In ancient times, a mighty being severed the path between immortals and mortals, preventing immortals from descending upon the mortal realm.
This was what allowed Shenzhou to remain stable for countless years. However, despite this, the land of Shenzhou was plagued by war, with nations constantly battling one another.
If there were no hidden hands of the immortals and gods behind these conflicts, it would have been impossible for such endless strife to occur.
Now that the Qin Dynasty had unified Shenzhou, perhaps this was originally preordained by fate.
But with Zhao Feng gathering the power of national destiny and condensing the human path's fortune, everything seemed to be changing.
The immortals and gods desired the collapse of Shenzhou's fortune, yet with Qin's unification, Shenzhou's fortune had instead solidified something they could not tolerate.
"Your Highness,"
"The so-called immortals and gods of the heavens have now set their sights on Shenzhou."
"The falling meteors may only be the first step. Soon, they will take direct action against Shenzhou."
Guiguzi's expression was grave as he spoke.
"Grand Preceptor,"
"In the past, you mentioned being pursued by demonic immortals, but I never asked about the power structures of the Immortal Realm or which faction was hunting you down."
"What is the power structure of the Immortal Realm?" Zhao Feng asked seriously, his expression severe.
"Your Highness,"
"The Immortal Realm is vast, far beyond the scale of Shenzhou or the mortal world. The mortal lands might not even be one ten-thousandth the size of the Immortal Realm."
"The Immortal Realm is divided into four great continents:
Dongsheng Divine Continent, ruled by the Heavenly Court and formerly under the dominion of the Daoist sects.
Xiniu He Continent, the Western Buddhist land, ruled by Buddhism.
Nanzhan Buzhou, the most chaotic of the four, where various factions, including Daoists, Buddhists, the Heavenly Court, the demon race, and the human race, constantly vie for power.
Beiju Luzhou, the most dangerous continent, shrouded in baleful energy and home to ancient demons, powerful beings, and even remnants of the once-mighty Wu Clan."
"In the past, I resided in Nanzhan Buzhou. As for the immortals and gods who pursued me, they could be from the Heavenly Court or Buddhism I never had the chance to find out."
"After all, to an immortal who has never consumed the Root-Spirit Elixir, those who have are nothing more than a miraculous panacea."
"Pure and flawless."
Guiguzi's face was filled with solemnity as he explained his past.
"So what you're saying is…"
"All the immortals in the Immortal Realm, including those in the Heavenly Court and Buddhism, have consumed this so-called Root-Spirit Elixir?"
"And those who have not are deemed heretics nothing more than food to be devoured?" Zhao Feng's brows furrowed deeply.
"That's correct."
Guiguzi nodded. "In the entire Immortal Realm, unless someone is skilled at hiding, any immortal who has not consumed the Root-Spirit Elixir is seen as a supreme delicacy in the eyes of demonic immortals. Eating them grants immense spiritual energy and even allows one to avoid the Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations."
"In the Immortal Realm, are you saying that even immortals and gods cannot achieve eternal life?" Zhao Feng asked in astonishment.
At this moment, he had already gained the blessing of the human path's fortune, stripping away certain mysterious restrictions. His current cultivation realm had already granted him a lifespan of ten thousand years.
Surely, immortal lifespans were even longer?
"Mortals live no more than a hundred years."
"Immortals have long lifespans, but even theirs are finite."
"It is said that even a Grand Luo Golden Immortal has a limit to their lifespan. Furthermore, beyond just lifespan, immortals are subject to the Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations, which descend upon them at set intervals. Those who fail to overcome these tribulations will perish."
"Thus, the reason immortals seek out spiritual essence is to evade these calamities and extend their lives. By refining spiritual essence into pills, they prolong their existence this is how immortals achieve longevity."
Guiguzi spoke in a grave tone.
"Even Grand Luo Golden Immortals have a finite lifespan?"
Hearing this, Zhao Feng was utterly shocked.
This completely contradicted what he had learned from the mythologies of his past life!
The Grand Luo Golden Immortal no matter what world it was in was a supreme existence, not only capable of condensing their own Dao Fruit but also possessing unparalleled supernatural abilities.
In Zhao Feng's understanding of mythology, a Grand Luo Golden Immortal had an infinite lifespan and mastery over the laws of the universe, existing beyond time itself.
But now…
In this world, even Grand Luo Golden Immortals had an end to their lifespan.
Eternal life seemed to be nothing more than an illusion.
"This world is getting stranger and stranger."
"Even Grand Luo Golden Immortals are not truly immortal?"
"And they must devour the life essence of living beings to refine pills for longevity?"
"What is the true reason behind this?"
"Why does this differ so much from the mythological Great Desolation world I know?"
"Could it be that something happened to this world?"
