Chapter 1 Dawn

The morning sun broke.

A round of golden radiance rose from the east—but it was not the round sun, but a disc like the Milky Way.

The blazing golden disc ran through the sky, spanning the boundless void, dividing the sky of the entire world into two, dyeing the long clouds with crimson.

The Mortal Realm, the New Kingdom, Qinglin Prefecture.

Linmo Prefecture, Beiling City.

"Freshly steamed buns, come and see, fresh..."

"The Qiaojin Sect's newly crafted timepieces, with built-in mechanisms, can tell the time and determine the direction. They are essential good for all guests to use at home and give to relatives and friends!"

"Beiling old mountain ginseng, dug from the mountains a few days ago, nourishes qi and blood, can help cultivation, can refine elixirs, don't miss it..."

"Excellent Beiling fine iron knives, in all styles..."

At dawn, a city awakens.

Beiling City was bustling with activity. The streets were filled with vendors hawking snacks and advertising various goods, and tempting aromas filled the air.

Located in the north of the New Kingdom, between Qinglin and Baishan Prefectures, Beiling City was not prosperous in the past. It was even considered a desolate place to exile criminals.

However, due to the tireless calculations and explorations of the Hou Tu Sect cultivators of the Ministry of Revenue, many spirit iron ore veins were finally found here, and even an extremely large spirit stone mine was discovered.

Since then, Beiling City has received a large amount of resources, and people have continued to flow in.

In just over a year, this place has gradually become one of the new resource hubs in the north of the New Kingdom, with a population approaching one million.

Today, Beiling City has a large number of strange mechanical creations and local mineral specialties. Several great craftsmen from the Qiaojin Sect have workshops here. Therefore, in addition to the mining personnel working locally, many martial artists and cultivators have come here.

Therefore, on both sides of the long street, one could even occasionally see several Di (Earth) Realm martial artists known in Qinglin Prefecture drinking with friends in local restaurants, and from time to time, admirers would come forward to pay their respects and ask for advice, and could even receive a few words of guidance.

A long-haired young man strolled down the street. He was dressed in an inconspicuous black martial uniform. He witnessed the hustle and bustle around the street, smiled, and looked around the entire city, with a flash of cyan and purple spiritual light in his eyes.

Although Su Zhou had only just entered the city not long ago, every move in Beiling City had already been reflected in his heart.

This world is very prosperous and peaceful.

Not far from the entrance of the vegetable market, a butcher with some cultivation base held down a pig weighing hundreds of pounds with one hand, and chopped off the pig's head with a single knife. Under the qi lock, the gushing pig blood spontaneously fell into a crock pot next to it, without splashing everywhere.

A woman leading a child waited nearby to buy fresh pork, and a poorly dressed scholar also stood aside, wanting to see if he could buy some pig offal cheaply.

Passing merchants hawked spiritual materials, street vendors sold fine iron weapons and farm tools, and the old men and women in the neighborhood did their morning chores while complaining and discussing topics such as 'There are more and more foreigners recently, and local houses are getting more expensive' and 'The man next door is cheating again'.

There were all kinds of beings and situations. Although complicated, one could experience the actual situation of a world.

In an instant, scanning the entire city, Su Zhou understood a lot.

This is a prosperous age in its infancy.

The rights of men and women in this world are roughly equal, and even a slightly poor scholar would not be unable to afford meat. Spiritual materials and fine soldiers can also be sold, which, if not strictly controlled, means that the resources in this world are generally not lacking.

Moreover, the pedestrians walking on the road basically know some martial arts or cultivation techniques. Although they are not proficient, the degree of popularization is nearly sixty or seventy percent.

The ranks in this world are divided into 'Ren (Human)', 'Di (Earth)', and 'Tian (Heaven)', corresponding to the Awakening Stage, the Transcendence Stage, and the Dominion Stage, respectively.

Ren Realm cultivators are only in the mortal realm. Di Realm cultivators have a trace of the power of gods and demons and can change the weather.

As for Tian Realm cultivators, they can move mountains and seas, cut off rivers and destroy cities. At full strength, one person can stand against an army.

As for the realm above Tian Realm, the so-called 'Land True Person' realm, although it sounds ordinary, it is the strongest below the gods and demons, and can even be called a walking god and demon on the earth. One person can build a country, establish a sect, and control the power of the world.

Su Zhou, as a Hegemon Stage expert, corresponds to this Land True Person realm.

In Beiling City, there are many Ren Realm martial artists and quite a few Di Realm martial artists. As for the existence of Tian Realm experts, Su Zhou sensed three of them in this city with a population of less than one million.

One million people, with three Dominion Stage experts.

"If this city can be used as an average, then such a density of transcedent beings and experts really deserves to be called a primordial world."

Su Zhou, who had descended last night, after escaping the scan of the strong in this world, transformed into a fallen leaf and came to the most popular city hundreds of kilometers away, and then reappeared here, imitating the local cultivators to enter the city to investigate the situation.

In order not to attract attention, Su Zhou used a secret method to conceal his appearance, and this local clothing was woven from his own grown feathers, which could barely be considered a spiritual garment and armor.

