Chapter 0727: I Am the State

Rites are an inheritance engraved in the very blood and bones of the people of Huaxia.From propriety and law arise morality.To respect others is to respect oneself.

A worthy ruler should enable his subjects to stand tall, not force them to kneel. Such rituals of kneeling and prostration are cherished only by foreign tribes. Lacking true cultural depth, they seek psychological satisfaction and a false sense of superiority through these acts. In truth, it is nothing but a reflection of their insecurity and inferiority.

Since the very beginning, Xuanhuang City had never enforced kneeling ceremonies. And now, this tradition remains unchanged.

"It seems that even the King's form of self-address is different from other imperial rulers,"remarked Master Lu with a subtle realization.

According to custom, once a dynasty is established and a person becomes a sovereign, their manner of self-address shifts to using the term "Zhen (朕)", traditionally reserved for emperors. But Yi Tianxing had never used it—not once.

"Could it be that there's some kind of taboo around this?"asked Jia Yucun curiously.

Yi Tianxing explained calmly:

"From ancient times until the Qin Dynasty, no ruler used 'Zhen' to refer to themselves. The term 'Zhen' is synonymous with 'Zheng (政)'—meaning governance—it was simply the personal self-designation of Qin Shi Huang, Ying Zheng. He found using his name directly inappropriate, so he took a homophone and created the term 'Zhen'.

Liu Bang was, to put it nicely, a man of talent and ambition; to put it bluntly, he was a street thug. Without understanding the origin, he began using 'Zhen' himself. Later, a Confucian scholar reminded him, but by then the word had spread across the empire. It was too late to take it back, so he simply went with it. And from that point on, every emperor followed suit.

But if someone had referred to themselves as 'Zhen' in front of Qin Shi Huang, it would've been laughable—like calling themselves him."

"That's true,"said Cai Yong thoughtfully."I recall seeing scattered records about this in some old Confucian texts, though they were vague. Now that I think of it, this makes perfect sense. No wonder the origin of the word was obscured. It was likely Liu Bang himself who ordered the erasure of texts that explained its origin. No wonder later generations didn't document it."

If this was true, then naturally the use of "Zhen" was entirely inappropriate. To call oneself "Zhen" was to refer not to oneself—but to Qin Shi Huang. What a ludicrous mistake.

"Since I am a king, I will refer to myself as 'Gu Wang (孤王)'—the Solitary King. If the Destiny Dynasty ascends further, I will adjust accordingly. These are minor formalities and should not be overemphasized,"Yi Tianxing said calmly.

"The King speaks wisely,"the ministers responded in unison.

The assembly quickly turned to discussing the system of governance and bureaucratic structure. Voices rang out as each minister contributed their thoughts. Bit by bit, the framework of the Destiny Dynasty took shape.

The founding of the dynasty had been rushed, and such discussions ideally should've taken place earlier. Still, these matters could not be handled carelessly—especially when considering the villages and towns that had long been loyal to Xuanhuang City. They were foundational and deserved consideration.

Time flew—hours passed in the blink of an eye.

All the while, Yi Tianxing remained silent. His attention wasn't on politics, but inward—on his own body and its transformation.

And what a transformation it was.

"The power of the Heavenly Position of Karma (天地业位)… This feeling is truly wondrous. So this is the benefit of founding a Destiny Dynasty and gaining the favor of fate. It's miraculous—unbelievable. Just the Heavenly Position alone boosts my cultivation speed thirty-sixfold. Though thirty-six may not sound extreme, this increase is constant, effortless, and granted directly by heaven and earth."

When he first founded Xuanhuang Village, the village lord position increased his cultivation speed threefold. Upon its rise to a town, it became ninefold. Upon reaching Immortal City, it became eighteenfold.

Now, as the capital became a King City and the Destiny Dynasty was born, the Heavenly Position of Karma bestowed a staggering thirty-sixfold increase.

This wasn't even including the rebounding of fate energy (气运反哺), which had yet to begin. Once it did, both his realm and power would experience a complete metamorphosis.

A thirty-sixfold increase was like practicing for thirty-six days in one. Even an average cultivator could rival top-tier geniuses under such conditions. This advantage was beyond measure.

"One life, two destinies, three feng shui. The path of destiny cultivation is truly profound."

"It's time—let the fate-energy rebound!"

As ministers continued debating, Yi Tianxing finally released his restraint. The fate-energy feedback he had held back since the founding began to surge.

ROAR!!!

A five-clawed golden fate dragon soaring above the cloud-sea suddenly turned, locking its gaze on the Heavenly Palace. With a resounding dragon's cry, it dove down like a beam of golden light, piercing through the void and entering Yi Tianxing's body.

Golden light burst forth, spreading through the hall like waves. A pressure of imperial might radiated throughout the space—like a real dragon had descended.

"Fate-energy rebound, the Heavenly Position settles. The fate dragon fuses with the ruler's body. The true benefits of founding a Dynasty are finally arriving."muttered Jiang Ni, cloaked in black, watching from a quiet corner.

Fate energy had always been intangible, guiding one's fortune in subtle ways. But after founding a Destiny Dynasty, it could be harnessed—embodied—transformed into power, cultivation, destiny, and position.

It could break bottlenecks, forge the body, refine the soul—an all-purpose miracle remedy.

Yi Tianxing, already terrifyingly strong, would now undergo a further, unimaginable transformation.

The moment the fate dragon entered his body, boundless fate energy rushed into his being.

He turned his senses inward, observing every detail of his body: organs, meridians, bones, and sinew—all clearly visible.

In his Divine Sea, the massive wave of fate caused violent ripples. If not for the Hongmeng Heavenly Emperor Pagoda suppressing it, chaos might've ensued.

The surrounding worldly energy surged toward his Divine Sea like a tsunami.

His consciousness reached an unprecedented clarity. Concepts once obscure became obvious. Previously puzzling techniques and questions resolved themselves instantly.

His understanding of martial arts and techniques deepened rapidly. The true intent of martial arts within him grew stronger on its own.

Without even trying, his various martial intents reached their pinnacle, ready to soar into the heavens and undergo tribulation to further refine his body.

But this was only the beginning.

In his Divine Sea, the life-aperture stars (命窍星辰) lit up like the cosmos, shining with dazzling brilliance.

Mystical Dao Rhythms streamed endlessly into his body, transforming into laws and principles, fusing with the very core of each life aperture, strengthening their foundations.

His understanding and control over heavenly laws grew exponentially.

This was the incredible benefit of fate.

But even more astonishingly, his life apertures all began to shine. In the sky above the Divine Sea, five core life apertures glowed like suns. Their trajectories began to shift and intertwine, moving with a mysterious rhythm.

"Life Diagram (命图)… it's forming!"Yi Tianxing gasped.

This was the sign of the Life Diagram's emergence—a phenomenon that only occurred when the cultivation base, comprehension, and fate aligned perfectly.

Using the life-aperture stars as ink, the mind and Dao comprehension as the brush, Yi Tianxing was now painting a divine masterpiece in the void.

That painting… would be his Life Diagram.

And the strength of that diagram would depend entirely on the depth of his cultivation and accumulation.