If you don't give up, I'd like to be your adoptive father.

Chapter 1457 Growth
After the second time travel ended, Liu Ji was almost the last to return.

The reason for saying "almost" is that several unfortunate individuals had already been arrested by Old Lady Luo thirty years ago and imprisoned in the "Haojing" prison, where they were tortured by cruel officials.

When Old Lady Luo succumbed to her injuries, Fuqiu Gong manipulated fate, causing them to exhaust their lifespans and their vengeful spirits to drift back to the Immortal Transformation Pool.

As long as Granny Luo is still alive, even Fuqiu Gong, the "God of Heaven," cannot end their suffering through divine decree.

Even if they were forcibly killed, their souls would still be imprisoned.

"This time I want to especially praise Liu Ji and Xiang Liang, they did a great job!"

When a group of heroes gathered for a "time-travel summary meeting," Li Futu praised the two men lavishly, saying, "Xiang Liang almost fulfilled the mandate of heaven to destroy Qin."

The final decisive battle ended in failure, which is truly regrettable.

Liu Ji's ambush at Zhangtai Palace nearly resulted in a one-for-one exchange with Grand Tutor Luo; that's quite remarkable.

When this statement came out, everyone was lost.

"What?! Liu Ji actually dared to ambush Old Monster Luo? Great Immortal, are you kidding me? Old Monster Luo is so terrifying, who could possibly ambush her?"

"Liu Laosan has been following Peng Yue around all day, without contributing anything. He spends his time eating, drinking, gambling, and whoring, turning himself into a fat pig who can barely walk. How could he possibly ambush Luo Laoguai?"

"How can you say Brother Ji didn't contribute anything? We assisted Boss Peng in establishing the powerful Liang Chu Kingdom. Brother Ji was made a king for his contributions, and no one in the world would object to that," Lu Wan exclaimed.

"Damn it, how many years has he been a king? Since he was made a king, he has never led an army or fought a single battle."

“So what if Liu Ji didn’t fight? I’m happy to take care of him,” Peng Yue said.

Li Futu loudly interrupted their argument, saying, "You don't need to doubt me; I would never lie for Liu Ji."

He did indeed take advantage of the unique terrain of Zhangtai Palace to set up the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Grand Array, almost dragging Grand Tutor Luo down with him.

"How could Liu Ji possess such a terrifying array formation? That's Luo the Monster!"

"Yes, Old Monster Luo is even more terrifying than the previous Old Monster Bai. She is proficient in military formations, immortal swordsmanship, and Taoist supernatural powers, and has almost no weaknesses."

"You may not know Liu Ji. Although he came from humble beginnings as a wandering knight-errant, he received teachings from an immortal and acquired the Thirty-Six Heavenly Divine Arts and the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiend Divine Powers at the White Cloud Immortal Mansion. He should not be underestimated!"

Some people don't know Liu Ji, while many others know some of his background. Although they are equally surprised by the power of the Zhou Tian Star Array, they are not completely unable to understand it.

Xiang Yu glared at Liu Ji, "Since you possess such a powerful immortal formation, why don't you bring your troops to assist you?"

"Didn't we send dozens of generals with 100,000 troops to obey Xiang Liang's orders? My brother Xiahou Ying has already died in battle," Liu Ji said.

"I'm talking about you now! If you had seriously injured Old Monster Luo on the battlefield, how could we have lost?" Xiang Yu said.

Liu Ji said, "Brother Xiang, you don't know this. What I set up is not a military formation, but a magic formation that relies on special terrain."

I placed the magic array on the battlefield, but without favorable timing and location, its power was greatly reduced.

Secondly, Luo Laoguai isn't stupid. She wouldn't fail to discover the magic array, much less lead her troops straight into it.

Anyone with a sound mind would bypass the magic circle, leaving the one who set it up helpless.

Not long after, the third time travel began.

Liu Ji awoke in Mangdang Mountain.

“This time we won’t side with Peng Yue.” He stopped Lu Wan, and said after a moment’s thought, “This time we’ll side with Chen Sheng!”

"Brother, are you out of your mind?" Lu Wan said excitedly, "Although we've only transmigrated twice, everyone can see who the hero is and who the fool is."

Chen Sheng was utterly incompetent! Aside from being ordained to lead the uprising, he was practically useless.

Liu Ji looked at Xiahou Ying and asked, "What do you say?"

Xiahou Ying said, "At present, it seems that Lord Xiang Liang is the number one hero in China."

Chen Sheng was a hero, but his Zhang Chu state had serious problems. His generals were disobedient. What could be done?

