You, Immortal Chi Yuan, Are the Immortal of Us Han People.

Liao Dynasty, Qingzhou.

The old man closed his eyes and remained silent. In front of him was a large metal cauldron that was constantly being boiled by a raging fire. On its ancient bronze-like surface, there were clearly visible cloud patterns and reliefs.

Strange, wispy threads floated at the mouth of the cauldron, slowly drawing out an increasingly intense Heaven and Earth Qi.

This is a relic of the Jiang Family, passed down from nearly a thousand years ago.

According to legend, this cauldron originated from the ancient Xuanyuan era.

Yet these sacred and solemn artifacts are now filled with countless skeletons, the rotting corpses of many poisonous insects mixed together with the stark white bones.

As the fire boiled and dried up the human blood inside, the old man named Jiang Xiusheng slowly opened his eyes. His eyes were filled with a faint purple hue, like the appearance of a demon or ghost from the legends of the Shenzhou Land.

Footsteps slowly approached from behind him, and the expressionless nomadic youth was led like a puppet to the side of the cauldron. There, he cut his wrists and let his blood flow, allowing the sound of his blood to slowly drift through the room, which was quite eerie.

Finally, after draining almost half of his blood, the man plunged headfirst into the bubbling cauldron of blood, like a puppet that remained obedient until death, thus becoming one of the white bones within.

Seeing this, Jiang Xiusheng murmured indifferently:

"This world belongs to the Han people."

The tall, elderly man suddenly bristled, his hair and beard standing on end, and his expression shifted from resentment to fury. He roared like a lion or tiger:

"Those who are not of my kind, enter my cauldron, be reborn through blood, and ascend to eternal bliss."

Immediately following was a series of loud laughs.

He laughed until his enthusiasm waned, then gritted his teeth and muttered to himself:

"The Covenant of Chanyuan?"

"100,000 taels of silver? 200,000 bolts of silk?"

The old man's eyes flashed with a deep purple light, as if his emotions were being manipulated, and his anger reignited. He sneered:

"How dare you! How dare you!"

"So what if I, Jiang Xiusheng, kill 300,000 of your Liao Kingdom's people?"

This alliance was the product of a compromise reached five years ago between the two countries, who were unwilling to go to war.

However, this so-called alliance not only allowed the Liao soldiers to escape safely, but also burdened the Song Dynasty with the annual "tribute".

The Liao people are all talk and no action; they only want hard currency.

I don't want copper coins, iron coins, paper money, or grain; I want silver and silk.

Two hundred thousand taels of silver a year—that's an outrageous figure.

Throughout the entire Song Dynasty, only Guiyang, Fengzhou, and Jianzhou produced silver, and the combined annual silver tax revenue from all three was less than 220,000 taels.

This means that a country's entire year's silver tax has to be paid to another country, which is equivalent to making its own people work hard and toil just to mine for the Liao Kingdom.

It's utterly ridiculous.

Given that the Song Dynasty clearly possessed the military strength to fight back or even held an advantage, its acceptance of such a humiliating and unequal treaty demonstrates that the future and prospects of the Great Song were already bleak.

As for the core reasons for the development of the Great Song to this point.

Zhao Kuangyin seized the throne through a rebellion, so he was well aware of the threat posed by generals who held considerable military power. Consequently, he chose to change the military system to ensure the ruling position of the Zhao clan family.

But the price is that nowadays, Great Song don't know their generals, and generals don't know their soldiers.

The entire court of civil officials, the emperor at that time, and even the entire Great Song, lacked even the slightest bit of backbone.

Jiang Xiusheng had lost hope for the future of this country, but his strong will and desire to avenge his family forced him to demand repayment from the foreign race.

Most of the fine sons of his Jiang clan died on the battlefield against the foreign tribes, yet at the crucial moment when they vaguely saw the hope of victory, they signed such a ridiculous treaty.

If that were all, it would still be tolerable, and we could wait for the next opportunity.

But what happened next was something the old man could never forget.

That Liao Dynasty's elite guerrilla force thus infiltrated deep into the Great Song's territory, killing all the few capable military officers, their sons, wives, and daughters, and finally burning them to the ground.

Jiang Xiusheng's martial arts skills have only reached the Mingjing stage so far, and his Heavenly Origin Life-Extinguishing Qi Art is barely at the entry level. With this flesh and blood body that is about to enter the life and death limit, he couldn't even protect a single member of his clan. He could only flee in a sorry state like a wild dog, witnessing from afar the blood-red flames rising continuously, his eyes wide with rage but powerless to do anything about it.

