If you don't give up, I'd like to be your adoptive father.

Chapter 1312 Ying Zheng's Malice

The underground palace of the Human Emperor will be transformed into a complete "world of the dead"—the Human Emperor's Blessed Land.

It is modeled after the empire of Qin Shi Huang during his lifetime.

While it may not encompass the entire territory, the underground palace contains at least all the palaces and government offices that the capital city of Xianyang possessed.

If the underground palace successfully develops into the blessed land of the human emperor, the tombs within will all transform into a vast and magnificent architectural complex, resembling a celestial palace.

For example, the narrow tomb garden where various spiritual roots and elixirs are planted will be transformed into the "Imperial Garden Spiritual Field" covering tens of thousands of acres in the Emperor's Blessed Land.

The imperial capitals on earth all had an Imperial Observatory and a place for offering sacrifices to Heaven. The underground palace also had an Imperial Observatory office and an Altar for offering sacrifices to Heaven.

The Temple of Heaven is built of nine-colored soil, forming a nine-story earthen platform, with the highest level having a diameter of nine zhang (approximately 33 meters).

Since it was a place for offering sacrifices to Heaven, it was naturally placed in the location closest to "Heaven": at the top of the underground palace, above which was a gray void, and below was the palace of the human emperor, that is, the place where Ying Zheng's coffin was placed.

When Guan Zhenren passed by the coffin carrying the spirit lamp, he knelt down and kowtowed three times.

Although Grand Tutor Yu did not kneel, he stood in the center of the tomb chamber and bowed to the coffin.

Although the coffin contained only a few items used by Ying Zheng during his lifetime and did not actually contain Ying Zheng, it was at least nominally "Ying Zheng's coffin".

The proper etiquette should not be omitted.

In fact, even if Ying Zheng were alive, she and Guan Zhenren would only need to bow to the Emperor.

When Guan Zhenren saw his former master, he was overcome with emotion and performed a grand ceremony. Grand Tutor Yu, however, did not share his feelings and his reaction was rather indifferent.

After paying homage to Ying Zheng's coffin, Guan Zhenren enthusiastically ascended the high platform and began arranging the utensils used for the "Heaven" sacrifice.

"Actually, we have long wanted to hold a sacrificial ceremony here to find out the true situation of the late emperor."

Master Guan looked intently at Grand Tutor Yu and said, "Everyone says that in the entire Three Realms, only the Grand Tutor of Great Qin truly understands the late emperor's situation."

Theoretically, this is also true.

"Didn't True Lord Meng come here before?" Grand Tutor Yu asked.

"Meng Zhenjun did come here, and even tried to pay homage to the late emperor. But his cultivation is not as good as yours, and the power and fortune of the Ying clan in his hands are not as good as yours."

Even his attitude towards the Qin Dynasty and the Ying Clan was not as 'pure' as that of the Grand Tutor.

"Grand Tutor can do many things that True Lord Meng cannot," said True Man Guan.

The attitude of the former kings of the Ying clan speaks for itself.

The former king of the Ying clan trusted Meng Zhenjun's character and integrity, but did not rely on him much.

The late King Ying staked everything on Grand Tutor Yu.

Grand Tutor Yu stood on the earthen platform, looking at the chaotic void outside the underground palace, caught in a dilemma.

Before becoming the Grand Tutor of Qin, she was extremely curious about the gossip surrounding Ying Zheng.

Whenever someone recounted the secrets of Ying Zheng's death, she would pull up a small stool and sit beside them, using Ying Zheng's story to accompany her meals.

When she truly became the Grand Tutor of Qin, she learned more about the inside story of Ying Zheng's death. She was still interested in the core secrets, but her curiosity was no longer as strong.

As the Grand Tutor of Qin, she must have considered another more practical matter: inquiring about Ying Zheng's affairs would not bring any substantial benefits and might even cause unnecessary trouble.

