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

Moreover, it was extremely large in scale, with the foundation alone covering an area of ​​nearly a hundred feet in diameter! Hundreds of nascent soul spiritual energies of different colors, but all pure and abundant, flowed like rivers into the sea, frantically pouring into the still not fully solidified metal palace frame, adding various basic restrictions such as stability, spirit gathering, evil warding off, and mind purification to it.

More and more liquid metal was continuously added, increasing its thickness and strength. Judging from this, it seemed that the entire palace was to be forged into a huge, multi-functional composite magical artifact in one go!
These Tianxing Sect cultivators, from landing to starting construction, had already demonstrated astonishing efficiency and comprehensive professional skills in less than half an hour.

They seem to possess an innate ability to "give me a piece of land, and I can build a sect." From surveying and setting up formations, drawing energy and transforming veins, cultivating fields and planting herbs, to crafting tools and building dwellings, they cover almost all the basic aspects required for the maintenance and expansion of cultivation civilization.

Ying Xuan watched coldly, and for the first time, he felt a genuine sense of recognition for these cultivators from the "mortal world".

They possess spiritual roots, enabling them to kill "harmlessly" and bring back information about the laws of nature—this is certainly important. However, their truly irreplaceable value may lie in their deeply ingrained ability to modify and construct their cultivation environment!

This is an "instinct" honed by countless generations of cultivators in an environment of limited resources and fierce competition, for the sake of survival and development! It is a "practical skill" that is difficult to fully record in those cold books, but flows in the blood of civilization!
With them, the Great Qin world essentially gained an all-powerful "cultivation infrastructure corps"! Not only can they fight, but they can also quickly transform occupied or newly discovered areas, even those with harsh environments, into bases suitable for cultivation, production, and stationing! This is far more significant than simply bringing back a few cultivation manuals or magical treasures!
He brought back almost the complete system of knowledge in weapon crafting, alchemy, spiritual plants, talisman making, and formations, as well as "people" who were proficient in this knowledge and had extremely strong adaptability and construction capabilities... Ying Xuan felt that his cross-border "purchasing" trip had been incredibly profitable, and he couldn't help but feel very happy.

Upon hearing the Nascent Soul cultivator request permission to choose a location for the main hall, Ying Xuan's gaze swept around the surroundings.

Although this wasteland has been initially cleared, the earth's veins are chaotic and residual malevolent energy remains, making it an unsuitable location for building a temple.

He raised his hand and pointed to the edge of the wasteland, to the continuous mountain range whose desolate outline had been revealed after the bloodstains faded.

"The Sect Leader's Hall should stand atop the highest peak, overlooking the eight wastelands and gathering the earth's veins."

Ying Xuan said calmly.

"I will obey the sect leader's decree!"

The late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator perked up and immediately responded loudly, turning to shout to his fellow disciples who were working together to forge the metal palace in the distance.

"The sect leader has given an order! The main hall is located atop the main peak of the Eastern Mountains! Quickly, adjust your orientation and prepare to move the hall!"

"Order!"

A loud response came from afar.

The hundreds of Nascent Soul cultivators shouted in unison, manipulating the nascent metal palace, which was already taking shape and radiating a faint, precious light and intense heat, to slowly turn and move towards the mountain range indicated by Ying Xuan. Although the movement was slow, it was stable.

Meanwhile, hundreds of other Nascent Soul cultivators flew towards that mountain range.

They hovered around the main peak, exchanged glances and nodded to each other, and then simultaneously made hand seals, driving streams of pure and powerful spiritual energy into the core of the mountain's veins like nails!

"Rumble rumble rumble..."

A deep and powerful rumble echoed from the earth! Driven by the spiritual power of hundreds of Nascent Soul cultivators and guided by the earth's veins, the mountain chosen as the main peak began to slowly "grow" upwards! The mountain was rising higher, the base was widening, and more rocks were "squeezed" out from underground, making the peak even steeper and more majestic!
Ying Xuan could clearly sense that the relatively smooth earth vein energy in the surrounding wasteland was being drawn towards the "growing" mountain range, slowly flowing and converging, as if laying a more solid foundation for this future "Master Peak".

"These techniques... seem rudimentary, but when combined, they have the effect of 'enlightening the earth's veins and gathering power from mountains.' They are not some profound secret arts, but are probably common methods passed down orally by cultivators in their world when they renovate their mountain gates."

Ying Xuan thought to himself, even more grateful that he had brought back these "living examples." If he had only brought the classics, he probably wouldn't have thought of these "little tricks" that permeated daily practice, or he would have needed to spend a lot of time experimenting and summarizing them.

Meanwhile, the Golden Core cultivators were not idle either.

