Chapter 1137: The Sage Dynasty Reveals Its Grandeur
Chapter 1137: The Sage Dynasty Reveals Its Grandeur
"The transformations of heaven and earth, the interplay of yin and yang—all reside within a single mind..."
Hovering high above Mount Jieli, Li Fan's true body gazed down upon the Great Xuan world. He could sense the World Birthing Change within him intertwining with the heavens and earth outside, and a quiet sense of awe washed over him.
"I suspect the Heavenly Doctor used a method quite similar to this when he dismembered and reshaped the Xuanhuang Realm all those years ago."
"Had he not acted first, with my current strength, I could have already begun reshaping parts of the Xuanhuang Realm myself."
It was still the first year of the anchor point.
As planned, his clone Li Ping traveled to Xuanjing City. With lightning speed, he executed the fatuous emperor, followed the mandate of heaven, and established a new dynasty.
This dynasty was not some hastily constructed tool of power, created merely to escape the Faceless Immortal.
Instead, it was a foundation laid in preparation to uncover the true identity of the Dharma Spreader.
Thus, seven days later, Li Ping used a magical art to proclaim to all under heaven that the new dynasty would be named [Qi].
As one [Sacred Emperor's Throne] after another rose from the ground across the lands of the Great Xuan, the absolute authority of the Qi Dynasty was swiftly established among the people.
This was especially true after the [Heaven and Earth Furnaces] were forged and placed within these thrones, causing the density of spiritual energy throughout the Great Qi to increase with each passing day.
Meanwhile, during this resurgence of spiritual energy, Li Fan's true body secretly channeled the immense power within him to accelerate and reshape the entire process.
"What I've unleashed upon the Great Qi is one of the natural transformations that emerged in the Xuanhuang Realm after it faced the world-ending crisis in my past life."
In Li Fan's vision, the small world of the Great Qi was like a raw stone, its form constantly changing as he molded it with his hands.
"'When the world is in flux, heroes emerge.' Heroes are often born in accordance with heaven's will, blessed by fate, and thus their aptitude and talent far surpass those of ordinary people. In mortal folklore, there are tales of heroes in turbulent times being celestial stars descended to the mortal realm. The underlying principle is much the same."
"This transformation is called [The Heavens Bestow Their Grace, and a Myriad Stars Descend]."
As the power of the World Birthing Change emanated from his body, Li Fan could clearly sense the transformations occurring in the Great Qi world under its influence.
In the decades to come, true Children of Destiny, like Su Bai and Su Yuqing, would begin to spring up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.
The actual talent of a Child of Destiny is inextricably linked to the strength of their world.
Though both were chosen by fate, Su Bai was naturally far superior to Su Yuqing, who hailed from the mortal Li Realm.
This new generation of fate-chosen individuals born in the Great Qi would likely be somewhat weaker than the prodigies of the Xuanhuang Realm, at least initially.
However, as Li Fan continued to reshape the Great Qi, the small world would gradually be elevated.
The quality of its geniuses would gradually catch up to and eventually surpass that of the Xuanhuang Realm!
"This is a transformation born of the resonance between heaven and humanity—the path of heaven nurturing mankind."
As Li Fan savored the subtle changes of a world being slowly molded by his hands, a feeling of pride and transcendent detachment welled up within him.
"This... this is true power. To reshape heaven and earth with a mere gesture."
"What I am altering now is merely a small mortal world. I can only imagine what it must feel like to be the Heavenly Doctor, to knead the entire Xuanhuang Realm as if it were clay..."
A world and a man.
The vast and the infinitesimal.
Yet now, the infinitesimal man was reshaping the vast world.
The exhilaration from this stark contrast was even greater than the thrill of advancing his cultivation base and realm.
Li Fan found himself nearly lost in the feeling, unable to pull away.
Fortunately, the Xuanhuang Immortal Heart Mantra began to circulate on its own, startling him back to his senses a moment later.
