Chapter 1: Chang’an
Chapter 1: Chang’an
“Attention passengers. Ahead, we will soon arrive at the final stop, the ‘Dusk Capital’—Chang’an.”
“Chang’an is not only the ancient capital of thirteen dynasties but also the widely recognized birthplace of mysticism and the origin of magic. Many ancient relics remain here, such as the ‘Dragon’s Burial Ground,’ the ‘Star-Gazing Platform,’ and the ‘Wordless Stele’…”
“As the train passes through the city gates, guarding the left and right are the Heroic Spirit Golems—’Shen Tu’ and ‘Yu Lei.'”
“These two golems were forged during the first and third ‘Netherworld Descents’ respectively. They were the backbone of defense against Corpse-Shepherds, Headless Knights, and Yellow Spring Dragons. Their era is long past, but their glorious deeds have been passed down through the ages…”
Overhead, the Arcane Energy speaker was purposely emotional, showing off the humanities and history, but it was overly sentimental, even somewhat pretentious.
But the youth didn’t care at all.
“Heroic Spirit Golems?”
His expression was blank. The yellowed “General History of the Nine Provinces” in his hand fell to the ground with a thud.
Looking through the glass, under the slanting sun, the majestic statues stood like towering mountains. Several light bands swirled around them, light veils rose and fell, Runes drifted about, and a grand, ethereal hymn descended, dispersing evil spirits and vanquishing the undead.
“Is this… Shen Tu? Yu Lei?”
His mouth had gaped open like an angry hippopotamus. Li Yi still felt a heat all over his body and had difficulty breathing.
“Surprised? My expression was about the same when I first came to Chang’an…”
An elderly man with a vigorous spirit sitting opposite chuckled softly. He noticed Li Yi’s unease and shock and intended to reassure him, but once he started speaking, he couldn’t quite stop.
“Majestic, aren’t they! However, these two Heroic Spirit Golems, like me, are actually long outdated…”
“When it comes to immense strength capable of destroying cities and breaking mountains, one must mention the golems—’Qin Qiong’ and ‘Yuchi Jingde’;”
“As for eradicating evil spirits and slaying demons, of course, it’s ‘Zhong Kui,’ renowned as the ‘Judge of the Netherworld’;”
“Additionally, there are the ‘Heng Ha Er Jiang’ known as the ‘Roarers of the Secret Caverns,’ and ‘Weituo Jialan’ who possesses both combat prowess and Divine Favor magic…”
The old man spoke with growing enthusiasm. Catching a glimpse of the youth from the corner of his eye, his expression suddenly became awkward.
“Oh? Young friend, you’re not interested? My apologies, when one gets old, one tends to ramble…”
Of course, he didn’t know that the youth before him was currently distracted, his mind like a pot of scalding, boiling water!
Transmigration!
It really was transmigration!
He glanced again at his own delicate fingers. Not just transmigration, but rejuvenation too! Was he twelve? Or thirteen?
Darn it!
I just paid the down payment, most of which came from my parents’ savings!
Heavens, are you toying with me?
“It’s not your fault, old sir. It’s just that the hymn is too noisy and annoying…” Li Yi replied irritably, brushing it off.
“The hymn? You can hear it?” The old man paused, then fell silent, a meaningful gleam flashing in his eyes. “This young man, could it be…”
Li Yi remembered something and picked up the “General History of the Nine Provinces” lying at his feet, brushing off the dust.
Was this thing he had treated as myth and legend for amusement actually history?
A heroic epic?
Li Yi felt a sense of unreality.
In this heroic epic, many major events were nearly identical to those of his original world.
It was just that the methods by which the great and powerful figures changed history were earth-shatteringly different.
Moreover, these people’s names were often preceded by a prefix. For warriors, it was the “Heaven’s Mandate Title”; for mages, it was the “Heaven’s Decree Title.” He didn’t know if it was just for grandeur or if there was some other significance.
When the Seafolk harassed the borders, Gun used earth magic to fight back. He was defeated and died. His son Yu, determined to strengthen himself, created frost magic. With waves of his hand and fingers, major Seafolk forces like Wave-Treading Giants, Deep-Sea Elementals, and Tide Hunters were frozen and shattered one by one. He was granted the title “Frost Scourger.”
Jiang Shang fished by the abyss for ten years with no one paying him any heed. When Ji Chang humbly visited him, Jiang Shang flicked his fishing hook. From the deep, dark ravine, six Ancient Dragons followed the hook up, overthrowing the Shang Dynasty of King Zhou along the way. Thus, Jiang Shang became the originator of summoning magic, receiving the title “Dragon Angler.”
And so on, fantastical and bizarre.
In the early days, magic had “use” but lacked “the Way.” It was without a theoretical foundation and not systematized.
Thus, came the “Hundred Schools of Thought.”
Lao Dan established magical philosophy.
Kong Qiu established the spell system.
