Fan Qinghui stood frozen, her bloodless face turned toward the ruins of Emperor Step Peak.
Her heart sank into despair as she stared at the once-proud mountain—now split clean in half.
With a muffled cry, she collapsed to her knees.
She couldn't understand it.
How had Li Shimin, the second son of the Li Warlord, gained such terrifying power?
The Eternal God...
Could the strange phenomena of the past few days—those miracles in the sky—really have been His doing?
Trembling, Fan Qinghui looked up at the young figure standing proudly in the sky.
"What about my disciple...
Where is Shi Feixuan?"
If they could not follow the Buddha anymore…
perhaps they could survive by becoming a simple sect.
Li Shimin heard her and sneered coldly.
"Your disciple was quite the beauty.
My God favored her.
She has ascended to the heavens to serve as a Goddess."
The words struck Fan Qinghui like a hammer to the soul.
Her vision went black.
Blood dripped from the corner of her mouth, and she fainted on the spot.
At that moment, from the shattered remains of the mountain, a surge of sword aura shot out.
The force was terrifying—almost reaching the level of a Land Immortal.
But against Li Shimin, it was nothing.
He flicked his sleeve casually—dispersing the attack like swatting away a fly.
"Still trying to resist, even using Dini's corpse to attack me?"
"You stubborn nuns… tired of living, aren't you?"
Fury flashed across his eyes.
Li Shimin raised his sword again and unleashed another devastating slash.
A sharp, brilliant sword light tore across the sky.
Boom—!
The second half of Emperor Step Peak crumbled into rubble.
Dini's corpse, the ancient scriptures of the Tibetan Scripture Pavilion, and centuries of inheritance—
all were obliterated in an instant.
This time, Cihang Jingzhai was wiped clean from the earth.
Li Shimin stood calmly amidst the destruction.
To him, this wasn't excessive.
As a divine envoy, he had already shown more mercy than they deserved.
Disobedience against the Eternal God—
meant death.
His gaze swept across the trembling nuns below.
"Listen well!"
"From today forward, you have two choices:
Either marry into the mortal world and abandon your false gods,
or convert to the faith of the Eternal God."
"If you resist…
When my armies sweep the land,
I will show no mercy to any who stand against us!"
The dozens of young women collapsed in terror, sobbing.
None even noticed when Li Shimin turned and disappeared into the sky.
Within a matter of days, the news spread like wildfire:
Li Shimin destroyed Cihang Jingzhai with a single sword.
Some claimed he had flown across the void, cutting down mountains with ease.
Others whispered that he had already transcended mortality and become a celestial being.
Still others believed that he was a divine emissary sent by the Eternal God to restore order to a chaotic world.
Whatever the story, one thing was certain—
Li Shimin's name shook the entire Sui Dynasty.
Along with the rumors came an official proclamation:
"From this day forward, all Buddhism and Taoism shall be abolished.
Only the Eternal God shall be worshipped!"
The temples, martial sects, and common folk alike were thrown into panic.
Li Shimin wasn't challenging a sect.
He was challenging every inheritance across the land.
But was Li Shimin afraid?
Not in the slightest.
In fact, his reputation drew challengers.
Soon after, a letter arrived bearing a name that made the martial world shudder:
Song Que.
Master of the Lingnan Clan, hailed as a peerless warrior whose martial arts had long since reached the pinnacle of human ability.
A man who had broken through the Innate Realm years ago.
Hearing about the destruction of Cihang Jingzhai—and knowing that Fan Qinghui was once someone he admired—
Song Que abandoned all caution.
Despite the protests of friends and allies, he marched straight into Li Shimin's territory.
But when he entered the city, something felt… wrong.
Wherever he went, the merchants hawking goods, the farmers moving produce—
everyone radiated a quiet strength.
Even the vegetable sellers and brick movers exuded the aura of practiced fighters.
As Song Que passed by a construction site, a shirtless worker suddenly called out:
"Sir, lend me a hand! Gotta move these bricks!"
