Siheyuan: I have a multi-dimensional chat group!

Within ten years, the Great Qi will be able to completely break free from the shackles of the old dynasty.

Chapter 923, Fewer and Fewer People in the Group! (Please Subscribe!)

This is true.

In just five years, the entire Great Qi Dynasty underwent a dramatic transformation.

The empire and local economies boomed, people's lives improved visibly, schools sprang up everywhere, and a large number of students with basic education in literature and martial arts emerged, directly shaking the foundations of local powerful families and clans.

The rise of Daqi is so rapid that even a blind man can see it—no one can stop it.

Beneath the glamorous surface, the undercurrents of intrigue and conflict never cease.

The more prosperous the empire, the more comfortable the lives of the people, and the more unwilling the local powers and aristocratic families who are used to sucking blood from the court and growing stronger by exploiting the people are to give up their power and interests.

To disrupt the popularization of education, these people have used every dirty trick in the book—rebellion, assassination, instigating riots, and even inciting popular uprisings. They've used every means at their disposal.

Many more practitioners of magic and martial arts practitioners joined in, stirring up trouble in their own way amidst the apparent prosperity.

Xiaoshan would never tolerate such behavior.

The officials in the imperial court were not to be trifled with either; anyone who dared to show their strength would be killed without mercy!

This was the iron fist of the newly established dynasty.

Not convinced?

Then I'll beat you until you submit!

Five years is enough time for the imperial court to extend the economic and educational policies established by Xiaoshan to every corner of the empire, and to tightly link them to the performance evaluation of local officials.

Unless someone is out of their mind and looking for trouble, no one dares to be negligent.

After enduring five long years, Daqi's overall strength has taken a significant leap forward.

The aura of the dragon above the capital city was reflected in its body, which was originally less than a thousand feet long, but expanded to a total of fifteen hundred feet!

Looking with the Dharma Eye, the divine dragon coiled in the void, its golden light dazzling, its scales and claws clearly defined. Amidst the shifting between reality and illusion, it had already taken on a solid form.

Ren Weiyong, the embodiment of Xiaoshan, became the founding emperor, and his own fortune soared.

This is why Xiao Shan's main body had no intention of pursuing the path of divinity; otherwise, with this much fortune, it would have been enough for his main body's strength to reach another level.

But if he did that, he would be completely tied to the Great Qi!

If a natural disaster strikes or someone plots against him, and the fortunes of the Great Qi are damaged, he will suffer the consequences.

At that time, he would become a "miniature Heavenly Dao" of the Great Qi world, but the territory he could govern would only be the small area of ​​the Great Qi itself.

If he were to encounter a ruthless person who would not hesitate to inflict boundless karma and directly destroy the earth and water veins of the Great Qi, turning this place into ruins, his divine cultivation would be ruined, leaving him with only his original cultivation.

Therefore, few cultivators are willing to tie their own destiny to the fate of a nation—it would be too restrictive!

However, not following the divine path does not mean that Xiao Shan cannot utilize this fortune.

He was adept at using the vast incense offerings and the earth's veins and water veins to condense divine seals corresponding to authority, making the divine seals the embodiment of authority. He could even say that he did this with ease.

By comprehending the rules of heaven and earth contained within the divine seal, Xiao Shan can still use this as nourishment to deepen his understanding of the great Dao of heaven and earth and steadily improve his own realm.

Although he couldn't directly elevate his cultivation level through the divine seal, the advantage was that he didn't have to be completely bound to the Great Qi's fortune. For him, this was the most appropriate method.

As the founding emperor of the Great Qi Dynasty, Xiao Shan had an abundance of resources at his disposal.

In governing the country, he only focused on the general direction, while devoting most of his energy to cultivation and collecting cultivation techniques.

With his strength and the ever-increasing fortune of the Great Qi, even the two overlords of the cultivation world, Taoism and Buddhism, had to obediently offer up cultivation techniques for ordinary disciples and even core disciples.

As for those rogue cultivators who want to curry favor with the Great Qi and cultivate by taking advantage of the nation's fortune, it goes without saying that as long as they can get on the empire's coattails, it's not difficult to get them to pull out their most treasured cultivation methods.

In just five years, Xiao Shan had amassed no less than a thousand scrolls of magical techniques and cultivation methods!

Most of them were human cultivation methods, and there were even dozens of low-grade demon cultivation techniques, which was truly an unexpected surprise.

Although Xiao Shan himself doesn't use these methods, he can share them in chat groups to earn points!

