Chapter 25: Descent of the Divine and the Nine Songs - 1
「In God's kingdom.」
「Hongmeng Divine Palace.」
Hongmeng guided Jing Ni's cultivation. As time trickled by, the cultivation entered its final critical stage. Hongmeng's aura surged, and his breathing became rapid. His body felt heavy. He concentrated his mind, preparing for the final breakthrough. His realm rapidly ascended and soon reached its peak.
At that moment, all his energy, spirit, and vitality reached their zenith. The Divine Power within him burst forth like a vast river, as violent and intense as a volcanic eruption. However, the rapid ascension of his realm brought great risks. As the power was released, Hongmeng's realm, which had achieved its peak, began to regress rapidly. A moment later, his realm plummeted back to the starting point, even lower than before. The violent force within his body also subsided. His face showed neither joy nor sorrow, as calm as a still pond, completely unmoved by external influences.
Yet, Jing Ni struggled to cope with the impact of the powerful force brought on by the rapid ascent of her realm. Her pretty face turned a flushed red, and her delicate body trembled. Her hair was in disarray, her body crystalline, glowing with a rosy hue like jade. A silk quilt covered most of her white, jade-like, delicate body, half hidden, her allure boundless.
Lowering his eyes to her slightly parted red lips, her dazed eyes, and her perfect face, Hongmeng felt a sense of pity. However, an uncouth and brutal figure uninvitedly rose in his mind. Tian Meng. Farmer's Lieshan Hall Master. A day cannot own two suns, just as the Tian family has its fierce tiger. Tian Meng held high prestige within the Tian Family, yet he was scum. In the original plot, Jing Ni gave herself to him to avoid being hunted down by the Luowang Assassins. Not only did she rescue him in times of danger, but she also bore him a child, Tian Ci. In return, he took advantage of Jing Ni's weakness during pregnancy to cripple her meridian channels and martial arts. If not for coveting Jing Ni's beauty and wanting to keep her as a plaything, he would certainly have killed her outright.
Even though Tian Meng hadn't even seen Jing Ni's face at this point, just thinking about it made Hongmeng feel uncomfortable. A sense of frustration gnawed at him. With a thought, Hongmeng's Divine Sense descended instantly into the World of Heaven's Nine Songs through the channel of faith.
「Mount Daze, Farmer's family.」
「Lieshan Hall Headquarters.」
"Big Brother, previously when King Qin offered sacrifices to the Divine Spirit, it led to a Divine Manifestation. Not only did he become a Divine Envoy, but he was also endowed with 'commissioned by Heaven, may your longevity prosper,'" Tian Hu, the Master of Chiyou Hall, looked at Tian Meng and said loudly. "Now, under the grace of the Divine Spirit, the Great Qin Cavalry is invincible, and the armies of the Six Kingdoms surrender at the mere sight of them! Hundreds of Schools are ready to defect to the Qin Kingdom and worship the God of Hongmeng. Shouldn't we also join the Qin Kingdom and worship the God of Hongmeng?"
"How can there be gods in this world?" Tian Meng's voice was rough. He slammed the bamboo slips of intelligence onto the table forcefully and sneered, "What kind of ridiculous intelligence is this? Animals turned into Divine Beasts, the Luowang assassin Jing Ni turned into a Goddess. Even bragging isn't done like this! Can't they come up with a more reliable excuse if they're going to deceive?"
"Big Brother, speak cautiously! There truly are gods in this world. The intelligence you see may be hard to believe, but it is indeed true," urged Tian Hu, his face paling as he quickly cautioned. When he first saw the intelligence, his reaction was like Tian Meng's, and he almost chopped up the disciple who brought it. But after he recited the "Meditation Method" brought by his subordinates, he completely changed his previous mind. There are indeed gods in this world.
"So what if there are gods? Can they really strike me dead with Divine Thunder?" Tian Meng, who hadn't recited the "Meditation Method," didn't believe the report that was even more exaggerated than bragging. In his view, it must be just a smokescreen employed by the Qin Kingdom, a trick to fool the ignorant masses. He just didn't expect that even his brother would believe it.
"Big Brother, you mustn't speak rashly..." Tian Hu hurriedly tried to persuade him, but before he could finish, a thunderbolt struck from the sky.
BOOM!
"Ah!" Tian Hu was startled. His eyes bulged, his body trembled uncontrollably, and a puddle of yellow liquid slowly seeped out from under his feet as a tide of endless fear rose within him. Looking up, he saw that Tian Meng had already been turned to ash, completely gone, with only a bottomless black hole left in his place!
THUMP.
Tian Hu's knees went weak, and he fell to the ground, knocking his head continuously, crying out, "Upper God, spare my life! Ah, my brother—no, Tian Meng was blasphemous! He offended the Upper God and deserves a thousand deaths, but I am your most devout follower..."
Tian Hu didn't mind that his forehead was bleeding. All he felt was endless fear.
Indeed, sometimes the wrath of the gods is more effective than their grace! the Hongmeng God in his Divine Sense incarnation, standing in the void, thought to himself as he felt Tian Hu's faith transform from that of an ordinary believer to a devout one.
With a single Divine Thunder, Tian Meng was reduced to ashes, and Hongmeng suddenly felt his thoughts clearer and more unobstructed than ever. With strength, one can truly do as they wish.
