Lord of the Earth

The Celestial Dynasty of Qianxia, ​​the Jade Capital!

Above the nine heavens, clouds and mist surge, and at the top of the sky, the sun and moon shine together.

To the east of the city that stretches for thousands of miles, nine golden crows, pulling a golden chariot, leaped out from the sea of ​​clouds. Each golden crow had a wingspan of a thousand miles, its feathers burning with the true fire of the sun. Wherever they passed, faint cracks were scorched in the void.

On the chariot stood a roaming deity clad in golden armor, holding the Dawn Sword, his eyes blazing as he surveyed the vast territory.

At the westernmost peak, a cold moon slowly sank into the Guanghan Palace. The "Cold Toad," a supreme deity within the moon, slowly withdrew the moonlight that had been scattered throughout the night, and nodded slightly to the departing Golden Crow chariot, thus completing the ancient ritual of the alternation of day and night.

In the Forbidden City, a bell tolled softly. This was the "Heavenly Bell" of the Qianxia Immortal Dynasty. Each ringing signified the start of a new day and also meant that the "Zhou Tian Xing Chen Grand Array" covering the entire capital city would temporarily cease its blasting.

Ten thousand golden rays descended from the sky, tearing apart the tranquility of this "capital city of the first immortal dynasty of the human race," falling upon every magnificent building, every long street shrouded in spiritual mist, and on the face of every early-rising human citizen.

That light, warm and majestic, seemed to proclaim that every day of the Qianxia season was a glorious era that all races looked up to.

The end of Suzaku Street.

A 99-story building stands majestically.

With vermilion railings and jade steps, painted beams and carved pillars, a plaque hangs above the door with three simple and ancient characters: Zuixianlou (Drunken Immortal Pavilion).

The shop, personally run by the wine sage Du Kang, was packed with people early in the morning. By the window, several scholars dressed in casual clothes were holding teacups and chatting about the world.

"Have you heard? In the latest imperial examination of the Celestial Dynasty, our Qianxia has once again gained a military genius who is unparalleled in military prowess..."

A middle-aged scholar in a blue robe put down his teacup and spoke animatedly, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, clearly very interested in the topic.

He was sitting opposite an elderly man with slightly white hair and beard, who stroked his beard and smiled upon hearing this.

"How could I not have heard? Li Jing, the marshal of the Great Tang Dynasty, actually joined my Qianxia and defeated Cyrus II of the Achaemenid Dynasty, the immortal military god of the Persian Empire, and Caesar of the Roman Empire, to win first place in this imperial examination."

As the old man spoke, a hint of reminiscence flashed in his eyes.

"It's a pity. I think they were too reserved before, and only now are they willing to join my Qianxia. You know, those historical generals who won the first 'Immortal Dynasty Imperial Examination'—Ban Dingyuan, Huo Qubing, Xue Rengui... these people have now been appointed as 'Sixth Rank Gods' in my Qianxia, ​​and their status is only below that of 'Military Affairs Director'."

A lean man at the next table leaned over and whispered.

“Who can argue with that? Since the first ‘Immortal Dynasty Imperial Examination’ a hundred years ago in the Eternal Land, my Qianxia has now held a total of nine ‘Centennial Imperial Examinations’.”

"It can be said that most of the geniuses of the entire human race are already serving as officials in my Qianxia. The number of humans who have shown the qualities of true gods alone is no less than a hundred, and there are also a large number of geniuses from other races who are willing to submit."

The scholar in the blue robe nodded, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and looked out the window toward the majestic Forbidden City, his tone tinged with pride.

"Yes, one important reason why Qianxia has been able to acquire so many geniuses is that, to this day, in the entire Eternal Land, there is still only one immortal dynasty, Qianxia. It is said that those true gods who have not yet descended have discovered that the 'Path of Destiny' poses a threat to them, and have deliberately prevented the emergence of new immortal dynasties, forbidding them from advancing at will... Whenever an imperial dynasty tries to advance, an incarnation of a true god descends to suppress it..."

The old man sneered and slammed his teacup down.

"Therefore, even if some of the forces with the best fortune have accumulated enough merit, they dare not easily advance to the Immortal Dynasty. In this way, it can be said that Qianxia has become the only Immortal Dynasty-level force in this Eternal Land."

“They fear those true gods, but we Qianxia are not!”

The lean man's eyes lit up. "Over the years, by developing together with the three books of 'Heaven, Earth, and Man' and the business alliance, the resources we have acquired are unimaginable—it is said that we alone account for 40% of the known reserves of spiritual veins and mineral veins in various places!"

