Qin Shi floated in He Lanchan’s mory; more accurately, this was the past of the Vice Marshal, all unfolding from his perspective.
Dongxia, jointly established by the Nine Marshals, from its newborn state to its tottering steps, was etched in Qin Shi’s spirit.
It was an extrely grand image, carrying forward the ideals of countless beings.
"In the macro scale of the Great Cosmos, a thousand years, ten thousand years, even a hundred million years, are but fleeting monts.
The existence of the individual is very insignificant before the vastness of ti."
From the Vice Marshal’s perspective, Marshal Qin’s silhouette always moved ahead, like an insurmountable and reassuring monunt and guidepost.
The setting sun was like blood, with clouds at the horizon dyed crimson by its glow.
Marshal Qin, cloaked in a military coat, stood atop the peak, with overlapping ridges below, raging waves, a vast panorama.
"To transcend to that immortal level of individual life, one must embrace civilization and resonate with the Great Cosmos; in ancient tis, it was called ’Union with the Dao’."
"Yan Haishan, Ning Yuanhai, in their era, Dongxia had yet to exhibit its current vigor.
As the most outstanding nurtured by civilization, they could only conform to the will of the pillar deities.
They beca Martial Gods but lost the possibility of progressing further."
Qin Shi heard the Vice Marshal raise a question:
"Big brother, why does adhering to the pillar result in losing a future of ascending to ’immortality’?"
Marshal Qin raised his hand to point into the distance, where wild geese migrated, traversing the vast sky, beneath endless forests, with myriad beasts charging, showcasing the life force of nature.
"The splendor and wonder of life lie in its infinite possibilities.
Natural selection drives individuals to continually advance in stronger or more suitable directions.
Ayue, if you look down from the highest point, you’ll understand how long it takes for a vast civilization to reproduce, undergo generations of heredity and mutation, competition and elimination, and finally produce one with the potential to challenge the Martial God?
It is a kind of miracle, one that even the pillar deities find difficult to replicate."
Marshal Qin spoke slowly:
"Thus, the thing most valuable within any civilized race’s individuals is ’infinite possibilities.’
Once they choose to abandon them, that door closes."
Saying this, Marshal Qin turned around, his gaze seed to carry mountains and seas, boundless and vast.
Even across distant years, Qin Shi still felt that unique charisma rushing towards him, filling his spirit.
"Ayue, among the cosmos, there is no savior. To create a future for civilization, to stride towards an infinitely glorious path, one must rely on oneself."
So that’s how it is...
Qin Shi realized.
Only by grasping the ’infinite possibilities of individual evolution’ could one have the opportunity to step into the hall supported by the pillars.
"Beyond the Martial God, becoming the pillar of the Great Cosmos..."
Qin Shi’s thoughts fluctuated, as if walking in the fog, scenes continuously shifting, the iron-willed expedition of the Fourth Battle Group, several large-scale battles, the sequential slumber of the Nine Marshals, eternal rest in the Celestial Crystal Coffin...
"Big brother, I can’t take over the Fourth Battle Group..."
Within the grand hall of the Imperial Capital, Marshal Qin was in a gray suit, streaks of silvery white threading through his hair.
Though this highest rit of Dongxia stood straight, his figure still majestic, ti had still left indelible, clear traces on his Martial God physique.
Towering and broad, under the do-like grand hall, the two brothers walked shoulder to shoulder to the center, the colossal civilization totem hanging above like a painting.
"Do you have concerns?"
Marshal Qin asked.
"Several Marshals are one by one entering eternal slumber; I’m very close to that step. Once crossed, I will beco the flag bearer of New Dongxia in essence.
If the Fourth Battle Group is also under my control, plus my ties with the Zhu royal family...
The Vice Marshal’s voice was very somber.
"Soone from the Zhu royal family approached you?"
Marshal Qin keenly sensed the unspoken aning in his brother’s words.
"Yes. The restoration faction secretly lobbied several tis, hoping I would revive Zhu’s destiny."
The Vice Marshal candidly spoke.
"Ayue, you are not one to fear rumors; those hidden remnants of the restoration, if they are kept, it’s out of consideration for Zhu, not wanting to exterminate them entirely.
There must be other reasons."
Marshal Qin knew his brother well; he never married, and never hesitated for personal affairs, treating Qin Yue as the successor he was cultivating.
"So say that by giving the Fourth Battle Group to my younger brother, I aim for a ’family dominion,’ but your ability, your conduct, your enthusiasm for Dongxia I’ve seen with my own eyes.
I don’t want to be a New Dongxia saint, nor a deity placed on an altar to be worshiped and fed incense.
What’s that saying, the thod to distinguish truth from falsehood always lies in practice.
Ayue, don’t have any concerns; let’s open up and be frank with each other, brothers."
Marshal Qin laughed heartily; in the mories seen by Qin Shi, this supre figure supporting half of New Dongxia’s skies lacked the profound solemnity of a leader.
On the contrary, he mostly appeared with a kind, close, and father-like image, generous and accommodating.
"Big brother."
