The people in the collapsing iron gave the immortal ship a small shock from the Holy Lord.

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"Tsk, I wonder who the emperor of the Ming Dynasty is now. I'll send that guy a dream and ask him to do this for me."

Bai Zhi thought about it and decided that this method was more reliable. She couldn't very well conjure up a bunch of heavenly soldiers and generals and send them to dig all over the Mesopotamian plains...

Chapter 806 Theory of Life

"Your Majesty, it is time. Would you like to burn incense and pray?"

In the magnificent imperial city, an old eunuch bowed slightly and asked a question into the room.

Inside was the current emperor of the mighty Ming Dynasty, known as the Jiajing Emperor, Zhu Houcong.

This Jiajing Emperor has no other hobbies but loves cultivating immortality. He hardly attends court anymore and prefers to tinker with things in his palace and consume some of the elixirs he concocts himself.

"Has it come to this? Very well, I have devoted myself to cultivation these past few days and have gained some insights. It is time to go to the temple to burn incense and pray."

The door was pushed open, and a thin, middle-aged man dressed in Taoist robes, who looked more like a Taoist priest than an emperor, came out.

"With Your Majesty's sincerity and years of cultivation, Immortal Baizhi will surely bestow blessings upon you."

The eunuch lowered his head and loudly flattered him.

"Heh, maybe..."

Emperor Jiajing looked up at the sky, his emotions inscrutable. Although he had been in charge of this vast empire for many years, the enormous state apparatus was functioning unexpectedly well, and the whole country was thriving.

But he knew that this might not have much to do with him. The reason this country had come this far and achieved the status of an empire on which the sun never sets was entirely due to the secret techniques that the founding emperor Zhu Yuanzhang had obtained from the heavens.

The entire kingdom, powered by the secret arts of immortals—a technology known as steam power—began to surge forward.

With the popularization of steam engines, trains, ships, textile machinery, and even various mechanical processing equipment sprang up like mushrooms after rain.

Throughout history, monarchs have governed according to the principles of rule contained in that secret art. Even when it came to overseas colonization, they opted for a more peaceful economic model rather than a violent and bloody one, in order to prevent excessive resistance and eventual independence from the colonies.

But... what does this have to do with him, the king?

All of this was due to the wisdom of the immortals. Successive emperors only needed to follow the instructions and find suitable methods to govern within the secret arts.

You could even say that it makes no difference whether he's there or not.

Therefore, after becoming emperor, he tried some of his ideas, but in the end, his resentment had no effect.

Compared to the methods in the secret arts, his methods were too narrow, confined to the current era, and could not achieve the same forward-looking vision as the methods in the secret arts.

So, after working diligently for many years, he started his business.

He felt that it didn't really matter whether he was there or not, and he just needed to follow the instructions.

At the same time, he also realized the unfathomable depth of the immortals, so he came up with an idea: his ancestors had been summoned to the heavens by the immortals and bestowed with this extraordinary wisdom.

So, if I were to cultivate immortality and learn the Dao, would I be able to ascend to the immortal realm one day?

In that case, my life would have been worthwhile.

This idea didn't last long before he was defeated by reality. After studying a bunch of Taoist and Buddhist scriptures, and even theological texts from other religions, he found that apart from making further progress in philosophical thinking, he didn't experience any physical changes.

There's no such thing as being as light as a swallow.

So now he's settling for second best, hoping that by cultivating immortality and learning the Dao, he can catch the attention of the immortal Bai Zhi.

He doesn't seek ascension; he only needs to be summoned back to the upper realm to receive some minor guidance, and he will be remembered in history instead of being merely mentioned briefly.

"His Majesty?"

The eunuch looked at the Jiajing Emperor, who was lost in thought, and asked softly.

"It's nothing... let's go."

The Jiajing Emperor shook his head.

Upon arriving at the specially constructed temple within the palace, gazing at the statues shrouded in the glow of faith, Emperor Jiajing knelt devoutly on a prayer cushion and, as always, offered his prayers.

"Immortal, please..."

