Years later, Daji entered the palace and was deeply favored by King Zhou, being granted the title of Consort.
Chaoge, the nexus of human destiny, was not just a city but a world.
Its vastness stretched beyond measure, unfathomable as an ocean.
Within Chaoge thrived countless forces, from mortal factions to immortal sects, even the great powers of the Three Religions.
The lesser powers posed no significant threat in this Primordial World. The major players numbered eight.
The most formidable were the ancient Human Ancestors, whose influence even King Zhou could not defy, yet they prioritized human interests. Among them were figures like Mei Bo, Yang Ren, and Du Yuanxian.
The second-largest faction comprised King Zhou's own retinue and the veteran officials of the Shang Dynasty, responsible for the city's administration. This included Huang Feihu, Huang Gun, Li Jing, Shang Rong, and Bi Gan.
Third were the disciples of the Jie Cult. Having aided the rise of the Shang Dynasty, their influence remained immense, even with most disciples in seclusion. Those active in Shang politics included Grand Tutor Wen Zhong, and generals Hu Sheng and Hu Lei.
Fourth were the Demon Race forces. Once the dominant race, their infiltration of humanity persisted despite humanity's independence. Examples include Fei Lian, E Lai, Fei Zhong, and You Hun, who had returned to the Demon Race.
Fifth was the Chan Sect, whose influence was concentrated among the four great feudal lords in distant regions, such as the Marquis of Nanbo and the Marquis of Xibo.
Sixth was the Ren Sect, followed by the Phoenix Clan, whose lineage was intertwined with the Shang's founding myth of the Xuan Bird descending from heaven to give birth to Shang.
Eighth was the Demonic Path. While many humans practiced demonic arts, they were still considered part of humanity, distinct from foreign demons, like the Four Heavenly Kings of the Mo family.
These eight major forces governed various aspects: administration, military, regional affairs, civilian life, governance, rituals, divination, and law.
As a dynasty that had endured for two hundred Yuan Cycles, its state apparatus was fully developed. In this era of gods and immortals, nothing was impossible; it was merely a matter of necessity.
With Daji's entry into the palace, the Demon Race's influence grew, leading to fierce competition among the various factions. Though Daji was only at the Taiyi realm, her unparalleled wisdom and strategic prowess, inherited from her lineage as Tu Shan, a wise demon sage of the ancient Heavenly Court, allowed her to achieve repeated victories in political struggles and annihilate numerous enemies.
This, however, plunged the Shang Dynasty into chaos, disrupting the balance of power and intensifying the conflicts between the major factions.
Even loyal and seasoned officials like Shang Rong were forced to retire, and Human Ancestors like Mei Bo and Grand Tutor Du were executed.
Daji thrived in the royal city of Shang, wielding immense power. She not only gained King Zhou's favor but also consolidated power in his hands, or rather, she served as a tool for King Zhou, a manifestation of the struggle between royal authority and ministerial power, between the central government and the regions.
This continued until all eight hundred feudal lords came to court. King Zhou, suspicious that the Marquis of Xibo was the Chan Sect's chosen successor for a new dynasty to replace the old, imprisoned him in Youli, preventing his return to his fiefdom.
At this time, Queen Jiang of Shang had not yet had her eyes gouged out, King Zhou had not yet descended into madness and killed his own son, and the hearts of the people had not yet been lost.
All of this was because Daji, acting under Nuwa's command, was forbidden from committing gratuitous acts of cruelty.
Daji, as the foremost of the Three Demons of Xuanyuan Cave, acted not only on Nuwa's orders but also by a pronouncement from the Holy Ancestor of all beings, or perhaps the Demon Ancestor.
"If you resort to any means to harm worthy ministers to achieve your goals, the karma generated will be enough to scatter your soul, consign you to eternal damnation, and make even a Saint unable to protect you!"
Daji, confined to the inner palace, gained influence due to King Zhou's trust. She was the dream of countless palace maids, comparable to an Empress. Yet, every night, upon returning to her dreams, these twelve characters terrified her.
