Qin Renhuang just became an immortal, and you told me this is the prehistoric time

"It's nothing major. I've come here to observe the current state of the Emperor Emeritus. He is trapped by the lifespan limit of mortals, making it difficult for him to make any progress in martial arts. I feel sorry for him."

"Lifespan limit?"

A sudden, uncontrollable fervor flashed in the First Emperor's eyes. He took a step forward, his voice trembling slightly.

"What...what do you mean by that? Could it be...that you possess the secret to immortality?"

As an emperor who once swept across the land and pursued immortality, these four words held a fatal attraction for him!

Ying Shaoyang looked at him calmly and gave an affirmative answer.

"Immortality is not a myth. Once one reaches the Earth Immortal realm through cultivation, one can break free from the shackles of the mortal body and enjoy a long lifespan, living for thousands of years is not difficult. I possess no fewer than several hundred related cultivation techniques."

"Hundreds of kinds?!"

The First Emperor's breathing quickened, his eyes filled with intense longing and anticipation as he stared intently at Ying Shaoyang, waiting for him to continue and for him to bestow upon him the cultivation technique.

However, after saying this, Ying Shaoyang stopped talking and just looked at him quietly.

As time passed, the fervor in the First Emperor's eyes gradually cooled, his expectations turned into disappointment, and finally into a trace of sadness and self-mockery.

He slowly took a step back, a bitter smile on his face.

That's right... How could I have forgotten? The person before me is the current emperor of the Great Qin Dynasty, the one who has replaced me.

How could he so easily bestow the secret of immortality upon himself, a former emperor and now the retired emperor? The fact that he allowed him to move freely in this Chu region without confinement was already considered exceptionally "generous," wasn't it? If he were to gain immortality, wouldn't that pose a potential threat to his throne?

Seeing the change in the First Emperor's expression, Ying Shaoyang understood, but did not point it out, only saying calmly.

"This place is not a place for cultivation. Your Majesty, I have come here to take you to a true place for cultivation."

The First Emperor suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"You...you want to take me to the cultivation grounds? Do you know that if I recover my strength, or even advance further..."

He didn't say what came next, but the meaning was obvious—aren't you afraid that I will threaten your throne?

Ying Shaoyang suddenly smiled, a smile that carried a sense of indifference and absolute confidence, as if looking down upon all living beings.

"Your Majesty is overthinking it. You are perhaps the only person in this world who, in terms of both legal standing and prestige, can pose even the slightest threat to my throne."

But that's all.

His tone was calm, yet it contained an undeniable power.

"As the ruler of the Great Qin world, my strength is beyond the reach of ordinary cultivators. I have countless experts under my command, including the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot, as well as many fierce generals in my army. Furthermore, there are many powerful individuals from other worlds who have surrendered. Even if Your Majesty were to regain your strength, or even advance further, it would be a matter of mere turning my hand to do so."

His gaze was distant as he continued.

"Your Majesty, I have pondered that our Great Qin court should be unique, gathering the best talents in the world. I have even thought that if Your Majesty were to be the Grand Secretary, with your great talent and ambition, and paired with ambitious and equally unwilling to be second to anyone, such as Yang Guang, to form a cabinet, it might spark something extraordinary and help our Great Qin create an unprecedented era."

"Now, Yang Guang is serving as an official in our Great Qin, starting as a county magistrate. If we can resolve the concerns about Your Majesty's lifespan and restore your strength and ambition, then my cabinet plan may be able to be implemented."

These words struck the First Emperor like a thunderbolt! He never imagined that Ying Shaoyang not only didn't fear him, but also had such... such an unbelievable idea! To make him, the retired emperor, the Grand Secretary? And to be paired with someone like Yang Guang?
Ying Shaoyang said no more and went straight to the point.

"Your Majesty, please come with me."

He sensed that outside the palace, the First Emperor's concubines and personal attendants were gathered together, their expressions filled with fear and unease, clearly worried that he might be a threat to the First Emperor. He couldn't help but sigh softly.

"This throne of the Great Qin Dynasty was won by my own hands."

These officials were subdued by my absolute power. The imperial title passed down from the Retired Emperor is no longer of vital importance to me. Yet… there are always those who remain uneasy.

He ignored those distracting thoughts and gestured for the First Emperor to enter.

The First Emperor gave Ying Shaoyang a deep look, his eyes filled with complex emotions, including doubt, shock, and a long-suppressed desire for power and new life.

He didn't ask any more questions and followed Ying Shaoyang.

The two walked out of the main hall. Ying Shaoyang rolled up his sleeves, and an invisible force supported the First Emperor. Then, he transformed into a stream of light, soared into the sky, and disappeared above the Chu King's Palace.

