The Ming Dynasty, Liaodong.

Shengjing, the Imperial Palace, Dazheng Hall.

The Great Khan of the Jin Dynasty, Huang Taiji, sat on his throne with great pride. Below him were Jirgalang, Dorgon, Dodo, and a host of other Manchu princes and beile.

"The emperor of the Southern Dynasty is nothing but a cowardly rat!" Hauge shouted gruffly, his face full of arrogance. "Last time we entered the pass, it was like entering an empty land. We plundered half of Shandong and Hebei, and they didn't dare to utter a single word! Father Khan, we should immediately raise an army, enter the pass again, and march directly to the gates of Beijing to seize that damned emperor's throne!"

“We must not be reckless.” Dorgon shook his head, his eyes flashing with a strategy deeper than others. “Although the Southern Dynasty is weak, it is huge in size. Although our Great Jin warriors are brave, our population is small. The current plan should be to gradually annex them, unite with the Mongol tribes, take their border towns first, and wait for the bandits inside to exhaust their national strength. Then we can reap the benefits.”

Huang Taiji nodded in satisfaction and was about to speak.

Suddenly, the entire hall shook violently.

"What's going on? Has the earth dragon turned over?"

Everyone stood up in surprise and uncertainty.

However, the sky darkened in an instant.

It wasn't dark clouds, but a pure, despairing darkness. A massive, indescribable black ship, seemingly obscuring the entire sky, appeared silently above Shengjing.

Its hull was so enormous that Huang Taiji's proud palace appeared as small as a child's toy in its shadow.

"What...what the hell is that?!"

All the once arrogant Manchu nobles rushed out of the main hall, heads tilted back, mouths agape, their faces filled with the fear and bewilderment of mortals witnessing a miracle.

Tens of thousands of pale blue dots lit up the bottom of the ship.

That's a genetic scanner on the helmet of a "Purification Legion" soldier.

In the fleet's command center, on a huge holographic map, more than 100,000 red dots representing "target genes" throughout the entire city of Shengjing were instantly locked onto.

"Target locked. Execute 'Eradicate' command."

The cold, electronic voice echoed in the command channel.

The next second, countless slender beams of particle light, thousands of times brighter than sunlight, rained down from the sky like a divine punishment.

Wherever the beam of light reached, neither Huang Taiji nor Dorgon, neither the elite Eight Banners troops training on the drill ground nor the Manchu women and children playing in the mansion made a sound, nor did they feel any pain.

Their bodies, along with their clothes and armor, were instantly broken down into the most basic neutral particles, disappearing completely and cleanly from this world.

A bustling, ambitious city fell into eternal silence in just three seconds.

Only the Han Chinese artisans and slaves who had been captured, along with a few Han Chinese merchants who had come here, stood unharmed, staring blankly at the Manchus who had suddenly "vanished into thin air," their minds blank, thinking they had fallen into the most absurd nightmare.

The same scene was playing out simultaneously in every corner of Liaodong and even the Mongolian grasslands.

The Empire's purifying beam, like the most precise scalpel, completely severed the "Later Jin" ethnic group, along with their culture, language, and bloodline, from its very roots.

A border threat that had plagued the Ming Dynasty for decades and ultimately led to its demise was thus completely resolved in less than an hour in an almost comical manner.

...

Central Plains.

Li Zicheng's "Great Shun" army had just captured Luoyang. Prince Fu, Zhu Changxun, was boiled alive and served as a "Feast of Fortune and Prosperity" to be shared among the starving soldiers.

The entire camp was immersed in a brutal and frenzied atmosphere of victory.

Li Zicheng sat in his makeshift command tent, listening to his generals boast about their military exploits, and pondered whether to attack Kaifeng or take Xi'an directly.

Just then, a piercing alarm shattered the sky.

Countless "Calamity" drones, like a black tide of death, surged in from the horizon. They didn't attack anyone, but merely hovered above the "Great Shun" army's camp, emitting a teeth-grinding buzzing sound. That steely will composed of hundreds of millions of tiny killing machines formed an invisible, suffocating pressure.

