Chapter 443: Starting With Something Simple
Ji Zhi looked at his ecstatic daughter with mixed feelings.
“Daughter, why give up being the Zhou Emperor to become a Human Sovereign candidate? Is it really that interesting?”
Ji Zhi was troubled. He had painstakingly groomed his daughter to be the Zhou Emperor, yet she refused the position, allowing Jiang Li to swoop in instead.
He firmly believed his daughter was the strongest and destined to become Human Sovereign.
Ji Kongkong was the first to know she’d become a candidate. Using her Double Pupils to glimpse the future, she saw herself being selected as a Human Sovereign candidate in just a few hours.
She’d been celebrating prematurely for those entire hours.
“Of course it’s interesting! I want to become as great as Uncle Jiang!” Ji Kongkong answered without hesitation.
Ji Zhi fumed: “Can’t you learn from better examples? Aside from his profound cultivation, compassion for the world, upright character, and charitable nature, what other virtues does your Uncle Jiang even have?”
Ji Kongkong pondered this – indeed, those seemed to be Uncle Jiang’s only merits.
Ji Zhi decided it was time to recount Jiang Li’s misdeeds during his school days.
The more Ji Kongkong heard, the more she admired Jiang Li’s unconventional thinking: “I see! To achieve what others cannot, one must think what others dare not.”
Ji Zhi sighed – was that really the lesson here?
……
“Little Feng, you’ve become a Human Sovereign candidate?” Senior Sister Wu Lian understood the significance – it meant Yu Feng was truly exceptional.
“Yes.” Yu Feng smiled.
“But this is just the beginning. My advantages are slim – it’s too early for celebration.” He embraced Senior Sister Wu Lian while planning his future, analyzing his shortcomings and strategizing how to compensate for them.
Senior Sister Wu Lian felt warm inside, comforted by his reliability.
“Come to think of it, it’s been three hours since you became a candidate, right?” she suddenly recalled.
“Three hours and fifteen minutes.”
“You’ve gone that long without encountering danger?” Her face lit up with joy.
Before meeting Jiang Li, Yu Feng had died tens of thousands of times with abysmal luck.
Even after coming to the Nine Provinces, his fortune only improved slightly – from certain death to half-death, half-injury scenarios.
Fortunately, Yu Feng had grown from his experiences with Jiang Li, becoming cautious and resourceful enough to handle disasters.
Though capable now, constant vigilance against seven or eight daily calamities remained mentally exhausting.
Remarkably, since becoming a candidate, disasters had ceased.
Yu Feng analyzed: “Mr. Jiang said Human Sovereign candidates are chosen by the Earth Vein, which controls their fortune to accelerate growth.”
“Perhaps the Earth Vein adjusted my luck, eliminating my misfortune.”
“That’s exactly right.” Jiang Li’s voice sounded beside them.
……
“Master, I never thought we’d both become Human Sovereign candidates!” Qin Luan hadn’t stopped smiling since the announcement.
The little white fox licked her paws proudly, thinking she’d chosen well – her human truly had the makings of a sovereign.
“Stay calm – this is nothing. When I traveled with the Human Sovereign, I’ve seen it all.” Yuan Wuxing’s grin matched Qin Luan’s despite his words.
Song Ying worried: “The Heavenly Secrets Bulletin mentioned one candidate is a True Dragon from another realm – a Unity Stage expert. How can you compete with…”
She trailed off, but everyone understood.
Yuan Wuxing, worldly as he was, dismissed her concern: “No need to worry. The selection tests wisdom more than talent – there’s little difference in innate gifts.”
“Though candidates will eventually battle, that comes later when all reach Unity Stage.”
“Legend says the three strongest candidates five hundred years ago – Jiang Li, Bai Hongtu, and Yu Yin – were chosen this way.”
“But what if someone breaks through to Tribulation Transcendence Stage first? Would they automatically become Human Sovereign?”
“Well…”
This stumped Yuan Wuxing.
Jiang Li’s voice echoed in their minds: “If anyone reaches Tribulation Transcendence Stage, they must defeat either Yu Yin or Bai Hongtu. Succeed, and I’ll immediately appoint them Human Sovereign.”
With Yu Yin’s national fortune boost reaching peak Tribulation Stage, and Bai Hongtu having survived an Ascension Tribulation, even past Human Sovereigns might struggle against them.
Yuan Wuxing suddenly realized this might be the second hardest selection in history.
The hardest being the last one.
“Mr. Jiang?” They searched for him, eyeing a tea-drinker by the road suspiciously.
Jiang Li sighed: “Stop looking. I’m still at the Human Sovereign Hall, communicating through your candidate marks.”
“Enough talk – I’m addressing all candidates simultaneously.”
……
Similar scenes played out for every candidate.
Just as they basked in the Earth Vein’s selection, they suddenly found themselves in an unknown space.
There stood Jiang Li, hands behind his back, smiling at them.
“This is a consciousness space I created – a Human Sovereign privilege to gather candidates.”
“First, congratulations. Interestingly, you’ve all had some connection with me, some quite profound indeed.”
Jiang Li’s gaze swept across familiar faces, some freshly seen at the Nine Provinces Assembly.
The only less familiar one was Yu Youxian.
But their bond was close too – both being Dao Sect Envoys.
“Regarding the Human Sovereign position, I’ll show no favoritism. Don’t expect special treatment from our connections.”
“Let’s start with a simple trial to familiarize everyone.”
The scenery shifted violently. When their senses stabilized, they stood by a massive lake surrounded by quietly fishing cultivators.
Piles of smelting materials appeared before them.
Jiang Li’s voice returned:
“This is the Nine Provinces’ second largest lake, teeming with fish. Your first test is simple – craft fishing tools from these materials. Whoever catches the most fish wins.”
Having reached Nascent Soul Stage, everyone possessed basic smithing skills.
“Additionally, no using cultivation or innate bloodline advantages to catch fish directly.”
This last rule specifically targeted Little Green Snake and Ji Kongkong.
Turning to two old friends, Jiang Li added:
“As you both saw, I randomly selected this test from Commander Liu’s question bank.”
“No need for proof – I trust you. Let’s begin!” Bai Hongtu licked his lips and rolled up his sleeves, moving away. Yu Yin silently walked in the opposite direction.