Lord of the Earth

If one were to look down upon the Qianxia era from the heavens above, one would behold a magnificent panorama that would make even the gods tremble—

Within that surging, steaming sea of ​​fortune, which already possesses supreme laws, besides the light of battles and power struggles symbolizing the military and political paths, there are also hundreds of magnificent Daoist rhythms constantly blending in and nourishing an object!
That was a huge phantom of a chessboard, with nineteen vertical and horizontal lines. In each square of the chessboard, a figure full of sacred aura appeared. It was the top-level true artifact that was created by gathering the power of the Chinese people - the "Heaven and Earth Chessboard"!
Within the grid representing the "Way of Commerce," images transmitted through the celestial network depict the desolate market in the far west of the Eternal Land, the pearl mines of the South China Sea's merfolk's secret realm, and even the Northern Plains where the worshippers of the gods reside...

The assessment here is devoid of swords and shadows, yet it is permeated with an atmosphere of strategic maneuvering more suffocating than any battlefield. It is a contest of strategies to control the wealth of the world and influence the fate of all races!

The chief examiner, Fan Li, wore a simple hemp robe, devoid of any extravagance, yet his gaze was as deep as an ocean capable of swallowing stars. Above his head, the "prototype of the Dao Fruit of the Sage of Commerce" had already quietly enveloped the entire examination hall.

It's not about scrutiny, but about deduction.

The extent of blessings and influence on the people of other races, as well as the long-term impact on the fortunes of the Qianxia dynasty, as revealed by the lines on the palm of one's hand, is as clear as the lines on the palm of one's hand!

As the leader of the "Merchant Alliance" of Qianxia, ​​he holds the power of trade in all realms. With a single word, he can determine the wealth and poverty of all races, and with a single strategy, he can change the fate of mountains and seas.

The deputy examiner on the left, Shen Wansan, dressed in magnificent robes, held a "treasure bowl" that shimmered with light, conjuring up numerous rare and precious goods needed for the candidates' strategies, which he then distributed for use in the "imperial examination"...

“A treasure bowl can generate wealth, but it cannot generate ‘the Way’.”

Shen Wansan chuckled softly, his gaze falling on each of the examinees.

"Only those who can leverage 10,000 Tianyuan coins to achieve a hundredfold increase in capital through a series of trades, turning the rotten into the miraculous, are qualified to compete for the top three."

Compared to Fan Li, what he valued was the candidate's "earning ability" under extreme conditions; being able to sell a comb to a monk was merely a basic requirement!

The deputy examiner on the right, Lü Buwei, wore a purple robe and a jade belt, and had the dignified bearing of an emperor.

He was toying with a "seal" in his hand that resembled the He Shi Bi jade. His gaze was not on the accounts of profit and loss, but on the overall situation, people's hearts, and power struggles.

He lightly touched a water mirror, and the examinee appeared in the mirror. It was none other than Guan Zhong, who assisted Duke Huan of Qi in "uniting the feudal lords nine times and bringing order to the world".

Because now, the territory of the Great Qi Dynasty is almost entirely covered by Qianxia, ​​after discussing with Duke Huan of Qi, it was decided to "part-time" in Qianxia!
Its abilities are top-notch. It implemented the "official mountain and sea" policy in a foreign city-state that had once been enslaved by the gods, using the profits from salt and iron to fill the treasury. In just a few years, that small place recovered from the oppression of the foreign gods and even had the strength to protect the large number of human settlements in the surrounding area!
"good!"

A glint of light flashed in Lü Buwei's eyes.

"This is the true meaning of 'a rare commodity is worth hoarding'! The merchant's methods are all for the sake of lasting peace! He truly deserves to be called Guan Zhong, and can be considered one of the 'top three in business ethics'!"

On another chessboard.

Here, there are no goods, no money, only invisible verbal battles and unseen power struggles clashing fiercely, the danger of which is no less than that of a million-strong army facing off.

This place is the testing ground for "diplomatic skills".

On another chessboard.

Here, there are no goods, no money, only invisible verbal battles and unseen power struggles clashing fiercely, the danger of which is no less than that of a million-strong army facing off.