"The Root-Spirit Elixir… the bloodthirsty nature of immortals…"
"The limitations on lifespan…"
"The suppression of longevity by some unseen force…"
"It feels as if there is a hidden hand behind all of this."
"Something is deeply wrong this is far too strange!"
A deep sense of unease settled in Zhao Feng's heart. For the first time, he felt as if this world was slipping beyond his control.
"Grand Preceptor,"
"What do you think will happen to Shenzhou if the immortals and gods are allowed to descend upon it, and Shenzhou becomes a part of the Immortal Realm?" Zhao Feng asked as he regained his composure, looking toward Guiguzi.
"A land of slaughter…"
"A living hell."
Guiguzi let out a sigh and spoke eight words.
He had come from the Immortal Realm and naturally understood that in this vast world, Shenzhou had become the last pure land untouched by the demonic immortals.
In Shenzhou, there was no competition for spiritual essence, no cultivation that involved consuming living beings, and no refinement of elixirs using the essence of life itself.
But once Shenzhou fell under the control of the Immortal Realm
Once its fate and destiny collapsed
This final sanctuary would become nothing more than an illusion.
The billions of lives in Shenzhou would cease to exist.
"As things stand now,"
"The Immortals wish to destroy the Great Qin because we have gathered the fate of Shenzhou."
"As long as Shenzhou's fate remains intact, they cannot drag it into the Immortal Realm."
"Therefore, as long as the Great Qin does not fall, Shenzhou will remain a pure land." Zhao Feng spoke slowly.
"Yes."
Guiguzi nodded but remained tense. "Since the Immortals have already made their move, this falling star is only the first step. Their next move may be sending cultivators into Shenzhou itself."
"You mean to say that the Immortals already have cultivators in the mortal realm?"
"But if these cultivators have taken the Spirit Root Elixir, wouldn't they be rejected by Shenzhou's fate? How could they enter?" Zhao Feng asked, puzzled.
"Your Highness, have you not considered the concept of livestock farming?"
Guiguzi let out a bitter smile.
"Livestock farming?" Zhao Feng was confused.
Though he had fought in countless battles and taken the lives of innumerable foes, experiencing nearly every form of carnage in the mortal realm, he still had only a limited understanding of Immortal matters.
After all, aside from Guiguzi, Zhao Feng had never encountered a true Immortal before.
"Immortals require spiritual essence to avoid their tribulations, and they can also refine the flesh and blood of others into elixirs to extend their lifespans."
"If they were to consume mere mortals, the benefits would be negligible. But if they were to consume true cultivators those who have cultivated the Dao and attained immortality their spiritual essence would be far richer, providing much greater benefits."
"Thus"
"The Immortals raise those with spiritual roots like livestock, nurturing them until they reach immortality. Then, once they have ascended, these cultivators who have never consumed the Spirit Root Elixir become nothing more than food."
"That is the nature of their livestock farming."
"This occurs not only in the Immortal Realm but also in the mortal world."
"However, because the Immortals hold Shenzhou in such high regard, they forbid cultivation within its borders, cutting off all paths to ascension."
"But beyond Shenzhou, there must be Immortal sects under their control."
"Shenzhou is of great significance to them. Its fate is even more valuable than spiritual essence itself."
"Take Penglai, for example it is merely one of the Immortals' observation posts over Shenzhou."
"But it is certainly not the only one."
"Now that we have dealt with Penglai, we must prepare for the Immortals' next move against Shenzhou."
Guiguzi speculated with a grave expression.
"Understood."
Zhao Feng nodded, deep in thought.
Then, seeing Guiguzi's tense demeanor, he said, "Enough, Grandmaster. There is no need to be overly pessimistic. If the enemy comes, we will meet them head-on."
"For now, their hands still cannot reach Shenzhou."
"And if they dare to come, I will not hesitate to cut them down."
Zhao Feng sneered. Though he was wary of the Immortals, he was not afraid of them.
Back when he had first set foot on the battlefield, he had little power to protect himself, yet he had never shown fear.
Now, possessing strength equal to Guiguzi himself, he feared them even less.
"Seeing Your Highness so confident puts my mind at ease."
"Indeed, we will face whatever comes our way."
"Although my strength is nothing in the Immortal Realm, now that I am free from the rejection of Shenzhou's fate, I am confident that no one in the Mortal Realm is my match."
Seeing Zhao Feng's unwavering confidence, Guiguzi also smiled.
"Enough, Grandmaster."
"Let us continue searching for this so-called Penglai Immortal Island."
Zhao Feng smiled.
"Understood," Guiguzi responded.
The two figures vanished into the sky, continuing their search over the vast ocean.
Time passed.
Finally
After another day
"There are humans here?"
Looking down at the island below, Guiguzi's eyes flickered with surprise.
Beneath them
There were houses. Villages.
However, compared to the Great Qin of Shenzhou, these settlements seemed primitive and undeveloped.
