"Your Majesty."

In the Central Celestial Court, an Immortal Official with a solemn expression stepped forward.

"The Human World has been unified, and the current Human King has proclaimed himself ’Emperor’—the ’First Emperor.’ He has personally declared the title of Celestial Son null and void. In seven days, during the Feng Shan ceremony at Taishan, he plans not to offer sacrifices to the Celestial Realm, nor to Your Majesty. This is an act of great disrespect!"

The Immortal Official grew more agitated as he spoke. The other Immortal and Divine Officials also broke into a clamor, all denouncing the human monarch who dared call himself the First Emperor.

"Oh," the Emperor Corpse replied faintly, his eyelids lowered.

The assembled Immortal and Divine Officials froze. ’His Majesty said... oh??’

’Shouldn’t he be furious??’

The Emperors of the three neighboring Celestial Courts were all throwing fits of rage. The only reason the hot-tempered Emperor of the demoted Celestial Palace hadn’t personally descended upon the Human World was that he was still being punished in the Underworld.

The Immortal and Divine Officials exchanged glances, feeling that something was amiss. His Majesty’s reaction was far too calm...

Amidst the silence, Venus considered for a moment, then stepped forward, bowed, and said:

"Your Majesty, shall we unleash your thunderous wrath when the Human King goes to Taishan for the Feng Shan ceremony in seven days?"

"You all handle it," the Emperor Corpse said lazily.

The immortals were even more bewildered. ’What does he mean, "handle it"?’

Venus was also a bit stunned. After a moment of thought, he spoke again:

"By the way, Your Majesty, the Four Great Celestial Kings report that two Three Altars Meeting Sea Gods and two Erlang Xiansheng True Monarchs have appeared in the Celestial Court. It is suspected that Demon Saints are impersonating them, seeking to cause chaos..."

"I know. Pay them no mind," the Emperor Corpse said calmly. "Is there anything else? If not, you are all dismissed..."

Just as his voice faded, a strange smile appeared on the Emperor Corpse’s face. The next moment, a junior official hurried in to report:

"Reporting to Your Majesty, Ancient Lamp Buddha of Spirit Mountain has come to visit!"

The immortals were all rather surprised. ’Spirit Mountain?’

’What is this Buddha doing here at a time like this?’

But a smirk played on the Emperor Corpse’s lips.

"Show him in."

Before long, a gloomy-faced Buddha strolled into Lingxiao Palace, offered a bow, and said sheepishly:

"Lamp, I greet His Majesty the Celestial Emperor."

"What brings you here?" The Emperor Corpse sat up straighter, a smile gracing his face.

Ancient Lamp Buddha wore a pained expression.

"The monarch of the Human World disrespects heaven and earth, and shows no reverence for Immortals and Buddhas. The matter of the Taishan Feng Shan ceremony is a great impiety. I have come on behalf of Shakyamuni Buddha to ask Your Majesty if you intend to mete out a thunderous punishment."

"You handle it."

The smile on the Emperor Corpse’s face widened, even taking on a dangerous edge.

"It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you, Lamp Buddha. It’s also been a while since I’ve stretched my muscles. Come, Buddha, how about a little spar with me?"

The immortals exchanged confused glances. The gloom on Ancient Lamp Buddha’s face deepened, and he forced a laugh. "Your Majesty, perhaps we should skip that..."

"Come."

The Emperor Corpse spoke flatly, then swung a palm down without ceremony, striking toward Ancient Lamp Buddha. Although the latter was a Daluo who could walk freely through the Years,

how could he possibly be a match for a Dao Fruit expert?

The Emperor Corpse’s palm landed squarely on Lamp’s face, again and again. The assembled immortals and gods watched, dumbfounded, as the Celestial Emperor beat the stuffing out of Spirit Mountain’s Past Buddha.

After a long while, looking refreshed and invigorated, the Emperor Corpse glanced sideways at the bruised and swollen Lamp Buddha. He waved his hand grandly and declared:

"Alright, as for the Taishan Feng Shan ceremony, you all handle it however you see fit. Don’t come asking me."

With that, he strode proudly back to his Emperor’s Throne.

Ancient Lamp Buddha didn’t linger either. He mumbled an apology and, under the sideways glances of the immortals, covered his face and departed.

After stepping out of the Celestial Gate, under the strange gazes of the Four Great Celestial Kings, Lamp clutched his face, grimacing in pain. As he began Soaring Clouds and Mist, he muttered to himself:

"I just cracked a couple of jokes. Was all this really necessary?"

"A magnificent Celestial Emperor, what a disgrace to all immortals! A disgrace!"

He was so furious he could grind his teeth. Meanwhile, beneath a certain Stone Stele in the Current World, the Dying Buddha on a scorched black peak was also grinding his teeth, glaring viciously at the skeleton pinned to the cliff face.

