Lord of the Earth

“That true god must have condensed a Dao fruit of the ‘creation’ type… If I can absorb the Dao essence within it, I can make my own Dao fruit fully formed.”

In the human race's mechanical city, Lu Ban gazed up at the sky.

Above his head, a Dao Fruit was condensing at a visible speed. The Dao Fruit was bronze in color, and its surface was engraved with countless patterns of mechanical blueprints—gear meshing, lever transmission, spring storage, bearing rotation... Each pattern was flashing autonomously, as if it had come to life, emitting a slight mechanical hum.

Lu Ban reached out and waved his hand, conjuring an ancient "axe" with divine power in his palm. He casually picked up a piece of ordinary wood, and with a light stroke of the axe blade, wood chips flew like snow. In an instant, a "wooden mandarin duck" with outstretched wings took shape in his palm—lifelike, with even the texture of each feather clearly visible.

The only thing missing is that touch of "spirituality".

Without life, it is ultimately just an inanimate object.

However, when Lu Ban drew upon the "power of the Dao Fruit" of the true god in the heavens, pouring it down like sweet rain upon the wooden mandarin duck, a sudden change occurred—

The wooden wings began to gleam with a warm luster, the stiff joints became flexible and free, and a spark of light ignited deep within those carved wooden eyes.

Phew——!
A clear and melodious phoenix cry resounded through the sky. The wooden mandarin duck suddenly flapped its wings and soared into the air. Golden divine flames ignited between its wings, and in an instant, it transformed into a true divine phoenix, soaring above the nine heavens, its body radiating the brilliant light of the Dao of Creation.

"A little bit of wood comes true..."

Lu Ban murmured to himself, his gaze calm and serene, yet his eyes reflected the trajectory of the soaring phoenix. "Is this the ultimate expression of 'craftsmanship'?"

"Master Lu has already taken the lead, so I should hurry up too... the Dao Fruit of Craftsmanship?"

Inside the Sword Pavilion, beside the "Divine Weapon Forge," Ou Yezi sensed the changes in Lu Ban's Dao Fruit and seemed lost in thought.

Above his head, the nascent Dao Fruit representing the "God of Forging" was radiating an unprecedentedly intense light—a light so bright that it even dimmed the millennia-old divine fire in the furnace.

Within the Dao Fruit, the phantoms of divine weapons constantly appeared and disappeared: there were swords, knives, spears, halberds... Each divine weapon represented the ultimate in forging and carried the soul of a weapon.

Ou Yezi closed his eyes and focused his mind on sensing the Daoist principles related to "flame" and "weapon forging" in the sky, imprinting them one by one into his Dao Fruit. Those Daoist principles, like hundreds of rivers flowing into the sea, stirred up countless waves in his sea of ​​consciousness.

"What an incredible opportunity..."

He murmured, his rough hands stroking the edge of the furnace, feeling the divine warmth descending from the sky, a hint of excitement on his face!

"Indeed, the descent of this true god, displaying the power of his own Dao fruit, is indeed a truly indescribable 'fortune' for Qianxia!"

The Forbidden City, the Hall of Stars.

Zhuge Liang held a black and white feather fan and looked up at the sky.

Above his head, the "Starry Dao Fruit" slowly rotated, covered with Dao patterns and flowing with starlight, exuding the vast aura unique to top-tier Dao Fruits.

Within that Star Dao Fruit, the trajectory of the celestial constellations was clearly visible—Ziwei, Beidou, the Twenty-Eight Mansions… Each star corresponded to a law of heaven and earth, which he deduced and verified one by one with his unparalleled wisdom.

For other factions, becoming a "quasi-god" is as difficult as ascending to heaven.

Even in this eternal land where "all realms converge," the chance of condensing the Dao Fruit is slim to none—more than 90% of the "supreme deities" never manage to touch the threshold of the "Dao" in their entire lives, trapped and dying at this final step.

But the dry summer is different.

After inheriting the entire legacy of the "First Immortal Court" of the human race, Qianxia has a large number of cultivators participating in every "Peach Banquet" to receive personal lectures from top true gods such as the Queen Mother of the West, the Ziwei Emperor, Houtu, and the True Martial Emperor.

Those true gods not only imparted the methods of cultivation, but also shared their own insights into the Dao with their descendants without reservation—a blessing that no other power could imagine.

Furthermore, top-tier innate spiritual roots such as the Immortal Peach and the Yellow Plum can assist in cultivation... Almost any cultivator from Qianxia who can reach the level of "Peerless God" is qualified to condense the prototype of the Dao Fruit.

