178: Chapter 178 The Empress's Reign - Shangguan Offers Strategies

Time flies like a shuttle, and a thousand years passed in the blink of an eye.

A piece of world-shaking news swept through the entire Great Wilderness—the Heavenly Pride Competition was about to begin!

Rumor had it that in about ten thousand kalpas, the Great Wilderness would host a magnificent event, the "Heavenly Pride Competition."

Any peerless genius born within this Great Calamity whose cultivation had reached the level of Hunyuan Golden Immortal or Zenith Virtue Saint could participate.

The rewards were so bountiful they drove people to madness. Countless cultivators practiced day and night, giving their all just to secure a spot. Whether they were of the Human Race, the Pangu Clan, or the descendants of the Ten Thousand Races, everyone was in a state of fervor.

Furthermore, some revealed that this competition was actually a wager between the Heavenly Dao and the Samsara Emperor Venerable, and the outcome was of great significance—the winner would govern the Four Great Oceans!

Central Great Wilderness, Immortal Qin Continent.

Inside Xianyang Palace, within the Hall of the First Emperor.

Dozens of figures stood solemnly in the hall, each with an aura as deep as an abyss; they were all top-tier powerhouses whose names shook the eight directions.

Fusu, the primary disciple of the Taiqing; Hu Hai, a disciple of the Heavenly Dragon; Bai Qi, the direct son of the Netherworld River; Meng Tian, the Hall Master of the War God Hall and primary disciple of the Tongtian...

Twenty-one people, all of whom had entered the realm of Hunyuan Golden Immortal, could be called figures of great influence in the Great Wilderness.

But at this moment, they stood with their hands down, not daring to make a sound.

This was because on the high throne at the head of the hall sat that existence who governed the heavens and pressured the ages—the Lord of the Great Qin Immortal Court, His Majesty the First Emperor!

The First Emperor's gaze slowly swept over those below, a hint of satisfaction flashing across his majestic face.

“Not bad, you have not disappointed Us,” he spoke indifferently, his voice not loud but as heavy as a thousand weights.

Fusu and the others showed looks of joy upon hearing this.

Having just received news that the First Emperor had finished his secluded cultivation, they had rushed back to the Immortal Court.

“Speaking of which,” the First Emperor’s tone paused slightly, “since Our Great Qin ascended to the Great Wilderness, We haven't truly made a move yet, have We?”

As his words fell, the atmosphere in the hall changed abruptly.

Bai Qi took a step forward and knelt on one knee, his voice like iron on stone: “Your Majesty, your subjects have returned and are ready at any time!”

“Imperial Father!” Fusu stepped forward with hands cupped, his expression respectful yet sharp, “Your son and my imperial brother have completed our cultivation. We only await your command to sweep away all obstacles for Great Qin!”

Meng Tian, Wang Jian, Li Si, and others also requested orders one after another.

Although they had already made a great name for themselves in the Great Wilderness, they always kept their place and never overstepped. In their hearts, they only thought of that one supreme decree—the rise of Great Qin is the responsibility of our generation.

As soon as the news of the First Emperor emerging from seclusion spread, the entire Great Qin Immortal Court instantly boiled over.

Fusu and the others barely touched the ground as they descended before Xianyang Palace in an instant.

The First Emperor slowly rose, his eyes like deep abysses as they swept over everyone. His tone was as light as a breeze, yet heavy enough to crush the ages—

“Since you all have returned to your positions, it is time for Great Qin to move.”

“We request Your Majesty's command!” or “We request Imperial Father's command!” The waves of sound shattered the firmament as the ministers all knelt, their momentum piercing the sky.

With a flick of the Emperor's sleeve, the universe trembled.

“We give you a period of five thousand kalpas. After five thousand years, all human forces in the Central Great Wilderness must bow before Our Great Qin Immortal Court!”

He paused, his voice not high, but like the strike of the Heavenly Dao's gavel—

“This is only the beginning. The destiny of Our Great Qin Immortal Court is to govern the entire Human Race!”

“The Holy Father once said: the Human Race needs to be tempered by the fires of war. We shall inherit his will, and use the smoke of beacons as rain to burn away cowardice and wash out the pure gold!”

Before his voice had even faded, a vast imperial pressure swept out from within him. The heavens and earth lost their color, and the void froze.

Fusu's eyes were blood-red, his blood boiling like a cauldron. He looked up and roared: “Your subjects will serve unto death! To expand the territory for Great Qin and unify the Human Race!”

The shouts pierced through the nine layers of heaven and echoed throughout the entire Immortal Qin Continent.

In an instant, trillions of Old Qin people moved upon hearing the sound, all kneeling on one knee facing the direction of Xianyang Palace and roaring in unison—

“great wind! great wind! great wind!”

The roar was like a tide, shaking the heavens!

Suddenly—

A dragon's roar tore through the sky, clear and high, reaching straight up to the Thirty-Three Heavens!

A giant Black-Yellow Dragon rose from Xianyang Palace, its body spanning the sea of clouds. Between the churning of its scales and claws, it threw the winds and clouds into chaos, finally coiling in the firmament. Its dragon pupils looked down upon the world with peerless pressure!

