Daqin Zhentiansi

Chapter 688 The Debate of the Heavens! The Edge of the Stars!
Zhang Yuan emphasized the word "Your Majesty," while his gaze swept over Yin Jiuyou and Lu Tianshu: "Tell Your Majesty that this item involves Qizhou beyond the borders. It was obtained from the depths of the Fire Source during our patrol in the East Sea. This matter is of great importance, and I urge you to investigate it thoroughly!"

Yin Jiuyou and Lu Tianshu were shocked!
They understood that this demonic sword was no longer just a weapon, but a foreshadowing, a key node connecting the chaos in the East China Sea, the mystery of the fall of Zhenhaiwei, and even the possible future storms from the outer realms!
The Boundary-Breaking Shuttle transformed into a streak of light, carrying a sealed demonic sword and a secret letter, tearing through the sky and heading straight for the Qin Imperial City.

Zhang Yuan stood at the entrance of the dilapidated grotto, with boiling spiritual springs, roaring sword formations, and rising elixir energy behind him. Yet his gaze seemed to pierce through time and space, falling upon the vast and unknown endless void.

The world is vast, encompassing more than just the nine provinces.

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The River Management Office of Donghan County.

Li Cheng sat upright in the quiet room, surrounded by the wafting sandalwood incense, yet it could not suppress the pounding heart in his chest.

The scroll of spring mountain painting, warmed by countless touches, hung before him. As his thoughts sank into it, a familiar pulling sensation came, and his soul found itself standing on an ancient and desolate stone platform in a grotto.

Several months later, he had another opportunity to attend the Spring Mountain gathering.

Twenty-one tall stone seats, shrouded in a dim yellow light, are arranged in a circle and scattered in a staggered manner.

The illusory image gradually solidified, silently and without a sound.

Li Cheng lowered his head slightly and looked around.

Rock.

lark.

Shiraishi.

Broken gun.

White paper.

Black tiger.

Dust.

……

Although the face of the person codenamed "Zhelong" is blurred, the composure ingrained in his bones is clearly visible.

The stone bridge next to it exudes a profound and majestic aura.

The location of the scroll exudes a vast scholarly aura, as if it possesses a world within itself...

Li Cheng felt his palms sweating. He huddled in his "bamboo raft" position, like a drop of water that had accidentally entered a deep-sea whirlpool. He felt small, fearful, and yet had an irrepressible urge to see the whole picture of the deep sea.

At the head of the gathering, the figure codenamed "Black Tiger" slowly sat up straight.

An invisible, imposing aura spread out.

The being shrouded in that dark aura resembled a black divine mountain that could topple the world at any moment.

"Gentlemen," Zhang Yuan's voice rang out, not loud, but clearly echoing in everyone's mind, carrying a calmness that seemed to understand the world, "Today, I have two questions to ask you."

Within the cave, one could hear a pin drop.

Zhang Yuan's gaze slowly swept across the entire room, and the invisible pressure made Li Cheng's heart almost jump into his throat.

"Black Tiger" slowly asked, "Firstly, what do you know about 'Zhao Zhou'?"

Li Cheng was taken aback.

Zhao Zhou?

Although the Qin Dynasty had a vast territory, it seems there were no places named "continent"?
His mind was completely blank.

After a brief silence, a gentle yet profound voice rang out from the "scroll" position: "Zhao Zhou... is an ancient place name recorded in the 'Great Wilderness Secret Record' and the fragment of the 'Yu Emperor Opening the Mountain Map,' not the present-day region."

"Legend has it that in ancient times, the Heavenly Court divided the world into thirty-six continents, as vast as the stars in the sky."

“Zhaozhou is one of them. It is located on the far west coast. Its people worship swords and there is a saying that ‘when a sword comes from Zhaozhou, its light chills the entire world.’”

"However, the ancient Heavenly Court collapsed, the heavens and earth were overturned, the stars shifted and the constellations changed, and the thirty-six continents were already broken, scattered, and lost in the turbulent flow of time and endless years..."

"Zhao Zhou and our Yongtian Continent may have once been like twin stars, but now they are separated by the dust of time."

"Book" was Zhang Hengqu's pseudonym.

As the headmaster of the Imperial Academy, he was well-read and possessed considerable knowledge of information from ancient times. Li Cheng remained bewildered, but seeing that the other seated figures were completely still, it was clear that many of them knew something about Zhao Zhou.