The skeleton, in turn, gave the Dying Buddha a cheerful wave with its shattered hand bones and grinned broadly.

.........

「Qin Palace.」

"Your Majesty," Li Si said softly, "the preparations for the Feng Shan ceremony are complete. We can depart now... The imperial procession to Taishan will take exactly seven days, allowing us to tour the lands and gather the momentum of the people."

"Mm."

Ying Zheng nodded slightly. Beside him, the silent Lü Buwei cleared his throat and offered a reminder:

"Your Majesty, by not offering sacrifices to heaven and earth during the Feng Shan ceremony, you will most likely provoke the Immortals and Buddhas in the heavens. You must be careful when the time comes."

He then added,

"Saint Lu has been missing for ten thousand years..."

"I know." Ying Zheng looked at his father-in-law, exhaled slowly, and then abruptly stood up. He strode to the center of the hall with the gait of a dragon and the prowl of a tiger.

"My Adoptive Grandfather once asked me three times what I would do after unifying the mountains and rivers. I promised him that I would use the Human Dao to wage war against the heavens."

"And I—my word is as heavy as the Nine Tripods!"

"If I cannot even pass this trial at Taishan, what right do I have to be the First Emperor?"

Ying Zheng’s voice was chilling, yet laced with soaring heroism. Leaning on his sharp sword, he surveyed his surroundings, his presence as overwhelming as a tidal wave.

It has been 4,800 years since Saint Lu traveled west out of Hangu Pass. The Zhou Dynasty collapsed, and the Dukes States plunged into chaotic warfare. Three thousand years after the dynasty’s fall, Ying Zheng ascended the throne as the Ruler of the State of Qin.

After another 2,600 years, he finally swept through the six directions and unified all under heaven!

It was time to begin preparations... for the war against the heavens!

At this thought, Ying Zheng’s gaze grew even more profound. He said faintly:

"Back then, my Adoptive Grandfather traveled west out of Hangu Pass to condemn the heavens. He whipped the Emperor of the Celestial Palace nine thousand times and sentenced him to the Underworld, to suffer the tortures of each of the Eighteen Hells for a thousand years. That Emperor is likely still suffering in the Underworld at this very moment..."

"My Adoptive Grandfather was so mighty. How could I be a coward? How could I bring shame to his name?"

"Well said!"

A round of applause rang out. The ancient Duke Mu of Qin ambled in, coughing wearily a couple of times. Both Lü Buwei and Li Si hurriedly bowed.

Duke Mu of Qin waved a hand at them, then said:

"Zheng’er, since you’ve decided to do this, you must ensure that all preparations are perfect..."

"I am old and cannot help you much, but I have found the reclusive Confucius. In seven days, at Taishan, Confucius himself will be there."

Lü Buwei and Li Si gasped, their pupils shrinking.

Ying Zheng was stunned at first, then a look of joy spread across his face.

He laughed.

"With Confucius to stand guard, my confidence has increased by another twenty percent..."

In front of Duke Mu of Qin, he did not use the royal ’I’, and instead performed a respectful bow.

Duke Mu of Qin waved his hand and sighed.

"It is a pity that Saint Lu never returned after he traveled west from Hangu Pass... By the way, I heard you sent the Wu’an Monarch out of Xianyang. For what purpose?"

"In response to my forefather’s question,"

Ying Zheng said softly,

"Three days ago, a Great Grade expert caused trouble in Xianyang. That person was extremely strange. Although they had Great Grade Cultivation, their Techniques and Divine Techniques were very crude. After they fled, I had the Wu’an Monarch go and capture them."

"Is that so?" Duke Mu of Qin said, lost in thought.

.........

「Taishan.」

Yan Huang sat on a chair, thinking to himself as he watched the young man in the bronze mask hoeing the fields.

’That strange radiance must have come from that Bronze Divine Mountain, pulling me into this world...’

At that thought, a wry smile appeared on his face. When he had first arrived in this world three days ago, he found himself in a massive, ancient city that spanned thousands of miles, with a Royal Palace at its center. He had planned to go straight to the palace to ask where he was, but as it turned out...

’Damn it all, two or three dozen auras equivalent to Great Grade True Immortals suddenly erupted from that city, and some guy whose killing intent was as vast as an ocean tide chased me for who knows how many thousands of miles!’

Thinking of this, Yan Huang glanced back fearfully. Seeing that no one was pursuing him, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

At the same time, Old Nong came out with a bowl of herbal tea, placed it on the table, and said with a smile:

"Sir, your tea is here."

"Thank you."

Yan Huang came back to his senses. After taking two sips of the tea, he couldn’t help but ask:

"May I ask, what is this place?"

The young man who had been hoeing the field had approached at some point. After bowing to Old Nong, he also took a seat and answered with a smile:

"This is Taishan."

