Da Qin: Conquer all heavens and all realms

"I will give you a chance." Ying Zheng's voice rang out again, carrying an unquestionable majesty. "Tell me everything you know about this cage, about the five boundary markers, and about the existence of that 'Dao Lord'. I can grant you immortality and place your soul in the 'Heroic Martyrs' Shrine of the Great Qin, where you will be worshipped for eternity."

Xuanyuan Hao fell silent. This was both a temptation and a humiliation. As an ancient Immortal Emperor, how could he have ever been treated like this? But looking at Ying Zheng's eyes, which seemed to see through everything, he knew he had no choice.

This emperor from the mortal world had a tough character and a domineering will that far surpassed any god he had ever seen.

"...Okay." After a long moment, Xuanyuan Hao finally relented. "I'll tell you. You're right. This universe is truly a prison. We call it the 'Immortal Prison Realm.'"

"In ancient times, before the beginning of time, when the universe was just beginning, five supreme beings were born. They called themselves the 'Five Emperors', some of them innate gods and demons, some the embodiment of the Great Dao. With their supreme power, they divided the chaos, opened up the myriad realms, and created the heavens as we know them today."

"However, as the myriad creatures multiplied, more and more powerful beings emerged, even Immortal Emperors. These powerful beings began to explore the ultimate limits of the universe, attempting to touch the realms of the Five Emperors. This caused the Five Emperors to become wary and uneasy."

"They believed that living beings had unlimited potential. If allowed to develop, they would one day threaten their rule. So, they joined forces and set up a shocking plan."

"They used their own avenues as a foundation, refining the primordial chaos and forging five 'boundary-suppressing monuments' to suppress the five corners of the universe, transforming them into an invisible cage that completely sealed off this most prosperous and abundant core region of the universe. At the same time, they drained 99% of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth from this realm, directing it outside the cage and allowing it to dissipate, thereby suppressing the cultivation ceiling of the creatures in this realm."

"That 'Ancient God War' wasn't a civil war, but a rebellion! A group of ancient immortals, led by my master, 'Yuanshi Tianzun,' refused to be caged and joined forces to challenge the 'Five Emperors.' Unfortunately... we were defeated."

"The defeated immortals were either killed on the spot, their souls annihilated; some were stripped of their cultivation and condemned to the cycle of reincarnation, never to be reborn; some were even worse, exiled to the turbulent flow of time and space, dissipating in endless pain and despair. As for me, I was severely injured by the supreme magical powers of the 'Five Emperors'. My body collapsed, leaving only a remnant of my soul, hidden beneath the ruins of this divine court, lingering on to this day."

"As for those 'Dao Lords'..." Xuanyuan Hao's remnant soul betrayed a deep fear. "They are the minions of the 'Five Emperors', the 'jailers' of this cage. They are not living beings, but 'rule embodiments' created by the 'Five Emperors' with their own laws and will. They are omnipresent, yet formless and intangible. They can sense any attempt to breach the cage and bring down 'divine punishment'."

"The 'One Thought to Destroy a Nation' you encountered earlier was a projection of the lowest-level 'Dao Lord'. With a single thought, they could unleash the power of the cage's rules and obliterate an entire world. Your unwavering victory wasn't because you were stronger than them, but rather... your very existence was beyond the 'cage''s' predictions. Your 'Great Qin Law' and your 'Emperor's Dragon Qi' were a power system they had never encountered before. They briefly disrupted their rules and allowed you to find a flaw."

Ying Zheng listened quietly, taking every word in his mind. The cage, the Five Emperors, the boundary marker, the Dao Master… a vast web that had enveloped him for eternity finally revealed its hideous corner before him.

"I understand." Ying Zheng opened his eyes, a glint flashing in his eyes. "So that's how it is. The so-called 'Heaven' is nothing more than the will of the 'Five Emperors.' The so-called 'Tao' is nothing more than the rules of the 'Master of Tao.'"

"What I want to break is not this piece of sky, but the trap set by the 'Five Emperors'!"

"I'm not going to fight the gods, but the minions of the Five Emperors!"

"Xuanyuan Hao, you've done well. From today on, you will be the chief advisor of my Great Qin's 'Heavenly Secret Pavilion'. Help me break this situation. I promise that when you succeed, I will grant you a complete body of an Immortal Emperor, so you can see for yourself what the starry sky outside this cage is like!"

"...Yes, Your Majesty." Xuanyuan Hao's remnant soul surrendered completely. He knew his gamble had been right. This human emperor might truly be the only hope to break the eternal curse and lead all the "prisoners" to freedom.

Ying Zheng withdrew his consciousness and looked up at the sky again. His eyes were no longer filled with anger and dominance, but with a deeper and wiser look.

The enemy is clear.

The road is clear.

"Five Emperors... Dao Lord..."

"I am here."

"The Qin cavalry is about to crush your prison!"

"My law will eventually judge your sins!"

The next moment, Ying Zheng's figure disappeared from the spot and reappeared in the command hall of the Xianyang city ship.

He looked at the huge star map, gently tapped the position of the solar system with his finger, and then slowly moved across the entire known universe.

"Preach my will."

"The Great Qin Empire has entered a level one combat readiness state."

"Target—Breaking the Sky!"

The entire Qin Empire, from the mortal world to the world of cultivation, from the core star field to the frontier fortresses, at this moment, received orders from the supreme ruler.

An unprecedented war against "the sky" itself has begun.

At this moment, in an unknown corner of the universe, five stone tablets exuding an ancient and vast aura seemed to shake slightly.

Five pairs of cold and ruthless eyes appeared on the stone tablet, as if they had traveled through endless time and space and landed on that small solar system and on the city ship named "Xianyang".

"Interesting ants..."

"You actually... noticed it?"

"Haha... then let him see what true despair is."

An invisible and terrifying pressure that far exceeded the realm of the Immortal Emperor quietly descended and began to cover the entire Milky Way.