Daqin Zhentiansi

Zhang Yuan nodded slightly and pointed to the empty space next to the campfire: "A deserted temple in the mountains, a place without an owner, please make yourself at home."

"Thank you, brother!" The two scholars looked delighted and thanked him before sitting down by the fire, keeping a proper distance from each other.

The four men sat around the campfire in silence for a moment, the only sound the crackling of the burning firewood.

Wang Qi was young and seemed unable to bear the quiet. Looking at the outline of the mountains shrouded in night in the distance, he recalled the news he had heard on the way and couldn't help but sigh, "The State of Qi... is really gone."

His tone was complex, not one of grief, but more of a bewilderment in the face of drastically changed history: "Once one of the Three Jin states, with vast territory, now..."

Li Zhongwen interjected, his voice carrying the historical depth unique to scholars and a touch of rational commentary: "Eight hundred years of foundation, reduced to ashes. Rise and fall, glory and disgrace, are the natural course of dynasties."

"However, speaking of which, wasn't Jiang Huan, the founding emperor of Qi eight hundred years ago, originally a great general guarding the northern border of Qin?"

Zhang Yuan raised his eyelids slightly.

Li Zhongwen continued, "Historical records state that there was a great demon bewitching Yongtian Continent, and several forces from outside the region secretly supported and stirred up trouble. Jiang Huan, who commanded elite troops, saw that the Great Qin was beset by internal and external troubles. His ambition overcame his loyalty, and he believed that he could start a new regime. That's why he carved out his own territory, declared himself emperor, and established the Great Qi."

"Now, every eight hundred years, the descendants of the Jiang family have returned to Qin. Although they were forced to do so, it can be considered as... returning to its rightful owner? In the end, this trend of the times still points to unification."

He did not directly praise the Qin Dynasty in his words, but he pointed out the reasons for the establishment of the Qi State and the "historical inevitability" of its eventual subjugation to Qin.

Before Zhang Yuan could speak, Luo Hongxiu, who was poking at the fire with her head down, said calmly, "When Jiang Huan declared himself emperor, he invited foreign forces to interfere in Yongtian's affairs. Will the instigator have no descendants?"

"Now that the State of Qi has been returned to Qin, it has put an end to the hopes of certain people from outside the region, which is the true trend of the times."

Her words brought the origins of the situation from eight hundred years ago into the present context, and further pointed out the political significance of returning to Qin at present, eliminating a "key point" that could be infiltrated by foreign powers.

Upon hearing this, Li Zhongwen's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he looked at Luo Hongxiu and Zhang Yuan with a more probing gaze. He nodded and said, "What you say is very true, young lady. We must eradicate the hidden dangers and get to the root of the problem."

Just then, a commotion of footsteps and the neighing of horses broke the tranquility in front of the temple.

Seven or eight burly warriors, carrying various weapons, walked along the mountain path. They all reeked of blood and had fresh knife wounds, clearly having just experienced a fierce battle or chase.

These people were much rougher than the scholars; they spoke loudly, shouting and even cursing.

"Damn it, those thugs are really hot on our heels!"

"Quickly go inside the temple to catch your breath and treat your wounds!"

"Be quick-witted, Fourth Brother, keep watch and see if there are any more tails!"

Seeing the bonfire in front of the temple and Zhang Yuan and his three companions, they did not immediately intend to provoke them.

They simply occupied the area on the other side of the temple entrance, and rudely found places to sit or lean against the wall to check their injuries and bandage them. Some even took out wine flasks and drank heavily.

But one of the men, a burly man with a long scar on his face who seemed to be the leader, swept his sharp gaze over Zhang Yuan and the other three, especially lingering on Luo Hongxiu and the two scholars for a moment, his brows furrowing.

The scarred man's voice boomed, his tone laced with unquestionable authority and a hint of impatience as he shouted at Zhang Yuan and his group, "Hey! You lot in the temple! You look like wandering scholars and young women?"

"I don't care what you guys do, listen up! If anyone else comes after us, we might have to fight!"

"This dilapidated temple is the battlefield we've chosen. If you don't want to die, you'd better get as far away as possible! Don't get in the way and don't get splattered with blood!"

