Book 2: Chapter 5: Lifespan, Blessings, Divine, Cultural, and Spiritual

Shangguan Hen dealt with that powerful Miao Chen with just a few words, shocking everyone who witnessed this.

The hearts of the people staying in the holiday villas who had bad intentions immediately sank. How much more do we not know about this Han Royal Dynasty? The dragon vein seems to be getting further and further away from us. Is there still a chance?

After returning to Merchant City, Meng Tai moved swifter and more decisively than before. Everywhere he inspected, rivers of blood flowed.

The hearts of the imperial assembly’s officials slowly changed as they realized that the dynasty, which entered the cultivation world, was markedly different from the previous mundane nations.

Right now, there were boundless opportunities in the dynasty. One could cultivate and increase one’s lifespan. However, the danger increased as well. The experts of the cultivation world could destroy a nation on their own.

The imperial assembly officials worked even harder.

Gu Qin continuously studied Old Mister Guan Qi’s inheritance. After all, there was too much in the inheritance, and he could not grasp it all immediately.

This matter also greatly shocked Gu Hai.

In Gu Hai’s study:

Gu Hai’s brush glided over fine writing paper as he wrote the words “Divine Continent.”

“The Divine Continent is filled with experts? This Miao Chen is just an ordinary person there?” Gu Hai entered deep thought.

Everyone paid great attention to what happened after Shangguan Hen brought Miao Chen back to his abode. However, the emperor ordered that no one disturb Shangguan Hen, making everyone helpless about this.

Everything continued as normal, and the Han Royal Dynasty recovered its calm. However, there were still large parts of the Nine-Five Island that the Han Royal Dynasty had yet to subdue. Gao Xianzhi and Chen Tianshan went to the frontlines to command the troops.

The imperial examinations also selected the first batch of talents from the various cities, who were then sent to the imperial palace for a final examination to pick out talents for important posts.

After the Han Royal Dynasty’s establishment, it never stopped developing.

——

Just like this, nearly a month passed.

Shangguan Hen suddenly sought out Gu Hai. Miao Chen followed behind as they met with Gu Hai alone in the study.

“Han Royal Emperor, I’m very sorry for the previous time. I let my anger get to my head and attacked the Han Royal Dynasty. Miao Chen offers my apologies to the Han Royal Emperor. I hope the Han Royal Emperor will forgive me!” Miao Chen bowed.

“Oh? Mister Miao, there is no need for this. The ignorant are innocent. Furthermore, without discord, there’s no concord!” Gu Hai smiled as he helped up Miao Chen.

“Your Majesty, this is an elder of the black tortoise race, Miao Chen. He could be considered my subordinate in the past!” Shangguan Hen smiled bitterly.

“Oh?” Gu Hai appeared somewhat bewildered.

Whoosh!

Miao Chen waved his hand, forming an energy barrier that enveloped the study’s interior.

“Your Majesty, this matter is a secret. I hope that Your Majesty will help me keep it a secret!” Shangguan Hen said gravely.

“Alright!” Gu Hai nodded.

“When Old Mister Guan Qi faced heaven in Go eight centuries ago, there was a Black Tortoise Prime who led the entire black tortoise race against heaven with him. However, they eventually failed, and the Black Tortoise Prime fell to the heavenly wrath. His corpse got scattered all over the world. The previous Golden Black Tortoise Shell was a shattered piece of the Black Tortoise Prime,” Shangguan Hen said gravely.

“You are the Black Tortoise Prime’s reincarnation?” Gu Hai said with a slight frown, feeling dubious.

“No!” Shangguan Hen shook his head.

“Oh?” Gu Hai appeared even more confused now.

After taking a deep breath, Shangguan Hen said, “I am the black tortoise race’s deity!”

“Deity?”

“Yes, it is an existence unique to animal spirits. Does Your Majesty recall the Great Light Sovereign Deity who once appeared in the Innate Puzzle World?” Shangguan Hen asked seriously.

