And now, something similar appeared in Bai Yue's field of vision.
"Entering the next character in 5..."
This current role was about to end.
The question was whether his consciousness could link to the artificial body he had created once he jumped into the next character.
There were two bodies in total—one was the current one, Xiang Yu.
The other was the more advanced mechanical holy body of the First Emperor, but that one wasn't ready yet.
So he submitted this issue to the system, wondering if this idiotic system could respond.
Hmm? Feasible.
Of course, the answer wasn't a straightforward "feasible," but a mechanical string of seemingly professional jargon, from which he extracted the conclusion: "feasible."
Since it was feasible, then in the next role, he could operate two bodies simultaneously—one being the body he was currently playing, and the other being the artificial Xiang Yu.
At that time, he could use this body to continue upgrading the First Emperor's mechanical body, and possibly purge some internal personnel.
Why purge?
Because once he entered the next role, it would definitely span a significant time jump, during which he would be disconnected. In that interval, people within the Qin Empire of his parallel world would eventually realize he was no longer present, and some would begin to harbor disloyalty.
Those with disloyal hearts would try to uncover his secrets, challenge his authority, and test the waters. When they saw no reaction, they would attempt to usurp the Qin Empire.
When he came back online, the reactivated Kuaiji Zero would bring terror to those people.
He needed to eliminate the growing disease and stabilize the Qin Empire again, steering it toward his intended direction and accelerating industrial transformation.
As for the other nation, he wasn't worried—he had a contract with the demon king Berial. As long as the contract wasn't violated, the demons would supervise from the shadows and prevent the nation from collapsing.
Of course, the contract wasn't eternal. Berial would rather die than sign a permanent pact. The contract would last until the modern millennium.
During that period, Berial was bound not to break the contract.
So, how many centuries would the next character span?
The previous character, to be precise, was before the First Emperor—not Solomon, but someone between the First Emperor and Solomon.
That character was also an emperor, active from 356 BCE to 323 BCE.
...
Meanwhile, Brunhilde finally arrived in the Qin Dynasty era.
Chapter 043: Xianyang, the First Emperor!
She didn't know what the Conqueror had done to her—only that her vision twisted in an instant, and the scenery around her became bizarre and surreal.
It was like countless movie reels rapidly rewinding and blending together, impossible to follow.
The speed was so fast she couldn't remember a single face—just flashes.
The phenomenon felt like it lasted a long time, yet also like a blink of an eye.
She blinked once, and the scenery vanished like a mirage.
She had been on the banks of the Wu River, but now she stood on a wide avenue.
Her pupils contracted slightly. In front of her, not far from the vast square, stood massive city walls and towers, with ancient soldiers patrolling with weapons.
Through the open gates, she could see a stark contrast between the inside and outside architecture—majestic buildings, the palace of an emperor.
Brunhilde recognized it.
"Xianyang Palace"—the imperial palace of the First Emperor's court.
But now wasn't the time to worry about which era she'd been transported to. Something more urgent was at hand.
To avoid being detained by Xiang Yu, her gentle and beautiful sister had volunteered to stay behind and become his woman. That made Brunhilde anxious.
"Lantigris?"
"Ah? I'm here, sister!"
Her panicked call was answered, and Brunhilde froze.
Lantigris was right behind her, looking confused.
Was it an illusion?
Brunhilde rushed forward and hugged her—she could feel her sister's real body.
"I wasn't left behind?"
Lantigris murmured in confusion.
Wasn't she supposed to stay? Why had she been transported too?
Brunhilde was also confused, but her expression quickly changed—she sensed a mark inside her body.
When they were sent away, she had seen Lantigris struck as well.
"Lantigris, do you feel a mark inside you?"
"Ah? Let me check... I see it."
So what was the mark for? Lantigris was a bit uneasy.
Could it be removed?
"It's best not to remove that mark. It's your identity recognition for entering this era of Great Qin. Without it, you'll be deemed an enemy. The result..."
The voice of the Western Chu Conqueror echoed in their minds.
Was he observing them through some method? Speaking in real time?