Not to mention, Qianxia is a "Celestial Dynasty of Fortune," and he himself can condense the status of a "quasi-true god."

With the blessing of rank, even an ordinary deity can directly "see" the rules of heaven and earth through the power of rank, thus bypassing the most difficult threshold to enlightenment.

This is a shortcut that countless geniuses from other races dream of but cannot obtain!

Because of the deliberate obstruction of the true god, apart from Qianxia, ​​there is no other "Qi Destiny Immortal Dynasty" in the Eternal Land!
For the past nine hundred years, the Qianxia dynasty has been the dominant power, occupying a vast space for development and resource advantages...

Against this backdrop, the number of "quasi-god" positions that Qianxia was able to gather far exceeded the imagination of ordinary races.

In the military alone, there are over a hundred "legion commanders" whose status is equivalent to "quasi-gods"—not to mention grand legion commanders or even "heads of military affairs."

However, if we include the civil service system, the technical system, the academy system, and numerous affiliated foreign tribes and guest advisors such as the "Golden Terrace" and the "Merchant Alliance"—

Currently, the entire Qianxia camp has more than 500 strong individuals who meet the requirements of "quasi-true god". This is the confidence that Qianxia dares to calmly hold the "Heaven Worship Ceremony" when the gods descend!

However, the department that truly gained the most insights from this "descent of the true god" was not the military or political departments, but rather the "educational department" of Qianxia – the Imperial Academy!
At this moment, within the academy, numerous "lecturers," including many from other races, were gazing up at the sky. Some stood, some sat; some held scrolls, some closed their eyes in deep thought, and some used divine power as pens to swiftly record something.

Wang Yangming, the "Chancellor" of the academy, sat alone deep in the Purple Bamboo Grove.

As the last "peerless genius" in Chinese history, this "last sage" had already condensed the prototype of his own Dao fruit.

At this moment, his own symbiotic wonder building, "Dragon Field," is also infinitely close to the level of a "true divine artifact." The advancement of this wonder does not rely on killing or plundering, but on the continuous refinement of Wang Yangming's "philosophy of mind" and the immeasurable merit accumulated from countless lectures to the students of Qianxia.

Now, this treasure, like the halberd in Lu Bu's hand, is only missing a crucial opportunity to truly become a divine artifact.

The descent of the gods was a once-in-a-millennium opportunity!

Rumbling--

With the "Dragon Field" operating at full capacity, three thousand bamboos in the core area of ​​the Purple Bamboo Forest are growing wildly—these are no ordinary bamboos, but the famous "Taoist Bamboo".

Inside each bamboo stalk, there is an inscription of the Daoist essence that Wang Yangming captured from the heavens: some bamboo stalks have flame patterns, some have condensed ice crystals, some have lightning running through them, and some have a gentle breeze caressing them.

Each inch these bamboos grow taller represents a deeper understanding of a particular "Dao" by Wang Yangming.

Wang Yangming himself sat upright in the very center of the three thousand purple bamboo grove, his mind as clear as a mirror and his thoughts as still as water.

Above his head, a transparent Dao Fruit was slowly rotating—the Dao Fruit had no color or shape, yet it could reflect everything in the world.

It is the prototype of the "Dao Fruit of the Mind Learning".

At this moment, Wang Yangming is using this Dao Fruit as a medium to transmit the insights he has gained from the Daoist rhymes of the gods to the minds of every lecturer and student in the academy.

His voice was calm as still water, yet it carried clearly throughout the entire academy:

“I use the ‘philosophy of mind’ as a mirror to reflect the true meaning of the gods.”

"You must cherish this opportunity and absorb as much of the Dao's essence as possible—do not be greedy, just choose the path that best suits your heart, and focus on comprehending it to attain its true flavor."

He paused, then his voice held a profound, enlightened understanding:

“There is nothing outside the mind, there is no principle outside the mind. The way of the gods is also inseparable from the mind. What you see and understand are all manifestations of your own mind. Therefore—there is no need to look up to the gods, but to look inward at your own mind.”

Upon hearing this, the Dao bamboo in the Purple Bamboo Grove suddenly grew several feet taller, and countless Daoist auras cascaded down like waterfalls, enveloping the entire academy. Inside the academy, hundreds of lecturers with supreme divine cultivation and tens of thousands of divine students sat cross-legged at the same time, closing their eyes to comprehend.

Above their heads, various Daoist lights rose and fell—there was the "Way of Literature" with its brilliant literary talent, the "Way of Mathematics" with its exquisite arithmetic, the "Way of Music" with its captivating melodies, and the "Way of Chess" with its intricate chess moves...

