Rewrite the myth and become the Taoist!

Chapter 331 Lord of the Nine Provinces, Xuanyuan Sword, Five Thousand Years Later for the Chinese Nation

"Greetings, Your Majesty."

[Under the Black Bird banner, all the black-armored soldiers clasped their fists in unison.]

A figure slowly stepped forward, a black robe draped over his shoulders, and a twelve-tasseled crown atop his head, obscuring a face that was excessively young.

He held the "Seal of Mountains and Rivers" in his right hand, his voice calm yet like the thunder of a thousand armies: "Yunzhou Heaven—returns to my Qing Kingdom's territory."

[As soon as the words were spoken, the supreme divine weapon "Mountain and River Seal" enveloped the entire Yunzhou.]

【"Qingguo——"】

[The demon god Huli was horrified. The bronze mirror behind him turned, reflecting on the young man in black robes—blood waves surged in the mirror, and a halberd cleaved through the chaos.]

"The First Emperor, Xiang Ji!"

The demon god's screams abruptly ceased upon learning the name of "First Emperor." For the First Emperor had merely glanced at it.

Just one glance.

[The twelve bronze mirrors of Hulu simultaneously reflected the same scene: Hulu himself was decaying into mud in the mirrors, while his true form outside the mirrors was melting away along with his reflection.]

[One of the domains of the "Mountain and River Seal" divine weapon—Forbidden Magic!]

Princess Taiping watched as the once invincible demon god melted away like a wax figure, when she suddenly heard the young princess whisper behind her, "Auntie, the demon god isn't invincible..."

[In an era when sages have vanished, the Heavenly Martial Lord of Yunzhou was the strongest warrior in the world, yet he suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the demon god Hulu. This is a legend among the human race. It is a height that no individual can ever reach alone.]

Princess Taiping looked up and saw the figure of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, Xiang Ji, standing motionless amidst the swirling blood mist.

"But that's the Human Emperor..." Princess Taiping murmured unconsciously, "What are mere demon gods compared to that?"

A tremor, accompanied by a buzzing sound.

[A massive, pitch-black sun suddenly rose above the head of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. With a slight lift of his long, slender fingers, the Yunzhou Cauldron in the sky levitated with a clang. Ancient inscriptions on the cauldron lit up one by one, incinerating all the demonic energy that permeated the surroundings.]

Each Heavenly Cauldron in every province contains a large amount of human "fire," which can help the "Mountain and River Seal" transform and suppress all laws in the Void Sea.

The First Emperor Xiang Ji's gaze swept across the battlefield with an almost tangible intensity, finally settling on Jiang Yuan.

"Jiang Yuan, you're in charge of cleaning up this mess."

【"yes."】

Jiang Yuan stood ramrod straight and responded with clasped hands.

As a human born in the Ninefold Imperial Pass, he grew up listening to his ancestors recount the legends of the First Emperor. These True Martial Generals, in their youth, obtained the Great Sun Rank in the Martial Arts Hall, personally entered the Chang Le Palace, and received blessings from the First Emperor.

[Emperor Xiang Ji nodded, turned and left, and Chang Le Palace slowly dissipated.]

Jiang Yuan and Wei Tu helped Princess Taiping bury the humans who had died in battle, and informed her that the six kingdoms of Yunzhou would no longer be allowed to claim the title of king, and that they must abide by the laws of the Qing Kingdom.

[There is no harm in this; this place will henceforth belong to the Qing Kingdom. The First Emperor's palace will replace the Yunzhou Cauldron to protect the world. As long as the Chang Le Palace remains intact, the mist and demons will vanish.]

[If one wishes to achieve great deeds, "Tongtian Mountain" leads directly to the spiritual realm where Chang Le Palace is located. Martial artists who pass the martial arts hall's assessment can then go to "Ninefold Imperial Pass" to join the army.]

[What kind of person was Princess Taiping to the Qing Kingdom, and to that being whom the demon gods feared and called "Emperor Xiang Ji"?]

At this moment, someone asked General Jiang Yuan, the True Martial General, what was the Imperial Pass?

"Back then, in Xiazhou..." His gaze swept past the crowd, landing on the faintly visible golden barrier in the sky: "The God of Destiny, accompanied by a demon god, launched a surprise attack. Those cunning beasts deliberately targeted the weakest points, tearing open four gaps in the heavens."

"The God of Destiny?! And a Demon God?!" The surrounding veterans gasped in unison. The God of Destiny was a legendary adversary of the Flame Ancestor, a forbidden existence even more terrifying than the Demon God.