No—it was a message embedded in the mark.
Just as the message paused, the sisters were startled by a sudden anomaly.
Two golden lights fell from the sky into Xianyang City—gods, Eastern gods?
They seemed to be from a distant island nation in the East.
The next moment, the two gods were attacked. Countless branches appeared from the void like vines, binding them before they could react.
Their divine power and life force were visibly drained.
They struggled but couldn't escape, and were pulled into the void.
"That's the result."
The paused message resumed.
So, if the sisters hadn't had the identity marks, they too would've been attacked by those eerie branches?
As they were pulled into the void, the sisters glimpsed a massive tree.
"Sister, that's..."
"Looks like the World Tree."
Though they only saw a glimpse, it left them shaken.
It felt like they were facing the World Tree itself.
So they were confused—was this mysterious tree guarding Xianyang?
That wasn't something humans could possess. Was it divine protection from the Eastern celestial realm?
Brunhilde knew that during this era, the Eastern celestial realm and other mythological pantheons were isolated. Gods who crossed boundaries were dealt with mercilessly—and now she saw it firsthand.
Back to the question: didn't Xiang Yu say he'd keep Lantigris?
Maybe he was just teasing them. That bastard!
"That bastard!"
Brunhilde couldn't help but curse.
Lantigris blinked, then smiled, understanding her sister's frustration.
She also believed Xiang Yu was just toying with them—not truly harming them.
Thinking of him calling her his "Yu Meiren," her heart skipped a beat.
The sisters calmed down and surveyed their surroundings. Xianyang was filled with a solemn and excited atmosphere.
Normally, the avenue outside the imperial palace would be bustling with vendors and noise, but today everything was shut down.
So the avenue should be quiet today?
Quite the opposite—both sides were packed with people, all gazing excitedly toward Xianyang Palace.
"Sister, the ground."
"The ground?"
Lantigris stared at the ground and motioned for her sister to look.
Brunhilde looked—it was a stone-paved avenue. Nothing unusual—
No, wait. She noticed something—the paving was too precise.
If it were modern craftsmanship, it wouldn't be strange. But this was laid two thousand years ago—astonishing.
Each stone slab was identical in size, as if cut and polished with modern tools.
Even the palace walls were built with uncanny precision.
Suddenly, the crowd quieted slightly. The reason: a black-armored procession emerged from the palace gates.
Each soldier radiated a murderous aura, marching in perfect formation.
Flanked by guards, a luxurious carriage approached, carrying a figure in a black robe embroidered with golden threads.
This figure exuded overwhelming presence—impossible to look at directly.
No doubt, this was the ruler of the Great Qin—the First Emperor, Ying Zheng.
As if sensing their gaze, the First Emperor's eyes turned toward them—his gaze carried a tangible weight of killing intent.
In that moment, the sisters felt like rabbits caught in the eyes of a predator—frozen, unable to move.
Chapter 044: Stirring Beneath the Military Parade?
Brunhilde and Lantigris were tense.
Was the First Emperor's gaze a coincidence?
Or had he truly noticed them?
They couldn't see his eyes clearly through the beaded curtain, so they couldn't be sure.
No—he had definitely noticed them.
More precisely, he saw them directly.
If Xiang Yu could detect them, then the emperor whom Xiang Yu served must be even more terrifying.
So the First Emperor would surely be aware of their presence.
Xiang Yu's aura was fearsome, but he seemed bold and straightforward.
The First Emperor, though also domineering, had a different kind of power—strategic, sovereign, and all-encompassing.
They felt like prey under the gaze of a beast king—one wrong move and they'd be dead.
Brunhilde felt as if she were facing the god Odin himself—her instincts bowed in fear.
The oppressive aura nearly made her kneel.
Beside her, Lantigris was the same—her pale face dripping with cold sweat, breath held.
In the next moment, Brunhilde forced herself to move, grabbed Lantigris, and stepped aside.
They had been standing in the middle of the avenue. The black-armored soldiers couldn't see them and would pass through, but the First Emperor could.
Standing in his path was a grave offense.
So they moved aside, watching as