The Liao Kingdom violated a taboo.

The old man gazed at the demons burning in the fire and the hundreds of soldiers barely managing to suppress the Zombie, and understood the truth. At the same time, he made his own decision—to step into an even deeper hell and darkness.

Since the nation is weak and vulnerable to bullying, and the government is beyond saving.

Then I, Jiang, will avenge the blood feud of my clan myself!

With the Heavenly Origin Life-Extinguishing Qi Art passed down from his ancestors, the ancient Transformation Cloud Pattern Cauldron, and some evil techniques he obtained when he was young from exorcising demons, he was able to achieve his goal.

Even if there are truly 300,000 people, giving myself some time isn't something I can't kill.

Indeed, this was the case. Relying on his Honkai Energy resistance and the ancient Honkai Energy cultivation method, Jiang Xiusheng initially collected the bodies of Zombie and even zombies and put them into the Cloud Pattern Life-Transformation Cauldron, using a crude method to refine them into Honkai Crystal of low purity.

Ultimately, much like raising poisonous insects, these initial resources— the Honkai Crystal —were scattered into some peripheral areas of the Liao Kingdom, creating large numbers of Zombie and zombies.

However, he also used evil magic to make these produced Zombie and zombies extremely weak, making it easier for him to refine them into the Transformation Cloud Pattern Cauldron and produce even more Honkai Crystal.

The same method was then repeated in an endless cycle.

If left unchecked, it would not be difficult to cause chaos throughout the entire Liao Kingdom.

Jiang Xiusheng lowered his eyes, his rough fingers resting on his wrist pulse. He knew all too well what price he would pay for falling into the path of evil. His aptitude was poor, and the Heaven and Earth Qi Heavenly Origin Life-Extinguishing Qi Art could condense would backfire on him if he was not careful. If he did not examine his own condition in time, it would not be surprising if he fell into the Abyss at any time.

This is the price.

If you want an eye for an eye and blood for blood, there is no other choice but to do so.

The old man murmured softly:

"Just a little bit more, just a little bit more."

If he hadn't failed to raise enough leverage, given his personality, he would never have engaged in such meaningless venting in a remote border region.

The core purpose of this action was to use the blood of the Liao people as a weapon against the Liao nobility and royal family.

Assuming everything goes smoothly, the utterly corrupt royal family and the entire Capital City will need to be thoroughly cleaned up.

In this dark and sealed room, the old man recalled the extravagance and prosperity of the imperial city, and the current emperor who enjoyed so much resources and wealth, and sneered under his breath:

"Zhao Ji? He is somewhat similar to the last emperor of Tang, but he was far more useless."

Jiang Xiusheng silently gazed at the Cloud Pattern Life-Transformation Cauldron, and sighed:

"A nation on the verge of collapse, who can avert it?"

After a long while, another Liao commoner slowly stepped out from behind him. He obediently used his mutated, incredibly strong fingertips and keratin to cut open the artery. The sound of blood flowing was like a summer stream, continuous and unending, exuding a sense of mystery and eeriness.

This brutal massacre, fueled by hatred and leading to forbidden acts, has an unknown end in sight.

At least, this is a matter of national and personal vendetta.

Even if Jiang Xiusheng were to fall into evil ways, he would never be able to let go of them.

Under the boundless wilderness and scattered starlight, two figures slowly lengthened and receded into the distance through the moonlight.

The tragedy in that small town did not affect the mind of the Immortal Chi Yuan. Not to mention that she had been protecting this land for thousands of years and had long been accustomed to such scenes, the things she had experienced in the previous era were enough to gradually numb her to them.

Compared to Previous Civilization, this era is merely a small ripple in a tsunami, sheltered by the dikes and walls built by our predecessors. It is already a fortunate and superior starting point.

But one question bothered her.

This was clearly not Honkai Phenomenon caused by nature; the residual Honkai Energy at the scene was pitifully small.

The Heaven and Earth Qi within those Zombie and walking corpses was far less than that of the monsters created by the Honkai.

This clearly demonstrates that there must have been a mastermind behind it all, which led to this tragedy.

The girl realized that this was probably a massacre deliberately carried out using Honkai Energy.

Although she doesn't know the underlying reasons, she has always maintained the principle of killing any person who abuses Honkai.

As for the core principles and reasons behind it?

