Chapter 180: Riding the Dragon, Leading the Way: An Immortal Nation on Earth!

Three days later.

At the break of dawn, the people of Tianjing arrived in an endless stream from all directions. The grand avenues outside the majestic Imperial City were packed solid, and the areas around the major palace gates—Duanmen, Wumen, Donghuamen, and Xihuamen—were already teeming with heads.

Just as the sun began to rise, over four hundred representatives from every province of Shenzhou had already gathered outside the Donghuamen of the Imperial City, each of them filled with excitement and anticipation.

It could be clearly seen that every one of these people had long since removed their queues, leaving only short hair, and were dressed in steady-colored magua or long gowns to show solemnity.

Looking closely, these representatives included officials and military governors from various provinces, as well as a diverse array of people from the civilian business world and other walks of life. Besides them, there were thousands of young people, aged no more than twenty or thirty, standing to the side, their youthful vigor unable to mask their excitement.

In addition to the representatives from each province participating in the deliberations, this political conference had added many observer spots, mainly allowing each province to select young people from their civil and military academies to participate. Although they might not have decision-making power, they were like sparks that could allow new ideologies to blossom everywhere.

Besides the provincial representatives, another waiting area was gathered with twenty or thirty reporters from the great powers and other nations.

At this moment, they held bulky cameras, looking around while constantly complaining in broken Chinese:

"When is it finally going to start?"

"I am a reporter from the Shenluo Empire, a subject of the Lord of Heaven; by what right do you refuse to let me in?"

"Protest! Even the former Jin Dynasty treated us with courtesy; you are too ignorant of etiquette! I demand to be provided with parasols, food, and water!"

Amidst the clamor, Zhou Yunye was seen walking over with his subordinates, coldly berating them:

"What are you shouting about, what are you making a scene for!"

"A bunch of blind fools, don't you see what kind of place this is? Under the feet of the Immortal, you are not allowed to be presumptuous. Either wait here obediently, or all of you get the hell out!"

"Do you foreign devils still think this is the Jin Dynasty of the past?"

Amidst the cold, murderous berating, the group of reporters from the great powers were furious, their faces turning pale and red, yet they dared not argue further.

Clearly, the whole world now knew that an Immortal had appeared on the land of Shenzhou who could single-handedly annihilate an entire fleet. No matter how arrogant and haughty the foreigners were, they were filled with fear toward an existence that completely transcended common sense and dared not act rashly.

Seeing this group of foreign reporters quiet down, Zhou Yunye snorted coldly and walked away proudly. At the front of the representatives, Wu Yixian and the representatives from Jinjin and other parties looked at this scene with infinite emotion:

"Once upon a time, foreigners were the embodiment of privilege on this land; a few warships could scare the imperial soldiers into surrendering. When have they ever been this tough?"

"The era when the great powers could make officials from top to bottom tremble with just a little coercion and intimidation has completely passed."

"It is our great fortune to witness the arrival of such an era!"

The representatives from various provinces around them were stirred upon hearing this, nodding in deep agreement and echoing the sentiment.

Including Li Junxian, Lin Xingchao, Gu Kanshan, and Fan Zhenxiong, they also stood at the front of the crowd as special representatives, the slightly trembling muscles on their faces revealing their inner unrest.

Not long after transcribing the techniques in the Cangjingdian, they had returned to Jinjin to assist Fan Zhenxiong in stabilizing the situation.

Little did they expect that in less than two months, the Jin Dynasty would collapse, the world would be turned upside down, and the Han people, who had been suppressed for hundreds of years, would finally rise to become masters and reclaim the nation.

And all of this was due solely to the supreme power of one person.

The key was that no one in this world knew Lu Yuan's origins better than they did, so even now, they still felt as if they were in a dream.

Li Junxian muttered to himself, his tone full of pride:

"Who could have imagined that a refugee who once couldn't even get enough to eat or clothes to cover his body would be an Immortal descended from Heaven? To be able to associate with an Immortal and even have the status of a teacher and student, I, Li Junxian, have not lived in vain."

Whether it was Xu Dahu, Xu Erhu, the teacher-student pair Lin Xingchao and Xi Beichen, or Gu Kanshan and his daughter, all nodded in deep agreement.

Under such circumstances.

After waiting for a while longer.

A heavy and melodious bell chime rang out within the palace city, and then the Imperial City gates opened. A team of the Imperial Guard walked out and announced loudly:

"The Immortal has decreed: the time has come. Will all representatives please enter the palace—"

The crowd immediately erupted, and then, led by the Imperial Guard, hundreds of provincial representatives and over a thousand students from the civil and military academies of various provinces walked into the palace in an orderly fashion, filled with excitement and enthusiasm.

