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

"These materials, though not pure enough, cannot be overlooked."

Ying Shaoyang glanced around. When it came to refining materials, he always held the attitude of "better to kill a thousand innocent people than let one guilty person go free." The materials from an entire planet might not even be enough to upgrade the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Array to its ideal state, so any usable resource was extremely precious.

He waved his hands rapidly, casting out a series of profound refining incantations. As the incantations merged, his primordial spirit, along with the relatively coarse materials that had been discarded, was compressed and refined.

Soon, pieces of refining materials, tempered into square shapes and shimmering with different attributes, flew out of the great formation and landed in Ying Shaoyang's hands.

Although these materials cannot compare to the essence absorbed by the core of the grand formation, they are still rare treasures that can be used to enhance the defense of the Qin Imperial Palace, refine other magical treasures and artifacts, or serve as reserves for further strengthening the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Grand Formation in the future.

Having done all this, Ying Shaoyang, controlling the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Formation, which had expanded to over two thousand miles and could not be reduced in the short term, slowly moved through the starry sky. After spending several days, he found another equally desolate planet, devoid of any signs of life.

Without hesitation, he unleashed countless talismans once more, merging them into the grand formation.

hum!
The Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends Formation suddenly accelerated its operation, like a giant millstone, beginning to crush and devour this new planet.

This process not only accumulates new materials for the formation, but also uses the immense pressure of refining stars to further refine the formation itself, eliminating the dross and retaining the essence.

A colossal array slowly descended, filling and maintaining its massive form by absorbing new materials.

Before these new materials are fully refined and fused, even Ying Shaoyang, the master, cannot forcibly shrink them.

As the materials of the second star were continuously consumed and refined, Ying Shaoyang's divine sense swept across the somewhat empty star field around him. After a moment's thought, he steered this behemoth toward another star in the starry sky that seemed to meet the requirements.

……

While Ying Shaoyang was silently "nibbling" at planets and strengthening his magical artifacts in the starry sky, time continued to pass in the human world of Yangshen.

Ever since Ying Shaoyang forcibly demanded the follow-up techniques of the "Martial Arts Manual," and fought Meng Shenji to a standstill at sea, forcing him to retreat from the Nine Fire Dragons, his name once caused a sensation throughout the world, attracting the attention of all forces, who secretly investigated him.

However, as time passed, a month or two went by, and the mysterious powerful figure vanished without a trace, neither appearing to stir up trouble nor making contact with any other forces. Gradually, the world's attention shifted away from this mysterious sea area.

Currently, the imperial examinations of the Great Qian Dynasty have become the most prestigious literary event in Yujing City and even the entire country.

Countless students flocked to the capital, hoping to secure a future through their writing.

On this day, outside the examination hall, the ceremonial guards stood solemnly.

Grand Tutor of the current dynasty, Marquis Wuwen Hong Xuanji, as one of the leaders of the literati, came to inspect the imperial examination.

His face was stern and imposing, and wherever he went, officials and students would hold their breath and bow in respect.

In a fleeting moment, Hong Xuanji's gaze swept over an exam paper with ink still wet. When he saw the name at the top of the paper, his pupils suddenly contracted—Hong Yi!
He was usually busy with court affairs and cultivation, and had almost forgotten about this illegitimate son, leaving him to fend for himself in the mansion.

He could accept that his son was mediocre, or even lived a life of mediocrity, which he saw as perfectly acceptable.

However, when he glanced at the essay on the exam paper, his face instantly turned extremely ugly! The essay was profound in its ideas, full of allusions, and the insight and literary talent revealed between the lines were something that a boy who had never left Yujing City and had no one to teach him could not have written!
"This...this could never have been made by Hong Yi!"

A storm surged through Hong Xuanji's heart, and a terrifying thought emerged.

"What happened to him? Was he possessed by a powerful figure? Or by an evil spirit? Is this person still my son, Hong Xuanji's son?!"

Regardless of the truth, Hong Xuanji made a decision instantly.

This article, bearing the name of "Hong Yi," must not be allowed to be published! It would be a tremendous irony for Hong Xuanji and for the Neo-Confucianism he upheld!

He immediately gave instructions in a deep voice to one of the examiners beside him.

"This young man, Hongyi, is not studious and is easily distracted. He will fail this exam."

He planned to suppress Hong Yi's fame and achievements first, and then slowly investigate the scheming behind it.

However, no sooner had he finished speaking than a furious shout came from the side!

"Grand Tutor Hong! How dare you!"