Immediately afterwards, the earth began to tremble.

Hundreds of towering "Divine Might" mechs, each twenty meters tall, moved with synchronized, earth-shaking steps, surrounding the enemy from all sides. The gleaming chainsaws and the menacing Vulcan cannons in their hands utterly spurred the "Great Shun" army soldiers to the point of not even daring to resist.

Li Zicheng's hundreds of thousands of troops were disarmed in an instant.

Those generals who were usually fierce and menacing were now kneeling on the ground like quails, trembling with fear.

Li Zicheng was "invited" out of his command tent by two mecha warriors and escorted to the front lines.

He saw it.

He saw the drones in the sky like dark clouds, and the steel giants that looked like demons descending to earth. His newly established ambition to "conquer the world" was utterly crushed into dust at that moment.

He understood that this was a force that no human could resist. This was not war; this was divine retribution.

Just when everyone thought they were going to die.

The swarm of drones in the sky suddenly changed formation. Instead of hovering in a deterrent manner, they opened their storage compartments on their bellies.

The next second, countless "high-energy nutritional pastes" and "compressed breads," packaged in white bags and emitting an enticing aroma, fell from the sky like snowflakes.

"Liberation Edict:"

A grand, majestic voice, resounding directly in everyone's soul, echoed across the entire battlefield.

“You are all Chinese people, forced by corrupt officials and cruel bureaucrats, driven by hunger, and had no choice but to join the rebels. This is not your fault, but the fault of the Ming Dynasty.”

"I, Lin Feng, Emperor of the Holy Star Empire, have descended upon this place today to end your suffering."

"Lay down your weapons and you may live. Eat my food and you will be my people."

"The chief villains, Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong, have poisoned the lives of the people and slaughtered civilians. Their crimes are unforgivable and they should be purified in public. The other generals who were coerced into following them should have their military skills stripped and be demoted to labor service to observe their future performance."

"All ordinary soldiers shall be dismissed on the spot and return to their hometowns. The Empire will provide you with ample food, fertile land, shelter, and work. Your families will also receive my grace."

As soon as he finished speaking, a soft white light descended from the sky and enveloped Li Zicheng, who was kneeling on the ground.

Before Li Zicheng could even let out a scream, he turned into a handful of ashes right before everyone's eyes.

This scene completely shattered everyone's psychological defenses.

miracle!

Punish the ringleader, pardon the accomplices, and even give them food!

This is a million times more benevolent than the most righteous and just magistrate in the stories!

After a brief silence, a thunderous and overwhelming reaction ensued.

Those soldiers who were "Da Shun Army" just a moment ago rushed to the food on the ground like madmen. They tore open the packaging, wolfed it down, and cried loudly as they ate.

"We're saved! We're saved!"

"A god! The God Emperor has come to save us!"

"I'm not going to be a rebel anymore! Never again! I want to go home! I want to erect a longevity tablet for His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor!"

A million-strong bandit army that had been causing the Ming Dynasty endless headaches was completely dismantled in less than a day by food and a miracle. They threw away their weapons and the banner of "Da Shun," and filled with the most fervent gratitude to "Heavenly Emperor Lin Feng," they joyfully embarked on their journey home.

Their homeland, too, had long since been transformed under the "liberation" light of the empire.

The same scene played out in Sichuan, in Huguang, and in every place ravaged by peasant armies. Zhang Xianzhong, the "Eight Great Kings" who slaughtered civilians, along with his core group of murderous tyrants, were precisely wiped off the map by railguns. Meanwhile, the starving people under his command, who had been coerced into serving him, were also redeemed under the empire's benevolence.

The Forbidden City, Wenhua Hall.

Emperor Chongzhen, Zhu Youjian, had not slept for three days and three nights. His eyes were sunken and bloodshot, and his once handsome face was now filled with exhaustion and anxiety.

