My dream connects to three thousand years later.

Chapter 484 Ascending to the throne and becoming a god, finally becoming the god of nations and conquest!

The Imperial Ancestral Temple is majestic and ancient, adorned with carved dragons and phoenixes, representing the pinnacle of architectural art. In particular, its sheer size and grandeur surpass even the imperial palaces of the Qianlong era.

The Imperial Ancestral Temple has stood here since the earliest records began, enduring countless ages. Even during the Dark Ages and the rise and fall of three dynasties, it remained untouched by damage.

In a sense, the Imperial Ancestral Temple has become a spiritual symbol of the human race.

It can be said that it was precisely because the Imperial Ancestral Temple was located here that, despite the changing dynasties, the position of the imperial capital never changed hands.

At this moment, the Master, with a solemn expression, directed numerous Confucian and Taoist practitioners to construct an ancient altar. Specific runes were inscribed on each brick and stone of the altar.

"...I had no idea! The Confucian sage of this generation, Master Meng, is such a snobbish person!" Jia Yanyu walked behind the Master, her tone seemingly mocking, yet also carrying a hint of wariness and annoyance.

She truly couldn't help but feel frustrated and angry... She was the one who placed the first bet on the scales, taking the highest risk. Why is it that Master Meng, who showed no loyalty before and was likely more loyal to Su Bo... now seems to be valued more than her?

Furthermore, Mencius, aren't you only loyal to the reigning emperor? Whoever becomes emperor, whoever you are loyal to?

Given the current situation, shouldn't you tell her that you are personally assisting in overthrowing the previous emperor?

When did you board the ship? Did you board even faster than her?

This is too bizarre! Jia Yanyu was completely baffled... Even when foreign tribes invaded the pass, you adhered to the principle of supporting whoever became emperor! What happened? How did you break that rule?
"Xiao Hai, there's something wrong with the runes you inscribed!" Master Meng ignored Jia Yanyu and sternly reprimanded one of his disciples: "I'll emphasize it again, all the ritual steps and the ritual foundation must be checked three times according to the rules and regulations!"

"On each foundation stone inscribed with runes, one must leave their own mark of Confucianism. If any problems arise afterward, the responsibility will be investigated based on the mark!"

"The ascension of a new emperor is a moment that will determine the fate of the nation for the next three hundred years! There is no room for the slightest negligence."

Seeing Xiao Hai start engraving again in a panic, scanning the area repeatedly to confirm that there were no errors, Master Meng finally breathed a sigh of relief. He glanced at other places but didn't see any problems. He then turned to look at Jia Yanyu, whose face showed no emotion whatsoever.

"Half a royal advisor! What are you doing here?"

Jia Yanyu's gaze was deep and unfathomable. "Half the Imperial Preceptor"—this was clearly a provocation… In the upper echelons of the capital, who didn't know how much effort she had poured into securing the position of Imperial Preceptor? Yet, she had never been able to overcome the ironclad rule set by the founding emperor…

"Alright," Master Meng said, seeing that Jia Yanyu did not answer, his expression ambiguous. "You want to argue, but I don't have time to play this childish game with you right now! You either participate and assist the new master in ascending the throne and becoming a god, or..."

"Wait...become a god?" Jia Yanyu's expression changed drastically as she suddenly realized that the situation seemed to be beyond her control. She had thought this was just a simple ascension to the throne...after all, becoming a god now seemed to be beyond her grasp!
No… this Confucian sage opposite me definitely knows about this. In terms of understanding the emperor, the Confucian school far surpasses that of the Eastern religious sects… but as a professional, he is still doing it…

Is it...

Jia Yanyu's expression grew increasingly grim. Had something unusual happened earlier?
Damn it, what's with this feeling of being the only one left behind?!
……

On the aerospace aircraft carrier.

Chu Zhu listened thoughtfully to Nuwa's explanation of the ritual for becoming a god.

"For an ordinary emperor to ascend the throne, all that is needed is to inherit..."

However, if one is to become the new ruler of a nation, one must win every battle, complete the reforms, and ascend the throne amidst the almost fanatical support of countless citizens!
In this way, one can naturally align with 'Heaven' during the coronation ceremony, and one's consciousness will enter a special space, thus facing the destined question and choosing whether or not one is willing to become the god of the nation and conquest.
If you choose this path, you will undergo a test! If you pass the test, you will be able to inherit the divine position!

From this perspective, compared to ordinary emperors who directly obtain divine status through a normal succession, they seem to be far inferior...

