The Lord of the East Sea remained unmoved by the myriad of dying figures. His eyes, raised from afar, fixed upon the white carriage behind Xu Fu. "She has finally arrived..."

Xu Fu nodded, bowing low as he retreated. Facing both the Lord of the East Sea and the Three Immortal Maidens, he displayed the utmost humility of a mortal man: "Your servant was sent on a mission to the East Sea to invite the Three Immortal Maidens into Qin. I await your command, my Lord."

"Damn it, is this Lord of the East Sea an emperor? A great general is acting so deferentially toward him!" Ye Xiu hid in a corner, his gaze fixed steadily on the Lord of the East Sea’s cloak. Apart from holding a translucent pearl in his hand, the figure looked nothing more than an ordinary old man, his face, lined with wrinkles, exposed beneath the hood, emanating an aura of profound mystery.

By this time, the deep pit on the training ground was already filled with countless wailing sorcerers. They struggled upward, desperate to escape the burying soil, but the hulking brutes surrounding them used their halberds to shear off their limbs, sending them tumbling back down. Beside the dais, the bright pearl in the Lord of the East Sea’s palm suddenly emitted a strange light, which swelled grandly into a vortex. At this very moment, colors that perfectly complemented that light began to rise from the earth, ascending from the remnants and severed bodies of the sorcerers, drifting toward the pearl.

"It's absorbing the energy from these living bodies!" Su Su, who had not materialized for a long time, appeared silently and inexplicably on the back of Ye Xiu's hand. She stared intently at the colors, puzzled. "Master, I can sense the power radiating from that old man. He is a Death God!"

"I knew this fellow wasn't simple; I didn't expect him to be a Death God!" Ye Xiu clenched his fists. This was the second Death God from history he had encountered since Han Xin. The First Emperor had ordered a search for the elixir of immortality across the seas, only to find that the Lord of the East Sea was a Death God, and the Three Immortal Maidens were the immensely powerful Sacred Empress of Ten Thousand Demons. What kind of immortality could these two grant? It was truly ironic.

The Lord of the East Sea raised the pearl high in his hand. As the lines of energy shot into it, mist began to churn within the originally transparent sphere. This mist expanded outward, soon enveloping the entire city of Xianyang. After a while, the Lord of the East Sea retracted his breath with a satisfaction that suggested he was newly intoxicated. He tucked the pearl into his sleeve before looking at Xu Fu: "You handle the rest. I have matters to discuss with the Three Immortal Maidens."

"Yes, I respectfully see off the Lord and the Three Immortal Maidens..." Xu Fu adopted the subservient air of a slave. He cleared a path for the Lord of the East Sea and then turned to face the lifeless mounds of earth. He deeply understood the power of the Lord of the East Sea; even confronted with such a brutal scene of human misery, he dared not show any sign of defiance.

"Can you sense the abilities possessed by the Three Immortal Maidens?" Ye Xiu leaped over a building. He had always been suspicious of the Sacred Empress of Ten Thousand Demons' true intentions. Seeing that the Lord of the East Sea was a Death God only deepened his vigilance regarding the conspiracy between the pair. "I feel like I've encountered the power emanating from this Lord of the East Sea somewhere before. Do you recall?"

Su Su nodded upon hearing this. She watched her master’s growth with great admiration. "Do you remember the gleaming long saber that appeared in the sand dunes, Master? The power on that blade is precisely this."

The long saber’s owner was the Lord of the East Sea? Ye Xiu slapped his forehead—he should have realized it long ago. If so, the Lord of the East Sea gave Xu Fu and the others the Eye-Enhancing Elixir, allowing them to see the monsters. Xu Fu's expedition to the East Sea would inevitably involve battles with these creatures, resulting in losses among both the monsters and the soldiers. Yet, when Ye Xiu slew the monsters, he used a saber to save them. This hardly followed logical sequence. What exactly was the Lord of the East Sea planning?

At that moment, the light gauze covering the white carriage fluttered gently as the Lord of the East Sea approached. The Sacred Empress of Ten Thousand Demons slowly descended from the carriage in a dress of pure white. Her demeanor was graceful, her expression serene. She gently placed one hand upon the back of the Lord of the East Sea, a gesture of such noble deference that it made one thing clear: the status of the Lord of the East Sea was significantly below that of the Sacred Empress.

"Swish..." A dazzling streak of light cut through the wind. The long saber shot out from an unknown direction and vanished into the Lord of the East Sea’s sleeve. Instantly, the wind and clouds changed, and all sound ceased. The Lord of the East Sea’s hood was swept open by the sudden force, revealing a face lined with wrinkles but alight with vigor before Ye Xiu.

Ye Xiu sucked in a sharp breath. The eye bags of the Lord of the East Sea were extremely heavy, as if he hadn't slept in ages. "Su Su, can you ascertain the cultivation level of this Death God?"

Su Su shook her head, unwilling to make a hasty judgment. "Judging by the energy infusion from that long saber, his cultivation seems to be only at the Blood Artifact Realm, but the power contained within that saber is something I cannot articulate."