Your Highness, this is yet another endless squabble between the remnants of the Donglin Party and the eunuch faction.

For the sake of military pay in Liaodong, for the provisions for suppressing bandits, and for plugging those bottomless financial holes, these ministers whom he relied on as pillars of the country could do nothing but attack each other, bicker, and shirk responsibility.

"Your Majesty! In my opinion, the most urgent task is to negotiate peace with the Eastern barbarians and concentrate our efforts on quelling the internal strife!"

"Nonsense! Lord Sun's words are no different from those of a traitor! How can our Great Ming negotiate peace with the mere Jurchens? We should mobilize all the troops in the land to repel external aggression and pacify the internal situation, achieving victory in one decisive battle!"

"Easy for you to say! Where's the money? Where are the soldiers? What will you use to fight external threats and pacify the country? Your spittle?"

"you……"

"Enough!!!"

Emperor Chongzhen slammed his fist on the imperial desk and roared hysterically.

The entire hall fell silent instantly. All the ministers knelt down, trembling with fear.

Emperor Chongzhen gasped for breath, feeling a tightness in his chest and a metallic taste of blood rising in his throat. He looked at the kneeling officials below, his eyes filled with disappointment and hatred.

This was his Ming Dynasty, his court. Externally, there were powerful enemies; internally, bandits roamed; the people suffered; the national treasury was empty. His ministers, however, only knew how to form cliques, eliminate dissidents, and plunder the people. He worked tirelessly, was diligent and frugal, executed Wei Zhongxian, and dismissed countless corrupt officials, yet all he gained was a nation that deteriorated day by day.

He felt like a captain desperately trying to repair a wrecked ship, but the ship was destined to sink.

"Why...why did this happen..." He slumped onto the dragon throne, muttering to himself, "Is it really Heaven's will to destroy my Great Ming Dynasty?"

Just then, Wang Chengen, a eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial, rushed in, his face filled with the terror of seeing a ghost.

"Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened! The sky... the sky... the sky has collapsed!"

"Insolence!" Emperor Chongzhen roared, "What's all this panic about!"

"Your Majesty!" Wang Chengen's voice trembled. "You...you must go and see! There's...there's a monster in the sky...a monster bigger than the sun!"

Emperor Chongzhen was startled. He stood up abruptly and, with his entire court of officials, rushed out of the Wenhua Hall and onto the square in front of the Huangji Hall.

Then, they all saw it.

I saw the enormous, sky-covering star destroyer hovering ten thousand meters above the Forbidden City—the "First Emperor".

That cold, metallic, and magnificent creation, which defied all the common sense of physics, brought a devastating visual and spiritual shock to everyone present.

"A miracle... or... a demon?" Chongzhen's lips trembled, and he felt his legs going weak.

The ministers made a complete fool of themselves; some collapsed to the ground, some pointed at the sky and talked nonsense, and some knelt on the ground and kept bowing to the void.

Their pride in their status as the "Celestial Empire" was utterly crushed at that moment.

Before they could recover from their immense shock...

Military reports delivered by express courier, like snowflakes, flew into the Forbidden City from all directions. However, they were not delivered via post stations, but rather by the empire's miniature drones, which delivered them directly to Emperor Chongzhen.

"Urgent report from the northern frontier! The Jurchens...the Jurchens are gone! Overnight, the entire Later Jin state, from Shengjing to every tribe, has...vanished into thin air! Not a single survivor was left!"

"Urgent report from the Central Plains! The bandits Li Zicheng, Zhang Xianzhong, and others have been executed on the battlefield by the 'Heavenly Army'! Their million-strong rebel army has been completely pacified! The banditry in Henan, Shaanxi, Huguang, and Sichuan has been quelled in a single day!"

"Urgent report from Jiangnan! Heavenly soldiers have descended upon various prefectures, opening granaries to distribute grain and provide relief to the starving people! All the disaster victims are deeply grateful to 'Heavenly Emperor Lin Feng' and shout 'Long live the Emperor!'"

