"Yes, within three days, all granaries will be filled."
Xue Jin responded without hesitation.
This wasn't an ordinary dynasty—it was a cultivator civilization. With the power of cultivators, he was fully confident that it could be done within three days. In fact, it might even be faster. Three days was already a conservative estimate.
"In addition, every unoccupied immortal city must stockpile war supplies—enough to sustain our armies in battle for at least a year. I do not wish to see any logistical issues arise during war. Each city must be capable of fully supplying our forces."
Yi Tianxing continued.
What determines the outcome of war? Not only the valor of soldiers, but also the logistics and reserves. Without powerful logistics, victory is impossible. Even if victory is somehow achieved, it would come at a steep cost—mutual destruction. That does not serve Da Yi's interests.
Da Yi does not fear war, nor does it fear a test of logistics or resources.
"Please rest assured, Your Majesty. All military provisions will be fully prepared within three days," Xue Jin reaffirmed.
In his heart, he understood that this war was inevitable and imminent. Da Yi was founded on strength and valor—every citizen like a dragon. No one feared war. In fact, they welcomed it. To make Da Yi stronger, expansion was not just an option—it was the fastest and most direct path. In fact, there wasn't a single minister in the court who didn't wish for Da Yi to expand.
The larger Da Yi's territory, the stronger its destiny. Even at the same grade, destiny varied in strength. Only through continuous breakthroughs and promotions could Da Yi evolve from a kingdom to an empire. Once promoted, the difference in destiny between an imperial third rank and a kingdom's third rank would be worlds apart.
Even ordinary citizens pursued strength—how could the ruling class of Da Yi not be even more acutely aware and urgent?
"Soldiers—do you have the confidence to expand the borders of Da Yi with me?" Yi Tianxing called out again.
This time, he looked at Yang Ye and the others. Wars are not fought with words—they rely on powerful military might.
"We have long awaited this moment! In the barracks, tens of millions of soldiers are ready to march at any time. We shall charge into battle for Da Yi, and lay down our lives for the human race!"
Yang Ye and the other generals stepped forward without hesitation, bowing and shouting in unison.
Their eyes burned with intensity, battlelust rising like a blazing flame, threatening to engulf the world at any moment.
"Very well. Soldiers are raised for a thousand days, but used in one moment. I trust the War Bureau will not disappoint me."
Yi Tianxing nodded with satisfaction.
"Your Majesty, is there a specific plan for this war?" Huang Chengyan asked.
If expansion was the goal, then a concrete plan was essential. Without one, it would be treating the nation's military affairs like a child's game—no dynasty could afford such recklessness.
"Yes, that's one of the reasons I called this court assembly. Today, we shall finalize the plan for this campaign."
Yi Tianxing nodded.
Da Yi had grown powerful over the years, and had become a thorn in the side of many foreign tribes—constantly watched and spied upon. Any move by Da Yi would trigger significant consequences and dangerous chain reactions. No tribe would sit back and allow Da Yi to expand unchecked. Once the immortal cities landed and anchored the wild lands, the pressure on the foreign tribes became unbearable.
They could no longer act recklessly.
"The foreign races will not stand idly by while Da Yi expands. They will attempt to obstruct and sabotage us. Thus, I propose that our expansion must be swift—complete it at lightning speed before they can react. A blitzkrieg strategy is our best option," Jia Xu said, a strange gleam flashing in his eyes.
"I agree. Blitzkrieg is the most fitting approach right now. The faster, the better. Through surprise attacks, we deny the enemy time to respond. If we anchor the immortal cities fast enough, they become permanent strongholds. No matter how unwilling the enemy may be, they'll be forced to accept our expansion as fact," Zhuge Liang agreed, fanning his feathered fan calmly.
Even in military matters, his insights were sharp and precise.
"But if we want rapid expansion, there's a problem. Only Supervisor Jiang can drive the immortal cities. Moving them isn't easy. If we go with blitzkrieg, I fear he won't be able to manage all of it," Wu Yong pointed out.
