Only three seconds? He's already the Lord of All Realms, so it doesn't matter.

Surrounded by several people, Wang Mang walked out of the palace, his face beaming.

"Our new dynasty is aided by Heaven! Today, lightning strikes! Kill!"

Seeing this, and then looking at Liu Xiu and his men fleeing in disarray, the Xin army, their morale greatly boosted, joined Wang Mang in shouting:

"Heaven is on our side! Today, lightning strikes! Kill!"

In an instant, outside the magnificent Weiyang Palace, shouts of battle shook the heavens. More than 20,000 soldiers clashed, their heads rolling on the stone steps, and blood seeping through the rock slabs into the soil.

Liu Xiu looked at the overcast sky with a face full of surprise and doubt, recalling the strange phenomenon that had just occurred, but he did not understand.

Why is this lightning, which is normally unpredictable, chasing after me?

"Divine retribution!" The thought popped into his mind; perhaps only the legendary divine retribution could explain it.

But all he and the Han army wanted was to take back the Han dynasty from Wang Mang. What wrong had they done? Why should they suffer divine retribution?

Liu Xiu stared intently at Wang Mang, still refusing to believe in the so-called "divine intervention." He brandished his sword, ready to charge once again at the usurper of the Han throne.

"Bang!"

A blinding white light flashed across the sky, followed by a rumble of thunder, and finally exploded less than half a foot in front of him.

Liu Xiu was so frightened that his legs went weak and his expression was filled with extreme fear. It was as if he had just been through the gates of hell, causing his swaying body to kneel on the ground.

The generals around him rushed forward to help him up and escorted Liu Xiu away from Weiyang Palace at the cost of their lives.

The other Han soldiers, terrified by the horrific sight they witnessed, lost their will to fight. Some began to abandon their armor and kneel on the ground, praying for divine mercy, and gradually became no match for the new army.

Liu Xiu came to his senses and, seeing that the situation was hopeless, had no choice but to order his army to withdraw from Chang'an.

One hundred thousand troops stood outside their temporary camp in Chang'an, gazing at the capital of the dynasty.

An even more miraculous scene unfolded: right after the Han army withdrew from Chang'an, the sky, which had been covered in dark clouds, suddenly cleared up completely.

"General, this is..."

Zong Tiao and the others were all dejected. They had been confident of victory, but the will of Heaven had prevailed, and human strength was as insignificant as an ant in the face of divine might.

The Han army was skeptical of this supposed divine will that existed only in legends, and the vanguard soldiers who followed Liu Xiu into Weiyang Palace were mostly filled with despair.

They witnessed firsthand the unusual lightning that forced them back, leaving them helpless.

Faced with a demoralized army, Liu Xiu, no matter how skilled he was at mobilizing his troops, was speechless at this moment.

"Gentlemen, I don't believe in any divine will, but today is indeed strange..."

"I hereby order the troops to withdraw first, and await His Majesty's decision upon returning to Wancheng."

Liu Xiu issued the order, and the 100,000-strong Han army ultimately suffered a defeat and returned home empty-handed.

In contrast, within Chang'an city, in front of the Weiyang Palace...

Wang Mang, along with his ministers and the remaining few thousand soldiers of the New Army, knelt on the ground, devoutly thanking Heaven for its grace.

"Thank you, Celestial Venerable, for sending down heavenly lightning to save our new dynasty from fire and water!"

"Thank you, Celestial Venerable, for sending down heavenly lightning to save the new dynasty from fire and water!"

"..."

Wang Mang was extremely devout, and the thought of his miraculous recovery filled him with boundless excitement and joy.

He prayed that the voice from before would echo in his ears again, revealing his destiny and offering him some guidance.

"I am here, I have always been here."

The clear and authoritative voice rang in his ears again, and Wang Mang could not hide the joy and fervor on his face. He pressed his head to the ground and said:

"The Immortal Venerable's power is boundless, save my new dynasty..."

Ye Xuan, however, channeled a surge of spiritual energy into Wang Mang's throat, preventing him from speaking further.

"I am the Celestial Venerable of the Heavenly Dao. I descended with my magical power just now and used heavenly thunder because I could not bear to see the suffering of the people in this world."

Wang Mang, do you know what crime you have committed?

Faced with the sudden questioning, Wang Mang trembled with fear, cold sweat soaking through his armor.