However, the two are not the same thing!

Although becoming the founding monarch is extremely difficult, it allows one to unleash over 90% of the power of a divine position!

It's hard to say about ordinary heirs to the throne... and when it comes to pollution, founding monarchs are generally more resilient!

As he listened, Chu Zhu roughly understood... Although he had conquered the world, he clearly didn't have many people who fervently supported him. Therefore, he didn't meet the requirements!

But then again...

"Excuse my bluntness, but this special space..." Chu Zhu's eyes twitched slightly.

"Yes, it's inside the Imperial Ancestral Temple!" Nuwa nodded expressionlessly. "So, opening a back door for you to go in isn't a big problem! It's just..."

Nuwa hesitated for a long time before confirming again: "Are you really serious? This kind of fervent support is essentially an anchor to the laws of humanity and nature!"

"Although you can obtain it by force with my assistance, this is not a good thing... It means that the time you can survive afterward is far less than that of other emperors... This is forcing growth... I have already prepared a foolproof plan for you..."

“There’s no need for that.” Chu Zhu waved his hand again to emphasize. His gaze swept across the light screen in front of him, and he saw the familiar Jia Yanyu and Ning Linglong. He paused for a moment, then suddenly remembered something: “Nuwa, didn’t I give some extension computer to watch and check before… No!”

Chu Zhu realized he had asked a very stupid question, after all, Nuwa was now standing alive in front of him.

After a moment's thought, he decided to describe in detail what had happened before—that is, Jia Yanyu's overtures, the scroll she gave him, and his concerns—that he was unsure of the scroll's safety.

"...This?" Nuwa's expression suddenly turned serious. Her thoughts rapidly expanded, connecting with numerous machines and receiving a large amount of feedback: "...Hmm! Your vigilance is justified."

"???" Chu Zhu's mood became extremely complicated as she sized up Jia Yanyu. Something's really wrong? She's incredibly audacious...

Why bring Ning Linglong into this? Are they trying to use her as a shield?

then……

“That’s called the Regent’s Ceremony!” Nuwa said calmly. “Once the ceremony is established, you will share everything with the emperor! That is to say, if the emperor is the god of the nation and conquest… you will also possess the power of the god of the nation and conquest! Moreover, the emperor will bear the responsibility for any pollution…”

"???"

Such a good thing... cough cough!
"Wait, what if the emperor isn't a god?" Chu Zhu's expression was priceless. He saw Nuwa shrug and remain silent.

Chu Zhu felt she knew the answer. Su Bo, you're truly amazing. Analyzing it from this perspective… it seems the person who designed this Regent's Grand Ceremony never imagined an emperor might be unwilling to become the god of the nation and conquest—

No wonder Emperor Taizu returned it after only a glance; it was indeed of no use to him whatsoever.

"Your tone before implied that he was in danger, right?" Chu Zhu countered.

"It seems safe for now! However, there are many things I'm not sure about..." Nuwa said softly.

Chu Zhu nodded and didn't ask any further questions. The subtext was that Nuwa had discovered many problems, but couldn't be 100% certain that these problems would erupt after the grand ceremony…

However, it's meaningless, since Su Bo hasn't obtained the divine position of the God of Nation and Conquest yet... Hmm?

"It seems it's not entirely useless!" Chu Zhu's face showed interest. If he were to re-enter the human empire storyline in the future, and if he happened to encounter Nuwa again, and Z was still active, could he possibly force the emperor to his knees and hold a grand ceremony? Could he simply exploit the power of the nation and the god of conquest without incurring any consequences?
"Check it again to see if there's any contamination! If there's no contamination, show me everything on the scroll," Chu Zhu emphasized again.

Nuwa pondered for a moment, then spoke earnestly: "My personal suggestion is that you only memorize! But since you've ascended the throne... you probably won't need it in the future... I can only say that based on my examination and selection results, simply memorizing won't cause any problems!"

She snapped her fingers, and a screen of light suddenly appeared.

Chu Zhu immediately began memorizing with a serious expression.

……

at last.

In the afternoon.

The auspicious day for ascending the throne and becoming a god, as divined by Mencius.

Of course, today is not actually an auspicious day for the coronation. But Chu Zhu has given a direct order that the coronation and ascension to godhood must be completed today.