They knew Jiang Yuan wasn't lying; the fact that the demon god Hulu was instantly killed by the First Emperor was proof enough.

"Although His Majesty is invincible, he is ultimately unable to attend to all matters at once. The Qing Kingdom is besieged on all sides and has suffered heavy losses."

[Jiang Yuan's tone was serious.]

"Later, His Majesty collected all the gold in the land and used it to build the Chang Le Palace—that year, the heavens collapsed, and His Majesty stood alone at the breach, using the title of Human Emperor to guard the nation's gate, hence the name 'Imperial Pass.'"

"The Imperial Pass, a pass for the emperor..." Upon hearing this, the aging soldiers of Yunzhou were filled with renewed fervor.

Suddenly, someone shouted, "Human Emperor!" This shout was like a spark thrown into a pot of boiling oil, instantly igniting the entire scorched earth.

"As for the Ninefold Imperial Pass—" Wei Tu suddenly stood up and roared, "That's the territory we fought our way out of Chang Le Palace and carved out inch by inch from the hands of the foreign races!"

"His Majesty has said, if the enemy can go, so can I!"

A sudden, deathly silence fell over the surroundings.

Since the Human Emperor attained enlightenment, the people of Yunzhou have lived peacefully for a hundred years. No one is willing to go out and face those ferocious alien demons anymore. The common people are even unaware that there is a thick fog beyond Yunzhou.

Throughout history, rulers have only known how to defend their own small territories, never considering expanding outwards once stability is achieved.

[Some states are even overpopulated, fearing that the "God of Destiny" from the Void Sea will come knocking and launch a massive purge. Those in power, terrified of the "Destiny's" arrival, might persuade themselves to collude with other races to eliminate the excess population.]

[The human races of the seven continents have been separated for ten thousand years, and there has never been a human emperor with such ambition.]

[The next moment.]

"If the enemy can go, so can I!"

The shouts grew louder and louder, and several wounded soldiers with broken legs even tried to stand up, leaning on their broken spears. The young soldiers, their faces flushed, pounded their breastplates with their fists, shouting, "I want to join! I want to join!"

"Alright, alright, one at a time."

Jiang Yuan didn't despise these wounded soldiers. The Mist Alien race possessed numerous treasures, and with the addition of cultivators from the Martial Arts Hall, reattaching severed limbs was commonplace in the Qing Kingdom. Only an "unyielding will" could earn them respect.

[A martial artist at the second level of the "Igniting the Flame of the Heart" realm is considered a top-tier fighting force among ordinary alien races. The Qing Kingdom, which uses one race to suppress all others, naturally wouldn't have too many such core members.]

"The First Emperor..."

Princess Taiping, amidst the crowd, heard Jiang Yuan recount the deeds of the First Emperor.

Princess Taiping suddenly raised her hand to her heart, where an unfamiliar throbbing was felt. She gazed at the faint outline of Chang Le Palace on the horizon, and suddenly longed to know—what was that man thinking when he carried the heavens on his back?

She wants to follow the First Emperor!

Princess Taiping resolutely joined the Qing Kingdom, determined to become a general who would expand its territory. For her meritorious service in protecting "Yunzhou Tian," she was bestowed the name "Princess Taiping" by the sage of the Qing Kingdom's Martial Arts Hall.

With the help of the Martial Arts Hall, Princess Taiping reorganized the Yunzhou Army and led it in battles against foreign tribes for ten years, achieving numerous military exploits. In one great battle, she aligned her heart with the Ninefold Imperial Pass, raised an army, and became the first True Martial Army Master in a century, thus gaining the right to be summoned to the capital.

She finally had the chance to see Emperor Qin Shi Huang, Xiang Ji, again. When Princess Taiping saw the gaze that figure cast upon her, she froze, her breath catching in her throat.

"I remember you. You did very well." Emperor Qin Shi Huang, Xiang Ji, said only one sentence to the illustrious Princess Taiping, bestowing upon her the Mountain and River Seal for protection, preventing this prodigy of humanity from perishing amidst intrigue and treachery.

Princess Taiping was overjoyed, believing that the First Emperor's words were the most memorable moment of her life.

A century later, Princess Taiping broke through to the third level of heaven in the face of battle, slaying a foreign "demon god"—and successfully establishing Yingzhou Heaven!

[Qing Kingdom's Jiang Yuan and Wei Tu joined forces to establish—Shangzhou Heaven.]

[Thus, the human race now traverses the nine provinces!]