“Yes, I do.” Naturally, Gu Hai remembered. It was the expert who used peacock plume feathers.

“He is the peacock race’s deity. He was just conferred as the Great Light Sovereign by a faction, but he is also a deity!” Shangguan Hen said seriously.

“Deity? What is a deity?” Gu Hai asked in incomprehension.

“Every animal spirit race has its own deity. It is not corporeal but a divine mark formed by faith. A divine spirit takes a long time to form. The divine spirit is illusory, a deity of faith. This deity of faith protects the entire race and resides in the race’s prime. In other words, whoever has the deity in their forehead space would be the race’s prime; he would be the race’s deity!” Shangguan Hen said gravely.

“The black tortoise race’s deity resides in your forehead space?” Gu Hai raised his eyebrows.

“Yes. Back when the Black Tortoise Prime suffered heaven’s wrath, the black tortoise race’s deity should have been destroyed with him. However, Old Mister Guan Qi gave him a hand before dying. Although the Black Tortoise Prime got destroyed, the black tortoise race’s deity managed to escape. After much struggle, it ended up in me. Right now, I am weak. When I grow, I will be the new Black Tortoise Prime!” Shangguan Hen said.

“The new Black Tortoise Prime? You are the black tortoise race’s deity? Deity? What is the use of the deity?” Gu Hai asked curiously.

“Perhaps Your Majesty is not aware. There are countless new ways to cultivate in the world started by various people. However, when considering the Great Dao of cultivation, there are only five types,” Shangguan Hen explained.

“Oh?”

“Lifespan, blessings, divine, cultural, and spiritual!” Shangguan Hen said gravely.

“Lifespan, blessings, divine, cultural, and spiritual?”

“Spiritual is what everyone knows as absorbing spiritual energy and breaking through the limits of their body. That is the most foundational cultivation—Acquired Realm, Innate Realm, Golden Core Realm, Nascent Soul Realm, and so on.

“Cultural refers to the four main cultural cultivations—music, Go, calligraphy, and painting. Your Majesty cultivates the Go Dao of cultural cultivation, just like Old Mister Guan Qi.

“Divine is a cultivation method unique to animal spirits like me. It is what I just explained, the collection of fate. I am the deity!

“As for blessings, Your Majesty has established a nation, collecting providence and gathering blessings. That is blessings cultivation,” Shangguan Hen explained.

These were easy to understand. As for deity, Gu Hai gained a rough understanding after Shangguan Hen’s first explanation.

“What about lifespan?” Gu Hai asked out of curiosity.

“Lifespan cultivation is just a legend. It focuses on cultivating lifespan, plundering the lifespan of heaven and man. However, I have never seen it myself. There is not much about it even in the memories of my divine mark. It is the most mysterious form of cultivation,” Shangguan Hen explained.

Gu Hai nodded. Although he still did not understand much, he had gained a rough understanding of the world’s cultivation practices.

“Lifespan, blessings, divine, cultural, and spiritual?” Gu Hai frowned, pondering for a moment.

“You told me this because…?” Gu Hai looked at Shangguan Hen, feeling bewildered.

“I told you this because many people should have guessed my identity by now. After all, Miao Chen caused such a big commotion, but I stopped him with just a few words.” Shangguan Hen smiled bitterly.

“Prime, this subordinate messed up, plunging Prime into danger. Prime, please punish me!” Miao Chen said bitterly.

“Exposing your identity put you in danger?” Gu Hai looked at Shangguan Hen.

“More or less. If a race loses its deity, then the race would not be far from destruction. Your Majesty, do you recall Yao Zhengtian and Fu Xue? They were originally one as a black tortoise, the combination of a tortoise and snake. However, they gave up their racial identity as a black tortoise and wanted to evolve into dragons. A baxia and a flood dragon? Ha! A deity is vital to every race. Likewise, deities can be consumed,” Shangguan Hei said with raised eyebrows.

“Oh?”

