Chapter 136: Nearly Acknowledging Bai Ze as Father

Feilian did not realize that Jiang Yuan’s intention was to recruit him as an employee, but he felt that this deal was highly favorable for him.

However, one thing left Feilian quite curious: why did the Human Emperor insist on him capturing ten Golden Immortals who opposed him, rather than killing them? Could it be that he intended to subdue these adversaries?

Feilian had no way of knowing that if he killed those Golden Immortals, Jiang Yuan would be unable to harvest "Tyrant Points." If Jiang Yuan had to pay to promote Feilian to a Primordial Golden Immortal out of his own pocket, it would be a losing business—and Jiang Yuan was not about to make such a bad deal. Having the "dog system" fleece him was enough; he did not need Feilian doing it too.

"It’s a deal. I will capture ten Golden Immortals for the Human Emperor, and in return, you will help me ascend to the rank of Primordial Golden Immortal," Feilian agreed without hesitation. Although fighting Golden Immortals carried risks, where in the world of cultivation was there no danger? One could just as easily die from a cultivation deviation. Since a direct path to the Primordial Golden Immortal realm was now available, Feilian was certainly willing to choose it.

Jiang Yuan smiled and nodded, pleased to have finally caught a reliable employee. "Follow me to the front lines to take a look."

Jiang Yuan intended to visit the battlefield himself. In his view, this war would certainly not drag on as long as it did in the legends of the Investiture of the Gods. He estimated that after a few major battles, once the Xiqi forces realized they could not win, the Twelve Golden Immortals would be sent out. Jiang Yuan felt somewhat insecure about this; who knew if any of those Twelve Golden Immortals were actually semi-saints? Relying solely on Baize as his powerhouse was not enough.

"Forget it, I’m not going," Jiang Yuan said, just as everyone was preparing to depart, leaving them stunned. It was said that a ruler’s orders should not shift from morning to evening, yet he had changed his mind almost immediately.

Jiang Yuan felt that his presence there would be meaningless. What would he do on the battlefield? Boost morale? Boosting the morale of ordinary soldiers would have little impact on the outcome of this war; ultimately, he needed to recruit more powerhouses. The longer the war lasted, the more beneficial it was for him, as the duration directly correlated to the amount of Tyrant Points he could harvest.

He wondered if the Saint realm could even be exchanged for with Tyrant Points. Jiang Yuan always felt that becoming a Saint would not be so simple. There were countless cultivators in this world, yet Saints were few and far between. Even the arrogant Heavenly Emperor remained stuck at the peak of the semi-saint level, unable to make the slightest progress. If it were not for the gifts left by the great Pangu, the Three Pure Ones might not have stood at the pinnacle of all living beings for so long.

When it came down to it, only the Human Emperors of the human race truly attained Sainthood through cultivation. Jiang Yuan was unsure if the great Fuxi was human—he might have been a primordial Saint—but Shennong and Suiren were undoubtedly of the human race. This suggested that among all the races, the human race was the most capable of achieving Sainthood through cultivation, which explained why so many other races chose to take on human form after reaching a certain level of enlightenment.

"What does your Majesty plan to do next?" Zhang Kui asked curiously. He was the only one present who would never question the King’s decisions.

Jiang Yuan looked at the couple and said, "General Zhang and your wife, you should go to the front lines. I am now a Golden Immortal myself and no longer need your protection, but the soldiers on the front lines need you. Zhang Kui, your talent for leading troops must not be wasted. Take Nezha with you when you leave; he will likely be happy to join you. Also, take Yang Jian, provided that Fairy Yunhua does not object. Do not force him if she refuses."

"This rebellion will not end easily. If a city cannot be defended, do not hold it at the cost of lives. We lack top-tier experts, and in the end, it is the common people who will suffer."

Zhang Kui looked at the King with a complex expression, realizing that within such a short time of regaining his clarity, the King had already considered so much. "I understand, Your Majesty."

"Will you be staying in Zhaoge, then?"

Jiang Yuan shook his head. "Of course, I will not sit here waiting for my demise. Xiqi is approaching aggressively with the backing of the Chan Sect, so I must try to win over some powerful allies."

Jiang Yuan had already decided on his next move. The only force capable of opposing the Chan Sect was likely the Jie Sect, led by the Master of Heaven. The Master of Heaven was not as devious as the Primordial Lord of Heaven; he had a fiery temper and disdained reasoning with those who annoyed him, preferring to strike directly. Jiang Yuan was eager to witness that straightforward personality. Moreover, the Master of Heaven did not exercise tight control over his disciples. If any of them were willing to help the Shang Dynasty, the Master of Heaven would surely not stand in their way. If enough Jie Sect disciples participated, perhaps the Master of Heaven would even enter the fray himself to minimize his sect's losses.

That would be an ultimate combat force! The Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation of the Master of Heaven was no joke; if caught within it, even the Primordial Lord of Heaven might not be a match. Of course, this was just Jiang Yuan’s speculation, as he did not truly know the combat capabilities of the various Saints. He simply felt an instinctive affinity for the straightforward nature of the Master of Heaven, leading him to believe the latter was stronger.

Jiang Yuan was only at the Golden Immortal level; he could not yet comprehend the true terror of a Saint. He found the power of a semi-saint to be unfathomable, and the power of a Saint was something he could not even begin to imagine.

Before heading to the Jie Sect, Jiang Yuan planned to seek out Grand Preceptor Wen Zhong. After all, the Grand Preceptor was a disciple of the Jie Sect and seemed to be well-regarded there. Perhaps through him, he could recruit even more powerhouses.

With this in mind, Jiang Yuan looked at Baize and asked with a smile, "I would like to know the whereabouts of some powerful individuals. Could you enlighten me, senior?"

Baize smiled confidently. "Below the Saint level, there is almost no one the Human Emperor wishes to find that I do not know of."

Jiang Yuan felt a surge of envy. Was this the supernatural ability of Baize? What could he say other than being jealous? This was essentially a prophet.

"Then I must trouble you to accompany me on this journey," Jiang Yuan said lightly. It seemed he would not have a moment of rest; after touring the borders of the Shang Dynasty, he still had to go recruit experts. "This is so difficult," Jiang Yuan lamented inwardly.

He suddenly felt a pang of longing for the time before his system had awakened, when he would spend his days in the Star-Plucking Tower, embracing Daji and watching the singers dance. And at night… thinking of that, Jiang Yuan felt a twinge of pain in his lower back. *Sigh… it turns out that having great ability is also a source of trouble.* Jiang Yuan sighed, blaming it all on his own excellence.

Baize smiled and nodded. "Since I have decided to stand by the Human Emperor, I will naturally not refuse such requests."

Jiang Yuan felt a surge of joy. With this, there were no more problems. He had solved the issue of finding people and gained a bodyguard in the process. For the current Jiang Yuan, Baize was more than just a provider of coal in the snow—he was the one who had brought the coal and several thick quilts to go with it! If Jiang Yuan’s minimum standard for calling someone "father" were not limited to Saints, Baize would likely already be his godfather.