Therefore, even Mencius could only rack his brains and finally came up with a rough explanation: Although today is not an auspicious day, the yin and yang are in harmony at a specific time, which can be called an extremely auspicious day that is once in a hundred years!
It must have been tough on him... Chu Zhu's conditions for his death really drove a Confucian sage to such a state...

Dressed in a dragon robe, Chu Zhu calmly walked onto the high platform. Then, as instructed by the Ministry of Rites officials, he witnessed Su Bo's face filled with resentment and anger, and uttered the words of abdication…

Following the established customs and traditions of the Great Chu, Chu Zhu declined the throne three times before finally accepting it with reluctance. He then announced the change of the nation's name to Great Chu!

then……

His spirit seemed to ascend without limit at that moment. The instant Chu Zhu opened his eyes, he scanned his surroundings and fell into deep thought. Still somewhat incredulous, he scanned his surroundings again, and realizing he hadn't misread it, he smiled, his cheeks flushing red at a visible speed.

"What the hell?!"

Isn't this the virtual world, inside the Imperial Ancestral Temple? This is the Imperial Ancestral Temple that Nuwa mentioned before… Holy crap! He thought it was the real Imperial Ancestral Temple…

The problem is, he just came out from here...

"Don't panic..." Nuwa's comforting voice suddenly rang out. Then, Chu Zhu turned her head, her expression stiffening again.

Because Nuwa, who appeared out of nowhere, had suddenly changed her clothes, turning into a teacher's coat, wearing glasses, and holding stacks of thick test papers.

"What are you doing..." Chu Zhu almost developed PTSD from the shock. Even after experiencing countless dreams, the closed-off learning environment of high school remained an indelible nightmare in his heart!
“Doing math problems is like…” Nuwa frowned and pondered.

“Father,” Z’s figure appeared as well, taking over the conversation to comfort him, “It’s just like the civil service exam! After you finish, you have an interview… but just say whatever comes to mind! After all, the interviewers are me and Nuwa… but it doesn’t seem to fit the rule of a three-person interview? It’s okay… just have Nuwa create another clone!”

Chu Zhu: "?"

"Oh, right, don't worry too much... I can't do the test!" Z grinned, "I didn't tear out the answer key at the back."

Chu Zhu: "???"

So this is the test that Nuwa mentioned before... It's a bit surreal!
Chu Zhu took several deep breaths, finally smiling with relief. This must be a dream… Well, this is a dream world, and the virtual world is a dream within a dream world! It really is a dream.

Chu Zhu plopped down on a bar chair and began the exam, sighing as she did so: "I can only say that the old Chinese are truly born test-takers! This habit has been passed down quite well... Even after three thousand years, even after becoming a god, one still needs to answer questions."

Chu Zhu wrote furiously, without pausing or hesitating, and without even looking at the answers.

Ultimately, Chu Zhu, having replicated the wisdom of so many top geniuses of the human empire, was already a super genius in himself... not to mention the quantum computer in his mind, which also contained a vast amount of human wisdom.

Chu Zhu finished writing everything in just five minutes. Then came the interview defense... well, actually not that, but it looked exactly the same!
Anyway, Chu Zhu just drifted through life in a daze.

……

In front of the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

Chu Zhu slowly opened his eyes, wisps of divine light surrounding his body. His clothes had also changed...

What was originally a randomly chosen yellow dragon robe has been transformed into a majestic and sacred black dragon robe.

He wore a twelve-jeweled crown.

The world had become completely different in Chu Zhu's eyes. Originally, the world Chu Zhu saw was a normal world, but now, Chu Zhu saw laws, principles, the root of the world, and the essence of the world.

"...Paying homage to Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!"

Mencius suddenly knelt down and bowed his head, his voice sincere and devout.

This broke the surrounding silence, and countless Confucian disciples knelt down and bowed their heads, shouting "Long live the Emperor!" in a frenzy.

However, Jia Yanyu did not kneel down. In fact, she pulled Ning Linglong back, who was about to kneel down on the ground. Of course, Jia Yanyu was not stubborn enough to refuse her request. She chose to pull Ning Linglong down to squat on the ground, so that the height of her head was the same as the other people kneeling down, so that the two of them would not be conspicuous.

At this moment, the only one still standing there in a daze was... Su Bo!
His face still showed confusion and bewilderment, but his fists clenched silently. Even though he was forced to abdicate the throne, he stubbornly refused to bow his head.

Chu Zhu: "..."

Forget about the former emperor!
As for those two people from the Eastern Cult... let's just say they tried their best! Besides, Chu Zhu doesn't actually like people kneeling down all the time.