He hurriedly spoke, no longer daring to refer to himself as "Imperial" (朕): "I...I know my crime!"

"In my youth, I forged the Mandate of Heaven, offending the divine authority of the Immortal Venerable. Now I kneel and beg the Immortal Venerable to punish me!"

He dared not have any other thoughts. As a Celestial Venerable, it must be incredibly easy for him to see through people's hearts.

Even if the Celestial Venerable were to unleash heavenly lightning and execute him today, Wang Mang would not utter a single complaint.

Having witnessed firsthand his unparalleled power to control heaven and earth and transmit his voice over thousands of miles, who would still question the authenticity of this self-proclaimed Heavenly Dao Immortal Venerable?

"This is indeed true, but I see that you have lofty ambitions, and in your old age, you have finally come to your senses."

"Your sin of forging a divine mandate is temporarily pardoned; you may make amends through future merits."

Wang Mang thanked Heaven, but he was somewhat unsure of what was going on.

I am already in my seventies and don't have much time left. What does the immortal mean by making amends for my mistakes in the future?

Before Wang Mang could dwell on his thoughts, Ye Xuan once again drew upon a wisp of pure spiritual energy from heaven and earth.

The azure spiritual energy of heaven and earth condensed into strands, translucent and radiating a captivating brilliance.

A wisp of essence, applied to Wang Mang's Yellow Court, permeated his entire body.

Ye Xuan applied his perception to Wang Mang, examining his entire body's meridians and discovering that there were blockages in many places.

He manipulated that wisp of spiritual energy, letting it circulate within Wang Mang's body.

In the world of martial arts, Ye Xuan had seen a book called "Nourishing Life Skill" in the Scripture Pavilion. It was an internal skill for talented martial artists to cultivate their true qi with their own innate blood and qi.

Of course, if spiritual energy is used as a catalyst, the effect of this technique will be even better.

He helped Wang Mang complete a full cycle of health cultivation according to the path and cyclical patterns of the "Health Cultivation Exercise".

The spiritual energy finally settled in Wang Mang's dantian, and his blood and qi broke through the blockage. His aged and fading face gradually became rosy and full.

"I have extended your life by more than ten years."

Ye Xuan once again used spiritual energy as a medium to transmit his words to Wang Mang's ears.

Even if the "Health Preservation Exercise" is performed using spiritual energy, it cannot grant immortality. However, since the stagnation in his body has been eliminated, it can be said that he has been reborn for an elderly person.

Ye Xuan estimated that without external intervention, Wang Mang would have no problem living to be a hundred years old.

Upon hearing this, Wang Mang unconsciously bent over, feeling the surge of power within him, and he felt as if he had returned to his youth.

"This... Immortal Venerable's supreme power! I bow deeply in gratitude for your grace, and will surely serve you to the death!"

He knelt down again and frantically pounded his head on the ground.

Ye Xuan used his spiritual power to help him up. He knew Wang Mang would be of great use today.

"My consciousness traveled the world and saw a world where people lived in peace and prosperity, and the country was at peace and the people were at ease. Its world can be described as immortal."

Although I wish to end the chaos of this mortal world, it is impossible for me to do everything myself.

Ye Xuan left his words unsaid, but Wang Mang instantly grasped the deeper meaning:

"I am willing to give my life for the Immortal Venerable!"

Ye Xuan, far away in the real world, couldn't help but nod slightly. He had high hopes for this idealist with lofty ambitions.

"I can send down a spiritual body to guide you on what to do."

"You shall settle the people of the city, and then build a temple within the city. A year later, my spirit will descend."

Leaving a final instruction, Ye Xuan ceased speaking to Wang Mang.

In front of the Weiyang Palace, besides Wang Mang, there were thousands of Xin soldiers kneeling on the ground. Although they did not know what had happened and only saw Wang Mang talking to himself, they had some vague guesses.

Your Majesty is in harmony with the will of Heaven; our new dynasty is saved!

Afterwards, in Chang'an, Wang Mang issued an edict that "all people under heaven shall praise the name of the immortal sage every day." He then demolished the original ancestral hall and built the temple that Ye Xuan had requested there.

The Battle of Chang'an not only made Wang Mang and others realize that Heaven was on their side, but the people of Chang'an were also witnesses to that extraordinary phenomenon.

It is said among the people that "there is a celestial being protecting the world, and we should follow him."

Within this vast capital city, everyone knows that those who follow the way of Heaven will prosper!