CHAPTER 191: CHAPTER 188: PROMOTED TO DIVINE COURT_1

DONG! DONG! DONG...

With the first ray of sunrise, an ancient bronze bell resonated, loud and clear, in the sky above the Imperial Capital. Its sound, so powerful and sustained, could be heard for thousands of miles around.

The palace guards pushed open the vermilion palace gates.

The court officials, having arrived early and neatly lined up, were heading to the Imperial Hall. Yet, on this day of great joy, few smiles graced their faces; instead, they appeared solemn.

Ascending to the Divine Court could mean Nie Feng might betray them at any moment!

Is it a blessing?

Or is it a disaster?

I hope His Majesty has a plan! Jia Xu, walking near the front of the procession, thought with concern as he gazed at the already prepared altar.

Haha, after today, the lands of the Qin Dynasty will all be mine! Nie Feng walked among the ranks of military commanders, a smile playing on his lips. The thought of soon being free from the restraints of the Great Dao Oath filled him with immense joy.

Ambition!He yearned to be an emperor—a Divine Emperor!

Previously, constrained by the Divine Court of Light, he had been forced to suppress his true nature, remaining secluded within the Divine Gate for tens of thousands of years. Now, free from restraint, his ambition began to stir restlessly.

Upon entering the Imperial Hall, the ministers discovered Qin Wudao already seated on the imperial throne, his eyes closed in meditation.

After exchanging glances, the ministers dared not utter a sound, standing rigidly in place as they waited.

The sun gradually rose higher!

Yuan Tiangang, after a quick calculation by pinching his fingers, walked to the center of the great hall, bowed with cupped fists, and announced, "Your Majesty, the auspicious time has arrived!"

Qin Wudao opened his eyes. His majestic gaze swept over everyone in the hall as he slowly declared, "Today, as the Qin Dynasty ascends to become a Divine Court, all of you are its loyal ministers. Once the nation’s promotion is successful, you are to swiftly rally behind me!"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of many ministers subtly changed.

"Let’s go!" Qin Wudao stood and walked towards the exit of the hall. As he crossed the threshold of the Imperial Hall’s main gates, sunlight bathed him. The nine-clawed golden dragon embroidered on his imperial robe seemed to come alive, radiating boundless majesty.

Following the red carpet, Qin Wudao made his way toward the parade ground. Palace maidens and eunuchs lined both sides of the carpet, kneeling in dense rows. Continuing along the red carpet, Qin Wudao led the civil and military officials, eventually arriving at the parade ground.

The vast parade ground was now teeming with people. Here, along the sides of the red carpet, the eunuchs and palace maidens were replaced by elite soldiers in full armor. Their gazes were resolute, emanating a palpable Evil Qi, as if they were prepared to slaughter everyone in the world.

Behind the soldiers stood the guests invited by the imperial court—over a hundred thousand people—all gazing at Qin Wudao with adoration.

In the center of the parade ground stood a newly erected altar with ninety-nine steps. A bronze tripod rested upon its summit.

The tripod symbolized supreme authority! This gave rise to the saying "to inquire about the Ding," signifying a challenge for ultimate rule—to vie for dominion over the world.

"We pay our respects, Your Majesty!" As Qin Wudao reached the foot of the altar, everyone saluted respectfully, Nie Feng included. On such a momentous occasion, no one dared to act out of turn.

"Everyone, please rise!" Qin Wudao slightly lifted his hands, and everyone rose.

At that moment, Li Si stepped forward, produced a folded memorial, and with a solemn expression, read aloud, "Since the dawn of creation and the emergence of all peoples, the All Clans established nations, ever seeking to explore and safeguard the path for their kind!

"Through boundless time and the turning of ages, the sage-rulers of old discovered Fortune. They established Divine Courts, thereby vastly increasing the strength of their people and heralding the dawn of humankind’s renaissance!

"Today, the Qin Empire, blessed by the Mandate of Heaven above and holding the hearts of the people below, draws upon its boundless territories and innumerable Martial Artists as its foundation. We now commence the sacred rite for its ascension to a Divine Court! We humbly request the Emperor of the Qin Empire to ascend the altar and receive the judgment of the Will of Heaven and Earth!"