Han Fei laid out the laws of arcane arts.
Mo Di invented alchemy and magical forging.
And other theoretical masters from various schools like Sun Wu, Zou Yan, and Xu Xing all had their own achievements.
After long accumulation came the great release.
The Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, with their unrighteous wars, were like a furnace. They refined and put into practice those magical theories that had previously existed only on paper.
Historically known as—”The Spring of Magic.”
The following dynasties were largely the same as what Li Yi knew, except the names of famous generals and capable ministers were often preceded by resounding titles.
By the end of the Tang Dynasty, things had become unrecognizable.
The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period never occurred, all because of the sudden emergence of one man.
Xiao Changkong, from Shangdang, was merely an obscure minor official in a border region when the troubled times began.
But this man, in just fifteen years, rose above the warlords, annexed vast territories, unified the land, and established the Great Qian Empire.
Historically known as—”Emperor Qianyuan”!
To ordinary people, this was an unparalleled achievement, but for him, it was only the beginning.
His first decree upon ascending the throne was shocking and could be called defying the entire world.
He ordered the dismantling of the “Eternal Barrier”—that is, the Great Wall!
It must be known that every brick of the Eternal Barrier was made of rare mountain heart stone, enhanced with nine types of super-magic effects and inscribed with thirteen layers of magic Runes. Its construction exhausted the empire’s resources, costing wealth accumulated over generations!
Amidst nationwide uproar, Xiao Changkong only said one sentence.
“From this moment on, our Great Qian Empire only attacks, never defends; only expands, never retreats.”
He was a man of his word!
He drove the Mongols north, occupying the Wilds of Beasts. He repelled the Mohe east, claiming the frost-sunken ice plains. He destroyed Jiaozhi to the south, gaining the trade wind bay. Marching west, he built an outpost at the World-Rending Gorge. He also sent Sea Demon warships to sea, achieving nine victories in nine battles, capturing islands like “Skull,” “Sinkhole,” and “Scorching Demon” along the way, establishing a foundation for ten thousand generations.
Faced with never-ending doubts, he left behind a bold statement, passed down through the ages.
“A formidable life needs no explanation!”
Li Yi shuddered. A seemingly impossible possibility surfaced. Instantly, chaotic emotions swarmed, clawing at his heart.
“Could it be…”
The pages rustled as he quickly turned to the annals, the biography of Emperor Qianyuan.
Xiao Changkong was immensely talented, widely recognized as a master alchemist. The equipment for his trusted generals—the Heavenly Drivers—was personally crafted by him.
“Heavenly Drivers? Could the secret passphrase be—’The armor is still here’?”
Li Yi couldn’t help but quip, but the inexpressible, faint fear in his heart grew heavier.
Xiao Changkong had a habit of engraving characters. He liked to carve his unique mark on his creations.
The tyrannical blade “Dragon Slayer,” made from dragon teeth, containing the wrathful spirit of a dragon. When drawn, its fierce aura overwhelmed the heavens! On the back of the blade were engraved four characters: “Click to Claim,” leaving people baffled.
The Banner of Heaven-Sealing, tempered with nine phoenix plumes, inscribed with seventy-seven restrictive magic arrays, capable of sealing a region of heaven and earth. Three characters were carved on it: “Dimensional Paper.”
The Death Mask, besides traits like “Frenzy” and “Bloodlust,” also had an activatable magic spell—”Feast of Wraiths,” which devoured spirits and converted them into dark Battle Aura. It was engraved with the ferocious image of fangs and two more characters: “Ghoul.”
…
“Dragon Slayer Treasure Blade, click to claim?”
Li Yi’s jaw hung open. He didn’t have a mirror, but he knew his expression at that moment must be a sight to behold.
Without a doubt, this Emperor Qianyuan was also a transmigrator!
“This… the Wordless Stele?”
The train jolted. Li Yi suddenly felt a bright light before his eyes. A brilliant pillar of light came into view, seemingly connecting heaven and earth, vast and immense!
The Wordless Stele was built during Wu Zetian’s time, forged from “Light of Faith,” containing various divine mysteries.
What was even more legendary was that Xiao Changkong had carved an everlasting question upon that pillar of light.
Legend said that whoever answered this question would be his comrade and could obtain his life’s masterpieces, three supreme treasures.
—”What are the Four Great Classics?”
“Dream of the Red Chamber, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Water Margin, Journey to the West.”
That question was fairly reasonable, Li Yi thought to himself, gazing up at the Wordless Stele.
“Comrade, you have finally come…”
The voice was faint, but it didn’t carry the profundity of a transcendent master or the boldness of a peerless emperor. Instead, it held a hint of mockery.
“The Nine Ornaments Staff, the Brocade Kasaya, and the Purple Gold Alms Bowl. Which one do you want?”
Li Yi was stunned, suddenly feeling the urge to curse.
“What, are you preparing me to go fetch scriptures from the Western Heaven?”