Origin Paradise!

Ten kilograms of gold, a complete corpse, and the branding of an ouroboros—these three combined equal a freshly forged demon soldier.

A full 180,000 newly born evil soldiers were stationed in the city, filling several military camps to capacity.

"Ah Da, you shall lead your 1,000 fierce knights and 80,000 fierce soldiers to attack Jizhou in the north immediately."

"Understood." Ah Da clasped his hands in acceptance of the order.

Jiang He ordered the 100,000 evil soldiers to embrace each other and enter Rock Town through the Black Sun Domain, otherwise, given the current size of the portable sanctuary, it would be difficult to accommodate them.

Following a method akin to stuffing eight people into a single coffin, 100,000 soldiers vanished within the city.

Jiang He gazed at the northern frontier. Since he had come all this way, he naturally had no intention of returning. Among the holy lands of martial arts, the Great Snow Mountain was one of the best, and it was the territory of shamans and esoteric sects.

"Sacred hunter."

With seven steps, Jiang He had already left the city.

The land beyond the Great Wall is vast and desolate.

He saw a familiar pile of rocks, one of which was the former "laboratory" of the Yan family, with a tunnel inside that led directly to the Lan clan tribe.

A streak of light swept across the grassland, and half a day later it passed a battlefield. The nine mounds of skulls had been weathered away, with only the pale white skulls still standing.

Jiang He knew that this place was not far from Dragon City. When he conquered the ancestral court of the barbarians, he fought a battle with the barbarian garrison here. Without Grandmasters and Bronze-level experts, he naturally won.

As we continued forward, snow gradually appeared on the grass, the sky and earth blended into one color, and the sunlight was dazzling. Even in the sweltering summer, the surrounding temperature was still so low that it made most people uncomfortable.

Half a day later, Jiang He saw a majestic mountain covered in snow.

Chapter 354 Snow Mountain

The summit of the snow-capped mountain.

The shamanic altar and the esoteric Buddhist temple stand side by side here.

The Tantric Zen Master went south, and the Lord of the Great Snow Mountain went north. Originally, the two sacred sites should have been in the hands of Longcheng. No one in the entire barbarian tribe doubted whether this once-in-a-millennium genius could advance to the Grandmaster level. Unfortunately, two geniuses cannot coexist in one lifetime. Longcheng was born at the wrong time and was defeated by Jiang Wuyang, the former pacification leader.

The group of sixteen grandmasters sat around the campfire. Today was the new dynasty's sacrificial ceremony to Heaven. Although they had lost the ability to interfere in the Central Plains, they could still secretly stage a fake ceremony. It wouldn't have much effect, but it could win people's hearts.

Among these masters, nine were true disciples of Tantric Zen masters. Only those who had mastered a Tenth Bhumi secret technique were worthy of being bestowed with the true teachings by the Zen master. Originally, the nine fellow disciples were secretly competing for the position of Zen master and had almost become enemies with each other.

But when Longcheng suddenly appeared and learned ten secret techniques in succession, everyone was speechless. Faced with such a peerless genius who seemed to have been born of heaven and earth, ordinary geniuses did not even have a chance to compete.

"The mountain lord and the Zen master have not returned yet. Should we elect a representative? Just as a country cannot be without a ruler for a day, the shamanism and esoteric sects have tens of thousands of disciples. They cannot remain aimless forever."

The Zen master's chief disciple was the first to speak out, saying that the barbarians and the Central Plains have different ecosystems. The two holy lands are equivalent to the collection of all sects outside the Great Wall, except that various branches have evolved within them. Today, with everyone present, it is the perfect time to gather the masses and rise to power.

The ninth disciple solemnly said, "I only recognize Dragon City. Throughout the history of the Holy Land, only he has the talent to combine the secret techniques of the two heavens, three bodies, and ten earths into one. When heaven and earth unite, the two bodies meet, and the Dharma is born, who can rival him?"

The eldest disciple retorted angrily, "That's nothing more than a theory deduced by Zen masters throughout history!"

The ninth disciple sneered: "In short, some people are not worthy."

"You're asking for death!" the eldest disciple roared in fury.

Boom!

