Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

That witch also had an extreme fondness for tea.

After sweeping the table clean without any hesitation, the ancient snake put down its empty cup and tapped the table as a signal.

The mercury moving between the tables automatically lifts the teapot, refilling it with warm tea for the guests.

Samael picked up his teacup, glanced at the pool of mercury that had handled almost all the miscellaneous tasks, and looked on with admiration.

"This thing is really convenient."

"The craftsmanship techniques derived from the ruins of the Yin and Shang dynasties are nothing but ingenious tricks and gimmicks."

The First Emperor remained calm, then gently swirled his teacup and uttered a small, playful remark.

"But I can't give this to you."

Samael responded to the teasing with a smile, not finding it offensive.

Quite the opposite.

Such a conversation indicates that the atmosphere between the two sides is relatively relaxed, and the suspicious First Emperor is dispelling some of his wariness towards him.

However, Samael disagreed with some of these views.

"A strange and ingenious skill? It's more like a national treasure."

The ancient snake gazed at the mercury on the table, which was constantly writhing and changing shapes, its eyes deep and unfathomable.

The term "奇技淫巧" (qí jì yín qiǎo) comes from the Book of Documents, Book 2, Chapter 1: "(The King of Shang) created strange and ingenious skills to please women."

The great Confucian scholar Kong Yingda of the Sui and Tang Dynasties commented: "Strange skills refer to unusual abilities, while excessive craftsmanship refers to overly skillful craftsmanship. The two are largely the same, but skills refer to human beings, while craftsmanship refers to objects."

The views represented by the Book of Documents are only those of the Confucian school, and at the same time, they are a final judgment on the craftsmanship of the Shang Dynasty and King Zhou of Shang.

After all, this has always been the Confucian attitude towards technological innovation.

Coincidentally, this First Emperor hated nothing more than "Confucian scholars" who used words to distort the law.

Technological innovation played an indispensable role in Qin's ability to unify the six kingdoms and rule over the nine provinces.

The ingenuity of the Mohist school in Qin and the craftsmanship of the Gongshu family together created the world-renowned Qin crossbows, swords, and invincible siege machines for the Qin Dynasty.

Among the seven Warring States, the Qin state was arguably the one that placed the most emphasis on technological innovation.

Therefore, take Zheng Gege's previous comments with a grain of salt.

"Hahaha, not bad, you're very good!"

The First Emperor laughed heartily, showing no embarrassment at being exposed, and looked at Samael with even more satisfaction and gentleness.

He likes intelligent people, especially those he will be working with, as this will save him a lot of trouble.

In high spirits, the First Emperor couldn't help but feel the urge to confide in others, and began to recount the origins of this strange and ingenious skill.

Back then, when the Qin Dynasty unified the six kingdoms, what it gained, besides gold, silver, and jewels, was mostly incredible ancient books and technologies from the pre-Qin period.

However, due to its age, most of the items inside are incomplete or lost.

Therefore, the First Emperor ordered people to excavate the ruins of the Yin and Shang dynasties in an attempt to complete the technology and methods of these immortal and divine periods.

By sheer coincidence, he not only found the "extraordinary skills and ingenuity" used by the Yin Shang dynasty to fight against various immortals and gods, but also unexpectedly recovered the remains of an artificial human created by the immortal Taiyi Zhenren.

Through analysis, it was discovered that the Qin Dynasty not only created the twelve bronze statues capable of moving mountains and filling seas, but also obtained the technology of physical mechanization from them.

Unfortunately, the technological leap was too great; before the Qin Dynasty could fully digest and replicate this method, it was too late.

The predatory planets have already descended upon the world, and the major civilizations have united to fight against the external enemy in order to survive.

After this battle, the once mighty Qin Empire was utterly devastated, and the First Emperor himself was seriously injured and on the verge of death.

Left with no other choice, the First Emperor made the resolute decision to make himself the first experimental subject for physical mechanization.

He then entered the underground palace of Mount Li and, using the method of transcending death, separated his consciousness and injected it into the still imperfect mechanized holy body within the palace, falling into a deep sleep.

As time went by, the First Emperor's wounded consciousness gradually healed and became compatible with his mechanized divine body.

As the First Emperor, whose virtue surpassed that of the Three Sovereigns and whose achievements rivaled those of the Five Emperors, his ambition and his path to hegemony did not cease even in his slumber.

In order to elevate his power to the point where he could dominate the entire Earth, the First Emperor followed a pre-set program, constantly absorbing the power of the earth's veins to strengthen and perfect himself, and continuously expanding his mechanized holy body.

After thousands of years of accumulation, his ever-expanding mechanized holy body and spiritual foundation have been incorporated into the entire Lishan underground palace and Lishan earth veins, with an estimated scale covering more than 300 li, surpassing even the legendary Epang Palace.

