Uncle, Times Have Changed

The Great Qin world, Xianyang.

Ever since Ying Zheng had obtained the Investiture of the Gods: Human Dao Scroll from the God Lord, the upper echelons of the entire Great Qin Empire had been swept up in a fervor.

Investiture!

It was something only found in legends!

Those named on the divine roll would enjoy eternal life and share the fate of the nation.

What an honor! What a temptation!

For a time, countless memorials flooded into Xianyang Palace like snowflakes.

Some requested investiture for themselves, some for their family's ancestors, and others for the mountains, rivers, and waterways in their jurisdictions.

Ying Zheng stared at the mountain of memorials, his head aching.

There were only so many divine positions.

The Three Hundred and Sixty-Five City Gods and Earth Gods, the gods of the Three Mountains and Five Sacred Peaks, and the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas.

Every position was precious beyond measure.

Who to grant them to, and who to deny—it was a profound matter indeed.

"Li Si, tell me: who should receive the first batch of divine positions?"

In the imperial study, Ying Zheng tossed the difficult question to his Prime Minister.

Li Si pondered for a moment, then bowed. "Your Majesty, in my opinion, the matter of investiture concerns the foundation of the nation and must be handled with the utmost care."

"The first recipients must be those who have rendered outstanding service to Great Qin, remained utterly loyal, and earned the people's respect. Only then will they command the people's support and set a good example for future investitures."

Ying Zheng nodded. "The Prime Minister speaks wisely. Who do you think is most suitable?"

"Bai Qi, Wang Jian, Meng Tian, Li Xin..."

Li Si named several people in succession.

They were all peerless generals who had performed outstanding service in unifying the Six Kingdoms for Great Qin.

They had died in battle, their loyal souls laid to rest in foreign soil, and they were held in the highest regard among the people.

There could be no better choice for the first batch of deities.

"Good!" Ying Zheng slapped the table. "We'll do as you say!"

"Transmit my decree: build an Investiture Altar atop Mount Tai! In three days, I will personally preside over the first investiture ceremony and appoint Great Qin's guardian gods of war!"

"Your Majesty's command is received!"

Three days later, atop Mount Tai.

A towering Investiture Altar had risen from the ground, reaching into the clouds.

The altar was built of enormous stones, its surface carved with mysterious runes.

At its very center stood a solemn statue of the Primordial God Lord.

Beneath the statue, Ying Zheng stood in imperial robes, holding the Investiture of the Gods: Human Dao Scroll, his expression solemn.

Behind him stood the civil and military officials, along with elite armored soldiers selected from across the country. They filled the mountainside in a sea of black, their killing intent soaring into the sky.

At the foot of the mountain, tens of thousands of people had gathered to witness the ceremony.

Every gaze was fixed on the platform above, full of anticipation and reverence.

The auspicious hour had arrived.

Ying Zheng drew a deep breath and unfurled the Investiture of the Gods.

He picked up his vermilion brush and dipped it into special ink made from spirit-beast blood mixed with cinnabar.

"By the command of the Primordial God Lord and in answer to the wishes of the people of Great Qin!"

"Today, I, Ying Zheng, the First Emperor, shall confer the gods here atop Mount Tai on behalf of Heaven!"

Bolstered by his magical power, Ying Zheng's voice rang across Mount Tai, clear in every listener's ears.

"I hereby appoint Bai Qi, Lord Wu'an of Great Qin, as the 'Nine Heavens Demon-Quelling Nation-Protecting God of War.' He shall command the weapons of all under Heaven and safeguard Great Qin's territory for all eternity!"

As Ying Zheng's brush touched the page,

the characters "Bai Qi" blazed with brilliant golden light on the Investiture of the Gods.

At the same time, within Bai Qi's tomb outside Xianyang,

a tremendous killing aura shot into the heavens.

A mighty figure clad in black armor and wielding a blood-red scythe slowly emerged from the tomb.

He was Bai Qi, who had died many years ago.

Now, the power of the Investiture of the Gods had summoned him from the cycle of reincarnation and reforged his divine body.

His eyes no longer held the coldness and bloodlust of his mortal life. Instead, they carried the solemn majesty of divinity.

He faced Mount Tai, dropped to one knee, and bowed from afar.

"I, Bai Qi, receive Your Majesty's decree!"

His voice rang out like clashing metal, resounding between Heaven and Earth.

