Natural disasters were everywhere, spreading across the Eternal World—on both land and sea. Catastrophes were omnipresent. Most factions understood clearly what was causing them, but only a handful possessed the power to resolve them. Even now, the world remained under the threat of these calamities, and life was unbearably difficult for many.
However, the Great Yi Dynasty had long since suppressed the source of the disasters. As a result, their impact diminished day by day. The snowstorm's severity, once at its peak—when it would snow for most of the day with only one or two hours of respite—had drastically decreased. After the Ice and Snow Queen was subdued, the daily snowfall was reduced to only three or four hours. Over time, this diminished further, and now, a heavy snowfall might occur only once every ten days or even once a month. The cold had clearly subsided, temperatures were rising, and although the accumulated snow had not completely melted, it was only a matter of time before things returned to normal. For the Great Yi Dynasty, the disaster had essentially ceased to be a threat.
In these past two years, Great Yi had undergone a profound accumulation and transformation.
The most notable change was in population. Due to the snowstorm, countless single men and women had formed new families. With not much to do during the snowbound days, the most natural activity became—repopulation. Great Yi had a wide range of incentives for childbirth.
For instance, having a child entitled a family to free provisions until the child turned ten. At the age of enlightenment, the child could enter a school free of charge, learn to read and write, and even begin cultivating. Whether it was one child, two, or three—the policy remained the same. Children born in Great Yi were provided with everything they needed until age ten. After that, they were expected to become self-reliant using the foundation already provided to them.
This policy eliminated all worries for the common folk. There were many single individuals in Great Yi, many of whom had lost their families during the fusion of the myriad worlds. Alone and scattered, they now found new lives and began to form new households.
Those who had experienced calamity learned to cherish family even more. Though they held lingering sentiments about the past, they chose to embrace the future, raise children, and build new lives—filling Great Yi with joy and laughter.
Wounds were healed, and many new lives were born. Some toddlers were already running around; others were still in swaddling clothes, crying for milk. But all of them were signs of hope. These newborns brought vitality to the realm and became the best testament to the people's acceptance of their present lives. No one would tolerate the disruption of this newfound peace.
According to Jia Yucun's statistics, Great Yi's population had officially exceeded one billion. Although a significant portion were children, unable to shoulder responsibilities yet, they represented the future pillars of the dynasty. Who could say how many prodigies or powerhouses would emerge from this new generation?
This was the future—an infinite realm of possibility.
Great Yi had seized the time granted by the disaster to complete a perfect cycle of accumulation and transformation.
"Great Yi is truly extraordinary. Among the myriad powers and races in the world, few can compare,"said a young man, full of admiration, his face brimming with curiosity as he looked out the window, fascinated.
Outside, streets bustled with activity, and carriages sped by. These weren't ordinary carriages—they resembled modern-day buses, capable of transporting dozens of people at once. Transparent crystal glass allowed passengers to enjoy the view outside.
In front of the carriage were teams of Dragon-Scaled Horses, eight per vehicle. These weren't real beasts, but mechanical constructs powered by runes—products of mechanical artistry, cleverly crafted and animated with formations and runic arrays. Their shimmering scales glowed with arcane light, and they moved so fluidly that one could easily mistake them for real creatures.
These constructs never tired, never lost control, and were incredibly strong. Of course, they required power—usually in the form of crystals or Eternal Coins.
Some savvy citizens saw the business potential and invested in these public carriages, ferrying people around the city. It saved time and brought in considerable income.
That wasn't all—the fireworks in the sky caught the eye.
These weren't the ordinary fireworks of old but newly developed runic fireworks, designed by cultivators using spell formations. By adjusting the shape and structure of the runes, they could generate a myriad of dazzling effects upon explosion.
The core rune used in the fireworks was based on Flashlight Technique, layered with vibrant hues to paint the skies in magnificent displays.
The inventor was a man from the modern world known as Flower Ghost Hand, a master of pyrotechnics. With gunpowder rendered obsolete in the Eternal World, he turned to rune research—and eventually succeeded. With the support of the Heavenly Artisan Pavilion, runic fireworks began to spread across the cities of Great Yi, becoming more sophisticated with each iteration.
Now, the colorful bursts lighting up the night sky were proof of that achievement.
Everywhere on the streets, stores flourished like spring shoots after the rain. Shops that once had no place in ancient dynasties—bakeries, ice cream parlors, bubble tea shops, coffee houses—all brought from the memories of the modern world, were now part of everyday life.
These were the contributions of survivors from modern times who had fused into Great Yi. And Yi Tianxing welcomed them.
As long as they didn't harm the stability of the dynasty, these innovations only enriched the lives of the people—which was all for the better.
This was no longer a mundane realm—it was the birth of a true cultivation civilization, one that had surpassed the worldly.
To anyone seeing it for the first time, it was nothing less than a heavenly realm.
Those few who had just entered Great Yi were stunned by what they saw.
It was hard to believe such a human empire could exist.
"Amazing. It's even more magical than our Dragon Palace. All right, let's eat first. Then we'll explore Wanghai City and join in the festivities. The Human Spring Festival comes only once a year. Miss it now, and who knows when the next chance will come?"said the young woman excitedly, eager to experience it all for herself.
Meanwhile, in Xuanhuang City, the imperial capital of Great Yi…
Within the imperial palace's Imperial Garden, transformed from the old Summer Palace, water pavilions stood serenely upon the lakes. Each pavilion had elegant tables and chairs laden with exotic delicacies, fine wine, and spiritual fruits that gleamed with otherworldly luster, exuding mouthwatering aromas.
Every pavilion was filled with guests, and any one of them—if seen outside—would be recognized as a person of great importance.
Among them were the city lords of every immortal city under Great Yi's domain.
These city lords governed vast territories. Now gathered together, they found much to discuss—sharing governance strategies, forming connections, and discussing cooperation.
Also present were numerous court officials and ministers, the entire upper echelon of Great Yi's hierarchy.
Countless palace maids flitted between the pavilions like butterflies, adding to the picturesque scene.
Joy lit up every face.
This was the National Banquet, initiated by Yi Tianxing—a night banquet celebrating the New Year, where sovereign and ministers dined together.
It happened only once a year, and was a celebration shared across the entire Great Yi Dynasty. Those who were present—officials, ministers, contributors of merit—all held extraordinary positions within the empire.