As for the foreign reporters in the waiting area, they were naturally placed last and could only wait outside the venue, without the right to approach.

Soon.

The procession marched majestically past stretches of palace walls and corridors, taking a full stick of incense's time to finally arrive before a grand palace.

It was none other than the Taihe Hall, where successive emperors held major ceremonies, or what is known as the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Although the Hall of Supreme Harmony could accommodate civil and military officials, with over a thousand provincial representatives and academy students, it would be too crowded to fit them all inside. Therefore, the first session of the conference was set up on the plaza in front of the Taihe Hall.

At this moment, a ceremonial platform was built on the plaza, covered with red carpets. The Imperial Guard on both sides were all Han people, standing proudly in new-style military uniforms, looking mighty and heroic.

And before the palace gates, the provincial representatives saw at a glance the former Xuantong Emperor of the Great Jin, dressed in casual clothes, and many Han officials like Zuo Guanglie standing on the spot, as if waiting for the arrival of the many representatives.

"Is that the Xuantong Emperor?"

"He doesn't look any different from an ordinary person. Why would he appear here?"

"What else could it be for? Of course, it's to issue the abdication edict and return the power."

"But... what about the Immortal? Will he appear so that we may see the Immortal's face?"

"Hard to say. What kind of existence is the Immortal? These mundane trifles are probably not worth his time and effort." The representatives looked around and discussed excitedly. In a corner at the back, the great powers and reporters, who were restricted from moving freely, held their cameras and looked on urgently, seemingly wanting to witness with their own eyes what kind of existence the Immortal who could annihilate an entire fleet single-handedly really was.

Just then, the Xuantong Emperor walked to the front of the ceremonial platform, holding a golden silk scroll, and took a deep breath:

"I, the former Xuantong Emperor of the Jin, Jin Deluo Pu Wuyi, hereby declare to the representatives of all provinces and to all the people of the world today."

"Under the rule of the evil empress, the court was corrupt, the great powers humiliated us, the mountains and rivers were in turmoil, and the people could not make a living; I feel deeply responsible for this. It so happened that the Immortal Master descended to the world, various armies rose up, all provinces responded, and Shenzhou was in a fervor. This is a transformation unseen in a thousand years; it is only right to reshape the landscape and return the government to the world. Therefore, I specifically follow the Immortal Master's decree to convene a national assembly and publicly decide on the form of government."

"For two months, the North and South have been separated, holding each other in a stalemate; commerce has ceased on the roads, and scholars have been exposed in the wilderness, all because the national structure was not decided for a single day, leaving the people's livelihood unsettled for a single day. The will of the people is the will of Heaven; how could I bear to sacrifice the well-being of the masses for the honor of one surname? Therefore, observing the general trend externally and examining public opinion internally, I announce my abdication today and return the ruling power to the entire nation!"

It was indeed the Xuantong Emperor formally reading his own abdication edict.

Even though the provincial representatives below already knew, when they heard the content of the edict with their own ears, they still could not help but tremble, filled with wild joy and excitement, with some even weeping on the spot.

The announcement of this edict undoubtedly represented the formal collapse of the Jin Dynasty, and the land of Shenzhou could finally be fully restored to the Han attire; people had waited for this day for far too long.

After the edict was read, the Xuantong Emperor silently stepped aside. The foreign reporters at the very back were frantically taking photos with their cameras, while Zuo Guanglie, the head of the officials, came to the front of the ceremonial platform and announced loudly:

"Inspired by the Immortal Master, after the abdication of the Xuantong Emperor, the land of Shenzhou will completely abolish the imperial system and re-establish the national structure. The Immortal has bestowed the name 'New' for the nation, signifying the beginning of ten thousand things and the renewal of Heaven and Earth. From now on, we shall be the subjects of the New Nation!"

As the words fell, the crowd below erupted in a roar of excitement:

"The beginning of ten thousand things and the renewal of Heaven and Earth?"

"New Nation, New Nation is a good name!"

"We thank the Immortal for bestowing the name. May I ask where the Immortal is now? Can we be allowed to gaze upon the Immortal's face?"

"We dare to be so bold as to beg the Immortal to show mercy and meet us, and to accept our obeisance!"

Unable to suppress the excitement, reverence, and anticipation in their hearts, the representatives shouted one after another, merging into a vast wave that surged straight into the clouds.

And it was as if in response.

Suddenly, a clear and resonant dragon's roar echoed across the entire sky above the Imperial City. As the crowd felt a slight shock and turned their heads, they immediately saw the clouds churning overhead, and a beam of golden light, like a sharp arrow from a god, pierced through the clouds, scattering golden light like rain.

In an instant, the light rain condensed into a massive golden dragon in the air. A figure stood independently on the dragon's back, aloof from the world, riding the dragon's head as he descended from the sky.