Their cultivation was insufficient to participate in "major projects" such as uprooting mountains or refining palaces, so they dispersed and flew to various parts of the wasteland or distant, unaffected mountains. They used transport spells to gather large amounts of soil and rocks and integrate them into the growing mountain range, which not only accelerated the "mountain-building" process but also dealt with some of the waste accumulated on the wasteland.

Just as the Tianxing Sect cultivators were enthusiastically transforming the environment and building their base, the cleanup work on the wasteland was nearing completion.

Although the Qin soldiers were filled with murderous intent and their eyes were filled with rage, their execution was still astonishing. Within a limited time, they stripped almost all the "valuable" parts from the goblin corpses in their field of vision and piled them behind the Great Wall, forming several new small mountains that reeked of blood and metal.

However, just as the last batch of soldiers began their orderly retreat back to the Great Wall—

"Om..."

Those ley lines once again emitted familiar energy fluctuations!
A ghostly light flickered, accompanied by low, chaotic roars, as new goblins tentatively emerged from the passage! This time, their numbers were small, seemingly a reconnaissance advance team.

As soon as they appeared, they saw the retreating Qin soldiers, the bustling "construction site" in the distance, and the large number of "two-legged creatures" hovering in the air. After a brief moment of confusion, their bloodthirsty instincts made them roar and brandish their weapons as they charged toward their nearest target—the tail of the retreating soldiers!
"Enemy attack! Form ranks! Rear guard to front guard, hold them off!"

The officer in charge of covering the rear roared, his bloodshot eyes flashing with a desperate glint, and he was about to lead his men to turn and fight.

"All troops retreat immediately! Do not engage in battle! Anyone who disobeys will be executed!!"

Wang Jian's roar, like a thunderclap, rang out just in time, drowning out the officer's shout.

The officer shuddered, watching the approaching green tide, then glanced back at his comrades who had mostly retreated to the Great Wall and were looking at them with complicated expressions, as well as the mountain-like figure on the wall. Finally, he stomped his foot and roared.

"Retreat! Retreat quickly! Back to the Great Wall!"

The soldiers covering the rear suppressed their urge to turn and fight, and led by their officers, they sprinted towards the breach in the Great Wall at an even faster pace. The few cultivators bringing up the rear threw out talismans, which transformed into walls of fire and ice, slightly slowing the goblins' progress and buying time for their comrades.

Finally, after all the soldiers had retreated to the Great Wall and the heavy gates crashed down, the goblins that had rushed out rushed to the foot of the wall, futilely scratching at the hard, cold surface and letting out unwilling roars.

On the city wall, Wang Jian strode up to Ying Xuan, knelt on one knee, clasped his hands and bowed his head, his voice trembling with suppressed guilt.

"Your Majesty! This humble general...this humble general is incompetent! He actually ordered the army to retreat without a fight in front of the enemy...This is an unprecedented disgrace since the founding of our Great Qin! This humble general...is willing to accept military punishment!"

His head was bowed low, and his shoulders shrugged slightly.

For a commander known for his bravery and ruthlessness, issuing an order to "retreat without a fight" was more painful than death for him.

Especially in front of His Majesty, and in front of nearly ten million Qin soldiers. But he did not regret it.

He raised his head, his bloodshot eyes were clear, yet he was unusually lucid, staring directly at Ying Xuan.

"Your Majesty, without these... Celestial Masters you brought, I would rather die on this Great Wall than retreat even a single step! Those monsters are ferocious and tyrannical. If they were to break through the Great Wall and flood into the heart of my Great Qin, the consequences would be unimaginable! I would rather bear the infamy of cowardice than let a single monster pass through!"

He paused, his voice becoming even hoarse, filled with lingering fear and heartache.

"But...but the immortal masters have been assisting in the battle for over a year, slaying countless monsters! Many young men...many young men have already lost their minds from killing, their bloodlust seeping into their bones!"

"If I don't rest and recuperate soon, I fear... I fear that these nearly ten million soldiers, even without monsters attacking, will be crippled first! Your Majesty, I... I truly dare not gamble with the lives and minds of my men any longer!"

By the end, this veteran, known for his tough and resilient nature, was choked with emotion.

The deputy commanders behind him also had bloodshot eyes, their fists clenched so tightly that their nails dug into their palms without them realizing it.

Ying Xuan looked at the old general kneeling before him, at the same menacing aura emanating from him, and at the deep pain and struggle in his eyes, and remained silent for a moment.

"You did the right thing."

Ying Xuan spoke slowly, his voice calm yet carrying a powerful, unshakeable strength.

"This is not cowardice, but rather a lack of understanding and appreciation for the army. The soldiers need rest, and Great Qin also needs time to digest its gains and adjust its strategies."

His gaze swept over the soldiers on the city wall who, though they had retreated, were still staring intently at the goblins outside the city, their bodies tense, their eyes a mixture of madness and struggle. Then he looked at the Tianxing Sect cultivators in the distance who had begun to automatically greet the newly emerging goblins, their magical lights shining brightly once again.

