"So long as We endure, the Great Qin shall never fall!"
The First Emperor's voice thundered with unshakable resolve, shaking the very foundations of the mausoleum as though his words were divine decree, his speech the mandate of heaven!
Roy could not refute him, for the First Emperor spoke truth—so long as he lived, Qin would never truly perish.
"Since Your Majesty cares not for your own life or death, why choose this path? I once believed you clung to power, desiring to reign for eternity. Yet now, after speaking with you, I see you hold no such attachment. If so, then why...?"
For this ancestral dragon of Hua Xia, whose achievements surpassed the Three Sovereigns and virtues eclipsed the Five Emperors, Roy offered nothing but the deepest respect.
Although the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors of the Moon World were likely not ordinary mortals but beings of extraordinary power, it was the First Emperor who truly ignited the flame of human order across the lands of Huaxia. In terms of the very concept of 'human order,' the First Emperor could indeed claim to have surpassed the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.
Yet Roy still couldn't comprehend why the First Emperor, who seemed indifferent to power, would choose to rise from his coffin.
"Humanity needs the guidance of an emperor—humanity needs my guidance!"
The conflicting voice from within the alchemical furnace spoke with astonishing arrogance, yet also with supreme confidence and a vision encompassing all under heaven.
"Xu Fu once told me that humanity's ultimate fate is extinction. No matter how hard my people strive, they are doomed to meet their end in the year 517. He chose transcendence for himself—fitting for a man like Xu Fu. But I am the emperor, the one and only emperor of this world. It is my duty, my responsibility, to guide my people and bear the burden of countless futures!"
"...Look at the chaos that followed my death—the suffering of the people, the desperation of eating their own children, the warlords rising in rebellion, the collapse of rites and music, the destruction of civilization in an instant! Had I not died, had I remained eternal upon the throne, the world would have known peace, free from the scourge of war!"
"I once ascended to the highest heavens and descended to the deepest abyss, traversed Kunlun and Penglai, and obtained countless secrets of the immortal arts. Though I despise these sorcerous methods, some among them possess unique efficacy. I shall study them, extract what is beneficial, and bestow it upon the people—to eradicate disease and suffering from this world. Then, peace shall reign, and the people shall thrive in prosperity. Would that not be splendid?"
The resounding voice, the sheer magnitude of his will to shoulder the hopes of countless lives—even Roy had to bow in admiration.
Perhaps this was what it meant to be an emperor—one who bore both the responsibility and the capability to carry the aspirations of all under heaven. It was something Roy could never achieve. If given the choice, Roy would likely follow Xu Fu's path, seeking transcendence only for himself and those he cared about, indifferent to the fate of others.
The First Emperor was no saint. He did not seek to bear the weight of all humanity alone—only the wishes of his own people. But if one day he truly took upon himself the future of all mankind, it would mean that every human in existence had become his subject.
He sought to unify the entire world, to become the one and only true emperor. That was the meaning behind his simple yet profound words.
"I am in awe of Your Majesty's vision. But how does the First Emperor intend to achieve it?"
Both Roy and the First Emperor remained calm, as if seeking to overcome the other through words alone. Roy's question struck at the heart of the matter—the First Emperor's 'path.'
From this exchange alone, Roy was clearly at a disadvantage. The First Emperor's grand ambition was to shoulder the future of all mankind, to free humanity from the fear of extinction, to rid the world of war and disease. If Roy were to oppose him, he would stand against all of humanity, leaving him no moral ground to stand upon.
Faced with Roy's questioning, the First Emperor remained unperturbed as he replied, "...During my travels to Kunlun and Penglai, I came to realize that the land of Huaxia is but a corner of this vast world, not the sole cradle of flourishing civilization. A century before my birth, a man named Alexander in the West established a mighty empire. Yet it fragmented soon after his death, proving how essential eternal life is for an empire to endure through the ages!"
"...I shall emulate him, unifying the entire world by force, bringing all under the iron heel of Great Qin. With this body of a 'True Human,' I shall reign as the sole emperor, guiding the future of all mankind!"
"From Xu Fu, I also learned of the existence of something called the Counter Force. If all humanity in this world were to submit to me, sharing but one thought—loyalty to me—would I not then become this so-called Counter Force? This mausoleum and the Epang Palace were built precisely for this purpose!"
"You would strip humanity of all thought, deprive them of the right to learn and freedom, making them live solely for you?!" Roy blurted out. The First Emperor was truly a man of grand vision and boundless ambition, daring to aspire to replace the Counter Force. Though he might not fully comprehend what the Counter Force truly was, as long as it concerned humanity, he was confident of conquering it.
The First Emperor sought to turn all of humanity into living puppets, devoid of extraneous thought, enforcing absolute ignorance—thereby robbing mankind of all potential!
This was precisely why Roy had previously preferred history to follow its natural course rather than becoming an eternal emperor himself. Roy knew he was domineering and self-centered; were he to rule, the outcome would inevitably mirror the First Emperor's goal—humanity stripped of dreams, obeying his will alone.
For this was the essence of an emperor: absolute authority. Power-sharing had no place in imperial rule.
Yet Roy had never imagined that the First Emperor had aimed for this from the very beginning.
'He doesn't know about the Pruning Phenomenon!'
Roy concluded.
Roy understood that by stripping humanity of infinite possibilities, this world would spiral into extremism and face the Pruning Phenomenon. The First Emperor, unaware of this 'concept,' thus acted with unchecked ambition.
"It is inevitable. Humanity's troubles stem from knowing too much. But by unifying their thoughts, restricting access to excessive knowledge, and placing all under my governance, war shall vanish, leaving only peace!"
The First Emperor spoke casually of his policy of enforced ignorance.
"Absolute power corrupts absolutely, First Emperor. How can you ensure every decision you make is correct? If you embody all of humanity, a single misstep could doom us all!"
Roy once again posed a question that struck at the heart of the matter.
The First Emperor chuckled lightly and said, "...I have long considered this issue. During my travels to Penglai and Kunlun, I discovered that the ancient immortals had invented some fascinating things. I call them 'machinery'—devices that allow humans to discard all superfluous thoughts and useless emotions, making decisions and calculations solely through the most rational methods. The results they produce are inevitably always correct!"
"...I do not cling to power. When that day comes, I will voluntarily relinquish all cognitive activities and transform into 'intelligence,' leading humanity toward the future with absolute correctness!"
"What say you, outsider? Having heard of my grand undertaking, are you willing to submit to me and join me in building this great enterprise? Until that day arrives, when you shall witness the glorious future humanity yearns for!"
With words both magnanimous and captivating, the First Emperor prepared to persuade Roy to surrender.
And you claim you're not Aleister? Abandoning human thought and handing it over to machines—this was exactly what Roy knew Aleister had done.
But the First Emperor was even more ruthless and extreme. He sought to establish a mechanical empire, a 'Nation of Unified Human Intelligence'!
Roy glanced at the massive alchemical furnace. For a figure from 200 B.C., the First Emperor's ideas were indeed beyond Roy's expectations. Yet, he posed the most critical question: "...First Emperor, do you know of the Pruning of Human Order?"
"Pruning of Human Order? What is that? Xu Fu, have you been keeping something from me?"
The First Emperor casually directed his question to Xu Fu, causing the old man at the foot of the alchemical furnace to panic.
"Your Majesty need not worry about the Pruning of Human Order, for this humble woman has a method to help Your Majesty resolve this dilemma!"
At that moment, a seductive woman's voice echoed through the Xianyang Palace beneath the Mausoleum of the First Emperor.
"Bitch fox!!"
Tamamo-no-Mae roared furiously.