"Yes, I understand,"Cao Zhengchun answered respectfully.
On the imperial desk, a scroll glowing with a purple light and emblazoned with a True Dragon emblem floated into the air and appeared before Cao Zhengchun.
At the sight of it, he immediately bowed and extended both hands, reverently supporting the scroll. The moment he held it, his hands instinctively sank under its weight. Though the scroll appeared ordinary, it carried the weight of a thousand catties.An ordinary person would have their arms broken just trying to lift it.
This was an imperial edict—not just any edict, but the original, the True Edict. After it was announced, it would return to Yi Tianxing. From then on, unless during critical events, all proclamations would be made through replicas—offspring scrolls—condensed from the True Edict itself.Each time an edict was proclaimed, the True Edict would record and brand it with a mark.
With the scroll in hand, Cao Zhengchun left the Hall of Heavenly Dawn and stepped atop the Palace Divine Tree outside the royal palace. Slowly, he unfurled the purple scroll.
The instant it opened, a formless power enveloped him. The back of the scroll revealed two ancient characters—Imperial Edict!The divine radiance that radiated from it instantly shrouded Cao Zhengchun in supreme majesty. An invisible will descended—one that carried the very aura of Yi Tianxing himself.For in this moment, the imperial edict represented the will of Yi Tianxing.
Standing atop the Palace Divine Tree, Cao Zhengchun's figure appeared naturally in the eyes of all the human citizens across the Great Yi Dynasty, within a radius of ten thousand miles.
"What is that?"
"I think I saw the Palace Divine Tree... I saw the royal palace!"
"That's the Chief Eunuch beside the King—Cao Zhengchun. What's in his hands? A purple scroll... it's the imperial edict!!"
"Amazing! We're thousands of miles from Xuanhuang City, and yet it's like we're seeing this scene right in front of us. As if space and time have been shattered!"
A wave of astonished murmurs rippled among the people.
"By the Mandate of Heaven, the King proclaims:
The Great Yi Dynasty is hereby founded. Let all under heaven rejoice.
In order to benefit the people, a national policy is declared—
No taxation shall ever be levied!"
"Decree: All villages and towns within the Great Yi territory shall be upgraded to Immortal Cities.
Each City Lord shall hold the rank of Third Grade Official.
Current village and town leaders will ascend to City Lord status. Every ten years, all Immortal City Lords will rotate and be reassigned.
Each City is governed by its Lord, with civilian governance separate from military command. City Lords shall not command troops."
"Decree: The Iron-Blooded Great Wall is the guardian artifact of the Great Yi Dynasty.
Wherever the wall extends, there lies the territory of Great Yi."
One decree after another echoed as Cao Zhengchun proclaimed the edict.
Gigantic characters formed from mist—NO TAXATION FOREVER—appeared in the sky, clearly visible to all. It was a national policy, one so significant that it might remain unshaken for all eternity.
ROAR!!
In the sea of providence, the golden flood dragon let out a thunderous roar. With a sweep of its claw, countless golden rays of light burst forth, merging with the dynasty's destiny and transforming into golden dragon-serpents.
These dragon-serpents cried out in high-pitched dragon calls, then shot across the sky in every direction.
In a blink, they arrived in various villages and towns across the Great Yi Dynasty, diving directly into the residences of village and town chiefs.
WHOOSH!!
Suddenly, those village and town estates began to transform at a visible pace.
They expanded naturally, rapidly growing with each breath. In mere moments, each had metamorphosed into a majestic City Lord's Mansion.
Every mansion radiated a unique aura—they were now the heart of each Immortal City.
Once the central City Lord's Mansion was established, the rest—walls, roads, infrastructure—could be built over time.
"They really upgraded directly to Immortal Cities?"
"Unbelievable! It's like ascending to heaven in a single step. Though City Lords don't receive the full providence of an Immortal City's lord, they now hold a Heaven and Earth Merit Rank, with a fourteen-fold cultivation boost! It may be less than the eighteen-fold of a true Immortal City Lord, but this is continuous—and as the dynasty grows, the merit rank may increase to twenty-fold, even thirty!"
"So this is the power of a Heaven and Earth Merit Rank? The obstacles I used to face in cultivation now feel like nothing. I'm about to break through!"
