Three Hundred Years

None of them saw the Qin Shi Huang, but Bai Mo's gaze was precisely locked on a certain spot. His eyes seemed to pierce through the darkness and see something that could not be seen with the naked eye.

"Kid, did you see something?" Bai Wunan asked curiously.

"Yes, it seems there's something there, not a powerful being, but... I can sense it. It's inside that iron sphere enveloped in layers of power. It feels somewhat like Primordial Spirit to me."

Hearing Bai Mo's words, Bai Wunan felt a pleasant surprise. He had watched Bai Mo walk this far, and the methods he knew of certainly did not include any perception of the soul. At least not in Northern Europe, otherwise he would have seen through Fafnir's problems long ago.

"It seems your trip to Salem wasn't in vain. I see, it was based on your own insights... Oh, I see. That young lady is truly thoughtful; this is quite a gift."

Because of his own deficient Primordial Spirit, when Yog Sothos used his omniscient wisdom to remove Bai Mo from Nyarlathotep's sight, that wisdom, combined with his own situation, began to think and react unconsciously, becoming a kind of knowledge that Bai Mo could not understand at the moment.

The knowledge of Outer God.

Clearly, this knowledge is related to his Primordial Spirit, and when it is truly understood, it may be an unimaginable aid.

Now, although he cannot understand it, Bai Mo can still sense some things through it, things he could not sense before. And if he guesses correctly, what Bai Mo is sensing now may be the primordial Primordial Spirit of the Qin Shi Huang, Ying Zheng.

Most powerful beings with strong magnetic fields die in battles, but before they uncover the mysteries of the Primordial Spirit and embark on the Ultimate path, these terrifying beings capable of destroying the world have a limited lifespan.

It's absurd. Even though we can control molecules and even atoms at will, there's still a lifespan limit even at 990,000 horsepower.

The Root of Magnetic Field Power lies in the Primordial Spirit. As a strong magnetic field cultivator continuously increases their power, the power of their Primordial Spirit also gradually strengthens. This was partly the reason why Bai Wunan absorbed the Primordial Spirit of the Bai Family.

When the Primordial Spirit grows to a certain level, if the strong person cannot advance further, the physical body will be unable to contain the Primordial Spirit. In the end, the Primordial Spirit leaves the body, and the strong person dies.

This is the "lifespan" of a person with a strong magnetic field; generally speaking, a standard strong person lives for about three hundred years.

Clearly, there are many methods in this world that target the soul. The Terrible Emperor of the past implanted the Fantasy Tree into his body, and at the same time, countless ruthless creatures were integrated into his body, allowing him to live in a state of semi-consciousness for a long time.

As for mythical creatures like Nidhogg and Surtr, they are not bound by lifespan and their souls are quite special, so they do not exhibit the phenomenon of their Primordial Spirit leaving their body. Of course, it is also possible that they have their own methods.

But no matter what form Ying Zheng took, there was no doubt that his lifespan had long since ended. Now, he had somehow managed to preserve his Primordial Spirit within that device, allowing him to still communicate.

Perhaps this is the truth about the Qin Shi Huang's "death" that Bai Mo knew before.

"Kid, why don't you just use Avici Uninterrupted to destroy it, then go up and absorb its Primordial Spirit? It might not be of much help, but that would definitely kill it."

The Giant Shark offered Bai Mo "advice," suggesting that this was a direct and effective method for a Primordial Spirit without a body. Before reaching the Ultimate, no matter how strong the power, Primordial Spirit is just easy prey.

But Bai Wunan rejected the suggestion outright.

"Get out of here, you're just coming up with terrible ideas. Regardless of whether this old Primordial Spirit has any tricks up his sleeve, directly absorbing Bai Mo's current damaged Primordial Spirit will not only be of no help, but will probably cause a lot of trouble later."

Absorbing the Primordial Spirit is ultimately not the right path; there's no need to jeopardize the future for such a potential enemy.

Just as the Martial God Space began to chatter amongst themselves, Bai Mo had already lifted up Xu Fu, whose legs were trembling. Seeing Bai Mo directly confronting the Qin Shi Huang for the sake of Servant, Xu Fu felt a surge of loyalty.

"You have replaced me with a national hero, and I will repay you with the same." Thinking this, Xu Fu looked at Bai Mo with teary eyes and sincerely said:

"Boss, if you die, I will definitely burn enough paper money and ingots for you every year. I will also pick out an excellent burial site for you, ensuring you will be rich and powerful in the afterlife."

