Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
"Your Majesty, the auspicious hour is approaching, and everything is ready."
Li Yuansheng's voice rang out from outside the Secret Chamber, respectful yet tinged with barely suppressed excitement.
Secret Chamber, Zhang Yu slowly opened his eyes, his gaze restrained, his aura profound and imposing.
His Cultivation at the Half-step Supreme peak has reached perfection; he is only waiting for an opportunity to stir up the heavens and earth and attempt to break through to the true Supreme Realm.
He rose, pushed open the stone door, and wore a brand-new imperial robe with a black base and embroidered with patterns of the Sun, Moon, and Stars, mountains, rivers, and the state, which made his figure appear even more upright and dignified.
Let's go.
Yu spoke calmly and stepped forward first.
Li Yuansheng bowed and followed closely behind, his old face full of glory.
We left our secluded retreat and arrived at the core area of Ancestral Land.
What was once an empty space now stands as a colossal Altar, hundreds of feet tall, constructed entirely of white jade and obsidian!
The Altar is divided into nine layers, each inscribed with intricate and mysterious Formation Runes, subtly connected to the Earth Vein of the entire Li Family Ancestral Land and even the Earth Province.
At the top of the Altar, a huge black dragon flag fluttered in the wind, the two Golden Light "Great Xia" on the flag shining brightly, exuding a majestic aura.
The area around the Altar was already adorned with fluttering banners and teeming with people.
Outside, the elite soldiers of the four major legions of Li Tian, Li Di, Li Ren, and Zhao Tianyi, their armor gleaming and weapons gleaming in the sun, formed a disciplined Military Formation, protecting the Altar area like an iron barrel, their chilling aura reaching the heavens.
Closer still were the Imperial Guard, commanded by Zhou Wentao and Xia Hongjue.
Although the organization was newly formed, everyone was in high spirits, their eyes fixed on Zhang Yu with fervent zeal, their determination to defend him to the death written on their faces.
The viewing area directly in front of the Altar was divided into several sections.
The Xiao Family members, Prince Jing, Xiao Xuan, and others stood at the very front.
Xiao Fenghua and Xiao Meier also changed into formal dresses today. Standing behind Xiao Xuan, their beautiful eyes were fixed on Zhang Yu, filled with excitement, pride and deep affection.
They never imagined that the man they chose would one day reach this point and become the king who established a Divine Dynasty!
A little later came the people from the Medical Immortal Valley.
Zhang Ziyun, Shen Bixia, Hu Qingxuan, and the others gazed at the imposing figure on the high platform with complex expressions.
Shock, awe, regret, anticipation... a mix of emotions.
If only they had been more resolute back then, if only... Unfortunately, there's no going back.
Hu Qingxuan lowered her head, not daring to look at Zhang Yu or the Xiao Family sisters, her heart filled with bitterness.
Further out, representatives of various forces that Shadow Kill had subdued and integrated over the years were all holding their breath and behaving with utmost respect.
For them, witnessing the birth of a new ruler of the Divine Dynasty was a Supreme honor, but it also meant new opportunities and challenges.
Among the crowd, one gaze held a particularly complex expression—that of Zhang Lingyun.
When Zhang Yu appeared beneath the Altar, walking step by step up the red-carpeted steps—
Long live the Your Majesty! May the Great Xia!
"Long live! Long live! Long live!"
The cheers, as loud as a mountain and as deafening as a thunderclap, exploded and soared into the sky!
The shouts of hundreds of thousands of people converged into an unparalleled wave of sound, echoing among the mountains, making people's eardrums tingle and their blood boil.
Everyone shouted with all their might, expressing their respect and support for the monarch who was about to lead them into a new era.
Amidst the earth-shaking shouts of "Long live the Emperor!", Zhang Yu steadily ascended to the top of the Altar.
Standing at the highest point, looking down at the dense crowd gazing up at him, he was filled with emotion.
From being weak at the beginning of his transmigration, to gradually building his empire step by step, and now about to establish Divine Dynasty...
Along the way, we have faced both hardships and crises, but we have been fortunate to receive assistance from the system and have never slackened our efforts.
He slightly raised his hand; the movement was small, yet it seemed to possess an invisible magic.
In an instant, the deafening cheers were silenced as if gripped by an invisible hand.
The square, where hundreds of thousands of people had gathered, became so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on their king with fervent devotion.
Zhang Yu's gaze slowly swept across the entire room, and everyone whose eyes met his involuntarily straightened their spines.
He spoke, his voice not particularly loud, yet it reached the ears of everyone present with crystal clarity, as if resonating directly in the depths of their souls:
"I, Zhang Yu."
Born in humble beginnings, originating in the Eastern Domain.
We cultivators defy the heavens.
What I seek is nothing more than justice, dignity, and a pure land where future generations can cultivate themselves and thrive in peace!
In today's world, power runs rampant, Confucianism reigns supreme, and All Beings are imprisoned by rites and laws, and the masses are educated to be ignorant.
The Primal Origin Divine Dynasty aided and abetted the tyrannical ruler, oppressing all sides.
Even more sinister and monstrous creatures lurk in the shadows, plotting to devour heaven and earth and enslave all living beings!
Zhang Yu's voice gradually rose, carrying a power that struck straight to the heart, igniting the anger in the hearts of many present who had suffered oppression from Confucianism and the Qianyuan school.