Now, everyone in the chat group has improved their skills considerably.

I don't know if it's because everyone's skills have improved, but there haven't been any new members in the chat group for a long time.

The last newcomers to the group were Wang Quan Baye and Zhang Xiaofan.

Now, Wang Quanbaye is about to shatter the void and, like Xiao Shan, head to other worlds.

Some time ago, two more people in the chat group passed away.

They are Hua Manlou and Li Ye.

Including Zhou Bingkun and Liu Bei, who passed away earlier, there are now four people who have died in the chat group.

Xiao Shan is worried that if some fresh blood isn't brought in, the number of members in the chat room will dwindle.

As Daqi got back on track, Xiao Shan appeared in public less and less.

He devoted most of his time to cultivation and comprehending the rules of heaven and earth, gradually delegating authority to his subordinates.

Strangely enough, the Great Qi not only did not descend into chaos, but instead developed more and more rapidly, brimming with vitality.

Five years later, in every inhabited place within the Great Qi territory, temples dedicated to the City God and the Earth God sprang up everywhere; among the mountains and hills, temples dedicated to the Mountain God also stood one after another; and along the great rivers, temples dedicated to the River God were as numerous as stars—all of them were righteous gods officially appointed by the court and the emperor.

In just five years, the entire Great Qi was completely covered by the system of City Gods, Earth Gods, and Mountain Gods. The divine light shone in all directions, effectively blocking the path of heterodox cultivators and evil spirits.

Xiaoshan lifted the restrictions on the divine way and, based on the fortune of various places, forged hundreds of divine seals in one go, which were given as symbols of authority to the City God, the Earth God, and the Mountain God, and bestowed upon those officially appointed gods.

This action naturally provoked complaints from the magic sects—after the divine path spread throughout the Great Qi, it was impossible for them to remain aloof from worldly affairs as before.

But there was nothing they could do; the strength of the Great Qi Dynasty was undeniable, and no sect had the confidence to confront it head-on.

Either you jump out and fight back, or you pack your bags and leave, or you obediently stay in Daqi and abide by the rules—it's obvious which path to choose.

As the empire expanded its pantheon and appointed deities one by one, the entire Great Qi was completely in the hands of the court and the emperor.

Xiao Shan may seem to have relinquished power, but as the imperial court gained full control over the empire, the fortune he accumulated became increasingly powerful, and the incense and faith flowed like a surging river, continuously entering his body.

Meanwhile, Xiao Shan was secretly considering his escape route.

That's right, an escape route!

The longer it went on, the stronger the warning signs became in his mind.

This is not unfounded worry, but rather a premonition of danger arising from the interaction between heaven and man after one's strength and realm have reached a certain level.

Xiao Shan didn't know if his premonition was accurate, but he always believed in the adage "better safe than sorry."

He gradually relinquished control of the court while simultaneously expanding the divine network, which was sufficient to ensure the future stability of the Great Qi.

He himself was not idle either; while consolidating his realm, he was preparing for his retreat.

Chapter 924, Xiao Shan Flees! (Please Subscribe!)

At this moment, deep within the Great Qi Imperial Palace, beneath an inconspicuous hall, Xiao Shan sat cross-legged in a spacious secret chamber.

A large bronze cauldron in front of him exuded a strange aura, and wisps of incense and faith swirled around its mouth.

The secret room was empty except for a futon and the cauldron.

If a cultivator were to see this cauldron, their eyes would surely pop out of their sockets—the cauldron's body has been imbued with incense and faith, making it a genuine sacred artifact!

Incense-burning artifacts are similar to legendary merit-making treasures; they can kill without incurring karmic consequences and can even suppress the fortune of a clan or religion—they are truly wondrous.

Of course, the "Mountain and River Cauldron" in Xiaoshan is not that exaggerated, but it is more than enough to suppress the fate of the Great Qi Kingdom.

Even more astonishing was the power of incense and faith within the cauldron—so concentrated it was almost tangible!

Xiao Shan made a hand seal, and his seated body swayed slightly. A phantom figure floated out from his body and stood beside the Mountain and River Cauldron, its posture upright.

It is Ren Weiyong, the embodiment of Xiaoshan.

"Hoo..." Xiao Shan let out a long breath, opened his eyes and looked at Ren Weiyong beside the cauldron, a faint smile appearing on his lips, "Go in, and take your strength to the next level."

Amidst the rich incense and faith within the Xiaoshan Yizhi Cauldron, Ren Weiyong leaped into it with a "plop," instantly enveloped by endless incense smoke.