However, there's no point in seeking refuge with Peng Yue.

Peng Yue was skilled in guerrilla warfare, but guerrilla tactics alone could not lead to hegemony.

"We can't afford to waste our time and energy on pleasure during this rare opportunity to travel through time."

Lu Wan said awkwardly, "Old Master Peng is a good man. He treats us very well, and it's safe for us to follow him."

As for achieving hegemony, following Chen Sheng would certainly prevent it from succeeding.

Liu Ji sighed, "After the first time travel, A Ying raised a question."

Can we, the heroes of China, truly unite as one through endless travel?
"If someone like me, who hasn't fully achieved success yet, were to shine too brightly during the time travel, would I stand out from the crowd and be immediately surrounded and killed by a group of mysterious people upon returning to reality?"

Xiahou Ying said, "I still have this worry. However, compared to before, I have gained new insights."

Those potential Grandmasters have been observing our performance, perhaps selecting the rightful owner of the "Eastern Emperor's Aura".

As long as we perform well, they will surely protect our destiny of excellence.

After all, they killed us; who will fulfill the mission Heaven gave us?

Liu Ji nodded slightly, "Aying, you are smarter than Lu Wan, and you see things very clearly."

Therefore, the purpose of this group trek is to showcase our potential without provoking the envy of others.

Last time he sided with Peng Yue, this time with Chen Sheng, and next time he might sided with Xiang Liang.

In short, in the second phase of the war to destroy Qin, we will not compete for the throne ourselves, but will rely on one lord and do our best to help him succeed.

During our time travel, we diligently practiced our skills and learned all the knowledge and skills we had never mastered before.

For example, after following Peng Yue for sixty years, I mastered the skills of guerrilla warfare.

Chen Sheng must have had extraordinary abilities to become the first person to lead the uprising under the mandate of heaven.

We can learn a lot from him.

—Not only can you learn a lot of knowledge and skills, but you can also gain a deep understanding of each and every potential member.

Knowing your enemy and yourself is the key to victory in every battle!
While frantically absorbing experience to improve myself, I also tried to understand this group of people. I determined who was worth recruiting and who was destined to become my enemy.

Once I gain power and the authority to subdue them, it will be a piece of cake!
Even those that cannot be subdued, or have no value in being subdued, can be easily destroyed, and their true dragon fortune can be seized to accumulate more "destiny" for oneself!
This is Liu Laosan's true thought.

He didn't know the true purpose of the group time travel organized by the quasi-Daluo, but he discovered the most advantageous approach for himself during the group time travel.

He was still engrossed in it, gaining immense benefits with each journey. He couldn't wait to thoroughly understand and study all the heroes of China.

In his third life, Liu Jixian pretended to go to Dang County to find his brother-in-law. He "accidentally" bumped into Chen Sheng's troops and then went to Chen County to explain to Chen Sheng that he had been possessed by the demonic thoughts of Grand Tutor Yu, which was why he spoke nonsense against his true nature.

After explaining, Liu Ji prepared to take his leave, saying he wanted to continue seeking refuge with Peng Yue.

Chen Sheng naturally urged him to stay, and Liu Ji could not refuse, so he became a "cavalry captain" under Chen Sheng.

In this life, with the help of Liu Laosan, Chen Sheng successfully subdued military leaders such as Zhou Shi and Deng Zong, persevered to the end, and almost defeated "Fake Grand Tutor Yu".

The fourth generation, Liu Ji, went straight to Juye to find Peng Yue. After spending half a year there, he persuaded Peng Yue to be recruited by King Wei Jiu.

In the fifth generation, Liu Ji still used Peng Yue as a shield, saying that he had been living a very stifling life following King Wei Jiu in his previous life, so they should change their lord.

Peng Yue readily agreed.

They waited until Xiang's army entered Western Chu and Xiang Liang sent them an invitation, then naturally surrendered to him.

Having followed Xiang Lianggong for decades, Liu Ji thoroughly understood the character and abilities of the Xiang family uncles and nephews, and learned many valuable skills.

In the sixth generation, Liu Ji stayed in Mangdang Mountain, waiting for the rebel king to visit him three times.

While the Central Plains were in chaos, he remained leisurely and unhurried.

Because he was already famous.

The saying "He who wins over Liu Ji wins the world" was originally his self-aggrandizement, but now it has gained partial recognition from some heroes.

Well, I don't completely agree. While Liu Ji's assistance certainly helped the rebel king, it couldn't bring about fundamental change, much less turn the tide. When the rebel king fell, he fell with him.