[When the First Emperor Xiang Ji emerged from the pass, the mythical Holy Emperor trembled, transforming into an ancient bronze sword upon which tales of the Xia, Yun, Ying, and Shang states began to appear.] [“—The Xuanyuan Sword!”]

[Emperor Xiang Ji knew all along that his time travel was for a purpose. Upon seeing the true name of the "Xuanyuan Sword," he understood his duty, and with the Nine Provinces restored to their rightful place, the Xuanyuan Sword was finally complete.]

A thought flashed through his mind.

[The Sage of the Martial Arts Hall personally searched for news of other human states. In a hundred years, only three states remained unclaimed: Yan State, established by the first Human Emperor; Chu State, established by the seventh Human Emperor; and Xia State, whose whereabouts were unknown.]

On the other side, the God-King, unwilling to accept the predetermined fate of five thousand years, sought to survive and, under the guidance of the Void Sea Dao Ancestor, united the Great Wilderness human race to establish a new imperial dynasty to rival them.

[With their abilities, they cannot deal with the "New Heavenly Dao" behind the human race, but the corpse of the dead Heavenly Dao, Guixutian, can be used. They might even be able to use this opportunity to overthrow the New Heavenly Dao and gain a glimpse into the realm of the "Heavenly Dao."]

[The words of Taozu. 】

[Buddha, Zombie Saint, Chaotic Ancient Heavenly King, and the Four Fiends of Mountains and Seas were tempted and secretly formed an alliance, each sending people to unify the alien demon races. Ultimately, they decided to support a mortal as emperor.]

[Except for the ancient Heavenly Court, all ten holy dynasties bowed down to that mortal emperor and gave him their full support. That mortal emperor performed sacrifices to the Returning Void Heaven, and the ten holy dynasties seized ninety percent of the Heavenly Mandate of the Returning Void Heaven. That mortal emperor truly obtained the "Mandate of the Returning Void Heaven"!]

Two chosen ones have emerged among the human race.

The Dao Ancestor's confidence grew, and he prepared to use the power of "Heaven's Decree" to overthrow the First Emperor.

Although the Qing Kingdom relentlessly exterminated foreign tribes, it still had three thousand foreign tribes under its command who had previously submitted. Among them was a foreign demoness who persuaded the Martial Arts Hall to approach the First Emperor, citing his lack of an heir.

[A sudden undercurrent of unrest swept through the human race.]

Meanwhile, Princess Taiping was fighting a demon god. The demon god was defeated and suddenly opened his bloody mouth, laughing maniacally: "You human emperors, your destiny is about to be fulfilled! The Yan Ancestor was the same way back then—"

[The First Emperor was only destined to live to be ten thousand years old? Princess Taiping was horrified as she recalled the events surrounding the Yan Ancestor.]

Princess Taiping returned to the Imperial Pass and requested an audience with the Sage of the Martial Arts Hall to explain the crux of the matter.

"The Mandate of Heaven?"

The Sage in the Martial Arts Hall remained silent. More than three thousand years had passed since the First Emperor Xiang Ji ascended the throne and established the Qing Kingdom. Regardless of whether it was true or not, it was a major event concerning the First Emperor.

The sages exchanged glances.

"Use those condemned to death to verify this."

The leading sage suddenly formed his fingers into a sword shape and slashed open his palm with a "whoosh." Blood transformed into crimson array patterns, spreading rapidly across the ground. A cultivator was pushed into the array, his hair turning frost-white at a visible speed.

Time flies like a waterfall, rushing wildly through the formation.

Everyone held their breath, watching as the sinner's face rapidly aged.

【"puff."】

[On the day of the Emperor's birthday, a soft sound rang out, and the cultivator's body suddenly stiffened, the light in his eyes extinguishing like a candle flame. His body remained seated, yet, to the astonishment of the crowd, he crumbled into dust.]

The hall was deathly silent.

The Sage of the Martial Arts Hall quickly calculated that "the Mandate of Heaven resides in Xiazhou Heaven," and understood why the Four Evil Gods had gone to such lengths to break Xiazhou Heaven from the control of the Qing Kingdom. He then issued an order to all the True Martial Lords to immediately reclaim Xiazhou Heaven!

They must find a way to break free from the "Long Live Mandate" in the years to come.

At this very moment, the Mortal Kingdom of the Void Sea launched an attack on the Qing Kingdom, storming the Imperial Pass. With numerous demon gods under its command, it successfully suppressed many of the Qing Kingdom's military leaders within its borders, but dared not rashly invade the Qing Kingdom.

