for delivery to the palace.

King Zhouu sampled them and then had them sent to Xibo.

Soon, Xibo unknowingly consumed what he believed to be his son's flesh.

When King Zhouu heard of this, he erupted into hearty laughter: "Ji Chang is a Saint? They say Saints don't eat their own children, yet he seems to have quite the appetite."

"Your Majesty, Xibo has offered his lands as tribute."

The close advisor Fei Zhong presented a map.

King Zhouu examined it with satisfaction and said, "Send him back; Ji Chang indeed lacks his father's backbone."

Ji Chang's father had been feared and imprisoned by Emperor Yi, eventually dying in captivity.

"Understood."

At Ji Chang's place of confinement, a disheveled old man with a gaunt frame and white hair was helped to his feet by attendants.

That palace was shrouded in mysterious prohibitions—time had no meaning there. Power could not be wielded, and though only a short moment had passed outside, countless years of torment might have unfolded within.

"Xibo, you are free." Fei Zhong's half-smiling expression carried a trace of mockery.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Ji Chang forced a smile.

He then boarded his carriage and headed back to Xiqi.

On the road, Ji Chang couldn't help but vomit.

"This hatred, I swear to not rest until it is avenged!"

The animosity between Zhou and Shang would be resolved in his lifetime—not only the grief of his father's death but also securing a path for the Zhou people.

Behind Ji Chang, the image of the Eight Diagram suddenly manifested.

Emperor Xinn had utterly failed to foresee that the prison he'd devised would not break Ji Chang's spirit but instead allow him to internalize the Eight Diagram.

To fully comprehend the Innate Eight Diagrams Path would herald the fall of Yinn Shang.

Chaoge City.

King Zhouu gazed westward, his eyes deep as he laughed, "You truly believe you can escape my grasp?"

A delicate jade-like hand encircled his robust frame.

"My king, the entire Demon Clan awaits your command."

"No hurry; let them finish their preparations first."

Most former Shang kings had practiced to perfection before undergoing Corpse Dissolution and Ascension, surpassing this world.

King Zhouu, however, sought to become a god in the flesh—to achieve eternal life and transcendence while remaining in this realm.

Previous kings cultivated virtue and benevolence to leave a favorable environment for their successors, knowing they would eventually depart.

But King Zhouu saw no need for such considerations since he intended to rule this world indefinitely.

"My king, today's meal was especially delicious."

"Not bad—the new chef shows promise."

Thinking of this, King Zhouu summoned Song Lin.

Before long, a young man was escorted into the hall by close advisors.

"Greetings, my king." Song Lin gave a slight bow.

"Seeing the king and not kneeling—how insolent!" Fei Zhong bellowed angrily.

King Zhouu regarded Song Lin with amusement and said, "They say capable men tend to be arrogant. If your talent lies solely in cooking, I won't let you off lightly today."

"I possess a heart, a Taiyang Dao heart, unparalleled in flavor. I possess a liver, the Green Emperor Wood Liver, which nourishes and beautifies…"

Behind King Zhouu's screen, a melodious voice emerged.

"If that's so, could you offer them to the king?"

"Certainly."

Song Lin pulled out a small knife and, to everyone's astonishment, cut open his chest, revealing a shining golden heart.

The heart radiated like the blazing sun, emanating intense heat.

King Zhouu's eyes lit up—it was exactly the Innate Pure Yang he had long yearned for!

"Quickly! Bring it forth! I shall name you a nobleman!"

"Very well."

Suddenly, Song Lin hurled the heart away.

"No!"

King Zhouu's face changed drastically, but it was too late.

Boom!

The heart exploded, unleashing boundless True Taiyang Fire that engulfed the palace.

The entire palace complex was blown sky-high.

"Ahhh!! Damn you!!"

King Zhouu roared furiously.

By the time he regained his senses, Song Lin had already vanished.

"I am the Eastern King, the source of the sun, the vitality of all things—the destroyer of Shang, the Eastern King!"

The declaration reverberated across the land, shaking heaven and earth.

"My king, disaster strikes! The Grand Ancestor's artifact has been stolen!"

King Zhouu nearly spat out blood in fury.

A massive search was launched across the realm, but the Eastern King was nowhere to be found.

The Eastern King emerged as the first visible force opposing Shang, drawing significant attention, which took pressure off Xibo.

By then, Song Lin and Bo Yikao had already settled by the Weis River.

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