Whoosh whoosh whoosh!!
Beams of divine light flickered rapidly. Suddenly, several streams of radiance burst forth from the black vortex and appeared atop the altar. They were all wrapped in a strange black mist, making the treasures within appear hazy and indistinct. Even the gu insects were shrouded, as though in a deep slumber—one that, if not disturbed, could last for a very long time.
Indeed, an unimaginably long time.
"Good stuff. This harvest is truly bountiful," Yi Tianxing muttered with a trace of joy in his heart. Without any hesitation, he waved his hand and stowed all the treasures away. These items were offerings obtained through the sacrifice of tens of millions of foreign races and a vast number of ferocious beasts and poisonous creatures. Their value was undoubtedly extraordinary. Even he dared not treat them lightly—any mistake, and regret would come too late.
A divine item like the Well of Eternity had not even appeared in the God-Demon Treasury. It might have been there, but back then he lacked the means to acquire it. This alone showed just how precious the Well of Eternity truly was.
"Human youth, you are impressive. Among the human race, your strength is second to none. For the offerings made earlier, I shall bestow upon you a small gift. I hope my legacy of the Gu Path will flourish."
Suddenly, just when Yi Tianxing believed the ritual had ended, a mysterious voice echoed in his mind. It sounded as though it had traveled across countless dimensions before arriving in his consciousness.
"It's him."Instinctively, he looked toward the depths of the vortex within the altar at that mysterious figure. Somehow, he just knew that the voice had come from him—an instinctive perception.
Then, he saw a flash of light atop the altar. Several streams of treasure light appeared before his eyes.
Yi Tianxing couldn't help but grow curious.He picked them up and examined them carefully—and immediately grew solemn.
"It's actually a Gu Canon."
Indeed, the final gift from the altar was a set of four Gu-related texts:
Basic Gu Canon
Miscellaneous Notes on Gu Insects
Demonic Insect Scripture
Insect Nest
These were the complete inheritance methods for the Gu Path. They contained how to cultivate gu insects, enhance one's cultivation through them, and walk the path of Gu cultivation. It not only included training methods, but also detailed techniques on raising and refining gu.
Though the recorded insects were mostly common types, and the more powerful rare gu insects were only briefly mentioned, it still contained valuable information. There were also legends about gu, and even a top-tier Life Chart cultivation technique known as the Insect Nest Life Chart. Once condensed, it would allow the user to control gu insects as easily as moving their limbs, unleashing devastating power.
This set of books was enough to establish a new lineage of Gu cultivators.
While it was mostly foundational knowledge, foundations were the most important. All advanced techniques emerged from solid basics. With enough talent, a cultivator could build exceptional new techniques and combat skills.
Rather than a gift, this was clearly a legacy—the inheritance of the Gu Path.
To the Gu Demon God, this legacy was merely a handful of seeds scattered randomly. Whether they took root and grew depended on fate.
Naturally, Yi Tianxing accepted it gladly. Gu techniques were incredibly mysterious, and gaining this inheritance might mean that in the Great Yi Dynasty, powerful Gu Masters could emerge—capable of refining diverse gu insects. This would be a great benefit to the dynasty. Sooner or later, Great Yi would have its own line of Gu cultivators.
After this, the black light radiating from the altar gradually dissipated.
The black altar returned to its original, ancient form—imbued with a quiet majesty.
At the same time, the entire Thorned Plains fell into total silence.
There were no piles of corpses—every body had been devoured and refined by the altar, transformed into sacrificial offerings.
Any creature still standing on the Thorned Plains was, without a doubt, alive.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, ripples spread through the void, and waves of energy undulated.
Without warning, human refugees began falling from the sky like dumplings. These were the very people who had been swept into the Heaven-Earth Paper Man's spatial domain earlier.
Their faces still bore the numbness and despair of captivity.
Such expressions were common among humans who had lived under foreign rule. Having lost all hope, only despair remained in their hearts.
"Our human race truly suffers endless calamities. But after the storm, there is always sunshine. The nightmare is finally over for them," Yi Tianxing murmured, deeply moved. This numbness was far too common—it was heartbreaking to witness every time.
"Yes, this is the result of our own weakness. The only thing we can do is rescue as many humans as possible, become stronger, and influence those around us," Zhuge Liang agreed.
The Great Yi could only support human populations within the areas it could reach. Beyond that, it was much more difficult.
"The King once said: If a man does not live for himself, heaven and earth will punish him. The human race must become strong. Only by doing so can our race earn the dignity it deserves," Jia Xu said slowly.
The human race must strengthen itself—this had always been the creed of the Great Yi.
Everyone cultivates. Everyone becomes a dragon. Everyone seeks strength.
"Fellow humans, I am Yi Tianxing, ruler of the Great Yi Dynasty. What you just experienced must have frightened you, but rest assured—you are now completely safe. The alien races will no longer harm you. From now on, you are citizens of Great Yi. Within Great Yi, not only will you be safe from the aliens, but you will gain the strength to fight back against them. We humans are not inferior to any other race."
"Numbness and despair belong to the cowardly. They are the sorrow of the weak. If you still wish to live as true humans, then cast away your numbness. Your past may have been shameful, but to wash away that shame, you must rely on your own strength. The alien races made you suffer—one day, you can make them pay in kind. That is the path of a true human warrior!"
Each word from Yi Tianxing struck the souls of those refugees like a hammer, shattering the ice in their hearts.
Cries burst out.
Tears flowed freely.
As their numb expressions began to crack, hope and vitality returned to their eyes and faces. They began to look alive again.
"We're saved—we're finally saved! I thought I'd never return to the human world. I didn't expect this day to come!"
"No more living in fear. No more becoming food for aliens. I really thought I'd die and be turned into a sacrifice!"
"Great Yi… Great Yi is amazing. We humans can stand against the alien races. We're not inferior. I'll become stronger—I'll kill aliens one day!"
"No more fear. I wanted to go to Great Yi before, and now I've finally made it. Once I grow strong, I'll make them pay for the blood debt. I will wash away this humiliation!"
The outpouring of emotion left everyone silent and moved. Huang Chengyan and the others could only shake their heads. Scenes like this had become all too common.
But each time still left a deep impression.
"To rebuild these refugees' lives, Elder Huang, I'll need you to take charge," Yi Tianxing said. "Each immortal city only needs around a million residents. These several million people must be distributed among various cities to balance out population shortages. Follow the standard procedures."
"Yes, I understand," Huang Chengyan nodded.
Distributing several million refugees was no small task—it involved registration, resource distribution, and assigning cultivation techniques. It would be a significant logistical effort.
"With this battle, we've wiped out millions of elite aliens, including high-ranking leaders from various tribes. The alien forces nearby have been devastated. Our expanding territory will be far safer. This is a strategic victory," Jia Xu said with a smile.
Stabilized borders meant an increase in national fortune.
And sure enough, a massive wave of fate energy surged into the Great Yi's Cloud Sea of Fortune, expanding it dramatically.
"Yes," Yi Tianxing nodded. "After a brief period of consolidation, I plan to advance to the Imperial Dynasty level. A kingdom is just the foundation. Only an imperial dynasty can truly unleash the power of a fortune-based regime."
He took a deep breath and spoke with steady resolve.