Da Ming: The system granted me immortality; I clock in every day.

In the autumn of the twenty-fifth year of Chengping.

The Ming Dynasty's sun, moon, and dragon flag had long been planted in every port across the four seas, along with its massive and unparalleled naval fleet. From the Spice Islands of the South Seas to the foreign city-states of the West, all bowed down in submission under the threat of the Ming Dynasty's cannons.

The capital city was at its most prosperous, a time of dazzling splendor and extravagant prosperity.

On Chang'an Street, not only were there merchants from the Central Plains dressed in silk, but also foreign envoys with blond hair, blue eyes, deep-set eyes, and high noses.

The national treasury was piled high with silver, and even with years of water conservancy projects and tax reductions, the silver was still so plentiful that it seemed inexhaustible.

This unprecedented golden age was forged by the current emperor, Zhu Youzhen, who inherited the legacy of the Grand Tutor and single-handedly created it with iron will and tyranny.

However, time is a cruel and merciless force.

Inside the East Warm Pavilion of the Qianqing Palace, wisps of ambergris smoke rose gently.

Zhu Youzhen, who was nearly fifty years old, sat quietly behind his desk, dressed in a bright yellow casual robe.

His once sharp, hawk-like eyes are now tinged with an undeniable turbidity and weariness.

The graying temples, like autumn frost, stung the eyes of this iron-blooded emperor.

He has already reached the very top of the world.

With just a word from him, millions of foreign lands thousands of miles away would be slaughtered.

But so what?

Before this decaying body, the supreme imperial power and the boundless wealth of the four seas seemed so pale and powerless.

He was not reconciled.

He was unwilling to hand over the legacy he had painstakingly built to future generations.

He was even more terrified of the endless darkness and death that was about to come.

Thus, he ultimately repeated the mistakes of his predecessor and began to seek immortality and enlightenment.

However, Zhu Youzhen was more decisive and domineering than his father.

He didn't believe in those old Taoist priests who pretended to be gods and ghosts in the West Garden. He firmly believed that since this world has an end.

The legendary overseas fairy mountains and the elixir of immortality must surely be hidden somewhere in this vast ocean.

Therefore, the most elite ocean-going treasure ships of the Ming Dynasty, equipped with the most advanced Hongyi General Cannons, no longer went to the South Seas to transport spices.

Instead, they sailed in droves into the depths of the East Sea, shrouded in mist year-round, to search for the elixir of immortality for the emperor.

"Your Majesty, a secret report delivered by express courier from the East China Sea has arrived."

The Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs tiptoed into the warm pavilion, holding a secret box wrapped in yellow silk high in both hands.

He kept his voice extremely low, afraid of disturbing the emperor's contemplation.

Zhu Youzhen shuddered violently, and a burst of fanatical light shot out from his turbid eyes.

"Quickly! Bring it here!"

Zhu Youzhen's voice even trembled slightly.

The eunuch hurriedly stepped forward and carefully removed the seal.

Zhu Youzhen snatched the secret report and eagerly unfolded it.

However, as his gaze wandered between the lines on the folded document, the emperor, who had ruled the world for decades and remained unmoved even when Mount Tai collapsed before him, suddenly turned from ecstatic joy to deathly pale.

Immediately afterwards, an abnormal layer of deathly gray surfaced on the face.

His hands, which were gripping the folding book, trembled violently, as if the book weighed a ton.

"This...how is this possible..."

Zhu Youzhen's lips trembled as he muttered to himself, his eyes filled with disbelief and horror.

The handwriting on the folded letter was messy and illegible, clearly written hastily by the writer in a state of extreme fear.

It was clearly written above:

The Ming Dynasty's naval exploration fleet of ten thousand-ton treasure ships encountered a strange fog in the deepest part of the East China Sea.

The commander ordered the cannons to be fired to disperse the fog, which unexpectedly revealed a huge fairy island floating on the sea.

No ordinary people were seen on the island, but hundreds of men and women dressed in tall hats and wide belts, resembling people from ancient times, flew out.

These people did not use boats or oars; they all walked in the air, riding the wind.

They claim to be descendants of the alchemists sent by the First Emperor of Qin to search for the elixir of immortality. They have lived in seclusion here for thousands of years, and have long since shed their mortal bones and become immortals on land.

The Ming Dynasty fleet disturbed the immortal grotto, enraging the immortals.

Seeing that the situation was not good, the naval commander ordered all ten thousand cannons to fire at once.

However, those heavy cannonballs, powerful enough to raze the walls of foreign cities to the ground, were all blocked by an invisible wall of energy casually waved by those immortals, without even touching the hem of their clothes.

Then, an elderly man with white hair, who was leading the group, pointed his fingers like a sword and slashed down from mid-air.

Three treasure ships, each weighing a thousand liters and covered in iron, were cleaved in two by a single cyan sword beam that was a hundred feet long!

The fleet was instantly routed. Tens of thousands of elite naval personnel were slaughtered like ants under the flying swords and spells of those immortals, with less than 30% escaping back in the end.

What made Zhu Youzhen feel most desperate were the last few words of the folded paper.

The cultivators were furious when they learned that the Central Plains were now under the control of mortals, and that these mortals had created such firearms.