He waved his hand in a gesture of shooing them away. Although his words were rough and rude, the core meaning was not to bully them, but rather a warning to drive them away and to protect them.

The flickering firelight illuminated the tired yet fierce faces of the scarred man and his men, as well as Zhang Yuan's deep gaze.

He raised his eyes and calmly gazed at the remaining mountain god statue deep within the dilapidated temple.

His fingers silently traced the ancient engravings on his knees that resembled the spirit of the "Sea-Suppressing Pillar," as if sensing some dormant will belonging to the ancient mountains.

Luo Hongxiu remained silent, and the two scholars hesitated, but showed no intention of fleeing.

As night fell, a campfire crackled outside the dilapidated mountain temple.

The shouts and curses of the rough warriors were still ringing in my ears when, with a muffled thud and the sound of weapons being drawn, the two sides were already locked in battle!
The glint of swords and the flash of firelight pierced the darkness, while the clang of metal broke the silence of the desolate mountain.

A flash of blood appeared, followed by muffled groans and roars. The intense stench of blood instantly filled the air, carrying with it the lingering dust and the acrid smell of burning vegetation, rushing straight towards the temple gate.

Inside the temple, Zhang Yuan, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, suddenly frowned.

It wasn't because of the crude fighting outside the door, but because, under the sudden burst of intense blood energy, he keenly sensed that the ancient carvings on the base of the already blurred and dilapidated stone statue in front of him were actually trembling slightly!

The vibration was so subtle that it could not be detected by anyone but those with profound spiritual insight.

Like a thirsty pulse emanating from the depths of a parched land, or like a pearl covered by thick silt, struggling to throb under the pull of the spiritual tide!
The frequency of the patterns seemed to resonate subtly with the vast and profound aura of the "Sea-Suppressing Pillar" not far away!

Zhang Yuan's deep eyes suddenly opened, his inner light as clear as the moon reflected in a cold pool.

He rose silently, his dark robes remaining motionless in the dim moonlight filtering through the temple, and went straight to the stone statue.

As my fingertips brushed against the cold, rough stone carvings, the faint vibrations became even clearer, carrying a sense of unease and longing, as if the stone had been dormant for millennia and was yearning to awaken.

“As expected…” Zhang Yuan murmured, a knowing smile playing on his lips.

The divine path may have collapsed, and the gods may have fallen or fallen into slumber, but their spiritual imprints remain attached to the origin of mountains and rivers, and have never completely disappeared despite the vicissitudes of time.

This abandoned burial temple, having stood for countless years in the desolate mountains, has now been awakened by this unexpected bloody battle.

In the blink of an eye, Zhang Yuan flipped his hand, and twenty Chaos Yuan Pearls, each the size of a longan, containing chaotic energy and shimmering with a hazy precious light, appeared out of thin air!

This is a rare treasure refined by Qi cultivators from the East Sea, extracted from the primordial chaos energy at the beginning of creation. It is priceless in the Qin Imperial City and contains the primordial power to nourish the soul and enlighten the spirit.

Without the slightest hesitation, Zhang Yuan flicked his fingers.

Twenty Chaos Pearls transformed into streams of light, precisely embedding themselves into the engraved nodes of the stone statue's base!

In an instant, chaotic light burst forth from inside the stone statue, making its mottled stone body translucent!

The entire mountain god temple shook violently, and countless dust particles fell, as if a slumbering beast deep within the earth's veins was turning over!
"Om-!"

A great, ancient, and profound hum, not from the ears but from the depths of the soul, resounded throughout the heavens and earth!

The two martial artists fighting fiercely outside the temple were instantly horrified by this sudden change in the heavens and earth!
A powerful, unstoppable beam of earth-yellow light shot up from the roof of the dilapidated temple and pierced the dark sky!
Within the pillar of light, a vast and majestic divine aura swept across the land like a tidal wave.

The campfire suddenly smoldered, and all was silent; even the fighting seemed to freeze in place by an invisible force!

The stone statue collapsed and reformed amidst the dazzling light!
A towering phantom, its form a convergence of countless earth and stone spiritual lights, rose from the ground.

