The Feng and Shan Sacrifice Document

"Kong Ning seems to be finished!"

"Demons... perhaps this is the fate of demons!"

The Imperial Shuttle once again carried two people, tracing an arc across the sky and soaring far into the distance towards Mount Tai.

The new emperor glanced at the long-gone shack several times, a touch of melancholy in his eyes.

Zhang Xuezhou, however, found it difficult to give a precise answer.

Since the fall of the Heavenly Court, the Demon Race has never had a decent place to live.

The culture of the Demon Race is different from that of humans. Although great cultivators such as Zhu Jiuyin and Nine Spirits Primal Sage seem to be stirring up trouble, the demon race can only survive in the cracks.

Kong Ning was one of those cultivators caught in the middle. The more outstanding he was, the more coveted he became, but he lacked the power to break free of his confinement and could only live a life of hiding and running.

This doesn't mean Kong Ning is decadent and doesn't know how to fight back. Her father, the Peacock Great Wisdom King, had already fought back, and the Peacock Great Wisdom King's strength was almost among the top ten in the Three Realms at that time.

Even a powerful demon like the Peacock Great Wisdom King is not free, let alone Kong Ning, who has no hope of surpassing his father.

That's roughly the gist of the matter. The Demon Race race is in a somewhat awkward position, yet it is precisely this Demon Race that has been demonstrating its value by suppressing the Great Han Dynasty in order to seek its survival space. This makes it difficult for Zhang Xuezhou to explain the complex relationship involved, and the new emperor probably can't understand it either.

"Can't Kong Ning change his fate?" the new emperor asked.

"I don't know!" Zhang Xuezhou shook his head.

"Do you think she can't change her fate even if she cultivates fortune-telling techniques?" the new emperor pressed.

"Skills aren't everything!"

Zhang Xuezhou shook his head.

Luck only increases the chances of something happening.

If the success rate of something is 50%, the assistance of luck might increase it to 60% or 70%.

If the probability of something succeeding is only one or two percent, increasing the chance to three or five percent with luck doesn't make much difference.

Ultimately, fortune-telling techniques can only add icing on the cake; the real key to success lies in human effort. If one reverses the order of importance and believes that practicing fortune-telling techniques will inevitably change one's fate, then that is just wishful thinking.

At this point, there was no need to hide one's cultivation of techniques, and Zhang Xuezhou and the new emperor also had related discussions.

Zhang Xuezhou had his own insights, and the new emperor also had an understanding of cultivation.

"I also believe that people are the true foundation, and luck cannot determine everything," the new emperor said. "Luck is more like a firm belief in one's own ability to win; if you believe, you will succeed, but if you don't believe, it doesn't necessarily mean you can't succeed!"

"Yes!"

"To forge iron, one must be strong oneself. Whether one is a mule or a horse, one must be put to the test to see if one truly has the ability, rather than blindly believing that luck can accomplish everything!"

In legends, magic is portrayed as omnipotent and imbued with various fantastical elements.

The new emperor was very satisfied with Zhang Xuezhou's pragmatic attitude.

Only by possessing the corresponding abilities can one seize opportunities when fate smiles upon them; if one lacks the ability, even the strongest luck will be of no use.

This is why the new emperor needs talented individuals skilled in the art of destiny, who can effectively leverage the momentum generated by major shifts in the political landscape to propel themselves upwards. In turn, these individuals will undoubtedly contribute their efforts and resources to the process, actively driving everything towards a positive outcome.

The new emperor witnessed Zhang Xuezhou's numerous opportunities to profit. Zhang Xuezhou Zhang Xuezhou each time, but he also demonstrated his irreplaceable talent each time, thus securing a share of the spoils.

To be honest, the new emperor didn't mind this kind of subject.

With Zhang Xuezhou around, he at least benefits as well; without him, he gets nothing.

"Fortune has its peaks and troughs. When one's fortune is at its peak, one needs to have the strength to match one's position, otherwise one may cause trouble. Han Yan suffered from this. He..."

The new emperor murmured as he recounted many events from Han Yan's childhood to adulthood.

The incident of someone who practiced the art of manipulation losing their head happened just a few days ago. If any wise person claims that practicing the art of manipulation can grant one's wishes and obtain everything, the new emperor hopes that such a person can also try practicing the art of manipulation and see if they can obtain what they need.

