In order to become a Heroic Spirit, I had no choice but to cause trouble in history.

He placed his withered hands on the two remains.

Ji Chao stared wide-eyed, his face filled with shock and sorrow, yet he offered no rebuttal to what Daoist Siji had said.

"The relatively well-preserved remains were once named 'Nezha,' left here by the immortal Taiyi Zhenren. And this one, though its name is unknown, must have had its glorious moments."

"Although they are 'man-made,' the last 'humans' proved that they once truly lived in this world. When using them and transforming them, we must do so with reverence and remembrance, my disciple."

Siji Daoist's gaze lingered on Ji Chao.

"This is the last gift I, as your master, can leave you."

boom--

A massive amount of magical power erupted from the center of Siji Daoren.

Through the linking magic of thought keys, Siji Daoren channeled his remaining life force and a large amount of magic power into the two remains.

"Master—Master!" Ji Chao hurriedly got up, trying to grab his master.

hum!

It was as if there was a force field around Siji Daoren, which sent Ji Chao flying the moment he got close, crashing heavily against the wall.

"Uh--"

Ji Chao lay on the ground, struggling to lift his head and look in the direction of Daoist Siji.

Siji Daoist sat there cross-legged, a calm and unhurried smile always on his lips.

He gave his apprentice a final, kind smile.

If fate allows, we will meet again.

call--

The magic surged forth in a final wave, and the head of the Sage slumped down, falling silent.

“…Master…” Tears welled up in Ji Chao’s eyes.

------------

Chapter 760 Unchanged Feelings

Outside the Yin Ruins, Ji Chao knelt before a burial mound and bowed deeply.

“Master, I understand.” His eyes were filled with understanding and respect.

Buried in this solitary grave is none other than Ji Chao's master, the magician who guided Ji Chao onto the path of immortality, the Taoist Master Siji.

Until the very end, Ji Chao still didn't know Siji Daoren's real name, only his Daoist title. He hadn't even seen Siji Daoren's face much before. Most of Ji Chao's magic was learned by himself through the connection of thought keys.

However, this did not prevent Ji Chao from showing such respect to Daoist Siji.

"To foresee death, and to accept it...?" A glint of light flashed in his eyes. "I understand."

"If fate allows, we will meet again."

Ji Chao smiled and stood up.

Finally, Ji Chao bowed to the grave of the Taoist priest, turned around, picked up the two activated remains on his back, and embarked on his own journey without looking back or hesitating.

......

228 BC.

King Zheng of Qin is currently handling various affairs.

Since he ascended the throne, he has never stopped plotting to conquer the world.

A true man's ambition lies in unifying the land. I will surely become the mighty ruler who unites the world!

King Zheng of Qin always believed this and worked towards it.

Last month, Wang Jian conquered the capital of Zhao for him, destroying Zhao, which was one of the major powers along with Qin. He rushed to Handan and buried alive some of his old enemies there, establishing the Handan Prefecture. Now he has just returned to Xianyang from Taiyuan, and hasn't even had a chance to relax yet.

After killing the King of Zhao, it seems that Prince Jia of Zhao fled with the Zhao clan. I wonder if this is a dangerous omen and we must eliminate it as soon as possible.

With a sigh, King Zheng of Qin moved his head.

There were too many things that required his personal attention, and there was also a major threat in the west, so he dared not relax for even a moment.

Suddenly, he felt something moving inside his sleeve.

"Ah."

Reaching into his sleeve with his right hand, King Zheng of Qin took out a small object.

"Zhi Xiang...?"

It was a mechanical bird that had been polished and patinated, the very one that his reclusive retainer Ji Chao had given him years ago when he went to Yin Ruins before setting out.

At this moment, the mechanical bird Chishiro was flapping its wings, making a "click-clack" sound.

"—Could it be!?" A look of surprise and elation flashed in his eyes, and he suddenly sat up from his seat.

Holding the mechanical bird Zhi Xiang in his palm, watching it slowly rotate until it finally stopped in one direction, King Zheng of Qin quickly changed into his everyday clothes and ran out of the palace.

He knew that direction, he knew it.

That's the direction of Ji Chao's residence!

......

"Brother Chao? Is that you!" Upon arriving at Ji Chao's residence, King Zheng of Qin was excited to see that the door, which had been sealed for many years, had been opened.

Then he saw a strong figure with his back to him, with huge shoulders and an aura of fierceness.

King Zheng of Qin was dumbfounded.