"Next, leave the task of cleaning up these small fry to them. Your task is to rest, digest the spoils, and... find a way to solve your own problems."

Ying Xuan's gaze returned to Wang Jian.

"Take your men and go down. Make good arrangements, and report back immediately if anything unusual happens."

Wang Jian shuddered, abruptly looked up at Ying Xuan, his eyes flashing with disbelief, which then transformed into deeper gratitude and determination. He kowtowed heavily.

"This humble general...accepts the decree! Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty!"

He stood up, took a deep breath, and straightened his back. Although he was exhausted and exuded a fierce aura, his eyes had regained their sharpness.

He knew that His Majesty had not blamed him, but rather understood and supported his decision. Now, the burden on his shoulders was even heavier—how to restore this iron army, which was on the verge of collapse.

Wang Jian turned around and strode towards the inner side of the city wall, his hoarse but powerful voice ringing out once more.

"Order! The entire army shall retreat to the main camp according to its established structure! All military medical officers and accompanying alchemists shall stand by! Each battalion commander shall compile a list of casualties and... those with mental abnormalities, and report it to me immediately!"

On the city walls, the sounds of clashing armor and heavy footsteps echoed once more, carrying a weariness akin to surviving a catastrophe and a lingering, bloodthirsty aura, before slowly receding. Outside the city, however, the dazzling light of magical magic and the piercing screams of goblins once again became the dominant melody of the wasteland.

Just as the Tianxing Sect cultivators were enthusiastically transforming the environment and building bases, and the Qin soldiers, exhausted and covered in murderous intent, retreated to the rear to rest, a group of people, dressed in ancient attire and exuding an aura different from both the Qin soldiers and the Tianxing Sect cultivators, cautiously gathered on the other side of the Great Wall.

They were the same group of Taoists that Ying Xuan had brought back from the Song Dynasty world. There were only about a hundred of them, and the highest level of cultivation among them was only equivalent to the Foundation Establishment stage in this world.

They remained in the rear, responsible for some auxiliary tasks, such as refining low-level pills, drawing simple talismans, or explaining some basic methods of nourishing the spirit to the few low-ranking officers among the Qin soldiers who had cultivated their primordial spirit.

At this moment, the Taoists' faces were filled with barely suppressed excitement and longing, their eyes fixed on the Tianxing Sect cultivators in the distant wasteland who were slaughtering goblins like cutting melons and vegetables, and rapidly transforming the environment like diligent worker ants.

"Too...too powerful! What those seniors used were true immortal magic!"

"Did you see that? They killed so many monsters, yet their aura didn't weaken; instead, it became even purer and stronger! This... this is simply divine skill!"

"I've heard that these people are disciples of the 'Celestial Star Sect' that His Majesty brought back from another world! His Majesty must value them highly to have entrusted them with such an important task!"

Whispers circulated among the Taoist priests, their eyes practically overflowing with envy.

They considered themselves to have followed Ying Xuan for a long time and had risked their lives for the Qin Dynasty. Now that they saw His Majesty bring back such a powerful and highly valued "newcomer," they couldn't help but feel unbalanced and had a strong urge to join him.

Finally, led by a highly respected old Taoist priest, the group of Taoists mustered their courage, passed through the busy soldiers and the mountains of spoils, and arrived at the foot of the city wall where Ying Xuan was located, where they all bowed in respect.

"Your Majesty! I am Qingxu, a humble Taoist priest, and I have brought fellow Taoists from the Song Dynasty with me. I humbly beg Your Majesty for your mercy!"

The old Taoist priest Qingxu spoke loudly, his voice filled with excitement and earnestness.

"Although our cultivation is lowly, we follow His Majesty's heart with unwavering loyalty, as Heaven and Earth can attest! Today, we have witnessed the extraordinary abilities and profound skills of the seniors of the Heavenly Star Sect, which truly represent the pinnacle of our cultivation!"
We...we shamelessly beg Your Majesty to allow us to join the Heavenly Star Sect! Even if we are only outer disciples, doing menial tasks, as long as we can hear the Great Dao, learn the true methods, and serve our Great Qin and Your Majesty with utmost loyalty, we would have no regrets even if we died!

Behind him, more than a hundred Taoist priests bowed in unison and echoed his sentiments loudly.

"We beg Your Majesty for mercy! We are willing to serve you to the death!"

Their voices were quite loud, immediately attracting the attention of some Tianxing Sect cultivators nearby.

Especially those Nascent Soul cultivators, with their keen senses, detected the Taoists almost as soon as they approached.

Several Nascent Soul cultivators nearby unceremoniously swept their divine senses over the group of Taoists, their faces immediately revealing undisguised astonishment, followed by deep disdain and… a hint of amusement. (End of Chapter)