"The Grand Preceptor has made a breakthrough in cultivation."
Zhao Feng glanced at Guiguzi and smiled.
"Thanks to His Majesty and the Crown Prince's blessings," Guiguzi replied with a cheerful expression.
"With the support of the Great Qin's national fortune, I was fortunate enough to break through."
Golden Immortal Realm!
The threshold of immortality.
Stepping into the Golden Immortal Realm marked a great leap in power.
Guiguzi had long yearned for this realm, yet after centuries of effort, he had failed to break through.
Unexpectedly, after descending into the mortal world, he had obtained such an opportunity.
"Grand Preceptor."
"I shall bestow upon you a divine ability. You will use it to bring rainfall to the drought-stricken lands of Great Qin." Zhao Feng spoke to Guiguzi.
"Rainfall requires the authority of the Heavenly Court or the assistance of the Dragon Clan," Guiguzi responded in surprise.
"What kind of divine ability is this?"
Without further explanation, Zhao Feng used the Heavenly Profound Mirror to transmit the Call the Wind, Summon the Rain divine ability to Guiguzi.
Upon comprehending the technique, Guiguzi's face turned solemn with reverence.
"I shall depart immediately!"
Without hesitation, Guiguzi tore open space and vanished toward the drought-stricken regions.
"The Grand Preceptor's strength truly belongs to the realm of True Immortals."
Witnessing Guiguzi's swift departure, many officials in the court were filled with admiration and envy.
"I have an imperial decree to announce to the world."
"From this day forward"
"For every newborn child in the Great Qin Empire, upon being registered in the household records, the family shall be rewarded with 100 contribution points per child, with no upper limit."
Zhao Feng's voice rang through the hall.
Hearing this, the court officials responded without hesitation,
"We obey the decree!"
Once the assembly had dispersed, leaving only father and son behind in the grand hall, they sat side by side on the steps beneath the imperial throne.
"Feng'er."
"This policy of rewarding household registration is it meant to encourage population growth?" Ying Zheng asked with a smile.
"The population of Great Qin is less than ninety million."
"For an empire of our size, that is far too few."
"We need more people. The greater our population, the more individuals will possess cultivation talent. With more cultivators, our national fortune will grow stronger."
"Thus, population growth is of utmost importance to Great Qin," Zhao Feng said seriously.
"Hmm."
Ying Zheng nodded, though his face carried a trace of worry.
"The immortals and gods may have failed in their attempt to bring disaster upon us, but will they not try another method?" Ying Zheng asked with concern.
"The Nine Provinces Barrier has already been established."
"With the protection of our national fortune, their divine powers can no longer affect Great Qin's lands."
"There is no need to worry too much, Father."
"However, since they have made their move, I intend to send them a grand gift in return."
A cold smile appeared on Zhao Feng's face.
"The Divine Continent is the lower realm, while they reside in the upper realm. How do you plan to retaliate?" Ying Zheng asked, surprised.
"Father."
"I have obtained a supreme treasure that allows me to open a passage between the two realms."
"I have already sent a group of death-sworn warriors into the Immortal Realm. They are currently laying down roots there."
"In due time, they should be able to send information back."
Zhao Feng spoke confidently.
"The Immortal Realm is the upper realm. Even if the death-sworn warriors you sent were all Grandmasters, they would be nothing but ants in the eyes of the immortals. Can they truly survive?" Ying Zheng's expression changed slightly.
"Father."
"The Immortal Realm is not solely composed of immortals; there are mortals as well."
"Once my death sworn warriors entered, they embedded themselves within those mortal populations."
"I also taught them a method to suppress their life force, making their presence even weaker than that of ordinary people."
"Their mission is to gather intelligence on the Immortal Realm."
Zhao Feng explained.
"Great Qin may be powerful in the mortal world, but we are still far from being able to rival true Immortal Realm factions."
"If one day, we reach their level"
"Then we can turn from prey into predator."
