Before long, all first-rank ministers of Great Yi had gathered in the Hall of Knowledge and Action.
Yi Tianxing sat solemnly at the head of the hall, brows lowered in deep thought. His expression was one of unmistakable gravity.
"Your Majesty," Huang Chengyan spoke up, "summoning us at this hour—may we assume there is a grave matter at hand?"
A sudden assembly like this was clearly unusual. Whatever had happened was no small issue.
Yi Tianxing looked out over the gathered officials. Nearly all the top-tier powerhouses of Great Yi were present—this was the core of the empire's strength.
"Yes," he said at last. "From Oda Nobunaga, I've learned something critical: the Eternal Night realm has already begun infiltrating our Eternal World. Outer Demons have arrived and secretly founded a force within our borders—an organization known as the Hydra. Their goal is to seduce cultivators of our Eternal World to serve Eternal Night. Hydra is their wedge into our world—and they've already established a hidden base beneath Sakura Prefecture."
Yi Tianxing made no effort to conceal the truth. These were his most trusted men. Better to pool their wisdom and discuss how to respond. He had never underestimated Eternal Night—their methods were always bizarre and terrifying.
Otherwise, the war of the previous epoch would not have ended in such tragic devastation.
Yi Tianxing was certain: Hydra's infiltration had already begun. The exact extent was unclear. Their means were hard to detect. The only thing he could confirm was that the common human populace likely remained unaffected—for now. If there was any infiltration, it would be among the non-human races still living in the wilds of Great Yi.
The revelation caused an uproar in the hall.
Every face grew solemn. The power of the Eternal Night World was something they had personally witnessed. What had appeared on the Eternal Night battlefield was just the tip of the iceberg. No one truly knew the depth of their resources. If Eternal Night went all in, the destruction would be unimaginable.
Their infiltration techniques were insidious and frightening.
"If Eternal Night is here," Liu Bowen said, "then there must be a gateway connecting the two worlds. That's the real root of the problem. Even if we wipe out one or two Hydra bases, it's useless. Just like the legend—cut off one head, and two more grow in its place. If we don't sever the source, we'll always be passive."
A deeply troublesome issue.
Bandaging wounds without healing the illness—such short-term solutions were both exhausting and ineffective.
"To prevent Hydra from corrupting Great Yi," Jia Xu added, "we must use extraordinary means. The Eye of the Sun and Eye of the Moon are our most powerful tools. With curse-tracing techniques, we can monitor all living beings. Once we detect Eternal Night's aura, the heavenly eyes can exterminate them directly. But the greatest threat is not the corrupted—it's those who willingly turn to Eternal Night. Those are far harder to identify."
If someone was involuntarily tainted, they could be purged through the divine eyes.
But those who betrayed of their own free will? They looked just like any other citizen. Their minds and bodies were human.
The divine eyes were not omnipotent. They could not read hearts.
And if a person's heart changed—who could detect it? No one. Not even the heavens.
Eternal Night's power to corrupt hearts was truly terrifying.
"Still," Yi Tianxing said coolly, "we need not fear. However sinister Hydra may be, they wouldn't dare act openly within our lands. Great Yi is vast. With trillions of citizens, a few traitors mean nothing. These petty tricks cannot shake our foundations."
"But this emperor does not like passivity. I prefer to strike first. Since we know of Hydra's existence—and the location of one of their bases—we shall find it and destroy it. Within our territory, if we find a base, we level it. If we find a member, we kill them. No mercy."
There could be no compromise.
"Wise is the Emperor!"
All ministers bowed in unison. Many had a glint of admiration in their eyes.
Years of conquests and triumphs had instilled in Great Yi a formidable confidence—an unshakable belief that no matter the challenge, they would prevail.
They had fought through Eternal Night's battlefield.
How could Hydra frighten them now?
"Cut off one head? Then we'll cut off nine. Let's see them survive that."
No retreat.
Only ruthless resolve.
"Lord Tong," Yi Tianxing said, turning his gaze to the Emperor of Calamities.
"Your servant awaits," Tong Huang stepped forward and bowed.