Standing on the earthen platform, Xiaoyu suddenly had a strong premonition: if she offered sacrifices to Ying Zheng, she might actually receive a response, but the result would be neither auspicious nor inauspicious.

"Master Guan, I have a feeling now. If we go all out to summon the late emperor back, it may not be a good thing, and there may even be some danger."

Master Guan asked in surprise, "Why would there be danger? If the late emperor really responded to us, considering the current situation of Qin, he would only try his best to help the Grand Tutor!"

Even if the late emperor couldn't provide direct assistance, at least some of the spiritual roots and immortal fruits within the underground palace could be given to the Grand Tutor to help him increase his cultivation.

Grand Tutor Yu sighed, "Ying Zheng, as a living person, is already unfathomable."

At this time, Ying Zheng had become a ghost, a wandering ghost who could not or did not want to return home, and no one knew what he was plotting.

We have absolutely no idea what he's thinking.

After pondering for a while, Master Guan said, "In that case, let's leave the underground palace. Let's try moving the Twelve Golden Men out. If we can move them out, we'll activate them and take them with us."

If anything changes, don't move.

Xiaoyu shook her head and said, "I'm just giving you a heads-up that something might happen later, so you can be prepared. I'm not really afraid that the late emperor's spirit will cause any trouble."

She is not Guan Zhenren, and doesn't have any special feelings for Ying Zheng.

If Ying Zheng dared to provoke her, she was capable enough to beat him to death.

"What is the late emperor planning to do?" Master Guan asked with concern and hesitation.

"I don't know, let's wait and see."

Grand Tutor Yu gestured to Wang E to light the incense and candles.

Master Guan changed into his robes, took a whisk, and became her assistant.

After completing a simple ritual to communicate with the spirits of the dead, Grand Tutor Yu summoned the Nine Cauldrons to protect him.

Well, with the Nine Cauldrons by her side, she's really not afraid of Ying Zheng causing any trouble.

"The Phoenix Cry Black Mountain Cauldron!" Guan Zhenren couldn't help but exclaim in surprise as he looked at the huge black cauldron floating beside Grand Tutor Yu.

The Phoenix Cry Black Mountain Cauldron was stolen by Qiu Mingzi and others. On the way, it smashed Dong Ye Daxian's pure Yang immortal body and fell into the river. It has not been found to this day, and people are still searching for it.

The reason why some people are still unwilling to give up is because Grand Tutor Yu himself said that the Divine Cauldron is missing and she cannot find it either.

She later publicly displayed the Nine Cauldrons and Dragons several times, and also summoned the Phoenix Cry Black Mountain Cauldron, but it was not a physical form.

Like the vanished "Xuzhou Ding," it is a phantom that embodies both divine charm and power.

Now, Grand Tutor Yu has directly summoned the Phoenix Cry Black Mountain Cauldron.

"Don't spread rumors. Just pretend the Phoenix Cry Black Mountain Cauldron has completely disappeared," said Grand Tutor Yu.

Master Guan's expression twisted. "Others might be deceived, but the Great Immortal Dong Ye, who was betrayed by the Grand Tutor, certainly knows what happened."

"His knowledge, like your knowledge, is just speculation."

Grand Tutor Yu made a casual remark, then his expression turned solemn, and the nine large cauldrons transformed into nine beams of divine light, which entered her body.

When Dong Ye used Grand Master Yu's secret technique "body and cauldron as one," the divine cauldron suddenly broke free from his control and crushed his immortal body.

If Dong Ye could achieve "unity of body and cauldron," then Grand Tutor Yu could naturally transform the cauldron into qi and draw qi into his body.

At this moment, she was still outwardly a human female immortal, but in reality, she had entered the state of "Nine Cauldrons Controlling Dragons".

However, since she was facing Ying Zheng this time, she did not draw much of "Ying Zheng's Ancestral Dragon Qi" and thus did not transform into a dragon form.