All across Great Yi, as villages and towns transformed, their leaders began breaking through one after another, receiving the dynasty's providence as a gift. They naturally entered a cultivation state.
Of course, only the central mansions transformed for now—the cities still needed major construction: walls, roads, homes, infrastructure. Eventually, massive formations would be carved into the walls. Once the Mountains and Rivers Altar Array was complete, it would draw endless world energy to continuously temper the cities—over time, even ordinary cities would become akin to divine artifacts.
"Congratulations, Father, on becoming a City Lord and receiving a Heaven and Earth Merit Rank,"said Bai Lang joyfully in White Poplar City (formerly White Poplar Town), watching his father gain a boost from the dynasty's fortune.
"With this title, no one can say your position is illegitimate.
It's just a shame that City Lords are rotated every ten years. In a decade, we'll have to leave White Poplar City."
Deep down, Bai Lang didn't want to go.They had built the city with their own hands. Every tree and stone carried memories and emotions.
But once Yi Tianxing's edict was given, even reluctance had to give way.
"Lang'er, since we've joined Great Yi, this city no longer belongs to one man or one family—it belongs to the dynasty.
The Immortal City is external. The Heaven and Earth Merit Rank is what truly matters. Even if we rotate, we'll still govern other cities.
As officials, we must benefit the people. We must not cross lines we shouldn't."
Bai Yang shook his head solemnly. Then, he bowed toward the Palace Divine Tree glowing in the void.
"Bai Yang, City Lord of White Poplar City, greets His Majesty! Long live the King!!"
With that salute, the feudal relationship was set—not mere subordination to Xuanhuang City, but full integration into the Great Yi Dynasty.
"Xiao Lie, City Lord of Ancient Origin City, greets His Majesty!"
"Qing Song, City Lord of Green Pine City, greets His Majesty!"
"Liu Yiming, City Lord of Green Willow City, greets His Majesty!"
"Shi Lin, City Lord of Stone Cliff City, greets His Majesty!"
One declaration after another resounded in the sky, echoing in all directions through the power of providence.
This was a moment of universal allegiance.
No one was foolish enough to turn down such a golden opportunity. None dared defy Great Yi.
The imperial edict continued, its proclamations as solemn as divine law.
Thanks to the power of providence, the edict needed no messenger—its voice spread effortlessly throughout Great Yi.Such was the power of a national treasure of fate.
Inside the palace, Yi Tianxing walked hand-in-hand with Cai Yan.
No maids or eunuchs followed—just the two of them enjoying a rare moment of peace.
"Though the founding of the dynasty followed the natural course of events, it did come rather abruptly," Cai Yan said gently."Elevating so many villages and towns to Immortal Cities is a vast leap. Their foundations vary greatly.
The next phase will be very busy. Construction will demand great manpower and resources.
I have faith that with unity among our people, we'll complete the task. But during that time, we must guard against sabotage from hostile races."
Yi Tianxing listened to the echoing voices of City Lords pledging allegiance, then responded calmly:
"I know. But there's no need for fear. The orc armies have already been stopped at the Iron-Blooded Great Wall. They can't break through.
Our human race is no weaker than any other. This time, we also added a million battle-hardened veterans and two military prodigies to the Military Affairs Cabinet.
Our strength has grown. The enemy will think twice before attacking again. And if they do—then they give me the excuse to go to war."
Yi Tianxing smiled.
"The only real threat is covert interference. Open threats are easy to face, but hidden arrows are harder to guard against.
I'm planning to establish several Dark Departments soon.One to gather intelligence, another to deal with hidden threats.
The Six Doors operate openly. We need an agency for the shadows."
Every dynasty needs tools that operate in darkness—espionage, assassinations, counterintelligence.The world is not made of light alone.
The Ming Dynasty had the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Qing had the Blood Drop Troop, and the Tang had the Heaven Strategy Bureau. All were lethal tools in the hands of emperors.
But the key question remained—who would run such a department?
Not just anyone would do. Trust was paramount. The wrong person could bring ruin.
Cao Zhengchun was capable, but Yi Tianxing wasn't planning to release him just yet. Opening that gate too soon might have dire consequences.
"Husband, I may know someone suitable for the role,"Cai Yan suddenly said after a brief pause.
"Oh? Who?"Yi Tianxing asked with interest.