"Hmm... this is the kind of mental bewilderment that naturally arises after wielding power far beyond one's own level."
"If I were to indulge in this feeling, I could very well be assimilated by the world's Heavenly Dao, losing my consciousness and becoming just another part of its will."
Li Fan narrowed his eyes, deep in thought.
In the process of shaping the new mortal world of the Great Qi, Li Fan also discovered that the World Birthing Change was not a power that would last forever.
"The world consumes this energy as it evolves. For instance, the [The Heavens Bestow Their Grace, and a Myriad Stars Descend] I initiated will likely only last for about fifty years on its initial impetus. If I don't continue to fuel it, it could last an even shorter time due to unforeseen circumstances."
...
While waiting for [Truth] to finish recharging, Li Fan spent his time contemplating the principles of the Heavenly Dao and pondering his own future path.
Meanwhile, within the Great Qi Dynasty, changes were occurring at a terrifying, ever-accelerating pace.
In the first year of the anchor point, [Pure Body Spirit Pools] were constructed across the land. Accompanying them was a technique known as the [Cleansing Heart Mantra].
People from every region could visit the pools and use the power of the Cleansing Heart Mantra to purge the mortal miasma from their bodies.
By the second year, the density of spiritual energy in the Great Qi had already reached the average level of the Xuanhuang Realm.
The Heavenly Mandate Sage Emperor manifested his form in the sky and personally bestowed an immortal art upon all living beings.
It was called the [Enlightened Wisdom Spirit Essence Technique].
Any subject of the Great Qi who had shed their mortal body was permitted to practice it.
Those who achieved initial mastery could travel to the Sacred Capital for an audience with the Heavenly Mandate Sage Emperor and receive his personal guidance.
At the same time, in a secret underground base beneath the Sacred Capital, tens of thousands of physically fit soldiers began tempering their bodies with the {Creation Forge Art}, absorbing the power of strange beasts.
In the third year, the Heavenly Mandate Sage Emperor issued a policy encouraging procreation.
Any family with three children would have their taxes reduced by half.
For those with more, the imperial court offered even greater rewards.
To support this policy, [Sacred Medical Institutes] were established across the Great Qi.
The physicians within these institutes were all cultivators who had embarked on the immortal path. Personally instructed by the Sage Emperor himself, their medical skills were superb. While they couldn't quite raise the dead or regrow flesh on bone...
...they could effortlessly resolve the common ailments of daily life and even the many dangers associated with childbirth.
In addition to the [Sacred Medical Institutes], other institutions such as [Sacred Academies] and [Sacred Heart Halls] were gradually built.
As their name implied, the Sacred Academies were places of learning.
Through synchronized image transmissions, subjects across the Great Qi could receive direct instruction from master teachers in the Sacred Capital, all from within their local Sacred Academy.
Even the great Heavenly Mandate Sage Emperor himself would occasionally deliver a lecture.
The Sage Emperor's gaze seemed to simultaneously fall upon every living being between heaven and earth.
During his lectures, he would even pose questions to students in different cities.
And if a student was too nervous to answer, the Sage Emperor would not reprimand them, but would instead offer gentle encouragement.
As time passed, the Heavenly Mandate Sage Emperor's position in the hearts of the people became ever more sublime and unshakeable.
Thus, more and more people began to visit the Sacred Heart Halls each day to offer their prayers.
Within each Sacred Heart Hall stood a towering statue of the Heavenly Mandate Sage Emperor.
Its face was indistinct, but its aura was sacred and inviolable.
The subjects of the Great Qi—the worried, the hopeful, the repentant...
...there was nothing they could not confide in the Sage Emperor.
The Sage Emperor was all-encompassing in his tolerance and would never assign blame.
It was even said that he would occasionally bestow his sacred grace, silently resolving the troubles that weighed upon the hearts of his faithful followers.
Besides these benevolent measures, the dynasty did not lack for necessary punitive institutions.
