Earth Shatters, Lava Surges, Earth Veins Shift; A Few Words Change Mountains and Rivers

Rolling Grasslands, vast earth, a canopy-like sky, boundless desert—through the Ceremonial Staff, the emperor and his chancellors experienced the flavor of the great desert in an instant.

Such an experience was exceedingly rare. Emperor Li Kun had grown up deep within the palace from childhood. On the few occasions he had traveled incognito, he had only gone about Prosperity Capital. After all, a dragon clad in a fish's garb was courting too much danger.

Even so, unknown to him, the Empress Dowager had arranged guards to protect him. Any hint of danger along the way would be removed before he arrived.

By the time the emperor reached a place, what he saw was no longer the truth, but a polished scene. Sadly, the emperor did not know, and those beneath him knew yet did not report it.

Even leaving the palace to view the city was like this—how could he ever have had a chance to enter that great desert?

In the past, people had often presented rare treasures containing supernatural powers, allowing one to see a thousand li away or witness foreign lands. But once such objects entered the capital region, they first lost some of their strangeness; upon entering Prosperity Capital, little of their remaining spiritual charm was left. Once they entered the palace and were pressed down by Dragon Qi, of ten parts of wonder only one or two remained. How could they give the emperor any true experience?

Thus, Qiu Yan used the Ceremonial Staff to guide the hearts of ruler and ministers, letting them sense the scenery beyond the frontier. The emperor found it deeply astonishing and mysterious.

Not only the emperor—even among the several chancellors, apart from one or two, the rest found their hearts drawn toward it. Some of them might once have