The clash between the two powerhouses who had been sleeping for two millennia was completely beyond Yan Shouyi's comprehension.
One was the emperor who had been renowned for a thousand years, the other a cunning old master from the common folk. They fought back and forth in mid-air, and Yan Shouyi and the others were unable to intervene.
"Two thousand years ago, it was a completely different world."
Yan Shouyi sighed softly. In that era of less developed technology, individual ability was particularly prominent.
Thus, even Qin Shi Huang possessed considerable combat power.
Similarly, General Qing Jiang from a thousand years ago, if he were alive today, could probably sweep through the Xuanmen.
Just then, General Qing Jiang, who had been silent for a long time, spoke.
"Your strength has improved considerably. Did you achieve enlightenment in your seal?" General Qing Jiang's voice was filled with surprise.
"General? You're still here? I thought you..."
While in the bronze coffin, Yan Shouyi had repeatedly tried to awaken General Qing Jiang, but had received no response.
If one considered the worst-case scenario, General Qing Jiang's soul might no longer exist.
Therefore, when Yan Shouyi heard General Qing Jiang's voice again, he felt a hint of joy.
General Qing Jiang sighed, "Previously, to help you deal with Huo Ban, I consumed the essence of those two ghost kings. Now that the essence is depleted, my residual soul cannot last much longer, nor can I provide you with further assistance."
"I understand." Yan Shouyi's earlier joy slowly faded, replaced by regret and sorrow at the impending departure of an old friend.
Before, Yan Shouyi would never have sought General Qing Jiang's power unless it was a life-or-death situation. His hope was that when he found Princess Yu Shu's soul, they could spend a little more time together to resolve their regrets from life.
Unfortunately, his encounter with Huo Ban this time had heavily depleted General Qing Jiang's residual soul power.
"A true man does not fuss over trifles!"
General Qing Jiang comforted Yan Shouyi, "Right now, you should focus your attention on Qin Shi Huang and Huo Ban."
"Their strength is far beyond mine. I can't intervene," Yan Shouyi said helplessly.
"Indeed, even with your greatly increased strength, you are still not on the same level as them," General Qing Jiang said. "But that doesn't mean you can't learn from their battles."
Yan Shouyi rallied his spirits, his eyes fixed on the fight in mid-air.
Then he withdrew his gaze, his expression somber. "Huo Ban's moves are much more conventional than I imagined. Many of the techniques in the Luban Scroll have already been improved and are even better than what Huo Ban is displaying."
As a descendant of Lu Ban, he instinctively observed Huo Ban.
Yet, General Qing Jiang said, "I told you to watch Qin Shi Huang!"
"Qin Shi Huang?" Yan Shouyi was taken aback.
"Qin Shi Huang is the First Emperor of all time. He also conquered in all directions and was far more powerful than I was in my time! With such a strong individual before you, why are you still staring at Huo Ban?"
"This..."
"As far as I know, Qin Shi Huang cultivates the Dao of the Ancestral Dragon. As the saying goes, 'The Dao of the Ancestral Dragon is the beginning of the world.' Whether it is in commanding troops, ruling a nation, employing people... or in combat, Qin Shi Huang far surpassed that era, and far surpassed me! He is the Ancestral Dragon, the founder. You should learn from him!"
Yan Shouyi murmured, "The Dao of the Ancestral Dragon, the beginning of the world..."
As he was lost in thought, the Dragon-Tiger Secret Text in his hand suddenly glowed.
Lin Zhitong noticed this and nudged Yan Shouyi, "What's wrong with the Dragon-Tiger Secret Text?"
Yan Shouyi then noticed the abnormality in his hand. He stared at the Dragon-Tiger Secret Text and suddenly understood something.
Back in Chen Family Village, when trying to obtain the Soul Reaper Blade, Yan Shouyi encountered the Divine Dragon and Divine Tiger. The Divine Tiger had asked him if he had ever harbored thoughts of ruling the world and being the sole supreme being.
Yan Shouyi's answer at the time was...
"The ruling of the world in my heart is not about swallowing mountains with my breath, nor is it about dominating the world, nor is it about bringing war and suffering to the people!"
"The sole supreme being in my heart is not about being above all, nor is it about looking down on everyone, nor is it about using power as a means of rule!"