It sounds strange to make clothes with one's own feathers, but this is what any Dao-imitating cultivator would do. Although Yala complained that it was self-produced and self-sold, and as disgusting as knitting wool with one's own hair, Su Zhou found it quite interesting.

"My own down is much more comfortable and warm than any velvet or duck down. If you could wear it, Yala, I would weave one for you too."

Hearing this, the crimson snake spirit shuddered: "...Disgusting!"

Now, after delving into Beiling City for half a day, Su Zhou has confirmed a lot of information.

This world is called Tianyuan.

The sky sun is like a disc, there is no moon in the night sky, and the stars are like rivers.

The Tianyuan world is incredibly vast. The area of ​​the Central Continent alone far exceeds that of Earth.

The terrain of this world is complex, cultivation is prosperous, the folk customs are sturdy, and there are many tribes standing, so there are often wars. In the last three thousand years, it has fallen into a state of total war throughout the world, which is the so-called Three Thousand Years Warring States Period.

During the Warring States Period, the tragic situation of countries and tribes being destroyed often occurred. Corpses were everywhere, and white bones filled the fields were commonplace. Even more tragic were the duels between the strong.

In the past, there was a record that the rulers of two countries, both Land True Persons, fought for a hundred days in the center of the Central Continent, forcibly turning the eight-hundred-mile Hongshan mountain range into a plain. During this period, earthquakes and landslides, floods, and disasters such as strong winds, falling stars, and torrential rains occurred, causing millions of people to die and ten times that number to be displaced.

Throughout the Warring States Period, the number of deaths in the Tianyuan world was countless, starting at least in the tens of billions. There were countless resentful souls and monsters in the world, and many evil Taoists and demons were born.

However, that is all in the past.

After the Three Thousand Years Warring States Period, the Central Continent, which used to have thousands of countries, was finally unified by the New Kingdom. Whether it was resentful souls and monsters, or evil Taoists and demons, they have all been completely eradicated.

And Su Zhou's current location is in the New Kingdom's ten prefectures, between the northern Qinglin and Baishan Prefectures.

Further away is the barren and uninhabited Northern Continent, with only desolate forests and icy lands, and the Northern Barbarian tribes living there.

The New Kingdom is the first nearly unified dynasty in the history of the Central Continent. The contemporary Founding Sage Emperor is a natural saint, said to be a reincarnation of a god and demon. From an early age, he had natural wisdom and was well-versed in the Five Classics. Because he could not bear the disputes between the states and the suffering of the people during the Warring States Period, he raised an army and swept away all enemies of the time, winning every battle.

Even the extraterritorial Kun demon clan, which had ravaged the Tianyuan world for thousands of years and devoured countless living beings, was finally defeated by the Sage Emperor and his army more than ten years ago, and retreated from the Central Continent. Now they have disappeared and show no signs of resurgence.

Although the New Kingdom has only been established for a year, it has actually ruled the Central Continent for more than ten years. The Founding Sage Emperor is ambitious and strives for governance. He quickly governed the entire country after its formal establishment, so that no one picked up lost items, doors were not closed at night, the country was rich and the people were strong, and both public and private warehouses were full.

In just one morning, Su Zhou was able to learn so much with the Mind of No Thought, and roughly figured out the basic situation of this world.

It is a pity that Beiling City is, after all, a newly emerging place. The people here only know this much information, and because it is located in a remote area, even in the former Warring States Period, this was not the main battlefield, so many news and information are hearsay and half-understood.

The clearest information is actually related to the Sage Emperor.

"This person is interesting, actually praised by everyone, with no one speaking ill of him?"

"He created the Five Virtues, established the Five Virtues Sect, and used the sect to build an army, establish a country, and coordinate everything with the Five Virtues Doctrine—'Hou Tu (Earth)', 'Qiao Jin (Metal)', 'Qing Lin (Wood)', 'Zhen Huo (Fire)', 'Xuan Shui (Water)', which are essentially equivalent to the Ministry of Revenue, Ministry of Works, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of War, and Ministry of Rites. The Sage Emperor himself is the sect leader of the Five Virtues Sect and the founding emperor of the New Kingdom, so he manages both the transcendent beings and the ordinary people."

Establishing a country with a sect is not surprising in this transcendent world. Especially if you want to solve the chaotic situation and quickly build a highly cohesive team, this may be the only way.

This Sage Emperor, Su Zhou naturally cares about very much.

He knows very well that as the saying goes, 'He who bears the disgrace of the country is called the lord of the state; he who bears the misfortune of the country is called the king of the world.' As a ruler, all the negative news of a country will be attributed to him.

And to be praised by everyone, whether it is the butcher on the roadside or the Di Realm martial artist drinking in the restaurant, that is really remarkable, at least it means that so far, he has not made a single wrong judgment.

With such achievements, being called the Sage Emperor is truly worthy of the name.

"Interesting."

Nodding slightly, after collecting the general information, Su Zhou's figure disappeared silently from the street, without any of the pedestrians noticing.

And the next moment, he had already appeared in the sky, overlooking the city.

