It turns out, they were the main characters.

……

……

[A long chapter of nearly 6,000 words! Hoping for some votes and criticisms this week~ It'll be reset in five days.]

[Another book recommendation:]

Chapter 586 Dynastic Changes and the Body of Misfortune

Daqian Dynasty.

The Imperial Study.

The old emperor unfolded the document and, after a long absence, began to examine its contents, but a restless anxiety lingered between his brows.

He glanced calmly at the Director of the Imperial Observatory below the stage and said in a deep voice, "Director, are you sure you didn't mistake the strange phenomenon you saw earlier?"

A few nights ago, nine stars lit up the night sky above the Great Qian Dynasty.

The unusual natural phenomenon should have been an auspicious sign, but that very night, an earthquake struck the Great Qian Dynasty, causing heavy casualties. After that, tsunamis occurred in the direction of the Arctic Abyss from the Eastern Continent and the World Sea in the south, leaving many local people homeless.

That same night, there seemed to be some activity in various forbidden lands, and all parties sent envoys to the Eastern Continent.

Then came the news that the Great Qian Dynasty was nearing its end.

This news is not unfounded, because there have been similar examples in the past. Whenever a dynasty falls, the shadow of a forbidden land always appears behind it.

The forbidden land was not the true culprit behind the dynasty's downfall; it was merely there to reclaim the dynasty's national fortune.

If it were the former demon realm, they probably would never have let go of this opportunity to launch a large-scale attack on the Eastern Continent.

After all, the period when a dynasty is on the verge of collapse is also the time when the Eastern Continent is at its weakest.

If the Demon Queen were willing at this point, she could easily take over the Great Qian Dynasty and control the lifeline of the Eastern Continent by joining forces with another force to launch a surprise attack.

Fortunately, the ruler of the demon realm is not as violent as he used to be; otherwise, that beautiful snake woman might have swallowed the entire dynasty whole… This is a phrase that the court and the people often use to express their relief when they are worried.

Seeing the white-bearded supervisor slowly nod, convinced that his judgment was absolutely correct, the old emperor frowned and stared intently at him: "Supervisor, you must be careful with your words. Do not spread rumors lightly, lest you cause sleepless nights and unrest throughout the court and the country!"

In a sense, the Imperial Observatory was an important place connecting the world of cultivation and the mortal world. Their observation of the stars at night was not metaphysics, but rather based on certain principles.

If the news of the supervisor's observation were to spread, the entire Great Qian Dynasty would likely be thrown into turmoil.

"Your Majesty, I dare not... In truth, even when the Imperial Preceptor was in power, the fate of the Great Qian Dynasty was already gradually declining. It was just that Your Majesty's mind was not on the affairs of state at that time, and therefore..."

The eunuch looked bitter and helpless. He had submitted memorials more than once in the past, hoping that His Majesty could focus on state affairs, but the memorials were returned by Gu Boxing before they could even be presented.

Because Gu Boxing completely suppressed the Imperial Observatory at that time, the Imperial Observatory was almost neglected for a long period of time.

It was not until after Gu Boxing's death that the Imperial Observatory was reinstated.

But it was too late.

The supervisor noticed the old emperor's increasingly unpleasant expression and immediately shut his mouth, daring not to speak again.

National destiny, in fact, is also a kind of fortune. For ordinary people, national destiny is almost ethereal, but the people of the dynasty are very clear that fortune is real.

Moreover, it influenced every individual, and even every dynasty.

Those with extremely bad luck are those who constantly experience misfortune.

Conversely, people with great fortune can find money even when they just go out to buy groceries; that's the effect of good fortune.

Similarly, so too is the fate of a nation.

However, the fate of a nation is more complex than that of a cultivator. If the emperor is a wise ruler who knows how to govern the country and allow the people to live in peace and prosperity, the fate of the nation will gradually increase, and the dynasty will also receive the favor of the heavens.

But if the emperor is a foolish ruler... the result is self-evident.

This is the downside of a human dynasty. Those in high positions may initially be wholeheartedly devoted to the country and its people, but after being in power for too long, they will always hope to stay in that position for as long as possible.

But this is a world of immortals and heroes, and anyone would want to live forever... Emperors who can remain steadfast and devoted to their duties are extremely rare.

