154: Chapter 154 The First Emperor's Speech: Protecting the Honor of Qin

"A reward is necessary. Since you have unified the human race, I hereby confer upon you the title of 'Human Race Holy Emperor,' with a status equal to that of the Five Ancestors of the Human Race!"

"A Saint Emperor standing alongside the Five Ancestors of the Human Race!"

Jiang Chen's voice was as deep as the abyss and as vast as the sea, traversing the entire Supreme Great Universe. This boundless universe encompassed countless worlds and infinite multiverses; it could also be called a collection of endless time and space.

The myriad beings of the realms reacted differently; some were filled with surging emotions, some with envy, and others with utter terror.

All facets of life were fully displayed before them.

Within the Great Qin Immortal Court, the Young Emperor Fusu and the King of Qin Hu Hai looked toward their Imperial Father at the same time, their eyes filled with admiration and reverence.

The God of Killing Bai Qi, the God of War Meng Tian, the God of the Military Wang Jian, the God of Civil Affairs Li Si, and the other peak experts of the Great Qin Immortal Court all gazed at the First Emperor Ying Zheng with burning, excited eyes.

In the Supreme Great Universe, the 'Holy Father' had always been a legendary existence, originating from the oral traditions of the ancient human ancestors. They said that all things in the world were created by the Holy Father.

Whether it was the starry universes, the myriad great realms, the layers of multiverses, or all the living beings within them, all came from the hands of the Holy Father.

He was the supreme Creator, the source of all civilizations.

However, legends were ultimately ethereal, and hearsay was hard to rely on.

Through the long passage of time, the beings of the All Heavens and Myriad Realms generally believed that the 'Holy Father' was merely a myth woven by the human race to elevate their own status.

Even many human cultivators harbored doubts, not believing that such a supreme existence truly existed in the world.

But now, that legendary, immortal Holy Father of the human race had descended.

There were no thunderclaps splitting the sky, nor any celestial phenomena; he simply stood there quietly, yet the entire Supreme Great Universe trembled and seethed because of him.

It was as if he only needed to raise a finger, and the All Heavens and Myriad Realms, along with countless universes, would turn into nothingness in an instant.

There were originally no gods in this world; gods were merely projections of faith, a spiritual reliance.

But when that existence, worshipped as faith by millions, truly manifested in the world, the impact was enough to shake the soul.

Seeing the First Emperor remain silent, Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow slightly, a faint smile appearing on the corner of his lips: "Are you hesitating?"

"Imperial Father!" King of Qin Hu Hai couldn't help but speak out, his voice carrying an irrepressible excitement. To be personally conferred a title by the Holy Father—what supreme glory that was!

"Your Majesty!"

Bai Qi, Meng Tian, Wang Jian, and Li Si all knelt on one knee in the void, their voices like resonant bells: "We implore Your Majesty to accept the title of Human Race Holy Emperor!"

Tens of millions of Great Qin's iron cavalry followed suit, prostrating themselves; the sound of their black armor clashing rang out sharply, heavy as the collapse of mountains and rivers.

"We implore Your Majesty to ascend as the Human Race Holy Emperor—"

The shouts echoed through the universe as all the experts of the Great Qin Immortal Court watched the First Emperor Ying Zheng with burning gazes.

To stand alongside the Five Ancestors of the Human Race and become one of the progenitors of human civilization was a supreme honor that almost no human cultivator would dare to dream of.

Now, with the Holy Father personally bestowing it, as long as the First Emperor nodded, he could step onto that unreachable peak—the Human Race Holy Emperor!

Yet the First Emperor's expression was calm, his eyes as deep as an abyss without a ripple, as he said faintly: "The Holy Father's great kindness moves me to tears, however—"

Pausing for a moment, a hint of pride appeared on his majestic face.

"However, I do not cultivate the Mandate of Heaven, nor do I worship the myriad Daos. I only wish to keep my feet on the ground, moving forward step by step, to strive for that single chance at the path of transcendence!"

He clasped his hands and bowed, his posture solemn and composed as he faced Jiang Chen.

"What a fine 'do not cultivate the Mandate of Heaven'! What a fine 'do not honor the myriad Daos'!"