This is because the internal structure of the mechanized sacred body is not that of the human body, but rather an imitation of the natural environment, like an artificial garden composed of miniature models of mountains, forests, and rivers. It uses the body itself as a microcosm, operating according to the principles of feng shui magic in the actual natural world, driving the movement of mountains, earth veins, and celestial phenomena and seasons.

In a sense, he has transcended the mortal human form, shaping himself into a divine realm, and his consciousness is that of the king who governs this kingdom.

Moreover, the Qin Dynasty's enterprising spirit of conquering the six states ensured that this emperor did not become complacent even after waking up.

The Chinese heroes who were summoned to this land directly or indirectly due to the return of the divine era have almost all submitted to his command and entered his [Holy Body].

The list included a host of famous ministers and generals, such as Qin Liangyu (the Marquis of Loyalty), Yang Guifei (who was a relative of a deity), Han Xin (the military genius), Chen Gong (the strategist), Xiang Yu (the Hegemon-King), Zhuge Liang (the Martial Marquis), and Lanling Wang (the Prince of Lanling), all of whom were subordinates he could freely command and control.

However, perhaps a mechanical body cannot satisfy the human needs and obsessions of this emperor.

Later, the First Emperor encountered Akuta no Hinako, who had also awakened from the modern world, and in exchange for providing this celestial maiden with various conveniences and assistance, he obtained the opportunity to analyze the living fairy's sample.

The Qin Dynasty's advanced technology will further analyze the method of ascension to heaven obtained from the Fusang Tree in the East Sea and the ruins of the Yin and Shang Dynasties. By verifying it through data collected from Akuta no Hinako, and finally successfully putting it into practice in the cultivation tank, the First Emperor's current physical body will be reshaped.

That is, the one right in front of you.

The body of the "True Man - First Emperor," cultivated as a crystallization of electronic immortal arts evolved to its limit, can be said to be a super life form possessing ultimate balance and abilities that the human body cannot achieve.

It is unique, absolute, and eternally indestructible; since it does not need to reproduce, it has transcended gender.

It could even be said that the appearance of this artificial immortal is the culmination of the technology of the eternal Qin Empire, which had been cultivated over 2000 years.

But he still believes that the appearance of a supercomputing device is what is worthy of the power of a ruler who governs the world.

Therefore, this physical body is actually a communication device created by the Mechanical Holy Body for contacting organic life forms, commonly known as a "humanoid terminal".

Of course, according to Chinese tradition, it can also be called an external incarnation.

This external avatar possesses all the authority to manage the mechanical holy body, and can freely allocate all resources, manpower, and even various technologies within the [holy body].

According to the description of the underground palace at Mount Li in the "Records of the Grand Historian: Annals of Qin Shi Huang," it was constructed with mercury to represent the rivers, lakes, and seas, with mechanisms to circulate it. Above, it depicted the heavens, and below, the earth...

Based on what he had just seen and heard, Samael guessed that the connection between the [Avatar] and the [Holy Body] was mercury.

This substance is both the blood and raw material of the [Holy Body], and the manifestation of the power of the [External Incarnation].

To believe those who call it "ingenious tricks" is to be an idiot.

The ancient snake sorted out its thoughts, narrowed its eyes slightly, and seemed to have thought of something, before speaking with a meaningful reminder.

"Your Majesty, although I would like to congratulate you on your ascension to the rank of True Immortal and your longevity with Heaven and Earth, it is still best to be cautious about the ascension techniques of Yin Ruins."

"Oh? Why did you say that?"

The First Emperor frowned, his eyes showing surprise.

Samael tapped his fingers on the bronze tabletop, speaking earnestly and frankly.

"If I'm not mistaken, this ascension technique that manipulates mercury and metals seems to have a source that doesn't belong to China, or even to this world, but rather comes from beyond the heavens. Or perhaps it was this very thing that we were fighting against back then."

The First Emperor looked suspicious and retorted in a deep voice.

"The Fire Record is not fabricated; it is explained through the interpretation of the Book of Changes. The crescent moon is the furnace and cauldron, and the white tiger is the pivot for refining. Mercury and the sun are the flowing pearls, and the blue dragon accompanies them. The east is raised to unite with the west, and the soul and spirit are bound together."

The so-called "regulating the essence of lead and mercury, and absorbing the energy of dragon and tiger" is the essence of external alchemy and the method of ascending to immortality. How could it be related to demonic stars from outer space?

What is the basis for your statement?

His Majesty's discourse is derived from the "Zhouyi Cantongqi".

Since ancient times, alchemy has been divided into two types. One type is the internal alchemy method, which uses oneself as a cauldron to absorb essence and nourish qi, gathering the three flowers at the top of the head.