"..."

Each military report was like a heavy hammer blow, striking hard at the hearts of Emperor Chongzhen and his court officials.

Their brains have completely shut down.

What's going on?

The two major threats that had plagued the Ming Dynasty for decades—the Eastern barbarians and the roving bandits—were just... gone?

How could that mysterious being who called himself "Heavenly Emperor Lin Feng" have been dealt with in just a few days?

This should have been a cause for celebration, but at this moment, not a single person could laugh. In their hearts, there was only a fear ten thousand times stronger than when facing the Eastern barbarians and the bandits.

Because they understood that the one who could easily wipe out the Jurchens and quell the bandits with a snap of his fingers would probably find it easier than crushing an ant to wipe out their crumbling Ming Dynasty.

"What...what does he want?" Chongzhen's voice was extremely dry.

The answer came quickly.

A soft beam of light descended from the hull of the "First Emperor" ship, forming a huge and incredibly clear holographic projection in front of the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

That was Lin Feng's figure.

He was still wearing that moon-white robe, casually sitting on the throne of bones, his golden eyes coldly looking down at the tiny "ancient people" below.

"Zhu Youjian".

Lin Feng's voice resonated directly in everyone's souls.

"I am the sole ruler of this planet and the starry sky above you."

"I have cleared the 'viruses' and 'waste' from your country. Now, let's talk about your fate, and the fate of your corrupt 'Ming Dynasty'."

Emperor Chongzhen and his ministers could no longer withstand this godlike pressure; their legs buckled, and they all knelt down.

"Immortal...Immortal..." Chongzhen tilted his head back, using all his strength to squeeze out these two words from his throat, "I wonder what...Immortal has come to...instruct me?"

"Instructions?" Lin Feng laughed, his laughter filled with disdain. "You are not qualified to receive my instruction."

"I am here to deliver your verdict."

Lin Feng stood up and, looking down at Lin Feng, declared:

"First, from this moment on, the so-called 'Ming Dynasty' ceases to exist. This land will be entirely incorporated into the territory of my Holy Star Empire, becoming the 'Fourth Frontier Zone'."

"Secondly, all your privileges and titles, as well as those of all members of the Zhu clan, are hereby abolished. All your lands, wealth, and servants are reclaimed. You will no longer be emperors, princes, or princesses, but ordinary citizens of the empire."

"Thirdly, I, considering that you share the same Chinese bloodline as me and have made some contributions in the fight against the northern barbarians, will spare your lives for now. I will grant you the same status and resource allocation as ordinary citizens, allowing you to live like ordinary people and earn your own living."

"This is my mercy. And it is your only chance."

"Now, make your choice. Will you accept my judgment and leave with dignity? Or... let me personally remove you and this ugly palace from our physical existence?"

Every word Lin Ling spoke was like a cold knife, slowly torturing Chongzhen's already shattered imperial heart.

The country has fallen.

And just like that... they died.

There was no heroic resistance, no tragic martyrdom. It was like a beggar on the street, whose fate was casually decided by a passing deity.

He wanted to rebel; he wanted to draw his sword and commit suicide to preserve the last vestige of imperial dignity.

However, when he saw the enormous warship in the sky that resembled a primordial beast, and when he felt the supreme pressure that made his soul tremble, the pitiful courage in his heart was instantly crushed.

The ministers behind him were already in tears, kowtowing repeatedly.

"Your Majesty! Please agree! Please agree!"

"As long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn, Your Majesty!"

"This is destiny! Destiny cannot be defied!"

Hearing these shameless remarks, the last embers of hope in Chongzhen's heart were completely extinguished.

He slowly removed the winged crown from his head, held it high with both hands, and then slammed his forehead heavily onto the cold gold brick.

"Your humble servant... Zhu Yout... receives the imperial decree."

His life, his dynasty, his destiny—at this moment, came to an end in utter humiliation.