Only Jiang Ni could control the immortal cities with his Mountain-Herding Whip. He couldn't be in multiple places at once—this was a serious logistical problem.
"Indeed, this is a significant issue," Yi Tianxing nodded gravely. He turned to Jiang Ni, who had remained silent all along, and asked, "Mr. Jiang, do you have a solution?"
"Your Majesty may rest assured. I anticipated this scenario long ago. While I am only one man, I am not without options. The answer lies in replicas of the Mountain-Herding Whip," Jiang Ni replied, his voice raspy yet calm.
"Replicas?" Everyone in the hall turned to look at Jiang Ni, their gazes intense. This concerned the war itself.
"Yes. Though they aren't the real artifact, the replicas are imbued with the same divine abilities. As long as one knows the basics of geomancy, they can use these whips to drive an immortal city—especially if the city is uninhabited by civilians. That makes movement even easier."
"I've already begun training candidates with potential in geomancy within the Astronomical Observatory. They may not be true geomancers yet, but they've grasped the fundamentals. With the aid of these replica whips, they can move the cities."
Jiang Ni had quietly been preparing a new force. The Astronomical Observatory was responsible for monitoring celestial events and earth energies. With disasters looming, only they could sense the coming changes in time.
Plus, Da Yi itself was one massive feng shui array—this gave its agents an additional boost in manipulating the land and cities.
"How many disciples in the Astronomical Observatory are currently capable of driving the immortal cities?" Yi Tianxing asked.
"Twelve."
Feng shui masters were rare, and training them was no easy task. Cultivating twelve capable individuals was already an impressive feat.
"So we can simultaneously drive twelve immortal cities."
Yi Tianxing nodded, clearly pleased with the answer.
"In that case, to maximize the blitzkrieg, I suggest we divide the army into twelve forces. Launch a simultaneous strike with no single direction as primary—all fronts are the main thrust. Our goal is to place all 80 immortal cities rapidly into position and solidify our expansion," Jia Xu continued.
With twelve teams, the expansion could proceed at exponential speed.
"Excellent. Then we proceed with twelve simultaneous strikes," Yi Tianxing decided.
"Your Majesty! I request to lead a force!" Yang Ye stepped forward.
"Your Majesty! Zhang Fei requests to fight!"
"Your Majesty! Wang Dahu requests to fight!"
"Your Majesty! Xue Kunlun requests to fight!"
As the plan solidified, the generals in the War Bureau could no longer restrain themselves. One by one, they stepped forward, brimming with eagerness and battlelust.
"Not yet. Before we proceed, new legions must be formally appointed. Twelve armies require twelve legions," Yi Tianxing replied calmly, though pleased by their fervor.
This battle would unveil the sharpest edge of Da Yi's sword.
He could not allow any flaw.
At present, Da Yi possessed:
The Four Sacred Beast Legions: Yang Ye's Vermillion Bird Legion, Qi Jiguang's Azure Dragon Legion.
The Four Desolation Legions: Zhang Fei's Demon-Slaying Legion.
The Twelve Zodiac Legions: Wang Dahu's War Tiger Legion, Xue Kunlun's Snow Rabbit Legion.
The Five Elements Legions: Zhang Shun's Flood Legion.
The Hundred Flowers Legion: commanded by the female general, Hua Mulan.
There was also the Sky Cavalry—but it wasn't to be deployed easily. Realistically, only eight legions were combat-ready. That left a gap of several more for the full twelve.
So, Yi Tianxing prepared to appoint new ones.
"Cheng Yaojin, step forward," he said, turning to the man in court.
"At your command!" Cheng Yaojin stepped forward, heart pounding with excitement.
Ever since he had followed Yi Tianxing from the Divine Demon Battlefield and witnessed Da Yi's strength and prosperity firsthand, a sense of loyalty and belonging had firmly taken root in his heart.