Chapter 221: Deified as the

Arctic ice plain.

It's equally cold, but the scenery is different.

They encountered Inuit people who survive by hunting seals.

These natives wore furs and lived in igloos.

Seeing the massive steel icebreaker and the people descending from it, they were terrified, fell to their knees, muttering prayers, apparently treating them as deities.

Ying Zheng had his attendants take out tofu jerky, bean paste and other soy products from the ship to distribute to them.

The Inuit, having never tasted such foods, were amazed, and even regarded Ying Zheng as the "Sun God" who brought warmth and food, crawling and kneeling in worship.

Ying Zheng was both amused and exasperated, but he also enjoyed it.

With the escort's measurements and positioning, they located the geographic North Pole (approximately).

He personally planted a specially made, even more resilient obsidian‑black dragon flag into the eternal ice sheet.

The biting cold wind blew, and the flag fluttered with a rustling sound.

Ying Zheng looked around; it was an endless ice plain.

He inhaled a breath of frigid air and declared loudly, "From today onward! The South Pole and the North Pole, the two poles of the world!"

"All places the sun and moon can illuminate, all lands the wind and rain can touch! All are my domain, all belong to Great Qin!"

His voice carried far across the open ice plain.

The attendants knelt excitedly, shouting "Long live His Majesty!"

Gu Shanhe stood nearby, redeemed a camera from the system shop, and captured the scene.

In the picture, the vast ice plain, the fluttering black dragon flag, and the upright‑postured, gaze‑piercing Emperor Qin Shi Huang looking as if he could see beyond the endless horizon.

Shortly after returning to Xianyang.

Gu Shanhe knew it was time.

He invited Qin Huali, Gongshu Chou, Zhang Liang, Xiao He, Han Xin, Meng Tian, Fu Su and other key figures, as well as Ying Zheng, to his Guoshi Fu.

He took out several thick, tightly sealed iron cabinets.

"Your Majesty, everyone."

Gu Shanhe's expression remained calm, "My affairs here are concluded; soon I will return to where I came from."

Everyone was shocked.

Ying Zheng leapt to his feet, "The Guoshi is leaving? Where to? I… I will not allow it!"

Gu Shanhe smiled, "Your Majesty, all feasts must eventually end."

"I am not of this world; when my fate ends, I shall return."

"Finally."

Gu Shanhe looked at Ying Zheng and took out a jade slip.

"This is a gift to Your Majesty. Inside is a Body Refining Method that allows soldiers or civilians to cultivate, strengthen their bodies, making every person of Great Qin as mighty as a dragon."

Ying Zheng took the jade slip, his hand trembling slightly.

He stared at Gu Shanhe, a thousand words stuck in his chest, finally turning into a long sigh as he gave Gu Shanhe a heavy pat on the shoulder.

"Guoshi… take care."

"Great Qin will always be your home. Return anytime… to visit."

Fu Su and the others already had reddened eyes, kneeling to bid farewell.

Gu Shanhe helped them up, and bowed to the crowd:

"Everyone, take care. May Great Qin endure for millennia, and may this world forever enjoy peace."

Having spoken, he no longer hesitated, silently chanting in his mind, "System, return."

A gentle yet irresistible white light emanated from his body, instantly enveloping him.

Under the reluctant gazes of Ying Zheng and the others, Gu Shanhe's figure finally vanished.

At the spot, only a faint, exotic scent—reminiscent of sandalwood and alchemical elixir— lingered, drifting away slowly.

Modern day, Gu Shanhe's villa.

A flash of white light.

Gu Shanhe shook his head and realized he was standing in the middle of his living room, still holding the photo—taken from the system backpack—of Ying Zheng planting a flag at the North Pole.

Outside the window, bright sunshine illuminated a familiar cityscape.

The digital clock on the wall displayed a date… only three days after the day he time‑traveled.

He really had returned.

Before he could savor the feeling of home, a massive, unimaginable pure energy surged without warning from the Baihui point atop his head.

In an instant it washed over his limbs and bones, limbs and bones!

Meridians, acupoints, dantian, like parched land meeting rain, greedily absorbed and transmuted the power.

The system panel automatically popped up before his eyes, golden letters flashing:

【SSS‑grade mission reward granted—Golden Core Stage cultivation infusion!】

Gu Shanhe muttered low, immediately sat cross‑legged and began circulating the Heavenly Dao Immortal Scripture.

The true essence of his Foundation Establishment Mid‑stage, driven by this superior external energy, began to compress, condense, and transform wildly!

In his dantian, that vague Dao foundation seed greedily absorbed energy, becoming ever more solid, emitting a faint golden glow.

He could not tell how long passed—perhaps an instant, perhaps a day.