At least in the past records of Dongzhou, not even one has ever appeared.

The old emperor stared intently at the supervisor for a long time without saying a word.

He didn't want to believe what the supervisor said, but having once devoted himself to cultivating Taoism with Gu Boxing, he naturally knew that the so-called national destiny and fortune were actually real.

In fact, not long ago, when disasters were repeatedly reported in major towns, the old emperor already had a bad feeling. But just when the dynasty was in turmoil, he heard the truth from the supervisor. It was like a heavy hammer hitting the old emperor's heart, causing him to slump on the dragon throne and remain silent for a long time.

"His Majesty……"

The supervisor looked at the silent old emperor, hesitated for a moment, and wanted to say something more.

"The Director of the Imperial Observatory is spreading heretical rumors and attempting to undermine the foundation of the dynasty. He shall be beaten to death."

After a moment, indifferent words came from the old emperor's mouth. He didn't even listen to the supervisor say another word. He just waved his hand, listened to the supervisor's shouts behind him, and turned to leave.

Since the dynasty has already begun to collapse, it might as well take away as much of the nation's fortune as possible before it is completely destroyed...

……

For the royal officials of the Great Qian Dynasty, these past few days have undoubtedly been the most difficult.

After all, once a dynasty collapses, it is impossible for the officials of the previous dynasty to continue in the next dynasty.

But for ordinary people living their lives, they will continue to live their lives as before.

It was the best of times, and the worst of times.

Fortunately, in the world of immortals and heroes, with the help of elixirs, people's average lifespan can almost reach a hundred years, unless something unexpected happens.

The downside is that there's a group of powerful figures at the top, engaged in open and covert struggles.

Even a grain of sand that falls off during their fight is like a boulder to the mortal world.

At this very moment, Mu Zhian was strolling along the streets of the capital city of the Great Qian Dynasty.

The capital of Daqian was much more bustling than Tianxuan City. The streets were crowded with people, and every inn was almost always full, with noise filling the air.

"I'm afraid most people don't know that the Great Qian Dynasty is nearing its end," Mu Zhian said with a touch of emotion.

Once a dynasty falls, it will also mark the beginning of internal strife.

By then, the seemingly peaceful and serene scene of the capital city will no longer exist.

Miss Tiandao remained calm. Despite her face being covered by a veil and her deliberately simple robes, she still attracted the attention of many people on the street.

No one would have imagined that the enforcer of the Heavenly Dao would walk openly on the streets of the Great Qian Dynasty, and even appear so intimate with a cultivator from the Eastern Continent.

"Is Master worried about the common people in the mortal world? Actually, you can rest assured. As the executor of the rules of heaven and earth, all living beings are my children. I will complete the change of dynasties without causing too much damage," Miss Heaven said in a calm tone.

Mu Zhian thought for a moment and then suddenly asked, "Speaking of which, I've always wondered why, since most dynasties in the Eastern Continent couldn't last more than a thousand years, they didn't establish an Immortal Dynasty like Yuzhou did."

"If it weren't for earthly emperors ruling the dynasty, the duration of its rule would surely be much longer, wouldn't it?"

"Isn't peace in the Nine Provinces more important than anything else, in the eyes of Heaven?"

Miss Tiandao replied expressionlessly, "For Tiandao, maintaining the stability of the rules of heaven and earth is far more important than the peace of the Nine Provinces. After the destruction of the Nine Provinces, a new Nine Provinces will be born, but if the rules of heaven and earth collapse, the three paths of heaven, earth, and humanity will all be destroyed."

"The Eastern Continent is too powerful. The Heavenly Dao originally intended for the Nine Provinces to achieve a delicate balance, rather than one country becoming dominant. Besides, the sect leader of the Two Elements Sect does not like to interfere with the dynasties of the human world."

"Master has been in the Liangyi Sect for so long, you should know what kind of path Dao Peak cultivates, right?"

Mu Zhian nodded gently.

Daofeng cultivates the laws of nature, emphasizing conformity with the principles of Heaven in everything he does.

The sect leader herself is proficient in the Nine Peaks Techniques. In the end, the Daoist essence of the Nine Peaks was passed down by her, and every Dao, when taken to its ultimate point, can lead to the union with the Dao.

