The First Emperor Defies Heaven, The Great Celestial Venerable Insists on Your Second Reign's Demise!

Outside the great hall, the twilight was vast.

Upon the high platform, Qin Shi Huang, Ying Zheng, clad in a black dragon robe, fluttered in the wind.

He raised the sharp blade in his hand, its edge pointing to the sky, the light of the sword chilling.

"I am the First Emperor of Great Qin, Ying Zheng!"

His gaze was like a torch, sweeping across the firmament, his voice like a thunderous bell, shaking the nine heavens.

"I wish to be an emperor for all time, not merely a Son of Heaven!"

"I contended with the six states in the past, and today I shall contend with Heaven itself!"

Lightning flashed on the blade, as if the very firmament was rolling with his furious roar.

"If Heaven does not permit me to cultivate immortality, I shall defy Heaven!"

"If Heaven does not permit me to live forever, I shall slay Heaven!"

His voice, like the clanging of cold iron, echoed through and outside the Qin King's palace.

The warriors outside the hall lowered their heads in unison, not daring to make a sound;

The officials below the high platform had faces like dirt, their bodies stiff as cicadas in winter.

Heavenly Dao does not permit emperors to cultivate immortality, nor does it allow emperors to live forever!

Even though Qin Shi Huang was protected by the fortune of the Human Dao, unified the six states, and became a generation's great ruler, he still had to submit to Heaven; this was predestined!

If mortals disrespect Heaven and wish to fight against it, the fate of Emperor Xin of old serves as an example.

Li Si opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but looking at the emperor holding his sword against the sky, his robes fluttering, the words caught in his throat, and he swallowed them back, only able to remain silent.

Behind Ying Zheng, the effeminate and sinister Zhao Gao stepped forward quickly, bowing his head as he praised loudly, his voice as obsequious as a snake:

"Your Majesty, the First Emperor, for ten thousand autumns and ten thousand generations, unified the six states, your virtue surpasses the Three Sovereigns, your merits eclipse the Five Emperors, you shall be the emperor for ten thousand autumns and the ruler for ten thousand generations!"

"May our Emperor live for ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years!"

Before his words had finished, he had already struck his forehead heavily upon the jade steps, making a "thudding" sound.

The officials in the hall heard this; some had complex expressions, while others immediately came to their senses and hurried to kneel and kowtow, their shouts merging into a mountain-like roar:

"May our Emperor live for ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years--!"

Under the deep twilight, these shouts, along with the flashing cold blade in the First Emperor's hand, shot straight into the night sky, as if truly intending to pierce the firmament and tear through the heavens.

At the same time, high above the nine heavens, in the Heavenly Realm's Golden Palace, the Hall of Lingxiao.

A line of celestial maidens stood with lowered heads outside the hall. Glazed jade steps descended from the clouds, and the Jade Emperor's throne hung high in the sky, surrounded by swirling rosy clouds, exuding divine majesty.

Shunfeng Er and Qianli Yan knelt at the foot of the jade steps, which were covered with a carpet of golden cloud patterns, their voices trembling, their mouths dry:

"Reporting to the Great Celestial Venerable, Ying Zheng, the ruler of Great Qin in the lower realm, has proclaimed himself First Emperor. He wishes to defy Heaven to cultivate immortality, to obtain the path of eternal life, and even arrogantly claims he will slay Heaven... He also proclaims himself to live for ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years..."

Jade Emperor Haotian sat on the throne of the nine heavens, robed in a sky-blue imperial gown, his cloud-like hair tied high, his brows flashing with a cold divine light.

Upon hearing this, Haotian narrowed his eyes, a chilling sneer appearing in their depths. He parted his thin lips:

"A mere mortal emperor dares to defy Heaven? Heh..."

Before his words were finished, the carved beams of golden dragons and jade phoenixes in the hall suddenly trembled, as if even the Heavenly Palace was groaning under this chilling pressure.

"Since he wants ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years, then I shall not let him live past fifty!"

"Ying Zheng of the Great Qin Dynasty shall die suddenly at the age of forty-nine!"

Haotian's eyes flashed like lightning. He raised his hand and clenched it in the air. Wind and thunder clashed in the void, and a streak of cold, dark lightning flashed.

"If he desires an eternal dynasty, then I shall let this Great Qin Dynasty perish in its second generation!"

