When the Son of Heaven rages, corpses pile by the millions, and blood flows for a thousand miles!
A common man's rage may spill blood within five paces, but within ten paces, every man becomes a kingdom's enemy. It's said a wise man does not stand beneath a crumbling wall, and an emperor even less so. The First Emperor was not ignorant of this principle. Yet now that Roy stood mere steps away, all this sovereign could do was resort to the brute courage of a common man!
"Outworlder, do you think We are already defeated? True, We are an emperor, neither a reckless brute given to blind courage nor a soldier storming cities. But We have attained the body of an immortal—how could mere mortals hope to contend with Us!"
Qin Shi Huang clearly understood his lack of personal combat experience. When Jing Ke had attempted regicide years ago, all he could do was flee around pillars, buying time until rescue arrived. Had he still been that same Qin Shi Huang, he would have known himself to be awaiting death.
But the First Emperor now was different. He had obtained an immortal's form. Though the time had been too brief to master the ancient immortals' arts, his power—far surpassing mortal limits—was sufficient to topple cities and conquer nations.
The First Emperor disliked this brute strength, believing that an emperor should not and need not display such power. When a nation requires its emperor to personally engage in battle, it is no different from being on the brink of destruction.
Yet the principle that overwhelming force can overcome all odds still holds true. Even if he was not skilled in combat, with such absolute power, the First Emperor did not believe he could fail.
"I had intended to make the King of Chu submit, granting you a position as one of the Three Excellencies to conquer lands beyond the seas. But since the King of Chu refuses to recognize the will of Heaven, I have no choice but to annihilate Chu once more, just as I did in the past."
The First Emperor spoke slowly, neither boastful nor exhilarated, as if merely stating a fact. His words carried the dignity of the Son of Heaven and the authority of an emperor.
Seeing the First Emperor so confident, Roy couldn't help but chuckle to himself.
He thought carefully and realized that since arriving in this era of the late Qin Dynasty, he had not displayed much power beyond mortal comprehension. It was only natural for the First Emperor to be this confident. With the strength the First Emperor now possessed, even if he lacked martial skills or mystical arts, his immortal body alone was enough to obliterate armies of millions. Under normal circumstances, Roy would stand no chance against such a divine opponent.
In the First Emperor's eyes, Yu Ji and Tamamo-no-Mae likely posed a greater threat to him. Even though these two women were now greatly weakened and their overall power paled in comparison to the First Emperor's, as ancient immortals, their combat experience far surpassed his. If he wasn't careful, there was a real possibility he could be overthrown.
Yu Ji and Tamamo-no-Mae, however, did not share this view. They had witnessed firsthand how Roy effortlessly defeated Su Daji at the Mausoleum of the Yellow Emperor. Yet, they too harbored doubts about whether Roy could truly contend with the First Emperor.
The First Emperor's current perfected immortal body might not match Tamamo-no-Mae's power at her peak, but if combat experience was disregarded, his strength was comparable to Yu Ji's in her prime.
Yu Ji knew exactly how formidable her full power had been—enough to turn the world into mountains of corpses and rivers of blood in an instant, effortlessly annihilating entire nations. Such power was beyond the imagination of humans who had lived past the Age of Gods since the Zhou Dynasty.
"My lord, this concubine possesses an immortal body, much like the First Emperor now. Allow me to test his strength first, so you may find his weaknesses."
Yu Ji stepped forward and whispered to Roy, her words tactful, leaving him ample dignity. But Roy understood the unspoken implication—she feared he might be killed by the First Emperor and thus volunteered to shield him from disaster with her undying form.
As a wife, Yu Ji had already excelled in preserving her husband's pride before others.
Yet, the current Yu Ji retained less than twenty percent of her peak strength. No matter how vast her combat experience, she stood no chance of defeating the First Emperor now.
Even the usually cheerful Tamamo-no-Mae wore a grave expression. She too whispered to Roy and Yu Ji, "...A-Yu, you hold off the First Emperor while I calculate the reversal point of this barrier. Once we escape, we can plan our next move carefully!"
After a pause, Tamamo-no-Mae hesitated before speaking, "...If it really comes to that, I'll find a way to devour that bitch fox, but I can't guarantee what the consequences will be!"