The white-haired old man declared on the spot, "How dare ordinary mortals with mortal eyes and bodies usurp the land and possess the four seas?"

They will cross the sea today, enter the Central Plains, exterminate the Zhu family imperial family, and establish a thousand-year immortal dynasty ruled by cultivators!

Clang.

The secret memorial in Zhu Youzhen's hand fell onto the imperial desk.

He slumped down in the dragon throne, feeling a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.

The Ming Dynasty's proud cannons and warships were a joke that could be easily punctured in front of those cultivators who had lived for two thousand years.

They are coming to the capital to kill the entire royal family.

Such immense power, beyond the comprehension of ordinary people, such a superior and dimensional slaughter that regards all living beings as worthless, is something that cannot be countered by military strategy or court intrigue.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, what's wrong?"

The eunuch was terrified when he saw this.

Zhu Youzhen took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the fear in his heart. His imperial spirit was ignited in this desperate situation.

"Issue the imperial decree! Immediately summon Grand Secretary Song Yin and all commanders of the Five Military Commands to the palace!"

"Order the 300,000 troops of the Beijing Garrison and the entire Shenji Battalion to enter combat readiness! Seal off the nine gates of the capital!"

Zhu Youzhen clenched his fists

"My Great Ming Dynasty was conquered by Emperor Taizu with sword and spear."

"Whether he's a true immortal or a fake ghost, if he wants to seize my throne, he'll have to step over my dead body!"

……

The raging waves in the capital could not instantly cross the vast distances to reach the distant northwest frontier.

Outside Jiayuguan, the yellow sand remains.

In the backyard of Changmen Inn, a drought-resistant jujube tree bore a few unripe fruits.

Li Changqing, wearing that blue cloth long gown, lay on an old rattan chair under the tree.

He held a rough porcelain teapot in his hand, tilted his head back, and let the slightly bitter tea flow down his throat and into his stomach.

The refinement of a century has long since allowed him to transcend the limitations of ordinary martial arts.

Now, his internal energy and blood are as deep as the ocean, and every move he makes has the power to destroy the world.

The Longevity Point System, which had accompanied him through countless days and nights, had disappeared without a trace years ago.

It was as if he had completed some kind of mission, and completely merged with his soul.

He no longer needs to sign in or deliberately cultivate.

Sitting here, he is the most unshakeable presence in this world.

"Shopkeeper! Two more jugs of Xiliang Chun, the stronger the better!"

A rough shout came from the front hall.

Li Changqing slowly stood up, brushed the fallen leaves off his blue robe, lifted the curtain of the backyard door, and walked into the main hall.

Inside the main hall sat a dozen or so weary travelers from beyond the Great Wall.

These people were not ordinary merchants, but spies sent by large trading companies in the capital to the Western Regions to gather information.

They constantly walk the line between life and death, and are the most well-informed.

Li Changqing carried two jugs of wine to the table and set them down steadily.

"Gentlemen, you all seem to be in a great hurry. Has something strange happened in the east this time?"

Li Changqing asked casually, his tone revealing a touch of the leisurely shrewdness and curiosity characteristic of a typical innkeeper.

The leader, a dark-faced man, picked up his wine bowl, took a big gulp, and slammed it heavily on the table. He lowered his voice, but his eyes were filled with undisguised horror and fear.

"Shopkeeper, you're living in the middle of nowhere, so you're really out of touch. Things are about to change!"

The dark-faced man glanced around and moved a little closer.

"Do you know that the fleet His Majesty sent to the East Sea to search for immortals has encountered a major disaster!"

Li Changqing raised an eyebrow, pulled over a bench and sat down, adopting an attitude of listening attentively.

The dark-faced man swallowed hard, his voice trembling slightly.

"Three months ago, ten of our Ming Dynasty's treasure ships, each with a capacity of a thousand liang, sailed into a misty area deep in the East China Sea. That place is perpetually shrouded in darkness and riddled with hidden reefs."

"In an attempt to dispel the fog, the fleet commander ordered a salvo from the heavy cannons. Little did they know that this bombardment would unleash a catastrophic disaster!"

"After the mist dissipated, a huge island shrouded in ethereal mist appeared on the sea."

"Before our warships even got close, hundreds of men and women dressed in strange tall hats and wide belts, resembling people from a previous dynasty, suddenly flew out from the island!"

"Shopkeeper, can you believe it? Those people don't use boats at all; they walk on the waves, even riding the wind! They claim to be descendants of the alchemists sent by the First Emperor of Qin to search for the elixir of immortality!"

"Back then, they found the divine medicine, but instead of returning to the Central Plains, they stayed behind to multiply and cultivate in seclusion. Now they have all become legendary immortals on land!"

The other diners in the lobby listened intently, and all of them gasped in surprise.

The alchemists of Qin Shi Huang? Ancient people from more than two thousand years ago.

This sounds even more absurd than the supernatural tales in traditional Chinese storybooks!

Li Changqing listened quietly, but a very subtle glint flashed in his deep eyes.

A cultivation sect? A two-thousand-year-old tradition?

In this vast world, there truly exists such a reclusive person who avoids worldly affairs. No wonder he remained unaware of this for a hundred years in the imperial court.