Undying Life

Chapter 766: Chapter 766: The Ascension of Dazhen

Taisui Empire, Imperial Court

In the grand hall of the Taisui Empire, officials stood respectfully on either side. On the central dragon throne, Kong Lietian lounged lazily, his right arm resting on the armrest, supporting his chin. His half-closed eyes scanned the assembly of civil and military officials, his fingers tapping lightly as if lost in thought.

The hall was silent, waiting for Kong Lietian's decision.

"Forget Dust!" Kong Lietian called out.

At the call, the foremost official on the left, Wangchen, stepped forward. Once known as Zhong Shijiu, Wangchen had been an adopted son of Zhong Shan.

"Your servant is here!" Wangchen responded respectfully.

"The Dazhen Empire is about to be elevated?" Kong Lietian asked casually.

"Yes! It is about to ascend to the status of an imperial dynasty," Wangchen confirmed with a respectful nod.

On the right side, Sekong looked at Kong Lietian with a hint of confusion.

"What are your thoughts on this?" Kong Lietian asked with a wicked smile.

Wangchen's brows furrowed slightly, a deep sense of helplessness flashing in his eyes.

"Your Majesty, I have long severed ties with Dazhen. My loyalty lies solely with Your Majesty. If Your Majesty doubts this, I am willing to prove my loyalty with my life!" Wangchen declared immediately.

Kong Lietian's eyes narrowed, but he remained silent.

Suddenly, a red line appeared on Wangchen's forehead. He reached up and pressed his finger to the mark.

"The Blood Nerve technique I practice was passed to me by Your Majesty. I am willing to destroy my sea of blood to prove my loyalty. Once the sea of blood is destroyed, there will be no saving me. I have a past that many cannot believe, but my heart now belongs to Your Majesty. I wish for Your Majesty to unify the world and create a new era!" Wangchen proclaimed.

As he finished speaking, Wangchen pressed his finger forcefully against his forehead, the strength and speed of his action indicating that he had poured all his power into it. Even if he wanted to save himself, it would be too late.

"Boom——————!"

Wangchen staggered back ten steps, but his finger did not pierce his forehead, clearly indicating someone's intervention.

"Did I ever say I didn't trust you?" Kong Lietian raised an eyebrow.

Wangchen immediately knelt down. "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

It was evident that Kong Lietian had saved Wangchen just now.

Sekong, standing to the side, looked at Wangchen with a hint of disappointment in his eyes. Sekong seemed to have a natural sensitivity and an instinctive fear towards Zhong Shan, which extended to Wangchen as well. Seeing Wangchen alive, a sense of regret flashed in Sekong's eyes.

"Dazhen is about to be elevated to an imperial dynasty. Our empire must send someone to congratulate them, to demonstrate the might of the Taisui Empire, and to investigate Dazhen's situation!" Kong Lietian announced.

At these words, Sekong's entire body tensed, and he quickly retreated. The last time Dazhen ascended to an imperial dynasty, Sekong had been the one to go. Since that experience, he had sworn never to go again.

Wangchen kept his head down, knowing that as Zhong Shan's former adopted son, any reaction from him would arouse suspicion.

The Taisui Empire and the Dazhen Empire had an irreconcilable enmity between their rulers. The death of the previous Taisui Emperor, Lu Guitian, had Zhong Shan's involvement, and the Taisui Empire's alliance with the Longevity Realm deepened their enmity with Dazhen. Who would dare go?

As a result, not a single official spoke.

Kong Lietian, unfazed, surveyed the assembly of officials. As his gaze swept over them, everyone lowered their heads, not daring to meet his eyes. Finally, his gaze landed on the kneeling Wangchen.

Kong Lietian frowned as he looked at Wangchen, his eyes narrowing.

"Wangchen, since you have severed ties with your past, you shall represent the Taisui Empire in the Dazhen ascension ceremony," Kong Lietian said indifferently.

Wangchen raised his head in surprise, a look of astonishment flashing across his face before he took a deep breath and said, "Your servant obeys!"

Sekong, standing to the side, squinted at Wangchen. He could understand Kong Lietian's intention; this was a test for Wangchen, as Kong Lietian had not fully trusted him yet.

In a Valley in the Divine Land

In a secluded valley, there stood a simple hut. Despite its simplicity, it exuded a pure and serene aura. The roof was covered with a peculiar grass known as 'divination grass,' which was not the usual green but a calming purple.

Outside the hut, everything was neat and tidy. An old, withered man with white hair and wrinkled skin sat at a table. In the center of the table were nine tortoise shells stacked into a small mound, with flames seemingly dancing within them, causing the shells to crack.

"Crack... crack... crack..."

The old man stared at the lines forming on the tortoise shells, as if trying to read something from them. Suddenly, his pupils contracted, and a look of shock crossed his face.

"Have you figured it out? Your time is up!" came a cold laugh from outside the valley.

The old man looked around and saw a black-robed figure approaching from a distant mountain peak, stopping not far from him.

"A guest from the Great Thousand World, among all who have scattered, you are the most dangerous. It took me a long time to find you," the black-robed figure said calmly.