A deep sense of unwillingness flickered across Ying Zheng's face.
It was clear that the actions of the immortals had angered him.
If Great Qin had the strength, Ying Zheng would have ordered an immediate counterattack on the Immortal Realm rather than passively enduring their schemes.
"Do not worry, Father."
"That day is not far off."
"In the Immortal Realm, one day is equivalent to a year in the mortal world."
"We still have ample time."
"The mortal world possesses vast cultivation resources, enough to elevate Great Qin into a powerhouse of cultivation."
"If ten years is not enough, then fifty years."
"If fifty years is not enough, then a hundred."
"Great Qin still has time."
"Our priority is to increase our population and cultivate stronger practitioners."
"Of course"
"We must also accelerate the conquest of the mortal world."
"If we can unify the entire mortal realm, Great Qin may reach the level of an Imperial Dynasty."
Zhao Feng's expression was resolute.
"Yes."
Ying Zheng nodded in agreement.
"The conquest will not stop."
"Now that the Northern Frontier has been pacified, Great Qin's armies can begin expanding westward."
"If we can conquer the entire mortal world, our population will reach its peak."
"As for cultivation, I have already issued an imperial decree to accelerate the selection of talented individuals among the common people."
"Once selected, they will be nurtured in the Academy."
"After all, it has only been two years since the spread of cultivation knowledge."
"We still need time."
Ying Zheng sighed.
"Yes."
"Though we have spread the knowledge of cultivation, we still need time."
Zhao Feng sighed as well.
Now, to encourage cultivation among the common people, Great Qin has unlocked vast resources.
Any citizen with cultivation talent is immediately summoned to the Academy for training, where they are granted access to higher-level martial techniques, spirit stones, and medicinal pills as support.
It has only been two years since the dissemination of cultivation methods.
This period is still one of accumulation.
However, with Great Qin's abundant resources and full governmental backing, in as little as two years, or at most five, there will be an explosive growth of cultivation experts.
"By the way,"
"What do you think about that bald monk?"
Only now did Ying Zheng recall the monk, who had been dragged away and was now reduced to a state of idiocy.
"The thirty-six nations of the Western Region are the stronghold of the Buddhist sects."
"This military campaign is the perfect opportunity to purge Buddhism from the mortal realm."
"We can have the Grand Preceptor lead his disciples to accompany the expedition." Zhao Feng pondered for a moment before responding.
"I have already ordered the Black Ice Platform to investigate the situation in the Western Region."
"The thirty-six nations have a combined population of less than twenty million and are militarily weaker than the Xiongnu."
"A single military camp should be enough to sweep through them, but to be cautious, we will dispatch two." Ying Zheng stated.
"My father-in-law can handle this matter." Zhao Feng chuckled.
"Speaking of which,"
"Have you decided on marrying the Holy Maiden of the Jiuli Tribe?" Ying Zheng's lips curled into a sly smile as he looked at Zhao Feng.
"I'll marry her. After all, I'm not at a disadvantage here."
"The Jiuli Tribe has put forth this proposal, which proves their sincere desire to fully submit to Great Qin. Since that's the case, I shall fulfill their wish and put their minds at ease." Zhao Feng grinned.
"The Jiuli Tribe has been under our rule for nearly two years now. The Qin script has been introduced, and our culture is gradually integrating into their society. The tribal settlements have transformed into cities."
"The Jiuli people have shown no resistance, and martial cultivation has begun spreading among them as well." Ying Zheng said thoughtfully.
"In that case,"
"After I marry the Jiuli Holy Maiden, we will formally introduce martial cultivation to their people."
"Once the Jiuli Tribe masters the martial path, they may bring a new surprise to Great Qin."
"Their bloodline of the ancient Wu Clan, their innate shamanic physiques"
"In the future, our Great Qin's military might will be unstoppable!"
Zhao Feng said with a smile, though his mind drifted to memories of his past life, recalling what he had learned about the Wu Clan giants who could grow to colossal sizes.