To put it bluntly, Liu Ji saw himself as a capable and loyal minister, rather than an unparalleled national hero.

The abilities he demonstrated were always just a "beginner's version of the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Grand Array," reflecting his gentle and kind-hearted personality.

Therefore, during his subsequent time travels, Liu Ji quickly "became just another ordinary person."

He was a capable minister and a famous general, but he wasn't the protagonist in this time-travel story. The protagonists were Chen Sheng, Xiang Liang, Jing Ju, Tian Rong, and Ying Xie.

These individuals are capable of stirring up storms and dominating the world's affairs.

After several attempts to coordinate their efforts, on their tenth collective time travel, these five giants joined forces and defeated the "tyrannical Qin" for the first time in their lives.

"Master Li, what's going on? We haven't even caught Grand Tutor Wen yet, how come the time travel is over already?" Tian Rong said, dissatisfied.

Li Futu said, "You entered Guanzhong, captured 'Xijing,' destroyed the Great Indian Empire, and completed your mission!"

As for Grand Tutor Wen, you can't catch him.

Like Yu Fengxian, she had already secretly prepared a plan for the 'Ying Clan's escape to the north' as ​​soon as she noticed the unusual celestial phenomena.

As the war progressed against them, the royal family of Xijing had already begun to head north in batches, taking their treasures and guards with them.

"You'll only be asking for trouble if you chase after them."

"We've been brutally murdered by her nine times! Now that we've finally found a chance for revenge, I won't give up until I try!" Xiang Yu shouted.

Li Futu sighed, "Fine, I'll let you try next time!"

On their eleventh journey, the five leaders' tactics and strategies were more refined, and they once again invaded Guanzhong and destroyed the "tyrannical Qin".

This time, they decided to "pursue the enemy with their remaining strength" and chased after the "Qin army" that had fled to Sichuan. However, the roads to Sichuan were difficult to traverse, and they were ambushed, resulting in the complete annihilation of the army.

A promising situation collapsed overnight, and the "tyrannical Qin" regime was resurrected in the blink of an eye.

Xiang Liang's soul was captured by the "fake Grand Tutor Yu" and tortured for ten years before being rescued by "Heavenly Lord" Fuqiu.

"We mustn't chase her, absolutely not! If Grand Tutor Yu wants to escape, we should open the gates and let her go!"

After Xiang Lianggong returned, he took Xiang Yu's hand and said earnestly with a look of profound understanding, "When the Qin Dynasty was not yet destroyed, she was an official and we were thieves. We used every means possible, and she was forced to defend herself."

Once the Qin Dynasty falls, she becomes a thief, and we are on the defensive. She has too many ways to deal with us.

Letting her leave China and preventing her from participating in the upcoming power struggles is best for everyone.

Even if we truly hate her, we'll have others do it, making her resent others, while our Xiang family reaps the benefits.

In short, we must not allow our Xiang family to become her most hated target.

Xiang Yu was taken aback for a moment, then said, "Does Uncle mean that after destroying the Qin Dynasty, the anti-Qin alliance will immediately collapse, and all the rebel kings will immediately become enemies?"

"Do you think Fuqiu Gong only predicted the war to destroy Qin?" Xiang Liang asked.

Xiang Yu hesitated and said, "We have already rebuilt the Great Chu and occupied Western Chu and Eastern Chu. As long as the other lords recognize us as their leaders, there is no need to attack other countries. Could it be that Uncle wants to follow in the footsteps of Ying Zheng and unify the Central Plains?"

The Qin Dynasty perished after only two generations, demonstrating that the prefecture-county system implemented by Ying Zheng was a complete blunder.

Ultimately, they had to learn from the Great Zhou Dynasty and divide the land into fiefdoms.

Since we're going to grant fiefdoms, our family can't monopolize them; we can't let all the fiefdoms fall under the Xiang family's control.

"Even if we want to emulate the Great Zhou, we must first unify the world and subdue the feudal lords! I don't expect to kill all the rebel kings, but at least I want them to recognize my Xiang clan as 'Sons of Heaven.' Do Chen Sheng and Tian Rong consider me 'Sons of Heaven' now?"

"They even want to compete with me for the position of 'Elder Uncle'," Xiang Liang said.

Xiang Yu said coldly, "Then in the next group time travel, we will defeat them one by one!"

Xiang Liang shook his head and said, "No, the alliance absolutely cannot have internal strife! Grand Tutor Yu is too terrifying."

The laws and primordial energy of the lesser worlds are inferior to those of our Pangu Great World. Yet, every single one of those fake Grand Tutor Yu would be a powerful 'sorcerer' capable of rivaling immortals in the Pangu World.

