The dragon battles on the wilds, its blood dark as the heavens and earth!
The First Emperor was deeply influenced by the theories of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements. Though his reign was brief, he unified weights and measures, legal statutes, and even clothing styles across the unified lands of Huaxia.
During the Qin Dynasty, clothing regulations were still in their infancy, not yet fully developed, but standardized in color. The First Emperor believed Qin had conquered Zhou, and since the Zhou dynasty was associated with "fire overcoming metal, favoring the color red," Qin's victory meant it embodied the virtue of water. Thus, Qin revered black, honoring the water virtue, making black the most esteemed color of the dynasty.
As the massive alchemical furnace opened, revealing the First Emperor's newly attained immortal body amidst the glow and rising mist, his appearance was finally unveiled.
He wore imperial robes of pure black, embroidered with the Twelve Symbols—depicting mountains, rivers, divine beasts, and clouds—as though the entire cosmos was woven into that simple garment. Upon his head rested the imperial crown.
Roy had never seen the First Emperor before his death, but now he beheld Qin Shi Huang in his perfected immortal form.
This First Emperor, much like the contradictory tone of his earlier words, possessed a face that blurred the lines between masculine and feminine. It was not that he appeared effeminate, but rather that he seemed to have transcended human gender altogether. Just as he had once proclaimed—that one day he would abandon human emotion to rule the land with pure logic and machinery—the First Emperor had now begun walking that path.
The sensation was akin to Roy's first encounter with Aleister—indeterminate in gender, ageless, neither clearly sage nor prisoner.
Floating midair amidst the swirling mist and radiant light, the First Emperor's form was near-perfect, far beyond anything humanly possible. His broad robes fluttered as if ready to ride the wind and ascend to immortality at any moment.
Only the majestic and solemn countenance of the First Emperor could snap people back to reality, making them believe he was no immortal, but a sovereign who ruled the world with absolute authority!
"This body is one We are employing for the first time. Originally reserved for unforeseen circumstances, We never imagined the day would come when We would truly need it."
The First Emperor raised his hand to examine it—a flawless limb, slender and jade-like, neither distinctly masculine nor feminine. It wasn't even a hand that belonged to humanity, but rather the flesh of an immortal being.
"We feel boundless vitality coursing through this vessel. Had We possessed such a body in life, We could have forsaken sleep, reviewing memorials day and night to better the lives of Our subjects."
His tone carried the calm authority of an emperor, yet with an almost playful detachment that made ordinary men feel inadequate by comparison.
An emperor, the First Emperor no less—Qin Shi Huang was a true workaholic.
During his time in the Zhangtai Palace, Roy had studied records of the First Emperor's relentless toil. Becoming a wise ruler was no easy feat, requiring unimaginable effort. In many ways, Qin Shi Huang could be said to have worked himself to death, burdened by endless discussions to resolve, projects to initiate, and tasks to complete.
Though short-lived, the Qin Dynasty left the most profound impact on the lands of Huaxia. Before unifying the warring states, the region's systems could only be described as chaotic. It was the First Emperor who ended this disorder, establishing Huaxia's earliest standards of governance.
"The First Emperor Under Heaven"—no title could better capture his essence.
"Your Majesty never intended to use this body to unify the world from the beginning?"
Roy gazed up at the self-absorbed figure in the sky and posed his question slowly.
Only then did the First Emperor cease examining his new form. Looking down upon Roy, his crimson eyes gleamed with interest.
So-called "Zhenren" (True Humans) were immortals—transcendent beings from China's Age of Gods, perfected through studying cosmic mysteries and modeled after spirits like Yu Meiren. They represented a concept beyond humanity, essentially becoming True Ancestors or nature spirits by connecting to the Root, gaining near-limitless magical energy that spawned legends of moving mountains and chasing stars.
In this era where immortals had vanished, the First Emperor accomplished this miracle anew—sublimating himself into a spirit, a True Human, the perfect immortal.