"Woom—!"

A clear, resonant hum rose from deep within his dantian, like the sound of the Dao itself.

A dragon‑eye‑sized, perfectly round Golden Core (pill), golden light swirling, faint cloud patterns encircling its surface, suddenly formed.

It hung silently floating in the center of the dantian qi sea, slowly rotating, emitting vast, pure, endless mighty power!

Golden Core Stage! Achieved!

Gu Shanhe opened his eyes; a golden light flashed in his pupils and vanished, and his entire demeanor became more restrained and profound.

His thought stirred slightly; he extended a finger toward the floor-to-ceiling window leading from the living room to the courtyard, lightly tapping the small swimming pool outside.

A blast of extreme cold swept past.

"Crack—crack…"

The pool water instantly solidified at a visible speed; in just two or three seconds, the entire pool turned into a huge slab of ice, smooth as a mirror!

Under the sunlight it reflected a blinding light.

He waved his hand again.

The ice swiftly melted again, turning into a pool of clear water with rippling waves, as if nothing had happened.

Controlling water and fire, he preliminarily employed the primordial qi of heaven and earth!

This is the might of the Golden Core Stage!

Although he had just entered the Golden Core Stage, compared to the Foundation Establishment Stage, it was already a world of difference.

Gu Shanhe felt that tremendous power within him, and joy filled his heart.

This time-travel was worth it.

Just then, the system's notification tone sounded again, untimely,

carrying a kind of… the distinctive, slightly more lively tone of a new mission release?

【Ding! Host's strength meets the standard; new world exploration function activated!】

【Issuing cross-time-space assistance mission: The Regrets of the Han Dynasty】

【Mission Background: The Han Dynasty, one of the flourishing lineages of the Chinese civilization, yet it also harbors many regrets, such as Emperor Wu's late-year remorse, Zhaojun's departure to the frontier, the repeated vicissitudes of governing the Western Regions, and the calamities of eunuchs and external relatives, affecting the nation's fortune, causing later generations to sigh.】

【Mission Content: Please, host, within seven days, lead one (or more) key figure(s) from the Qin era, traverse to the Han spacetime (specific time point selectable), assist the Han of that time, make up major regrets, strengthen the foundation of the state, and achieve a more perfect great unification.】

【Mission Reward: According to mission completion degree evaluation, the higher the completion degree, the richer the reward.

Possible rewards include: advanced cultivation arts, divine ability secret techniques, innate spiritual objects, special architectural blueprints, and even… the opportunity to open a small world?】

【Special Notice: Personnel to be brought must have a relatively high affinity with the host, and must be willing.

After crossing, the time flow rates of the two worlds will be temporarily adjusted to 100:1 (100 days in Han, 1 day in modern).】

【Please tell us, host, whether you accept this mission?】

Gu Shanhe stared at this long string of prompts, stunned.

Bring people across? Go to the Han? Help the Han make up regrets?

His expression turned somewhat strange, his eyes revealing strong interest and… a mischievous taste.

Who should I bring? Meng Tian? Zhang Liang? Xiao He? Or…

Suddenly, an extremely 'stimulating' image popped into his mind:

The eternal emperor Qin Shi Huang Ying Zheng, clad in a black dragon robe, seated on a steam tank, leading the Qin firearm squad, suddenly appeared… in the hall where Han Gaozu Liu Bang ascended the throne?

Or perhaps appear on the battlefield where Han Emperor Wu Liu Che marched north to strike the Xiongnu?

Or even… appear before the marriage alliance party of Wang Zhaojun as she departed for the frontier?

Just imagining that scene makes one's scalp tingle, and one can't help but anticipate it with goosebumps all over!

"System, how exactly are the 'relatively high affinity' and 'willingness' determined?"

"Can I return to the Qin world to recruit people? How is the time calculated?" Gu Shanhe asked hurriedly.

【The host may, by virtue of this mission's permission, briefly return to a node of the connected "Qin Unified Universe" timeline (shortly after the host left).

The host may appear in person to persuade; if the target agrees, they can sign a temporary contract and cross over with the host.

The time of the Qin world will remain relatively still during the host's mission period.】

"Fine! I accept the mission!" Gu Shanhe said without hesitation.

Seven days to prepare.

Who to bring?

Go help the Han do what?

How can we maximize the 'completion degree'?

Also, that 'opportunity to open a small world' in the rewards… sounds incredibly significant!

Gu Shanhe stroked his chin and began to pace in the living room.

On his face appeared the first, truly 'time traveler'-like smile full of mischievous desire since his return to the modern world.

"Liu Bang, Liu Bang, are you ready to receive the care and shock from the First Emperor?"