Suddenly, the resounding sound of footsteps landing echoed in everyone's hearts, like thunder descending from the sky.

The sixteen masters turned around in unison. The newcomer wore a gold-embroidered dragon robe, had an exceptionally handsome face, and his platinum crown made his hair flutter in the wind and snow. He was tall and slender, with eyes as cold as ice.

Emperor of the Central Plains, Jiang Wuyang.

The eldest disciple's expression stiffened slightly, and just as he was about to speak, a deep red wave swept across the mountains.

The effect of the Overlord's deterrence depends on the number of kills. After arriving in this world, the amount of blood on someone's hands rose again, and the color of the deterrence wave changed from dark red to deep red.

"What, you want to fight me?"

Countless people collapsed to the ground, falling into a near-death coma. The ninth disciple's face still showed a look of horror as if he had seen a ghost. He had seen the other party once when the ancestral court, Dragon City, fell. At that time, this person was indeed so strong that it was despair-inducing, but now it had reached an incomprehensible level.

"The sky is tilting!"

Of the nearly ten thousand cultivators, only the most powerful disciple lasted less than half a second, mainly because the person was not targeting any individual.

Jiang He, with his pure white eyes, strolled leisurely towards the armory. He could barely be considered a Silver Overlord now, and it would be undignified and meaningless to actually fight against a Bronze opponent.

A black sun rises.

As it advanced, corpses flew into it, their flesh and bones exploding, and the extraordinary factors contained within were completely digested by the devouring force, leaving not a trace.

In a quarter of an hour, a semi-circular ravine with a diameter of 100 meters was left on the mountaintop, and everyone disappeared without a trace.

The diameter of the Black Sun's domain has been increased to two hundred meters.

Its sturdiness has been improved, but it is still far from being indestructible.

Jiang He used his All-Seeing Eye to find all the places where martial arts manuals were hidden. The number of manuals far exceeded that of any single sect in the Nine Provinces, but the total number was only 330,000, which was less than that of the three provinces.

"Production resources determined that the barbarians could not expand their lineage."

"However, centralization also brought about a qualitative change."

"A single flower in full bloom and a hundred flowers blooming together each have their own merits."

Light thoughts flashed through Jiang He's mind. He wasn't very interested in the ecology of the two places, but he found the Secret Technique of Two Days, Ten Lands, and Three Bodies quite valuable. This secret technique was the result of dozens of generations of Zen masters in Tantric Buddhism filling in and perfecting it, and it contained rich wisdom and culture.

With the perspective of the pinnacle of martial arts in this world, Jiang He quickly grasped the essence of the matter. The two heavens and ten earths drew upon the power of celestial phenomena and earthly support, causing the two bodies to merge with his own body, ultimately creating a Dharma form. However, the fusion was only theoretical, and no one has yet accomplished it.

"Interesting. An extremely incomplete method for shaping mythical forms. Even if it is eventually created, it will probably only be a blank shell. It is an inevitable result of taking too big a step. But it is still quite good. It is the essence of ten thousand years of inheritance."

Lilith stepped forward to comment, noticing the host's emotional fluctuations. Normally, the host was completely calm, even when sleeping with concubines, only becoming alert when encountering a few situations that would help increase his strength.

"What is the use of a blank Dharma form?" Jiang He asked. He knew that Dharma forms were also called mythological forms, just with different names.

“A blank space…” Lilith laughed, “is really useless.”

Jiang He glared at the other person slightly. This guy knew perfectly well that he wasn't the type to waste time talking nonsense.

Lilith said helplessly, "It's a long-term investment. Getting in touch with the mythical form early will help you master it sooner."

Jiang He stroked his chin. "There are female souls in Dragon City, and I have you. Perhaps we can work together."

The Three Bodies Secret Technique is not yet at a level of perfection sufficient to support a Silver Peak master. Otherwise, Zen masters who have reached the peak in history would have been able to infiltrate the Central Plains and hunt down various Grandmasters.

At the same time, this secret technique requires the soul to control the body, which Jiang He has no interest in. Firstly, mental will is related to the complete advancement of each stage, and secondly, it is to avoid causing a lot of trouble in the future, which would be a loss. Longcheng is stuck at the Bronze level, which is also a drag in this respect.

