301: Section 301

The Emperor walked out of Xianyang Palace and ascended to the top of the Royal City.

In his narrow eyes, a brilliant divine light flickered, as if in his eyes, all the heavens were too small.

"Today, we shall reward and punish the heavens!"

Su Zheng's voice, like that of a god, resounded throughout the Royal City.

The civil and military officials all looked at the Emperor with confusion, their eyes filled with bewilderment.

Among the civil officials, the leader was a Cultivator in a black robe, named Li Si, who possessed the power of the Hidden World Law Sect and had been assisting the First Emperor for years.

His face was thoughtful, as if he had thought of something.

The head of the military generals was the former Fourth Prince of Martial Ming, Zhu Di; although he no longer bore Luo Heaven, his killing power and strategy had reached a higher level, rising after breaking through.

At this moment, he scratched his head and looked at the First Emperor; although he did not know what the Emperor was thinking, as a subject for many years, it was only appropriate for him to ask some questions.

"Your Majesty! I do not understand what it means to reward and punish the heavens!"

"Your Majesty, I am dull, please enlighten me!" Zhu Di bowed slowly, his voice respectful.

The remaining civil and military officials, seeing this, all looked down at their feet.

Their ears, however, were all perked up.

They were afraid to miss even a single word spoken by the Emperor.

Hearing this, Su Zheng took a few steps forward; he stood on the city wall of the Royal City, and in his narrow eyes, all the beings of the Northern Wasteland, everything, fell into his sight.

The civil and military officials stood below the city, appearing so small.

"Gentlemen, how do you view the many Sect forces in the Northern Wasteland..."

The First Emperor did not directly answer Zhu Di's question just now; instead, he posed a new one.

Li Si, hearing this, bowed and walked out from among the officials meticulously: "Your subject believes that the common people of the world are the myriad beings, and the Sect forces and Cultivators are the heavens above the clouds.

Beneath the heavens, a single thought of good or evil is the calamity of the clouds!"

Li Si's meaning was very clear: in this world, whether it be the common people or the Loose Cultivators, they are all but clouds, while the Sect forces, those who control vast resources, are the heavens.

The quantity and level of the clouds depend on the good or evil, and the interests, of the heavens.

Take the Northern Wasteland, for example; among the more than three hundred great domains, how many powerful Sects rule over a region?

The Loose Cultivators and commoners beneath them are nothing but ants in the eyes of these forces.

Even though Great Qin now controls all the mortal lands of the Northern Wasteland, in their eyes, ants are still ants.

Even the current Great Qin and the Su Family behind it, which they fear, cannot change this perception.

However, Su Zheng, hearing this, his expression slightly darkened as he looked at the officials.

"Hahahahahahaha!!! What a 'Sect as the heavens above the clouds'!!!"

"Even heavenly fate bows down to me; heavens?? I should be the Heaven of the Northern Wasteland!!!"

"According to Li Si's statement, aren't the countless Sect forces in the Northern Wasteland like the heavens to my Great Qin's common people??"

"If that is the case, when I say 'reward and punish the heavens,' what is there for you to not understand??"

The First Emperor's voice was sonorous and carried an indescribable dominance.

However, as his words fell, they made all the civil and military officials feel their breath catch.

They felt as if they had heard unimaginable words; the Emperor's thoughts were too insane!!!

What the Emperor wanted was not just the mortal lands of the Northern Wasteland; he even wanted to completely control Cultivators?

This was simply impossible!!!

Even the Four Great Divine Kingdoms, which have dominated the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths for several epochs, only occupy mortal lands.

They recruit powerful Sects and Families into the court, assigning them important positions.

In this way, they achieve a delicate balance among the various forces.

Above the court, you are called the Emperor; below the court, all beings are Fellow Daoists.

This is the path of Empire development.

One must know that this world is ultimately the world of Cultivators.

The powerful control everything; while the Dao of Empire lies in suppressing everything, its power is ultimately limited.

Being able to occupy all the mortal lands of a great land is already the limit for an Empire.

Those aristocratic Families and Sects can only be befriended.

Great Qin is indeed powerful now, but even so, facing the countless Sects and aristocratic Families of the entire Northern Wasteland, Great Qin appears so fragile.

Furthermore, if Great Qin were not backed by the Su Family, who are above all beings...

Who knows how many forces would have obstructed it in secret?

After all, no one wants a massive Empire, or even a Divine Kingdom, that controls everything to appear in their territory.

And now, the First Emperor's words just now clearly showed dissatisfaction with all the Sect forces throughout the Northern Wasteland.

The implications of this made the civil and military officials dare not ponder deeply.

"My beloved ministers, why are you silent?"

Su Zheng lowered his gaze and looked at the civil and military officials, his voice ambiguous; the Emperor's heart was unfathomable.

Even Li Si did not dare to guess the Emperor's thoughts.

Those deep, narrow eyes carried waves of imperial pressure, like a towering mountain, pressing down on the hearts of the officials.

Some weak-willed officials even had their legs trembling.

Just then, Zhu Di's reckless voice broke the oppressive atmosphere.

"Your Majesty, what do you mean? I don't understand these many meanings. You are my boss; whatever you say, I will do it!!!"

"We military generals don't have so many fancy thoughts; where the Emperor's blade points, that is the battlefield for our iron cavalry!!!"

This almost boorish statement became the lifeline for the entire military general group.

One by one, the powerful and robust military generals knelt on the ground and shouted in unison.

"Where the Emperor's blade points, that is the battlefield for our iron cavalry!!!"

"We are blades. The blade in the Emperor's hand!!! Your Majesty's blade!!!"

The military generals roared.

Zhu Di stood at the head of the military generals, secretly raising an eyebrow.

At such a time, a boor is the best way to break the deadlock.

Sure enough, hearing the roars of the military generals, Su Zheng's lips curved upwards.

"Hahahahaha!!! My blade? The Emperor's blade??"

"But there are too many countless forces and large and small Sects in the Northern Wasteland!!! Sometimes, I don't even know where to strike..."

"The heavens... the heavens... they truly are an eyesore..."

Su Zheng's words were neither light nor heavy, but Li Si understood that it was his turn to speak.

The great Legalist bowed with both hands and then said, "Your subject has a suggestion!"

"Granted..."

"Your subject proposes to issue an edict to the three hundred great domains of the Northern Wasteland, requiring all Sects, Alliances, Families, and other forces to report their strength and standards to the imperial court!!!"

"Great Qin is the sole ruler of the Northern Wasteland, and it is right to control everything, even the heavens!!! They should also bow before Your Majesty!!!"

As Li Si spoke these words, the civil and military officials were all greatly shocked.

The Emperor's ambition was so great; he wanted not just the mortal lands, but he even wanted all the forces of the three hundred great domains of the entire Northern Wasteland to acknowledge Great Qin's rule.

Just as the Emperor said, he wanted not just the mortal world, he wanted everything!!!

Yes!!!

How could an Emperor who could suppress even heavenly fate allow so many Sect forces to remain beyond his control?

"Your suggestion is good, my beloved minister..." Su Zheng spoke softly.

Then, the Emperor's gaze, like an abyss, swept over the officials with a half-smile.

These officials were almost all from prominent families, with most coming from major forces.

Facing the First Emperor's gaze, they all lowered their heads, not daring to speak.

Seeing this, the First Emperor did not say much, only a hint of coldness flashed across his face.

"I approve!"

"Go and do it!"

The First Emperor's words were brief, but these six words were enough to cause earth-shattering changes in the entire Northern Wasteland's power structure.

To use the might of a nation to force the Cultivators of the world to bow down—this was simply unprecedented.