This place is the testing ground for "diplomatic skills".

The chief examiner, Heshen, sat upright in the center, dressed in a purple and gold official robe.

Above his head, the phrase "Pondering the Prototype of Dao Fruit" enveloped the entire area, representing an extreme shrewdness that allowed him to see into the subtleties of human nature and weigh the pros and cons.

Any strategy offered by any candidate, its implications for the interests of various ethnic groups, the chain reactions it could trigger, and even its potential threats to the future of the Qianxia dynasty, would all be laid bare before him!

To his left, a man dressed in a tall hat and wide belt, carrying a long sword.

The light crisscrossing around him connects with the light spots representing various races in the void. This is the deputy examiner, "Su Qin." With each word he utters, several beams of light extend, linking the originally loose small races together to fight against a powerful enemy.

"The key to alliances lies in 'shared benefits'!"

He spoke loudly, his voice resounding through the void.

"Let all the small nations know that resisting Qianxia will lead to their demise, while allying with Qianxia will bring them prosperity. This bond of shared interests is far more powerful than a million soldiers!" Before the words were finished, countless phantoms of various races appeared in the void in worship, revealing that his path of alliance had reached near-divine levels.

Opposite him stood a handsome man with bright, intelligent eyes and a half-smile playing on his lips. He was Zhang Yi, his fellow apprentice and another deputy examiner.

Before Su Qin could finish speaking, Zhang Yi casually waved his hand, and the light vein diagram in front of him suddenly changed. The connected light veins actually developed cracks under his few words.

"Senior brother, you are mistaken."

Zhang Yi said leisurely, a sly glint in his eyes.

"Those who share common interests gather together, and those who lose interest scatter. The human heart is as deep as an abyss; how can it be filled by the mere words 'shared interests'? I have a strategy that requires no alliances, only 'horizontal alliances'! With the strength of Qianxia, ​​I will grant one country exclusive benefits, making it my vassal, and the other smaller countries will crumble without a fight. This is to break through the surface with a single point, to intimidate others with power—and even more so, to lure them with benefits and coerce them with threats!"

With a single word, the world order was reshaped, as if he had already grasped the power of life and death over all races, his divine might awe-inspiring.

The two had conflicting ideas, and as they clashed, the empty map of the various races began to frantically reconstruct, reorganize, collapse, and regenerate, just like a real diplomatic battlefield!
"Brilliant! Su Qin's strategy is steady and methodical, weaving a net to build momentum, a long-term plan; Zhang Yi's transformation is full of ingenuity, breaking down and then establishing, a quick and decisive strategy."

"One seeks stability, the other seeks change; both use the interests of the people as pawns to manipulate the course of history. The two men recommended by Guiguzi are both national heroes!"

"If I were to be adept at manipulating people's hearts and understanding the emperor's intentions, I might be a match for him, but when it comes to establishing a stable world and balancing all races, my vision is ultimately... too narrow. I do need to work harder to secure my position as the 'Master of Diplomacy'!"

Heshen's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he sighed inwardly.

Su Qin and Zhang Yi were both disciples of Guiguzi. Upon entering Qianxia, ​​they received generous treatment and were even entrusted by the Xia Dynasty with the important task of being examiners of "the way of diplomacy"!
However, the two not only intend to act as examiners, but also want to personally "take the stage" and compete in this assessment.

Firstly, it was to prove to the nobles, officials, and common people of Qianxia that the two men were truly talented and learned, and that they held high positions not merely because of Guiguzi!

Secondly, since the two sides had not yet truly determined a winner in their past contests during the Warring States period, they now harbored a certain desire to compete!
On the other side, the "Emperor's Academy," representing the "way of education," is filled with talented and virtuous people, their spirit as clear as mist.

The chief examiner, Wang Yangming, sat quietly in the "Dragon Field," his aura connected with the Daoist spirit of the entire academy. His "philosophy of mind and the fruit of the Dao" was like the clearest mirror, illuminating the true heart and knowledge of every candidate.

