Where does fortune come from? One source is from the people under your rule. When hearts align and loyalty gathers, fortune naturally arises. The more people governed, the greater the fortune that can be drawn. Another source lies in national policy. Every policy, once formulated and implemented, can benefit the populace, allowing the nation's power to flourish. This requires officials of the dynasty to be diligent and conscientious—fortune will follow naturally.
The third source comes from territory.
The larger and broader the land under one's control, the more naturally the earth emits earthly fortune—which is also part of the overall national fortune. This earthly fortune is influenced by national strength: the stronger the nation, the more and richer the earthly fortune the land can provide.
For example, at the beginning, the earth energy rising from the ground was grey.
This was Grey Fortune, the most basic and lowest form of fortune.
It appeared because the Great Yi Dynasty had only just begun to govern the land. National policies and laws were in their infancy, barely starting to influence the heavens and earth. Though the dynasty had been founded, the fortune emanating from the earth was still grey.
But as the dynasty's laws and policies integrated with the natural order, with officials appointed and Fairy Cities (Xiancheng) suppressing and harmonizing the land's energies, and as national strength and the populace grew, just one month later, the earthly fortune changed from grey to white.
This was White Earthly Fortune, absorbed into the sea of clouds that represented the dynasty's overall fortune—this was National Fortune.
Then, as Jiang Ni drove the dragon veins and moved Fairy Cities to anchor various regions, using the cities as formation cores to suppress and harmonize the land's energy over areas a thousand miles wide, the fortune shifted again—from white to crimson red.
If someone were to observe the Great Yi territory through fortune-seeing arts, they would behold a land blanketed in fiery red light.
This red light was most intense around the Fairy Cities, gradually weakening as it spread outward. But even then, it continued to grow in strength. The land beyond the cities was still wilderness, and fully extending the influence of each Fairy City across that wilderness would be a long-term project.
Moreover, as the Great Yi Dynasty stabilized, many human refugees from nearby wild regions flocked toward it, eager to join and reside in the Fairy Cities. This led to a population explosion.
The allure of a unified human kingdom was simply too great.
People from surrounding regions came in droves.
In a short time, the population soared.
Every day, more and more people joined.
In the Celestial Registry Hall, new household records were being added at astonishing speed. According to recent statistics, the population of Great Yi had already reached tens of millions, and was now marching steadily toward the hundreds of millions. In just three months, the transformation had been tremendous.
Every day, everyone was working non-stop.
They were exhausted, but no one complained—watching the ever-changing, ever-growing Great Yi filled them with a deep sense of accomplishment. That feeling gave them limitless drive and passion.
That day, in the Imperial Garden...
Jiang Ni met with Yi Tianxing once again.
"Your Majesty, all the Fairy Cities within Great Yi have now been repositioned. Each city now suppresses a thousand-mile radius of wilderness. However, not all Fairy Cities have been settled—our current territory simply cannot contain them all. We must either expand outward or leave the rest idle for now," said Jiang Ni.
Within Great Yi, the number of former villages and towns was far greater than the current spacing of one Fairy City every thousand miles. This didn't even include those settlements once destroyed by beasts and invaders. All combined, the number of potential cities was enormous.
Now elevated to Fairy Cities, each with a thousand-mile domain, the existing territory was clearly insufficient.
Many Fairy Cities still had no allocated land.
Expansion was Jiang Ni's proposed solution.
"Expansion?" Yi Tianxing's eyes sparkled. Nodding, he replied, "Very well. With our recent recruitment of a million new troops, it's time to begin territorial expansion. Clashes will be inevitable—we'll use this as training. Let the soldiers see blood on the battlefield. We'll expand until every Fairy City is settled. The founding of a dynasty must be baptized in blood, or else the beasts and foreign tribes around us will mistake Great Yi for a toothless tiger."