"I believe that emperors love their kingdoms, and rulers love their people!"
"Even if I am alone and dressed in simple cloth, I am still a king. No matter where I go, I am ruling the world, the sole supreme being!!"
This answer greatly satisfied the Divine Dragon and Divine Tiger, which was why they bestowed the Dragon-Tiger Secret Text upon Yan Shouyi.
Recalling it now, one of the requirements for obtaining the Divine Tiger Secret Text was to have the thought of "ruling the world, being the sole supreme being."
Are not these eight characters the very epitome of Qin Shi Huang?
Before Qin Shi Huang was born, the world was fragmented and plagued by constant conflict.
Yet, from the moment he emerged, he was ruling the world, the sole supreme being. The title of Emperor began with him, to be followed by a second, third... ten thousand generations!
"If I want to advance further, I should learn from Qin Shi Huang..."
At this moment, Yan Shouyi's thoughts became clear, his eyes burning with intensity as he stared intently at Qin Shi Huang!
Qin Shi Huang's combat with Huo Ban was grand and upright, with a sense of "I laugh up to the heavens with my sword in hand."
In contrast, Huo Ban used all sorts of underhanded tactics, rather ignoble, quite like Long Feicheng.
If Long Feicheng were to hear this thought, he would surely be indignant: "What? Since when did my name become an adjective?!"
Similarly, Han San's name had also become an adjective, though Long Feicheng was described as ignoble, while Han San was a sycophant.
No... now is not the time to be thinking about such things.
Yan Shouyi quickly cast these thoughts from his mind and seriously observed Qin Shi Huang.
Slowly, the actions that were previously incomprehensible began to slow down in Yan Shouyi's vision.
Every move and every stance of Qin Shi Huang, executed meticulously, was seen by Yan Shouyi.
He began to comprehend and absorb, categorizing and summarizing, drawing beneficial insights from Qin Shi Huang.
General Qing Jiang, who was conserving his soul in Yan Shouyi's consciousness, suddenly sensed an anomaly.
Yan Shouyi's learning speed was too fast.
If Qin Shi Huang were a rapidly flipping book at this moment, Yan Shouyi would be the one with an eidetic memory beside him.
Every move Qin Shi Huang made was recorded in Yan Shouyi's mind, and he was absorbing them madly!
"Is this... the residual power from my previous enlightenment?"
Logically, even with Yan Shouyi's extraordinary talent and exceptional intelligence, he shouldn't be able to absorb Qin Shi Huang's abilities so quickly.
How could one learn skills just by watching?
But this might be the source of Yan Shouyi's good fortune. When he was sealed in the coffin before, Yan Shouyi had forcefully woken up from a state of enlightenment because he realized he was about to become a father.
Although the enlightenment had stopped, some residual power remained.
This last bit of enlightenment power was precisely what was triggered at this moment, to learn Qin Shi Huang's bearing!
"Marvelous, truly marvelous! This is the boy's destiny!"
Enlightenment is a rare occurrence in a lifetime, and witnessing Qin Shi Huang in action is even more impossible.
Yet, both of these events converged, allowing Yan Shouyi to benefit!
Yan Shouyi stared intently, madly absorbing Qin Shi Huang's abilities.
The bearing of the Ancestral Dragon, who else dares to contend!
Qin Shi Huang's every move was categorized and summarized in Yan Shouyi's mind. Gradually, three words appeared in his mind.
Ancestral Dragon Art!
This was not some technique recorded in the Luban Scroll, nor was it a legendary cultivation method. It was merely a summary of Yan Shouyi's observations of Qin Shi Huang's combat.
But solely because of this summary, Yan Shouyi's entire aura changed!
However, Yan Shouyi himself was not aware of this.
Lin Zhitong, standing beside him, noticed the unusual expression on Yan Shouyi's face and sensed that he might be at a crucial juncture. Thus, she kept silent and prevented others from speaking.
Suddenly, Lin Zhitong's violet eyes flickered.
She couldn't help but exclaim, "Huh?"
Because she noticed that a purple aura seemed to be entwined around Yan Shouyi...
Is this true Dragon Purple Qi?!
This... this is impossible!