Haotian suddenly snorted coldly, his eyes carrying a hint of malice and disdain:

"Let his descendants all be short-lived ghosts, dying without a burial place. This is the consequence of defying Heaven!"

"One person defies Heaven, and the entire family suffers!"

After speaking, Haotian waved his hand and said indifferently:

"Go. From now on, if any ants in the mortal realm have actions that defy Heaven, deal with them according to this precedent!"

Taibai Jinxing, standing beside him, quickly bowed and acknowledged:

"We respectfully obey the Great Celestial Venerable's decree!"

Soon, the Jade Emperor waved his sleeve, and a beam of golden light shot through the void, heading straight for the lower three heavens, landing towards the cloud-shrouded Destiny Palace.

Inside the Destiny Palace, stars flowed, and the star lords looked solemn.

Scrolls of fate books floated amidst the vast starlight, emitting a faint glow.

The Star Lord of Fate unrolled a scroll, picked up the vermilion-inked fate brush, and added a few words with a flourish:

[Ying Zheng, died suddenly at forty-nine.]

[Eldest Prince Fusu, committed suicide at thirty-one.]

[Prince Jianglü, died at twenty-seven by his brother's hand.]

[Prince Chuang, slain in Xianyang.]

[Prince Hao, executed in Gaoyou.]

[Prince Huhai, forced to commit suicide at twenty-four.]

[The Great Qin Dynasty, fell in the second generation!]

With each name written, streams of destiny's light would rise from the scroll, transforming into spiritual energy of gold, silver, and black. Some would soar towards the Ziwei Star Lord's mansion, while others would vanish into the Netherworld's Yama Hall. The invisible destiny of heaven and earth churned subtly, like a silent storm, secretly pushing Great Qin towards its fated abyss.

At this moment, outside the Qin King's palace, the blade in Ying Zheng's hand still pointed at the sky, its cold gleam lingering. He was still unaware that the fate of the Great Qin Dynasty had undergone a seismic shift!

He had been abandoned by destiny!

The Great Qin Dynasty would no longer be favored by destiny!

Just then, a blazing golden light pierced the clouds and arrived in an instant.

Within the golden light stood a figure, wearing the Phoenix-Winged Purple-Gold Crown, clad in the Chain Mail Golden Armor, and treading in the Lotus Silk Cloud-Treading Boots. It was Sun Wukong!

He stood atop rolling Golden Clouds, the Golden Cudgel resting on his shoulder. His gaze was like a torch, fixed upon the Qin Shi Huang standing proudly outside the hall, sword pointing at the heavens.

"Well done, First Emperor, a true ruler who unified the six states!"

But after his admiration, Sun Wukong let out a soft sigh in his heart. A hint of regret flickered in his golden pupils:

"What a pity... No matter how mighty an emperor is, he is merely an emperor of the Human Dao! Even with the Human Dao's protection and destiny shielding him, if he truly dares to contend with the Heavenly Dao, he is likely no match."

The scene of the Shang Dynasty's Emperor Di Xin setting himself ablaze on Lutai flashed through his mind, flames reaching the sky, ten thousand people weeping!

This was the consequence of an emperor defying the heavens!

Although Qin Shi Huang had been acknowledged by the Human Dao and was protected by it, even if Sun Wukong wanted to kill him forcefully, he would have to bear the backlash from the Human Dao and suffer a loss of cultivation.

But that was all. To contend with the Heavenly Dao, he was still far from it!

As this thought crossed his mind, Sun Wukong's lips curled into a grin, and he muttered to himself:

"However... if I were to lend him a hand, perhaps this heaven could be defied!"

With this thought, Sun Wukong descended from the clouds, and in the blink of an eye, he stood before Qin Shi Huang.

"You must be Ying Zheng, the First Emperor of Great Qin, right?"

Sun Wukong chuckled sinisterly, "I heard you seek eternal life by defying heaven? I might be able to lend you a hand..."

Before he could finish speaking, killing intent erupted from the jade steps before the hall!

"Assassin! Protect the Emperor!!!"

"Protect His Majesty!!!"

The glint of swords was like falling snow, the flash of blades like cold stars. Countless iron-blooded imperial guards instantly appeared, forming a protective circle around Qin Shi Huang.

Armor clanged, and the aura of slaughter was like frost on a winter night.

"What kind of demon dares to trespass into the imperial palace!"