Once they left, the concubines and eunuchs outside the palace, who had been on tenterhooks, finally breathed a sigh of relief, as if they had been completely exhausted.

Meanwhile, several figures with subtle yet powerful auras quietly appeared around the palace, serving both as surveillance and protection.

Ying Shaoyang, carrying the First Emperor, did not use his full strength, but flew at a low speed so that the people below could see clearly over Jiujiang City.

"Look! It's His Majesty!"

"Long live your Majesty!"

"Hail, Your Majesty!"

When the people in the city saw Ying Shaoyang, they were first stunned, then erupted in thunderous cheers, kneeling down and bowing to the sky. The crowd was dense, and excited shouts rose and fell, filled with heartfelt awe and love.

Ying Shaoyang, accompanied by the First Emperor with a complex expression, sped along the road. Wherever they went, the people knelt and worshipped, and the sound of their voices was like a tidal wave.

Before long, the two arrived at a high mountain a hundred miles away from Jiujiang County.

Ying Shaoyang landed, ignoring the slightly strange look from the First Emperor, and walked straight towards a certain spot on the mountaintop.

A few steps later, Ying Shaoyang's figure seemed to merge into the air and suddenly disappeared!
The First Emperor's pupils contracted, and he quickly followed.

When he stepped across the invisible boundary where Ying Shaoyang had disappeared, the scene before him suddenly changed!
Where was that ordinary mountain peak from before? Before them stood a colossal mountain range, even more majestic and imposing, brimming with spiritual energy as if it were tangible! The forests were lush and verdant, ancient trees reached for the sky, and exotic flowers and rare herbs bloomed everywhere. The air was filled with an extremely rich spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Taking a breath made one feel refreshed and as if they had become several years younger!
What shocked the First Emperor even more was that the martial arts internal energy that had been dormant within him for so long suddenly began to circulate uncontrollably, and an intense and irresistible desire to cultivate surged up from the depths of his soul!
This is a crucial cultivation sanctuary that Ying Shaoyang concealed using spatial folding and array formations! At its core lies a celestial artifact possessing the power to gather spiritual energy and manipulate space!
Following closely in Ying Shaoyang's footsteps, the First Emperor ascended to the summit of the main peak of this hidden mountain range in a few steps.

As he stood still, looking down at the scene below where spiritual energy had turned into mist and spiritual plants covered the ground, feeling the omnipresent and so dense that the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was almost liquefied, the domineering aura that he used to have as an emperor instantly disappeared from his face, replaced by an overwhelming surprise and shock.

"Where...where is this place?"

The First Emperor's voice trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly. In his entire life, he had never seen such a treasure land for cultivation!
Ying Shaoyang stood with his hands behind his back and said calmly.

"This is one of the sacred cultivation grounds that I have established for the Great Qin."

From this day forward, it shall be used by the Emperor Emeritus.

He raised his hand and gestured towards the faint, shimmering halos around him, each radiating different elemental fluctuations. “Here, I have placed dozens of celestial artifacts. The spiritual energy they emit is enough to allow Your Majesty to re-establish your martial will within a few years, and even condense your primordial spirit, breaking through the limits of mortal life and stepping into the realm of Earth Immortals.”

He looked at the First Emperor, his gaze deep and unfathomable.

"Once you break through, the matter I mentioned before, that you should serve as the Grand Secretary of the Qin Cabinet, can then be formally put on the agenda."

Just then, several figures appeared like ghosts at the edge of the holy land. They were the Embroidered Uniform Guards and the Eastern Depot's inner guards who had followed and guarded outside the Chu King's Palace.

They were clearly allowed to enter this area isolated by the power of the immortal artifact with Ying Shaoyang's tacit permission.

Upon entering this place, even these well-informed royal guards couldn't help but show surprise, taking a deep breath to feel the extremely pure spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

"What a rich spiritual energy!"

"I never imagined that my Great Qin Dynasty would have such a blessed land!"

"His Majesty actually bestowed this sacred land upon the Emperor Emeritus..."

Shocked, they were also filled with surprise. It seemed that His Majesty was not as wary of the retired emperor as outsiders had speculated, but rather treated him with unexpected kindness.

The First Emperor naturally noticed the arrival of these guards, but his mind was completely absorbed by this sacred place of cultivation, so he paid no attention to them.

He pondered for a moment, then said to Ying Shaoyang.

"In that case, I would like to gather some members of the imperial family here to cultivate together. What do you think, Shaoyang?"

Upon hearing this, Ying Shaoyang frowned almost imperceptibly, but did not answer immediately, clearly indicating that he did not agree with the suggestion.

Upon seeing this, the First Emperor sighed, his tone becoming solemn as he offered his advice.