They knew that once they invaded their territory, under the First Emperor's mandate of heaven and earth—"Under the whole heaven, all land belongs to the king; on the shores of the earth, all people are the king's subjects"—a single word could wipe them out.

But once the First Emperor dies, the mandate of heaven and earth will vanish.

When the First Emperor Xiang Ji emerged from the pass, he was delighted by these rats that had willingly come to their deaths. For years, the four evil gods had been hiding and manipulating events from behind the scenes, never daring to confront him directly.

Even the combined might of the four evil gods couldn't stop "Emperor Qin Shi Huang Xiang Ji," not to mention that the Goddess of Destiny, the White Serpent, had already been suppressed and killed by the God who mended the heavens. But this time, they were backed by an incarnation of a Heavenly Emperor of the Six Paths.

[The First Emperor had already used his full strength to suppress two equally powerful figures; could he really suppress six? The Dao Ancestor alone could hold the First Emperor back!!]

[This time there are six of them!!]

[Anyway, the four evil gods don't believe it.]

[Emperor Qin Shi Huang, Xiang Ji, wielding the "Invincible Under Heaven" in one hand and the "Xuanyuan Sword" in the other, ascended to heaven to battle for a century against Buddha, the Zombie Saint, the Chaotic Ancient Heavenly King, the Four Fiends of Mountains and Seas, the God King, and the Dao Ancestor.]

This fierce battle raged from the highest heavens to the deepest void, shattering stars like rain.

"This madman...does he really want to die with us?"

The Burial Immortal Marquis, Dugu Jue, and the Joyful Buddha, who were watching from the sidelines, trembled inwardly.

The Daoist Ancestor, the Buddha Ancestor, the Zombie Saint, the Chaotic Ancient Heavenly King, the Four Fiends of Mountains and Seas, the God King, and others are also in a predicament. Since the First Emperor possesses "invincibility," continuing this battle will undoubtedly lead to their defeat.

However, because of the existence of the "Mandate of Heaven," the First Emperor would not live to see that day!

Now that this fateful battle has been brought forward, they have no choice but to fight to the death.

With their strongest forces locked in a stalemate, the two nations are forced to compete on sheer raw power!

[Clearly, the foundations of the Ten Great Holy Lands and Imperial Dynasties far surpass those of the Qing Kingdom, and alien races with strength below the Great Demon level are continuously attacking the Imperial Pass. Only the extraordinary combat power of the Saints of the Martial Arts Hall and the Dao-proving Soldiers, each capable of fighting three against one, has barely stabilized the situation.]

Outside the Imperial Pass, the battle rages on.

Just then, a crimson arrow pierced the sky, pinning the demon god hidden in the clouds to the ruins of the Imperial Pass with a "bang." Zhou Qingshan, the Heavenly Emperor of the Seventh State, stood with his bow drawn, and behind him, the Iron Cavalry of Yan State raged like wildfire, tearing a bloody gash in the demon army.

The Celestial Race armies from both states have joined the Imperial Pass, and the Qing Kingdom is no longer fighting alone.

This "war of destiny" swept across the entire Void Sea, and none of the races that fell into the Void Heaven could escape it.

You must choose one of the two.

Both sides' top brass knew that the outcome hinged on Xia Zhoutian!

[Lord of Burial Immortals, Dugu Jue, and the Joyful Buddha received their orders and left the Imperial Pass. Relying on the connection to the "Four Great Evil Gods" of yesteryear, they searched for Xia Zhou Tian in the Void Sea. Meanwhile, the human generals launched several attacks on the alien race's lines, all of which ended in failure.]

The shouts of battle outside the Imperial Pass surged into Chang Le Palace like a tidal wave.

"We failed again."

Hearing the deafening shouts of battle outside, Xue'er and Princess Taiping remained silent for a moment. Xiazhou was a matter of "the Emperor's Mandate," and they absolutely could not allow the foreign tribes to gain the upper hand first.

"My destiny is intertwined with His Majesty's for all eternity. General, you shall take my place at Chang Le Palace, awaiting my return with the might of Xia Zhou."

[Xue'er's figure gradually became transparent, only her voice could be heard clearly. In the blink of an eye, Princess Taiping sensed that Xue'er had been reincarnated through a secret technique.]

The Chinese calendar spans five thousand years.

twenty-first century.

Before archaeologist Gao Feixue excavated the "Tomb of the First Emperor," he had a grand dream about the Spring and Autumn Period.

The person in my dream...

……

(End of this chapter)