"We admire our ancestral emperor, who, building upon the accumulated achievements of six generations, swept across the land, unified the country, standardized writing and cart tracks, establishing an unshakeable foundation for the dynasty, and swept away the barbarian dust, cleansing away the filth and chaos."

After the Nine Tripods were added to his possession, Grand Tutor Yu became adept at using the dynasty's fortune to influence the human fortune, then using the human fortune to influence the heavenly fortune, and finally using the heavenly fortune as a "megaphone" to offer sacrifices to Ying Zheng.

As she recited the eulogy, the space and time around the altar truly began to change.

After a few gentle tremors, the underground palace suddenly broke free from the Heaven and Earth Hook and rapidly traveled "below" the Netherworld Veins. The void outside the altar also changed from the chaotic space-time of the Netherworld and Yin Sha to the extraterrestrial chaos outside the Pangu World.

The incense, candles, and fruits on the offering table all exuded a misty spiritual energy. It contained the divine aura of the offerings themselves, as well as the faith and aspirations of all living beings.

The two mixed together, turning into a straight plume of smoke that rose into the "sky" and drifted into the chaos beyond the earthen platform.

With Grand Tutor Yu's final words, "Alas! May you rest in peace!"

A towering "demonic shadow" loomed above their heads, surrounded by the "ethereal aura" of the offerings.

Master Guan could even see the "demonic shadow" open its mouth and swallow the swirling spiritual energy.

If he looked down at the offerings on the altar, he could see that the sacred fruits were shriveled, the skin and flesh of the sheep's and cow's heads had disappeared, and the incense burning in faith had suddenly shortened.

Even the ashes from the burning paper money in the copper basin were emptied in an instant.

Guan Zhenren didn't notice such a trivial matter. He stared intently at the increasingly clear "demonic shadow" in the void, his expression excited, his eyes red and moist, and the muscles around his mouth trembling slightly.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, you're finally back! Waaaaah~~~"

"Is he really Ying Zheng? Something's not right. Why does he have this aura? He doesn't seem like a human, nor a proper ghost; he's neither human nor ghost."

Wang E also had a bias towards the emperor, but not as strong as that of Guan Zhenren, a "loyal minister of a hundred years".

He tilted his head back, looking at the "demonic shadow" in the void with both awe and curiosity.

It was indeed a demonic shadow, not a phantom or a black shadow, because it was surrounded by thread-like "ominous aura".

The whole person seemed to be shrouded in a shadow darker than darkness itself.

But Ying Zheng was the master of the shadow, and the shadow did not conceal its form, so they could see it quite clearly.

"Oh dear~~" Wang E was staring at the demonic shadow when suddenly his body felt light and he involuntarily floated up.

"What's going on? How did I start flying?"

He tried to circulate his divine power, but it was stagnant, and he could not sense the laws of the divine path at all.

He turned his head and looked around, and was surprised to find that, without him noticing, a dense, thread-like gray mist had risen around him.

Then he was surprised to see that Guan Zhenren and his own master were also floating up.

He had a sudden inspiration and immediately looked up at the demonic figure in the "sky." Sure enough, the closer he got, the clearer he could see it.

"Oh no! That scoundrel Ying Zheng is going to drag us to the outer realms to be buried with him."

"Master, please use your great supernatural powers!"

He was like a turtle that had flipped over, lying on its back with its four legs in the air, powerless and could only shout at Grand Tutor Yu.

Grand Tutor Yu ignored him until they were about to leave the Netherworld and enter another dimension.

Grand Tutor Yu waved his hand, scattering a burst of divine light, and the three people suddenly froze in place.

"Are you His Majesty the late Emperor?" She used her newly learned telepathy to perceive his appearance, listen to his inner voice, and also used telepathy to transmit her own inner voice to a dimension beyond the realm.

"Come here and come with me!"

His voice was neither gentle nor cold, but rather exuded absolute rationality.

Guan Zhenren, with tears welling in his eyes, exclaimed excitedly, "It's His Majesty! This is His Majesty! Your Majesty, I will go with you, I—uh…"

He shouted excitedly twice and woke up on his own without needing anyone to scold him.

