Primordial Era: A member of the Jie Sect, apprenticed to Tongtian

"totem?"

Upon hearing this, Shi Yuan's expression finally changed.

He naturally understood what those two words meant.

A totem is a true symbol of a nation, closely linked to the dynasty's fortune. As long as the dynasty exists, the totem can continuously distribute a vast amount of fortune, almost without any constraints.

More importantly, this is a one-way recognition.

When the nation exists, the totem gains fortune; when the nation perishes, the totem is not harmed.

For this reason, the Chinese dynasties have always been extremely cautious about totems. Unless one has done something of extraordinary favor to the dynasty, it is absolutely impossible to easily establish a totem.

In the past, when Yu the Great controlled the floods, the dragon clan spared no effort to help him, even opening the Dragon Gate to help all races transform into dragons. This is how they became one of the totems of the Xia Dynasty, and their fortune has continued to this day.

However, since then, totems have almost disappeared in every dynasty.

Today, the Zhou Dynasty is filled with numerous vassal states, but few possess a true totem.

Now, Ji Qi is going to give nearly half of this fortune to him.

"Is the king's statement true?"

Shi Yuan's tone became more serious.

"Naturally true."

Ji Qi nodded without hesitation.

Shi Yuan was silent for a moment, then smiled softly.

"Such a generous gift, Your Majesty, please speak frankly: what do you wish me to do?"

He never believed in free lunches.

Such a highly valuable position as a totem must have some underlying purpose.

"My request is only this one thing."

Ji Qi raised his head, his gaze unusually clear.

"When the future Zhou dynasty collapses, I hope that the mountain lord can protect the Ji clan's bloodline and ensure the survival of the people of Lu."

These words once again surprised Shi Yuan.

He couldn't help but ask, "Do you know that behind Bangzhou are the Heavenly Court and the immortals of the Chan Sect?"

"Of course I know."

Ji Qi nodded.

"Then why are you so certain that the Zhou dynasty is doomed?"

This is what Shi Yuan is most curious about.

He knew the fate of the Zhou Dynasty because of what came from later generations; sages and quasi-sages knew because they understood the will of Heaven. But Ji Qi was merely a mortal.

"It's very simple."

Ji Qi sneered.

"Even a traitor like Qingfu could rely on his legitimate bloodline to seize the imperial seal, manipulate the fortune, bestow titles upon gods, and even invoke the Thunder Department of Heaven."

"How can such a world last?"

"In my view, within a few hundred years, the world will inevitably descend into chaos, and the laws and regulations will collapse; it's only a matter of time."

At this moment, Shi Yuan finally understood.

Having experienced the Qingfu Rebellion, this young king had seen through the true nature of the Chan sect's rituals and laws.

So-called orthodoxy is nothing more than serving bloodline and birth; so-called etiquette is merely a tool for the strong to maintain order.

Commoners are lowly, while immortals are noble.

Under this system, people like Qingfu become "proper and legal" beings.

Shi Yuan nodded slightly.

It must be admitted that this Duke Min of Lu was indeed excessively clear-headed.

The terms offered by the other party did indeed tempt him.

He disdained to enter the state as an official and share in the meager fortune; but the position of totem was a real and fundamental fortune.

After a moment of hesitation, Shi Yuan finally spoke.

"I grant your permission."

"When the Zhou dynasty collapses, I will personally protect your descendants and the people of Lu."

He made the promise and waved his hand.

The imperial seal slowly flew to Ji Qi's front.

Ji Qi solemnly accepted the seal, his expression serene.

"My name is Ji Qi, a descendant of King Wu, and the ruler of the Renchao Kingdom."

He bit his tongue, spitting out a mouthful of blood that landed on the seal.

"Heaven above, Earth below, the Three Sovereigns as witnesses, and the Five Emperors as witnesses."

"In the name of the sovereign, I hereby decree the establishment of the Lord of Yuanquan Mountain as the totem of our State of Lu..."

"We share the fate of the nation and its destiny!"

"Imperial Edict!"

The moment the words left his mouth, the heavens and earth roared.

Above the State of Lu, the fortunes of the land surged and were reshaped.