The Immortal Chi Yuan single-handedly eradicated the nascent signs of Honkai across the entire land of Shenzhou, embarking on an almost endless demon-slaying journey day and night, but he simply lacked the energy to waste any more time on further investigation.

No one is perfect.

Even if someone is hailed as an immortal, they are ultimately not an omnipotent god.

Since there were no survivors in that town, and Udu-dust had difficulty accessing the residual memories in the brains of people who had been dead for a long time, her efforts to find Jiang Xiusheng were greatly slowed down.

In Xiao Xuan's arms was the immortal's dark blue oil-paper umbrella, which she held as if it were a precious treasure. At this moment, it was floating in a scroll-like manner, making it look rather wobbly and adorable.

She tilted her head and asked:

"Immortal, why were there so many Zombie and zombies in that small town?"

"Are there more bad people abusing Qi cultivation methods again?"

Sensing the intense, Heaven and Earth Qi emanating from afar, the immortal embraced Xiao Xuan, and while Xiao Xuan remained stunned in a daze, whispered:

"Yes, so we need to hurry, Xiao Xuan."

"Hey hey hey!"

Then.

Riding the wind, one can travel a thousand miles in an instant.

In almost a few moments, the girl took only a few steps and traversed the entire Qingzhou, plundering all human settlements along the way.

To save time, a magical technique Meme.

Throughout Qingzhou, one could almost see a magnificent Celestial Phenomenon, like a sunrise, obscuring the brilliance of the stars and bestowing its blessings upon the world under the clear, moonlit night.

The immortal held Xiao Xuan in his arms on a cloud extremely close to the Azure Moon. The crimson light, like a tide before dusk, painted the surrounding area vividly, making the immortal's figure appear even more ethereal and far removed from the mortal world.

Her eyes were lowered, her blue pupils serene and distant.

Immediately, his fingertips drooped.

Crimson feathers mingled with the flowing starlight of the mortal realm, illuminating all the cities corrupted by Honkai in an instant.

Using Udu-dust as the control hub, the Heaven and Earth Qi condensed by the immortal technique was dispersed in extremely subtle fluctuations, annihilating all the dead who had turned into Zombie and walking corpses.

Here, the colorful clouds that illuminated the sky and earth faded into the deep night.

The immortal's face appeared even more serene and cold under the moonlight. A crimson, ethereal feather swept across the depths of her unfathomable eyes. Her lips parted slightly, and she whispered:

"Found it."

The Tome of Cangxuan was not surprised by its master's efficiency.

Rather, if the Immortal Chi Yuan didn't possess such abilities, how could he have protected this vast land from being disturbed by Honkai?

However, as the civilization of this era gradually grew stronger, she became increasingly reluctant to reveal her existence.

Fu Hua protects this land out of a sense of responsibility and a promise, but on this basis, she does not want her existence to interfere with the development and future direction of the people of Shenzhou.

Therefore, the ability to interfere with Celestial Phenomenon and the extremely powerful magical arts will only be revealed when dealing with events of such a heinous nature, and when there is a high probability that even a brief period of neglect will lead to more casualties.

Historically, cases of divine manifestations have almost always been accompanied by large-scale calamities that were beyond human control at the time.

At that time, it was far from that point, but it was enough for her to intervene slightly in this state.

It was late at night, and the clouds only shrouded Qingzhou for a few seconds before completely dissipating. At most, people would regard it as an unusual celestial phenomenon, but they couldn't attribute it to themselves, so it was no big deal.

Fu Hua stepped forward again, the rather petite little girl in her arms was already a bit dizzy, but she still held onto the oil-paper umbrella, the scroll behind her fluttering in the wind, making her quite eye-catching.

She landed lightly in the center of a small town.

Before Tome of Cangxuan could express his opinion, the neat rows of obedient Liao civilians and the nearly rotting bodies of pigs, sheep, cattle, and horses nearby proclaimed the fact that this place had also been destroyed by others.

The girl glanced at the surrounding Shura scroll, and the ink-like Qi of Heaven and Earth Qi naturally swept over it, instantly cleansing the entire town. She indifferently looked at the houses blown away by the strong wind, and at the deep, dark place from which a faint stench emanated, and said softly:

"Come out."

Jiang Xiusheng slowly stepped out of the cellar. His beard and hair were all white, and his majestic body was nine feet tall with an extremely straight back. He carried the Cloud Pattern Life-Transformation Cauldron with one hand and walked to a distance of about thirty meters from the immortal before stopping.