The sky full of light rain was magnificent. Whether it was the thousands of provincial representatives and foreign journalists in the square, or the tens of thousands of commoners gathered outside the Imperial City, all saw this astonishing scene clearly, and then their eyes widened and their mouths hung open:

"A dragon!"

"The Immortal is riding a dragon!"

"My God, is this the deity of Shenzhou?"

At this very moment, facing such a magnificent and mysterious phenomenon of Heaven and Earth, almost everyone lost the ability to speak or think, just staring blankly as Lu Yuan stepped on the golden dragon and descended before the Jin Luan Dian.

After a long while, everyone in the square seemed to wake from a dream. Resisting the urge to prostrate themselves, they all bowed in unison and cried out excitedly:

"We pay our respects to the Immortal—!"

Before entering the palace, everyone had long been notified that the kneeling ritual was abolished and that no one was to kneel at any time. As for the foreign journalists, they also felt a sense of awe in this situation and followed the representatives in bowing their heads to show respect for the extraordinary existence.

"You may all rise."

The golden dragon vanished into light rain. Lu Yuan, having landed before the Jin Luan Dian, scanned the crowd in the square with a smile, his voice ethereal:

"The reshaping of Shenzhou's mountains and rivers, the changing of Heaven and Earth, begins today. I have appeared to encourage you all. You are representatives elected by your respective provinces and should prioritize the people of the world. A nation is based on its people; emperors, kings, generals, and ministers have become a thing of the past. My vision is for the people of Shenzhou to have ample food and clothing, to live and work in peace, for everyone to be equal, and for everyone to be like a dragon. There shall be no exploitation and no oppression, like an Immortal nation on Earth. I hope you will all strive to realize this one day."

Everyone equal, everyone like a dragon, an Immortal nation on Earth.

Everyone equal, everyone like a dragon—this was the scene of the world governed by the Saint King in ancient legends. The crowd was first shocked by this grand vision, then their hearts surged with emotion, and they spoke respectfully in unison:

"What the Immortal wishes is also what we, mere mortals, wish for!"

"We are willing to exhaust our efforts and give our all, so that one day Shenzhou may realize this magnificent scene!"

Regardless of how many of these people were sincere and how many were skeptical, Lu Yuan only nodded slightly:

"Very good. The rest is up to you all."

Having said this, his figure gradually turned into illusory light rain, disintegrating before everyone's eyes and scattering into the air.

In the square, all the representatives, having had their horizons broadened, were even more awestruck and bowed in unison:

"We respectfully send off the Immortal—!"

Very soon.

The Xuantong Emperor's formal abdication, the appearance of the Immortal riding a golden dragon, the re-establishment of the national title, and the vision of Shenzhou becoming an Immortal nation on Earth spread in all directions, turning the vast Tianjing City into an ocean of boiling joy.

Because if words about letting the people have ample food and clothing, living and working in peace, and everyone being like a dragon came from the mouths of emperors, kings, generals, or ministers, all the commoners would only treat it as farting.

But coming from the mouth of an Immortal, it gave infinite hope to countless impoverished, starving, and ragged commoners at the bottom of society.

Although it was said that the Immortal would not participate in government, in the simple understanding of the common people, this was the word of Heaven. No corrupt official, bully, or powerful tyrant could hide from his eyes. As a result, everyone from peddlers to street beggars began to care about national affairs, running outside the Imperial City during their spare time to inquire about first-hand news, wanting to know what the provincial representatives had decided.

Under such anticipation from the masses, the political conference lasted for more than half a month. Under the chairmanship of Zuo Guanglie, all representatives discussed and voted on major directions including the national system, military and political affairs, and even people's livelihoods.

The final result was that, through the vote of the provincial representatives, the Council was established, and Zuo Guanglie was elected as the leader of the New Nation with over ninety percent of the votes, authorized to form a Cabinet and oversee all military and political power.

Of course, as a limitation, the representatives of the Council had the power to impeach the leader and Cabinet ministers. Whenever the intellectuals among the people heard this and pondered it carefully, they all slapped the table in approval.

As for those commoners with limited understanding, although they only half-understood, they knew that Zuo Guanglie, the former high official who had managed the world and was revered by the masses, had become the leader, and they were exceptionally happy, spreading the news to one another.

And after the national system and political structure were established, there was more equally significant news transmitted from within the palace.

First, through a unanimous vote by the Council, the New Nation would honor Lu Yuan as the State Preceptor, titled the Profound Heaven Supreme Heavenly Master, to establish Daoist temples, sculpt golden statues, and enjoy the worship of the masses through Incense.

Second, to abolish all unequal treaties signed by the Jin Dynasty over these years, reclaim all occupied territories, and expel the foreign powers!