Atop Mount Tai, Ying Zheng felt Bai Qi's response, and boundless pride surged within him.

He raised his brush once more.

"I hereby appoint Wang Jian, Grand General of Great Qin, as the 'Nation-Protecting Demon-Subduing Grand Marshal,' to assist the God of War and command the three armies!"

"I hereby appoint Meng Tian, General of Great Qin, as the 'Northern Frontier Barbarian-Slaying Heavenly Lord,' to guard Jiuyuan and repel the Xiongnu!"

"I hereby appoint..."

One familiar name after another was written on the Investiture of the Gods by Ying Zheng.

Every stroke meant that another loyal soul of Great Qin had become an undying deity.

Across Great Qin's territory, beams of golden light shot into the sky.

Countless people witnessed this Divine Miracle with their own eyes.

They saw the legendary generals become divine beings, standing between Heaven and Earth.

Reverence and fervor welled up from the depths of their hearts.

"The God Lord has answered our prayers!"

"Long live His Majesty! Long live Great Qin!"

Cheers like a raging sea thundered into the heavens.

Vast Power of Faith surged like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea, rushing toward the Investiture of the Gods and the statue atop Mount Tai.

Ying Zheng could clearly feel the power of the Investiture of the Gods in his hands growing stronger and stronger.

He even felt that with a single thought, he could command the power of these newly appointed deities and wield it himself.

The feeling of having everything under his control intoxicated him.

"Hahaha!"

Ying Zheng threw his head back and laughed again.

He knew that from this moment on, Great Qin had truly embarked on the path of becoming an "Immortal Qin."

He would be the only Heavenly Emperor in this land!

In the Chat Group.

Just as expected, Ying Zheng began another "live broadcast."

He recorded the entire investiture ceremony and posted it to the group.

[Great Qin Ancestral Dragon: @Everyone, come take a look! Great Qin's divine court has officially been established today! Envious?]

The scene was indeed awe-inspiring.

Golden light filled the sky, divine generals manifested, and the people paid homage.

[Wudang Hundred-Year Old Daoist: Your Majesty, what an impressive undertaking! You've actually established a human divine court! This old Daoist is deeply impressed, deeply impressed!]

Zhang Sanfeng was genuinely impressed.

He was still conferring titles on mountain gods and earth gods one mountain at a time.

Ying Zheng, meanwhile, was mass-producing guardian gods of war.

That was the power of the state apparatus.

[First Extraordinary Woman of the Yin-Yang School: Turning the souls of generals who died in battle into gods and using the aura of slaughter to determine their divine offices... Ying Zheng, you're turning Great Qin into a war machine that never stops.]

Yan Fei saw further into it.

She could see the enormous ambition hidden beneath the surface.

[Human Empire Emperor: ...]

The Emperor said nothing.

But no one had been more shaken than he was.

Ying Zheng's "divine court" had given him tremendous inspiration.

The Imperium, too, had countless heroes who had died fighting for humanity.

The Space Marines, the Imperial Guard, the adepts of the Adeptus Mechanicus...

Their souls shouldn't be devoured by the daemons of the Warp after death.

They should be remembered and venerated, becoming spirits who watched over humanity!

"I'll establish a pantheon too!"

"I'll build a pantheon for the Imperium, one that belongs to humanity alone!"

Upon the Golden Throne, the Emperor's soul let out a silent roar.

He immediately used his faint psychic powers to send a vague command to the Imperial Guard Commander closest to him.

"Find...the souls...of heroes..."

"Build...a temple..."

"Worship...the Primordial..."

The command was broken and halting, but to the Imperial Guard Commander, a zealot through and through, it was a divine decree of the highest order.

A religious reformation sweeping across Holy Terra, and eventually the entire Imperium, was about to begin.

Meanwhile, Shen Zhaochi, the true instigator of it all,

was sitting cross-legged inside the Investiture of the Gods Space, reveling in the rush of his rapidly growing Power of Faith.

"Not bad, not bad."

"My workers are doing great."

He could feel his divine power growing at a terrifying rate.

He was only one step away from breaking through to the Golden Immortal level.

"Once I reach Golden Immortal, I'll be able to make a few small moves in the Primordial Era."

"For instance, pay a 'visit' to fellow Daoist Randeng while he's busy purging poison."

A mischievous smile appeared on Shen Zhaochi's face.