However, the magnificent and flashy techniques of heaven and earth are worth seeing, especially the heavenly fire, which corresponds to the thunder magic of the Dao Palace. The combination of the two, supplemented by the thunder and fire inheritance of various sects in the world, may be able to push heavenly thunder and earthly fire to the ultimate level.

"Why are you saying such ambiguous things?" Lilith smiled, her focus unusually different.

"Give me a straight answer," Jiang He said.

Lilith waved her hand and said with a smile, "I don't care about such a mere cannon fodder secret technique. As a being from the mythical era, I certainly have better alternatives."

"But now I have lost two kinds of authority, like a bottle without a cap. My soul power is diminishing with every use. Otherwise, I would have slapped that arrogant woman for stealing my child last time. She was practically asking for death."

Jiang He was speechless. He wouldn't say that Lilith was a useless person; at least her assistance in terms of experience was satisfactory.

"Going back, we still have to behead people to read books and participate in talent shows."

Lilith hooked her arm around someone's neck from behind and teased, "Let me give you some advice. Even if you have no experience, you still have a good eye. I guarantee I'll be able to spot your type."

Jiang He shook his head, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. He and this guy weren't close enough to discuss such private topics. As the host, he could sense the other's hidden emotions as the other experienced them. Since they met, Lilith, as a deity, had never had any emotional fluctuations.

"We were allies, let's hope we can part ways amicably in the future."

"Dream on."

Chapter 355 Draft

The following day, at Qingdu Palace.

Jiang He returned from beyond the Great Wall last night. The harvest from the Great Snow Mountain, combined with the tributes from recent days, brought the number of martial arts manuals to 400,000, which means he can continue to consume provisions.

Now that Yiqing and Jingyang have been pacified, Jizhou is under attack, and most of the Central Plains have been recovered, it is clear to anyone with discerning eyes that the new dynasty is unstoppable.

"Your Majesty has worked hard reading this book, so I have specially prepared lotus seed soup, which was made by collecting dew in the morning."

The Empress gently placed a jade bowl in her delicate hands; the lotus seed soup inside was crystal clear and had an enticing fragrance.

Today is the big day of the talent show. Jingzhou has a population of ten million, and there are quite a few women of marriageable age. The first round has a total of seventy thousand people who have made it to the finals. After screening and selection, those with outstanding appearance and good manners will enter the second round, and the number will still be as high as three thousand.

By the third round, the selection process became much more rigorous. Any tiny scar or birthmark on the body would result in immediate elimination. Under the pressure of these stringent standards, only three hundred women made it to the fourth round, which was divided into thirty rounds for the emperor to personally review.

The purpose of this selection was to fill the positions of the six imperial concubines and nine imperial consorts. Due to the presence of the eldest princess and others, there were only ten spots available. Three-fifths of these spots were given to aristocratic families and clans from the imperial court and prefectures. In other words, of the tens of thousands of people who participated in the initial selection, only four could ultimately remain.

The number of concubines in the imperial palace would undoubtedly be considered heinous in modern times, but for the officials in the court, it was something to be applauded. Many ministers even privately remarked that the emperor had finally done something decent, since if the emperor were too "clean" in this regard, his ability to marry and take concubines would be greatly restricted.

Ritual, music, and military expeditions originated from the Son of Heaven.

Since ancient times, the division of the tripod has been named after the number of tripods.

Those who exceed the bounds of propriety before the ruler shall be executed.

Jiang He took the jade bowl. It seemed to have some seasoning added to it. It wasn't poison, but something to enhance the experience. The Dao Palace was particularly skilled in pharmacology, as medicine and poison were inseparable. As the only daughter of the Dao leader, the Empress was an expert among experts.

"Announce it," shouted Zhuang Ya, the female official in charge of the Directorate of Ceremonial.

Under the watchful eyes of the ruthless soldiers of the Imperial Horse Stables, the eunuchs relayed the imperial decree down the ranks.