The burly man turned around, saw King Zheng of Qin, and his face lit up with excitement. He took a few steps to King Zheng, knelt on one knee, and bowed to him, saying:

"My lord! Chao is back!"

"...Who are you?"

The situation became awkward.

After much explanation, Ji Chao finally convinced King Zheng of Qin to accept the fact that he was still the same person he always was.

"...I just didn't expect that you, Brother Chao, would change so much..." King Zheng of Qin sat on a stool, covering his forehead, his domineering face showing signs of distress and exhaustion.

At this moment, Ji Chao was a completely different person from the Ji Chao who set off.

At that time, Ji Chao was fair-skinned and beardless, thin and frail, looking exactly like a weak and scholarly man. He was also wearing a nobleman's robe and was extremely handsome.

The man standing before King Zheng of Qin, Ji Chao, was burly and muscular, with a long beard and a fierce appearance. He dressed more like an ordinary old farmer than a nobleman.

"After spending so much time in Yinxu, it's normal for a person to change a little, right?" Ji Chao didn't seem to care about his changes; he just smiled.

"Well, Brother Chao, your safe return after eight years is my greatest blessing." King Zheng of Qin's expression returned to normal, with a slight smile. "Then, Brother Chao, please sit down."

The two sat facing each other, which was completely against the rules, but King Zheng of Qin didn't care at all.

"Did you find anything at Yin Ruins, Brother Chao?" King Zheng of Qin asked with a smile, looking at his almost only friend.

For him, Ji Chao was the only person he was close to. It was a kind of affection that came from the relationship between ruler and subject, but was distinct from that relationship. It had never changed from beginning to end, which he found extremely precious.

"I have gained a great deal," Ji Chao exclaimed. "I have witnessed the greatest thing I have ever seen in my life, and I have brought a glimmer of hope back to the Central Plains."

“If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t have returned.”

"But what stage has your unification of the Central Plains reached, my lord?"

There wasn't much awe in his eyes when he looked at King Zheng of Qin. If it weren't for his desireless heart, this relationship would have changed sooner or later.

"How about we remove two out of six?"

The states of Han and Zhao had already been destroyed by King Zheng of Qin. He rested his elbow on the table, supporting his face, pointing a finger at his temple, his eyes slightly narrowed, exuding unparalleled domineering and dangerous aura.

Ji Chao, however, was used to it and said with a smile, "If the lord cannot do this, then there is no point in unifying the Central Plains."

King Zheng of Qin was taken aback, then slammed his hand on the table and burst into laughter: "Hahahaha, Brother Chao is right. If we couldn't achieve this, how could we talk about unifying the Central Plains? But I did it! So one day, this world will surely be in my grasp!"

Ji Chao also laughed.

"Brother Chao, one day I will also take action against where you came from. Are you prepared? Do you resent me?" King Zheng of Qin calmed down and looked at Ji Chao.

He was referring to the State of Chu.

"It doesn't matter. I was just a discarded pawn. Besides, it would be better if there was a unified country in the Central Plains." Ji Chao shook his head, indicating that he didn't care.

In his eyes, a faint glimmer of magic flashed, dimming for a fleeting moment.

King Zheng of Qin laughed again: "Good!"

The laughter subsided, and King Zheng of Qin looked at Ji Chao with lingering interest: "So, Brother Chao, what about what you found?"

"I'll get it."

Ji Chao went outside and carried the large box inside.

"Oh? This is..." King Zheng of Qin's intuition told him that the contents of this box were not simple.

Ji Chao opened the box, and what appeared before King Zheng of Qin were two strange corpses, or rather, remains.

"This is what I found in Yin Ruins, something that can preserve the life of the Central Plains," Ji Chao said to King Zheng of Qin with a serious expression.

------------

Chapter 761 Kuaiji Zero Style, Kuaiji First Style

"What is this? Could it be..." King Zheng of Qin narrowed his eyes and leaned forward slightly. Facing the somewhat terrifying artificial human remains, he showed no fear, but rather a strong interest.

"Remains of an immortal?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Ji Chao's eyes, but he smiled knowingly.

"Your Majesty is truly insightful. These are indeed the remains of an immortal, but to be more precise... these are the remains of an 'artificial human' created by a real immortal."

"Hmph... This does pique my interest. But Brother Chao, these are just remains. How can they possibly preserve life for the Central Plains?"

"That depends on you, my lord." Ji Chao stood up, a glint in his eyes.

"Hahaha, you Xiang Chao..." King Zheng of Qin laughed, shaking his head and pointing at Ji Chao.