From his vantage point high above Chen Jin, the pattern vaguely resembled a gigantic formation, with the Eight Trigrams at its core and constellations spreading outward.
Each boy stood precisely at a point corresponding to a constellation, like a piece set down on a chessboard.
Xu Fu himself held the Spirit Box and steadily walked to the very center of the formation. He knelt at the "Great Yin" position, where the yin energy was strongest, and carefully set the box before him.
At almost the exact moment the last boy finished kneeling and Xu Fu took his place at the formation's eye, the first golden edge of sunrise appeared on the eastern horizon.
The first quarter of the hour of the Rabbit, the moment yin and yang exchanged places.
At that instant, the Alchemists stationed around the square, who had been waiting for some time, simultaneously formed hand seals and began chanting obscure, ancient incantations in low voices.
Buzz—
A deep humming rose from beneath the earth.
The whole of Langya Mountain seemed to come alive.
Invisible, colorless patterns of spiritual energy crisscrossing the mountainside suddenly lit up.
Golden streams of light flowed like living creatures along the channels carved into the mountain, following natural fissures in its ley lines. They rapidly spread and interwove, forming in an instant a vast web of light that covered all of Langya Mountain.
As Xu Fu and three thousand boys formed their array atop Langya Terrace, while the world lay in a chilling, deathly silence, a long horn blast pierced the clouds from the distant horizon.
"Wooo—hummm—"
The horn sounded ancient and weighty, carrying an unquestionable majesty.
Its call drew closer, each blast following the last like a relay, rolling forward from the far distance and clearly announcing the arrival of some supreme being.
Chen Jin followed the sound and gazed into the distance.
On the horizon, where dawn was just breaking, a vast procession stretched into view like a slowly advancing tide of black.
Banners blotted out the sky, and the ceremonial guard stood in strict formation. Though the procession was still far away, its solemn, oppressive presence already bore down on them.
At its center was a luxurious Cloud Chariot, surrounded in layer upon layer by other carriages and guards.
The procession came to a slow halt on a vast clearing specially prepared at the foot of Langya Mountain.
The men at the foot of the mountain settled into formation, silent as the mountain itself.
Langguan warriors clad in dark armor and carrying long halberds swiftly repositioned themselves, forming a tight defensive perimeter.
The flag bearers held the Great Qin Azure Dragon Banner straight aloft, its fabric snapping in the morning breeze.
All the attendants, including the ministers and high officials in their court robes, held their breath and stood with heads bowed, not daring to show the slightest negligence.
The entire procession was silent. Only the occasional faint clink of armor plates broke the quiet, making the atmosphere all the more solemn.
Chen Jin held his breath. He could feel the power of the laws in the air growing restless, as though welcoming their sovereign.
Once the preparations were complete, the horns sounded again, this time louder and more rousing.
The luxurious Cloud Chariot, drawn by six Dragon Horses, began to move. Instead of following the winding mountain road, it rose straight off the ground and traveled through the air.
The six Dragon Horses were far larger and more powerful than ordinary steeds. Jade horns grew from their heads, and their bodies were covered in jade-colored scales that gleamed with a cold light. Their hooves were as large as bowls. As they trod through the air, ripples spread beneath them, as though they were walking on invisible steps.
They raised their heads and neighed, their cries like dragons' roars echoing through the valleys.
The Cloud Chariot's canopy spread like a cloud, built from gold and jade, with dark-colored bead curtains hanging all around it.
The carriage was carved with the sun, moon, stars, mountains, seas, and strange beasts. In the brightening dawn, it glowed with a gentle yet dazzling luster.
The six Dragon Horses stepped forward, and the Cloud Chariot rose smoothly, traveling slowly along a straight path through the air toward the summit of Langya Terrace.
The ceremonial procession continued up the mountain road below, keeping pace on the ground. The Cloud Chariot, however, soared above the paths of mortals, like a deity making its rounds through the heavens.
As the Cloud Chariot climbed higher and neared the summit, the imperial pressure enveloping the surrounding land grew stronger.
The birds in the forest had long since scattered. Even the insects had fallen completely silent.
