Far across the Pacific Ocean, beneath Mount Li where the Qin Emperor's Mausoleum lay hidden, Ying Zheng poured himself a cup of wine and sipped it slowly.
Behind him, a woman dressed in blue robes, her face veiled in a thin layer of silk, appeared silently. Watching his languid demeanor, she sighed and asked, "It's been a long time. How have you been?"
"I've lived for over two thousand years and still look the same. What do you think—am I well or not?" Ying Zheng downed the wine in one gulp, smiling as he replied.
"True enough. I was the one who made you this way back then, so I suppose asking now is rather pointless," the blue-robed woman said with a faint laugh. "People age, and memories fade. It's been so long since I last walked among mortals that I can hardly recall many things anymore."
"Haha, I've only lived two thousand years, but you—what, twenty thousand? If you're truly old enough to forget, then the fact you still remember to come here is something of a mystery," Ying Zheng said with a smirk.
"Alright, I'll skip the pleasantries. There's something important I need to tell you," the woman said, her brows drawing together, the faint humor in her tone replaced by seriousness.
"If you've come all the way here to speak with me, then it must be grave. In the past two thousand years, you've only done so four times—and every time, it heralded a disaster that swept across the world. What is it this time?" Ying Zheng's interest was piqued.
It had been a full century since he was last permitted to act. Trapped here, watching the ever-changing world through his spiritual perception but unable to leave—such an existence was nothing short of torment.
Yet he understood well that immortality came at a cost. If he broke the ancient covenant, he would be the first to face its punishment.
"The awakening of ancient beings..." the blue-robed woman sighed. "That child's Dao Heart draws their attention too strongly. Once they sense its presence, they will never let it go—they'll break free from their seals one after another."
"Oh? By 'Dao Heart,' you mean a power that governs the world's rules, yes?" Ying Zheng swirled the wine in his cup, curiosity gleaming in his eyes.
"Yes. It has several names. In the West, it's called a 'Godhood.' In Buddhism, a 'Fruit of Enlightenment.' Among us cultivators, it is the Dao Heart. Regardless of the name, its essence is the same—it embodies one of the fundamental laws of existence."
"Don't you all possess such things? Hardly sounds like anything rare," Ying Zheng said, genuinely intrigued. If it was merely that, he and the woman before him possessed the same—why would those ancient monsters crave it so desperately?
"You're mistaken. The Dao Hearts we hold are merely fragments of the rules—we can use them, but we cannot control or alter them," the woman explained patiently. She knew he wouldn't act without a full understanding, so she began revealing secrets few in existence knew.
"The Great Dao is the totality of all rules in the universe. Every individual law within it is a small path—a 'minor Dao' that leads toward the Great Dao itself. That's what mortals mean when they say, 'There are three thousand paths to the Great Dao.'"
"Our current Dao Hearts merely allow us to manipulate a rule within its boundaries—we cannot exceed those boundaries or rewrite them. Thus, our Dao Hearts are false ones."
"In this world, those who can truly command the laws themselves are few beyond counting—either lords of realms or sovereigns of faith."
"And the Dao Heart she bears...is of that level. Do you understand now?" The blue-robed woman poured herself a cup of wine, gazing at it quietly but never drinking.
Ying Zheng furrowed his brows. "Something that precious... I admit, I'm tempted. Aren't you afraid I might try to seize it for myself?"
"Heh. If it could be taken, it wouldn't be your turn," she replied with a faint, disdainful smile. "No one dares covet what she carries. Only those ancient creatures, sealed away so long their minds have rusted, would be foolish enough to try."
"And besides, our laws forbid us from intervening directly in the mortal realm. Only humans may resolve mortal affairs." Her eyes shimmered faintly as she added, "The Western gods have their chosen vessels—and we have our immortals like you."
"In the end, I'm just your enforcer, aren't I?" Ying Zheng said, though his tone was calm now—gone was the old fury he once felt upon realizing that truth.
"That's the price of immortality. You desired too much, and so the price you paid exceeded what your soul could bear. It's the balance of the Heavenly Dao—something neither of us can break," the blue-robed woman said softly, her sigh echoing faintly through the ancient chamber.
"I understand," Ying Zheng murmured with a bitter smile, shaking his head. "It's just... two thousand years is far too long. I've begun to forget what it even meant to be the First Emperor of Qin." In front of most visitors, he could still carry the pride and bearing of a ruler—but not before this woman, who knew him too well. Before her, he could not hide his weariness, nor his humanity.