On the seal of the People's Court, next to the character "Lu", a majestic mountain shadow slowly emerges, which is the phantom of Yuanquan Mountain.

At the same time, a vast and powerful fortune, like a torrent, surged toward Shiyuan in an instant.

That was... the fortune of almost half of the people of Lu!

Without the slightest hesitation, Shi Yuan, with a thought, directly channeled all of this fortune into the Shi Yuan Realm within the Chaos Pearl.

"Give me......"

"Continue to evolve!"...

Ji Qi left very decisively.

The young king lingered without further lingering or repeatedly confirming his promise, as if he had already weighed everything in his mind. It was precisely this decisiveness that earned Shi Yuan's admiration.

Shi Yuan knew very well that this ruler of the small country was not entirely frank.

He established himself as the totem of the State of Lu, ostensibly seeking only one thing... to ensure the continuation of the Ji clan's lineage and the people of Lu when the Zhou dynasty collapsed. This seemed like a rather demanding condition.

But in reality, it contains quite a clever design.

From the moment he became the totem of the State of Lu, even if only for the sake of his own share of the fortune, he would inevitably protect the State of Lu to some extent. At least, before the collapse of the Zhou Dynasty, the safety of the ruler Ji Qi would be incidentally protected.

And this "incidental" benefit is itself a huge gain.

In the present state of Lu, the ruler is young and the chief minister Qingfu has just died, inevitably leading to instability in the domestic power structure. Neighboring states are eyeing the country covetously, and could intervene at any moment during this turmoil.

However, once the news spread that "the Lord of Yuanquan Mountain is the totem of the State of Lu," the situation would immediately change.

No feudal lord was willing to easily test a powerful figure whom even the Heavenly Thunder Department dared not investigate.

In this way, the State of Lu can stabilize the situation in a short time, and Ji Qi can take the opportunity to gradually take back the power that was originally held by Qing Fu.

Shi Yuan could see through all of these thoughts.

But he didn't care.

Human power struggles and the rise and fall of dynasties were of little importance to him. On the contrary, someone like Ji Qi, who harbored doubts about the established social order and possessed a clear mind, would be more in line with his future plans if he were to truly seize power in the State of Lu.

However, these are all things for another time.

At this moment, Shi Yuan no longer had the mind to concern himself with human conflicts.

After confirming that Ji Qi had left Yuanquan Mountain, he simply gave Yuan Ling a few instructions, telling her that he was going into seclusion for a while, and then turned and entered the quiet room deep inside Shiyuan Pavilion.

The next moment, his figure vanished from the spot.

With a shift of consciousness, he had already stepped into the Stone Origin Realm.

However, the moment he entered the Shiyuan Realm, he froze on the spot.

The heavens and earth roared.

Earth, water, fire, and wind surged wildly, and the small world, which was originally only a few hundred miles in radius, was now expanding outward at a visible speed. The chaotic energy was constantly torn apart, and a series of breathtaking creation scenes unfolded in the void.

"Has this...crossed that line?"

Shi Yuan realized the crux of the problem almost immediately.

In fact, ever since the Shiyuan Realm first took shape, it has remained in a relatively stable state. Whether it was the fortune he received as a disciple of the Jie Sect or the merit he gained from transforming Yuanquan Mountain, he poured it all into the Shiyuan Realm without reservation.

But the world itself has never continued to evolve.

At that time, he vaguely sensed that the growth of the Shiyuan Realm was not linear.

If we call the previous state, which was hundreds of miles long and completely empty, the "first stage," then to move into the next stage, we must cross a certain key threshold.

This time, however, he received an extraordinary amount of good fortune.

Although the State of Lu was only one of the vassal states of Zhou, the fortune and prosperity it had accumulated over five hundred years was considerable. Even though a portion of it was taken away by the gods and Buddhas every year, it continued to accumulate overall.

Now, nearly half of the fortune accumulated over five hundred years has fallen into his hands.

This immense torrent of fortune finally propelled the Shiyuan Realm across that invisible threshold.

Before he could think it through, the changes in the world had already brought him back into that familiar state.