A young scholar wielded his brush, and as soon as he finished writing the last word of a frontier poem, the sound of clashing swords rang out from the paper, and the spirit of heaven and earth seemed to gather around it.

All the examinees here are people whose writing is astonishing and whose pen can move even ghosts to tears. A single word can open up the world, and a single essay can determine the fate of the nation. Their literary talent soars to the heavens!

On the left, Li Bai leans against a blue stone, a wine pot hanging high, automatically pouring "Drunken Immortal Brew," brewed by the wine sage Du Kang and worth tens of thousands of Tianyuan gold coins, into his mouth!
His figure appeared drunk and hazy, but in reality, whenever his literary talent was at its peak, a flash of sword light would appear in his eyes!
At this moment, inside the examination hall.

A middle-aged scholar with a long face, dressed in Song Dynasty robes, has just finished writing a lengthy policy essay entitled "On the Eternal Way of Governance in the Establishment of the Qianxia Dynasty"!
The great Daoist pronouncements resounded throughout the world, and the river breeze and moonlight rose from the paper, their artistic conception reaching straight to the Milky Way.

Li Bai suddenly sat up straight and laughed heartily in praise.

“Excellent! Excellent is the saying, ‘If we consider things from the perspective of change, then even heaven and earth cannot last for an instant; if we consider them from the perspective of permanence, then both things and I are endless!’”

"Such a broad mind and profound philosophical thoughts deserve a toast!"

Looking at the middle-aged man, his eyes showed the excitement of seeing a "kindred spirit".

On the right, the deputy examiner, Tang Bohu, stands before a huge blank scroll.

His "divine realm of painting" has already unfolded, and the literary talent flowing in the examination hall has all been transformed into hazy images on the painting scroll.

When the middle-aged scholar's article was praised by Li Bai, a scene automatically appeared on the scroll: a moon over the river, a small boat, and a majestic figure standing tall. The artistic conception was profound and the spirit was natural!
Tang Bohu smiled slightly, picked up his brush and inscribed in a corner of the scroll: "Su Dongpo Discussing the Dao". He had already condensed the "Dao of Painting", stepped into the level of a quasi-god, and the soul of painting was formed. He could capture the essence of literature with ease!

The three examiners not only ranked him among the "top three", but also invited him to become a teacher in the "Emperor's Academy", all because this "examinee" was named "Su Shi"!
The atmosphere was completely different in the examination room for "The Way of the Government".

There are no poems being recited here, only the subtle sounds of metal rubbing together and gears meshing.

The chief examiner, the "God of Crafts," Lu Ban, had eyes as sharp as lightning. The "God of Crafts' Dao Fruit" above his head constantly deduced the structure and potential of each mechanical creation in the examination room, and even endowed these items with "divinity." Each creation resonated with the laws of heaven and earth, and was no longer an ordinary tool, but a "mechanical creation" with life.

The deputy examiner, Huang Yueying, had a delicate face and her fingers sparkled with intelligence as she disassembled a repeating crossbow made by a candidate. She nodded from time to time, praising the improved transmission mechanism.

The crossbow shimmered with spiritual light, indicating it was no longer made of ordinary iron, but rather a divine object imbued with the profound principles of mechanical manipulation.

Another deputy examiner, Zhu Youjian, the former carpenter emperor, is now the deputy head of the Qianxia Mechanical Hall and the head of the "Carpenter's Pavilion." He is looking at a piece of work, his hands trembling slightly with excitement.

It was a small boat, no bigger than a grain of rice, yet a miniature city gate was carved on it. Every brick and stone on the gate was a miniature rune, and there were even miniature soldiers holding weapons inside the gate! Every carving and engraving was in accordance with the Great Dao. This small boat contained the universe within it, reaching the realm of divine creation.

"A prodigy! A genius born of heaven!"

Zhu Youjian's voice even changed tone.

"Once this 'micro-carving mechanism technique' is mastered, my Qianxia will be able to possess 'micro-dust spies' capable of infiltrating numerous alien kingdoms, and 'mechanical worms' capable of entering the human body's meridians to heal injuries! This is no longer a skill, but a world-shaking ability!"