Wearing a crown of rock and armor with mountain patterns, his face was majestic and ancient, and he was surrounded by a heavy pressure like a mountain and the life-giving energy of the earth!

His eyes, initially unfocused, then locked onto the blood-stained crowd outside the temple. His majestic voice, like a boulder rolling down a valley, shook the very soul:
"Who dares disturb my eternal slumber...daring to wage war in the mountains and fields under my jurisdiction, defiling this sacred land?!"

The moment this colossal figure appeared, the two martial artists fighting fiercely outside the door—whether they were the cursing brutes or their opponents—felt as if a mountain was pressing down on them.

His internal energy stagnated, his blood churned, and the weapon in his hand became heavier than a thousand pounds. He could no longer muster the slightest desire to fight!
An overwhelming sense of awe and fear welled up in everyone's hearts. As if bound by invisible shackles, everyone's knees buckled and they all knelt down with a thud.

My forehead was pressed against the cold ground, and I didn't even dare to breathe.

Beside the campfire, the two scholars who had sought lodging were dumbfounded and trembling all over.

Li Zhongwen was completely unaware that the half-eaten piece of dry food in his hand had fallen to the ground.

Looking at the towering, majestic mountain god in the temple, and then at Zhang Yuan standing imposingly in front of the temple gate, his black robes fluttering, one feels an indescribable sense of grand history and the torrent of destiny rushing towards them.

Zhang Yuan stood at the foot of the illusory mountain god, his tiny figure now appearing as if he were at the heart of the mountain.

His face was calm and composed, as if awakening a mountain god was merely a matter of raising a hand.

He raised his hand, and at his fingertips, a wisp of pure golden light, carrying the majestic power of heaven and the will of the Qin Dynasty, had somehow condensed!

That golden light was dazzling and contained the supreme authority to rule over mountains and rivers and to bestow titles upon gods!

Zhang Yuan's voice was not loud, but it resonated clearly in the depths of the souls of every kneeling person, and was imprinted on the spirit of the mountains, rivers, plants and trees.

"Now, Zhang Yuan, the Marquis of Qingyang of the Great Qin Dynasty, has been ordered by Emperor Yuankang of the Great Qin Dynasty to inherit the destiny of Yongtian Continent—"

"You are hereby appointed as the Righteous God of the Cangmang Mountains, which stretch for three hundred li in this region!"

Title: Lord of Cangmang Zhenyue Mountain!

"To govern the earth's veins, to manage the mountains and rivers, to restrain spirits and demons, and to protect the peace and tranquility of the people!"

"May you revere this! Be mindful of Heaven's will and protect the Great Qin!!"

As the last character "Qin" fell, the golden light at the fingertip, containing the destiny of the Qin Dynasty, flew through the air like a tangible imperial edict and seal towards the brow of the mountain god's phantom!
"I will obey the decree—!"

The enormous phantom of the mountain god bowed solemnly, like a subject paying homage to a king, accepting the golden light of imperial decree with solemn joy and supreme glory!

His divine body instantly solidified several times over, its earthen-yellow divine light dazzling and perfectly blending with the aura of the earth beneath his feet, his vast divine power spreading in all directions!

Heaven and earth share the same feeling!

"Boom--!"

As if in response to this long-awaited divine decree, a deep rumble of thunder rolled across the vast sky, not lightning, but rather like a resonance of the laws of heaven!

Wherever the golden light of the imperial decree passed, the withered grass and trees around the dilapidated temple sprouted new shoots and burst into greenery at a speed visible to the naked eye!
Clear spring water was faintly seeping from the dry gullies on the ground!
An indescribable surge of vitality swept away the bloodshed and desolation of this place!

grand!

majesty!

sacred!

Once the imperial decree was completed, the will of Heaven was revealed.

Zhang Yuan withdrew his hand, his black robes still intact, as if he himself had not just stirred up the winds and clouds of heaven and earth and commanded the gods of mountains and rivers.

His gaze swept over the warriors who were prostrate on the ground in shock, and then landed on the two scholars outside the temple who were trembling and flushed with excitement and shock by the bonfire.