“The various animal spirit races and their deities like to consume the deities of other animal spirit races. If the wolf deity, the tiger deity, the dragon deity, and others know how weak I am now, they will go to all lengths to consume me. By consuming my divine mark, they could strengthen their divine mark, and their animal spirit race would prosper even more!” Shangguan Hen said in a heavy voice.

Gu Hai listened quietly.

“Likewise, not everyone in my black tortoise race is like Miao Chen, who is incredibly devoted to the deity. Take Yao Zhengtian and Fu Xue, for example. Had they known that I was the deity, they would have immediately chosen to consume me and refine me and become the black tortoise race’s prime!” Shangguan Hen said with a frown.

“That means that your identity cannot be exposed?” Gu Hai said with a frown.

Shangguan Hen nodded.

“Then, why did you tell me?” Gu Hai asked in confusion.

“Back then, Your Majesty was willing to shield me from Miao Chen’s wrath. This subordinate is extremely grateful for that. I have wandered the Thousand Islands Sea and suffered from a calamity, which is why I got tossed into the Great Feng Mafia Family. Nothing has gone smoothly. I spent thirty years in Evil Men Valley as a prisoner but did not dare mention my identity. This continued until I met Your Majesty. I saw a vibrant vitality in Your Majesty. Your Majesty is ingenious, able to carve out a new domain in an adverse situation.

“I have been thinking about what path the black tortoises should take. What path should I take? Although I have managed to retain the black tortoise’s divine mark, I am incredibly weak. The black tortoises are all scattered like loose sand, incredibly weak.

“I could go to the Divine Continent and throw in my lot with a strong faction, slowly accumulating strength to rebuild the black tortoise race. However, I fear suffering a calamity and ending up getting used and consumed.

“So, I thought for a long time and came to a conclusion. I would like to form an alliance with Your Majesty, an alliance with the Han Royal Dynasty. I ask that Your Majesty help me revitalize the black tortoise race!” Shangguan Hen said seriously.

“An alliance?” Gu Hai’s expression changed.

“Yes. My black tortoise race will become the Han Royal Dynasty’s national beast. We will share glory and failure. The Han Royal Dynasty will aid my black tortoise race in growing stronger, and the black tortoises will help the Han Royal Dynasty conquer the world!” Shangguan Hen said seriously.

“Oh?” Gu Hai’s eyes lit up.

“Actually, this is very normal in the Divine Continent. The national beast of Long Wanqing’s Qian Heavenly Dynasty is the dragon. In the past, the black tortoises were the guardian beasts of the Heavenly Go Pavilion, something like a national beast. The strong ally with the strong, but the division is clear. This can be seen all over the Divine Continent. However, my black tortoise race is extremely weak and chaotic right now. I am also extremely weak. If Your Majesty thinks me beneath—” Shangguan Hen frowned.

“Think you beneath my notice?! What a joke! How can that be? You may be weak, but is my Han Royal Dynasty strong? Why did I use the nation’s fate to protect you? It was because I could tell how extraordinary you were. In my opinion, you are even more important than my Han Royal Dynasty. If the Han Royal Dynasty fell, I would still have the dragon vein and could rebuild the dynasty. However, if Miao Chen killed you, where would I find another Shangguan Hen?” Gu Hai smiled.

“Your Majesty, you mean…?” Shangguan Hen’s eyes lit up.

“From today on, the Han Royal Dynasty is allied with the black tortoise race. Let Miao Chen manage the black tortoise race for now. You should keep your identity hidden. I will announce that you are a Heavenly Go Pavilion disciple, the Heavenly Go Pavilion’s Seventh Young Master. Given the black tortoise race’s past relationship with the Heavenly Go Pavilion, the identity of Seventh Young Master will stop any rumors!” Gu Hai said with an excited expression.

“Yes! Many thanks, Your Majesty!” Shangguan Hen said with a respectful bow.

Gu Hai immediately helped Shangguan Hen up and said happily, “There is no need to be like this. Obtaining Shangguan Hen is the fortune of my Han Royal Dynasty!”

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