Only those born with a Ziwei destiny possess the purple aura. How could one obtain it post-natally?
This was completely beyond Lin Zhitong's understanding!
"If... if that idiot had the purple aura around him on Dragon-Tiger Mountain back then, perhaps Yu Lumin wouldn't have been able to snatch the position of Heavenly Master from him..." Lin Zhitong thought to herself.
Another person also noticed the subtle change occurring in Yan Shouyi.
That person was Qin Shi Huang!
While sparring with Huo Ban, Qin Shi Huang, who should have been fully focused, suddenly sensed the change in Yan Shouyi and couldn't help but glance in Yan Shouyi's direction.
A hint of peculiarity appeared in his eyes.
It was precisely this distraction that allowed Huo Ban to find an opportunity!
Huo Ban let out a strange laugh, his body transforming into a mass of ghost energy, crashing towards Qin Shi Huang like a meteorite!
Qin Shi Huang's expression changed dramatically. Before he could react, Huo Ban rammed him into the mercury river!
The mercury river was extremely viscous. Once Qin Shi Huang fell into it, it was as if his entire body was coated in glue. No matter how he struggled, he could not leave the river's surface!
Hu Hai exclaimed, "Huo Ban has mixed something else into the mercury, allowing the mercury river to trap souls! Even if my father's strength is immense, he is in grave danger now!"
The existence of the mercury river had not only trapped the souls of the unfortunate individuals buried with Huo Ban, but also trapped Wei Wuxin who had come seeking the Marquis Sui Jade, and now it had trapped Qin Shi Huang!
It could be said that Huo Ban was a cunning monster, and the imperial tomb was indeed full of dangers!
"Damn it!!!"
Qin Shi Huang revealed his true form and thrashed in the mercury river. His ghostly energy surged, creating violent waves, yet he could not escape the mercury river!
Every time he was about to escape, Huo Ban would suddenly appear and knock Qin Shi Huang back into the mercury river.
Huo Ban's face still held a look of mockery. Clearly, having been subservient to Qin Shi Huang during his lifetime, he now harbored a perverted sense of revenge, wanting to toy with Qin Shi Huang in the palm of his hand!
"Presumptuous!"
Qin Shi Huang naturally could not tolerate such humiliation, but trapped in a passive situation like this, he could only rage impotently.
However, it was obvious to anyone that if this continued, once Huo Ban was satisfied, Qin Shi Huang would inevitably be scattered into dust!
"I can't wait any longer. I'll go fight Huo Ban!"
Yan Shouyi uttered these words and then leaped onto the nearby Stepping Snow, charging towards the shore where Huo Ban was!
Tuk tuk tuk!
Tuk tuk tuk!
Tuk tuk tuk!
The hooves of Stepping Snow striking the bluestone-paved ground created a rapid and rhythmic sound, drawing Huo Ban's attention.
Huo Ban tilted his head and saw Yan Shouyi.
This was the physical body that he had planned for two thousand years to obtain.
If it weren't for Qin Shi Huang's interference, Huo Ban would have succeeded long ago!
Seeing Yan Shouyi charging towards him, Huo Ban wore an evil smile. He couldn't wait for Yan Shouyi to deliver himself!
Because at this moment, his strength had recovered about seventy to eighty percent, and killing Yan Shouyi was as easy as turning his hand!
However, as Yan Shouyi approached, Huo Ban suddenly froze.
He also noticed the purple aura that had appeared out of nowhere on Yan Shouyi!
"What... is happening..."
Huo Ban uttered his confusion in a hoarse voice.
Yan Shouyi, however, had no time to bother with such matters. The Soul Reaper Blade in his hand ignited with blazing flames.
"I am the Taiyi Lord of the Cave, wearing the Seven Stars and treading the Four Spirits. With the Dragon Saber in hand, I stand firm, traversing Xun and Li until I reach Kun.
Roaming through Gui and Qian Hai, I gaze at the Heavenly Gate to greet the Emperor. Passing through Kan Zi Hengshan Peak, I descend directly to the Kan Palace to seal the ghost gate.
Anyone who disobeys my Way, I shall drive them to dust beneath my sword. Hasten, as per the law!!!"
This is the Li Huo Chi Ren Mantra!