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

To his even greater surprise, as his primordial spirit and physical body rapidly improved, his connection with heaven and earth became even stronger. The surrounding spiritual energy of heaven and earth seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, spontaneously and continuously flowing into his body, replenishing his energy and propelling his cultivation.

Without hesitation, Ying Shaoyang immediately devoted all his attention to cultivation.

In this state of being blessed by heaven and earth and infused with spiritual energy, the effect of his cultivation at every moment is comparable to a whole day of full-force cultivation in the past!

Such an opportunity is truly heaven-defying; how could he possibly waste a single moment of it?

After an unknown amount of time, the rich, colorful auspicious clouds around them finally dissipated slowly, and the golden flowers in the sky gradually thinned out and eventually disappeared.

The celestial music that cleansed the soul quietly faded away, and peace returned to the world.

Ying Shaoyang slowly opened his eyes, his gaze seemingly filled with countless tiny lightning bolts, reflecting the birth and annihilation of the world.

With a slight thought, without even needing to perform any hand seals, a tiny bolt of lightning, imbued with pure destructive intent, appeared out of thin air in the void before him!
"Thunder arises from the void..."

A satisfied smile appeared on Ying Shaoyang's lips.

This is the signature divine power that appears when one cultivates thunder magic to an extremely high level, almost to the point of controlling a portion of the power of heaven and earth.

"His Majesty!"

"Your Majesty, are you alright?!"

Just then, a series of calls, mixed with surprise, worry, and sobs, rang out beside him.

Ying Shaoyang turned his head and saw a group of imperial concubines, led by Lü Zhi and Yao Yue, standing not far away. Their beautiful faces were filled with lingering fear and concern.

Some of the more delicate-natured, like Jingrou and Zhaoshan, had tears welling up in their beautiful eyes, on the verge of crying, but they stubbornly held them back.

They all stared at him timidly, as if afraid that the figure before them was just a dream.

Ying Shaoyang felt a warmth in his heart, knowing that they were worried about his safety and had rushed to this place of tribulation despite the danger.

He laughed heartily, his voice calm yet carrying a comforting power.

"I am unharmed. The tribulation has passed. You may all rise."

Hearing his confirmation, the imperial concubines were finally relieved and stood up, but their eyes remained fixed on him, unwilling to look away even for a moment.

Behind the imperial concubines were the fox clan elders who had rushed over, the abbots of various Taoist temples, as well as the cabinet ministers Wang Guan, Li Si, and Zhang Juzheng, the military ministers Wang Jian and Yang Duanhe, the chief of the imperial household Liu Bang, and other important officials of the Qin Dynasty.

Further away, a dark mass of Imperial Guards and Eastern Depot guards stood solemnly, their sharp eyes scanning their surroundings warily. Even though the calamity had passed, they maintained the highest level of vigilance.

With so many key figures of the court, concubines, and elite troops gathered in this northwestern desert, in other dynasties, the emperor's distance from the central government would almost certainly lead to chaos throughout the land.

But in the Qin Dynasty, with Ying Shaoyang as the pillar of stability and the all-pervasive surveillance of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot, no one dared to make the slightest move.

Ying Shaoyang's gaze swept over the crowd, taking in their worries and loyalty, and he spoke slowly.

"The tribulation I am undergoing this time is no ordinary one. It is the 'first tribulation' since the creation of our Great Qin world, and therefore its power far exceeds the records of ordinary heavenly tribulations. You need not worry too much. If others undergo tribulations in the future, they will return to normal levels."

He offered a brief explanation, calming everyone down. After all, if every tribulation were as terrifying as his, perhaps no one in the Great Qin would dare to attempt a breakthrough in the future.

Feeling the surging power within him and a closer connection with the world, Ying Shaoyang spoke again.

"Having survived this calamity, our Great Qin world has benefited greatly, saving us at least several decades of natural development."

He was underestimating the situation. If we consider the evolutionary speed of the ordinary world, the perfection of laws and energy feedback brought about by this tribulation would be equivalent to tens of thousands of years of accumulation.

He turned his gaze to the imperial concubines beside him, whose eyes still held a hint of worry, and a relaxed smile appeared on his face as he spoke.

"You high-ranking officials shall handle the affairs of the court according to the law for the time being. I wish to take this opportunity to travel with my beloved concubines across the land of my Great Qin and to observe the people's conditions."

Having said that, without waiting for the ministers' response, he lightly waved his sleeve, and he and more than a dozen imperial concubines, including Lü Zhi, Yao Yue, Qu Ruo, Jing Rou, and Zhao Shan, vanished from the spot as if they had merged into a gentle breeze.

As His Majesty departed, the people present reacted in various ways.