Before the Jiajing Emperor could finish speaking, his eyes rolled back and he collapsed to the ground.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty!!"

This sudden turn of events threw the eunuchs and guards into chaos.

"Call the doctor quickly!"

The Jiajing Emperor was unaware of the chaos outside, for he found himself in what seemed like a fairyland.

Enveloped in white mist, the surrounding pavilions and towers were breathtakingly beautiful.

"Could it be that I'm really going to become an immortal??"

Faced with this place he had never seen before, yet which was incredibly wondrous, Emperor Jiajing's heart skipped a few beats.

Thinking that all his hard work was about to bear fruit, he hurried toward the largest pavilion, wanting to see what would appear there.

Is it the legendary fruit that can make one immortal by eating one, or is it that there is an immortal there who comes to take him to ascend to immortality?

near, near.

He continued forward, and in his line of sight, he could see that there seemed to be a person sitting there waiting for him in the pavilion.

Upon seeing this, he quickened his pace, moving even faster, until he could clearly see the people in the pavilion, at which point he stopped in astonishment.

"Bai Zhi...a celestial being??"

Although it differs slightly from the statue's appearance, features such as the dragon horns and its height are too obvious.

So much so that he recognized him immediately.

"Hmm, so you're the current emperor. It seems that Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di have both passed away. Time really flies. By the way, what's your name again?"

Looking at the middle-aged man in front of her, Bai Zhi suddenly had a feeling about the concept of lifespan. It hadn't been long since she last saw Zhu Di and the others, but now everything had changed.

I feel inexplicably melancholy.

How many times in one's life will this kind of thing happen?

"Tsk... I think I understand the thoughts of those who believe in pharmacists now."

Bai Zhi thought to herself silently.

Seeing Bai Zhi suddenly fall silent, Jiajing swallowed and said respectfully, "Immortal, my name is Zhu Houcong, the eleventh emperor of the Ming Dynasty, whose reign title is Jiajing."

"Zhu Houcong..."

Bai Zhi thought for a moment, recalling some things about this guy from the depths of her memory, and then asked with interest, "Are you trying to cultivate immortality now?"

She remembered that the emperors of the Ming Dynasty all had their own talents; some were carpenters, while others cultivated immortality and refined elixirs.

"Immortal, you are wise! In order to continue the glory of my ancestors and meet you again, I have been cultivating the Tao diligently all these years. I never thought that I would be able to fulfill my wish and meet you again. I am truly honored."

Emperor Jiajing was all smiles. It seemed that his devout Taoist practice had moved the immortals. He would definitely record this in the history books when he returned, so that future generations could admire his achievements!

I wonder if I will receive the same reward as Emperor Taizu after meeting the immortal this time.

Chapter 807 It's Time to Send Yanqing Out

"I've come to see you today because I need you to do something for me. Is there a problem?"

Bai Zhi didn't care what the Jiajing Emperor was thinking, but asked him directly.

"You need me to do something? Ah, no problem, I will remember the immortal's command!"

Emperor Jiajing patted his chest, then cautiously asked, "I just don't know what the Immortal needs me to do."

In his view, Bai Zhi was an immortal, while he was just a mortal emperor. The task entrusted to him by the immortal was probably not something he could easily accomplish.

What if it's something difficult to achieve, and we fail to do it in the end? Wouldn't that anger Bai Zhi?

But giving up was out of the question. Although Bai Zhi hadn't mentioned any reward, he believed that if he did things well, Bai Zhi would definitely be willing to lend him a hand in the end.

This is a golden opportunity to make a name for oneself in history.

"Hehe, simple. Your archaeology should be developing quite well now, right?"

Bai Zhi still remembered the technological data she had given to Lao Zhu and the others. Based on the surrounding scenery she had seen from the perspective of the statue in Fusang, it should have developed to a considerable level over the years.

"To be honest, Your Majesty, our Great Ming Dynasty is currently experiencing a surge in maritime activity, with our people eager to venture to all corners of the world for adventure, making archaeology a top priority."

