Ying Zheng came before the Moon Goddess and then gently waved his hand.
A bronze mirror appeared out of thin air.
"This is the Qin King Bone-Illuminating Mirror, a divine ability bestowed by the Heavenly Emperor. It can distinguish the loyal from the treacherous. Do you dare to try it?"
"This... this!"
Seeing the Moon Goddess's terrified expression, Ying Zheng sneered.
He had ascended the throne at a young age, bested Lü Buwei, disposed of Lao Ai, and unified the Six States. He was naturally no fool, and had long since realized the Yin-Yang School was plotting something.
It was only because his body had gradually grown frail that he'd had no choice but to seize upon any hope of immortality.
But now that he had the Heavenly Emperor Visualization Diagram, immortality was within reach.
Naturally, he had regained the wisdom of his former days and seen through the story the Moon Goddess had fabricated.
"From this day on, strip the Moon Goddess and the others of their positions as priests. The Yin-Yang School will no longer be the state religion of Qin!"
"Honor the Heavenly Emperor as Qin's teacher. Build temples on a grand scale, and have all the people of Qin worship him!"
Ying Zheng hadn't forgotten what he'd said in the Chat Group.
He would have the whole state of Qin worship the Heavenly Emperor, whose status would even surpass that of him, the First Emperor.
As this decree spread, so did the news that the Heavenly Emperor had bestowed a blessing on Ying Zheng, restoring his youth.
Countless people went wild with excitement.
Even the Daoists, who had kept their mountain gates closed for years, came out of seclusion to serve Qin, all for a glimpse of the path to immortality!
Once Xiaomeng, Sect Leader of the Daoist Celestial Sect, personally confirmed that Ying Zheng was no longer an ordinary man,
the other schools of thought flocked to Qin as well, eager to put their talents to use in the hope of securing an official post.
After Little Dragon Girl, Yue Buqun, and the others tried the Heavenly Emperor Visualization Diagram, they too were utterly shocked.
In a martial arts world like theirs, one could imagine how wonderful it was to have someone cultivating immortality show up.
In the end, after discussing things with Ying Zheng in the Chat Group,
they each founded a divine cult and worshiped the Heavenly Emperor.
After seeing Little Dragon Girl and the others bring withered trees back to life, turn stones into gold, and even summon the wind and rain, countless people came to join the divine cults of their own accord. They didn't even need to spread the word.
Even emperors couldn't resist the temptation and became followers of the Heavenly Emperor.
Primordial World.
After ending his seclusion, East King Duke left Penglai Immortal Mountain to travel across the Primordial World.
His cultivation was still at the Mid-stage Taiyi Golden Immortal. With cultivation like that, if he established the Immortal Court, even with Hongjun Dao Ancestor's backing, no one would join him.
He would end up in the same awkward position as Haotian, with no one to serve him.
Haotian could still go complain to Hongjun when he had no one to rely on. But if East King Duke did that, he'd probably get slapped to death.
So, in his view, he had two choices: either not establish the Immortal Court at all, or make such a splash that it shook the entire Primordial World. Only then would people believe in the Immortal Court's future and join it.
Boom!
East King Duke was walking across the land when he suddenly looked up.
In the distance, Spiritual Energy surged, and a treasure's radiance shot into the sky.
He curled a finger to divine the secrets of Heaven and sensed that the treasure ahead was fated to be his. Without hesitation, he flew toward it.
Amid overlapping mountain ranges, a gigantic nine-headed bird soared through the sky. Every beat of its wings sent sharp astral winds slicing through space.
Before it stood a pine-tree spirit, born of Heaven and Earth.
Perhaps because he was naturally unsuited to combat, the two were evenly matched at the peak of the Taiyi realm, yet he had ended up gravely wounded.
If not for his powerful life force, which kept repairing his wounds, he would have long since perished.
"Gui Che, you've gone too far! This is my sanctuary. You trespassed here to steal my treasure. Are you not afraid the Heavenly Emperor will punish you?"
A claw mark across the Pine Immortal's chest nearly cut him in half. Black Qi coiled around the wound, and no matter what spell he tried, he couldn't heal it.
It looked as though he wouldn't last much longer even if Gui Che stopped attacking.