Yet, Tian Meng could never have dreamed that he was struck dead by thunder, not because he didn't believe in gods, but because a god found him displeasing—even though he hadn't even seen Jing Ni. It was simply because he was too despicable. Otherwise, Hongmeng would not have found him so. So, it seems being a good person has its merits.
Without paying attention to Tian Hu or the subsequent events in the Farmer's family, Hongmeng's Divine Sense enveloped the entire world. It turned out that after the last sacrifice, Ying Zheng had widely spread the "Meditation Method" and vigorously promoted the Divine Manifestation event. This event was witnessed by spies from the Six Kingdoms, and countless members of the Hundreds of Schools also saw it. For a time, The World Association was in an uproar. Many began to disbelieve. But as the "Meditation Method" spread, even those who did not believe could not help but believe. Especially the transformation of animals into Divine Beasts and Jing Ni evolving into a Goddess made those who verified it go mad. In this world, who could resist the temptation of immortality, not to mention deification?
Meanwhile, Ying Zheng pressed his armies to the borders, demonstrating military might, while also revealing that each country and power could recommend women of earth-shattering beauty and peerless talent. As long as they passed his selection, they could be offered as Sacrifices for the next worship and ascend to the Ascending God Country, becoming immortals and deities. At once, the world was boiling, undercurrents surging.
The Han country, being the closest to the Qin Kingdom and likely to be swallowed up at any moment, was the first to learn of Qin's news.
「King Han Palace.」
After reciting the "Meditation Method," King Han became excited, his cheeks flushed with excitement. "There truly are gods in this world! The God of Hongmeng is so magnificent! I feel at least twenty years younger; my body is filled with strength!"
King Han clenched his fists. He, who had long been indulgent in wine and pleasures, had his body hollowed out. But now, all he wanted to say was that he could take on ten men!
"Congratulations, Your Majesty!" Prime Minister Zhang Kaide bowed in salute. He was not surprised at King Han's reaction.
"Prime Minister," King Han looked at Zhang Kaide, his eyes sparkling with a sharp glint as he slowly spoke, "with the divine protection over Qin, and King Qin being ordained as the Divine Envoy, do you think our Han country still stands a chance?"
Zhang Kaide remained silent for a long while before saying, "King Qin has received the God of Hongmeng's favor, and His divine grace is as vast as the ocean. Anyone who believes in the Divine Spirit can be granted their grace. Now, all over the world, the followers of the Divine Spirit are increasing explosively every day. It won't be long before all the officials and people of Han become followers of the Divine Spirit!"
As Zhang Kaide spoke, his meaning was already quite clear. If all of Han became followers of the Divine Spirit, and King Qin was the Divine Envoy, then wherever the Qin armies arrived, the defending Han soldiers would surely open their gates and surrender. Perhaps there would be no need for a battle. Eventually, once everyone became followers of the God of Hongmeng, Qin would be able to unify the Six Kingdoms without a fight.
"Yes, Qin has the favor of the Divine Spirit. Forget our Han; even if the Six Kingdoms joined forces, they could not contend!" King Han directly expressed his thoughts. "So, we might as well submit early!"
Even before Qin gained divine favor, his Han country could not stand against Qin; now, it was even less possible.
"Do you think Red Lotus has a chance to serve the Upper God in the heavens?" King Han looked to Zhang Kaide. This was what he desired most. If Red Lotus could serve the Upper God in heaven, he would have a connection in the higher realms. Even if he surrendered to Qin, he could still live well.
"Since King Qin has openly spoken to all powers, he will surely choose some women of outstanding talent from among them to be offered to the Upper God," Zhang Kaide said. "Moreover, as long as the recommended woman truly has exceptional talent, King Qin would not dare to refuse. After all, he is but a spokesperson for the Divine Spirit! The Divine Spirit's Divine Skills are vast and unfathomable, omniscient and omnipotent. If King Qin deliberately suppresses others and turns away a genuinely talented woman, the Upper God would surely be displeased upon knowing. Hence, King Qin will definitely not be penny-wise and pound-foolish. Fairness should not be an issue." Zhang Kaide uttered his conjectures and understanding.
Upon hearing his words, King Han's eyes lit up. It was like having his ministers select beauties for him. If the selection official chose only his own people and suppressed candidates from political rivals, he would surely be unhappy if he knew. The selection official might deceive him for various reasons, but King Qin surely wouldn't have the audacity to deceive a Divine Spirit. The Divine Spirit is supreme, cannot be deceived, and is sacred and inviolable. Red Lotus should have a great chance!
Thinking of Red Lotus's delicate and graceful beauty, King Han was full of anticipation. Once Red Lotus is selected, his fortunes will soar!
Seeing King Han's joyful expression and longing gaze, Zhang Kaide sighed inwardly. Qin's unification of the world... the momentum is unstoppable! Now, the Six Kingdoms and even the Hundreds of Schools are probably thinking about how to send their people to the Ascending God Country rather than how to resist the cavalry of Qin. But there's no helping it. With divine protection, they simply cannot overcome Qin. In a confrontation between two armies, perhaps their own forces would be followers of the God of Hongmeng; they might defect before the battle even began. If we cannot resist, then we must assimilate!
Meanwhile, in the Han country, many shared King Han's mindset: Bai Yifei, Ji Wuye, Zinu, and many more of the Han nobility. And not just in Han, but throughout the Six Kingdoms and the Hundreds of Schools.