Aizen was walking out when he suddenly froze upon seeing King Chengdui. Then a strange smile spread across his face.
"Captain Chengdui. You're still alive? Now that's a surprise."
Aizen's ankles were shackled and his hands were bound, completely restricting his movement. Twelve elite soldiers from Qin's Nation flanked him, six on each side, all Captain-class fighters with cold, stern expressions.
King Chengdui didn't hesitate for a second. Drawing Hiramikurufū with his right hand, killing intent flooded his eyes as he charged forward. Within three steps, his entire body underwent Hollow Transformation, releasing a violent, ominous aura.
"Aizen, you must die!"
With a low growl, King Chengdui shot forward at incredible speed.
Aizen's pupils shrank, but instead of fear, the smile at the corner of his mouth only widened. He clearly wasn't worried about his safety.
"King Chengdui, stop!"
In the next instant, a massive golden figure appeared in front of Chengdui, blocking his path while radiating an imposing presence and a powerful aura.
"Aizen has been sentenced by our King to one hundred years in the eighth level of Hell in the Underworld Realm, according to Qin's Nation's time. No one is permitted to attack him during this period."
"The eighth level of Hell?"
"One hundred years according to Qin's Nation's time?"
King Chengdui's gaze sharpened, and he came to a sudden stop. He stared coldly at Aizen for a long moment before letting out a sneer.
"Since that's his order, I'll spare him this time."
Aizen narrowed his eyes, then smiled. "King Chengdui, it seems resurrection has taken some of that old arrogance out of you."
Chengdui's eyes turned cold at the taunt, but he sneered back. "You're just a frog at the bottom of a well. Once you see how vast the outside world really is, you'll regret it. You think you're being sent there to enjoy yourself? How laughable."
With that, he turned his attention to the tall golden figure before him. "Who are you? Qin's Nation actually has an expert like you?"
"My name is Sengoku," the golden figure said with a serious expression. "Our King ordered me to tell you that upon meeting, you are to proceed directly to the Imperial Palace."
Sengoku knew both men he had been sent to escort were dangerous individuals, but he wasn't afraid of either of them.
"The Imperial Palace?" King Chengdui's eyes narrowed.
"Pass through this tower gate and head to the third level," Sengoku said in a deep voice, pointing toward the Divine Nation's Tower behind him. "Once you leave the Underworld Realm, you'll arrive in the main realm of Qin's Nation. The Imperial Palace is located in the Minor Immortal Realm in outer space. Someone will guide you there."
"Interesting."
From those few words alone, King Chengdui gained a rough understanding of Qin's Nation's territorial structure. It was completely different from the Nie Kingdom, and he found it fascinating.
After giving Aizen one last lingering look, Chengdui walked past him and entered the Divine Nation's Tower.
Only after Chengdui's figure had completely disappeared did Sengoku relax slightly. He turned toward Aizen. "Aizen, let's move."
Aizen's eyes flickered. He was no idiot. Everything Qin Yi had said earlier, combined with King Chengdui's behavior before and after his resurrection, made it clear that the eighth level of the Underworld Realm and the phrase "one hundred years according to Qin's Nation's time" held a much deeper meaning.
After walking in silence for nearly an hour, Aizen finally stopped and asked in a low voice, "Sengoku, what exactly does 'Qin's Nation's time' mean?"
Sengoku glanced back at him, his expression indifferent. "Qin's Nation's time refers to the flow of time in our main realm. It means one hundred years according to our world's clock."
Aizen's expression shifted. "The time of your main realm?"
"Exactly. Since there is a main realm, there are naturally peripheral realms as well. The Shinigami Realm you came from is one of them. For worlds like that, the flow of time is independent from our main realm. Our King can even control the ratio between their respective time flows." Sengoku gave Aizen a pointed look as he explained.
"Control the flow of time between worlds?!" Aizen's expression turned solemn.
An ability like that was practically godlike, far beyond anything Aizen had imagined. He found it difficult to process that Qin Yi possessed such power.
"Yes," Sengoku spoke solemnly. "As our King's strength increases, so does the range of time-flow ratios he can control. At present, the maximum ratio he has achieved for any world is 1:100. In other words, one year in our main realm is equivalent to one hundred years in that world."
Controlling the flow of time was practically a cheat code for a King. It was precisely because of this ability that, after advancing their civilization, they could rapidly elevate the average strength of their populace. One expert could give rise to countless experts. It was also one of the reasons the King clan was so terrifyingly powerful that even immortals and gods feared them.
"1:100!" Aizen's face turned pale.
Damn it. He finally understood the trap.
Didn't this mean that while only one hundred years would pass for him here, King Chengdui and the others could train in a world where time flowed much faster? In that world, ten thousand years could pass!
Ten thousand years was an unimaginably long time. It might not have seemed like much compared to the ancient history of the Shinigami Realm, but having glimpsed the vastness of the multiverses beyond, Aizen understood full well what ten thousand years of growth meant.
By the time he was released, who knew how far ahead everyone else would be?
This wasn't just imprisonment, it was a brutal setback. He had foolishly assumed it was nothing more than a temporary lockup.
Seeing Aizen's expression, Sengoku knew he had figured it out and offered a cold smile. "Move along. Staying alive is still better than dying."
Aizen took a deep breath and resumed walking, though every step now felt extraordinarily heavy.
---
Imperial Palace, Minor Immortal Realm, Qin's Nation.
High upon the imperial throne, Qin Yi sat upright, his gaze majestic as he issued order after order.
"Organize post-war recovery immediately. Calculate the casualties and deploy medical robots to treat the wounded."
"Formulate a restructuring plan for this world. Divide it into the Three Realms and three continents: the Immortal Realm, Material Realm, and Underworld Realm will constitute the Three Realms, while the landmasses will be split into the Qin, Yuanli, and Chengdui Continents."
"Construct Realm Gates connecting all three continents. I will grant the necessary authorizations. Additionally, model the inter-world transport after the Chengdui Continent's design, build Uzumaki channels connecting the various worlds. They function like Realm Gates, but are simpler and more efficient."
Qin Yi's voice echoed through the Imperial Palace while officials below recorded every word.
"Qin's Nation has now absorbed dozens of worlds," he continued. "Through the integration of their achievements, our civilization level has advanced to Level Nine. Accelerate the compilation and synthesis of every world's cultivation, medical, and cultural systems. Establish more libraries and deepen inter-world integration. Only when civilizations collide and merge can a true Fire of Civilization be ignited."
"Our civilization has reached Starlight Level Nine, but our actual foundation of strength is still far from sufficient. Make sure you all understand this clearly."
The ministers nodded solemnly, taking his words to heart.
Qin's Nation could now unquestionably be considered a major power. It was even beginning to display the characteristics of a Divine Nation, having reached the peak of the Starlight level. Yet their overall martial power still lagged behind. To advance further, they needed cultural fusion to drive the average cultivation level upward; only then could the nation become genuinely formidable.
Just then, a guard hurried into the Imperial Palace.
"Your Majesty! King Chengdui has arrived!"
(End of Chapter)
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