At this moment, Tamamo-no-Mae wasn't even putting on her usual "migu migu" cute act, and the meaning behind her words was crystal clear. If they truly couldn't escape this place, she was actually considering reverting to her nine-tailed form. Once she regained her nine tails, she would become the ancient sun goddess.
In her nine-tailed fox state, Tamamo-no-Mae would likely have few equals in this world—capable of annihilating heaven, earth, and everything in between. A mere First Emperor in human form would stand no chance against such an ancient sun goddess.
Roy gave Tamamo-no-Mae a deep look. He had already sensed the presence of something called "Evil of Humanity" within her. If Tamamo-no-Mae truly regained her nine tails, it would be akin to when Roy himself had used the "Human Order Incineration Ritual," giving rise to Goetia—equivalent to the "descent of the Evil of Humanity."
No one could guarantee the consequences of that.
"Tamamo, why go to such lengths? It took you who knows how many years to sever one tail. If you regain your nine tails, it'll be nearly impossible to sever them again," Roy sighed, trying to persuade her.
"I'm doing this for Yu. She's finally found her true love—how could I stand by and watch her suffer?" Tamamo-no-Mae said with a playful grin, her fox-like eyes flickering with endless charm.
"I don't recall being that close to you," Yu Ji retorted coldly, making Tamamo-no-Mae laugh awkwardly and avert her gaze guiltily.
"Hmph!" Yu Ji snorted. "...I don't need your fake concern, fox. If it truly comes to a crisis, I'll release my suppression of the bloodlust and help my king deal with the First Emperor, then take him out of this barrier myself!"
As she spoke, Yu Ji grew visibly agitated, her expression darkening with anger.
Roy quickly intervened, "Alright, alright, we have a common enemy—no need to argue now!"
He rubbed his temples in frustration. Women's relationships were always so complicated. One moment they could be the best of friends, and the next they might tear into each other over the most trivial things—something men could never understand.
Even though Tamamo-no-Mae and Yu Ji were ancient goddesses and immortals, they were still women at heart.
"...And, I can't help but feel a little underestimated. While I'm not some extreme chauvinist, it still doesn't sit right with me," Roy said, stepping forward and gently pushing Tamamo-no-Mae and Yu Ji aside. Though he was touched that these two beauties were willing to shield him from danger, as a man, he couldn't bring himself to hide behind them without a second thought.
"Leave this to me. You two keep Xu Fu and Daji in check—don't let them interfere. And if possible, Tamamo, try to snatch that 'Fantasy Tree Seed' from Daji's hands. I'd like to study it."
"My king—!" Yu Ji gasped, immediately grabbing Roy's hand. Her cold palm was damp with sweat, betraying the fear and worry she felt beneath her composed exterior.
"Let go, Yu Ji!"
"No, I will never let go!"
Yu Ji shook her head firmly. At this moment, she would not listen to Roy's words. "...After this, I will accept any punishment, but I absolutely cannot let Your Majesty face any danger!"
Her gem-like pupils, now filled with unwavering resolve, bore no trace of her earlier fragility. This was the true face of the Beauty Yu that the world knew—her tender, playful side was reserved only for Roy.
For Roy, she would rather die here than let him step into peril.
"My beauty, you do not trust this king. But part of the blame lies with me for not telling you the whole truth, so I do not fault you. However, once I deal with the First Emperor, I will punish you properly!"
Roy laughed heartily, his voice brimming with confidence and a teasing tone toward the Beauty Yu. With a slight exertion of strength, he broke free from Yu Ji's delicate grip and took a step forward.
Just as the Beauty Yu tried to seize him again, an utterly alien and terrifyingly vast surge of mana erupted from Roy's body—a power rivaling the First Emperor's perfected human form, a force capable of slaying gods!
"For the sake of the Beauty Yu not being pruned, for the sake of humanity, I have endured humiliation for so long. Now, at last, I can unleash my fury!! Hahaha, First Emperor, you underestimated me—and that is why you will fall! Behold, for I am a king, a conqueror, the one who slays gods!"
"...Today, I shall reenact the tale of 'Jing Ke's Assassination of Qin'—except here, there will be no pillar for Your Majesty to run around!"
He roared with laughter, and as his voice faded, the entire Mausoleum of the First Emperor trembled under the influence of Roy's mana, the very heavens and earth seeming to shift in response!