The scholar in the blue robe clapped his hands and laughed: "Indeed, the value of the unique Qi-destined Immortal Dynasty is unprecedented, equivalent to a true god presiding over it. Throughout the entire Eternal Land, Qianxia will have unimpeded access!"

He changed the subject, lowering his voice, but couldn't hide the arrogance in his eyes.

"Especially my Qianxia legions, which now number one hundred. A large portion of these legion commanders are top three finishers in the imperial examinations. In particular, the recently promoted legion commanders are all outstanding individuals who emerged from the imperial examinations of the Celestial Dynasty—each of them has the remarkable feat of single-handedly destroying a country!"

The old man took over the conversation, recounting the details as if they were his own treasures.

"Li Cunxiao, commander of the Qiuniu Legion, led eighteen riders to defeat a million enemies and annihilate the Asura Royal Court; Ran Min, commander of the Baxia Legion, issued the 'Order to Kill the Aliens,' slaughtering three hundred and eighty alien gods in one battle; Xue Rengui, commander of the Yazi Legion, used three arrows to subdue the Tianshan Mountains, shooting down three alien quasi-true gods..."

The lean man was so excited that he couldn't help but slam his fist on the table and exclaim.

"In particular, every soldier in my Qianxia Legion is a true 'Saint' with a cultivation level of 10 billion. When the Legion forms a battle formation, its aura is enough to change the color of the sky!"

"With the blessing of my Qianxia's 'Celestial Dynasty Status,' the commanders of these legions are capable of directly confronting 'True God Incarnations.' In this way, my Qianxia is as solid as a rock, and anyone who dares to covet it will have to think twice about whether they have the ability!"

"However, when it comes to contributions..." the scholar in the blue robe suddenly waved his hand and laughed, "Actually, I, a civil official, am no weaker than a military general."

He stood up, put his hands behind his back, walked to the window, and looked towards the majestic Imperial Academy in the distance.

"In particular, the 'teachers' in the Imperial Academy play a role in recruiting talents for Qianxia that is no less important than the army. You should know that Qianxia now has not only a large number of human subjects, but also many alien vassal forces."

The old man nodded in agreement, his eyes filled with emotion.

"The total population of these alien forces is more than ten thousand times that of my Qianxia! The fact that such a large alien race can truly submit to my Qianxia and has not rebelled is largely due to the teachings of the Imperial Academy!"

The scholar in the blue robe turned around, his eyes gleaming.

"Indeed, Dean Su, the top scholar in the first 'Centennial Imperial Examination of the Immortal Dynasty' in Qianxia, ​​is now even more famous than Wang Yangming, the Chancellor of the Academy. I heard that millions of foreign nations have applied to send their sons and grandsons to serve him, just so that they can send back his amazing works as soon as possible for their nobles to admire and learn from!"

The lean man chuckled and added.

"And then there's Zhu Xi, the sage who topped the list of 'Educational Principles' in the second imperial examination—he's a sage in Chinese history, just like Yangming. Now, his theories are widely spread among foreign tribes. I've heard that when those tribes have some disputes, they often don't resolve them with war, but instead compete with each other in our Qianxia culture, 'reasoning' with each other. You know what, those barbarians are now reciting the Four Books and Five Classics with their heads swaying—it's quite an interesting sight."

"In addition, there are 'Grand Scholars' such as Han Yu, Plato, and Socrates..."

The old man stroked his beard and smiled, “They are quite popular among the alien races. There are hundreds of millions of alien beings who believe in their theories. In fact, some kings are even willing to give up their positions to come to the Imperial Academy of Qianxia, ​​to stand before these great scholars, and become their personal disciples!”

A businessman-looking man at the next table, who had been quietly drinking tea, suddenly looked up with a smile on his face.

"In my opinion, while the methods of education are important, the greatest achievement in enabling these alien races to coexist peacefully with our human race today is the Tianyuan Merchant Alliance led by Alliance Leader Fan Li."

He put down his teacup, his voice not loud, but it carried a certain certainty.

"Even the most cruel and bloodthirsty Bloodthirsty Clan, who relied on plundering other races for resources, have now abandoned their initial life of plundering and turned to cultivating a spiritual plant called 'Blood Jade Rice.' The places where they live have some high-quality blood-red soil, which is extremely suitable for the growth of this rice!"

"you do not say!"

The lean man laughed heartily.

"Those alien races that used to fight and kill each other are now either farming or developing industries. Those gnolls have learned to raise pigs, and those harpies have started delivering packages to our humans—the world has really changed."

The old man couldn't help but chuckle.