The chief examiner, Li Shenguang, a renowned scholar known for his integrity and uprightness, suddenly slammed his hand on the table, stood up abruptly, and glared angrily at Hong Xuanji with his hair and beard standing on end.

"The imperial examination system has its own rules and regulations! Evaluating the examination papers is the responsibility of me, the chief examiner! Although you are the Grand Tutor, you have no right to overstep your bounds and decide the fate of the candidates on your own!"

"I have read Hong Yi's article; every word is a gem, a masterpiece of exquisite prose! If you dare to bend the law for personal gain and unjustly dismiss a talented person, I will today strike the Jingyang Bell and lodge a complaint with the Emperor, demanding a clear explanation before him!"

Li Shenguang's reaction was so intense that it completely surprised Hong Xuanji.

Looking at the enraged Li Shenguang, his doubts deepened.

"Why is Li Shenguang making such a fuss over a nobody like Hong Yi? He even went so far as to threaten to strike the Jingyang Bell. Could it be that the Confucianists, seeing the growing influence of my Neo-Confucianism, have deliberately sought out this 'Hong Yi' to use his writings to suppress me?"

Hong Xuanji's eyes were icy as he stared at Li Shenguang without yielding an inch, instantly creating a tense atmosphere outside the examination hall. A storm brewing over Hong Yi's examination paper was quietly beginning.

Meanwhile, Ying Shaoyang, far beyond the stars, was completely unaware of this.

His gaze was focused on the lonely planet floating in the dark void before him.

The surface of this planet is cratered and covered with traces of meteorite impacts. It has no atmosphere, no water, and no signs of life. It is a truly barren land, desolate and lifeless.

"This is it."

Ying Shaoyang raised his hand, and the dark silver star bead flew out again, hovering above the desolate star. The bead spun rapidly, and hundreds of thousands of stable starlight within it lit up simultaneously, emitting a hazy yet powerful starlight, like a giant light shield that slowly enveloped the entire planet.

Then, a strange scene unfolded. Under the pull of the starlight, the stellar power that constituted the origin of this star, the magnetic force of the earth's veins, and even certain special material essences that constituted the star itself, began to be extracted thread by thread, like hundreds of rivers flowing into the sea, continuously merging into the sphere!

The patterns on the surface of the bead became clearer and brighter, and inside it seemed as if a miniature galaxy was evolving and growing.

The desolate star below, however, lost its luster at a visible speed, becoming increasingly dark and lifeless, as if its last soul had been ripped away.

When the last bit of valuable stellar essence was drained away, the entire planet dimmed completely, turning into a huge, lifeless cosmic rock.

Ying Shaoyang remained expressionless, but his mind raced once more.

hum!
An unimaginably massive array suddenly flew out from between his eyebrows and into his sea of ​​consciousness! It was the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Array, which had expanded to a radius of more than two thousand miles!
The array rotated, and chaotic starlight shone, like a ferocious beast with its jaws wide open, enveloping and devouring this already "dead" but still enormous star, along with the surrounding space, and bringing it into the array space for further decomposition and refinement.

This is already the sixth star he has absorbed and refined in the starry sky of the Yangshen World!

Ying Shaoyang skillfully cast countless refining incantations, integrating them into the core of the great formation.

The great array roared as it operated, like a giant, highly efficient furnace, repeatedly refining and purifying the fragments of stars.

Large quantities of materials, refined tenfold or even dozens of times and shimmering with various colored lights, flew out of the great formation like flowing water and fell into Ying Shaoyang's hands. He then directly sent them into the mysterious space connected to the stone gate in his body for storage.

Feeling the mountain of rare materials piled up within the stone gate space, Ying Shaoyang estimated that the sheer volume would require scouring the entire Qin Dynasty world to barely gather enough. Thinking this, he quickened his pace.

Each spell cast drew upon the free-floating energy of heaven and earth in the surrounding void, converging towards the great formation like a vortex, thus aiding in the refining process.

The vast amount of useless star impurities are turned into ashes and vanished into the void during the refining process, leaving only the most essential part.

This tangible, visible gain, along with the experience of the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Array and the Starry Sky Orb gradually growing stronger, made Ying Shaoyang slightly fascinated by this "predatory" growth.

But he did not lose his mind.

He set clear goals for himself.

"Once you've refined the materials for this sixth star, stop immediately!"

Continuously casting high-level refining techniques is incredibly energy-consuming. Although most of the energy is supported by the energy of the void and the array itself, his own primordial spirit power is also constantly being output. Looking inward, his primordial spirit, which was originally over a thousand meters tall and like a god, has now shrunk to less than a hundred meters in height! The price he paid to refine these star materials was considerable.

