Mountains of Corpses and Seas of Blood: A Discourse on Power

Blood pooled into streams beneath his feet, corpses piled like mountains on either side, while the sounds of fierce battle still raged behind him.

An aura of solemn slaughter permeated the air.

That figure stood at the entrance of the small town, his back turned. Qin Ran walked over, gazing at his silhouette, and asked, "You came?"

The figure paused briefly before replying, "I came."

"You shouldn't have."

"I really shouldn't have."

"But you still did."

The figure turned around, revealing a delicate and harmless face—one that always carried a faint smile, as if nothing in the world concerned him, or as if everything in the world was under his control.

And that face… was Qin Ran’s own. The person before him was his doppelgänger, the one who had gotten lost in Xuanqin and sent a letter saying he was leaving to chase his dreams.

"If I hadn’t come, you’d be done for," the doppelgänger said with a laugh.

"I wouldn’t be done for," Qin Ran retorted. "I prepared for all of you to come at once. The Dao Sword Sect would’ve still had a chance to preserve its legacy. But who knew only Zhican Valley would show up?"

He chuckled. "On the contrary, by coming here, you’re the one who’s done for. Even though you severed our connection, we’re so close now that reclaiming you is just a thought away."

"You wouldn’t kill me," the doppelgänger said, utterly unafraid. "You know me. I wouldn’t have come unless I was 99.98% sure I’d survive."

Talking to himself was both fascinating and irritating. Only now did Qin Ran truly understand how his enemies felt facing him.

"Then hurry up and give me a few good reasons," he said to the doppelgänger. "Otherwise, I might just reclaim you anytime."

"The emperor of Xuanqin is actually the avatar of an old Nascent Soul monster. He’s building a unified dynasty to establish an immortal cultivation system—one where the gap in talent among cultivators narrows, allowing everyone to practice and thrive. I think we should help him."

Facing his original self, the doppelgänger didn’t bother with cryptic words. He knew Qin Ran might really reclaim him on a whim, so he cut straight to the point. "This is a grand undertaking… You came to this world for a reason. I don’t think you’d oppose it."

Though he had suspected as much before, Qin Ran now fully understood the truth behind Xuanqin’s war.

"A dynasty-based cultivation system? Impressive. This world never lacks people with grand ambitions." He nodded, then suddenly realized something. "But in this system, where do sects stand?"

"That’s why I’m here," the doppelgänger said. "If we work together, when this succeeds, the Dao Sword Sect will become the state religion of the Xuanqin Immortal Dynasty."

Qin Ran understood. That meant every other sect would either be destroyed or disbanded.

"Unify the mortal realm, eliminate the sects. With just a mortal kingdom…" He turned and pointed toward the Dao Sword Sect, where Xuanqin’s Golden Core cultivators were locked in bitter combat. "With just a handful of weaklings, you think you can partner with the Dao Sword Sect? Wipe out the sects? Overhaul the cultivation system? Are you dreaming?"

"That’s why I’m the one coming to you, not someone else. I’m here to ask for your help," the doppelgänger said.

Qin Ran laughed and shook his head. "Clearly, I have zero interest."

"The tides of fate ebb and flow. The Land of Immortal Legacy has reached a point where unification is inevitable. And the first push came from you."

The doppelgänger looked at Qin Ran seriously. "Zhican Valley is finished. Next, the Hengduan Mountains will enter an era dominated by the Dao Sword Sect and the Boundless Sword Sect. You two won’t coexist peacefully—sooner or later, there’ll be a war to decide the top sect in the Hengduan Mountains. And I have every confidence you’ll be the victor."

"Confidence in me? How narcissistic," Qin Ran scoffed.

"With Xuanqin’s help, unifying the Hengduan Mountains will be much easier," the doppelgänger continued. "Likewise, if Xuanqin gains the Dao Sword Sect’s support, unifying the Land of Immortal Legacy will also proceed smoothly.

"You fight among the sects; I fight in the courts. Together, we’ll form a pincer movement, and the great Xuanqin Immortal Dynasty will rise."

Qin Ran studied his doppelgänger intently before sighing. "You’re not me anymore."

"How am I not you?"

"I spent over twenty years laying low at Dan Peak. If I wanted to stir trouble, I’d have done it long ago." Qin Ran’s expression was calm. "I never planned to get involved—I only acted to protect Dan Peak when forced. Besides, I’m a married man now. I have a family.

"Shi Yin and I agreed that once this is over, we’ll leave the Land of Immortal Legacy and travel. Consider it a vacation. I came to this world—I should see the sun beyond these borders.

"You see? You and I are nothing alike. You care about the world, the people, power… You’ve become someone else entirely."

The doppelgänger fell silent for a long moment before saying, "If you leave the Dao Sword Sect, they’ll eventually clash with Xuanqin. When that happens, my position will be difficult."

Qin Ran reached out and patted his shoulder. "That’s what you’re here for. I won’t reclaim you—go chase your dream. If you can do something meaningful for this world, all the better.

"As for this unified immortal dynasty… endless external wars, internal court intrigues, new social systems to build, new resource distribution methods to test… Just thinking about it exhausts me.

"And when I’m exhausted, I leave it to my doppelgängers. Isn’t that why you exist?"

"Now I’m you again?" The doppelgänger rolled his eyes.

Qin Ran laughed. "I’ll help you clean up the Hengduan Mountains. But after that, you’ll have to negotiate with the sect leader yourself. Handle it however you see fit—I don’t want any part of it."

No one understood Qin Ran better than himself. The doppelgänger sighed but didn’t press further.

"Oh, right. Since you’ve come all this way, I can’t let you leave empty-handed." Qin Ran’s expression turned serious.

"Your cultivation hasn’t progressed since I separated from you—I assume you haven’t found a suitable method. I’ll tell you how to proceed. If you’re going to shake the world, you’ll need strength.

"First, you can reshape your body using another type of heaven-and-earth anomalous water. Second, you can seek a specialized soul-refining cultivation technique."

The doppelgänger’s eyes lit up. "I can figure out the anomalous water. What’s this soul-refining technique?"

"I’ll tell you later." Qin Ran continued, "Also, since you’re planning to unify the Land of Immortal Legacy, there’s one faction you need to watch out for."

"Which faction?"

"The Yuan Organization!" Qin Ran's expression turned grave as he spoke in a solemn tone. "This group is far more terrifying than you imagine—perhaps on the same scale as the Lingnan Immortal Sect, but of demonic origins."

The clone's face stiffened. "That formidable?"

"Indeed, it is. However, the Land of Immortal Legacy is merely a minor branch of the Yuan Organization, so don't let it overwhelm you," Qin Ran said with a faint shake of his head and a wry smile. "Though by now, Zhican Valley's ancestral home has likely already been raided by them."

"Enough of that..." With that, he raised a hand and pressed a finger against the clone's forehead. "I'll impart the meditation diagram to you."