This was no ordinary tsunami. The power within it was endlessly mutable, filled with infinite whirlpools. That kind of shredding force—even a flood dragon would likely be twisted into a mangled mess on the spot. From this single strike alone, one could see the floating remains of a massive number of sea beasts within hundreds of miles of ocean. Not a single corpse was intact—it was a scene of utter carnage.
Among them were first, second, and third-rank sea beasts beyond counting—even a few fourth-rank ones.It was clear: the Sea God's Trident was overwhelmingly powerful.
"Amazing. As expected of a top-tier celestial warship forged from a supreme Heavenly Ark blueprint," Yi Tianxing nodded in approval. "On the seas, this Blue Heavenly Ark has the speed, defense, and firepower to dominate any force. Even a single one would be considered a clan-defending treasure, rarely dispatched unless absolutely necessary."
"According to the records of the Seven-Colored Heavenly Arks, they can continuously draw in cloud essence, or even elemental heavenly treasures, and evolve through upgrades—becoming increasingly powerful and miraculous. Their combat capabilities still have room to grow," Lu Shi stated with certainty.
That was the true wonder of the Seven-Colored Heavenly Arks:Their potential for advancement was boundless.
"Indeed. Though this ark is not a Supreme Divine Artifact, it can still be called a Sky-Surveying Treasure, and its rank can be assessed as equivalent to the divine artifact tiers. Currently, the Seven-Colored Arks can be rated as Lingyun-class warships."
Yi Tianxing nodded inwardly.
The ranks of Supreme Divine Artifacts were: Lingyun (Soaring Clouds), Peerless, Transcendent, Supreme, Immortal, Primordial, and Eternal.At present, the Blue Heavenly Ark belonged to the Lingyun tier. As a Sky-Surveying Treasure or a divine artifact, its performance exceeded ordinary treasures of the same tier.
"Each single-colored ark of the Seven-Colored Arks has the potential to ascend to Peerless or even Transcendent ranks. The true, complete Seven-Colored Ark has the potential to reach the level of a Supreme Divine Artifact," Gongshu Lin added with a smile.
The Seven-Colored Heavenly Arks came in single-color, multicolor, and eventually the full seven-colored form. Any configuration could give rise to a unique warship, tailored for specific battlefield conditions. Their adaptability made them strategic weapons of the highest order.
"Although the Blue Ark is most suited for naval warfare, the other arks must not be neglected either. We must forge them all. With the battlefield ever-changing, adaptability is key. During construction, report any difficulty—our top priority now is to produce as many of the Seven-Colored Heavenly Arks as possible. Whether venturing into the sea or conquering other continents and islands, they will be our greatest assets."
Yi Tianxing completed testing the Blue Ark's capabilities with great satisfaction—it was undeniably a supreme weapon of war.
After gathering the sea beast corpses, he returned to Xuanhuang City, not via Rainbow Bridge but by pushing the ark's speed to its limits.
The results were impressive.
Without fully activating its power, the ark could maintain a steady cruising speed of over a thousand miles per quarter-hour. When fueled with greater energy, the speed increased multiple times over.
Upon arrival, the Blue Heavenly Ark was returned to the Heavenly Works Pavilion.Though few Seven-Colored Arks had been built so far, now that the method was proven, mass production would follow swiftly.
"Good. At this pace, by next summer, we should have enough Seven-Colored Arks ready. By then, we can prepare for the naval expedition. The Skyhawk Court must not be let off easily."
Now was the time for accumulation and stabilization.
Though the Yi Continent was unified under the Great Yi Dynasty, and most former human villages and towns had willingly submitted, transforming into Immortal Cities under imperial edict, the wilderness remained full of unknown dangers.
All the Immortal Cities were still in early development and required time to mature.
As the New Year approached, the entire Yi Continent was steeped in a joyful and festive mood.Unknowingly, it was already the final days of the 8th year of the Eternal Calendar.
That day marked the last Grand Court Assembly of the year.
At the sound of the morning bell, ministers stepped into the Heavenly Court Hall—Zhuge Liang, Jia Xu, Yang Ye, Huang Chengyan, He Shen, and more. The core officials of Great Yi arrived in full, exchanging smiles and pleasant conversation.
Though they sometimes clashed in governance philosophy, they shared one aim: to make Great Yi better. With the Nine-Rank Civil and Military System, everyone had a path to rise. There was no need for flattery or favoritism—only merit and contribution mattered.
Under the oversight of the Star Web, fraud was impossible.In Great Yi, being a capable official was easy—and hard. If you had talent, you would eventually rise.
This year had been a breakthrough year for the Great Yi Dynasty.
Unifying Yi Continent, spreading Immortal Cities across its entirety, securing a safe land for humanity to thrive—all of this would mark Great Yi and its people forever in the annals of the Eternal World.
During the Grand Assembly, ministers presented various unresolved issues.However, due to the autonomous powers given to Immortal City Lords, most matters were settled locally. Only the truly major or undecidable ones reached the court.
Importantly, Immortal City Lords had all passed the imperial examination, guaranteeing their capabilities. Incompetents had no place ruling a city.
In short: Great Yi did not tolerate useless officials.
"Your Majesty, this minister has a petition to present!" Huang Chengyan stepped forward and bowed.
"Please speak, Elder Huang," Yi Tianxing nodded.
"Now that Great Yi has brought all of Yi Continent into its territory, many Immortal Cities have been newly established. A significant number of their lords are temporary appointees who lack familiarity with governance, and this has caused many issues. Those who passed the previous imperial examination have already been assigned, but we still face a shortage of qualified city lords. Therefore, I propose that we once again hold the Imperial Examination to select talents to fill these vacancies."
This was indeed the most pressing issue.
With so many cities built at once, demand for talent surged. Some former local leaders were retained, but they were few and often lacked governing skill.
"I support the motion," Zhuge Liang said, fanning his feathers lightly. "This year, we've added over two billion people to Great Yi. Among them are countless capable individuals. What they lack is only an opportunity to display their talents. And with Yi Continent unified, this is a time of celebration. Holding an imperial examination would be a sign of the times and a great joy for all citizens. It would also help new citizens develop a sense of belonging, showing that in Great Yi, all humans are equal—talent, not background, determines your fate."
Previously, Great Yi had just over one billion people—now it had over three billion. Such explosive growth brought both opportunity and challenge.
Though the policies of Great Yi made integration easy, true belonging required time and action.A new examination, allowing newcomers to enter officialdom, would send a powerful message: no bias, only merit.
Who knew—some historical-level geniuses might be hiding among them.
"Very well. The matter of opening the Imperial Examination is indeed urgent. Let's set the preliminary exam for after the Spring Festival, and the full exam in March. Elder Huang, gather with the others and draft the examination charter for review," Yi Tianxing agreed without hesitation.
This was now a top national priority.
Talent reserves must keep pace. Yi Continent was only the beginning. Once they ventured forth to conquer other continents and islands, their territory would expand drastically—and they'd need endless talent to match.