Under the guidance of Wang Yangming's philosophy, these principles become orderly and well-ordered, like rivers flowing into the sea, merging into the depths of every student's consciousness.

"I've broken through—I've advanced to a top-tier deity!"

A student exclaimed in surprise as divine light surged around him.

"I sense... the nascent form of the Dao Fruit... is taking shape!"

Some lecturers even condensed the rudimentary form of the Dao Fruit on the spot, stepping into the level of a quasi-true god. The foundation of just one "Emperor's Academy" is comparable to that of a "Divine Court"!

In addition to the "Emperor's Academy", the other two important national treasures of the Qianxia Dynasty are also operating at full capacity.

Firstly, there is the "Human Race Heavenly Net." This national treasure, which has merged with the "Investiture of the Gods" and has been forged into a "True God level" artifact, is currently covering the entire human race territory. Using the luck as a chain, it transforms into an invisible net, directly capturing those fragments of Daoist essence that "overflow" from the True Gods and fall from the sky.

It filters, purifies, and categorizes them... In its core area, the "spiritual realm," it constantly imitates and deduces, transforming the "Taoist charm" of these true gods into the natural laws of the "spiritual realm" itself.

Secondly, there is the "City of Saints" of the human race. This city was originally the "Embryo of the Supreme Artifact" of the human race. Although it was destroyed by the gods, thanks to the contingency plans left by the human gods, it has now recovered some of its power.

At this moment, a giant "chessboard of heaven and earth" floats above the city.

This chessboard is the culmination of the wisdom of human sages throughout history.

On the chessboard, there are 360 ​​lines in each direction, representing "360 trades"—from scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants to doctors, fortune tellers, and astrologers; from playing musical instruments, chess, calligraphy, and painting to craftsmen and odd jobs. Every skill and every path in human life has a place on the chessboard.

At this moment, a chessboard of heaven and earth manifested in the sky. Every line on the chessboard was glowing, and at each intersection, a chess piece was faintly visible—these pieces were not ordinary black and white pieces, but rather crystallized essences representing the "way of the trade." Every trade has its own way.

As the Daoist essence of the true gods continued to nourish the pieces, more and more intersections on the chessboard were illuminated. Each piece absorbed the corresponding Daoist essence, constantly growing stronger and more solid, emitting light of different colors, as dazzling as stars.

The chessboard of heaven and earth is spinning wildly.

Its grid is densely covered with various Daoist aura points of light—each time a point of light is captured, the chessboard automatically analyzes its attribute: if it is the Daoist aura of "Slaughter," it is sent to the "Way of War" square; if it is the Daoist aura of "Planting," it is sent to the "Way of Agriculture" square; if it is the Daoist aura of "Fire," it is sent to the "Way of Crafts" square; if it is the Daoist aura of "Humanities," it is sent to the "Way of Education" square...

This "Supreme Treasure of Glazed Glass - Embryo," crafted by the combined efforts of numerous powerful forces in China, is now infinitely close to becoming a "quasi-supreme artifact."

The Daoist aura emanating from it amplified the "City of Saints," causing its aura to continuously grow stronger.

It should be noted that Qianxia's "City of Saints" was the embryo of the "Supreme Artifact".

Under normal circumstances, to successfully forge an artifact, it would require the Daoist essence of at least ten "quasi-supreme artifacts" for repair... But even though Qian Xia inherited the legacy of the "First Immortal Court of the Human Race," he still possessed very few "quasi-supreme artifacts."

Moreover, "ten pieces" is just a figure of speech—in reality, the amount of Daoist essence required to truly elevate this treasure to the level of a "Supreme Artifact" is beyond imagination!
Under normal circumstances, it would be difficult to complete.

The descent of the true god provided Qianxia with this most precious and luxurious condition.

"In this way, this supreme artifact of the human race may truly be able to complete that final 'procedure,' and even if our human race loses the battle against the gods, it will be enough to provide some protection, allowing our human race to preserve a certain 'flame'..."

In the holy city of the human race, Guiguzi, dressed in black, stood with his hands behind his back, gazing up at the sky as the "Guardian Envoy".

Above his head, a Dao Fruit was constantly changing—the Dao Fruit had no fixed form, sometimes shining like the sun and moon, sometimes like yin and yang fish, and sometimes transforming into a crisscrossing chessboard.

Guiguzi closed his eyes and concentrated his mind; though his eyes were closed, his spirit had already penetrated the heavens and earth.

