Da Qin: Conquer all heavens and all realms

Zhu Jiuyin's retreat did not bring the expected respite to Daqin. Instead, it was like a drop of water thrown into boiling oil, instantly detonating all the crises hidden in the dark.

In Xianyang City, the enthusiasm of the people has not yet faded. In the streets and alleys, restaurants and teahouses, people are talking about the heroic feat of His Majesty who drove away the immortal god with one punch.

The people spontaneously enshrined Ying Zheng's tablet in their homes and passed on his reputation as the "Human Emperor" by word of mouth.

An unprecedented sense of national pride and cohesion, like boiling magma, surged in every corner of the empire.

However, beneath this fanatical appearance, a series of cold undercurrents are quietly gathering.

That night, the Qin Law Department was brightly lit.

Prime Minister Li Si sat in the main seat, his face gloomy enough to drip water. Before him lay a dozen secret reports from all over the empire, each one marked with the word "top secret" in cinnabar.

Overnight, incense offerings to local land temples and mountain deity shrines ceased. A commander from the Netherworld Palace bowed and reported, and the believers said, "Since the Human Emperor can protect us, we no longer need these clay puppets."

Furthermore, another official continued, "In some places, people have even spontaneously destroyed statues of gods and converted temples into schools and government offices. They chanted slogans like 'Only the Human Emperor is the 'true God.'"

Li Si's brows furrowed even more. He slammed the table and shouted, "Nonsense!"

Everyone was shocked and dared not speak.

Li Si stood up, pacing the hall with his hands behind his back. His voice was as cold as ice: "The people's hearts can be used, but their wisdom cannot be awakened. The immortals and gods are indeed hateful, but for thousands of years, they have also been part of maintaining the order of heaven and earth. Now the people regard the Emperor as the only god. It seems loyal, but in fact, it is putting Your Majesty on the stove!"

He turned around, his eyes blazing as he scanned the crowd. "Have you ever considered this? If Your Majesty makes a mistake in the future, or if natural or man-made disasters occur, will these people who worship Your Majesty as a god, turn from their most fanatical believers into the most desperate traitors? Gods cannot make mistakes! But Your Majesty is human, and as a human, you make mistakes!"

These words were like a revelation, leaving the officials present in a cold sweat. They only saw the tremendous power of public support, but had never considered the huge risks hidden behind this power.

"Pass on my orders," Li Si said solemnly. "First, immediately promulgate the 'Provisional Regulations on the Management of Deities.' The unauthorized destruction of statues is strictly prohibited. All remaining temples and ancestral halls will be nationalized and converted into 'Folk Culture Research Institutes' under the unified management of the imperial court. Second, establish 'Imperial Academies' across the country. They will teach not only literacy and arithmetic, but also the idea that 'the Emperor is also human, and the Empire relies on laws.' Third, strictly investigate all cult members who use the 'Divine Power of the Emperor' to spread lies and mislead the public, and gather people to cause trouble. Once discovered, they will be executed without mercy!"

"Yes!" Everyone obeyed the order in unison, and they felt more and more in awe of the Prime Minister's foresight.

Li Si's drastic measures quickly stabilized the empire's ideological front. However, external threats came faster and more strangely than expected.

Abandoned Continent, Magic Array Research Institute.

Chief Archmage Isaac is leading his team to analyze the energy fragments transmitted back from the battlefield of the fairyland day and night.

They tried to combine the power of the laws of the fairy world with the technological formations of the Qin Dynasty to create a new and extraordinary weapon for mortals.

However, just when they were about to make a breakthrough, something strange happened.

Inside the research institute, dozens of massive magic crystal cores simultaneously emitted a piercing wail. The once stable light of the magic circle instantly became chaotic. Countless precise gears and rune pipes twisted and broke under the immense energy impact.

"Alarm! Core energy out of control!"

"The isolation barrier is collapsing!"

"Quick, activate the emergency plan!"

Isaac's face turned pale as he stared at the main control crystal in the center. The clear runes of the "Charter" on it were now being eroded and polluted by a strange black ink that carried a smell of decay and chaos.

