It was no wonder Yan Dan harbored such bitterness. In terms of their starting points, Ying Zheng, Changping Jun, Han Fei, and Yan Dan couldn't have been more different, with Ying Zheng arguably starting at the worst disadvantage. The two had known each other for a long time—since Ying Zheng's days as a hostage in Zhao. At the time, their positions were worlds apart.
As a hostage, Ying Zheng was insignificant, someone nobody paid attention to. Who could have imagined that this disregarded hostage would one day become the king of the most powerful of the Warring States? Ying Zheng didn't just stop there; he swept through the six states with unstoppable momentum, founding the Qin Empire.
Yan Dan, however, came from Yan, the only one of the seven Warring States to have survived as a vassal kingdom since the Zhou Dynasty's establishment. The other six states had undergone significant upheavals. Even Qi, despite its longevity, had changed its royal family during the Tian clan's usurpation.
From this perspective, Yan Dan was one of the purest descendants of the Ji family, more so even than Yan Lu. The bloodline had undergone changes even during the transitions between the Eastern and Western Zhou periods.
---
In the skies above Xianyang, the massive black dragon hundreds of meters long wasn't just visible to the city's residents. Observers outside Xianyang also caught sight of it, including Donghuang Taiyi.
To ordinary people, the black dragon appeared as a mythical being, awe-inspiring and beyond comprehension. To Donghuang Taiyi, however, it was no such thing. With his abilities, he could also create a black dragon using the Yin-Yang Clan's illusion techniques, though not one as immense as Daniel's.
Daniel had shared his knowledge of the Ascension Realm in its entirety with Donghuang Taiyi, Beimingzi, Xiaomeng, and others. Had the elusive Guiguzi been located, Daniel wouldn't have hesitated to include him. Daniel was well aware of his talents. While not untalented, he wasn't a genius, either. His accomplishments were largely thanks to the abundant resources he had acquired across various worlds.
Integrating different systems—combining Yin-Yang techniques with ninjutsu or blending magic with other disciplines—was manageable. But breaking into the Ascension Realm was far more challenging, particularly because he lacked the necessary accumulation of power and knowledge.
Thus, encouraging figures like Donghuang Taiyi and Beimingzi to pave the way toward the Ascension Realm was a practical choice. Once the path was established, it would be much easier for others to follow, akin to how the Fourth Hokage's years of work on the Rasengan allowed Jiraiya to learn it in months and Naruto in a week.
In The Outcast series, the Ascension Realm was nearly unattainable for reasons left vague. In the world of Qin's Moon, however, such barriers likely wouldn't exist—after all, this was a world where even the miraculous Tears of the Nine Heavens Maiden could appear.
---
While Donghuang Taiyi pondered, the black dragon let out a thunderous roar, shaking the heavens. Bolts of lightning crisscrossed the sky above Xianyang, their sheer force scattering any lingering thoughts of rebellion. The storm soon dissipated, replaced by shimmering golden light. Amid the light, a radiant golden object resembling a grain of rice descended slowly from the sky to land before Ying Zheng—Nitrolomy, the ultimate longevity artifact.
Having completed its task, the black dragon coiled upward through the clouds and vanished into the heavens. It was only long after the dragon's departure that the kneeling crowd dared to rise. Li Si, with a glance from Ying Zheng, resumed reading the decree. This time, no interruptions occurred. Even after the ceremony concluded, no one in Xianyang Palace dared openly voice opposition.
In the presence of the black dragon, challenging Ying Zheng now seemed an act of sheer folly.
---
"Next is the Mohist Mechanized City. But first, a visit to the Farmers' Sect is in order."
News of the black dragon's appearance and the divine object it bestowed spread rapidly across the former six states, aided by imperial propaganda. The narrative varied, but all versions agreed on one thing: Qin's unification of the world was divinely ordained to end the chaos of the Warring States.
While resistance in distant regions like Chu and Yan persisted, the effects were already evident in Han, Zhao, and Wei. Former soldiers hiding in forests emerged to surrender in droves.