The "nuclear city" created by the examinee named Wang Shuyuan was, in his eyes, already the fulcrum to leverage the future.

In the examination hall of culinary skills, the aroma of cooking and spiritual energy intertwine, creating a rich and fragrant atmosphere.

The test takers have all touched upon the true meaning of food. A single dish can lead to the great path, and a single flavor can transform the world. Their culinary skills are superb, and they are at least close to the realm of the God of Food.

The chief examiner, Huang Rong, the "Heavenly Food Palace Master" and concubine of the Qianxia Dynasty, was marveling at a plate of "Orchid Bear Paw" that had just been presented.

The knife skills, cooking time, and seasoning were all impeccable, especially the delicate orchid fragrance hidden in the texture of the bear paw—a stroke of genius.

As soon as the dish was served, its aroma attracted the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, lingering and never dissipating, revealing that the cook had cultivated the art of eating to a divine level.

On the left, the deputy examiner, Paoding, closed his eyes and pondered deeply, seemingly lost in thought. He was more concerned with the candidates' respect for and deconstruction of the "ingredients."

"Miss Dong, this dish..."

He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze seemingly filled with the illusion of ten thousand bulls galloping and then instantly disintegrating... or perhaps it was an analysis of the way of ingredients.

"Her understanding of the texture of ingredients is close to the 'Tao.' It's not that I'm dissecting the ox, but rather that the ingredients are 'self-deconstructing' in her hands. How wonderful!"

On the right, the deputy examiner, Wu Dalang, kept a close eye on the heat. Although the "pancakes" he made were simple, his perception of flames was unmatched after he had reached the level of a "god".

"Use medium heat for half an hour, simmer for a little less than half an hour, and finally use the martial artist's true essence to ignite the flames and reduce the liquid... The precision of the heat control and the ingenuity of the timing show that this woman's control over 'fire' has reached a state of perfection."

Huang Rong smiled and said to the gentle woman.

"Miss Dong's culinary skills are truly breathtaking, probably no less than mine. Back then, when I roasted beggar's chicken in the desert, I relied on resourcefulness, but you rely on your 'heart of Tao' for the true flavor of all things."

The person known as "Miss Dong" is surrounded by the Daoist aura of food. With a wave of her hand, ingredients submit and flames obey her commands, as if a god of food has descended to earth.

This woman is none other than Dong Xiaowan, who holds the title of "One of the Ten Great Chefs of China" and is also one of the famous "Eight Beauties of Qinhuai" throughout history, and is as famous as Liu Rushi, the chief female official in the Qianxia Imperial Palace!

Inside the Hall of Heroes, all the examinees are extraordinary figures who have transcended the mundane world of martial arts!
The chief examiner, Mozi, was surrounded by a halo of "universal love and non-aggression, the rudimentary form of the Dao fruit" above his head, which enveloped the entire venue.

Compared to martial arts, he valued more the "chivalrous" conduct of the examinees and what benefits they could bring to the common people and the order of the Qianxia dynasty.

On the left, the deputy examiner Zhan Zhao, dressed in red, with piercing eyes, scrutinized the character and conduct of each candidate. This "Southern Knight" was one of the elders of Qianxia, ​​and even Mozi, the "Hall Master of the Hall of Chivalry," needed to listen to his opinions!

Guo Jing, the deputy examiner on the right, spoke in a deep voice, his aura as imposing as a mountain: "The greatest heroes are those who serve their country and its people. If one acts chivalrously only for personal vendettas or to gain fame and fortune, then one has fallen to a low level."

At that moment, one candidate caught everyone's attention.

The man was squatting in the corner, tall but hunched over, with a bewildered expression on his face, like a clueless teenager who had wandered into the wrong exam room.

He did not demonstrate his skills like the other candidates, nor did he give any grand speeches. There was no deliberate flow of energy around him, no manifestation of Daoist principles, and no lingering presence of laws.

But that's precisely why it's so alarming.