"I don't know what you're talking about," the old man rasped, glaring at the newcomer.

"Don't know what I'm talking about? The Great Thousand World, the Ziyang family! You are a traitor of the Ziyang family, once a servant who dared to kill his master. After a thousand years of silence, you could have truly escaped, but you couldn't stay dormant and wanted to stir up trouble in this Small Thousand World. How unfortunate," the black-robed figure said coldly.

The old man's pupils shrank, and a look of horror appeared in his eyes.

"Who are you? What do you want?" the old man shouted.

"My name? Alright, to give you peace before you die, you can call me 'Mister Xuan,'" the black-robed figure said in a deep voice.

Dazhen Empire, Lingxiao Heavenly Court, Tianyuan Pavilion

Zhong Shan stood in formal attire, wearing a golden dragon robe and exuding an air of authority. Before him stood a delighted Hao Meili. Perched on her shoulder was the little golden dragon that had always followed her. This time, she had found it again in the East Sea.

The little golden dragon remained small, seemingly enjoying Hao Meili's shoulder immensely.

"Zhong Shan, you look quite impressive today!" Hao Meili teased with a grin.

"You brought the little golden dragon again. Did you inform Ao Sihai?" Zhong Shan asked.

"Let him be! For the sake of the little golden dragon, I won't hold a grudge against him, but I don't need to report my actions to him!" Hao Meili said, clearly annoyed at the mention of Ao Sihai.

"But bringing the little golden dragon is one thing. Why did you bring a whole group of dragons from the East Sea? How did you convince them to come?" Zhong Shan asked, puzzled.

"Of course, it was the little golden dragon that persuaded them. I knew you were about to ascend to an imperial dynasty, so I brought a group of dragons to help protect you. Aren't I a good friend?" Hao Meili said proudly.

Zhong Shan looked at Hao Meili, unsure of what to say. The dragon clan was the national beast of the Great Qin, and now Hao Meili had tricked them into protecting Dazhen, which felt somewhat peculiar.

"Alright, just keep an eye on them and make sure they don't cause any trouble," Zhong Shan said.

"They wouldn't dare!" Hao Meili glared.

"Okay," Zhong Shan nodded.

"You go ahead. Don't mind me. The ascension ceremony is about to start, and many people are waiting for you," Hao Meili said, picking up a fruit from the table and starting to eat.

"Alright."

Seventh Day of the Seventh Month

It was the most auspicious day of the year. The sky was clear, and the weather was beautiful. The Dazhen Empire was celebrating nationwide. At Lingxiao Heavenly Court, golden light shone brilliantly in all directions. The people had paused their activities because everyone knew that today was an incredibly significant day; Dazhen was about to ascend.

In front of the Hall of Longevity, officials, generals, Emperor Xuan Sha, the Clay Bodhisattva, the empresses, and the two crown princes stood, all looking excitedly at Zhong Shan at the entrance of the hall.

When a kingdom ascended to an imperial dynasty, the ritual involved worshipping the heavens and the earth, sealing the heavens and the earth. When an imperial dynasty ascended to an empire, they worshipped the heavens and stepped on the earth, worshipping only the heavens. Now, as an empire ascended to a heavenly dynasty, everyone was curious about the process.

Zhong Shan glanced at his ministers, a satisfied look in his eyes, and slowly walked to the center of the Hall of Longevity's square.

In the center of the square, Zhong Shan stood proudly and took out two sacred artifacts of Dazhen: the "Fang Tian Imperial Seal" in his left hand and the "List of Deities" in his right.

Looking up at the heavens, Zhong Shan took a deep breath and began to speak:

"I, Zhong Shan, establish the Dazhen Empire under the Mandate of Heaven, to govern all living beings, to proclaim peace to the heavens, and to honor the gods' contributions. Having reached the utmost of the emperor's mandate, I hereby petition the heavens for the Dazhen Empire's celestial title, to be presented to the heavens! Ascend to a heavenly dynasty!"

As Zhong Shan spoke, everything fell silent. Even the boundless luck and infinite merit in the sky seemed to pause.

Once Zhong Shan finished speaking, the enormous luck dragon in the sea of luck clouds above suddenly stirred.

"Roar————!"

A thunderous dragon roar echoed, spreading across Lingxiao Heavenly Court and seemingly reaching every city in Dazhen. All the citizens of Dazhen heard this mighty dragon roar.

The nineteen-clawed luck dragon roared towards the sky. The previously silent sky turned into a stormy sea as if the dragon's roar was sending Zhong Shan's imperial decree to the heavens and the Great Thousand World.

"Boom————!"

With a loud noise, the sky turned purple, and lightning flashed. This was Zhong Shan's sky, with endless purple light shining over Lingxiao Heavenly Court.

The enormous nineteen-clawed luck dragon descended from the sky, heading straight for Zhong Shan.

In an instant, the dragon fused into Zhong Shan's body. His body radiated golden light, so intense that everyone had to close their eyes. When they opened them again, Zhong Shan was gone. He had merged with the nineteen-clawed luck dragon, transforming into the dragon's form. The dragon then soared into the sky, ascending to the sea of luck clouds and beyond the nine heavens.