The thousands of Taoist priests who had come from all over the land faced the spot where Ying Shaoyang had just stood, their expressions solemn. They bowed in unison, performing a deeply respectful Taoist salute, silently chanting Taoist incantations. Then, wisps of smoke flashed by, and the figures of these Taoist priests vanished like ghosts, returning to their respective places of seclusion for cultivation.

Meanwhile, the Jinyiwei and Dongchang inner guards, who were like shadows, retreated like the tide under the silent gestures of Chu Yi and other leaders, disappearing into the surrounding sand dunes and void in an instant, as if they had never appeared.

Several key ministers from the cabinet and the military, including Wang Guan, Li Si, Zhang Juzheng, Wang Jian, Yang Duanhe, and Liu Bang, exchanged glances, all seeing a hint of solemnity and urgency in each other's eyes.

Wang Guan stroked his beard and said in a deep voice.

"Your Majesty's travels are a major national event."

However, a country cannot be without a leader for even a day. We must immediately return to the Qin capital and take charge of the central government to prevent unscrupulous individuals from taking advantage of the situation to cause trouble.

Li Si replied.

"What Grand Secretary Wang says is absolutely right. In particular, we must restrain the sons of all families. In this critical period, they must not do anything wrong and offend the Emperor!"

His words were pointed, and all the ministers understood the implication.

Although His Majesty is not in court, the eyes of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern Depot are everywhere. If any member of our family causes trouble during this time and His Majesty happens to witness it while traveling, the consequences would be unimaginable!

"go!"

"reply ASAP!"

Several high-ranking and powerful senior officials, their usual composure gone, turned without hesitation and each employed their own methods—some using martial arts techniques, others relying on simple magical artifacts—transforming into streaks of light and rushing towards Xianyang, the Qin capital, at top speed. They needed to return as soon as possible to personally oversee the situation and sternly warn their clan members to keep a low profile during this time.

Meanwhile, the fox demons who did not leave immediately turned their attention to the core area where Ying Shaoyang was undergoing his tribulation.

The once barren yellow sand had now become crystal clear, as smooth as a mirror, with faint traces of lingering thunderous energy flowing and flickering within it.

The most senior fox demon elder squatted down and carefully touched the glassy ground, feeling the pure yang thunderous aura contained within it, a trace of regret flashing in his eyes.

"If this were in our original world, it would be an excellent material for crafting magical artifacts to suppress ghosts and exorcise evil spirits. Ordinary ghosts and demons would crumble upon contact with it, making it a divine object."

It tried to circulate its demonic power to take a small piece, but found that although the glassy ground contained a powerful aura of thunder, its texture was extremely brittle. It would shatter into powder with the slightest force, making it impossible to refine into a magic weapon.

"Alas, what a pity... We have a treasure trove, but we can't make use of it."

The fox demon elder sighed and shook his head.

Such a miraculous material, however, was damaged by the terrifying power of lightning, losing its qualification as a main material for refining weapons.

The fox demons also showed regret, glanced once more at this place of tribulation that had completely changed the landscape, and then transformed into figures that were either charming or agile, and quietly disappeared.

Just as Ying Shaoyang successfully transcended his tribulation, showering the entire Qin world with dazzling blessings, earth-shattering changes were taking place in every corner of the empire.

The spiritual energy contained in the Heavenly Flower, which contained the sum of the inner strength of a top master throughout his life, might just be icing on the cake for Ying Shaoyang, but for the millions of people and ordinary martial artists of the Great Qin, it was nothing less than a miraculous medicine that could transform them!
Countless farmers, craftsmen, patrolling soldiers, and even children studying in schools, once a smallpox flower enters their bodies, their originally ordinary bodies are instantly filled with and transformed by a powerful spiritual energy!
Those with ordinary talent can directly break through a minor realm and reach the peak of their potential; while some people who already have some martial arts foundation or are extremely lucky can take this opportunity to break through the barriers of the mortal world and step into the coveted first level of life!
In a short period of time, tens of millions of people with unparalleled internal strength appeared out of thin air within the Qin Empire! The overall strength of the entire empire experienced an unimaginable leap!
In a densely populated town in southern China, a long queue formed outside the conscription office.

The county constable in charge of conscription looked at the middle-aged man in front of him, who was full of excitement and eager to try, and couldn't help but smile bitterly.

“This… brave man,” the county magistrate said, carefully choosing his words.

"According to the military system of our Great Qin, those who are sixteen years of age or older and under twenty-five years of age, and who are in good health, may voluntarily enlist. If they are over twenty-five years of age... they must pass an assessment, challenge an active-duty county soldier and defeat him before they can be specially recruited into the army."