"However, compared to the gains, this expenditure is worthwhile!"

Ying Shaoyang's eyes were firm.

But he also knew that he must not exhaust himself to the point of desperation.

Before entering the Yangshen World, he had already made a meticulous plan.

His original plan included "changing the fate of the protagonist Hong Yi to test whether he could obtain the fortune of this world." Although he wasn't very confident that Hong Yi could make the "correct" choice, he left two opportunities in Xishan, giving the other party a chance, and then temporarily put the matter aside.

“Then Hongyi was contemplating the Buddha statue left behind by the first abbot of the Great Zen Temple, ‘Zen’.”

This person possesses extraordinary strength, almost transcending this realm. The contingency plans he left behind are not easily countered. Moreover, Hong Yi constantly proclaims his intention to avenge his mother, having cultivated to a high level and clearly possessing the ability to reverse time and resurrect others, yet he has consistently neglected his mother, Meng Bingyun… This boy is likely no longer the simple Hong Yi; there are significant problems within him.”

Ying Shaoyang shook his head, putting aside his thoughts about Hong Yi.

He reflected on what he had gained from this trip to the stars.

The Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends Formation has been integrated with the true origin of the stars, greatly increasing its power; the refined materials stored in the Stone Gate space have even exceeded the plan.

"Next, according to the plan, it's time to prepare for the tribulation."

Ying Shaoyang cast his gaze into the deep void, as if he could see the layers of lightning hidden in the unknown. "Let the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Array and I myself undergo the tribulation of lightning in this world, accumulate experience, temper our foundation, and purify our primordial spirit and spiritual power! Therefore, we must not exhaust our primordial spirit and spiritual power; we must maintain a sufficient level."

Besides that, he had another goal he was determined to achieve—the Wanlong Ancient Tomb!
There, you'll find not only the Primordial Thunder Pool used by dragons to temper their bodies, but also dragon palaces crafted from the red copper of Shou Mountain that rival magical treasures, dragon tooth rice that nourishes blood and improves physique, and thousands of ancient dragon corpses! It's practically a moving treasure trove containing endless wealth and power!

In order to find and enter the Wanlong Ancient Tomb, Ying Shaoyang set his sights on the dragon girl Ao Luan, who knew its exact location.

He controlled the shrunken Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends Formation, his figure traversing the void, and soon found Ao Luan, who was cultivating in seclusion in a certain mountain forest, based on his aura.

Without any warning, Ying Shaoyang appeared before Ao Luan like a ghost. An incomparably powerful aura instantly spread out, like an invisible mountain, firmly suppressing the surrounding space and even forcibly sealing off the flow of energy in heaven and earth!

Ao Luan's expression changed drastically. Before she could react, Ying Shaoyang's powerful divine sense swept over her thoughts like a sharp sword!
"Got you!"

Ying Shaoyang accurately captured Ao Luan's main thought about the location of the Wanlong Ancient Tomb, and instantly obtained the information he needed, just like flipping through a book.

Having achieved his goal, Ying Shaoyang didn't even glance at the dragon girl, who was immobilized and pale under the pressure of his aura. With a casual wave of his hand, a gentle yet irresistible force sent Ao Luan dozens of feet away, where she landed lightly on the grass. He didn't hurt her; he merely temporarily imprisoned her.

Having obtained the exact location, Ying Shaoyang turned to leave and head towards the Wanlong Ancient Tomb.

However, at that moment, an arrogant and domineering voice suddenly rang out from afar.

"Hahaha! It's like finding a needle in a haystack! Miss Ao Luan, what are you doing here? Have you run into some trouble? Don't worry, I'm here!"

Before the words were finished, a streak of light flashed, and another person appeared in the arena. This person was dressed in a magnificent marquis's robe, wearing a purple-gold crown, with a heroic face, and an air of arrogance and lewdness between his brows. He was none other than the Marquis of Champion of the Great Qian Dynasty!
Behind him, there was a faint aura, as if there were more than a dozen magical artifacts of different natures floating and sinking, and a cold and noble divine aura, yet with a hint of obedience, attached to him.

The Marquis of Champions immediately spotted the charming Dragon Girl Ao Luan, who was imprisoned on the grass. His eyes lit up with surprise and greed, completely ignoring Ying Shaoyang standing to the side.

He was full of ideas about staging a heroic rescue and winning the beauty's heart. (End of Chapter)