Three thousand years ago, the Warring States Period began. But in the middle and late stages of the Warring States Period, the Kun demons from outside the territory invaded the Tianyuan world, forcing the countries to join forces to resist.

In order to resist this unimaginably powerful enemy, the countries united and merged, and in the end, only the New Kingdom army of the Five Virtues Sect and the Zhengyang Kingdom army, which occupied the dominant position at the time, remained.

As a union of most of the former countries, the Zhengyang Kingdom repeatedly allowed the Kun demons to wreak havoc among the people in order to eliminate the Five Virtues Sect, resulting in the loss of popular support. Therefore, in the 'Five Virtues Zhengyang War' launched to unify the Central Continent after expelling the Kun demons, the Zhengyang Kingdom, which thought it occupied the dominant position, was easily defeated and destroyed. Most of the soldiers even surrendered midway and defected to the Sage Emperor.

"This world is very peaceful."

Staring at the city, Su Zhou asked Yala in his soul space, his tone puzzled: "At least from the present, whether it is the previous 'Three Thousand Years Warring States', the 'United Countries Resistance to Evil', or the 'Five Virtues Zhengyang War' during the founding of the New Kingdom, they have all ended, and just over a year ago, the great era has clearly ended."

"Didn't the Celestial God Scale say that it would bring me to the center of the conflict? Am I late?"

Because he was too used to encountering various accidents as soon as he descended, Su Zhou was really not used to the situation where this world was so peaceful.

He thought that it would be normal for him to descend in the chaotic world of the Warring States, or to fight against the Kun clan, or during the Five Virtues Zhengyang War—those eras of war can be called the center of conflict, which can dominate the rise and fall of the country, the prosperity and disgrace, and the life and death of all people.

As for the Celestial Venerable-level divine sense scan that appeared when he descended before, that naturally does not count. It was obviously an accidental situation caused by his dragon and snake aura—after all, it is the primordial world of the perfect subject, so it is not surprising that this situation occurred. He mainly did not expect that the local strongmen in this world would be so sensitive to the dragon and snake bloodline.

"Su Zhou, you may have misunderstood something."

Listening to the young man's question, Yala replied with a meaningful tone: "That is, the gods and demons here are probably not as kind and amiable as the immortals and gods in your hometown... rather, it is really a minority that the gods and demons in your hometown are so kind and amiable."

"Moreover, do you think that the dominance of this world belongs to the people?"

Speaking of this, the snake spirit even shook its head slightly, suppressing a smile: "This is a world with a Celestial Venerable-level god and demon—the core of the conflict in this world could never be those ordinary people. It can only be those gods and demons!"

"The world you see now is indeed peaceful and prosperous, but if the gods and demons intend to, they can overturn it with a single thought... what is the difference between such peace and flowers in the water and the moon in the mirror?"

"...Indeed."

Hearing Yala's answer, Su Zhou could not help but frown slightly.

Although it sounds terrible, it is true.

In a world with Celestial Venerable gods and demons, the thoughts of ordinary people, the battles of ordinary Ren, Di, and Tian Realm cultivators, cannot be considered conflicts at all.

Before, it was not that he had not thought about this issue... but if the gods and demons do not want the world to be peaceful, then the world cannot be peaceful. In other words, the reason why the New Kingdom can be established is that the gods and demons allowed it.

But now that I think about it... perhaps, it is not permission, but simply because there is no time to care?

He is not very clear about all this.

"Well, it is indeed necessary to collect more relevant information."

After thinking for a while, Su Zhou nodded slightly. He planned to spend a little more time to continue collecting information about the Tianyuan world.

Anyway, he came to the primordial world this time mainly to see the situation here and witness the correctness of 'perfection', and he is not in a hurry to do anything.

"First of all, let's collect information about the gods and demons. Find an opportunity to go to the local library to see the situation."

He made up his mind like this.

But what Su Zhou did not expect was that before he could act on his own, the relevant information about the gods and demons actually came to his door.

Beiling City, Prefect's Mansion.

In the communication room, a light curtain suddenly lit up, and layers of shimmering characters appeared on it. The official who had been waiting for the communication looked up and was immediately stunned, and then shocked.

Because that was a direct communication from the Qintianjian (Imperial Observatory) in Tianjing (Celestial Capital)!

And the information above...

"Big news!"

Getting up in a hurry and pressing the spiritual seal directly, the communication officer immediately reported the news to the local prefect.

A few seconds later, the entire Prefect's Mansion was shaken.

Soon, accompanied by three clear and loud bell rings, the Beiling City Prefect's thick voice, as a Tian Realm cultivator, also spread throughout the city.

[On the seventeenth day of the tenth month of the first year of the New Calendar, the Qintianjian observed the wind rising in the Northern Desert, the night as white as day, the stars transformed into a thousand eyes, and divine light descended from the sky, suspected of a god and demon descending into the world.]

[The descent of a god and demon will inevitably bring great disaster, so Beiling City is ordered to be sealed off, and all residents of the surrounding villages and counties are gathered in the city to resist the impact.]
Hu Die Lan