Ten young women lined up and stepped forward. When they reached the front of the palace gate, they all bowed in unison. Each of them was followed by two personal maids. The daughters of officials could choose their maids from their homes. If the conditions were not met, the imperial city would be responsible for assigning them at this stage.

Jiang He sipped the lotus seed soup, secretly adding another layer of punishment to the Empress's offense; the potency of this medicine was not enough to affect the overlord.

Before them, beauties vied for attention, some dignified and serene, others cunning and lively, still others aloof yet alluring. The final round of beauties were all stunning, each with their own unique charm. If judged strictly, their natural charm was generally above eight points, with some reaching the absolute level of nine.

The Empress suppressed her nameless anger. Apart from the fact that he was neglecting her, she was extremely satisfied with the Emperor. He was young and handsome, highly skilled in martial arts, and held great power. If the short woman in white hadn't been so incompetent, she wouldn't have needed to bring in outside help to reduce the deep favor the female official enjoyed from the Emperor.

Whenever she thought of the short man in white and the emperor alone in the Qingdu Palace late at night, openly engaging in their illicit affair, the empress couldn't help but feel heartbroken. That was the position that should have belonged to her.

"Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, all the young ladies are virtuous and kind women."

Jiang He gave Zhuang Ya a look.

Unfortunately, Zhuang Ya didn't understand; she had never received similar education or training before.

Fortunately, there were professional eunuchs present, and Wei Wanzhong immediately stepped forward and seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"Change to the next batch."

The second, third, and fourth rounds were conducted in that order.

In the tenth round, Jiang He suddenly paused, her expression slightly blank.

Among the beauties, a young woman dressed in a moonlit white palace gown stood out. She had a pretty face, and her large eyes exuded innocence. She had a broad chest, yet her waist was slender and delicate.

Before the Silver Overlord, the pinnacle of martial arts, this young lady's concealment was meaningless. She had become a grandmaster at a young age, but she cultivated superior seductive arts. She used two or three concealment techniques to cover her fox ears and tail, but she was not a true demon, but a hybrid.

Jiang He left her name tag, clearly indicating that the other party had something to do with her. Of course, what deserves more attention are the maids and sisters behind her, who together can barely be considered half acquaintances.

[Executive's Exclusive Notice: You have encountered a violator]

[Player Name: White Fox Girl]

[Player Level: LV20]

[Player Titles: White Lotus Saintess, Concubine's Daughter of the Bai Family of Jingzhou, Birth of a Hundred Flowers, White Fox Elder, Deputy Commander of Jingzhou City, Different Paths for Demons and Humans, Ten-Bend Corridor...]

[Execution Diagnosis: Violation due to maliciously acquiring titles; this player participated in the talent show for attempting to obtain the title "Traitorous Concubine"]

An executive-specific notification sounded in my ear.

Jiang He remained calm. Violators would certainly be killed, but not now. Due to the existence of the hunting mission, the increased authority of the Wuhe intelligence agent allowed him to monitor a large area of ​​land. Once the mission ended, the area would return to its original size.

With the target's identity already exposed, there is no possibility of escape.

……

For the first time since the founding of the dynasty, the emperor left behind name tags, and many of the young women seemed to be burning with jealousy. This was the first time the emperor had selected women to enter the palace. According to the precedents of previous dynasties, as long as a prince gave birth to a child, he would most likely be granted the title of a prince after reaching adulthood.

This represents a tremendous leap at the family level, granting them access to royalty and the nation's fate, and providing them with a long-term source of sustenance as the chaotic era draws to a close.

Wei Wanzhong loudly announced the name: "A commoner girl from Huyou County, Jingzhou, Bai Lili, enters the palace..."

Jiang He suddenly said, "Promote her to Imperial Noble Consort."

Upon hearing this, the Empress couldn't help but stand up abruptly, her face filled with astonishment and anger. There was only one Empress, one Imperial Noble Consort, and one Noble Consort. It was one thing for the Lady-in-Waiting to hold the Seal, but for a commoner to suddenly rise to such a high position was enough to make her break down.

"Your Majesty, I feel tired."

"sit down."

The Empress pursed her lips and turned her head to meet someone's cold gaze. Tears welled in her eyes as she reluctantly sat back down in her original seat.