In eternity, there is no longer any land of joy.
Upon the vast seas, icebergs emerged, transforming into massive glaciers that sprawled across the ocean, persisting through the seasons, refusing to melt. Snow piled upon them like mountains. Within the transparent ice, countless aquatic beings could be seen frozen mid-motion. They had no time to react before being encased—frozen in lifelike poses of frantic escape, unable to avoid their fate.
Across many realms, some were buried under endless snow and ice, while others were plagued by scorching heat and drought. Caught between two extreme disasters, people were trapped in a veritable hell. Even cultivators struggled to survive, let alone ordinary beings—it was nearly impossible.
At this moment, in Xuanhuang City, capital of the Great Yi Dynasty,
The city and its outskirts were blanketed in a thick layer of white.
Everything was covered in snow. Every hue seemed to fade into a singular, snowy whiteness. Under the eaves of buildings, long icicles hung down, glittering like crystalline glass—a unique kind of beauty.
Children broke off some of these icicles and popped them into their mouths, enjoying the sweet, icy taste.
The weather was frigid beyond belief.
On the streets, large numbers of Six Doors constables were clearing snow. Though they could have used fire techniques to melt the snow, the temperatures were so low that even fire couldn't fully melt it. The snow would refreeze into slippery ice within a single breath, making it even harder to clear. In the end, manual sweeping proved more effective.
But even that didn't require literal hands—snowplow vehicles, patrolling tirelessly, pushed and transported the snow away.
These mechanical snow-clearing wagons, developed by the Heavenly Works Pavilion, were evolved from goblin war chariots. They weren't designed for combat—just equipped with plows and rear compartments to remove snow and haul it outside the city, where they piled it into towering artificial snow mountains.
The citizens of the capital also voluntarily joined the effort to clear snow.
Many focused intensely on cultivation, using every moment to strengthen themselves.
Inside a bustling tavern—
The room was full of townsfolk.
Watching the unending snowfall outside, most sat in silence.
"Sigh… if this snow keeps falling, when will it end? It's been a whole month. The longest pause we've had was two hours. If we hadn't constantly cleared it, Xuanhuang City would be buried by now."
An old man downed a mouthful of Hero's Blood, a potent wine. The fiery liquid surged through him, warming his blood and driving away the chill.
In such freezing conditions, Hero's Blood was a favorite among cultivators. It dispelled cold and reignited blood weakened by frost.
"Yeah… this is a real snow calamity. We're lucky here in Great Yi. I heard other regions are already running out of food. A hot meal is hard to come by. People are freezing, starving to death. If this continues… who knows what will happen."
A bounty hunter sighed.
Within the Great Yi Dynasty, because of long-term planning, the empire had stockpiled an enormous quantity of resources—piled high like mountains. With the realm under firm control, the people had been able to reclaim land and plant grain, even spiritual rice, which matured quickly and yielded huge harvests.
With steady accumulation, their stockpiles were virtually incalculable.
Even supplying over two hundred million citizens for a month had not strained their reserves. The loss was like a drop in the ocean.
For just this population alone, the stored provisions could last over twenty years without additional input.
And this wasn't their only supply source.
Yi Tianxing, upon detecting signs of the catastrophe, had immediately set aside large zones within the Hongmeng Heavenly Emperor Pagoda to cultivate various food crops. Inside the pagoda, there was no influence from the outer world's disasters. Growth was just as fast as on the Eternal Continent.
If desired, the pagoda could provide a limitless stream of food, supporting the entire Great Yi Dynasty.
This was the measure of their deep foundation.
But outside their borders, many places had begun to run dry.
This snow calamity—this endless winter—was a time of withering.
Food was scarce. The earlier earthquake had already devastated many resources, killing countless ferocious beasts. The survivors had mostly vanished into hiding or perished in the snow.
Hunting was no easy task.
And hunger afflicted not just humans—beasts and fierce birds were starving too. Hunger made them more savage than ever before. Survival demanded ferocity.
"They say the head of the Peasant School at the Immortal Academy has started researching cold-resistant grains that can grow in the harshest winter. The project is showing promise. If successful, we might be able to grow crops even in snow."
Someone chimed in.
"Right! Patriarch Song is an expert in the Peasant School. He already developed Snow Pear Rice and Iceheart Rice. Iceheart Rice thrives in the cold—it even absorbs cold energy to grow faster. But it must be planted in spiritual fields to germinate and grow swiftly. In regular soil, it's too slow. So currently, it's only grown in small patches."
Indeed, outside Xuanhuang City, a spiritual field had been planted with these grains. Snow fell but was silently absorbed by the fields. The area held no snow cover. In fact, it was even colder there, though not in a harmful way.
Compared to Iceheart Rice, Snow Pear Rice was hardy but couldn't absorb snow. The heavy snowfall crushed it easily. It was too fragile—a half-spiritual crop at best.
Song Yingxing was now refining Snow Pear Rice, aiming to create a version with stronger stalks, able to withstand heavy snow and fierce winds—able to thrive even in this dreadful cold.
He was nearly finished. Once successful, Great Yi would be immune to the food shortages caused by the snow calamity—and the rice could even help suppress the spread of cold.
DONG—DONG—DONG!!
Back in the city, amidst public chatter and lamentations—
A resonant chime rang out in the skies above.
Countless citizens looked toward the palace with reverence.
It was the signal: the court assembly was beginning.
In the Heavenly Court Hall
With the sound of the bell, officials gathered quickly, lining up by rank.
"His Majesty arrives!"
A eunuch's shrill announcement rang through the hall.
Yi Tianxing entered and took his place upon the throne.
"Long live His Majesty!"
The court chorused in unison.
"No need for ceremony. All ministers, rise."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Once formalities were done, Yi Tianxing looked toward He Shen.
"He Shen, explain the situation so we may discuss how to proceed."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
He Shen stepped forward, his beady eyes blinking rapidly.
"I currently oversee the Nameless City—our underground market—and manage trade with various non-human tribes. Recently, due to the catastrophe, these tribes have increased their presence at the market. They want it open more frequently and are requesting grain and supplies from Great Yi.
"Not just them—even human settlements beyond our borders are sending envoys, hoping to purchase food and essentials."
It was not complicated.
The great catastrophe had created massive shortages.
Though not yet starving, many regions were on the brink of resource exhaustion.
The Great Yi Dynasty, stable and overflowing with supplies, had become an anomaly.
Naturally, those in need turned to Great Yi, hoping to obtain supplies to survive the calamity.
He Shen understood this well—how precious resources were now worth more than gold.
He dared not grant aid on his own authority.