In the 321st year of the Qin Emperor's reign, in Xianyang.
After years of development, Xianyang has become a behemoth, accommodating a population of over six million, with a dense network of roads leading in all directions.
On the main road, wide enough for ten horses to pass at the same time, the majority of the people walking around were dressed in proper long-sleeved robes.
However, there were also many "strange" people, such as a young man with short hair and tattooed arms whose eyes shone with azure light, a scholar who muttered incantations while blindfolded, and a bewitching girl with a long snake wrapped around her neck.
Looking at these people, the surrounding people were not afraid at all; instead, their eyes revealed envy, and they whispered among themselves:
"Ah, those with talent are truly blessed; they can cultivate to prolong their lives and possess many divine abilities."
"Who can argue with that? But talent is determined by fate; if you don't have it, you don't have it. You might as well think about how to save money to buy the government's longevity pills to live a few more years."
"That's true, but who wouldn't want to test their talent? Not only can they receive government support, but if they're exceptionally gifted, they might even get to meet His Majesty!"
The moment the word "Your Majesty" was uttered, the faces of those around him revealed expressions of awe, worship, gratitude, and even fear.
Someone whispered, "I heard His Majesty's lifespan is almost up, and even the longevity elixir left by the Moon Goddess isn't working."
"What nonsense are you spouting? How could His Majesty possibly be dead?" one man shouted angrily, his voice filled with righteous indignation.
Soon, others chimed in, loudly cursing the person who had just spoken, and some hot-tempered individuals rolled up their sleeves, ready to attack.
"Your Majesty" has ruled the Great Qin for more than three hundred years, and the Great Qin Calendar was established by him after unifying the world and reorganizing the calendar.
So many years have passed, and generation after generation of people have lived, married, had children, and passed away, but His Majesty of Qin remains as unchanging as the sun in the sky.
The people of Qin regard His Majesty as a living god and cannot imagine what Qin would be like without His Majesty.
But His Majesty—Qin Shi Huang—is really going to die…
In Xianyang Palace, Ying Zheng held a book in his hands and flipped through it by the window. The sunlight shone down, and his face was still so young, much younger than the grandson of the crown prince who was serving him beside him.
The grandson felt an involuntary fear; whenever he occasionally touched the sun of the Great Qin, his body and mind trembled.
People all grow old, even though there are cultivators who can slow down aging and even extend lifespan.
But they will all grow old and then die...
Only Ying Zheng remained alive, and there wasn't even a trace of aging on his face.
In the Qin Dynasty, Ying Zheng was no longer a human being; he was a god.
"Grandson of the Crown Prince"
The authoritative voice brought the Crown Prince back to his senses, and he lowered his head to reply, "Your subject is here."
Ying Zheng put down his book, looked at the sun outside the window, slightly moved his fingers, and said softly:
"Summon the court officials and princes of the imperial clan."
The Crown Prince shuddered, suddenly raised his head, opened his mouth, and then silently retreated.
Within fifteen minutes, everyone had arrived.
"I still remember three hundred years ago, when I asked my subjects to gather, it would take at least an hour..."
When Ying Zheng uttered these words, the people below looked at each other in bewilderment. Of course, things were different now. Ever since the Moon Goddess spoke of the changes in the heavenly secrets, almost everyone had joined the practice of cultivation.
Cultivation, especially when led by the imperial dynasty, naturally developed rapidly in various aspects such as people's livelihood.
Nowadays, people can travel using formations, ride mythical beasts, or control swords, weapons, and anything else, making travel extremely fast.
Ying Zheng looked around and saw faces that seemed both familiar and unfamiliar, all bearing the same kind of reverence.
Without the veteran general Wang Jian, who could negotiate with him, even after consuming longevity pills and beginning cultivation, Wang Jian was still too old and was the first to die.
Then came the lieutenant, who was also getting old...
Li Si! Ying Zheng's lips curled up. Although the Jade Rabbit revealed that this man was the reason for the demise of Qin Er Shi, Zhao Gao was torn apart by chariots and died.
Li Si, however, lived a good life, and even got better and better afterward. This was simply because he was too talented, and the Qin Dynasty still needed this Prime Minister Li.
The more Liu Bang, Xiao He, Zhang Liang, and others appeared, the happier Ying Zheng became. So what if he was destined to be an emperor? He subdued them one by one and created an unprecedented golden age for the Qin Dynasty!
Hearing the laughter, the ministers lowered their heads even further, not daring to utter a sound.
But I am going to die! Ying Zheng sighed. He originally thought the time was ripe, and he did indeed have smooth sailing afterwards, which made Ying Zheng think that one day, immortality would be within reach.
However, after the spiritual energy reached its peak, it gradually declined year by year. The people of the Heavenly Calculation Institute predicted that this would continue until it completely disappeared after sixty years.
"I'm going to die."
A single sentence resounded like a thunderclap in the hall, throwing the officials into chaos. Whether they were genuinely panicked or putting on an act, they offered many words of reassurance.
Ying Zheng didn't want to listen to any of it. He directly summoned the Crown Prince, who was a great-great-grandson, and announced that he was the next master of the Qin Dynasty.
Then he simply kicked all the officials out, too lazy to say anything more.
The grandson knelt on the ground, while Ying Zheng lay on the couch; one was young, the other middle-aged, yet their fates were completely opposite.
"The future of Qin is in your hands," Ying Zheng said with a sneer as he glanced at his grandson opening his mouth.
"Enough with the nonsense. You've learned and seen so much by my side over the years, so I won't give you any more instructions."
There is only one.
Ying Zheng rose from his throne and, looking down at his superior position, said, "The sacrifices to the Moon Goddess and Nüba must continue every year. As long as the Qin Dynasty exists and the Qin people live, the sacrifices will continue."
Your subject will remember this.
After dismissing the crown prince, Ying Zheng murmured to himself, "Moon Goddess, I wonder when you will return."
The sound gradually faded until it disappeared completely.
……………………
In the 2500th year of the Qin calendar, a maglev train came to a stop at high speed. Ma Jie pushed his suitcase down and chatted with his companion as they walked.
After talking about school for a while, my companion suddenly said mysteriously, "Do you know what's going on? A lot of mysterious events have happened in society. I heard that some people have suddenly gained superpowers!"
"Stop gossiping. This is a materialistic society. You've gone crazy from reading history. Did the Qin Dynasty really have some kind of immortality-cultivating system?"
"Hey, hey, don't you believe me..." his companion said, pulling him along.
In a remote, deep mountain, three thousand feet underground, in a luxurious underground palace, inside a coffin surrounded by stars, an emperor slowly opened his eyes.
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