"I do not wish to see this bright and Heaven and Earth become a prison of selfish desires!"
"Therefore, today, I am here to unite the hearts of all by my own way, to inherit the destiny of heaven and earth, and to lay the foundation for ten thousand generations!"
"I wish to establish a Divine Dynasty, named— Great Xia!"
Zhang Yu's voice, like a grand bell, resounded throughout the heavens and earth, carrying an indescribable majesty and infectious power, making everyone present feel their hearts surge and their blood boil!
"Great Xia! Great Xia! Great Xia!"
Without anyone noticing who started it, thunderous cheers erupted once more, even more fervent and unified than before, filled with boundless anticipation and loyalty for the new dynasty and the new emperor!
Zhang Yu raised his hand, suppressing his voice once again. He looked at Li Yuansheng, who was already prepared, and nodded slightly.
Li Yuansheng understood and took a deep breath.
He suppressed his excitement, held a scroll of sacrificial text woven with gold thread and exuding an ancient and vast aura, and walked to the bronze cauldron in the center of the Altar, his expression extremely solemn.
He unfolded the sacrificial text and began to recite it in a resounding voice imbued with True Essence:
"Wei, the new dynasty begins, the Great Xia."
Emperor Zhang Yu, with this pure wine and offering of sacrificial animals, solemnly proclaims to Heaven and Earth, the mountains and rivers, the gods of the land, the Sun, Moon, and Stars:
"Since the beginning of chaos, when the pure and the impure were separated, humans and gods lived together, Dao Emulates Own Inherent Spontaneity."
However, from the Middle Ages onward, rituals and music collapsed, the sacred way was not revealed, and demonic influences ran rampant.
Some Confucian scholars steal fame, feign benevolence and righteousness, imprison thought, and enslave the All Beings;
There was a dynasty called Qianyuan, who aided and abetted the tyrant, bullied all sides, and brought chaos to the world...
The eulogy is lengthy, using simple and elegant language to enumerate the "crimes" of Confucianism and the Primal Origin Divine Dynasty, to expound the "righteousness" and "virtue" of establishing the Great Xia, and to pray for the approval of Heaven and Earth, the protection of the gods, and the eternal prosperity of the nation.
As Li Yuansheng recited, the Formation Runes engraved on the Altar began to light up one by one, emitting a soft and sacred light.
The Spiritual Qi of heaven and earth seemed to be drawn in, slowly converging towards the Altar.
In the sky, the wind rose and the clouds surged, with faint sounds of dragons roaring and phoenixes howling, as auspicious clouds began to gather.
However, at this solemn and auspicious moment, when all the people were filled with anticipation—
Report!
A sharp and urgent report suddenly came from the far distance, tearing through the solemn atmosphere like a sharp arrow!
A messenger, covered in blood and with shattered armor, was helped up by several imperial guards as he stumbled and crawled through the outer Military Formation, collapsing beneath the Altar, shouting hoarsely:
"Your Majesty!
The army of the Primal Origin Divine Dynasty, together with the monks and soldiers of the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect, totaling three million, has broken through the border defenses of the Earth Province and is advancing towards our Ancestral Land in three routes!
The striker is less than a thousand miles away!
"At least five... no, seven terrifying auras at the Half-step Supreme level were sensed within the Military Formation!"
It appears that the five Confucianism Half-step Supreme, along with Emperor Ji Wuxiang and the Buddha Master of the Qianyuan Ten Thousand Buddha Sect Yuan Tong, have all been mobilized!
"Boom--!"
These words struck like a bolt from the blue, exploding above the heads of everyone who had just been immersed in the joy of the founding of the nation!
The crowd, which had just been shouting "Long live!", fell into a deathly silence, followed by a huge panic and commotion!
"What?
"A joint attack by the Qianyuan and Ten Thousand Buddha Sect?"
"Seven... seven Half-step Supreme?"
How... how can we possibly defend against this?
Panic spread like a plague among the spectators.
Despite their confidence in Zhang Yu and their high expectations for the soon-to-be-established "Great Xia," they all paled when they heard phrases like "seven Half-step Supreme" and "three million troops!"
This was a thunderous attack launched with almost the combined strength of the three top powers: Confucianism, Qianyuan, and Ten Thousand Buddha Sect!
The goal is to nip the "Great Xia" in the bud!
Xiao Xuan, Prince Jing, and the others' expressions changed drastically. Xiao Fenghua and Xiao Meier paled instantly and subconsciously looked at Zhang Yu at the top of the Altar.
The people from the Medical Immortal Valley were ashen-faced and trembling with fear.
The representatives of the various forces, who had just been so confident, now showed signs of fear and wavering.
Li Yuansheng's recitation stopped abruptly, his expression extremely solemn.
Generals Li Tian and Li Di instinctively gripped their weapons and looked at Zhang Yu.
Zhang Lingyun also covered her mouth, her eyes filled with worry.
On the Altar, Zhang Yu's expression remained unchanged, as if the earth-shattering military news was merely a trivial whisper.
He stood with his hands behind his back, gazing up at the sky. Watching the strange phenomena of heaven and earth slowly gathering but becoming somewhat disordered due to the sudden arrival of Sha Qi, a cold and mocking smile curled at the corner of his mouth.
"Finally... has it arrived?"
He muttered to himself, his voice audible only to himself.