"Hydra may abandon one base, but others surely remain hidden. That's why your Hall of Calamity will take full responsibility for hunting them down. Find them. Destroy them. Do you have the confidence to complete this task?"
"Rest assured, Your Majesty," Tong Huang replied, eyes gleaming. "The Hall of Calamity was made for this very thing. We've cultivated elite agents who operate across the land, lurking even in the most dangerous places. Hydra may hide deep—but we'll drag them into the light. We'll find them, one by one."
His confidence was palpable. He even licked his lips—clearly relishing the challenge.
"Very good. If your strength is insufficient, feel free to recruit from among the common people. Many sects now seek cooperation with Great Yi—their disciples could serve your purposes well. Consider it a form of alliance. Try it."
Yi Tianxing nodded in approval.
If disciples from cultivation sects were recruited, the Hall of Catastrophe would grow dramatically stronger.
The potential of sects should never be underestimated. With deep foundations and high standards, their disciples were often exceptional talents—far easier to raise into powerful elites.
"Understood, Your Majesty."
Tong Huang's eyes lit up. This was a golden opportunity to expand his organization. Naturally, she would not let it slip by.
"Indeed," Xun Yu added, "this strategy is excellent. The human sects are the heritage of our race. More importantly, this tests their attitude toward Great Yi. Once the Hanhai Realm is unified, internal affairs will become our biggest challenge. We must be prepared—and we must have a detailed system in place."
The unification of the Vast Sea Realm was already inevitable.
The only thing remaining was the migration of immortal cities to solidify control. Even the foreign races no longer doubted the outcome.
Most resistance had already been crushed. Whatever remained had fled to the wilderness, waiting for their moment.
These were mere stragglers—not worth worrying about.
"Enough," Yi Tianxing concluded. "We'll discuss those matters later. For now, fully secure the Vast Sea Realm. All other concerns can wait."
With that, the ministers bowed and dispersed.
Soon after, the Hall of Calamity began working at full speed.
Teams of elite agents were deployed toward Sakura Prefecture, moving through teleportation arrays that drastically shortened travel time.
The Hall of Calamity was overflowing with talent. Many once-famous martial eccentrics had been recruited—each possessing unique skills that shone in specific situations.
They also had strong incentives: every mission offered resources, merit points, and cultivation materials. With such support, their cultivation soared.
As the saying went: In the Six Doors, cultivation thrives.
Where else could offer benefits like official Great Yi departments? Even the great sects couldn't compare.
Using the intel Oda Nobunaga had left behind, a wave of agents infiltrated the area beneath Sakura Prefecture, scouring the seafloor.
Among them were strong cultivators from the Golden Scale Clan, a branch of the human race known for aquatic affinity—making the underwater search far more efficient.
Sure enough, their investigation soon revealed clues.
With precise methods, they located Hydra's hidden base. Though it lay within an independent spatial pocket, the Hall of Calamity had tools to uncover such hidden realms.
But when agents entered the dimension, they found it already abandoned.
The Hydra operatives had withdrawn, using other routes to vanish.
Worse still, upon entry, the independent space collapsed entirely—a self-destruct mechanism likely triggered by their presence.
The spatial collapse was so violent that several agents were killed on the spot.
A harsh lesson. A taste of what Hydra was capable of.
A smack in the face for the confident members of the Hall of Calamity.
Their expressions grew solemn. They would need to take Hydra far more seriously.
"Interesting," Yi Tianxing murmured after receiving the report. "So Hydra really does have extraordinary means. They sensed their exposure, evacuated swiftly, and left behind a trap. Not bad. They're not to be underestimated."
Still, he wasn't overly concerned.
The matter was already in the Hall of Calamity's hands. He trusted Tong Huang to deliver results.
Even if Hydra could not be eradicated, they could be oppressed—their space for survival relentlessly squeezed.
Let them live in fear, constantly on the run.
Time passed silently.
Unknowingly, half a month went by.
Then one day, above Xuanhuang City, auspicious clouds of merit began to gather.
The True Dragon of Fate soared into view…