He sized up the man in front of him. He looked to be at least forty years old. Although he was breathing heavily and his eyes were bright, he had just obtained a great opportunity and his internal strength had surged to the peak. But at this age... should he be sent to the front lines to fight the enemy after entering the army, or should he be given a sinecure to retire?
The middle-aged man, however, paid no heed to the county magistrate's tactful words and rubbed his hands excitedly.

"Don't worry, sir! I know the rules! A challenge, huh? No problem! I may be a bit old, but with my current physique and internal strength, beating a mere county soldier is a piece of cake! If I win, I'll naturally enlist honorably!"

He became more and more excited as he spoke, and his voice unconsciously grew louder.

"To tell you the truth, sir, back in my old town, I was just a traveling performer with rudimentary skills, barely making a living. Who would have thought that thanks to His Majesty, such a huge windfall would fall from the sky!"

I feel incredibly energetic right now; I could kill a bull with one punch! With this strength, why wouldn't I serve His Majesty in the army? Should I keep it to bully the common people?

He paused, lowered his voice, and chuckled mischievously.

"If I didn't know that there are plenty of top-notch experts like me in the Imperial Guards of our Great Qin, I would really like to form a gang in our county and have a taste of being a local tyrant! Hahaha!"

Upon hearing this, the county constable's lips twitched. Looking at the "new" top expert before him, who was somewhat carried away by his sudden gain of power, he felt both amused and感慨 (a mix of emotions, including amusement and reflection). His Majesty's calamity had created so many "lucky ones," and also brought new challenges to local governance.

It is foreseeable that similar incidents will occur frequently in various places in the near future.

How to guide and settle these people who have suddenly gained great power and bring them into the empire's right track will become one of the urgent problems that the court needs to solve.

And the source of all this, His Majesty the Emperor of Qin, who triggered the upheaval of heaven and earth and bestowed opportunities upon millions of people, is now traveling with his beloved, leisurely overlooking the vast and vibrant land under his rule that is rapidly transforming.

Ying Shaoyang and his group did not reveal their whereabouts. They simply strolled into the small town in Jiangnan like ordinary wealthy people, chose the most elegant restaurant, and sat down by the window on the top floor.

With their cultivation level, even without deliberately investigating, they could clearly see every rustle of grass and whisper of people within a radius of several miles, just like reading the lines on their palms.

Lü Zhi's gaze swept across the window and happened to see the county magistrate at the conscription office dismissing the middle-aged man, only to welcome other applicants.

She frowned slightly, turned to Ying Shaoyang, and spoke with a hint of coldness and helplessness in her voice.

"Your Majesty, such situations are probably common everywhere. When suddenly given power, it is easy for one's mind to become unsettled, and one may seek advancement."

However, the army has its own rules, and older soldiers, lacking the physical strength and reflexes of younger men, are difficult to control. This matter... is almost unsolvable.

Ying Shaoyang nodded slightly, tacitly agreeing with Lü Zhi's judgment.

His mind raced, and he instantly grasped the crux of the matter. Restricting the age of enlistment in the military? This method seemed simple, but in reality, it would have endless consequences.

Nowadays, once a citizen of Qin breaks through to the first level of life, even the worst breakthrough grants them a lifespan of several hundred years. At this level, a hundred years old is indeed no different from youth. If a fixed age is used as a dividing line, it would be tantamount to stifling the path of many late bloomers to serve their country.

So, should the decision-making power be completely delegated to the local county constables, who can then make their own judgments? Ying Shaoyang shook his head inwardly.

Although he was diligent and hardworking, he was never blindly optimistic, deeply aware of the complexities of human nature. If this were truly the case, it would inevitably breed numerous shady dealings, bribery, favoritism, and interference from local powers…

He didn't have high expectations for the moral standards of most of his officials. Clear water has no fish, but murky water will erode the foundation of the empire.

Seeing that Ying Shaoyang remained silent in thought, Lü Zhi offered her explanation from a more macro perspective.

"Your Majesty, although this calamity has brought some disturbances, the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. It has added tens of millions of people with the inner strength of top-level masters to our Great Qin, which is an unprecedentedly solid foundation. Given time and with some guidance and training, the military and national strength of our Great Qin will surely usher in an unprecedented leap forward."

Ying Shaoyang naturally understood this principle; the leap in the overall strength of the empire was real.

But as an emperor, he needed to consider not only macro-level data, but also the potential hidden dangers in every specific aspect behind that data.

He sighed.

"How could I not know the advantages and disadvantages? But seeing this situation, I feel that we need to find a way to guide the flow, rather than simply blocking it."

Along his journey, his divine sense had encompassed far more than just this small town. Similar scenes unfolded in various places. Not only were there men in their forties or fifties like that middle-aged man, but there were even elderly men in their seventies or eighties with white hair and beards, who, through fortuitous breakthroughs, eagerly wanted to join the army and serve their country. (End of Chapter)