"Get up!" Chu Zhu said calmly. "I'm not used to people kneeling to talk to me!"

The next breath, he froze. He realized that the power of words had swept out at that moment, forcibly controlling the bodies of many Confucian scholars to stand up.

"...Su Bo!"

"...Your subject is here." Su Bo forced a smile. He didn't have to kneel, but if he dared to ignore the new emperor's words, he would be asking for trouble.

"I hereby confer upon you the title of Duke Qian'ai," Chu Zhu said calmly.

Su Bo: "..."

What a disgrace! This is blatant humiliation.

No matter how angry and furious he was inside, on the surface he could only put on a grateful expression and say, "Thank you for your great kindness."

Chu Zhu didn't say anything more. She turned her head and glanced at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, her pupils suddenly dilating. Viewing the Imperial Ancestral Temple from a god's perspective now... was completely different!

The entire Imperial Ancestral Temple was entwined with countless laws, which appeared unremarkable to him when he was an ordinary person... but now that he had become a god, he realized just how unfathomable these laws were! And that wasn't even the most outrageous part...

The biggest problem is that every moment, strands of law threads emerge from the center of the ancestral temple, weaving a garment of law bit by bit on the outermost layer of the temple, just like weaving clothes.

"Truly unfathomable!" Chu Zhu murmured with a sigh. In other words, the defenses of the Imperial Ancestral Temple had been built up over three thousand years!
Then, Chu Zhu's pupils suddenly contracted; he sensed something was wrong. At that moment, he could sense everything on this land beneath his feet… as if the entire country had become a part of his body…

Perhaps he wasn't aware of what was happening to the ordinary people of this country... just as the human body wouldn't notice if only a few cells died! But conversely, the fact that He could sense something was wrong meant...

"...I'll talk!"

Chu Zhu, with Tian Xian in his mouth, said, "The world should open up a battlefield for me."

Suddenly, the surrounding environment changed drastically.

It was as if the scene of creation was being reenacted, with chaotic light spreading everywhere.

This is a newly created little world.

Chu Zhu's eyes widened for a moment. Powerful, far too powerful. The God of Nations and Conquest… possessing omnipotent power within the lands of his own nation!

The more people a nation has, the stronger the extraordinary individuals loyal to that nation become, and the stronger they are as gods of the nation and conquest.

Strictly speaking, Chu Zhu at this moment is actually far weaker than Su Bo of the Human Empire. This is because the Human Empire is far too prosperous and powerful, while...

But... this is only relative. God is still God after all!

"...Amitabha!" The ancient Buddhist chant resounded, and endless Buddhist light burst forth. At the edge of this newly opened world, illusory Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and golden Arhats appeared.

Chu Zhu gazed at them quietly. These were not illusions. Chu Zhu swept his gaze across them indifferently, and countless pieces of information flowed through his pupils. He read the information about their existence.

These seemingly illusory Bodhisattvas and golden Arhats were all once real, exceptionally talented individuals. The Buddha planted the seeds of their extraordinary abilities in them the moment they displayed them.

When they reach the pinnacle of their lives, unleash their last drop of potential, and stop progressing, Buddha will not hesitate to 'eat' them!
Or, to put it in Buddhist terms of high emotional intelligence: attain enlightenment!

How many people? Thirty-two Buddhas, one hundred and eight Bodhisattvas, and three hundred and sixty-five golden-bodied Arhats!
There is no weakling!
Even the weakest golden-bodied Arhat possessed an aura no less powerful than Su Buqun's. Reaching the pinnacle of the sixth realm—this was terrifying! Yet, it was also normal, for it was the culmination of countless years of Buddha's accumulation.

Aside from the golden-bodied Arhats, the Bodhisattvas, Buddhas... their auras transcend the limits of extraordinary life forms from the fourth to the sixth realm.

The Buddha at the forefront slowly rose and uttered another Buddhist chant. His face was gentle and serene, and his appearance bore a striking resemblance to Bodhi. However, his entire being exuded an air of antiquity and vicissitude.

"This humble monk is the Buddha of the past, Dipankara Buddha! Greetings, benefactor."

"Dipankara Buddha?" Chu Zhu flexed her wrists, stared at him for a while, and then suddenly laughed: "Do you want me to call you Dipankara, or should I call you...?"

Chu Zhu narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the person in front of him, his gaze gradually sharpening: "Lin Xia!"

(End of this chapter)