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

What's even more peculiar is that, as the slaughter continued, the originally dazzling golden armor and weapons of these Dragon Guards seemed to slowly dim and lose their luster, but the overall appearance was more ancient, heavy, and as if they had been tempered by time, and their power increased rather than decreased.

Wang Jian, standing under the central command flag, saw the monsters fleeing in complete disarray. His eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he waved the command flag in his hand without hesitation!

"New troops, advance! Pursue!"

Upon receiving the order, millions of county soldiers, garrison troops, and new troops, who had been eagerly anticipating the battle from the Great Wall, erupted in thunderous cheers. Like a flood bursting its banks, they leaped down the Great Wall, brandishing their weapons and roaring as they followed the path trampled by the Imperial Guards, hunting down any lone, wounded, or terrified monsters!

On the wasteland, hundreds of millions of otherworldly monsters die every day. Ever since the Tianxing Sect was strictly forbidden from intercepting blood essence, the enormous pillar of blood essence has been continuously bombarding the barrier between heaven and earth. The transformed energy turns into spiritual rain that falls on the Great Qin, nourishing all things.

However, the concentration of the spiritual rain, even when dispersed throughout the Great Qin, was far less than that near the source of vital energy in the desolate battlefield.

For cultivators who have already condensed their primordial spirit, directly absorbing this mixed blood and qi energy would require expending energy to refine the impurities, making it a losing proposition. However, for ordinary people who have not yet broken through to the first level of life, especially these new recruits, being on the edge of this blood and qi-filled battlefield and passively absorbing the dissipated energy is simply an unparalleled tonic!

In just a few days of stationing, millions of new soldiers, nourished by their qi and blood and in the relatively safe cultivation environment of the Great Wall, naturally broke through that shackle and officially became first-level life forms!
Wang Jian had previously refrained from letting his companions participate in direct combat only because of their severe lack of combat experience and the fact that many of them had not yet broken through to higher levels. Now that the monsters were fleeing in disarray, it was the perfect opportunity for them to "see blood," accumulate practical combat experience, and solidify their cultivation levels!

The soldiers of the Great Qin, whether veterans or new recruits, were in high spirits, following the unstoppable golden torrent of the Dragon Guards, pursuing and killing relentlessly! Many were stimulated by the fierce pursuit and battle, and their accumulated blood and spiritual power suddenly erupted, allowing them to break through on the spot!

……

Deep within the Qin Imperial Palace, Ying Xuan closed his eyes and concentrated, his divine sense observing the changes on the desolate battlefield through the He Shi Bi jade, and also examining the core data of the Qin world.

"The strength of the million Dragon Guards has indeed increased significantly. The power of the million newly refined magical artifacts far surpasses that of the past."

Ying Xuan was satisfied.

He could clearly "see" that the Dragon Guards were now facing monsters like goblins in the wasteland with what could be described as a dimensional reduction attack.

Their weapons can easily destroy goblin armor and defenses, and their armor is completely immune to the slashing of goblin weapons. As long as they don't get caught in some extreme environment or are surrounded and attacked relentlessly by a massive number of high-level monsters, they can roam the wasteland almost unimpeded.

Moreover, he could also sense that the spiritual roots and herbs from the Shrouding the Heavens world that had been transplanted to various parts of the Great Qin were accelerating the transformation of the alien energy they carried, gradually assimilating with the spiritual energy of the Great Qin's native land, and being slowly permeated by the laws of the Great Qin world.

The hundreds of thousands of magical treasures "free-range" in the void absorb an extra bit of transformed energy from heaven and earth, and each additional bit of the Qin Dynasty's imprint is left on them, with the fusion process progressing steadily.

However, when he looked at the number representing the total power of the world in the He Shi Bi jade, his brows furrowed slightly.

"Seven hundred and ten..."

Ying Xuan remembered clearly that when he returned from the world of Shrouding the Heavens, the world's power was approximately 640 points. This time, he brought back a massive amount of spiritual herbs and magical treasures, and personally oversaw the reforging of equipment for the million Dragon Guards, triggering a series of changes... In the end, the world's power only increased by a total of 70 points?
On average, the treasures brought back and the weapon crafting done personally only resulted in a growth of about forty points? The remaining thirty points were probably due to the ongoing bloody battles in the wasteland and the natural development of the people.

"The foundation has indeed been strengthened, and its benefits for the future are undeniable. But the rate at which the power of this world is growing..."

Ying Xuan felt a bit of a headache.

"So, as the game progresses, the improvement slows down?"

He couldn't help but think that if the Great Qin World hadn't yet advanced to its current level, perhaps killing enough goblins in a single day would have accumulated enough blood and qi energy to propel the world forward.

But now, with hundreds of millions of monsters dying in the wasteland every day, the resulting increase in world power, when spread out, might only be a tiny bit per month? Moreover, this growth rate is constantly decreasing as the world's size increases!