"Our Great Ming Dynasty is building a museum that can house precious cultural relics from all over the world, and we have already received many treasures."

As he spoke, Jiajing looked at Baizhi earnestly: "Does the Immortal need us to collect some treasures?"

If Bai Zhi likes those treasures and antiques, wouldn't that give me another way to win her over?

Therefore, he immediately said, "If the immortal requires it, I will use the power of my Great Ming Dynasty to..."

"Stop! I don't need that stuff."

Bai Zhi stopped him from uttering that famous quote. Besides, everyone on Xianzhou has old things, not to mention that antiques from before Xianzhou existed are everywhere in the interstellar market. What's the point of Earth's?

Bai Zhi shook her head slightly. "What I need is for you to send someone to an archaeological site."

She stretched out her hand, and the water flowed out to form a map, which then marked the Mesopotamian plain. "There should be a Sumerian civilization site here. Go and investigate there, and see if you can find an epic tablet that records a person named Gilgamesh."

"This……"

The Jiajing Emperor was somewhat puzzled, but he still nodded, "Since it is the decree of the immortal, I will naturally obey."

"Alright, if it's unearthed, then spread the word that you've found this thing and that you're going to use it to summon the Hero King Gilgamesh to deal with a group of rebels."

“If a group of people come to steal this thing, and there are two women among them, one with orange hair and the other with purple hair, just pretend you can’t beat them and give them the clay tablet. I believe you can handle this, right?”

Bai Zhi explained her plan in detail and even used water to conjure up images of Gudako and Mashu for the Jiajing Emperor to see.

After taking a moment to understand Bai Zhi's words, Emperor Jiajing immediately assured her, "No problem. Once discovered, my Imperial Guards will escort you. They are professionals when it comes to acting."

After all, these people are bound together by their nine generations of kinship.

"It's... the immortals, those people..."

Jiajing hesitated, wondering if those people were no ordinary individuals who could command such attention from the immortals and arrange such special things for them.

"Oh, it's an extraterrestrial demon. If they succeed, the Ming Dynasty will probably fall apart. That clay tablet is a trap."

Bai Zhi glanced at the Jiajing Emperor and knew exactly what he was going to ask.

However, her description is indeed correct. In terms of nature, Chaldea is roughly equivalent to the extraterrestrial demons that came to destroy the world in this Lostbelt of Ming.

The Jiajing Emperor gasped, "Immortal, can we really defeat that extraterrestrial demon?"

"Just do as I say, I didn't tell you to fight recklessly."

Bai Zhi knew that it was a bit difficult for these ordinary people to fight the followers.

It might be more reliable to use it against the Master, since Gudako is still a mortal, and a shot to the head would kill her instantly.

However, her goal wasn't to kill Gudako. After all, Gudako is quite cute, and if possible, Baizhi would love to get close to Gudako.

After all, in her previous life she was a Master who chose Gudako as her image.

"Oh, okay, okay."

Emperor Jiajing nodded hastily, appearing somewhat flustered. This was a celestial demon from beyond the realm, personally instructed by a celestial being.

If there's some terrifying force that I can't withstand, then I'm doomed.

"Do a good job, and I'll give you some pills when I come down."

Seeing this guy's expression, Bai Zhi knew that she should offer some empty promises to boost morale.

"Guaranteed to complete the mission!!"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Jiajing's vision cleared instantly, his leg pain subsided, and even his earlier panic vanished.

Compared to the rewards from the immortals, the extraterrestrial demons are minor issues. Even if we lose some manpower, it's still within an acceptable range.

Bai Zhi shook her head with amusement, and then the entire dream shattered instantly.

"Let me see what those guys over there are up to now."

Instead of immediately returning to the world of Journey to the West, Bai Zhi shifted her focus to the statues of the gods in Fusang.

Is this draining my faith's strength?

Bai Zhi looked at the interface where 50 faith points were missing, and then at the golden shield placed below the statue, swallowing it whole, and immediately understood the current situation.

"Since you're inhaling so slowly, then you deserve a lesson!"