"Don't despair. Once this matter is resolved, you'll be free. Aside from guarding the Otherside Gate beneath this mountain when it opens, we won't restrain your actions anymore," she said as she set her cup down and slowly stood.
"Then what must I do?" Ying Zheng rose as well, as he always did when seeing her off.
"Do not let any of the ancient creatures within Huaxia leave its borders—and ensure they don't cause large-scale destruction within them. As for the rest, we'll inform the other immortals," the woman said. Then, as she reached the doorway, she turned back and added, "This time, the duration is ten years. After ten years, you'll all be free to go."
"Ten years, is it?" Ying Zheng watched her leave, his gaze lingering on the now-empty study. He exhaled deeply. "If it's just ten years, then so be it. I'll guard this land once more. To think—the only time in millennia I ever felt something like love, it was for someone who could never return it."
He chuckled bitterly, raising the cup she'd left behind and draining it in a single motion. "Ying Zheng, Ying Zheng... perhaps this is your retribution."
Across Huaxia, as the blue-robed woman and her companions traveled, more and more immortals were awakened—each entrusted with new orders.
Some were assigned to guard particular regions, others resumed their reclusive watch over secluded lands, and a few concealed themselves within cities, quietly observing the flow of sun, moon, and stars. Yet, regardless of who they were, upon receiving the command from those women, all began preparing for what was to come.
This world was on the brink of great upheaval. Whether that change would bring salvation or ruin, no one yet knew.
But one thing was certain—it would reshape the course of history.
For now, though, all of this remained hidden, unfolding in realms far beyond ordinary human perception. To the mortal world, life went on as always, untouched.
However, in the near future, when these scattered events converged, the resulting storm would shake the world to its core.
Yet, all of this had nothing to do with Chu Lian, who was currently in Los Angeles. She had no idea that she was the spark that would ignite the world's next great upheaval—the eye of the storm around which destiny now revolved.
Dressed in a blue one-piece dress, holding hands with Inori, who wore a pink one, she strolled leisurely through the streets of Los Angeles.
Behind them trailed Chu Chu and the others in casual outfits—along with their growing pile of shopping bags.
That morning, after a long discussion about Hollywood and Chu Lian's talk of filmmaking, the girls had unanimously decided to skip visiting Hollywood and instead spend the day shopping downtown.
The proposal was far more popular than the original plan—approved by nearly everyone without hesitation.
As for the lone dissenter, the white-haired girl, well—when it came to a one-to-eight vote, she had little choice but to comply.
Though she instinctively disliked crowded places, she could only sigh and follow along. Still, to be safe, she wore both her katanas strapped across her back.
Fortunately, America was lenient about such things. As long as one didn't cause trouble, carrying weapons—even firearms—wasn't much of an issue.
Chu Lian couldn't help but wonder, though—was it that people here were truly so desensitized, or did her group simply look too harmless to be suspicious?
After all, anyone could see that they were a group of petite girls, none older than sixteen, with an average height barely over one and a half meters. Just how much damage could a bunch of cute, seemingly harmless girls possibly do?
The police officers, upon spotting such creatures known as "lolis," seemed to think, A lollipop is all it takes—why bother checking anything?
The more Chu Lian thought about it, the more convinced she became that her assumption was right, and she couldn't help but laugh wryly. So being small had its perks—no matter how much trouble they caused, adults would always show them leniency, huh?
Of course, that only applied under one condition: the troublemaker had to be cute enough to make others hesitate to scold them.
"We're finishing up our shopping today and then heading to Miami—I want to swim!" Chu Chu said, glancing around at the city's architecture and rolling her eyes. The urban development back home in Huaxia was no worse than this. Other than some items they couldn't buy domestically, there wasn't much here that impressed her.
Miami, on the other hand, was far more tempting—the scenery, the beaches, the long-legged blondes in swimsuits, the clear waters, the gentle sea breeze... just thinking about it felt wonderful.
"Alright, alright. Let's shop a bit longer, then head back. Speaking of which, we barely ate at lunch. Should we grab dinner on the way or order once we're back at the hotel?" Chu Lian asked, checking the time. It was already four in the afternoon—about time to wrap things up.
"Let's just order when we're back. We don't really know what's good around here anyway. Better to have the hotel prepare something nice for us," Cai Ya said, wiping a few beads of sweat from her forehead.
"Alright, let's go back then," Chu Lian agreed easily after hearing her suggestion.
Turning around, she gave brief instructions to a man in black who had been following discreetly behind them. He nodded and immediately left.
Before long, the same scene that had once stunned the streets of Las Vegas repeated itself once more—but this time, instead of a few cars, there were thirteen...