The Vice Marshal’s mind seed very conflicted, for soone who led the Fourth Battle Group and won multiple group battles to hesitate this much, it was evident how heavy the words weighing on his heart were.
"I... have been to the Peak of the Stars and made contact with powerful races beyond the Galaxy."
"Hmm."
Marshal Qin nodded. The Peak of the Stars is the "road" leading beyond the Galaxy.
More accurately, it is the guidepost to the sources of life throughout the Great Cosmos.
Anyone who carves their na at the Peak of the Stars and seizes the title of "Champion" can earn the opportunity to be baptized by the sources of life in the Great Cosmos.
This is what was referred to in the ancient era as Immortal Fate!
The ultimate point of Life Force developnt, what can be reached, is the "source" that’s persisted through several great extinctions.
Any race that enters to be baptized will gain imasurable benefits.
Marshal Qin was one of them.
"Nine major powerful races, but now only six remain in existence. The mighty ’Necro’ race and the glorious ’Machine’ race have both vanished.
The reason behind it, big brother, you should know too; they chose to resist the great extinction and then were extinguished."
Marshal Qin gradually retracted his smile, as if realizing what his little brother wanted to say.
The Vice Marshal’s voice was stirring as he gazed at the massive civilization totem and solemnly said:
"That is the extraordinary winter, the end of civilization. All that is real shall beco illusion; all that exists shall be erased.
If the Great Cosmos is the ocean, then each civilization is a sand castle built by the shore; a wave crashes, and it collapses."
Marshal Qin remained silent, maintaining his quietude.
The Vice Marshal continued:
"Twelve divine pillars, behind them are twelve completely annihilated super civilizations!
They extinguished the fla of civilization with their own hands and embraced the Great Cosmos to beco pillars.
They intend to devour more paths to strengthen their foundation so that they may stand firm through repeated great extinctions.
I have no intention to criticize nor the qualification; the pillars are high and lasting, they must be right.
I am rely contemplating how Dongxia should face that great extinction.
Relying solely on the Great Expedition to maintain the fla of civilization is far from enough! Even if we recover all territories of the Empire era... big brother..."
Qin Shi seed to have achieved Spiritual Resonance with the Vice Marshal; he perceived that this legendary figure, who nurtured He Lanchan and whose Fourth Battle Group has not forgotten, harbored a trace of fear within.
Like a student afraid of making mistakes and disappointing the teacher.
"No need to say any more."
Marshal Qin raised his hand, interrupting the Vice Marshal.
"Ayue, that path violates the way I believe in and strive to follow."
The Vice Marshal didn’t seem surprised but was very disappointed, lowering his head like a child who had done sothing wrong, murmuring:
"I’m sorry, big brother."
Marshal Qin waved again, standing before that massive civilization totem. Even with his brother, his most favored successor nearby, his figure seed a bit lonely.
"Among the Nine Marshals, I am not the only one who has been to the Peak of the Stars.
Many years ago, we discussed which direction New Dongxia should take.
Civilization is a very complex concept; it is both collective and individual, both great and small.
Old Yang told that this path is difficult to choose; a little to the left, you return to the old path, a little to the right, you have to submit to the pillars, willingly putting on shackles.
I also chatted with old Ying; his perspective is a bit different. He believes there’s no perfect solution in this world; as long as it benefits most people, even if only short-term, it’s fine. No one can foresee what will happen thousands or millions of years later. Right and wrong should be left to future generations; overly worrying about it is seeking sanctity and divinity.
Old Ying cos from a scholarly family with rich cultural heritage, purposefully using this to jibe at ."
Marshal Qin spoke of these things with a chuckle, though it soon turned into a long sigh.
"Old Yang can see problems but doesn’t know how to solve them. anwhile, old Ying is pragmatic, comprehensive; you can’t say the path he wants is wrong, but the prosperity of a civilization often reveals itself a thousand, ten thousand years later.
Short-term benefit is prematurely consuming future resources, and debts will eventually have to be repaid."
Marshal Qin deeply looked at his little brother and sighed:
"You’re too far left, old Ying is too far right. You want to beco Dongxia’s Emperor, to elevate as the thirteenth pillar of the Great Cosmos through civilization.
But if I beco a pillar, everyone in Dongxia will lose their ’unlimited potential’; they will beco lives caged with no future as individuals and stripped of the freedom of choice."
The Vice Marshal’s lips moved, wanting to speak but hesitating.
Marshal Qin’s gaze was calm:
"You want to say, that’s not important, right?"
This universally recognized supre of New Dongxia slowly and heavily shook his head:
"It’s very important! Civilization is a cradle, not a pasture, but if the cradle can no longer nurture hope and instead beco nourishnt for so existence... then it has changed.
I do not want the future thousand, ten thousand years of Dongxia to be occupied by so colossal entity, continuously extracting that ’unlimited potential’ of life.
If that happens..."
Marshal Qin’s face bore sadness for the first ti.
"I will feel like everything I’ve done, and all those who have made sacrifices alongside , is completely... wasted."
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