"This isn't a technical malfunction," Isaac's voice trembled. "This is... a contamination of the law! Someone is interfering with our connection to the Imperial will!"

Almost at the same time, Qingtian World.

Several powerful people in the Tribulation Realm who had just responded to the call of the "Charter" and were preparing to come out of seclusion to help, went astray without any warning when they were about to attack the last level of the Immortal Realm.

The immense spiritual energy within them instantly erupted, their immortal platforms crumbling and their foundations of Taoism completely destroyed. Some perished instantly, while others lost their minds and transformed into demons who knew only killing and destruction.

"It's a curse... a curse against the laws of 'humanity'!" An old monk who had managed to survive looked at his festering hands, his eyes filled with horror. The immortal world... they've begun to strike back! Instead of sending troops, they're using this sinister method to dismantle us from the very foundation!"

One after another, extremely urgent secret reports were continuously gathered in the Xianyang Star Palace through the cross-world communication network established by the Qin Dynasty.

Inside the Star Palace, the atmosphere was as heavy as iron.

Bai Qi looked at the battle report from the Blue Sky World, his eyes bloodshot and his hair standing on end in anger. "Despicable! These immortals dare not fight head-on, and only resort to these despicable tactics! Your Majesty, please allow me to lead a Black Armor Army to the Blue Sky World and annihilate these demons!"

Zhuge Liang, holding the report from the Abandoned Continent, frowned. "No, Marshal, this isn't mean. This is war. The immortals are demonstrating not only their immense military power, but also their incomprehensible control over the laws of the world. They're severing our arms, destroying our allies one by one before we launch our full-scale attack."

Ying Zheng listened quietly. He sat upright on the dragon throne, tapping the armrests lightly with his knuckles, making a crisp and rhythmic sound.

He didn't look at anyone, his gaze seemed to penetrate the dome of the Star Palace and look towards the unfathomable fairyland.

After a long pause, he slowly spoke. His voice was quiet, yet clear enough for everyone to hear: "They want to throw us into disarray, tire us out, and, in fear and suspicion, destroy the very foundations of 'humanity'."

He stood up, walked down from the throne, and stood with his hands behind his back. His back looked extremely lonely, yet extremely determined.

Then let them see what it means to be human."

He turned around, his eyes flashing with unprecedented wisdom and determination.

"Li Si, you have done well. The empire's mind cannot be blunted before its sword. But suppression alone is not enough. I want you to make my 'sins' known to the world."

Li Si was stunned: "Your Majesty's crime?"

"Yes," Ying Zheng nodded, declaring to the world, "I am neither a god nor a saint. I make mistakes, I get tired, I experience joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness. I am a human being, the Emperor of the Great Qin, one of the millions. My power comes not from being a god, but from the fact that behind me stand every citizen of the Great Qin! Let the people understand that what they worship is not an idol on the altar, but a human emperor who shares their breath and destiny!"

"Zhuge Liang, the Immortal Realm can pollute the laws, so we will purify them. I command you to use the Charter as a guide, guided by the will of the Empire, to unite all the mages of the Abandoned Continent and build our own 'Network of Humane Laws'. Let their pollution, like dirt meeting the blazing sun, be swept away by our network!"

"Bai Qi, the demon leader of the Qingtian world, you don't need to go there yourself. I want you to select the most elite warriors from the new army and grant them the name of 'Prison Suppressors'. Their mission is not to kill, but to 'purify'. Use the laws and glory of the empire to awaken those corrupted powers and draw them back from the evil path. If they persist in their mistakes, it will not be too late to kill them later!"

"I want them to know,"

Ying Zheng's voice, like a huge bell, resounded throughout the Star Palace and seemed to resound throughout the entire territory of the Qin Dynasty.

"They can pollute our world and corrupt our allies, but they can never pollute the hearts of 'people' or corrupt their will!"

"Because, we are human!"

A war without the smoke of gunpowder, but more dangerous than any swordplay, has begun.