This is a troubling problem. The world grows like a snowball; it's easy at the beginning, but the more "snow" is needed later, the slower the rolling speed becomes.

Just as Ying Xuan was deep in thought, a soft sound of footsteps came from behind.

Dressed in a light purple palace gown, with a gentle yet capable air about her, Lü Zhi stepped lightly into the hall, gave a graceful bow, and softly reported her arrival.

"Your Majesty, the Grand Secretary sent word that the young princesses who were enfeoffed in the border regions have been brought to the capital and settled in. The Grand Secretary inquired whether we, your humble servants, could bestow some auspicious fruits and trinkets upon Your Majesty on your behalf, as a sign of the imperial family's courtesy and care?"

Upon hearing this, Ying Xuan was taken aback at first, then chuckled and shook his head.

As the Grand Secretary, the First Emperor was a man with a lot on his mind.

He had mentioned more than once before that the royal descendants, especially those princes and princesses with cultivation talents, needed to be carefully nurtured with precious treasures and could not be allowed to "waste" in the borderlands.

This time, without any prior notice, they brought several young princesses, who were legally enfeoffed in remote counties, to the capital.

The newly revised Qin Code clearly stipulates that any prince, princess, or member of the royal family who is enfeoffed to the border regions and leaves his fiefdom without the emperor's special decree or an emergency summons from the court, and enters the capital without authorization, shall be regarded as treason and shall be sentenced to death!

This law was originally intended to prevent rebellions by vassal kings and strengthen centralized power. Indeed, after Ying Xuan ascended the throne, most of the First Emperor's descendants, regardless of gender, were enfeoffed in relatively remote but resource-rich counties for the purpose of balancing and resettlement.

Empress Lü's question was cleverly phrased.

The phrase "rewarding on behalf of the emperor" not only gave Ying Xuan a way out but also revealed the First Emperor's intention—the old man was dissatisfied with Your Majesty's previous "neglect" in the upbringing of the royal descendants, and this was a subtle "reminder" coupled with a request for resources.

Ying Xuan rubbed his temples, feeling both amused and sentimental.

The power struggles and family machinations within the Qin people have never truly ceased, even in this current Immortal Qin era.

After a moment's thought, Ying Xuan made his decision.

He immediately issued an imperial edict, instructing the more than twenty princesses who had entered the capital without permission to stay in the capital for a while longer, and added a special note.

"The arrival of the Qin princess in the capital is tantamount to returning home. As the emperor, I should reward her handsomely."

As soon as he finished speaking, Ying Xuan turned his gaze toward the old imperial palace in Xianyang City and gently reached out to grab it from a distance.

This grab was not a physical act, but rather, using his Earth Immortal-level divine sense in conjunction with the authority of the He Shi Bi jade, he precisely extracted a trace of extremely faint "qi" from each of the more than twenty princesses, each carrying their personal characteristics and bloodline aura.

Then, he lightly tapped his fingers in the air a few times, as if playing a pipa.

The "Treasury of Divine Artifacts" area, which was suspended in the void above the Qin Imperial Palace and hidden behind the spatial ripples, suddenly had dozens of magical treasures tremble slightly and emit clear, melodious humming sounds.

"Come." Ying Xuan called softly, and dozens of streams of light, each a different color but shimmering with precious light, shot out from the void and fell into the Qin Imperial Palace like meteors, hovering in front of him.

These magical artifacts include swords, rings, ribbons, mirrors, and zithers, each with a different form, but without exception, they all exude a powerful aura, at least that of a Saint Lord-level weapon embryo, with some even faintly possessing the pressure of a Quasi-Emperor weapon.

Ying Xuan used his divine sense as a guide to infuse the more than twenty streams of princess energy he had just absorbed into these magical treasures one by one.

These energies acted like keys, immediately resonating with the magical artifacts whose attributes and temperaments best matched them. The artifacts' radiance became softer and more dynamic, as if they were actively adapting to their future master.

After doing all this, Ying Xuan gave instructions to Lü Zhi, who was standing to the side.

"Lu Zhi, you, Qu Ruo, Jing Rou, and the others, take these magical treasures, as well as some spiritual fruits, silks, and precious items suitable for girls in the treasury, and go to the old palace on my behalf to appease the princesses. Tell them that these magical treasures were bestowed upon them by me for self-defense and cultivation, and I hope they will cherish them and not disappoint me."

Upon hearing this, Empress Lü immediately bowed and accepted the order.

"The minister and concubine follow the order."

She gently accepted the dozens of magical treasures that Ying Xuan had entrusted to her with his magic.

However, a fleeting, barely concealed resentment and disappointment flashed across the depths of her lowered eyes. The Qin Dynasty had yet to establish an empress. Although she wasn't of the highest birth, she considered herself one of the earliest to follow Ying Xuan, and she managed the inner palace and assisted in government affairs with considerable skill.