The [Sacred Supervision Court] monitored the world, and any act that violated the laws of the dynasty would be met with the most severe punishment.
The most terrifying penalty was not death, but having one's consciousness extracted and imprisoned within the Sacred Heart Hall.
There, they would face the eternal condemnation of the people of the Great Qi for all time.
...
The entire Great Qi Dynasty, like a skyship with ever-increasing power, surged forward, its strength growing with each passing day.
Yet it launched no wars against the outside world, merely continuing to amass its power.
At the beginning of the eighth year.
Seeing that [Truth] had finished recharging, Li Fan rose to his feet abruptly.
He stretched his limbs and then sped toward the Ruins Abyss in the east.
Hiding behind the scenes didn't mean he had to remain within the small world of the Great Qi forever.
Just as he had hidden within the Gloomy Prison at the end of his 119th life...
The heart of the enemy's territory, the darkness beneath the lamp, might just be the safest and most unexpected of hiding places.
After arriving in the familiar Xuanhuang Realm, Li Fan did not linger. He transformed into a phantom and shot straight toward Tianyu Province.
According to the secret information he had previously gleaned from the Tianxuan Mirror, there was an identity in Tianyu Province that was perfectly suited for a disguise.
In the central region of Tianyu, within the Luojia Mountain Range.
In an underground cavern.
Li Fan, like a phantom, slipped inside without a sound.
After discerning the fluctuations of the surrounding aura, a faint smile appeared on his face.
"The Soul Transformation cultivator, Sun Ang, discovered an Earth's Soul here."
"He sealed the underground cavern with an array and spent three full years single-handedly wearing down the Earth's Soul."
"In the end, he achieved the Dao Integration stage."
"Sun Ang's family has held important positions in the Law Enforcement Hall for generations. Not long after he became a Dao Integration cultivator, he was selected to enter the headquarters of the Law Enforcement Hall to guard the Deduction Jade. He was one of the very same elders I met when I had my audience with the Deduction Jade."
"The Earth's Soul that Sun Ang refined is highly mysterious. After achieving Dao Integration, he never once made a move, so even I don't know the full extent of his abilities."
"But that doesn't matter..."
As Li Fan's thoughts turned, he had already spotted his target.
The originally dark underground cavern was suddenly suffused with a seven-colored light.
Sun Ang sat cross-legged, his expression grave as his hands continuously formed seals.
He shot out rays of rainbow light, carefully binding a phantom in front of him.
For some reason, the Earth's Soul was deep in slumber.
It was completely unaware of Sun Ang's subtle maneuvers, allowing him to do as he pleased.
"The Earth's Soul, Purple Luster."
"Bestowed with the heavenly duty of nurturing the Thousand Crystal Hundred Flowers of Luojia..."
The moment Li Fan saw the ethereal form of the Earth's Soul, he understood its essence.
"The Thousand Crystal Hundred Flowers of Luojia is a famous spectacle of the Luojia Mountains. It appears once every five hundred years, sprouting from the earth and covering the mountainside like fresh blossoms. In reality, they are special, spirit stone-like crystals..." All sorts of information instantly flooded Li Fan's mind.
"It's a part of the world's order, but it has little to do with me."
In truth, Li Fan had no intention of interfering with this Earth's Soul.
He looked at Sun Ang, who was concentrating on imprisoning Purple Luster, and his eyes glinted.
In an instant, he laid down layer upon layer of arrays, trapping Sun Ang in the center.
Only then did Sun Ang jolt awake.
"What..."
Before the word even left his mouth, his vision went black, and he lost consciousness.
After a tour through his sea of consciousness, reading all his memories, Li Fan extracted a trace of his blood essence and casually suppressed him within his own small world.
He then activated the Mysterious True Spirit Transformation, changing his appearance to that of Sun Ang.
——
There's another chapter around two o'clock, brothers, don't wait up.
(End of this chapter)
Comments