"Taishan??" Yan Huang froze. He sent out his Divine Thought to envelop the Heaven-Reaching Divine Mountain. Upon closer inspection, it really was Taishan!

’But it’s so much bigger than the Taishan where the Nine Dragons Pulling the Coffin landed...’

Seeing the dazed look on Uncle Yan’s face, a strange light flickered in Lu Xuan’s eyes. ’How did Old Yan get here?’

’Everything was fine before I entered this dream... Could it be that Bronze Divine Mountain?’

The quick-witted Lu Xuan immediately guessed the gist of the situation.

’That Bronze Divine Mountain has been confirmed to be the other half of the Bronze Fragment, the one entwined with the mysteries of Time, which was thrown down by Taiyi and transformed...’

’It seems highly likely that Uncle Yan arrived in this era because of the Bronze Divine Mountain... The question is, is he the only one who came?’

’If there are others, who are they?’

While he was pondering, Yan Huang shook his head, composed his complex thoughts, and let out a long breath.

"I am but a humble recluse from the mountains, having lived alone in the deep forests for three thousand years, paying no mind to worldly affairs. Might I ask what year this is?"

"So you’re an Immortal, sir," Old Nong said with a laugh. "Our current ruler has just swept the six directions and unified the land. This is the first year of the First Emperor."

"Swept the six directions... First Emperor... Qin??"

Yan Huang’s pupils contracted sharply, and his breathing grew slightly ragged.

After a long moment, he took a shallow breath and said:

"Thank you for clearing my confusion, elder... May I have the honor of knowing your names?"

Old Nong smiled gently, fanning himself with a cattail fan.

"Folks like us who just hoe the fields don’t have any grand names. My surname is Li. You can just call me Old Li, sir."

Lu Xuan’s expression was a little strange. He then also said:

"My name is Xuan Huang."

"Xuan Huang?" Yan Huang was taken aback and gave the ordinary-looking young man a surprised glance. "That name... is quite good."

He didn’t think too much of it, simply assuming that names in this region were unique. He then stood up and continued:

"You two have offered me a drink of tea, so it is only right that I repay you."

As he spoke, Yan Huang extended a finger and tapped a point of profound Immortal Light onto Old Nong.

"This will extend your life by three hundred years, elder."

"Thank you, sir," Old Nong said with a smile. Beside them, the corner of Lu Xuan’s eye twitched. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

’Ex... extend his life?’

His gaze toward Old Yan grew even stranger.

Yan Huang, oblivious, turned his gaze to the young man named Xuan Huang and smiled warmly.

"As for you, little brother, how about I teach you a Body Refining method? It will make hoeing the fields a bit easier."

"Er..." Lu Xuan stood up helplessly and bowed. "Then, I thank you, sir."

"A small matter." Yan Huang smiled, manipulating Primordial Qi to shave wood into paper and condense qi into ink. He wrote down a decent Body Tempering Technique, placed it on the table, and said with a laugh:

"This Magic Technique is not top-tier, but if you master the basics, taming lions and tigers will be a simple task. If you reach Minor Achievement, shaking mountains and quaking peaks won’t be impossible. Cultivate well, little brother, and you might just have a chance to glimpse Longevity and the path to immortality."

Lu Xuan was silent for a long time before finally bowing.

"Thank you for gifting me this technique, sir."

"No need for that. Our meeting is fate. You two gave me a bowl of tea; I give you three hundred years of life and a path to immortality. It’s perfectly reasonable, perfectly reasonable."

With that, Yan Huang stood with his hands behind his back, facing away from them, and said loftily:

"I shall take my leave, I shall take my leave."

As his voice fell, he ascended step by step into the sky, treading on the clouds, his voice booming:

"I am but a humble recluse from the wilds—not an Immortal, a god, nor a Buddha."

Lu Xuan couldn’t bear to watch and facepalmed in exasperation. ’Since when did Old Yan have this habit of showing off in front of people?’

’How did I never notice this before?’

’I just couldn’t bring myself to expose him. I was afraid of embarrassing him...’

Beside him, Old Nong watched the middle-aged man ascending on the clouds and chuckled.

"Your father-in-law is quite interesting. In all of history, no one has ever offered to extend my lifespan."

"Ahem, about that..." Lu Xuan first gave a wry smile, then froze for a second. "Teacher, you knew?"

"I don’t know the specifics, but I can tell from the Cause and Effect between you two. Besides, he also comes from the ’Current World’... Interesting."

After a pause, Old Nong took a sip of tea and said slowly:

"Your father-in-law is about to get beaten up. Aren’t you going to help?"

Lu Xuan looked toward the vast sea of blood rolling in from the horizon and shrugged.

"Let’s see if Uncle Yan can get away on his own. If I interfere now, I’m afraid he’ll be embarrassed."

(Another Chapter after 10 o’clock.)