This scene was witnessed by countless human powerhouses in the Central Great Wilderness.

They were jolted awake, looking toward the direction of Immortal Qin with ever-changing expressions—

There was fear, there was shock, and even more so, there was unwilling and a burning battle intent!

“He... has finally made his move!”

“The great calamity of the Central Human Race has come!”

...

On the other side, in the Great Zhou Celestial Dynasty.

Jiang Chen took Nuwa and Houtu for a thorough tour of the Wanxiang Divine City. As his interest began to fade, he naturally made his way toward the legendary Great Zhou Imperial Palace.

Along the way, he intended to meet that world-famous Great Zhou Empress.

The Great Zhou Imperial Palace was situated on a solitary peak, reaching high into the clouds. It was surrounded by five-colored divine mists and thousands of auspicious vapors, looking like an immortal palace suspended in the nine heavens.

Ferocious birds circled all around, all ridden by the Imperial Guard. Every mount possessed the cultivation of a Daluo Golden Immortal, and their commanders were terrifying existences at the Hunyuan Golden Immortal level.

They patrolled the sky and guarded the palace daily, fast as lightning. If there was any unusual movement, they would suppress and kill instantly without mercy.

In the past, who knew how many audacious fools had tried to sneak in, only to be captured. Among them were no lack of Hunyuan Golden Immortal level powerhouses—one could see how tight the defenses here were.

Yet right now, three people walked openly into the heart of the imperial palace, and the Imperial Guard didn't notice a thing, treating them as if they didn't exist.

They were none other than Jiang Chen, Nuwa, and Houtu.

The two women had toured the Wanxiang Divine City and felt a bit bored, so they decided to barge into the palace for fun.

This was their first time stepping into the imperial court of an ancient human kingdom. Looking at the carved beams, painted rafters, and jade buildings before them, they couldn't help but be slightly dazed.

“These are the marks of civilization,” Nuwa chuckled, her eyes rippling with light.

Houtu nodded, lost in thought: “Before the Human Race emerged, the Great Wilderness was still in a state of ignorance. Since the Human Race appeared, civilization has advanced by leaps and bounds... Could this be the key to their governance of the Human Dao?”

“It is only one part,” Jiang Chen spoke indifferently. “What is truly terrifying is the speed of evolution—it far exceeds the Pangu Bloodline, and it is inclusive, taking the essence and discarding the dregs, endlessly regenerating.”

Upon hearing this, the two women were suddenly enlightened.

Previously, they had never understood why the Human Race could become the most special existence outside of the Heavenly Dao. Even the creator, Nuwa, had once been confused.

Now they finally understood—

The birth of the Human Race was an inevitability in the evolution of Great Wilderness civilization.

And civilization was precisely the core of the Human Dao!

The three walked slowly along the main path of the imperial palace. Palace servants and officials passed by constantly, but not a single person noticed their existence.

Before long, a white jade heavenly staircase stretched out before them.

It towered into the clouds, each step like a path to heaven. Armored soldiers stood on both sides, clad in armor and holding sharp weapons, a murderous aura permeating the world.

At the end, a palace shrouded in purple mist floated in the void. Wind and thunder surged, light and shadow intersected, and earth, wind, water, and fire rotated ceaselessly, as if standing at the place where chaos first opened.

—This was the supreme holy land of the Great Zhou Celestial Dynasty, the Wanxiang Divine Palace!

The three stepped onto the white jade stairs and walked slowly, unhurriedly. Entering the palace this time was on the surface to enjoy the imperial city's elegance, but in reality, it was to catch a glimpse of the Empress who governed the western borders of the Human Race—Wu Zetian!

Meanwhile, deep within the Wanxiang Divine Palace.

The Empress reclined on a jade couch, her light gauze robe like mist and smoke, outlining the hazy silhouette of her long jade legs. Her face was peerless, her willow-leaf brows held the spring, her phoenix eyes rippled, and her vermilion lips were like dots of snow. Every gesture carried an enchanting, seductive charm that could throw all living beings into chaos.

Yet within that charm was hidden an imperial pressure that brooked no offense. Charm and majesty blended seamlessly, as if she were meant to be this way—both soul-stirring and transcending all living beings.

A woman stood in the hall below, dressed in a jade-colored official robe, her temperament as cold as frost. She was Shangguan Waner, the head of the civil and military officials of the Great Zhou Celestial Dynasty. With a pen, she could settle the universe; with a sword, she could level mountains and rivers. Her power was so great that it was second only to the Empress—truly one person below one, and above ten thousand.

“Reporting to Your Majesty, there is news from the central region—the First Emperor has emerged from seclusion and recalled his old subordinates such as Fusu, Hu Hai, and Bai Qi, vowing to unify the Human Race of the central region.”

Shangguan Waner's tone was steady, but every word was like a blade. “Once the Great Qin Immortal Court integrates the central region, the next target will surely be our Ten Thousand Nations Territory. And our Great Zhou is located in the far west, bearing the brunt of it!”

As her words fell, her brows furrowed slightly, her expression grave.