As the Lord of the East Sea and the Sacred Empress of Ten Thousand Demons drifted away, the training ground fell silent and dim. Countless lives had perished in that moment, leaving behind only the gleaners whose faces were etched with resentment.

Ye Xiu waited until Xu Fu had completely cleaned up the aftermath before approaching him. He asked, "Do you think the Lord of the East Sea and the Three Immortal Maidens know each other? They left without needing any introduction from you; they seemed quite familiar!"

Seeing that Ye Xiu was no longer agitated about the matter of Old Liu, Xu Fu let out a sigh of relief. "How can we understand the affairs of the divine beings? Come, I shall take you to meet the King!"

"Ying Zheng?" Hearing this, a smile touched Ye Xiu's face. Although he knew that this realm might not be exactly as he perceived it, who wouldn't want to witness the majesty of China's first emperor?

The center of Xianyang housed the First Emperor's Grand Palace. The entire hall rested atop tiers of steps tens of meters high. Even catching a glimpse of the golden roof tiles, one could see soldiers gripping halberds standing guard, each one spirited and poised for battle. Upon seeing Xu Fu approach, they simultaneously struck the stone slabs on the ground with their halberds. Ye Xiu was startled by this sudden clamor. He stopped in place, surveying the scene. The palace atop the Dragon Steps—how could mere description capture its grandeur? What building, between heaven and earth, rivaled its magnificence and scope? It was the artistry of countless craftsmen, the glory of history, and the honor of the First Emperor of China.

"Announce Xu Fu to ascend!" At that moment, a figure resembling an eunuch stepped forward. Following a shrill cry reminiscent of slaughtering a chicken, the man then enthusiastically supported the waiting Xu Fu. "The King has waited long. General Xu, please enter."

"Thank you, Eunuch." Xu Fu chuckled lightly and led Ye Xiu into the hall together. Since it was not an audience hour, those present were all trusted confidants of the First Emperor—the high officials privy to the search for the elixir of the East Sea.

Ye Xiu gazed at the scene within the Golden Throne Hall with a degree of shock. Although there were no lamps, the sheer amount of gold and silver emitted a luster unmatched by artificial light. He glanced at the assembled civil and military officials beside him, craning their necks upward, wondering which one was the famous Li Si, and which was the battle-seasoned Meng Tian. However, the one figure he could definitively identify was the castrato, Zhao Gao!

"Xu Fu pays respects to the King!" Xu Fu strode forward, attempting to pull Ye Xiu down to kneel alongside him. But Ye Xiu remained unresponsive no matter how hard Xu Fu pulled. Xu Fu was forced to turn back and whisper a threat, "Disrespecting the King is a capital offense."

Ye Xiu let out an unnecessary yawn. Gazing upon the figure on the throne—an old man who seemed close to death—he had lost all previous curiosity. History always mentioned that the First Emperor possessed physical flaws; it turned out this man could indeed be described as ugly.

"Insolent fool! Why haven't you knelt before the King?" A junior military officer with a small mustache suddenly rushed forward, attempting to trip Ye Xiu. But when his foot shot out, he realized his strength was utterly insufficient to move the young man before him. "You..."

"Daring! Xu Fu, what kind of person have you brought here! Daring to disrespect the King." Zhao Gao, with his thin face, shook his whisk with fierce intent. "Guards! Seize him!"

"Wait, wait, Your Majesty, please calm your anger!" Xu Fu, seeing Zhao Gao enraged, pleaded with Ye Xiu again. "A wise man avoids immediate conflict. Do this for my sake, won't you?"

"Face? I only wish to see the Lord of the East Sea!" Seeing that the First Emperor also appeared on the verge of dozing off, Ye Xiu lashed out, sending the nearby officer flying nearly twenty meters away with a single move.

"Aah..." The officer tumbled head over heels, completely bewildered by the sudden shift in reality. One moment he was standing firmly in the center of the hall; the next, he was nearly thrown out. "This... this person..."

"Kid, you dare cause trouble here!" At this point, two more towering figures stepped forward, intending to subdue Ye Xiu. Ye Xiu lost his patience entirely and unleashed a palm strike of Black Flame, instantly reducing a golden dragon carving before the First Emperor's throne to ash. Before retreating, he didn't forget to flick his hand and blow away the residual flames in a theatrical display of coolness.

"How can this be? This..." The civil and military officials in the court floor were terrified senseless upon witnessing Ye Xiu conjure flame from thin air. "Quick... Guards! Guards! Protect His Majesty!"

"Hahahaha, truly a divine being!" At this moment, the First Emperor, who had remained silent, heavily slapped his throne and stood up. Though aged, his bearing remained impressively powerful. Far from being fearful of Ye Xiu’s display, he was greatly appreciative. "Xu Fu, you shall be richly rewarded! Not only did you bring back immortals capable of granting longevity, but you also brought back a hero capable of conquering cities, hahahaha!"

"Heh heh, Qin Shihuang Ying Zheng!" Ye Xiu felt a measure of admiration for Ying Zheng's courage. He slowly approached the side of the Golden Throne, his eyes fixed intently on this hegemon who ruled the world. "Are you not afraid that I might kill you right now!"