"Hahaha! What kind of nonsense is this Heavenly Emperor? I don't acknowledge him! In my heart, there are only the two Demon Emperors, Di Jun and Taiyi!"
"Besides, who knows where that Heavenly Emperor is hiding? Even if he dared show his face, I'd still cut him down without mercy!"
Gui Che laughed wildly in the sky, his icy eyes full of disdain. He didn't take East King Duke seriously in the slightest.
He had once been a guest at Zixiao Palace.
Naturally, he had seen East King Duke there.
When Hongjun Dao Ancestor lectured on the Dao, everyone who listened—regardless of their cultivation—advanced by one or two realms afterward.
That was when Gui Che had gone from the Early-stage Taiyi Golden Immortal realm to the peak of the Taiyi realm, just one step away from becoming a Great Luo.
But East King Duke, whom Hongjun Dao Ancestor had appointed Heavenly Emperor, hadn't advanced at all.
That only deepened Gui Che's resentment. How could a useless fool like him become the Heavenly Emperor?!
After that, Gui Che had specifically searched the Primordial World for East King Duke, hoping to vent his anger on behalf of the Demon Emperors and the others.
But he'd never managed to find him. Only when he saw a treasure about to emerge here had he stopped searching and decided to seize the opportunity instead.
"The Heavenly Emperor was appointed by the Dao Ancestor and recognized by the Heavenly Dao. How dare you speak so recklessly?"
The Pine Immortal stared at Gui Che in disbelief, shocked by his audacity.
"That's none of your concern. Just lie back and die!"
Gui Che had run out of patience. His wings trembled slightly, and nine beams of divine astral wind, each powerful enough to tear through the void, burst into the sky.
Whoosh!
Seeing this, the Pine Immortal closed his eyes in despair. A terrifying storm of energy erupted in the sky, black and brilliant gold intertwining as it swept everything around them away. At last, it gradually dissipated.
"Gui Che, you want to kill me?"
East King Duke appeared in the sky, materializing from nothing. The Pine Immortal behind him lit up at the sight.
"Heavenly Emperor!"
The Pine Immortal had never met East King Duke. Though his cultivation had reached the peak of the Taiyi realm, he had neither a companion Spiritual Treasure like East King Duke nor a powerful faction like Gui Che.
He couldn't cross the Chaos Qi, so naturally, he'd never made it to Zixiao Palace.
But the Heavenly Emperor's identity was recognized by the Heavenly Dao. Anyone who saw him would know at once that he was the Heavenly Emperor.
"Hahaha, East King Duke! I thought you were a coward, hiding in the Primordial World and afraid to show your face!"
"Looks like fortune is smiling on me today, and my Great Dao is within reach! If I kill you, His Majesty Di Jun will surely reward me!"
After saying this, Gui Che was surrounded by divine light. At last, he transformed into a young man holding a long halberd.
Thick, black clouds blanketed the sky, as if night had fallen over the world. The wind howled past.
"Die!"
Without another word, Gui Che gripped the Fangtian Huaji. Dragging a torrent of black divine power behind it, he drew a streak of divine light through the void and slashed straight at East King Duke.
East King Duke summoned the Sky Measuring Ruler, gripped it in his hand, swung it in a wide arc, and struck back.
Bam!
Clang!
A crisp clash of metal rang out. Sparks erupted where the Fangtian Huaji and the Sky Measuring Ruler met.
Countless sparks rained down from the sky, punching through the void. As they fell to the ground, they left behind countless bottomless pits.
The mountains, once lush and beautiful, with peak after peak rising into the distance, now looked like a lump of honeycomb coal.
Bam!
East King Duke frowned, then swung the ruler and sent Gui Che flying back.
"Hahaha!"
Holding the Fangtian Huaji, Gui Che stood in the air and laughed arrogantly.
"Innate Spiritual Treasures are certainly powerful, but without reaching the Great Luo realm, how much of their power can you really use?"
After he spoke, he raised the weapon in his hand and said smugly,
"This was bestowed on me by the Demon Emperor. It may only be a Houtian Spiritual Treasure, but its materials are in no way inferior to those of an Innate Spiritual Treasure!"
"East King Duke, today is the day you die. You'd better accept your death!"
Before you continue