"Shaoyang, you are now the emperor. You should plan for the sake of the Ying royal family and the eternal foundation of the Qin Dynasty! The royal bloodline may not be apparent in times of peace, but when the dynasty is in peril and the country is on the verge of collapse, those who are truly willing to pay any price and die to save the day are often your blood relatives! Cultivating the power of the royal family is not for the sake of seizing power, but for the sake of consolidating the foundation!"

These words were spoken with great earnestness, carrying the profound understanding of the older generation of emperors regarding the succession of their families and dynasties.

Ying Shaoyang listened quietly, and finally nodded without uttering any further objections.

He understood that because the First Emperor had inherited the throne through legitimate means, he placed great importance on the cohesion and inheritance of the royal bloodline.

As for himself, he obtained the throne more through strength and scheming, so he naturally took a much less seriously the so-called blood ties and family affection.

However, he believed that once the First Emperor truly broke through to the primordial spirit realm and gained a long lifespan and a broader perspective, these ideas might naturally change.

Seeing that Ying Shaoyang acquiesced, the First Emperor's expression softened slightly, and he turned to ask a question.

"Has your appearance opened a new portal to another world?"

"good."

Ying Shaoyang nodded.

"It connects the era of the late Sui and early Tang dynasties."

"Late Sui and early Tang dynasties?"

The First Emperor's eyes lit up immediately. As an emperor well-versed in history, he naturally knew that the era was full of capable ministers and fierce generals.

"Li Jing, Xu Shiji, Qin Shubao, Yuchi Gong... they are all rare talents! How is the situation over there? Do you have any...?"

He instinctively wanted to know more, and even considered getting involved, but he stopped himself from speaking.

He recalled his current identity and situation; let alone opening the world passage, even leaving this Chu region required Ying Shaoyang's approval.

Moreover, the Qin Dynasty is currently fully absorbing the massive population that has migrated from the Song and Sui Dynasties, and it is really not advisable to open up new large-scale battlefields.

Thinking of this, he suppressed the turmoil in his heart and gave his instructions.

"Since it is a chaotic time at the end of the Sui Dynasty, the people must be suffering. You must make proper arrangements for the migration of people so that they can live and work in peace and prosperity in our Great Qin. This is the only long-term solution."

He paused, then added a sentence, with a hint of concern for the political situation.

"Furthermore, Wang Guan is only capable of maintaining the status quo, not of expanding the territory. He is not the talent of a prime minister. The position of Grand Secretary is of great importance, so you will have to put in a lot of effort."

Ying Shaoyang listened to the First Emperor's words and nodded slightly.

"Your Majesty, I understand. You may focus on your cultivation here. I will take care of matters outside the home."

Having said that, Ying Shaoyang did not linger. His figure slowly faded away, eventually disappearing from the First Emperor's sight as if merging into the air.

After leaving the sacred cultivation ground, Ying Shaoyang did not return directly to Xianyang, but instead traveled up the river to inspect various places.

On the wide river, countless large warships bearing the character "Qin" were slowly docking at the wharves built by the counties along the way. On board were countless newly relocated people, their faces filled with trepidation yet also with hidden anticipation.

Having endured the hardships of war and displacement in their homeland, they were naturally filled with trepidation upon arriving in the legendary, peaceful, and prosperous Qin Dynasty.

However, as they disembarked from the boats in an orderly manner under the organization of the Shaofu and local government officials, they were quickly dispersed and resettled in various pre-planned villages, where they were given land, farming tools, and seeds. When they saw that their compatriots who had migrated earlier had already built new houses and started new lives, the anxiety on their faces was gradually replaced by hope.

The entire resettlement process was efficient and orderly, with bustling activity and vibrant life in the counties and districts along the way.

Ying Shaoyang cast his gaze further afield. On the roads of some prefectural cities, long lines could be seen. These were students from all over the country, lining up to go to the prefectural city to take the "Juren" examination.

The Qin Dynasty has been implementing a three-tiered examination system for some time, which means that the legitimacy of the Qin Dynasty and its civil service selection system are deeply rooted in this land, and in the future, a number of locally trained officials will surely emerge.

What caught his attention even more was that many of these students already possessed considerable internal energy fluctuations! This indicated that even before he fully promoted universal cultivation, people in the countryside had already begun to spontaneously practice martial arts, and the martial spirit and cultivation foundation of the Great Qin were even better than he had anticipated.

"Perhaps it could be stipulated that future officials must complete basic internal energy cultivation to strengthen their physique and extend their lifespan."

A thought popped into Ying Shaoyang's mind.

His divine sense swept across the continuous mountainous areas in the south.

There, the master craftsmen of the Imperial Workshop were directing thousands of Taoist priests and fox spirits, planning the roads leading to the mines in various locations. (End of Chapter)