Each punch and kick from them could destroy mountains and rivers.
Now that the Jiuli Tribe had been absorbed into Great Qin when the day came to counterattack the Immortal Realm, perhaps those so-called celestial gods would finally witness the true return of the Wu Clan.
Only this time, the Wu Clan would be completely under Qin's rule.
"Moreover,"
"Among the four great continents of the Earthly Immortal Realm, it's impossible for the true Wu Clan to be completely extinct. Some of them must still exist."
"According to legend, the ancestral shaman Houtu transformed herself into the cycle of reincarnation. If the Jiuli Tribe can serve as a bridge, we might even be able to establish contact with this legendary ancestor and potentially gain an additional force on our side."
Zhao Feng contemplated, already envisioning the future.
Hearing Zhao Feng mention the Wu physique, Ying Zheng couldn't help but smile as well.
"By the way, what kind of 'grand gift' do you plan to send to those so-called celestial gods?"
Shifting the topic, Ying Zheng asked curiously.
He knew his son very well.
To his allies, Zhao Feng was generous and kind. But to his enemies, his methods were ruthless.
Since Zhao Feng had mentioned retaliation, he must have already devised a plan.
"Father, take a look."
Zhao Feng grinned.
With a wave of his hand, a stream of black, formless energy appeared in his palm.
Ying Zheng glanced at it and asked in confusion, "What is this?"
"The Immortal-Mortal Miasma."
"A congenital-grade poison that even immortals and gods are not immune to."
"These so-called celestial gods feed on humans and steal their spiritual essence, don't they?"
"Well then, I shall cut off their food source." Zhao Feng sneered coldly.
"This Immortal-Mortal Miasma… can it kill these celestial beings?" Ying Zheng asked in astonishment.
"As the name suggests,"
"It serves as a boundary between immortals and mortals."
"Any mortal afflicted with this poison will exhibit no symptoms whatsoever. However, if an immortal kills an infected mortal, the poison will begin to invade their body. If they consume human blood and steal spiritual essence, the miasma will corrode them even further. The more mortals they kill, the deeper the poison seeps in.
"Infected immortals will either suffer severe cultivation loss or, in extreme cases, perish outright." Zhao Feng smirked.
"This is truly a terrifying poison."
"To think that something like this exists."
Ying Zheng now looked at the black energy in Zhao Feng's palm with newfound respect.
"Feng'er,"
"Can you fully control this thing?"
"If one day our Qin army ascends to the Immortal Realm and our soldiers slay mortals infected with the miasma, wouldn't they also be affected?" Ying Zheng immediately considered the future implications.
"Father, I have completely refined this poison, and any miasma I release is under my absolute control."
"There is no need to worry about unintended casualties."
"Of course,"
"Great Qin is not a mindless force of evil. Even if we ascend to the Immortal Realm one day, we will not slaughter mortals indiscriminately. This Immortal-Mortal Miasma is tailored specifically for those celestial gods."
"Once this poison spreads, it will surely deal them a devastating blow."
Zhao Feng's cold laughter echoed.
"Hahaha!"
"Now that you put it that way, I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of chaos this Immortal-Mortal Miasma will bring to the Immortal Realm!"
Ying Zheng burst into hearty laughter, filled with eager anticipation.
...
Heavenly Court!
"Your Majesty."
"The Four Departments have just reported."
"The divine power they sent down to the mortal realm has failed, and they can no longer channel divine power to the human world."
Tai Bai Jin Xing approached Hao Tian with a nervous expression.
Hao Tian frowned. "Divine power can no longer descend to the mortal realm?"
"Have you discovered the cause?"
Tai Bai Jin Xing immediately replied, "It seems that some force is blocking divine power from reaching the mortal world."
Upon hearing this, Hao Tian's expression grew even heavier.
"Moreover..."
"It seems that the Buddhist sect has made a move on the Divine Continent."