Zhao Feng descended, scanning the area with his divine sense.
In an instant, he understood where they were.
"Wa people."
Zhao Feng's voice was cold, his face showing a hint of disgust.
"Wa people?"
Guiguzi looked at Zhao Feng in confusion.
"A bunch of uncivilized savages, nothing more."
"Since we have found this place, once the Baiyue region has been pacified, I will issue a decree to build a fleet"
"And wipe this nation from existence." Zhao Feng said coldly.
Reborn Twice.
Yet, his hatred for the Wa people ran deep into his soul, etched into his very bones.
In this world…
Without Zhao Feng's existence, perhaps history would repeat itself, just as it had in his previous life.
The fall of Shenzhou, the invasion of the Wa pirates.
"Wait."
"That's impossible history can't be this similar. In my past life, there was no cultivation, only technology."
"But everything in history seems to align perfectly with this world. If I hadn't appeared, Qin Shi Huang would have died, the Great Qin would have fragmented, and then Liu Bang would have founded the Han. Step by step, eventually, foreign invaders would bring chaos to Shenzhou."
"Could this entire process have been preordained?"
"The invasion of foreign tribes, the collapse of Shenzhou's fortune, the depletion of spiritual energy, and the arrival of the era without cultivation"
"Was all of this arranged from the very beginning?"
"Is the fate of Shenzhou and the destiny of my Huaxia people already set in stone?"
"My existence has shattered this predetermined fate."
"Is my previous world truly another world? Or is it just the later era of this world?"
At that moment, as Zhao Feng gazed upon the Wa people, countless thoughts rushed through his mind.
He immediately saw a possibility.
Because everything was too strange.
The history of Shenzhou seemed predetermined as if it had been arranged.
A fate is already written.
But Zhao Feng had broken that fate.
And in response, the celestial gods had sent down a meteorite was it their way of correcting this deviation?
Perhaps this was just the beginning.
"My existence disrupted the destiny of Great Qin's downfall. Because of my presence, I even gathered the fortune of Shenzhou's people."
"The falling meteor was just the first step."
"The real goal is the destruction of Great Qin."
"The true objective is the collapse of Shenzhou's fortune."
"Could this be what the legends of the Primordial Era call the 'Great Dao's will'?"
"Are the so-called celestial gods merely following the grand course of fate? And once fate is fulfilled once Shenzhou's fortune is shattered they will be rewarded by this grand order?"
Zhao Feng contemplated his thoughts deeply.
Piecing together what he knew from his past life and his current experiences, he felt as though he was slowly peeling away the veil of mystery covering this world.
However…
This was all just his speculation.
"I need to grow stronger quickly."
"This world is far too strange. Strength is the only foundation."
"If the fortune of Shenzhou truly collapses and the entire land is pulled into the celestial realm, my power will not be enough to resist."
"The Heavenly Court, the Buddhist Sect, demons, monsters… And most terrifying of all the one who created the Spirit Root Pill, forcing all cultivators to consume it."
"The entity behind this pill must have some deeper purpose." Zhao Feng pondered.
At this moment, his thoughts had finally become clear.
Power.
He needed even greater power as his foundation only then could he face the threats of the celestial gods in the future.
Not just his strength. The entirety of Great Qin needed to be reforged into a true martial empire to prepare for the coming battles.
If Shenzhou fell, it would not just be Zhao Feng's loss it would be a disaster for the billions of souls living within it.
"These four islands are connected, and their population is quite large millions of people."
"However, there are no cultivators among them."
Guiguzi scanned the land below with his divine sense and spoke calmly.
"According to what Xu Fu confessed, the location of Penglai is near these Wa islands."
"Now that we've found them, locating Penglai will be even easier." Zhao Feng smirked, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
Then…
A black flame flickered in Zhao Feng's palm.
"Your Highness, what are you planning to do?" Guiguzi asked, somewhat surprised.
"These Wa islands are vassals of Penglai, and the people here are nothing more than livestock."
"If I slaughter some of them, won't their masters sense it?"
"Besides, these Wa people are uncivilized beasts. There's no need to hold back."
Zhao Feng sneered.
With a flick of his wrist
His true essence surged.
The Netherfire Lotus expanded, instantly transforming into a thousand-zhang-wide black inferno.
All this time…
Zhao Feng had always been restrained when using Netherfire. Even on the battlefield, when slaughtering enemies, he had never unleashed its full power. He had only ever used it against foreign invaders in the northern war.
This flame was too sinister it could incinerate souls, wiping away both body and spirit.
But now
On these Wa islands, against these people, Zhao Feng had no reason to hold back.
Beside him, Guiguzi watched in silence.
He understood well the necessity of sacrifices for the greater good.
Some mere Wa people like ants.
He was no fool who clung to pointless morality.
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