Ascending to a Divine Court was a monumental event, requiring the consolidation of Fortune.

This Fortune originates from Heaven and Earth, from all existence. Every flower and blade of grass, every tree and leaf, can be a conduit for Fortune. Thus, to ascend to a Divine Court, one must pass the trial ordained by Heaven and Earth.

Only by succeeding in this trial can the sacred flame within the tripod be ignited, thereby consolidating the Fortune of the Divine Court!

However, failure means facing the crushing pressure of Heaven and Earth—at best, paralysis; at worst, death!

Qin Wudao turned and walked towards the altar. He had barely set foot on the first step when he felt a surge of pressure descending from the sky.

The pressure on the steps intensified the higher one ascended.

The initial pressure was manageable even for an ordinary person with strong willpower. For Qin Wudao, it was trivial; he ascended the first thirty steps smoothly, without even his breath quickening.

However, as he stepped onto the thirty-first, the pressure abruptly intensified, nearly sending him flying.

If he were thrown off, the consequences would be horrific: he would be instantly crushed to dust by the ambient pressure, leaving not even bones behind.

Nation’s Fortune, empower me! At this critical juncture, Qin Wudao roared inwardly, invoking the National Fortune of the Qin Empire. A mystical power enveloped him, and the immense pressure instantly diminished.

After climbing another ten steps, the pressure increased once again!

Drawing on his previous experience, Qin Wudao calmly shouted, "Will of the People, empower me!"

BOOM!

The collective will of hundreds of millions of citizens surged and enveloped Qin Wudao. In that instant, it felt as if all the pressure had vanished without a trace.

The most fundamental basis for ruling a country, beyond territory, is the people’s support.

When the people’s hearts align with the ruler, the nation prospers and grows strong! When the people’s hearts turn away, decline is inevitable!

The will of the people was also a crucial part of the trial!

Soon, Qin Wudao reached the seventieth step. By this point, the bolstering power from the people’s will was beginning to wane.

"Power of the Armies, empower me!" Qin Wudao’s expression turned grave as he solemnly proclaimed.

The might of tens of millions of soldiers surged towards the altar, forming an invisible protective barrier around Qin Wudao that nullified the crushing pressure.

And so, Qin Wudao reached the ninetieth step!

Only nine final steps remained before he reached the summit of the altar.

"Power of the Experts, empower me!" Qin Wudao declared, gritting his teeth as he pushed onward.

The empowerment by the Nation’s Fortune represented the vastness of the territory. The empowerment by the People’s Will signified the depth of their devotion. The empowerment by the Armies indicated the nation’s military might. And finally, the empowerment by the Experts was a measure of the nation’s peak combat strength—for this was, after all, a world where the powerful reigned supreme.

The stronger these four forces, the easier it would be to ascend the altar.

BOOM!

Heaven and Earth trembled. A formidable power surged from Nie Feng, settling upon the altar. The might of a Second-Order Saint radiated outwards, instantly neutralizing all remaining pressure.

And so, Qin Wudao ascended the final steps to the altar with ease.

It seems the Qin Dynasty’s foundation is quite solid! Standing atop the altar, the entirety of the Imperial Capital stretched out before him. The magnificent panorama made Qin Wudao spread his arms wide, as if to embrace the world.

His ascent to the altar, apart from a slight difficulty at the thirty-first step, had been rather smooth.

What’s he dawdling for? Get on with the next step already! Below the altar, Nie Feng impatiently tightened his grip on his war sword.

Time to ignite the tripod flame; otherwise, certain individuals will grow impatient! Qin Wudao, having observed Nie Feng’s shifting expression with perfect clarity, gave a cold smirk. He circulated his Spiritual Energy, condensed a ball of imperial flame in his palm, and hurled it forcefully towards the bronze tripod.

BOOM!

A golden flame, tens of feet high, erupted and blazed fiercely within the bronze tripod, radiating a blinding light.

Wisps of Fortune began to emanate from the flames, flowing upwards to gather in the sky above the Imperial Capital. As time passed, they grew ever more numerous and concentrated.

Before long, a vast sea of Fortune had formed in the sky!