Tai Bai Jin Xing continued.
"What?"
Hao Tian's eyes widened in anger. "Tathagata, how dare he?"
"According to spies embedded within the Buddhist sect, Tathagata has issued a decree, instructing mortal Buddhist cultivators to spread Buddhist teachings in the Divine Continent, to gradually seize its fortune."
Tai Bai Jin Xing quickly reported.
"Tathagata, how bold of him."
"To think he would dare to act in such a manner."
"The obstruction of divine power from descending must be related to the Buddhist sect."
Hao Tian's face darkened.
"Then, Your Majesty... what should our Heavenly Court do?" Tai Bai Jin Xing asked cautiously.
"It seems I must pay a visit to the Grand Supreme Elderly Lord."
Hao Tian's expression turned contemplative.
Then, in a flash, Hao Tian disappeared from Lingxiao Palace.
When he reappeared, he was already standing before a palace filled with profound Daoist energy.
The Thirty-Third Heaven, Tusita Palace!
"The Heavenly Emperor has personally arrived what brings you here?"
Before Hao Tian even stepped inside, an aged voice came from within the palace.
Though the voice was aged, it did not sound like that of a mortal on the brink of death.
"I have come regarding the affairs of the Divine Continent, seeking an audience with the Elderly Lord."
Before this palace, even Hao Tian, the Heavenly Emperor, did not display the slightest bit of imperial arrogance.
For he knew well
After the Saints vanished for many years, the one known to be most knowledgeable about past events was the Elderly Lord. He was perhaps also the strongest being in all of heaven and earth.
"Enter."
The Grand Supreme Elderly Lord's voice echoed.
Without hesitation, Hao Tian stepped into the Tusita Palace.
Inside the palace,
The Elderly Lord sat upon a meditation cushion, holding a horsetail whisk. Before him was a furnace, and the entire palace was filled with an aura of Daoism.
"Greetings, Elderly Lord."
Hao Tian nodded slightly.
"What matter concerning the Divine Continent has led the Heavenly Emperor to visit me?" The Elderly Lord asked calmly.
"The Divine Continent has slipped out of our control cultivators have appeared there, and the shackles placed upon it in the past have been broken."
"Moreover… the Buddhist sect has already begun spreading its teachings in the Divine Continent, aiming to seize its fortune."
Hao Tian reported immediately.
The Elderly Lord glanced at him and asked, "The Divine Continent possesses immense fortune. The Buddhist sect is bound to compete for it."
"In the past, when I and Tathagata agreed, we decided that while each side could act according to their abilities, neither should go too far."
"Now, I had ordered disasters to descend upon the Divine Continent to maintain its turmoil, but the Buddhist sect interfered, disrupting my plans."
"Elderly Lord, if the Buddhist sect succeeds and claims the Divine Continent's fortune, the Daoist sect will suffer great losses as well." Hao Tian spoke with a grave expression.
The Elderly Lord remained calm as he looked at Hao Tian. "So, what does the Heavenly Emperor wish to do?"
"I hope that you and I can join forces to pull the Divine Continent back into the Earthly Immortal Realm."
"Only by doing so can the Heavenly Court rightfully claim the fortune of the Divine Continent."
"I promise that if we obtain the Divine Continent's fortune, I will share it with you, Elderly Lord." A sharp gleam flickered in Hao Tian's eyes.
Originally,
He planned to wait until the Divine Continent's fortune crumbled, allowing chaos to take over.
That way, there would be fewer obstacles. However, now he had no choice but to act ahead of schedule.
"The fortune of the Divine Continent remains unbroken. How do you intend to pull it back?"
"The handiwork of the Human Emperor from the past does the Heavenly Emperor not understand?" The Elderly Lord said calmly.
"Elderly Lord,"
"If you and I join forces, we will surely succeed." A trace of madness flickered in Hao Tian's eyes.
The Elderly Lord, however, remained thoughtful, deep in contemplation.
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