Daqin Zhentiansi

Chapter 689 The Ancient Heavenly Court, Thirty-Six Continents

Although the Spring Mountain Grotto is formless, one can still feel the sudden oppressive atmosphere within it.

Consort Qi, who was sitting in the same spot, looked up, a look of surprise flashing in her eyes.

What kind of place could make the people at this gathering so silent?
"Zhelong" was silent for a moment, then spoke again, his voice much lower than before, carrying an unprecedented solemnity: "In the Azure Sky Scroll, the name 'Qizhou' is far less common than Zhaozhou, yet it is far more ferocious."

Zhang Hengqu's voice, once again, was no longer gentle and distant, but extremely heavy: "The middle section of the *Tianyan Demon Mirror* records: 'In the Western Underworld there is a demon kingdom called Qi. They are skilled in controlling soul fire and devouring spirits to transform into gods. Their power is neither true essence nor evil spirit, but originates from the end of chaos, eroding heaven and earth for survival.'"

"At the end of ancient times, the calamity of the collapse of the Heavenly Court may have been caused by its tearing of the astral barrier, which attracted extraterrestrial demons. If Qizhou is truly as recorded in the ancient texts, it may not be a land of humanity, but rather a calamity for all spirits!"

His words branded Qi Zhou with the terrifying label of "the enemy that will destroy the world."

Within the Spring Mountain Cave, all was silent.

Zhao Yu looked up in Zhang Yuan's direction and frowned slightly.

Could it be that Zhang Yuan encountered the Heavenly Demon of Qizhou in the East China Sea?
Zhang Yuan listened quietly. When Zhang Hengqu finished speaking, the dark aura around him seemed to ripple slightly, as if a tangible pressure was gently spreading.

The light in the entire cave dimmed slightly.

Yu Kuizhen looked solemn and sat up straight.

Perhaps this is the real purpose behind Marquis Qingyang's convening of this gathering?

“Not bad.” Zhang Yuan’s voice came, carrying a cold, almost tangible killing intent. Every word struck the depths of everyone’s soul, especially Li Cheng’s heart, like a heavy hammer.

"Zhao Zhou is still alive, and the way of the sword has not been lost. His existence is not without its limits. Whether he is an enemy or a friend remains to be seen."

"But this Qizhou..."

He paused briefly, and that brief silence was almost suffocating.

"Perhaps it is the mastermind behind the collapse of the thirty-six continents and the fall of all worlds!"

"The ruins of the East Sea, the mystery of the fall of the Zhenhai Guard, and even the ancient apocalyptic war that swept through the Heavenly Court... Behind each layer of mystery, a demonic shadow lurks, ready to strike!"

Standing upright, Zhang Yuan's gaze swept across his surroundings, his voice filled with determination.

"It would have been fine if we didn't know the ancient secrets, but now that we do..."

A gleam flashed in his eyes: "Our Great Qin Dynasty inherits the ancient dynasty, reunites the thirty-six continents, reopens the Heavenly Palace, carries on the glory of our ancestors, gathers the power of all realms, and mends the rift in the heavens..."

"Open the gates, and may peace reign forever!"

Zhang Yuan's tone suddenly rose, like the clash of swords and the thunderous roar, carrying a magnificent will that transcends time and space and encompasses the stars.

As soon as he finished speaking, an invisible wave of sound seemed to stir up a storm within the cave!

Those four words, "Peace for All Ages," are not a prayer, but a war drum! A bugle call!

It is a decisive declaration of war that transcends endless time and space and deep-seated hatred!

Li Cheng was completely stunned.

He felt like a small boat being slammed onto the beach by giant waves, ready to be shattered at any moment in the face of such a grand and earth-shattering undertaking and such a deep and abyss-like blood feud.

To wipe out the Demon Continent?

Reunited amidst the stars?

To reclaim peace for all ages?

These words, every single one, far exceeded the limits of what he could comprehend in his entire life!

How much power would that require?

How vast is the sky and the earth?

His long-distance transport network, his canal transport system, his dragon-elephant realm... How insignificant!