"Soul scattered, eternal damnation, Saint unable to protect! I, Daji, cultivated for ten thousand years, only to face annihilation in this great tribulation, with no escape. I can only rely on King Zhou's human destiny for protection. When the Shang Dynasty falls, I, Daji, branded as the nation-ruining demon concubine by all ministers, will surely die."
In her extreme fear, Daji gradually found a semblance of peace. Possessing a seven-aperture exquisite heart and unparalleled wisdom, she sought a sliver of hope for herself, even with her path seemingly cut off.
Mount Fuyu, with its towering pavilions and grand palaces, led to the dwellings of Sages.
Within the Floating Jade Palace, Kong Xuan sat in meditation, while Qing Ling occupied a lofty cloud bed. The palace was silent as the starry sky, save for the flickering of green flames.
Kong Xuan, emerging from years of secluded cultivation, had still not severed his past self. The peak realm had held him captive for many years, Da Luo twenty-one heavens, like an insurmountable chasm.
Even for the exceptionally talented Kong Xuan.
The Three Religions boasted countless talented disciples and powerful beings, yet only one had reached the absolute peak: Xuan Du.
Ran Deng, as an elder of the previous generation, was naturally not considered a disciple of the Three Religions.
It was not that their talent paled in comparison to their predecessors, but rather that the times had changed. It was no longer the ancient or primordial eras. Advancing further beyond the powerful realm was as difficult as climbing to heaven.
Even achieving Da Luo Golden Immortal status was arduous.
However, below Da Luo, achieving the Immortal realm was relatively easy. Countless predecessors had left behind experience and cultivation methods, and numerous immortals offered guidance, making the path to immortality far more accessible than in the past.
But, becoming an immortal was easy; attaining the Dao was difficult!
Qing Ling, observing Kong Xuan's dejection, said with a smile, "Do not be discouraged. This is a trial of the Heavenly Dao. The greater the difficulty, the greater your accomplishment upon overcoming it."
Kong Xuan sighed, "Teacher, while that may be true, I must first reach the absolute peak. Otherwise, it is all in vain."
Qing Ling extended a finger, and a shimmering map appeared in the palace. "Since the path on the immortal mountains yields no progress, let us try the mortal realm, ten thousand miles deep in its desires."
The map's light and shadow interweaved, and a single point of light flickered.
"This place is called Qishan. It is where the human destiny of Shang and Zhou converge. Heaven, Earth, and Man, the Three Powers, the Three Daos, may aid you in achieving your Dao."
Upon hearing this, Kong Xuan smiled, "Thank you, Teacher, for your guidance. I shall depart at once to investigate."
"Wait!" Qing Ling sighed. "It seems to be your destiny. I had intended for my guidance as a Sage to help you break through, thus allowing you to avoid this calamity, but fate plays its tricks.
Remember three points: you may defy the heavens, but not the will of heaven, earth, and man; you may achieve great fame, but not overshadow your lord; you may act as you please, but not with your entire heart."
Kong Xuan's expression turned solemn. "Disciple will remember these words with all my heart! Thank you, Teacher, for your guidance."
Qing Ling sighed, "No matter what, always remember that there is a mountain behind you. Go forth."
Kong Xuan bowed respectfully three times and departed, stepping out of the Sage's realm and descending into the mortal world, becoming an exiled immortal in this mortal realm.
Within the great hall, Azure Dragon asked, "Since you knew he faced a calamity, why did you push him into it?"
Qing Ling shook his head. "If I were to stop him, then no ant in the world would dare to contend with a Sage. Then the world would lose a miracle, and Kong Xuan would merely be an ordinary Taoist, nothing remarkable.
If he were unremarkable, what would have been the point of my accepting him as a disciple back then?
The heavens are high for birds to fly, the sea is vast for fish to leap. This is the most precious gift a teacher can give."