The next moment, the incense and faith within the cauldron surged into Ren Weiyong's body like weary birds returning to their nests.

Ren Weiyong's aura surged like a rocket!

If there were any cultivators present, they would probably be stunned by the terrifying speed of improvement and the ridiculously smooth advancement, and their eyes would turn red with envy.

How unfair the world is!

With the help of the incense and faith that were almost overflowing from the cauldron, Ren Weiyong's strength advanced all the way to the early stage of Earth Immortal!

Only then were the incense and faith within the Mountain and River Cauldron completely exhausted, and the cauldron's radiance dimmed somewhat.

At this moment, Xiao Shan casually flicked several objects out of his sleeve.

In an instant, divine light soared into the sky from the vast basement, dazzlingly bright—it was the Emperor's Sword, a symbol of imperial power; three River God Seals containing the divine power of water; and a jade seal, radiating divine light and exuding a solemn aura, which was none other than the Imperial Seal of the Great Qi Empire.

Xiao Shan gave all these things to Ren Weiyong so that he could stay in charge of the Great Qi Empire and then he could lure away the Daoist boy who might reappear.

Several days later, a clear and melodious crane cry rang out over the Great Qi Kingdom, and a world-destroying power suddenly descended.

A cold voice boomed directly in Xiao Shan's mind: "Ren Weiyong, you monster, the time has come. Your test has arrived once again!"

Xiao Shan felt a sudden alarm bell ringing in his mind, and his face instantly turned extremely ugly.

Without the slightest hesitation, he suddenly leaped into the air, bursting out of the basement and flying over the palace.

Looking up, I saw a magnificent crane spreading its wings and flying towards me...

"This is outrageous! Do you really think I'm a pushover you can bully at will?" Xiao Shan roared angrily, his face contorted with rage.

Yet his heart remained calm and undisturbed, while a fighting spirit surged in his eyes, indicating that he was ready to fight the crane.

In an instant, Xiao Shan's blood and qi surged like a tide, and visible crimson flames rose from his body, while his muscles, bones, and skin crackled softly.

His already tall frame seemed to grow several feet taller, making him appear like a god or demon descended to earth, majestic and awe-inspiring.

Before the crane could make a move, Xiao Shan had already stepped into the air and rushed forward, throwing a punch!

The violent force of the punch stirred up a howling wind, and in an instant, the weather changed color, as if only this earth-shattering punch remained in the world.

"A mere trick, yet you dare to show it off!" The huge, magnificent crane let out a cold laugh and spoke in human language.

Judging from this voice, it is clearly not the same being that appeared last time.

It didn't even make any extra movements, but simply flapped one of its huge wings and lightly patted Xiao Shan's fist.

Boom!

A deafening roar erupted, followed by a sharp crack as Xiao Shan's arm bent at an unnatural angle.

Before the excruciating pain could even begin, he was struck by an immense force, his body plummeting from the sky like a meteor with its tail broken. His internal organs trembled violently, and he spat out several streams of bright red blood.

With just one blow, he was already critically injured!

Boom!

Xiaoshan crashed heavily to the ground, creating a deep crater.

The scattered, shocking bloodstains around the edge of the pit revealed the severity of his injuries.

This scene was witnessed by many powerful civil and military officials and supervisory officials in the capital. Everyone was shocked and turned pale, not knowing what to do for a moment.

Come again?

The crowd was filled with both astonishment and fear.

Many people witnessed cranes descending from the sky and giving their founding emperor a good beating during his coronation ceremony ten years ago.

I thought it was all in the past, but I never expected that ten years later, this terrifying being would come back again!

They felt only despair at that moment, unsure whether they should step forward to share the burden with His Majesty.

But the power of this crane before them was even greater than it had been ten years ago, and they knew they had no power to resist it.

Boo!

Just then, a clear and melodious crane cry rang out from the sky, the sound like a sharp arrow piercing through the clouds, directly striking the consciousness of all the highly skilled cultivators and martial artists.

Everyone immediately turned pale and ashen, as if they had been struck by a heavy blow.

"Hmph, you're quite fast!" The crane in the sky let out a cold snort, its sharp gaze fixed on the distance with a hint of disdain. "You think you can escape like this?"

Having said that, it gently flapped its enormous wings, and its body transformed into a streak of light, shooting away in an instant and disappearing into the horizon, never once glancing at the bustling yet solemn imperial capital again.