Da Qin: Conquer all heavens and all realms

The ancient god was struck by lightning upon hearing these words, and stood there in shock. Billions of years of confusion seemed to be split open by a bolt of lightning, revealing the truth behind it.

"You!" Ying Zheng's gaze shifted to a mechanical lifeform composed of countless gears and chips. "You pursue the ultimate in logic and calculation. You believe the existence of the 'observer' is a 'variable' that cannot be explained by existing logic, and this scares you. You desire a deterministic, calculable universe."

"But have you ever thought that it is precisely because of the 'variable' of the 'observer' that the universe is no longer a cold, predictable program. It is full of unknowns and possibilities."

"Your logic and calculations have finally found their true potential. Analyzing the Observer's behavior and finding loopholes in the Dream's laws—isn't this, in itself, the greatest challenge ever, surpassing all your previous computational limits?"

“The unknown is not a source of fear, but a stepping stone to evolution.”

The processor at the core of the mechanical life form instantly emitted an overloaded hum, and countless data streams rushed through its consciousness. Finally, for the first time, a ray of light called "passion" flashed in its cold electronic eyes.

"And you..."

Ying Zheng's gaze swept over every living being under the platform.

He did not talk about any profound principles, nor did he use any mysterious methods.

He simply gave the most direct and fundamental answers to the nature of every living being, their confusion, and their fears.

Like the best teacher, he transformed the fear of "nothingness" into the motivation for "existence" and the humiliation of "being observed" into the courage to "explore".

Gradually, the atmosphere below the stage changed.

Hostility disappeared, suspicion dissipated, and in their place was an unprecedented enlightenment and excitement.

They began to understand that the "freedom" that Ying Zheng wanted to give them was not laissez-faire, but a kind of "responsibility." A responsibility to be a "real existence," a responsibility to create their own "meaning"!

"Long live the Emperor! I wish to follow His Majesty, break free from the dream, and seek the truth!"

I don't know who was the first to shout this sentence.

Then, the second, the third... thousands, hundreds of millions of voices converged into a tremendous torrent of will, resounding through the sky!

"Long live my emperor!"

"I am willing to follow your majesty!"

"Break the dream!"

"Seek the truth!"

Seeing this touching scene, even Meng Tian and Li Si were moved. They finally understood how great His Majesty's "unification" was!

However, at this moment, Yuanshi Daozu, who had been floating nearby and watching everything silently, frowned slightly.

He looked at Ying Zheng, a complex look flashing in his eyes.

"Ying Zheng," his voice resounded directly into Ying Zheng's soul, "You have done well. With your will, you have ignited the 'self-awareness' of the entire universe. This has surpassed the realm of any 'Great Emperor'."

"But this is not enough."

"Oh?" Ying Zheng's heart moved, "What advice does Daozu have?"

"What you did was 'awakening.' You transformed the beings in the universe from 'sleeping' characters into 'awake' characters. But whether awake or not, they are still 'characters.' Their existence is still attached to the dream of the 'Ancestor of Nothingness.'"

"As long as the dream remains intact, everything they do is merely a struggle within it. The fire you ignited will eventually be extinguished by the tide of 'nothingness'."

When Ying Zheng heard this, his expression changed.

He knew that what Daozu said was true. Everything he did was only "treating the symptoms but not the root cause."

"Then, Daozu, where should I go?" Ying Zheng asked in a deep voice. This was the first time he asked others for advice in such a humble manner.

The Primordial Dao Ancestor looked at him deeply and said slowly, "If you want to break the dream, you must possess authority equal to or even greater than that of the Dream Maker."

"The authority of the 'Ancestor of Nothingness' is 'creation' and 'definition.' He defines 'existence' and also 'non-existence.' He created the rules of the universe and also the perspective of the observer."

"If you want to defeat Him, you must obtain a power that can 'negate' His 'definition'. A power that can transform 'existence' into 'non-existence', and also transform 'non-existence' into 'existence'."

"This power transcends the Emperor Realm, the Great Emperor Realm, and even the dimension of the observer. It has a name, called... 'Tao'."

"Tao?" Ying Zheng was shocked.

"Yes, 'Tao,'" the Primordial Dao Ancestor nodded. "'The Ancestor of Nothingness' is the source of 'Tao,' representing 'Nothingness.' And the universe we inhabit is the manifestation of 'Tao,' representing 'Existence.' Your current realm is 'Peak of the Emperor Realm.' You have cultivated this aspect of 'Existence' to the utmost. You rule over all realms and administer the laws. You are the Emperor of 'Existence.'"

"However, you know nothing about 'nothingness'. You cannot comprehend 'nothingness', much less control 'nothingness'. Therefore, when you face the 'Originator of Nothingness', you are like a coin with only heads and no tails. It is destined to be incomplete and destined to be easily erased."

"So, I must comprehend 'nothing'?" An unprecedented brilliance flashed in Ying Zheng's eyes.

"Exactly." The Primordial Daoist's tone became extremely serious. "You must maintain the ultimate perfection of 'existence' while touching the realm of 'nothingness'. You must understand what true 'emptiness' is, what true 'extinction' is. You must immerse your empire, your will, and your very existence in the 'void' to experience and temper it."

"This is an extremely dangerous process. If you're not careful, you'll be assimilated by the 'Nothingness', completely becoming a part of it, with no chance of recovery."

"But if you succeed, you will become the first being since the birth of the universe to simultaneously control 'existence' and 'non-existence', 'existence' and 'non-existence'."

"You will no longer be the 'Emperor', nor the 'Great Emperor'."

"You will become... 'Daozu'."

"A completely new source of 'Tao' that is on par with the 'Ancestor of Nothingness', or even capable of replacing it!"

The words of Yuanshi Daozu were like a nine-day divine thunder, exploding in Ying Zheng’s mind!

Become the Dao Ancestor! Become equal to the Ancestor of Nothingness!

What a wild and incredible goal!

But Ying Zheng's heart was beating violently.

He knew that this was his only way out and his final destination!

He slowly stood up and bowed deeply to Yuanshi Daozu.

"Thank you Daozu for your guidance! I understand!"

Yuanshi Daozu looked at him, his eyes full of approval and expectation.

"Go, Ying Zheng. Go into the 'void' and find your 'Tao'. Remember, you are not going to destroy, but to 'integrate'. Integrate 'existence' and 'nothingness' to create a brand new 'universe' that belongs to you!"

Ying Zheng nodded, and his figure began to become illusory.

He took a last look at the hundreds of millions of people following him below, with a hint of reluctance in his eyes, but more of determination.

Then he turned to Li Si and Meng Tian and issued his last decree before "retreat".

"Preach my will."

"After I leave, Li Si, Meng Tian, ​​and Wang Jian will jointly manage the empire's affairs."

"The laws of the Empire remain unchanged. The Imperial cavalry will not retreat. We will continue to seek the Way, embrace all realms, and spread our ideals to every corner of the universe."

"I will be gone for ten years, a hundred years, ten million years, or... forever."

"Regardless of my ultimate success or failure, you must all remember: my empire is not just my empire, but the vanguard of the struggle for 'truth' for all living beings in the universe!"

"As long as the empire survives and its will endures, I will return one day!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Li Si, Meng Tian and Wang Jian, with tears streaming down their faces, kowtowed heavily.

"I'm leaving!"