"Your Majesty, where do you want me to go? The Grand Tutor and I cannot leave Great Qin. After you left, the First Emperor of Qin collapsed, and Great Qin declined rapidly. Now it is all thanks to the Grand Tutor's efforts to turn the tide and stabilize the situation. If we leave, Great Qin will truly be finished."

"I command you, come here and follow me to the Chaos Immortal Realm. I guarantee you eternal immortal bliss and longevity!"

The voice remained rational, but carried an undeniable coldness.

It felt more and more right, and Guan Zhenren felt even closer to him, having less and less doubt about his identity.

Before he could continue explaining, Grand Tutor Yu spoke up, "Your aura is off, and your location is wrong. Are you really the Emperor?"

"Of course I am—" the demonic figure replied arrogantly, then paused, and then flew into a rage, "You, Yu Fengxian, how dare you curse me with evil magic!"

"Clang~~" The sound of a sword pierced through the dimensions of time and space, and Ying Zheng made a motion of throwing a short spear.

"Sizzle~~" A streak of light tore through the "sky curtain" and arrived in front of Grand Tutor Yu like lightning.

Grand Tutor Yu raised his head, adjusted his posture, and said directly, "You have a spiked club, I have a skull."

"When~~~"

A beam of light shone on her forehead, producing a metallic clang.

At this moment, the light revealed its true form: an iron sword nearly two meters long.

"Buzz buzz buzz~~" The tip of the sword collided with Grand Tutor Yu's forehead like needles against wheat awns. The sword energy overflowed and the sword light was dazzling, just like two suns rubbing against each other.

Guan Zhenren and Wang E instinctively raised their hands to cover their faces and shrank back.

"Hmph~~" A cold snort came to their ears, and their bodies gradually regained gravity until their feet touched the ground.

"Rumble~~~" The underground palace beneath their feet was violently shaking. They tried to open their eyes to see, but the sword energy was still rampant and the sword light was blinding.

Wang E was stronger and adapted to the environment of dazzling sword light and crisscrossing sword energy the first.

"Damn it, Ying Zheng really wants to kill the master! But Ying Zheng is already dead, he's a vengeful ghost, not the human emperor, how can he still have such powerful strength?!"

Her master had already transformed himself into a sword, and her forehead was the tip of the sword.

Above her forehead was a giant sword nearly two meters long, still gleaming with light, as if it possessed endless power.

Even though it had long since escaped Ying Zheng's control, it remained stuck to Yu Taishi's forehead, trying to drill into her skull and split her in two.

The Grand Tutor's sword and Ying Zheng's iron sword remained locked in a stalemate for nearly half an hour.

Half an hour later, Grand Tutor Yu suddenly raised his hand and grabbed the iron sword, whose force had not yet dissipated.

The duel between the Grand Tutor's Sword and the Human Emperor's Sword ended "early".

Even though Yu Taishi grabbed the blade with one hand, the iron sword still struggled in her hand like a tyrannical dragon, making a clanging sound, and ribbon-like sword energy burst out.

This deterred Guan Zhenren from approaching, and caused Wang E, who did get close, to suffer numerous bloody cuts on his face and body.

The sword energy still lingered at the wound, making it difficult to heal for a long time.

Only Grand Tutor Yu, whose black hair flew wildly and whose sleeves and skirts billowed in the violent sword energy, remained completely unharmed.

"Master, what's going on? Ying Zheng only threw a sword, how could it be so powerful?"
"Could he possibly control a sword across infinitely vast distances outside the realm?" Wang E asked doubtfully.

The demonic shadow in the void had actually disappeared long ago.

Before he opened his eyes, before he heard that cold snort, Ying Zheng had already drifted away.

"He has left, but his spirit and will have remained until now." Grand Tutor Yu gripped the sword blade, his expression complex.

(End of this chapter)