More importantly, Ying Xuan herself was incredibly powerful and didn't need any support from the families or backgrounds of the concubines, which she actually saw as an advantage.

She had hoped to take advantage of the princess's visit to the capital and the need for the royal elders to appease her, to make a good impression on Ying Xuan, and even subtly mention things like "the position of empress is vacant and it is against etiquette," in order to win the coveted position of empress for herself.

But Ying Xuan didn't give her a chance to speak at all! He directly assigned her the task of "appeasement and reward," speaking in a flat, businesslike tone, without any intention of discussing anything else.

This is clearly a silent hint.

I have no plans to appoint an empress at the moment, at least not to appoint you, Lü Zhi.

"Chen and concubine retire."

Empress Lü suppressed her surging emotions, maintained her proper demeanor, and slowly withdrew from the main hall.

Ying Xuan watched Lü Zhi's departing figure and sighed softly.

How could he not see through Lü Zhi's intentions? However, with countless internal and external affairs weighing on the Qin Dynasty, the world's advancement, the war in the wastelands, and internal integration were of paramount importance. The matter of establishing an empress was far-reaching and certainly not a suitable opportunity at this moment.

Moreover... the tragic fates those princesses might have encountered in their original historical trajectory or different timelines flashed through his mind, and his heart softened involuntarily.

"Now that we have come to my Great Qin and are of the blood of the First Emperor, those tragic fates must never be repeated."

Yingxuan's secret passage.

By bestowing the magical artifacts upon the First Emperor, he was not only showing respect to him, but also giving these princesses a means to secure their lives and control their own destinies.

The First Emperor's decision to bring the princesses to the capital likely stemmed from a combination of guilt as a father towards his daughters' remote and restricted lives, and also from his confidence that his successor, Ying Xuan, would be magnanimous and wouldn't hold such a slightly probing and "irregular" move against them, but would instead treat them well.

"As a father, the First Emperor was quite competent."

Ying Xuan thought to himself.

"And I really don't need to offend this indispensable chief minister who has devoted himself to the Qin Dynasty for such a trivial matter."

Ying Xuan genuinely recognized the First Emperor's work attitude and abilities.

The Grand Secretary, who was also the retired emperor, was incredibly diligent in his duties. He personally reviewed and approved almost everything, from the work records of the lowest-ranking officials in villages and towns to the reports from prefects and governors.

Since becoming Grand Secretary, he has never had a full night's sleep. He is either dealing with state affairs or reviewing records from various places. In his spare time, he is also thinking about the advantages and disadvantages of various policies and systems and how to improve them.

Because he was well aware that he had not directly intervened in military affairs, and that the bloody battle in the wilderness was a core national policy that required full support, he devoted all his energy to political affairs and the people's livelihood. It can be said that, apart from military matters and supreme decision-making power, his power in political affairs was no different from that of the emperor.

Such high-intensity, high-pressure work would have been unimaginable for an ordinary person if Ying Xuan hadn't used a treasure to forcibly elevate his cultivation to the Nascent Soul realm, greatly enhancing his vitality and lifespan.

This level of dedication and responsibility towards the empire is something that would be difficult for anyone else to achieve.

……

Inside a side hall of the old imperial palace.

The atmosphere was somewhat awkward.

A little princess, about seven or eight years old and exquisitely beautiful, was being held on the First Emperor's lap. Her little face was still streaked with tears, her eyes were red, and she looked up at him timidly, asking a question.

"Father... Your son, can I stay in the capital this time and not go back? There are strange cries at night in the borderlands... I'm scared..."

Beside them, a beautiful princess of seventeen or eighteen, with a mature and melancholy air about her, quickly and softly offered her advice.

"Little sister, you mustn't be willful. Father has his own plans. If we can stay, Father will naturally let us stay."

As she spoke, she couldn't help but look at the First Emperor, her eyes also filled with anticipation.

The other princesses present, regardless of age, all looked longingly at their father.

They, along with the princes and nobles who were enfeoffed to the border regions, were all sent by Ying Xuan to newly developed or relatively desolate counties, under the guise of "establishing fiefdoms, pacifying the people, and expanding the territory."

Once they had finally established themselves in the area with their entourage, built cities, and initially appeased the immigrant population, the entire bureaucratic team, including the prefect and magistrate appointed by the imperial court, immediately moved in and took full control of all local administrative, judicial, and taxation powers.

These "feudal kings" and "princesses," aside from receiving a tiny portion of the taxes from their fiefdoms as "salaries," had no power over the people of their territories, let alone the right to recruit armies privately. Moreover, spies from the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard were omnipresent, like shadows, closely monitoring their every move. (End of Chapter)