The second method involves refining the essence of lead and mercury, gathering the energy of dragons and tigers, and using various precious materials to create an elixir that grants immortality and allows one to transcend death and ascend to heaven.

In the practice of external alchemy, mercury and lead represent the Azure Dragon and White Tiger, life and nature, the sun and the moon, the trigrams Li and Kan, the Yang soul and the lunar spirit, and so on.

Therefore, mercury was an indispensable raw material for ancient alchemists in their alchemy practice.

By harmonizing lead and mercury and drawing in the energies of dragon and tiger, the elixir is formed.

If one takes it, one will shed one's mortal body and transcend into an immortal.

Of course, that's just in theory.

The famous external alchemy practice actually has an extremely high mortality rate.

However, in the eyes of the First Emperor, he had not deviated from the right path of seeking immortality and had indeed refined himself into a corpse-dissolving immortal.

Faced with seemingly impeccable ancestral laws and vivid real-world examples, Samael was momentarily speechless and casually asked a question.

"Besides lead and mercury, what else did you add to your own elixir after dissolving your body?"

"Powder of the Celestial Star".

The First Emperor answered instinctively.

Samael was slightly taken aback.

"The one I gave you back then?"

"Uh, it seems so..."

"..."

Suddenly, the two, who clearly realized something, looked at each other and stared at each other in bewilderment.

It seems that the origins of the craftsmanship of the Shang Dynasty and the advanced technology of the Qin Dynasty have been found...

As the answer came to light, Samael couldn't help but sigh and groan.

"It seems I was right. The things in Yin Ruins were indeed deciphered from the bodies of the Wandering Star Vanguard."

"You mean?"

The First Emperor looked at the constantly shifting and writhing mercury in his hand and subconsciously asked a question.

"I think that in ancient times, the wandering star soldiers deployed by the Broom Star Wilpa had landed in China. However, thanks to the collective wisdom and efforts of the ancestors of the Nine Provinces, those outsiders were completely wiped out, and even the remains they left behind became research materials. This is why we have the ingenious skills and magical techniques of the Shang Dynasty and the creation techniques of the gods."

Otherwise, it would be impossible to explain why there was a mechanical civilization beyond its time in the ruins of the Shang Dynasty…

Samael recounted the intelligence he had compiled, adding supplementary information and providing more detailed corroborating evidence.

"In fact, similar situations are not unique to China. For example, the Atlantean creation of the Twelve Machine Gods, the Deep Sea Fleet, and the Wide Area Annihilation Device; the ancient Indian development of the Vimana, a spaceship powered by mercury that can launch nuclear warheads, etc., these are probably technologies analyzed from the Planetary Vanguard."

After listening attentively to Samael's account, the First Emperor nodded slightly, his brow furrowing.

"Now that you mention it, I do recall that since the Shang Dynasty, whether it is the immortals and gods of Kunlun or the books in the human world, they have all been very secretive about these strange and ingenious techniques. Indeed, the external alchemy methods that rely on external forces have many hidden dangers."

"But in a sense, perhaps Your Majesty's method of adjusting lead and mercury and consuming the external elixir of dragon and tiger is the right one."

Samael reassured Samael while muttering to himself with a hint of mockery.

How can a mortal's flesh and blood withstand the torment of highly toxic substances like lead and mercury? It's no wonder someone would die from taking such heavy metal drugs every day.

The ancient methods of external alchemy may very well be ways to cultivate a cyber god.

Flesh and blood are in pain, and machinery is ascending.

By cultivating the Cyber ​​Great Path and encountering the Three Pure Ones of Mechs, one can achieve their goal!

"Hmph, don't try to sweet-talk me."

Realizing that his sacred body was not entirely safe, the First Emperor gave a soft hum, his eyes flashing.

"It seems that going to Kunlun is inevitable!"

"Indeed, if those celestial beings were still alive, they might be able to answer many of our questions."

Samael smiled and nodded, stretched, turned to look at the bright sky outside the door, drank the last cup of tea, ended the day's chat, and got up together with the First Emperor, who had made up his mind, and walked out of the hall.

Chapter Eleven: Did they take care of her in bed?

Outside the palace, the morning sun was just rising.

Upon hearing the bell tolling to signal the assembly, Qin Liangyu, who was on night duty, led a squad of White-Spear Soldiers to the scene early in the morning and stood guard at the foot of the steps.

"Lord Samael!"

With a timid call, a small head with two buns popped out from behind Qin Liangyu and ran towards the ancient snake's embrace.

The friction of the armor plates and the intermingling of shadows caused those tender shoulders to tremble slightly involuntarily.

Historically, Yang Guifei died in the Mawei Mutiny.