As for the rampant banditry caused by displaced troops from the defeated states, Daniel left such matters to the likes of the Shadow Guard, the Secret Service, and the Six Doors. His focus now was on resolving the Mohist Mechanized City. Once done, he intended to significantly reduce his presence in this world.
---
"You've done well," Daniel said to Tian Yan in Dongjun. She had recently ascended to the position of Xiakui (leader of the Farmers' Sect). After the deaths of Tian Guang, Tian Meng, and other senior leaders, Tian Yan had faced some resistance from the Six Elders of the Farmers. However, a vote ultimately confirmed her leadership.
The objections stemmed from two primary reasons. First was her gender. While rare, female leaders in the Hundred Schools of Thought did exist—Xiaomeng of Daoism's Heavenly Sect and Gongsun Linglong of the School of Names, for example. However, these were exceptions.
The second reason was Tian Yan's frail health. In a group like the Farmers, lacking martial prowess made it difficult to command respect. Even the Confucians demanded strong leadership, as their leaders were expected to represent them in challenges from other schools.
Nonetheless, the support of the surviving Farmers' leaders, coupled with her brother Tian Ci's formidable martial skills, secured Tian Yan the role of Xiakui.
Daniel had initially planned to address the Farmers' Sect after dealing with the Mohists. However, the Six Elders forced his hand by provoking him with a Shennong Decree, reminiscent of their plot against the famous General Bai Qi. Their attempt to challenge Daniel similarly was laughable.
"Fine," Daniel said with a faint smile. "Let me experience the so-called supreme formation of the Farmers."
The Farmers' Dizawa Formation, hailed as their ultimate battle array, was no idle boast. Its reputation stemmed from genuine achievements, though not from large-scale versions employed by regular disciples. Instead, it was the smaller, perfected array mastered by the Six Elders, whose internal energy was harmonized through identical cultivation techniques.
---
"Master Shen, please wait a moment. There's someone you may wish to meet," Tian Yan said. She clapped her hands, and moments later, two Farmers led a man into the room. Bound in heavy chains, the burly figure was unceremoniously shoved forward.
"Who is this?" Daniel asked calmly, observing the towering man before him.
"Ying Bu of the Thunder Leopard Legion," Tian Yan replied.
"Oh, a notable figure," Daniel remarked, scrutinizing the captive. Ying Bu was known as one of the Four Pillars—Wind, Fire, Forest, and Mountain—of the Chu military, his epithet Forest symbolizing steadfastness.
"Answer me, Tian Yan—how is she?" Ying Bu ignored Daniel entirely, his eyes fixed on Tian Yan as he anxiously inquired about someone's wellbeing.
"Could this man truly represent 'Forest'?" Daniel mused, unimpressed. Ying Bu's temperament and his Thunder Leopard Legion seemed more fitting for the fiery attribute. If anything, he would've suited the Fire pillar far better than the deliberate and steady Forest.
"How did you capture him?" Daniel asked. With two of the Four Pillars already dead, and given the chaos following the black dragon's appearance, he had little interest in eradicating the remaining two.钟离昧 and his clan had already surrendered to the empire, making their elimination a trivial matter.
"It was Tian Mi who captured him," Tian Yan explained, recounting the events. Ying Bu had willingly surrendered after bringing a gravely ill girl to Tian Mi for treatment. Known for her medical expertise, Tian Mi had leveraged the situation to take Ying Bu into custody.
"For a little girl, you surrendered? Did you confirm her identity?" Daniel asked with a faint smile.
Tian Yan initially dismissed the girl's significance but grew suspicious upon seeing Ying Bu's reaction to Daniel's question.
"She's just an innocent child!" Ying Bu blurted, his voice tinged with desperation.
"There are many innocents in this world," Tian Yan replied coldly, her gaze hardening. Memories of her own lost innocence as a child resurfaced.
"If you want us to spare her, it's not impossible," Daniel said with a sly grin. "But you'll have to pay the appropriate price."
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