His perfection was undeniable, for beside Roy, Yu Meiren was already gritting her teeth as she whispered urgently: "...My lord, the First Emperor has become a true immortal now. He must have discovered how to avert calamity in Kunlun or Penglai—this body shows no bloodlust, meaning he's a True Human who has transcended the Five Decays of Heaven and Man!"
Where mortals face disasters, immortals endure tribulations. The Seventy-Two Transformations Sun Wukong learned in Journey to the West were precisely methods to evade the Three Calamities.
Though Yu Meiren's words were soft, the First Emperor, who had transcended humanity, heard them clearly. His crimson eyes turned toward Yu Ji as he smiled and said, "...It brings me great joy to meet an immortal fairy here. When I first sought out Kunlun and Penglai, I had planned that if I found nothing there, I would capture you, Fairy, to study your body."
"...As you said, Fairy, the legacy left by the immortals who departed this world eight hundred years ago is exceedingly rich. There, I not only discovered numerous arcane techniques of immortality, found the key to achieving a true immortal's body, but even uncovered the essence of alchemy—using it to transcend the Five Decays of Heaven and Man!"
Roy interrupted the First Emperor at this point, saying, "...So that's how it is. I wondered how those alchemists knew of Yu Meiren's existence when she hadn't appeared in the world for nearly eight hundred years. Turns out it was you, First Emperor, who told them!"
"My ancestors overthrew the Zhou dynasty and obtained all the secrets of the Zhou royal family, among which were records of the immortal fairy. Thus, I summoned alchemists from across the land. Had my journey to Kunlun and Penglai failed, I would have had them seek out the fairy for me. In the end, though I succeeded, those greedy alchemists still sought the secret of immortality from the fairy. If this angers you, Fairy, I can offer my apologies."
The First Emperor, magnanimous and unflustered even as he hovered midair, actually apologized to Yu Meiren. His demeanor was sincere, with no hint of deceit.
'The First Emperor shows such respect to Yu Meiren. It seems she truly held significant status during China's Age of Gods. She must have participated in the Battle of Zhuolu during Emperor Huangdi's time.'
From the First Emperor's words and attitude, Roy discerned much.
"I don't need your apology. If my lord wishes to kill you, then I too shall kill you!"
Yu Meiren shook her head, her peerlessly beautiful face turning toward the First Emperor, her words dripping with murderous intent. A faint, cloying scent of blood seemed to permeate the air.
"It gladdens me that the fairy has found a worthy companion."
The First Emperor showed no anger at Yu Ji's killing intent. Smiling slightly, he addressed Roy again: "...To answer the King of Chu's question—I am the emperor. Why would I rely on brute strength? From the very beginning, I never intended to leave this mausoleum in this body. Instead, I planned to use an immortal artifact called 'machinery' to expand my cognitive capacity. What an emperor needs is not pure power, but correct choices and wisdom!"
Roy understood the First Emperor's meaning. He had prepared two plans from the start: first, this immortal body that would grant him power akin to the ancient gods; second, to discard his emotions and transform himself into a 'computer,' thereby expanding his brain's activity and computational abilities.
Any normal human would choose the first option without hesitation, for absolute power allows one to act with impunity. But to become machinery would, in a sense, mean death for the First Emperor—he would become nothing more than a computer, the empire's central hub.
Yet the First Emperor unhesitatingly chose the second option. As he said, wisdom is what an emperor truly needs, far more than power. Had Roy not forced his hand by coming to the mausoleum, the First Emperor likely never would have considered using this immortal body at all.
Roy sighed regretfully and said, "...So Your Majesty, you have already lost!"
Indeed, the First Emperor had already lost. Because he was an emperor, not a warrior. Even with divine-like power, he possessed no combat experience. But Roy was different—he was a Campione, a godslayer who had spent his life in battle, surviving countless life-and-death struggles. How could the First Emperor of Qin possibly defeat him?
This was the meaning of "a single man can be more formidable than an entire nation at close quarters!"
At this distance of mere inches, one man could be more terrifying than a whole country!
No matter how vast your authority or boundless your wealth, blood would still stain these five steps!