Even someone as cautious as Chen Zhixian couldn't help but feel a stirring in his heart at this moment. A trace of regret emerged as he silently wondered—if he had been the first to submit to the Great Yi Dynasty, leading all of Yun yongxian (Cloud Emerge) Town to join them, would he have received the same lavish rewards? Perhaps even more? After all, what people remember most is always the first, not the second.
The meaning is worlds apart. The first to pledge allegiance might even earn a place among the upper echelons of Great Yi, possibly catching the attention of King Yi himself.
"Sigh, Lu Wenjun beat me to it. Then again, among us, his decisiveness has always been top-tier. In the face of natural calamities, choosing to join Great Yi has already become the people's consensus. It's something that can't be refused. In fact, even if one wanted to reject it… I doubt that would even be an option."
Chen Zhixian looked at the townspeople, noting the longing and anticipation on their faces. He sighed bitterly inside.
It was clear to see that the hearts of the people no longer lay with him, but had completely shifted toward the Great Yi Dynasty. In times of chaos—especially during natural disasters—whoever can ensure the survival of the people will naturally win their hearts.
This was an open conspiracy, a bright scheme.
A trend of the times, unstoppable and inevitable.
"May I ask, Lord Mao, has Hulu (Gourd) Town truly joined Great Yi? Would Great Yi really accept human factions like ours during a year of disasters?"
Chen Zhixian turned to Mao Sui, asking his question aloud.
"Of course it's true," Mao Sui replied with a faint smile. "His Majesty once said, 'So long as we are all of the human race, then we are brothers and sisters—one suffers, all suffer; one thrives, all thrive.' The gates of Great Yi are open to all human beings and human forces in the world. Anyone willing to join will be welcomed."
"However," he continued, "joining Great Yi means accepting our laws and regulations. Unless there are major transgressions, former village or town leaders will be elevated to the title of City Lord, ranked Third Grade Official. For the first ten years, they may govern their original territory, but after that, a routine rotation will be enforced."
Mao Sui could tell his bait had taken.
People tend to follow the crowd. Once someone takes the lead—like Hulu Town did—others are bound to follow, especially when public opinion and popular sentiment are no longer on their side. And with disasters looming, their options are limited.
Relocating a town to avoid Great Yi might work in theory, but the entire Eternal World was suffering from disasters. There would be no safe haven. And without Great Yi's support, survival would be uncertain.
So in reality, their choices were rapidly narrowing.
"Perhaps… joining Great Yi may not be such a bad thing after all. Our human race must unite. It's said the Beast King Court has already been founded on the Myriad Beasts Plains. If we don't unite soon, we may face extinction," Chen Zhixian silently thought.
Disasters were universal. All races suffered, but when food ran out, the human race would surely become prey in the eyes of others.
This wasn't a possibility. It was a certainty.
But if they joined Great Yi, such a fate could be completely avoided.
Still, Chen Zhixian didn't make a decision on the spot. Some things required consultation with the townspeople.
Scenes like this played out across all regions bordering the Great Yi Dynasty. The message had not only reached Mao Sui, but was simultaneously delivered to other envoys, deliberately and systematically disseminated.
The news couldn't be suppressed.
Unknowingly, unrest had begun to spread among many human factions.
"It's working."
Mao Sui's heart stirred with satisfaction. As a master of diplomacy, he could read a person's thoughts from subtle expressions. From Chen Zhixian's demeanor, it was clear that Yun yongxian (Cloud Emerge) Town would soon become part of Great Yi.
Releasing the news of Hulu Town's submission at this time had added another weight on their minds.
Three days later.
Within the Great Yi Dynasty's immortal cities, a change swept the atmosphere. The gloom from the snowstorm seemed to evaporate. In its place: excitement.
"Haha! Did you hear? Dozens of towns submitted letters of allegiance in the past few days, pledging loyalty to Great Yi. His Majesty personally elevated them to the status of Immortal Cities!"
"Yeah, it's amazing. Those who join Great Yi are finally seeing good days. With Great Yi here, the future is bright! That's when we'll truly live with dignity as humans."
"Same here. I used to live in a village. After hearing about Great Yi, I journeyed through hardships just to reach it. Only now do I feel like I'm truly human, living with dignity."
The feelings among the people were sincere and heartfelt.
Because of the envoys and the resources they distributed, hearts across countless towns were stirred. The tide had shifted.
Even if town leaders were hesitant, public demand made resistance nearly impossible. Combined with the looming disasters, and the precedent set by Hulu Town, even those in power were tempted.
As more towns submitted, Great Yi accepted every one of them without hesitation. This was the result they had hoped for.
In just three days, over fifty towns had pledged allegiance.
And each was treated with great importance. Appointments were made, and large teams of Heavenly Craftsmen were dispatched to begin reconstruction and expansion.
"Let's go! With the snow disaster, there's nothing else to do. All those new towns being upgraded to Immortal Cities need a full rebuild using Xuanhuang Bricks. That's a massive project—and they're short on hands! The court is hiring—ten Eternal Coins a day!"
"Right! We can't hunt in the wild anymore; even the beasts are hiding. Better to help build Immortal Cities, earn some coin, and contribute to Great Yi's growth."
"They say once construction's done, celestial envoys from the Observatory Division will move the cities to their designated locations. We're expanding Great Yi's territory!"
The people's faces beamed with pride.
To them, this was territorial expansion, and in truth, that was exactly what it was.
While other races cowered in fear under disaster, Great Yi defied the heavens and expanded boldly.
The momentum was unstoppable. Masses of citizens joined the construction effort.
Mountains of Xuanhuang Bricks were shipped to each town. Hundreds of thousands of people worked simultaneously under the direction of the Heavenly Craft Pavilion, completing construction at miraculous speeds.
Walls, foundations, buildings—every hour brought radical transformation. With cultivators helping—strong in power and body—the work moved at breathtaking pace.
Within two or three days, each town was completely transformed.
It was like watching dreams come alive: Immortal Cities rose like bamboo after rain. A fully mobilized Great Yi could achieve miracles.
In the Imperial Garden, Huang Chengyan sat with Yi Tianxing, sipping tea and enjoying the blossoms.
"Your Majesty, fifty-six towns have submitted. If all goes well, they'll finish expansion within three days. And as more time passes, we might see one hundred, even one thousand Immortal Cities. Our territory may double or more."
Yi Tianxing nodded calmly.
"These disasters, while terrifying, may actually be the perfect opportunity for Great Yi's rise. Due to the disasters, the alien tribes can't interfere with our expansion. We must seize this chance. However, this expansion must be planned. We can't expand endlessly. The key lies in population."
Population is the foundation of all things.
This was also why Yi Tianxing had no hesitation when aliens offered human captives in exchange for food.
An Immortal City can accommodate one million people. At minimum, it needs four to five hundred thousand to establish firm control.
Now, with the population of submitting towns plus those rescued from alien tribes, Great Yi's population exceeds three hundred million.
It sounds like a lot, but it's only enough for about three hundred Immortal Cities—maybe four or five hundred if pushed.
But with careful, planned expansion, that would be far easier to manage and control.