Others may see him as foolish, but they don't know that within that foolishness lies the purest heart that so many people in the martial arts world yearn for but cannot attain.

He didn't know what chivalry was, yet he acted chivalrously everywhere; he didn't know what good was, yet he did good in everything. He helped the old soldier chop wood, simply because he saw how hard the old soldier's back was bent; he shared his only dry rations with a beggar on the roadside, simply because the beggar's eyes shone with the same hunger as his own when he was a boy.

These seemingly trivial matters, under the guidance of the laws of the Hall of Righteousness, transformed into the purest Daoist essence—an aura of utmost purity and goodness, formless and without appearance, yet quietly permeating the air.

Do you know what it means to be a chivalrous hero?

Mozi spoke slowly, his voice not loud, yet as clear as a morning bell.

The boy raised his head, his eyes filled with pure bewilderment: "A knight-errant? I...I don't know. I just can't bear to see people suffer."

"What would you do if someone bullied the weak?"

"I...I will go and stop him."

The boy scratched his head and said in a simple voice.

"However, my punches are very powerful; I'm afraid I might accidentally kill him!"

"If that powerful being is someone you cannot defeat, someone who is a god, someone who is heaven and earth?"

Shi Potian fell silent.

After a long while, he raised his head, his gaze still clear, but he said something that moved everyone present.

"I won't allow these gods to bully people. It doesn't matter if I die, I'll do my best to hold them off and help others run one more step."

"Excellent! You shall be the first in our Hall of Heroes in this assessment!"

Mozi checked his fate through the Heavenly Net, which displayed the three characters "Shi Potian"!

The atmosphere during the medical examination was relatively solemn. The chief examiner, Hua Tuo, along with the deputy examiners Zhang Zhongjing and Dong Feng, the three legendary physicians, gathered together to observe the performance of each candidate in the "examination room"!

He also went out to pay attention to the performance of some outstanding medical practitioners who had studied the "plague".

This time, Qianxia's purpose in taking the "imperial examination" was no longer simply to cure diseases and save lives.

Rather, the intention is to gather the power of human medicine to completely break a major issue—the "curse" that the gods have placed on the human race in another world!
This time, the goal of the Three Sages of Medicine is not only to dispel the curses, but also to use these "curses" to turn against those high and mighty gods!

In the examination hall, every examinee is a divine cornerstone of this extraordinary undertaking.

Politics, military, business, foreign affairs, culture, industry, food, chivalry, medicine...

On the chessboard of heaven and earth, the various examination halls, though different in style, were equally intense.

Fan Li measured the world with "profit," Lü Buwei balanced all races with "power," Wen Tianxiang upheld the bottom line with "righteousness," Su Qin and Zhang Yi decided the winner with "debate," Wang Yangming illuminated his true self with "mind," Gongshu Ban opened up the world with "skill," Huang Rong integrated the great way with "taste," Mozi brought peace to the people with "chivalry," and Hua Tuo saved the common people with "medicine"!

The chief and deputy examiners each displayed their abilities, and their judgments were all aimed at selecting pillars of talent for this newly established dynasty!
And those who took the exams—Guan Zhong's business acumen, Su Shi's literary skills, Dong Xiaowan's culinary skills, and Shi Potian's chivalrous spirit!
They, and even the millions of other outstanding human heroes who participated in the imperial examination, their talents and their own fortunes have all been transformed into unique Daoist charms, deeply imprinted on the "chessboard of heaven and earth"!
The Daoist principles absorbed by the entire "Heaven and Earth Chessboard" were transformed into the most magnificent power, which was then bestowed upon a "Holy City" located in the void!
At this moment, the power, talent, and fortune displayed by countless outstanding individuals participating in the "Immortal Dynasty Imperial Examination" in the examination hall are transforming into dazzling divine marks, deeply engraved on the foundation of this city, resonating with heaven and earth, and causing all paths to bow down!

This city is the "Holy City of Humanity," and also an "embryo of the Supreme Artifact of Humanity" that is breathing and growing!
This was the grand spectacle of the first "Imperial Examination" in the Qianxia Immortal Dynasty. (End of Chapter)