“That’s natural. You see, the core army of Qianxia now has at least a ‘Saint-level’ cultivation, and one person is enough to pacify a ‘city’ of alien races. Even if those alien races have gods in charge, it’s just wishful thinking for them to plunder Qianxia’s resources and wealth through war. In comparison, it’s better for them to serve as a production base for Qianxia’s resources.” The merchant-looking man nodded and counted on his fingers.

"The insectoid carapaces, the elves' 'Fountain of Life,' the dwarves' forging techniques, the merfolk's pearls... are all now sold through my Qianxia's 'Merchant Alliance.' I've heard that in recent years, the revenue earned for my Qianxia alone has exceeded one trillion Tianyuan Gold Coins each year!"

The scholar in the blue robe gasped.

"Trillion Tianyuan Gold Coins? Even the total assets of many 'quasi-immortal dynasties' would hardly reach that number, right? This Merchant Alliance is indeed a behemoth belonging to my Qianxia, ​​enough to be ranked alongside the Imperial Academy, the Military Affairs Bureau, and the Government Affairs Bureau."

A glint of fanaticism flashed in the eyes of the businessman-looking man.

"Today, the area covered by the Tianyuan Coin of my Qianxia Merchant Alliance exceeds 50% of the Eternal Land. It can be said that wherever there are intelligent beings, there is the existence of my Qianxia Tianyuan Coin."

"You should know that the currency minted by Qianxia now enjoys unparalleled recognition in the Eternal Land—even the lowest denomination Tianyuan Copper Coin can be traded for resources worth tens of spirit stones in some alien kingdoms. This is simply because the nobles of these alien races are proud to own a 'Tianyuan Coin'!"

The old man seemed to be deep in thought.

"It is said that once more than half of the beings in the entire Eternal Land recognize and use the Heavenly Yuan Coin, it will be enough to become the 'Current Currency of Heaven' in this world. At that time, the fate of my Qianxia nation will be bound to the Heavenly Dao of the entire Eternal Land, achieving the status of a 'Quasi-Heavenly Court'..."

The businessman-looking man sneered.

"I have heard that some alien races have tried to unite—the Dragon Clan, the Titan Clan, the Sea Clan, and other supreme and quasi-supreme races—to put pressure on us and try to ban the circulation of my Qian Tian Yuan Coin."

"Unfortunately, their ban not only failed to benefit themselves, but also caused more alien races to flock to my Qianxia. After all, who would turn down money? Especially since my Qianxia merit coins have the ability of 'protection'... As long as you gain my Qianxia's approval and are granted merit coins, you can receive my Qianxia's protection... Even if these races don't have a true god descending, there's nothing they can do about them!"

The scholar in the blue robe clapped his hands and laughed.

"Even true gods wouldn't be able to do it. It's said that once, an avatar of a top-tier true god joined forces to try and seize the 'mint furnace' of my Qianxia. As a result, His Majesty, wielding the 'Imperial Seal,' mobilized the national fortune of Qianxia to suppress them, capturing these avatars on the spot and using them as his 'mounts'..."

The old man snorted coldly.

“Indeed, the Heavenly Yuan Coin is absolutely the foundation of my Qianxia. How can we allow those alien races to interfere? The Imperial Academy represents ‘education,’ which can make alien races accept the ideas of the human race in their thinking; while the ‘Heavenly Yuan Coin’ represents wealth, which can be used to control the economic lifeline of alien races. With the two combined, most alien races can only obediently serve my Qianxia. This is also the way of control that my human race has summarized from its wisdom of worldly affairs!”

Just as the businessman-looking man was about to speak, the lean man interrupted him.

"Actually, you've overlooked something else—we come into contact with more than just Tianyuan Coins every day; there's another item: my Qianxia's 'Sky Net'!"

He pointed to the space between his eyebrows, where a faint glimmer of light was flickering.

“That’s right. Actually, when it comes to my Qianxia’s trump card, it’s not just the ‘Tianyuan Coin’. This Spirit Realm ‘Sky Net’ is also a major trump card for my human race.”

The scholar in the blue robe nodded thoughtfully.

“These days, the Spirit Realm has grown increasingly vast. Besides our human race, loyal members of those vassal races are also allowed to enter the Skynet. In fact, the will of every living being has become a node in the Skynet…”

"Wherever the human race's fortune extends, the Heavenly Net will be laid out there."

A hint of awe flashed in the eyes of the lean man.

"In this way, the actions of those alien races will be known to my Heavenly Net. Now, wherever the Heavenly Net covers, the conspiracies and schemes of the alien races will have nowhere to hide. In particular, the elite troops of my Qianxia Imperial Guard, the 'Sky Patrol Guards,' use the Heavenly Net to monitor the Eternal Land. Even gods will find it difficult to escape punishment once they break the law!"