Startled, Song Que instinctively turned around.
For a moment, he thought a martial master was challenging him.
But when he looked back—
it was just a sweaty laborer, grinning innocently.
And yet…
even this simple worker had the aura of a third-rate martial artist.
Song Que's expression darkened.
What kind of terrifying place have I walked into...?
As he walked deeper into the city, Song Que couldn't suppress the growing sense of disbelief.
An old man moving bricks casually carried the aura of a second-rate martial master.
Even laborers… had strength rivaling sect disciples.
"Ridiculous..." Song Que muttered under his breath.
"An old man at second-rate realm? This isn't normal..."
His caution heightened.
Hands tucked behind his back, he moved carefully toward his destination—
Li Shimin's Mansion.
No, it could no longer be called that.
It was now the Mansion of the Divine Envoy of the Eternal God.
Arriving at the towering gates, Song Que was greeted politely by a smiling soldier.
"Welcome, Mr. Song. The Divine Envoy has been expecting you."
The soldier's attitude was courteous, but Song Que instinctively tested his presence—
and his heart almost skipped a beat.
This... a mere gate guard... has an innate cultivation base?!
Song Que could only force a bitter smile and nod lightly.
He had thought the rumors were exaggerated.
Now, he realized—they hadn't gone far enough.
———
Inside the mansion.
At the center stood a grand white jade altar, glowing softly.
Sitting calmly before it, dressed in a flowing white samurai robe, was Li Shimin.
Around him, dozens of followers sat in quiet meditation, their auras harmonized and strong.
The room buzzed with divine energy.
Li Shimin raised his head, meeting Song Que's eyes with serene authority.
"Mr. Song," he said calmly, "don't you agree?
We Han people should unite the world.
Under the banner of the Eternal God, there would be no more chaos.
Only peace."
Song Que's gaze swept over the meditating believers.
His heart clenched faintly.
"If everyone becomes a believer..." he said quietly,
"Would we not simply become walking corpses—mindless and hollow?"
Li Shimin chuckled lightly, standing to his feet.
"No, Mr. Song.
My God cherishes all life.
Unlike those bald-headed monks, He does not demand endless chanting and empty worship.
True power comes from sincerity—and action."
He waved his hand casually.
A small book floated through the air, landing gently before Song Que.
It smelled faintly of fresh ink, but it radiated a weight far beyond its physical form.
Li Shimin's voice was soft but firm:
"You've lingered at the Innate Realm for too long, haven't you?
Meditate using this.
You will touch the realm of a Land Immortal—with ease."
Song Que stared at the book.
A Land Immortal.
He had never dared even to hope.
And yet—he remembered.
The brick-moving old man outside.
The mountain-splitting sword strike.
The sheer difference between Li Shimin and ordinary martial artists.
This was no idle boast.
Thinking of the endless suffering of the Han people—
the invasions, the internal strife—
Song Que clenched his fists.
If there's a chance... even a sliver of one... to gain true power for my people—
He gritted his teeth and sat down cross-legged.
Opening the thin manual, he found no complicated techniques.
No secret martial formulas.
No cultivation laws.
Only a single instruction:
Pray with sincerity.
Meditate with devotion.
Seek unity with the Eternal God.
So simple... yet...
Song Que closed his eyes and began to meditate.
The moment his spirit touched the divine resonance—
Boom—!
The power surged into him like a tidal wave.
Before even half a stick of incense had burned out,
before he could fully comprehend the process—
Song Que's body trembled violently.
His cultivation erupted—
And he broke through into the Land Immortal Realm!
When he opened his eyes, he was gasping.
Every cell in his body hummed with divine vitality.
He had achieved the realm he once thought impossible.
His mind reeled—not from the power—but from the overwhelming presence he had touched:
The true body of the Eternal God.
Across from him, Li Shimin smiled calmly.
"Well then, Mr. Song Que," he asked, voice rich with meaning,
"Do you still question the greatness of my God?"
Song Que, still trembling, could not answer.
Because in his heart—
he already knew.