This is more like a technique to compensate for deficiencies, thus filling in some gaps in the the Unseen.

The cultivator's destiny is still determined by himself, and not entirely by luck. To put the cart before the horse will lead to misfortune.

Perhaps you've narrowly escaped danger once, but life doesn't offer much room for luck.

We've arrived at Mount Tai!

From dusk to night, and from night to the emergence of light.

The new emperor murmured about Han Yan's past for almost an entire night, only stopping when Zhang Xuezhou reminded him.

He stood up on the Sky Shuttle and gazed down at the sea of clouds.

Amidst the sea of clouds, the peaks of Mount Tai occasionally emerge from the sky.

Another large flag flutters in the wind among the mountain peaks, thus indicating the location for sacrificial rites at Mount Tai.

Incense burned continuously on the altar and the large cauldron set up by the crowd, and faint figures appeared beside the cauldron, gradually revealing many familiar faces as they flew closer.

"My lords~"

The new emperor raised his hand and shouted, waking some people who were still asleep. Wei Qing and others, who were very vigilant, gestured for everyone to be quiet.

The arc of the Imperial Shuttle streaked across the sky, and the new emperor in the sea of clouds stepped forward, about to leap down, when he saw a warm sensation behind him.

As he looked, he saw the sun rising from the sea of clouds.

The sky below remained overcast, but the sea of clouds shone with brilliant light.

The light instantly dispelled the coldness emanating from the new emperor and brought with it boundless power that was reviving within his body.

He felt something within him that wanted to leap out, and the feeling of 'rise and fall' that he had comprehended in the Weiyang Palace was almost reappearing.

"Only by reforming the system can we ensure peace and prosperity throughout the land. I intend to reform the system, and upon completion, I will perform the Fengshan ceremony to announce the end of this peaceful era!"

The new emperor shouted.

Holding the newly forged sword from the Pingyang Marquis's mansion, he leaped off the Sky Shuttle, his body treading on clouds as he gracefully descended, momentarily resembling a legendary sword immortal.

Even Wei Qing was slightly taken aback, before quickly bowing his head in respect.

"If you gentlemen can master the art of manipulation and become pillars of the Great Han, then what need is there for prohibiting the cultivation of manipulation techniques!"

The new emperor stood with his sword at the great cauldron, gazing at the many people he had carefully selected.

These people included close advisors like Wei Qing, Cao Xiang, the eldest son of Marquis Pingyang Cao Shou, Huo Qubing whom he treated like a son, and even his wife Wei Zifu.

Many of them were no more than forty years old, and some were less than ten. They were all young and strong members of the court, or teenagers who had not yet grown up.

These individuals are either worthy of dedicated cultivation or have close ties with the new emperor; only these people dare to allow the new emperor to test the waters in the early stages.

Of the hundred or so people selected, fewer than forty were able to make it to Mount Tai.

It must be said that participating in this kind of sacrificial verification requires sufficient physical strength and courage to travel day and night, and then endure the hardship of temporarily staying on Mount Tai in order to stand here.

The new emperor's gaze swept across the landscape, revealing Zhufu Yan hurrying uphill below the mountain, as well as the carriages and tents camped at the distant foot of the mountain.

Some people made it in time, some came but couldn't participate, and some had been waiting here for a long time.

Participation in the sacrificial ceremony also requires a degree of luck.

Those who couldn't make it here were clearly less fortunate, and the new emperor didn't force them.

He reached into his large Heaven and Earth and took out an old, coarse cloth notice stamped with the imperial seal.

The notice was printed with the three large characters 'Fengshan Shu' (封禅书), along with more than a hundred other characters in faint ink, and below them were many unique inscriptions.

If one has the ability to recognize ancient characters, one can distinguish names such as 'Wu Huai Shi', 'Fu Xi', ' Shennong ', 'Yan', 'Huang', 'Zhuan Xu', 'Ku', and 'Ji Song'.

Zhang Xuezhou glanced around and clearly saw that the new emperor had taken out the artifacts passed down from previous emperors during the Fengshan ceremony.

Ancient proclamations are no longer relics passed down for thousands of years; they have been replaced time and again. However, there is only one such proclamation in each dynasty.

The proclamation also bears the Qin seal, indicating that the new emperor's proclamation was clearly inherited from the Qin Dynasty. However, it is difficult to determine which dynasty the Qin Dynasty inherited from, or whether it was created independently.