The old man stroked his beard and said.

"More importantly, after this Heavenly Net is combined with my Qianxia's 'Heavenly Book' Investiture of the Gods, the effect it can produce is to directly draw on the willpower of all living beings, thereby making all kinds of beings within it completely 'transform the illusory into the real'."

"Now, the 'Spirit Realm' of my Qianxia can truly 'create life'. In recent years, relying on the 'Spirit Realm', the total human population of my Qianxia has continued to rise - after all, no matter how many alien races there are, they are still not as important as the human race. Hundreds of millions of humans are the true foundation of my Qianxia."

The lean man nodded emphatically.

"In that case, the value of this Skynet is indeed not much less than that of the Sky Coin!"

The businessman-looking man glanced around and lowered his voice.

“I, Qianxia, ​​possess more than one such treasure. Putting aside everything else, the power of my human race’s ‘Holy City’ is based on the number of human saints. The more humans who enter it and the more comprehensive their research on the rules of heaven and earth, the greater the power of this city will become!”

"Now, after nine hundred years of development and refinement, it is said to be comparable to a true 'quasi-supreme artifact.' Its powerful components, such as the Heaven and Earth Chessboard and the Human Race Beacon, are no less than top-tier true divine artifacts—"

The scholar in the blue robe's eyes lit up.

"Moreover, the Holy City of Humanity, combined with the Fire of Suiren and the Dragon Field... can increase the efficiency of our human race's inheritance and enlightenment by a thousand times!"

"It is said that the many prodigies selected through the 'Hall of Mechanisms' imperial examinations, after nine hundred years of effort, have created a 'Mechanical Demon Spider' whose combat power surpasses that of an ordinary 'quasi-true god'. Its material is the leg of the true god-level spider that His Majesty Xia Tian of our dynasty 'acted as punishment on behalf of Heaven' and severed—"

The old man added.

"Furthermore, I've heard that the people of the Medical Hall have also made progress in their research on the arm left behind by that 'Vampire God.' If the vampires dare to invade again, they will make them suffer a fate worse than death—"

"And the foundry hall..."

The lean man's eyes were filled with longing. "I heard that he used a 'top-tier true god' quality divine weapon forging furnace obtained from the dwarves to forge a complete set of 'Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Battle Armor,' which is already complete. It's said that wearing that armor is like wearing a mobile defensive array! Each set is of god-level quality, and when combined with the 'Heavenly Soldier Battle Formation,' it's enough to kill even the most powerful gods head-on!"

The businessman-looking man couldn't help but speak up as well.

"There's also the Alchemy Pavilion. I heard they've already refined a batch of 'Nine-Turn Golden Pills' using a formula found in the ruins of the former 'First Immortal Court of the Human Race.' One pill can grant an ordinary person god-level cultivation. Although the production is extremely low, each one is enough to cultivate a top-tier fighter."

"And then there's the Talisman Pavilion. Those lunatics have developed a kind of 'Heavenly Dao Talisman,' which is said to be able to summon the Heavenly Dao Laws once detonated, forming a forbidden domain. The only problem is that it can't distinguish between friend and foe..."

The scholar in the blue robe stood up, his gaze intense.

"Yes, in every profession of the human race, there are geniuses at the level of gods. The accumulation of those alien races over hundreds of thousands of years cannot compare to the progress of the human race in just a few hundred years."

"In the nine imperial examinations of my Qianxia dynasty, each time more than 100,000 'human prodigies' were selected. Now, the number of humans with the qualifications to become gods alone exceeds one million! You must know that even the former 'First Celestial Court' of the human race only had an army of hundreds of thousands of gods..."

The old man also stood up, looked out the window at the bustling capital city, his eyes filled with emotion.

"Yes, who dares to say that our human race is an 'inferior race' or mere food for other races now?"

"Now, the balance of power between humans and other races has long since shifted. Even the supreme races like the Dragons, Demons, and Titans dare not underestimate our human race in the slightest. In terms of potential alone, our Qianxia has already surpassed the once most powerful 'First Immortal Dynasty of Humanity'."

The lean man suddenly remembered something and slapped his thigh.

"Yes, in a few days... it will be the thousandth anniversary of the human race's arrival in the Eternal Land. My Qianxia will hold the grandest ceremony ever. At that time, it will surely be the day when all races pay homage, attracting the most attention!"

His gaze fell upon the Forbidden City at the center of Baiyujing.

There, figures from various cities of Qianxia were participating in Qianxia's annual Grand Court Assembly, following the "passage" guarded by the four celestial guardians: the Azure Dragon, the Vermilion Bird, the White Tiger, and the Black Tortoise! ​​(End of Chapter)