As the power of faith slowly flowed in, the uncut jade blossomed with a seven-colored radiance in the dim room, dispelling the surrounding shadows.
If it weren't for the layers of arrays arranged within the base, the radiant light it emitted would have illuminated the entire outside world.
Iori gazed at the uncut jade in her hand and began reciting a eulogy:
"The essence of Jupiter fell into Mount Jing and transformed into jade. When viewed from the side, it was blue; when viewed from the front, it was white. Bian He obtained it and presented it to the King of Chu. Later, it entered Zhao and was presented to Qin. When the First Emperor unified the country, he had it carved into the Seal of the Mandate of Heaven. Li Si wrote its inscription in small seal script, and it has been passed down through the ages."
As he chanted, the jade seemed to hear a summons, slowly rising from his hand and hovering in front of Iori.
Under the influence of faith, the outer stone flakes gradually peeled away, revealing the jade itself, which was green and blue, yet emitted a white light when viewed from the front.
As the carving continued, the raw jade gradually transformed into a seal, four inches in diameter, with five dragons intertwined on the top knob, and eight seal characters engraved on the front. "Received the mandate from Heaven, may your life be long and prosperous."
Perhaps, as Michelangelo said, the sculpture was already in the stone; he simply removed the unnecessary parts.
At this moment, Iori felt the same way. The seal, born from the jade, seemed so harmonious and perfect, as if it was meant to be this way.
The radiance gradually faded, and the seal slowly descended. Iori reached out her hands and caught it steadily.
His gaze lingered on the seal, one of the most legendary treasures in Chinese history, now lying quietly in his hand.
"The restoration of the Han dynasty three times is quite good; the Land of Fire can also be considered a 'flame' (炎)."
A slight smile appeared on Iori's lips as he murmured to himself, "The restoration of the Han dynasty three times, huh? That's not bad either. The Land of Fire can be considered a 'flame' now."
He took a deep breath to calm his excited emotions.
After becoming Hokage, he was finally able to take the most important step: to become the Alaya consciousness of Konoha, or rather, the Land of Fire. Using this as a springboard, he gradually strengthened his resilience and eventually transformed into the Alaya consciousness of the entire Ninja World.
If this were a fantasy world, Iori's current actions would be considered an act of merging with the Dao.
To reduce the risk of getting lost in the sea of human subconsciousness, he used the power of faith to forge the Imperial Seal of the Realm, using the faith of the Konoha as an anchor to ensure his safety.
Her thoughts drifted back to the past, and Iori recalled the scene of meeting the old rogue Liu Bang. It was thanks to him that the Imperial Seal of the Realm of the Ninja World was completed.
A year ago, in Hall of Heroes, Iori had just finished his discussion with Medea and was sitting at the table, lost in thought.
He had recently become the Hokage Advisor, and the position of the Fifth Hokage was also beckoning him. He had to start preparing for Alaya's ascension ceremony.
Because the matter was of great importance, although there wasn't only one chance for promotion, he cautiously asked his boss for support, hoping to get more guidance and help.
Alaya generously agreed to Iori's request, saying she would send someone to answer his questions, Iori had been waiting for his arrival.
Just then, a flippant voice broke his reverie. "Kid, are you planning to establish a kingdom in another world?"
Iori raised an eyebrow slightly and turned his head to look. He saw a man dressed as an Eastern wandering knight standing next to him with a smile on his lips.
Iori's gaze swept over the man. He was dressed in a simple, ancient-style wandering swordsman's outfit, with a wine jug hanging at his waist and a long sword in his hand. He exuded an air of unbridled freedom.
A sense of curiosity arose in Iori's heart, and he asked, "Are you the one sent by Alaya to answer my questions?"
"Yes, because we are all Han Chinese, it feels that I am the most suitable person to help you."
The man took a sip of his drink and said nonchalantly.
"You probably don't know much except for a few terms, so let me explain from the beginning."
"I humbly accept your instruction." Iori bowed to him.
"Boring." The man seemed unimpressed by Iori's respect. He waved his hand, a hint of disdain in his expression. "Listen up, kid, if there's anything you don't understand, just say it."
" Alaya is the collection of human subconsciousness, meaning everyone is a part of Alaya. So why is there a so-called ascension ritual?"
"The ritual is to solidify your share, so that no matter how many humans come later, or how powerful Alaya's overall strength becomes, you can firmly hold more than half of the power."
"The first step is to define a scope, starting with the regional gods. The region cannot be too small, otherwise Alaya cannot be born, but it also cannot be too large, otherwise you will not be able to occupy a sufficient share."
"On the other hand, it will also increase the chances of you getting lost in your subconscious. Alaya sent me here to give you this."
As the man spoke, he tossed over something that looked like a stone.
"What is this?" Iori asked curiously.
"Oh, it's the He Shi's Jade Disc." The man took another sip of wine and said casually.
"!!" Iori's hand trembled, then she gripped the stone tightly.
"Is the He Shi's Jade Disc meant to be transformed into the Imperial Seal of the Realm?"
"Good reaction. That's right. In the early stages, you need to rely on faith or luck to stabilize your existence. Once you have enough power in the middle stages, you can break free from them and exist independently."
"At that time, you will be the official Alaya, and you can consider continuing to expand your sphere of control until you encompass the entire world."
"Next comes the conquest of the heavens, constantly absorbing new worlds."
After the man finished speaking, he took out a jade slip from his hand, tossed it gently, and the jade slip drew a graceful arc in the air before landing in Iori's hand.
Then, after thinking for a moment, he made a decision and threw his sword over as well.
"The specific procedures are in the jade slip. I've heard you can copy Noble Phantasm, so take a look at my sword if you need it."
Iori carefully put away the jade slip and then began to analyze the longsword in her hand.
Crimson Sky
Grade: A++
Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, used this sword to angrily slay a white snake in a marsh, thus beginning his imperial life.
The sword, adorned with intricate patterns, colorful beads, and the chilling gleam of Jiuhua jade, has a blade as sharp as frost and snow. Two seal characters are engraved on its blade: Crimson Sky.
Upon seeing the information about the sword, Iori wasn't too surprised. The fact that the jade seal wasn't inlaid with gold indicated that it came from before Wang Mang's usurpation of the Han dynasty.
Those who were both emperors and wandering knights-errant before the Eastern Han Dynasty are probably only Emperor Gaozu of Han (Liu Bang) and Emperor Xuan of Han (Liu Xun ).
After copying the Noble Phantasm, Iori returned the Crimson Sky Sword to Liu Bang: "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Liu Bang took the sword, smiled, and said to Iori, "Good luck, kid." After saying that, he turned and left with a flourish.