Chapter 2027

Groups?

What is this?

Chongzhen felt his mind shrouded in fog—he simply couldn't understand.

Dao Jun?

Could it be that the Great Ming of the Upper Realm isn't the strongest—that above it lies a Dao Jun?

Watching Chongzhen speculate, Zhu Youjian chuckled softly and explained directly.

Meanwhile, Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Wushi had already begun deploying the Heavenly Troops, ordering them to take control of the world.

Due to their high realm and immense strength, Zhu Yuanzhang did not order mass slaughter; instead, he commanded the Heavenly Troops to arrest those who betrayed the nation, oppressed the people, and formed cliques for personal gain, then threw them into mines to work.

Moreover, they had no intention of teaching these people cultivation.

This act, while sparing them death, merely treated them as expendable materials—unmaintained, disposable ones.

Who are these people?

Merchants!

Scholars!

Landlords!

As for common folk, there were very few—only a handful of ruffians and hoodlums.

When these idle, ignorant people were thrown into the mines, everyone turned ashen-faced.

It's too hard!

Many of these people had always been served meals by others; forcing them to mine is worse than killing them outright!

"What do we do?"

A wealthy merchant turned to his fellow merchant beside him and asked.

"What else can we do? Just do it!"

Though mining was worse than death, they were greedy for life—did they even have the courage to kill themselves?

Thinking of it, they heard the crack of a guard's whip—a sharp sound splitting the air.

"Get to work! If you dare slack off again, my whip won't recognize anyone!"

…

On the other side.

Chongzhen finally understood the chat group, the situation of the myriad worlds, and the power of the Great Ming Immortal Dynasty.

It turned out there were not only the Great Ming Immortal Dynasty, but also the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty, the Great Song Immortal Dynasty…

Even Qin Shi Huang of Great Qin had already attained the Dao of Hunyuan.

Far stronger than our founding emperor.

Thanks to Zhu Youjian's explanation, he now understood the mysteries of many realms.

In the Great Ming Immortal Dynasty, with diligent cultivation, one could gain thousands of years of life and fly through sky and earth.

This was beyond anything he had ever imagined.

At this moment, he no longer cared about imperial ambitions—he longed to cultivate immortality immediately.

Besides, the state was now ruled by the Great Ming Immortal Dynasty, still in the hands of their own kind—he felt not the slightest guilt.

Zhu Youjian said: "Go summon your family. We'll be returning shortly."

"Yes."

Chongzhen, heart pounding with excitement, turned and walked away, quickly finding his Empress, Imperial Concubines, daughter, and son.

"Your Majesty, you mean those immortals just now are our ancestors?" Empress Zhou asked, astonished.

She had worried for so long—turns out they were family.

Hearing Chongzhen's words, she immediately sighed in relief.

Struggles for imperial dominance are the most perilous.

If the enemy were outsiders, wouldn't all of us—yourself included—become prisoners?

If lucky, we'd be granted death; if unlucky, we might suffer endless humiliation.

Just imagining such a fate sent chills down her spine.

Zhu Meichu gasped: "Father, you mean our ancestors have become immortals?!"

She simply couldn't believe it—immortals existed in the mortal world, and they were her own ancestors.

Chongzhen shook his head: "Not ancestors from our world, but ancestors from other worlds. By the way, according to another version of me, her Princess Meichu has become a concubine of a Dao Jun—you should spend time with her when you have leisure."

Zhu Meichu's cheeks flushed slightly: "Another version of me?"

Chongzhen nodded: "In the myriad worlds, many people share identical names and identities. According to him, they are 'other selves.'"

Empress Zhou's expression changed slightly: "Husband, those people are immortals now. How can Meichu possibly converse with them? If she offends them, won't that bring disaster?"

Chongzhen shook his head: "We're all family—it should be fine. But Meichu, don't be overly aggressive. Now, go pack. We'll be ascending soon. You've suffered these years; once in the Upper Realm, cultivate, become immortal, attain eternal life—we can finally enjoy ourselves."

"Yes."

All of them, delighted, hurried to pack.

Only Zhu Meichu felt a strange, complicated emotion.

The task her father gave her—she truly didn't know how to accomplish it.

Making friends with immortals—could she even do that?

Moments later.

The group gathered again.

Their belongings were few, even pitifully meager.

After all, Zhu Youjian was known for his frugality, and the concubines and princesses in the harem lived far from extravagance.

Chongzhen looked on, unable to suppress a pang of sorrow.

Recalling the historical records he had read and the ultimate fate of the Great Ming, his heart grew heavy.

In the end, none of his family met a good end.

But then he thought again, and felt that the present outcome was already perfect.

"Let's go, meet our ancestor!"

Leading the group, he arrived at the front hall.

Empress Zhou, Zhu Meichuo, and the others indeed saw a majestic, awe-inspiring emperor seated upon the imperial chariot.

Just as they were about to step forward and bow, he waved his hand lightly—the dragon-drawn chariot instantly rose into the air and flew toward a sudden portal appearing in the void.

Zhu Youjian said: "We'll discuss other matters once we reach the Upper Realm. Let's go."

With a thought, a cloud of auspicious radiance rose, carrying the awe-struck group into the portal.

In an instant, the auspicious cloud passed through the portal and entered another realm.

This realm was extraordinary: immortal cranes soared through the sky, and auspicious mists swirled upward.

Standing atop the auspicious cloud, they saw mountains winding across the earth like a slumbering divine dragon.

In the distance, jade pavilions stood in rows, resembling a celestial paradise.

Zhu Youjian explained: "There lies the central seat of the Great Ming Immortal Dynasty. Once you cultivate successfully, you may seek positions there. For now, of course, you must cultivate in the mortal world."

Speaking, he led the group down to the peak of a mountain.

From atop the auspicious cloud, it appeared to be a small hill—but when they landed, they found the hill stretched endlessly, as if it were a miniature world.

It was a cave heaven.

Within the cave heaven, countless buildings stood scattered, and immortal herbs grew everywhere, dazzling the eyes.

"From now on, you will cultivate here. Each month, someone will deliver elixirs. Remember: devote yourselves fully to cultivation, do not slack off. If our ancestor tests you and you fail, I won't be able to speak up to save you."

Chongzhen's heart tightened. He asked: "What happens if you fail?"

Zhu Youjian snorted coldly: "You'll never again catch our ancestor's attention. Unless you have no desire to advance and are content to be a carefree hermit, don't even think of doing it."

"I understand." Chongzhen's emotions were complex—he hadn't expected that even in the Upper Realm, he could not escape the chains of fame and ambition.