Grand Tutor Yu's killing of the Deer Cauldron Immortal was neither a fluke nor an accident.

She really could kill a near-great Luo.

I cannot rest easy until I drive her out of the Central Plains.

Xiang Yu said, "Uncle, don't worry, I understand the importance of considering the overall situation. My idea is to subdue them by defeating the Qin army."

Next, we must redouble our efforts and destroy the tyrannical Qin dynasty with even greater strength, determination, and speed.

Xiang Yu kept his word.

In his next time travel, he led the Xiang family army in a massacre, as if possessed by the god of slaughter, Bai Qi, slaughtering fifteen cities and killing 400,000 Qin soldiers and 1.5 million civilians.

The heroes were terrified, both respecting and fearing him.

Fuqiu Gong couldn't stand it any longer and had Li Futu remind the heroes: "You are not killing people in your dreams, you are killing real, living people."

Killing creates karma and leaves behind consequences.

Even if Lord Fuqiu bestows upon you a divine mandate to punish the traitors in accordance with Heaven's will.

But your killings have gone too far, exceeding the limits of destiny, and you will also be tainted by sin, bringing karma to the Pangu world.”

"Great Immortal, why didn't you say so sooner? I've killed many people too," Liu Ji said, his face grim.

“Normal casualties on the battlefield are not a big problem,” Li Futu explained. “Even people in the lower realms have three souls and six spirits.”

At this moment, you only have Heavenly Souls, while your 'shadows' in the lower realm are 'born' lacking Heavenly Souls.

You did not possess the 'Shadow', but rather, by the mandate of Heaven, the 'Star God' descended to Earth.

Everything we do is ordained by Heaven.

He cannot return until his destiny is fulfilled.

If the divine mandate to 'destroy Qin' is fulfilled, then the Heavenly Soul will 'ascend to heaven,' and the 'shadow' of that world will continue to exist.

Since destiny has been ordained, even if you don't travel through time, the shadows will still kill people and 'destroy Qin' in accordance with the will of Heaven.

But Xiang Ji's indiscriminate killing had long exceeded the scope of destiny, and naturally had a great karmic consequence.

Xiang Yu was unconvinced. "I killed people to intimidate others. The tyrannical Qin Dynasty did the same thing. How is that beyond the will of Heaven?"

Li Futu said in a deep voice: "Qin was indeed bloodthirsty in the past, but since Prime Minister Lü Buwei came to power, he has adjusted the military merit system."

Instead of pursuing a high number of kills, they put forward the slogan of "following the will of Heaven and saving the people".

It wasn't that Lü Buwei was benevolent; he was a man who understood destiny and was accumulating blessings for the Qin state.

When Qin conquered the six states, it did not massacre the people of the six states without cause, unlike the massacre of the surrendered soldiers of Zhao.

Aren't you yourself an example?

Your grandfather, Xiang Yan, was a hero who rebelled against the Qin Dynasty, and Ying Zheng hated him to the core.

Your father and uncle were moved to Xianyang, rather than being directly buried alive.

Later, the Qin Dynasty's internal oppression and its large-scale plundering and bloody massacres abroad became the reasons for its loss of the Mandate of Heaven.

If you aspire to rule the world, you should remember these four words: "Follow the will of Heaven and love the people."

Xiang Yu remained expressionless and pursed his lips. Although he did not refute again, he was clearly not convinced.

Xiang Liang said in a low voice, "Hurry up and thank the Great Immortal for his teachings."

Xiang Yu then bowed and said, "Thank you for your teachings, Great Immortal. I will remember 'following the will of Heaven and loving the people' for the rest of my life."

“Your disciple still needs some polishing!” Yin Changsheng said to Jiudian with a smile.

"Isn't the purpose of the collective time travel to help a hothead like him grow up quickly?" Jiudian pondered. "It seems that our plan has been quite successful."

The so-called "Five Junior Elders" were all targets, responsible for attracting the attention of Yu Fengxian and the Qin army.

The one truly destined to destroy Qin grew rapidly under their protection.

Yin Changsheng said, "Although we intend to use the most outstanding individuals as targets, they themselves may not think so."

Even Yu Fengxian is hard to fool.

Jiudian said, "If Yu Fengxian doesn't target these 'elders,' then we'll stick to the current strategy and tactics."

With the five chieftains joining forces and the other heroes each fulfilling their duties and cooperating fully, they directly destroyed the Qin Dynasty.

In any case, after this collective time travel, Yu Fengxian will no longer be able to sit idly by, taking it all in stride.

(End of this chapter)