Chapter 117

Chapter 117

The Golden Crow hung low, the blazing sun inverted above the sky.

An endless, pitch-black army was arrayed at the foot of Mount Tai, like a torrent of shadow surging forward.

At the very front of this massive force, stood a dazzling streak of white—as if capable of blotting out all the gloom in the world.

The battle banners of Great Qin flapped fiercely in the wind; a towering black royal standard was planted firmly in the earth!

It looked like the very center of heaven and earth—

Because beneath that royal banner… stood a man.

He wasn’t tall or imposing; in fact, he was rather lean.

But between his brows surged limitless imperial majesty, and deep in his eyes flickered the ambition to swallow heaven and earth.

This was the Emperor of Great Qin—Su Zheng!

A once-ordinary youth from Lingxiao Blessed Land, in just a few years, had unified the entire Tiandu Great Domain.

Vassal states submitted, a hundred kings knelt; they used the same written language, shared the same carts and tracks.

Under the iron hooves of Great Qin, no other voice remained across the domain.

His imperial form stood like the vast firmament—Though still at the mountain’s foot, his heart soared higher than the heavens, his gaze piercing through the skies.

“Today, I ascend Mount Tai and proclaim the Mandate of Heaven! I claim the title of True Emperor!”

Su Zheng gazed at Mount Tai before him, his narrow, deep eyes radiating an unspoken dominance.

Mount Tai—Whether in the Three Thousand Great Domains, or the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, this towering mountain existed throughout all realms.

Some claimed it was the projection of a divine mountain, others said a slumbering deity lay within, and some whispered it was the ultimate imperial weapon of a fallen Emperor.

But in truth, no one knew why Mount Tai manifested across all worlds.

One thing was certain: It housed infinite imperial Dao at its peak.

Since ancient times, only true sovereigns of the imperial Dao could ascend its summit and offer Fengshan rituals to the heavens.

Across the entire Three Thousand Domains, only the emperors of the Four Great Divine Nations had ever succeeded.

Many emperors had tried in the past— but with insufficient imperial fate, they could not even step onto Mount Tai.

Their attempts brought not greater fortune, but instead damaged their hearts of Dao.

Thus, the title of Fengshan Emperor had long become a legend.

None but the four sovereigns of the Great Nations had the qualifications.

For a millennium, not a single person from any domain or world had ascended Mount Tai.

Until today.

Emperor Qin Su Zheng— after unifying an entire domain— did not hesitate in the slightest.

With no doubts, he moved.

Bringing with him the Qin Iron Cavalry, the Snow Dragon Riders, and all his ministers—

He climbed Mount Tai, to perform the Fengshan Rite.

Looking at the lofty mountain before him, Su Zheng’s eyes held neither confusion nor fear.

In the depths of those narrow eyes burned only—conquest!

I came. I saw. I conquered.

Even Mount Tai— even this so-called sacred mountain of the imperial Dao— must kneel before me!

“Today… I seal the heavens!!”

His voice was not loud, but the heavens stilled to listen.

The three armies bowed low.

Then, he took his first step—

Onto Mount Tai.

“Someone has set foot upon the Holy Mountain of the Imperial Dao…”

“What do you all make of this?”

In the Wuming Empire, its sovereign spoke slowly.

Within the grand hall, all ministers looked at one another.

“Your Majesty, surely it’s just some small-time ruler from a backwater nation, ignorant of their limits!”

“Great Emperor, of all the world, only a handful are qualified to climb Mount Tai— and Your Majesty is the one who has gone the furthest!”

“Your name will shine over all creation!”

“Enough of this bootlicking!”

“The empire was built by force!”

“Back then, I was just a damn cowherd boy!”

The Emperor’s gaze turned cold.

He showed no joy at their flattery— instead, he flicked his wide sleeve:

“Spouting flattery in my hall—you’re demoted three ranks and exiled to the frontier for 300 years!”