He attempted to find, amidst the intertwining of the divine Dao principles, the supreme path that connects all laws and allows for unparalleled strategic maneuvering—to condense an unprecedented top-tier Dao fruit for himself, and in one fell swoop step into the realm of a top-tier true god, or even a higher level!
The corners of his mouth turned up slightly, carrying a hint of unfathomable smile:

"Yin and Yang complement each other, and the vertical and horizontal lines complement each other... Every piece on this chessboard of heaven and earth will become a move for me, Qianxia."

Throughout the entire Qianxia era, it was like an extremely precise machine, greedily and systematically devouring the "gifts" scattered by the gods, with "prototypes of Dao Fruits" condensing in various cities, mansions, and palaces!

And this is just the tip of the iceberg of a dry summer.

This is a perfect opportunity for the true god to descend, release the fruits of the Dao, and strengthen the heavens and earth.

Every powerful individual in Qianxia who was qualified to absorb the essence of the Dao was doing their utmost to improve themselves!
hold head high!
As the oldest and most prestigious "Four Symbols and Azure Dragon" legion in the Qianxia era, Zhao Yun roared to the sky.

Above his head, the "Invincible in a Hundred Battles" Dao Fruit suddenly trembled, and a silver-white cloud dragon burst forth from it, churning and roaring in the sky.

The dragon's body became increasingly solid—its scales were like silver armor, its claws like crescent moons, and its whiskers like flowing clouds. It even seemed to be able to rival the dragon clan's Daoist aura within the True God's Dao Fruit!

Within the Jinyiwei's "Zhenfu Division".

Above Li Ru, the head of the Imperial Guards of Qianxia, ​​a "prototype of Dao Fruit" in the shape of a wine cup condensed.

The wine cup seemed to hold all aspects of life, the warmth and coldness of human hearts—the Daoist aura emanating from it alone could read the thoughts of all beings, transforming them into ripples in the cup, clearly visible and completely transparent.

They can even arbitrarily "reverse people's hearts" and instill in them a "devotion" to Qianxia!
“However, absorbing the Dao essence of a true god will not only bring benefits... The descent of a true god will surely cause a huge impact on this eternal land... Even I, Qian Xia, will probably find it difficult to remain unscathed!”

Inside the Hall of Heroes.

Mozi stood with his hands behind his back, gazing up at the vast net woven from the Dao fruits of the true gods in the sky.

His face showed both the composure to face opportunities and the solemnity to face formidable enemies.

Above his head, a black "ink ruler" was slowly condensing—the prototype of his "Universal Love and Non-Aggression" Dao Fruit. The ink ruler was entirely black, with "Universal Love" engraved on one side and "Mutual Benefit" inscribed on the other. Within the ruler, it seemed as if countless chivalrous figures were moving about—they helped the weak and oppressed, upheld justice, and traversed thousands of miles of mountains and rivers.

"Where the Way lies, though there be thousands or millions, I will go."

Mozi pondered in a low voice, his tone as clear as metal and stone.

Only by putting the concept of "chivalry" to its extreme can my Dao fruit surpass those of the true gods in the heavens!
Before the words were finished, the ink ruler suddenly emitted black and white light—the light was not gentle, but sharp and piercing, directly confronting the power of the Dao Fruits representing "order" and "universal love" in the sky, showing no sign of backing down.

"War, the way of killing..."

Inside the Military Affairs Office, Bai Qi, the head of the Qianxia Military Affairs Office, stood with his hands behind his back and his eyes closed.

But above his head, a "God of Slaughter Dao Fruit" radiating extreme blood color was already suspended—its aura was so dense that it made the surrounding air viscous like water, as if the roars of thousands of horses and the wails of countless wronged souls surged within it. Every time one of the top-level True God Dao Fruits representing "war" and "slaughter" flashed in the sky.

Bai Qi's own Dao Fruit would then pulsate violently—like two peerless and deadly weapons facing each other from afar, which was both a response and a provocation!

However, upon closer examination, one can discover subtle yet crucial differences:

The Daoist essence contained within Bai Qi's condensed "Dao Fruit" is not merely about slaughter. It is a military strategy of "stopping killing with killing," the ultimate embodiment of "stopping war with force"—

The blade is not aimed at slaughter, but at peace. The "killing" of the human race has never been for destruction, but rather to make the originally ferocious enemy "sing and dance"!
Bai Qi slowly opened his eyes, his gaze filled not with madness, but with a calm as deep as an abyss.

The crimson Dao Fruit above its head suddenly withdrew all its killing intent, transforming into a solid, mountain-like crimson pillar of light that pierced the sky, rivaling the True God Dao Fruit in the firmament, and even subtly surpassing it! (End of Chapter)