"Thank you so much!"

In response to Xu Fu's blessing, Bai Mo slapped her on the head in an annoyed manner. The latter covered her hat, looking rather aggrieved, and said:

"What's so special about that? It's rare for me to genuinely acknowledge you as my Master. I'm just a sorcerer, not some national hero. That's all I know."

Xu Fu's taunt instantly dispelled the serious atmosphere in the hall. Just as Hinako Akuta was lamenting the Chaldea's utter recklessness, the Qin Shi Huang's voice chuckled.

"Haha, that's quite interesting. Indeed, Xu Fu, this is about all you're capable of as a sorcerer. It's a case of making the best use of your talents. Besides, you're now this person's attendant, so respecting your master's orders is understandable."

"Um... you mean, you're not going to pursue the matter with me?"

"Hehe..." The Qin Shi Huang's laughter stopped abruptly, and he returned to his previous majestic demeanor.

"If the crime of deceiving the emperor is simply brushed aside, where is the dignity? I am merely not pursuing your crime of not bowing to the king. Also... Yu Mei-ren, please get up. Everyone is standing while you are kneeling there; it's too abrupt."

Upon hearing the Qin Shi Huang's words, the veins on Hinako Akuta's head bulged slightly.

Could you have said that sooner? I've been "acting differently" for almost ten minutes! Hinako Akuta really wanted to curse Ying Zheng's family, but thinking of Xiang Yu, she took a deep breath and said respectfully:

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Feeling the gazes of the Chaldea, she silently turned her head away.

"Alright, Xu Fu, you still remember the crime of deceiving the emperor, and what the law stipulates, right? However, considering you just played a role in the play, I will allow you to offer some explanation."

Xu Fu was stunned. What was there to explain? He had taken the Qin Shi Huang's investment, went to Japan to search for the elixir of immortality, and after meeting Yu Mei-ren, he turned around and changed the direction of his research. What was there to say about something so obvious?

Bai Mo, standing behind Xu Fu, addressed the Qin Shi Huang:

"She is my Servant. If you wish to apply your so-called laws to her, you'll have to get past me first."

"Oh? How interesting. If you hand over this prisoner now, I can reward you handsomely. Or do you think this weak Xu Fu is enough to make you stand against me?"

"She's my comrade-in-arms, and I still carry the talisman she gave me. I've always stood shoulder to shoulder with her, but you're the one standing against me."

The atmosphere instantly turned somewhat cold. Ritsuka and Reines instinctively prepared for battle, Hinako Akuta silently blocked the retreat of Bai Mo and the others.

Bai Mo glanced at the people at the bottom and the constantly functioning Epang Palace below, and slowly spoke:

"However, you just said you'd allow her to defend herself, right?"

"Oh, you want to defend her? Very well. The best strategy is to subdue the enemy without fighting; the next best is to disrupt their alliances; the next best is to attack their army; and the worst is to besiege their cities. If you can persuade me, then I can naturally pardon her."

Xu Fu cast a worried glance at Bai Mo, Bai Mo simply shrugged.

"It's nothing, I've had similar conversations with three kings already."

Seeing Bai Mo's relaxed and carefree demeanor, Xu Fu had no choice but to believe him. The Qin Shi Huang slowly spoke, his tone becoming extremely solemn and dignified.

"Xu Fu, does the immortal herb you speak of truly exist?"

"Forehead..."

"Who knows? Maybe it really exists, but it was taken by some king of Uruk before you."

Throughout history, countless people have sought immortality. People will pick and taste any wild fruit they see, let alone something like that.

Before Xu Fu could speak, Bai Mo's words left the Qin Shi Huang speechless. His question was whether the immortal herb truly existed. If Xu Fu had fabricated it, that would be deceiving the emperor; but if it had been taken by someone else beforehand, that was a different matter altogether.

"Ha, you're quite the smooth talker. If what you say is true, then it's also a dereliction of duty."

"That's natural."

Bai Mo gave a firm affirmation, but then, with his eyes closed, he spoke eloquently:

"Then tell me, isn't it a dereliction of duty for an emperor who, after expending countless resources and even allowing them to leave with their subjects and children, to grant this alchemist such power and instead use those resources to pursue the elusive path of immortality, rather than focusing on improving people's livelihoods?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Fu was completely stunned. To be honest, she no longer cared whether she lived or died. In all her years, this was the first time she had encountered someone with such courage. Just being able to watch this debate was enough to make dying worthwhile.