An unprecedented sense of insignificance overwhelmed him completely.

A profound sense of bewilderment, a deep-seated bewilderment, made him almost forget where he was.

But at that moment, in the gaps of boundless shock and fear, something extremely subtle yet extremely stubborn, like the tender sprout of wild grass, suddenly emerged from the deepest part of his heart!

That was the ruthlessness he showed in carving out his own territory in the alley during his childhood, the defiance he showed in his youth when he was working hard at the docks carrying bags and was trampled into the mud but still managed to stand up, and the ambition he showed in his middle age when he challenged the previous gang leader alone and sat on that chair amidst the bloodshed!
"boom--!"

An unprecedented thought, like a torch suddenly illuminating the darkest corner of his soul, made his blood almost boil:

Since the heavens and earth are so vast, and the starry sea so boundless, and a legendary world like the Thirty-Six Continents exists...

Then why can't Li Cheng, the leader of the Changyun Gang, one day go to the vast ocean of stars, just like he did when he conquered the Jiuchuan River step by step back then...?

Could it be a chance to establish a brand and gain widespread fame?
The idea was so crazy, so unrealistic, yet so...

Scalding hot!

He raised his head and gazed at the dark and deep void above the cave ceiling, a void that symbolized the endless heavens. His breathing became heavy, and his fists clenched tightly in the unseen illusion.

Feelings of insignificance and bewilderment still clung to him like cold iron chains, but a primal and wild desire for conquest, originating from the common people, roared with resentment even under the constraints of those chains!

That was the most instinctive, greedy response to the vast, magnificent painting of stars overhead!
In this grand scene where the old and new worlds overlap dramatically, twenty-one beings, symbolizing the pinnacle of power in the Qin Dynasty, remain silent, feeling the overwhelming fighting spirit and star-sea blueprint emanating from the Black Tiger's throne. Their souls tremble, and each of them burns with their own flames of will.

Within the Spring Mountain Grotto, the prologue to a new era of conquering the heavens and reuniting the homeland has already begun, amidst silent desolation and boiling ambition, revealing a heavy corner of its story.

……

Eastern Frontier Camp.

Inside the large tent, Marquis Ji Liang of Xichang slowly raised his head and looked out of the tent, his eyes revealing a deep gaze.

Within the camp, the shouts of soldiers training, the recitations of Confucian scholars teaching texts, and the sounds of metal clanging, howling winds, and surging malevolent energy converged into a torrent.

"I thought that the Marquis of Qingyang's training of hundreds of millions of soldiers was a matter of survival of the fittest, a means of military discipline," Ji Liang murmured softly. "Now it seems that he really intends to train hundreds of millions of soldiers!"

All eyes in the world are on the eastern border.

The Eastern Frontier Army underwent extensive training, with hundreds of millions of river workers and hundreds of millions of soldiers being conscripted and trained. Everyone felt this was a waste of resources and manpower, and that it was unsustainable.

Even Ningguo Duke Han Qi, Pingyun Marquis Xun Huo, and others privately felt that Qingyang Marquis's training of the army was to select one out of ten through a rigorous elimination process.

The soldiers in the camp trained desperately, fearing they would be eliminated.

At this moment, Ji Liang returned from the gathering at Chunshan Cave Heaven, and had different thoughts in his mind.

It is likely that the number of troops trained by the Marquis of Qingyang far exceeds what people in the world imagine!
This is why Marquis Qingyang wanted to hunt in the East Sea.

Without the massive resource supply from the East China Sea, the Eastern Frontier Camp could not have supported such a large army!
"If the ancient thirty-six continents can truly recreate their glorious past, what does it matter if I, Ji Liang, die?"

Ji Liang slowly clenched his fists.

His surname is Ji, and it is said that Ji is a major surname in ancient times.

……

Qingtianzhou.

Bailu Mountain.

Behind the academy, on the hillside, the eldest prince, Ying Rong, dressed in a Confucian robe, slowly rose and walked out of the quiet room.

(End of this chapter)