Wang Qinian's lips trembled, his voice carrying an uncontrollable tremor and utter devotion: "Brother Li... Brother Li! Heaven bless Great Qin! Heaven bless Great Qin! May the divine way flourish! This is truly... the mandate of heaven!"

He saw the dynasty's destiny, the favor Heaven bestowed upon Qin, and the unfathomable Qingyang Marquis before him, whose supreme power could turn the world upside down with a flick of his wrist!

Li Zhongwen was also dazzled and mesmerized. He forced himself to suppress the surging emotions in his heart, bowed deeply, and spoke with unprecedented conviction and excitement: "The people are fortunate! The land is fortunate! To have encountered a wise and holy dynasty!"

"With such divine protection and such pillars of kings and nobles... Great Qin shall rise! The Mandate of Heaven... truly rests in Qin!"

The last sentence is tantamount to a conclusion.

What he saw before him surpassed all the knowledge he had in the classics, giving this well-read Confucian scholar the most direct and irrefutable understanding of "the mandate of heaven".

The campfire flickered in the night wind, its light illuminating the kneeling warriors, the excited Confucian scholars, and even more so, the majestic phantom of the mountain god who had taken root in this place, whose aura was connected with the destiny of the Great Qin Dynasty.

At the heart of all this, Zhang Yuan, the Qingyang Marquis, dressed in black and exuding a profound aura, simply turned around and walked back to the corner.

It was as if the earth-shattering scene just now was merely a dusting of his sleeves, leaving behind only an awe-inspiring and transcendent figure, and the resounding words "On behalf of the Great Qin Dynasty" echoing in everyone's hearts.

With the return of the mountain god to his rightful place, the resurgence of the Qin Dynasty's divine way quietly reveals its splendor in this desolate temple.

The Imperial City of Qin, the Observatory of the Imperial Observatory.

The Milky Way is dazzling, and the night breeze is cool.

On the towering observatory, the white-haired and ethereal-looking Director of the Imperial Observatory, Yunmiao Daoren, suddenly emitted a piercing buzzing sound from the astrolabe and compass in his hand.

The intricate star patterns on it suddenly lit up, drawing several dim ancient stars deep in the night sky to suddenly burst into unprecedented brilliance, echoing the Ziwei Emperor Star, which embodies the destiny of the Great Qin Dynasty, and the Daoist rhyme flowed!
At the same time, the Zhen Tian Si, hidden deep in the core of the imperial city's earth veins, and the "Demon-Suppressing Copper Pillar" symbolizing the Qin Dynasty's oversight of the world and eternal suppression of immortals and demons, moved without wind, emitting a clear and melodious sound that seemed to pierce through the nine heavens!

In the Qianyang Palace, the Yongzhou Cauldron hanging high above seemed to come alive, exuding an aura of majesty, authority, and dominion over the mountains and rivers!

Commander of the Black Ice Platform, Marquis Su Jing of Changning, stood with his hands behind his back before the Zhen Tian Division. A terrifying light flashed in his deep eyes, and the void behind him seemed to distort slightly because of his emotions.

He could clearly sense that a vast, ancient yet vibrant power was quietly awakening on the land of Qin, blending seamlessly with the destiny and fate of Qin!

In the imperial study room.

Emperor Yuankang was reviewing memorials when his pen suddenly stopped.

He vaguely felt a slight, indescribable tremor emanating from the ground beneath his feet, as if millions of sleeping creatures were resonating with it.

A powerful, pure aura, imbued with the pulse of the earth and the majesty of the mountains, surged into his senses like a spring tide.

He slowly raised his head, his gaze seemingly piercing through the layers of palaces, and saw countless mountains and rivers, their spiritual veins sealed by the dust of time, rejoicing and leaping for joy within the Qin territory.

"Summon Marquis Su Jing of Changning and Daoist Yunmiao of the Imperial Observatory to an audience immediately!" The emperor's voice was calm yet contained an undeniable majesty.

A moment later, Su Jing and Daoist Yunmiao arrived together.

Without needing to say more, Emperor Yuankang's gaze swept over the two of them, and he already understood. (End of this chapter)