Just one sentence, and a high minister was stripped of rank and cast out.

In other nations, such a move would bring protests from all sides—

But here, in Wuming, before this warlike emperor, no one dared speak.

Even the exiled minister repeatedly kowtowed and cried:

“Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace!!”

This Emperor stood tall, his face weathered with time, his gaze as sharp as ever— imbued with blood and iron.

This was Emperor Wuming Zhu Yuanzhang, who rose from nothing, ascended the peak of martial cultivation, and claimed the throne with the most rightful path and the greatest merit!

Of the Four Great Divine Nations, Wuming reigned supreme, all thanks to his conquests.

“Father, do you truly regard this climber of Mount Tai so highly?”

The speaker wore imperial robes, scholarly and refined in demeanor.

Only one dared speak when this volatile Emperor was enraged—aside from the Empress—and that was the Crown Prince, Zhu Biao.

His imperial favor was nearly that of a second emperor.

“Biao’er, I’ll bet you something.”

“I wager that man will reach the peak of the imperial Dao. Do you believe it?”

“If Father says he will, then it must be so.”

“You need your own judgment!”

“If, in the future, you just believe everything your ministers say— should I help you clean house again?!”

His gaze turned sharp, sweeping across the hall.

In an instant— regardless of cultivation or power— every court official knelt under that gaze!

They knew all too well— when this man spoke, he meant it.

Once, he had truly purged the court in one fell swoop.

“Father… must you test me like this?”

“Not long ago, the national fate beast roared at the skies— The fortunes of the Four Great Nations shifted.”

“That means a new fate beast has been born.”

“And now you’re watching someone climb Mount Tai…”

“I’m not a fool. That’s not hard to deduce.”

Zhu Biao sighed helplessly.

“Hahaha!! Good! Very good!!”

“You can already perceive the fate beast.”

“In a few years, take my place— this damned throne makes my butt ache!”

“The fate of nations was nailed down—But now it’s shifting.”

“This is a crisis, but also a great opportunity!”

“Before you ascend, I will devour what remains. The name of Wuming shall suppress all realms!!”

In Zhu Yuanzhang’s eyes, war flames rose.

“Newborn emperor, go stir up chaos!”

“Let me see your limits.”

“Tear apart the fixed fate, upend the heavens— then become my stepping stone!!”

He had never feared challenge.

Never feared danger.

He was the Hongwu Emperor.

He wanted the whole damn world!!

Even if this upheaval shook all existence— he would face it head-on!

“Isn’t that fourth son of mine scheming for destiny again?”

“Let him go to Northern Wastelands then…”

“It’s going to get… lively there.”

His gaze pierced toward the Northern Wastelands, as if through endless space, he met another pair of narrow, domineering eyes.

In those eyes surged an emperor’s might no weaker than his own.

One was like a war dragon, eager to devour all—

The other like the vast heavens, destined to rule all!

Su Zheng gazed toward the sky.

As if he sensed something, his narrow eyes flickered.

“The Family Leader gave me this path…”

“How could I dare disappoint him?”

“Since that’s the case… then these heavens…”

“I shall claim them!!”

His voice rang like a hammer, and he stepped forward without hesitation!

The sky darkened.

Mount Tai seemed to awaken.

Real, tangible imperial qi began to stir.

One after another, towering phantoms of former emperors emerged before him!

“Climbing Mount Tai… you think you’re worthy?!”

“A lowly domain ruler dares step upon the sacred peak!”

“Fengshan?! Hahaha!! Even I failed—what makes you think you can?!”

“Leave, pretender!!”

Voices thundered like rolling storms, each filled with imperial dominance.

Yet Su Zheng merely lowered his eyes, a smirk playing at his lips— he didn’t even look at those figures.

He only stared at the mountaintop, his gaze resolute.

He whispered softly: “Just a bunch of failed sovereigns on the path of imperial Dao…”

“You’re not worthy to question the True Emperor.”

“Now—get lost!!”