Chen Jin felt the air around him grow thick. His heart began beating involuntarily in time with the Dragon Horses' hooves as they trod through the air.
Chen Jin grew even more cautious, suppressing every trace of his presence and lying in wait like an inert stone.
At last, the six-dragon Cloud Chariot slowly came to a halt above the square before the Shrine of the Four Seasons Deity, like the heavenly emperor's palace descending into the mortal world.
The shadow cast by the carriage covered most of the altar.
The Cloud Chariot's beaded curtains were soundlessly drawn aside.
A figure clad in a dark imperial robe embroidered with the Twelve Symbols and wearing a flat-topped crown appeared before the crowd.
The strings of beads hanging from the crown obscured his face, revealing only a blurred, imposing silhouette.
At that moment, all things under heaven seemed to regard him as their sovereign.
The First Emperor had arrived.
Xu Fu stepped forward three paces and faced the Cloud Chariot, performing the full ceremony of three prostrations and nine kowtows.
A master of ceremonies in elaborate ritual robes stepped out from the crowd. He unfurled a jade scroll and began to chant in a measured, sonorous voice:
"Your servant respectfully reports: His Majesty the Emperor possesses the virtue of the Three Sovereigns and surpasses the achievements of the Five Emperors. He has swept across the Six Directions and conquered the Eight Desolations!
"Now the realm is unified and the world at peace. Yet Your Majesty's benevolent heart looks upon the endless expanse of heaven and earth and pities the short lives of all living things.
"Thus, the Alchemist Xu Fu was specially dispatched east across the vast sea to seek the elixir of immortality, prolong Your Majesty's sacred life, and bring peace to the people!
"This is Heaven moved by Your Majesty's achievements and bestowing the elixir of immortality—a blessing for all living things and a boon to the realm!
"We humbly beseech Your Majesty to partake of this divine elixir, live as long as Heaven, and reign over the world for all eternity!"
The chant echoed among the mountains. The radiance of the Law Eye in the sky brightened slightly, bearing witness to this historic moment.
From within the Cloud Chariot came a calm voice imbued with supreme authority, every word engraved in the void like a decree:
"Alchemist Xu Fu, you traveled thousands of miles and did not fail in your mission. You have rendered meritorious service by finding the elixir.
"Today, I invest you with the title of True Immortal of Enduring Sovereignty, Longevity, and Mystic Radiance. You shall oversee Penglai Immortal Capital and direct all matters of the arts of the Eastern Sea."
"Your servant thanks Your Majesty for this heavenly grace!" Xu Fu kowtowed again.
The instant the First Emperor finished speaking, a vast surge of fortune transformed into five-colored radiance and descended from the void, blessing Xu Fu. His Alchemist's robe stirred without a breeze, and his presence soared, as though he had truly attained immortality.
He respectfully raised the Sandalwood Spirit Box in his hands and slowly opened it.
In an instant, ten thousand rays of rosy light and countless streams of auspicious energy burst forth.
A divine herb appeared before the crowd. It was shaped like a ganoderma, golden all over, with purple mist flowing through its veins.
Its rich vitality mingled with the aura of the Heavenly Dao, spreading through the air and making everyone's mouths water and their hearts sway.
"Your Majesty, this is the 'Heavenly Dao Purple-Veined Ganoderma,' which your servant obtained on Penglai's immortal mountain. Partaking of it will grant a glimpse of the wondrous realm of immortality."
Xu Fu's voice trembled with excitement. "However, this herb is of an innate nature. Its medicinal power can only be unlocked by the divine power of [Bountiful Harvest], so that Your Majesty may benefit from it. Therefore, we must use the body of the Lord of the Four Seasons, master of the cycle of the seasons and sovereign of Langya Terrace, as the vessel!"
"So be it."
As soon as the words fell, all of Langya Mountain shuddered violently.
The formation patterns carved throughout the mountain contracted, their light streaming like a hundred rivers returning to the sea, converging on the statue of the Lord of the Four Seasons inside the shrine at the center of the square.
The statue trembled violently. Its stony outer layer peeled away, revealing a painfully contorted face that let out a silent wail.