A deep, steady voice, tinged with a hint of killing intent, came from the location of the "broken spear," confirming Li Cheng's guess: "Eight hundred years ago, during the bloody battle at Blood Soul Pass, an enemy suspected to be from beyond the realm suddenly broke in. Their swordsmanship was unpredictable and ruthless, quite different from that of the world. The remaining fragments of their weapon were inscribed with the ancient seal character 'Zhao'."

"The veterans in the army speculate that it may be a remnant of the ancient Zhao Zhou lineage, or... its descendants who have been scattered to foreign lands."

Ji Liang, the Marquis of Xichang, codenamed "Broken Spear," undoubtedly added a bloody and realistic dimension to Zhao Zhou's existence with his words.

There really is such a continent in the world.

Li Cheng looked up and gazed ahead.

The eldest prince, Ying Rong, who held the position of "hidden dragon," nodded slightly and replied, "I have reviewed the secret records of the Great Qin Emperor in Qingtian Continent."

"The founding emperor once said that when he rose to power, he received a revelation from an 'extraterrestrial object' that said the thirty-six continents were scattered throughout the myriad worlds and that the day they would reunite would be the day the Heavenly Palace would reappear."

"The name Zhao Zhou is indeed recorded. Its territory is vast, with many spiritual veins and sword mountains. Its lineage... may be of the same origin as my Yongtian Martial Arts but different in style. Unfortunately, the secret records are vague. Where it is located and how it is connected are still top secrets."

Zhao Yu sat in his seat, his gaze fixed on where Zhang Yuan was.

Based on her understanding of Zhang Yuan, she knew that he must have some ulterior motive in convening the Spring Mountain gathering.

Could it be that cultivators from Zhaozhou have been discovered in the East China Sea?
Is there truly another world beyond the Nine Provinces?
Zhao Yu's gaze shifted to the direction of Consort Qi, codenamed Yun Que, who was standing to the side.

Consort Qi leaned back gently in her chair. Although her face and expression were not clearly visible, one could sense her ease.

Since Zhang Yuan took charge of the Eastern Border, the chaos in the Eastern Border's martial arts world and border areas has gradually subsided.

Not only did the emperor have fewer worries, but Consort Qi, who had benefited somewhat from Zhao Yu's help, also became even more favored.

However, as more and more Confucian and Taoist practitioners from Qingtianzhou entered the court, the prestige of Consort Jia and the Fifth Prince was diluted considerably.

On the other side, Yu Kuizhen sat upright in her seat.

His purpose in attending this gathering was simply to gather information for Emperor Yuankang and to relay messages to Marquis Qingyang.

Since Zhao Zhou has been mentioned today, it must be because Marquis Qingyang wants me to mention Zhao Zhou in front of His Majesty.

"I have traveled the world for decades, painting and exploring the vast wilderness of Yongtian Continent, even venturing deep into the desolate western wilderness. I once glimpsed a scene of a foreign land in an ancient underground palace mural." Ji Yuntang, codenamed "Scroll," also spoke, his voice carrying a hint of remoteness.

"Ten thousand swords hang in the air like a forest, and the celestial palace sits amidst the crimson clouds."

"At the time, I thought it was just the imagination of ancient cultivators... Now that I think about it, perhaps it was a projection of a corner of Zhao Zhou? The scene in that painting, with its sword intent reaching the heavens, could not be created out of thin air by human power."

His description was full of vivid imagery, as if a lost scroll was slowly unfolding before everyone.

Everyone was talking at once, and Li Cheng felt dizzy and his head was buzzing.

A summer palace?

Thirty-six continents?

Zhao Zhou Sword Dao?

Did the founding emperor receive divine revelation?

Each of those words carried the weight of mountains, crashing down on the worldview of this lowly official from the Jiuchuan River government, who came from a humble background.

He only knew about the nine provinces of the Qin Dynasty, the grudges and feuds of the martial arts world, the competition for profit in the grain transport, and the difference in social standing.

These people, however, keep talking about "all the heavens and myriad worlds", "ancient star dust", and "reunion in the Heavenly Court".
What kind of world was that?
His Longyun Gang and his Dragon Elephant Realm cultivation level are probably not even worth a speck of dust in that kind of world!

He subconsciously clenched his illusory fist, an indescribable sense of insignificance and absurdity almost overwhelming him.

Sweat...

If he had a physical form at this moment, his clothes would surely be soaked through.

Zhang Yuan listened quietly for a moment without interrupting.

After everyone finished speaking, he nodded slightly and then posed the second, and even more serious, question: "So, what about 'Qizhou'? Does anyone know anything about it?"

Qizhou?!
This time, the silence within the cave was even deeper, as if ice was spreading.

Even the bigwigs who had spoken earlier seemed to freeze for a moment.

(End of this chapter)