The old man lowered his eyes, gazing at the scene inside the cauldron.

--The blood and bones inside had already been drained, boiled, and dissolved into irregular purple crystals, revealing that the final execution of his plan was only a few days away.

He whispered:

"Ancient texts have a legend that the Immortal Chi Yuan began slaying demons and monsters even before the time of the Yellow Emperor. She can control the infinite Qi between heaven and earth, and not only does she maintain the appearance of a young girl, but her lifespan also has no end."

Jiang Xiusheng said indifferently:

"Some busybodies have said that if one truly wishes to meet this legendary immortal, rather than venturing to the Mount Taixu, which hangs like a sea of clouds, to try and find a chance at immortality, it would be better to step into the forbidden realm, commit numerous evil deeds, and become Great Demon will never exist again."

"The immortals will come to kill him quickly, and we will then be able to witness the legendary name of the Chi Yuan, which has been passed down through the ages, and see who truly deserves it."

"But I never imagined that this rumor would actually be true."

The old man had never seen such a vast and terrifying Heaven and Earth Qi. The aura it emitted in that instant was enough to radiate throughout the entire Qingzhou and even the surrounding areas. Any Qi cultivator who had entered the threshold could sense that the essence of this terrifying Celestial Phenomenon was a large-scale aggregation of Qi.

The Immortal Chi Yuan truly deserves the title of immortal.

It was merely dealing with the few Demonic Calamity left behind by Jiang Xiusheng that triggered this terrifying Celestial Phenomenon of night turning into day.

It is evident that the legend of the Immortal Chi Yuan's extreme rejection of evil and heretical paths, and his adherence to the principle of punishing those who fall into evil, is not unfounded.

And from this, Jiang Xiusheng understood the fate that was about to befall him.

He didn't believe he was qualified to be given special treatment by some high and mighty deity.

But... the hatred for the nation and the family remains unavenged.

"Does the immortal know that my Great Song has been weak for a long time, and has been wantonly exploited by the Liao Dynasty, forcing us to sign humiliating treaties?"

The immortal remained silent, seemingly bewildered by the other's overwhelming rage and sorrow that overwhelmed his will to Honkai. Gazing into the distance at the spiderweb-like bloodshot veins and purple light spreading in his eyes, she understood his fate.

His Honkai Energy cultivation is barely average; his basic Qi-guiding techniques are the limit of what he can possess.

If one were to excessively circulate the Heaven and Earth Qi under this premise, the result would only be a gradual loss of consciousness, turning one into Zombie.

Jiang Xiusheng said:

"I know that immortals do not concern themselves with worldly affairs, and such matters of the mortal realm are none of your concern."

"But they used demonic methods you could not have imagined to come to the heart of my Great Song Dynasty, killing the sons, daughters, and slaves of my Great Song soldiers, and then burning them all to the ground. Finally, they used demonic methods to kill nearly a hundred of my Great Song."

"Does the immortal know about this matter?"

Fu Hua did not answer, but only said indifferently:

"You've fallen into demonic possession, so you should be executed; this has nothing to do with anything else."

Suppressing the increasingly intense and surging negative emotions within him after succumbing to demonic possession, Jiang Xiusheng murmured:

"I know I deserve to die, but my family's vengeance remains unavenged and the nation's troubles unresolved. Could you please grant me a few more days, Immortal?"

The girl didn't say anything, but she took the oiled paper umbrella from Xiao Xuan's arms.

Jiang Xiusheng understood his attitude, and the anger and resentment in his heart twisted into a blazing fire, burning his limbs as if he were being boiled in oil. He roared:

"The Liao Kingdom killed tens of thousands of people in our Great Song, forced our Great Song to pay taxes and perform corvée labor for them every year, and even sent people to sow discord between our government and generals after signing a ceasefire agreement."

"Now I have merely killed a few thousand alien beings as an eye for an eye, a blood for a blood. If you, Immortal Chi Yuan, truly believe in such 'fairness,' why were you not there then? Why were you not there!?"

The old man, on the verge of succumbing to demonic possession, received a response from an immortal—a response as ethereal as the misty rain falling in the water towns of Jiangnan, and as chilling as the lingering sword energy of a harsh winter.

At the last moment, Jiang Xiusheng raised the Cloud Pattern Life-Transformation Cauldron high and uttered his last words, which would remain in the world:

"You, Immortal Chi Yuan, are an immortal of the Han people."

"They must be immortals from another race."