Jiang Chen laughed loudly, his voice shaking the void. The entire starry sky of the universe swayed, stars fell in chaos, and the myriad realms trembled. Countless beings looked around in terror, fearing that the Holy Father would bring down a calamity because of the First Emperor's words.

The human ancestors prostrated one after another, wailing in grief: "Holy Father, please appease your anger! Do not bring disaster upon our race!"

"First Emperor, you are being far too presumptuous! The Holy Father personally bestowed the position of Saint Emperor, and you dare to decline?" someone accused indignantly.

"Hurry and beg for forgiveness! We humans were all created by the Holy Father. If not for him, how could the human race exist today? Since the Holy Father has granted you an honored position, you should bow and accept it!"

"You are so ungrateful and arrogant! The position of Saint Emperor ranks with the Five Ancestors; what more do you want?"

Many ancestors rose up to criticize him, all believing that the First Emperor's actions were not only arrogant but also a great disrespect to the Holy Father.

"Hmph!" The First Emperor snorted coldly, standing proudly between heaven and earth, his voice like striking metal: "It is not that I disrespect the Holy Father. The Holy Father and the Holy Mother are the progenitors of my human race; how would I dare to be slight?"

"It is just that I have not yet ascended to the peak of the Supreme Primordial World. If I were to be conferred as Saint Emperor now, there would surely be those in the Primordial World who would not be convinced. Although I disdain the opinions of others, as the Lord of the Great Qin Immortal Court, I must protect the dignity of Great Qin!"

"The Holy Father's kindness is etched in my heart. But I wish to use my own strength to conquer the Primordial World, leading my Great Qin army to trample over ten thousand domains. Wherever we reach shall be human territory; every realm we see shall fall under the Holy Father's rule!"

"When the day of success comes, it will not be too late to receive the holy conferment!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the heavens shook and the myriad realms fell silent.

Countless beings of the universe looked up at the First Emperor. There was no longer any doubt in their eyes, only deep admiration and shock.

A hint of satisfaction appeared on Jiang Chen's face. In truth, he was not angry; his previous mention of "conferring the title of Saint Emperor" was merely a test of the First Emperor Ying Zheng's character.

Even though the First Emperor had now unified the human territories within the Supreme Great Universe, in the final analysis, this realm was ultimately just a trial ground for the human race.

Unifying a trial ground was indeed valuable, but above it, there still existed the even more vast and boundless Supreme Primordial World, unfathomable in its magnitude.

And from what he saw today, the First Emperor had indeed not disappointed!

"Very well." Jiang Chen nodded slightly, his gaze fixed on the First Emperor Ying Zheng as he said in a heavy voice: "I shall temporarily reserve the position of Human Race Holy Emperor for you. If you can fulfill the ambition you just spoke of, I shall naturally confer the title upon you then."

"If you fail your promise..."

"I am willing to atone with my death!" the First Emperor Ying Zheng responded loudly, his tone resolute and without the slightest hesitation.

"Imperial Father!"

"Your Majesty!"

Young Emperor Fusu, King of Qin Hu Hai, Bai Qi, and the others all spoke out, their brows filled with worry and anxiety.

The First Emperor glanced sideways, his expression cold as he said: "As people of the Great Qin Immortal Court, how can you lack even this much conviction?"

These words rang out like thunder; Fusu and the others' bodies shook, and their hearts trembled violently.

"I am willing to follow Imperial Father to the death, for my human race and for my Great Qin, to conquer the myriad realms and expand our borders, never retreating until death!" Fusu and Hu Hai stepped forward together, drawing their swords. With eyes like torches, they looked up to the sky and swore their oaths.

Clang— Clang— Clang—

Bai Qi, Meng Tian, Wang Jian, Li Si, and the other high officials of the Great Qin Immortal Court, along with the countless iron cavalry of Great Qin, all raised their divine weapons and magical treasures, their battle intent soaring to the skies.

"We are willing to follow Your Majesty to the death, for our human race and for our Great Qin, to expand our borders and territories, never stopping until death!"

The heroic voices resounded through the heavens and the myriad universes, echoing in the endless void and stirring the hearts of tens of millions of human cultivators, making their blood boil.

Witnessing this scene, a smile quietly rose on the corner of Jiang Chen's lips as he thought to himself: "It seems that this trial of the human race has already begun to show results."