Although it sounds so mystical, Mu Zhian guessed that the sect leader cultivated the laws of nature, so conforming to the laws of nature should only be one of the reasons. More importantly, the sect leader did not want his own existence to be noticed by the Heavenly Dao, so he never interfered with anything in the Eastern Continent.

Although the reason is unclear, judging from the current situation, the fact that the Liangyi Sect has set up forbidden rules, the sect leader seems to be restrained by the nine immortal golden locks, and her true form never leaves the Liangyi Sect may all be to avoid being detected by the Heavenly Dao.

That's why the Heavenly Dao's will was so surprised when it entered the Two Elements Sect that day; it hadn't expected that the entire Two Elements Sect was outside the rules.

"The sect leader's non-interference in the Great Qian Dynasty can be attributed to the laws of nature, but why do other ancient forces also never interfere in the Great Qian Dynasty?" Mu Zhi'an suddenly asked.

Miss Tiandao said calmly, "Before the Great Qian Emperor abdicated, he symbolized the fate of the Great Qian. If a powerful figure from the ancient forces controlled him or killed him, they would be devoured by the fate of the nation. Even powerful figures would suffer a great backlash from the fate. No one would be willing to do such a thankless task."

Mu Zhian understood. This was just like the other chosen ones in the past, such as Ye Yu. Because they were people of great fortune, they were bound by the rules of heaven and earth, and powerful beings who had reached the Dao could not easily attack them.

This is also to balance the situation in Kyushu.

"Every time a dynasty falls, a forbidden land appears to reclaim the fate of the Eastern Continent?" Mu Zhian suddenly asked.

Miss Tiandao nodded gently: "The national fortune is much more precious than Master imagines. In the past, every time a dynasty fell, the Forbidden Land would send envoys to compete for the national fortune. Last time, the national fortune was taken away by the Immortal Forbidden Land."

The Immortal Forbidden Land… Mu Zhian recalled the sexy, mature woman with wheat-colored skin.

Since the death of the envoy sent by the Immortal Lord Isis, there has been no further activity in the Immortal Forbidden Land, and the other forbidden lands have also suddenly fallen silent... It seems that the news of the two major forbidden lands joining forces to launch a surprise attack on Mu Zhian not long ago has been leaked, making the other forbidden lands wary.

"Since you are the executor of the rules of heaven and earth, do you know who the causal body that appears every time a dynasty falls is? Is it the same person, or is it a different person each time?" Mu Zhian suddenly asked.

This time, Miss Tiandao could not answer, but shook her head with great regret: "I'm sorry, Master... I am the one who carries out all the heavenly punishments in this world, but the only exception is the body of misfortune that is created after the fall of a dynasty."

"Because after the dynasty falls, the Heavenly Dao will descend upon the Nine Provinces for a period of time."

Will Heaven's will descend?

Mu Zhian was stunned for a moment, then slowly shivered.

My guess was right. The so-called divine punishment of the unlucky body was just an excuse. If I'm not mistaken, the Heavenly Dao simply wanted to take this opportunity to let its true form descend upon the Nine Provinces... Thinking of this, Mu Zhian suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

It is said that the way of Heaven is ruthless, but now that I think about it, it is actually a good thing if the way of Heaven is truly ruthless.

What if the Way of Heaven had feelings, and even possessed the seven emotions and six desires of humankind...?

It will become a god who controls the lifeline of the entire Kyushu and possesses his own desires...

The power of life and death over all living beings in this world is in the hands of this one person... Just thinking about it is terrifying.

Mu Zhian took a deep breath to calm himself down, and suddenly asked, "When do you plan to start the dynastic change?"

Miss Tiandao replied calmly, "Master seems to have misunderstood. It is not that I artificially caused the change of dynasties, but that I guided the new dynasty after its fall."

"The rules of heaven and earth are limited, so the Heavenly Dao cannot directly intervene and rewrite the dynasty."

After all, the rules of heaven and earth are not rules set by the Heavenly Dao itself, but rules set by the three Daos of heaven, earth, and humanity together.

"Young Master Mu, is that you?"

Before Mu Zhian could ponder the meaning behind Miss Tiandao's words, he suddenly heard a familiar and pleasant voice.

Mu Zhian turned his head in the direction of the voice and saw a stunningly beautiful woman who had just come out of an inn.