"Wise decision, Your Majesty," Jiang Ni responded. "Using fortune-observing techniques and the Astrological Bureau, I've monitored our domain. The National Fortune is thriving—the cloud sea of fortune is swelling, and the Fortune Spirit is steadily maturing. With this foundation and the people's support—and given that military and civil affairs are separated—our civil governance will remain unaffected. We only need to divert some resources. We'll open new lands and suppress them with Fairy Cities. Most of the surrounding foreign races have already been cowed. With the Iron-Blooded Great Wall protecting us, the interior of Great Yi will remain safe."
The Astrological Bureau, a rare artifact of heaven and earth, had been placed on the second floor of the palace's Divine Tree. With Jiang Ni in charge, it allowed him to observe celestial signs and fortune, greatly strengthening his geomantic arts. In the past few months alone, his cultivation had unknowingly risen to the Life Chart Realm.
"Summon all ministers and generals to the Hall of Ascension," Yi Tianxing ordered after a brief pause.
"As you command!" came the response from Cao Zhengchun, who bowed and left to carry out the order.
"Mister Jiang, return to the Astrological Bureau. Once our deployment is complete, you'll begin relocating the cities. Our army will follow. Any resistance will be crushed."
"Very well, Your Majesty," Jiang Ni replied, bowing and departing.
Soon after, Tong Huang appeared before Yi Tianxing.
"How is the Hall of Natural Disasters progressing?" Yi Tianxing inquired.
"Your Majesty," she replied in her childlike voice, "the Hall has already recruited members, divided by nine colors—Gold, Blue, Green, Teal, Yellow, Red, Black, White, and Grey. Gold ranks highest and belongs to the Hall Master. Grey is the lowest, the Grey-cloaked Guards, marked with a Grey Calamity Seal, ranked ninth and granted the lowest heavenly merit position. Above them are White-cloaked Guards, marked with a White Calamity Seal, ranked eighth. And so on, up to the Nine-Colored Calamity Seal—like mine."
She lifted her head to reveal a nine-colored lotus mark on her forehead—its shifting hues held the essence of fire, thunder, and storms, evoking the power of natural calamities. It was strange yet fascinating, combining childlike innocence with eerie grandeur.
"Nine colors for nine ranks—not bad," Yi Tianxing nodded. Then, noticing the mark, he asked, "How did you forge the Nine-Colored Calamity Seal? If I recall correctly, that technique shouldn't exist in our Scripture Pavilion."
"This isn't a cultivation technique—it's a divine ability born from the True Sutra of Innocence. Dreams can be good or bad, ever-changing. Through dream power and a lotus I once found, I refined the Nine-Colored Dream Lotus—now my life-bound treasure. I can bestow lotus seals upon others. They have no offensive ability or other power—only identity verification. But if someone betrays us, the seal will become a Nightmare Calamity, invading the mind and soul."
She beamed proudly. The Nine-Colored Dream Lotus was her proudest creation these past months.
"Very good. From now on, the Hall of Natural Disasters will use the Nine-Color System as its official hierarchy," Yi Tianxing confirmed.
"We've already deployed a large number of Calamity Guards across Great Yi. Some act as bounty hunters, others as citizens, farmers, or merchants. Starting tomorrow, we'll receive intelligence from all over the realm, compiled into dossiers."
Natural disasters strike without warning—so too would the Hall.
"Now, your first task: investigate all surrounding regions. Find every human settlement, every foreign tribe, every beast lair. I want a full report."
This would test the Hall's real capability.
"Yes!!" Tong Huang's eyes lit up with excitement.
She was eager to show off the Hall's strength and her own value.
"If anyone dares slack off, I'll make sure they're haunted by nightmares for life. Receiving Great Yi's merit and salary but failing to contribute? Out they go."
She smiled sweetly—yet her words chilled the air.
"Don't let me down, Hall of Natural Disasters," Yi Tianxing thought silently.
Shortly after, Cao Zhengchun returned.
"Master, all officials and generals are assembled in the Hall of Ascension. Shall we proceed?"
"Let's go," Yi Tianxing replied calmly.